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powdermelonkeg · 3 years ago

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Missing Links: A New Hyrule

This story has a prequel called Secrets in the Breeze! Go check it out!

My Missing Links

Wind took a deep breath, savoring the scent of the breeze as blew by. It had been awhile since he'd smelled salt in the air.

It was good to be back near the ocean.

One by one, the other heroes came through the portal, which shut behind them with a blue flash. Hyrule looked at Wind curiously. "Do...you recognize this place?"

"Nope!" Wind spun around with a bright smile. "But we’re near the sea! That’s always a good sign!”

“I beg to differ,” Legend muttered, taking note of his surroundings.

It wasn’t much. They stood atop a cliff that overlooked the sea-bordering countryside, with a sparse collection of villages tucked into the nooks of the nation. But what caught the pink-haired hero’s attention most was the network of golden roads that stretched across the land, leading towards a grand tower far inland.

In the shadow of the massive building stood a castle; one the young man immediately recognized, which threw the whole tower into proportion.

It was...big.

“So, here’s the plan.”

The redheaded man slapped a map against a tree, stabbing it through with his hairpin to keep it in place. He snapped his fingers, and the circuits of his prosthetic hand lit up in timeshift blue. “We came in here,” he said, drawing a glowing X over a place in the north of the Forest Realm. “The loser that stole my control slate ran off, and we got lost chasing him. So now we’re down here.” He circled Whittleton Village.

Fox watched the hero explain with wide eyes, fixated on his glowing fingertips.

“The guy could be anywhere,” he continued. “HOWEVER, if he knows how to calibrate it right, he probably has a map updated on the slate. And if he knows what the slate does, which he has to in order to pull a stunt like he did twice in a row, then he’d head for Hyrule Castle.” Taps drew an arrow towards the castle and tower in the distance. “We’ve already lost a day just getting out of Lost Woods. He’s probably way ahead of us if we travel on foot. But if we use one of the minecart guardians people drive around here...” He traced his finger along the minecart tracks that stretched across the land. “We can probably beat him there, as long as we catch one within the next couple hours.”

He spun to face his companion, clicking the drawing rune off. “Any questions?

Fox’s hand shot in the air. “Mr. Link? How does your arm work?”

Taps gave him a flat look. “Timeshift-powered output core.” He gave his prosthetic a solid pat. “Sheikah tech. Not what we were talking about. Any relevant questions?”

“...Well...” Fox rubbed the back of his head. “The...guardian things...they take passengers, right?” He looked at the hero with big eyes. “So, don’t they charge rupees?”

Taps paused. He hadn’t considered that. “...We can stow away.”

“Absolutely not.” The Hytopian put his hands on his hips sternly. “These people have lives to live outside of us. It’s wrong to steal labor from them.”

“They’re not GONNA have lives to live if this timeline gets screwed with by my slate!”

“Then we should get money fast, shouldn’t we?”

Taps’ eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms. “I didn’t exactly bring my wallet with me when I got yanked through time and space. You plan on selling your extra clothes for it?”

Fox gasped in horror, hugging his bulky luggage. “Never!”

“Well then. Not that big a problem, is it?”

Fox bit his lip. “...Give me one hour,” he finally said. “If I can’t earn us enough rupees for a trip by then, then we can talk about stowing away.”

Taps rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He held up a metal finger. “You’ve got one hour.”

Legend walked along the strange track, examining the golden triangles beneath his feet as he followed the rails. The power in them tugged at his attention, no matter how hard he tried to look away.

What were they?

“Hey.” An elbow dug into his shoulder. “Hyrule to Link, are you there?”

Legend side-eyed the offender crossly. “No.”

“Well then,” Warriors replied, smirking. “I guess that means I get your share of lunch.”

“You touch my apple pie and you find out exactly what my medallions do.”

“Ouch. Touchy.” He followed Legend’s line of sight down to the ground. “Must be an interesting road.”

Legend nodded, looking back at the tracks. “They’re...powerful,” he said, gesturing to them. “They radiate magic, and they feel...Hylian. Like they’re alive.”

Twilight shuddered. “I certainly hope they’re not,” he said, giving Epona a pat. “The last thing I want to worry about is living roads.”

WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The Chain jumped in unison at the loud sound, attention forcefully torn from the Spirit Tracks at their feet.

Off in the distance, blurred by a shimmer of heat, a steam-powered machine charged down the tracks at breakneck speed. With a frown, Twilight whipped out his Hawkeye mask to get a better look.

It was HUGE; it had to be at least as tall as three horses standing on top of each other. As it rounded the bend and headed towards them, he got a good look at its segments—a house, a tray, and a cannon?

Twilight squinted, adjusting the mask’s scope. “What in Farore’s name...”

“What is it?” Time asked, raising an eyebrow.

“...Some kind of mechanical caravan.” Twilight concluded after a moment of thought, lowering the mask. “And it’s not stopping. We should move.”

WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

“NOW.”

Quickly, the group got off the tracks, giving them a WIDE distance.

As the steam-powered beast approached, it let out a shrill, screeching noise, causing the heroes to clamp their hands over their ears in pain until it finally rolled to a stop with a pressurized hiss.

Time slowly lowered his hands, shaking off an involuntary shiver at the redead-esque noise. “Everyone alright?”

Hyrule groaned, rubbing his ears sorely. “I think I finally feel bad for DIgdogger...”

“We’re fine,” Four answered. “I’m going to have a headache for the next week and a half, though...”

“Tell me about it...what even WAS that?” Wind asked, scrunching up his eyes as he popped the pressure in his ears.

“‘Hoy!”

The seafarer suddenly snapped to attention at the familiar greeting.

“’Hoy!”

Link leaned out of the engine cab and waved to the band of...soldiers.

They had to be soldiers, right? They had swords and armor. Maybe there was a ceremony or something coming up.

One of the group, a young-looking boy in blue, waved back to him. “‘Hoy, stranger!”

“Everything alright?” Link called. “You look kind of...lost.”

The group looked between each other. “We kind of are,” another one said, a heavily-scarred one with a long ponytail. “Can you tell us where we are?”

“Just west of Whittleton. Where are you trying to go?”

“Hyrule Castle town,” the most heavily armored one replied. “Is it far from here?”

Link looked the group over critically. “...Not really. It’s a 20 minute ride by train. Can I ask who you guys are?”

“An orchestra!” The kid that had initially greeted him exclaimed.

“...An orchestra.”

“Yep!” He pulled out his baton. “See, I’m a conductor, and he’s got a harp, and he’s got an ocarina...”

“What are you playing, then?” Link said, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh-”

“Song of the Hero,” the friendly-looking one in the white cape supplied. “It’s a classic.”

“...Right.” Link held back a sigh, feeling like this was going to be trouble. He could just leave them...

...But this was Bulblin territory. He’d feel bad.

He could just tell the guard captain to be on the lookout once he got to Hyrule Castle. That’d keep them in line, right?

“...Do you guys want a lift?”

The train ride was such a change from walking everywhere. Granted, it had been difficult to convince Epona to climb into the passenger car with them, and Legend was sharing a VERY uncomfortable stare with a fluffle of rabbits gathered at his feet. But, for the vast majority of the heroes, it was a chance to rest their legs and watch the scenery fly by.

And it was incredible.

The only comparable thing Wind had seen in his travels was speeding around on Linebeck’s steamboat, and even that required him to be focused on not running into barrels and sandbars.

This, though? It was smooth. The train ran in a straight line, zooming by acres and acres of land without so much as a bump in the wrong direction, with endless ocean through one side of the car and towering mountains through the other. Thinking fast, he pulled out his pictobox and snapped a few shots as he went along.

When the train made its first stop, the screeching sound was notably more bearable through the barriers of the cabin walls. It still made Hyrule wince, but it was a far cry from the veritable scream they’d had to endure before.

As it finally came to a full stop, the engineer that’d picked them up peered into the cabin. “Nobody get up yet, we’re not here. I’m just picking up some more passengers.”

Time raised an eyebrow. “You do this kind of thing often?”

The stranger gave him a deadpan look. “Nope. Never in my life.” Without another word of explanation, he shut the door.

Time stared after him, taken aback.

Had he just....been sassed?

A moment later, the back door of the cabin opened, and two new passengers entered.

“I told you I could pay fare!”

“Yeah, yeah. Still think we could have saved money.”

They sat in the back seat, bickering quietly and, to Legend’s relief, attracting the fluffle away from him. As the train resumed its travel down the road, he found himself listening in to their conversation.

“-plan once we get there?”

“We start looking. Duh.”

“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?”

“Look, if someone uses it, we’ll know. It’s not exactly an easy thing to- ...hide.”

Curious at what had made the newcomer trail off, Legend looked back at them over his shoulder.

The redhead—the one who had ended the conversation—was staring at Wild in shock.

The pink-haired one, on the other hand, Legend recognized instantly. His head spun; the Chain had only just gotten the means to time travel themselves, how had the Hytopian guy with the friendship tokens-?!

Feeling Legend’s gaze on him, Fox looked up, unnerved, then froze in shock as he came to the same conclusion Legend did.

I know you. You shouldn’t BE here.

Suddenly, the train heaved, throwing everyone out of their seats. The once-smooth ride came to an abrupt halt as the train derailed, skidding across the raw ground with a terrifying SCREECH before grinding to a halt and tilting precariously. Twilight and Wild both scrambled to grab Epona and brace her as the car finally tipped, landing on its side with a crash.

Silence hung in the air for one brief, panic-laced second.

Then, in an instant, the redheaded stranger shoved his companion out the back door and vaulted over the cabin seats, barreling into Wild and leaping for the front door. As Wild was abruptly yanked out of his daze, he spotted the Sheikah Slate in the thief’s hand before the redhead made his escape.

Fox stared at Taps as he ran outside. “What are you doing?!”

“Shut up, I’m focusing!” Taps said, frantically clicking through the slate. “Where is it, this layout is atrocious-”

“Did you just steal the-”

“He had my control slate!”

“They had SWORDS!”

“So do we!” Taps stopped on a screen, and sighed in relief. “Finally!” With a blue flash, he summoned his Divine Beast, wasting no time in clambering on board. “Come on, get on!”

“But my clothes-”

“HEY!”

The two time travelers looked over as Wild emerged from the train car to shame mankind, eyes blazing with fury as he raced towards them.

Fox squeaked in alarm, quickly leaping onto the Divine Beast and clinging to Taps. “Drive, DRIVE!”

Wild did his best to give chase as the duo sped off, but his mortal Hylian legs couldn’t keep up with the ingenuity of Sheikah technology. Before his very eyes, two complete strangers fled into the distance with his Divine Beast.

Link picked himself up off the ground, clutching his ribs in pain as he raced back towards his toppled train.

He had so many people on board, he had a horse back there. If any of them were hurt—

Without a moment’s thought for himself, he threw the cabin door open. “Is everyone okay?!”

Everyone jolted, reaching for their weapons in panic, when suddenly, there was a yelp of pain from the back seat.

Sky clutched his stung hand as he dropped the Master Sword, staring at the engineer in shock.

“You’re...one of us.”

#i. am not revising this any more.#i'm aware that it's not my best work but this was difficult.#AAAAAAAAAAAA #anyways. enjoy #missing links chapter 1!#for those unaware #taps is the hero from the botw tapestry #fox is the faux hero from triforce heroes #and the engineer...yeah. spirit tracks #loz #zelda #spirit tracks #missing links is FINALLY #FINALLY UP #botw #linked universe #i need to practice more #the chain gets robbed #fanfiction

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edenmemes · 4 years ago

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the witcher 3: wild hunt starters

including quotes from the dlcs hearts of stone & blood and wine

❝ you were always an unruly child. i adored that about you. ❞ ❝ mmm. yes. of course. the excuse you resort to when you’d rather not talk about something. ❞ ❝ how many have you killed? how many more might you still? ❞ ❝ you know who i am. and why i’m here. ❞ ❝ you're a madman and always have been. a cruel, cold-blooded killer. ❞ ❝ a man should frame his wishes carefully. it forestalls disappointment. ❞ ❝ no argument. you knew what you were signing up for. ❞ ❝ maybe once, in a different time...i’d have helped. ❞ ❝ don’t train alone, it only embeds your errors. ❞ ❝ wanna get drunk off my ass. and it’s gotta be on cheap wine. ❞ ❝ you’re a heartless bastard. ❞ ❝ try to trick me anyway, anyhow, you won’t go anywhere, you know that. ‘cause i’ll take your head off right where it meets your neck. ❞ ❝ sorry. i don’t want to talk about it. not now, at least. ❞ ❝ we are more like a family. we support each other and help each other survive tough moments. ❞ ❝ so how’s it feel to be the village witch? ❞ ❝ realize, please, that you were made for great things. ❞ ❝ folks say a curse has fallen on that place, a dark power brought down by the bestiality of the murders it beheld. ❞ ❝ so, now you’ve threatened me and all...are you in or are you not? ❞ ❝ i know it must sound foolish, but in the dream - well, it was all too real... ❞ ❝ we may not survive this. in fact, our chances are slim. ❞ ❝ it’s always been about you. only you. ❞ ❝ i remember finding your sense of humor both groan-worthy...and somehow endearing. ❞ ❝ kings die, realms fall, but magic endures. ❞ ❝ i detest banquets. vacuous conversation, food portions fit for a mouse, drinks that taste like piss... ❞ ❝ despite what you’ve heard, i don’t lunge at every monster i see, sword in hand. ❞ ❝ each day’s more dangerous than the last. ❞ ❝ it’s folks like you that restore my faith in humankind. ❞ ❝ my power lies in possessing knowledge, not sharing it. ❞ ❝ the rotten smell brings back childhood memories. ❞ ❝ awfully noble of you, showing so much concern for the needy. ❞ ❝ no need to thank me. always glad to save your ass. you’re welcome. ❞ ❝ i may be inhumanely beautiful, but i don’t have super human senses. ❞ ❝ anyone can be made to talk, even a corpse. one must simply know how. ❞ ❝ we’ve done the hardest part. only got the pleasant bits now. ❞ ❝ there are few causes worth saving. even fewer men. ❞ ❝ don’t treat me like a child. ❞ ❝ there’s strange men lurking outside the house. watching me. ❞ ❝ you must be careful what you wish for lest your wish be granted. for there are consequences. ❞ ❝ shall i be free of the suffering? the sadness? ❞ ❝ i wish to gaze into those eyes, eyes the devil would be proud to have. ❞ ❝ you were born with a great gift. and only you can decide how to use it. ❞ ❝ any other words of wisdom? or can we go? ❞ ❝ what i need is an ally. and something tells me i shall find none better than you. ❞ ❝ i can see no row can occur here without your participation. ❞ ❝ i and what concerns me have not been a concern of yours for some time now. ❞ ❝ if you’d not arrived in time, things might have ended considerably worse. ❞ ❝ if they can bleed, they can die. ❞ ❝ a man must display some madness from time to time --- it helps him feel alive. ❞ ❝ i was deeply troubled. you’ve no idea. ❞ ❝ done that so many times, but...it felt like our first kiss to me. ❞ ❝ don’t need to play tough on me. ❞ ❝ i've lost too many mates already. i won’t risk it, i can't. ❞ ❝ there’s just not enough of us. it’ll be a hard fight. ❞ ❝ in lonely woods, screams carry long. ❞ ❝ things used to be simpler. monsters were bad, humans good. now, everything’s all confused. ❞ ❝ as for your missteps --- i don't rightly see why i shouldn't laugh if they're amusing.. ❞ ❝ i’ve no gold to offer you in reward...but i shall be ever so grateful. ❞ ❝ if you’re scared, turn back. i’m gonna go on. ❞ ❝ if anything happens, i’ll defend you. ❞ ❝ once you say "i love you," a kiss has to taste differently. ❞ ❝ maybe we should sit? you look a bit dazed... ❞ ❝ drink it off, sleep it off, whatever it takes...just get yourself together and think things through. ❞ ❝ i shall join later, if it’s no trouble. i don’t yet feel strong enough to venture out. ❞ ❝ awake at last. you writhed like a squirrel caught in a snare. ❞ ❝ again you plan without even asking what i think! ❞ ❝ come to see how i’m feelin'? thanks, not bad. ❞ ❝ i remember that day quite well...there was a light drizzle, yet the cold tore right through you. ❞ ❝ you gotta keep your eyes peeled wide open. someone’s taken an interest in your work. ❞ ❝ oof...for a minute, i actually thought we were doomed. ❞ ❝ you shouldn’t worry yourself --- it tarnishes your beauty. ❞ ❝ i’d even embrace you...were you not covered in blood. ❞ ❝ guess i could’ve been someone worse...just a shame i had no choice. ❞ ❝ facts interest me. not fairytales. ❞ ❝ hm, odd smell. blend of alcohol, blood and monster stench. ❞ ❝ i’m old and i am wealthy. i may say what i please. ❞ ❝ now, be so kind and leave me to my thoughts. ❞ ❝ in your shoes i’d pack it up and go hide somewhere far away. ❞ ❝ forgive me, but that's the blatherin' of someone who clearly can't snap out of it after a tragic loss. ❞ ❝ that all you gotta say? i saved your life. ❞ ❝ i swear on all that is holy: we shall be together forever. ❞ ❝ think of me as part of the decor. ❞ ❝ anyone who’s bold enough to fight is already a hero. ❞ ❝ if this is a trap of some sort... ❞ ❝ you can count on me, you know? always. ❞ ❝ you don’t know how much it means...to have someone you can rely on in this fucking city. ❞ ❝ i know you. you have no heart. ❞ ❝ no room for friendship in this business. ❞ ❝ evil is evil. lesser, greater, middling, makes no difference. the degree is arbitrary, the definitions blurred. ❞ ❝ hands off, or i'll cut them off. ❞ ❝ i’ll need to clear my head first. after those deranged dreams, i feel it’s full of cobwebs. ❞ ❝ on your way? or will you stay longer? it’s far safer with you around... ❞ ❝ really sad story, but something’s not right. got a feeling you’re not telling me everything. ❞ ❝ gotta admit, there’s something about you. you’re...different. ❞ ❝ with each arrow i shoot, i think of my dad. he’d be proud, i think. ❞ ❝ i merely know when to indulge my pride, and when to swallow it. ❞ ❝ you were born to greatness. ❞ ❝ these’re dark, grim times. no room for knights pure of heart or happily-ever-afters. ❞ ❝ a life without liquor’s like loving without licking. ❞ ❝ my certainty i walk the right path grows strong as iron, firm as steel. ❞ ❝ few make me feel awkward, but in your presence, i feel anxiety, discomfort. ❞ ❝ some men have got good reason to fear their own shadows. ❞ ❝ some men cannot admit defeat. some keep fighting from beyond the grave. ❞ ❝ stare into their eyes, feast on their terror. then go in for the kill. ❞ ❝ forget not that you are a person right and honorable, devoted to doing good. ❞ ❝ ash shall fertilize the soil. by spring, the valley shall bloom once more. ❞ ❝ there’s lots of wraiths here. i hear them whispering every night. ❞ ❝ no one has the courage to face this threat! yet we must kill them, or sooner or later we will all die. ❞ ❝ you are a step away from losing your head. speak the truth and you might yet keep it. ❞ ❝ you carry within you the weight of a terrible tragedy. you are a good person, but lost. which is why you come across as grim. ❞ ❝ if i understand you correctly, you would rather help a monster than kill it? ❞ ❝ discouraged after a mere eight attempts? ❞ ❝ easier to pat someone on the back and hope things will work out than it is to face the truth. ❞ ❝ know that they can’t teach an old dog new tricks? ❞ ❝ my, you’ve grown beautiful. ❞ ❝ my swords a promise --- if i reach for it, heads will roll. ❞ ❝ one condition: no one dies. that clear? ❞ ❝ patience happens to be my weakness. so dispense with the dramatic pauses and talk. ❞ ❝ you proved today you can take care of yourself. ❞ ❝ you under the delusion you’ll complete your tasks, live happily ever after? ❞ ❝ i will not sit and twiddle my thumbs. i'm sick of waiting, sick of hiding! ❞ ❝ glad you know who i am. haven’t introduced yourself, though. ❞ ❝ i’ve seen a great deal --- cruelty, cynicism, greed. ❞ ❝ you tempt fate, because at heart you are unhappy. ❞ ❝ we had our chance, but...let it go. ❞ ❝ come now, you didn’t expect it to be that easy, did you? ❞ ❝ promise me one thing --- you’ll stop risking your life for others. ❞ ❝ instead of dwelling on the future, i’d rather live in the moment. ❞ ❝ i adore love stories. especially the ones that end happily ever after. ❞ ❝ we are drops of rain that together make a ferocious storm. ❞ ❝ the path to freedom is paved in blood, not ink. ❞ ❝ we’ll get our happy ending. one day. ❞ ❝ i’ll never forget what you did for me...and what we had together. ❞ ❝ don’t meddle in other people’s lives. ❞ ❝ i don’t get attached to places. just people. ❞ ❝ it’s dangerous, there are risks involved. understand that, don’t you? ❞ ❝ and here i hoped someone would finally take pity on me. ❞ ❝ seen a lot of dead in my time, but that must’ve been hard. ❞ ❝ air is strange...like dropping into a deep cellar on a hot day... ❞ ❝ wouldn’t carry a sword if i didn’t know how to use it. ❞ ❝ take it you didn't summon me to reminisce about the good old days, so... ❞ ❝ i was attacked --- had to defend myself. ❞ ❝ guards have never stopped me, you know that. ❞ ❝ treating the ill and wounded...it’s my calling. ❞ ❝ you think it’s enchanted? ❞ ❝ there are times when a woman should simply not explain her decision. ❞ ❝ won’t find too many comforts, but try to feel at home. ❞ ❝ i was looking for you...sometimes i thought you were just a step away. other times, i felt like i was going around in circles. ❞ ❝ i’ll remember you. always with a smile. ❞ ❝ i’d rather you not make anymore trouble --- for yourself, or us both. ❞ ❝ got the stench of corpes on you. ❞ ❝ you stood to gain --- that is why you saved me. ❞ ❝ sages invariably have hidden agendas. altruism is simply not part of their constitution. ❞ ❝ the gods have abandoned us. the mighty of this earth care not for our fate. ❞ ❝ is that admiration i hear in your voice? ❞ ❝ i started off heading in the opposite direction, but then turned around. ❞ ❝ i’m fed up. i won’t have others deciding for me behind my back. ❞ ❝ where’d you get this idea? what’s gotten into you? ❞ ❝ i don't expect you to commit now. think it over, what you've heard, what you feel. ❞ ❝ head torn clear off...takes incredible strength. ❞ ❝ desperate fathers have been known to do a lot to find their daughters. ❞ ❝ you cannot kill me. you know this... ❞ ❝ "i give you my heart”? what kind of spell is that? ❞ ❝ i’d go anywhere with you. ❞ ❝ why? because i am a woman? in a frock, rather than plate? i can take care of myself, i assure you. ❞ ❝ everything we discussed here, hope you’ll keep it to yourself. counting on it, in fact. ❞ ❝ trusted you once. won’t make that mistake again. ❞ ❝ shut up. i’ve heard enough of your bullshit. draw your weapon, let’s get this over with. ❞ ❝ exaggerating for effect, right? ❞ ❝ well, well...when cornered, you can bite. ❞ ❝ you cannot win...even if you kill me. ❞ ❝ you know i’m good at accomplishing the impossible. ❞ ❝ it’s nothing, really. you’d have done the same for me. ❞ ❝ you are not ready. you do not control your powers. ❞ ❝ you’re a tool in their hands, even if you don’t see it. ❞ ❝ i’d do anything for you, i would. you know that well. ❞ ❝ this is a land where the fantastic is normal, and the impossible occurs daily... ❞ ❝ know when a legend becomes a prophecy? when it gain believers. ❞ ❝ i thought you’d become a stranger to me. that i’d look at you and not feel a thing. but it’s not like that at all. nothing’s changed. ❞ ❝ to be honest, i just wanted to go on a walk with you. ❞ ❝ what i really want is to be with you, to...to be together and... ❞ ❝ this is not the kind of offer one refuses. ❞ ❝ despair devours you like maggots devour a corpse. ❞ ❝ before long every soul will kneel before you. ❞ ❝ i run into dilemmas all the time. situations where it's hard to judge, hard to know what's right, make a decision. this is not one of them. you disgust me. and deserve to die. ❞ ❝ you know me. i’m rare to praise, but when i do, it’s sincere. ❞ ❝ i'm not a thug for hire. ❞ ❝ i like being on adventures, sleeping under the stars, waking up with dew on my face. ❞ ❝ the dream's within reach now. i’m not about to let it go. ❞ ❝ unlike you, killing gives me no pleasure. ❞ ❝ can't speak for the world you inhabit, but in mine, nothing is ever black and white. ❞ ❝ you cannot possibly imagine how much i detest this place. ❞ ❝ stones you’ve got. but i didn’t think you’d have the stomach for a massacre. ❞ ❝ the dead man --- looked like a monster attacked him recently. ❞ ❝ finish all your business before you die. bid loved ones farewell. write your will. apologize to those you’ve wronged. otherwise, you’ll never truly leave this world. ❞ ❝ i've had nothing but nightmares lately. pretty horrible. ❞ ❝ i was wandering through the forest, breathing deep the air, and then i heard a strange sound, unsettling. ❞ ❝ had a few nice dreams. for example, in one we sat around a fire, drinking good wine, and all around people danced and laughed. ❞ ❝ they’re all dead! mountains of corpses. yet here i stand alone. all alone. ❞ ❝ this isn’t a game. men have died. ❞ ❝ if you wanna listen, listen, if not --- i'd rather you spared me your wit and throw me out now. ❞ ❝ you fed me, cared for me, had my wounds looked after. we're even now. ❞ ❝ you’ll return, you shall. our fates are bound. ❞ ❝ i’ve nothing left. not a fucking thing. ❞ ❝ i don’t question your abilities. i simply don’t trust you. ❞ ❝ what foolish things men sometimes do. ❞ ❝ dare harm me, and against you will rise all the powers of nature. ❞ ❝ did you destroy the evil powers? have you brought peace to my domain? ❞ ❝ well, perhaps i shall tell you about it one day. one day, but not today.. ❞ ❝ times like these, you never know what tomorrow will bring. ❞ ❝ you worry too much. what will be, will be. ❞ ❝ have you gone completely mad? we must leave here at once! ❞ ❝ time eats away at memories, distorts them. sometimes we only remember the good... sometimes only the bad. ❞ ❝ you don’t need magic to strip men of their humanity. i’ve seen plenty of examples. ❞ ❝ if i’m to choose between one evil and another, i’d rather not choose at all. ❞ ❝ see what i’ve got on my back? wolves fear it. kings do, too. ❞ ❝ i missed those awkward compliments of yours. ❞ ❝ sometimes i think it’s all too lovely to be true…that something’s bound to happen, another war or some other horror. ❞ ❝ took you a while. did you run into trouble? ❞ ❝ i just travel a lot. and i don't always happen upon such good and civil company. ❞ ❝ what can you know about saving the world, silly? ❞ ❝ done my share of fighting. wouldn't carry a sword if i didn't know to use it. ❞ ❝ all right, perhaps i wasn’t completely honest. ❞ ❝ ever thought this day would come? me and you...peace and quiet...bees buzzing, birds chirping. ❞ ❝ i detect a shadow of impatience in your face. ❞ ❝ took me a long time to find you. wasn't an easy road to travel. ❞ ❝ wipe that frown off your face, or i might think you don’t like me anymore. ❞ ❝ always believed attack was the best defense. ❞ ❝ once it’s all over, if we survive ... i wish to leave, go far away. and i’d like you to come with me. ❞ ❝ naturally, you suspect me of the worst. i don’t deserve that. ❞ ❝ we can fight another time, in another place, where the walls have no ears. ❞ ❝ once i was free...i shall be free once more. ❞ ❝ believe me...a tavern, mulled wine, our boots drying by the fire --- i’d like nothing better. ❞ ❝ prove it. kiss me. ❞ ❝ the prophecies do not lie...you cannot survive this struggle. ❞ ❝ i know you better than you think. ❞ ❝ you know me. nothing i like more than breaking rules. ❞ ❝ what’s happened? it’s so quiet, all of a sudden. ❞ ❝ thank you, for coming with me. ❞ ❝ i cannot do everything for you. use your head. ❞ ❝ i'm angry and tired. had to kill a lot of people along the way. ❞ ❝ we’ve come a long way, and i’d be damned if we’ve come to fail. ❞ ❝ i sense your pain. i see your fear. ❞ ❝ how’s this for an answer: kiss my ass. ❞ ❝ how many have you already killed? how many more might you still? ❞ ❝ i'm quite alive and extraordinarily well. better than i've ever been in this rotten life of mine. ❞ ❝ i like it when you smile. come here. everything will be all right. ❞ ❝ ugh. don’t fall in love with me. ❞ ❝ i don’t like you. in fact, i feel like slapping you. ❞ ❝ i'm too old to play the blushing bride...unless you ask nicely. ❞ ❝ that bit of my life --- forgotten it already. ❞ ❝ the world doesn’t need a hero. it needs a professional. ❞ ❝ next time you wonder why i’m so bitter...well, there's your answer. ❞ ❝ nothing wrong with having a drink in good company. ❞ ❝ i want you behind those rocks. and keep your mouth shut. ❞ ❝ nice of you to worry...but i've made my decision, and i won't change it. ❞ ❝ this is my story, not yours. you must let me finish telling it. ❞ ❝ after all that toil, i believe we deserve a bit of a rest. ❞ ❝ i was afraid you were dead. ❞ ❝ we’ve all some stain on our conscience. ❞ ❝ leaving the castle walls means certain death. ❞ ❝ right good jest. had us a laugh. now fuck off. ❞ ❝ i’ve heard about you. you bring trouble, or thus far have, always. ❞ ❝ ah, you’ve struck a raw nerve. memories of a time long past to which i’d rather not return now. ❞ ❝ we meet again. and it seems you need my help. again. ❞ ❝ got a relative i can talk to? someone - how do i say this - a smidgen less irritating? ❞ ❝ miss the target, you owe me fifty push-ups. hit it, you owe me twenty. ❞ ❝ oh. serious talk coming. ❞ ❝ i feel like one more lie'd be the last bitter drop in a chalice full of sorrow. ❞ ❝ romantic? thought we came here as friends. ❞ ❝ you’re hiding something. and that’s one thing i can’t stand. ❞ ❝ tell me, how do you do it? always manage to pull yourself together, focus, no matter what’s happening? ❞ ❝ i go wherever i please, whenever i please. ❞ ❝ uh oh. i know that look. ❞ ❝ sounds tempting. so tempting i don’t think i can refuse. ❞ ❝ so, what do you say to a moonlight ride on horseback...and dinner? ❞ ❝ perhaps...perhaps you’d stay just a bit longer? ❞ ❝ how are you feeling? sleep well? ❞ ❝ such a gloomy subject to broach... simply shouldn’t have. ❞

❝ such a gloomy subject to broach...i simply shouldn’t have --- not during our romantic dinner. ❞ ❝ got it. a bit of blackmail --- just your style. ❞ ❝ it’s the crack of dawn. where do you wanna go? ❞ ❝ shut up before you wake someone. last thing we need is a crowd. ❞ ❝ watch what you say. the trees have ears. ❞ ❝ no bow at hand, no spear. my sword was all i had. ❞ ❝ never expected you’d take such an interest in my private life. ❞ ❝ i’m special. always was the rare beauty. ❞ ❝ damn. been ages since we last saw each other. ❞ ❝ some charming orchards nearby. in bloom, even, so you almost can't smell the corpses. ❞ ❝ you know me. nothing i like more than breaking rules. ❞ ❝ man spends his whole life learning. ❞ ❝ if only i was as skilled with my words as i am with my blade. ❞ ❝ i wished to know what was going on in that head of yours. i thought perhaps i could help. ❞ ❝ i can tell something’s bothering you. ❞ ❝ dangerous times. each thinks five times before sticking their neck out. and i can’t blame them. ❞ ❝ now i care not in the slightest how you think or feel. ❞ ❝ i no longer know if i still hate you. ❞ ❝ i see how you look at me, and i see you wither. ❞ ❝ one last bit of advice --- find a new tavern. everyone here knows you. ❞ ❝ you won. no point bothering with ‘what ifs’. ❞ ❝ it’s time i took fate into my own hands. lived life anew...and truly, this time. ❞ ❝ ahh, 'cause you thought you'd killed me that time. surprise, sur-fucking-prise. ❞ ❝ who...who’s that? gods, i’m hallucinating. ❞ ❝ it’s no exaggeration to say i’ve never met a warrior like you in my life. you’re lithe as an eel and strong as a bear. ❞ ❝ i’ve a heart again, yet all it feels is grief, sadness and defeat. my life is a ruin. ❞ ❝ sought only to protect myself. in doing so, i put you in harm’s way. forgive me. ❞ ❝ there’s a charming grove nearby where kisses taste sweeter than anywhere else in the world. ❞ ❝ you’ve handled tougher situations. you’ll figure this one out. ❞ ❝ who you are and why you’ve come matter little. for you’ll not leave this place alive. ❞ ❝ i’m not panicking. just trying to be realistic. ❞ ❝ hahahahaha...i can’t believe you fell for that! ❞ ❝ i was actually going to recite an anthem praising your glory, but if you’re not in the mood... ❞ ❝ lying didn’t always come so easily to you. ❞ ❝ everyone wants to rule. i can do that better than any monarch. ❞ ❝ tell me what you want already, and make it quick. ❞ ❝ what a mess we made of it all...if i’d only known then how it would end... ❞ ❝ seems a faded dream now, but there were a time where i was happy. ❞ ❝ why’d you leave me? you claimed you loved me. ❞ ❝ never liked boats. not one bit. ❞ ❝ you must be mad. i’ve no intention to make things easier for you. ❞ ❝ i don’t wish to look at your face any longer than i must. ❞ ❝ please, no. i can’t stand spells. ❞ ❝ we agreed not to keep any secrets from one another. we promised. ❞ ❝ that i like! a man who boldly dares, damn the risks! ❞ ❝ i thought you bowed before no man. ❞ ❝ smile a bit wider. ...you were meant to smile, not bare your teeth. ❞ ❝ is that blood? have you hurt yourself? ❞ ❝ no reason to trouble the guards. i’ll go willingly. ❞ ❝ look at me. promise you’ll stay out of it. ❞ ❝ the minute we’re in trouble, you make me responsible for getting us out. ❞ ❝ they say they don’t fear the wrath of the gods. and you, do you fear it? ❞ ❝ i’ll let that pass. i know grief eats at your heart. ❞ ❝ we all lie sometimes. but lying to yourself is running away, whereas there’s really nowhere to run. ❞ ❝ don’t need your sympathy, just your help. ❞ ❝ your loss -- it must hurt, bad. but there wasn't anything we could do. ❞ ❝ i wish to leave, go far away. and i’d like you to come with me. ❞ ❝ i trust you have an explanation for this. a very good one. ❞ ❝ lot of bitterness in you. ❞ ❝ i assure you, you’re excellent at covering your tracks --- though not terribly subtle. but i’m even better at uncovering them. ❞ ❝ glad to see you happy...but i don’t think what we did was right. ❞ ❝ i look at you, and...and feel like i am exactly where i am supposed to be. at long last. ❞ ❝ i’m no coward. i'll not run this time. ❞ ❝ yes, i know you’ve trained with swords. but you’re still shit with them. ❞ ❝ how many innocents have you cut down? ❞ ❝ problem is, you’re not ordinary. you were born to greatness. ❞ ❝ not too late to surrender. ❞ ❝ men turn honest when they feel a blade at their throat. ❞ ❝ i'm not gonna drink. why dull my senses when i’m in such pleasant company? ❞ ❝ it’s bound to come in handy, and each time it does, you’ll think of me. ❞ ❝ lie still or you will bleed to death. ❞ ❝ your life is yours, exclusively. you choose who you are. ❞ ❝ for a minute there, was almost sure you’d leave me to die. ❞ ❝ there is never a second opportunity to make a first impression. ❞ ❝ it’s all because of that secretiveness of yours. ❞ ❝ plead the gods spare us, for without their favor we shall most certainly perish. ❞ ❝ i must say -- seen a lot, but nothing like this, never. ❞ ❝ you don’t look like you can get home on your own. i’ll walk you. ❞ ❝ all’s in the past, never to be restored. ❞ ❝ you know full well i never hold a grudge. i forgive you. ❞ ❝ the good gods sent you to me. ❞ ❝ and the guilt, the responsibility of all this, lies with me. ❞ ❝ you’ve only been here five minutes, and you’ve already managed to offend me twice. ❞ ❝ you will certainly fetch me a higher bounty alive. ❞ ❝ what's wrong with my beard? always thought it added to my dignity. ❞ ❝ if i’m to die today, i wish to look smashing for the occasion. ❞ ❝ i was stupid. stupidity costs a lot. ❞ ❝ even your humblest requests seem like threats. ❞ ❝ your motives do not interest me. only results. ❞ ❝ and you laughed, oh, how sweetly, how brightly you laughed! ❞ ❝ you don’t know how it is. to see someone you love die. because of you, for you. ❞ ❝ to have a scapegoat --- that’s the key. ❞ ❝ no need to fear me. ❞ ❝ sorry, but -- your life story? just not interested. ❞ ❝ with you...it was love at first sight. ❞ ❝ gotta understand. you don’t betray people like me. ❞ ❝ i struggled long to find a place where i’d feel safe, needed. until i finally arrived here. ❞ ❝ just don’t faint on me. ❞ ❝ could never be there for you everyday. but i’m happy to see you always. and today, i’m all yours. ❞ ❝ what others think...your image...that’s all you care about. ❞ ❝ in these foul times one must be wary, even of their friends. ❞ ❝ come on, don’t get angry - it’s not good for you.. ❞ ❝ so, apart from the sword play, you know potions and all that? ❞ ❝ i actually envy your sense of wonder --- common in children, and morons. ❞ ❝ a lot of misfortune for a small village. ❞ ❝ who are you? do you seek to hurt me as well? ❞ ❝ the hand that feeds can also strike its wayward wards. ❞ ❝ shh. eat now. we’ll speak once you’ve rested. ❞ ❝ brother has turned against brother, the land is soaked in blood. evil reigns stronger than ever before. ❞ ❝ good looking and clever. where’ve you been hiding? ❞ ❝ doesn’t bother you, having monsters for neighbours? ❞ ❝ stay here --- no matter what happens. ❞ ❝ i never told you this, but i’ve always felt it: i love you. ❞ ❝ listen to me this once -- don't take matters into your own hands. ❞ ❝ love these moments. the air before a battle -- nothing smells as sweet. ❞ ❝ they tried to get in through the main gate. i’m afraid they could succeed next time. ❞ ❝ too many claim you’re evil. ❞ ❝ why are you so eager to help strangers? sit your ass down or there’ll be misfortune. ❞ ❝ you'd never have managed without me, would you? come, now, admit it. ❞ ❝ for those who remain, death should never take precedence over life. ❞ ❝ thanks for coming. thanks for risking your life for me. ❞ ❝ don’t force me to speak of it. no more, please. ❞ ❝ when doubt plagues your mind, follow your instincts. should they steer you wrong and land you in muck, you'll land at peace with yourself. and that's most important. ❞ ❝ just know that i know you're here. one misstep, one error...you'll make a mistake, it's inevitable...i'll be the first to learn it. ❞ ❝ i do not know you. i’ve done you no harm. ❞ ❝ try not to panic...just doesn’t suit you. ❞ ❝ we’ve come a long way, and i’ll be damned if we’ve come to fail. ❞ ❝ had i known what would happen here, i'd never have come. ❞ ❝ i can say i’ve seen it all now. ❞ ❝ these scars have long yearned for your tender caress. ❞ ❝ i don’t fall victim to curses. i cast them. ❞ ❝ come outside. we can hold hands and stare at the sky. ❞ ❝ we’ll work well together --- i can see that already. ❞ ❝ from the first moment i set eyes upon you that fateful evening, my heart has only beaten for you. ❞ ❝ i trust you as much as you trust me --- not at all. ❞ ❝ you’ve gone all red in the face just for talking about it. ❞ ❝ wake up. it’s just a dream. wake up! ❞ ❝ i still don’t believe everything that happened. ❞ ❝ i never miss twice. ❞ ❝ bit too old to believe in bedtime stories, aren’t you? ❞ ❝ you humans have...unusual tastes. ❞ ❝ didn’t think it worthwhile to tell me, warn me of your plans? ❞ ❝ i think you will not attack one unarmed. ❞ ❝ the deeper i get into this, the more i gotta wonder...why’re you even helping me? ❞ ❝ to live in peace, we first must kill. ❞ ❝ at times fate muddles our path, and life turns toilsome, hard to bear. ❞ ❝ i fight for whoever’s paying the best. or whoever’s easier to rob. ❞ ❝ do not let my beauty distract your aim. ❞ ❝ i’ve seen what is to come, i know destruction approaches. ❞ ❝ the war awoke an ancient power. an evil one that feeds on bloodshed. ❞ ❝ guess you’re no stranger to fury, either. ❞ ❝ think i’m gonna fall for that? no chance, you’re wrong. ❞ ❝ gotta admit --- you do pretty well with a sword. ❞ ❝ you dare tell me to calm down?! you?! ❞ ❝ let's say i go about my business, and when there's coin to be earned, i don't readily turn it down. ❞ ❝ i wish to know the truth...be it sweet, be it painful, i wish to know. ❞ ❝ men, the polite ones at least, would call me a monster. ❞ ❝ even i grow ill at the sight of you. ❞ ❝ i’m going on a walk. or is that not allowed either? because i could break my leg? ❞ ❝ plan’s crazier than it is sane...but there’s an irrestistible charm to it. ❞ ❝ unbelievable! you said something romantic! you! ❞ ❝ we may not survive this. in fact, our chances are slim. ❞ ❝ if anything should happen to you... ❞ ❝ there’s not been a dark cloud yet that didn’t have a silver lining. ❞ ❝ those are some fresh lookin’ scars you’ve got there. ❞ ❝ no. no more about the battle. just hold me. and say something nice. ❞ ❝ stay. this is the only home we’ve ever had. ❞ ❝ you’re so charming when you try to be funny. ❞ ❝ not proud of it...yet i considered all the options and found none better. ❞ ❝ i look far different from when you last saw me. ❞ ❝ i admire your optimism. wish i shared it. ❞ ❝ and...try not to draw any attention to yourself. ❞ ❝ nightmares haunt our nights and days. folk sleepwalk from their homes, never to return. ❞ ❝ forgive me. it couldn’t be avoided. i truly am sorry. ❞ ❝ well i’ve departed, escaped, been forced to flee so many times…yet i always returned. you ought to be used to it by now. ❞ ❝ the human mind is as wild and unexplored a place as any land far beyond the sea. ❞ ❝ you think you’ve won. you are wrong. i can’t die. ❞ ❝ you’re something more. something more. ❞ ❝ barely nicked me, i’ll be fine. ❞ ❝ it’s just that i felt...stifled, in your shadow. i’d have suffocated had i stayed. ❞ ❝ come, don’t just stand there. i want a hug. ❞ ❝ it’s lovely here! i could stay forever. ❞ ❝ do what you will, but leave me out of this. ❞ ❝ we should end this discussion -- before i say something i'll regret. ❞ ❝ you all right? you’re as pale as death. ❞ ❝ let’s get back to the hut. i’ll protect you along the way. ❞ ❝ not to keen on talking about it, are you? ❞ ❝ it’s better to die than to live in the knowledge that you’ve done something that needs forgiveness. ❞ ❝ i was afraid you were dead. ❞ ❝ at times one must use reason, rather than blades. ❞ ❝ need some peace. gotta prepare. ❞ ❝ i suspected it might not be the best idea, but i was desperate, had no choice. ❞ ❝ so tell me how it happened. step by step. ❞ ❝ it was a bit of a lark, a jest. i meant to bring it all back, i swear. ❞ ❝ if i wanted to kill you, you'd be long dead by now. ❞ ❝ that is precisely one of the reasons why i abhor your world. your senseless brutality. ❞ ❝ i won’t let them take you, you know that? ❞ ❝ magic...childish hocus-pocus. it’s just not interesting. what i find fascinating are true tales of true human lives. ❞ ❝ save your praise for others. i couldn’t give a shit. ❞ ❝ well, well, i am impressed. doubted you still had it in you, frankly. ❞ ❝ i like you. don’t make me hurt you. ❞ ❝ you know very little can hurt you being immortal, so you take wild risks, chase extreme sensations. there comes a point you’ve done it all, and all seems boring and monotonous. ❞ ❝ with you i finally feel...harmony. a calm. feel like things are the way they're supposed to be. ❞ ❝ i'm afraid the dishwater’s as good as it gets in this establishment. ❞ ❝ sorry to take so long, but i had to deal with the guards. ❞ ❝ i’d never miss a chance to spend a pleasant evening with you. ❞ ❝ you know too much. yet one more reason why you must die. ❞ ❝ or perhaps you seek to trick me. ❞ ❝ if you acknowledge any gods...start praying, now. ❞ ❝ it’s very simple. you either deceived me...or not. ❞ ❝ i am known neither for my sense of humor nor for my patience. ❞ ❝ naturally, it would be easier with your help, but...you irritate me. ❞ ❝ love questions like that. am i holding up? what, my dick? ❞ ❝ we never hunt in these woods. not even if it means the whole village starves. ❞ ❝ we’re only ever the ones to know the truth about ourselves. ❞ ❝ you’re insolent because you believe i cannot afford to hurt you. and you’re right. ❞ ❝ i detest graveyards, especially wandering them alone. ❞ ❝ you know too much. you impede me too often. and i find your arrogance an annoyance. ❞ ❝ i know it’s wartime, but try not to be a hero, all right? ❞ ❝ i don’t know that i’ll make for engaging company. in truth, i rarely talk to men. ❞ ❝ you know...had a dream about you recently. ❞ ❝ i thought i could at least count on you to treat me seriously. ❞ ❝ don’t ask questions you know the answers to. it makes you look stupid. ❞ ❝ you’re nosy. starting to piss me off, you know? ❞ ❝ what did i do to deserve this? have i given you cause to doubt my intentions? ❞ ❝ don’t fret about me. i always get by somehow, right? ❞ ❝ i wanted to go with you --- that was my idea. ❞ ❝ i shan’t stray a step from your side. ❞ ❝ if that’s what it takes to save the world, it’s better to let that world die. ❞ ❝ what’s that supposed to mean? that a threat? ❞ ❝ i’m offering a great and true adventure, an experience like no other, the fate of only the chosen few. ❞ ❝ that’s like choosing between pestilence and the plague. ❞ ❝ what’s it matter? i only ever thought of you. ❞ ❝ did you know you’ve gained twenty-seven new scars since we’ve last saw each other? ❞ ❝ i need to know the details if you want me to get my hands dirty. ❞ ❝ don’t know you. go away. ❞ ❝ ever vigilant, even in your sleep. quite vampire-like, in fact. ❞ ❝ gotten used to people treating me like a freak, an outcast. ❞ ❝ we share a cause, then. just like the old days. ❞ ❝ ever considered becoming a burglar? skill like that’d come in awful handy. ❞ ❝ there’s never been a frown that couldn’t be turned upside down. ❞ ❝ honesty's an attribute of the truly brave --- and thus the privilege of the very few. ❞ ❝ you do not have a monopoly in altruism, my friend. ❞ ❝ great love demands great sacrifices. ❞ ❝ i believe it wise at times to share one’s secrets, unburden oneself to those one can trust. ❞ ❝ it would be nice from time to time if you could sit back and enjoy life, instead of going around solving everyone’s problems. ❞ ❝ we shall dance until the break of dawn! ❞ ❝ a man could lose his head for a lass like you. ❞ ❝ don’t have to come if you don’t want. wait here. ❞ ❝ never seen this side of you. ❞ ❝ i’m to kiss the ground you walk on, is that it? but you just did your duty. ❞ ❝ the day you give me a smile...that moment, that’s what i’m waiting for. ❞ ❝ i need a soul intelligent and clever, an individual who fears no dare. someone like you. ❞ ❝ if i was you i’d catch some shut-eye, not go on flapping my tongue. ❞ ❝ the plan is simple...which does not mean it will be easy to execute. ❞ ❝ sometimes you really get on my nerves, you know. ❞ ❝ you shall not turn on me, use what i say against me? you shall not tell anyone? ❞ ❝ gave you a chance. should’ve taken it. ❞ ❝ always better to do a bit more and even gain nothing by it, than to do too little and face regret. ❞ ❝ it’s lovely out here. the birds singing, the bees buzzing...blissful, really. ❞ ❝ what a lovely dress. the color suits you exquisitely. ❞ ❝ pretty fantastic tale. hard as hell to believe. ❞ ❝ it’s time you discovered my romantic side. ❞ ❝ you gotta understand the whole world doesn’t revolve around you. ❞ ❝ can you not see i am out of my mind with worry? ❞ ❝ every rose has its thorn, and there are no happy endings. ❞ ❝ pretty quick to reject help. why is that? ❞ ❝ don’t need to like each other. just gotta do our jobs. ❞ ❝ frankly, if i can do something for you, i'll do it, willingly. ❞ ❝ you were hired you kill me, were you not? ❞ ❝ what’s it like, going toe to toe with a monster? knowing you’ve only two options --- to kill or be killed? ❞ ❝ this place --- there’s evil here. death hangs in the air. ❞ ❝ intellect counts as much as strength. ❞ ❝ i run back inside, hasp the doors, and then i hear it --- someone whispering my name. ❞ ❝ you know i like you. unlike the rest of this lot, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. ❞ ❝ if you love somebody, set them free. ❞ ❝ if you hate me so deeply, why don’t you tell me to my face? ❞ ❝ i’m afraid you’d not realize which way the wind was blowing if you pissed straight into it. ❞ ❝ that was courageous. i'd never expect it from you. ❞ ❝ i am not easily impressed, but i must admit you have succeeded, my dear. ❞ ❝ kill me if you must. i’ve nothing to live for anyway. ❞ ❝ aren’t you an extraordinary beauty. ❞ ❝ never suspected you believed such things. ❞ ❝ wait...you want to go with me? out of the question. ❞ ❝ used to it. not the first time i’ve been hunted. ❞ ❝ enough of this hesitation, this fretting, these feelings of guilt! ❞ ❝ strange working with you. strange, but great. ❞ ❝ give me a moment. i must don something more appropiate and concealing. ❞ ❝ killing comes as naturally to me as blowing my nose. ❞ ❝ ...... another tale of a life compromised and ultimately claimed by greed and ambition. ❞ ❝ in the future, though, remember this --- i can look after myself ❞ ❝ you'd really worry about me if i went on alone? ❞ ❝ you have many merits. you merely hide them from the world very diligently. ❞ ❝ is it true virtue always trumps villainy? ❞ ❝ watch my movements. i’m spry as a cat and sly as a fox. ❞ ❝ ah, if only this could last forever. ❞ ❝ few i can rely on like i can on you. kinda hoping you think the same of me. ❞ ❝ you are angry at the whole world. you feel inferior, feel pain, though you mask this with confidence, arrogance, even. ❞ ❝ there exist worries for which there quite simply is no other medicine. ❞ ❝ your bones look thin, your breathing’s wheezy. afraid one punch might kill you. ❞ ❝ to love is to build a house of cards, or play a game of chess, but one word or ill-thought move and you must start it all afresh. ❞ ❝ i’m doing what i ever wanted to do, being who i wanted to be. i believe that’s one definition of happiness. ❞ ❝ you’ve not an ounce of refinement in you, have you? ❞ ❝ pain rules the body, but fear is born in the heart. ❞ ❝ either i get burned, or i’ll burn all else down. no other options. ❞ ❝ should you decide your sword is the sole solution, i shall not stand in your way. ❞ ❝ c’mon, come closer. ❞ ❝ would you prefer i treated you like the lying manipulater you are? ❞ ❝ i regret nothing. one lives but once. ❞ ❝ i just hope this tale has a happy ending. for me, for you. for everyone. ❞ ❝ just gonna go our seperate ways? no parting words? ❞ ❝ you still stand to be quite useful to me. ❞ ❝ i suppose you wanted to frighten me...alas, you didn’t in the least. after all, i’m a monster too, am i not? ❞ ❝ i trust no one. learned that long ago. ❞ ❝ it cannot be! you actually have a sense of humor. ❞ ❝ didn’t ask for a lecture on probability. need a simple answer --- yes or no. ❞ ❝ another word, and i shall spill even more blood. yours. ❞ ❝ you feel resentment, i understand, but we shall work through all the unfortunate matters of the past. ❞ ❝ stop playing dumb. i know everything...your plan. ❞ ❝ honestly can’t see what all those dames see in you --- you’re a stick in the mud. ❞ ❝ not showy, lovely location...perfect for romantic getaways. ❞ ❝ i hope you’re not upset i came like this, without warning... ❞ ❝ i’m still a long way from mastering anything. but i am trying. ❞ ❝ now i know how you do it. just annoy your opponents to death. ❞ ❝ word on the street is there’s a hefty bounty on your head. ❞ ❝ for a few days now i’ve been having dizzy spells. ❞ ❝ i’ve always had a way with ostensibly dangerous types. ❞ ❝ wound doesn’t look good. patch that up quick if i were you, before it starts festering. ❞ ❝ always seemed to me you were a very complicated creature, by nature. not one to resort to such simple methods like drinking your worries away. ❞ ❝ may i be honest? yes, i’m nervous. i really would prefer to just run off. ❞ ❝ father always said a wise man learns from others’ mistakes, so here i am, learning from his. ❞ ❝ ever since that horrid night...everything has changed. ❞ ❝ what’s wrong? afraid? gut feeling queasy? ❞ ❝ used to bother me, all your secrets...now i know if you have something to tell me, you’ll tell me. ❞ ❝ i so don’t feel like going anywhere. sit here a while longer? ❞ ❝ there’s something i’d like to know...how can you be so damned calm? ❞ ❝ my knees quake like a carnival rattle. ❞ ❝ honestly didn’t think this’d work. doubted anything would happen. ❞

#roleplay starters #roleplay meme #long post for ts /

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epicspheal · 3 years ago

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Heya! I hope your doing well!

Ever since swsh gave the rivals something to do after the fact( something that I believe only happened to Blue), I can't help but think of the rivals prior who haven't. What do you think they end up doing? I know that Blue ends up becoming a gym leader, but would still be interesting what you plan for him too! :3

Hi there @ihopethisendswell! So actually, it's the norm typically for the rivals to have something to do, even if it's just continuing being a roaming trainers. Being a roaming trainer is still just as valid of a career path as other routes given the way the Pokemon world works, it's just not as solid of a career path as say gym leader or research assistant. Pokemon Sword and Shield is one of the only main games that really puts emphasis on the rivals' alternate careers paths as part of the plot outside of the gen 5 games. So like you have Blue who becomes gym leader and also helps his grandpa with his research by still be a roaming trainer (much to the frustration of anyone trying to challenge his gym). By the time of Sun and Moon/USUM he has ditched the gym to become battle facility which ultimately given his status as a former champion ends up being a much more fitting role. Granted he needed that time as a gym leader as long standing humbling exercise so it wasn't a bad call at all. Then we have Silver, who remains a roaming trainer, though he kind of mainly sticks around the Dragon's Den because he really wants to avenge that loss to Lance and show how much he has changed. Then we have Brendan/May (when not the protagonist) who end up going back to being full time assistants professor Birch. Wally on the other hand, is much like Silver in that he continue to be a roaming trainer, with him staying around the Battle Resort in ORAS with him eventually going to the Battle Tree by the time the SM/USUM events occur.

Barry also follows the roaming trainer route with him staying Stark Mountain in Diamond/Pearl and with Platinum he hangs around the Survival area.

Gen 5 is where the rival's future goals get the most attention, and was the best well done (SwSh in my opinion failed hard on the rival's goals bar Klara and Avery's). Bianca is still my favorite "how to do a future career path" ending in the entirety of series which is she really doesn't know. She ends up taking up a position as Professor's Juniper's assistant. However it's this linefrom Bianca in Pokemon Black 2/White 2 that I really enjoyed:

"Actually, I'm not sure being a professor's assistant is really what I want to do... But when I do the work, I have lots and lots of fun!" I really appreciated that they allowed Bianca to have doubts that this is her final career path. She's still a child and I can remember when I was her age (God, I sound so old) how many career paths I thought about in that time frame...and only one of those comes even remotely close to what I'm attempting to go back to school for. I liked how she's just trying to things and aiming for experiences while not trying to commit herself to one specific path. Now obviously this could theoretically be true for any number of the rivals as with the exception of Blue (and Wally although for some odd reason they didn't give him an aged up model considering he'd be just as old as Red and Blue are) we don't see them as adults and their ambitions could very well have indeed changed over the years. Then you have Cheren who after that scolding from Alder really begins to question his pursuit of strength and what he really wants to do. Cue 2 years later in BW2 where we see him as the Aspertia City gym leader as well a lecturer at the trainer's school. Fitting as it shows his desire and capabilities as a trainer but also allowing a more concrete goal than just pursuing strength but actually overseeing the future generations. And Hugh, another one of my favorite characters, concludes his story arc on forgiveness (since he had absolutely none for Team Plasma at the beginning of the story) ends up a roaming trainer but also helping the good side Team Plasma in Driftveil City reunite Pokemon that were stolen during the events of Black/White to their original trainers. So he has a goal and really touching one I might add, one of the few that doesn't revolve around battling or researching.

Then there's the XY rivals who were admittedly the most shafted. They all pretty much end up as roaming trainers except for Trevor who already had the aim of completing the Pokedex for Professor Sycamore and he continues to do so.

The no specific aim works the best, in my opinion, for Shauna as she really didn't have much of a goal to begin with outside of travelling/making memories, and much like I said with Bianca, it's okay for characters to not have a specific end game (although I personally see Bianca's route as better as although she isn't quite sure what she wants to do, she does take initiative and actively pursue a goal to gain experience and see if it's for her).

Serena/Calem (again when not the protag) having no set aim also works because they were most competitive of the group and continuing to be a trainer makes sense, but since they get hardly any development it just feels hollow and not satisfying. At least with characters like Wally, Silver and Barry who are roaming they all went through some major development. Lack of major development plus no end game just makes Serena and Calem unfortunately just not stand out.

Then Tierno...poor Tierno. He's my favorite XY character and I hate that screwed over so poorly. He actually a goal but the game doesn't allow us to see how a dance team would work. Kalos really could've benefitted from a Pokemon Contest/Musical like sidequest where Tierno shines in. So him being a roaming trainer is just...meh.

Now moving on to Gen 7 and best boy Hau (Hau's up there with Blue and Leon as one of my favorite Pokemon characters PERIOD). In both Sun and Moon and USUM he's a roaming trainer but I argue that Sun and Moon actually wrapped up his character better, despite USUM giving him much more in the way of development. By that I mean he explicitly mentions to the player that he wants become strong enough to find his father who fled Alola because the pressure of being the Kahuna's son was too much. So yeah he is still just a regular trainer, but he does have an explicit goal that goes beyond just trying to continue to measure up to the player. He also helps to train the reforming Team Skull grunts in the art of Alolan SuMo. In USUM this is erased for a more generic roaming trainer scenario unfortunately. Gladion's fate also changes depending on what version of the Gen 7 games you play. With Sun and Moon he ends up taking over as Aether's president but also still trains on the side as he is one of the challengers that can come for your title in the post game. In Ultra Sun and Moon he actually takes the "I'm going to Kanto" route instead of Lillie although he actually back and is essentially a roaming trainer since Lusamine's villainy was nerfed and therefore allowed to stay as Aether's president

Then there's Trace who ends up champion then loses it, but keeps on going in this endless circle of trying to reclaim it from the player. And then finally the Gen 8 rivals where we have Bede, Marnie, Klara and Avery all become gym leaders and Hop is a professor. Despite this cast having the most focus on their future paths since the gen 5 rivals I don't think they were done that well. Like Klara and Avery's worked, really well and they're probably the only rivals bar Trace and Blue who actually their goals (with them actually maintaining there dream status because their goal didn't involve becoming champion).

I've talked about Hop's on this post before but the lack of genuine foreshadowing just made his sudden declaration of wanting to be a Pokemon Professor just come out of nowhere. And honestly considering the fact that he had just come out of a depressive stage and still hadn't quite addressed his idolization issues I think he would've been served better with the Bianca route where yes he becomes Sonia's assistant, but it's clear that he's still trying to find his new path and that he's just open to trying out research rather than making a rather bold claim that this was his new career path. Either that or do better in the foreshadowing where he shows he has a much clearer interest in academia but feels like he needs to be a champion like his brother.

Then there's Marnie who I've also stated was kind of screwed over. Because she made it rather clear to Piers she didn't want to be gym leader (which makes sense given that she saw how that position screwed over older brother that she admires). She's pretty much doing this because she still has the motivation to save her hometown which is extremely admirable and mature. But also it's sad, like if she didn't have to do this, would she honestly still be gym leader. I think not, at least not immediately. Considering that gym challengers can still compete on the big stage with the champion's cup rematches and some even can be invited to the Galarian Stars Tournament, I think if I had of written that I would've focused on how with Leon as the head of MC he's going to actually work with Spikemuth to revitalize without shouldering the responsibility on one single person, especially a minor. And let her be a roaming trainer and live for herself and not continue to be Spikemuth's martyr.

Then there's Bede who quite vocally states when crashing the Champion's Cup that he was ready to retire. Like poor boy goes from being used as Rose's wishing star collector and fall boy to Opal's reirement plan. Like yes it's great that Opal actually remembers his name and gives him a support system and teaches him some discipline. But still it's kind of sad as he was very much okay with retiring but more or less gets goaded into staying because of the stadium audience.

So this post got way longer than I what it was going to be but hey that happens. But yeah too long don't read, all of the rivals do have a goal, even if a lot of them end up as roaming trainers. If I'm honest in most cases (bar the gen 6 rivals because they lacked developent) the roaming trainer thing works. Because they're kids and they still have their whole lives ahead of them and they don't need to have concrete job just yet. Especially because in some cases the concrete plan just doesn't always fit the character. It works best when it feels like an organic part of the story and not just trying to wrap things up for the sake of wrapping things up.

Finally, to answer your question about how I deal with Blue. Well in my Pokeverse (dubbed cactusverse in case you see me refer to my AU as this), I tend to be fairly canon compliant to the games. So after he loses his champion title to Red he becomes Viridian gym leader, slightly patches things up with grandfather by helping with the research and eventuallya head of the Battle Tree as an adult once he gains the Battle Legend Status (which is an actual legitimate title in cactusverse held currently only by him, Red and Leaf, although one of my OCs gets this designation as well). So nothing that really deviates from canon except for some offscreen events. Basically the battle legend status is bestowed if a major event happens that is taken care of by an already established powerful trainer. So there's a rather major plot thing the Kanto Trio gets involved in that once they take care of gives them their status.

Also for cactusverse there's the whole issue of the Viridian City gym. So it eventually it gets passed down to Trace as Blue has shown that he's become a bit too powerful to be a gym leader. He was honestly when he first got it probably still a bit overkill for an 8th gym leader, but he also really needed an attitude adjustment. And with Lance being a far better father figure to him than Oak could ever dream of, with the help of Agatha tried to rein in his egotistical and self important ways by giving him the position. Which worked very well. Still in cactusverse there's rules on the win percentage a gym can have and that's determined by position. Win too many for your rank and you get moved, vice versa if you lose too many, and sometimes you might even lose your position. The first and last gym leaders are always the most at risk of losing their status. This actually happens to Wallace, Iris and eventually Raihan because they just end up exceeding the strength of most challengers who try to challenge them. Hence why all three of them end up champions at some point cactusverse (Raihan does not become Galar's champion, but Johto's champion since I really like the idea of him spreading his wings beyong Galar).

Blue between the time of BW2 and SM had ended up getting to a point that no one had gotten a gym badge off of him in a couple of years which is unacceptable by league standards and he would've gotten booted out sooner had Lance not personally asked my OC Terra to come kick his butt and get a badge off of him. And cue possibly the most iconic and brutal gym battles to have ever gone down in a region of outside of Galar because two heartbroken champion tier trainers, who broke each other's heart is a recipe for a frightening battle. Lance happened to referree that match and might be a little traumatized. Terra won and he was able to give out his last badge before Red came back from his latest global trip and said let's go to Alola.

#rival blue #rival marnie #rival hop #rival bede #rival silver #rival wally #rival barry #rival bianca #rival cheren #rival hugh #rival hau #rival gladion #ask epic spheal #rival klara #rival avery #rival trace

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it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream · 4 years ago

Text

Silva Lining (Saul Silva x Reader) Chapter 6 pt2

Here you have it peeps. Part 2 of chapter 6! I’m really enjoying writing this story and if anyone has watched the original Winx cartoon you’ll recognise some bits in this chapter. Also, wanted to let you know that if you've watched Fate: the winx saga, my fic is mostly based off that timeline, however, I won't be following it exactly if you’re wondering why certain events haven't happened already etc...

Warnings: Swearing/bullying?

Word count: 2.3k

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Oh god. You didn’t want to turn toward the voice, scared of what you were about to encounter. Saul visibly stiffened and not in the good way. If he was a cat the hair would be standing up on the back of his neck and he’d be poised to attack. His eyes looked at you quickly, it was a pleading look, one that you weren’t sure you like the look of.

“I thought It was your handsome face I saw from over there, fancy seeing you here.” The girl was still walking towards the booth and hadn’t seen you yet, you were on the side with your back facing her so were shielded still, until she got closer. You turned your head and instantly were hit with a wave of unexplained anxiety. It was like for a moment you had gone straight back to being that small, un wanted shell of a girl Saul had found months ago cowering on the forrest floor.

She was tall, slim, blonde and gorgeous, a lot of things you weren’t, you were total opposites. Where she wore a tight fitting figure hugging dress that showed off all her assets, and you meant ALL, you wore more of a muted outfit, sticking to your traditional fashion sense of white and black. Granted it was a date, you had made an effort to look nicer, no ripped skinny jeans this time, just normal black ones with platform Vans and a white sequinned top you’d borrowed from Stella, your leather biker jacket slung over the booth next to you. You noticed she was a lot older than you too, if you had to guess she was probably around 28, a lot closer to the age of your man sitting across from you. Her lips were a bold red, pearly white teeth shinning as she grinned at Saul.. until she noticed you sitting across from him.

“Oh you have company?” She said it more like a question rather than a statement, like she was surprised he was here with anyone. The woman crossed her arms rather matter of factly and didn’t hesitate in looking you up and down, subtly not her forte. The grin she was giving you made you a little nervous, gone was the one she wore for Silva, now this one was different, something crazy behind the woman’s eyes, almost predatory.

“And you are?” She looked straight at you, cocking her head, who the hell did she think she was. Saul was still quiet, you think shocked was the better word for it. Then he seemed to snap right out of it when he heard how you were being talked to.

“Glamour, this is my girlfriend Y/N.” Her whole face changed from a wicked smile to a look of disgust.

“You can’t be serious.” God if she was trying to make you feel any smaller she was surly succeeding. Now this, is what you called a Queen B, grade A Biatch! She would even give Stella a run for her money. “This, is what you left me for?” She shook her head in disgust and then even had the audacity to laugh. Sauls fists tightened, you slipped your foot back to his leg and moved it slightly, a reassuring touch.

“You know, I thought it was just a temporary thing, it’s only been two and a bit months after all, I thought it was just you getting stressed about going back to Alfea, but obviously you had ulterior motives.” What, wait, did she just say two and a bit months.. that means.. he was still dating this bitch when you had moved into Alfea and he was training you. In that moment you felt like an idiot. God, how could you have been so stupid, of course he would be going out with someone like her, she was perfect, everything a man could want, then there was you, a broken outcast who had no where to call home. What if you were just his charity case? The negatives thoughts came creeping in but you tried to push them down, you hadn’t felt this insecure in a long time. The booth seemed to crackle with energy, then you realised thin black clouds of fog hovering around you. Your powers were out of whack, it tended to happen when you were so emotional you couldn’t contain them. The woman looked a little rattled and Saul looked even more pissed.

“Glamour, that was in the past, we weren’t anything but a fling, you didn’t mean anything to me and I didn’t mean anything to you, whereas, Y/N, means everything to me. Now if you don’t mind, me and my girl are trying to enjoy our date. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Obviously she wasn’t used to being talked to the way Saul had because she let out an almighty screech of annoyance and stormed off, her heels clacking away on the tiled floor.

“When you get bored with your pet project and want a real woman you know where to find me.” Was her last comment before she made her dramatic exit. You let out the breath you’d been holding, unable to look Saul in the eyes, willing the tears of embarrassment to magically disappear from your face, that was one thing your magic wasn’t good for.

“Darling look at me.” You clenched your jaw as Saul hooked a finger under your face, lifting your chin, your glossy eyes meeting his. “She was nothing to me, nothing I promise you.. As soon as I knew I had feelings for you I cut all ties baby please believe me, you’re the only one I want, the only one.” You wiped the stray tear from your face hurriedly, Sauls face falling into a frown, he stood and slid into the same booth as you wrapping you in his big arms. You felt yourself calm. You felt safe again and you could tell he was telling the truth. Insecurities was a thing you’d struggled with forever, so you weren’t that surprised that they had creeped in, if there was one thing you did know, it’s that you trusted Saul with every fibre of your being.

He was right, the coffee in Magix was a billion times better than the coffee on earth. Heck, it didn’t even compare, you left the little place feeling buzzed and full of yummy goodness. Saul grabbed your hand, incasing it in his, the softness of you skin contrasting with his calloused fingers. It felt right.

“You ready to head home baby or do you want to check out a couple of shops first?” He had pulled you into his side, your head just meeting the top part of his chest, you snuggled into him, the warmth of his body radiating towards you. You should have been a little tired, it had been a fun filled morning, but the coffee was something you would need to adjust to, you were wide awake and felt like you could run a marathon.

“I saw a book shop on the way to the ice rink that I wanted to check out, and a clothes store that looked like it was kind of my thing, do you think we could stay a bit longer?” You craned your neck to look up at him, his grey eyes peering back at you, his mouth turned up into a charming smile.

“Sure sweetheart, do you remember how to get to the book store? While you’re there, there’s someone I need to talk to quickly about guard business..” He stroked his hand over your hair as you nodded your head, giving you a sweet peck on your forehead. “Just text me the name of the clothes shop you go to and i’ll meet you there okay? No wondering off..” He looked more serious at that part and you stood on your tiptoes to give him a reassuring kiss.

“Sure thing Sir.” With a wink you turned around, Saul slapping your ass playfully before you were out of reach which earned a giggle from you, gosh, that man.

It hadn’t taken long for you to retrace your steps to the wonderful looking bookshop you’d seen earlier that morning. The doors were heavy when you pushed them open and stepped into the most beautiful place you’d ever seen. You had always been a sucker for books, the nerd side of you squealed in delight. It was one of the things on earth that helped you escape reality, reading and imagining running away to different worlds, wether it was Wonderland, Forks or Hogwarts. What surprised you most about the shop was it was a lot bigger than you thought it would be, like stepping into a Tardis, reasonably sized on the outside, enormous on the inside.

You stepped forward tentatively, taking in your surroundings and the book smell that seemed to linger in the air. A woman with half moon shaped glassed that were perched on the end of her nose was sitting at the front desk, to you it seemed more like a library, maybe it was a bit of both. She looked up when she heard your footsteps, greeting you with a kind, grandmotherly like smile.

“Hello dear, can I help you with anything today?” That’s when you proceeded to tell her it was your first time in Magix and she talked you through everything. In the end you were lead to a space in the middle of the books, a round circle shape carved out in the middle of the stalls with an alter in the middle.

“This is the book alter, you ask the alter for the name of book you’re searching for, a subject or anything you can think of, and the shop will do the rest.” Of course it was magic too, you had to get used to the idea that everything would be now. A magic search browser, you could get used to that. The lady moved on, returning to her perch behind her desk.

“Okay okay, lets try…” You were thinking about what to ask for when the dream you’d had that day in the hospital came back to you.

“Find me anything on the ‘Dragon Soul.” the mystical voice had mentioned in in your hazy state and you naturally wanted to know more about where you’d maybe come from and what your powers were. A couple of books floated forward, one was a fictional book that was about mystical creatures, not what you were looking for, the other was labeled, “A brief history of the realms.” That one didn’t have a price, it had a coloured sticker, which meant you could take it out for a certain amount of time, just like a library, the different colours represent the time you can take it for. You sighed thinking that was all the place had to offer, millions of books and only one worth your time? Then you heard it. The creaking and slamming of iron. The gates opposite you held the restricted area, only accessible for teachers and higher people of power. A few books were battering themselves against the bars, trying to make their way towards you. Just before a shocked voice rounded the corner, a couple of the smaller books managed to squeeze through the bars and fly into your awaiting arms. Books had started flying all about you, something wrong with the altar. You ducked behind it for cover, almost knocked out by a fairy dictionary thicker than a brick.

“Stop!” You were relieved when the elderly librarian had arrived, making the books cease in mid air, the attack halted. “Sorry my dear, I don’t know what happened, the altar doesn’t normally behave like this.” She looked at you worriedly. Before she noticed you had the books under your top, you thanked her and made your way to the front doors, only checking out the book that had come to you first, while the other two remained hidden.

Saul had done exactly what he said he’d do, you had text him as soon as you’d cleared the book store, luckily the ones you wanted to keep hidden managed to fit inside the small shoulder bag you’d brought along. It didn’t take long for your man to come walking around the corner, a spring in his step and smile on his face when his eyes set upon you standing at the boutique.

“Did you find what you were looking for princess?” He pulled you into him, as if you’d been away for ages when it had only been 20 minutes.

“Yup, the books went crazy in there and almost took me out but I got what I went for, I think.” With that you both walked into the boutique, you weren’t planning on buying anything really, just wanted to have a look about, it had been months since you’d had a look around stores, it was nice to have a bit of normalcy. While Saul sat in the designated boyfriend seat, it didn’t take long for something to catch your eye. A black lacy dress that would be perfect for your birthday next week. You’d also snuck over to the lingerie section, looking for something more on the risqué side, it was as much a treat for you as it would be for Saul, but he wasn’t to know that yet. You’d managed to try on and pay for your items before he’d realised anything.

“That was quick what did you get?” He stood, stretching his arms above his head, his tight t-shirt rising slightly revealing the trail of hair from his belly button all the way down to…. your head shot up when you heard Saul clear his throat, he was smirking at you, one eyebrow raised. Cocky bastard. You playfully shoved him and rolled your eyes, making your way back into the street.

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out Mr Silva.”

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As always I hope you liked this chapter, if you did please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG AND FOLLOWWWW <3

CHAPTER 7 ----- CLICK HERE

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anika-ann · 5 years ago

Text

The Best Mistake of My Life - Pt.3

Masquerade

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader Word count: 2950

Summary: A soulmate AU. They say having a soulmate is a blessing. Who wouldn’t love the idea of star-crossed lovers, right?

Despite the doubt you had your whole life, meeting Steve was a dream coming true. Too bad you had to meet his ‘family’ too.

Warnings: swearing, FLUFF, Steve’s friends being Steve’s friends... go figure

Story masterlist

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An average American had sex on the third date; taking the big step in a relationship, as your friend helpfully remarked when you told him about the upcoming event. Needless to say, Steven Grant Rogers was not an average American. He was Captain America, i.e. an Avenger, technically was 95 years old (soon turning 96) and was not used to the pace of 21st century relationship.

To be honest, you didn’t mind a bit; there was no physical pressure on your relationship. Sure, the man was such a fine specimen it should be illegal and you would love to climb him like a tree, but it was a nice change of pace. You never really liked the whole third date thing. When you felt like it should happen, it should happen, right? That was how you saw it, so you were alright with Steve being a bit old-fashioned when it came to physical stuff.

Of course, he was also your soulmate. While with other guys you didn’t feel the need to rush, with Steve, you somehow felt a need not to rush. Maybe you were overthinking his sensibilities, maybe not. The bottom-line was: you took it slow.

So, with the fact that a kiss on a cheek – from you to him – happened on your second date (if the diner counted as the first) given, you truly didn’t expect him to… push you into anything even resembling a second base. Hell, you weren’t sure you were on the first.

An average American had sex on the third date. You, having your third date with Steve Rogers, were about to take a different important step; to meet his friends. On a party. Steve’s (supposedly secret) birthday party. Oh boy. To say you were intimidated by the idea of meeting the Avengers would be an understatement.

And Steve wasn’t helping.

“They are… perhaps a bit much, but… they are the only true friends I have. I want you to meet my friends. I’d like to introduce you,” he stated while you walked side by side in a park at the end of your date number two.

Your hands had been brushing his and vice versa for several minutes now and you couldn’t handle it, simply interlacing your fingers with his. He gave you a sweet smile when you did so, signalling he was more than okay with it, drawing a circle on the back of your hand.

“But… what if they won’t, uhm, approve of me?” you asked, your insides uncomfortably clenched.

He stopped in his tracks, forcing you to do the same. His free hand slowly rose to your arm, gently squeezing.

“They will. And if they don’t… they will with time. You’re my soulmate. I think we have the most important approval in our pocket already.”

The smile he gave you was soft yet blinding, making your heart grow. You had only met the second time and you already seemed to know each other for months, responding maybe hesitantly, but instinctively the right way as if something between you was reaching out, guiding one another. It was wonderful. A bit scary, but immensely wonderful.

You were gazing into his eyes, swearing you could see galaxies. You quickly learned to love the little green in his irises, staining the sky blue, somehow making it… better. Your mouth acted on its own.

“Okay. I’ll… okay.” Did you just agree?! “What the occasion will be?”

He cleared his throat, lowering his gaze. “My birthday.”

“What?!”

“And before you think of going crazy about a gift for me-“ he stopped your train of thought before it started – how did he know? “-when you show up, it will be the greatest gift.”

Sappy, whispered a small voice in your head.

You love it, sing-sang your heart, melting.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” you murmured and he flashed you a smile.

“Very.”

“Fine. But remember, you asked me not to give you anything…”

“Noted.”

You bit your lip as you stared at him, your heart about as fast as your mind. The way he was looking at you… was it possible to look at someone you barely just met this way? If you didn’t think you must have appeared the same when looking at him, you would call bullshit. But here you were.

Before you could change your mind, you listened to the instinct coming from god knew where; you got on your toes, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

You retreated slowly, watching his reaction, rewarded by his gaze full of wonder and happy sparks.

“Early birthday present?” he muttered, his eyes falling on your lips for a split second. You licked your lips unwittingly, watching his eyes quickly turn away, his Adam’s apple jumping. Not a perfect gentleman then. Good.

“If the shoe fits… it’s just—it felt right. Was it weird? It was-“

“-perfect,” he finished, tightening the grip on your fingers interlaced with his.

You smiled automatically at his sincere expression.

“ ’kay.”

“Now let’s get you home so you can get your sleep. Can’t keep you awake with a work day in sight…”

“That’s really thoughtful, you know,” you said, meaning every word. “You are.”

“Which is why I think the party would be a good occasion. You can always hide in a crowd if it comes to the worst and Tony’s too annoying.”

You chuckled and started walking again, joy filling every ounce of your being as his thumb caressed the back of your hand once more.

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A package was waiting for you at your apartment that evening, containing a mask, because apparently, it was a masquerade ball. You were glad Steve had got you a mask fitting with your dress; when he had asked a colour, you had assumed he had wanted to get a matching tie. This was much worse. And much better.

A taxi picked you up. And Black Widow waited for you at the lobby of the famous skyscraper, apologizing for Steve who was busy at the moment, the birthday boy he was, and she casually slipped in that she might have searched some database, found you via your ‘first words’ and sent Steve your way without him being aware.

You were shocked, no arguing there, but realized she had done… what she had been supposed to do.

“Oh… o-okay. Thanks, I guess…”

“You’re not upset?” she asked on the way up in the elevator, clearly surprised.

You shrugged. “Well, I already had the words on my skin, right? This was the way it was meant to happen then.”

The not so intimidating spy hummed thoughtfully, putting on her mask. Also, she looked absolutely gorgeous and you had no idea why Steve would ever look your way. Besides his soulmark. You were a lucky, lucky bitch, just like Ryan had said.

You followed Natasha’s suit, hiding your face as well. You actually felt better, shielded from awaiting prying eyes at least partly.

Natasha had smuggled you in with no trouble (because you weren’t an official guest, Steve’s idea so you had a bit of privacy, you loved him for it) and here you were, a second glass of champagne in your hand as you watched Steve leave the little podium after he thanked everyone for coming.

The good news was that no one had spotted you or tried to make conversation with you.

The bad news was that it included Steve who seemed too busy with anyone else; not for the lack of trying to escape as it seemed though.

You toyed with the idea of approaching him too, but you were too much of a chicken. When Hawkeye was talking to him for instance, you wouldn’t have come to interrupt them. However, you caught Steve scanning the room few times; you wondered if he noticed you… could he though, in the mask? You felt invisible, both in a good and a bad way. Maybe you should just-

“What’s a lady like yourself doing here, drinking alone?” a voice startled you on your left, nearly making you drop the half-empty (or half-full) glass. Your hand flied to your chest as if holding your suddenly thundering heart in.

“Jesus… you startled me… Mr.Stark,” you added in horror when recognizing him as one of the masked people on the podium earlier.

“Hm… looks like your conscience isn’t clean then, when you’re scared so easily. Why is that?” he pried and you gulped nervously.

Oh god, this meeting was already going even worse than you had imagined.

“I don’t know about that… are you enjoying the party?” you attempted a small talk, hoping he would leave you alone until Steve somehow found his way to you.

He scoffed. “It’s a party. So, always. Plus, my place. Party organized by me. I’m enjoying it plenty. You?”

Your throat closed up. "Not really my scene, Mr.Stark."

"That's interesting. Because I can't recall inviting anyone whose scene this wasn't. I didn’t catch your name, miss…?"

Ha. Inviting you. Sure. And your name? Of course.

Shit.

"Isn't this S- Captain Rogers' party? I would think he was the one inviting people…" you couldn't help but snark, remembering Steve's uncomfortable expression when he had talked about the upcoming event. The thought behind the masks surprised you though – it was surprisingly fitting to Steve's personality. The masks were to remain anonymous, because all of the guest could be heroes in their own way.

"I threw it for him! And you're quite sassy. Who the hell-"

You were saved by Natasha Romanoff in all her glory, her hand delicately placed on Stark’s forearm as he gestured at you.

"Tony? We have a little trouble with the birthday surprise," she informed him swiftly and you barely hid the sigh of relief. You were starting to adore that woman.

"But-" he protested, his head turning from you to her and back and to her and back to you, as if he couldn’t decide what was more pending.

Oh please, let it be the surprise.

"They need you, right now."

"Fine. Keep an eye on her. I'm not done talking to her," he threw over his shoulder and the spy rolled her eyes as he blended in the crowd.

"...thank you, Ms.Romanoff."

"Natasha," she reminded you, lopsided smile on her face.

"Sorry. Natasha."

"Don't worry about it. Go some have fun," she beckoned to the dance floor and then to the bar as if you should choose whatever you preferred. You would prefer Steve, to be honest, anywhere.

"Yeah, like I said to Mr.Stark; not really my scene."

She grinned when you shifted uncomfortably. "Then I guess it's good that your knight in shining armour is approaching."

"What?" You whipped around to follow her line of sight, not seeing anyone, and when you spun back to her, she was gone. "That wasn't freaky at all…"

You shook your head, sipping on your drink again.

"Are you enjoying the evening, madam?"

A smile spread your lips at instant and you faced him, relieved. It was like everything was about to be alright all of sudden. You even accepted the fact he approached you as if you were a stranger, playing along.

"Captain Rogers, good evening."

"What gave me away?"

You chuckled, many possible responses flying through your mind.

Your voice tingling my spine. Your broad shoulders and arms which I want to hold me down. Your ridiculously pretty eyes. Your lips…

"You're hard to miss, Captain."

An almost patronizing smile graced is lips. "Please, call me Steve."

You bit your lip, not even having to pretend nervousness. God, he looked amazing. The perfectly fitting suit, the bowtie, the mask… he looked like a Disney prince. You didn’t mind imagining you were in a fairy tale; it simply felt like being in one.

"Steve," you repeated obediently, maintaining your role. "Isn't it a better question if you are? Enjoying the evening, I mean? It is your night after all."

"I do now," he emphasized, his eyes wandering all over you, settling on your partly hidden face. The mask was barely covering your upper face, leaving the better part of your cheeks and lips free. Still, it gave you the feeling of being hidden enough; nevertheless, in front of him, you felt naked, as if he saw right through. For some reason, it wasn’t scaring you so far.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I found what I was looking for."

"Is... is that so? And…" you swallowed thickly under his intense eyes. "And just what were you looking for?"

You expected him to simply say ‘you’, but he managed to take your breath away, causing you to break your character in a fraction of second.

"The most beautiful and enchanting woman in this room, naturally."

His irises twinkled with mischief as he was clearly enjoying making you nearly squirm, but his pleasant voice held a serious note, not leaving a doubt that he meant every word.

"Christ, Steve, make me blush like a schoolgirl, why don't you… but thanks, I guess. Though you should probably have your eyesight checked."

"My vision is 20/20, madam, maybe better." He smiled warmly, reaching out a hand. "May I have this dance?"

You couldn’t say you weren’t taken aback. Mostly because… well.

"I'm not great at dancing," you admitted sheepishly, but accepted his hand in order to shorten the distance between you. You stood nearly chest to chest now, the feeling intoxicating. Despite fearing you would make a fool of yourself, you got chills from the proximity, pleasant ones.

"Just another prove of being perfect for me then. I'm not great either."

"So why did you ask?" you chuckled, relieved that at least you wouldn’t be alone in this. He tugged at your hand, pulling you even closer.

"Wouldn't forgive myself if I haven't tried to ask the prettiest dame of the evening and win a… uh, resemblance of a dance. Please?"

What you could see from his handsome face was pleading you. Who were you to deny him? Especially with how he was just dropping compliments like that, effortlessly? You could turn into a puddle of jello and you wouldn’t notice.

"You're too sweet, you know that?" you whispered and his smile widened when leading you onto the dance floor.

"I'm trying."

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Tony smelled something fishy. Everything was alright with the surprise fireworks. Romanoff was pulling his leg. Why?

He soon found out or he believed so.

"...is that Capsicle dancing?" he blurted out when he spotted the broad shoulders (never admit that out loud, he reminded himself) with a hand on it.

"Hm?" The sneaky spy smiled absently, following Tony’s line of sight. She sounded unimpressed then. "Oh. Looks like it."

"Whom he would be dancing with- Romanoff! I told you to keep an eye on her!" he yelped when he recognized the dress… and the woman wearing them. Well, didn’t recognize; that was the problem really. Who the hell was she and how had she got in? This place was a Fort Knox, especially tonight. Invited guests only.

"I guess someone else has an eye on her."

"What's up?" Clint hummed as he spotted Tony’s indignation.

"He's- he's-!" he gestured towards the supersoldier, unable to form words.

What was happening here? Why was Romanoff so chill? They had an intruder! She might not look like it, but she was a part of the security tonight!

"Rogers' dancing. Stark's having a stroke," she explained, indifferent.

"Who's having a stroke?" Bruce joined them with a beer in his hand. Tony threw his hands in the air.

"Stark," Nat replied, Clint too busy watching Cap swaying calmly in the rhythm; more or less.

"No one’s having a stroke!" Tony hissed. "This isn't fu-"

"Is that Steve dancing? Who's the woman?" Bruce seemed intrigued, exchanging a glance with Clint.

"She's very beautiful. The captain chose his dance partner well,” Thor hummed behind Tony's back all of sudden, making the billionaire jump in fright. Natasha snickered. Tony pointed an accusing finger at her.

"Stop that! It's your fault! You were supposed to watch her, because I sure as hell haven't invited her."

"She wasn't invited?" Clint finally sounded alarmed and Tony shot him a grateful look. Someone cared!

"Relax, Stark. It is my fault, I was the one to smuggle her in."

“What?!” he cried out, causing few people around them to raise their eyebrows. Natasha rolled her eyes at them.

"Really? Is she a friend of yours? From… business?" Bruce pried carefully and Natasha snorted.

"Barely. But you'll meet her, don't worry."

"She is not posing a treat then?" Thor summed up nothing, his briefly tensed shoulders relaxing.

That was it?!

"Sure isn't," Natasha uttered, the corner of her lips twitching. God, Tony hated Russian spies and their secrets.

"Then I might ask her for a dance!” Thor exclaimed, his grin wide. “She is exceptionally beautiful lady indeed."

"Careful not to step on someone's toes!" Natasha called after him and he made his way to the dancing pair.

"I'm gonna ask her right after him!" Tony declared immediately, disappearing into the crowd and Natasha smirked. She knew you were nervous about meeting them and this was actually rather good way. She just hoped Tony wouldn't annoy the hell out of you.

"And by someone you mean Steve?" Bruce guessed, which earned Natasha a challenging eyebrow from Clint.

"Maybe."

"Did you push her towards Steve or did you sneak her in here, because he asked you to?" Clint asked the right question like always.

She smiled at him playfully. "I'll tell you later. Stop being so nosy, Barton."

"Not fair…" He huffed and went to the bar for a refill, no doubt being determined to see how it would all play out. Natasha chuckled.

"Would you… like to dance?" Bruce asked all of sudden, making her lose her humour, only a brief smile remaining. Sweet.

"Sure, why not..."

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Part 4

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Tags: @cxptain @mermaidxatxheart @smilexcaptainx , @murdermornings@irepostthingsiwanttoseelater , @polarcrystall @eliza5616, @rayofdawnworld @victor-criss-bish @skychild29 @elysianecho @simmisblog @scentedsongrebel @orions-nebula, @sergeantrosabellaswan @songofcosplay, @ilovesupersoldiers @wxstedhexrt

Tags are open ;) If you want in or out, shoot me a message or an ask :))

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Steve from Spiderman: Homecoming taking a chair to sit with me:

“So, your fic got a bit longer than expected. Again…. “

Oops? I need a lot of fluffy Steve, amazing Natasha and exasperated Tony in my life :D

THANK YOU FOR READING :-*

#MARVEL #FANFICTION #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers x you #captain america x reader #captain america x you #captain america imagine #soulmate AU #steve rogers fanfic #captain america fanfic #fluff #avengers #captain america #steve rogers #soulmates #the best mistake of my life #anika ann

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imaginedhaven · 4 years ago

Text

Rules of Engagement: Chapter Ten

Link to Masterpost

This is the point in my outline where the story really starts to pick up. We’ve almost definitely reached the halfway point in terms of points I want to hit, and we’ll see if that corresponds to being halfway through actually writing as well lol.

But without further ado...

~*~*~

Aelin let out a dramatic sigh as she studied Captain Westfall’s face. “I don’t suppose there’s any convincing you that I simply have one of those faces, is there?”

“I saw you with my own eyes, Your Highness. There is not.”

“Very well,” Aelin replied. She leaned forward, inviting Captain Westfall closer into the room. “I do hope that what I’m about you can stay between us. It could be messy, and I don’t wish to implicate Dorian in any of this.”

“That’s why I came,” he said. “My duty in all of this is to protect the crown prince, and I need to know he’s not under threat from your… antics.”

“He’s not,” she declared. “It’s all rather embarrassing, actually. I fear one of my own countrymen has relocated to Rifthold and is beginning to cause trouble for you. He is an assassin and a trainer of assassins, loyal to no crown but that which is stamped on the coin he makes, and I fear he has overstepped his bounds. You may not be familiar with the name Arobynn Hamel, if your duties are mostly limited to the palace.”

Captain Westfall’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not a name with which I am familiar, no,” he admitted.

“My intelligence suggests that he owns a substantial interest in the Vaults,” Aelin revealed. “By making an appearance there under an assumed name, I hoped to attract his attention so that I could deal with him quietly, before he becomes a problem for Adarlan.”

“Is there a reason that I should believe you?” he asked.

Aelin grinned. “Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to believe me without evidence,” she purred as she reached for one of her bags and pulled out a few papers. “Here you will find copies of directives in his own hand that my agents in Orynth intercepted, as well as correspondence concerning his interest in the Vaults.” Of course, the agent had been Aelin herself, but Captain Westfall didn’t need to know how personal this was for her.

The captain reached for the papers, but Aelin held them up with a teasing grin. “Before I give these to you, I would like your word that this remains as quiet as possible. If Arobynn learns that there is a larger investigation I fear we’ll lose his trail. I’ve already lost him once.”

Aelin hid a wince at that last revelation. That was too much, too personal, and of course the captain noticed the slip immediately. “What is a crown princess doing trailing an assassin herself? Surely you have others to handle that.”

“Precious few I can trust, after an incident two years ago,” she replied, and she breathed an internal sigh of relief when he seemed to accept this. “When Prince Dorian invited me down to Rifthold to affirm our courtship, it was a perfect opportunity to finish this sorry business as well.”

Captain Westfall sighed. “If this investigation of yours endangers Dorian at all, it will gain the full attention of the guard. Until then, this information will be for my eyes only. That’s the best I can promise.”

“I understand, Captain Westfall, and I appreciate your discretion,” she smiled as she handed the papers over to him. He glanced at a few of them before tucking them away—to be more thoroughly examined later, she was certain. “If you have any questions, I am happy to share with you what I know. After all, my hope is that we deal with him quickly and quietly, before word can get out about what he’s been doing here.”

“If what you say is true, then it would appear that our interests are aligned in this matter,” the captain replied. “I’ll return in a few hours to escort you all to the evening meal.”

Without a further word, Captain Westfall let himself out of her rooms as quickly and quietly as he had let himself in.

A few minutes later her door opened again, and this time it was Rowan. “Is the captain going to be a problem?” he asked.

“If I said yes, would you help me deal with him?” She wouldn’t ask him to, of course, but she had to admit she was curious as to his response.

“In a heartbeat,” he replied, and she felt a thrill of surprise at his lack of hesitation. “I do feel I must advise it could cause political complications, however.”

Aelin smiled. “Luckily for politics, I think he’s on our side. He may even help us, though that remains to be seen. His focus was on making certain Dorian isn’t any part of it, and I intend that as well.”

Rowan’s eyes narrowed and his head tilted slightly as his gaze caught on her hand. “Speaking of the prince,” he said, “I may not be overly familiar with human courting customs. However, don’t rings usually come after the marriage?”

Aelin blinked, and then looked down at the plain gold band that was still around her thumb. “Oh. Yes, at least in Terrasen. Dorian said that in Adarlan there’s usually a gift given at the beginning, but he didn’t specify it had to be a ring. He said he chose this because it belonged to my ancestors.”

Rowan seemed unimpressed by this, but didn’t voice any further concerns. Instead, he stood. “For now, we’ll have to assume your new guard friend won’t actively assist us. I’ll circle the palace before the evening meal, and attempt to learn the patterns of castle security. There should be a weak point we can use to sneak out as needed.”

“And if there is, I trust you to find it,” she smiled. “And what of your days? I apologize, but I didn’t consider what you would do once you actually got here.”

Rowan’s eyes grew bright and his lips curled into a grin. “Oh, princess,” he drawled, “did you truly believe you could escape your training simply because you’re in another country?”

Before she could say a word in response he had already left, and she could swear she heard the sound of laughter as the door closed behind him.

~*~*~

Rowan’s amusement faded as he returned to his own room and saw a piece of paper sitting on his desk. The guardsman who had visited Aelin had come to him first and given it to him, saying it had arrived shortly before they did. The letter was unsigned, but the pulling sensation in his chest and the tingling at the base of his neck told him exactly who it was from and what it contained.

A quick glance at the dark seal confirmed his suspicions, and he wondered for a moment exactly how long he could delay reading the letter before the oath he had sworn deemed him to be in defiance of his queen. In the end, though, he decided it wouldn’t be worth it to test the limits of the blood oath on something such as delaying reading a letter.

A quick flick of one of his smaller knives broke the seal, revealing a short and unsigned note.

I have read the signs in response to your reports. Doranelle does not approve of the potential match between Aelin Galathynius and Dorian Havilliard. Do what you can to subtly discourage the continuation of this courtship, and notify me immediately if they decide to proceed despite my disapproval.

Rowan sighed, letting the note fall to the surface of the desk as he considered his options. The tug of the blood oath meant that he couldn’t ignore it altogether, but the command for subtlety granted him some leeway in how he chose to proceed.

It made sense to Rowan that Maeve would disapprove of the potential match. Aelin had a powerful fire gift, though he had done his best to downplay the full extent of her powers in his reports and instead focused on her lack of control. While he was uncertain if Maeve knew the gifts of the Havilliard prince, he knew it was entirely possible that she had foreseen something in their future that would indicate the extent of his raw magic. It was equally likely that she was basing her decision off of the knowledge that magic ran in the Havilliard line as strongly as it did in the Galathynius line. Without directly asking, it was impossible to know, and Rowan had absolutely no intention of asking.

Truth be told, Rowan wasn’t certain he approved of the match either, though he had no valid reason to feel one way or another about it. Perhaps it was the carranam bond that was so freshly forged between them that was causing him to feel so unsettled, or perhaps it was simply that no matter what he did he could still taste the wildfire of her blood. Whatever the reason, he had felt ice flood his veins when he had seen that flash of gold on her finger.

Rowan sighed. Even if their courtship failed for whatever reason, he still needed to deal with whatever this uncertainty was, and quickly. He would not be permitted to stay in Terrasen or in Adarlan indefinitely, and once he had deemed her training complete it was incredibly likely that he would never see her again. Likewise, he would not be able to get around the oath indefinitely by prolonging her training needlessly. Maeve would only send another of her blood-sworn to get a secondary report, and he would be punished all the worse for his defiance.

Gods knew he was already courting enough danger as it was.

Despite the dangerous game he found himself playing, he couldn’t bring himself to regret his decisions. The fire that burned in Aelin so brightly commanded loyalty and admiration from those close to her, and despite his best efforts he had found himself no exception. She was a bright spark compared to the sea of darkness in which he’d found himself adrift, and without him noticing a part of him had latched onto that brightness and didn’t want to let it go. She would be a great queen one day, with or without a consort at her side, and her brilliance only served to highlight the darkness of the queen he currently served.

It really was quite a mess in which he’d found himself, and he found himself longing for the insight of his companions and fellow blood-sworn. Fenrys and Connall would have been unlikely to have much insight; Fenrys had made his disdain of their situation well-known and would be in favor of any form of rebellion, while Connall was more soft-spoken and a better listener than advisor. Vaughan was similar to Connall in that regard, and unlikely to say much of anything. Lorcan…

Rowan snorted out a quiet laugh. Lorcan would have nothing but disdain for him and his current situation. He loved their queen and had spent centuries devoted to her, and would have little tolerance for what Rowan was doing to work around his oath.

Truly, the only one who might have insight worth considering was Gavriel, and Rowan was determined not to bring him into this mess. Matters were complicated enough already.

He had known immediately, of course, that Aedion was Gavriel’s son. Their scents were too similar to leave any doubt, but even without that Aedion’s parentage was evident in his features and in the strength of his heart. The corner of Rowan’s lips twitched into a brief smile; truly, only someone with Gavriel’s immense patience and devotion would have been able to remain by Aelin’s side for as long as Aedion had without questioning her once. What was less clear, though, was whether Gavriel had hidden him away or whether he was completely unaware he even had a son. Either was equally likely; his companion had never once mentioned a child, and it would’ve been incredibly dangerous for him to father one knowingly given his oath.

Whatever the story was, the only safe plan was to carefully avoid saying anything to either father or son, and to leave it out of his reports entirely and pray to whatever god chose to listen that Maeve didn’t ask him anything about Aelin’s cousin. That also meant not asking Gavriel for advice even if he thought there was a possibility his letter wouldn’t be intercepted. No, he was truly on his own.

With a sigh, Rowan carefully lit a candle and burned the note. Then he shifted and flew out of his window to observe the palace walls. Better to focus on the short term, since there was nothing he could do today that would solve his larger problems.

~*~*~

Lysandra let herself into Aelin’s room an hour before the evening meal was to be served, laughing when she saw the stack of books her friend had on her desk in addition to the one she was currently reading. “I see the prince wasted no time in trying to impress you,” she teased.

Aelin smiled and set her book aside. “These were waiting for me already when Dorian led us here. How’s Evangeline settling in?”

Lysandra smiled back, warmth coursing through her. “She’s sleeping right now. Still overwhelmed, I think. Aedion’s watching her.”

Though he had had no real reason to do so, Aedion had fully embraced caring for the young girl just as quickly as he had declared his intentions toward Lysandra herself. Although it had unnerved her when they had first met, she had come to admire his ability to love so fiercely so quickly. It was simply a part of who he was, just as her own need for independence as well as the uncertainty that had demanded he prove his intentions were a part of her.

Aelin’s smile softened. “You know, growing up with him I never thought I’d see my cousin in any kind of parental role. Not through any fault of his own, but he was always so dedicated to the crown and to being a soldier.” Dedicated to Aelin herself, although her friend did the courtesy of not saying as much. “I have to admit it suits him.”

“It truly does,” Lysandra agreed.

“So does this mean you’ve decided to accept him?”

The shifter laughed. “Oh, no, you don’t get to know before he does. I promised him that ages ago. Besides, you’re far more interesting right now than we are.”

“Oh?”

“You and Rowan seem to be close now, after that trip,” she grinned.

Aelin glanced down at her hands where they rested in her lap. “Well, I suppose we couldn’t try to kill each other forever,” she replied. “That would be boring, and I loathe boredom.”

“There’s a great deal of ground between not trying to kill each other and sneaking out together.” Lysandra watched as Aelin’s eyes widened briefly before she regained her composure. Her friend’s tells were subtle, but Lysandra was a master of reading people’s expressions. Her life and livelihood had depended on that skill for so long, after all. Now that skill allowed her to know Aelin was hiding something. “I know you didn’t want to tell Aedion, but…”

Aelin took a breath, carefully not looking at her. “I had some unfinished business,” she said simply.

Lysandra frowned. That was a look she hadn’t seen on Aelin since… “Oh, gods, this is about Sam.”

Aelin went perfectly still where she was sitting, and Lysandra immediately knew she was right. “But that was all in Orynth,” the shifter protested. “What could be happening here that you think is related?”

She watched as Aelin bit her lip thoughtfully, obviously trying to decide how much to share. “Sam wasn’t from Orynth, as you know,” she began. “His former employer is here in Rifthold, as is the person I believe gave the order for his death.”

Lysandra sighed. “I know you won’t tell me what’s going on,” she admitted. “Ever since you brought me into the palace, we haven’t talked about it at all, and I understand why. But does Rowan know what you’re leading him into?”

It wasn’t a lie, even though she could admit it upset her that her friend felt she couldn’t talk to anyone about this. Gods knew she had a difficult time talking about her own life those last few months on Orynth’s streets, and Aelin had gone through so much more.

As Lysandra watched, Aelin finally met her gaze. “Rowan knows everything,” she said simply.

Lysandra could feel her face transform into a shocked expression as her body went numb. “Everything?” she asked, voice sounding faint and distant to her own ears.

Aelin nodded. “I was… out, gathering evidence, and he found me. I explained everything.”

If Lysandra had come into this room with questions about the bond between Aelin and Rowan, that statement alone confirmed most of her suspicions. The only reason Lysandra herself knew about Sam was that she had met the two of them at the same time. For Aelin to have told this Fae warrior about her deceased lover, there must have been more than either of them were willing to admit. “And he didn’t drag you back to the palace and drop you in front of Aedion?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

Aelin shook her head, smiling. “He offered to assist me in my investigations, and in bringing justice to the one responsible.”

“That’s what changed,” the shifter realized. “Isn’t it? That’s what made the two of you stop fighting as much as you did.”

“It is. We… reached an understanding.” Aelin glanced away again, a certain sign that she was still keeping secrets, but it appeared that rather than hiding her own secrets she was keeping Rowan’s safe.

Lysandra decided to allow it, but she had to warn her friend nonetheless. “You’ll have to tell Aedion eventually, you know. He’s worried for you.”

“I don’t want to lose his respect or his trust,” Aelin replied. “If he… if anyone found out about Sam, about what we were planning…”

Lysandra cut her off. “He loves you, Aelin. He’s your family. If anyone would understand, I would think it’d be him.” Even as she said the words, though, she realized that was precisely why Aelin felt as though she couldn’t tell him. Telling Rowan, as upsetting as it must have been, would’ve had fewer possible consequences than revealing something so important to someone who had always been so close.

To her credit, Aelin just smiled and shook her head before changing the subject entirely. “If I’m not mistaken, we have an evening meal to prepare for,” she grinned.

And so the two friends both moved to the closet of Aelin’s room, Lysandra choosing to let it go for now. She couldn’t help but wonder, though, how long this tenuous peace could last if Aelin opted to maintain her silence.

~*~*~

The next few weeks passed with only minor incidents, for which Rowan was grateful. His mornings were spent training Aelin further in her magic, focusing primarily on control while performing smaller tasks as he and Aelin both agreed that it would be disadvantageous to display the fullest extents of her power. They had found a small courtyard on their first morning in the palace and quickly learned to secure it, ensuring that no one could go near them and risk injury. If that also meant the court was on edge about the princess spending so much time alone with a currently-unmated Fae male, well, that only furthered his queen’s command to disrupt the potential of her union with Prince Dorian.

In the afternoons he worked on his reports to his queen, carefully selecting his words so that he was concealing as much as possible while still adhering to his oath as Aelin did whatever it was she normally did with the Havilliard prince. He also rested as much as he could, since his mornings were devoted to training Aelin and his nights…

Every night he and Aelin snuck out of the palace gates and into the slums of Rifthold, each time selecting a different location. Sometimes she brawled with cutthroats, others she bought and sold information like she was born to do it. Once, they had returned to the Vaults and started a barfight that left the entire building trashed and the safe in the office cracked open. As far as he was aware, the owners had decided they would be unable to recover their losses and simply closed down.

She had done all of that to catch the eye of the most dangerous man in Rifthold, and soon they would know whether their efforts had been worthwhile.

Rowan groaned at the sound of someone pounding on his door, hand scrubbing at his face as he stood. Despite his best efforts, he had slept terribly that night, and the noise only served to set him further on edge. He finally opened the door and dodged the fist that had been about to pound on it once more, completely unsurprised to find Aedion there.

The younger male’s eyes were wild and his hair a tangled mess, clear signs of his evident distress. “Is she with you?” he demanded.

Rowan simply shook his head, watching as Aedion’s face fell.

The warrior began to pace. “She’s not in her rooms. No one in the guard can find her, though I did ask their captain to be discreet and it’s possible they haven’t had a chance to look everywhere—”

Rowan decided to give him what little mercy he could. “I know where she is,” he revealed.

“Then you can take me to her, right?”

“No. She asked that I give her twenty-four hours before I send anyone looking.”

“What?” Confusion emanated from Aedion as he froze in his tracks.

Rowan sighed. “Fair warning, you’re not going to like it if I tell you.”

“I don’t care,” he insisted. “Tell me everything.”

“I can’t. Most of it is Aelin’s secret to keep, and not mine to tell.”

“Then tell me what you can!” Aedion demanded, grabbing Rowan’s shirt before realizing what he had done and backing off as Rowan snarled.

With another sigh, Rowan began to speak. “You’ll want to fetch the guard captain before we begin. I’m only saying this once.”

~*~*~

Aelin awoke in a cold and dark room, with no windows and multiple locks on the door. When she moved to inspect them, she stopped short when her wrists didn’t move with the rest of her. She was chained or otherwise bound, then, she realized as she fought the urge to panic.

Her boots had been taken away and she was left in a thin shirt and trousers, every knife she’d had on her presumably gone as well. As a test, she reached inward for her magic, wincing when she only found embers instead of the wildfire that usually lived within her. Iron, then. She was bound in iron.

As she continued to take stock of her situation she was relieved to find she was mostly unharmed. Her head still ached from the initial blow when she had been taken, and her shoulders and wrists were screaming at her current position, but there was nothing beyond what she had expected.

Aelin allowed herself a small smirk as she carefully rotated her wrists as much as she was able. It seemed phase one of her plan had gone off without a hitch.

Footsteps sounded outside her door, audible even to her currently-human ears. She had only seconds to decide how she was going to present herself, then. She carefully shifted back in the chair on which she was seated, grinning to herself as the chains slackened slightly, and crossed her unbound legs.

The door opened and Aelin closed her eyes briefly to allow herself a moment to adjust to the sudden light of a torch without flinching. When she opened them she saw a man closing the door behind himself. Either the locks were on the other side of the door or he wasn’t foolish enough to bar the way should he require assistance, for he ignored them completely.

The man wore expensive, though unadorned, clothing that was loose enough to allow him to move unrestricted. The material of his dark grey shirt was fine enough that it draped along muscled arms, all the way down to elegant hands. He had clearly carefully planned his outfit just as she would have, for the color perfectly offset the long auburn hair he had tied back. When he turned, silver eyes gleamed above high cheekbones in the light of the torch he carried.

“Celaena Sardothien,” he murmured, voice a low purr that barely held any trace of his former country of Terrasen. “What a pleasure to finally meet you at long last. Or perhaps I should call you Aelin, Your Highness?”

It was a calculated move, intended to unsettle her, but she had already expected that he would guess who she was once he looked closely enough. Instead, she flashed him an inviting smile and relaxed further into her chair. “Hello, Arobynn,” she drawled.

~*~*~

Tagging:

@ireallyshouldsleeprn @queen-of-glass @fangirlprincess09 @sassys-world @morganofthewildfire @superspiritfestival @perseusannabeth @sis-it-dont-add-up @jlinez @julemmaes @emilyoftheshadows

#rowaelin #haven writes #rules of engagement

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daphne-fandom-writing · 5 years ago

Text

Question

Words: 1.5K

Warnings: none, maybe some mention of violence but no graphic scenes.

Request: By Anon

Can i request an imagine please where there’s Sith!obi-wan who’s absolutely smitten with reader, and they aren’t together or they can be if you would prefer, but they’re mutually pining or together and she’s curious about if he would ever want kids or to get married and she’s shy asking him bc he’s a SITH but he does eventually bc he loves her

Gif of @mostthingskenobi

~~~~~~~~~

Life with Obi-Wan was never boring. Your life before Obi-Wan was pretty eventful but as soon as you met him eventful turned into a chaotic mess.

You used to be a bounty hunter, a pretty good one at that. Catching people for credits, dead or alive. Your last peaceful bounty, as peaceful as they get, was a Sith lord. He was known by the name of Darth Fortis and was said to be very powerful. No other bounty hunter dared to take up the bounty but you were cocky and prideful. You thought you could take him down. And how wrong you were.

Granted, you did find him. That was a feat by itself. He was damn near unfindable but you managed the impossible. You did regret your life decisions as soon as you found him, that’s for sure.

He was hidden inside a cave on a planet you didn’t even know the name of far in the outer rim. As soon as you stepped foot in the cave you felt that this was not going to end well. You didn’t even need the force to feel his power. You knew that you were not going to win this fight if you tried, so you went with another route.

A voice had emerged from the darkness. “I’d choose your next words very carefully.” The voice sent shivers through your spine but that didn’t hold you back.

“You are Darth Fortis are you not?” The voice chuckled and a figure emerged from the shadows. A man covered in dark robes came into vision. You could make out the slight outlines of his face and beard, but that was all you could see of him. Your hand was on the blaster strapped to your thigh. The figure spoke up again.

“That depends on who is asking.”

“Someone that is not afraid of you.” You knew this was a risky move and that you should be scared but something told you that you didn’t have to be.

“Is that so? Then why is your hand on your blaster?” He cocked his head to the right, questioning your moves.

“In my opinion it always serves to be on guard. I might not be afraid but I can never be sure of your next move.” His face returned to it’s previous position and his left hand came up to stroke his beard. It was quiet. That is until the figure ignited his lightsaber. The faint humming of the weapon now filling the cave, illuminating everything with a red hue. You could now make out his face.

His hair was slicked back under the cloak covering his head. His eyes were narrowed and housed a yellow color. The beard on his chin was full and well groomed.

“No flinching, curious.” The figure spoke again. “Yes. I am Darth Fortis. Why are you here.”

“I am here to join you.” And that’s how your story began.

He allowed you to join him but always kept an eye on you. He was expecting you to turn on him at any time and so, couldn’t trust you. It was your personal mission to earn his trust, bounty long forgotten. So you helped him.

You stood by his side and helped him with every task the Emperor thrust on him. And before long you did manage to earn that trust you were seeking. He began confiding in you, spilling his troubles and encouraging you to do the same thing. He told you about his training and his plans to overthrow the Emperor. You kept it all to yourself.

It was safe to say that you were friends, but that was not enough for you. Feelings had started to develop for the sith lord. Feelings that surpassed the point of a mere friendship. You did spent every waking minute together. You shared a living space on Coruscant for slow days without assignments and training.

It was one of those days that your friendship blossomed into something more. You had been feeling for Obi-Wan, as you had by now learned was his real name, for several weeks. Okay well, probably longer than that but you realised it only a few weeks ago. And even though you didn’t try anything, the dynamics of your relationship changed anyways.

The slow days had always been comfortable but instead of both reading a different book on the other side of the room Obi-Wan started reading his book aloud while you laid your head on his legs. His hand would play with your hair while the other held the datapad that contained his book. His smooth voice speaking in a language that you couldn’t understand.

You took that one moment to stop the pining. You grabbed the datapad and gently took it from his hand. He raised an eyebrow and looked down at you. You sat up and scooted closer. You brought your hand up to cup his jaw, his beard tickling your palm. You looked down at his lips and as you looked back up you realised that he was doing the very same thing. So you scrambled all your courage together and leaned in.

The moment your lips met it felt as if it was always meant to be like this. Your lips moved in a gentle way. His lips were slightly chapped and his beard scratched your face but you couldn’t care less right at this moment. All you were focused on were his lips on yours and his arm that was firmly circled around your waist to keep you close. His other hand was buried in your hair, mirroring the way yours were in his.

It was one of the slow days again. It has been months since you first kissed and you had only grown closer over time. You and Obi-Wan hadn’t had one of these in a long time. With assignments for the emperor and Obi-Wan’s plan to overthrow him in full swing now. You used this rare day to catch up on sleep and to rest in general.

You were lounging in bed, your head on Obi-Wan’s chest. His right arm was around your neck and over your shoulder to rest in the valley between your breasts. There was something so odd about dating a sith lord. You saw two very different versions of the man. One, when he was with other people. He could be menacing, cruel even. But as soon as the two of you were together in your living quarters his demeanor switched.

Obi-Wan was a nice man underneath all the masks and the yellow eyes. He cared for you and would go to the ends of the galaxy for your love. And you believed him. That’s why you were comfortable with asking him a question like this.

“Would you ever consider to have children?” The question must have come as a surprise to your sith. You had never talked about this, hell, you never even saw any children together. Except you have been thinking about this for a while. You had always wanted a family as when you were financially stable and didn’t have to be a bounty hunter for a living anymore. Even though your lifestyle changed and you might say that it has become more dangerous, it is actually quite stable. You would have a powerful sith lord protecting your every move and as soon as his plan for Palpatine was finished there would be little to zero threats.

When you looked up at Obi-Wan after a few moments he was already looking at you. He might be looking at you but his mind was clearly somewhere else. He was in thought. You were slightly regretting your choices by now. Maybe this was a touchy subject. One that he did not want to talk about.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

He wanted to answer. But he wasn’t sure what to answer. Yes, he liked the idea of having a child. He’s raised a boy before and has enjoyed every single moment of that. And the more he thinks about it the more his answer becomes clear in his mind.

“I would. When I was a jedi I never really gave it much thought. The closest I could come to a child was a padawan. A padawan you were supposed to let go of eventually. But I want more than that. A child that is equal parts you and me. A product of the love I feel for you.” You sat up smiling. You don’t know what you expected but this was definitely a very good scenario.

“But.” There it is. The but. “I want to give this child peace. Our little one should not have to live with a parent that is absent most of the time. Which would be the case right now.” He sighed and sunk further into the bed, pulling you to lay down again. “If we were to have this child it would have to be when we’ve gotten rid of Palpatine. And after we’re married.”

This conversation alone confirmed every thought about his love for you that you have ever had. He would do anything for you. You, him and eventually your son or daughter.

~~~~~~~~~

Tags:

@scarletsoldierrr @darling-i-read-it @starwarsprequelfangirl @just-a-blackhole @kimmie2119

#obi-wan kenobi x reader #obi-wan kenobi #obi-wan kenobi x you #Sith Obi Wan Kenobi #sith obi-wan kenobi x reader #fluff #children #sith obi-wan is secretly a softie #darth fortis will be obi-wan's sith name in my fics from now on #request

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luxfurem · 4 years ago

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@treppenwitzz asked: i need all the deets about your bellatrix... ALSO ANJI i wanna know more about anji | MEME.

So... this ended up really long and therefore it’s under the cut! I sort of left out the “who they could get along with” part but I also feel like that really just depends on verses and such, so we can totally discuss that sometime 🥺🥺🥺

Bellatrix Lestrange

TW for mentions of alcohol, abuse, death and miscarriage

TROPES/ARCHETYPES: The Champion, Femme Fatale

Bellatrix is the very first muse that I officially wrote on indie, but also a muse that I’ve explored in the many group rps I’ve been in in the years before that. Because of that, she’s been through a lot of changing and tweaking over the years, but I like what I’ve got going for her now.

I’m absolutely a big fan of villain characters and I support the humanizing of them because in my mind, it is all the more terrifying that a villain could like the same things as you, could be like you, but be capable of such terrible things. I think it creates a frightening perspective that’s the quiet sort of terrifying, and it’s what I aim to do with Bella. I wanted to create a villainous woman who is powerful without being sorry for it.

I do want to stress that a villain doesn’t necessarily become worthy or deserving of pity or redemption because their story contains sad aspects. In the end, everyone encounters terrible and sad things in life, and it’s what you do with these experiences that matters. If you become bitter or vengeful, that is a decision, and the consequences of however you decide to treat the world after are not cancelled out because of the reason why you became this way.

On the one hand, she is this terrifyingly powerful witch who, despite her comparatively young age, climbed up the ranks of the death eaters to the position of lieutenant at Voldemort’s side, but on the other she is someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s wife. I wanted to explore how these two aspects of her story intertwine, or, in some cases, clash.

My Bella is a bit canon-divergent in that I absolutely refuse to write a woman who’s completely submissive to a man, especially one that doesn’t deserve it. Of course, I don’t want to stray too far from her original arc in that I still believe she’s absolutely starstruck by Voldemort, but she is more interested in his abilities, his mind and his cunning than she is in him as a partner. It’s a different kind of infatuation, where she isn’t all too sure if she wants him or wants to BE him. In time, she settles with neither, and becomes his champion, instead. She’s a knight under his banner, a soldier under his command.

Much of Bella’s arc comes down to a dominant woman living in a society that doesn’t like dominant women. Pureblood circles are catered to the pureblood man, whereas the woman’s job, much like in societies of previous eras, is to bear a husband's children to continue the pureblood line. It’s a crude and sexist thing, and Bella wants none of it. From a young age, she rebels against her father’s firm beliefs in the way things are supposed to be, and rebels against her mother’s attempts to “guide” her back to how she’s supposed to be. She’s the feral child with the holes in her dresses, the scrapes on her legs from climbing trees and running too fast. Her long hair always tangled and messy. She knows that as a girl in the Black family, the highest achievement would have been to become matriarch, but even that wasn’t ever going to be enough for Bella.

When her mother dies, about two years after the birth of Narcissa, the matriarch of the Black family, Walburga, takes over the role for a short amount of time while her father drinks his grief away. After Sirius is born, however, even this steadiness falls away, as their aunt spends her full time caring for him and the second son, Regulus, born a year after. This leaves Bella to assume responsibility for her sisters at the age of 8. Her fights with her father, their temperaments going head to head resulting in situations I don’t really care to divulge about.

Once accepted into Hogwarts is where things start to divert. From one day to the next, her previously always messy hair is neatly combed back into a braid. Her clothes are pristine, not a spot in sight, and her sharp commentary is kept to a minimum. To all those around her, it seemed she had finally heeded her mother’s wishes, and embraced her place in society. But to those who knew her well enough, to her sisters and to her cousins, there was a stubborn fire burning behind those crow-black eyes, burning higher and brighter the more time passed. It was only a matter of time until the fire either consumed her, or consumed those around her.

It was at the age of 17, during her last year at Hogwarts, that Bellatrix was introduced to the Dark Lord. She’d seen him before, of course, but the Black family had stoically kept their stance on the matter of his campaign neutral, although this wouldn’t last. Her fiance-to-be, Rodolphus, who was a few years her senior, had already joined the ranks, and Voldemort’s actions could no longer be brushed off as a mere whim by the family. And Bella, who desired more than the life of a housewife, saw this as an opportunity to lift herself up.

I want to stress that I, as both a Tom Riddle and Bellatrix writer, don’t think their dynamic was of a romantic or lustful nature at all at this point in time, if ever. Voldemort saw the fire and the potential, and decided that he wanted both of these things for himself, for his ranks. She exceeded expectations and he decided that, if anyone was worthy to be his student, it was her. Over the course of the next two years, he trained her in the dark arts, eventually revealing her, at the age of nineteen, to be his new lieutenant. This was met with some resistance, of course. but Bella was quick to silence that. After all, she had risen above her station, and it had taken effort. She was not about to lose that to a bunch of butthurt men.

It’s also around this time that she marries Rodolphus, whom she puts through the ringer for months before and even post-marriage. She hated the idea of being passed from one man (her father) to another (her husband), as if she is nothing more than a possession. The marriage was arranged, and this bothered her, too, considering her lack of choice in the matter. And because she couldn’t exactly fight her father on it, she fought Rodolphus instead. On every turn, hoping he would be turned off and cancel it. After all, a man’s voice, even if he was only an heir, and not patriarch, still sounded louder than a woman’s voice ever would. But it only seemed to invigorate him, pulling closer the more she pushed. As if he were attracted to the fire, wanted to scorch himself just to stand in the light. He never forced her and he never would, even as she refused to let him into their marriage bed for months, even as she taunted him and ridiculed him. The marriage, in time, seemed to grant her a certain freedom that she never had as a daughter of house Black. She could go where she pleased, do as she pleased, pursue her position among the death eaters as she wanted to. She lost her wariness towards him, her anger. And eventually, she learned to love him.

Bellatrix used to be closest to her sister Andromeda. The two of them were, for a long time, practically inseparable, two halves of a whole. It was as if they should have been twins, and what one lacked, the other would possess. Where one went, you could soon expect the other to be. That was, of course, until Andromeda defected. When she did, Bella’s whole world collapsed. Her castle was captured from the inside, by sadness, by grief and by anger at the deceit. Because Andromeda hadn’t chosen her. Had chosen a “filthy mudblood” instead of her own sister, who had always cared for her, always been there for her. If Bella had had a mean streak, before, it was now full blown, a riptide that would destroy everything and everyone that didn’t get out of her way. She was devastated by the loss, and would never quite recover from it. This event had a huge impact on her view on muggleborns. Whereas before she allowed herself a certain tolerance, where she still viewed herself as holier than but limited her disdain to snooty looks and haughty comments, she now was actively hostile, threatening and garnering a reputation among the ranks of the death eaters for her ruthless, cruel actions.

During her marriage, Bella was pregnant exactly 4 times, but all 4 pregnancies ended up miscarriages fairly early on. It’s my belief that her problems stem from the inbreeding within the family and the English pureblood society in general. Contrary to her other beliefs on the woman in pureblood society, she was interested in being a mother and had the motherly instinct to go with it. Her not being capable of bearing children left her feeling devastated and hardened her heart. In AUs where she does have children, whether of her own or adopted, she develops a sort of caution, a knowledge that she isn’t just responsible for herself, but for this child as well. In these AUs, it keeps her out of Azkaban.

Speaking of Azkaban, I usually don’t write about her time there or really post-Azkaban, and this is mostly because I hate the narrative that she’s “crazy”, and I think it’s harmful towards people who have mental health problems. I believe, due to how Azkaban’s dementors suck the happiness out of people and how Azkaban looks like hell on earth, she suffers from a form of PTSD, but she is not “crazy”.

A few loose facts about her:

is bisexual but leans towards men

loves to write poetry, but she never shows it to anyone.

has a very low tolerance for alcohol and barely drinks.

loves coffee and can’t function without drinking it every morning

is obsessed with taking care of her hair. It’s long and dark and very well-maintained

loves to wear red lipstick

forced herself to learn to use her wand with both her left and her right hand

Anji Terryll

TROPES/ARCHETYPES: The Antihero, The Living Legend, The Reluctant Hero

Anji is actually one of my older muses, who doesn’t see the light of day often because I suppose the Skyrim fandom is sort of dead. On top of that, she’s a female oc. i don’t think i’ll need to explain this. Regardless of that and the lack of information I’ve put online about her ( which I actually seek to remedy by writing this ), she’s a quiet favorite who will never disappear from my roster.

I wanted to create a person who fate had been thrusted upon unwillingly. I wanted to create a woman who had never planned to do anything that didn’t benefit herself in life. Anji’s early life consisted of what was barely a life at the orphanage in Riften, where she watched the Thieves Guild lift jewelry from a man’s pocket with the man none the wiser. She never entertained the idea of being an honest worker, because she’d seen how the jarl treated honest workers. Of course, she knew that if she were to be caught thieving, the storm she’d call over herself would be worse, but that was only if she was going to be caught.

So she got herself into the Thieves’ Guild, worked her way up the ranks to Guild Master, before, near the border, she was caught stealing a horse and shipped off to Helgen, where the main story begins.

Anji is, from the start, reluctant about her supposed fate. She never believed in prophecies and rarely in Gods and now, everything was real, everything was true. And she was the main character of a legend. Thrust into a role she doesn’t think fit her. She isn’t who these people deserve, a thieving woman who serves only her own benefit. The people deserved a selfless knight, advocating for the survival of mankind, believing so wholly in oneself that they could overcome a legendary monster like Alduin the World-Eater. Someone who isn’t her. So she rejects her abilities, rejects her destiny, and pretends for months that she isn’t the one the Greybeards are calling from the Throat of the World.

And for a time, it works. For a time she can focus on the physical gain, the money she earns, the reputation. But in the back of her mind, the knowledge scratches at the door she keeps it behind. She sees the destruction the dragons are causing all over Skyrim, the terror of the people. The loss of morale. She tells herself that she decides to see what these Greybeards have to say, if only to tell them they’ll need to find someone else.

But she comes to learn that there is no one else. There is only her and her bow, and her lack of morale, against an ancient dragon.

Anji is the Reluctant Hero, the Unlikely Hero, not the woman you’d expect when one mentions the Dovahkiin. She’s slight and flighty, quick as a whip with her twin blades, relying on speed above strength. She prefers sneaking through the shadows instead of fighting her way through boldly and openly, and she never starts fights she can’t win. This doesn’t mean she won’t kill, and doesn’t mean she won’t use her powers, even for personal gain. She enjoys the power of the Voice and, as lore suggests, overtime grows more and more powerful (think: her voice can at some point burn the ice off a mountain), but she hates the responsibility that comes with it and will never fully accept it. She’s practical and quick-witted, more on the serious side of the spectrum, although she possesses a funny streak that only shows up in intimate settings ( think: close friends/guild/lovers ) or when she’s completely drunk. She observes each angle of a job or mission before proceeding, wanting to be ahead of each trap she might run into.

A few loose facts about her:

is bisexual but leans towards women

has absolutely no interest in bearing children, adopting is fine though

favors her bow over her twin blades

carries two daggers in each boot

In some verses she can be a werewolf for absolutely no other reason other than that i can

in modern verses she owns a martial arts school

Play smart not hard

#*✧･ﾟ OUT OF CHARACTER.#*✧･ﾟBELLATRIX LESTRANGE.#*✧･ﾟ ANJI TERRYLL.#treppenwitzz

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knightthunderis · 4 years ago

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Once Upon A Time

Have you ever had one of those days when your past and present lives end up colliding and intertwining somewhere along the way? I know it may sound crazy but hear me out. I guess to fully understand how crazy things can get when your true love and soulmate are involved is to start at the beginning. We all have three personalities, our royal form which in his case is Karyson Gabriel Wolfe of Thaddea, his human and present form Tristan Michael Llewellyn, and his hero form Knight Wolf. But somehow his royal side got separated from the other two parts of his personality and landed back in Thaddea with no memories of our past together. This is the story of how through a crazy case of mistaken identity, lies, deceit, rivals, hidden agendas, conspiracy, invasion of privacy, blackmail, and manipulation my true love and I as Reimeiko Thunderis made it back to each other and full circle. I am known as Reimeiko Christyne Amaryllis Thunderis Wolfe by royal standards, Queen of Thunderia and Thaddea thanks to my getting married to Karyson before the last battle with Darcien’s forces. My father, his Knights and fellow royals had to use their combined powers to send us here to be reborn and find each other again. The problem was none of us had any memory of our pasts until our respective guardians found us and reunited us. But that is another story for another time. Anyway, when we were all reborn here, I was born Jamison Logan McKagan the eldest daughter of Robert and Veronica McKagan also known as Thor and Kyiandra Thunderis of Thunderia. But you already know that, if you know my story. Anyway, I am getting outrageously off track. But when this all started, I had no doubt how it would end because of Karyson and our past together. But boy was I wrong. I had never felt so betrayed in my life. How I came into this as Reimeiko Thunderis instead of who I am in the human form? Well I will tell you. It all starts here at the Coronation Ball. On this night, not only will Garyson be taking his place as king, but he will also be choosing his future bride. At the doors of the grand ballroom stood Jamison Logan McKagan Llewellyn also known as Reimeiko Christyne Amaryllis Thunderis Wolfe of Thunderia and Thaddea. The Lady Knight of Thunder was getting ready to make a grand entrance. Tonight was the night for her. As she entered the ballroom, the herald announced her.

"Lady Reimeiko Christyne Thunderis." the herald announced. She walked further into the ballroom spotting her friends and Knights from back home as well as some of the friends she had made along the way or so she thought. Her brother and sister in their Knight forms showed up close to her speaking telepathically.

(I know that the connection between Karyson and Reimeiko is solid.) Knight Shadow said. (But you might want to take the connection between Jamison McKagan and Tristan Llewellyn into consideration.)

(Tristan is Karyson’s human form though, remember brother?) Knight Nova replied. (They were separated into their own individual personas somehow and we must figure out how to reunite them, but now is not the time. The Knights are all stationed throughout the palace grounds, fully powered but dressed for this ball.)

(Do you not think that you are overdoing it just a bit?) She asked. (How are all the background checks into the key players going? One cannot know how to play the game without a scorecard and details on everyone involved especially who gains and loses the most. There are a lot of secrets here and I want to know all of it. Not just the key players but the background players too. Leave no stone unturned, leave no passage unexplored. We had orders to do that before we left.)

(Our wisdom knights are taking care of that and have been since before Dad debriefed us.) Shadow replied. (Anyway, we will keep in close contact with you as the night progresses)

Shadow and Nova made their way into the crowd to check in with the other Knights as Jamison glided over to talk to two other suitors in the competition. For some reason, she suddenly felt uneasy, why, she did not know. Granted, she had seen and dealt with her share of evil tyrants, love rivals, band rivals, and threatened hostile takeovers, but she and her Knights had always made it through almost unscathed.

“Reimeiko, you look so beautiful.” Elenia Zhang gushed. “The prince will not be able to take his eyes off of you all night in that gown.” Jamison drifted back and forth between the first debriefing and present day.

“First off we have Elenia Zhang.” Marco said. “There is not much known about her and her family except that they are Thaddean nobles who live outside the typical line. In addition to being a Thaddean noble, Elenia is multi-talented which will be one of her strengths and make her a good ally as well. Knowing you Jamie, you would have her and everyone else won over in no time.”

“Hah, he might like the way she looks,” Lamani Evander sneered. “But when it comes to choosing his future queen, he knows who will be able to rule by his side and that woman will be me and me alone.” Back to the debriefing.

Lamani Evander, she was so evil that she made Dariana Lanoson look and act like an angel, but even though she could scare or intimidate others, she did not scare or intimidate Jamison or Reimeiko. Long before, Jamison had faced off with the Federation of Evil’s many different factors, love rivals, rival bands, threatened hostile take-overs and she knew how to fight dirty if she had to. In her royal form of Reimeiko Thunderis, she fought like a man although she was a woman. Along with her siblings and fellow Knights, she trained from the time she was young to be able to take down and fight the forces of evil who continued relentlessly to take them down and take over the universe. Reimeiko and Jamison were rejoined or reunited when Jamison was fifteen and was discovered being Princess Reimeiko Thunderis while in her hero form of Knight Thunder and her boyfriend Tristan Llewellyn in his hero form of Knight Wolf was discovered as being Prince Karyson Wolfe of Thaddea which was who Jamison and the others were vying for. She knew something about Karyson, his true siblings Corydon and Racine, and Samuel and Francine that the other people present did not know. Samuel, Francine, and the Thaddean Trio were immortal like Reimeiko, her siblings, and Knights; and no matter what the other ladies of court thought, Karyson was Reimeiko’s eternal soulmate.

“Well I can say this without any conviction.” Jamison said. “It will be his choice who rules by his side not yours, and may the best woman win.” To herself she said. “I know it will be me because I have been to the future, I am the Queen in it and none of you are there.”

“I am sure that I will win because I have known him all his life.” Lamani replied.

Jamison rolled her eyes and shook her head as Lamani walked away. The only other woman in the running so-to-speak was a woman by the name of Almeda Fitzgerald who was being sponsored by the present queen Alyssa Candelaria. No one had really seen her through the competition because she had been staying close to the queen. Just then a trumpet sounded, and a herald announced the arrival of Karyson Tristan Michael Llewellyn Wolfe Prince of Thaddea and he was heading right in the direction of Jamison and Elenia. He took her hand and bowed. “Princess Reimeiko, may I have the pleasure of the next dance with you?” Prince Karyson asked.

“You want to dance with me?” Jamison asked. “I am ready to do much more than just dance with you, but I would love to.”

“I was hoping you would say that.” Karyson replied. He took her hand and whisked her away to the dance floor of the grand ballroom. As the orchestra plays, he leads her into a waltz around the room her gown swirling as they glide through the steps.

“To think a few months ago as Jamison McKagan,” Jamison acknowledged. “I did not even know the first steps to the waltz.”

“And now no one would ever know that your human form was not born into this life.” Karyson replied. “I hope you never have cause to regret coming here.”

“What do you mean? Why would you say that?” Jamison asked. “You and Tristan will be reunited before this crazy adventure is over, then so will we be.”

“So much has happened.” he said pausing as the song winds, his hands lingering on her waist and his eyes searched hers which were filled with uncertainty, fear, and confusion. “I need to speak with you.”

“Is something wrong?” Jamison asked, fearful of what the answer would be. Despite the soulmate connection between them, she knew that something was not right.

“There is nothing really wrong per se.” he replied. “It has been nearly impossible to even get a moment alone with you these last few days, but I need to know--”

“Prince Garyson, may I be so bold as to cut in?” Duchess Lamani Evander asked.

“Oh yes of course.” Karyson replied. “Do not worry, Reimeiko, we will talk later.”

[Yeah right] Jamison thought sourly. As Lamani and Karyson glided away, Jamison found herself wandering off the dance floor and running into a familiar face in the crowd. “Derrick? I did not know that you would be here tonight. You look so handsome in your formal uniform instead of your usual mix of clothes.”

“Karyson insisted.” Derrick replied. “I guess I should congratulate you. You look exactly like one of them. I guess you are one of them now in these days.”

“Please do not lump me in with those two-faced, hypocritical, narcissistic fleet of bozos and bimbos.” Jamison pleaded. “Real people like you are more fun to be around. You and I are cut from the same cloth. We do not fit into their world of snobby losers and I thank God that we do not.”

“This time tomorrow, you might be queen and then our lives are going to go in very different directions.” he said.

“If I am chosen to be his bride, but I have a sick feeling that I will not be,” Jamison said. “I will still be me. Titles do not make me who I am or who I will be. Nothing will take me over.”

“Looking at you right now, it is hard to believe that.” Derrick said with a sad look. “This place has a tendency of changing people, and some of us like the woman you used to be. You know, that right?”

“I promise, I am the same person I was from the beginning, even under this fancy, hard to breathe in a ball gown.” Jamison replied. “Despite everything that has happened, I have not changed. I am the same Reimeiko Christyne Amaryllis Thunderis, Jamison Logan McKagan Llewellyn. If there is ever a time you feel that I get too cocky, just remind me of the first time we met, I was taking out the garbage to the big dumpster outside and waiting tables at Russo’s bar and grill.”

“It does feel like it was so long ago.” Derrick acknowledged. “I cannot believe that it has only been a few months since this all began, and it feels more like once upon a time now more than ever after everything.”

#kingliam2019 #texaskitten30 laimtruelovealways #cordonianroyalty #trr knightthunderchronicles

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bi-outta-cordonia · 5 years ago

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Ebb and Flow

Last chapter moved kinda quickly in terms of progression and maybe there’s a miniseries lodged somewhere in all the development I’m shocked we didn’t get to see. Hopefully there’s more hiding in the later chapters. We’ll see!

Blades of Light and Shadow. Tyril Starfury x f!elf MC (if you squint, now complete with light touching!) sfw, all ages. Tags include: Tyril has secrets, that’s why his hair is so long, because it’s full of secrets, also he’s still grappling with some of that juicy early onset sexual tension with Ashala, maybe he’ll deal with it one, maybe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Salt of the air, taste of the fury on the tongue. The high winds rise as the sea roll low. Clutch the vessel starboard and let Honerva flow!”

Tyril’s ears twitch along to the melody, lifting and bending easy from years of involuntary practice. The priestess—Nia—her song is familiar to him but also completely foreign. Parents of Undermount sing the same tales to their restless and misbehaving children, not as an upbeat shanty but rather as a warning to the wise. Honerva is a goddess that demands much from the mortals that traverse her realm. Stay humble but maintain vigilance. Stay the course but do not ignore the many weaving paths that make up the sea. Honerva may grant safe passage or she may dash a ship full of innocents against craggy stones, whichever mood strikes her first.

Nia does beautifully as her voice ebbs and the sailors whoop heartily. She offers a dainty bow and heads back to her bunk beneath deck with Threep still perched on her shoulder.

Much like the odd whims of Honerva, the air shifts as soon as familiar magic cuts through the thin barrier around him. He often erects a small shield when he stands on his own, nothing like the ones he forces up in battle. It’s just enough to give the humes pause as they walk by him—perhaps they’ll turn away so he doesn’t have to stomach looking at them. He knows how they take to him all too well. Better to steer them clear of him before something unpleasant unfolds.

Even so, there is no guarantee that all the walls around him will remain in tact. Ashala Venralei is impossible to miss and her magic is advanced enough that crossing into his doesn’t give her the overwhelming need to be elsewhere. She quietly folds her hands one over the other and leans against the wooden rails.

“Honerva is not a gentle goddess yet humans have such cheerful songs about her,” she says.

“I see,” is all he says. “I didn’t think you’d know of the stories surrounding her.”

“Did the mage miss the morning ritual I conducted prior to our departure?” she teases, head turning completely towards him. He glances at her from the corner of his eye and frowns heavily. “Perhaps I am more elf than he cares to admit—I practically begged for safe passage. Honerva changes moods as often as Mal changes the details of the stories he’s already told. We should be grateful that her temperament has not changed yet.” Her lips quirk. “And that Mal’s stories are amusing. We move amongst seasoned travelers, it seems.”

“Ah, you speak not of I, lowlander,” he corrects. “Undermount has been my home for decades until now. What stories Mal provides come from his adventures. The ones I provide belong to me yet seem to surface whenever it suddenly becomes the fancy of one extremely nosy lowlander.”

She doesn’t laugh and it irritates him in a way. Instead, he watches that sly smile of hers crack across her face, golden eyes as bright as the beaming sun. What little she conveys with her body he can read upon her face.

Sometimes.

“You could always stop me yourself,” she says. “Two days out from port and you’ve yet to spend time with anyone aside from myself. A choice, I presume?”

Tyril doesn’t answer for a long moment. In the skies above, a flock of gulls circle and swoop down towards the sea to scoop up fish for their meals. White feathers shine wetly as they beat their wings and head back to land. He averts his gaze and stares at the distance ahead of him—nothing but miles and miles of endless sea, the horizon almost indiscernible between the place where the sky meets the water.

“I don’t…” He stops and narrows his eyes. “All that I could say about the life I’ve grown accustomed to matters little compared to the reality I embrace now.” He stands taller but takes a shaky breath of the salty air. “Stories of the past often matter greatly depending upon the context but my stories are nothing. Just the ramblings of…”

He grows quiet, bowing his head a bit, and he dares not risk a glance towards the woman beside him. His old governess would give him a whack on the knuckles for such weakness. First and foremost are the lessons of propriety—how to maintain veneer with ease and how to trick one’s enemies into believing the face displayed for them. Of all the sickly sweet smiles and taut smirks, nothing delivers more emphatically than the look of unwavering curiosity brimming in Ashala’s eyes.

Slowly, Tyril turns his head towards her and meets that gaze with his. She exudes smoke and ash, chokes the world around her into a violent submission for it has walked its course over her. She will walk her own path to save a man unrelated to her by blood but in between, the natural well of magic in the world will tip in her bend and the elements all around her will move aside for she refuses to be moved by them.

“You are…” he starts, resting his chin upon his hand. Her eyes flash—a warning or amusement? He isn’t entirely sure. “A strange creature.”

Ashala shrugs. “You are blue. And tall.” She squints at him. “And horribly gruff. I expected elves from the city beneath the stone to be a lot more refined.”

“I can be if I choose so.”

“But you choose not to be in any given moment.” Her head nods towards the door leading to the bunks beneath deck. “Save for when you interact with Nia, of course. Imtura seems unbothered but Mal does everything in his power to crack the frosty exterior you put up.”

He chuckles. “And you seem to think I exist for the sake of reciting old stories. You and Mal are no different in that sense—you are both bothersome. Only he seems to do it because nothing else in this world could possibly entertain him more.”

“You have a vein that pops up on that rather large forehead of yours when you get riled up,” she says. His fingers twitch and his jaw works. He will not rise to the bait. He is better than this.

Better than the coy smirk that tugs at her lips when he does reach up.

And much better than the playful glint in her eyes as he silently tucks his hair behind his ear, very much avoiding the spot on his forehead where the vein could be.

He will not think about this later.

“Is there something in particular you desire, lowlander?” he hisses. “Or have you come to pester me for yet another story?”

She remains silent for a long moment. Her golden eyes sweep back over the water and take in the sight of clear skies all the way in the distance. Her body closes off, turns away to face completely forward. There is a blankness about her face and his brow furrows.

“We all carry secrets, Tyril,” she says quietly. Ashala’s head remains high despite the strange air settling between them. Before the words leave her mouth, he knows the question sitting on her tongue. “Undermount is your home, yet the minute you called out the next destination, there seemed…there was a hesitation on your part.”

His lips press together. “I see.”

“Your skill is unparalleled. Of the five of us, it is clear your training as House Starfuy’s heir—” His jaw works, “—has granted you the boon of power beyond imagining. Knowledge, tactics—there is much to speak of regarding you but we respect your need to hold such truths to your being. Perhaps there is something we are unaware of that is too painful for you to recall—something that would leave you vulnerable.”

He sighs and lays his arm flat against the railing.

“No, it…”

Memories flood the empty space within his mind. Meditation keeps it clear but there are nights where he is restless, tossing and turning as events of the past play out in the form of nightmares most unimaginable. Where there is wisdom there is pride most evil, most corrupting of those that cross its path. His mother—her face is there but hazy. Fanciful feasts, the boisterous laughter of men and women dressed in the finest of silks as servants present delicacies from far and wide—

There was a man whose lips he can still taste—

The woman with straw blonde hair that smiled so beautifully—

House rankings, climbing the rungs of hollowed out ladders that snap so easily but mend just as well if only he would think.

Climb faster.

Push harder.

He runs a hand through his hair and sighs again.

“It’s…far too complicated to explain at the moment,” he finally answers. Weight presses on his shoulders and a knot forms in his belly. He remembers a sensation like this back then, only it was much more constant. “In some ways, I envy the life you’ve led.”

Ashala offers nothing at first, her eyes never straying from the horizon slowly moving in the distance. “You’ve been surrounded by luxuries most of your life. Your knowledge of our—of your culture is far more extensive. I cannot fathom the idea of envying one born to nothing.”

“I...I was not lacking for anything, no. You assume correctly in a sense. Even the happiness was constant for a time.” Quiet again. At the very least, she does not push. “Everything moved towards a single goal and that was the most exhilarating aspect. To be able to provide for the house meant just as much as being a part of it. Climbing the ranks was a ruthless game but standing atop the other children brought glory beyond compare.”

“You were heir,” Ashala says.

A rueful smile tugs at his lips. “Everything I could ever want at my very fingertips—and now? Now, I travel the world committed to a mission that the others of our kind would rather blatantly ignore.” His head shakes. “What good does it do to only partially stop an evil that would destroy us all? Why stop at splitting the shards and why not completely cleanse the world of the Court’s influence?”

Ashala hums but does not respond immediately. Her head turns and she observes him quietly.

“Then it was pure altruism that saw you abandon such a lucrative role?” His eyes dart away and he knows the exact number of whacks on the knuckles the gesture would earn him.

“I’ve been away from Undermount for a long while,” he says. “It’s been months at best yet I know the exact number of whacks I’d get for being so loose with my feelings.”

“Oh? How rare to see such a sight,” she says, hand raising to point at the corners of his mouth twitching. Tyril jerks his head away and snorts, drawing a small laugh from her. “A rare yet delightful thing to see. Perhaps I was mistaken about your ability to express any emotion aside from disinterest and disgust.”

“You could stand to repress some of yours more often,” he fires back. “Humes are widely regarded as loud creatures—you are an elf. Some stoicism would make you tolerable at the very least.”

Her laugh is a full-hearted cackle. None of the heat nor venom of his words take for she finds any slight instance of his annoyance enjoyable. Heat floods his cheeks and he can’t help the small smile that tugs at his lips as she howls with laughter.

“To have an elf accuse me of not being stoic enough!” she wheezes, wiping at the corners of her eyes. “Would you believe that humans find me to be the most unapproachable creature that walks this land? The children would often run from the pull of my magic lest it would swallow them whole. I suppose those in possession of magic naturally terrify the folk who have so little experience with it.”

He nods. “Much of yours was self-taught, however. Being able to conceal it is one of the first lessons a proper instructor should’ve taught you, but…” He coughs. “I suppose I could…show you. It would be a useful skill when we face certain enemies.”

She quirks a brow. “Now you instructing me? Perhaps it is a moment I eagerly await if only to see the bitter disdain on your face when you realize how difficult it is to teach me!” His eyes roll but she ignores it. “You still didn’t answer my question, Tyril.”

“It was…” He pauses for a long moment. “It was mostly for that reason, yes. But in truth, it is like you mentioned before. There are some secrets I would still prefer to ‘hold to my chest,’ as you say. It isn’t…it isn’t the most pleasant thing to recall, not now. I…”

Again in an instant—

The faces of hundreds who looked upon him with hope—

That looked broken and angry when he turned his back on them—

There is no shame in doing what needs to be done—for doing the right thing. Pride is not the only source of his sense of self. It makes up only a small portion of all of him but the thought still eats at him—the question of what could’ve been always lingers no matter how hard he tries to convince himself that it isn’t important to know the answer.

Tyril crosses his arms and gently smooths his fingertips over his bracers. His head bows and he stares at the water violently lapping at the hull as Imtura’s ship cuts through the sea.

“You don’t regret this,” Ashala says, pulling him from his thoughts.

“No, not at all.”

“But there are things you wonder about. Things that you cannot change or reverse as a result of your actions…”

He stands still for a moment before nodding once. “All that I do here matters more to me than the circumstances that put me on this path. I chose it, yes. There are factors that led me here, that is also true.”

She stares at him for a long while, that piercing gaze stirring something a bit unsettling within him. It’s like looking into the base of a flame all consuming, a void all encompassing. Ashala Venralei—would he ever tell her the truth about her name and all the reasons why no person in Undermount would ever consider stringing such words together to form a child’s name? He knows what Tyril is—Orthonus, Livienna, Myhri, and Rashki.

“The child born from ash and dreams”—to get to where they needed to go, Ashala’s parents burned a considerable bridge that meant that home would never be a place they could return.

“We will stop the Shadow Court,” she says and she does something dangerous—far too dangerous—

She reaches across and lays a warm hand on top of his. He swallows and stares into her eyes once more, something far more uncomfortable welling in the pit of his belly. It’s a warmth and a storm in one that starts in his gut before it shoots through the rest of him in uneasy webs.

He wills himself to nod curtly. When she graces him with a warm and genuine smile, he quivers.

It must be luck she turns on her heel and leaves him before she notices.

#playchoices #choices #blades of light and shadow #bolas #tyril starfury #tyril x mc #tyril #tyril the mage

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trashcanofhappiness · 5 years ago

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247 aka Lilili Yabbay pt 2/dark vers.

Welcome to another choreography appreciation post that’s going to be long AF - full of gifs and this time including song analysis because it’s just as important as their choreography choices. I would read the lyrics to this song before reading this post because I’ll be referencing them quite a bit in this appreciation/analysis post.

First things first - can we applaud the performance team for putting this piece of performance art together while/between prepping for their concert, comeback AND showcase?

Secondly - the true beauty this song/choreography is its impact in the story arc that is the performance units songs. For those who don’t know, Dance of Month 13/Lilili Yabbay, Moonwalker, Shhh and 247 all exist in the same story arc and I believe 247 to be the culmination of said story arc.

Lilili Yabbay introduces their lover - someone who “lives in their dreams” and from whom they “dance in the moonlight”. This is a lover they are separated from, a lover they have yet to meet but are constantly searching for. There is hope and faith that they will meet in month 13 and a belief that their lover won’t disappear. No matter what, they will still be there, searching and waiting.

We move to Moonwalker where deep in the night, while everyone else sleeps, their love grows to new heights. They continue to dance in the moonlight, calling out to their lover with the excitement and joy of a first love that makes them feel like moonwalkers. Despite whatever keeps them apart, this moonwalking love will enable them to cross over any rift and let them get to their lover.

Shhh is where the story starts to turn. This song is almost a plea to their lover to shut out the whispers that they were not meant to be. They try to quiet the lies that they’re just an illusion, that their feelings are merely an illusion.

And this leaves us at 247 - what I consider to be the end of the story. The main reasoning for this is how much it references LIlili Yabbay in its lyrics and choreography with a sprinkling of choreo from Moonwalker and Shhh as well. In a way, it’s the other bookend of the story. From the get go, the vibe of the song is very nostalgic with its melodic guitar and relaxed percussion. It evokes an introspective atmosphere that’s portrayed as they spend the first two verses wandering the stage, reflecting their circling thoughts. Lyrically we start the song in a very similar setting to Lilili Yabbay as well: in dreams filled with their lover. This time however, instead of the feelings of longing and anticipation being associated with these dreams, the boys are singing from a place of caution and apprehension. The lyrics parallel searching from Jan - Dec to only seeing lost footprints on top of the road on which they searched from Mon - Fri. The continuation of dancing for their lover in the moonlight, sung in the same falsetto as in Lilili Yabbay, but saying that maybe it was all in vain. The parallel themes of time but with 247, the ticking of the clock-like percussion makes you feel like the time is now limited, almost at its end. What they’ve been experiencing since the Dance of Month 13 are just a memory that’s being remembered twenty-four/seven - memories that won’t end until the end of the universe and their lives.

Now that we understand the story, let’s appreciate the choreo. As stated before, there are moves that are sampled from Moonwalker...

and Shhh...

(I can’t find a good reference video to gif but just look for fancams - the above choreo references the choreo during the Shhh lyrics “위험에서 가릴 수 있게허락된 dedication/숨 쉬듯 자연스러워영원한 dedication” (So I can cover you from danger, a consented dedication/It’s as natural as breathing, an everlasting dedication)

but the majority of the choreography references in this piece is pulled from Lilili Yabbay.

There’s the very obvious call to Lilili Yabbay with the signature clock choreo except in 247 the clock/time suddenly stops, reflecting the end of this relationship/story arc...

the 247 take on Dino manipulating the gears of a clock...

and the consuming hands thing (I have no idea what to call this move)...

The choreography of this song is actually pretty simple when compared to previous performance unit songs. Granted, part of it probably has to do with the short amount of time they had to prepare but, by being simple, the story of the songs is actually reflected a lot more clearly than if it was complicated (and to be honest, I’m a sucker for choreo that reflects the story of the performance). This doesn’t mean the moves aren’t intricate (I mean, just look at the above gifs) or thoughtful - In fact, the moves are specifically choreographed to reflect the lyrics and story of the song.

Like I mentioned earlier, the song reflects a person’s wandering thoughts as they sing about their fears as to where this relationship is going. It starts as a slow, wandering train of thought:

that slowly becoming more chaotic and confused:

only to come back to where they first started:

Below is a celebration of a few moments of choreography reflecting the lyrics in order of appearance:

“247 I look for you, wandering and wandering until I arrived here” - I am personally amazed at how many different ways they can portray clocks and time

“If I open my arms and hold you” - pretty self explanatory tbh...

“I don’t even get anything” - trying to catch something only to be left empty handed *tears*

“No matter how much I say I miss you, my heart that longs for you can’t be filled” - THIS MOVE IS SO SIMPLE YET IT HIT ME SO HARD THE FIRST TIME I WATCHED THIS

“The road that I look for you on every day, there’s only lost footprints on top of it.” - each member is an impression left behind as Chan keeps walking down the ‘road’

And for the final gif of this post that has nothing to do with choreo but because they are called the PERFORMANCE unit and not dance unit for a reason...

THEIR MOMENT TO SHINE AS SINGERS!!!!!

I know this post becomes a mess at the end (I’ve been working on this after work for the last 4 days when I should be sleeping so lol what is consistent coloring) but I love this song so much because it truly showcases the performance unit’s talents so well and I feel so proud of them and please oh please let them perform this during the world tour.

Honestly this was originally going to be a short post to compare the choreo from previous songs to their references in this song but then I read the lyrics from Lilili Yabbay through 247 because of what Hoshi said during the showcase and I just had to make a post about it. This is why we celebrate Seventeen as self-producing idols - not for some gimmick or selling point but because they create their own songs, choreos, etc. they are able to tell a story throughout their discography. As they grow as people, performers, choreographers, etc. their performances grow and change along with them.

I have no idea how to end this post that’s already too long but yeah. I hope those who read this post gain a little more appreciation for the beauty of this performance.

#seventeen #svt #choreography #performance unit #247 #jun #hoshi #the8 #dino #wen junhui #kwon soonyoung #xu minghao #lee chan #i spent entirely too long on this #appreciation post #analysis

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sebthesnipe · 5 years ago

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The Dreamer by Whatwashernameagin an Analysis? Part 4

All portions:

Chapter 1: Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

Chapter 2: Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

The Dreamer

@whatwashernameagain

It is finally here… sorry I took so long. Life has been… hectic to say the least.

Reminder: Spoilers under cut!

So, if you remember correctly (I know its been awhile), we left off just before the cut to Roman and Logan’s first meeting. The scene starts off with rain… but Eva’s use of descriptors is always so pure and beautiful I can’t resist quoting it here. “Rain was beating against the window in heavy sheets of freezing water coming down hard on the city. The air felt alive with crackling currents of lightning and rumbling thunder almost constantly growling like an ancient, rumbling animal. It was a particularly nasty day, perfect for what the media preposterously called’ villainy’, which [Logan] did not intend to be involved in today. At all” (Whatwashernameagain).

*rubs hands together deliciously* Oh the imagery….

So! Here we go! First off, rain is symbolic in a lot of different literature styles to represent a wide variety of things. In dreams, water can represent a number of things depending on the source. Rivers can symbolize emotions, something changing, or the need to change. Rain tends to reveal emotions as well, usually strong feelings, depression or despair… even rejection, anger, grief. Thunder accompanying rain can be a warning sign that you are not paying close enough attention to someone’s needs, or possibly your own. Or it can simply be used to bring your attention to something important in life. Generally dreaming about a heavy rain storm such as this would indicate something unfortunate or a problematic event that could cause you a lot of turmoil in the near future; an incoming loss or losses.

You may think I’m getting off topic but I’m really not. Sure, Logan isn’t dreaming… But Eva is! What is a story but a daydream written down on a piece of paper (or in this case typed up on a blog)? According to Freud (yes, we’re gong back to Psychoanalysis Theory in Literature); dreams are our subconscious trying to warn/tell us about ourselves, even if we don’t want to hear it (Rivkin, Julie). In this case, the cold sheets of rain are a foreshadow of what is to come; the pain and turmoil that will no doubt will be dropped into our laps… especially Logan’s lap. The change/character development that Logan is about to go through... What could this be foreshadowing? Well… Eva writes that the freezing water was coming down hard on the city…. Not just Logan… So… What ever is about to happen is about to affect everyone… It is not an isolated incident... whatever/whoever is about to happen is important to the city/world, not just Logan. And the only person that could really have that much reach besides Logan himself: The Dreamer; everyone’s hero… The shining hope that spreads warmth where ever he goes… Whatever is about to happen… ain’t going to be pretty… (Well, aside from Roman himself… He’s pretty no matter what but you get what I’m saying).

Secondly, Eva and her similes are always fantastic: “rumbling thunder almost constantly growling like an ancient, rumbling animal” (Whatwashernameagain). The imagery, itself causes the reader to picture some incorporeal creature hidden behind the clouds, growling and hissing at the world below. The dark feeling pulling the foreshadowing blanket closer around the reader, almost suffocatingly so.

Eva switches back to her usual humorous self just as easily as ever, making fun of the media and their reference to ‘villainy’ and pointing out that Logan had no intentions of such things… at least not with the weather as it was… Why is that so amusing? Well, here is a man who is willing to kill, topple multi-million companies, go toe to toe with a superhero… sitting at home in his jammies and sipping tea… It is adorably hilarious! It also humanizes Logan. His usual cold harsh calculating demeanor is stripped away. We see, perhaps for the first time, the /real/ Logan; just relaxing at home. Its... nice... comforting...

TOO BAD ITS ALL ABOUT TO BE RUINED!!!!

Within the next para my suspicions are confirmed. “Since Logan was, per definitionem, a human, it should not be surprising that he was unwinding at home at a day such as this. In a fluffy sweater falling over his hands and hips, wool socks pulled over the hem of his sweatpants, curled up with a mug of cocoa in a nest of pillows at his window” (Whatwashernameagain). Granted I already knew this was coming because I’ve read it, but it doesn’t make the imagery of this big bad villain in an oversized sweater any less adorable. If you aren’t aware of this already… I love Logan so much T.T. It doesn’t help that Eva adds to the adorable image with an italicized ‘No one must ever know.’ I’d bet a certain amount of money that Remy has feeds of Logan lounging around in his comfy wear and cocoa watching Disney movies (to criticize how illogical certain actions are both physically and mentally, of course… no other reasons… at all) that he keeps in a secure folder for whenever he needs a pick me up and shows them to Logan whenever he just wants to mess with the villain. But the italicized thought lends to the fact that once again Logan is no doubt ashamed of his humanity and wishes to keep it hidden, away from the world... away from himself. Sure its mostly for image purposes but in the end, he is not someone who takes to his human side lightly.

Going back to the story… A knock at the door?! -gasp- Who could it be?! Once again, I love Eva’s imagery; “He barely heard the knock on his door over the growling akin to boulders sliding against each other and the pitter-patter against his window” (Whatwashernameagain). She doesn’t stretch so far to make the reader work to see the image she’s painting but just far enough that they are unique yet manageable. I’m not going to go back into the psychoanalysis for the rain but I will say that bringing it up here is a fantastic way to connect the foreshadowing in the first paragraph I’ve mentioned to the one we are on currently, bringing us full circle and signaling that whatever turmoil is meant for Logan begins here. It is also nice because it allows the mood to change so easily from humor to seriousness once more… Though… discovering Remus is an ACTUAL lizard made me squeal a bit. That was such a sweet and adorable nod to the character that I can’t even be upset that he’s not a bigger part of the story… He’s a freaking lizard!!! I love it!!!!

We see Logan freeze and follow his train of thought as he approaches the door cautiously. We see apart of him that we’ve known is there but haven’t really experienced. Logan has been calculating and cold throughout the story, only taking risks where the benefit outweighed the danger but now… now we see his paranoia…. His isolation. He mentions that no one knew his address and even his neighbors stayed away due to his intimidation and cool manners. He calls his home a ‘fort of solitude’ (no doubt a play on Superman’s Fortress of Solitude but that’s a-whole-nother thing I’m not gonna get into), something he had cultivated carefully, and the very reason he wares the mask that he apparently finds ridiculous. But it also shows us how little he interacts with the outside world... the fact that he has no one. His only friend is a computer he created himself. It lends to the loneliness I’ve mentioned before. The lack of companionship and friends... Logan is utterly and completely alone. Its almost heartbreaking.

This is the only place he feels safe. The only place he can be himself. Sure, he doesn’t change himself too much when he is out being the Utilitarianist but… this is different. He doesn’t have to hide behind anything there. He can just sit back and relax, try not to be reminded of all that is wrong with the world. He can just be… him. Which honestly… is surprisingly difficult for most people to achieve and he has it… right there. With his comfy sweater and favorite cocoa… Except… now he has to worry about whoever is on the other side of the door, invading his only place of safety.

The symbology is here too, though most would overlook it. Logan’s home could symbolize himself, considering, in essence, a person’s home is exactly as I described: a place they could be their true selves and relax. Its so personal and private. His home which he has built to be the foundation of his work… of himself, is now being invaded by an outside source and throwing everything off balance. This outside source being The Dreamer. The catch is… this isn’t the first time this has happened… though it is the first time it physically has.

Roman has invaded Logan’s thoughts and processes long before he showed up at the villain’s door. He has thrown Logan way off, forcing him to feel things, to argue with him, to aim for things he shouldn’t want. Roman has forced Logan out of his comfort zone mentally a number of different times and for any individual that can be upsetting but for someone who is unaccustomed to regular emotions…how prides themselves in their control... it can be earthshattering. Logan who already sees a hope in Roman, a light, that he doesn’t want to want and yet does; Logan who is being betrayed by his human side, despite being driven by logic, has been invaded by a presence he never asked for… by Roman himself and the worst part is… The hero has no idea whatsoever…He’s like penicillin... A fungi Logan never wanted and yet can heal so many things if he would just let it but the risk is way too great... The chances of the fungi growing out of control and destroying everything Logan is is far too great... and now… Now, Roman is there… physically invading Logan’s sanctuary; no doubt stirring up all these unwanted feelings once more. The fear is no doubt the worst though… Logan hasn’t calculated Roman knowing who he is, where he was… He hasn’t calculated any of this. Suddenly Logan’s foundation, his safety net, his computer like calculations have failed him… Everything is crumbling with fear and its only been a microsecond. Could you possibly imagine how terrifying that could be?

With the state of terror Logan no doubt feels, it is no wonder that the villain bolts away from the door and brandishes a weapon. Its as if he’s attempting to put as much distance between them both physically and mentally as possible. This is no doubt a fight or flight type of response for Logan which is such a human reaction, driven by his fear rather than logic which no doubt annoys the man even more.

Eva goes on to describe an interaction between Logan and the Supercomputer which brings to light a bit more about Logan’s reactions and Remy’s motives. We see Logan slowly returning to his more logical demeanor, obviously beginning to gain the upper hand in his battle against his instincts. He questions Remy about how Roman managed to get to the front door as he does his best to remain calm, reminding the reader, and no doubt himself, that he was trained in a number of martial arts. Which honestly, I love the idea of seeing our precious nerd in white robes throwing punches or kicks around a room… He’s just so… adorable I love it! Remy responds with his usual sass ‘not even considering lowering his volume’, which only brings our attention back to the turmoil Logan is no doubt going through (a freezing rain storm you might say). The words about Remy’s volume and the cringe Logan offers at the thought of the door being busted in only cements the villain’s terrified state. The conversation goes on, Remy with his usual sass and Logan in his frustrated trepidation.

Remy finally admits why the hero is there and Logan stands dumbfounded at discovering that Roman is injured, hurrying back to the window to peak out and get a good look at the other man. Why would his enemy come to him? Why would Roman show up injured unless it was some sort of trap or game plan Logan hadn’t thought of... no doubt, all of these questions are running through the man’s mind.

“The Dreamer was still there, leaning against the side of the building in the middle of the freezing rain, drenched to the bone. His head was lowered as if he were close to losing consciousness” (Whatwashernameagain). There is so much to be said here… ugh… okay… first lets touch on Roman…

****CHAPTER 2 SPOILERS****

Roman is standing hunched over, the image weakness, and obviously about to pass out. This could symbolize a lot of things from the state of our planet, to the political climate in America. In Chapter 2 we learn a lot about how he was mistreated and abused but this… this is another sense of foreshadowing. Here the shining hope of the world is drenched in the rain, huddled and shivering, nothing that he is supposed to be. The symbolism alone hurts.

The symbol of hope in the world is dying. Roman is not just a man. He is THE Dreamer… Without him the world would be lightless… darkness everywhere… no one and nothing to look up to. Now, I realize that Eva probably wasn’t going for this but… I really need to because its beautiful. The Dreamer, is broken, battered and bruised, used by the people who were meant to help him, mold him to save the world, to make the world a better place. The very same people that promised him they’d achieve his dream together. What could this possibly symbolize? Well, a lot of things really… Consider this… The state of America right now… politicians promising to make America Great Again, making people believe that everything was going to get better… but then they sew hate for one another, invite discourse and rage… threaten war with other countries, all in the name of ‘the people’ leaving the country in the same state Roman currently is: Battered, bruised and thoroughly used.

If that symbol wasn’t good enough you could always look at the state of the planet… The planet providing us with everything she has, food, water, shelter… and humanity cutting down the rainforest, killing off species, polluting waters, slaughtering animals for money… don’t get me started on the sharks in china… or the elephants in Africa… I think I need to switch the subject again sorry… But it /is/ a good example… And if Roman is on the doorstep to Logan’s home… He probably has realized the fissures he’s caused in society and that Logan may be his only chance. Logan is all he has to turn to, just like the planet has no one but us to try and care for it.

Here Roman sits, bleeding out… The symbol of the people… the same people (though not all of them of course) who would see him exploited and abused, tortured and experimented on for their own gain… The symbol of hope which is dimming due to the very people he is meant to shine for… In the same sense humanity destroys the ecosystem around them and yet demands more from it. We poison our water, ourselves… the land you name it; all in the name of bettering ourselves… Roman does the same. He pushes himself to be better for the world… do better for the world… but as he does, he’s sowing the seeds for the rich, killing himself in the process… All because he was willing to give too much. His intentions are so pure and yet the results are so horrible; and the public is completely fooled. He is what can happen without change.

The analogies I used may be a bit confusing I apologize it is very late and I’m very tired, but I hope I got it across. Roman’s symbolization of both the American political climate and/or the environmental war we live in today is just so moving to me that I don’t know how to put it into words.

***END OF CHAPTER 2 SPOILERS***

Here Roman sits, on the doorstep of his archenemy the last man you’d expect him to turn to, needing help. The light is gone. There is no hope… The hope that had been there is now washed away with the rain… the only thing left is a man… a man wounded and alone… There is no Dreamer here, not right now… And without Logan there is no hope for him.

The change from Roman being Logan’s sense of hope, his source of emotions, to Logan now carrying the torch is so drastic and sudden it sends the reader reeling beautifully. Here stands a man who wanted nothing to do with any of the feelings Roman causes, is now forced to carry it all, and so suddenly… Logan is now Roman’s hope... his lifeline.. The roles have been reversed... It makes for quite the anti-hero. And Eva managed all of this with just a single sentence (“The Dreamer was still there, leaning against the side of the building in the middle of the freezing rain, drenched to the bone. His head was lowered as if he were close to losing consciousness” (Whatwashernameagain).) If that isn’t talent, then I don’t know what is.

Directly after this line, we get to see Logan’s reaction: “Utterly foregoing any logical deliberation for perhaps the first time in his life, Logan ripped the door open” (Whatwashernameagain). This is another fantastic line. Why? Because we get to see more of the real Logan that he tries to push away and pretend doesn’t exist. You see, as the Utilitarianist, Logan doesn’t think about ‘the individual’ that’s not what he’s supposed to focus on. Logan is supposed to focus on what would do the most good for the most people. He doesn’t sweat the small stuff. It is another one of those stark contrasts between he and Roman. Roman is all about the individual; taking down bad guys left and right, caring about each individual rescue. Here though… Logan has forgotten himself to his human ego once more. He has thrown his safety blanket, the very thing he defines himself, his logic, to the wind. This is another great foreshadowing tool (though I’m only guessing its foreshadowing). Logan has stripped himself of, what he feels like, is his only defining feature. Without his logic, what is Logan? He is just a man, isn’t he? Or is it possible that he is something else entirely? Something more than just a man; something less than one? I’m not talking about super heroes or supervillains. I mean identifying himself as a person. Roman has now pushed Logan to be something, or someone Logan had never considered, had never been brave enough to consider. Could it be that with Roman’s help he’ll turn into Logan 2.0. That is not to say that O.G. Logan was bad or by any means lessor but Logan 2.0… Well, he’s already learning to be the beacon of hope for Roman… and now he has thrown his logic out the window? Perhaps they will do a number on each other? Oh… eh… I mean… on each other’s personalities and ethics…. Yeah… ethics…

Getting back to the story!

Roman takes in the sight of Logan above him, a bit startled as he does so. After everything Roman’s been through that is not surprising… He also has taken quite a risk coming to the villain. He is injured and no doubt would make an easy target if Logan so chose, but the thing about Roman is hope, just as I’ve been saying (am I a broken record yet?). We’ve learned that Roman has a naive sense of positivity in everything he does… I mean… he’s named himself The Dreamer, after all… There is no reason he shouldn’t have it in this as well. Alone, wounded, and at the mercy of whoever he turns to, Roman chose Logan… The Utilitarianist, to save him; clinging to his hope that the good he has seen in this man, the man who has saved him once before with no foreseeable ulterior motive, is real. And for a moment, seeing Logan hovering over him, blade in hand, he probably doubted himself. But… the thing is… If Roman truly believed Logan would hurt him, he would fight in this instant… Roman may be injured and hopeless but from what we’ve learned about him he’s not a quitter… No, he trusts his hope… his heart… He truly believes Logan is a good man and that is cemented and proven by his reaction: “He was looking up at him like a drowned, frightened cat, caramel hair sticking to his ashen face, none of his usual latino-tan to be seen... Logan had never seen him look this beaten. His usually bright green eyes blinked up at him through rain-soaked lashes, apparently barely able to focus on him. He looked dazed” (Whatwashernameagain).

Again, Eva is wonderful with her similes ‘like a drowned, frightened cat’. It’s the use of literary devices like these that help breath life into a scene. While the reader could no doubt visualize Roman’s wounded stature, the expression is something that is a bit harder to describe so it’s the use of things like similes that really aide the author when used correctly and I truly do love the image of the big sullen eyes on Roman’s face… just beautiful.

Logan is the first to speak. What would you say in a situation like this? No one would really know until they were put into a situation like this… though I feel as if Eva grasped that really well hen Logan asks what sounds like a stupid question. He asks if Roman was drugged; not an ‘are you alright’ or ‘what happened’ because in reality most of us probably wouldn’t respond in such a manner as that if the person we thought hated us appeared on our doorstep bleeding. No, Logan asked the first thing that came to his mind, humanizing him even more. It was quite lovely; a perfect response.

“The Dreamer swallowed visibly, apparently unable to form words. His wide eyes were wet with tears – washed away before they had a chance to fall. Fear was an unfamiliar look on his attractive face, yet it was clear in the bright flashes of lightning that he was afraid. He looked up at Logan, trembling with exhaustion and pain. His features twisted as he tried to hold back a sob that seemed painful on his torso” (Whatwashernameagain).

This must be even more shocking for Logan…. Logan who doesn’t work with emotion… Logan who doesn’t socialize outside of his work, Remy, and his online source… Logan who detests the very idea of intense emotional outburst is now faced with his archenemy’s tears… Roman is crying! The Dreamer is crying! And while we realize that the superhero is broken (as does Roman if the tears are anything to go by; finding that his own dreams are shattered; he is now broken inside and out), that hope is fading, this is perhaps the first time the realization really strikes Logan. The fear in his rival’s features, the exhaustion and pain… that sob! None of these things are things Logan is accustomed to handling, none of these things are things that he is prepared to deal with especially coming from a man he admires and respects (though he’d never admit it). So, not only is the villain, no doubt terrified, but now he is no doubt concerned, filled with worry, and doubt. He has not had to comfort someone before... Medically he can no doubt handle this situation but... dealing with Roman’s emotions... Its way out of his comfort zone, especially when he’s barely able to handle his own at the moment.

Roman apologizes explaining that he didn’t know where else to turn (which honestly eliminates the idea I had that his ‘sidekick’ had figured out where Logan lived and led Roman there to be saved); reinforcing the idea that Roman’s hope is what led him to the villain. He then collapsing, Logan hurrying forward to catch the man, discarding his weapon in the process; his weapon his only real defense against the man… the only barrier between the two of them, keeping them in their rightful places: Roman as a hero, Logan as a villain. And yet… now they sit, huddled in the ran on the steps of his home, nothing to divide them. There is no logic here… no place for it. They’re on the same side now… Their own. Everything Logan has been so adamant about is gone in this moment... The lines drawn by society have disappeared.

“’Oh no no no.’ Logan muttered, carefully cradling the back of the man’s head in his palm as he examined him” (Whatwashernameagain). Logan takes such care in handling this man, the man he’s supposed to despise… the ‘thorn in his shoe’; already showing signs of the changes we will no doubt get to witness in the coming chapters. He cradles him as if he is fragile, because at the moment he is… he’s barely hanging on and Logan is going to put that big sexy brain of his to work to figure out how to avoid this. Logan lifts the larger man off the ground to carry him inside no doubt but something Eva writes catches my attention:

“[Logan] had been careful to keep his emotional distance from this man as much as he possibly could, but as he looked down at his pained, helpless face, he could not think of him as anyone but Roman” (Whatwashernameagain).

I think this is the best way she could have ended this chapter. She brings us full circle into what Logan is meant to be and what he is not. She brings to light his struggle when it comes to emotions and the desire to be rid of them… of the suppression towards them when it involves Roman. The same desire and suppression we saw at the beginning of the chapter and now the character development we see in him now. He is throwing his logic out the window to care for his only friend… though he has not quite realized that he is his only friend… We feel his desperation, his need, to save Roman… and while he carries Roman over his shoulder into safety… he carries the very hope he has yearned for… both physically and metaphorically… The hope he has never wanted to be and yet... is forced to be now...

Thank you so much for baring with me through all my sporadic and eccentric rambling. I really hope you enjoyed it! Thank you so much to Whatwashernameagain for writing such an amazing piece and reblogging my work. I love reading your reactions!

This is the end of Chapter 1. I plan on writing Chapter 2 as soon as possible, but with the holidays and finals coming up it may be a bit; so, stay tuned!

I’d love to hear from you guys so drop me a message or an ask, or even a comment!

I love you all!

Until next time!

Rivkin, Julie. Literary Theory: a Practical Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2017.

“Utilitarianism.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/utilitarianism.

Whatwashernameagain. “The Dreamer - Chapter 1.” Hello Guys Gals And Non Binary Friends, 8 Sept. 2019, https://whatwashernameagain.tumblr.com/post/187581477262/the-dreamer-chapter-1.

#The Dreamer #villain!logan #hero!Roman #Sanders sides #logince #logan sanders #roman sanders #logan/roman #roman/logan #analysis #reader response #reaction #fanfication #whatwashernameagain

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desperationandgin · 6 years ago

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Deep as the Road is Long (Part I, Chapter 12)

Rating: General Audiences, character death