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sassyhobbits · 4 years ago

Note

Could we have an oln extra from elorcan pretty please *doggy eyes*

it would be my pleasure ;)

this takes place about a year before the ons epilogue!!!!!

elorcan ons oneshot pt1

~~~

Lorcan Salvaterre considered himself to be a level-headed man. He had immense patience and rarely let his emotions, positive or negative, get the better of him.

That’s why it was so surprising that anxiety had been roiling in his gut for the past week.

In the two years he had been living in Terrasen, so many things had changed.

Aelin had given him a job in security at the palace and he had recently been promoted to the head. His relationship with Elide had been growing stronger and stronger with each passing day. They had recently moved in together, Elide moving away from her native Perranth to work more closely with her family in the capital.

Lorcan never would have expected that the chore of traveling to Terrasen with Remelle would lead to so many wonderful things in his life.

He knew that he was in love with Elide. It was like nothing else he had ever felt in his life. He had never cared for anyone the same way he cared for her. It only meant one thing.

Which was why he was anxious.

Lorcan held no doubts about the fact that Elide loved him just as he loved her.

Yet the idea of proposing to her was utterly terrifying.

It hadn’t been a dramatic moment when he realized he wanted to marry her.

It had been a lazy morning in the apartment, and Elide had started on some eggs. Lorcan remembered leaning back on the kitchen island, admiring how she looked in his shirt, her dark hair glistening in the golden morning sun. And… he had just known. That he wanted to marry her. It hadn’t felt like a new idea, instead something he had discovered deep inside of him, as if it had always been there. Elide was it for him, that he knew.

But to propose to her, he would first need to get a fucking ring.

It was much more daunting a task than he would have expected.

Lorcan didn’t truly have an eye for finery, he never had, but he knew Elide deserved the very best.

Which was why he was calling for backup.

He made the call as he was driving towards the palace for work, dialing the number of someone he knew would be there. The other line rang for a few moments, and Lorcan wondered if he wouldn’t answer. But, there was finally a click and an irritable voice barking through the speaker.

“What the fuck do you want, Lorcan?”

Lorcan couldn’t stop himself from grinning at Rowan’s anger. There were only a few times when his friend would give in to his frustrations.

“I’m sorry, was I interrupting something?” Lorcan asked coyly. Rowan had confided in him earlier that month that he and Aelin had finally decided to try for a baby. Which meant they were having a ridiculous amount of sex.

“You know you did, you ass,” Rowan grumbled. Lorcan heard a soft, feminine laugh from the background followed by the shifting of sheets. It seemed whatever had been happening was now over. “What do you want?”

Lorcan simply blurted it out. “I need to buy a ring for Elide so I can propose but I don’t know where to start.”

There were a few heartbeats of all-encompassing silence on the other end of the call. “Oh. Wow. That’s big news, Lor.”

“Yeah… but, are you busy today? Can you help?”

Rowan released a long sigh. Lorcan could practically envision him running a hand through his short, silver hair. “I would, but to be honest, I wouldn’t know what to do either. I didn’t even pick out Aelin’s engagement ring myself.”

Damn. Lorcan had forgotten about that. They were so damned in love with each other that it was easy to forget about the rocky start to their originally arranged marriage.

“But,” Rowan continued. “I know someone who could help, if you want to call in the big guns.”

“Yeah. Anything. I need to get this right. Elide deserves it.”

“Damn right. I’ll let her know.”

…

The big gun’s Chanel heels clicked noisily on the marble floor of the jewelry shop she had picked out. As princess, Aelin Galathynius held a lot of sway and managed to get them a private shopping appointment at the shop she insisted would have what he needed.

She had spent the morning and the entirety of the ride to the shop giving him a basic understanding of jewelry and what women wanted. He hadn’t even thought about how the band color should compliment skin tone or that there were better ways of cutting diamonds. Some women didn’t even want diamonds as the main stones. Aelin’s own was an emerald. It was far more complicated than he had hoped.

Lorcan had never really spent much time one-on-one with the princess, but he liked her well enough. Her attitude had grated him the wrong when they had first met, but it soon found out that she was actually a good person. Tough as nails, too. She would make a fearsome queen one day.

“I’m not going to pick the ring out for you,” Aelin said shortly, smoothing out her silk skirt. “Elide deserves better than that. But, I can point you in the right direction.”

“Whatever you say.”

The princess gave a curt nod and motioned towards a glimmering display, filled with stunning, beautiful rings. He watched as Aelin ran an expert eye over them.

“These are the best designers,” she explained. “The rings are beautiful and crafted perfectly. Quality. If you want to get Elide something nice, this is where you’d get it.”

Lorcan nodded slowly, looking back towards the countless rings. He felt his nerves build up again as he looked towards them, wondering how the hell he was supposed to know which one was the right one. He felt Aelin’s eyes skipping back and forth from the jewelry to him, and he had no doubt she had already decided which one Elide would like best. He didn’t know if he wanted to thank her or strangle her for not telling him which one it was.

Lorcan took a deep breath, trying to tame his pounding heart. He studied the rows slowly, attempting to find one that he knew would encapture the woman he loved. He was just beginning to think that it was hopeless, that he’d fuck it up no matter what, when his gaze finally caught on one.

It was made of a bright, gleaming silver that twisted gracefully, supporting an oval-shaped diamond. A few smaller diamonds embraced the middle one each side. It was simple, but elegant. Lorcan knew Elide wouldn’t want the ring with the largest diamond on it, wouldn’t want it to be too loud or ostentatious. But this… this was perfect. He could already practically see it perched on her finger.

“That one,” Lorcan said confidently, pointing towards the ring. “That one is perfect.”

He looked towards Aelin, finding her lips spreading in a slow smile. She gave a pleased nod. “That’s an excellent choice. Elide’ll love that one.”

It was in that moment that it fully settled on Lorcan that this was real, that this was happening. He was going to propose to the women he loved. And hopefully she would say yes.

“I’m happy for you, Lorcan,” Aelin said earnestly. “For some reason, your miserable ass makes Elide very happy, and I can see she does the same for you. I’m glad you found each other.” With that, her eyes narrowed slightly and she leaned closer, lowering her voice. “That being said if you hurt her, what I’d do to you would make what I did to Hamel and his men seem merciful. Understand?”

It was easy to forget that under that golden hair and pretty clothes, Aelin Galathynius was a certified bad-ass. One that even Lorcan didn’t want to get on the bad side of. Not that he would ever admit that to her aloud. It would make her already enormous ego that much bigger.

“Believe me when I say,” Lorcan began. “That I am going to do everything in my power to make Elide happy until the darkness claims us.”

Aelin seemed satisfied with that answer. “I do believe you. Now, let’s get that ring.”

…

Buying the ring was only half of the struggle. Now Lorcan had to figure out the best way to propose to Elide.

It was constantly on the back of his mind, no matter what he was doing. At work, in the shower, lounging around the apartment with Elide… it wouldn’t leave him alone.

Neither would Aelin fucking Galathynius. Every time she saw him in the halls, she would bother him with questions about it. Whether or not he had picked a time, or if he was ever going to pull his head out of his ass and ask her at all. It was annoying as hell. He wasn’t going around asking her every thirty minutes if Rowan had finally knocked her up. But… although she was mildly infuriating, it was somehow a pretty good motivator.

After a week and a half of the idea of the ring burning a hole through his mind, Lorcan finally decided it was time.

It was Lysandra’s birthday, and they had all gathered at the palace to celebrate with friends and family. It was a small, private affair, but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable. In fact, Lorcan preferred it over large parties any day.

They enjoyed a nice dinner, everyone wishing Lysandra a happy birthday. She was beaming the entire night with Aedion by her side. Their own wedding was only two weeks away.

Lorcan had struggled to pay attention to the others around him all evening. His attention had been pinned on Elide the entire time. She looked lovely tonight in a silky, violet top and high-waisted white trousers, dark hair falling down her back in a gleaming sheet.

If anyone noted his distraction during dinner, they didn’t say anything. By the time desert had been consumed and they had moved to the parlor for cocktailing, he was nearly jittery. Or as close to jittery as he would allow himself to become.

He had finished one drink before he decided it was time. He was done with playing around.

“Elide, love?” he murmured into her ear from where he was sitting next to her on the couch.

“Yes, Lor?” she asked, turning towards him. Her fair cheeks were flushed from either the wine or laughing with her friends, dark eyes practically sparkling with happiness. The sight made his heart swell.

“Will you come with me for a bit?”

Elide raised a dark brow in question but nodded, placing her glass on the low table before her. Most of the room was too lost in conversation to notice them slipping quietly away, but Aelin’s sharp eyes landed on him. She was tucked under Rowan’s arm, lips spreading in a slow, knowing smile. As soon as Elide’s back was turned, the princess mouthed, Good luck.

Lorcan refrained from scowling at her, slipping his hand into Elide’s and guiding her gently out of the parlor.

The halls were dark and quiet, the light of the full moon bathing the marble floors in a pale glow. It almost felt as if they were the only two people in the world. Lorcan wouldn’t have minded that one bit.

The ring box felt like a massive weight in his pocket as he held Elide’s hand tighter.

“What are you up to, Salvaterre?” Elide asked playfully, leaning into his side.

“You’ll see soon enough.”

“A surprise?”

“You’ll see.”

Elide narrowed her eyes suspiciously. He could practically see the wheels turning in her mind. She was too smart for her own good. It was one of the things he loved about her. Lorcan wouldn’t put it past her to figure out what he was about to do before he did it. He could only hope that the gods were on his side tonight.

Lorcan led Elide outside towards the gardens. They were a beautiful space, taken meticulous care of throughout the year, filled with trimmed bushes and aromatic flowers. The summer air was comfortably warm, filled with the scent of night-blooming jasmine. With the light of the stars above them and the privacy, it was a perfectly romantic spot.

Lorcan led Elide over to a low, white stone bench situated before a tinkling fountain. He urged her to sit, taking the spot beside her, refusing to release her hand. He rubbed his thumb in slow circles over the smooth skin of her knuckles.

Lorcan tried to will words to his mouth, but it seemed the nerves had finally taken hold, making it far more difficult than he was used to.

“Elide,” he finally managed to rasp out, lifting his gaze to meet hers. “You mean the world to me. I love you more than I have ever loved anything in my lifetime. You know that, right?”

Elide smiled softly and nodded, placing her palm on the side of her face and looking deeply into his eyes. “I know. And I love you just the same.”

He didn’t think ELide would ever understand just how much those words meant to him. He was undeserving of a woman like Elide, but he would try every day of his life to become worthy of her.

“Elide…” Lorcan breathed. “You’re the love of my life. I treasure every day, every moment, I get to spend with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you… if you’ll have me.” With that, Lorcan slid from the bench to the ground, getting down on one knee on the soft grass. He pulled the velvet box from his pocket, prying it open and holding it out towards Elide, feeling as though he was holding his very heart out in his hands.

Elide gasped and slapped a hand over her chest, eyes wide.

“Elide Lochan…” Lorcan said lowly, watching her face as her lips pressed together tightly and her eyes began to glisten in the silvery moonlight. “Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

The single second of silence that followed his question was excruciating. But, eventually Elide relieved his suffering by choking out a sob and nodding.

“Yes, Lorcan,” she gasped. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

Lorcan released a breathy laugh, almost unable to believe that she had actually said yes. He recovered from his shock quickly, taking Elide’s hand within his own and slipping the ring on to her finger. He had been right, it did look perfect on her.

“It’s beautiful, Lorcan,” Elide whispered, looking at the diamond for one more moment before launching herself at him. Her arms wrapped around the back of her neck as her lips came crashing down upon his. Lorcan didn’t hesitate before sweeping her up in his arms and rising, kissing the woman he loved, his fiancé, deeply.

“I love you so much,” Elide murmured against his mouth, laughing and crying and kissing him.

“I love you too, Elide. So much.”

Lorcan’s heart had never been fuller.

…

They stayed in the quiet gardens for a bit longer, lounging in the peace and privacy they provided. Lorcan held Elide the entire time, whispering in her ear about how beautiful she was and how excited he was to marry her.

But, eventually they decided to head back inside to their friends and break the news.

Elide wore a smile on her face the entire walk back. Lorcan had a matching one of his own.

As they reached the threshold, the low murmuring of voices faded away, all eyes on them. Neither he nor Elide said anything at first, only wearing those grins.

Eventually, Aelin sat up straighter, and demanded, “Well?!”

Lorcan looked down at Elide as she slowly raised her left hand higher, showing off her new ring. “We’re getting married!”

The room erupted into shouts of surprise and congratulations. Not all of them had known what Lorcan had planned to do. He figured the less people who had known the better, especially since Fenrys had a big, fat mouth.

Lorcan dealt with the attention the best he could, accepting a hug from Lysandra, clasping forearms with Aedion and Rowan, and shoving Fenrys away when he placed a smacking kiss upon his cheek.

Once the initial surprise had gone away, they all moved to sitting down once more. Aedion grabbed a bottle of champagne and popped it open to celebrate.

“Being engaged is all fun and games until it comes to the wedding planning,” Lysandra sighed dramatically. From across the room, Rowan gave a tiny grunt of agreement as Aedion nodded solemnly. “It’s so much work. You just want everything to go perfect. I’m still stressing about ours.”

“I’m sure everything will be great,” Elide assured her. “For both of us.”

“Yeah, and just think about it,” Aelin added, running her fingers through Rowan’s short hair. “No matter what happens at either of your weddings… it won’t be nearly as bad as our first one.”

A beat of silence.

Lorcan watched as Rowan looked up towards his wife disapprovingly. “That’s still not funny, Aelin.”

“It’s a little funny. It’s okay to laugh.”

Although Rowan didn’t take her up on that offer, the rest of them released tiny chuckles. It wasn’t much longer that they were back to rapid-fire conversation and rambunctious laughter. Rowan and Aelin as well as Aedion and Lysandra shared stories about the woes of wedding planning. Although it did seem daunting, Lorcan held no doubt in his heart that they would persevere.

He glanced back down at Elide, the woman that he loved, before brushing a kiss over the top of her hair. She leaned deeper into his side, snuggling close.

Every minute of work would be worth it to call Elide his wife.

#elorcan #one night standards #ons one shot #my writing #throne of glass

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benisasoftboi · 4 years ago

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Unorganised thoughts on Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter:

Unorganised thoughts on the first game are here

No longer spoiler-free, sorry

So tl;dr I loved this game and I love these characters and this world and I’m so excited to play through the whole rest of the series. What an underrated gem

I liked that everyone’s status portraits were updated, FC’s were a little rough. Except Olivier’s - his original art is miles better, good lord. The updated one is so generic :(

Speaking of updates, here’s some on how I feel about the major characters:

Estelle: Estelle deserves the world. I love her and her development, she’s just so great. What I especially love is that I cannot think of any other JRPG hero I’ve seen who reacts to the villain’s grand monologue like she does. Most of the time it’s like, huge declarations of justice, and how evil will never win, but Estelle’s reaction to Weissmann ranting about the inherent evil of man was just, like, ‘nah, actually that’s stupid, I love my friends and we’re all nice people. You just suck dude’. And that works so well, and it was really refreshing, honestly. I just... love her. I really love her.

Joshua: This poor traumatised boy who also deserves the world, my god. His backstory was so much darker than I was expecting (if I understood right, there were some implications that sexual assaults occurred in the Hamel massacre!? And that it nearly happened to his sister!? Which made me have to sit back for a moment because I did not think this game was gonna go there and it threw me for a loop). I like how his whole arc is about learning to not define himself by his trauma, I haven’t really seen that in a game before. I also love him.

I think Estelle and Joshua cute together and I support their romance, but if the game could stop reminding me post-get together that they used to be pseudo-siblings that would be great thank you

Agate: I did the Agate route mostly because I prefer using him in combat, and goddamn if I thought I liked him before. I think his arc is one of the best in the game, and I love him, and are you seeing a pattern? His friendship with Tita is also so sweet. I want to be friends with Agate

Schera: Might have had more to say if I’d done her route. I appreciated getting her backstory, and I thought her relationship with Luciola was well done, if not incredibly fascinating. As it stands, I like her just fine, even if I’m not as passionate about her as I am some of the others

Olivier: I still love this guy. I had his twist spoiled, but let’s face, it wasn’t the hardest to guess anyway. His rivalry with Bleublanc was funny, as are most of his interactions with other characters. He’s good comic relief in general, and I love using him in combat - on that note, though, I’m very angry with him for leaving in chapter 8, because he was the character I had invested the most into arts-wise, so I had to go fix up Schera just for that chapter (and then swapped to Zin as we lost ZFGs, for obvious reasons). I will say that he seems to have become a little more... creepy feels like a strong word, but I don’t think he was so forwardly suggestive in FC. It felt to me like he sort of went from Yusuke Kitagawa to Yosuke Hanamura, in a sense. But all the same, I still like him

He should have stayed in his prince look at the end though, it suits him better

Side note, I really love Mueller, and I love his and Olivier’s interactions, and I want more Mueller, why does he have to be a minor character :(

Kloe: So I wasn’t super into Kloe in FC, but I actually really loved her this time around - I thought her arc about deciding whether or not to accept the crown was well done, and the little conversation she and Estelle can have on the stage at the academy is one of my favourite scenes in both games. Also GOOD LORD do I love her outfit change at the end, she’s so pretty I want to cry

Tita: Most of what I like about Tita is her friendship with Agate, and also how smart she is. I’d probably have more to say about her if I ever used her beyond when the plot forces me to (I don’t like using glass cannon characters in games), as the unfortunate nature of SC is that you don’t get much dialogue if you’re benched. But yeah, I still like her as a character

Zin: I don’t dislike Zin, but I still find him kind of dull compared to the others. He’s fine, he’s there, he’s got a backstory with Walter and Kilika and that’s neat. Honestly the main thing I remember about all that is Zin revealing that their master had terminal cancer because I kind of just... didn’t think cancer existed in this universe, I guess. It threw me

Kevin: Firstly, I find it really, really funny that such an important and mysterious character who looks the way he does is named ‘Kevin’. But yeah, I like Kevin, I’m excited to learn more about him in 3rd. I liked his relationship with Estelle (It’s nice to see a guy who’s capable of backing off without being an ass about it. Shame there’s such a low bar). I am, though, honestly very creeped out by the mere concept of the Gralsritters, ngl

Bleublanc and Campanella were easily my favourite Enforcers. Bleublanc especially gets points for keeping himself relevant for the entire game

Renne is a character who I think I’m probably meant to feel more sympathy for than I actually do, to be honest. You can’t make me like someone just by making them a cute little girl, Falcom, I’m sorry. Maybe I’ll feel differently after playing 3rd, I know she’s in it

I thought Loewe was well handled and I love that scene where he and Joshua hug at the end

I love the Ravens. I love that they got actual art. They’re amazing. I would play an entire spin-off game about the Ravens

And the Capuas! Can they all team up? Please?

Especially Josette, I came to really like her

A thing I’ve kind of realised about this game and its characters is that it’s a really good example of how tropes and cliches are not inherently bad - everyone in this game is based on some kind of mostly-unsubverted cliche, but they are incredibly well-executed cliches. You can have the most original characters in the world, but if they’re not written well, then what’s the point? I think a lot of writers conflate ‘unique’ and ‘surprising’ and (ugh) ‘subverting expectations’ with ‘good’. This game doesn’t make that mistake, and I appreciate that

Don’t get me wrong, unique and surprising and expectation subverting is also not inherently bad - just that it’s all in the execution

I like that Richard came back! And reformed! To be honest, though, (maybe this is controversial? idk), I thought he was a better antagonist than anyone in Ouroboros. His motivations made a lot more sense than those of most of the Enforcers

Honestly (excluding Renne and Campanella because those haven’t been fully revealed to me yet) Bleublanc was really the only one with a motivation I liked - I can respect a villain who does crimes just for the sake of being an asshole

Oh yeah, there’s also Anelace and her team - they’re all great. I would like to know more about Grant, he doesn’t get to do much

The side quest in chapter 8 at the academy where we get Kurt and Anelace is one of the best quests in the game

Oh, and that reminds me, Gilbert! I love Gilbert, he’s so lame. Fighting him is hilarious

I was very happy to see minor NPC Clive on the Arseille at the end. It’s what he deserves

I love that this game got me invested in the lives of the random NPCs

Screw that Abyss Worm bounty hunt, and also that fight with Renne on Ambryl Tower

I don’t know whose idea it was to fill this game, in this setting, with GIANT ROBOTS but it grew on me and I kind of love it now

I’ve decided Ruan is my favourite region, but Rolent is my favourite city

The Liber Ark is such a cool setting, I’m sad we only saw a tiny part of it for one chapter

I knew they weren’t going to kill off Joshua and Estelle, but I still cannot describe the rush of relief I felt when the dragon saved them at the end. I care about these kids, damnit!

There’s that one section in Grancel where everyone’s talking about Crossbell and then it never comes up again - set up the next arc of games a little less subtly, why don’t you?

(And then Cassius being like ‘the adventures will continue! But with other people!”)

I read all of The Doll Knight and I genuinely enjoyed it

This game has maybe the best end credits I’ve ever seen

...think that’s all my thoughts expunged! Now to play 3rd :D

#trails in the sky #trails series #trails in the sky sc #trails in the sky: second chapter #long post

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rainsonata · 4 years ago

Text

Doppelgänger 12/15

Chapter 12: Mirage

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 7,924

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

AO3 Link I FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] —

----------------------------

Class Notes:

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

Alternative Path: Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

----------------------------

Doom Bringer

The sky was brimming with stars, a dark celestial canvas interrupted by the numerous portals cracked into tight creases at the edge of their campsite. Moonlight shone over his exposed skin, smooth and free of blemishes from injuries that would have taken days to heal without magic. Older scars cracked over his skin like the faded constellations outlining the night sky. It would appear that the priest took pity and healed him while he was asleep. Bringer imagined the two-faced bastard’s smug expression and chuckling about how rash the brawler was to charge headfirst into battle. He hated that Bluhen was correct.

Bringer brought his face to the edge of the stream, cupping his hands and washing his face, letting the water drip off his chin and trickling down the lines of his neck. A sigh of relief escaped from his lips, the pain in his throat dulled as he gurgled on water from the stream. His focus sharpened and he closed his eyes to slow down his thoughts.

Ruffled leaves and whispers interrupted Bringer’s train of thought. Irritation was replaced by mild curiosity, Dynamo twirling and searching for the source of the new noises. Careful not to make a sound, he approached from behind with caution and forced Dynamo to hold still. Hiding in a set of shrubs nearby, Bringer kept his head low and leaned in to see three figures talking among themselves between a set of trees.

“Add?” Crusader-, wait, it was the other lab rat. The voice was too quiet to belong to Crusader, sullen and carried weight.

Bringer’s shoulders tensed, running through numerous scenarios in his head when he heard his name. A youthful face peeking from the corner of the forest, Phantom looked past Bringer with a serious expression. In his hand was a set of silver shooters fitting snugly between his hands as he tested the trigger with mild interest. Its white and black with electric blue lining physique was enough for Bringer to identify it as a product of Hamel artillery.

“Are you sure about this?” Phantom asked.

“Would I joke about something like this?” The man asked.

His back was turned for Briner to see a power symbol stitched into the back of his white coat. A white fringe swept across the man’s face, hiding a mechanical eye and a scar running down the left side of his face identical to Bringer’s. Sitting opposite to Phantom was Dominator reading off data from a previous battle off of hologram screens.

“Can’t you return through one of those portals?” Crusader’s brows creased into his forehead with visible worry.

"There isn’t sufficient data to identify which one of those will lead back to our original dimension.” Dominator explained, “A portal can lead us to a time before any of us were born and create paradoxes. I think you understand our tendency to cause more problems than solve them. Of course, with the twenty-four of us, maybe there’s a higher possibility of arriving at a solution with minimal errors.”

A scowl formed on Bringer’s face, annoyed by his counterpart’s tangential chatter. This guy was full of it and liked listening to the sound of his own voice. Chuckling to himself, Dominator sat with his legs crossed as he offered his explanation to the lower plebs. It took Bringer a moment to register that the asshole was sitting on Dynamo. The Nasod weapons appeared in the form of six cubes the size of his hands. Not only did they share the same weapon, but had the same power symbol on their clothes.

“Why does the Demon Realm become unstable if all of you stay here?” Crusader asked.

“It’s not just here,” Dominator said. “It can impact other dimensions too, including Elrios. Having extra copies of people pushes this dimension at its limit. Adding more people places too much stress and can make it collapse.”

“Was coming here a mistake?” Phantom whispered, “We already lost Elsword once and we don’t know where the Dark El is. We’re placing others in danger because our existence is making this Demon Realm unstable.”

“We wouldn’t have met if you hadn't come here. There has to be another way,” Crusader tried to console his alternate with an encouraging smile. “I’m sure we can figure out how to make this work like Dominator said.”

“I’m not sure if returning to our original dimension would necessarily restore the stability of yours. The damage may or may not be permanent,” Dominator mused. “It’s a shame we have limited information to test the concept.”

“How long does your friend plan to eavesdrop?” Phantom asked.

“Huh? Who is?” Crusader gawked to where Phantom was pointing with his gloved hand. His eyes followed to where Bringer was and yelped, “How long were you lying there, Add?”

“He was making so much noise, I could hear him breathing from behind.” Magenta eyes met Bringer’s and Dominator chuckled. “Look who finally woke up.”

Bringer raised to his feet and glared down at Dominator with his hands clenched into fighting fists. Dynamo shook in anger with its creator, electricity sparked at its ends. The all-knowing smirk and boyish face were irritating, delighted in pointing out the obvious and entertained by Bringer’s existence.

“It’s good to see you’re okay!” Crusader sensed the tension between the two researchers. “Ain told me you wouldn’t be awake for a while.”

“It’s the priest’s fault we lost to amateurs,” Bringer said.

“Is that so?” Ignoring the last part of the insult, Dominator scanned the brawler with newfound interest. “I heard a different story from your healer.”

Crusader’s cries of concern were muted when Dynamo froze. It lowered itself as Bringer rubbed the back of his head before forcing the weapons to levitate back up. His counterpart came into contact with and by El, possibly talked to Bluhen. What kind of information could the priest have possibly shared to Dominator? It was already bad enough to lose to a bunch of copycats that had no right to look like members of the El Search Party.

“What did the bastard tell you?” Bringer asked.

“Where did you pick up such vulgar language?” Disapproval played on Dominator’s features. “You passed out because you insulted and ignored your healer.”

Of course that’s what Bluhen told Dominator, Bringer snorted. The brawler was expecting that type of answer from the man who claimed to be a ‘priest’. Despite speaking about a goddess no one in the party had heard of, Bluhen was often caught in the spotlight of being uncertain of the nature of the El. He retained a glass-like gaze when demons were involved and sometimes lost control of his emotions. There was no doubt that Bluhen was motivated in protecting the El Search Party, but he spoke like an old man and never called Bringer by his actual name.

“Weren’t you the one who brought the entire team to the wrong dimension?” Bringer accused the scientist.

‘Eager to identify my errors?” Dominator said, “I won’t deny that I input the wrong coordinations to overcross your timeline, but this is indeed the Demon Realm and the Dark El is here.”

“We arrived at this dimension before you did,” Bringer said. “You’ll have to look elsewhere for the Dark El.”

“Hm, I suppose you’re right.” Dominator agreed. Huh? The scientist said, “Which is a real shame because I thought it would be interesting to see all the effects of two timelines crossing. I’m sure you have questioned the same when you did your calculations to go back.”

“What does that mean?” Crusader asked Bringer. “Go back where?”

Shit, Dominator was going to reveal their identities if he allowed the scientist to keep talking. He didn’t know how much the opposite party knew about Dominator’s-, their past, but it wasn’t a risk he was willing to let loose. Bringer let out a boisterous laugh. Ignoring the stares from Crusader and Phantom, he had his arms crossed to show the markings on his forearms.

“Sounds like to me we share a common interest,” Bringer said. “Both of us are looking for the Dark El, but there is only one in this dimension. You would need to find a different plane of the Demon Realm to acquire it and stabilize the El in your dimension.

“What are you suggesting?” Dominator asked.

Analyzing Bringer with attentive eyes, the scientist read his anxiety and let go of the previous comment he made. Not unlike Bluhen, his true intentions were shielded by forced smiles and played confidence. When untampered by others, Dominator had an unreadable expression with a trace of a sober smile

“We’ll have to look at that machine and figure out the coordinates to get you back to Elrianode and to another dimension of the Demon Realm.” Bringer said.

“You’re offering your skills?” Dominator looked skeptical. “Do you even know the coordinates for the Elrianode we came from?”

“N-no.” Bringer turned red.

“Guess that puts us back to square one, but it was generous of you in wanting to help, Add.” Crusader said.

The demons that invaded Velder must have found a way to reach Elrios despite having limited resources. Dominator may have entered the wrong dimension, but he was on the right path in discovering an efficient way to travel between timelines.

“Paradox can manipulate those portals,” Phantom said. “I talked to Elsword and he thinks finding him is the key to getting out of here.”

Opposite to his counterpart, Phantom retained his voice at a lower volume, forcing others to stop talking and listen. His voice rarely went above speaking volume, an admirable feat in the midst of all the screaming idiots from both teams.

“Paradox?” Crusader asked, “The one who kidnapped our Elsword? Elsword said that Paradox tried to get us to fight each other and disappeared as soon as our friends found them. I agree that we should find Paradox, but why would he go through all the trouble of kidnapping Elsword?”

Bringer felt two pairs of eyes looking at him and Dominator, who had an equally confused reaction as the brawler.

“Why are you looking at us?” Bringer asked. He didn’t like the way they were looking at him and his alternate.

“I haven’t even met this man yet and you expect me to know what goes through that skull of his?” Dominator let out a long sigh, “You’re so quick to jump to conclusions.”

“Well, Paradox is both of you.” Crusader said. “Maybe he’s testing out his powers?”

“His movements were fluid,” Phantom disagreed. “He must have had these powers for at least a few years.”

“Why does it matter what his motivation is?” Bringer asked, “We find him and we use his powers to bring you back to the other side. Fight first, ask questions later.”

Talking to Dominator didn’t make it difficult to imagine another version of himself, but to learn that Paradox could control time and space was evidence that time travel was possible. Finding Paradox could be proven useful in providing vital data to use in the future, Bringer thought. The others were already in agreement that chasing after Paradox should be a priority. However, getting Paradox to cooperate would be another matter. He glanced over his shoulder to see Dominator sighing.

“Meathead,” Dominator scoffed.

Bringer twitched. Grabbing Dominator by the collar of the turtleneck, the brawler glared at the man in white. “What did you call me?”

“Do I need to intervene and restrain you both?” Phantom cocked his silver shooter. His icy gaze left little else for interpretation.

“That won’t be needed,” Dominator laughed as if he wasn’t about to be punched by his counterpart and threatened by a brat shorter than him by almost a head. “I suppose that will give you a chance to test out that new installation I gave you.”

“Yes and if I remembered correctly, you said you don’t make mistakes,” Phantom said with a rare smile.

“Let him go, Add!” Crusader rushed over to shake the brawler off of Dominator, which wasn’t hard to do because the younger man had impressive strength most wouldn't have expected from someone of his stature.

Bringer dropped Dominator and the scientist collapsed, shaking as he cackled while lying on the ground. The other El Search Party was weird, the brawler groaned. They were testing his patience with their weird quirky personalities that were opposite of their alternates while retaining the more annoying characteristics.

“You really piss me off,” Bringer growled.

“Yes, and you’re as boorish as you are impatient.” Dominator chuckled, "What kind of name is Doom Bringer? Is that a title you picked out when you were ten?”

"Shut up, you wouldn't get it." Bringer scowled.

"Then explain."

Taken back by his alternate’s question, Bringer was speechless in how to answer. He wondered why would someone go by the title Dominator and what that entailed for a man who chose to deviate his path from what Bringer had become. There was a lot about Dominator he didn’t understand and wished to run analysis on the other’s Dynamo to compare differences between their programs.

“It’s channeling destructive powers and bringing doom to enemies,” Bringer said.

“If you say so, Doom Doom.” Dominator smirked. “Very cute.”

Bringer twitched, “Don’t call me that!”

“Come on, Doom Doom.” Phantom said, “I see Ciel coming towards us. Dinner must be ready.”

“I’m hungry!” Crusader got up on his feet, “Let’s eat!”

“I’m not Doom Doom!” Bringer’s cries fell on deaf ears.

Dominator allowed Crusader and Phantom to walk ahead towards the main part of the camp, keeping a distance from the two protectors of Hamel. His pale face was further illuminated by the lighting of the moon. It was clear that he had something on his mind because he kept looking back to make sure Bringer was following. Once out of their earshot, he turned to the brawler and ushered him to come forward. For once, the scientist had a serious expression and spoke with a light tone in an attempt to reduce the weight in words.

“Still pursuing that dream?” Dominator sighed, “I knew you were stupid, but I didn’t think you were foolish.”

“Why does it concern you?” Bringer asked, “You have no involvement in this.”

“No, but I’ve done the calculation and numbers don’t lie.” Dominator said, “Going back would simply create new timelines, not restore what once was. I think you already know that.”

Admittedly, Bringer had not stopped to consider the likelihood of creating new timelines out of his planned attempts to return to the past. Dominator saw his hesitance and frowned, visibly judging the brawler.

“Are you trying to stop me?” Bringer glared.

“No, but I think it will be important to find Paradox and hear his thoughts on our predicament. I’m sure he’ll have an opinion about time-traveling and dimension-hopping.” Dominator said, “I highly doubt he achieved his goal if he has the time to scare people and kidnap them.”

“Why haven’t you asked me questions about going back until now?” Bringer asked.

“Because I know it isn’t your highest priority.” Dominator said, “You wouldn’t be staying with those people if you were truly pursuing that goal.”

Bringer suddenly became self-conscious. They barely knew each other and he could feel the scientist’s eyes cross-examining him, likely fighting the urge to ask hundreds of questions regarding his physique and the visible Nasod armor merged into the rest of his body. Even more follow up questions about his relationship with El Search Party if he was to go off of Dominator’s last comment.

“You don’t have to tell me if I’m right or wrong.” Walking past Bringer, Dominator had a genuine smile. “Words are pointless unless you act on them, don’t you think?”

“Whatever,” Bringer shoved his hands into his pockets. “You talk too much.”

Dominator’s laughter filled the air, but it wasn’t an unkind one.

----------------------------

Knight Emperor

Dinner was uneventful, a rare reminder to what their lives were before they were trampled over by all the responsibilities upon uncovering the El in Elrianode. People sat scattered in circles and in smaller groups in noisy chatter, talking over one another as some scrambled for seconds. They shared a moment of relief when Daybreaker and Chevalier offered to make more food for their growing party after Ishtar and Apsara fought for the last portion.

Battle tips and crafting recipes were shared among the thrilling stories tailored by exaggerations and excessive gestures. For the first time since they first entered the Demon Realm, there was optimism in people’s tones. Expressions lightened and there was more laughter with the new additional people.

Dominator held up Blade’s Nasod arm to show to Bringer, who was unconvincingly feigning disinterest by straining back a smile. Unbothered by Dominator’s antics, Blade continued eating with his human arm while he and Rage listened to Empire explain a new battle tactic. Flame was pushing Devi to the side and giggling over something the martial artist said, her face was flushed red. Knight spied a map of Varnimyr laid out between a group with Aether, Crusader, Ultimate, and Phantom drawing lines and making plans about tomorrow. Oz, Anemos, and Esencia were pointing out the constellations in the sky and comparing them to those of Elrios.

Timoria and Abysser spoke enthusiastically about dessert when Knight got up to leave. His mind had already trailed off somewhere in the idle of Richter’s in-depth lecture about the goddess. As much as he liked Richter, the pressure caused by his migraine worsened every time the El was mentioned. Richter abruptly stopped talking and looked mildly insulted when Knight excused himself. Stealing a glance to his counterpart, Bluhen was more concerned and asked if Knight needed to rest. Ignoring the pounding in his head, Knight shook his head and left.

He felt a pair of eyes bore into his back.

It was still night when Knight returned to the stream where he washed the wild boar earlier in preparation for dinner. After days of his absence, it felt natural to return to a routine in search for a sense of normalcy. Water dripped between his fingers when he lowered his head to take a drink. One of the moons already disappeared, reminding him of home.

“It’s like Elrios, don’t you think?” Rune sat beside him.

“Why are you following me?” Knight asked.

In the brief moments he interacted with Rune, the leader of the El Search Party learned they were different people diverged from the same roots. In the face of danger, Rune badgered others and tested his boundaries with a hidden motive. There was a wall barricading between Rune and those he talked to. Knight wondered if Rune was aware of it.

“Was everyone too much for you?” Rune didn’t answer his question. A playful smile teased on his lips, “I can’t imagine you had time to rest since you came back. There’s no end to their questions and there’s always something urgent you need to know.”

“Yeah,” Knight agreed. “That’s how it always was.”

“Hm, do they know how you feel about it?” Rune said, “They’re expecting a lot from you.”

“Everyone is playing their part to work together and find the Dark El,” Knight closed his eyes, “The least I can do is keep them together and make sure no one is left behind.

“A noble commitment,” Rune chuckled. “You really are the perfect leader.”

Thoughts rushed through Knight’s head, each one clambering over one another until his brain turned to mush. He forgot that Rune was there. Losing sense of himself, Knight saw the trees surrounding them, suddenly taller than he remembered. Rune’s words echoed in the enclaves of his mind like a tattered ad plastered all over Velder walls. His mouth went dry, unable to make sense of himself beyond the raw emotions of anger and restlessness.

Perfect was a word too many people used without thought or consideration. What did the word mean if it applied to him? A random village boy who happened to be related to the knight captain of the Velder army. There were others like him who would have killed to be in his position, to be granted the responsibility to guard and protect the El. Is that what perfect meant to Rune? He almost lost his sister to the El and his friends because of his decision in Elrianode. Knight didn’t understand why Rune would envy him.

“I’m not perfect,” Knight gritted his teeth.

“You mean you’re not?” Rune had his hands on his hips, “You found a way into the Demon Realm without putting your friends in danger. You worked together with Dark Elves to secure an exit for them against an enemy that hasn’t even arrived yet. By all accounts, you’ve done everything I failed to do.”

“Failed? Aren’t you from the past?” Knight was in a daze, “You’re at least a few weeks behind us.”

“Yes, but I already failed the first step into getting all of us safety into the Demon Realm.” Rune said with a dry laugh, “This place is becoming unstable because of us. I’m not sure what it will mean for the Demon Realm if we were to keep going and remove the Dark El. They’ve relied on it for years and now we’re taking that away from them.”

Despite having two demons in his team, Knight never considered how removing the Dark El would impact the Demon Realm. It made sense why Nephilim Lord wasn’t quick to trust them and wanted the El Search Party to take care of the chaos that had plagued Varnimyr. He was surprised to hear Rune’s concern about the Demon Realm inhabitants.

Their progress was hardly a success if going by Rune’s definition, Knight thought. They found an entrance to the Demon Realm through a loose rift in time and space by sheer luck. It was a one way trip with no certainty on how to return to Elrianode if they needed to deliver a message to the El Masters and priestesses.

“The Henir cultists might get to the Dark El first even if everything went to plan,” Knight said. “I might hurt my friends again because I’m making them fight something that might be too strong for them.”

Paradox said he wasn’t strong enough. What did the time traveler know yet refused to speak up when Knight asked? His words haunted the red-haired knight in a condescending tone mixed with bemusement by Knight’s confusion.

“You’re not making them do anything,” Rune said. “Oh, Knight. Can’t do wrong, hero of Elrios and those that followed him. At least that’s what I believed at first. Your friends aren’t fighting because you’re forcing them. They’re doing it because they believe in you and won’t stop talking about you.”

“I’m not sure if I deserve it,” Knight leaned forward. “What if I’m making the wrong choice? We already had to fight Ignia once because I thought she was an ally.”

“Isn’t she on your side now with the El Masters and the other priestesses? That counts for something, right?” Rune sighed, “I mean, yeah, it sucks that you got betrayed by her, but it worked out for you.”

“Too many close calls,” Knight shook his head.

“Isn’t that always the case?” Rune chuckled, “If you wanted to be safe, you would have stayed in Ruben. You did what you thought was the best option for everyone. You’re not tricking anyone into doing something they don’t want to do. The way your friends talk about you makes me a little jealous.”

It bothered Knight when he saw that Rune always found a way to bring the conversation back to him. They have spent the entire duration talking about Knight when he knew little of his counterpart. Did Rune know these things because they shared these experiences or because he talked to Knight’s friends? It was hard to find Rune before because the rune user serenaded around the different team members to learn their quirks before hopping over to the next person. His devotion to learn everyone’s titles for nicknames was admirable and tiring to watch even for the amicable Knight.

“Why do you keep doing that?” Knight asked.

“Doing what?” Rune avoided his eyes.

“Talking about yourself like that,” Knight said. “Your friends were worried about you. Richter was looking for you earlier and wouldn’t stop asking me about you. Your sister looks at you like you’re the world to her and Phantom, uh…”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Rune waved his hand at Knight. “You’re not wrong, I get that. It’s just embarrassing when you say it like that.”

“But it’s true!” Knight exclaimed, “And I’ll keep saying it until you stop talking down on yourself!”

“It’s weird talking to you like this,” Rune said. “I thought it was going to be like having a twin, but you’re more different than I thought. Not a bad thing, just weird.”

“I can say the same to you,” Knight said. “What’s with the shirt? Is your Elrios warmer than mine? I saw you use runes earlier. Were you raised to use magic instead?”

Rune lit up to the mention of his runes. Sitting down beside Knight, he rested his hands over the handle of his greatsword. Red lines and marks ran over his arms and lower chest for Knight to see. It was difficult to imagine the effort it took for Rune to gain expertise in rune magic. Knight wasn’t well-versed in the type of training needed to learn magic, but he knew it was a lot of work from the hours Aether spent on mastering new spells.

“Hard to say if my Elrios is warmer since I haven’t been to yours, but it’s not hard to stay warm when you have fire.” Rune had a thoughtful expression, “I started off with a sword, but I switched to magic because it’s my weakness. There’s magic in the Sieghart line, so I had a jumpstart in rune magic.”

“You and Aisha would get along,” Knight commented. “She always complains about how dense I am about magic.”

“Heh, it was our team’s Aisha that helped me out when I first tried runes.” Rune said with bemusement. “I must have burned through five gloves that week before finding out I was channeling magic incorrectly. I still practice the way of the sword, but it’s tough finding balance between the two.”

It was true that their family had access to limited magic, but to think one of them achieved mastery over it. Knight sometimes relied on magic as a diversion to trick enemies in a runaway chase, but he never would have dreamed of relying on it for bigger fights. Witnessing Rune using it out on the battlefield near Shadow Vein against a monster was impressive. Rune made it look effortless the way he swung his blade in one direction to stabilize his weight while hurling fireballs at the enemy.

“Too bad we’ll have to split up after this,” Knight said with sadness. “I think our teams would work well together.”

“You know how to get out of here?” Rune asked.

Knight sighed, “Sorry, I don’t. When you entered the Demon Realm, did you see anything? Like a vision?”

It was dark and filled with beasts of another realm. Knight couldn’t make head or tail of where the beast started and began. In his arms was his sister. Empire collapsed and he was unable to move before Aether snapped him out of his trance. A dream? They were as trapped in the Demon Realm as Rune’s team was until they found another way out.

“What vision?” Rune had a thoughtful expression. “You can see the future and sense the El? Man, why do you get all the cool stuff? I guess we’re different enough that our futures won’t be the same.”

If Rune didn’t see the same vision as him, what could that mean for him? Was it a warning only for Knight and not to Rune or any other Elsword that may exist in the other timelines? Did Rune avoid getting those visions because he didn’t enter the Demon Realm the same method as him? Knight couldn’t get rid of the fearful thoughts pushing from the sides.

“I thought you would have known,” Knight said weakly. “That’s why I’m asking you.”

“Then tell me about this vision, future boy.” Rune grinned. “I’m all ears.”

Knight snorted. His counterpart was so accepting of the strange powers and abilities he had, but he was thankful for Rune’s company. Rune didn’t question why he didn’t talk about his visions to the rest of the El Search Party or why he would be the chosen one with the visions. He wondered if Rune had made the same sacrifice to the El when he reached the same conclusion in a battle against Solace. As he explained what he saw in his vision, he felt a connection from Rune’s level of El resonance.

----------------------------

Richter

Light shimmered over Richter’s cyan locks, tucked behind one ear and the rest falling over his shoulders. It was no use and the priest considered following Rune’s suggestion on using bobby pins to keep his hair out of his eyes. Rune had sound ideas when it didn’t involve fire.

People dispersed into smaller groups after their bellies were filled with enough food and desserts to supply an army. It was a cacophonic chatter by different groups and conversations before they succumbed to sleep one by one. It was not long before the late sleepers like Dominator and Bringer ceased talking and went to sleep.

Unable to sleep, Richter sat up from his sleeping bag and stuck his head out from his tent. The stars were bright tonight. Gathering into celestial light, they called to him in envy for choosing to walk among the humans. They were the same stars Richter saw in Elrios before he and the El Search Party parted Elrianode and left the world they knew behind. The Demon Realm was a mirror to Elrios, flush with life Richter wouldn’t have expected from what was supposed to be the shadow of Elria’s world.

At the end of the day, members of the two El Search Parties have retreated into their tents and warm under their sleeping bags. Time in the Demon Realm was different than that of Elrios - longer nights and shorter daylight, making it confusing for humans to sleep as they always did.

It didn’t take long for Richter to reach the end of their campsite where one of the team members volunteered to keep watch. Daybreaker sat crouched over a rock and tensed her muscles to the sound of Richter’s footsteps. She spun around to the sight of Richter fully dressed in armor and tightened her bow and arrow.

Daybreaker lowered her weapon. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Richter shook a heavy head, nevermind that celestials did not require sleep as organic beings did. Sleep became a habit ingrained in him because of Rune, who always made an effort in finding a safe place for their group to rest for the night. Even Ultimate the Nasod queen used their time of idleness to rest and restore her system. Even if Richter could only close his eyes for a few hours, it gave him time to process the things he had experienced in their travels towards restoring the El.

“The one who heals sleeps a lot,” Richter said. His counterpart was asleep for hours before waking up and finding Richter talking to Aether.

“Ain was the most worried about Elsword,” Daybreaker smiled. The elven woman shared tenderness when she spoke of Bluhen, smiling fondly and closing her eyes. “He deserved it after everything he had done for us.”

“Would it be inconvenient if I joined you?” Richter asked.

“Not at all!” Daybreaker’s eyes lit up, “It’s good to have company when keeping watch.”

Having one person keep watch over the team was typically enough for a party of twelve, but with a team double their size, having two to three members awake in shifts was more efficient in detecting intruders. Blade was patrolling out of their sight at the other end of the campsite. The next shift would have Richter and Rage take over for another two hours before the rest of the teams wake up to start the day.

Richter sat adjacent to Daybreaker. Still in his nightclothes, it was colder when the sun was out of view with the harsh wind tearing through the trees. His skin grew numb and translucent. Richter watched his breath materialize into white frost. The weather didn’t bother him but he had a jacket over his shoulders to shield himself from the worst of the winds.

“Has it been long since you kept surveillance?” Richter asked.

“You still have time before your shift,” Daybreaker said. “Is something bothering you to be up at this hour?

“The Demon Realm is not so different from Elrios,” Richter looked at the stars. A thin line formed upon his lips, pondering on why they were the same as the ones he saw in Elrianode. Was it because the Demon Realm was a byproduct of Elria’s creation of Elrios and the El?

“You’re right,” Daybreaker agreed. “The elders from my home used to speak about this place as a sanctuary for the elves who chose to live in a place of darkness. The inhabitants of the Demon Realm rely on the Dark El as much as we do with the El back home.”

“Including demons,” Richter mumbled.

“Richter,” she had a sympathetic expression. “Is this your first time in the Demon Realm?”

Daybreaker took his silence as an answer and had a sad smile.

Did no one tell Daybreaker? Richter’s core shook at the mention of demons when someone proposed entering the Demon Realm in search for the Dark El. Entering demon territory was an unthinkable thought for the priest. It went against everything he believed in and worse, it forced him to stray from the El’s influence. However, this wasn’t about what he wanted and what he believed in. The El was unstable and needed intervention. It was his duty to restore it with the help of Rune and his friends.

It was uncomfortable being under Daybreaker’s long-held gaze. Was she waiting for him to say something? Anemos would have filled the silence and let him listen unless he had something to comment on.

“It was hard for me to believe there was life in this place before coming here,” Daybreaker admitted. “It must be a lot for you to take in.”

“I was more concerned about finding Elsword than anything concerning demons,” Richter said.

“I’m sorry for the trouble we have caused,” Daybreaker looked guilty. “We were so caught up in finding our Elsword that we had them mixed up. We misunderstood your intentions and started a fight.”

He contemplated telling Daybreaker his feelings were spared because it was he who had started the fight but Richter had a feeling that wasn’t the answer she wanted. Telling the elven woman he would have taken Knight if given the chance didn’t seem to be the right answer either. The priest instead offered a solemn nod to show understanding and a serious expression.

It was enough to satisfy Daybreaker, who lowered her lips to form a question. Richter recognized the hesitance in her reaching out for him, silently debating on whether to comfort the blue-haired man with the kind of care reserved for close friends. He raised his hand to stop her and quickly shook his head.

“You are making assumptions about me,” Richter said. “I’m not upset. All that matters is that Elsword is back.”

“Sorry,” she apologized again. “It’s hard not to see you as the Ain we know. You share names, but you act like different people.”

“Are you not satisfied with that answer?” Richter asked.

“No, it just means I should get to know you better.” She said, “I noticed you didn’t eat a lot for dinner. Was the food different than what you’re used to?”

“I ate a little,” Richter said. “I don’t need to eat as much as you do.”

He ate out of politeness because Rune said many people worked to make dinner a success. Celestials didn’t need to eat to sustain himself. His unfulfilled mission was what kept him from fading away and guarding the people he had learned to call his friends. From Daybreaker’s confusion, it was clear that Bluhen never had to explain that to the elf.

Not only did Bluhen look human, but had acted human. He slept when he exhausted his energy and offered to heal past his limits. Bluhen said he ate “for fun”, happily telling Richter about the Soft Sweet Potato Cake Chevalier made for him before interrupted by Knight overhearing their conversation. He was asking for seconds when Richter could barely stomach half of his portion that was generously offered to him by Chevalier. Was his appetite part of pretending to be human or was it due to being a healer? Healing magic required the user to be in tune with the El and relied on mana more than any other type of magic.

Unused to putting things in his mouth, it was foreign to Richter to feel something warm running down his throat. He took small bites until Rune saw his discomfort and said he didn’t have to finish. Rune had enough of an appetite to eat for the two of them and others needed food more than Richter did. He wasn’t going to force himself to do something that wasn’t natural for himself.

“I see,” Daybreaker mused. “What do you like to eat?”

She was asking about his favorite food? Richter paused to think. Usually it was up to someone in the El Search Party to choose what was readily available to eat for the day. This became common after they left Lanox in search of the El Lady. He thought about the last thing they had eaten before they left Elrios. They were simple to prepare because the ingredients were grown at their guild house, but tame and didn’t overwhelm his palate.

“Snow Pasta and Harmony Pudding,” Richter said. Both had light airy textures and inoffensive tastes.

“We should make some before you and your friends leave,” Daybreaker suggested. “Maybe after the meeting first thing in the morning? We still need to figure out where Paradox went and how to get you guys home.”

“Do you think it’s appropriate to return to Elrianode despite having no findings on the Dark El?” Richter asked.

“We don’t know where it is either,” she admitted. “We still have business to take care. The aura over this part of the Demon Realm has been causing problems for its inhabitants and Nephilim Lord wants us to address it.”

Richter found it difficult to understand why Daybreaker and the others would make the effort to win the trust of a demon beast. He didn’t know their reasoning beyond Nephilim Lord apparently withholding information regarding the Dark El. Daybreaker must have sensed his skepticism and held back a smile.

“The Dark Elves see Nephilim Lord as a higher being,” Daybreaker explained. “It oversees this part of the Demon Realm, including the whereabouts of the Dark El.”

If that was the case, then perhaps it would be in their self-interest to seek the Nephilim Lord in their timeline to extract information about the Dark El. This was important information he had to share with Rune.

“Thank you,” Richter lowered his head into a short bow to the archer with gratitude. “Why are you telling me all of this?”

“You and your friends would have done the same if my friends were the ones in your situation,” Daybreaker said. “At least that’s what I would like to believe. It’s the least I can do after the confusion between our friends.”

A high pitch sound rang in the air. Richter stood up and turned his head towards the sound, jolting his head back and searching for the source of the aura. The ringing grew worse the longer he looked at the forest ahead. Daybreaker asked him what was wrong. Her voice became distant.

“I sense Henir,” Richter whispered. He drew out his projectile weapons. Blue ribbon twisted around his pendulum and sparks flew from the end of his weapons.

A glass shard-like substance flew across his vision, blinding him with bright light in purple and magenta. A small shadow darted over his head, landing in a crouched position and keeping their head lowered. Long white hair ran past their ankles and the four tail-like appendages coming from the back of their jacket. Six weapons circled around them and glowed with their owner’s eyes.

“I won’t let you escape this time!” Daybreaker ran her finger over her bow. A barrage of arrows rained down from the elven woman as she pushed her weight down for a high jump kick.

Mad Paradox backflipped from the arrows to escape through a portal. Reappearing from the other side, the time traveler ignored Daybreaker and darted away from an invisible force unseen by Richter and Daybreaker. A dark blade materialized and swung towards Paradox. The symbol of an eye formed and a dark figure appeared, holding a scythe to reveal that parts of their arms were missing.

For lack of better words, much of the man’s body was unraveled. The unknown black material covering his exterior couldn’t hide his skin and where it stopped existing. Royal blue etched with bright blue veins popped out from beneath his skin. An eye opened up from his chest resembling the Henir monsters Richter had fought in Elrianode.

“Mr. Ancient, Elsword has been looking for you.” The man whispered, “Return home.”

“Mr. Ancient?” Daybreaker repeated and looked at Richter then back to the stranger, “Is that you?”

Hot anger flashed beneath Richter’s skin. Herrscher’s left eye was covered by a patch, most likely hiding the flawed eye infected by Henir’s influences. Richter unconsciously covered his own left eye. The prickly pain wouldn’t leave in the presence of his other self.

“Home?” Despite having a scythe below his neck, Paradox sneered. “What would you know about having one?”

“Those are Elsword's words, not mine.”

“That’s right, because you’ll obey everything he tells you to do,” Paradox glared. “You’re nothing but a shadow following everywhere he goes. Go away, jellyfish.”

“It is urgent that you return to Elsword,” Herrscher ignored the insult. “There are important matters we need to discuss.”

Some parts of Herrscher had bits of his skin peeled away to show the void peering from his existence. He was devoid of the El and lost his physical form because he had denied the Goddess. No longer holding faith in their Goddess, Herrscher had thrown his mission away and everything that kept his body from fading away. Herrscher had strayed from the righteous path.

A series of spears rose above Richter’s shoulders, shining and pointing down at Herrscher. Darkness surrounded the master of the void and disappeared into the abyss. Richter’s spears crashed and shattered into the ground, sending rumbles rolling through the earth.

Paradox shuddered and shifted into the form of a younger child. A pair of cat ears sat perched on his hoodie and the time traveler leaped away as soon as he saw his chance of escape. Daybreaker was faster this time and chased after Paradox to pin the child against a tree with a dozen arrows shot at her disposal.

Herrscher materialized behind Richter and swung his scythe, forming black holes and suctioning Richter inward from the pressure. Richter clawed on his fours and dug his spears into the ground to stop himself from succumbing into the void. His mind spun at the chaos created by his alternate as he fought for a place to free his mind of the confusion.

“Richter, what are you doing?” Daybreaker shouted.

“He serves Henir,” Richter hovered a spear over Herrscher’s chest.

Before he could continue, his spear was deflected by a sword, sending his spear flying towards Daybreaker’s direction. Daybreaker dodged the sword with an acrobatic flip and landed with her body lowered. When Richter drew another spear to direct to Herrscher, his attempt was hindered once again. He looked up to see blades raining down on him, throwing himself away from Herrscher and clawing away from the attack. Richter picked up one of the swords to examine. A red sword engraved with gold and black lining. He sensed the Dark El tainting the blade. Who did this belong to?

“You mind going easy on them?” A new voice caught Richter’s attention. He could hear the smile in the stranger’s voice. “I’d really appreciate it if you could stop trying to kill my friends. It would really suck if you did.”

A blood vein burst from the side of Paradox’s head and twitched at the mention of “friends”. Crossing his arms in a tight knot, he pouted and stuck out his tongue when Daybreaker offered to free him from her arrows.

The voice was male and belonged to a young man. Wielding a sword in each hand, the young man had a short and stocky frame covered by heavy black scaled armor. Black hair streaked red hair mirroring that of his eyes with a yellow hue. He reeked of the Dark El amplified by his El Resonance similar to Knight and Rune.

“Are you Elsword?” Richter gawked at the red-head. There was a third one?

“The one and only!” Immortal grinned. “Or that’s what I would have said before I met our Add.” Immortal gestured to Paradox. He directed his smile to Richter, “You must be Ain. Welcome to the madness!”

“There’s a third path,” Richter realized.

“So it seems,” Daybreaker sighed. “How many of you are here?”

“Five if you include Add,” Immortal said.

“I heard noises, is everyone okay?” Blade ran up to Richter and nodded to Daybreaker. The former mercenary barely broke a sweat in jogging from the opposite side of camp. Richter and Daybreaker both shook their heads. Blade’s eyes fell over to Immortal and Herrscher lying on the floor next to Paradox, “Who are they?”

“Did we wake up your friends?” Immortal laughed. “Guess we should explain ourselves.”

“We better go wake up and alert the others,” Daybreaker placed one hand over Richter’s shoulder. “I think it’s important to let them know that we found Paradox.”

Richter nodded. He didn’t trust his voice not to give away his expression of loss on learning about the existence of Immortal’s control over the Dark El. Sensing his discomfort, Daybreaker dropped her hand and had an earnest expression. They were not friends for the same amount of time as they were with their respective teammates, but she understood his experience of being overwhelmed by the influx of new people. She extended a hand and offered Richter a comforting smile.

“Do you want to help me?” She asked. “It’ll be faster if you joined me. You know your friends better than I do. Blade, you don’t mind keeping an eye on those three, do you?”

“Not at all,” Blade said.

Richter was grateful for having an excuse to leave. He didn’t feel sorry for leaving Blade behind talking to the three strangers that looked so much like their friends, one of them being another version of Richter. It looked like the emergency morning meeting Daybreaker mentioned would occur earlier than intended. Sleep and breakfast would have to wait for the organic beings.

#Elsword #Eltag #doppelganger #my fanfiction #my writing #Elsword fanfiction #mywriting #Elboy (Elsword)#Rena (Elsword)#Aisha (Elsword)#Raven (Elsword)#Eve (Elsword)#Chung (Elsword)#Ara (Elsword)#Elesis (Elsword)#Add (Elsword)#Lu (Elsword)#Ciel (Elsword)#Ain (Elsword)

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theladyofdeath · 7 years ago

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The Prince and the Princess {2}

A Throne of Glass fanfiction.

Word count: 1,547

Summary: This is a prequel to my previous fanfiction, Kings and Queens (which can be found here).

Sixteen year old Aelin Galathynius has to move. Again. Since her parents died, Aelin has been placed in multiple households and has hated them all. Now, she is moving to Rifthold to live with Arobynn Hamel. Although he’s a shitty parent, Aelin quickly finds that not everything about Rifthold is so bad. Because it’s in Rifthold that she meets Rowan Whitethorn.

Author’s note: Hey, guys. I’m sorry this is so short, but the introduction period is my downfall. Anyway, I hope you still enjoy, because I have big plans for the rest of this bitch! As always, I would love to know what you think! <3

Rowan ~

I didn’t mind Rifthold.

The city itself could be questionable. There were some areas where nobody in their right mind would wander, where nobody in their right mind should wander.

Where Aelin had me meeting her, though, was close to my neighborhood, so I decided to walk. My feet had swiftly taken me from my parent’s home to the pier, where the water and the sand met, and a mile-long carnival was bringing the boardwalk to life.

My stomach was in knots, and I wasn’t sure why. Aelin was beautiful, but she wasn’t the type of girl I usually took out. Not that I had taken many girls out. In fact, I hadn’t taken any girl out since Lyria. Shit, I had barely taken girls out before Lyria.

Lyria.

In some ways, although Aelin and I weren’t romantically involved, I felt like I was betraying her.

Like I was disrespecting her.

But mom said I should try to meet new people, should try to make new friends. Considering Aelin was the only other person at orientation the same time I was, I thought I would at least make mom happy.

Even if I personally felt like I was going to vomit, or fall headfirst over the railing into the ocean below.

At one point, I debated on walking on away, on running back home, on sitting in front of the television watching Lacrosse for the next five hours….but when I turned, I saw her striding toward me.

Her hair was up this time, the long, golden locks placed neatly in a pony-tail. She wore a fitting black tank top, shorts that didn’t leave much to the imagination, and clunky combat boots.

An interesting combination.

She grinned as she approached. “Hey.”

I blinked, and cleared my throat. “Hey.”

She glanced down at my jeans, and the jacket I wore. “Aren’t you hot?”

I was, but I shook my head in a confident lie. “Should we….walk?”

Aelin sighed. “I suppose. I hear there’s a lot to do here.”

“You’ve never been? Isn’t this an annual thing?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I’m not from here. I moved here a few weeks ago.”

She sounded bitter as she spoke, but it wasn’t my business to know. Besides, what could she have possibly endured? She held her chin high, her confidence was radiant, and she looked like a walking Barbie doll.

She probably left her homecoming crown to move here.

I knew her type.

“Must be hard,” I said, shoving my hands into my jeans. “Moving to a new town and not knowing anyone.” You seem like someone who needs social interaction.

She shrugged. “Aren’t you new here, too?”

I nodded, trying to ignore the fact that she was glancing at me through her side eye. “From Doranelle. But I’m used to it. My parents have always had to move for work. We don’t stay in one place for too long. We stayed in Doranelle the longest, but we were only there for three years.”

And I wanted to leave, this time. Staying would have been too much, too painful.

“Hmmm,” she mumbled. “Looks like we have something in common, already.”

I caught myself from looking at her. “What’s that?”

“I’ve moved around a lot, too.”

I couldn’t tell if she was expecting me to ask why, but I didn’t. I felt like we were getting too personal. Too raw.

So, naturally, I took a step back. “So. What do you do for fun, then?”

She was taken aback, as if the question shocked her. “I….don’t really know. I read. I like to play the piano, when I can find one to play.”

That’s not what I was expecting. I was expecting something more along the lines of, I like to dance, and go to parties, and paint my nails.

The first thing I had noticed after she’d said that, after my superficial thought, was how she was also keeping her distance. There could have been multiple people walking in between us. I suddenly felt like I was on an awkward middle school date.

And maybe, in a way, I was.

“How about you?”

I blinked. Nobody had asked me a question about myself in a long, long while. “I like sports.”

Other than that, I had nothing. Not without revealing too much.

She nodded, and we fell into an uncomfortable silence.

It was a mistake, meeting her. I felt it as we walked down the boardwalk, as we entered an aisle of booths where kids and adults alike were knocking pins down with baseballs and trying to toss rings on the top of glass bottles. I wasn’t ready for socializing. I wasn’t ready for making new friends. I wasn’t sure I would ever be ready.

And yet, there I was.

Making a fool of myself.

Wishing I was anywhere else but there.

Wishing I was alone.

“You’re shy, aren’t you?” She said it out of nowhere, and it didn’t sound like a question, but a statement.

“What?” I asked. “No. Why do you say that?”

“Well,” she sighed. “You’ve barely said anything, to start with. And I’ve yet to make you smile, or woo you, with my charm.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “And that makes me shy?”

She shrugged. “Sure as hell doesn’t make you social.”

I shrugged, and suddenly felt like there was a lot of shrugging going on between the two of us. “You seem a little too social.”

It came out wrong. It came out awful, and my shoulders tensed up as I awaited her reply.

“I am,” she said, at last, a sly grin having formed against her lips.

The awkward silence returned.

And that’s about how the afternoon went. We barely made any conversation, and when we did, it was more of an uncomfortable banter than actual communicating.

She was somewhat crude. Exceptionally conceited. Some of the things that came out of her mouth could have made a nun swear.

And yet, she was almost charming.

I, however, knew I was a sullen moron, but that was nothing new. I was used to the discomfort. I was used to the uncomfortable feelings that dwelled deep beneath my soul. I was used to dulling the pain by not feeling anything at all.

After Lyria died just over one year earlier, I locked myself away for what felt like years. Decades. Time passed slowly, and all I wanted it to do was speed up so that I no longer felt the way I did without her. I knew it was coming, her death, and yet, it didn’t make it any easier.

Despite the fact that she was dying when I met her, I allowed myself to fall for her. To connect.

I wasn’t sure that hole would ever be filled.

Gods, I missed her.

I was stupid for meeting up with a stranger, for trying to make friends when I wasn’t fully healed.

But, although the afternoon was a bust, there was something about her….

When I approached her at orientation, there something about her, something different, something beautiful.

It was the first time since Lyria died that I almost enjoyed conversation with another person. Not that I had put a lot of effort into it – social interactions.

But maybe all that was why I told her, as we stood by the edge of the pier, looking at out the ocean, “I’m not good at this.”

Considering I had barely said anything to her all afternoon, her look of surprise didn’t shock me. “At what?”

“Being around…..other people.” I recalled our earlier conversation when she called me shy, and felt ridiculous. “Look, I know this bombed. I know you had a horrible time. I should just let you go –“

“Excuse me,” she cut me off. “I am here on my own free will, for one. And I don’t mind it.” The cunning sparkle in her eye faded as she glanced at me. “The quiet company.”

It was then that I truly got a good look at her eyes – turquoise, with a ring of gold.

Unsure of why, this surprised me. I expected her to need excitement, to need adventure, to need something that I obviously couldn’t offer her, even as a friend.

I expected her to need fun, which I was man enough to admit I was not.

Panicked, she suddenly dug into her pocket and pulled out an old, flip phone. After flipping open the screen, her face grew pale.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, concerned, for some crazy reason.

“Oh, yeah,” she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “For sure. I just…..I have to go. I need to be home.”

She was already backing away before I could respond, then, she halted. “Hey. Same time tomorrow? There’s someplace I want to show you.”

I froze, and I stared at her, dumbfounded. “Seriously? After that horrid afternoon you want to see me again?”

“I told you!” she called after me, as she dissolved into the sea of people. “I don’t mind the quiet company!”

I didn’t realize I had even responded until my voice rang out, “Okay.”

Then, she was gone.

Disappeared into the crowd.

Aelin Galathynius.

And that was just the first day.

Trust me.

It only got better from there.

Chapter 3 coming soon. :)

@throne-of-ashes-and-beauty @iwouldtrusthagridwithmylife @theantisocialbookworm310 @theheiraelin @highlady-of-slytherin @eleniherondale @keladrym99thefangirl @fireflyangelxx @littlegayferret

#tog #throne of glass #empire of storms #rowaelin #rowan #aelin #fanfic #fanfiction #my writing #tacmc

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monasatlantis · 4 years ago

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Final Review of Trails of Cold Steel 4 (Don’t search for the review of act 3, there is non!)

So yesterday I finished Trails of Cold Steel 4 and that means it is time for my final review for the game that finished the Cold Steel - Saga and brought a happy ending for this wretched fairytale XD

Spoiler for all Trails - Games including Hajimari!

Lets start with saying that all in all I absolutely agree with those people who said that CS4 has some of the best scenes in the whole series, but all in all is just so-so otherwise.

As you’ve read in my previous reviews, I had a lot of trouble with the pacing of this game this time. It was too slow, then too fast, then suddenly slow again, then suddenly fast again and... you get it. Act 3 was over so fast that I couldn’t believe it was actually over already, while I almost died of boredom in act 1. And its not just the pacing that it was the problem, but also the way the plot was delivered. I mean, from the end of CS3 to the final day of CS4 its been only two months and we barely played one month of those two months and it felt extremely rushed in a weird way. Saving Rean, finding missing Friends, rushing into the the first rivalries and all that in an in-game-week or so. It felt longer and it should have been longer. Even with the Courageous 2 at our disposal it seems impossible to walk though half of Erebonia for all those hidden-missions and so on in one day, enjoy some quality-time with your army of Friends and lovely Ladys in between and then rush to the next Shrine (which is a huge dungeon with hard bossfights by the way...), that you have to free from some sort of barrier first and all that in one freaking day. And while your enemies are so exhausted from the fights that they collapse. we go on, rush though the dungeon, fight monsters, win against the next boss and all we need is this healing-station-thingy and a few spells. Damn are we good!

Fun fact: There was some extremely unnecessary padding in this game, despite the fact that the plot was delivered in such a rush-rush way. Or was it really necessary to run through 5 overlong highways to talk to 3 different people, who all tell you thinks you already knew, just to find a place full of scarlet pleroma grass wish you are supposed to stake but only AFTER someone fights you and THEN makes you fight against a diving knight? While I was searching for a plot, those 3 people that are left of Zephyr were asking the guy who was wanted by the Empire to randomly join them. Huh? Lets not talk about all the necessary stuff you had to do to finally get into the Einhel Keep, when you were freeing Leeves. Or our little adventure though 5 of those Salt Pale towers, with overpowered teams and unnecessary fighting as leveling these guys up didn’t really bring you much for the rest of the game...

Boy was act 3 hard for being over so fast. Actually, I was playing on very easy and still found the game really hard. I mean, around every corner was either someone from Ouroboros, and Aion or a Diving Knight waiting for you. At some point in the game all 3 of those were waiting for you. How do those brave soldiers playing on Nightmare survive this game? And why isn’t Reans damn S-Craft killing everyone in one blow anymore? I was counting on that! XD

I am not going to talk about how they pushed New Class7 on us every given chance anymore. I am just saying that I was really disappointed because I thought they managed the whole “new class7″ and “old class7″ and “Rean belonging to both” thing so well in CS3 and I think they really fucked that up in CS4. I can not believe that they actually dared to say that new class7 is stronger then old class7, given how much more experience old class7 had. Or the way they constantly wanted to portray that new Class7 knew Rean better, even after barely half a year with him as their homeroom teacher... If they think that CS1 and CS2 and old Class7 sucked, then they shouldn’t have made those games!

I say it again I think the Bonding-Event-System sucked! What if I simply want to be friends with those girls for gods sake? I get that Rean is an hopeless oblivious player that deserves a few more trademark glares from Alisa and all... but do I really have to kiss myself though the girls, when I only want to be friends with them? In the end, I basically avoided almost all of them once more and that is really something Falcom has to work on of they want to keep the bonding-system. Personally, I do not dislike the bonding-systems. Relationships make more sense this way, but I want it to be MY choice if I want to allow Laura to kiss Rean or not. And if I have to skip all her events to avoid that, then this is not the right way to do that. Point.

I think Falcom could not handle the extreme mass of characters they thew at us. Which makes you wonder why they added Duvalie, after getting rid of Millium for the time being. Not to mention Crow or being allowed to use Tita and Randy and Sharon and sometimes even Celine. Once again, I hope they learn from that and don’t give a game that many playable characters again. I think the Crossbell-Saga handled that a lot better, even tho their cast wasn’t that small either - but they weren’t all playable, if you get what I mean. Plus... seeing how half the playable cast of Liberl and Crossbell came to our aid in CS4... how will they managed to pull that of with Reans team? Especially given that his new class7 has graduated by the time the Calvard-Arc starts.

Achem... enough with the bad. Lets say some good stuff about the game. I will stay away from “good music” as this is a given for me in Trails-Games. Tho I have to say CS3, was not just the best game so far in the saga, it also had the most amazing soundtrack. Still, the other Trails games weren’t bad with their soundtracks either, so I think it is worth mentioning that CS4 did really well with that too.

As I said at the start of this review. Some of the most amazing-scenes of the series were in this game. I mean yes, we have those memorable moments like when Joshua and Estelle finally were back together in Sky2 and so on. But in terms of amazing-ness CS4 takes the cake and eats it. Aside from the walking and talking part I think the whole part of act 2, were you are on the Pantagruel is just so amazing. I loved how the teams were reunited, how Rean finally was able to talk with Lloyd and how the teams were so harmonic with each other - just give me another round of Fie asking Estelle how far she already went with Joshua XD Or Elie and Alisa feeling the pain because they both fell in love with oblivious players XD Joshua being able to talk to Ash about Hamel. Having an all Girls and All Boys All-Star-Team to fight against Ouroboros. The return of Prince Olivert. Osborne stopping Cedric. B fighting on our side... it was amazing! The best scene in all Trails-Games so far in my eyes. But there were also a lot of other amazing scenes in this game. Not to mention the amazing Epilogue. First time the end of a Trails-Game made me feel whole.

I could write you an essay about how sick I am ob the “Sibling-Zoning” this game constantly pulls at me. Guys, Millium and Jusis are not the second favorite ship in japan (right after Crow and Rean and before Alisa and Rean) for having Siblings-Feelings for each other! The man-eating-tiger collapsing on top of princey-boy after she gave everything she had for him... because she sees him as a little brother? Yeah... right. Oh and by the way, riding a ferris wheel and watching the stars is not something you would do with your “little sister” if this was possible the last day of your life. This is something you would do with your girlfriend on the last possible day of your life. Which was wonderfully portrayed by Rean. There were a few scenes were the translation was changed to something that was less controversial and I do not like it!

I have cried like a Baby multiple times at the end of CS3 but I can not remember EVER playing a game that made me cry every damn chapter of it. CS4 was amazing when it comes to playing with may emotions one way or another. I cried of happiness, sadness and because I was proud or relieved multiple times throughout this game. It often were just a few tears, some of them stayed stuck in my eyes, but they were there regardless and I loved it. Even tho this game has a lot of flaws it still brought out the best of my emotions regarding all the characters we learned to love over the years. And the feeling of happyness for Rean and everyone else finally getting a happy ending was greater then I ever felt before in a game.

And for this alone, I still love this game.

#CS4 Mona Version #CS4Spoiler

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blazingsnark · 8 years ago

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Blooming Emotion

Pairings: Rune Slayer x Erbluhen Emotion Rating: G Wordcount: 1867 Notes/Summary: As Ain gets used to his new emotions, he can’t help but worry whether Ishmael approves of this new path. Written with help from my friend Lune!

At times, Ain wondered how he’d ever gotten by without emotions.

They painted the world around him, coloring his interactions with vivid clarity instead of the dull confusion at human actions that he’d had before. He understood so much better now, could laugh at jokes, could understand human grief and rage.

He smiled at the thought. He’d never really expected to understand humans as he did now. But they were lovely; compassion, grace, energy, all bundled into wonderfully complex beings with free will and each with their own different paths.

Ain looked up at the expanse of the night sky, searching among the stars. Only a few months ago, the sky had made him feel longing, wanting to go back to Ishmael and be praised for a job well done. Now…

Ain’s smile faded.

What did he want, now?

He was an angel of Ishmael. That simple truth was why she had called him into being; the simple mission of restoring the El was why he was here. When he had restored the El, he would disappear.

Did he… not want to disappear?

The dark sky reminded him of the endless chaos, made him feel small under its vast expanse. He hastily looked down, glancing over the edge of the bluff he stood atop, looking down at the small camp the El Search Party had pitched.

He barely noticed Elsword wasn’t there until he felt a touch on his shoulder.

“Ain?” the small boy asked, and Ain turned around to face him. A rune glowed in Elsword’s hand, casting steady light in a circle around them both.

“Ain? Is something wrong? You didn’t come back to camp.”

“I-” Ain started, then sighed. Perhaps it would help these conflicting emotions in his breast if he told Elsword about them. He’d seen it happen before - seen Elsword himself vent to Raven, seen Rena and Elesis take out their emotions in talking together, seen Aisha yell at Elsword before breaking down with frustrated anger.

“I think I’ve betrayed Ishmael,” he said lowly, and the very words sounded a sin.

Elsword didn’t flinch, but the rune in his hand flickered. “You haven’t sold us out to the demons, have you?”

“No!” Ain stepped back, shook his head, registered the hurt that Elsword could think him base enough to do that. “No. I-” he searched for words that Elsword would understand, words that wouldn’t reveal the extent of his divinity- “I think I’ve strayed from… my oath as her priest.”

“Oh.”

Silence.

Ain turned away, waiting for the condemnation.

All that came was a… rather odd sound.

Ain looked back. “Are you laughing?”

Elsword grinned and nodded. “Ishmael’s supposed to be forgiving, right? You’re not doing anything bad, so you should be fine!”

He didn’t, apparently, understand. Or perhaps that was true of priests, but certainly not of angels. Ain sighed.

“We are supposed to be fixated on her will. Nothing else. I’ve let myself become distracted.” Distracted with emotions, distracted with attachment, distracted with Elsword himself. Ain could no longer think of himself not at Elsword’s side; he didn’t want to know what Ishmael would think of that.

“That’s like saying you can’t replace sugar with salt,” Elsword said dismissively.

Apparently, Elsword had never attempted cooking. “You can’t.”

“Oh.”

Silence again. Ain sank down on the edge of the bluff, forgoing his normal runic perch for contact with the ground, running his fingers through the long grass before he groaned and buried his face in his hands.

“I’m a terrible angel,” he muttered to himself, forgetting for a moment that Elsword was there. He actually jumped when Elsword’s hand landed on his shoulder.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” the boy said, and sat next to Ain. Ain’s heart pounded - had Elsword heard his words? No, if he knew Ain’s real origin, he wouldn’t be so calm.

“You can’t always stick to tradition, you know. Every person has their own style in dealing with things.”

He hadn’t heard Ain’s words, then. He remained silent. That seemed to encourage Elsword.

“I mean, sometimes it’s good to not follow tradition. Like me! I trained with swords throughout my entire life, but then I decided to be a wizard. And I did it! I didn’t know what Elsa would think, but I still did it, and it worked out!”

Ain rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, well, you’re Elsword,” he said. Perhaps Elsword wouldn’t understand what he meant, but there was no way to explain it without telling Elsword that free will was drastically different for humans than it was for angels, which would lead to Elsword finding out what Ain was….

Perhaps this hadn’t been the best idea, he thought, as Elsword shrugged.

“Yeah, I’m Elsword. And you’re Ain. I did my own thing. You should do your own thing too, instead of relying on your goddess.”

But Ishmael was all he had. Ishmael had called him into being for one reason.

“Maybe that’s what she wants too, y’know,” Elsword added. “Finding yourself.”

Finding himself…?

It was an exhilarating thought, one Ain wanted to believe and soar upon. But at the same time, he doubted it.

The power of the El stirred in the breath of wind around them both, playing with Ain’s hair. He looked up at it, tasting the emotion carried therein, feeling Elsword’s concern.

If he could feel Ishmael’s power even when deviating from the path she had laid out for him, then one she wanted him to take, did that mean she was trying to bring him back to her? Or that she approved of his actions?

A sigh passed between his lips, slipping into the currents of the breeze and being carried away.

“I was-” not created, he reminded himself, Elsword couldn’t know what Ain was- “born for Ishmael’s devices, Elsword. My will is Ishmael’s desire, my existence is her will. Nothing in my mandate says anything about ‘doing my own thing,’ as tempting as it is.”

There. He’d admitted he was tempted. Another layer of sin swirling in the chaos he’d absorbed. But from Elsword’s tiny noise, he’d just made the boy more confused.

“Well…. What does she want you to do?”

That was an easy question. “Restore the El,” Ain said promptly, repeating the words ingrained deep into his being. “Restore the El, and-”

And not get too involved with the people in Elrios. The second part of his mandate, the part he’d willfully forgotten.

His heart ached at the thought of disappearing without a trace, of this bright-eyed Rune Slayer not remembering him. Was this truly what Ishmael wanted for him….? Being forgotten by all he cared about?

What was this new emotion? It tightened Ain’s throat and clogged his chest, bringing a prickle to his eyes. Ain brought his hand up to touch his cheeks, and his fingers came away wet with clear liquid.

Tears….?

He didn’t know he could cry.

“Ain?” Elsword asked, concern and confusion painting the El energy with vivid colors. A small hand reached for Ain’s knee, gently resting on it. The El energy whispered around Ain.

Elsword was confused. Ain, who he saw as always cheerful and snarky, was now casually tearing up. Was he really so concerned on what his goddess thought of him?

He was not just confused, it seemed. The El hummed of the shock that tightened Elsword’s muscles. Understanding shock - Ain remembered his story of being afraid he’d disappoint his sister - but shock all the same, that Ain was susceptible to this, too.

“Ain, it’s okay,” Elsword said, and his voice brought Ain out of the half-meditative state he’d entered to sense the El. His lean arms went around Ain’s waist, warm body leaning into Ain’s side.

“I’m sure you’ll restore the El even if you change,” he reassured.

“Of course I will.” That was never a doubt; he would carry out his mission no matter what it cost him. After a moment, he put his hand over Elsword’s own, trying to give some small measure of comfort even though it sent more pain through his heart.

Elsword wouldn’t remember this. He never did; not even that time in Hamel, when Elsword's lips had shaped Ain's name, called him into being as Ishmael had.

“I have you beside me,” Ain stated calmly, tears now streaming freely down his cheeks. He really wasn’t sure what to do with them, so he let them just fall as he attempted to smile down at Elsword.

Elsword’s concern cut Ain’s facade like his sword cut mushrooms. The smile cracked and faltered.

“....I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Elsword asked.

Innocence, curiosity, concern. Traitorous words trembled on the tip of Ain’s tongue. “I’ve been lying to you.”

His lips parted, shaping the first syllables, even envisioning how Elsword would react. But guilt came crushing down before he could say a word - he betrayed Ishmael’s orders by straying from divinity, and now he dared think of defiling that order by telling Elsword was he was?

With a tremendous effort, he forced the secret down, painful like all the darkness of chaos swam once more around and within him. He drew his knees up, tears coming so fast now that Ain could barely see or breathe.

This was the dark side of emotions. Wonderful and vivid they might be, but at times like this, a horrible pain. He knew what he had to do - why was this making it so difficult?

He shook his head with the force of effort.

“Nothing.” There was a strange hitch to his voice; Ain had to search for the proper term. A ‘voice crack’, wasn’t it? How shameful, a divine angel like him being affected by emotions to that extent.

Elsword was silent for a long moment. Ain half expected to be pressed for information, and he knew that if Elsword tried, he would break. Only fragile glass held the chaos within him now.

“If you say so,” Elsword finally murmured. He unwrapped his arms from around Ain’s waist, and Ain suddenly missed the warmth, felt the ghost of Elsword’s arms still holding him.

“If you ever want to tell me, I’m always here to talk about it,” Elsword continued, and reached up. Ain felt warm fingers stroking his gray hair. “We’ve got plenty of time, with bonding and missions and stuff.”

Ain said nothing. Elsword tried to take his hand away, but acting on impulse, Ain caught his wrist, staring down at the calloused hand. Tears fell into Elsword’s cupped palm.

“Ain…?”

The tears of an angel who wanted to embrace humanity, Ain thought, and closed his eyes.

How sickening.

Without another word, he ended intervention. The astral dimension was cold and emotionless, but it was private, giving Ain time to sort through his confusion and find new resolve.

Elsword found himself alone on a bluff, with no recollection of why he came here, his only clue being a palm full of strangely glowing tears - tears fallen from divinity in divinity’s own fall.

#ain x elsword #ain #elsword #elsword fic #laughs I love this pairing I just wasn't sure how to write it until now #and it's time to wipe tentaincle off my updates bar I think #lololol #have some fresh hot angst

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flower-filled-dreams · 8 years ago

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Birthday Securities

how does one title lol

happy late birthday my son!!

been a while since i typed up something with raven tbh

Lets hope I still can!~

Pairing: RF X MM (its kinda there)

WC:1754

________________________

Reckless prowled the camp that evening, it being his turn to watch over the other El Gang members that night. He didn’t mind much, if anything, he enjoyed it. They currently were in Hamel, the dark blue sky filled with stars, a waterfall not too far off from them that it was still able to be heard.

He sighed softly, breathing in the Hamel air.

He often took times like these, times of silence, to consider a few things. Think of another few things. He thought of how he joined the El Gang, how Elsword was getting noticeably stronger, how Chung’s father used to protect this land...small things like that.

The night truly was calm that evening, with a gentle breeze ruffling the leaves.

Almost like the land had never been invaded by demons at all.

He sighed softly, clenching and unclenching his fist, looking around. It was peaceful. And for the first time in a very, very long time, Raven felt (somewhat) at ease.

And then he heard a snap of a twig.

He shot out of his peaceful trance, getting ready for a battle.

Mastermind sighed, walking out of the bush, dynamos following him as he walked. Reckless blinked a few times, processing the fact it was a comrade, relaxing a bit again.

“Masi! Where did you go? I thought you went to bed…?” “I did. But, I couldn’t sleep as usual, so I went to go test out some upgrades I did on my drones,” “Oh. Well, are you going to bed now…?” “Actually, I...didn’t plan on it. I was going to work on my drones.”

Reckless nodded, knowing how much Mastermind cared about making his drones perfect. It didn’t make sense to him, but, if Mastermind knew what he was doing (which he certainly did), it was fine…

Right?

“Oh, Masi?” “Hmm?” “If you’re gonna work on your drones anyways, wanna stay with me?” “...Why do you ask?” “Well, I...I guess I wanted to ask you a few things.”

Mastermind cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged and nodded regardless, sitting on a rock beside Reckless (Who was honestly surprised Mastermind complied) and opening a holo screen.

“What is it?” “Oh! Well, I was curious as to why you joined the El G-” “Stupid question. I won’t answer that,” “Hey! You said you’d-”

Masi got up, glaring at Reckless. Reckless sighed, irritated at how the scientist was acting, but said a quick “sorry” and patted the rock.

Masi sat back down, sighing, looking irritated to be there. However, Reckless knew that Masi usually looked pissed, so he didn’t take it as a bad thing. He always was standoffish and pissed, especially when he was tired, which he obviously was if the dark circles under his eyes were any implication.

Reckless only really wanted to know why Mastermind joined the El Gang, but Masi was already there and waiting for Reckless to keep talking. So, in a quick decision on whether it seemed safe or not, Reckless whispered, looking at the sky.

“When’s your birthday?”

Reckless heard Masi shift, moving from the rock to sit on his dynamos, eyes a little bit softer than their usual cunning, sharp edge. “Why do you need to know?” “N-No reason! I was just curious is all. My birthday is...uhm...wh...oh! My birthday is May eighth!” “...My birthday was yesterday, since it’s currently 12:48 am….”

Reckless was somewhat surprised that Masi actually told him. It’s not like he thought Masi would say he wouldn’t answer that or anything, just a little surprised he ev-

Wait what?

It was yesterday?

And no one knew?

“Oh...it...was?” “Yeah.” “Oh, uhm...how come you didn’t say anything?” “I don’t really celebrate my birthday. It’s just a day I was born, technically. A lot of people have the same birthday. So what makes me special out of it, am I right?”

Reckless picked up on the tiny twinge of what sounded like sadness in Masi’s voice, surprised Masi even sounded sad. Mastermind was pretty good at hiding his emotions, usually keeping a straight face no matter what. His facade was probably dropping because of how tired he was, though. Not that Reckless minded knowing Masi’s real emotions.

“...What makes you special is because it’s you. It’s your birthday. Sure, other people could have the same date birthday as you, but they aren’t you. Now are they?” “No logical way could they be m-” “What I’m saying is what makes it special for you is because it’s the day you were given life. The day you were born is very important.”

Reckless wasn’t very good at being nice, but he was trying his best. He had a few guesses why Masi didn’t celebrate his birthday, but he kept them to himself, not wanting to hurt Masi’s feelings and feel his wrath. He...never heard Masi actually open up about anything to do with his feelings. Technically, since Masi considered his birthday nothing special, that counted as opening up in Reckless’ books.

“...I don’t see what you’re talking about. I mean, no one knew yesterday, and I don’t plan on them knowing. You better not tell th-” “Masi. I know you hate talking about what happened, I know you hate opening up to people, but I...I’m asking you to tell me why you think it’s nothing special. I’m asking you to tell me why you think something like that is nothing big.”

Reckless averted his eyes, hearing Masi get up, ready to feel his wrath. But...nothing came. Not even a punch. Nothing at all. With a confused noise, he looked at Masi, who was shaking slightly, sitting beside Raven now.

Now this was certainly new. The sleep was definitely affecting Masi, or else he wouldn’t be like this.

Not that Reckless minded...he was one of Masi’s comrades. He should be able to let Masi trust him enough to say anything about his feelings (for some reason, the thought that Masi trusted him enough to say something about how he really felt, it made Reckless...really happy, honestly.)

“...W-Well...I...haven’t celebrated it since...s-she died. Because...it was only worth celebrating with her. At first, the first year she was gone, I tried to. But...i-it wasn’t the same. Besides, not like I could do much in that library...b-but, it’s nothing special for many reasons. One of them being because so many people have the same birthday, I’m just one of them...aren’t I?”

Reckless knew at the moment, he shouldn’t speak, or risk Masi leaving and shutting his feelings away again.

He didn’t want Masi to hide that side of himself.

“And...well, I’ve...never had anyone care about it, really...like, everyone cares about Elboy’s birthday...and we have a party for him with cake, because he likes that kind of stuff, because...he’s more likable than me. I bet if anyone else in the gang knew, they’d just at the most say happy birthday. I’m...not a very nice person. So I don’t believe I deserve the kindness of having someone care about my birthday.”

“Everyone deserves that kindness for their birthday. You aren’t some sort of exception, Masi. Doesn’t matter if you’re a nice person or not, you deserve that on your birthday, at the very least…”

“Hey, who said you c-could talk?” “Sorry, sorry. Just wanted to point that out. I’ll stay quiet, if..you want to keep talking…”

Masi sighed, looking away, gently leaning into Reckless’ side and shivering slightly from the wind. Reckless was caught off guard for a mere moment, but he wrapped his human arm around Masi’s shoulders, sighing softly.

“...So….I...just don’t tell people about it...b-because...they wouldn’t care...because I’m not very liked...and I don’t want to set expectations about my birthday, like getting presents and a cake…so, instead, I just keep going through the day as it was a normal day.”

“...Masi...if I knew it was your birthday yesterday, I would have grabbed you a present and cake in when I was in town…” “I wouldn’t be able to accept it...I-I...I don’t know what I’d do...cry, reject it, get mad, surprised...I don’t know…what I would do with that sort of kindness.”

Reckless sighed softly, tilting Masi’s chin up, forcing the white haired male to look him in the eyes. It was dark, but Reckless could see the blush adorning Masi’s cheeks faintly, eyes glassy.

Reckless gasped, eyes widening.

Mastermind, the powerful mad scientist, reduced to tears? Unheard of.

With a quick thought, and being caught in the moment, Reckless kissed Mastermind. He didn’t know why. He didn’t know what made him think he should. However, he...he was. He knew he would get slapped for sure, but...nothing came, yet again, to his surprise. In fact, Mastermind kissed back, shutting his eyes.

Reckless pulled away a few moments later, cheeks red, looking away.

“I-I..s-sorry, I didn’t kno-” “D-Do it again.” “W-What…?” “...I-I...i-if that’s your present, I-I...I think I like it…”

Reckless chuckled softly, the white haired male glaring at him. “Don’t laugh at me! I’m-” “I’m not laughing at you. I just find it cute...you never open up to everyone, but right now...you’re all snuggly like a kitten, it’s adorable…” “S-Shut up!”

Reckless noticed Mastermind’s blush get deeper, and he obliged to what he said, pulling Masi in for another kiss. Mastermind gladly complied, kissing him back, face red as he shut his eyes. Reckless could swear he felt Masi’s heartbeat, even through the layers of clothes. It was fast, erratic, and it made a Reckless smile into the kiss.

About 30 seconds later, Masi pulled away first, gasping for air with his tongue peeking out. Reckless slid his own tongue back into his mouth, humming softly and rubbing Masi’s back.

“Happy birthday, Masi~”

“T-Thank you…”

“Although, we should kiss more oft-”

“S-Shut up, t-that’s embarrasing!”

Raven chuckled softly, holding Masi close, the white haired male pressing his face into Reckless’ side. After a few minutes of silence, Reckless heard the smaller male mumble, only to see he was asleep now. A smile spread on Reckless’ face, heart warm for once, and a feeling of happiness waved over him.

“Sweet dreams, Masi...I lo...no...too soon for me to say that, huh?.”

With that and a sigh, Raven kissed Masi’s head, making a silent promise to never let the scientist have another birthday alone ever again.

#Addtext.docx #Happy late birthday Add!!!#my bean son #hes only getting older #old son #i should write some lusa at some point #maybe do a birthday fic for all the adds

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chapulana · 7 years ago

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What if Postseason Winners Got to Draft Postseason Losers?

The MLB playoffs had not changed its format for the past 13 years. This season, however, we will see a “minor” change taking place during the World Series. The home field advantage will belong to the team with the best regular season record, thus ending the already established tradition of it pertaining to the conference that won the All-Star game in July. As this is not a mind-blowing change, I’m here to propose something much more interesting that will probably never happen, but still.

What if after each round of the postseason, from the wildcard games to the conference championships, the players of each losing team entered a pool from which the winning teams could draft some of them for the next round of the playoffs?

First of all, we must recognize that we hate when a player gets injured and misses playing time. Was it in our hands, we’ll put our favorite players on the field for the 162 games, make them bat first, get as much plate appearances as possible and see their numbers grow during the summer and into the autumn with pleasure. Even more, how frustrating is when one of our favorite players or just one of the best players of the game (hello, Mike Trout!) is stuck in a franchise that never ever makes it to the postseason or that every time it does seems to not being able to advance past the first round?

On top of this, there is the seeding and the way we watch underdogs trying to beat the odds and outplay the best teams of the regular season on a yearly basis, which in all honesty is nothing crazy given how much of a lottery the game becomes once we reach October. Wouldn’t it be great to do something to even the field a little and make the “bad” teams get –more– on pair with the “good” teams during the playoffs?

Enter the Losers-Turned-Into-Winners Draft! Let’s explain the basics and then run some historical simulations based on them.

The idea behind this system is pretty simple. As things are nowadays, the best team from each division of the American and National Leagues automatically makes the playoffs, followed by two wildcard teams that can come from any of the divisions and are determined by their record during the regular season. We can, therefore, assume that the two wildcard teams from each league, which have a round of the postseason exclusively dedicated to them, are the two worst teams from each side of the bracket. Once a winner is named, that team advances to the Divisional Series and faces the best-seeded divisional champion. Seeds number two and three also go against each other, and after that, the Championship Series of each league comes to fruition to determine who will face who in the World Series. What I propose is to take advantage of the seeds assigned to each team at the start of the postseason, and play a two-round draft after each round of the playoffs is finalized, with the pecking order going from worst-to-best remaining seeds. Each team would be able to pick two players, no restrictions applied to their position (so they can pick two batters, two pitchers, or a combination of both), and players from all losing teams would be available at the draft for any team, no matter the League they play for. Once a draft is completed, the players left unselected are removed from the pool, so players not selected during the draft held after the Wild Card round are no longer available for the draft held after the Divisional Series, and so on.

This system will solve some of the problems fans need to deal with during each season and most of all will make playoffs as exciting and competitive as they get. Every star player will get far more chances to win the World Series (who is going to pass on Kershaw if the Dodgers fall at any point?) during his career, players wouldn’t mind re-signing long-term deals with the franchises they’ve always played for as they would “only” need to reach the postseason in order to have a shot at the title from multiple angles and not only depending on the success of their team, low seeded teams (supposedly worst than the rest of the field) would have influxes of talent as long as they progress as they would pick first on those drafts, and fans will have even more events to get excited about during an already exciting time as the postseason is. Don’t fool yourself, this is a win-win masterplan!

Let’s take a look at how the 2016 MLB Postseason could have changed had this draft-system being in place. To not make this too confusing, we will leave the results of each round as they were without taking into account the players taking by each team after each round’s draft. We would comment on how those picks could have affected the outcome of the playoffs, though.

The Wild Card round made Toronto face Baltimore for a place in the AL Divisional Series against Texas. In the National League, San Francisco had to play against New York to keep alive. After those two games were played, the Blue Jays and the Giants made it to the second round. What would have this meant in our loser-draft system? Given the regular season results, San Francisco (.537 W-L%) would have picked first and Toronto (.549 W-L%) second in a draft with a pool made out of the rosters of both the Mets and Orioles. Without much thinking applied to player valuations, these would have been the best-WAR players available per Baseball-Reference.com:

Manny Machado, 3B (BAL): 6.7 WAR

Noah Syndergaard, P (NYM): 5.3 WAR

Zach Britton, P (BAL): 4.3 WAR

Kevin Gausman, P (BAL): 4.2 WAR

Chris Tillman, P (BAL): 4.1 WAR

Jacob deGrom, P (NYM): 3.8 WAR

Bartolo Colon, P (NYM): 3.4 WAR

Chris Davis, 1B (BAL): 3.0 WAR

Yoenis Céspedes, LF (NYM): 2.9 WAR

Asdrúbal Cabrera, SS (NYM): 2.7 WAR

With a rotation already featuring Cueto, Bumgarner, and Samardzija among others, San Francisco could have added Manny Machado to replace Conor Gillespie (1.1 WAR). Toronto may have followed that selection with that of Syndergaard (back up north!) in order to improve their rotation for the Divisional Series and the last two picks could have gone either way with top-notch players on the board (San Francisco could have gone Yoenis’ way to move from Angel Pagan and Toronto with Chris Davis to replace Justin Smoak at first). If that is not an improvement you tell me what is it.

Moving onto the Divisional Round, the Dodgers, Cubs, Indians and Blue Jays defeated the Nationals, Giants, Red Sox and Rangers respectively. In this case, both Machado and Céspedes would become available again and enter the draft pool for the remaining four teams. This again goes in favor of star players, as they would keep moving onto later rounds if they’re still good enough as to keep being selected round after round, and we all want to watch the best players competing at the highest stakes. These are the second round best available players, again per Baseball-Reference.com WAR (keep in mind all players from New York and Baltimore, barring those selected by San Francisco –now eliminated from contention– are no longer available):

Mookie Betts, RF (BOS): 9.5 WAR

Manny Machado, 3B (BAL/SFG): 6.7 WAR

Adrian Beltre, 3B (TEX): 6.5 WAR

Max Scherzer, P (WSN): 6.2 WAR

Dustin Pedroia, 2B (BOS): 5.7 WAR

Johnny Cueto, P (SFG): 5.6 WAR

Tanner Roark, P (WSN): 5.5 WAR

Jackie Bradley, CF (BOS): 5.3 WAR

Rick Porcello, P (BOS): 5.1 WAR

David Ortiz, 1B/DH (BOS): 5.1 WAR

Madison Bumgarner, P (SFG): 5 WAR

Cole Hamels, P (TEX): 5 WAR

Buster Posey, C (SFG): 4.6 WAR

Daniel Murphy, 2B (WSN): 4.6 WAR

Brandon Crawford, SS (SFG): 4.5 WAR

By this point, and looking at the regular season results, the seeding for the draft would make teams pick in the following order: Toronto (.549 W-L%), Los Angeles (.562), Cleveland (.584) and Chicago (.640). Judging by the wild card draft picks already made by the Blue Jays and the rest of their roster, we may infer their first pick would be Mookie Betts to replace Michael Saunders at left field. Los Angeles would probably look to improve their offense with their first pick, which could have been Dustin Pedroia in order to remove Utley from the lineup. Cleveland, given their not-so-great pitching staff, would have selected Scherzer in a hurry and Chicago may have closed the first round of selections with that of Buster Posey to get aging David Ross off behind the plate.

With pretty much every roster spot already stacked for every team, the second round would become some sort of a best-available-pick affair. I’m betting on Toronto getting Manny Machado and finding a spot for him taking advantage of the designated hitter slot in the lineup. The Dodgers could improve their pitching rotation with the addition of Johnny Cueto. Cleveland’s outfield would welcome the addition of Jackie Bradley more than anything. And finally, the Cubs would close this round by going the pitching route and picking Madison Bumgarner.

Without taking those additions into account and respecting what happened in real-world MLB, after the Divisional Round finished the two teams making the World Series for the 2016 season were the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians, which means every player from Toronto’s and Los Angeles’ rosters (including those being picked in the first two drafts) become available in the final postseason draft event. Let’s take a look at the best players on the board by their regular season WAR:

Mookie Betts, RF (BOS/TOR): 9.5 WAR

Josh Donaldson, 3B (TOR): 7.5 WAR

Manny Machado, 3B (BAL/SFG/TOR): 6.7 WAR

Corey Seager, 3B (LAD): 6.1 WAR

Dustin Pedroia, 2B (BOS/LAD): 5.7 WAR

Johnny Cueto, P (SFG/LAD): 5.6 WAR

Clayton Kershaw, P (LAD): 5.6 WAR

Noah Syndergaard, P (NYM/TOR): 5.3 WAR

Justin Turner, 3B (LAD): 5.1 WAR

Aaron Sanchez, P (TOR): 4.9 WAR

J.A. Happ, P (TOR): 4.5 WAR

Edwin Encarnación, 1B/DH (TOR): 3.7 WAR

Marco Estrada, P (TOR): 3.5 WAR

Joc Pederson, CF (LAD): 3.4 WAR

Kevin Pillar, CF (TOR): 3.4 WAR

As can be seen, five of the best fifteen players available come from teams already out of contention, with Manny Machado being the only one having made it through the first two postseason drafts by going from Baltimore to San Francisco to Toronto, which proves his value among his peers. The Blue Jays, both from their original roster and their picks, provide nine of the fifteen players while the Dodgers only add four original men and two acquired through the draft.

In terms of what Chicago and Cleveland could do in order to create the best possible roster with the World Series in mind, multiple approaches could be taken by them. Both teams made the finals without playing in the World Series so they only have two draftees each between their players –not that they need much more–. As Cleveland finished the season with the worst record, the Indians would pick first and they’d probably take Clayton Kershaw because you just simply don’t pass on the best pitcher of his era. Chicago’s pitching is already stacked so they would probably look at the outfield and bring Mookie Betts in. Jose Ramirez had a great season for Cleveland in 2016, and it would be hard for the Indians to leave Donaldson on the board although they may look at the outfield options and pick someone like Pillar or Pederson to get Lonnie Chisenhall out of the lineup. Let’s go Joc Pederson here. Finally, Chicago would close the draft by taking Johnny Cueto as they don’t even have holes to fill in their offense at this point.

And with this third and final couple of draft rounds the postseason would end in a World Series win for the Cubs over the Indians in a series that would feature two incredibly great teams that through the course of the playoffs would have added the names of Betts, Scherzer, Cueto, Kershaw, Bradley, Bumgarner, Posey and Pederson to their rosters. Are you telling me those eight players wouldn’t make the final meetings of the season much more exciting that they could ever be? While I haven’t applied much thought to each selection and I’ve based them mostly on each player’s WAR or flagrant team needs, the process could turn into a really tough war between teams at the time of picking players not only for their benefit but also to block other franchises from taking them and improving spots where they may lack a player of certain quality, be it in their hitting lineup or in their pitching rotation.

This winners-draft-losers type of draft will probably (definitely) never happen. There would be much trouble implementing it and a lot of collateral implications that make it impossible to be a real thing. But hey, at least we can dream of a parallel world where Mike Trout could reach the World Series each and every seas– oh, yes, I forgot he plays for the Angels…

#Writing #Baseball #MLB #Holyfield

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topmediumreadersclub · 8 years ago

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Psychic in Hamel IL 62046

The following article goes into detail about psychic in Hamel Illinois 62046 After conducting psychic readings, numerology readings and tarot card readings for over 20 years now, I have gained a definite perspective not only as an advisor but as a client. As a client, I have been able to see exactly how psychics who are not real work their magic. After getting a psychic reading from dozens of so-called psychic advisors, you may find yourself intoxicated by the things that the psychic tells you. If it sounds too good to be true, most likely it is. You have to understand the origins and purpose of psychic networks. Their job is to make lots of money, not to help you. Granted, there are real psychics who are gifted and working on psychic network lines, but I have found that most of the people working as psychic advisors period, are not real at all. I'm sure you have heard by now that many fake psychics use scripts and certain formats in conducting their psychic readings, but for the most part, it's really simple what they tell you that gets you hooked. For example, if after getting a psychic reading, you find yourself feeling intoxicated almost, then they have done their job superbly. To be told that the one you love, loves you and that you will marry them and be together for the rest of your life is intoxicating. They give you hope that keeps you calling and calling until after you see that you have been lied to, you begin to face reality and the truth sinks in, you now realize that what they said was not true when they said it nor will it ever turn out to be true. You will find yourself hurt and disillusioned beyond the ordinary disillusionment experienced from your own life's complications. You may even find yourself broke or in debt. It's unconscionable that people could prey on others' vulnerabilities and pain in this way. But that is exactly what they do. And in the end, there is only more pain. And the inevitable distrust of psychics. It's this "fake" paradigm, which has its roots in the first elemental phone psychic networks, that dominates the public's perception and legitimate scrutiny is reasonable. But real psychics around the globe are out there and you should make it your business to find a foolproof way of determining who is real and who is not until such time as this paradigm is changed to ensure that your advisor is authentic by virtue of their credentials as it is for any professional practitioner.

Now you may frequent sites where the advisor is given feedback after your call. This is a good thing but, it is not foolproof. I have seen fake psychics who will have almost perfectly glowing feedback that goes on and on for pages. Perfect! You may wonder why this occurs. Simple. After you hear exactly what you want to hear or want to believe verified, well, this is where that intoxication comes in, you tend to reflect your glorious feelings with equally glowing feedback! But when things don't happen the way were told, you never come back. So, others following in your footsteps will call this advisor because "they too want to believe." Another thing to watch out for is fake feedback. This is also a tactic used by fakes to fool you. On sites where feedback is left, an authentic psychic advisor has to have a very high level of integrity in order to be comfortable telling the truth despite the fact of what the client wants to hear. If the psychic does not tell them what they want to hear in a reading, the client may leave very bad comments and a bad rating. It's the price you pay for being real. In my experience when I tell a client something they didn't want to hear, for the most part, they don't leave any comments. The fact is, they will most likely go find another psychic who will reflect their own feelings about the situation. A reading can be truthful and uplifting without bringing the client down but you have to ready to hear the truth. So how do you know who is real and who is not based on feedback! That is not to say that an authentic psychic is not going to have great feedback. They do, but sometimes they will be the ones to receive bad ratings and feedback mixed in with the good. Life is all about taking the good with the bad. Honestly, it's very hard to tell. The proof is really in the reading and outcomes and developing a relationship with a few trusted advisors who have been able to connect with you and your energy and have proven that their insights and predictions have been accurate for you. But, just remember, if it sounds unbelievably good, it probably is not really true and the psychic is not real and only setting up a line to take your money and setting you up for emotional failure. So be careful of perfect feedback. It's really not always an accurate gauge of the psychic advisors true abilities; except of course their ability to fleece you out of your dollars. Of course, really consistently bad feedback is a good indication that the advisor is probably just very bad and should think about going into another line of work.

Another point, you need to understand that even if you are speaking with a gifted, authentic psychic, you and that particular psychic may not connect that well. That is different from the psychic being fake. There a many reasons why a particular psychic may not connect with you. They may not be rested and ready to take calls, or you may not be relaxed and ready to receive truthful information or in some other way blocking the flow of what is being channeled thereby skewing the information on either side. Psychic readings are not an exact science. Intuition is relied upon to conduct an accurate psychic reading for a client. The reading goes much better when both the psychic advisor and client are relaxed and ready to receive. I personally find it difficult to connect with a client who wants to hear a certain thing. I have experienced many times my client trying to guide the reading. So see your authentic psychic advisor as someone who wants to help you and be ready to assist in the flow of information. To spot a fake psychic is not impossible, but if there was a way to quantify the statistic of fakes out there, I would be willing to bet that most (due in large part to large networks hiring script readers) are not real. Unfortunate, but through observation and experience, I feel this to be true. One of the Oldest Tricks in the Book. First Warning Sign That You Have Got a Fake! One of the oldest tricks in the book and something which continues to surprise me because people are continually taken in is when a psychic tells you someone has put a curse on you or there is a negative block on you which only they can remove for some exorbitant price, HANG UP! Say goodbye, because this person could not care less about you or your problems. Psychic parlors are notorious for this kind of activity. It is not for real, the curse nor the psychic. I have always believed that having a good doctor, a good mechanic and a good psychic are all professionals that are worth taking the time to assess their skill, experience and credentials to see if they are the one for you. There is nothing more satisfying than actually making a positive difference in someone's life and their continued use of your service over many years. A walking, talking testimonial is very gratifying for this psychic advisor.

See More Here: Psychic in Hamel IL 62046

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highqueenofelfhame · 5 years ago

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All I Ask Of You - 14

I can't escape the way, I love you I don't want to, but I love you I love you - Billie Eilish

For the first time in her life, Aelin gave absolutely no fucks about anything. She laid on her couch and drank and drank until she was ranked, then took her pain medicine to further dull the pain. The pain in her shoulder, the pain in her head, the constricting pain of her heart.

It was hard to not doing anything at all. She had always been a busy body, always training, always trying to get better at every skill under her belt and learn new ones. The military had been her life since she was eighteen. So many years of her life dedicated to her country, and just as she had gotten the job she truly deserved as part of the Cadre, that had been taken away from her, too.

Sam. Her parents. Her job. Rowan.

It was hard to wrap her head around it. Most days she had wished so desperately that she had been killed by Hamel or one of his lackeys. It would have hurt far, far less than this.

Someone began pounding on her door, and she didn’t bother moving.

“Aelin!” Fenrys. Her eyes shifted to the door, and she waited a moment before yelling that he could come in. When he entered, he stopped dead in his tracks. He hadn’t been over yet — Aelin insisted to everyone that she was fine, everything was fine. And then she would drown herself in alcohol.

That he was shocked by her appearance would be an understatement judging by the look on his face. She knew how she looked. Her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, half of it falling out and loose golden strands covered her face. The sweatpants she wore were huge on her — she hated that they were Rowan’s and that they were her favorites — and the t-shirt she wore was baggy and probably had stains. Not to mention the puffiness and dark circles under her eyes. Then there was the fact that she was clutching a bottle of whiskey to her chest.

“Aelin. What are you...are you okay?” With one finger, she spun the lid of the whiskey off, watching as it bounced onto the floor and rolled over to his feet. Her eyes stayed fixed on the screen as she took a long drink. It took her a moment, but she finally shifted her eyes to him when he sat down on the edge of the coffee table, reaching out to brush her hair back.

It wasn’t like her. Falling apart like this, being a mess, getting drunk day in and day out to numb any of the pain. She had never been this kind of girl, not even when her parents had died because she hadn’t wanted to disappoint them. But with Rowan...the pain was so intense and terrible that it made the pain in her shoulder feel numb. The alcohol was all that worked to ease her mind, despite how dizzy she was on a daily basis.

“I’m fine,” she said, but her words were slurred. Aelin’s eyes fluttered shut as she tried to get more comfortable on the couch, wincing when pain shot through her shoulder, down her back, and across her shoulder blades. She gave up and slumped back down. “Just swell.”

“Ace...”

“Like what was it? Y’know?” She slung her hand out to the side, whiskey sloshing out of the bottle onto the floor. Aelin didn’t flinch. Fenrys, however, sighed and made his way to the kitchen only to return with towels. He kneeled on the floor and cleaned up the mess, then sat back on his heels and smoothed his hand over her hair. “Like what did I do? How do you tell someone you love them and leave them?” A pause. “ I hate him.”

“I know, love.”

“I hate him.” This time when she spoke, her voice cracked and tears began to openly flow down her face.

~*~

Fenrys had made her take a bath, actually standing in the bathroom with her and helping her where her shoulder was concerned. He’d helped her clean the surgical wounds, helped her wash her hair. They were close enough that she didn’t care if he saw her naked, she was just thankful for the help.

The next morning, she looked a little better. Her hair was clean but still in a ponytail, she still wore a pair of Rowan’s sweats and a T-shirt from her college. But overall she looked better. She was debating calling Fen to ask him to bring her food when someone knocked on the door.

“Oh thank the gods,” she muttered under her breath, unlocking the door. “I was just about to call y—“ The way her nostrils flared was entirely involuntary. Rowan stood in the doorway, holding a bag of food and a drink in his hands.

“I figured you hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. I’m sure your shoulder makes it hard.” His voice was quiet, his accent lilting and beautiful, curling over some sounds and crashing over others. Aelin’s jaw set and she stared at the bag in his hands.

“What is it.” Not a question, but a demand.

“Chocolate croissant, chocolate hazelnut croissant, a cinnamon roll. Chocolate milk. I didn’t know what you’d be hungry for but they used to be your favorites so.” Rowan kept standing awkwardly in the doorway until she sighed, her eyes fluttering shut and she stepped aside to let him in. He sat down on the couch and placed her food on the coffee table, and when she sat down she pulled the chocolate hazelnut croissant out of the bag, curled up in the corner of the couch, and quietly munched while she stared blankly at the TV.

Rowan shifted where he sat, one arm resting on the back of the couch, the other on the armrest. Aelin could feel him looking at her but she refused to look at him. Refused to look at his stupid eyes and his stupid face and his stupid tattoo and listen to his stupid voice with that stupid accent. Her eyes stayed focused on the TV that was playing Golden Girls reruns, the volume so low she could barely hear. There was still a bottle of whiskey on the coffee table next to her pain medication. She could feel him looking at that, too.

It was suffocating, sitting in this room with him. Sitting on the couch they had spent too many nights curled up watching movies, making love on, reading with her head in his lap or his in hers. Painful that she couldn’t find any words to say to him, that he couldn’t seem to find any for her. Aelin didn’t even understand why he was here. He didn’t want to be with her. So why come over at all?

She kept nibbling on the croissant, hating that it was so good. That it was from her favorite bakery in downtown Orynth, that downtown was so far away from his apartment that she knew he had gone way out of the way to pick it up for her. She had just opened her mouth to ask him why he was there when he finally spoke, his fingers drumming on the back of the couch.

“I wanted to come see you before we left.” It was that same, soft tone. The way that people talk to small animals so that they don’t spook and run away. The way a venus flytrap likely lures in it’s prey only to snap them in half.

Aelin paused her chewing for a moment before she swallowed slowly. She licked her lips and leaned forward, setting the croissant on the table and sat back up, adjusting the strap on her sling. It was a ridiculous contraption, one that bound her arm to her body so that it had no chance of moving. She hated it.

“You...wanted to see me...before you left.” She found herself at a loss and she finally turned to face him. “Do you remember the time that I risked my career and my life, which -- by the way -- I had no intention of walking out of that house. You were going to get out. And then I fucked up my shoulder so bad that I had to have another insanely painful surgery that will leave a huge scar on my shoulder. I did all of that for you. Oh,” she started laughing, a dry sort of laugh that had no amusement or joy. “Do you remember that time that I woke up in the hospital and you told me you loved me and then said you didn’t want to be with me? Because I remember. You wanted to see me before you left? Gods, Rowan. Fuck off.”

His jaw was clenched and he stared down at his hands that were in his lap as he looked up at her, saying her name so softly that she almost missed it. She hated how beautiful it always sounded coming off his lips.

“It’s cruel. For you to come here? It’s fucking cruel,” she was crying by then, frustrated and shaking her head. When he got up and approached her she shoved him with her good arm. “Thank you for the pastries. Now please get out of my apartment because I can’t breathe with you standing so close to me.”

And then she disappeared into her bedroom, the door slamming behind her.

~*~

It had been six months since the rest of the Cadre had shipped out, and Aelin was finally on a plane to join them. It had taken a lot of physical therapy, but she had most of her mobility back. When she had tried to train to work on her hand to hand combat, there hadn’t been too much she’d been unable to do, and what she wasn’t able to do with her right arm, she could compensate with her left. It had taken a month for her to get cleared and she had cried when she got the okay to join the guys in Wendlyn.

Dressed in the more casual of her military uniforms, she received multiple head bows and thanks from people as she walked past with her backpack over her shoulders. It was always nice to feel recognized for her service, but she didn’t do it for attention. She did it because she loved Terrasen, and she would go wherever they needed her to.

When she walked out into baggage claim, she stood on her toes to look for Fenrys. When she finally spotted him -- he was also in his uniform -- she took off running and launched herself into his arms. He was her best friend, and she hadn’t seen him in entirely too long. Six months was a long time to go without seeing the only person that kept your head screwed on right.

“Gods, I missed you so much,” she said into his neck. His arms squeezed her sides as he dropped her back onto her feet.

“Show me the arm, show me the arm,” he tugged on her hand like a child, and her eyes rolled. Still, she showed him the full range of movement by making fake punches.

“I can still kick your ass,” she pointed out, nudging him with her elbow as they left the airport. Fenrys laughed out loud, throwing his arm around her shoulders as she breathed in the warm air. The base they were at was in Doranelle, the buildings built of stone and surrounded by multiple rivers. It was stunning, and as they walked into the barracks she sighed with content. It was so, so much better than the shanty town in the wastes. Not as good as her apartment in Rifthold or her home in Terrasen, but still better than sleeping in a shack.

She tossed her bag onto one of the bunks and changed into civilian clothes, making jokes and catching up with Fenrys while they walked across one of the large bridges. The water below was crystal clear, fish swimming up current and near the shore, children splashed and played.

Terrasen had an alliance with Wendlyn, and the Cadre was there to help train new special force teams in all aspects. It was gruelling training, extremely exhausting. Aelin remembered her least favorite tests being drown-proofing and of course, like everyone always agreed, Hell Week.

Drown-proofing was brutal because they bound you at the hands at feet and then you were pushed into a pool. They made you tread water, swim, do flips, retrieve objects, all while entirely tied up. For Aelin, it had been one of the hardest training exercises because she was the only woman amongst, literally, a sea of men. They gave her hell, they hit on her, were completely and utterly gross to her, It wasn’t until Rowan, Chief Petty Officer at the time, quite literally kicked their asses by making them spar with him in a ring. When he finished with the last guy, he told them that if he caught them treating Aelin any different because she was a woman again, he wouldn’t hesitate to make their lives even more of a Hell than they already were.

They left her alone after that. Especially once she got in the ring and was able to kick all their asses with the exception of Rowan.

The second worst part had been Hell Week, which was as bad as it sounds. Everyone was constantly moving, constantly training, and you were allotted four hours of sleep. For the entire week. You spend the week doing everything else you’d done through training, miles long open ocean swims, drown-proofing, obstacle courses, mile long runs. You ran on little food, barely enough water, and so little sleep that by the end you were so exhausted it took all your energy to not fall over. Aelin didn’t envy the poor bastards that were going through that training now.

The sun had just begun to set when they walked into a bar, Connall and Vaughan immediately running to wrap her in an embrace. She was lucky to have these guys, she decided. It didn’t hurt that they were all easy on the eyes. So many women would want her position, but only if that position was on top of one of the men in the Cadre.

Lorcan even held out a fist for her to bump, a slight smile to his mouth. It almost made Aelin suspicious seeing as how they had always been at odds with each other. He’d never been her biggest fan, but as her commander she knew he was glad that she’d made a successful recovery.

“Do you want a drink?” She asked Fen, leaning close enough that her mouth almost brushed his ear because of how loud it was. The bar was absolutely packed. Fenrys shook his head, holding up the beer in his hand and then Aelin was working her way through the crowd. She accidentally bumped into a pretty brunette and apologized profusely. The girl had offered her a smile and said it was okay before disappearing through the throngs of people.

After she got her drink, she squeezed back to their table with her straw between her teeth when she saw him standing beside Lorcan, saying something in his ear while that same pretty brunette from earlier stood next to him with her fingers on his elbow.

All of the blood drained out of her body. The glass in her hand fell from her fingers and crashed into pieces on the floor, but she didn’t care. She pressed her hands against her stomach, forcing herself to take deep breaths. Rowan. With another woman. Standing less than twenty feet away from her.

Aelin couldn’t speak, she couldn’t think, she couldn’t breathe. Her blood was pooling in her feet because it surely wasn’t coursing through her veins anymore and her mind was lost and her breaths were short and ragged and shallow.

Six months. It had been six months and she was still pining over him like an idiot while he was doing whatever with other women. She couldn’t even think about what he’d been doing - the imagery of Rowan tangled in someone else’s body made her feel physically sick.

Aelin forced herself to walk toward the table and when Rowan saw her the color drained from his face. Interesting. It seemed that he didn’t know she would be coming today. Much like she didn’t know he was with someone else. Funny how life works out.

“I um,” she pointed vaguely behind her, shaking her head and then wrapping her arms around her stomach. “I dropped my glass back there, can one of you...I don’t know, tell someone?” Her eyes shifted to Rowan’s for less than a second. “I’m not feeling well, I think I’m going to walk back.”

And then she was shoving her way out of the building, pressing her palms against the white stone to somehow ground herself as she took deep breaths. Before she knew it, she was sprinting to the end of the building to vomit into the grass, the acid burning her throat as it clawed her way out. She was stupid. So, so, rutting stupid. So godsdamend --

A hand braced her back, pulled her hair off her neck and blew cool air onto her skin where she’d started getting clammy. Knowing it was Fen, she let him rub up and down her spine while she stayed with her hands on her knees, eyes shut as she tried to regulate her breathing. It took everything she had to calm herself, to calm the fire roaring between her skull and in her veins before she finally stood and wiped her mouth off. Her hands were braced on her hips and his fingers were sliding over her arms in an attempt to calm her down. With her eyes still closed she leaned back against his chest, focusing still on breathing with her arms wrapped around her body.

His forehead rested against the crown of her head for a moment, fingers still moving in soothing motions over her arms.

His hand brushed her hair off her neck again, more cool air blowing against her too-hot skin. And then lips were pressed to the nape of her neck, the slope of her neck, and then the scar from her surgery. Aelin froze, her body tensing immediately. Not Fenrys. Fenrys didn’t kiss her like that. There was only one person on the planet that had ever kissed her so intimately, had ever pressed kisses along her back and neck when she was stressed or her anxiety was bad.

When she spun on her heel, all she could do was shake her head at him. His eyes fell shut and he tucked his bottom lip between his teeth. She hated him. Hated how perfect he was, how beautiful he was, how soft his mouth had been on her skin. She hated the shade of his hair that perfectly reflected the moon, hated the green of his eyes and how they always seemed to know what she was thinking.

She loved him. And she hated it.

“Your girlfriend probably wouldn’t like you touching me like that, but I guess you don’t really care if you’re committed to someone or not do you?” It was a low blow. Such a low blow and the hurt immediately clouded his face, the way his eyes flashed painfully.

“Aelin--” He’d started to say with an arm reached out for her, but as if to prove her point, the pretty girl stepped out of the bar.

“Rowan?” His eyes fell shut and he ran his hand over the back of his head.

“Please, just do two favors, yeah? Leave me the fuck alone and go to hell.”

When she started walking down the street, her arms were hugging her body again. She didn’t think she was breaking apart this time. Aelin could feel it in every single bone. Every tendon and ligament had snapped, every organ was falling out of the hole in her neck, all of her bones were shattered and falling to the ground.

If you were to ask Aelin what her pain was on a scale of one to ten, it would be a ten. The worst pain she had ever felt.

@mariamuses @starseternalnighttriumphant @city-of-fae who tf else am i supposed to tag in this idk fam

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rainsonata · 6 years ago

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Still Here

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: K+ Word Count: 2,886

Summary: Why is Add still following the El Search Party? Ain is perplexed by the scientist’s presence and pulls him aside to question his intentions. Character study for Add and Ain.

AO3 Link I FF.NET Link

Classes: Rune Master, Anemos, Dominator, Catastrophe, Bluhen

A tall man adorned in a white suit leaned with his arms crossed tightly against his chest, Dynamo lined up to support the Dominator’s weight. They were a bizarre set of weapons, a sextuplet of cubes made up of smaller fragments that glowed in time and answered to their master’s wishes. They were not unlike the nasods under Eve’s command, moving with precision and fluidity only a nasod could. It took little imagination to understand how easy it was for humanity’s dismissal to be at its edges when they warred against them 300 years ago.

It was unsafe to be away from camp, but if there was any worry or concern from the scientist, it wasn’t expressed by Add when he found a lone figure waiting for him at the edge of the forest. Dressed in shades of green and white, the furry jacket the priest wore slipped down to reveal gray locks falling past slender shoulders. A lone pendulum balanced on the tip of the user’s gloved hands, carefully tugging on the thin chains before letting go and watching it gleam under the iridescent forest light.

“There you are,” Ain turned to face the scientist. “Mr. Half-Demon said you were good at picking plants and herbs. How about you help me gather them for our next destination?”

That’s why he was summoned here? Add saw the basket halfway filled with flowers used for teas and medicine, some of them he had never seen in Elrios. There were plants he recognized from childhood and in the present time, but like everything influenced by the El’s strong presence, even the soil had a slight blue tang.

Add snorted, “Why don’t you ask the elf?”

Rena was more knowledgeable on flora and fauna for medicinal needs than he was. Despite being in a new dimension unlike their own, it wasn’t a challenge for Anemos to tell which ones wouldn’t leave them with blue tongues if applied to humans. But anyway, when did he let Ciel go around spouting about their little deal for delicious cookies? He was going to have a serious talk with that Abysser-

The damn priest chuckled, “This isn’t a request. There is something I wanted to ask you earlier. Let’s talk when we’re still within the El’s influence.”

“What is it?” Add asked with curtness in his voice.

The man who called himself Ain - if that was what he claimed to be anyway, wore a bemused smile that was very much punchable if Add was one to resort to barbaric tactics. While it would have been satisfying to wipe the priest’s smirk with Dynamo, Add was curious to what could be on the priest’s mind to want to speak to him.

They weren’t enemies, but having personalities too similar had made it irking for conversations to last longer than necessary. As intolerable as Bluhen may be, Add couldn’t deny that having a healer on the team made their journey easier in recent times. Add’s face betrayed no anger on those fleeing thoughts, but Ain picked up the prickliness on how still and passive the scientist was and smiled.

“You’re not in trouble if that’s what you’re worried about.” Ain pressed his fingers on his lips with his eyes closed, “but I do have a few questions to ask.”

“What happened to minding your own business?” Add shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “When did the you start caring about other people?”

It was a false statement when Ain had become more involved with their odd team of misfits, but that wasn’t the point. While they have agreed to look the other way on each other’s strange circumstances and were teammates, that didn’t mean they were obligated to like each other. As far as Add was concern, Ain’s reaction to Henir’s powers in Elrianode further proved his suspicion that the priest wasn’t human.

“I care when you’re involved with Elsword.” Ain remained smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes, opening slightly and gazing at Add with the same scrutiny when they first met in Hamel. Didn’t the asshole ever get tired of smiling all the time?

“What about him?”

Add’s eyes narrowed at the mention of the Rune Master. Even if half of the El Search Party had little concern for Ain, Elsword held him to high regards and the brat was unfortunately the leader. Not that the red haired knight was a bad person, but his judgement on people was questionable if he allowed the likes of people like Add and the demons without hesitation or further inquiry.

There was no need in being tense, but he couldn’t help but have the impression of being cornered by Ain in what felt like the beginning to an interrogation. The distance between them had dwindled to a mere meter or so, leaving little room for escape. Dynamo twitched, crowding together and lowering to form a shield around Add in reaction to the scientist’s discomfort.

“Don’t you ever find them to be a distraction while talking to others?” Ain gestured to the cubes with no fear. “You need to open up if you want people to understand you. Right, Mr. Ancient?”

Much to his frustration, Add found himself tongue tied in a blind rage to-, to that crude nickname. His ears were bright red and blood reached to his pale face with the scientist scrambling to maintain his composure. To have the nerve to tell him to open up and refused to call him by his name in the same breath! It was infuriating and made the scientist reconsider having Dynamo fry him to bits.

He was unsure to how Ain figured out he wasn’t from this time nor did he care, but he didn’t want to satisfy Ain in talking back and revealing more about himself, let alone to someone he despised. Add certainly wasn’t planning on opening to the damn brat!

Ain frowned at the lack of response, confusion etched on his delicate features. His round face gave him a feminine appearance, softening the previous judgmental eyes to replace them with a thoughtful look. Pursed lips in what looked like frustration from Add’s stubbornness, he closed his eyes for a moment before blinking and tried again. Leaning his head back and relaxing his shoulders, Ain gestured to the patch of grass beside him.

“Sit,” Ain ordered.

Hard-pressed, Add looked at the priest with wary, but it hardly affected Ain, who continued plucking the last row of flowers used for fevers. Add let out a low undignified growl of being ordered. He will play the priest’s game if it meant getting it over with as soon as possible. There was no telling when their group could figure out how to get to the Demon Realm without hints to how. He loosened his shoulders and lowered himself for Dynamo to balance his weight as they formed into a seat for Add to sit beside the priest.

Looking down at green leafy plant at his feet, Add sighed and gently plucked them off the soil with no thoughts in particular. Days of preparation for the Demon Realm would be meaningful if their team could figure out how to get there. When they find a way, would this be sufficient to feed their growing party if there was nothing edible in the Demon Realm? Add tossed the leaves into the basket when Ain spoke again.

“Against my better judgement, something convinced Elsword it was a good idea to let you join in Hamel,” Ain continued once Add was seated. “Following us is nothing but a wild goose chase. Why are you still here?”

He remembered how they met. Two personalities too similar to tolerate the other, except Add was too stubborn to bother with formalities as he did and bore his opinions without thoughts of consequences. If Elsword trusted Add, then he should too, if only to respect his closest friend, but suspicions rose to a puzzling question that had pestered Ain for some time.

Why was Add still here?

The scientist didn’t belong here, there was something off about him. How could this go on without anyone noticing? The strange clothes he wore; the way he talked, using outdated phrases that lost usage in the last few centuries; his tendencies to absorb all information about Elrios like a child who had never stepped outside a library.

Add may have saved the El Search Party, but what were his ulterior objectives? Their ragtag team made it quite clear, sometimes too obvious if not childish to why they joined Elsword in a dire path to fight against the odd of the world threw at them. They were selfish reasons, so Add’s couldn’t be any different. Why make it a secret?

“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear,” Ain lowered his voice, for once dropping the smile for a more serious expression. “Joining the El Search Party gives you direct relation to Elsword, meaning everything you do will have an impact on him. What are your intentions? Our next destination is the Demon Realm, a place I don’t think is in your interest.”

In all his experience of living among humans, there were still many curious things Ain learned through his observation and interaction with them. For instant, they didn’t appreciate being examined or pointing out their flaws, questioning their logic on things. Some took his questions to offense and grew aggressive if he probed too far.

Add’s face stiffened, forcing his eyebrows together at the bridge of his nose. It was a curious thing watching the scientist’s flimsy attempt on keeping his calm composure, hands forming into tight fists and Dynamo quivering beside him, the first hint that Add was not as poised as he would like others to believe. It was puzzling how humans trusted nasods – Raven having a nasod arm and Add willing to connect his mind to foreign machines in exchange for their service. Eve herself was a product of humans’ meddling with machinery and is sentient. Did humans have no shame in relying on an external force as a means of defense?

Add rested his head to the side with his arms folded, “I’m collecting samples for research, nothing more.”

“So for personal benefit,” Ain said.

“How is that a problem if I’m helping you fools with childishly simple tasks?” Add looked at his hands, white gloves removed for the scientist to dig into the plants’ roots. “What about coming up with the idea of using the Queen to break into Elysion?”

There was a thin layer of dirt beneath his fingernails with Add looking at them with irritation. Humans were peculiar on being ‘clean’, and yet had no qualms getting into fights and the like.

“It’s true your knowledge in nasods has helped us more than once,” Ain admitted with some reluctance. Had this been Elsword or even the Half-Nasod, giving credit to them wasn’t something he minded, but to someone with an ego the size of Add’s… “Is Elrios not enough for you to research?”

“Nowhere in our world can compete with the unknown before us,” he cackled. “The very make-up of the El and the worlds we’ve been to have a lot to look into. The best thing about research is that even a lifetime isn’t enough to know everything.”

“Very well,” Ain said with a tight smile. “The El has unlimited in potential, so why didn’t you let it absorb Elsword? It would have stabilized and be available for you to exploit in research.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Add scoffed. “Without the brat, it makes leaving this dimension harder.”

As selfish as Add’s reasons were, it was an admirable trait all humans had. Humans’ selfishness has held them back in times of war, yet it allowed them to accomplish the impossible. They wouldn’t be in Elrianode if Elsword didn’t force them to find another energy source for the El because of his impulsive stunt in Elysion. Their futures were uncertain, but it made Ain proud to be a part of it if it meant being with Elsword and the others.

And yet, something didn’t add up. With a brilliant mind as Add’s, it wasn’t hard to imagine the scientist finding a way back to Elrios without their help. They almost left Add behind when he was stubborn on leaving Elysion (“And miss out on researching third generation nasods?” The scientist cried when Raven threatened to physically drag him away from the artificial city.). With a few words from Rena, something clicked and convinced Add to follow them into Elrianode.

If staying with them was all for research, the why did Add’s eyes turn glassy when he talked to Ain? He was deliberate on averting his eyes from Ain’s, concentrating on picking herbs and kept his teeth bared in a grin to reveal teeth as pristine as his white coat. It was typical for the scientist to speak when necessary and yet, he had a chatty explanation and spoke louder than usual. Was he trying to convince Ain or himself? Humans lied all the time, but Add was a terrible liar for the brief period Ain had exposure to humans.

Ain decided to test his teammate.

“So you’re staying for your research?” Ain asked.

“Yes,” Add said with pride, all six pieces of Dynamo flashed pink as if agreeing with their master.

“But you said research never ends,” the priest tilted his head with confusion. “So you want to stay with us forever?”

“Yes – wait, I mean no!” Add’s face turned red, “What are you doing trying to fool me? You losers are helpless without me! I’m doing you all a favor!”

An abrupt burst of laughter erupted out of Ain, unable to stop himself and laughed even more when the scientist gave him a look of bewilderment and confusion. His chest ached with the priest hugging his stomach, tears falling out from his eyes and almost dropped his basket.

It was something Ain had suspected for some time. The constant annoyance was all a front, Add often claiming he was using the El Search Party for ulterior motives but helping them in the same breath. Humans sometimes act different than what they said and Add was a prime example of that. It was bizarre, but it was clear how he saw their team if he was willing to help them every time. No one was forcing him to.

“I see even you have attachments,” Ain observed. No matter how many people joined their team, he was amazed how little time and common interest it took for people to see each other as friends.

“So what if I do?” Add snapped back and averted his eyes, “No one would like being here alone.”

“Nothing wrong in that,” he said with kindness. “I’m happy to see you feel the same. I had my doubts, but I was wrong.”

Ain checked his basket to see most of it was filled to the top. They washed their hands at a nearby stream and walked back to camp when Ain stopped. Before Add could ask what the priest was doing, Ain pulled out a ziplock bag to show an assortment of cookies baked and decorated by Abysser and Timonia. Today, they were in the shape of the flowers they observed in the region with sprinkles on top. Add gawked at the cookies when the Bluhen offered him one.

“Mr. Half-Demon said you’ll do anything if I give you cookies.” Ain explained when Add appeared unsure on what to do, “Thank you for the herbs and the enlightening conversation.”

“I’m not a child,” Add scowled but accepted the cookie and nibbled the top part of it.

“Hm… just don’t run off when we’re in the Demon Realm or touch anything you’re not supposed to,” the priest smiled. “Otherwise, Elsword will have to come fetch you like he did with Ms. Demon and Ms. Fox.”

“Don’t dream of it,” Add rolled his eyes and bit into his cookie to discover a chunk of chocolate. “We've been talking about me this time, but hardly of you. What are you?”

To protect Elsword and his friends, that was all he wished for, to make sure they reached their full potential and find happiness. He would follow them to the end of the world, another dimension as they continue preparations for the Demon Realm. No longer to fulfill a mission for his creator, but for himself. Would it be enough to continue his existence? And for how long?

“A protector of sorts,” Ain smiled. “Does that satisfy your curiosity?”

“Hardly,” Add snorted. “But I will accept it today.”

When would Add understand he wasn’t mocking the scientist? Ain suddenly felt guilty for laughing at his teammate earlier. It was fun to see how quick Add reacted to the stuff he said, but that didn’t put him in a good light, did it? If only his teammate was easier to talk to like Elsword.

The priest shook his head and chastised himself on that wishful thought. No, not everyone could be like the Rune Master. If they were, Ishmael never would have sent him here with a mission to fulfill. Learning to talk to other people should be his next goal, but he appreciated Add’s honesty.

Ain chuckled, “Fair enough.”

#Elsword #eltag #Add (Elsword)#Ain (Elsword)#Dominator #Bluhen #mywriting #my writing #Elsword fanfiction

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