#hes the only survivor of the initial timeline

[bittervalentine]

i genuinely think its very cool of homestuck that multiple times over we're told hey you know all that shit you just watched happen? that actually wasnt even the shit that was supposed to happen. the narrative you thought you were following is actually somewhere else, and all these kids you thought were advancing towards the end of it are actually dead as fuck. we're going to go meet your new main characters, and theyre the exact same fuckin people, but theyre also different. the dave we start out the story following, the one we see teach john about his sylladex and fight his brother, isnt even technically dave. it is, to an exact degree, descriptive of dave's past, but that dave we were following was actually davesprite, and the dave who leaves the story isnt even here yet, because he has to die so the "real" dave will eventually take his place.

[lilia-calderus-pet-goat]

Something of note about Lilia's tarot spread is that—it's hers. The cards she pulls aren't precisely who the characters are to themselves, but who they are and what they represent to Lilia. As her coven, in her life.

Like, I don't really know my tarot that well—I'm just pulling themes from within the episode and my general understanding.

But when she was reading for Billy, he was fittingly represented by the Magician. But for Lilia, he was the “windfall.” He was the tower, reversed. Miraculous transformation. Because she, having put the sigil on him, saved him from the destruction and lead to his miraculous transformation. And to her, he was the windfall, because without him, she wouldn't be here, with her coven. She wouldn't have found herself.

Alice's is very straight forward—“full of fire, fights bravely.” It's how Lilia saw her, what Lilia had once again predicted for her. 'Wound suffered, lessons learned.' Specifically, Lilia wasn't able to warn Alice, but she learned her lesson. So, this time, she makes sure to warn Agatha. “When she calls you a coward, hit the deck.”

And why does she warn Agatha? Agatha represents her 'obstacles,' after all. Maybe so—Lilia's literal obstacle at this stage ends up being the Salem Seven, who merely want Agatha. Yet she chooses to stay behind to save a woman who probably wouldn't do the same for her. And the reason is—for her, Agatha is the Three of Swords. She looks at her and sees Heartbreak, (Rio) Sorrow, (Evanora) Grief (Nicholas). And Lilia is willing to forgive her—to sacrifice herself for her—even if the universe itself doesn't think she deserves it. This is different from how Agatha views herself, or even how Billy views her, since he initially pulls out the Chariot. One might say it's a random choice, but the Chariot is described as representing “determination, success, and control.” It's about overcoming challenges and gaining victory through maintaining control of your surroundings—which, I argue, embodies Agatha pretty well. So The Three of Swords is who Agatha is to Lilia. She doesn't hate her, or see her as a force to be reckoned with. She pities her. After all, the Queen of Cups is defined by her empathy.

Then, of course, Jen. Jen is Lilia's path ahead. Not only because she has a brilliant future of her own ahead of her in the mcu, now with her powers unbound. Because Lilia senses all the trapped light and bound power that Jen carries—“The High Priestess: Immense spiritual power, unable or unwilling to use it--” but also because Jen, the survivor, is the one who will carry on Lilia's memory. All those centuries, Lilia had been alone—there was no 'path ahead.' Everything was a jumbled mess, her “path” was non-linear and twisty. And Jen, after centuries of solitude, was her light in the dark, guiding her through the dark tunnels, as her mind wandered through her timeline searching for answers. Jen was the only person in centuries who bothered to see her as something more, to acknowledge her strength, and to help her fill in the gaps as best as she could. And so Lilia sees so much hope in Jennifer—who won't stop becoming better and better. Because for Jen, the Queen of Cups is her path behind. Wound suffered, lessons learned. “I couldn't save Lilia, I didn't even try to save Alice, I'll be damned if I let you two idiots die.”

Finally, Death, Rio. Well—it's obvious. In tarot, death isn't literal. It's mist often symbolic. Transformation, end of a cycle, new beginnings. Which is why we never see Lilia's corpse, and we never see Rio collect her. Because unlike Alice, Lilia went into the afterlife willingly. And for her, it was a beautiful release. After years of running out of time—she got to start anew—knowing that this time, she managed to save her coven. (I'd also like to think that the reason we don't see Rio collect Sharon is because it was a peaceful death—joining Mr. Davis instead of suffering further. Whereas Alice finally had something to live for, but I digress. I've already made my posts about Alice.)

I think that this is all relatively obvious—but I genuinely can't stop thinking about Lilia and her dynamics with the rest of the coven.

[not-handsome-enough]

FLASH AND GLITCH WARNING it’s not bad by mtl standards but it hurt the hell out of my eyes when I was working on it 😭😭

There more explanation under the cut cause there’s some explaining to do.

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So this is set Post AOTD and the only parts of Dick that survived are his brain and heart. His parts are discovered by Charles when he went back to Deus Keeps remains to scavenge amongst the og Army for an intact left hand that he would transplant, as well as searching for survivors in general. ( something to note is he doesn’t find a replacement and he ends up having it replaced with a golden prosthetic )

He secretly brings Dick’s remains back to Mordhaus where he begins a project to slowly regenerate Dick’s body. He doesn’t tell anyone outside of a select few klokateers and the scientists ( Brian and Jimmy ) mostly due to how unstable the execution may be. Kind of like a don’t get the boys excited cause if it doesn’t work it will be just another downer/uncertainty that they don’t need right now.

I don’t know if Charles is employed with Dethklok or if he’s there for the sake of normality. Either way the boys want him there and he wants to be with the boys.

William finds the operation by accident. He kinda went back to how he was pre-mtl albeit a bit more open with his emotions. There are periods where Dick is left alone and Willy finds him during one of those periods. By the time he finds Dick it’s been a few months since Charles has brought him back to Mordhaus, so while his body isn’t ‘online’ yet, his brain heart and eyes are.

This is kinda how Willy first finds Knubbler. He recognizes the eyes ( which aren’t meant to be yellow like they are in the image above this was made before I had a concrete timeline set up ) so he talks his way into staying as long possible without being caught. They managed to set up a basic communication system with Dick’s eyes ( like yes no maybe but with eye colour ) and that’s how Willy knows he’s not supposed to know about the project. For the first few visits it’s just Willy apologizing to Dick for killing him and just getting out everything he wanted to say and apologize for. Similar to Nate and Rebecca but Dick can yk. Talk back. To an extent.

Cause while physically Dick is in the tube his soul is free to roam around the room. So while Willy’s talking to his eyes Dick’s walking around and just making faces at him and shit.

( I don’t like the colour I went for the ghost mode for him here but idk how to do ghost so best I got I’m sorry 😭 )

Initially it was just really emotion heavy and Dick wanted to be able to hold a full on conversation with Willy about the events of the Mtl but then Willy started bringing entertainment down to the lab and it spiraled a little.

Eventually Willy mentioned how upset he was that he didn’t finish planet piss and it turned into a month and a half of planet piss production ( nothing was recorded and sessions usually ended in a Willy typical tantrum and a promise of coming back tomorrow )

Despite how much these sessions pissed off Dick, his recovery ended up speeding up quite a bit, much to the delight of Charles The Scientists and the select Klokateers. Who still don’t know about the daily visits. Whether or not it was motivation to actually talk back to Willy and shut down his more destructive ideas or to be able to help him I don’t know.

At some point during the PP production Willy starts bringing board games like scrabble and battleship. Shit that made it easy for both of them to cheat. Which they ended up doing. Every. Single. Time. It’s impressive how neither of them caught on to the other cheating. Actually it’s more impressive Dick never caught Willy cheating since Willy was usually in control of Dick’s moves.

While this is happening Dicks body continues to reconstruct itself and eventually it becomes basically back to normal except in its green gooey goop ness ( the animation is like a sped up version of what happened )

( Again his eyes are not meant to be yellow I made this before I had the timeline set )

Dick, realizing that his body is basically reconstructed, starts trying to make his physical body move / tries to reconnect his soul ghost to his body. Unknown to him by rushing the process he glitches his eyes out.

So while he thinks he’s moving his Body he’s actually moving the Wires around his tube.

He practices while Willy is gone because he wants to be able to surprise him / scare the shit out of him a little bit, but this ends up being a detriment to him because when he finally does move in front of Willy it is not his body that is moving. Most of the time if he’s practicing he’s working with The Scientists and Charles

This is where that rough animatic at the top comes in so we know that Willy freaks the fuck out, runs away, and Dick is upset. Gonna jump a lil more into that tho.

So some things to explain / note in the animatic that I just didn’t explain well.

To show that Dick was glitching while moving his eyes turn yellow. The Scientists and Charles know about this, but before trying to move for Will, they never caught that what Dick was actually moving was the wires around the tube and not his body.

Willy was not scared that Dick was moving. If it was just dicks body or even just the wires he would have freaked out a little but wouldn’t have run away. He ran away because Dicks eyes were yelllow. Like he was possessed.

This is basically what was happening

Dick never punched his way out of the tube or talked to Willy.

That being said the flashing alarm was set off by Willy. He knew that the science gang would come if he sounded the alarm. He didn’t get caught by them but he saw that they weren’t panicking like he was.

Dick had no idea why Will ran away that badly until after the science boys came in and his body was unglitched ( which is why his eyes turn green at the end of the animatic ). He thinks Willy ran away because of the wires, not his glitchy eyes.

Also small note the scientists are there when they run in I just didn’t want to draw them because I watched the liquid album episode and they annoyed me a little bit I’m sorry.

Dick’s in the tube for about another month ( where he can control his body ) but Willy doesn’t come back to see him until a week before he is taken out of the tube. They end up having a repeat of the initial cycle ( apologies planet piss and then board games ) but sped up and a little differently. Apologies only last a day, planet piss lasts an hour because Dick is not about to repeat that whole ordeal again without having his equipment around, and the board games last for the rest of the week until Dick is transferred to a private hospital room. Dick ends up actually making sure Will doesn’t cheat and they get really competitive.

Willy doesn’t know where Dicks transferred to and Dick is once again bored out of his fucking mind.

They reunite again eventually but I’m leaving that up to interpretation cause cycles need to break eventually.

I didn’t go into detail about what their talks were day by day because I cannot write dialogue well which means this can be interpreted as Platonic OR Romantic. This au was written with the intention of being romantic ( doomed in original versions ) angst but it’s vague enough where it could be platonic and either way I’m happy.

[artbyblastweave]

Lindelof's Watchmen?

I have very mixed feelings on it. I think it had extremely confused ideas about police and policing, power and its proper distribution, and failed to commit to its initial apparent skepticism on those topics in a satisfying way.

That said, I think that This Extraordinary Being provided an interesting and potentially very important counterweight to the original text. The superhero community in the original Watchmen was deliberately monoracial, white or white passing, because a major theme of the book is about the paradox of living out a rebellious cowboy ubermensch fantasy that's nonetheless functionally dependent on widespread tacit societal approval of your vigilante violence in order to remain sustainable. Let's run through the lineup of the Minutemen, excluding the cypher that is Hooded Justice- we've got a star athlete, a millionaire playboy, a former marine, a showgirl, a thug-turned soldier, a cop, a European heiress. The book presents superherosim as a gratuitous fantasy, carried out by people with sufficient institutional backing that they had other options.

But the thing about condemning "vigilante violence" is that sort of by definition, you can only really do so from an implicit position of faith in legitimate channels- there has to be something you can direct the would-be vigilante towards instead. Watchmen answers this by claiming it's a moot point, exclusively positioning superheroes as people integrated with and protected by the system, even if what that integration looks like in practice changes over the forty-year span of the timeline. This Extraordinary Being retorts, alright, smartass, what if you're not protected by the system, what if the system wears on its sleeve the extent to which it doesn't care about you and everyone who looks like you. You bring in a "vigilante" who's a black survivor of a race massacre in the 1930s- a man who tried to go through your legitimate channels and got stonewalled at every turn- and it suddenly becomes extremely difficult to plausibly portray the superheroic impulse as universally, irredeemably gratuitous. Very abruptly, you're brought back face to face with the actual fundamental appeal of the superhero genre- the idea of a figure who can cut the gordian knot when evil has choked out the halls of power so thoroughly that the idea of legality becomes a bad joke. Not that he really successfully cuts the knot, mind- this is still a bitter deconstruction. The scene where Will massacres the cyclops cell and burns their warehouse to the ground isn't precisely a framed as a triumphant beat. But it's an act of violence that nonetheless invites the question of what, at this point, you think that he ought to be doing in response to Cyclops, if not this.

[shannonsketches]

I noticed that the element of the triforce that the individual characters are supposed to represent, is also their weakness. Zelda's wisdom is being stifled by doubt and lack of experience; she's eager to learn, but her zeal is not enough and relies on faith and Link to save the day. I'm not implying that wisdom and faith cannot go hand in hand, but she needs to be able to represent her element more. Maybe her wisdom is knowing when to wait and allow someone else to bear the task? But it takes away too much initiative from her. Ganon's element is power but he's the one who ends up losing almost every time. And Ganondorf on his own, isn't powerless! He's a king, he knows magic, he can wield almost any weapon, he's patient, conniving and intelligent and knows how to make best with what he has. He isn't weak! And yet, the whole split happened, because he was feeling powerless.

They locked themselves in a self-sabotaging cycle that's powered by doubt.

Yeah! So one of the reasons I really love the Triforce lore is that it’s a three-way mirror that reflects both what the user has and also what they need (very wizard of oz).

Ganondorf is a very powerful man, physically, and magically.

Politically, though, he’s next to helpless, which is an awful thing for a king to be. He’s a king of thieves in OoT, because the Gerudo are not a wealthy or thriving nation there. In-Game they don’t have a local living area like the other regions (or even a store — just one floating bombchu salesman in the middle of the desert) — they’ve got a post-war fortress full of guards, and a temple that is being used as a secret base Hylians can’t get to.

Consider also, Ganondorf is the most highly decorated of the Gerudo, and he’s not decked out in gold. He’s wearing mostly iron and topaz. Nabooru and Twinrova are the only ones who have gold fixtures/jewelry along with the higher ranked guards for their protective elements (which is why I think it could arguably be pale bronze or yellow brass, which is a common and highly durable gold alternative).

The Gerudo are implicitly just surviving in OoT, and Hyrule speaks of them like they’re monsters (except for the one guy in town who has a fetish). More than that, WW establishes that his real grief comes from the weather, which any mortal is powerless to control.

So Ganondorf is powerful as a person, but powerless as a king, which is literally the only thing he was born to be.

Be that as it may, though, he is a well-loved king, and a survivor, and a thief, so he also has to embody both wisdom and courage too!

Zelda is the most obvious mirror to Ganondorf. She is a very powerful woman politically and magically, but physically-- compared to Ganondorf -- she's terribly meek. That's the obvious read, that they're 1:1 Parallels, but her real weakness lies in her courage.

Zelda (in OoT) leans on her massive political power -- In the child timeline, she literally sees a foreign dignitary executed before he does anything wrong, based on a recurring dream she has.

Do you know how insane that is? Do you realize how powerful she is?

Ganondorf is not just some guy -- he's a foreign KING. He's a KING that a TEN YEAR OLD had EXECUTED based on VIBES.

And we think she embodies wisdom because her vibes were (as we, the audience know) correct. But it's actually because as an adult, she understands that none of it needed to happen that way. That the only reason Ganondorf was able to pull off his stunt and get the Triforce at all was because she tried to control the situation, sending Link to gather everything Ganondorf couldn't get himself and put it all precisely where Ganondorf needed it to be.

Despite being a child at the time, by the end of the story, by the time she's Sheik, Zelda is taking full responsibility for what happened, and is doing everything in her now extremely limited power to fix it. She's so sorry to need Link, and at the end of it all is desperate to give him another chance to be a kid, and to be innocent, and to be happy, because she realized so quickly that she never should've involved him, visions be damned. She knows none of it was his fault or his business, and she's mortified that she dragged him into it in her own attempt to control the weather.

These other two items shift in other games -- WW and Twilight Princess show us a Zelda with tremendous courage and very little power, physical or political. And then the Wild's era, despite removing the Triforce narrative, shows us a Zelda with immense power and terrible guilt and insecurity -- her power locked behind her fear, and she is only able to access both when she embraces courage.

Which brings us to Link.

Link, on the surface, is a third wheel in a chess game between ancients. But the reality is that he's the base of the prism. He's the foundation that reflects both of the others.

There are MANY different personalities for Link, and personally my favorite gag is that Link is simply too stupid to be scared, but that's just a gag -- because something I've come to really enjoy and respect about him is that he consistently displays fear. Link embodies courage because he is full of fear and chooses to fight anyway. Link leads a good life. He is comfortable, he has family, he has friends, he knows peace. What makes Link courageous is that he is willing to give up his access to all of that if it means that everyone else keeps theirs.

Link will lock himself in a room with the apocalypse if it means he's the only one who gets hurt, and it's not because he believes this is his sacred duty, or his life's purpose -- he'd much rather be at home chasing chickens around or riding his pony through some pretty scenic route -- it's because he is so full of love for other people that he's willing to give up anything to keep them safe.

Link's not very powerful, but he is also unburdened by any desire to be powerful. Link's not very wise, but he is unburdened by any desire to be wise. Link is content in who he is, Link is happy to keep things simple. But Link is so brave that he becomes a leader, which actually makes him the most dangerous of the three.

Courage, unburdened, is fucking terrifying. To both Wisdom and Power. Because, unlike Wisdom and Power, Courage is contagious.

Link can empower and inspire and reveal truths others might not have been able to find on their own. Link doesn't need charisma or brutality. Link can build armies just by being observed.

"But Sketches, you haven't really said anything about how Link reflects the other two." It's subtle! But he does. I see it like this:

• Ganondorf reflects Link's relentless determination, refusing to stand down in the face of impossible odds. In this way, they're connected by their power and courage. • Zelda reflects Ganondorf's burden of being born in a crown, forcing them to learn leadership, and how to use their recklessness strategically, as children. In this way, they're connected by their power and wisdom. • Link reflects Zelda's sense of love for the faceless innocent, and her dedication to protecting all who can't protect themselves. In this way, they're connected by their courage and wisdom.

Because the inherent configuration of the triforce requires those connections to be balanced -- Separately they are overwhelmed by their traits. Ganondorf is willing to sacrifice everything he is in order to reach his goals, Zelda is so pre-occupied with preventing prophecy she ends up instigating it, and Link is so ready to step in and help that he never considers the consequences.

Every single one of them, left to their own devices, would rather see themselves destroyed than fail those who may or may not be relying on their success. They're all very similar, highly reflective characters who all represent compelling foils for each other and yes, display how their unfettered strengths are also the thing that damage them most.

[shadow-fell]

On Moonrise Towers, the Thorm Family, and the Shadow Curse

Once another compilation so that I don't need to go constantly digging for things. A general timeline of events:

Reithwin town founded by the Thorm family

Moonrise Towers constructed

Melodia Thorm dies

Isobel Thorm dies

Ketheric turns to Shar

Gauntlet of Shar constructed/rebuilt; Reithwin turns to Sharran worship

Nightsong is captured by Ketheric and Balthazar

Flaming Fist sends Art Cullagh to investigate Ketheric

Harpers, Druids, and Flaming Fist team up to fight Ketheric

Mason who built Moonrise Towers + the Gauntlet of Shar makes a deal with Raphael; Yurgir kills all the Sharrans in the Gauntlet/Grymforge save one

Ketheric is killed, Shadow Curse released

Survivors of the battle flee

Ketheric resurrects, turns to Myrkul

Gortash and the Dark Urge bring Ketheric in on the Absolute plan

Ketheric resurrects Isobel (maybe before ^ but probably after)

Isobel flees to the Last Light Inn

Now, expanding on the details, sources, and adding some firmer dates? that's all going below the cut.

Construction of Moonrise Towers

The first, and as far as I know only reference to Moonrise Towers outside of BG3 is in the Code of the Harpers, where it is described as the base of the Crescent Coat, officer of the High Heralds (a group spinning out of the Harpers, referenced by Halsin in game), in 1368.

So, we know when it must be established by - but how much earlier can we go? Pretty far given that the Thorms are elven/half-elven.

Our best boundary is that we know Balduran visited Moonrise Towers before becoming an Illithid. His initial departure from Baldur's Gate and shipwreck happened around 1050 DR, at 300 years before BG1/2, so he has to come to Moonrise Towers sometime after that. FR Wiki states this is ~1150 or later, but I don't know where they're getting that from? I think that's a reasonable timeframe, though.

We know the same architect built Moonrise as the Gauntlet of Shar (from talking to him in the House of Hope), but there's no record of what race he was (only meeting him as a skeleton), and if an elf could easily still be working a few centuries after the construction.

Ketheric is a half-elf for sure, though, but he is an old one. How old exactly is hard to say. 3rd edition gave "old" at 93, with a maximum age of 130-190, while 5e just says "often exceeding 180 years". If we take that he looks the way he did in ~1370 as his death, that places his birth at a minimum of ~1170, but probably later, and the construction of Moonrise Towers ~1200 at the earliest, which is maybe a bit long for Balduran but not unreasonably so.

The other thing of note is that Moonrise Towers has a 'sister' in the Sunrise Spire, a Lathanderian Monastery destroyed in 1177 during a territorial war. Combined with the (undated) fall of Rosymorn Monastery, there is perhaps something interesting about the regional shift from Lathander to Selune, and the construction happening after the destruction further supports a date around ~1200.

Personally, I'd want to push things earlier rather than later - it wouldn't be difficult to say that Ketheric is more elven than human, pushing his age a bit further out, so somewhere between 1180-1200 fits the sweet spot. But really, all we have for sure is "before 1368"

Melodia and the Thorm Family

Melodia Thorm is a human worshipper of Selune, who married Ketheric Thorm and converted him to her worship. They had a daughter, Isobel, who was young when Melodia died (or, at least, Melodia still called her their little girl).

Ketheric is a half-elf; every other member of the Thorm family is an elf - Malus, Gerringothe, and Thisobald all have the longer ears (although the hood makes this less clear on Thisobald).

Malus refers to (presumably) Ketheric as his nephew, making him the only certain branch of the family tree. Gerringothe, we have no idea where she fits in, although as a full elf, we can assume no one is Ketheric's siblings, only parents/aunts/uncles/cousins/more distant relatives.

Thisobald...is complicated. He calls Ketheric father, however, the phrasing is ambiguous (capitalized in a religious sense) in addition to the lack of reference to him in accounts of Melodia/Isobel, and the fact he appears to be fully elven. The two possibilities is that Thisobald and Isobel are half-siblings, with Thisobald's other parent being a full elf, and this being the source of disconnect between him and Ketheric, or that Father is not literal and he is related to Ketheric another way.

We know that Malus Thorm was alive in 986, where he recorded battle casualties from a Dark Justiciar/Selunite/Druid conflict. Given that only the Dark Justiciars are named, it seems likely he was a Sharran at that time. If we take the date as legitimate and not referring to the 1370s conflict, then at least Malus worshipped Shar before Reithwin turned to Selunite worship.

Gauntlet of Shar

Around 800 years before Ketheric Thorm's turn, Grymforge was a city of Shar worshippers. He attempted to revitalize it - creating or rebuilding the Gauntlet of Shar in the process.

And, yes, these two are connected - you can see the entrance to the Gauntlet from one of the points in the lava and through the hall where Nere is trapped. There is a further section not accessible seen from where the Mimic fight is, mainly what appear to be another set of docks.

While we're told the Mason constructed the Gauntlet, given that Shadowheart has heard legends of it, the more likely option seems to be it was rebuilt, since it's quite a large place to construct in only a handful of years. Especially if Malus was a Sharran in 986, it would explain the presence of Shar worshippers before Ketheric's turn.

So, we have the initial Dark Justiciar trials around 600 DR, followed by a decline (with the Gauntlet perhaps lasting past the fall of the city, hidden under Reithwin) enough to establish a myth that can then be built on in the 1370s.

Death of Isobel

How Isobel died is an unresolved plot point, revolving around cut content, so it's hard to call anything "canonical" but the two potential paths are as follows:

In the earliest version, she was killed by Halsin, during a meeting between her (and other Reithwin locals) and the druids, before Shar's influence (and the song of the Nightsong, potentially) drove them mad, and Halsin stabbed Isobel with Sorrow, leaving it cursed). This sparked the conflict between Ketheric and the Druid-Harper alliance.

In a later version, Balthazar killed her, framing Aylin for the deed, which led to Ketheric capturing her and trapping her in the Gauntlet of Shar. Isobel was tethered to Ketheric, and needed to be separated before he was killed

Either way, Isobel has no memory of her death upon being resurrected a century later. It happened probably ~1370, triggering the conflict. While it may have happened earlier (with Ketheric keeping his Shar worship hidden) probably not earlier than 1368.

Conflict with the Harpers

Alright, so this is where we get back into figuring out hard dates. Generally, this happened a century ago - so ~1392, but any time something is that round I always assume it's off.

Again, we know things are business as usual around 1368 because of the Heralds; this means that while Ketheric may have turned to Shar, it wasn't public. However, we do have some dates related to the conflict.

The Harpers try and fail to surrender in a letter by Khelben Arunsun - he's expelled from the Harpers in 1371, founding a splinter group, and dies in 1374. That makes 1369-1370 the most likely timing.

However, the records from Moonhaven and from the Emerald Grove push it to being a later date. Uktar 1371 is the date that the Apothecary and Apprentice arrive from Thay, the start of the Apprentice's journal, which ends with the Dark Justiciars killing him. Toth's logbook is the Apothecary's account, and has a raid in late Uktar and in Nightal; this may be the same year, but more likely later. We know there was at least one failed raid on Moonhaven before it fell completely.

Uktar 1371 we also get the Logbook from the Emerald Grove - they're dealing with far more minor problems and presumably aren't yet at war with the Dark Justiciars, which further supports the idea that the raids on Moonhaven happen in 1372 or 1373.

To account for Khelben's presence, we could assume the failed surrender is from an initial conflict in 1369-1370, that ended with the Harpers retreating, but more likely, the threat Ketheric Thorm posed was enough that the Harpers and Moonstars (Khelben's splinter group) were in alliance - after all, it wasn't a clean split and there was still a great deal of overlap, and he's still the Blackstaff.

The details of the conflict are largely uncertain. We know the Dark Justiciars destroyed Moonhaven, and presumably some other villages, and that the shadow curse claimed the region around Moonrise Towers and Reithwin.

However, we do know how it ended. The Mason made a deal with Raphael to destroy the Dark Justiciar army, which brought Yurgir to the Gauntlet, where he killed all but one (hiding as a swarm of rats). While we only see Yurgir's impact in Grymforge and the Gauntlet, presumably Raphael helped with defeating the entire army.

How Ketheric died and came to be buried in the mausoleum is unclear, but in the final moments of the battle, he cursed the lands around Moonrise Towers with the Shadow Curse, killing many of the Harpers and Druid, and lasting for well over a century, until he came to be resurrected in the name of Myrkul.

My Proposed Timeline

You've read the evidence above. This is therefore a mix of canon, reasonably makes sense in canon, and completely made up headcanon

1492 - Balthazar resurrects Isobel; she flees to the Last Light Inn

???? - Balthazar resurrects Ketheric, he becomes Myrkul's chosen

1373 - Yurgir kills Dark Justiciar Army; Ketheric dies and the Shadow Curse falls

1372 - Dark Justiciars spread out and attack local villages, destroying Moonhaven. The Emerald Grove, Harpers, Moonstars, and Flaming Fist ally together

1370 - The Nightsong is captured, used as the final test for the new Dark Justiciar army Ketheric builds

1369 - Isobel killed by [Halsin/Balthazar/???]. Ketheric completes turn to Shar, forces Reithwin to convert, has the mason begin reconstructing Grymforge

1350 - Melodia dies. Ketheric's faith begins to waver.

1340 - Isobel born

1325 - Melodia and Ketheric marry

1300 - Melodia born.

1200s - Moonrise Towers constructed; Reithwin slowly builds up prominence as a trade stop amon

1170s - Ketheric Thorm born.

1150s-1250s - young Halsin grows up in the lands around Reithwin, where he befriends Thaniel.

980s - Dark Justiciar/Druid/Harper conflict, Malus Thorm attending. Sharrans in the region go further into hiding; Reithwin is known as a Selunite enclave.

600s - Grymforge is a thriving Sharran city. Dark Justiciar trials are held within the Gauntlet of Shar.

[sepublic]

The Owl House Timeline

-Millennia Ago; The Archivists encounter the Demon Realm and send the Collector to play with the young Titans; The Collector meets the Titan known as the Boiling Isles, and comes across King’s egg; The Archivists commence a war against the Titans, who resist their attempts to turn every living thing into scrolls; Due to Titan magic countering their own, the Archivists enlist the help of the local demons, Bill among them, and create the Titan Trappers; An Archivist transforms the Owl Beast into a scroll, only to lose it in the ocean; The Boiling Isles Titan hides King on a remote island, shielded from the view of Archivists, and appoints Jean-Luc as the guardian. 

-The Collector is imprisoned in the in-between by the Boiling Isles, who is the last Titan alive; Hooty comes into existence after this during a hunt; The Archivists disappear from the isles; The Titan blows out Bill’s eardrums in a final battle against the Titan Trappers; The Titan escapes to the other side of the planet and ‘dies’, but due to her heart still beating, lingers as a ghost watching from the in-between; Bill communicates with the Collector using one of the moon discs, worshipping them as the Grand Huntsman, only to lose contact when the disc is broken; The Titan Trappers find the Boiling Isles, but are unable to locate King’s egg to free the Collector; Bill’s generation eventually dies out until he is the only one left, leading new generations of wannabe Titan Trappers; Hooty leaves the Boiling Isles’ eye.

-Hecktaceous Period; A Stonesleeper is transported to the Titan’s skull and placed as guardian; Luz Noceda briefly visits through a time pool.

-Witches and demons evolve from the Titan’s corpse; They initially learn glyphs by communicating with the Titan’s spirit on her knee, but eventually rely on their bile sacs instead.

-Thousands of Years Ago; The Bat Queen is carved and abandoned by her owner, a giant, after being wounded; She begins looking after other mistreated palismen in solidarity.

-Circa 1600s; The Deadwardian Era begins.

-1613; Young orphans Philip and Caleb Wittebane arrive in Old Gravesfield.

-Evelyn Clawthorne and Flapjack enter the human realm using an archway powered by Titan’s blood, and befriend a teenage Caleb; Evelyn and Caleb communicate using hidden rebuses, and a vial of Titan’s blood is buried outside the archway in Gravesfield.

-As an adult, Caleb moves to the Boiling Isles’ right arm with Evelyn permanently, marrying her. Philip enters the Boiling Isles through Eclipse Lake, emerging at the Knee, and discovers the Ice glyph.

-Circa May 21st, 16XX; Philip begins writing a journal documenting his journey in the Demon Realm.

-Five years after his arrival, Philip returns to Eclipse Lake and retrieves Titan’s Blood to build a Portal back home, emerging the only survivor; Philip absorbs Palismen essence to gain an advantage over witches, beginning his curse and slowing his aging; Philip reunites with Caleb, killing him and being chased off by a pregnant Evelyn; Philip discovers the Plant and Fire glyphs.

-1635; New Gravesfield is founded, replacing the town’s older layout.

-1660-70; Years after entering the Demon Realm, Philip Wittebane encounters Luz Noceda and Lilith Clawthorne, who travel from the future to meet him; Luz teaches Philip the last glyph, Light; Philip meets the Collector, and encounters the Stonesleeper he will use to create his first Grimwalker of Caleb; A Portal is made using the Titan’s eye that leads to Philip and Caleb’s childhood home, but ends up buried next to Evelyn’s archway.

-1693; “Witches eating babies” -Eda

-Philip creates his first Grimwalker of Caleb; Philip assumes the identity of Belos and claims to speak on behalf of the Titan, espousing the coven system; Belos and his Grimwalkers stage false flag attacks in order to scare the populace into believing them; A city on the Knee is abandoned as a result of one of these incidents. 

-A teenage Hieronymous Bump destroys a rival school resembling Glandus with his fellow students; Hexside is built atop the ruins.

-Circa 1972; Belos becomes Emperor of the Boiling Isles.

-1970-75; Caleb and Evelyn’s descendant Lilith Clawthorne is born; Two years later, her younger sister Edalyn Clawthorne is born.

-Eda, Lilith, Alador, Odalia, Darius Deamonne, and Perry Porter attend Hexside, with Principal Faust in charge; Despite or because of his role in Hexside’s founding, Bump is Vice Principal; Faust breaks up with Terra Snapdragon, who takes their home, forcing Faust to live at Hexside.

-1990s; Cosmic Frontier is published.

-Circa 1992; Eda meets Raine Whispers and Terra at IFWOT; Raine transfers to Hexside; Bump replaces Faust as Principal of Hexside; Eda is cursed by Lilith using the Archivist’s Owl Beast scroll; Lilith joins the Emperor’s Coven, and Eda discovers the Portal, emerging in the Wittebane house at Gravesfield; Eda watches Dragonclaw Z in the human world; Petrifications ‘officially’ end as a means of capital punishment.

-Darius is mentored by the Golden Guard; Darius has a falling out with Alador and Odalia; Alador wins the Bonesborough Brawl; Coven sigils are introduced and mandated; Raine and Eda break up; Raine joins the Bard Coven, only to realize the system’s corruption, and begins a campaign against it from within; The Golden Guard dies, and Lilith is appointed as the Head Witch of the Emperor’s Coven when Belos realizes she will travel to the past to meet him; Alador and Odalia marry and found Blight Industries together.

-Circa 2006; Emira and Edric Blight are born.

-Circa 2007; Skara is born, followed by Willow Park; Vee is the fifth basilisk to be cloned by Belos.

-Circa 2008; Luz Noceda and Amity Blight are born.

-Circa 2010; Augustus Porter is born.

-King Clawthorne finally hatches from his egg.

-Circa 2014; King is found and adopted by Eda.

-The Nocedas move to Gravesfield.

-August 22nd, 20XX; Manny Noceda succumbs to his illness and dies, leaving Luz the first book in The Good Witch Azura series.

-Luz becomes obsessed with The Good Witch Azura.

-Amity is forced to sever ties with Willow during her birthday.

-Circa 2017; Alador has his last weekend off before Odalia forces him to work overtime.

-Willow meets and befriends Augustus Porter.

-Circa 2021; Tibbles finds The Good Witch Azura books washed ashore the Boiling Isles, and sells them to the Book Nook; Amity is the only one who buys them and becomes obsessed.

-Eda begins selling human garbage at Bonesborough as a side gig.

-Amity leaves the Hexside Banshees, quitting Grudgby entirely; Vee and Numbers Three and Four escape the Conformatorium.

-Summer 2022; Luz Noceda enters the Boiling Isles, while Vee enters the human world.

-Mason is promoted to Head Witch of the Construction Coven after the yearly Covention, in time for Luz to attend her first day at Hexside.

-Hunter is appointed the new Golden Guard by Belos.

-Scooter Crane retires; Raine Whispers is appointed as the new Head Witch of the Bard Coven; Tarak sees King’s video while visiting the Boiling Isles and mistakes him for another Titan Trapper’s estranged son, dropping off an invitation letter.

-Luz and Lilith travel through a time pool and encounter Philip Wittebane in the year 1660-70.

-August 22nd, 2022; Reaching Out takes place.

-The Day of Unity occurs; The Collector is freed by King and stops the draining spell; Luz and her friends (and Belos) are stranded in Gravesfield after the Portal is destroyed; The Collector turns the population into puppets, and builds a palace out of the Titan’s skull.

-October 29th, 2022; The Hexsquad discovers the rebus left behind by Caleb.

-October 30th, 2022; The Hexsquad locates Evelyn’s vial of Titan’s Blood; Belos infects Hunter’s body.

-October 31st, 2022; Belos kills Flapjack, and Luz and her friends return to the Boiling Isles.

-November 1st, 2022; For the Future takes place.

-November 2nd, 2022; Luz befriends the Collector and destroys Belos once and for all; The Titan passes on.

-2026; Luz graduates from high school and has her 18th birthday.

[ghostytoad]

* Fun n' Games *

ROTTMNT Boys x GN! Leo-esque reader who enjoys drama, making jokes, and being overall awesome

Summary: The Hamato brothers unexpectedly fall for the smug, but genuine, fun-loving reader despite their egocentric habits

Headcanons for: Casey Jones

GN! Reader; Romantic; Fluff; Mild angst || Words: 1.2k

Raph | Donnie | Leo | Mikey

Casey Jones Jr.

the moment the boy lays eyes on y/n and sees their easy-going nature, he is head over heels. the emotion practically hits him like a truck and it's all so… new?

it's something he can't initially explain and for a little while, he worries that he's dying or sick from the new york air - he will constantly check in with donnie and ask for every test under the sun to determine the cause

all he knows is that when y/n is around, his face gets hot, his knees are weak, his palms start sweating, and his heart beats wildly in his chest. being an apocalypse survivor, this adrenaline-like feeling can only be attributed to danger or shock

and as far he knows, y/n doesn't pose any danger, right? they've been like family to him and he sees so many admirable traits in them that he had once seen in his sensei (who happened to be the greatest ninja ever); he's genuinely confused by the whole thing

he might try to keep his distance until he figures out why this is happening, but he won't say no to joining y/n on little adventures. he enjoys the company and he especially appreciates how helpful they've been in getting him adjusted to life in present-day new york

"hey, why don't i come along? i'm sure you can handle yourself but i'd be happy to be there for you."

he can't help but compare a lot of what y/n does to how his sensei was in his old timeline. he doesn't mean to do it, he just misses his old mentor and y/n's presence is a familiar comfort to him. leo is great and all, but there's something special about y/n.

casey deals with some pretty major insomnia and when he finds it hard to sleep at night, the first thing he does is call up y/n. they thankfully answer every time and their voice easily manages to soothe the poor boy to sleep (he will snore LOUDLY into the phone when he falls asleep during the call)

he's constantly worried about y/n's safety and will check in on them often when they're not in the lair or at home. he's even asked donnie to make y/n their own communicator so he can keep in contact with them if they're ever in danger.

y/n is one of the first people casey jr will open up to about his rough upbringing. some things are just too painful to bring up to the hamato family, but he knows it hurts more to keep it all bottled up. he loves how accepting they are of him and how sympathetic they can be about his… shall we say, emotional fragilities.

not that he's emotionally fragile, but he sure enough has a lot to sort through and y/n gives him the courage to tackle it head-on and accept where he is and who he is now

on his first attempts at flirting with y/n, he managed to straight out admit he had a crush on them without realizing it. boy is so clueless that he doesn't realize what he's done until he sees the shock on their face

"Hey, Y/N. I, uh, have another joke for you." Casey hadn't looked up from his little joke book as he spoke, squinting as he studied the content as if he'd suddenly understand it better if he just stared at it long enough. Y/N sat lazily on a couch not too far from the boy, head buried in a copy of the latest Jupiter Jim comic book. They paused their reading only to let out a hum of acknowledgement.

"What is it this time? Chicken cross the road again or knock knock?"

"Who's there?" the boy chimed absent-mindedly.

Y/N let out a soft giggle as they set their book down.

"No, genius, you're the one that's supposed to start." They couldn't help but roll their eyes as a smirk tugged at the corner of their lips. Though progress had been slow, they'd hoped a joke book would give Casey a much needed boost considering his previous, pitiable attempts at jokes that more often than not became a moment of oversharing his tragedy. The poor boy was utterly hopeless when it came to comedy.

"Oh, right." Clearing his throat, he straightened himself as if he were getting ready to give a speech, "Okay, knock knock!"

"Who's there?"

"Candice…"

"Candice who?"

"Candice be love I'm feeling for you?"

The weight of his words were completely lost on him as Casey beamed with pride, his joke landing with no mistakes or stuttering. It was no secret that Y/N and Casey were close, but in the short period of time they'd come to know each other, Y/N had developed some deep affections for the boy. The constant struggle to keep themselves in check around him had started taking its toll. It had gotten to the point that Y/N needed to keep their yearning eyes on something- ANYTHING ELSE- when he was around to keep from visibly flustering, the ever-present blush threatening to expose their true feelings. Feigning a soft chuckle, Y/N could only hide their face deeper in the comic they were reading and hope that any flutter of emotion went totally unnoticed.

"R-Really, was that your idea of a good joke?" their attempts at a tease came off a tad more hostile than playful.

Casey responded with a chuff of his own, "Ah, yeah I guess it doesn't make sense if I already know it's true."

"Sometimes comedy takes-" the sudden impact of his words hit them all at once, caught like a deer in headlights while they froze mid-sentence. Peering over at the raven-haired boy revealed an equally shocked expression painted across his reddening face. His mouth opened only to shut itself again and again clearly trying and failing to summon the words to explain his little blunder. Y/N had him beat in regaining some semblance of composure, shaking off the bashfulness.

"Did…" their voice caught in their throat before they started again, "What exactly did you mean by… erm, by that?"

Casey's eyes darted in every direction attempting to search for an answer anywhere he could find it.

"Well, I just- It was really-" he let out a sigh and braced himself, "I'm not sure what to call this feeling but I think it's something like love. I might… maybe love you?"

"Maybe?!"

Y/N shot up from their seat, arms over their head in disbelief and their steps beginning to pace.

"Y-You can't maybe love someone! That's a pretty serious feeling!"

They stopped partway through their rapid pacing to search Casey's bewildered expression causing it to soften a bit under their close observation.

"I don't know if what I feel is exactly what you'd call love, but it... feels close enough to that. I mean... Y/N, when I look at you, my heart starts racing, my head starts spinning, everything feels light and airy. And when you're gone, all I want to do is look for you and see your smile, see the way your eyes light up, listen to your laugh."

His unfocused gaze forced itself up to meet theirs, wide with earnest affection.

"Life here's been… heh, it's confusing to say the least. And these feelings are just as confusing. And for a while I thought it was crazy. Thought I was crazy to believe I could love someone this quickly. But… It'd be so much easier for me to understand if I knew you felt the same?"

Even if this new emotion had been confusing for him, this very moment was one that made it all click in his mind. He was in love all along.

[britcision]

New day new conspiracy to be unhinged about woooooo

SO.

This right here.

The moment where Kabru reveals he’s Milsiril’s baby boy (and more relevantly the last survivor of Utaya)

Kabru telling them that he actually wanted to enlist in the Canaries directly, but couldn’t because of the racial barrier. How true that is……. Well let’s say I’m sure he wanted to when he was little, buuuuut by the time he left it wasn’t that they wouldn’t let him

And tbh the reason why is very much the next panel:

The Canaries learn he’s Milsiril’s little boy and immediately fucking claim him as theirs, asking if he’s been eating well, if he wants cake, telling him to cheer up and smile sometimes

It is notably the convicts, especially Otta and Fleki although Cithis has been leading the conversation; Pattadol is not in frame and Mithrun ruins all their fun by staying on track

Kabru is not 30 seconds out of saying he was raised by their vice commander before he is being babied, and there’s a fun read of just “well this is our child now we must care for him for Milsiril hello new nephew”

But. Given what we later learn Milsiril’s care is actually like. The room where Kabru could eat all the cake that he wanted, that he never ever wanted to return to even when freezing and starving.

Where she gave him such arduous and extensive sword training he thought he would die, with the stated intent of showing him how bad it could be to make him give up and stay with her forever.

“Wanna eat some cake” is suddenly a much darker comment, and doesn’t have a directional bubble, so I’mma pin it on Cithis on general Sketchy Bitch vibes

Now, that only makes sense if these folks know Milsiril directly, or have some way to know what her home life is like for her adoptees

(Or Cithis can read minds which let’s be honest absolutely no one needs to be true but she deserves it)

But. So does that immediate tonal shift

“Oh, you’re Milsiril’s kid. Now we care about you beyond being an interruption.”

We know Pattadol is on her very first mission. We know Cithis has been responsible for Mithrun’s care for long enough while he’s back on active duty that she gets bored of her new doll.

(And that she only started respecting him after they acquired Pattadol, whiiiiich. He got back to active duty 14 years ago. None of the other Canaries got their own timeline, but he’s also had long enough to have an established track record of getting his warden partners killed

When Flamela assigns Cithis to his wellbeing, she pretty clearly knows the extent of his caretaking issues, and this whole section of the timeline is fuzzy, but it is specifically Pattadol who is the first to tempt Cithis into telling Mithrun to hurt her

And specifically not until after he refuses that she begins to respect him)

Milsiril has been retired for the same 14 year period, taking Kabru and for some reason one of her own Canary convicts home with her, but she served with Mithrun when he initially became a Dungeon Lord 40 years pre series… and most of that squad died in Mithrun’s dungeon

(Also his lover became a snake person at some point for some reason sooooo monsterfucker ahoy)

(We know that’s the lover from both Mithrun’s initial vision and his Adventurer’s Bible comic which identifies his brother as the one with the short hair. Presumably they were not always a snake?)

None of the names he gave Kabru in his backstory refer to any of his current party members

Otta and Fleki mention Milsiril in Otta’s comic when teasing Otta about being a pedophile because she only dates halffoot women and breaks up with them when they turn 30

(This being past middle age for halffoots, who become adults at 13 and live to around 50; Chilchuck is 29.

One might expect… say… visible signs of aging to show up around 30. Reminders of how little time they have left. Although, frankly, how much free time does Otta actually have to be dating outside of work???? They’re so shorthanded Mithrun made captain the minute he could serve after Utaya)

Ahem. We digress.

Otta’s reaction (directly saying Milsiril treats shorter lived people like pets while she loves them as individuals, which Kabru Does Not Deny) might be because she’s seen Milsiril’s behaviour directly, or just being sick of the comparison. Hard to say, but Milsiril already doesn’t like elves

No, the conspiracy theory today is that CITHIS in particular has worked with Milsiril between Mithrun being rescued and Utaya’s destruction, possibly with Fleki and Otta

They’re all close to Mithrun’s age so there’s a very real possibility they were serving when Utaya fell, and either were lucky enough not to get sent there (there are so many dungeons in the world) or unlucky enough not to retire in the aftermath

Dumping Mithrun with Milsiril’s survivors makes perfect sense - the two had served together as wardens and Milsiril Barest Possible Minimum took a personal interest in Mithrun returning to duty after Utaya

She’s the one getting him to take his first steps and tells him she’ll get him back in a dungeon

Milsiril, known hater of elves, left the Canaries on good enough terms with her convicts to take one with her (Helki, shown in Mithrun’s story and Kabru’s training flashbacks - the only other survivor we know of from Mithrun’s dungeon)

And these particular convicts immediately brighten up knowing that Kabru is one of Milsiril’s; he’s in a very different position from Mithrun, who basically has direct power over their lives and deaths, but if you have a potentially unstable new captain who’s gonna be extra dependent on his convicts coming in…

Well, it’d be nice if the convicts have a reason beyond “well if both of our wardens die we can’t use magic so we will too” to keep him alive and moving

Note: they did at some point hand him directly over to fucking Cithis, who has an established track record of wrapping her captains around her little finger and doing whatever the fuck she wants anyway

(To the point that she’s left and “rejoined” the Canaries multiple times, and her behaviour with Mithrun is considered her having calmed down… while actively trying to have him hurt his subordinate wardens and plotting to kill Pattadol)

So. Not. Y’know. Convinced that anyone necessarily was thinking that particular assignment through. Although you could argue that they were just heading off the inevitable and letting her know this one is high maintenance

ANYWAY.

Tl;dr: Mithrun’s a monsterfucker, this is established fact and not a conspiracy theory

Kabru’s been adopted by the Canaries the second they know who his mom is, which may explain why no one actually tries to stop him when he grabs Mithrun later despite him not having a weapon

(Fear of Milsiril finding out they’ve hurt her boy > rescuing Mithrun or later even stopping Kabru from helping Laios repeatedly)

And Cithis, Fleki, and possibly Otta worked directly with Milsiril at one point before Utaya, which is why Mithrun was given them specifically - he was one of Milsiril’s projects too, Milsiril’s personal involvement unclear

How much this has to do with Mithrun getting all his warden comrades killed but apparently not his convicts: unclear

(Still bet Cithis “helped” with the warden before Pattadol)

[exactlycleverpirate]

Trying to Make Sense of Rafayel's Timeline

This has been updated here.

Spoilers for basically everything below, except for the endings of he Myths, as I do not have those yet.

First, so notes:

See outline for three possible options for the timing of the pinky promise/rescue. 

As children, she rescued him when he was stranded on the beach and then Rafayel made a pinky promise with MC that “It's settled then. If you don't return I'll…I'll chase you to the ends of the Earth.” (Nightly Stroll and Main Story chapter 7)

Also 3 options for the slaughter of the Lemurians after Rafayel is deceived as a child.

As a boy, Rafayel sings the “Siren's Ballad” as an elegy for the slaughtered Lemurians as he sits on a coral reef alone surrounded by waves dyed red with their blood, watching ships sail away, carrying those who deceived him and slaughtered his people (Anecdote 3). (Could be that Rafayel trusted the wrong humans and revealed either the location of the Lemurians or that they were all vulnerable on Ebb Day) (Perhaps MC had an unwitting hand in this).

These two events may be back to back or occur at separate points in the timeline. Inclined to think the promise came first, then the deception, but could be that he was stranded because of the deception/slaughter, or these events occur separately.

Timeline:

On Earth, past life/lives:

First possible option for the pinky promise/rescue: Their first lives ever meeting each other, starting it all off. 

First possible option for the deception/slaughter: Immediately after their first encounter with each other.

Rafayel and MC are lovers.

MC cursed to be a Sea Witch in the Abyssal Rift and has forgotten Rafayel and being human. He gives up a scale, some of his blood, and his song in a shell to set her free. The potion she makes with these is a bitter scent reminiscent of fermented aquatic plants. She turns human and remembers him. He gets her to shore and then he turns into foam. (When she regains her memories, the voices that play are of current day Rafayel, from his date Your Fragrance. Possibly just because she is remembering this in a dream, rather than those being the actual memories she recovered at the time.) (Fragrant Dream)

Second option for pinky promise/rescue and/or deception/slaughter: Reunited in some reincarnation between the initial life and the current one.

Current life, on Earth:

2024 Rafayel born March 6th (or so he claims).

2026 MC born.

Rafayel was given a Whale Call by Lemurian adults when he was a child. He never had a chance to use it and buried it in a Lemurian city under the sea. (Was this in this life or a previous one?)

Third option for pinky promise/rescue and/or deception/slaughter: This timeline when they are children, likely before the Deepspace Tunnel and Chronorift Catastrophe in 2034

Rafayel's only living family on Earth is his Aunt Talia, also Lemurian. There are some other surviving Lemurians as well who are being hunted, tortured,  and harvested for their scales and blood. (Anecdote 3)

2034 Ruins of Lemuria were revealed near Linkon the same year that the Deepspace Tunnel appeared and the Chronorift Catastrophe occurred. MC (age 8) now has protocore shards in her heart, is adopted by Granny, and has little memory before this event (perhaps this is when she forgets Rafayel).

Rafayel is an Opera Singer in Verona going by the moniker “Mo”, hunting down and killing people, possibly as revenge for the destruction of Lemuria and slaughter of his people. He is in touch with Talia. He also recently attended a Seamoon Ceremony for another Lemurian, K, who dies and is returned to the sea (after having his scales and blood taken). It is suggested that Rafayel is trying to accomplish something to save the Lemurians, saying, “Not every Lemurian survivor can wait.” It appears the longer he takes to accomplish his goal, the more of the Lemurians die in the meanwhile. (Anecdote 3)

He is not painting. 

He is being investigated by a private detective named Louis.

Rafayel remembers the dying cries of his people.

Rafayel leaves Verona and moves to Linkon city. He has a picture of MC in his pocket. (Anecdote 3)

Rafayel uses a private investigator to find out MC is attending Linkon University. He takes a position as a special lecturer there. He sees MC again, talking to some of her classmates. He is confused that she doesn’t seem to know anything about Lemuria. (Anecdote 2)

Rafayel begins painting again.

Rafayel does not tolerate the PI getting too close to MC or taking pictures of her.

Describes his feelings for MC as akin to a spice, painful and addictive.

Indicates he is prepared to be with her for the rest of his life, but also wants to “settle the score”.

Rafayel believes she is being surrounded by dangerous entities, some of whom may possibly be trying to use her to trap him. This is part of why he doesn’t approach her at this time. He decides he can afford to take his time and make his moves carefully. 

Rafayel hires Thomas to be his agent. (Anecdote 1)

2048 MC (age 22) begins work as a Deepspace Hunter. MC and Rafayel are reunited, though MC does not remember Rafayel. Rafayel’s home is called Mo Art Studio.

Rafayel acquires a red Flamula from Lemuria the first time he reintroduces himself to MC. She gives it to him to take home.

When Rafayel attempts to abandon MC to drowning, there is a tail mark that appears above his heart, and he turns around and goes back to her. (Possibly an indication of the bond they forged when he saved her with his scale or made a vow with her).

Lemuria is described as being gone for thousands of years, yet Lemurians are still alive now. (Possibly they had gone into hiding and were revealed when Rafayel was deceived.) (Rafayel described himself as “a lost pearl that washed up on the beach” in Ebb and Flow.)

In “Nightly Stroll” date, Rafayel makes MC vow never to make him wait again, a vow that is blessed by a little blue fish, an Emissary of the Ocean.

In “Your Fragrance” date, Rafayel asks MC who gave her the catnip-like perfume (he says it smells familiar), suggesting she is working with someone, using underhanded methods to trap him. 

(This smell has a similar description to the perfume he gives her later that gives her the dream, as well as the smell of the potion that turns her human. “Bitter like fermented plants”.) 

“Are you trying to run away again? I'm not going anywhere. You're going to lock me up again. You're with them, I just know it. Don't think I'm unaware of what you're about to do. I won't fall for it again. Not this time.” 

(Order of events: Your Fragrance > Dangerously Close > Fragrant Dream)

In “Ebb and Flow” date, he reveals himself as a Lemurian to MC on Ebb Day. She promises to never hurt him.

This vulnerability suggests he has a remarkable amount of trust in MC, despite his bitterness at her forgetting him. 

Rafayel asks MC what she would do if this was all a trap he set up to kill her. This is what is happening in Rafayel’s myth story. Does Rafayel in this time period somehow know about that or is this just foreshadowing? 

In “Whalefall Lament” date, Rafayel takes MC to underwater ruins of Lemuria to dig up the Whale Call he buried there as a child. He describes his childhood as boring and closely guarded. He made many escape attempts when he was young, and was given the Whale Call as a means of protection, but he never had the opportunity to use it, as his escape attempts did not succeed again after this.

Philos (estimated 30,000 years after Earth’s destruction):

Myth takes place on Philos, likely sometime between Xavier and MC meeting for the first time (Xavier’s Anecdote 3) and Xavier's myth story. The oceans have been missing for 30,000 years (possibly because Earth was destroyed and Philos was made with a fake core holding separate tectonic plates together). 

Rafayel was bound to MC when the oceans still existed by giving her one of his scales (see Fragrant Dream for when this may have occurred). 

MC's heart keeps the people of Philos immortal (See Xavier’s Myth for the connection between MC’s heart, the people’s immortality, and Philos’ core) and she was “born from the depths of the earth”. MC remembers living on the Island of Songs in a hut by herself, surrounded by the ocean. (Was this in her first life or some subsequent life on Earth?)

Could Hat Island and the Island of Songs be the same place?

MC is gifted Rafayel when they are young and sets him free. Rafayel later implies he was only caught because he wanted to be.

Rafayel and MC are reunited as adults when she is attempting to escape the palace. They meet several times and grow close, though Rafayel is plotting with Amund.

Rafayel is mentioned as the second most important person to princess MC. The first visits her often. Who is this? Xavier? The King?

There are other Lemurians on Philos with Rafayel,  including Amund. They are killing human nobles, with the belief that by doing so, it will help restore The oceans and Lemurian.

Rafayel is referred to as the God of the Sea in the myth and it is implied that his heart has been stolen by MC. Possibly not literal.

Rafayel believes revenge is meaningless. Only wants to restore the oceans and Lemuria.

MC can use a Lemurian Beacon to summon Rafayel.

Rafayel and Amund take MC to the Island of Songs (now no longer an island), and she recognizes it. Rafayel has to decide whether to believe the legends and cut out MC’s heart in an effort to restore the oceans and Lemuria. Rafayel had previously indicated that the heart must be given willingly. (Don’t have the final 2 chapters of the Myth yet to know how this plays out).

On another note, I am now just sitting here thinking about how both Xavier and Rafayel have loved her for over 30,000 years. And Xavier has been alive through that whole time, possibly watching her die over and over again. *sobs*

Please let me know your thoughts, questions, corrections, insights, what have you. I'm sure i missed stuff or made mistakes. This will likely be updated when I can finish the myths.

[soniclozdplove]

So I have a mini theory about TOTK based on the memories, major spoilers under cut

So Zelda is around 10,000 years in the past, in the Era where this iteration of Hyrule was first founded. I say this iteration because I believe that this isn't the true original Hyrule that we know to have been founded form Skyward Sword but most likely a refounding of the kingdom from further down the timeline, similar to how New Hyrule was founded by Link and Tetra after Wind Waker, but that's my own headcanon and I don't really want to deal with the whole timeline bs right now. Which is why I'm only focusing on Zelda doing time travel in TOTK.

So... my question here is, exactly how long was she in the past!? The answer is 10,000 years, I know, but I mean... how long was ZELDA in the past. Not Zelda the Light Dragon but Zelda as herself. Time travel is a finicky subject since, for us, she could have only been missing for weeks, maybe months, before the end of the game. For her it could have been much, much longer.

My idea stens from a few factors, first being her relationship with Sonia and Rauru and the second being the Imprisoning War. A little bit of Ganondorf thrown in there too.

First and foremost, the bond between Zelda and her ancestors. Queen Sonia and King Rauru treat Zelda, a literal stranger to their politics and therapy, like a daughter. Far more so than he rown father ever did! When she has something to say, they listen to her concerns and validate them. Now that could just be them being good parental figures to their decendant, but Rauru had no reason to believe a word Zelda said about her concerns over Ganondorf's treachery when, in her time, the Imprisoning War that hadn't even happened yet was little more than a legend and barely remembered history. Nobody even knew who the Zonai were by the time BOTW came along. Yet Ganondorf aoemhow knew Sonia would listen if Zelda asked to see her in private, and Sonia and Zelda were both able to put a contingency plan in effect to thwart the attamped assassination. True they failed in the end, but the initial attempt had failed and the fact Ganondorf knew Zelda's image would move Sonia to leave her protection and her husband says a lot in and of itself.

Then the war itself. First of all, war isn't a quick matter. There is jo su h thing as a fast war no matter what history claims. All war is messy and takes years to deal with the fallout. And the Imprisoning War wasn't a simple skirmish. It was a massive war that put the Hylians and their aloud forces to the rbink of extinction, one that had long lasting consequences including but not limited to the longterm exclusion of all males within the Gerudo tribe with the exception of Link over 10,000 years down the line, and even then that only happened AFTER he saved the tribe twice over. A war that is o far reaching it is mere jyth and legend yet still very present at the time of BOTW. By the time the Sages swear allegiance to Rauru, he was the last bastion against the Demon King in his rampage with the last of the Gerudo falling shortly beforehand. That is, the Gerudo who are OP as hell in BOTW in all accounts and are literally trained from childhood as elite warriors in most cases.

Zelda had FOUGHT in that war and had spent an undetermined time after its ending, preparing the Kingdome of Hyrule and the remaining survivors for Ganondorf's inevitable revival as best she could. That in and of itself will likely take years, especially since she had to find a caretaker for Rauru and Sonia's unnamed and unseen heir to ensure her bloodline lasted long enough for her own birth.

So, I bring you back to my theory... Zelda has been in the past for at least several years before she turned into the Light Dragon. She did not immediately go to the Temple of Time and swallow the secret stone. She had to have had at least several months after the war at minimum before she could transform into a dragon. I know the Tears make it appear shorter than it was but there's no way all the events of the 8 tears can happen within a span of a few months. It had to have been years.

[leopeiros]

The One in which Wei Wuxian Died

-

Got an idea for an au in the dead of the night which I might flesh out later. Idk. But for now, here’s what it amounts to.

-

Wei Wuxian, post-canon, happily married to Lan Wangji, is not in fact getting along with his in-laws. And by in-laws, I mean Lan Qiren. Lan Qiren is convinced that Wei Wuxian is the devil incarnate that stole away and seduced his well behaved nephew, corrupting him. Nothing new from the man who held a grudge against a literal fifteen year old. He does not hide the fact that he believes things would be better off had Wei Wuxian not existed in the first place.

Wei Wuxian, who is in fact a talismanic genius, decides that if Lan Qiren wants a world where he doesn’t exist so badly, he’ll help the man out. He then spends the next few weeks developing a talisman (or array, if that works better) that will allow Lan Qiren to view an alternate timeline in which Wei Wuxian does not exist. He promptly presents it to Lan Qiren, explains the concept, and laughs as he tells Lan Qiren to use it whenever he wants to relax.

Most importantly, Lan Qiren is a spectator to this timeline. He is unable to influence it.

(While Wei Wuxian perhaps no longer blames himself for certain events, like the Wens attacking Lotus Pier, considering they likely would have done so no matter his perceived slight, he does not think through the effect his not being there would bring about during other such events. So while self blame is not as prevalent as it once would have been, he does not think the world would find detriment in his absence. He is wrong.)

Now, with the initial setup out of the way, let’s dive into this alternate timeline, starting with the first divergence; Wei Wuxian himself.

In this timeline, Wei Ying, nearing six years old, succumbs to a fever brought about by infected dog bites after his first encounter with them on the streets. (His little spirit is very happily enjoying spending time with his parents in the afterlife. he’s probably the only carefree individual in this timeline.)

Lotus Pier, despite Wei Wuxian having never stepped foot within it, is still wrought with tension. Jiang Cheng still develops an inferiority complex, and Jiang Yanli still takes it upon herself to parent her little brother in the absence of any real parenting from Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian, who are too busy fighting with each other to pay much attention to their children aside from using them as ammunition for their ire. While the main family is dealing with this infighting, the Jiang Sect stagnates and weakens under the mismanagement of their appointed Head Disciple until Jiang Fengmian finally catches wind of this during one of Madam Yu’s night hunts when she’s not around to distract him. A new Head Disciple is chosen, but the damage will take time to repair.

Cloud Recesses is relatively calm, the year Wei Wuxian was meant to attend. With a few distinct differences. Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang are not friends without Wei Wuxian to act as a buffer between Jiang Cheng’s headstrong personality and Nie Huaisang’s far meeker disposition. Lan Wangji does not spend the year falling in love with a troublesome rule-breaker, and continues to seclude himself away behind an icy disposition. Su She drowns during the confrontation with the Waterborne Abyss. The students come, study, and leave. Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan’s engagement remains intact by the end of the year. Lan Wangji does not come out of his shell, and Lan Xichen continues to worry about his brother.

Wen Chao still performs poorly during the archery competition. The Lan sect is still burnt down. The indoctrination still occurs. Mianmian is branded on the face. The disciples manage to escape with few casualties, but the Xuanwu of Slaughter remains alive. Lan Wangji will never regain full mobility of his leg despite the strength of his golden core.

Lotus Pier still burns. Jiang Yanli, safe in Lanling at the time, becomes the sole survivor of the main family. Without Wei Wuxian there to temper his impulsivity, Jiang Cheng joins back in the fight after being sent away and dies alongside his parents. The Jiang sect dissolves with so little members left with no one suitable to lead them. Jiang Yanli officially marries into the Jin sect the year after.

The Sunshot Campaign is still formed, but lacking the support of both the Jiang and the Jin (whose contribution is so minimal it barely counts for anything), it was doomed from the beginning. The Wen storm Qinghe Nie whilst the Sunshot Campaign gathers its forces, and Wen Xu takes Nie Huaisang hostage to force Nie Mingjue to come fight them. The Sunshot Campaign is thusly defeated, and as it’s figurehead, Nie Mingjue is beheaded.

Following this, Jin Guangshan openly allies himself with Wen Rouhan, whilst both the Lan and Nie are absorbed into the Wen sect. Anyone who protests this is executed or used for more of Wen Rouhan’s experiments regarding resentful energy.

It is during this lull in activity that Jin Ling is born to Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli. Things are peaceful in Lanling for approximately two years until Wen Rouhan sets his sights on completely conquering the cultivation world and targets the Jin sect. Jin Guangshan dies after his core is crushed by Wen Zhuliu. Following a promise made to Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan flees with Jin Ling after Jiang Yanli is captured to buy them time to escape (the only reason it is not Jin Zixuan buying time for Jiang Yanli and Jin Ling is that he has a better chance at being able to protect their son, given Jiang Yanli’s weaker cultivation). She is brought to Nightless City after Wen Xu takes an interest in her.

After an entire year on the run from the Wen, Jin Zixuan is finally caught in Yiling. He puts up a significant fight to protect Jin Ling but is ultimately injured. This is where Xiao Xingchen and Song Zichen show in the narrative. They help Jin Zixuan fight off the Wen soldiers, but Jin Zixuan is dying. He entrusts Jin Ling into the care of the two rogue cultivators, making them promise to keep the boy safe. The two agree. So they leave Jin Zixuan in Yiling and travel to the safest place Xiao Xingchen knows; a place he knows accepts orphaned children. He takes Jin Ling to the Celestial Mountain, upon which resides none other than Baoshan Sanren.

(Jin Zixuan, for his part, does not die. Wen Qing, who although has since been called back to Nightless City to resume her work as Wen Rouhan’s personal physician, occasionally travels to Yiling to check upon the supervisory office still under her management. Wen Qing, who has developed a tentative friendship with Jiang Yanli, chances upon Jin Zixuan and beyond all odds, recognizes him as Jiang Yanli’s husband from before her capture. She promptly smuggles him into the supervisory office to treat him. His core is irreparably damaged by a poison made from resentful energy that Wen Rouhan has Wen Qing helping to develop. If left unchecked, it would continue to ravage through the meridians until the pain immobilizes the affected cultivator, leading to eventual death. To prevent this, Wen Qing surgically removes Jin Zixuan’s golden core.)

That’s where my subsequent timeline ends, but there are still ideas for this that I have. Because without Wei Wuxian, the solution for this timeline’s happy ending is far more complicated.

These new circumstances, however, lead to some pretty interesting dynamics that can be explored. My main idea obviously centres around Nie Huaisang, who with the loss of his brother is most certainly plotting the downfall of Wen Rouhan. But the most interesting dynamic I can think of would have to be between Meng Yao and Mo Xuanyu. Meng Yao, who did not stab Wen Rouhan and therefore was never acknowledged by Jin Guangshan. Meng Yao, who with Jin Guangshan dead, has no way to obtain that approval, and so therefore does not align his entire being with being the perfect son. And Mo Xuanyu, who without Wei Wuxian to invent demonic cultivation, might just end up as the founder in this timeline (because he’s pretty and tragic and I adore him).

Either way, the main rebellion would likely consist of Nie Huaisang, Meng Yao, Mo Xuanyu, (perhaps) Lan Wangji, Wen Qing, Wen Ning, Xiao Xingchen, Song Zichen, Jiang Yanli, and Jin Zixuan. (And if this lasts long enough, Jin Ling as well.) I say perhaps for Lan Wangji due to his injured leg, though he could still contribute utilizing musical cultivation.

Oh, and the Xuanwu of Slaughter is still an issue in this universe. Unless they can weaponize it against the Wen, which would be pretty cool.

(Wen Chao does in fact become the Wen’s very own version of Jin Guangshan, leaving illegitimate heirs all over the place.)

Of course, none of this is set in stone. If anyone wants to play around with this au, you’re totally free to do so however you’d like. I’m sharing this mostly in case anyone else finds it interesting, and because I’ll probably never actually write a fic for it. This mostly just started out as a brain teaser trying to figure out what would happen if Wei Wuxian wasn’t part of the plot, considering that although he did contribute quite a lot to the canon events, a lot of things were set in motion long before he was even born (like Jin Guangshan’s corruption and Wen Rouhan’s plans to conquer the cultivation world).

[ynisreal]

wires (7) - michael afton x reader

author’s note: hello! thank u for all the love and sorry for the delay :P

summary: You and Henry talk. Michael and Henry make difficult decisions. You have to get back to work. (6k)

Chapter 7

"Here you go," Henry hands you the plastic cup with the hot drink you've chosen. After reading Michael's note, Henry offered you a ride home, but you insisted that you wanted to explain what had happened today, as soon as possible, so that your nightmare would finally end. Henry understood your motives, but insisted on bringing you to a quieter place, where the two of you could talk freely and without the noise of sirens or police officers talking loudly.

So now you found yourselves in a small local coffee shop, where there were only students with their books and the staff of the café. You thanked Henry for the drink, and took a small sip, feeling the small dose of dopamine that the hot drink provided try to rewire your brain. You were still in shock, but getting away from the establishment certainly helped you calm down. Henry was also good company, not pushing you to speak, just standing next to you and comfortably silent, waiting for you to take the initiative. It was good to be around someone as understanding as him at this time, despite the fact that you only met him twice.

"Take your time, I don't have a timetable for coming home," Henry says smiling fondly at you, "I know your head must be a mess now, so you can take the time to organize a timeline." You look at him, understanding what he meant. And it was true, your head was a mess before, but after telling and retelling the same story to so many people today, you can easily dictate the same speech you did to everyone else. However, with the adrenaline finally leaving your body after so long, you're out of energy. In those moments when your body is totally without motivation or initiative, sincerity and truth come to the surface, taking advantage of the lack of strength in your inhibitory control. That's why, at that very second, when your brain was so tired of controlling your actions, you say:

"I saw Noah's organs scattered all over the floor," your voice is strangely calm for the gravity of your speech. Henry's eyes widen. "I never thought I'd witness something like this, I've heard it on true crime podcasts or online reports, but it all seems so unreal until you actually witness violence like this," you continue, holding the cup with both hands, letting the hot liquid exchange heat with your cold hands.

"Yes," Henry replies, a soft tone in his voice. He understood well what you were talking about, after all, he never thought he would find the soul of his only daughter trapped in a puppet. It was an event that people only visualize in films or books, so he understood your shock now, what you thought was such a distant reality was closer than you imagined. Henry didn't comment on or interfere with your train of thought, letting you say what you wanted.

"I never thought about how I would die or when," you continue, your eyes downcast and slightly open, as if you were reliving the scene, "But, Henry, do you think I could die like that?" you ask, now staring at the man you've just met. Well, that's certainly not what Henry was expecting when he came to talk to you, but he knew the curse that this franchise carried was bound to cause some unpredictable events, turning people into monsters or survivors, defying all the laws of nature and even making the dead come back. Predictability was not present in Henry's life.

"I don't know, Y/n," Henry replied sincerely, letting his shoulders slump in defeat. He had no words of comfort for your situation, knowing that there was no comfort to give you, the fear in your eyes was clear. "We don't control the way we die, only what we do in life and the people we take care of during our days," the man continued, letting his back rest against the seat, still surprised that he was having such a deep conversation with a woman he had only just met. At least, in person, because he'd already heard a lot about you from Michael.

"I see," you reply, a little disappointed by the man's response. Well, you couldn't expect him to say that there's a way out of all your insecurities and fear, but in a situation like yours, you couldn't help but hope that a stranger like him would lie to you, words of comfort so surreal that you might believe them. "Thank you for being honest, Henry," you smile, thanking the man who kept you company during this chaotic night. Henry smiles back.

Henry looks at you for a few seconds, wondering whether or not to tell you what was on his mind. You seemed calmer, a softer look on your face, but fear was recognizable in your gaze. He had seen this fear too many times in Michael's eyes and in his own. It didn't suit you, so Henry sighs, catching your eye.

"There's a legend - Well, I wouldn't say a legend, but a story that really struck me," Henry begins, smiling slightly as he sees your eyes light up with curiosity, "It's about a man who made a mistake during his teenage years, an accident that killed a person he loved very much, and after that, he spent his whole life trying to make up for that mistake and several others that weren't caused by him. This man suffered a lot, lost many people and got hurt on his journey, plunging and sinking into this dark and lonely path, so much so that he ended up dying in a violent way." Henry pauses, taking a few seconds to breathe, "However, life is not cruel, it may seem so, but everything happens for a reason, so life gave this man a second chance. He came back to life, he got the second chance he deserves so much," the man in front of you smiles slightly, "I'm not saying that you can predict your death or that if you're good enough, your death will be peaceful, but that you can be sure that some bad things happen for good things to happen."

You don't know how to feel about this story, in fact, it left you a little confused. Why was Henry telling you this? Soon, you feel that same feeling you felt that day with Michael in the hallway. Your stomach seems to turn over in tears to let you know that that story or legend was in fact a ***truth***. You continue to smile, trying to disguise the discomfort that is settling in your body, lightly clutching the shirt you were wearing, waiting for the feeling to pass. It was violent with your body, almost as if you could feel your intuition screaming at you in every way that Henry was telling a real story.

Henry didn't know what to make of your silence, just watching you smile softly, seeming to understand what he had said. "Well, I'm sorry if I said something that made you uncomfortable, I just thought you'd like to hear this story," Henry starts to apologize, but is soon interrupted by you, "No, no, it's just a difficult story to absorb, but I think I understand, thank you Henry," you say, raising your cup to take another sip.

Henry seems pleased that you've understood, a bit happy to have comforted you at least a little. You talk some more, and you recount all the events of your terrible day to him, answering the questions he had and thanking him when he said he would talk to the head office about you having a few days off, because of the trauma you have suffered and the investigation that will take place. You don't know if the time off will be a good idea, maybe staying at home trapped in your thoughts won't be pleasant, but going back to the same place where you found Noah's open body wasn't an idea you liked either. Henry tells you that the night security guard will be notified of your absence and the investigation, at which you ask:

"Will Michael be working both shifts?" you interrupt Henry, worried that Michael might have to spend the whole day in that establishment. Henry looks at you, his mouth slightly open in surprise at your question. "Well, we don't know yet...", the man in front of you replies sincerely. Even Henry didn't want Michael to spend the whole day in that establishment before he found out who had killed Noah.

"If so, I'll go back to work," you say quickly, raising your back from the seat, showing confidence in your statement, "It's not fair that he has to work all day alone in that place," you continue, an assertive voice, as if the fear you had been feeling before disappeared for a few seconds. Henry doesn't know what to say to your suggestion, knowing that Michael will cut his head off if he lets you back into the establishment.

"I'll talk to him - but I don't know if the head office will agree to you returning to the establishment so soon," Henry replies, still impressed by your confidence. You cared about Michael, you didn't want him to spend the whole day alone in that establishment, especially since the murder took place during your working hours. You were just as stubborn as Michael, but Henry couldn't get frustrated about that, satisfied that the man he loved like a son had someone who cared about him besides Henry. Michael could be a little careless at times, still used to the anger and impulsiveness that had haunted him since his teenage years, so having someone like you who could look after him made Henry a little calmer.

"Okay, but tell them that if Michael has to work two shifts, I'm begging them to let me come back," you cross your arms, leaning back against the comfortable seat. Henry smiles softly and nods. You finish your drinks and Henry kindly escorts you home, promising to keep in touch to give you updates on the case and bring you news from the headquarters. You thank him and wish the caring man you got to know better that evening a good night.

"How is she?" is the first thing Henry hears when he gets home. Michael was standing there, wearing the same clothes as when he left the establishment. The television was off and the carpet was a bit messy, which showed Henry that Michael had probably been walking around in circles like a lunatic. "Good night to you too, Mike," Henry said with sarcasm, closing the door behind him.

"Don't give me that, answer me," Michael said a little irritated by Henry's lack of comment, the concern evident on the younger man's purplish face. Michael was without his mask and hood, which made his dark eyes more noticeable. Henry had gotten used to Michael's new figure, but in the bright lighting of his house, he could see that there was a small sparkle in the great darkness that was Michael's gaze, functioning almost like a pupil, following Henry's walking figure. Maybe it was the little glimmer of Michael's soul, Henry thought, not bothered by the possibility, given how crazy his day had already been.

"Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to answer me?" Michael asks once again, gesturing with his hands, trying to get Henry's attention. "Your eyes have a little sparkle in them, it's not completely black," Henry said, dropping the bag he was carrying on the sofa and then sitting down, looking at Michael's standing figure, who was staring back at him in frustration. "No shit, Sherlock Holmes, it's not like I haven't looked in the fucking mirror today," Michael says, his tone harsh, getting increasingly annoyed with Henry. Michael was counting down the seconds to grab Henry's car key and speed off to your house to check on you.

Henry decided to have mercy on Michael, so he answered: "She's fine, still in shock, but after reading your note, she seemed visibly better," Henry said, taking off the shoes that were tight on his feet. Michael sighs, bringing his hand to his chest, calm taking over his face as he knew you were all right. The man knew what it was like to see a corpse for the first time, the sensation of meeting death and sensing it so closely that you begin to feel its soft touch on your shoulder is an unequal feeling. He had felt this sentiment several times, up until the day he was actually touched by his old friend. That feeling came back to him today, and all he could imagine is that you're feeling the same way, questioning your whole life and the point of it all, being violently reminded that, at the end of the day, you're just a piece of meat with bones and a soul.

"Was it that bad?" Michael asks, having no information about the murder or how Noah's body was found, but given the franchise's track record, he could only expect the worst. Henry raises his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes roughly, "Well, from what she told me, Noah's body looked like yours, his mouth was forced open and his organs were scattered all over the floor, it seems he had a deep opening in his torso," Henry says.

"Holy shit," Michael sighs heavily, dropping his body onto the sofa in frustration, echoing Henry's tired movement. The younger man's hands clamped over his purple mouth in shock, his thoughts racing through his head, not knowing how to react to the information Henry had just told him. Damn it, why did it have to be like this? Michael tried so hard to hide his own body and appearance from your sight, only to have fate slap him across the face and display the same way he died to you. The man's eyes closed in anger, it seemed as if this nightmare would never end, having literally pulled Michael back from his death to continue living the same stories and the same traumas forever. And now you were involved. "Do you think that Ennard is back?" Michael asks quietly.

Henry takes his hands away from his face to look at Michael, understanding the younger man's fear, "I don't know, Mike," he sighs, letting one hand rest on his partner's broad shoulder, the one person who has been with him through all the worst moments of his life, and this will be no different, "But, the police investigated the scene and there was no report of an animatronic, which indicates to us that, if Ennard was there, he certainly isn't anymore.... ", Henry concludes, trying to comfort Michael, seeing the anger resurface in the dead man's dark eyes.

Michael sighs, understanding Henry's words, "No trace from Liz?" the younger man asks about his sister, even though he knows that Ennard and Elizabeth are now two different animatronics, having felt the metallic remains of his sister come out of his mouth days before Ennard abandoned Michael's body in a dark alley. Henry allowed his face to relax into a sad expression, feeling the heavy mood settling between the two of them, given the pair's proximity to the little girl, who was now missing, possessing an animatronic. "No, no sign of her... I'm sorry, Mike," Henry replied.

"It's okay", Michael whispers, knowing that it wasn't the older man's fault, but he can't help also feeling disappointed, after all, he wanted to be reunited with his little sister once again. Michael understood that, before, when Liz saw him working at the Sister Location for the first time, she thought Michael was their father. Well, they do look alike, but perhaps, after the years the two siblings had been apart, Liz had forgotten her older brother's face, overwhelmed by revenge and anger. Michael would never blame her, or Evan, he could only imagine what it was like to be trapped forever in a metallic body, filled with rage and confusion, having to take on a new form that was so distant from a human body. All this suffering being processed in a mind that was made for drawing and for playing with toys was unimaginable for Michael.

"Well, when do I go back to the establishment?" Michael tries to change the subject, trying not to think too much about his siblings, knowing that it was a path of no return, always ending up with Michael either angry or sobbing in Henry's arms.

Henry scratches the back of his head when he hears Michael's question. The younger man notices Henry's nervous mannerism, quickly realizing the discomfort of the man next to him from the question he asked. "What is it?", Michael asks, now a little on edge.

"Y/n refused to allow you to work two shifts, and, well, frankly - I agree with her," Henry begins to explain calmly, knowing that the next sentence would irritate Michael even more, "She believes that it's better for you two to work the day shift together than for one of you to do it alone".

Michael's eyes widen. Henry didn't expect to hear what spilled out of Michael's mouth. The younger man started to laugh, incredulous at what you had suggested, and even more in disbelief at Henry for telling him. "No way in hell," Michael said between laughs, all of the emotions he'd been through that night finally making him a little less lucid. It was laughable really, Michael was never going to let you go back there, at least not now, not until he finds out who killed Noah and where that killer is.

"Michael," Henry calls out to the man who kept laughing, "I completely agree with her." At that moment, the laughter stops immediately, causing Michael to turn his head to meet Henry's eyes. "What?" the younger man says abruptly, "You must be crazy," Michael adds, his voice hoarse and his anger more evident. There were too many overwhelming emotions for one night, Ennard might be back, no sign of Liz and now, Henry thinks it's a great idea to put you in the same place where Noah was killed. Michael may have died for good and is now in purgatory paying for all of his sins.

"Mike, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to let you wander around that establishment alone - I know how much you want to find Ennard, but we can't take that risk," Henry explained, his hands gesticulating in an effort to give Michael an impression of confidence. However, he could see that Henry was nervous, the younger man's temperament being a little worse tonight, after so many revelations in a matter of minutes.

"And you think it's a better idea to let Y/n roam those corridors instead of me?" Michael said louder, the anger that had been swirling inside the man finally exploding. "Come on, Henry, just think, would you rather have a person who doesn't know what they're up against wandering around the same corridors where Noah was killed than me, a person who's lived all these years in this fucking shithole - and still managed to die at the hands of one of those monsters?" Michael is screaming now, once again letting the force of hatred get the best of him, driving him to lash out at Henry, the man who had cared for him his whole life.

Henry had seen this coming, he knew it would be an extra sensitive topic for Michael. The younger man was very protective over you, verbally expressing how he didn't want to tell you the truth or show you what he looked like, in fear of you getting too involved and ending up dead just like everyone Michael had ever loved. So obviously he would have that reaction, the thought of letting you wander around the place while there was the possibility of Ennard being there was unbearable for Michael.

"That's not what I meant-" Henry says calmly, not wanting to add fuel to the fire, so he stands up and reaches for Michael's shoulders lightly, just to get the younger man's attention. "I just don't want you wandering around those corridors on your own, Mike," Henry continues, his gaze soft and pained. Michael immediately returned his gaze.

"I don't want any more victims for this establishment, I'm sorry, I know how much you want to continue investigating on your own, but I can't let you do that, Michael," Henry explains, the concern evident in his voice, "Neither can she, so for the first time in your life, please let other people take care of you too," the older man blurts out, the calm tone and gentle smile never leaving his face. Michael widened his eyes, not knowing how to react once again that night, just taking a deep breath and reaching for Henry's arms, which were still resting on his shoulders.

"I don't want her to become a victim of this chaos," Michael began to whisper, as if he and Henry were little children sharing their secrets. "I don't know if I can lose anyone else," he continued, aware of what he was implying. Henry realized it too.

"You're not going to lose anyone, and she doesn't want to see you hurt either," the older man says, "It's what I can do for now, I don't want to see you alone in that establishment and neither does she, and you're not willing to let her come back, so I propose that you two work the day shift, at least until we can find whoever did this," Henry suggests, watching the pained look take shape on the younger man's face, knowing that it's a difficult decision for him to make. Michael didn't want to imagine what would become of him if you got hurt or died in that establishment, another one among the dozens of victims in this never-ending nightmare. And worst of all, the feeling of having absolutely no control settles in Michael's chest, it's such a familiar situation for him. He's done everything to save Liz, he's done everything to right his wrongs with Evan, to release the souls that are trapped in eternal torment and to kill his father. Nothing worked, in fact, they only got worse. Would it be the same for you? Would it be the end of your story to watch your sister die and then yourself perish in Ennard's hands? Michael can't see anything beyond that. He was selfish, he was selfish with you, he shouldn't have gotten close to you, he shouldn't have kissed you or had sex with you. Michael shouldn't have fallen in love.

"Hey, hey, look-", Henry noticed the anxiety taking over the younger man's dead body, his broad shoulders shaking slightly with his gaze lost on the floor. "I know we've both lost a lot of people to this madness we call life, I warned you from the beginning not to let the relationship between you two get any deeper, but there's no going back in time, now you have to protect her, don't let this franchise take another good soul from this world - Don't give up now on the love you fought so hard for," the father Michael never had uttered, his voice firm, as if it were a warning. And it was a warning, one that Michael genuinely needed. The damage had already been done, now he would have to deal with the consequences of having gotten close to you, and frankly, he was willing to go to any lengths to see you safe and smiling. That thought awoke something in Michael, motivation gushing through his bloodless veins, knowing that there was no one better in the world to protect you but him and Henry. Michael was familiar with the threat, having come face to face with Ennard and, well, having died in his arms.

"Okay, Henry," Michael replied, his voice charged with emotion, but it wasn't anger or anxiety like before, it was charged with initiative and determination. You weren't going to die, not you or your sister, Michael wasn't going to let that happen, even if it was the last thing his dead body did in this endless nightmare.

You were listening to the birds chirping outside, your sister had already left for school, leaving you alone once again with your thoughts. Cass had been good company, she had limited information about what had happened, but she understood that her older sister was in a bad place and needed a little more help. That's why Cass understood when you asked to sleep in bed with her, or when she woke up and still didn't have breakfast on the table, needing to remind you to eat. You didn't want to be neglecting her, but the sleep paralysis didn't let you rest, in fact, you were afraid to fall asleep, because every time you would wake up with your body paralyzed and Noah looking at you, his face so close to yours that you could see the emptiness in his eyes. He didn't do anything, he just stared at you, and that was enough to make you realize: Noah wanted you to be in his place. And honestly, spending your days afraid to even shut your eyes, forgetting to feed your sister and not being able to leave the house, maybe it would have been better if it had been you.

"Fuck," you whisper, bringing your hands up to rub your eyes, preventing them from closing involuntarily. Today you would be returning to the establishment after five days away, you haven't managed to grasp how many days have passed, just spending every hour of the day at home, watching television or in your sister's room, reading some children's book she saved for school. You don't know how you feel about going back to work, especially to look at that same auditorium where you found that body, where you found Noah. But you wanted to see Michael, you wanted to sink into his arms and, for a few short minutes, feel safe, feel surrounded by steel barriers where Noah's killer or ghost couldn't get to you.

With these thoughts, you forced yourself to get up from the sofa, being practically carried by your own legs to your room, where you changed into your uniform. Your uniform was clean, in fact, there was never a speck of blood on the fabric given its distance from the corpse, but just the fact that you wore it that night made you frantically clean it irrationally. After changing, you headed for the kitchen, writing a short note to your sister, letting her know that you had left for work and giving her the number of the pizzeria in the next street, in case she got hungry. Just then, a noise from outside your house startled you, making you freeze in your tracks. It was the sound of a motorcycle, but the point is: you don't know anyone who rides a motorcycle.

Your body didn't move, frozen at the thought of the killer coming to get you. Maybe he saw you talking to the police and was out for revenge, or he wanted to kill all the workers in the establishment. You don't know, and frankly, it doesn't matter why. The sound of the motorcycle has stopped, signaling that the stranger must have stopped in front of your house. This wakes you up from your trance, opening the knife drawer in the kitchen and immediately grabbing one. You don't know how to fight, but maybe with a sharp weapon, you'll have a few seconds to fight for your life. "Please, anyone who's listening, don't let my sister be the one to find my body," you pray, knowing the trauma she would suffer from seeing the mutilated body of the person she loves most in the world. You would fight, fight so that your sister would not be left alone in this world. Your grip on the knife tightens at the thought of your sister, you could be in deep shit, you could be sleepless for days or have the same sleep paralysis every night, nothing would take you away from your sister, she wouldn't suffer any more, you wouldn't let her.

"Hello? Anyone home?", a familiar voice sounds from the front door. Your mind takes a few seconds to process who it was, and as soon as you do, the knife falls to the floor and your feet can be heard colliding with the ground, quickly making their way to the front door.

"Shit, did Henry give me the wrong address?", Michael verbalizes his own thoughts quietly, placing his hand on the motorcycle helmet he was wearing. The helmet was a bit scratched and had accumulated some dust due to lack of use over a long period of time, but Michael was at least happy that he was riding again. He was on his way back to the bike, having knocked on the door a few times and continued to get no response, but the sound of the door opening made him stop in his tracks, ready to turn around and apologize for having mistaken the address, but a body colliding with his torso made any train of thought he was having come to an immediate halt.

You knew Michael wouldn't like this close distance between the two of you, but honestly, now it didn't matter, he could yell and get angry at you later, now you just wanted to feel his arms, you wanted to feel him close. Michael let a small laugh escape his lips, surprised at your reaction to seeing him. "Careful, you could end up hitting your head on my helmet," he said, extending his arm, covered by his leather jacket and bandages, to encircle your waist, accepting how close you were. Michael was wearing a large jacket and helmet, he knows there's no way you can feel the wires or notice the purple hue of his skin, so he returns the embrace, needing your touch just as you needed his.

You don't answer, not having the strength to think about anything other than feeling Michael close to you again. It could be that you missed him, it could be the fear you're feeling, it could be so many emotions, but what matters is that he's with you now. Michael continues to smile, one arm around your waist and the other holding your head against his torso, careful not to press the heavy helmet against your head. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, I heard what happened and that the establishment was suspended due to the investigation," Michael says, squeezing your waist as he feels you nod. Shit, he wanted you even closer. "It's okay, you're here now," you say, feeling your voice break a little.

Michael lifts one of his hands and touches your face, caressing your cheek, "I will always be here for you," he says. Michael doesn't know what effect this little speech had on you, but when he simply and effortlessly stated that he would always reach you, once again, you felt the *truth* in his speech. You were safe with Michael, he would always find you, he would reach out to you no matter what. Your body relaxed, feeling the tiredness and lack of sleep finally catch up with your brain, or perhaps, it was your body feeling that it had found a safe place to relax, the survival instinct finally going away and leaving just you and Michael.

"I've come to pick you up so we can go to work," Michael says, breaking the silence that had settled between the two of you. You don't raise your head, not wanting to leave him so soon, "Yes, Henry told me we'd be working the day shift together," you reply, now playing with your fingers on the heavy fabric of his jacket.

"Yes, because one of the workers refused to let me work alone," Michael says, squeezing your cheek lightly. Your skin was so warm in contrast to Michael's bandaged fingers, he had missed your warmth. "I don't know who this crazy woman is, do you? You'll have to introduce me to her..." he teased, wanting to hear your laughter again. He left Henry's house with one goal in mind, well, two actually: to protect you and, above all, to hear you laugh. Michael could imagine what you had been through in those five days, after all, he had lived it a few times in his life. And when you finally appeared, bringing light into the immense darkness that were his days, you became a space where he could be anything but Michael Afton, the man who has lost everything, the man seeking revenge or the man who will never rest, he could be Michael Afton with you. Just Michael Afton. And today, with him, you could be you, not the woman who had found the architect's body in the establishment where you worked. He wanted to see your carefree smile, he wanted to help you carry some of that weight, just as he did every time.

And he succeeded. You laughed, a light, soft laugh, heavy with the tones of tiredness you were feeling, but it was enough for Michael. He strokes your hair before finally pulling away to fetch the extra helmet he had brought. You thank him as you take the helmet, and just as you're about to put it on your head, you feel Michael's hand touch yours.

"Let me help you," Michael says, taking the helmet from your hands and placing it on top of your head. You quickly put your hair up in a ponytail and let Michael put the helmet on you with the agility and care that only an expert would have. Through the small tinted window in the helmet, you can see Michael grabbing an extra jacket from his backpack and holding it out to you. "You look too good in that jacket and helmet," he says, as you put the heavy jacket on over your uniform, "Shit, I think we should stay right here," Michael says, the teasing tone making you laugh again. Only Michael can make you forget reality and the thousands of worries in your head for a few seconds, building that steel barrier in your mind, with free access only for him. "Come on, Michael, let's go," you reply, lightly pushing the man's torso in front of you, signaling him to sit on the bike.

Michael smiles behind his helmet and does as you say, sitting on the bike and then holding out his hand to help you up too. He doesn't let his smile drop when he feels you wrap your arms around his waist. Shit, he should wear helmets and jackets more often, so he could have you touching him freely every day, just like now.

Yeah, Henry was right, Michael would never let anything happen to you.

[samasmith23]

The Anti-Fascist Themes of X-Men: Age of Apocalypse

One element that I’ve really grown to appreciate about the 90s crossover event X-Men: Age of Apocalypse when I recently re-read the storyline last year in omnibus format, is just how effectively it functions as a complete refutation against fascism as an ideology.

For some context, the "Age of Apocalypse" (or "AoA") is an alternate-dystopian-future timeline which was accidentally created when Professor Charles Xavier's neurodivergent son Legion (aka, David Haller), went on a misguided quest to make his father's dreams of peaceful human and mutant co-existence a reality by traveling back in time to assassinate Xavier's current archnemesis and former closest friend Magneto (aka, Erik Lehnsherr) before he could initiate his war against humanity. Instead, Legion accidentally killed Xavier when the latter hurled himself between his Erik and Legion's psionic dagger. Xavier's premature death resulted in a disastrous time-paradox where not only was Legion himself erased from the timeline, but Xavier never lived to form the X-Men. Matters were made even worse by the fact that the ancient and evil mutant Apocalypse (aka, En Sabah Nur) took advantage of this opportunity to begin his plans for world domination 20-years ahead of schedule, conquering all of North America and implementing his program of "cleansing" humanity's gene pool of all he considered weak and unfit to live. However, seeing Xavier die to save his life changed Magneto's pessimistic outlook on life, resulting in the Master of Magnetism devoting his life to bring about Xavier's dream of peace and founding his own version of the X-Men who fight against Apocalypse's reign of terror.

In regards to how AoA effectively functions as an anti-fascist text, it is important to discuss how the villain Apocalypse's goals are fundamentally fascistic in nature. En Sabah Nur's primary motivation in the AoA timeline (as well as the main Earth-616 continuity) is promoting of his extremist Social Darwinist philosophy of “survival of the fittest,” in which all normal humans and even fellow mutants with lesser powers are labeled as “unfit” and are condemned to total slaughter. Apocalypse and his followers are essentially framed as being the mutant equivalents to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, since their empire not only actively promote fascist eugenicist beliefs of racial supremacy and genocide, but it is also reflective of fascism's nature as an inherently self-destructive ideology which is ultimately destined to result in the eventual deaths of everyone it impacts.

This ouroboros element of fascism is evident through Apocalypse's enablement of war against the Human High Council overseas in Europe despite his knowledge that they’ll retaliate with a nuclear carpet bombing in self-defense. But Apocalypse is willing to risk the deaths of even himself and his own followers all for the sake of his single-minded goal of determining whether or not the strong will rise from the ashes of those deemed "weak" and "inferior."

The parallels between Apocalypse's empire and Nazi Germany are made incredibly overt throughout the narrative. In addition to conducting routine mass cullings against those deemed to be “genetically inferior” (including both humans and mutants), Apocalypse's strategy of intentionally breaking the "Kelly Pact" peace-treaty he signed with the Human High Council in order to expand his empire into Europe bears a lot of parallels to how Hitler historically violated the non-aggression pact he signed with Josef Stalin by invading Russia during World War II.

Plus, the AoA version of Hank McCoy, aka Dark Beast, conducts barbaric eugenics experiments on mutants that Apocalypse has labeled as “unfit,” and one of En Sabah Nur’s four Horsemen and own son is literally named “Holocaust” (who personally carried out the mass-culling of Japan's entire population of which the X-Man Sunfire was the sole survivor of). Furthermore, another of Apocalypse's Horsemen and his centuries'-long right-hand man is Mister Sinister, whom later during Chris Claremont's run on Excalibur from the early 2000s was revealed to have once been a literal Nazi scientist who worked under Josef Mengele at Auschwitz.

But as much as fascists love to boast about their alleged strength and superiority, in reality said-strength is nothing more than a facade. For all the immense physical power that Apocalypse and his Four Horseman possess, they are ultimately weak in character they were only able to they have to show for their power is mountains upon mountains of corpses of innocent lives that they have stolen. This is evident through Holocaust’s desire to convert the remains of the victims of the latest Culling into an army of Infinites (cloned cybernetic mutant foot-soldiers), something which the X-Man Sabertooth accurately points out as being inherently antithetical to Holocaust’s alleged “superiority.” After all, if he’s so strong and “fit to survive,” then why does he need an army of artificial soldiers bred in a lab in order to boast about said “strength”?

Heck, even the usually non-serious jokey member of the X-Men, Morph, alludes to the fact that fascist’s illusion of “strength” is only made possible through the demonization of others.

"No matter how strong, no matter how powerful, it always comes down to name calling."

As Linkara pointed out in the third part of his Secret Empire review, at the end of the day, fascism is a loser ideology that is entirely dependent on the illusion of “strength” whilst simultaneously destroying itself and everything and everyone else around it. Rogue said it best whilst fighting Holocaust:

“How many lives have to be lost, how much blood has to flow, until y’all are satisfied?!”

In stark contrast to Apocalypse and his Horsemen, Magneto and his X-Men represent not only hope and perseverance in the ongoing fight against fascism, but also true strength. Not the illusion of strength based on power obtained via the deaths of innocents but fighting against oppression and annihilation. As Magneto so eloquently puts it to Apocalypse:

“To fight… is to survive. I and everyone like me who believes you and your Horsemen are wrong… will never stop fighting…”

Additionally, the AoA version of Magneto serves as an interesting role reversal of his mainstream Earth-616 counterpart wherein instead of becoming a mutant-terrorist Erik has adopted the late Xavier’s dream of striving peaceful mutant and human co-existence. In the original timeline Erik's background as a Holocaust survivor influenced his pessimistic outlook towards human and mutant relationships, prompting him to wage war against humanity to ensure mutants will never suffer through a similar genocide. And plenty of stories since the classic Chris Claremont era have simultaneously portrayed Erik struggling with falling prey to ideologies of mutant supremacy, as he fears that such a path could turn him into someone just like those who once persecuted him.

AoA expands upon this element of Magneto's characterization through portraying Erik as actively opposing the ultimate destination in which mutant supremacy ideologies inevitably lead towards. He fights against Apocalypse’s extreme Social Darwinist “survival of the fittest” doctrine that has already murdered millions of normal humans and fellow mutants alike.

In essence, the AoA version of Magneto is a Jewish Holocaust survivor who grew up to become rebel freedom-fighter striving to achieve Xavier’s dreams of peace by fighting against the mutant equivalents of the Nazis who once persecuted Erik as a child! At the end of the day, AoA is ultimately about the rejection of "might makes right," as the so-called “strong” are ultimately defeated by those they discriminated against for their perceived “weakness." A thesis which is laid bare during the final battle against Apocalypse in X-Men: Omega, wherein Erik delivers one of the most badass refutations against fascism that I've personally ever read:

"'Survival of the fittest' indeed. You preen and posture as if your were the first dictator to discover the concept and stake the world's fate on its nonsense. As a child, I heard the very same babble from a Berlin house painter... a madman whose Aryan race tried to wipe out all it deemed 'dirty' or 'impure.' And do you remember who won the war he began? The 'weak'... who rose in righteous triumph... TO OVERTHROW THE STRONG ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

Overall, X-Men: Age of Apocalypse's anti-fascist themes and framing is quite honestly the element of the storyline that I’ve grown the most fond of upon re-reading this event crossover after several years!

I originally didn't notice all of this rich subtext when I first read AoA a few years ago, but I recognize it now upon my recent re-read and it has greatly elevated the overall quality of this storyline in my eyes!

[steelthroat]

My Transformers ocs and their origins:

1) Flange: he is a gladiator, he was born to romance Megatron in a silly fic of mine (which I'm still writing) he's the only one I've drawn lol. He exists in his own AU and doesn't have a faction in the regular timeline he's kind of paired off with my next oc and is a Decepticon.

2) Abode or Wheelpad (I'm still deciding): he's an Autobot, he's got a worried-dad kind of personality, his alt-mode is a yellow Fiat Doblò, he's very kind, he is primarily a courier and he takes his job very seriously. He rarely rests and is very responsible, but he's also prone to cracking dad jokes and can be awkward and shy. Flange likes him a lot and finds him cute, but Abode/Wheelpad thinks he's trouble. He still looks out for the reckless Decepticon because if he doesn't, who else will? They ended up living together after the war because they couldn't afford to live alone due to "the incident". Chaos ensues, I have a lot more to say about him.

3) Rocker: (he/they) still deciding on his alt-mode, but he's a grounder either 2 or 4 wheeler. Punk, likes racing, youthful personality but he knows how to be serious. He's an Autobot but he didn't fight in the war because he was unconscious for most of it after almost being blown up... he woke up during the last years of it and he was very out of touch with everything. He's still fighting with his grief, survivor guilt and his trust issue after his friend Starship became a Seeker but they're the only friend left/who is willing to take care of him and stay with him during the hardest time of his life

He and Starship were born after listening to "we built this city" by Starship, I have a mental animation about them...

4) Starship: flyer, met Rocker before the war and they were inseparable. They are a lively mech, with big dreams and hopes for the future. They became a Decepticon hoping to change society for the better, they don't believe they would have fared any better with the Autobots, but they regret separating from Rocker. They didn't fight for most of the war since their fighting skills were... huh... well they were better off as a courier or whatever else they could do, but not fighting, they were a disgrace as a Seeker and his time under Starscream's command was short-lived. After the war they found Rocker again during the worst moment of his life, he didn't initially want anything to do with them but Starship would rather die than separate from him again... they have come a long way since then, but there's still a lot of work and therapy waiting for the 2 of them.

5) Recoil(idk probably gonna change her name): she is a grounder, she is still a wip and I'm still working on her storyline since but I have a blurry vision of a design in mind for her! She's very cool and composed, but she also has a lot of anger inside of her which she uses when she has to fight(she goes apeshit). She's a decepticon and I'm still deciding if she's gonna defect or not. She I a natural born commander, very authoritative, she doesn't have problems working under pressure, she IS the pressure. I have a lot to say about her but for now this is gonna be it ;)

[papaver-decervicatus]

Headcanons- Simon "Ghost" Riley

Sorry in advance, these are the least organized by FAR and the longest because Roach is my all time fav COD character so a lot of Simon's is just "this is how I would put roach in the story :)" and I also love tattoos and piercings so

Birthday December 22nd, 1993

Early life

The calculation used for his birth year was that he would have been about 29 during the events of MW2 (he enlisted at 17 in 2001, so in 2013 during MW2 he would’ve been about 29.) Therefore, 2022-1993 would be 29 years old during the MWII campaign.

Born in a small rural village outside of Manchester, but moved to the city when he was 10.

His mother, Meredith met his father, Paul at a music festival in Manchester and became pregnant shortly after.

She had Simon at 17 and married Paul, 23, at the urging of her devoutly Protestant parents once they found out she was pregnant.

His father was a construction worker, and was terribly abusive to his family, his mother never had a job or a way to escape because she was practically abandoned by her family after Simon’s birth.

Tommy was 4 years younger.

Undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder. Mostly manifests in masking, sensory issues, unwillingness to break schedules, etc. 

I consider most of the Ghost comic canon, except moved up to the appropriate time. 

Specialty Section: Roach

I can't wait for this all to need a rewrite in November

Grew up with Gary Roach Sanderson. Some headcanons about Gary include

Is not deaf, but both of his parents are so he almost exclusively communicated in BSL as a child. 

Simon was one of the “weird kids” from a combination of his autism and abusive home life. The two got put together on a project once and were inseparable ever since. 

Gary definitely always had more energy but Simon was the more outgoing of the two. Simon used to be a very outgoing, casual flirt to the point that Gary would have to drag him away from parties. (The personality of MW2 Ghost, very talkative.)

The two are like brothers. They enlisted at the same time.

Simon and Gary got into some minor teenage shenanigans, drinking, smoking at school, playing truant, etc. they both were definitely the sort of kids that went under the radar, nothing special. 

Gary got his name Roach from escaping various explosions relatively unscathed, which led to the joke “only a nuke could kill Roach”. 

Unfortunately, this was not the case. Roach lost both his left arm and leg in an IED explosion of which he was the only survivor. He retired from combat after this and now works remotely as a radio technician and software engineer for the SAS in Manchester. 

Ghost genuinely considered retiring to help take care of Roach, but Roach wouldn’t let him. He knows Simon can’t really live in a civilian setting anymore. 

Ghost lives with Roach when on leave and not doing other things. He the only person outside of the army he really considers a friend that knows his full story.

Brief and nonspecific timeline

As a private, was under Price’s US friend for a few missions. Put in a good word and had him and Gary sent to Price. 

Met Price as a corporal, at the time he was charismatic, flirtatious, and generally outgoing after he got over his initial month or so of shyness. Was in Price’s squad for a mission along with Roach. 

Went back and specially trained with prices US sniper friend. This is where Simon met Alex as well. 

 All of her Snipers got names based on “pest animals” (affectionately named “Pest Patrol” or “The Critter Corps” by graduates and Price.)

Gary got Roach for being able to bounce back from any explosion

Alex got Cotton Mouth because he casually picked one up and broke its neck during training once

Simon got the name “Possum” because he was incredibly skilled at “playing possum” or playing dead. Survived multiple really tight missions for his ability to blend in with corpses. 

Went to a different squad, gains his Lieutenant rank

Roba happens, Ghost is born. 

Captain Price pulls a lot of strings for Simon to make "the Ghost" a tenable position. This makes Price a lot of enemies out of higher-ups but he doesn’t give a damn. 

Ghost and Roach are put into a squad together not with price. Work together for three or so years before the IED that wounds Roach. 

Roach retires. Ghost bounces around positions because he’s legally “an asset” and not a man anymore. 

Task force 141. Knows Gaz for about a year before he meets Soap in Las Almas.

General

He is triggered by Christmas and the holiday season, he found his family massacred on his birthday so neither Christmas or his Birthday are a positive association anymore. 

The only person who’s given him a birthday or Christmas present since the massacre is Gaz, which didn’t upset Ghost like he thought it would. Mostly because Gaz didn’t know and Ghost couldn’t have expected him to. 

Does not have any technology besides a cellphone and a computer he is required to for his job. The only three non-work related numbers in his phone are his tattoo artist/piercer, Roach, and his therapist

He genuinely enjoys gardening and baking but doesn’t do them frequently because of his life status. 

Has a terrible, terrible, terrible sweet tooth, when he can get away with it. When no one is around this man is putting 5 heaping tablespoons of sugar in his tea, but no milk. Never milk. 

Doesn’t like hard or sour candy, but does enjoy chocolate and biscuits. 

He can, and will, and frequently does, eat all three meals in one sitting. He will eat 400 grams of protein in 4,000 calories in 20 minutes. He eats alone in his room because this shit terrifies people.

Endothermic body build, he’s built like a rugby player. His musculature is not “lean and mean” he is built like a discus thrower.

VENUS DIMPLES

When in public only wears a black surgical mask so as not to frighten others 

It’s specifically to cover his Glasgow smile and lip scarring, which is prominent on his lower face

Jeans, t-shirts, hoodies, trainers, the occasional football-themed jersey or cap, nothing special 

He has a fake civilian identity that not even Price knows the details of for anonymity's sake.

Has a full sleeve of tattoos and also a patchwork arm sleeve

He's actually famous in the Manchester tattoo scene as a lot of apprentices' first human canvas, under his fake civilian name of course.

Originally he got the war sleeve after his first deployment but went back after he became Ghost to get a tattoo over Roba’s name that was burned into him

The first tattoo artist asked him what tattoos he wanted on the wall and he said “All of 'em.”

His current tattoo artist is a scarification expert, she helped him design a piece to cover Roba’s name on his left hip, it’s a memorial piece to his family with the names “Merideth, Tommy, Beth, and Joey” held on a scroll by an Angel with the massacre date in Roman numerals

He continues to go back to this artist whenever he wants new ink, she is also his piercer. He does not care about his body and the ink on it, so she tries to schedule apprentices with him as their first because he can sit well/is not picky about his ink.

She sends him various pieces of body jewelry for his piercings at random under the guise of “let me know how this goes, wanna know if I can recommend it” etc but it’s really because she cares about him but also knows he won’t let her get him gifts for no reason. 

A massive picture of his pierced nipple is in her shop as an example of her work

Has a shitton of piercings including but not limited to:

Quadruple lopes

Two conch

Rooks

Helix

Flats

Industrial (left only)

Bridge (taken out, since healed)

Tongue

Smiley

Lower lip (taken out, since healed)

He’s missing his left nipple, so he has both a vertical and horizontal nipple piercing on his right 

4 Jacob’s ladder

Prince Albert's

Ghost wanted a married life and a family before Roba but does not anymore. He intends on dying in the field, he does not think about kids or retirement or alternative careers or dating. He loved Joseph and Tommy and Beth and his mum with all his heart and was a little jealous of the happy companionship they'd found for themselves, he stopped wanting it when he realized how quickly it could be taken away.

Typically avoids attachments because he knows how “loose ends” can end up harming loved ones. He has failed at this, very very very badly.

Ghosts most toxic trait is that he is falsely cynical. He will tell himself til he's blue in the face that he doesn't really care, it doesn't really matter, he doesn't really deserve love, that it's just not important when in reality he cares deeply. Caring is a liability so he tries very hard to cut that part of his brain out, he works out, he doesn't socialize, he avoids attachments because he is convinced he will ruin it for others. He doesn't even know what it is, until it's too late, just like how it took Johnny in Las Almas almost dying for him to open up to him.

Talents, special bonds, ETC

Trained to be a butcher in high school, before he and Roach joined the army. He retained his butchering and knife skills from this time.

Phenomenal aim, he can throw even the least aerodynamic thing and it will hit it's target.

He is a great baker, but a terrible cook besides grilling. No one knows its him, but he will leave trays of fresh baked goods in base rec-rooms.

Surprisingly, he is the softest on recruits when they mess up. He has an uncannily calm ability to diffuse most any situation and turn it into a learning experience, he also will not tell Price if he doesn't think it's that bad.

The inverse of this is if it's bad, his explosion about it is fucking bad.

Kids gravitate towards him and when push comes to shove he is great with kids. He is not terribly comfortable around children but kids love him. Its bittersweet because they remind him of Joey.

Is incredibly close with both Gaz and Soap but in different ways. He sees them both as reflections of him and Roach. As much shit as he gives them, he could not see himself without Gaz's quiet and calm understanding helping him remember how to be human or Soap's loud and explosive personality helping him remember just what being alive feels like.

Price may see Ghost as an equal, but Ghost does not see Price as one, he considers Price very far above him in every possible way. He does not know what Price sees in him.