#i know enough to know that despite the fuming ive seen from people this is how abuse happens or at least how it can happen

[homophyte]

man i havent seen like anybody talking about it--probably because i do my level best to block every transphobe i can find and purposefully avoid twitter as much as possible--or else i wouldnt say anything but the sophie from mars situation seriously has been breaking my brain. i dont wanna be the exact guy i would criticize in this situation and shift focus from the victims but i truly thought she was one of the most incisive political commentators on youtube, i actively looked forward to her perspectives & shared them with so many people around me. its hard on some level to not feel shocked and blindsided particularly because she was someone who consistently and articulately spoke about abuse and exploitation.

[mrswagtastic]

can you explain what about outliars reminds you of cartman? i enjoy south park but ive not seen enough of it to understand that post lol

Sorry for such a late rely but of course I'd love to!! To me atleast alot of the lyrics really remind me of and match his character, so I'll go through some here:

- "Did you know that the hole in the apple didn't come from the outside in? It was eaten from the core and out to the skin and that's why you'll never find the worm in it" - this one makes me think about how alot of the reasons Cartman is the way he is is because of his family, such as his mom being an enabler for his bad behaviour and self-centered attitudes, or the rest of his family just being AWFUL like dude didn't have much hope from the start. It could also symbolise how on the outside, Cartman can play an innocent kid act to get his way if wanted, and so it's harder to see him for he truly is.

- "Well this disease is defined by its treatment You people make me sick" - Cartmans just genuine hatred for pretty much everyone around him and how he constantly blames others instead of taking responsibility for what he's done

- Why's you come into this world Or come out that way? - Cartmans narrow view on the human experience and how he's unable to understand perspectives or people different than himself, such as him hating other races or cultures. I imagine him saying this to someone lol

- "I am the shadows cast aside by gallows And you, the red-hot sky" - Cartman is a very yknow shady guy and is usually told by others to go away or excluded, such as when they all ignored him after he ate the chicken skin, and the red-hot sky is Kyle because well he's Kyle

- "And if you're believers, then why Would you grieve for the dead Instead of a devil that you never prayed for?" - reminds me of how the other boys complain about Cartman being awful, yet its shown that in post covid he gets better because he left them, showing that they make him worse and are the ones causing said issue here.

- "You've become immune to my toxic fumes, my Dose-dependent presence in your life" - how the other boys have all become somewhat used to Cartman by now, that his toxicity is pretty normal for them and so they're just not surprised anymore, almost tired of him, and so usually able to wuickly shut down or refuse his tactics when he tried to get them all involved in a scheme.

- "Too weird to love, too scared to die" - Cartmans too awful of a person to ever truly be loved, and despite trying to act scary he is quite weak in reality, as shown with how easily he gets injured and starts sobbing when given a light tap

- "Horrified at the sight of my reflection in your eyes" - this makes me think of moments that other characters have acted or been called Cartman-esque, such as Kyle when he joined the cracks baby athletics association and kept trying to justify it, or Heidi after she'd turned into basically the girl version of Cartman.

- "Who'd want to belong to anyone? I mean, what do people even do?" - this line makes me think of how when Cartman git an akexa, he started falling out of love with Heidi, since his desire to have control and love was nor being fulfilled by a machine, and he didn't need her anymore

- "I doubt that you would Even if you could change" - Cartman is seen as. A lazy irredeemable monster that's unable to change, and especially I the new post-covid timeline, he peibably never will even if given the chance now

I hope this has helped you to understand my vision!! Obviously you don't have to agree with this it's simply my own interpretation and a product of having both a South Park special interest and a Will Wood special interest at the same time lmao. Honestly even just the music itself feels very like Cartman to me, something that starts off quite innocent but as it goes on you see more and more of those dark undertones, and it could be seen as quite comedic yet villainous music if that makes sense? Heck even the title of the song reminds me of him because of Cartmans often hypocritical and deceitful nature lol. Anyways hope this helped! Sorry if it's confusing I'm awful at explaining my thoughts so lemme know if you need any clarification on anything!!

[rattyoakenbitch]

❝𝐢𝐟 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝❞ ─ 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧

i don't want your sympathy, i guess ive had it rough but you don't really care

❥ content ; gn reader, eventual fluff, angst, pining, happy ending

❥ warnings ; injury, swearing, mentions of death

❥ synopsis ; when you get badly injured during a mission, only then does levi realize the depths of his feelings for you. now the question is, is it too late?

❥ a/n ; i don't have a taglist yet so feel free to ask to get added!

You glided through the trees alongside your team, adrenaline running through your veins.

Kicking yourself off a tree, you landed your body with ease onto a lone Titan spotted in the forest below you. With a swift swing of the blade, the Titan was on the ground.

Finished, you zipped yourself back into the air, joining your team member's formation as you all flew together.

"Y/N!" Captain Levi shouted, resent dripping off of his words. Here we go again. "Do not deviate from original course! We are here to scout, not to thrill seek."

The team came to a slow. They stood on the branches, overlooking the land beneath them.

"I was not thrill seeking, sir, I was doing my job," you defended, turning to Captain Levi. Though he was shorter than you were, his cold stare and unwavering demeanor intimidated you.

"Your job is to follow my orders, brat, not go off wandering like an idiot!"

"I didn't wander, I was quick to regroup! You're just finding a reason to take your anger out on me," you retorted. "Then again, I wouldn't be surprised. Considering your height, it's no wonder you can barely contain your anger in such a small body."

As much as he wanted to push you off the tree, Levi kept his poise.

By now the team could hear you and Levi's bickering, but considering they were used to it, they decided to butt out and focus on planning the route.

"Stable duty when we get back."

And then he walked away, leaving you fuming.

As you continued with the scouting mission, you encountered too many Titans that you couldn't just brush them off. Angry and left with no choice, Levi shouted orders to forget the original plan and fight back.

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted two Titans approaching Jean and Armin with intent. You narrowed your eyes. This was your chance. You bolted off the tree, flying fast towards the two Titans. You got your gear out, ready to slice their napes, when one of the Titans looked your way, a sick smile on its face.

"Y/N!" Armin called out in a panic as the Titan extended its arm, swiping at you like a fly. Before its hand could collide with you, you were pushed out of the way by none other than Levi.

He wrapped his arms around you securely, one underneath your bottom and his other around your back. You heard him whisper a profanity, his hot breath fanning your neck as he spoke. Though it wasn't the time or the place, you couldn't help but let your mind wander.

You were brought back to reality when Levi glided deeper into the forest, setting you down onto the ground harsher than necessary.

Totally caught off guard, your back was shoved against a tree. Levi was quick to block your exits, predicting you would try to resist.

His arms caged you between him and the tree, leaving little to no distance between your bodies. You could feel your face get hot, either out of embarrassment or his body heat mixing with yours.

"What the hell is wrong with you, brat?!" Yelled Levi, eyes wild with rage. However, something felt different about this compared to when he scolded you for separating from the group. But you couldn't quite put your finger on it.

"Me?" You scoffed. "You're the crazy psycho who stole me away and cornered me in this forest!" You pushed at his chest, successfully shoving him off of you. "I had everything under control."

"You were almost killed! I can't have reckless people on my team. I'm a captain, not a babysitter, so get your shit together or get the hell off my team."

You stood against the tree quietly, Levi's venomous words stunning you into silence. Levi continued to stare deep into your eyes, his expression never changing. However, as the seconds passed, you saw a sliver of regret in his eyes, lasting only for a mere second.

You took a deep breath, trying to choose your words carefully. "I- Just.. Why do you hate me so much?"

Levi raised a brow while you continued to speak.

"I know I'm not the best fighter. Not compared to Misaka or Eren. But what did I do to deserve so much hatred from you? Even when I'm not doing anything wrong, you look at me like I'm the most disgusting person you've seen."

Despite feeling a sting of guilt at your words, Levi put on a dismissive act. "Tch, you're being dramatic. I'm not about to discuss this with you."

Why the fuck did he say that?

"Maybe if you listened to me for two damn seconds you wouldn't get such an earful."

Why is he being such an asshole? Gods, just tell them already. Stop this bullshit.

No longer finding it in you to care, you began to raise your voice, angry tears spilling down your face. "I try my best to make you like me. I try to show you that I'm capable and strong, but you still treat me as if I'm inferior. Like my skills are nothing. Like I'm nothing."

Emotionless, Levi replied, "Because you are. Look at you. You're a crybaby. You should've stayed back." Lies. All lies.

"Ugh- well maybe you should've just let me get killed since you despise me so much!"

With that, you grab your gear and zip away as far from Levi as possible, tears blowing out of your face and into the wind.

"Hey, where are you going?!"

You ignored him as you continued to speed through the trees, searching for your team. Your friends. Anybody.

"Y/N! Look out!"

You heard Eren shout, making you spin around frantically to search for the danger.

There it was.

An Abnormal ran your way, crawling like a dog on its hands and feet.

It had been chasing the team for a while now, evident in its animalistic, hungry look.

Steadily hanging off a branch, you watch the Titan from afar, then look back at the team.

"I'll distract it! You guys go!"

They looked at you as if you had grown two extra heads.

"You'll die!" Mikasa argued. "We can take it!"

"Just go!"

The Titan started to get closer. The team looked behind you, then back at you. Though they looked ready and determined to take it down, you knew they felt as terrified as you were. Fighting Titans was just something you don't think you'll ever get used to.

"Please be careful. We're gonna find Captain Levi!"

You nodded, then turned around, watching as the Titan ran towards you, totally disregarding the rest of the team.

"You want me? Come get me."

When you decided it was close enough, you darted into the forest and soared through the trees, only narrowly missing them. The Abnormal followed you, but hit itself on the trees and destroyed many in the process.

While the Abnormal continued to run through the forest, leaves and trees blocking its direct vision of you, you took a chance and turned back, flying past the Abnormal.

You did a quick u-turn and hopped onto its back.

You got it now.

As it chased after nothing, completely unaware, you slashed the nape of its neck.

With you still on its back, the Titan went limp mid-jump, falling onto the ground hard enough to create an earthquake. Unprepared for the collision, you went flying off its body.

Instead of bracing yourself for the fall, you frantically reached for your gear in an attempt to glide back up to the trees.

Before you got the chance, your body met with the ground, a loud thud echoing from the impact.

In the distance, the rest of the team continued to fight until they got to the very last Titan. Levi, though he was the last to regroup, helped effectively take down the Titans.

It wasn't evident in his stoic expression, but he searched among his surroundings and the faces of his team for you, afraid the worst had happened. Dammit, why did he have to be such an asshole? What Levi said to you, he meant none of it. But he feared he wouldn't get the chance to tell you that. Idiot.

"Is everybody here?!" Levi shouted as his team gathered around him.

"Yeah, we're alive-"

"Wait, where's Y/N?"

The team began to search among themselves, now becoming anxious as well.

"Well, where are they? Did you not see them at all?" Levi asked in a calm tone, despite his heart beat pounding in his ears. No. He wasn't going to slip up. Not here, not now. He needed to remain strong.

Mikasa spoke up. "We last saw them when we were being chased by an Abnormal! They offered to distract it and take care of it themselves."

Levi shouted, a crack in his voice, "And you let them?!"

"Y/N is strong! One of the best fighters we have here," Eld said. "They've probably already taken it down by now."

"Then where are they?!" Levi growled, becoming more frustrated by the second.

"Hey, look!" Armin yelled, shaking his finger towards the steam in the distance. "Eld was right! Y/N did kill it after all!"

Wasting no more time, Levi commanded the team to follow him. Soon again, they were up in the trees, running your direction. They stopped as soon as they came across a clearing in the forest where the Abnormal laid lifelessly.

"Everyone! Find Y/N!"

The team split, searching the area for any sign of you.

Levi dreaded the thought of finding you like they found the Titan. No. You killed it. You had to be alive.

Levi repeated that in his head. You had to be alive.

Because if you weren't, he wouldn't know what he would do.

Your eyes shot open at the sound of panicked screams echoing around you. You pushed yourself off of the ground in a rush, only to stumble back with an agonizing scream, pain shooting up the lower half of your body.

"Fucking hell! Oh shit," you fell back on the grass defeatedly, hot tears welling in your eyes at the intense pain and aches across your whole body. "Dammit!"

You didn't know which bones were broken, where you were, if you were bleeding out. So you just laid there alone, helpless and numb. Waiting.

Just when the team was beginning to lose hope, a blood curdling scream echoed throughout the forest, easily catching the team's attention. They headed towards the source of the sound, but Levi was the first on it, already sprinting through the forest to find you.

When he did, he felt his heart drop down to his stomach. You laid in a small clearing behind some old trees and bushes, a puddle of blood beneath your body. Your uniform was torn and your 3DMG was rendered useless at this point. If not for the scream, or the fast rise and fall of your chest, he would've mistaken you for being dead.

Levi rushed to your side and got onto his knees, lifting up your body into his arms.

"Y/N? Can you hear me? Y/N?"

You coughed, wheezing and struggling to make a coherent sound. Blood dripped down the corner of your mouth as you spoke, "You were right, Captain. I never stood a chance, did I?Shoulda just stayed." You laughed pitifully.

Now Levi was angry, but not at you. "Shut up! Don't say stupid shit like that! You're going to be okay."

The team found you, stopping short at the sight of Levi holding you carefully, like a porcelain doll, ready to break.

He didn't care anymore. He didn't bother to put up a front. Not when you were like this, half dead in his arms. He pressed his forehead to yours, whispering in your ear so only you could hear.

"I can't lose you too.."

Everyone else only continued to watch the intimate scene unfold before them.

When you fell unconcious, Levi squeezed his eyes shut, trying his best to keep his composure. Why was he acting like this? Usually he would be quick to solve problems without letting his feelings get in the way. Why was he so helpless now?

He turned around, scowling at the group who just stood by idly.

"Get over here and help them, you fools!"

You hated it. You hated having to be looked after or saved like a princess in a children's storybook. You didn't want to run away anymore, or simply stand in waiting, hoping for someone to rescue you. You were done being hunted. So you joined the Scouts after years of hard work and training. If you had only thought more carefully or put your parent's advice in consideration, you wouldn't be in your current situation, regretting ever joining Levi's team. You wouldn't have ended up in the infirmary.

You passed out in Levi's arms after suffering from injuries during your fight with the Abnormal Titan, according to your friends. They came by to visit you when the medic alerted them that you had woken up from your coma.

"How long was I out for?" You winced as you massaged your still pounding head. "When did I even get here?"

"You've been unconcious for two days. We retreated to the city as Captain Levi instructed and you've been under their care since," Eren answered. He noticed your demeanor as you looked around the room and picked at your skin, a nervous habit you recently formed. "Everybody's alive, so don't you worry."

"Where are they?"

"Well, they did have to receive medical attention since they got hurt, but they're okay! They miss you, ya know?" Armin said excitedly. "We'll make sure to fill you in on everything when you're out of here."

You pursed your lips. "Speaking of which, when will I be discharged?"

"You can't exactly walk right now, but.. you should be up and ready to go within a week! Then we can go on another mission and-"

"Eren. Armin. Mikasa." Your attention was torn away from Eren, your eyes darting towards the source of the voice.

"Captain Levi!" They all exclaimed in unison.

"I would like to speak with Y/N in private." He glanced at trio, his eyes narrowing. "Out."

The three walked out, heads bowed like sad little puppies. You waved at them as they went before turning to Levi who now stood by your bed.

"What do you want?" You asked bitterly, nose scrunching up in a sneer.

"Commander Erwin informed me of your decision," he spoke softly, differing from his usual cold tone.

You huffed. "Yeah, took your advice and resigned. You won't have to worry about babysitting me anymore."

A pang of guilt shot through Levi's heart, causing him to flinch. He hoped you didn't catch that.

He remembered his own regretful words as it replayed in his head. Just like your cries and pained expression, which he was unable to simply brush off, he couldn't forget how he mistreated you. And he would never forgive himself, either. The sight of your injured body laying there, all alone. He couldn't shake the scene off his mind, no matter how hard he tried. Even in his dreams.

Evident in his eyebags that seemed to have darkened in shade, he wasn't able to get much sleep the past couple days because of it.

"I take it you hate me, then," Levi suggested, prompting you to laugh mockingly.

"Oh, no, I could never," you said, sarcasm dripping off your voice as you fake fawned over Levi. "Levi Ackerman, Humanity's Strongest.. I just adore you."

Levi hid his offended expression and ignored your antics as he continued. "I was afraid I couldn't get the chance to apologize to you. When I found you there, I.." He squeezed his eyes shut and furrowed his brows together, forcing his tears not to fall. Why now?

"Yeah, well, you fucked up. About time you feel a little heartache," you mumbled, looking around the room, anywhere but Levi.

"A little?! Look, I'm trying to apologize here!" He shouted. "Do you have no idea how fucking terrified I've been for you, you brat?!"

"No, Captain Levi, so why don't you enlighten me on how much you care?!" You huffed, crossing your arms. "Because if you did, then maybe I wouldn't be bed ridden!"

Levi's face softened at the sight of a single tear escaping your eye. He took a seat on the bed beside you and reached out to brush away your tear.

With your quick reflexes, you caught his hand and pushed it back towards him.

"Don't you dare touch me. You've done enough damage, Levi. Just go and stop wasting my time."

Just like you, he was stubborn. He stood his ground.

"I-I'm sorry."

You let out an exasperated sigh. "You must think I'm stupid. No way I'm buying that bullshit."

"You need to stop pushing me away, Y/N!"

"What is that, an order?" You taunted. "You don't get to be sorry, Levi. It's too late for that. You waited for me to almost die just to tell me that? Is that what it takes? What if I hadn't survived? What then?"

"You don't think I haven't thought about that?! That's why I'm here!"

"Yeah, and who's fault is that?"

"You should've listened to me! I was trying to protect you!"

"Well thanks a lot. Now both my kneecaps are broken and I won't be able to walk for weeks!" You shake your head. "You think just because we shared a moment while I was dying that I'm okay now? Trust me, if I had the strength, I would have slapped you then and there."

"Then why don't you now?"

"At this point, you're not even worth getting angry over. So stop giving me that pitiful look. I really prefer you shouting at me instead. At least I'm used to it." You mumble the last part, but Levi catches it easily.

"That's it then, you leave me no choice." You look at Levi curiously. "You infuriate me, brat, you really do. You're so careless and oblivious all the time, you forget to look after yourself. And I'm not ready to watch you throw away your life so irrationally from the sidelines."

"So what are you trying to tell me, Levi?"

"Tch, you're just gonna make me say it, aren't you?" He takes a deep breath. "I'm not good at this, and I hate to admit it, to you of all people. It makes me mad to see you risk your life because I care about you.. and I can't lose you. I've dealt with too much death. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you alive, even if it means dying.." Levi trails off, then scoffs and crosses his arms like a petty little child. "I said it, all right? I like you-- A lot, you stupid brat!"

You searched Levi's eyes for any trace of dishonesty. You hoped he was lying, like he had some sort of script prepared before he came to see you. But you found no lies in his eyes.

You felt your heart break. All this time when you thought Levi just really hated you, he was looking out for you.

"I.. Why didn't you just tell me?" Your voice fell apart as you spoke. "I tried so hard to make you like me back.. And it hurt because I thought you just hated my guts. I had no idea."

"I know, I was being stupid too- It shouldn't have come to this," Levi admitted. "I.. I'll let you rest now."

Levi stood up to leave, but you were quick to pull him back onto the bed with you. Without letting him react, you grabbed his face and interlocked your lips with his. All the tension in his body disappeared and he melted into the kiss, throwing his arms around you tightly like he'd lose you if he ever let go. It wasn't a soft, romantic, movie perfect kiss. It was desperate, tongue and teeth, hands wandering, disheveling the other's hair. You released all of your built up anger and resent, letting it fuel you while you aggresively fought your tongue with his, a faint taste a hint of alcohol now on your own mouth. Occasionally you'd both break the kiss for short intakes of breath and small whispers like 'don't scare me like that again' and 'I've needed this for a while now'. You couldn't help but moan, earning a grin from Levi as he continued to hungrily devour your lips. Just as things escalated, you remembered you were still in the infirmary, and anyone could walk in any minute now. You slowly pulled away, your chest heaving as you panted for breath.

Levi couldn't help but twist his lips up into a little smirk. That was new.

"Well at least you're not a bad first kisser," he spoke nonchalantly, still gasping for air. You playfully punched him in the chest.

"Quite the romantic, aren't you?" You rolled your eyes but couldn't stop yourself from smiling like an idiot. "You're not bad either, old man."

Blush spread across his cheeks.

He took your hand in his, bringing it to his swollen and raw lips and placed a small kiss on your knuckles.

"Promise me you won't leave me again?"

"Promise," you sighed blissfully. "And I guess I'll have to tell Commander Erwin about my change of plans."

"Actually," a deep voice spoke. At the door, there stood none other than Commander Erwin. "I think I already know."

[nexyra]

Hey what are your mbti and enneagram typings for Salem and OG Ozma? I see Salem as an INTJ. She’s maybe an unhealthy 4w3? Taking from his first two incarnations (bc he basically overrided his first reincarnation), I feel like OG Ozma was an IxFJ? He seems like a Fe user. And maybe a 9. I’m not too stuck to those conclusions though. What are your thoughts?

Hello again !

I'll be honest, I had not tried to type these two (mainly bc they don't have a lot of screentime) but I can try to give it a go !

SALEM

Ennea

I think 4w3 makes some sort of sense for Salem 🤔 Considering her issues with grief and not getting what she wants, I think ît's highly likely she has at least one type from the Frustration triad. 4 fits that bill, I don't really see a 7, 1 would work too. Inherently, Salem is dissatisfied with the world she lives in, she's frustrated and feels that she doesn't have what she wants.

HEART. 4 : she want(ed) someone who understood & accepted her. she's unabashedly herself and even when she found Ozma again, she didn't care one bit to pretend or hide who she was (doesn't fit 2/3). she's pretty confident but also doesn't really seem to need the wins for it (doesn't fit 3). she fumes in her negative emotions & experiences, and is currently using them to define herself.

Positive Outlook (2) doesn't fit her at all. Attachment (3) doesn't fit her much either. 2 & 3 are out. Conclusion : 4w3

GUT. 1 : she wants the world around her to fit her standards, very critical of others, some competency thrown in the mix. she seems like she could be a 8 too but she feels much more controlled; and in any case she would be a weird 1 fix since she's quite literally corrupted by the pool of Grimm and thus won't abide by the usual "i need integrity" core fear.

Positive Outlook + Attachment (9) ? No way. 8 could work too but leaning toward 1 for now. Conclusion : 1w9

HEAD. Unsure of her head fix, would need more data.

Conclusion : 6 or 5 ?

MBTI

As for her cf, I never really thought about it... But I could see the Fi-Ni or Ni-Fi I think ? I agree on Ni-Se axis in any case.

IVs

Soc blind

INTJ 4w3 1w9 ? sx/sp

. . .

Ozma

Ennea

This man is a himbo your honor and I stand by these words. This gonna be harder to say because we have like... 1 ep at most to make any conclusions.

I agree Ozma mostly overrid his first reincarnation, but the guy was still *here* in some shape or forms; so it's hard to be certain that Ozma's character wasn't influenced in some way. Considering that he's probably stayed mostly the same...

GUT. 9 or 1 : i feel like the very first Ozma, before his death, might have fitted 1 better. we talk of a man who fought "only for righteousness", and who afterwards still held onto his mission tightly despite his missteps along the way. he wants integrity, to do things right & correctly ("things" being uniting humanity in this case). at the same time, Ozma 2.0 seemed to have a very hard time asserting himself in Salem's vicinity & often ended up swaying to her ideas which seems pretty 9-ish. we could wonder how much of that is due to Salem's manipulation though : no need to be a 9 to fall for people's lies. it still stands that Ozma lacks a bit the rigidity and overly critical side of 1s, as well as the frustration. overall i'm tempted to say that maybe OG Ozma had a 1; and Ozma 2.0 leaned more toward 9; even if it might seem like a cope-out.

Reactive + Reject (8) ? Nah. Frustration + Competency (1) ? 🤔 Not that much either from what we've seen. Conclusion : 9 with a strong w1.

HEART. Not enough data. Not really seeing the 4. Could be either 2 or 3; I'd need interactions outside of his interactions with Salem to know honestly. A couple isn't the most neutral setting, and they were kinda codependant on top of that.

Conclusion : 2 or 3 ?

HEAD. 6 ? : not sure at all, but i guess he was pretty upfront about his fears with Salem (something that came to bite him in the ass afterwards). sure he took a long time before speaking up (9, remember) but he DID confront & speak his doubts into the open : embracing & reacting to the fear. he also readily took to Salem's plans when faced with the enormity of his mission to unite humanity. Ozma doesn't really runs away from his responsabilities, nor does he derive any stress or frustration from the idea of missing out (doesn't fit 7). he didn't seem to feel the need to disengage from the world and from his emotions to be objective & prepare for his task (doesn't fit 5). he leans readily into proposed solutions and what he considers a trusted ally (not couterphobic)

Frustration (7) ? Not really ? Reject + Competency (5) ? Not seeing it either. Conclusion : 6w7

MBTI

I have even less on an opinion on his MBTI than Salem; but I'd actually say that he strikes me as the Fi-est Oz out of the main three. I'd entertain the idea of something else than Fe. ... Fe stills works though, he WAS pretty open-minded about Salem's methods for "uniting humanity" at first.

No clue on axis. Maybe some Si ?

9w1 6w7 ?

. . . . .

That's all the thoughts I can bring into the open ! Sorry for the major focus on ennea, hope you can still find something interesting in the answer xD

[elesianne]

A Silmarillion fanfic, chapter four

Story summary: Through all the struggles and triumphs of the Noldor, Angrod and Edhellos hold on to their love and their faith in each other.

Despite the title, there is more than romance in this fic.

Chapter length: ~2,200 words; Rating: Teenage audiences

Some keywords for the whole fic: romance, family, some fluff and angst, mild sexual content, the Noldor and their fall and their triumphs, canon compliant

AO3 link (first chapter here)

*

Chapter IV //  The land of pines

From the northern slopes of Dorthonion Angrod and Aegnor, sons of Finarfin, looked out over the fields of Ard-galen, and were the vassals of their brother Finrod, lord of Nargothrond; their people were few, for the land was barren, and the great highlands behind were deemed to be a bulwark that Morgoth would not lightly seek to cross. – The Silmarillion: Of Beleriand and Its Realms

The first few years in Beleriand are hard though nothing alike in hardness to the treacherous ice that Eldalótë still walks on many nights, only to rouse within the warm hold of Angaráto's arms. His bare skin against hers is a blessing that quickly grounds her in the moment.

She breathes in the smell of him and lets herself fall to rest again, in search of better dreams.

*

There is little need for a gilder in the first, hard years and decades. Eldalótë instead makes use of the spinning and weaving skills that her mother-in-law taught her. It is good to be of use, and like all of her family, she lost long ago any notion of being above hard work because of royal status.

 Working at her loom that they purchased from the Sindar for one of the treasures Findaráto brought with him, Eldalótë cannot help thinking of Eärwen weaving white sails for her father's fleet of white ships. For her sake, and for Elenwë's who became as close a friend to her as their husbands are, she stays as far away from Fëanáro's sons as she can. She is glad, though, that Findekáno saved Maitimo from his torment and that the fractured Noldor are working together towards shared goals again. Under the leadership of Nolofinwë, she believes they can prosper in this new land.

 But though she is as polite with everyone as she always is, she will not forget the particular part that Fëanáro and his sons played in their coming here. There will always be a shard of the Ice in her heart for them.

*

 She stays behind when Angaráto goes to the kingdom of Doriath as Findaráto's messenger.

 'I assume it is best that you do not flaunt your Noldorin wife in case he would count that against you', she says. 'But do take Artaresto with you. He looks more like you than me, and speaks Valinorean Telerin as well as if it was his only tongue.'

 'I am loath to leave you behind when I journey to lands unknown to us', Angaráto replies.

 She rummages in her trunk. 'The grey-elves and our own scouts say that the way is safe', she says over her shoulder. 'And I shall not be lonely, or if I shall, Aikanáro shall be equally lonely, the constant companion that he is to you, and he and I can keep each other company.' She finds what she was looking for, a golden ribbon for his golden hair.

 Angaráto snorts. 'I will never stop wondering how you did not grow tired of his 'constant companionship' decades and decades ago. I feared it at the beginning of our marriage.'

 Eldalótë smiles, and tells him to stay still. 'I could not have married you if I didn't like him too. And –' she ties his hair neatly back so it will stay off his face when he rides '– he is my brother too. For many years now.'

 Angaráto turns and kisses her. 'I am glad. When the time comes to decide where we will settle, Aikanáro and I would like to share lordship of a realm.'

 'Of course.' She pokes him in the chest. 'But do not kiss me while we talk of him!'

*

 Angaráto is angrier than she has seen him since the betrayal of Fëanáro when he storms back into their tent from the council of lords, much earlier than she expected to see him.

 He paces around the tent, furious, fuming, but silent. Eldalótë asks whether it would make him feel better to shout and he replies bluntly, 'I shall not, or I'll be no better than the thrice-accursed sons of Fëanáro.'

 Eldalótë understands. 'Which one was it this time?'

 'Carnistir, again.' Angaráto sighs, and sits down next to her. 'He insulted his brother who agreed to me being sent to Elwë as messenger, and me, and my mother all in one short angry rant.' He tells her what exactly was said, and adds, 'It stings my honour and pride that he should insult my parentage so when I and my brothers and sister have fought through all the same hardships as Nolofinwë and his children, and indeed through more than he has!'

 Eldalótë shakes her head. 'Maitimo will no doubt rebuke him as always, but how we shall settle these lands and fight our battles together with Carnistir and his brothers who are more like him than Maitimo, I do not know.'

 With the help of great distances, it turns out. Maitimo sends Carnistir to settle in the eastern land that lies at the feet of Ered Luin, and Angaráto's land is to be much more westward.

*

 They ride to their new realm with eager hearts, and a few hundred eager followers of Arafinwë who have chosen to come to the highlands of Dorthonion to live under Angaráto and Aikanáro's rule. Most of them are bold warriors who acquitted themselves well in battle and prefer staying closer to the threat of Morgoth should he send his troops forth in battle again to going further south with Findaráto. A smaller part of them are grey-elves who want to leave the land of Mithrim where they had loss and sorrow.

 Eldalótë would have preferred a land more to the south and west, close to the people of Círdan who look favourable upon the kin of Olwë. But Findaráto will keep all that land, for Angaráto and Aikanáro volunteered to take on the watch in the northern highlands.

 As they ride there, this time it is Aikanáro who carries their father's banner in honour of Angaráto as the older brother, though they have agreed to be equal lords.

 Eldalótë keeps a tight hold on her new horse's bridle. Like their other horses, she was a gift from Maitimo, or Maedhros as he has quickly taken to calling himself. In amends, he gave many of the horses he brought over on the swan-ships to Nolofinwë – Fingolfin, now – and Nolofinwë distributed them among his lords.

 Eldalótë's horse is a young mare. She is a little skittish but manageable and shows promise, and Eldalótë certainly wasn't too proud to accept a noble beast of Valinor. It has been wonderful, one of the most wonderful things since their arrival here, to ride out with her husband and son and feel the wind on her face and the power and speed of her horse under her.

 It is even better to be riding to their new home. The scouts and grey-elves have told them that the highlands east of Mithrim and south of the green plain of Ard-Galen are rather barren, growing mainly pine, and rainy like Hithlum. It will be home, nonetheless, their first home after a long time of journeying. It will be the realm that Angaráto dreamed of, long ago in a different land, and Aikanáro too.

*

 Once they are settled in the place of their new home and begun building their citadel, Minas Avras, Eldalótë and Angaráto decide to give each other new names rather than deciding the forms of their names themselves.

 They both want to keep their most-used names and only translate them but in the language of the grey-elves, there are alternative word-forms as well as binding sounds in the place where two elements join together to choose from.

 'Edhellos', Angaráto whispers against the heated skin of her neck one night, and lowers his head to kiss her breast. 'It flows soft and sweet on my tongue, like you do.'

 'Ah.' She arches under his exploring tongue. 'Ang - oh - Angrod.' He pauses his ministrations of her for a moment, and she explains. 'It sounds as much like Angaráto as possible and I want it to, because despite everything that has changed, with me you are as you always were. Strong and sure and oh,  oh   –' He has continued his way down her body and she can hardly stay still and certainly not speak apart from gasping out his names, old and new.

 She tries to tangle her fingers deep in his hair like she loves to do but it is harder to do these days. He cut it short on the Ice and has kept that way ever since. It doesn't even reach his shoulders.

 Edhellos misses the abundant golden fall of it, but she understands. The long cold road changed them all, and that is all right. She has hardened too. Besides finding it more difficult to forgive and acceptable not to, she raises her voice more often now and joins in conversations where she may have stayed still and silent before. Angaráto still sometimes speaks for her like he always has, but only when they have spoken of it beforehand in the quiet of their own chambers, in their own private moments that become ever more precious year after year.

 She is more protective of what she has now, being aware of all that she can lose.

*

 Edhellos did not see her husband or other family members fight in the first battle at the Lammoth that took place soon after their arrival in Beleriand. She stayed at the rear of the host at Finrod's request, put by him in charge of the others who weren't fighters of first rank and would only engage in battle if necessary. It turned out to be necessary, and she fought as well as she could; well enough to survive while some in the van who were more valiant at arms perished, including the fearless youngest son of Fingolfin.

 Even in Dorthonion Edhellos doesn't become as adept at fighting as her family, though she keeps practising. She can defend herself but not well enough that it would make any sense, still, for her to take part in battles by her husband's side, in the sharp front point of the attack.

 She has always prided herself on her common sense. The price of it is accepting things she rather wouldn't, like letting Angrod ride to face possible death so far ahead of her.

 She sees her family fight later, from horseback on the side of a battlefield with her bow in hand, on a hill high enough to see everything that happens. It is a revelation. Aegnor, her gentle-hearted brother, roars like a lion and his eyes shine bright with battle-rage. It leaves no doubt in the hearts of the enemy that this is a child of the Light that they abhor; and they quiver before him, and Aegnor with his spirit of wrath cleaves them with his sword that soon no longer shines, dripping with gore.

 Angrod and Orodreth fight side by side, father and son working violence together efficiently and mercilessly, their moves as graceful and coordinated as any dance performance and as strong and precise as a smith's strike on the anvil. The golden rays on their shields catch the light of the sun and strike the eyes of the enemy half-blind.

 When it is Edhellos' contingent's turn to fire, she with her fellow archers shoots arrow after arrow until their fingers go numb. The enemy falters and fails under the rain of arrows and the swift blows from the long swords of the Noldor.

 The singers will call it the Glorious Battle, soon, during more peaceful years when there is plenty of time for songs.

*

 Dorthonion makes Edhellos happy in peacetime.

 The crags and the pines remind her a little of the times when she was young and newly married and Angrod took her along on the long wanderings he and his brothers went on in the summers in the north of Aman, north of Formenos even, where the treelight was weaker and the nature barren at the rocky foothills of the Pelóri.

 The wanderings took place in the summer because it was warmer even there then, and they made long treks because it was before any of them had children or any responsibilities that they couldn't abandon for weeks.

 In Dorthonion, Edhellos once climbs one of the highest pines on the highest tor that still supports growing trees. It is a clear day.

 She looks to the north and sees the dark shape of the great peaks of Thangorodrim that hides the fortress of Angband, ever pouring forth smoke that forms a stain on the wide blue sky.

 Between that place of abhoration and Edhellos' land lie the grassy plains of Ard-Galen. The sight of the green land always warms her heart. The grass there grows tall and strong despite the proximity of Morgoth's stronghold, and it feeds the growing horse herds of the Noldor. Fingolfin has sent many young horses to Dorthonion, too, valiant war-steeds descended from the horses brought over from Valinor.

 She looks to the south and sees the land that Angrod and Aegnor and she rule: encircled by mountain peaks, craggy and wooded, and dear, with its fair, tall trees and clear lakes that reflect the full beauty of midday and night skies alike. She and Angrod have many times ridden to such a lake and spent a night there, enjoying starlight and each other.

 As she looks over it all, breathing in the lovely scent of pine needles, she can understand a little of the desire for conquest and exploration that drove her husband and brothers and sister-in-law. This is her land, and she is its lady.

* A/N: The fifth and last chapter will be posted on Sunday.

[wolfcrunch]

32.

i didnt get a character or angst/fluff decision so i went with bakugou!! hope that’s alright!

Prompt #32 - What did I do?

read on AO3 - request a prompt and character(s) for me to write!

What did I do?

Crimson coloured eyes stared blankly upwards, tracing patterns into the clean, white tiles overhead. Silence rung in his ears, but thoughts and memories weight heavy on the young hero’s mind, the events of the previous two days playing on rewind.

What did I do?

He could still hear the cries for help, the yells of his friends, screaming at him to move. To do something. He could still taste smoke and blood, on the tip of his tongue despite it being cleaned off long ago. He could still feel his tattered costume sticking against his sweat-laden body, covered in soot and dirt and all sorts of debris.

What did I do?

He remembered he had been facing a tenacious villain, one that he and Deku had been essentially ‘hunting down’ for the past three months, at least. A man who could outmaneuver even the proclaimed Wonder Duo, of all heroes.

Katsuki and Deku had only been heroes for around five years now - and in all of that time, they had not yet come across a villain who could make them chase tail for more than a week, the League excused.

All except the man they had come to know as 'Torrent’.

A dangerous man who seemed set on stirring up trouble, the heroes who had faced him weren’t entirely sure on what his quirk really do, except it was some sort of extreme weather manipulation. He’d been shown to cause a vast arrangement of weather - from storms, to hail, to snow and even fire tornadoes.

Even with Katsuki and Deku working together - it was almost as if the other man had several quirks, with how quickly he could change the weather and make his escape.

They’d run into the villain again, and Katsuki had decided enough was enough. The man in question had sent a blast of dangerous high wind through some apartment buildings, leaving the buildings almost destroyed and civilians in need of saving. Their job had been to get the civilians out safely first…

But then Katsuki had seen him. And his vision went red.

He’d screamed at Deku to start evacuating victims before blasting off after the escaping man, his explosion quirk boosting him along. Deku had tried to stop him– but there were people in need, and he couldn’t just abandon them.

Not when the buildings looked as if they were going to fall.

Despite having grown and mellowed out…Katsuki still had a bit of a short fuse. And here, it had decided to come and bite him on the ass.

He didn’t know how the guy’s quirk worked, let alone a way to possibly take him down and immobilize him long enough for Deku to catch up…he hadn’t been thinking straight, he could admit that much. He could admit defeat.

Failure.

So…what did I do?

Nothing…absolutely fucking nothing.

Katsuki had been no match for the villain, not even with his rage-filled mind that made him act before thinking. The explosive hero prided himself on his reaction times, on his prowess, on his fighting experience, years of that skill honed into his very bones.

But it still had been no match, not alone.

Torrent had toyed with him. He’d batted the hero around as if the two were playing cat and mouse - as if Katsuki was the prey, in this scenario.

Torrent knew Katsuki - the hero, Ground Zero - was no match for him, and it had only served to make Katsuki angrier as the minutes ticked by. As Katsuki got worn down, expending all of his energy into firing off blasts…he’d been so angry, that he hadn’t accounted much for his surrounding area.

Of course, collateral damage was usually never an issue…his PR would chew him out for it, but it was something he could pay off…

…but the lives at stake…

Katsuki’s calloused hands gripped at the light, scratchy blanket laid over his body, an all-too-unfamiliar burning beginning to build up in his eyes. He hated, hated, hated this. This feeling….

Complete, utter failure.

Katsuki could do nothing. Nothing as Torrent sent a huge gust of wind clashing into him, making the hero crash into an unstable building. Nothing as a shrill cry sounded from within its walls, breaking Katsuki out of the rage-filled cloud overhanging every nerve.

He did nothing as Torrent sneered at the sounds emitting from the once-thought abandoned building, calling out something Katsuki couldn’t hear over the roar of vicious winds.

Nothing as heroes arrived on the scene– Red Riot, Pinky, Uravity, Deku– screaming out for the explosive hero to move.

To save…

Katsuki couldn’t move…and two children, eight and three, had perished as Torrent brought the building down upon him. Katsuki hadn’t known…but that didn’t make the weight in his chest any less heavy.

He’d been lucky that he was alive - Deku having jumped into the fray and chasing Torrent off as Red Riot, Pinky and Uravity dug him and the children out, as the nurses said once he awoke.

According to them, no one had been to visit yet, even though Katsuki hadn’t been too critically injured, surprisingly…

Not that he deserved their company.

Ground Zero was suppose to be a hero, yet two children lost their lives because of him. A couple was never going to hug their children, see them grow up…he knew that all heroes lost someone at least once during their careers…

But this was all utterly Katsuki’s fault, he knew. He was the reason that Japan had lost two lives that day.

He was the reason Torrent was still on the run. If only he had waited–

If only he hadn’t run in like a damn intern on his first patrol…those two kids might still be alive.

The blond scowled, lifting a hand to slowly run through his dirtied hair, wincing at the tiny shards of glass still stuck between its strands. He’d told the nurses to piss off after checking his vitals after awaking not a mere three hours ago…now he was kinda starting to regret that.

Ugh…the sooner I can get out…

Katsuki knew that to wallow in his own self-pity was…pathetic. He didn’t deserve to feel so sorry for himself. No, because those kids–

They had needed him in that moment. They had needed to be saved, by a hero.

And Katsuki had been still, sealing their fates.

He scowled to himself, before carefully propping himself up with his arms. The IV in his arm felt uncomfortable, and his eyes stung at the light coming in from the window. The sooner he got out, the sooner he could do something - he wouldn’t be very surprised if the parents tried to press charges because of their children.

He’d deserve it.

His body, aching, protested against the blond’s movements, but he ignored it to force one leg over the side of the bed, gritting his teeth at the harsh movement. The nurses would have his head if they saw him trying to get up.

But he couldn’t sit here and do nothing. He needed to make up–

“Kacchan!”

The blond gave an indignant squawk as a hand settled on his shoulders, before his brain clicked with the familiar name. “Deku, what the fuck?!”

“Shh, the nurses are gonna kick me out-”

“As they should, shitty nerd!” Katsuki’s raging words held no real bite to them, despite the way his red gaze pierced through the over. Deku at least had the decency to look sheepish. “How the hell did you get in here?” he lowered his voice, slightly.

His hero partner glanced at the door of the room, which he had carefully shut completely to make sure no one was peeking in before looking at the older man. “I….distracted a nurse and managed to sneak past?”

“Deku–”

“They weren’t gonna let us see you!” Izuku insisted, waving about his hands - one which held a plastic bag. “After the thing with Torrent, I got some stuff and came back to the waiting room. They didn’t give any word about you having woken up and I got worried-”

“I don’t want your stinking ass in my room!” Katsuki hissed. “And what do you mean we? What about all the civilians?!”

“They’re fine!!” Katsuki’s cause for his newest headache assured him. “I’ve already dealt with the paperwork and the press…well, most of it. Kirishima and some of the others are still in the waiting room for when you get released - your entire fight was on the news!”

“Fucking– Deku, you’re number fucking one, it’s your job to go out there and detain Torrent, ain’t it?!”

“Kacchan, I wasn’t going to risk going after him alone.”

Now Katsuki knew that Deku was stronger than him - three years together in U.A, and five as hero partners…he’d be stupid to not say that Deku had surpassed him in terms of strength - although when exactly that happened was muddled and forgotten…

Deku had always been stronger than him in moral, too. Even before inheriting One For All.

“Anyways…no one’s seen or heard from him in the two days you were out…I think for now, its fine to take a break,” Izuku then grinned, shaking the bag in his hand. “Anyways, I got some of your clothes from the agency. I don’t think anyone wants to see your ass when you finally get out of here.”

Katsuki paused, the words sinking in. He blurted out what was first to conjure into a sentence.

“What, my ass not good enough for the bunch of you freaks, huh?!”

“N-no, Kacchan!” Izuku couldn’t help but snort, shaking his head. “I think Kirishima would call it manly-”

The broad-shouldered hero got an angry shove at that, the injured one of the two fuming at him. “Eat shit and die, nerd!” he nearly screamed, causing Izuku to laugh louder.

“Come on Kacchan, it was a joke!”

“Yeah? Your whole career is gonna look like a fucking joke in a minute, asshole!”

Katsuki couldn’t help the smug grin that crossed his face as the door to his room was slammed open, two fuming nurses standing outside and setting their sights right on Deku, who looked up like a deer in headlights.

Not even the Number One hero could escape punishment by a couple of angry nurses set out to make sure their patients were comfortable, Katsuki supposed…good.

[sushigirlali]

Finding You - Part I (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV - Part V - Part VI - Part VII - Part VIII - Part IX

Summary: Unseen forces move against Kylo Ren from within the First Order as he struggles to unravel Snoke’s deceptions / Rey must balance her relationship with Ben Solo and her dedication to the cause that opposes him / Leia Organa makes a desperate plea to an old friend in a last ditch effort to restore the Resistance. Pairing: Rey x Kylo Ren/Ben Solo [Reylo] [ReyBen] Continuity: Set directly after Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi ends. Warnings: There will be a lemon in Part II Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or anything that relates to Star Wars. 

A/N: The Last Jedi is everything I wanted and thought I’d never get!! Honestly, I’m still a little stunned that Reylo is canon. I was just hoping they weren’t related! It’s a Christmas miracle! This fic will be presented in three parts, and is paired with the song Finding You by Kesha off the Rainbow album. You can find me on FanFiction.net as sushigirlali as well. Enjoy!

Finding You - Part I By: sushigirlali

I wanna lay in your arms when the world is burning I wanna dig in your heart, take away your hurting Kiss me and tell me I'm fine and forget we’re dying

Rey fiddled with the busted control panel she was supposed to be fixing. The escape pod on the starboard side of the Millennium Falcon had taken some damage during the battle on Crait. It should have been a quick job, but Rey just couldn’t seem to focus on the task at hand.

“Did he know?” she muttered to herself distractedly. “Did he know that I was on the Falcon?”

Rey chewed her lip, trying to concentrate on the web of wires before her.

“Ow!” she gasped as sparks suddenly erupted from a nearby junction.

Pulling her singed fingers back, Rey turned around—and nearly ran right into the dark robed man before her.

“What—Ben?” she looked up, shocked at seeing him so soon after their last connection on Crait.

They stared at each other in tense silence, taking inventory. Rey was glad to see that he wasn’t injured, that he was okay. He looked absolutely livid, to be sure, but whole. Rey opened her mouth to speak, but Ben beat her to it.

“Despite your best efforts, I’m still alive.” Kylo Ren said, his dark eyes bright with fury.

“Ben!” Rey objected. “You can’t really believe I want you dead!”

“Why not?! I offered you the galaxy and you turned on me without a second thought!” he accused.

“That’s not true! I wanted—want—to help you, but not at the expense of what’s left of the Resistance.” She tried to reason.

“The Resistance is nothing but a band of inept dissidents who have deluded themselves into believing that they can defeat a more powerful force with nothing but sentiment and luck!”

“The Resistance is made up of the bravest, most decent people that I have ever met! Don’t you dare speak about them like that!” Rey’s voice rose as she defended her friends. “I had to leave! I had to save them!”

“You left me unconscious before a broken throne with hell raining down around me!” he charged roughly. “You left me to die!”

“Ben, I checked to make sure you were breathing before—”

“YOU. LEFT. ME.”

The pure anguish in his tone tore through her. But she knew, deep down, that no matter how much he was hurting, giving into him now would spell doom for them both. He wasn’t ready to turn back to the light, not yet.

Still, she wanted to offer some comfort. Rey reached toward him, but he caught her hand halfway.

“Ouch!” Rey protested as he grasped the burnt fingers of her left hand.

His grip softened automatically, soothingly, but he didn’t let go.

“You gave me no choice, Ben.” She replied firmly. “I can’t be what you want. I won’t.”

“Then we’re at an impasse.” His voice was harsh, unwavering.

“Ben--”

“Ben Solo is dead. Kylo Ren is the only name I answer to.” Kylo said resolutely.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn! I only want what’s best for you! I’ve seen your future! It doesn’t have to be this way!” Rey snatched her hand away as frustrated tears streamed down her porcelain cheeks.

“The future doesn’t come to order, Rey. It’s something that happens to you, and if you’re not strong enough to cope with it, it will destroy you.” The hand that had been holding hers clenched at his side.

“Like Luke’s betrayal destroyed you?” Rey asked softly.

“You go too far!” Kylo snapped back.

“Ben, you don’t know Luke’s side of it. I know this is difficult to talk about, but there’s something I need to tell you.” Rey pleaded with him.

“His side of it?!” Kylo snarled. “My master, my mentor, my uncle tried to murder me in cold blood! While I was sleeping! Defenseless! And you dare to defend him?!”

“Ben, there’s more to it than that. Luke told me that he sensed your dark side was rising, yes, but that when the moment came he—”

But suddenly her surroundings came back into focus.

“Rey?” a familiar voice asked hesitantly from the doorway.

She glanced around, cursing the interruption, but knowing that she would forgive her best friend.

“Yes, Finn?”

“Dinner is ready. We’re waiting for you.” Finn said with a concerned expression. “Is everything alright?”

“What? Oh, yes. I’ll be along shortly.”

Finn nodded and went back up the entry ramp. Rey slumped down against the wall dejectedly once he turned the corner. Nursing her burnt fingers, she blew out an angry breath.

She needed to tell Ben what Luke had imparted to her. Once Ben knew the whole truth, when he understood that Luke had made a grave mistake, she hoped that he could finally start to heal. Rey knew the wound was deep, how could it not be, but she didn’t believe it was irreversible.

Now that Snoke was dead, and his disgusting influence lifted, Ben could finally have his mind back. This didn’t absolve him of the horrible choices he had made on behalf of the First Order and his master, on behalf of his own misguided lust for power, but Rey suspected Snoke had been leeching the light out of Ben Solo for longer than any of them knew.

That kind of long running mental and physical abuse left deep scars. Still, she refused to give up hope. The link between them was strong, despite Snoke’s death. And that thought would give her solace for the difficult times ahead. The Resistance needed Ben Solo, she needed Ben Solo. Now if only she could convince him of that.

Kylo Ren paced his private quarters, fuming. How dare she presume to lecture him about Luke Skywalker! His lip curled. Skywalker. The last Jedi Master. Destroyer of the Emperor and Darth Vader. Attempted murderer of his only nephew.

“His side.” Kylo mocked, furious at the implication.

There was only one side—Kylo’s. Luke Skywalker was a coward who only challenged his betters when they’re backs were turned. And yet…something at the edge of his mind nudged him that there was more to the story. Something that had been obscured. By Snoke? He didn’t know for sure. Not yet at least. But with the death of his master, Kylo’s mind was clearing.

Maybe Rey did know something. He should have forced her to tell him, before they were interrupted. As soon as he thought it, Kylo smirked. Right. Like he’d ever been successful in forcing her to do anything.

Kylo recalled their argument and flinched. He’d charged in with accusations and anger, but she seemed relieved, almost happy, to see him again. He didn’t know if he could forgive her for betraying him, though. He had offered to share his ambition, his very life, with her, and she had rejected him.

No, she hadn’t just rejected him, she'd also attempted to attack him. With his grandfather’s lightsaber nonetheless! But while he was knocked out, vulnerable, she hadn’t slit his throat. She had left. Was she so sure of her premonition? Did she really believe that he would turn to the light?

And what did Rey know about Skywalker? He was curious now. Next time he saw her, he’d listen. Not because he believed he was wrong, but because she believed she was right.

I wanna feel you tonight like the very first time Let's run away, baby, drive straight into the moonlight Kiss me and tell me you're mine like no one’s watching Like time is stopping

It was three days before he saw her again. And while it had been an agonizing wait, the time alone had given Kylo perspective. The more time passed, the more Kylo realized how often Snoke had infiltrated his mind. It seemed that he had always been there, lurking in the shadows. And the sudden absence of his master now, after so many years, caused Kylo great disquiet.

There were things in his memory, terrible things, deeply buried, that were suddenly available to him. But he was afraid to look at them directly. At least, not until he could give himself context. As a result, Kylo had taken to deep meditation over the last few days, determined to root out how it all began.

Focusing inward, Kylo traveled into the past, reliving pivotal moments in his life—trying to understand what had brought him to this point. His mind opened as the stain of Snoke’s concealment receded.

He could see it now, how it started. Even as a child, as far back as he could stretch his mind to remember, Snoke had been with him. Snoke was subtle at first, merging their minds a little at a time, making sure never to penetrate too deeply. And once young Ben Solo had begun to bond with the soft, authoritative voice in his head, Snoke had imprinted on Kylo’s lonely soul with false promises of companionship and understanding.

As Kylo grew older, he started to resist Snoke’s invasion. The presence became uncomfortable, demanding. And like his parents, Ben Solo was not one to bow to orders. The turning point, yes, he could see it clearly now, was the night that Skywalker had crept into his room to murder him. The old Jedi had sensed his growing power, and the dark connection that bolstered it.

But was that what actually happened? He had always believed so without a doubt, reinforced by Snoke’s insistence. Or was Rey right? Was there another side to the story? If his uncle’s true intention had not been to kill him, then what had it been?

Kylo stepped outside of himself, examining the scenario from an objective position. Skywalker was reading his mind that night, looking for evidence of corruption. But…it wasn’t all Kylo. Snoke was there as well, feeding the darkness within until it was all Skywalker could see.

The horrified look on his uncle’s face disturbed Kylo. His old master looked pained, and panic stricken. As he pulled out his lightsaber, Kylo saw the indecision there, the fear. But also, a realization that his actions were impulsive and wrong. And then, just as Skywalker moved to turn off his lightsaber, he realized that Ben was awake.

Kylo came out of the memory slowly, adjusting to the dim light of his personal command shuttle. He had taken to utilizing the private cabin aboard the spacecraft when he needed to meditate, preferring the confined solitude to the main living decks in the crowded Star Destroyer. The cabin doubled as a troop carrier compartment during battle.

Lifting himself off the bed, Kylo tightened the silken belt around his waist. He liked to use a lighter, less repressive robe during meditation; the weightless texture allowed him to reach out to the Force with ease. It was something he wore only when alone, however, because Kylo always felt more vulnerable out of uniform.

Still, merging with the Force had been demanding on both his mind and body this time. It had taken a great deal of willpower to uncover Snoke’s smokescreen. Kylo walked over to a basin near the door and splashed cool water across his face and neck. Whipping the excess off with a plush towel, Kylo contemplated what he had seen through the Force.

The burning hatred he had harbored toward his uncle all his life was still there, but tempered as reason took over. The man had been a coward, coming in the dead of night to test his own nephew instead of speaking with him in the light of day. If only they had talked about the unspoken thing inside him—about the dark side. But neither Ben Solo, nor Luke Skywalker, had taken that course.

Kylo knew now that the blame wasn’t solely on Skywalker’s shoulders. He had contributed to the situation with his silence, his fear of admitting that something—someone—had taken a hold of him. He had been Ben Solo, son of the great rebel war heroes Princess Leia Organa and General Han Solo. He was the nephew of one of the greatest Jedi Masters to ever live.

And yet, he had failed them all. He had killed his own father in the misguided belief that Han Solo’s death would bring closure to the gaping wound in his soul. At the time, he’d felt betrayed and abandoned at every turn, by his entire family. He had felt justified in his vengeance. But now, all he felt was empty.

His mother and father had never given up on him, had never given up hope that one day he would return to the light. And now, with all the knowledge he had gained, Kylo Ren had to admit for the first time that he had been wrong. Luke Skywalker had made a mistake, but he, not his uncle, had destroyed Ben Solo’s life. And as a result, his family, who had loved him, was broken beyond repair.

Casting aside the towel in a fit of anger, Kylo whirled to find Rey standing before him. He must have looked fearsome because she took a quick step back.

“Ben, are you…alright?” She asked hesitantly.

Kylo didn’t answer her; he couldn’t. He knew he should, that he had a lot to explain to her, but he couldn’t speak because the words were choking him. He needed more time to process the shocking revelations of the last hour. When he didn’t speak, Rey took the lead.

“Ben, I need to tell you about Luke. Now. Before we’re interrupted again.” She started imploringly. When he didn’t make a move to interrupt, she continued, “Luke told me what happened. He did go into your room that night. Not with the intention of killing you, but he was testing you all the same. And when he saw the darkness in you, when he saw what Snoke was doing to you, he overreacted. But he never would have killed you! His mistake cost you your life, your family, your soul! And he never forgave himself for it. So, you see, it wasn’t all your fault! There’s still time to come back, to join me on the right side.”

She was almost panting as she finished speaking. It was one of the many things that he admired about her—her passion for life, her goodness. Despite her desolate upbringing, Rey was the most accepting person he had ever met. She strived to bring people together in an effort to create what she had been denied all her life: a family.

He understood her, and she him. Though their circumstances were wildly different, the aching loneliness was the same. And so, as he gazed into her pleading eyes, Kylo felt his strength flow back into him. He could put aside any weakness when she was near. His soul rose up to meet hers, his equal in the Force. His balance.

“Rey, I believe you.” Kylo told her.

Her eyes widened, shocked by his easy acceptance. Clearly, she had worked herself up over the last few days and was expecting a fight.

“You…you do?” she asked in wonder.

He nodded. “I’ve been meditating. There are periods in my life that have always escaped me, no matter how hard I concentrated.”

“Snoke.” Rey said with disgust.

“Yes.” Kylo acknowledged. “He was in my mind almost my entire life, blocking off connections, blurring memories. It’s difficult work to discover where the suppression lies. As I clear out the cobwebs in my mind, however, the truth is beggining to take shape.”

“So…you’ve already seen everything I just told you?” she asked a little sharply.

The barest hint of a smile titled his lips. “Yes, I have.”

“And here I’ve been, going out of my mind with worry about you!” Rey huffed.

“You were worried about me?” Kylo asked, surprised. “Why?”

“Well, I didn’t know if you were going to fly off the handle after I left. I certainly didn’t expect you to investigate the situation on your own.” She said honestly.

“Why not?”

“You seemed so angry with me, Ben.” Rey bit her lip. “I thought you would just ignore everything I said and brood until we met again.”

“I was angry, very angry, at first. But the more I thought about what you said, the more curious I became. I knew you weren’t lying to me, that you believed in what you were saying, so I decided to uncover the truth for myself.” He told her.

Rey moved closer to him, her eyes bright. “I’m so proud of you.” 

Kylo felt something lift in his chest, like a burden being removed. “I’m sorry for the way I behaved, for not listening to you earlier.” He replied. 

“I understand why you were so upset. But, please, just talk to me in the future. I don’t like fighting with you.” Rey beseeched him.

“I’ll do my best.” Kylo agreed.

“Ben, there’s something else.” Rey started cautiously. “Something I wanted to ask you.”

“Anything.”

“Did you know that I was on the Millennium Falcon when the First Order tried to shoot it out of the sky on Crait?” Rey asked, frowning.

Kylo was stunned. No, he had not known. How could he not have known? Their connection was strong, but he had been blinded by rage, by a sense of deep betrayal after waking up alone in the throne room. He still felt it now, to a lesser degree, if he was honest with himself. But if he’d been in control on Crait, it would have been more than obvious that Rey was in command of his father’s vessel.

In his anger, he could have lost Rey. He could have killed her.

“I didn’t know.” Kylo fell to his knees in front of her, head bowed. “Please forgive me.”

Rey stared at the proud man in front of her, her heart pounding. Their previous meetings had shown him to be honest to the point of insolence, but this contrite response was beyond her wildest expectations. She had anticipated an argument at the very least, but looking at Ben now, Rey felt ashamed for doubting his feelings for her.

“Ben, I believe you.” Rey said, repeating his words back to him.

Ben lifted his head, as if soaking in Rey’s radiant smile.

“Here,” she said, holding out her hands, “I’ll help you up.”

He hesitated for a second, but allowed her to pull him up. Electricity raced up her arms from where their bare hands melded together. He wasn’t wearing gloves, for once, and his rigid uniform had been replaced by a lightweight black silk robe.

Rey blushed as they continued to hold hands, as she tried not to stare at him.

“Rey,” Ben said quietly, “how did you get back aboard that ship?”

“After I left,” she stopped herself from saying ‘you’, “the throne room, I knew that the Falcon was the only chance for the Resistance to survive, so I took Snoke’s escape vessel and signaled Chewy to pick me up. The chaos created by Holdo’s sacrifice covered my escape.”

“I’m sorry I put you in that position. I still believe that the past needs to be put to rest, but I shouldn’t have tried to sway you from helping your friends.” Ben told her seriously.

Rey felt hope swell up inside her at his words. She still had so much to learn about the Force, about life, but she believed Ben was being sincere. It was clear that everything he had seen while mediating over the last few days had had a profound effect on him.

“I don’t care if it’s selfish or silly of me, but I don’t want to choose. I didn’t then and I don’t now.” She confessed. “I want it all—you and my friends.”

Ben’s eyes burned into hers in response, innumerable emotions swirling in their dark depths. Bringing up his ungloved hands, he cupped her cheeks. She quivered in response; it was the most intimate touch she had ever received.

“Why are you here? Why has the Force connected us?” Ben asked huskily.

“Don’t you know?” she whispered coyly.

He shook his head. “You deserve better.”

“I deserve you.” She said boldly. “I’ve been alone all my life until now. Suddenly I have friends—family—and I’m not scared of opening up to them anymore. I owe that to you, to the trust we’ve built between us. Now stop implying that our connection isn’t mutual!”

Ben smiled slightly, then reached down for her left hand, lifting her knuckles to his lips. The burn she had sustained a few days ago was mostly healed, but Rey felt her face heat at the sweet gesture.

“Okay,” he conceded, his tone holding a wealth of apology and acceptance.

Rey beamed up at him, curling her fingers tighter into his. Raising her other hand, Rey pushed back Ben’s lush hair, framing his cheek. Then, with all the courage she possessed, Rey stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, sealing their bond for all time.

A/N: In my mind, there has to be a lot of meditating and talking to get to a point where Kylo Ren is ready to be Ben Solo again; I want his turn to the light to feel earned. Part II will be posted sometime next week, once I button up Part III, and will include some lemony goodness! You can find me over on FanFiction.net as sushigirlali as well. 

A little something extra!

Kylo: Who hurt you? Ali: …what? Kylo: Why are all your favorite male characters in need of a redemption arc? Ali: Because I’m a slut for complex character development? Kylo: It’s because they always wear all black, isn’t it? Ali: Ummm…no? Kylo: You a freak. Ali: Oh, you’re one to talk, Cry-lo Ren!!

[neoct18]

pricked; chapter iv

◖pairing ─ reader x taemin

◖rating ─ m [suggestive situation, profanity]

◖word count ─ 4.022 

◖a/n ─ it’s about to go down next chapter. sorry for the long wait, I was trying to figure out how to go about it, since I made huge character development very fast. (also p.s credit to however owns this gif, I couldn’t find the link!)

part I, part II, part III

❝ I’m trying to make her happy.  ❞ 

He wasn’t there when you woke up.

You wanted to believe you weren’t expecting this, but you had grown tired of lying to yourself. You didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, either. Maybe he was needed; some member got in trouble, or maybe he thought sleeping more than a couple of hours didn’t apply to someone like him.

So you texted him. You thought a ‘Where are you?’ would do it. But you also quickly got dressed, and headed off to his small apartment. It was a gloomy day, but most days in Korea were like that.

Somehow, though, you still thought this was a bad sign.

When you finally reached the apartment complex, you took out your key, albeit with a little hesitation, and climbed the stairs to the third floor. When you opened the door, you found Key sleeping in one of the couches, and Jonghyun having a cigarette in the kitchen ─empty, stained cups littering the whole place.

He looked up, eyes always strange but pretty, gaze wary.

“What are you doing here?” he asked you in a tired voice.

“Where’s Taemin?”

He shrugged a bit, and then knuckled his right eye.

“In his room. Or out, I don’t really know.”

You sighed, and checked Taemin’s room. He wasn’t in the house. You checked your phone for the fourth time. Nothing.

“Do you think he went to Busan again?” you tried again.

Key woke up then, being the light-sleeper he was, rubbing his eyes, and looking at you like he didn’t recognize you.

“How do you know about Busan? What are you even doing here?” he interjected.

“Long story. Do you know, though?”

“No, he didn’t go there,” he got up and stretched, walking like a cat towards the living room’s window and opening it wide.

“I’m pretty sure he’s with Onew. Where’s Minho?” he asked Jonghyun in a louder voice.

“If you two want answers this bad call the information center.”

Key groaned. “Can you get over it?”

“Dude, I never lose. I wouldn’t have lost if it wasn’t for your dumb ass.”

“I saved all of your asses, be grateful. You’re so fucking childish.”

You rolled your eyes. You didn’t really come all the way here for this. “Okay, kids, settle down. Can we think about where your leader would be?”

Key sat back down on the couch, crossing his legs. “I told you, we don’t know. We’re not his guardians.”

“Have you tried calling him?” Jonghyun’s voice held sarcasm.

You glared at him. Key started saying something about breakfast. You were about to leave, and try calling again, when the front door slammed shut.

You run towards it, but Taemin was faster, a calm but frustrated Onew playing with his pocket knife right behind him.

Taemin was fuming, his silence hitting all of you like angry waves. When his eyes found your figure, he stopped. He didn’t look that good. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin was pale, like the sun had forgotten him.

He didn’t look quite like this the day before. But it could just be ‘cause he’s hangover.

“Well, don’t you look like shit,” Key commented, not moving an inch from his comfortable position.

“What’s she doing here?” Taemin asked in the slight deep but soft voice of his, eyes never leaving yours.

“She came to see if you were here. When did you get back together?” Key was always so noisy, wanting to be updated on everything. You guess his place in the gang suited him well.

“You shouldn’t be here. Come,” he turned away before you could put a word in, but you figured he’d explain later.

Once outside, he went to give you his helmet, never saying a word, despite being so close.

“What’s going on?” your voice was shaky, and breathy.

He paused hesitantly, looking around, before licking his lips and smiling slightly. Then he grabbed the sides of the helmet on your head, and gave you a quick kiss. It lasted two seconds, but you felt his true intention.

“Not here,” he got on his motorcycle. “Let’s go eat.”

It was cold, so you snuggled up to him as much as you possibly could, as he rode down the streets of Seoul. You recognized the Itaewon area, already packed with people. You thought this was good. If it was really true, and you were in danger, places full of people were safe.

Taemin removed the helmet from your head, and draped the coat you held in your hands over his shoulders, his eyes silently thanking you. He’d forgotten it in your place in his hurry.

He grabbed your hand, bringing you close to him, his warm touch helping your freezing fingertips. You tried fixing his crazy hair with your other hand, giggling a bit to yourself with how they stuck upwards like he’d been electrocuted.

Black suited your boyfriend. It felt good calling him that, despite the complications. Sure, being leader of a gang wasn’t a respected job, (or even a job for the matter) not something you could mention over dinner with your parents, but you thought it really didn’t matter at the end of the day.

If he ever meets your parents, you know his sweet, polite side would shine brighter than any bad thing he’s ever done.

Taemin looked down at you, smiling at the way you were looking at him. Where the fuck would he ever find someone like you again? He’d never. And he didn’t want to, either, strangely. Perhaps his feelings for you ran deeper than he thought.

“Having fun?” he asked, looking back at the crowd, and guiding you through it.

“Sure. We’ve never done this before.”

That momentarily irritated him, but he quickly tried to brush it off. This was new, and like every other fucking thing he had to learn by himself, he’d learn this too. He’d always been a fast learner.

He suddenly got reminded of the times he wanted to go to university. Make something better of himself. He’d been a good student, because that’s the type of guy he was. He wanted to be good at everything that was given his way. But where he’d gone wrong, he knew. And that’s why he has to stop thinking about it, or else this would be a depressing... outing. Date. Whatever.

You couldn’t help but notice some of the passing girls, looking over Taemin like they’d never seen anything more beautiful, and despite your bubbling jealousy, you couldn’t help but agree. They’d never know what came with a beautiful man ─this beautiful man, and you instantly felt better. For both you and them.

“Here,” he said, leading you inside a cute bakery shop. It was a bit busy, but you’d quickly found something to eat and drink; (coffee, tea) and sat down on one of the small tables in the far left corner.

“We could’ve just gone─”

“You have to quit there,” he cut you, and you remembered. “If you want, I can find you another job, similar to that one. My mom knows a lot of owners.”

“You don’t have to... No, it’s better if I don’t find anything for a while. I’ve enough money to keep me afloat for a couple months,” you explained.

“You don’t need money; you know I got that covered.”

“Well, I have it,” you insisted.

He nodded, knowing he couldn’t win against you, but also respecting your pride.

Your buzzers notified you of your orders, and he quickly got up to get them, throwing you a warning look, telling you to watch out.

You tried to hide, bringing your phone in front of your face, checking Naver, and replying to a message from your friend.

You still had this whole other side of you, the “normal” life, where nothing ever happened, not really, and you badly wanted to keep it that way. To keep it. Would it be possible?

Taemin sat back down with your breakfast, unwrapping your muffin like it was something he did every day, putting sugar in your tea, and taking care of you. It was all so new, and you saw he tried to adjust too, tried to make his awkwardness unnoticeable, but you were learning to see through him more.

You quietly thanked him and he just nodded again, sipping on his coffee.

“Just say it,” you blurted out. “It’s gonna eat you alive.”

He searched your eyes surprised, and hesitated for a few seconds.

“I... joined them. I was with Ravi before. He came to make it official. He’s... a friend. He can help with protecting you,” he stopped, trying to find the right words. “He wants to meet you.”

“Me? Why?” He joined a mafia. He’d done it. If this was a promotion, you’d be ecstatic, but it was a promotion gone fifty ways wrong. You sounded choked, you knew it.

He caught on it too. “So he knows what you look like,” he stated.

“Why?”

“You know why. It couldn’t happen any other way.”

You didn’t say anything after that, eating your muffin while your stomach was churning. You didn’t exactly feel sick; you were worried. This meant he had more power, but it also meant more dangerous situations, more pressure, more people after him.

And more people after him meant more people after everyone in his life. And that was always his biggest fear.

You felt so confused. Everything was happening so fast, and you knew if you didn’t keep up with all of it, it’d vanish. You really wished, at that moment, that Taemin was normal. A university student, or a part-time worker. Anything. Because, yes, you were proud of him, but in reality you were proud of the fact he managed to stay alive all these years.

And that’s sad.

Taemin saw the tears gathering at your eyes, muffin in your hand long forgotten, your mind lost in thoughts and sinking further.

“You knew what I was the moment you met me,” he said, feeling like he was  losing you in a matter of minutes.

“And I never thought I’d want to stay this bad,” you replied, no emotion hinting what’s going on inside your brain.

He rubbed his eyes, sighing. “I wanted to tell you we can leave, yesterday. I wanted to leave with you. Go to Japan, leave all of it behind. 

“But I worked too fucking hard for whatever- the fuck my life is to just up and leave. I can’t do that for you, (Y/N). That’s the only thing I can’t do for you.”

You nodded, sniffling and wiping at your eyes. There really wasn’t anything you could do. You liked him too much.  “You said we can’t go on dates, yesterday. Can we do it this one time? Today? All day?”

He took your hand and kissed your palm. “Yes,” his brown eyes glimmered, trying to find some positive thoughts to keep him smiling. “But─”

“I want to meet him tonight. You say he’s your friend. We can go eat.”

He stayed silent, tracing circles with his thumb on your skin. “I can ask him.”

You ate the rest of the muffin, trying to ignore your tormenting feelings and focus on the now.

Ravi agreed to meet you in Gangnam, his treat, since he was leaving for Busan right afterwards.

Taemin took you to one of the most famous beef places in the area, sitting next to you instead of opposite you, and if you found it a bit weird, you didn’t speak on it.

He pulled out his cigarette pack, lighting one of the cancerous sticks and taking a long drag of it, careful to blow the smoke out of your way. He knew you hated the smell; knew you hated this habit of his. But you shouldn’t be one to judge.

“You will go along with whatever I say,” Taemin spoke, signaling to one of the waiters to come to your table. “It’s very important that you do that, (Y/N). Hey, two bottles of soju for now,” the waiter looked between the both of you and nodded, leaving you with a strange feeling.

“Yes, you’re part of this now since those... people know about you, but Ravi gets a little paranoid if anyone besides his line of work knows what’s happening. You understand?” He wasn’t looking at you, but you nodded nevertheless.

“He thinks I’m an easy victim; that I’ll talk.”

“Exactly. Besides that, he’s... nice. Strange, but nice.”

“How long have you known him?” The waiter that gave you the creeps came with the bottles of alcohol, and bowing a little, left again.

You wondered if Taemin had caught on the vibe this guy gave off. Then you felt his hand on your upper thigh, while his other hand was pouring you two a drink.

“I know the guy. He doesn’t like me,” he tells you, like he had read your mind.

“Line of... work?” you down the shot at once, pouring a second round. Taemin knew you could hold your drink.

He could too; soju wasn’t anything strong. But the catch was that because of this exact reason, orders of the drink came in abundance, and the table would end up filled with twenty bottles of it. And that’s where he always went wrong with it.

“No. I beat the fuck out of him, because he was following you around when you were out with your friends on multiple occasions.”

Here he goes again with his bluntness. Your eyes shot to meet his, but he only squeezed your thigh.

You were being followed? And putting your friends in danger too? A chill ran through your spine.

“Relax. It’s done with, I got you,” he mumbled in your ear, before putting his cigarette out and downing his own shot.

“How did you even know?” you couldn’t help but speak in soft tones now. This was crazy.

Where did that guy even see you?

“I’m always keeping an eye on you. Once you’re connected to me, it doesn’t matter if you were a one time thing or my wife, people will be curious. And perverted. What kind of woman would want to be with a lowlife like me?” He chuckled at that, but you could sense the bitterness.

“Shut up,” you couldn’t help yourself. “I’m not going to ever congratulate you for certain... things you do, but you’ve worked hard nevertheless, and I’m not ever going to hold that over you.”

That got him. He half turned his body, eyes boring deep into yours, a smile-borderline-smirk on his soft-looking lips, before one of his hands cradled your face, and kissed the top of your head.

“Let’s not do this here,” and then closer to your ear, “Who are you telling to shut up?” His hand squeezed tighter on your thigh and climbing higher, lighting you on fire.

You pushed. “Shut up,” you repeated, mischievously.

His eyes had turned dangerous. “You’re going to do this here?”

“Don’t push me.”

“You’re doing the pushing baby,” he grabbed your hand that had sneaked to the nape of his neck, playing with his raven hair.

You were a breath apart.

“Interrupting?” You both turned to the playful voice.

Taemin untangled his own hand from your hair, and stood up to greet who you could only guess was Ravi. They clapped each other’s backs and sat down. Taemin’s hand resumed its position on your thigh.

“Where’s the alcohol, Lee? Does your lady friend not drink or what?” The broad guy called another of the waiters roaming the place over.

Ravi was broad. Anyone could tell he worked out, and he was definitely taller than Taemin, you guessed a bit over six feet. He had strange features, but that might as well be the reason why he’s handsome. There’s something fierce in his gaze, but he exudes this... charmingness. What you couldn’t look away from, though, was his fire engine red hair color. It suited him, but it gathered attention too.

You’d never seen a gang member with a hair color like this. Only idols on TV. That made you giggle; what a peculiar thought that was.

“So, sweetheart? What’s your name?” Ravi had a deep voice, but there was a unique texture to it. You couldn’t quite explain it.

“(Y/N).”

He nodded a couple times. “Right, right. Yo, what’s up?” He greeted the waiter like he knew him, and maybe he did, who even knew at this point.

“Bring a glass, another bottle, and the usual. Does our girl want anything in particular?” Everyone was looking at you all of a sudden, and a blush crept up your cheeks. You shook your head, and Ravi chuckled.

“Try to go easy on her,” Taemin teased.

“Easy, huh? With those members of yours, she still isn’t used to crazy personalities? You know Key, don’t you?” It seemed like you’d have to go through an interview. Ravi seemed plenty interested in you.

“I try to stay out of his way. He talks a bit too much for my liking,” you say, gaining your confidence back, letting Taemin fill your glass again.

Ravi laughed loudly. “Of course, of course, that’s why you got our precious Taemin, didn’t you? Prefer the quiet, mysterious type? You know I got a close friend I can introduce you too─ ah, but he might be a little too kinky for you. Leo’s a weird bastard.”

“I wouldn’t let her near your members if it was the last thing I could do for her,” Taemin went along with it, seeming amused rather than jealous.

Their friendship must be tighter than what you’d have thought initially.

“C’mon, Tae, we’re not that bad, are we?” The two of them shared a fleeting moment, before snorting. “Still, you’re always welcome to Busan, candy-cane,” he winked at you, “If it’s okay with your lovely boyfriend over here.”

You looked at Taemin, who just rolled his eyes, before noticing that a waiter was bringing over your food. Taemin had got the fire going when you got there, and you used it as a way to warm your freezing hands. The place wasn’t cold, but the heating could’ve been better.

“Looks good, thanks dude,” Ravi called out to the blonde haired guy, who just raised his hand in a ‘deuces’ manner and went on his way.

“That’s Ken,” he must’ve noticed your curious looks. “He keeps an eye out, if you know what I mean,” he smirked at you, before helping Taemin with the meat.

Everything was overall going normal, the guys prepared the meat, Taemin was helping some food into your plate, and cutting pieces of meat for you, (that was something that caught you completely off guard) while Ravi teased the heck out of him.

“You trying the healthy relationship thing, Lee?”

Taemin hummed, too focused on cutting the meat. “I’m trying to make her happy. Thugs are after her,” the bluntness in his tone this time gave you goosebumps.

That was the raw, naked truth. But also him making an effort to be something different than what he’s shown you this far is somehow more important than the possibility of getting killed in your mind.

“Don’t I know. Killed one on my way here. He thought he was being slick following me with his shiny fucking car. I believe Minho caught one too? There was an attempted break in at your apartment, right?”

You turned to Taemin immediately, searching for any sort of emotion in his face. Break in. When? Was that why Key and Jonghyun were there? And also the reason he looked so furious that morning?

“Jonghyun. Minho got jumped. The asshole tried to escape ‘cause he apparently had read on Jonghyun’s weaknesses, and he was useless afterwards. Key knifed him, then Onew took care of the rest of it,” Taemin explained calmly.

What a conversation to have over beef and soju.

Both guys sensed your uneasiness, and quickly changed the subject to someone called ‘N’.

But you thought you had the right to speak on this. Or at least demand some sort of summary of an answer about this morning. All day Taemin avoided his state, instead taking you to the arcade, and for ice cream, and shopping. 

Everything was bullshit; fake. It didn’t feel real after a while. He’d warned you about that, but you thought the both of you could pull it off.

You really fucking couldn’t. Your past relations had been consisting of fucking then fighting, then partying, him gone, you trying to live a semi normal life, then repeat. You hated lying to yourself, and he hated pretending; even if he did it for your sake.

“That’s why you were mad?” you asked him, interrupting the conversation.

He nodded, choosing vaping over cigarettes this time around. He blew a big cloud of smoke out, and downed what was his fifth shot of liquor.

“Well, baby girl, it’s a dangerous world out there, isn’t it?” Ravi grabbed your attention again. “You’ve let her in?”

“She knows what she has to,” was Taemin’s curt answer, and the squeeze on your thigh meant this was the time to play along.

“We don’t seem like the big bad wolves to you, then?” Ravi was handling his drinking with ease. He was already on his third bottle, yet it didn’t seem to faze him a bit.

“You two could might as well be talking about stocks. I don’t really care as long as it doesn’t directly involve me.” Your answer held some truth too.

Ravi laughed again. “I did invest on that field. Got me a fortune; not before pulling some strings though.”

“We should order more food then,” Taemin joked dryly.

“Have at it,” his friend retaliated. Then he turned back to you. “I like you. Stick around; it might be fun.”

“I have been. It’s been a year,” you sassed a bit.

Ravi seemed especially interested in that, turning to look at Taemin with his playful gaze. Taemin seemed very quiet all of a sudden, but Ravi kept going.

“A year, huh?”

“We got company.”

“I noticed.”

“You or me?”

“No one. Both of you walk out like you want some fresh air, and I’ll talk to Ken.”

Taemin’s hand held yours tight as you walked out and into the chilly night. He looked both sides, before deciding on going left, you falling in step with him, keeping your mouth shut ‘cause you knew the wheels in his brains were working in light speed.

“They’ve probably trashed your house by now,” he stated, but he wasn’t particularly talking to you.

Thinking Taemin was terrifying. You never knew what he’d do next.

“Come here,” he pulled you towards him and took steps backwards to a dark street.

His back hit a wall, and his arms locked around your waist so tight you could barely breathe. Then he attacked your neck, before moving to your mouth. It was bruising, had no feeling, but it did have a purpose.

If anyone dared to do anything to you in front of him, now was the chance.

“There’s three of them,” he whispered as his lips dropped to your exposed cleavage. “One is waiting a few feet away, watching.”

“That’s kind of hot, isn’t it?” you commented, trying to lighten the mood, before you went crazy.

“I’ll mention that to Wonshik.” You supposed Wonshik was Ravi’s real name, but you were too lost to think straight.

Gangnam was too busy an area for someone to do something drastic. They wouldn’t touch you; not outside. But you had no idea what to do next. You dropped your head on Taemin’s shoulder. He turned so that you were the one against the wall.

“The one with the leather jacket, pretending to look through his phone. Tell me if he does something.”

That’s when you heard Ravi shouting Taemin’s name. A gun was in your boyfriend’s hand in a millisecond. He pulled away from you and looked around the corner.

“Fuck,” he growled. “Call Minho. Tell him to come to the beef house in Gangnam. Bring the others too. Now.”

[chininirisart]

Backfire | iv: Preparations > On FF.Net and AO3

Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan Pairing: Levi/Mikasa Ackerman | RivaMika Genres: General/Romance Universe: Canon divergent AU Warning/Notes: - Status: In-progress Summary: To destroy the evidences, they must join the Survey Corps and bond with Humanity’s Strongest.

One hour after breakfast, their training began.

In these minutes that they had free, they sat on the slope of a hill and watched as groups of cadets made their ways to different destinations, hands working on the buckles of their gears and tugging on the straps to make sure they were secure. Little to no plans were made as they relaxed against the grass and watched people go this direction and that, the thin blades, fragile blades beneath them tickling their bare hands.

Ackerman was within one the groups, walking behind her team and a group of people he did not recognize, quietly listening to the bespectacled person trailing alongside her. He had seen them when he was forced to introduce himself to the rest of the Corps, though he could not tell if they were male or female; not that it mattered to him, anyways, so long as they did not prove to be a pain in the ass and stayed out of his way.

When they did reach the meeting place, Flagon was standing just outside the path that led to a crop of the woods looking very much displeased with the unwanted addition to his group. Levi refused to look him in the eyes as he passed by him and entered the trail, his two friends close behind. Furlan once again conjured an apology to his rude greeting – or lack of thereof – blaming it on a sleepless night; their squad leader did not seem to believe it much, and Levi could not give two shits if he chose to buy it or not.

It was cool in the woods. Very few spots of light made it through the dense canopy and reached the earthy ground, illuminating random spots on the forest floor. First he saw the sunset, then he had the chance of experiencing a small trek through the woods as depicted in an old, old book he had a child, one of the very few things his mother had bought to spoil him. His lips twitched as his heart clenched in his chest at the memory of her that was growing fainter and fainter over the years. He has no picture of her and the only material thing he has that belonged to her, her favorite shirt, has been left behind in his old home.

In the end, they are to demonstrate how well they could use the maneuvering equipment. He knows that it will not be as easy as planned given the way everyone looks at him with disdain simply because of his origins. If anything, their reactions only fuel his desire to show off and rub it in their faces that he is much better than they give him credit for; a mere glance at Furlan and Isabel tells him that they both feel the same. One does not judge a book by the cover, so they should not judge them simply because they grew up in the slums. For all he knows, they should at least be baffled that they managed to get this far without a missing limb or tooth.  

Once they get to the starting point, the bespectacled person is there. They probably split ways since the last time he saw both them and Ackerman with their teams, and now they stand before him with crossed arms and brown eyes swiveling about the branches as they watch the members of their team practicing their skills with the equipment. Hands fall to their sides when they notice the small group approaching and a wide grin breaks out in their features.

“Hey!” They lift a hand in greeting; Furlan is the only one that has the heart to reciprocate it in this moment. “I’m Hanji Zoe! Saw you guys being introduced yesterday. How are you liking the Corps so far?”

“It’s not that bad,” Isabel replies with a shrug of her shoulders. “The view’s pretty nice, though.”

“Ah, yes, yes, it is.” Hanji tilts their head up to look at the leaves dancing in the wind above their heads. “You should see outside the walls, nothing compares to that.”

“Can’t wait for that!”

Zoe grins at the girl’s enthusiasm. “I heard Erwin speaking to Mikasa about the next expedition. Rest assured that it will happen soon.”

That catches his interest. Now that she mentions this little fact, he realizes that Ackerman and Smith must be really close, and she seems easier to approach than the one that led their capture. Perhaps if he gets close enough to her, he can gather some valuable pieces of information.

“That’s nice and all, Hanji,” Flagon interrupts brusquely, “but it won’t happen for at least another month until they are ready to leave.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’re good to go.” Zoe says as they tap a finger to their chin. “I’ve heard stories about their skills and prowess.”

Their squad leader’s anger seems to increase just as much as Isabel’s ego inflates in that moment. “Just shut up.”

Levi goes first, handling the swords in his usual fashion as he shoots the grapple hook to a tree branch above, soundlessly landing on the wood and readying himself for the start. It is not hard controlling the equipment, not at all, though he has to admit that flying through the woods is much different from doing it back in the underground. Whereas the air used to be dry, here it is fresh and damp and smells distinctively better. There are flashes of color coming from his sides; there are much more sounds and much more elements to be aware of. He only narrowly dodges a thin twig sticking out from the branch, sharp enough to cut his cheek and draw blood, and focuses on trying to find the dummies.

There is one not much far ahead and he readies himself, fingers tightening around the handle of his blades and eyes calculating. Though he has never seen one, he knows that Titans are unpredictable creatures, not as much as humans, but the ones present in this target course made it pretty clear that they want to see them fail, so it is a well-known fact that they will do what they can to have them fall. With that in mind, he prepares for a change of course as he approaches the dummy.

As expected, it turns in his direction as he closes in fast, pulleys squeaking from their perch on trees as they are forced to work too quickly. A well-aimed grapple to the bark of a tree has him gliding beneath the flat head of the dummy and with a quick spin of his body, the grapple flies and seizes another tree across from him, splintering the thick husk beneath. With ease and grace, he slices the pillow-like spot on the nape of its neck, leaving a deep cut where his swords once touched.

Isabel is cheering loudly when he lands on the floor. Furlan has that smug smirk on his face and Hanji is slow clapping, slack jawed and wide eyed. He looks at Flagon then, really looks him in the eye, and finds immense pleasure to know that he is silently fuming at his success.

He holds his horse by the reins, staring into its black eyes that match the color of its fur.

The next thing they do after some long hours of boring training in the wooded area is go to the stables. Each one of them gets a horse; each one of them has to bond with their horse or else their chances of survival outside the walls decreases drastically. He was never good with people and looking at it now, he starts to believe that he is not good with animals either. Isabel is already galloping around at top speed, laughing at the top of her lungs, and Furlan has been gently petting his mare on the snout for the past ten minutes.

So far, all he managed to do was pet his horse on the neck and stand about three feet away.

It cannot be helped, he supposes. Despite the fact that he hates when it is pointed out, his height is somewhat short for someone of his gender and age. A horse is a slightly intimidating being when you catch yourself wondering if you can even mount it without any help at all. Thankfully, Flagon had to leave to attend to some business; if he were there to witness it, he would never stop giving him hell for it and would most likely suggest that they get him a miniature pony.

Church makes his first attempt at mounting his mare. His feet get caught in the stirrup and he loses his balance for a moment, wobbling dangerously until his other leg finds purchase on the animal’s other side and he balances himself on the saddle. He shifts as he tests his position and caresses its mane before gathering the reins in his hands and giving its sides an experimental nudge. The horse trots forward after his second try, its pace is slow and leisure, but it is moving nonetheless.

Levi is still the only one that is painfully grounded on the floor, still unsure of how to start. He glances at his horse again, wondering if it is looking at him expectantly, and decides that he is comfortable just where he is, with both his feet on the ground. He is not used to asking others for help, so he cannot tell if he can even ask Isabel for some advice. He has always been the one that knew how to do everything, anyway.

“Watch out!”

He is jerked away from his thoughts when a scream reaches his ears, followed by an impossibly high neigh and hooves slamming on the grass beneath their feet. A horse runs in their direction as fast as its legs can carry it and the rider looks visibly shaken, hands tightly holding the reins and eyes just as tightly shut. Furlan’s horse startles by the sudden commotion and begins to rise to its hind legs. Levi can only watch from his spot where roots seem to have grown around his feet as his friend struggles to maintain his position, and he is quickly aided by Isabel, who evaded the horse and ran to his side, fingers just barely managing to grasp the leather strip and calm the animal down.

With his heart still beating at the front of their throat, he notices from the sidelines as another horse enters the scene, much faster than the one running aimlessly around, its brown fur shimmering red in the midday sun, the white of her mare and tail wiping behind her. He knows who the rider is before he even sees her. It seems she is everywhere, at different places all at once. And she is fast; it only takes her a handful of seconds to reach the spooked horse and seize it by the reins, slowing down to a stop and immediately dismounting from her own steed. Her hands are tugging her subordinate away from the horse and practically dragging a shocked, mostly limp body to the side, away from dangerous hooves and anything that can induce injury.

The members of Flagon’s team immediately approach the other captain, all hovering around or kneeling close to the cadet she rescued. It is a boy with skinny limbs despite all the muscle that must lay beneath his clothes and skin, with unnaturally full cheeks and hair that falls over his eyes and ears. “Damnit, Borlov,” she hisses as she checks for his vital pulse; the woman that has been keeping watch over Isabel for the past thirty minutes aids her in moving the unconscious boy. “Can you take him to the infirmary? I have to keep my eyes on the other two.”

“Yes, captain.” The rest of Flagon’s group help the woman haul the body up and away from her reach, moving at an impressive speed back to the castle.

She stands as she watches them go, hands tightly curled by her sides. “They were just waiting for an opportunity to get rid of us,” Furlan states as he approaches her and she turns around to face him. “You are much better company than them, anyway.”

“I know most of them give you all hell most of the time,” she easily overlooks his not so subtle compliment and strides towards the horses, “but that’s their way of coping with the fact that you know how to use the equipment rather well.” Her lips purse and her squinted eyes turn heavenward.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Captain.” Isabel reassures her with a smile. “It was just a scare. Here, I’ll take care of the horses for you.”

Ackerman watches as she approaches the previously spooked horse and rubs its neck comfortingly. “I see you’re good with animals,” she muses in a low voice, but gives the younger woman no chance to reply and marches away towards her steed.

The horse nudges her shoulder and she places her palm on its snout, gliding it along its length as she lets a brief smile flash only for her mare to see. With a gentle slap on its back, she urges it to wander away freely to graze on the vibrant grass and watches both Magnolia and Church leading the horse back to the stable for the time being, taking their own along. It is only when Ackerman turns that she spots him standing there standing an awkward distance away from his new teammate.

She has covered half the distance between them when her lips part, “Never ridden a horse before?”

“No, there were plenty of horses in the underground.” A scowl follows his sarcastic remark. “What do you think, brat? Of course not.”

“I think you need to work on your attitude because it will make me regret ever entertaining the idea of trying to teach a midget like you. My patience is running pretty thin today.” She is calm as ever, voice slightly less detached than it was on the previous day when they were heading for the castle. “Just place your feet in the stirrup and use momentum to mount on it.”

He lets his glare linger on her face for one moment longer before he does as she said, using his feet still on the ground to kick away from the terrain and swings his leg over to the other side of the animal’s torso. His rough landing is a clear sign that he needs more practice and he fumbles to hook his other feet on the other stirrup.

“I’ll give you a quick overview and in a few days you should be fine.” Her hands grab his arm and shin, pulling them back. He feels his face contorting at the invasion of his personal space, but as usual, she ignores him. “Keep a straight line from your head to your heels, shoulders and elbows aligned with it, and keep your back upright.” Her palm is on his lower back in the next moment, and he naturally leans away from her touch, straightening his spine as she advised.

Next, she is adjusting his feet. “Keep the balls of your feet on the stirrup and point your toes to the sky, it helps.” Ackerman flexes his ankles until they are in the desired position and lastly she adds, speaking faster than before. “Remember to keep your thighs squeezed around your horse and start with gentle kicks of your heels to its side. You’ll eventually figure out what gets your horse moving.”

Ackerman moves away from him just as Furlan and Isabel enter his line of vision. Her lips curl inwards and she whistles sharply, and her horse responds to her call immediately, trotting to her side. She is graceful as she mounts her horse, her face turned to the side as she watches the rest of her team that has been left unattended for the past five minutes or so. She is far from them in the next second, shouting orders at her subordinates and getting them to follow her to the other side of the field.

Furlan whistles, obviously impressed by the sight. “Boy, she’s fast.”

Indeed, she is. Ackerman got him on the horse in less than a minute and he did not even realize it until she was gone.

[ciathyzareposts]

Planet’s Edge: One Line in Three Dimensions

One of several stitched-together mini-quests that I encountered this session.

          Planet’s Edge is not shaping up to be what I thought it was going to be, which was a New World take on Starflight. I think that the developers perhaps started with an intention to imitate Starflight; certain similarities between the games are too stark to be coincidences. But they removed one of Starflight‘s most attractive traits–the joy of exploration in an open universe–and replaced it with something that I’m not convinced is better. Specifically, there’s a lot more emphasis on axonometric exploration of the planets’ surfaces, which could have been done well, but so far is a bit silly and trite.

When we left off, I was headed for Sector Algieba, as I had a couple of hints that it would be the best place to start. The sector consists of seven star systems–Subra, Talitha, Regulus, Algieba, Alphard, Koo-She, and Miaplacidus–any of which would also serve as the next Nissan model. Talitha was the closest to where I was coming in, so I explored it first. The system had six planets. As with all the systems with multiple planets, it’s hard to keep track of which ones you’ve already visited since they don’t stop whipping around their suns, fast enough that a year might pass while you take a sip from a soda bottle.             

The stars of Sector Algieba.

           In Starflight and Star Control, there was a certain joy to exploring even random planets because you might find useful and valuable elements. That’s sort-of true in Planet’s Edge except that it’s very rare to find a planet that has them, you can mine them near-instantly when you do, and at the beginning of the game you can only carry 5 units of any cargo at a time. If you get rid of all your weapons, you can carry 8. So clearly element recovery isn’t going to be a big thing until I can build a ship with more room. I’m not 100% sure if I could do that now or if I need to find some plans.

Each planet has a nice textual description (when you “scan”) regardless of whether it has any utility. I was enjoying these a lot for a while, but then they started repeating. Ultimately, it turns out there are only about 9 common descriptions:           

A molten, superheated surface giving off toxic fumes.

Lots of organic life but no intelligent life, “a nice place to have a picnic.”

A small rock with a thick layer of gases.

Incredibly hot, unstable, with constant volcanic activity. 

A “jelly world” with large crystal formations. 

A surface only recently cooling down from volcanic activity, no vegetation or atmosphere.

              One of the “generic” planet descriptions.

            A desert planet.

A planet of grasses and plains with no intelligent life.

A snow and ice planet.

               All but one of Talitha’s planets were one of these. On Talitha II, however, my scan revealed a castle, “the seat of Avian government.” Oddly, the scan screen was titled “If Love Be True,” which made no sense at the time but later turned out to be related to the mini-quest that I found on the planet. Thus, it seems that if you scan a planet that has such a quest, you know it immediately because you get a title.            

I’m not sure that the game needed to be so explicit about each quest.

          We found ourselves in an Earthlike castle with guards stationed at just about every intersection. The game repeatedly referred to them as “avian,” so I guess they were bird-like. We never got a close-up portrait. Most ignored us, but a guard at a section of the castle that was clearly an arena told us that the queen had canceled all spectator sports for a few weeks. We would later meet the queen, and her two princess daughters, but let’s pause for a moment to note that these aliens are the first non-human sentient life forms that my characters–perhaps humanity as a whole–have ever encountered in-person. They apparently look like birds and live in castles and have the same type of social structure as a past Earth society. And we’re able to speak their language I guess because of information from the crashed Centauri Device? In any event, my characters managed to jump right in to palace intrigue while in real life they probably would have still be staring open-mouthed at the alien guards. For their part, the aliens didn’t react to us at all despite presumably never having seen humans before.                

Exploring the castle.

        From dialogue with NPCs, it transpired that Princes Jhenna was being forced to marry a reptilian alien from another sector. She naturally didn’t want to do this and was hoping to escape Talitha II to find her true love, a former palace servant who came from the planet Henresia, also known as Subra II. Meanwhile, some faction was planning a coup and had placed a bomb in a fountain near the wedding site, intending to kill both the queen and the princess.     We agreed to help the princess. I don’t think this was a role-playing choice so much as something that you have to do to as part of the main plot. She said that she could escape through a hidden door if we could move a heavy piece of furniture. This required us to find a “levitator,” which was on the other side of a navigation puzzle so annoying that whoever designed it should be hunted down 30 years later and forced to make it through a real-life version.             

The princess’s sister, who I guess is also a princess, explains the situation.

           The puzzle required the party to wend our way through a roughly 6 x 10 matrix of bushes, only some of which could be walked upon, and some of them had mines planted within them that would damage the party members for about half their health if they were within the one-square explosion radius. Unless I missed something, there was no way to tell which bushes had bombs without setting them off.

You can S)earch for them, which is the subject of its own annoyance. The reference card that comes with the game doesn’t mention “search” as a function when exploring on land; it only mentions “look.” (It does mention “search” later in a master list of commands, but not in the list specifically within the ground movement section.) For most of this session, I didn’t even realize that “search” existed, which means that I missed a lot of loot in various chests and barrels in the palace and probably on the Centauri outpost, too. But even when I reloaded and checked, “search” just caused the bombs to go off.

Thus, through trial and error, I had to make a map of the safe route through the bushes (this reminded me unfavorably of a level in Wizardry IV), only to discover that it still wasn’t safe. You only really control the movement of your lead character. The others do their best to follow, but they often go blundering off in their own directions, get trapped behind closed doors, get lost in mazes, and so forth. Even when I had the right path mapped, I couldn’t necessarily stop my trailing characters from wandering off it. I eventually just had to accept the damage and move on.             

My moron party members set off a bomb despite my best efforts.

          In due course, we found the levitation device, used it on the bureau, and hustled the princess through the secret door. The passage led to a courtyard where one of her friends waited with a spaceship. As she rushed aboard, she tossed something at us and told us to take it to “He Who Speaks” on Henresia, presumably her lover. The item was a “trinket.”            

Man, this would have come in handy in the Bolingbroke household over the last month.

          I tried to explore more, but the palace guards all turned hostile at this point, and without any experience gain or any place to sell looted equipment, you’re basically fighting for no reason. We ultimately beamed back to the Ulysses and moved on.            

The crew has a Star Trek-like transporter chamber for beaming up and down.

         The closest next star was Subra, presumably home of the Subra II that we had to visit to find “He Who Speaks.” We warped to the system and scouted a few planets before we were contacted by a ship. It had the same thuggish-looking alien who’d defeated us in combat before, demanding 3 “units of cargo.” I hadn’t saved in a while and wasn’t confident in my ability to win in combat anyway, so I offloaded 3 units of heavy metals we’d brought from Earth.               

Transferring cargo.

        The transfer screen above comes up at the warehouse on Earth, while you’re in orbit around planets, and when you’re trading with aliens. You hit + or – to add or subtract cargo from your ship. It’s not quite as fun as taking a lander down to the surface and looking for signs of ore deposits.              

The next quest begins.

           On Subra II, we hit the next quest, titled “Gift of the Magin.” The planet was far more imaginative and alien than Tanitha, covered with swamps, ferns, mushrooms, tall trees with sprawling root systems, and biting insects. We were attacked several times by some kind of bear-looking beast which left meat behind when we killed it.            

Firing at, and killing, a beast.

         The intelligent species was a fungus-based biped with no eyes or mouth. To communicate with them, we had to first find a writing tool called an “imastyl” which the aliens could use to write messages in the muck. One of them wanted the meat we’d collected from a beast to allow us to cross a bridge.             

The party approaches the Magin on the weird planet of Subra II.

           Living in the hollow of a dead tree, we found a woman named “She Whose Steps Are Wise,” otherwise called “The Magin.” She asked us to kill a mutant named “He Who Speaks” who lives on the other side of the river and apparently sets traps for his fellow Subraites. We fell victim to more than one of them.

We found “He Who Speaks” in a cave. He was so-named because of a genetic mutation that allows him to talk with a mouth, and he claimed that the deformity left him persecuted by his people. We declined to kill him (again, I don’t know if we had any other real option). He thanked us and asked us to go rescue Princess Jhenna. When we gave him the trinket instead, he thanked us and suggested that if we took the Magin the Talking Stick that he previously stole, she’d prize it more than his death. Jhenna hadn’t arrived yet, but he seemed confident she’d be along. I’m not sure how an anthropomorphic bird mates with a talking mushroom, but I guess that’s for them to figure out.               

I guess maybe this is a real choice, and I could have killed him to solve the quest.

         We found the Talking Stick in a cavern nearby. There was some creature called the Bladderclaw–an underground beast whose bladed tentacles came bursting out of holes and attacked us. We tried to fight it for a while, died, reloaded, then remembered we had no reason to keep fighting once we had the stick. (Perhaps there was a cache of better weapons and armor past him or something.) We left Bladderclaw in the cavern and returned the Talking Stick to the Magin. She said that since she had it back, she would be “too busy to deal with the Algiebian issue” and thus appointed us as her envoys to . . . something.

The crew wastes time trying to fight a monster.

              The next star was Koo-She. It had only one planet, Koo-She Prime, where a scan promised a quest called “Solitaire.” We beamed down into some structure beneath the surface of the planet. That’s as far as we got. We were blocked at the first door with a message that “only envoys of the President are allowed in the facility.” I guess the Magin isn’t the president because that didn’t do us any good.            

I swear to you, Sy Sterling sent us!

            The Miaplacidus system also only had one planet, and it was guarded by two ships and an orbital platform. When we communicated with them, they turned out to be staffed by the same species of goon who had previously extorted us for cargo. Here, he just demanded that we leave on pain of death. I decided I was sick of being pushed around and chose to attack.

Space combat in the game is disappointing. Basically, you just maneuver around the enemy, point your nose at him, and shoot. You can even turn on automatic firing if you want the game to shoot for you, which makes it almost just like Starflight. I assume that once I have a ship with cannons and missiles on the wings and such, I’ll have more things to shoot, but nothing really will change. Numbers show the status of your shields and your opponents. I honestly found it easiest to stay in one place and just rotate to face the foes. In the first combat, I destroyed both alien ships but then got killed by the orbital platform. I figured that was close enough to try again, and I achieved victory on my second attempt. My ship was repaired automatically afterwards, requiring no inventory of elements to do so.            

Destroying the alien ship. I have no idea why the GIF is so slow in the beginning. I have issues with GIFs.

             Miaplacidus Prime turned out to be uninhabited, but the planet had 27 units of “alien metals” to mine. Of course, after jettisoning the heavy metals we’d brought from Earth, we could still only take 5.

The Alphard system had mostly generic planets. One of them, Alphard Six, had 107 units of inert gases available.            

Those gases do not look inert.

              That left the Algiebian system. It had several generic planets and something called Ishtro Station. As we approached we were contacted by an alien who said that the world is “under the Great Protection Treaty signed by affiliates of the Galactic Enclave,” and that I would have to pay a fee of 6 cargo units before being allowed to contact the world. I tried giving him just 5, but he wouldn’t take it.           

What would you say he look like? A horse?

            Random notes:              

One denizen of Talitha II did recognize us as “humans” and said that he hadn’t seen any of us “since the Concierge locked up the Izor system.” This suggests that humans live in the Izor system and perhaps that its ruler even is one.

There is no consideration of fuel in this game, nor does there seem to be any kind of timer.

The inability to move diagonally is really annoying.

I didn’t talk much about ground combat, but it has so few options that the game might as well have offered autocombat. 

I got stuck in He Who Speaks’s cave for a while because although there was an obvious ladder, apparently the command needed to climb it was “search.” The game has a lot of weird interface quirks like that.

             Since my ship is only capable of carrying 5 units of cargo, I leave you heading back to Earth to either build a new space ship or remove my only weapon from my current one to make more space.

My suspicion is that I’ll find some quest that leads me to the first artifact and that the other seven systems will have other batches of extremely linear, named, interrelated quests. But with no open exploration and no good RPG mechanics (there’s no character development and combat tactics are minimal), everything is going to hinge on the quality of the stories that make up those quests, and I find their quality mixed so far.

Time so far: 8 hours

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/planets-edge-one-line-in-three-dimensions/