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professional-spectator · 6 hours ago

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Hello! You may find this story under the username outofusernames24 on platforms such as Fanfiction net and Archive of Our Own (AO3).

This is my primary fanfiction project, an isekai titled "The Road Not Taken."

The story revolves around three siblings—Gabbie, the eldest; Jude, the middle child; and Sammy, the youngest—who are unexpectedly transported, or isekai'd, to Teyvat. They inadvertently assume the roles of the Traveler, becoming both the hero and the Descenders. Currently, the trio are searching for their parents.

Alright, disclaimer and just a heads-up: Hoyo, the Beatles, Genshin Impact, and anything or things else involved—I don't own any of this stuff.

Also, quick warning: this story gets pretty heavy and deals with some sensitive stuff. It's kinda inspired by SAGAU (Self-Aware Genshin Impact Alternative Universe), isekai stuff, different isekai worlds, creation myths, and fanfic.

The Road Not Taken

Chapter 10-Farewell, Archaic Lord 3:

Jude's steps faltered as he accidentally eavesdropped on a hushed conversation between Gabbie and Mr. Zhongli. Unease prickled at him as his sister's voice, usually a gentle melody, rose with a sharp edge.

"How much did this actually cost?" she demanded, the words hanging heavy in the air. Jude knew they were walking a tightrope, their budget for the Rite of Parting as fragile as spun glass.

Mr. Zhongli's voice, calm and measured as always, drifted back. "It's an antique recipe... I'm sure the Lord of Geo would find it to be quite satisfactory." But Gabbie didn't seem reassured; Jude could practically feel her shock radiating through the air.

Jude with, Sammy trotting faithfully beside him, clutching the Cleansing Bell they'd been sent to retrieve from Madame Ping's. The weight of the bell felt strangely significant in that charged atmosphere.

Jude's hands, had never known the solemn duty of funeral preparations. Back on Earth, funerals were a familiar sorrow. But here, in Liyue, the weight of the occasion pressed down with an unfamiliar gravity. Zhongli, the funeral consultant, orchestrated the event with a perfectionist hand, ensuring that both the common folk and the city's elite could offer their respects to the fallen Rex Lapis.

Gabbie, shouldered the bulk of the arrangements, her movements precise and efficient. Jude, feeling a sympathy, assisted where he could, viewing the funeral as Liyue's collective farewell to a father figure—a sentiment that resonated deeply within him. It had been a little over two years since he'd arrived in Tevyat, his heart hope of finding his parents, their parents, Gabbie and Sammy's parents. That hope, however, felt distant now. Sato Haku remained elusive, his path winding through the storm-wracked lands of Inazuma, far removed from the somber rites for a dead god.

"Flowers..." Gabbie sighed, her voice laced with weariness as she gestured towards a corner at someone. "Over there... with the incense..."

Jude frowned, concern etching lines on his face. "Gabbie? Are you okay?" he asked, noticing the subtle droop of her shoulders, the faint shadows beneath her eyes.

She offered a tired smile. "Yes, but between you and me," she confided, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say Zhongli is acting like this funeral is about him..."

With Rex Lapis's departure, Liyue Harbor felt adrift, a ship without its guiding star. Never before had they existed without the Prime Adeptus, and the weight of his absence hung heavy in the air.

"I bet everyone misses Rex Lapis," Jude piped up, his voice tinged with a childlike wonder.

Gabbie responded, "He's been around for thousands of years; it's not surprising." Sammy, as usual, remained a lost in the pages of a well-worn book in the corner.

Jude's thoughts, however, were elsewhere. "Are we going to Inazuma after all of this is over?" At just ten years old, the longing for his parents tugged at his heart.

"If you want to, we can. Hopefully, we can get some answers from this Sato Haku," Gabbie replied, her voice laced with a mix of determination and uncertainty.

Sensing Jude's melancholy, Gabbie softened her tone. "Jude, I miss Dad and Mom too. I'm sorry this hasn't gone as you hoped."

The young boy's lower lip trembled slightly. "I just wanted Dad and Mom to be here, you know, to see how much I've grown. I literally have superpowers now..." Gabbie took a deep breath, ruffling Jude's hair. He was still just ten.

"I know," she said, her voice full of warmth. "Whatever happens, we're together—you, me, and Sammy." Gabbie place the bell among other things.

Childe watched, a knot of frustration tightening in his chest. Nothing was going as planned. The adepti, far from engaging in a destructive conflict with the Qixing, remained united in their grief over Rex Lapis's death. And Gabbie... Gabbie and her brothers were proving to be an even bigger wrench in his machinations. Instead of being pawns in his game, they were actively assisting with Rex Lapis's funeral. He'd hoped to avoid making enemies, or even using the clueless girl and her brothers, but circumstances had forced his hand. Now, there she was, helping Zhongli with the funeral arrangements, her brother Jude glaring at her protectively once he saw Childe.

He approached her, a practiced smile gracing his lips. "Heya, comrade, long time no see..." he drawled, enjoying the way a blush bloomed on her cheeks as she nervously fidgeted with a strand of her long, raven hair.

"Hey, Childe..." she replied, her voice betraying her nervousness. "Yes, so many things have happened. It's been a while; how are you?" The girl clearly had a crush on him, a fact he intended to exploit.

"Great... You seem busy..." Childe reached out, his fingers gently adjusting the flower ornament nestled in her hair. "That's a unique flower..." he commented, watching with amusement as Gabbie's face turned an even deeper shade of pink.

"Jude and Sammy made it for my fifteenth birthday... I remember Sammy hurling it against the wall," she mumbled, her gaze fixed on the ground.

Gabbie shifted her weight, her fingers twisting together as she spoke. "So... thank you for helping to support the Rite of Parting," she mumbled, her gaze darting away. A nervous confession slipped out. "I had my reservations about the Fatui," she admitted to Childe, her voice barely above a whisper, "but you proved me wrong..." A hopeful note crept into her tone. "Maybe when all of this is over," she continued, a blush rising on her cheeks, "you would like to go to dinner? With Jude and Sammy, of course. My treat..."

A soft chuckle rumbled in Childe's chest. "That's a great idea, comrade..." he replied, a glint of something unreadable in his eyes. He knew very well that he was playing her, manipulating her trust for his own ends. A flicker of guilt, quickly suppressed, crossed his face. He had a mission to fulfill, after all.

The Rite of Parting was more than just a ceremony; it was a grand tapestry woven with threads of respect, memory, and dedication. The three siblings, alongside Zhongli, were its diligent weavers. They pored over ancient tomes, their fingers tracing the faded ink, ensuring that this funeral would be the grandest of all, a fitting farewell to a god. Zhongli, a being of immense age, found his memories of previous time loops strangely hazy. He couldn't recall the Traveler ever orchestrating a Rite of Parting of this magnitude; usually, they were small, simple affairs, whispers in the wind compared to this impending symphony.

A sense of honor bloomed within him as he witnessed these children dedicating themselves to honoring a god they barely knew, a deity they had never truly worshipped. It was a testament to their character, a beacon of pure intention in a world often shrouded in shadows.

"We have secured the musicians and fireworks..." Gabbie announced, her voice a steady anchor in the sea of preparations. Her eyes, sharp and focused, scanned the checklist, ensuring every detail was accounted for.

"And we've managed to get at least some of the adepti to offer their words..." Jude added, a hint of weariness in his tone. Convincing the adepti, those protectors of Liyue, to address the people had been a challenge. Jude had personally undertaken this arduous task, doing his best to speak with each one, to bridge the gap between the divine and the mortal.

"We still haven't heard from that crane lady, Cloud Retainer," Jude noted, a flicker of concern in his eyes as he glanced at the unanswered notes he'd been leaving for the elusive adeptus.

"Hmmm, she's quite upset..." Gabbie observed, her brow furrowing slightly. "It's understandable..."

"She likes the snacks we leave for her, though!" Sammy exclaimed, his innocent enthusiasm cutting through the tension like a ray of sunshine.

Gabbie paused, glancing at Zhongli. "Mr. Zhongli, is there anything else we're missing?" she inquired, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Zhongli, ever the composed figure, offered a reassuring nod. "No, you are doing very well. I'm sure the Lord of Geo would be pleased with your contribution," he replied, his words carrying the weight of ancient wisdom. The Rite of Parting was, after all, a final farewell, a delicate ceremony that demanded perfection.

With the preparations complete and a rare lull in their duties, Gabbie turned to Zhongli with a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Since we have some downtime, Jude and I were going to spar a bit. Did you want to join us?"

Zhongli, however, politely declined, leaving the three siblings to their own devices. Seizing the opportunity, they ventured into the wilderness, eager to hone their skills. Little did they know, their practice session was about to gain an unexpected audience.

Gabbie and Jude engaged in a spirited sparring match, Jude showcasing his mastery of elemental power. Meanwhile, Sammy, ever the scholar, sat absorbed in a book, seeking knowledge in its pages. It was Sammy who first noticed the silent figure perched on a tree branch, observing them with an unnerving intensity.

"Hi," Sammy offered a friendly wave, unfazed by the stranger's presence. Xiao, however, remained impassive, giving no indication that he had even registered the greeting. Gabbie and Jude, sensing a shift in the atmosphere, ceased their sparring and turned their attention to the newcomer.

"It's you?" Gabbie recognized him, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

Jude, ever the optimist, chimed in, "Hey, it's the Conqueror of Demons. Did you want to join us?"

The Yaksha remained silent, his expression a mask of annoyance. He scanned the three siblings, his gaze lingering for a moment. "This is it? Nothing worth getting excited about..." Yet, as he looked at them, a fleeting image flashed through his mind: Bosacius, Indarias, Bonanus, Menogias—his fallen comrades, his lost family.

Gabbie, sensing his reluctance, raised her hands in a gesture of peace. "Okay... Alright, maybe you can give us some pointers."

"Please, you're so good at fighting!" Jude exclaimed, his youthful enthusiasm undeterred by Xiao's aloof demeanor.

Xiao rolled his eyes, a hint of resignation in his voice. "This is a waste of time," he muttered. "Fine, I suppose I could humor you all."

And so, for the next hour, Xiao reluctantly shared his expertise with Gabbie and Jude. Sammy, however, remained engrossed in his studies, oblivious to the impromptu training session, his mind lost in the intricate world of spells and incantations.

The sparring session had taken its toll on Sammy. He lay fast asleep, his book still clutched in his hand. With a gentle sigh, Gabbie hoisted him onto her back, beginning the trek towards Liyue Harbor. Jude walked beside her, the silence punctuated only by their footsteps.

"Thank you for everything..." Gabbie finally said, breaking the quiet. Jude chimed in, "Yeah, maybe we can spar again sometime."

Xiao's response was as sharp as ever, his face a mask of displeasure. "Ha. Do not judge adepti by your mortal standards," he retorted, his voice laced with disdain. "I have no desire to play with you mortal children, no matter how blessed you believe yourselves to be..." He groaned, turning his gaze away as if the very sight of them offended him. "I deal in death. If you cannot bring yourself to kill—speak my name, Adeptus Xiao. I will be here when you call."

Before either Gabbie or Jude could offer a reply, he was gone, leaving them to ponder his cryptic words and sudden departure.

Two days before the Rite of Parting, a meeting convened between the esteemed Adepti and the shrewd Qixing in the Jade Chamber. It had begun with promise, a delicate dance of diplomacy, but a shadow of discord soon crept in. Zhongli was absent, his wise counsel missing. So too was Childe, who, with Gabbie's consent, had ventured into the depths of the Golden House, seeking answers to a pressing matter. In their absence, the meeting began to unravel, descending into a tangled web of accusations and heated words.

"You chose an outsider to orchestrate the Rite of Parting, without so much as a word to us. You entrusted it to those beyond our realm, and children at that..." The voice belonged to Cloud Retainer, an Adeptus of striking presence, her form that of a majestic crane. Towering over most humans, her plumage was a pristine white, accented with the colors of the sky and earth – blue, gold, and black. Red markings adorned the delicate skin beneath her eyes, adding to her imposing aura.

Ningguang chuckled, the sound echoing slightly in the chamber as she puffed on her ornate pipe. "Did you prefer I risk my own people? I believed engaging an outside party was the most effective approach... a neutral perspective, if you will."

"It's not just that," the Adeptus retorted, her tone sharp as a winter wind. "You delved into the research of the Guizhong Ballista when it piqued their interest. And, as fate would have it, one who crafted the Guizhong Ballista with their own hands is present. What could mortals possibly comprehend about Adepti mechanisms? With minimal adjustments, one could transform this ballista into a weapon of war beyond your comprehension." The Adeptus's accusations hung heavy in the silent room, each word a stone cast into a still pond. Gabbie could only observe, her mind racing to understand the implications, while Jude, barely ten years of age, remained bewildered by the adult conflict. Sammy tugged at his older sister Gabbie's sleeve, his voice a small whisper in the tense atmosphere, "Why are they mad?"

Ningguang exhaled a plume of smoke, the fragrant vapor momentarily softening her sharp features. "Heh, I suppose this is one blessing from the Adepti for which we should be grateful. I had a dream where Rex Lapis advised me to be independent... Humans need to learn to stand on their own two feet..."

"Haha, so you disregard us when we're no longer a necessity?!" Cloud Retainer hissed, her voice laced with a chilling blend of anger and disappointment.

Tension filled the meeting room, the voices of Adepti and Qixing members rising in a discordant argument. Gabbie felt a light tap on her shoulder. A guard. She exchanged a look with her two brothers and followed the guard outside, where they found Zhongli waiting, his face solemn.

"I came to check on you three," Zhongli began, his voice a low rumble. "I wish I could join you, but I'm unable to.."

Gabbie started to plead, "Please, you are well respect-" but her words were cut short by the frantic shouts of a soldier rushing towards them, passed them.

"Sea monster!"

Jude turned to Gabbie, his young face etched with confusion. "What's happening? Why are so many Millelith at the city gate, Mr. Zhongli?" He looked down below.

Zhongli's gaze swept towards the city gate. "The atmosphere is highly abnormal," he replied, his composure unwavering. "Something significant has occurred... Things are escalating. I must return to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to address the situation. I trust Director Hu has maintained order in my absence."

As Zhongli spoke, Gabbie acted quickly, subtly gesturing for her younger brothers, Jude and Sammy, to move away from the escalating chaos. She didn't want them caught in the brewing storm.

"Please, take them. Keep them safe," Gabbie implored, her eyes reflecting a mother's worry. Zhongli's gaze softened with understanding.

"I will..."

But Jude stood his ground, his small frame radiating a surprising resolve. Despite being only ten, a fire burned in his eyes. "I'm staying. I can help."

Gabbie's shoulders slumped, a sigh escaping her lips. She knew that look. She couldn't force him. With a heavy heart, she watched as Sammy departed with Zhongli, disappearing into the relative safety far from the city, while Jude remained, determined to face the unknown. The two siblings back inside the Jade Chamber.

Ningguang's face clouded over, the weight of the news pressing down on her. She had discovered that Childe, through a bold deception, had used forged Sigils of Permission to awaken a being of immense power: Osial the Overlord of the Vortex.

"Faced with a calamity of this magnitude," Ningguang declared, her grip tightening on her pipe, "we must, for the sake of Liyue, set aside our differences and unite against this common enemy."

Moon Carver and Xiao remained silent, lost in contemplation. Keqing, a member of the Qixing, stepped forward, her voice filled with urgency. "This isn't merely your problem. Our new Millelith recruits are barely able to stand, trembling in the presence of an ancient god. We must stop this monster before it reaches Liyue Harbor! We need your strength, mighty Adepti."

"Now you ask for our help?" Cloud Retainer questioned, her grief still palpable.

Just as the tension reached its peak, Gabbie's voice cut through the air. "Can't you all just be quiet?!" The unexpected outburst stunned both Ningguang and Cloud Retainer into silence.

"Tomorrow doesn't matter. What matters are the people of Liyue, right here, right now. My brothers and I have spent days learning about your customs and culture. If Rex Lapis is truly gone, I refuse to believe he wanted this to be his legacy. He meant a lot to both of you, but he's gone. It's up to us to help the people..."

"What could mortal children possibly understand about loss?" Cloud Retainer scoffed, her words laced with disdain.

Gabbie's face darkened, a flicker of pain crossing her features as Jude gently tugged at her arm. The words had struck a nerve. It had only been two years since she and her brothers had been ripped from their lives on Earth and thrust into the strange world of Teyvat. Their parents were gone, leaving behind only a dead cell phone and a lead pointing to a merchant in Inazuma.

"My parents... they're gone," Gabbie confessed, her voice laced with a tremor of despair. "Vanished without a trace. I don't even know if they're alive or dead! We have no idea where they are." A wave of longing washed over her. "I just want everything to go back to how it was supposed to be," she whispered, "but it can't." For two long years, she and her brothers had been adrift, relying on the generosity of strangers to survive. "The entire reason we're even here," she continued, her voice hardening with a touch of bitterness, "is to find a merchant who may or may not have information about our parents, and he isn't even here... Yeah," she concluded, her gaze distant and filled with a profound sadness, "I know a thing or two about loss..."

Gabbie's words landed like a thunderclap, shocking Cloud Retainer to her very core. Several reasons contributed to the adeptus's surprise, but the most stinging was the implication that she, an ancient being of immense power, was behaving childishly. Ningguang, ever aware of the delicate threads of manipulation she wove, subtly averted her gaze, a silent acknowledgment of her role in the children's involvement. Yet, surprisingly, the elder woman Madame Ping offered Gabbie a firm nod of agreement.

"Exactly! Well spoken," she declared, her voice resonating with conviction. "This… this isn't the legacy Rex Lapis envisioned for us. Everything fades, everything dies. Mortals, gods—we all meet the same inevitable end."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of ages. But she wasn't finished. "We are still bound," she continued, her gaze hardening with resolve, "bound by the contract to aid the people of Liyue. Rex Lapis's death does not nullify that sacred pact. It was forged for the people, not for him."

And with that, alliances began to form, of the Qixing and the Adepti.

The battle against Osial, the fearsome Overlord of the Vortex, was a desperate symphony of defiance. The Qixing, the ancient Adepti, the Millelith, Gabbie and Jude had united, their hope resting on the upgraded Guizhong Ballistae. Ningguang, with her brilliant mind, had replicated the ancient designs ready for battle, while Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, and Moon Carver stood ready to unleash their power.

As the first volley fired, a dark omen manifested: portals ripped open in the sky, spewing forth waves of Fatui soldiers. Their mission was clear: dismantle the ballistae and plunge Liyue into chaos, leaving it defenseless against the vengeful sea god.

A lone Millelith soldier, his face a mask of fear and duty, cried out, "The three adepti are manning the Guizhong Ballistae! Do not allow the Fatui to disrupt their work!"

Keqing, her voice ringing with authority, rallied her troops. "All able Millelith, with me!" she commanded, charging into the fray.

From atop the ballistae, Cloud Retainer surveyed the battlefield, her eyes gleaming with ancient power. "We adepti have not faced a god in millennia," she proclaimed, her voice echoing across the battlefield. "Hmph. Let us see what you are made of, then. One wishes to witness what strength remains within you!"

Amidst the chaos, Gabbie and Jude found themselves thrust into the heart of the battle. Jude's eyes widened in horror as he realized the Fatui's true objective: to unleash the sea god's wrath upon Liyue. Gabbie, ever vigilant, moved with a dancer's grace, silencing the enemy with swift, precise strikes. But this was no ordinary skirmish against bandits or Hilichurls; this was war.

Jude's grip on his axe faltered, his movements clumsy and uncertain. Fear threatened to consume him. Sensing his terror, Gabbie pulled him back from the brink of danger.

"Jude, relax..." Gabbie said, her voice a soothing balm amidst the storm. She finally understood her hesitation in allowing him to join this battle.

"I know, it's scary... stay behind me..." she added, her own hand trembling slightly as she tightened her grip on her rapier, a silent acknowledgment of the fear that gripped them both.

Jude gripped his axe, a silent plea for bravery echoing in his heart. Around him, the world had dissolved into chaos—war had descended upon them.

A Millelith soldier's scream pierced the din, his voice raw with terror. "The Fatui... their attacks are relentless!"

Ningguang, her eyes blazing with the power of her Vision, retorted, "How audacious. Snezhnaya's diplomats will answer for this insolence. Every single one of them will pay."

Then came the earth-shattering roar as Osial unleashed another barrage, sending a fresh wave of fear through the ranks. "The ancient god is attacking again!" Injured and weary, the Millelith struggled to regain their footing, their faces etched with desperation.

"There are so many Fatui! We can't hold them back—"

Before the despair could fully take hold, Jude's feet moved on their own accord. His axe rose, deflecting a blow aimed at a fallen comrade. He met Gabbie's gaze, receiving a brief, acknowledging nod as they stood shoulder to shoulder, against the encroaching tide. His axe danced with newfound precision, his elemental powers flowing through him, unbidden and untamed. Geo, Anemo, Hydro, Pyro, and Dendro—they surged from his fingertips, a dazzling display of raw potential. The soldiers watched in stunned silence, recognizing the innate combat prowess that coursed through his veins. Madame Ping, observing from a distance, understood the subtle difference between the siblings. Gabbie fought with skill, yes, but her movements were born of desperation, each action taking a visible toll despite her valiant attempts to mask it. To the untrained eyes of the Millelith, however, they were an equally formidable force. A chuckle rumbled in Madame Ping's chest. "Hahaha, were you about to say, 'We can't hold them,' children?"

Osial, the Overlord of the Vortex, raged, his attacks relentless. Ballistas crumbled, and the platform beneath them shattered. The adepti, swift and sure, caught those who fell, returning them to the relative safety of the Jade Chamber landing. Jude, a boy of ten, his eyes wide with a dawning realization: he was powerless against this onslaught.

Ningguang, ever the strategist, glanced at Gabbie, who stood ready, rapier drawn.

"I have... another idea," Ningguang announced, her voice cutting through the chaos.

Ganyu's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, Lady Ningguang?"

"I'll sacrifice the Jade Chamber."

A gasp escaped Cloud Retainer's lips. "What is the meaning of this?!"

Xiao, ever stoic, simply muttered, "...I understand..."

Ningguang's voice was laced with urgency as she shouted, "Gabbie, help me! Evacuate everyone now!" Gabbie knew what to do; Ningguang had confided in her about this final, desperate plan. With practiced efficiency, the adepti began to evacuate the soldiers from the doomed chamber. Jude, wanting to assist, rushed in, clutching his axe. Gabbie's eyes met his just as massive tentacles broke through the chamber's edge.

"Get my brother out of here!" Gabbie commanded, her voice sharp as she addressed the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. Gabbie gave Jude a sorrowful, lingering look.

"Take care of Sammy...."

Before Jude could reply, a strong arm scooped him up, pulling him to safety, away from his sister, who stood firm against the monstrous god.

"Gabbie! Wait! No!" he screamed, his voice swallowed by Osial's echoing roar, leaving Gabbie alone.

As Gabbie entered the opulent chamber, a lone droplet fell from the fractured ceiling, marking her arrival. She advanced towards the center of the airborne palace. With a surge of adrenaline, she thrust her rapier into the core of the Jade Chamber. The massive structure shuddered, commencing its inevitable fall towards Osial, the wrathful god of the sea.

The chamber crumbled around her as she bolted for the exit, debris raining down like a deadly hailstorm. But victory remained elusive. From the depths, the ancient god, the Overlord of the Vortex, struck. A grotesque appendage snaked out, ensnaring her right leg in its merciless grip.

A cry tore from Gabbie's throat as the tentacle-like claws pierced her flesh, a searing pain threatening to overwhelm her. Triumphant, Osial began his descent back into the abyss, dragging her with him into the crushing, lightless depths of sea. Another scream bubbled as the obsidian-sharp talons tore deeper into her leg.

Gabbie glanced down, and a fresh wave of agony washed over her, stealing her breath. Blood blossomed in the swirling sea water, a crimson blood pouring from her mangled right leg. The sea water colors were dark and ominous—black and purple swirling into the murky depths. The skin of her right legs, surrounding the wound was already purpling and cracking, a grotesque testament to the immense pressure exerted by the vengeful god.

The icy grip of fear tightened around Gabbie's heart. "I don't want to die..." she thought, a silent scream lost in the roaring of the water. Pain, sharp and relentless, consumed her. "Jude, Sammy, I'm sorry," she choked out, the words tumbling from her lips, incoherent and broken. A desperate plea escaped her, a yearning for what could never be. "Dad, Mom, I wanted to see you one more time. I love you all..." The venom coursed through her right leg, a burning tide mirroring the rising water that threatened to engulf her completely.

Gabbie's scream ripped through the air, a raw, visceral sound born of agony. It felt as though she were consumed by fire, an inferno raging within her very being. But then, as if summoned by her silent, desperate plea, a figure materialized from the shadows. It was Xiao, the conquer of demons, his mask a stoic sentinel in the gloom, his spear gleaming like a promise of deliverance.

Without a word, the spear flashed, a silver arc of salvation cutting through the darkness. It severed flesh, veins, nerves, and bone with brutal efficiency, bisecting her leg just above the right kneecap. Another scream tore from Gabbie's throat, even more intense than the first. It was a sound of pure, unadulterated agony, yet beneath it, a strange undercurrent of…freedom. A freedom bought at a terrible, unimaginable price.

Still silent, still masked, Xiao scooped her up into his arms. He turned, his gaze fixed on the world above, and began his ascent towards the surface, carrying her towards an uncertain future.

The battle had ended, Osial, the fearsome Overlord of the Vortex, banished once more to the crushing depths of the sea. But victory felt hollow, tainted by the sight of so many wounded. Jude's heart hammered in his chest as he frantically searched the faces, his eyes darting from one injured survivor to the next, desperately seeking Gabbie.

Then, a wave of relief washed over him. There, amidst the wounded, was Xiao. The Yaksha knelt, his expression unreadable, as he gently laid Gabbie down. She had escaped the destruction of the Jade Chamber, Jude realized, but a fresh wave of horror crashed over him. Gabbie's right leg... it was gone.

He surged forward, pushing through the crowd, his voice a choked whisper. "Gabbie!" He knelt beside her, his hands hovering, afraid to touch, afraid to cause more pain. He shook her gently, pleading with her to open her eyes.

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered. Gabbie looked up at him, her gaze unfocused for a moment, then clearing with dawning recognition. Her hand flew to her mouth, stifling a scream that threatened to tear from her throat.

Jude trembled, the bravado he'd worn like armor now shattered. This wasn't the glorious tale he'd imagined, the kind spun in movies. Fear coiled in his gut as he saw Gabbie's leg – or rather, where it should have been. Gone. Severed with brutal precision. A makeshift bandage was a crimson testament to the horror.

A voice, thin and reedy, broke the silence. "Is it... finally over?"

Moon Carver turned his ancient gaze towards the speaker. "The ominous aura of that monster has indeed begun to fade," he rumbled, his voice a low thrum. "The effects of the Sigil of Permission last but a short time. It will be some time before the Overlord of the Vortex can make any waves again."

Ningguang puffed on her pipe, seemingly unfazed by the recent chaos of a sea serpent's assault on Liyue Harbor. Smoke curled around her face as she addressed the group, her voice smooth and measured. "We are indebted to you for your assistance. If the adepti hadn't happened to be here, the future of Liyue Harbor would surely have been in great jeopardy..."

Cloud Retainer, however, remained unimpressed by Ningguang's display of gratitude.

"Hmph," she retorted, her tone sharp. "Save your flattery. We didn't just 'happen' to be here... Surely you won't pretend to have forgotten the reason for which we came?"

Madame Ping, her voice a soothing balm of ancient wisdom, tried to calm the two parties. "Come now," she murmured, her tone gentle as a summer breeze, "there's no need for such harsh words, Cloud Retainer..." But her efforts were in vain.

Gabbie lay prone on the stretcher, the throbbing wound a constant reminder of her vulnerability. Sitting up was a monumental effort, each movement sending jolts of pain through her. She desperately didn't want to burden Jude, not with something like this. He was far too young to be dealing with such heavy realities. But who else did she have? In the aftermath of everything, it was just them, still bickering like children even now. With a dry, raspy voice, she reached out, her fingers weakly grasping his arm. "Jude... help them..." she pleaded

The realization hit Jude this wasn't some fantastical tale ripped from the pages of a comic book or flickering across a television screen. This was real. His eyes widened, taking in the chaotic scene of bickering voices and, more disturbingly, wounded people. A profound silence settled over him as he processed the gravity of the situation. He nodded slowly, a silent acknowledgment of the reality unfolding before him, and then, with a newfound resolve, he walked forward. "Stop!!" he finally exclaimed, his voice cutting through the noise.

Jude's voice, though soft, carried a firm resolve. "The city was nearly destroyed," he stated, his gaze sweeping between them. "It's clear Liyue needs both of you, the past and the present. If you continue to fight like this, there's no hope for us." A flicker of pain crossed his features. "I know you miss Rex Lapis, just like I miss my dad, my mom. But we can't stop, we can't keep fighting each other. I don't think this is what Rex Lapis would have wanted."

Cloud Retainer nodded, her gaze drifting into the distance. Jude's words, undeniably true, carried a sharp sting. It was a peculiar ache, to be gently rebuked by a child barely reaching her waist, especially as one of Liyue's ancient guardians.

"The City of Contracts endures," Jude declared, his small hands fidgeting. "I've read about it in the histories. Liyue Harbor is meant to be a shared haven, a place where adepti and humans can thrive together. You reside so far away, but wasn't this Rex Lapis's vision? A place for your return, a place to belong?"

A heavy silence descended, thick with unspoken emotions. Jude, a boy not even ten years old, had somehow managed to soothe their inner turmoil, his innocent words penetrating layers of deep-seated grief and resentment that had taken root in their hearts.

Ningguang thoughtfully puffed on her jade pipe, the smoke curling into the air like a silent question. Finally, she spoke, her voice a low, steady hum that resonated with authority. "According to our records, the adepti entered into a contract with Rex Lapis approximately 3,700 years ago, a pact to protect Liyue. And look around you. Liyue and its lands have persevered, remaining as steadfast as stone, just as they were millennia ago. This is no small feat. Cease merely watching over the land from a distance; instead, direct your attention to our city, to every citizen within it. The city is as much yours as it is ours..."

Madame Ping, the wise and aged adeptus, added her voice to the conversation, her words carrying the weight of centuries. "The land of contracts is grateful for the adepti's protection. However, it is no longer necessary for the city to depend on the adepti's power to resolve every minor issue. Though mortals' blood may be weaker, strength can still be found within them. The era of contracts solely between gods and Liyue has long passed. Now is the time for contracts between Liyue and its people, and that includes us, the adepti."

The day arrived, two weeks after the turbulent battle with Osial, the day of the Rite of Parting. Zhongli had vanished after the chaos. Yet, the siblings stood united, Jude stepping up to orchestrate the Rite, a responsibility Gabbie could no longer fully bear.

The morning's stillness shattered as a loud thud jolted Jude awake. Gabbie had fallen from her bed, a stark reminder of her recent struggles.

"Gabbie..." Jude's voice was laced with concern as he watched her struggle to rise.

"I'm fine... I'm going to get ready..." she replied, her voice strained, each word a testament to her pain. Her right leg was gone.

"You don't have to go..." Jude said softly, his heart aching for his sister. "I can handle it..."

"I know, but we started this together..." Gabbie insisted. "Just pass me my crutch..."

Sammy, though silent, was also awake, his young mind grappling with a reality far beyond his years. The four-year-old climbed out of bed and approached Gabbie, his eyes wide with innocent worry.

"Are you hurting?" he asked, his gaze fixed on his sister's face.

"No..." Gabbie replied, accepting the crutch Jude offered, a fragile support in a world that had become increasingly unsteady.

"I'm fine, guys..." she offered, a weak, forced smile that hid the pain she so bravely concealed.

The Rite of Parting was a grand display of unity, bringing together people from all walks of life in Liyue. Young and old, rich and poor, mortals and Adepti alike gathered to honor the memory of the late Rex Lapis. For an entire week, the three siblings tirelessly navigated the sea of mourners, offering comfort amidst the city's profound sorrow.

Following a thorough investigation, the Qixing and Adepti reached a grave conclusion: Rex Lapis's death was not natural but the result of divine intervention. The story presented to the public depicted a trial by the heavens, a celestial battle in which Rex Lapis was defeated, his spirit ascending to the celestial realm.

As the ceremony neared its end, Ningguang's voice echoed through the assembled crowd. "As previously stated," she announced, "Rex Lapis's return to the heavens signifies the end of a contract and the conclusion of an era. We, the people of Liyue, have prospered. However, our success has blinded us to the relentless march of time. Now awakened from our complacency, we must learn to say farewell. Will you join us in forging new agreements and building a new age of prosperity?"

Gabbie, leaning heavily on her crutch, Jude, as silent as ever, and Sammy, nodding in solemn agreement, watched as Ganyu turned to Keqing. "Thus concludes the address of Her Eminence, the Tianquan. Does Her Eminence, the Yuheng, have anything to add?" she inquired.

Keqing's gaze swept over Gabbie, Jude, and Sammy, her expression inscrutable. "You three outsiders," she began, her voice resonating across the square, "the Liyue Qixing are ever mindful of our obligations, our debts. As you have heard, our vision is expansive, and our influence considerable. Name your reward. You have earned it."

A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. The faces of the three siblings seemed familiar; Gabbie, Jude, and Sammy had spent the preceding weeks traveling throughout Liyue, preparing for the Rite of Parting.

"Are those the siblings rumored to have assisted in the defeat of the ancient god?" a voice whispered.

"They are so young... practically children..."

"That's the boy; I remember him from the battle. He saved my life..."

Gabbie quickly exchanged glances with Jude and Sammy. A silent conversation passed between them before they huddled together for a brief, hushed discussion. Finally, with a determined nod, Gabbie stepped forward. "We request passage to Inazuma..."

Days drifted the three siblings found themselves in Ningguang's temporary office. The air hummed with unspoken promises as they discussed the reward for their safe passage to Inazuma, a passage she had so graciously arranged. Yet, a shadow of patience fell upon them; the ship, their vessel to the Electro Archon's land, would not grace the docks of Sumeru's Port Ormos for another ten long months.

With time stretching before them, the siblings made a unanimous decision: Mondstadt beckoned. Bags were packed, goodbyes whispered to newfound friends, and they set off towards the City of Freedom. Back in Liyue, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor found itself caught in a storm of whispers and accusations. Its ties to the Fatui, once a silent understanding, now roared like thunder. Childe, a known patron, had vanished from the harbor, and Zhongli, the consultant, had disappeared with him in the aftermath of the battle.

“We should say goodbye to Mr. Zhongli...” Jude's voice trailed off, a hint of uncertainty coloring his words.

Gabbie, her pace slowing, leaned heavily on her crutch. "If we can find him..."

Sammy, ever attentive, adjusted his stride to match his older sister's. "Are we going too fast?" he asked, concern etched on his young face.

"No, not at all..." she replied, though the effort was evident. The trio continued their journey toward the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, a familiar landmark in the bustling city. Upon their arrival, Gabbie inquired about Zhongli, her voice carrying a note of urgency. The Ferrylady, with a polite smile, responded, "Unfortunately, Zhongli isn't here at the moment. It seems he went to Northland Bank..."

"Thank you..." The three siblings exchanged glances before setting off once more, this time towards the imposing Northland Bank. The bank was surprisingly quiet and empty, an unusual stillness that contrasted sharply with the vibrant city outside. However, a muffled argument echoed from within, drawing them further inside.

Gabbie paused, a flicker of recognition in her eyes. That voice... it was Childe's. "You call this 'cooperation between Harbingers'? Cooperation involves communication, you know..."

A woman's voice, laced with amusement, followed. "Hehe, don't take it to heart, Childe. Besides, aren't you happy you got to skip the formalities and bring chaos to the land? I'm sure you must've enjoyed that."

"Gabbie..." Jude's voice was a low warning, pulling her back from her thoughts. Gabbie felt a pang of guilt, a heavy weight on her chest. She was partly responsible for the battle against Osial, the devastating event that had nearly destroyed Liyue Harbor. She had been the one who allowed Childe to leave during the meeting between the Qixing and the Adepti. She had trusted him, and that trust had almost cost her brothers and herself their lives.

"Oh, it seems that some of your friends have arrived," the woman's voice cut through the tension, sharp and observant. She was tall and striking, with pale skin, platinum-blonde hair styled into two rose-shaped buns at the back of her head, and light gray eyes that seemed to pierce through everything. A black earring adorned her left ear, and a black mask covered her right eye, adding an air of mystery. This was La Signora, the Eighth of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers.

"He's not my friend..." Gabbie's voice was barely a whisper, her gaze fixed on the floor, unable to meet Childe's eyes. Jude remained silent, his jaw clenched, the tension in the room palpable. His glare remained fixed on Childe, holding him responsible for Gabbie's lost leg, a constant reminder of the chaos he had unleashed.

"Anyway, I love your dress..." Gabbie's sudden change of subject was jarring, a desperate attempt to diffuse the situation. She addressed the Eighth Harbinger, known as La Signora, or by her codename, "The Fair Lady," formerly Rosalyne.

"This old thing? You have excellent taste; there's a shop in Fontaine I order from. I can give you the name; it's Chioriya Boutique..." La Signora replied, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Oh really, your dress is gorgeous..."

Jude shot Gabbie an exasperated look, questioning her strange behavior. La Signora glanced at Sammy, her expression softening slightly as she took in his youthful innocence. "I'm sorry my coworker got you involved in his mess," she said, her tone surprisingly sincere.

Childe looked offended, his pride clearly wounded. He immediately interjected, while Gabbie continued to pointedly ignore him. "Gabbie, and her little brothers. This is our first time seeing each other since Liyue was nearly wiped off the map. This is certainly a bit... awkward, wouldn't you say? I may have misled you, but I never had anything against you personally. Besides, I thought we were getting along quite well together, didn't you? Nothing personal, we just have... different views, that's all..."

Jude's fist clenched, as he wrestled with Childe's seeming indifference to the devastation and the lives nearly extinguished by his actions.

"Different views..." The words escaped Jude's lips, a barely audible murmur swallowed by the tension. Sensing his turmoil, Gabbie placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. But comfort morphed into action with startling speed. In a flash, she swung her crutch, the arc a blur before it connected with a resounding thud against Childe's head.

"That's for almost killing us!" she declared, her voice ringing with anger.

"Ow!" Childe yelped, clutching his head, a picture of bewildered pain. La Signora, however, remained unmoved. She didn't even glance in his direction, her attention solely focused on examining her nails.

Childe's voice dripped with annoyance as he lamented, "Signora and Zhongli are the true manipulators... I curse them for deceiving both of us."

Gabbie's eyes flicked to Signora, her thoughts swirling as she repeated, "Signora and Zhongli?" Disbelief washed over her as she shook her head.

"Keep Mr. Zhongli's name out of this," Gabbie snapped, her tone accusatory. "You're the one who deceived us, Childe."

Signora's icy voice sliced through the tension, dismissive and cold. "Stop wasting her time and mine, Childe. There will be ample opportunity for conversation later. You recall the agreement, Morax. Now, if you would be so kind... the Gnosis, please."

Gabbie and Jude exchanged a look of stunned disbelief, while Sammy's face was a mask of confusion as Zhongli stepped out of the shadows of the bank hallway.

"Dragon..." Sammy murmured, his eyes wide with shock. He glanced at his siblings, a question forming in his mind. Gabbie looked at Jude, who voiced their shared realization.

"Mr. Zhongli is Rex Lapis..." Jude's voice trembled with hurt. The God of Geo wasn't dead. For weeks, they had grieved, preparing his funeral. Gabbie felt betrayed, swindled. Her leg, lost for what? Jude was consumed by anger and resentment, while Sammy remained lost, struggling to comprehend the gravity of the situation. Overwhelmed by hurt and confusion, Jude struck Zhongli's chest with a fist.

"You let everyone believe you were dead!" he shouted. "So many people were hurt and saddened. You lied to them, us... What about Gabbie? She fought and lost her leg in your name! And Xiao, or that bird lady!" Zhongli remained unmoved, his gaze steady. Gabbie, her voice shaking, tried to pull Jude back.

"Jude, stop..."

Tears welled in Jude's eyes, blurring the edges of the scene before him as he stopped, his gaze fixed on Gabbie. She offered a slight shake of her head, a silent plea.

"It's not worth it," Gabbie murmured, her voice barely audible, her eyes flicking briefly towards Childe. "We were both deceived, Childe."

"Regardless," Childe responded, a hint of bitterness lacing his tone, "you have emerged as Liyue's hero. In contrast, I will forever be known as a disruptive force, wouldn't you agree?"

Gabbie, her gaze averted, stepped forward slightly. "We simply came to bid farewell, Mr. Zhongli," she stated, the words feeling hollow in the air. Jude remained a statue of silent fury, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles shone white. Sammy, oblivious to the tension, waved a cheerful goodbye.

Zhongli, ever the picture of composure, offered a courteous smile. "Indeed. The next time you three are in the city, I will gladly treat you to a meal at the Xinyue Kiosk."

"Right..." Gabbie replied, the word hanging in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions. With a gentle hand on each of her brothers' backs, she began to guide them toward the imposing structure of the Northland Bank, leaving the echoes of their encounter hanging in the air.

The trio turned their backs on the fruitless search, their steps heavy as they began the long trek back to Mondstadt. The mission had been a stark failure. Gabbie limped, favoring the stump where her leg should have been, a constant reminder of their ordeal. The fates of their parents remained elusive, lost somewhere in the vast expanse of Teyvat. A new deadline loomed, a trip to the distant shores of Inazuma scheduled for ten months hence, a promise that felt more like a burden than an adventure.

To be continued

#genshin isekai au #genshin isekai #genshin impact isekai #isekai #genshin x oc #genshin impact oc #genshin oc #genshin original character #oc x canon #canon divergence #fanfic #genshin fanfic #genshin impact imagines #genshin imagine #genshin imagines #genshin au #genshin sagau

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veshialles · 1 year ago

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through a wormhole. now I'm lost in some distant part of the universe on a ship, a living ship, full of strange alien life forms. Help me, listen, please! Is anybody out there who can hear me?? I'm being hunted (hunted) by an insane military commander. I'm doing everything I can. I'm just looking for a way home...

#ruby rambles #farscape

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zzedar2 · 2 months ago

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Some thoughts on Journey to Foundation, which I've just started:

There's an impressive amount of references to fairly obscure Foundation lore. For instance, there's a mention of a guy who was mentioned in literally two sentences in Foundation's Edge who was hanged by his own troops when he proposed to use nuclear weapons in war*. Another nice touch is that your character was found as an orphan in Billibotton, just like Raych was. And just like Raych, your character has the genes for mentalic abilities. Maybe you're even related to him (which would also make you a distant relative of Preem Palver).

*I've always thought it was weird for this future society to have such a strong taboo against nuclear bombs. Asimov was writing during the Cold War, when everyone was living in fear of a nuclear war, but this future society has way more powerful weapons than nukes -- they can literally destroy planets! (At one point in Pebble in the Sky two people discuss doing so as an emergency measure to contain a hypothetical plague).

There are some parts that don't seem quite right to me, but are not strictly impossible. For instance, your superior officer at one point says that the Empire is a shadow of what it once was. He's right, but it seems incorrect for him to be aware of this -- the game takes place in 200 FE, at which point most Imperials hadn't really realized how far they'd fallen. Bel Riose thinks it's laughable when Barr tells him that the Empire is falling -- literally laughable, he bursts out in laughter when he hears it and tells Barr that "the Empire is more powerful now than it has been in a millennium." On the other hand, Cleon and Brodrig take it for granted that an old ship will be better than a new one, so maybe this guy is just more clear-sighted than Riose. Another small point is slightly incorrect terminology -- using "bio-signature" where it should be "personal characteristic." They also have access to more advanced computer technology than the original books show, but that's inevitable in any modern work -- Asimov was writing in the 1940s, and really had no conception of how far computers would advance just in the next century, let alone thousands of years in the future.

There are some less excusable errors. Some of these are probably because it's based on the TV series, which I haven't seen, rather than the books.

Your character is psychic, and this is treated as a normal thing. At this point in the series psychic powers are known to exactly three groups of people: the Second Foundation, Gaia, and Daneel's unnamed group. The game tries to justify this by saying that your superior found references to mentalics in very old texts, indicating that the knowledge was somehow lost thousands of years ago, but there are a number of problems with this. Apart from anything else, when you consider where the Second Foundation is located, it seems implausible that they would not have access to these texts that apparently give him superior knowledge of mentalics than they have. Your character is also able, with effort, to read actual thoughts, not just emotions, which is categorically impossible under Asimov's rules of psychic powers. And this one cannot be chalked up to her having access to lost knowledge -- in one of the robot books (which are set in the same universe as the Foundation series) it is established that reading actual thoughts is provably impossible, not just unachieved.

EDIT: It just occurred to me that the superior might secretly be a member of one of those groups, most likely the Second Foundation. That would actually explain some other things about him too. It'd be thematically appropriate in an Asimov homage, because that would be a very Asimov-like twist. Although I'm not sure why he'd keep this secret from you instead of just directly inducting you into his group.

Any modern work that deals with a Galactic Empire is going to be influenced by Star Wars, and indeed Star Wars was itself heavily influenced by the Foundation series. (There's a claim you sometimes see floating around in support of this that Coruscant was originally going to be named Jhantor. I've never seen a source cited for this claim, though, and according to Timothy Zahn the original notes he was given when writing the Thrawn trilogy had no name for the capital planet at all, it was just called Imperial Center. So I'm pretty sure the Jhantor claim either isn't true, or possibly that Jhantor was a name considered by Zahn rather than Lucas). But some of the influences in this case are a little heavy-handed. For instance, there are a lot of signs labeled in what looks a lot like the fictional alphabet you see in a lot of Star Wars media. The blasters also function like Star Wars blasters, emitting distinct bolts like bullets, rather than the steady stream described by Asimov, but that's probably a game balance thing.

The basic plot is that I'm supposed to track down the daughter of an Imperial Viceroy, who's gone missing. I haven't got far enough in the storyline to say for certain yet, but I think this may be a reference to the Commdora of Korell, although we are almost half a century too late for that so maybe it's something else.

The movement controls are not great, a teleport moves you a lot less distance than in most VR games, and you have to raise your hand a lot higher, which is a little disconcerting.

The dialogue controls are really interesting and well-designed, except for the part where they aren't explained. For instance, there's a symbol that pops up sometimes that means you can learn something relevant to the conversation by using your psychic abilities, but you're never told what the icon indicates, you just have to sort of guess. There are a few other similar issues, including one that pops up during game calibration/tutorial, and which will prevent you from even starting the game until you figure out what a certain wordless icon is trying to tell you.

Still, the mystery/investigation aspect is really well done so far, and you've got a surprising amount of freedom of choice, so I'm provisionally giving it a thumbs up.

#isaac asimov #sff books #foundation #foundation series #vr games #journey to foundation #criticism

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z00oo1 · 2 years ago

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Bellarke Fic Recommendation

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Oneshot @chase-the-windandtouch-the-sky

Clarke is in a coma after Gabriel removes the chip.

Oneshot @chase-the-windandtouch-the-sky

Clarkewho managed to grab control from taking herself and Josephine out as a way to eliminate the chip altogether.

Oneshot @chase-the-windandtouch-the-sky

I wish you would write a fic where it took so long for the gang to figure out Clarke wasn’t Clarke

Ao3

Ark Descending by warmfluffypastries

What happens if the Ark didn't come down at the end of season 1?

Burning Up by PenguinsofProse

Clarke makes it back to the rocket just in time, but with radiation sickness.

Love Hurts by diemension

Modern AU. Clarke deals with the repercussions of a lie Finn tells.

Welcome to Earth by marauders_groupie

Bellamy of the Shallow Valley clan has to marry Death herself: Wanheda.

Comic Hypocrisy by Gryffindor_by_birth

Until the Sun Makes the Hills its Grave by meliebee

It didn’t take long for Clarke to realise that something was wrong. No one else did, but she doesn’t expect them to because what's wrong isn't the planet, it's her.

Atone by @chase-the-windandtouch-the-sky

A quick scouting mission turns into a fight for survival as Clarke tries to work through what she’s done – even if it means giving her life.

The Bruise Won't Heal by theinvisibledisaster

Some Things are Worth Dying For by Nyx_21

What if Bellamy stayed behind with Clarke when the rocket left?

And Now Your Home by asroarke

Grounder!Bellamy AU where Clarke finds out she isn't the last person left on Earth.

I'm on my knees your faith in shreds by stoneage_woman

As the last survivors of humanity try to make a fresh beginning on a new, deserted planet, Bellamy tries to find his way back to a lonely, distant Clarke.

Tell Me How it Really Feels by skittishasakitten

To dwell in dreams and remember how to live by PenguinsofProse

Clarke wakes up on the Eligius ship after twenty years in cryosleep, and it turns out that Sanctum and Bardo were all part of a horrific nightmare.

Eden by ohsupernaturall

Alternate universe where Bellamy stays behind for Clarke when Praimfaya hits.

Show Me What your Looking For by bitscrawford

Sanctuary by abitcfstardust

Bellamy had lost Clarke more times than he could count. He wouldn't let Josephine Lightbourne get her away from him one more time.

Wake Up by HiatusMusings

When Clarke stays in Arkadia after crushing the mountain she thinks she can still hide from those that looked to her.

Yours Truly by virgohotspot

Or, Serial Killer!Clarke is engaged to Horror Writer!Bellamy. She's determined to hide the monster she thinks she is for the man that she loves.

We keep doing better by sobsicles

Or, the one where Bellamy and Clarke are stranded together on the last inhabitable patch of earth for six years and seven days.

Tear me to pieces by MABlake

Murphy discovers that Echo tried to choke Clarke before they left the earth and nobody had told him

We are Strangers Drawn Together by whatspastisprologue

Perhaps, after the mountain, Clarke, Bellamy, and the Delinquents can finally find peace and a true home on the ground.

#the 100 #bellarke #bellamy x clarke #clarke griffin #bellamy blake #the 100 fic

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drawnaghht · 2 years ago

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Yuichi Usagi - what's in a name?

I read "Senso" over the end of March and the last week and reviewed a bunch of interviews again and man i dunno how to post abt it but it seems that Yuichi Usagi is actually intentional as naming? And yes, Yuichi can be a last name also, but is still mainly read as a first name.

Like specifically it seems that it’s a reference to the ending of “Usagi Yojimbo: Senso” in a similar way to how the rest of the show is also intentionally an homage to that story as it’s main source of inspiration.

“Yuichi” commonly has the meaning "heroic first (son)" (雄一) and in the japanese subtitles, Yuichi is spelled as both 雄一 and ユウイチ - Yūichi. So let's take the japanese subtitling as additional canon as that’s how the character’s introduce themselves. (I'll link this Japanese-Names website as an online source for now since I'm not fluent in it myself.) The subtitles are based on the english dub of course, but it seems the japanese dub is similar on the name introductions for the most part (not a native speaker myself so I can only guess).

Spoilers for Senso if you haven't read it. I recommend you do, if really nothing else. It’s a really nice mashup of sci fi in Usagi Yojimbo, in a very “War of the Worlds” type clash. I really loved the foreword comic and the illustrations before the story. It's a really good story. Here’s a nice spoilerless review of it.

So from interviews we know that the Samurai Rabbit crew was inspired by and drew influences from six-issue book Usagi Yojimbo: Senso - you can see it in how the Makkine were designed and episode references (S2, ep 9 "Eggs!" - the falling martian ships are called eggs in “Senso”) and mainly the story outline of aliens invading edo-period japan.

So why give Yuichi Usagi a first name as a last name?

We see this backstory in "Willow Branch" in season 2.

The sword was lost. That is a storyline they included to make an interesting story out of it but to also connect the show and og comic in a different way. A "passing of the torch" in some sense, but also literally what the comic tells us about og Usagi and his swords. In Senso: "They are my soul. Pass them down to your firstborn… then to his [...] then down the line…” And in the show we see that Willow Branch is found and recovered by Yuichi and the sword accepts him as the next in line. The firstborn son.

So from this we can make the fan-theory that perhaps in the show canon, Miyamoto Usagi’s family maybe named their next firstborn in line Yuichi, to honor their forebear Miyamoto Usagi's last wish, again if we're going by the thought that this was inspired by "Senso". (Jotaro being his last surviving member in this verse possibly, we don't know here bc it's intentionally left vague to not spoil series-only viewers + keep the mystery open for anyone who decides to read the comic after the series for the first time). It could even be a possibility that they just kept that as a surname for sentimental reasons, because the family had women as first-born children for so long (if we assume based on Usagi's auntie and missing parents), but they wanted to keep that memory going for as long as possible, since the sword was lost shortly after Miyamoto saved Edo from Kagehito’s plan a 1000 years before Yuichi’s time. But that’s already just speculation from me as a fan of the cartoon.

And before die-hard comic readers swoop in, yes, in Senso the swords are not lost, but again, it’s an alternative universe story situation for the people making the show, and I find what they did was interesting.

The comic’s ending is tied into the world of “Space Usagi” as well, without spoiling it too much, which is a storyline Stan did in a space opera setting. The connection between being inspired by Senso which is tied to this story may also be why so many interviews and articles call Usagi Chronicles as inspired by Space Usagi directly, since both are spin-offs that take place in a distant future.

Or you know, it could also just be that they wanted an easy-sounding name for their main character to call that wasn't only Usagi, since they have two in the series: their own and the original.

But all in all, whether the name comes as a reference to the original comic, or from simple use of a common name, it can’t be ignored that this is just how the show calls it’s main character.

But you can still call him Yuichi, as that is what both the crew (his creators) and Stan Sakai call him when talking of both tbe Usagis. (Or, in the case of Stan, "my Usagi" and "Their/Samurai Rabbit/the show's Usagi") It could be that out of respect for the work the crew put into his series, Stan didn’t suggest more naming conventions for the character because he already liked the work and story the crew did. It could be that they put a pin in it at first and then got used to it as pre-production continued. Could even just be that he loled it right away. But I don’t find it that useful to speculate on that as much, because the cartoon we have is already made and finished how it is and well, we don’t know the exact authorial reasonings from the show crew side much, so Yuichi Usagi it is.

Though also, the way that his names are used in the show (Auntie mainly calls him Usagi and family usually adress via 1st name, Yuichi is never used mich beyond introductions) and how it's used in the interviews when talking about Miyamoto Usagi as well, it feels like they meant to give him two first names, and couldn’t decide on a surname-sounding last name so, Yuichi Usagi was left in the final script. But that's just my guess as a fan and viewer again.

Maybe other fans have had similar or better discussions about it? It would be interesting to know if the show has more japanese fans and how they find this, for example. What they think about how the show introduces him as Surname-Given Name, but then every other character switches to just calling him Usagi right away. In japan, people usually use last name+ honorifics when they have just met. But both Usagi's new friends and Usagi himself switch to first-name basis after their first day meeting each other and going through a few fights. Is it just because the show has a mostly western audience(my assumption), and we're meant to use his given name as an audience to be more familiar with him... or is it only because he's a rabbit and some of the characters (like Lord Kogane) don't really care more? Perhaps a 1000 years into the future, they've partially lost the use of some traditions?

In any case, it doesn’t feel like the show made that big of a faux pas naming Yuichi the way they did. Ould be that my guess is wrong and it wasn't as deliberate a reference to Senso. It seems a much higher possibility that they thought of that, thought it sounded nice and then kept it because it was an easy way to call him differently from comics-Usagi during production itself, but still getting to call him Usagi in the show-proper.

This is just me basing this on official interviews and the Senso book, but this just seems more likely than them picking a random name with no meaning to it. Of course, I could also be wrong, but based on interviews along, the showrunners and creative team seem so genuine in wanting to give the comic a good show that it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't research it. Or at the very least, ask about it from Stan himself or even just get a note from him about it, since he reviewed everything else. Candie and Doug (showrunners) even mention (in Comic Book Couple's Counceling podcast interview) how they really wanted to go deeper with research this time and art director Khang Le mentioned how they took a lot of cues from modern japan as well, from their research trips there.

I know this probably won't put any future discussions/rambling about this to rest among other fans, but well, just some thoughts on this. While I think it's probably kind of silly of me to be writing long essays abt a cartoon show I like, I do think it sort of warrants more discussion abt how we talk about characters and how we refer to them. For another show i'm a fan of for example, the character has an official name and a nickname, but the show itself consistently only used the nickname to let the reader be familiar with her. While characters like teachers and enemies might refer to them with their given name, even her full name, their family and friends mainly use the easier nickname. But it seemed that the reverse happened with that show's fandom, as the more unique given name became more used than the nickname the show itself gave us. And this was sorta the same thoughtprocess I had here with Usagi Chronicles.

Anyway, this has been a post x3 I meant to make this shorter and just about Senso, but I sorta started rambling more after the auntie and generations of female Usagi descendants theory x3

edit 5.05: fixed some grammar and sentence logic mistakes! added clarifications where ref was missing (CCBC podcast)

edit 13.06: I looked up the spellings for Yuichi as a last name and while it's similar, based on how it's written in the show, this supports my previous reading still. It still seems like it's meant more as a title almost, the same way naming would have been in old norse for example "Ivan's son" would become "Ivanson" or in english-language names, "Miller's son" would become "Millerson" (patronymic). So again, maybe Yuichi is meant as "first son" as the first name, but Usagi is his namesake because the family still wanted to honor their common ancestor, Miyamoto Usagi. That's the possible in-world reasoning, but with how much this crew put into the show, I wouldn't be surprised that they thought the same thing, that it's a nice way to reference the book Senso they were insired by, but also Miyamoto Usagi the character, who they were inspired by.

#yuichi usagi #miyamoto usagi #samurai rabbit #usagi chronicles #aghht srtuc posts #aghht fantalk #long post #UY senso #senso spoilers #fan essay #english is not my first language #so there may be some grammar or sentence structure errors here and there #texty #been writing this for a whole week #tagramble #will give this a readmore link later #samurai rabbit netflix #srtuc #this is 7k words girl HELP

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leolaroot · 2 years ago

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and now I'm lost in some distant part of the universe on a ship a LIVING ship

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mysticstronomy · 4 years ago

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HOW DOES TIME WORK IN SPACE??

Blog#81

Wednesday, April 21st,2021

Welcome back,

We customarily consider time something straightforward and crucial. It streams consistently, free of all the other things, from the past to the future, estimated by clocks and watches. Throughout time, the occasions of the universe succeed each other in a methodical manner: pasts, presents, future. The past is fixed, the future open ... but the entirety of this has ended up being bogus. What we call "time" is a perplexing assortment of constructions, of layers. Under expanding examination, in ever-more prominent profundity, the time has lost layers in a steady progression, piece by piece.

Let’s begin with a simple fact: Time passes faster in the mountains than it does at sea level.

The difference is small, but it can be measured with precision timepieces that you can buy on the internet for a few thousand dollars. With practice, anyone can witness the slowing down of time. With the timepieces of specialized laboratories, researchers can detect this slowing down of time between levels just a few centimeters apart: A clock on the floor runs a little more slowly than one on a table. It is not just the clocks that slow down: Lower down, all processes are slower. Two friends separate, with one of them living in the plains and the other going to live in the mountains. They meet up again years later. The one who has stayed down has lived less, aged less, the mechanism of his cuckoo clock has oscillated fewer times. He has had less time to do things, his plants have grown less, his thoughts have had less time to unfold. Lower down, there is simply less time than at an altitude.

Is this surprising? Perhaps it is. But this is how the world works. Time passes more slowly in some places, more rapidly in others. The surprising thing, perhaps, is that someone understood this slowing down of time a century before we had clocks precise enough to measure it. His name, of course, was Albert Einstein. The ability to understand something before it’s observed is at the heart of scientific thinking. In antiquity, the Greek philosopher Anaximander understood that the sky continues beneath our feet long before ships had circumnavigated the Earth. At the beginning of the modern era, the Polish mathematician and astronomer Copernicus understood the Earth's turns long before astronauts had seen it do so from the moon.

In the course of making such strides, we learn the things that seemed self-evident to us were really no more than prejudices. It seemed obvious the sky was above us and not below; otherwise, the Earth would fall down. It seemed self-evident the Earth did not move; otherwise, it would cause everything to crash. That time passed at the same speed everywhere seemed equally obvious to us. But just as children grow up and discover the world is not as it seemed from within the four walls of their homes, humankind as a whole does the same. What's going on now in a far-off place? Envision, for instance, your sister has gone to Proxima b, the as of late found planet that circles a star around 4 light-years from us. What is your sister doing now on Proxima b?

The lone right answer is that the inquiry has neither rhyme nor reason. It resembles asking, "What is here, in Peking?" when we are in Venice. It has neither rhyme nor reason, since, supposing that I utilize "here" in Venice, I'm alluding to a spot in Venice, not in Peking.

On the off chance that you ask what your sister, who is in the room with you, is doing now, the appropriate response is generally a simple one: You take a gander at her, and you can tell. On the off chance that she's distant, you telephone her and ask what she's doing. Yet, be careful: In the event that you take a gander at your sister, you're accepting light that ventures out from her to your eyes. That light sets aside some effort to contact you — suppose a couple of nanoseconds, a minuscule part of a second. Thusly, you're not exactly seeing what she's doing now yet the thing she was doing a couple of nanoseconds prior.

On the off chance that she's in New York and you telephone her from Liverpool, her voice takes a couple of milliseconds to contact you, so the most you can profess to know is the thing that your sister was up to a couple of milliseconds prior. Not a huge distinction, maybe.

What's the significance here, this "alteration of the design of time"? Definitely, the easing back of time portrayed previously. A mass hinders time around itself. The Earth is a huge mass and hinders time in its area. It does so more in the fields and less in the mountains, on the grounds that the fields are nearer to it. This is the reason the companion who stays adrift level ages all the more gradually.

Subsequently, if things fall, it is because of this easing back of time. Where time passes consistently, in interplanetary space, things don't fall — they drift. Here on the outside of our planet, then again, things fall descending on the grounds that, down there, time is eased back by the Earth.

Thus, despite the fact that we can only with significant effort notice it, the easing back of time by and by has vital impacts: Things fall as a result of it, and it permits us to keep our feet immovably on the ground. In the event that our feet cling to the asphalt, it is on the grounds that our entire body slants normally to where time runs all the more gradually — and time passes more gradually for your feet than it accomplishes for your head.

Does this appear to be unusual? It resembles when watching the sunset, vanishing gradually behind removed mists, we abruptly recollect that it's not the sun that is moving but rather the Earth that is turning. Also, we imagine our whole planet — and ourselves with it — turning in reverse, away from the sun.

CREDIT: "THE ORDER OF TIME" Book by CARLO ROVELLI

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, April 24th,2021)

“A FASTER-THAN-LIGHT WARP DRIVE-POWERED SPACESHIP MAY BE POSSIBLE??"

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beatriceeagle · 5 years ago

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I'm more of a fantasy than sci-fi person, but consider my interest piqued. Why should I watch farscape?

Okay, the thing is, every Farscape fan’s pitch on Why You, Yes You, Should Watch Farscape ends up sounding very similar, and that’s because Farscape is a black hole that sucks you in and does things to your brain, and after you’ve watched it you are never, ever the same, which incidentally is basically the plot of Farscape.

I would summarize the basic plot for you, but that’s work, and luckily, the show’s credits sequence includes a handy summary that I will provide instead of doing that work: “My name is John Crichton, an astronaut. A radiation wave hit, and I got shot through a wormhole. Now I’m lost in some distant part of the universe on a ship, a living ship, full of strange alien life forms. Help me. Listen, please. Is there anybody out there who can hear me? I’m being hunted by an insane military commander. Doing everything I can. I’m just looking for a way home.“

So let me break down that monologue into its component reasons you should watch Farscape.

1) Some of the strange alien life forms are Muppets.

Farscape a co-production with the Jim Henson Company, and while there are many aliens played by humans in make-up, there are also a considerable number (including two of the regular crew) who are Muppets. By which I do not mean Kermit. I mean really gorgeous, elaborate works of art.

Also, even a lot of the humans-in-makeup aliens just look cool, and incredibly weird. Here’s an alien who appears in a single episode of season 1:

Not that there aren’t, you know, occasional Star Trek-style “these guys are just humans with weird hair,” or whatever, but in general, the aliens on Farscape look really alien. And that’s more than an aesthetic choice; it’s Farscape’s driving narrative principle. The aliens look alien, they act alien, they have alien values.

You know how a lot of sci-fi shows will have a stand-in for “fuck,” like Battlestar Galactica has “frak”? Well, Farscape has “frell.” And also “dren.” And yotz, hezmana, mivonks, loomas, tralk, snurch, eema, drannit, dench, biznak, arn, drad, fahrbot, narl. Some of those are swear words, but some of them are just words, never explicitly translated, that the alien characters will pepper into their speech, because, well, why should translator microbes be able to completely translate all the nuances of an alien culture? You’ll pick it up from context. One time, in passing, a character mentions that he’s familiar with the concept of suicide, but there’s no word for it in his language. I cannot emphasize to you enough how fleeting this moment is; the episode is not about suicide, we’re not having a great exchange of cultural ideas—at the time, the characters are running down a corridor in a crisis, as they are about 70 percent of the time—it’s just that the subject got brought up, and this character needed to talk around the fact that he literally didn’t have a word, in that moment. Things like that happen all the time, on Farscape.

Because more than anything else, Farscape is a show about culture shock. John Crichton is this straight, white Southern guy, at the top of his game—he’s an astronaut! he’s incredibly high status!—and then he ends up on the other side of the galaxy, where none of his cultural markers of privilege hold any meaning, where he doesn’t know the rules, where he literally can’t even open the doors. And he has to unlearn the idea that humanity is central, that he is the norm.

2) John Crichton, an astronaut, is pretty great.

A show that’s about a straight white guy with high status having to learn that he’s not the center of the universe could easily be centered around a really insufferable person, but one of the subtle things that makes Farscape so wonderful is that Crichton is, for the most part, pretty excellent. He has a lot of presumptions to unlearn because almost anyone in his cultural position would, but he’s also just a stand-up guy: compassionate, intelligent, open-minded, decent, forgiving, brave, hopeful.

And the galaxy tries to kick a whole lot of that out of him. It doesn’t succeed, mostly, but if Farscape is about anything other than culture shock, it’s about the lasting effects of trauma. How you can go through a wormhole one person, and experience things that turn you into someone you don’t recognize.

That’s kind of grim-sounding, but ultimately, what I’m trying to say is that Farscape is almost fanatically devoted to character work. Crichton is not the only character who sounds like he should be one thing and ends up being another. All of the characters—all of them, all of them, even the annoying ones—are complicated wonders. And you don’t have to wonder whether the events of the episode you’re watching are going to matter. They will. Everything that happens to the characters leaves a mark. Everything leaves them forever changed. Whether it’s mentioned explicitly or not—and often enough, it’s not explicit—the characters remember what has happened to them.

3) The living ship houses a lot of excellent women, among them the ship itself.

Ah, the women of Farscape, thou art the loves of my fucking life.

There’s Aeryn Sun, former Peacekeeper (that’s the military that the “insane military commander” hails from) now fugitive, currently learning the meaning of the word “compassion” (literally). She will break your fingers and also your heart. John/Aeryn is the main canon romantic ship.

There’s Pa’u Zhoto Zhaan, a priestess of the ninth level, current pacifist, former anarchist. Sorry, leading anarchist. She orgasms in bright light! (Oh my god, Farscape.)

There’s Chiana, my fucking bestie, a teenage(ish? ages in Farscape are weird) fugitive on the run from a repressive authoritarian state. Chiana is like a seductress con artist grifter thief who mostly just wants to survive so that she can have fun, damn it. Characters on Farscape do not really discuss sexualities (sex, yes, sexualities, no) and it would be fair to say that several of them do not fall along human sexuality lines generally, but I’m gonna go ahead and say that Chiana is canonically not straight.

Then there’s Moya, the ship herself, and it’s hard to get a straight read on Moya’s personality, since she mostly can’t speak. But she definitely has opinions, and things and people she cares about. And she moves the plot, though that gets into spoiler territory.

Past first season, further excellent women show up: Jool (controversial, but I like her), Sikozu (I once saw a Tumblr meme where someone had marked down that Sikozu would lose her shit when someone pronounced “gif” wrong, and that’s absolutely correct, and it’s why I love her), and Noranti (who is incredibly weird, and incredibly hard to summarize, but man, you gotta love her willingness to just show up and do her thing). Plus, there’s a recurring female villain, Grayza, who I could write probably multiple essays about. (I don’t know how you will feel about Grayza, as not everyone loves her, but I think she’s fucking fascinating, especially because she’s not actually the only recurring female villain. We also get Ahkna!)

(Side note: I should mention, here, that the cast of Farscape is really, really white. There is one cast member of color, Lani Tupu, but he pretty much represents the entirety of even, like, incidental diversity in casting for the series.)

Anyway, Farscape is full of awesome women, and also awesome and unexpected men, and it really enjoys playing with audience expectations of gender roles, generally. Literal entire books have been written about the way that Farscape fucks around with sex, sexuality, and gender. It’s a little weird because it was the late 90s/early 2000s, and sometimes that does come through, but Farscape’s guiding principle was always to try not to present American culture of the time as the norm, so like. It is not.

(An aside on Farscape and sex: Literally every character on Farscape has sexual tension with every other character. If you are a shipper, this is a Good Show, because no matter who you ship, there will not only be subtext, you will get a Moment of some kind. Multiple characters kiss the Muppet. Farscape is dedicated to getting into the nitty-gritty of the galaxy—I like to think of it as showing the guts of the universe—so a lot of the show is kind of squishy. They live on a biomechanoid ship, instead of androids there are “bioloids,” there’s a lot of focus on strange alien biologies, and lots of weird glowing fluids and things. I think the sex thing is kind of part and parcel of the larger biology focus: Farscape is really fascinated with how we all eat and evolve and live and die and, well, fuck. Which is in turn, kind of part of its focus on making everything really alien.)

4) Other stuff you should know.

Farscape as a whole is excellent, but it was kind of the product of creative anarchy—an Australian/American coproduction (oh yeah, everyone except Crichton speaks with an Australian accent) that was also partnered with the Henson company, whose showrunners were based in America but whose actual production all took place in Australia, and who was just constantly trying new things. So individual episodes can vary wildly in quality. It really takes off in the back half of season one, but no season is without a few off episodes.

It is extraordinarily funny, and I really think I haven’t stressed that enough. It’s one of the shows I want to quote the most in my daily life, but almost all of its humor is really context-dependent, and if you just wander around going, “Hey Stark? What’s black and white, and black and white, and black and white?” people look at you really funny.

It’s very conversant with pop culture generally (although obviously sci-fi specifically, and Star Trek most specifically of all) and really enjoys deconstructing tropes, often to the effect of, “Well, Crichton really does not know what to do here, does he?” but sometimes just to be interesting.

There are also a lot of themes about science, and its uses and misuses.

The whole thing is fucking epic, and if you get invested at all, will take you on an emotional ride.

This show is weird. I know that that’s probably come across by now, but I think it’s worth reiterating as its own point: Farscape is so weird. Like, proudly, unabashedly, trying its hardest, weird. An amazing kind of weird.

If you’re into fantasy, you should know that there’s a recurring villain who’s just a wizard. Like, they don’t bother to explain it any more than that, he’s just a fucking wizard.

In summary: You should watch Farscape because it is a weird, wild, emotional, epic romance/drama/action/allegory full of Muppets and leather and one-liners and emotional gut punches and love, and if you let it, it will worm its way into you and never let go, which, now that I think of it, is another Farscape plot.

Send me meta prompts to distract me from my migraine!

#farscape #meta

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