#others just seem to leave mid-arc or without any fuss

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

I learned to accept a long time ago that every X-Men era I like will inevitably have an abrupt, underwhelming or just plain bad ending.

[amethyst-wind-uk]

Finally played Horizon: Zero Dawn (spoilered thoughts within)

First of all: The game’s amazing. Well worth the money. One of the best I’ve played in a good while.

The game itself is beautiful (amazing scenery and dungeons), and the machine enemies are gorgeously designed. They will punish you if you get cocky, too. Combat is by means automatic, especially when the bigger machines start getting thrown at you in more enclosed spaces.

Both the overall myth arc AND Aloy’s personal storyline are incredibly written, and tied together beautifully, allowing for plenty of perspective reflections on the latter as new information for the former becomes available.

Sidequests abound. While most are mechanically very similar (go to [x] and kill the machines there), the tertiary characters who the actual quests revolve around are a delight. Varied and entertaining, they really help to build the world that Aloy explores (some personal favourites of mine are Nil [leaves it ambiguous as to whether or not he wants to die as well as kill a lot of people, but he’s so effectively written as creepy. Like you know there’s something wrong with him from the first line of dialogue], Talanah [veteran huntress who quickly befriends Aloy, and their joint exasperation with their respective mistreatments from others allows them to bond quickly and deeply], Vanasha [manipulative spy/politician who masterminds an operation that is one of the most damaging and disruptive for the enemy faction, all while being so delightfully self-confident]. The Frozen Wilds DLC adds some other gems, like the Hunters Three [a trio of outcasts out to find closure over the death of their mentor while riffing off each other lovingly], Ikrie [a Banuk warrior who acts as a foil to Aloy, choosing to become an outcast with her own freedom when presented with the flaws and restrictions of her people - severing a very close personal relationship to do, to the benefit of both in said relationship], and Varga [Oseram metalworker who effortlessly falls into an easy companionship with Aloy]).

The main plot is long, and heavy on emotionally charged moments. The overall goal is surprisingly hopeful, as well as extremely dark. There’s a recurring theme about how light and shadow both get more powerful as the other does.

Aloy reluctantly allies with the mysterious evesdropper, Sylens, and their interactions are terrifically entertaining. To be blunt: They can’t stand each other. Sylens is a completely unlikeable dick driven solely by a desire for knowledge, while Aloy doggedly pursues any information about her mother. Their interests just so happen to intersect there, but it’s always apparent that they’d rather be dealing with anyone else.

One of the most complete character arcs in the game is that of prevalant and commonly-appearing side-character, Erend. He starts out as an immature mid-to-late-twenties dudebro who dicks around fighting and hitting on 18-year-old Aloy, but pretty quickly starts drinking his respect-women-juice and getting his act together. He grows into one of the most endearing allies for Aloy, dropping his sleaziness and bravado, and acknowledging her prowess and leadership. By the end of the story, he’s definitely one of the most likeable characters. Like, you’d happily share a drink with the guy regularly.

~

There are some flaws, as with all games:

1) The Fast Travel system is frustrating. For the majority of the game, unless you press deep into the wilderness first thing, it’s not unlimited. Until you finally unlock the Unlimited Fast Travel Pack, each time requires a single-use item. For a game this large, that’s quite annoying. Fast Travel has been a common staple of open-world games for some time now, and I don’t think there was really a need to try to reinvent that particular wheel. The loading screens for fast travel are also 10-20 seconds long each time.

2) For all the varied machine enemy designs, it’s really annoying that you can only ride the horse/goat/bull variants. The game gives you a mechanic to ‘override’ machines, making them non-hostile to you while hostile to other machines, and making the above three rideable. That being said, you’re gonna be supremely disapponted that the game lets you override the twenty-metres-tall robot T-Rex and then can’t ride it. Same for the multiple three-metres-tall giant cat variants. There are also giant condors, giant moles, giant crocodiles and giant rhino variants, and you can’t hop on those either (IT WOULD’VE BEEN SO COOL!). It really makes the override mechanic seem underutilised, especially given how important it is to the story.

3) The Datapoint collectables do really well in fleshing out the mythology of the series, there are just too many of them. Multiple kinds, with double digit numbers to find for all of them, makes it a drag to hunt them all down. They could do with streamlining that for the sequel.

4) I feel like Vala and Bast dying almost instantly was a waste, especially given how Bast was a childhood bully to Aloy (stuff can always be done with that, even on a small scale), and Vala is constantly talked about post-mortem as someone who could’ve potentially been a great friend to Aloy (they seem to warm to each other quite quickly during the five minutes they spend both alive). Vala’s death especially is kinda galling, because it serves to boost Aloy’s interactions with Vala’s brother Varl, as it is very similar to...

5) While Erend himself goes through a very successful character arc, it does unfortunately involve a woman (his sister, Ersa, who is superior to him in every sense [he tells you this himself without fuss]) getting fridged. We only see Ersa for a few moments in person, as she then immediately dies. It’s very unfortunate that Erend’s otherwise great writing is marred by this.

6) The final mission in the story is underwhelming. The significant buildup for both of the primary enemies featured in said mission is not proportional to their actual encounters. The human enemy is easily killed, and the machine enemy is just another iteration of a robot you’ll have killed half-a-dozen times by that point. Something of a let-down.

~

Still, I fully recommend getting the game (as well as the Frozen Wilds DLC, which adds a solid 8+ hours onto the game’s playtime while introducing new machine variants and gear, as well as the aforementioned characters and a plot that fleshes out the myth arc for the series). It’s a great time overall, and you’ll really enjoy how the game mixes fantasy and sci-fi so superbly.

[rubyleaf]

JELLIE: A BAND STORY – Spinoff: Katie joins a band

Yay, another spinoff about a character that’s not gonna appear in ages! But I figured out a lot of things about Jen’s troubled little sister Katie (a major player in later arcs) and how she ended up in a band despite all her resolve. Features heavy allusions to Katie’s aroace-ness and basically-stalking-someone-into-your-band behavior I would not condone in real life, even though it’s inspired by real-life events. (If anything, rather milder than said real-life events.)

Can be read as a standalone, but will probably make more sense if you’ve read this Katie spinoff first!

Tag list: @writer-in-monochrome, @alicewestwater, @mouwwie, @writingbyjillian (notify me to be added or removed!)

When Katie moves out for college, it feels like jumping out of a prison window straight into cold, deep water.

On one hand, she’s free now. Free from her parents’ expectations, free from the pressure to be perfect all the time, well-behaved, bringing home perfect grades. On the other, fulfilling those expectations has been her whole identity for so many years. If she can’t be the perfect daughter, the presentable child—who is she?

Katie doesn’t know. She doesn’t want to find out. So she keeps her head down; she works hard, studies hard, rarely socializes. It’s fine. She’s not lonely. She doesn’t need anything or anyone. It’s better to be alone of her own volition than to let people into her life and risk being abandoned.

That is, until her roommate teams up with her class project partner to blackmail her into joining them for a party.

“But I’m just here so you two do your parts of the work,” she insists as she peers into the dark, crowded room, already exhausted from the loud music and louder people. “Don’t make me do anything. I’m leaving again soon anyway.”

The two exchange a disappointed glance. “Come on,” says Rachel, her roommate. “It’s the weekend! It’s not like you have to get up early tomorrow or anything.”

“Yeah, and you should have some fun,” Lyra adds, her project partner who’s as competent as she is a social butterfly. “Maybe talk to some people? I could introduce you to some nice guys if—”

Panic flares through Katie’s whole body. “No, thank you.”

Lyra frowns. “Are you sure? You’ve never had a boyfriend, have you?”

“No,” Katie says firmly, “and I’m not looking for one.”

Which is true. For some reason she has never been interested in boys. Or girls, for that matter. It’s been years and she still doesn’t understand what the fuss is about.

“Okay,” Rachel says as she begins to withdraw into the crowd, “do whatever you want. But if you’re looking for people, feel free to find us!”

Katie makes a mental note to most definitely not do that.

Slipping away from the only people she knows here, she makes for the snack table, careful to put on her most aloof aura. Just like back in high school, it actually works. Katie knows how to avoid being spoken to by strangers, let alone hit on.

Just a few snacks, and then she’s going home. That’s it. That’s the plan.

At least until the sound of off-key singing carries over from next door.

Intrigued, Katie creeps closer. It sounds like a bunch of girls singing karaoke, messing around and having fun. Not really caring if they sound stupid or don’t hit the notes. Just enjoying themselves.

Much like…

Katie should get away, she knows. The last thing she needs right now are the memories, the old feelings. And most of all, in college she’s finally in a place where no one knows she’s the sister of Jennie Lin. She can’t afford to ruin that now.

But no one knows her here. These girls certainly won’t know her. She’s just here for tonight.

And deep down, no matter how much she tries to repress it, she misses singing more than ever.

Just one night. No names, no recognizing, no strings attached.

Pushing open the door, Katie slips into the room.

---

It’s a lot later than planned when Katie leaves the party, escaping the questions about her identity to stumble, breathless but satisfied, into the hallway outside.

This was fun, she has to admit. She has missed singing. More than that, she has missed singing with others, scary as it is to admit it. Even if she’s still not used to those others being strangers…or not nearly as musically gifted as her sister.

But maybe, just maybe, she could go for doing this more often.

“You’re not following your passion, are you?”

Katie gives a start. Wasn’t she alone in the hallway a second ago?

Spinning around, she finds herself face to face with a girl around her age. She feels like she might seen her before somewhere, but she can’t be sure; the most remarkable thing about this stranger is her height, making her stand taller than many boys. Brown eyes meet with hers, their droopy, heavy-lidded shape giving her a deceptively sleepy look, but Katie doesn’t miss the piercing intensity in her otherwise blank gaze.

“Do I know you?” Katie asks coolly.

The stranger ignores her question. “I’ve seen you sing,” she says, her voice deep for a girl and just as bluntly flat as her words. “You’re no amateur. You sing like a person with years of practice.”

Katie takes a step backwards. The strange girl’s words hit way too close to home, far too close for comfort. “It’s just a hobby,” she says. “What are you trying to tell me?”

“I’ve seen you in class.” The girl’s large dark eyes remain fixed on Katie, unblinking. “Engineering doesn’t suit you. You’re just doing this to make your parents happy, am I right?”

Katie wants to protest, wants to argue. But what is she supposed to say when she knows, deep down, that this stranger is telling the truth?

“I don’t see how that’s your business,” she says, narrowing her eyes. “Why do you care what a random stranger is doing with her life?”

“I have a band.”

Katie freezes.

“I play the guitar,” the girl says. “We still need a singer.”

Jen’s face flashes before her eyes, bright and happy without her.

“No,” she says firmly. “No!”

“You’d be perfect,” the girl insists. “Your talent’s wasted on engineering. You need to sing.”

The walls seem to close in.

“No!” Katie bursts out, her voice coming out louder than she intended. Backing away, she hits the wall, her eyes darting through the hallway in search of a way out. “I am not joining a band! Not now! Not ever!”

“But—”

“No,” she says again, turning to run away. “Good luck finding someone else. But I’m not the person you’re looking for!”

“Vicky Vega.”

Katie pauses mid-stride. “What?”

“My name,” says the girl, still sounding as unfazed as ever. “Victoria Vega. If you’re looking for me, in case you change your mind.”

Without mustering another response, Katie runs out of the building and writes off that encounter as a bizarre anecdote to shake her head at in the future.

---

What she doesn’t facture in is just how stubborn Vicky can be.

She has never noticed her in any of her classes before, but it seems the same isn’t true for Vicky. On Monday she is fully prepared for things to go back to normal when, in her very first class, a figure sits down beside her.

“This place is free, right?” Vicky asks when she’s already sitting. “I know you don’t have any friends here.”

Katie wonders if she has realized how rude she’s being. Judging by her tone, she apparently hasn’t.

“What are you doing here?” she asks in an undertone, glaring.

Vicky doesn’t bat an eye. “Joining you,” she says. “We’re in the same class. Might as well sit with you.”

Katie sighs. “I’m still not joining your band,” she replies. “So don’t get your hopes up.”

“Why not?”

What is this person, a child? Annoyance flares, but Katie expertly keeps it down. “I don’t have the time,” she replies, “and I don’t like bands anyway.”

“You sang a lot of band songs on Friday.”

Katie has no good response to that.

The same story repeats itself every time she has a class with Vicky. The girl follows her around like a lost duckling, sitting next to her in class, walking her from classroom to classroom. Katie can’t decide if she should be annoyed or creeped out or a mixture of both.

“How much longer are you planning to do this?” she asks on day four of the whole nonsense. “I already said no!”

Vicky looks unfazed. “I’ll leave you alone,” she says, “when you come to band practice with me.”

Katie takes a deep breath and lets it out again. Can’t show her anger. Can’t have any more outbursts like that night in the hallway. Conceal, don’t feel.

“This is blackmail,” she says. “I could report you for harassment if I wanted to.”

“Okay.”

Just that. Okay. Katie has no idea what to make of it.

She doesn’t report Vicky yet. Partly because she doesn’t want to stir up trouble or draw attention to herself…and partly because, for all her ignorance of boundaries, Victoria Vega doesn’t seem to have a malicious bone in her body.

---

It doesn’t stay limited to just classes. After another week or so, after an early afternoon class, Vicky suddenly produces a lunch box from her bag, opening it to reveal stir-fried noodles and vegetables.

“You haven’t eaten lunch yet,” she guesses—correctly, to Katie’s chagrin.

“Uh, thanks,” Katie says. “What gives you the idea?”

“You always skip lunch to study,” Vicky calls her out. “You need to eat. Here, no need to thank me.”

Katie blinks owlishly at the food, then up at Vicky. Then she narrows her eyes. “Are you trying to bribe me?”

Vicky doesn’t blink. “Maybe.”

“Then I can’t accept this.” Katie pushes the box away. “I’m not joining your band.”

Vicky ponders her words, then shrugs. “Eat it anyway,” she says. “You need it, you’re all bones.”

Feels a bit like a slightly overbearing grandmother, Katie muses.

In the end, she accepts the food.

---

After another week of ever-increasing pestering and favors, Katie has had enough.

“Seriously, stop it,” she snaps as Vicky sits down beside her on the grass in between classes. “I’m not an idiot. I know you only want me for my sister!”

Vicky looks so taken aback that Katie almost feels like an idiot for blurting it out. “Wait,” she asks, “who’s your sister?”

All color leaves Katie’s face. Oh great, now she’s talked herself into a pickle. She has always assumed Vicky would know already—why else should she be so hell-bent? But if she hasn’t—

“Never mind,” she mutters. “It’s not important—”

“Seriously, who?”

Katie looks up. Vicky’s calm, deep eyes are hard to read; but there’s a good-natured curiosity in them, as well as genuine confusion.

Katie sighs.

“Jennie Lin,” she mutters hastily, half swallowing the words. “From Voice in the Crowd.”

“Really?”

Looking up, Katie blinks in amazement. The confusion on Vicky’s face has multiplied exponentially, and it doesn’t look fake. “I didn’t realize you guys were related,” she says. “I thought you just had the same last name.”

Katie almost chokes on her coffee. It’s been some time since she has genuinely laughed; and now here she is, desperately muffling her laughter behind her hands.

“What?” Vicky asks. “My last name is Vega. I had three other Vegas in my high school class and people always asked me if we were related.” She pauses for a second, then adds, “They weren’t even Filipino.”

Katie can’t hide it anymore; she bursts out laughing.

“I feel you,” she says. “In my school we had two other girls named Lin. People always thought we were siblings or cousins.” She rolls her eyes. “Is it my fault I’m Taiwanese and Lin is the second-most popular last name in all of Taiwan?”

Vicky blinks. “Is it really?”

“It is. I checked once.”

Now it’s Vicky’s turn to crack a smile. She never seems to do that, Katie abruptly realizes; at least, she doesn’t seem to do it around her. She decides it suits her.

And suddenly it dawns on her how bizarre this situation is. Here she is, sitting with the very person who’s essentially stalking and blackmailing her into joining her band, laughing and joking around, almost like they’re…

Friends?

No, Katie decides. No attachments. She’s through with that.

Although, she has to admit, Vicky is kind of nice.

---

“I checked out Voice in the Crowd, by the way.”

It’s the next morning, and Katie’s heart clenches in her chest at Vicky’s greeting. A cold hand closes around her ribcage. This is it, her mind whispers. She is officially in her sister’s shadow again.

“What do you think?” she asks coolly. “Jen’s amazing, isn’t she?”

Vicky eyes her closely for a moment, then she replies, “I like your voice better.”

Katie’s eyes grow round. Different emotions war within her: a glimmer of joy, anger on Jen’s behalf, and plain disbelief.

“Now,” she says, “you’re lying.”

Blinking owlishly, Vicky frowns back at her in obvious confusion. “I’m not.”

“I know I’m not better,” Katie snaps, at the same time feeling a little bad for doubting Vicky’s honesty like this. “So stop flattering me. It’s not going to make me change my mind.”

She tilts her head, and a few strands of hair—dyed black for college to look less like Jen—fall into her eyes, obscuring Vicky from view. She doesn’t bother brushing them away.

“You have a higher voice.”

She pauses.

“And raspier,” Vicky continues, her voice as matter-of-fact as ever. “It’s made for a darker sound. So I think your voice works better with the music we’re trying to make.”

Vicky isn’t saying her voice is objectively better than Jen’s; that really would be a lie. She isn’t saying it’s worse either. She is saying it’s different, simple as that, and better suited to one particular situation.

Suddenly she wants to know the sound of this band she’s supposed to work so well with.

But…no. She can’t do that. She’s walking her own path now, not trying to follow in Jen’s footsteps.

Besides, she’s the only daughter her parents have any hopes for now.

And that means she can’t disappoint them.

---

Of course the one time Katie’s late for class is the time a creep shows up.

It’s obvious from the moment he sits down next to her—in Vicky’s seat, she thinks with indignance—way too close for comfort. His eyes are glued to her form, unblinking, staring much too intensely as he says, “Hi!”

Katie inches subtly away from him. “Hello.”

“I finally get to talk to you,” he says. “You’re always with that other girl, the ugly one.” Katie’s eye twitches, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “Don’t see what you see in her, you’re way prettier.”

Setting her jaw, Katie tries her best to remain coolly polite. “Vicky’s my friend,” she says firmly and instantly feels strange to admit it out loud. “And I don’t think she’s ugly.”

“Really? C’mon, be honest, she looks like a dude.” The guy laughs. Katie doesn’t. “And she always sticks to you like superglue.”

“I let her,” Katie replies.

“Yeah, duh. I’m just saying you should raise your standards.” The guy gestures loosely. “Hang out with some hot people. Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No,” Katie says truthfully. She knows it would be better to lie, but she simply can’t bring herself to even pretend to be in a relationship. The very idea creeps her out to the core.

“Whew, lucky!” he replies. “Lemme guess: Your parents didn’t let you have one in high school? Sounds like the only reason a hottie like you would be single.”

Katie stares blankly at the window, wondering how much more obvious she has to be about not being interested.

The guy leans closer, his stare further intensifying. “Would you like to get some experience?” he says. “Make up for what you missed? I could teach you, if you know what I mean.”

A shiver runs down Katie’s spine. “Um…no, thank you,” she says.

He doesn’t back off. He doesn’t even get the hint. “Why not?” he replies. “Don’t worry, your parents will never find out!”

Katie’s eye twitches. “I’m not worried about them,” she says. “I’m not interested in dating.”

“What? Hey, that’s just what they tried to make you think.” He scoffs. “You just need to try it and then you’re gonna love it—”

“Excuse me.”

Katie’s entire body relaxes on the spot. Vicky. Finally.

“That’s my seat you’re sitting in,” she says, staring darkly at the guy next to Katie. “Move.”

Turning around, their classmate snorts. “Hey, I was just talking to your little friend here,” he says. “Why’re you so scared? It’s not like I’m gonna eat her.”

Katie makes no comment. Vicky crosses her arms, unfazed, unimpressed.

“She’s not into you,” she says flatly. “Leave her alone.”

“Or what, you’ll kick my ass?” He laughs. “She likes me better than your ugly mug anyway. Right, Katie?”

Katie smiles mirthlessly. “No.”

“Hey, what’s that about? We were having a great conversation—”

Vicky doesn’t let him finish. Grabbing him by the collar, she yanks him to his feet. Even when he’s standing, she’s still several inches taller.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Vicky says quietly, an unsubtle threat in her voice. “Back off.”

Glaring, the guy assesses his chances against her before acknowledging his defeat and grabbing his belongings, muttering something about an overprotective bitch.

Sighing with relief, Katie smiles as Vicky sits down beside her, calmly staying close to protect her from any further attempts. “Thank you,” she says. “You came in at the right time.”

Vicky cracks a slight smile. “You’re welcome.”

“But…I’m not supposed to join your band now, right?” Katie looks down. “As a thank you…or something.”

“I didn’t do this to win you over.”

There they are again, those dark, ever-stoic eyes resting heavily on hers. “It’s just basic decency,” Vicky says. “You don’t owe me anything.”

Deep inside Katie’s heart, something changes, or maybe she understands it at last.

What has she been doing? She has effectively been stringing Vicky along for all this time, being distrustful and wary and straight-up rude for no reason except her own unresolved issues. And Vicky Vega is still here. She still has her back, without ever calling her out on her nonsense, without comparing her to her sister or asking for any favors.

I’ve been a terrible friend.

Vicky deserves better than this attitude. Vicky has done so much for her; she deserves something nice in return.

And besides, a voice within her whispers, if it’s with someone like Vicky…maybe even in a band might not be so bad.

---

Katie’s hands are shaking slightly as she steps up to the door of the old storage room the band uses to practice. Part of her brain is still screaming to abort mission before she gets sucked into something beyond her control, the very something she has tried to avoid for so many years.

Then Vicky glances at her, her expression silently questioning. Katie swallows. Smiles.

And nods her okay.

Vicky opens the door and steps inside. “Hey, everyone,” she says. “Sorry I’m late. I brought us a singer.”

And before the bandmates can express their surprise or confusion, Katie follows her into the room.

“Hello, everybody,” she says, still trying to smile. “I’m Katie Lin, and I’m auditioning to be the vocalist.”

[vegalocity]

I wanted to do some designs that were more Magical Girl Esque for Miraculous Ladybug, and by the time I started drawing Chat it was officially a Sleepless Domain AU  because Sleepless Domain is a really interesting deconstruction of Magical Girl tropes and conventions without being overly hopeless like other deconstructions usually are.

(if you’re thinking ‘where’s Nino?’ he’s at the bottom of the cut so please don’t reblog this asking that)

for those who aren’t usually into webcomics, here’s the basic rundown and how the ML crew would fit into it:

The world of sleepless domain is... I suppose one could call it a post-post apocalypse along the limnes of Nausicaa and the Valley of the wind. Where something deeply magical and horrible ravaged the lang long ago. But this one city, currently unnamed, has been rebuilt in thanks to the magic they have sustained. This magic takes two forms. The barriers, and the Magical Girls.

The Barriers are in fact two of a kind, the outer barrier and the inner barrier. The outer barrier keeps the monsters out for most of the day, it’s a huge dome like structure that surrounds the city, no one can go in or out when the outer barrier is up. But the Outer barrier needs recharging for about 4 hours every night, from 10pm to 2am. And when the outer barrier goes down, the inner barrier forms. The inner barrier is a sort of seal along every closed surface of the city, it can be breached if a monster is strong enough or has enough time to chip at it, but it can also be opened from the other side by the people inside. 

Which is where the Magical Girls come in. It’s currently rooted in mystery just how and why they get their powers, but when a girl gets her powers she’s usually around age 14, where she gets a mysterious, cryptic dream (some claim their dreams are creepy or depressing, while others find them almost serene) which ends with something, everyone knows there’s more to their dream but can’t remember it for the life of them. and when they wake up their hair and/or eyes have changed to some unnatural color, and a mark of the same color has been left somewhere on their body.  The powers usually leave when they become a young adult. it’s not been specified if there’s an exact age, but the 18-20ish area seems most likely.

The Magical girls are tasked with fighting the monsters as the outer barrier goes down so as to make sure they don’t attack any helpless civillians on the inside of the inner barrier. there’s a lot of commentary on how Magical Girls are treated as both quasi-diefied saviors and straight up commodities throught the story. And as such it’s encouraged that Magical girls work in teams to maximize profit. 

So this is the real shit on how Team Miraculous fits into the story

So Team Miraculous is a Non thematic team, in that despite all of them being based off of animals, they weren’t recruited with the intent on being a matched set. Thematic teams are usually shown to be thematic by having similar outfits, complimentary color schemes, and matching Marks.

Team Miraculous’ Animal theme is mostly coincidence.

So, as for the Ml kids themselves:

Marinette is the daughter of a former magical girl, Sabine Cheng AKA Shooting Star from the thematic Team Star. Sabine was... one of those kids that the city doesn’t like to talk about, someone who had a kid while she was still an active magical girl. Thankfully Team Star was only quasi popular and more of a ‘cult following’ than more overtly famous, so when Sabine quietly retired less of a fuss was kicked up than it could have been. It’s not a very common thing to have a kid while still a magical girl, but there is a precedent. When Marinette was born Sabine’s magic left her, and went into Marinette. There wasn’t much of a change other than her eyes. the color of Sabine’s magic. So when Marinette got The Dream it was inevitable. Sabine herself mostly encouraged Marinette to persue becoming a proper Magical Girl and as it turns out, the Magic that had left Sabine is now hers to channel.

Miraculous Ladybug’s power is not only Unlimited Lucky Charms (because we have no need for ML’s nerfing of the main characters anymore) but also ‘Lucky Streak’ which is based on her PV powers a little. Basically for a limited time whatever she’s attempting to do will turn out well for her, like the marvel lady Domino. 

For the sale of a Five Man Band, and also the iconique nature of the black Cat, Adrien had to be here too, so since there’s already one instance of ‘trans women are real women you fuckwads’ in Sleepless Domain, i’m throwing another in the ring. Adriana Agreste. However unlike Zoe, Adriana was thankfully allowed to come out on her own terms. Mr. Agreste took it... surprisingly well. It was when, two weeks later, that Adriana woke up with black hair and her scleras turned green that he freaked out. THAT’s the fight of the century right there. that’s Daddy dearest confining her to her room, insisting any tutor he could hire would be EONS better than anything at the Magical Girls Only Highschool in the city, and that’s when Adriana sneaks out. She’s not sneaking out to go to Future’s Promisce, she’s sneaking out to register herself she wants to fight, to have this peice of her mother, and maybe understand her sacrifice a little better, her father finds out of course, but adriana’s refusing to stop, After she got registered her counsilor offered to move her into Future’s Promisce’s dorms. So she’s given Gabriel an ultimatum. Either he lets her go to public school and fight, or she’s moving out, needless to say, Gabriel relents. And that’s how she meets Ladybug and the two become the founding members of Team Miraculous.

As Miraculous Cat Her powers have been tweaked a bit from canon. Altering Cataclysm to only work on Monsters, but only on monsters that have solid physical forms. If she can grab hold if it she can turn it into dust. But this pwoer takes a lot out of her. She can either do it one time a night on a large monster, or multiple times a night on small monsters. But alongside that she has that Calamity power that was hinted at in earlier notes and the PV, in that she can summon bad luck and cast it on monsters. Creating damages based on their surroundings. 

Alya’s as she always was as a character backstory. Her mother’s a chef, her father works with animals (though likely he just runs a shelter instead of a zoo since you know... dome city) But her older sister is an MG who just very recently lost her magic and is going to college. Alya still wants what she always wanted, to be a journalist and discover the truth. After what Nora went through as a Solo Magical Girl she wants to be the champion of the MG’s, since most news sites tend to lean into the idea of magical girls as they’ve been socially percieved as, Alya wants to show the world that magical Girls really are normal girls. That they don’t just exist to fight and die for the city. They have their own hopes and dreams. Sleepless DOmain seems to have decided that home technology ended around the mid 90′s since CD’s and corded phones are the norm, so Alya’s Self published journalism outlet is a newspaper instead of a Blog. She’s barely into making the deals with the printing company when she gets the Dream, and decides that’s even better, giving the city a first person perspective as a Magical girl. She opts to join her childhood friend Marinette’s team and become Miraculous Fox, since they’re already non thematic and it’d be easier to work with someone she already knew.

Alya still has an illusion based power of course, unlimited Mirage and all that. but most notably she’s the recon lady. able to summon a small orange fox that can do low level damage to enemies and more importantly she can see through its eyes so they don’’t have to rush into battles blind. She communicates with her fox with her flute when the little guy’s away from her. And she’s almost always seen taking notes on battles and what she learns from other MG’s for the next edition of The Magical Girl Banner

Chloe, of course, doesn’t initially go into this with the right intent in mind. when she was a kid she’s often try to dye her hair and draw marks on her skin in marker, claiming that she got her magic early. She wants the notoriety and fame that comes with being a Magical girl, and using the unfounded rumor that her family is actually descendant from the Founder herself as a reason why she DESERVES to get her magic early. of course, when her frequent target arinette is first to transfer out of their class due to actually BECOMING a magical girl, Chloe is pissed an flips a 180 on her stance, saying that being an MG is overrated anyway. then Cesaire transfers out too, then Lahiffe is asked to be their group’s manager. Chloe is so enraged by seemingly everyone around her becoming MG’s and not her, that whens he finally DOES get her magic she almost turns it down. especially since, for all her attempts to look like she got her powers early, they actually developed in her a year LATER than they should have. Straight up when she comes to class the next day to boast her ACTUAL magic, nobody belives her, thinking she simply put in yellow eye contacts. her hair doesn’t look particularly darker than it was before, her scleras don’t turn black until she’s transformed, and her mark is barely visible when stood against her skin. She ends up on Team Miraculous initially out of necessity, but that’s only the START of her character arc.

Chloe’s magic is more similar to Queen Wasp than Queen Bee. not unlike Alya she has a swarm of bees at her disposal, magic bees of course, they in fact help her fight. her most notable move is sending them swarming on monsters. But instead of paralyzing anything, the bees will turn into small lightning bolts, turning into an inescapable fury. She probably COULD use her bees to paralyze a monster, but that’s more being a team player than Chloe can do right now.

And Finally Kagami. Kagami is also as she always was. a long standing family, rumored to have had Magical girls in the line since Magical Girls first came about. The eldest daughter in every generation of theirs has become a Magical girl, and that runs true again in Kagami. She was groomed form childhood to fight, learning swordsmaship, archery, fighting with a bo staff, and learning any and all magical theory. her family are one of the ones that worship the deified idea of the founder, so it’s no surprise that Her Mother’s first step after Kagami becomes a magical girl is to get her registered and enroll her at Future’s Promisce. What she DIDN’T expect was her mother to dump her off at the dorms, give her a quick ‘behave yourself’ talk, and then leave. Kagamis’ mother was the second oldest, the only reason she inhereited the family name was the fact that her sister had died long ago. Kagami justifies being arguably abandoned at age 14 with her mother holding a secret resentment toward magical girls. The magic that took her sister away, and threatens to take her daughter too. That’s why she traiend Kagami but then sent her away. that’s why her life makes sense. She’s initially against joining Team Miraculous, that None of the Tsurugi’s before her had ever been in a team. But through her own lonlieness, about two years after she got her powers, she gives in and lets herself go from ‘Dragon’s Fang’ to ‘Miraculous Dragon’

Kagami’s got the sharpest deviation from her Canon power. I really coudln’t think of a way to make the Magic aspect work, so the best I’ve got is the transformative aspect. That’s right, Kagami’s magic lets her literally transform into a dragon. She has a sword to fight with when not transformed but the bulk of her magic is in the dragon form. She’s a mix of japanese dragon and western dragon, I don’t have the design finalized yet, but she’s got fire breathing and gold aesthetic, but also more directly japanese looking in design. 

And as a bonus for sitting through all of this absolute garbage:

Nino, long time friend of Marinette’s was asked to be her team’s manager when they realized they couldn’t represent themselves.He instantly clicked with Adriana and became best buds. After which he was given the honorary title of Miraculous Turtle.

As a deal with Mr. Agreste for him not to hire a more experienced manager, Nino has to look presentable when doing managerial things. That means a suit. He can wear the hat and headphones, mostly because he hides them when They’re going to grab Adriana at around 9, but he has to wear a suit if he wants anyone to take him seriously.

[notoriousthinker-blog]

The Blind Side

It was quarter to 8 in the evening, when I reached Hauz-Khas metro station. As it was early December, winter had already kicked in. Running 15 minutes late, I guess, I struggled my way out of the station. Saturday nights always overfills this part of Delhi by people from adjacent cities and using the service of metro become cumbersome. I needed to make my way to the place located at 5 minutes’ drive. So, I booked a cab to reach there in time, somewhere in between 8 pm to 8:10 pm. Being a popular place the cab arrived in just 2 minutes. I’ve always been thankful to the technology, which has made possibilities possible. I mean just a decade earlier no one would’ve had thought of these, on the go cab services. Forget cabs, smartphones would’ve been a far-fetched idea. But as human evolved, so did our technology. Anyways, I reached the place just in time, the process for the entrants was still going on. I rushed to the main entrance and took out the solo pass for the entry from my left pocket of the blazer. The access was granted.

Entering the premises, I noticed this huge banner containing the photos of the artists going to perform in their performances order. It was some duet and solo Kathak performances. Yes…Yes…You may call me old school but I’m proud to be a retro lover. The event was taking place in the Aryabhata-Theater, which was as open (without roof) theatre. I saw a signboard which read ‘way to the theatre’. Following the direction of the signboard, I reached the theatre entrance. Unlike any ordinary movie theatre, it was a big structure carved into the ground, inspired by the shape of the quadrant of a big circle but 3-dimensional. Pillars at the arc of the theatre holding the spotlights, speakers & stuff like that. And stage at the centre of the cone. Instead of those mechanical seats found in any ordinary theatre, there were big inclined stairs going all the way down to the main stage. Both the seats and seat numbers were carved on them in traditional style with pillows and silk carpets. Just stepping into the theatre, I was asked to put off my shoes, some sort of rule the theatre follows.

I looked up at the sky, it was dark… As an ocean seems at night. With minty winds to add the right amount of cold. As I stepped down onto the first stair, a valet approached me by asking, “Sir, your pass please?”. I showed the young man my pass. After a pause of one second, he said to me while pointing towards the main stage, “C-11, that’s the 11th seat in the third row of the centre column from the front”. Taking my pass, I walked down towards the third row of the centre column. In few head rotations, I located the seat labelled as C-11. And as I was about to grab my seat, a tap on my left shoulder made me turn around.

“Is this C-10?”. A lady in her mid-twenties, wearing a salwar-kameez with an old fashion black leather jacket, now standing in front of me, asked me. It was a little different, she looked distinct from others at the time. It’s grotesque of us, how quickly we judge people by what they wear. “Sir?”, the girl continued looking not particularly at me but just through me as I was still lost in my trans of being judgmental. It was then when she waved her hands and accidentally tapped my chest, I replied, “This is C-11, mine, that’s C-10, beside mine”. “If I may ask, which side, to your left or right?”, that was an odd question at that time as I’d just pointed towards the seat but… “To my left, the corner seat”, I replied to her query.

There was something different about this girl, I sensed it as she was talking to me but not reaching to my eyes, not even in the direction where I was standing. Her struggle to put herself in the seat and that too without looking at it. It’s in the nature of humans to find the odds in evens, I was no different back then. As she was sitting on my left seat, acting impatient and weird, I couldn’t help myself but to watch her till the lights went off.

“Am I at the right place sir?”, she asked. “You are…”, I replied. She was rolling her eyes all over the theatre like she was searching for someone but not looking at anything in particular. I couldn’t fathom… So, I asked the lady if she was trying to spot someone.

“I am not trying to find someone, I am trying to focus on the voice of the anchor. There is this performance of my best friend tonight and I don’t want to miss any of it… Not even the announcement”, she told me. “I’m sure the announcement will be in play soon enough”, I said and looked away from her. Listening to this reply of hers’, at first, I thought it’s was just the excitement but there was more to it.

The cell phone which she was holding in her left had started ringing and she hastily rolled her hands and picked up the call. It was something strange, she had a unibody cell phone. I mean who uses buttons in the era of smartphones. “Yes, I’m in my seat… No, no fuss, a gentleman helped me out”, this was what I heard while I was peeking. The lights started diming as a lady in a beautiful saree approached the main stage and the announcement to settle-down was made. “Finally,”, I exclaimed. “What? Is it starting?”, she being inquisitive. “Yeah…Finally…”, I said.

There was this special performance of a girl which they plotted as the first. The name of the performer was announced. It was then, when the lights went off the lady on my left said, “it’s her…It’s my friend.” And you won’t believe this, there was an utter silence in the theatre but only this lady screamed her friend’s name and erupted whistles. I didn’t knew her but I was embarrassed just by watching her do that. “Can you tell me how she is looking?”, she asked me about her friend. “What?”, I asked is a shock. “My friend, how is she looking?”, she asked again. “Can’t you see, she is not on stage yet.”  “Huh… I screamed out that loud for nothing.” Why the hell you even did that…I exclaimed. Her next words made me froze.

“The thing is can’t see, I don’t possess the power of vision.” For few seconds…I was still…just still. It took me a moment to understand what she just said. I swallow my saliva and I put all the energy of my body in my voice to say, “I am sorry miss, I didn’t knew.” Don’t be sorry, how could you have known, we met what…five minutes back, she said in the benevolent manner I ever encountered in my entire life. It was then when the applause begins, I took my sight from her to the main stage and after a pause, I said, “Beautiful…she looks beautiful.” I know, she expressed with a smile.

“I hope she’ll continuously watch the screen and doesn’t miss the beats”, she said. “What do you mean? What screen?”, I asked. “Here is the thing, my friend there…neither can she hear nor can she speak. So, her guru takes help of the numbers and a display. when a number is displayed on the screen, she does the prepared step for that particular number or we can say the beat”, she said. Hearing that…it felt like someone had taken away the ground under my feet. I was baffled. During the entire course of my life, I’ve never seen something like that. It was something extraordinary. “Wow…I don’t know what to say…I am speechless.”, I express. Ah! Don’t be. We are not weak. I’ll tell you something, I am sitting here because of her. See, I’m her voice and ears & at the same time she gives me vision. She wanted me to hear the applause on her behalf. “Hey, you there…”, she asked. “The performance is going to start…Shall we?”, I said.

The enthral performances passed by one after another and a resplendent evening came to an end. During the whole event, I was both stunned and lost in my trans. I watched the performances with the least of my concentration. Afterwards, I met the friend of hers’ and we took some selfies. And I took my leave.

Watching them standing there …in support of each other… I was wondering how true and unparallel their bond was…Incorruptible. Friendship like this is rare. They are an epitome of what humans can be.

[yi-dashi]

//I just wanted to drabble for the sake of it today, and not anxiety about it too much. So take my random dabblings for what they are.

“Mhmm, Yi? Where is it you think you’re going?”

There was little less he wanted to hear than a sharp whine on the wind, followed by the whine of a woman’s voice. He flinched as an alien flash lit up the stairwell, the rough-hewn stone hungry for the light. But darkness fell about the young man again, his gaze vignetted only by the soft violet of his own eyes. Ahead of him spiraled to the depths of Wuju catacombs, and behind him a lithe woman stood in masses of drapery, backlit by the School above. He sighed, turned, and bowed in time, though afforded no courtesy as he responded,

“Do I answer to you?”

“Yes.” She retorted without a pause for breath, flourishing a hand before she placed a finger on her chin. Her face was painted, at almost all hours it seemed, with vibrant pigments from lands beyond. Stark purples and reds stood defiant against her Master’s mark, meticulously brushed in the golden suggestion of a forehead eye. Yi knew little more about her than what stood before him. Such were the ways of Master Koeyo, “Students aren’t allowed here.”

“I’m going to see my Master.” Yi replied, his brow creasing, “If he’s intent on hiding down here, then I’m surely allowed to consult him—”

She was gone again, her form a momentary outline of electric blue before it arced up and around the arched space. These feats weren’t uncommon, yet that wasn’t to say he’d grown desensitized to them. Silken ribbons flurried about him before they seemed to take her shape again, a step or so above him. From her perch she stood around his height, leaning in to close the distance somewhat,

“Doran’s ways are Doran’s ways. You’ll have to come around to that eventually. Leave.”

“Master Doran’s ways are a detriment to my study.” He tried to hold his expression firm, but the slightest flick of his eyes away seemed to betray his position.

“I’ll spit on your entitlement, Forge Brat.” She replied, a slight flash of her teeth appearing behind her painted lips, “You are worthy of no special consideration. Like all others, you’ll leave. Otherwise, I’ll call for court.” Sensing a moment to make his stand – or at least to make an ill-considered remark – he flicked a strand of hair away from his eyes as he proclaimed,

“Do that, then. At least my Master would have to come up to hear it, wouldn’t he?”

“It will get you away from where you’re not supposed to be.” Her voice danced on the edge of rage, “If you don’t go back up these steps, I’ll carry you up by the scruff of your beard.”

“KoKo?” A distance voice sounded, instantly killing the flames of tension in the stairway. Her eyes immediately broke rank, and she turned with a panicked sort of stance, “What is… Oh, hello everyone.”

A much friendlier figure stood in the entryway, even if he was just as marked by extravagant robes as Koeyo. He made no deliberate intentions to hold himself a certain way, nor did he loom in silhouette as if he were a vengeful ghost. A smile was on his voice, and even if it were a persona it was at least comforting, “Master Koeyo, Shouhou Blacksmith. How’s your mother Yi, and what’s fussing you?”

“She’s fine, Master Yhem.” Yi gave his elder another short dip of his back, careful to keep an eye on the one that had been menacing him thus far, “I am trying to go see my Master, if it’s not any trouble to anyone.”

“No… Well, I mean yes. Yes it is.” He shook his head, descending the stairs like a normal person. He was old, but not such that his gait was shaky, or his body impaired. He presented a strange assortment of age and fitness, the lines on his face almost a caricature of the fact he was supposedly over a century old, “I’m afraid it is a problem. Off limits. You know that.”

The next words out of his mouth were in a strange dialect, one that Yi’s ears knew no part of. He addressed the women with a soft hand on her shoulder, and she seemed to roll her eyes as she offered a mumbled reply. Shocked, or at least alarmed by her admission, they babbled at each other for a moment before Yhem suddenly broke into a normal tongue, “You’re not trying to sneak around are you?”

“No! I made my intentions clear.” Yi stated, his defiance bolstered only by discomfort, “I have nothing else I need to do. I just want to train.”

“I see.” The man shrugged, before giving another slap to the woman’s shoulder. She stood as a picture of stillness, eyeing Yi with no reprieve, “It’s the first option. He’s no trouble. He’s just not Doran-Wise, Koeyo.”

“I hope that’s the case.” She growled, “I’ll not stomach this disrespect of a personal space.”

“If I see him, I’ll tell him that you’re asking for him. Is that alright, Young Master?”

“Nn…” The point seemed tantalizing to argue, but Yi’s shoulders dropped along with his head, “… I suppose. I don’t think it’s fair. Just make sure you trial me for this, if that’s what it takes. I want to see him.”

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Yhem laughed, “Look, this is the first rule of Doran: Everything has utility. He’ll call for you when he has use for you. I don’t make the Doran rules. The Doran rules predate most people here. Besides, I don’t want to get caught in the crossfire of tribunals. Not for something like this. Now go, go. Go along.” The pair eventually sidestepped so that Yi could ascend back to the light of the School. Back to boring prefect duties that made Yi wish he’d chosen a blacksmith’s life instead. As he reluctantly gave another bow, and took his first steps towards monotony, Koeyo’s voice suddenly rung out,

“… Don’t rush it.” Yi turned mid stride, one eyebrow slightly ajar. The Master had her eyes locked on the darkness below, her hands nestled in her lengths of robe, “There’s no need to be rushing yourself down here.”

“What do you mean?” She scoffed before she made her steps busy down and away,

“It doesn’t matter, Forge Brat.”

“Forge Brat?” And Yhem was off, laughing again as he went, “When did you think that one up? I like that. Hilarious. Next you have to call him, ah… Pig Iron? Furnace Ash? Hah!”

Sometimes, Yi really did have to wonder what Wuju was getting him into.

[feynites]

Was gonna do more Reincarnation AU, but I wanted a scene from the first lifetime to set some context. So here, have a sort of ‘jump back, jump ahead’ to Kel and Pride’s firstborn! (Doesn’t contain spoilers for how the actual main frat au plot arc will resolve, though). <3

“Babe, it’s not gonna fit,” Uthvir decides, actually a little winded, as Thenvunin lets out a frustrated sound and tries again.

The gigantic stuffed halla refuses to wedge itself any further into the backseat of their sedan, however. Its horns keep getting caught, and no matter how Uthvir tries to angle it from the other side, there’s just no way to squish the sheer bulk of it in without blocking the rear view more than their better sense would let them drive with. Thenvunin gives one last heave, trying to smush it down in a way that will at least let him close the door, and then finally seems to give up, too.

It’s his own fault, really.

Uthvir told him to go one size smaller.

“We’ll just take the truck,” they say, and not for the first time. “It fits in the truck.”

The truck in question is a relatively new acquisition, and no matter what Thenvunin says, Uthvir doesn’t think it’s actually a testament to some mid-life crisis on their part. It’s a good truck, particularly useful for driving out of the city, or hauling around ridiculously massive presents. Like giant stuffed halla. Uthvir doesn’t think the red is that dramatic, and in their defense, the flames were already painted along the sides when they got it.

“But what if we have to take the baby somewhere?” Thenvunin replies, slumping against the side of the sedan. He’s red-faced and winded, and as ever, that tends to make Uthvir think of other times when he tends to be red-faced and winded. His hair is braided back, and he’s wearing the ‘World’s Best Grandpa’ shirt that Pride gave him a couple weeks ago, as part of his ongoing efforts to get his father-in-law to glare at him less.

It was a smart move, Uthvir will grant.

“The car seat fits in the truck,” they say.

Thenvunin frowns.

“But the truck is too…” he says, gesturing vaguely. “It gets drafty in the cab.”

“It doesn’t,” they counter. Because it really doesn’t, the truck is new and very nicely insulated.

“Yes it does,” Thenvunin insists.

They let out a sigh.

“Well, then, if we need to take the baby somewhere, we can use Kel’s car,” they reason. “Or Eda’s.”

“Eda might not be there,” Thenvunin argues.

Uthvir just looks at him, at that. Their middle daughter has practically move in with Kel and Pride at this point. It’s looking to be a pretty steep competition over who will get to spoil the newest addition to their family more. Thenvunin is making a pretty obvious bid with the stuffed halla that’s taller than Uthvir is, and a lot of the kids are getting in on the action. Felasel was over the other day, still convinced that Kel named the baby after him and that this gives him ‘favourite uncle status’, despite Ileth holding a pretty clear lead thanks to the fridge full of pre-made meals he gave Kel and Pride as soon as the baby was born.

This kid is getting more attention and devotion than the Archon’s son, Uthvir suspects, and he’s not even old enough to hold his own head up yet.

Though in fairness, the premature birth had just about everyone on edge. Themselves not least of all.

Finally, Thenvunin relents in earnest.

“Alright,” he concedes. “We’ll take your truck.”

“Our truck,” Uthvir insists. “It’s a family truck.”

“Your truck,” Thenvunin counters. “I had nothing to do with that purchase, and neither did anyone else, for that matter.”

They roll their eyes.

“I can see you rolling your eyes,” their husband informs them, even though there’s no possible way he could, from over on the other side of the sedan.

“I just think that considering this truck is the only way you’re going to get your massive indulgence toy over to your grandson, you could be a little more accepting of it,” they reason, as they begin the process of getting the halla back out of the sedan. They’re going to have to move everything else they’re bringing, too, and get the sedan out of the driveway, so that they can back the truck down it. The little house they’re renting in Ferelden, just ten minutes of driving away from Kel and Pride’s place, is the only building on their block that even has a garage, and it’s a tight fit for it on the narrow lot anyway.

But Uthvir just drives the sedan out onto the street, and then helps move everything into the truck. Then they drive the truck out a little further down the street, and move the sedan into the garage, while Thenvunin runs back into the house to triple-check that they’ve remembered everything. Kel texts, and Uthvir admits that they’re going to be somewhat later than usual, but she assures them that everything is fine, and sends them another picture of their grandson. Currently nestled in his papae’s arms, still perilously small and fragile.

They’re staring at the latest photo when Thenvunin comes and taps on the window of the re-parked sedan.

“Everything alright?” he checks.

Uthvir nods, and hands him their phone so he can see the picture too. Thenvunin coos over it, and then it’s all they can do to move fast enough for him as he makes for the truck, hesitance all gone because he wants to see his grandson in a hurry, now. Uthvir drives, and Thenvunin uses his own phone to call Kel and announce that they’re coming – even though the drive really does take just ten minutes – and also to wonder if there’s anything else they should bring. They can hear their daughter’s voice on the other end of the line, fond and amused. It’s hard to tell how tired she sounds, though. Uthvir was exhausted for the first month after Virevas was born, and that was without any major complications involved. When Serahlin had Tonlen, which is probably the most comparable experience they can think of, everyone had pitched in because both mother and baby had needed so much recovery time.

“Did he sleep through the night?” Thenvunin asks.

They hear Kel laugh.

“Not even a little,” she admits, voice tinny through the phone’s receiver.

The house she and Pride have acquired is on a nicer lot than the one which Uthvir and Thenvunin are renting, but it isn’t very large, and it doesn’t have a driveway. It’s a very Fereldan sort of residence, with a brick wall shielding most of the garden and home from the street view, and a slanted, aged tile roof that Uthvir had triple-checked when the couple first moved in. It’s solid, though. There’s a small mabari statue by the mailbox, just a little stone carving that most of the houses on the street have, and some of Pride’s latest art projects drying out on the covered front porch.

Pride is also responsible, Uthvir knows, for the rich green paint on the front door, and the variety of odd lawn ornaments peppered throughout the front garden. In among the embrium and andraste’s grace, there are experimental wood and metal sculptures, and decorative boards, and clay pots. All painted. Pride’s ‘workshop’ is the renovated shed in the backyard, and despite Thenvunin’s tutting, he makes a fair amount of bonus cash from his hobbies. Enough so that they don’t have to help the couple cover their house payments anymore, even with Kel on maternity leave.

They knock, but since they’re expected, Uthvir doesn’t really wait before opening the front door.

The inside of the house is a bit of a mess.

Not really in the sense of being ‘unclean’, so much as in the sense of being very cluttered. Thenvunin’s halla barely fits into the front entryway, past the new pram and the shoe rack and a small pile of accumulated cardboard boxes, destined for recycling. There is baby paraphernalia practically everywhere, making the humble little seem all but overrun with it. Kel and Pride got doubles on a lot of supplies from well-meaning family, and part of Uthvir’s day is sectioned off for the simple act of ferrying the extra toys and crib mattresses and change tables and car seats and whatnot to the alienage daycare in the lower city.

Not that this has stopped Thenvunin from bringing his own continual stream of offerings. Though, apart from the massive halla, most of what they’ve brought are things like disposable wipes and baby-safe detergent and things which Kel had requested.

“Oh for... really…?” Pride’s voice reaches them, lost from the other side of the halla.

“Well, I hadn’t gotten him a toy yet,” Thenvunin declares, defensive now.

That’s a blatant lie, but Uthvir supposes that they are now solely responsible for all previous toy gifts.

“Papae,” they hear Kel say, with a note of fond amusement.

“Kel!” Thenvunin declares, shoving forward and forcefully depositing the halla into Pride’s arms. Which merits a solid ‘oomph’, as the thing is heavier than it looks, and somehow Uthvir thinks Thenvunin is not being as gentle with it as he could be. Pride staggers back, and they finally clear the entrance. Thenvunin is already hugging Kel by then, fussing over her in his usual way; Uthvir gives her a careful once-over. She’s in a soft shirt and shorts, and looks tired, but not exhausted, at least. She hasn’t bothered to put on her prosthetic. Pride has some bags under his eyes and baby powder on his elbow, and his hair is out of its usual ties.

They move past him, on a hunch, making for the little living room. Technically the living room is part of an addition that was put onto the house by its previous owners, who attempted some renovations – several of which were abandoned, and subsequently finished by Kel, mostly last year. The room is a pleasant space, with a skylight and high windows that do their best to make the most of Ferelden’s limited sunlight. There’s a small television set, often defeated by the subsequent glare that pours in from most corners of the room, and several large, comfortable couches; and Pride’s taste very evident in the decorations, and the bold splashes of colour on the walls.

Eda is sprawled on one of the couches, with her tiny nephew resting in her arms.

Uthvir feels a rush of warmth come over them. The kind that pushes Fear back, into little more than nervy whispers over how small and fragile their grandson is. He looks so much like Kel. But his eyes, when he blinks them open, are still pale, and they wonder if they will stay that way. Like his father’s.

For her part, Eda also looks like she didn’t get much rest the night before.

Uthvir brushes a hand over her head, and then over the baby’s. Fenasal. Trust Pride to name a child for wolves.

“Morning, Nanae,” Eda offers.

“Have you had breakfast?” they ask.

She wrinkles her nose.

“I just woke up,” she admits. “Puppy here had a crying jag last night.”

“Hm,” they reply, and reach, gently, for their grandson. “Go eat, then. Time for everyone to have a break while the grandparents take over.”

Eda grins, and Fenasal makes a tiny noise, as Uthvir settles him into their own arms.

“You just want a turn,” their daughter accuses.

They don’t deny it, only offering a shrug, before they press a kiss to their grandson’s head. He is too small. His lungs are still a cause for concern, just as they’d been with Tonlen. And they think he would have been a tiny baby anyway, just like his mother. Except he has more hair. Dark curls all around the top of his head.

Eda gets up, with a sigh, and Uthvir sinks into one of the living room chairs.

Fenasal blinks up at them.

“Good morning, Baby Blue,” they say, and brush his cheek with their finger. He wriggles a little, lost in the soft fabric of his onesie, and they pat him until he settles again. The small outfit has Olwyn’s tastes written all over it. They think they remember it from Kel’s baby shower, in fact. There are little paw prints on the feet, and tiny dog ears on the matching hat.

They fiddle with one, making soft, soothing sounds under their breath.

They’re not totally surprised when they look up, and are immediately greeted by the sight of Kel and Thenvunin both taking pictures of them with their phones.

“How many have you two taken by now?” they ask. Through the archway leading into the hall, they can see Pride struggling to try and get the giant halla up the stairs, and in the general vicinity of the nursery.

“Hardly enough,” Thenvunin insists.

“Fifty-two,” Kel admits. “I want more than one of him with everybody who loves him.”

Thenvunin nods in firm agreement with that plan, and Uthvir can only shake their head. Fondly. It’s not like they won’t get copies of them all, anyway. They can act like they’re somehow above the concept, although it’s difficult to hold onto any air of superiority, with Fenasal’s warm little body nestled in their arms.

“Does he need to eat?” they check, as Thenvunin moves alongside the chair. Hovering, and looking at the baby.

“No,” Kel assures them, shaking her head. “He just had his breakfast. I was going to take a shower, but I wanted to wait on you two first.”

They nod in understanding.

“Go shower,” they say. “Take a breather. Eat some breakfast, cuddle your husband. We can watch him for now.”

“Should we have stayed last night?” Thenvunin worries.

Kel shakes her head.

“There were three of us, Papae, it’s not like we were shorthanded. It just would have meant that nobody got any sleep because of fretting over him,” she reasons, and leans over to give her father’s cheek a kiss. And then she comes over, and Uthvir leans forward to press on to her, in turn. Freeing a hand up from Fenasal to curl it around her, so they can hold their daughter and their grandson at once.

It is a very nice moment.

Kel kisses Fenasal, and them, and then finally seems content enough to go and take her shower. Uthvir can feel the release of some nameless fear in her; she trusts them to look after her son, to the point where it steals their breath for a moment, and there is one consternated instant as Fear tries to process the sentiment.

Something in them, just ever-so-slightly, shifts.

But not in a way that Uthvir can really describe. And a moment later, Kel is going, and they can hear Eda in the kitchen, and Thenvunin settles down on the floor beside the chair they’ve claimed. Leaning in to brush his grandson’s head and kiss hi cheek, which prompts more wriggling from the baby in question.

“I think he’s a little sick of everyone’s affection,” Uthvir muses. “All these presumptuous people showering him in kisses. What a trial.”

“Nonsense,” Thenvunin counters. “He’s just bashful.”

They chuckle, and Fenasel looks at his grandfather, and flails a tiny arm in his direction. Between those curls and those eyes, Uthvir thinks he’s going to be a heartbreaker when he gets older.

Uthvir hangs onto him for as long as they can. Until Thenvunin starts making jealous noises, and then they finally relinquish him to his grandfather. By then Kel has finished her shower, and she and Eda are flopped over the master bed, eating what looks like Ileth’s pre-packed breakfast sandwiches and talking quietly among themselves. They tap on the doorframe to tell Kel that her father has her son, and then commandeer Pride to help them load up the truck with everything they need to take down to the alienage.

They’re in the midst of that when another car pulls up along the street. Small and silver, and they watch as Ashokara’s horns appear out of the passenger side, and then Melarue glides over to the front walk.

Pride stiffens like a student whose contraband-laden locker is about to be submitted to a surprise inspection.

“Melarue,” Uthvir greets, and finishing putting a spare bassinet into the back of the truck. “Ash.”

“Hey Nabae!” Ashokara greets.

“Is Kassaran not with you?” they check, and nudge Pride into handing them the box of disposable diapers. He and Kel have settled on using the cloth ones, but someone in the alienage will likely make good use of the extras.

“Mama’s tour doesn’t end for another week,” Ashokara admits. Melarue nods towards them, but carries past them, zeroing in on the door like an elf with a mission. It’s their first time actually visiting since Kel gave birth, by Uthvir’s count. They’re probably more eager to see their great-grandchild than they’d like to let on.

“Is she coming then?” they wonder.

“Should be,” Ash agrees. “What are you up to?”

They explain, and after a few minutes, Ashokara volunteers to help. That frees up Pride to go inside and make himself nervous over Melarue interacting with his son. Uthvir can feel his overall nervousness about it, even though his fears don’t seem concretely defined. He just seems to find Melarue vaguely ominous. Poor man’s probably got better instincts than he realizes; he was jumpy around Uthvir for several months, too.

Not that they, admittedly, didn’t give him some small reason to be.

“The way I figure it,” Ashokara says. “If I go in now, I’ll just be competing with Nanae to see the baby. But if I do it later, when everyone’s sleepy, then I’ll have better odds.”

“Good thinking,” Uthvir agrees. “And in the meantime, you can come with me to the daycare center. Should still be lots of little babies there.”

“You’re kind of brilliant, Nabae, have I ever told you that?” Ashokara asks, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet before heading for the passenger side of the truck.

“It’s come up before,” Uthvir allows.

Depending on how they time things, they can probably get to the alienage, drop off everything, and then stop by the university and pick Virevas up once her last class for the day is done. Then they think they’ll check in and just make certain that things aren’t getting too over-crowded for Kel or the baby. They let Ashokara fiddle with the radio stations as they make their way through the city.

“You know, you don’t really look old enough to be a grandparent,” Ash opines, halfway through the drive.

Uthvir pauses.

“But then I guess Nanae really doesn’t look old enough to be a great grandparent,” she adds. “On television everyone always looks, like, seventy when they’re a grandparent.”

“And they look thirty when they’re supposed to be in highschool,” they add, mostly on autopilot for a moment.

“True,” Ash agrees, and turns her head to watch some of the scenery go by.

Uthvir feels oddly rattled, though. They check their reflection in the rearview mirror. But it’s fine. They’ve been pacing their aging based on Thenvunin’s, after all, and the slight modifications to their shape are holding well enough. The few grey hairs, here and there. Some extra wrinkles and creases. A little more thinness to their lips.

It’s not really what they look like ‘naturally’, of course, but then, they’ve been changing that since they were a teenager.

Still. The new additions aren’t quite as effortless as the rest. If they really let go, really relaxed it all, the nails and the teeth would probably stay – but the rest wouldn’t. And then they would look too young to be a grandparent. They’d look like they were Virevas’ age. Because they don’t age.

Thenvunin gets older. Their friends get older. The children get older. Even little Fenasal is going to get older.

Time steals them away, year by year. Only, not all of them. Eda looks very youthful, still. Won the elven genetics lottery, people joke. And Selene is not quite so good at subtly adding the signs of time as they are, or as Melarue is. Melarue, who keeps their hair jet black, because dyes exist. Who skirts the line, because people expect famous movie stars to have access to the kinds of miraculous spa treatments and plastic surgeons who will keep them looking young until the day they die.

They remember when the woman sitting next to them was just a tiny girl, peering into Virevas’ crib with curious eyes.

A heavy, sunken feeling settles into them, and no matter how they try, they cannot quite chase it away for the rest of the drive. The elves in charge of the alienage daycare are very happy to receive their surplus gifts, and Ashokara gets to sit with some of them while they marvel over her horns and try to climb her like a jungle gym. But Uthvir hangs back, and cannot quite escape Fear’s whispers. That they are going to outlive these children. Outlive their own children. And their loved ones.

Unless they do something.

Unless they…

It’s a harder notion to fight than usual. They know they’re a little too quiet on the drive back, but Ashokara seems content to leave them be, at least. And Virevas is happy enough to chat on her phone after they pick her up. When they get back to Kel’s house, their daughter has commandeered her son away from his admirers. Pride is napping in the master bedroom, while Eda and Thenvunin show Melarue all of their accumulated photographs.

Melarue meets their stare from across the room, as Ashokara goes to join them.

Uthvir excuses themselves into the back garden, under the guise of seeing how badly some of the plants have suffered the midst of everyone’s distraction.

As it happens, though, most of them are fine. There’s a little pruning to be done, some odd weeds here or there, so they take care of that. But it’s not much of a distraction, and Fear keeps whispering. It doesn’t matter how safe they make things. Death is still coming. No matter how they try, if they don’t cross that line, then it will still win. It will still take Thenvunin, and Kel, and Virevas, and Fenasal, and right now that knowledge feels like a clawing beast, tearing at them from the inside-out.

Their nails are a little too long, as they accidentally uproot one of Kel’s mint plants instead of a weed, and have to carefully re-plant it. Patting down the soil around it, until they hear footsteps coming up behind them.

“Are you alright?”

Thenvunin.

They let out a breath. Wiping their hands off on their pants, and turning to look up towards him.

His brows are slightly furrowed, and his braid has gotten a little messy somewhere along the way. His World’s Best Grandpa shirt has a tiny amount of spit-up on one of the shoulders, now. He looks achingly beautiful, though, in his comfortable jeans and footwraps, with his crow’s feet at his eyes, and the slight softening that’s start to come into his figure.

He looks like home, and Uthvir knows with a sudden, fervent certainty that they’ll always be gone on him. No matter what.

And that they can’t ask him to endure this fate with them. Thenvunin should never have to watch his loved ones die.

They open their mouth, and then close it again. And then they give up, and take a step towards him, and pull him close. His arms come around them as they press their face against his chest, shifting until they can feel his heartbeat through the thin fabric of his shirt. He’s still here, he’s still here, he’s still here…

We haven’t lost them yet.

…But we will.

Thenvunin folds his arms around them. They can almost feel the confused worry in his expression, as he carefully rubs the backs of their shoulders.

“What’s happened? What’s wrong?” he asks.

“I…” Uthvir starts. But they can’t quite manage to get anything else out. They close their eyes, as their throat seems to seal itself shut.

“Uthvir?” Thenvunin checks, gently.

When they don’t really manage to answer, he rubs at their shoulders again.

“He’s alright,” he reminds them. “Did it all finally catch up with you? It’s alright, you know. I understand. I suppose I’ve melted down enough over it, I should have realized… do you want to go home? Or do you want me to go and get Fenasal? Or Kel?”

Uthvir sucks in another breath, and then lets it out again. Shakily. Taking a moment to let Thenvunin’s voice and touch draw them back to the ‘now’. They’re alright, yes, that’s true. They’re in Kel’s garden, and their daughters are fine, their nieces and nephews are fine, their friends are fine, and their grandson is fine. Thenvunin is in their arms.

Another breath, and the awful, clawing thing inside of them eases its assault enough for them to loosen their grip on him.

“Sorry,” they manage.

Thenvunin tuts.

“None of that,” he insists, pulling back enough to look at them properly. “What do you need?”

They consider.

Some distance, maybe. Space to breathe. To feel normal.

“Home?” they suggest, before they remind themselves that Thenvunin probably wants to stay as long as he can.

But he just nods, easily enough.

“I suppose the house is getting a little crowded,” he agrees. “We can come back another time. Melarue is hogging the baby anyway.”

He sniffs a little, obviously just a bit irritated over that. But also, not really.

Uthvir manages a smile, and reaches up to brush his cheek.

“I love you,” they need to say.

Thenvunin’s expression softens. He leans down, and presses a sweet kiss to them.

“And I love you, very much,” he replies.

They know.

Oh, they know.

[nandireya]

Dance

Kullara Week 2017 Day Six Dance

The world came back to Keith slowly. It was quiet, he noted. No howling wind, no lashing rain, no rolling thunder. The storm had passed. He was aware of a weight against his shoulder. He turned his head to find Allura sleeping against him, probably seeking warmth. He allowed himself a small smile. It was only then that he looked around the room. It was only then he noticed the small, green-skinned man silently watching him with dark, shining eyes. He jolted awake, his sudden movement enough to jostle Allura out if her slumber as well. She let out a startled gasp when she found they had unexpected company. "Good morning, Princess." The man bowed politely. "Paladin." He turned to bow to Keith. "I am Kaminari, emissary of the Natsua. I apologise for all the hardships you have faced since your arrival to our world." He bowed again. "We were unaware of the reward offered for your capture. The perpetrators have been dealt with." "Thank you, Kaminari." Allura said, rising to her feet to return the bow. Keith rose to mirror her movements. Best to defer to the raised diplomat. "We have found your craft and have already commenced repairs." Kaminari went on. "If you will follow me, we will see to it that the remainder of your travels are more comfortable." He bowed again, gesturing gracefully towards the door. Parked outside was what could only be described as carriage, though it didn't have any wheels. Instead it hovered just above the ground. It was drawn by living creatures however. A pair of eight-legged animals that superficially resembled elk in a manner that the Natsua resembled humans. They pawed at the ground, ready to be off. Kaminari ushered them onboard and nodded to the driver. Allura and Kaminari immediately began speaking of politics and their upcoming negotiations. Keith knew he probably should have been paying attention but he was too busy taking in his surroundings. He'd always been fond of nature. It was quiet, peaceful, less...peopley. They arrived at the Natsua capital city, if it could even be called that, without further incident. The citadel appeared to have been grown rather than built. Multiple, massive tree trunks reached high into the canopy, disappearing into the mist up above. Intricate walkways and natural buttresses arced between them, lacing them together. They truly appeared to be one with nature, more so that the Olkari, who had basically adapted to it, admitted amazingly, when forced. "Due to your unexpected adventure we have had to combine several events." Kaminari explained, somehow sounding apologetic and annoyed at the same time as the doors of the central structure opened before them leading to a massive atrium within the circle of trees . "We have prepared rooms for you both. Your belongings have been brought up." He led them up a sweeping stairway. "Please take some time to freshen up." He opened a pair of highly ornate doors. "Your Highness." He bowed respectfully, waiting with his head down until she entered. "I will send someone to fetch you for the formal reception when the light leaves the sky." He closed her door before turning to Keith. "Paladin." He bowed again. "If you will follow me?" He wanted to tell the man to call him Keith, but the Alteans had stressed how particular the Natsua were with their traditions and customs. It was probably why he sounded so annoyed at being forced to change their timetable of events. So to ask him to use his name rather than his title might be seen as some kind of insult. Titles were used to show respect, and from what he could gather the title of paladin ranked quite highly, only royalty seemed to be higher. So he just followed, thanked him with a bow as he entered his own room...suite...apartment... His desert shack could fit ten times in the main room alone. A door on the right led to an equally impressive sleeping chamber. Yet another door off that led to a massive bathroom. He'd never known such luxury, even living in the Castle. His quarters there were certainly spartan in comparison. But then, he was a spartan kind of guy. ~~~~~~ Allura sighed as she stared at the huge set of closed doors before her. She was a little surprised to find she had prepared herself more quickly than Keith. But then, she was far more accustomed to dressing for formal occasions. She'd never really seen him in anything but his armour and the clothes he'd literally had on his back when he'd arrived from his home world. Perhaps a shopping trip was in order? And maybe this time she could go along as well. She smoothed out a non-existent crease in her midnight blue gown and absently touched the jewelled necklace at her throat. With a sigh she started to twist a perfect curl with her gloved fingers. How long did it take a boy to put on a suit any way? She looked at Mizore, the young Natsua Kaminari had sent to bring her to the reception. She was stepping nervously from one foot to the other. They were already behind schedule, but the Princess could not enter without her escort, and said escort was taking forever to get himself presentable! Mizore let out a tiny noise, blinking rapidly as she looked upwards. Allura's mouth dropped open slightly when she followed the tiny woman's gaze. "Oh, my." Was all she could think to say. He looked so...different. But it was a good different. He had made an effort to tame his hair. Most of it had been slicked back, trapped at the base of his skull with a simple black band. His hair appeared to be as rebellious as he was, however, as several long bangs refused to comply, deciding instead to hang rakishly into his eyes. The short-cropped white dress jacket with its high collar was actually quite similar to his usual one, but the cut was more fitted accenting the broadness of his shoulders and the narrowness of his waist. There was a thick band of cloth around his mid-section...red she noted, he just wouldn't don the black...a bright contrast between the white jacket above and the black dress pants below. His own assigned Natsua, she hadn't caught his name, was bustling about him, trying to quicken his descent down the stairs but only threatening to trip him up. It was a good thing Keith was so agile. He deftly dodged the small green man as he circled him. He caught Allura's eye for a moment, but quickly looked away, feeling highly self-conscious, as he reached the ground floor. The Princess was giving him an odd look. He'd felt stupid as soon as he'd put the damn monkey suit on. It certainly wasn't his style. It didn't allow for a lot of freedom of movement. If there was a fight he wouldn't be able to defend himself let alone protect her. His assigned Natsua, introduced as Gouu, continued to fuss about him. He felt his left forearm pushed upwards and was about to say something when he felt Allura's right arm hook through it. He turned to her then. She looked even more stunning than usual. Her long silvery hair was piled up on her head, not in the usual all-business bun, but in a series of delicate twists and curls. Tiny wisps of it framed her face causing a kind of halo effect. There were tiny jewelled pins set among the tresses that made it sparkle even more. She'd done something around her eyes to make them shine even more brilliantly than usual. "You look beautiful." He said, mentally kicking himself as soon as the words left his mouth. If her arm wasn't resting so elegantly on his own he probably would have slapped himself in the forehead. How could he be so lame? Like she needed anyone to tell her that. She continued to gaze at him for a moment. She'd been trying to find a word to describe how he looked. Beautiful? Yes. That would do nicely. She smiled a warm, radiant smile at him. "I was going to say the same about you." She admitted. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. He wasn't sure if it was from what she'd said or from the way she was looking at him. Or the warm touch of her arm on his. Or the apparent sudden rise in temperature in the room. It was getting hot in here, right? "Ah, good. You are ready." Kaminari appeared from somewhere, also decked out in his finest. "Come. Come. Introductions must be made." Mizore And Gouu opened the doors as Kaminari ushered them through. ~~~~~~ They had been separated as soon as they'd been announced and the introductions made, to, what had Keith called it, schmooze? What an odd word. Though his world seemed to be full of odd things. She was keeping a close eye on him, he was very much out of his element, after all. From what she could gather from Lance, social interacting had not been a strong point of Keith's even back on Earth. But he appeared to be schmoozing quite well. Listening intently to those around him, responding from time to time but not really offering too much information. They had already agreed not to make mention of his...mixed heritage. He had picked up a glass of bright green liquid from somewhere though he didn't appear to be actually drinking it. "Your paladin..." Kaminari's voice brought her back to her own schmoozing. "I have never encountered his kind before. What world does he hail from?" Well, that was a loaded question. What world DID he hail from? He was a child of at least two. But there was only one he called home. "He is from a small planet on the outer rim." She said. "One that has not yet known the tyranny of Zarkon." "They are one of the lucky ones then." Kaminari nodded. "But their luck will not hold forever." "Unless we do something about it." Allura raised her glass. "Indeed." Kaminari smiled, raising his own to meet hers. ~~~~~~ Keith was still nursing his first glass of...whatever it was. He had reasoned if he had a glass in his hand he wouldn't be offered another, and it really wouldn't be appropriate to get plastered on his first diplomatic mission. Of course, a little alcohol might take the edge off his nerves. He took a sniff at it. It certainly smelled alcoholic. The colour reminded him a little of Midori. Shiro had introduced him to it once. He hadn't cared for it. Though, he had downed an entire bottle of it that he'd found in Shiro's quarters after the Kerberos mission had gone pear-shaped. That had not ended well. It had been the first of many citations that had eventually lead to his expulsion. Several citations actually. 'Breaking and entering'...'unprofessional conduct'...'insubordination'. If he hadn't been robbed of his coordination by the sickly sweet melon drink he probably would have added 'striking an officer' to the list. That would have likely landed him some time in the brig on top of an instant dishonourable discharge. "How are you holding up?" Allura had apparently materialised at his side. The Natsua had been so keen to interact with the pair of infamous outsiders that they had been given no time to talk to each other. "I'm okay." He said, looking out over the sea of finely dressed Natsua. "But it's kinda weird being the tallest guy in the room." She wasn't certain as to the average height of his kind, but given that Lance, Hunk and Shiro were all taller she had to guess that Keith was on the lower end of the height spectrum. His comment only reinforced that. Odd that his Galra heritage hasn't shown through in that particular aspect. They were, on a whole, a rather lofty species. Of course, there were exceptions to every norm. "I think you're-" "Ah, good. You have found each other." Kaminari was suddenly in their midst again, cutting off whatever it was she was going to say. "Come. Come. It is time." "Time for what?" Keith frowned. "For the dance, of course." Kaminari smiled, whisking the glass from his hand and passing it off to a passing wait-staff. "Wait." Keith's eyes widened. "WHAT?" He subconsciously pressed the balls of his feet against the floor, digging in his toes as if to keep him from being bodily dragged to the now emptying space in the middle of the vast room. "It's tradition." Allura smiled, offering her hand. "I..." He looked at her gloved hand, his own automatically beginning to reach to take it, but hesitated. "I...don't...really..." Her expression softened as she stepped closer. "You don't know how to dance, do you?" She surmised, taking him gently by the elbows. "It's never really come up." He admitted. Her hands slid down his arms to take hold of both of his. "Just remember all your combat training and you'll be fine." "Combat training?" He echoed. Still holding his hands she led him to the dance floor. When they reached its centre she moved her left hand to place his right on her waist, leaving it there to rest her right hand on his shoulder. She raised their still joined hands up to finish the proper starting position. She could see the worry in his eyes. He didn't want to embarrass her, or himself, or step on her dress, or trip over his feet or mess things up so badly that the Natsua decided they weren't going to ally themselves with such an uncoordinated clod, thank you very much. He relaxed a little when he saw the Natsua begin to pair up as well. At least he'd have something to imitate. He took a deep breath to steady himself. He was very glad his paladin dress uniform included gloves. As the music began, soft and slow, he moved his feet in a perfect mirror of the Natsua on his left. He could feel Allura move with him but he was so busy focusing on what the Natsua was doing with his feet it was jilted and stiff. "Don't concentrate so hard." Allura said into his ear. "Relax. Let the music guide you." It was all well and good for her to tell him to relax while she was pressed up against him, smelling so wonderful and looking the way she did. 'Just remember all your combat training.' Okay. All he had to do was think of this as a kata. He could do that. He closed his eyes. Let the music flow through him. Let his body move by instinct. His movements suddenly became more fluid, more graceful, more confident. And with that confidence he became more daring. He spun her out like he'd seen so often in the movies, first one way and then the other, the full skirt of her gown twirling out like the petals of an opening flower. She laughed as he pulled her back to him. And with a smile he went for the other classic dancing move. He swung her into...the dip. The laughing stopped and his smile faded as she looked up at him with wide, startled eyes. He realised he'd done something wrong, crossed some kind of line. He swung her back up, swallowing hard as she continued to gaze at him with shining, opalescent eyes. Her hands found his shoulders as she steady herself. Part of him screamed at him to apologise. To tell her he hadn't meant anything by it. That he'd just been caught up in the moment. But his voice was stuck in his throat, held there by the way she was looking at him. Then she lowered her gaze for a moment, looking down slightly before returning to meet his eyes again. She tilted her head ever so slightly as her eyelids lowered, her lips parting as she moved closer. Whatever it was that had been telling him to apologise was now whispering 'forget that, do what she's doing'. He could feel her breath against his own slightly parted lips as he leaned in towards her, almost taste it, almost feel the soft touch of... Then the music stopped and the room erupted in rousing applause, breaking the spell, the temporary lapse in sanity, whatever it was that had momentary come over them. They sprang apart, showing their appreciation to the musicians, looking anywhere but at each other.