#possibly to be named grima

[felikatze]

Grima: One Guy In Two Trenchcoats

Let‘s establish: Is Robin possessed or not? Well, I argue…. no.

There‘s a huge difference between one character being controlled by another with no agency in their actions, and someone struggling against their own conflicting nature. Personally, the latter allows for much more depth on Grima‘s part, instead of „ohhh poor Robin :(„

On that question, Robin certainly believes they‘re the same being. Future Past Robin, that is.

Welcome, to Grima apologism hours, in which i do not repent, and overanalyze how my favorite maggot is Complex, actually.

Fire Emblem Awakening‘s Future Past DLC allows a glimpse into an alternate future destroyed by Grima, one extremely similar but ever so slightly different than the one Lucina hails from.

In the „bad end“ of the DLC, achieved if any of the future children (excluding Lucina) die before defeating Grima in Future Past 3, Grima and Lucina hold an extended conversation that gives us a lot of perspective on Grima.

Wherein before Grima shrouded his vessel in shadow, those shadows have lifted and Lucina comes to slowly recognize Robin. She asks if Robin can be saved somehow if Grima is defeated, and very much believes them to be distinct beings. At this moment of Grima‘s weakness, Robin can „shine through“ and speak their own desires without Grima‘s influence, or so it seems.

Robin disagrees.

Lucina: You‘re human, aren‘t you- a person, like us? Grima is using you to-

Grima: ...I am Grima! There is nothing human about me!

Lucina: …..

Grima: ...I have always been the fell dragon… since the day I was born…

There we have it, right from the horse‘s mouth.

Lucina is convinced she is talking to Robin, and I‘d agree. Compared to Grima‘s usual behaviour, Robin is much calmer, and speaks more rationally. In addition, their text is formatted different. Grima‘s speech is peppered with bold and bright red text to highlight his wrath, whereas Robin‘s speech features many ellipses, likely to punctuate their fading strength.

And yet, the speech associated with Robin „taking back control“ has them directly admit to being the fell dragon. Previously in this scene, Robin also blames themself for the harm brought to the world.

Grima: „… I snuffed out the very Voice of the divine dragon… and I just finished killing the friends you sent for the Gemstones…“

[...]

„Don‘t you hate me? I‘m the cause for all of this.“

Robin takes responsibility in the first person. If they were truly possessed in this instance, they‘d shift the blame to Grima, but they do not.

Even Naga acknowledges that it was the fell dragon that teleported Chrom and Robin from the main game to safety, an action we‘d associate with Robin thwarting Grima‘s control to keep their friends safe.

Go King get that Dissonance!

Naga: „Hm? The fell dragon returned you here… Is everything all right?“

What do I mean by „dissonance“? Well, I‘ve said that Robin admits they and Grima are one being. There are many points where Grima doesn‘t, however. And that‘s like, weird, right. I mean, Future Past Grima does this too, when I‘ve been using Future Past Robin as proof.

I think we all remember the famous “the man who owned this body” line.

But let‘s point out when Grima does this. To taunt others. In Future Past, Grima brings up Robin‘s love for Chrom to enrage Lucina, and in the maingame, it precedes the final battle, too, though more indirectly, as Grima asks Robin to “join them.” It solidifies Grima‘s appearance as the big bad who must be killed, all typical FE antagonist trash talk, really. Gets you rearing to kill this guy!

Which might be the point.

It‘s an oddity that Grima wants Robin to be remembered fondly. And it‘s a recurring one. Remember how Grima will differentiate between themself and Robin, but Robin won‘t?

On the final map, Grima offers Robin the chance to give themself up in exchange for the Shepherd‘s lives. No matter what you choose, battle commences regardless.

But….

If Robin refuses Grima:

Robin: Do you think me a fool? You'll kill them anyway!

Grima: ...Well, of COURSE I would. I only thought you might want to leave your comrades with a heroic, selfless image. ...But so be it. Leave them with the final memory that you were their undoing!

And if Robin accepts Grima:

Robin: First, let my friends go... You promised to spare them.

Grima: Oh come now, we both knew that was never going to happen... But I am not altogether cruel... I did spare you the pain of damning them openly.

Robin: You…

Grima: In truth, I simply don't understand why you care so deeply for the creatures... No matter. Your soul is mine now; you cannot escape. Your mind will descend into the shadow of my own!

„I only thought you might want to leave your comrades with a heroic, selfless image.“ Grima is offering for Robin to martyr themself, and for Grima to be the undisputed villain of this story. It‘s the same thing that happened with Morgan. Morgan doesn‘t remember Grima, only the kind and caring Robin.

This leads me to believe that Grima‘s theatrics, the whole „I am the breath of ruin and the wings of despair“-spiel, is a mask.

In Future Past, Grima knows they need to die. Future Past Grima basically admits to being suicidal. Just look at the bad ending!

Grima: ...Don't you hate me? ...I'm the cause of all of this... ...If it weren't for me, you would never have had to take up the sword... ...You and your loved ones would be living in peace... ...I am to blame for everything... ...You must destroy me, Lucina…

And furthermore… in the Future Past 3 good ending, before Lucina strikes the final blow, Grima turns into a green unit.

For just a second. And then they‘re dead.

Grima: ...At last...I can rest... ...No one else...will suffer... ...because of me... ...Thank...you... ...I hope your lives are...filled... ...with...joy... ...... ...... ...Morgan...please forgive me... ...I put you through...so...much... ...... ......

Grima, Robin, desperately wishes they weren‘t Grima. That Robin is all there was. They wish so badly that they could just stay with the Shepherds, with the people they love. And they love so much. They still love Chrom, they still love Morgan, but Grima needs to die for the world to be saved.

But if Grima makes themself into a big bad villain with no redeeming qualities, if Grima taunts and riles up, then maybe everyone will forget that they‘re Robin, too. And everyone can remember Robin fondly. Robin is the human part of Grima, and who they wish to be.

What does it mean for Grima to follow Lucina back in time? It's as Naga said; only Grima's own power can end him for good. If Robin never awakened, Grima's power would remain in the world, sealed inside the Dragon's Table for eternity, or perhaps, until another reincarnation of Grima came along. Instead, Grima takes that power onto himself (so Robin does not, cannot),with just enough left to end it all. Grima knows that he must die.

There are some very notable moments when Grima does call himself and Robin one. However, these moments have something in common; Grima is talking to Robin.

In Invisble Ties, this is most evident. 

???: I told you. I'm Robin. The Robin that murdered you and became the fell dragon, Grima. When this "Marth" of yours decided to come back in time...I came with her.

Grima is Robin, burdened by fate, weighed down by grief and madness and a lifetime of horrible choices.

Robin has become his own murderer. To be dead is better than to be Grima.

[torchwood-99]

Elboron's Birth

Elboron is the only named child of Eowyn and Faramir, and because of that I tend to headcanon him as their only child.

I imagine Eowyn struggling a great deal with pregnancy. The limitations on her body and the hormones puts a great strain on her mental health.

Eowyn actually has a subconcious terror of death in childbirth, because as part of Wormtongue's grooming, he planted ideas and suggestions in Eowyn's head of her family being told they must choose between saving her or saving the child, and for the sake of the bloodline, they choose to save the child.

She's actually had nightmares of this exact scenario, planted there by Grima, that she doesn't recall fully in the day, but leave her with a lingering dread and distrust of those around her during her pregnancy.

Faramir would never allow such a thing (nor would Eomer or anyone else), and the standard practise in Gondor is always save the mother first, but the unspoken terror that Eowyn can't quite articulate takes its toll on her and her relationships.

Elboron's birth is difficult, with Eowyn nearly dying at one poin. She is told that it is unlikely she will ever have another child, and Eowyn thinks she's a bad person for being relieved.

Eowyn's recovery takes a long time, and she is stuck on bed rest for weeks. Even once she's allowed out of bed, her strength has diminished and it takes a long time building it back up.

She hates how even now her body still isn't her own, and finds it difficult to bond with Elboron immediately, whereas Faramir takes to fatherhood right away. This causes Eowyn a great deal of shame and further unhappiness.

Theoretically she knows Elboron is her son, and that she loves him, but she doesn't feel it. Her feelings towards motherhood are dominated by her experiences with pregnancy and childbirth, and her shame that she cannot feel an instant affection for her son.

She ends up resenting Elboron because she liked it being Faramir & Eowyn as a unit, and now suddenly there's this child taking up time and attention. And because she can't bond with him like Faramir does, she feels excluded in her own family, a sensation she's very vulnerable to.

Eomer arrives at Emyn Arnen shortly before or after the birth, and adores his new sister-son. This doesn't help, and Eowyn feels herself supplanted not only in Faramir's heart but also in Eomer's. Once more, her male kin folk have created a unit and shut her out.

Everyone is delighted with the Steward's new son and heir, and great celebrations are held, while Eowyn can barely get out of bed. More and more she feels like a vessel for the Prince of Ithilien's heirs, who can be forgotten and discarded now that she has fulfilled her purpose.

Eowyn's family can tell she is struggling. They try to cheer her up by assuring her that she will be out of bed soon, and by talking about how wonderful Elboron is. This is rather the opposite of what Eowyn needs to hear, but she can't possibly say such a thing, because what sort of mother doesn't want to talk about her own son? What sort of mother doesn't allow her whole existence to revolve around her son?

(What sort of mother regrets becoming a mother at all?)

Eowyn is slightly comforted when she tells the midwife a little of what she is feeling, who tells Eowyn that many, many mothers struggle to bond with their child right away, and that Eowyn's exhaustion and unhappiness is very common after the travails of childbirth. This eases some of Eowyn's shame, and she's able to confide in Faramir and Eomer a little more, allowing them to help her feel not quite so neglected.

Faramir is somewhat concerned at Eowyn admitting her own lack of interest in their child, remembering his own strained relationship with his father, but he abides by the midwife's instructions to allow Eowyn to bond with their child in her own time.

Once Eowyn has recovered her strength enough for her to start going about her former duties and interests, herblore, settling law and land disputes, training horses, and she is reminded of who she is beyond Elboron's mother, once she is treated as someone other than Elboron's mother, she starts to recover her own sense of self.

Eowyn and Faramir's duties have the pair working together and mixing together away from the nursery, allowing Eowyn to feel like they are a partnership again.

As Elboron grows more active and starts forming more of a personality, Eowyn takes a greater interest in him, and finds it easier to grow close to him. He's a very bold, curious child, which Eowyn finds enchanting.

According to customs of the Mark, Eowyn has him riding with her before he can even walk. Riding with him in a satchel across her chest is the first time Eowyn is really struck with that fierce, maternal love everyone had promised her. Before that moment, Elboron seemed more like a vaguely sweet and amusing child who now lived in her house. Now he felt like her son.

Eowyn is able to form her own bond with Elboron, as well as entering into a family unit with Elboron and Faramir, and retaining a partnership with Faramir, and an identity of her own through her work and her passions.

The first time Eowyn joins an orc hunt and returns with an orc head on her spear is really bloody cathartic, for sure, and she returns laughing, feeling completely herself at last.

As Elboron grows, Faramir is the more present of the two parents. His emotional intelligence and innate gentleness means he is ideal for working out the needs of a child, and in time, a young man. He takes a more active hand in arranging Elboron's upbringing, and most of the decisions made for Elboron are made by Faramir.

Eowyn is happy to let Faramir take a lead in Elboron's upbringing, but when she insists on something, or feels strongly about some decision or other, they work it out like equals. Eowyn is also very pro-active in passing down the customs of her homeland to Elboron, and Elboron grows up with a very strong sense of his identity as a child of the Mark, as well as of Gondor.

If Faramir is the parent Elboron goes to, or is sent to, when he needs to talk, then Eowyn is the one he goes to when he needs not to talk.

Sometimes if Elboron is angry, or throwing a tantrum or frustrated about something, and Faramir is struggling to talk him through it, Eowyn will say "right, stables" or "you're coming to the stillroom", and she will set him some simply, physical task, such as cleaning tack, watering plants, cleaning potion flasks or weeding a flower bed. She will work beside him, but at a distance, and give him the chance to cool off.

Eowyn knows this works because this is what Theodred did when she got into a state as a child.

Eowyn is also the one who will burst into Elboron's schoolroom and declare that he is riding with her today, or assisting her in some official business regarding the villagers, or checking out some plants growing in the forests. They always justify these adventures by telling Faramir what Elboron learned on them.

Faramir does sometimes mourn that they never gave Elboron a younger brother, or that he never had a daughter, whom he would have doted on, but he does not grieve overmuch and mostly takes joy in his family as it is. Eowyn cannot develop feelings for a child that doesn't yet exist and never will, and quite frankly she is relieved that she will never have another child. Pregnancy was a horror, and there's no guarantee she will like her next child as much as she does Elboron.

[onestevetogo]

Lord of the Abridged: Tower Power

Frodo - I miss Gandalf.

Sam - I am a packmule.

Gollum - I have somehow hunted the ring better than nine wraith assassins.

Frodo - I hate this ring.

Gollum - Gimme the ring!

Frodo - I’ll give you the Sting.

Gollum - Oh no.

Frodo - Gollum, lead us to Mordor.

Gollum - That’s a terrible idea.

Sam - That’s a terrible idea.

Frodo - This is a great idea.

Orcs - We’re taking the hobbits to Isengard!

Pippin - I want some nice crispy bacon.

Merry - I am sick.

Orcs - Here’s a homemade family recipe.

Merry - yucky.

Oruk - You’re yucky :(

Oruk - wait…

Oruk - ManFlesh!

Aragorn - They noticed my manflesh.

Gimli - This distance is physically twice for me as it is for everyone else. #DurinsFolkStruggles

Legolas - They’re taking the hobbits to Isengard!

Saruman - Nothing could possibly go wrong with the arrangement I have with my new best friend Sauron.

Sauron - I don’t know who that weird goth dude is but keep him a good ten feet from me.

Orcs - We demand rest!

Oruk - Damn unions.

Orcs - We demand good food!

Oruk - Let them eat cake.

Dave - I want to take a bite of a hobbit! A hobbite!

Oruk - Scum! *killing noises*

Dave - *getting killed noises*

Orcs - We demand Dave!

Oruk - You drive a hard bargain.

Merry - Crawly crawly.

Pippin - Sneaky sneaky.

Dave’s cousin also named Dave - I demand a hobbite!

Rohirrim - We’re a traveling play. Wanna see our act?

Orcs - *Dies*

Oruk - *Dies*

Hobbits - Cliffhanger!

Aragorn - We’ve been running all night.

Legolas - Man, I’d love to see a play.

Rohirrim - We’re a traveling play. Wanna see our act? All it needs is a dead dwarf.

Legolas - How dare you threaten the life of my best buddy in the whole wide world!

Aragorn - …

Rohirrim -…

The horses - …

Gimli -…

Aragorn - Have you seen some orcs? They’re taking the hobbits to Isengard.

Eomer - They’re dead. Dead as hell. If your kids were there, they’re dead too. We can’t tell the difference.

Aragorn - oh shit.

Legolas - oh shit.

Gimli - oh shit.

Witch king - *stubbed toe screeching*

Frodo - Oh no! It’s Mister Stabby!

Gollum - It’s cool. They suck at their jobs.

Witch king - *Screeches elsewhere*

Gollum - Don’t follow the lights.

Frodo - You’re not my mom.

Ghosts - Hey little halfling. Want some candy?

Frodo - I love candy!

Ghosts - Hahaha! It wasn’t candy at all!

Frodo - *Ghostly drowning noises*

Gollum - What did I just say?

Merry - Is Dave still chasing us?

Pippin - DAVE, ARE YOU STILL CHASING US?!?!

Merry - wtf, Pippin?

Dave - I’m still chasing you!

Treebeard - Gimme the hobbits.

Dave - *Roadkill noises*

Treebeard - I’m a tree with a beard! Guess my name!

Merry -…

Pippin - Dave?

Aragorn - Where’s the hobbits?

Gimli - I found a dead orc!

Aragorn - That’s not a hobbits!

Legolas - Ew don’t touch it.

Gandalf - I’m gonna scare the shit out of these three.

Gandalf - *Lightshow*

Aragorn - Holy shit!

Legolas - Holy shit!

Gimli - Holy shit!

Gandalf - Lmao. Let’s go to Rohan.

Theoden - mnmmnbnbmmmm.

Grima - He says he doesn’t like you.

Gandalf - Theoden? More like Theodumb.

Theodumb - bffbmmnm.

Grima - He says your shoes are raggedy and your staff looks like a pleasurable instrument.

Gandalf - wizardwhocantgetlaidsayswhat

Sarumon - What?

Gandalf - Lmao.

Saruman - PAIN!

Gandalf - PAIN!

Saruman - Egad!

Theoden - *Grasps his killing stick* I’m Theodone.

Grima - I’m Theodead.

Sarumon - If he wants pain, I’ll show him some pain.

Grima - How?

Sarumon - I’ve grown several thousand muscular, voracious hunks who will do anything I tell them.

Grima - Good for fighting?

Sarumon - …

Grima - For fighting, right?

Theoden - Let’s go to Helm’s Deep.

Aragorn - Yes, nothing could go wrong.

Gandalf - Deuces.

Gimli - I’ve had like five lines and zero agency in this movie so far.

Legolas - It’s hard being a princess. ✨✨

Aragorn - Hey you’re pretty good with that sword.

Eowyn - I will literally have your child right here in this hallway.

Legolas - :O

Gimli - :O

Sméagol - :O

Sarumon - :O

Morgoth - :O

Eru Illuvitar - :O

Tom Bombadil - :O

That one orc head on a spear - :O

Anyone with half a brain cell - :O

Aragorn - She seems nice.

Gollum - *Having a meltdown*

Gollum.exe has stopped working.

Gollum - Rebooting.

Sméagol - Sméagol.exe.

Sméagol - …

Sméagol - It’s wabbit season.

Orcs - We’re a traveling band! Wanna hear our latest single “Omnom”?

Rohan Soldiers - “Omnom”?

Wargs - Omnomnomnom!

Soldiers - *Fighting*

Eowyn - ManFlesh!

Aragorn - *To orc Uber* I will pay you to throw me off this cliff.

Orc taxi - A dollar’s a dollar!

Aragorn - *Flying king noises*

Sméagol - It’s fish season.

Gondorites - It’s little gremlin season.

Frodo - Hol up. He’s a little weird but he’s aight.

Faramir - I was going to kill you but didn’t. There’s no other information I can offer here that could improve future events.

Sméagol - *Dramatically* I’ve been betrayed!

Faramir - Tell me what I want to know.

Sméagol - Gollum.exe

Merry - Take the hobbits to Isengard!

Treebeard - No.

Merry - Aw man.

Treebeard - What’s this? Deforestation?! HRAGBLAGMIMGONNAKILLTHATLITTLESHIT!

Merry - Yay!

Treebeard - We all might die but that’s okay!

Merry - Y…yay?

Aragorn - *Dramatic Entrance*

Eowyn. - Take me right here.

Aragorn - Orcs.

Theoden - Orcs?!

Gimli - These are Uruk Hai!

Uruk - Uruk hi!

Theoden - So it begins.

It - *beginning*

Gimli - Two already!

Legolas - I’m on seventeen!

Gimli - That’s not fair fighting!

Legolas - :)

Gimli - Fighting, right?

5 days later:

Theoden - This is too much fighting!

Aragorn - Let’s fight some more.

Theoden - Sounds good bestie!

Gandalf - PAIN!

Eomer - PAAAAAAAAAAAIN!

Gandalf - Oh shit.

Orcs - Oh shit.

Treebeard - Orc mush! Mush orc!

Treesbeard - Reverse veganism!

Sarumon - Sauron pick me up I’m scared

Legolas - We’re alive!

Soldiers - We’re alive!

Eowyn - ManFlesh!

Aragorn - *hiding king noises*

Gandalf - That was close.

Frodo - Something just happened.

Faramir - Run little child thing. Be free.

Hobbits - *Scampering off*

Faramir - I feel like there’s something I forgot to do.

Later :

Gollum - I’m gonna murder these hobbits.

Credits

[kthecritter]

my lovely liittle feed deciides to put a post from JULY up on my dash from you so ii thought iit was closed untiill wednesday. iinsert facepalm

could i possibly get a mask objectkiin iidpack and maybe a phone wallpaper? (ii kiin any mask that only shows the eyes, liike thiis one -> https://pin.it/4MwSRuIe3 )

(wallpaper iis optiional iif you just don't feel liike doiing iit)

here you go, I hope you enjoy! yayy, my first official id pack (also sorry I’m super tired so no wallpaper :c)

Names/nicknames

Blank

Mask

Persona

Domino

Blanche/blanch

Thalia

Melpomene

Silhouette

Drama

Veil

Grima

Usernames

TheMaskedShadow

ComedicallyTragic

MaskedByTheVeil

Drama King/Queen/Liege

StageFolk

Muse of Tragedy/Comedy

Vibrant Vizard

MistyMasquerader

TotallyNotAGuise

Pronouns

Mask/mask/masks/masks/maskself

Masque/masque/masques/masques/masqueself

Veil/veil/veils/veils/veilself

Cloak/cloak/cloaks/cloaks/cloakself

Come (pronounced like the first two syllables of comedy)/comedy/comedy/comedies/comedies/comeself

Trage (pronounced like the first two syllables of tragedy)/tragedy/tragedies/tragedies/trageself

Silhou/silhouette/silhouettes/silhouettes/silhouself

Hide/hidden/hiddens/hiddens/hideself

Guise/guise/guises/guides/guiseself

[erenspussy420]

WIP Neige and Alhaitham

So I basically disappeared off the face of the earth on most of my socials. I haven't been the best of mind space in a while and adjusting myself over and over.

writing had to take a back seat for a while, but thank you for your patience.

currently writing out old asks in my inbox, an Ace and Deuce fic, the title name and some personal fanfictions of mine for my oc's.

the Al-haitham one is for a trade between me and a dear friend of mine.

Neige is an old WIP of Two Face Pretty Boy:

In the world of acting, one must always be in character to succeed. That was the first lesson.

No one really knows where Neige has come from. One day he just appeared at the orphanage alone and drowning in a sweater too big for him 

From a poor boy who cleaned homes with his seven brothers, no matter if he was human and they from dwarven blood, he worked himself to the bone washing filthy floor boards and defiling rotting gardens. His clothes were always tattered and drowning him in excess fabrics, and hunger gnawing at his belly. But as long as Grum cheeks were full, where Dominic didn't have to scurry for tape when his old glasses fell apart, or worry where Shelpie fell asleep at— whatever it took, no job was too much for him. 

Ebony hair, skin white as snow and eyes like roasted chestnuts.

The day Florian's Wonder Talent Agency recruited him was the day Neige could finally breathe. Taking him and his brothers to a clean apartment, where the fridge is full and he can sleep easier at night.

Before he gets tossed to the wolves.

"I'm gonna treat you like a whore." The sweet voice mutters. It sends sparks running down your spine as Neige sucks down on your neck , leaving his marks for anyone to see. He’s greedy, he wants everyone to know that you were his. Walking around printed on by his lips, his adoration comes covered under the night. As much as he would love your marks on him in turn, his agency would throw a fit at any blemishes on his skin.

.

.

.

..

.

Taking in the beauty of such a realm, far away from the familiar rolling hills of Sumeru. It's been months now that he found himself here in this strange kingdom. A realm, literal worlds away from home— a land where time has mingled with past, present and future. Where those of the highest of nobles, kings and queens and down to society's lowest orphans, had gathered to fight for something beyond skirmishes of land. Even the gods fight by their sides— something he could only dream of.

Side by side, as if they were equals.

Almost. He clicks his tongue behind his teeth, watching the dragons fly freely into the open skies. The glinting eyes of the dark dragon's wings cut through the thickest of clouds, the faint sunlight catches the amethyst scales that marked several eyes leering at him menacingly. Its body ate the sun briefly. The world went dark when he breathed, the dragon known as Grima, dives under the clouds and the world is painted once more. The great dragon disappears with the younger dragons chasing its tail. They dive beneath the clouds in one swoop. Al-haitham loses sight of them. 

‘A realm of possibilities,’ Al-haitham had thought of it. 

[thedivergingpaths]

Time is Not Linear

Lucina and the other children are split apart further than they could have imagined, but they still do their damnest to make a good timeline.

Lucina and Laurent are the only ones who make it - Laurent is still thrust five years prior to Chrom and Robin finding each other, ans he hides in the desert, and Lucina emerges as Marth with the Risen invasion.

But the pair begin to see traces of their friends in an already altered timeline.

Cynthia was flung far into the past, further than the rise of the Grimleal, but after Grima's released. To the current citizens of Ylisse and surrounding kingdoms, she is a fable.

Oh, she hunted for the dark dragon, to find who he was ensnaring. She never did, but she was remembered fondly through song and story, and she was a tale of hope to sleeping children.

Inigo landed in Valm a couple of decades before Lucina lands in the past. Ylisse has not invaded Plegia - this invasion is still a few years away - and Valm has not yet been re-consolidated under the conqueror Walhart.

Inigo finds his way into Walhart's inner circle, creating a Valm that is strong but not on a tenuous thread of fracturing and being blinded by the Grimleal. Inigo had Walhart's ear - Walhart knows Validar is a threat who is bringing Grima back.

The Grimleal murdered Inigo a couple years before Lucina landed. Laurent is distraught they missed him, because Laurent could have tried to find any others (and gods, his feelings get worse when they discover the fates of other comrades).

But Inigo created a Walhart willing to be an ally to Ylisse, to Chrom and Robin, in the shadow of a coming monster.

But there are more travelers, more children missing. Where have they gone?

Not all were flung far enough into the past to be on the same path as Lucina. Lucina barely made it to the right timeline, because their lives have splintered the coming future.

Owain landed in a peaceful Ylisse, where he is but a baby without dreams of heroism. He takes the name Odin, and bears the burden of prophecy.

The Grimleal start tearing apart the world with Risen and their workings to fully revive Grima, but there is a hero who knows what they want. A hero who will do anything to prevent the dark future.

His story branches on its own. He is alone. He never finds his family and comrades - and they never learn he is the past and the future. Odin is a name remembered forever when the ashes settle and flowers grow again, however.

Yarne is flung far enough back that there are other Taguel, and he has a choice. He could join them, and possibly die when his mother is a sole survivor of a genocide. It could be peaceful for a time. Or he could hide with his head in the sand, away from Taguel and people. This is a crueler time to be a Taguel, after all.

Yarne could also decide to save his people. He could be brave like his friends have encouraged him to be. He could do it - for the honor of Taguel, for his own pride, and to show his mother long gone he can be a brave rabbit boy.

Lucina and Laurent are dancing around Ylisse in preparation to fight Grima, and Valm has sworn to fight the Grimleal on Ylisse’s - Chrom and co’s - side when a small but mighty army appears made entirely of rabbit Taguel. Yarne could not save his mother’s nest, and Panne had believed she was alone in the world, but Yarne emerges a man leading an army of Taguel ready to defend the Exalt with their lives.

Yarne weeps when he sees Laurent and Lucina, and they embrace him. There is still a chance to find their other friends - they can do it together.

They can kill Grima once and for all.

Morgan appears, amnesiac and from another, darker timeline. They join the fight, and Robin begins to plan how to end Grima once and for all. Robin may also be amnesiac, but they know in their bones they are the key to Grima’s awakening and Grima’s slumber. Even if it is just one timeline, one place in the greater universe, Robin could turn the key the other way.

(In secret, Naga confirms Robin’s musings, and they begin to plot behind Chrom’s back when the fire emblem is restored to glory).

When Grima revives with the soul of a future Robin, Lucina thinks the fight is over. When the future Robin releases three thralls to keep the army grounded during Grima’s flight, Lucina knows they have lost.

Kjelle, Gerome, and Severa are bound to Grima now. Chrom and Robin, and a select entourage go to fight Grima. Lucina leads the fight against her thralled friends, even as it breaks her heart.

Severa is the first brought down by Lucina’s sword. There is a moment of lucidity. Lucina had been convincing herself that they were Risen, they were dead and gone.

But they’re not, and Lucina just killed her friend.

“Thank you,” Severa sighs as she dies. Lucina stops in the fight.

What sort of future is worth doing this?

Kjelle is taken down in a pile of Taguel, and Yarne hears her last words. She begs to remembered for her strength, for her mother to know she didn’t choose this. Yarne holds her as she dies as herself.

Gerome goes to strike down Lucina, when Laurent brings him down with wind magic. Bones crack and shatter. Gerome’s body is tangled with Minerva the wyvern’s. His last words are not heard, but his face isn’t twisted in the pain Laurent would have expected for such a violent crash.

It is not peaceful but there is almost a satisfaction there. A release.

Grima falls from the sky. Robin turns to ash on the wind. The Grimleal fall apart.

Chrom, shoulders heavy, leads the world into a new era of light.

Yarne takes his new Taguel family and disappears into the woods. His mother and her human lover follow.

Laurent and Lucina disappear from the public eye, and then the historical records.

Nah reappears generations later to make sure history remembers what they sacrificed to bring down a monster once and for all. And then she disappears again, fading into her own myth.

Brady and Noire never fall out of the time stream. They clasped hands, and they are desperately afraid to let go. It may release them back into existence, or they will be alone in the endless fall.

They fall, and fall, and fall.

--

Check out my previous post, Macedon’s Twist of Fate, if you like these “what if” scenarios

** DO NOT USE AI ON MY WORKS **

[ro-botany]

@levemetal Hope you don't mind my bringing this out to its own post - I saw your tags and wanted to try to help!

So, ripping models is going to be a different process depending on how the game was made; what console it was on, what game engine its built in... There's no one-size-fits-all process, and it's going to require some baseline tech-savvy-ness.

But given that these tags were regarding Grima; I'll tell you more or less how I get models out of Fire Emblem Awakening.

A Ramble-y Overview of Fire Emblem Awakening Model Ripping:

Step 0: Gather your Tools

There's a lot of tools floating around intended to help with 3DS model ripping. Some are very pleasant to use and others are janky, so brace yourself.

For this, you will need:

Citra emulator (for extracting game files)

Paragon (for figuring out where models you want are)

FEAT (for decompressing game files)

SPICA (for exporting models + textures to usable formats)

Blender (for actually working with the models) (or whatever 3d modelling program you like; I only know blender though)

Step 1: Get a ROM of Awakening

Legally obtain one, of course. Assuming you have the game cartridge the 3DS hacking community can help you more with that. Definitely do not download any game roms from any online websites, why, that would be piracy!

Step 2: Extract the Game Files

Open up Citra, add a game directory and tell it where your rom is.

Right click the rom and select "Dump RomFS" to get Citra to start extracting all the game files. This will take a while. Wait for it to be done.

Once its done dumping the files, you're going to want to go to File > Open Citra folder. From there, navigate into "dump", then "romfs", then click the big nonsense folder name - that nonsense is Awakening's game ID, so, this folder is Awakening's game files.

All the models you could ever wish for are in here!!! We just need to actually find them now.

Step 3: Figure out which model(s) you want.

Time to go open up Paragon. This is technically a tool for creating mods of several fire emblem games, but we're not going to mod anything, we're just going to use it to figure out what models belong to which characters.

The github page has instructions on it, but basically you want to open up Paragon and start a new project for FE13. Create some random output folder for it and direct it to that, we don't care. But the "Extracted RomFS Directory" should be the citra folder I just told you how to get to.

Once you have the project open, there will be a lot of buttons and things. Don't worry about all this. The only two you care about right now are "Asset Definitions" and "Presets".

(Ignore the font; I changed paragon's font to awakening's font because i'm a nerd)

Most of the human characters are easiest to find in "Asset Definitions"; some under their english name, others (like Chrom) under their english base class' name.

Grima, though, you can find in "Presets" by searching for "boss".

This entry specifically is the one pertaining to grima's full body model. There's a lot of info here, but the highlighted panel on the right is the information you need; this is telling you the names of the files containing Grima's models and textures!

For human characters, typically the head and body fields will be filled in, and possibly the hair for characters with long hair. some have accessories, some don't.

This complexity is why we use paragon to check instead of checking every single model file manually like fools. (it's me, i'm fools)

Keep this window open for reference at the side for the next step.

Step 4: Go Get the Models

Make a folder somewhere on your computer to keep this character's models.

Then, go back to that Citra folder we opened up earlier.

Awakening's assets are split up into several folders. The folder you want is "b", which has most of the character and weapon models and textures. (This organization scheme is Not consistent between Awakening and the other 3DS fire emblems, watch out.)

In here, find the files paragon is telling you belong to this character, and copy them into your dedicated folder for this model ripping project.

Wow, look at all those files we can't use. Time to make them usable.

Step 5: Decompress the Files

Open up FEAT. Drag all those files onto the FEAT window. It will decompress them; there will be a copy of each file without the .lz file extension. You did it! They're decompressed!

Step 6: Extract the Models and Textures

Open up SPICA.

Click the little Folder button in the top left to open a file. Navigate to this folder you have your decompressed files in. Click on one of the decompressed files.

For MODELS, as in the .m files, you are going to click the Save button. Save each model as a .dae file, and give each a name that will make it clear which model this is - the body, the head, a specific accessory, whatever. (you can choose .smd instead if you want, but you will need a blender addon for importing smd files if you do.)

For TEXTURES, which are the .t files, there is an extra step. In the panel on the right, there is a small anime eye. That is the textures tab. Click on it, and the panel will change to a list of textures that are in that file. You should export all of them by using the special texture export button. DO NOT CHANGE THE NAMES the texture names are important.

Step 7: Blender Time

Tragically this is the most annoying part, and I can't even give you very detailed instructions off the top of my head because the exact steps are so tailored to each specific character.

Open up Blender. Go to File > Import > Collada (.dae) and import the character's component models one by one.

Each individual file will come with its own armature for posing! If you want to have a functional, posable model, you are going to have to join them together yourself. Normally this means taking a component armature, positioning it properly in relation to the body, parenting the component meshes to the body armature, joining the component armature to the body armature, and then taking whatever root bone the component had and setting it's parent bone to the right bone from the body armature. If you just joined a character's head on the body, take the root bone from the head armature and set its parent to the head bone from the body armature. Stuff like that.

Some of the weight painting may be broken, so when you pose joints on the armature some things will move incorrectly. I do not know how to get SPICA not to do that, and I haven't found any other 3DS model exporter that works with awakening that doesn't do that. Try exporting as an SMD instead. If neither dae format nor smd format works right, You're going to have to go in and re-do the broken weight painting manually. There is no shortcut to this. I am sorry.

You will also notice everymodel is split up into several meshes. If you need the character to be one singular manifold mesh, you're going to have to edit it to be that way yourself, in a way that does not destroy the UV maps. There is no shortcut to this. I am sorry.

Also: If it's Grima, be aware that their model is like 3000 blender units long. You will want to scale all their armatures down to 0.1 or something, because Blender does NOT play nice with stuff that big.

Anyway, textures.

In Awakening, a texture name ending in c0 is the base colours. A texture name ending in s0 is a specular map.

If the base colour file looks mostly transparent, that's because it's channel packed; the color and alpha channels contain two different textures. In Grima's case, the color channel is their actual colors, and the alpha channel appears to be an emission map.

So, go on into the shader editor, click on each mesh to open its material, and plug the textures into the right spots on basic shader node provided. Make sure to set the Alpha mode of the channel packed textures to say "Channel Packed". And you're good to go! You can see what the character looks like now!

If parts of textures should be transparent but aren't (like grima's eyes and wing feathers) you're going to have to figure out a solution for that yourself. I manually made my own alpha map for grima's eyes and wings, and it was Annoying but it was the only solution I could find.

Congratulations, you've done it!

You have successfully ripped a model from Awakening. Now go on and modify it however you need to; make better shaders for it, clean up the mesh and unwrap its UVs again for free plushie patterns, do silly posing shenanigans with it. Whatever your heart desires.

Good luck, dear reader, for you will probably need it.

[zippy-reacts]

Sonic the Comic Liveblog: Issue 114

Well, would you look at that, the scan of this issue still has the free gift attached

This is literally just the establishing shot and the art already goes so hard. Like, look at all that detail!

Now's there's an angle you don't see Sonic stories take too often, this acknowledgement that in the modern world you can't simply stop all industrial work, yet we still need to endeavour to lessen the negetive impact upon the environment.

Haven't seen these fellas in a hot minute. Heck, I think their last encounter was with Knuckles, so it's been extra long since Sonic has seen them

And Sonic is immediately ready to throw hands

I know a Chekhov's gun when I see one

Yep, time for a fight with the pepto-bismol monster again

Gotta say, these panels really do communicate a sense of motion

This is really, REALLY, good artwork

Returning to Tails' story, and thinking about it, does StC ever really acknowledge any of the main cast having parents?

People were mistaking THIS GUY as Tails??? People mistaking Shadow as Sonic is more believable!

There's many weird things about this fan letter, but I'm gonna hone in on the fact that they actually fucking printed something calling Tails a puff, which is in the UK, a slur for gay people. The late 90s/early 00s really were a different time man.

Onto a significantly less weird letter, this one is quite interesting. From a quick google search I think I can see how Mervyn Peake's works could have influenced the creation of Grimer, although I think the name Grimer Wormtounge may have actually came from a Lord of the Rings character, whose name is spelt Grima.

Can't lie, I read Tekno's line there like that one line from Hotel Mario.

Oh my god I think this is a reverse isekai story. And well before Sonic X or the Sonic movies did it too.

Okay so they speak the same language. This has so many possible wordbuilding implications I'm getting a headache. But just to throw one potential idea out there I'm wondering if Earth could potentially be the place of origin for the rare few humans we see on Earth? Like Kintobor or his ancestors came from here?

Almost 30 years laters and things havent really changed, have they?

And much like the later "Sonic characters on Earth" stories, the miltary has strong opinions about it.

[someobscurereference]

So this is four years about too late but I recently stumbled across your sdr2 xanlow au (barbed wire mouth) and was wondering if you would be open to talk about your ideas for this setting since you mentioned it in the endnotes? Ended up reading like all of your xanlow fics after that and you are an absolute gift, they were all such nice reads

(barbed wire mouth)

Never too late to ask questions! Though I may be delayed in answering, lol. Hope you're still interested.

The following comes straight from my notes on the document that have been sitting on my computer since I wrote it. Note that these are many years old now:

Inigo — Ultimate Feroxi Dancer (Mom was Ultimate Traditional Dancer, which encompassed a lot more dances)

Severa — ??? (she can’t remember; she's the Hajime insert but is determined to excel at everything she does) Jack of all trades, but master of none (Better than master of one)

Owain — Ultimate Roleplayer

Xander — Ultimate Knight (Ryoma in his own equivlaent virtual world = Ultimate Samurai)

Camilla — Ultimate Big Sister

Leo — Ultimate Bookworm

Niles — Ultimate Thief (Takumi is probably the Ultimate Archer with Ryoma)

Jakob — Ultimate Butler — Deceased

Oboro — Ultimate Seamstress

Orochi — Ultimate Fortune Teller

Effie — Ultimate Weightlifter — Deceased

Subaki — Ultimate Perfectionist

Saizo — Ultimate Ninja — Deceased

Arthur — Ultimate Bad Luck — Deceased

Peri — Ultimate Baker

Flora — Ultimate Maid

Note: List of deceased is only accurate through case three.

Case notes:

Case 1:

Saizo assassinates Arthur, a murder which is described as an act of Bad Luck (but is named a possible murder by Grima, the island’s version of Monokuma, so the group has to debate on whether or not it’s an accident versus a murder, though all initial signs point to it being an accident. Some tense debate over it at the trial before it’s figured out Saizo set up the assassination to look like an accident)

Saizo gets away with it because he covered his tracks near perfectly, but Severa figures out it was him at the last minute

Case 2:

Effie kills Jakob because the game machine showed him killing Elise in some sort of despair event in the past as a way to torture himself and Corrin, whom he loves so much

Owain was the first person to play the game all the way through and see the truth

He didn’t say anything about it until the trial because he didn’t want to point fingers or reveal anything bad; acts very withdrawn the day he finishes the game and dismissive of anyone who says they’re going to play it afterwards, which is strangely noted as the exact opposite attitude he had before

Also heard Leo mention his sister Elise before and didn’t want to say anything when they don’t know if that even happened

Apparently, Effie believed it though

Case 3:

Inigo, Leo, Peri, and Subaki all come down with Despair Disease

Inigo — Cruelty Disease (becomes actively mean towards everyone for unwarranted reasons)

Leo — Dependence Disease (can’t do anything by himself, wants to stay close to people he knows, wants to hold hands, touchy)

Peri — Polite Disease (very calm & collected, not at all threatening, affronted by the idea of hurting someone)

Subaki — Careless Disease (not a perfectionist, pretty lazy, doesn’t care how things turn out or if he puts effort into them, the opposite of who he is as a person)

Leo keeps wanting to cling to Xander; Inigo gets into a fight with Owain before breakfast; Peri is sitting calmly at a table, unmoving and only speaking when spoken to; Subaki shows up in shabby clothes and hair disheveled

Xander & Flora agree to watch over them and take them to the hospital

Flora comes down with a disease and she ends up remembering their true past. She kills Subaki. Peri walks in and is killed as well.

Xander blames himself for not watching over her more closely too. So grateful she didn’t kill Leo, because he definitely hadn’t seen it coming.

Notes not from my document but that I remember thinking about at the time:

I used a mixture of Nohrian and Hoshido characters because I figure that would create more tension, even if the characters don't remember having any tension between each other previously. The more of their past that is slowly discovered, the less trust there is.

I've always really liked the idea of the sdr2 cast figuring out they're in a digital reality before the full end of the game. For the fourth or fifth case, I imagine Owain would die because he's pretty perceptive and is willing to take a leap of faith to ensure the others can possibly make it out, as he's realized they're not in a real world by now. By which I mean I think he either poisons himself (die in sleep) or jumps off a cliff into the sea (ala Future Past DLC) after telling Inigo (or maybe Inigo just figuring out) his plan. Inigo doesn't want this to happen, but he admits something isn't right about their amnesia and the situation at hand, so he wasn't able to stop Owain properly.

I haven't decided, but Inigo will die either because (a) Grima (the Monokuma equivalent) considers it murder that Inigo could be aware of Owain's plan and let it happen or (b) Inigo helps Owain "get break through the virtual reality"/die, even though he's also fucked up about it.

(Inigo will admit the truth before any false murderer can be punished though; his guilt would let him do nothing less and he was holding out in hopes Owain's Virtual Reality theory is correct and the whole situation they were in would be resolved before the trial comes to a close)

Severa is the POV character and ultimate Hajime of the case, so she is completely devastated by this. However, she is encouraged by Inigo to be objective and that nothing is at all her fault. This encouragement is what ultimately leads her to point the finger at Inigo.

Because of the dwindling number of residents, Elise's murder being hinted at in the video game in Case 2, Corrin not being present, etc., Camilla and then eventually Xander will become increasingly erratic and circling each other + Leo like hawks. Leo and Niles will end up sharing a cabin most nights for protection reasons.

Camilla and/or Xander probably ends up committing a murder, perhaps in falsely perceived self-defense

Niles keeps getting accused but is always innocent. Alternatively, Niles and Leo end up in a Fuyuhiko and Peko situation.

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

‘A Stormcrow arrived late last night,’ Jorunn explains. ‘Otherwise, I would have let you sleep but I thought it might be wise you attend to the matter.’ ‘Greyhame,’ Gríma spits. She shrugs. Jorunn, to Gríma’s annoyance, seems fond of the cagey nuisance of a wizard. Like a mushroom, Gríma sneered to her once, he returns again and again bringing always with him omens of death. Of and for the dead is Gandalf. She had replied, Hardly. Though he is mercurial at times and delves into worldly affairs which often deal in death. Not unlike you. ‘Stormcrow is a neat name for him,’ Gríma continues. ‘I like it. Lathspell would be mine.’ ‘Of course it would, little dragon. Granted, some would say the same for you.’

Jorunn: Grima, have you considered the fact that you and Gandalf are two signs of the Odinnic coin possibly the reason you both hate each other vehemently?

Grima: Absolutely not. I am nothing like him.

Gandalf: Seconded, except in reverse.

Jorunn: mk.

[fellincantation]

Here Be Dragons - closed starter

New faculty meant new people for Grima to become acquainted with. She wasn't exactly interested in what the new professor had to offer but something about him was strange. Flaming red hair and something in his eye were more than enough to draw Grima's curiosity. She had kept her distance for the days following his arrival but the more she passed by him in the halls the more her interest grew. A subtle miasma seemed to roll off of the professor and it was terribly familiar to Grima. It reminded her of her many years trapped in the Dragon's Table. The very same place she had consumed every last Earth Dragon to fuel her revival. Could he be of Earth Dragon descent? Somehow Grima doubted that. She wondered if his particular situation was like her own. Fell blood passed along a family line. Grima had no way of knowing for sure. She was a fairly young dragon herself and wasn't around during the time of the Earth Dragons reign. All she had to work off of was the information presented to her at her birth and the thousand years she was able to live before being sealed away. Human logs of the past were pitiful and she doubted the Divine Dragon Naga wished to speak with a horrific creature made of her blood. So this strange professor was her best bet.

Grima approached him near the end of the day. Once the rest of the students had wandered their ways back to their dorms and after school activities were taking place. She caught Arvis just as he was exiting his classroom, standing in his way in the hall.

"Professor Arvis! Are you busy? Forgive me, my name is Robin and I'm a Black Eagles student that's going to be taking your class very soon! I was hoping to discuss some things with you on some recent studies I've been undergoing." Grima said, approaching as harmlessly as possible. She was glad her vessel had such a bright eyed and easy to manipulate face. "Though I've been told these studies are... Not quite allowed."

That was one way to broach the subject of an extinct race of evil dragons, she supposed.

@valflaame

[fefuckability]

The Awakening Bracket Qualifier! Starts July 26th at 3pm EDT

Here's how it's going to work:

There are going to be 7 qualifying polls (Four for the men, three for the women)

Pick your favorite from each poll

Polls will run for one week (I'd prefer 3 days but alas Tumblr doesn't offer the option yet)

The top 16 male characters and the top 16 female characters will qualify for the men's and women's brackets.

Polls:

Qualifier 1 (Chrom, M!Robin, Virion, Frederick, Vaike, Gregor, Henry, Libra)

Qualifier 2 (Stahl, Kellam, Gaius, Lon'qu, Basilio, Walhart, Yen'fey, Priam)

Qualifier 3 (Owain, Inigo, Brady, Gerome, Yarne, Laurent)

Qualifier 4 (Validar, Cervantes, Excellus, Mustafa, Gangrel, Old Hubba, Farber)

Qualifier 5 (F!Robin, Lissa*, Emmeryn, Cherche, Sumia, Cordelia, Panne, Anna)

Qualifier 6 (Sully, Maribelle, Tharja, Miriel, Olivia, Say'ri, Tiki, Flavia, Naga)

Qualifier 7 (Lucina, Kjelle, Cynthia, Severa, Noire, Pheros, Raimi, Aversa, Phila)

Characters who are excluded from voting:

Anyone who obviously both looks and acts like a literal child. Some characters are borderline so discretion may be used

Generics

Palette swapped characters (e.g. Victor and Vincent)

Anyone who lacks either a portrait or a unique name

Characters who do not have a unique humanoid form (e.g. Grima, because they either look like a dragon or they just look like Robin)

Characters who are technically included in Awakening via Einherjar, but would fit better with another game's poll (e.g. Marth)

*Yes, I know Lissa is canonically 15 at the start of Awakening. However, there's a two year time skip and she's canonically at least 17, possibly 18 by the end of the game. Taking that into consideration I've decided to include her. Assume she's at her post-time skip age for the purposes of these polls.

[iturbide]

to talk about Pelgia being dessert got me wondering; what if this a result of the first 'war' with the first exal? Especially before the deal with Naga, in the end, we don't know how long that was going on. But the fact Naga went into a deal that bond herself to the royal family for good sounds like they didn't had many other choices left. So the destruction might had just been so bad it could never recover?

and at worse, it was Nagas doing for punishing those people worshipping Grima, if I recall correctly she wasn't exactly kind to Robin either.

OKAY SO. BEAR WITH ME HERE. CONSPIRACY THEORY TIME.

So according to Echoes, Naga was once very close with Duma and Mila: Duma, who protected Naga with his martial prowess, earned the title of Kingshield; while his sister, who blessed the dragon tribes' land with prosperity, earned the title of King's Grail. It's that last bit that I've always found most interesting -- that Mila specifically is the one credited with blessing the land and bringing it prosperity. It's something we see further enforced throughout Echoes, where Mila's half of the Valentian continent became a rich and fertile land under her guidance.

So I've always kind of had this thought: what if the desertification of Plegia is actually because Naga exiled Mila? If Mila's power was the only thing keeping the western half of Archanea green and arable, her departure across the sea would immediately begin to unravel the ecology her presence had supported. It could also explain why Naga withdrew her influence to the eastern half of the continent, which would eventually become the halidom of Ylisse: this half of the landmass was naturally fertile and didn't require Mila's blessing, making it easier to support a population (human or dragon).

Naga abandoning the western half of the continent would also explain why Grima was able to hang out for a thousand years before she decided to do something about them: she didn't have eyes on the desert because she was more focused on the "desirable" part of the continent east of the mountain range. On top of that, Grima in Awakening seems to be pretty consistently surrounded by stormclouds -- and there's always the possibility that the people who lived in the desert began their worship of Grima because they brought shade and life-giving rain with them wherever they flew. Water is a vital resource for sustaining life, and all the more in a desert where it's in such short supply.

Of course, this possibility would also mean that when Naga and the First Exalt sealed Grima away, they were -- intentionally or otherwise -- consigning the people who lived there to death. They failed, obviously, but still. That in general would be consistent with Naga's overall track record: in Genealogy's history, Naga gave her blessing and the Book of Naga to a human and then left mankind to deal with Loptyr, which...didn't exactly end well. She may have been a little more hands-on, fighting Grima alongside the First Exalt, but anything after may have been beneath her notice.

(You are right about how she treats Robin, though: she uses Robin's name when speaking with others, but the one time she speaks to Robin directly, she calls them "Fellblood" instead. That always rubbed me the wrong way, personally.)

[birbfeeder2artisticboogaloo]

TWO TOWERS THOUGHTS!!!!

there are more of these bc the two towers is probably my favourite of the trilogy, despite the distinct LACK of boromir 😔

BUT i did notice a few things that baby birb totally ignored or forgot about!!! find out what they are........below 😈

one of baby birb's fav shots of aragorn was when he's lying across a rock tracking merry and pippin bc it reminded me of that one episode spongebob squarepants where the lads end up riding a rock to the customer's house 🤣 'it's not a boulder, it's a rock! a big, beautiful ROCK!!' lmao

baby birb ALSO loved all the shots of everyone running. as a smol individual, i had to run EVERYWHERE to keep up with the Tall Folk 😒 sure it was nice seeing THOSE feckers sprinting for a change!!

am still very confused about why anyone listened to grima what's his name, ur man's half the way to gollum u know 👀

tangential to the running scenes: i love aragorn's doofy run where he's flinging his one arm about like a silly. reminds me of my OWN unhinged run 🤣 (it is possible that these films are more deeply imprinted upon me than i thought 😅)

'LOOKS LIKE MEAT'S BACK ON THE MENU, BOYS!!!'

legolas's FACE every time he has an emotion. delightful

knowing that viggo mortensen broke his toe made me laugh at the helmet kicking scene tbh, i know it's meant to be poignant but that EXTREMELY REALISTIC scream of pain got me going like 🤣

shout out to treebeard holding merry and pippin in his tree hands. i kept thinking 'what if he just. smashes them together like barbie dolls 🤣'

ORCSES. HOBBITSES. i actually love gollum-smeagol, he's too pathetic for me to hate. HE'S LITERALLY SAT THERE SINGING HIS LIL SONG AND EATING A RAW FISH. LEAVE HIM GO HE'S NOT BOTHERING ANYONE ;A;

that gifset ruined everything for me. 'this forest is old......very old....' old as balls. that's just the line now. i no longer acknowledge the original. 😔

cheeky gandalf!! 'u wouldn't part an old man from his walking stick!! 🥺😳😘🤭🙄' (<- this is how birb thought using emojis worked a scant five years ago. be GRATEFUL i was not on tumblr back then, for the carnage would have been GREAT AND TERRIBLE!!!)

i love love LOVE the scene of the trio beating the shite out of the bg guys while gandalf walked slowly toward the king. u just see legolas punching a dude in the face, aragorn ZOOMING round in front of gandalf and off to the side, it's hilarious 🤣

whEN THEY TOSS GRIMA DOWN THE STAIRS LIKE JGY 👀

so many ICONIC lines!!! 'boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew!!'

'it's the beards 👀'

U DROP ARAGORN OFF A CLIFF???? OH! OH! JAIL FOR ORCS!! JAIL FOR ORCS FOR 1000 YEARS!!!!

rip eowyn, she's so lonely and sad that the slightest validation from a hot guy she's known for five minutes was enough to make her fall stupid in love with him 😔

(i am also stupid in love with him, but it's different when i do it bc. um. uhhhh. 👀😳)

god he IS great tho, isn't he??? he's so dirty and greasy and wet and soggy, i love him and his dirty face and his dirty clothes and his dirty hands i love him i love him i lo

legolas got SO ANGRY about the orc telling them aragorn went over the cliff, he took it SO PERSONALLY. this makes birb want them to kiss each other 😊

they can kiss gimli as well, i don't mind!!

also the king awkwardly patting legolas on the shoulder like he's a slightly homophobic dad trying to comfort his gay son after a break-up, 'i still care about u but im super uncomfortable so im just not gonna say anything ok?? ok. manly head nod. im out 😐'

OPEN MOUTH KISSING??? BEFORE MARRIAGE????!!!!!!! OBSCENE!!!!!! LEAVE ROOM FOR THE HOLY GHOST!!!

side note: poor elrond, here he is trying to make sure his daughter has a good life and all she wants is to marry the dirty ranger like

'u think u know a girl, u raise her for 2000 or whatever years, organise her birthday parties and buy her a pony and teach her how to control the river, and then in the end she leaves u behind and marries a guy with a fraction of her lifespan, dooming herself to future suffering and despair smh 😔'

also arwen's face when aragorn is breaking up with her,,,,,'what did daddy say to u?? this is bc of what he said, isn't it?! i can't believe he's still interfering with my love life!!!!' ;A;

that lil ~half caress~ aragorn does to legolas's hand when he's returning arwen's necklace to him????? it's like??? idk super romantic??? it made my stomach go SWOOP?? if i stare at a gif of this scene i feel a bit dizzy??? is that weird. am i. weird 👀

i want them to make out with each other, sorry lads 😔

the annoying thing in all these medieval fantasy type stories, when there's not enough men for the war, they're always conscripting 10 year old boys, while the teenage girls and young women without any kids are hiding with the elders and children. LIKE. HOW can u justify sending little 8 yo haleth son of hama to the front lines?? LOOK AT HIM!! HE'S TINY!!! surely a 15 - 21 year old young woman would have a better chance of NOT DYING than a wee lad!!! they're peasants, they're used to hard labour!! do directors/writers etc think it's more ~realistic~ or sth?? do ppl think NO WOMAN ever took up a sword in a crisis??? even if certain things are Not Done (and in some places, even under penalty of DEATH), the Rules tend to fly out the feckin window once there's an emergency!!! I THINK 10,000 ORCS MARCHING ON HELM'S DEEP COUNTS FOR AN EMERGENCY???????

all im saying. is if we're all going to die anyway, then EVERYONE should get a sword. even the kids. ESPECIALLY the kids. it went really well in the walking dead when the lil girls each had a pistol. i promise i can be trusted with weapons i p romi s

the best thing in medieval-style warfare is when the two armies stand across from each other and shout insults back and forth for a bit, like 'you're ugly!' or 'you're smelly!' or 'i slept with your sister, and it weren't anything to write home about!!'

please could somebody fetch gimli a ladder, ur mans can't see above the fecking wall like nnO NO NOT THAT KIND OF LADDER

legolas and gimli counting their kills will never NOT be funny to me

MY KING A BEAST!! LOOK AT HIM GO!!! HE RODE A FUCKING LADDER AND CRASHED INTO A BUNCH OF ORCS LIKE A KILLER WHALE GOING AFTER SEALS!!! ;A;

god when he shoves open those doors and ARRIVEs it's so so so fucking hot. god he is sso hot. he's so hot i love him i love him i

lol they sneak out the side door like 'hee hee hoo hoo, no one shall see us~' 🤣

'TOSS ME!!!!!' *yeets the dwarf*

legolas SHIELD SURFING!!! HANG TEN, BRO!!! GNARLY WIPE OUT!!! 🤙

im sorry

imagine being such an asshole that u make the fucking TREES angry??? like, u make the trees hate u SO FUCKING MUCH. that they literally come MARCHING OUT OF THE FOREST to commit mass property damage???? 👀

when i watched the scene i shouted 'TILL BIRNAM WOOD DO COME TO HIGH DUNSINANE!!!!' out loud but nobody laughed ._.

come onnnn it's funny right??? esp since we know that 'no man of woman born' can kill the guy in the next film!!! iT'S FUNNY, RIGHT??? ;A;

sam and frodo tumbling down the stairs also made me laugh but i paid for it immediately after when sam goes 'it's your sam. don't you know your sam?' fucknig KILL MEEEEE PLS

the most iconic, most beautiful, most painful line of the film-----the one that always makes me cry, the one i couldn't forget if i wanted to, the words that stand between me and DEATH------

'That there's some good in this world, Mr Frodo. And it's worth fighting for.'

GOD. IM FUCKING DEAD 😭😭😭😭 beautiful delivery as well, shout out to samwise gamgee for being the best man to walk middle earth, i will now lie in a puddle of my own tears _(:3」∠)

[bisexualbumblebee-writes]

Of Princes and Witches (Rewrite) Chapter 11- Legolas Greenleaf x OC

Legolas Greenleaf x Alphine Barrowes

Description: Alphine, Gandalf and the three hunters must go to Rohan where they meet King Theoden, whose mind had been all but lost to Saruman.

Word Count: 2.2k

“Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld,” Gandalf announced as they stopped to look at the kingdom in front of them. “There dwells Theoden, King of Rohan…whose mind is overthrown. Saruman’s hold over King Theoden is now very strong.” Alphine shared a look with Legolas, who sat behind her on Arod (the horse they shared). 

“Be careful what you say,” the Wizard continued. “Do not look for welcome here.” With that the three horses continued their journey into Edoras. As they rode through the kingdom people stared at them. It was completely silent as they stopped in front of the Golden Hall in which King Theoden resided. Alphine climbed off Arod with Legolas’ help then looked around as the townsfolk all but surrounded them. For a moment she grew nervous with all the attention, though it admittedly wasn’t as bad as when they were surrounded by the Rohirrim. That didn’t mean she felt any safer. 

“You’ll find more cheer in a graveyard,” Gimli grumbled, earning a warning look from the Witch before she followed Aragorn and Gandalf up the steps of the hall. Just before they entered they were stopped by a small group of guards. 

“I cannot allow you before Theoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame,” the captain spoke. “By order of Grima Wormtongue.” Alphine looked to Gandalf for instruction, but he merely nodded, which signaled them to hand their weapons over. The captain held out his hand to the Wizard. 

“Your staff.” Gandalf hummed, looking at the staff for a moment. 

“You would not part an old man from his walking stick.” The guard looked worried for a moment, but ultimately turned to lead them inside. The Wizard stayed long enough to wink slyly at Aragorn before following the guard, holding onto Alphine’s arm while Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn followed. 

“When we are in there, I will need your help in keeping the guards back,” he whispered into her ear. “By any means possible.” A smile threatened to break out on Alphine’s lips, but she managed to keep a straight face as she nodded. 

“With pleasure.” The captain stopped at the door and allowed them to pass. Inside they were greeted with a decrepit looking Theoden with a slimy looking person Alphine could only assume was Grima Wormtongue beside him. Grima leaned over and whispered something into the King’s ear that the Witch couldn’t quite hear. 

“The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Theoden King,” Gandalf said as a form of greeting. Grima whispered something to Theoden.

“Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?” The King asked before looking to Grima, almost as if seeking approval. 

“A just question, my liege,” the Man agreed as he stood, walking towards Gandalf. “Late is the hour…in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest.” Alphine turned her head just a bit when she noticed that they were being followed by a menacing looking group of guards, and they were growing closer. 

“Be silent,” Gandalf snapped, which caught her attention. “Keep your forked tongue between your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm.” He lifted his staff in front of Grima’s face, which shocked him. 

“His staff,” he gasped as he backed away quickly, ultimately falling back. “I told you to take the Wizard’s staff!” 

“Now, Alphine,” the Wizard instructed her. A small smirk formed on the girl’s face as the menacing group moved to attack them. She allowed Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas to fight them off before placing a freezing spell on the group that surrounded them. If any of them attempted to move they’d remain frozen but experience excruciating pain, she made sure of that after listening to their attempts. 

“Theoden, son of Thengel, too long have you sat in the Shadows,” Gandalf spoke directly to the King. Grima, realizing that he was about to lose, attempted to get up but was stopped by Alphine pressing a foot to his chest, forcing him back down. 

“I would stay still if I were you,” Gimli warned him from behind the Witch.  

“Hearken to me!” The Wizard called above the room. “I release you from the spell.” With that he held up his hand and closed his eyes, only to reopen them when Theorden laughed mockingly. 

“You have no power here, Gandalf the Gray.” Alphine’s hands began to shake from exhaustion the longer she held so many people under the spell. The cuffs from Galadriel, while helpful, were not quite a match against Saruman’s power (he was a Maia after all). 

“Gandalf,” she muttered nervously. It seemed that was all the Wizard needed to up the ante because he threw off his gray cloak angrily. Theoden was thrown back by a bright white light, one that the Witch remembered from Fangorn Forest. 

“I will draw you out, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound,” he sneered, thrusting his staff forward, which threw the King back once again. 

“If I go, Theoden dies,” the King spoke, though it wasn’t his voice. It was Saruman. The Wizard moved closer to Theoden while shaking his head. 

“You did not kill me…you will not kill him.” 

“Rohan is mine!” 

“Be gone,” Gandalf shouted back. Without warning Theoden jumped up from his throne and lunged at him. The sudden movement scared Alphine, which in turn made her lose concentration on the spell she held. All at once both exhaustion and weakness hit her like a tidal wave. She barely processed that she was falling until Legolas rushed forward to catch her while Aragorn and Gimli took care of the menacing group, which had been freed when she fell. The Elf held her carefully as Gandalf thrusted Theoden back with his staff once again. 

The Kind slumped forward and a blonde girl Alphine hadn’t seen before rushed forward to stop him from falling. Everyone watched in awe as Theoden’s face slowly changed. His hair and beard shortened, and he looked much younger in general as his once milky eyes cleared to reveal beautiful light blue irises. Those beautiful blue eyes turned to the girl quizzically. 

“I know your face,” he muttered quietly, which made the girl smile tearfully. “Eowyn, you are Eowyn.” The girl, Eowyn, cried with happiness and hugged the King. He patted her back as he looked around the room, stopping on the Wizard. 

“Gandalf?” 

“Breathe free air again, my friend,” the White Wizard said with a small smile. Theoden stood up shakily, lifting his hands and rubbing them. 

“Dark have been my dreams of late.” 

“Your fingers would remember their old strength better if they grasped your sword,” Gandalf mentioned, motioning to one of the guards. The guard stepped forward and held out a sword to the King. He took it and lifted it, staring at it wonderingly. Alphine shared a smile with Legolas. He helped her up as she regained her strength, Saruman no longer dampening her powers or her mind, before Theoden’s gaze landed on the floor beside him, where Grima still laid on the floor. 

Without a word the King suddenly stormed over to the scum, yanking him up by the collar. Everyone followed him as he all but dragged the Man out with a guard’s help. Grima was thrown out of the Golden Hall. He fell down the stairs with Theoden following him (albeit falteringly). 

“I’ve only….ever served you, My Lord,” the Man stuttered as he crawled backwards on his hands. Theoden continued to advance on him, however. 

“Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!” He roared.

“Send me not from your sight,” Grima bagged. Theoden disregarded his plea and raised his sword above Grima’s head, as if to kill him. He likely would have if Aragorn hadn’t rushed forward and grabbed the King’s arm. 

“No, My Lord!” He exclaimed, then lowered his tone. “Let him go. Enough blood has been spilt on his account.” The King didn’t look happy about it, but he saw reason and lowered his sword. Aragorn turned and offered a hand to Grima, but the Man merely spit on it then scrambled to his feet, pushing past the crowd of townsfolk that had surrounded them. 

“Hail, Theoden King!” The captain of the guard called. All at once the townsfolk kneeled before Theoden. Alphine followed their lead with the rest of the Fellowship following as well as those in the Golden Hall. Theoden merely offered them a smile and nod before looking at Eowyn beside him. 

“Where is Theodred? Where is my son?” 

Eowyn was forced to be the one to tell her uncle that his son had passed from his injuries after a battle with Orcs from Isengard. A funeral was planned and carried out for the Prince, though Alphine couldn’t stay to watch it. She’d seen more than enough funerals in her lifetime and she didn’t wish to see the King break down at the tomb of his son. Instead she sat in the Golden Hall with a drink to regain the last of her strength. It was as she was doing that that two children - a boy and a girl - were brought in. 

“They had no warning,” Eowyn explained as the children ate like they hadn’t eaten in days. “They were unarmed. Now the Wild Men are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree.” 

“Where is Mama?” The girl asked as Alphine wrapped a blanket around her. The Witch only shushed her in a soothing tone before looking to Gandalf when he spoke. 

“This is but a taste of the horror that Saruman will unleash,” he informed Theoden. “All the more potent he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from you women and children. You must fight.” 

“You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak,” Aragorn added. “Eomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their King.” Theoden shook his head before standing up. 

“They will be three hundred leagues from here by now. Eomer cannot help us. I know what it is you want of me, but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war.” 

“Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not,” Alphine interjected, walking over to them. 

“When I last looked…Theoden, not Alphine, was King of Rohan.” The Witch’s gaze fixed into a disapproving glare at his rather childish comment. 

“Then what is the King’s decision?” Gandalf (thankfully) spoke before she could open her mouth. Everyone watched Theoden, awaiting his answer. 

“By order of the King: the city must empty,” one of the guards, Hama, announced to the townsfolk. “We must take refuge of Helm’s Deep.” Alphine barely listened as she followed Gandalf through the crowd of people along with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. 

“Do not burden yourself with treasure, Take only what provisions you need,” Hama continued. 

“Helm’s Deep,” Gandalf all but scoffed. 

“They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight,” Gimli agreed. “Who will defend them if not their King?” 

“He’s only doing what he thinks is best for his people. Helm’s Deep has saved them in the past,” Aragorn reasoned as they wanted into the stables. 

“There is no way out of that ravine,” the Wizard retorted. “Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he’s leading them to safety, what they will get is a massacre. Theoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold.” Aragorn took a deep breath before responding. 

“They will hold.” Gandalf walked up to Shadowfax, stroking his mane thoughtfully. 

“The Gray pilgrim. That’s what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of Men I’ve walked this earth, and now I have no time. With luck,  my search will not be in vain,” he paused to mount the white horse before facing them. “Look to my coming at the first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east.” The group nodded before Aragorn spoke. 

“Go,” was all he said. And it was all Gandalf needed to ride out of the stables in a full gallop. Alphine walked to the stable doors and watched as her dearest friend rode off into the unknown. Part of her wished to go with him, too happy to learn that he was still alive, but she knew that she would be of more help to the people of Rohan. She flinched when she first felt a hand on her shoulder, though she immediately recognized the grip. 

“We must get going,” Legolas informed her softly. “Aragorn wants us at the front with King Theoden.” Alphine waited a moment before looking at him and nodding. 

“Very well.” She walked over to Arod and mounted him, Legolas climbing on after her, before grabbing the reins and riding out of the stables to where the others waited for them on their own horses.

[erenspussy420]

Tryst In Between (OC/Al-Haitham)

MDNI 18+ ONLY

Fandom: Fire Emblem Heroes (FEH)/Genshin Impact

pairing: OC Sierra/ Al-haitham

Word count: 5.555

Note: For my dear friend I hope you enjoy . Sorry for the wait.

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Beneath thick silver lashes, green eyes scan across the wide blue skies and down to the plummeting height the castle of Askr sat. If one didn't know any better they say it was the castle of the sky as it even towered over the clouds. Al-haitham digresses, however even he takes care not to look down too long.

Taking in the beauty of such a realm, far away from the familiar rolling hills of Sumeru, he reminisces of his recent dwelling place . It's been months now that he found himself here in this strange kingdom. A realm, literal worlds away from home— a land where time has mingled with past, present and future. Where those of the highest of nobles, kings and queens and down to society's lowest orphans, had gathered to fight for something beyond skirmishes of land. Even the gods fight by their sides— something he could only dream of.

Side by side, as if they were equals.

Almost . He clicks his tongue behind his teeth, watching the dragons fly freely into the open skies. The glinting eyes of the dark dragon's wings cut through the thickest of clouds, the faint sunlight catches the amethyst scales that marked several eyes leering at him menacingly. Its body ate the sun briefly. The world went dark when he breathed, the dragon known as Grima, dives under the clouds and the world is painted once more. The great dragon disappears with the younger dragons chasing its tail. They dive beneath the clouds in one fell swoop. Al-haitham loses sight of them. 

‘A realm of possibilities, ’ Al-haitham thinks.

Even its library never seems to end, it seems like every floor expands with each passing day. He traces over books with familiar insignias from Sumeru. Where every crucial point in time, where decisions were made and interactions vital once in a lifetime seemed to be lost in another. It's interesting. Even during his time as a humble feeble scholar, this theory has been touched with scrutiny and hands that have no business being careless.

Here Al-haitham is the outlier of his world.

And here he found something far more fascinating.

Rather someone.

Behind him, the soft thumps of footsteps came up the wooden staircases of Askr's grand library. They’re light and hurried, as the familiar voice comes,”Hawk!” Sierra’s blonde hair came into view, then the rest of her followed by the endearing smile she sports as she spots him. Her cheeks were flushed, her chest heaving as she had run up the stairs trying to make it on time. She fixes her hair, brushing back pale blonde locks as she steps onto the last step. He takes her in. His gaze fixed on her, from the flush redness of her cheeks, the fleeting gaze of her eyes caught his attention.

Red. Despite his lack of interest in romances, even he can say the shade of her eyes reminded him of dendrobiums. Had his fellow scholars heard him, he would have caught fire for lack of decorum or rather lack of pride in their homeland flowers. Even then, Sumeru's flowers do not have the same hue of her eyes. Their hue of red lacks the vibrancy, the shade of red that makes a ruby look dim in the Askr sun.

She's fascinating. The summoner of Askr, Sierra as he knows her by name. A witch from beyond the starlight's grace.

In the realm of Askr, they were the outliner of the heroes. The outcasts, some like the silver haired archer, Niles would say.

“Sierra,” the corner of Al-haitham’s lip curls,” you’re late. Didn’t I warn you not to keep me waiting?”

Before this week, on this particular day,  Al-haitham had thought over many things. The Summoner, as she is, shoulders the duties of the unenviable position of being the leader of a mass army. Not a typical army, one made of groups that most would have a difficult time even trying to be in the same room much less under the same banner. Al-haitham included. It simply shows what he knows of Sierra— she's capable of more than what meets the eye. Amassing quite the diverse army to fight together, having to create alliances with beings who controlled dreams and venture into time.

He hasn’t met anyone like her.

Al-haitham is content with his small cloister of allies, he can concede to her in her judgment of character. It’s rare to find one sound of mind, more with the power than many would have risked their lives for in Teyvat.

Though he must say, he did like being the odd one out amongst the other heroes.

“I know I know!” Sierra spoke breathlessly as she gulped down air. She wiped her forehead off the small sweat building on her blonde brow’s,” I got caught up with some of the heroes, didn’t think everyone needed me today.”

“Hmm, did you overestimate your time once again? Well then, for this you must assist me in this research or would you bow your head three times?” He smirks, he rests a hand under his chin,” I prefer the bowing”. If it was anyone else, it would have been playful. If you didn't know Al-haitham it would have been sarcastic. Since it was Al-haitham it was both. His dry humor seems to be a hit or miss.

Sierra laughs, as she hangs her cloak to the side nooks were,” I just think you like seeing me submit.” The tease in her tone matched that gleam in her bright eyes.

His smirk seeps into his voice,” An insight or a presumption?”

She only flashed him a too smug grin as she passed him.

“Sorry, I was down by the training tower,” Sierra explains as she smoothes down her blue wool shift. It was cool in the high castle of Askr. Even if Al-haitham himself felt a constant pleasant temperature as a result of being summoned, Sierra didn't share the same benefit.” Byleth wanted to go over some new tactics with me.”

Oh, him. An unpleasant disdain soured his good mood. He shuts the book he was leafing through with a passive ‘ thump’.

“Ah Byleth,” The name tastes sour on his tongue, he turns on his heel heading towards the table he had set up for their session. His walk could be called a saunter by some and cocky asshole by others, but Sierra can say its art— the subtle sway of hips accentuated by the grace of his walk. Sierra has met plenty of beautiful people, some with eyes like the sun, others whose beauty makes you weak kneed and others as Sierra had met, could not be properly done justice with a few words.

And then there was Al-haitham.

“I presume he was able to see the flaws of his last strategy?” His voice frosted the glass as they walked further into the library.

“His plan was great.”

“It could have been better.”

A stray ray of light touches him, the grace of his gaze stills her breath in her chest. For a brief moment, she can see all the variations of blues, greens, and teal that made his eyes. Even the wisps of his silver hair glimmer under the bright Askr sky. The sharp curve of his lashes, the faint glimmer of starlight that clung to all heroes paint him as– beyond the grace of the heavens.

Reminiscent of the gems that fell onto Askr before his arrival. A dazzling shower of stars that burned bright as they fell, shattering into dust over Aether islands. One by chance survives its fall, its journey to her hand brought newness in the realm of Midgard. Thrumming with glows of pinks and blue, the star spoke like that of a heart– wanting to live .

A scoff leaves his lips easy as the air he breathes,” While Byleth had been busy refining his so called tactics—,” Sierra lips part ready to defend the Professor, Al-haitham turned heel those bright teal eyes carrying the sun,” —I had learned more of this realm's magic.”

Sierra pressed her pale pink lips for a moment, mulling over it. Red eyes flit under thick lashes, looking over her stoic scholar. She cocks her head at him,” Go on.”

“I found something interesting,” He spoke, his slim fingers thumbing the pages of the thick tomb,” the magic here adapts to its users, letting us borrow from its source. I haven’t seen anything like this in Teyvat, see how this…”

And off went Al-haitham with his research, describing how even at first glance utilization of magic from their realm differs from his own—  it became clear his research brought forth a possibility that spells from Teyvat can be replicated here. Sierra followed his lesson, the thought of recreating spells from his realms was tempting, especially with what Al-haitham was willing to show her using his Akasha Terminal. Sierra felt so jealous of such a small thing to store all that information with just a flick of a finger—- God, she missed her things back home!

Someone should make more of those things!

“Would you be willing to try it?” His voice broke her out of that envy. Looking over his paperwork, following the sequences of how magic would be transferred over to them, Sierra’s mind went into work. It’s possible, She thinks, being able to funnel magical techniques from the Embla realms (as all have a tie to it) to the world of Teyvat. It’s another thing to dissect to unravel the code of the Teyvat magical system.

She huffs out a smile, Al-Haitham would have been fun to go against back in her world. 

“Hm?” She looks at him in surprise,” You want me to try?”

“Who else would have I asked?” Al-haitham said simply as if it was obvious, the words flooding her with warmth. Their chosen spot is near the current farthest corner of the library. Sierra isn’t sure of it herself, as the library of Askr always seems to expand by the year, currently Teyvat has its own lore recorded along with Dragalia.

Al-haitham hums lowly, as he focuses a small pulse of his magic– vivid greens swirling on the tips of his fingers. It would have been preferable to attempt such experimentation outside by the training grounds. However, he found that unsuitable for his plans. Besides, he would rather not give Byleth another chance.

In some ways, the two were similar— but Al-haitham digressed with such shallow assumptions. Al-Haitham didn’t care what others think of him, he is aware of the wariness from other scholars– and even heroes—of him. Their stoic personalities with blunt honesty, brilliant minds and by the gaggle of women who fawn over the heroes in the town—- unreasonably handsome. While Byleth was more approachable, more social and with patience for what Al-haitham can tolerate, Al-haitham was the opposite. He can spare a word or two about questions he finds interest in, his input aiding scholars but his barbed tongue scares off most. Even if his words were cutting, the underlying kindness is subtle to untrained ears. Aside from that Al-haitham prefers his solitude.

Still, something stirs in Al-haitham when Sierra comes to find him. He had been the first hero to be summoned into Askr with no knowledge of the Embla or what pertains the connections of the various worlds Askr hosts. Fascination? Of course. Interest? Granted. 

Their growing …..relations, Al-haitham had named, hold a profound sense of understanding. Perhaps words failed him this time, the thoughts of what it could be were taken with speculation that always end up in the same result. 

“There we go…..hm….you catch on quick.”

“I have you don't I?” What a bold woman, he thinks. His body hovers close to her watching with rapt eyes as his own spells are being replicated.

“ You have me ,” He affirms in a quiet tone, then he dares as prod for the truth to his desires,” Is that what you want?”

It had come to a point where his theory was to be tested. Over a series of small but significant  results of his probing of what he was experiencing with his summoner. A wry smirk lifts the corner of his lips, even his own words have mold to possessive nouns. 

Sierra didn’t speak, the words froze on her tongue, but it didn’t deter her lips from moving. Yes .

“Now this, hold it,” Al-haitham's voice was soft and smooth as he leaned over her. His chest pressing into her back as his arms supporting hers trace over her flesh, in a faint show of ‘fixing her posture’. “Good…. very good ,” Sierra felt the warmth of his breath graze her cheek. The rush of blood deafens her when his cheek rests on her own skin. The graze of his clothes brushing up on her as Al-haitham presses his hips against the plush of her ass. Suddenly, it felt like everything had become loud but focused. She could see the way he sighs softly, the rustle of his cape as the drag of his fingers on her shot sparks down her warmth. 

“Your control is admirable,” He murmurs as not to break her. Whether he meant about her ability with her magic or not melting when he's pressed into her. She isn't sure, but it's becoming harder to think.

Sierra arched herself under his touch. A soft low sweet whimper filled the tense space between them. Al-haitham felt himself harden at the whimper, the plush of her round ass pressing on his groin. The warm heat of her plump rear warms him, a deep satisfied grunt stirs in his throat. One lone hand slides down her side, along the side of her chest, down  along her belly then over her hip. Pressing her firmly against him. Sierra could feel him. It felt good, so very good, Sierra swallows, feeling her throat thicken as his other trace along her arms, almost in turn with how her magic blooms from her fingers.

Her magic flutters, growing out and pulsing as her focus blurs.

Sierra can feel the heat of his body seep into her skin. Her magic, whips and curls around, the reflection of her soul. It's calming blue. Bold, soothing as it brushes over their skin even when she trembles against him, her mind a whirl of thoughts trying to regain her bearings. Even as her body heats with want. Want of more from him. 

He’s warmer than she expected.

He watches her weave her magic, taking the form of his own spells. A sense of satisfaction rolls into his body at the sight of her success. He gathered as much, from the time he had invested with her he would have been surprised if she didn’t. Even in the face of success, it wasn’t what he was truly interested in.

For his actual theory, he dares his hands to explore. “You’re always surprising me, Sierra,” his mellow voice melted her knees. He rests his cheek against her head, his nose nuzzling her hair. The scent of citrus and cinnamon sends a flurry of tingles and pricks down his body. Sierra pressed flushed up against Al-haitham makes his muscles strain with need. 

Nothing great comes from passiveness .

The silence drags on that felt like eternity until Al-haitham leans down and murmurs in that low deep voice that made Sierra squeeze her thighs. There was no one on this floor, no footsteps coming up, as her magic flared like a blanket around them. No one will see them, not here behind the towering bookshelves that twist and turn. His long cool fingers slid down her arms and over her generous chest. Palming over them he squeezes them feeling their weight—- a low grunt leaves him. Sierra is panting softly, biting her knuckles as his hands explore her.

Al-haitham turns his face and nuzzles her cheek, the warm friction of his fingers tracing circles on her nipples, over the thin fabric of her top.

“ I want you.”

.

.

.

They practically flee from the library to her isolated room. Flee is a loose term, not with the way he marched with restrained urges to pick her up and take her. Sierra had to be pressed into his side, his arm being the sole thing keeping her from collapsing onto the ground. Her thighs kept squeezing, useless to her.

It's the least he could do after all. His hands squeezing her ass to help her stay stimulated. The kisses he stole from her— hard and greedy kisses that had her tugging his hair for more. No one saw them, as he knew they wouldn't. He isn't careless in his plans.

Making their way to her isolated room, they barge in, Al-haitham securing it shut behind. Her arms snake around his neck as she kissed him again, the warmth of her lips barely soothes the heat in his body. Plans, he had plans he knew were prepared for this, but not everything goes to plan as the kiss becomes hotter, tongues sweeping their way in. His hand rests in the small of her back as his other hand squeezed her thighs. Tracing circles as he sneaks between her waistband, he can feel her moans reverb in his throat. 

He didn't want anyone else to see the pretty faces she makes when his hand palm between her thighs.

Sierra's breath hitches, the cool pad of his fingers tracing under the lining of her clothes. Al-Haitham's thumb rubs over a nub, pushing on it as he kisses her neck. Sierra digs her nails on his back— her room was dimly lit from the faint sun peeking through the curtains. No one was going to miss them for the next few hours, she knew the schedule of the army like the back of her hand. 

 Groaning, she kissed his hair, her hands running over his arms. Gods , Sierra nuzzles his hair as she kisses along his jaw, he smells so good.

Oud, jasmines, amber come to mind as Sierra nibbles on his ear lobe. Her hands squeeze his hips, earning herself a husky chuckle that makes her throb. She breathes him in again, a hint of coffee that he likes. The ones Sierra had Anna special order from Muspell.

She fully took advantage of this moment. His clothes stripped away set aside neatly along with her own robes. Even now, Al-haitham had been composed if not a little hurried as he undressed her, his hands tracing over the curve of her back, mapping out every curve and dip of her body. 

He wants to commit this to memory.

She traces over his arms, the curve of his hips, her eyes full of awe and eagerness as she felt his skin under her hands. His tongue laps over her pulse, hot wet flesh tasting her. A low hum came from his chest, it’s such a delicious noise from him. Sierra sucks on her bottom lip as she finally gets to squeeze those amazing big pecs. Heaven~, She squeals inwardly.

“You're eager aren't you,” Al-haitham notes, noticing her eager expression. His smirk is dangerous to her heart. 

“Maybe,” Sierra grins back at him,” I never seen you so excited.”. Her cheeks were flushed but she is not ashamed. Her fingers traced down the sides of his abs, tracing taut muscles and down the curve of his hip—tracing along the V of his hips.

Her hand trembles, once she felt the smooth silly head of his cock, drawing a hiss from him. Pride roses in her, knowing she's the one making him feel like this. Grasping his length, she pumps it experimenting the way with how she felt it throb in her hands. Al-haitham leans on her, his rumbling with groans as she plays with his cock. Fat, veiny and girthy, Sierra thumb swipes over the precum beading over his slit. It grows and pulses under hands, Sierra sucks on her bottom lip already imagining it snug in her pussy.

A soft moan slipped out, neither knew who it belonged to nor did it matter. Touching each other, their hands working each other to stoke the heat in their bellies. She slowly squeezes as she pumps up, drawing a hiss from him, the corner of his mouth displaying teeth— the accompanied pulse of his cock in her hand. 

Then the flicker of a wet tongue on her nipple followed with a grunt from Al-Haitham. His hands push away the rest of her summoner's uniform, tossing it to the plush chair, hands tracing under her full breasts taking in the heaviness by cupping them in his hands. Gently squeezing them, kneading them. They're so soft, so plump and full– his hips grinded themselves against her mattress the more he played with her.

“ Ahh mmmm …A-Al-haitham,” Sierra gasps his name with her native accent coating it.

The hot flush of arousal shot through Al-haitham as Sierra jolted under him. Squeezing her sensitive breasts as he nibbles and suckled her pink nipples. His hot tongue swirling around her buds.

 “Mmph!” Sierra turns her face away, biting her knuckle. Closing her eyes as felt her cunt twitch with every swipe of his tongue. The ways his lips suckled them, his tongue tracing the hard nipple. His fingers trace over her slit, making her squirm and whimpers as his thumb teases her clit. Dragging over the sensitive bud, the dull pulsing spikes her cunt with throbbing as his knuckles drags along her cunt. She can’t help the way she pushes her hips needily against his knuckles, the sensation felt too good to stop. 

“Yes,” she whimpers,” keep doing that .”  Why did he have to be good at this too? So unfair.

“Wet, not even that, you’re drenched for me,” Al-haitham remarks, when he slips in one finger, finding it so easy to slip in. Sierra mewls, and he can’t help it, he rakes his teeth tugging the pink pebbles with it— feeling her walls pulse. It’s becoming difficult not to immediately take her. Usually he had more restraint, more composed, but with her— it became moot.  He grunts, feeling the way her walls clenched around his fingers trying to devour him as he gently scissored her. 

“ Ah ah ,” Sierra arches up, her eyes lidded in this heady daze, not staring at anything in particular as she's lost to reality. Al-haitham felt torn. One one hand he wanted to keep this memorized, seeing the expression he fantasized of her being replaced with the genuine pleasure she felt. On the other hand he can’t bear to stop watching his fingers pump in and out sticky with her fluids. Sacrifices had to be made, but he will have his chances again. The leaking precum drips down his bouncing cock.

“Ooh fuck!” Sierra squeals, she sat up hugging his neck as she whimpered, feeling her walls welcome the thick veiny cock that was sliding in. Wet with her arousal, gently testing its new home with the barely restrained jolts of Al-haitham's hips. She shuts her eyes, her blonde hair sticking to her skin with her sweat. A low growl leaves him. She couldn't see it, but Al-haitham looked so debauched . The sharpness of his brilliant green eyes seemed to be dark dazed with the heady sensations that rose in him. His muscles were pulsing under her hands, his thighs were trembling from how good it fucking felt .

The slick hot walls of her warmth squeezing him- taking him so eagerly!

He kisses down over the top of her breasts, before trailing down between down her waist, kissing her stomach, as far as he could go nothing wasn't missed by him.

His lips part, breathing in heavily as the squeezing of Sierra's warmth is making him desperate to rut mindlessly in her. However, he refrains from it, a labor on its own from how he had to tease her warmth by gently rocking inside. He’s not going to show Sierra how visceral the primal urge to finish in her, that he felt. The hot flush of heat, swishing in his lower belly going hand in hand with the tightening of his balls. His tongue runs over his teeth in concentration,’ Not yet.’ Inch by inch, the two cling feeling him sink inside her. Sierra huffs, her hands firmly grip his hair as Al-haitham hands grip under her thighs. He held her up, arms shaking as he tried to control the utter pathetic writhing in his body to grind into her.

It's hot, his mind felt just as hot as the rest of him, so good . His lips curled as his hips jolted into her, the warm fluids coating his cock.

“Don’t….ngh…don’t..” Sierra mumbled under her breath. She grunts and grabs a fistful of his hair. For a moment Al-haitham stopped, wondering if he went too hard already—- but all those thoughts went out the door, as Sierra's legs embraced his waist,” ah fuck. Mm just w-wait……mn.”

Her feet plant themselves on his back as she arches up. Oh, he's so damn big. Sierra needs a moment to adjust as she feels all of him inside. His member twitching needily in her warmth, she can feel the thick veins pushing on her walls. Straining with the urge to spill. However, Al-haitham is patient. His fingers run through her hair, soothing her with gentle kisses pressed along her jaw. His hands were gentle and soothing as he massages her inner thighs and kisses her knee. Sierra melted under his touch.

“May I?” he murmurs against her ear, the soft brushes of his lips were gentle as he asked for permission.

“ Yes.”

Al-haitham breathing hard, beads of sweat dripping down his body as he kisses Sierra's jaw. His hand holding her neck turns her so he could kiss her, the kiss deep as Sierra's tongue slips into his mouth with a whimper. Enough to distract her, muffling his own him as he begins to thrust gently. The hot flush of heat crawls up his body.  He groans, thrusting harder into her pussy, the loud sound of his cock soaked in her fluids sent a shudder down his spine. 

She writhes under him, shaking away from the kiss as whines came out, “Mn! Ngh!” she hugs his neck, the sound of her mewls muffled into his hair. Pressing on, Al-haitham keeps thrusting, feeling the charge of heat shoot up his spine. His knees dig into the mattress as he drags Sierra onto his lap to continue kissing her as his cock makes itself at home. Light pants emerge with every increased pace, Al-haitham felt light headed, it truly felt good being squeezed by her slick heat.

 She pants trying to speak but once more his mouth devours her voice making her body shudder as the sound of slick is more noisy than before. Al-haitham closes his eyes, focusing on how good it felt, listening to Sierra's moaning and mewling. This is what he wanted to remember .

She wasn’t going to just let him have all the fun. She curls up to him, a hand behind his neck and the other on his back. Bouncing herself on his cock, Sierra moans and groans with every thrust. Her breath hitches, as he gets more rough with his thrusts, the sounds of flesh slapping against another. “Mmn,” he grunts as she drags her nails down his back,” Look at you, coming undone with this?” Sierra wanted to laugh, even with his words Al-Haitham’s cheeks were flushed pink, licking his lips as if his tongue didn’t know what to do with itself when it was not in her mouth.

Gods, Sierra knew she had thoughts of him like this before, it was hard not to think of him at times. It took time, patience and occasionally a Hero’s Journey or two for them to breach what could be friendship. Al-haitham is the one who approached her, who listened to her and actually took her thoughts seriously. It just clicked with him. And now, right now she didn’t want to think, she wanted to soak herself in him.

Still not finished with her, he pulls out the loud suction of his cock makes a spurt of cum land on her lips. Sierra grunts, displeased with his decision. ” Come back,” she demanded from him. Al-Haitham scoffs, "How demanding”. He smirks down at her, drops of sweat slipping down his head and down his neck. His chest rises with each heavy breath, his hand pats her thigh,” Don't worry, I’m not done yet,” He warns her,” Get ready.”

His cock, glistening with a mixture of fluid, bobbed as he flipped her onto her belly. A light pinch to her cheek, drawing a laugh from her then a squeal as he slips back into her. Caging her in, with his body he pumps into her. The slaps of his hips against her ass, the erotic sight of his cock disappearing in her lights him a flame. 

“Fuck,” she grunts, pushing up against his chest, whimpering as his palms cover her hands, as he thrusts harder.

He’s gasping for air, swallowing down the drool that pools at the base of his tongue. Grunting mixed with primal heady growls as he pistons into Sierra, her hips following him not ready to part from him not even a second. He can feel her heartbeat through her walls, the sight of her round ass bouncing with every hard fuck he gave her. Nothing however compared to the cries leaving her, his name falling from her lips in wails and grunts when he toyed with her with the hard nub. The bud slick their juices rubs easily between the pads of his finger and thumb. “Mmmm,” Sierra whimpers as she follows his rhythm,” fuck…..yes yes yes….” She chants as she's feeling the build up in her core.

“Al-haitham,” She manages out, a whine drags his name from her,” Al- haitha -m!”

“Yes?” he hisses as his mouth refuses to follow. A growl leaves him as he rolls and pumps that swollen nub to match his thrusts,” You like this. You love how I touch you.”

It wasn't even a question, his time sending her body shaking, her thighs feeling useless even as Al-haitham drags her hips up against him. His arms strained, the veins of his arms bulging as he grunts in exertion.

“ Yes!” Sierra wails clutching the bed sheets, she can feel their juices leak down her cunt, dripping their way down to her belly. She can't help it, it felt way too good, her mind felt fuzzy as she can feel her muscles get tight. The sounds of their skin slapping, mixed with the loud squelching of her pussy getting filled. Her glistening lips getting smacked by his balls with every thrust. Al-haitham grunts in satisfaction, admiring what he was doing to her. Her curvy figure bouncing right under him, the memory burning itself right at home.

He wasn't going to last long, he could feel his abdomen twitch, getting tight as he chased the mind numbing heat. He already came into her, he wanted to again but he wasn't going to assume just yet. He spoke, his voice breathless as he drank down air. “ Sierra ,” He said roughly, his thrusts getting messy now, not as steady. His cock was getting swollen ready to spill,” Sierra tell me now, where do you want me to finish?”

Sierra makes a noise he couldn't understand, he asks again, more hurried as he can feel the warm spurts,” Sierra!”

She lets out a loud whiny wail as her walls squeeze and pulse flooding with her orgasm.

“On my back!” She shouts, arching up in time for Al-haitham to pull out and aim for her back. Long ropes of hot cum shoot over her back, coating her glistening skin with thick white cum. With his release spilling out,  his head fell back with a deep messy groan as. His cock jolts slowly softening with cum painting her ass. 

Her room smelled of musk and sex, the couple shaking in bed, their bodies exhausted from the orgasm shaking their cores. Al-haitham settled himself onto her side, feeling the thrum of his body shudder and his ball pulsing from releasing again. A low hum rang through them, Sierra collapsed onto her bed sheets, her body quaking and trembling almost boneless as her orgasm rings through her. She pants, closing her eyes as she feels the bed dip on her side as Al-haitham wipes her back with a cloth.

“You…..you were….,” Al-haitham's words fade as he breathes in, his body glistening with sweat,”... Sierra .”

“Mmm?” she hums not facing him. He scoffs lightly, amused as he rolls her onto her back. Seeing her flushed, her smile of satisfaction with that tiredness. “Yeah?”

His hand rested on her lower belly,” Thank you.” Even if it didn't articulate everything he was thinking of, what he felt with her, it was what he wanted to say for a while 

“About what?,” she asks, resting her head on him. She can hear the beat of his heart, thumping hard. 

He closes his eyes, finally feeling the bone weariness of finally being with her,” Summoning me.”

She shifts to her side, taking in the way of his hips buck slightly. Sierra smiles widely,” Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For coming.”