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formerprincess · 6 years ago

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Mirror of Origin | Chapter 1

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Theo Raeken, Liam Dunbar, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe, Tomb Raider, Swearing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Guns, Violence, Minor Character Death, but only bad guys die I swear, Blood, Injury Summary:

Liam is a young, reckless archaeologist who loves nothing more than to climb into old tombs and find out about ancient cultures, as well as retrieve lost artifacts. On his hunt for the Mirror of Origin, he meets a mysterious group of people claiming they have the same agenda as Liam himself: Rescue old artifacts from the ruins around the world and exhibit them for the people to see them or keep them locked away to avoid them falling into the wrong hands. Especially one of their mercenaries, Theo, makes it hard for Liam to accept working with them in order to get this one special artifact cause Theo and Liam butt heads since their first meeting. When things turn for the worst, however, both have to work together to literally save the world from getting destroyed by an ancient power and maybe, just maybe, they realize the other isn’t as obnoxious as they thought…

Liam wormed his way through a crack in the stonewall and bit back a cough when his movement caused dust to float into the air. He blinked a few times, eyes slowly adjusting to the drastic change from beaming sunlight outside to the dim and shadowy light inside the tomb. He tilted his head and listened to any sounds coming from within but aside from the smaller rocks falling down every now and then and some scorpions scurrying over the rocky ground, nothing extraordinaire reached his ears.

“Okay, I’m in,” he announced and two fingers of his left hand came up to lightly press against the little headset he was wearing in his left ear. His only connection to Mason and Corey right now.

Liam looked around. He stood on a small ledge in an otherwise almost empty passage leading to a crawlway just a few feet away from him. Surely not the main entrance to what Liam was looking for but it would do. So he hopped off the ledge and knelt in front of the opening to peek inside. Nothing but dust and sand, no traps. “Let’s see where this will lead me.” He ducked his head and slowly crawled into the opening.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Corey asked into his left ear. Mason huffed out a laugh. “Sometimes I think Liam loves crawling through tombs so much, he would even do it knowing full well it’s the wrong place.” Liam grinned while he crawled further and further. “You know, there’s just something about exploring a tomb that way. Should try it too sometime.” “I’ll pass,” Mason muttered and Liam heard the clatter of a keyboard. “You are too far into the mountain right now, I can’t determine your exact location.” “It’s okay. Seems pretty peaceful right now,” Liam comforted his best friend. “You said the same thing back in Syria, shortly before a gun was pressed to your temple,” Corey reminded him and Mason let out a series of distressed sounds. “Do you have to remind me, babe?” Liam rolled his eyes and smiled fondly while Corey sighed into his ear. He had lost count how often Mason had voiced his worry about Liam literally risking his life in the name of exploring and archaeology and how often the two friends argued about it, even before Corey came into the team. Corey, Mason’s boyfriend, and basically Liam’s other best friend proved to be great at providing a middle ground between Mason and Liam since he too was worried about Liam but also took it a bit more lightly than Mason did. Doesn’t mean he always got away without a discussion. “He will be fine, Mase. He’s far away from a warzone right now. Besides, Liam is a big boy, he can watch out for himself.” “Have you met him? I sometimes wonder how he even reached the age of twenty-three,” Mason squeaked. “Thanks to your unconditional love and care?” Corey asked sweetly.

“You two are aware I can hear you?” Liam asked while he reached the end of the crawlway and swiftly came to his feet again in a large chamber. He looked around and for a moment it took his breath away. The walls were covered in colorful murals, color bleached out with the ages but still impressive nonetheless, showing various situations with the same group of people, follower of a once powerful emperor. One mural showed the Emperor and his followers crossing a wild river, one showed them infiltrating a village, another one them all fighting another group. With a happy laugh, Liam pulled his camera out of his pocket and filmed every single mural. “To answer your question, Corey, this is the right place. I found The Emperor’s tomb.”

He pointed the camera towards the middle of the room where a sarcophagus had been placed on a little rising. Some part of the ceiling had been worn down by the weather over the decades and had fallen to the ground, so the sun was streaming through the cracks and onto the beautifully crafted thing, embellished with gems and golden symbols. “This is incredible.” “Your instinct was right again, congratulations.” Mason seemed really happy about this and Liam heard Corey whoop as well. “And you think the Mirror of Origin is in the sarcophagus?” “It has to. I researched everything about Ferguson’s expeditions. From what he wrote in his entries, he found it and then brought it to a safe place. That’s what I made out of the gibberish he wrote. Old man got a tiny bit paranoid at the end of his days. Lord knows why. He wrote about the Emperor a lot too, it makes sense he would take the artifact and put it into a tomb without any relation, in a different country even. Emperor and the Mirror were the two biggest things he researched. If it’s not here, it is probably lost forever.”

While he had talked, Liam had wandered around in the chamber before he rounded the sarcophagus and took pictures of every side of the sarcophagus. Only when he had every angle and every detail on film, Liam put away his camera. “I’m about to open it.”

He took a step closer and felt the ground under his right boot sink in. It took his brain only seconds to register and he barely had time to stumble back when spears shot out of the ground and surrounded the sarcophagus in a circle. “Holy shit!” Liam wheezed and stared at the very dangerous and very spiky wooden laths from where he had fallen flat on his ass. “Was that a trap? Did you just trigger a trap? You did trigger a trap, am I right?” Mason scolded him and Liam gulped. “Fuck, almost got served Liam on a stick.” “Dammit, Liam, what did we say about being careless?” “Are you okay though?” Corey asked and Liam nodded, even though they could not see him. “Yeah. Shook but still without any unnecessary holes in my body.”

He got to his feet again and dusted his palms up. Then he narrowed his eyes at the spears and circled the trap. His eyes trailed over the ground to see any mechanism that could revert the trap. And finally, he found some lighter looking stone in the ground and grabbed one of his pistols. A quick shot on the trigger and the spears retracted into the ground. „Hah!“ Liam let out a triumphant yell and then took a large step over the spots the spears had shot out from. Only when he safely stood right next to the sarcophagus, he let out a relieved breath. This seemed safe, for now. He had encountered too many tombs and traps to ever feel completely safe but this was a start. “Just be careful,” Mason mumbled when Liam anxiously pushed the lid aside. Old graves sometimes had yet another trap inside the sarcophagus, better safe than sorry. However, this time nothing happened and when Liam peeked inside, he knew why.

The sarcophagus was empty.

“What? This can’t be happening! It’s empty! That’s…that’s impossible!” Liam could not believe his eyes. There had to be a joke and he even reached inside to find a false bottom inside the sarcophagus but there was none. He lurched back and luckily managed not to trigger the spears again, even though Liam already felt like he had been speared. It had been months since he started to research the Emperor and Ferguson’s expeditions. Months full of dead ends and promising clues that almost always ended in yet another disappointment until he finally found that one trail that lead him to where he was now. And now it was yet another dead end? This was more than he could grasp. “It’s empty? So, this isn’t the right place?” Corey questioned hesitantly. Liam groaned and ran both hands through his hair while he paced back and forth. “It is the right place! This is the Emperor’s tomb, he is just not there!” “Do you mean somebody else got him and took him away?” That was Mason this time. Liam groaned again. “I don’t know! It seems unlikely. Must have missed something. But what did I miss? Where did I go wrong? Where was my mistake?”

He glared at the mural of the Emperor fighting another army. “What you’re looking at?” He barked at the stupid painted guy who – of course – didn’t answer. Liam’s glare intensified and if looks could kill, the wall probably would have exploded under the force of his scowl. He eyed the way the Emperor swung his word and looked at the enemies in his path. Stupid painting of a stupid guy with his stupid sword and his stupid horse and his stupid way of peering at… “What you’re looking at?” Liam asked again, less furious this time, and he stepped closer to the mural. The Emperor was not really looking at his enemies upon closer inspection, seemed to be looking over their heads. Liam followed his line of sight and turned around. He had expected the Emperor to eye his own sarcophagus but the angle was too far left for that to work. He peeked at a naked wall instead. Liam frowned. Either the creator of his mural had seriously been drinking while working or that had been intended. He slowly stepped closer to the wall and ran his hands over it. Aside from a small cleft in the wall, nothing too special. And yet Liam could not shake the thought the painting was a hint. He had always been one to listen to his instincts, his mom used to tell him it was one of his strongest traits and would lead him far in life, and while others saw it as impulsive and it sometimes got him into big trouble, Liam never let this trait get taken away from him. It had lead him to so many great things already in his life and so he grabbed his climbing axe and rammed it into the cleft. “Are you breaking things again?” Corey inquired when pieces of the wall crumbled loudly and fell to the floor but Liam refused to answer. He didn’t have to anyway, his friends knew him. He rather kept working on making the cleft bigger to see what was behind this wall.

And finally, it was big enough Liam could worm his way through. A quick first look behind the wall confirmed his suspicion, there was yet another chamber carefully hidden behind the first one. Liam slipped inside and waved some cob webs away. The second chamber was a lot smaller than the first one and way less splendid. Light only fell through small holes up in the otherwise rough stone wall of the mountain the whole tomb was hidden in. Left and right were some swords, shields, and armors placed, maybe once placed on wooden shelves which had fallen apart over the decades. And on the end of the chamber stood yet another sarcophagus, plain, made from simple wood and with artsy carvings but nothing compared to the gems and gold from the first. At first glance, this was probably a servant’s grave, buried with their master in the first chamber, a common practice for the Emperor’s followers as Liam knew. The weapons were probably belongings from the warlord once buried here, that’s what it looked like at least. Yet Liam didn’t let it fool him. He had tapped into the clever illusion at first as well but he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“Whatever it is you found now, we’re losing you. The connection….” Mason’s voice had been distorted while he spoke and then failed altogether when the connection had been lost. Seemed like Liam was too far into the mountain. Well, the connection got lost sometimes, he didn’t really pay this too much mind at the moment.

He hurried over to the second sarcophagus instead (no trap this time, thank god) and pushed the lid aside. The stench of stale air and death erupted and Liam coughed and waved his hand to make the smell evaporate. He glanced inside the sarcophagus and this time he didn’t get disappointed. A skeleton lay there, with a large sword in his hands. The sword of the Emperor. “You sly bastard! Making everyone believe they found your grave when it’s just for the cover! Clever son of a bitch!” Liam smiled happily, excited at the aspect of finally finding what he had been looking for all these months. He pushed the lid further aside, eyes scanning the bones inside to find the Mirror of Origin.

And there was no mirror but what was there was some old document roll made from leather, created to protect important documents from wind and weather. Its brown-reddish color almost made it blend it with the dark color of the wood and Liam could imagine one was able to overlook it quite quickly when only looking for the sword or the Mirror. He reached for it and pulled the little roll out of its hiding spot next to the Emperor’s elbow. The roll was too young to be from the Emperor’s decade and the patterns on the roll itself also didn’t fit with the time so Liam guessed somebody had left it here later on. Maybe Ferguson? “If you send me on another journey around the globe I will scream,” he muttered and meant the late Arthur Ferguson, that one person who had started this whole adventure with his entries about the Mirror and the Emperor. Liam opened the roll and pulled the document out. It was handwritten in scrawly letters and Liam had a hard time making sense of the words itself. He sighed before he pulled out his flashlight and dropped on the ground, leaned against the sarcophagus, and began to read, the light from the flashlight a big help.

I found the Emperor’s grave. It took me such a long time, I can barely fathom the reality of it, even as I write these words. But it is there and this time it’s no lie. While I’m writing this, I’m looking at the bones of the once mighty man, surrounded by his wealth and belongings.

My journey has come to an end and I can finally rest. While I’m not as old to say dead is upon me, I am old enough to know I will never go on another expedition. It is time for me to return home and find my peace there. And it is time for me to be honest. As a young man, I aspired wealth and success, my measurements were the importance of my discoveries and the reputation I would gain from them. I aspired to find the Mirror of Origin and then the tomb of one of the biggest emperors. With all the knowledge I gained from books and my studies, I thought it would be easy, that I had the intellect to find what many before me failed to discover.

I was foolish.

My studies had led my on the right path, I came close to getting my hands on this powerful artifact; my mind set on all the notoriety it would gain me. I wasn’t prepared for all the gruesome things crossing my path. The horrors I encountered, I don’t wish them upon anybody else. There is something dark, something immensely powerful hidden in the ancient places back in Peru, a source of power defying all description. I don’t know if it is the Mirror itself or something guarding it, I never wanted to find out. While I was prepared for some difficulties during my travels, I wasn’t prepared for death and fear.

I lost men, I lost friends, I lost too much to ever consider the expedition a success. I may know where the artifact is hidden but I will be damned if I ever share it with anybody else. Upon leaving the jungle and all those terrible places, I made a decision. No one else should ever endure those horrors and so I lied. I told everyone I found the Mirror and brought it somewhere safe. It is the only way to make sure no one even ventures into the depth of the Peruvian Jungle in search for the Mirror of Origin.

The Emperor’s grave is hidden and so I’m leaving this here, hoping nobody will ever find it here and if they do, they will be bright enough to not go looking for the Mirror. To those reading this: Don’t do it. Stay away! Stay as far away from those damned places as you can. The seduction of wealth may be strong but you will lose too much to ever make it worth it. Be wiser than I was.

A.Ferguson

Liam felt like he was caught in a cosmic joke. He had read everything Ferguson had ever written and the main point in all of his notes had been him taking the Mirror of Origin and bringing it in his possession. And now he found out it had all been a lie? That old man was messing with him, right? Torn between screaming in anger and crying, Liam swallowed harshly. He hated the other with such a strong passion in this moment and had Ferguson not been dead since centuries, Liam would personally find him and kick his ass. All for wasting his time and fooling everyone for so long.

And yet…

A small part of Liam remembered how Ferguson’s notes had changed, slowly at first but then it got more and more evident. How he had turned into a nervous, paranoid mess and when Liam considered the dates, it had happened after his Peru expedition. Whatever the archaeologist had encountered it had mentally scarred him for life. So much, living a lie for the rest of his life had been the best option. Liam himself was still young but even he had already encountered enough to know there was more between the earth and the heavens that most people realized and believed and some of that shit was downright terrifying and bat-shit crazy. Had Arthur Ferguson encountered such a thing?

“Area all clear. Team 1 is in!”

The sudden voice ripped Liam from his thoughts and he jerked his head up. Four men, all dressed in tactical military gear and armed with machine guns, had stepped into the chamber, their flashlights attached to their guns and pointed at Liam. He had been so absorbed, he didn’t even hear them approaching. His right hand dropped to his side, ready to close around his pistol when one of the military guys tseked. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, kiddo.” He raised his gun, ready to shoot, and his team did the same thing. They were clearly not messing and while Liam knew he could fight, four guys with machine guns pointed at his head were too much to take. He still frowned and aimed his own flashlight at the guy who had spoken. “I’m no kiddo! Besides, you’re not much older than myself!” At least, given what he could see in the dim lighting. Fair skin, pale due to the light, stubbles adorning his strong jaw, and a fucking arrogant smirk on his face. Liam wanted to punch him for that smirk alone. Military guy raised one eyebrow. “Really? Sassing a guy pointing a gun at your head? That desperate to die?” “Tell us your name, civilian!” One of the other guys barked and Liam glared at him. “First name Go, last name Fuck yourself,” he hissed back. His inner Mason, the one Liam liked to call his very own Jiminy Cricket, facepalmed and muttered something about “Way to get shot.” But he hated people being rude towards him. And people pointing guns at him. Mix those two together and you got a combination Liam could absolutely not stand. The second guy growled and tightened his grip on his gun. “Wrong answer, fucker! I’ll ask a second time: Who are you?”

Their pleasant little chat got disturbed by a woman stepping into the chamber. Her outfit was more of an explorer than a military woman; from her black hair cut short in a neat bob, down to her perfect polished boots, she looked sophisticated and elegant. She looked around with a satisfied smile but when she spotted Liam, her lips formed an “oh”. “Liam Dunbar, I can’t believe it! Last time I saw you, it was just days after you were born. You have grown so much. And lord, you look so much like your mother.” He got that a lot and Liam himself had to agree, he had inherited his mother’s facial features, her nose and the curve of her lips. The only difference was his eye color, he had inherited his father’s blue eyes while hers had been grey. Still, it surprised him the stranger recognized that. “You knew my mother?” The lady nodded. “We have been friends. Not as close as we both would have liked due to our careers but we always enjoyed our time together. Oh, pardon, I completely forgot: My name is Vera.” She had walked over to him and now extended her hand for him to shake. Liam eyed her for a second, then her hand, and back at her face. “Your guys are still pointing guns at me. Who the hell are you people?” Vera looked at the military men. “Gentlemen, I think you made your point. Young Liam here surely is no danger. Thank you for your services.” She dismissed and they lowered their guns but stayed behind her, looking like some sort of bodyguards. Something inside Liam twitched. The young Liam part sounded motherly and he didn’t deal well with it. He decided to stay quiet, for now. Vera meanwhile introduced the group. “We are called the Society of Insight, a very private group working in secret to ensure artifacts are rescued and either put out for people to admire them or stored away in safety to avoid them falling into the wrong hands. Basically, we’re doing the same thing you do, we’re just having a bit more manpower.” She laughed softly and patted his arm. “I cannot stress how honored I feel to work with you. Admittedly, I didn’t expect you to be here but now that you are, we have to make the best out of it. That’s my mantra, always making the best out of a situation,” Vera chirped and Liam would have not been surprised at all if she burst out in a happy little song right the next second, Disney style. She currently acted like the fairy godmother and he was not so sure what to make out of this. It surely was one of the most surreal encounters he ever had in a tomb. And he meet ancient mermaids once!

“Work with me? When did I agree to a cooperation?” He inquired and raised an eyebrow. Vera gave him a surprised look and then snickered at herself. “Right, right, I may have been getting a little ahead. But you are also looking for the Mirror of Origin, correct?” Liam narrowed his eyes slightly. It made sense he wasn’t the only one following Ferguson’s hints but that didn’t make it any better. He didn’t fully trust her or her organization. Given what he went through with his family, his mother dying in an accident when Liam had been nine and his dad getting shot when Liam had been twelve, and what he already experienced on his travels, his doubts were absolutely justified. On the other hand, she was a friend of his mother and seemingly someone his mother had trusted around her newborn son. And maybe, just maybe, Liam was too suspicious for his own good most of the time. Also, nobody said he had to tell her everything about himself, his hopes and dreams and deepest secrets, he could play it on a professional level. It was his business, after all. “I do, yeah.” He pointed at the sarcophagus. “But the Mirror is not here.”

They all looked stunned by that and Vera gripped her heart, as if she was having an attack. That woman seemed to like a scene. “I find that hard to believe,” the guy who had called Liam kiddo drawled and Liam’s glare shot daggers at him. It made him want to punch the guy for a second time today. “It’s true. Ferguson lied. It’s all in here!” He waved the document he had held in the same hand as the flashlight the whole time. The arrogant bastard narrowed his eyes at Liam but didn’t reach for the document. Vera was the one who held out her hand. “May I?” She asked softly and Liam handed it over. When he had the choice between her and the guys, he would always choose her. Now she read what Ferguson had confessed. “This is astonishing. He played so many people for all those years.” Liam nodded. “Whatever he witnessed in the jungle, it was enough to scare him so much he considered living a lie for the rest of his life worthy enough. And maybe it explains why he got so paranoid at the end of his life. Maybe the trauma finally caught up.” One of the men sneered. “What’s so scary in the jungle?” “Oh, I don’t know,” Liam replied coldly, “jaguars, traps, the whole nine yards. It is not unreasonable to be scared by that.” “I wouldn’t be scared at all,” the guy bragged and the one Liam had wanted to punch repeatedly sighed. “Shut the hell up, Donovan.” “Don’t tell me what to do, Raeken.” Ah, now Liam at least had a name for that one person who had belittled him. Didn’t make him any less of an asshole. Raeken now simply rolled his eyes at Donovan and then proceeded to ignore him.

“Anyway!” Vera called out and startled Liam. “Since we all fell for Ferguson’s constructed lies, we have to travel back to Peru and start there. Liam, dear, it would be an absolute pleasure if you would travel with us. You’re as brilliant as your mother, working with you would be an amazing opportunity.” He had worked with others before, Liam wasn’t completely antisocial just because he preferred dusty crypts over a raging club night, and maybe both sides would benefit from this cooperation. While Liam had traveled to Peru himself at the beginning of his studies on the Mirror, he had never really been able to get as deep into the jungle as Ferguson himself had been. He didn’t need to, had the guy stated he had taken the Mirror out of its hiding spot anyway. They already knew dangers were lurking, so maybe traveling there with an armed group of military men was a good idea. He nodded. “Sounds good.”

****** Liam pressed the phone against his ear and braced one arm on top of the machine while he waited for Mason to accept the call. The little airport they would board the plane to Peru from didn’t have much, but at least a phone with international reception. Finally, his best friend spoke. “Hello?” “Mase, it’s me.” “Holy shit, Lee, there you are! We were worried sick after we lost the connection. I’ll put you on speaker, Corey’s with me.” “Hey, Liam,” Corey greeted. “Hey. I’m sorry I worried you but you won’t believe what happened.” He launched into an explanation of what had transpired in the Emperor’s tomb and his friends let out sounds of wonder and surprise. When he ended, Liam heard the clatter of a keyboard. “Society of Insight, I will search for everything I can possible find and direct it at you,” Corey announced. “When you arrive in Peru, keep your GPS on so we have an idea where you are. You never know when you need support,” Mason told him. “Thank you, Cor. And, Mase, I will. Can you do me a favor though? Look through my mom’s old notes. Vera said they were estranged friends, maybe mom mentioned her.” “Sure, buddy. As soon as I find something I will forward it to you,” Mason promised his best friend. It was good to have a backup, even though they were not in the same country. “Thank you, both of you. I will contact you as soon as I can and fill you in with our process. Take care.” “Be careful,” Mason instructed him and Liam hung up.

He pushed himself off the phone and wiped the sweat from his brow. He hoped the plane was cooler than the airport hall. Liam rounded the corner and there leaned Mr. Smug Asshole himself against the wall. When the group had come close to the city, Vera’s group had changed from their strategical gear into tactical pants, plain t-shirts and black bomber jackets. Liam had wondered about the jackets at first but then realized they all had also switched guns and were now carrying semi-automatic pistols. The jackets were simply to cover the weapons. “What?” He spat out. Something about the guy made his blood boil. “I was looking for you. The plane is there, we all are there, only one missing is you. So, move your ass!” Raeken pushed himself off the wall and ignored the daggers Liam glared at him. “I’m not one of your team buddies, I won’t follow your commands. Especially not if you keep talking to me like that.” Raeken put both hands over his heart as if he was deeply hurt. “Oh, I am sorry, was that not posh enough for you? Let me try again. Moveth his figure towards the flying machine, young lad, before I will store my boot on his behind.” Liam blinked. “That…absolutely makes no sense. Did you try your hand at Shakespeare? Way off. Way, way off. Don’t try something you know nothing about.” “Oh, what? Think I never heard of Shakespeare before? Just because I’m not as snobby as you are, doesn’t mean I don’t know shit about literature.” “Does Vera know you’re charming like that?” Liam crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave him a rather unimpressed look. Raeken scoffed. “I have no idea what Vera sees in you but what I know is her inviting you to this expedition is a slap in the face of every working person and especially the ones in this society.” Now that irked Liam. “Why is that so?” He inquired. “Simple. I could literally go to any well-esteemed university with a good history program, throw a stone and hit at least five other guys like you. Entitled guys who think they’re the shit just because of who their parents are.” It made Liam bark out a laugh. “Me? Entitled?” “Oh, you’re not? Then tell me, what did you ever achieved for yourself? I know your mom, Ilona Geyer-Dunbar, I know her work. What have you ever done that can compete? Or even gets remotely close? The only thing you do is carrying the Dunbar name and spending your time crawling through some tombs, digging in the sand a bit, and thinking you’re it. Living your little Lara Croft fantasy. I doubt you ever led an expedition or even were part of one with a remarkable found.” Liam shrugged nonchalantly. “I found the Emperor’s grave.” “So did we and if it had not been for Vera, Donovan would have put a bullet through your head. So much for your discovery.” Maybe the guy was right but Liam would rather spontaneously combust than to admit that. If Vera had not appeared, he probably would be dead by now. He growled. “Bastard!” Raeken smirked amusedly. “Are you allowed to cuss, kiddo?” “Stop calling me that!”

“Theo! Can you and our guest please hurry? Vera wants to get to Peru as fast as possible!” One of the other guys from Vera’s team called out all of sudden and interrupted their argument. Liam looked at the other guy and then back at Raeken. “So your name is Theo Raeken?” Theo simply shrugged. “Don’t wear it out.” Don’t worry,” Liam said dryly, “I think dickbag is a better name for you anyway.”

The Thiam Tomb Raider AU finally got off the ground. After I made this edit, I now finally found the time and motivation to start with this story. I am excited and since I’m currently replaying the last three Tomb Raider games I’m also very inspired. So I hope you liked the first chapter and are curious about chapter 2. Tell me what you think in the comments!

Love you all!

#thiam #thiam au #did I say I will write the Tomb Raider AU? I did!#took me some time but here it's the first chapter #Mirror of Origin #My writing

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whyldkratts · 8 years ago

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To Apologize

Fandom: Sing (2016) Verse: Roleswap AU Pairings: Gen Characters: Eddie Noodleman, Buster Moon Warnings: None

Summary: After Johnny's Theater falls apart, Eddie visits and apologizes to someone he has wronged.

Eddie stood, apprehensive, in front of the apartment door as if it were his own tomb.

The apartment itself wasn’t too bad, not was it particularly great. It was average in every way- which directly clashed with everything he knew about the man inside. The door was a slab of white wood, yellowed over time, with a peep hole that was covered up by a strip of peeling duct tape. A plain looking ‘16’ was etched into a flaking black placard to the right of the door, indicating which apartment he was at. He’d checked then double checked and then triple checked, just to be sure) that he was at the right place- there was no denying it. He was at Buster's apartment, and he couldn’t bring himself to knock.

He stared at the floor beneath his feet. It was so late- maybe he was sleeping. He didn’t want to disturb his rest- or worse, maybe Buster wouldn’t want to see him at all. He had said awful things in the moment, and the way they had parted….

He found himself stubbornly transfixed in the carpet beneath him. It was a dark beige, and Eddie go the impression that once upon a time it was brighter and fresh. Age had worn it down, time’s never ending tick tock washing away any semblance of new. Just as time would wither him away, if he dallied any longer. He took a deep breath, raised his hand and knock thrice in quick succession before he could think about what he was doing. He could feel the knocks vibrating in the room, a bit louder than he intended.

He hadn’t wanted to wake all the neighbors- but nerves had bundled in his chest so tight he had forgotten to control his strength. Several long moments passed, and though he wanted to conclude that he had tried, and go home, he steeled himself, and knocked three more times.

Though this time it was different, for halfway through his second knock he heard the sound of a rattling lock, and his third knock met only empty air as the door swung open.

Buster stood there, fur sticking up in some places and residual sleep clouding his eyes as he made an urgent shushing movement, finger to his lips, “shoosh- My Dad’s asleep!” He ordered, and relaxed at Eddie's nod.

It was… the most casual Eddie had ever seen the koala. Yes, even in his blue track suit Buster radiated importance and optimism. Here, now, in blue plaid pajama pants and a faded blue shirt nearly two times his size and running a hand through his messy hair made Buster feel like so much more of a person instead of just an archetype. The koala tipped one ear back into the apartment, obviously listening for movement. Eddie waited somewhat awkwardly for him to be done.

After hearing what he wanted to hear- nothing, that is- Buster turned around to regard his visitor who he blinked owlishly at, “What’s up? Is something wrong?”

“Oh- uh, no- i mean. The theatre is still destroyed but. No everything is fine.” He stuttered out, nervous and unsure. “Well actually. Yes, something is wrong.” He takes a deep breath and looking into Busters eyes, pouring as much sincerity as he could muster, “I wanted to apologize, for the way I acted.”

The marsupial stared at him for a long moment, and Eddie felt himself start to fidget beneath his gaze. Suddenly, Buster stepped back and offered him a way in, “Why don’t you come in for tea? I think we need to talk.”

Eddie automatically walked inside, it was only after he had crossed the threshold did he think to ask, “But what about your dad? Isn’t he sleeping?”

Buster softly shut the door behind him, walking in front so he could get to the kitchen, “It’s fine. His cough was really bad today, i gave him some NyQuil- it must have knocked him out. If he didn’t wake up when you started banging on our door, I doubt a quiet talk would wake him.” There was the slightest hint of worry in his voice as he set a pot on the stove to boil that Eddie though it polite not to linger on.

He did have a quick look around, though. Even though most of the lights were off, the entire apartment was open floor plan (pardon the hallway to the right, which Eddie assumed was where the bathroom and bedrooms were) which allowed the small overhead light from the kitchen to illuminate the room. The living room area was tastefully furnished with an old and loved couch, a coffee table, and an entertainment center with a small television. The walls were lined with bookshelves piled high with all sorts of genres, and posters of vintage bands hung like precious portraits from the wall. There was a low cabinet with a record player on top, tons of records sat in baskets or scattered about, and the player looked old and well-used. An acoustic guitar was placed neatly and carefully on a stand beside it. It was an old thing, covered in ancient half-gone stickers plus more recent ones all overlapping- it was missing a string, but Eddie got the impression that it was very important.

Buster set down a cup of something in front of him on the island (and island that was far too tall for Buster to see over, really. The developer had not been thinking of possible inhabitants when designing this) and settled into his chair, which had convenient rungs he had to use to get in. Eddie had subconsciously settled himself into one the the red bar stools, and by the smug look on Buster's face he had obviously been caught snooping.

He took a sip of the tea, trying to find a way to word what he wanted to say and was actually startled when he realized Buster had put milk and honey in it, exactly how he liked it. It just made him feel worse to think that Buster had been such a good friend (even remembering the way he liked his tea) while he had been such a rotten one.

“I’m sorry.” He started, plain and simple, “About what I said. It was stupid and wrong. I know you were taking the competition seriously, and it wasn’t fair to imply that you weren’t, or that you didn’t care about anything, or that you’re life was perfect.” He felt himself shrinking with every word he said.

“Yea.” Buster said, smiling down at his cup, “You really were a jerk.”

Eddie set his cup down, “I am trying to apologize.”

“I know. I already forgave you.” Buster says nonchalantly, taking a sip of his hot drink. “Life’s too short to hold grudges. Besides, we have more important matters to discuss.”

Slowly picking up his cup and reveling in the warmth, Eddie quirked a brow, “Which is…?”

“How we’re gonna get the gang back together!” he said it like it was obvious, clacking his cup to the granite counter top and cringing at the noise.

“I’m lost.” Eddie admitted, “The theater was destroyed, the competition is over! Ash’s in hiding, Gunter and Johnny have gone to who knows where- there’s no gang too get back together.”

“Oh Eddie,” Buster tutted and shook his head, “You have very little vision, and no hope! We don’t need some fancy theater to perform- we only need ourselves, and our passion.” He said it with such conviction Eddie found himself nodding along enthusiastically.

“Though…” Buster tapped his chin, “A makeshift stage and a few microphones would help…”

#sing 2016 #buster moon #eddie noodleman #sing roleswap au #my writing #my post

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ghostmartyr · 3 years ago

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top 5 villains

You know, the thing about villains, that I have learned through many years of skimming fandom, is that I am bizarrely short of villain stanning. I should have a long list of villains I like. And yet.

I like plenty of characters who are very much not good people, and very much antagonists. But it’s the chaos that’s essential, there. My favorite member of the villain squad is the nuisance who’s just hanging out enjoying being their worst self.

A top villain should be, like. Threatening. To be at the top, they should be adhering to their own agenda, and that agenda shouldn’t be the level of a side quest in the main story. The plot should turn on their ambition just as much as it does for the heroes.

Their reign should be both devastating and entertaining. Bring some style to it. It’s not about being an obstacle for the good guys, it’s about winning.

How many of the following truly check off all those marks is up for debate, but I think they’ve at least got the vibes.

Spoilers for each series the villain belongs to, and I will make sure to note said series in bold when it hits. Images blatantly stolen from wikis.

- - - - -

The Locked Tomb, specifically Gideon the Ninth

Cytherea Loveday

(No art for you, book person.)

She probably shouldn’t be on this list. Yes, that’s how we’re starting out. Not that she isn’t a villain, and not that she isn’t threatening, and --

Look. She’s on the list. More because I like her and she happens to be a villain than me liking her because she’s a villain, but as villains go, she is, as the kids say, a fave.

The living embodiment of, “I came out to attack people and I’m having such a good time right now.” She is the main villain of the first book, and she spends most of the time that we see her lounging in gardens and batting her eyes at her boss’ daughter. She basically treats her murder spree as a company-sponsored tropical vacation. She impersonates her first victim, puppets said first victim’s closest companion’s corpse around (yes the corpse is also her responsibility, and yes she may have stuffed FV’s corpse in around it what of it), kills children, kills a married couple enjoying their anniversary, doesn’t kill the main character because the main character is easy on the eyes (it is slightly more complicated than that but if you want a good story you can read the book), and even when she dies she’s getting something she wants.

(Neglected wants include murdering God.)

Essentially, she’s dreamy. Don’t @ me.

- - - - -

Madoka Magica: Rebellion

Kyubey

Specifying the movie and not picking Homura. I’m great at this.

The reason is actually very simple.

In the movie, Kyubey filled me with hatred. In the series, it’s more of a, ‘lol, you scamp, helping move the plot along’ annoyance at best. I don’t really mind the evil alien bunny ferret in the series. Obviously it’s a bit of a dick, but Kyubey feels like a product of the evil system more than actually being a villain.

Enter the movie.

Enter (irrational levels of?) rage.

Kyubey, in Madoka’s new world, operates with less gains than the witch system provided. The system still functions, but the Incubators could be more fulfilled by it, so it’s like -- ‘can has throne of madokami? kthx start the torture back up.’

Again, Kyubey is a product of the evil system. But the evil system that Madoka defeated. She won, and here Kyubey is, trying to start the game all over and break everything she fixed (arguably succeeding in the case of Homura). The injustice of it all made me actively angry at Kyubey in a way that I seldom experience towards fictional characters. The system was dead, and it had no business trying to come back. Kill it, kill it good, and don’t leave a body behind to bury, because fuck the system.

Then Homura’s treatment of Kyubey at the end disturbed me enough that I can’t actually stomach a manifestation of my dislike for our favorite alien cat marshmallow, but for the strength of reaction Kyubey inspired, we have our second spot on the list.

- - - - -

Rurouni Kenshin

Makoto Shishio

Obligatory mention that all the decent people in this series would punch their author in the face at bare minimum.

Shishio is probably the closest embodiment of the ideal villain talked out above the cut. He has goals. He has a life outside the hero. He’s initially only mildly interested in including the hero in that life. He’s out to rule the country and bathe the current government in blood, and doing it in style is a very cool side effect.

The guy’s set on fire by his own side because they’re terrified of his power. He is the nightmare created by people who put down a road to Hell brick by brick with their maybe good intentions. Along the way they meet a demon, and up until the threat of his power becomes too great, they happily embrace his skills.

Upon his recovery, all he’s really about is proving that they were right to be terrified, and they also should have done a better job with their murder, because guess who’s alive, bitch.

The strong live, and the weak die. Makoto Shishio is alive to remind the government that they are weak, and he will feed on them.

He has an army, he has followers, and he balances all of their motivations so that they are acting only in his favor. Hatred, admiration, or loyalty, it’s all a tool. He kills the woman he loves to win a fight, and she dies grateful for it.

Terrible person. Beautiful conviction. He dies without once faltering in his philosophy and power. He is a force.

Bonus points for being voiced by Steve Blum in the anime.

- - - - -

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)

Horde Prime

This is the part of the list where I start having a little bit of trouble. I mean. The first entry is also that, but Horde Prime is here because I looked at my standards and shouted into the void of my mental file cabinet, “is anyone in here like that?”

Horde Prime is here because he is scary as fuck. He’s a genocidal religious cult leader, and the cult members being clones of him does not mean he plans on being nice. He will put on a polite smile and sink his claws into your throat if you so much as think of being a creature beyond his might.

He is the epitome of a Saturday morning cartoon villain, but in the best way. He doesn’t have a positive motive outside of his own ego. He’s power-hungry and arrogant, and the entitlement oozes off him in any scene where he deigns to interact with people. He is a monster. A veneer of civility can be draped over it all if he’s in the mood, but the universe is his, and he will destroy as much of it as he pleases until it catches up and starts bowing down.

I want to have fun hating villains, and Horde Prime is delightful to hate.

He’s evil and has stage presence. Thank you, sir, your descent into Hell will be witnessed with great satisfaction.

Worth noting that his voice actor, Keston John, is a huge part of that stage presence, and does phenomenal work as his voice.

- - - - -

Rurouni Kenshin

Yukishiro Enishi

(Image not stolen from a wiki because somehow the vibes weren’t right from his page.)

Enishi would do so much more than punch his author in the face, because he’s an awful human being, but an awful human being with one very clear, obsessive stance.

Yes, I wrote Enishi’s name with the family name first and Shishio’s with the family name second. Yes, this is because Kenshin going “Makoto Shishio” in the anime dub is burned into my brain, and Enishi doesn’t have that going on. My list, my bad choices.

First, it must be said: COOLEST CHARACTER DESIGN OF THE LIST. FASHION GOALS. FITNESS GOALS. REALLY FUCKING COOL SWORD. REALLY FUCKING COOL FIGHTING STYLE. BADASS TRANSFORMATION THAT PROBABLY MAKES ANYONE WITH BASIC BIOLOGY UNDERSTANDINGS WINCE.

What a dick.

Here’s the deal.

Kenshin killed his sister.

Enishi will make Kenshin suffer.

Here is the nuance that Enishi can’t grasp until the end.

His sister loved Kenshin. Her death was a horrific accident, partially set up by both her and her brother attempting to arrange Kenshin’s death (one of them changed their mind).

For the hero of the story, Yukishiro Tomoe is a gaping, open wound across his face. It is his greatest failure. There is no part of him not aching with guilt and remorse over her death. There is only pain, and the reminder of it threatens to drown him.

For the villain of the story, there is only one response to that: Good.

It is not enough for Enishi that the man he hates dies. Enishi wants to rip Kenshin’s heart out of his chest and leave it beating in a field of salt and glass. He wants to destroy any shred of life Kenshin has found without his sister, and he wants Kenshin to know that all of this destruction is his fault.

What Enishi wants is the hero’s complete and utter annihilation. His soul deadened, and his suffering infinite.

Obsessive hate to the extent that Enishi feels is just... impressive as hell. His view of the world is black and white to the extreme, and he will make that our hero’s problem. He will not doubt himself except to wonder if keeping Kenshin alive to suffer is a misstep. Enishi is angry, traumatized, and quite often a fucking asshole whose emotional development ceased as a child. Where he was also a little jerk, but you could try to imagine a world where maybe he didn’t bite people if you wanted to be optimistic.

Then he watches Kenshin kill his sister, and proceeds to be the absolute worst in the name of his righteous vengeance. A bunch of people are seriously wounded, there is a large amount of property damage, and trauma is everywhere.

Here is peak Enishi:

Villains need to commit, you know?

Points for passion.

- - - - -

And that’s five? I count five. Awesome.

Sorry this took so long. I wasn’t sure how to go about a list, and then I didn’t want to just phone it in, since it’d already taken forever. Thanks very much for the ask, though! Hopefully this serves as an entertaining response.

#asks #Rurouni Kenshin #spop in the name of love #viva la pluto #Madoka Magica

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