#so it's not like there's another archer it would be good on XD;;

[dandelion-wings]

...anyway if you want to know how little I use Fischl for anything but summoning Oz, I switched to Kujou Sara's team for a shooting challenge because "she's an archer!" and didn't realize I could have used Fischl until I switched back

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

Taking Care Of You

Summary: Valen's falling ill and the Heroic Order uses the situation to find out what secret the Knight has at home - you.

Tags: Valen x Reader / GN Reader / fluff

For @afktales - writing is not my forte but when your head bursts with some ideas it's gotta go onto paper one way or the other... xD

===================

Valen sank heavily down onto the old sofa standing in the entry hall of the Heroic Order. He felt dreadful, with heavy eyelids and a dull aching in his head whenever he moved. He clearly came down with a cold and he could no longer hide it.

"Are you dying?" Joey stepped up to him. His teasing tone was quickly accompanied by sincere concern for his colleague's situation as he bend down to observe Valen more closely.

The knight looked up with a smirk, gently waving the notion aside. "I shall never perish by anything my sword cannot touch. But … I admit, I am not fully alive either right now." The smirk gave way to a more tired smile of resignation against the forces of nature against him. Valen sighed. "It isn't busy, is it? I sure hope I don't have to get up again anytime soon."

The archer nodded. "It has been quiet, but things can change quickly. Shall I ask the General to dismiss you before that happens?"

Valen sank even deeper into the cushions of the sofa. He wasn't really the kind to lay aside his duty for small inconveniences such as temporary light illness, so he took a moment to consider. Joey, however, stopped him in his thoughts straight away.

"Never mind my question, it is a yes, so don't move until I am back."

"Huh, but I didn't… say anything…", Valen protested but Joey had already turned and walked towards the office door. General Hogan was busy catching up on some reports and would be able to respond straight away. With another sigh Valen folded his arms to hide the slight shiver running through his aching body. Torn between his sworn duty to serve and the soothing call of home, he placed the decision into the hands of the General.

Just when he began to wonder what might take them so long, they both emerged from the office. Valen tried to sit up to properly greet the General, but a raised hand stopped his endeavour.

"General?"

"You really do not look good today, Valen.", Hogan sighed after a moment of careful observation. "I do appreciate all your efforts, but you should not push yourself when it is not neccessary. I have enough men to cover your duty today AND tomorrow. You are dismissed."

"Yes, General. Thank you. I… appreciate it." Valen raised his fist to his heart in both greeting and gratitude. But when he tried to get up, the General stopped him with outstretched hand once more.

"Hold on. You look even worse when you try to move. It is best that you do not go home alone. In fact, I shall have you be picked up. Joey!"

While Valen's tired body sank back into the soft sofa, his mind protested. "Wait, what? Why do I have to be picked up? I can go home alone!"

"No, you won't. My orders. Joey, you know where he lives, right? Do go there and ask for assistance."

"Yes, General." Joey saluted with a sly smile. His gaze quickly flashed over to his protesting sick colleague, but then he turned and left.

"General, there really is no need to do this." Valen tried to get up this time but General Hogan just pushed him back into the seat.

"Valen. Your well-being is a great concern to me. You will stay here and wait, for I am certain there will be someone to take you home. Or am I mistaken?"

The stare of General Hogan penetrated deep into Valen's soul. He knew. They probably all knew and it looks like Valen could no longer hide his secret. Resignated Valen looked up at his superior, nodding. "No, you're not mistaken. You just want to know who's there, don't you?"

The General crossed his arms, mildly patronizing Valen. "So I do. In fact, I would have liked to know much sooner. Not just for regulation's sake."

"Ah, my apologies. It'll be a yes, but I still need to formally… propose, so relax. And what that's regulation there for anyways? But you will be the first to know when we've settled on a date, I promise." Valen showed both his hands to appease his superior.

Hogan uncrossed his arms, humming in approval. "Is it who I think it is?"

Valen nodded. "Yeah."

The old soldier didn't say anything more. But his expression showed Valen that he was glad to hear so. The General then turned to uywin, who had been observing the scene nearby and asked him to stand by the sick knight's side.

As General Hogen departed Valen leaned back, tilting his head to rest on the sofa. He closed his eyes as his thoughts turned to you. After what felt like years of knowing you and months of agony, he finally could hold you in his arms. All the things you went through and what he endured, to the final moments of saving you and taking you home… it all came flushing through his drowsy mind. The memory of your warm embrace soothed his shivers. You intended to keep things secret until you could officially announce your engagement, but it looks like Valen's colleagues didn't want to wait that long. In Hogan's case, understandable, as it was him who provided some support when Valen felt worst. Now that the General was forcing the matter himself, he actually felt a little guilty for not having shared this news with him sooner. Maybe he should invite him over for dinner some time. Either way, you'd shortly be showing up right here in front of him and even though the idea that he'd be taken home resting lightly on your shoulders like a (love)sick fool felt like an embarrassment, he also couldn't wait to show off how beautiful, charming and caring you were.

------------------

When you heard the heavy footsteps on the steps and corridor outside the small flat, your first thought turned to Valen returning. You put down the shirts you just folded and stepped up close to the door, ready to greet your knight appropriately. The knock on the door wasn't like him, however, and in sudden confusion you just voiced a careful "Yes?".

"Joey, from the Heroic Order", came the voice from the other side. "I have a message from General Hogan."

A message from the General? That could only be for Valen but was he not at work? Before you started worrying about that, however, you did mind the gentlemen in front of your home and quickly opened the door. "I am sorry, but Valen should be at work."

The imperial archer immediately bowed to greet you. "The message is for you. Valen has fallen ill and the General requested that he is picked up so that he may return home safely."

"Oh. Is that it?" You straightened up in relief. You knew you could have imagined much worse than that. Still, was he so ill he couldn't come home alone? "Where is he now?"

"At the Heroic Order. It will be my pleasure to escort you there. Please be assured that he is still strong enough to return with you here."

"That is a relief. Thanks for coming to get me. I'll join you right away". You grabbed your small bag from the hook next to the door and slipped into your shoes. Confusion took hold of you, however, so when you joined Joey in the hallway, you couldn't resist asking. "Sir Joey, why didn't you bring him yourself?"

Joey gave a apologetic smile. "It was the General's orders. He wants to personally make sure that Valen is taken care off. But with all the work to be done, he could not leave himself."

"I see. Of course, he couldn't, so he send you."

For a moment you walked silently next to the archer. It still didn't properly explain why Joey couldn't have dropped Valen off. Maybe he was so ill that he needed a 24-hour support? But then, why not take him to the infirmary? And how did the Heroic Order know about you in the first place? Valen had assured you just a few days ago that he never said a word. Then again, in the same breath, he had mentioned how they joked he might have a sweetheart … in which case… is this just a ruse to lure you out? You clutched your bag. You were hardly prepared to meet his colleagues and even less, General Hogan. Not that you weren't ready to expose yourself to the world, your dress was neat and clean and your hair taken care off. But first impressions are crucial and regardless of the situation, you worried you might be a reason for your knight to be embarrassed.

Hesitantly you turned to Joey. Just to be sure what kind of situation you were truly in, you dared to ask. "May I request an honest response? Has Valen really fallen ill?"

Joey slowed his steps and shared a gentle smile with you. "Yes, he truly is in a sorry state. I am certain, however, that with rest and your care he will fully recover. Why?"

"Has Valen requested me?" You kept your eyes set on Joey's. He held his gaze for a moment, but then dropped his shoulders and tilted his head.

"No, he did not."

You return the archer's answer with a nod and smile, you even let out a compassionate chuckle. Your reaction visibly confused him as he stopped walking. That's how it is, then. They may be taking advantage of the situation but their curiosity about their colleague's private life fills you with warmth.

"I am sorry for my reaction. It is quite alright, I assure you. May I know, how did you know you would find me at his home?"

Trying to make up for the Order's little trickery, Joey was quick to answer your question. "He stopped going out so often, or left home early from the tavern. There is also the noticable lack of engagement in certain conversations with certain people, that led us to conclude he must have gotten entangled with someone special. Besides, his mood has never been better."

Yes, that you could fully understand. Being with Valen had caused nothing but happiness for both of you, regardless of the strains from the time prior. "I am glad to hear it. Even more so if that happiness extends to his workplace and his colleagues. Thank you so much for standing by his side."

Joey placed his fist on his chest and bowed slightly again. "Thank you, it is a pleasure and privilege to work with him. He is blessed to have you by his side."

A blush reddend your cheeks. You always thought you were the blessed one to have been found by Valen. Hearing that he is the blessed one, underlines your efforts to support and enable the knight doing his work.

"I think we are both blessed to have each other," you responded. "Let's keep going. We better not leave him waiting."

You continued to walk towards the Heroic Order. It wasn't far and after another couple of minutes you entered the building. Joey pointed directly to the sofa on which Valen seemed to have dozed off. The archer then excused himself to get the General.

You greeted Guywin with a gentle smile and nod. He returned the smile and gestured you to approach his ill colleague.

"Valen. Are you alright?" You bent down a little to grab the hand on his lap. The knight immediately squeezed your hand gently in return and slowly opened his eyes. He looked tired and there was a slight sheen to his eyes.

"Hey. I think I'll live. Barely."

You chuckled. "Please live more than just barely, hm? I don't know what to tell General Hogan if I return only half a man."

Valen visibly collected some strength and with a moan he sat up properly. He still held your hand and now pressed it gently against his face. "Don't worry. As long as you're with me, you'll only have to give reports about a truly whole man."

"I hope so." You placed your other hand over Valen's, reassuring him that you would take gentle care of him in the coming days.

The heavy steps and slight clinking of armour next to you drew your attention. General Hogan came to a halt just when you looked over. He stretched out his hand towards you.

"Hogan, General of the Heroic Order and Magistrate of Holistone. Who's care do I have the pleasure of entrusting Valen to?"

Valen had pointed him out to you from afar before and you knew the General, the Bastion of the Lightbearer Empire, also from the many stories told about him. He was a man to inspire lives, but now that his massive figure stood before you, you couldn't help but feel even more impressed than you thought you'd ever be and when you gave him your small hand to shake, his gentle grip surprised you pleasantly.

"[Your name], I am honoured to meet you, General."

"So am I." He then looked over at the ill knight. "Valen hasn't been feeling well and I have given him permission to recover. If he does need more time, please do come and let me know. I expect him to be in full health upon his return."

Your gaze settled on Valen sitting in front of you. "Of course, I will make an exception and spoil him particularly well to make sure he recovers as quick as possible."

"Really?", Valen intercepted, "Do I get eggs in mustard? A foot massage? Drink delivery? You'll polish my armour?" While he made his requests he shook your hand in anticipation like a young child.

"Yes, yes, no, you'll have tea and no, Valen, I can't even lift that thing without your help. If you are that excited still, maybe I should help you move to the office rather than take you home."

In a flash Valen's smile was replaced by a playful frown and he leaned his head heavily against you, pulling on your hand, shaking all of you. "No, no, a bed would do really nicely now, forget the armour or the drink, let's just go home."

"Yes, maybe that would be best, you better get the boy home," remarked General Hogan with a chuckle as he observed Valen's silly display.

"Come on…" You lifted Valen's hand onto your shoulder and reached then around his torso, dragging him up a bit. He moaned loudly as he followed your cue and stood up. He wrapped his arm fully around you. He didn't really need the support but this was the best excuse to touch you while being in the company of his colleagues, so he took it. He then turned to the others.

"Alright, back home it is. Thanks again, General. I shall be back as soon as I can. Joey, Guywin." He lifted his fist up to his heart, as did they. Valen's colleagues wished him a fast recovery and shortly after you and Valen were on your way back home.

"Really no help with the armour?", he carefully asked.

You chuckled. "Not with that one, no. I am better at making those mustard eggs. But I am happy to help you out of any restrictive clothing in a minute. Just so you may rest better, mind you."

Valen sighed deeply. "Yeah, I know. It's still heaven when you handle me, though. Let me stay at home at least long enough so I can handle you, too, before going back to work."

"Once you are well enough. But then, very very gladly."

--------

That you came down with a cold a few days later came as no surprise. But it was well worth it, after having had the pleasure to take care of the man you loved so much during his time of need.

[cutegirlmayra]

Sonic AU I suppose. Keeping up with the storybook game spirit Sonic is now Robin Hood, his friends are the characters (Tails Little John, Knuckles Friar Tuck and Amy is Maid Marian). You know the scene where Marian begs for Robin's life? Yeah go with that and fluff up the sonamy and action. And when Friar Tuck is kidnapped Prince John (uhh I guess Shadow?) Keeps Maid Marian under house arrest so Sonic saves her too.

I’ve had an idea to do a Sonic Storybook series, but I won’t be doing that in this prompt ^^; I’ve lost a lot of motivation and confidence in my writing, so I’m treating it more as a ‘hobby’ recently. When I feel up to it, who knows what I could create again?

(I hope you don't mind, I did my own thing xD Which Robin Hood are you referring to? There are MANY adaptations so I was a little confused xD)

Prompts are permanently down and out! Sorry -shrug-.

Prompt:

The false king Jet rippled a wave of tappings with his impatient fingers against the wooden armrest of the competition’s throne, situated above the peasant audience as he slouched in boredom.

He grinded his beak together, his other hand gripping the edge with animosity… He didn’t care about the rest of the archers… Except maybe Storm and Wave, who were undercover and acting as though normal woodsmen, cloaked and hooded to remain anonymous.

“He should be here by now…” He tapped his foot anxiously, shaking his knee.

Sheriff Shadow smirked, side-stepping somewhat to lean down to Jet’s lowered, annoyed stature.

“Patience, good king Jet…” He may have been addressing Jet in private, but his eyes were like the hawk’s, also scanning the line of archers for their quarry…

“He wouldn’t miss this competition for the world…” He stated, assuredly. “If I know him, he’ll be here.”

“He isn’t one for easy sport!” Jet spat out, then looked over to Amy, a victim in her own home. The true King Silver was off to war, and she was forced to take the simple pleasantries of the boisterous parties and lavishing expenses of Jet’s whimsical spending and ravening on and on about being ‘king’ now that Silver was MIA.

“You and I both know… He’ll be here… if not for the test of skill… then the test of merited devotion.” He narrowed his eyes at Amy, knowing she often proclaimed Sonic and her’s affections for one another as though a threat to Jet overspending the country’s money.

“I’ve been robbed, ransacked, and humiliated too many times by that blue speed demon or… hedgehog.” Jet slowly rose up, trying to actually look courageous even though he wasn’t. His hate lingered on every word that escaped his crisp beak, wrinkled from how many times his beak hit the carriage backboard by his entourage getting raided. “The true will of that ‘free wind’ will be snuffed out if we prove that our ambush actually works.”

He looked to Shadow, “Don’t fail me… I’m already cross with you, Sheriff Shadow… You’ve been duped by that hedgehog in getting the people’s taxes to my castle… I’m one feather away from ending your whole career.” He flicked one of his head feathers and then used that same hand to lean his head on, looking out into the crowd of miserable on-lookers.

They were dried up in their pocket books, poor in both money, spirit, and quality of life.

However… one hope did remain, a light unto them.

A blue streak of light, to be exact, with a red robin low-riding in its gales.

“... He’ll know we��re after him.” Shadow leaned back up, his hands behind his back and also… waving his fingers in anticipation to fight his rival again and exact his revenge. “That’s the biggest temptation yet.” He smiled.

“Tah!” Jet looked over to Shadow again, “I haven’t seen you this ‘smiley’ in a while! Since I egged on that hedgehog by stating you-” He pointed to him, “Would be betrothed to Maiden Amy.” He then swiped his point to Amy, who wasn’t trying to listen in on the conversation, but couldn’t help it.

She flinched slightly, but kept her eyes forward. ‘I know he’ll save me.’ She thought, looking to the forests around the quiet town…

‘Friar Tails told me to wait for Little Knuckles… That he’d send me word on when Sonic Hood could rescue me… but with all the guards doubled for the… ugh, wedding arrangements.’ She rolled her eyes, ‘How are they able to get any word to me? Oh, Sonic…’

She put her hands to her lap and took a calming breath, ‘I just have to believe in you… I know you’ll protect the realm. Silver would most earnestly agree that your efforts are for righteous justice… against this untrue king.’

She then looked up, taking one beat to glare at Jet before her eyes looked at her hands as she turned them to prayer. Her eyes shook in dear love and devotion, for both the beautiful vigilante, and for her Cousin’s kingdom.  ‘And I can wait… for the sake of our beloved and oppressed people… I can hold out a little longer.’ She dipped her head to a small, faint tear.

It was in that moment of deep longing that a light caught her eyes and flickered there multiple times.

She blinked, letting the teardrop go along its downward descent on her cheek without opposition, trying to get the blinding reflection out of her eyes.

She squinted, but her hand finally found obstruction to the reflective trick, and gave her eyes rest enough to see it was the doing of a ranger on the tourney roll call line, fiddling with his equipment.

A green hood… but brown spikes of a porcupine…

They were actually sticks, pointed to look like a porcupine’s silhouette.

The figure’s metal arrow was causing the flickering lights to attract her eyes, as the man looked as though ‘adjusting’ the arrow on his bow.

Her eyes lit up. Was this his signal? His sign!?

‘Oh, Sonic!’ She put her up by her mouth, now back together again, to symbolize how she felt he was back in her life once more. Her eyes now sparkled with none other than the light of hope that he was, to all the citizens that revered his gallant efforts for their sakes. ‘You did come for me!’

It was obvious it was a trap, but Shadow and Jet knew better… they knew that would entice him even more… since they hadn’t let the Maid Amy out of the castle since the announcement, and since the wedding day was approaching… their ruse would be up if he didn’t directly attack their fortress.

Instead, since they saw no sign he was coming to storm it yet, they grew impatient–well, Jet did���Shadow was… more than willing to concede to marrying her, after all, it would give him the ultimate power over the realm… being so close to a King’s maiden owned.

That’s all Shadow really wanted, to be the Ultimate authority, have all the power to do as he pleased.

If this ‘King’ Jet only cared about using his power for parties, Shadow could quite literally make the whole of the realm his stomping grounds. Who wouldn’t feel even partially ‘a king’ with power like that..?

Jet was a coward who just wanted to revel in wild partying, to enjoy all the high life could offer him, since he was always jealous of Silver’s birthright. Being the bastard son of the late king, he had no bloodright to the throne that was legitimate, adopted only on the whim of the kindhearted King of the Realm–Silver’s late father.

Silver was now MIA in status, which was Jet’s doing, as he had supported the foreign enemy of the Realm with a promised arrangement. Capture and kill the King, then he’d work well with them in return for their allowing him to be stationed in the land as the new King… though, wonderfully hospitable and generous to them forever more…

A puppet… really.

It would set both Shadow and Jet high in society if they could pull it off… since Amy was a cousin to Silver, and the two shared a great friendship and bond, she was often given the world and even had a dowry the size and measure worthy of a Princess.

If Shadow married her, not only for her renowned beauty mingled with tales of her tenderheart, but he’d have half the Realm gifted to him from their own King Silver’s plate and fed his more than plenty share of spoils from his own spoon… along with the friendship of the new king, Jet… Shadow would be able to do all he pleased…

An official, more than a Sheriff… he could be General over the armies…

Eventually, why not be king, as well?

Nah, he’d let all the hatred go to Jet. “It’s the new king’s fault, I’m only following orders.” He would say when swiping the precious few rings left from a townsfolk or two… or three… or four or five, six, seven…

Ultimate greed… the two were two peas in a pod, but Amy cherished the good-hearted nature of Silver, and much like him, she knew their two hearts would be united in the good spirited patriotism of Sonic Hood, the Robin’s Boom.

They nicknamed him that as he was so swift, his red shoes would make it look like a small robin was creating sonic booms whenever and wherever he stole from the rich to give to the poor, knowing they were being cheated out of their livelihoods and honest living by the false king Jet’s heavy taxation for his grandiose parties.

The porcupine tipped his green hood down, and she knew her love had come to do more than just save her… but continually save every person in all the Realm from such serious crimes as Jet’s and Shadow’s merciless hunger for power and wealth.

To gain from the people’s sufferings… was not how a true king lived.

Sonic looked up just barely from the hood, his brown mask matching the spikes, to make his appearance truly different for his little charade. But this whole competition was a facade, one he was excited to expose and defeat.

No one could catch him, he was as free as the wind itself.

Holding up the arrow, the figure seems to be well-pleased with the shine on the sharp metal, a beautiful steel triangle.

He pulls back the string, at the same time, the corners of his mouth bend like the tension on the bow, a cocky smile.

It’s at this moment that Maiden Amy recognizes it, and her eyes widen somewhat before cautiously looking to Jet, and leaning back in her chair.

She hadn’t noticed, but she was leaning forward in anticipation and eager interest… That could have blown Sonic Hood’s cover…

However, Shadow and Jet were also curious about the lineup, their topics of conversation had ceased, and a ‘dead air’ filled the grassy field near the town… where the tournament was now underway.

A man called out the order, “And… Shoot!”

Perfect.

Jet’s and Shadow’s eyes both bounced up, as though attempting to follow the speed of the arrow.

It wobbled once hitting the target.

“Load..!”

Sonic quickly pulled out another arrow and positioned it perfectly, slowing himself down to match the other participants, especially Storm and Wave’s skills…

“Pull!”

His nose lifted on in calming inhale, and his eyes could almost picture his own body speeding towards the bullseye…

“And… Shoot!”

Wave and Storm flinched at the sound of whistling, looking as they took their eyes off their own objective and ended up with a lower score because of it.

No matter how much Sonic tried to ‘sandbag’ himself to blend in, his accuracy and speed with an arrow was second to none.

Sonic Hood once told Little Knuckles that an arrow felt like an extension of his own body. While he ran faster than the eye could see, he could still shoot an arrow, and go even beyond what he felt were his limits.

An arrow was like an old, reliable friend, he had stated. Because it could keep up with him, and when he needed to stop running for whatever reason, an arrow would keep going…

In that sense, he felt an arrow was the truest form of freedom for his soul. It sang through the air and he almost wished it didn’t have to pierce anything.

As a young boy, he would race his father’s arrows. To see it lodge itself through the first arrow he launched, and split it perfectly in the middle… even to jam itself through the target and pretty much obliterate its brother before it…

Sonic took no pleasure in that.

He slowly lowered the bow, as though in respects to the first fallen arrow… and forcing the second one to have to end its momentum in its once–joyous–flight.

To Sonic, the action of casting an arrow through the air was the fun part, not hitting the target.

To have a target… was a regretful thing… but one Sonic Hood had to dutifully accept once he saw the misery of the townsfolk… all over the nation… they were suffering because of a false king.

Now, Jet had paid off the rest of the contenders, telling them to purposefully score low, but seeing Wave and Storm completely miss the bullseye… his eyes shrank in shame and humiliation…

He grinded his beak, “His arrow… was so mesmerizing… it’s wind even lured their own eyes..!?” He was twitching in rage. For you see… Jet also loved a moving arrow.

Though… The two’s only difference… was that Jet also enjoyed the kill shot.

He liked to be praised for how swiftly he could send an arrow flying into its target… to have Sonic Hood command the stage was like watching King Silver have all the power and only do goody-two-shoe things with it!

He stood up in defiance, because he himself–and all those in attendants, even Shadow–had watched the arrow and forgotten a moment why they were there…

For that one, split second… that whistle had captivated all the hearts of everyone present, even those that despised him.

To Sonic, he eerily referred to this as the arrow’s ‘soul’ attracting all to watch its jubilee at taking flight.

Again, it wasn’t about hitting the target and receiving praise for himself–like Jet glorified in.

It was… to simply watch and participate in the arrow’s first winged ‘zip’ through the open space… nothing tethering it… nothing stopping it’s due course.

“Whheee!” Sonic Hood jumped up in joy, acting like an old man Porcupine. “I hit it again!” He did a small little jig, but the jig was up.

Jumping from one leg to another in a goofy way, it was clear this ‘old man’ wasn’t so ‘hunched back’ after all… the way his hidden ‘quills’ were meant to be disguised as.

“S-... Seize himmm!!!!” Jet threw out his finger after it twitched a moment, unable to move as though all were respectfully waiting for the arrow to stop moving first… its spell still lingering on them.

Jet sweated, feeling his pride attacked more than the cleanly sliced target and its first arrow drawn into it, but Shadow also zoomed through the air as though by Jet’s very command, he had also released him into the air.

“SOOONNIICC!!!” In rage, Shadow went to grab him, but by then, Little Knuckles’s fist shot out from underground, jumping just at his torso up to wham Sheriff Shadow right in the chin, knocking him up and then another swift jab to match his uppercuff to knock him prone to the side.

“Alllriighhtt!!! ‘Bout time you stopped messing around!” Knuckles looked energized, as his tunnels suddenly collapsed, showing an intricate pathway system to help the villagers escape through.

Friar Tails was helping them walk down, before rushing to Maid Amy, “I figured you were looking for us!” He cheered, and she happily took his hand after clutching her heart, overjoyed at seeing him again.

“Good Friar Tails, I have never been more relieved!” She walked down the platform before hearing-

“Chaos Control!”

Time froze, and Sonic Hood’s disguise was thrown off.

His team had planned to ransack Jet’s caravans while having him be the distraction, as well as get the townsfolk that Jet forced to watch this tourney back to safety…

However, with Shadow pausing time, that wouldn’t be the case.

Shadow drew his Chaos Sword, empowered by an Emerald, changing the flaming light to that of the emerald’s power… He then charged Sonic,... Who drew forth his own Chaos Sword–which prohibited him from being subjected to the time halt–countering Shadow’s advance.

“At last,” He gritted against the fast-moving sparks from their blades cracking through space and time with their velocity and intense duel to the death. “Once I rid the realm of you, Maid Amy will finally be mine!”

He swiped his sword out to have Sonic crash back into the ground, “Ultimate power… land, kingdoms, and heck, even all the Chaos Emeralds will be mine! Who needs to collect gold when the very world is yours to conquer!?”

Sonic shook his head, getting up, “You think… One maiden’s hand will just… give you the world?” His hand held his wobbling head to try and straighten out his vision, as Shadow dived down and landed smoothly, but with great power already at his hover-shoe heels.

“She’s no ordinary maiden… wouldn’t you agree?” He held his hand up and gripped it into a soft fist. “All that remains… is to deliver you up to the hills of mourning,... to have the church bells ring in your sad honor… The honor of one who tried to defy a new world!” Shadow pulled back his sword, reeling it to then launch towards him when-

Sonic fires an arrow, which zooms past Shadow’s forehead, through the gap in his quills…

Time begins again… And Shadow, although shaken, begins to laugh.

“The one time your aim wavers…” He found that incredibly humorous, smirking only to see Sonic lower his bow with a confident grin.

“Huh?” He turned around, “What!?

“Do you even remember who I am?”

The sound of a metal crown spinning around and around against the arrow’s stem, sticking straight into Jet’s mocking throne seat, as his own head cowers below the arrow that almost struck his head’s plumage.

Comically far down on his seat, he shakes like a chicken, bumbling as though he can’t even speak after being that close to death itself.

“You… You were aiming to knock off his crown?” Shadow turned back to Sonic, who had already gotten over his headache from the fall, and cockily threw up a wagging finger, winking to him.

“Should you really be that incredulous, Sheriff? Knowing that crown never belong on his head, anyway.”

Shadow gritted his teeth, “This wasn’t about him!” He swiped the air with his Chaos Sword, summoning spears behind and around his body in the air. “This was about Maid-!”

“I’m only here to stop injustice. The wicked ways of an imposter calling the throne his own.” Sonic gestured out a hand, cutting off the proud Hedgehog, who’s eyes shook at how dismissive Sonic was to her…

Did… Sonic not actually fancy her, then?

Was… Was Maid Amy’s affections really just one-sided?

“If that means keeping a real chaotic jewel like Maiden Amy out of your hands as well… Shadow, then so be it!” Sonic put the bow around his body, slinging it to his shoulder, and took his Chaos Sword again in both hands.

Jet came back up from ducking, turning to the side of the spinning crown as Sonic Hood’s arrow rested lodged in his wooden backboard of his throne… he tried to pull it out, but it was perfectly wedged between the gaps of the jewels and metal framework of the crown.

In vain did he try and ‘pick’ off the jewels, but also lusted for the gold the crown was forged from, and not being able to get the individual stones out, he settled at just commanding his men to lift the throne and got off of it, not wanting to lose that luxurious crown originally owned by King Silver.

After more fighting, and Jet just trying to salvage what little funds of tax money he had remaining, Sonic realized that Shadow was relentless…

Everyone had escaped… it was time.

Sonic rushed ‘round about the area, Shadow on his heels, skating after him as he put his Chaos Sword back and took off his bow once more.

Pulling out an arrow, he looked at it sorrowfully, “Sorry about this… old friend.” He spoke to the arrow as though it had a soul, mounting it to the proper place as he pulled back the string.

He jumped and turned to Shadow, who jumped in response, swiping his sword multiple times to try and ‘deflect’ any arrow launched at him, since Sonic had already dodged most of his exploding Chaos Spears.

Sonic saw his opening… “Goodbye… My friend.” He shot the arrow through Shadow, perfectly timing the swipes of his erratic sword maneuvers to avoid Sonic having such an shot guaranteed at all.

Though, it did not kill him, it knocked the Chaos Sword out of his hand, which allowed Little Knuckles–who emerged from his concealment under the ground, stalking the two fighting forces of good and evil–and swiped the Chaos Emerald from it to then bury back into the ground.

In this way, he ensured Shadow could not stop time again… that, and Jet’s forces were now all stuck in the collapsing dug-outs Little Knuckles had made in case they were to escape, which they did try to.

Jet pounded the caravan, throwing his own tantrum as Wave and Storm rubbed their bruises but knew talking to him would only get them bonked on the head during his ‘tyrannical’ fit.

Storm had wrestled Knuckles and failed, and Wave lost track of Friar Tails as he did the sign of the cross and unleashed what looked like trip-wires to keep her from following them and the villagers through the caves.

A clever little Friar… the church usually didn’t associate with new technology… but the brave little fox found holiness in even the modern ways of thinking and engineering.

For that, she kinda respected him.

Storm was surprised that even with the height difference, Little Knuckles had fought him like a true warrior. Gloved fist to gloved fist, but felt the sting of his jabbing spikes on his punches, and commended the man for fighting above ground and even throwing him to it before giving him a proper bow of respect in combat and taking off.

The two were just glad they escaped with their lives…

Wave could have taken Friar Tails in hand-to-hand combat, but Maid Amy was more powerful than she expected! When she went to catch the sly yellow fox by one of his two mutated tails–one of the reasons he was orphaned at the monastery he grew up in–the fair maiden had jumped and slammed her hammer into Wave from the darkness of the cave.

Without any sound to make herself known, Wave was taken completely offguard. Not only was she now covered in dirt, she had also gotten the wind in her songbird lungs knocked right out of her.

When Jet wasn’t in such a state… though she knew that may take longer than a day for him to get over this defeat from Sonic Hood, she would tell him of Maiden Amy’s unexpected brutality with that hammer of hers, and how she helped the citizens rush down the tunnels and steal back their gold from Jet’s men. Most of Jet’s men either fled, deserted, or were knocked out by the Merry Men at Sonic’s beck and call.

She could now confidently tell the ‘King’ that the noble pink hedgehog was absolutely in league with Sonic Hood, even though Jet may have suspected as much from her love for him.

“To kill a coward is not an honor I want nor get to have.” Sonic looked to Shadow’s injured self, him gripping his bleeding hand while on his knees to the ground, Little Knuckles coming up behind to knock him out with a heavy blow, but Sonic held up his hand, steadying him away.

“Since you are a noblemen, I’ll let you and Jet receive the courtsey of a fair trial by the good King Silver. To scold you with his mighty roar of justice instead!” He held up his fists, and from the forest came the souls of those he had just liberated from Jet’s unrighteous tyranny.

“All hail King Silver!”

In the distance, Jet shuttered, hearing the cry as the multitude of poor citizens raised their fists skyward and cried out the same very chant off Sonic Hood’s goodly lips.

Jet was intimidated by the power Sonic held over the people, the way he could sway hearts just as well as he could possibly shoot through them.

He takes a trembling hand to his head, remembering his close-call with death, and summons all his outrage to his throat, swallowing heavily before turning up in his now wrecked ‘retreat wagon’.

“SHADOW!!!” He cried out, screaming as though to defy the heavens, “KILL HIM! I don’t care how! Kill that hedgehog!!!” He stomped the ground, hitting and kicking his fallen carriages.

Shadow gets up, panting…

He hates Sonic… but looking to see Maid Amy cheering on Sonic Hood’s goodness…

Her face… It's so bright with love for him.

His alien blood boils…

He pulls out the sword that no longer has the chaos energy infused into it,... and drops it.

“A hilt is nothing… without the Chaos rushing through it… However…”

Shadow pulls out… A second Chaos Emerald from his back-quills!?

The Crowd gasps in fright, all starting to retreat in fear back into the forest now, taking double-looks as they fear their hero’s life may be in jeopardy once more.

Did they celebrate too soon!?

What will become of their defiance now?! What mercy is there against Jet’s overwhelming fury coming from a distance?

“You have a lot of Chaos Emeralds.” Sonic smirks, as Sheriff Shadow sneers at Sonic Hood’s lack of fear in the face of death.

‘He mocks me… He thinks me not even worth being afraid!’ He shoved the Chaos Emerald into the proper spot on the hilt of the blade, having the blade now grow and glow the color of the new emerald.

“All the better to now end you with, Sonic! Hah!”  While the two swordfight yet again, Jet rushes over with his militia, paid off knights who now serve his bidding for the spoils or with threat against their families they’re trying to keep safe…

Friar Tails pulls Amy back, “Maid Amy!” He cries out, struggling to hold her back, “You can’t intervene in a man’s duel!”

“But..! My Sonic! He’ll be hurt!” She tries to defy the little fox, but is too kindhearted to march out and fight his strength, which she knew she could, if it meant dragging him into the fray as well. “Let go of me, good priest, I don’t wish to get you involved in my act of love!”

“This is not love, but madness!” Tails cries out, “As the good book says, to lay down one’s life for his friends is noble and just, but least you are tempted, maybe think of how your own life be threatened!” Tails happily adjusted the scripture to try and preserve the fair maiden from the battlefield.

“Besides! If you get captured again, they’ll really have you marry the Sheriff this time!” He warned, as Jet turned his hole of an ear to the fox’s words; Not much of a religious man, but his interest was peaked on why that meant so much to him… he spoke as though that could ruin some sort of ‘plan’...

Like a fool, Tails continued to cry out his words, having the clever bird hear…

“Even King Silver couldn’t order the heavens to change his power then! Once bound on earth, sealed in heaven!”

Tails desperately pulled back, even hooking his tails around a tree and having two villagers step in to pull her back, as Amy finally relented in her cause to wane her strength and let the three sigh in relief.

Jet, enthused by the idea that if King Silver came back, he couldn’t fully punish him with an ‘out’ of sorts, immediately leaped into the air and rushed to Wave and Storm.

At first, they were worried he’d smack them, but was pleasantly surprised by his jubilee at grabbing their arms, feeling them stiffen up straight for impact, and then blink in confusion at his rushed, cunning words.

“We mustn’t let Maid Amy get away!” He cried out, which–with the name of his desires spoken aloud–Shadow’s ears turned to Jet, momentarily stopping his assault on Sonic’s Chaos Blade and listened…

“Because now, I–King of the Realm–will marry the fair girl and inherit all that the silly King cannot take from me, should he return!”

“What!?” Eye twitching, head now reeled up at such deceitful lying… “She was promised to me!” Sheriff Shadow turned his full attention now to Jet.

Sonic Hood stood with a tip of his toe on a tree, balancing with his arms waving about in circles to keep him balanced there upon, before taunting Shadow with childish mockery. “What’s wrong, Shadow? Don’t you know a thief will always stay as one?”

Sonic was having fun with the battle, he hoped Shadow wouldn’t quit it here…

However, using his skills and wits, he looks down to his Merry Men and nods.

With the signal given, and Shadow momentarily distracted, the Merry Men throw hooks with rope tied to their ends up to Shadow, pulling him down and tying him up. “N-No!” Sonic speeds down to swipe the remaining Chaos Emerald, and looks to Friar Tails.

“Get Amy out of here!” He throws his hand to the wind, and Tails immediately nods in obedience, the villagers all helping to drag her away.

“Oh, but… Sonic! My Sonic!” She cries, but he just smiles a little awkwardly to her, a bit of sweat dripping down the side of his face.

“Oh, Amy…” It’s a fond reprimand, as though he does care for the girl, but can’t indulge her ‘yearning’ for his attention at the moment.

Turning back, he witnesses his men currently dog-piling Sheriff Shadow to overwhelm his awesome might, trying to hold him down and bind him with the rope.

“Hate to leave you dissatisfied, Sheriff, but Amy–and the kingdom–need me!” He waves him slightly off with a salute and wink, sheathing his Chaos Sword as the light dims and the blade drops as it does so, and departs the decent distance to confront the false King Jet.

However, Jet holds up his own Chaos Emerald.

“No!” Sonic screeches his robin-red colored heels to a halt, as Jet teleports…

“Grk!” He bites his words back, looking around but unable to see where Friar Tails had disappeared to with Maid Amy.

“Knuckles! Little Knuckles!” He stomps the ground a few times, hard as rocks, as Little Knuckles’s head slowly rises up as he keeps stomping directly on his cranium.

Little Knuckles flinches at each hit, raising ever the more slowly before turning his now red with frustration gaze to Sonic. “I’M RIGHT HERE, HOOD!” He cries out, punching off his annoying foot that hit in a continuous stride up till that point.

“Did you really not notice me!? The ground rising up from below you!?”

“I… did notice the distance waning.” He smiled, cheerfully apologetic but it wasn’t enough for the echidna, who just crossed his arms, still upset.

“We have to find Maid Amy. Jet has a new plan to-” But before Sonic could relay his message, another brilliant flash of color and Jet was standing before Sonic with Amy in his grasps, an arm around her shoulders and an arrow’s head pointed to her neck!

All the world grew still… Jet’s hawk-like eyes had seen through the deep underbrush of the forest, through the shaded leaves and found the fleeing, soft pink color of Amy’s quills to then teleport through Chaos Power to her…

An unfortunate gift, his incredible eyesight… one even Sonic couldn’t replicate.

Even Shadow stopped struggling a moment, as the men held him at his knees and looked to see the shine of light, and the situation before them.

Sonic pulls another arrow to the ready on his bow, holding it up to hopefully parry any ‘arrow-made-dagger’ attempts on Maid Amy’s life.

“Drop. Your. Hand. Sir.” He threatened, slowly… and with all the dignity of one that must be in love… or at least, Amy thought as much…

“If you don’t release her, I’ll shoot!” Jet cawed back, like the coward he was… but it did make Sonic pause his pulled string forward…

His eyes met Amy’s… a soft memory of childhood sweethearts remaining there. Of an aloof back woodsmen and a fair noblewoman… a tender kiss on the cheek that he scoffed at and rubbed off, bidding her a harsh departure and stating they would probably never meet again… even though the boy climbed the king’s tall hedges have ‘her’ catch glimpses of ‘him’ as he ‘just so happen’ to speed through the area while his father would sell their hunts at the marketplace.

Such beautiful, emerald eyes… the kind that even an arrow would shake its head at, not wanting to be fired anywhere near her in fear that those embolden eyes of courage would slightly quiver with fear.

Even the bow croaked in its wood, creaking out a pitiful wail to not be released, and to not have the young, beautiful maiden think less of it.

But before Sonic Hood could make a call, another arrow flew by his head, just as his had done when facing Sheriff Shadow.

Jet was knocked back, an arrow piercing his shoulder as his attention was solely on Sonic… and not who was behind him…

Sonic loosened his grip on his bow and arrow, softening its string and turning back to the once foe behind him…

His Merry Men were on the ground, knocked out… the ropes slid off the black and red figure’s body… not just by his own natural fur coloration, but now by the blood of his endless fight with the men and Sonic’s arrow having cut his hand.

Nay… Sheriff Shadow had fired the arrow into the fake soverign’s shoulder that held the destruction of Maid Amy in its power… and Shadow… Shadow wanted all power, even over Maid Amy’s fate if he could.

But denying Jet… meant denying all routes to power remaining… and yet… he still silently took out the men and fired the arrow…

Without so much as another double-take to Shadow, Maid Amy raced back to the forest, looking to Sonic for confirmation as he heard her scattered running and nodded to her that it was alright.

Maid Amy didn’t know what end Shadow would face… or if he’d fight Sonic Hood and it would be her love and possible happily ever after that would face its ruin… but she ran, discarding her nobility behind to join the Merry Men in the woods…

She added her jewels to the pile of the ‘retrieved’ goods.

She took off her earrings, leaving her only her dress as she displaced her bracelets of fine gold, her necklaces, and all pretty and dainty things to the villagers who were in need.

All the while, in that merry wood, wondering what befell Sonic Hood… and her strange rescuer, though it didn’t sit right for her to call the man that, Sheriff Shadow…

“Would he return?” She put her hands together, mirroring her prayer from the facade of a tourney, and looked to the ground. “Oh, my Sonic… my dear Sonic…”

Suddenly, as the campfire flickered, two shadows of familiar spiked quills appeared…

She gasped as so did the men and party members all around them.

Sonic Hood had an arm holding up Sheriff Shadow, injured and on the verge of collapse, helping him walk into camp…

No one was merry now…

“Our officer here has had a change of heart.” He stated, his own eye shut by design of his struggle with him. Other Merry men, cradling their own injured or bruised hides, also entered after Sonic… not a single one lost.

“I believe he’s proved this.” Sonic set Shadow down, allowing him to rest from being helped through the long trails in the dark woods.

“... Sonic… are you mad?” Little Knuckles, also behind him, pounded his fists together as he looked down to Shadow. “He may know the location of our secret hideout now! Along with his orders from the false King Jet, to kill us in any way he can fathom!”

The accusing point didn’t flinch Sheriff Shadow, sitting solemnly on the ground.

He did look up to Maid Amy… but to her, the ruby of his eyes reminded her of his lust for power through her, and… she luckily didn’t think much more of it then that.

She crept away from him, but listening intently to her beloved's reasonings…

Her face turned away, as Shadow admired her by the fire’s glow…

“He admitted the location of where they’re holding good King Silver.”

Now the camp was ablaze in silent awe. Every man’s back stood straighter, and they could not keep their patriot legs from not advancing forward, as though a signal fire had rang out in their hearts to fight for a noble cause yet again.

“He could be lying…” Timidly spoke the absolute bravery of the modern rebel, Friar Tails. He looked a little wary to Shadow’s countenance, as Shadow returned the stare, and made his hands come together, his head bend back and down, his ears twisting around to show uneasiness at the returned look. “Demons bear false witness all the time to men’s hearts… what makes such a mortal man any different?”

Shadow smirked, “Some call me immortal.” He then looked away, spitting out blood as some, more tenderly maidens’ hearts from the village gasped or shrieked at such a sight.

Mothers held their children, remembering the abuse of Sheriff Shadow’s greed in stealing their family heirlooms, their livelihoods away in his lust for collecting taxes and further power over them.

Shadow, briefly, before collapsing ever the more, admits himself only to Maid Amy. “I said and did all that you have seen… in love for you.”

She would not meet his gaze, but became like a marble statue of beauty to him… In no way did he mind her cold-shoulder…

Instead, he praised it as even greater strength of elegance, not knowing her true nature to be much more harsher and loud than the ‘quiet reverence’ he felt she gave to him now.

“However…” He hacked out his next words carefully, only turning his gaze when coughing to the ground, and wheezing and huffing out his heavy continued words aloud. “I also admit you… deserve… better than myself.”

Her eyes didn’t waver, but gently sparkled in the fire’s flickers…

Even now, she found a soft spot of her heart to allow his words to rest a moment… Her way of allowing him to apologize for his deeds, but not see it as a full pardon of his actions, either.

“Although… no one can be happy about Sonic Hood’s ‘forgiveness’...” He coughed out again, “I would beg at least this much… Maid Amy… that you accept my sincere repentance.”

She would not look at him.

He fell to his chest, his hands unable to hold himself up. “P… Please…” He begged before her, but Maid Amy would not turn her head.

Sonic’s eyes, instead, imparted some pity for the man. The fire also flickered in his eyes, a warm glow…

He closed his eyes and bowed his head, seeing all the dignity in the man stripped, and all darkness fleeing out of embarrassment for his pathetic portrayal… and yet, Sonic found the mercy to look to his kingdom’s people, and his merry men that followed him.

“He may be unwilling, but I’m imparting to him the duty of a Merry Man.”

The crowd held back their uproar… but every man’s face looked enraged by such a sentiment.

Little Knuckles just stared at Sonic Hood, before turning his head, “I accept Sonic’s words… as though they were King Silver’s appointed law.” He stated, and the respect of the people rested with that final look on the matter.

For they all felt it in their hearts, as well.

“Friar Tails,” Sonic turned to him, lowering his head, “Address his wounds.”

Although Tails was skeptical if this was a good, smart move or not… he did so… helping Shadow back to his feet.

“Even an evil man can become a patriotic country man again… once that bugle is blown, and the sound carries through whatever bad notion first killed its love in his heart… Now does it beat again against oppression, malice, and bears all good manner for brotherhood, honor, and light.”

Sonic’s words were like a sermon that all adhered too, though clearly didn’t wish to.

“You all know… we are considered ‘outlaws’ by our own beloved land… Is he not now one, too? Having shot the very man who promised him our kingdom’s riches? Going back on his word, now, do you believe that the imposter king would still grant him any mercy? That he–himself–knows that we are the only mercy left in this unfair world?”

Sonic gestured to Shadow, and sure enough… the people relented.

“Still sounds like a trap to me…” Little Knuckles murmured, but Sonic only whispered to his friend that it probably was… “But if it truly isn’t,” He then countered, holding the shoulder of his dearest rival, looking back at Shadow, “I’d like to trust that his arrow has changed its course… and his wind now resides beside us all.”

“You could read his arrow?” Little Knuckles knew that Sonic Hood could pinpoint who shot what arrow, and if they had meant it or not.

In some ways, they thought Sonic’s ability like a tarot card reader, but in this case, he could gauge the soul of a man by the trajectory and velocity of his arrow’s swiftness or tried aim.

“If what you say is true… and to your trained and spiritual eye… if his arrow was right for once… then… I shall concede.” Knuckles grumbled, folding his arms all the more tighter. “And… if you have stated he be a Merry Man now… I shall see to it that he is watched and trained by the King Silver creed and code of honor.

“Honor among thieves.” Sonic leaned against his friend, rubbing his shoulder into his cheek to try and lighten the mood, snickering gleefully.

Overhearing that Sonic considered his ‘arrow’ or ‘heart’ had changed, Shadow was deeply touched.

With all his wickedness… such that even Maid Amy could not look upon him… how was it that his greatest adversary would grant him lenience in these times of war?

‘Did he truly… seek no power?’ Shadow looked to him, knowing Jet will think his capture and possible ‘change of heart’ a mere set-up to lure Sonic and his followers into another trap… To learn of their camp’s location, and to betray them all…

‘No… Not again.’ Shadow grew strength from the light of the fire… his eyes were determined to keep his arrow straight and narrow… seeing the Friar patch him up, he shook his head and stood, gaining strength like the holy knights of old used to wield.

“Friar, I have stolen from you and your religion plenty of times… Is it not written, that if one’s eye offends them, to pluck it out?” Shadow pulls out one of his arrows, and holds it to Friar Tails.

“Good priest… Take this arrow’s head, and by Sonic Hood’s words, make me unable to betray myself and your trust in me…”

“W-What?” Tails looked flabbergasted, “What… what are you saying?”

The people looked to their old antagonizer, not believing it unless they see it.

“If there be a pillar in your own eye, pluck it out. I wish to be blinded. That way, my eyes will no longer lust after gold and silver… after ultimate power… to feed the greed that stirs in my heart no longer… I will shield my very heart from it every piercing me again.”

His arrow would fly, and like Sonic’s ideals, it would continuously fly forever… never being halted on this new ‘changed course’ as he called it…

Sheriff no more, he’d be blind to greed from now on…

“I will not have my lust for power darken me again.”

Amy… Now looked at him.

With that simple act, he felt his breath tremble at her mercy to allow the last thing he saw to be her accepting him…

A kind mercy… but Frair Tails pulled out a liquid instead. “This is a certain poison… it will not blind you, Sheriff, but it will sting to ever open your eyes for a couple days… Are you sure you wish to be blindfolded?”

He looked back to Friar Tails, “Burn my eyes of all wickedness… Friar.” He knelt, putting the arrow down and lifting his head for the liquid to be poured into his eyes.

Tails looks to Sonic Hood, who takes a deep breath in, but smiles and nods.

“If that’s what it takes… Give the man what he wills.”

Tails then administered the poison, which did as he had stated. Shadow didn’t dare blink, but winced against the pain… A cooling cloth was placed over his eyes, and as his hands came up to caress the soothing relief, he felt Amy’s hands… knowing them from his time of trying to woo her through his gain of power beforehand… all of which gloating and boasting didn’t tempt her in the least.

“Thank you.” He states through his hissed pain, as it’s her hands that tie a bandana across his eyes, keeping the cooling cloth there as well.

“You truly have proven… that you know your change may not last, and to avoid betraying us, have chosen to remove your temptation entirely… for that, Sheriff Shadow, I do believe Sonic Hood, that you are a changed man.” She stated, “But I will never love anyone but my Sonic.”

Her eyes turned to Sonic and he tilted his head in a bit of perplexity, not sure how to respond, he smiles goofily and scratches the side of his cheek, showing some silly shyness to her resolved affections for him.

Shadow lowers his head… Contemplating… “My heart is set on the things of this world, Sonic Hood…” He turns his head where he believes Sonic to be stationed, if he hasn’t moved… and no wind stirred… so he felt he hadn’t. “This is the only penitence I can prevail against to make my words, and your own, true to your men and this country.” He stands up, finding his balance, letting his fingers flex as though to make sure nothing is around him.

“King Silver may punish me more severely, this I can accept… but seeing Maid Amy not even bear to look at me… That I cannot bear to see.”

She didn’t speak, but all saw her roll her eyes.

For someone who bore her feelings outrightly and plainly for Sonic… it was amusing to others to see her so ungraciously mock another for doing the same.

Though, they agreed that Shadow earned no due respects, but still…

“Now, I have prevented myself from ever going back… and changing my course again.”

Sonic bows in agreeance to him, though knows Shadow can’t see the kind, gentlemanly gesture of respect. “I’ll hold you to that promise, Shadow.”

“You are nothing more than a woodsmen, now.”

Shadow felt that lasting remark from Sonic Hood sting far greater than his eyes were.

“May your arrow and sword always point towards that which is true… Just maybe not near Amy again.”

He laughed lightly as the men also joined in, and Amy put her hands to her hips, but also gave a smile to the humor.

“Though, I’m sure she’s grateful–even though the reason wasn’t sound–that you helped her out.”

She didn’t say anything, but mimed clapping at his ‘supposedly chivalrous’ act of still selfish love.

Sonic walked over to stand behind Shadow and put a hand to his shoulder, startling him a moment, but continued in a more serious tone. “Just like how a shadow shows in which direction the light is coming through… I hope you will point more wayward souls towards our true purpose… for the land we love, and the true king we miss… Shadow.”

He slowly drops his hand, and Shadow suddenly feels a swelling of patriotic pride in him.

He finds it humorous, and smiles. “Heh… So,... This is the power of which you use to move people?” He lowers his head in thought, and then raises it again, finding a new respect for him. “You do not tempt your men with power or gold… with wealth or even with women… but with courage to find liberty again in the kingdom of your forefathers…”

The Merry Men, villagers, Maid Amy, Little Knuckles, and Frair Tails all cheer.

“Here, here.” Sonic claps, “Rejoice! You have now gained such a power!” He teased, gesturing to the people who now were agreeing with his words.

“It’s a strange feeling… indeed.” Shadow listened to their cheers upon his own merited words, and find that to be the greater reward of pride and pleasure than anything ever offered to him by the world.

“Your arrow… still felled me, Hedgehog.” He states, and Sonic laughed.

Grinning, he patted Shadow’s back and shook his head, “No, old Sheriff, you put your own life on that quiver’s string… and you pulled till you were stretched so far back, that the only way left to go was forward.”

“I… let go. Heh.” Shadow found that analogy quite… satisfying.

Later, Sonic and Amy had a moment back when everyone was celebrating, dancing and drinking in merriment, as Sonic had named the group that in hopes this would be the old kingdom they once loved again.

Instead of all the sad tears that fell over their little plot of land in the world… he hated to see his people cry.

Around the campfire, Sonic Hood felt Maid Amy fall to face him back to back, having just danced around with the others, and coming directly to ask him a question.

“Why did you wait so long?” She inquired, “I was about to be married, you know?”

Sonic’s head rose slightly from admiring the colors in the flames… “Come on, Amy…” He scratched the back of his head, and she thought it rather cute, thinking he was embarrassed at his feelings for her.

But… he was actually quite nervous about what not many people ever got to see… one thing that he evoked in her–unfortunately–too often.

“You know I’m bad at making dates…”

Her temper.

Shadow heard strange sounds of a blunt objecting hitting another, some ruckus of destruction, then a woman’s loud and angry voice as the thrashing continued.

Perplexed, he turns to where he knows Friar Tails and Little Knuckles are, obviously keeping an eye on him.

“Is there another woman in the settlement? This one sounds… like a bear, perhaps?” Never in his life would he have considered the ‘angelic’ personage of Maiden Amy, the fair and ever kind, innocent and pure woman, to be what she really was…

A little rascal.

Awkwardly, the Merry men and the two beside him sweated with awkwardness, nervously laughing at his ‘blind’ description of his ��Good, tender Maid Amy’ actually being the sole reason for this rampaging against Sonic Hood.

They knew her well enough, anyway… She had snuck out to see Sonic constantly during rumors of his raiding nearby…

But sadly, to avoid suspicion that she was in league with them, she would give her intel on Jet’s movements and Shadow’s plans, before sneaking back into the castle…

“YOU COULD HAVE BEEN LATE TO STOP ME FROM GETTING MARRIED! AUUGHH!!!”

Shadow, truly, couldn’t believe his ears.

He wonders if his image of the world is now ‘clearer’ from having his eyes locked up tight.

Without craving power… he now craved… to understand what the eyes could not see.

This fellowship… of friends.

END.

[katyspersonal]

Guess who isn't fucking done yet

Although they've gotten jossed from SotFS edition, but Durgo and their brother-in-law used to be hostile phantoms in Drangleic Castle in the original game! ( x ) ( x )

Durgo's gender is also not specified in Japanese script (localisation team always defaults to 'he' in these situations) but the phantom was 'female', so I just take this as same type of female GNC archer like Pharis/Evlana and Dolores 🤔

Durgo also had a ring that originally was Gough's, as well as using Dragonslayer Greatbow! Both are things associated with Anor Londo (that's where Giant Blacksmith who was gifted ring by Gough upon his retirement is and where Silver Knights were making us all want to smash the controller into the screen), and brother-in-law in question is an Elite Knight, ie both relevant and an outsider for Lanafir! So, since Lanafir otherwise self-isolates from the rest of the world, the brother might be the key to how Durgo even got her hands on these artifacts at first?

At the same time, description says Lanafir was a homeland for both of them 🤔 So the reason the guy has Elite Knight set must be having it passed down by an actual outsider who arrived and (somehow) got to stay in Lanafir! And who had at least one son born already IN Lanafir, apparently.

On the other hand, Durgo was so great at defending Lanafir from aggressors that the word about them travelled even outside, so that's kinda... odd, to just leave like this? Again, both were devoted enough for it to be pointed out in the setting that is stingy for extra lore even about important characters! They might have left into Drangleic due to becoming Undead just like everyone else does, but that would be strangely coincidental to become Undead at the same time if anything?

@val-of-the-north said this: "Maybe it was the brother-in-law getting shunned for his Undeath, which would piss Durgo off. I don't think they would just freely want to remove the most impressive marksman of their time, popular even outside despite the country being super isolated, but her brother-in-law? Who needs him, he can be replaced by any other trained warrior" and I honestly believe this! Like, some pricks underestimated how strong their bond was, just assuming Durgo would keep if not her duty then at least her privileges, and lost a great comrade..

Guess I don't take the Hawk Ring description as saying Durgo wasn't all that good after all either? First, the ring might increase the range but it would not make one magically be able to handle a huge bow! Durgo was using Dragonslayer Bow (right) in original Dark Souls, and as of now the Twin-Headed Greatbow (left, and it IS legit Lanafir greatbow) AND her hat are both found in Eleum Loyce! She still could use that thing..

Though I guess a touch of an imposter syndrome might add another layer to the character x) Like, it would not really be about "duty" to stay behind in Lanafir, had she just felt like she isn't worth it and it is all blessing of the ring helping her to aim, but on the other hand it makes the point about giving up the privilege of glorified archer for her brother-in-law even stronger. We find the ring in a seemingly random place too, so I imagine her having lost it at some point and getting her Overcoming Insecurity Arc TM by taking no less great shot without the ring and just.. NOT relying on it afterwards. I think she deserves a moment like that XD

Not sure about nature of their found-relation though. Brother-in-law can mean either 1) brother of one's spouse 2) spouse of one's sibling or simply 3) a step-brother, it is kind of broad! Their comradery apparently being important enough to specify, as well as them leaving Lanafir together, feels to me like the person who was the link between them either died or is divorced at this rate!

But, imagine if he was married to her sibling, and yet said sibling didn't really fight for him when he faced the trouble that he did and had to go... so, Durgo went with him, abandoning blood sibling for found one. Real family is about actual bonds and not relation by blood and all that. Alternatively, maybe Durgo was married and the knight was brother of her spouse, but she only saw the "true" face of her spouse upon their reaction to the Undead curse and could not have it! So, again, she felt disgusted and stepped in, and was a better sibling for him than his blood-related one! The drama can go from different ways here, it is something bittersweet about found family in any case.

Idk how to end this post of headcanons tbh, so look at my doodle of her again I suppose fjfjsd

[sunshine-in-a-bottle]

👀 for the end of year meme? also hi suds

Listen I could continue to talk about how I may be just utterly insane and need to give up trying to make the CKAU "written well" and just Write It but also there's another annoying thing I haven't gotten time to finish AND ITS. THE GODDAMN STRANGER'S VASSAL CHAPTER. I dont know how to do read more on desktop here have a snippet of the pre-Dreambur shenanigans.

-

With each step they took towards an unknown future, Dream debated the pros and cons of making a run for it.

The likelihood of getting away from Tommy was easy; the boy next to him clearly lacked major discipline needed for the kind of chase Dream would give him, and his stamina was likely lacking, if his complaints about being tired were anything to go by. Dream could run into the nearby trees and lose him in a few short bursts of speed.

Ahead of them all, Wilbur seemed slightly trickier. He was frail in some ways, long and spindly, but there was a sharpness to his gaze, and muscle in his arms that implied he was an archer. If he had a bow in his inventory, it wouldn't matter if Dream could outpace Tommy; a good enough aim would pierce his heart, if the odds weren't in his favor.

Of course, that only mattered if Wilbur really did have a bow.

That left Techno behind him, who would be impossible to outpace. The horse he was riding was one of the finest Dream had ever seen, sharp and defined, with a regal bearing that would put kings to shame. It would catch up to him with no trouble at all, and then Techno would cut him down. Kind of anticlimactic after all the effort it took to escape.

He sighed. Wilbur perked up.

"Something the matter, Dream?"

He tried to put on a smile, but it felt weak on his face. He really needed that mask. "Just… getting used to being free. It's kind of strange, you know?"

Wilbur's expression softened. "Of course, I understand completely. It must have been very hard for you to live under the thumb of such tyranny."

Dream's smile twisted into a grimace, and he turned away to avoid Wilbur's gaze and his sorry sympathies. The prince didn't know a thing about tyranny, didn't know a thing about Dream. And Dream wasn't going to tell him. He knew better.

XD's mark grinned wide on the back of his hand.

Any reasonable person would want him dead, rather than risk the end of the world. And he didn't blame them, even if he would really rather live long enough to see his twenty-second birthday.

He would just have to wait for a better opportunity. Weigh his options a little. Eventually they would slip up long enough for him to make his escape, and then he'd be gone. Finally, truly free.

-

"Have you ever fought a giant spider?"

"No."

"Have you ever fought a skeleton?"

"No."

"Have you ever fought a dragon?"

"No." Dream groaned, and turned to glare at Wilbur's youngest brother. "When would I have ever fought a dragon? You know they're extinct. Aren't princes supposed to get fancy lessons or something?"

"They can't all be right." Tommy grumbled. He kicked a pebble off the path, and Wilbur fought the urge to scold him over proper decorum; their guest needed to see them at their best. But even if Tommy couldn't maintain proper image, Wilbur could, so he would do his best to pick up the slack.

"Even if they were around," Techno said. His horse- Carl- trotted forward to walk beside Dream, and Techno peered down at him with amusement. "Its not likely he would have faced one and lived to talk about it. They're supposed to be pretty strong guys."

Dream scowled. "And you would do so much better?"

"Now I didn't say that."

[phoenixiancrystallist]

Hey, just wanted to let you know that five out of the six ideas for how Frey's visit to Rheddah does a good job of giving layers and dimension to the place despite its origins as a completely hostile foreign entity. What other ways can you imagine the country being "humanized"?

I've been sitting on this ask all day trying to figure out how to answer, and I... I've got nothing conclusive, buddy, I'm sorry XD

If you're referencing the answer I gave for this ask you sent in last week, I listed five ideas for what the heck could be going on in Rheddah. I'm not sure what the sixth one is, or even which one doesn't add or imply depth to Rheddah's world-building? My guess is the evil scientist one, but that could just be because it's my least favorite of the bunch.

As for further "humanizing" Rheddah, there's an unlimited number of different ways it could be done, from overarching plot elements to tiny design details. I could go into potential characterization for the Tantas, potential history and lore for the cult, what kind of food did they eat, what's the land like, do they paint their houses pretty colors, did they have pets, and on and on and on. The problem is, since we know very little about Rheddah, it would all be based on headcanons and/or what I would want to write in my self-insert fics. This problem is compounded by the fact that I now have two that I'm working on, and they both paint Rheddah in very different lights. Ironically the one that starts in Athia shows Rheddah much more favorably and humane (not "human," although they are that, too) than the one that starts in Rheddah.

For humanizing what we have in canon, though? I have a post I'm working on for analyzing the outfits of the spearmen and archers that invaded Visoria, and that will include humanizing elements, such as fashion and what materials are available for them to make their gear. If I'm lucky I might be able to extrapolate what climate they came from!

I have another post I'm working on that will cover burial in Athia that involves a battlefield in Praenost where I'm pretty sure the Rheddig buried their dead—and, spoiler alert, their graves are identical to the graves we see in Athian towns. Which is fascinating, because Thalia's grave is completely different from those graves, too! Hers is more akin to the graves in Cipal, actually, which is fascinating but I'm not prepared to get into it yet.

I could talk about the artistry of their weapons, or the designs of the tents and campfires they put up at their camps. But for a properly coherent post I'd need references, and I haven't been focusing on gathering those. I probably will eventually, but I want to finish the photo dumps I started forever ago and then get to work on making the other posts I have planned coherent—and hopefully intelligent because I suck at meta analysis! XD

Heck, I could just talk about the Writings of a Rheddig Soldier, which straight up says "I already miss home terribly" in the first entry! I love those archive entries so much, exactly because they painted the Rheddig as people. I have all those entries copied down in a text document, and I can gush about them as much as either of us want me to because they're so important for my understanding of Rheddah as a whole.

But yeah, uh, I have a feeling none of that actually answers your question 😅

[lacrimosathedark]

I personally think Jason belongs in Gotham--it's just as much his city as Bruce's if not moreso. It's like in his bones.

But I also think he shouldn't be limited to his strained relationships with the other Bats. He gets along with the girls just fine, and he's hit or miss with his brothers (except Duke, he and Duke have always been cool), but Bruce...well, writers keep backtracking any emotional intelligence and growth he ever has and his characterization is so inconsistent, it's unlikely for there to be any satisfying reconciliation any time soon, if ever. (We have to rely on WFA for that unfortunately)

BUT! Roy has been all over, and actually was living in Gotham before the big reboot of Flashpoint! Him moving back there, especially since he and Dick are also super close friends and now his daughter has grown up without him in Gotham and made it her home, is a great idea imo.

I don't like any of the Outlaws series honestly, but the only person Jason had nearly as much chemistry with was Artemis (another red haired archer powerhouse hmmmmm) but she's an Amazon, so she's got lots of Amazon shit to do, with Diana and Donna and Cassie and that area of DC.

Bizzarro was...weirdly handled. And Kori could be a good friend for him, but she was written so poorly and she's even more tied to Dick than Roy is so that could be tense. (Though tbh get Jason to hang out with Wally West and he has stolen like all of Dick's redheads XD)

Roy as part of Arrowfam is corely in Star City, but all of them (and Roy especially) travel all over pretty frequently, and Dinah is in Gotham all the time and super close with Babs as part of iterations of the Birds of Prey team. Roy could be a much-needed nearby support for Jason that isn't part of the family or in any way beholden to Bruce.

I also just adore Lian and would love for her to have Uncle (or second dad) Jason to relate to as a fellow Gotham Street Urchin. And to take care of and annoy the shit out of Roy. Because that would be funny.

I need the comic book fanfic writers to be made very aware of something:

Roy Harper is the only one to EVER call Jason Todd "Jaybird".

This isn't a family name that he picked up on, or that Roy made and the family has adopted. Roy is literally the only person to call him that. Dick doesn't, Babs doesn't, Bruce doesn't, nobody but Roy does.

The others call him Jay sometimes, in old comics Jace was said a few times (which I actually like and wish people would use literally at all). Bruce has said "Jay, lad" like once and fandom adopted him calling Jason "Jaylad" but that's not horribly egregious so I tolerate it. Dick occasionally calls Jason "little wing". That's about it.

Jaybird is very specifically a Roy Harper thing.

(Honestly yall better appreciate me actually looking back in RHATO 2011 because BOY do I hate this comic. It's not only poorly written, but in my opinion, ugly as fucking sin and I need to burn my retinas now)

That is the first instance of Jason ever being called "Jaybird", and it becomes a lowkey running gag that Roy calls him that and Jason "hates" it.

And then we get this post Heroes In Crisis

This whole thing may have been poorly written because, again, Scott Lobdell sucks, but the intent is to evoke intimacy to make Roy's death hurt. Jason is supposed to have just lost his best friend and was told by Bruce Wayne whose last appearance in his life was beating the shit out of him and, oh yeah, who saved Jason? Roy Fucking Harper.

In addition to the fact that Roy only left Jason to get help for himself. He was supposed to be in rehab/therapy, somewhere safe, and he fucking died because of handwavy Speedforce shenanigans or whatever it's been retconned to now because nobody liked Heroes in Crisis. Roy was supposed to be getting better and he died ostensibly in an accident. Like if that's not the worst fucking bullshit--

This scene of Jason calling himself by what he deems a stupid nickname would mean jack shit if everyone and their goddamn cat called him "Jaybird". But it being a Roy-specific thing makes this scene distinctly about Jason being vulnerable and actively grieving. It's such a cliche trope, and a real coping mechanism, to call a deceased loved one's phone just to hear their voice in their inbox message again. He probably has no thoughts that Roy will ever hear it so this is just for him, but he's letting himself accept this dumb nickname Roy gave him now because it was Roy that gave it to him and Roy is fucking dead.

Like, in fairness it probably frustrates me more because I ship the two and parallel it with Oliver calling Dinah "pretty bird", but like...even as just a cheeky friend nickname, nothing romantic behind it, having everyone else call Jason that feels wrong. Especially his family who he still has so many issues with and, like it or not, he's closer to Roy than literally any of the Bats at this point.

This isn't the only time I've seen the fandom do this (this being giving nicknames between characters that just don't exist); Jason calling Tim "replacement" is absolutely rampant in the fandom and I hate that too because he never calls Tim that, and refers to him as such like once. I have a whole list of actual nicknames and insults these motherfuckers call each other somewhere, but maybe another time.

In short

STOP HAVING EVERYONE CALL HIM JAYBIRD.

Thank you and have a nice day. <3

[somer-writes]

I'm curious about your headcannons regarding Dusk (Twilight Princess Zelda) 👀

hello anon!

i have a post where i dumped a bunch so copy-pasting from there:

okay super huge lore dump incoming XD (mix of game/manga/hc). basically shes very smart, pretty, and deadly with a sword:

-> dusk has the triforce of wisdom, a vast pool of mana for spell casting, and prophetic visions. she can also see spirits

-> she was trained/tortured by the sages as a child. her training was brutal and cruel but she is extremely adept with her powers and knows the weight of them as a result. she was often locked in dark chambers at the arbiter's grounds to continuously cultivate light magic and went weeks sometimes without seeing another person. she has a fear of bugs and rats as a result.

-> only child. her mother died when she was a teenager. her father dies shortly before the events of twilight princess and at the time of the game, she is not yet coronated as queen

-> she's extremely fond of animals but especially birds

-> she likes flowers a lot too but doesn't have the time to garden herself so she dictates which plants grow in her gardens. she uses different gardens for different things (tea, medicine, butterflies, etc.)

-> she's extremely confident and assertive, but she's also soft spoken. she doesn't raise her voice often and when she does it means serious business

-> she's very kind and grateful for her castle staff. she's known to use her spies to figure out if her staff is doing well so she can take care of them properly.

-> dusk is an incredible swordsman. she took up dueling as a teenager when working through her mother's death and bc of her talent, was secretly taught combat by the guard captain. dusk doesn't fight to win in the annual sword tournie anymore but she will fight the winner (and always wins with her skill). in the question of would she beat link, i think not bc link has more true battle experience, picked up combat training earlier, and will fight dirty. dusk is a classy lady, she will not spit in her opponents eye

-> dusk is also a very good archer and better with a bow than link

-> the current court (post game) is extremely loyal to dusk and her reign is the most stable since the dynasty's establishment. she is extremely confident in her advisors and often delegates decisions to the appropriate council. she currently oversees a very prosperous time for hyrule with stable loyalty from the annexed territories

-> dusk keeps a spy network which has never been smoked out. she knows everything that happens in her kingdom

-> due to her upbringing dusk maintains a strict reputation as a very cold, very poised and regal lady. she's beloved by the people pre and post game and they see her as more of a guardian and direct vessel of hylia than a queen in hyrule proper. she's known for her beauty, swordsmanship, and wits

-> due to her upbringing, dusk really hates imprisoning criminals. instead she gives them what they need to do well as law abiding citizens. because of her reign, crime is at an all time low. when people do need imprisoned, they are kept in a small section of the rebuilt dungeon and treated fairly well.

-> she is technically the high priestess of the temple of hylia, but her light magic is so strong that she doesnt wield it lightly. just as dark magic can poison people, so too can light magic. dusk appointed a high temple priestess to oversee the church in her place. she acts as the high priestess ceremonially

-> dusk is extremely well read and an extraordinary historian. she especially loves legends/myths. she knows hylian, goron, and zora history and is slowly learning ordonian history (although most of it isn't written down). she relies on auru to tutor her in gerudo history and warfare as an adult.

-> she speaks hylian, very formal goron, and very formal zora. she can read gerudo and link teaches her ordonian slang.

-> dusk is close friends with all of the resistance. she's known auru since she was a child. he also tutored her but was kind. he knew of the sages methods and did tell the king and queen, but they trusted the sages judgment for cultivating their daughters power. auru often interfered with the sages by leaving the princess supplies or lights in the arbiters grounds

-> dusk is working on getting a written record of ordonian history. shes put the project in shads hands bc hes so close with link.

-> during the fight with ganondorf, dusks body was puppeted. she is unaware of this and link has yet to tell her. while she was puppeted, link had to injure her. the largest of these is a large slash across her chest. it crosses from right armpit to left collarbone and left a dark scar. she wears dresses with necklines which specifically show the scar as a sort of visual oath to her people. she has an inkling that theres more to the story than suffering the wound in the fight with ganon

-> the day of light is an annual festival celebrating the kingdoms freedom from the twilight. on that day, many girls use makeup to wear scars like dusks. a lot of children have dusk and twilight dolls. in place of crowns, girls wear flowers

-> dusk is a few years older than link. in part bc she has no surviving family, she sees link as a younger brother. she tries not to dote on him too much, but the court often complains shes too easy on him when he breaks decorum. dusk is the only hylian noble link shows any respect for. they are close friends even if he does avoid her (currently).

-> dusk is extremely good at chess. its one of the few things she can get link to be himself over when she soundly beats him.

-> she writes to link often. usually about nothing bc hes one of the only people she can just "chat" with. she keeps a room prepared for him at the castle at all times just in case

-> dusk is extremely kind to children. the orphanage in castle town is her personal project and she visits often. she does not allow kids in the castle for their own safety

if theres anything specific you want to know or anything lmk! dusk is my favorite zelda and i really see her as the sort that would lead the vanguard. shes a very active monarch.

[the-phoenix-heart]

The Table Human Names

(You may have seen these human names on another site. I thought it was finally time to post it on Tumblr. Also, some names have since been updated.)

These are the standard human names that the states usually use when they have to hide their identities. These are also for my sake, because I need them for...reasons...fanfic reasons...

My usual pattern for naming the states is their first name starts with the first letter of their state and their last name the second letter of their acronym. Sometimes I play around with that format, for example if someone already has the two letters of their acronym I play with their last name or if a last name that doesn't follow the pattern I make their middle name follow the pattern. I try to have their names emblematic of the people that live in that state, but obviously some names I went more American with than others. The less I care about a character the less effort I will put into their name.

I did implement a rule for the "New" states that I could ignore the first part of their name if I so pleased. Although I think I only used that for one of them.

In universe the states usually don't think about their human names a lot. Either it was assigned to them or it was just the vibe they were picking up when they named themselves. Some of them do think a little bit more on their names and the meanings. If I'm writing the states as states you will almost never see their human names come up. The states don't see their human names as their real names and just as fake names.

Note: For three of these names I used Native American names in them as tributes they would pay to the Native Americans in their land. I flipped flopped back and forth on if this was a good idea or a bad one. I eventually decided to risk it but if enough people think it is insensitive and take issue with this I will change them. On to the names!

Alabama - Alexander Smith

- Probably has gone by Albert before, but nobody takes a guy named Albert seriously. His first human name was probably Alfred. Sometimes southern states will mess up and call him either of those names.

Alaska - Anatoly Tanax̂ Morozov

- Anatoly is a Russian name meaning “sunrise” which I felt was fitting since the sunrises in Alaska and doesn’t set for a long ass time. Morozov I got from @icestarphoenix and I felt was a good last name for him. Tanax̂ is an Aleut/Unangax̂ (Unangax̂ is their self-name) name meaning "land" or "place", I thought Alaska would take on a tribute name for the people he got his name from in the first place. I hope you appreciate this because I actually had to read a book to get this name. I broke my rules for this one.

Arizona - Armando Ziegler

- I gave him a Spanish name since he was originally a Mexican territory. His last name is German partially because there aren't a lot of good Z last names that are Spanish, but also because Mexico does have a German population and German is the third most spoken non English language in Arizona.

Arkansas - Archer Dubois-Johnson

- Ark switches between using Dubois and Johnson as his last name. On paperwork with his human name he'll probably just use both. Dubois because it was his last name back when he was French and Johnson because he just liked that Anglo name.

California - Camilo “Calvin” Goldsmith

- Camilo is the name he prefers to use as his human name, but because of slip ups with his state name Calvin gets used quite a bit. I almost went with Calvino which IS a Spanish name but it means BALD so XD no. Goldsmith is obvious.

CDC - Charles Drew-Collins

- I wasn't originally going to include CDC, but I came up with a name for him so dammit I’m gonna keep him here. Drew is obviously a reference to his actor.

Colorado - Colton Mendoza

- I got the idea for Colorado's last name to be Mendoza from @hibiscuslynx, although I had already decided to name Connecticut Connor. Colton just felt like a Colorado name.

Connecticut - Connor Thompson

- Here's a note, if it is part of New England, chances are I didn't put that much thought into it.

DC (District) - Dean-Cooper Washington

- He did not get to choose his name lmao. At least he has a good excuse as to why he can just call himself "DC" around regular people. He's pissed that he and Gov share a last name.

Delaware - Daniel Edwards

- Honestly just thought of a D name and then an E name. Not much thought in this one.

Florida - Fernando Juan Ponce de Leon Rodriguez

- Florida is extra and would just straight up take Juan Ponce de Leon as a middle name to commemorate him.  

Georgia - George Peachtree Andrews

- Georgia is tired. If Georgia wasn't a girl's name which makes him feel emasculated then he'd just go with that. As it stands, George. And his middle is Peachtree because he's lazy and it's a reference to Atlanta (and also I neglected to look at Georgia's initials so I originally had Peachtree as his honest to god last name). Andrews is just an A last name.

Gov - Franklin Abraham Washington

- Yeah I just took three famous presidents and smashed their names together. You're lucky I didn't call him Grover.

Hawaii - Hōkūlani Kahale

- Hōkūlani meaning: "Heavenly Star". The name is especially fitting because names including "lani" were usually reserved for chiefs in ancient Hawaii. I don't imagine she uses a last name often, since traditionally Hawaiians did not have last names, but she does have one she uses if she has to. Kahale meanings "house" or "home" in Hawaiian, which I felt was fitting as she is the home for Hawaiians. She was one of the characters I threw my rules out for.

Idaho - Ian Dickinson

- Just gave him a name with ID initials. And also a pun about his state name lmao.

Illinois - Issac Lincoln

- IL initials. Lincoln because he’s the Land of Lincoln. Pretty much all of what I refer to as the “FourGettable I States” did not get a lot of thought into their names. Except for Iowa, for some ungodly reason.

Indiana - Isaiah Newton "Indiana Jones"

- Indiana would LOVE to be called "Isaiah", but unfortunately pretty much no one remembers that name and just calls him Indiana Jones which he hates.

Iowa - Izod Allard

- Originally I had his last name down as Ike Andrews. Unfortunately, I realized upon re-read that Georgia had that last name so I switched gears. The Iowa state flag is modeled off of France's flag, therefore he gets a French name with the initials IA. Only Louisiana can remember his name and most just call him Izzie when pretending to be human.

Kansas - Keaton Sampson

- Keaton just stuck out to me for no reason and Sampson was the first "S" last name I thought of so I went with it.

Kentucky - Kent Yarbrough

- Kentucky is lazy and just uses Kent for his first name. Yarbrough is just a Y last name.

Louisiana - Louis Hebert Beaugard

- Louis for his name because that’s easy. Also another rule I had was if a States first name was basically their name they didn’t need to follow my rules. Hebert is both a common Cajun last name and first name. Beaugard is the Cajun spelling of the French last name Beauregard. I imagine that Beauregard would have been his last name back when he was French, but after Cajun influences he would have changed the spelling.

Maine - Morgan Eugene Barbeau

- Morgan as a gender neutral name of course. Maine's name was fun because there's a history of Scots-Irish people in the area as well as French people which mean I got to play. "Morgan" means "born of the sea" and is a Gaelic name, and "Barbeau" is a French name meaning "fisherman". The middle name of Eugene was an afterthought but I like how it sounds. Eugene in this case is working as a varient of Ewan.

Maryland - Marion Douglas

- Marion came to me first and then later I thought of Douglas.

Massachusetts - Matthew Adams

- Matthew sounds fairly close to Massachusetts and is a religious name. Adams is a reference to all the Adamses from his state. And also a reference to that Adam I guess.

Michigan - Michael "Misha" Nieminen

- I got the idea for Michigan's name being Michael/Misha from icestarphoenix (I know it seems like I keep taking names from other creators, but they just work really well and I think I bring enough of my own stuff to The Table). "Nieminen" is a Finnish last name meaning peninsula, which Michigan is. There was a lot of Finnish immigration to Michigan back in the day.

Minnesota - Magnus Nygaard

- Minnesota was settled a lot by Scandinavians, and as I had neglected them a bit for my names of states I decided to do that for Minnie (he gets called Minnie as well quite a bit). Magnus means "Great" but also it's just a name often used by Scandinavians in general. Nygaard means "new farm/homestead/garden" which Minnesota's status as a frontier state would make him.

Mississippi - Milo Sebastian-Sawyer Payne

- Once again icestarphoenix inspired me. When I first posted this list his name was shorter (Milo James Sawyer) but their headcanon name for Mississippi made me want to give him a longer name. I did the same for other states anyway so why not him as well. So MSSP are his initials now. All of the names just gave me Mississippi vibes. I also am of the belief that southern names need to be able to be loudly yelled by their mother to work.

Missouri - Mason Osborne

- Mason stuck out to me for Missouri for some reason. Osborne I used mostly because I was tired of looking at "O" last names.

Montana - Marcus Thorn

- Fun fact about me: My dad wanted to name me Montana after his home state. Glad he didn't win that argument because I would have been the butt of SEVERAL jokes after Hannah Montana came out. Marcus and Thorn were just names I thought sounded neat or cool.

New Hampshire - Nicholas Hamilton

- NH. I considered making his last or first name Hunter, but eh decided against it.

New Jersey - Joey Cifarelli

- Joey is a J name. Cifarelli means “Devil Demon” and is a reference to the Jersey Devil.

New Mexico - Niyol Martinez

- "Niyol" is a name in the Navajo language that means "wind" which I felt was fitting for New Mexico. I know that New Mexico is probably not Native American in any way and I headcanon Navajo Nation has its own personification (backed up by canon), but I feel like New Mexico would feel a connection to the Navajo people and take human first name that reflected that (I also think Arizona would feel a connection with them but New Mexico is the only one in canon to mention them). And Martinez is a Spanish last name.

New York - Yancy Malone

- Yancey is just such a New York name I couldn't not give it to him. I gave him an M last name as a reference to Manhattan.

Nebraska - Ned Brandt

- Humans sometimes call him Edward because Ned can be a nickname for that. Honestly did not put that much thought into his name.

Nevada - Narciso Vega

- I was originally going to call Nevada "Narcissus" but then I saw I could just call him Narciso which is the name is Spanish.  Vega because...well, Las Vegas.

North Carolina - Nathaniel Carrow

- Nathaniel because it had a similar ending to the name I gave South Carolina and Carrow because, why not? Actually it is a bit fitting since Carrow actually means like rock or hill, and it reminded me of the Carolina Back Country (fun fact when my family first came to America all the way back in the 1690s they lived in the Carolina Back Country).

North Dakota - Noah Dakota

- The Dakotas use Dakota for their last names, because they are lazy but they also constantly argue about the other changing theirs. Noah is just an N name.

Ohio - Owen Hughes-Irving Oakley

- OH! IO! Yeah and I just went with names that sounded very white.

Oklahoma - Oliver Kanuna Kempf

- Oliver was just an O name. Kempf is a K name, but I also liked the meaning for Oklahoma alright, “fight.” Kanuna is a Cherokee name meaning "bullfrog" which happens to be the state amphibian. I gave him a Cherokee middle name because Cherokee nation is located in Oklahoma and is a big part of it.

Oregon - Oscar Reynolds

- Oregon is like, the one confirmed gay character in the series, or at least the closest. Oscar is a reference to Oscar Wilde, a gay writer, and Reynolds is a very backdoor reference to Ryan Reynolds, who got a mention in "LBGTQ+ Comes to the Table" where Dan says that he knows he's gay because of Ryan Reynolds. Oregon didn't even appear in that episode, but I ran with it. Let me have my fun, this project has mostly been a lot of stress and research.

Pennsylvania - Philip Arnold

- Phillip because it shares a root word with Philadelphia, and Arnold because not only is it German in origin, but also because it means "Strength of an Eagle" which felt fitting for PA. He still usually goes by PA when he's acting like a human.

Rhode Island - Rhodey Isaias Peters-Prince

- Rhodey is a no brainer. Isaias is for his initials. I decided to have his last name as a PP as a reference to Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, since I thought it'd be funny to give him a long name. Peters is a reference to Peter Griffin, and Prince is just Prince. In recent times he has dropped his double last name and is currently shopping around for a new last name. If Lovecraft wasn’t such a loaded person then he probably would have already co-opted his last name.

South Carolina - Samuel Carrow

- They do share the same last name even though they claim they don't like sharing it. SC.

South Dakota - Silas Dakota

- Dakota as his last name same as North. Silas just had a good ring to it, but it is also a Roman god of the countryside and forests and Idk that felt fitting for South Dakota. I think he would brag to ND that his name is better than his.

Tennessee - Tobias Nash

- Tobias is a T name, and Nash is a reference to Nashville.

Texas - Tristan Xavier (Tejano Ximenez)

- Tristan Xavier is just a TX name. Tejano Ximenez is the name I think that he would have gone by back when he was much more Spanish/Mexican/Texican, but he would have made the switch later in life. I mention it because I just really like the name.

Utah - Uriel Beckett Turner

- Uriel is the name of an angel, no brainer. Beckett was taken from icestarphoenix, once again, although I spelled it the regular way (I know the joke is how dumb Utah spells it but I’m boring lmao). This time it was more of, Beckett was a great name for Utah so I wanted a reference to it. Turner is just a last name starting with "T" although I like the idea of Utah taking his last name from Illythia.

Vermont - Vincent Robert-Madison Taylor

- Honestly just went with vibes. I did intentionally give him the initials VRMT. Just felt right.

Virginia - Victor Alfred

- Victor is a V name. Alfred is an old English name fitting for the Old Dominion. And also a reference to Hetalia.

Washington - Washington Green

- Washington is a no brainer. Though he is bitter he has to share his human first name with DC and Gov's last name. His last name is a reference to his status as The Evergreen State.

West Virginia - Walker Virginia

- Walker just had West vibes. Virginia remains pissed off that West just went and made Virginia his last name to piss him off.

Wisconsin - Wade Ixonia

- Wisconsin just gave off "Wade" vibes. "Ixonia" is fun because it's the name of a town in Wisconsin that picked its name by drawing letters of the alphabet. Wisconsin is a little shit and I love that for him.

Wyoming - William Yates

- Just a WY name.

[dreamboundedstar]

More Bob’s Burgers Headcanons For Tina and Zeke Because Why Not!

Tina: 1. Her full first name is Martina which makes her Martina Ruth Belcher. Linda thought the name Martina was a good idea at the time, until it wasn't. Now she is forever known as Tina except for her birth certificate and other legal documents.

2. Her eyes are blue (I don't care that Tina's eyes were brown in the Archer episode, I'm going with her blue eye color that was revealed in the Bob's Burgers story, "The Makeup".

3. Tina has a hard time with romance at her age because she loves the longing. Even when drama happens in her romance she secretly is okay with the negative outcomes because it fuels her limerence. That's why she struggled with asking Jimmy Jr. to be official with her in the movie. She was so afraid of him saying yes because then things would become real and she wouldn't have her limerance to fall back on anymore once the real Jimmy Jr killed fantasy Jimmy Jr for good. She fears having trouble finding romance in the mundane and never being satisfied because of all the fantasy hours she built up over the years. With Jimmy Jr finding her barrettecklace though, she realizes she's willing to try and move past her limerence because she learns that she can still find romance even in the smallest gestures. It may not be the Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers drama she always wanted, but it was hers and she would be okay with that. 4. Another reason for her limerence is because she fears once things become real for her, they will be gone in an instant once the guy decides she wasn't enough. At least in her fantasy she can believe she will always be enough, the apple of her dream boy's eyes, and she will never have to worry about being tossed aside like trash.

5. After her break up with Jimmy Jr. around the end of high school, she vows to never put in as many fantasy hours for a boy as she did for him at least until she's sure she's safe to do so. She just can't handle that pain anymore. She still will be boy crazy, she just has a limit to how long she will fantasize about her crushes before she dates them now.

6. She has a box full of wedding plans/ideas for herself and her whole family, even Bob and Linda just in case they ever have the money to want to renew their vows with a fancier wedding. Gayle is also included as well. 7. As she gets older, she slowly starts dating more guys against her type of tall, skinny guys with long necks, perfectly shaped butts, and accents because she desperately doesn't want to end up like Gayle all because she had too high standards.

8. Tina's birthday is July 8th, 2008, I will accept nothing else. (Blame the Bob's Burger wiki for saying that it was her birthday! It's gone now but it was there! I refuse to let go that Tina, a character I kin has the same birthday as me! XD) 9. Tina is autistic but undiagnosed. That's not breaking new ground but that's my headcanon. 10. Tina grows up to be the smallest of the Belcher kids. She's slightly smaller than Linda while Gene is his mom's height while Louise is the tallest in between Bob's and Linda's height.

11. When Tina is 16 she will juggle working at her family restaurant, babysitting, and at a book store to afford college or whatever if she decides not to go to college. She has her hands full especially when she still has two more years of school.

Zeke: 1. Zeke's full name is Ezekiel Anthony Connor. 2. His birthday is March 11th, 2008 ( March 11th is the release date of "The Belchies", Zeke's first appearance. I couldn't use Bobby Tisdale's birthday because I couldn't find it so this was the next best thing). 3. Zeke's grandma's name is Daniella and his grandpa was named Anthony. 4. He was raised mostly by his grandparents until his grandpa died and his grandma couldn't take care of him anymore and had to be put in a home. 5. Curt from Bob's flashback in "Two for Tina" is Zeke's 44-year-old brother (assuming it's a half-brother) because I think it's funny and they share a voice actor. 6. Zeke's dad is a con artist that sells cheaply made crap of all kinds and that's why they moved around a lot. Zeke's dad would be good at what he does since it is revealed he owns a jacuzzi tub in "Tina and the Real Ghost". Though he could be bad at it and just squanders his money anyway instead of providing for his kid. 7. Zeke's mom was held back 4 times in school (if Harold from Hey Arnold can do it then so can she lol). She was 21 when she went to prom and was pregnant with Zeke. Still creepy as heck for a hypothetical 46-year-old to impregnate a 21 to 22-year-old, but not illegal. (I'm assuming Curt was born when Zeke's dad was 15 to be generous) 8. Zeke was an unwanted pregnancy. I can see Zeke's mom as a gold digger that was tricked into thinking Zeke's dad was more wealthy than he actually was. Zeke's mom wanted the easy way out because she was doing terribly in school and thought Zeke's dad could be her way in. She got pregnant by accident and neither of them was ready for it. Zeke's parents got married and tried to make it work but they just didn't work as a couple. Zeke's dad got more custody than Zeke's mom in the divorce because he seemed slightly more stable at the time.

9. Before Cheryl, not a day went by without Zeke's dad making Zeke feel like a screw-up. No matter how much he tries to help with his dad's business, it's never enough. 10. Zeke's relationship with his mom is not much better. She acts like she loves him but he can tell she's only doing what she thinks a mother is supposed to do and going through the motions. He can't help but feel that all she can see in him was her own mistakes. He still tries to see the best in both of his parents because he would go insane otherwise. 11. Zeke's grandparents were the few good role models in Zeke's home life. Cheryl, Zeke's stepmom later on would help get his dad's act together and Zeke will be forever grateful to her for that. She still has an issue with alcohol and is a shopaholic, but she is more present in Zeke's life than his bio mom is. 12. Zeke gets his love language from his grandparents. 13. Zeke has undiagnosed ADHD which explains his impulse control problem and why he gets bored very easily in "Tina and the Real Ghost".

14. Zeke grows up to be as tall as Bob but still shorter than Jimmy Jr. He's still stocky but his muscles balance out his stocky physique. He doesn't have a problem with being a big guy and is comfortable with himself. Just don't ask him why he's been putting more on his glutes lately because you won't get an answer. Definitely doing it for himself and not for anybody else yes siree bob. 15. At 16, Zeke would volunteers to help cover for Tina at Bob's Burgers during the times she's doing either at her book store job or babysitting job. 16. Zeke has green eyes.

Anyway, that's all. I tried to do more headcanons for them as characters rather shippy headcanons. Though a bit slipped through the cracks for both of them. Here's the height chart to compare the heights.

(Blue Bob is supposed to be Jimmy Sr Pesto's height but I guess like the show I'm trying to erase the character's existence on a subconscious level. XD)

Figures come from here. http://www.mrinitialman.com/OddsEnds/Sizes/compsizes.xhtml

When I think I'm done with the headcanons they just keep coming for some reason. Fingers crossed that I'm not too off base when it comes to Zeke's family. I'm basically placing my bets that his bio parents are terrible people and only his grandparents and Cheryl were good to him. I would hate to be eating crow later. XD

[has-gilgamesh-doneanythingwrong]

enemies to homies (?)- the intermediary between red and blue

Adding onto my previous post about Emiya, Cu and Gilgamesh acting like they despise each other as old foes, yet are very compatible... well, even though there are numerous points of proof for it such as their interactions in Fate/HA, mainline series, spinoffs and FGO; what really drew my attention to this fact was an OFFICIAL FGO WHITE DAY SHINDAN (QUIZ) instead.

For the FGO White Day Shindan (a Japanese quiz which determines which FGO guy you're most compatible with), I feel like Cu and Emiya's results particularly balance one another really well.

The shindan describes Archer to be a logical, senpai-like character; whilst describing Cu as a perceptive and protective big bro type that you can be yourself around. And when I saw that, I thought 'no wonder they get along so well!' Archer's logical aspect and Cu's emotional aspects mean that they can form a very solid equilibrium together.

I don't know if I'm writing this simply from a 'these two guys just fit each other extremely well thematically' kind of lens or a shipping one (like yariyumi); so I'll leave that aspect up to you to decide.

Further information and expanded details can be found below!

Source Analysis

1) Archer Result- Calm and Collected Realist type　

「冷静沈着なリアリストタイプ」

- So in Emiya's result it discusses how he is a really good fit for a person who wants to analyse the merits and demerits of a situation.

- This is because he can coolly debate and discuss matters with others. 「冷静に議論ができて話し合える」 is the sentence that points to this.

-In a way, it can be interpreted that he is a great, supportive force to receive guidance from- hence why he's lovingly monikered as 'momiya' by the fandom.

- He is very realistic, to the point of the shindan stating that it's like 'equipping a demon with a golden rod' 「鬼に金棒」. His advice will level you up as a person, giving you the ability to grow and learn to become a better version of yourself.

- In other words, he has very strong decisive power and is a very reliable senpai to go to for help if you need someone to logically sift through your issues with you.

- He is the golden rod of calm logic that will make you a stronger demon!! (i am translating this too literally XD)

- It also adds that from being with him, people will start to look up to you as a 'calm person' as well. I guess that's because Emiya really is a steely guy when it comes to his decision-making style.

- what am I trying to say here?!!! Not much, other than that he's described as the kind of person who will help one mature, with his logical and supportive- yet also very straightforward- guidance as your senior. (lol)

2) Lancer Cu result- Reliability to the MAX! Big Brother Type/ A Leader Among Peers

「頼りがいMAX!兄貴分タイプ」

＊兄貴分does not just refer to any old big brother, it refers to the kind of man who is a familiar presence that is worthy of respect and very reliable. I guess, 'the aniki to end all aniki' XD

- This states that Lancer is very compatible with a 'Senpai'/'Upperclassman' type of person, one that is heavily relied on by others.

- In fact, they say he is a good match for someone who secretly desires to be spoiled more, but tends not to show it much. This refers to the kind of person who typically relies mostly on themselves rather than others, despite helping others most of the time.

- This is because as the reliable aniki, he will wrap you up protectively and affectionately 「包み込む」, so then you can showcase the parts of you that you would usually hide in public freely around him.

- In this case, it says that one can show their more 'pampered/ spoiled' side around him 「甘えん坊」. So it's described as a love in which you will be able to really let yourself go for once; where you can be completely taken care of instead of performing your usual role as a caretaker. 「普段は隠している・一面」

- In conclusion, I guess it describes Lancer as a very affectionate, reliable character who will protect and pamper you to the point that you'll end up showing your hidden sides to him ;) a.k.a he is comfortable in an emotionally secure sense and you can put your walls down around him?! (am I reading too much into this).

Conclusion

Both Cu and Emiya are seen as reliable senpai types in the shindan, ones who both have their own ways of covering for people. Whilst Emiya will take care of one with his great logic and direct ways of support, Cu will take a more protective stance by wrapping you up in his safety blanket.

From this, it can be concluded that maybe it's a given that they'd get along so well. They're both so similar yet use such extremely different methods to achieve their goals.

Actually, this does remind me of an excellent quote Emiya Shirou has in Hollow/Ataraxia-during the hilarious Medea snooping on Souichirou and Taiga in a café scene, which makes a poignant comparison between the two rivals/homies.

QUOTE (in words)

"This is the biggest difference between this spearman and a certain bowman. Both are obliging people, but the latter points out every error in an attempt to help others improve (Emiya)."

"The former approves of even the errors, and helps for covering for them without saying a word (Cu)."

When comparing this to their results from the white day shindan, this line of conjuncture becomes even clearer than before.

The way in which Hollow/Ataraxia describes Emiya as the type who points out errors to help others improve perfectly coincides with the shindan, which explains how Emiya's logical nature can help you find out the 'merits and demerits' to a situation with his straight-forward means of discussion; helping you find the best route for you to take forwards.

In contrast, it can be read from both sources that although Cu also takes a reliable approach, his is to not only accept others unconditionally, but to also cover for their flaws on his lonesome; and this is very clearly enunciated in how the white day shindan describes him as the type that will 'wrap you' up and let you 'show the spoilt side that you would normally hide'.

When contrasting both of them against one another, the thematic power of their opposing methodologies is a gem to witness. And I personally believe that because their ways of taking care of others is so different, it means that they would be a vey good match when together! Archer can shoot his honest opinions at Cu, whilst Cu ends up being a pretty reliable and comfortable person for Archer to be around. Maybe this also adds more onto why Archer doesn't hold back around him- not only can Cu hold his own, but he's also the kind of character that would easily accept Archer as he is.

In addition to that, I believe that Archer's personality is eerily similar to the senpai type in Cu's shindan result! When I read it a few years ago, I was like 'holy shit am i smoking the shipping fuel or is this legitimately a correct reading'.

It makes much more sense to me why they hang out so often together now. Maybe Archer can show his other sides that he'd usually keep hidden (due to being a reliable senpai force to so many people) around Cu, as the guy is a fellow senpai who knows what it's like to protect your homies.

This line of argument has probably been made many times before, however I was very intrigued by how it can be inferred from other sources as well!!

Overall, I have nothing else to say except that I believe that these shindan results helped me understand both characters and the reasons why they might get along in more detail XD

[intothewickedwood]

becky! hi!! can you pls do 001 for ouat, 003 for regina and 002 for any ship from ouat that you'd like :) *hugs*

Thank you so much, lovely! <3 *gives biggest hug back*

001 OUAT

Favorite character: Alice Jones! Loml. I relate to her so much. An actual cinnamon cupcake.

Least Favorite character: Okay, I’m gonna look through every character and choose instead of just guessing. You know, I think it’s Alphonse Frankenstein (a.k.a Viktor and Gerhardt’S dad). He’s just terrible, doesn’t give anyone a chance to speak and just hates Viktor for no discernible reason. I’m not for violence but Gerhardt probably just wanted to get a word in edgeways.

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Oooh! This is a fun quezzie! 

1. Snowing

Perfect babies. I love them more than words can say. They are so perfect for one another and they make my heart swell every time they’re together.

2. Curious Archer

This ship means so much to me. They helped me finally come to terms with my sexuality and they are just such a wonderful couple. Have I expressed how much I love how supportive Robin is?! The way they look at each other. The way Robin became a better person with accidental help from Alice. I just love them. They belong together.

3. Hooking Utensil

They’re just so cute. They’re so flirtatious and are always helping eachother out. They just had so much potential and I need all the fics and I just want Wish Hook, Tiana and Alice to be a family because she’s so good to Alice and I need AUs where they raise her together and I cry.

4. Gremma

Forever my otp for Emma. They just had so much potential and he was the first person she opened up to in a romantic sense after a long while. She was lonely for so long and she let herself reveal her caring side with him. He meant so much to her because of that and she wore his shoelace around her wrist for a long time after his death, which says so much and their kiss broke through his cursed persona, which surely makes them true love. I wish they’d explained that. Would it have worked if Emma kissed Mary Margaret on the forehead? We’ll never know.

5. Frozen Swan

More on my thoughts on this pairing further down! But also, remember that true love’s hand hold?

Character I find most attractive: Mary Margaret and David

Character I would marry: Okay, probably Mary Margaret most of all! Especially s1 Mary Margaret but I also want to marry David and Alice Jones! And Kathryn! And Jefferson! And Anna! And Robin Mills! And Elsa! And, okay I’m gonna have a lot of weddings to plan.

Character I would be best friends with: Alice Jones or Anna. I need an uplifting, quirky friend. 

a random thought: I really want to figure out all of the characters ages by the start of the curse and end of the show. 

An unpopular opinion: I really like s7 and I know a lot of people don’t. It’s my 3rd favourite season because I think it introduces some great characters, like Alice Jones, an older Robin Mills and Princess Tiana. 

My Canon OTP: Snowing

My Non-canon OTP: Hooking Utensil

Most Badass Character: I’mma go with Emma. She’s like the epitome of a badass.

Most Epic Villain: Zelena, for me! Loved every moment of her in s3 and she quickly became my favourite character before Alice came along. She was just deliciously wicked and funny. 

Pairing I am not a fan of: Captain Swon, Outlaw Queeen, Rumbellle. They’re just not for me. Though the first used to be. And lol, I was just looking up ouat ships and found out the ship for August x Baelfire is called Firewood xD. I’m not opposed to that ship, however!

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Emma and original Hook after s5. I just felt they became totally different characters dedicated only to eachother without room for anyone else. Emma, in particular, became unrecognisable. I missed her meaningful interactions with her family. I missed her old personality. 

Favourite Friendship: Mary Margaret and Emma in s1. They were such good friends who could confide anything in each other and always gave each other great advice. And Emma saying she can’t lose her family even before they knew they were in 1x17 kills me everytime. She was willing to do anything for her best friend. They were like sisters.

Character I most identify with: Alice Jones We’re both pretty eccentric, mentally ill, autistic (I headcanon her to be) and not straight haha! I try to see the positive side of things nowadays like her and I have my own odd way of doing things. Who wants to be normal, anyway?

Character I wish I could be: Hmm. Good question. I’d like to have magic, so I guess Alice because she can just wish for anything and it’s hers. I wouldn’t mind being Snow or Charming so I could be married to one of them but I’d hate to break them up.

003 Regina Mills

How I feel about this character: I like her. Her and I went through a rocky patch in s5 and early s6 because I just found her hypocrisy when it came to Zelena to be too much, but she regained my favour in s7 and I can look past it now. She scared the crap out of me in s1, ngl. But I love that about her. I think she’s a great villain with a sympathetic backstory. Though her difficulty in self-reflecting frustrated me at times, I’ve learned to see it as part of what makes her character so unique and complex and I’m glad she grew in that respect in s6. Regina’s cool.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Dr. Facilier, Kathryn, Daniel, Maleficent and, you know, I’m getting into Swan Queen recently since I’m following a lot of blogs that post about them, including yours Renee! Thank you for dragging me down the SQ rabbit hole with you xD!

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: I would say Wicked Queen but I want to go for something different than my penultimate answer. I love the relationship with Cora and Regina. I am such a sucker for toxic mother-daughter relationships and there’s is like the epitomy of that. It’s so intriguing to watch Cora manipulate, control and influence her. And after everything Regina still loves her mother. Such a great dynamic!

My unpopular opinion about this character: I guess it’s that I’m not a fan of 0Q at all and I never really did like them together. I just felt Regina had to change her whole persona when around him but at least she went back to herself when he wasn’t around. I wish that was the same for Emma with her bf.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I kinda wished she had taken responsibilities for her actions earlier but I guess the reward for waiting wouldn’t have been as satisfying. I also wish the serum!queen was more intimidating in s6. I was hoping to be as scared of her as I was in s1, but ah well.

Favorite friendship for this character: I love her dynamic with Zelena. I love how it started in s3 with them hating eachother and I love how it evolved, even though I did find it difficult in s5 and early s6. But they were such a delight in later s5, later s6 and s7. They came so far.

My crossover ship: Freaking Bellatrix Lestrange is the only one that comes to mind. Regina feels difficult to pair. But I have no doubt they’d create devastating chaos together and Bellatrix would be as obsessed with her as she was with Voldemort.

002 Any Ship from Ouat

Oooh! I feel so powerful right now! I’m gonna go with Frozen Swan!

When I started shipping them: In 4x02 when Emma is freezing and Elsa is grasping her hands and panicking for her. Just watch the way Elsa holds onto her. That sh*t’s gay and I love it.

My thoughts: I’ve recently been looking at a lot of crack ouat s4 posts and I am living for gay Elsa pining over Emma. I wish those posts were canon however wild they may be.

What makes me happy about them: I love how their friendship developed. She is arguably the best friend Emma ever had, not afraid to show affection for her (because she’s in love with her lbr) and helped Emma accept herself when no one else could. Elsa needs a girlfriend and Emma and her are a great pairing. The way Elsa looks at her. I just die. And the fact that they both struggled to control their magic.

What makes me sad about them: That they never got together and Elsa never got to be explicitly gay. Please, it’s all I want in life! It probably wasn’t the writer’s intention but my God, the subtext is so freaking strong. 

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: None.

Things I look for in fanfic: I haven’t read a Frozen Swan fanfic in a while but I need Elsa battling with her sexuality because her parents forced her to supress her gay feelings. Love triangles are good, with Elsa pining and Emma eventually realising that Elsa is her soulmate after her magic goes out of control. Elsa pining is a good and painful thing.

My wishlist: I wish their was never ending crack posts of the frozen arc. I just can’t get enough. I wish I realised how much I need to get back into reading Frozen Swan (if anyone knows any canon divergent where Elsa longs for Emma please send me recs! There will be so many cookies!). I wish Elsa was in the show much longer. The Frozen characters were just so good and I needed so much more of them.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: For Emma I would be happy with Graham, August, Baelfire or Jefferson. For Elsa. Hmm, some lucky lady. Elsa x Ruby would be cute. They could help each other control the ‘monster’ within. Frozen Wolf is cool. I can also see Robin Mills, actually, when I think about it, when Robin is older like she is in s7 and we make them the same age, of course. Robin’s good at calming people down. 

My happily ever after for them: Emma would have to leave Hook for Elsa in s4 and they wouldn’t have to go to freaking camelot in s5. Let them go to Arendelle instead! They’d eventually get married, raise Henry together and have joint custody with Regina and they can have a magical daughter that’s super powerful and has both their magic. She’d need their help controlling it but she’d get nothing but support from them and her brother. She can be called Ruth or Gerda, but I prefer Ruth.

Thank you again for all the wonderful quezzies!

[chibiwritesstuff]

Could you do a headcanon for how the dorm leaders and their S/O would react if their kid(s) from the future magically appeared on campus?

I might have gone overboard with this... but at the same time, I feel like I rushed this. I’m so occupied by work that I have to slowly work on this from midnight to six am before heading to bed then go to work around 10 am for two weeks now... I hope it turned out the way you like it. Yes, the ones with unique magic is inspired with FGO’s Noble Phantasms... I’m still stuck in that hellhole of a gacha game. I think you can tell who my faves are by the length I’ve written for them XD

Now, let’s enter this twisted wonderland~

“Queen’s Rose Maze!” All five of the Heartslabyul main guys heard. “Traverse in the twisting maze of the Queen of Roses!”

All of them rushed towards the location of the voice only to see a tiny Riddle with (h/c) hair instead.

“What did I do?!” Heartslabyul A-kun whimpered as he seemed to be stuck in a rose maze.

“As stated by the Queen of Hearts’ Rule #186: Never eat hamburg steak on Tuesdays. You just broke a rule and you must be punished.” The kid scolded. “To think this is what my esteemed father deals with everyday…”

“By father, I assume that would be me?”

Surprisingly, Riddle seems to take this information in stride. The kid will turn around and his suspicions were confirmed.

The kid will run and hug him asking if he’s doing a good job. He introduces himself and everything Riddle asked, (s/n) answered perfectly.

Well, until you showed up that is.

“Mother!” He’ll call out in joy as he bounced towards you.

And there goes Riddle’s composure.

Oh great seven, you two have children?! Is his first thought followed by, We will get married, have children, and be together forever!

While initial surprise caught you off guard, you slowly accepted the fact that you and Riddle are now interacting with your future child.

When he can finally go back to his time his final words made both of you blush.

“Farewell, mother and father!” He’ll wave happily as he disappears. “I have to watch over the twins you two just have after all!”

Wanna try betting who’s redder? (It’s Riddle)

Someone – more like two – that is not him or you is on his bed.

Who dares occupy my bed?!

The little girl stirred from her sleep and upon making eye contact with you two she’ll screech in joy.

“(s/n)! Wake up! Mom and Dad are here!”

Both of you flinched both from the high pitch voice and the statement she just made.

The young boy will wake up as well and greets you two in a much calmer way.

They’ll tell you that someone’s unique magic transported a bunch of kids to the past and now they’re here.

Slowly but surely, you both can tell that (d/n) is a daddy’s girl and (s/n) is a mommy’s boy.

You all decided to take a siesta together, with the children in between.

When you both stirred in your sleep, the kids are gone. There’s a note stuck on Leona’s chest saying that they have to return to their time and they enjoy the siesta as always.

“Can’t wait to have you two soon.” Leona will mutter as he pulled you to him before going back to sleep.

A girl is crying in the lounge and it's disturbing the customers causing a bunch of complaints, forcing the twins to abandon current tasks to find the girl.

As soon as the girl spotted the twins, she grabs on them. “Uncle Jade, where’s daddy?”

Oh, Jade and Floyd are gonna have a field day with this. They kept questioning the poor girl about everything about her time to the point of scaring her.

“Aw, what a cute girl.” You’ll end up cooing.

“Mommy!” Tears are forming in her eyes as she hugs your legs tightly. “Mommy, I’m scared.”

“(y/n), I wasn’t aware you have a child…” You hear Azul trail off at the news.

He’s crestfallen on the fact that you have a child already. He will start doubting himself, thinking, of course, your relationship wouldn’t last, he’s not good enough, that he didn’t realize the kid is running towards him.

“Daddy! Uncle Jade and Uncle Floyd are scaring me again!”

“D-Daddy?!” He’s so taken aback he fell on his bum.

Jade and Floyd are laughing at his reaction while you just stared back and forth towards the child and Azul.

Ironically this is the time one of Azul’s customers decided to eat and run. Just as he asked the twins to deal with it the kid waved her magical pen.

“Everlasting Summer Spree!” And the guy is now over buying almost everything in the lounge. “Splurge in the joys of summer and shop to the fullest!”

Azul is so proud and started babying her with the very money she earned from one customer alone.

When it's time for her to leave he’s crying… which made her cry as well.

Looks like I’m going to be stuck with crybabies… is the only thing you thought of as you smile.

“Papa!” Echoed in the middle of the party that Kalim assembled.

When a young boy tackled him, Jamil was ready to grab the said kid until he noticed their features, and boy did he paled up upon the sudden realization.

“Oya, do I remind you of your papa?” Kalim smiled and hugged the kid. “That’s flattering, kiddo!”

“Uh, Kalim you might want to take a real good look on that kid,” Jamil said as he readied to call you on his phone.

When you arrived at the Scarabia dorm, you see Kalim pampering a young boy that has your eyes and complexion. A table full of food, toys, and jewelry scattered around to make the kid happy.

“Mama!” The boy called out to you while your brain is trying to process everything.

“Isn't (s/n) so cute! He’s really smart too!” Your lover kept on praising the kid as he played with Jamil, who looks like he wants to disappear.

Your mom mode instincts kicked in and scolded the two for overdoing things.

They kept saying sorry as Jamil finally got out of the predicament.

When the kid can finally return to their original timeline, he’ll give one last hug to the entire Scarabia dorm’s students before leaving.

“I’m so excited!” Kalim will tell you with a blinding smile. “Arent you excited as well?”

Vil was looking for Rook when he saw the said man playing with a little blonde girl. The archer noticed his presence so he beckoned the girl to come with him.

“Roi de Poison looks like your beauty runs in the family.”

The little girl did a curtsy as she greeted him. “Greetings, father. I’m (d/n), your daughter from the future.”

He’s amused, seeing as the girl acts gracefully by greeting alone. After doing his usual 5-second head to toe judgment, he nods and beckons her to follow to Pomefiore for a spa day.

No surprise but as they walk the premises of the campus, lots of stares and gossip started spreading.

Before either Vil or Rook can do anything, she once again spoke. “Father, may I ask for permission to use my unique magic?”

This piqued his interest, “Very well, show me what you got.”

“Smile of the Princess~” With an elegant smile flashed to everyone, “Hark, for the fairest’s daughter has graced you her smile~”

You just happened to walk by when you saw the commotion. Color yourself surprised when you saw a girl with Vil’s beauty and grace but with your eyes and preference of hairstyle cast her magic.

You might not have magic but you are quite good at noticing the quirks of everyone’s unique magic. A smile crept on your lips as you realized what her magic really does and who she might be.

They all got enamored with her and waited for her command. “Do get lost and focus on your duties, you pitiful potatoes.”

“As you wish, princess.” Everybody affected by her magic responded and went on their merry way.

“Oh my, so your magic is similar to Monsieur Multi.” Rook happily commented after the display.

“That’s incorrect.” (y/n) responded, already figuring out the true nature of her magic. “Smile of the Princess merely makes her target pay their fullest attention to her. It's her charisma that made them follow her orders.”

“So you noticed as well,” Vil confirmed which you happily nodded.

“Greetings, mother.” She curtsied and introduced herself once more. “We’re currently heading to father’s dormitory to treat our skin. Would you like to join us?”

Ah, so your hunch was right…

“She is going whether she likes it or not,” Vil answered for you as he smirked at your flushed face. “We do need a family bonding after all, don’t we, my dear sweet potato?”

“Yeah… what he said.” You sweatdropped as you unwillingly got dragged to their spa day. “Are we seriously ignoring the fact that she just said we’re her parents?”

“Are you opposed to having children with me?” He raised an eyebrow before facing your kid. “How many siblings do you have?”

“My older brother remains in my timeline with his acting job, father.”

You all end up doing the said spa day and enjoyed getting to know your daughter. You can't help but sigh in relief when she told you that she choose following Vil’s lifestyle of her own will rather than being forced to.

When she has to leave, rather than curtsying, she went and hug both of you instead.

“I know father’s at work and barely spend time with you but please don’t leave him…” She looks away with a sad smile. “He doesn’t mean to make you lonely.”

Against Vil’s protests, you grabbed his hand and raised it with a huge smile. “I promise I won’t let him go until he tells me to.”

Cue to Vil blushing, Rook laughing, and (d/n) smiling as she waves goodbye.

“You better keep that promise, you stupid sweet potato…” Vil mutters under his breath with a small smile.

The one rare time he leaves his room is when he visits you or he’s out to get his pre-orders. Today’s reason is visiting you.

He hears giggling from his brother and what sounds to be another child. He’s so curious if Ortho made a new friend that he didn’t even process the fact that there’s another person in your dorm.

“Big brother! Your son is here!” Ortho happily announced as he pointed at the giggling boy on your lap.

“AAAHHHH!!!!” Idia.exe has crashed. Please restart your system to continue.

“Ahaha, dad is still so jumpy as always.” (s/n) stood up and walked towards him. “Hi, dad! I’m (s/n), your son from the future.”

He’s the main suspect from all these time-traveling shenanigans. Creating a time machine wanting to meet you two which led to all the children wanting to go as well.

He explains the mechanics of the time machine along with its timer-based setting to return them to their timeline with no fail.

Idia is now just so invested in how this creation works that he sat down on the couch with his holographic computer typing notes and giving his ideas to the kid.

You’re just happy that Idia is finally interacting with someone else even if it's his son.

Truth be told when he randomly showed up in your dorm, (s/n) geeked out so much on how he unlocked the secret episode on his life story. He immediately bombarding you with questions about your current relationship with Idia.

It was overwhelming… thank god for Ortho’s random visits that you managed to calm the kid down.

In the end you four played video games – constantly yelling hacks when someone else wins – and had a great time.

When the timer started beeping, he gave you three a hug. “I love you guys! Please don’t forget the parent-teacher meeting tomorrow, Dad.”

“I believe that something you should say to future us…” You sweatdropped as Idia held back a nervous laugh.

“I-I’ll try.”

Le gasp from all three of you.

When (s/n) disappeared, Ortho starts chattering on how he can’t wait to be an uncle. Leaving so he can make lots of detailed plans for the future hangouts he’ll have with your son.

“(y/n),” He caught your attention as his face and hair slowly turns to fiery red. “I may be the biggest introvert in the world but I promise I’ll do anything that I can to make you happy.”

“Huh, I guess this is how Hades wooed Persephone to marry him…” You smirked as he covered his face to muffle his screaming. “Should we start planning for our wedding now?”

You two were having a peaceful picnic by the school grounds when a young boy appeared on top of the tree. He lost his balance though and leave it to Malleus’ fast reflexes to catch the boy with no sweat.

“Thank you, father.” The boy with a striking resemblance of your lover spoke as he regained his footing. “This isn’t how I planned to meet you two…”

“Father?” You two both asked.

“Okay, I’m aware that you are god knows how old but I wasn’t aware you have a child?” You can't help but look back and forth between the two boys.

“Neither do I.” He calmly answers, confusion evident on his face. “I haven’t bed anyone in my whole life.”

“My apologies! I’m (s/n) Draconia, your fifth son from the future.”

Cue to you doing a spit-take. “Fifth?!”

Malleus is just beaming in joy from this news, he does love a big family. Oh, he can't wait for the future to come, get married to you and have children… five children!

“There’s eight of us, actually…” He whispered but you both heard it anyways.

Spit-take part two with a bonus of your face being redder than any tomato in existence and Malleus just vibrating in happiness. “EIGHT?!”

He goes on and telling their names and current accomplishments, all to how the youngest sister is about to be born in a few months.

“So, I guess that actually makes it nine.” (s/n) corrects himself one last time.

You passed out while mumbling “Nine… nine kids…”

As much as Malleus wants to keep talking, he chose to care for you first, chuckling at how you passed out from said information.

He brings you and his kid to his room to make sure you have a better mattress to lay on. The two Draconia’s will keep talking about how the future of the family works.

Oh, imagine the horror on his face when tend to always be at doors death every delivery time. Now he knows that it's quite common for humans to die when giving birth.  He second-guesses the idea of having so many children if your life is at stake.

(s/n) have to remind him that they all live, so everything's fine.

After that reassurance, you stirred awake and saw the kid once more. He now wants to snuggle with you on the bed, which Malleus followed suit.

“Mother, please sing me that lullaby again.” He yawns as the older fae encases you two in a hug. “We all love your song…”

You can’t help but smile seeing how adorable your son is being that you hummed the first lullaby your mother has sung to you in your younger days.

You two noticed he’s fading, assuming that he is going back to his timeline once again.

You both placed a kiss on his forehead, saying “We love you, (s/n).”

Malleus chuckles and pulls you close as he peppers your head with kisses. He’s so excited for the future that he’ll share with you and you can't help but feel the same way.

“So… who’s going back to clean up the mess we left at the school grounds?”

[sparklingchan]

Chapter 3|| Stormbringer- Stray Kids Demigod AU

Pairing : Reader(fem.) X Felix

Word count : 3.3k+

Warnings : A fight scene but it’s just practice XD

Genre : Romance, Demigod AU, fluff, angst.

Description: An unexpected incident brings you closer to Felix, but there’s one person who’s not very excited about this blossoming friendship. 

A/N : Things start getting interesting from here *insert the moon face emoji* Enjoy!

SERIES MASTERLIST ||  Click here for introduction to the story and glossary and here for the Stray Kids demigod diaries!

"A near miss, y/n."  Felix whispers in his deep, raspy voice sending shivers  through your entire body.

You blink awkwardly at him for a few seconds before he gets off of you and offers you his hand to help you stand up.

You hear the Aphrodite girls whispering behind you, giggling.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Your eyes are looking everywhere but at Felix, the heat from your cheeks making your whole face warm.

"It's alright, " he chuckles, "Are you hurt anywhere?" His freckles look even more gorgeous up close, his toothy smiles reminds you of bright skies and beaches and picnics and fresh fruits. And when the warm afternoon sunlight falls on his eyes, his brown orbs turn into a gentler shade of golden. Breathtaking.

"You're beautiful." You blurt out, involuntarily,  loud and clear so everyone hears you. A loud chorus of gasps run throughout the dining hall.

And you decide to run away back to your cabin with the little dignity you had left of yourself.

And there you are, once again thinking back to yesterday's events while polishing your precious arrow heads as you sit on the Zeus cabin's verandah.

You sigh, "It was the Aphrodite effect, right? It has to be!"

You've been pep talking to yourself all morning long, making up excuses for the way you behaved yesterday. You're too embarrassed to face your friends or the other people at camp.

"I mean he is good looking, but why did I say it out loud. Does he have powers? Like that of Hyunjin? Maybe he can charmspeak. Yes! That's probably it!" You mutter to yourself.

(a/n: Charmspeak is a rare type of hypnotic ability that Aphrodite kids possess)

Or perhaps he'd induced a new sense of adoration in you, like how Aphrodite kids usually can. But then again, they cannot actually induce these feelings. They can only manipulate them which means they'd have to exist in the first place.

You put the arrow back into it's case.

"Ugh!" You let out a loud groan, covering your face with your palms.

The image that you'd spent years to portray in front of everyone is all destroyed in the blink of an eye. Now no one's going to respect you as an only child of the Big Three, they're going to see you as a girl who gets smitten easily and not as the headstrong person you always acted like.

All because of that Lee Felix!

(a/n: big three refers to the three major Greek gods namely Poseidon, Zeus and Hades)

You stand up from the floor, not being able to handle the bombardment of thoughts in your mind, and decide that practicing sword fighting is the right thing to now.

So you find yourself making your way from behind the Athena cabin (where you can clearly hear Seungmin and another Athena kid debating over mortal politics) and then through the Jasmine fields that Apollo personally tends to and down the hill to the weapon practice arena.

"Hey, y/n."

Oh no, no no no.

Why is it that when you are trying to avoid a person that exact person is the one who keeps popping up everywhere? Why is it, you tell me, that Lee Felix happens to be in the practice arena just when you arrive there?

The Gods must be having a nice laughter up there, especially your father Zeus.

"H-hey!" You try to reply with fake enthusiasm.

He has his bronze sword in his right hand while he jogs up to you, his messy blonde hair shining like the sun.

"Did you sleep well?"

No, you hadn't.

"Yes, I did." You laugh awkwardly, "Slept wonderfully."

Felix laughs back, eyes hooded with a hint of shyness that hadn't existed till yesterday afternoon.

He tucks his bottom lip in between his teeth, "Hey, um about what you said yesterday-"

"Do you wanna duel with me?"

If you cannot escape him, you might as well divert his attention.

He looks at you like you'd just punched him in the face. His smile threatening to disappear any moment.

And that’s when you realise asking him to duel with you might not have been the brightest ideas, and not to mention how you'd called him beautiful in front a hundred other demigods last afternoon.

"I'd love to!" He replies, with an excited voice, "Swords?"

You open your mouth to reply, but only air slips out so you subtly nod. He doesn't have to know you're a nervous mess that's lowkey about to pass out.

You walk up to the armory and grab the first sword that you lay eyes on. Truth be told, a sword wasn't really the best choice of weapon for you. It's always been a bow and arrow for you. Bows make you feel at control, like you know what you're doing and you'd always been good at archery, without even trying to.

"Do you not have a sword of your own?" Felix asks almost as if reading your mind.

"No, I don't. Actually I'm more of an archer." You admit.

"Ah, of course. I remember how you killed that Cetus in a single shot. I must say, I was very impressed."

Your cheeks heat up at his compliment. It's not like people haven't complimented your archery skills before - they have, in fact they do it all the time yet you wonder why is it so much more meaningful to you when coming from Felix. Has your biggest fear finally come true?

You shake your head mentally, no, it cannot be.

"Thanks. You're not very bad with your sword either."

Felix acknowledges your compliment with a smile. He then stands up straight, the sword in his right and bows gently, a silly smile playing at his lips.

"Oh we're following the courtesies?" You whisper to yourself, copying his actions.

The both of you stand facing each other, a silent understanding flowing between the two of you while you take your dueling positions.

You expect him to attack first but he doesn't; instead he watches you with a smirk, as if trying to make you flustered.

(It was working but you'd rather never say that out loud)

So he attacks first. He aims his sword near your abdomen but you quickly jump to defend yourself, blocking his attack with your sword. The metallic clang of your swords ringing throughout the otherwise quiet arena. He stumbles back, a surprised gasp leaving his lips as your sword brushes swiftly past his neck while he's still catching his breath, barely touching him though. 

Of course, hurting the opponent isn’t the aim here. Disarming them is.

"She's not bad with the sword." He thinks to himself, a little proud.

He then retorts back, swinging his sword right in front of your face, missing by merely an inch.

Your heart does a backflip, both out of excitement and fear.

You don't waste a second, gaining back your balance, thrusting your sword in the space between his arm and abdomen. Your sword clash together as you try to push his sword back with yours, yet this time he resists, putting in all his energy to make you loose your grip on the sword.

And it seems to have worked because the next moment, he sees you losing your strength, your face scrunched in concentration as you let out a few grunts. He takes a single step towards you while applying more force on your sword with his, and there goes your sword, falling onto the ground gracefully, like a martyred soldier.

"Do you accept defeat, miss y/n?" Felix teases through laboured breaths and you only have enough energy to roll your eyes at him, hitting his arm in response.

Felix passes you back your sword, as he walks over to the bench and slumps down.

Your body is too tired to worry about Felix bringing up yesterday's incident, so you follow him and sit by his side. Neither of you say anything, your fanning breaths and thumping hearts and the buzzing of insects are the only sounds in the arena. You'd never experienced this kind of peacefulness in the camp before, at least not unless you were by yourself.

When you recover from your momentary exhaustion, you look over at Felix and softly begin, "I was wondering..."

He glances at you with a smile.

Does he ever stop smiling?

"I was wondering...since Hyunjin already told you about the game, would you like to be my partner for the capture the flag game next week? I usually go with Minho but he's a referee this time." You say.

He is taken aback for a second - mostly because he'd never thought someone as cool as you would ask him to be your partner. Team games are very important in camps and its important  to make sure that the teammates do not turn out to be poor players. It somehow makes Felix very happy that you'd have such faith in him despite having known him for only two days.

He nods, "I'd be honored to do that."

Your heart beats furiously as you suck in a deep breath, "It's a deal then."

Gosh y/n, what has gotten into you!

*

You decide to take the longer route back.

Felix left early after finishing the duel so you spent the next hour practicing Archery alone before deciding to head back to your cabin.

Your thoughts are all over the place as it is, but the quietness of the woods help you to sort things out with yourself. You feel rather uncomfortable, experiencing emotions that you'd not felt in a long time, past insecurities and memories fighting their way back from the dungeons you'd locked them up in. This was ridiculous, wasn't it? How Felix comes out of nowhere and just flips everything up?

The sun rays fall on you from the gaps between the tree branches and as you listen to the birds chirp around you, you start to slowly hum to their tune.

"Wow, who hurt you, y/n?" A male voice calls you from behind, the sound of leaves getting crushed under a pair of hooves indicate the approaching entity.

"No one hurt me, Eden."

Eden is still as handsome as ever, you wonder to yourself everytime you return to the camp, with a sturdy upper body and beautiful grey eyes and two strong goat limbs instead of normal human legs, yet he's so much more alluring than any satyr you'd ever seen. (Then again, maybe you're just biased because he’s also your childhood friend) He flashes you a handsome smile and you immediately pray to the gods that he doesn't see you blush.

(a/n: Satyrs, also known as Fauns by Romans, are creatures with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a goat as well as goat horns, and the pointed ears of a goat. )

"What's up." He stands in front of you and kisses you softly on the head, "I had gone out yesterday so I couldn't come see you. Hope you didn't miss me too much."

You hit his chest, "You're so full of yourself, goat-boy." You continue walking back towards your cabin, Eden following right behind.

"Woahh. Using Minho's nicknames now, are we?" He snickers, "One of the kids told me that you had a little hormonal outburst last afternoon?"

An embarrassed sigh leaves you lips. The camp kids really couldn't miss out on one day of gossip now could they?

"I don't wanna talk about it." You mutter as yesterday's events flash into your mind. Felix, his face, his voice and your words. Oh God.

"Hey, no judgment here, okay? If you like the new Aphrodite boy then I support you. Do you want me to play wingman?"

You turn around and smack his chest once again. "I do not like him." Yet.

"Okay, okay. I get it." His tone falls serious, "Anyway  I heard about Poseidon's trident. It scared me, I won't lie. Something as powerful as that trident has never been forged in a millennia. And I can only imagine how powerful one has to be steal it. Are you sure only nine demigods are enough to find it?"

"It has to be, Eden." You say, "We don't have too many options. It's either this or we all drown and die or get killed by a monster. I'd like to choose the former."

Eden nods at your words, patting your head encouragingly.

You are about to speak up again when your eyes fall on a woman sitting on a log of wood just a few meters ahead of you.

"Is that one of the Aphrodite girls?" You whisper to Eden, only for him to shake his head in response.

The woman sits with her back facing you, a beautiful white dress adorning her small skinny frame and her brown hair tied in a tidy floral braid. Either the woman is a daughter of Aphrodite's or a Nymph, you conclude.

Without thinking much, you approach her, "Um, hello? May I know who you are?"

A startled gasp escapes your mouth when the woman turns around and looks at you with a very familiar smile playing at her lips - you'd grown up seeing that smile on Hyunjin and very recently on Felix. It's the very same smile, a Xerox copy of it.

"Aphrodite?" You mutter and she nods in response.

"Hello, y/n. Mind if I have a word with you?"

*

"So you were out with y/n? Dueling?" Changbin asks for the umpteenth time this morning, his usually playful eyes now focused seriously on Felix's body language.

"Yes, Changbin," Felix groans, lying flat on his fluffy bed, "Can you stop making a big deal out of it?"

Chan chuckles at the conversation, his eyes though focused on the book in front of him but his ears are on his two best friends' conversation. Chan knew Changbin wasn't the kind to trust people easily, especially Zeus' children so it's not surprising of him to be suspicious about you but what does come as a surprise to Chan is how oddly giggly Felix has been since last afternoon. After that awkward encounter with you. Could it be that Felix..?

"Do you like Zeus' daughter?" Changbin asks even before Chan can finish his line of  thought.

Felix's eyes widen, but the tips of his ears are bright red, "Dude I just met her. Can you not act like a love guru out of the blue?"

"Hey, you're the love expert here. Literally. So, I should be expecting a better answer from you, no?"

"No, I do not like her. Okay?" Felix groans, "But she did ask me to be her partner for the game next week and I'm telling you beforehand Seo Changbin, do not say or assume anything that would make her uncomfortable. "

The warning comes off as rather cute to Chan since he’s always seen the Aphrodite kid as his little brother while Changbin finds his words a tad bit alarming. A Zeus kid is not to be trusted this easily.

"Fine." Changbin mutters, his lips pressing into a thoughtful line, "But just be careful because  I - "

"Don't trust the Children of Zeus easily, yeah we know. Come on, Bin. Let him have some fun and make new friends. You should do it, too. We're not on our own anymore." Chan pipes in to save Felix this time and Felix secretly sends a thankful wink to him in return.

"Okay, okay." Changbin gives in.

The door to Felix's room creaks ever so slightly and the three of them turn their heads in anticipation of who it might be.

"Hey. Sorry to disturb you guys but we're being called for dinner." Hyunjin says, still getting used to having three new demigods around in the camp.

Chan closes his book, "Oh, come on, Hyunjin. You're not disturbing us. Come on in."

Felix gets up to greet his half brother with a fist bump and when he stands beside Hyunjin, the two older guys find it hilarious how terribly small he looks. Almost like Hyunjin were his father.

Felix almost as if reads their minds and narrows their eyes at them, "Dinner is ready guys. Can we move?"

"Shortie." Hyunjn whispers incoherently and makes a run towards the door.

"Hey, come back here you piece of -" Felix dashes right after him.

Changbin and Chan chuckle at their tactics, a foreign feeling of calmness settling between them. "This feels like home, Chan. We're finally home." Changbin admits, almost emotionally.

"Yes, Bin." Chan adds, "And I hope we never have to leave again."

*

"Aphrodite said what now?"

You sigh, running your index finger mindlessly along the lines of the wooden dinner table.

"She wants us to take the new demigods with us to find Poseidon's trident. Especially Felix." You look at your friends, "And she asked me to specifically visit the island of Sicily when we go on the quest. I asked her why but she said she doesn't know it herself."

Hyunjin grunts, almost irritated, "Y/n, I don't know how much you can trust my mother. She's known to cause drama for her own entertainment. "

Well, you do agree with what Hyunjin says but you cannot deny that Aphrodite didn't seem like she was purposely creating drama this time.

"Listen, y/n, you have to go to The island of Sicily. It will lead you to the trident, trust me." She whispers as if she is afraid of someone overhearing your conversation, "Take Felix with you. You'll need him. He'll need you."

You shudder at the memory of her unusually spooky tone.

"What do you think, dad?" Jisung turns to Apollo who has ever so naturally claimed a spot at your usual dinner table tonight, "Do you think we should let new demigods on a quest?"

"I don't think Aphrodite is playing this time. We should listen to her." He taps his finger against his chin, deep in thought, "We need as many people as we can get."

"Well, yeah. That makes sense." Minho says and you nod, "Yeah, Eden can talk to the three boys. He's always been good at all that."

The lack of protests from your friends indicate their approval and after talking about the quest for a few more minutes, Apollo leaves your table.

"So," Jisung chimes in as soon as his father is out of sight, "Our Y/n has been dueling with Lee Felix?"

You let out an exasperated growl, "Oh God, Jisung! It was just today!"

Jisung snickers and sticks out his tongue, rendering your words useless. Minho raises an eyebrow at your banter while the other boys giggle, "Eden tells me you are already smitten."

Eden! God, that Eden, you mentally vow to punch that smirk off of Eden's face the next time you see him. Why does he keep pushing ridiculous ideas into other people's head!

"I'm not smitten -"

"Who are you talking about?"

Your blood runs dry.

Please tell me Felix didn't just overhear this one conversation which includes me having a crush on him.

"Hey, Lix." Hyunjin laughs, "Took you three long enough to get here  I went to your room like an hour ago."

Felix rubs the back of his neck, guilty, "Changbin spilled water on my favorite sweatshirt. "

A short guy - probably Changbin - slaps Felix's back. "Ouch!"

"Liar!" Felix rolls his eyes, turning to speak with you, "Anyway, y/n, I'm assuming you're the only to not have met my brothers yet."

"Yeah, i think so." You reply with a small smile.

Felix pats the back of the two boys on his right and left respectively. "Chan, Changbin, meet y/n, she's Zeus' daughter and y/n, meet Chan, he's Poseidon's son and Changbin - Ares' son."

Oh wow that is a new combination.

The guy introduced as Chan has a kind smile and messy brown hair while the Changbin dude has jet black hair and very intimidating eyes. He looks up and down your form, as if checking whether you were worth being Felix's friend - vibe checking, if you may.

"Hi, I'm y/n."

With the introductions done and dinner served, your group of old and new friends enjoy this peaceful evening together. The loud laughs and sassy remarks and friendly banters make you feel somewhat calm, but a part of you knows this isn't for long.

It’s like the calm before the storm.

"So, are we meeting for practice tomorrow too?" Felix whispers into your ears when he finds the others too indulged in conversation.

Your heart picks up its pace but you manage to nod with pink cheeks, "Yes. Same time as today."

A few seats away from you, Changbin overhears your conversation and decides that he doesn't really like you.

*

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[ymbrynae]

DA4 List companion but updated

Here we go again to guess who will be at out party after the Bioware’s video. They will be probably like 99% not accurate in the future, but it’s just for fun. I made post about it some time ago. Let’s go.

English is not my first language!

That’s my list for now -  9 companions, 3 mages, 3 warriors and 3 rouges like in previous games.

Rouges

1. Lace Harding

I still think Lace Harding could be our next companion. Why? She’s fan’s fav, she’s skilled archer, Leliana is/was her mentor and she’s linked to Inquisition. As a treat the woman from concept art underwater looks a lot like her! 

Brown hair, the same hairstyle, bright eyes, light skin, small posture as a dwarf. For sure it could be any other new character, but in this concept art we also can see Dorian and Isabela, so...

She could be also romancable for everyone.

2. Qunari lady

In my previous post, I put qunari lady as a mage, bc it would a big switch from last two qunari warriors we had, but qunari rouge is good too! They have to use their muscles, right?

Qunari lady rouge is on three concept art, so she is the most probably companion for now. I wanna kiss her. The one in shot with sunrise has a diffrent hairstyle, wavy, much darker, maybe even black hair, so her looks could be still in development or it’s vision of DA4′s protagonist.

Alas, we will see some qunari lady and she will be probably bi/pan romance.

2. Antivian Crow???

Well, even if I put here concept art with female crow, I still think it would be Lucanis Dellamorte from DA Teviner Nights. 

Lucanis could be this not-Ezio-assasin from sunrise concept art. For sure Lucanis will be somebody important in game, bc of his grandmother as first talon of crow. Yeah, I don't think he's dead.

He could be romancable, maybe as bi or hetero?

Mages

1. Ghost in Skeleton body  - Mortalitasi

We had already spirit companion in DAO Awakening, but it’s something diffrent. In Nevarra spirits can take control of dead body in safe environment and it’s quite common for them to be working as normal people. 

Kristoff or Cole weren’t mages, so being a mage could explain why his head is on green fire. Just some flashy effects.

Skeleton with green fire is on two concept arts, on the group shot and underwater shot, so it’s possible for him to show in game.

No romance, it would be too weird XD

2. The Executor

The Executors are new fraction for DA world and they are really dangerous. Even Solas see them as a threat for his plans, so one of them could be a big help for DA4′s protagonist. They would bring new powers and new weapons.

In Tevinter Nights, one of them is described with genderless voice and big cloak, so companion could be first nonbinary companion for the series.

I’m guessing no romance or limited romance by gender.

3. Tevinter Mage

We all know since Trespasser the action will take place in Tevinter. The concept arts are also obvious in that matter, so it would be helpfull to have someone from Imperium as a guide. 

In my first post, I was guessing Maevaris Tilani as possible companion, bc she’s close friend of Dorian, but it could be someone new.

Bellara, played by Jee Young Han could be Tevinter mage. Her name sounds a little like italian word and Tevinter has latin base language and culture. Jee Young Han has american accent, but it’s not impossible for person from tevinter to has accent like that.

Possibly hetero romance?

Warriors

1. Gray Warden

Like in all previous games (Blackwall lol) we will have Grey Warden companion. They will return for sure and probably it will be Davrin played by Ike Amadi. 

Something weird is happening with Grey Wardens and for sure it will be one of main plots in DA4.

I’m guessing his romance will only for female protagonist.

2. Lord of Fortune

Lords of Fortune is another one fraction for DA world. They are mercenaries and mostly care only for money. It’sreally usefull when there is a need for skilled warriors.

They could be man or woman, maybe gender limited romance. I’m not really sure.

3. Elven warrior

Trusting elf in this time is like a rullete, but it would be nice to have someone who is not agreeing with Solas’s plan for world. 

Like a Charter in Tevinter NIghts, this person could have reasons to save other from Solas, like having a family/lover/child. 

Maybe not romancable???

Anyway, what do you think? Do you agree? Pls, let me know in comments :3

[redstainedsocks]

The Vow

Pirate AU, part two! I don't have any more written than this, and I don't have a whole lot of plot planned for it, I'll just come back periodically and have fun in this fantasy version of the setting. Open to requests/suggestions if there's something you want to see let me know!

Notes: Decker's name changed to Ecker for the AU because I couldn't write about ship decks and have a main character called Decker... I just couldn't... xD

Content: aftermath of whump, death threats, angst, emotional whump, captive whumpee, failed rescue

[Part one] [Main Series]

Archer’s breath was thick in his lungs. Words stuck in his throat. The world spun and then stopped only to start spinning again as he tried to comprehend what was happening around him. The same way it had a week ago.

He never wanted to be one to put his crew in danger, but the contract to salvage certain things from a wreckage of one of the King’s vessels paid well, so he’d taken the job. It should have been easy and simple. The wreck was washed up on some rocks and mostly intact but incapable of getting back out to sea. They were to retrieve the goods and the captain's logs and some important scrolls and deliver them back to home shores. Tidy, straightforward. He knew the risk of pirating was high on a washed up vessel but he had a fast, manoeuvrable ship and good men, it was as likely to be them who braved the rocky seas first as anyone else.

But... Ecker. In a sleek schooner, with his evil, rank men. Ecker had got there first and hell had broken loose. Archer’s ship was better equipped for it, more cannons, more trained men, it wouldn’t have been long before they could subdue and overcome, and he had just hoped there wouldn’t be too great a loss of life.

In the midst of the firefight, between cannon shots and gunpowder smoke, and frantic sailing, a man had been dragged onto Ecker’s deck. A man blindfolded, in a loose shirt, hands bound, and too far away to see properly.

“Hold fire!” Ecker had shouted across the space. “Hold fire or I will spill his guts across the deck!”

Archer dismissed it, at first, because he couldn’t back down or lose ground just for some poor sod caught prisoner on Ecker’s vessel. Only then Jordan had handed across a looking glass, as drained of colour as the sun-bleached sail above their heads. It had taken one look through the glass to recognise the man. He would know that face--even half obscured--anywhere.

Zach—back from the dead. Zach, not lost at sea as they’d thought, but taken captive and held without word for two long years. All while Archer sailed on without him, without even knowing he left Zach behind.

So the world stopped and he called a ceasefire even as his head spun, and walked onto a sandbank with Ecker to negotiate the freedom of the friend who he’d lost two years previously.

“He was lost, lost at sea.”

“Seems like he was very much found, to me,” Ecker had said, gloating, drinking in Archer’s distress.

“Why wait this long, why not reveal your hand before now?”

“I knew a day would come where he would be a useful bargaining chip. Why present that on a platter when I held all the cards? Now I have leverage, and a way to get my ship out of your sights.”

“Fine, leave him behind, and I’ll let you sail away. Unscathed. You have my word,” Archer had tried to say it without sounding like he was pleading.

“Oh I don’t want your word, young Captain, I want your gold.”

“And then you give us Zach? Unharmed?”

“I can’t say unharmed, it has been a long two years for the poor lad. But yes, you pay, and he stays alive, and I’ll throw in the important bounty from that there wreck for good measure, if you like. You’ll meet us at my chosen location as soon as you have the ransom… but if any of ye so much as look at my ship wrong as I take my leave he’ll be dead before you can say ‘Davy Jones’. Locker”

He’d told his men to hold steady while Ecker sailed off into the distance, and did all he could to gather the damn ransom Ecker had demanded, and in return he was supposed to get Zach’s life as well as the logs and scrolls Ecker had pilfered from the wrecked ship. Ecker would go free, but he’d have his friend, he’d get Zach back.

So why was he now walking out of the Keep empty handed?

Zach had been—god, dragged away, without a care for his well being—and he’d rounded on Ecker with a snarl.

“What do you even want with him?”

“That’s my business, and if you want to keep your heads you’ll ask no more questions.”

“Tell me what can I do to persuade you? What will it cost? My life? You can take mine!”

“I want nothing you have to offer, and the look on your face is all the satisfaction I need. Now get out, before we throw you out… in pieces.”

Ecker’s threat had been real, he didn’t have to second guess that, so he took the chance to keep their heads. Their blades and guns and ammunition were dropped unceremoniously from the parapet above the gate after it slammed closed. Slammed and barred him from rescuing the one person he had sworn not to let down another time.

Turning his back on the Keep was the hardest thing he had ever done, it was surreal to place one foot in front of the other and walk away. And yet he was doing it. The sea was before him across the span of the small island, and his two most trusted crew were at his back.

So he walked, head swimming, just trying to keep them all alive. Treading the waters of his mind and trying to find some solution, a way out of this, even as it felt like drowning. His heart clenched as he cast one last look behind him at the Keep, half expecting to see a flash of dark hair at a window, a hand reaching for him. He wasn’t sure if it was better or worse that he didn’t. He didn’t know if he imagined the scream ringing in his ears or if it was real.

“Archer, we can’t.”

Jordan’s voice was easy to tune out. He needed space to think. It was harrowing to consider leaving like this but he had nothing to hold over Ecker. “Nothing you have to offer.”

So maybe there was something, if he could just find it.

“Didn’t you see him, what they’re doing to him?”

Archer shuddered, pausing briefly before he kept walking through the scrubland. He’d seen. Zach’s bruised body, chafed and scarred wrists, how thin he was. More than that it was his eyes that told more than Archer could bear. They were haunted, hurting, desperate and then filled with hope that was snatched away so cruelly, so instantly.

“What if he doesn’t survive much longer?”

“Jordan,” Sasha snapped.

Archer held his head higher, it wouldn’t do to have Ecker’s men see him breakdown at the threshold of their own defences. He had to be stronger, prove he was better, not show how rattled he was. And Ecker had to have a weakness, something they could exploit. He wasn’t a god or a lord, he wasn’t even a good sailor, he just had enough people around him to make sure he couldn’t fail. If he could just get him alone, five minutes alone and he could best the man. But like this…

“Are you listening to me?” Jordan grabbed his arm and swung him around.

“No I'm not fucking listening to your petty whining! I'm thinking about how the hell we're going to get him out of there!” Archer said it in one breath and wrenched his arm loose. He buckled on his sword belt and stared above Jordan’s head, unwilling to meet his eyes..

“We can't do it here, not in this fortress, not so outnumbered,” Sasha said quietly from his right.

“No, we can’t,” he agreed.

“What’s the plan, Captain?” she replied.

“I don’t know yet, I have to think…”

“Archer, we can’t leave him here,” Jordan said and Archer finally made himself look at Jordan’s face, saw the pain there, and let that pain sink into him too. He’d carry all of their hurt, shoulder every burden.

“And if we get ourselves killed today, trying the impossible, who will come for him then?” he asked quietly.

Jordan paused, licked his lips, and dragged his eyes back to the Keep with a barely perceivable nod. “I understand, but to see him like that…. There are hurts there that even I may not be able to heal.”

“I know. It pains me too. And we will not leave him to rot with them, we only have to be smart about it. We wait, and we make a plan, and then we bring him home.”

He didn’t wait for a reply but turned and walked on, to the small beach where their row boat had been dragged high upon the sand. With practiced ease he hauled it back out into the water and tried to not to feel like a failure. It was only halfway back to the ship, with the spray stinging his eyes, did he finally let a few stray tears fall--when he could pretend it was just the splash of the waves on his face. He’d have to be strong again once they reached the ship, when he had to be Captain again and not just a man.

He wouldn’t look back. This was not the end of it. He vowed it with one hand on the pommel of his sword and the other on his heart.

I will save you, I will come back for you, this I swear.

[Taglist, let me know if you want to be added or removed from either the AU or the regular list! @haro-whumps @whumpthisway @hurting-fictional-people @lonesome--hunter @crowned-avery @extrabitterbrain @firewheeesky @outofangband @0idril0]