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egelantier · 4 years ago

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Yuletide Recs

Having had two days of more or less nothing but reading fics, I come bearing recs!

First of all, my amazing gifts:

The Goblin Emperor

For Thy Principles

The nohecharei of Edrehasivar VII were unparalleled in their defense of his person, but there were limits to even their prowess. When Maia first developed the fever, Cala quickly determined that it was not the end result of a magically-based assassination attempt – and from there it had to be left to the court physicians.

Maia falls ill, and Csethiro protects him as best she can.

Beautifully gentle Maia sickfic, with Csethiro holding him together. For me all for meeee.

Benjamin January Mysteries

Dry as a Bone

“Oh. Well, I’ve been better, maestro, been a hell of a lot better to tell truth.” Shaw stared at him for a long moment, and he was stunned to see honest to God grief in his eyes. Even when Shaw had just lost his brother he had been so much more himself than this lost man currently standing before him. “Not that I mean to put anything extra on your shoulders, I’m sure you’ve got enough of your own shit going on at present moment, but it seems like I’ve just lost my job.”

Shaw loses his job, and finally confronts Ben about trust (and lack thereof) between them. It’s GREAT.

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards

A Distraction Worth Losing

They may never be together, but the gods would have to move heaven and earth to split Rune and Brand apart.

Brand, Rune and The Kiss incident. (Poor messed up babies, somebody save them.)

And fics of the collection:

17776, Astreiant, Raksura, Frederica, The Gentlemen, The Goblin Emperor, Hades, Innkeeper Chronicles, Jeeves, Kate Daniels, King Arthur the movie, My Next Life as a Villainess, Nirvana in Fire, No. 6, Psmith, The Secret Garden, The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty, Swordspoint, The Tarot Sequence, Teixcalaan Series, The Temple of the White Rat verse

17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future

so far, so fast

When Manny gets a craving for some fancy meal he had once, over ten thousand years ago, Nick decides he’s gonna fulfill that craving, no matter how hard it is. Because real romance is about making the impossible happen for his husband.

Goddamn transcendental.

Go Get It

Sometimes you start out just planning to get some groceries with your husband, and next thing you know, you’re committing to join the most hopeless team in college football.

Nick and Manny decide to play. It’s perfect.

Afterlife

A young man dies six months before the end of human death; his loss saves five lives, which end up much longer than anyone expects. (A series of worldbuilding vignettes about original characters in the 17776 setting.)

Made me cry, in a very cathartic way.

Astreiant Series - Melissa Scott & Lisa A. Barnett

April dressed in all his trim

A quiet evening in spring.

Sweet little slice-of-life with lovely sensory details.

Books of the Raksura

The Second Consort

“When Glow arrives, be friendly and welcoming,” Ember said. “Not scary.”

“Why does everyone think I’m going to scare him?”

Chime said, “They can see your face when you look at him.” He paused, glancing over at Moon. “That face, that’s the one.”

Ember sighed. “I remember being in his position. It’s pretty nerve-wracking coming to a new court and not knowing what’s going to happen to you there - whether they’re going to welcome you or shun you, whether you’ll make new friends, whether a queen is going to claim you…” He came and put a sympathetic hand on Moon’s shoulder. “Glow is probably worried about all of those things, and missing his home and clutchmates, and it’s our job to try and help him relax.” For a moment Moon thought he was just being soft-hearted, until Ember added, “He won’t open up and tell us what’s really going on unless he’s relaxed.”

Jade takes in a new consort, on Moon’s permission, and everybody is delightfully adult about it.

Frederica

Lady Alverstoke

Frederica commences her first Season as a married woman by planning a ball, promising most straitly that her husband will have nothing whatsoever to do …

Sweet and funny slice-of-life post-happy-ending for canon.

**The Gentlemen (2019) **

Even

The week after he intercepts Fletcher, that squirrelly little cunt, outside the London Miramax office, Raymond reluctantly ventures down to Brixton.

Under normal circumstances, Raymond tends to give this part of Brixton a wide berth, but he has unfinished business that needs attending to. Of course, that doesn’t mean he has to like being accosted by the overwhelming smell of greasy fish and chips when he pushes the car door open, doesn’t mean he has to be pleased about stepping into a piece of chewed-up gum the moment he sets a foot on the kerb.

But then, he can always take a shower after an errand in Brixton. The deep-seated discomfort of unfinished business doesn’t wash off that easily.

Raymond tries to pay Coach back for saving his life, and it doesn’t quite go as planned :D

The Goblin Emperor

The Archduke’s Discovery

Prince Nemolis goes on a journey, and learns a bit more than he wanted to know.

Really great point of canon divergence, and true and precise character voices.

Hades

all the spaces between us

For a place full of the dead, crammed with ghostly shades and nothing but the endless lull of eternity unchanging, gossip sure travelled fast in the Underworld.

Or, Zagreus mulls over his relationship with Thanatos while the rest of the Underworld get overly invested.

Slow, slow, slowest of burns.

Innkeeper Chronicles - Ilona Andrews

A Quick Trip

“It’ll be a quick trip,” Maud said, more to herself than to Arland. “No one will even notice we’re gone.”

Pirates are plaguing an ally, just outside of vampire space. Maud and Arland don some aesthetically beat-up armor and try to get more information from the pirates themselves. Of course, plans only last until you meet your enemy. Or your enemy’s giant alien attack boar.

Excellent canon voice, action/adventure sprinkled with badassery and hilarity.

Jeeves & Wooster

August Thirteenth

Discovering that this is not the first August thirteenth that he’s lived through, that certainly was a head scratcher. Luckily Bertie has the stalwart presence of his man’s man, Jeeves.

Very, very great and satisfying use of the time loop.

Kate Daniels - Ilona Andrews

lookin’ like a snack (cake)

It took Barabas a while to figure it out, because he wasn’t used to not being taken seriously.

Barabas considered several ways to phrase it, and finally settled upon, “Do you have a thing for twinks?” Christopher knocked his head back against the headrest: once, then again. “Is that a yes?”

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

When Goosefat Bill finds himself in a difficult situation, the last thing he wants is the King to show up and “help”, in his own unique and unexpected way.

Goosefat Bill does not need to be rescued by his King. But he might just enjoy it a little.

My Next Life as a Villainess (Anime)

All I Have To Bring Today

Catarina and Sophia had been discussing the latest in the Devilish Count series, and Sophia had mentioned how romantic the surprise picnic the count had planned for his lover was and how she wished for someone to surprise her like that.

“What about you, Catarina? Have you ever wished for someone to sweep you off your feet?” Sophia had asked.

Catarina makes a choice! As sweet and as hilarious as the canon.

Nirvana in Fire

Adverse Event

What a pitiful man must he have become, if the only thing he could provoke in bed was a monologue on his character flaws.

: or, the famous strategist mei changsu plays xanatos speed chess against truth serum: the fic.

Mei Changsu gets hit with an accidental truth serum; it doesn’t stop him from lying to himself, but it does buy Jingyan a clue.

Records of the Land of Xiang

There was something of Xiao Jingyan there, in the firmness of his jaw, the unforgiving slash of his brows, and most clearly in the eyes that neither saw nor conveyed deception. But Long Zhan was not Jingyan, could never be, no matter how much Changsu might wish otherwise, because Jingyan was dead.

In service to a very-much-alive Prince Qi, Jingyan dons a Jianghu-typical disguise and infiltrates the Jiangzuo Alliance to suss out this Mei Changsu fellow and see if he might be useful in helping them re-open the Chiyan conspiracy case. Basically, a slightly ridiculous premise where everyone is running around the Jianghu with masks, multiple identities, and secret agendas.

Fascinating and fun AU scenario that delves, among other things, into Mei Changsu the jianghu chef, not Sir Su the court schemer.

suffering as I suffer you

The first time Jingyan stays the night at Su Manor, he discovers an uncomfortable truth about Mei Changsu.

Excellent extrapolation of Mei Changsu’s illness into his nightly routine - with Jingyan watching…

Here, In Our Arms

With the world put to rights, however briefly, Xiao Jingyan and Mu Nihuang take the opportunity to make a fuss over their beloved Lin Shu, and will not take no for an answer.

Sweet moment of comfort.

Find the Coals Amid the Ashes

Despite Changsu’s assertions, Lin Chen is a well brought up person. He would never violate his host’s privacy during a social call. It would be inexcusable, for example, to break into a marquis’s private alchemy lab in the middle of said marquis’s birthday party, in order to search said alchemy lab for certain hard to find medicinal herbs, which one has reason to believe can be found therein. These would be the actions of a man without honour, of a man who has only desperation to his name.

Lin Chen crashes a party and makes a new friend.

The best team up ever :D

Dead Letters

Mei Changsu isn’t the only schemer in Da Liang.

Fei Liu fixes things, in the most Fei Liu way imaginable, and it’s great.

No. 6

All Good Things

In the midst of a crisis for No. 6, Nezumi returns to Shion’s side.

A reunion! And cuddling.

Psmith

The Psky Is The Limit

“As this ship’s Orator, my mission is still as it was in the beginning and shall ever be, world without end. It is to hail any message sent by comrades from outer space and pass it on to you verbatim. Well! The hour, I say, has come. The Word has come into being. Here comes Psmith, bearing news of great mirth: the intercom has spoken.”

(A Mike and Psmith Space AU)

Psmith in space! Hysterically funny Psmith in Pspace, at that.

Psmith Pops In

Psmith reached over and solicitously loosened Mike’s scarf, his fingers brushing the skin of Mike’s neck, and that young man, to his horror, felt heat creeping up from where gloved fingers brushed his bare skin. Really, this blushing nonsense was getting out of hand. Ever since Psmith had tried to take the blame in the case of the painted dog, Mike had developed an inexplicable habit of turning hot and cold around him, and these odd responses had become more and more frequent.

Very funny! And then very tragique! And then jussssst right.

The Secret Garden

The Space Garden

When Meri La Nix was sent from the Mars colony to live with her aunt at Missiles Wait Manor, nobody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. But some of them thought it.

Beautifully inventive space retelling - with gardens, still.

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty

The sky spinning above him

In which there’s a jewellery thief on the loose, Tang Fan plays dress up, gets a mild concussion and also a boyfriend.

Frothy, sweet, well-grounded and hot. Also hilarious (check the end note!)

truth in fiction

Three days after Wang Zhi leaves the capital, bits and pieces of his extensive library begin arriving at Sui Zhou’s house.

Sui Zhou is really committed to research and accuracy in Tang Fan’s porn. It’s delightful.

Time don’t fool me no more

“The electrician is a Tang dynasty spy,” he says, dumping some of his eggs in Tang Fan’s bowl.

Tang Fan nods, shovels more food in his mouth, and starts talking again.

Past or future, Tang Fan has Priorities. And Sui Zhou is weak.

Meeting at the End

Sui Zhou knew he never should have let Tang Fan go alone. He knew he should have gone with him.

Really, really great and desperate whump. Super satisfying.

clever boy

Tang Fan never spares a smile for any of the girls at Wang Zhi’s establishment, he’s noticed. That’s alright, though. It means Wang Zhi gets his attention for himself.

Wang Zhi falling, falling hard; it’s delightful.

a bold and brilliant sun

“You’re sure you didn’t do something to it? They don’t usually stall out,” Sui Zhou says. He looks away from Tang Fan, out the windshield at the endless rust-red of the planet.

Tang Fan pouts at this, and slumps down on the edge of the console, feet propped up at an absurd angle against the pilot’s seat. “You think I’d fake a mechanical issue just so that they’d send a sexy Fleet crewman out here to rescue me?” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he giggles. “Okay, I would do that, but I promise that this time the problem is real.”

Space AU! Most excellent space AU condensing all there is to love about the canon in one perfect package.

Blind Taste Test

Wang Zhi invites Tang Fan to evaluate Joyous Brothel’s chefs — but it’s Tang Fan and Sui Zhou who are really being tested.

Wang Zhi, ever helpful :)

Authorial Intent

Sui Zhou and Tang Fan end up in hot water yet again. Kinky sex ensues.

Hilarious, kinky, heartfelt, and in character.

Swordspoint Series - Ellen Kushner

Chrysopoeia

It struck Alec that this would have been much easier if their positions were reversed. Richard would have known what to do if he’d been dragged back here with a hole in his gut. He was quite simply not supposed to be the one on this end of the equation. In fact, it was possible he had done something very bad to deserve this.

Richard is wounded, and Alex is coping. Excellent h/c and excellent bloodplay and sharp, painful slice of Alex’ POV, excellently rendered.

At first — this was just like him — he thought he was hearing god. But it was only the man in the bed, whose face had turned toward him on the ragged pillow.

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards

Third’s a Charm

Addam asks a favor of Brand.

Addam asks Brand for help, which ends up being exactly what Brand and Rune need.

Pretty good

Five times Brand crawls into Rune’s bed and one time Rune crawls into Brand’s.

Brand and Rune, through the years.

Teixcalaan Series - Arkady Martine

Also in the Act of Reaching

When Three Seagrass arrived at Lsel Station, she was, officially at least, traveling as a private personage. She had missed Mahit and the possibilities they’d both chosen to turn away from. She also had– would always have– a gaping hole in her life where Petal had once stood.

It was simply that, left on her own, Three Seagrass wouldn’t have let either absence drag her to the ass-end of beyond.

Reunion, metaphors and realigment. Subtle and clever and just right.

The (concept of the) World Was Wide Enough

Yskandr Aghavn comes to the world like a drowning man comes to shore, but he is living on borrowed time. Teixcalaan has so many wonderful things to choke on.

Teixcalaan has had his heart for all of his life, has elevated him, corrupted him, and discarded him.

It is Lsel that he thinks of as he dies.

Temple of the White Rat Universe - T. Kingfisher

If Grace Is Too Much

Zale is given a case by Bishop Beartongue which turns out to be more complicated and personal than a holy advocate-priest would prefer.

Clever and sweet and carefully shocking, but in a very right way.

Outreach

“We don’t generally assess the… cursédness… of objects, trees or otherwise,” Beartongue said.

Utterly delightful.

#17776 #astreiant #books of the raksura #sleuth of the ming dynasty #nirvana in fire #white rat universe #telxcalaan series #the tarot sequence #swordspoint #the goblin emperor #psmith #the secret garden #benjamin january mysteries #yuletide recs

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limewrites-archive · 4 years ago

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Emptiness | Bruno Bucciarati X Leone Abbacchio (Bruabba)

Word Count: 2,285

Warnings: Major Death Spoilers for Part 5 Except one. Angst, pining. Alternate ending to part 5.

Also available on A03!

There was a vivid, horrific image in Bruno's mind ever since the day he laid eyes on Leone's corpse on the Beach in Sardinia. Working for the Mafia, corpses were always going to show up along the line. Hell, Bruno had killed people, he saw death up close and personal. That's how he met Giorno Giovanna in the first place anyways; to investigate Leaky Eye Luka's Death. Seeing a dead body was just a way of life, someone finally meeting their end and completing their life purpose. It was different though with Luka's Death and the others he's seen. Those were just mere people who he had no connection to besides being under the same boss. Bruno didn't have a connection besides common business-related ideals with those people. Bucciarati's team was a family that surely was a bit dysfunctional and built but it was a safe space for everyone. It gave them all a purpose, a roof over their heads, and a job.

With being a team leader, he knew more about each individual probably more than the rest knew about each other. They'd confide in him, look up to him, admire him and Bruno was just like a role model and savior to them all. He'd take the time to speak to each individual to understand and get to know their stories which made his team so special to him. They all may be young, but they'd be in a worse place if they weren't here under his wing. Abbacchio was the only one who was older than himself and could handle himself financially if he needed it but would have a hard time ever picking himself up by getting a real, normal job. Mentally, Leone would be a mess living by himself.

Bucciarati was unlucky enough to make it out alive through the whole battle against the boss. The brunette was a respectable capo, in charge of some smaller groups under him but the downfall was he was almost 2 times busier. Even though he felt as fine as before he met Giorno, he would be reminded of how close he was to death by the scar right under his ribcage. It was a small scar, Giorno had made it almost as if nothing had happened when healing him. He had felt the excruciating pain of what was a fist-shaped hole being punched through his torso afterward but had to push forward on getting rid of the boss. With Abbacchio and Narancia gone, there was an emptiness he felt. The team was never going to be the same again for everyone. Bruno lost the one his heart loved and a son, Fugo was gone, Mista lost a buddy and grumpy friend he could pick on. Giorno lost a new friend and rival. Trish was now orphaned but fully welcomed into Giorno's inner circle now he's boss.

The injuries were healed, no current enemies against Passione, and things were going back to as normal as possible. But there are still the wounds and scars mentally that Bruno dealt with. There's not a day that passes by where he isn't thinking about what could have gone better to ensure that Abbacchio and Narancia had been safe. Some nights he'd cry from all the times he could have told either one of them that he cared for them. When it comes to matters of Narancia, it hurt to see how distraught Mista and Trish were. With Leone's death, seeing his love lifelessly sit facing the sea with a bloodied abdomen- Bruno wanted to drop to his knees, sob till he couldn't anymore but instead he had to bite his lip and be strong for the others.

When Leone first laid eyes on Bruno, his world was dark and he was falling into a dark hole he dug himself. As he spent more time with Bruno, his world was brightened. He enjoyed serving Bruno and found himself always wanting to be around him. He was amazed at all the good Bruno would do for citizens, all the good that was in Bruno despite things he had to do as a part of his job for Passione. Leone would follow Bruno to the ends of the Earth which made him cling to life even in his death. Leone had the option of choosing to live in his Heaven or to stay on Earth through the limbo between the living and the dead. He could observe humans and go to heaven when he was ready. The only thing was that if he goes to his own Heaven, he can't go back to watching the living. "You can stay here for as long as you need, Leone. I know you have unfinished business." Abbacchio's police partner had been waiting for him. That was his own unfinished business, to make sure that Leone would be guilt-free about his death and to tell him he did an excellent job while he lived. With those words, he ascended into the afterlife and left Leone.

Abbacchio knew what he had to do then. He wanted to wait for Bruno, no matter how long and greet him in the afterlife. Leone wanted to make sure Bruno would continue and continue to spread the happiness he so easily made people feel. He didn't expect Bruno to be such a mess at night when he saw how normal he looked during the day. Watching over Bruno in the afterlife was something that gave him fulfillment but also great anger and sadness. Things wouldn't have changed if that damn Giorno Giovanna would never have shown up. Now that he had seen the outcome and Narancia had joined him in the afterlife to watch over the group, Leone was a bit pissed off that Giorno had become the boss for selfish gain. At least Giorno would be the last to join them in death, and hopefully, by then Leone hoped he would be in his own Heaven by then. He enjoyed spending his days in the afterlife fly by as he observed Bruno for the most part while other times he was wandering the streets of Naples. He would sit at the café with Narancia eating while they waited for the others. Surprisingly, food pops up whenever they want even though they don't ever get hungry. Narancia always has all the pizzas he ever wants as well as sodas. Leone only drinks wine by habit but enjoys a plate of food when the team eats. Eating with the team even though they can't see or hear him makes him feel alive again even if the conversation is dull.

The days that pass by what seemed like only a few hours, one blink and you miss something. Having nothing to do but watch the living, he saw how fast everything goes by and how fragile life is. He's seen the struggle and grief the people of Naples had gone through when he was a cop, witnessing theft and crime daily. Life is so vulnerable, so fast-paced and yet somehow people make it through and endure while trying to do everything they can to cling to every precious moment. Leone found it hard to cling on when he can't touch anything physically and can't speak to the one he has the most to say to. Ghost life was less interesting than you would think. Endless food, whenever you want to enjoy to just feel human again, was at the command of thought and you could wander anywhere your feet could take you. No money needed, no bills- but something feels like it's missing. Maybe it is the enjoyment of life, the things people had to save up to do, and then the excitement when they have the funds to do so. The thrill of playing the game of life. Leone couldn't grab things besides the ones only he could see and make appear like the food he and Narancia would enjoy from time to time. Across the other souls that would be in the lining between life and death, there was a rumor that eventually got to Narancia where if souls have enough strength, they can make things move in the living world. When Abbacchio heard of this for himself, he had to at least try to contact Bruno in some sort of way. Rumor or not, part of it had to be true and he wasn't going to go a day without trying. At first, Leone got nothing, trying to push away a pen Bruno had set down for a moment, attempting to push a chair but nothing worked. His own hand would go right through the object and he was starting to think it wasn't ever going to work. In life, Abbacchio wasn't superstitious and whenever a ghost was mentioned, he fought that there always had to be some rational explanation. Being what humans would call a ghost now made him want at least Bruno to consider that ghosts were real and with him instead of hearing Bruno pray for Narancia and himself to be in heaven. Leone often visited Bruno at night, just to see how peaceful he could be while sleeping and imagine he was sleeping well. Sometimes, Leone wished that there would have been more time for the two of them to figure each other out more. Abbacchio would hear Bruno's night cries that he should have said something in the plane just to let him know how much he loved him, how much it hurt to no longer have his friend in the world, and how sorry he was for not being a better team leader. Abbacchio would try to touch him to give him some sort of comfort but again he would just go right through Bruno. He'd been trying for days on end and finally got frustrated. Even though he couldn't do anything, he tried pushing stuff off of the desk, trying to kick the chair, and finally, he had pushed the lamp off of the nightstand. He did a double-take, realizing that he had done something. The lamp didn't break but it was on the floor still dimly lit. Bruno had turned around to see the light on the floor. He wasn't anywhere even close to the thing and there wasn't a pillow or something to push it off. To him, it had just fallen out of nowhere. Bruno got up from sitting on the foot of the bed and gently placed the lamp back on the stand. "Is..." He was reluctant to ask this question, doubting what first came to thought. He shook it off and asked anyways. "Is there a presence with me?" He waited, nothing else happened. Abbacchio was trying to push things again and again but nothing happened. Bruno's eyes were puffed, he felt exhausted and wanted this to be done with. "Please, show me a sign." In his own mind, he hoped it was his father or Abbacchio or Narancia if there was a thing as spirits. If not, he would feel stupid for calling out to nothing. Leone's frustration turned into a sadness that night. He had been so damn close to figuring it out and letting Bruno he wasn't alone. Tears were forming in his eyes but dripped down to nothing. There was no wetness down his cheek that came with the tears falling only his emotion and the feeling of tears forming. He tried to look around the room for anything that would let Bruno know it was him. There wasn't anything that he Bruno could have possibly kept from when they cleared out Leone's apartment. Abbacchio remembered that they had spent a day giving away his and Narancia's clothes to people that were less fortunate. There must have had been something if Bruno was crying this much for Abbacchio specifically. He remembered one thing that Bruno had framed. It was a photo of both of them that Mista had taken. Abbacchio's hair was growing out then and was still pretty short. Bruno was the same as ever with his black dotted, white suit. He had rushed to the side of the bed seeing the framed photos on the other nightstand. It hurt him to do it, but Leone punched the frame with all his force and energy. It cracked. It was a very noticeable crack and Bruno heard the crack behind him. He looked at the various photos that he had of the group on Christmas and Halloween and then to the only one where it's just him and Abbacchio. It was cracked and even a small piece of glass had fallen onto the wooden surface. Bruno laughed, his tears falling and he could barely see from how blurry the tears made him. "Ah Leone... It's you."

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writingcuredmyfrown · 5 years ago

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The Benevolent Gods

It was the day of the executions. Three men, convicted of theft from the royal palace were about to be publically beheaded. The man who was about to carry out the task was General Seledin, chief of the royal guard. The town square was slowly filling up with people. Public executions were a treasure among the citizens of the kingdom. There was an ancient custom, according to which every prisoner must tell the executioner what he wishes for. Of course, most people, in the last minutes before their death, wished for an afterlife. Sometimes, however, someone would ask for something silly, ordinary or impossible. Those were the moments the crowd cherished, they loved a good laugh.

The three men were in a line. Their blistered skin visible through the torn clothes. They were walking slowly, the soldiers escorting them didn’t want to hurt them. Nothing can go wrong, the performance must satisfy the audience. Here they come, closer and closer to the chopping block. Somewhere in the distance a flock of ravens could be heard.

General Seledin called the first man in line. After giving the crown an account of what the man had done, along with his name and family, he asked him for his wish.

“I hope that when I die I become God myself, so I can send fire from the sky and make you pay for everything.”, he said with all his strength. He was weak, exhausted to a point where his speech sounded unbelievable. Perhaps it was a heat stroke, perhaps he was just insane. Everyone burst into laughter, they didn’t care what it was. He was absurd.

After his head rolled off several meters, the General called for the second prisoner. A bulky, strong man. He was the one who was weeping all throughout the walk. He begged for help. He didn’t want to die, he had a family. But so did everyone else. Panic had taken a hold of him. He was shivering when Seledin asked him about his wish.

“Please, let me go! You have to understand, I’m innocent! I’ve done nothing. This isn’t right! I am not a - ...”, the mass of people had started shouting violently. They didn’t want sobbing, he violated the customs of the land. That was enough to cause an outrage. As soon as he realized how trapped he is, all alone in a sea of sharks, he simply closed his eyes and laid his head on the block.

The third man was named Arion. He was handsome and young, and he’d married a farmer several months ago. Out of the three men, he was the only one who looked up during the walk to the executioner. He seemed happy, or at least content. He smiled at the onlookers as if he’d done nothing. But it was true, he had done nothing. It was all a big mistake. All of them were innocent. It’s just that the royal guard didn’t pay much attention to those things. They wanted a public spectacle, and they were going to have it one way or another.

He looked at the General and calmly said:

“I wish you a long life, my lord. May life smile upon you and preserve you.” The laughter was even greater. Pathetic wishes like these were a favorite. Everyone felt superior, everyone felt like justice was being served - the pathetic ones are being beheaded, and they - the lawful ones, are being spared. With a clean sweep, his head joined the other two.

...

Many years later, the General had lost his wife, his children, his friends and fellow soldiers. He was frail, incapacitated and weak. Arion’s wish had come true. He had also realized that on that day, he had killed three innocent people, and ruined God knows how many more’s lives. The mighty, righteous General had fallen. He had lost everything and everyone. He lived a long and miserable life. He kept thinking of Arion. The Gods had listened to him, they had fulfilled his wish. But those same Gods were, very soon, going to take the General in their abode. He was afraid. He had never believed they even existed. He was not ready.

Hello, hello. Flash Fiction Friday! Awesome, awesome topic. It was challenging for me to come up with a story, but it was fun. I might have used the good old mythological trinity of X, but I think it worked. Let me know what you think!

As always, thanks to @flashfictionfridayofficial - #FFF43 - Gift of the Gods.

#my writing #creative writing #daily writing challenge #daily writing #flash fic friday #flash fiction friday #flash fiction #words #spilled words #spilled ink #literature #i write #gift of the gods #writeblr #writers of tumblr #short stories #original story #flash fic #writers

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dahniwitchoflight · 5 years ago

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Candy 18-21

oh, oh no

I’ve heard things about Jane x Gamzee

now I get to experience them, oh boy...

Gamzee gets, strangely serious about stuff for once, huh, who would have thunk it

yeah, It’s clear Jane’s political stuff seem to stem from some kind of fear that one day humanity won’t exist on Earth C for whatever reason

that over time, the population of trolls versus humans will eventually skew so much that there won’t be any adam and eve left to match up with each other

in her mind she really doesn’t hate trolls, cuz its not really about the trolls, not at all, but obviously her actions are equivalent to someone who does hate them and she just doesn’t get that

and like, yeah if you just left them to their own devices, maybe that would happen, but then (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) Gamzee has an extremely good point that they already did that when they plopped all the ectokids down and called it a day for a 1000 years, like, they managed to figure it out on their own just fine

and also

ectobiology will literally never stop being a thing so like, as long as some of the god kids stick around, eventually you can just make more humans it’s no big deal to restart the human gene pool since it will be identical to the first time they started it

there’s no reason to make sure this system runs smoothly the “natural way” it won’t, this situation is unnatural for both species

Jane’s just gotta realize that if she wants humans to keep sticking around, she just has to keep supporting the human population, that’s it, whatever trolls do or don’t do doesn’t matter for that goal

course it doesn’t help to compare trolls to animals when talking about their breeding rate and how it naturally evolved over time unlike the apparently non animal humans Janey

Also Alternian society is def not how troll society naturally is but like how could she know that? And how could any troll near her really explain that?

aaaand I got so up in taking this seriously I forget who was talking

Jane’s into troll blackrom though that’s interesting and unexpected

oh wow, Jake was there the whole time

Did they really name Jake and Jane’s baby Tavros??? oh jeesus

Yeah Kinda figured the Jane x Jake thing wasn’t gonna actually be happy

I’m really surprised Jane’s version of happiness apparently involves boinking a weird funny man I mean, she canonically likes clowns and jokes, so at the same time I’m not surprised, I mean, she WAS raised by the condesce, it’s just weird how that influence comes out in her sometimes versus how it doesn’t come out in her

literal Jake nightmare scenario though I think lol

really hammering home how the passions of youth don’t really translate well to happy adult relationships

Oh, so there’s the part where Jade reveals she has Bec biology, considering the fandom reaction you’d think we were gonna get some kind of gross M rated sex scene where she pegs Karkat or something

but all she does is talk about how she’d love a normal family and home life and lament that her circumstances ended up not really allowing that and giving enough hints that we can figure out why that would be

it’s not handled grossly at all, even if the subject matter is odd and it doesn’t come off as some sort of character sabotage

this whole time what we’ve known all Jade was that she was lonely and just wanted a family, not that hard to figure out why, girl’s got the same complex as Joey Claire about her family situation, but she’s more reserved about her feelings since she didn’t get to have a comparison of role models like Joey did with her babysitter and also Jade’s food and shelter needs were somewhat taken care by a planet guardian so the affect was somewhat lessened on the outside, she just didnt get the same chances as Joey to be able to articulate her emotional turmoil about it

aww Jade’s not happy either, well, that’s how it goes when you make relationship decisions based on flimsy passions that are more about fulfilling the needs of the self than about actually wanting good things for a partner

More like Jade’s sort of realized that Karkat and Dave don’t have a genuine romantic interest in her and she’s the only one keeping this ship afloat

oh shit, a dead younger jade, oh damn wait she’s the one from Meat that was trapped in the house juju and then immediately died from space razors

Yeah’s she’s a bloody symbol of meat that’s for sure, theyre making that pretty clear

“Her eyes go wide and she feels the breath go out of her for a moment. She looks directly upward. Where did this body come from?”

Again, if we take that symbolism circle of Breath = Sugar = Drugged up High = Breath

This little dash of meat falling into wonderland would break the breathy haze for a bit wouldn’t it?

So if this kind of thing can happen to others besides John, there’s hope yet for something of value to come from Candy

“ There’s a peaked skylight at the top of the foyer that splits the morning sun like a prism, spilling multicolored dots across every surface below. Amongst those dots are drips of teen-Jade’s blood. It’s so dark on the spotless tile that it looks nearly black. “

I wish I could draw things, I’d love to draw this exact scene here, it’s pretty and morbid

Yeah, the relationship theme of Candy seems to be that everyone’s jumping into Kismesis plus Matesprite threesomes, that seem to be neither of what anyone actually wants in totality

There’s some realization that their Candy filled atmosphere is actually more a drug or a poison, teen jade can’t be revived, and it’s not because of what happened to her, but more because of the environment she is in now

Ah Roxy, ever the social chameleon people pleaser, not working this time though

Jade’s is easily explained already as she has the social graces of an elephant

It is kinda sad tho to see most of the human characters actually aren’t that good at being cool about troll stuff

“CALLIOPE: pUrple roses traditionally represent love at first sight, however these roses are actUally red roses that we prepared Using a blUe dye.CALLIOPE: the blUe rose is the most elUsive and mysterioUs of all flowers.CALLIOPE: the combination of red and blUe in this context is meant to evoke the dUal natUre of death, in that there is nothing more mysterioUs and impossible to comprehend than the vast void of the afterlife, bUt also there is nothing that makes Us appreciate the life and and love that we already have than the mystery of death.CALLIOPE: while death is terrifying, there is always joy to be foUnd among the sorrow. each time we witness death, we fall in love with the important people in oUr lives all over again.“

Why do I get the feeling Calliope is talking about actual rose here somehow?

Is it because she started off with “here’s the symbolism of Purple Roses”?

a Red Rose dyed Blue

Now if Cascade taught us anything Blue and Red certainly represent a mutual destruction of opposites coming together to create a third new thing in the blaze of the aftermath, but that thing was a Green Sun, not something purple, so why bring Rose into mind for all of this?

We have been seeing the effects of what happens when people in candyland awaken from their drug haze with a smattering of blood, but in that case why not make the symbolism more clear by saying a Blue Candied Rose dyed Red as if with Bloodied Meat?

is it more to mean that the correct path lies NOT in Candy being dyed Red, but in Meat being dyed Raspberry Blue?

I Mean, Candy!Rose certainly seems shaken here, having gotten jolted out of her drugged haze at some point, but unable to See, and she’s actually starting to be concerned about that and Meat!Rose is kind of out of commission at this point, So I guess to get things back on track, Candy!Rose would have to go back to the Meat somehow, or might be the influence needed to snap Meat Rose out of her daze

Though I don’t like how this is taking place in the context of a funeral, specifically bringing to mind how Dirk did the same thing using the vessel of Death, I hope Candy Rose doesn’t try to just, off herself

with Dirk taking control of Rose’s ultimate self in Meat, Candy!Rose might be the only true Rose left to take heroic action

Aww, Callie is still head over heels for Roxy, I’m really surprised with this theme of threesomes that nothing ever came of a John x Roxy x Callie, but then again all the threesomes so far have been painted Black and Red, and unless John or Roxy was to form a Kismesis with Callie, I don’t see it happening at all

OH SHIT SPEAKING OF RED AND BLUE

Damn, Sollux and Aradia are here

“KARKAT: MAYBE FUCKING NEPETA IS ABOUT TO POUNCE FROM BEHIND THAT GROTESQUE STATUE OF THE HUMAN SUFFERER T-POSING OVER THERE.”

Karkat don’t tease me about Nepeta but also again WHY is actual Jesus here.

Is Roxy a christian in this timeline? Was she legit just praying to actual Human Jesus? That’s so, weird, especially for Roxy to do, what the fuck in Roxy’s upbringing on an apocalypse earth would make her want to worship Jesus?

Oh wait, that’s obviously what she thinks that every other human sincerely does, since she only had human media to go off of, and like, technically no human has ever said they DONT worship christian gods to her.

“GAMZEE: wHeN tHe DoOr Of ThAt FrIdGe pOpPeD oPeN iT wAs LikE i Be AlL sEeIn ThE lIgHt AnD sHiT.

SOLLUX: well yeah

SOLLUX: that’s what happens when s0me0ne 0pens a d00r t0 a t0tally dark encl0sure.“

Gamzee has had a weirdly meta understanding of what’s going on so far, for some reason, I can’t fathom what could be the Lighty influence that he’s gotten

unless...

Dirk really IS starting to subsume Ultimate Rose, and that’s bleeding over to every Ultimate self connected to Dirk

the more Gamzee knows meta shit and says oddly correct things, the more we know Dirk is “winning” over Rose

Oh, that’s why Gamzee is really here isn’t he? I mean, storywise? He’s a Dirk thermometer/gauge/thing, he’s our way of measuring how far Dirk’s influences are going in Meat

“ARADIA: its so nice that you believe all that gamzee

ARADIA: i think i can honestly say

ARADIA: im reasonably happy for you?“

lol

“blue smoke”

You don’t really tend to describe Smoke as being Blue right? At least, I don’t think that’s usual

But if we’re straight up associating Candy with Blue to complement Meat with Red now, it’s just making the whole Sugar = Breath thing that much stronger

*EDIT* DUH OF COURSE OF CANDY’S COLOR IS BLUE

BLUE GUSHERS. OBVIOUSLY. *end edit*

and I mean, what is Breath but a weird bluey smoke?

Roxy just wants to be happy with all her friends, that’s all

It is a good shake at trying to explain the nature of infinite possibility, that in reality, there isn’t really more weight put into one possibility over others, that’s how it works in real life anyway

unfortunately a storyline of canon is going to favor some version of events over others, and people make choices because they have preferences for that choice over other choices, something that seems kind of lost on Candy!Roxy who seems to just be okay with going along with anything because everything has an equal chance for having happytimes in this place

Roxy may be starting to lose her sense of self as well, and with her knowledge on things and how’s she’s been described as immutable so far, I wouldn’t be surprised at her having easily and subtly slipped into Ultimate Self hood herself and just being really okay with the idea that there is no one true Roxy, that she is just one piece of many, and not like, needing to delve into that further, not needing to connect with all her alternate selves, happy just being singular but at the same time completely malleable

Oh! Baby time.

Oh fuck, Al!Calliope in Jade time.

Why is Callie so afraid of Alt!Callie? That didn’t come across in their meetings in Homestuck as much, so why is that different here?

Is it because of Jade’s earlier comment of “there can only be one instance of a person here” and Callie doesn’t think she can win against Alltie?

Also, all these instances of Alltie appearing in Jade’s body is making me worried Alltie is doing something to both of their Ultimate Selves, like she’s subsuming Jade somehow like Dirk is subsuming Rose

I mean, they are fighting one another, so if Dirk’s doing something she has to keep pace right? In her mind, it’s probably totally justified

this is getting long enough for this post though, off we go again but I’m still reading

#Homestuck #Meat or Candy

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lovelylapins · 6 years ago

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au august day 14

day 14: reincarnation for @auyeahaugust

woooo finally i can write in peace after a week of juggling homework and test prep and fics

Marinette hadn’t wished for much as she reached her end. A simple bouquet of flowers, her favorite melody played once more for her ears to hear, the presence of her family with her as she lay on her bed weary and weak. Everything she needed to soothe her soul, make certain she would rest with ease in her afterlife with no regrets.

And yet, even as she lay ready and in wait for her time to come, there was something else. Another wish deep within the sickly young woman, a craving she hadn’t yet satisfied. Marinette knew something in her wanted to come out, to reveal itself to everyone around her, and yet, she did nothing to achieve it. Marinette felt the passion underneath her body stir, a feeling that made her feel more alive than she had felt in the past weeks.

Suddenly, she had felt something happen. A sense of happiness, warmth that ran through her body and made Marinette feel almost as if she was floating, rising slowly up the room. She smiled softly, eyes closing.

Yet, although she knew her time had come, there was still something keeping a part of her grounded, her mind and soul elsewhere but something here. Her unfulfilled wish, Marinette supposed, her last thoughts of his smiling face and soft eyes.

Oh, how I wish to have seen you again.

He jumped off of his horse and did not hesitate before running up the walkway to her house, worry coursing through him. Adrien knew she had been sick, as she hadn’t appeared in the market selling bread as usual but hadn’t been told it was so serious until now. There was an antidote to her sickness in his hands, a bottle he stole from his father’s medicine cabinet. As he knocked on the door and rocked back and forth on his feet, he hoped there was still a chance even a small drink from the bottle could cure her.

When the door swung open, Adrien knew just by the look of her father’s face that she was gone. The sweet-hearted village girl he had met, who smelled of pastries and collected the flowers that grew near the river, and who helped Adrien hide from his father every time he ran away from the manor. The girl, who he hadn’t even gotten the chance to learn her name, yet had walked to her house dozens of times, had snuck out to the berry bushes in the forest and ate together until their lips were stained and stomachs were full. The girl who had been everything his father hadn’t wanted in a wife for Adrien, yet more than enough for the young man.

The girl he just knew he was meant for, a woman he knew could never be replicated.

Marinette’s been having dreams, and a lot of them.

“I’m telling you,” she starts as Alya and her walk into the coffee shop, “I swear they’re like no other dream I’ve had. They all feel so… so real!”

“Lucid dreaming does that, you know,” Alya remarks. They stand in line, inching close and closer to the cashier.

“It’s different than that. It was like I was actually living this life or something, and like, I had a purpose.”

“Are you going to share what these dreams are like?”

“I remember bits and pieces. Like, these beautiful flowers near a river. And, sometimes I’m in the forest, just walking around. Or, like last night, I was in a marketplace.”

“Doesn’t sound that interesting to me,” Alya says. She gives Marinette’s and hers usual, then hands over some euros and makes her way to where their drinks get picked up. “If anything, I’d just say you were watching too many time period dramas.”

Marinette frowns. “No, it’s not like that,” she protests, leaning on the counter. “There’s something in each of these dreams that’s all the same!”

“And that is?”

“Well, there’s this guy...” Marinette can call his face to memory just at the mere mention. Blond hair, green eyes, and a kindness around him that made her wake up warm and fuzzy.

Alya groans as she looks at the all too familiar gaze cross over Marinette’s face, bringing a hand to her own.

“Do not tell me you have a crush on someone in your dreams. Please, do not,” she says, almost begging to not hear the answer she’ll get.

Marinette doesn’t answer, although her expression on her face does.

“Mari, how is it that whenever I try to get you with someone real, you turn a blind eye, but when it’s an imaginary guy in your dreams, you suddenly fall head over heels?”

“Come on, you know it’s not like that,” Marinette says (it is). Sure, she felt happy and excited whenever she dreamt of him, and sure, he was someone who Marinette just felt like she knew, but clearly she knew it could never happen. It was just a figment of her imagination, a random stranger she probably saw once on the street and her brain decided was just the person to star in her dreams.

“Two coffees for Alya?” a voice calls out, and the two turn, finding the drinks held out for them.

“Thank you,” Marinette says as she grabs her drink. She smiles, looking up at the barista. “Hope you have a nice- “

Her words catch in her throat, the drink almost spilling over as she tightens her grip.

It’s him.

Adrien, the nametag reads. She looks at his face closer, trying to make sure her eyes aren’t playing tricks on her.

“Have… Have we met before?” he asks, staring at her as well.

“I-I think so,” she says, eyes squinted. There’s no doubt in her; he has to be that guy she’s seen so many times before. “I’m… I’m Marinette.”

Marinette, Adrien thinks. He’s felt like he’s seen her before and feels a sense of longing run through him when she tells him her name.

“Ah, I’m Adrien,” he tells.

“I know.” She gestures to his name tag, smiling at him. He reddens a bit, rubbing the back of his neck.

Alya coughs loudly, smirking at Marinette.

“I’ll be over at the table. Join me if you remember to, Mari,” Alya says. She throws a wink and walks off, leaving Marinette and Adrien alone.

She looks up at him again, a warmth she’s only felt in her dreams come over her again. It’s with a whisper of a wish running through her, something that hits her hard. It feels like something’s been fulfilled, her heart swelling the more she gazes at him.

Finally, I got to see him again.

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ihadafeeling · 6 years ago

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a stupid mistake?

Shancai: What is the principle of the Schumpeter theory of creative destruction?

Si: In an entrepreneurial life cycle, one doesn't always remain an entrepreneur. Unless he continues to evolve and create new formations, which means to destroy the old, creating the new. [sic] Because with every depression, there is a possibility to gain new skills. It becomes a new skill, product, or business model, to bring the most benefit.

At the close of Meteor Garden (2018), Si credits a revolutionary business plan for his family's once powerful conglomerate, the Daoming Group, to his above conversation with Shancai. As they are studying and he answers her question by rote, she tells him that she admires him -- and Si realizes that memorizing this theory, and understanding it, are different. In creating this plan, a plan that he believes to exemplify this principle, he hopes to always be the person that Shancai admires.

That tension -- between embracing transformation and maintaining a particular feeling -- is at the heart of the show. You could argue it's at the center of all romance, really; love stories are often stories of how a feeling relates to change, be it a story of choosing your beloved, come-what-may, or a story of how affection deepens as you and the object of your affection grow.

And, in a different, meta-way, I think romance is often turned to as a comfort-food kind of entertainment in times of transformation, of uncertainty, because you can be certain that you know how it ends, in two senses. First: somebody's gonna love somebody. Romance is often a story about a person valuing their love for someone else, and in telling that story, it advocates for the audience to hold love as valuable, too. That's the second sense of certainty: romance is going to advocate for the power of love, somehow.

I want to talk about audience expectations and how Meteor Garden ends.

The final three episodes conclude with the protagonists choosing to make a hunger and water strike together, protesting Si's mother's insistence that he marry Xiaozi as part of a larger business deal to save the Daoming Group. Initially, Shancai attempts to convince Si that she does not care for him, so that he will eat; he sees through this, and reminds her that his love has never wavered, convincing Shancai that they must be together.

His mother relents only after their friends raid his computer and uncover his revolutionary business plans, able to save the conglomerate without a wedding. When the lovers are reunited, a weak Shancai crumples to the floor, her head lolling on to Si's bandaged palm.

I could bore you with a description of each of the scenes to follow, but it is essentially this: Shancai faints when Ximen tells her that Si has gone to London to marry Xiaozi, that they really broke up; she wakes up in a wedding dress in a strange place; as Shancai tries to find Si in this unfamiliar location, a black room with just a stage, she is confronted first by his sister Zhuang, who dances sexily to Si's fight song with two backup dancers; who then tells her she will magically summon Si; who then tells her she cannot because Shancai isn't devoted enough; the members of F4 come out and each propose and are rejected in turn; cue Si's entrance, flanked by Shancai's would-be love interests, each of whom gives his blessing to her union with Si; several side characters, many not particularly close to the bride and groom, compliment Shancai's appearance and offer free babysitting; Si is then kicked to the floor impatiently by his sister; Shancai asks if this is real, and is laughed at for being stupid; Zhuang, in the same thigh-high boots from her choreographed dance scene, performs the marriage vows; husband and wife dance to Gareth Gate's 'Any One of Us (Stupid Mistake)':

It can happen to anyone of us Anyone you think of Anyone can fall Anyone can hurt someone they love Hearts will break 'cause I made a stupid mistake

Cut to a series of endearing scenes, showing how various side character's lived are unfolding. There is gratuitous product placement shown as part of Si and Shancai's new married life, and Si's mother says that she wants to discover herself as a person independent from the business, and learn how to cook and take selfies. (Yes, really.) The penultimate scene is of Si with his arms wrapped around Shancai, watching a meteor shower together with Lei... and the very last features Shancai, Si, and the remainder of F4 singing with the musician Harlem Yu, performing the very song that appears so frequently on the sound track, waving at the camera as the screen darkens.

If you take anything away from the above summary, take this: the ending of the show was quite aware of its audience.

I think it was that same awareness that made the ending so unsatisfying to me. As I hope my description above conveyed, the entire wedding was fucking surreal. Meteor Garden, like several of the asian dramas I have seen, was quite clear on its conclusion from the credits of the first episode, being a gratuitous spatter of interactions between Shancai and Si, followed by a notably shorter mixture of interactions with Lei. Though Lei was going to appear to be a viable option, he would never be endgame, the credits told me. That was probably why it appealed to me so much, as a person currently thick in transitions and changes; it was so nice to be sure of something. The narrative took something I was sure about, the wedding between the central couple, and showed it to me in the least certain terms as a last possible twist. Followed by naked product placements. Followed by the cast singing from the sound track and waving at the camera.

I had followed this show for forty prior episodes, confident that it would show me that love is something worth fighting for. I wanted to hear that message. I wanted the happily-ever-after. And what I got was a series of scenes so unlikely, so transparently wish-fulfillment where everyone ended up happy, so focused on the viewer who wants a certain thing from this show and who can buy things, that I cannot take it seriously as part of the story, really, because none of those scenes felt like something that a person would do. There is a part of me that wonders if the wedding and following scenes are anything but afterlife dreams, Shancai and Si having each died from their hunger strike shortly after being reunited. That would be cruel, but better writing.

Similarly, I found myself hoping that Daoming Si would turn his back on his incredible wealth and privilege. As it stands, though he undergoes emotional growth (the most of any character in the show), he never ... seems to face real risk, where he might change in some way previously fundamental to his identity. He never stops being the chosen son of Daoming Group. Even when he shouted out his intention to never give Shancai up to waves, it was never a vow to choose her over wealth; it was to choose both. Both is good.

I've decided that, no matter what happens, I have to be with Dong Shancai! I won't give up on Shancai or Daoming Group! I'm going back to London, I'll take care of everything, because I'm Daoming Si! Because I'm Daoming Si, I'll never give up on Shancai!

Even if Si never went through the material transformation I wanted, I strongly suspect that the choice of wedding first-dance song, the one meant to be symbolic of a love story between the bride and groom, was intended to reference the many mistakes that they had learned from and so become changed people, leading them to choose one another; it was not supposed to be directed towards the audience, for foolishly believing that this surreal scene was actually happening. But as an English viewer, it was quite a suckerpunch to have that song, of all songs from the limited soundtrack, play at the critical moment.

Was it a stupid mistake to watch this show?

Dong Shancai. I like you. I don't know why. Even I'm surprised by how much I like you. ... I know I'm annoying. If you want to run away I'll chase after you. If you go to Mars, I'll go there too.

Sometimes Meteor Garden seemed like nothing but an elaborate game of tag, where each lover would take turns pursuing and resisting one another. I think that is because the satisfying part of a love story is to see feeling calibrated by action and risk. They always end, and the point where they end is supposed to be the point when you believe that these people have settled the question of the value of their love. But that's the funny thing about intrinsic values, things like righteousness or love or protecting others -- you never stop coming to that crossroad. When I think about what I wanted from this episode, a realistic depiction of the question of their love being settled, it's true I didn't get it, but what I want from this story, an assurance that certain things are worth fighting for, I was never going to get. Not for long.

In that way, I've found deciding the value of this show to replicate the pitfalls of deciding to hold values generally, even love. Yes, I think it was worth watching a series of distilled yearning that never paid off, if only because it made me think so much about why I was unhappy with what I got. Occasionally I wonder if the final arc was a brilliant, intentional choice, referencing the artificialness of endings by being so exaggeratedly unreal.

And along the way, I got to observe Dylan Wang's excellent eyebrows make an entire character.

#meteor garden 2018

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p-artsypants · 7 years ago

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Aftermath

FF.Net | AO3

My New Years Resolution is to reach 1,000,000 words archived on FF.net. Only 250,000 left to go!

It was the will of the Astrals that the line of Lucis continue. So Noctis wakes up with a sword in his chest. That's just the first in a series of roadblocks keeping him from his happy ending. One-shot

—

When Noctis awoke, he wasn’t quite sure what he had expected. Probably some sort of void, or an ideal world. Certainly not the throne room, still on the throne, still impaled.

His body was weak and his vision was blurry, but no doubt about it, the Sword of the Father was still resting in his sternum. A numbing feeling held him delicately, though, and no pain had yet reached him.

Then, the door to the room opened and he heard Gladio. “Oh Christ…”

Ignis followed. “Bad, hmm? It is no wonder Prompto didn’t want to come in. Must be gruesome.” He sighed. “I suppose we should get to work removing him. We’ll have to find a place in the royal tombs. Perhaps by his father.”

Then, his two friends were close to him, and Noctis could faintly make out their forms.

With all the strength in his body, he raised his hand. “Ignis…Gladio…” He whispered.

“HE’S STILL ALIVE!” Gladio’s voice rocked the room.

“Prompto! He’s alive!” Ignis called back to the atrium.

As the third companion ran into the room, crying out for the King, Noctis rested his outstretched hand on his father’s sword and absorbed it into his chest in a wisp of blue. With nothing to hold him in place, he began to slump forward before Gladio caught him.

“Iggy, what are we going to do? Lestallum is several days away.”

Prompto was at his side, an Elixir in hand. “Here buddy, drink this.”

But before the curative could get anywhere near him, a man’s voice spoke. “He will live.”

The group looked to the hole that was blasted in the wall of the Throne room. There, in gold and black armor stood an abnormally large man. Swords stood against his back, and dual capes blew in the breeze, resembling wings. He watched them omniscient eyes.

Ignis finally spoke the question that everyone was wondering. “Who are you?”

All waited for him to speak, but he merely raised a hand.

Noctis raised into the air, slightly floating above Gladio’s arms. A ring of light formed around his frail body, and the gaping wound in his chest burned with a blue flame. Then, as soon as it began, it was over, and Gladio caught him once again. His eyes closed and he fell back into slumber. Only scarred tissued remained of his fatal blow.

Ignis was first to address the man, “I was under the impression that Noctis…was going to have to perish to heal the Scourge. And with that wound…”

“He was.” The man answered, finally stepping closer. “He knew this when he fell asleep in the crystal. But, it is the will of the Astrals, my will, that he should live. And the line of Lucis continue.”

“Your will?” Gladio asked.

“You asked me who I was, Advisor. I am known by many names, the Draconian, the Bladekeeper, the God of War…”

“Bahamut!” Prompto nearly shouted.

The astral smiled. “That is correct, Gunner.”

The group looked at each other, not knowing how to react to such news.

“In gratitude for stopping Ifrit, and bringing the dawn, we have allowed him to return to his throne. Eos is unstable, as all kingdoms have fallen. The people need a king.”

Ignis nodded heavily, agreeing with the god.

“His life is all we have restored to him. His power, the arms, his strength, those he has lost in sacrifice.”

Gladio was the one who spoke. “He doesn’t need to fight anymore. We’ll protect him.”

Bahamut smiled. “I’m glad you see things my way.” He turned to leave. “One more thing.” He glanced at the crystal shining brightly above the throne. “There is but another gift for the king, which will come in time.”

The group looked at said crystal, and then looked back to Bahamut, only to find him gone.

“That was cool!” Said Prompto. “Had I been thinking, I would have taken his picture.”

“Enough chit chat, let’s get his Royal Pain in the Ass to Lestallum.”

—

When Noctis awoke a second time, he was in a small room covered with peeling, dingy wallpaper. An IV was hooked up to his arm and bandages wrapped around his limbs. He glanced around the room, still too weak to move his head. Next to him was an empty chair. Near the foot of the bed, Gladio held a book, and looked like he was engrossed, while Prompto was asleep on his shoulder.

It didn’t take long for Gladio to notice the King staring at him.

“About time, Sleeping Beauty.”

“Water…” Noctis asked, in a gravelly voice.

As Gladio stood, Prompto rolled off his shoulder and woke suddenly. “Hey, what’s the big—oh Noct!”

The weak King barely had time to brace himself before Prompto was on top of him, bawling his eyes out. “I can’t believe it! You’re alive! You’re really here! I thought—oh sorry!” He hopped off of him, resting a warm hand on his shoulder. “I got a little carried away.”

Noctis raised a hand to his in reassurance, to show it was okay.

Gladio returned with a styrofoam cup and a bendy straw. “Let me sit you up.” He flipped a switch on the bed, before the back raised.

He took the cup gratefully and drank. When he spoke again, his voice wasn’t nearly as gravelly. “Where are we?”

“At a hospital in Lestallum.” Stated Gladio.

Prompto continued. “After we found you alive in the Citadel, Bahamut healed your wound where you were impaled, and we brought you here. You’ve been unconscious for about four days.”

“Thank you.” Noctis closed his eyes again, for a moment. “Bahamut healed me?”

“He said something about Eos needing a King.”

Noctis allowed himself to sneer. “Of course.”

“But for the time being,” Ignis spoke from the door, entering, “Eos needs it’s king to rest. The King’s friends can take care of the world for a few weeks.”

Noctis took another sip. “A few weeks, huh?”

“You lost a lot of blood. Not to mention all the damage you took from Ardyn. And…you will probably never get your strength back all the way. We have found that the royal arms we collected have returned to their tombs. Not including your father’s.”

Noctis held his hand out, allowing the weapon to come to his hand. Though, he was not prepared for the weight, and his arm dropped uselessly to the bed. “It’s heavier than I remember.” He said with a smirk.

“It’s okay.” Prompto assured, picking up the weapon and putting it away from the bed.

“Well,” began the King with a smile. “Now I have an excuse to sleep.”

“And no one will fight you over it.” Gladio agreed.

As the week progressed, rumors of the King of Lucis still being alive and in Lestallum grew, and Noctis had daily visitors. It started with Iris and Talcott, two who had known his fate in the first place. Iris had grown into a young woman, and out of her childhood crush on Noctis. Though, when she saw him, she didn’t hesitate to give a delicate kiss to his forehead.

“What was that for?” He asked.

She only smiled at him, with a tear running down her face. “Thank you. I never thought I’d see the sun again.”

He merely reached out and took her hand. “I wasn’t about to fight destiny. An destiny wanted to see the sun again too.”

Talcott came daily, and brought cards to play with. He was the king’s source of land-wise news, as he always had been. The teen recounted things happening all over the continent. Things that weren’t on the news. “Altissa is apparently up an running again. It seems like the daemons never really had any footing over there, since the city is surrounded by water.”

“It was a very brightly lit city, if I remember.” Noctis added.

“The Secretary of Accordo, Camelia Claustra, would be a great person to get into contact with once you are well.” Said Ignis. “I have already written her, and I await her response.”

“Rummy,” said Prompto, cleaning up the discard pile and putting down all the cards in his hand.

“Aww man,” Noctis huffed, throwing down his cards. “Again?”

“I can focus on cards or politics. And I know nothing about politics.”

The King rolled his eyes.

A week passed. Noctis awoke sometime at 10, still drowsy. But a red notebook laid on his lap. Confused, Noctis glanced to the foot of the bed where Umbra laid, curled up and sleeping.

Noctis held the notebook sheepishly, not really wanting to open it, lest the memories return to take him.

His precious Luna.

“Well, are you going to open it?” Gladio spoke.

Noctis almost jumped out of his skin. “When did you get here?”

His friend yawned. “I’ve been here all night. Your dog came in sometime around six am.”

Noctis looked back to the notebook, wild curiosity burning his eyes. Finally, he opened the book and flipped to the latest page.

—

Lunafreya Nox Flueret, Oracle and Princess of Tenebrae, opened her eyes in the ruined throne room of Insomnia. Sunlight filtered in through a huge hole in the wall. She sat upon the throne, which was sadly drenched in blood, much like the dress she died in.

She stood, weak, but still curious. On the ground in front of her, waited a woman in a black dress.

“Gentiana!” Luna spoke, hurrying down the steps to her friend. “Oh Gentiana!”

The woman embraced Luna, holding her warmly, despite the ever coldness in her touch. “Oh dear child. I’m so happy to see you here again.”

“But, where is here? Surely this can’t be the Citadel. Since…” Luna withdrew into herself as she remembered the pierce of Ardyn’s blade and the tears on Noctis’ face.

“It is.” Gentiana spoke gently. “Your King has fulfilled his destiny. The dawn has come and the Scourge has been destroyed.”

Luna furrowed her brow. “I was there, then Noctis passed onto the afterlife. I blessed Ardyn. So how can I be alive?”

“Because we want you to be. It is Bahamut’s wish to see the Lucis line continue, and only the Oracle, you, are the one for him. You’ve been there from the beginning, and we want you there to the end. This is how we show our gratitude.”

Luna hadn’t even realized she started crying until she felt the tear drip off her chin.

“Oh child, why do you cry?”

Luna wiped her face with her hand. “All I wanted…was to be with him one more time. To laugh with him. And now…thank you! Thank you!”

“Don’t thank me yet,” stated Gentiana, gently. “For your King is no longer in Insomnia. His friends have taken him back to Lestallum to be treated for his grievous wounds. But this is his home, and he will return.”

Luna nodded, not minding it. “I waited to see him for twelve years. Only to be ripped away before I could speak to him in person. What’s another few days?”

Gentiana smiled before looking over her clothes. “Let’s see if we can’t find you some clean clothes.”

Luna looked down at her now sticky red dress. “Please.”

Together, they made there way through the remains of the Citadel. Most of it was in good condition, but many of the rooms had been pillaged of their goods.

A few floors away from the throne, Luna opened the door to a spacious room, with black marble floors covered with plush black rugs. The bed and canopy were still in good repair, if only dusty. The dark walls were covered in video game and comic book posters. That’s immediately how she knew the room belonged to her Noctis.

Gentiana wandered over to the bathroom connected to the suite. “There is running water, but it’s only cold.”

“That’ll be fine.” Luna stated, rummaging through Noctis’ closet. Everything was black, such as the Kingdom of Insomnia. But she found a shirt and pair of sweatpants that would probably fit her.

“Are you hungry?” Asked her companion.

“Not much, but I will be.”

“Then we best search out non-perishables. There still seems to be electricity in the city.”

Luna smiled. “You remember when we traveled to start the covenant with Ramuh and Titan?”

“And we made camp in a cave?” Finished Gentiana. “That was unideal.”

“But it was fun. This will be like when Noctis and his friends would stay in a camper. They called it ‘Glamping.’”

“Glamping?”

“Like camping, but glamorously.”

After her bath, Luna dressed in her clean clothes and felt much better. Coming back into the room, she saw Umbra waiting patiently for her. She smiled.

“Should I let Noctis know I’m here?”

“I don’t see the harm in it.”

—

The correspondence between Noctis and Luna had always been short and sweet. But this entry had surprised him, to say the least.

“My dear, sweet Noctis.

I awoke in the Citadel, expecting to find you. Gentiana has stated that you have gone to Lestallum for medical attention. I suppose that makes sense, with what has transpired these last few days. But I have no way to get to you, so I’m afraid I’ll just have to await you here. The Citadel is not in great shape, since the empire razed it. I am scavenging the city for food, as I did when I set out to make the covenants. Do you know a safe place to stay? For now, I think I have found your childhood bedroom. I hope you don’t mind me borrowing some clothes.

Darling, I thank the Six that I can write this to you now. All I ever wanted was to laugh with you again, and that day is still coming. Now, sooner then ever.

I anxiously await your return, My King.

Forever yours,

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.”

As soon as he finished reading the note, Noctis swung his feet over the side of the bed and made to stand.

“Whoa! What do you think you’re doing?!” Gladio pushed him harshly back down.

“We have to go back to Crown City! Luna’s waiting for me!”

“Bullshit, that’s just the pain medication talking.”

“Is not!” Noctis fought against him, weakly.

“Did you forget that she died?! You saw it! We all saw it!”

“And so did I!” Noctis screamed back, his throat protesting it. He took his notebook and put it in Gladio’s hands. “Just read it!”

Full of doubt, the swordsman glanced over the words, his brow furrowing as he read. “Well, I’ll be damned. This must have been what Bahamut meant.”

“What?”

“Oh right, you were passed out. After he healed you, Bahamut promised one more gift for you yet to come, and then looked at the crystal.”

“It was Luna…” he muttered to himself. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” Noctis placed his feet on the ground and made to stand, again.

“Whoa whoa whoa, I didn’t say you could leave.”

Noctis pushed off the bed, his legs weak and trembling. “But I have to go to Luna!”

“I know! But—!” Gladio grit his teeth as a storm grew within him. “Look, just sit for now. Let me get Specs. He’ll know what to do.” And with that, he left, notebook in hand.

But Noctis wasn’t about to sit around and wait. Under Umbra’s watch, the King stood shakily. “Ohh…that doesn’t feel good.” He whimpered. Still, he took a step forward, and then proceeded to fall flat on his face. He grunted.

“What did I say?!” Gladio’s harsh voice came from the door.

Noctis pushed up on his arms as they trembled. The much bigger man yanked him off the floor. And pushed him rather harshly back into bed. “Didn’t you make a big deal about getting to sleep and rest? And now you’re trying to push yourself!?”

Ignis waited patiently on the other side of the room. Once Gladio’s lecture finished, he began. “Gladio read me Luna’s letter. I’ll be sending over Talcott and Iris to Insomnia to check up on her. They’ll be taking the first group of refugees with them to begin restoration of the city. You, however, can’t leave quite yet.” With that, he handed the notebook back to him.

Noctis frowned, taking the book back and setting it on his food tray.

“Simply explain to her the situation. You can’t go anywhere without a physician’s care. And Lestallum doesn’t have any doctor’s to spare.”

Finally, Noctis relented. “Fine. But I need a pen and my wallet.”

Both items were retrieved and Noctis began his reply.

“Dearest Luna,

You have no idea how amazing it is to read your handwriting again after all these years. Your death took an enormous toll on me, and not a day went by that I didn’t think of you.

But unfortunately, I’m not allowed to leave Lestallum quite yet. I’m being held prisoner by my friends and the doctors. But some of my acquaintances will be coming to Crown City to start restoration.

My flat was in a high rise, and might be safe. I know I had a lot of ramen noodles in the kitchen, and those things never expire. I have put my address and taped my keycard to the back of this page.

Please make yourself at home, Luna. I’m sorry I can’t be there to host you properly. But I’ll see you soon, and I’ll keep in contact with Umbra.”

His pen paused, hesitating, but he decided that hesitating was stupid, and wrote honestly.

“I love you.

Forever yours,

King Noctis Lucis Caelum.”

Umbra waited patiently to retrieve the book and once it was secured in his pouch, the dog stood and trotted off.

Prompto, carrying a plate of skewers, entered the room. “I just saw Umbra. What’s up?”

Noctis smiled softly at his best friend. “It’s Luna. She’s alive and waiting for me in Crown City.”

Prompto smiled. “Cool, dude.”

“That’s all you have to say? ‘Cool’?”

“Dude, okay, nothing is surprising anymore. You disappear for ten years, then when you reappear, you have like, the ultimate power. I witnessed all Six Astrals come to earth, two of them fought another, and then I saw you die. Not only that, but you made the sun rise, which hadn’t happened in ten years, and then you were still alive with a giant sword sitting in your chest? For you to tell me that the Oracle, that died ten years ago, isn’t dead either, is actually really predictable, with how things are progressing.”

The other three in the room were quiet as Prompto took a bite from a skewer. “Face it, I’m just not surprised anymore.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Noctis snickered.

Ignis put a hand on his chin, the way he always did when he was deep in thought.

“What’s that look for, Specs?” Asked Noctis.

“I’m wondering what the best way to make an address is. We could always make an announcement in the square, since most everyone is in Lestallum.”

“Do they not have any radio stations anymore?”

“I guess that would work too. I just thought making a public appearance would be the best course of action.”

Prompto spoke, “we can’t set up a mic to the radio station from the square? A public address that’s on the radio.”

“Could be tricky, but I’ll ask around. Our old pal Vyv might know a thing or two.”

“Is he still kicking?” Noctis asked, genuinely surprised.

“Still kicking and asking for my photos.” Said Prompto. “He wrote on you on occasion, saying nothing but good things. I think we can trust him.”

Ignis nodded. “Then I’ll start there. We’ll plan it for a few days from now.”

Noctis moved his feet to dangle on the side of the bed. “Then I need to get my strength up enough to stand at that podium.”

His friends watched him momentarily, before Gladio caved. “Alright, then let’s get to work.” He came around to the other side of the bed and took his hands. “I’m not going to pull you up, I’m just going to keep you from falling. It’s all you, Highness.”

Noctis nodded and let his feet touch the ground.

—

Luna and Gentiana made it to the building Noctis had designated in the notebook. It was a high rise indeed, and the lobby door was unlocked. For the most part the lobby looked okay. Furniture was upturned and dust collected on the surfaces. They took their bags of canned foods and tried the elevator. Electricity was on intermittently over the city, but it appeared this building was one that still had it. They rode the elevator to the top floor and used the keycard to get inside. Nothing was out of place, but dust clung to every surface like snow. Luna turned her nose up. “I will have to dust before I do anything else.”

She opened the window and allowed the night air in. Gentiana already got to work rifling through the cabinets looking for cleaning supplies.

“I’m sure His Majesty will enjoy having a clean place to stay when he arrives.”

Luna smiled, taking the various sheets and blankets out and hanging them over the balcony railing. “I’m sure he’d like a warm hug too.”

“And a kiss?”

Luna paused, blushing. “Do you think I should?”

“He wrote ‘I love you’ in his last letter. I think that’s a pretty big clue. Have you decided what you’re going to write back?”

Umbra looked at her expectantly.

To be honest, his declaration had caught her off guard. Because truly, they hadn’t seen each other since they were kids. And now Noctis was another ten years older, if only in body. The True King and the Oracle. Two sides to the same coin, and star crossed lovers as long as she could remember.

“What do I even say?”

“Do you love the King?”

“Of course I love Noctis…I just…is it weird? I knew him as a child, and then only from the journal. He’s 30 years old now. So much time has passed. What if he’s different in real life?”

Gentiana took the Oracle by her shoulders, holding her gently. “I have watched the Prince growing up. He is never more honest and true then when he is writing you. The last ten years, he was in Stasis, he wouldn’t have changed much.”

“But…I can’t imagine what kind of trauma he’s been through in the last few days.”

Gentiana smiled in her motherly way. “And you haven’t? Darling, clinging to your king will help both of you heal. Don’t push him away over baseless doubts.”

Luna nodded, calming herself down. Then she looked to Umbra.

—

The week was progressing along, as Noctis slowly got back on his feet. Literally.

Whenever he walked, Prompto or Gladio was there to help. They switched between helping him and helping Ignis navigate blindly in the crowded city.

The first day, Noctis walked down the Hospital hallway. Then the next day he went down to the lobby. The day after that, he begged to go outside for a little.

Ignis agreed with the condition that Noctis stay in a wheelchair for the majority, and only walk in short spurts. This was good enough for the King.

It was a beautiful sunny day in Lestallum, and it seemed like everyone wanted to enjoy the sunshine, and all sorts were out and about. The first familiar face they ran into was a pleasant one. Her hair had grayed in the last decade, but her vibrance had not. She still wore her bright red hat.

“Well well, if it isn’t my favorite hunters. I haven’t seen you around in years! Theater business keeping you busy?” Sonia asked, looking directly at Noctis.

The king’s brows furrowed in confusion, before he remembered the last conversation he had with her. Then he burst out laughing.

It was her turn to be confused.

“I’m sorry professor,” he shook his head and held out his hand. “I never formally introduced myself all those years ago.”

“To be honest,” she interrupted. “I never let you. I was just excited to get some frog hunting interns.”

“My name is Noctis Lucis Caelum. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“…Lucis Caelum…you mean to tell me I ordered a Prince around to catch a bunch of frogs?”

“In all fairness, I never do things I don’t want to. Catching those frogs was actually really fun.”

“Well, thank goodness for that.” She laughed. “Oh, the boys at the university will never let me live this down.”

“Sonia, I don’t know if you ever told me what you learned from those frogs.”

She crossed her arms, “what? Have you been under a rock? I’m the one that figured out that the night descended from the photosynthetic organisms caused by the scourge, which was from the meteor. It was published in Meteor Magazine. You know, as my star pupil, I would have expected better from you.”

He shrugged. “Well, hate to break it to you, but I’m the one that wasted your years of research.”

She put her hands on her hips and leaned in closer to examine him. “You’re the reason the scourge is gone?”

“What, you didn’t hear about it?” He teased.

Prompto watched the exchange with a broad smile on his face. He was overjoyed to see his friend so calm and carefree, especially after the fate he nearly endured.

Ignis was talking, “I seem to remember you being on the radio some years ago for your research. Might you be able to get us in contact with the agency?”

“Happy to, but it was Vyv that got me on Talk 95. I can talk to him, if you’d like. You boys did so much for us, I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Wonderful.”

Noctis leaned back to look at Prompto. “I’m kinda tired, can you help me back?”

“Sure thing,” the blond smiled, pushing him along.

When they returned to the room, Umbra laid on the bed, relaxing.

Noctis’ face instantly flushed, remembering what he had said to Luna in his last entry.

“Oooooh someone’s got a message from their girlfriend!” Prompto chirped, delighted.

Anxious, but nervous, Noctis sat on the bed, and crossed his legs. Then he took the notebook from the pouch and flipped through it, flipping through the familiar pages, starting from when they were kids, to teens, and then from the recent days leading up to their almost marriage.

Then he was looking at the new message, and his heart jumped into his throat.

“Dear Noctis,

We found your flat. Its very nice! We found plenty of non-expired canned goods and we should be stocked for weeks. In case you were worried, I have rifled through all of your personal artifacts. I wish you had sent me some of these poems, since they’re quite good.”

Noctis shook his head, almost expecting her to do this.

“I found your collection of comic books. I think I will be entertained until you return, fear not.

Noctis, my ever faithful confidant and friend. My heart belongs to you, and no one else. I love you, and desire nothing more to be with you once again.

Forever and Ever Yours,

Luna.”

Noctis wanted to cry in happiness. And he almost did, feeling his eyes stinging.

“Well, what does it say?”

He swallowed, snapping the notebook closed. He would reply later, and give Umbra some time to relax. “She found my comic book collection.”

“Oh good, another nerd.”

“You’re a nerd.”

The two laughed before silence took over. “Hey Prompto?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Can you help me with my address?”

“Sure, what do you need?”

“Photos. I need visual aid.”

“Oh, yeah, I can do that.” He brought his camera up and inserted an old, worn SD card. “What’s the speech going to be about?”

“It’s the story of a boy prince that likes to sleep.”

—

Several days passed before Luna saw Umbra again. By this time, she was acquainted with Iris and Talcott. And she had done what she could in helping with restoration. But now that her powers as Oracle had faded, Luna found herself in the uncomfortable situation of not knowing how to do anything. She was a prisoner of the Empire for most of her life, and dead for the last decade. All she could offer was encouragement and cleaning.

Which she came to find, was all that anyone asked of her.

“Dear Luna,

This time, instead of a letter

I decided to write you a poem.

Please enjoy the comics,

and make yourself at home.

I’ll be on the radio,

so listen on Friday at nine.

Then I’ll be home after,

ready to make you mine.

P.S. I’ll right you a better poem later.

Forever and Ever Yours,

Noctis, King of Poems.”

Luna giggled and went to secure a radio.

—

The night before the speech, Noctis sat by the TV, watching cartoons. He may have been 30 years old, but in mind, he was still 20. And even then, he was immature.

Watching him was his good pal Prompto, who was going through his photos on his laptop.

Ignis walked in, a moment later, a thick binder under his arm.

“Alright Noctis, Gladio and I have prepared a speech for you for tomorrow, please read over it a few times before hand—“

“No need,” the King said quickly. “Prompto and I have it covered.”

“You and Prompto…?” Said the blind man. “I find that hard to believe.”

Noctis held up a binder of his own. The King could be organized when dictated. “It’s only natural that I’d want to write my own speech.”

Ignis crossed his arms, “Nobles rarely write their own addresses.”

“Luna wrote all of hers.”

Prompto giggled, “he’s got you there.”

“Well, Luna is different.”

Noctis crossed his arms, a daring look on his face. “How so?”

Ignis wasn’t about to fall for it though. “She just is.” He said simply. “Well, I would like to hear your speech first. So go ahead.”

“Nah, I want it to be a surprise.”

Gladio entered the room, with food for the group. “Let it be, Iggy. Noct already delivered the hardest speech of his life. Anything else will be a walk in the park.”

The four lapsed into silence as they returned to that night several days ago, before they went to fight against Ardyn. Their last campfire outside Insomnia. Noctis had spoken to them like a brother, showed tears, and admitted that dying wasn’t the hard part, it was saying goodbye to them. Those few words had been powerful, but enough to rouse in them a fighting power.

Ignis sighed, “can you at least hint to me what it’s about?”

“The truth.” Noctis said.

Prompto smiled.

—

At 8:30, Friday night, the citizens of Lestallum began to gather by the look out. The Disc of Cauthess burned in the background, while a podium and screen were erected in plain sight for all to see. Several microphones and cameras were set up and ready to broadcast all the king had to say.

Vyv had put an article in his magazine about the speech, as well as several news stations prepared their audience for the hallowed experience.

But most of the assembled were doubtful that any royalty was still alive.

Since where was he the last ten years? Where was he when they needed him?

Finally, the designated time arrived and a bearded man dressed in Lucis royal clothing made his way down the ramp, and then over to the podium. In one hand he carried a cane, while the other rested on the arm of a huge Swordsman, in regal Kingsglaive attire.

When Noctis reached the podium, he rested the cane underneath, and leaned on it. It would be today that his strength was at it’s lowest.

He took a moment to breath as cameras aimed at him, broadcasting his weary face to all those who had televisions. Confused whispers filled in the awkward air.

Finally, Noctis breathed deep and stood straight. He glanced over the stunned crowd and demanded their attention. All fell silent.

“If you haven’t noticed, dawn has broken.” He began.

An earth shattering cheer took over the crowd. As if his words had confirmed the impossible. They had felt the sunlight for two weeks now, and many felt it too good to be true.

Noctis smiled and waited for them to calm down. “Many of you are probably wondering, ‘how has the miracle happened?’ ‘is this really the end of the scourge?’ or maybe ’who is this crusty old man, and why does he wear the king’s clothes?’ Well, I’ll explain everything, if you have the patience. It’s a long story.” He nodded to Prompto who projected the first picture on the screen. One of the four of them posed in front of the Crow’s Nest. “Ten years and two months ago, my father, King Regis Lucis Caelum, was killed when the Empire invaded the Citadel. At the time, I was on my way to Altissa, to wed the Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, to secure a treaty between Lucis and Niflheim.”

The king bitterly looked away with a sigh, “unfortunately, none of us had the foresight to see it was a trick.” He breathed deeply to calm himself. “Rumors began to spread that both my bride to be and I had been killed. So, we decided to lay low, as not to attract the attention of the Empire.”

The photos in the background changed as he progressed.

“Many of you may recognize the young boy in the front as a hunter. Others, as a errand boy, and others as a novice fisherman. Though I had my own goals to achieve, I still did whatever I could to help my people.”

He glanced down at his speech, making sure he stayed on track. “At first, after we heard Insomnia had fallen, I didn’t know what to do. My father’s war had suddenly become my own, and I was sorely unprepared for it. But with help from the Marshal, Cor Leonis, we made our next move looking for the royal tombs and collecting the weapons of my forefathers.”

The photos changed from a royal tomb, to a perfect shot of young Noctis absorbing a royal arm. “This allowed me to gather the necessary arms for my armiger, the weapon of choice for the Kings of Lucis.”

Ignis tapped his foot impatiently, fearing Noctis was divulging too much information, but also not willing to interrupt the address.

“The ferry to Altissa was cut off, and so we were stranded between Leide, Duscae, and Cleigne until we could find a way over. We spent many days helping the hunters, sneaking into Imperial Bases, and searching for the tombs before help came from the most unlikely source.”

A picture of Ardyn came up on the screen, from the first time they met. “The High Chancellor Ardyn Izunia of the Empire. We were rightfully suspicious of him from the beginning, but he allowed us to pass through the blockade by the Disc of Cauthess.” He gestured to the fire in the distance behind him.

“Some of you might remember the strange behavior of weather back then, the earth tremors, the sporadic storms…it was because the next phase of my journey had commenced. With the help of Luna, the Oracle, I was going to receive the blessing of the Six, the first of which was Titan, the Astral who held up the Meteor.

“Shortly after, I was blessed by Ramuh, the Storm God. Then, we finally boarded a private boat and made our way over to Altissa to meet with the Oracle.”

Noctis swallowed, this part of the story was going to be hard. He just reminded himself that Luna was waiting for him in Crown City. So he breathed and carried on. “In Altissa, the First Secretary made us aware that the Oracle was planning on beginning the covenant with Leviathan, the goddess of the sea. Which was a treacherous feat in and of itself. My good friends and guards evacuated the city, but not without sacrifice.” The King looked over to Ignis, who bowed his head. “I got Leviathan’s blessing after a long, hard battle. But along the way, I lost my Luna. We barely shared a word before she gave me my father’s ring, and then died beside me.”

He turned the page, taking a second to compose himself. “My father’s ring, the ring of Lucii, along with the Crystal, were the keys to ending the scourge of the daemons. But since the Empire had stolen the Crystal, our next move was to get it back. We boarded a train and made our way to Gralea. On the way, I convened with Shiva, the Goddess of Ice.”

The pictures went blank on the screen, since Prompto was absent from the party at the time.

“The Empire was a ghost town, crawling with only daemons and dilapidated Magitek Soldiers. Not a soul in sight. Only once I reached the upper levels of Zegnautus Keep did I learn the truth of the Scourge.” He hesitated with this truth, but knew it needed to be said. “The daemons that have plagued us all along were our friends and neighbors. Fellow men succumbed to the scourge and transformed into grotesque creatures. I don’t know if I would have believed it, but I saw the Emperor. He had turned into a winged beast that hunted me down in the darkness. I spent several days alone in the Keep, separated from my friends and my only source for sanity.”

Noctis glanced at the crowd, seeing equal looks of shock and awe. It seemed everyone was hanging on to each word he spoke.

“When we finally did reunite, we headed together to find the crystal. A roadblock occurred, and Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto beckoned me on. This was the last time I saw them. When I finally found the Crystal, I begged it for help to rid the world of the scourge. But instead, the Crystal pulled me into it. As I fought against the pull, the High Chancellor Ardyn appeared again. Then more truths came to light.

“He had once been a Prince of Lucis, and did what he could to rid the world of the Scourge, by absorbing it into himself. Within himself, he carried a myriad of daemons and immortal life. With that, I was absorbed into the crystal to gather strength.”

He looked over the crowd, “I tell you this, because I want you to know…I promised Ardyn, on his death, that he wouldn’t be erased from history again. In a way, I pity him. A crown prince doing what he could to help his people, only to be rejected by destiny. His want of revenge was warranted, no matter how much I hate it. I understand it.”

He glanced back at his notes, while a picture of the Crystal still shown on the screen behind him. “I spoke with Bahamut in the Crystal. It was then that I was told of my destiny. I was to fight Ardyn and bring the dawn, but I had to fight him in this world, and the next. So for ten years, I slept, gathering energy, and not knowing what horrible fate became of my home.

“Only two weeks ago, I awoke on Angelgard, the Island to the South of Galdin Quay, and made my way back to Hammerhead in the darkness. There, I reunited with my friends I was separated from in Niflheim ten years prior. Then, together, we returned to Crown City, and fought Ifrit, the Astral of Fire, who had been swallowed by the scourge. Then I faced Ardyn on my own. We fought until he fell, and then I called upon the Kings of Lucis past, and was carried on to the afterlife. There, I dealt the final blow to Ardyn and the Scourge.”

Noctis stepped out from the podium and pulled his shirt open to show his scarred torso. “This was the final blow, that which should have killed me. But by the divine grace of Bahamut, I have been given my life back. The Astrals wish for the line of Lucis to continue.” He braced his arm on the podium to hold him up. “And though I am weak in body, I am strong in spirit, and I will do what it takes to rebuild this nation.” He stood up a little straighter and raised his voice. “The age of the Daemon is over. Now it is time to usher in the age of Prosperity!”

The cheer this time was louder, if at all possible. The city rocked with cries of joy and relief.

Gladio and Ignis rushed up to the podium to relieve the King as he appeared to have his energy spent. Gladio coaxed him into a chair as Ignis took over. “The first caravan of refugees have gone to Crown City to start renovations. From what we saw several days ago, the city can still be saved and many homes may not have even been touched. We recommend if you want to return to travel in groups. We still haven’t ascertained the safety of the roads.”

Noctis tried his best to listen to all that was being said, but his body simply wouldn’t allow it, and he fell asleep in his chair.

—

Luna had gathered her new friends in Noctis’ flat as they attempted to get a satellite signal. More then anything, she wanted to watch Noctis give his speech. When the picture finally came in, she was astounded at how much older her dear friend appeared. He looked so drained, and she wanted nothing more than for him to curl up around her and fall asleep in her arms.

As he explained his journey, tears welled up her eyes. It hurt to listen to his trials and sufferings.

“I got Leviathan’s blessing after a long, hard battle. But along the way, I lost my Luna. We barely shared a word before she gave me my father’s ring, and then died beside me.”

Truly, they never got to speak face to face. But the moment together in the haven was good enough for her. And now soon, she’d see him again. Only a few days more.

The rest of the journey she knew by heart. After she died, she watched over him, helping him cope with the bitter loneliness of loss. Being a light for him in the darkness of Niflheim. She was with him through it all, though it hadn’t really felt like it.

“Are you alright, Luna?” Talcott asked.

“Oh, yes.” She sniffed, wiping under her eye. “Just overwhelmed.”

The camera followed Noctis as he fell into a chair on the stage. Her heart went out to him as she watched him close his eyes and slump. The scar on his chest would forever be burned into her skull, as the image was horrific and only proved how destructive the scourge had been. The mark was similar to the one she bore on her own side.

But that’s all they were, scars. The war was over. Now all that remained was peace. Luna could imagine a future with her king. And so she found the notebook that she had yet to respond to and withdrew into Noctis’ room.

—

The day after the speech, Noctis roused at noon, much to the chagrin of his company. He meandered down the stairs of the Leville on his own, and found a bench in the streets to sit and enjoy the life around him. He would be meeting with Camelia Claustra later in the evening, as she was on her way from Galdin Quay. But for now, he would relax.

As it always was in Lestallum, all manner of folk greeted him as they passed by. Children stopped and looked at him in awe, a brave little girl even hugged him. Many warm handshakes were delivered, and he happily answered any questions anyone asked.

Until finally, dusk was upon him and Ignis ushered him back to the meeting room in the Leville, where Camelia was waiting.

The woman looked as ancient and immovable as ever, but still smiled when shaking his hand. “King Noctis, it’s good to see you alive and well.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Secretary.”

“I watched your speech yesterday. It was quite…insightful. I had no idea what you had gone through since we last spoke in Altissa.”

“It was very rough.”

“I think I would liked to sleep for these last ten years as well.” She joked.

“Well, the sleep wasn’t as great as it sounds. There were…a lot of nightmares.”

She nodded in understanding. “Well, now you’re here and the scourge isn’t. Accordo and Lucis are the only ruling factions left.”

“Madam Secretary,” he interrupted, politely. “I did leave out a tidbit from the address.”

“Oh?”

“Lady Lunafreya, she was returned to me as a gift from the Astrals, she awaits me in Crown City.”

Camelia smiled, pleased with this news. “So Tenebrae also lives.”

“As I traveled to Gralea, we stopped in Tenebrae. The daemons had destroyed the city and not much remains. We will be taking the survivors to Crown City and absolving them to citizens of Insomnia.”

“Wonderful.” Stated the secretary. “And what would you have of Accordo?”

He leaned forward in his seat a bit and glanced over to Ignis. “Well, now I suppose that’s up to you. Accordo was previously part of the Empire, as was Tenebrae. If you would like to join Insomnia instead, we will happily take you, or if you’d prefer to take your independence back, now would be the time. I’m not in the position to understand the state of Accordo these days. But I’m certain you’re better off then we are.”

“We are willing to help Insomnia get back on it’s feet.” She assured. “As we helped you before with Leviathan, so we will help with rebuilding.”

“Thank you, but you didn’t answer my question.”

She smiled. “I think it is a conversation for another time. For now, we will work on rebuilding.”

“That sounds fair.” He smiled.

“Now, as a token of gratitude for ridding the planet of the scourge, I have brought you a gift.”

He held up his hands in protest, “Oh Madam Secretary, I do not need any sort of gift. I did it because I had to.”

“What I am giving to you, I give to you because you are the only person I trust with it.” She beckoned a servant in, who held up a dress bag.

Noctis stood slowly, awe on his face. “Is that…?”

“Lady Lunafreya’s wedding dress. It was safe from Leviathan, and now, now that she’s returned, I think it’s only appropriate that it returns to Insomnia.”

“Thank you, Madam.”

“Camelia is fine, your majesty.”

“Then Noctis is fine too. Thank you, Camelia.”

“You’re most welcome, Noctis.”

—

Noctis returned to his room for a nap. And he dozed lightly. He heard people come and go. Ignis spoke to him, but he didn’t really hear it. Then something jumped on his bed and startled him, before something warm and fuzzy nuzzled against his face.

“Hey Umbra…” He muttered, reaching up to scratch the pup’s chin. Slowly, he sat up, and took the book from it’s pouch.

The newest entry was short, sweet, and to the point.

“Dear Noctis,

I saw you on TV. I like the beard. It suits you. I don’t think you’re a crusty old man.

My love, back then, did you want to marry me? Or were you just doing your duty as Prince? I guess we have the rest of our lives to figure it out.

Forever and Ever Yours,

Luna.”

Instantly, he was awake and standing on his feet. He grabbed his cane and wallet. “I’ll be back in a bit Umbra, I need to get something for Luna.” The dog loyally trotted beside him anyway as they went down to the street. A few blocks away, a jeweler had set up shop. Despite the darkness, business was good. Especially with jewelry that actually had the ability to repel daemons. But that’s not why Noctis had sought the man out.

“Why, if it ain’t the boy Prince? Looking kinda rough, Your Majesty.”

“Nice to see you too, Dino.” Said the King, flatly.

“You come here looking for some work? Cause I got an ore I got to find.”

“Maybe some other time, I actually need you to do something for me. I’ll pay.”

“Now you’re speaking my language. What’ll it be?”

Noctis leaned on the counter, and spoke quietly. “Now, I need to you to keep this a secret. I know your journalist tendencies will kick in and you’ll run to the papers, but as your friend, please don’t mention it.”

“Okay okay, hush hush I get it. Now what is this mysterious project?”

“I need an engagement ring.”

Dino smirked and leaned closer, his face a alive with curiosity. “And who, may I ask, is the luck lady?”

“The Oracle, Lady Lunafreya.”

Dino’s previous good mood disappeared. “Um, Your Majesty…you know that the Lady…is no longer with us right? She died ten years ago…”

“Yes, I know Dino.” He smiled softly. “This is why I asked you to keep this a secret. She’s been resurrected by the Astrals.”

“No kidding!? Well, congratulations Your Majesty! This is great news! And, I’m honored that you’d ask me to do this for you.” He took out a sketchbook and began drawing a design. “What are you thinking? Colors? Jewels?”

Noctis blanched, “well, I don’t know anything about jewels, but blue and white are the color of Tenebrae, and black and gold are the colors of Lucis…if you could somehow mix them together? And don’t make anything too flashy, I know she wouldn’t like that.”

“Right, not too big and gaudy.”

“Right, exactly.” Noctis nodded.

“Well, how about this?” Dino finished his rough sketch and turned it over. “We’ll do a gold band. Then a pear shaped diamond in the middle. Next to the diamond on each side we’ll put a sapphire, and then, outside of that, we’ll do two little onyx jewels.”

“Perfect. I love it. Simple and clean. I knew you’d be able to think of something fast.”

“Fast is my middle name, your kingliness.”

“When can you have done?”

“For you, I’ll have it done in three days.”

Noctis’ eyes widened. “That quick?”

“Hey, it was because you travelled through Costlemark that I was even able to open up shop. I’m one of the best jewelers in the world…well, I’m the only one in Lestallum.” He added as an afterthought. “Besides, I want to thank you for—“

“Let me guess…for ending the scourge?”

“Ah, people already showering you in gratitude?”

Noctis bit his lip. “Yeah. I…just don’t feel like I deserve it. You know? I left my country when they needed me most. And I only did what the Astrals told me to do. It’s not like I made the decision to do this, you know?”

Dino crossed his arms. “I watched your address, Noctis.” He spoke plainly. “You sacrificed a lot for us. You very well could have kept hunting. We all gave you work to stay occupied…but you went to Niflheim. I think it’s okay to accept praise and thanks.”

Noctis sighed softly, “I guess I’m just not used to it. How much do I owe you? And please don’t say it’s free!”

“Oh, I won’t. I can’t afford to.” Dino laughed. “500 gil sound fair?”

“I’ll give you a 1,000, since it’s a rush order.” He took his card out.

The jeweler shrugged, offering the machine. “Well, I’m not going to stop you.”

“There you are!” Prompto called, hysterical. “Ignis freaked out when he got back to the hotel and didn’t see you.”

“He should be used to it, considering he’s blind.” Replied Noctis, finishing his transaction. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

“Well, anyway. What are you doing?”

“Getting Luna a ring.”

Prompto almost lost his mind. He jumped and shouted and cried. “Yes! I knew the wedding would happen! This is the best day ever!”

“Keep your voice down!” Noctis hissed.

“I’m going to go tell Ignis and Gladio! See you later!” He hurried down the street.

“Prompto! Wait!” Noctis cried out in vain.

—

Since returning to the land of the living, Luna found herself saddened with nightmares. Back when she was Oracle, there were days after healing an outbreak of the scourge, she’d have nightmares. She just assumed it was from being so close to the darkness for so long.

But now, these nightmares were vivid and all encompassing. Often, they were through Noctis’ eyes. The horrors he saw in the ruins of Gralea. The decrepit soldiers, the daemons growing like weeds from the darkness.

Even the poisoned, dead face of her brother, begging for death.

On nights like these, she’d awaken and curl closer around his pillow.

—

Insomnia was such an ironic name for his Kingdom. It felt like Noctis could never sleep at night. The nightmares of daemons kept him tossing and turning at each hour. The stasis in the crystal had been one long nightmare in and of itself. But it felt like the trip to the afterlife had only enhanced these illusions. Sometimes, it was hard to tell the difference between wake and sleep. It was only when Prompto would nudge or whack him for shaking their shared hotel bed that he’d finally come out of it.

—

Another week passed before Umbra returned to Crown City. Between healing and the announcement that the King was still alive, Luna just assumed that Noctis was busy. But Umbra trotted up, looking well rested and loved, and carrying Noctis’ response.

Luna spent a moment scratching behind Umbra’s ears.

Noctis told her he loved her. This wasn’t really news to her either, since they had always written sweet nothings in their journal. But then she had to go and ask about the wedding.

Back when the treaty was drawn up and the engagement was arranged, the notebook had stayed vague. Neither of them wanted to talk about the idea of marriage. They were both content to just talk about seeing each other again for the first time in years. But as royalty, and how fond Regis had been of her, Luna was certain that marriage was inevitable. Maybe he did too, so it hadn’t bothered him.

Talcott was her companion at the moment. The young man was taking a break from clearing rubble on the street. “What a cute doggo! What’s his name?”

“This is Umbra, he’s been my faithful companion for many years. He’s how Noctis and I stayed in contact even when I was being held prisoner by Niflheim.”

“Are you guys still talking like that?”

“Yes. In fact, Umbra as just brought me his reply.”

“Reply to what?”

Luna sat on the couch, while Umbra laid at her feet. “how old were you were you met Noctis?”

“Um, about 7.”

“Then you might remember. We were engaged to be married then. But I hadn’t seen him since I was 12.”

“You were marrying a guy you hadn’t seen since you were a kid?”

“Yes, strange isn’t it?”

“Well, if Prince—er, King Noctis wasn’t the coolest person ever, maybe.”

She laughed. “Well, we tragically were unable to get married…or even have a decent conversation…”

“Right,” said the boy.

“So I asked him, if he really wanted to marry me back then, or if it was just duty.”

Talcott scoffed, “you know, King Noctis has a big heart and loves a lot of people. But, he loves no one more than the Oracle.” He grinned.

With a smile and assurance, Luna finally took the notebook out of the pouch, only to find a little black box attached to it.

“Dearest Luna,

What kind of question is that? Not even death could tear us apart. Being a Prince had a lot of unsavory prices to pay, but marrying you was the greatest thing that ever could have happened to me.

Even ten years late.

I would have proposed in person, but I wanted you to know exactly what I felt as soon as possible. I mean, you can still say no. I just assumed…

The ring was designed by a friend of mine, he gives his regards.

The doctors said I’m good to go, and I’ve been out of the hospital for a few days now. I still have to use a cane, and I can’t run. But we’re just organizing a caravan, and then we’ll be off.

Just a few more days.

Forever and Ever Yours,

Noct.”

“Aww!” Talcott read over her shoulder. “I told you he has a big heart!”

Luna just smiled wildly as she opened the box. A petite, classy ring sat inside. Nothing else would have been right. She slipped the ring on, and it was a perfect fit. Tears started to make their way down her cheeks. “It’s perfect,” she whispered.

She heard Talcott sniff as she glanced at him. “Why are you crying?” She asked.

“I love happy endings!”

—

“Alrighty boys, here she is. My pride and joy!”

Cindy, the world’s most talented auto mechanic, had just delivered her present to Noctis and his friends. The Regalia, or what was left of it, had been recovered from the ruins of Niflheim and restored to it’s shiny glory.

“It took me about five years, but with my good buddy Talcott, we got ‘er up and running.”

“Cindy, this is…this is amazing.” Noctis managed to say. Having the Regalia back felt a little like having a piece of his father returned to him.

“Once Paw-Paw found out that his baby had been abandoned over in the Capital, he was madder then a three legged dog trying to bury a turd on a icy pond! It took a lot of strings and faith, but here she is, ready to go back to Crown City.”

“Thank you Cindy…” Noctis said again, going in for a hug.

“Oh it’s no problem, Prince! Er, King!” She laughed, patting his back.

Prompto nudged his friend. “Hey, so when we get back to Crown City, how’s about letting me borrow the car to take Cindy out? Hmmm?”

Noctis put a loving and caring hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Because I care about Cindy, no. Unless you let her drive.”

Prompto let out a huff that flapped his lips like a horse.

“Alright,” called out Ignis. “Let’s move out.”

A group of eight cars, a bus, and two trucks loaded with supplies followed the Regalia out of Lestallum and back to Crown City.

As the trip progressed, the caravan stopped at previously abandoned Outposts so people to return to their homes and lively hood. After all, the two day drive between the Crown City and Lestallum was now open, and these Outposts would be needed again.

Slowly, Eos was growing.

—

Sometime in the afternoon, Iris and Luna were in the kitchens of the Citadel, cleaning out the old rotten food left behind. Most of it was so old that it didn’t even smell anymore. Luna finished wiping down the inside of the refrigerator and went to wash her hands. “Well, I have definitely lost my appetite.” She laughed.

“You and me both!”

Suddenly, Iris’ phone rang. “Hello?…oh great! We’ll be up in a bit!” She hung up. “Talcott said one of the lookouts just spotted the Regalia leading a caravan into the city!”

“The Regalia?”

“You know, the royal car?” Iris prodded, a teasing lilt to her voice.

“I’m going to go up and look!” She hurried from the room.

“Wait! Don’t you want to get changed first?!” Iris called after, in vain.

The elevator rose, Luna anxiously tapping her foot as moved. Finally, finally! After all these years, all these sleepless nights, even after death…finally, Noctis would be in her arms.

She raced from the atrium, to the entry hall, and to the courtyard. Finally, she made it to the gate of the Citadel, and waited.

There she could see it, the sleek black car coming into the city. Her legs trembled in excitement as she swayed.

The Regalia continued on while the other cars in the caravan stopped. When it was close enough that she could make out the two figures in the front seats, butterflies stirred in her stomach.

Gladio parked the car, and stepped out, giving her a knowing smirk.

She bit her lip and waved slightly, but couldn’t find the nerve to move.

The swordsman opened up the back door and held an arm out. From behind the door, she saw a foot, then another, and a cane. Then the door closed, and Gladio stepped away.

Nothing stood between them now.

Luna stood only a few paces away, but Noctis could barely believe it. She wore his old black clothes and her hair was in a messy ponytail. But his ring sat on her finger, and she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

“Luna…” he whispered.

“Noctis!” She cried, as she ran to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his went to her waist. Both overwhelmed with emotion, they sank to their knees on the ground, sobbing and hanging on for dear life.

“I never thought I’d see you again…” he whispered, his voice thick with sorrow.

“Don’t you remember what I told you? Look to the light, and know I am there.”

She heard him hum. “Yeah…I still wanted to hold you though.”

She laughed in return, the sound soothing and warm. “All I ever wanted was to laugh with you again.”

He pulled back and looked at her face. The face that hadn’t aged since he saw her last. “I think we’ll do more than that.” He returned. “Gods, you are so beautiful.”

“As are you.” She cupped his cheek, the bristles of his beard tickling her palm.

He leaned into her touch. “Now that I see you here, I have no idea what to say. I’m starstruck.” He chuckled helplessly.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

She held up her hand for him to see. “Yes.”

He smiled so hard his face hurt. “Then it’s a good thing I have your wedding dress in the trunk.”

“You’re the only one I’d wear it for.”

“Oh Luna!” He grabbed her again, his hands wandering over her back and her hair. “Luna.” He left rushed kisses over her face and jaw, and just allowed himself to be overwhelmed by her. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied just as desperately. “More than I can bare.”

Noctis coaxed her chin up, to meet her eyes, and delicately laid his lips upon hers. It was innocent at first. Their first kiss. But then Luna raised her hands to bury her fingers in his ebony locks, and chills traveled up his spine. He deepened the kiss, getting lost in her embrace.

Finally, he pulled away. “I can’t take it anymore!” He nearly shouted.

“What?” She responded, frozen.

“Ignis! Start the wedding preparations! I can’t bare to be apart from this woman any longer!”

“With pleasure, your highness. And perhaps you might find somewhere else to continue this reunion? Somewhere more private?”

Noctis looked around to the small crowd that had assembled and watched with blushing faces. “Oh.” He stood, and held out a hand to help her stand. He cleared his throat. “Well, it’s official. Crown City will have a queen soon.”

This month was just full of great news.

—

Long after the celebration was had, and work had been divided up among those who were gathered, Noctis and Luna walked, slowly, had in hand back to his flat. He pointed out places of interest on their way, and she pointed out where she had done work earlier.

Finally, when they reached his flat, both collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. They had a long day in their own right. Noctis was sure he’d be tired in the coming days as well.

“You make a fine King,” Luna stated, appraisingly.

“And you a Queen.” He returned.

She hummed, and leaned against his shoulder. “It broke my heart listening to your journey. It had to be so hard.”

He smiled. “Well, it wasn’t all bad.” He went on to talk about the fun things they had done, like riding the chocobos, and the campfires and fishing. She listened and relaxed. At some point, she sat in his lap and laid her head against his collar bone. He kept talking like he hadn’t noticed, and just pulled her closer.

Then she told him about her journey to the covenants and all the shenanigans that she and Gentiana got themselves into.

Had anyone walked passed their room, they would have wondered what in the world had made the Oracle and the King laugh so hard.

“Your voice is so deep now.” She said suddenly.

“Oh?”

“Yes…it’s actually quite alluring.”

“Alluring, hmm?” He whispered in her ear. She shivered. He chuckled. “Luna, can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course, anything.”

“Well, when I was thirteen, and you were seventeen…gosh, I shouldn’t have started this story, it’s so embarrassing.”

“You can’t stop now.” She urged. “Come on.”

He sighed. “I saw you on TV, giving an address as Oracle. I think it wasn’t long after your powers developed, you were taking about going out and healing people.”

“Right, I remember.”

“Anyway, you were wearing this white, sheer dress that showed just a little too much skin…and my pre-teen brain thought ‘I wonder what she’d look like without the dress’ and that was the first boner I got.”

Luna flushed bright red, but laughed loudly without abandon, clinging to him like her life depended on it.

“Well, safe to say you aren’t offended.” He snickered.

“Of course not!” She laughed harder. Then, when she caught her breath, she cupped his cheek again. Adoration pouring from her blue blue eyes. “My Noctis, I’ve had similar thoughts about you, when I saw you on TV as well.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise, before he swooped in to kiss her. “And now we’re here.”

“Together.”

“Forever.” His fingers wove to tangle in her hair, before he laid her down on the couch. They kissed and snuggled and whispered loving words until exhaustion overtook them.

The morning only brought more joy. Because the war was over, and there was nothing but good times ahead.

#ffxv #final fantasy xv #prince noctis #noctis lucis caelum #lunafreya nox fleuret #lady lunafreya #lunoct #prompto #gladiolus amicitia #ffxv ignis #fanfiction #fanfic #noctis #luna #gladio #ignis

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makikoigami · 7 years ago

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[Fic] Final Fantasy XV - Noctis Week Day 1

Title: “Loose your breath” Day 1: Favorite Scene / On the road / To my younger self Rating: PG Wordcount: 5094 Spoilers: Spoilers for about everything Warnings: Character death is a big one. Suicidal thoughts happen within here too. But I swear this sounds worse than it is. Unbetaed because no time. I might go over this again when I’m over writing this. As Promptis as the game is. Maybe a tad more. But all just best friends. Disclaimer: I own nothing and I never played the game. Still, these guys happen to occupy my mind. Not my fault Summary: Noctis finds out the afterlife has some nice features that he hadn’t counted on. Luna is there to guide him along, but he is more worried about his best friend. Notes&Comments: Okay, so. I saw the prompts for @noctisweek and I immediately had this idea for Day 1: To my younger self. It now happes quite at the end of this story, and the rest is pretty... fantastic. I hope this idea isn’t as bad as I feel it is right now. Or as confusing as I fear it is.

The afterlife turned out to be a funny thing for Noctis. It was much like his time in the crystal, floating around aimlessly, remembering moments of his life, dreaming up new memories and finding his peace with Luna. He 'dreamed' being king, sitting on the throne with her next to him, but it was just two of them and it felt like something was missing. He had the picture with him, taken during happier times and after showing it to Luna, he found himself staring at it more often than not.

He missed his friends, he hoped they were well, hoped that the light reached them, warmed their faces after that long time of darkness. While he didn't remember them well, he could picture their faces perfectly, using the photograph to her him jog his memory.

After a while, he didn't know how long, days, weeks, maybe years, he could feel Luna look at him with a mixture of curiosity and pity. He looked up into her pale blue eyes and tilted his head curiously, knowing she wanted to tell him something that he didn't know.

'You can visit them, you know?' She said, her voice like a memory in his head. 'You can be wherever, whenever you want to be... Just think about it.'

He stared at her with a mixture of a frown and disbelief, so she took his hand and told him to trust her. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, they were in Hammerhead, standing right in front of the station. It was dark outside, but not in a weird way, just because it was still night, but closing in on dawn.

Eyes wide, he turned to Luna, who just smiled mysteriously at him and let go of his hand as she stepped backwards.

'You know where to find me,' he heard her voice in his head again, and as he blinked, she had disappeared, only to be replaced by an approaching figure coming fast to the station. Noctis blinked, squinted and was surprised to see that it was Prompto, who had apparently been on an early morning run. He was still sporting his goatee, so Noctis knew that he was in the present, or at least in what he thought was the present.

Prompto arrived, but didn't return to the station. He ran past it and Noctis decided to follow him. A few moments later they were perched on top of the windmill powering parts of Hammerhead Station, looking towards what Noctis remembered to the direction of Insomnia. Sitting side-by-side, it didn't feel like any time had passed. Just that Prompto didn't take any notice of him at all.

Glancing over more often than not, Noctis wondered if he was simply invisible or just in another dimension that Prompto couldn't see him. He shuddered thinking that he was a ghost, although, well, he was just that. A soul in the afterlife roaming among the living. And boy was he glad that Prompto was still alive. He would never forgive himself if any of his friends grieved so much over him that they'd end their life prematurely.

Prompto had worried him the most, but he was glad to see that his best friend seemed to be okay.

Noctis smiled, feeling a wave of relief coming over him and he hadn't been aware just how much he had been worried about the man sitting next him.

"Hey buddy," he heard Prompto say and he whipped his head around, wondering of Prompto could see him after all. The sky had turned orange already, promising a spectacular sunrise in the next few seconds.

That was what Prompto was looking at now, violet blue eyes trained on the horizon and within the next breath, the first rays of the sun fell on Eos. Noctis held his breath, turning quickly to look at Prompto.

His best friend was smiling, his gaze tender and intense. "Glad to see you again," he said, taking a deep breath that turned into a sigh, Prompto closing his eyes to feel the rays of sunshine on his already sun-kissed skin.

Noctis looked from the sunrise to Prompto and back a few times, waved his hand in front of Prompto's face just to make sure that the other really couldn't see him and then snorted a laugh.

Prompto thought he was the sun.

It was amusing, really, seeing the blond greet the sun in his stead, as if it was able to replace him. Sure, Prompto had told him how he felt inferior to all of them, but comparing Noctis to the sun? Really, it was ridiculous.

After watching the sun for a while, Prompto got up and returned to the station, got dressed in a work overall and set upon repairing cars, machines and whatnot.

Noctis closed his eyes for a moment and then it was evening, the sun just setting. He found himself sitting next to Prompto on the windmill again, telling the sun about his day, little anecdotes that had happened. Noctis listened intently, since he hadn't been there, and watched Prompto saying good night to the sun as if it was really him.

For a few days, Noctis continued to watch his best friend's ritual and the more he watched, the more it grew on him. He promised silently that he would listen to everything Prompto wanted to tell him, since had all the time in the world anyway. Eventually, Prompto would pass over in the afterlife and Noctis vowed to wait for him and welcome him with open arms, patiently waiting until he could all these stories directly.

As he got more of a hang of traveling through the world of living - it was pretty much the same as warping around, just that he could move greater distances and didn't need a dagger or sword - Noctis was surprised to find out that both Gladio and Ignis in Lestallum and new Insomnia had similar rituals. They weren't as intense as Prompto's, but they always took a moment each morning to greet the sun properly.

Huh.

It was nighttime again and it seemed like a few years had passed as the wrinkles around Prompto's eyes had multiplied, their number rivaling that of his countless freckles.

"It's been ten years now... Another ten years without you, Noct," he heard the other say, holding his breath as if he could suddenly feel his friend's loneliness.

"That's... Twice as much as twice the time that we've been best friends," he chuckled. "Glad I could to that much math, huh?"

He fell silent again and Noctis wished so badly that he could reach out and talk to his friend, give him just a little bit of reassurance that he was fine and that he was watching over him.

"But you know what? Sometimes... Sometimes it's like you're sitting here next to me and I feel like you're here with me when I'm... At my worst and it makes me happy to think that with every year that passes, I'm closer to seeing you again."

Holding his breath, Noctis was shocked to understand that Prompto looked forward to seeing him again in the afterlife just as much as he did.

"I can't wait to see you and Lady Lunafreya again. There's so much to tell! What you've left us behind with, it's grown, it's taken a turn for the better and everyone is happy. We've ventured out to Nifelheim as well, found some people who were still alive and made peace with them. We've... We've elected a council, and Ignis has been doing his best as a chancellor, holding your name high, making sure that everyone's needs are fulfilled... Not everyone's happy, you can't do that, but in general... People are content. It makes me happy..."

He trailed off and Noctis found himself swallowing around a thick lump in his throat, moved by how far everyone had come.

"I just wished we had had more time together. As friends. I mean, I'm happy with the way things happened, but... Five years in the face of twenty... Don't really seem all that much, you know? It's been... It's been such an intense time and I loved every moment of it, but just... I wish I had had the courage to approach you properly sooner. Talk to you, become your friend, grow up together. But I couldn't because I was shy and heavy and clumsy and an idiot... You were such an amazing friend, I know that now, but I was so scared... So scared you'd make fun of me or didn't want my company..."

'Idiot,' Noctis thought. 'I've been waiting for you ever since that day to approach me again. I've been waiting for you to be my best friend...'

His eyes widened and he stared unseeingly at his knees realizing that he had but one regret in his life. One regret that made him sit here, alone, as a ghost, with his best friend, ten years after his death, listening to him reminiscing.

He regretted being passive, waiting on Prompto to come at him as a child, when he had needed a friend so badly. His injury and the long sleep had taken such a big toll on him that he didn't feel like talking to people at all.

That was another thing he regretted, but mostly he regretted not having friends but those he was told to have. Ignis, Luna, Gladio, they all had been more or less assigned to him, they all were older and while he learned a great deal from them, he only realized belatedly how much he missed a friend of his own age. Maybe that was why he had lingered behind, waiting for Prompto to be ready to talk to him.

Noctis was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the days passing into weeks, and then months. He blinked and when he looked up he saw that the sun had set and a full moon was shining. He looked around, but Prompto was nowhere to be found, so he tried to sense where he was.

Suddenly, he found himself in Altissia, but something felt wrong. He frowned, but as he looked around, he realized that the people around him didn't have distinct faces. Some were male, some were female, but other than that, he couldn't tell much more. He walked around a little, finding a Kenny Crow's and he smiled at the memory. However, he blinked when he saw who was sitting on a table near the window.

There was Prompto, but his younger self, 20 years old, and he was talking animatedly with his own younger self, who was eating fries and smiling at Prompto with the dreamiest look Noctis had ever seen.

'Did I ever look at him like that?' Noctis wondered with a fond smile at the scene before him.

All of a sudden, the scene changed, the view seemed to blur and Noctis found himself sitting in his younger self's position. He blinked and stared wide-eyed at Prompto, who then seemed to blur and turn into his older self himself. Not the 40-year-old man, but the one he had last seen when he was still alive.

"Why are you here," Prompto demanded, obviously miffed that the scene had changed from happier times to the time of great regret.

"...because you wanted me to be," Noctis said calmly, feeling a little weird to hear his own voice outside of his head. Somehow, he had not spoken out aloud ever since that fight with Ardyn and using his vocal chords now was kind of weird.

Prompto scoffed and looked to the side, covering his pout with a propped up hand. "It's not how I usually like it," he huffed, glancing outside. The scene had changed from a bright sunny day to eternal night, the only illumination coming from an eerie blue lantern that floated in front of the window, making the lines on Prompto's face even more visible. The scene changed again and by then, Noctis was sure that he was taking a lead role in one of Prompto's dreams without the blond realizing that he was dealing with the real thing.

"My bad," Noctis sighed, unable to hide a chuckle being faced with the older man's pout. He looked almost boyish now, and it was adorable to see the young boy beneath the older man's skin.

"Do you know how useless I feel? 'Ever at your side,' and now I'm here alone, only able to see my memory of you in my dreams. Noct... The time we had together was so short and now I've been waiting so long to go and find you again... But it's seems as if the Six want me to lead a long, empty life."

He scoffed again, obviously frustrated with himself. Noctis tilted his head and reached out to touch his hand, hoping to convey his sympathy. "I'll be waiting for you," he promised, "No matter how long it takes."

Prompto started crying then, the scene around them breaking and Noctis did the only thing he could think of as they started to fall into a void. He pulled his friend closer and hugged him, let him cry until his tears had run dry and he had fallen asleep again.

After that, Noctis found himself standing next to the tiny bed in Prompto's room at Hammerhead and watched him sleep peacefully until morning. The blond then got up and went on a morning run, greeted the sun like his best friend as he had done every day and continued to live his life.

That was how Noctis learned that he could communicate with some people in their dreams. Not everyone, but those whom he had been close to, who dreamed of him regularly.

He told Ignis that he was proud of him, listened to his fears and worries about the united Eos, told him exactly how to make that Tenebraen pastry and Ignis got it right every time from then on. He watched him send the pastry to Prompto and Gladio, the former starting to cry after the first bite.

He watched Gladio grow plants and vegetables and even tried them in the Shields dreams. They were better than he remembered them, sweet and soft, not bitter and hard to chew. He told him accordingly and Gladio laughed and patted his shoulders, telling him how he knew that he was dreaming now because 'good old Noct' would never talk about greens like that.

It was nice and it made Noctis feel... Not so dead anymore. He thought about what it must have been like to have had this power during the time he was harvesting the Crystal's magic, being able to visit his friends in their dreams. They certainly would have been less lonely, knowing he was still there.

He hadn't even finished that thought and found himself standing near Hammerhead again, this time at night. He looked up to see no moon, no stars, no light whatsoever. All that he could see was Prompto, running fast along the track he usually chose for his morning run, shooting his guns left and right, killing daemons as if it was part of his daily routine. He looked younger, but not as young as the first time he had visited him in his dreams.

'Prompto, hey, it's me,' Noctis said, surprised to find himself speaking only in his mind again.

This... Wasn't a dream?

That thought was confirmed when Prompto ran right through him without even acknowledging him in the slightest.

He was a ghost.

This was reality.

He frowned, concentrated and the scene changed. For a second he was blinded by bright light that was reflected by pristine white snow, finding a figure dressed in black zooming by on a snow bike, a second figure behind him shooting a really big daemon.

'This... The time when Prompto was fighting alone in Nifelheim...'

They had talked about it briefly, what had happened to Prompto after Noctis had pushed him off the train, thinking it had been Ardyn. But to see it happen live and in technicolor...

He continued to watch Prompto fight, kicking ass quite literally and his respect for his best friend grew with every MT that found his unsightly end. Watched him sit at a small campfire, hugging his gun goodnight. He refrained to visit his dreams then, afraid of what he might see. Instead, he went to see how his own group was doing, just to find himself moping and being a brat to Ignis and Gladio, who really hadn't deserved to be treated like that. He wondered if he could visit himself at that time and was delighted to find out that he could.

His younger self was moping even in his dreams, blaming himself for being a bad friend, wishing he had never met Prompto because he would have been so much better off without him. At least he wouldn't have pushed him of a train.

It hurt Noctis to see himself like that, so he reached out and tried to encourage himself to keep looking for Prompto. He would surely find him, he was his best friend after all. Ignis and Gladio were there to help him too and when had they ever not been helpful?

His younger self calmed down then and on the next morning, they finally found a crucial clue to Prompto's whereabouts.

Noctis watched them reunite, smiled, and then continued to watch how they crumbled apart after the Crystal had absorbed him without a chance to say goodbye. He found Luna there, floating much like he did and within a blink, he was transported back to Altissia, right into the middle of the battle with Leviathan. He watched Ardyn stab Luna, watched his younger self fight the God, and then he watched Luna visit his younger self in his dreams, much like he had visited his friends. He remembered dreaming of her then, passing on the ring of Lucii. He looked at her floating next to him in the hotel room where he woke up, learning of her death and seeing a blind Ignis for the first time and they looked at each other.

'No matter how often I come here,' Luna said in his mind, 'it's always the same. It is as if I'm destined to die here in any scenario I could think of...'

'Luna...'

'It's okay. I've come to terms with this. I've.. Had. For a long time,' She added, giving him a long and meaningful look.

'You mean...'

'Mhm, I knew what was coming. I told myself in my dreams. Back then. Every night, I, the oracle told myself what I had to do to end this malicious circle. To bring peace to Eos. I'm sorry it had to be you and me, at that time... I'm sorry you couldn't spend more time with-'

'You told him to become my friend,' Noctis said, eyes wide with shock. 'He told me you wrote him a letter once...'

'Mhm. I knew you needed a friend. I'm sorry it didn't quite work out from the start, that was beyond my control, since I couldn't talk to either of you in your dreams back then,' Luna explained.

Noctis was thinking a mile a minute. Luna said she had been talking to her younger self in her dreams. Told herself to tell Prompto to become his friend, knowing how important they would be to each other in the future. And now that time and space meant nothing to him anymore, Noctis could to the same to...

He grabbed Lunas shoulders and planted a heavy kiss to her lips. 'Thank you,' he grinned and started to run. In the distance she was sure to hear Luna wish him luck.

Running through the times was perhaps stupid when he could move with his thoughts alone. But this was important and he couldn't think, felt like he had unlearned everything that he knew about this dimension. Nut he had to find it, had to find the time and place...

He almost ran into Carbuncle on his way, but at least he knew that he was right on track then. Together with him he found his young self who had just survived the attack by the Naga, who had slipped into a deep sleep.

There, he found himself in an adventure, fighting much like he did later on in real life, using magic like a child would. Noctis smiled, it had been easier then, not tinted with the fatal feeling that the end of the world was near.

Once the adventure was over and little Noctis lay back in his bed, ghost Noctis sat down next to him and took his hand gently.

"...Dad?" He asked and Noctis chuckled.

"I'm not our father," he said softly, brushing the boy's hair out of his face. "I'm you, from the future."

"Huh... Will I be strong like my dad then?"

"Mhm... And you will have good friends. Ignis and Gladio-"

Young Noctis scoffed at that, turning his gaze from his older self. "Gladio hates me."

"Hm... Maybe he does, but be a good boy and he'll see what your worth. Try to make Ignis happy and eat your greens sometimes, okay? They might look bad... Forget what I said, greens are bad."

He laughed with his younger self, who relaxed then and sighed softly, sleep already tugging on his consciousness to pull him away from even this realm.

"Are you really me?" Young Noctis asked, stifling a yawn.

"Mhm, I really am. Now listen to me, this is important. When you get into school - a public school, not Ignis's tutoring - There will be a boy. He's blond and wears glasses, he has a camera and is a little clumsy... He will be your best friend, but he will take a very long time to realize that he doesn't have to be embarrassed to talk to you... Talk to him. Go to him. Run with him and don't let him out of your sight," older Noctis pressed. "There will be a time when you can't be together, seize every moment you can!"

"Huh, if you say so... But what if he's an idiot?" Young, sleepy Noctis said, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to stay awake and listen.

"Well, he is. But he's a good boy. A very good boy with a big heart for animals. He loves dogs and chocobos-"

"Chocobos are cute," his young self smiled, making Noctis smile in return. "Yes... Very much so. You'll like him, but he needs your courage to be able to talk to you..."

Noctis could feel himself fading away as his younger self drifted off to sleep, soon to wake up in his own time and reality before he would travel to Tenebrae and meet Luna for the first time.

Noctis watched as his father came to carry him to the car, to go there with him and all he could do was pray that his message had come across.

Finally a moment of peace. No annoying classmates who asked him how many servants he had, who was more interested in his status as the prince than himself as the person. Standing here, behind this shack next to the garbage where he wasn't even allowed to be, he was alone and no one would bother him.

Heaving a sigh he stared at his feet. He had been at this school for a week now and no one fitting into the description of his old self in his dream had come along. Maybe it was all just that, a dream. Nothing of that was the truth and he should just ignore the nagging feeling of loneliness, the emptiness that was eating him up from the inside.

"H-hello, prince," he heard a voice and looked up, surprised to see a fat kid approaching him. He was blond, wore glasses and had a camera, everything his older self had told him he would have.

Could it be...?

"Um, Hey would you like to be my- Uwah!"

The boy's foot got caught on the barrier and he fell facedown on the ground.

Ouch, that must have hurt!

Noctis came running, intending to help up the other boy.

"Everything alright?" He asked, looking down where the boy was still lying on the ground. Hopefully he didn't get a concussion or anything worse.

"Y-yes, the camera looks fine..." The boy said as if that was all that he was concerned about.

Noctis stared at him in disbelief, doing the only thing that he could think of doing before he said something he might regret. He reached out to the boy to help him up, but it seemed like he had misunderstood the gesture, so he held up his camera for Noctis to take.

"Ah, here..."

Boy, his old self had not been lying when he said this guy was an idiot.

"Not that," he laughed, holding out his hand still as the other boy pushed himself up on his knees before he finally reached out to take his hand.

Noctis tugged and pulled, but man, this guy was heavy!

He found himself uttering the word as he exerted himself, but managed to pull the other to his feet just as the bell at the end of the break sounded.

So Noctis, being the good boy he promised his father to be, got up and hurried back into the school building, jumping over the barrier as if it was nothing.

"Well... See ya!" He said on his way, leaving the other boy behind.

He looked shocked somehow, as if he hadn't heard Noctis's words at all, lost in his mind as he was clutching his camera to his chest.

Noctis did slow down to wonder when the other was coming back to school but the bells stopped, so he hurried a little faster. He thought he had heard another thud of the other boy falling to ground, but surely he wouldn't make the smell mistake twice, right?

He didn't see much more of the boy the following days. It was about a week later when he caught glimpse of him again, hiding behind a pole that did nothing to hide his body at all. Noctis turned when he thought he heard the other boy's voice only to see him retreat with hunched shoulders.

In that moment he thought to take his older self's advice and just go and talk to him, if not for the car with Ignis pulling up at the gate of the school to pick him up.

That happened a few times, and Noctis even waited where they had met for the first time in hopes that they could meet again.

He could sense that the other boy was there. Over the past three months it had taken him quite some time to find out that his name was Prompto and that he was in another class but that he had no friends, really.

Just like me...

Around winter time he had enough. Ignis had arrived with the car, but Noctis didn't want to leave without talking to this guy again, so he waited. His teeth were clattering from the cold and Ignis had asked him three times already to get into the car, but Noctis knew that Prompto was there.

Just when he had almost given up hope and turned to join Ignis in the warm car, he heard the heavy sound of footsteps on the freshly fallen snow.

"Hey, you!" He said and ran over to where Prompto tried to hide in vain behind a bush.

"A-ah!"

"Would you like to come and eat dinner at my place? I have some games we could play," he invited the boy, because what did he have to lose? His older self had said this guy would be his best friend forever, so it was definitely worth a shot.

"Ah, but I have training, too, um, so if you don't mind watching-"

"Do you think I could join?" Prompto asked, looking at him with wide eyes, seemingly more excited about a workout than the video games Noctis had to offer.

"If... If you really want to, but it's pretty exhausting-"

"I don't mind!"

"Huh?"

"Y-you know, I'm trying to lose weight and I've been running every day since we first met and I'm not good at this and I've read that working out helps a lot -"

"And eating right," Ignis cut in with a hand on Noctis's shoulders. "I'll make a nice, healthy meal... With lots of greens, it will do you both good."

Noctis pulled a face which in turn pulled a chuckle from the other boy.

"I started making my own salads and I like them! But I'm not good, so I would like to learn from you, please!" Prompto grinned and bowed low, surprising both the prince and his adviser.

"Well then. Come on in. What's your name?"

"Prompto. His name's Prompto and he's my friend," Noctis said, a happiness he hadn't known flowing through him that warmed his cold cheeks until they were pink with glee.

Noctis watched the scene unfold, so different than what he remembered and he smiled. He closed his eyes and in the next moment he found himself in a far away future, watching an old Prompto lying on his bed in New Insomnia, old and gray but no less his friend. He knew it was the end and a part of him couldn't wait for it to happen.

One breath. Another, slower, and one more.

Prompto looked so peaceful, asleep but alone.

Noctis held his breath and started counting the other's freckles. However, before he could reach double digits, he found that the breathing had stopped and he turned to look to his side.

'It's been a while,' he smiled as he turned to his friend, who stared at him with an open mouth, looking no older than thirty.

'Noct!'

They hugged, they cried and the only thing on Noctis's mind was that he was going to make it up to Prompto for leaving him alone for such a long time. He owed him that much, leaving him alone, watching him grow old without him. And then maybe one day, they would go back together and make their first meeting even better.

'I saw you in my dreams!'

'That's because I was there.'

'Really?'

'Come on, there's a lot you need to know...'

#noctisweek #promptis #noctis lucis caelum #prompto argentum #ffxv fanfiction #Makiko Igami's fanfiction

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iris-sistibly · 8 years ago

Photo

It was a perfect day.

The sun shone brightly at the azure skies, the emerald sea was calm. Golden sands shimmered under the rays of the majestic ball of fire. The mood was festive which lit up everyone’s spirits. The guests were all dressed up, garments made from the most expensive cloths adorned with intricate designs and precious stones. The aisle was decorated with colorful blossoms, freshly picked from the gardens of Lireo and Sapiro. Soldiers of both kingdoms lined on either side of the aisle, Lireans on the left, Sapirians on the right. At the dais stood a beautiful woman in sea green gown, she had long, curly locks, a crown in her head, a scepter on her hand. She looked regal and queenly…well, she’s now the queen of Lireo. I smiled as I watch her from afar—my Ashti Hara Alena, one of the women I look up to. On her left was a nursemaid with a sleeping infant in her arms, a baby boy who was born just after the war, a child who’s both diwata and Adamyan. Hara Alena’s child with the late Memfes. The monarchs of Hathoria were also present, Hara Pirena and Rama Azulan with Mira who immediately became close with her stepfather, I knew it has always been her dream to have a father and I as her friend and soul sister couldn’t be more happier for her. Of course, former queen Danaya and her husband Aquil were there, they are now expecting their first child. I bet he or she will be just as stubborn as his or her mother. I couldn’t help but chuckle, I can just imagine Ashti Danaya grumbling endlessly about how ashtadi her little brat is and Aquil reminding her that stubbornness is from our side of the family, well, our diwata genes are that dominant.

“They’re here!” Mashna Mayca announced. Everyone settled as the ceremony immediately began, Mashna Muros and Mashna Mayca walked together in the aisle first, holding the flags of Lireo and Sapiro, I came in second, now dressed as a Sapirian heiress. Me being officially hailed as my father’s successor came out as a surprise, I mean, everyone was expecting me to ascend the Lirean throne. Who would have thought I would be recognized as crown princess of Sapiro instead? Especially when the council expressed their strong opposition of breaking the norms that only males can rule Sapiro (dude, seriously?). The struggle was real you know, I had to work extra hard to prove that I am worthy to ascend my father’s kingdom in the future. And if you’re asking if I succeeded, well duh.

I stood beside Aquil and Ashti Danaya, and then they came. Dressed in matching gold and brown garments, they both looked great. My mom looked immaculate in her wedding dress, she looked radiant, she looked very happy as she smiled at everyone. My dad meanwhile kept looking at mom, his aura was very different, I haven’t seen him smile like that for many years, but thanks to Ariana who paved way for my mother to return and to Emre who finally granted her another chance to live as her own self, mom was able to return to us, just like what yla Mine-a promised to my Ashtis. Looking back, I witnessed how their love story unfold, from being allies to good friends, to being lovers. I witnessed how they fought the odds together and won every battle together, they were each other’s strength and weakness, happiness and heartache, true love and beloved. I witnessed how they both sobbed as they went on separate ways to fulfill their duties, I witnessed how my father shattered after mom chose to sacrifice herself to save us all. It was a struggle that was impossible to get through, but as they say, “Love makes the impossible possible,” when you love someone, you can do things you never thought you can do, my mother and father are living proof that true love conquers all, and I their daughter is a witness. My parents stood before Ashti Alena who became good friends with dad, after everything that happened, I know that she has truly moved on. Finally, no more awkwardness, no more hidden feelings, just genuine happiness. She was the first to bless my parents, “Ybrahim and Amihan,” said she, “As the keeper of the water gem and queen of Lireo, I am giving you my blessing, may you live a peaceful life like the calm sea, have a blissful marriage throughout the years, and may you continue to love each other unconditionally until the afterlife.” My mom looked at her with gratitude, their relationship as sisters were also put to a test, but my mom and Ashti chose to love and forgive each other in the end. And for that, I have such respect for the two. If I will blessed with a sister or even another brother, will we able to get through the trials we may face in the future like my mother and her sisters?

Ashti Pirena was the second to bless my parents, everyone shared a hearty laugh as she wished for them to have more children. Dad obviously liked the idea, mom blushed but laughed along as well, that thought excited me–I am an only child, I lost my half brother many years ago, and even though I have Mira, I still want to feel what it’s like to have siblings, I mean REAL siblings. Ashti Danaya who is my mom’s closest sister was teary-eyed when she gave her blessing to the bride and groom, it’s not everyday that I see her get emotional, maybe her pregnancy has something to do with it. Or maybe she really has always been a softie, I don’t know, it’s hard to read her mind.

After the blessing the priestesses performed some sort of ritual to help strengthen their marriage, and all that stuff. When the ritual was finished, the head priestess gestured me to come to the dais, I walked towards Hara Alena with a crown in my hands, a crown that is worn by queens of Sapiro. My parents knelt, the Lirean Hara placed the crown on my mother’s head, my mom became queen once again, of Sapiro this time. Ashti Alena happily announced, “My beloved encantados, I now give you, Rama Ybrahim and Hara Amihan, king and queen of Sapiro!” my parents rose to their feet and faced everyone. “Ivo Live Rama Ybrahim! Ivo Live Hara Amihan! Ivo Live Sapiro! Ivo Live Encantadia!” the crowd chanted headed by Mashna Mayca. The crowd applauded and cheered for the king and queen. Mother and father faced each other, eyes full of love, smiles full of happiness, mom wiped a tear from my dad’s eye and gently caressed his face. They weren’t saying anything, but that scene was worth millions of words, words that speak of love, happiness, and forever. Then the most awaited part happened next, my dad pressed his lips against my mom’s, I cannot help but squeal as they shared that long, sweet kiss. I looked at Mira, and she has the same reaction, I winked at her as if to say, “Finally!” Mira responded by raising her thumb which meant, “Alright!”

I joined my parents afterwards, giving them the both warm hugs. I guess group hugs will always be a thing in my family. I’m not complaining though, I am not and will never trade my family for anything. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever meet a guy like my father someday, a man who will never give up on me no matter what, I wonder if our love story will be just as beautiful as mom and dad’s? That is, if dad will ever allow me to date someone (he still sees me as his baby, don’t judge). Oh well, I guess love will have to wait, I still have a lot of princess-y stuff to learn, and I have to focus on being Ashti Danaya’s protégé aka the next keeper of the earth gem, I still have a long way to go. But as I prepare myself for the future, I will always keep in my mind the lessons I learned from my parents’ experiences, that everything will fall into place at the right time. Hold on, and trust the power of true love. I will always keep their story in my mind and carry it in my heart, and one day, I will relive those memories as I tell my future children and grandchildren their story. A love story that is one of a kind, the love story of Ybrahim and Amihan.

Beloved (by: Iris) From Lira’s point of view

Photo credits: @GMAEncantadia (via Twitter)

#ybrahim #amihan #lira #ybramihan #ybraliramihan #azpiren #danquil #mira #character tribute #fanfiction

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moosebeans · 8 years ago

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All of the TØP asks!

Answered. After six months. Answered.

It took me ages so better appreciate it 😂I had to do it on mobile bc my laptop’s not working :D

*SELF TITLED*IMPLICIT DEMAND FOR PROOF: what’s your biggest fear?I mean, like except for death, probably not being enough (what a greeeaaat start)FALL AWAY: what was the last lie you told to yourself?‘That’s not wrong’THE PANTALOON: have you ever been deeply affected by a death?I don’t think so, because the last time someone from my closest family died was when my great-grandmother died and I was 6 then so I don’t even remember her that much.ADDICT WITH A PEN: have you ever felt that what you want the most is out of your reach?Hahahaha I’m feeling this almost everyday, next question pleaseFRIEND, PLEASE: have you ever had to talk someone out of making a big mistake?Yes. I won’t tell the details bc you know, privacy, but I’m incredibly happy I managed to do so.MARCH TO THE SEA: do you conform or go against the standards?I’m not a rebel but definitely I’m more of going against the rules, but only if they are wrong.JOHNY BOY: who in your life is sort of unsung hero?Let’s just take a moment to appreciate @has-a-crisisOH MS BELIEVER: someone whom you wish were more confident of themselves?@has-a-crisis and @itsskylerblue and @justanotherduke you guys are wonderful and I don’t understand why you can’t believe that 💛💜AIR CATCHER: have you ever been afraid to tell someone you love them?Not really. Maybe bc I’ve never been in love lmao but if you mean platonic love, I don’t really like telling that bc I’m always scared that that person will let me down eventually and I’ll be sad that they’ve meant that much to me and they knew that.TRAPDOOR: is there something you hide from everyone, even the people close to you?I tend to hide my feelings and my mental state bc I don’t want to overwhelm anyone with mine problems as they already have theirs :’)A CAR, A TORCH, A DEATH: do you love somebody do much you are willing to die for them?Definitely yes, buuttt I’d rather Live for them (what a Ride reference)TAXI CAB: what do you believe will happen to you after you die?Ok, so I’m trying to believe there is some afterlife, and if there is I hope I can get to heaven (or just the good option in general if it’s not heaven), but for now I can’t say I’m sure it will happen so like. idk manBEFORE YOU START YOUR DAY: what is the song that make you feel confident?You mean one? Here’s a whole list: fairly local, lane boy, famous last words, my songs know what you did in the dark, misery (by blink-182) and if I had more time I’d list much moreISLE OF FLIGHTLESS BIRDS: what holds you back from reaching your whole potential?My lovely insecurities, thanks for asking. Seriously, there isn’t any specific one.

*REGIONAL AT BEST*GUNS FOR HANDS: how do you redirect negative thoughts?I don’t really redirect them, I basically just try to forget them by listening to loud music lmao :’)HOLDING ON TO YOU: who do you come to when you need help?@has-a-crisis, @justanotherduke and, thanks to the time zones, (the only good thing about them) when it’s too late there’s always @itsskylerblue awake(the whole thing will just be about them I guess)ODE TO SLEEP: are you a night owl or an early riser?Definitely the night owl. Although I prefer to be called a bat.SLOWTOWN: a day you’d relive over and over again if you could?3/11/2016 my tøp concertCAR RADIO: do you prefer to listen to radio or your own music in the car?Lemmie tell you. The songs on the radio are NOT as okay as that one song suggests. But if it’s an actual long journey then crappy pop is a part of the aesthetic.FOREST: something that didn’t go how you had planned?Like my teenage years for example??GLOWING EYES: what are your dreams like?Well sometimes they are amazing and I wish I didn’t wake up. Sometimes they are messy and cause headaches. Sometimes I have nightmares. And they are absolutely the worst.KITCHEN SINK: have you created something that only you understand?I guess yes? Like, the art I draw is pretty easy to understand but still they surely are some aspects of it only I know?ANATHEMA: what bothers you the most?I’m just never enough. But I don’t have energy to do anything about that.LOVELY: best compliment you’ve ever received?“FUCK that’s good” about my art or “you’re literally alien goddess or what” :) RUBY: have you ever been unexpectedly inspired or affected by someone?Yes. No, you won’t hear details.TREES: someone you wish you could speak to?I’d say… to my mom. I wish I could tell her everything. But it’s not that easy.BE CONCERNED: have you ever questioned something everyone around you firmly believed?Like… does life even have sense?CLEAR: are you an introvert or an extrovert?You see. I’m an extrovert to people I like. But if I’m faced with people I don’t like I’m a total introvert.HOUSE OF GOLD: have you promised something you can’t fulfill until you get older?So many things, honestly, I don’t have time to list them.

*VESSEL*ODE TO SLEEP: have you ever asked someone for forgiveness multiple times?Yes.HOLDING ON TO YOU: do you write in cursive or print?Somewhere between (WHAT A REBEL I AM)MIGRAINE: favourite and least favourite days of the week? Why?Fave- Wednesdays bc I have easy school and I’m still not too tired with the whole weekLeast fave- Sundays and I won’t quote Migraine but more less that’s whyHOUSE OF GOLD: what kind of house do you want to have when you get older?Small but cozy and full of love :’)CAR RADIO: have you ever had anything stolen from you?That one bitch in kindergarten stole my my little ponies once. She got caught and she was defending herself by saying she had to take them on a walk because I kept them inside for too long. Other than that I don’t think so, except someone might have stolen my converse at school but they also might have been thrown away bc I forgot to take them home for winter break as I should SEMI-AUTOMATIC: something you wish you could change from your personality?Idk I could stop being such a salty bitch lmao SCREEN: have you ever pretended to be someone you’re not to impress somebody?I’ve lost count, but I actually don’t do it anymore bc, you know, I stopped giving any effs about whether people like me or not THE RUN AND GO: the last person at whose house you stayed? the last person that stayed at your house?My godparents and for the second one my cousinsFAKE YOU OUT: thing you seem to care about more than most people?I’m really insecure so basically everything that is about me that I don’t like and can’t really change GUNS FOR HANDS: the last lie you told to your parents?“Yeah, I’ll try to go to sleep earlier” or “no, I’m not sad”TREES: someone you wish you could see?(strictly see, no dialogue)I don’t know really? Because just seeing someone is so… not enough if you can’t talk TRUCE: what inspires you to stay alive?My true friends @has-a-crisis, @itsskylerblue and @justanotherduke, a.k.a. the ones I can always count on. Also that small amount of hope that it eventually gets better KITCHEN SINK: have you ever told anyone to go away even though you didn’t want to be alone?Many, many times

*BLURRYFACE*HEAVYDIRTYSOUL: have you ever had to put your dream on hold?Yeah, multi times.STRESSED OUT: whose opinion do you value the most?Probably my friends’ because I know they really care about meRIDE: a fantasy you would never act on?I’d never actually kill the people I sometimes want to.FAIRLY LOCAL: are you typically hot or cold?You mean as a person or do I feel cold or hot? Both answers are cold TEAR IN MY HEART: have you found the tear in my heart?I don’t think so.LANE BOY: have you ever stood up for what you believed in?Yes, multiple times actuallyTHE JUDGE: what’s scarier, the fear or what causes the fear?As a very anxious person I know it’s usually the fear.DOUBT: a doubt that you have that you wish you could shake?If I’m really good at anything or are people just nice to me.POLARIZE: where do you hide your problems?In my diary or in my head.WE DONT BELIEVE WHATS ON TV: do you more value material objects or the intangible?The intangible. I’m actually quite minimalistic so I don’t care about things that much anyway.MESSAGE MAN: when things get hard do you sleep or stay awake?I’m staying AWAKEHOMETOWN: where is your hometown?Warsaw, Poland. Unless you mean something metaphorical then idkNOT TODAY: do you let people get to you?It takes time. A long time.GONER: what is your blurryface like?My blurryface is a mess. Always in the back of my head. When it comes out, everything begins to be too much and everything loses its sense.

Well that was a ride. Congratulations if you actually read it all. Also sorry I’m answering this after literal six months.

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shawnjacksonsbs · 5 years ago

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Does your love fight? Does it fight for riches? 10-20-19

"Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty." - Doris Day

Defining being rich or being poor in this way is relative to exactly how you feel about life. I want to be a millionaire. Are you trying to be a pauper? Then figure it out.

P.S. (I decided my p.s. would make for a better read at the beginning, so its a pre-script not a post-script. lol)

Our evening went as planned, maybe even better. I wouldn't have changed much, and my limited regret was that we were missing some family. Nobody knows better than I that being responsible sometimes has to come first though. I get it and that makes it better. For that, and for them, I am forever grateful.

Special note to self; the new Titans were right. Cauliflower pizza crust shouldn't be a thing. Good thing we made both kinds.

Now, does your love fight for anything of real human value, and decency? Do you see all of us (humans), as more the same or more different? Only you can answer these questions honestly, and given enough thought, your answers are for you to ponder. Just food for thought. Like where do you believe you are at in life.

Whether or not you seek some grand eternal afterlife, or like me a ready and full heart in the here and now, fighting for true moral dilemmas, at least in your heart and mind, they are more than likely what will get you there, correct? So wishing kindness and serenity, compassion and strength, as well as civility and connectivity upon the people (especially strangers) should be a way of life for everyone, not just those who decide it. I believe that with my whole heart. I believe the majority of people on this planet feel the same way. I'm not going to waste time in this entry outlining what I think about things that divide us, except to say religions and separatist ideologies in any fashion are where I think we fail. If yours makes you a better person than we are all the better for it. It's why I overreach for coexisting, but if your small, or local part does good, and the bigger circle for which you follow fails humanity then you share in that responsibility if you don't speak out against it. That part of it I can never seem to let be.

My days may sometimes look like a bad day. They may even sound that way, but I assure you they aren't, like ever. I'm 100% changed in all the ways necessary to turn bad days into amazingly awesome days most of the time. I know bad days will be in my future but they're not here now. The ones that are slight I'm built to deal with, when they come. Trust me. It's "so far, so good."

I also don't have to relive the past so those so-so days are dead in the water or left by the wayside as I lay my head down each night. I've also gotten pretty good at not pre-living in the future, although some worry does happen when it comes to my kids and my family. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. Living in today, and truly feeling grateful for all the parts that come with it, make my everydays amazing, without much exaggeration.

I've had a lot of help over the last several years with different areas and aspects of my life ( for which I will remain grateful for, for all time), but my feelings, my gratitude, my perspectives, and my content heart are all my doing. I get that credit. Believing in yourself is vital. I failed so often for so long, that I needed some wins. My faith lies within me, and within humanity and its capacity for betterment, not in any unseen forces that may or may not be in motion. I'll never understand why people put so much stock in stuff like that. The power is in you. Actually, it is you.

Its Saturday, and obviously the day before I am to post this entry. I'm currently standing in my kitchen, in a barely lit area, drinking coffee in the dark, taking notes and wondering what it will take for more people to wake up, and wondering if I'll see any more great strides forward before I die.

I'm also waiting for the rain to die down before heading to work (because working in the rain isn't a thing here lol) for what should be about a half a days workload. It's also my birthday, and I am so looking forward to my little get together this evening. Some family and all the grandkids. We are going to be making our own pizzas with toppings galore, and hopefully painting pumpkins tonight.

With the grandkids spending the night, I figured I'd write some of this now, while I have time, so it doesn't infringe too much with time shared with them. Having a place in the lives of my little people, as well as my kids are going so much better than I expected them to.

Just FYI, I think my boys are doing a lot better, and I mean to tell you now that there isn't anything in the world that feels greater than my grandkids when they recognize it's me walking to their door, or wherever, and yelling "IT'S PAWPAW. IT'S PAWPAW!". Also, be pretty hard-pressed to fill a heart any more to capacity than that. Just sayin'. Fred Rogers, who I know I probably already quote too much, once told a group of doctors that were looking for new ways to approach children so that children wouldn't be so fearfully apprehensive towards them, that "You were children once, too." As it was with most of his teachings, it was simple and deep, not shallow and complex. I know it is the how and why I do better now with relating and feeling the energies of my grandkids. It's nice, the whole not being so messed up that I cant feel or don't know how to feel.

I truly am at the greatest point of my life, to date. I am grateful for more and more every day, as I am presented with still more each day to be grateful for. It's not exaggerated either. Which is exactly why I feel the need to keep reaching out, even overreaching at times, because it works.

I reckon I'm going to wrap this part up and head on out. I need to wake up the one son currently living and working with me. Its coffee time. Sharing the love and the laughter with people you wouldn't normally share it with could end up being the greatest feeling you wouldn't want to trade-in. Go out and try it. What have you got to lose? Being kind, or at least civil, to one another is still the mission I'm trying to push on you, and me, but for all of us.

Until next week;

"I wish you all, greater successes and the fulfillment of all your dreams." - the Universe (if you listen with your heart)

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holaafrica · 7 years ago

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I call out its complicity in the unjust treatment endured by queer folks, which vary from one geographical location to the next, from one religion to the next or from one denomination to the next. Sadly, I do this much to the chagrin of queer folks who are religious. http://holaafrica.org/2017/09/13/religion-is-complicit-in-homophobia-what-i-wish-theist-lgbt-folks-understood/

Religion is complicit in homophobia: What I Wish Theist LGBT+ Folks Understood

By Joyline Maenzanise

I was born into Christianity; my mother was one of those people who went to church religiously and that way of living was instilled in us from a very young age. I became aware of my attraction towards women in my late teens. At that time, I did not take the feelings seriously; I did not even think they might mean anything more than just fleeting feelings. I was too busy trying to fit into the heteronormative standards which always felt like a taxing competition with other women for the attention of men. Patriarchy! How could I, anyway? Zimbabwe is a generally homophobic country; homosexuality is illegal and it is demonised.

In my early twenties, my attraction towards women became more pronounced and hard to ignore. This started bothering me, especially as someone who was still a Christian. I knew what the Bible says about my sexuality; I had heard it preached about in church or on television. On top of that, I had already had a deacon at the church I once was part of tell me that I was possessed by a male demon. I’m not sure if this was because of my sartorial choices; I wore (women’s) pants a lot.

I began to pray about this; I believe I was praying the gay away.

Still, those feelings for women never went away. At that time, I took that as a sign from the deity. I could be with whoever I wanted to be with. I had moved from Zimbabwe to South Africa when all this was happening.

Accepting my own sexuality has been both a liberating experience and a burden. Being queer made it hard for me to attend the church that I had been going to (His People Church). I remember one sermon where the pastor had even preached against homosexuality. To be honest, I don’t think there’s any other thing that is condemned by these pastors (and other religious person) as much as homosexuality, even though the Bible is filled with many other ‘deplorable’ actions. Anyway, I began to feel more and more out of place and eventually I just stopped going to church.

Being busy with studies also made it easier for me to leave. I was still religious though; sometimes my mentor invited me to her church (I have forgotten the name but it just happened to be a few blocks away from His People). It was great that they welcomed everyone regardless of sexual orientation but I did not feel at home in that place. Maybe I felt uncomfortable with being one of the very few Black members or it could have been the absence of the upbeat vibe that I had loved about my previous church. It just didn’t feel homey, despite being LGBT+ friendly.

I have since dissociated myself from religion.

Though my sexuality is not the reason for this, it certainly is one of the major reasons why I will stay as far away as I can from religion. The move has been, somewhat, freeing because being constantly bombarded with verses that speak against my existence or how I am doomed to an afterlife of suffering in hell no longer sends shivers running down my spine. I’m not even bothered by that! Right now, I am more concerned about my happiness and living my life (this life) unfettered. Like I always say lately, hell, it if does exist, can wait!

Marriage, family and coming out

I came out to my familyin January 2014. I decided to tell them because I wanted them to know that if I ever mentioned marriage, they would know better than to expect any dowry because I wouldn’t be bringing home a man. I know some queer women follow the tradition of paying dowry to the partner’s family but I have told myself that I will not allow heteronormative practices to worm their way into my life as a queer person. I will not allow how I relate to my partner to be informed by any patriarchal/ cis-heteronormative standards.

I came out to my siblings and aunt (our parents have passed on) in an email because we all live in different places and I just couldn’t wait for when we would all be together. Judging by the current state of our relationships, I don’t know if that will ever happen. Honestly, it was better and safer for me to do it that way because even though I didn’t know what their reaction would be, I anticipated the worst given our religious upbringing and the patriarchal violence that marred memories of growing up together.

I struggled to even come up with the right words to use.

Luckily, I had a queer friend from college who, after I confided in her, told me how she had gone about it with her family. She was fortunate to have an accepting family. That wasn’t the case with me (or many other queer folks). My younger siblings and oldest niece reassured me that all was good. While some siblings chose not to say anything, some said that this was hard for them to accept just like it was hard for me to let them know. My oldest brother decided to send a long sermon on how homosexuality is a sin and that I needed to be saved. It was too long so I merely skimmed through it. After a few days, he sent he another email checking to find out what decision I had made after his ‘oh-so-loving advice’. I ignored him and every other hurtful email he has thought to send afterwards. It was, and still is, clear that some siblings thought I was seeking their approval when I told them about my sexuality. I didn’t want their blessings; I was merely letting them know.

Preparing them for the possible future.

Since coming out, I have had to deal with a brother who believes I am suffering because I am gay. He seems to have deluded himself into believing that there is no gay person on the face of this earth who is happy and living a fulfilling life. He has even suggested that I find a pastor to help pray for me in a misguided attempt at some form of conversion therapy.

‘Stay away from gay people’, that’s what he’s also told me.

To add to the pain, my mother’s sister sent me a video of an ‘ex-lesbian’ who is now in a heterosexual relationship, apparently in hopes to let me know that I too can change if I am willing to denounce my sexuality and allow the Holy Spirit to change me. Like geez, give a human a break!

Homophobia disguised as love

Some people have said all the reactions from relatives are coming from a place of love. I call bullshit on that. Someone who loves me will accept me the way I am. If there is one thing I have learnt from experience, it is that, sometimes, people give advice not out of concern for another person or their well-being, but because they want to ensure that that person does not step outside of what’s considered ‘normal’ or acceptable and therefore, does not embarrass them or ruin their reputation in any way (by association or relation).

Since dissociating myself from Christianity, I am no longer afraid to question religion. I do not censor myself when talking about religion. I criticise it as the system on which many oppressive systems (which many of us call out with so much rigor) are predicated. I call out its complicity in the unjust treatment endured by queer folks, which vary from one geographical location to the next, from one religion to the next or from one denomination to the next. Sadly, I do this much to the chagrin of queer folks who are religious. I find it really disheartening and very ironic. Before deciding to do otherwise, I would expend so much of my energy questioning the intolerance towards the LGBT+ community of these institutions, being fully cognizant of the Biblical principles they use to justify their stance. I would question these teachings in much the same I criticise the way the Bible seems to glorify suffering or devalue women. Personally, I am not bothered that some religious institutions won’t accept queer folks because I’m not religious. I don’t want to be in those spaces! I don’t want to force myself into spaces where I am not wanted. However, I cannot afford to ignore the intolerance of religion because it is those exclusionary, discriminatory beliefs tend to find their way into other aspects of our lives thus posing a huge risk to the livelihoods of queer folks. My own queerness does not afford me the luxury to disregard this. Sanctimonious sacrosanct

I know I am not the only queer person who criticises religion or expresses their anger at it. People have legitimate reasons for their anger and sadly, this anger often goes dismissed as offensive by those who follow religious practices. I’ve had one queer guy tell me to never talk to him again after I posted a Facebook post expressing my anger at God. Mind you, he felt justified enough to express his intolerance at my anger towards his God (whom he believes is too sacrosanct to be questioned, let alone despised) even when he didn’t even know or bother to understand why I was angry. To top it all off, this was the reaction coming from a queer individual who is in the closet and uses a pseudonym on Facebook. He is in the closet online and offline. Ask yourself- why would someone be in the closet, despite attempts by some folks to convince them that ‘coming out’ isn’t necessary?

Fear. Deep down, the cause of that fear stems from religion. Still, some of these folks defend it and the deities they deem to be ‘loving’.

It is not my desire to strip anyone of their autonomy when it comes to choosing whether to subscribe to any religion or not. I would just appreciate it if queer folks who are religious would be aware of how religion continues to shape other people’s realities. Just because your religious institution has accepted you or you believe your God loves you the way you are, whether you are ‘out’ or in the closet does not mean you get to stifle other people’s anger towards how oppressive religion really is. Some religious institutions are less dogmatic and some queer folks are only fortunate to be part of such institutions. The same cannot be said about those queer folks who have been (or risk being) murdered, those who have been ostracised by their families or communities, those who have lost their jobs or failed to land that job, those who have resorted to (or have considered or consider) ending their own lives, those who now suffer from some mental illness because of the trauma induced by living in a society whose hate or intolerance is justified by religion.

If you have a family that believes in a deity or deities and loves you for who you are, good for you. If your church welcomes ALL, good for you. You are one of the privileged few.

There are other posts about religion and homophobia including this one about how God Loves Gay people and this one about accepting yourself as a queer christian. There are also ones about coming out such as this guide that has helpful tips and also one about how staying in the closet can be an act of self care and preservation.

*leave a comment on the post, you can write it under a different name and your email will not be published.*

To submit to HOLAA! email [email protected]

#closet #homophobia #patriarchy and homophobia #Religion #Blog #Queerly Spiritual #Queerly Cultural

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limewrites-archive · 4 years ago

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Emptiness | Leone Abbacchio & Bruno Bucciarati

Pairing: Bruno Bucciarati x Leone Abbacchio Length: 2,285 words Warning: Part 5 Death Spoilers below the cut (Summary below the cut) Also available to read on Archive of Our Own! (kudos and comments appreciated <3 )

Summary: Bruno Bucciarati lives but Abbacchio and Narancia were the only casualties during the journey to defeat the boss.

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With being a team leader, he knew more about each individual probably more than the rest knew about each other. They'd confide in him, look up to him, admire him and Bruno was just like a role model and savior to them all. He'd take the time to speak to each individual to understand and get to know their stories which made his team so special to him. They all may be young, but they'd be in a worse place if they weren't here under his wing. Abbacchio was the only one who was older than himself and could handle himself financially if he needed it. Mentally, Leone would be a mess living by himself.

Leone was always so different around him which made it hurt more. The two had an unspoken love, a mutual understanding that was beyond friendship. As things got more dangerous, Bruno wanted to mention it to Leone in the airplane. It was a perfect moment since Mista and Narancia were asleep in the turtle, Giorno and Trish were in the back. Instead, Bruno kept quiet to let Leone focus on controlling Moody Blues. Bruno was just so hung up on what could have been. They could have stolen a kiss after a confession or made peace in accepting they may not make it. Instead, Bruno planned to check the engines and Notorious B.I.G was back on the plane to ruin their flight. That was the last possible moment alone they would have together. He found some acceptance that they both saw the clouds together in the sky, the dark blue waves beneath them. Seeing the clouds so high up felt peaceful and at least they had that for a moment. When Leone first laid eyes on Bruno, his world was dark and he was falling into a dark hole he dug himself. As he spent more time with Bruno, his world was brightened. He enjoyed serving Bruno and found himself always wanting to be around him. He was amazed at all the good Bruno would do for citizens, all the good that was in Bruno despite things he had to do as a part of his job for Passione. Leone would follow Bruno to the ends of the Earth which made him cling to life even in his death. Leone had the option of choosing to live in his Heaven or to stay on Earth through the limbo between the living and the dead. He could observe humans and go to heaven when he was ready. The only thing was that if he goes to his own Heaven, he can't go back to watching the living. "You can stay here for as long as you need, Leone. I know you have unfinished business." Abbacchio's police partner had been waiting for him. That was his own unfinished business, to make sure that Leone would be guilt-free about his death and to tell him he did an excellent job while he lived. With those words, he ascended into the afterlife and left Leone.

Abbacchio knew what he had to do then. He wanted to wait for Bruno, no matter how long and greet him in the afterlife. Leone wanted to make sure Bruno would continue and continue to spread the happiness he so easily made people feel. He didn't expect Bruno to be such a mess at night when he saw how normal he looked during the day. Watching over Bruno in the afterlife was something that gave him fulfillment but also great anger and sadness. Things wouldn't have changed if that damn Giorno Giovanna would never have shown up. Now that he had seen the outcome and Narancia had joined him in the afterlife to watch over the group, Leone was a bit pissed off that Giorno had become the boss for selfish gain. At least Giorno would be the last to join them in death, and hopefully, by then Leone hoped he would be in his own Heaven by then. He enjoyed spending his days in the afterlife fly by as he observed Bruno for the most part while other times he was wandering the streets of Naples. He would sit at the cafe with Narancia eating while they waited for the others. Surprisingly, food pops up whenever they want even though they don't ever get hungry. Narancia always has all the pizzas he ever wants as well as sodas. Leone only drinks wine by habit but enjoys a plate of food when the team eats. Eating with the team even though they can't see or hear him makes him feel alive again even if the conversation is dull.

The days that pass by what seemed like only a few hours, one blink and you miss something. Having nothing to do but watch the living, he saw how fast everything goes by and how fragile life is. He's seen the struggle and grief the people of Naples had gone through when he was a cop, witnessing theft and crime daily. Life is so vulnerable, so fast-paced and yet somehow people make it through and endure while trying to do everything they can to cling to every precious moment. Leone found it hard to cling on when he can't touch anything physically and can't speak to the one he has the most to say to. Ghost life was less interesting than you would think. Endless food, whenever you want to enjoy to just feel human again, was at the command of thought and you could wander anywhere your feet could take you. No money needed, no bills- but something feels like it's missing. Maybe it is the enjoyment of life, the things people had to save up to do, and then the excitement when they have the funds to do so. The thrill of playing the game of life. Leone couldn't grab things besides the ones only he could see and make appear like the food he and Narancia would enjoy from time to time. Across the other souls that would be in the lining between life and death, there was a rumor that eventually got to Narancia where if souls have enough strength, they can make things move in the living world. When Abbacchio heard of this for himself, he had to at least try to contact Bruno in some sort of way. Rumor or not, part of it had to be true and he wasn't going to go a day without trying. At first, Leone got nothing, trying to push away a pen Bruno had set down for a moment, attempting to push a chair but nothing worked. His own hand would go right through the object and he was starting to think it wasn't ever going to work. In life, Abbacchio wasn't superstitious and whenever a ghost was mentioned, he fought that there always had to be some rational explanation. Being what humans would call a ghost now made him want at least Bruno to consider that ghosts were real and with him instead of hearing Bruno pray for Narancia and himself to be in heaven. Leone often visited Bruno at night, just to see how peaceful he could be while sleeping and imagine he was sleeping well. Sometimes, Leone wished that there would have been more time for the two of them to figure each other out more. Abbacchio would hear Bruno's night cries that he should have said something in the plane just to let him know how much he loved him, how much it hurt to no longer have his friend in the world, and how sorry he was for not being a better team leader. Abbacchio would try to touch him to give him some sort of comfort but again he would just go right through Bruno. He'd been trying for days on end and finally got frustrated. Even though he couldn't do anything, he tried pushing stuff off of the desk, trying to kick the chair, and finally, he had pushed the lamp off of the nightstand. He did a double-take, realizing that he had done something. The lamp didn't break but it was on the floor still dimly lit. Bruno had turned around to see the light on the floor. He wasn't anywhere even close to the thing and there wasn't a pillow or something to push it off. To him, it had just fallen out of nowhere. Bruno got up from sitting on the foot of the bed and gently placed the lamp back on the stand. "Is..." He was reluctant to ask this question, doubting what first came to thought. He shook it off and asked anyways. "Is there a presence with me?" He waited, nothing else happened. Abbaccio was trying to push things again and again but nothing happened. Bruno's eyes were puffed, he felt exhausted and wanted this to be done with. "Please, show me a sign." In his own mind, he hoped it was his father or Abbacchio or Narancia if there was a thing as spirits. If not, he would feel stupid for calling out to nothing. Leone's frustration turned into a sadness that night. He had been so damn close to figuring it out and letting Bruno he wasn't alone. Tears were forming in his eyes but dripped down to nothing. There was no wetness down his cheek that came with the tears falling only his emotion and the feeling of tears forming. He tried to look around the room for anything that would let Bruno know it was him. There wasn't anything that he Bruno could have possibly kept from when they cleared out Leone's apartment. Abbacchio remembered that they had spent a day giving away his and Narancia's clothes to people that were less fortunate. There must have had been something if Bruno was crying this much for Abbacchio specifically. He remembered one thing that Bruno had framed. It was a photo of both of them that Mista had taken. Abbacchio's hair was growing out then and was still pretty short. Bruno was the same as ever with his black dotted, white suit. He had rushed to the side of the bed seeing the framed photos on the other nightstand. It hurt him to do it, but Leone punched the frame with all his force and energy. It cracked. It was a very noticeable crack and Bruno heard the crack behind him. He looked at the various photos that he had of the group on Christmas and Halloween and then to the only one where it's just him and Abbacchio. It was cracked and even a small piece of glass had fallen onto the wooden surface. Bruno laughed, his tears falling and he could barely see from how blurry the tears made him. "Ah Leone... It's you."

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