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mannatea · 1 year ago

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The World Could Be Beautiful, a Tales of Symphonia ‘fic (Chapter 2)

Word Count: 10,786 Summary: After a chance encounter in Izoold, Raine and Regal both get a lot more than they bargained for. (A one-night stand 'fic with consequences.) Chapter Summary: Raine travels to Palmacosta hoping to find work for the winter and meets up with Genis. Pairing/Characters: Regal/Raine, mention of assorted OCs as the story requires. Other characters set to appear are Genis, George, Lloyd, Colette. Warnings: Blanket warnings for the entire fic: pregnancy (and all that comes with it), discussion/mention of abortion, power imbalance, fantasy racism. Rating: Explicit, because there is sex in it. I don't write particularly explicit sex, but because it's here the rating has to be like this. Genre: Romance/angst/bumbling through an awkward and frankly frightening situation.

The title is the link to Ao3 for Chapter 2!

Notes under a cut.

I skimmed over the travel to Palmacosta because nobody really wants to read about Raine feeling like absolute shit for half a chapter, and there's no one else with her to even talk to her so...

Genis was surprisingly easy to write. He's 15, he's still kind of a brat, and he's still a know-it-all (something he and Raine have in common lmao). The only real change is that he's bolder in how he speaks. As far as his tease at Raine about how he knows how to filter his speech goes, I like to imagine if she gets worked up too much or stressed, her filter goes quickly. 🤣

A cannery is a place where things are...canned. LOL. In this case, it's a fish cannery, where fish (and possibly other seafood) are processed. It's pretty hard work and a lot of lifting (which isn't easy for Raine; she's not very strong). Palmacosta is such a busy town I imagine they could run shifts around the clock, and even if she might prefer the morning shift, she'd take what paid best to try and save up as much money as possible for the spring.

Genis being uncomfortable with her staying outside: yeah, I mean...his concerns are very valid. She could get robbed, hurt, or even killed and there's no one that far out of town that she can turn to for help.

There's also the fact that it's not very good for her to just be out in the weather like that all the time. Sure, it doesn't get terribly cold, but it probably gets chilly enough at night to be at least a little concerning.

The pregnancy: Raine is a bit naïve here, but in her defense if her cycle is regularly pretty late (and usually beats the ever-living shit out of her when it does arrive), she probably doesn't track it very seriously (waste of time and energy).

Also, she was out in the weather quite a bit. Her first thought being "ugh I'm coming down with something I can just feel it!" seemed reasonable to me.

More importantly, she DID DO THE INCANTATION to try to stop a pregnancy from occurring. You just have to imagine that, like any other birth control method, it's not 100% guaranteed to work. It just doesn't occur to her that she could have failed at something she's usually very skilled at (magic).

As the author I shouldn't have to say that my opinions are not those of the characters, but just in case: take note. My opinion is that it's Raine's body at stake and Raine's opinion that matters regarding this baby.

HOWEVER, Raine's stance here is not quite the same because she is in a unique situation: the father of her baby is a very rich man, and he's someone she considers a friend. She feels she should tell him about the baby (out of respect for him) and get an idea of what he thinks about it before she chooses what to do.

In this story's universe abortion is not legal in Sylvarant and considered a somewhat dangerous option in Tethe'alla. The issue with coathanger-style abortions is that if the person doing the procedure messes it up (which can happen even when done by a practicing doctor), it can tear open a blood vessel and you can hemorrhage, oftentimes to death. Raine is a healer, but it doesn't mean she'd be able to save herself if something like this happened to her. And even if she did save herself, her health could take a long-term hit from the complications anyway.

(TO BE CLEAR: this is not indicative or representative of modern-day abortions, so please don't get it twisted. I'm sort of trying to match something that feels vaguely "period-appropriate.")

If Regal wants no involvement and won't offer any financial support, abortion is probably worth the risk to Raine. She doesn't want to go back to labor work with an infant in tow. She doesn't want to have to raise a baby from scratch again, and by herself with no help at all and all the fears she had while raising Genis still very real and present in her life.

That said, she doesn't know what he might have to say about it. Experience with him--and Genis points this out-- says that he's a good person who will probably want to take responsibility in some way, but Raine doesn't like uncertainties and will not latch onto them as fact. She would rather hear it directly from him. (And this isn't the kind of thing she can tell him in a letter.)

Anyway, half of Raine and Genis's conversation is just them heavily speculating because none of them know what Regal will actually say or do. Like yes ideally he will at least throw money at Raine for the inconvenience, but...this is not a guarantee.

Genis's anger/argumentative nature/discussion of Raine's sex life: yeah this was weird to write. I think he's ride or die for Raine in a similar vein to how Mithos was for Martel. Raine is more or less Genis's mother but she is also his sister and to some extent his friend. I DO NOT think he'd take kindly to someone treating her badly, and the idea of Regal tossing his own child aside like garbage (and Raine along with it) just pisses him off. He doesn't think Regal will do that, but if he does he's ready to be Big Mad about it.

I'm sure Raine tried to hide the truth of why she was pregnant to some degree, but spilled the metaphorical tea in an attempt to protect Regal from her brother's anger lmao. (She also just VERY MUCH doesn't want Genis to be angry about anything, anger is too consuming.) Her telling Genis that she told Regal he didn't have to pull out was her trying to take responsibility for the majority of the mistake. Like she led him to believe he didn't have to pull out and then her incantation didn't work. In her mind this makes it mostly her fault.

While I do view Raine as a pretty private person, I also think she would try not to let her own anxieties affect her brother, or her relationship with her brother. I also don't see her as being particularly shy, so it doesn't feel too weird to me to imagine she would have just let him know the general situation—again, if only to prove the blame belonged to her and not to Regal.

Genis is definitely right in this chapter a lot (if Regal was mature enough to have sex with her he should be mature enough to take responsibility) but I wanted to kind of write his attitude toward the whole thing as a bit more clinical/crass. Like his line about logic--where was HER logic when she needed it, huh? What can I say, he's 15 and he doesn't know shit BUT HE SURE THINKS HE KNOWS BETTER.

Also, yes, Genis was worried that baby might have been a product of something non-consensual at first, which was the primary reason he was so uncomfortable bringing it up. If it was the product of a traumatic experience, he didn't really want to make her relive it.

"He has all the power!" Yeah. I mean...let's not pretend Raine has any leverage here. She doesn't. She's at Regal's mercy. He can choose to throw her away or choose to help but aside from appealing to him as a friend, there is very little she can do. All the power is in his hands. (Hence the warning for power imbalance.)

Raine would be painfully aware of this. It's right up there with her understanding how important Regal is in the world right now (to half-elves, to the lower classes, to Sylvarant), and knowing how badly this scandal could damage his reputation—not just because it's a baby out of wedlock, but because it's a half-elf baby out of wedlock and Regal is Tethe'allan. Most people within his company and on the board and the court are Tethe'allan and therefore more likely to judge him harshly.

When Raine says it could ruin his life she is NOT talking about it in modern terms. She means that the scandal of having a half-elf baby out of wedlock and recognizing it/being open about it could cost him his job and his title, and without those things he cannot continue to help the lower classes, half-elves, or Sylvarant. That is a HUGE DEAL. Jeopardizing that over one baby seems extremely stupid to Raine. If he tells her to keep her mouth shut and take some money she'll respect it—not because she likes the idea but for the sake of the world. And at least it's something. He can definitely afford to pay her off (and while it's not ideal she could raise a child comfortably).

The important takeaway here is that Raine will choose the greater good in this instance.

Little things:

Teachers needing a license? Just something I made up, but it makes sense to me.

Raine's fear of settling down? This is based pretty much 100% on the fact that she's just never been able to stay anywhere long-term and while she wants the safety and security of a settled life, she's afraid of trying to take that for herself because it feels fake to her. Like she just feels like she'll get bullied out of town or something a month or ten months or ten years down the road.

"I'm a healer, remember? It won't kill me." I mean it could though. She can't heal illness.

Genis being able to 'sense' the baby: I figured if a half-elf can sense other half-elves, it might be possible to sense a second mana signature, especially alongside one he knew as well as his sister's. Raine just can't sense it because she's too busy feeling like garbage.

I feel like I skipped over some small detail but you know how it is. If you have any questions feel free to ask!

Thanks for reading!

#regal bryant #raine sage #regal x raine #tales of symphonia #mannafics

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purplerose244 · 4 years ago

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My thoughts on Seabound!!! 🌊🌊🌊 (3/4)

SPOILERS ALERT!!!

Yep yep yep, I'm liking this season a lot! 😍 Although I hope we'll get into a more frantic situation now, like with more battles and more bonding moments (Nya and Maya hopefully, but with Bentho too 🦈🦈🦈)! We got half a season to go, I'M READY!! 😎😎

Alright, here we go!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

I do like the season a lot, maybe MoM was a little more cohesive? Idk but it's not a big complain, I still love it so far 😍

Also maybe I would've liked more interactions between Nya and Maya about how they've been apart for so long, they had a chit chat but I would've loved even more. Maybe with Nya saying that it was fine and she grew up only to realize she is still hurt by that, even though it wasn't Maya's fault. I still like how they did it, I wished there was more that's it 🤷‍♀️

While I do make sense to Maya's behavior, that while it seems a little different from Hands of Time it had its logic in my opinion, maybe Ray feels a little weird? He seems less courageous than before, and it was established that he is a hothead like his son so that came off as unusual 🤔🤔

But I do love the fact that he's here and he's bonding with his son, for real, I've been waiting for this for so long so I'm happy nonetheless 🤩

Maybe I'm just easy to please and I take all I can get idk 😅

THE STORM AMULET

Oh, are we gonna address the wind element? It feels like we haven't really seen a Morro reference since Hands of Time, that would be cool! 😍 I mean, why even mentioning the wind then 😅😅

Well what do you know, they tracked them, who saw that coming?... me, I saw that coming... we all did probably 🤷‍♀️

Jay took upon himself making a quick recap on how Ninjago will be destroyed this time, thanks Bluebell 👌

Yep nyeheh electricity makes Nya go crazy for sure ❤💙 ... wait it wasn't a Jaya pun?

Jay wear your seatbelt please, you risk you life enough 😅😅 Pff lol "are we there yet" and they are actually there, biggest plot twist I've ever heard of 😂

LEGO HUG 💜💜💜

And with someone who might as well join the League of Jay apparently 💙

I liked The Island yet it was not as exciting as I hoped for, but now understand the meaning of it. The ninja helped the keepers and they are all allies. Without The Island the moment where Mammatus gives Nya the amulet wouldn't be as meaningful

Is it just me or Nya looked even more gorgeous during that moment?... just me huh? Okay then 😂💕

Wait that's a fake? Wait... UNCLE POWERS?!? OMG THAT I ACTUALLY DIDN'T SEE COMING 🤯

Here I thought he was just messing around, he always makes things harder 😅 Or maybe better? I mean, they kinda missed a bullet on this one...

BENTHO IS SO SWEET AND COOL OMG HE IS ALREADY OUR FRIEND 💙🦈💙🦈

Jay somehow had his own TV show in the past and yet he's got that horrible acting skills wth 😂😂😂

Kalmaar is a very cool villain, like, deeply evil. Not only he's calculated and merciless, he stops at nothing to get what he wants. And the people that get in the way? He wants them to suffer because they had dared to confront him 😳

And yes the voice does help a lot, I'm sorry I'll keep saying it until the season is over 😂 (or even beyond? Please cast Giles again LEGO 🥺🥺🥺)

Awww Nya no my poor girl 😢 Jay wanted to hug her to comfort her he is so sweet my SHIP ❤💙❤💙

MOM PEP TALK MOM PEP TALK!!! 🤩🤩🤩 How cool was it?

Like, this isn't even Maya asking Nya to believe in herself, this is her saying that she KNOWS her daughter can do anything when she puts her mind into it. FINALLY SHE SEES HOW AMAZING WATER GODDESS IS 💜💜💜

MORE LEGO TEARS OMG THIS SEASON IS FILLED WITH TEARS 😱 Which... kinda makes sense considering it's a water based season 😂

Nice one, and now? NOW WE GO BACK TO KAI COLE AND RAY YAS!!! ❤🖤❤🖤

RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX

That is... surprisingly Egypt theme like? It feels like a title coming from the Fire Chapter of season 11... well we got two fire elementals so 😍😍

SPARRING KAI AND RAY

I REPEAT SPARRING KAI AND RAY!!! SPARRING KAI AND RAY!!! ❤❤❤ Lol Ray got old, but how can someone blame him? He did touch death while aging in Hands of Time, I'm just happy he is alive 😂

Yep, master prankster Wu, that's what I love 👌👌 I always thought Wu had become a father figure for Kai at the beginning, so seeing Ray and Wu in the same picture feels very wholesome to me 😚

Ah, uncle Powers, I both love you and hate you so freaking much 😌😌 But you make cool slides nonetheless 😂

ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME WITH BEAUTIFUL SMITH INTERACTIONS??

BECAUSE I LIKE IT KEEP GOING 🤩

Oh no you guys are stranded on an island whatever are you going to do?? It's not like you had already before and managed to survive (Skybound) or you got stranded on a rock in a sea of sand filled with giant monsters (Fire Chapter) or you were on a freaking COMET in SPACE (Rebooted). Yeee, this is the worst yet 🙂

I'm starting to think these ninja are just a bunch of drama queens so no matter what happens, it's always hopeless 😂😂 I feel like I'm kinda right on this one honestly 😛

Whoa whoa WHOA WHO IS NYAD THIS SOUNDS VERY COOL???

Aww I like that, while Ray told his kids stories about dragons and how they traveled through the Underworld, Maya told them about Nya the first water master that could summon whales 💙❤💙❤

Pff imagine if it turned out Nya was the master of fire, carrying a very water based name? Lol

Maya: I would know if it was possible!

Nya: Yeah, like she knows that I can control a bit of ice because it's frozen water

Maya:...

Maya: YOU WHAT

I find both interesting and very annoying that this explorers club thinks so highly of themselves, to the point the deny to aid even the FREAKING SAVIORS OF THEIR FREAKING LAND 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Misako got good reflexes after all, Kai was probably ready to melt this guy's face 😅

Oh, so a trial by Sphinx is a challenge? A mental one? A cultural one? A physical one? Idk but Misako is actually taking charge and that is cool I guess 🤷‍♀️

Okay this is kind of weird, how is Ray so afraid? Is it because there's fire?... did he... did he grow afraid of fire for some reason? Because it feels a bit off for now, but if there is a deeper meaning that could be interesting 🤔

Wait is that the riddle from Decoded? That's fire right?

IT IS FIRE 🔥🔥🔥

Lol at least in this one Kai wasn't completely ignored 😂 I know my flame babe isn't the most rational person, but I do like that it was an answer connected to his element where he used his head!

Ah Clutch, you really got no backbone 😅 And apparently you're the only explorer who doesn't, dang look at the others go! I'm having a bit more respect for them now 😚

LOOK AT SENSEI GO FINALLY!!! 😍😍 FIGHTING SCENES HECK YES!!!

Kalmaar: I'm your conquerer

Wu: so after skeletons, the serpentine, nindroids, the Stone Army, Chen's army, ghosts, oni, more snakes but on fire and people from a game, that makes you the tenth. Have a free cookie

Kalmaar:...

Wu: you're not special

Is this a little throwback to Possession too? Nya seems to always control better water when she doesn't actually think about it. When her feelings are free, so are her powers 🌊🌊🌊

Also this opens up more possibilities! Creatures connected with other elements might get summoned too! I would love something like that 😍😍

This was NEAT, or maybe I just missed Kai that much ❤ What's next??

PAPERGIRL

ANTONIAAAAAAAA!!!! MY GIRL IS BACK!!! All my girls are back in this season, I'm so happy 😍😍😍 And if she is here, sweet little Nelson has to be around and I cannot wait! Bring in the purple ninja! 💜

Owww Antonia's last day as a papergirl? Nooo why??

She's got a job at the... DAIRY DRAGON??? OMG OMG OMG IT'S THE ICE CREAM PLACE BRAGI TOLD US ABOUT ON TWITTER!!! 🤩🤩🤩 I remember the post, he was asking about names for the place and ice cream flavors. Now I can't wait to see what did he choose 🍦🍦🍦

UNAGAMI BABY HI HONEY!!! 🙋‍♀️ I hope he's doing great 😘😘

This is so cool honestly, Antonia got her own character arc going on! Living in a chaotic city like Ninjago City must be pretty dang exhausting 😅

Was... was that Dareth in the garbage can? Am I wrong? Poor brown ninja 😅🤎😅

SPINJITZU SWIRL, BANANAKHAN, ORANGE SERPENTINE, I'M DYING 😂😂😂

Their friendship is so wholesome, I'm so happy they are still together no matter what happens 💕

I thought Kalmaar wasn't much of a fighter but DANG he's got skills! Also the fact that he uses tentacles makes the fight very cool to watch! 😚😚

RAY RUNNING IN AFTER KAI GOT HURT HECK YES ❤❤❤

Well at least you tried Ray 😅

Ah, little cameo of the original Weekend Whip, always nice to hear it again... AND DO THE WEEKEND WHIP!!! 🌪🌪🌪

EVEN NELSON GOT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT I'M SO PROUD 💜

I don't even know what is cooler, the kids being mad lads on their bikes, Kalmaar driving a TRUCK or Kai going full parkour on the buildings to follow them 🤯

I'm sorry... am I the only one that during the Kai and Kalmaar talk kinda thought of Jestro and Clay? I miss my boys from NK, they're even more at odds now 😭😭

KAI YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE OR EVEN TRY TO DIE GET BACK HERE AT ONCE 😱😱

Kalmaar just loves to make everyone feel inferior, gotta be his hobby 😶

Oh good Kai is back

OH NOT GOOD KAI IS NOT BREATHING?!? FLAME BABE I TOLD YOU YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE 😱😱😱

Antonia, Nelson, you guys are now my heroes. You saved my fave, I'll be forever in dept with you ❤❤❤ Am I being overdramatic? Most likely, but Kai is one of the few that didn't almost die or did die in a dramatic situation and he is also my absolute favorite character so that... kinda keeps my sanity in check in this show 🥴

I wonder... does he still not know how to swim? He saved Lloyd in Possession but I wonder if he was only trying to float on the surface... THAT'S TERRIFYING

This episode was so adorable, I love Antonia and Nelson so much 💜💕💜💕 It's nice to see what the other people of Ninjago do while everything goes mad 🤣

Wait hang on my Ninjajan is a little rusty

"Ninjago City. City that never sleeps" well if that ain't the truth 😂

MASTER OF THE SEA

Like Master of the Mountain? Wait are we going back to Shintaro?? VANYA?? ANOTHER BEST GIRL RETURNS??? 💛

Hey hey hey, we got a full Nyad backstory! I really like when they do these little drawn shots, they feel more like legends! And... the ending sounds terrifying? Like, they wouldn't let Nya sacrifice herself and die... again... right? 😱

Bentho: and the world was in balance, until now because of my brother

Lloyd: and the Overlord before of course

Bentho: the what now?

Lloyd: the evil one my grandpa the first Spinjitzu Master fought?

Bentho: YOUR WHAT NOW

Why do I like this offscreen "hiiiyaaa" that sensei Wu does before actually going into the scene? 😂😂

No matter if they come from the underground or the sea, these are all snake-like creature with the same intellect 😅 Kalmaar and Garmadon would have a lot to talk about, sea king dealing with his minions does remind me of Lord Garmadon in season 2 a lot 😂😂

KAI AND RAY FIGHTING TOGETHER KAI AND RAY FIGHTING TOGETHER ❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤

OMG Kalmaar is such a brat and petty villain I love him so much 😂😂😂 Yes I didn't even mention his amazing voice!... AH DANG IT 😳😳

*Misako kicks Kalmaar and is actually useful* 🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️

*Misako gets taken as hostage immediately after* 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

KAI LITERALLY JUST GOT SAVED FROM DROWNING WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO HIM!!!... and Ray and Cole and Wu of course, I care okay 😅

OMG that face 🤣🤣🤣

That some meme material right there

Whoa Vincent that voice just got super up when the Unsinkable showed up, it kinda sounded like Jay's lol

NO NOT BENTHO!!! 😢😢😢

Kai: Nya talks to whales now? (I snorted so hard at this 😂😂)

HECK YES NYA GOT THE AMULET!! 😍😍😍 ... we got, like, four more episodes to go so something needs to happen in between... do I need to be scared? I feel like I need to be scared 😅

Jay starting a fire then blaming Kai?... this is so in character I got chills 😂😂

SHARK BOY IS STAYING TO THE MONASTERY THIS IS SO PRECIOUS!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 I want all the shenanigans and we need to write fanfictions about more shenanigans and AAAAHHHHH 🦈🦈🦈

Bless these two fire idiots

They own my heart ❤🔥❤🔥 Also Vincent, this is supposed to be a fun little gag moment, your amazing voice acting is kinda distracting me 😭😭😭

ANOTHER LEGO HUG

YOU GUYS ARE SPOILING ME OVER HERE HECK YES 💙🌊💙🌊

Maya learned that her daughter is capable of everything, I love that. Nya simply understood that she doesn't have to give up when something gets difficult. She is AMAZING and can do anything she puts her mind into. She simply has to hold on until the end 💪💪💪

Omg Benthomaar playing billiard with the guys I already love this 😍😍

YES IT IS SHINTARO!!! THE UPPLY ARE HERE OMG!!! HI VANYA YOU LOOK AMAZING GIRL MISS YOU I HOPE YOU'RE DOING OKAY!!! 💛💛💛 ... I just really like Master of the Mountain okay 😅

I love how Vanya doesn't even question it. It comes from Cole and he said it needs to be protected? Done and done 👌

Wait what, did something fall?

IS THAT THE FAKE?!?!? WHAT HOW WHEN??? UNCLE POWERS??? OR KALMAAR DID SOMETHING??? SOMEONE??? I'M LEGIT CONFUSED AND EXCITED??? 🤯🤯🤯

Well dang, I didn't see that coming, now what Seabound? What do you have for me?

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xpeachesncream · 4 years ago

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Hi! A drabble idea i have for perfectly wrongnis that in an alternative universe where y/n ends up with jk and tae is jealous so he goes after her, you can decide the ending 😙👉👈

perfectly wrong | drabble [8]: who said you didn’t want jeon jungkook the way he wanted you?

word count: 2.3k

warnings: cussing, jealousy, almost had a taehyung v. jungkook round 2, alcohol consumption, block party scene, slight angst?

note: (this takes place after chapter 12) HOHHHKAY, ANON! I SEE YOU! I LOVE THE SWITCH UP HERE! we are in this thangythang 🤪 gotta show our other baby some love, right? this also ended up being a lot longer than planned so i’m sorry lol i just didn’t know how to end it properly. enjoy!

Enough time had passed and you were tired. You were tired and you were over this shit. Hell to the no you were not gonna let this man keep on walking all over you. This was not you.

You picked yourself up and dusted off your shoulders.

You've deleted Taehyung's number for good. Tossed out all those memories, the need, the want for him. You pushed aside longing for that familiar feeling. You were done and Taehyung fucking hates it. If he wasn't mad before, he's livid now. He hates losing. And he knows after the shit he pulled at Jin's party with Aiko and the way he disrespected you, he lost you fair and square. He noticed how well you were doing even after the whole incident - clinging onto Jungkook and the public PDA, doing all the flirty, cute couple shit. It drives him crazy that it can't be him, and he knows he's to blame for his stupid antics and messy attitude. He truly can't say he regrets throwing fists at Jungkook. Somehow, Taehyung knew he was always going to lose this battle in the end. It was only a matter of time.

"Wakey wakey to my favorite couple!" Yoongi yelled, repeatedly opening and closing Jungkook's door before he finally had the nerve to jump on top of you two snuggled under his sheets. "Block party time!"

"Get the fuck off." You mumbled near the crook of Jungkook's neck, causing him to slightly chuckle as he tried to wake himself up. Yoongi didn't move, his body weight still fully on top of you two, so you did what you had to do and kicked him off.

"Aish! Agh, ow!" He laughed as he fell onto the floor, grabbing his shin. Jungkook shot his head up and began to laugh, watching as he dramatically limped out of the room. "Y/N kicked me off the bed." He begins to tell Hobi, in which Hobi faintly replied with a 'serves you right for going into the room like that.'

"Did you really have to do that?" Kook snickered as he booped your nose and watched you stir in your position. Jungkook, surprisingly, had easily welcomed the fact that you've passed the unspoken "bestfriend" boundaries over time and how you opened that door. The title alone is what gave you both those boundaries, but if it were up to him, he would have asked you a long time ago about taking this further. He loved you, he truly did. He always has, but he always respected you before anything else. He just wanted to make sure you were happy first and foremost, whether or not that meant being with him or someone else, so he never pressed it. Instead, he figured he'd let it naturally happen if it was meant to.

For the most part, you were good and that's all that mattered. You were good even though Taehyung had the nerve to do this shit to you and to call you a meaningless fuck. You were good because you had someone like Jungkook that could make you feel safe and protected. This entire time had you wondering if the person you were really meant to be with was in front of you this whole time. Why were you chasing someone like Taehyung when Jungkook was here? All the shit Jin and your friends had tossed your way, teasing you about your relationship with Kook - maybe it was true. Maybe there was some truth to it. That's why you opened the door to see what the other side was about.

"100%." You sat up to fully wake yourself up from the nap. Kook gets himself out first and heads to the bathroom to get ready. Once it was your turn to get ready, he waited outside in the living room along with Yoongi and Hobi. There was a block party happening downtown, with Yoongi and his friends dj'ing for some part of it. There would be tons of local restaurants, beer, wine and other food trucks in attendance, along with other activities like face painting and temporary tattoo booths, shit you'd pretty much see at a fair.

You'd done a great job avoiding Taehyung and running into him head on, so you were hoping your streak would remain alive tonight. You knew he'd be there. There was no way he wasn’t going to. Taehyung and his friends were always present at any event.

His silence was a curse. Had always been. So if he had anything to say to you now, you didn't wanna hear it.

After sitting in the car, taking swigs of vodka from a water bottle and chasing with White Claws, you all find yourselves walking through the food trucks and booths. The block party is fucking packed from end to end on the street, with You, Jungkook and Hobi trying your hardest to stick together. Yoongi had ran off to the main stage, already starting his set as you three are trying to find a good spot to dance and chill at. Kook is holding your hand, but as soon as you all find a spot you agree with, he's bringing you to the front so you could dance with and on him. Really, it's nothing new to you two, the dynamic not really changing even if you were exploring new heights in your relationship with him. Your friends also really appreciate the dynamic between you, them never really feeling like they're third-wheeling or out of place.

When DJ Yoongi is starting to slow the music down, Jungkook wraps his arms around your neck, singing along and holding you close as you vibe to the beat of Southside by Lloyd and Ashanti. Hobi is standing next to you like Kris Jenner, recording Yoongi during his entire set and trying his hardest not to bounce around too much while recording. All of a sudden, Yoongi's friend hops onto the tables and shit gets turnt really quick. It's almost like a mosh pit, except you and Jungkook were able to make it out and Hobi is somewhere within the crowd trying to find Yoongi on the other end.

"Shit, where's Hobi?" You said while tippytoeing, trying to catch a glimpse of his head in the sea of people.

"He'll be okay, I think? Let's head to the other side and see if we can find him and Yoongi." Jungkook says, intertwining his hands with yours as he leads the way towards the other side. It's a little calmer on this side being that there's a barrier to block off the party from the sidewalk area. You two catch a glimpse of Hobi making his way towards Yoongi next to the stage, allowing you to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ah, okay. I see him. Thank god." You say, pushing your back against the wall. You were just worried he would get hurt trying to find his way through.

"Hobi's a big boy." Jungkook chuckles, scrunching his nose. You two observe from the sidelines for a bit, figuring this is probably the safest area to stay at for awhile. "Hey, I'm gonna head to the bathroom, okay? You gonna be alright here?" Jungkook squeezes your hand as he looks down at you.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He smiles toothlessly before planting a quick kiss on your head. You watch as he waddles off to the bathroom, a line starting to form around the corner just to get in like it's some kind of club. You lean your back against the wall, scrolling through your phone to keep yourself busy until he gets back.

"So, that's it, huh? Can't say I'm surprised, though." Taehyung says, coming out of fucking nowhere? He comes closer, nodding towards Jungkook's way. His eyes are piercing through you, and suddenly, every moment you had spent with him flashes in your head.

"Please get the hell away from me."

"Can we just talk for a minute?" Was he serious right now? Out of all fucking places?

"Talk about what, Taehyung?"

"Look, let me just say this. I'm sorry for how things went down at Jin's party. I—" He paused. "I didn't mean the things that I said."

"Then maybe you should learn how to think before you let shit come out of your mouth." You turn behind you to check if Jungkook is coming back anytime soon, but you don't see a sign of him. "I'm really not trying to do this--"

"Maybe next time you shouldn't come at me about toying with emotions." He's furrowing his brows, slight anger peeking through his eyes. He shakes his head before he steps closer to you, his hands dug into his pockets. "Can you really say that you're done with us?" He says softly, his gaze following from your eyes to your lips.

"Us?" You scoff. "There was never an us." You glare at him. "This is done. You said all of this yourself, loud and clear."

"Y/N, I was stupid. I just didn't know how to control my feelings about everything going on." His jaw slightly clenches.

"And that's your problem. You don't know how to control anything. You have things you need to figure out and quite frankly, I'm not trying to be around for it. I'm not waiting for you to get your shit together. I don't fucking deserve to put myself through this after all the mess you've caused, all the shit you've said to me." You shook your head "No."

"It's been Jungkook this whole time, hasn't it?" He scoffs. "You always denied it, but you knew it was always going to be him."

"Don't turn this on me."

"So, what? You think he's gonna do you like I did?" He comes closer, his breath hitting against the side of your neck. "Touch you like I did? Fuck you the way that I did?"

"None of that matters if you can't even pull yourself together and own up to your shit."

"You know this isn't what you want."

"And how do you know what I want, Taehyung? You don't even know what you want for yourself." He glares down at you.

"It's still you."

"Bullshit, you don't disrespect someone and expect them to come back. Not me." Suddenly, you feel Jungkook's hand around your wrist. You turn to see him and Taehyung having a stare off, afraid of what might ensue if you don't get Jungkook to walk away. You were not trying to have a Taehyung v. Jungkook Royal Rumble 2, not with all the cops and security present here.

"Are you serious?" Taehyung laughs. "If he's really the one you want, then whatever. So be it, I guess."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Jungkook spits out as you grip his arm tightly.

"Just thought your girl might have second thoughts, that’s all." He smirked slyly while shrugging. The thing with Taehyung is that he knew how to piss of anybody. He just didn’t give a flying fuck.

"Taehyung, stop." You say, getting in the middle. "We don't have shit to discuss anymore, okay? This is done. Get yourself together before you think about fucking over somebody else." You slightly push Jungkook to walk away, his eyes still kept on Taehyung until you've placed enough distance between the two.

"What else did he say to you?"

"Nothing, Kook."

"Y/N."

"He just tried to talk to me about Jin's party and apologize."

"Apologize?" He furrows his forehead.

"Leave it, Jungkook. It's fine, alright?" He sighs heavily.

"Alright." Jungkook doesn't say much for the rest of the night, and so don't you. You both tried your hardest to push it aside and enjoy the rest of the night, but everyone knows the damage Taehyung has done and what that comes with. It's just awkward, and a really uncomfortable vibe whenever you two happen to cross paths again in one way or another. You weren't trying to be friends, you weren't trying to talk about anything. He made himself clear at Jin's party. You weren't shit to him. So why should you care?

After the block party, everyone is pretty tired and is ready to go straight to bed. You all take turns washing up and getting ready in Jungkook's apartment, Jungkook being the last to step out of the bathroom in a shirt and pajama pants. He watches you sit on his bed quietly, scrolling through your phone.

"Hey." He says softly, gently touching your arm to bring you closer to him.

"Yeah?"

"You know I care about you, right? You know how I feel about you." He says in a soft tone.

"I know."

"So then you know that your happiness is more important to me than mine. You're what matters here."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I know I tell you time and time again that you deserve better than Taehyung, but part of me also feels like I really can't stop you from feeling what you feel. If you--" His head drops as he sighs. "If you wanna work this out with him, just tell me." He says, genuinely concerned about your feelings. He knows he wouldn't hurt you but he's also partially afraid that you might be distracted since things didn't turn out well with Taehyung. Although, whatever, it's always gonna be a big fuck you to him. He's an asshole, and Jungkook was never going to change his mind about it. But what mattered here was you. Kook knew you deserved way better and he was willing to be that for you, but he wasn't going to force you if this wasn't where you truly wanted to be.

"I am happy. Right here."

"Are you sure?"

"Kook. That's done with. I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay." Is all he responds with before he's pressing lips into a fine line and squeezing your hand. He leans over to kiss you on the forehead before he makes his way out of the room to help your bestfriends get settled out in the living room.

#bts #bts fanfiction #taehyung fanfiction #taehyung #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #jungkook #taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader #kth x reader #jjk x reader #writing #perfectly wrong #perfectly wrong drabbles #kth series #bts angst

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umbry-fic · 3 years ago

Text

A Palette Full of You (4)

Summary: Glimpses into Colette and Lloyd’s lives as they grow up together, learn who they are, and fall in love with each other.

(Written for Colloyd Week 2021)

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving Rating: G Chapter: 4 of 6 Word Count: 5897 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 12/06/2021

Chapter Title: Stardust

Chapter Summary: The astronomy club holds a stargazing event on the school rooftop. As chairperson, there's no chance Lloyd isn't going to invite Colette. But as the night progresses, actually spotting the hard-to-find stars become the least of Colette's concerns.

(Colloyd Week Day 4: Stargazing)

Notes+Warnings: Chapter 4 of my multi chapter Colloyd week fic! Warning for some major internalised acephobia.

Chapter list Full fic Previous chapter Next chapter

~~~

16-years-old

Stepping out of the science lab into the corridor, Colette came to a halt, her schoolbag weighing on her shoulders, soaking in the warm air as other students filed past her. One of the most unfortunate things about attending practical make-up was that she wasn't guaranteed her usual seat by the lab window. Sitting right under the air-con was enough to send her into hibernation, and the test was hard enough as it was. She'd barely managed to finish on time.

Rummaging through the pocket of her navy blue pinafore, her fingers brushed past a packet of tissue and her wallet before successfully pulling her phone out. She needed a reminder of where the stargazing event was taking place, and who better to ask than Lloyd? She hoped he was reading his messages.

"7.23 pm, May 18th" blinked at her from her phone screen.

Wait, 7 missed calls? From Lloyd? What for?

Gah, she’d forgotten to tell him.

She dialled his number, placing the phone against her ear and waiting for his anxious voice to ring out. Which it did, just seconds later as he picked up.

“Colette? Where are you? I tried calling you so many times, and Sheena and Zelos wouldn’t pick up because they’re both at tuition!”

“I forgot to tell you the makeup got pushed by an hour. Sorry for making you worry, Lloyd. But I’m done now. Where’s the event at?”

"We’re on the school rooftop! Where we celebrated Sheena's birthday last month, remember?" Lloyd replied, his voice tinny in quality from the phone call. She could hear, in the background, the overlapping sounds of many voices.

“School rooftop, school rooftop, school rooftop…” she mumbled, beginning to scurry through her secondary school's corridors, head darting every which way to determine where she was and try to find clues as to where she was going. She didn’t often wander into this part of the school campus - block D, the science block - since she only took two sciences. Usually, she’d take the main staircase straight down to the canteen, but it would take forever to get back to the roof from there. She didn’t want to be too late.

“You’re coming from science lab 3, right? If I remember correctly, it’s one right, walk past the storage room to block C, and then take the first left down the bridge to block B. You should see the staircase to the roof. Do you need me to come and get you?”

“No, no, it’s fine! Just stay on the phone?”

“Alri - OI, MATTHEW, STOP MESSING WITH THE TELESCOPE! YOU DO NOT GET SPECIAL TREATMENT JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE MY DESKMATE! GET YOUR HANDS OFF AND LET ELLA HANDLE IT!” The yell was muffled, probably because Lloyd had taken the phone away from his mouth to avoid deafening her, though his raised voice was still enough to make her wince, tearing the phone away from her ear.

“Sorry about that,” Lloyd said, his voice lowered back to normal volume again. “Got to prevent property damage. You know how it is.”

“Right…” She laughed nervously, wondering how many people were up on the rooftop and what exactly they were up to. She was hoping to spend a peaceful evening stargazing with Lloyd and listening to him talk about constellations, the shining passion in his eyes rivalling even the stars above, not… getting distracted by people fooling around.

“How’s it going? Are you getting closer?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m heading in the right direction,” she assured Lloyd, taking the left he’d directed her to and running down the bridge connecting two blocks, her ponytail flaring behind her and her pinafore swirling around her legs. There was almost no one left in the school now. The hallways she’d run through had been abandoned, for the most part, the stragglers she passed by all heading in the direction of the main gate. The sky, visible from the bridge, was in the last throes of twilight, slowly bleeding into night as black seeped across the sky.

Colette skidded to a halt at the end of the bridge, gaze landing on a familiar door. She could recall this stairwell now, having taken it two months ago. She, Zelos and Lloyd had somehow managed to lead a blindfolded Sheena up it, whereafter they had surprised their friend with a birthday cake they had baked together. That birthday cake had been salvaged solely by Zelos, who was a surprisingly good baker. Or maybe they were just average, and weren't knocking over the baking tray every ten minutes like her.

“I’ve found the right staircase!” Colette said, hanging up and stuffing her phone back into her pocket and starting to take the stairs two at a time. She usually never did that (and was often teased by Sheena over it), choosing to climb each step carefully, for the risk of tripping was too high. But she was in a hurry, and so had no other choice. Her shoe-laces were coming undone, and her school bag seemed to be getting heavier with each step.

Everyone else who was attending the event was likely already on the rooftop - Colette could hear voices and the sounds of footsteps against concrete through the open door at the top of the stairwell. Grabbing the cold metal handle, she threw the door open, finally emerging onto the rooftop.

There were about thirty or so people milling around, everyone still dressed in their school uniforms, chatting with friends, holding cups of fruit punch or lounging on the mats that had come from the gymnasium. Not enough people to count as a crowd, but certainly respectable. Just a small event, one where she could relax and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Now she just had to find Lloyd...

"Colette!"

Speak of the devil! Or the angel, perhaps... Colette tracked the source of the voice and spotted Lloyd, making his way over from a group of students who were busy fiddling with a telescope, his hand gripping a red plastic cup. One side of his collar was flipped up, and the small shooting star pin that marked him as the chairperson of the astrology club was pinned to the other. Only one of the sleeves of his white blouse were folded like they were meant to be, the other way too long and leaving barely any skin visible above his elbow. His white long pants had been rolled up as much as possible - which wasn't much, honestly, the most it could reach was mid-thigh. It was one of those stuffy nights with no wind that was stifling and hard to fall asleep in.

"You made it!" Lloyd's grin grew wider as he grabbed her hand, only for him to flinch away instantly, vivid red liquid nearly sloshing over the rim of his cup. “Gah, your hand is really cold.”

"Sorry! You know how cold the lab is. Anyway, I only made it here thanks to your assistance." Colette laughed, feeling her weariness peel off her instantly. Lloyd always had that effect on her - his energy was infectious, like it was being injected straight into her veins whenever she was in close proximity to him. Especially now, with clear excitement alive on his face.

It was strange, though. He was the only one with that effect on her. Meeting her other friends never failed to make her happy, but Lloyd was the only one that could make her feel ten times more alive in an instant the moment she saw his smile. It had only started in the past year, this unknown, electrifying sensation that arose in her heart whenever she was with Lloyd. The desire to see him again after school ended got stronger with each day, but she couldn’t understand any of it…

“You’re staying for the afterparty, right?” Lloyd asked, taking a sip of the fruit punch. He said afterparty, but she knew it wouldn’t be much of a party. Just all the members of the astrology club hanging out in the tiny room the school had assigned to them, playing card games and chatting. Everyone in the club knew her by name, for she was the friend of their chairperson who somehow managed to turn up at every meeting. She was practically an honorary member at this point.

A homey gathering without any alcohol in sight. She much preferred it that way. The last time alcohol had come into play when she was staying overnight at a chalet with the rest of her class, sometime late last year. She'd avoided the cans of beer stacked on the floor, the smell not appealing to her. But alcohol sure made the rest of her classmates go wild. Running away from slightly drunk classmates trying to get her to play truth and dare was not fun. Normal truth and dare was already horrible, with questions like "who are you crushing on" and "who would you like to kiss". She didn't understand why it was a game that people insisted be played at every class gathering or orientation. No one ever believed her when she answered honestly with "no one", and she was fairly used to the reactions by now, the common ones being that she had to be lying, for everyone had someone in mind, or that she should stop acting so high-and-mighty, or just snickers of her being a prude.

Just because she was used to the biting words didn't mean they had stopped hurting, reminder stacked atop reminder of how she was isolated from everyone else around her. And as much as she hated answering "truth" whenever that accursed bottle landed on her, answering "dare" was even worse. There were the innocent ones like doing the chicken dance, and then there was having to kiss someone. She always did her best to leave as soon as the bottle made an appearance, but she could never say "no" when someone asked her directly to join, for she never knew how to turn people down. Neither did she want to give her classmates more reasons to treat her as a laughingstock for being too much of a coward to play. So now, whenever she was forced to play the game, she would give the least offensive answers possible - mostly girls, for she at least found them pretty, though she didn't think that was what attractive meant.

But the drunk version of truth and dare? That was hell on Earth. The questions got even more invasive. She could never understand how someone could ask "who would you sleep with here" with a straight face. And alcohol loosened the lips of her classmates, enough that she had heard snippets of some of the more adventurous ones describing their sexual escapades in sickening detail. She really didn't need the reminder that sexual activities weren't just a thing of fiction, but something that actually happened amongst real people and that people seemed to really want to do. She'd spent half of that chalet stay playing Uno with Zelos in a corner, because Zelos was way better at promptly rejecting offers to play truth and dare.

Only her friends had ever come to her defence, but it was not like they could help that much when they weren't in the same class, apart from Zelos. Still, they afforded much-needed safety, and they never pointed out how she was weird or strange or different, even if they must have noticed by now. But...

She was 16. Wasn't she supposed to get it by now?

“Yep, I'm staying. We can go home together,” Colette suggested, tearing her thoughts back to the present. "Dad already knows I'll be coming home late, and Aunt Anna can just pick us both up."

Colette reached out to fold Lloyd's right sleeve, straightening the wrinkles out, before reaching to flip his collar down. His uniform was always in such a state of disarray, and it was always up to her to get him looking neat before the teachers did their inspections during morning assembly.

"Yep, I'll let Mom know," Lloyd replied, squeezing her hand. "Let's actually get to stargazing, shall we? Come on, I reserved the mat with the best telescope. The..."

Colette let Lloyd ramble on about the specifications of the telescope as he guided her towards their destination. It was always endearing to hear him talk about the topics he loved, whether it be the ocean or the stars. His words would get faster as he went on, until he was barely intelligible as all the syllables clumped together, without him even noticing. She didn’t want to interrupt him, though, much preferring to just watch him as a smile inevitably grew on her face.

"Right! Get comfortable!" Lloyd said, having completed his spiel and coming to an abrupt stop. Colette stumbled a few steps forward, so engrossed in listening to Lloyd that she'd nearly tripped. He gestured towards the deep blue mat stuffed with foam, placing his cup next to it before crouching to adjust the sleek black telescope, nimble fingers flying from knobs to levers. His face was scrunched up in concentration, focussed entirely on his task.

Colette dumped her school bag down and kicked off her school shoes, leaving her feet clad in white socks, and scrambled onto the mat, lying down on it. Lloyd joined her soon after, having finished whatever preparations he was doing, sidling closer on the mat so that his shoulder pressed against hers as they both stared up into the night sky, now completely dark. In the distance, Colette could see the lighted-up M sign on the business complex.

“We can look at the stars first before we use the telescope to find the planets. What do you see, right now?”

"Um, well… I can only see one star in the sky," Colette muttered, pointing out the lone, twinkling presence. It was common knowledge that there was too much light pollution to actually see any of the vast galaxies and planets that were scattered throughout the universe. The most Colette had ever seen at once when looking out at the sky from the balcony of her apartment was three stars, dimly shining and far away from each other. They were hundreds of light-years away, unreachable and yet still shining their light for all to see.

"No, there's more. It's a really clear sky tonight, and we can see so much!" Lloyd replied eagerly. The starry-eyed enthusiasm had returned to his eyes, seeming to burrow straight into her heart. Pointing up into a particular patch of sky, he said, "There! Do you see the top of the Big Dipper?"

"Ah..." She tried to follow the line of his arm but didn't spot any hidden stars, shaking her head. "No...? The Big Dipper is the one that looks like a frying pan, right?" It was one of the many constellations that Lloyd had taught her while on his impassioned rambles about astrology. Ever since he'd picked up that one book on constellations from the library in primary school, he'd been obsessed with stars. She could still fondly remember the first time he had talked about it. She'd plopped down in front of him at the canteen table after school, asking what he was reading. He'd shut the book and told her about white dwarfs, planetary systems and the Milky Way for a full five minutes while she listened in awed silence. She'd rarely seen him this excited over anything. Lloyd had been about to continue before shutting his mouth abruptly, flushing as he realised how long he had gone on for and apologising for running her ear off. She'd told him that she didn't mind listening to him - there was something soothing about it, really, listening to his voice and watching his excited mannerisms.

"You remember?" Lloyd craned his neck so that he was facing her. There was something in the depths of those eyes that stared back at her. Something which, for the past two years, she would spot occasionally. And yet she still couldn’t put a name to it.

Somehow, how truly close they were hadn’t registered in her mind until this very moment. If she inched forward just a little, their noses would bump.

But they’d been this close so many times before. Why was this time so different?

Or, more accurately, what had changed in the past year? Why couldn’t she be this close without something in her clicking, filling her with a warmth that was both familiar but foreign? Why were her palms starting to sweat, her heart starting to race? It felt like she was about to give a presentation to a room full of strangers.

But that wasn't the case. She was just next to Lloyd, her oldest friend and the person she trusted most in the world.

Perhaps recently she had been noticing more tiny things she hadn't before, staring at him for just a little longer than she used to - how his hair fell into his eyes on days where he didn’t bother to comb or style his hair, how there was a dimple only on the right side of his mouth, how his hair could vary in shade under different lighting, from a golden brown to dark chocolate. It even appeared red sometimes.

She felt like she was at the cusp of a discovery.

"Of - of course I remember." Colette stumbled over the words, averting her gaze up towards the night sky. "You've been working on the notes for this club for so long, and I helped you with them! So of course I'd remember."

"That's true. We did spend a lot of late nights on those." Lloyd chuckled. "Remember all the pillow fights?"

"Yeah, I do. You always let me win, you cheater," she grumbled, glad for the light-hearted change in topic to distract from her confusing feelings. "But I'm happy everything worked out and you managed to get the club set up! You've worked really hard on all this. You deserve the success."

"I couldn't have done it without you, really," Lloyd retorted, taking gentle hold of her wrist. "And I know I've thanked you already, but let me just say it again. Thank you. In return, I'll do my best to show you as much as I can!" Lloyd pointed her arm towards a point in the sky. "There. Look closely. Do you see it now?"

She focussed on that spot, squinting in hopes that the secrets of the night sky would be revealed to her. "Oh!" Colette exclaimed. She could see it now, just barely - a faint source of light. There was a lonely little star, shining as brightly as it could, just enough to be noticeable but going unseen by the unobservant eye.

"You got it!" Lloyd cheered, beginning to slowly guide her hand to trace out a shape - that familiar pan shape he’d drawn for her so many times. His fingers, wrapped around her wrist, were so warm... "Now do you see the Big Dipper?"

"You're right," she said in amazement. The pattern had been there all along. How many more were waiting to be found, causing the sky to come to life before her very eyes?

"There are so many beautiful constellations to find in the sky." Lloyd grinned. Dimly lit by the gentle light of the night sky, far from the harsh fluorescent lights of the classroom and the often blinding rays of the sun, his features seemed softer than ever, and she had the urge to just... reach out and touch his face. Splay her fingers on his cheek, rest her forehead against his, let the strands of his hair fall through her fingers…

"Yeah..." She glanced back up at the night sky. She could spot the Little Dipper now, glimmering. Already, she was discovering new things.

When she glanced back, Lloyd was staring at her with a wistful expression, the arm not holding hers held stiffly against his side, like he was aching to reach out but was holding himself back.

The moment was gone, as quickly as it had come, and Lloyd's face once again sported a happy smile, like nothing of significance had happened. Perhaps she had imagined the whole thing. But in just a few seconds, the entire centre of her world had shifted, throwing her irreversibly off balance.

Her chest felt constricted, like she couldn't breathe properly, that strange sensation back in her heart again.

But it would be a lie to say she hadn’t figured out what it was. She had fallen into the unfamiliar pit of love, just as she had always wanted. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say she had fallen a long time ago, but had only just realised she wasn’t standing on solid ground any longer.

She had found The One. Finally.

So why... Why had nothing changed at all?

It was no longer possible to convince herself that she could be just like everyone else. Not when she was acutely aware of how stupidly immature she was compared to everyone else, always cringing away from the thought of sex. Whether it be skipping raunchy scenes in books or shows, avoiding popular pop songs with explicit lyrics, or promptly deciding to stop listening whenever her classmates decided it was a good time to talk about it. She couldn't rid herself of nausea that would roil in her stomach. But... that was wrong, wasn't it?

If she loved someone, she was supposed to desire them. That's what happened in all the stories - people fell in love, and then they happily had sex with each other. It was everywhere. In every book, in every show. Even the terrible sex-ed lessons had parroted that a happy relationship was one with healthy amounts of sex. Everyone was going to have sex at some point once they got into a relationship, to want to have it and to eagerly give it. But she didn't. She had never felt the same way. And that was her truth, the one that went unregarded by others.

Or maybe her truth was that she was just broken. That something had shattered inside of her a long time ago, and now she couldn't be put back together, couldn't feel what she was supposed to, what others did. And she didn't know what to do about it.

No matter how much she hated the idea of sex, someday she’d have to force herself to go through with it. After all, it was a requisite for a relationship. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be worthy of love, and she didn’t love her partner enough. She owed it to whoever her partner was, even if one day it ended up being Lloyd. This was her fault, after all. No one else was broken in the same way as her.

It would just be like… forcing herself to eat her vegetables when she was younger, wincing over the yucky taste until she got used to it. Nothing more. Easy.

Maybe then she’d finally get it.

Maybe then everything would magically fix itself.

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes which she willed to disappear. She felt like the stars above. Shining alone, so far away from any other companion, looking down upon a world that was too far away to understand. All alone. Always all alone.

"Too bad we can't see more here in the city. One day, I promise, we'll see the real starry sky together! The galaxies, the planets, the suns... All of it. It'll be amazing," Lloyd continued, oblivious to her inner turmoil. Because even he could not read her mind.

Colette folded her hands over her stomach, closing her eyes. The enormity of the emotion beating in her heart absolutely terrified her, as did the thought of the future and what awaited her. Could she ever act on these feelings? Would she ever be deserving of acting on them, inadequate as she was? Did she even really love him?

There was no use in agonising over these thoughts, for no answers would ever be found.

"I'd like that," she whispered, squeezing his hand. She was more than willing to just enjoy his company for now. Her dearest friend.

“I’ll show you the rest of the stars that are visible today! Then we can look into the telescope and see the nebula. I’ve already pointed it in the right direction! You won’t want to miss it, it’s incredible! Over there is…”

So long as she could remain with him, everything would be alright.

~~~

“Bye, Lloyd!” Ella said, waving as she sprinted out of the club room. “Have a safe trip home!”

“You too!” he called out after her, as loud as he could without waking up Colette. Her head was resting on his lap, the hair she had freed from her ponytail forming a golden sea that swallowed his legs. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around the huge penguin plush that acted as the club’s unofficial mascot. He couldn’t for the life of him recall where it’d come from.

How did he always end up being Colette’s pillow? Not that he was complaining…

Lloyd ran a gentle hand through Colette’s hair, making sure not to awaken her. Mom would take another 20 minutes to arrive at the drop-off point, so he might as well let Colette continue to sleep. After all, he still had to clean up and lock up the room. At least Colette had helped him with most of it.

He moved his hand rhythmically, watching her minute facial movements. What dream was she having right now? Was it a happy one? He hoped it was. He wanted nothing more than to see a truly happy smile on her face every day, and that was the root of the feelings that had built up over years.

In the ensuing silence, he couldn’t help but think back.

What had happened while he was showing her the stars? There had been a period of time when she had seemed to withdraw into herself, becoming far quieter than she usually was. Almost contemplative. Even a little sad.

She had been back to normal afterwards, cheerful with her large smiles and bright laughter. He didn’t know how to question her about it, didn’t know how to even start the conversation. He wanted to find out, so he could help, in any way he could.

But… No matter how much he hated it, he could only wait. After all, if whatever was weighing on her was simple, she would have told him already. He could only hope she’d be able to tell him about what was troubling her, someday.

And he would wait. For as long as needed…

~~~

26-years-old

Lloyd set the rental car in reverse, slowly backing it up into the empty lot in the mostly deserted car park, the wheels crunching against gravel. Turning off the engine, he pulled the keys out of the ignition and stuffed them into the pocket of his jeans. Glancing over at the seat next to him revealed that Colette was peacefully asleep, head lolling onto her shoulder. Somehow, the abrupt bump in the road some ten minutes ago hadn't woken her up.

This was their second day in Melbourne to celebrate their honeymoon. Dad and Mom had come here for their honeymoon too, but maybe some things become a tradition for a reason. He and Colette had followed a strict itinerary, taking some advice from his parents when planning where to go. They had visited the fisheries for lunch yesterday, where Colette had sung the praises of the fish fillet, absolutely delighted at its freshness, which could never be experienced at home. Following which, they had driven to Phillip island to catch the nightly penguin parade, Colette cooing over all the little penguins waddling home. It was a cute sight - both the penguins and Colette.

It was the middle of winter, the temperature just shy of needing actual winter gear but cold enough that they were both wearing turtlenecks, not accustomed to the winter winds. A bit of a shame, actually. He would have loved to witness the adorable sight of Colette in a beanie that covered her ears, cheeks flushed from the cold and fingers housed in fluffy gloves. But alas, that sight would only remain in his imagination until they travelled to a country with much colder weather.

The car journey had been silent, Colette alternating between staring at the rare car that passed them on the narrow dirt roads, or doodling on her phone with a stylus, occasionally letting out a tiny giggle. As they had agreed upon, she had stopped looking out of the window for the last leg of their journey, which was close to a whole hour. At some point she had stopped making conversation with him, soft snores replacing the sound of her voice as the quiet night and hours of travelling had finally taken their toll.

He reached out a hand to hover over her shoulder, hesitating. He didn’t want to disrupt her rest, but she wouldn’t be seeing anything if she didn’t wake up, and that would render all his effort to transport the two of them into the remote meaningless. He had no choice.

“Colette.” He called her name softly, gently shaking her shoulder until she let out a tiny sigh. Her eyes fluttered open, still filled with sleepiness.

“We’re here. It’s time to get out of the car,” he said, grabbing hold of the strands of her hair that had fallen into her face during her sleep and tucking them behind her ear.

“Oh. Thanks for waking me up.” Colette yawned, covering her mouth with her hand as she stretched, trying to shake the sleep out of her system. “I need to cover my eyes while I get out, right?” she said, covering her eyes with her palms and giggling, doing exactly as they’d discussed without question. “I can’t look until you say so! Can’t spoil the surprise now, right?”

“Perfect! I’ll help you out of the car. Wait there.”

Lloyd stepped out of the car, shutting the door and running over to her side. He opened the passenger-side door, grabbing hold of her bent arms.

"Carefully now," he muttered, slowly helping Colette out of the car and steadying her when she stumbled slightly onto the gravel. Taking a stronger hold around her arm, he began to guide her across the carpark towards a small hill, walking backwards and taking the occasional peek behind his shoulder to get a gauge for where he was going. With each step they took, the loose bits of gravel under their feet were kicked aside.

The grassy hill was a little harder to go up backwards, but he persevered. The grass was wet with dew, starting to wet the hem of his jeans as they brushed the skin of his ankles. Colette was completely silent, seemingly holding her breath in anticipation of the big reveal.

The trip out here had been exceedingly long, for this place truly was off the beaten path. He could count the number of people here with the fingers on one hand. But he could certainly say the trip had been worth it. Just sneaking a peek upwards was enough to make up for everything. This place really lived up to all the praise it had been given online.

Making sure they had a wonderful view of the sky, Lloyd came to a stop, turning Colette by the shoulders so she was facing the right direction. "You can look now," he whispered into her ear, tapping her shoulder and stepping back.

Colette uncovered her eyes and let out an audible gasp, transfixed by the night sky. They were far from civilization, so distant that there were no artificial lights to interfere with the natural dance of the stars. Laid out above them were millions of stars, clustered together and twinkling in unity. Swirls of pink and purple denoted the galaxies, resembling little bits of cotton candy painted onto the black canvas of the sky, interspersed with tiny dots that represented planets. The entire universe was spread out before their eyes to witness, splendid and magnificent.

He watched as she raised an arm, tracing the skies slowly. It almost seemed like her index finger was trailing stardust. He wouldn't be surprised if she actually was, since she was already pure magic in every other way.

She turned to face him, the starlight reflecting in her wide eyes and off the ring on her left hand, painting her as a more beautiful sight than even the gorgeous skies above him.

"You remembered!" she exclaimed, running over to throw her arms around him, knocking him back slightly as she smiled up at him. Thankfully, they were nowhere near the edge of the incline, or they would have gone tumbling down a long way. This close, he was even more reminded of her untouchable beauty: her shimmering blue eyes were breathtaking. "You kept your promise."

Colette moved her arms so they were wrapped behind his neck. She was practically hanging off of him; his gaze focussed on her smiling face.

"Well, I wanted to see it too." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to press a kiss on her forehead. "And I always do my best to keep my promises."

I promised that I would never leave you, and I will keep that promise. No matter what.

“They’re all together now. They’re not alone anymore,” Colette said, "Thank you." She rested her head against his shoulder, his hands automatically shifting to her back, holding her close. "I love you."

She said those words so easily now, without the hesitance that had bogged her down at the beginning. He knew not all of her fears and insecurities were gone - maybe they never would be, and all they could do was reassure each other. There were the terrible nights where she would sob next to him and admit she felt like a fraud for being unable to give him sexual intimacy, crying that she wasn't enough and that he deserved so much more. All he could do was hold her in his arms and whisper into her hair that it was alright, that he loved her, that he didn’t care. But as time went on, those nights became less frequent, until they were few and far between. Besides, she did give him pieces of that intimacy, whenever she could - the gift he cherished, for it truly meant the world coming from her.

"I love you too. Picture?" he offered, holding up his phone. He wanted to create a physical memory of this magical moment, one that they could preserve forever.

Besides, if his parents didn’t get a photo, they would probably murder him. Mom, at least. So would Sheena, with Zelos’ snickering as an accompaniment to the crime. He wouldn’t live to see another day once he got back home.

"Of course," she replied. And he hoped the picture would be able to capture her bright smile, that which was most precious to him.

~~~

The picture they took would become a cherished memento, to be displayed on their nightstand forever - Colette pressing a kiss to his cheek, even as she gave him bunny ears, both of their faces lit up with large smiles.

~~~

Next chapter

#fanfiction #tales of symphonia #multi chapter #colloyd #colloydweek2021 #day 4: stargazing #colette brunel #lloyd irving

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Van Helsing Returns For A Final Season And Adds Time Travel To Its Narrative Palette

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This Van Helsing article contains major spoilers for the season 5 premiere.

From the dynamically retooled opening title sequence to the Jack-centric Transylvania storyline, it takes only moments to recognize that Van Helsing’s fifth and final season promises to take fans on a wild ride as it brings to a close its delightfully circuitous tale of horror’s most iconic vampire hunting family. Season premiere “Past Tense” doesn’t represent the first time the Van Helsing family story finds itself in the past, but there seems to be a more concerted effort this time to employ traditional time travel elements as the unanswered questions mount.

It’s been sixteen months since the season four finale, but the head of the Van Helsing clan remains noticeably absent from the story even though her imprint is unmistakable. Fans of the series understand Kelly Overton’s (Vanessa Van Helsing) pregnancy last season limited her participation, and though she doesn’t appear in the season premiere, Nicole Muñoz (Jack) and Tricia Helfer (Olivia/The Dark One) deliver strong performances that skillfully carry the episode. Still, where’s Vanessa?

Before we address Vanessa’s whereabouts, however, it’s the stunning narrative redirect showrunner/writer Jonathan Lloyd Walker and director Jonathan Scarfe (Axel) throw at viewers that suggests a new approach to bringing the vampire apocalypse to an end. What appears to be a truth on Van Helsing doesn’t always play out the way we think it will, but when Jack leaves the Dark Realm and finds herself in renaissance Transylvania, there seems to be only one logical explanation – time travel. You have to love that Jack immediately recognizes the drastically changed landscape and sets out to take care of business.

Van Helsing Season 5 Overcomes Production Challenges

By Dave Vitagliano

Van Helsing Season 4 Episode 13 Review: The Beholder

By Dave Vitagliano

Vanessa apparently still resides in the Dark Realm, but it seems clear that she’s the catalyst for Jack’s temporal journey to Dracula’s city of origin. Of course, Jack’s experience here could turn out to be similar to Vanessa’s meeting with her grandmother Lily in season three, but for now, we have to consider conventional time travel as the most likely scenario. Needless to say, time travel in the hands of a less skilled writer can lead to a multitude of narrative pitfalls, but with Walker (Continuum) at the helm, the story is in more than competent hands. Still, we have to wonder how Vanessa’s role will play out since it seems reasonable to assume that if she can send Jack to the past, she can leave the Dark Realm at any point herself. So why does she stay?

Once we learn that Count Dalibor’s wife Olivia (Tricia Helfer) may, in fact, be the genesis of the Dark One, it’s only a matter of time before she and Jack come face to face. It doesn’t take long for viewers and Jack to face the quintessential time travel dilemma: if you could go back in time and kill baby Hitler, would you? Traveling to the past to prevent an apocalyptic future has become a science fiction staple, and Jack now faces the ultimate moral decision. “Now I know why my mother sent me here.” Understanding Vanessa’s motivation is one thing, whether she can carry out this gruesome task is quite another.

While it might be simpler to have Jack kill Olivia and prevent the 21st century evil that plagues the American northwest, other options do exist. “What if you could stop what turns her dark?” Florian (Matúš Kvietik) asks a reticent Jack. Unfortunately, the Transylvanian problem is far more complex than simply eliminating new mother Olivia. Actions have consequences, and if time travel tales tell us anything, it’s that unintended consequences generally rear their ugly heads sooner rather than later. Whether it’s the Grandfather Paradox or the Butterfly Effect, things rarely turn out the way the protagonist thinks they will.

Not surprisingly, Helfer (Battlestar Galactica; Lucifer) seamlessly transitions from the dark, ultra evil creature at the heart of the vampire threat to a loving wife and new mother who unknowingly sells her soul to Michaela and the roots of the Sisterhood. Nonetheless, the plot thickens because killing Olivia and preventing her from becoming the Dark One only takes care of one problem. What about the Sisterhood? Jack and Ivory already killed Michaela in the present, but now Jack can prevent her from creating and expanding the Sisterhood and becoming the Dark One’s bride. Does Jack have it in her to commit what will seem like multiple atrocities to the innocent bystanders who possess no knowledge of the future from which she comes?

Olivia’s role in the coming apocalypse isn’t as cut and dried as it might seem, and when Florian shows Jack the portrait of the count and countess, it’s her last name that stimulates Jack and the fateful decision she ultimately makes. Dracula. Did Vanessa actually send Jack to this point in time with the intention that her daughter could operate in the role previously ascribed to her – mankind’s savior?

Nobody said saving the human race was going to be easy, and we most certainly didn’t expect the Van Helsing storyline to end up in the middle of a Renaissance street fair, but it’s a perfect vehicle for Olivia to meet another major player on the dark side. “I see two futures diverging,” the fortune teller (Jesse Stanley) tells Olivia, and the woman who will eventually become the Oracle, informs her that two women wish to shape her fate. “Something dark awaits you.” And Jack’s kill list grows taller by the minute.

“I told you; vampires, and I’m the cure,” Jack explains to Florian, but the subtext here implies something quite different than her ability to return victims to the human state. Micheala (Heather Doerksen) wishes to resurrect someone and begins brewing a potion that seems to affect both Jack and Olivia and sets into motion an act which can’t be taken back. We’ve witnessed this watershed moment many times before, and too often the hero hesitates and allows evil to escape. Not this time, however. Jack plunges her dagger into Olivia’s throat. “I’m sorry; I had to.” This is not the first person Jack has killed, but it will be fascinating to watch the effect this murder has on her personality. Still, if she’s to prevent the dark future, there are at least two more deaths to consider.

��Do not get enchanted by whispers of magic and monsters,” Dalibor (Kim Coates) tells Florian, laying the groundwork for Jack’s revelation that vampires are real and must be stopped. However, Jack’s in a difficult situation since the “I’m from the future,” explanation rarely yields positive results. It’s early, so we don’t know if Vanessa has an exit strategy planned for Jack, but for now, she’s on her own. Is Florian enamored enough of this stranger to overlook the murder of his beloved countess, or can Jack offer some kind of proof that everything she says is true? And how will Dalibor handle his wife’s brutal killing? No one ever said the Dark One has to be female.

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Over the course of five seasons, series creators and showrunners Simon Barry, Neil LaBute, and now Jonathan Lloyd Walker have managed to lure some of genre television’s finest actors for guest spots and recurring roles, and “Past Tense” continues this trend. Filming inside a real Slovakian castle takes the Van Helsing world building to another level which works brilliantly with Jack’s journey to the past, and though it’s likely only a brief paradigm shift, the intriguing introduction of time travel into the overall arc helps assuage the momentary loss we feel in the absence of the core characters. Vanessa will be back. The future’s not as clear for Violet, Doc, Axel, Ivory, and Julius who are still out there somewhere.

The post Van Helsing Returns For A Final Season And Adds Time Travel To Its Narrative Palette appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3mVvw2i

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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courage-a-word-of-justice · 4 years ago

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After much watching...I cut it down to 5 anime and 1 short.

Suppose a Kid… 1

I am not writing out that full title every time! Anyways, here’s the first “real” debut of winter 2021.

For some reason…this series reminds me of Pokemon. Probably how at the start, Ash tries to get along with Pikachu by doing all sorts of things like what Lloyd is doing here. (<- learnt protag’s name through synopses)

The name “Shouma” rang a bell and I was right – Shouma is voiced by Souma…Saito.

The Japanese title has “monogatari” on the end there…so it probably doesn’t fully translate into the English title.

These orange flecks in Lloyd’s eyes are kinda distracting…

Isn’t Kunlun in China, though…?

If this is just going to be Marie yelling…I don’t see why I should stay. (<- turned volume on for everything so far)

*facepalms* Lloyd is so dense…

That fight scene’s not very good…

…oh great. Selen’s fallen in love with Lloyd already…*sigh*

The missing princess is certainly going to be a plot point later.

Wow, that tiger looks impressive! If only they could’ve done that for the fight scene…

…oh great, Selen is a low-key yandere…

Didn’t Lloyd say he sucked at combat…? Anyways, I’m not keeping this. The designs are colourful and the tiger was good, but it’s meant to be a comedy and it’s not funny.

Hortensia Saga 1

Here for Ume! He’s voicing a guy called Defloitte Danois.

I-Is that CGI? So early on into the anime???

*a dude gets bitten into by the werewolf*…welp, at least this series isn’t afraid of its own gore.

I had a sinking feeling our real protag was Alfred…and I was right, according to the OP.

Huh? The song goes silent for a second near the end…what the heck?

The book appears to use English, albeit English so faintly inked in you can’t quite tell what language it is.

Alfred, governing Albert…? Isn’t that a bit redundant?

I swear all the female voices in this anime are squeaky as all get out…

All these high fantasy anime – or heck, any high fantasy series full stop – ever justify why the country is worth fighting for. It’s why I find war stories pointless and senseless.

You can tell from the voice and short stature “Marius” is Mariel…but she uses boku, which is why Alfred can’t really tell the difference. (Also, he wasn’t privy to the fact Mariel cut her hair.)

This almost smacks of a game tutorial. The CGI is still there…it’s not as bad as other examples I’ve seen, but you can tell it’s CGI when you look at it.

Roy’s kind of pretty, in a generic way.

A close-range archer! Ho, you’re kinda impressive yourself, Roy. (The feeling of a game tutorial has disappeared by this point.)

Hortense…of Hortensia…how confusing.

The scruffy guy you keep seeing with the dark hair is Defloitte. Keep an eye out for him for me, would you?

The ED seems to consist mostly of…anguished pop screams. *cringes slightly*

Anyways, this anime isn’t bad. It’s quite average though and its CGI could easily get worse.

Kumo Desu ga 1

…you know I don’t like 1st person cam, yeah?

…this is just Kumoko (as I’ve heard her being called) yelling so far…plus there’s quite a bit of CGI.

I like how the ED has an English overlay and the style they’ve used for it. The music, though…? Nah.

Wait a second? Millepensee? Shin Itagaki? That would explain the CGI!

“…a spider that just happens to have my memories.” – A butterfly dream, huh?

…well, at least this anime is well aware of the genre space it inhabits. Maybe you could say…it’s an isekai light novel, so what? *groans from the audience*

…well, you didn’t really “bring” your “brother’s” (?) corpse in case of an emergency, now, did you?

…welp, to have guts, you must eat guts. I guess that’s how it goes.

What’s a “skanda”?

This anime’s quite monologue-y (as expected of an LN). I can live with it, but I don’t know if it can carry the entire thing through the season.

…humans? Haven’t seen them almost all episode. What are they up to?

These designs sort of look like SAO’s. They’re not a dealbreaker yet, but they could be down the line…

This ED seems to take cues from Cop Craft’s OP (same studio). It also has some…“Aggretsuko rage”, I guess you could call it.

2.43 1

…Another confusing title, I see. I normally don’t do sports anime, but I’m here for Ume.

*sees the colour of the volleyball* - Basically anything volleyball has to collaborate with volleyball maker Mikasa, doesn’t it?

This anime seems to like putting characters’ thoughts on the screen for dramatic impact. The CGI is sort of visible, but not a dealbreaker.

I’d thought I’d heard of this OP artist before, but it turns out I haven’t.

This series has a nice sense of force. You see those moments where the ball squishes, or when Yuni presses against the wall without thinking? Those.

LOL, way to burn Yuni, Chika…

These transitions are a bit hard to detect. I think I like Akudama’s more overt ones more.

LOL, Dr Popper (sic).

The serves are nothing special. Haikyuu does the same thing from the episode I saw of it. (You know I don’t like Haikyuu, yeah? Dropped it after 1 episode because everything I heard the fans talking about caused me to connect the dots.)

The way Yuni blushes…it’s more than someone usually would, even if it is out of embarrassment. It may just be the entertainment I consume, but I could swear that’s going somewhere in more of a BL manner.

I get the feeling Chika has a bit of Virgo or Taurus in him somewhere. The sort of guy who nags at everyone to do stuff his way is probably like that.

Pocari Sweat (unaltered).

I gave myself dimples by puffing up my cheeks and poking them until they became permanent. I guess you can do the same thing with ambidexterity…?

For some reason, I can detect Chika’s jealousy when he discusses blocks and natural talent.

…wow, this anime is pretty serious for a volleyball anime.

The ED scene where the face is replaced with flowers is pretty creepy. Like Jigokuraku or something.

Cells at Work!! 1

What are these blob creatures you see in the OP, anyway…?

I think I remember reading something that the numbers assigned to the cells aren’t arbitrary – they’re hexadecimal colors, e.g. RBCs get shades of red as their numbers.

D’aww, Platelets warm the heart. They really do.

Platelets have a master…? I thought they were all just lil’ kids.

“What the cell’s going on?!” – Oh, I remember seeing a tweet about this. I love that pun! Kudos to whoever was responsible for that.

LOL, no. 4989 dancing in the background.

Hmm…those nets look like CGI.

…uh, I did not need that shot of the Megakaryocyte’s camel toe…that’s distubring.

Wait, Backward Cap is a she?!

Aw, lookit WBC being a dad. That’s cute.

Backward Cap = Ushiromae-chan.

Is that…a construction worker holding a giant pudding?!

Cells at Work Code Black 1

This anime is called “black” due to black companies. It’s Code Black to avoid being racist, I guess. I’m looking forward to it because it’s undoubtedly going to show a dark side to the main series…

…and there it is, the RBC complaining.

I assume OJT = on the job training.

I knew “pespin” (sic) was a typo. It’s pepsin.

Now that I’ve been working at customer service for two years (give or take COVID), I can see where the senpai RBC is smoothing over the relations.

…that also means I know where to suppress my emotions. I’m not a person who opens up to people easily without getting used to them, so people never see me as suitable for customer service anyway, but it’s the only experience I have so *shrugs*.

…oh gosh. I haven’t seen these words since…the time I was still learning biology.

…*sigh* Rookie RBC is worried about boobs.

The fact Senpai lost his iconic hat…is kinda sad, actually.

“Don’t let his resolve be for nothing.”

Hmm…does the male WBC from the main series wear black fingerless gloves?

I thought I’d heard of this artist before…but turns out I just can’t distinguish really autotuned artists from each other…(lel)

…and stuff goes ka-blam. It’s the spiritual successor to HypMic, even if I wasn’t asking for it. (LOL)

Back Arrow 1

…I heard you said “hot guys”? (Yes, I am predictable as all get out.)

What’s with that episode title…?

Stereotypes, eh? I kind of expected as much from the promo, but where’s the title character…?

…was that yuri fanservice? I can’t quite tell because it was the aftermath of an action scene, but I can see the shippers gearing up in my head.

…after a bit of waiting, there he is. Back Arrow himself. He kind looks like Takuto (Star Driver).

“I’m not trying to hide anything!” – Well, that’s…true.

…*sigh* Why do girls always have more feminine-looking mechs? (Plus this one has boobs…*sighhhhhhhhhhhh*)

So it seems mechs in this anime are the form of one’s conviction and they have skills along those lines, eh? An interesting concept.

…you do realise I abandoned an entire anime based on a joke about lucky underwear? However, this anime is so absurd and just keeps running with the joke that I just can’t say no to it. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from volunteering at a charity store, it’s that when it comes to selling stuff, you can’t say no to a lot of stuff…including selling potentially used underwear, so long as it’s not dirty or stinky.

Whoa! Those things break?!

Why does the title card mention the wall...?

Anyways, I…like it, surprisingly enough. Let’s keep going.

Back Arrow 2

…eh? Didn’t expect inflatable clothing, LOL.

I suspect Shu Bi is scheming something.

What’s the long thing…?

“…tomorrow might not come.” – A good reminder to have in these times of COVID.

Peath = Peace. (Heh. What a stupid name…*thinks about the name “Quattro Bajeena” suddenly* Okay, “Peath” pales in comparison to that.)

What is that creature that circles in the sky…?

I know this is meant to be a serious fight, but…that attacking guy’s hat seriously looks like a bamboo stalk and so I keep seeing it and trying not to laugh.

I only just now realised there’s CGI. CGI these days is getting much better than it used to be.

Tomozaki 1

LOL, Yontendo. It’s clearly Smash Bros + Nintendo Switch and the character designer was also around for Iroduku, so that’s why this style looks familiar.

…lemme guess, since this is a romance, it’s likely NONAME is Aoi. Or some other girl.

I would pay for a romance where it’s the girl building the guy up to be presentable, instead of a girl building other girls up to be presentable a la Ageha 100%.

Didn’t the anime show us Tomozaki reflecting to himself, though…?

“…rules working in combination.” - Well, there’s social norms (e.g. knock before entering a room), laws, contracts, societal standards (e.g. in Japanese society, you bow to others as a greeting or apology)…(continues to blabber on for a bit)

I think Aoi said something like “onitadaku”, but I’m not sure what the joke is there. Oni is in there, sure, but what’s the original phrase she’s playing off?

…LOL, it’s a good time to remind people to wear a mask.

LOL, Krout.

Anyways, this seems decent. I like how it’s going the way I want it to.

Tomozaki 2

“…make sure I’m nearby…” – Okay, that’s just being pushy, Aoi.

Minami and Hinami…so confusing…

*Minami chomps on Natsubayashi’s ear* - …okay, that’s not a thing girls do in real life unless they’re lesbians. This is likely trying to take the fanservice route.

They didn’t even show why the “kiss” was broken up…meaning they were doing it to make potential girl-on-girl look hot. Just great.

*Aoi touches Tomozaki’s butt* - Dude, that’s groping…

I didn’t think we’d get the story on Aoi’s “hexactly” so soon.

…well, that episode just made me feel mildly bitter. I’m dropping it here.

Praeter 1

…aw s***. Only a few seconds in and this looks like a terrible game…

It’s like someone barfed paint across Durarara…

The only time the background buildings look any good are when there’s a fight scene…

These Seals (or whatever those designs are called) seem to act like mini shields. Update: They’re called tattoos.

That transition was a bit fast for my liking…

Seems like the series is mildly peppered with Greek terms.

“To Infinity and Beyond” by…some author I can’t really read the name of.

Suddenly, they throw in more characters…?

Where does Eiji keep those bullet cases of his…? In his jacket?

Having a guy die in the 1st episode is cheap. I mean, we don’t quite care for him yet – it’s too early in the anime for that.

Now there’s Norse terms on top of the Greek ones…

Even more characters? You kidding me?

Lemme guess, Eiji gave up his tattoo because Yamato inspired him and now he’s a goner.

Welp, the weight of the world is in your hands, Yamato. Including that dead dude on your back. (<- sarcastic)

Sk8 1

I’ve been hearing good things about this anime! Let’s go! (<- about a week late to the debut)

That politician is probably relevant…probably someone’s dad, if HypMic taught me anything.

LOL, a beef. They call this stuff “beef”? Where’s the chicken? (<- joke from HypMic)

Haemanthus…apparently a flowering plant from S. Africa.

That’s rare, you don’t see Canadians in anime all that much. I was just thinking as I came home from volunteering how you know British people all have fancy names like William and Australians are Johnno, Danno etc., but Canadians? No clue. Update: Apparently you’d call one Arnold or something just as generic…?

Why are all foreigners in anime half-Japanese with the mother being the Japanese side, anyway?...Because people can make their character speak Japanese while looking foreign. Right. Moving right along.

Ahh…I understand your plight all too well, Reki.

…Hmm. It seems Reki’s surname is written kiya, but read “Kyan”. His name literally translates to “history (calendar/age) of bravery (military might)” Update: Turns out his surname is 3 characters (read “kiyan”, although I’ve never seen that final character ever being read as “n”) and his first name is one, so his first name is just “history (calendar/age)”.

Even I suck at balancing on bikes and stuff (…yeah, I still can’t ride a bike even though I’ve done so many other things in my life) and I know you have to support yourself with one foot on the ground before you do things like trick flips. I may not have observed Tony Hawk all that much, but he was on the periphery of my knowledge.

“What’s your hourly wage?” – Ouch, I feel ya, Langa.

Koko ni netete actually means “Lie down here”, but…okay.

These eyecatches are cute.

That’s a cute fox.

Yikes! 60 mph = approx. 97 km/h!!!

Random umeboshi, LOL.

Aghhhhhhhhhhh! Cherry Blossom’s so pretty~! I love him already!

Thank you, based Bones!

Something that can be enjoyed, even without sound: this is why I enjoy both action and comedy anime!

Okinawa? We’re in Okinawa?

Well, that was cool! I didn’t even ask where the location was until the end. Update: Why is this anime sometimes called Sk8 the Infinity anyway…?

Horimiya 1

Horimiya…I’ve been aware of this series for a while. There’s even a Chinese volume of it at a library close to me, although due to contact tracing I haven’t bothered to check it out.

Oh, I bet Hori is the otaku!

Ooh, Marketing Script!

Because I’ve been behind on the premieres, I’ve seen enough to know this boy with the chain is Miyamura.

…argh! Miyamura is cute! Y’all were right!!! (<- likes blushing bois)

I bet there’s going to be an emergency meeting!

“Sorry, it’s egg time!” – Oh, I’m laughing so hard! So that’s the context behind the Wonder Egg Priority meme!

“…see these?!” – Well, it’s not like you have a tattoo or some-*Miyamura shows his tattoos* Never mind…

Oh, I just realised they even animate the minute movements of the eyes Miyamura does…cool.

Notice how Miyamura is blocked from the other guy due to the window.

Miyamura goes “Ishikawa-kun” but “Hori-san”…hmm. No wonder he’s letting Ishikawa get Hori.

The problem I find with romance series is that they’re generally tied to heteronormativity. Hori is coded with red silhouettes and Miyamura with blue…*sigh* Whatever happened to gender ambiguity?

Good heavens, what is up with this ED?! It looks like Pocoyo! (…Does anyone else know that cartoon…?) Aside from that quibble, this anime is great though.

Mushoku Tensei 1

Apparently this is the grandad of all isekai. Why it took so long for an anime of this…who knows?

…and of course this guy’s a loser virgin. Go figure.

*sighhhhhhhhh* He’s just ogling this woman’s boobs…

…oh, sorry. I was so distracted by the man candy, I didn’t care about Rudy.

I-It’s actually quite refreshing to not have an OP protagonist from the get-go for once. (Or maybe I’ve developed such a disdain for isekai since SAO rolled around that everything here suddenly feels fresh.)

You can see the birthplace of isekai without having watched any of the others right here, it looks like.

“…what’s the point of incantations?” – To make it easier for you to cast spells, I gue-spoke too soon.

…wow, they shamelessly showed off Rudy’s privates. I know he’s still young at this stage, but that reminds me of how I dropped Dragon Ball around the time Goku was shown the same way (which is…very early on, by my own admission).

I believe, based on the name of the spinoff I see in the 7 Seas emails, the magic tutor is called Roxy.

You’re thinking about marriage?! At your (reincarnated) age?!

Oh no! The tree again!

LOL, Rudy’s acting like a kid who’s been in COVID lockdown for a while.

I think what most of the isekai that spun off from here missed is that the loser is job age. Losers at life at job age are relatable and high school geniuses are relatable (albeit sometimes insufferable), but losers who become NEETs for no reason whatsoever and then get banged up by Truck-kun are not.

Anyways, this was good, but a risky kind of good, since it seems like this male gaze will continue to be around as Rudy gets older.

Update: Dropped after learning Rudy was a paedophile in his past life.

Update 2: Apparently the anime toned down this paedophilic tendency of Rudy’s, so...now the verdict is that I move on while I let other people tell me if this is true of the anime or not.

Kemono Jihen 1

“Kemono Jihen” means something like “creature incidents”. I wonder why Funimation didn’t change the name…?

Kabane means “summer wing”.

Kanoko Villa, I’d assume, is named after the deer (the name means “deer’s child”).

My experience with Sho Aimoto (creator of this manga) is reading a bit of Hokenshitsu no Shinigami. (That, by the way, reminds me of Nube, but it’s nothing spectacular.) However, Hokenshitsu no Shinigami has a very detailed artstyle…That’s why I’m pretty shocked Kemono Jihen has such a scratchy one…

Ooh, edamame!

Oh, I see…this is like Furuba or a werewolf story, huh? Rather than a Natsume Yuujincho sort of thing.

…I thought Inugami and Dorotabo had seen everything of each other because of bathing together…I guess not, then.

…is Yataro going to die?

It seems the “immortal demons” are oni, so…why subtitle them as “immortal demons” and not just “demons”?

Ohhhhhhhh…this shite’s good. It seems to have a throwback feeling to it, moreso than even Yashahime or a lot of the sequels I’ve seen recently.

Cells at Work!! 2

I was going to move right along to Wonder Egg Priority because I’m really behind on the debuts right now, but I accidentally opened this up while I was cleaning up so I might as well watch another episode or two before setting it aside.

He’s dead, Jim. (<-joking)

…gosh, these walls look like Hover all over again and that’s from 1995…

LOL, these background cells don’t even have any details. They’re basically stick figures with fat bodies…

I think that phrase that appeared, “Take good care of B Cell!”, may be a pun on Give My Regards to Black Jack (written with similar Japanese, “B Cell wo Yoroshiku!” vs. “Black Jack ni Yoroshiku!”).

LOL, “you sure have the guts”…while they’re in the guts.

The certificate says something about it being presented to someone in the face of bravery, I think (<- just looked at it briefly).

“You have a good head on your shoulders,” says the T cell as WBC struggles with the disguise…stuck on his head.

Wonder Egg Priority 1

I’ve been hearing this series is surreal, but no more surreal than Flip Flappers. So…I don’t know if I’ll like it or not.

What’s this K?(?96…?

There’s a sunflower on her raincoat…so that’s why I saw a post called “You’re the sunflower”. Personally, that just reminds me of Post Malone.

Those Seeno Evils…they’re CGI, aren’t they?

As Boueibu once said (but I may be paraphrasing here), “nothing is more scary than free”.

…to be honest with you, I haven’t had a best friend for at least 2 years now. I only really feel close to people who are like me and who I have sustained contact with over many years, so I end up cutting contact with people after we part ways and never trying to fix it.

I always find it slightly absurd when anime girls get a little pudgy and go, “I’m so fat!” (See, for instance, the Dumbbell series.) Or, in this case, Ai’s going, “I’m so ugly!” when there’s nothing wrong with her. She’s only a bit different from everyone else due to her heterochromia - she doesn't have any physical or mental difficulties.

IChu 1

Here for Ume and, of course, dem bois. Bring it!

I seem to remember one of the magazines called an “Ichu” “an idol egg” (i.e. a fledgling idol)…More egg puns for me, then.

I found him! Ume! He’s Akira Mitsurugi! Update: Turns out that’s Toshiyuki Toyonaga…Oops. (Ume is actually Lucas from I*B.)

Huh? For a second, I imagined Akira with a dubbed voice. Of course, I could only be dreaming, because idol anime normally don’t get dubs, but…it was interesting to think about.

LOL, “Onsta”.

This Akio-type character is popular lately. The sort who’s timid but has an outstanding talent they themselves might not see.

…uh, but Kocho means “Principal”…?

An idol bear?!

Torahiko is crazy…(Note the tigers. Tora = tiger.)

Specifically, that’s black coffee with no sugar.

As much as I want to keep watching this, I’ll hit pause on it here. There’s much better offerings this season.

YuruCamp s2 1

…grandpa’s writing is so…neat.

*glares at CGI car…*

This OP just doesn’t compare to Shiny Days, y’know…?

OOPArts.

Talking pine cones! They’re back!

Curry rice! Literally had some of the Japanese-style stuff the other day. It was great.

All this talk about jobs…I personally don’t like jobs because I like to work at my own pace (hence one reason why I’m working on being a translator), but…money…I’m jealous, girls.

I’m trying not to rely on the subs for those texts that appear on the screen so that I can keep my reading skills up…I kept up with them for the most part…but then I got distracted by the croquette sign at one point…

“…buy you some local food?” – That’s omiyage, normally translated “souvenirs”. “Local food” actually does make more sense in that gap, though.

…man, I’m jealous that the girls all got jobs suitable for their personalities and everything. Lil’ ol’ antisocial me sucks at retail, even after 2 years.

Design-bu 1

LOL, that man and his bunny. Update: That’s Unabara-san.

…geez, these utaite are everywhere now. I’ve seen 96neko, USSS, Eve and more being more central to anime song creation…

Thise characters in the OP seal (<-the stamp, not the animal) are saiyou, meaning “recruited”, or in this case, “accepted”.

OEM = original equipment manufacturer.

Hrm…you can tell it’s a giraffe by description, but…that “base everything on the horse” is interesting as you could count several things as horse derivatives. Also, the angels’ names are all standard Japanese names with natural components to them (Ueda = upright rice field, Shimoda = frost rice field etc).

Is this pink-themed guy…a guy? Or a crossdresser? Update: That’s Kanamori-san.

I like how the suits have little wing-like flaps. Also the wings on Shimoda’s back.

…I never thought an anime episode would make me so concerned about giraffes.

That guy in the green I remember from the Wave x Tendebu (Heaven’s Design Team) collab, his name is Kimura.

Oh, so there is a bird like that!

The random wiggling the chibis do in these short segments…it’s a bit disorienting. (<-Just a small quibble of mine.)

Oh! Galapagos effect!

Agonistic: “polemical; combative.” I thought they meant “antagonistic”.

Oh man, that punch line was great! It took me a while to get into the spirit of it, but this anime is great!

Update: Oh, that’s where those nature names come from! They’re actually meant to be gods! (Or…named after gods…?) Also, Ueda vs. Shimoda (the “shimo” could be the kanji for “below”).

Ex-Arm 1

I’ve heard this anime looks bad…even well before its debut. How bad? Let’s find out.

*stifles laughter* From the first pan, I know this anime is doomed on my list. Even Praeter was better than this!

*stifles laughter again* This OP really does look as bad as the stuff I was seeing prior to winter 2021! Like a game I shouldn’t take out of my archives! (It’s not as bad as Hover’s graphics, but still…that’s from 1995. Cut it some slack.)

That’s the 2nd Kimura this season…

Yugg is just…ugly. Never try to render elaborate eyelashes in CGI again, people.

Dimension High School was better than this because at least that had puzzles. This is even jankier than that!

Wait, why is Akira 3D when his dad is 2D? It’s not that obvious, but I notice these things. Update: That’s not his dad…but close enough. (That’s his brother.)

…and here comes Truck-kun! (LOL)

This would be good…if it weren’t rendered in the jankiest CGI known to man…

Alma’s gun strike doesn’t have a lot of force to it.

The fire is rendered so terribly…*stifles laughter*

This part with a disembodied Akira is what I assume I got up at 6 am for…but I can’t hear it, due to background noise. Remind me to confirm this later. (Minami’s mouth is rendered so terribly…augh.)

No force to any of these recent motions, either.

LOL, this censorship.

Wave 1

Ever since this project was announced, I’ve been watching developments unfold on Anime News Network. I knew it would get an anime or something similar I could follow…and now here I am. I mentioned in the Sk8 comments I have basically zero knowledge of surfing, so…this is very unexpected, in one sense.

Was that a drone…?

“Wizard of the Waifu Board”?! Are you kidding me?! (LOL)

There seem to be shots where I can see the CGI here, but…anything’s better than Ex-Arm. Let’s say that.

Actually…yappe is a derivative of yabai, meaning “cool” or “crap” (in an ironic sense). So it would probably be better to translate it as “Surfing’s the greatest!” or “Surfing’s the coolest!” Anyways, what I was thinking before I was going to say this was that the waves are so enticingly animated, it feels like a summer anime. Basically the only other anime I’ve ever said that for is Grand Blue.

If I’m understanding where Isokichi’s name comes from right, “iso” is the character for seashore or a rocky beach (磯).

LOL, the teacher just wrote “Show must go on.”

Hayama, Kanagawa. Kanagawa’s capital is Yokohama, so it’s not quite Tokyo, but somewhat close.

“Murphy”? I have zero clue what that means.

Oh, I see. The title is translated that way due to context. Now that I can accept.

I just burst out into laughter when I realised Nalu hasn’t dropped or put down his ukulele once.

BSD Wan! 1

Here comes my past to haunt me…aside from me being a fan of BSD, I’m here because I influenced this series. How so? Once upon a time in the now-distant year of 2016, I was a scanlator for a brief period. Most of the work I’ve done hasn’t influenced the world at large, but this is the most influential manga I had a hand in working on.

Oh no! They’re starting with the dog AU?! (That comes from pretty far into the manga, IIRC. Further than my work was on it, at least.)

It’s Rashomon, but Rashoken (that last bit means “dog”). Hence Ruffshomon.

Basically, they just insert dog-related words everywhere…don’t make me explain every one!

Ouch, I can only imagine how much pain it was to translate Inu Shikkaku. Literally, it’s “No Longer a Dog”, but how would anyone make it in line with the other puns…?

I wasn’t fully aware of how the dog AU was connected to the main Wan series because I haven’t really looked at it after I quit due to aggregators, but…that was a nice fakeout. Also, I was concerned as to whether this was going to be a full-length ep or a short…seems like it’s a 10 minute short, so I have more chances of taking it.

…oh gosh, that pose! I remember it! I worked on this one! (Now that I know it’s a TV short, I won’t cover future episodes, but I want to at least finish this one because I started it.)

I think they added a bit there. I remember Kunikida’s and Yosano’s were in the manga, but not the other members or Fukuzawa going “the wind is smiling” + Kenji working on the roof at the start.

Oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh, I remember Rampo. I think I had to approximate how he would say stuff with Pocky in his mouth, but Slug (current scanlator) went the extra mile and stuck food in his mouth to do the same panel.

It seems to make a short ep., they strung a bunch of the chapters together. Also, I don’t think we ever found out what Yosano’s puddle was and that was…probably for the better.

Oh yeah…I think I remember this one.

Now I remember it! I remember having fun explaining what a youkan was.

Whoa, Higuchi scrapped the SFX! That wasn’t in the original…

The ED seems to be an Atsushi cover of Namae wo Yobu yo.

Oh noooooooooooo! The flower gazing episode! That’s the one I remember most, because I was trying to figure out how to translate 移動 while making it smooth-sounding English…(I remember the final result was something like, “Move! Move~!”

Dr Stone: Stone Wars 1

Final debut! Let’s go~!

The last time this series was on the air was about 1 year ago. I can remember that far back…

I like how that recap is framed as Gen talking to the kids.

Senku overcomes every problem with science.

…not much to comment on here.

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kumeko · 5 years ago

Text

Title: take a chance on me

A/N: For @princerazzie, for the @talessecretsanta2019! I like Zelos/Sheena a lot myself and went with a bit of an AU for them. Hope you like this!

…

Sheena stared at her physics textbook, at the carefully labeled diagrams of triangles and circles and odd-sided shapes. It was confusing, sure, but it was a comfortable confusing. She knew where she stood with physics and that was on the border of failing or passing the class.

What was more uncertain, however, was the red-head smirking at her cheekily from across the table. There were many adjectives she could and would use to describe him—lazy, flippant, skirt-chaser. Smart was never one of them and she wasn’t sure what was worse, that he was tutoring her or that somehow, somehow, she was stupider than the guy who spent all of class flirting.

Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe the teacher had swapped their papers by accident. She glanced at the textbook once more and sighed internally. No, she was definitely failing the class. Unfortunately, that meant Zelos was actually useful for once and she didn’t know what to make of that. He’d never shut up about it, that much she was certain. Every conversation carried forward would mark this day down. Considering that she’d known him since kindergarten and would probably, unfortunately, never stop knowing him, that was a lifetime of nose rubbing.

She had to make new friends.

Zelos’s smirk grew wider as he caught her eye and shit, she’d been staring too long. “What’s wrong, beautiful? Can’t look away?”

Her ears went red. It was a small miracle this was after school and no one was in the classroom right now. Or maybe that wasn’t such a good thing; it literally was just the two of them in a classroom, all alone. Sitting straight, she crossed her arms and scowled at him. “Of course not. I just…can’t believe it. How do you have the highest marks in class?”

“Hey, I’m not just beauty, I’m brains too.” Zelos winked. He curled an arm and patted his bicep. “Maybe not brawn yet, but brawny isn’t nice to look at anyways.”

“Ugghhhh,” she groaned. This was the nitwit she chose as her first and, for some reason, best friend. This was the man she was going to know for the rest of her life. No, not the rest of her life; she was never going to make it that far. Maybe even as soon as today, she was going to murder him. She’d been making progress with her juniors, with the air-headed pair of Colette and Lloyd. She didn’t need him anymore.

Maybe she could learn physics just to hide his body.

Stranger things have happened.

“Hey, don’t groan so much.” Zelos tapped on the book to get her attention again. “It’s not my fault you’re failing.”

“I’m not failing,” she snapped back, indignant. She crossed her arms defensively. “I’m just not passing.”

“That’s the same thing,” he pointed out, his expression deadpan.

He had a point. She didn’t want to admit. Sheena glared at him, before gesturing at the classroom windows. It was a surprisingly warm fall day, almost t-shirt weather, and she asked, “I thought you’d be out flirting or something on a day like this. Why’re you even here?”

“And miss the chance for some alone time with you?” His tone was light, but his expression was serious. Sheena swallowed as he looked at her. “Never.”

He was just flirting. It was like breathing to him. That’s all there was to it and Sheena tried to remember her skyrocketing heart that this meant nothing to him and even if it did, she didn’t care about it. She didn’t. Not in the least. “S-sure,” she managed, finally, her voice hitching slightly. “How many times have I heard that line before? You say it to everyone.”

Zelos studied her for a moment. Did he see right through her? And what did that even mean, if he did? He broke into an easy smile and shrugged. “Caught me there.”

Yep. That was to be expected. Sheena released the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Pushing forward the textbook, she tapped on the first problem. “Explain. The sooner we get through this, the sooner we can leave.”

“So gung-ho.” Zelos chuckled, leaning closer to the textbook to read. His long hair brushed against her fingers and she resisted the urge to jump back. How had they done this when they were kids? She felt so much more self-conscious of him these days. He read the book, his lips mouthing the problem silently, and sat back. Cocking his head, he asked, “So…you don’t get what, exactly?”

“Everything.” Sheena rolled her eyes. She’d thought it was obvious. “The whole thing. All that stuff about volts and watts and circuits and the funny diagrams. None of it makes sense.”

“I thought you were paying attention in class. You didn’t even understand one thing.” His brow furrowed and he shot her a pitying look. “I knew you were an idiot, but I underestimated how much.”

She bit back a scream. Every conversation they had left her feeling like this: mildly annoyed and frustrated. “It’s not like you’re much smarter.”

Zelos snorted derisively. “I am.”

“Ok, fine, you’re better in class, but you know what? Out there, in the streets? You wouldn’t last a minute,” Sheena growled, her hands curling on the desk. Her nails dug into the wood, as though she could transmit her irritation into the furniture.

Now Zelos looked at her sadly. Reaching out, he tenderly covered her hand, his touch light. “I’m also better there too, honey.”

She yanked her hand away, her skin burning. His touch was seared onto her skin and she could still feel his fingers brushing against her wrist. Flushing a bright red, she leaned forward and yanked on his tie, forcing him to her eye level. “Just. Teach. Me. Already.”

Now that she was this close to him, she could see that his eyes weren’t quite as light blue as she thought. There were flecks of dark blue, a more haunting colour, and with his eyes as wide as they were now, they were impossible to miss. No, that wasn’t why, it was because she was so damn close. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d leaned forward. Their noses were almost bumping and she could feel his breath on her lips. There was a slight blush on his cheeks and she felt irrationally proud of that, of getting him to turn red instead of her for once.

But he was close, too close, and Sheena felt a familiar flush colour her face too. Her grip on his tie loosened and she swallowed. “I…”

His lips moved and she was aware of it, so keenly aware of it. “You…”

She had to back away. This was a danger zone, the area she didn’t thread with him no matter how many years they knew each other. No, maybe it was precisely because of how many years they knew each other—she didn’t want to be his next conquest, his next short-term fling.

But he was close, too close, and when he moved forward, closing the gap, all she could do was close her eyes as she forgot how to breath. As his lips crushed hers. As his hands threaded through her hair, pulling her impossibly closer. The desk pressed against her stomach and his chair scrapped as he tried to get nearer. His hair was softer than she’d thought, she realized idly as she gripped his head back. Her body seemed to have a will of its own, knowing just what to do, where to move.

Finally, running out of breath, he let go, and she sank back into her seat. Her breathing was shallow, rapid, and she stared at him with wide eyes. At least he looked like she did; she didn’t know if she could handle being smirked at right now. She watched as he raised a hand to his lips, as he stared from his finger to her, and then back again.

“This isn’t a dream, is it?” he asked finally.

“A nightmare, more like,” she managed, closing her eyes. “This was a mistake.”

“A mistake?” he repeated, and she could hear the undisguised hurt in his voice. “You didn’t want it?”

“Of course I—” She cut herself off before she could say anything else. Cracking an eye open, she froze at the frown on his face, the way his shoulders slumped, at how small he looked at her words. Sometimes, she forgot he had a heart.

Sometimes, she forgot that he did actually care about things. About people. About her. For all of their headbutting, he was one of her closest friends and she never knew what that said about her.

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Sheena sighed, pinching her nose. Some honesty couldn’t hurt. Just a little, at least. “I…it was nice…and I…” Oh god, no, she was wrong, honesty could hurt. The words were like taffy in her mouth and she forced them out. “I liked it.”

Zelos was caught entirely off-guard and his mouth fell open. “Hhh?” he managed unintelligibly.

Sheena shook her head. “I’m not repeating that.”

It was too late. She should have known better than to give him even the smallest indication that she maybe-kinda liked his attention. Zelos bounced back to his usual level of enthusiasm and leaned forward onto the desk. Resting his chin on his hands, he smirked at her. “You liked it.”

“I…” She couldn’t even tell him to not put words in her mouth, those were the very words and phrasing that she’d said it. Sheena clicked her tongue, sitting back as far as she could in her chair. With a frown, she added, “But that doesn’t make it any less of a mistake.”

“How so?” he asked and maybe he didn’t understand what mistake meant, because his smirk was only growing bigger with every second.

“How is it not?” she growled back, trying not to gesture with her hands because when she did, she’d lean closer, and if she did, they were definitely going to kiss again.

She just knew it.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. “You know how you are with girls. I know how you are with girls. We both know this is going nowhere. All this did was make our friendship awkward.”

Zelos stared at her unblinking. “Hmmm,” he hummed, considering it all. She felt her cheeks redden again at the attention; the way he studied her did dangerous things to her heart. “Right. I see.” He sat up now. “But what if that isn’t what happened.”

“What?” Sheena looked at him owlishly.

“What if I don’t act like I do normally?” he said slowly, each word deliberate. “I told you before, I’m serious about you.”

“That was teasing,” she managed to reply, falling back to her old defenses.

“It wasn’t. It never was.” He held out a hand, palm up. “I’m serious about you. I always have been.”

And for once, she had to admit the honesty of his words. There was no teasing lit, no flowery words. She can’t remember the last time she saw him like this, so earnest, so open. Never, really. No, that’s not quite right—he’d always been a little vulnerable with her, a little open. Not quite the player he always pretended to be.

Sheena stared at his open hand, at his hopeful eyes, and swallowed. “You’re not kidding.”

“I’m not,” he repeated.

This was a mistake. Sheena was ninety-percent certain about that—she’d known Zelos for years. She knew his moves, what he did, how he left girls.

She took his hand anyways.

Zelos broke into a wide smile and she stared, transfixed. Even if it was a mistake, it was too late. They were always heading here, she’d just been too stubborn to admit it.

#tales of symphonia #zelos wilder #sheena fujibayashi #sheena x zelos #zelos x sheena #fanfic #i love these two #they just banter so well with one another

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unicornery · 5 years ago

Link

For my own amusement, I started tracking how the songs from the Billboard Hot 100 from this week in 1974 have been used in movie soundtracks. Feature Films only people! As you read, you will see the “gimmes” that made me think of the idea, but I’m putting this behind a cut because there ended up being so many which had a soundtrack match. As a reminder, you can follow along as I do the Hot 100 each week corresponding to which classic AT40 and VJ Big 40 get played on SiriusXM ‘70s on 7 and ‘80s on 8 respectively with my ever-changing Spotify playlist.

100. “Beyond the Blue Horizon” - Lou Christie. This one is a cheat because when I looked it up on Spotify it showed up on the Rain Man soundtrack. The only song I could have told you off the top of my head was in Rain Main is the Belle Stars’ version of “Iko Iko.” Rain Man marked the first soundtrack appearance for Christie’s version.

98. “The Air That I Breathe” - The Hollies. Very memorable appearance in The Virgin Suicides, which had the score done by, wait for it, French electronica duo Air. The song would go on to be heard in other movies.

90. “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. The Paper Lace version appears in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Both acts topped the charts with the song on opposite sides of the pond: Paper Lace in the UK and Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods in the US. [Update: the BD&H version may be in "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday"]

87. “Hollywood Swinging” - Kool & the Gang. This oft-sampled track first appeared in a feature film in the 2005 Get Shorty sequel Be Cool.

84. “La Grange” - ZZ Top. Armageddon first, followed by others.

68. “Band on the Run” - Paul McCartney and Wings. I didn’t search for this at first because I didn’t think there would be anything, but then Jet was on the chart at #27, so I did a twofer search on imdb. Jet has not been in any films (save “One Hand Clapping, a rockumentary on Paul, which I don’t count for purposes of this discussion) but “Band on the Run” appears in The Killing Fields, in a shocking scene that contrasts the light tone of the pop song with the horrors of the Khmer Rouge’s executions of Cambodian citizens.

66. “For the Love of Money” - The O’Jays. Has been used many times, according to IMDb the first feature film use was the Richard Pryor roman a clef (if I’m using that right, I only know it from Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man) Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.

59. “Rock Around the Clock” - Bill Haley and his Comets. Notably used in Blackboard Jungle, the song is on this 1974 chart for its appearance in American Graffiti.

55. “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” - Rick Derringer. First one that comes to mind is Dazed and Confused bc I had that soundtrack, but it has been in others.

49. “Love’s Theme” - the Love Unlimited Orchestra. The swirling strings of this song indicate that someone is indeed falling in love. That’s my way of saying, if you think you haven’t heard this, you have. Imdb has it in Mean Girls, among others.

47. “The Way We Were” - Barbra Streisand. The titular song of the 1973 film The Way We Were, starring Barbra and Robert Redford. A little long, but worth a watch bc Barbra is amazing in it. At the 1974 Academy Awards, Marvin Hamslich won Best Original Song honors for this tune, and was awarded Best Original Dramatic Score for his other musical work on the film. I always think of Lisa Loopner’s big crush on him.

44. “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” - Stevie Wonder. First feature film usage was the 1998 Eddie Murphy flop Holy Man, which surprised me as it’s such a good song, you’d think it would have been in something earlier. Notable given Eddie’s impression of Stevie Wonder he performed on SNL!

42. “Rock On” - David Essex. Michael Damian’s cover (or remix as described by Patton Oswalt) was recorded for the 1989 2 Coreys classic Dream a Little Dream, and per imdb, David Essex’s original appears in the alternate-history comedy Dick, from 1999.

37. “Oh Very Young” - Cat Stevens/Yusef Islam. Surprisingly, this sweet song appears in the gross-out bowling comedy Kingpin.

36. “Jungle Boogie” - Kool & the Gang. This song may have been used in the most films and tv shows of any I’ve researched so far, but its first appearance was in Pulp Fiction.

34. “The Payback - Part 1” - James Brown. First feature film appearance was in 1995′s Dead Presidents. A different James Brown track appears on the soundtrack for racist-ass Melly Gibson’s Payback from 1999.

33. “Help Me” - Joni Mitchell. Another why’d-it-take-ya-so-long shocker, this mellow tune first appeared in the 2018 sci-fi movie Kin, narrowly beating Welcome to Marwen from 2019.

31. “The Entertainer” - Marvin Hamlisch. The title theme from the Redford/Newman team-up The Sting. Hamlisch won a record-tying third Academy Award in 1974 for Best Original Score for The Sting. It seems at this time Best Original Score and Best Original Dramatic Score were separate categories. Hamlisch would win Grammys for both this and “The Way We Were,” eventually becoming an EGOT winner in 1995.

30. “Eres Tú” - Mocedades. This Spanish Eurovision entry notably appears in the buddy comedy Tommy Boy when Chris Farley and David Spade’s characters sing along with the radio.

28. “Midnight at the Oasis” - Maria Muldaur. Catherine O’Hara and Fred Willard perform their own rendition in the Christopher Guest film Waiting for Guffman. That should be all you need, but imdb has the first film appearance for the song as 1995′s Falcon and the Snowman.

24. “Let it Ride” - Bachman-Turner Overdrive. This lesser-known but not less great BTO jam has appeared in a handful of films, the first being Ash Wednesday, starring Elijah Wood and directed by Edward Burns and not Garry Marshall. Note: it does not seem to be in the Richard Dreyfuss gambling movie Let It Ride, a classic VHS cover of my youth.

18. “Mockingbird” - James Taylor and Carly Simon. Memorably performed by Harry and Lloyd in the dog van in Dumb and Dumber, later joined by a Latinx family on guitar and vocals. Before that, Beverly D’Angelo and Chevy Chase’s characters also sang it on their road trip in National Lampoon’s Vacation. I couldn’t find an instance where James and Carly’s version played in a movie but I am sayin’ there’s a chance. That it could be someday.

16. “Tubular Bells” - Mike Oldfield. This instrumental is best known for being the theme to The Exorcist, but I was surprised to learn from the Wiki entry that it was not written for the film. Tubular Bells or something that’s meant to sound like it has been in a ton of other things, generally uncredited. Of note: Mike Oldfield would go on to do the score for The Killing Fields.

14. “Seasons in the Sun” - Terry Jacks. Now here is the type of song that ‘70s haters point to as an example of the whiny wuss rock that they feel over-dominated the era. It’s not one of my favorites but I appreciate it for how weird it is. I suppose being translated into English from a French/Belgian poem will do that to ya. Before I did my search, I imagined I would find it in a Farrelly Brothers movie or two, possibly the Anchorman sequel. However, the only feature film match I found was the 2002 indie flick Cherish, a movie I have never seen despite being confronted by the cover many times at rental places over the years. Before today, when I watched the trailer, I would have told you it starred Jennifer Love Hewitt and was about “a band trying to make it.” It turns out I am thinking of the 1999 film The Suburbans. Anyway Cherish seems aggressively indie and very of-its-time in a way that makes me want to watch it.

13. “Dancing Machine” - The Jackson 5. The song appears in the Blaxploitation spoof I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, as well as the movie of Starsky & Hutch.

11. “Lookin’ For A Love” - Bobby Womack. This was in the movie of The Ladies Man starring Tim Meadows as his SNL character Leon Phelps. I almost skipped this one but I’m glad I didn’t because Tim Meadows rules.

8. “The Loco-Motion” - Grand Funk Railroad (the single and album it was on are credited to Grand Funk). We have our second song from the Kirsten Dunst/Michelle Williams movie Dick. Since that was satirizing Nixon and Watergate, well done to the filmmakers for including these 1974 hits! It appeared in one earlier film, My Girl 2.

5. “Come and Get Your Love” - Redbone. Known to modern listeners for appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy. [Sidebar: if you can find a way to listen to the With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus episode T.G.I.G.O.T.G.OST (Thank God It’s the Guardians of the Galaxy Original Soundtrack) with Sean Clements and Hayes Davenport, do it!] The song first appeared in Dance Me Outside, a Canadian film about First Nations youth, which is a cool parallel with Redbone being composed of Native American musicians. “Come and Get Your Love” is also in Dick!

4. “Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” - Gladys Knight & the Pips. Another SNL feature pops up on our list, 1994′s It’s Pat: The Movie.

3. “Hooked on a Feeling” - Blue Swede. ALSO known to modern listeners as being from the GOTG, but possibly only in the trailer? I’m fuzzy. The song ALSO also appears in Dick, and its first feature film appearance was Reservoir Dogs.

2. “Bennie and the Jets” - Elton John. You know it, you love it, you cackle at the gag in Mystery Team. IMDb has this song down as first appearing in the low budget feature Aloha, Bobby and Rose, from 1975. It is ALSO in My Girl 2, with proper credit for Sir Elton.

1. “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” - MFSB featuring The Three Degrees. IMDb says this appeared in the Al Pacino film Carlito’s Way, and I have no reason to doubt them because it means we are done! Thanks for readin’ and rockin’ along.

#AT40 #1970s music #movie soundtrack #Billboard hot 100

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frasier-crane-style · 5 years ago

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That OTHER big Lone Ranger flop

Coming out in 1981, The Legend of the Lone Ranger is, if anything, worse than the infamous Johnny Depp flop, where at least things happen. In ‘Legend,’ it literally takes an hour before Reid is in the mask, Lone Rangering it up. AN HOUR. That leaves a half an hour and change (including credits) for the title character. Insane!

-We start off pretty much in media res, with a young Tonto on the run from... bandits? Until he’s saved by John Reid as a kid. Reid’s parents are killed, so Tonto takes him in to live with his tribe. It’s ironic--back then, coming off the seventies, this was probably meant to be woke, but nowadays, I’d guess the same people it was trying to appeal to would be scandalized by Reid essentially getting a power-up by being raised by Native Americans (’learning the ways of the wind,’ as the narrator puts it). Say, doesn’t this make it a huge coincidence that decades later, Tonto will be the one to save his childhood friend from Butch Cavendish? Yup.

-Because 1981 was pretty much still the seventies, we get a drippy hippie-rock country song as our theme. I don’t think the William Tell Overture has anything to be worried about.

youtube

-Eventually, John is picked up by his brother Dan, who sends him to Boston, where he grows up to become a lawyer. Which means that this movie is actually doing the “John Reid isn’t a Texas Ranger, he’s a city mouse lawyer” thing just like the Johnny Depp version did. WEIRD. I mean, doesn’t ‘the Lone Ranger’ really only work as a name if he’s actually a Ranger? Yeah, they deputize him, but c’mon--Reid’s getting pretty big in his britches if he thinks being a Ranger for five minutes entitles him to go around calling himself ‘the Lone Ranger.’ And I guess the Native American summer camp thing is supposed to replace his Texas Ranger training? Ehh.

-In present day--or you know what I mean--a grown-up John, now played by Klinton Spilsbury, who will be dubbed (!!!) throughout the movie--is riding in a stagecoach to Texas, which it has to be said looks a lot like Monument Valley. Bandits attack, the stage driver is killed, and John heroically climbs up to take the reins and--surrender to the bandits. Yeah, he turns the table on them, with the help of a Chinese passenger who wields a throwing knife (!) (maybe the movie should be about that guy), but still, what an inauspicious start to THE LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER.

-From here, we’re in for the long haul, and it drags. John reunites with his brother Dan. He romances his love interest, who is totally pointless except to have a love interest. He meets love interest’s uncle, who runs a newspaper speaking out against corruption and injustice and stuff (uh-oh). We meet Butch Cavendish, who here isn’t so much a greedy desperado as he is a militia leader intent on kidnapping the President (!) and starting his own country (!!). You’d think that, and the fact that he’s played by Christopher Lloyd (!!!), would mean he’s get some development, but we pretty much never find out his motivation or anything.

-Uncle Newspaper Editor gets killed by Butch, the Rangers track him down, and they get ambushed in a sequence that’s even more over-the-top than Jerry Bruckheimer would manage. Dozens of Butch’s men block up the canyon with dynamite-filled carriages, turn a Gatling gun on the Rangers, and finally Butch personally executes Dan and John with a sharpshooting rifle. Geez, overkill much?

-Tonto, of course, finds John and nurses him back to health with that old Native American magic--just once, I’d like to see an Indian get injured in one of these things and then be healed by a magical white man... with penicillin. It’s the seventy-eighties, so Nu Tonto doesn’t trust the white man, but John is his buddy, so what’re ya gonna do? Yes. Truly that whole tangent was way better than just Tonto acting compassionately towards an injured man.

-As if that wasn’t enough, now John has to go through a whole training montage, learning to shoot with ‘more accurate’ silver bullets and taming Silver the horse. But then, finally, it’s time to Lone Ranger it up. They play the William Tell Overture and everything.

-Butch is planning to hijack the president’s train, which he does with surprising ease, so John and Tonto sneak into his camp and rig the whole place with explosives, resulting in a stunt show climax that surely must stretch the Lone Ranger’s no-kill rule to the limit. But John doesn’t kill Butch in their final mano-e-mano showdown, but rather delivers him to surely be executed for his crimes. A grateful President promises Tonto he’ll keep the treaties with the Indians (I’d get that in writing, kemosabe), and we’re outta here.

-So, that’s The Legend of the Lone Ranger. It actually has a lot in common with its more famous ‘remake,’ right down to being surprisingly gory and sweary in places. Sure, probably mild by today’s standards, but in 1981, I’m kinda wondering how people liked a nostalgic family movie where the hero and his brother got the Sam Peckinpah treatment. And weirdly, the movie almost totally lacks in personality, seeming to borrow a ton from other folk heroes. The Lone Ranger saves Tonto from a semi-random public hanging by shooting the noose, like Robin Hood would do. He disguises himself as a priest to chat up his lady in a confessional, just like Zorro would do. Even the country-fried narrator comes off like a cut-rate version of the Dukes of Hazzard balladeer. And, you know, the main character is dubbed for the entire movie. What is this, a Godzilla film?

#the lone ranger

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aweebwrites · 6 years ago

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When You Leave...

Polyninja soulmate AU

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They say to have a soulmate was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you have someone destined to love you forever. A curse because life is a fragile thing. This is the tale of how four of Ninjago's protectors discovered that.

As a child, Cole grew up unable to see the colours red and blue. A triad bond the people in his village would whisper when they thought he couldn't hear. Lucky, they would call him. He did think he was lucky. Very lucky. It was the knowledge that someday he'd meet two persons who would love him no matter what that had kept him going through his mother's death and the rift it tore between him and his father. That knowledge gave him purpose.

Jay couldn't see the colour red whatsoever and the moment he and his parents found that out, they were ecstatic. He had a soulmate! Him, the junkyard kid, the wannabe inventor, the motormouth. It gave him hope. Someone would love someone like him…

Zane had only noticed he couldn't see red and blue just a few times but he wasn't ignorant to what it meant. He had soulmates out there. Lifelong partners. He had only returned to meditating. They will cross paths when the time was right. Then maybe… He could have a true home with them.

Kai had always known he had a soulmate. Hearing it as often as he had growing up, how could he forget? No blue skies for him either. But he couldn't do anything about trying to find them. He had to take care of Nya and the shop since their parents up and vanished. All he could do was hope destiny brings them together.

And destiny did, through Sensei Wu. He had first taken Cole under his wing. While he was reluctant, with what being unable to go out into the world just in case his soulmates happened to pass by and all, but reasoned that it was best to stay in one place. He would be easier to find.

Zane was second and went with him without a fight. He was curious. What he didn't expect was to meet another soulmate he didn't knew he had. He walked through the monastery gates and was struck by just how black the hair of the male on the training course was. Was black always so… Bright?

Sensei Wu had called Cole's attention and Cole glanced up, his eyes falling on the newcomer- before squinting, the white of his clothes all but too much. Had white always been that eye popping?

“Could you stand out of the sun maybe? Your clothes are… Too bright.” Cole says, rubbing his eye as Wu rose a brow.

“Your hair is extremely dark. My eyes are having some difficulty adjusting.” Zane also commented, squinting a little.

Wu had stood there patiently, waiting for them to realise. Both of their eyes widened.

“You're-!”

“Are you-!” They both said at the same time, shock washing over them.

Three soulmates?! Zane had never heard of something like this before. How will so many of them cope?

“You are both pardoned for today.” Wu says, walking towards the building. “The test continues tomorrow.” He added, turning to face them before the paper doors slid shut before him.

Both chosen pupils had watched him before looking at each other.

“Hi. I'm, uh. I'm Cole.” He introduced himself unsurely.

“I'm Zane. It's a pleasure to meet you.” Zane says with a kind smile and- wow he was even prettier when he smiled.

Cole blushed at his train of thought, glancing away. Zane couldn't help but notice how much softer he looked with the pink hue in his cheeks.

“Are the colours blue and red missing from your vision as well?” Zane asked him and Cole blinked and nodded.

“Yeah. Didn't know white was until now to be honest.” Cole says, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I didn't know black was missing either. But I'm glad I found you.” Zane says with a soft smile and how could Cole not blush at that.

He smiled however. Sweet talker.

A few short days into their partnered training and they worked surprisingly- or unsurprisingly- well together. They still couldn't beat Wu's incredibly quick drinking time but they were getting close. Then a new person was lead into their world and the skies shone.

“Huh. Your clothes and hair are a little bright.” Jay had said, rubbing his eye as both males looked up at the sky, alarmed.

“Woah… It's… Beautiful…” Cole whispered, eyes wide.

Before, the sky was a big blur of gray with eye popping white cloud but now? Now it was… It was… Breathtaking.

“Is this… Blue?” Zane whispered and Jay looked at them confused before gasping loudly.

They were his soulmates?! He didn't know he would have three! He had to admit to himself that he had hoped for his soulmate to be female but he would take whatever he could get. Besides, he still hasn't seen red yet.

Just like before, Wu had allowed them the day connect, to learn as much as they could from each other. While they weren't girls, Jay found them both incredibly attractive which sent him in a gay panic. He resurfaced minutes later after seeing them interact like they did with each other and himself. What does it matter if it made him gay or not? They're his soulmates and they were already so kind and helpful and thoughtful that he could see himself falling for them all too easily. Together, they trained together, pointing out flaws and areas of improvement. Within no time, they finally manage to best Wu and his quick drinking.

Their last test was to apprehend an intruder. They were all so focused on defeating the stranger that they hadn't notice the difference in their vision. It was only after Wu had changed their gi did they all pause.

“Easy on the eyes pal.” Jay says, squinting at Kai who looked over all three of them confused.

“Wait. Your clothes.” Zane says, the colour bright and hurting his eyes a little.

“What colour is that?” Cole asked, leaning in closer but pulling back and rubbing his eyes.

“My colour?! What is he wearing?” Kai asked, gesturing to Jay then looked to then. “And you two. Your black and white look so strange…” He whispered before gasping.

“Wait- you're our fourth?” Jay says, bewildered.

“Sensei, was this planned?” Cole asked, suspicious.

“Not at all.” The Sensei immediately declined. “Though it seems fit that the four of you, destined to protect Ninjago should also be destined for each other.” He says and they all looked at each other.

Jay didn't get a girl as their fourth but ay this point, he didn't care. He realised pretty quickly that gender certainly didn't matter. Not when his soulmates were perfect as is. Cole may tease him for being a blabbermouth but that's all it is. Teasing. He would sit and listen to him for as long as he can talk. Zane too. Kai seemed a little rough around the edges but he's worried for his sister. Not to mention that it was a little endearing.

Cole had similar thoughts. Sure Kai was a little blunt and quick to jump right in but he was sure his edges would fit perfectly with theirs somehow. Zane was just happy to finally meet and be surrounded by all of his soulmates. The moment was cut short however. They had golden weapons to hunt for.

Kai was a handful to say the least. Jumping into things head on and giving his soulmates mini heart attacks at each turn. Boy were they glad when everything came to an end. They had the golden weapons, Garmadon was in the wind, they had their own pet dragons that adored the rest of them as much as they did their riders (they were suspicious that it had something to do with them all being soulmates) and Sensei Wu wasn't dead! Sure Zane, Cole and Jay almost touched fire and lava several times because it was 'so pretty’ but Kai stopped them with an exasperated yet fond expression every time.

Now that Nya was safe and there wasn't an immediate threat, they focused on their bond and each other, discovering a few things along the way. Like Cole being touch starved and wanting to keep physical contact with them as much as possible. They didn't mind at all- in fact, they encouraged it. Jay for one appreciated a random hug every now and again. He was like a big teddy bear after all. A big, muscular teddy bear but a teddy bear no less.

Zane was the mother hen of the group. He just wanted his soulmates happy and healthy after all. He spoils them with occasionally baked goodies and concoctions he makes to appeal to their individual tastes. Kai was still the hot head they came to know but slightly more laid back than then. He was the encourager of the group despite of that. Jay working on an invention that crashed and burned? (more literal than you think) He pats him on the shoulder and tell him to keep trying. Jay brings the energy to the group. He's always doing something or talking about something and he always has this big smile on his face that often had his soulmates pausing to aww at his constant excitement.

They were all so caught up in each other and pushing training back further and further, that soon, they completely stopped. Which proved to be a big mistake when Lloyd Garmadon arrived on scene. At first, he was nothing more than a little squirt making trouble but then he decided to get payback and release the serpentine. Everything took a dip then. Between finding the scroll about the green ninja, losing their home, Cole getting hypnotized, turning on Zane, finding out Zane was a Nindroid (they didn't mind but Zane sure did at first), Kai's downright obsession with the green ninja title, the Great Devourer, Sensei Wu with his self sacrificing bullsh- you get the drift.

When it was all over, the first thing Jay did was turn and kiss his closest soulmate. Which so happened to be Zane. They've never seen Zane go that red before and was worried for a moment that he was overheating or about to have a malfunction. Naturally, they all exchanged kisses and voiced their relief that they were all in one piece. Now they had a young green ninja to teach and nowhere to stay while Garmadon was out there with their golden weapons. What's the worst that could happen?

The Overlord, that's what. The weeks leading up to that catastrophe really tested all of them, especially Lloyd. They watched as he went from pipsqueak to Ninjago's golden savior and couldn't help but feel proud, even though he got all the fame and glory in the end. And hey! Non evil Garmadon! He was actually pretty cool and *cough* looked way younger than Wu *cough*. But the break was welcomed since they all had a lot of recovering to do.

They even managed a few dates! Four to be exact with each of them picking a revenue. Jay picked Mega Monster Amusement Park and they certainly had a lot of fun on the rides and fireworks show afterwards was very romantic. Kai nearly had a meltdown trying to pick somewhere they won't completely hate but Zane had reassured him that they would love wherever he picked, as long as they were together. Still didn't help him with finding an exact place but he decided 'screw it’ and had a dinner date at Chen's noodle house instead. He was sure Cole loved it at least.

Zane brought them to a restaurant as well. The very one he worked at formerly because he knew the service was good and the atmosphere too. He was just not made to be a full time chef it seems. They had a blast, awing at the way the food was cooked in front of them. Cole turned up the romance with a private picnic in a spot with a great view. All through they had to climb there, the effort was worth it. While they did miss being ninjas, being teachers wasn't half bad. They still had to retire early when the digital Overlord made his presence known.

He was after Lloyd and they would make sure he wouldn't succeed I'm getting him. Or, at least they would try. And fail. If it wasn't for Pythor, the Overlord would have been history. If it wasn't for him…

“We're free!” Jay yelled once they landed on their feet, the tendrils letting them go, turning green as they went limp.

“Zane!” Kai gasped and they all looked up to where their soulmate was holding onto the golden armor, his body glowing blue as he was being overloaded by its power.

“He's not letting go!” Lloyd yelled and Kai, Cole and Jay's hearts plummeted at that, horror filling them.

“His heart! It's reaching critical mass!” Jay yelled with a step forwards, wanting to do something- anything but he knew he couldn't- knew he could only watch.

“If his heart overloads, he'll blow! He won't survive!” Cole yelled, breathing picking up as panic overwhelmed him.

“Let go Zane!” Kai yelled out desperately, but Zane kept holding on. “What is he doing?!” He asked, voice taking on a hysterical edge.

“He's protecting us all.” Wu says solemnly as they all looked on helplessly.

“I am a Nindroid, and ninja never quit! Go, Ninja. Go!” Zane yelled and tears fell from the eyes of his soulmates as he blasted ice at the Overlord, feeling his heart continue to overload, gritting his teeth.

“No, Zane! No!” Jay yelled, running towards him but Wu held him back as large chunks of ice began to fall around them, stopping Cole once he rushed ahead too.

“We have to get out of here, now!” Wu yelled, pushing them both back.

“No! We aren't leaving Zane!” Kai yelled, barely missed by a huge chunk of ice.

“Think wisely Kai!” Wu snapped at him, startling the teary ninja. “Would you rather have two soulmates left… Or none?” He asked and Kai's eyes widened before he gritted his teeth and looked away, more tears falling from his eyes.

“We have to go.” Kai says, taking both of his soulmates by the hand, pulling them back as even more ice began to fall.

Kai glanced back to see Garmadon holding a manhole open for them. It broke his heart to leave Zane like this, to hear Jay's sobs, to see the pain in Cole's eyes but he had to keep them safe. Zane- he choked back a sob- Zane would want him to. He got in last, all three of them watching as they slowly lowered the cover, their soulmate's last moments. An agonized ‘no’ escaping them as it all reached a crescendo, his glowing so bright they had no choice but to fully close the lid as they looked away.

Zane smiled as he looked back on his life, at the friends he made along the way, at his soulmates he would be leaving behind. He remembered meeting them all, all the fun they had, the good times, the bad. He wished he had more time with them all, wish he had done more but he was glad he met them, glad he got to know them as much as he had. This was to make sure they could live on, even if it was without him. He lifted his head and smiled wider. And if it was for them, it was worth it.

Kai couldn't hold back the sob that escaped him once the explosion rocked the ground, icing over the manhole cover, knowing that it meant their Zane, their soulmate was… Cole pulled Jay into a tight hug as he shook violently with each sob, burying his own into his hair. Little below, the Sensei's shared a sorrowful look as Lloyd hung his head. They knew… This would change everything.

They emerged shortly after, finding everything in the nearby vicinity covered in ice, the Overlord… Nor Zane anywhere in sight. Cole was the one to find half his face panel and stared down at it in silence as a tear fell under the eye and sliding down as if it was… Zane's. He was in denial but the truth of the situation… He looked up at the sky, at the washed out and faded white of the clouds. The truth was undeniable. They've… He gripped the face panel tightly as his hands shook. They've lost him.

_______________

(Good morning! Did I cry writing this? Only twice. But it was worth it! I was listening to Numa Numa and this idea held me hostage and wouldn't let go until I wrote it! I hope you enjoyed! Later days!)

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carryonsimoncarryonbaz · 6 years ago

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10 and 13 please please please 😌

@poppy27 and all who requested 10 and 12 here they are! I combined them since they are related. And a bonus slightly creepy but sweet Simon one.

and yes I’m still working on #13. That’s been the most challenging one so far!

10: What sorts of things would they give each other “just because”?

12: Which one likes to surprise the other with a lot of small random gifts?

Baz

One of the particulars I noticed about Snow, that first night in our room, after the Crucible had encumbered me with him (burdened me with his mole-dotted skin, ordinary blue eyes, bronze dusted hair) was how few possessions he had brought to Watford with him.

Worn trainers on his feet. A scant number of ratty t-shirts. A few threadbare trackie bottoms. That fucking red ball.

That was it. Not another bloody thing.

It’s not like I brought much with me. Uniforms, text books, notepads, writing utensils—all were provided to us.

I’d packed some clothes. Pajamas, of course. A few favorite books. A tiny, contraband iPod Fiona had lent me the summer before (discreetly hidden in the depths of my closet, thanks to the Mage’s ludicrous ban on electronics.)

Over the years more items traveled to Watford with me. More books, naturally. Some family photographs (Mordelia was an exceptionally ugly baby) (She’s marginally better now) (it would be devilish hard to look any worse.)

By fifth year there were posters, meticulously confined to my side of the room. Some abysmal drawing Mordelia had made for me that I kept spelled to the wall. A whole shelf of books.

And Fiona’s old lava lamp, for the sheer ridiculousness of it (it was mesmerizing) (and retro) (and I liked to spell it different colours.)

Snow never added anything. Other than larger sizes of the items he’d brought with him initially. And a winter coat. A few nice jumpers, after he started spending Christmases with the Wellbeloves.

No personal effects. No books. No photographs.

At least he got rid of that fucking ball.

It took me years to understand. To realize he went into care every summer, wasn’t with the Mage as I thought. To recognize that he couldn’t afford or even really risk owning anything of value.

It was much the same when I helped him move into the flat with Bunce earlier this year (I did help, no matter what Snow says) (I supervised) (Someone had to.)

Most of their furnishings were tatty cast offs from Bunce’s family home. Some mystical wall art that she had found in Camden. A mismatched selection of mugs and tableware. Typical uni apartment.

But Snow’s bedroom was so sparse. Just like his side of the room had been at Watford. A bed. A desk. A lamp on a rickety nightstand. A dresser with virtually empty drawers.

Blank walls.

It’s not like that now, no thanks to Snow.

It’s not like he doesn’t have money. Bunce finally convinced him to do something with that sack of leprechaun gold. I took him to a Normal bank, helped him open an account and the bank helpfully converted the gold to legal tender.

It’s a tidy sum. Enough for him to indulge himself a bit.

He doesn’t.

So, I do.

It started before he moved to London. Those weekends second term, when I would visit him at the Bunces.

When he was all long silences and thousand-yard stares.

I held his hand and tried to distract him. Dinner dates. Film nights. Clothes shopping.

I bloody adore taking Simon clothes shopping. He has no idea how fucking attractive he is. Buying him fitted shirts and tailored jeans is as much a gift to myself as it is to him.

I can’t help it.

I think of him when he’s not with me.

I’ll walk by a shop and see a shirt that reminds me of the color of his eyes.

Strolling through a bookshop I’ll find a title I actually think he might like.

A peculiar trinket will catch my eye at a street market and I know he’ll be captivated by it.

I buy them all for him.

Even my old lava lamp has taken up residence on his dresser.

Bunce says Simon’s room looks like a tatty shop stall from Spitalfields Market. It looks nothing of the sort. She’s prone to slanderous hyperbole.

What it looks like is home.

Simon

I’m not sure what I love best about living in London. Rooming with Penny. Getting to see Baz every day (and most nights) (almost like when we were roommates) (but better.) Going to uni. Exploring the city. All the food.

The variety of food is astonishing. There’s posh restaurants and so many curry take-out shops. Neighbourhood pubs. All the street markets.

I don’t know if I like Borough Market or Camden Market best. Or Maltby Street. Or Brockley.

I love them all.

I’m only taking two classes per term this year. My therapist thought that would be plenty, with all that I’m trying to sort through right now. Uni’s been very understanding and accommodating about it all. My therapist sent a letter and spoke with the dean.

Professor Bunce mentioned Metropolitan first, when I was still living with them. Said she knew they had some pathway that wasn’t full-time to start.

But I think Baz’s father had something to do with it too. Baz had dragged me along, to their family lodge near Oxford, for a weekend visit soon after he’d left Watford.

I hadn’t really seen the Grimms much since I’d run away from them, the night the Humdrum had attacked Baz. The night I’d extinguished all the magic for miles around their home.

Well, I’d seen Mr. Grimm, at the Coven meetings investigating the death of the Mage. He’d not said much to me, just gripped my shoulder a few times and said “Simon” and nodded at me.

It wasn’t much. But it helped. Helped to know he didn’t hate me for the hole in Hampshire. For driving them all out of their home. For being with his son.

It was just a quiet encouragement, something I’d never expected from him.

But when Baz took me to Oxford with him, to tell his father he would rather be staked than go to uni there, to tell his father he was moving to London with me, I was anxious.

I was going bloody mental.

So of course, being me, I started babbling on at dinner about moving to London, living with Penny, our fourth floor flat, what my therapist had said about uni. Just nattering on, face turning red, hands shaking but unable to stop the fumbling words coming out of my mouth.

Baz, the prat, just looked at me with one eyebrow raised and a half-smile. Bloody twat. He could have cut in and stopped me any time.

Mr. Grimm looked a little glassy-eyed and Daphne had a fixed smile on her face. I finally took a large swig from my water glass and stopped talking.

“That’s … that’s very interesting to hear, Simon.” Mr. Grimm’s face was impassive. “Have you thought about where you might like to study?”

“London’s got so many options,” Daphne added helpfully.

“Uh, Professor Bunce mentioned Metropolitan. Said it’s got some flexibility, with part-time programs and such.” My face was flaming. Baz’s hand slipped into mine and I could breathe a little easier.

“I’m familiar with it. Sebastian is there, Baz. You remember him?”

And then they’d moved the conversation on and I’d slumped back in my chair and taken another helping of pudding.

But a few weeks after I applied to Metropolitan I received a letter from a Mr. Sebastian Palmer-Lloyd, informing me that I was approved for a part-time pathway and providing information on a scholarship he felt I was qualified for, if I filled out the appropriate paperwork.

I think Mr. Grimm arranged it all.

I haven’t dared ask him or attempted to thank him directly.

Baz said not to worry about it, when I asked him what to do. Said his father wouldn’t want me to mention it. He had an odd expression, when I told him about the letter. A distant, fond look.

I don’t think it was for me, though. I think he was thinking of his father.

So that’s how I ended up at London Metropolitan. With only two classes per term. I got that scholarship. I’ve got tutors and a foundation year advisor who stays in touch with my therapist and is surprisingly helpful to me.

Which means I’ve got a fair bit more free time than Baz and Penny.

Which is why I’m wandering through the market on this blustery Thursday. I’ve had a kebab and an ice cream so far. There’s a stand with baked goods that look wonderfully appetizing. Might take some home for later.

I’m strolling along, eyes darting from the food stalls to the art displays when I see the table across the way. The wind’s picked up and my ears are getting a bit cold. It’s not even the end of October. It’s shouldn’t be this blustery yet.

The table is covered with woolen hats and mittens and scarves. Bright colors, soft jewel tones, dark greys and browns. They’re soft and thick and look so very warm.

I don’t wear gloves much. Or hats. Get too hot still, even without the magic. I’m like a personal space heater, Baz says.

Baz gets cold. He’ll whinge about it tonight, how the temperature’s dropped today. But he still doesn’t do a bloody thing about it. Still wears his posh tailored wool coats, his thin leather gloves. He wears scarves but only because he thinks they make him look mysterious and aristocratic. He looks bloody gorgeous in them but I’ll not tell him that.

I will. I have. I can’t help myself.

Baz won’t wear a hat. He wore the boater at Watford because it was required (he loathed it) but once we didn’t have to wear them anymore he wouldn’t wear any type at all. Not even in the frigid depths of winter. Thinks they make his hair look bad, the tosser.

He’ll wear gloves but the ones he has now are useless. Thin leather ones, no good at keeping his fingers warm at all. I should know. I hold his hand constantly.

I thought he had lined ones, when we were at Watford. I’m sure of it. I remember seeing him putting them on before he’d go to his violin practice. Cashmere lined, I’m sure.

They must be at his place. I’ll have to see if I can dig them up when I’m over there next. It’s only going to get colder.

I run my finger over a pair of mittens. They’re so many—simple knit ones, ones with a flap you can flip over to free up your fingers, ones made from cozy old jumpers and lined with fleece.

Mittens would surely keep Baz’s hands warm.

I find a simple charcoal grey pair with a thick, warm lining. They’re trim and neat, subdued and sedate.

He’ll still find something to complain about but at least his hands will be warm while he does.

3. Bonus Simon slightly creepy ficlet

Simon

Taking only two classes means I’ve a lot more free time than Baz and Penny.

I don’t have class today but I’m up early, as always.

Baz spent the night at his place. Had a paper due today so he didn’t make it over. Probably for the best. He doesn’t have class ‘til noon today. We usually just stay in bed all morning when he sleeps over on Wednesday nights.

But I’ve got plans for the day and an early start is what I need.

London is the best place I’ve lived, other than Watford. There’s so much to do, to see, to explore.

It’s not great for hunting though. At least not for the kind of hunting Baz does. The non-human hunting.

London’s probably more like an all-you-can-eat buffet for the regular vampire types.

But Baz isn’t a regular vampire. He argues with me about it but he’s more human than vampire. Always has been. All that rubbish about being half-dead. It’s all rot.

He’s basically a human with a taste for blood.

But it’s a bit sparse here in the city for him. There’re rats, yeah, but not as concentrated in one place, like they were at Watford.

Places where they do congregate aren’t places I want Baz going to alone. I know he’s got super strength and super speed and whatnot but I still don’t fancy him lurking in Hackney in the middle of the night.

London’s not even in the top twenty rat-infested areas of Britain (yes, I looked it up) (Research.) There are some right big ones in Hackney but it doesn’t even make the list.

There’s a fair amount of birds but they’re a bit dodgy to catch and Baz isn’t too fond of them. There’s deer in Richmond and Greenwich but it’s not that easy to drop a deer in the middle of London, even at night. There’re people around all the time.

You can find badgers in some of the parks but Baz says they’re an endangered species so they’re off limits. That’s taking it a bit far if you ask me. What’s one badger, here and there?

Baz draws the line at bats too. I tease him about that. He’s just too fastidious. Drives me mental. He’s got to feed somehow.

Odd thing is he’s not needing to feed near as often. He used to feed almost every night, he would, at Watford. But since last term he can go two days or sometimes even three and not be worse for the wear. I’m not complaining, mind you, but it’s odd.

Maybe the whole Numpty incident reset his vampiric metabolism? I don’t know. I’m no expert on vampires.

Probably more of an expert than most. On one particular vampire.

So anyway, feedings have been a bit chancy for Baz now that he’s in the city. He’s made do with rats and pigeons, the occasional deer if he can manage it.

He lets me go with him, mostly, now. At least when he hunts for deer. I’m good at lookout, making sure no one’s about, distracting people if I need. Gives him a few moments undisturbed it does.

Even with his altered metabolism it’s still not ideal. He needs a more consistent supply. He’s got a heavy class load. He can’t be out all night trying to feed.

Tried dried blood. I found it on Amazon, of all places. It’s mainly for making blood pudding. Thought it would work all right.

Baz hates it. Made him gag, it did. Says it smells funny and has a chemical aftertaste. Probably all the preservatives. Used it in emergencies a few times, like when it snowed for three days straight in February.

I found some in an Asian market. In the freezer section. I swear to Merlin I had no idea you could get frozen blood in a grocery store.

I’d actually found the place on some Reddit forum on blood pudding. I keep having to clear my browser history. Don’t know what my classmates would think if they saw the searches for blood products on my laptop. Think I’m mental or part of some cult, I’m sure.

The frozen blood wasn’t much good either. Something about the freezing process and coagulation and whatnot. Baz and Penny went on and on about it. I couldn’t follow it all. Just crossed frozen blood off the list of options.

This one Asian market in Catford had fresh blood. Thank you, Reddit. I got a tub of it and brought it home on the tube. Lid must have loosened up at some point. Ended up with the front of my shirt all soaked in it. Looked a nightmare I did.

Walked into the flat and Penny took one look at me and started shrieking about Goblins.

I haven’t seen Baz look that frightened since … since the whole Weeping Tower incident.

He looked terrified. Face shades paler than usual, nostrils flaring, pupils blown, eyes wide and fixed on the bloodstain on my shirt. His fangs popped (I can tell) (His cheeks puff up.)

And then he was right there, running his hands over me, searching for a wound or injury or some such. Got blood all over his hands, patting me down like that.

It took some time for everyone to settle. I hadn’t realized what I looked like, big blood stain in the middle of my chest and splatters of blood on my hands where I’d snapped the lid back on.

Thought I’d been attacked, is what they thought. The Goblins still think I’m fair game so I suppose Penny and Baz had a point.

I put the tub of blood in the refrigerator and went to take a shower. I think Baz burned my shirt. I don’t know why they didn’t “out, out damn spot”it. That should get blood out.

I kind of liked that shirt. But I don’t think Baz or Penny were quite rational at that moment. It’s their biggest fear for me, played out, now that I don’t have magic anymore.

Took me half the night to get Baz settled down enough to try the blood.

Better than the dried blood for certain. Better than the frozen too. Not sure how I was going to manage transporting it back and forth from Catford without another disaster like this one.

Got a big thermos is what I did. Went back a week later but they didn’t have any in stock. Finally got some a few weeks later and transported it home without incident. Thermos did the trick.

Their supply isn’t that reliable. I’m on their list to call when they have it now. The owner thinks I’m some private chef who specializes in blood sausage. The language barrier helps keep them from asking too many questions.

So that’s what I’m up to today. I’ve got a list of butcher shops I called Monday that said they get fresh blood every so often. I’m going round to see if they look reputable and clean. Won’t be getting dodgy supplies for Baz.

I’m hoping if I find enough suppliers I put them in a rotation of sorts. You know something like Catford first Friday of the month, Ealing every other Thursday, Camden on alternate Tuesdays. Something like that. So I’ve always got a supply on hand for Baz.

Keep him from having to prowl around as much at night, especially once it gets cold again. Keeps him out of the dodgier neighborhoods too.

It’s almost six by the time I get home. I’ve got a list and dates and I’m going to put it on a spreadsheet to keep it all organized.

I’ve got two thermoses in my backpack so that’s all right then. I tuck them into the small refrigerator under my desk and head to the shower.

It’s almost eight by the time Baz texts me that he’s on his way over. I’ve got the spreadsheet all done and put the pick-up reminders in my phone.

He’s going to fuss about it all. Baz doesn’t deny it, like he used to, but he still hates talking about it. So I won’t say much. Just tell him I’ve found a steady supply and leave it at that. He doesn’t need to know the details.

That I went all over London today to find reputable distributors. That half of London thinks I’m a blood sausage specialist. That I set up a schedule for myself of when to get the blood. That the frig under my desk isn’t just there because I get hungry all the time.

Baz does so much for me.

I just want to do something for him.

Baz

My heart is pounding in my chest and I can't catch my breath. Simon is staring at me and I can't speak.

I've completely lost the ability to form coherent sentences and I can sense the anxiety rising in him at my continued silence.

This boy. This absolutely fucking gorgeous nightmare of a boy.

He's been fussing with different ways for me to feed for weeks now but I thought he'd finally given it a rest.

But no. I should know by now that Simon Snow perseveres and digs his heels in when faced with a conundrum.

I'm the conundrum.

I know the enormity of what he's done for me. He's minimizing it all, not telling me what I know is true.

That he's traipsed the length of London, personally scrutinizing these butcher shops. That despite his utter loathing of Excel he's put the effort in to make spread sheets--spread sheets, for Merlin's sake--to keep track of dates and times and locations. That he's volunteered himself to pick up the blood, so no one becomes suspicious of me.

Simon’s done all this for me and I'm speechless.

He’s said he loves me. I know he thinks he means it. I want to believe that Simon Snow loves me as desperately, as passionately, as absolutely as I love him.

But I've never really let myself believe it. Not until now.

And it makes me love him even more than I already did, if that's even possible.

I can feel the tears coming on so I grab Simon's shoulders and pull him towards me, burying my face in his neck, my arms tight around him.

"I love you, Simon Snow."He relaxes in my arms and pulls me closer.

"I love you, Baz."

And I know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, just how much he truly does.

#carry on #simon snow #baz pitch #follower asks #otp questions #one slightly creepy fic since Halloween is coming

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thetygre · 6 years ago

Text

Dark Souls Lore Rambling #8

Hey, remember when I said these mini-lores were going to be shorter to write? Or shorter at all? Ha ha ha ha what a liar I am

The Lesser Lords

Now that we’ve covered Gwyn and the Lords in general, I wanted to take a break and cover some of the minor divinities in Dark Souls before we get back into the meatier subjects. There’s a bunch of lesser deities mentioned in passing in Dark Souls, so I thought I’d try to shine some light on them. Please note, I’m only covering the gods referenced in Dark Souls 1; the rest are just going to have to wait.

Flan

What we know about Flan is equal to almost the sum value of bupkis. He is apparently married to Gwynevere and is a god of fire. Also, his name means ‘red haired’ in Gaelic. That’s it; everything else is a mystery. Was his marriage to Gwynevere an arranged one, or did they meet naturally? Is Flan now the King of the Gods by virtue of Gwyn being dead, bereft of male heirs (sorry, Gwyndolin), and Flan being married to Gwynevere? Is he even alive? Who knows.

I think it’s worth noting that Flan is the fire god. That could potentially have a lot of connotations, given that fire is central to the Dark Souls universe. All civilization and life stem from fire. The very cosmic order of duality is set in motion because of the First Flame. So does Flan have some tie to the First Flame? Or perhaps he has some ties to Izalith and pyromancy? Maybe Flan’s marriage to Gwynevere was the sealing pact between the Lords and Witches? Interesting theories, but still just theories.

The only thing I can speculate on for certain is the interesting juxtaposition of divine portfolios in Gwynevere and Flan’s union. Gwynevere, as established earlier, is a benevolent and providing goddess of sunlight, representing the nurturing and feminine aspects of her father Gwyn’s purview. Flan is simply a god of fire; rawer, unrefined, and more elemental. In a way, Flan fills in for the Nameless King as the warrior-prince deity, complementing Gwynevere in a dual relationship. United with Gwynevere, Flan represents not just fire in its elemental aspects, but also fire in its domestic uses, including smithing and the hearth. Or, at least that’s how I envision it.

Allfather Lloyd

Lloyd. Not much of a deity name. Barely edges out ‘Greg the Thunderer’ and ‘Karen the Earth Mother’. The lore states that Allfather Lloyd is Gwyn’s uncle, was the founder of the Way of White, and his clerics are noted Undead hunters. His face is emblazoned on coins which are apparently currency outside Lordran, which travelers cling to as mementoes of the outside world. That alone indicates that Lloyd is a pretty big deal. It might even give us some details about economics outside Lordran; maybe coins are minted in one of the more theocratic countries, like Astora of Thorolund.

Lloyd’s clerics are even given a certain amount of respect for their Undead hunts, which tells us how the outside world views the Undead; at best cursed and unnatural, at worst slavering zombies. (Which, to be fair, isn’t exactly one hundred percent unfounded.) When everything is taken into account, Lloyd is a figure of central importance to not just the Way of White, but the whole world outside Lordran.

But things get interesting when you start to break down his name. ‘Lloyd’ is easy; it stems from the Welsh ‘llwyd’, which means both ‘holy’ and ‘grey’. But the meat of Lloyd’s etymology comes from the important part of his name; ‘Allfather’. Those of you who have been paying attention might recall that Dark Souls draws from Norse mythology a smidge. And in Norse mythology, ‘Allfather’ (or Alfodr and/or Aldafoor, if you’re feeling fancy) was one of the more important epithets for Odin, King of the Gods. Allfather has two applicable meanings for Odin; first, he and his brothers Villi and Ve are responsible for slaying the primordial frost giant Ymir and using his body to construct the cosmos, as well as the human race. In this capacity, Odin is literally all things’ father in that the universe would not exist without him. Second, Odin was the king over all the other gods, or Aesir, and his word was law. And in between is the fact that Odin is listed as the literal father of some of Norse mythology’s more famous deities, including Thor, Balder, and Tyr.

The thing of it is, when you take these meanings, a creator deity and a divine patriarch, and apply them to Lloyd, old Lloyd starts to turn up short. For starts, Lloyd didn’t create anything. The world existed even before the Lords did, so he wouldn’t be in the running as a creator deity anyway. Adding on to that, he’s listed as Gwyn’s uncle, not Gwyn’s father; if he was going to be called a creator deity by association with Gwyn, he would at least need a paternal link. Lloyd isn’t even the king of the Lords, Gwyn is. Lloyd might still have some kind of ruling position, but he definitely isn’t top banana. And, as far as we know, Lloyd isn’t the biological father of any other important Lords. So what gives?

All these inconsistencies, and a little bit of the lore from Dark Souls 3, point to Lloyd being a fraud. Lloyd started the Way of White touting himself as some distant relative of the Lords from on high. This even ties into my theory that the Way of White wasn’t always the religion of Lord worship, but originally the name for the alliance between humans and Lords during the war with the Everlasting Dragons and against the demons. Lloyd took advantage of, or may even have been responsible, for the shift to a more traditional church. The Undead Hunts are just a way to garner favor with the people and direct attention on a common scapegoat; people won’t notice that the Way of White is rotten from the inside if they’re too busy hunting Hollows.

But for old Lloyd’s sake, let’s consider a second option, and accept Lloyd’s story at face value. Even as only Gwyn’s uncle, that still gives Lloyd a lot of leverage with both humans and Lords. Lloyd might have been the one to oversee relations between humans and Lords during the Age of Ancients and the Age of Fire. The Undead Hunts are genuine efforts to protect humanity and/or to contain the Undead curse. His Allfather title is a religious one, associated with the pseudo-Catholic structure of the Way of White (Havel is a bishop, etc.). ‘Father’, after all, is the title given to a priest in Catholicism after all. So it might be that, as the head of the church of the Way of White, Lloyd is equivalent to the Pope, the high priest to whom all other priests defer; the All-Father.

Of course, these answers aren’t mutually incompatible. Lloyd still could have been the founder of the Way of White and still been a fraud as well. He might even have still been a Lord, a rogue deity like Velka. Either way, by Dark Souls 3 the Way of White has gotten so old that old Lloyd has fallen to the wayside completely.

The Nameless Blacksmith God

There’s surprisingly more to the Nameless Blacksmith God then you would think, especially if you look at the Dark Souls meta and concept lore. The canon lore on the deity is actually very sparse, but pretty straightforward; the Blacksmith God was the Lord that forged the armor and weapons for the other Lords. I generally take this to mean the Blacksmith God did not literally craft every arm and armament for the Lords, or invented the process of smithing; rather, like how Seath is the father of sorcery, the Blacksmith God was a pioneer in his field, exemplary in his profession. He was the Lord who spearheaded the arming work during the war with the Everlasting Dragons, and may even have been the one to discover titanite and how to use it.

At some point, the Nameless Blacksmith God died, though nobody knows when or how. For a while, I entertained the theory that maybe Gwyn killed the Blacksmith to keep his secrets out of enemy hands, but I’ve come to reject that now. Gwyn’s a dick, but he’s not a stupid dick, and the Blacksmith God was a bigger asset than liability. I kind of like the idea that the Blacksmith was assassinated during the war with the Everlasting Dragons; dragon forces tried to weaken the Lords by cutting off their biggest arms supplier. There’s nothing to even remotely back that up, though.

When the Blacksmith God died, he left behind two things; the titanite demons, and the titanite slabs. I doubt that these were meant to be the Blacksmith’s legacy because I frankly doubt the Blacsmith ever planned on dying. The demons might have been made as servants for the Lords, but I’ll cover them later. Why the Blacksmith God made titanite slabs, I don’t know. There’s obviously writing on the slabs, and Dark Souls 3 actually has the slabs have translatable runes on them that tell the story of the Lords. It is entirely within reason to assume that the Blacksmith God did not leave behind the titanite slabs as resources at all; they were records, preserving history and knowledge in the strongest material available. By the time of Dark Souls, however, titanite is so scarce and so valuable that humans have started cannibalizing what would otherwise be historical artifacts, maybe without even realizing their true value.

Gwyn’s Wife

We know even less about Gwyn’s wife than we do about Flan or the Nameless Blacksmith God. The Blacksmith God is at least referenced; no one even mentions Gwyn’s wife. It’s assumed he had a wife; he fathered his children, after all. We’re operating on the assumption that the kids actually are biologically Gwyn’s, and not just extremely devout disciples. So unless something is radically different about Lord biology from humans, then Gwyn must have bumped uglies with someone at some point.

We keep seeing a statue of a woman holding a child throughout Lordran. The statue is of a woman wearing a crown, indicating royalty; Queen of the Gods is as good a queen as any. The child she’s holding is grasping a sword, which indicates that he’s meant to grow up to be a warrior. Maybe the Nameless King? I like to think the statue depicts Gwyn’s wife. She’s worshiped as a general maternal goddess, a deity of home, family, women, and fertility. She represents renewal, and the providence of the future. Basically equivalent to the Greek Hera or Juno. Or maybe it’s some random female saint from the Way of White. Maybe there is no explanation for the mother statue, just like there’s no explanation for the statues of Athena in the Undead Parish. It’s just there for the aesthetic.

Fina

Fina is another deity mentioned in passing reference. The only real detail we get about her as that she is described as having ‘fateful beauty’. Her name is most likely derived from the Celtic ‘Fiona’, which means ‘blond’ or ‘fair’. So, established; she’s pretty, and maybe blond. The ‘fateful’ part of her ‘fateful beauty’ description makes me think that there’s a history of people becoming infatuated with her and driving themselves to their own doom trying to serve her, kind of like our boy Lautrec. It could be that it is literally referring to the concept of fate, however, which means that Fina is also associated with destiny in some capacity. The symbol on the Ring of Favor and Protection is also the symbol of Venus, associated with the goddess of the same name, femininity, and copper. This points to Fina being roughly analogous to the Greco-Roman goddess Aphrodite/Venus, but even that is kind of self-evident.

I was originally going to propose that Fina herself was a Fire Keeper, only worshipped as a god and conscripting men like Lautrec to hunt Humanity for her, but that got thrown out the window when I realized Lautrec leaves the Fire Keeper Soul of Anastacia of Astora behind when he kills her, which is a valuable nugget of Humanity. But that in itself raises a question; if Lautrec was just hunting for Humanity and Fina is only his matron, why leave behind the valuable Fire Keeper Soul?

Maybe Fina is a jealous goddess, vain like the Greek gods, and has any woman she deems too beautiful killed, no matter how far away they are. She could also be acting on her potential purview as a deity of fate, condemning Anastacia of Astora specifically for being a heretic. Or perhaps Lautrec simply didn’t know about Fire Keeper Souls, and left behind the soul the same way he left behind the Black Eye Orb out of ignorance. I’m still partial to my theory of Fina as a Fire Keeper and Lautrec as a kind of alternate Kirk of Thorns, but I have to admit, it’s a theory standing on some pretty shaky ground.

Old Man McLoyf

I’m gonna’ level with you, I’d completely forgotten about Old Man McLoyf until about twenty minutes ago. His face is on the Copper Coin, where he’s mentioned as the god of drink and medicine. From his name, we can gather that he is both A.) a man and B.) old. ‘Mc’ means ‘son of’, and ‘Loyf’ means ‘to praise’; both parts are Scottish. We can infer from his placement on the Copper Coin that he comes from the same general pantheon as Allfather Lloyd, revered in whatever potentially theocratic state made the coins.

And… that’s about it. I’ve seen it posited that McLoyf might have some connections to Catarina, with his connection to alcohol for celebration and medicine for healing combat wounds. I’ve even seen a theory that he might be Gwyn’s father, but there’s nothing to really substantiate that. It’s possible that, like Lloyd, he might not actually be a Lord and instead be a hero-deity or charlatan. I doubt that he’s a chaotic and wild deity of drinking like Dionysus or Bacchus. The connecting thread between medicine and alcohol is that they both cause chemical alterations within the body, so I suppose that’s McLoyf’s root purview. In that capacity, he might also be a god of bravery in the face of harm, which really only reinforces the idea that he might be popular in Catarina. Another mystery god.

Velka

And of course I saved the best for last. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding Velka in the Souls lore community. I think it’s best to start by laying out the facts. And by ‘the facts’, I mean ‘a summary of the lore with some of my thoughts sprinkled in’. Velka is described as a ‘black-haired witch’, as well as a ‘rogue deity’. Right off the bat, this gives some cause for speculation; ‘witch’ in Dark Souls can refer to either a female practitioner of magic or the specific race of people inhabiting Izalith. I want to err on the side of simplicity and say that she’s just a woman capable of spellcasting. The ‘rogue’ part makes me think that she operates outside of the standard pantheon of gods. Velka is stated to be the goddess of sin; not of sinning itself, but of defining sin and meting out justice to those who do it.

Her priests are also pardoners, where, similar to Catholic priests, an individual can confess their sins and be told how to atone, or offer one’s self up for punishment. Also like medieval Catholic priests is the practice of indulgences with Velka’s pardoners, where one can simply pay to be absolved; however, this may be unique to the pardoner in the Undead Parish. She also appears to a goddess of magic, both performing it and countering it. She is so closely aligned with sorcery that she allows the usage of intelligence instead of faith for her followers. Her name is either Czech for ‘great one’ or ‘famous, or Finnish for ‘debt’; both meanings are appropriate to Velka’s character, but it’s more likely meant to be the Czech meaning since that is the language Dark Souls draws more from. Finally, she has black hair and is associated with ravens. Ravens already have mystical significance in both European and Asian mythology, but are universally associated with death and the presence of the gods. It’s also worth noting that Velka’s connection to ravens and witchcraft gives her some parallels to the Celtic Morrigan; however, Morrigan is a goddess of warfare and sovereignty, not justice.

Velka’s rogue status might tie into her purview as the goddess of sin and justice. The theory I subscribe to is that Velka’s sense of justice was universal, and so she indicted the Lords as well as humanity. This didn’t sit well with the Gwyn et al, and so Velka had to be disappeared into the Painted World of Ariamis, with all the other undesirables of the gods. Clearly, the Lords were not wholly successful in banishing Velka; she appears to still have some presence in Carim, or at least one surviving pardoner from Carim, and some of her items and spells are still in Lordran. As of Dark Souls, her exact portfolio is trying to be absorbed by Gwyndolin, and the two appear to have a standing rivalry; or, more correctly, Gwyndolin still has a standing bounty on Velka’s worshipers. Velka may have once had control of the Blades of the Darkmoon, but the very name indicates that they’ve shifted allegiance to Gwyndolin.

We now descend into the realm of complete conspiracy, where I state my stance on some of the theories surrounding Velka. First and foremost; no, I do not believe the Chosen Undead is an unwitting pawn of Velka’s to strike back against the gods. True, a giant raven carries the Chosen Undead from the Undead Asylum to Firelink Shrine, but this entire plot thread just seems too tenuous to me. It is placing an undue amount of agency and significance on a character that, for all intents and purposes, is barely more relevant than the Nameless Blacksmith God or Allfather Lloyd. Miyazaki has a history of letting characters directly confront their manipulators; the Fool’s Idol in Demon’s Souls, Gwyndolin in Dark Souls, the Amygdalae in Bloodborne, etc. The importance of Dark Souls is that the Chosen Undead is not significant beyond the fact that they are a person and they control their own fate; an unknown manipulator seems contrary to that philosophy.

That being said, I can’t help but see the giant raven as somehow being tied to Velka. Perhaps, once, long ago, it did indeed serve Velka. But with her disappearance, it now acts on instinct and more like an animal rather than an active agent. The raven, with the hindsight of Velka’s lore, becomes symbolic of the inevitable karmic cycle that comes to Gwyn and the other inhabitants of Lordran. If nothing else, it’s a powerful visual; ravens in the West are considered birds of death and ill omen (before we began associating them with being preternaturally smart). In Japanese folklore, ravens are the servants of the gods and act on their behalf. Given that Dark Souls is distinctly aiming for a European aesthetic, however, I think Miyazaki was going for a more Western signifier with the giant raven. It is both death and justice.

Second, I do not think that Velka is Crossbreed Priscilla’s mother. While Priscilla’s Dagger does do Dark damage and Velka’s rapier also does dark damage, I operate on the general assumption that Seath is Priscilla’s father/creator. Velka, once again, was the goddess of sin and punishment, which means that ‘Weird Science’ Seath would probably want to avoid her. At the very least, he would be in some hot water for betraying the Everlasting Dragons. If she wouldn’t discriminate for the other Lords, she certainly wouldn’t discriminate for a dragon.

Third, I do not believe that Velka was involved with the Four Kings and New Londo. True; the darkwraithes do dark damage with their Dark Hand, and they have what appear to be raven feathers on their armor. But we have no way of knowing if that material is supposed to raven feathers; it could very well be fur. Furthermore, connecting the darkwraithes of New Londo to Velka because of an aesthetic feature seems like a mighty leap to conclusions. By that logic, the darkwraithes also have something to do with Gravelord Nito because their armor looks like skeletons. The presence of the same statue that is in the Painted World is also circumstantial at best; there are also giant rats with Humanity in the Painted World as in the sewers, but nobody calls them part of a greater plot.

And finally, I do not believe Velka is the narrator at the beginning of the game. This ties in especially with the theory that Velka is the grand mastermind behind the Chosen Undead, and perhaps even the Dark Sign. And that’s just silly; the bad guy is not the narrator. That was a stupid plot twist in RWBY, mildly effective in God of War 2, and just out of place here. Dark Souls is known for its subtle storytelling, but this is just esoteric. And I say that as someone who has just written 3300 words about some astoundingly esoteric entities. What purpose does it serve for Velka to be the narrator and mastermind of the game? What does it say about Dark Souls’ broader themes? Humanity, the cycle of life, the rise and fall of civilization, empathy, hope, loss, decay, the inevitability of entropy and the ephemerality of life; those are the themes of Dark Souls. Gwyn is usurped because it’s part of an uncontrollable and inexorable cosmic cycle that repeats endlessly and meaninglessly; the concept that divine justice plays into that is simply counterintuitive.

With all that out of the way, I do think Velka used the Dark. The Dark did not originate with her, and she did not try to push the Dark to act a certain way, but I do think she used it. The pardoner’s rapier does have dark damage, after all, and the Dark Ember mentions specifically that it was used to forge weapons that could hurt the Lords. It could be that, growing desperate to mete out divine punishment to the other Lords, Velka drew on the Dark and taught her priesthood how to do the same. And this, ultimately, is the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back and got Velka banished to the Painted World. Velka, in her own way, became was broken down by the passage of time, as all things are.

And now that I’ve had my fill of lesser Lords, stay tuned for when we turn our sights back to the main stage. Darkmoon Tomb, here we come!

#dark souls #dark souls lore #soulsborne #souls series #video games #long post #dark souls lore ramblings

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eachainn · 6 years ago

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Falling

Suzaku was getting used to the patterns of Aries Villa. It was far quieter than the routines that he had gotten used to when he was serving as in the occupation army in Japan. It was more regular than the one that he has gotten used to with Lloyd and Cecile with the Lancelot. This was something that he would have looked for when he was older, maybe after he had been Knight of One and had helped Japan. Still, it was better than what could have happened.

When he had been promoted to Knight of Seven, he had expected to be shoved off in a corner, an example and an experiment that had been carried out because Prince Schneizel had insisted. Instead, he had been assigned to the Aries Villa under very specific orders from the Emperor himself.

Reorganize the guards into a new schedule, work in the ones that were newly assigned to the villa. Keep a close watch on the family there. Keep them safe. At all costs, keep them safe.

Suzaku tied off the gelding, watching as the grey horse immediate dropped his head and started grazing. He smiled at patted the grey’s shoulder before looking over at where some of the royal family were gathered. Nunnally and Marianne were down by the ornamental lake, the two of them talking and laughing. Rolo and Julius were back at the villa under the careful watch of Captain Gottwald.

Suzaku looked up at the folly, smiling when he spotted Lelouch sitting there. It was strange to see the prince without a book or his laptop. Lelouch had been working frantically over the past few weeks on something, but he didn’t know what. All Suzaku knew was that it came hand in hand with the Japanese lessons that he’d been giving the prince. Suzaku just knew it was connected to the project that Lelouch was going to propose.

He gave the horse one more pat before walking over to the folly. He kept glancing over to where Marianne and Nunnally were, reassured by the way they both seemed relaxed. Suzaku had done a sweep of the area to check that it was clear, and he could see the grey of the guards underneath the trees, all of them stationed and standing by.

He paused to look at one of the closest ones, watching as the woman met his gaze and nodded. She turned back around, walking underneath the shade of the trees. Suzaku traced her path before turning his attention back to the prince.

Lelouch was watching him, a familiar soft expression on his face. The prince moved over on the step he was sitting on, the offer of a space almost hilarious because of how empty the folly was, but it meant the world.

Suzaku climbed up the steps, sitting down with a very appropriate amount of space between them. The space yawned between them, Suzaku regretting it, but he was aware of what he was.

He was a Knight of the Round of sufferance alone. The title was practically empty compared to the royalty he was with. There might have been a time that he would have talked on somewhat equal footing, but all of that was gone.

He swallowed, his gaze drifting back to the lake. It was easier to watch the two women there and remember his orders. He had to keep them all safe, at all costs. They had lost so much already.

Suzaku jumped at the feather-light touch of something on the back of his hand. He turned to look at Lelouch, watching as the prince edged closer to him. Lelouch gave him a gentle smile as he inched into that carefully left space.

The prince stopped short of leaning against him, but the distance was greatly reduced. It was more than what was expected with protocol, but Suzaku found himself longing for more. Far more than he should be allowed.

He swallowed hard, unable to get any words out. Thankfully, Lelouch had more than enough words for the two of them. Both of the elder princes did.

Lelouch chuckled, leaning back on his hands. “That’s rare.”

“What?”

“You relaxing.” Lelouch settled back into an exaggerated pose of relaxation. From the way that he flashed a grin over his way, Lelouch knew what he was doing. “You’re always on edge.”

“Sorry.”

Lelouch pressed his lips together, Suzaku realizing that he had done something wrong. He ran over what he had said, not coming to a conclusion before Lelouch raised a shoulder in a shrug. “I didn’t know our little corner of the world was so dangerous.”

Suzaku shot Lelouch a long look, the prince laughing and looking away. “I thought so. The long idles of the day are enough to warrant a Knight of the Round, am I right?”

Suzaku was sure that Lelouch knew exactly what he was there, although maybe not the emperor’s orders. Then again, it was said with a smile, so it was a joke. And that was the strange part, that he had been accepted so easily. These people knew nothing about him, and Suzaku was almost terrified about them finding everything out about him. Still, it was all too easy to be drawn in by Marianne, who spoke to him like a soldier rather than a Number. Nunnally who treated him with every kindness and openness. Then there were the older princes.

Then there was Lelouch.

He swallowed, managing to raise his shoulder in a shrug. “The most dangerous moments are the ones you feel perfectly safe.”

“And so you’re here.” The news didn’t seem to be a surprise to Lelouch. The prince gave him a long look before settling back again. “I feel like I should thank you for that.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I do. Because Rolo won’t do it. I’ve seen more of him in the past months than I have since…” The prince trailed off, Suzaku understanding.

He hadn’t seen much of Prince Rolo inside the Aries Villa, all the glimpses he had was of the prince rushing from place to place. Just what the prince had been doing Suzaku didn’t know, but it had to be better than Rolo hiding away all of his life.

Suzaku sighed and glanced around at where the guards were, counting them out. He got to the end of the circle, surprised when Lelouch was looking at him.

The prince smiled and nodded out towards them. “Everything in order, Sir. Kururugi?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then we can go back to our conversation.”

“And which one was that?”

Lelouch made a lazy motion with his hand. “I have many you owe me. Mother stole you in the middle of one on conjugations. The Knight of Three when we were discussing the infrastructure of Japan.”

Suzaku jumped at the name of his country said boldly instead of the area designation and then immediately felt stupid for his surprise. Everyone knew that Prince Lelouch was outspoken against the Area and Number system. And he knew that it was safe here, at least from the listening ears of the court. At the Aries Villa they could just be themselves. The problem was, that he didn’t know what that was. It had all changed after the invasion of Japan. Then he had just been someone who carefully followed orders. But here…it felt like he could almost piece together something that was more than someone waiting for the next order.

He tipped his head back, staring that the roof of the folly. “You want to talk business?”

“Unless you have something else?”

Suzaku shook his head. Anything with Lelouch was pieced together as the prince had spent more time with him. And it seemed like the prince seemed to be finding excuses to spend more time with him, not that Suzaku was about to complain.

Suzaku tipped his head to the side, studying the prince as Lelouch sunk more into his reclining posture. It was rare that he saw Lelouch like this, although that was changing too. There had been times that Lelouch had looked like this after they had stayed up late working on Lelouch’s plan for Area 11 or the Japanese lessons. It was hard to resist looking at Lelouch then, hard to resist kissing him.

“Suzaku?”

He only realized that he was leaning in close when Lelouch spoke his name, low and quiet.

Suzaku swallowed and sat back, absently patting at the marble. It was on the tip of his tongue to mutter an apology when he felt a hand rest over his.

He sucked in a deep breath, holding himself still as he felt Lelouch’s hand slip off of his, their fingers sliding between each other. He didn’t dare look over, not even when he heard Lelouch take a quick breath. But he didn’t dare move his hand away. It felt comfortable, and surprisingly so. He shifted hand before he could think about it, bringing them into closer contact.

“Is this…”

“Yes.” Lelouch was quick to answer, the prince’s fingers twitching, but they didn’t move away. Suzaku licked his lips, daring to look up at the prince. There was a fine dusting of pink over Lelouch’s cheeks, but the prince wasn’t looking at him. Lelouch was staring down at their hands. “This is…good.”

It was rare to hear Lelouch stumbling over words, and it made him smile. It was a simple thing, but it seemed to be the one thing that defined everything about the Aries Villa, it all felt like the haze of summers from his youth. It was something that he couldn’t fight against, nor something that he wanted to fight against.

The emperor has ordered him to protect Lady Marianne and her family, and that involved staying close to them. It meant that he had time to do this, to allow himself this. At least until Lelouch was sent out to his assignment. And maybe then he would be able to be reassigned. He might be useful if Lelouch did go to Japan. If not he would find a way.

Suzaku settled back, shifting their hands so their fingers could slot together more comfortably. “I like it here.”

He heard Lelouch suck in a quick breath, sure that the prince got what he was saying. He was proven right by the way Lelouch settled back into him, their shoulders barely brushing as they sat together.

---

Julius lifted his head from his work at a knock on the door. He groaned and reached behind him to rub at his back. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was getting late, so late that he had missed most of dinner. Julius frowned and wondered how he could have missed the first call, unless that had been when he had shouted at the servant to leave him alone. It was hard to remember when he had been so focused on the numbers and battlefields. He was just now catching up with everything Schneizel had done, which meant that he could finally start making up plans.

Schneizel might be sure of how to manipulate the leaders, but that didn’t guarantee anything. There were still the people to contend with, the ones that would resist Britannian influence until their last breath. No amount of talking could fix that, the only way they would be silenced was with force. And that was his specialty.

Julius stood up with a sigh, glancing over at the door as it slid open. He stared at the familiar figure in the door, a smile crossing his face.

Of all the people that he expected to turn up at his door, Sir Kururugi was the last one, especially bearing a tray.

The Knight of Seven gave him a partial bow before stepping into his room. “My apologizes, your highness. But your mother insisted.”

Julius gestured to the coffee table on the other side of the room. “She would. I would have found something for myself. “

The knight didn’t say anything, he just set the tray on the table. Julius drifting across the room with him. Sir. Kururugi wasn’t wearing his cape, an obstruction that Julius was glad was gone. Suzaku wasn’t in his formal attire, which was a shame. The Eleven looked better dressed as a knight. Now he just looked plain.

Julius cocked his head to the side before pushing the thought away. He’d been spending too much time to himself, desperately gathering together something to make his pitch to Schneizel and his father. Last year he’d been unprepared, but this year would be better. They were bound to need what he had now that the war in the EU was really starting in earnest. He wouldn’t be left behind again.

Still, the downside to it all was that Lelouch had gotten ahead in their little game, not that it was a problem. Any progress that he had lost could be made up quickly and without a problem. Absence was said to make the heart grow fonder, and Julius was sure that Sir Kururugi was tired of his brother’s fumbling attempts.

He cleared his throat as Sir Kururugi went to leave. The knight hesitated, turning to look at him. Julius smiled, taking a step closer to him. “Thank you, for everything that you’re doing.”

“It’s nothing, your highness.” Sir Kururugi bowed slightly, Julius watching the motion with a spike of jealousy. He might not have been around or joined in the morning rides out around the property, but he had been around enough to hear Sir Kururugi call his brother Prince Lelouch. The title was something that couldn’t be dropped, but there was a familiarity in there that he wanted. If he got that, then maybe Lelouch wouldn’t be ahead of him as he was.

It was bad enough that he was fighting to choose between what he really wanted to do and the game. In normal circumstances he would have given up the game in a heartbeat, but he wasn’t playing on his own. But there was his brother to consider, and a win would make him insufferable.

Julius took a deep breath and reached out to touch Sir Kururugi’s arm, feeling the knight jump. It was nothing, probably just a shock that a royal would reach out to him. Julius gave him a nod, smiling widely. “I have to insist. Thank you. I’ve never seen my brother so entertained.”

“Prince Rolo?”

“No. Lelouch.” Julius made a dismissive motion. Rolo was as quiet as a mouse, which was a shame considering that he had been so vivacious. But Julius was more than happy to leave Rolo as he was. If he was always ducking and hiding then he would remain at home and be safe, and that was one of his weaknesses covered. He wished that Nunnally would show the same sense and stay where her restrictions kept her instead of flaunting it. If she did that, then she wouldn’t run the risk of being in so much danger. It was enough to make him serious consider petitioning for Nunnally to get her own personal knight, but that would come when he went into Pendragon.

He pulled his mind back to the task at hand, giving Sir Kururugi a smile. “He’s been so focused on his causes, so it’s good to see him having fun.”

Sir Kururugi glanced at him before ducking his head, Julius choosing to take it as agreement. He patted the knight’s arm before stepping away.

He intended to let Sir Kururugi drift away. The encounter hadn’t been planned, and he couldn’t go in without a plan. He had to make every strike count so Sir Kururugi didn’t start drifting away from him. It would be a shame if that happened. Accident of his race aside, the knight was a stunning man. It was the kind of person he would love to stand beside him, a competent knight, and one that he wouldn’t mind falling into the usual tangle of royal and knight.

Julius looked over at the papers on his desk, feeling the rush of inspiration. “Sir Kururugi.”

He heard the knight start, Julius turning to look at him. He smiled at the knight, quickly crossing to room to stand by him again. “I was considering taking up lessons with you and the others in the morning.”

The knight stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. “Is that wise with your ankle?”

“I was too ambitious last time.” Julius waved his hand dismissively. “This time I know to pace myself. But I just think that it would be useful to learn how to defend myself, especially with how things could go.”

When Suzaku didn’t immediately answer, Julius pushed on. “I intend to join my brother in the EU, I think it would be important to learn to defend myself when I’m going into a warzone.”

“Your father-”

“Can’t refuse the help, especially when I present my case. All of my studies and solutions to problems, and maybe a secret weapon in the form of the Knight of Seven.”

Sir Kururugi tensed at that, Julius knowing that he caught him. After all, no one would become a Knight of the Round without ambition. Sir Kururugi might hide his well, but there was something else. He was a Number who had worked his way all the way to the highest level achieved by any Number, even if they were technically an Honorary Britannian. He was after recognition if not glory, and there was no better way to do that than on the battlefield. He wouldn’t get any further in his plans where he was. Guarding their family was a death sentence to his career, and something he expected from his father.

Charles might have allowed Sir Kururugi to become a knight, but this was his way of holding him back. The honor and glory were for Britannians alone. It was a shame but nothing less than what Julius expected. To admit to needed the Numbers was a weakness.

Julius watched Sir Kururugi’s face, watching something flash across the knight’s face before it fell back to neutral. Julius nodded slowly, gesturing over at the table. “I’ll need someone to guard my back and I haven’t chosen a personal knight. It’s a long, drawn out process that I don’t have time for, at least for now.”

“Your highness-”

“I don’t have any candidates, and I wouldn’t know where to start looking, so I’d prefer to have someone I am familiar with.” Julius gave Sir Kururugi his best smile. “And I haven’t had the time to go to court.”

For a moment, he was sure that Sir Kururugi didn’t understand him, which would have been a shame. All of that talent but with no mind to control it. If that was true, than he would be guided by orders all of his life. First his father’s and then the next emperor’s. Julius tipped his head to the side, considering Sir Kururugi for a moment. His father’s orders wouldn’t be too bad, save for the fact that it would be away from him. Still that could be rectified when he became emperor.

As always, the idea sent a spark of excitement through him. Of course, he had just as much chance as anyone else, which was very slim at all. But everyone knew that Odysseus had no head for government that could be led by the nose. Schneizel was sure to do it as Prime Minister but that didn’t mean that he was the only one. There were more ways to get what he wanted than waiting for his father, Odysseus and then all of his brothers and sister to die. Eighteenth in line was a long way back, but maybe just far back enough for his orders to be the one filling Sir Kururugi’s head.

A moment later understanding crossed the knight’s face, Julius watching as Sir Kururugi’s eyes narrowed a fraction. Julius didn’t know what to make of that, but it was something that the knight held his tongue. He knew how to do that at least.

Julius nodded at him. “I intend to start a search, but only after I have gotten permission for this.” He gestured back at his work. “Because that is important. Keeping the empire together. And you could help me. Just for a year.”

He watched Suzaku think it over, trying to see how the knight thought. It was subtle, but his decisions flashed across his face for all the world to read. That was a flaw that he would have to be trained out of. Then again, it might not matter for a Knight of the Round.

What Julius saw there was determination, and he was sure that there was regret. “You are generous, your highness, but I have my orders.”

“From my father? Easy to change if you desire it.” Julius smiled at him. “You must be as bored here as we are, stuck watching us try to keep entertained and fighting with the guards. How long has it been since you’ve piloted your Knightmare and had a good battle?”

“Your highness…”

“Think on it.” Julius turned away, walking over to the couch and sinking into it. He reclined there for a moment before turning to look at Sir Kururugi again. “We don’t know if Schneizel and father will listen to me this time. But, as soon as I have an answer, I expect yours.”

The corner of the knight’s mouth twitched, but Sir Kururugi was quick to bow with exacting formality. “Of course. If I may…”

Julius dismissed him with a wave of his hand, watching as Sir Kururugi left. He didn’t bother to hide his smile, not even when the knight left. He would probably join the others at dinner, as he himself should do. But he didn’t think he could keep from smirking and he didn’t want to give too much away to Lelouch. He wanted the chance to savor his progress to himself. It would make the moment when Lelouch realized how easily he had just won their game that much sweeter.

#my fic #code geass #suzalulu #Month of Code Geass

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magicalbluelightning · 6 years ago

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So I attempted writing something... its not done but I think it’s alright so far?

I think Cole would have some issues with water after returning to human form, and was in the mood to write some angst. There’s heavily implied bruise here too :)

there’s no title yet and not done but oh well I wanted to share

“You getting in Cole?” Jay’s voice brings me back to the present, my worried thoughts fading for a moment. “Zane and Nya are going to beat us to the water slide if we don’t hurry…” He sees my hesitant look and trails off. It’s been around a month since we moved into Yang’s temple and for the most part I’ve gotten used to having a solid form again. Water, however, was still a major obstacle, especially with how deadly it had been to me as a ghost.

“Why don’t you go on ahead?” I tell him. “I’ll meet you over there in a bit.” We both know that’s a lie. These days I’m barely able to wash myself, and that’s only if I wet a sponge and scrub myself with that, instead of getting fully under the running shower.

Jay frowns, remembering how sensitive I’ve become to water since I was a ghost. “You sure? I can wait out here with you if you like…”

“No, go catch up to the others. I’ll be fine, I swear.” Another lie. All I want now is to get away from this damn water park and do something else. I don’t really care what, just something that doesn’t involve this much water. He starts to get that look he gets when he’s getting ready to argue, and I shoot him a look of ‘Don’t you dare, I’m not going to take this away from you for my sake’. I grab my towel and sit on it after laying it out on the cement. This seems to somewhat convince him to stop trying to fight me on this. I’m not going to let him miss this.

He shoots me a soft smile, not entirely convinced that I’ll be alright without him. “Alright, but you’d better be ready to tell me what you want to go do tomorrow! We’ll do whatever it is you want, and make sure it’s something that doesn’t involve water.” Another smile, this time happier.

I smile back, and it’s actually a truthful one. “Alright, just go on or you’ll miss the slide…” He’s already back in the pool, swimming toward the park’s massive water slide. We have this rule that the first time you go down the slide you have to swim over to it through the pool, no walking along the side. I always won that, though Zane sometimes came close to getting ahead of me. I wonder who won this time? Probably Nya. Since becoming the water ninja, Nya had become quite the swimmer. As the elemental ninja of water, Nya like to use her abilities to “push” the water away from her and propel herself forward. I’ve long suspected her of allowing me to win all those times- there’s no way she could be the water ninja and not win.

With Jay finally gone, I allow my smile to fade. Why did I agree to come to this fucking water park anyway? I could have gone to the arcade with Kai and Lloyd, but for some reason I decided to come to the one place I would be most uncomfortable. I reach over and pull my phone out of my bag, grunting as my legs, sore from sitting cross-legged on the hard pavement, protest the movement. Maybe a game might help ease my mood. Before I can get my passcode in I’m flooded by a literal wave of both emotions- and water. We had set up camp near the outer fence, both as a precaution against theft and damage of our electronics- they didn’t do well after getting wet after all -and since I had insisted on being as far away from the water as possible. I guess the distance didn’t stop the two trouble-makers from carrying a bucket of water and pouring it on my fucking head, drenching both myself and everything around me.

At first I’m angry, which is understandable- those punks most likely just damaged what was the first new phone I’ve had in a long time, as well as all the dry clothes and snacks we’d brought. I stand fully ready to knock some sense into whoever it was, only to see the pair of them running around a corner and disappear into the crowded pool. Now, with no distractions, the anger dissipates and all that remains is ice-cold fear as I register just how wet I am. Memories of the past year come back, rushing to the fore-front of my mind. All those ghosts we saw killed, just from a few drops of rain. Being on the submarine, underwater. Morro possessing Lloyd, then almost killing him in the Spinjitzu Master’s Tomb. The Pre-Eminent. Everything. In a way I’m aware that I’m not actually going to die, but now, it’s just too soon. Too painful. I sit back down and wrap my arms around my legs as if it will somehow do something relieve the pain. My chest hurts as I try to breath, too far into the panic attack to care about that right now. I’m going to die right now, my fear tells me, as my mind is screaming at the same time that everything is fine, I’m just over-reacting. Unfortunately, there’s no way of negotiating with anxiety, not when it’s already well on its way into a full-blown panic attack.

I don’t register the footsteps until Jay is already standing next to me, his eyes wide in worry. “Cole! What happened? Did someone push you in?” He asks, looking around at the soaked bags and towels. “No, then our bags would still be dry…” He hands me the towel he had been holding. For the most part it was still dry, and I attempted to dry myself as much as I could. My hair would have to wait until later, as would my clothes. No amount of towels would be able to dry a wet shirt in a short amount of time. Jay reaches out a hand and I grab it, shakily getting to my feet.

Jay was surprisingly dry, not a drop of water on him apart from the bit that had dripped from my hair. “You-…”

He cuts me off, grabbing the towel. “Didn’t end up wanting to get on the slide. You, on the other hand, need to get that shirt off. The damp fabric is only going to make things worse.” His mouth was curved in that adorable little pout he gets whenever Jay is worried, and I decide to focus on that as I fumble with my shirt, cringing at the soaked cloth. Eventually I get it off and Jay has wrapped the towel around me. I grasp it, shivering. Mostly due to the panic attack, but also because there’s a slight breeze and I’m wet and shirtless. Wind. I’m sure my nightmares aren’t as bad as Lloyd’s, but the thought of Morro sends me into another round of panic. Jay wraps his arms around me and suggests we go away from the park. I nod numbly, breathing heavily. My vision clouds, and I just need to get away from this place. I doubt I’ll ever feel safe here again…

We ultimately decide to go to the arcade to join Kai and Lloyd after sending a quick text to Nya’s phone to let the rest of the gang know where we were when they couldn’t find the two of us later. When we get to the table Jay puts our bags on a table, then leaves to find our friends. I sit and wait for him to return, shakily grasping Jay’s towel around me like a protective cape. I had mostly dried off by now, for the most part, though bits of my hair were still wet, plastered to my face like limp noodles.

#ninjago #fic writing #i'll be honest the first fic i tried writing other than this was in my sophomore year of high school #so like 4 years ago #i keep getting ideas for things that wouldn't really work as a drawing tho #so i'm going to try writing again!

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