#they're utterly baffled by each other and i love it for them

[floralpunkbarton]

been self indulgently pondering ace4ace rodimins lately but they're both specific and contrasting flavors of ace experiences

[dairy-farmer]

Saw some NICE Reverse Robins Art? And just? Eldest Blood Son Damian Wayne? All the gorgeous of BOTH his parents? A man who never felt his position threatened by these younger children? But still had that oldest sibling "they're talking my Father's love and attention AWAY from me" drama? Grew up. Lost his Tim.

Was BETRAYED by his maternal family, when they brought Tim BACK, mad from the pits, and never told him. The whole alt-timeline. Edgy Red Hood Tim. Red Bird Jason. Robin Dick.

But!

Multiverse shenanigans? Who is THIS?! It's a Cannon-adjacent Tim! He's HEROICALLY sacrificed himself by tackling the megalomaniac of the decade, into the Multiverse Destroying Portal BEFORE it could fully charge! While he, said maniac, held the control panel. Thereby shutting it down.

There had been no other way.

He had expected to be ripped to molecules.

But here he is, on the sort of Shitty Roofing that can only be Gotham infrastructure. So? No time to tremble in the face of near oblivion. Gotta beat this fuckers ass so hard his ANCESTORS rethink their life choices. Tim drags himself up. And makes Gotham proud.

Which is how Darkwing (Damian's edgy self chosen name he's now stuck with until his Father retires.) Finds him. Half dead and beating up a clear Supervillian, wearing Bat gear. Good enough for Damian. He'll get answers AFTER the scoundrel in imprisoned.

Only Tim passes the fuck out.

Wakes up, in the cave, to his own? But slightly different? Face. Two things jump out. One, that God awful skunk strip Jason was permanently stuck with after the pits (that he refuses to admit, is kinda sexy). And Two, either this Tim started Testosterone WAY earlier, somehow managed to keep to all his scheduled shots dispite Superhero Craziness, OR... this lucky bastard is Cis Gendered.

Unless maybe not?

Hey, Me, pronouns. (He/Him.) Nevermind! Bastard it is! Fuck you! Why do YOU get all the luck? I have to take shots! (I DIED.) OH, boo hoo, WE'VE ALL DIED! Ya'aint special! *Tim on Tim verbal violence intensifies*

No one can tell if... they are? Bonding? Or hate each other. Someone should stop them. Unfortunately, it has to be Bruce. Which is how they learn: No, actually, he DOESN'T know what universe he's from. It's never come up before and they don't have the technology. He expected to die.

It was a one way trip.

Now they have a New/Extra Tim. There are Tim Twins. One is An Angry Bad Boy. And the other? Strangely sexy. The competence kinks are developing by the minute.

Worse, for Damian? This Tim seems... almost? Baffled? By his politeness? Seems to expect violence and aggression? And become utterly FACINATED by him, once he realizes its not coming. Damian has never been the center of someone's attention like this. Had someone hang off his every word like this. It's breeding... Thoughts he shouldn't be having.

And RR!Tim is getting jealous. That's HIM. He should be interested in HIM. THEIR shared lives. Not Mr "ooooh look at meee, the Perfect Soooon". Other Tim should be... be like his TWIN. His BROTHER. HIS other half. His!

Bruce? Hates that he sees what could have been, in this Tim. Calm and collected. Not raging and destructive. A good Detective. A perfect Robin. Dedicated to The Mission. Not the unhealing, raging, wounded animal his son has become. He wants to protect this Tim. Hold him close. Cherish him. But he also loves HIS Tim. He feels so greedy.

And Jason? It's like the Red Bird he looked up to is BACK. Not the raging monster that swings between hating him and ignoring him. Even better! This Tim looks at HIM like he's some sort of miracle! So he plays up the spunky, the cute. Crawls into his lap and chats. Gets to hang out. Be the center of his world. He... he's in LOVE. Already formulating a long term plan. Gonna marry this Tim and have a house and kids and a dog! It'll be perfect.

Baby Dick? Robin? Was EXHAUSTED trying to hold everything together. Trying to pretend he didn't notice the tensions. Play the performance of "cute baby brother" to distract and defuse. Then this Timmy came! And FIXED everything. Took Dicks job like he'd been doing it for YEARS. Smiled so pretty and perfect. Told him he didn't have to pretend.

Like he KNEW Dick. Better then anyone else.

So maybe Dick goes... a little crazy. Follows him. Smells his stuff. Wants to crawl into his bed and DO things. But! He's not the only one! Everyone is going crazy! Timmy does that to people, he's decided. But it's okay. They're TIM'S people. So it's okay if they go crazy for him.

And really? It's just a matter of who's control breaks first. Because Tim adores them but doesn't think they'd be interested. Tim is situationally dense as bricks. They love him anyway.

-🐼🐼🐼

all of them intent on this tim not realizing the tim of their universe will never let them get dibs 😩

[wickjump]

#he likes doing things too for them methinks#he’s a very acts of service guy. Like 100%#he likes you? he does everything to show it#you ask for something and he RUNS to the other room to get it for you

You're so right but y'know what?? Once these 4 notice that, he's so in for it. Every time he brings them something they're gonna go so hard on the verbal praise. Like "Oh you got it for me? That's so sweet, you're so thoughtful and kind, and so fast you can tell you work out all the time, and-" and he's getting pulled in for cuddles all the while. I want these 4 to be like an elite task force of flustering Cross lol

Also I forgot it in my tags but I can't get over the idea of aroace Nightmare just standing by utterly baffled by all this. What are you guys doing why are you always in each other's laps are there not enough seats in here?? Are you cold?? What do you mean you're going out you all went out yesterday??? Alternatively just being like "ah yes my henchmen are bonding as mortals do, it's good to see them being such good friends" <- oblivious

while reading this ask i thought how laps is such a funny fuckijg word. laps. sounds insane to me. it’s perfectly normal but i laughed for like 10 minutes at it. anyway

ABSOLUTELY. i think he deserves 2 have attention paid to him for once… they look at his trauma and think “absolutely not”. and cross repays it the best he can too like he absolutely does little things to make them feel better.

he bakes cookies for epic (premade dough because he canonically can’t bake for SHIIIIT). he makes sure to squeak the door extra loudly when coming into dust’s room to make sure dust knows he’s coming and doesn’t scare him. he only approaches horror on his good side because otherwise he can catch him off guard. he finishes his plate too even if it’s food he hates. he sharpens killer’s knives for him and when killer is feeling antsy or violent cross is the first to ask to spar so killer doesn’t push that down for it to bubble up later. when he notices any of them going into a depressive episode he cleans up their rooms for them so they don’t live in mess (because that can make depression worse). he does their laundry and chores even though they’ve said multiple times they can do it themselves.

they all have different love languages. and because they know cross’ receiving love language is words of affirmation they absolutely words of affirmation the hell out of him. and he flat out just doesn’t know how to react

AS FOR NM… nightmare historians them without even realizing it. “this makes no sense.” and then he approaches someone else like ink who is aroace or dream who’s aspec and asks what’s going on and they say “oh it’s just friendship things!” and he believes it. like oh that makes sense. because i do not know what else it could be. yep. mortals doing what mortals do. friends… yes that is it. i do want to know though is kissing part of this friend ritual or..?

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

i want to say something thats been bugging me for a while but there was this whole argument about katara and zuko being FUNDAMENTAL in each other's character arc and that baffled me because its simply not true? you can say they play an important role but to say they are fundamental is over exaggerating it. as fundamental at least to me inherently implies they are the foundation for each others arcs. like it got me sooo confused because i in no way see how zuko plays such a role for katara and same with zuko. because did we just forget that uncle iroh is the one thats actually fundamental to zuko? i feel like i never see him get talked about by these "zuko fans" unless its from a book with like one or two short sentences thats very clearly uncle iroh being a stereotypical dad and being like "oh a nice girl maybe good for zuko?" as if he wasn't pushing zuko to bring home a girl and getting him to go on a date with that girl in ba sing se idk to me it reads off as a parent thats just yappin lol

regardless of that though, im still baffled by that. katara isnt fundamental to zuko's character arc, uncle iroh is. zuko isnt fundamental to katara's character arc, her mother is (and i'd argue aang but i feel like that would just cause a shipping mess by even breathing his name lmao) anyways sorry but that still gets me to this day because how utterly confusing i found it. no one was even saying that they didn't play an important (role along with the other characters in the gaang) in each others arcs, it was saying they simply are not fundamental and that, for some reason, made them so mad lol

I'm sorry, anon, but I am saying they were not important to each other's character arcs, and this is taking into account my bias as someone who really likes their friendship. If a character is not around for someone's arc, or on their mind during it, they're not relevant to said arc.

Katara canonically saw him as nothing but the generic face for evil Fire Nation people until their talk in Ba Sing Se - only to then immediately regret her moment of empathy towards him and never mention him again. And as I've already said, that moment meant so little to Zuko that he couldn't even understand why Katara was mad.

They don't start interacting for real until Zuko the second of half of the final season, and they're not friends until the show is TWO EPISODES AWAY from the finale.

In The Southern Raiders, Zuko is basically the guy driving the taxi so Katara goes on her revenge quest. This doesn't hold a candle to the three seasons she spent being supported by the Gaang (or two in Toph's case), always thinking about her family, mainly her mom.

In the Last Agni Kai, Katara is just there to take action when it's time to shout MEDIC! This doesn't hold a candle to Ozai and Azula's shadow constantly hanging over him, Iroh's advice, the memory of his mother, his relationship with Mai, and the simple "Maybe we could have been friends" from Aang that was canonically haunting Zuko for months because it got to him that much.

Now, do I think it's possible, and very likely, that they will be very important in each other's lives from that point onwards? Of course! They ARE friends now, and if someone is in your life they're gonna play some kind of role when you're going through stuff. It's only natural.

But in the actual canon events? No, they were not important to each other's arc. They didn't have the opportunity to be - and that is part of why I wish the show had 4 seasons instead of 3, or that the comics had not sucked. It would've been so nice to see Aang not be the only member of the Gaang that plays a major role in Zuko's arc, and vice versa (especially with Toph, not only because I love their friendship but because she was denied a life-changing field trip).

[surely-galena]

The thing about there being five main members on the NXX Investigation Team is that they could all plausibly be on a Stellis version of Taskmaster. Here's how I think things would go:

[WC: 0.9K]

What they would be hilariously good at:

Luke: Any physical task. Whether it's kicking something, throwing something, or anything else that requires more physical effort. Plus, because he's a detective, I think he would also find the secret answers (e.g. the receipt in the series 11 "guess what's in the batter" task, "debajo de la mesa" in series 2, the light switch in the series 5 "paint a rainbow in the dark" task) but he'd only use them "correctly" half the time (e.g. the hose in series 15).

Artem: Thinking-based tasks and also putting in a lot of genuine effort. I think he'd be a lot like Joe Thomas in series 8 because spending over twenty minutes trying to erase an eraser while three other contestants find a quicker way to dispose of it seems like something Artem would do, and Artem would also know vaguely useful trivia things and be able to recite poetry unprompted.

Vyn: Processing the absurdity. I think he'd be like a much more deadpan version of Mike Wozniak in series 11, by which I mean he would do all of the tasks as if they are normal, everyday chores. Cover your lower half in biodegradable clingfilm and duct tape? Sure, whatever. Find out how many sides an object has while blindfolded and only using your face? Not surprising in the slightest.

Marius: Any art task. In fact, everyone should be afraid if they're going up against him in an art task. Because only the people closest to him know about his art skills, I think the audience would be fairly surprised to learn how proficient he actually is. He's going to impress them all!!

MC/Rosa: Anything to do with acting (based on her previous theater experience). This is because I would love for her to have some great stage moments (e.g. Susan Wokoma and the holding a pineapple vs. not holding a pineapple task in series 16, the bricks vs. balloons suitcase task in CoC2) and also a lot of fun with any film-based tasks.

What they would be hilariously bad at:

Luke: Processing the absurdity. I think Luke would be baffled by some of the most ridiculous tasks, and be even more confused if it's a food-based task (e.g. make the best edible dust, make an edible mask and then wear the edible mask). He'd manage to get things done, but he would be very confused throughout.

Artem: Any art task. He might be able to get away with some pieces by claiming they're abstract, but as a whole I think he would not do very well with drawing/painting things.

Vyn: Any mechanical task. Like, make a machine to do X thing? He's going to be stuck thinking for a bit and then resort to something really simple and unfortunately ineffective at the last second.

Marius: Being too eager to get started that he doesn't completely process the task and either a) gets disqualified for doing something the task had said not to do or b) gives himself a disadvantage for tasks that say "you have to use the first thing you touch to do the task". Sometimes, surprisingly, he makes do with the disadvantage. Other times (while he's doing terribly), he's giggling to himself over how he should have finished reading the task before selecting his chosen object.

MC/Rosa: Anything that requires too many things to happen at the same time. Like "make all these things pop very closely to each other" or "have all these things be done when the timer reaches zero". Even though she's used to having to do a lot at once, it's still very overwhelming when the combination of simultaneous tasks is utterly ridiculous.

Other thoughts:

Teams being divided by scheduling plausibly means that Artem and MC could be grouped together. Because everyone's schedules are flexible to a certain extent, I think I would make the teams Marius & Luke (because they already work well enough together, and because they would be entertainingly chaotic) and then Artem & MC & Vyn (which would make MC the peacemaker if Artem and Vyn start bickering about anything). This is also because I want Marius and Luke to have an "I'm Always Seeing You (Do Cool Stuff)" victory moment.

If we're picking from the existing ToT character lineup, I think Vincent would make for a fantastic Taskmaster's Assistant. His softer personality would make it so much more unexpected whenever he comes up with a good quip.

The person who puts the most effort into the prize tasks is Marius. It doesn't always work out for him, but he would totally steal from the Taskmaster / Taskmaster's Assistant or put together something really impressive just for the chance of getting five points.

I think each and every one of the NXX Investigation Team is fully capable of having at least one lateral thinking moment. Whether it works out or not, though, is probably a different story depending on the person.

You know the "find out what's in the case" task in CoC1? Vyn would solve the math problem to find the code. Artem would count the rice. MC would find the code on the other end of the table. Marius would guess what was inside the case correctly without opening it. And Luke would take a hammer and destroy the case, thus getting it open and effectively bypassing the code.

[iamadequate1717]

The Breakups

Stede and Ed have three breakups under their belt right now: Ed initiated two of them, and Stede is currently getting blame for one of those. The finale is releasing tomorrow, so hopefully this turns into a moot point, but I'm defending Stede anyway!

Part 2: The Breakups

Note that Part 1 is here:

This 2x7 breakup is likely to be over in 2x8 (.... I say less than 24 hours to the premier and trying to act like I'm a prophet...), and with rule of three, I'm going to say that's going to be their last one. Any more Will-They-Or-Won't-They would be tedious, especially since at that point, we'd be at about one-third of the series with them "broken up," and they need to start communicating as a couple already, but this oscillation is what makes OFMD unique isn't it?

Their breakups are about them as characters: the first time, Ed leaves with Calico Jack; Ed realizes his devotion to Stede but Stede has his fears confirmed... which rolls into the second breakup (Stede doesn't have those fears resolved early enough, and Ed feels like a discarded plaything), which rolls into the third. They need to address the fears and insecurities together and not spiral out on their own. I'm guessing (and using what HBO has shown us) that Ed gets his assurances early, and hopefully, we can put an end to this internal catastrophizing so they can face the world together.

Love, the emotion, may be easy, just like breathing, but a couple is still two people with different experiences and different needs, but real life relationships take work (...I say as a happy single person...). Romcoms end with the First Kiss, fanfics end with the First Sex, but OFMD seems to be carrying us through the growing pains of the relationship. Happily Ever After isn't a magical state that is achieved once you tell each other that you love the other, but so many pieces of media treat that as the end, but OFMD is treating it as a middle. Often times, it feels like the couple is just playing musical chairs, and if they're a couple when time runs out, they're going to be a couple forever!

In S2 speculation, it was not infrequent that people were imagining that the S2 cliffhanger would be Ed and Stede laying eyes on each other for the first time with a fade to black. That isn't interesting. We don't want these two to run out the clock.

But I want to look at the breakups specifically. Let's look at 2x7. Spanish Jackie lays down the truth to Ed, but he doesn't seem to latch onto the big point: does Stede know that this regular guy, no more pirate, part isn't a phase?

"He said at the academy..." Stede was dealing with other things, and from what he saw, Ed went back to piracy. To be fair also, the Revenge doesn't do much piracy itself, so Stede hasn't seen Ed's dissatisfaction first hand. A lot of audience anger toward Stede is an audience who saw the environment 2x1 and 2x2, who saw Ed in the gravy basket, who saw Ed's bored asides with Izzy. They're treating Stede as a member of the audience rather than as a character within the story. Stede didn't see any of this. Most of his interactions with Ed was cutesy fluff. Stede knows he likes being near Ed, but they haven't spent much time talking about deeper topics.

On what Ed does with the breakup in 2x7, I'm bringing up this line from 2x4, when they briefly spoke like adults:

Ed shutting down the conversation and not letting Stede give explanations isn't fair to Stede, but it continued with the third breakup: in 2x7, Ed leaves Stede with some emotional whiplash. Stede was just having one of the best days of his life and was met with an Ed who refused to explain what was going on. When you look at what just Stede saw, it was utterly baffling! My post on that:

And then Stede insulted Ed's fish, thereby making him History's Greatest Monster, amiright?

Ed basically screams that fishermen and pirates are so different, it would be like if a mermaid and a bird tried to have a marriage. It's a self fulfilling prophecy at that point: cut Stede out completely so they have no chance to grow their lives with room for the romantic relationship. (And really, for those criticizing Stede, how do you respond correctly off the cuff to a random statement like that?)

This is devastating: Stede has completely cut himself out of his old life. He left Barbados for Ed, not for piracy. He laid out his feelings, and he made himself vulnerable to Ed. Just hours after being intimate for the first time, he's coldly told it was a mistake, and his sad face at that statement:

He doesn't run off in tears to have a breakdown like I would! He instead is reasonable with Ed: they can define their relationship however they want, but Ed cuts off any possibility of any relationship.

Stede does not know what's going on. I'm really confused what people who are "so mad!" at Stede here would expect of him, provided they only know what Stede knows in universe. Stede just wants to talk and work on their relationship together. Ed wants to start a new career, and more specifically, a life completely separate from Stede.

No, Stede doesn't respond to that pirate line, but he gave the immediate response to the part he cared about more (and likely replayed the conversation over and over in his head later with improved responses, as we do).

Stede does not run after Ed here, but why would he? He's told the audience directly that he thinks Ed is better off without him.

Lucius tells him, "Maybe the time he spent with you is the best it's ever going to get for him," and again, Stede directly tells the audience that he doesn't believe that.

This is not a man with high self esteem. Remember him being ready to be executed and being told he's the worst pirate captain ever? He thought that was fair.

Ed cuts off their relationship, and Stede thinks he deserves that, that Ed realized he was better off without Stede. So Stede lets him go.

On their breakups, the first one was short (Ed's back the same episode!), but the second happened at a season break so there was more time for fandom speculation. We all saw the theories, and a too common thread was "Will Ed forgive Stede??", and we saw the speculation that Stede should prostrate himself before Ed and beg for forgiveness, no matter how long it took. It simplifies the narrative, but is that the show we're watching and is that fair to Stede?

Stede instantly forgave Ed after choosing Calico Jack over him in front of everyone; the second breakup was longer and they had more time to do the whole negative self talk thing, but Stede still did deserve more grace, didn't he? With Season 2 (and its truncated run time!), we saw the criticisms that Ed forgave Stede too easily, but did he? They're on friendly terms, but there is still a wall.

See Ed's time in the Gravy Basket. The first three episodes were the Soup Show. It symbolized family or warmth or whatever (...I say as a robot who doesn't understand human feelings...), so it's a standout that Ed calling the soup poison is his feelings about accepting that warm domesticity, not something literal about Hornigold. He opened himself up to someone, and all he got was heartbreak and confirmation he was unlovable (and he was too scared to do anything about it).

And this is followed almost immediately by the baller line about a man being brought down in the place where he had definitely chosen Stede for the first time.

In the Gravy Basket, we had the metaphor on the feet (no shoes = death, shoes = life... there is good meta running around, but I'm too lazy to find it). Ed gains one shoe (putting him between life and death) when Stede starts to be led to his body, and Stede brings life to him (shoe shot!).

Stede is an anchor to life at this low point, but that doesn't mean that Ed completely forgives.

In Season 2, we don't have the Gloves as Metaphor with Ed anymore (half gloves when he meets Stede, no gloves at the academy, full gloves when he goes full kraken), but he still has other cues on how his feeling about Stede. We don't have the casual touches of Season 1, and everything feels "off." We're lacking in the tenderness, and Ed still is keeping his distance.

Ed and Stede have held hands this season, but not in a romantic way.

When we get to the romance, Ed doesn't put his hands on Stede's skin/hair like Stede does for him (production stills don't count!). In the third kiss, he pushes Stede's collar up as a barrier.

With what the audience was invited in for their love scene, Stede is visually more exposed and ready, and Ed is more distanced and closed off (that is NOT to say that Ed wasn't into it...).

Everything is close to what it should be, but it's not the perfect expression of love exploding across the screen. Something's off. The audience can pick up on it, and Stede, our autistic king, may subconsciously feeling it, but he is taking a lot of it at face value. (They slept together! They're a couple and an unbroken team now!)

On The Sex, is this the first time that Stede has received (verbal) concerns about his welfare in the series? He was told he was a monster, a plague, a defiler of beautiful things, and he's just been trying to live his life with no one refuting that even in a small way.

Sure, Ed said his fake heads idea didn't suck.

Sure... uh.... Ed said he wasn't a girl?

He gets some affirmation, they do something to help them feel alive almost losing each other, and he's intimate for the first time with the man he loves. Everything is going great! But everything instantly flips 180 degrees a few hours later. He's been holding it together well most of the season, even after thinking that Ed is literally dead, and y'all shouldn't judge him for a few mildly harsh words said without thinking. He feels foolish and used and heartbroken, and his bad day has just begun.

I hope I can get some thoughts up on the last part of 2x7 before the finale, but until then, here's some bonus sad face Stede during their first breakup, where Ed broke up with him in front of everyone! Everyone saw it! ("Never left" psh, likely story.)

How can you not be sad when he's sad??

We'll see what the finale does with them soon. Overall, I'm happy so far with Ed/Stede in Season 2. The rest of it... eh, Lucius/Pete is my happy spot. I'm hoping we get a good Ed/Stede payoff in the finale, and that we get to see more of their growth as a couple in Season 3 (manifesting!). It's rare that a show/movie/book/etc focused on just a romance sticks with the couple after that "finally together!" spot, and I want to see what this writing team does with that settled romance.

[bespectacled-bookwyrm]

do u think we can possibly hear more about the Abandoned King au (little lost things with more angst lol)

Its so cute and im very intrigued

Certainly! ^v^

(I was initially going to call it "Little Lost Things, But With More Angst" before deciding that "The Abandoned King AU" made more sense, and sounded a lot better, too! XD)

Before settling on the nickname of "Sprout", Grimsley proposed that N's nickname would be "Green Bean". (N pouted for a week when he first heard it.)

N is around 15 here, perhaps a smidge younger. He's not really sure of his exact age, since he never celebrated his birthday, either. (He only has vague memories of Ghetsis or his sisters commenting on him 'being a year older'.)

Colress loves to read, and quite happily shares his collection with N! Due to how restricted his upbringing was, N absolutely loves the variety available to him.

N doesn't get on with peers his age. They view him as either "too stuffy" or "too childish".

Grimsley introduces N to card games. N's so honest, however, that he has a terrible poker face. Turns out he's a lot better at probability games, like Liar's Dice.

N gets sick a lot, so Colress and Grimsley stock up on plenty of supplies for when he inevitably falls ill.

N misses his sisters and Zorua dearly, but is aware that there is a good chance they may never see each other again.

Thanks to Colress' love of plants, a LOT of Pokémon live in the house, the majority of them wild. N has given nicknames to every single one!

It took a few weeks for it to click with N that he can lounge on furniture. It's not uncommon for Colress or Grimsley to find him sprawled across the settee, completely immersed in a book.

Physical affection is utterly foreign to N, so he's quite baffled by how openly affectionate Grimsley and Colress can be towards each other.

N doesn't go outside much, if ever. To him, The Outside is a frightful place full of Bad People. (He's still unlearning what Ghetsis taught him, including the Plasma = Good, Everyone Else = Bad philosophy he instilled in him.)

N's bracelets were gifts from his sisters, Anthea and Concordia. He treasures them above all else. (He unfortunately lost his Menger Sponge. When he mentions it, Colress manages to find him another.)

Grimsley teaches N how to build card houses. He's very good at it!

N does develop his love of Ferris wheels, but he currently lacks the confidence to see one in person. For now, he's quite comfortable viewing them in photographs or on the television.

N has a Zorua teddy in his room. Grimsley bought it for him. He loves how soft and fluffy it is.

N also likes puzzles, and is thrilled whenever Colress or Grimsley brings him one from The Outside. (His favourites are the ones Colress buys, because they tend to be the most complicated, but he enjoys the simpler jigsaws Grimsley buys, too, especially when he doesn't want to do anything too complicated.)

Colress and Grimsley only have snippets of N's life before they found him, but they are quite certain he'd been raised in a cult. (They're right.)

That's all I've got so far!

Thank you for the ask! ^v^

[chasing-bandages]

Chase wakes up to gentle rain showering his hands and hair.

Compared to the pounding storm he was subjected to earlier, it's quite the welcome change. He sits up groggily, reaching up to rub his eyes. His hands hit a familiar solid material, though.... as soon as he realizes what it is, he groans loudly.

Stupid fucking mask again, goddammit.... he thinks bitterly, the rainshower seeping through the mask's eye holes. It's not too much of an inconvenience, other than once again being quite a hassle to wash his face or eat again. But he was starting to enjoy the feeling of wind on his cheeks again.

Whatever, he thinks, enjoying the gentle rain. Chase looks around, seeing the dark cloud of rain, wind, and lightning in the distance. That must be where he died.... he, Dusk, Lennie, Steph, and Camila.

He wonders where they all spawned before remembering Dusk isn't from this world... she's probably not around anymore. Chase looks down bitterly, hugging his knees to his chest.

He's starting to really hate being alone like this.

That's something he never thought he'd think.... he likes being with his brothers or girlfriend, but aside from them, Chase prefers solitude and no one around.

None of them are here with him, though, and probably never will be. Chase is completely and utterly alone, with no hope of ever escaping or seeing any of his loved ones again.

Chase finds himself thinking of the others. He wouldn't ever admit to trusting any of them, but their company definitely makes him feel a little less alone. They're all just trying to survive, after all, just like him.

..... survive.....

Survival. Life. Death.

His mind drifts to Camila. To what she told him. It's faint and foggy in his memory from the alcohol, but the fragments loop in his mind.

He's still baffled by the logistics of it, how one's conscience actually gets inside the computer and how they stay alive even though they're dead in the real world.... but eventually, he pushes it aside. He's not smart enough to try and figure it out.

Chase still wonders what it feels like, though, to be Camila. He has so many questions, and also a rather unfortunate amount of sympathy for her situation.... how did she die? How old was she? What about her family?

Chase groans and stands up. He really, really, reallyreallyreallyreally hates her and hates that he's feeling any sympathy for her. She's a prick, a bitch, an asshole, a pain in the ass who's probably only keeping him alive as someone to bully. She's horrible, she's annoying, she's cruel, she's selfish, she's......

..... human. She's still human, and she's the only one who could even understand my situation.

Chase looks down at the wet, sandy ground, fingers picking at themselves. If it was anyone other than the bitch who betrayed him when he first arrived, maybe he'd be more willing to open up. But her? Why's it gotta be her of all people?

He walks in the direction of the storm, silently scolding himself each step of the way. Why the fuck am I doing this? I could just wait for a train. I could just lie down by the tracks and wait for the train to pass by. I could stay out in the rain, in the SAFE rain.

..... I'm such a fucking idiot for this. She better thank me for this.

The rain and wind grow more intense as Chase travels deeper into the storm. The mask definitely helps to keep the water out of his eyes, although it still all pools into the bottom of his mask, and he has to dump it out of his eyes quite often. And without the hangover, he's better able to keep his balance and avoid any flying debris.

All of a sudden, he trips and falls, almost slamming his head into a tree trunk. The vague shape he sees glancing back both chills his blood and eases his mind.

His own headless corpse.

Chase stands and steps over the body, noting that his head is completely out of view, wherever it is. But this is almost exactly what he was hoping to find. Now, if only he could find....

There she is.

Chase approaches Camila's corpse, dodging a few flying branches. He takes a few seconds to observe the damage.... parts of her face and body look bashed in and cut, but judging by the deep gash over her throat, the rest of it must be post-death damage.

Her body isn't what he wants though.

Chase grabs her shoulder, smiling as his hand wraps around the bag strap. He quickly pulls the bag off of Camila's body, probably dislocating her arms in the process but not caring as he slings it over his shoulder and books it back in the direction he came. It's definitely a heavy bag, about half his size, but he pushes through and uses the wind to his advantage.

Eventually, the rain starts to ease, and he can see more than a few feet in front of him. Chase's sprint slows to a walk until he's far enough that there's nothing other than the gentle drizzle that woke him up in the first place. He sits down on a flat rock, legs and back aching from the weight he carried. But he's safe now, and he has exactly what he was looking for.

"Alright.... what's in here...." Chase mumbles, opening up one of the compartments. There's all the butcher equipment and cutlery, even a spare cleaver. Chase's eye gleams at the sight of so many sharp weapons. He grabs a small paring knife and stuffs it in his hoodie pocket before searching the rest of the bag.

It's all typical cooking supplies and various foods, including chunks of meat from that rabbit man. Chase wonders how preservation works in the digital world as he seals it all up and continues to marvel at the utensils, dishes, and seasonings she has. He's watched his brothers cook in the kitchen a few times, but a couple of things look quite foreign to him. He doesn't think he ever could learn to cook with most of this.

Eventually, he also finds a large canteen and weighs it in his hands.

Empty... he thinks, hopping up and walking into the rain once again. Chase unscrews the cap and holds it up, waiting as the water fills the canteen. It doesn't take long, and after the container's full, he turns around and gets back to the rest of the equipment. Other than a few rags being soaked, everything seems undamaged.

Chase lays back on the rock, kicking his feet a little and humming. The storm continues to move on, away from him and passing over the town. Hours past, to which Chase spends nibbling on carrots and trying to dry his clothes off.

The more he thinks about it, the less the thought of Camila pisses him off. Her methods for killing people and tricking others into eating them is fucked up, but it's not like she can do much else. He's seen first hand that she can't exactly help herself, and a vegetarian diet wouldn't really be the best for a cannibalistic vampire. She's trying to survive.

And she's never getting out of this place either, no matter what. That's the most disturbing fact of her situation, and Chase has so many questions. How does aging work? What if the system shuts down? Can someone die of old age? Are they, in the grand scheme of things, immortal?

He bites his tongue, looking down at the ground. The way she treats him is..... familiar. She's a bitch who toys with him and doesn't care if he's a bitch back, she matches his energy but treats him like a kid.

.... she treats me like my brothers.

A familiar clunking sound jostles Chase out of his thoughts, prompting him to stand up. In the distance, he sees a train with a yellow mark chug along, heading straight towards him and the storm. Time to go.

He groans and lays face down, cringing at the realization. That's something he DEFINITELY doesn't want to accept because she's not them. She never will be them. No one will ever be them. No one will replace his family, and he'll be damned if anything makes him feel better about it.

He puts the bag on and rushes to the side of the tracks, internally cursing himself for not adjusting the straps first. Whatever, it doesn't matter. The train's getting closer.... and closer.... and closer.....

Chase leaps forward through the open doors.

And not a moment too soon, either. Just as he regains his balance, the train chugs straight into the storm. Rain, wind, and debris smatter through the open doors, immediately drenching Chase's clothes again.

He grumbles with a yawn, dragging the bag over behind several crates that block out the majority of the rain. He's far too exhausted for this, and eventually just lays down while hugging Camila's bag. For being full of cooking supplies, it's shockingly comfortable to hug.

Chase yawns again, shivering from the water soaking through his clothes. At least the rain crashing against the windows is soothing, a familiar sound that slowly lulls him to sleep. He squeezes the bag just a little, thinking one final thing before fully drifting off.

Guess I'm trying to find Camila instead of avoid her now.

[coolcattime]

for the ask could you do your jojo villain oc?

Logan Charles (in the JoJo's AU):

I did not expect an ask about Logan, the minor villain/major pain in the ass that keeps appearing in mine and my friend's aus but I'm so glad that I did because it got my friend to do a massive backstory dump under the cut.

Also here is my friend's @theiratlas take on this, since they're my co-creator for the AU and also Logan is originally from a story they wrote in high school so I got them to also do the bingo for him in the JoJo's AU and they sent this very different bingo because they actually knew his backstory before doing the bingo 😅

And they also sent this backstory description (under the read more) so like I hope you enjoy!

Logan had two friends. Darien, who we'll meet later in the story, and Lissa who we won't.

The three grew up together on and off for as long as Logan can remember, never quite growing as close as he wanted but proximity counts for a lot when you're young.

Logan was the oldest of three by a year or two and despite what you may think, he came from a pretty loving home. Parents with plenty of time for him and two friends who, when they were around, made Logan feel cool, rebellious, and most importantly important. He'd pick up Lissa's lunches and be around at whatever time of night Darien decided to answer his phone and offer to swing over.

Now, to jump ahead a little:

Darien and Lissa join up with the local college and Logan goes to med school just out of town and that is where everything went to shit. Logan a few hours into his first shift, gets a call from a payphone with Lissa's voice on it.

It took him 15 minutes to travel 30.

Lissa had taken the life of a childhood bully turned roommate. Logan had never even heard her name until today but there's broken glass in her throat so probably it's time to go, questions can wait. But for some reason Lissa won't let go of some dumb arrow. Says they need to pick up Darien first, says he'll know something.

He's only on campus and it's less than 2 minutes. Logan doesn't want to argue. It makes his head hurt to think about, but he just likes being in the loop for once.

Darien arrives with two bags, duffels filled with things from clothes and toiletries to a six pack of cider and a crowbar he found.

They drive for an hour before Darien finally breaks up the arguing. They're being followed. Lissa says she already knew. Logan has never been so angry in his life. He demands to know what the problem is. He demands to know why she won't let go of the arrow. He demands to be fucking told any damn thing in the form of a full sentence.

He shouts so loudly he ends up stalling his mum's car. It is then silent. Including their tail, finally having arrived, headlights beaming.

Darien takes a moment away from pulling the threads from his coat and calls out. It sounds like a name, but it is more like a command.

"Apocalypse Please!"

Darien, as quick as that, gets out of the car, awkwardly pulling a hat over his face with his hands up. Logan is utterly baffled, his rage only growing with each moment of ignorance. Lissa on the other hand is stuck in her seat belt. Trying to get out with a panic only matched by her grip on the arrow.

Instead of helping, Logan, in his biggest moment of weakness, pulls the arrow out from Lissa's grip, demanding to know what's so important about it.

He's not realised how badly he's cut her hand in the process. He's too busy being distracted by Darien sprinting at full speed away from what is first a rubber bullets and then a hoard of real zombies. Logan begins to panic.

Lissa, now unconscious, begins leaking smoke from her wound, and what starts as a small leak continues into a horror show of smog.

Logan tries his best to get her out of the car but in the dark of the smoke and the panic of what’s to come – Lissa ends up dying where she sat.

After interrogation, Logan would join the Speedwagon Foundation before realizing they had just as little interest in explaining what had happened to him as Darien and Lissa would have if they were here today.

That's when he started making his own phone calls. Afterall, he did keep that arrow.

[thequeenofsastiel]

TheQueenofSastiel's treatise on sex scenes

I see protestations to sex scenes, people saying that they make them uncomfortable, and I get that, but I feel totally different. In my opinion, consensual sex, especially between two people who love each other, is one of the most beautiful things in the world. I find it utterly baffling that people are more comfortable seeing actors pretend like they're being tortured and dying(and oftentimes actually experiencing that pain to a certain extent, because they have to imagine themselves feeling those things in order to convey them successfully) than actors pretend like they're having sex. Why are so many societies more comfortable seeing the worst parts of life than the best?

So I tend to prefer higher heat BLs, as long as the chemistry is good and the actors look comfortable with each other. Sex is often(though not always) a meaningful part of romantic relationships. I love romance stories, but to me, getting to see the way that the characters are sexually intimate with each other as well as emotionally intimate matters. It's part of their story, a beautiful part. The sex scene between Lian and Kuea, for instance, was utterly gorgeous, and felt very necessary. Their relationship had been so physically distant for so long. Getting to witness that distance finally closing, seeing them fully connect, especially considering the fact that it was the first time for both of them, was amazing.

The Vegaspete sex scene also felt necessary, though for different reasons. Most of their interactions up until that point had involved Vegas inflicting extreme pain and humiliation upon Pete without Pete's consent(despite the fact that Pete enjoyed a lot of it). Watching their sex was important, because it was consensually kinky. It showed that Pete's desires matched Vegas's, and helped demonstrate why he eventually abandoned his whole life to go be with Vegas. Vegas tortured and held Pete hostage. Without the context of their matching desires, Pete falling in love with him would be harder to grasp. Not impossible, but we'd be missing a significant piece of the puzzle.

So for me, sex scenes are an important part of understanding the relationship between the couple. And they show a beautiful part of life.

[bigfan-fanfic]

Anakin gets to retire in our world with his bf and Percy

Tbh I think it's be frickin hilarious to see Anakin and Percy meet. First off, even Percy is a master of self control compared to Anakin - they're cut from the same cloth. But also Percy is a prophesied chosen one and is so utterly blasé about it that it would completely baffle Anakin.

"Chosen One, huh? Welcome to the club. It sucks."

Not to mention, I'd say that Anakin's fatal flaw (which I argue is fear of loss) dovetails nicely with Percy's fatal flaw of overpowering loyalty. It's basically the same one but from opposite ends of the self-centering spectrum. Anakin and Percy would both sacrifice everything, but Percy would do it to save someone (selfless) and Anakin not to lose them (selfish). So either they'll see the other like a funhouse reflection and learn, or their bf will be the single most protected and beloved person in any galaxy.

Geez, the more I look into it, Percy and Anakin really are funhouse reflections of each other - both have an intense love and loyalty to their mother, had abusive/intense childhoods, involved in war way too young, are Chosen Ones, etc. But Anakin is a stoic man with a biting wit and emotions that leak out despite repression, while Percy wears his heart on his sleeve and is goofy and funny, which belies his skill as a warrior and strategist in his own right.

So really, they both deserve a break and to get to be as normal as they can. Anakin just would never thrive under the teachings of the Jedi, and Percy just needs a frickin rest, man. Love that journey for both of them.

[swimmingwolf59]

Okay. I've just about finished rereading yotsuba and I HAVE to ramble about Yanda and Koiwai's relationship because it is utterly baffling to me. (And it doesn't help that Koiwai always describes his relationships with people so vaguely lol)

When I first read yotsuba, I accepted Koiwai's vague description of Yanda as "my junior" to mean he's someone who started later than Koiwai at the same company, and they haven't known each other for very long. But upon my reread, I've realized that can't possibly be the case.

Yanda is first mentioned in CHAPTER ONE - that blew me away when I saw that. Koiwai asks Jumbo where Yanda is and Jumbo tells him that something came up and he can't make it (and that he's worthless lol). So apparently Yanda is close enough to both of them that he was expected to help Koiwai move and to give Jumbo that update, not Koiwai.

AND IT'S NOT JUST THAT. In the yakiniku chapter, Jumbo brings up someone who Koiwai says "he hasn't seen in a long time." Yanda also seems to know this person. In the camping chapter, when Yanda shows up on his scooter, Koiwai says "You're still riding this thing? That takes me back!" Both of these things seem to imply that Yanda has been part of the group for a while. Also, Koiwai's mom knows Yanda by name.

So my new conclusion is that Yanda is actually a pretty close member of the friend group, and they've been friends for a long time.

So now, the truly baffling part - he has never met Yotsuba. She doesn't know him, and he doesn't know her. He can't even remember her name. When he first meets her, he's surprised to see her answer the door! How can a close friend of Koiwai's not know his daughter lol???? Jumbo has obviously known her her whole life.

My theory is that Koiwai and Yanda met in college, maybe they were in the same department or even while Koiwai was a grad student and Yanda was in undergrad (making stuff up, but Yanda has always seemed much younger than Koiwai). They became good friends, enough that Yanda joined the friend group with Jumbo and met Koiwai's parents. But after graduating, Koiwai began working abroad, presumably where he got Yotsuba, or maybe he worked in a few different places. Regardless, I don't think Yanda would've had enough money to visit him. As he is now, he eats cup ramen all the time and apparently doesn't have access to hot water (???), the guy may even be living out of his car for all we know lol, but I don't think he has a lot of money. I don't think he would've then, either. So he didn't see Koiwai while he was abroad. Even when he came back to Japan, I feel like Koiwai might have lived at home with his parents until he was able to rent this current house. His mom knows the person who's renting to them, talks about them as if they're a friend, which makes me think she helped him get that current house. And considering the fact that they don't visit each other often, Koiwai's family home might not be very close. So, again, Yanda couldn't feasibly visit that often. Now that Koiwai's a lot closer though they can hang out again, hooray! Time to finally meet that daughter he's heard about and obviously wasn't paying attention at all when Koiwai talked about her! (Though it's still baffling to me that Yanda just shows up one day to have lunch without even announcing he's coming over but anyway LMAO.)

I love them. I love thinking about them. Mainly because it makes no sense so it's fun having like a conspiracy theory board trying to figure this out LMAO.

If you want my insane theory, Koiwai and Yanda dated in college but broke up six or more years ago (hence why Koiwai's mom knows him and Jumbo complains about him like that close friend who hates their friend's partner but can't trash talk them until they break up). HOWEVER Koiwai is the only one who knows they broke up, Yanda missed the memo (it happened in the yakiniku chapter, he has a track record lol), and now he's trying to rekindle the romance by showing up for lunch all the time. I may or may not be writing a fic about this.

[ailelie]

Okay. The Legend of the Five and character motivations.

Since the characters are all forced to face their deepest anxieties at one point in the film, we do have a good idea of part of what is driving them. The exception is Owen. Owen is a mystery (he is also the sequel teaser).

Javier is searching for his long-lost dad and refuses to accept his father doesn't love him.

Kaylee fears that she doesn't know how to engage with people and chooses to be an observer because she knows she'll never have real friends.

Caitlyn fears that she has nothing to contribute to world beyond being popular in high school, that she has peaked and there's nothing left for her.

Zoe is grieving her mother and feels guilty for missing her last moments to be with her.

Owen maybe fears that he isn't a smart or brilliant as he and others think he is and, without his brains, has nothing left to contribute. Again, this is a guess because we don't see Owen's fear. We also know that Owen is very curious, which could potentially lead to problems.

I would have loved for Javier's desire to find his father translate into a fear of losing people and for him to be the one protecting the group and watching out for everyone. (This also explains his behavior re: Owen. When Caitlyn shows interest in Owen, Javier brings Owen in rather than risk losing Caitlyn. In the movie, Owen is visibly baffled by Javier's behavior).

Caitlyn is the only one who bests her own mirror. She then touches and hugs the others, reminding them they're not alone (and giving them some fire energy), to help them best their own mirrors. I would have loved to see her insecurities earlier on (there's even a moment when Kaylee tells her she's peaked in HS; Caitlyn should have reacted more to that). With her insecurities built sooner, her defeat of the mirror would have felt like more of a triumph. Also, what she has to give is that she inspires the others. (At one point, when Owen is afraid, she talks to him and helps him be brave).

Kaylee is harder, but I would have loved for her drawings to have become a bridge to others rather than a barrier. Earlier she drew pictures to upset people, but what if she had had an opportunity to draw as a way of getting past an obstacle or helping the group find someone or something? Or if she drew a portrait to make someone feel braver rather than smaller? As 'Ether,' Kaylee is the force that connects everyone together. I would have loved to see that in her arc as well--the girl who fears she will always be alone being the girl who connects everyone together.

As for Zoe, I already talked about pushing the food thing a bit more to really manifest her grief. But! Zoe only touches the artifact in the early scene because she hears her mother. She first rejects the sorcerer and refuses to help her, but the later (off screen) agrees to help. This would have been so much better if the sorcerer had promised to use the power of the tree to bring back her mother. This would have (a) sharpened the betrayal when the sorcerer admits she was behind the cancer, and (b) would have increased Zoe's personal stakes when she decided to destroy the tree.

As for Owen, I would love to see his curiosity get him into trouble and for, at some point, to have someone tell him that his value isn't in having answers, but being the one to ask the questions no one else thinks to ask.

How could they have fit this in? Maybe they could have shortened the walking montage and removed the utterly pointless gnomes posturing at each other and farting on campfires to make fireballs that hurt nothing and no one.

[purpleturtle9000]

hey there! followed from this family can bear any weather and then fell in love with the rest of your writing. I know a sequel is in the works, but how do you think the other bayverse turtles would react if they were individually stranded with the rise tots?

Ooh that's a good one! Okay so-

Leo: He gets frustrated almost immediately by how the boys are. He's used to an older version of his brothers that have kinda sorta got their shit together, and are combat-capable. None of that is present with the Rise kids! Fortunately they accept him as a leader as soon as they meet him, but that's a short-lived victory. They're young, they're impetuous, they don't listen to directions particularly well.

Leo is at his wit's end in like two days. And he can't take his eyes off his sword for more than two seconds because little-Leo is infatuated with it and won't stop trying to touch it! I headcanon that he started going aboveground first, in his universe, so he's better at scavenging food, though a bit worse at navigating the city without Chordata.

It takes them longer to get home, and they're a bit more peeved with each other by the time they get there. But he does manage! Even if he's utterly baffled by how little-Leo behaves, and little-Leo thinks he's a stick in the mud.

Mikey: Absolutely loves kids but lbr he's better suited to being a fun uncle than being a dad. It does not occur to him that he'll have to actually, like, feed and protect the boys until they get back home, until they start asking him about dinner. The first attempt does not go very well, but he gets better at it as time goes on. He'd be the best at entertaining them, but not necessarily the best caretaker.

That doesn't stop him from stepping up, to the best of his ability. He's always struck me as the baby of the family, with the way all his brothers immediately fucked up Krang to protect him, so caretaking responsibility is kind of a brand new thing for him. (He lets little Mikey keep the frog and pet the raccoon. Little Mikey thinks he's great.)

By the time the boys get back home, the frog is firmly cemented as not just a pet, but a needed part of the family. Splinter is the one who has to actually deal with that. It's fine, the frog lives a long and happy life, albeit with more pizza than it ever expected.

Raph: Panics the second he realises he's responsible for four little kids. Absolutely not. He needs an adult. They are TINY and he will STEP ON THEM. Once he stops freaking out, he does much better than any of them expected at the beginning (self-doubt on Raph's part, "wow he lost it immediately, he's weird" on the boys' part).

He can pick up all four of them at once and they love it. He also does not break up the fights they have and shrugs about it when Donnie punches Leo because brothers do that all the time, they'll straighten it out. He also also punches out that guy with the crowbar and sends him flying across the street with one hit. The boys are impressed by that and Leo wants to grow up to be that tall.

When they all find their way back to the lair, Raph is relieved, because he actually managed to keep them all alive. He also gets immediately invested in Jupiter Jim! Splinter comes home to them all entranced by the tv.

[the-force-awakens]

I was yesterday years old when I found out people genuinely think Poe and Rey hate each other...... Did we watch the same movies? Excuse me, those two and Finn and die-hard best friends!!! 😭

I'm not a shipper so that's why I'm saying best friends.

Yeah, unfortunately so. It annoyed me enough I actually made a gifset showing her and Poe's friendship once, lol. A big problem I think is just...shipping culture? They're both part of big ships (neither of which I will mention) and so a lot of the time, in fanon they're characterized as just sort of....either tolerating the other or barely "friends" with a couple of connections that keep each other in their lives.

And while I'm personally a big damerey shipper, their friendship always comes first for me - and it baffles me that people think they don't like each other. Yes, our first scene is them arguing, but my god, they're both so eminently enjoying their bickering match. Look at Poe's eyes, he's barely restraining the urge to grin when they first start, because despite his genuine frustration with Rey's reaction/BB-8/his very shitty day, he's having fun. And Rey doesn't even bother to try to hide it, she's got a shit-eating grin on her face.

BUT THEN!!!! When their bickering turns into a serious argument, can we talk about the fact that Rey is fine with him walking away? She doesn't seem worried about whether or not Poe will come back for her, in fact she isn't surprised when he seeks her out after the briefing (which she uses as the opportunity to ensure they're on good terms before she leaves), the only thing she's surprised by is that Poe and Finn plan to go with her.

They're friends!!! They're friends with similar temperaments and who exasperate each other for fun, and also butt heads frequently because of their similarities (not unlike how Poe and Leia do, and wow, don't get me started on how they share Leia as a mentor), but that doesn't mean they dislike each other. Utterly batshit to me, to think they don't just because they bicker, cos it's not as if bickering is The Love Language in Star Wars or anything....

[gible-love-nibles-archive]

Eternal Diva Fic (Part 7)

Another breather-ish chapter today. I had a lot of fun with the exchanges here because these are wholly unique. Also some Big Thinking.

Trigger warnings for mentions of implied falls to death (it's finally said here that they're fine), mentions of an explosion (which didn't hurt anyone), and threats of harm (the one saying them doesn't do anything and they apologize; they're referring to a third party who does not show in this story at all).

Also vague spoilers for Azran Legacy here? They're really vague, but I love the idea of dropping hints of stuff to come.

Word count: 1.7k / Previous / Next

After reaching the castle, dodging guards, and a lot of wandering through random halls, I found myself in a cozy bedroom.  It was decorated with a large bed, some tables and chairs, a couple dressers, and a piano.  There was even a large patio to watch the sea.  

All the usual things you'd find in a bedroom.  

But the thing that caught my eye the most were the framed pictures.  All of them had a sandy blonde girl at various ages.  And I felt like I recognized her from somewhere.

I pulled out the little book talking about the opera and the performers and opened it up.

Right there, the opera writer’s dedication: I dedicate this opera to my memory of my daughter, Melina.

She was Mr. Whistler's daughter.  So this must've been her bedroom.  Was this like a summer home for her then?

I went over to the piano on a whim.  There was a picture of Melina and Janice together.  It did seem like they were friends from how Janice and Mr. Whistler spoke to each other.

But there was also a piece of sheet music on the piano's tray.  “A Song of the Sea,” it was called.

A Song of the Sea… a song on the seal…  I pulled out my drawn music sheet.  Maybe this was all a giant coincidence.  But it seemed more likely that these were all connected somehow.

“…I hope my music teacher can forgive me for how this is going to sound.”

I started with A Song of the Sea.  Surprisingly, the muscle memory came back pretty quick, and it started to sound like a song.  Very pretty.  I didn't quite get how it was a song of the sea specifically, but I decided that shouldn't be the thing I should dwell on.

Then I tried the song I had made from the stars.

Then I hummed the Song of the Sea while I played the song from the stars. 

It came to me like a jolt of electricity.  They were all connected.  But how?  And why?

I felt the wind blow on my back.  I whipped my head around just in time to see a man in a cape, a pointy hat and white mask throw open the curtains of the patio dramatically.

It all came crashing back: the confrontation in Misthallery with his giant digger robot.  The cold, calculated confidence… barely even a thought of mercy toward the professor and his friends… it rooted me to the spot.

"Descole..."

"Hello Miss Clare," he greeted coolly. "It's so nice to finally talk face to face without that pesky professor and his posse."

He started to approach, and I gripped the piano, some of the keys making a discordant chord.  But still, I tried to look tough and not like I was one second away from bolting out of the room.

Even with the mask obscuring them, he looked me straight in the eyes. "Well?  You must have questions for me.  You sounded so confident earlier during our little tête-à-tête on the radio.  What's happened?"

Ohhh, the smugness in his voice made my blood boil.  But my voice wouldn't let me say anything.  I just glared at him.

He went from smug to... contemplative. "...A song with no rhymes, but still harmonious," he said quietly. "A painting that needs a strange angle to see its true beauty.  A poem full of subtleties that one would need a lifetime to understand.  That's what you are, dear.  You really do fascinate me, you know.  And this whole game has proven that in spades to me."

“.........What?  What are you talking about?” My face must've reflected how utterly baffled I felt because he smiled and snickered a bit.

“Good.  That knocked you out of that.”

Ah.  That was just to get me to talk. “Jerk,” I said a bit more forcefully than I intended.

“You're only saying that because you think I'm lying.  But I'll repeat myself: you must have questions.  About this island, about my involvement.  I'm an open book, if you'll just come with me dear.”

It really wasn't the open invitation he was making it out to be.  He probably knew this castle like the back of his hand, and he had goons all over the place.  He had me cornered, and he knew that extremely well.

“…Fine.  Lead the way Descole.”

“Marvelous.” He offered his arm to sling mine around, but I wholeheartedly rejected it.  Luckily, he only seemed amused. “There's that feistiness I remember from Misthallery.  Now, let's be on our way.”

~

I glared a hole in the back of Descole’s head as we walked.  Maybe he felt it after a while.

“You’re awfully quiet,” he commented.

Now that the fear was mostly gone, it was replaced with rage. “How… how do you live with yourself?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“All those people on the Crown Patone is what I mean!!” I yelled. “All those people who didn’t win the game!  You dropped them down into trap doors to die!  You blew up the entire ship!”

“...Oh dear, you really believed that.”

“What?”

“Sweet girl, I assure you no one was harmed during that little game.  That’s all it was: a game.  Everyone who lost was sent back to the mainland on a submarine.  They must have made a whole ruckus on it by now.”

“But… the timer and the--”

“Well, of course I had to time you.  It was a competition; we can’t have everyone winning.  And the puzzles would be much too easy to solve with unlimited time.”

“But-- But-- But all those tickets!”

“That was just a bit of fun on my end.  If I was going to sit through that dreadful opera all those times, I’d get to do something amusing with it.  And building all these contraptions does get awfully expensive.”

“THE SHIP BLOWING UP??”

“What?  Am I not allowed to add a little… What do you Americans call it?  'Pizzazz'?” I glared at him with added venom. “You don’t believe me.  Fine.  A moment, please.”

He snapped his fingers and one of his henchmen handed him a bulky little box with a screen in front.  It looked like a makeshift TV.  Descole pressed a few buttons, and then flipped the screen so that I could see it.

It was turned on to a news report.

“And we have some breaking news.  Early this morning, a submarine came ashore bearing the members of the missing audience members from the Crown Petone, the theatre that vanished last night.  Singer Janice Quatlane and composer Oswald Whistler are amongst those still missing.  Survivors are reporting that they were all part of a bizarre game that had promised them eternal life.  Search parties in the area are attempting to find the other missing people.  We shall keep you posted on any developments as and when they happen.”

Beep. The device shut off.

“Like I said, the news had a riot with this story.  That was the report from just this morning.”

…No matter how I approached it, I just couldn’t see a way that Descole could’ve faked a whole news report.  I just had to take his word for it.

The masked man put the TV down for one of his minions to pick up later. “Now really, let’s get moving.  We don’t have the day to dally around.”

“...What do you really want here?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Does it have something to do with Ambrosia?” 

He actually stopped with that question.  He turned around, and-- though the mask obscured it-- he gave me a hard look.  It seemed like I hit the nail on the head.  I pressed my luck. 

“I mean… You were after an ancient Golden Garden in Misthallery.  And now you’re on a deserted island where this ancient kingdom was.  What are you looking for in these places?  What’s so special about—”

“Stop asking questions.” Descole’s voice came out jagged and harsh, and he glared at me.  I froze and swallowed a bit.  After that though, the masked man let out a deep sigh.  

“You don’t know the Pandora’s box that you risk opening with your inquiries.  There are people out there who will see your good and curious nature and you puzzling over these things, and turn you to minced meat.  If you think I’m bad dear… they are worse.  Much worse.”

A cold-- no, frigid feeling started to seep into my bones. “Are… Are you with those people?”

I caught a brief glimpse of his eye under his mask.  It was filled with rage, white-hot like a fire.  But it disappeared right back into the shadow the mask provided. “No.  I’m not.  I’m against them.”

“Wh-What do they want?”

“...The less you know about them, the better.”

It was only then I felt my knees wobbling.  That left me with way more questions than answers.  But the answers I did get went deeper than I ever could’ve imagined.  

Descole wasn’t just looking for these landmarks of ancient civilizations for profit or fun; it was to stop someone else from getting to them.  Someone worse than he was.

Was the floor always shaking like that?  I felt weak and even a little sick.  I felt--

Something soft was draped over me, and that partially snapped me out of myself.  Descole was right by my side, gently covering my hands with his own.

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to frighten you, truly.” His voice was much gentler now, softer than I had ever heard it.  He almost sounded like a completely different person. “I’ve just seen them in action too many times.  I know what they are and how they accomplish their goals.  Just… focus on something.  Anything at all, and focus on that only.”

Maybe because he was the one talking, I looked at him.  Ultimately, I focused on the brim of his hat and the curves, plateaus, etc.  He seemed a bit ruffled by that, but he didn’t say anything.  After a little while of that…

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Y-Yeah.  I’m ok.”

“Good, good.  Excellent.  I’d hate for something to happen to you.  I… enjoy your company.  Immensely.”  We both resumed walking, Descole still staying close. “...I don’t want you caught up in my fight.  It’s… extremely personal.  It’s something I must settle with them on my own.”

“...Sorry for asking about all that,” I mumbled.

“You didn’t know.  You were frustrated and wanted answers.  I would be just as annoyed were I in your shoes.  You don’t need to apologize; I’m not angry with you.  …But thank you.”