#thing is I'd probably believe her too. hell on earth

[writingstoraes]

begin again 🌷 (split pt. 3)

pairing: charles leclerc/fem!reader

type: instagram imagine, social media au

notes: the long awaited part 3! this took so long only cause i had no idea how i want it to go lol anyway i hope u guys love this one :D lmk what u think!

about: almost a year after your split with charles, fans take a trip down memory lane and wondering why the two of you seemed to have watered things down after soft launching other people months ago. a bunch of rumors also set twt crazy along with speculations at your paddock appearance where you apparently support ferrari.

read: part 1, part 2 (can read on its own, but the parts provide context hehe)

yourusername

liked by isahernaez, lilymhe, landonorris, and 231,298 others

yourusername back at the happiest place on earth ❤️

lilymhe Have fun, love xo

yourbff Looking that good just to watch a race????

tyretactics QUEEN I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO YOU EVERY RACE

charliez1655 miss mam twt is on fire we all miss you 😪

leclercsluv wdym shes almost always at every race ricciardoshooey no they meant w charles lol

yourusername recently added to her instagram story!

Now playing: Charles Leclerc, 2023 Austrian GP, Post-Sprint Shootout Interviews

yourusername

liked by yourbff, lilymhe, carlossainz55, and 210,593 others

yourusername on a wednesday, in a cafe, i watched it begin again

lecslover looking GOOD AS HELL QUEEN

sainzplaylist god shes back to the man shes been soft launching i think i am going to be: sick

1655lecs that might be charles, we don't know 🙏 sainzplaylist yeah i think its time we let that go lol

wagsqueens mam im sorry wym by begin again???

charles_leclerc

liked by pierregasly, finemidnights, carlossainz55, and 982,221 others

charles_leclerc It's nice to have a friend 🌅

tyreexpert u cant tell me thats not y/n 😪 she's his friend after all...

joris__trouche Looking sharp!

lecssainz16 war is over you guys theyre back at it i am in my acceptance stage now

Some months later...

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, pierregasly, lilymhe, and 756,293 others

yourusername i am and willl always be your number one fan. words cannot encapsulate how proud i am of you; truly, you deserve all of this and so much more. congratulations, my love ❤️

it's nice to see you running towards me again :)

ps. yes we've been soft-launching each other the past months hahaha

leclercfan AM I DREAMING SOMEONE PINCH ME

livwatchraces i screamed when i saw you guys on the screen!!!

carlossainz55 Aaand they're back 🎉

charles_leclerc Thanks, number one shipper

charles_leclerc

liked by landonorris, maxverstappen, arthurleclerc, and 1,982,384 others

charles_leclerc Sunshine in human form.

A few months ago, I started hanging on to the fact that in good faith and in good time, things will eventually work its way out. Almost a year ago, it seems as if we have closed a chapter but today, we are living proof people who are made for each other can begin again.

Ce sera toujours toi 🤍 It will always be you.

scuderiaferrari We missed you tons, Y/N! ❤️

wagsf1 the queen of all queens is back we love to see it

lecslover it's years later and he still talks about her the same way he always have 🥹

sainzchamp The way theyve been soft launching each other all this time and that one rumor of Charles being with another girl was still Y/N 😭

yourusername sold our apartment already? too bad 😆

charles_leclerc I never actually sold it, if I did, I'd probably buy it back

---------

tagging: @slytherheign, @honethatty12, @siovhanroy, @mehrmonga, @mess-in-side, @leclerc16s, @thelovehypothesis, @dakotali, @aldene-styles

notes: eeee and its finally done! cant believe it took so much time before i finished all three parts lol anyway thank you so much for those who waited for the part three (i see all the asks on my inbox and the comments ehehe) i really just didn't know how i wanted it to go so! i hope you guys love this and lmk what you think <3

[amplexadversary]

Okay I've gleefully derailed posts before but this is a big derail and kind of dumb so I'm linking it.

When I watch the linked video, I end up thinking of Allenby gossiping about the shuffles, and now I need to headcanon who would likely say what bullshit.

-"I'm going to shit your pants." -> I could see this coming from a few people. Sai is a little fucker, he would make this threat and mean it. Chibodee would say it facetiously. Domon (while I headcanon him to be pretty good with languages) probably isn't above a gaffe where he means to say "I'm going to make you shit your pants," but misspeaks (probably when the guys are getting really rowdy and distracting and everybody's talking over each other.)

-"A duck the size of a tiger would have to be quite stout, I don't know that I could vanquish such a foe." -> George, though he'd choose different words than the video.

-"I'm all wet because Allenby dropped her phone in the river and I jumped in to get it. I can't find it though, can somebody call it while my head is underwater?" -> Domon would do this reflexively. Chibodee probably would as well.

-"I think it's time I come clean, I don't actually understand how wind works." -> Sai would be the funniest person to admit this, with his wind-based super move.

-"toodaloo, kangaroos" -> Domon, because someone told him it's a thing people say in English and he's kind of gullible.

-"Why the hell do we all have identical jackets? I can never find mine. Oh, but it's probably the one with my name on it though." -> while Domon or Chibodee would probably be the most likely to have this kind of brain fart, I think it's funnier if a very tired George says this (... ignore they fact that they don't have matching anything).

-On Monday Sai dared me to eat a spider, so I did. But then later that day I was running up the hill and shit my pants a little. I think those two things were related. -> I'd believe this from three of them in different contexts. Chibodee impulsively agreed to the challenge and admits this because hes mad about it. Argo ate the spider to humor Sai and is trying to discourage the rest of the group from making a similar mistake. Domon ate the spider because Kyoji didnt not have nearly enough chances to teach Domon to be weary of this exact kind of siblingeque horseshit, and we know from how he responds to Master Asia that Domon will just do things that you tell him to. He admits it, begrudgingly, because everybody wants to know why he bailed on them for several hours.

-"Do you guys think my shirt is cute? Too bad, I'm taking it off." "You're cute that way too." -> I could see George and Chibodee, in any order. Chibodee and Domon would only be believable if they're together, and with a massive time skip for them to get comfortable over.

-"My idol is that one dude who ate an entire airplane, love that guy, don't know his name." -> Argo, sarcastically, when Chibodee makes some remark about his physique and asks "what do you eat, sheet metal?"

-"Guys I think I watched the wrong Zootopia." -> Argo probably doesn't only pirate physical goods in the space age. He got a joke translation.

-"Domon, what type of feed does Fuunsaiki like, we want to make him a cake for his birthday." -> I feel like this is George and Argo's planning, and I could see either of them being the one to ask.

-[musing about Ice Age squirrel heteronormativity] -> I think Chibodee's the only one who could reasonably have seen it. He also dyes his hair two colors of the bisexual flag and wears the third so I can see him being annoyed by it.

-"I failed to locate a bear suit, does anybody have a spare bear suit?" -> Tbh this one could be any of them, except George, who is listening with his head in his hands.

-[quoting the infamous Snapcube Eggman rant] -> This is either Sai Saici, or Argo lost a bet to Sai Saici and was told to recite this. Sai is the only one of them I can buy being chronically online enough to reference this. Chibodee looks up Shadow and immediately asks Domon if it's his fursona, which backfires because the only other person in the room who knows what a furry is is Sai.

-"Why aren't you being silly? You promised you would be silly with me." -> ARGO. Said with a straight face to George. (Sai would be too low-hanging-fruit here, but I guarantee he's also looking at George expectantly. Admittedly, part of why I can see this coming from Argo is because of choices the dub made with how he speaks.)

-"Rain sent me this picture. I thought she was telling me that she was pregnant, but this is a covid test. She does have covid." -> Domon. Also worded a little differently than the original. While he did spend half his childhood in a jungle with Master Asia, he's probably seen pregnancy tests in drug stores when they have to make very occasional supply runs. Sai has probably also showed everyone the meme where people would edit a pregnancy test into various pictures.

[naavispider]

This just popped into my mind: one night while they were camping in the forest, one of the Recoms tells a scary campfire story. Something like: “here’s the true story of the monster that eats you if you think about it”, you know the type. The marines all know it’s for fun and play along, but Spider grew up in a culture where stories are a primary way of sharing history and information, and he thinks it’s FOR REAL. A few hours later in the middle of the night, Quaritch finds spider wide awake and scared out of his mind…

"Now, listen close. What I'm about to tell you is real, it happened, and it can happen to you, too. We’ve all heard the story of a spirit or a monster that hides in the dark and eats you if you've done wrong, but this is no story. It's not folklore, it’s not myth, and it sure as shit isn’t make believe."

Spider shifted closer to Wainfleet's low voice around the fire. He rolled his eyes at the corporal's drama, but a shiver ran down the back of his spine all the same. Z-dog was to his left, and Fike was to his right, both a few feet away with shadows flickering across their faces from the campfire, both grinning expectantly.

"Like all good close encounters, this one started when I was very young - probably about 5 or 6, when I used to stay at my Nana's house while my folks were off working. These were the days when every meal was rationed, and every breath of the dying Earth polluted your lungs. Nana was old, she was dying, but I liked her company. The only thing I didn't like was the strange scraping noise that used to come from her basement. I'd tell her constantly, but her hearing must have been completely busted because she never heard it. One evening, while she was upstairs, I decided to check it out. The steps down to the basement are steep, wooden, and creaky. I made it halfway down towards the heavy door when I heard the noise again. A slow, drawn out scrape, that sounded like fingernails on floorboards. I stopped. I didn't know if I could do it. My heart was pounding like nothing."

Spider suddenly felt his own heartbeat increase. He shuffled closer to Z-dog, suddenly not wanting his exposed back to face the darkness of the forest.

"Then... I heard another noise. This time, it was a quiet, agonising moan. I strained to listen closer - not sure if my ears were screwed on right. But then the volume increased. It sounded like it was coming towards the door at the bottom of the stairs. I froze. I couldn't move - paralysed with fear." Wainfleet paused for dramatic effect, eyeing everyone in the cicle. "The sound was like a dying animal, or perhaps a dying person. It sounded like the moans and cries of an old woman who'd lost her mind. It was getting closer... it was right behind the door... It was coming for me... I bolted. I'm not ashamed to say that I turned tail and ran straight back up the stairs. My legs couldn't carry me fast enough. Just as I reached the top, I turned back to look at the door... only to see... it was ajar."

Spider looked around at the other recoms, horrified at the way Wainfleet was telling this story. But wait, he'd said it wasn't a story. This really happened. No wonder the man became a marine - he had balls of steel.

Quaritch was staring into the trees, always aware of their surroundings. Mansk and Prager were leaning against each other, having paused their card game to listen in to Wainfleet's tale. Spider could see he was not the only one hooked. Nobody interrupted Lyle, so he carried on.

"That was my first encounter with the being, but it was far from my last. The week after that, my Nana died from heart failure. I never went back to her house. But the creature... or whatever it was... followed me throughout my life, wherever I went. When I was 12, and we moved to Chicago, when I was 19, training at base camp Nevada, when I was 23 in Vietnam... it followed me... always. The... thing... it chooses you, and once it does, there's no way you can shake it. Hell..." Wainfleet's grim eyes locked across the circle with Spider's scared ones. "Even here."

No one said anything, but Spider wasn't looking at anybody else. "You mean... on Pandora?"

Wainfleet held his stare for a moment, the firelight dancing in his large, yellow eyes, before chuckling darkly. "You bet your ass. This thing isn't confined in the physical realm. It doesn't need air to breath, food to eat, water to drink. I don't know if it hitched a ride with us on the ISV from Earth, or if it can just materialise anywhere, but one thing's for sure... it's here, and it's not let me go."

Spider suddenly felt bare - exposed. The air chilled his skin despite being a warm summer's evening. He crawled even closer to Z-dog, part of him wishing he could move right into her lap. He restrained himself, however.

"You can always tell it's near by the slow, grinding scratching it likes to make on surfaces... I've even heard it scratching the trees out here, just out of sight." Wainfleet's voice dropped even lower, and Spider had to lean in to hear what he said next. "It doesn't like when we talk about it."

A shudder tore its way through Spider's body, and he sucked in a deep breath as a gentle wind blew through the camp. Suddenly, the warmth from the fire seemed to be blown away in the breeze.

"That's enough Lyle, you'll fill his head with all kinds of bull," Quaritch interjected.

Spider bristled. He didn't need Quaritch stepping in, he wasn't five. Nevertheless, Spider felt unsettled as the talk turned to tomorrow's plans and later, one by one the recoms drifted off to sleep. Usually, Spider slept a little away from the others, preferring to find spot next to a rock or tree stump, even if the privacy it offered was only in his head. Tonight however, Spider didn't really fancy that. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Whatever Wainfleet had been talking about - that... thing - it seemed to be here. It could be watching them right now for all he knew. Spider liked to believe that Eywa wouldn't allow such an abomination on her world, but perhaps this creature was beyond her control. Wainfleet had said he'd heard it. Out here, in the forest.

He got up and walked quickly over to Quaritch's pack, grabbing the man's discarded jacket. He knew by now that he wouldn't get in trouble for using it whenever he liked. He threw it over his shoulders to warn off both the chill and the feeling of being watched by unknown eyes. He cast his eyes around for Quaritch - but the man was on watch duty, stationed a little further out of the camp, gripping his AR. He'd probably be there for another hour or so before swapping out.

Repressing his shiver, he found a comfortable spot nestled up next to the colonel's pack.

It took him a long time to get to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt the unseen presence of Wainfleet's stalking monster, pressing in on him from the darkness that surrounded the camp. Who knew where it was now. He simply couldn't get comfortable, imagining it lurking out in the forest, waiting for the moment to strike... scratching its claws on each tree it clung to.

Every noise echoed in the quiet. Every snap of a twig from a roaming Pale, every buzz of a Shimmyfly as it floated uncaringly over the camp, Fike's gentle rumbling snores - it all seemed as loud as an engine roaring as Spider lay thinking about Wainfleet's story. Eventually, it got too much. Spider was never getting to sleep like this.

He groaned a frustrated sigh, sitting up against the pack and looking to see if anybody else was awake who might lend him a tablet. He needed something to take his mind off everything, but no one was up. He considered nudging Z-dog awake, but he knew she'd kill him. He wrapped his arms around his legs and brought his knees up to his chin, pulling Quaritch's jacket around him tighter.

"Kid?"

Quaritch's voice made him jump. He twisted around to see the colonel coming towards him.

"Why are you still up?" the recom asked, concern layering his voice.

Spider shrugged, turning back to stare at the dying fire.

"Hmm," Quaritch murmured. "Wainfleet's tall tales aren't getting to you, are they?"

Spider frowned at the embers. How could they not? "That shit's horrible..." he grumbled, unwilling to admit how horrific it sounded to be stalked by a sadistic, fiendish being.

"Spider..." Quaritch began, sitting down heavily next to Spider on the moss. "You... you know that story wasn't... real, right?"

Spider flinched as if burned. What did Quaritch mean? He tried to arrange his features into an uncaring, cool outer exterior, desperately hoping he wasn't betraying the confusion he was currently experiencing. "Sure," he said evenly.

Quaritch eyed him knowingly. "That's just a scary story... something folks tell each other back home to pass the time."

"Pass the time?"

"Sure. It's entertaining. The aim is to scare the crap out of whoever's listening. The person that tells the scariest story wins."

"Are you serious?" Spider glanced up at Quaritch now, almost too embarrassed to seek eye contact, but needing the reassurance that there was no creepy monster waiting to grab him more.

Quaritch stared amusedly at him, clearly fighting some urge. "Deadly."

Spider couldn't help the sigh that escaped him when Quaritch's certainty became clear. "You got a tablet?" he asked to change the subject.

Quaritch's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, but he pulled out the tablet from his pack and tapped in the passcode. He passed it to Spider knowingly and the boy went straight into the entertainment system, searching for one of his favourite cartoons.

Quaritch's heart warmed at the sight, and a sly smile spread slowly over his face. Raising a hand to ruffle the kid's hair, he murmured a soft comment about waking Mansk to relieve him of watch duty.

When he returned, Spider had laid down comfortable, eyes fixed on the tablet and quite at home in Quaritch's sleeping spot. Assessing the situation, Quaritch decided that the kid probably wouldn't mind if he lay down next to him. It was his spot after all.

He left a few feet between them, but even so, the pair had never slept in such proximity to each other before. He rolled over so he could watch Spider, but the kid was engrossed in his tablet. He seemed happier now Quaritch had enlightened him to Wainfleet's little game.

He smiled at the sight of his boy.

Meanwhile, Spider was immersed in Scooby Doo, more at ease than he had been all night. He knew Quaritch was lying nearby - he could sense the man's breathing, the rise and fall of his chest a few feet away. He could never admit it out loud, but he knew that the man's presence comforted him. Eventually, he felt his eyes start to droop, and the tablet slipped from his hand as sleep finally took him.

x

[fnaflucasverse]

Bad Taste In Music

i Cannot believe we get perry and tiger before the guy this au is named after. but that's what happens when you go insane over tiger liking r&b ig! apologies if it's kind of a nothing story and if tigers kind of ooc but i liked writing it. is this canon to lucasverse? idk! is it me having fun with my two fav guys? ya <3 but oh i should not have stayed up this late to finish this.....

Tiger belongs to @fivenightsatfreddysfanfiction

A little while into her training, somewhere above the drum-pounding rhythm of her fists against the punching bag, Peregrine began to hear music.

And it wasn't the good shit she sometimes heard on the truck radio, with crunchy electric guitars and crashing cymbals—it was that sappy, soulful, piano ballad garbage that always made her switch stations. With a groan, Peregrine sped up her jabs, hoping to drown out the din… but like the worst kind of bug, the music wormed its way into her ear, into her brain, and twisted like a knife.

She punched faster, hit harder, felt the pain shockwave from her knuckles up her arm. Even still, Peregrine heard the song.

She grit her teeth against it; the singer's words were indistinct, but the tune carried all the damn same. The more the song grated on, the more fleeting thoughts shot through Peregrine's mind: a kind, smiling face, singing a tender lullaby to a restless toddler and her brother, the feeling of being warm, safe, and—

She couldn’t fucking train to this shit.

With a roar, Peregrine's fist slammed square into her target. The punching bag flew into the air, viciously pulled back to earth by its chain. It swung at Peregrine with a vengeance—but she had already left the gym, stalking through the hallway for her next victim.

The hallway opened up into the living room, where a TV sputtered static at peeling leather armchairs and mismatched chairs gathered around the makeshift dining table. In the center sat the source of the noise: a record player, still crooning away. And sitting in front of it, slumped shoulders shielding Peregrine from the culprit…

Peregrine's lips drew out into a thin line.

Her old man was getting drunk again.

She'd be less surprised if she could see beer cans anywhere, anything to say he’d been drinking the cheap beer he made her restock every other fucking day—but he was staring, gaze empty and distant, at the whiskey bottle strangled in his grip. And if it was whiskey he was drinking—as if the music wasn't a giveaway—he was thinking about her mother.

And he'd promised the Boss he'd stopped.

God-fucking-damnit.

Peregrine stomped up and yanked the needle away from the record with a satisfying screech.

Tiger spun around, hand instinctively reaching for a pistol that wasn’t there. Peregrine crossed her arms, watching him recognize her, freeze, and sink back into the chair, shaking his head. “Jesus, Lee, you don’t just…" Alcohol coated his breath. “You’re done early.”

“I’m taking a break." Peregrine jerked her chin towards the record player. “Where the hell did you get that?"

Tiger's head swiveled towards it like he'd forgotten it was there. "That's just… something I found in the old stash." He set the bottle down, rubbing the back of his head like a kid caught with his hand in Dad's wallet. "Just thought I'd fix it up, see if it still works… Could sell it, you know; people collect this sort of—sort of thing and…"

He trailed off as Peregrine picked up the record to frown at the label. Who the hell was Whitney Houston? "Uh-huh. And you found this with it, too?" Perry tried twirling the record on her finger—

Her father snatched it faster than she could blink. "Lee, you don't play with things you could break," he scolded.

Peregrine rolled her eyes. He'd never stopped telling her off and never would until he dropped dead, and even then he'd probably return as a ghost to tell her off even more. She swiped his whiskey and hopped up on the table, resting her bored chin in her palm as he watched him hunt for the sleeve to return his record to. Bottle was half-empty. Peregrine watched Tiger carefully slide the record back into place, spying the tracklist on the back. Ugh. 'Love' this, 'Love' that. It made her want to throw up.

“You actually like this kind of shit, old man?" she snorted, only half in disbelief.

“She’s a very talented singer,” Tiger defended, closing the record player with a click. His eyes clouded. "Anyway, it was—it… belonged to your mother."

Peregrine shut up. Tiger took it as an invitation to continue whatever 'when we were all younger but especially you' spiel he had ready to vent. “You know, Lee…,” he began, clearing his throat, an uncomfortable phlegmy sound.

Peregrine's eyes drifted to the ceiling. Better to let him talk. He'd get it all out of his system, and she'd go dump whatever whiskey was left down the drain.

"You know… your mother used to sing these songs to you, get you to sleep easier. I don't think you remember any of it—you would've been five or so—but…" A nostalgic, weary smile crossed her father's face, always a little alarming to see nowadays. "God, there were days when you would just not go to sleep! Neither could we. You used to be scared of every little thing, just crying and crying—"

"That's gotta be bullshit," Peregrine grumbled.

"—We were really worried about you, Lee," he continued. "But then Jaq figured out you liked being sung to—especially this one song—what was it—'The Greatest Love Of All?' But that was the year…" The smile melted from Tiger's face, turning into a familiar frown. "Anyway, that's when Ms. Houston herself helped out," he said, giving the record player a firm pat.

Peregrine felt cool, smooth glass in her hands, the swirling weight of the whiskey, the gnawing of memories as they scratched at her skull.

The smiling face. The gentle voice. The feeling of warmth and safety and…

And love.

There was a strange knot in her throat.

"Yeah, yeah," Peregrine abruptly snapped, rocketing to her feet, "and when Panther gets back, he'll want to know why the hell you lied to his face. So just gimme that—" she grabbed the record and bundled the player under her arm— "I'll get rid of it." She glared at Tiger, his expression flashing through bitterness, guilt, resignation… "Drink some water. And take a fucking nap; you're being pathetic," she cut into him, whiskey bottle hanging from her fingers.

He didn't meet her eyes.

"'Night, old man," Peregrine muttered, and strode away.

She didn't head back to the gym.

She didn't get rid of her contraband.

She headed straight to her room, shoved them both under her bed, poured the bottle's contents out the window, and curled up on her mattress, letting second by second tick agonizingly by. And when, and only when the world was nothing but darkness, Peregrine retrieved the record player, cranked the volume as quiet as it could go, and, as Whitney's voice crackled softly, she let her eyes slip shut.

[cainluvr69]

Main Story 2 Chapter 22 - The Days I've Spent Alongside Wizards (Second Half)

Previous Chapter

7 - At the Center of Their Cheers

Oz: <Vox Nox>

Flying Battleship Airman: Wah…! Wasn't I just on the airship…?! You've saved us…!

Mithra: We only made it in time thanks to my doors.

Oz: We did not make it in time.

Riquet: I wasn't able to purify the entire area, but I can purify everyone individually. <Sunrotea Edif>

Cortes Citizen: …ah, I can…I can breathe again… Thank you so much…

Cain: That ship… (Is that the same one as that engineer we met on a mission here in Western Country made? Benjamin…) (I'd heard that the one he'd made that went crazy and got destroyed was the only one made, but…) (They must've been building more somewhere he wasn't aware of. There might be even more…) (If they were made by the Magical Technology Corps, there's probably more than just airships…)

Oz: If we do not make haste, night shall fall. The source of the miasma is before us.

Cain: …! The airship crashed…!

Owen: Is that that flying battleship thing? There's a ton of mana stones aboard.

Cain: The mana stones are what make it move. …?! The green mist is covering the fallen airship…!

Owen: If that monster eats all of those mana stones…

Cortes Citizen: Kyaaa…!

Cortes Citizen: It's an earthquake… The earth is shaking…!

Cain: No… That's… The sound of footsteps…

✦✧☾✧✦

The sun was silently sinking behind the horizon line. Darkness encroached, leaving us with only the light of the moon…

And a monster the size of a castle was bathed in that light… Looking down at us.

Cain: … …The walking Hell…

✦✧☾✧✦

Candles around the base of the goddess statue in the plaza of the City of Fortune were lit as a prayer for Western Country's growth and harmony. That was how the lighting ceremony began. The plaza had swarmed with people hoping to catch a glimpse of their young queen, the talk of the town. Standing next to her meant that I, too, had hundreds of eyes on me, and I was so nervous I could hear my heart in my ears. But I had Arthur with me, and I was able to keep my calm thanks to all the practice I'd done in front of the Sage's Lattice.

✦✧☾✧✦

Arthur: Standing in front of a crowd is something that will always be nervewracking on your first attempt. But you'll enjoy it more as you get used to it. It's fun in the same way that having a conversation with them would be.

Akira: A conversation… But I'm not going to be actually talking with them, right?

Arthur: Correct. But standing before them will still tell you how they're feeling. Like "this is kind of boring," or "they're getting excited!", or "this is the best!" That kind of thing. It's especially easy to tell if they respond to the movements you make with your hands. I love the way that everyone moves in concert, like friends would.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: (I wonder if I'll be able to tell how they're feeling as well as he can…)

✦✧☾✧✦

Murr: Shylock! This way, this way!

Shylock: Shh, Murr. We'll be noticed.

Chloe: Well? It sounds like General Barnett isn't going to be anywhere near her tonight…

Shylock: … …I believe she may be human. If she is truly a wizard, she must be extremely skilled at hiding herself… Or she must have been presenting herself as a human very thoroughly for a very long period of time.

Chloe: What do you think, Murr…?

Murr: I'm with Shylock on this one! But if she's transformed herself, there should still be something out of place somewhere.

Chloe: I heard about how she's got a habit of playing with her hair from Gregory, but hair quality can change pretty easily…

Shylock: Let us observe her, as earnestly as if she were our true love.

✦✧☾✧✦

Western Official: …And that concludes her Majesty Queen Liliana's words of gratitude.

Queen Liliana made a small bow, and the plaza erupted in wild cheers.

Western Citizen: Praise Queen Liliana!

Western Citizen: Praise her Majesty!

Western Official: Silence! We would now like be bestowed the honor of hearing the Master Sage's address.

The plaza fell silent, and everyone's attention turned to me. It was an overwhelming sight. I felt like I might be crushed. I felt my cheeks started heating up, blushing brightly in front of the audience. My heart was pounding in my throat. I need to calm down. I need to calm down. I could feel myself getting worked up, but on the edge of my vision, I saw Arthur wink. "Everything is going to be okay," the shard of Murr in my pocket whispered to me. Figaro smiled gently at me and nodded encouragingly. I smiled back, and took a deep breath.

Akira: I'm so happy to be able to participate in the lighting ceremony with not only her Majesty, but with her beloved people as well.

I could feel my nerves starting to settle, bit by little bit, as I spoke. My heart was still going a mile a minute, but not so much that my mind was blank. Thanks to the Western people's curiosity and appreciation of me, I was getting a good reaction. I saw nothing but smiles. I think I love the people of the West as much as I love the people of Central.

Akira: Queen Liliana is a woman who treasures her people very dearly. I've been wondering if she had any interesting hobbies or interests, actually.

Liliana: …

Akira: So I decided to speak with one of the servants who had been in attendance at Cortes Palace while Queen Liliana still lived there.

I spoke of the Liliana that Gregory had told me about. About her skill in singing. About how she would pick berries alongside her townspeople. As I spoke, episode by episode, the audience's eyes on Liliana softened, gazing at her with an almost familial sense of pride and affection.

Liliana: …

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I think that Liliana too, behind her noble smile… Had the smile of a big-hearted girl raised in a peaceful providence.

✦✧☾✧✦

Shylock: …She's a wizard.

Chloe: Huh?

Shylock: Queen Liliana is a wizard. It was only for a moment and only in a trivial way, but she altered herself. By alteration, I mean regarding the image she's built up. The illusion within herself manifesting externally. Thanks to Master Sage's speech, the image of Liliana within the witch who has taken her form has changed somewhat. It was only a slight change, but still, she adjusted herself. She is a wizard.

Chloe: Then, is she…?

Shylock: I cannot say for sure. But if we are to believe Kelvin's story, then it would be best to not say her name aloud. For those who know of her secret…

Chloe: …But I can't just ignore Rustica like this. Let's go back to the manor.

Murr: But if Rustica leaves the tower, he's gonna turn into feathers. Well, he turns into feathers in the tower, too.

Chloe: I'm going to talk to him. And then I'm going to save him from that tower, the way he once saved me. Can we go to the tower? Murr, Shylock.

Murr: Yeah!

Shylock: Of course. Let us depart at once.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: …And that concludes my speech. Thank you very much for listening.

Western Citizen: Praise the Sage!

Western Citizen: Praise Master Akira! I came to see her Majesty, but I've fallen for the Sage, too!

Western Citizen: Same here! They had nothing but good things to say about her Majesty and us! That, and they've cleaned up all sorts of weird incidents around our country! I want to hear all about what sorts of things they've seen!

Western Citizen: Same here, same here! Both her Majesty and the Sage are so wonderful! And the Central prince is smiling so brightly and waving at us! I'm so happy! I was expecting that Southern doctor to be just an uncivilized bumpkin, but he seems quite intelligent! I thought wizards were all a dangerous sort, but… The Sage's wizards must all be of a special breed!

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: Haah… …I was so nervous…

Arthur: Very well done, Master Sage. That was absolutely marvelous!

Akira: Thank you so much. Do you think this will make everything work out okay?

Figaro: It definitely will. Even if the effects aren't immediately obvious, we'll still see them, slowly but surely. Even if you were a vile villain, those who know of you would still try to protect your honor after today. Their very existence, small though it may be, places restraints on the Queen. The bonds that had so distressed you have now been laid at her feet. Well done.

Akira: Will we be able to return to the Central manor?

Murr: We will. Should an incident occur, if it is our now beloved Sage who settles it, you'll be able to return all the faster. Speaking of, you mentioned that something serious is happening at Cortes, is it not?

Akira: That's right! I need to make a report to her Majesty.

Figaro: To the Queen?

Akira: I feel like the Queen would want to know about anything major happening in her country. And… If we can settle this incident by working together, it'll make it look like we're getting along even better.

Figaro: Ahaha! You certainly are a fascinating one. You've got a good heart, but you're still calculating under the surface.

Murr: Well then, shall we be off? Our production continues.

Arthur: Production?

Murr: We'll be presenting the Sage's wizards as even more dashing, spectacular, and beloved than ever before. With one Chloe Collins's outfits.

Arthur: I see! We're going to dress up in the outfits Chloe made for us again. Oh… Speak of the devil. There's Chloe and the other Western wizards.

Figaro: They must've caught sight of the lighting ceremony while flying back through town. Let's catch up with them.

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: Mithra! Can you help the people who've collapsed get to safety?!

Mithra: Ask me later! I need to find Mitile and Rutile. <Arthim>

Riquet: I can help, Cain. Oz, please wait somewhere safe as well.

Oz: This monster breathes miasma. It is not something the two of you alone can…

Riquet: We will be fine. Cain. There are many people all wearing the same clothing coming diagonally from the right. They're the ones Oz saved just a short while ago.

Cain: The people manning the airship. Riquet, take Oz somewhere away from here.

Riquet: Just Oz? Understood.

Flying Battleship Airman: What's going on here?! How dare that monster do that to our ship… Is there anything we can do to help?!

Cain: I'm Cain, a wizard from Central. Good to work with you.

Flying Battleship Airman: You were on the ship just earlier! You really saved our bacon… Oh, I've seen your portrait before!

Cain: (He's seen me. So he's definitely a Western soldier.) (If he's seen my portrait, that means he'd be able to pick Oz out of a crowd, too.) (It'd be bad if they found out Oz can't use his magic right now.) The miasma that monster's making weakens you the more contact you have with it. There are a lot of people who can't stand because of it. Can you carry as many of them as you can out of here and up that hill? You all watch yourselves, too.

Flying Battleship Airman: Got it. You keep your eyes out, too.

Cain: … Oz, Riquet!

Riquet: Have you finished your business with them? Then let's begin our rescue operations.

Cain: Yeah. But first, Oz. We can't let them find out about your nighttime condition. Can you try watching over us like a mentor or a coach or something? Put on a good act for them.

Oz: I have no experience in such performances.

Riquet: Yes, you do. You learned proper and friendly behavior to blend in with average people on the street from Cain alongside Arthur. You did quite well. I am sure you will do well this time, too.

Oz: I see.

Cain: How should we go about trying to take that thing down?

Oz: Attacking it will simply cause it to produce more miasma. Overcoming it with magic strength prior to its miasma overtaking you should be possible.

Cain: But the miasma is getting everywhere. The people on the ground would get caught up in it like that.

Oz: Such is unavoidable. This area is a price to be paid in exchange for felling such a large monster.

Cain: So this place is going to get to the point where nothing can grow here at all?

Oz: I imagine it will recover in several centuries.

Cain: … If you're going to lead me down a path that would upset the people… I'll try to become a decoy first.

Oz: Leave that to the Northern wizards.

Cain: If it attacks, the land will die. I can't imagine how horrible the residents' grief would be to lose their hometown. I need to do something. So I'm off!

Oz: Cain!

Riquet: I will guide as many people as I can to safety. Oz, you be sure to stay away from anywhere dangerous, too!

Oz: …

✦✧☾✧✦

Heathcliff: Shino! Lennox…!

Shino: …gh…Heath… Just stay where you are.

Heathcliff: You look terrible… Did you get caught up in the miasma? …I'll take you to Mr. Faust. Where's Nero?

Shino: He's carrying people who've collapsed…

Heathcliff: …How could a monster that big show up somewhere people live…

✦✧☾✧✦

Mithra: Rutile! Mitile! …The miasma is so thick I can barely sense them… Rutile! Mitile!

Mitile: <Scintilla>!

Mithra: … …It's been so long since I heard that…

Mitile: I took care of the fallen tree! Everyone, please follow this road!

Cortes Citizen: …uu… Thank you, Mister wizard…

Mithra: Mitile.

Mitile: Mithra…

Mithra: You're using her spell.

Mitile: …I am…! <Scintilla>!

Mithra: …Haha…

Mitile: Hehe…

Mithra: That's a relief to hear. How's Rutile?

Mitile: My brother is…oh no, that's right! My brother is hurt bad!

Mithra: He is?!

Mitile: Yes! I'm trying to find Faust!

Mithra: I'll take you there. <Arthim>

✦✧☾✧✦

Owen: <Cure Memini>

Owen: Think you can handle it? …Cough. If we had the time, I know my dog could deal with you. I think the land here is going to die completely. Is that okay? Well, not that I care. <Cuare Mori…>

Cain: Owen!

Owen: … What is it, Sir Knight? You should stay away, you know.

Cain: I can't do that. Attacking that thing just makes it gush more miasma.

Owen: Sure seems like it.

Cain: Could you help me lead it somewhere out of town? I'll act as the decoy.

Owen: How? It's not going to follow you. And I won't follow you, either. That's what the Western wizards are for, aren't they? They specialize in charming everything around them.

Cain: They definitely do… But none of them are in town right now.

Owen: Huh. Too bad.

Cain: …! What's with those weird movements…?

Owen: Is it going to attack? No… The meat is falling out…?

✦✧☾✧✦

Officer: General Barnett!

Gilles: What.

Officer: A report has just come in! A flying battleship has just crashed in Cortes…!

Gilles: It crashed? What was the cause? Or was it shot down? Is the crew dead or alive?

Officer: The cause and number of deaths are both unknown. We are collecting information as fast as we can.

Gilles: There's no need to collect any information. A crashed airship is a major incident. Residents of the area will likely have lost their lives as well. I will organize and lead a rescue operation at once. The initial response is crucial. If they are unhurt, then that would be ideal--that's all.

Officer: Sir…!

Gilles: I can only hope there's no major damage.

Nova: Gilles.

Gilles: What do you want, Nova?

Nova: I will accompany you to Cortes. I want you to give me personnel to assist in collecting data.

Gilles: Data?

Nova: The airship crashed because of a subspecies of artificial wizard. Halitus Mortifer. I used a resurrected ancient magical creature as the basis, and built onto it. I haven't yet perfected it, but things have gotten quite interesting thanks to its escape.

Gilles: …Interesting? You've likely killed my soldiers.

Nova: My experiments are more useful than your soldiers. This has done nothing but prove that conjecture.

Gilles: … You will not be joining me on an airship, and I have no men to collect your data for you.

Nova: I was fairly certain your Queen had ordered you to assist me in my research.

Liliana: That I did, Gilles.

Gilles: Your Majesty…

Liliana: I shall also board your ship. We are leaving for Cortes by airship immediately.

Gilles: …As you wish.

Liliana: Nova. You will take responsibility for this, but not now.

Nova: I'm well aware.

8 - Final Words and an Endless Rain

Painting Snow: The sun has finished its descent…

Painting White: At the very least, we can still step out from within this frame, but…

Lennox: …gh…ugh…

Faust: …! Leno…!

Painting Snow: Those wounds look terrible!

Painting White: Faust! Leave the barrier to us, and go to him!

Painting Snow: Shino, Nero! You shall aid us.

Nero: Got it!

Shino: On it! I studied for this.

Snow & White: Lovely to hear it. <Noscomnia>

Faust: …I'm sorry. <Salliuqnart Mulcredo> Leno, pull yourself together. I just cast healing magic…

Lennox: …You don't need to do that. You should be saving your magic for more important things… Please…

Faust: But…!

Lennox: …I attacked the monster's head and dealt a good amount of damage, but it was able to recover as time passed. Even if you attack its head, dealing a fatal wound will be…difficult… …But I did notice something odd while I was fighting it. There was something in its ribs… I saw what looked like the shining of a mana stone under its skin…

Faust: A mana stone in its ribs… Like with the artificial wizards…?

Lennox: If you attack that, you might be able to deal the beast a fatal blow… But dealing that blow while facing its miasma head on, and without using magic to deal it… …Is something I couldn't do… The miasma from its mouth and claws is especially thick. If one could avoid it and destroy the mana stone-like thing inside its abdomen… It's possible…that we could fell the beast…

Faust: …A mana stone in its body. Got it. I'll let everyone know. You shouldn't try to talk any more, Leno…

Lennox: …Please, Lord Faust…

Faust: Shh… If there's something you want from me, I'll hear it later. You'll open your eyes again. You can tell me then.

Lennox: Haha… Too bad. It's something I want you to hear right now…

Faust: I'll hear you out later. No matter what it is.

Lennox: …No… …

Faust: Leno? Lennox…! …Snow, White!

Snow: What is it?!

White: Is something wrong?!

Faust: I need you to look after Lennox for me. I need to tell the Northern wizards the monster's weak point…

Mithra: Rutile… Rutile…!

Mitile: Rutile…! …! Even Leno's been hurt…!

Faust: Mithra… Mitile!

Mithra: Is that man dead? When did he lose consciousness?

Mitile: No… Rutile! Leno…!

Snow: Both of you, calm yourselves! We're doing everything we can!

White: Should we be able to keep them in this condition, we will be able to heal them with no lasting effects, but should they once again be exposed to a great quantity of miasma…

Mithra: …Hah… <Arthim>

Snow & White: Where are you going?!

Mithra: I'm going to get Figaro. Faust.

Faust: What.

Mithra: He's in danger too, isn't he?

Snow: (Oho?)

White: (Who could have imagined the day would come when Mithra would worry about Lennox's health?)

Faust: …He is. Can I leave him in your hands?

Mithra: I will be back momentarily. Please ensure Rutile doesn't die.

✦✧☾✧✦

Isaac: <Animum Vexat>!

Bradley: Tch…! <Adnopotensum>!

Isaac: …gh, gahhh…!

Bradley: C'mon, don't back down. How's Eva supposed to be happy with this? That's what eatin' a stone means, y'know.

Isaac: …Damn…! <Animum Vexat>!

Bradley: <Adnopotensum>!

Isaac: …Uuugh…! I cannot lose to you! I ate Eva's stone! I can't…!

Bradley: Is that right? Then why are you dyin' over there? <Adnopotensum>!

Isaac: Ahhhh! Gh…uu…!

Bradley: You shouldn't try to move. I missed all your vitals on purpose. Start fixin' how you talk about Eva.

Isaac: …uu…

Bradley: Don't you dare disgrace death. Even you deserve a proper end.

Isaac: Hah… Hah… … …Haha… …I understand… I surrender, Bradley.

Bradley: …

Isaac: Come here… I'll tell you what Eva's last words were. She said…

Bradley: Don't need to hear them.

Isaac: Wai--!

Bradley: <Adnopotensum>!

Isaac: Gh…!

Bradley: …

Cortes Citizen: …Mister Isaac…!

Bradley: …

Cortes Citizen: How could you…! What did he ever do to you?! He saved my son…he was a kind person…!

Bradley: That's why he died.

Cortes Citizen: …

Bradley: Hold out your hand.

Cortes Citizen: What…?

Bradley: It's that guy's stone. It's good quality. Lotta value. He was a strong Northern wizard. And it's yours.

Cortes Citizen: …

Bradley: Don't stop here. Get yourself to that magic circle up the hill.

Cortes Citizen: … …I'll never forgive you…!

Bradley: … Didn't ask you to.

✦✧☾✧✦

The door opened. Chloe was paying me a nice visit. Chloe. He seemed like he might've been someone I loved very dearly, but I couldn't quite recall. Chloe said the word, "Rustica". Rustica, let's go outside. I looked around the room. I wanted to help Chloe find this "Rustica" he was looking for.

Chloe: Rustica is Rustica. Rustica is you. Rustica is my precious teacher. Rustica is the person who swept me from my home and took me with him when I was all on my own. And then he showed me so many amazing sights, and told me so many wonderful things… You've given me an infinite amount of things, Rustica.

But Rustica did not respond. I decided to make a suggestion to Chloe. Maybe it'd come out if he put out some of its favorite food? Chloe smiled.

Chloe: Rustica's favorite food? That's syrup-covered savarin.

Rustica: That is very delicious.

Chloe: I do think I'm a bit grown up, but I don't think I can substitute for savarin. So I'll need another way to get Rustica to come out of this room.

Rustica: How intriguing. What do you propose?

Chloe's eyes, the color of violets, met mine. The face he'd had when he was young was layered over the face he had now. The face he'd had when he'd been hidden in the depths of a tailor's shop. The face he'd had when his eyes had sparkled as he stared around a shop full of bright colors. The face he'd had when he'd stared in wonder at the meteor shower above.

Chloe: You're crying, Rustica.

Rustica: …

I hesitated. I hadn't realized I was. The possibility hadn't even crossed my mind. How long had I been shrouded in happiness? I had very little experience with tears rolling down my cheeks. So once they did begin to flow… They became an endless rain. I was crying so many tears that it frightened me.

Rustica: I'm not sure I can approve. Are you sure I can't have any savarin? Perhaps with a nice, warm cup of tea.

Chloe shook his head. He took my hands in his own, hands that were very skilled at needlework. I'd been very startled when I first met Chloe. He cried very often, you see. The tears that spilled down his cheeks were as beautiful as rain rolling down a window.

Rustica: Thank you, Chloe. But I'll be fine without it.

Chloe: I won't be fine without it, Rustica. Let me see the expression you make when you cry. Don't worry. I'll stay right next to you until you're done crying, and I'll dry your tears as many times as I need to. Here, I can wipe them with that embroidered scarf you told me you liked. Do you remember that? My bluebird of happiness will open the cage door to let you fly free as many times as you need.

Rustica: …

I felt something stopping up my throat, and my vision grew blurry. I shook my head in a panic, not wanting to see this endless sorrow of mine. After all, I knew nothing but the warmth of the sun's rays. And yet, the falling rain did not stop. What should I do…

Chloe: It's okay. You don't need to be afraid. Remember that day with the big storm? The rain was so loud, and there were puddles all over town. But after that, the cheery white clouds started spreading out, and we got greeted with a beautiful blue sky.

A beautiful blue sky was a wonderful thing. I could picture it clearly.

✦✧☾✧✦

I had lost something very dear to me. I had misplaced my wonderful tomorrow. It was a wish that should have been granted. It was a pair of people who should have been happy.

✦✧☾✧✦

Chloe had cupped my cheeks as I'd been thinking. His palms were warm and kind and filled with grief. Something deep in my heart was shaking. I felt so helpless. My chest hurt so badly I couldn't stand it. I was scared to find out how many cracks had been made in its surface. And yet…

Chloe: It's okay, Rustica. Remember, I'm good at sewing… I'll give you the sun and the moon and more. If your heart's been ripped up, I'll sew it back together and give you a new one.

My eyelids responded to his gentle invitation and opened, though I'm not sure when I closed them. And when I blinked, my tears began to overflow.

Rustica: …uu…

And I cried.

Chloe: It's okay… It's okay. It must have been so hard… You must be so sad, Rustica. But it's all going to be okay now.

Rustica: …uu…sniff…uuu…

Chloe: Because I know all about it.

Rustica: …uu…wahhh…! …wahhhh…!

✦✧☾✧✦

That is the story of how I left that room, filled with tears. Though I cannot recall most of the things that happened within it…

✦✧☾✧✦

Rustica: Why, I'm feeling quite refreshed.

Chloe: I know, right? Crying's great for that kind of thing. I'm a real crybaby, so I know all about it.

Rustica: Is that right?

Shylock: Rustica. I'm so glad you're feeling better. Please, give me a hug.

Rustica: Of course. I'm glad you're doing well, too.

Shylock: How do you feel?

Rustica: I'm not exactly certain, but to be doing better is certainly a good thing, yes?

Murr: That's right! I'm happy Rustica's all better, too!

Rustica: As am I, Murr.

There were more than just the Western wizards celebrating my feeling better. There was also the bird, Gregory…

Gregory: Murr, Shylock! I saw you returning on your brooms. My, is there something you're celebrating?

Murr: Rustica's all better!

Gregory: That's wonderful to hear! 'Tis a wonderful thing to be better. Arguably one of the most important things.

Master Sage, and Prince Arthur, and Dr. Figaro, and the shard of Murr's soul were all thrilled with my recovery as well.

Akira: I'm really…really so happy you're okay now.

Rustica: I feel the same. It seems everyone present feels the same, in fact.

Arthur: Ahaha! How like you to say that, Rustica.

Figaro: Let us know if you still feel off anywhere. I am a doctor, so…

Mithra: <Arthim>

Figaro: Mithra.

Mithra: Figaro. Come with me. Rutile and Lennox are dying.

Akira: …?!

Figaro: Tell me what happened.

Arthur: Something must have happened at Cortes. Let's hurry! Master Sage!

My, what a startling turn of events. The people who had been happily celebrating my recovery had been replaced with people thinking many painful thoughts. In the time it had taken them to say those words, however, Mithra had opened a door through space.

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: The meat is falling out…? What meat?

Owen: Guts. Look, the guts are coming out.

Cain: My guts?

Owen: … …Are you even looking at it?! Why would your guts be coming out right now?!

Cain: Oh, sorry. What am I apologizing for…? So you meant the monster's guts. Ah… Oh, you're right…!

Owen: They're oozing out from under its arm, like cream. I think they'll fall all the way out soon.

Cain: Is it damage from an injury someone inflicted on it?

Owen: It's moving around, but it's like a corpse.

Cain: …A corpse…

Owen: How weak… Did you already get affected by the miasma?

Cain: …No, I'm good.

Owen: Then don't back down.

Bradley: Owen, Cain!

Cain: Bradley.

Bradley: We need to recoordinate. The Western wizards are here.

Owen: What?

Bradley: Look, just come here.

✦✧☾✧✦

Figaro: <Possideo>

Rutile: …uu… …

Mitile: Rutile…!

Rutile: Mitile… Dr. Figaro… Mithra's here, too…

Mithra: …Thank goodness…

Rutile: …I'm sorry…I made you all worry… Even though I know that if anything happened to me…it'd upset Mithra…

Mithra: Well, that is true…

Figaro: That has nothing to do with you yourself, Rutile. You don't need to apologize to anyone when you're feeling this weak.

Rutile: Thank you…

Mithra: … It was that thing that made you like this, right? I'm going to kill it now.

Rutile: …

Mithra: Where's my "thank you"…?

Rutile: I don't want you to get hurt like Leno did… …But I'm sure you'll be able to defeat it, Mithra.

Mithra: Exactly. Just sit here and wait.

Mitile: I--I'll go, too!

Rutile: Mitile…

Mitile: Please take me with you, Mithra! I can go with you, can't I?

Figaro: Mitile. No matter how strong you are, you're still…

Mithra: Sure.

Figaro: …

Mithra: You'll be with me, but I'm sending you back if it gets dangerous. Let's go.

Mitile: Yessss!

Rutile: Mitile! …I hope he'll be okay.

Figaro: Well, probably.

Rutile: …I'm feeling a lot better thanks to you, Dr. Figaro…

Figaro: As for you. You might be in a better state, but try not to push it.

Rutile: Okay… I'll just do what I can.

Lennox: …Me, too.

Figaro: Leno.

Lennox: Don't worry… I won't strain myself. Let's join up with everyone else.

9 - This Battle Shall Connect Our Hearts

Akira: That monster's so big…ah…

Bradley: Woah, you good?

Akira: …Sorry, I'm feeling a little dizzy…

Bradley: Stay right next to me. I'll put up a barrier.

I nodded, even though it made my head swim even more, and took a step closer to him. The monster was so big I had to crane my neck to see it in full, and its noxious body was swaying back and forth, its movements unsteady.

Bradley: Look at that.

Akira: …! It's spewing out green mist… Is that the miasma?

Bradley: Yeah. But…

Bradley stowed his gun and held out one hand towards the Halitus Mortifer.

Bradley: <Adnopotensum> Mithra and Mitile were the ones who noticed first, but if you freeze it in place first, it won't make more miasma. That said, you can't hurt it, either. But you can still stop its movements. According to the curseworker, there's no point in attacking its head. It's got a fake mana stone in its abdomen. He said that's what we need to crush. So we freeze it, and while it can't move, use non-magical attacks to break the stone. Good plan, yeah?

Akira: Bradley…

Bradley: What, you fall for me?

Akira: Honestly, that's basically how I feel, yes! I had no idea what we could possibly do to deal with this massive monster and the miasma it's making. But thanks to you, I feel like we really can win against it! Let's try it!

Bradley: Hell yeah. Let's get started.

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: You get the plan, Northern wizards? When that monster…

Murr: Halitus Mortifer!

Bradley: Yeah, when that thing gets attacked with magic, it absorbs the magic and converts it into miasma. To keep things simple, what I'm saying is if we just go at it with wild abandon, all the humans around here and even the land itself are gonna die.

Akira: So what our plan is, is to start by leading the Halitus Mortifer away from the castle and more towards the Royal Botanical Gardens. The Western wizards will be the ones to lead the way. I know it's a dangerous task, but please, we can't do it without you.

Rustica: It's a wonderful idea. Please leave it to us, Master Sage.

Shylock: I shall entice it to the best of my ability to lead it to a place with as few people as possible.

Chloe: But… Will a monster that big even notice us, much less follow us?

Shylock: Given it's a monster born in the West, it will be naturally attracted to Western magic, and thus to us.

Rustica: I'm sure it loves the thrill of things being a bit dangerous as much as everyone else in the West does.

Murr: Let's dance with Halitus Mortifer!

Chloe: We'll do our very best! But first, could I get everyone's attention?

Heathcliff: What is it?

Chloe <Suispicibo Voitengok>

Riquet: Wah…!

Arthur: Our outfits for the investiture ceremony!

Cain: Yeah! From the night when we saved the Central capital.

Oz: We donned these only a few days ago as well.

Shylock: Clad in this, I do feel more at home. Like a proper Sage's wizard.

Rustica: I just adore the epaulettes and the cloth you used for this jacket. It's simply lovely, Chloe.

Chloe: Thank you! I wanted everyone to go to battle in these outfits!

Murr: What about the me who isn't here?

Faust: I wouldn't have thought I'd be doing battle in these clothes again…

Nero: Well, it's our very own tailor's pride and joy. I'll make sure to not get it dirty this time.

Shino: Heath, let's show the Westerners what we're best at.

Heathcliff: Yes, let's. Let's put our plan into effect as soon as possible so no one else gets hurt.

Figaro: You three better not push yourselves.

Rutile: We won't, Dr. Figaro. We'll be too busy making sure we're supporting everyone from the sidelines.

Mitile: I'll be fine! I'll work hard enough to count for the two of you!

Lennox: That's good to hear. But my stoutness is worth something, too. I'll be working hard right alongside you.

Snow: Yes, yes! This outfit was the first time we all matched. We love to match, you know.

White: Matching makes you feel as one, like we'll all win or lose together.

Mithra: Does it?

Owen: No, it doesn't.

Bradley: Maybe that's how it works for you twins. …Sage, you're looking pretty damn dapper in that, too.

Akira: Yes…! Thank you! Let's get back to the topic at hand. The Western wizards will be leading the Halitus Mortifer away from here… And the Northern wizards will be using ice magic to freeze it in place and immobilize it. And that's when we'll have someone use non-magical attacks to destroy the mana stone-like thing in its abdomen…

Oz: This will successfully subdue the Halitus Mortifer.

Akira: That's right. This should let us take care of it while minimizing collateral damage as much as possible.

Faust: How are we going to go about launching a non-magical attack? It's going to be a pain as it is making it to that thing's ribcage without magic.

Akira: That's true…

Arthur: I'd like to volunteer Cain.

Cain: …

Cain's eyes grew wide. But before he could say anything, Bradley spoke first.

Bradley: I think the knight's a good choice, too. You spent a long time actin' as a knight without usin' any magic, yeah?

Cain: Yeah.

Bradley: That's exactly what we need. If you were any more experienced with your magic, you'd be using it on instinct.

Shino: Leno said something similar to me. I think Cain's a good pick.

Lennox: …Me, too.

Arthur: Are you willing, Cain? It's a dangerous mission, and I don't want to force you into anything, so answer me sincerely.

Cain blinked, once, twice, three times. Riquet, on the other hand, looked so happy he could hardly stand it, clasping his hands in front of his chest. Cain took a deep breath, his expression stiff.

Cain: I… Of course I will. On my honor as a knight.

Riquet: Cain, it's so wonderful you've been chosen for this! I'm proud of you as a fellow Central wizard!

Riquet's enthusiasm made Cain smile. It wasn't a simple and innocent smile, one of someone who had never been hurt. It was the smile of someone who had rejected the title of wizard and acted as a human for a long time, working his way to the position of Captain of the Knights… I wonder if that's something that weighs heavy on Cain's conscience, given his bright, straightforward personality. He had a bit of a handicap, as well. Cain had the least amount of experience using magic out of anyone here. But the day that such things were needed had finally come.

Cain: I'll do it. I'll make sure to. With all my might.

Cain clenched his fists tightly. Next to him, Oz bit into one of his own fingers. He wordlessly took Cain's hand and drew a magic circle on his palm. Cain's eyes widened, and he glanced back and forth in disbelief between the palm of his hand and Oz's face.

Oz: It will not last. There are many who seek to use my blood or hair as a medium. However, I have faith in you.

Cain: Oz…

Bradley shrugged his shoulders and plucked a single hair from his head.

Bradley: Y'got a point. This guy's weirdly trustworthy. I'll give you a medium, too. But it'd be pretty bad if someone stole it from you while you're busy with the monster. If that happens I'll have to shoot you right through the heart to avoid my own personal Calamity. If you're good with that, then gimme your hand.

Cain: Ah…

Cain's determination set in stone, he extended his hand. Owen grinned and grabbed it before Bradley could.

Cain: …?!

Owen: Bradley's intro took too long.

Cain: Owen.

Owen: I guess there's nothing else for me to do, Sir Knight. Well, it's just that it'd be terrible if you failed at such a troublesome task. And if you're trying to plot anything, like Bradley was saying, I'll kill you anytime, anywhere. But if it'll raise your chances of success even a little…

Mithra: Your intro's also taking too long. I'll give you one, too. Give me the hand Oz's circle isn't drawn on.

Cain: Uwah… I'm feeling stronger already…

Mithra: I haven't even done anything yet.

Owen: Excuse me, Mithra, we're in the middle of something right now.

Snow: We will also offer you our protection.

White: May you grasp victory.

Faust: Cain. May fortune lead you.

Shylock: Be sure to show me how cool you are, you naughty child.

Figaro: Well, I guess I can throw my hat into the ring, too.

All the wizards, young and old, had words of encouragement for him. Cain nodded with vigor, smiling. Sometimes, he looked like he was on the verge of tears.

Cain: Thank you, all of you… I'm so grateful. I'll be sure to meet your expectations. I'll definitely…definitely succeed.

Bradley: Hell yeah.

Arthur: I know you can do it, Cain. I'm leaving it to you.

Cain: Arthur…

Riquet: Please do your best!

Oz: We will be watching over you.

Cain: Thank you! Ah…

Owen: What.

Cain: Weren't you going to give me something, too?

Owen: It was just on a whim. I'm not going to give you anything now.

Cain: No? Well, I guess I got something from everyone else, so I'm pretty well off either way.

Owen: Yeah, you are.

Cain: But…

Owen: …

Cain: C'mon, you were the one who taught me about what the words in my spell mean, and other stuff, too.

Owen: Hmph… Are you stupid? I'm not giving you anything.

Cain: Alright. Then… I'll wait for the day when you do.

✦✧☾✧✦

And then our operation began.

Shylock: Let us depart. You're up, Rustica.

Rustica: Yes, just leave it to me. <Amores Viesse>

Rustica recited his spell, and a violin appeared in his hands. He drew the bow across the strings, and played a comforting, heartening song. Shylock put his pipe to his lips, breathed in, and then exhaled white smoke. The smoke shined like a comet in the night sky and circled around Rustica's violin.

Shylock: <Inviebelle>

The next moment, Rustica's playing was imbued with an additional timbre that played on my heartstrings, reverberating far into the night sky. The massive monster turned to face him.

Murr: C'mon! Let's play! <Eanul Lambru>

Murr chanted his spell, and then swapped off with Rustica behind him, who swapped off with Chloe, who swapped off with Shylock. They took to the sky on their brooms, a line of four Western wizards. It looked to be more fun than anything else in the world. The winding, meandering music and their swaying, fluttering dance had turned the night sky into a ballroom floor.

Chloe: <Suispicibo Voitengok>

With Chloe's spell, the tracks their brooms left behind them began to flutter like ribbons amongst the stars. The Halitus Mortifer stumbled after them. It was now moving in the opposite direction of the town with the castle at its center. And there were wizards following in the Halitus Mortifer's wake, too. It was Riquet, Arthur, Mitile, and Figaro. The Eastern wizards were bolstering the magic circle to protect the people who'd collapsed from the miasma. The injured Rutile and Lennox stayed with them. And finally, with all the dignity and grace of the world's strongest wizard, was Oz, watching over them.

Figaro: It seems like the Halitus Mortifer can make miasma regardless of if it gets attacked or not. If we see anyone who's been hurt, we need to rush to their aid at once.

Arthur & Mitile & Riquet: Okay!

I was riding on the back of Arthur's broom, and wiggled myself around so that I could see them all. Their teamwork was impeccable; they quickly located and treated anyone who needed it. Their back and forth was… Not something they would've been able to do when the four of them had first met. It wasn't something that was possible because of one person's efforts or as a test of endurance… But because of the time that they'd spent together, getting to know one another. They knew how each other smiled, how they worried, how they triumphed. And I knew, too, because I knew them just as well. Even with the golden moon above and the dark around them that threatened to swallow them whole, they still… Connected their hearts to one another, bit by little bit.

✦✧☾✧✦

Kelvin: Something's coming… …Is that a huge monster…?! Ah… Lord Rustica…!

✦✧☾✧✦

Rustica: This should be far enough away. The floor is yours, Northern gentlemen.

The music rang to a halt, and then five shining stars appeared above the Halitus Mortifer's head. They weren't really stars, of course--they were the five most troublesome, fascinating wizards in the world.

Snow: Well then, that's our cue.

White: Oh, yes. Are you all ready?

Bradley: That's what I should be sayin'. Remember, do not use any magic but ice magic. You'll turn our knight in shining armor to stone.

Owen: Hmph. If he turns to stone while armed with all those mediums, I'm going to laugh at him.

Mithra: Look. Its guts have fallen out. They must have gotten pulled out while it was walking over here. I can see something that looks like a mana stone in its ribs.

Bradley: Goddamn. It's just like in the artificial wizards. Let's get this over with already. <Adnopotensum>

Snow & White: <Noscomnia>

Mithra: <Arthim>

Owen: <Cuare Morito>

The Northern wizards' magic froze the beast in its tracks. Its limbs and back were frozen in place, and it tried to breathe out more of the green mist, but its body just shuddered in place. Its entire body was wrapped in ice, trapping the mist beneath it. And then Bradley saw what was underfoot and shouted.

Bradley: Go for it, Cain! You got this!

Cain: Yeah…!

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: (I need to climb this thing's body.) (I'll need to be careful. They said it's probable its whole body is covered in poison.) (Though they also said that all the charms and mediums I got should keep me safe…) …Hah…hah… Uwah…!

Owen: <Cure Memini>

Cain: …You saved me… (I've learned at least a little about magic, and I know that a wizard's blood and hair are both vitally precious.) (And everyone gave me some, even though my magic's weak, and I have almost no experience…) (I'm proud of that more than any battles I've won or medals I've earned.) (It isn't about what I won…) (It's about them seeing who I am.) (I was so desperate for recognition I did things I never should have.) (But they helped me see that.) (They judged my worth despite that and found it in them to believe in me.) (Nothing could make me happier.) (Please, please…let me live up to their expectations.) (I want to commit myself to what those expectations mean!) …! …uurgh…

Bradley: <Adnopotensum>!

Cain: (I only breathed in the miasma for a moment, but my head is spinning and I feel like I'm going to puke…) (This is bad. My head is pounding. My limbs are shaking…) (Please, let me make it…!) …!

Mithra: <Arthim>

Cain: …If I do it now…!

10 - Uniting Our Strength

Cain: …hah… I made it inside its ribs…! Now I just need to destroy that rock…

✦✧☾✧✦

Owen: Cain's in its ribs!

Mithra: Now he needs to crush that rock as hard as he can, right.

Bradley: Yep. It's all on him now.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: Cain…

Arthur: You've got this, Cain!

Riquet: Cain, do your best!

Mitile: Please do your best…!

Figaro: He will. …Ah… There's another airship coming from over there…

✦✧☾✧✦

Shino: Is that another airship…?

Heathcliff: Western craftsmanship is amazing…

Oz: …

Nero: Hope Mister Knight's okay.

Faust: Cain will succeed.

Lennox: Yes, he will…

Rutile: I'm sure of it…

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: …Let's do this… I only need one hit…! …Haaah…!

Cain: … Did it work…?!

✦✧☾✧✦

Snow: The stone has been broken…!

White: All together, now!

Snow & White: <Noscomnia>

Mithra: <Arthim>

Owen: <Cuare Morito>

Bradley: <Adnopotensum>

A rain of mana stones fell scattered upon the earth. The Northern wizards exchanged glances, all of them looking in a good mood. Cain had avoided their assault very narrowly, and he was waving at them with big motions. Arthur's group was converging on their location, shouting in delight.

Arthur: You did it, Cain! The Northern wizards, too!

Riquet: That was an amazing display, fit for a disciple of God!

Mitile: I'm glad everyone's okay!

Figaro: Good work, everyone.

The Western wizards were still flying airily through the sky, celebrating our victory all the while.

Shylock: Congratulations!

Murr: Congats!

Rustica: That's "congrats", Murr.

Chloe: Great job, everyone~!

The gentle blue of dawn was beginning to light up the horizon. And in the interstice of land and sky flew another airship.

✦✧☾✧✦

Liliana: …

Flying Battleship Airman: They did it…! Praise the Sage!

Flying Battleship Airman: The Sage's wizards are amazing! Between the Sage's wizards and we of the Magical Technology Corps, we've got nothing to fear from <the Great Calamity>!

Flying Battleship Airman: Yeahhhh…!

✦✧☾✧✦

Cortes Citizen: Excuse me, have you seen my family?

Lennox: Did you get separated? Come with me.

Shino: Hey, is there anyone else who can't move? I'll give you a hand.

Cortes Citizen: Oh, please… My head is spinning so much I can't stand…

Faust: I'll purify you. Face me and close your eyes.

Cortes Citizen: I can't hear the monster's roars anymore… Did the Sage's wizards defeat it…? Or did they…

Nero: It's almost dawn. They'll be back before you know it.

Heathcliff: …Mr. Faust! Master Sage's group has returned.

Faust: Good…

Rutile: He's riding back on his broom… You did so well, Mitile!

Shino: They're being escorted by an airship…

Oz: …

Cortes Citizen: Heeeey, Master Saaaage! Thank you so much, Master Sage! Oh my god, they just waved at me! They're so kind! Master Sage! Master Sage!

✦✧☾✧✦

Kelvin: Lord Rustica… You've reunited with Chloe, haven't you? …I'm so glad… It's been so long since I heard your music… …Ah… …The sun is rising…

✦✧☾✧✦

Lord: Master Sage. Master Sage's wizards. I am truly so grateful towards you all for saving Cortes from this crisis.

Akira: No, of course we would. I'm glad everyone's going to be okay.

Lord: My people, my daughter Liliana, and I are all safe thanks to your efforts. Isn't that right, Liliana…

Liliana: Master Sage.

Akira: …

Liliana: Just like the one we have seen this night, terrible events are constantly lurking just out of sight in this world of ours. Let us join hands and protect the people of Western Country together.

Akira: It would be my pleasure.

Cortes Citizens: Yeahhhh…! Praise her Majesty! Praise the Sage!

Liliana: Do you hear their cheers? You, Master Sage, your wizards, and I, shall align ourselves…

Akira: I'll be working hard alongside the people of this country.

Cortes Citizens: Yeahhhh…!!

Akira: And, just as I will here, I want to work alongside the people of Central, of the East, of the North, and of the South.

Cortes Citizens: …

Akira: (I'm sorry I can't be exclusive with you…) (No, I can't apologize, I need to give them something!) (I need to pump up the vibes…!) To the people of the West, who greet everyone they meet with a bright and cheerful smile! I'm always so, so grateful for everything you've done for me during my stay here! You've done so much for me even today!

Arthur: (Master Sage is pumping their fist in the air.) (I'll join them!) …

Gilles: (Both Master Sage and Prince Arthur are making that gesture with their fists. Is this a salute from the other world?) (Then I shall do the same…) …

Lord: (General Barnett is making the same salute?!) (Then, I as well…) …

Cortes Citizen: (Both Master Sage and the lord of the castle are pumping their fists in the air?!) (Then, I guess we should too…?)

Heathcliff: (What… Huh… Should we be doing this too…?)

Shino: (Let's do it.)

Riquet: (Yes, let's.)

Cain: (Aren't we supposed to do this when they're like "Yeahhhh!"?)

Riquet: (Yeahhhh!)

Lennox: (Yeahhhh!)

Mitile: (Oh, everyone else is doing it too. Yeahhhh!)

Figaro: (Is this some sort of local custom?)

Nero: (Sage, you totally missed the timing to put your fist back down…)

Faust: (I'm not doing that…)

Chloe: (Woah, what's this? It looks fun! I'll do it too!)

Rustica: (I shall join you.)

Shylock: (I shall not.)

Murr: (I'll use just my pointer finger!)

Liliana: (…! Lord Rustica has raised his fist in this strange gesture as well.) (Then, I will too…)

Cortes Citizen: (Her Majesty joined them?! Then I need to, too!) (I've got to!)

Mithra: (Huh, what's this?)

Owen: (What is this?)

Bradley: (What's up with this?)

Snow & White: (Looks fuuuun!)

Oz: (…Hm?)

Akira: (Oh gosh, I've started something big. What should I do?) Just like the warm welcome the people of Western Country gave me… I want to cooperate with the people of other countries exactly as I do with you. We'll be returning to our manor in Central, but… I'll always be happy to see you again, no matter where we should meet.

Cortes Citizens: Yeahhhh…!!!!

Cortes Citizen: Come visit us again anytime you want!

Cortes Citizen: I've got family in Central! Give them a visit if you have the chance!

Akira: Thank you, all of you. And I'm looking forward to continuing to work with you too, your Majesty.

Liliana: … Western Country shall welcome you should you ever choose to return to her warm and safe embrace.

Arthur: Please do not worry, your Majesty. I shall protect the Sage both as a Sage's wizard and as the prince of Central Country.

Cortes Citizen: Prince?!

Cortes Citizen: He said he's the prince of Central!

Liliana: … …I see. Please use the Western manor when the time comes that you should stay with us again. It shall be waiting for you, as will the Sage's Lattice.

Figaro: Thank you for providing such wonderful accommodations for us, your Majesty. We will take you up on your kind offer should the opportunity arise.

Liliana: … I ask that you all stay safe.

✦✧☾✧✦

I think it's probable that Queen Liliana's true identity is that of the witch Zara. There's some kind of link between the Western queen and Nova. There's still a lot to learn about the artificial wizards and the shards of Murr's soul. Not to mention the whereabouts of the real Liliana. It feels like I'm facing nothing but mystery after mystery. I think it's a bit too early to decisively say Queen Liliana's true identity… A single misstep could end up getting a huge amount of people caught up in another overly complicated disaster, just like what happened this time. It'd be nice if everything worked out so that there's no friction between Central and the West, but… I wonder what her Majesty is thinking?

✦✧☾✧✦

Gregory decided to stay in the City of Fortune.

Akira: Are you sure? You said the Queen tried to kill you…

Gregory: I am certain everything will work out as long as I don't get found. I need to search for where Liliana herself is. She must be terrified out of her wits.

Akira: We're going to be returning to the manor in Central now, but we'll still help you out however we can.

Gregory: Thank you kindly. Feel free to call upon me when you return to Western Country. I'm looking forward to working with you, Master Sage.

✦✧☾✧✦

And so, we finally returned to the manor.

Akira: Wahh! We're hoooome! It's been so loooong!

Canaria: Welcome home, Master Sage!

Akira: Miss Canaria!

Canaria: You've been working hard! Do you want to eat something, or should I let you rest first?

Cock Robin: Master Sage!

Drummond: Master Sage! Prince Arthur!

Akira: Cock Robin! Drummond!

Drummond: Welcome back! We were quite worried for you, you know!

Cock Robin: You battled a huge monster, right? I'd love to hear all the details.

Canaria: Cock Robin, that comes later. First everyone needs a chance to take it easy.

Hearing Canaria say that lifted a weight I hadn't really been aware of off of my shoulders. Now that I was relaxed, I could better soak up the feeling of being home, taking in the familiar sights and sounds. The sound of footsteps running up the stairs. The quiet sound of someone softly closing a door. The tell-tale glow of someone using magic. Laughter. Someone calling someone else's name. Lighthearted small talk, only-so-serious provocations, displays of emotion, words of thanks. We'd come home to the same place we'd left, but something felt a little bit different now.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: Ohh, this is so nice… Saku-chan, come take a nap with meeee. I've always wanted to. Siiiigh… The breeze and my bed and the sunshine all feel so good… …I love this place…

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: But y'know, I really am so happy you volunteered me, Arthur. I wanted you to acknowledge me. That was how I felt.

Arthur: That's surprisingly cute of you. I just thought you'd be able to do it, so I recommended you. I knew you had both the strength and the will to carry it out.

Riquet: Exactly. You were so cool! Like a storybook character!

Arthur: Yes, you were so cool!

Riquet: You thought so too, right, Oz?

Oz: … Yes.

Cain: Ahaha. Thanks! I feel like all of this has saved me a little bit…from the lies I once told, and from Nicholas's memory… I want to become even stronger than this before the battle with <the Great Calamity>. I will become stronger!

✦✧☾✧✦

Figaro: I see. So Isaac…

Lennox: Yes. You'll have to ask Bradley for all the details, but…

Figaro: No… No need. I still don't know what the right answer to the question he asked me is. How should one attain happiness…

Mitile: <Scintilla>

Rutile: Wah, that was amazing!

Figaro: …

Rutile: You've gotten so much better with your magic! Have you decided to use Mother's spell permanently?

Mitile: That's, umm…

Figaro: …

Mitile: …I'm still thinking about it!

✦✧☾✧✦

Shino: We're finally back. Now we can train in peace.

Heathcliff: Did you tell us to come to the classroom so that we could get started on classwork immediately, Mr. Faust?

Faust: No… …

Nero: If there's something y'don't wanna say, y'don't have to say it.

Faust: It's not that I don't want to talk about it. I've already told Shino, and I imagine the two of you have already figured it out, as well. My name is Faust Lavinia. I was once a Central wizard, and I knew Alec, the progenitor of the Granvelle dynasty… He was my friend.

Heathcliff: Mr. Faust…

Nero: …

Faust: I haven't achieved any of the glory that people attribute to me. I was a fool of a leader who led my subordinates to their deaths. But… I won't let any of you die.

✦✧☾✧✦

Murr: Do you really not remember anything, Rustica?

Rustica: It seems I do not. I apologize for my forgetfulness. But I do remember Chloe bringing me savarin.

Chloe: Hehe. I didn't bring you any savarin. You just really wanted to eat some.

Shylock: Sweets do the tired heart good. It's no wonder he wanted it.

Murr: Castella made with a strong alcohol as its base is good, too.

Murr: Why is this me still heeeere?!

Chloe: Master Sage asked me to repair the breast pocket they keep his shard in.

Rustica: A small Murr is also lovely.

Murr: Why, thank you. A featherless you is lovely as well. It was worth trying to woo you all those centuries ago.

Rustica: My, what a marvelously unique turn of phrase… You must be my bride. <Amores Viesse>

Murr: Wai…

Chloe: Now he's a bird.

Shylock: A songbird shard of Murr's soul, I see.

Chloe: Okay, is there anything else? Is there anything else you remember…?

Rustica: I do… I remember watching the meteor shower with you, Chloe. You came up only this high on me, and it moved you so deeply.

Chloe: … Haha… Thank you for not forgetting about that. I love you, Rustica.

Rustica: I love you, too.

✦✧☾✧✦

Snow: Wonderful work, everyone!

White: You all did your very best! We're sure to be recorded in Western Country's folklore.

Mithra: Sigh.

Owen: I don't care.

Bradley: Whatever.

Snow: Woah, rancid vibes here!

White: We're giving you praise, so you should get more excited about it!

Mithra: But it's rather… Don't you think we've all turned weird?

Bradley & Owen: …

Mithra: How to put it… Like something's starting to pile up in us… It's somewhat difficult to put in words…

Snow: Could it be because you don't have much experience with expressing your emotions?

White: Perhaps it is from staying in Western Country for so long. Perhaps the natural temperament is driving you mad.

Owen: That's it?

Mithra: I should've just killed that swarm of people that kept surrounding Master Sage… But I didn't do anything for some reason…which isn't very Northern of me. Owen, can I kill you?

Owen: Why me… You should kill Bradley.

Mithra: Can't Bradley only die once?

Snow: My…how kind.

White: 'Tis a wonderful thing we bear witness to this moment.

Bradley: … Is it?

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: Nero.

Nero: …

Bradley: We need to talk. Come with me.

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: (Findin' somethin' irreplaceable will lead to your death.) (I need to punish the person who betrayed me for the sake of those who used to be with me.) (The wizard of the North, Bradley, should be followin' those precepts as a matter of course.) (I know that, Eva.) (But those beloved principles of yours are just tyin' me down.) (I'm fine dyin' because of my own pride, but I refuse to die a captive.) (I'm the one in charge of my destiny.) (If the thing lockin' me up is me myself, then I'll just run away from that cage.) (Let's have some fun.) (Even if my chosen dance partner leads me to oblivion.)

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: Here.

Nero: A mana stone… Is it Eva's?

Bradley: Nah, it's the guy who ate her. …Haha, you don't need this kinda thing, do you.

Nero: No… I'll take it.

Bradley: Yeah. You should. Eva always liked you, y'know.

Nero: (You were the one she liked…) (She was always goin' on about rules and manners, so she was always glarin' at me.) (But you've always been an idiot about these kinds of things, no matter how smart you are…) You're lonely, aren't you… You were pretty close with her.

Bradley: I'm used to it.

Nero: … (He's pretty upset, ain't he…)

Bradley: Hey, Nero.

Nero: Yeah…

Bradley: Why'd you run?

Nero: … I was tired of bein' with you. Because I couldn't be what you wanted me to be.

Bradley: …

Nero: But that ain't your fault… I was the one in the wrong. I just couldn't live the Northern way.

Bradley: That ain't true.

Nero: Yeah, it is. Anyone can tell just lookin' at me. You're the only one who can't.

Bradley: Haha, harsh.

Nero: I loved you. Even now, I'd still die for you. Though I bet you don't believe that.

Bradley: …

Nero: I've been a lot of places, but I never found anyone else like you.

Bradley: That's 'cause you never came to visit me in jail.

Nero: …When are you gettin' out?

Bradley: Who knows.

Nero: …I see… They let anyone start livin' in the manor, like Oz and Mithra.

Bradley: Yeah.

Nero: Livin' with 'em's pretty scary, but I've started thinkin' they ain't really such terrible people after all. So why are you the only one in a cell?

Bradley: …

Nero: …But… (If I say I'm the one who should be in a cell instead, he'll totally kill me…) (He loves freedom more than anything.)

Bradley: Nero.

Nero: Mm?

Bradley: You said I can kill you after we fight off <the Great Calamity>.

Nero: … Yeah.

Bradley: If I'm the one who's gonna turn you to stone either way, then that means I can use your life how I want, yeah?

Nero: …What's that mean?

Bradley: When <the Great Calamity> attacks, I wanna get Figaro and the twins. And I want you by my side for it, partner.

Nero: … Gotcha.

✦✧☾✧✦

The moon outside my window was as unnaturally huge and beautiful as it always was. I was thinking about a day that hadn't been very long ago. The wind had been howling, the cats had been yowling, and the moon had been full on the night I came to this world. I've built up a relationship with the wizards here, in this world where wizards and humans live side-by-side, and connected our hearts… A bond so formless may be a delicate, ephemeral thing, but I still know it exists between us. Between me and my brave, noble, cheerful, prudent, gentle wizards. My irreplaceable friends. At some point during the days we've spent laughing and crying together, I've come to think of this manor as my home. A place I can return to. But then, I thought. This isn't going to last forever. I wish my days living alongside these wizards could last forever, but… How long will they?

Next Chapter

[kitkatt0430]

the flash for fandom ask

Character I first fell in love with:

Cisco Ramon, he's just the nerdy heart of the team from day one. He'd get all my sci-fi references and answer in kind if we ever met. And his hair is so lovely. He also just believes in Barry right off in a way that no one else really does - Barry goes 'so we're a superhero team now?' and Cisco is all 'hell yeah we are' :D

He's the one out of the OG team I'd want to be besties with the most, really.

Character I never expected to love as much as I do now:

Harry Wells. It took a while for him to really grow on me - I think I disliked him at first but he was growing on me by end of season 2, kinda regressed in S3 and then S4 he was family now. Grumpy, grouchy family.

Character everyone loves but I don’t:

hmmmm... this is a hard one, it takes a lot for me to dislike a character. I'd say Mark Blaine but I do get the impression he's not particularly well liked by most of the fandom so I'm not alone in my dislike there.

I've got a love/hate relationship with Eobard so definitely not him. (Overused and badly flanderized, but yet his earlier characterization is so good...)

Martin Stein's not a fav, but I don't really hate him either. He's... kinda self centered really, but part of his character arc over both the Flash and Legends is growing out of that to become more of a team player.

... Guess I don't have any real answer to this one.

Character I love but everyone else hates:

Frost sorta works because she's such a polarizing character. I know a lot of people hated her and weren't exactly sorry she was written off. And while I definitely would have preferred that S4 not have retconned S3's ending with regards to Caitlin and Killer Frost, once we had Frost I enjoyed what she brought to the show. She was an immature character at first but it worked for me because she was literally very young in experience - having been repressed for so much of Caitlin's life, she never had the chance to emotionally mature until Caitlin finally started treating her as someone to be loved instead of feared.

It's really interesting watching her learn to really be a person all on her own and while her character arcs took her in directions that I really didn't enjoy at times (Mark Blaine) and i do feel like her death was written for shock value in what sounds like an otherwise directionless season, the character herself is one that I ultimately really liked.

Character I used to love but don’t any longer:

Cynthia. And it's not that I hate her. It's just... I thought she'd be a lot more complex character than we got and so I just sort of wound up feeling let down. She's introduced clearly on the wrong side of things, but isn't necessarily a bad person. As she and Cisco got closer, he got her to bend the rules for a good cause, but the organization she worked for was still clearly authoritarian and probably not the good guys at all. And then she started dating Cisco and all that nuance was out the window because 'can't have a main character dating a morally gray person, gotta make it clear she's a hero too'.

Except following the path she'd been on in S3, of gradually recognizing the people she worked for weren't worth her loyalty? That would have been fascinating to watch unfold. Her following in HR's footsteps by leaving her Earth behind while still trying to help her people stage some kind of very necessary social revolution? I would have loved that.

Character I would kiss:

Still too aroace for this question. But if it were about platonic cuddles? Cisco. Cisco would be the best cuddler, I have written a whole fic about him being everyone's go-to platonic cuddler.

Character I want to slap:

Joe. His paternalistic treatment of Iris and his constant questioning of Barry's ability to make his own decisions is really shitty parenting. Especially considering his kids are adults now. Thankfully his bad behavior isn't all there is to him, but if Iris had ever slapped him for some of the shit he'd pulled I'd have outright cheered.

A pairing I love:

Hartmon - my first Flash ship and still my favorite.

A pairing I hate:

Frost/Blaine. Blaine was a wanna be Captain Cold on so many levels and he failed to be interesting or likable at every turn. At best he managed to make me feel pity for him which... not a great sign. And to be honest, after Frost had so good chemistry with Allegra it was weird that got ignored to stick both women in het ships that required strangling them with the red string to make work. I honestly thought they were getting ship teased, but I guess it was the writers not realizing that whoops they made it a little gay there between two main characters. I mean, it is the Flash and the show has always been a little homophobic in it's rush to assure us it's an ally, so... not surprising, but still annoying.

[fictionkinfessions]

Vagatha here.

i saw a post of a husk talking about how "dismissive" charlie is of me and even how she hurts others with her "weaponized kindness"

Now i know this might be about canon charlie or their own maybe?

But it made me a bit sad?? First I got super defensive and raged

Then the way they talked abt her reminded me of someone Ive met on earth, and it made me sad to think abt her like that..

I dont know, maybe its my own perception but Charlie was genuinly a good person, or at least- she had a good heart, okay? She trully believed she was doing the right thing, she wanted to help others.

I do get it tho, she wasnt always right and could be too pushy or not see how what she did might make things worse but she didn't mean to harm anyone, she wanted what she thought was best for her people, and she was a wonderful partner, even with her own flaws.

Plus, she's most likely not even able to be redeemed since she's not a sinner. And I dont know if I could since I myself am a fallen winner-turned-exterminator, but honestly? If redemption was indeed possible for me I think I'd rather stay in hell with her, visits wouldnt be enough, I love that woman with all of me and I'd follow her to the end of the world.

I'm probably heavily biased, I'll admit.

But my sweet apple was not a terrible partner, she was always so caring and bright. Maybe I had a type cause she's a more energetic version of my girlfriend on earth. Sometimes I like to think that was my Charlie in disguise (it wasnt) haha

Sigh how I miss her.

party note if anyone else wants to continue this conversation, please take it to post replies or reblogs or like the post so someone can go into your ask box for it! No further ask responses will be posted for it! Thank you!

[wisteria-lodge]

snake primary + slightly burned lion secondary (bird model)

I'm pretty sure I'm a double bird, but I'd like to know your thoughts.

For my primary, the thing that matters the most to me in the entire world is my S/O, he is my top priority

I mean, I certainly hope you mean "top priority [along with myself.]

and I view everyone else as "mattering less" in a hierarchial sort of way. For instance, my best friend is just below him, and everyone else is below her. It's not that I don't like my friends and acquaintances, they just mean less to me *morally*

Interested in where you're getting Bird primary from. Because that sounds pretty Snakey.

(I would never tell anyone they "don't matter" to me though, it's incredibly mean and I care a lot about what people think of me)

Just random people? Not even *your* people. Okay, now we're starting to sound like an External primary. (Bird or Badger.)

HOWEVER, I've gotten the impression that snake primaries have a built moral system outside of "me and my people" that they can drop at a moment's notice when it comes to their people, but I feel like I'm the opposite; I really WANT to be the kind of person who's loyal no matter what, but if my S/O says things I disagree with I have to be true to myself and my beliefs and argue with him about it.

Interesting. You like Snake primaries, maybe even idealize Snake primaries. Because what you're describing is just like... a relationship. A Snake primary might agree to disagree, because in the end it doesn't matter /that much/ to them. But they'd still talk about it.

I can be pretty sensitive with him, but mostly when it's something I believe very strongly for personal reasons, though it can happen over smaller things too. I am willing to listen to his side and understand where he's coming from though, and use subjective language when arguing. And I think about it a lot afterwards, asking myself whether I was right to react the way I did or whether I should have been more mature, whether I was objectively wrong, etc.

Eeeesh. "[too] sensitive" "should have been more mature" "subjective not objective" etc.

You're allowed to feel things. You don't need to explain why you feel. You are also allowed to have a large emotional reaction over something small. (That's why I ask for small, normal, personal anecdotes, examples like that can be extremely telling.) And it just rubs me the wrong way when someone is praised for being mature, or told to be *more* mature. Maturity is a function of how long you have been on planet Earth, and how many decisions you have needed to make while there. That's it. There's no way to bootstrap that, doesn't matter how smart you are. The only way to become more mature is to live more.

I actually spend a lot of time thinking about my actions in general like this. If I come to the conclusion I'm wrong, I'll feel extremely guilty for "not being loyal enough", though I can feel this way even if I'm right, too (I am very hard on myself for no reason). I suffer from OCD, so my morals are made a lot more extreme in my mind, and only apply to me for the most part. So, if I was coming off as unhealthy, that's probably why lol

I can see that.

But, this only happens with my S/O because I trust him so much; I'm not like this around others, tending to stay quiet due to anxiety and keeping my annoyance inside.

That's burned secondary language. "I want to express myself, but I can't. So your two options are speak out (and then obsess over what you said exactly, and end up feeling guilty for speaking out even if you decide you were right.) Or say nothing, and let the annoyance build up. That's one hell of a choice, friend.

I don't think I've always been this invested in loyalty; at some point after hurting the person who was Most Important at the time, loyalty being incredibly important became ingrained in me. But when I was younger, I was a lot more passionate about injustice and got very swept up in the "sjw" stuff, tending to believe whatever I read or was told. My friends would often get annoyed with how much I'd start yelling about something, like incorrect word usage or if someone was insensitive about someone's identity.

I'm wondering if you might have a Lion secondary. You would definitely prefer to argue then keep the peace, and it sounds like when you were younger you were a lot more fiery.

"Tending to believe whatever I read or was told" is young behavior kind of in general, although it hits External primaries hardest. Although this shift from a more Lion systemto something more Snake flavored is definitely something a Bird would do.

And before that, I believed a lot of what I grew up hearing from my mother, about how my bio family only cared about "blood" while she didn't (I'm adopted and grew up not being related to anyone in my family, and therefore have strong opinions on people saying stuff like "real parents" etc). I always told myself that I loved my mother even though it was clear to me that she didn't love me back, and the only way I got out of that situation was finally telling myself that I didn't have to love her and that I had to prioritize myself over everyone else if I was going to get out. I ended up being incredibly stubborn and standing my ground and repeating to myself over and over not to listen to her. Making my own judgements and forming my own opinions came with time and maturity, and I'm hoping my temper continues to dampen and I become better at patience in the future.

This is a story about a Lion secondary protecting you. This, when it really comes down to it, are what Lion secondaries are *for.* That voice that says "This far and no further. I will be stubborn, I will let anything else fall away. It doesn't matter what comes at me, I am just going to repeat what I'm doing until I get OUT." The world needs people like that.

But now you're in a less dire situation. Your Lion secondary is still protecting you, but you need some more nuanced problem-solving techniques as well.

I am closer to the rest of my family now that they have finally cut her out of their lives, because she hurt all of them. Despite her having clear favorites among us kids and having a hierarchy, and me hating that, I do the same thing. I try not to make it as obvious, though.

You're absolutely allowed to have favorite people in your life. You're even allowed to let if effect how you treat them, because everyone involved has a comparable level of power. If they have a problem, they can leave or take it up with you. A child can't do that, which is why treating specifically a child with obvious favoritism is so awful.

(I will note that I've picked up some of my S/O's morals, but only because I care about what he'd think if I did things like kill a bug instead of putting it outside or if I wasted food, etc)

Could be a Bird with a Snakey system. Could also just be a Snake.

I would say that, between abandoning my morals and abandoning my people(/person), that the latter makes me feel way more guilty.

You definitely seem to have a kind of complicated relationship with Loyalists, and Snake primaries in general. On one hand, your mother seems to be kind of a toxic Snake, and you want to make sure that you never do hierarchies in the way that *she* did. On the other hand, you kind of idolize Snakes and wish that you were a Snake, or a better Snake. You also say some things that sound kind of Bird primary, sure. But you say a LOT of things that sound Snake.

Here's my take on you. I think you're a Snake primary who spent some time kind of burned. You might have even done a controlled Burn on purpose to get away from your mother - that is absolutely something that Snakes do, and honestly it's often pretty healthy as long as they don't *stay* burned. I think that when you didn't trust your Snake you built something that felt a little more *constructed,* and you are still at a place where you think you should be a better Snake than you are (which is something I see with slightly burnt primaries.) I also think that in the places where you look really Lion is probably just your secondary getting loud.

I am pretty selfish with people when I first meet them; I often only want to engage in my own interests, and only start caring about the other person's interests and becoming more selfless once we grow closer and I see them as important to me.

Don't beat yourself up, this is just people stuff.

However, I admire people who are able to just care about everyone and be so selfless and loving. I genuinely have no idea how they do that; I have no interest in loving absolutely everyone, I just think it's very impressive that they can. I feel like they are better people than me.

It is honestly very classic for Snake primaries to think that Badgers are Just Better.

As for my secondary, I used to be more impulsive and bad at planning ahead due to a combination of immaturity and ADHD.

I feel like I'm not very good at originality and creating new things, but I AM good at taking something and modifying or improving upon it. I am often thinking of ways I can make something that's meh or already pretty good and make it even better, and will end up fiddling with it to accomplish this. This includes image editing, messing with Tumblr themes, adding things to recipes, etc. I've also learned a lot of things and picked up new skills by doing this!

This is a very Improvisational way of talking about problem solving. Lions and Snakes will often talk about wanting something that they can *respond* to, and can easily get stuck when they have to begin in a void.

I dislike lying, especially when it comes to myself, but I do tend to have "different" sides I show depending on the person I'm interacting with. I am fully myself with my S/O, and mostly myself with my best friend, and everyone else gets a watered down version of me.

This is the Lion secondary "dimmer switch" or "volume dial" metaphor. There's you, and there's slightly toned-down versions of you.

It depends on what I think they're expecting of me or how I want them to perceive me, and I may exaggerate certain parts of myself a little, but I don't l pretend to be something I'm not. And I'm making an effort to be more Me and embrace myself more after putting myself into a box for a long time.

Good. I think that's going to be really good for you.

But, after moving out and getting older, I've had to hone my ability to plan ahead and prepare for things to avoid potential problems, or just make things easier for future me. I am often thinking of plans which usually involve more abstract, unusual ways of going about things based on what is available in terms of skills, resources, people I can ask for help, etc. I've also heard that "collecting shiny people" is something bird secondaries do, and that's something I'm super known for and partially plays into the "hierarchy" stuff I mentioned earlier. I love learning about people and analyzing them; personality typologies are actually a huge interest of mine! and I love being able to know and read people.

It sounds like after moving out you built yourself a lovely Bird secondary model that you really enjoy. Good for you.

I think that's all I have to say. Thanks and hope you're having a good day!

You are very welcome, and I am having a nice day.

[via-l0ve]

Hay there B) I'm interested in the silly lil 🎃 :D

Fandom Supernatural, of course! Don't be afraid to pair me up with someone who doesn't get as much traction or isn't the main two (of course, if I don't get one of the main two). :)

I'm an avid enjoyer of everything spooky and scary and hunting would definitely be something I'd do if I were in the SPN universe. I feel the loner but necessary alliances type, but I wouldn't be one to get too attached unless I felt a serious spark. Not against working with the same individual more than once, either.

I personally like to imagine my own self-insert as some "earth angel" or spiritually in-tune young woman who can read auras, emotions, feel what one feels, etc etc. I'm what others would call an empath irl (not in the super trippy spiritual way if thats what you don't believe in), I'm just super compassionate and empathetic. I don't know if that part's important, but as rough and violent as I can be (when need be), I'm all for peace and tranquility within one another. I'd always try to solve any tension rather than make it worse. I keep quiet, reserved and to myself unless someone I care about is hurt and needs someone, or if someone tries to start bs with me. I was always that mother friend.

My anger and my envy I experience typically come from not really having a normal childhood even in real life. I never got to experience high school dances, dates, or hell even an irl high school to begin with. Just homeschooling, barely even any real irl friends or social cues. I envy everyone who gets anything and everything they've ever wanted.

My taste in overall men (and women) can be kind of unstable. I'll love the hero, but I'll also fall hard for the villain. My red flag is I think I can ease the villain's heart. No matter how clingy, or obsessive, or dickish they are. I'm also kind of obsessed (shhhh don't tell anyone...)

My hair is long, wavy and dirty blonde. My eyes are kind of sad, down turned like Blue Diamond's from SU. I like to dress in many different styles, if I'm feeling it but typically I go for something simple. Long, flowy skirts, blazers, t-shirts, flannels. If I'm feeling nice, a pretty white dress with pearl headbands. Or I'll try to look like a school girl coming home from a long, tiring day from dealing with her bitchy teachers and even bitchier classmates. Either light or dark, it depends on the mood. I'm also Christian.

I'm obsessed with true crime, demonology, mythology, and other spooky stuffs. I also enjoy writing, reading fanfics/novels, the occasional sketching and drawing, and I also wanna look into making custom dolls. I've looked into white magic before, attempted it a few times in the past. I'm a huge music fanatic, all genres (yes, even country...), but I typically listen to shoegaze, noise, metal, rock, and goregrind. Anything with screaming, distorted vocals, distorted/soft guitar, or no vocals at all, basically. (Examples being Duster, Deftones, Ghostemane, Giles Corey, Have A Nice Life, In This Moment, Birthday Massacre, etc)

I'm into some pretty dark shows and movies. I'm not in many fandoms, I don't see my own SPN self in many either, but I've seen a fair share of fucked up films. A Serbian Film, Dog Tooth, Lolita, The Handmaid's Tale (mainly the show), Miss Violence -- I watch them for comfort from my own trauma, and I see myself doing the exact same thing in SPN. My twisted past with ex boyfriends and abusive family members are probably what's gotten me head over heels, reeling over villainous characters that could snap me in half if they wanted.

I just want to be loved.

Anyways, I hope that's enough for you! I kind of overshared, but I hope it's alright! TL;DR I just want someone, anyone to love me for who I am and enjoy some of my hobbies. Take all the time you need, I understand your box might be full as hell.

first of all i love you so much and you absolutely deserve to be loved and worshipped because you’re beautiful and worthy of love and acceptance and care <3 (if you ever want to talk more my inbox is always open)

with that being said:

i ship you with cas :)

i know you said to not be shy to ship you with someone who isn’t the orig/main few, but i got heavy castiel vibes from you <3333

i think that he’s be drawn into your quiet but badass energy. how you want to diffuse traumas or tension before it even happens, but he also sees you on hunts as such a badass demon killing person. he also finds it fascinating how empathetic you are.

he loves all of your hobbies and often will sit next to you while you write or read. when you mention custom dolls he will freak out and absolutely ADORES watching the process.

he thinks you’re gorgeous. your blue eyes match his and your hair mesmerized him.

i also think that you guys can bond over traumas. while you have childhood based and family/ex-lover trauma, castiel definitely holds some trauma in thinking he’s not good enough or things from the other angels in heaven.

you guys balance eachother out. you teach him so much and you guys have the cutest little dates, the type to be up until 4am having deep conversations.

castiel also isn’t a rat and you deserve someone who isn’t a rat <33

[kits-ships]

4, 9, + 10 for aziraphale + crowley to answer !!

hi anon i cant remember which ask game this was from so im gonna assume it was the useless info one :3 thank u so much and sorry for bein silly!!

4.) what’s your second favorite memory of seraphina?

My second favorite? What an interesting question. It's hard to rank moments like that when you've been around for six millennia, but I am rather fond of the time we had matching, white dresses and went bar-hopping. It was quite unusual for us, but Seraphina wasn't very familiar with different varieties of wine and I felt entitled to help! Afterwards, I lost one of my shoes to a storm drain and Seraphina managed to get her lipstick all over my shoulder when she fell asleep at the fifth bar. We were lucky to find our ways home that night!

Sera's rabbit ate through my shoe the first night I slept over. He'd been stomping the whole time we were in the living room and I'd been making fun of him for being jealous. I guess he understood me, though, because he really did a number on them. When I went to leave and found them all chewed-up, Sera immediately burst into tears and began to apologize over and over. She didn't really remember the whole 'miracle' thing, I guess. Anyways, the shoes are fine, now, and Moo still hates me. Woe is me.

9.) what’s their beige flag?

A beige flag? One moment, please.

Uh. I'm gonna go with the fact that, when she randomly remembers things, she bolts upright and makes a little noise that scares the living hell out of me. It's like her brain is getting a notification. We could be asleep at 4am and she'll jump up, squeak and begin to shake me like she didn't just make me fear for my immortal life. Sometimes it's stuff from her life as an angel, and sometimes its something she forgot at the grocery store.

Okay, I'm back! And I believe I understand, now.

Seraphina has the ability to fall asleep at anytime and anywhere. At the till of her shop? She's sleeping next to the register. Waiting in like at the market? I have to make sure she doesn't drop everything when she begins to nod-off. It's not really in her control, but it's quite interesting, nonetheless. I could probably tell her that the world was ending and she would sleep through it all. Hm. We may be used to facing the end of the world, though.

10.) assign seraphina a song based on what you think an amv of your guys’ relationship would have playing in it.

Can we get some questions that I don't have to explain to Aziraphale? I didn't even know what an AMV was.

Don't be rude!

Fine. Okay. Somebody to Love, then. That's easy enough, yeah?

Oh, but you'd have to pick an ABBA song! They're her favorite! Something like Our Last Summer would work quite well, I believe. Seraphina would enjoy that.

You two and your ABBA.

Earth Angel, then?

I think we're too predictable, Angel.

[the-stray-liger]

Okay, so Things are definitely happening in Episode 18. Suletta coping in her usual, unhealthy Suletta-like way, with the remainder of Earth House recognizing how unhealthy it is for her to be acting the way she is, and Chuchu in particular encouraging Suletta to give Guel and Miorine a piece of her mind. Which... kind of falls apart, fast. Rather than meet Miorine, Sulettta uses the opportunity to have a heart to heart with the Aerial, and learns the truth of what the Aerial is, or rather, WHO it is... and that Eri no longer needs her. As Suletta is trying to make sense of it all, Eri tells her to let go of both her and her mother for her own sake, and ejects Suletta from the cockpit, and is met by Prospera, who Suletta seeks comfort from, only to be left drifting alone by her mother, who tells her to go to school and live her life.

In a surprising turn of events, Prospera... lets Suletta be, because Eri wanted her sister to live her own life. This is probably the kindest thing Prospera has done for Suletta, when previously she'd done nothing but manipulate her own daughter for her own ends, and from her own subdued actions and tone of voice... it feels remarkably genuine, even as she tries to suggest to Eri that they take her along anyway, but in the end agrees with Eri to leave Suletta alone for her own sake. But even then, it's only served to hurt Suletta all the more, especially as she is desperately trying to find a way forward, and is unable to do so on her own. Miorine cast her aside, even if it was to protect her. Prospera and Eri cast her aside, because Eri wants her sister to live a normal life, and Prospera does so at this point because Eri asked her to, and Prospera herself has no real need for Suletta as Aerial's pilot anymore. She is, as Lauda states... "empty." As hurtful as his words are, he's right in a way. At this moment in time, Suletta's a puppet with her strings cut, struggling to find a way forward out of the darkness she's found herself in.

But then of course there's the B-plot, with Guel and Miorine struggling to find support for Jeturk Heavy Machinery in the wake of his father's death. Prospera reveals that they have a Gundam in development, which angers Miorine, but as Prospera points out, the Schwarzette was a joint venture between Jeturk and Shin-Sei, before the latter was acquired by GUND-ARM Inc.. Miorine refuses to deviate from her vision to have GUND-ARM remain a medical tech company, but plans to bring Aerial to Earth to help de-escalate the riots, but without fighting. Only time will tell how that works out for them, but in the mean time, they confront Shaddiq, who had been attempting to sway Prospera to her side, but is interrupted from his under the table bullshit by Guel and Miorine. Shaddiq then takes that opportunity to declare himself their opponent in the race for the presidential seat.

Meanwhile Martin confesses what he did, trying to convince himself that what he did was the right thing to do, but SURPRISE BITCH, IT'S SECELIA DOTE, calling him a dirty double crossing rat while looking like the cat that just caught the canary. She's found a BIG scoop, and she's not about to let Martin go any time soon. I'd feel sorry for him, because while what he did makes sense from a certain point of view, he still sold out Nika without understanding her side of the story, believing her to be no better than the other terrorists when the viewers know otherwise. Thus, this doesn't make me feels as sorry for Martin as I thought it would, and instead feels more like Karma getting the guy in a chokehold.

frst of all I need t oknow who the FUCK let Secelia into that room. Like she has a talent for making things worse why the hell is she in there

This episode left me so confused. Is Eri trying to protect Suletta by breaking her heart too? From what I read in the short story, Aeria's priority has always been protecting Suletta from Prospera. Eri wants Suletta to be free, is that why she also broke her heart? And what about Prospera. Prospera wanted Suletta to come along but agreed with Eri in which she should be free. Does she care about Suletta after all? Like you said, this was the kindest thing Prospera has ever done by Suletta.

But I'm also realizing that Suletta has had no agency in anything since the start of the series. She's always doing what someone else wants, be it her mother, Miorine, or even Aerial. And now for the first time those bonds of dependency are broken. It destroyed me to see Suletta cry so hard but for the first time she is truly free and she is empty. What is she gonna do with that freedom?

Another thing I actually loved about this episode was EL5n. He really has reached a level of desperation where he doesnt' care about the consequences anymore because he knows what's waiting for him at the end of the line. He knows he's going to be scraped like El4n and he's like hey might as well explain what I'm about. I have come to really like El5n after all because I'm a garbage lover and also because his story is as sad and heartbreaking as El4n. He's a teenager who got genetically manipulated to pilot gundams and had to throw away his identity only to be killed when he isn't useful anymore, and he has become increasingly more desperate, and he is empty because he also has no agency over anything. Him telling Norea and Nika the truth about himself was probably the only act he has ever had control over.

ngl I was really excited for the Schwarzette reveal. I thought we weren't gonna see it until a final battle or something. I'm so worried about Guel and Miorine too. They're going againt Shaddiq, with Prospera as an "ally". Shaddiq has ties to earth and a whole team of shady lesbians who support him, and we know Prospera is manipulating Miorine to do what she wants. And Guel is getting dragged into this as well. It's funny how Miorine is going to earth now. Will she realize her dreaming about going to earth for freedom was childish once she gets to see the situation there? (I have a lot of trouble following through with these bits because I'm not very brigh so I'm also hoping they will dub this into spanish soon so I can keep up with the company stuff)

anyway what an episode. my brain is mush

[uenodivision]

Aranai's Thoughts on Ginza Division

Masa Judice

Aranai glares at the photo of the priest, before crumbling it up.

"This guy, no offense to Shisuta, is why I don't put too much stock into religion. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people who do. You believe in what you want to believe in. I'm not going to knock you for it. But people like this corrupt minister and his so-called church, they're the main reason why religion is so looked down on. Because it's more like bondage and brainwashing than actual free will!"

"I don't know what beef this guy has with Shisuta, and quite frankly, I don't give a rat's ass. But if he thinks I'm just going to stand by and let him hurt her, he's got another thing coming. He harms so much as a hair on her head, not even those followers are going to save him when I get my hands on him!"

Eiji Noguchi

"This guy is probably the only likable guy on this team. And that's more to do with the fact that he created PROFILE than anything else. I tell you, I'd like to know what was running through his mind when he came up with that thing. I'm not knocking him, though! Ask anyone here in Ueno, and they'll tell you PROFILE is everywhere! I've been trying to get Shisuta and Boss-Lady into it, but neither of them can be bothered. Shisuta doesn't know enough about technology, and Boss-Lady considers it a waste of time." Aranai rolls her eyes.

"Besides that, this guy also seems to be a complete technophile. He was on T.V. once proclaiming that technology is the way of the future and that the future will be completely reliant on technology. I don't know how much of that is true. I think I'd have to see it to believe it. And besides that, I'm not sure how I feel about having robots and androids walking around. I've watched some robot movies about the ones that take over the earth and... well, it just makes you think. I know, I watch too much TV..."

Oki Teagan

"Wasn't this guy part of that rap group? C H A R O N, or some shit? Yeah, I think that was it. Truthfully, this guy, along with everyone else I knew, was everyone's least-favorite member of the group. I mean, the guy just had a pompous-as-hell attitude and thought the whole fucking world revolved around him just cause he could rap. Newsflash pal: most people in this day and age know how to rap! Don't think that just because you were in a group, that makes you special!"

"Truthfully, no one really noticed when he disappeared, at least I didn't. But when he suddenly showed up as the third member of this group, well, it turned some heads. But if he's trying to grab hold of his lost fame, he's wasting his time. We've all moved on. And even those that hadn't, have long forgotten you. Deal with it!"

Last Judgment

"This team is on the top of my shit list! If it weren't for that priest making threats to Shisuta, I wouldn't have paid him or this group any attention. But he basically called out Shisuta by declaring war against her and Sakurai Clan. I don't know if he knows this, but if you mess with one of us in this clan, you mess with all of us! And he'll see that before this tournament is over. He claims to be a religious man, well I'm telling you this now, buddy. If you know a prayer, then so help you, you'd better say it now, because trust me, when we meet in the D.R.B. and I wipe that sorry-ass smirk off your face, you're going to need it!"

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Snow Angel Prompt List

Prompts for Snow Angel by Renee Rapp, practice good reblog karma and sent a prompt or two to the person you reblog this from

Don't think I could love you more

I'm takin' everything I see as a sign

I know it's crazy but what if it's right

I'm here again, talking myself out of my own happiness

I think I talk too much

And if it rains, then it rains and we'll be over by May

Do you still wanna be with me?

I was just a tourist, you got to be a big hometown hero

As far as I'm concerned, they should just burn the whole city down

How'd you make me hate Boston?  It's not its fault that you don't love me

Had its charm but it lost it, it’s not its fault just a casualty

Family confrontation, probably started 'cause my name was mentioned

How'd you make me hate Boston? The whole thing is haunted

And you're all over every single street

You get on my nerves, you're so fucking annoying, you could poison poison

I didn't wanna have to use the knife behind your back to go and flip the script

But unlucky for you, I am that bitch

And yes, I am a feminist but bitch, you're making it so hard for me to always be supporting all women

You're the worst bitch on the Earth, I hate you and your guts

I think you should shut the fuck up and die

Never know who you're gonna get, we’re in love, or we never met

I exist on a pendulum, swingin' high or swingin' low

You're so fucking perfect, how come I'm not feeling more?

Hope this doesn't make you insecure but yesterday was heaven, now I'm bored

I bet you're sick of it, believe me, so am I

But really, I should just be better to you

First to arrive last to leave, what's misery without company

I'll make it through the winter if it kills me

I can make it faster if I hurry

But if it kills me I tried

Smiles hide what secrets keep, can't tell a lie if you never speak

Look in the mirror she looks like me, but half alive and twice as weak

I tried so hard, I came so far, I met a boy, he broke my heart

I blame him cuz it's easier

I still look for him in her

The seasons change, addiction’s strange

I loved back then what I hate today

I wish I went a different way, but if I went back I would do the same

I found out from a friend of a friend that you're here again

What gives you the right to come back to the city that I live in?

So what now?  Should we talk?

If we run into each other on the street should I keep walking?

Do you lie and say you don't wanna see me again?

Both of us like to pretend so we feel like we're cool

Yes, I said I hated you and those little dimples, too

Still I'm like what the hell, why the hell didn't you call me yet?

If I miss your call, I'm gonna cry

There's an old song I wrote for you, it was everything you'd want it to be

You are my one, you set my world on fire

I know there's heaven, but we must be higher

I would have have sang it to you soft and sweet, you'd want it every anniversary

Why'd you have to mess it all up?  Why'd you have to burn it all down?

You say that I'm your favourite, with your hand between my thighs

Tell me if you were gonna, that I would be the one you tried

So you inch a little closer, say your boyfriend, he wouldn't mind

You think that I'd be flattered, it’s pathetic, 'cause you're right

In the PM, all the pretty girls, they have a couple drinks all the pretty girls, so now they wanna kiss all the pretty girls, they got to have a taste of a pretty girl

In the AM all the pretty girls act like it never happened in another world, yeah, it's a blessing and it's a curse so keep on pretending, pretty girl

Yeah, your boyfriend's cute, oh shit, yeah, he can come too, you'll be his in the morning anyway

Maybe I should try religion, cause Jesus, you're hard to rely on

Now my tummy hurts, he’s in love with her

For what it's worth, they'd make beautiful babies and raise them up to be a couple of fucking monsters like their mother and their father

I just want some recognition for having good tits and a big heart

I can't believe I let you hit it, in hindsight, that might be the worst part

But for what it's worth, he's her problem now, baby

Someone's gonna hurt your little girl like you hurt me

I was ten years old when I realized some goodbyes are forever

How can the person who taught me to breathe take their last breath right in front of me?

Oh, the older we get, the colours they change, yeah, hair turns to gray, but the blues here to stay

I wish I could still see the world through those eyes

Stay a little longer, I’m not ready for you to go

I have been mourning since ten years old

I know it's hard to slow down when there's still more to go

Wanna ask how you're doing and mean it, I mean it

Willow, I'll cry for you

And nobody thinks they should save her cause she's doing well

365 days later, I still haven't learned to calm down

But tomorrow I turn twenty-three and it feels like everyone hates me

So how old do you have to be to live so young and careless

My wish is that I cared less at twenty-three

Like happy birthday, are you alone?

I hope that I'll see twenty-four

I hope I'll understand me more

I hope that I can care less, but I'm afraid to care less

[rebelren]

Saw this post, which mentions the movie at the end, and I just have to say:

I fucking love the Scarlet Pimpernel.

I loved the book growing up (haven't reread it so I don't know how I'd feel about it now), but I just rewatched what - to me - is The Version, the one from 1982 featuring Jane Seymour, Anthony Andrews, and Ian McKellen.

(I hadn't even realised that Chauvelin was Ian McKellen because I don't think I knew who McKellen was when I first watched the movie! So wild to see him that young!)

The movie doesn't follow the plot of the (first) book, but I don't care because I love it so much. This was the absolute height of romance to me when I first watched it, and I carry a great deal of fondness for it even now. Watching it again was a delight, and the aspects I love still worked for me despite being much more Aware of Things than I used to be.

A quick aside about Paul Chauvelin: He's got an unbudging fanatical sort of patriotism, of course, a dogged determination even when faced with what must be near-certain defeat at the end. But it also feels like there is a kind of genuine disappointment in him, an inability to understand how someone he considers a like mind could look at their reality and arrive at a different conclusion. There's a sort of fading/lost hope as the woman he loved (maybe truly, once upon a time) moves beyond his reach. I don't like him, especially the way he touches Marguerite (there's so much presumption), but I think McKellen does a great job.

But on to the things I love most.

Jane Seymour

She is just... so luminously beautiful in this role. My (deeply unaware) baby queer heart fell for her immediately, and present me can confirm that, like Percy, I too would probably fall in love with her upon our first meeting.

Not only is she stunning, she's passionate and determined and will use every ounce of her considerable acting skill to keep Chauvelin at bay. She loves fiercely and is loyal to those she loves. She will go to the ends of the earth to defend them, will stand in defiance against her country itself if it means protecting them.

Her portrayal of Marguerite is fantastic, warm and furious and bitingly cold and deliriously happy and courageous in turns. The transition from the glowing, joyous woman on her wedding day to the one who says, "I've lost my husband's love, and I don't know why..." is absolutely heartbreaking.

Once she discovers the truth about the husband she loves but has not fully understood until this second, she does not hesitate a moment to fling herself into action, risking everything to bring him home safely.

She's marvelous and lovely and brave, and my baby queer self had good fucking taste.

Anthony Andrews

Truthfully, even without Jane Seymour, Anthony Andrews alone might make this my favourite movie adaptation.

To me, he embodies the character like no other actor has (that I've seen, at any rate).

He is foppish as hell, a beautiful dandy, ever fantastically dressed and perfectly poised, the darling of society.

He is also the bravest and most daring of English noblemen, risking his life near-daily to save people from the guillotine.

Simultaneously.

And he portrays it so well, with all these levels and layers to his performance, especially in his role as popular society man Sir Percy Blakeney, baronet. (Baronet?)

I feel like other depictions I've seen have either been too foppish or too serious, never inhabiting both roles equally well, never managing to shift between them and meld them in a convincing way.

Andrews' Sir Percy can go from vacant eyes to the sharpest of gazes in a flash, can transform in an instant from a social butterfly with gloriously ridiculous affectations to a low-voiced mastermind with nerves of steel. It's like he can become a whole new person before one's eyes just from a change in stance or expression or pitch.

I swear I've not seen anyone else manage to convey so many emotions and variations in the role, and he makes it look effortless. He makes me believe, at least for those 142 minutes, that he is everything his legend says he is and more.

And who knows? Maybe it's not as good as I think. Maybe it's just that I saw it at the right time in my life and was convinced and bewitched so thoroughly that my nostalgic impression persists to this day.

Maybe.

But whatever the cause, whatever the reason I feel this way, I felt it all over again when I watched the movie again recently.

And that? The ability of this movie, which came out before I was even born, to affect me that way years ago and still today?

That's fucking magic.

Just.

THIS FUCKING MOVIE.

The End.

[hyunrun]

mommy issues below 🐱

me when I'm third wheeling my mum and sister 😔 like ok I alr knew she was the favourite child you didn't also need to make me walk behind you on the very wide sidewalk 😂😂

my mum also got mad at me for being a considerate person 😶 apparently I'm acting too 'righteous' and asking her to not be in the way of old people is annoying her BC 'they can walk around us'

If I tried to explain to her that my social awareness is so high strung because I feel constantly anxious I know she'll shoot me down because she has diagnosed anxiety and she doesn't feel like that (let's forget that these things are not the same for everyone 😋)

and then once we pick up my little sister I have to watch her hug her and kiss her and whatever when a few hours earlier she shook off my hand for trying to hold her hand while we were walking 🐱

i know she loves me but sometimes she makes it really hard to believe that the love she holds for me measures up to the love she holds for my sister. i feel a little more like a failed experiment.

I don't want to feel bad because her period is starting soon so maybe she's just snappy because of that. I'm not even angry at her I'm just sad and mad at myself for being stupid and always getting on her nerves (I am a little mad at her but I don't want to be because we'd only get in a fight if I am and then I'd just feel worse when I lose it because I'd never try to win a fight w her because she'd probably kick me out on the streets for a night 😼😎).

sitting across her on the verge of tears at a restaurant and she hasn't noticed yet because she's too busy doing something (literally idk what they're on her phone) w my sister but to give her credit I'm good at looking like I'm not crying when I'm crying

sometimes I feel like it's just a bit of retribution for me causing her hell before and after I was born but sometimes I want to disappear from this earth just so my family has an easier time I'm really tired of feeling like a constant burden and annoyance.

i always want to be like my sister too and it sucks but she's so cool for being 11. she's so self assured and strong and literally everything I'm not which is so embarrassing. whenever we meet Anyone all my mum cares to say about her is positive in comparison to my negative and I hate it so much because I just have to smile through my teeth. but I also love my sister too much to condemn her for it BC she's so talented and pretty and amazing and deserves everything she has but I just wished I had it too. even socially she's so graceful. i love people so much and I care too much and I run after them and stick to them and act like a leech just because I love them but I feel like everyone slips between my fingers but on the other hand my sister is so chill and doesn't need people around her but somehow is so magnetic and wonderful that people flock around her anyway.

my mum always jokes about the fact that she had to put so much effort into knowing kids' parents when I was younger BC she had to arrange playdates n stuff for me and I feel so bad and disgusting but I know it was just the reality but idk.

i feel like I'm about to hyperventilate and cry but my mum wants me to give her a leg massage and my dad wants me to video call him so I'll be back later ig 😋 (future me - my mum yelled a time for taking too long to give her the leg massage (I wasnt going to her because I was about to cry) and my dad was too sleepy to see I was upset (not his fault) so that was fun) anyway I'm tired of writing this post because I seem so annoying so if anyone reads this far then 🙏⁉️ this is embarrassing but ty for sticking around haha

[writteninscarlet]

🖤 Clint ;)

send 🖤 and my character will answer about yours. ;; accepting

attractiveness:

repulsive / hideous / ugly / not attractive / unappealing / not unattractive / meh / no preference / ok / mildly attractive / nice looking / cute / adorable / attractive / pleasant on the eyes / good looking / hot / sexy ("Don't tell him though. Not with that ego.")/ beautiful / gorgeous / hot damn / would tap that ("Not the words I'd use.")/ perfect ("Though who could be closer to perfection than Clint Barton?" the sarcasm is strong in this one)/ godlike / holy fuck there are no words.

“He’s lucky purple is his colour considering how often he’s bruised,” she mused, smirking. “But really— he’s capable, determined, smart and creative. And he does have good looks. I believe he’s attractive.”

personality:

grating / irritating ("The jokes can be bad. All I'm saying.")/ frustrating ("I don't know anyone who gets injured more. Look after yourself, damn it.")/ boring / confusing at best / awkward / unreasonable / psychotic / disturbing / interesting / engaging / affectionate / aggressive / ambitious / anxious / artistic / bad tempered / bossy / charismatic / appealing / unappealing / creative / courageous / dependable / unreliable / unpredictable / predictable / devious / dim / extroverted / introverted / egotistical / gregarious / fabulous / impulsive / intelligent / sympathetic / talkative / up beat / peaceful / calming / badass / flexible.

“Bad jokes and quips aside? He’s accident and danger prone, and incredibly reckless,” she remarked, everything coming to her quickly and easily. Not the first time she’d said such things. “But he can be really amusing. He’s easy to talk to. His creativity and ability to make those arrows? It’s impressive. As is his dedication. You’re not an archer able to keep up witches and gods for no reason. He might be impulsive but he’s kind and generous, too.”

how likely they would have sex with them:

not if they were the last person on earth and the world was ending / fuck no! / never / no way / not likely / not sure / indifferent / I’m asexual / maybe / probably / it depends / fairly likely / likely / yeah sure / yes / would tap that ("Not my words...") / hell yes / fuck yes! / wishing that could happen right now / as many times as possible / we are already having sex.

“Well, I’m not sure you’re supposed to think of team mates in that way?” Says Wanda, who’d married a team mate and dated more. But this being Clint… “Well, he’s not hearing it from me, but YEAH. He’s attractive. He has a good personality. I trust him and we have fun together. So, yes.”

level of friendship:

never in a million years / worst of enemies / enemies / rivals / indifferent / neutral / acquaintance / friendly toward each other / casual friends / friends / good friends / best friends ("At least, I view him that way")/ fuck buddies / bosom buddies / practically the same person / would die for them / true friends / my only friend.

“There’s not many I trust or like more than Clint,” she remarked, sincerely. After all, they’d been fighting alongside each other for… a long time. Joining the Avengers as a teen, going into her twenties? Was weird. And scary after being a villain. But Clint had been there. “I trust him with almost everything. He’s a brilliant friend.”

first impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

“Annoying. Loud. Making bad jokes.” She thought back to joining the Avengers, the first time she’d really come to know Clint. He had been loud and obnoxious. But…. She’d trusted him. Because he was a good man. And they’d gotten along well. She’d been curious, maybe. Sometimes his humour was what they had needed to get through things, and from the start she’d gone to him with issues.

current impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

“Like I said, there’s not many people I like more than Clint. He’s had his issues in the past,” who hasn’t, “and can still irritate me with a single look. But he can make me feel better with a look, too. When I want to gossip or vent or I’m looking to catch up, I’d be happy to go to Clint. He’s really important to me.”