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ot7always · 4 years ago

Text

My Fair Lady

Word Count: 8.1k

Pairing: Crown Prince!Taehyung x Captain of the Guard!Reader

Genre: Historical/Fantasy AU, fluff, smut, angst

Warnings: Sparring (swordfight/fistfight), I’ve literally never fenced in my life I’m sorry for any errors, pining, mentions of battle scars, angst angst angst, angsty sex, crying during sex (and not in a sexy way), unprotected sex, oral (f receiving), fingering, it’s super angsty but I promise it’ll be okay

Rating: 18+

Summary: His brother unable to spar with him that day, Crown Prince Taehyung comes to you in need of a partner.

A/N: This fic was such a wild ride of a writing experience, and I literally lost chunks of writing because of my laptop crashing multiple times. But this fic is my baby, please let me know what you think!

Huge thanks to @wwilloww for beta reading for me, and also @peekaboongi for crying with me as I wrote.

Tagging @moonmintrails @ppersonna @irissilujm @dee-ehn

Masterlist

You gaze swept across the palace training grounds, hands clasped firmly behind your back. You watched as your soldiers trained, whether it be alone or with each other, and kept an eye out for any glaring errors – incorrect form, weak footwork, and the like.

As the youngest Captain of the Guard in history, it was your duty to ensure each of your soldiers, men and women alike, were in prime condition. Though the position was not passed through bloodlines, you had taken over from your father following his retirement from duty. He was a very well-respected man, and you were determined not to disappoint him. You would continue to prove time and time again that you deserved the honour of your place.

You kept your eyes forward even as you sensed a tall presence settle beside you, taking on a similar stance to your own.

“My Lady,” a deep voice greeted. Your nose crinkled at the title. While it was true your family was of noble station, you much preferred to be addressed as “Captain.” You sought to distance yourself from your cousins who enjoyed hosting fancy balls and tittering about the latest messenger visiting from overseas.

You gave the man beside you a brief once-over, eyes quickly returning to your soldiers in the field. The Crown Prince was looking particularly fresh today, white cotton shirt laced neatly and tucked into black pants that moulded to him like water. His dark curls appeared freshly washed, small tendrils swaying in the wind, having escaped the small tie at the nape of his neck. He smelled suspiciously of lavender. Perhaps he had been delving into his sister’s perfumes once again.

“Your Highness,” you nodded curtly, ignoring the pang in your chest at his appearance. While you tried to put up a good front, you were not immune to the Prince’s charms.

“You know I don’t like when you call me that,” he smiled bashfully at his feet before turning the entirety of his attention to you. “I am in need of a favour,” he continued, gaze imploring.

“What can I do for you, Your Highness?” you responded, suppressing a smirk when you heard him sigh at your words. Having grown up around him, even sharing lessons and training together before you surpassed his abilities, you would consider the two of you friends – more, even. However, you had an image to keep up, barriers that needed to be kept in place lest anyone question your ability to prioritize the royal family’s safety without distraction.

“I require a sparring partner.”

“Do you forget yourself, Your Highness?” you grinned at the notion. Not many dared to challenge you to a fight, and the last time Taehyung matched you in skill he was perhaps a foot or two shorter.

“I beg of you, Captain. My brother is feeling out of sorts and I am in need of a distraction. I have been meeting with courtiers all morning and I cannot begin to express how tiring-”

“He’s taken ill?” you cut in, eyes wide and tone laced with concern as you finally turned to give the Prince your undivided attention. His younger brother was only 15, and you had developed a soft spot for the boy over the years. The plague which tended to come and go from your Kingdom was no joke. While many recovered, many more slowly but surely lost their lives.

“Don’t worry yourself too much, My Lady. Our doctors have assured us it is simply a minor ailment.” His heart warmed at your obvious affection for his brother, knowing how much you cherished his younger siblings. He wondered whether he himself held a similar place in your heart. “Let’s not concentrate on that which will resolve itself quickly in time. Rather, I am still in dire need of a partner. Please?” he appeased, giving you his best impression of a pout. You tried not to crack a smile at the resemblance to his sister.

Your hesitation did not last long – you found it difficult to deny Taehyung anything, not that he asked much of you very often. “Very well, then. Though, we are not exactly dressed for the occasion, are we?” you chuckled, meeting his eyes. It was true. Having only recently left a meeting with those who would accompany Their Majesties to town the next day, you were dressed in a white blouse, dark leather bodice laced on top. While your leather boots allowed for sufficient footwork, the suppressed movement of your torso was not exactly ideal for a fight.

“We both know that you are more than capable of fighting in such attire. Come,” he said, giving you no time to refuse before you were led to the central combat ring. The ring was often used to host friendly tournaments and was clearly visible from any spot in the field.

“Are you so keen to showcase your defeat to my entire squadron?” you teased, shooting the Prince a grin as you caught the foil he tossed to you. Light, thin, and dull, it ensured you did not cause any serious injury lest you accidentally hit him. Cotton, after all, was not the most ideal material to prevent bruising. As for you? Well, you didn’t plan on getting hit anyway.

You took up your position opposite him, bent slightly at the knee, sword in hand, opposing hand clenched comfortably behind your back. You watched as Taehyung settled into the same posture. You clicked your tongue in disapproval upon seeing his form. Shoulders tense already, you sighed. Well, you would just have to see if he fixed his error later on.

“Ready when you are, Sweet Prince,” you smirked, exhaling a laugh as his face flushed. It was a nickname given to him by the men and women he’d seduced and bedded over the years. Even if he’d invited them into his bed only once and never again, they never stopped singing his praises. A part of you was desperate to know what he did to impress them.

“I don’t have all day, Your Highness,” you called out, smile slowly lighting up your face at his embarrassment. A lie, of course. If he asked you to stand there and wait for hours while you simply stared at each other you would do it. You liked to tell yourself it was because of your royal duty, but in reality you had never been able to say no to him, even in your childhood. There was something so charming yet shy, so mature yet naïve about him, that had you wishing for his happiness at every moment. He was a walking contradiction you wanted nothing more than to solve.

Having collected himself, Taehyung launched himself at you quickly, sword flying its way toward your shoulder – easily parried. You figured the two of you would ease into a proper match. After all, neither of you were properly warmed up, and you refused to listen to the Prince’s complaining of sore muscles if you could avoid it.

You remained light on your feet, focusing solely on defending against his basic lunges rather than attempting to retaliate. That would come in time. It wouldn’t be so enjoyable if you didn’t toy with him just a little, right?

After several minutes of rather simple steps, you figured you were ready to break a sweat. The next time his blade swung at you, you batted it aside and thrust your own at his chest, tip poking into his shirt before he could even blink.

“Come now, Your Highness. Shall we see what my father taught you?” you taunted, backing away to your original position. Your heart warmed when you saw the fire light in his eyes at the challenge, his playful expression temporarily replaced by sheer focus. You couldn’t conclude which was more handsome.

The next time he flew at you, it was with newfound ardour, the clink of metal on metal a familiar symphony to your ears. The Prince was skilled, you would give him that. Not that you were surprised – you recalled a time in his youth when he dedicated himself fully to training in this exact spot.

You gave yourself fully to your reflexes, blade swinging left, right, and circling round as you blocked his attacks. Quickly side-stepping a stab toward your neck, you grinned. Despite your original hesitance, you were enjoying yourself. Seeing the sweat form on Taehyung’s brow from his effort, you were happy to see him dedicate himself to something so completely. His technique focused on agility over power, something well-suited to his long limbs and lean muscle. You were the same – fight smart, not hard, your father used to tell you.

Backing away suddenly, Taehyung pouted slightly as he caught his breath. “I can tell that you are going easy on me, Captain. At least try to hit me, I swear to you that I can handle it.” You chuckled at his words.

“Very well, Your Highness. Though if I may point out, perhaps it would serve you better if you relaxed your muscles more. How can you expect to hit me when your shoulder fails to follow through?” you chided. Taehyung bit his lip at your words.

“My apologies, Captain. I find it difficult when I am near you.” Your brows furrowed, unsure whether you heard correctly. He has trouble relaxing around you? You preferred not to pick apart such a statement.

In answer, you lunged at him, a tide of satisfaction flowing through you when he moved immediately in response. You allowed him to continue on the offensive, though this time you followed up every few parries with a riposte, ensuring you never actually hit him with your blade.

Steel was flying through the air so fast it was a blur, your focus lying solely on the flurry of blades between your bodies. You quickly lost track of time, though based on the slight burn in your calves the activity must have gone on for quite a while.

It became almost like a rhythm – feet dancing, you blocked thrice, circling around for a responding thrust. Little did you know, in your focus you missed Taehyung’s wistful glances as he took in your appearance – gaze sharp, hair around your face flying as it escaped your tight knot at the back.

While you did your best not to make contact, your efforts were not perfect. Because as the Prince stepped left rather than right as you had expected, your blade made full and hard contact with his abdomen, confirmed by the faint oof that accompanied the motion. Broken out of your trance, you stared wide-eyed. “My apologies-”

You let down your guard for only a moment, but it was enough for him to swipe your blade aside, his own resting right between your collarbones. Raising your eyes to meet his own, you found only a grin, no sign of pain. That little-

“KIM TAEHYUNG!!!” you bellowed, ignoring the nearby gasps at your blatant show of disrespect. The eldest soldiers only shook their heads in dismay, having become used to your antics over the years. You whipped the side of his blade with your own, force enough to send it flying out of his grasp. “I was worried about you!” you shouted, stalking your way over to his retreating body, met only by a full-bodied laugh and hands raised to defend himself.

He took hold of your shoulders, keeping you at arms’ length as you glared up at him. The look only sent him into another fit of laughter. “The look on your face was magnificent, Captain,” he snickered, ignoring the betrayal on your face. “I’m perfectly fine, also. You needn’t worry so much-”

“Oh, you will not be fine by the time I’m done with you, Your Highness,” you seethed, picking up his discarded blade only to chuck it at him with just a little more force than necessary. “If you wanted a fight, Kim Taehyung, you’ve found one. I will pray for your recovery.”

Taking up your position for the third time of the afternoon, you scanned his features opposite you. He had no blaring weak spots, though you would be surprised if he did after all his years of training. He was fast, though you would bet that you were faster. Defeating him at his full capabilities would not be extremely easy, but if you gave it perhaps 80% you supposed you could be done within minutes.

“Any last words?” you goaded, grinning at the fleck of worry that crossed his face. “You look afraid, Your Highness.”

“It is perhaps in my best interest to remain a bit afraid, My Lady,” he chuckled lightly, eyes keen as they awaited your first movement. The narrowed your eyes, taking him in, planning your actions. He’s not wrong, you thought. Everyone in this field was just a little bit afraid.

Taehyung jumped when your blade made contact with his own, a high-pitched screech ringing out as he fought you off. You gave him no time to contemplate his own actions before you lunged relentlessly at him, delivering strike after strike without pause. He was forced to remain on the defensive, putting in his full effort to parry and step away in time.

Despite his struggle, you were impressed he was able to keep up with you as well as he was. He’s been training more, you noted. His improvement was clear compared to the last time you fought only several months ago. However, in a game of stamina, you were sure to win.

The top of your bodice dug sharply into your chest as your breaths quickened, but you were no stranger to discomfort. Over time you had learned to put aside such trivial things. Aches and pains were part of your job, and you’d be damned if you didn’t do it well.

Unwilling to let go of your pride, your steps quickened, Taehyung’s blade moving frantically to keep up but inevitably slowing slightly as you did not give him time to breathe. If you hadn’t focused all of your energy into this alone with no distractions, you perhaps would have poked fun at him.

When his sword arm lagged only slightly behind, arms slightly too wide, slightly too open, you struck hard. Batting his blade to the side only centimetres above where he held it in his grasp, you simpered, watching his shocked face as his blade went flying. His eyes darted between you and the blade, metres away, seemingly contemplating whether to give up or to pounce on it.

“What now, Little Prince? If this were a battlefield, would you simply cower in fear?” you coerced, eyes predatory. Perhaps it was sadistic of you, but you relished in the look of dismay in Taehyung’s face. He’d been thoroughly defeated – it was only a matter of how long you would draw it out.

Tossing your own foil to the side, you stretched your limbs before beckoning him over, fists positioned in front of you. It was a petty move and you knew it, for soldiers were much more well-versed in hand-to-hand combat than the Crown Prince, who was known to favour his swords and bows.

Taehyung had no complaints, however. A fight was a fight, after all. As he came after you with one, two, three jabs to your chest, you danced aside as you evaded easily. The difference in speed between his punches and sword thrusts were clear, the former much less practiced than the latter.

You unfortunately had not thought this idea through, because your options for victory without injuring the Prince were limited. While you were aware Taehyung would not mind, it would not be the best image for you to beat the life out of the Kingdom’s Crown Prince in open view of a squadron sworn to protect him.

“Are you so eager for my company that you would draw this out?” he joked, a weak punch toward your face easily shoved out of the way by your forearm. “Or perhaps you find pleasure in cornering me, My Lady?”

“You think so highly of yourself, Your Highness. Is it so disconcerting to find yourself put in your place every so often?”

“Quite the opposite, I think. I’ve never enjoyed myself so much,” he beamed, eyes shining. “I’ve quite missed you, Captain.” You faltered at the admission. While you loved to give him a hard time, you knew he was well aware of your fondness for him. However, you don’t believe you’ve ever said something so forthright to each other, and the statement awakened something in you that you thought you had buried deep.

Noting your slightly frozen state, Taehyung charged at you. However, you would not be fooled twice. The audacity of this man-

Twisting your arm to grab hold of his, you leaped forward. Suddenly taking the force of your full weight, Taehyung had nowhere to go but down, groaning as his back thudded against the canvas floor. Knee digging itself into the Prince’s ribcage below you, you sighted your previously discarded blade nearby. Grabbing hold of it, you held it to his throat.

“Yield,” you whispered, words escaping you much softer than intended. He made no effort to move, only staring up into your face with unspeakable emotion.

“And what if I am happy where I am, My Lady?” he murmured, taking in your appearance. Chest heaving, escaped hair wet with sweat, blouse crinkled – you were perhaps the finest sight he’d ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on. Though his words might have been taken for humour, you saw the look on his face. He didn’t even attempt to mask the desire, shameless through and through.

Before you could even think to respond, smatterings of applause broke out across the field at your victorious display, though they could not even begin to understand what was happening between the two of you. Moment broken, you quickly hopped up, helping Taehyung to his feet but avoiding his gaze. You were afraid to admit how much your heart fluttered when you heard his words, afraid of how much it would hurt when you would be forced to walk away and never speak of this moment again.

It was for the best.

“Y/N,” he called out softly, hands reaching for your own, but maintaining a respectful distance. Your eyes flew up to meet his, unused to hearing your own name in the palace nowadays. The look he gave you was honest, sincere. “Do you feel this too?”

You paused. Though he didn’t quite say what this meant, you could guess. In fact, his knowing gaze told you he only wanted you to admit what he already knew. The man had always been perceptive, and you had more memories with him than with your own family. You were certain he was familiar with your every expression. After all, you could write novels about his face – the way his eyes shone in his passion, the way the corners of his lips twitched when he was repressing a scowl.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Pleading ignorance was the best defense. Admitting to your desires was foolish, and would not change your circumstances. You knew this was deeper than physical desires, but that just made it all the more impossible. Princes were destined for arranged marriage – nobody could simply form a relationship with a future King, least of all the soldier who has pledged her life to his parents. No, a proper relationship was not within the realm of possibility. But neither could you lay with the Crown Prince in good conscience – how would the public trust you to put the King and Queen’s safety above all else if you were warming their Prince’s bed?

Every option to act on your desires was fated for failure.

Taehyung’s hands moved from your palms to your wrists, his thumbs pressing into your pulse firmly. “Your heart is racing,” he murmured, eyes staring into your own as though he knew your every secret. “Why do you hide it?”

“You know why,” you stated, voice soft. “Of course I feel it, but it matters not.” The admission coming from your own lips shocked you. You had danced around each other for years, orbiting each other like binary stars, but you’d never admitted your attraction to him.

“It matters to me,” he whispered, thumb stroking at the soft skin of your wrists with care. “Come to my chambers after dinner.”

Your brows shot up at the suggestion. This was not a light request. You were no longer children, no longer laughed in his company until the maids shooed you away, chiding you for making so much noise.

This was real. As much as you grew to accept your desires, you had never even fathomed acting on them. Not when you knew it couldn’t last – not when your reputation, perhaps even your position, were at stake. “Your Highness, I couldn’t possibly-”

“Please,” he begged, staring into you with an expression you would liken to a puppy begging for scraps. You attempted to turn away, but he only followed. “Please,” he repeated, noting your conflicted expression. It was hard to deny him anything when he was looking at you like that, but even harder to deny yourself when every part of you wanted nothing more than to say yes.

“Very well,” you breathed, sealing your fate. “I shall come when the clock strikes eight, Your Highness.”

You couldn’t do it. As much as your heart craved him more than anything, you couldn’t. He was untouchable. If you were any other person, if you were just a court lady, you would jump at the chance. It wasn’t a secret that the Prince has had many partners, and nobody gave it a second thought. But to be with you?

It was improper. Impossible. How could you be trusted to do your duty fully and objectively if you’d laid with the Crown Prince?

After bathing, you made your way to his bedchambers, clad only in a loose blouse and cotton pants, hair flowing freely around your shoulders, still wet. You could not join him in his bed, but he at least deserved a rejection in person rather than your absence.

Knocking lightly on the door, you were startled when it swung open, your arm still raised. He gave you such a sweet smile it was almost painful, still dressed in his earlier attire but hair loose around his face. You stepped into the room, taking in its appearance, having not seen the room in years. It smelled of him, of vanilla and lavender and musk, a scent you would breathe for the rest of your life if it was possible. The room was exactly as you remembered it, mostly barren if not for the set of throwing knives on display – a gift from your father for the Prince’s coming-of-age.

“I’m so glad you came-”

“I’m sorry,” you cut him off, turning to face him. “I came to put a stop to this before it’s begun, Your Highness. You're trying to start something that will be too painful to cease.” Your words struck him, and it physically pained you to see his face transform from excitement to distress.

“But I am not imagining what we have, am I? I have longed for you for years. Am I wrong to think you have too?” he pleaded.

“It doesn’t matter what I want, Your Highness. We can’t possibly do this – think about it. Not only that, I cannot have the palace thinking I earned my position through your bed. There are so many reasons we cannot – I want you but I cannot have you!” You didn’t mean to raise your voice, but you couldn’t help it in your grief. Eyes brimming with unshed tears of frustration, it hurt to look at him standing so close, and yet so out of reach.

At your anguish, Taehyung reached for your face, thumbs wiping away the tears you didn’t even notice had fallen. His tenderness only sent another wave of sorrow through you, chest heavy. “I’m sorry. I know it was selfish to call you here. I know this is easier for me than you. Please forget I ever asked.”

“I know it’s wrong, but...”

“But?” he urged gently.

“Is it so foolish that I want it anyway?” you whispered. You looked at him wide-eyed, gaze pained, searching his face as if it held the answers to the universe. For you, perhaps it did.

“Y/N...” he begun, the sweet sound of your name coming from his lips the final nail in your coffin. Denying that you wanted this more than anything would be the greatest lie you’ve ever told. It was brash, and stupid, and irresponsible, but you wanted to feel this at least once. You wanted to indulge in his touch, his affection. You needed to feel his hands on you, his mouth on your skin, and you didn’t know if you would ever be brave enough to accept him again if you didn’t do it now.

“It can only be once. Nobody can know.” You couldn’t risk the noblewomen catching on to your activities. They were unusually observant, and you didn’t doubt their abilities to discern your relationship with even the faintest of hints. Taehyung knew better than anybody that the palace ladies treated gossip as currency, and word traveled especially quickly on matters involving him. He nodded at your words, but the grave look on his face told you he wished things were different.

“I will cherish our time together, My Lady” he breathed, but his conflicted expression spoke volumes. “We don’t have to do this-”

You shook your head, closing the space between you until your chests were pressed together. Stomach in knots and chest tight, you ran your fingers along his broad chest and down to his abdomen before wrapping them loosely around his waist. You would savour every touch, make note of every expression, save away every delightful noise from his lips, and you would pray for it to be enough to satiate you for a lifetime. Because it had to be.

Tilting your head back to meet his eyes, your heart nearly leapt from your throat at the look on his face. The adoration, the warmness – but most of all, the pain. This was torture for both of you, and you knew it. It was selfish and self-destructive, but the two of you always seemed to bring out both the best and the worst in each other.

Without speaking, you reached up to grab hold of his head, yanking it down to smash your lips together without ceremony. He responded with fervor, moving against you, arms tugging until there was not even a millimetre of space between your bodies. You tried not to think about the desperation in your movements, the saltiness of the tears still present on your face. You dragged your hands over the planes of his chest and down to his biceps, nails digging in slightly when he bit at your bottom lip.

Harshly tugging his shirt from his waistband, you traced your nails up his bare skin, relishing in the uneven breath he let out in response. You would dedicate yourself to memorizing every inch of him. Every dip, every curve would be ingrained in your mind for eternity, your hands tracing patterns into his skin like a brush on canvas.

He did the same to you, his large hands finding their way beneath your blouse and chemise, lifting them both above your head to toss them to the floor. You were bare underneath, having planned to leave for your own bedchambers only minutes after arriving. He sucked in a breath at the sight of you on display entirely for him. His careful fingers traced the scars on your abdomen, accumulated through years of training and fighting on the frontlines. While ugly, you were not ashamed – these were proofs to others and to yourself that you would put your Kingdom above all else.

Bending at the knee, he traced his mouth down your jaw, down your throat, kissing you reverently as he continued his path. Passing over your breasts, he moved lower to mouth gently at the scars littering your belly, his gentle presses causing new tears to spring to your eyes. Was this how it felt to be worshipped? To be loved?

Taehyung took in the sorrow painting your features, but did not comment. There was nothing to be said – he understood perfectly. Perhaps if he pressed his face more firmly into the softness of your skin, he would spare you having to see the twin look of despair he was unable to hide.

Sliding a hand into his hair, you softly brushed it away from his face, gently pulling his chin up to look at you. Your heart wrenched at the sight of him, eyes looking at you as though you were a treasure, as though you weren’t the thing causing him so much pain. As though you wouldn’t leave him alone after this.

Tugging lightly at the collar of his shirt, he quickly got the memo, shucking it off in a direction you didn’t see, too focused on what was just revealed to you. If not for the honeyed gold of his skin, you would have been convinced he was carved of marble. You traced the lines of his body, a tiny smile breaking through at the shudder he gave when your nails scratched over his nipples. Though your actions were slow, he did not rush you. He only watched the awe in your gaze, eyes wide as though if you blinked, he would disappear. The childlike wonder in your face warmed his heart, pleased that you would let your guard down here with him.

You blinked out of your stupor at the sensation of a warm hand on your cheek, the sight of Taehyung’s soft grin at your antics lighting a small fire of embarrassment in you. “Bed?” he asked lightly, nuzzling his face into your neck. The hot breaths near your ear sent a shiver down your spine, tugging him ever-so-closer as you nodded in response.

Pulling away from him, you tugged lightly at the drawstrings to your pants, biting your lip when you saw the Prince follow your every movement. Taking his hands into your own, you brought them to your waistband. “Help me,” you breathed, heart racing at the knowledge that you would soon be laid bare to him.

He took a deep breath before releasing the knot at your waist, tugging your pants ever so slowly down your legs. He knelt at your feet, removing the fabric from your ankles until the only cloth left on your body is your underwear. Eyes falling on your face, he thumbed the waistband, looking up at you in question. At your quiet “please,” he removed that too, your folds revealed to him, shiny with your arousal.

Groaning at the sight, Taehyung latched onto your clit before you could even process the movement, the sudden pleasure making you weak in the knees. He sucked at your bud lightly, taking pleasure in the way you sunk your hands into his hair to ground yourself. When you wobbled slightly in your bliss, his left arm rose to hold you steady at the waist.

When his other hand rose to thumb through your folds while his mouth continued its ministrations, you moaned out. Eyes falling down to observe the Prince, the sight brought a small whimper to your lips, your hips grinding down onto him. He looked absolutely sinful, his eyes heavy-lidded as he delved into your heat with such abandon, focused entirely on your pleasure. When he inserted a finger into you, quickly followed by another upon feeling your wetness, you were sure you would have fallen if not for his arm holding you steady.

“What-” you started, but ended up cutting yourself off with a loud moan at the sensation of his fingers scissoring inside you. “What happened to going to bed?” you managed to get out, utterly breathless.

You let out a gasp when he pulled from you abruptly in response, picking you up at the waist and throwing you onto his mattress. You had no time to reprimand him before he was spreading your legs, mouth and fingers returning to you as he joined you on the bed. Any words were stolen from your throat at the stretch of a third finger, your hips bucking up to get closer to the source of your pleasure.

“You taste so good,” he moaned out, panting. You didn’t miss the way he grinded his clothed crotch into the sheets, heat shooting through you at the sight. When his fingers curled inside you, the heat spread throughout your whole body, abdomen tight and walls clenching tightly around his fingers. You were so close to the edge, it would take only one breath before you fell over.

“Give it to me, please,” he pleaded, tongue flicking over your clit as his fingers continued to nudge that spongy spot inside you. Needing no more encouragement, you fell apart, moans forced from your throat, hips grinding against him as he worked you through your orgasm. When a dull ache begun to replace the pleasure, you pulled away from him, pushing him onto his back.

His arousal was clear, his cock straining in his tight pants enough that it must have hurt. Though, his face held no complaint, only dazed wonderment clear on his features, almost as if he still couldn’t believe what was happening. He let out a sharp hiss as your nails traced the outline of his cock, his teeth biting furiously at his bottom lip.

Deciding not to torture him after the ecstasy he brought you, you tugged his pants and underwear down in one go, Taehyung groaning in relief as his cock sprung free. The tip was angry and red, the slit leaking precum. After freeing him of his clothing, you reached out a hand to pump lightly at his cock, noting the way it twitched in your hold. It looked almost painful, the vein running up the underside big and angry.

You began to lower your mouth to him, eager to return the pleasure he gave you, but were halted by a gentle hand on your cheek. “Please,” he begged, “I can’t. I need you,” he expressed all in one breath, eyes pained and needy.

Taking mercy on him, you rose, shifting until you were seated in his lap, mouth seeking his out. He cried out into your mouth at the sensation of your slick folds rocking against him, grinding down onto his cock. Hand reaching down to position him at your entrance, you pulled your face away to watch his as you sunk yourself slowly onto his length. The moan you let out at the stretch was crude, and it didn’t appear that Taehyung was faring any better, his breaths coming in pants, eyes screwed shut.

He’s beautiful like this, you thought, your own eyes wanting to badly to flutter closed, but your need to take in his every expression won out. Your head tipped back in pleasure as you seated yourself fully, moans escaping as you rocked against him, his pelvis pressing into your clit.

Losing yourself in the sensation, you fell forward to bury your face into Taehyung’s neck, his scent only adding to your pleasure. His hips rocked against your own, thrusts shallow, both of you letting out low moans at the movement. The friction against your clit had your abdomen tightening again, his tender hold on your body the best thing you’d ever felt. But as the pleasure reared in on you again, it was at that moment you remembered the totality of your situation.

You would never get this again.

The thought was like ice-water thrown over your head. How could you have forgotten? His cock deep inside you, his hips rising to meet your own, his hand clutching at the small of your back, his moans – it was all temporary.

You shoved your face tightly into his shoulder, hoping your sob would disguise itself as a moan. But at the shaking of your shoulders, Taehyung paused his actions, hand rising to cradle your head. “Y/N?”

“Tae,” you cried out, heart wrenching. It wasn’t lost on him that this was the first time he’s properly heard his name from your lips since your promotion – no teasing, no games. His heart broke at the sound, your sobs guttural, and he wanted nothing more than to take the pain away. The gravity of the situation brought tears to his own eyes, unable to suppress the emotion any longer.

“I know, I’m sorry,” he whispered, your head lifting to meet his glassy eyes. Your eyes were red-rimmed, your lips quivering. This was an agony that only the two of you could ever understand.

“Taehyung, I-” you faltered, choking on a sob. I love you. You couldn’t say it. What good could it bring you now? But your eyes spoke volumes, the emotion clear on your face. He knew how you felt just as much as you knew how he felt.

“I know, I’m sorry,” he repeated, tears finally escaping his eyes as he tugged you closer. There was no way to be more intimate than this, arms cradling each other as you cried, his cock still nestled inside you.

It would have to be enough.

As your bodies shifted minutes later, the friction against you had you shivering, remembering the position you were in. You pulled your head from his neck to gaze at his face, his eyes meeting your own. It hurt, but there was sad acceptance in your eyes, mirrored in his own. You tried to force a small smile onto your face, but you were unsure whether it appeared as a grimace. You instead elected to press a soft kiss to his lips, eyes falling closed as he returned it.

You rocked your hips together slowly, relishing in the light sighs and quiet moans of the other. Your movements were tender, careful, full of love and affection you would never get the chance to verbalize. When you felt your release creeping up on you again, you arched your back, grinding into his pelvis. Wanting to help you along, Taehyung grabbed hold of your hips, holding you steady as he thrusted up into you, every so often holding himself deep, grinding against you. The emotion of it all had your breath caught in your throat, your orgasm washing over you in gentle waves as you writhed against his body.

You could tell he was coming undone, his thrusts erratic, breaths heavy as he pulled away from you to leave open-mouthed kisses on your collarbone. You moaned at the overwhelming sensation of his movements so soon after your orgasm, but you wouldn’t dare rob him of his pleasure. Not now, not like this.

Groaning loudly, you felt his cock twitch inside you as he continued his thrusts, feeling the warmth of his release coating your walls. He shook in your arms, and you couldn’t bring yourself to confirm whether he was overwhelmed with pleasure or sorrow.

Letting out a whine as you pulled yourself off him, you wiped the mess between your legs on his sheets. His maids would clean for him come sunrise, and you were anxious to escape the room before you lost yourself fully to despair.

You allowed yourself to bask in his presence momentarily, laying alongside him for several minutes before you rose to get dressed. You kept your back to him, unwilling to show weakness despite your vulnerability only moments ago.

“Stay,” he begged, his voice still husky from the passion you’d shared. Your heart sunk at the suggestion. You wanted nothing more than to stay, but every minute you spent here knowing the outcome only shattered you a bit more.

Fully dressed, you made your way to the door. You could still feel where his hands touched you, where his lips pressed against you, where his cock had been inside you. “I’m sorry,” you breathed, misery colouring your tone. You turned to him, taking in his bare appearance for the last time. You stared, hoping to burn the image into your retinas.

“I know,” was his only response. What more was there to say? Your eyes swept over each other, locking this moment away in your hearts forever. Finally, you turned back to the door, turning the knob and stepping out into the hallway without looking back. The sound of the hinge falling into place behind you felt like waking up from a dream, the period at the end of a sentence.

Your tears fell freely and silently as you made your way back to your chambers. Your heart ached a bit more with the increasing distance, every step leaving a piece of you behind.

It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all? You supposed whoever could claim such a thing had never loved like this. Because walking away left your heart in a million pieces, the only glue that could piece you back together still staring at his empty sheets, the dip from where your body once laid still warm to the touch.

Months went by without speaking of that night. The tonic you’d taken upon returning to your room had worked well, your body having bled weeks later. You had still talked to Taehyung – you had to; your duty required it. But the pain never ceased, only dulled. You told yourself you would move on, that there was no use in dwelling. But the heated glances you caught him directing at you, desire and heartbreak in his eyes, always took you right back to that night.

He hadn’t been with anyone since – not that you were listening. You couldn’t help but to overhear the palace ladies gossiping, spreading word of the Crown Prince denying their advances. You didn’t know what to do with the information.

Having just returned from mapping out Their Majesties route to a neighbouring city, you returned your horse to the stables. While not necessary, you much preferred to prepare yourself for every possibility of attack, taking note of any weaknesses in visibility along the path. Every second counts when you’re under attack, after all.

“Captain!” a voice called out to you urgently. Having just handed off your horse to the stablehand, you turned to meet the man, his hands on his knees as if he had just run a mile before coming here. “I have been looking for you everywhere, Captain. Their Majesties have requested your presence in the throne room.” Unusual, since you had met together only this morning, but you would not keep them waiting.

“Thank you, sir. I will head there now.”

You went directly to the throne room, pausing outside to nod to the royal family’s assistant stationed outside. He smiled to you briefly before pushing the door open.

“Captain Y/N to see you, Your Majesties.”

“Let her in, thank you,” a kind, feminine voice rang out.

You stepped inside quickly, taking a knee until the King gestured for you to stand. “I deeply apologize for my appearance, Your Majesties. I had just returned from planning our route for tomorrow and thought it better not to leave you waiting.”

The King smiled at you, the warm-hearted expression reminding you of Taehyung’s. Your chest ached at the thought, but you kept a blank expression. “Hard at work as always, I see. We had something we would like to discuss with you.” At his words, you noticed that not only were the King and Queen present, but Taehyung was stood off to the side as well. Your heartrate increased slightly at the sight of him.

“Your Highness. Forgive my disrespect, I had not seen you there,” you bowed respectfully, ignoring the heat that rushed through you at his appearance. His hair was loose, his outfit form-fitting. He was beautiful. You tried not to think too much on what he looked like beneath the clothes. “What can I do for you, Your Majesties?”

“Captain, my son came to us earlier today with quite the startling proposition,” he began, and your brows furrowed in confusion. When he failed to elaborate, you spoke up.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean, Your Majesty.”

“You see, he came to us in a frenzy and asked, ‘Father, what would you say if I wanted to marry the Captain of the Guard?’” You froze, eyes wide. Marry? You? Taehyung? Your heart pounded violently at the notion.

“Sire, I promise you this was not my idea. I apologize-”

“My dear, do not panic. We are not angry. But we wanted to ask your thoughts.”

“Your Majesties, I couldn’t possibly marry your son.” You made effort not to look at the Prince, lest your composure fail. “I have no lands to offer. No gold, nothing. I cannot offer you any alliance, I cannot bring anything to your family,” you turned to Taehyung, his expression unreadable. “You cannot marry a soldier,” you whispered, heart breaking once again as the possibility was dangled in front of you, lingering just beyond reach.

“Captain, do you know that the people adore you? That they sing your praises when we pass through their villages?” the Queen asked, a bright smile painting her features. Your face grew hot at the mention. “Your soldiers respect you. Your hometown throws festivals in honour of your birthday. Dare I say that you’re more popular than us?” she joked, giggle chiming lightly through the room. Taking in her appearance and mannerisms, it was no question why Taehyung was as handsome and as loved as he was.

“Ma’am, of course not,” you responded, hand raising to awkwardly scratch at your head. You were unsure where she was going with the statement.

“You’ve earned the Kingdom’s trust, Captain. You’re perhaps the most loyal person I’ve ever laid eyes on. Might I also add that you are not just some nobody? Your family has served ours for generations. You are of noble birth,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Do you consider yourself so unworthy?”

You paused at the question. It did not seem to be a trap, and the Queen was certainly not one to be malicious. Glancing around the room, you noted the King and Prince were observing your reaction expectantly. It was not an environment good for your nerves. “A soldier is not fit to be the future Queen,” is the statement you settled for, attempting to maintain a mask of indifference.

“My dear, do you remember what you told me only a few years ago? When I asked you if you were afraid of trying to accomplish what nobody else in history has?” the King’s deep voice rang out. Your gaze snapped up, knowing exactly what he was about to say. Oh no...

“‘Damn history. I will write my own history,’ I think it was.” Chuckles broke out across the room, the Queen tittering, Taehyung snickering. You’d never told Taehyung about that encounter, embarrassment flowing through you every time you thought about it. You focused your gaze on your feet, face burning at the reminder of your words.

“I have since learned to control my words, Sire,” you muttered ashamedly, fingers tangling together.

“Y/N,” the King’s voice called, grabbing your attention once again. “You have guts. Daring. You’re smart, well-trained. And there’s nobody I would trust to guard my life more than you.” You bit your lip at the praise, struggling to hide a proud grin. Being praised by the King was a feat not many experienced. “It would be an honour to call you our daughter.”

You stared, slack-jawed, processing his words. You didn’t notice Taehyung approaching you until his fingers laced with your own, his opposing hand moving to raise your chin. The open affection on his face, the love - it was everything you’d ever dreamed of and nothing you’d ever dared hope for. Your breathing quickened as he sank to his knees in front of you.

“Please,” he beseeched, vulnerability clear on his face. “Spend eternity with me, together. Will you marry me?”

Tears filled your eyes, but for once they were tears of joy, not tears of despair. You dropped to your knees to meet him, arms thrown around his neck. He barely had time to catch you as you threw yourself at him, bodies the closest they’ve been since that night in his bed. Raising your head to lock your eyes on his, you knew the same love you had for him was written all over your face.

“Yes,” you cried, hands raising to cup his jaw. “Yes.”

#vantaenet #heartsforbts #taehyung x reader #taehyung fluff #taehyung smut #taehyung angst #bts fic #bts smut #bts fluff #bts angst #bts fanfic #bts fantasy au #bts historical au

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purplerose244 · 4 years ago

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Thoughts journal Ninjago season 13!!! 🤩🤩 (3/4)

I am enjoying the season A LOT. The reveal has been thrown already, everything seems to be leading towards something special about Rock Mom and I couldn't hope for something better!! I know Lou will be back so I guess a flashback?... I'M SO EXCITED 💕💕

Alright, let's start!!

DUNGEON PARTY!

Side note, we're past the season and no Nexo Knights reference. Me sad, but me not quitting like ninja!! 💪💪

Korgran of METALONIA?!?! WHERE KARLOF COMES FROM!!! Oh you just love to feed me with good throwbacks, now do you Ninjago crew 😍

Plundar the thief, yeah, the attire gives it away although it is nice. And Fungus... huh... well that explains the mushrooms on the hat I guess 😅

Yep, there we go, a party of adventurers, the DnD situation promised 👈👈 He said loot, I saw a 20 faced dice, nice nice

In these recent seasons adventurers just won't like to do adventures for one reason or another, first uncle Powers, now these guys? I mean Ninjago is in danger every freaking time and you risk your life at every step and there's a new formidable villain every like five seconds but... huh... what was my point again?

THE ANIME STYLE IS BACK 😂😂 Oh boy I can tell we're in for a train to crazy town

I'm thinking this dude looks a lot like He-Man... of course he does, the HECK, am I noticing this just now? 😑

I do agree with mister Korgran's father reluctance about talking like that (I saw too many anime characters like that 😂), but Karlof uses the third person too. Either it's common in Metalonia, or there's a general lack of education there 😅 (I LOVE METAL BOY I MISS HIM 🖤🖤)

Talking axe that doesn't talk, nice 😂

Okay... okay, I need a moment

This is too cute. I know her head is a bit too big but LOOK AT THEM 💛🤍💛🤍 Has Chompy never grown?... wait he did got big that one time... okay... okay, never mind

Well that's a pretty nice party, you got your barbarian, your magic user and your rogue. Kinda misses a healer but still... tomorrow I'm doing a DnD session with my friends and I wanna sound like I know stuff 😂

I just noticed that I haven't seen hidden trap doors like that since Chen, the ABC of villains right there my friends 👆

So the King didn't become evil just because of the skull, he actually wished to obtain it and use the dark power. I get that he wants to defend the city but he is basically remorceless about everything else, so he is guilty. Also DRAGON ABUSER 😡

Poor Vania, but she overcame her Skylor situation very quickly. Proud 💛

There we go with the encouragement, you go Rocky!! We have a crazy Skull dude to turn into dust!! 👿👿

Wait, a promise he made a long time ago? Rock mom?

DUNGEON CRAWL!

ROCK MOM!!! YAAAASSS!!! FINALLY SHE'S HERE!!! 🖤🖤🖤

Oh holy FSM, my heart 💔

MY HEART HURTS SO MUCH. Cole as a kid, Lou is back, Rock Mom IS SICK AND WILL DIE, all the drawings, the picture of them together 😭😭

I cannot, freaking, this kid doesn't want his mom to be sick and he's gotten into troubles at school and she wants him to fight and be strong and right and SHE HAS HIS SAME EYEBROWS 😢😢😢😢😢😢

This scene was really heartbreaking, such a genuine situation with a kid that wants her mom to be fine and proud of him 🖤

Just looked at her VA and it's Erin Matthews 🤩 So first I'm counting it as a Nexo Knights reference just because MACY AND ROBIN ❤🖤❤🖤 Second, wasn't "the mom" going to be voiced by Jillian? Is it... is it Maya? Is she coming back? MAYBE NEXT SEASON??? NYA SEASON?!?!? 🤯🤯

Oh, we're moving on? So... so there's still the stuff about Rock Mom's past to uncover, still unsure if she was the one of the blades for the two tribes

PLUNDAR WE DO NOT DISRESPECT COLE INTO THIS HOUSE VANIA MY GIRL YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR ME TOO 💪💪

The connection between Cole and his mom is the earth itself, I'm loving this concept so much. It's true that he never found himself this deep into his element before, the Caves of Despair were mines but never this deep. This really is rock bottom... HECK YEAH

Well Cole...

Welcome to the colored eyes because of elemental power ninja team!! 💚❤🧡 (without counting the forbidden scroll moments) I LOVE WHEN IT HAPPENS!!! I'M GETTING SO PROUD AND EMOTIONAL!!! I'M PROUDOTIONAL!!! 🤯

Aww, Cole saving his son sensei, very nice. They did save each other a lot 🤷‍♀️

This place reminds me a lot of the Fire Temple where Kai got himself into trouble in season 1 but then saved Lloyd, one of my favorite and most memorable episode of the show... I'M TOO NOSTALGIC RIGHT NOW LET'S MOVE ON

NEVER MIND COLE IS TAKING CHARGE LIKE OLD TIMES HE IS FINALLY THE LEADER AGAIN I'M GONNA CRY ROCKY I'M SO HAPPY YOU DESERVE THIS 🖤

Wu's spinjitzu!! Always nice to see it 😊 And yes Adam is a good boy, and for my arachnophobia is a little freaky saying it 😅

Ah, good Plundar, Cole needs all the appreciation of the world because HE IS SUCH A GOOD PERSON AND AMAZING WARRIOR AND I LOVE HIM AAAAAA

This is probably my favorite episode for now, got Rock Mom, got elemental powers, got a lot of Cole in all of his glory: the leader with a clear smart mind able to lead even strangers, with big heart for what's important 👏👏

I feel like this season is giving him glory, I'm curious about how it will end!!

GRIEF-BRINGER

Okay I know it's the name of the dragon... and it gets me a little antsy 😅

Back to the munce! Still doing as good as ever I see! 😅 And lol, you can't blame Nya for not being nice Jay! Although she is kinda best friends with Ronin who double crossed her multiple times... okay, I see your reasoning Bluebell

There we go, Nya making them listen. I honestly could have seen her just grabbing one of them and make them fly through the the room, still cool though 😎

Back to the geckles! Also doing as good as ever! 😅 These little purple guys are so dang cute, seeing my flame babe trying to lead is so PRECIOUS, and even more PRECIOUS is Zane giving him support... and a rock in the face 🤍🤍

Gotta say

I'm more and more fascinated by their culture 😂😂

Aww little Gleck, everything had started with him after all... wait... HER NAME IS LILLY?!?! ROCK MOM HAS A NAME!!! AND SHE IS GILLIE/MILLIE!!! I KNEW IT!!! 🤩🤩

I think I saw the name somewhere, didn't think it was actually her. I always headcanoned her as Gaia, but Lilly is a very sweet name too 💕

It is pretty nice that even though we as viewers didn't know what happened to Lilly, the ninja knew. It's obvious, they've known each other for so long, but still. It feels nice to see this 😊

Oh-oh, Skull dude is up to something... and he said the title 👈👈

Zane keeps being the sweetest thing ever created, le cute dude 🤍🤍 Never thought I'd see Tin Can and Hothead discussing about lies while two slugs race each other...

I don't know if it's the new animation but the armored suits look CRAZY GOOD, the metal and the details are awesome!! I approve the suits of this season 👍

Pff, they are talking down his sister, if he knew they would be literally toasted 🔥

HUG HUG BEAUTIFUL LEGO HUG!!! And she lifts him up, omg the Smith siblings are back and they are so CUTE 😍

Yep, only he can talk down his sister... and possibly be annihilated right after 😅

Oh, the dragon that almost destroyed the two tribes... OH THE DRAGON THAT ALMOST DESTROYED THE TWO TRIBES!!! 😱😱

NO GUYS DON'T LEAVE LLOYD AND ZANE BEHIND, THEY ARE THE MOST PRONE TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES 😭😱😭😱😭😱

The cringe Kai, the cringe never leaves you alone you beautiful idiot ❤

I cannot believe the animators managed to make Lloyd's LEGO hair swoosh, I must applaude them 👏👏👏 Also POOR BABY ON THE GROUND GIVE HIM A VACATION FOR CRYING OUT LOUD

Well aren't things getting even more complicated 😅 Where is Cole? We need season superstar pronto!

MASTERS NEVER QUIT

Awww, major throwback to the show's most famous motto right in the title! NINJA NEVER QUIT!!! LET'S GO THEN!!! 🤩

The upply team! With the lava beast back... I could easily make comment about how it could be a representation of Cole's feelings since it's LAVA with EARTH and FIRE, and he is running from them... I'M JUST RAMBLING MOVING ON 🖤❤🖤❤

Cole misses the Caves of Despair maybe, he wants to have a round with the carts like in Possession 😂 Was that why he knew it was going to work eventually? That would be histerical, especially since back then they all almost fell into the lava 😅😅

The Heart of the Mountain? Secret temple of the masters of Earth? Possibly hidden in Shintaro? Spinjitzu Burst? Wu, let me ask you this... just in case... is there... perhaps...

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD US??? 😡😡

He is definitely and officially old, only reason why he keeps forgetting to warn people about stuff 😑 I mean, it's not major like with Morro or Aspheera, I guess it's an improvement?... kinda?

So you learn spinjitzu burst if you're surrounded by your element, that sounds pretty awesome! I wonder how it could be with all the others, this can open up kinda like a quest for the true potential but with different places and lots of OP powers and I'M INTO IT 🤩🤩🤩

Okay season, I get it

YOU WANNA MAKE ME CRY 😭😭 I love this aztec vibe, so cool and appropriate she looks STUN 🖤

I didn't expect this much introspection about Cole, I thought it was going to be kinda last minute like with Jay in Prime Empire. I'm so thankful it's not like that, freaking yes. YES. GO COLE BURST OUT!!

... okay, take your time sweetie, no rush. The other ninja are just going to be fried but eh, happens all the time 🤷‍♀️

VANIA MAH GIRL 💕 I understand Wu, I mean the guys kinda learned all they needed already back when they started to train Lloyd. Ever since then, they had been not master and students, but just family. And you always need family, no matter how far you go 🖤

Awwww, Wu! You got your own development too! 👍 So nice to hear "ninja never quit" again, can't be too sure but it's been a while 😍

Let's hope the guys are doing fine resisting while Team Cole arrives 😎😎

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travllingbunny · 4 years ago

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The 100: 7x04 Hesperides

The first quarter of season 7 is kind of like the first quarter of season 2 on steroids - everyone separated in several groups in different locations, looking for each other and having no idea where the others really are, while the show is doing world-building and introducing information about the main threat, setting up the main story that will really kick into gear later.

The main difference is, of course, that in season 2 we saw all of the characters, pretty much in every episode. But now, Bellamy has been missing since his disappearance early in 7x01 (which, of course, is mostly due to external reasons), and we have been in the dark about Octavia’s fate since she was pulled back to Bardo in 6x13, and have only seen her in flashbacks. Clarke, Octavia and Raven have had episodes centered on them (the first, second and third one, respectively), but there has been no or very little of Octavia in the other three episodes, and even Clarke has taken somewhat of a back seat in the last 3 episodes.

In the meantime, the B-list characters from the main cast - Echo, Gabriel and Hope - have taken center stage and gotten their own great stories. Hope, in particular, has been the character with the most focus in these early episodes - which isn’t that surprising as the show has to quickly give her all the fleshing out, backstory and development that other characters have had seasons to build. And we’ve gotten new characters - guest stars developed over just one episode or one scene - who have been given enough characterization and sympathetic qualities to make their deaths feel tragic and emotional (Hatch, Dev, Orlando).

No, I don’t think that this is a sign of the show focusing more on supporting characters and sidelining its protagonists in the final season, as some fans have been complaining and freaking out about. I’m sure that the mains will soon take center stage again, which is why their storylines this season are just starting or have been set up - while other characters have been given this early stage of season 7 to shine and get a lot of the story now. Another way those smaller stories feel relevant is that they are full of parallels and callbacks to the bigger stories from previous seasons.

I’m still not sure what relevance the title exactly has for this episode, and I’m not convinced that it is just supposed to be about 7x04. Yes, Hesperides were three maidens in a garden - like Octavia, Diyoza and Hope, and it was the topic of a cute exchange between Octavia and Hope (another Blake sibling teaching kids about the Greco-Roman mythology), but what are the “golden apples” that Hesperides were guarding and that Heracles/Hercules had to steal as one of his tasks? The only really valuable object on Skyring is the Anomaly Stone. But if that it what it’s about, that’s not something that has happened yet. Or do golden apples stand for something less tangible, like family, love, trust? Were Gabriel, Echo and Hope a new Hesperides trio (even though calling Gabriel a maiden in any sense of the word is a bit of a stretch), with Orlando as the dragon guarding the garden, or they thieves? I have no idea. I’m going to wait for the rest of the season to maybe give an answer. Maybe we’ll come back to the story of Hercules stealing the apples. That story also includes Atlas (who literally carries the weight of the world), and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is referenced, too.

Worldbuilding

The biggest takeaway from this episode for me were the really strong hints supporting the theory - which I’ve firmly believed in - that the Disciples are an off-shoot of Second Dawn and that their leader, the mysterious Shepherd, is Bill Cadogan. We learn that Disciples have different levels and that the highest one (?) appears to be “Level 12″ - which is reminiscent of the Second Dawn’s “12th seal”. Orlando prays to the “Shepherd, who delivered us from the fire that consumed the Earth”.

One of the most interesting parts of this episode was learning about the planets connected to the Anomaly (which we have a bit more info on than the characters do, thanks to the opening titles!) - which I’ve covered here. (Yes, the planet which was offline is Earth.)

There are thousands of Disciples, highly trained soldiers, guarding the “fortress”, as Orlando called it. They are highly trained and dangerous - better fighters than pretty much anyone we’ve met. However, they have apparently never been in a battle - at least not the current generations. They are preparing for something they call “the last war that mankind will ever wage”/”the war to end all wars” (?). Now, who could this war possibly be with, and why do they think they need Clarke as a weapon to win it? It sure can’t be anyone on Sanctum - Wonkru has dwindled to about 400 people, and everyone from Sanctum (from Prime guards to CoG) are pretty incompetent and terrible at fighting. Unless the war is just metaphorical, there must be some other people on one of the planets... Maybe the Eligius people and the Second Dawn are two different factions after all?

The Disciples are incredibly technologically advanced (which may not be so surprising, considering the fact that - if Bardo time is faster than Sanctum, and I think it must be, their society has existed for much, much longer than 230 years - and they have an amazing SciFi technique called memory capture. Which explains how they knew about Bellamy, Echo and Gabriel in 7x01.

The layout of Bardo - drawn by Orlando - provides a lot of info about the life there: there are living quarters, a galley/mess hall (it’s interesting that they use the word “galley” - which is normally used for the kitchen on a ship, train or aircraft), cell blocks, training quarters, arboretum, and so on; we see the first mention of “conductors” - presumably people who manage the travel via the Anomaly Stone - and the most interesting part: there are cryo labs, and “Shepherd” is mentioned in relation to them. Like everyone else, I immediately thought about it being a way for Cadogan to be still alive.

Because of that, I’m starting to revise my earlier theory about Cadogan being on Etherea (which I speculate to be the planet closest to the black hole, with the ‘slowest’ time) - but now I think that maybe some other people are there, who may be seen as enemies of the Disciples?

The Skyring trio and Orlando

The first 3 episodes have had the “Previously on” spoken by different cast members (Eliza, Marie and Luisa), which I feel is going to happen throughout the season. But this is the first episode of season 7 with no “Previously on”.

Instead, the episode opened on Hope’s 7 minute backstory scene. If this was an earlier season and some of the main characters we’ve known from the start were involved, it would take at least an entire episode. But this scene was a really well done montage, with little dialogue and done through visuals and a well chosen song (��Hymn” by Joel Porter), representing 10 years that Hope spent on Sanctum, her budding relationship with a Disciple/prisoner Dev - the first male and only the third person she’s ever met in her life, who became something of a father figure for her, and the one who trained her to fight and taught her about Bardo. We have met Dev before - as a corpse, and it was easy to guess from the state he was in that he was killed by Disciples while letting Hope escape. We don’t know anything about his life before he was sent to Skyring for a 10 years sentence - such as, what he was punished for. Maybe Dev (who was Level 7) was never such a true believer as Orlando. And in that case, it would have been easier for him to decide to devote his life to helping this child find her family. Of course, family bonds forged that way - as the only two people, an adult taking care of a child who’s been left alone - must be incredibly strong.

One of the reasons why this scene worked so well and created so much sympathy for a character we see for only a few minutes, is that it told a story similar to stories we have seen before with the main characters. It was a lot like Madi and Clarke, especially the part where the child was initially hostile and the adult had to break the ice (Clarke did it with a drawing of Madi, Dev ate the paint berries that aren’t good to eat - probably intentionally, since I think he must have heard Hope yelling he shouldn’t eat them - so Hope would take care of him). And Clarke’s relationship with Madi was, in itself, something that paralleled Bellamy’s pseudo-paternal relationship with his younger sister. Octavia’s relationship with Hope was also something that made her understand her brother better. And Dev was reminiscent of Bellamy, especially with the knife throwing scene, which is reminiscent of Bellamy and Charlotte. Except for the fact that Hope was not murderous - unlike Charlotte, who was already incredibly damaged. In fact, Hope not being able to kill, freezing and not joining the battle (unlike Madi, who was able to kill to save Clarke - but Madi had been taught to fight and defend herself against Flamekeepers as enemies) that she had been preparing for, was the reason why Dev got killed.

We still need to see one final part of Hope’s backstory - what happened when she got to Bardo, how she found a “friend on the inside”, how she made a deal with Anders, why the Disciples have orders to kill her on sight. Until then, we don’t know if killing a Disciple to save Echo was the first time Hope has killed someone. But I think it probably was, because it was an important moment for her - a replay of her old trauma, with her not hesitating this time and being able to protect a friend she’s spent years with. Hope has been trying to be tough, but we already saw in 7x02 that there was a lot of vulnerability, insecurity and lack of experience behind that. Echo called her out on not being able to be a killer in 7x02. Based on her experience, Hope would probably agree with Echo’s mantra that “Hesitation is death” (which it was, for the original Echo and not for AshEcho). Her mother probably wouldn’t be too happy for her, since she wanted - pretty unrealistically, unless Hope was to live away from the human race - to keep her away from the kind of life she used to have. Diyoza even kept her past a secret from Hope - before Gabriel put a foot in his mouth in more ways than one and mentioned Diyoza’s past as a Navy SEAL and terrorist (or “freedom fighter”. PoTAto- poTAYto).

As it turns out, the main plot of the episode was a replay and ironic contrast to the opening scene. It was a bit weird that Hope suggested getting close to Orlando, saying “Trust me, I’ve done this before” - as if she had deliberately manipulated Dev to become close to her, which I really don’t think was the case. (I’d also say that it’s weird that Echo - a spy - was not the one thinking along these lines, but had to be convinced by Hope and Gabriel. But the show has always portrayed Echo as a fighter/assassin rather than an actual spy, who gets close to people and gathers intel.) Hope. Echo, Gabriel and Orlando spent 5 years together, and must have gotten at least somewhat close to each other and to him. He trained them, like Dev trained Hope. But they started to get close to him on purpose, as a part of their plan, pretending to be a happy family and hoping he would want to join in. Which proved right. Orlando also felt protective of Hope, like Dev, which they also used as bait. However, he realized he was being played - proving smarter and less gullible than they had assumed - but agreed to everything anyway, somewhat out of loneliness and desire for human contact and relationships (maybe the same kind he had on Bardo with the people he trained). Maybe he was hoping that he could influence them enough, just like they were hoping - or at least Gabriel was - to be able to change his mind and make him less devoted to his faith. Gabriel’s points about false gods and blind faith seemed to strike a chord, but he still stuck to his faith - maybe because this was all he had ever known.

But after 5 years together, at least some of the bonds must have been real. However, everyone kept their own agenda, and the prior bonds remained the strongest - including Orlando’s attachments to the Disciples he had trained. Echo’s main allegiance remains Bellamy, Hope hopes to save her mother and Aunty O, and Echo thinks that they are still not “his (Orlando’s) people”*. It’s interesting that we saw these people spend time together on screen and get closer, with funny and warm moments, the kind we don’t often get in this show, but they do not seem to be a real family at the end - in contrast to Spacekru: with them, we were told multiple times hat they had become a close family unit, although we never saw that process on screen. So it would seem that bonding worked better during the 6 years of peace and boredom in space, than during the 5 years of peace and boredom on Skyring. (Or did it? I would argue that Spacekru being “close family” was never quite convincing and was only used as a plot device to create conflict between Bellamy and Clarke or Bellamy and Octavia, but that it’s the relationships that pre-dated the Ring that proved to be the strongest.)

* Out of the 4 people on Skyring, Gabriel is the only one doesn’t really seem to have any strong emotional attachments at the moment, after Josephine’s death, and is there apparently mostly for his scientific curiosity about the Anomaly. We only see Gabriel react emotionally when loses his temper, to the point of becoming physically violent to Orlando. (Which is in character - remember that he killed Eduardo in anger?)

Let’s talk a bit more about Echo.

One of the things that struck me about Echo’s interactions with Hope and Gabriel this season is that she has more chemistry with them than we have seen her have with anyone before, especially a lot more than she’s ever had with Bellamy, and that she’s also showing a lot more personality: we see her joking, showing some sass (I would think it’s the new writer - Niylah has also suddenly became sassy and made snarky remarks in this episode - but she’s also had those moments in 7x02), she is perceptive of Hope’s emotional states. Now to be fair, though she never really glued so well on screen with the Spacekru, we did see her joke around with Monty and banter with Murphy or Raven. But, since they have become an item, always becomes incredibly bland around Bellamy - as it his presence turns her into her role as a follower/soldier/servant. It’s not something that Bellamy does on purpose, it’s just the fact that Echo has picked him as her King and gravitates towards him that way.

In 7x01, her own subconscious was telling her (just as it did in 6x02 during the red sun eclipse) that she needs Bellamy because she wouldn’t have anyone to follow without him, and questioned if her devotion to him is really about love, or about her need to have a purpose (reminding her that she was so loyal to Queen Nia that she betrayed “the man she now claims to love”). In that context, her single-minded focus on saving Bellamy (”I wouldn’t know what to do without him”) sounds less romantic and more unhealthy, something she needs to learn to grow out of. This is the second season in which she has a lot of interaction with a character whose main trait is blind faith and devotion to a master - in season 6 it was Jade, now it’s Orlando. Echo’s words to Orlando - “It must be hard to dedicate your whole life to something that may never come" sounds ominously like something that may apply to herself.

A comparison between Echo and Finn in season 2 has crossed my mind, but to make things clear - I don’t think their actions are similar. Finn became deranged and killed a lot of unarmed people for no reason; Echo is just being herself, once again, repeating old patterns. But the similarity is in the fact that they are obsessed - in a way that may not be too healthy - with saving a love interest, who may end up being not too happy about it. I don’t know if Echo’s actions at the end of this episode will be brought up between her and Bellamy and if he will learn about them - but the facts are that a) he has consistently shown he cares, loves, needs Clarke more and values her take on morality (or her at her best - because Clarke has not always stuck to it in the past, but has started off that way and has been trying to live by it since the end of season 5) as something he tries to live by, and b) he has been committed to “doing better” and not repeating old mistakes since season 4, while Echo is usually suggesting solutions based on killing and violence, which Bellamy almost always rejects, and Echo falls in line, because Bellamy is the leader.

But left to her own devices, even after spending 11 years in peace, whenever trouble arises, Echo tends to fall back to her upbringing by Azgeda and Queen Nia: “Hesitation is death”. While her circumstances have changed so much since season 4, she has remained fundamentally the same in many ways. It’s not that she doesn’t feel compassion (when she has to hurt someone she has some connection to - she looked sad when she was leaving Orlando. Just as she looked sad when she thought Octavia was dead and had to bring the news to Bellamy in S4), but that doesn’t change her fundamental belief in what should be done. Did she need to kill the four unconscious Disciples? That’s debatable. (It depends on whether you think they could have used the Anomaly Stone to jump back to Bardo - even if they had taken or destroyed all their suits - in time to catch Echo, Hope and Gabriel. But this possibility wasn’t even mentioned by Echo and the others.) What’s certain is that she thought she had to: she knew she had to leave Orlando, because he was too upset by the death of someone he had trained (even though, to be fair, Echo had told him something like that might happen); he could have told the Disciples about them; when there is a threat that can stop you, you must eliminate it. She only left Orlando alive because of their bond, but what she did was even worse as it made him commit suicide.

Again, I don’t know if Orlando could have used the Anomaly Stone to jump to Bardo, or if he really would have had to spend years alone, again, as Gabriel assumed. But I think the main reason for his suicide was the fact that, because he had let himself trust these people - maybe out of loneliness - he had indirectly caused deaths of Disciples he had trained and cared about. In any case, the show managed to make this character sympathetic in such a short amount of screentime, and make his fate really tragic, in a dark twist after an episode that often felt lighthearted. (I felt really sorry for the guy - kudos to the actor, Darren Moore.) Echo, Gabriel and Hope did not anticipate this, so they will probably feel terrible when they find out. And Hope and Gabriel are responsible, too, because, in spite of their objections, they went along with it.

If Hope killing to save Echo was a replay of her trauma with a different outcome, Echo has replayed her own trauma with the same outcome: she had to kill her friend to save herself. And all she has learned from it is that she has to do the same, every time. Only, we can’t blame her for what she was forced to do to save her own life as an abused child. This time, however, she did not kill in self-defense or battle, but afterwards, when the Disciples were already unconscious. Her betrayal of Orlando also recalled her betrayal of Bellamy in season 3. She had not spent more than a tiny amount of time around Bellamy then, but he considered her a friend he could trust, and she used his trust and got people he cared about and people he felt responsible for killed, causing him to feel enormous guilt.

Now, I’ve seen the argument that Echo doesn’t need redemption, because her story is about finding independence instead of being a follower. But it can be about both. Her story may not have so far been about “doing better” - although she has heard Monty’s message together with everyone else, and repeated the words “I guess it’s time to do better” during the battle in 6x13 (only after Bellamy has made his decision what to do). But that makes her stick like a sore thumb in a show where the last two seasons have been based on that idea - doing better, not repeating old mistakes. It means that she needs not just to find her independence, but to rethink her methods and world view. I don’t subscribe to the idea that being a follower absolves one of every responsibility for carrying out their master’s orders. The Nuremberg defense, “I was following orders”,is not considered a good defense in court. It’s even less so in terms of morality and personal responsibility. Now, it’s true that a lot of fans hate Echo and tend to judge her more harshly than the other characters - but at least a part of the reason for that is the fact that the show has done very little to have her face the consequences of her actions, as opposed to most of the other characters. Characters who held a similar view of “kill or be killed” have been reviled and killed off (Charles Pike says Hi). In the show, Bellamy has been called out on, physically punished, felt enormously guilty and had a long redemption arc for participating in the killing of an armed, experienced and dangerous army (who may not have been a threat, but it’s understandable why he and Pike considered them a threat), which was considered incredibly evil just because said warriors were killed while sleeping (which makes no sense, but OK) - even though he also was not in charge, Pike was. And Bellamy never used the “following orders” defense and instead felt responsible and did his best to change and do better. In season 5, he was the one who opposed to idea of killing Eligius prisoners who were in cryo sleep (while Echo, like Murphy, supported the idea). Echo has now killed Disciples while they were unconscious. Back in season 3, Echo facilitated and supported a mass murder of civilians done not because of any threat or misguided wish to protect her people, but as a part of a scheme to give her clan more political power.

Now, it may be argued that Echo didn’t have a choice to disobey - but we later saw, throughout season 4, when Nia was dead and Echo did not have to answer to her, that Echo was still constantly opting for violence and killing as the first option, often as a preemptive strike: killing a leader from another clan for just opposing her plan in public, egging on Roan to kill Clarke and the rest of the Sky people, when they haven't done anything to her or Azgeda and they weren't threatening her or them, telling Roan they betrayed him, kidnapping Bellamy and killing another Arker who was captured with Bellamy - for no reason. She didn’t even need to kill Ryker in season 6, either, regardless of whether we think he deserved it or not. And we have never seen Echo renounce Queen Nia’s legacy (which, lest we forget, is the legacy of someone who practiced genocide - including killing children - and slavery.) In season 4, she was always telling Roan he should be more ruthless, more like his mother, and she was still repeating things learned from her in season 6.

There was a character on Agents of SHIELD that Echo reminds me of (I won’t say his name for spoilers, for AoS fans should easily guess who I mean). This character also had a very tragic backstory - traumatic childhood, abuse, an evil mentor who was emotionally abusive to them but conditioned them to be blindly loyal and commit all sorts of crimes out of that loyalty, career as a spy/assassin who gets close to people and betrays and kills, pathological need for a leader to give them orders, or for some sort of a purpose, a tendency to resolve problems with violence. This character had a passionate fanbase who argued that, as a victim of abuse, he deserved a second chance, but the writers and most of the fandom was adamant that it was not enough to absolve him of responsibility for his crimes as an adult. The 100 is a show that is much more likely to give characters second chances and redeem them. But it’s also a show that normally makes characters work for it. To make Echo the one exception to the rule and give her a get-out-of-jail free card, declaring she doesn’t need to be held personally responsible for her actions, and that she doesn’t need to work to change and do better, would be both inconsistent with the overall themes of the show. and a huge disservice to Echo as a character.

Clarke & co. at Sanctum

It’s kind of funny that, before this season of t100 started, people thought/were worried Bellamy would recklessly jump into the Anomaly after Octavia - but instead, he was taken, and everyone else is recklessly jumping into the Anomaly without knowing where exactly they'll end up. Immediately planet hopping without any supplies or suits with oxygen wasn’t the wisest decision! I was wondering, like many people, why they did not at least take the suits from the dead Disciples. But someone on Twitter has pointed out that the suits probably got damaged by the blast from the energy weapon Raven took from the dead Disciple, which makes it all make more sense. For the rest, I can explain it by the urgency of the situation - they knew that more Disciples would be coming soon. (And the urgency turned out to be very justified - as a Disciple turned off the Anomaly Stone shortly after.) And I have no problem believing that Clarke is that desperate to find Bellamy “her people”.

..Who are we kidding? If it was just Octavia, Echo and Gabriel, she’d still want to save them, but I don’t think she’d be immediately hopping to another planet without knowing for sure if it’s even survivable, and without saying goodbye to Madi. Some people were bothered that Clarke’s choice wasn’t played more emotionally and that she didn’t specifically mention Bellamy - but I disagree, because this is nothing new. For so many seasons, we’ve seen Clarke talking only in terms of saving “her people” or “her friends” even when everyone knew that Bellamy was the one she’s most emotionally attached to by far. (Going back to season 2 and “You care about him” - “I care about all of them” - “But you worry about him more.) I don’t need this spelled out right now. Maybe the show could have immediately delved a bit deeper into everyone’s reasons for planet hopping, but maybe they didn’t need to because we hopefully will see more of their emotions in the upcoming episodes, especially when they get stuck on the ice planet with a really nice name that kind of means “Hell” or “Purgatory”.

I didn’t take their cavalier remarks like “why not” and “this planet sucks anyway” seriously. What makes a lot more sense is if Niylah mostly wants to save Octavia - since we know how devoted she is to her. Miller may in particular feel he owes Bellamy to save him now, since he did not in season 5, which he felt guilty for and apologized about. And maybe that argument he had with Jackson in the previous episode (aka a few hours earlier) opened some wounds from Blodreina days, since Miller reacted by saying he isn’t just a follower. For Jordan, I suppose it may be a chance to participate in the heroic adventures of the group he’s only heard stories about. Raven has all sorts of reasons, from saving her friends, to her scientific curiosity and love of space-faring adventures, to the fact that a part of her would probably want to be as far away from Sanctum and ‘the scene of the crime’ right now.

I certainly hope that we delve more into everyone’s emotions and psychology in upcoming episodes, especially Clarke’s. She tends to try to keep her emotions inside, until they explode (and she beats up Russell and burns down the palace), and this has especially been the case this season. The Bellamy-shaped hole In the show has affected her - she isn’t able to be fully vulnerable with anyone the way she was with him (as recently as their hug in the season 6 finale). In this episode, it felt like she was mostly seen from the outside - we can take a good guess how she feels because of her actions, but it feels like she is seen from other people’s POV - whether her friends’ or the Disciples. From Niylah (who knows her well) saying “of course she is” when people were surprised she would go and risk her safety and freedom and maybe life when she was told they have her people, to Captain Meredith saying their intel on her is “smart, brave, willing to risk her life, not willing to risk the lives of her friends” (that must have come from Bellamy’s and Octavia’s memories), to Jordan announcing “Ladies and gentlemen, Clarke Griffin has left the planet”. (She is, after all, a legend for him especially, he was raised on stories about her. Raven is another legend for him, so he announced her the same way “Ladies and gentlemen, Raven Reyes”.)

But let’s go back to the beginning. I’ve seen people criticize the episode for “not showing the moment they realized Bellamy and others were missing”. I don't know why anyone thinks they would have realized they were missing before. This episode takes place very soon after the end of the previous one. (Clarke even hadn’t seen Raven after she had been beaten up by Nikki.) Bellamy, Octavia, Echo and Gabriel have been gone for about a day and a half at this point. Maybe they would have wondered “when are they coming back?”, but I don’t think they would have seen a reason to be worried - before a foraging party found a dead body of an unknown person with a mysterious suit and helmet. Which was followed by the mysterious people showing up and asking to talk to Clarke.

Raven is haunted by guilt throughout this episode (which makes perfect sense to me, as she has never really had to deal with being directly responsible for deaths in this way, let alone of people she knows), including a hallucination of irradiated Hatch, and Lindsey’s acting was really good.I loved her conversation with Clarke, where Clarke gave her a simple advice, from her own experience, which says a lot about how she has been able to go on: you will not forget the faces of those you’ve killed (we’ve seen Clarke be haunted by hallucinations of Finn and see dead, irradiated Maya in her mindspace), but think of the faces of all the people you have saved. I’m looking forward to more of Clarke/Raven bonding in S7.

I know I sound like a broken record, but one character whose characterization I don’t know how to feel about is Jordan, because of the way the show has been skirting around the issue of whether he has been brainwashed or not. But that may just be me being influenced by the fact that so many people are arguing he is not brainwashed, just because he doesn’t believe in the divinity of the Primes. But 1) he has undergone the process, 2) become weirdly attached and close to his brainwasher Trey and the other ‘Devout’, 3) formed a strange attachment to Priya’s mind drive and started blaming people for her death - seemingly forgetting about his actual dead girlfriend Delilah and her death, 4) is hanging out with people who worship his girlfriend’s murderers, while seemingly paying no attention to her grieving parents, and 5) did a 180 from despising the Primes as murderers to defending their society as “peaceful” and “happy” and spouting similar Prime propaganda BS (which we had previously heard from Josephine), blaming Earthkru for destroying that fake paradise. He does it again here, in an off-hand comment (“before we screwed up”), which sounds like he blames his friends for... what? Not being OK with Clarke being murdered and bodysnatched and trying to save her? Apart from Madi - who was under Sheidheda’s influence - all the others did was try to save Clarke and try to save themselves from getting burned at the stake, while also trying not to kill people. And now, we see Jordan happily plan to save Clarke from getting captured and having her memory extracted, or Miller, Niylah and Gaia killed, by having Raven kill 8 people, which bothered her a lot (especially with her recent experience getting Hatch and 3 other people killed), but didn’t seem to bother Jordan. Now, I’m not saying it should - it’s defending your friends - but how can he do that and at the same time blame his friends for trying to save Clarke from a much worse situation? He’s like two completely different people when he is with the Devout or says anything about them or the Primes, and when he is away from them (when he suddenly stops being annoying and saying absurd things). Either he is showing consequences of brainwashing by the Devout, or he is a terribly written, inconsistent character.

I wish we had seen a scene between Jackson and Miller (which must have been deleted, going by the promo pictures), before Miller abruptly left. He probably didn’t know he would be going to another planet, but he knew he would be risking his life, so some sort of a goodbye could have taken place. At least, with the fact that Jackson was present when they discovered the body of the Disciple, at least someone in Sanctum has some idea what happened, now that Gaia got kidnapped and would not be able to go and tell Madi, Jackson and everyone what happened to Clarke, Miller, Raven, Jordan and Niylah, in addition to Bellamy, Echo, Octavia and Gabriel. But the people in Sanctum are still going to be wondering what happened to all those people (now including Gaia) who are just gone.

Did Clarke get to take the note? It wasn’t clear in the episode itself. If she had it, I wonder what Orlando wrote in it and if this would give her more info or just be more confusing. If he just said something like, there were three of them, two women and one man, she could assume those were Bellamy, Octavia and Echo - but she was already finding Meredith’s info hard to believe and thought he was lying. Everyone thought Bellamy shoot the Disciple they found, because he was the only one with a gun - which Echo actually took in 7x01, before losing it in the trip to Skyring - but all that happened doesn’t sound like something he’d do.

As I expected since the trailer came out, Gaia offered to be the one to stay behind take care of Madi and warn the others. (The show had to build a friendship and trust between Clarke and her to make it believable that Clarke would feel Madi would be safe with her, and so people wouldn’t criticize Clarke too much for leaving. Not that this is helping much, since she’s already getting some criticism thrown at her in the Facebook group.) But her getting kidnapped by a Disciple means that 1) Madi would have to face Sheidheda without the help of her former Flamekeeper, 2) people in Sanctum would have far less idea of what’s going on, and 3) Clarke and co. had no idea about it when they left, thinking that their people are relatively safe in Sanctum. At least Gaia didn’t need to warn them about the Disciples coming for them - since the Disciple has deactivated the Anomaly Stone. So, now Sanctum is offline, too.

Where is everyone now?

Octavia was pulled back to Bardo at the end of 6x13 and we still haven’t seen her in the present

Bellamy was kidnapped and taken to Bardo in 7x01 and we haven’t seen him since

Diyoza was already on Bardo as a captive

Echo, Hope and Gabriel jumped to Bardo from Skyring

Gaia has been kidnapped by a Disciple and taken to another planet - maybe Bardo, but maybe not (and I’m not sure how the Disciple even could have taken her to Bardo, when the Anomaly Stone had been set to Nakara, and the Disciple just turned if off, as far as I could see?)

Clarke, Raven, Jordan, Miller and Niylah jumped to a random planet and ended up on Nakara, the ice planet

Murphy, Emori, Madi, Indra and Jackson remained on Sanctum, together with Russell!Sheidheda, broken Wonkru, about 400 of them (including the Sangedakru - who worship Sheidheda), angry and hurt Nikki and 31 other Eligius prisoners, the Devout who still worship Russell and the Primes, and the Children of Gabriel, who want him dead.

Timeline: The 100 writers are indeed bad at math, or aren’t too bothered about making the timeline fit, and this is also clear in this episode.

Meredith, during his first meeting with Clarke, only told her "Your people killed 3 of mine" and told her to hurry "Where your friends are, time runs much faster. Every second counts". Which sounded like he only knew what they did on Sanctum, and made it sound like they were still on Skyring (I'm sure time runs faster on Bardo than on Sanctum, too, but the time differential is not as extreme, so "every second counts" is a bit too dramatic. They'd only be a few hours older if they were on Bardo.)

Which only makes sense from the Doylist perspective - the writers didn't want the audience to be spoiled on what happens in the Skyring storyline. But it makes no sense from the Watsonian perspective - Meredith should already know that they killed 5 more of his people and jumped. Because those 5 years were about 2 minutes on Sanctum - so, it all happened a day earlier, in the timeline of 7x01. Logically, Meredith and his team must have known everything and then have been sent to Sanctum.

Body count: The Disciples are really dying a lot this season: 3 in 7x01, and in this episode, 5 more killed on Skyring (1 by Hope, 4 by Echo), 8 including Meredith killed on Sanctum by Raven, Orlando (reportedly) committed suicide. 17 dead Disciples since the start of the season.

In the flashback - 4 Disciple dieds: Dev killed 2, was mortally wounded by a third, but managed to detonate a grenade and kill his killer.

Rating: 8.5

#the 100 #the 100 7x04 #hesperides #the 100 season 7 #clarke griffin #hope diyoza #echo kom azgeda #gabriel santiago #raven reyes

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indiaparenting · 4 years ago

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Hindu Gods and Goddesses Names

Hinduism is perhaps the biggest confidence on the planet. The fascinating element about Hinduism is that it's anything but a religion, however an act of different convictions and ceremonies. One of the most established (with obscure roots) religions on the planet, Hinduism doesn't have an author.

Depending on the most essential standards, Hinduism emphatically accepts that "every single individual are divine" and that strict amicability is of prime significance. These are only two of the numerous rules that the confidence holds. As Hinduism doesn't set solid principles on adoring God, the practices differ across societies and locales. This outcomes in changed methods of knowing, perceiving, and connecting with God. As there are a wide range of stories and strict writings, so there are numerous names also.

In Hindu folklore, there are three noticeable Worlds, three Goddesses and three Gods. The three divine beings known as the Hindu trinity are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Ruler Brahma makes, Lord Vishnu continues and Lord Shiva pulverizes so as to secure the universe and uprightness. These three Gods speak to the repetitive idea of our reality from birth, life and obliteration to ensuing recovery. These three Gods consolidate to frame the incomparable enormous soul likewise called Brahman or universe. Henceforth they are likewise called the Trimurthis or the Trinity of Hinduism.

We comprehend that finding and knowing different names from such a shifted extend is an enormous errand. This is the reason IndiaParenting presents to you an assortment of Hindu God and Goddess names for young ladies and young men from across India, looking through the strict writings.

Hindu God Names

Names of Lord Shiva

Master Shiva is known as the lord of benevolence and empathy. He shields the fans from common indecencies, for example, desire, eagerness, and outrage. He gives aids, gives effortlessness and stirs astuteness. While Vishnu is the preserver, Shiva is a definitive destroyer. He wreck all the universes toward the finish of creation and breaks up them.

Names of Lord Ganesh

Ruler Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu lord of beginnings is customarily loved and summoned before any significant occasions. He is known as the remover of deterrents. Ganesha is viewed as the offspring of both Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Ruler Ganesha is one of the most venerated Hindu divine beings.

Names of Lord Krishana

Master Sri Krishna is the most comprehensively venerated and one of the most noticeable Hindu god. He is the eighth indication or symbol of the Hindu god Vishnu. Ruler Krishna's lessons are conveyed in the Bhagavad Gita which is one of the stories of Hinduism.

Names of Lord Murugan

Ruler Murugan or Kartikeya is the child of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He is the sibling of Lord Ganesha. Master Murugan showed for the sole reason for executing Tarakasura. He is likewise called 'Deva Senapati' and 'Yuddharanga'. In this manner he is the divine force of war and General of the military of the divine beings.

Names of Lord Indra

Well done on choosing to name your infant dependent on Names of Lord Indra. Know Lord Indra Names for Baby with Meanings for naming your infant. Investigate rundown of various Names of Lord Indra for Baby Boy and Baby Girl. Hindu Mythological Names dependent on Lord Indra. Name Of Hindu God or Lord Indra in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit, Malayalam

Names of Lord Kuber

Vishnu is one of the crucial divinities of Hindu folklore. He is the preserver divine force of Hindu trinity and shields the universe from being wrecked and props it up. Vishnu has come to earth in nine structures called the symbols to secure the world, the last Kalki symbol is yet to come.

Names of Lord Vishnu

Names of Lord Hanuman

Ruler Hanuman is likely one of the most celebrated and regarded figures in the Hindu Mythology. He is loved by numerous who wish to pick up quality and boldness in their lives. He is a manifestation of Lord Shiva and the child of the breeze god Vayu.

Names of Lord Kamdev

Master Kamdev is notable as the Hindu divinity of affection. Kamdev is the blending of two words in particular Kama and Deva. Deva implies divine or authentic while the Kama represents yearning, want or enthusiasm, for the most part as in sexy love or sexuality. As indicated by the Shiva Puran, Lord Kamdev is the child of universe maker "Master Brahma". Agreeing people of old Scriptures, Lord Kamdev was resurrected as Pradyumna, the child of Lord Krishna and Goddess Rukmini.

Names of Lord Kartikeya

Ruler Kartikeya is the most well known Hindu god among the individuals of Tamil Nadu. He is the child of Lord Shiva and Parvati, his sibling is Ganesha and his spouses are Valli and Deivayanai, he is known by various names like Subramanya, Subramani, Muruga, Shanmuga, Skanda, Karthilkeya, Arumuga and Kumaraswamy. Muruga is personally connected with bumpy locales, referred to in Tamil as Kurinji and is venerated as the watchman divinity. Master Muruga is a unique God with exceptional forces. By venerating master Muruga with profound commitment, confidence and bhakti all the difficulties and challenges throughout ones' life disappear and great days begin showing up.

Names of Lord Lakshman

As indicated by the Ramayana, Lakshman is supposed to be a one-quarter sign of Vishnu and a symbol of Shesha, a snake related with Vishnu. On that premise, Lakshman got known by the name of Sheshavatara. Despite the fact that Sheshavatara isn't the main name related with him. He is known by a few distinct names, and some of them can be followed in Valmiki Ramayana

Hindu Goddess Names

Names of Goddess Parvati

About Goddess Parvati: The goddess Parvati is viewed as the celestial force and spouse of Lord Shiva, the destroyer. Like his significant other Shiva, the goddess Parvati is said to have both gentle and horrendous viewpoints. The goddess Parvati is referred to by various names as Lalita, Uma, Gauri, Kali, Durga, Haimavati, and so forth.

Names of Goddess Durga

In Hinduism, the goddess Durga, otherwise called Shakti or Devi, is the defensive mother of the universe. She is one of the confidence's most famous divinities, a defender of all that is acceptable and amicable on the planet. Sitting with on leg on each side of a lion or tiger, Goddess Durga fights the powers of evil on the planet and ensures her fans. She is the partner of Lord Shiva.

Names of Goddess Lakshmi

Goddess Lakshmi is the partner of the god Vishnu. She is one of the most mainstream goddesses of Hindu folklore and is known as the goddess of riches, excellence and virtue. She is conjured regularly for a glad and prosperous life.

Names of Goddess Saraswati

Goddess Saraswati is the partner of Lord Brahma, the maker. Wearing white that represents virtue and quietness. Goddess Saraswati is hailed as the Goddess of getting the hang of, learning, shrewdness, music, and style in Hindu folklore.

Names of Goddess Radha

This Shri Radha’s (Priyaji’s) Namavali (index of names) is based on Her Nitya Vihar Rasas. Chanting these Holy Names grants a Devotee the boon to become a Sakhi in Nikunja and enter Her abode Nikunja in service to Her Divine's holy feet. Shri Dhruv Dasji Maharaj urges the readers & ‘Rasik Ananyas’ (Solely devoted to Shri Radhavallabh) to recite and sing only these special names of Shri Krishna’s beloved.

Names of Goddess Sita

Well done on choosing to name your infant dependent on Names of Goddess Sita. Know Goddess Sita Names for Baby with Meanings for naming your child. Investigate rundown of various Names of Goddess Sita for Baby Boy and Baby Girl. Hindu Mythological Names dependent on Goddess Sita. Name Of Hindu Devi or Goddess Sita in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit, Malayalam. Think about in excess of 3 Goddess Sita infant names.

Indian Names based on Indian Mythology

Do you wish to name your kid dependent on a fanciful character? Browse our extensive database of names dependent on the Ramayana, Mahabharata and strict gods.

All Names based on Indian Mythology

#indian baby names #indian mythology #names of Goddess #Names of God #Hindu Baby names #Hindu Names

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g-on-ef · 5 years ago

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So many Tears throughout The year

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A/N as promised here's chapter 4 of So many tears throughout the year ^^

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Shinya was a coward, he was not afraid to admit that; nor was he afraid to call himself that. Instead of confronting Guren he ran, like a dog between his legs. It bugged him that he didn’t have the courage to yell at the prime alpha or to put him in his place.

Instead of speaking his mind and tearing Guren a new one he ran. All because he did not want to be near him. As he lay in bed he couldn’t help but be thankful towards Erwin and Fried for forcing Guren and his friend to leave the club.

Erwin assured him that he will not be coming to the club ever again. Shinya asked if it was okay to not go to work for the next week, just to be on the safe side.

Erwin agreed and told him he could take all the time he wanted he would still be paid and no money would be deducted from his check.

Shinya was happy about that and left home. Crowley and Erwin of course escorted him home; making sure that Guren wasn’t anywhere near the club to follow him back to his home.

Once he made it there safe he laid on his bed and thought about what happened.

Shinya didn’t know what to do, with the knowledge of Guren here he needed to be careful, he had to make sure that Guren and his kids never cross the same path.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to let himself sleep and try as hard as he could to not think about the Prime Alpha.

To bad his mind had other ideas, memories of both him and Guren filled his head. Memories of their time together, the promises they made to one another and of course the first time they had sex together.

Shinya tossed and turned on his couch, sleep will not come easy to him.

The next morning found Shinya making a simple breakfast, that is if chocolate chip pancakes, French toast, with ham and cheese omelets, sausage links, crispy bacon, fruit salad, cheese biscuits, apple sauce with a side of hash browns consider a simple breakfast.

Last night was a disaster, no matter how hard he tried he just could not sleep. Images of Guren filled his mind and once his head started to reminisce on Guren’s naked body Shinya gave up on sleep, once 6 o’clock hit Shinya decided to get up and make breakfast.

Aside from dancing, cooking was one of the things that was able to relax him and whenever he was stressed he would cook and he may or may not go overboard but hey no knew that when he was stressed he over cooked.

“Rough day at work?”

a sweet voice said, startled he dropped his spatula, turning around he couldn’t help but cooed as he saw his baby girl dressed in a white turtle neck shirt with the sleeves stopping right below her elbows, high waist black trousers, with some sandals on her feet. Her hair was done in a simple bum showing off her beautiful blue eyes.

She looked so beautiful that Shinya couldn’t help but walk over to her and wrap his arms around her and give scent mark her.

Zoe giggled as she returned the hug and did the same.

“You look beautiful darling,”

Zoe smiled as father and daughter pulled back.

“Thank you papa, but you didn’t answer my question,” her soft smiled turned into a look of worry as she looked at the table.

“Did something bad happened?”

Okay so maybe someone did know that he over cooked he was stressed.

“Whoa, did something happen at work?”

Make that two someones as Eren came down and saw the huge buffet before him.

“Umm…well…”

“Who do we need to kill?” Yuu said as he grabbed a sausage link and began to eat it.

Okay so all three of his children knew when he was stressed, he over cooked, so much for keeping it a secret.

Taking a deep breath Shinya spread his arms open and all his kids ran into them. He hugged them as tight as he could.

If Guren found out about them…he would try and take them, if Tenri found out…he didn’t want to think about it, the kids were still 15, which meant that legally Guren could come and take them away from him. Hell, even Tenri could do it since technically he was Shinya’s legal guardian.

No, he would not let that happen, his children would never know their father (or sperm donor as his kids refer him as) was in town, besides for all Shinya knew he was only here for the wedding and then he would leave never to return again.

After all, why he would concern himself with a slutty omega when he had a pure one waiting for him.

“Papa, food is burning,” the scent of burning bread filled his nose as he turned to see the bagels burning.

Grabbing his spatula, he pulled all eight pieces off the pan and placed them on the plate and opened the window that was right above the sink.

All three kids looked at him before laughing at their papa.

Shinya turned and saw his kids laughing freely and over all being happy. He could not help but smile as he took in the sight.

He smiled and just enjoyed the joyful sound that filled his kitchen.

After their laughter died down Shinya told them that there was nothing wrong and he was just excited for his little girl and wanted to make sure she had a healthy breakfast.

The brothers looked at their little sister and smiled, they too were proud of her but their alphas wanted to make sure that the youngest member of their pack was safe so they each gave her both a mini taser and pepper spray in case she ever need to use it.

Shinya tired hard not to look upset, Guren was the same way, he would always give the omega something so that he could defend himself in case any alphas or betas with ill intentions would try and harm him.

He always ignored the nagging voice in his head that would always remind him how Yuu and Eren were exactly like Guren and not just in looks either.

Taking a deep breath, he served his kids some vanilla flavor coffee and handed it to each of them. The kids thanked him as they drank it and began to eat their food.

After cleaning the kitchen Shinya gave Zoe two containers, one for Levi to make sure he ate something and another for Zoe for her lunch. Zoe gave her father and Yuu a kiss on the cheek since it was time for her to go, Eren grabbed her bag as the two headed towards the door.

Eren had asked Levi if he could give Zoe a ride to her internship since his aunt worked there not to mention he had to go into work.

Mr. Hover wanted all his models there as he had to talk them about something important.

Levi of course said yes, and since he was always punctual, they knew the alpha would be waiting for them after breakfast, sure enough there was the alpha parked on the side of their house.

Both siblings walked over to him greeting him Zoe gave him the container of food while Eren gave him a kiss good morning.

The drive to her internship was filled with some Kpop song that Zoe begged Levi to play, the alpha would have said no but Eren also begged him.

And most of the times whatever Eren asked he got, especially since he never asked for much.

They pulled up at the building and stopped at the side of the road.

Eren turned and looked at Zoe with a serious expression.

“It anyone…and I mean anyone touches you, harasses you, belittles you, or makes you shed one single tear, tell me and I’ll kick their asses.

“Eren,” the omega whined.

“Don’t ‘Eren’ me little omega, if anyone makes you uncomfortable tell me or Yuu before you tell anyone else,”

Zoe nodded her head, ever since the incident with their papa at his work happened Yuu and Eren have become extremely overprotective with Zoe.

It got so bad that they would not let her be alone with her boyfriend even though Koji has been nothing but respectful towards Zoe and never pressured her to do anything that made her feel pressure or uncomfortable.

“Good, be safe okay,” he then pulled out his phone and handed it to her.

Zoe took it and placed in her pocket.

“If you can’t get to me call Yuu,”

“And if you can’t get to either one of them call me got it?”

Levi knew why his mate was overprotective of Zoe, he understood since over time he came to see her as a little sister and despite his aunt working here he didn’t trust any of the workers especially since he over heard his aunt talking about how some creepy alpha was harassing an innocent omega.

He did not want anything happen to Zoe and will kill anyone if they bothered her.

“Yes alphas,” she said in a timid voice. It wasn’t that she was scared she just knew when to fight back and when to back down, and she knew that this was one battle she could not win especially when both alphas were using their alpha voice.

“Good, now have a good day and please call me when you’re at lunch,”

“Okay,” she lean forward and peck Eren’s cheek before smiling at Levi knowing how if he wanted human contact with anyone other than Eren he’d be the one to initiate it, Levi smiled before leaning forward and pecking her forehead.

“Go, before you are late,”

She smiled as she got out and waved good-bye before heading inside.

Once she entered the building Zoe took in the sight, the building was huge, the floors were so shiny Zoe would beat that she could eat off it.

Smiling she headed towards the elevator since Hanji told her once she entered the building to head straight for the 13th floor. Getting in she was about to hit the 13th button when a man entered the elevator with her.

She turned and made eye contact with him, offering him a small smile Zoe asked,

“Which floor sir?”

“13th,” he said taking in the young girl’s features. Zoe smiled as she hit the button. Trying hard not to look anxious around this man.

“If I may ask, who are you?” the man’s deep voice asked.

She turned to look at him before replying,

“I’m Zoe Smith sir, and you?”

“Guren,” he said looking at the girl, she looked…familiar…something about her made the prime alpha want to grab her and scent mark her which was weird and admittedly a little creepy. Ignoring those thoughts, he asked,

“You’re the new intern right?”

“Yes sir, today is my first day,” she said with another smile. Seriously what was it about this girl that was giving him warm fuzzy feelings, the same feelings that he had whenever he was around Shinoa.

“Hmm…well I hope you know that you will be working with me Ms. Smith,”

“Oh, umm…I thought I was going to work with Hanji in the science department,”

“No, you were hire to work as my assistant,”

Wait…what?

“Umm…I thought-“

“You start at the bottom and work your way to the top, if you can show me and everyone else that you are capable of good things then you’ll be promoted, is that clear?”

“Yes sir,”

He turned and gave the girl a soft smile.

“Don’t worry, I’ve seen your portfolio, you have amazing ideas and you and Hanji will be working side by side in no time,”

The praise made the omega smiled and once again Guren was tempted to hug the girl.

“That’s good sir,”

They arrived at their destination and both got out Zoe and Guren stepped out and headed towards his office.

“Alright Ms. Smith, did Hanji gave you a tour of the building?”

“Yes sir,”

“Good, you’ll be sending files to and from other offices, you will also be attending some meetings with me, taking notes for me as well as answering calls,”

“Okay,”

“Any calls from my wife are to be sent on hold, unless it involves our daughter I don’t wish to speak to her while I am working,”

“Okay?”

“And all emails are to be send to me or my secretary,

“Yes sir,”

“Good now tell me about yourself,”

“Umm…well I have two brothers and father I like science and wish to run my own business someday,”

“I see, is that all Ms. Smith?”

“Yes sir,”

“Alright then, what’s your status,”

“Omega sir,”

“Very well, according to our records you’re the youngest intern we ever hired,”

“Is that good or bad?”

Guren chuckled.

“It’s good, in fact I am impressed with your credentials, especially since you had the highest grade out of all our interns.”

Zoe smiled at the praise and bow in respect.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Alright we have a big meeting and we should start heading out,”

“Of course sir,”

Guren showed her were to put her stuff at, she placed her bad down before grabbing a notebook and pen before showing Guren she was ready.

Smiling at the young girl he gesture for her to follow him.

“Both Zoe and Guren headed towards the conference room, they were the first to arrive and began to get themselves situated.

Zoe was excited and ready for the day, she knew today was going to be good, she could feel it in her heart.

How wrong she was…

#my wriring #so many tears throughout the year #seraph of the end #attack on titan #crossover fic #guren x shinya #guren ichinose #shinya #fanfiction #fanfic

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siren-dragon · 6 years ago

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FFXV Observation -- Episode Ardyn *Spoilers!*

Hello Everyone!

With the release of Episode Ardyn and the official completion of content for FFXV, I wanted to write my thoughts about the dlc down. And since the episode only came out today, there will be spoilers and everything will be beyond the cut.

Now be warned: this is just my personal thoughts and opinions of the new DLC content. If you don’t agree with it, that is fine; I only ask that you be respectful in your comments. Now then, let’s get started!

First of all, I just want to say that this Episode was beautiful and tragic, and I really loved it. While I didn’t get as much lore as I wanted (and I wanted the dlc to be WAY longer!) I did appreciate what we got. I have to say though, two really big highlights in Episode Ardyn has to be the music and the fact that we get to see a shirtless Ardyn. However, there were a few things with the story I found interesting and that was what I wanted to talk about.

Somnus Lucis Caelum:

Yes, the first thing I wanted to talk about was Ardyn’s “dear” younger brother; but please hear me out. In complete honesty, I really dislike this blatant hatred for Somnus. Don’t get me wrong, he did a lot of bad things- but we also have to look at it from his perspective too. In the Ep. Ardyn, Somnus actually tells Ardyn that he was jealous of him which is quite a feat for a prideful person. Now, as someone who has three siblings, I can kinda understand where Somnus is coming from. Even now, I sometimes feel pouts of jealous from my siblings despite us all being older. I can’t imagine how inferior Somnus felt when his older brother was literally the golden child of a entire nation.

However, this does not excuse his actions in regard to his treatment of Ardyn; what he did was cruel. What I do think is that Somnus did not know the the true burden of being king really meant. I feel like he wanted to have a chance to shine and show his people that he too wanted to protect them, even if it was in an extreme manner (*cough burning people alive *cough). But when Aera said that Ardyn was chosen to be king, I think that was the final push that sent Somnus over the edge. Even though they were meant to rule together (as talked about in the Datalog about the two blades being used together to symbolize their combined rule), Somnus finally had enough.

Yet when he was finally bestowed the Crystal and Ring, Somnus then understood the extent of what the calling of the king was and what Ardyn was meant to truly be. Somnus realized that he was never going to be the “True King” as that calling was for Noctis, and instead he pushed the only family he had left and was left with nothing but the guilt of what he did for 2000 years as his soul resided within the Ring of the Lucii. I’m not saying that Somnus was a good person and that he didn’t do bad things; he even says that he doesn’t expect Ardyn to forgive him as he knows he did terrible things. But let’s not forget that the two were once brothers and that once upon a time, they did not hate each other.

2. Aera Mils Fleuret:

Now then...let’s talk about Aera. Okay, so here’s the thing: I’m kinda on the fence about her. She is a very cute character and it is sweet that she loved Ardyn, but I don’t think she is as perfect as some make her out to be. To be fair, no one in this game is perfect and everyone has their faults, some bigger than others, but there is some information about Aera that I wanted make known. First of all, Aera is the Oracle- the First Oracle; who was chosen by Bahamut himself to represent the will of the gods on Eos. The actual quote from the Cosmogony is this: “In the distant past, Bahamut, the Draconian, descended to the mortal realm and graced the people of Tenebrae. From among them, he handpicked a pious maiden and bestowed upon her the power of the Stars and his trident. Using these gifts for the good of all, she became the first Oracle—she who joins heaven and earth”

I don’t doubt that Aera loved Ardyn, but that is the key word there. I think that she loved him, which is evident by when she died to save him- but I believe that when Ardyn became recognized as the Adagium, she put her love for him aside. She betrayed Ardyn and told Somnus information that was, for lack of better term, meant to be classified in regards to the prophecy and who was too be king. Granted, she felt guilt for that, but Somnus did not manipulate her into to telling him- she did it of her own free will. Also, we need to take into account Aera’s own calling as well: she is the Oracle and is known to be a pious maiden. What’s interesting there is that pious actually means to not only be “devoutly religious”, but it also means “making a hypocritical display of virtue”, or to be self-righteous. In the more archaic definition, it means to be dutiful or loyal, in this case; Aera’s loyalty to her calling as the Oracle and to the Astrals. She actually forsakes her love for Ardyn and regards him only as the Adagium and that he will never escape his fate. She puts the needs of others before that of the one she loves most in the world, which is brave of her to have done but also a horrid betrayal to Ardyn too.

While I truly wish we got to see more of Aera’s relationship with Ardyn and how they grew to love each other, she is not perfect. She choose her duty over the love of her life and forsook him when he became a “monster”. Now, that is a difficult choice and I commend her for choosing it to do what is right for the world, but I don’t believe Ardyn will ever fully love her again after that (based on that ending where he kills her and Somnus)- her actions put in motion events that had damaged A LOT of people’s lives just as badly as Somnus did. I understand that she was called to be the Oracle, but she still made a choice and has to live with it too.

3. Bahamut and the Astrals

Firstly, that title I just wrote sounds like a band name and it’s kinda of funny. But for heaven’s sake Bahamut, what the hell man? I admit, the dragon is a kind of a dick in the game, and that Ardyn definitely gets the short end of the stick with this. However, I can see some of where Bahamut is coming from.

They had a unknown illness that was ravaging the entire planet and the Astral’s didn’t know what to do and didn’t have the power to deal with it. And the Astral’s are sworn to defend the star at any cost, even if they must fight each other. So, I can see why they choose mortals to do their bidding for them, because humans are far stronger than we’re given credit for. Yet Bahamut’s folly was in not telling Ardyn that he had been chosen to bear the burden of darkness just as Noctis was meant to bear the burden of light. Ardyn simply wanted to help people, but Bahamut doesn’t explain that by containing the scourge within himself, he will eventually help the entire planet. Instead, he expects Ardyn to just suck it up and deal with what’s happened because that’s just the way it is.

I definitely think Bahamut is being very cold to Ardyn about everything, but you have to understand that what he says is that “so it has been ordained” meaning he too has no control over this. Bahamut even feels some pity for Ardyn too when he calls him a “pitiful creature” and I believe he knew that he was once a good man. But sometimes we have to do things that are unsavory because there is no other option- and Bahamut likely had no other option. It’s true that Ardyn was put through literal hell due to the calling he was given, but the Draconian actually compromises and allows Ardyn not only his revenge upon the royal family, but the reprieve of death too. He even warns Ardyn that if Noctis doesn’t kill him, he will just suffer forever in darkness and shadow; unable to die. If he truly didn’t care, Bahamut would have allowed the royal family to continue their existence and just have Noctis vanquish Ardyn with no consequences.

4. King Regis and the Crownsguard

So, one bit of information I found interesting in the game was that the royal family actually knew of Ardyn’s existence. Which mean’s he wasn’t entirely forgotten, just locked away like some weird national security secret. The fact that there is a unit of Crownsguard that is entrusted to respond at a moment’s notice if Ardyn should be released from his prison is interesting. Which means that Somnus actually put in safety measures to ensure Ardyn didn’t escape. Also, the fact that Ardyn doesn’t know what “Adagium” means or is when he first awakens probably means his name was replaced with that word and over time it became a legend- like a bedtime story you told misbehaving children. “You better be careful or the Adagium will get you,” seems like a fairy tale that would stay in Lucian history.

Now, I have to say that after the fight with King Regis, I believe that he was one of the strongest kings Lucis ever had. First of all, Regis is able to physically manifest multiple weapons at once from his Armiger, which you don’t even see Noctis do when he activates his Armiger (they’re all spectral weapons). Secondly, Regis was actually brave enough and strong enough to fight off against Ardyn by himself in order to defend his people which was really cool to see. All in all, it was great to see Regis in his prime and engage in full-blown combat (no matter how short lived it was).

5. Ardyn Lucis Caelum

I still have so many thoughts about this DLC, but I’m going to have to end it early and I saved the best for last. I have to say it was so much fun to play a Final Fantasy game from the villain's perspective. Ardyn is a wonderfully written character and I am going to miss seeing more of him; Darin de Paul did a magnificent job on this and he has truly managed to bring an amazing character to life. Now then, let’s talk about Ardyn’s story.

While I do feel sympathy for Ardyn, a lot of people have to understand that he is the villain and would likely never get a canon happy ending: which I am actually a bit pleased about. Happily, ever after endings are often unrealistic and it wouldn’t really fit with Ardyn’s character to have a happily ever after (that’s not to say one shouldn’t write fanfiction about it ;) After all that Ardyn experienced, it would be incredibly difficult for him to simply let things go and I think that is his main folly. He actually discards his humanity and basically goes “to hell with them” which is why I love him as a villain. Usually it is the hero that fights destiny, so I loved seeing Ardyn fight his fate while Noctis humbly accepts his.

Another thing I enjoyed seeing was the extent of Ardyn’s powers. Granted, we could have used that in the main game (maybe they’ll do a patch update) but it was a lot of fun to see all of his abilities. I honestly believe even Ardyn himself does not know all that he is capable of doing and is constantly evolving and discovering new techniques for him to preform. But it seems like there are abilities that are unique only to him as a Lucis Caelum; such as the way his armiger functions, the way he slows time as he “warps” or “shadow steps”, and even his illusions. Though ultimately, I liked that he was able to showcase all of these abilities without doing some extreme final-form transformation.

Overall, this DLC has made me love my favorite character even more- even though it does not excuse his actions in the main game. He experienced so many horrors but that does not condone his actions. Despite how he was in the past, Ardyn is a final fantasy villain; and one of the best ones.

I am certainly gonna miss seeing more FFXV content, but all good things do come to an end. Now it’s time to go and write fanfiction about the new content. ^_^

#ffxv #final fantasy xv #episode ardyn #episode ardyn spoilers #ardyn izunia #ardyn lucis caelum #somnus lucis caelum #aera mils fleuret #regis lucis caelum #ffxv bahamut #my thoughts #in my opinion

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douxreviews · 6 years ago

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The Umbrella Academy - ‘The Day That Wasn't’ Review

The Handler: "You're a great disappointment to me."

To put it bluntly, that quote more or less encapsulates the feelings I'm left with after 'The Day That Wasn't.' To get across fully the gravity of my abrupt reaction to this episode, obvious context is needed first, and not just in the manner you'd think.

It's a bit quaint to watch this feature a second time around and have my initial perceptions of certain characters drastically change for the better or for the worse; Luther's becoming tiresome as he fails to live up to his status as 'team leader' by repeatedly discussing why stopping the end of the world is priority numero uno, yet fails to offer up any pragmatic solutions himself, instead choosing to shoot down other workable and hands-on solutions offered up by the other siblings. On the other hand, we have Diego who's redeeming himself for me each passing episode with his wholesome qualities. Setting aside his penchant for reckless murder for the moment, his interactions and bonding with Klaus - in this episode's case, helping him reach sobriety - are among some of my favorite across the entire season. It's not exactly clear why Diego has such a soft spot for Klaus, and it's up in the air if that's a development the series will take the time to explore.

No, instead, this episode takes a big chunk of time to further progress the romantic tension between Luther and Allison. For the record, I will say that this development doesn't quite bother me as much as it does others in the audience, I'm more skimming the edges of the 'indifferent' camp. What is a little tedious for me is that The Umbrella Academy is choosing to wait until the ending of its sixth episode to finally lay the cards on the table about Luther and Allison, something the audience and the other Hargreeves siblings already knew was present. Nonetheless, it is each of their arcs making a sort of progress, and so with their feelings for each other out in the open, this possibly allows them the opportunity to grasp a new perspective on fending off the end of the world.

More truths are bought to light with Luther himself when it's shown to him by Pogo that Sir Hargreeves never took Luther's research on the moon seriously because he had only sent Luther there after his near-death experience due to seeing Luther as useless. Appropriately, this doesn't go over well with Luther and his reaction, performance-wise, is executed well, partly reminiscent of Loki learning his true heritage in Thor. The weight of this revelation too is why it's so conflicting for me to critique Luther sometimes, seeing that his trauma sustained from his father is just as valid as each of his siblings.

Meanwhile, Klaus has found newfound motivation for ditching his stashes of narcotics in the form of Dave, a comrade from Klaus' platoon that appears to have also been involved romantically with Klaus before his untimely death, a monumental factor in Klaus' uneasy state ever since he got back. From my understanding, Robert Sheehan had a bit of a hand in the androgynous wardrobe of Klaus, and I wonder for a moment if he also steered the direction of Klaus' relationship with Dave, and just how much was to be revealed to the audience about the two of them. What's relieving to see in Klaus' development here is that the importance Dave had to Klaus is showcased in the formidable manner of Klaus making great efforts to sober up and opening up to Diego about Dave more or less being the catalyst for that. Some series choose to beat the audience over the head repeatedly with the unquestionable assertion that they feature an LGBT+ character, but in doing so, they sap the remaining characterization out until their sexual orientation is the only thing left to define them by. In Klaus' instance, The Umbrella Academy smartly takes the route of 'show, don't tell'.

More fuel is thrown on the pyre regarding Vanya's increasing animosity towards her siblings. Understandably, she's pissed she wasn't reached out to by the others for her consult on how to stop the end of the world, but after she storms off, Allison's the only one to express guilt over this. It's disappointing that we haven't been allowed much of interactions between Vanya and her brothers because they all seem, to a practically comedic degree, very indifferent to her presence whenever she's in-and-out of the mansion. This potentially could feel very wonky in the future if things come to a head and the academy becomes compelled to defend Vanya from the threat Leonard may present, because their sense of protection over Vanya may feel out of nowhere.

Finally we come to Mr. Five's subplot. Five is taken by The Handler to The Commission's main headquarters and as soon as she begins laying out the inner workings of the institution in specific detail, it was very apparent that Five's end goal all along was to exploit The Commission's technology to his advantage. By the time of the climax, Five does just that, and manages to turn Hazel and Cha-Cha against each other by sending each a message instructing them to kill the other. He also neatly acquires the name of the supposed mastermind behind the imminent apocalypse: Harold Jenkins. Once Five has what he needs in tow, he returns to the prime-line to warn his siblings - one day earlier. The setting where this episode started up, with Luther, Allison, Diego and Klaus discussing how to ward off the apocalypse, is returned to, only with Five in attendance this time. Which means everything we witnessed, everything that was developed for these characters over the last forty-five minutes amounts to nothing. Zip. Nada. All so the series can end this chapter on a quirky little cliffhanger that could have played out just as easily if Five returned one day later.

I've seen this episode twice now and maybe I'm just missing the point this ending is trying to make but this is really an ineffective way to advance a narrative. If anything, had Five returned a day later and dropped the bombshell about Harold Jenkins, I sense that the siblings would have been even more prone to cooperate, now that they have an altered perspective on things to come: Vanya would have discovered Leonard possessing Sir Hargreeves' journal, Luther and Allison have new incentives to continue living, Klaus reunites with Dave in the afterlife (possibly making it past his withdrawal as well), and Diego learns Mom is alive again, courtesy of Pogo. And now all of that is undone and we are frustratingly left back at square one, so now who knows how long it'll be before these guys get their act together?

I'll humor my lingering optimism and say that this ending may be able to be forgiven come next episode if a new turn of events pushes these characters back into the acceptances we saw this episode. So better luck next time, academy.

Name That Tune:

Of course we wouldn't be fully convinced that Klaus spent a year in the late 1960's if his presence in Vietnam wasn't played to the backdrop of The Doors, more specifically 'Soul Kitchen'.

Hargreeves Humor:

Allison: "But can we trust him? I don't know if you've noticed, but Five's a little..." Klaus: "Our little psycho."

Klaus: "We all died fighting this thing the first time around. Remember?" Diego: "Klaus, shockingly, has a point."

Aaron Studer loves spending his time reading, writing and defending the existence of cryptids because they can’t do it themselves.

#The Umbrella Academy #Vanya Hargreeves #Klaus Hargreeves #Allison Hargreeves #Diego Hargreeves #Luther Hargreeves #Ben Hargreeves #The Umbrella Academy Reviews #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews

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anotherramblingfangirl · 7 years ago

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Take the Fifth:

Summary:

After all that she's done for it, Quintessa will not allow Cybetron to be destroyed. Nor will she ever allow the great devourer to rise once more.

Even if the only way she sees that can ensure both of these things, requires the deaths of over 7 billion people

Link: AO3

Fic:

She made them.

She made them and was one of the first to be made.

The fifth.

Only a few like her even existed at the start. Those created by Primus himself, those who existed for a purpose: to ward off a great evil.

His brother. His opposite. The great devourer.

Unicron.

And they fulfilled that role.

One long, long battle filled with so much destruction left him decrepit. Not dead, not yet.

But defeated, left derelict and banished away for now.

It was then that she had time to think, as the rest of her siblings turned to their own ambitions.

During this battle against chaos himself, she'd witnessed so many civilisations as he'd been pushed back from one planet to the next.

People, not built for any purpose, but simply living their lives. Building their own civilisations and striving for greatness as one whole community.

So many wondrous civilisations like that.

So full of growing, thriving life.

And she wanted it.

She had nothing against any of her fellow Primes, not yet, not then, but they were so few.

Why did they have to be so few? They were powerful, they had a habitable planet in Cybertron that could house billions and yet they numbered only just over a dozen.

That could not stand. She would not let that stand.

Cybertronians would have their civilisation too.

She would not just be a Prime.

She would be the Prime of Life.

She would see her dream through.

First, it came time to practice. She would not let her own people be the test run.

A few words whispered in ears, Primes and aliens alike convinced that their own goals would be furthered by her own...just a few lies told.

Here and there.

It would be worth it in the end. When it was done.

They would thank her.

That's what she told herself as the first part of her plan came to fruition.

As she breathed life into a new race. Albeit one that was organic, not mechanical like her.

They named themselves and the planet they resided after her.

Her subjects.

It was then that her trouble started. Had she known then, been older then, wiser then, she might have been more careful.

But back then...well, back then she was Quintus Prime and everything was going perfectly in her mind. Why should she make any changes to her plan?

So she set about her task.

Leading Liege Maximo onto her side had been easy enough. Wouldn't like subjects to rule over, after all? Cybertronians were glorious, should they not take more steps to spread that glory? Wouldn't it be fun?

All he had to do, was to spread some half-truths here and forget to mention a few facts there, and it would be easy.

All he had to do, was exactly what he already did.

Alchemist and Solus were harder.

They did not have such lusts for power, anxious to be exploited.

But they did have one thing that could be used, in that they were far more like her than of their other siblings.

They loved to create too.

Craft magnificent inventions that would not be found anywhere else across the stars.

Would creating life not be another magnificent and yet also wholly benevolent challenge?

That appeal there, was what got her the Emberstone crafted.

An artefact that could breathe life into metal.

An artefact that, at some point, came to later be called the Allspark.

They questioned what she would do with it. Solus being especially insistent and Quintus knew that Alchemist would have been too, had he not spent so much time partying, overcharged, with aliens.

They knew that harvesting enough resources required to do what they wished could not be done to Cybertron, not without rendering it too barren to support the new life they aimed to create.

She told them not to worry. She had a solution and would sort the problem.

They called her too idealistic as she turned in private to her first creations.

They had been made by her and would obey her in this.

Would they not like mechanical subjects too, after all? Servants to help with tasks too dangerous for any organic to have to do.

Should they help her they will share in her power and rule alongside the Primes as was their right.

The deception was necessary.

While she may have created them, they were unruly.

They knew that as her progeny she had a soft spot for them, would not just wipe them out should they prove troublesome, and repeatedly they had tried to exploit that.

Should she let down her guard for even a moment they would gain the upper hand.

But again, she was a Prime and back then the idea of anyone gaining the upper-hand over her was preposterous.

So she had them set their best scientist into building the Seeds, away from the prying eyes of her people to help make her people. Then she sent of their best explorers to put them to use.

Not just any metal would do. She had a very specific ideal for how things should turn out.

Once her subjects had fulfilled their role and brought the desired metals to it, it was then a matter of making something of it.

A fraught process and also the specific point where they started unjustly turning against her.

Where did you get that metal Quintus?

That was none of any of their businesses. She didn't see any of them offering to help in retrieving it, so they had no right to ask of her now.

And besides, she hardly knew herself. Her subjects had been free to collect from wherever they saw fit. She didn't know the specifics and was as such hardly fit to answer whether any planets chosen were populated.

She was sure if there were, they'd recover eventually.

Life possessed a remarkable capacity to do just that.

But most of the Primes just weren't happy with that answer.

They still made use of the metal of course, worked away it and the Emberstone combined brought forth the first denizens of their new civilisation.

But they grumbled about it the whole time.

If we find evidence of something Quintus, you will suffer the consequences!

Hardly.

Liege stood to her defence. As did Megatronus.

Even Onyx took pity and advised against anything overtly harsh.

The rest knew they could not start something with her without causing a conflict.

A conflict they would not then risk having, for the results would surely be catastrophic.

And as far as they knew, this was then of it anyway.

They had their people, now it was time to govern.

Even then though, she would not risk being caught prepared, lest they change their minds.

She recruited her knights and in secret she also had her staff forged.

Knights to defend her, one for each prime, and the staff to stop everything she had built, everything that she had worked for and that she now deserved being ripped away.

Until it all was anyway.

Something she could scream and scream and scream about until that screaming caused her vocorder to shred.

If she just let herself, as would be so bitterly tempting were she weak.

It wasn't her fault, what she had banished for. It wasn't fair!

They may perhaps have been her subjects but she had not ordered the Quintessons to invade. She had not known they even planned to, or the devices they'd developed to turn her people into the drones she had once promised them.

They had been far, far cleverer than she had given them credit for.

She made them pay nonetheless. Used her staff and ripped away the world that she had once given them, using it to instead fuel and damage the wreckage that the Quintesson onslaught has wrought upon hers.

Quintessa for Cybertron.

And that, that act, had been the final straw.

It had been genocide, yes, there had been huge and indiscriminate casualties, yes, but the species were not all dead.

It had been but a warning.

A warning for the greater good.

A warning on exactly what would happen to those who tried to invade.

A warning against those who challenged a Prime's might.

A warning that she would issue as many times as it took until all enemies either learned or died.

For that, her own knights turned against her, taking her staff from her and running.

For that, before she'd been able to take any action against that treacherous waste of metal, her own family turned traitor on her for her alleged deceptions.

Her!

Banished her!

She refused to go down without a fight, but it was a fight that, in the end, she lost.

Was forced to leave the people and the home she loved so dearly for the crime of protecting it.

And later, when it was far, far too late she would find out the worse news she possibly could have.

Of how, in her absence...it fell.

First went down the Dynasty of Primes.

Betrayed much like she had been.

Those who had remained on Cybertron wiped out. Leaving only smatterings of offspring behind to carry forth their legacy.

A legacy which most of those smatterings did not even know what truly entailed.

And then...then it was the war.

The war which started and ended just about every other aspect of Cybertron that had survived the Dynasty's collapse.

From the civilisation to the very planet itself.

With it's last remnants still being thrown away over an over.

Thrown away, she would later find out, for Unicron.

She had finally found the location of the beast only to learn that Optimus Prime, progeny of Prima himself, was siding with saving him over Cybertron.

And so, for the first time in so many millennia after her banishment, she came home.

She came home, no longer baring the title Quintus Prime, but that of the planet which took it's name from it, before she left that place all but destroyed.

Baring it as a mark of both pride and a sign of what she was willing to do again.

She came home and she waited and she acted.

It seemed that while the Autobots were determined with their disgustingly single-minded pursuit to sacrifice all for evil incarnate, the Decepticons were much more agreeable to her goals.

They would help her stop him from ever getting the chance to wake up.

Then came the fabled Prime, and once he was under her control, back in line, it was just a matter of being able to retrieve her staff.

Then she could fix everything.

But the Autobots still refused to understand.

Refused in their stubbornness to sacrifice one planet, one, for the sake of not only their home, but so many others!

Should Unicron get the chance to fully wake up, should this "Earth" not be destroyed, then entire star systems would die before they even have the chance to realise what was happening.

Chances are, that they would not be able to stop him again.

He would kill everything!

And while she herself was not a stranger to genocide, when she did it, it was for a purpose.

Unicron did it simply to sate his own hunger.

How could the Autobots, knowing all that, still think it was her that needed to be stopped? Try slay her and not the beast?

Had she not teleported, she would have been dead and the rise of the great devourer rendered inevitable.

She was on his surface now, masked with the appearance of a human woman.

Alive and once again waiting.

If there was one thing her banishment had improved about her it was her patience.

He might know she was there now, might vaguely recognise her in his state of mostly-slumber, but for now he was still powerless to do anything about that.

She had time.

She would still have her way.

She knew how to kill him, after all.

The Autobots would not stop her.

And when they inevitably tried to, she would reek a great and terrible revenge upon them for what they have done.

For she would not allow Unicron or anyone who took his side to outlast the civilisation she'd fought to have even created.

For she would not allow Unicron or anyone who took his side to outlast Cybertron.

For she would not allow Unicron or anyone who took his side to outlast her.

#Quintessa #Quintus Prime #so much reading was done for this #Transformers #Unicron #tf5 #tf5: tlk #bayverse #13 primes #quintessons #genocide tw #unreliable narrator #alert #she's biased #post by me

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itallcomesdown · 4 years ago

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Cloud 9s

The waves, ever so gently colliding into one another as they collapsed onto the beach, provided the perfect soundtrack to Nicky's breakdown.

Not too loud, not too harsh.

Soft and low like the tears running down her cheeks.

This wasn't Nicky’s first time weeping at the edge of the ocean. In fact, she was well into the double digits at this point and likely to hit triple before she closed out her third decade.

The first time she made the short drive to the shore for the express purpose of crying, she'd felt a little ridiculous. There was nothing wrong with her bedroom but something drew her to the drama of grey skies and sea breezes.

That's one of the perks of living by the water, depressive episodes seem more cinematic.

Today's helping of woe was served up by a call from her mother which, if you read a transcript, should have been totally normal but was, as always, specifically designed to destroy her.

"Darling."

Nicky cringed but replied sweetly. She could only hope to survive by mirroring her mother's tone.

"Darling, I'm so glad to hear from you. Your father and I do worry so much."

The first blow.

What was there to worry about? Her parents had checked in with her twice a week, every week, for years and Nicky had never shared even a passing comment that would indicate she was anything other than perfectly happy.

Now, was she? No, of course not. She was regularly crying by herself at the beach, but her parents didn't know that. Nobody knew that.

Nicky gave the verbal equivalent of a hand wave as a response. Life was all sunshine.

"Are you sure? You don't sound well."

She sounded the same as she had sounded the last time her mother had insisted that she'd sounded unwell. The same as all the times her mother had insisted she’d sounded unwell which was every time they spoke.

Another spoken hand wave. The salty air was in her throat, nothing more.

"I did say when you decided to move up there that the sea air would be bad for your lungs."

Lungs! How had this become about lungs? Last time it was "something something, microscopic sand particles are lacerating your vocal chords".

Nicky couldn't get the image of sliced, white bands out of her dreams for a week.

"You need to see someone or it will get worse. I'll speak to Dr Kline and see if she knows anyone you can go to down there."

Why?! From 16 words spoken over a patchy internet connection, her mother had decided that intervention was necessary.

Nicky’s chest tightened as she made a mental note to avoid clearing her throat for the rest of the call lest it fan the flames in her mother's mind. She kept her voice even in her response but made sure to not attempt firmness as she insisted that she was fine. Resistance only strengthened her mother's resolve.

"Jerry, remind me give Marsha a call tomorrow about Nicky's lungs."

Nicky imagined her father, somewhere off camera, giving a silent thumbs up to his wife.

Marsha Kline was not a doctor of medicine. She was a wonderful woman and a very accomplished professor of art history who had been friends with Nicky’s mother for longer than Nicky had been alive. Dr Kline was also very convinced that western medicine was a death cult and any medication not administered in tea form was bad for you.

"Don't roll your eyes, Nicky. I'm only doing my job as your mother. Someone has to look after you."

Blow 5?

The subtle difference between "out for" and "after" in a sentence like that would go unnoticed by most, but Nicky had been playing this game with her mother for all of time. Her mother used "out for" when referring to all adults except Nicky.

Now, you might think that's totally reasonable. Mother's always look after their children and that doesn't mean the semantic difference is some kind of dig. Except Nicky was the oldest of three children and the only one who her mother felt needed looking after.

"You did roll them, Nicky. I'm not going to argue, but you did. I used to be able to hear it in your voice over the phone but now that we are on Soom I can see it."

Nicky bit her tongue and tried to keep her jaw relaxed.

Where had the call gone wrong this time?

She should have suggested the call to Dr Kline herself. That way her mother wouldn't have been primed to fight about it.

At least this time she let "Soom" slide.

"Anyway, your sister and I had a lovely chat yesterday. The boys are doing great, she and Pat are looking really lean with the marathon coming up. Have you spoken to her?"

Marriage, children, weight. The self-esteem trifecta, all in one beautifully benign sentence. Nicky almost admired the efficiency.

Claire should have been born first. She was third in birth order but seemed to have decided from an early age to reach every available milestone before Nicky could make a meaningful attempt.

"You really should talk to her more. And James. Both of them really worry about you."

At this point, Nicky had accepted that she would be going to the beach as soon as the call was over. Why waste a day or two trying to hold it together when all she would be thinking about is the family meeting she hadn't been invited to where everyone did the sad head tilt as they talked about her.

"James is always saying he's happy to have you if you need somewhere to stay."

Somewhere to stay.

Nicky had a perfectly lovely apartment with her own office, a parking space and a gorgeous view but because she didn't have a mortgage, her family talked about her as if she was homeless.

"It doesn't have to be long term. Just until you're on your feet"

Would this be after her newly signed 2-year lease or would James buy that out for her?

"I'm sure he could afford it."

He probably could.

"You don't have to. I'm just putting it out there so you don't feel stuck and alone."

If Nicky had to pick a title for her autobiography, it would be "Stuck and Alone". Even at work where everyone was different from each other, she felt completely out of place. Like a puzzle piece you jam into the wrong section because it looks like it should work but when you take it in as part of the picture, something's off.

"You said you would think about it last time. I know you, you're stubborn but now is not the time for stubbornness. People are trying to help you."

The hardest part about these calls would always be having to defend her contentment when it seemed like everyone else thought she was drowning. Nicky wasn't sad about the life she had built for herself. She was sad that it seemed too small and pathetic for those she loved.

"Just call your siblings. If you've lost their numbers, I'll send them to you. Jerry, remind me to send Nicky the numbers."

Nicky sometimes distracted herself by imagining her father as a sort of humanoid smart speaker with steely mesh for skin, warm glowing eyes and a permanently erect thumb that shone green when a command had been accepted.

The speaker was called Greymax and it always made Nicky smile.

"What's funny? I know you think I'm a silly old woman so you might as well let your laugh out."

Nicky exaggerated her eye roll and sighed. It broke the tension and they both chuckled a bit but they probably couldn't tell you why. Sadness lingered behind both smiles.

"Anyway, nothing to report on this side since our last chat so I'll let you go. I'm sure you have lots of work to do for your fancy new show."

Nicky performed pleasantries with her cheek between her teeth.

It took her less than twelve minutes to reach her usual spot from the end of the call, a personal best, and less than twenty seconds to achieve full body sobs, another personal best.

The actual crying wasn't particularly intense on this occasion. Hard crying just added physical hurt to the emotional despair.

One time, she had attracted the attention of a couple of youths on what looked like a first date. They were shy and gentle but visibly concerned. Nicky was mortified.

From then on she sat in a partially enclosed opening on the side of a sheer rock face and avoided excessive wailing. Sometimes she'd get a curious bird or a tiny crustacean but, for the most part, human contact had been limited to surprised stares.

The time on her phone told her that she had been out there for twenty minutes. That was more than enough for one day and should tide her over until the following week if everything stayed calm at work.

Nicky imagined herself, in another universe, choosing to jog through her inner anguish. Smartphone strapped to her upper arm, smartwatch keeping track of her movements and bluetooth earphones delivering alternate universe pop into her ears. Was that worth a try?

Imagination Nicky was exactly as good at her job and bad at relationships, she just had a comfortable pair of running shoes. That was totally attainable but Real Nicky had always resisted. Crying sucked but it was cleansing and felt natural. Running felt like someone else's thing that she was putting on to prove a point.

When Nicky got back home, she ordered an inexpensive but well reviewed pair of running shoes. The product description painted a vivid picture of how impossibly soft these shoes were, at a fraction of the price charged by other brands. Confirmed buyers wrote formulaically about never needing another shoe again and buying pairs for friends. Nicky never read any of that though because she chose them exclusively for the price and availability for next day delivery.

The shoes arrived but remained in their box for days. Nicky passed them every time she entered her bedroom, making a mental note to try them on, even if only to check the fit, but quickly forgot.

Her mother's next call came and went without incident. A neighbour had to be hospitalised and their pet's needed a temporary home so the entire call was consumed by intro to the pup and solemn predictions regarding the neighbours fate. The prognosis was pretty good but Nicky's mother was certain big pharma was gunning for him. Dr Kline had been consulted, of course.

Teas had been ordered and special instructions repeated in hushed tones but the call was fine.

Nicky was fine.

Usually, the down time between calls was a safe zone where Nicky could stock up on the mundane joys of life but the shoes had been ordered so the universe needed to make sure they were used.

James sent a picture to the group chat. Two little lines on a white stick. Congratulations all around. Wonderful news!

That evening the phone rang.

"I'm trying to convince your brother to move into a bigger house so there is room for you and the baby but Ryan is acting as if I've gone crazy. Can you believe it?"

Nicky finally got to the beach after an hour and a bit. Turns out the shoes really were baby clouds with laces, but it's hard to run when your chest is heaving.

Next time she would have to drive to the beach, then cry while running.

Fewer witnesses and, again, more cinematic.

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sasukeuchiha-eternalmangekyou · 7 years ago

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//So back when I was re-watching Naruto, I noticed something during the Sound and Sand Invasion Arc. Bear with my long post as I delve and ramble into detail ;)

Sasuke ran off to stop Gaara the moment the attack started, urged by Genma who declared he was already at Chunin level and to consider this the continuation of their fight. Genma holds off Baki who was supposed to capture Sasuke on Orochimaru’s behest. Without question Sasuke runs off ahead to do his part. Once Kakashi notices this, well aware of the danger that threatens his student, he has Sakura wake Naruto and Shikamaru from the genjutsu to pursue their comrade. He wants them to catch up and get Sasuke (and themselves) to a safe location before any harm can come their way. He also knew Gaara was no regular Genin (unaware that he was a Jinchuuriki at the time) and is worried for their safety. Sending Pakkun to help in tracking and avoiding the enemy, he declares it an A rank mission.

As we know, they catch up, Shikamaru separates to fend off a group of Sound ninja that ultimately was no match for him. Asuma’s timely arrival saved him.

Sasuke used too much chakra in pursuit, during his small/brief fight against Temari, and mostly in his battle against Gaara. He fought to the point of exhaustion, pushed himself near death by forcing a third chidori (which Kakashi warned him plain and simple that it could kill him) and ultimately succumbed to the overwhelming pain the curse mark manifested, causing him to become immobile. Gaara was going to kill him, but Naruto comes in time to strike him aside. While Sakura is immediately at Sasuke’s side, worry forming as she fears the worst.

Sakura defends him when Gaara bypassed Naruto, getting caught and rendered unconscious in the process. While she is stuck and Sasuke is incapable of moving, Naruto advances. However, he gets struck and sent flying back. Sasuke, despite the pain he’s enduring, lunges himself forward to soften the blow, something that wouldn’t have harmed Naruto all that badly had he hit the tree instead.

Afterwards, the two debate on the fight, wondering the best course of action to take. Sasuke overcomes the throbbing pain, managing to stand again. This is a very important character development scene for him. Although his whole life, revenge has been his fuel, his reason for existing, Sasuke willingly put the life of his comrades ahead of his own. Claiming that he’d sacrifice himself in order for Naruto and Sakura to get away, even if he only bought them a few minutes, he’d give that. He’s even out of breath as he explains, showcasing his growing fatigue.

It’s just as Orochimaru mentioned back during the preliminaries of the Chunin Exams. Being around his friends, mostly Naruto, changed Sasuke’s heart. For someone who should be preserving his own life, selfish in design in order to kill his brother, shouldn’t be so ready to die. But he takes no reproach upon himself for being weak here. He doesn’t even hesitate or pause to think of another solution. Deciding that if he died here, he was never meant to go further, tossing any chance of avenging his clan aside.

He lost his family, everything that was precious to him when he was merely seven years old. His heart and mind never fully healed, but being around Team Seven, living instead of simply surviving, caused them to become family. Just like in the Land of Waves, Sasuke stopped Haku from killing Naruto by getting in the way of a fatal attack. And later when he hears Itachi is back in the village, his instinct isn’t vengeance, it’s saving his friend.

Sasuke has taken loss after loss, structured his world on loneliness and sorrow, growing up in a devastation he learned to hon and tolerate. Yet, he’s grown. He managed to comprehend what truly mattered throughout his time with them. Although his protective instincts are usually buried in fear of losing more, he’s learned from those around him. Orochimaru’s offer of power is certainly desirable, but there was never a moment where Masashi depicted him contemplating the idea (despite the fact that he probably had at some point prior to the Sasuke Retrieval Arc).

His words stir Naruto into action, making him realize what it means to be strong. Sasuke sparked the notion of strength via protecting others into Naruto’s head, making him remember the power that lies in having people you care about. Due to Gaara’s ferocity, he nearly forgot, questioning it. He and Gaara were alike, so much that he began to fear the idea of what he could’ve become if he didn’t have Iruka and the others, that it somehow made Gaara stronger than him, unbeatable. Until this very instant, recalling all former mentions and selfless actions that were proved by Sasuke’s words, he knew he had nothing to be afraid of.

Naruto tells Sasuke that’s he’s done enough, that he should rest, while he decided to take over the fight. In obvious consequence to Naruto’s raging power and capabilities to take down Gaara, Sasuke is surprised to see just how much stronger his friend became. And as Naruto did the same during the exams, while Sasuke and Gaara fought, he belittled his own strength by comparing. It’s only natural that this occurs due to their rivalry and competitive nature.

However, in Sasuke’s perception, it’s different. He considers himself only strong when he’s stronger than those around him, stifling his inferiority by his nurtured superiority complex. He gets criticized over this, but it’s what he’s done in order to make it this far. He has to claw his way out of the past, out of the vulnerability that was exposed when Itachi took his entire world away from him. Rebuilding a future around the destruction caged inside was all he considered himself capable of until those ideals were squandered by his upcoming defeat at Itachi’s hand.

Once the fight draws to a close, the sand binding Sakura to the tree disappears. Her interference in order to protect him caused her to get hurt. The guilt is betrayed on his face. He catches her, placed her down gently, telling Pakkun to keep an eye on her as he goes to check on Naruto’s condition.

After reaching Naruto, hearing that Gaara wishes to stop fighting and go home, the other passes out with a smile on his face. Initially, Naruto is still trying to move, but Sasuke warns him that it’s enough, and tells him Sakura is safe, allowing Naruto to feel relieved. Their teamwork might not have been on display during this fight, but their devotion to protecting one another outweighed any question to how deeply they care for each other. This is a prime example to how much Team Seven has developed since they first formed as a team. They’re imperfect, maybe even mismatched at times, but their imbalance stabilizes them, forming bonds.

Now I can get to the actual point of my post. This is where Masashi decided to close on their progress and we only see these three later on, well after the invasion forces are being drawn back, this arc coming to a close.

But at this time, after the Sand Siblings leave, they still need to get somewhere safe. While his teammates are both unconscious, Sasuke is the only one able to move despite his physical exhaustion taking a toll. He has to take the both of them to a place they can hide from enemies. Now as Pakkun and Shikamaru stated enemy shinobi are lurking around, travelling in strategic groups to ambush any ninja they come by in the forest, all Chunin level or higher.

Sasuke had to manage all on his own, carrying his friends, probably running into numerous fights along the way in order to protect them. The strain he must feel on his body is enormous since the curse mark siphons chakra and he depleted himself the moment he decided to use a third chidori. Forcing himself to stand is one thing, but being on the verge of collapse, pushing past his lack of strength, he gathers himself, his friends, and fights.

They were sent out to stop him, and in the end, Sasuke is the one that has to safeguard them on his own against all odds. If that doesn’t display Sasuke’s development and where his priority truly lies before he was enticed by the lure of power, then I don’t know what does. But even then, Sasuke proves himself many times over before leaving the village that he cares and is no longer the child he used to be, clinging only to self-preservation. His devotion goes beyond revenge. It’s only the mix of fear and confusion that shatters that resolve later.

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amollion · 7 years ago

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Newcomers Pt 16

It was dark, all fires and lights had been forbidden after the fall of Geeda and an evacuation order had gone out but the enemy had been spotted not five miles from their town. A small group of militia volunteers had agreed to stand and fight to defend their homes and at least slow the enemy down. But there had been no sign of them since that message had come, no thunder that was said to precede their arrival brought on by their tower sized machines. No sounds of their tracked vehicles that fired shells that shred their war trucks apart.

Ceten had agreed to volunteer because his father had pushed him into it calling him a coward because he wanted to go with his mother. By Human standards he was only 14 maybe 15 years old but to the Benemar was well past childhood. He had never liked fighting, being the runt of the littler meant he was the smallest and all his brothers and his two sisters had done their father proud and joined the warrior caste. He wanted to be a farmer, to see fields of purple once more flow to the horizon like it said in his books. Those he had had to beg or steal as his father often said reading was for breeders not warriors and had beaten him several times when he found him with a book under his bed. Right now, his father was beside him holding a rifle perched on some hastily constructed barricades made out of cars and furniture. All his siblings were dead, they fell in Geeda and he saw how his father had looked at their portraits and beamed with pride saying they had died honourably and brought great glory even in death. He had then promptly struck Ceten, calling him a failure before retiring for the night. Now his only living child stood shoulder to shoulder with him to avenge their fallen and kill as many of these Humans and Gal as possible. Many stories had reached them long before the fall of Geeda, tales of how the Humans shape shifted and could punch threw iron walls as easily as one may tear through paper.

Small lights shun behind them so that those who's jobs it was the reload rifles and fire home made mortars could see what they were doing but it was only just enough to see. Beyond the barricade Ceten could barley see his hand in front of his face, he looked up wishing things were like they were in his books. Clear skies that shun with the light of the moon at night and burned with the heat of the sun, and stars, oh how he wanted to see stars. To find the constellations old Benemar used to sail the oceans and navigate at night before the compass.

Whispers were the only audible noise that he heard other than the breathing of his father and beating of his own heart. His father then turned to him and glared at him.

“Be ready son, a flare is about to go up”

“Yes father” he whispered before passing the message to the warrior to his right. Besides everything he was happy, his father had called him son, he had not done that for a very long time. He steadied his rifle and knew that the Humans must be out there, the flare went up and indeed, they were.

Ceten's eyes widened and his mouth dropped, the Humans were standing only five feet from the barricade in complete silence. It was not just a few either, they stood shoulder to shoulder glaring at him and there must have been thousands of them. How long had they been there? Why had they waited for the flare? Such thoughts left him as the Human in front of him grabbed his rifle with a speed he could not follow struck him. The last he remembered were the shouts and cries of his townsmen as the Humans leaped over the barricade and began their work. Then everything went black.

He awoke some hours later, he knew because it was day and from the height of the sun it was coming to near midday. He had fallen under the barricade and lost conciseness from hitting his head. Grunting as he rose he put his hand to the back of his head and felt for a wound, there was none and he was thankful. Movement above him made him freeze, a Gal was walking along the barricade and moving some things. Looking around he saw the remains of his town, much of the buildings had been burned caught up in the fighting and most likely any Benemar they found were slaughtered. The Humans and their Gal allies had made themselves at home, they moved and looked just as terrifying as the books said. He knew all about the last war and the last time the Humans came to Bento Prime. How they devoured their dead and cooked their still living prisoners alive. He had no wish to die that way, he had no wish to die at all but it seemed that that decision may not be his. He would have to stay exactly where he was until the Humans moved on, most likely after they had devoured everything they could and their hunger spurred them on again looking for new hunting grounds. Luckily some debris from the barricade had fallen on him making a kind of cave that he could stay under and if he was careful watch what was happening outside. But for all his fear he was still curious and wanted to learn about these creatures.

For the most part the Humans did not seem to act too different than his own people, they stood around and spoke to each other and their Gal friends. They drank and ate and were generally just going about their business. But he never saw any of their weapons, not a single one was carrying a rifle, he shifted to look out another part of the wrecked barricade hoping to see this towering machines that walked but it was nowhere in sight.

He scoffed to himself disappointed he would not get to see one, his friends would have been so jealous to hear he saw a walking tower machine. Then the thought occurred, what friends? He had only a few and they were all most likely dead now as they were manning the barricade with him.

And his father? His father had been there and called him his son. Tears came and he struggled and fought the urge to cry. “Only breeders cry” he repeated his fathers words. But he couldn’t help it, he loved his father for all his faults.

“I found a survivor!” sounded a Human above him looking down through the wooden planks and was beginning to shift them. Panic gripped him like a vine and he thrashed and screamed at them to get away and leave him alone, only then did he notice his leg was caught.

“His leg is pinned under the wreckage” the Human called jumping down and other Humans came to help. The barricade that he had fought on was shifted with surprising ease and a Gal tentacle reached in and pulled him free. He screamed as the Humans gathered around him, they were going to tear him apart and eat him he knew it. He cried and thrashed waiting for the moment he felt their teeth on his skin. But it never came, he stopped shouting and slowly calmed down his eyes low and slowly looked at the one Human holding onto his arm, smiling at him.

It was a warm smile meant to comfort him and she showed no sign of aggression, she was not even armoured or armed. He looked around and the other Humans were also smiling at him and the Gal hung back behind them.

“Have you calmed down now?” said the female human who had hold of his arm.

“Um...yes” he said meekly.

Her smiled widened and a small chair was placed behind him and she placed him on it while another Human inspected his injured leg.

“A small cut, nothing broken, you're a tough one” he said and reached into his bag “This will stop it getting infected” the Human said and sprayed something on his leg that stung a little and was bandaged. Then the Human got up and handed him a small white stick with a ball on the tip that was orange in colour, patted him on the head and left.

He looked at the strange thing the Human had gave him and looked at the others who giggled, the female who sat beside him took it and took off the small wrapping and put the lolly in his mouth. His mouth exploded with the sweet taste and his smile brought one to hers.

“My name is Karen, what's yours?”

“C-c-...Creten” he whispered the lolly still in his mouth.

“Nice to meet you Creten, are you hungry?”

He nodded and she took his hand and lead him through the Human camp.

He looked around as he was lead past countless Humans who all smiled at him or greeted him warmly, he began to wonder if these were Humans at all, they were nothing like they were supposed to be in his books. The Gal even watched him but showed more a curious interest than an intent to kill.

Then they reached a place where there were more Benemar.

“Farther!” Creten screamed and ran into his fathers embrace, he was horrified to see his father had lost his right arm but he was hugged all the tighter with his left.

“My son” he said as Creten buried his head in his fathers chest tears once more flowing freely.

“Ah perfect timing” Karen said as one of the cooks came pushing a trolley.

“We know you are purely carnivores but we did not want to give you just plain chicken so we made you all chicken soup” he called to the Benemar who all regarded him with a mixture of hatred and suspicion.

Creten moved and went to him and was handed a bowl and poured some and handed a spoon, he turned and ran back to his father and gave it to him. His father looked at it and at his son who had gone back for his own.

Creten sat down in front of his father and began eating this Human food they had been given. None of the Benemar moved and the cook was standing there waiting patiently for the others to decide to move on their own. His son was eating it vigorously, he had not eaten anything like it and was incredibly hungry. Creten's father looked around, they were not held in a prison, there was not even a fence, there was just a small area next to a tank with some sheets thrown over them to shield them from the sun and wind. There were not even any guards, where these Humans so confident that they did not even guard them. He looked down at the bowl seeing the different colours of the soup as the Human had called it, slowly he took a mouthful and seeing one of their elders eating the others slowly made their way to get their own helping.

#newcomers #amollion #humans are space orcs #humans are space australians

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betabites · 7 years ago

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Dragons of Tiamat, a good-parts campaign

A while back, I posted my thoughts on a ‘good parts’ campaign. I’ve actually started one, so I thought I’d share some of what I’ve done for that game.

The Pitch: ‘Y’all are a clutch of dragon wyrmlings that were raised together by a cult of Tiamat. Lately, your biggest, reddest sibling has been kidnapped! The rest of you are out to rescue her, and maybe have a little fun in the process.’

Because of the amount of content, I’ll be including links to individual pages with the dragon chassises, templates, deeds and the opposition. I love hyperlinks.

Overview - Dragon chassis - Templates - Deeds - Opposition - The Prison

The Introduction:

I started out by recapping the campaign concept, and that what we were doing now was outside the standard meta-narrative. I may have made Inception jokes. Basically, we were going to choose pseudo-classes for the characters, and then, by them selecting cards, determine a few specifics of ‘last session.’

I gave each player a character sheet, a dragon mini, a breath weapon template, and a name card to fill out. The characters were:

Delachiiwaer, the black dragon,

Zhazhefflix, the blue dragon,

Bhelachatemyx, the green dragon,

Minnenfrixxicks, the purple dragon, and

Fahrezintbrentuz, the white dragon.

And they were trying to rescue Halyxxialtix, the red dragon.

You can see the need for name cards. I recommended that folks make a shortened version. This was mainly for usability, but also let the players make an immediate stake on their characters. Delachiiwaer didn’t get used, since I had a last minute cancellation, which kind of emphasizes why standard campaigns don’t work for us. The wyrmling names we used were:

Flix, the blue wyrmling (played by @lawlessdragon),

Bhela, the green wyrmling (played by @saffrontherogue),

Minnen, the purple wyrmling (played by @sherlock913) , and

Rezzy, the white wyrmling (played by @kaminaduck ).

And Hax, the red wyrmling. She preferred Xialt, but the PCs felt otherwise.

Because of the cancellation, I had more Template and Deed cards than I needed. I dealt each player an extra Deed card, and the remainder from both went face-up on the table, where anyone could use them.

From there, I dealt out the Template cards - two to each player, and two face-up on the table. Each player could select one, either from their hand, or the table.

(Flix chose Faerie Dragonkin, Bhela chose Bookwyrm, Minnen chose Suspiciously Shiny, and Rezzy chose Ate Your Nestmates).

After that was Deed cards - six to each player, and one on the table. Players discarded one to the table, and then chose two, from their hand or the table.

(Flix chose Robbed a Potioneer and Extracted Tribute from a Druid. Bhela chose Recovered a Grimoire from a Ruined Tower and Sacrificed a Treasure to Tiamat. Minnen chose Saved Some Bandits... for Later and Indulged in a Manicure. Rezzy chose Smitten (by a Paladin) and Captured a Pixie. For those of you keeping track, they managed to take every single Deed that gave them combat-capable allies.)

Once everyone had their complete character, I ‘recapped’ last session. The PCs,between acts of banditry, counter-banditry and treasure-huntery, had fought and interrogated a member of the Smith-Cult. The Smith-Cult had captured Hax, the PCs surmising that dragonfire was an important component in magical item creation. So, they had traveled to the Big City (Garfellan), where they needed to find the headquarters of the Smith-Cult and get Hax back.

The Session:

I’m going to err on the side of brevity here, because it ran a lot like an ordinary session of a campaign. Folks settled into their characters, arrived at a new city, got a feel for the place, mingled and looked for information, did some scouting, got some exposition, came up with a plan, executed their plan, had a big fight, and got some twists dropped on them.

I dropped plot threads and hooks left and right, some of which the PCs jumped on, others which they were interested in, but left fallow in interest of time. This particular miracle of PC-focus was achieved by me briefly stepping out of the metanarration to say, ‘Cool, I’m glad you’re interested in this. I’ll add it to your quest log, and it’ll come up in a later episode.’ Actually treating to your PCs like adults is amazing, folks.

So, in brief:

PCs arrive in town, drop their kit at a fancy inn, act snooty enough to get a line of credit, and sign up for the ‘rich and powerful people’ newsletter. Garfellan is a city in the throes of an Industrial Revolution. There are airships, lightning trains, mass production. They get a schedule of upcoming events, and go ‘we’ll take one of everything.’

DM Note: I was prepared for them to either act high class or low class. High class just meant they had to do a lot less legwork and administer fewer beatings, and eat a lot more hors d'oeuvres. The poor dears.

There’s a bit of information gathering, hampered by the fact that no one actually has Gather Information. Whoops. I rule they can use other social skills to do so, at a -4. They fill in some details about Garfellan.

The first big event is a lightshow at the local mage tower, The Stellarium (I said ‘The Star-Studded Tower’ in session. But Stellarium is much better, so I’m going to use that). They mingle, snack, and get brainless aristos’ impressions of what the mages are actually doing, of which the lightshow is only a side effect.

They sneak off in the middle, because they’d spotted something unusual. One of the effects of the ritual was to push back the smog and smoke of the city, to provide the tower with clear lines of sight to the stars. All well and good, but one building had kept putting up smoke unimpeded. The PCs figured that whatever was producing the smoke was at least as bamfy as the mage ritual. Like, say, dragonfire.

There are some hijinx as they cross most of town to the source. The PCs get out of them by a combination of stealth and panache. They do spot a burglary taking place at the First Magical Bank of Garfellan, but a peek after the thieves shows them getting pasted by the defending stone golem.

The source of the smoke is a octogonal building with few windows and lots of chimneys. It’s built like a fortress, and it resembles an amulet they’d taken off the Smith-Cultist they’d interrogated out in the country.

They return to the party, and have a run-in with the young Queen Egalatine and her regent, Alfonso Tybaltine. They consider killing the regent (who, naturally, wants to marry the Queen, and become king. He’s a mere thirty years older.), but settle for putting it on the to-do list.

The PCs try to push into the tower, and find out what exactly the mages did with their fancy ritual. They manage to get the unfortunate on door duty talking, one Ballestaria. She says that her fellow astronomers have come to a realization. They can’t change Fate, since that’s written in the stars. But they can change their perspective, and thus their Fates will be different. The ritual essentially installed a giant lense between the world and the stars, bending the light of the stars into a more favorable configuration.

The next day, the PCs devise a scheme, after confirming that the building they investigated was the smith-cult headquarters. They will play the part of the idle rich, and present a business deal to the Smith-Cult. They’ll start a fashion for massively overpriced wrought iron jewelry, accessories, etc, the Cult will have an exclusive contract, the conditions in Garfellan will ruin the pieces with rust almost immediately, and they’ll make millions. It’s just stupid enough to work. Especially since they’ve been hanging out with aristos for the last couple of days, so they know how dumb all this can get.

In any event, their scheme gets them in the door as guests, and quickly, an audience with the Master-Smith. When discussing the particulars, the PCs mention using dragonfire forging as a selling point offered by one of the Cult’s competitors. With some reluctance, the Master-Smith informs the PCs that the Cult can match that. And, eventually, is persuaded to let the PCs see the source of the dragonfire.

As the Master-Smith is escorting the PCs down to the holding cell, he’s called away on urgent business outside. The PCs are led to the dungeon by a lesser smith and escorts. The PCs confirm that Hax is in the dungeon, and launch a surprise attack.

They fight. Flix uses his shifting step ability to transport Hax out of the cell and into the midst of the enemy. The enemy regret this. Many breath weapons are flung. Minnen’s bandits, against all odds, survive.

At last, Hax and the PCs leave the dungeon, but decide to stop at the Cult vault on the way out. There, the find the doors already broken open, the guards slain, and three individuals in strange, baroque armor, lifting a silvery sword from the wall. The blade springs to life in their hands, shifting and flowing like quicksilver.

The githyanki charge Hax to remember the pact between their peoples, and join them. She does so. The sword-seeker extends an offer of alliance to the PCs, saying that the world is under the sway of the illithids, and that it needs to be cleansed. The PCs, after due consideration (and looting everything they can carry from the vault), agree, and follow the githyanki out.

Outside, the sky is split by an astral rift above the Stellarium, and astral dreadnaughts hang in the sky, bombarding the city below. The Incursion has begun, and the Prime Material will fall to the Githyanki.

The Wrap-Up:

I make a note of everything the players say they want to see in the following episode. I ask them whether they’d like to keep the same Templates, whether they want to add a different one, or advance the one they have. I find out that the players had been sitting on some of the activated Deeds because they thought they were for the whole campaign, not just for this episode. I agree to carry over most of those effects to the next episode.

We disperse, and I scheme for the next episode. Which includes writing this, as a way to collect my thoughts.

#rpgs #D&D #dragons #Dragons of Tiamat #Dungeons & Dragons

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