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moonbaby26 · 4 years ago

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Title: Escape

Pairing: Peter Maximoff x Reader

Notes: Actual pairing interaction starts in the second section after the Reader character gets out of the elevator, feel free to skip down to that if you like. Reader thinks about Peter in the first section, but it is more setting up how they got so separated from the others, plus a Wolvie cameo. I wanted Peter x Reader to be able to have more interaction away from the group.

Summary: Continuation of previous chapter. Set during X-Men: Age of Apocalypse. You and the others have been taken to Stryker’s base and must survive to find your way out together.

Warnings: Wolverine cameo advisory with a 100% chance of stabby stab. Mild language.

Chapters: Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Taglist: @drikawinchester , @n0obmaster69 , @alexloveskili , @what-a-silver-lining , @bluesprings18 , @weakmoony-stuff , @slytherinsi-mp

Peter Maximoff x Reader Masterlist

——————————

“The day of reckoning is here.”

Your eyes opened at once, that unmistakeable voice now reverberating through your mind as fluorescent lights passed one after another above you.

“Professor?” You breathed aloud, immediately trying to sit up on the moving gurney.

But the restraints were drawn too tightly as your head only rebounded backward just as quickly when your torso didn’t rise in tandem.

“Shit!” the guard to your left cursed, his hand drawing back from the gurney rail at your sudden movement.

You turned your head towards him, confused, even as the professor’s words continued in your mind.

Yet Xavier’s voice sounded strange, forced. And you didn’t understand the context. Was it a warning? A threat to someone?

It didn’t really seem to fit the current circumstances to say it was directed at you or your captors. But he only kept speaking.

“The dawn of a new era will emerge. For there is nothing you can do...to stop what is coming.”

The two guards were looking around too then, reacting in sync with the telepathic message leaving you no doubt that they could hear it as well.

But why would Xavier be in their heads too? Did he already know where you were?

One guard chided the other, as if the two of them didn’t both have the same frightened expression. “Damn stun pulse is wearing off it is all, just hurry up and finish this transport. Colonel Stryker wants it taken to the lower testing bay,”

“Don’t tell me you aren’t hearing that voice?” The other guard retorted, “What the hell is that?”

Did they just call you an ‘it’? What was this place? Not a hospital surely. But you could barely dwell on the implications of the guard’s words ‘lower testing bay’, and the impending threat that represented as your last memories finally began to bubble up.

The X-Mansion in rubble, the helicopters swooping in over the trees, the students and staff unconscious in the grass, that soldier cracking your ribs, and-

Peter.

He was a stranger to you still, but he’d been right there against you. Surely you had drawn more attention to him just because your powers had let you resist a few moments longer than the others. Because you’d been so stubborn, not going down until you’d been forced to.

If these men had hurt any of your friends, you would be furious. But if Peter, who had also saved so many of your friends was now in more severe danger because of your actions, you wouldn’t forgive yourself.

“Where did you take the others!?” You arched against the restraints abruptly, your palms opening to face upward, trying to summon any bit of your energy at all. A wisp, an orb, anything that could have helped you right now. You had to find your friends.

But nothing came. Not even a glow or flicker of what you truly were as you now had both guards’ full attention.

“Freak! Just shut up!” One of them shoved the gurney in retaliation to your outburst, the caster wheels rattling across the concrete floor before the bed rail hit against one of the walls, jarring you painfully.

“Those with the greatest power. Protect those without. That's my message to the world.”

Xavier concluded his words then. And somehow, that sounded more like himself than any of the rest of it. The real meaning still eluded you, but hearing him in that tone at least meant he was okay. He was somewhere urging the rest of you on. At least this part you knew was true as you took a calming breath, realizing panic and anger would serve you nothing right now.

Something was blocking your powers. That much was obvious. It would be unrealistic to think that the effects of any stun weapon would be this long lasting though.

On the other hand, you knew chemicals existed that could also temporarily block mutations. Hank used one almost medicinally whenever he didn’t wish to be in his true “Beast” form. But it had to be injected direct into the veins to have any real effect.

You could feel that they hadn’t removed any of your clothing, nor had they rolled up the long sleeves you were wearing. You doubted they would risk a chemical like that wearing off at an inopportune time and likely would have started an IV if they possessed anything of that nature.

There were no tubes or lines attached to you that you could tell, only the restraints now holding you to this bed. Leather straps across your body, metal cuffs on your ankles and wrists-

But wait, you were able to move your head as you’d already discovered. You shifted it again, trying to get a better feel of what was around your neck. Metal as well, but loose as you could still lift your head up enough to see it just a bit. It and its dull, red status light.

Inhibitor collar, you realized with an all new dread sinking in. You had heard of these of course, but it was the kind of thing that students sheltered at Xavier’s school would never have to dream of really. Something you never thought you’d have to experience personally.

How naive.

But you still couldn’t give up. Your mind was racing as you tried to come up with any strategies now. Your options were so limited, but they couldn’t keep you tied down forever. Surely they’d have to move you to a more permanent containment at some point, untie you if even for a moment.

Yet, there were guns as well. You hadn’t missed that detail, but you considered it more fully now as you glanced to the long barrells swaying behind each guard’s back as they pushed you along.

They were slowing now though. You raised your head enough again to see elevator doors nearing. The lower testing bay, you remembered them saying.

But just as one guard had started to reach for the keypad beside the doors, an alarm blared, all three of you startling at the sound.

Orange lights lit up along the walls, spinning in time with the sirens.

“Weapon X is loose. I repeat, Weapon X is loose!” A man’s unnerved voice sounded over speakers you couldn’t see, echoing down the corridors.

You could only watch as both guards spun around on their heels at that, guns immediately drawn. The one thing you could be absolutely sure of then, was that you were now the very least of their concerns.

Before you could consider how to use this surprise in your favor though, screams and the echo of gunfire erupted seemingly on top of you all.

The guards were terrified. This could be your only chance.

“Take this collar off of me, please! I can help you!” You weren’t begging as much as you were truly trying to reason with them. “Look, this is serious right!?”

More men were screaming just around the corner. Only feet away now. Clearly their time to consider had run out.

You saw one of the guards glance down at you, weighing your offer if just for that moment. The other was still staring straight ahead, gun braced, body rigid.

“FIRE!” The one not looking at you screamed, and that was it. It was too late.

You flinched as the gunfire rang deafening in your ears, the muzzle flashes just above you while empty bullet shells rained onto the floor.

You didn’t know how many bullets their gun magazines could hold, but the barrage seemed to just go on and on until an inhuman snarl rose even above the pounding gunshots.

Like a blur he was upon them. One guard was immediately thrown against a nearby wall, as if he were made of paper. His gun didn’t even faze the attacker.

You were frozen as you had to watch him die in front of you. Metal blades impaled the guard, blood splatter running down the wall as his body fell. You wished the other guard would have just turned and ran, but that probably would have been fruitless now too if you were being honest.

The attacker had turned immediately back around, one slash knocking the gun away from the remaining guard, and the second taking out his throat.

You were too in shock to do anything but close your eyes in the moment you felt some of the blood hit you. It was warm was all you could really process, before you opened your eyes again to now see the killer standing over you.

His breath was fast, eyes black, no emotion evident but rage. He had no clothing on him above the waist, just muscular and bloodied with metal cords coming out of his body and attaching to some sort of helmet.

You heard the random sound of more bits of metal hitting the ground, and thought you saw a few bullets working out in reverse from his flesh.

He was one of you then, a mutant.

But you were afraid to speak. Anything could set him off again.

He was looking down at you, through you really. You thought you saw his eyes go to your throat. The collar? Or maybe you just imagined it. Everything was happening in just seconds.

His arm swung suddenly, those blades were part of him you realized, attached to his fists as they came for you. At least it would be a quick death.

You felt a burning, heard ripping and even the metal of the bed breaking as he struck more than once.

“He’s here!” Someone else screamed from back down the hallway and the gunfire started all over again.

You moved at the sound, why you didn’t know, it should have been all over regardless. But in your amazement, you realized you could move. His claws had broken through the restraints, broken the bolts that held you to the bed. You were bleeding, but only from cuts as he’d grazed you.

He’d freed you.

The gurney tumbled over with a clatter as you jumped from it. But bullets were hitting all around you as the guards continued to fire at him. You still had the inhibitor collar on, so you couldn’t defend from that. You weren’t bulletproof like him.

And he was already charging them again, but there were so many this time. A bullet grazed your arm, and you knew you had to get out of there now.

You turned, hitting the elevator keypad. You had no choice as you wouldn’t make it out of this hallway otherwise. You ducked inside as soon as the doors opened, trying to stay against the sides even as bullets were now hitting the back of the elevator. The only way was down, and you took it.

As the doors closed, and the elevator finally sank below the firing line, you allowed yourself some real breaths.

To think, just hours ago your main concern had only been whether or not you were ready for Hank’s organic chemistry final. You’d laugh if you weren’t still trembling a little, clothes torn and blood all over, most of it not even your own.

Now it was time to find the others and a way out.

—————————

“(Y/N)?” You heard in your mind, pausing in the abandoned hallway you were now wandering down. You’d left the elevator behind some time ago, but hadn’t yet found any other way back off this level.

“Jean?” You answered aloud, both surprised and relieved. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. We are now. I saw them take you too, but where are you?”

Talking to a telepath was always a bit strange. You could feel her own stress and anxiety as she began to fill your mind. She wanted to see what you were seeing.

You looked around you to oblige her, but from what you could tell every corridor only looked like more of the same in this labyrinth.

“I got into an elevator when all the shooting started, when that man-“

“Logan. We met him too. He’s escaped now, he-” She paused, your recent memories now visible to her. “He helped you.”

“He did.” You felt she both was and wasn’t surprised at this.

“Anyway,” She continued as if something was distracting her, like she was physically talking to someone else, while mentally talking to you. “The Professor needs us. We’re sending Peter to find you. He’ll bring you to us and then we’re leaving together.”

“Okay,” Was all you could answer, as you felt Jean leave your mind abruptly at that. You remembered Xavier’s odd speech earlier, something you really hadn’t had time to deconstruct any further with everything else that had happened immediately after. You supposed they would fill you in when you were all reunited.

But you did feel a significant weight leave your shoulders at the mention of Peter’s name, even though it sounded like this horrific day was still far from over. He was okay too then at least. You hadn’t screwed up enough to get him hurt in a way you couldn’t take back.

Yet how long would it take for him to find you? Should you just stay in place, or go back to the elevator now? You hadn’t found any stairwells or other-

“(Y/N)?”

You’d be lying to say you didn’t almost fall over in surprise as a tiny gust of air was the only other thing that announced him as Peter was suddenly standing beside you.

“You’re as bad as Kurt!” You gasped, before you could stop yourself. You clenched one fist at your side, at least having the self control not to punch him right in the arm as you might have done with some of the boys at school if they had given you that kind of scare.

“That’s the blue kid with the tail right? Not to be confused with the big blue hairy guy, he’s the one that told me your name by the way, or the blue famous chick from TV?” He shook his head, but his eyes were amused. “You guys have some kind of quota on the color blue or what?”

You stared at him. He did like to talk didn’t he?

When you didn’t respond right away, you saw his eyes wander down, then back up. “Red said you’d be a bit of a mess, but you sure you’re okay?”

Your shirt was torn from well, now you knew him as Logan...that man’s claws. Those cuts were still bleeding a bit, but the guard’s blood was on you as well. The metal shackles were also still on your wrists and ankles, though their chains had been broken, and the inhibitor collar was around your neck. Yes, you must look quite a sight.

“You mean Jean,” you corrected. She must have given him some warning at least before sending him. “Yeah, I’m fine. So you found another way out of here, we should-”

But he didn’t seem to be listening, either that or you weren’t very convincing on the being okay sentiment.

He looked quite serious all of the sudden. “I’m sorry I didn’t help you when Colonel douchebag was trying to work you over.”

You blinked. What was he talking about?

“Stryker I guess they said his name was, the guy that kicked you back at the house.” He just continued. “That piece of shit bailed already.”

“How did you know about that?” You asked honestly. Peter had been unconscious as far as you’d known.

“I mean I was in and out,” He answered, seemingly understanding your confusion now. “But uh...” He hesitated, kind of an awkward smirk building then. “I definitely remember you laying on me. The impact wasn’t that great, but afterward was pretty nice.”

Your felt a heat rising to your face immediately. The absurdity of being physically embarrassed at his implication and tone, as you stood here literally bleeding in the belly of some mutant torturing black ops lab was not lost on you.

“Look, I...” You didn’t even know what to say, but you knew if you didn’t start talking now you were never going to recover control here. “I’m really glad they didn’t hurt you, and I’m sorry too if I got you involved deeper in all of this. And I want to thank you for pulling everyone out of the mansion this morning. We owe you so much. I just-” Oh man, where were you even going with this? You looked to him still feeling like you were just digging yourself deeper, “You can stop me anytime now you know?”

He was now outright grinning. “You’re welcome, babe.”

Not helping. AT ALL.

You were staring at him again. “They’re going to be waiting on us, you know,” You felt you were going to be pleading with him in a moment.

“I know, places to be, worlds to save...” He just moved closer and you tensed a little bit. He noticed, but stood his ground. “I have to brace you or you’re just going to be hurt even more when I run you back to them.”

“So is that how you do it, then? You’re just that fast?” You asked honestly. His actual mutation wasn’t something there’d been any chance to discuss. You could infer only so many ways he would have been able to evacuate those in the mansion almost instantaneously. But you knew teleporters too, even people who could move through reality on other planes. There was always more than one way to do something.

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” He chuckled, smirking enough for you to know he was still just picking with you as one of his hands went behind your head and the other to your ribs to brace you. He really did know where you’d been hit then.

His hands were warm, and you could smell that damn cologne again now as you tried to ready yourself for whatever was about to happen.

You didn’t know what you had expected. You knew how it felt to take off in a jet, or slam the gas pedal down in one of the Professor’s expensive cars, or ride on a really intense roller coaster. But this wasn’t that. There wasn’t even any time for your brain to register the acceleration. It felt like just a single heartbeat before you were standing back in front of those elevator doors with him.

It was the deceleration that hit you. By the time your body knew it was moving, it had already stopped again, your organs lurching and your equilibrium completely thrown off as vertigo took over. You leaned forward immediately, trying not to dry heave as puking seemed almost imminent.

He took one of your hands, his other hand moving down from your ribs to your waist as he helped support you still.

“It’ll pass. It happens to everyone the first time,” He spoke, probably the softest tone you’d heard from him to this point.

“You’re telling me there are people who have been-” You swallowed, fighting that nausea back down. “have been with you multiple times?” You meant to say multiple times like that. People who needed to be rescued this way multiple times. You stood up, still queasy as you tried to face him and correct this blunder immediately. Why did this guy have you so flustered!?

“I’m not normally like this,” you stammered, waiting for some great retort from him as you’d just left yourself wide open with that slip.

It was only then that you realized he still had one hand on your waist, and you were now facing him, just inches apart. And the silence was worse. It was much worse while he was just looking back at you.

“No,” He finally said, “I uh...I don’t have anyone that’s stayed around long enough for that.”

He wasn’t joking at all now and you knew it.

“I didn’t mean...” You started, but stopped again when you didn’t know how to finish.

But the vulnerability was gone just as soon as it’d come. His smirk returned as he let go of you, moving forward to hit the keypad for the elevator. “I did look for stairwells by the way, if you were wondering. It only took me as long as it did to find you down here because this damn elevator is slow as hell.”

You actually were a little relieved to finally be focusing back to the task at hand. But you still felt an unspoken conversation lingering that would need to be continued later. You wanted him to know who you really were.

And honestly...you now wanted to know who he really was.

The harsh buzz from the keypad brought you back to attention as Peter hit it again.

A tiny screen blinked “CODE ERROR” in red as he groaned. “It didn’t need a damn code to come down, that makes no sense!”

You responded in a few moments, realizing the likely truth fairly quickly. “But it would make sense if you were more concerned about things getting out of the lab than you were of things getting in.” The same would be true for the lack of entry and exit points. They surely weren’t concerned with fire safety or anything else but keeping their specimens captive when they built this place.

“Ugh, that’s dark,” He answered, glancing at you and then back to the keypad. “You’re almost making me not feel so bad for all the guys that looked like swiss cheese on the way down here. But lucky for you, you’ve got me, and these five hombres.” He waved his fingers at you before immediately beginning to punch in multiple codes in faster succession than of course would have been possible for anyone else.

“Peter, I don’t think-” You started, already having a good suspicion of how this might play out, before the keypad abruptly quit accepting inputs, the tiny screen then blinking LOCKOUT. The only thing that did surprise you was a new even thicker door suddenly closing over the original elevator doors.

And you couldn’t help it then. You laughed. A real laugh. It was just the dumbest icing on the cake. “Okay, Han Solo. I think that will do.” You didn’t care if he would understand the reference or not. You needed that laugh right now.

But he didn’t let you down. Not even for a moment. “Okay then Leia, then you show me how we’re getting past here to save the ugly little ewoks.”

You were still snickering a little, but you shook your head. “I can’t,” You motioned to the inhibitor collar still around your neck. “Not with this on. It’s blocking my powers.” You had hoped once you were all back topside that Hank would be able to disarm the thing. It was probably radio controlled or something like that. “We’ll have to wait on Jean and the others to realize we’re taking too long, they’ll come for us.”

“I don’t wait,” Peter retorted. “Besides, like I said, I showed you mine. Time to show me yours.” He tilted his head, eyeing you. “Really, I’ve been dying to know.”

“Sure you have,” You were skeptical, but it was actually hard to read him right now. Was he actually that curious about you? “And I’ve already tried to take it off, it doesn’t budge.”

“Again, babe. You didn’t have me before.” The smug tone was back, as he evidently had some plan you didn’t know if you were going to like or not.

“You realize, this thing is nearly against my jugular veins, right? What are you going to do?” You had every right to be hesitant you thought. Especially after the keypad failure.

“Just be still. I’m going to vibrate it apart.” He answered confidently.

Okay, now you really didn’t like this. “Again, head, throat, things I need to stay in one piece. What if it has some self destruct thing and explodes?”

“I can pull you away from that before it even burns you. How do you think your friends lived when your house blew up this morning?”

You could have mentioned Alex’s fate then, but that would have been needlessly cruel. Alex must have already been gone before Peter even entered the building. He did save everyone else you thought.

“Trust me,” Peter looked you in the eyes and you could feel yourself relenting.

You really did believe him it seemed. Hopefully that faith was not misplaced. “Please be careful,” You closed your eyes, going stock still.

“For you? Of course.”

You heard his jacket move, which told you he was raising his arms. Internally you tensed-

And then all you heard were pieces of metal and circuitry skittering across the floor in every direction. You were still standing exactly as you had been as you opened your eyes to a too pleased with himself Peter.

“Some shrapnel did try to go into your face, but I moved the pieces. No kaboom though.” His expression changed then to happily expectant, “So come on, I’ve helped three times now, the stage is now yours,” He made an exagerrated motion to the big metal door now blocking the elevator. “What’s your poison?”

Poison? An interesting way to put it, but you knew what he meant. All mutant abilities were both a gift and a curse. Yet even after all these years of meeting people of your own kind, it was still very personal to show someone your real self for the very first time.

Especially when you evidently cared what he thought of you as you realized your nerves were suddenly about much more than just being able to get open a door or not. How would he react?

You took a breath, still extremely aware of his eyes on you as you turned your palms upward. It was always easiest to start with your hands. But you’d need to bring the energy all the way through you to get the kind of power it was going to take to pull this door out.

There was a slight relief in you as your hands began to glow white after a moment. At least you knew you were no longer defenseless, that these people hadn’t taken your abilities permanently.

In your peripheral vision you could see Peter shift, but you didn’t look to him, trying to concentrate as the energy spread up your arms and you closed your eyes. It always felt so warm, like being in the sun on a clear day. It spread to your chest, legs, up your shoulders and over your face. Even through your hair as you willed the energy to lift you up, now completely enveloped until you were a silhouette of a person. Glowing in soft white light and levitating about a foot off the floor.

You opened your eyes again, feeling you had things in control enough now to speak to him. The tone of your voice changed slightly in this form though. There was a hum to it, the energy moving across your vocal chords like every other part of you.

“I’m going to try and pull the door out of the way and into the hall. Please be ready to move as I won’t have a lot of control over it once it gives. My effort is going to all be on breaking it.”

You looked to him after a moment though when he didn’t respond. You knew he was fast enough to keep himself safe obviously, but you had to be sure he was ready. Was he really just staring at you? “Peter?”

He blinked. “Yeah, uh. That’s...” He stepped back from the door, but never took his eyes off you, this weird expression on his face. “That’s cool.”

“Please mind the door,” You reiterated gently, not quite sure what to make of his reaction to your powers.

“Sure, sure thing.” He sounded more like himself then. “Do your deal.”

Your deal as he put it, involved willing this same energy now in a field around the door as you rose your hand up to control it. Once you were sure you had it solidly, you began pulling your hand back, trying to pull the door out of its railing.

It gradually started to creak, but like you’d thought, this was going to take some real doing. You pulled harder and harder, the metal just groaning louder. “Come on,” You spoke, not really sure if you were talking more to yourself or the door.

Your arm was starting to really ache with the effort. But just when you thought you might have to try something else after all, you finally felt the door give. And when it gave, it did so spectacularly. This massive chunk of metal collapsed, exploding out of its rail as it rocketed down the hallway. You just moved to the side to avoid it, the smaller pieces hitting you harmlessly in this form.

To your eyes it only looked like Peter disappeared and then reappeared as he also easily missed all the debris.

Once that obstacle was out of the way, you glided down, back to the normal elevator doors. They were slightly damaged from the removal of the larger door. But now it only took minimum effort to force them open.

You entered the elevator, the inner keypad was also blinking that same “LOCKOUT” error from earlier. So the elevator itself was going nowhere. But this was now no longer an issue for you.

“I can carry us up,” You looked to Peter, though unsure how comfortable he would be with this new idea.

He was standing at the entrance of the elevator already, watching you still. You could see the wheels in his head turning. And then he finally asked. “So, you’re glowing...and flying. Is this like radioactive glow, or I just need some sunscreen kind of glow?”

“It’s just light energy in the visible spectrum.” You answered reflexively. “But not even UV, the wavelength itself doesn’t cause any damage. It’s only when I make it solid or make it unstable that I can do anything harmful with it.”

You could see he may have skipped the lessons on long and short wave energy and radiation in science class as he just kept staring.

“You’re fine, it’s safe” You smiled. Certainly not the first time you had heard such questions. “The Professor and Hank had me tested from the very beginning, I never would have been allowed so close to other students without more precautions if I was that dangerous.”

“So you’re...close to some other students?” He asked almost tauntingly, one eyebrow raised, and it took you a moment before you realized he may be getting back at you for your comments from before.

It was probably just the fact that you were in your energy form now, but you felt confident enough to respond just as quickly, “It’s more like the Brady Bunch than what you’re thinking. Like having a whole house of little brothers and sisters.”

You had already opened up the ceiling of the elevator while the two of you talked, looking up now to the empty shaft and elevator cables. It’d be much easier to move the two of you rather than to try and lift the whole elevator. You reached a hand out to Peter. “I can lift us up the shaft to the floor that the others are on and open the doors, then you can take us to them. Deal?”

You had trusted him to bring you here, as well as to remove that collar from you. Would he now trust you to bring him up several floors without dropping him?

He was looking at your hand. “I probably could just run up the walls you know.”

You paused, realizing you hadn’t considered that. You didn’t really know what all he was capable of truly. But just as you started to lower your hand, he surprised you by grabbing and holding it.

“Yet how many guys can say they flew with you, huh?”

“Practically none,” You admitted. “I don’t make a habit of picking up my friends.”

“You aren’t quite building confidence here.”

“I’m sure that door weighed more than you.”

“And look how it ended up. Again, not comforting.”

This guy was truly something else. “Come here, we take much longer and they really are going to be sending a search party for us.”

You extended the energy from your hand across his body gently. He was obviously much lighter than the door, and the closer you kept him, the easier it would be to move the both of you.

You tried not to make eye contact with him again as you levitated the two of you through the top of the elevator and up through the shaft. Even though you knew you were fully capable of doing this, you still didn’t want to lose focus.

But his voice didn’t sound frightened at all as he spoke up to let you know how high to go. “They’re on the top floor, we’re stealing a jet to get out of here.”

“Wow, but okay. Got it,” You sped up a little at that, no longer worried about passing your landing point as you went straight to the top.

When you reached the highest doors, you were able to force them open with a turn of your free hand, bringing you and Peter safely through and back onto solid ground.

You powered down immediately as your feet met the floor, the light fading back into your body until you were just standing there in your torn, bloody clothes once more. “Okay, I’m ready to get nauseous again, let’s go.”

He actually squeezed your hand before he let go of it in order to brace your head and ribs again. “For the record that felt pretty good. You’re really warm. Zero g’s was cool too. Thanks.”

“Um...you’re welcome?” You answered, a little flustered all over again to your own dismay, and really not knowing what else to say before he whisked you away in an instant.

It really was going to be the longest day ever.

——————————

(Continued in next chapter here)

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glassessence · 4 years ago

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Elriel Hint and Analysis - includes analysis of Feysand & Nessian (ACOSF Spoilers)

I’m pretty new to the fandom, but I am currently obsessed with Elriel. This is my ship and I will go down with it until the day I die. As a fairly casual reader, I honestly had zero doubts the next book would be Elain’s and that the couple would be Elriel.

Then I discovered the existence of the extra POV chapters and Azriel’s threw me in for a bit of a loop. Especially with the ending (which I genuinely believe is a red herring. I lean very heavily into the lightsinger Gwyn theory).

However, stalking Tumblr made me come across this again:

Life and death and rebirth

Sun and moon and dark

Rot and bloom and bones

Hello, sweet thing. Hello, lady of night, princess of decay. Hello, fanged beast and trembling fawn.

Love me, touch me, sing me.

And then my brain accidentally vomited an essay on the symbolism in each sister’s journey...

Life and death and rebirth so clearly symbolise Feysand’s journey. Feyre leaves behind her life of poverty for a brand new one with Tamlin. She journeys Under the Mountain for love of him and ultimately succeeds in saving not just him, but all of them. In the process, she dies. Not just in the physical sense, but spiritually too. Feyre the human perishes, giving rise to Feyre the High Fae. In a purely physical sense, this is definitely a rebirth. But it’s stilted, incomplete. She’s the newly born phoenix - young, fragile and yet covered in the ashes of its fiery death. Her spiritual rebirth lags behind her newly changed body. Like a bird in a cage, she is trapped in Tamlin’s realm, unable to finish developing, to spread wings and fly.

That all changes when she is whisked away to the Night Court. She learns to read and some of the ash falls from her body. She makes friends and some more ash is brushed away by the Inner Circle. The final remnants of ash are blown away by the taste of freedom and the kiss of wind, and Feyre’s rebirth is finally complete. Spiritually and physically, she is changed. She becomes Feyre the High Lady. From life back to life, she is returned through the power of love. Take note that while love is important in all the sisters’ journeys, it is the focal point and highlight of Feyre’s. She is someone who has never been loved in that wholesome, selfless way Rhysand loves her. Tamlin was possessive and abusive; Nesta was barbed and sharp. Elain was fragile and ethereal. Love was something she had never really known and consequently something she desperately, desperately needed. That’s why the phrase that symbolises her is love me.

Sun and moon and dark refers very much to Nessian. Nesta is the sun and she is burning. Has been burning for a long, long time. She is aflame, nothing but ashes inside, and her words are fire. She scalds anyone who dares approach, just as everything melts before the sun. Like Feyre, she has had her physical rebirth, but not her spiritual one. She is trapped in her own head, locked behind her own self-hatred, her own raging inferno that yields to no one. Like Feyre, she is also a phoenix, but one whose fire never stopped. In that sense, she has never died. Her spiritual rebirth is not simply incomplete; it has never happened.

Until she starts training with Cassian. Until she starts befriending Emerie and Gwyn. This is what marks the death of Nesta the human and the emergence of Nesta the High Fae. (I use the term ‘human’ loosely here, mostly as a way of conveying my point about her spiritual journey rather than the state of her physical being). She loses her solar flare, that inner blaze that was killing her and blackening her soul. She mellows from unapproachable sun to a softer moon. It’s here that she stays a while, seeming to progress and regress in her healing journey as the moon waxes and wanes. It’s not until the hiking scene that she finally breaks. She weeps despite Cassian’s expectations to the contrary. Through her tears, she finally extinguishes the long-raging fire and hatred that has been destroying her. No more blazing sun, no more wavering moon. Only darkness to cradle her, and acceptance. Through Cassian’s ceaseless efforts and her friends, her journey reaches its apex. She finally becomes Nesta the Valkyrie.

Her journey hinges heavily upon the fact that nobody could reach her through the flames. Nobody had kept trying after getting burned again and again. Nobody except Cassian. He reaches out, time after time, even when she hurts him. Even when she burns him. Until he succeeds and touches her soul. That’s why the phrase that symbolises her is touch me.

Of course that leaves only the last line: rot and bloom and bones. I wonder who this could symbolise! Surely not the Archeron sister who is associated with roses and has a complicated romance dilemma with someone from the Autumn Court (rot) and someone else from the Night Court (bones)! Surely not!

Jokes aside, I strongly believe this line reveals Elain’s journey. If we continue thinking of the words as a progression, I think it makes a lot of sense. Keeping in mind the theme of life, death and rebirth, this is how I think of it:

Life / Rot / stagnation, the start of the journey

Death / Bloom / change, the start of healing

Rebirth / Bones / ascendance and acceptance, the start of the future

There are several interesting things to note about the sentence:

The word bloom is nestled among rot and bones

Elain’s two potential love interests both have strong associations with those words

I’ll address each point as we delve into Elain’s analysis.

Let’s start with Elain the human. As previously established, this is when the character is at their worst, blind in the dark before the dawn. I see this as Elain’s forced transformation by the Cauldron. Everything she knows is ripped away from her and her marriage crumbled to dust. She is thrust into a world both unknown and at war. She emerges changed and cursed with powers she cannot control and does not understand. Her life, once a slow-blooming flower, has just rotted into nothing. She is lost, confused and deeply depressed. Her physical rebirth may be complete, but her spiritual rebirth cannot begin until she gathers the shattered pieces of herself back together.

This happens slowly. So slowly, in fact, that it’s hard to notice and easy to dismiss. She befriends Nuala and Cerridwen. Begins gardening again. Talks to the Inner Circle and buys them gifts for Solstice. Slowly, so very slowly, she is starting to piece herself back together. Off-page, she quietly unravels Elain the human and emerges from her cocoon as Elain the High Fae. Like a wilted flower that has dropped its petals, a new season has come, bringing with it new buds. She is blooming, opening herself to new possibilities for companionship, love and for a new self to rise to the surface. But blooms are fragile, newly born things. Elain hasn’t dealt with the full force of her trauma, of her lifelong lack of choice (I’m not going to delve into this as there are so many amazing analyses out there!). She is a trembling fawn, still trying to learn how to walk.

But her spiritual rebirth will remake her. Bones. It’s so different from the previous two words that it really leaves an impact. Blooms rot and fade. Flesh breaks and dies. But bones are strong, the frame that holds up our entire beings. Bones are unyielding and solid, taking no other shape like blood nor bruising like flesh. I see this as Elain standing up for herself, unswayed by external forces that have always governed her life and breaking away from the fragile flower people have always thought she was. By cutting away the rotting flesh, she will reveal the backbone beneath and ascend as Elain the Kingslayer/Seer.

Of course, closely tied to each sister’s personal growth arc is her love interest. For me, I don’t see it going any other way than Azriel.

SJM chose rot not only to represent the ‘life’ section of Elain’s personal journey, but also to represent Lucien. He has connections to the Autumn Court, a season that is often associated with decay and rot, but also with harvest and bounty. Highlighting the negative aspects of autumn invokes a strong sense of wrongness. Lucien is not right for her. Not to say anything bad about his character; he’s just not right for Elain. His presence in the books eats away at her newfound boldness; he rots away the path she is trying to carve for herself.

On the other hand, Azriel is closely tied with death, with blood and bones and shadow. He’s not only Rhys’ spymaster, he’s also his torturer. His association is with bones, a word that invokes a sense of everlasting, of persevering beyond death. Bones is also used to describe the ‘rebirth’ section of Elain’s personal growth arc, the final aspect that leads to ascendance, and acceptance of one’s past and present. Meanwhile, bloom represents Elain herself and the ‘death’ portion of her story, the aspect that heralds change and healing.

Rot, bloom and bones represent both her personal journey and her love interests. It’s all intrinsically linked. Lucien is ‘life’ and stagnation, Elain is ‘death’ and change, and Azriel is ‘rebirth’ and acceptance. As a progression, this is how I interpret the sentence:

By rejecting the bond with Lucien, she is stepping into herself and forging something everlasting with Azriel.

Lastly, let’s not forget that the phrase symbolising her is sing me. This didn’t make much sense to me until I read Azriel’s bonus POV. In it, he confesses to Gwyn that he does sing. Why include this if it’s not a subtle callback to this prophetic paragraph in ACOMAF? It feels like a treat to hardcore fans who like finding all the little connections (since they’re the ones most likely to have read the bonus chapters). The fact that Gwyn also sings signals to me there’s an important plot point regarding song. Maybe homegirl Elain will be forced to throw a hardcore metal concert to save Az XD Wouldn’t that be a plot twist HAHAHA.

I don’t know when SJM started planting seeds for Elriel in any serious capacity, so perhaps I am reading WAY too much into this. Either way, I am super keen for the next book!

Please feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts! I am desperate for Elriel right now hahaha. Thanks for reading!

OH, BUT ONE MORE THING.

The greetings are really interesting. Sweet thing obviously refers to Feyre. Lady of night and princess of decay are clearly meant for Nesta.

Fanged beast and trembling fawn are left for Elain. It’s easy to write this off as being about her LI and herself, respectively, but I don’t know. The sentences build upon each other. A single moniker grows to two - the first separated by a comma, the second expanding to use an and. It’s something you see a lot in poetry, generally used to emphasise a point. I’m not entirely sure what the point is; it might just be a nice writing flourish, but wouldn’t it be interesting if both those statements were referring to Elain herself? Wouldn’t it just be juicy?

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kymyit · 3 years ago

Text

Who'swho?

In this period I did a rewatch of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Inevitably, at the end of the show, I asked myself: "What did the witches look like when they were still Mahou Shoujo?". I don’t know of all the speculations about PMMM, just someones, and maybe someone got there first... but I tried to understand whois who by analyzing the silhouettes, the sketches, all the elements I found. Some of the results of my research surprised and intrigued me. It would have been nice to know something about them, but never say never.Elsa Maria, Gisela and Patricia, in particular the latter, gave me the greater surprise and intrigued me. The witch who for some reason has stuck to my heart is Gertrud. Will it be green? While among the silhouettes the one that I wanted to recognize most of all was the one with the jester-like features. I have a weakness for clowns / pierrots / jesters and the like.

So, excluding the protagonists and the obvious silhouettes of Charlotte and Walpurgis, we can immediately identify Izabel:

This Mahou Shoujo has characteristics similar to Madoka and Charlotte, but does not appear among the families of Walpurgisnacht, among which is instead lined up her.

The silhouettes have some similarities. Looking at the white on black silhouette, I realized that she has buns, not ponytails. The pants/trousers under the skirt also seem to match.

The decorations on her dress made me think of Gertrud, as well as her hair at a first glance. But if this gorgeous Mahou Shoujo is Izabel, who is Gertrud? I looked through the silhouettes for roses and butterflies and…

I would say there is nothing else to say, even if some elements could be misleading:

Plus, I think we’ve all tied the long-haired figure to Elsa Maria. Until I found two details that made me confirm Gertrud as the long-haired Mahou Shoujo. The families of Roberta and Elsa Maria.

The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac and the birds that at first glance seem rather tribal. And tribal is the definition of this Mahou Shoujo:

I don’t know�� the ankle detail seems indicative…

For Elsa Maria instead I thought of the two familiars of Walpurgis/Fallen eastern Mahou Shoujo. But if the one designated as Chinese is Izabel, who is the Japanese one?

So at first glance she seemed like a priestess, even if I couldn’t tell you why. And what’s in front of her? This strange doodle on her dress looks like an animal. A dog? A dragon?

Observing EM, also, you can see the red sun. And what does the Japanese flag represent? Elsa Maria has Christian elements, but not only. Looking for the Japanese priestesses (Miko) I also noticed that in anime it is not uncommon to see them sweeping (I suppose in reality too XD)

The flaw is that I don’t know much about Shinto or Buddhism, but I think the twelve zodiac beasts are more about the second, while the Miko are Shinto's. Maybe Elsa Maria brings together elements of various religions? After all, it is said about her: "A girl has become a mahou shoujo to save the world. However, Nothing has changed at all. Even a little. For sure, there is lack of Salvation. I must help. I must help. Equally, All impartially." Not only japan, but the whole world, equally, impartially.

At this point remain Albrtine, Gisela and Patricia. Albertine is quite simple:

Afro, braids and crown speak for themselves.

Gisele and Patricia, on the other hand, They gave me a lot of headaches. As witches they don’t have many elements that recall silhouettes. And those little elements they have can recall both.

Continue...

#puella magi madoka magica #witches #gertrud #gisela #patricia #izabel #albertine #roberta #elsa maria #pmmm

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tender-rosiey · 4 years ago

Note

hey dear (yeah im deffo addicted to your writing) just checking on you i hope your doing good and taking care of yourself. I would also like to drop a one shot request of Chuuya falling for mori's god-daughter (also an executive) who has an ability which allows her to summon and control demons while singing but she ends up getting captured and goes missing for 2 years then one day they find her and he confesses to her after she gets rescued (rlly fluffy). thanks in advance love Safiyah <33

❥—Cassiopeia

❥—Chuuya Nakahara x Reader

❥—Fluff

ᴀ/ɴ: i am glad you enjoy my writing and i hope you are doing great as well; hopefully you like this one too 🥺💘 also let this cure your hearts after the last one- also the chant is inspired by Obey me ❣️

“Chuuya, I would like for you to meet my daughter.”

Right then a beautiful and fair lady came out of the door. Chuuya beweildered by her beauty went silent; such a beautiful creature existed?

“Y/N, meet Chuuya; he is one of the best executives here!” Mori introduced you smiling, to which you wave your hand to the ginger and smiled warmly “Hey Chuuya! Pleasure meeting you.” Chuuya smiled shyly and waved back “S-same here..”

Mori then smirked and questioned “Chuuya what’s the matter? You seem rather uncollected.” The said male waved his hand around in denial as he was stopped by a giggle from the lady beside him. “You are quite cute; I hope we get to know each other more.” You said before exiting for your mission.

Chuuya let out a sigh of relief putting his hands on his knees as blush crept onto his face. He made a total and utter fool out of himself; Isn’t he the strongest executive? Why was he so damn shy around you? The thought started clouding his mind until Mori snapped him out of his daze and asked “Are you perhaps interested in Y/N, Chuuya?”

Damn right he is. You were so sweet and kind and that just hit bullseye in his heart. Ever since then he would take almost any opportunity to be with you and talk with you. You were slowly getting to know each other better.

You have been together through tears and giggles and pain and sniffles. He knows you deeply and you know him just as well. After all 3 years of friendship isn’t a minuscule period of time; there multiple moments he had seen you in that made just how much of a wonderful person you are even clearer.

You got along with everyone.

Akutagawa, you both were like best friends and would tell each other everything. You were one of the few he accepted help or their company and you were always a great duo in battle.

Kouyou, the woman that took him in adores you. What more could he ask for? Kouyou helped you and guided in your times of unknowing what to do and how to do it. You were sisters and she valued you deeply, she would always hang out with you and talk with you about anything and everything.

Mori, the man who you addressed as your father. Despite Mori not being biologically him but he treated you as such, as if you were his daughter. He gave you all his love and made you feel appreciated and took care of you.

Seeing your kindness towards your allies Chuuya was dazzled, how could someone so sweet and kind be in the Mafia? His thoughts were completely erased when he saw you in battle.

Multiple screams, all saying the same thing “Beware of the Port Mafia’s devil!” Chuuya was wondering about who are they referring to, was it him? He suddenly heard someone singing behind him.

“Hear me, denizens of darkness, you who are born of shadow and you who give birth to it. Hear me and do as I command! I, Y/N, call upon you to send forth one of your number! I summon the demons of chanting despair!”

That voice, it sounded so angelic but the words were venomous. He turned around to be met with the sight of you floating, eyes glowing purple as demons from around you rose from the earth and attacked all the men in front of him.

‘Woah..’ He couldn’t be more in love. Your elegant movement while fighting were a sight to behold. Your voice was enchanting yet deadly, he would be grateful if it was the last thing he heard before his death.

He loved how there was a total difference between the way you treat your peers and your enemies. Did he really deserve if your feelings were mutual? It was new for Chuuya to doubt himself. But there wasn’t any route to choose when his heart now belonged to no one but you and that made him helpless before you.

“Look at the stars, Chuuya !” Right, you loved looking at constellations, and he loved how the stars shined and danced in your eyes as if they were their ball room.

He looked up and saw a weird look star, maybe a constellation? He then pointed at it and asked “Y/N, what constellation is that?” You smiled brightly before answering “That’s Cassiopeia! It represents love.” You then turned to the ginger finding him close to you and somehow both of you involuntary moved closer, slowly about to close the gap between you.

“Hello Y/N.” You both jumped and looked at the owner of the voice to see that it’s Mori. Chuuya saying every cuss word in his mind while you both were as red as roses, however Mori was grinning mischievously. It’s nice being a party pooper at times.

However that’s all in the past.

Now you were gone, no one knew where you were taken and if you were even still alive. 2 years too long for the ginger, too long because of his suffering and sadness through them.

When he first found out you were taken he was devastated and went on searching everywhere with the mafia men; everyone in the Port Mafia was searching for their Y/N.

At the night he found out he couldn’t sleep, and wanted to start the search as soon as possible but days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and then into years. Chuuya was starting to lose hope but still searched. Everyday he thought of you, he would drink wine and anything to wash it all away.

Even now after all what happened and the two years that had passed since then they still didn’t stop searching. He didn’t stop searching.

He was walking down the streets returning back from a mission as he came across a warehouse, it looked rather sketchy so to quiet down his thoughts he entered it and his eyes could not believe what he saw.

You all beaten up and bruised. Body looking as weak as a stick and something to silence your screams and chants on your mouth, his body loved involuntary and hugged you tightly quickly freeing you from the chains that hampered you from fleeing from your misery.

He sent the location to the Port Mafia and now everyone was going to come and make who did this to you pay. He picked you up and as he looked behind him he found Mori with wide eyes barely himself believing that indeed you were alive.

The old man took you from the hands of your savior and inspected your face, those who did this to you will go through hell. “Chuuya take her back.” Mori said sternly and Chuuya nodded, he wasn’t going to let you go out of his sight again.

And there he was with you on a bed, multiple tubes sticking to your skin and a oxygen mask. You looked really weak and pale, but it didn’t stop him from loving you. He loved you even more because you managed to live through that and made it back to him at the end.

Chuuya fell asleep as he was waiting for any sign of your awakening, and you woke up instead adjusting to the light and your surroundings. This wasn’t the dark and frightening warehouse you were in...you were finally saved. After two years of misery you were finally saved.

You looked to your side to find the ginger fast asleep alongside you, you smiled softly and gently played with his hair. Chuuya felt something on his head and slowly woke up to see you pulling your hand away, but he held it tenderly and put it back.

“I have to tell you something when you recover, Y/N.” He said as he was enjoying the feeling of your touch. “Why not now?” You questioned while he looked up at you with a smile and mumbled “because it’s something you need to be told outside of this white chamber.”

And so as time passed you were finally back to how you were. He blindfolded you and led you to a garden and went behind you. “Chuuya where are we?” You wondered while he chuckled and took your blindfold off and said “See for yourself.”

Your eyes were now looking at the garden you last saw Chuuya before your disappearance, but right now there was a picnic set and surrounding it were petals on a shape of a heart and candles lighting up the the space. He then pointed above and looked at you.

There it was, the constellation of love, Cassiopeia. He placed a hand on his heart and softly said “Love is what I feel for you. Very deep and strong love.” He walked towards you and held your hands between his bringing them up to his lips and placed a light kiss to them.

“I never stopped loving you, and from the moment I saw you took my breath away, you made me the prisoner of love and the poor who seeks for your love and touch. Everything about you is beyond description, I can’t find the words to describe it and I am afraid that it had already eaten me up. I am afraid that now you are the only who can calm the beast of love and adoration that only wants you and won’t accept anyone but you. So will you please give me a chance and let me show you how much love my heart feels towards you?”

A smile made its way into your face and vision getting glossy. You pulled the ginger towards you and connected your lips as gentle as one would touch a flower’s petal. The light of the stars shining on both you, it looked like a scene from a movie.

A portray, a beautiful portray, that could be drawn by millions but never be as beautiful. And Cassiopeia was the witness of their true and never ending love.

“once I believed

love poems were foolish

now I read love poems

just for the sake of it

and yet perhaps I want

to reach a higher state of poetry

I don't know if that's right or wrong

but such a feeling persists anyway

and sometimes irritates me

provoking outrageous desires

once I believed

love poems were foolish

yet now I do nothing

but dream about love“

-from “Exhaustion” by Nakahara Chuuya

do not copy or plagiarize or you will be reported

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kat-katsuki · 4 years ago

Text

Sunflower and White Rose | Bakugou Katsuki x Reader Part 4

Fantasy AU

Warning: Swearing (cuz Bakugou)

Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

tags: @ waffleareniceandfluffy @ the2ndl @ jazzylove @ bubblesmalfoy Thank you all for the support!

WC: 2.5k

"Let's go get our fucking blessings."

He picked two white roses from the sea of roses, and handed one to you. "For the future queen."

Time was running out, for the fire dance was about to begin. "But I don't have a fire dress." Your eyes sadden at the white rose in your hand.

Bakugou's eyes widened at you. He knew about your parents, how they got into an accident while hunting, fell out of the sky, and passed away. Traditional fire dresses are always made by the mother for their daughters. The idea was that the mother would pass down her wisdom, luck, and prosperity through the dress as a form of blessing, in hopes that the daughter would be able to find someone who will bond souls with her for eternity. "I have a solution. Come with me. We gotta hurry or we won't make it for the dance."

Oh no. Not again. Earlier you had to run with the best female hunter, but this was the best warrior. No way are you able to keep up.

Bakugou chuckled when he saw the horrified expression on your face. He picked you up in his arms, one hand supporting the center of your back and the other behind your knees. "Hang on to my neck," he whispered. Your face flushed with extreme heat as you shyly placed your arms around his neck as he instructed. Your fingers brushed against the beads of victory. Just what did you do to deserve this man? Perhaps you saved the world in your past life?

The dragon prince sprinted through the sea of roses. White petals flew into the air as he passed by. You carefully protected the two roses he picked, not wanting them to get destroyed by his superhuman speed.

He was faster than Ashido. Much faster, even with you in his arms. A cloud of dust trailed behind him as he dashed through the village, causing all the people he passed by to cough violently. "What was that?" someone asked as the dust cloud dissipated.

Midoriya was standing near the bon fire with Sero, Kaminari, Kirishima, and Ashido, waiting for the fire dance to begin. His friends told him about Bakugou, and their secret plan with you. "I see... That's great! (Y/N)-chan really likes Kacchan! I'm so happy for them!" Midoriya smiled. "I'm really, really glad."

"Are you not mad? Didn't you want her to be your partner?" Kirishima asked.

"Well, it's true that I like her, and that's all the more reason why I want her to be with the one she truly loves!" Midoriya said. "Plus, I'm going to be leaving soon to start my training as a knight. After I'm gone, she won't have any other friends in this village. That's why at the very least, I wanted her to find a partner that would treasure her for who she is. I'm so glad that person is Kacchan! I know he'll be great to her!"

"Izuku...." Ashido muttered, feeling emotional over the things he said. "Are you really leaving?" The green haired boy nodded.

"Dragon riders of the north, Holy Knights of the south. Although I've lived here most of my life, it's always been my dream to become one of the Holy Knights who serve the royal palace of the Musutafu Kingdom of the south."

"Right, Musutafu, that's where you're from, right?" Sero recalled. "Man now I kinda wanna go there just to see what it's like."

"We should totally go! After the festival is over, let's all go to Musutafu on an adventure!" Ashido exclaimed.

Suddenly, the bon fire shot up into the sky, and the sound of drums interrupted the conversation between the new adults. This was signal that the fire dance was about to begin.

"It's starting! Come on guys! Let's go!" Kaminari exclaimed as he started to drag his friends towards the bon fire, where all the young and new adults were gathering for the dance.

"Gosh, where is Katsuki and (Y/N)?! It's almost starting!" Kirishima tapped his feet worriedly.

The drum beats started getting faster. The elders walked over with bowls of face paint in their hands. Kirishima and Ashido stood still as one of the elders came up to them. She dipped her thumb in the white paint and glided her finger across their faces. Face paint is a symbol of adulthood. Before the fire dance, elders will paint the youngsters' faces as a coming of age ceremony. Once the face paint was done, they are officially independent members of society.

"You think they can make it?" Ashido asked Kirishima with her brows furrowed. She interlocked fingers with the red dragon, squeezing her lover's hand as they scanned the area.

"They'll make it." Kirishima squeezed back. It's their perfect prince they were talking about. There should be no reason for him to worry.

As the drums got louder and louder, faster and faster, the young ones all knelt around the bon fire as it rose higher and higher, as if reaching for the heavens. The shaman chanted in their old tongue, praying to the fire god to bless the young warriors of the tribe. Sweat dripped down the foreheads of the young dragons as they basked in the heat of the flames.

Sounds of beads clinking against each other echoed in the opening as the shaman waved his staff in the air.

Kirishima looked up when he heard sudden outbursts of gasps coming from all around them. The loud gasps interrupted the shaman's chants, and everyone lifted their heads to see what was going on.

Ashido's jaws dropped when she saw you. But that's-

"Is that-" Some girls in the tribe pointed at you in disbelief. "Why is she with-"

"Why is that failure walking with Prince Katsuki?!"

"Somebody tell me this isn't true..."

The older women clasped their hands to their mouths in disbelief when they saw the dress you were wearing.

You and Bakugou walked hand in hand, the bells on your golden ankle cuffs jingling every time you took a step. Bakugou couldn't take his eyes off of you as he led you towards the bon fire. A beautiful golden choker wrapped itself perfectly around your neck. The cloth piece on your breasts were in a sunflower pattern, and a thin golden cloth attached below it hugged your torso perfectly, accentuating your curves. The bottom of the golden cloth attached to another piece of the same sunflower patterned belt around your hips. Under the belt were long thin sashes that started out gold but slowly mix into red at the very end. You wore golden cuffs around your wrists, arms, thighs, and ankles, each with beads and bells dangling on them.

That dress...was the queen's gown.

Everyone in the village recognized that dress. It wasn't a traditional fire dress, but the gown passed down for generations, only worn by the queen on her wedding day.

When Bakugou brought you into his parents' yurt, Mitsuki and Masaru were shocked. "Old Hag, the golden gown!" Bakugou ordered.

"But I thought (Y/N)-chan and Izuku were..." Masaru pointed at you confusedly and then darted his finger outside the yurt.

"The gown! Now!" Bakugou shouted.

Mitsuki immediately understood his son's intentions. She grabbed the wooden case lying at the corner of the yurt and quickly opened it, revealing the beautiful treasure of the tribe. Before you could as anyone what was going on, Mitsuki shoved Masaru and Bakugou out of the yurt and stripped you down of your grey dress and helped you put on the golden gown only worn by queens.

"You are beautiful my dear," Mitsuki said to you once you were finished changing.

"Is it really okay for me to wear this?" you asked your queen.

"Katsuki has chosen you, so this dress will be yours eventually anyways. What difference does it make to wear it now?" Mitsuki smiled at you. She called her son and husband back. When Bakugou lifted the front curtain, he froze. Was that (Y/N)?! He didn't think it was possible for you to get any prettier than you already are, but there you were! Standing right before him, in that beautiful golden dress. His face instantly turned fifty shades of red as he tried to find the right words to utter. "Don't just stand there Katsuki. Tell her how stunning she looks!" Mitsuki rolled her eyes at her son.

"Uh- I- You-... Wow...." Bakugou tripped over his words. Seeing him all flustered made your face burn as well. Your ears felt so hot it was as if they were melting.

"Wow indeed. Now let me get the face paint," Mitsuki went outside the yurt. Masaru patted his son on the back, giving him a light push towards you. Bakugou stumbled right in front of you. His eyes traveled up and down your figure, taking in every detail and every curve. God you were sexy.

"C-Can we get married right now?" he asked.

"Eh?!" You exclaimed.

"I got the face paint!" Mitsuki said as she came back to the yurt. "Now kneel down you two." She mixed the paint with a stick as she and Masaru stood in front of you and Bakugou.

You fell to your knees obediently before your king and queen. Bakugou, on the other hand, crossed his arms rebelliously. "I'm not kneeling."

"Kneel the fuck down and receive your blessings!" Mitsuki growled as she kicked him behind the knees, knocking him down. Your eyes widened in shock as your prince fell down next to you.

Masaru and Mitsuki exchanged glances, grins spreading on both their faces as they dipped their thumbs into the paint. Masaru held Bakugou's chin up, and drew the first line down his chin. "The first line represents bravery. May you stand tall and fierce even against the most dangerous beasts," Masaru said.

"The second line represents freedom. May nothing stand in your way, nothing bind you down," Mitsuki said as she drew the second line on your face.

"The third line represents strength. May your powers bring you nothing but victory home, bringing honor to you and your loved ones."

You looked down. The paint felt extremely heavy on your face. You didn't know if you were worthy of such blessings. Noticing the look in your eyes, Bakugou took your hand in his. You glanced at him as he smiled back. His eyes told you to keep listening.

"The fourth line represents kindness. May your heart be pure, and your words be gentle." What? Your eyes widened as you looked up at Mitsuki, who smiled down at you while drawing the line on the right side of your cheek. Was kindness always a virtue of your people?

"The fifth line represents empathy. May you open your eyes to the suffering of others. Rule over them through understanding, not through fear."

These weren't virtues of dragons, but the virtues of kings and queens.

"The sixth line represents mercy. May evil, hate, and vengeance never find its way into your heart."

Your eyes began to water again, and Bakugou's grip on your hand tightened. These weren't just blessings of adulthood...

"The seventh line," Masaru began as he placed his thumb into the paint, then pressed it against the side of Bakugou's face, next to his ear. He then glided the finger across, over his nose bridge, all the way to the other side of his face. "Represents eternity. May your love last for all your lifetimes to come."

These were marriage blessings given only to the kings and queens from the previous kings and queens.

"Now go, the fire dance is about to start."

Here you stood, next to Bakugou, with your face painted. The six vertical lines represent virtues of the rulers. The horizontal line represents love and eternity. The shaman went back to finishing his chant as you and Bakugou knelt down by the fire beside Kirishima and Ashido. Kirishima smiled at Bakugou. You made it! His eyes seem to convey.

Fuck yeah, of course I'd make it, Bakugou smirked at his best friend.

Exclamations of disbelief wouldn't settle down, but that didn't stop the music from playing. All the couples took out the flowers they had exchanged the day before, and tossed them into the fire as offering to Hino and proof of their love. You and Bakugou kissed your roses, and gently tossed them into the fire. At that moment the fire burst into the air, and everyone gasped. Bakugou pulled you back so you wouldn't get scorched by the sudden eruption of flames.

"Everybody calm down! This is a sign that Hino has received your offerings!" The shaman shouted. He then looked towards Bakugou and you. "And he has given his blessings."

You and Bakugou smiled at each other. He pulled you in for a passionate kiss, and the two of you joined in on the fire dance.

Everyone knew the fire dance. It was the most sacred ritual of your culture. You and Bakugou tapped your feet as he held one hand around your waist. The new adults circled around the bon fire, dancing to the beats of the drums, following the rhythm of the music. Bakugou held his right hand up, and you pressed your right palm to his. The two of you circled around with your hands intertwined, then he pulled you back into his arms.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too Katsuki."

The dance ended with all the couples sharing a passionate kiss. Bakugou cupped your cheeks with both hands and pressed his lips against yours. You gently placed your arms around his bare torso, scooting your bodies closer until his stomach pressed yours.

His tongue gentle laced with yours, a fiery and tingly feeling traveling from the tip of your tongue all the way to the tips of your toes.

You could hear the horrified screams echoing throughout the village, but none of that mattered anymore.

As crazy as it is, the dragon prince has chosen the failure.

Legend says that when Hino fell in love with the mortal Nue, he broke the heart of countless beautiful goddesses in heaven. They could not believe Hino would choose a plain mortal like her, who'd eventually grow old and wrinkly, over eternal beauties like them.

It was said that the goddesses got so jealous of Nue that they each placed a curse on her. One goddess cursed Nue to be a coward. One goddess cursed Nue to be weak. One goddess cursed Nue to be forever alone, an outcast that will never fit in. Once the curses were placed, Nue was so sad that she turned very ill. Hino was so angered by the goddesses that he burned down all of their temples. He told Nue not to fear the curse, because he will be with her. No matter when, no matter where, he will find her in every lifetime, and he will love her, protect her, and keep her company so she will never be alone.

Fin~

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Also on AO3! A kudos or reblog would be greatly appreciated!

A/N: The pictures are all not mine! Credits to their original owners. I really liked that design as a tribal gown! I found it on google images! Finally done with this story! Phew! Literally ignored all homework to finish this... Please lemme know if you liked it! Thank you so much to those who replied and asked me to tag! Thank you to those who reblogged! Thank you to those who followed me! Thank you Thank you! I will be making another post here on tumblr only about how I got the inspiration for this story, so lemme know if you wanna be tagged for that post as well!

#bnha fanfic #bnha #bnha fantasy au #mha #mha fanfic #mha fantasy au #bakugou #bakugou katsuki #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugou x reader #bakugou fantasy au #sunflower and white rose

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odanurr87 · 4 years ago

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My thoughts on... Hotel del Luna

From left to right: Pyo Ji-hoon as Ji Hyun-joong; Yeo Jin-goo as Gu Chan-sung; Lee Ji-eun (IU) as Jang Man-wol; Bae Hae-seon as Choi Seo-hee; and Shin Jung-keun as Kim Sun-bi.

Released in 2019, Hotel del Luna was my introduction to the works of the Hong sisters as well as actors Yeo Jin-goo and Lee Ji-eun (IU), and what an introduction it was! The first episode of the show was excellent, giving us a hint of Man-wol’s tragic past that left me wanting to know more, then moving forwards in time to reenact that scene from Beauty and the Beast where Belle’s father is caught trying to steal a rose from Beast’s garden to give to Belle, and finally reaching present day as Man-wol tries to recruit Chan-sung and introduces him, and us, to this world of gods, ghosts, and souls with lingering grudges, that reminded me of the wondrous world of Harry Potter. Everything clicked for me in this episode, from the beautiful cinematography and music to the strong performances, particularly IU’s as Man-wol who knocked it out of the park and, incidentally, has a most impressive wardrobe and an uncanny ability to look amazing in every single one of her outfits. This was a highly promising start for my next modern fantasy show after Goblin and I couldn’t wait for the next episode. But what is this show about and why should you watch it?

Plot synopsis

21 years ago, Gu Chang-sung’s father cut a deal with the beautiful and mysterious owner of Hotel del Luna, Jang Man-wol, so that she would save his life in exchange for his son. Regretting the deal afterwards, the father left the country with his son hoping to spare him his fate. Believing himself to be safe, Gu Chan-sung has returned to work as assistant manager in one of Korea’s top hotels but Jang Man-wol is intent on collecting on the old debt by having him work in her hotel instead. However, Hotel del Luna is not your typical establishment, as Gu Chan-sung soon finds out, providing a service for souls who need healing or have grudges left to settle before moving on. While initially afraid of the prospect of becoming assistant manager at a hotel that serves ghosts, Gu Chan-sung finds himself intrigued by the challenge and curious about the story of the beautiful owner who runs it.

A magical atmosphere

Stepping into the world of Hotel del Luna feels like taking the train at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and attending Hogwarts. In fact, our intrepid hero, Gu Chan-sung, also receives a magical letter welcoming him as Hotel del Luna’s new manager, and while there’s nothing magical about the subway that takes him there Jang Man-wol does use a little magic to ensure their first encounter goes undisturbed. The hotel itself reminded me of Hogwarts, not because it is filled with ghosts and can only be found by them (and the very much alive and fearful human manager), but because of the feeling of perpetual wonder knowing that behind every door lies a new magical mystery waiting to be discovered, be it a room only people who are alive can enter but not exit, the sky lounge, a swimming pool that is actually a beach in some undetermined plane of existence, or a beautiful garden with a magical tree that holds one of the hotel’s biggest secrets. Of course, one should not forget CEO Jang Man-wol (if one wishes to live) who, while certainly a very different character from Albus Dumbledore in terms of personality, always knows more than she’s letting on and is usually in control of any situation, even if the outcome isn’t always the one she anticipates. There is also the wonderful supporting cast in the form of the different incarnations of the deity Ma Go-sin (played by Seo Yi-sook, who looks like she’s having a blast playing the different sides of the goddess), a reserved but diligent Grim Reaper (played by Kang Hong-suk), and the welcoming staff of the hotel, represented by the trio of Kim Sum-bi (the bartender), Choi Seo-hee (the room manager), and Ji Hyun-joong (the hotel receptionist).

In the same way we cannot divorce Harry Potter from its music, given its distinct signature by that legend that is John Williams, I cannot forego mentioning Hotel del Luna’s mysterious, magical, and ethereal, instrumental soundtrack. Let me take you on a brief musical tour, shall I? Let’s start by taking subway line 4 and going to Hotel del Luna. The receptionist seems to be asleep so why don’t we let ourselves in? Wow, looks like the hotel’s throwing a party, apparently they’re welcoming human guests for the first time in years and the staff is particularly excited about it. That explains how we managed to get in (remember, this is not really a hotel for living, breathing, people). I can see that the bartender is busy receiving food orders and members of the staff are decorating the hall with real flowers. Hey, where’s that kid sneaking off to? Let’s follow him. Oh, that’s the Samdocheon Tunnel, which marks the boundary between this life and the afterlife. The Grim Reaper and the manager are there to bid farewell to one of the hotel’s guests. Apparently, there’s a bridge beyond the tunnel that takes 49 days to cross! I’m not eager to cross it just yet so let’s return to the hotel. Wait, why is there water everywhere? Looks like a water god managed to get past the receptionist (not that difficult when he’s asleep) and the CEO isn’t very happy about it. Yup, she definitely doesn’t look happy. We’d better make our exit before she figures out we shouldn’t be here.

To complement this excellent instrumental soundtrack, my favourite among all the kdramas I’ve watched to date, there’s an amazing selection of songs by artists like Red Velvet, TAEYEON, Heize, Punch, Chung Ha, and Paul Kim, among many others. IU herself sings an absolutely beautiful song that plays in one of the most highly-anticipated scenes of the show but which, sadly, has not been released. However, just as important as having a great soundtrack is using it well. If you’ve read my reviews of Angel’s Last Mission: Love or Strong Woman Do-Bong Soon, you should have an idea of how much I value using the right music at the right time to convey or accentuate the proper emotions during dramatic, comedic, or romantic scenes. Correct music usage can lead to your soundtrack being memorable, whereas incorrect music usage will surely render it forgettable. Fortunately for us, Hotel del Luna knows precisely when to use its music and how. It knows when levity is called for and when it’s not, when to highlight the wondrous side of magic and when to show its darker side, when to use Heize’s “Can You See My Heart” or Punch’s “Done For Me.” I believe it was John Williams, when talking about the music of the original Star Wars trilogy, who said that he wanted the score to tell the story of what was going on in the screen. I believe Hotel del Luna’s score achieves this feat.

Another aspect that contributes to the magical atmosphere of the show is, without a doubt, its incredible cinematography (from camera angles, through its beautiful use of lighting and colours) which, combined with its excellent score, can create scenes that are best defined as poetry in motion. I particularly liked how it favoured studio sets for shooting many of its scenes, giving the sensation that we’re watching a superb play that encourages us to send our imagination into overdrive. Even some of the more noticeable VFX work, like the city view from the hotel’s sky lounge plays into the notion that one cannot always tell what’s real and what’s fake in Hotel del Luna, as Man-wol warns Chan-sung that the view from the sky lounge is not from this world, but the fall will kill him just the same (Man-wol being Man-wol). Because I’m not knowledgeable enough to explain the show’s cinematography in technical terms, I’ll leave you with a trailer that captures some aspects of it and, luckily, also showcases Jang Man-wol’s incredible selection of dresses.

youtube

A part of a greater whole

In my review of Bring it on, Ghost I mentioned the show followed a certain formula that is often poorly executed in Western shows. There is a main story-arc that encompasses the whole of the show and there are side stories where our protagonists confront the “ghost of the week.” One of the strengths of Bring it on, Ghost lied in how these side stories would sometimes tie into the main story or would be used to expand on a character’s backstory so that they rarely came across as filler. Hotel del Luna executes the same formula with a lot more thought and care, often laying out the groundwork for events later down the episode, what is expected, or even later down the show, what is a bit more impressive. The Hong sisters remain true to their initially-stated intention throughout the show and reinforce this with the aid of these side stories, preparing both Gu Chan-sung and us for the inevitable dénouement of the show. Let me try to illustrate my point by way of an example. I don’t want to give more for fear of completely spoiling the show for you.

Episode 5 tells the story of a ghost bride whose parents want to give a soul wedding so she will be able to peacefully pass into the afterlife. Unfortunately, the chosen partner for this soul wedding ends up being Gu Chan-sung’s best friend, Sanchez, so while Man-wol goes shopping as Audrey Hepburn with the parents’ black card (our girl has very expensive tastes), Gu Chan-sung tries to figure out a way to spare his terrified friend. After some twists and turns, what is often the case with this show as the truth is not always what it seems, it is revealed that it is actually the groom’s parents who want to marry off the bride so she’ll let go of their son, who’s in a coma. For those who’ve watched Bring it on, Ghost, the parallels with the ghost side story from Episode 10 are fairly evident, as the ghost bride needs to find the strength to let go of the person she loves and she ultimately does so in one of the most beautifully composed scenes of the show. This is one of those “poetry in motion” scenes I was talking about. As the groom runs away in shock and fear, the bride gathers the courage to cut the red string of fate tying them together, under the intent gazes of Gu Chan-sung, dressed as the groom, and Jan Man-wol, dressed as a bride (in red).

You need a stronger will to let go than to hold on.

This scene is a portent of events yet to come, when the day finally arrives where Chan-sung and Man-wol will also have to part ways. Indeed, several episodes later, the room manager will remind Gu Chan-sung of the words Goddess Ma Go-sin then told the ghost bride, “You need a stronger will to let go than to hold on.” The bride’s selfless act of letting go of the person she loves, breaking free from her earthly tether of her own volition, can be seen as a challenge to Man-wol, whose hatred for the man who betrayed her has been her sole drive for the past 1,300 years but also a curse that has bounded her to the hotel and prevented her from dying. Could she, like the bride, unburden herself by letting go of her hatred? Is it possible for someone with such a long and deep resentment to simply let go? This is a recurring question throughout the show and one that puts her at odds with her increasing desire to protect Gu Chan-sung, as she fears her actions, born of her hatred for the people who wronged her, might end up harming the man she loves.

Side stories such as this one often give us further insight into Man-wol, whether it be a glimpse of her past or challenging her beliefs, making her question herself and her actions, however briefly.

A fairy tale romance

Man-wol is a tsundere character, both a Beauty and a Beast, who has been nursing a thousand-year-old grudge against the people who betrayed her and consequently filters every human interaction through a lens of cold cynicism, expecting the worst from people. Chan-sung on the other hand, is a proper gentleman, a type of character we don’t often see in kdramas and a natural consequence of his training as a hotel manager. He’s friendly, cultured, well-mannered, kind, clever, and someone who's very much in control of his emotions most of the time. The evolution of the relationship between these two characters is the centrepiece of Hotel del Luna, a breath of fresh air in a landscape that often feels the need to use love triangles, or other polygons, as a shortcut to properly fleshing out the relationship between two characters. While there are elements of a love triangle present, such as expressions of jealousy for the sake of comedy, Hotel del Luna chooses to forego this trope and commit fully to the main characters’ fairy tale-like romance.

When you tell her you’ve been dreaming about her.

Another trope the Hong sisters mostly dispense with is that of misunderstandings, which are kept to a bare minimum, as Man-wol and Chan-sung are very open with each other regarding their thoughts and feelings, although Man-wol is, understandably, less transparent about her feelings in the beginning. It was incredibly refreshing to witness two characters that could guess each other’s thoughts and were willing to have an open and honest conversation about it rather than to hold back for the sake of drama. Of course, this did become somewhat frustrating for Man-wol (and fun for us) when Chan-sung started gaining more confidence, feeling at ease with Man-wol, and rebuking her selfish or materialistic actions. Their playful banter and bickering throughout the show is, to my mind, a clear indication that they’re comfortable with each other, as strong a sign of the chemistry in their relationship as half a dozen kisses, if not a better one, what is a good thing because those are few and far between. On the other hand, it makes those moments much more valuable and meaningful. The love between Man-wol and Chan-sung comes across in the gestures they make, in their facial expressions, in the words spoken and left unsaid. When Man-wol tries to comfort Chan-sung but doesn’t know how (Video), when she confesses she wants him to stay with her till the end and they share an intimate hug (Video), when Chan-sung breaks down and cries at the thought of not being able to see Man-wol ever again (Video), when the two have a conversation on the balcony under the moonlight (Video)... These are a precious few examples of the beauty, strength, and depth of feeling, of their relationship.

When the adult catches you in a lie.

While Man-wol is not the same ruthless person she was at the beginning of the show as she is at the end, she still retains some elements or traits of her personality throughout the show (there’s still a little tsun in her dere), as it should be. In one episode Chan-sung is remarking upon how much nicer she has become and she replies, “Gu Chan-sung, you’ve made leaves and flowers grow and have changed me a lot. But you won’t be able to change my core personality. Don’t even expect that.” Even as she says this you can see her looking a little uneasy about something, a little girl about to be caught in a lie by the adult who’s trying to keep her out of trouble. It is thanks to Gu Chan-sung’s patient and enduring love, that protected her from the worst aspects of her own self, that Man-wol is able to let go of her anger, both literally and metaphorically. But Man-wol also deserves praise, as she reciprocates Chan-sung’s love and equally tries to protect him from the dangers of this new world he has entered but most of all from herself, to the point she is willing to renounce her revenge and extinguish her existence to ensure she can never harm the man she loves.

Conclusion

It should be evident by now that I absolutely love this show and it is, without a doubt, my favourite out of all I’ve watched thus far, including Goblin. This is not to say the show is without flaws. Its almost single-minded focus on the story of Man-wol and Chan-sung has some collateral damage, most notably in the form of a character’s loved one, an event used as a means to highlight the pain experienced by those left behind, anticipating the day when our main protagonists will be forced to part ways. In another case, a poignant encounter for Chan-sung is not properly fleshed out, perhaps intentionally so but it seems like a wasted opportunity. Additionally, the introduction and development of the secondary villain’s arc (Man-wol is both the love interest and the main antagonist) felt a little weak, but is still a functional plot device that leads to some of the show’s best scenes. Finally, there is also the way the Hong sisters handled the riddle of Chan-sung’s dreams, which I may address in a separate post because it has too many spoilers.

If you’re a fan of fantasy dramas like Goblin, there’s simply no reason for me not to recommend this show and, hopefully, I’ve given you a few to persuade you as to why this is such a standout drama and, to my mind, the Hong sisters’ best work to date. It’s even on r/KDRAMA’s banner as one of those must-watch shows. If you do decide to watch it, I advise you to pace yourself so you don’t have to say goodbye to Hotel del Luna’s wonderful family too soon.

#kdrama #hotel del luna #jang man wol #lee ji eun #iu #gu chan seong #yeo jin goo #review #kdramas

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luzarya · 4 years ago

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Of Pink Roses and Yellow Daffodils

Yuu x Vil

Summary: Yuu came from a world where the name of their soulmate is written on their chest and where one sided love led to flowers growing in your lungs.

Yuu had thought they wouldn't have to deal with such things, now being in Twisted Wonderland, yet it appears like their old world lingers into them.

(This focuses more on Yuu's feelings towards Vil. Vil makes only a brief appearance.)

ao3 link: here

warnings: Hanahaki Disease, blood, angst

parts: 1/2

-> second

word count: 2,683

When Yuu was brought into the world of Twisted Wonderland, their hope was immeasurable. No longer were they bound by the laws that dictated their homeland, no longer restricted by the death stricken rules.

Yet the moment they looked at the mirror, undressed from the waist up, their hope diminished. There laid the name of their soulmate- Vil Schoenheit, in clear black cursive, just above where their heart should have been. Upon seeing the mark, the dreadful, horrendous tattoo that has been there since birth, they fell to their knees, tears trailing down their cheeks as they wailed for hours.

Grim didn’t know what to make of the despairing human in front of them, but they remained silent, smart enough to realize that this was a moment that Yuu needed by themselves.

As the days went by, and Yuu’s adventures with Deuce and Ace continued, as the overblot incidents continued and ended by their hands, they were happy. No mark would dissuade them from the happiness they felt, nothing could stop them forming the friendships they had made.

Until they met their soulmate.

Yuu was flabbergasted at first, not knowing how to feel. Happy? Sad? Hopeful? Despair? Truly, knowing the fact that their soulmate was never in their world but instead in this one was something they needed to contemplate on. Surely, this meant that there was no going back to where they originated, or if they do, would this mean in heartbreak?

Yet, as their friends prepared for the competition, as Vil instructed them in the confines of their dorm, Yuu could feel the loss of breath with every step they took, petals coughed out every once and while, Yuu knew they were in trouble. Despair overwhelmed them as they sat in their bed, coughing as quietly as they could in their hand.

The yellow petals and specks of blood laid in their hand, no more coming out. Yuu let out a coarse fit of laughter. Oh how the universe hated them. In the short amount of time they had known Vil, Yuu had grown to love them.

Vil’s beauty was something to behold, their intellect and knowledge seeming to heighten their beauty. Oh how they were unafraid and uncaring of gender norms, oh how they walked the halls with great confidence. Each passing day that Yuu had seen Vil, their love for him grew as well. The fact that they were to be their soulmate didn’t help; in fact, it worsened it.

Yuu picked themselves up from their bed, careful with their hands to not leave a trace of their blood, making their way to the bathroom.

Another fit of coughs shook their body as another set of petals, this time pink, erupted from them. The sink was now a beautifully and chaotically decorated with pink and yellow petals, the blood seemingly in place with it all.

Yuu looked in the mirror, their eyes red and puffy from the pain, small bags underneath from the exhaustion. Their frame was slightly different as well, Skinnier than it was a week ago, though it wasn’t obvious as the rest of their symptoms. The petals in their throat had made it painful to consume anything edible, so the past few days have been wrought with a hungry stomach and chest pains.

Overall, their disheveled state was ugly and horrendous, perhaps this was their worst point of their life, besting their previous phases of life that have been riddled with pain and despair.

Knocking interrupted their wallowing of self-pity, the voice ringing out loudly in the bathroom, asking if they were okay.

With a coarse and high voice, Yuu replied, “All is well.”

Another violent fit of coughing, more painful than the last, shook their entire body. It was loud, no doubt their cries had awoken everyone in the dorm by now.

The knocking became louder, more frantic and Yuu gripped onto the sink with every fiber of their being. The fit ended, the sink now halfway filled with various petals and small flowers.

The last thing they saw was the door busting open as they fell onto the cold wooden floor.

Yuu woke up the next day in the infirmary, their throat sore and dry and their limbs too weak to move. Carefully they moved their head to the side and the other, noticing a lack of human presence all around.

They were awake for what felt like an eternity in silence, staring at the white ceiling as they processed last night’s events.

They heard the door open, yet they didn’t move their head. It wasn’t until they heard the person whisper out their name did they shift their eyes.

“You’re awake!”

The loud voice strained their ears but they dealt with the pain, as the figure, Crowley they now realized, continued to talk. Apparently everyone that had witnessed their body being taken from the bathroom were concerned, causing Vil to cancel practice as everyone was too worried to do anything.

“What… happened?” Yuu asked hoarsely. They regretted asking, the pain seeming to only intensify when they bothered to talk. Yuu didn’t want to know how much pain they would be if they ate anything.

“Well, according to Vil, they had found you unconscious on the ground,” Crowley started off, “and that the sink was filled with flower petals and blood. Pray tell, whatever had happened, Perfect?”

“Can I…. get something…. To write with? My…. throat is in…. Pain…”

“Yes, of course. Please do give me a moment.” Crowley scurried off to who knows where, as Yuu tried to sit up. The end result was another fit of coughs, the sound of hacking resonating throughout the room.

Crowley returned quickly, seeing the perfect coughing up petals and blood that stained the perfectly white bed sheets.

“Perfect! Drink this, it should aid with the pain.” Crowley handed Yuu a vial that was filled with a blue liquid. Knowing what it was, Yuu drank it as quickly as they could, knowing that there was another fit of coughs that would come. And come it did, ruining the bed sheets even further with the pink and yellow petals, the blood making the room smell like iron. Although, as Crowley had said, the potion did ease the pain, even if by the little.

“I brought you something to write with.” Crowley handed Yuu a small notepad and a nice black pen.

Yuu began to write.

This illness is from my universe. It’s not contagious, so no need to worry if it passes on. This illness is dependent on certain emotions. The most efficient way to cure it completely is surgery, as it originates in the chest, however that leads to a void of emotions afterwards.

Crowley looked confused at the note, “What do you mean it is dependent on emotions? Are you able to elaborate on this specific illness?”

Yuu nodded solemnly, and then began to write even more.

It’s called the Hanahaki disease. It only takes hold if the person believes that their love is unrequited. It goes away once the love is returned or if the person gets surgery to remove the flowers from their lungs.

“What a tragic disease!” Crowley’s voice was laced with concern, although Yuu could guess that losing them as a beast tamer would be something he was more concerned about than their actual wellbeing.

I’ll go through the surgery.

Crowley started at them, “Are you sure? You did say it was caused if they believed the love to be unrequited. How do you know for certain that it applies in your case?”

Yuu laughed at the thought of Vil loving them. There would be no reason why Vil would love them. Yuu had fallen in love too fast and too hard. Vil had been focused on the dance practice and making sure everyone was in tip top shape for the performance.

I know for certain. The person in question is too busy to think about love, there is no doubt that they are far too concerned with current events. Please Headmaster, let me go through the surgery before it’s too late.

Crowley hummed in thought, perhaps thinking about how expensive it would be to cover a surgery to remove branches from the lungs. Yuu couldn’t think of another way to get rid of them. No matter how much they wanted Vil to love them back, they knew that it wouldn’t happen.

If you could, remove their name. My world has it that those destined to you have their names inscribed on your chest, above the heart. I don’t want to be reminded, otherwise the disease will take hold again.

“What an odd world you once lived in. Well, do not fret! I will do as you asked. I will do everything in my ability to aid you with this disease, aren’t I so kind?”

Yuu rolled their eyes, but they were glad to know that Crowley was the same as ever.

Thank you, Headmaster. A million thanks.

Days had passed, and no one had come to visit. Vil had everyone practice once they knew about their wellbeing. It pained Yuu, as they felt lonely as ever.

It did ease the disease, if only a little bit. They still continue to cough out flowers in full bloom, pink roses and yellow daffodils being what came from them. How fitting, their meaning. They certainly felt no joy in this, nor was there any gratitude, yet grace was ironic, in a sense. Was it because that Vil was the epitome of beauty and grace that they coughed out pink roses?

And what of the yellow daffodils? They represented rebirth and new beginnings. Was it them coming to this new world that the disease had sprouted such flowers? Or is it what is to come afterwards of surgery, that they were to feel like new?

Yuu didn’t know for certain, but they wanted the pain to end. It was already painful enough that they knew Vil was never going to love them, but the fact that the disease had taken place in their lungs only served to make Yuu feel worse. They didn’t need a constant reminder of their one-sided love.

Crowley had stayed true to his word, as he managed to get an appointment for Yuu. Unfortunately it meant that Yuu had to leave off campus to go to an actual hospital, but it was fine. It made Yuu wonder why there wasn’t a hospital on campus, although they supposed perhaps having an infirmary was enough in most cases.

Getting to the hospital was all a blur, going from coughing out roses and daffodils to sleeping from the exhaustion from making the flowers to begin with. It didn’t help that they began to eat less, the pain in their throat making it difficult to eat anything.

Yuu only had hope they would be able to survive the surgery. The rates for the surgery were high in their world, after all, many people fell in love and got stricken with the disease all the time.

Their love and emotions may disappear with the surgery, yet Yuu never regret falling in love. Their only regret in all of this was letting themselves fall too hard in love.

The surgery had been a success, from what Yuu had been told. Yuu asked the surgeons to preserve the flowers, despite the pain they had caused. As weird as it was, Yuu wanted a reminder of love, a reminder of a feeling that they once felt.

And preserve them, they did. Yuu held the vase of pink roses and daffodils in their arms. The flowers were no longer bloody, as it was a sort of a hazard to keep blood on there. Nonetheless, the flowers were pretty and lovely, as once their love was for Vil. Yuu felt normal as usual, save for the slight discomfort in their throat and overall being.

Though, upon their return to the college, they were quickly ushered to their room, Grim bouncing around in joy the moment they saw them.

“You had the Great Grim concerned! A servant like you shouldn’t make me concerned!”

Despite the comment, Grim stayed with Yuu as they were forcibly bed ridden.

Deuce and Ace, of course, had made their way to the Perfect’s room, making sure everything was fine and asking questions. Yuu made sure not to delve too much about what had happened, only mentioning that it was a disease from their world that caused flora to sprout under certain conditions. Never did they mention what kind of conditions, nor did ever why they hadn’t stopped it earlier when they noticed when they did.

Right before they left, of which greatly saddened Yuu to be left alone again, they had mentioned they were making great strides of practicing, despite the obvious tension between Vil and Epel. Yuu was happy about the progress, perhaps their friends would be able to win the competition that they all have been working hard towards. Although, when Vil’s name had been said by their beloved friend, they had felt nothing, only a void where their love should have been once.

The surgery was clearly a success, but Yuu was unsure if the empty void was worth it.

Late that evening, surprisingly, Vil and Rook came to visit. It was nothing out of the ordinary, or at least, that is what Yuu had thought. The emptiness was still there when they looked at Vil, no longer feeling the same about their beauty nor their grace as they once did. Yuu could tell that the two had noticed something was off about them, but they didn’t ask.

When they left, Yuu could feel themselves becoming overwhelmed. They never anticipated feeling sadness after the whole ordeal, nor did they anticipate the cries that came out from them. Yet no matter how much they wanted to cry out and shout their despair away, no matter how much they wanted to wail as loudly as they could, their friends were still in the dorm, sleeping to prepare for the big day.

Yuu wondered, would it have been better if they confessed their feelings to Vil? Yet as soon as that question came, it quickly became answered, that no, it would not have been best to confess to Vil. Had they confessed, they were certain that Vil would have rejected them, and only progressed the illness even further, and perhaps even strain their relationship until the moment of Yuu’s certain death. And Yuu’s death would be a terrible loss for the college as a whole, as no matter how insignificant Yuu thinks they are, they are still the reason why the overblot incidents never ended in any casualties, since they were always the ones to end it. As much as Yuu would have liked to die with their love intact, it would have never benefited any party except for Yuu themselves.

So Yuu laid in their bed, quietly crying. Crying over the love they once held in their heart, because no matter what had happened in the end, their love had brought them hope. Pulling themselves out from bed, Yuu unbuttoned their shirt and pulled it down, and anything else in the way to get a clear view of their chest. Sure enough, where the name had once clearly been, there was nothing. What had remained was the scars from the surgery. Yuu didn’t know if they regretted having Vil’s name removed, but the deed had been done and there was nothing they could do about it.

Nothing at all.

Yet as they continued to wallow in their self-pity, Yuu knew that the surgery was the best option they had taken so far. What else could they have done that would have prevented their death? Nothing, that’s what.

There was nothing they could have done.

So all Yuu could do now was finish their session of tears, and focus on the future.

But for now they’ll give themselves this moment of mourning for the emotions that they once had possessed.

For that was all they could do.

#yuu x vil schoenheit #twst x yuu #twst fanfic #twisted wonderland #hanahaki #slight angst #blood mention #luzarya writes things yuh

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abybweisse · 4 years ago

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Epiphany? Lau’s tattoo...

...could be two regular koi and one that’s transforming into a golden dragon.

⚠️ Very long post.

After doing a doodle for @royalshinigami, I decided to do some research on fish tattoo designs in China. I quickly hit the effin’ jackpot. (I left out parts that I don’t think apply, so there’s more information on the website.) Here’s what looked pertinent:

First off, it’s convenient that this is a legend shared by the Chinese and the Japanese, so if we ever get a clear look at his tattoo, and if I’m right about the basic, overall design of it, then the Japanese fandom should immediately recognize the reference.

Considering the orientation of the swimming fish, how they travel up his arm, I think they are trying to make it over the waterfall. And the one on top, the one with its head coming up over his shoulder? It finally passed through Dragon’s Gate and is being rewarded by changing into the golden dragon. I believe the one at his shoulder represents himself, overcoming his obstacles and achieving his goals. Lau: A yellow/gold koi becoming a golden dragon.

Lau is highly adaptable, powerful, independent, rose quickly in the ranks of Qīng Bāng, is financially successful. The list could go on. Koi represents him perfectly.

Here’s where I consider the colors of the other two koi, because I think there might be three in total. We could be dealing with a tattoo that’s just in black, and if so, then these colors won’t matter. However, if they are in full color, then the one farthest down his arm (farthest away from Drgaon’s Gate) is black... according to the cover art for Volume IX. (I would include that image here, but I hit the image limit.)

The black koi could represent an earlier version or simply an aspect of himself, having overcome some obstacle. If it’s someone else, it would probably be his father.

If the one in the middle is not himself, it could be his mother. And if it also represents himself, red would be a good color for power and bravery.

The one at the shoulder might be changing into a golden dragon, so visually it would make sense (be aesthetically pleasing) for the fish to start out as gold, too. Perhaps this is a yellow and orange mixed koi, appearing golden, that symbolizes Lau’s fortune and wealth.

That top one would be a “dragon koi”... a powerful and ferocious beast that represents new beginnings. Let’s not forget that Lau suggested to our earl and his servants that they pick up and move to some faraway land to start over. That’s basically what he was doing, too. Even though he was the highest official in Qīng Bāng by the time he was setting sail to England, this was still like a fresh start or clean slate.

So... regardless of whom each koi represents, I now theorize:

The one at his shoulder is golden and transforming into a golden dragon. A golden “dragon koi”. It represents new beginnings, wealth, and good fortune.

The one in the middle (if there really are three) is red, representing things like power, bravery, and intense love.

The one that starts on his forearm, farthest away from the top or Dragon’s Gate, is black, representing strength and obstacles that have been overcome.

If only one represents himself, then it’s the golden one at the top. The red one would likely represent his mother, and the black one would likely represent his father.

Since the Jester archetype is “Self” centric, it’s entirely possible that they all represent him... either at different stages of his life or simply different aspects of himself.

If the tattoo is just black, then all the fish probably represent him, and the color symbolism no longer matters, except for the black. And perhaps gold, simply because the legend of the dragon koi still applies.

And I might as well plop this down here, too, while I’m at it.

What are his ultimate goals? The title page for ch170 strongly suggests that Lau thinks he’s nearing completion of them. What does he hope to accomplish in Wiltshire?

I think I know what would make our earl no longer interesting to Lau: if the kid gave up. Lau might see himself in our earl, just like Soma could relate. But way more so than Soma, who never knew true loss until just recently. He doesn’t want our earl to lose his fighting spirit in the face of so much pain and hardship. It would be sad... and boring.

Thoughts? Am I really onto something here?

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hawklanstargazer · 4 years ago

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Trespassing (Fantasy AU)

"Hey, Boss, look what we caught on the perimeter."

A pair of rough hands released Taka as he was flung onto the rugged soil with a muffled grunt. A feeble effort at getting off the ground resulted in a few crude chuckles above him. The nerve. The absolute nerve. If he was to be their captive, the least they could do was grant him the dignity of letting him walk to their camp with unbound limbs and an unclothed mouth. On top of that, his vinyl white uniform was most likely peppered with splotches now, and after it was perfectly pressed this morning, yet he seemed to be the only one even the least bit concerned. No doubt, these people were indeed ruffians.

When Taka was able to finally rise to his knees, a pair of unpolished forehooves met his gaze as another gruff voice hovered over him.

"A royal guard, huh?"

Now, in this situation, any human worth their salt would've obeyed their first impulse and kept their head down and pray to whatever god would show them mercy. Taka, as many knew, was a very special case. Never one to take a snub lying down. Never one to refuse a challenge. And certainly, never one to submit. Especially not with barbarians who care not for other's laundry. With unfazed furrowed brows and burning ruby eyes, Taka gazed up at the infamous centaur gang leader himself; Mondo Owada.

"Well, this is quite a catch," Mondo smirked, earning a few collected chuckles from his fellow thugs. As quickly as it came, his mock interested tone shifted into looming intimidation. Unlatching his diamond-spiked club from his back, he planted the peak of it into the earth just a mere foot away from Taka as if to remind him of his alpha status. Although, it wasn't like Taka was in any position or capacity to oppose him.

"So, tell me. What's a boot-licking dog like you doing in our territory?" A brief silence, followed by a muffled huff. "Oh right, the gag." With the snap of the leader's fingers, a nearby ruffian removed the cloth from Taka's mouth as the royal guard spat out whatever filth would stain his tongue for the next week or so.

"I'm not on your territory," Taka huffed, taking in the fresh air as he spoke, "You ruffians are trespassing on our land. And it is my duty as Captain of the Royal Guard to protect the House I serve from any threat."

Mondo rolled his eyes, meeting the same glance from a few members. "Right. And exactly what House do you serve? I think we all should know who we're dealing with if they hired such a...dignified representative."

As if not reading the obvious insult, Taka puffed his chest and proudly replied, "I serve the benevolent House of Togami."

A sea of thunderous laughter domed over the camp as the guard's noble smirk vanished. Although his posture remained firm. After what felt like an irritatingly long time, the laughter died down a bit and the leader was able to speak.

"Wow!" Mondo chortled as wiped away a tear before it could even form. "The Togamis?! You come here all high and mighty, ready to take on the most vicious gang in the world, and you serve the fuckin' Togamis?! Geez, with the way you talk all big 'n shit, I woulda thought you served under someone serious like the Kuzuryuu Clan. I mean, dragons need toothpicks, right? Hah, Togamis. Those pissheaded moneybags think they got what it takes to rule the world, and they hire a fuckin' Boy Scout as their flying monkey..!"

The longer and louder the gang laughed with Mondo's remarks, the more red Taka's face bloomed. Not with shame, but with something more intense. No way in heck was he going to sit there and let these four-legged ruffians rake his House's name through the dirt. "Oh yeah? Well, I'd rather be a Boy Scout than a weak little filly like you!"

Stunned silence swept through the camp as if death itself had suddenly made its horrid appearance. Taka glanced in slight curiosity as the previously-stoic members collectively lowered their heads, ears flattened against their heads as they all took a good few steps back with silent clops. Their fearful eyes were either locked on the ground, or on Mondo, although Taka noticed a few quick glances reflecting a look that was given to him many times in his youth when he insulted the school bully; Pity.

The spiked club crashed down, crushing a few decent-sized rocks underneath the soil. The Diamond leader raked his weapon through the mud as he approached the guard with a wet stomp, towering over him as if his head could reach over the trees, the peeking light of midday behind him creating a silhouette over his face, only (literally) flaming red eyes pierced through the shadow.

"You wanna run that by me again, Boy Scout..?" he spoke in a much lower tone than before, insinuating that Taka should pick his next words like grapes for wine.

Such as the noble guard, Taka's firm expression hadn't been swayed by the beast's daunting appearance. He stood his ground...or rather, knelt his ground.

"You heard me. A weak filly like you doesn't deserve to trot on our land. You'd be more fitting in the stables."

Faster than Taka could blink, Mondo snatched him up in the air by the collar, their noses pressed against each other. "You little--! You got a fuckin' death wish or somethin'?!"

"I'm not afraid of a barbarian who has to intimidate others to gain status. The kingdom I serve is blessed with folk who gained their wealth through hard work and punctuality. That's why beasts like you always fall on the bottom."

As if to fulfill a crude punchline, Taka was dropped back onto the muddy clearing with a wet thud. Mondo's pale violet eyes shifted over Taka and gave a subtle nod to whoever was behind him. Taka mentally prepared himself for whatever torture he'd face for his words, and he'd proudly face it with no regrets. However, his face twitched in confusion as his arms and legs had suddenly been freed from restraint.

"You wanna show what a fuckin' top dog you are? Then let's go right now." Mondo spoke with vigorous determination and contained anger, like a raging corrida bull before it's released into the arena.

Rubbing his slightly sore wrists, Taka rose to his feet, dusting off any loose dirt. "A trial by combat to determine our worth to our lands? For my House and homeland, I accept your challenge."

Mondo quickly scanned the guard's body once more. He'd noticed it before, but it hadn't been an issue to bring up. "Where's your weapon?" he asked bluntly.

Taka's hand glided over to his belt and, sure enough, was met with an empty sheath drooped at his hip. "I suppose it must've fallen when I was...captured." He said the last word with masked shame. He didn't want to say it, but there simply was no other word for it. This was truly unbecoming of a royal guard, let alone the Captain. Patrolled the outskirts of the kingdom without backup, captured by the most notorious gang in all the land, and managed to drop his only weapon on the way.

Mondo saw right through the mask as if it were made of glass. He tapped his finger against the shaft of his club and pondered a bit. He could simply offer Taka to use one of their weapons. But it'd probably be seen as taking pity on him, and there's nothing more shameful than that. Besides, it's better a man uses his own weapon or his own fists in a fight. Another streetwise lesson from his big bro. A fistfight would be more probable. Although, his forehooves still would leave the guard with a disadvantage. Why was doing things the honorable way so gods-dammed annoying?

"So..." Mondo sighed away whatever of his pride he had left. "How would you go about we do this?"

Taka lifted his head towards the centaur. "You're asking me? But aren't I...your prisoner?"

"All the more fuckin' reason for you to be the one to decide," Mondo grunted in annoyance. "Weapons are a no-go, my hooves outnumber your fists, so it seems we're at a fuckin' impasse unless you decide."

Taka blinked. This centaur was really letting him decide a fair game. A ruffian with a sense of honor? He felt like he'd discovered another magic-caster outside of House Towa. A husky voice snapped him out of his daze.

"Well, hurry up! We're losing daylight!" The stomp of the forehoof made it clear that Mondo was starting to regret letting Taka decide. "Tell me I didn't just give a decision-making task to some flip-flop fuck."

Taka thought and thought and thought some more, occasionally opening and closing his mouth with no words attached, much to Mondo's ever-growing annoyance. What could they do? There really wasn't much around. Just forest, and plain, and certainly nothing in the kingdom that wouldn't get them noticed. Wouldn't that be a fun thing to explain to his king? The shame and humiliation wouldn't be like anything he could endure. Wait.

"A test of endurance."

Mondo's brow perked in interest. "Oh? And how do you suppose we do that?"

Taka remembered. He'd pass it several times while on patrol but never gave it any real attention until this very moment. "Just outside the border, there's a bathhouse," Taka gave a strong-minded grin. "And a sauna."

Mondo smirked as if sharing the same singular brain cell as the royal guard. "You're on."

#danganronpa #fantasy au #kiyotaka ishimaru #mondo oowada #mondo owada #ishimondo #fanfic

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recurringwriter · 3 years ago

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idk if you'd still want these but for Colette and Guinevere: 16. What food do they absolutely hate?

18. If you had to represent them with a flower, colour, and animal, what would you choose?

20. Are they easy to wake up in the morning, or grouchy and sleepy?

16. i think that Colette hates bitter things and food that lacks flavour. she wouldn't drink coffee unless it were completely overwritten with sugar, cinnamon, and milk. she can't stand celery. on the dining hall menu, i think her least fave is the Cabbage and Herring Stew.

Guinevere doesn't mind bitter. what she dislikes is chewy textures and red meat. Hates Beast Meat Teppanyaki.

18. Colette: Buttercup, icy blue, cocker spaniel. she's bright, her hair is blue and she's the epitome of all faerghus's good points, and she's cute/fun/pretty. also she'd get a kick out of cocker let's be honest

Ginny: the...easter rose? i think. it's not really a rose but it blooms like. early after the snow melts. soft salmon pink. snow leopard. again i'm going by her hair colour. and i think that though she's definitely more gentle and peaceful, she's good at faith magic and has to be tough in some ways to catch lambert's attention. she's resilient and nothing bad happens to her.

20. Colette strikes me as a morning grouch. but it's not long before she's her chipper, bright self. she wakes earlier than felicity anyway so it's never an issue.

Ginny isn't a late-sleeper, but she's a slow waker, in a more befuddled and draggled sort of way. takes a while before she gets going.

#thank you for the ask!!#oc: colette faustine dominic #oc: guinevere

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candy-and-writing · 5 years ago

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What A Triple Lutz Can Do

Dark! Bucky x Ice Skater! Reader x Dark! Steve

Summary: Steve and Bucky have found each other again, after everything they've been through. When Steve meets you at the Winter Olympics, he decides you're the perfect little doll for their plan.

Warnings: non con/dub con, stalking, drugging, kidnapping, male masturbation, pet names—kitten, oral sex (female and male), fingering, poly relationship (m/m/f), somnophilia, light bondage, more to be added as the story goes on

A/N: This is loosely based off @henchry post about Chris Evans dating an ice skater. I read it and instantly had this idea, I’ve just never posted it. I think I unintentionally used bunny by @buckybarney as inspiration in making final edits. They also helped me figure out how to make this moodboard, so thank you! Please let me know if you enjoyed this, I had a lot of fun writing this!

I am NOT responsible for your media content consumption. This work is not intended for those under the age of 18 due to explicit sexual content and/or dark themes. By reading this work you agree that you are at least 18 years of age. I do not consent to have my work posted on any third party app or website; if you are seeing this work anywhere other than tumblr and archiveofourown, it has been reposted without my permission.

Before the war, before Bucky had fallen off the train and Steve crashed into the ice, before the Avengers and before and the world made Steve Rogers harder—colder—he liked to call himself a hopeless romantic. He wanted to meet eyes with someone across a diner and feel the fireworks explode in his chest. He wanted to buy a girl flowers, he wanted to walk down the streets of Brooklyn while it was snowing with her hand warming his. He wanted to buy his girl a ring, he wanted to get married, have a family.

He thought he would get that with Peggy, but he missed his chance. When he woke up in another century, he thought for sure he would never get his happily ever after. The women today were so. . . brash. A lady was supposed to be kind, polite, and dutiful. He understood that times were different, but that shouldn't excuse the ungrateful attitudes.

Then he found Bucky again, and the crazy world he had been forced into didn't seem so hopeless anymore.

Tony had received a call from the International Olympics Committee, formally inviting the Avengers to the Winter Olympics. They were in Italy this year, Milan and Cortina. It was the first Olympic Games to be held in two cities, according to Bruce.

The committee had asked Steve to conduct the medal presentations for ice skating and hockey. They wanted Thor to carry the torch for the opening ceremony, but he was off-world and unavailable.

So here Steve was, sitting in the Mediolanum Forum venue next to Sam so he could watch the ice skating events. He figured if he was going to be giving the winners their medals, he should see why they won.

The committee had given the team access to front row seating, and that's where he was when you came out.

You were the third skater, and the first American representative, to take the ice. Your hair was pulled into a braided braid low on the side of your head with a blue flower pinned above the bun. The little dress you wore was modest—the same shade of blue that matched your flower and a sleeveless neckline that connected to a sheer fabric for sleeves and a higher neck, the little flowy skirt stopping in the middle of your thigh. Lines of little jewels dipped along your bust, beads varying in size. You had makeup on, like all the previous girls, but yours was light and glittery—save for the ruby red lipstick, but even that looked classical on you. It reminded Steve of the makeup women would wear back in the thirties.

He was so focused on you that Sam had to elbow him in the ribs to get his attention. He shut his jaw then, listening to the way your name rolled off the commentator's tongue, the syllables lining and matching each other perfectly.

You were twenty-one, and this was your first time competing in the Olympics. You've competed in other national and international tournaments, and you've done good in them if he was understanding correctly. It made an odd sense of pride swell in his chest. You were skating to Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

You moved to the middle of the rink as the announcer informed the stadium who conducted and performed your piece. You had four quads set in your routine, two in the first half and two in the second. It got quiet in the arena as you raised your arm over your head and arched your back like a ballerina. Steve counted five seconds before the music started and you spun around slowly. You started to move your body and—

Oh. Oh.

Steve was sure his jaw had dropped to the floor. The way you moved was bewitching, beautifully languid yet articulate. It was like the music moved through you, coursing through your veins as you made it entirely your own, bringing something so utterly delicate and ethereal out of the melody. You made it show in your body, in your movements.

The first of your quads were coming up, something called a quadruple lutz. Steve didn't know what it was, but when you threw your leg back and jumped, spinning in the air before landing and the crowd erupted into applause, he figured you did it correctly.

Your feet glided across the ice as you skated backward, your muscles tensing—you were preparing for your next quad. You kicked your leg back and used it as momentum to jump, spinning and landing what the commentator called a quadruple flip. The crowd cheered again.

Your expression—the raw focus and determination hiding behind your eyes—was gorgeous. Your crimson lips were parted slightly, eyelids hooded as you brought your head up. The delicate expression, the way your shoulders tensed as you jumped and spun in the air once, twice, three times before you landed gracefully on your toes had the breath leaving his lungs.

It was art. You were a work of art. So beautiful he wanted to lock you behind a glass cage and put you on display. You commanded the ice as if you controlled it, with such a degree of intricacy that Steve thought if you jumped high enough or spun fast enough you would grow wings and fly away.

You were in your element. You kicked your foot back before bringing it forward, using it to start your jump. You spun in the air and landed on one foot, your other leg spread out and leading the twirl you used to end the jump. The stadium cheered, Sam said something about a triple axel.

Steve wished the song lasted forever, wished he could watch you forever, but soon there was a flute trilling and you slowed, circling back to the center of the rink and just like that—your performance was over. The crowd exploded into cheers, throwing flowers, stuffed toys, anything they had in their pockets.

You broke into a smile, your plump lips parting and bringing out your dimples. Steve swooned as you waved to the crowd, bending to pick up a rose. Your gaze met his, and he swore he felt fireworks erupt in his chest. You smiled at him before skating off the ice, hugging a man sporting a red lightweight jacket with the USA logo embroidered on the sleeve, his dark hair slicked back. Steve watched as you smiled at him, not missing the way he stared at your ass as you turned away.

Then, suddenly, you were in first place. Your eyes went wide and you jumped up, hugging the man in the red jacket—Steve assumed he was your coach. He heard your squeal above the rest of the cheers.

Even from where he was sitting, your eyes were bright, brighter than your smile. Steve was proud of you, pride swelled in his chest as he watched you speak with a reporter. His eyes stayed glued to you as you shook hands with the reporter, your coach walking you to the locker rooms. He watched you until he couldn't anymore.

A strange desire pulled at his heart as he pulled his Stark Pad out, looking you in F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s database.

After watching your performance every other skater seemed dull, incomparable, to you. The judges must have thought so, too. You stayed in first place, winning the competition.

According to F.R.I.D.A.Y, you grew up in Chicago, but you moved to Manhattan for college. You got a new coach, Adrian Tucker, who was a gold and silver medalist back in the nineties. You're a junior at NYU, majoring in Art History. You have an Instagram, some sort of social media Peter had been trying to convince him to get, and Steve created an account immediately just to follow you. You had pictures of yourself, of friends, of the rink, even a pair of ballet shoes.

So you did ballet, good to know.

The award ceremony couldn't come soon enough. The idea of being closer to you sent butterflies fluttering through his stomach. Ever since he had gotten him back, Steve and Bucky have been talking about settling down—creating a life with a girl and starting a family. But they haven't found the right partner, but maybe. . . ?

When he stood in front of you, he swore he almost stopped breathing. You were gorgeous. Your hair had been taken out of the bun, cascading down your shoulders in loose waves. Your makeup was still done the same, but he noticed light freckles dotting along the bridge of your nose. Your eyes sparkled up at him—good God, you barely stood past his chest—your painted lips parted in a smile as you took him in. He placed the gold medal around your neck, congratulating you. You whispered a small, "thank you, Captain," and Steve felt a spark of electricity jolt down his groin.

Your voice was light, melodic, quiet. You were respectful, something he valued in people, in women. He could almost imagine you posed as the perfect housewife. With the perfect husband—or husbands—with the white picket fence, the kids. He could imagine your belly swollen, the little children running around calling you 'mama'. You were young, right at that age where women would start becoming wives and mothers back in his day. The thought only made his cock harder as he watched you on the platform, waving to the audience with the biggest smile on your face.

As he sat back down next to Sam, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He pulled up Bucky's contact and sent him a picture from your Instagram.

'I think I found her,' he typed.

Bucky remembered the first time he realized he was in love with Steve—he was sixteen. He had danced around with plenty of girls already but none of them ever really seemed to stick. He had saved up enough money to spend Steve's birthday at Coney Island, that was the day he made Steve ride the Cyclone, back when he was still skinny. He had bought Steve a hotdog, which a pelican attacked him over. Bucky was crying from laughter, face red and stomach aching, when he looked over at Steve. Something just clicked then.

The past couple of months, Steve and Bucky had been making plans to add a third partner into life. After all this time, fighting Nazis and being mind-controlled and saving the universe time and time again, they both agreed they deserved it—that they deserved a family. They had both been selfless for so long, was it so wrong to want someone to be selfless for them? To want someone soft that could share their love?

Steve and Bucky were great together—the love of each other's lives, in fact—but they shared an overwhelming need to dominate, to control. On and off the field. When they fucked they were ruthless, full of scraping nails and biting teeth. Fingertips that left bruises that lasted for days. They needed someone else, someone they could focus that control on, someone who could take them so gently and lovingly, a way they rarely took each other.

Then he got Steve's text. You were young, and it wasn't hard to find out almost everything he needed to know about you. Steve helped him use F.R.I.D.A.Y to figure out where you live—a small apartment that was close to your college campus. You could walk to class if the weather permitted it. It also wasn't too far from the ice rink you trained at. It was easy for Bucky to find a building across from your suite where they could watch you. You liked to keep your window open, let the sunlight in.

They took turns sitting on the roof of the neighboring building, looking through a pair of binoculars. They would watch you for hours—watch you do simple things like reading. That was Bucky's favorite, the way your lips moved ever so slightly as you read the words on the page. You enjoyed reading horror novels—Steven King, Mary Downing Hahn, an author named Chuck Palahnuik. A worn copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein sat on your bookshelf. At first glance, Bucky never would have pegged you as a horror kind of girl, you were too sweet and too timid. As he continued to watch you through the cameras Steve had him install, though, he saw that you very much liked psychological thrillers. You would watch a show on YouTube about true crime and haunted locations, a couple of amateurs who didn't quite know what they were doing. They were funny, though. Steve and Bucky would watch you laugh as you stared at your phone, smiling to yourself.

You trained at a ballet studio in lower Manhattan, worked out at a gym a block away from that. They were quick to memorize your routine once they started. You'd wake up at five-thirty every morning and make yourself some breakfast. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's you hit the gym and the studio; you'd go to whatever classes you had that day, grab a coffee at the campus cafe, then head to the skating rink for two hours. Two and a half hours max. You went home, studied, and then you were left to your own devices. Sometimes you read, sometimes you baked and God, Bucky almost couldn't stop drooling at the thought of tasting your cooking. You'd watch television in your small living room and be in bed no later than eleven o'clock every night to start your day again.

One Monday morning, Steve and had followed you to the gym. They'd been doing that the last few weeks. At first, Steve reasoned it was so they could watch over you, in case you got into some trouble. Some mornings they planned on running into you on the sidewalk, pretending it was an accident—there was a flower cart along your route you liked to stop and admire, sometimes buying a bouquet of daisies for your little bachelor pad—but the timing never seemed right. Steve was never wearing the right shirt, or Bucky's hair was always a mess from the wind.

You took a cab, which Steve followed a couple of cars behind on his motorcycle. The air was brisk, the first signs of spring coming into the city. Some of the trees had started growing their leaves again, vibrant greens against the grey winter sky. He parked his bike underneath a plotted tree that had just started to turn, the tips of the leaves a bright green as blossoms began to bloom, pastel pinks against vibrant greens with petals blowing in the wind. He bought a newspaper from a vendor a couple of stores down and sat on a nearby bench, catching up with the world as he counted down the minutes. You would be in there for an hour and fifteen minutes almost exactly.

Steve almost couldn't sit still. He was itching to get his hands on you, to feel you. He and Bucky have been watching you for a long time now, waiting for the right moment to get their hands on you. Steve was growing impatient.

At forty-five minutes, his eyes began to flick up at the building every few minutes. He knew it wasn't time yet, but there was always a chance you got done early.

At an hour, his gaze hovered just above the paper. Ten more minutes, he told himself.

At an hour and twelve minutes, you emerged. Steve watched as you hugged your coat to your chest and began walking. The studio you danced at was only a block away, so you wouldn't have to be out in the cold for long. Still, Steve couldn't help but chastise you for not wearing something warmer. All you had on were a pair of thin leggings—that hugged your ass beautifully, he might add—and a compression tank top under your lightweight sweater.

Steve rushed to his bike, folding the newspaper in his hand and revving up the engine. He drove down the block, parking in front of a cafe across from the ballet studio. He watched you enter the studio and sat at a table, ordering a cup of coffee. He saw you through the floor-to-ceiling windows, your let stretched up over your head. He reached for his sketchbook and pencil, laying it out on the table before him.

The night of the Olympics, the first time after Steve had seen you, he stayed up all night drawing you. He found a video of your performance on the internet, watching it on repeat as he drew you in different positions. The first sketch he did was of you with your arm over your head, just before you started skating. He found he loved drawing the shape of your lips, so the next sketch was a portrait of your face. Your long lashes were hooded, eyes downcast and your lips parted slightly as the pencil scratched against the paper, your plump lips etched in charcoal. The expression Steve caught you in was oddly ethereal, the kind of innocence that Steve found absolutely breathtaking.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Steve sighed, pulling the device out of his jeans. Cursing, he reread the message Sam sent, looking back up across the street. You were still in front of the window, leg propped up on a bar with your upper body reaching for your foot. He sighed, closing his sketchbook as he stomped toward his bike.

Steve and Bucky trudged back into the Compound, exhausted and irritated. Not only have they been unable to see you for a week and a half, forced to watch you through the cameras hidden throughout your apartment, but the mission had been a complete bust. They had been sent away to Northern Peru, where Fury had given them intel about a group of HYDRA smugglers shipping illegal weapons into the country. Unfortunately, Steve and Bucky spent twelve days in a cramped, boiling building across from the target's warehouse and managed to find nothing before Fury called them back.

Steve was sweaty, Bucky hadn't taken a shower in a week, and they missed you. Bucky wanted to touch you, he wanted to kiss you until you were breathless. He watched you on his phone when he could, often opting to watch the camera feed than to sleep.

Once they were in their suite, Steve stripped his uniform off, leaving it in a heap on the floor to pick up later. Right now he just wanted to feel clean. He turned the shower on and peeled his boxers off as Bucky undressed, Steve stepping below the showerhead. The warm water felt nice against his taut muscles, his shoulders relaxing under the water pressure. He watched the dirt and grime from the mission get washed away, down the drain in muddy-grey color.

As he massaged shampoo through his hair, his thoughts wandered back to you, fingers itching to run against your skin. The way your lips always looked so soft, how utterly delicious you would look with them wrapped around his cock. The sweet little noises you would make as he forced himself down your throat—you were so small, it wouldn't take much to make you choke on him.

Steve groaned as his fist wrapped around his length. Almost two weeks without imagining you on your knees, imagining your mouth on him and he was oh so sensitive. He cursed, running his thumb over his slit. He pictured your tongue dragging against his girth, your wrecked expression as you struggled to take him deeper, as Bucky struggled to fit himself in behind you. He fisted himself faster, gasping out your name.

"Yeah, baby," he mumbled to himself. "Just like that. Fuck."

He could only imagine how beautiful you would look when you came. Your skin sweaty, hips bucking, your innocent little eyes rolling to the back of your head as you squealed. Oh, you were definitely a squealer. They would make you cum over and over and—

He bit back a moan as he came, hot white spurts coating his stomach as he slowed his movements, nerves on fire. He sighed, rinsing himself off before he turned the water off. He was still hard, he wasn't sure he'd be able to get himself off.

The tips of his fingers buzzed as he redressed himself and Bucky hopped in the shower. Steve didn't know if it was the stress of the mission or the adrenaline you gave him, but he couldn't wait anymore. He didn't have the patience to wait anymore.

He was watching the camera feeds in your apartment when Bucky came out of the bathroom. All it took was one look from Steve—they already had it all planned out, they just had to put it into motion.

You struggled to unlock your door, twisting the key in the lock a few times, cursing as you pushed your shoulder against the door, stumbling as the door swung open. You managed to catch yourself before knocking over your vase of daisies, straightening as you waited for your world to stop spinning.

You knew it had been a bad idea when you agreed to go out tonight. You're such a lightweight and after just three shots and half a glass of wine, you're going to have a killer hangover in the morning. God, and it's three a.m. But Annie had begged you to come with them. You haven't hung out with her in so long, you were desperate to see her again. You just wished she hadn't dragged you out to a bar.

You dropped your handbag on your little dining room table, opening the refrigerator to pour yourself a glass of orange juice. You drank half the glass in a couple of gulps, letting out a sigh as you set the glass down. As you moved to pull your phone out of your purse, you heard the floorboards creak, like someone was taking a step.

You froze, looking down the hall. The boards in your bedroom creak like that when you step down on a certain spot, but you've been in the apartment long enough to learn where it is exactly and step around it.

As quietly as you could, you made your way down the hall, checking the bathroom. You've seen enough horror movies in your life to know never to close the shower curtain when you weren't using it, so with a quick glance you knew the room was empty.

Your bedroom was at the end of the hall, the door cracked open. You walked in, carefully looking around. Your closet door was open, the windows were closed, you turned and looked towards your dresser mirror and—

You saw the figure behind you before you could react. Your eyes went wide, their hand coming up to cover your mouth before you could muster a scream. Your hands flew up to the hand, legs kicking out as the intruder dragged you out of your bedroom. You screamed into the hand, thrashing as you felt a sharp prick in your neck.

"It's alright," they cooed. "Shhh, it's okay, doll. You're just gonna go to sleep for a little while, okay?"

You shook your head frantically, tears streaming down your face as you felt your body getting tired. You blinked furiously, trying to fight the sleepy feeling. Your muscles felt like dead weight, you stopped kicking your feet as your grip on the man's cold hand went slack.

"That's a good girl," he crooned. "Just relax, kitten. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Your tongue felt heavy in your mouth. Your vision blurred, and then everything went black.

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preciseprose · 4 years ago

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What was life like towards the end of the Savage Ages?

Eventually I’d like to discuss Emperor Belos’ rise from unknown quantity to emperor of the Boiling Isles. But before I can get to that discussion, I want to first discuss what I believe life was like towards the end of the Savage Ages—the time period during which Belos rose to power.

According to King’s reading of an unauthorized Boiling Isles history, the Boiling Isles “were borne of the flesh and bones of a fallen Titan,” whose “original magic was so powerful that all life on the Isles evolved to wield magic too.” The residents of the Isles “explored those powers freely,” King says, “until a mysterious witch appeared who declared that he, and he alone, could speak to the Island.” I haven’t been able to locate any sources that could be used to determine how long it took Belos to consolidate power after his emergence. But it is known, based on a speech given by Kikimora in Agony of a Witch, that this period of freedom and magical discovery ended about 50 years before Luz’s arrival. I believe that the event marking the end of this period—known widely as the Savage Ages—was Belos’ ascension to the throne.

So, what was life like towards the end of the Savage Ages? I believe it was a time of great personal freedom and great societal instability. A time during which magic schools and the main nine covens were well known—and well feared—institutions that celebrated the use of magic to gain prosperity and power. There is some evidence to support this.

In Adventures in the Elements, Luz holds out a brochure promoting Hexside for Eda to see.

The picture shows Bump and a group of other young witchlings and demons violently conquering a rival school under the banner of Hexside. Bump appears to be about 15 years old in the picture. I believe this conquering took place during the Savage Ages for two reasons.

First, I believe that Bump was a teenager during the end of the Savage Ages. Dana Terrace has stated that the Clawthorne sisters are in their mid to late 40s. In Something Ventured, Something Framed, it is revealed that Bump was the principal of Hexside when the sisters attended school. Additionally, a polaroid shown at the end of that episode depicts Bump, looking around the same age as Eda does in the show, reviewing the aftermath of one of Eda’s pranks.

This would place Bump in his early 70s at the time Luz’s arrival, in his late 40s at the time of the Clawthorne sisters’ attendance at Hexside, and in his mid- to late-teens at the time Belos ascended to the throne.

Second, Bump repeatedly discounts the authority of Emperor Belos, which is odd given his status as a relatively prominent member of the emperor’s coven. He gives so little regard for the Emperor’s bounty on Eda’s head that he asks her to chaperone Grom. After a little prodding, he disregards the rule book distributed by his own coven and allows four Hexside students to study multiple tracks. And he is quick to participate in a public protest of Eda’s petrification.

Establishing that the battle for Hexside occurred during the Savage Ages allows us to construe a few things about the Savage Ages from the photo in the Hexside brochure.

Most significantly, the photo shows that the track system predated Emperor Belos’ rise to power. The colors in the photo are washed out, but not enough to obscure that Bump is wearing red— the color of the Bard track. Other tracks possibly represented include the potions, beast keeping, plant, healing, and illusions tracks. The photo also shows both witchling and demon students. This evidences that witchlings likely did not discriminate against demons during the Savage Ages.

If the track system existed during the Savage Ages, then the main nine covens must have existed during the Savage Ages. This inference is supported by various artworks in the Emperor’s castle and the existence of the coven relics.

Towards the beginning of Agony of a Witch, Lilith contemplates her future before an enormous stained-glass window in the Emperor’s castle.

Kikimora later cuts in on Lilith’s contemplation while standing in front of a tapestry that appears to be part of a larger series.

The subtitle on this tapestry reads “subjugation.”

A standout detail from each of these artworks is the color of the robes worn by the figures prostrating themselves to Belos. The figures in the stained-glass window bear red robes, the color of the Bard coven. The figures in the tapestry bear green robes, the color of the Plant coven. Based on this observation, I believe it is likely that the other tapestries in the room show the “subjugation” of the remaining seven main covens. To subjugate is to “bring under domination or control, especially by conquest.” For the main nine covens to be subjugated by Belos, they must have existed before Belos. The existence of the coven relics—possibly given as tribute to Belos by the main nine—adds further support for this conclusion.

So, what does the possibility that the magic schools, the track system and the main nine covens pre-dated Belos’ rise to power actually tell us about the end of the Savage Ages? First, I think it tells us that prior to the rise of Belos and his coven, the main nine covens were the center of political life in the Boiling Isles. Second, I think it tells us the magic schools used to be funded by the main nine covens. This would explain why the track system was in place prior to Belos’ rise to power. Finally, I think it tells us that life as a commoner during the end of the Savage Ages probably wasn’t very pleasant.

The unauthorized Boiling Isles history states that “[b]efore he ascended to the throne, Emperor Belos gained prominence as a crusader for unity during the Savage Ages.” A crusader is “a person who campaigns vigorously for political, social, or religious change.” I believe the change Emperor Belos fought for was an end to a long period of political instability and open conflict between the main nine covens, possibly even between the magic schools. As for how Emperor Belos brought about such change, I think that’s a topic better left for another post.

#the owl house #toh speculation #toh analysis #toh spoilers #pinetree speaks #my analysis

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maswartz · 4 years ago

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Power Rider Paradox

(Logo by @riceyhot)

In 2019 a man who would be known as Master X used technology he stole from his time with organization X to ambush and slaughter the earth Riders (Deca through Hybrid) and used a machine to transfer the power from their belts into small hand held discs. Outraged, a group of alien riders (Adalve through Vamp) confronted him only to be slaughtered too and their powers turned into discs.

As Master X he began a 50 year reign, he began by slaughtering the remaining rangers and riders on earth as well as all the world leaders. He used his new god like powers to seal the earth off from the universe by literally placing a barrier around it that only opened in certain places he allowed it.

The other riders (1-Jiga) managed to sneak in but were found and slaughtered save for Dex and Donais and they were only spared because Donais bartered his belt for their lives. X demanded they never step foot on earth again. From their belts another series of discs was created (the Masked Rider Rex belt was used to create a disc for PR Rex and the Masked Rider while the Shadow Rider belt was destroyed in the battle)

Master X had four unique discs made for his most trusted Generals, each given power over a domain (Wild, Science, Warriors, Supernatural). However during his rule new riders rose up. Shadowstrike, Mystery, Roborg, and Xtera all gained their power and in one way or another tried to end Master X’s rule. They stood no chance against his power. Their belts were stolen off their corpses and discs were made.

After this Master X ordered his scientists to find any remaining rider powers on earth leading to them finding a series of ancient belts in museums. The fourth and final set of discs was made.

During his 50th year in power Master X’s grandchildren, Stephanie and Gerald witnessed him slaughter a group of rebels. Disgusted they defected and with the aid of a rebel scientist named Kenji and his grandchildren Tiffany and Travis, they stole the first set of discs (Adalve-Hybrid) as well as a group of R.A.V.E (Rider Armor Vehicle Exoskeleton) and escaped into the time stream to make sure he never rose to power.

Arriving in late 2018 in Century City they set up base with Kenji’s younger self in his repair shop. The two Kenjis made belts and discs for the two as they realized their mission would create a paradox erasing their own births. Stephanie became Power Rider Paradox with the goal of saving the Riders from the lethal ambush and Gerald became Power Rider Quantum with the goal of murdering his own grandfather before he could become Master X. However they realized that due to Master X’s paranoia nobody had even seen his face or heard his actual name in decades. Even the siblings had no knowledge of their grandfather’s true identity.

His generals were sent back with a set of discs containing corrupted versions of the rider’s powers to create soldiers called X Riders to fight for them. The portal was kept open in the future thus preventing any changes from sticking. This allowed Tiffany and Travis to sneak to the future and steal the other discs (1-Jiga) leading to them becoming Power Rider Chrono and Power Rider Epoch.

Eventually Master X had one of his best soldiers fitted with a belt and sent back as Power Rider Eternity. he was given the discs for Shadowstrike/Mystery/Roborg/Xtera to succeed where the Generals had failed. However the soldier would eventually turn on Master X when he learned the truth about his reign of terror.

Soon Master X had a box sent back with the past discs (Hardrock/Coatl/Smith/Sheriff) to assist the generals but they were scattered throughout history. Eventually they were found and ended up in the possession of a scholar of heroic myths and legends named Lauren. She thought they were just neat relics until she saw a close up image of one of Eternity’s future discs on the news and realized they shared a similar design. She then tracked the riders down and ended up as Power Rider Ancient

During some of their battles against the X-Riders the six are aided by various Riders from Deca through Hybrid. These six Riders are all that stand between Master X and his goals of conquest. Will history be changed or has fate already been written?

Power Rider Paradox- Stephanie- Kind and caring, the younger of the siblings. Once she witnessed her grandfather’s true nature she made it her mission to prevent him from ever coming to power. Though she still loves him she knows he has to be stopped and wishes to do so with as little violence as possible. After meeting some of the previous riders she discovers that she’s bisexual. Face Claim: Liana Ramirez Transformation Device: Mirai Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride! Transformation: When she spins her belt a giant energy clock appears and as the hands spins the armor forms Finishing Moves: Paradox Kick- As she leaps in the air the numbers 1-12 spin around the enemy forming a clock face (POV facing Paradox) keeping them in place as she lands the kick Paradox Slash- As she begins to slash a clock appears with both hands spinning fast (POV lining up with Paradox). When they line up she slashes in that direction Paradox Blast- As she begins the blast a clock appears (POV lining up with Paradox). Energy shoots from the numbers to her blaster charging it until she fires through the clock Vehicle: Clockwork Cycle When a Rider activates a Rider Disc an image of that Rider appears and poses before becoming the armor and forming around the Rider who used the disc.

“Armor of Adaption! Adalve!”- By using the Adalve Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider Adalve’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox Adalve Kick- A kick charged with the power of Adalve. When the hit lands it leaves the mark of Adalve which explodes

“Armor of Reflections! MirWar!”- By using the MirWar Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider Drago’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox Drago Kick- A kick charged with the power of Drago. The kick is accompanied by a fireball by Dragogard

“Armor of Insects! S.W.A.R.M!”- By using the S.W.A.R.M Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider Beetle’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox Beetle Kick- A kick charged with the power of Beetle. The attack is charged by lighting.

“Armor of Wishes! Djand!”- By using the Djand Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider Djand’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox Djand Kick- A kick charged with the power of Djand. The kick sends the enemy flying into a projection of Djand’s train.

“Armor of Power! Deca!”- By using the Deca Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider Deca’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox Deca Slash- A slash powered by the power of Deca. The enemy is surrounded by Deca Cards before they slash and cut them finished with the slash itself.

“Armor of Memories! Duow!”- By using the Duow Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider Duow’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox Duow Kick- A kick charged with the power of Duow. The shoulder armor splits into two units (Wind and Warrior) that join with Paradox for the kick.

“Armor of Beasts! Animaster!”- By using the Animaster Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider Animaster’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox Animaster Kick- A kick charged with the power of Animaster. Three Animal Medals appear and Paradox kicks through them into the enemy.

“Armor of Space! 4Z!”- By using the 4Z Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider 4Z’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox 4Z Kick- A kick charged by the power of 4Z. Paradox turns into a rocket flying around the enemy before flying feet first into them

“Armor of Nature! Warruit!”- By using the Warruit Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider Warruit’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox Warruit Slash- A slash charged with the power of Warruit. The enemy is trapped in an energy orange which explodes when slashed.

“Armor of Fusion! Hybrid!”- By using the Hybrid Rider Disc Paradox gains armor based on Power Rider Hybrid’s base form Finishing Move- Paradox Hybrid Kick- A kick charged by the power of Hybrid. A vortex of red and blue energy surrounds the enemy pushing Paradox into them.

“Armor of the Time Stream!” Time Stream Armor- During a battle with the generals she’s knocked into the Time Stream where the power grants her the Time Stream Armor boosting her power. Time Stream gives her the ability to pause, rewind and see into the future no more than five minutes either way. Finishing Move: Time Stream Slash- Twin clocks appear representing the past and future (POV lines up with Paradox) they combine and when all four hands line up she slashes in that direction.

“Armor of History!” Era Armor- After the Four Generals begin to enter the battle the two Kenji’s decide Stephanie needs a new edge. They use spare parts from the other belts to create the Era Armor. The Era Armor allows her to summon weapons or copy attacks from any of the Riders from the past present and future. Finishing Move: Era Kick- Three clocks appear, one spinning backwards, one stopped and one spinning forwards. When she lands the kick the numbers send energy into the enemy causing an explosion Era Slash- Three clocks appear, one spinning backwards, one stopped and one spinning forwards. When all the hands are aligned she slashes.

“Let’s Ride! [voice clip of every primary rider from Adalve through Hybrid shouting “let’s ride” as one] Armor of Riders! RIDERS FOREVER!” Forever Armor- During a daring mission to the future Stephanie steals a prototype armor from Master X’s personal armory. By using it she is able to tap into the power of all the Riders from Adalve- Hybrid however she learns that X rejected the armor because it was not a true union of the power instead it only gave him access to the powers all at once. Thus he labeled it Imperfect and had his scientists create a better version. Even imperfect the Forever Armor becomes Stephanie’s final form.

In time however it becomes necessary to unite the power of all the riders from Adalve through Paradox herself. The two Kenji’s create a new Rider Disc allowing them to channel the power of the Forever Armor into a more perfect form. In this perfect form Stephanie is able to unleash the full potential of the Forever Armor. For example by using a Rider Disc in this form she gains access to ALL that Rider’s various forms. Both versions are able to summon copies of the Riders themselves to fight by her side. Finishing Moves: Paradox Forever Kick- Energy versions of Paradox’s past forms (Default, Deca Armor, Time Stream Armor, Era Armor) all join in the kick converging as one at the moment of impact. Perfect Form only Riders Forever Kick- Variant 1- Energy versions of every Rider from Adalve through Hybrid appear and join in the kick converging as one at the moment of impact. Variant 2- Various Riders in various forms appear attacking with their finishing moves. Final Forever Kick- Energy versions of the riders from Adalve through Hybrid appear in their final forms and merge over Paradox charging them with power for the kick. Perfect Form only

Power Rider Quantum- Gerald- Stern and serious, the older of the siblings. When he witnessed the truth about his grandfather he swore to stop him no matter the cost. He is fully prepared to use whatever means to prevent the rise of Master X. His willingness to resort to violent means sometimes puts him at odds with his sister.

Face Claim: Colby Strong Transformation Device: Mirai Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride! Transformation: When he spins his belt a giant energy clock appears and as the hands spins the armor forms Finishing Moves: Quantum Kick- As he leaps in the air the numbers 1-12 spin around the enemy forming a clock face (POV facing Quantum) keeping them in place as he lands the kick Quantum Chop-As he begins to chop a clock appears with both hands spinning fast (POV lining up with Quantum). When they line up he slashes in that direction Quantum Arrow- As he begins the arrow a clock appears (POV lining up with Quantum). Energy shoots from the numbers to his bow charging it until he fires through the clock Vehicle: Clockwork Cycle

“Armor of Myths! Wyvern!”- By using the Wyvern Rider Disc Quantum gains armor based on Power Rider Wyvern’s base form Finishing Move- Quantum Wyvern Kick- A kick charged by the power of Wyvern. The kick impacts with a charge of power.

“Armor of Revival! Phi!”- By using the Phi Rider Disc Quantum gains armor based on Power Rider Phi’s base form Finishing Move- Quantum Phi Kick- A kick charged with the power of Phi. An energy drill appears and Quantum kicks with it into the enemy.

“Armor of Occult! Arcane!”- By using the Arcane Rider Disc Quantum gains armor based on Power Rider Arcane Spade’s base form Finishing Move- Quantum Arcane Kick- A kick charged with the power of Arcane. Various Arcane cards charge the kick with various attributes.

“Armor of Sound! Meloni!”- By using the Meloni Rider Disc Quantum gains armor based on Power Rider Meloni’s base form Finishing Move- Quantum Meloni Kick- A kick charged with the power of Meloni. A Demuse drum appears on the enemy and Quantum kicks it sending vibrations into the enemy.

“Armor of Darkness! Vamp!”- By using the Vamp Rider Disc Quantum gains armor based on Power Rider Vamp’s base form Finishing Move- Quantum Vamp Kick- A kick charged by the power of Vamp. The enemy is wrapped in chains as Quantum jumps and kicks.

“Armor of Magic! Mystic!”- By using the Mystic Rider Disc Quantum gains armor based on Power Rider Mystic’s base form Finishing Move- Quantum Mystic Kick- A kick charged by the power of Mystic. A mystic rune appears and Quantum kicks through it charging their body with power.

“Armor of Speed! Racer!”- By using the Racer Rider Disc Quantum gains armor based on Power Rider Racer’s base form Finishing Move- Quantum Racer Kick- A kick charged by the power of Racer. A series of automodels appear and Quantum bounces off of them kicking the enemy each time.

“Armor of Spirits! Phantom!”- By using the Phantom Rider Disc Quantum gains armor based on Power Rider Phantom’s base form

Finishing Move- Quantum Phantom Kick- A kick charged by the power of Phantom. Quantum’s body is charged with ghostly energy as they kick the enemy.

“Armor of Data! Arcade!”- By using the Arcade Rider Disc Quantum gains armor based on Power Rider Arcade Player 1′s base form Finishing Move-Quantum Arcade Punch- A series of punches charged by the power of Arcade. Each hit registers a higher and higher score before a final blow.

AM/PM- A twin mode suit with an Aero Mode setting that boosts speed and grants flight and a Powered Mode setting that increases power. Finishing Moves: Aero Claw- At the moment of impact a clock face appears (POV lines up with Quantum) Powered Saw- At the moment of impact a clock face appears (POV lines up with the saw)

Eon Armor: About a decade into his reign Master X ordered his scientists to take the belts collected from the fallen secondary Riders and harness their power into a single Rider Disc. Dubbing it the Eon Armor he intended to bestow it to his heir one day, however when his son betrayed him he abandoned this plan. Later after Stephanie stole the Forever Armor he had the Eon Disc sent to the Four Generals as part of a plan to sway Gerald back to his side. The plan failed however and Gerald claimed the power for himself.

Finishing Move: Quantum Eon Kick- A kick charged by the power of all the secondary riders.

Power Rider Chrono and Power Rider Epoch- Tiffany and Travis- Kenji’s adopted grandchildren, he took them in after their parents were killed when they were young. They try to remain optimistic and are the quickest to adapt the present day. While doing research Tiffany discovers there were Riders before Adalve and the two grow curious why none of them were recorded in their time. Eventually they learns they sneaked onto earth a few years after Master X took over and confronted him, however his power was too much even for them. The only survivors were King Dex and Prince Donais and that was because Donais gave up his belt in return for his father’s life. The two were also forced to vow to never return to the earth. From Donais’s belt X’s scientists pulled out the power for PR Rex and the Masked Rider. The scientists were even able to replicate Biocide’s abilities onto a device. With this knowledge the two borrow one of the R.A.V.E’s and goes back through the portal to the future and steals the discs with those rider’s powers on them. When they returns to the present their grandfather creates two belts for the pair to become Power Rider Chrono and Power Rider Epoch. Chrono is armed with a pocket watch based staff that turns into a chain whip and Epoch is armed with a sundial based shield and dagger. Each of them can place a Rider Disc in their weapon to charge it with the power of that rider. Tiffany is the more level headed of the two, she enjoys studying history and planning strategy. Travis is the more impulsive of the two, he enjoys losing himself in fantasy books and tends to rush into action. Face Claims: Tiffany- Erika Fong Travis- Yoshi Sudarso Transformation Devices: Timeless Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride! Transformation: When they spins their belt a giant energy clock appears and as the hands spins the armor forms Finishing Moves: Chrono Whip- She whips her chain whip at the enemy, at the moment of impact a pocket watch appears as they explode Chrono Kick- She sends an energy pocket watch at the enemy as the chain wraps them up the pocket watch itself is hit by her kick sending the energy into them Epoch Slice- A beam of sunlight charges his dagger as he slices Epoch Kick- A beam of sunlight hits him and pushes him into the enemy Chrono’s Rider Discs

“Armor of Winds! Rider 1!”- By using the Rider 1 Disc Chrono gains armor based on Power Rider 1 Finishing Move- Chrono Royal Kick- A kick charged by the power of Rider 1. A strong wind is created upon impact.

“Armor of Tornadoes! Rider V3!”- By using the Rider V3 Disc Chrono gains armor based on Power Rider V3 Finishing Move- Chrono V3 Kick- A kick charged by the power of Rider V3. A tornado is created upon impact.

“Armor of Jungles! Roarior!”- By using the Roarior Rider Disc Chrono gains armor based on Power Rider Roarior. Finishing Move- Chrono Roarior Slash- A savage slash charged by the power of Roarior.

“Armor of Flight! Zephyr!”- By using the Zephyr Rider Disc Chrono gains armor based on Power Rider Zephyr. Finishing Move- Chrono Zephyr Kick- A flying kick charged by the power of Zephyr.

“Armor of Ninja! Ninobi!”- By using the Ninobi Rider Disc Chrono gains armor based on Power Rider Ninobi. Finishing Move- Chrono Ninobi Kick- A kick charged by the power of Ninobi.

“Armor of Change! Masked Rider!”- By using the Masked Rider Disc Chrono gains armor based on The Masked Rider. Finishing Move- Chrono Masked Kick- A kick charged by the power of the Masked Rider.

“Armor of Disguise! Zer0!”- By using the Zer0 Rider Disc Chrono gains armor based on Power Rider Zer0. Finishing Move- Chrono Zer0 Kick- A kick charged by the power of Zer0 Epoch’s Rider Discs

“Armor of Cyclones! Rider 2!”- By using the Rider 2 Disc Epoch gains armor based on Power Rider 2. Finishing Move- Epoch Royal Kick- A kick charged by the power of Rider 2. A cyclone is created upon impact.

“Armor of Environments! E.X.E!”- By using the E.X.E Rider Disc Epoch gains armor based on Power Rider E.X.E Finishing Move- Epoch E.X.E Kick- A kick charged by the power of E.X.E. An energy “X” appears upon impact.

“Armor of Thunder! Surge!”- By using the Surge Rider Disc Epoch gains armor based on Power Rider Surge. Finishing Move- Epoch Surge Kick- A kick charged by the power of Surge. Upon impact the enemy is shocked by a powerful charge.

“Armor of Cosmos! Eclipse!”- By using the Eclipse Rider Disc Epoch gains armor based on Power Rider Eclipse. Finishing Move- Epoch Eclipse Punch- A double punch charged by the power of Eclipse. One fist is charged with solar power while the other is charged with lunar power.

“Armor of Royalty! Rex!”- By using the Rex Rider Disc Epoch gains armor based on Power Rider Rex. Finishing Move- Epoch Rex Kick- A kick charged by the power of Rex.

“Armor of Monsters! Biocide!”- By using the Biocide Rider Disc Epoch gains armor based on Power Rider Biocide. Finishing Move- Epoch Biocide Slash- A powerful slash charged by the power of Biocide.

“Armor of Giants! Jiga!”- By using the Jiga Rider Disc Epoch gains armor based on Power Rider Jiga Finishing Move- Epoch Jiga Kick- A kick charged by the power of Jiga.

Power Rider Eternity- Warren- One of Master X’s best soldiers, Warren genuinely believes Master X is making the world a better place and gives his all. He was sent back to stop Stephanie and Gerald and uses the power of Riders who rose up during Master X’s rule but were defeated. He attacks the siblings but when the X-Riders sent to assist him go on rampages he works with them to stop the monsters and protect civilians. It takes time to convince him of the truth about Master X but the Riders willingness to help others convinces him. When he accepts it he decides to help stop Master X as a way to make up for his past actions serving him. Face Claim: Najee De-Tiege Transformation Device: Eternity Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride! Transformation: When he slides the handle into place a digital clock counts down as his armor forms Finishing Move: Eternity Kick- Four digital numbers spin around the enemy counting at various times until the kick is delivered when they all hit zero.

“Armor of Shadows! Shadowstrike!”- Power Rider Shadowstrike- Last survivor of a ninja clan used mystic scrolls and relics to become a Rider. Gained his power 15 years into Master X’s rule. Fell during a failed assassination attempt. Their armor grants Eternity heightened speed and agility. Shadowstrike Transformation: A scroll opens up and shadows flow out covering them forming the suit Shadowstrike Finishing Move: Kage Katana Strike- A slash charged with shadows Armor Finishing Move: Shadowstrike Slash- A shadow infused strike

“Armor of Puzzles! Mystery!”- Power Rider Mystery- Gained her power by opening an impossible to solve puzzle. Gained her power 24 years into Master X’s rule. Fell while infiltrating his fortress in an attempt to sabotage it. Their armor grants Eternity illusion and puzzle skills. Mystery Transformation: A giant question mark appears behind them sending many smaller ones to form the suit Mystery Finishing Move: Mystery Kick- Two panels appear, one marked true the other false, after a question is asked Mystery appears out of that answer hitting the foe. Armor Finishing Move: Mystery Illusion- A series of question marks restrains the enemy for a spear strike

“Armor of Machines! Roborg!”- Power Rider Roborg- Survivor of an attack lead by the generals. Rebuilt as a cyborg and made his base in a junkyard. Gained his power 37 years into Master X’s rule. Fell while trying to hijack an army of R.A.V.E suits. Their armor grants Eternity enhanced strength. Roborg Transformation: He activates the circuits on his belt sending electric currents through his body creating the suit Roborg Finishing Move: Electric Burst- Electric energy charges up until they strike Armor Finishing Move: Roborg Breaker- Electric energy charges his attack.

“Armor of Aliens! Xtera!”- Power Rider Xtera- An alien crashed to earth hidden in a meteor 45 years into Master X’s rule and bonded with a person. She fell while trying to free prisoners. Their armor grants Eternity power of various cosmic objects such as planets and stars.

Xtera Transformation: The alien comes out of the belt and merges with them as an orb surrounds them. Xtera Finishing Move: Galaxy Charge- A kick charged with the power of the galaxy

Armor Finishing Moves: Xtera Galaxy- A cosmically charged kick explodes in the shape of a galaxy Xtera Shower- Meteors of various size rain down Xtera Nova- A large burst of extreme heat

Power Rider Ancient- Lauren Matthews- Scholar of heroic myths and legends from around the world. She found the ancient Rider Discs at various antique shops without knowing their true purpose. When she saw a news report with an image of a Rider Disc she tracked down the Riders and ended up becoming a Rider herself. Face Claim: Claire Blackwelder Transformation Device: Ancient Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride! Transformation: As she slides the handle into place a analog clock spins its hands as her armor forms. Finishing Move: Ancient Kick- The Roman Numerals for 1-12 spin around the enemy until she lands the kick

“Armor of Stone! Hardrock!”- Power Rider Hardrock- A Caveman who found a powerful gem deep in a cave and used it to transform in order to fend off skeletal dinosaurs attacking his people- Arms Ancient with a stone spear Hardrock Transformation: Stone emerges from the gem covering him until he breaks free revealing the armor Hardrock Finishing Move: Stone Spear- He throws his spear at the enemy turning them to stone as they crumble. Armor Finishing Move: Hardrock Spear- She throws the spear at the enemy turning them to stone.

“Armor of the Rain Forest! Coatl!”- Power Rider Coatl- A Mesoamerican warrior blessed by the gods to aid in her fight against elemental spirits- Arms Ancient with an obsidian ax. Coatl Transformation: A jaguar roars as her armor is formed around her by the aura of a jaguar. Coatl Finishing Move: Roaring Chop- A spiritually charged ax chop Armor Finishing Move: Coatl Chop- Chops at the enemy

“Armor of the Forge! Smith!”- Power Rider Smith- A blacksmith blessed by deities to create incredible weapons to defend against demons who possesses objects to create monsters- Arms Ancient with a metallic mallet Smith Transformation: Steam shoots out the belt turning to metal around him creating the armor Smith Finishing Move: Forge Crusher- Hits the enemy with their mallet Armor Finishing Move: Smith Smash- Smashes the enemy with the mallet

“Armor of the Law! Sheriff!”- Power Rider Sheriff- In the old west a native shaman cast a curse upon the settlers who attacked his people however in their rage their curse created beasts that endangered all life, native and settler. A lawman uses the latest in scientific marvels to arm himself against this threat. Utilizes steam powered blasters- Arms Ancient with twin blasters Sheriff Transformation: Steam shoots from the pack as a brief sandstorm forms the armor Sheriff Finishing Move: Sheriff Shooter- A steam powered bullet shot at the enemy Armor Finishing Move: Sheriff Shot- Shoots the enemy with a steam powered blast. The X-Riders Twisted versions of the powers of the Riders. Created by Master X to act as warriors for his Generals to use to stop the Riders. An X Rider can only truly be defeated with the power that spawned them, either in the form of the original Rider or by a Rider using that Rider’s Disc. Any other method will not destroy them. When an X-Soldier uses one of the X-Discs to transform the effect is a twisted version of the original. For example while Hybrid transforms in a spiral of swirling energy Hybrid X transforms in a rushing geyser of energy. When Warren is sent back he is accompanied by four X-Soldiers he personally trained who are armed with the X-Discs for his Rider Discs. When he defected they pledged their loyalty to the Four Generals. When Lauren appeared as Ancient the Generals requested Master X create X-Discs to counter her own Rider Discs. The four soldiers to wield them were the top of the elite troops for each General When an X-Rider is defeated the X-Disc is drained of power until it recharges. There are no set users for the X-Discs, the Generals pick an X-Soldier to use them and when they fail they’re recalled to the future to face Master X’s wrath. The X-Disc is then passed onto a new solider to use once it recharges. As X-Riders get stronger they gain the power to summon forth enemies fought by the original Rider. (Note: In universe the Kamen Rider names on the X-Riders are replaced by their title and the year is replaced by Master X’s symbol. E.G instead of Kuuga it now says Adalve X) The Four Generals- The strongest of all of Master X’s warriors. Each General is given control over a territory to do with as they please. Master X regularly sends prisoners to them to punish as they wish. When the Four went back in time to stop the Riders they are given a series of X Discs containing corrupted versions of the power of various Riders. They have their soldiers use the discs to create the X Riders to fight the Riders.

General of the Wild "The Huntress”- Mistress of the hunt, the top tracker of Master X. She regularly holds a hunt within an artificial preserve of her own design. Her quarry are the prisoners sent to her domain. X Riders:

MirWar X- A twisted version of Power Rider Drago. A dark reflection of the original. They share the original’s ability to travel inside reflections. Transformation- A cracked reflection of the armor appears forming around the user turning them into MirWar X.

S.W.A.R.M X- A twisted version of Power Rider Beetle. More worm than rider. Like the original they can enter a state of hyperspeed. Transformation- The armor crawls across their body like bugs before attaching turning them into S.W.A.R.M X.

Animaster X- A twisted version of Power Rider Animaster. Acts like a beast on the hunt. Transformation- Three medals with twisted versions of the symbols for the hawk, tiger, and grasshopper appear before merging on the user’s chest turning them into Animaster X. Face Claim: Jenna Coleman

General of the Sciences “The Doctor”- Top scientist and inventor for Master X, an expert in all fields of science. It’s rumored that he subjects those sent to his domain to inhumane experimentation. All in the name of Master X of course. X Riders:

Djand X- A twisted version of Power Rider Djand. Like a dark wish brought to life. Transformation- Sand covers the user turning them into Djand X.

4Z X- A twisted version of Power Rider 4Z. Dark cosmic energy fills their body. They can utilize dark copies of the Cosmic Switches Transformation- The user is surrounded by a storm of cosmic energy as they’re turned into 4Z X.

Racer X- A twisted version of Power Rider Racer. A swift and lethal warrior. They can summon a dark version of A.U.T.O Transformation- The armor appears broke and shattered around the user before attaching to them turning them into Racer X.

Arcade X- A twisted version of Power Rider Arcade Player One. Acts like the boss character in a game. Transformation- A field of virus infected binary floods over the user turning them into Arcade X.

Hybrid X- A twisted version of Power Rider Hybrid. A disturbing balance of hare and artillery. They are able to scan objects and people to create new Fuelsion to use in battle. Transformation- A rising gusher of energy sprays them turning the user into Hybrid X. Face Claim: David Tennant

General of the Warriors- “The Gladiator”- Master of all fighting styles and strongest warrior under Master X. His domain contains a massive Colosseum he uses to hold regular gladiatorial games with those sent to him. X Riders:

Adalve X- A twisted version of Power Rider Adalve. Power grows as it fights. Transformation- Intense flame covers the user causing them to change into Adalve X

Wyvern X- A twisted version of Power Rider Wyvern. The dragon’s power has gone wild. Transformation- A demonic dragon appears breathing fire on the user changing them into Wyvern X

Deca X- A twisted version of Power Rider Deca. Able to use the abilities of other X Riders. They are one of the strongest X Riders but still pale in comparison to the Generals and especially to Master X. Transformation- A card depicting their X form flies around the user turning them into Deca X.

Duow X- A twisted version of Power Rider Duow. A warrior of the winds without humanity. Transformation- A burst of universal energy forms the suit halves as they’re stitched together turning the user into Duow X.

Warruit X- A twisted version of Power Rider Warruit. A twisted warrior powered by nature. Transformation- An orange appears around the user pealing to reveal them turned into Warruit X. Face Claim: Arthur Darvill

General of the Supernatural- “The Oracle” - The top mystic of Master X, she is versed in all schools of the magical arts. She uses her connection to the paranormal to torment those sent to her realm. The air in her domain is filled with mystic power. X Riders

Phi X- A twisted version of Power Rider Phi. More Necrive than rider now. Transformation- Blood like plasma flows around the user turning them into Phi X.

Arcane X- A twisted version of Power Rider Arcane Spade. Their body is filled with arcane power. Transformation- A dark arcane symbol passes over them turning them into Arcane X.

Meloni X- A twisted version of Power Rider Meloni. More demon than rider. Transformation- Dark flame engulfs them turning them into Meloni X.

Vamp X- A twisted version of Power Rider Vamp. Acts like the bloodsucking vampire of earth instead of the darkness draining vamp. Transformation- Darkness covers them before bat wings turn them into Vamp X.

Mystic X- A twisted version of Power Rider Mystic. A dark look at what Mystic would have been had the Dragon won. They can use dark copies of Mystic’s spell rings. Transformation- The mystic symbol of the dragon appears and shoots flames all over the user turning them into Mystic X.

Phantom X- A twisted version of Power Rider Phantom. A ghostly warrior wielding dark powers. Transformation- Dark energy surrounds them as the twisted soul of the hero forces itself onto the user turning them into Phantom X. Face Claim: Alex Kingston All four command the X-Riders created to counter Eternity and Ancient

Shadowstrike X- A twisted version of Power Rider Shadowstrike. A lethal assassin hiding in the shadows. Transformation- A scroll appears and the user’s own shadow leaps onto their body turning them into Shadowstrike X.

Mystery X- A twisted version of Power Rider Mystery. Full of impossible questions. Transformation- A field of question marks swarm the user turning them into Mystery X.

Roborg X- A twisted version of Power Rider Roborg. A twisted parody using natural materials instead of metal and gears. Transformation- An electric current surges through the user turning them into Roborg X.

Xtera X- A twisted version of Power Rider Xtera. Represents the alien that bonded with the original Xtera. Transformation- Orbs orbit the user sending energy into them turning them into Xtera X.

Hardrock X- A twisted version of Power Rider Hardrock. More dinosaur than human. Transformation- Bone and stone surrounds the user turning them into Hardrock X.

Coatl X- A twisted version of Power Rider Coatl. The jungle beast gone wild. Transformation- The jaguar roars as the user is wrapped in vines turning them into Coatl X.

Smith X- A twisted version of Power Rider Smith. A dark blacksmith filled with evil flame. Transformation- Cracks appear on the user sending waves of heat as the user turns into metal becoming Smith X.

Sheriff X- A twisted version of Power Rider Sheriff. A coyote like bandit armed with twin guns in their fingers. The steam pack is a part of their very body. Transformation- Steam shoots out from the user’s pores turning them into Sheriff X. The generals all have a symbol and the united symbol is a giant X with each of them on the tip of the X with Master X in the middle X-Soldiers All X-Soldiers share the basic body armor (resembles Paradox/Quantum with the watch aspects and words in the visor removed) But each general has unique additions to their own soldiers. The X-Soldiers who accompany the Generals are often used to create the X-Riders though the process often proves lethal when they are defeated in battle. All X-Soldiers have a recall function built into their suits so that when they fall in battle their suits do not fall into enemy hands, this function was installed after the Rebels got their hands onto suits from fallen soldiers. Soldiers who prove themselves in many battles are rewarded with their own personal R.A.V.E suit. Huntress- Her soldiers wear environmental camouflage and are armed with sniper rifles, bows and arrows, and knives. They are trained to fight like beasts. Doctor- His soldiers are equipped with the most advanced technology the Doctor can develop. They are trained to fight in a mechanical manner, many of them having cybernetic enhancements. Gladiator- His soldiers are styled after the ancient Spartans and armed with high tech spears and shields. They are trained to fight like warriors in the Colosseum. Victory or death are the only options for them. Oracle- Her soldiers wear cloaks and know many low level spells to cast. They are trained to fight with magic enhancing their actions. Master X- His soldiers are the very elite of the elite. They are styled after himself and would rather die themselves than cause Master X to even be aware of a threat against him. When Warren is sent to the past he is accompanied by his own personal squad he trained himself. When he defects they remain loyal to Master X and turn on him. During the final battle this squad uses the X-Discs for the Future Riders.

Master X- The man known as Master X was once a man named Max. Max grew frustrated with the state of the world and marveled at the power of the Riders. He realized that a single being with all their power could rule the world like a god and shape the world to their liking. After using his ties with Organization X to create rider technology he lured the Riders of Earth into a deadly ambush. Using organization tech he transferred their powers into himself gaining enough power to cut down all in his path. He used the power of the Riders to take over the Earth and slaughter his foes including all the Rangers and remaining Riders of Earth. After this massacre he cut down the heads of nations virtually abolishing the very concept of nations. The world was united under his flag. However the only thing greater than his power was his paranoia. As time went on he would remain transformed all the time and not even his own family would see his face nor know his true name. He learned the hard way not to truly trust anyone when his own son and his daughter in law planned to overthrow him. Learning of their plan he murdered the two and framed rebels for the act. He would raise his grandchildren alone, treating them with kindness while molding them in his own image. However all his work was undone when they witnessed him slaughtering a group of rebels. His grandchildren would join the rebels and travel back in time to prevent his rule from ever beginning. After sending his Generals to stop him he eventually grew frustrated and traveled back himself, quickly finding his younger self and enlisting him to repeat his conquest. Master X treats his younger self with contempt barely hiding his disgust at what he once was, in fact he even plans to simply transfer his brain into his younger body and extend his lifespan. Despite this he gives his younger self a special Rider Disc allowing him to become Power Rider Zenith. He also brings the machines keeping the time portal open insuring his survival. Master X only truly cares about himself and anything or anyone that threatens his rule is an enemy to be dealt with severely. Any noble goals have long been forgotten as a ruthless tyrant rose from the ashes of heroes. Face Claim: Peter Capaldi

Power Rider Zenith- The man known as Max had grown bored with his life and sickened by the actions of those in power. He believed that he could do a better job. One day a visitor from the future gave him the chance. In this timeline Max never had the chance to begin his plans on his own before Master X arrived and told him of his destiny to rule the world. Seeing his dreams within his reach he agreed to help his future self insure history remains on the proper course. Though he does feel like his future self is not telling him the full story. Face Claim: Alex Heartman Transformation Device: Zenith Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride! Transformation: When he spins their belt a giant energy clock appears and as the hands spins the armor forms The time soon comes for the final battle as Master X summons his armies. Due to the time distortion portals begin to open. The Rider Discs call forth the Riders from the past and the future (Hardrock through Xtera) resulting in the Riders joining forces with their own backup in the form of the rest of the (primary) Riders. The battles are set. Paradox vs Master X and Zenith Quantum vs The Huntress Eternity vs The Gladiator Chrono and Epoch vs The Oracle Ancient vs The Doctor Adalve-Hybrid vs the X Riders Hardrock-Xtera vs their X Riders 1-Jiga vs Master X’s soldiers and their R.A.V.E’s

During the battle Master X forces a fusion between him and his younger self turning themselves into an X Rider version of themself. After a hard fought battle the two men defuse and Max reveals that the process let him learn of Master X’s plans. Fed up with his future self and enraged at the betrayal Max laughs as he claims to have found a power greater than any Master X holds. The tyrant laughs and asks what power he could have. Max responds “The power to change the course of history” as he stabs himself with a broken blade. Panicking at the mortal wounding of his younger self Master X retreats to the future with his soldiers following him, the rest of the X Riders fade with their Rider Discs shattered.

Arriving in the future Master X realizes too late he left the machines in the past as Paradox and Quantum destroy the machine closing the time portal. As it closes history changes for Master X. His power fades leaving the tyrant a frail and pale old man screaming as his empire fades and history is rewritten. The past and future Riders return to their origin points despite knowing that for half of them their deaths are already written and for the others their very existence has been erased. Due to being in the present Stephanie, Gerald and the others remain intact.

Without Master X or the hope of returning to their future the guilt of their actions finally hit the Generals. After begging the Paradox Riders to put them out of their misery the Riders refuse and tell them they can use this chance to make amends and make a new beginning. And so the Four Generals leave Earth and scatter to the stars, each attempting to atone for their horrific deeds. The Huntress uses her skills as a bounty hunter tracking down those who escape justice. The Doctor creates a single robot for each of his many victims. After each one is completed he sends it into the universe to do good and help others. The Gladiator seeks out and trains with the greatest warriors across galaxies before accepting students of his own. He instructs his pupils to only use their skills in the defense of others. The Oracle uses her future sight to prevent disasters and tragedies wherever she is able. After the battle the Rider head to a near by mall and buffet to relax and unwind as they discuss the future that nearly was and the future yet to be. The threat of Master X is finally ended. We see four glimpses into the new future * The Tournament Of Shadows is held between the various ninja schools around the world each sending a Rider to represent them. From the School of the Frog comes Power Rider Shadowstrike who quickly becomes the crowds favorite… * A woman solves an unsolvable puzzle and uses the power within to become Power Rider Mystery and fight against a mad scientist trying to force humanity into the next step of evolution… * A man barely survives the first attack of the robot uprising. He is found by a group of scientists who save his life by turning him into a cyborg. Fighting to defend humanity he becomes Power Rider Roborg… * A woman finds a peaceful alien crash landed on Earth. The alien had come to warn of an invading fleet but is too injured to help. The two bond and Power Rider Xtera is formed to fend off the invaders…

(Faces by @dream-chef-flavors Zenith and additional armors by JK5201, Hardrock/X, Coatl/X, Smith/X, Sheriff/X, Xtera X, Four Generals all by Chen Chan , Epoch, Ancient and additional armors by @chuckles-the-jester, Adalve-X, 4Z-X and Phi-X by Larryng1204)

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#kamen rider #power rider #kamen rider zi o #power rider paradox #hopefully this time it will show up in the tags

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