#whos an apprentice to a warlord and has already seen battle.

[bitchfitch]

sometimes when you're working on a project that involves child characters you have to do something to remind yourself of the whole "This is a Child in this situation, not a short adult" part of things. just to keep it all in perspective.

[redd-rambles]

The days I've spent patching up every orc on the field who was still breathing out numbers the days I spent learning everything about healing magic, about medical practices, about sanitation. I had nursed more orcan warlords back to health that the Lord of these lands knew existed.

I know all of them by name. I write them and they sometimes send a young orc to train with me so they might have someone with kind hands as mine. It makes smile when I have a gaggle of orcs following me and listening to me sing softly of what I'm doing.

"Thread my needles with this twine, clean and dry. Wash the flesh with this towel made of rye. Help heal this patient of mine. Cuts and lacerations sewn. Now we send them right back home." (To the tune of twinkle twinkle little star)

The little songs short and always to the same tune. Easier to remember for me.

The surgeries are always harder because things like reatacting limbs requires some necomancy to make the two fleshes heal right. I don't like having other watch my surgeries because my blade work has always been sloppier. I stay with the orcs I heal, many of them so thankful they offer to make me an honorary member of their families. I have never turned one down because they have always told me when and where they had any big battles planned.

I carry on helping every orc I can find on battle fields for many, many years. I have taught generations. My hair is greying and my joints don't work as well as they used to, my magic helps agument my mobility issues some.

I have to start turning away new apprentices, but I do ask if they can send the older ones back so I can teach them why my surgeries never failed.

All of my students come back and I teach them using a hog all the techniques to stave off all sorts of issues with minor necomancy. The kind that lay folk don't notice is necomancy. They get more restless when I explain that I was a necromancer before I was a field surgeon. My cuts where always meant to be sloppier because adding my own blood meant I could help my patients by giving them healing internally.

One of the burlier orcs cut in that that made me their blood brothers. I smile and say that I already knew of the custom. While it could be much worse, I have such a large family now that I know my final days will be so joyous I'm not sad to have to go.

"Every one who I have done this with knows. I told them I was doing it and why. Not one turned me down because at death's door would you rather knock for him or have the medic use everything he has to make sure you get back home.

I've been told before that to die of disease or infection is seen as very weak for cheifs and warlords and warriors. I offered them not just a chance at keeping their limbs, but a much, much higher chance to not die to infections or rejections if I got the wrong limb."

I know that feel wrong for doing this but for me. Saving their lives meant more than going to die in battle with them. Besides an army or orcs is much more terrifying once they all unite under one banner. It would take a quite a while. But only four or five cheifs had refused becoming my bloodkin. They lived just fine and everytime I healed them I made sure to be extra careful as to not mix our blood.

There have come days when they would call on me and I would respond to both sides, the non-orcs very displeased that I would think of helping them. A couple of the field surgeons impressed when I would walk over to the seeming largest orc on the field with no fear. The two of us laughing and the orcs helped me set up my equipment and some of them sang songs with me and helped do the work.

It only took 50 years for my number to be pulled a Lord decided he didn't like that I helped everyone on the field and that would have to stop. I asked him for three months to say goodbye to everyone then I would appear at his gates for whatever he say fit for my "crimes against his people".

I wrote to everyone I knew and sent as many messangers as I could. My family would want to know. My orcish grandmother the first to show up. She towered a good head or two over me and I was a half a head taller than the humans I worked with, just enough blood to not look orcish, but plenty to know my place in every tribe.

Within the first week I had three different confirmations of cheifs packing up with all my bloodkin from their tribe and moving out.

Within a month I had half of my siblings with me. Almost half a thousand orcs just off in one camp. There were already 10 more from this week alone.

The second month rolled around and me and all the chiefs and warlords talked strategies against the lord. It only took me three days to break them all into talking with each other. Once they did many of them slit their palms and shook, many of them laughing and looking at me with softness in their eyes.

Finally the largest of the chiefs came of the full moon. Ul'grakk. He was something to behold, 10 feet of solid muscle and enough barely contained civility to topple a king. Once he saw all the meeting he clapped me on the back and thanked me for doing what he had been trying to do for most of his time as cheif. I had helped most of the cheifs find common ground.

His voice clear and concise, "My fellow orcs! We are all finally starting under one banner. Not for glory! Nor for fame or food! Legendary tests haven't brought us together! But a single healer who is two generations from us! Belladonna! I formally announce to every one that may hear it: WE ARE BROTHERS IN BLOOD AND BATTLE!!" Everyone else rose to also tell 'we are brothers in blood and battle!!' then rounds of cheering.

That night, I left a hastily scribbled note that didn't get finished-- I made it look like I was grabbed by someone in the night. I left my tent a mess and headed off to Lord Yostel's castle.

He threw me in the dungeon to be dealt with when he felt like. I couldn't help but smile to myself, if only he knew what was about to really happen.

It only took two days. I heard orcish bellows as they all stormed the castle and took out whole walls. My family would sooner die than give me up to some stupid little human who couldn't listen to his aides telling him growing numbers of orcs where camped on his lands.

I could help but laugh as they all but tore the castle apart to find me. It only took an hour. And the one save me was my grandmother, tall and strong. Grandma Ul'grah. She handed me my childhood weapon and we went off to find us a head to mount on a pike.

A field surgeon in a fantasy world has performed life saving surgery on many an orc war band before, unwittingly becoming blood brothers with most of his patients. In his darkest days, his extended family comes to offer their hands.

[talesofsonicasura]

After watching Sonic the Hedgehog 2, don't worry I ain't going into any spoilers as this focuses on the first movie, I imagined this sorta of insanity.

What if the warp ring Long Claw threw glitched? Instead of Sonic ending up in Green Hills, at the last second it changed to someplace else. Where? Madness Combat's Nevada

Who is the first person our little precious bean runs into? Hank Motherfucking Wimbleton.

Animals, much less something Sonic, being something unheard of in Nevada so Hank becomes very curious about the pocket sized hedgehog. In short, the merc takes him in and Sonic's sweet innocence changes Hank. Yep, the man is on the path to being a disaster dad.

So Sonic ends up growing up around the crew, Deimos, Sanford, Doc and of course Hank. (Hank also acquired a dadbod. Not my art, belongs to @buttery-art hence the link.) Everything is fine until in the middle of Sonic's first official mission, Hank whose currently now a Mag, gets badly hurt. Thinking fast and desperately, the hedgehog throws a Warp Ring with only one thought in mind, someplace safe. Destination? The small town of Green Hills.

Hank is very badly injured so him recovering is gonna take a lot longer without Doc there and Sonic's medical knowledge being limited. So the hedgehog steals medical supplies and essentials to keep both of them alive. This goes on for about a year with Hank nearly fully healed. Then the events of the first movie kick in.

Now Tom has to deal with a hedgehog more traumatized and battle ready alongside his equally traumatized but more violent grunt mentor. The sheriff needs a serious break while these two Nevadans need severe therapy.

If anyone wants to take a spin at this, go ahead! I love to see what people can come up with!

Right now I have major writer's block hence the lack of updates but I hope I can update soon! Until next time folks! Live and Learn as you thrive in the madness.

(Edits will be added when I think of something to add. This is to help those who want to try utilizing this idea.)

Edit: Doc, Sanford, Hank and Deimos each have a Warp Ring given by Sonic. These are meant to be used for an emergency return to base.

Reason Sonic didn't take Hank back to base with the Warp Ring cause said base had been compromised. Everyone had to split up so the A.A.H.W couldn't get them all with Sonic going alongside his mentor Hank. The plan was to regroup and stay on the downlow.

Sonic hasn't returned to the Madcomverse cause one, Hank being at 100% boosts their chance at survival if they do return since the risk of being attacked/ambushed is high. Two, Sonic doesn't how to program his Warp Ring to the Nevada he wants to go. He knows the basics of using the rings but not enough for a situation like this.

Also, Sonic has seen Hank die a few times but even he's worried that the next time could be permanent despite Doc being capable of bringing him back.

Edit 2: Sonic still spies on the people of Green Hills like in the movie. At first, it's to check the people's schedule so he can steal stuff him and Hank needs without getting spotted. Later on, he does because he's very curious about everyone's carefree lifestyle.

There are no kids in Nevada and from what I can assume, the place was already insane since the Sheriff is actually a warlord who just calls himself that. (Guess the place was already apocalyptic before the Improbability Drive made everything even more mad.)

So Sonic never really experienced a peaceful or even normal childhood and is understandably jealous. (The whole crew tried very hard to at least give him some semblance.)

The hedgehog hasn't killed anyone either. A first kill is very hard and life changing for everyone. Thus someone has to be there for him when the time unfortunately comes. But again, the crew tried to keep him from doing that as long as they can, even Hank. The infamous Grunt is still an asshole but Sonic's presence chilled him out some and is a bit softer, mainly around his blue blurred apprentice.

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Hypothetical TV shows: “Agent Jimmy Woo”

Spin-off series centered on Marvel’s lovable FBI agent, Jimmy Woo (Randall Park). Plot breakdown:

Episode 1

This is mainly an introduction to Jimmy Woo. We learn that he’s a lonely man, living by himself, doesn’t really have that many friends, and is not close to his family. The closest friend he has is Darcy Lewis, continuing their friendship from “WandaVision”. Throughout the episode, Jimmy gets these weird flashbacks that we have no context for. The flashbacks are to establish that Jimmy has some sort of dark past that we haven’t seen. 

Most of the episode is “normal”, until Jimmy receives a strange letter to his office. When Jimmy opens the letter, he sees that it’s a picture of a dead man, with the words, “REMEMBER ME, JIM?” smeared in blood in the background. Jimmy immediately realizes who did this and flees the building. As he’s running, he bumps into Darcy, who is here because they were supposed to go out for coffee. Jimmy tries to come up with an excuse, until he sees a couple of shady people approaching him. This leads to a thrilling, John Wick-style fight scene, in which Jimmy takes down all the assassins sent after him.

The episode ends with Darcy staring at him in shock, wondering who is this man standing before her. 

Episode 2 

This episode picks up right after the end of the previous episode. Jimmy and Darcy are on the run, fighting their way through hordes of assassins sent to kill Jimmy. We get a close-quarters combat fight scene, a gunfight, and a car chase, all in the first half of the episode. Eventually, Jimmy and Darcy reach this mysterious location, where they meet a woman who seems to recognize Jimmy. The woman introduces herself as Monica Chang (played by Yunjin Kim), a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Nick Fury’s ex-wife.

Jimmy says he needs to get out of the country since “Golden Claw” has somehow come back from the dead and is out to get him. Monica then arranges a transport to Madagascar for both Jimmy and Darcy. This is where we get the big reveal; Jimmy Woo is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who went underground after the events of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”. Golden Claw was Jimmy’s arch-nemesis who he thought he killed years ago. 

As Jimmy and Darcy make their way to Madagascar, Darcy asks Jimmy for the full story. Jimmy figures he has nothing left to lose and starts to recount his past, leading to the next episode.

Episode 3

Flashback episode, set before the events of “The Avengers”. Jimmy Woo is a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who is close friends with Phil Coulson and Monica Chang. We learn that Jimmy is hunting down Plan Chu, the Golden Claw (played by Joe Taslim). Golden Claw is considered the “Kingpin of Asia” and rules over all the crime syndicates in the continent, from the Yakuza to the Triads to Madripoor. To emphasize this point, although Sharon Carter/Power Broker rules Madripoor, she answers to Golden Claw since he’s the one who helped her take control of the nation.

Due to how powerful and dangerous Golden Claw is, S.H.I.E.L.D. began targeting him, with Jimmy leading the charge. In this episode, we see the end of Jimmy’s operation; S.H.I.E.L.D. leads an assault on Golden Claw’s mansion, which eventually leads to Jimmy facing off against Golden Claw one-on-one. The two men fight, which ends with Jimmy tossing Golden Claw off a cliff. Claw is presumed dead since his body is never found.

Cut to several years later, Jimmy goes underground due to Steve Rogers exposing HYDRA’s existence in S.H.I.E.L.D.. With Nick Fury’s help, he scrubs away his past and takes on a new job as a FBI agent. The episode ends with Jimmy meeting with Scott Lang in “Ant-Man and the Wasp”. 

Post-credits scene: After being tossed off the cliff, Golden Claw is found by Sharon Carter, who was part of the S.H.I.E.L.D. assault. She decides to nurse him back to health, indicating that even before she became the Power Broker, she was a double agent working for the Golden Claw. 

Episode 4

Golden Claw-centric episode, focused on his origin story. We learn Plan Chu was actually born during the First Opium War (1839). He grew up poor and angry at the British for their attacks on China. Eventually, he ends up becoming an apprentice to a mystic/alchemist and learns how to develop elixirs that can grant him special powers. One elixir in particular prolongs his lifespan, explaining how he’s still alive in the modern day. Plan Chu’s master eventually dies from old age. Using the skills he learned, Plan Chu creates his criminal empire and earns the nickname “Golden Claw”. 

In the modern day, Golden Claw, who has fully recovered from his battle with Jimmy Woo, starts targeting all the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were part of the operation to kill him. Sharon Carter provides him the names, leading to a sequence where multiple former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are killed by Golden Claw’s mercenaries. Although Jimmy Woo manages to get away, Golden Claw moves on to the next step of his revenge; finding out who ratted him out to S.H.I.E.L.D. in the first place, leading to the assault on his mansion. 

Golden Claw learns that the one who betrayed him was Suwan (played by Ali Wong), his grandniece and a leading member of the Triads. Although that’s his family, Golden Claw puts a bounty on Suwan’s head. 

In the B-story, Jimmy and Darcy arrive in Madagascar, where they meet Derek Khanata (played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), A former Wakandan special forces operative, a S.H.I.E.L.D. ally, and a friend of Jimmy Woo.

Episode 5

In Madagascar, Derek takes Jimmy and Darcy to a hideout in order to discuss battle plans. Derek tells Jimmy that Golden Claw has already killed most of the original S.H.I.E.L.D. team that was sent after him, which enrages Jimmy. Wanting revenge, Jimmy asks if they have any leads on Golden Claw’s whereabouts. Although he’s reluctant to go after Claw, Derek suggests going after M’Demwe (played by Barkhad Abdi), a ruthless warlord who has ties to the Golden Claw. 

Most of this episode is focused on Jimmy, Darcy, and Derek hunting down M’Demwe while avoiding the authorities and Golden Claw mercenaries that are in the area. Eventually, the trio manages to capture M’Demwe, leading to a thrilling car chase. After the chase, M’Demwe says he has no idea where Golden Claw is...but that they can get Golden Claw to come to them. When Darcy asks what does that mean, M’Demwe says that Claw put a bounty on his grandniece’s head. If they get to Suwan first, that could force Golden Claw to come out of hiding. 

Jimmy realizes this is about Suwan, indicating that they had a prior relationship. Jimmy asks M’Demwe where Suwan is and M’Demwe reveals that she’s in Montenegro on vacation. He then has Derek arrange a flight to Montenegro.

In the B-story, Suwan is seen gambling at a fancy casino in Montenegro. Suwan’s bodyguard tells her about the bounty placed on her head, which she waves off. She then says something ominous, that no one can touch her on her property.

Episode 6

Jimmy, Darcy, and Derek arrive in Montenegro. Golden Claw arrives around the same time. This is mostly a character development episode, in preparation for the final showdown. The following interactions occur:

1) Golden Claw meets with Suwan and tells him that he knows she betrayed him. Suwan demands to know why Golden Claw won’t just kill her himself, which Claw can’t answer. Suwan then confirms to herself that Claw can’t bring himself to kill her since he still loves her and that the bounty was his way of pushing the guilt onto someone else. Golden Claw doesn’t say it but he sees Suwan as one of his daughters, which is why he can’t just kill her himself.

2) More Jimmy and Darcy bonding. We learn more about Darcy’s family life and that she hung out with Jimmy for the same reason he hung out with her; she doesn’t have many friends outside of work. 

3) Jimmy meets up with Suwan and reconnects with her. Jimmy says he’s here to protect her but Suwan says he’s here to use her to reach Golden Claw. We learn that in the past, Suwan was sent by Golden Claw to kill Jimmy but ended up falling in love with him. That’s also part of the reason why Suwan betrayed Golden Claw. 

4) Golden Claw meets with Darcy, who doesn’t recognize him, and the two bond over a game of Texas hold’em. This scene is meant to humanize Golden Claw, that he’s not just a power-hungry criminal mastermind. 

5) Suwan and Darcy bonding. This is mainly played for laughs, with Darcy being curious about what this incredibly dangerous Triad boss saw in Jimmy. Suwan interprets Darcy’s interest in her past romance with Jimmy as jealousy, leading to a hilarious misunderstanding.

Episode ends with Jimmy, Darcy, and Derek’s covers being blown, leading to everything going south. Golden Claw and his troops corner the main trio, forcing Suwan to have her guards confront Golden Claw’s mercenaries. With everyone pointing guns at each other, the episode ends on a massive cliffhanger. 

Episode 7

Picking up right after the previous episode, the Mexican standoff between Suwan, Jimmy, and Golden Claw turns into a massive shootout, resulting in several casualties on all sides. Golden Claw’s army is forced to retreat, giving Suwan and Jimmy time to recover. This is the episode where we reach peak John Wick since right after Golden Claw’s retreat, Suwan takes Jimmy into her office in order to prepare for the second wave. Jimmy arms himself to the teeth, leading into the next attack.

Most of this episode is the battle between Suwan’s side and Golden Claw’s side. The battle is seen from these perspectives:

1) Jimmy and Derek at the forefront, fighting against the highly trained Golden Claw mercenaries

2) Darcy going off on her own in order to contact the Montenegro authorities (there’s a subplot where Darcy learns that Golden Claw managed to move the Montenegro police away from the area) 

3) Suwan directing everyone from her office and coming up with the battle plans. 

The big fight in this episode is between Jimmy Woo and Golden Claw’s top mercenary, Harold Kenkoy (played by Michael Bisping). Harold is the series’ secondary antagonist, with his role being similar to Brock Rumlow in “CA: The Winter Soldier”. Jimmy kills Harold after a brutal, one-on-one fight.

The battle ends when Darcy comes through with her mission to contact the Montenegro authorities. Unfortunately, Golden Claw manages to flee and retreats back to Madripoor. Not wanting to go through this again, Jimmy, Darcy, Derek, and Suwan decide to follow him. 

Episode 8 - season finale

As the big finale of the series, Jimmy and friends reconnect with Monica Chang, who brings a team of other former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to assist. On the other side, Golden Claw meets with Sharon Carter and tells her that he’ll be taking over Madripoor while he regroups from his previous loss. Sharon angrily states that he can’t just take her throne, leading to a “betrayal” scene. However, just when you think Sharon has the upper hand, Golden Claw reverses the situation when Sharon’s mercenaries turn against her. Claw says that he’s the one who gave her power and that he could easily take it away. 

Sharon fights through her former mercenaries and joins up with Jimmy Woo. They form a temporary truce when Jimmy tells her that he’s only in Madripoor to stop the Golden Claw once and for all. With Sharon’s help, Jimmy’s side forms a plan to trap Golden Claw. 

Of course, the plan goes awry, leading to Golden Claw closing down the whole country in order to trap Jimmy’s team. With nowhere to go and all the criminals in Madripoor gunning for them, Jimmy goes off on his own to corner Golden Claw. In the midst of all this chaos, Darcy is captured and taken to Claw. Darcy, having bonded with Claw earlier, tries to appeal to his humanity and convince him to give up his revenge quest. Claw refuses and says that he’s justified since S.H.I.E.L.D. was the one who instigated this whole situation. 

After a series of incidents, Jimmy Woo eventually confronts Golden Claw. The two fight, mirroring their fight from years ago. Jimmy wins after managing to fatally shoot Claw in the chest. As Claw dies, the two acknowledge each other, with Claw glad to have been killed by a worthy opponent. Sharon takes back control of Madripoor and, to thank Jimmy for stopping Claw, allows everyone to leave. She also rescinds all the bounties that Golden Claw set up. With that, everyone goes home.

The rest of the episode is just wrapping up the story. Suwan goes back to Montenegro, Derek goes back to Madagascar, and Monica tells Jimmy that she’s founding a new spy agency to fill in the space left by S.H.I.E.L.D. This ends up being the Atlas Foundation, which we’ll see in a future series. Jimmy says he’ll consider joining but for now, he’s going back to his job at the FBI. Season ends with Jimmy and Darcy getting coffee. 

POST-CREDITS SCENE: Jimmy Woo is with Darcy at the coffee shop when he’s approached by a messenger. The messenger tells Jimmy that he was named the sole heir of Golden Claw’s empire. Jimmy says that can’t be true but the messenger confirms this by showing him a copy of Claw’s will. Jimmy stares at the will in shock as he realizes that he’s become the new Kingpin of Asia.  

[bitchwhoreofastorm]

i could never be fucked to finish this one by giving it a proper intro also it’s about barfok and half of the dialogue is in dovahzul and no i’m not providing translations. in which kagrenac and barfok have a “conversation”

Bthamzel falls with a single note.

Kagrenac is not a warrior, and yet she had studied the phenomenon set before her extensively-- and so, when she heard of the siege of Bthamzel, she was well-prepared to take advantage of the singular opportunity she had been afforded. Though she is not a warrior, and has never seen battle, she arranges an expedition: she hires an emissary, a Dwemer who speaks the coarse tongue of Aldmeris, she gathers up her tools, and she sets off to greet the Nordic Warlord who’s been singing Veloth into ruin. 

[...]

She is not how Kagrenac expected her to be. First of all, Kagrenac, for some reason, expected her to be beautiful, but this isn't the case. The woman who comes to Kagrenac that day is homely, though by no means plain: she's thick of limb, ruddy-skinned, with pale grey eyes set wide in her face, and large, uneven teeth exposed unabashedly by her cheerful grin. Her dull yellow hair is pulled away from her face in a low, loose knot, unbraided; her clothing is plain to Kagrenac's eyes, but she must suppose that the white bearskin cape and engraved leather jerkin beneath it are considered elaborate, to the northmen's simple tastes. She is unaccompanied by any guard, Kagrenac sees at once-- she's entered the stronghold alone. 

She's barefooted, too, Kagrenac notices. Her toes are black with ash and leave prints on the smooth stronghold floor. 

She doesn't seem to notice Kagrenac at first; she's busy looking around herself, taking in the stronghold with her wide grey eyes and her toothy grin, pink tongue peeking out from between her uneven teeth. It's only when the emissary says something in the uncouth tongue of Aldmeris that she jerks her gaze to Kagrenac, and Kagrenac watches her thin eyebrows twitch upwards. 

Kagrenac speaks no Aldmeris, but she's already instructed the emissary on what to say: the usual titles, accolades, praises, the primitive words needed to make a Nord understand what an honour this meeting is. In truth, it's a little embarrassing that such an introduction is necessary, but Kagrenac's willing to take no risks, and the last thing she'd wanted was to make their guest feel insulted; however, as the emissary prattles on, she begins to feel more and more like she's wasted his breath. The Tongue is still looking around the stronghold, her toothy mouth hanging open and her silver eyes wide with curiosity. Kagrenac's eyes dart down to her bare feet again. Her grubby toes are curling into the shiny floor. 

The emissary finishes off his spiel with a question, and though the language is foreign to her, Kagrenac knows what he's asked. She knows, too, what it means when the Tongue looks to him, her slack mouth widening into a broad grin. 

"Barfok!" proclaims the Tongue, slapping her chest hard with the flat of her hand. 

Barfok. 

The emissary begins to prattle something else, and Kagrenac digs her nails into the hands which are clasped right behind her back. This is the part, she supposes, where Barfok will deliver her own titles. She supposes that Tongues will have titles, lofty and numerous titles. But Barfok seems content to be simply Barfok; she stands with her arms crossed, seemingly not listening to the emissary at all. Her gaze, still curious, now rests squarely on Kagrenac’s face, and Kagrenac cannot resist the challenge of staring into those pale silvery eyes. Barfok has brownish eyelashes, thin ones, and Kagrenac wonders whether the ashfall gets in her eyes.

“I’ve asked her where she’s from,” the emissary explains to Kagrenac, switching back to smooth Dwemeris. He says something else, in Aldmeris, to Barfok. 

Barfok glances at him, and replies in the same tongue. But then-- quite unexpectedly-- she ends her sentence with three familiar tones, “Laa laa laa,” sung out with a cheerful smile. 

“She says she is the ‘Jarl’ of ‘Narsis-hold’,” begins the emissary in Dwemeris, “She--” 

“Leave us,” orders Kagrenac. 

The emissary is startled, but when Kagrenac speaks, the Dwemer obey; he bows and departs, leaving the two of them alone in the hallway. 

Barfok stares at Kagrenac with her unsettling grin. Kagrenac gestures at her to follow, and escorts her to her study.

Kagrenac’s study in Sturdumz is a simple, temporary thing, but Barfok appears delighted nonetheless: the moment they enter it, she gasps and rushes forwards, running around the room and taking in everything with the wonder of a child. She says something in Aldmeris, excitedly, but Kagrenac, not knowing the language, pays her no attention; while Barfok runs about the study with an unabashed wonder that’s frankly perplexing to behold, Kagrenac pretends not to behold, and wanders to a nearby shelf. 

“Daar los?” The question catches Kagrenac’s ear, because that is certainly not Aldmeris she’s just spoken. When she turns around, Barfok is holding two tuning-forks, staring at Kagrenac with her unsettling grin. 

“Tuning-forks,” Kagrenac replies in Dwemeris. She walks over and gently takes them from Barfok’s grasp.

“Kagger-Shond,” Barfok repeats the Dwemeris word clumsily. She meets Kagrenac’s eyes, then, and, with an enthusiastic smile, points to Kagrenac’s chest. “Ahrk wo hin?” 

Kagrenac does not understand this question, so she remains quiet. 

A brief flicker of displeasure crosses Barfok’s expression, but then her eyes widen and she nods, her lips curling back into their perpetual smile. She takes a step back, extends one of her hands, and, with great gusto, smacks her sternum, creating a resounding thwack against the leather. “Zu’u los Barfok!” she says loudly. Then she points her finger at Kagrenac’s chest. “Wo los hin?”

“Kagrenac,” says Kagrenac slowly. 

“Kagrenac!” Barfok repeats after her, clearly pleased. Then she reaches up and tugs at one of her own blunt ears with one hand, and with the other thwacks her chest again. “Zu’u los bron. Koraav? Bron.” Then, quite rudely, she reaches out and pats Kagrenac on the chest. “Hi los Ogiim.” 

Kagrenac manages to refrain from reacting-- she might have been offended, had this not all posed a tempting little puzzle. She nods, slowly, and points up to one of her own pointed ears. “I am a Dwemer,” she says. “I am an… Ogiim.” 

“Hi los ogiim!” Barfok agreed enthusiastically. She points to herself again. “Ahrk zu’u los?” 

Even in a foreign tongue, it’s a good question: what is this strange creature, this force of nature prancing around Kagrenac’s study? 

“A roaring snow-throated King of Mora.” Kagrenac answers. She uses the poetic term for a Tongue, knowing that the foreigner would never be able to pronounce the Dwemeris.

Not that it deters her. “Kemmel Mule Shond…” Barfok begins, and then a broad grin splits her face once more. “Aka! Geh, Aka! Zu’u Aka? Aka los?” 

Kagrenac frowns, and, at a loss for other words, raises both hands and mimes a crown over her own head. 

This makes Barfok laugh, a loud indecorous laugh that causes her shoulders to shake and her eyes to crinkle. “Jun!” she says giddily, “Hi mindok aka los jun? Fah mu, Aka los dovah. Aka los bormah-se-alduin!” 

Seeing that Kagrenac is evidently lost, Barfok extends both arms in a pantomime of two wings flapping. “Aka! Dovah! Haha, mu los dovahhe, ahrk zu’u los zok dovah! Yol!’

She sings the last word, and a small lick of flame erupts from her thin lips at the sound of it. 

This time, Kagrenac cannot help but shudder and step back. The words are gibberish to her,  but she recognizes the tone of the word Barfok just sang, and its meaning is clear enough: fire. Before this the Tongue has seemed unrefined, foolish; now Kagrenac is reminded that Bthamzel, and all the people within it, has been vanished into thin air. 

Kagrenac closes her eyes as she steels herself, and when she opens them again she finds Barfok staring at her, frowning now. Kagrenac takes a deep breath-- looks to the shelf-- when she looks again, Barfok has not moved, and is still staring at her with her head cocked to the side. Waiting for Kagrenac to resume their game, no doubt. 

Kagrenac’s study contains many interesting objects, curios brought to her by aspiring acolytes hoping to earn her easily-lost attention. Kagrenac walks a slow circle around it, making a show of examining her collection, and all the while she feels Barfok’s gaze boring into her back.

She finally stops, selecting a glass eye from a shelf. This, said the apprentice who gifted it to her, was the eye of an Ayleid mage, pried from his resurrected corpse, bearing strange magic. Kagrenac holds the glinting blue object aloft and asks, in soft, careful words: “Daar los?” 

Barfok laughs aloud in delight. “Miin!” she replies. She points to both of her pale grey eyes, then, pulling down her lids to create a frightening expression. “Miinne. Dii miinne.” 

“Your miinne,” Kagrenac says to herself unthinkingly. 

“Thu’um?” asks Barfok, surprised. 

“Thua miinne,” Kagrenac corrects her. She points to her own eyes, and says, in slow, clear, Dwemeris: “Duum minne.” 

“Miiniil,” Barfok adds with a laugh, pointing to the glass eye in her hand.

Kagrenac places the eye down, and then takes from the shelf a small statuette, depicting a wolf. Plundered from the tomb of a Nordic king, if its original owner’s boasting was anything to go by. “Daar los?” she asks again.

“Grohiik,” replies Barfok. She uses her hands to mime a wolf’s jaws snapping open and shut. “Grohiik… du… hin!” At the last words she shoves her hands forwards, as if the wolf in her creation were devouring Kagrenac. Kagrenac does not flinch.

“Daar los?” This time Kagrenac picks up a single white bone. 

“Qeth,” Barfok says. 

Kagrenac takes a small Dwemeri device from the shelf. “Daar los?” she asked, with the ghost of a smile. 

“Vomindok--” Barfok begins, but then Kagrenac turns the key of the music-box. A cascade of airy notes tumbles out, light tinkling music running up and down a minor scale. 

There’s an expression on Barfok’s face that Kagrenac recognizes, only in theory, as religious rapture: this is no longer a game, and the Tongue’s expression is thoughtful, mesmerised, her eyes resting only on the music-box in Kagrenac’s hand. 

The tune ends after a moment. “Daar los…” Barfok begins softly. “Daar brii! Ah, tinvaak-- Daar lovaas.” She pauses. “Nid, nid-- lovaas los-- Lovaas los lovaas. Laa laa laa. Fahliille nid lovaas.” She shrugs and fixes Kagrenac with an apologetic grin. “Daar lost?” 

“Music,” Kagrenac says. Her namesake.

Barfok’s eyes widen. “Kagren? Hi los Kagren-Aka?” 

Kagrenac nods. On the shelf is another Dwemeri device, a small listening-frame constructed of thin ebony beams, and she picks it up, takes away the damper that stops it from soaking in vibrations. It begins to hum noiselessly in her hand and she places it back down.

Barfok crosses her arms, watching Kagrenac walk to the desk, where sits her most treasured possession: a small array of bells, fifteen in all. 

She strikes the first violet bell and a single clear tone rings out across the study.

“Daar los?” Kagrenac asks above the lingering sound.

Barfok’s expression is unreadable, and her answer is slow: “Dibela.”

Kagrenac strikes the second bell, brass. 

“Stuhn,” replies Barfok. 

The third bell. “Tsun,” Barfok says. 

The fourth, scarlet. “Fus.”  

The fifth tone, amber. “Qoth.”

The sixth, crimson. “Sahqon,” Barfok says softly, and Kagrenac glances towards the listening-frame on the shelf. 

The seventh note. “Fey.”

The eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh; rose-gold, amaranth, rust and gold in dazzling array. “Shul,” says Barfok. “Feim, tiid, yol.”

The twelfth tone, ebony; Barfok’s expression becomes grim. “Sos.” 

The thirteenth tone is white-noise, and difficult to hear, but Barfok inclines her head and answers, “Od.” 

The fourteenth tone, ocean-blue, heavy and liquid in the air. “Herma-Mora,” Barfok names it.

Kagrenac strikes the final bell, sky, and Barfok closes her eyes briefly. “Kyne.”

A heavy silence descends between them, in which Kagrenac places down the rod she’s used to strike each bell. She walks over to her listening-frame and goes to replace the damper, but, to her surprise, Barfok cries out a word she doesn’t catch, halting her. 

Kagrenac turns to face her guest, as Barfok looks around the room. Agitated, she walks to Kagrenac’s desk and then, with the flats of her palms, strikes the desk hard, as if pounding a drum. “Ok qethsegol,” she says, bewildered. She strikes the desk in a slow rhythm, like a beating heart. “Mansedaan,” she says to Kagrenac, turning to her again, now striking her own chest a few times in that same rhythm, over the heart. “Mansedaan.” 

The sixteenth tone, Kagrenac thinks.

“Shor,” Barfok says, with a thin smile. 

Kagrenac nods, and reaches for the listening-frame-- only for Barfok to walk over and grab her hand. Barfok has broad hands, the palms surprisingly soft, with short chewed fingernails and a small tangle of scars over the fingers like lace. She leans forwards, placing her lips near the listening-box, takes a deep breath, and sings out: “Meyz feim Shor.”

Reality shudders around them, and then ash begins to fall. Kagrenac looks up and sees that the roof is gone from above their heads, as if it was never there all; indeed, as Kagrenac stares up at the grey sky, she finds it hard to imagine that there was ever a roof on the stronghold, so perfectly has it disappeared. 

Barfok squeezes her hand and steps back just as the alarmed emissary barges into their study. He begins yelling about their missing roof, but Kagrenac silences him with a gesture; Barfok, still wearing her cheerful expression, has skipped back and is standing near the wall. 

“Tonal Architect!” cries the emissary, as Kagrenac replaces the damper on her listening-frame. “Our stronghold roof-- it’s utterly disappeared-- how dare that Northman!” And then he shouts something in Aldmeris at Barfok. 

Barfok only laughs at him, and then turns to Kagrenac and bows. “Wuld na kest,” she sings out-- and with that she vanishes entirely, leaving the apoplectic emissary and Kagrenac standing in the steady fall of ash. 

“Meyz feim Shor,” Kagrenac murmurs to herself. She looks to the Emissary. “Are you finished?”

“The amount of time it will take to repair the Stronghold--” says the emissary, flustered. 

“We’re not repairing it,” Kagrenac says. She lifts the listening-frame from the shelf and places it securely into one of the deep pockets of her robe. “I’ve obtained what I needed here. Have Sturdumz placed into hibernation; we shall depart for Vvardenfell tomorrow.”

[realityhelixcreates]

Dance of the Spheres Chapter 4: Venusian Vogue

Chapters: 4/?

Fandom:  Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: PG 13

Warnings: drugging, kidnapping, forced marriage

Characters: Loki(Marvel),

Additional Tags:  Loki Goes Overboard, But When Doesn’t Loki go Overboard, Mature Reader, Disabled Reader, Political Intrigue

Summary:  

Images of broken light Which dance before me like a million eyes They call me on and on across the universe.                   Across the Universe-The Beatles

“I am Loki.”

“I asked for a bride.”

The declarations smashed into you like fists and took your breath with them.

There was a ring on your finger. Silvery, plain, simple. Why hadn't you noticed it before?

This was clearly Loki. Sunken eyes, and onyx hair, and refined bones. Exactly like the pictures. Why hadn't you noticed?

Too many things all at once. Too much. A fearful whine escaped your teeth, as you tugged on the ring. It didn't budge.

“You're supposed to be dead.” You whispered.

His face fell the instant you spoke.

“You know. I sometimes think that myself. Yet somehow I remain. Take it as a reassurance: you will not lose me to battle, or accident. I will never leave you. I suppose that is something that new brides must worry about, especially human ones. You may put that fear to rest.”

“That's not what I'm-” You clamped your mouth shut. You were in a bad position, worse than you'd ever been, maybe. You were completely alone here; you could contact no one for help. You weren't even sure where exactly 'here' was-no one knew where Asgard was located.

You were trapped in a room with a madman. A prince among his own people, who had proven himself capable of the mass murder of humans like you. Yet claiming you were his bride.

No one would come to your aid.

Did anyone even know you were missing?

You glanced at the ring once more. Its twin rested proudly on his own left hand. What choice did you have?

You had to play along. At least until you found some way out of this. Stay on the madman's good side, as much as that was possible.

“Why me?” You asked, fighting down your panic. Just gather information for now. “I'm literally nobody.”

“I don't understand either.” He sat down on the bed, just a little closer to you than arms length. “This was supposed to be a chance at reconciliation. I willingly gave myself up in a symbolic act of unity. Sacrificed my own freedom.”

You side-eyed him hard. Gave up his freedom? In what capacity? He wasn't the one kidnapped and married without any knowledge or choice!

“This isn't an uncommon arrangement.” He continued. “Your species has done this since time immemorial. From kings all the way down to commoners, uniting families, uniting fortunes, uniting entire lands. Surely your...leader...understood what was to be gained. Yes, I did a terrible thing to your people, but this should have forged a new alliance. A promise that not only would I not do such a thing again, but that my formidable prowess would be for your people, rather than against them. Was this not enough? This should have opened the way for trade, for treaties...And you! Why do such a thing to you? One of his own people?”

“Oh, I'm not his.” You said. “I voted against him. I march in protests against his shitty policies. I oppose him in any way I can. I'd say 'maybe that's why', but it really can't be. I'm nowhere near important or influential enough for the government to pay any attention to me. They're too busy trying to kill me through austerity. Or through the cops.”

Loki's face darkened. “I should find that officer and flay him. Make you a bodice of his skin.”

He'd been reaching for your shoulder, but you flinched away.

“Okay see? That right there? That's why people might not want to ally with you.” You pointed out.

“He shouldn't have hurt you.”

“That's true. That doesn't mean you can use my pain as an excuse to rampage on Earth!”

“I shan't!” He protested. “Never again, I promise you that.”

But how good was the promise of government? Politician or hereditary ruler, it was all the same. How good was the word of a murderer? How many promises had he already broken?

“How do you feel?” He asked. “You seem...lively. Whatever you were drugged with, is it having a lasting effect?”

“I'm a little disoriented, but I'm awake.” You said. “The food and water helped.”

“Yes. About that. Ah. Would you like to see your rooms? I've been anticipating your arrival-well, someone's arrival-for some months now, and I've had chambers created that befit your new station.”

The big unknown outside. Beyond this room was nothing but uncertainty. But you would be the first human being to see this new Asgard. You told yourself it was a perk.

“Um...” You mumbled. “My clothes...” You weren't going out there in a flimsy hospital gown, that was for sure.

“Being cleaned and mended.” Loki informed you. “I have a simple gown that I believe should fit you. Here.” Wit a sweeping gesture, he produced a voluminous, forest green garment out of seemingly nowhere.

You scooted away. “How did you do that?” You demanded.

“Magic, of course.” He said. “You...don't know about the magic...?”

You shook your head and took the robe from him. It felt real enough, smooth and soft, with fur trim and pin tucks. This was simple?

“What do you know about me, my dear?” He asked.

“Not much. Just what...turn around!” Sheepishly, he turned his back so you could change. “Just what was on the news. And the approximately three million conspiracy websites that popped up afterwards. You might be shocked by how many people think you were an inside job.”

“A what?”

“That's not even counting all the cults. You and Thor really got the radicalization machine cranking them out. White supremacists, nationalists, doomsday cults...thanks a lot. Not as if we didn't have enough problems cleaning up the mess you left behind.”

“That...was not my intention. Were you...?”

“I was not part of any cults. I was also not part of the celebration of your death, either.”

The news broadcast had interrupted every television, lit up every phone. A tired and battle-worn Thor, looking not one inch the hero the world knew him to be, as he towered over the reporter. He gave only a short statement: His brother Loki was dead, perished in honorable battle, in an effort to protect the galaxy from an ancient enemy.

People had trusted him. They'd seen the destruction that enemy had caused, in their quest to destroy everything. The odd teleportation anomalies in England that had dominated youtube for a long time. The leaves in your bathroom, the foreign plants in the park. Exotic, even alien creatures being spotted.

People threw parties at the news of Loki's demise. You'd gone out, gotten yourself exactly one drink, and then stayed home for the weekend. It didn't seem right, not after seeing Thor so hollowed out. You didn't really get on with celebrating the death of your enemies anyway, only the success of your causes.

“Oh. Well. Thank you.”

“But yeah, all I really know is that you attacked us out of the blue, and brought an army with you. You caused billions in damages and cost hundreds of lives. Thousands more lost everything. The economic blow is still with us, and led to some of the problems I've been marching against. And then you died. Except not, obviously. Was Thor lying to us?”

“No. He truly believed me dead. I did too, until I woke up. So you know nothing of me. I feared that might be the case. I am no warlord, not truly. I am the foremost sorcerer of Asgard. My magic has many applications, one of which is that I am rarely found without what I need.”

“So magic is real?” Why not? Aliens were real. Gods were apparently real.

“Yes, very. When times were...better, I used to tutor younger students. I might go back to doing that, once we are more established. Once we are safe.”

Safe? From what? Was whatever it was that had destroyed Asgard still out there? Thor had said otherwise, before the radio silence, but he had also thought that Loki was dead, and he was wrong about that, so...

“May I look now, dear?”

“Oh...yeah. I'm dressed.” The gown did fit, though mostly because it was a shapeless, oversized thing that was closed around you with ties. Still, it was luxurious, and made you feel like you were actually pretty-as long as no one looked at you too closely. Was this what a princess wore? You shouldn't allow yourself to get too used to it. As soon as you found a way out, you were out.

“Delightful. Even such a simple gown enhances your beauty. Will you come with me, dear? Let me show you our grand achievements.”

You didn't really want to be exposed to the people of Asgard, but this room was no safer than anywhere else right now. Loki hovered, and you stood, and managed a few wobbly steps before you overbalanced. He caught you instantly.

“Don't worry.” He murmured. “I'm here.”

As if that wasn't the problem in the first place.

“So, while you were carrying me off...I mean, when you, uh, received me, did you notice a cane lying around?” You asked. “I had one. Did the guys who brought me give it to you?”

“I'm afraid not.” He said apologetically. “They seemed strangely eager to quit the area.”

“Yeah, well. They had just committed a felony.” You griped. “They probably had orders to disappear. And they probably didn't want to hang around and witness what a warlord was gonna do to me.”

He winced. “I promise you, that's not what I really am.”

“Sorry.”

He held out his arm for you. “I don't have your cane, but I can support you. We will have another cane made for you. There should have been an Artificer and an apprentice Healer in here at some point, to measure you for a new prosthetic.”

“Uh, there were. I, uh, kinda told them to piss off.”

“Ah. I suppose I cannot blame you, now that I know of your situation. But they are here at your service, as is all of Asgard.”

He helped you limp along, somehow maintaining his dignified stride, even as you wobbled along like a penguin. The hallways were as bland and labyrinthine as a human hospital, if somewhat more softly lit. Again the light source was obscured behind thin panes of cloudy crystal, which diffused the light, giving everything a comforting, if slightly mysterious atmosphere, which the general emptiness of the area only enhanced.

There were few people here, but for some reason, you had been placed in a room far within the hospital complex. Maybe they wanted to hide you away, so that no one knew you were here until they were ready to introduce you to Asgard. Or until they were certain you were going to survive. It might cause a scandal if the prince's bride just up and died upon arrival.

Or perhaps it was to protect you. There were plenty of reasons why a human bride might not be accepted by the Asgardian populace; everything from nationalism, to someone wanting to make a bid for that crown themselves.

There were still no windows to be seen, and everything was made of stone, just like in the hospital room. Out here, in the halls and waiting rooms, the desks, chairs, and tables all seemed to be joined to the walls and floor, as if the whole place had been carved from a single, solid piece, like the rock-cut architecture of the fabled city of Petra. Here again were the creamy grays and oranges lining the walls, though a smooth black also made an appearance.

Eventually, you came to what must have been a foyer, with a high ceiling, complex stone mosaics, and huge, gorgeously carved double doors, but still no windows.

“We will be going outside now.” Loki said. “This facility is within the palace complex, and is not far from your special chambers, but we will have to cross a few halls and courtyards. There are plenty of places to sit, so if you need a rest, simply say so.”

He opened the doors for you, and you stepped out into a world of stone.

Everything was stone, stone or metal. Before you was a wide open courtyard, clearly unfinished, but spacious. At regular intervals were stone towers supporting open pillared hallways in a multiple storied, vaguely Roman courtyard style. The towers shot up, and up, and up...you climbed them with your gaze, following them to the heights to which they had to buttress each other with thin struts of stone, higher still, where they joined with an impossibly high ceiling.

There was a roof over the courtyard, so tall that your couldn't fathom how it had been built. Beyond the courtyards stacked walkways-six full stories-you could see the tips of other towers, lined with lights, merging with this high rise ceiling. Was the entire palace built under this massive shelter?

Clearly the sun did not reach into the palace. To offset this, the crystal-paned, inset lights were everywhere, creating complex patterns that mimicked the intricate knotted carvings that chased up the towers and pillars. The corbels glared down at you, fierce masks of bearded men, wolves, dragons and birds, lights in their eyes.

Combined, it was not as bright as sunlight, but not dim either. The softness of the glow made shadows diffuse, made the stone look soft and fake, and even shimmery in places, like the set pieces in eighties fantasy movies. If not for the pain in your bruises, you'd have thought the dreamy atmosphere was just that, and that you were about to wake up from this absurd dream any moment now.

But the pain was there, and denied that simple, hopeful wish. And Loki was there, gently urging you forward like he was a real gentleman, instead of a heinous war criminal. There were a few other people out here as well; walking the courtyards pillared halls, resting on stone benches, carving hollows into the ground.

There was no soil here. All stone. As you crossed the courtyard, you noticed black, and gray, and cloudy crystal inlaid into the ground in a shape reminiscent of a compass rose, decorated with silvery wire knotwork in bird and serpent shapes.

There were troughs and niches being carved into the ground that looked to you like they were meant to be flower beds...eventually. You had seen no dirt here yet, no grass or growing things at all. Maybe once you finally got outside. But for now, it felt as if you had left a building, only to exit into another building, that was in turn, within another building.

It was a bit suffocating.

Loki led you across several courtyards, each with a different pattern inlaid into their bare floor, and through vaulted hallways that still contained no windows. Many of these hallways intersected in large, circular domes, and few of them had any distinctive markings. Soon you were completely lost. With any luck, you would be able to get your hands on some paper, and create a map-otherwise, any escape attempts would be doomed from the word go.

But maybe that was the point.

Your staggering steps echoed down a particularly tall and wide hallway, almost completely devoid of people. You were almost at the end of your physical capabilities, and while there were places to sit, you felt like you must be close to your destination. You really wanted to be in a room whose dimensions you could be certain of. A space you could comprehend.

Loki brought you to a stop in front of a pair of carved wooden doors. As the first piece of architecture you had seen here that was something other than stone, you found them more beautiful than anything you'd seen all day. They were something almost normal, almost like something you would have at home. If you were insanely rich, or your dad was a carpenter or something. They were a warm terra-cotta color, carved with a dizzying array of knotwork, framed with blackened, riveted iron. The handles were iron serpents.

“We imported some things from your homeland. This redwood lumber is one such thing. From what I hear, these trees are emblematic of your country.”

“Er...” How to politely say, 'not really, even though most people who live there do know what a redwood is'. They weren't very important to anyone who didn't live near where they grew. They weren't what you would call 'quintessentially American'. There wasn't anything you could really call that. The place was just too damn big.

“We couldn't bring too much, not yet anyway.” He continued. “It is expensive, unfortunately, and we only have one ship. It can only carry so much, and it takes about three days to transport. Things are moving slowly, but our construction projects are moving along speedily. There's little else to do right now, save build.”

He opened the doors for you, and led you into a fairy tale.

[gildedmuse]

So... I have this bad habit where sometimes, when attempting to summarize the idea for a fic, I go into waaay too much detail.

Like, I don't go as far as to actually wrote the damn thing because, you know, effort and laziness, but... Well, it's a close call. It gets to the point where it's less a summary and more what my friends use to call a Quick Fic. All that's .kissing is the actual dialogue and descriptive narration.

Having said that....

Here is a "summary" of an ZoLaw AU where Law works for Doflamingo...

What happened was, basically, Law got caught by Doflamingo after eating the devil's fruit which eventually allowed him to cure his dieses, thus why he's still alive. Or, at least, isn't dead from lead poisoning. Because let's face it, Doflamingo could have just killed the boy then and there. Sure, he'd have to find the fruit all over again, but better that the deal with this little traitor

Except really it was his brother who had been the traitor. Law is still just a child, and children can be so suspectable to any number of ideas so long as an adult gives them a pat on the head and a treat after.

Which is when Doflamingo realizes that he can just manipulate Law into being another loyal follower. Then eventually - when he's no longer useful - Doffy will have him sacrifice his life for his own immortality. By that point Law will be family, and family never lets Doffy down. Not anymore.

So it's under Doffy's personal tutorage that Law grows up, and as much as he might resit the man who imprisoned Corazon, it's hard not to eventually fall to all Doflamingo's sweet praise and promised. And Law gets what he had wanted all along: a way to get back at the world that willingly watched his home wiped off the official world map and would be happy to see the entire town dead to the very last one. This Law truly earns his title Surgeon of Death, acting as the top officer of Hearts in the Doflamingo crime family. And yet despite his cruelty, he isn't even on the government's wanted list; protected under the Shichibukai's jolly roger.

In the meantime, the Strawhats are still doing their thing right on through Punk Hazard (which they somehow manage to not only live through but actually do more damage and cause twice as much chaos. The biggest difference is that Ceaser and Monet escape and Sanji can't perv out over being in Nami's body). So this time when they roll into Dressrosa it's less "backing up the plan of an ally" and much more "on complete and total accident" and "without a damn clue".

Yeah, basically they're the Grand Line's easiest prey.

But, hey, it works out! Well, no, not really. But Sanji does meet Violet, Luffy meet Sabo and help recover Ace's devil's fruit, and Zoro does get lost and require a magic fairy guide. Plus, hey, since they're not really there for any purpose other than that they happened to be passing by, it's not like they can't pull a dine and dash. They may be unprepared, but The Monster Trio can still keep up the fight until everyone is back on the Sunny.

A perfect escape!

Except no.

Because Luffy isn't totally ready to leave, not when he wants to know more about what Sabo is doing and help his new friend Rebecca. Not that they have time to debate the merits of staying or pulling a tactical retreat since at that poing Big Momma is on their ass. And that scary dude in the long black coat is still somehow following them, teleporting himself through the fucking air like wtf why is this happening now!? Nami is forced to make an executive decision: they're can't stay. Also, oh God oh God they're trapped and they're going to be killed and oh God.

It's moments like these you're almost thankful one of your crew members is a total maniac. Because in the middle of all this mess, Zoro just smirks, tells Nami to just concentrate on getting away from that annoying ass ship, he's got their other attacker covered. Which only makes everyone freaks out MORE because what is Zoro thinking: he'll be killed! ("Not immediately, of course. First they'll likely torture him for information, perhaps even kill him as slowly as possible." / "What? Why would you say that? That is not SUPER helpful to hear right then!") The Sunny goes into an all out panic attack. Everyone is yelling or crying or both.

Except Luffy.

Luffy who looks at Zoro, at the singing ship, at the dark power user trying to slash their ship apart, at the shore line of this island and the way it radiates a fake happiness covering Rebecca's very real pain. Luffy who just lowers his hat over his eyes and gives the nod.

Zoro smiles, and is immediately almost clobbered by a giant Chopper. What is Luffy saying? Don't they realize that is the same guy who almost took down Sanji, Zoro AND Luffy only moments ago? Zoro can't fight him alone! Sanji, more calm than the rest, lights a cigarette while explaining that he's not trying to stop Zoro from getting himself killed or anything, but Chopper is right. That guy was incredibly tough, and there's no way Zoro can do it alone ("Shut up dartbrow! You don't know what the hell you're talking about! I could take him down with just the two swords! With one hand behind my back!" / "He already kicked your ass once, Marimo! Or have you forgotten because of all the head trauma!?" / "The only reason he kicked OUR asses is because YOU kept getting in my way you damn weak-ass cook!" / "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, IDIOT MARIMO!?") Franky tries to regulate the fight but he's busy blocking those deadly aimed slashes from hitting his poor ship while Brook and Kin'emon work on stopping the incoming cannon balls. Either way they're going to have to do something SUPER fast if they want to get out of here. Yeah, Luffy, we need an actual plan. We can't just send Zoro out to-

"Zoro", Luffy says and despite everything going on around them the deck of the Sunny goes really quiet. They all know that tone. "Zoro, I need you to take care of this until we can get back. I still need to kick Mingo's ass for a friend."

At the sound of his captain's no nonsense voice, Zoro is suddenly easily able to stand, shrugging off the pile of people trying to stop him from jumping to his death (and by pile of people I do mean the coward trio and Sanji, who is mostly just trying to get in a few kicks). He draws Wado, clutching the katana in his teeth and yet still somehow manages what you know is a smirk. It's a promise.

And like that, Zoro is launching himself right into the blue sphere of the battle.

A battle against one of Doflamingo's top officers. A devil's fruit user with a twisted heart and home field advantage. Needless to say, it does not end well for our hero.

—🧡—

Although, Law has to give his rival swordsman some credit. He has his share of fun toying with the boy, and despite never standing any real chance of victory Law can admit the strawhat pirate puts up a better fight than most. Far better than Law had been expecting from some one so new to the New World (supposedly he got Mihawk to agree to train him, but Law has met the Hawk Eye and finds the idea utterly absurd). Then there is the way his smile had just an edge of what Law could only call manical delight, even when it became clear he'd long lost. This greenhaired kid really is stupid enough to believe his captain will come back for him. As though he would come charging back into Doflamingo's territory a second time just to retrieve a single crew member. One who was not only crazy enough to sacrifice himself but couldn't even win the fight. At the same time the swordman's loyalty and faith - as misplaced as it is - is kind of... Adorable. Who knew someone could come so far on the Grand Line and still be so innocent?

Law immediately wants to corrupt it.

Thes other family members will whine tell you, Doffy has always had... Let's say... A "soft spot" for Law. He's spoiled that brat for years, is what they mean but don't dare to say. Sure enough, Law barely has to work to talk Doffy around to letting him personally see to the prisoner's arrangements. Doflamingo is a little suspecious at first (he can never truly trust Law, not after the Corazon incident), but he quickly dismisses it. He's had the Heart Officer's loyalty for years now.

Of course, when he sees the spark of interest light in his apprentice as they eye their newest spoils of war, he can't help but tease Law. After all, Zoro is quite an enticing young man and Law isn't the only one there who likes pretty things. They're so fun to destroy which - judging from the way Law shivers when Doffy runs a hand through thick green hair before yanking the boys head back against the wall hard enough to leave the young captive panting and dizzy - is precisely his protege's plan.

(Doflamingo also happens to know Zoro almost definitely had trained under Mihawk, and he would love to see his fellow warlord's eyes flash with barely contained anger when he learns how Doflamingo has broken his favorite toy. It's not his fault - Mihawk is always so uptight and repressed, it makes agonizing him too much fun for Doflamingo to resist.)

In the end, though, he knows when Law's determination is set. And for whatever reason the boy has decided he absolutely has to be the one to keep their guest "comfortable" while his captain makes up his mind on what he'll do. So Doflamingo only teases for a bit - touches a little, plays with the barely conscious boy kneeling at his feet, enjoys the way Zoro still has enough spirit left to try taking bite when Doffy's fingers trail to close to his bloody lips (oh, and, what a joy! Law nearly growls at the prospect of not being the one to ruin the boy!) - but eventually he stops his little game. He gives in, telling Law to have fun with his treasure. He is the one who took him down after all. It is only fair he keeps him.

Just try not to completely break the poor thing, not until Strawhat returns for him.

Law snorts at the very idea. This is hardly the first time they'd done this. He's never seen a single captain try and retrieve their stolen property (he has of course, but he doesn't remember them). He doesn't see why Strawhat-ya would be particularly special.

Before Doflamingo can come up with a clever, vague answer about Law trusting him, Zoro suddenly gives a bark of laughter that would have scared lesser men senseless. It only serves to draw the two men's interest back to their little pet.

Luffy won't come back for him, Zoro confirms, much to Law's surprise (he personally never thought Strawhat-ya would, but then why would the swordsman sacrifice himself so willingly for a man he has so little faith in?) and has Doflamingo raising an eyebrow in.... Interest. Zoro looks at both of them with no fear, like he hadn't taken a humiliating defeat and is even now bloody and chained up, helplessly listening in on these two infamous pirates talk about him like he is a mere object. Actually, if anything, he appears to be wearing a smirk under all that blood. Because he knows something they don't.

Luffy won't come back for him, because his captain knows Zoro doesn't need to be rescued.

To Law, this makes Zoro look like an even sweeter treat. Doflamingo is simply amused, remarking that perhaps their little pup has yet to realize the leash around his neck is shaped like a noose.

Zoro meets his gaze, steady yet daring. He promised Luffy that he'd take care of it, and so that is what he will do. He'll never go back on his word, especially when it comes to his captain. Something Doflamingo with his distrusting and fear-toed crew couldn't understand. So see, their plan to use Zoro as bait will never work, because Zoro swore to Luffy that he'd be take care of it. So he will. Luffy has enough faith in Zoro that he'd never believe anything less and would never turn around out of doing to try and mount a rescue.

No, when Luffy comes back it will be for the sole purpose of kicking Doflamingo's ass.

The mood darkens. In a flash, Doflamingo is in back in front of him, yanking Zoro forward by the chin. He squeezes hard enough to bruise. You can hear the cracking of bone as he explains to Zoro exactly how precarious his current position is only to grow second by second more frustrate by Zoro's completely lack of fear. So he squeezes harder. He slams the boys head back into the wall and starts smiling when he gets a since from the stoic swordsman.

Before he can do any real damage Law steps in, reminding Doffy that he promised him he could have the boy. And just like that, Doflamingo's whole mood appears to shift back to calm. He puts on his fake smile and let's Zoro go, even pets the boy's hair. Of course, he had promised. And he, too, is a man of his word. Something Zoro will surely learn in time now that he is one of them.

Zoro, now with blurred vision and the taste of fresh blood on his tongue, is smart enough not to answer. But not smart enough to lower his head or try and appear humbled. Lucky for him, Doflamingo decides the boy isn't worth it. When he turns around he notes the hungry way Law is eyeing the kneeling prisoner behind him. Which brings a crueller, yet more genuine, smile to Doffy's featurss. The Strawhats vice captain may act invincible now, but he's never faced Doflamingo's own Surgeon Of Death. As disinterested and put off as Law might usually act, the boy can be dangerously twisted. He's sure his top officer will break the young pirate down bit by bit - both literally and figuratively - long before his captain can come running back in to try and find him (and Doflamingo is sure Strawhat will, no matter what Zoro might think).

He leaves with one last reminder to Law not to completely shatter the infamous Pirate Hunter. No, Doffy would hate to see their newest family member treated so poorly, especially seeing as he has much bigger plans in store for the young Mr. Roronoa. Specifically, he wants to see the face of Monkey D Luffy when he watches as the last bit of his first mate's spirit broken.

And because Doffy practically raised the boy and knows exactly the right buttons to push, he decides to give Law a little extra motivation to bring Zoro to that point. Just in case that interest turns into something dangerous like longing or - laughable as it is - actual fondness. It's so simple, too: as he walks by he simply whispers how there is nothing like crushing the heart of unrequited love.

It will be such a treat, tearing Zoro from his captain, and watching Luffy realize he's lost his chance to love the other man, wouldn't it Law? What a truly tragic romance. It almost makes you hope the two of them at least had some time together. Law didn't happen to give them a moment along before forcing Zoro to throw himself into the fight, hmm? Just a small, precious second or so for the two to share a final kiss. After all, not even Doffy is so cruel as to deny the poor boys such a tender moment.

Sure enough, Law's eyes immediately narrow and Doflamingo can feel the jealousy rolling off him. Not because Law gives a damn for their prisoner's feelings - Doflamingo raised him better than that - but he always has had a possessive streak. Having taken an interest in the swordsman, he will hate the thought that the boy might even think of another or that Law won't be the first to possess him in ever possible way.

Doffy leaves with a cruel, deep laugh. He can't wait until dinner, when he may just happen to remember the rumours about his "friend" Mihawk and his taking a young green-haired boy under this wing and in to his bed. By tomorrow he suspects every part of Zoro's body will bare at least some mark that he now firmly belongs to no one but Trafalgar Law.

[politicalmamaduck]

Reylo Fic Recs: Canonverse

Across the Stars by @rapturousaurora

Hugging Rey close, desperate to feel something of her, her skin against his, a lingering tendril of their once vibrant Force bond—anything—Ben only felt cold silence. Her vacant gaze stared up at the ceiling of the Sith’s Exegol stronghold.And still he felt no anger. No hate. His emotions were dominated by the almost childlike desire to fix what his lifetime of mistakes had broken—Ben wanted to fix her.

With You by @politicalpadme

Ben Solo finds the will to rise.

the shadows are whispering (again) by @thewayofthetrashcompactor

The Force has always had it out for the Skywalkers. Ben feels like he knows that better than most. Why else would it have saddled him with another curse to add to his legacy? (From birth to death and back again.)

Phantasm by @forcebondedreylo

Rey thought that she was finished with Ben Solo after Crait. She was proven otherwise when she crash-landed on a strange and dangerous planet with no way to contact the Resistance. Now Ben Solo might be her only hope of survival, if the deadly inhabitants don't get her first.

The Weight of a Soul by @ceallaigheirinn

“If he is condemned, then his soul shall be cast into oblivion,” the Mother answered. “It will cease to be. Oblivion is beyond the veil that the Force encompasses. His soul would be consumed by nothingness, and Ben Solo would exist on neither the mortal plane or the World Beyond.”

linger in the doorway (of my field of paper flowers) by @mnemehoshiko

She can't tell if she got the better deal or not. Foolish. Did you truly want to waste away in this sand-ridden hell? a voice whispers, low and soft.  No, she thinks, but it would be a familiar hell, at least.

destruction makes the world burn brighter by @cosmicforces

When he was nearly within reach, he extended the blade—or was it his hand?—but everything faded to black before she was certain. Panting, she bolted upright in her bed and wiped away the sweat clinging to her forehead. She’d dreamt of Jakku again.

A New Generation by @aionimica

Ben glances at Rey and quietly asks, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life with a twice-fallen former warlord who doesn’t know what place he has in this galaxy except as a porg-mother?”

In Our Silence, Volumes by @roamingbadger

When Rey senses through their Force Bond that Ben is in trouble, she'll stop at nothing to get to him. But what if he's not ready to be rescued - from himself? 

I Choose You by @shelikespretties

In the throne room, Rey proposes a counter offer.

Breakout by @leofgyth

In which Rey, Finn, and Ben break Ransolm Casterfo out of prison... for reasons.

Oh the Glory of Tenderness by @ann3onymous

Leia Organa taught her little boy how to weave stories with hair. Years later, Ben Solo weaves Rey's hair with promises.

Slipping Off Course by @fingertipstrembling

Between the birth and death of every star stretches a wide expanse of space, a thirsty maw that drinks up all the light it sees and spits back darkness. In the bowels of a star destroyer deep in that darkness, they find each other—the Supreme Leader’s apprentice and a fledgling pilot recruit who outflies and outwits him at every opportunity. Though he fights the pull of the Force, Kylo Ren finds himself reaching for Rey with nothing to stop his fall.

Like This by @kylo-wouldnt-like-those-chips

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Peace reigns in the galaxy.  Seriously. The Imperial Remnant fizzled out. There is no First Order. There is no Snoke. The worst thing Ben Solo's ever done was some light brawling. The kids are, as they say, more or less alright.Still, the Force has plans for Ben and Rey, which is how they find themselves working for the same civil rights firm, thrown together in a stakeout van.

temptations of grey by @lasthopesolo

Nightmares filled with the ghostly voice of a woman haunt Supreme Leader Kylo Ren; a constant reminder of the discord within. Terrifying dreams plague Rey, casting doubt on choices she’s made. Both find themselves stranded on a humid jungle planet in unknown territory, captured and forced to participate in a strange mystical ceremony. Rey and Kylo must work together in their journey through the jungle, facing themselves and each other in the pursuit of balance.

Wish Upon a Star by @shelikespretties

When Ben Solo exiles himself on a random planet in order to atone, he finds his mother packed him a calligraphy set. He keeps a diary of his existence, while Rey, cut off from him in the Force, tracks him down the only way she can.

Only If for a Night by @reylotrashcompactor and @southsidestory

The night the war ends is a time for victories and change. Maybe, if Rey is lucky, she can win where Ben Solo is concerned. There’s something between them, more than friendship or battle-forged camaraderie, a need that she’s felt threaded along their bond, and she’s tired of ignoring it.

Above us, stars. Beneath us, constellations. by @shmisolo

Ben woke, but Luke’s saber wasn’t ignited.  Instead, he saw a master who had shattered his trust, who thought he was a monster, and—worse—he was probably right.So he fled Yavin IV, to Skywalker’s dismay, and no one heard from him since.Years later, on a wasteland planet, a girl and a fugitive stormtrooper board a Corellian YT-1300 light freighter in desperation to find they are not the only ones trying to steal it.

In the Footsteps of Giants by @aionimica

Post-Sequel Trilogy; Ben Solo is off in exile, accompanied by Rey. In desperate need of fuel, they stop on Naboo, but their pit stop doesn’t quite go as planned.

build a ladder to the stars by @redbelles

Kylo Ren's heart is a desert.

these violent delights (have violent ends) by @luminoustico

The news runs like a wildfire through the galaxy.Kylo Ren found something, someone, else to believe in. He gutted his master for her life. In return, vestiges of Snoke's power delivered a punishment greater than anything either the fallen Knight or the last Jedi could imagine. Together forever, eternally apart.

Luminous Beings by @hauscrashburn

In order to become a Jedi, Rey must do one thing: Kill Kylo Ren. But how can she when her heart belongs--and has belonged to him--for years now?

Midsummer Night's Shared Dream by @shelikespretties

“We’re not on an approved airfield, but look,” she held out her datapad with the map of the crash location. “Xa-Tla City is on the other side of this forest. We can make it there on foot, and, if we start now, we’ll get there before the solstice celebration begins.” Kylo lifted a mocking eyebrow. “You’d risk the spirits of the forest?”Rey scoffed. “I don’t believe in ghosts. Let’s start walking.”

Spillikin by @ceallaigheirinn

“Forgiving yourself doesn’t mean you have to forget what happened, Ben,” his mother said. “It just means you can finally let go and move forward.”

The Way to Tomorrow by @the-reylo-void

Kylo Ren faces his sentence at the hands of the Resistance: a year of off-world solitary confinement, no communication with the outside world. But it's never that easy to leave old wounds behind. Or such deeply-forged bonds.

Porgs by @tehanufromearthsea

Porgs think of Luke Skywalker as the eccentric but harmless giant who lives on their island. Life on Ahch-To can be pretty dull, so at least Luke gives the Porgs something to watch. Then another of his kind arrives, with her friends, and life on Ahch-To gets a lot more entertaining for the porgs.Then comes the invader...

The Jedi Path by @southsidestory

She’s Ben's world: the only thing he cares about, the only thing he needs, the only one who matters. That interest used to be focused on Rey's power, her talent, her fierce, uncompromising will. Platonic, if not innocent, but now—now he still loves her like a protege, but he wants her too. He wants her, and he can’t keep lying to himself about it.

Yub Nub, and a Celebration Song by @luminoustico

It starts with a forest moon, a destined clash between a scavenger and a knight, and some Very Determined Ewoks.

The Visions That Connect Us by @lariren-shadow

They've seen each other for years before they even meet. Kylo Ren and Rey have visions of the other through out their lives.

Reflektor by @reylotrashcompactor

Kylo Ren isn’t fool enough to believe that her capture was a happy accident. He didn’t believe it was good fortune, and he believed least of all that it had anything to do with the reconnaissance skills of Hux’s half-wit stormtroopers. If they have The Girl Called Rey in custody, it is because she meant for it to happen. It was because she had a plan and this was a step in executing it.

Paper Minds by @kuresoto

At the age of five, Ben Solo built his first droid. At the age of ten, he manifested and started to see her everywhere. At the age of eleven, he was sent to train with Luke. He still saw her. When he was fifteen, she disappeared. He was twenty-three when he left Ben Solo behind and became someone who wouldn’t trust blindly ever again. He became Kylo Ren. He meets her for the first time when he’s on the cusp of turning thirty. These were the events that shaped Ben Solo and in turn, Kylo Ren.

Just A Little Crush by @lariren-shadow

Ben Solo has been away from the Jedi Academy for a few years.  Now that he's back he's developed a little problem his brother is keen on goading him about.

Retrouvailles by @luminoustico

Six months ago, Ben Solo was removed from Rey's side and his uncle's Jedi Academy to take up his mother's mantle as Senator, and to act representative of the Resistance. He has already claimed the reputation of a troublemaker. After Han Solo requests Luke and Rey act as Ben's security intel at a ball in Coruscant, it is underneath the pressure of galactic politics that her world and his new world collide.

Convergence by @the-reylo-void

Whatever the next steps are, I want to take them with you.

let the silver arrow fly by @solikerez

Leia plays cupid, and fires a few misshots before getting it right.

What We Do in the Snow by @reylotrashcompactor

The first time she dreamed of Starkiller, not much was different.

The Gamble by @nightsofreylo

Whenever you gamble, eventually you lose...

Matchmaker by @lariren-shadow

Bored with being a Force Ghost Anakin decides that his grandson needs some help in the relationship department.  Kylo Ren isn't too thrilled at the prospect but, then again, neither is Rey.

here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true by @the-reylo-void

Here is the place where I love you.

People Will Say by @reylotrashcompactor

In a ditch effort to coax the wary members of the Resistance into accepting the prodigal son Ben Solo back into their fold, General Leia Organa requests a hefty favor from Rey. "Behind every good man is a great woman" is how the saying goes, but the man formerly known as Kylo Ren isn't good, and Rey isn't sure that any manner of hand-holding is going to change people's minds about that.

crave my heart (it's bleeding in your hand) by @mnemehoshiko

She wakes with the taste of salt on her lips and screams in her head.

Dark Matter by @arcticelves

Rey is never really alone. Even on Ahch-To, beginning her training with Luke Skywalker, she is frequently interrupted by an uninvited visitor. But is he truly unwelcome?

kept in the dark (but you were there in front of me) by @mnemehoshiko

Ben Solo is nine when he dreams of sand and darkness.

Peace and Purpose by @the-reylo-void

Across the stars, Rey and Ben yearn for each other, neither able to move on, both facing the unending nights alone. But the Force longs for balance as surely as they long for each other.

Laid To Rest by @khaleesa

Ben wants to show Rey the galaxy, to see it with her. First, they have business on Naboo.

Endings and Beginnings by @shelikespretties

Rey’s hand cradles Ben’s head before it can hit the stone floor. He’s ridiculously heavy, all dead weight, and Rey’s entire body cramps in horror before she sees the faint rise and fall of his chest. He’s not dead. He hasn’t left her. Yet. She cradles his face with both hands and sobs in relief.

What Was Lost Is Now Found by @ceallaigheirinn​

With no memories of the past, his mind was nothing more than a void of vast emptiness. He couldn’t remember how he got there. It sounded insane, but he even wondered if he was actually there the moment before. When he closed his eyes, fleeting images of a metallic mask, a world collapsing on itself, the touch of a weathered hand across his cheek and a beautiful woman dressed in white flickered from the dark recesses of his mind. But none of it made sense. He had no idea what those images represented or who that woman was. Did she mean something to him? Was she an enemy, friend or lover?

a million miles (cross the ocean) by @mnemehoshiko

in which the Force tries to pay back some of the debt it owes the Skywalkers.

gift to me forever by LonelyLavenderBones, @luminoustico, TazWren, @thewayofthetrashcompactor

Palpatine has remained dead. Ben Solo followed in his mother’s footsteps and became the Senator of Chandrila, his mother training him in the Force instead of sending him to Luke. And, instead of being left on Jakku, Rey has been trained in the Force from childhood to help redeem the Palpatine name in the eyes of the galaxy's highest social circles.Now the princess of the ultimate Sith is due to make her debut, on the arm of her betrothed, Armitage Hux. But, the Force still has plans for Rey Palpatine and Ben Solo.

My own canonverse Reylo fics:

Rise

Ben Solo and Rey fake their deaths after Exegol and live their lives.

It was not Death, for I stood up

Emperor Palpatine lied on Exegol; Rey is not his granddaughter. Rey sets off on a journey, led by Obi-Wan Kenobi, to bring Ben Solo back from the World Between Worlds.

luminous beings are we

Rey and Ben survive Exegol.

the healing balance

The battle was over; the war was won. The Finalizer was a smoking ruin; General Hux’s attempted mutiny had backfired as the Resistance attacked and finally incapacitated the First Order leadership. Kylo Ren was missing, presumed dead at the hands of the last Jedi, who must have succumbed to her own injuries. Neither body was found. So said the initial official report of the aftermath.

Aggressive Negotiations

It was a shame, really, that Rey did not want her new assignment, did not want to be tempted by Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala’s grandson.

Calligraphy and Atonement

Ben Solo spends his time in exile trying not to think of Rey and keeps failing.

beam that lights the way home

The star lit their path to each other, and lit their way home together.

food for the soul

Rey struggles with new food and the knowledge that Kylo Ren is her soulmate.

you burn with me

Rey's soulmark burns when she meets Kylo Ren for the first time.

light brings forth hidden truths

Light brings forth hidden truths, and demonstrates the Force's balance.

Falling Embers

Rey takes Kylo Ren's hand after they have killed Snoke and his Praetorian Guards.

Force of Light

After celebrating the end of the war and Wookiee Life Day on the Resistance base, Rey heads out into the snow to meditate. Kylo Ren goes out after her...and learns the true reason for the season.

Wanting

Kylo Ren has wanted things his whole life.

My other fic rec lists:

Fic Recs Under 100 Kudos | Historical AU | Fantasy, Fae, Magic, Fairy Tale, and Mythology | Modern AU | Smuggler Ben Solo | Dark Side Rey | Smut |

[truisticrhino28]

Jardon

vJardon: A story of the War between the Order of the Jadesh and the Dargorian Empire

Written by TruisticRhino28

  Dramatis Personae:

Emperor Daxogor the Dangerous, Dargorian Lord and Dark Side User, Rakatan

Darth Nefario, Lord Daxogor’s first in command, Massassi

Darth Malice, Lord Daxogor’s second in command, Pureblood sith

Darth Ravage, Lord Daxogor’s third in command, Zabrak

Darth Mendezzor, Lord Daxogor’s 4th in command, pureblood sith, female

Jadesh knight Ken Ogone, human male

Jadesh knight Nathan Adame, Twilek male

Jadesh consular Nomano Kata, Nautolan male

Part 1: An Order, An Empire, and A Devastating War:

  Prologue:

It is the year 15,285 BBY. A war between good and evil rages on, a struggle for the balance of the Force at stake, yet there are no Jedi or Sith. There are only Dargorians and Jadesh…

  Darth Nefario, Emperor Daxogor’s first in command and a mighty Massassi force-user, looked in utter disgust at the battlefield on Ojom. The Dargorians had won, but at a great loss to their forces. 50 Warriors, 15 Inquisitors, and 5 Warlords had been lost. He was heading back to his ship, when he fell on his knees, his thought patterns interrupted by a disturbance in the Force. As he got back up, he realized: Daniel Jardon, a Jadesh Knight long thought to be dead, was alive and well and incredibly strong in the Dark Side. His interest peaked, he flew out of Ojom and accelerated back to Ziost. He had to speak to the Emperor of this development.

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Death of Daniel Jardon:

Darth Nefario returned to Ziost. Upon his arrival, he went straight to the Emperor’s Chambers in the Citadel, a massive fortress where the heart of the Dargorian empire was located. When he reached the chamber doors, he was blocked by 2 Rakatan royal guards.

“I must see Emperor Daxogor at once. I have something he will be eager to hear.”, stated Darth Nefario in an urgent and exasperated tone.

“I’m afraid I can’t allow access right now, Supreme General”, replied the guard. “The Emperor is in a deep meditational session and cannot be interrupted.”

“I have news about Daniel Jardon.”, Darth Nefario insisted, his tone becoming more frustrated by the second.

“Oh, well in that case, allow me to alert him to your presence.”, replied the guard in mild surprise.

“No bother”, answered Darth Nefario in great irritability. “I will tell him myself.”

“Very well, my lord. We shall await outside if you should require our presence in any way”, replied the guard.

“Oh, I assure you, that will be most unnecessary”, concluded Darth Nefario in a mocking and furious tone. Stupid, persistent Rakatan scum, Nefario thought to himself as he pushed open the doors. As he opened the doors, Emperor Daxogor noticed his presence, and exited his meditative trance.

“What is it, Darth Nefario?”, the Emperor asked.

“Mighty Emperor, I have had a vision: Daniel Jardon is alive, and thriving in the Dark Side, though I know not where”, Nefario relayed.

His interest peaked, Emperor Daxogor responded, “When and where did this happen?”.

“On Ojom, not 2 nights ago”, responded Nefario. “We were observing the remains of our victory when I was hit by the vision.”

“You made the correct choice in coming to me, my first in command”, replied Daxogor. “Here is what you are to do: root out this apparently alive Jardon and eviscerate him.” “Also tell of your mission to no one, not even the Council. If anyone finds out of this, I will be forced to publicly execute you. Am I understood?”.

“Yes, Mighty Emperor. It will be done.”, answered Nefario with a loyalty so fierce it rivaled the loyalty a pupil has to their master.

“You are dismissed. Leave my sight at once.”, finished Daxogor.

With that, Darth Nefario left the chambers and the Emperor returned to his meditation. Daniel Jardon’s death was a well-known Dargorian story, though to most, not all details were clear, however, they didn’t question it because their Emperor had told them not to. Jardon had been a mighty Jadesh Knight, trained right off of Tython, the main location of the Jadesh. He was participating in a fierce battle in the heavily blockaded Dargorian moon of Dxun, when, mid-battle, it was said that he was killed by Emperor Daxogor himself. Nefario of course, now knew this of course to not be true, however, how Jardon had survived Nefario knew not still.

 Back in his chambers, Emperor Daxogor replayed the conversation between him and Nefario in his head. He was perturbed by the news. Destroying Jardon had been a great task that he had barely been able to complete on his own. In the end, he had been victorious, or so he had previously thought. Closing his meditation, he left the Citadel for his personal vessel. He had business to take care of.

Chapter 2: Tython, the Jadesh, and a Terrible Vision:

Tython was a beautiful planet. Despite the fact that it was a deep-core world and very difficult to reach by average means of travel, the Jadesh still thrived there. There were Novices, ones who had just started; Apprentices, Jadesh who were being trained under a master directly; Knights, who were independent, but still received guidance from a master; Consulars, who were very wise and adept users of the light side; and finally, High Masters. A Consular could only be granted a High Master after one had died, and there was a rigorous process to do so. Because of this, there were only 10 High Masters in the entire order, and each one made up a slot on the Council.  One of those Knights, Ken Ogone, was very close in preparation for his trials to become a Consular. One day, he was meditating, when a sharp vision hit him: his old friend Daniel Jardon was alive, but a Dargorian lord. No, it can’t be. It’s impossible! NO!

“Ken. Hey, Ken. Ken? Are you alright? Ken! Snap out of it!”, yelled his best friend, Nathan Adame. Ken snapped out of his meditative trance and fell to the ground.

“Hey, Ken, are you alright?”, asked Nathan in great concern.

“Yes, I’m fine”, Ken responded. “I’ve had a vision. Daniel is alive, and has fallen under the influence of the Dark side.”

“But, that’s impossible”, Nathan stuttered out in disbelief. “He was killed at the battle of Dxun.”

“I know. It is precisely why I am going to tell Master Kata this right now.” Then Ken ran to his Master’s chambers, with Nathan struggling to keep up. When he entered his Master’s chambers, his Master spoke saying:

“I know why you have come, my former apprentice. I have experienced the same vision you have, and I too, am deeply troubled by it.”, said Nomano.

“What are we to possibly do?” questioned Ken.

“You are to do nothing”, stated Nomano in a firm voice. “This is something I must deal with myself. I sense another very dark presence will meet up with me when I go.

“But, why? Daniel was incredibly important to me. The entire order knows of our bond.”, responded Ken in irritation.

“Because the danger would be well too much for you handle. Also, I would risk losing you to the influence of the Dark Side.”, explained Nomano. “I cannot let that happen.”

“But why, my former Master, why?”, questioned Ken. “The way I see it, strength in numbers is a good thing.”

“That is because, although you have an independent spirit, your mind is still quite naïve.”, explained Nomano. “Also, this presence I will face on Dxun is far stronger than any that your abilities can handle. And I will not risk the death of one who will become one of the strongest Consulars this order has ever seen.”

“Very well, Master”, obeyed Ken. “I will do as you ask.”

“Thank you, Ken, for trusting my judgement.”, finished Nomano.

But in fact, Ken would not listen to orders, and instead follow his master to Dxun to participate in the eventual fight against the dark presence that his Master had spoken of.

Chapter 3: Business on Dxun:

Dxun was a very forested world, full of exotic and dangerous creatures. Of course, Ken could see none of this, only the other wall inside the tiny closet of his Master’s ship he had stowed away in. As the ship landed on the surface, he didn’t dare peek out until he heard his Master depart. After he felt it was safe, he departed from the ship and followed his Master at a safe distance.

 After some distance of traveling, Nomano ran into a Dargorian Lord: Darth Mendezzor, Lord Daxogor’s 4th in command, and the Dargorian’s mightiest seductress. She attempted to and failed to make Nomano fall for her charms and beauty, and instead attempted to kill him, which she also failed at. As Nomano continued, he ran into Darth Ravage, Daxogor’s third in command, who attempted to rush at him in total fury, which Nomano easily avoided. Next, he ran into Darth Malice, Daxogor’s 2nd in command. The pureblood Sith attempted to sneak attack Nomano using Force Stealth, however, he was defeated easily enough due to Nomano’s incredible force senses. Lastly, Darth Nefario came slashing through the trees with his mighty Massassi strength. Another one? How many can there possibly be? I’ve already killed 3! Nomano thought to himself in complete disbelief and annoyance. Nefario proved to be a more difficult opponent for Nomano though, as, being a Massassi, Nefario had basic training in many forms of Force sorcery. Their battle was tense, but Nomano eventually managed to surprise him by taking advantage of one of his stealth powers. Finally, after many long battles, he collapsed to his knees in pain briefly, as he sensed the presence of Daxogor in the Dark Side. After some more traveling, he finally found Daxogor standing there.

“Greetings, my fallen apprentice. We meet again at last.”, introduced Nomano.

“Still as weak as ever, my former master. The dark side has made me more powerful than I ever felt under your pitiful teachings.”, responded Daxogor in a condescending voice.

“I have come to finish what I should have long ago.”, stated Nomano with purpose.

“And do what, kill me?”  Daxogor cackled an evil laugh. “You are no match for my powers and never have been! I’d like to see your pitiable attempt at destroying me and all that I have created.”

 From the sidelines, Ken was enthralled in what was going on. He hoped his master would succeed.

 And then their battle began. It was fierce. Several times Daxogor had the upper hand and felt like he was sure to win, and several times he was shocked at Nomano’s adept use of the Light Side. They engaged in fierce lightsaber combat, the likes of which had not been seen for thousands of years. They also had stalemates between their Force powers, incredible though they both were. After many long stale and tense moments, Daxogor finally got the upper hand, and began destroying Nomano’s Force defenses. After this, he collapsed to the ground in weakness and defeat.

“Congratulations, I am defeated at last”, Nomano barely managed to spit out in a weak voice. “Are you satisfied, my fallen apprentice?”

“More than you know, my pitiable former master”, Daxogor bloated. “You were nothing but a detriment to me and my training.”

“I have failed you, and I am deeply sorry for that. I do not ask for your forgiveness, nor do I deserve it. But I am sorry for not being a better master to you, my fallen apprentice.”, concluded Nomano.

“Excuses and words will not save you this time, you deplorable old fool!”, yelled Daxogor out of spite. Then, he plunged his lightsaber through the back of Nomano, leaving him to die.

From the sidelines, Ken ran from his hiding spot and threw out a Force wave of fury and anger.

“NO! Master! NO!”, shouted Ken. “I will kill you! I will hunt you down and kill you for what you did, you miserable being!”

Daxogor easily deflected Ken’s Force Wave, and hurled one back of his own saying, “I would die of old age and of natural causes before I would be destroyed by you, you contemptible Jadesh fool! You could not defeat me with abilities you gain millennia later, you hapless pathetic halfwit imbecile!!” And with that, Daxogor left Dxun and returned to Ziost, satisfied that his business had been taken care of. Ken ran over to his master, who was on his dying breaths.

“Master! I’m here. Can you hear me? Master!”, exclaimed Ken.

“Ken, there is nothing you can do for me now”, Nomano wheezed. “You must let go.”

“No, Master! I can’t!”, wailed Ken in tears. “You mean too much to me.”

“You must try. Do not let the Dark Side consume you.”, Nomano finished as he breathed his last breath.

“NOOO!!!!!” Ken shrieked and cried and yelled with so much fury and pain and rue, that it incinerated the surrounding forest for miles. “I swear revenge!”, exclaimed Ken in anger. “I will kill and murder and torture that Rakatan with all my might! He will never escape Ziost alive!”

  Part 2: Revenge and Revelation

 Chapter 4: Grief:

News spread fast about Master Kata’s death on Tython. Many offered words of condolence to Ken and Nathan, his former apprentices. An official funeral was held in his memory by the High Council. Nathan cried for days about it. The idea that his Master was dead hurt him deeply, but in time, he got over it. Ken, however, did not. He’d had a very special connection with his Master, as his Master had been the Jadesh that had picked him up as a young child on his homeworld of Kuar. He was still in grief about it, even now, 5 months to the day since the incident. Ken was lying in his chambers, thinking about that day on Dxun, when he realized there had been something familiar about Emperor Daxogor. Beneath all the evil and suffering and pain, there was a familiar presence, one he had not seen in a long time. Suddenly, he heard a knock, completely interrupting his train of thought. It was Nathan. He told Ken he’d been summoned to the High Council Chambers. Ken went to the chambers, entered, and saw all 10 High Masters and bowed in respect.

“Welcome, Knight Ogone,” introduced the Rodian High Master Veeler Farr. “We’ve been expecting you.”

“We understand you’ve had trouble with your grieving over the passing of your former Master, Consular Kata”, stated the Zabrak High Master Eeth Tinn.

“That is correct, my Masters. Master Kata was very important to me”, replied Ken in a respectful manner.

“Grief is okay, as long it is controlled. If that grief festers, it turns into anger and hatred, which is a path to the Dark Side. Tell me young Ogone, are you currently experiencing these emotions?”, asked Wookiee High Master Garbaznion in Shyriwook, the traditional language of the Wookiees.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t, High Master”, replied Ken in Shyriwook as well.

“While we appreciate your honesty, revenge is not the way of the Jadesh, young Ogone” advised the Muun High Master Damaco Unduli.

“I understand High Master”, responded Ken.

“With that said, let me make something clear and elaborate on High Master Unduli’s words. It is the will of this entire council that you do not, in any way, attempt to get revenge on Emperor Daxogor” declared Togruta Grandmaster Jalla Ropal.

“Any attempt to do such a thing will result in severe punishment on your behalf, and possibly losing the chance to ever advance to the Consular rank”, announced Jalla’s twin sister, Kalla, the other Togrutan Grandmaster. “Am I understood?”

“Yes, Grandmaster”, replied Ken with the utmost respect.

“Just so this is understood, this grief and the way you will handle it will be your final trial. You have exhibited beyond-average proficiency in all the other trials; however, this will be your hardest task. Do you think you are up to it?” asked the Gen-Dai High Master Rarge, the longest-living High Master and often regarded as the wisest in the entire order.

“I do, High Master”, affirmed Ken. “I shall do as you bid.”

“You may leave”, concluded the Iktochi High Master Leo Koth.

And with that, Ken left the Council chambers and the Council adjourned.  Of course, Ken would not obey the Council and would instead begin making preparations in secret to leave for Ziost.

 Chapter 5: The Plan:

Ken left the Council chambers and returned to his own, meditating on how he would exact his revenge. After meditating for a few hours, he got an idea. If he could get out of the Temple unseen, he could steal a ride on a ship at the local starship port. He would need Nathan’s help though, and he knew Nathan would not like it at all.

Nathan was meditating in his own quarters when he sensed Ken’s presence outside the room.

“Come in”, replied Nathan to the knock on his door.

“Hey, Nathan, I need your help with something. I need you to make a distraction and cover for my presence in the Temple”, stated Ken.

“Why? You aren’t actually going to disobey the High Council, are you?”, asked Nathan. “Please tell me you’re not.”

“Sorry Nathan, I know it’s really what you don’t want to hear, but I have it from a reliable source within the Dargorian empire that Daxogor will be retreating to Prakith, and taking the remainder of his armies there, as with the death of his Supreme Generals, his armies have fallen into chaos, and several key Dargorian planets such as Dromund Kaas, Dxun, and Medriaas, have been recaptured”, explained Ken at length.

“But what make you think you can handle Daxogor alone, much less his remaining armies, all on your own?”, asked Nathan.

“I know I probably won’t succeed, but I must kill Daxogor for what he did to Master Kata”, explained Ken. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“But I do understand, Ken. He was my Master too. I know he meant a ton to you personally, and because of this, I will help you. But, what exactly do you want me to say to cover for you?”  questioned Nathan.

“Tell them that, only if anyone questions, I will be going to Glee Anselm to tell the Nautolans of his death, as he was very important to them”, explained Ken.

“Seems like a reasonable story. Best of luck on your quest, my friend, and may the Force be with you”, wished Nathan.

“Thank you, Nathan, and may the Force be with you as well”, concluded Ken.

After leaving Nathan’s chambers, Ken went to the starport in the Temple and got into his personal ship, The Justice Crusader. He punched up the controls, and left for Prakith. It was time to exact his revenge, for his Master and Daniel.

 Chapter 6: Vengeance on Prakith:

Prakith was a very mountainous and volcanic world, a perfect place for Daxogor to retreat with his remaining armies unnoticed. With the death of his Supreme Generals, his entire empire had fallen into chaos. Even Ziost, the stronghold that it was, was on the precipice of being captured. The brave Dargorians that stayed behind had Daxogor’s appreciation, a gift he rarely bestowed. The caves and mountains of Prakith made it the perfect world to hide an army in. They had made a very secure base very deep within the cave systems of the planet. And yet, he sensed a he would have an encounter with a familiarly irritating presence. It’s that fool Nomano’s persistent little imbecile child, thought Daxogor with extreme ire. I’ll deal with that Light Sided idiot myself.

Ken’s ship landed at a local starport. As he exited his ship, he couldn’t help but be in awe of the immense scale of the mountains and the profound depths of the caves. He sensed Daxogor was deep in the caves, yet, that their battle would take place on one of Prakith’s many enormous plateaus. He began heading toward the plateau he sensed Daxogor would be at.

Daxogor was skilled in the ancient art of necromancy, the art of bringing back someone from the dead. With immense effort, he managed to revive Darth Nefario, his first in command.

“I am alive and well, Mighty Emperor, and ready to serve you once again”, stated Nefario with a revived loyalty.

“Good. How do you feel about killing the apprentice of the Jadesh who murdered you in the first place?”, asked Daxogor.

“That would thrill me so. I would find great joy in his pain, just as his Master no doubt found in mine”, answered Nefario with rage.

Ken reached the plateau, and was shocked to find tens of thousands of Dargorians waiting for him. 30,000 warriors, 5,000 inquisitors, and 50 warlords awaited him, with Daxogor waiting at the back, behind the revived Supreme General Darth Nefario.

“ATTACK!! Kill that Jadesh fool and make him suffer!”, screamed Nefario in pure hatred. With that command, the 1st wave of 1,000 warriors came at Ken. He ran to meet them. He slashed, dodged, bashed, and murdered every single one with relative ease. Then, 5,000 more came at him, and he hurled a mighty Force Wave that annihilated each and every warrior. Then, another 10,000 came at him. He hurled pieces of nearby mountains into warriors, taking them out in droves. When they were all defeated, the remaining 14,000 warriors came charging in complete suicidal rage and hatred. To deal with these warriors, Ken, with great strain, erupted an adjacent volcano that incinerated every warrior.

“Is that all you’ve got?  I was expecting more of a challenge from the mighty Darth Nefario!”, taunted Ken with extreme cockiness.

His Massassi blood basically boiling at this point, Nefario yelled, “All inquisitors… ATTACK! Murder that halfwit cocky light-sided dolt!” Inquisitors were stronger in the Force, and actually carried lightsabers, making them more difficult to deal with than average warriors. After hearing the command, all 5,000 inquisitors in a neat formation came dashing toward Ken. Ken turned and ran away until at a safe distance, where he hurled the Force toward them in a massive ball of energy that imploded half of the inquisitors. The remaining, now scared and afraid, began running backward. Ken simply hurled them into nearby volcanos in groups to incinerate them, like rocks sinking in a pond.

“Easy peasy lemon squeezy!”, taunted Ken again.

With a roar of pure animosity, Nefario shrieked, “Warlords! KILL THAT IMBECILE HALFWIT FOOLISH IGNORAMUS!!!” With that, the warlords, with enhanced Force speed, leapt about and zoomed toward Ken. Warlords were the basic equivalent of elite warriors. They were highly trained Force users that also excelled in every form of lightsaber combat. Ken tried to hurl Force waves at them, but the warlords easily avoided them. Within a minute, a mere 5 of them had Ken completely surrounded. Activating their lightsabers, they dashed at Ken, who leapt in the air and Force Waved them into the stone of the mountain, where their bodies would become fossilized for millennia to come after. Another 10 blocked his landing, and he was forced to cling onto the edge, where another 10 surrounded his get-up options, and yet another 10 remained suspended in the air, surrounding where he hung on the ledge.

“HAHAHAHAHA!! Impressed now, you dullard buffoon?”, laughed Nefario in spite.

“Not really”, Ken answered as he thrust a Force Wave that flew all the warlords into a nearby lava lake. The ten remaining warlords engaged Ken directly in lightsaber combat, where Ken was pushed to his absolute limits. He fought and killed every last warlord, slowly but surely.

“Just you and me Nefario”, Ken yelled, “Let’s fight!”

“If you insist, you Jadesh moron!”, shouted Nefario in response. And then Nefario leaped up to the height of the stars and came crashing down faster than a meteor hits the surface of a planet, but with more force. He created a giant explosion, which blew Ken away and would have killed him, had he not suspended himself with the Force in midair. Seeing this, Nefario burst red Force lightning right out of his fingertips, which Ken narrowly avoided. Nefario then charged Ken with both of his double-bladed lightsabers and engaged Ken directly lightsaber-lightsaber, which Ken was barely able to keep up with due to Nefario’s incredible speed. At the last second, Ken hurled Nefario away with the Force, giving him at least a chance to recover. Now at a distance, Nefario summoned Force illusions to attack Ken. Ken hurled rocks, which made the illusions quickly disappear. Nefario viciously followed up with more red Force lightning, which Ken now reflected using both of his lightsabers. Nefario, having had enough, thrust a Force Wave forward with all his might. Ken tried to counter it, but his defenses were blown threw, and the Force wave slammed his back into the mountain. He then became under a Force choke by Nefario. Right as Nefario was about to stab Ken with his lightsaber, he was blocked by a light shield emitted by Ken at the last possible second before death that blew Nefario away and caused Ken to regain his strength again. Nefario however, was incinerated by a beam of light emitted by Ken through the Force.

“It’s just us Daxogor. I will kill you for what you did!”, yelled Ken.

“You will find that to be a harder task than you realize, Jadesh”, replied Daxogor. And with that, the battle for the fate of the galaxy began.

 Chapter 7: The Revelation:

Ken and Daxogor’s battle was fierce, so much so that it shook the entire core of the world. They started by meeting with Force Waves, each in equal strength, and each struggling against one another. Eventually, because they were so even in power, both Waves collapsed simultaneously and made each opponent fall to their knees. Both quickly recovered though, however, Daxogor got up first and released a mighty Force storm upon Ken, which was an ability that allowed Daxogor to strike down dozens of bolts of red deadly Force lightning. Ken very narrowly avoided this ability with his light shield technique. Ken counterattacked with a beam of energy broadcast from the light, which Daxogor also countered with red Force Lightning of his own. They then engaged in lightsaber combat. What with Daxogor being a very rare 4-armed Rakatan, he was able to expertly maneuver 4 double-bladed lightsabers. This was incredibly difficult for Ken to deal with, even though he was an expert in lightsaber combat, one of the best on Tython even. As Ken was fighting Daxogor, the familiar presence he’d felt on Dxun kept growing stronger by the second. Eventually, it became so strong that he became distracted, and lowered his guard. Daxogor used this as an opportunity to completely obliterate Ken’s defenses. He hurled a Force Wave that slammed Ken against the ground, then attacked with Force Lightning and Force Choked Ken in the air. Ken, barely alive, fell to the ground in great pain.

“You see, you fool?”, Daxogor gloated. “You were trying your hardest and barely made a scratch on me.”

“But you must die. I must kill you, for what you did to my Master, and Daniel as well.”

“Don’t you get it, you complete idiot? I am Daniel Jardon. I was and still am the familiar presence you felt on Dxun and Tython and this planet. I was the Dargorian lord in you, your former master’s, and that fool Nefario’s visions”, revealed Daxogor suddenly.

“That cannot be true. I saw Daniel die”, exclaimed Ken weakly, who was still in utter shock.

“I orchestrated my own death, because I was tired of that fool Kata’s restrictive teachings and detrimental garbage. He was nothing but an impediment in the way of my path to power”, explained Daxogor.

“You were, admittedly, were the thing that made my turn to the Dark Side so difficult. You and that naïve young fool Nathan. I had a genuine friendship with you, a bond I truly cared about, but in the end, I made the right decision. I am more powerful now than I ever was training under the Jadesh.”

Regaining his strength, Ken asked, “What have you gained? What freedoms has the Dark Side granted you, that the light could not?”

“A fair question, I suppose, especially coming from such a naïve mind as yours. It has granted me more power than I could ever want. It makes me feel satisfied, more complete as a person”, replied Daxogor. “I will never again be a Jadesh and follow their foolish ways.”

His strength fully restored, Ken answered, “If you will not turn, I am forced to end you at last, old friend.”

“I laugh at your attempts to try”, taunted Daxogor. And with that, their fierce battle resumed. After long, long fighting of extreme intensity, Ken finally put Daniel to peace at last. With his death, the entire Dark Side presence on the galaxy retreated completely. After this fact, the base of the Dargorians collapsed, Ziost was recaptured, and the Wars of Fate finally came to an end.

 Chapter 8: The Consular and the Passing of the Trials:

Ken returned to Tython to the sight of Nathan at the starport. When he exited his ship, they embraced for a long time.

“Are you alright Ken? Have you found peace?”, asked Nathan.

“Yes, I have, but in a different way than I expected”, replied Ken.

“What way is that?”, asked Nathan

“While I was there, I discovered that Daniel was Daxogor, and that he would not return to our ways. I was forced to end his life, albeit in an honorable way”, explained Ken. After he and Nathan’s conversation, he was summoned to the High Council chambers, where he knew he was in extreme trouble. When he arrived, there was no introduction, only a harsh beginning.

“Knight Ken Ogone, you have disobeyed orders and have committed illegal actions that put your status in this Temple at great risk, stated the Mandalorian High Master Tigris Ordon with harshness.

“I await whatever punishment you shall dole unto me, High Council”, Ken resigned.

“That will not be necessary, young Ogone”, stated Grandmaster Kalla.

“Although you did disobey orders, because of your heroic actions, the Dargorians are no more. You have exhibited great resilience and strength in this final trial”, explained High Master Rarge.

“This Council is proud to bestow the title of Jadesh Consular upon Ken Ogone, for finding peace where most could not, for showing resilience where most would not, and daring to do and say what many with a weak heart should not”, stated Grandmaster Jalla with a smile.

“I thank you all deeply for this honor, High Masters”, stated Ken with a feeling of pride and joy within him.

And with that, Ken became a Jadesh Consular, and would go on to become High and eventually Grandmaster of the entire order, and would go down in history as one of the most legendary Knights the Jadesh had ever seen.

[lassieposting]

I adore your thoughts about deamon culture and upbringing. Something that’s always bugged me is that we don’t really get an insight into the culture and layout of heaven and hell or the non-humanness that makes angles and deamons. Please give more thoughts!!!

OH BOY, DO I

DEMON CULTURE HEADCANONS COMING RIGHT UP 

[1] My personal headcanon is that devil was originally a Lilim word that basically meant “warlord” - the leader of a clan with his or her own territory - and there were thousands of them, because demons lived in warring clans. Every clan had a _devil, _and they all considered themselves the ultimate authority and were constantly fighting for power. When Lucifer staged a coup and took over one of the strongest clans in the Ninth Circle, he basically went on a conquering spree, up to the point that there is now only one devil; all the other clan leaders have bent the knee to him. There’s probably either a Lilim way of distinguishing between A Devil (a warlord) and The Devil (Lucifer, King of Hell), or it’s become sort of an archaic term used only to refer to Lucifer and another name has become commonplace for your bog-standard warlord. The word then made its way to Earth both through Lucifer himself and through other demons before he outlawed possession, and developed its modern meaning from there. 

More under the cut - this is long as fuck. It’s becoming a habit.

GENETICS: 

- Demons live in one of the most inhospitable, treacherous environments of any dimension in the known multiverse. They’ve been shaped by the need to survive in their habitat. 

- Demons in general have a much higher heat resistance than humans, as well as far better low-light vision and enhanced speed, strength and endurance. 

- Hell has different habitats the same way Earth does, though, and the demons who live in the Ninth Circle (the part of Hell we see in the show, the part where Lucifer’s palace is) would have different adaptations to the demons who’ve evolved to live in the swampy marshland of the Sixth Circle (where Maze was born). 

- Demons are an R-coded species, so they have large numbers of babies, less parental care, a short gestation period and a very low survival-to-adulthood rate.  

- Because their babies have such a low survival rate, demons have very little parental attachment and they don’t form family units the way humans do (i.e. child raised by biologically related caregivers, close relationship between parents and child). 

CHILDHOOD:

- Baby demons are born already equipped with fantastic low-light vision, a full set of needle-sharp teeth, and the ability to get up and move around very shortly after birth. They’re not wholly independent - they don’t learn to talk or develop fine motor/dexterity skills until they’re older - but they are very much born armed and dangerous, which they need to be because… 

- They can and do eat their siblings in the nest, like sharks. Cannibalism is fucking rife in Hell. A large chunk of spawn are lost in their first year to fratricide/sororicide. It’s just seen as weeding out the weaklings. 

- In most clans, the spawn are raised communally in a creche run by designated nest-minders; these are usually the weakest members of the clan who would not be any use as warriors. Raising the young during their first few years of life is a fairly low-status position in society, but it does ensure that those weak demons will be fed, housed and protected - nobody wants to have to take over their job, so it’s worthwhile to keep them alive. 

- Demon spawn are…little demons. A large part of why Lucifer doesn’t like children is because of extended exposure to spawn. They completely lack empathy and social skills, so they’re loud, they bite, and a large chunk of nest-minders’ time is spent separating them when they try to kill each other. They won’t develop logic, critical thinking or their (still limited) sense of empathy until they’re a lot older. 

- Contrary to what some might believe, demons do have affectionate nicknames for their young - the sort of thing a warrior might call his trainee, or a nest-minder might call their favourite charge. The English equivalent would probably be kiddo or something, but they’d translate literally as “spawn” or “offspring”. There’s a sort of implication there that you care enough about this kid to see them as family; they can probably rely on you to protect them if they’re in danger. 

ADOLESCENCE:

- Demons don’t have a long childhood, and mostly they learn a trade by apprenticing under a professional. A would-be warrior is trained by an experienced warrior; a kid with a talent for art might apprentice under a leathercrafter; if you’re particularly intelligent and politically savvy you might get lucky and learn from your clan’s devil, if you manage to impress them. 

- A juvenile who wants to be a warrior (like Maze, for example) goes through a series of incredibly dangerous trials to become a fully-fledged adult warrior of their clan. It’s sort of like living in the Hunger Games, but, you know. Permanently. 

* Around the onset of puberty, at around 10 or 11 years old, they’re given a simple weapon and some supplies and sent out into the world by themselves to find something useful to bring back to their clan, to prove that they’re worth the time and effort it will take to train them. 

At this point, they have no formal training. They’ve got a decade or so of viciously scrapping with other youngsters in the creche for food, but they’re expected to get by mostly on their wits, their viciousness, and their willingness to kill to survive. 

There are hundreds of things that can kill a young demon alone in Hell. Demons from other clans. Heat exhaustion. Feral hellhounds. Dehydration. Volcanic eruption. Manticore. Harpy. Dragon. There’s even a chance another kid from their own clan will panic and kill first, ask questions later. 

What they bring back can be any of a number of things. Maybe some priceless gemstones that can be traded for commodities not native to their area of Hell. Maybe information about a territory ripe for overtaking. Maybe spoils taken from dead enemies from a clan yours is at war with. Whatever it is, it needs to be something the leaders of your clan will benefit from, or they might send you back out to find something better. Maze brought back Lucifer.

How impressive your gift is generally determines who you apprentice under; the kids who brought back the most impressive things will usually get sent to the clan’s top warriors. 

Only 30% or so of the kids sent out into the world will come back. The ones who didn’t clearly wouldn’t have survived training, so it wouldn’t have been worth the effort to train them in the first place. 

They’ll spend the next ten years or so (maybe more, maybe less) in training. Their mentor will teach them to fight with a whole load of different weapons, how to hunt, how to torture a captive, how to plan a battle, etc. The ones with leadership potential, training under the clan’s War Chief, also learn - on the DL, because nobody wants to get murdered - how to deal with your devil when they’re being an asshole, and how to bring them round to your way of thinking when their plan for a war clashes with yours. 

In bigger clans, at the end of their training, each warrior’s trainees get put in an arena to fight to the death. Of each class, only the last one standing actually becomes a warrior. Despite the immense amount of lives lost in childhood, demons breed so prolifically that plenty survive to adulthood. 

ADULTHOOD:

- Adult demons often wear identification marks, usually on their faces, to show whereabouts they’re from, which clan they belong to, and what rank they are if they have one. Some clans (like Maze’s) use face paint, others prefer tattoos, still others use scarification or branding. You don’t get to wear them until you’ve proved yourself, so it’s a great honour for a warrior to finally get their stripes.

- This helps establish social order - who you can and can’t flirt with, who you should and shouldn’t pick on, etc. If you’re a humble furs trader, you really don’t want to start a fight with a visiting devil over a casual insult to your work; you’ll get smoked. But fortunately for you, her face markings tell you who she is, so you keep your mouth shut. 

- Demons are promiscuous as fuck and don’t really go in for monogamy. It happens occasionally, but it’s definitely not the social norm. While every demon spawn knows who their mother is, it’s very common to have multiple potential fathers. 

- Demons can and do fall in love. They’re not very open about it, and there’s no way to say “I love you” in Lilim. Any demonstration of love is a demonstration of weakness, and in Hell any weakness will be used against you. Long term relationships between demons tend to look a lot like Lucifer and Maze - ride-or-die friends who hang out naked and have each other’s back against outside danger regardless of the issues they’re having with each other. 

OLD AGE:

- A demon who’s too old to battle anymore but was once a mighty warrior can still command a huge amount of respect; many become advisors to the clan devil - especially if he’s young; Lucifer had to lean on very experienced older advisors as a young king consolidating his power - or train the most promising up-and-comers. 

- Demons can and do grieve, but it’s usually expressed as a roaring rampage of revenge against whoever killed your ally. If something happened to Maze, for example, Lucifer wouldn’t cry or get sentimental; he’d cause so much carnage they’d be talking about it for millennia. By demon standards that would be the most touching tribute he could give her tbh. 

- After someone dies, their clan usually eats them - in a world where the creatures you eat can kill you just as easily as be killed by you, meat is meat and a meal you don’t have to work for is a gift. (This is why Mom asked if humans eat their own when She first came to Earth. Hell was a horrible surprise for both of them for a variety of reasons, and this is definitely one of them.) To humans, this is horrifying; to demons, it’s not even something to bat an eyelid at. 

- Devils don’t often get old. They live in a cutthroat world of power games and ambition, and everyone wants their spot. Devils get to the top by being especially cunning or vicious or physically powerful, and once the thing keeping them there starts to run down, they’re often killed and replaced by someone stronger. It’s just as common for your allies to turn on you as your enemies, so you’re watching your back constantly, never truly safe, always reading into every interaction for signs of danger. There’s a reason Lucifer doesn’t trust easy. As an angel he’s stronger than practically all demons, but Hell-forged steel can kill him; all it would take is for him to let his guard down just a little bit too much at the wrong moment. 

[3wisellamas]

Because there still aren't enough Deltarune theories: Fun Facts About Cards

So, I was thinking a lot about @pirenja's older post on Jevil and Seam as The Fool and The Magician, the first (or first and last, depending on who you ask) cards of the Tarot major arcana and which usually map to the Jokers in a standard playing card deck.  

There's also the MINOR arcana, though -- the plain numbers and suits that make up the rest of a Tarot deck, and look a LOT like a typical 52-card deck.  I knew about those, but didn't know those, so I got curious and spent a couple days looking into it, just for funsies.

So, uh...holy shit.  The card-based Darkners aren't just playing cards, they're TAROT cards.  The characters we know fit almost ridiculously well to their cards, and there were a couple parallels I found particularly interesting.  Allow me to infodump, and add in a few extra fun little things that also came up in some card research, and which might have some...interesting implications on the rest of Deltarune.  A lot of this is gonna come from Wikipedia, as well as this site.

Just a heads-up, this post is gonna include a lot of theories (some of which may or may not be pure crack) and will be LONG, and much of it will look like this:

...But in a fun way, I promise.  ~^

First, let's go over some REALLY brief info about some of the cards we've seen so far in Deltarune.  The ties between these guys and Tarot are pretty damn obvious, especially when you look at the four suits:

Diamonds:  In Tarot, their equivalent is Pentacles or Coins.  These are associated with wealth, business, and physical possessions.

Sounds a lot like the Rudinns and the King of Diamonds, right?  I mean, they're so obsessed with their treasure that they sold their beds to have more of it!

Hearts:  The Tarot equivalent is the Cups.  Associated with emotions and bettering oneself.  

Hathys are pretty big on emotion -- they're the ones you keep flirting with in encounters, after all, and the proceeds for Hathy's bake sale go towards their health.

Clubs:  The Tarot equivalent is the Wands.  This one I had to work a bit to figure out, but it seems to be more associated with social things, passion, and desire/drive.

Clover is definitely a social one, seeing as how they're throwing their birthday party in the castle when you arrive.  And they're also VERY passionate about three specific topics, which actually plays into pacifying them!

Spades:  Now for some fun.  In Tarot, these are Swords, and are most associated with...take a wild guess.  Ambition, power, violence, and the military.

Yep.  Shall we look a bit closer at the actual cards in the Spades suit, then?  

First off, the King of Spades/Swords.  The card is LITERALLY called The Warlord, and is associated with force and discipline, ruthlessness, intelligence, and sometimes coldness and abuse in a negative reading.  Pretty damn accurate to the King, I gotta say.  Not a lot of room for interpretation here.

The other Spade we know of, though?  A...little less clear-cut, but still works.  Lancer is the Jack of Spades, meaning his Tarot equivalent is the Page/Knave of Swords -- same card, just an older name -- which is indeed all about youth and energy, as well as learning and observing, and keeping cool in danger.  However, the card is also called The Spy, and also has a meaning of concealing oneself and keeping secrets.

Hm.  Some of that really sounds like Lancer, some...doesn't?  Perhaps our boy has an arc and some more character development ahead of him.  Or...I'll get back to this.  Because there is some interesting theory fuel here once I bring in another point.

Now, for a Spade we DON'T know yet, but that we know very well is coming:  The Queen.  The Queen of Swords is associated with intelligence, strategy, independence, and...repressed sadness and divorce?  Hm.

HM.  If the King of Spades is meant to be a Dark World mirror of Asgore, could the Queen end up being a dark mirror of Toriel, out in self-exile?  Time will tell.  And when we do finally meet the Queen in future chapters, she will very likely be one hell of a big deal, if the Tarot theme holds, so keep the card description in mind for that!

But, we can't stop at the Queen; we're missing a big, major detail.  In Tarot decks, and in fact in historical playing card decks in general, there are FOUR face cards of each suit, not just the three we see in a typical deck.  At the top are the King and Queen, obviously.  At the bottom is the Page or the Knave, as I said up there the equivalent of the modern Jack.  And the last one, between the Page and the Queen?  The Knight.

No, really.  The Knight is a CARD.  But, I'm gonna go further than that:  We already know someone, specifically a card person, in the Dark World who fits the description of the Knight of Swords/Spades, quite well in fact:

Associated with major, drastic changes -- pretty appropriate for the person who's been jailing kings and opening up dark fountains, huh?

Impulsive, and constantly takes actions without much planning beforehand.

Fanatical and single-minded, obsessively loyal to one thing and one thing only at a time.

Confident, to the point of arrogance.  Basically, obsessed with themselves.

Articulate, good with words, and a sweet-talker, able to get what they want through speech and charm alone.  Ironically, not often associated with direct action, and can mean cowardice.

Also, a bald-faced liar -- their whole thing is trickery and deceit.  They also keep a LOT of secrets, like the Page.

Worth noting, the Knight often replaces the Queen entirely in older decks, and is considered the card right under the King of Spades, as his main servant or advisor.

Notably, according to that Tarot site up there, they are heavily associated with major career changes and promotions.

You figured it out yet?

.

.

.

Oh yeah.  Worm knight.  

Let's go through some points with both Rouxls Kaard and that card description in mind, if you don't believe me.  

Uh, hello?  Confident, impulsive, acts without thinking, fanatical, self-centered?  The card description may as well be the guy's Wikia bio.

Articulate...well, he tries.  Can't fault him for that.  (yes you can)

Honestly, aside from that "God.  Damn it." moment, can you give me one instance in which his manner of speaking WASN'T overly flowery and fancy, to the point of ridiculousness?  That's, like, his most defining trait.

He's a coward, never actually facing you himself until you reach the castle, and instead preferring to vandalize puzzle solutions and throw minions at you.

He seriously butters you up during the entire second shop conversation, and in fact almost constantly from the moment K.Round is defeated for the final time -- he says he's always on the winning side, which at the time is you, and does his best to claim he never truly opposed you at all, that everything was a test, he just wants to help you, etc.  The guy even tries to BRIBE you at the very end if you went pacifist, offering Susie a plate of worms for letting him lie about his involvement in your adventure, to boost his own ego.  

Did I forget to mention he's pretty much got a lot of the Rudinns and Clover (and a lot of fandom it seems) charmed with his looks and manner of speaking, and wrapped around his finger as well?  Because that.

Throughout the game, Rouxls really is nothing more than a big talker and a big liar.  Most obviously, the first time you talk to him in his shop he says quite a bit, but does a COMPLETE 180 on ALL OF IT after he's defeated for the final time, suddenly going from praising the King to hating his guts and claiming to be undermining him, from mocking the Fun/$!? Squad to praising them and offering assistance, and from complaining about Lancer to admitting he cares about the kid quite a bit.  

Also, consider:  His "ultimate puzzle", which he suspiciously refused to show us...

Even if it's not explicitly pointed out as such, Rouxls is King Spade's second in command, the guy serving directly under him in the castle in the absence of the Queen (or any other castle staff besides the guards, for that matter).  In very old decks before the Queen was a thing, Knights are in between the Page/Jack and the King and are considered the King's advisor/right hand guy.

Knights also have a lot of very close connections to Pages, both in card games as well as history.  A page is literally a knight's very young (age 7-14) apprentice and servant, and stick close to them and learn from them -- similar to Rouxls' lesser dad/son relationship with Lancer!  (Also, a thought:  medieval knights would often carry lances, supplied by said page!)

During battle, the King calls the Knight "My Knight".  This might confirm that the Knight is indeed a member of his own court, the Knight of Spades, and not of another suit.  However, from the tone and some of the other things he says throughout the battle, it’s clear that King Spade actually owes allegiance to the Knight, rather than the other way around.  Possibly even some fondness for him, from that particular tone.  And...I'm not gonna beat around the bush on this.  King Spade is totally Rouxls' sugar daddy.  The King just up and fires everyone in his castle, and gives this random unqualified prettyboy the next-highest position after himself out of absolutely nowhere?  Yeah.  No.  Even incompetent kings don't just do that.  There's something really weird going on there, something about their relationship that screams there’s some shady business going on behind the scenes.  Though, potentially, one could also flip the script, seeing the new job as repayment for putting King Spade in power...

One final point, getting a bit away from the card again.  In the game, The Knight is supposed to have a close connection with the Dark Fountains, able to “pull them from the Earth” and manipulate their power to bring darkness or whatever, right?  When using the Card Castle fountain to go home, Kris and Susie teleport in a massive column of white light, that looks like this:

(Sorry, screenshotting that particular moment is tough...)

Look a little familiar?

Yep, I'm gonna go there.  The same goddamn teleport animation.  Nowhere else in the game is that particular animation used, even when it kinda should -- for instance, Jevil’s scythes also teleport in vertical columns of light, but those look entirely different!

There's some other things about Rouxls that actually make me super suspicious of the guy, but one that does so even more now, that I really should bring up if I'm claiming him to be The Knight:  Remember that last battle against K.Round?  When Rouxls brings out his "Control Crowne"?  That lets him control anything “disc-shaped”, and (if we take Ralsei's word for it) looks incredibly painful?  

...What the actual living FUCK??!  Seriously, is no one else IMMENSELY ALARMED by the fact that not only is this crown a thing that exists, but for some goddamn reason it just happens to be in the puzzle guy's possession??

I'm bringing that point up for a pretty big reason, though:  Another name for the Diamonds/Pentacles suit is DISKS.  If Rouxls wasn't just bluffing (like he does on everything else, admittedly), there's a good chance he might be able to use that crown on Diamond cards as well.

And Rouxls DEFINITELY has a lot of interesting connections to Diamonds himself, beyond that.  Rudinns generally seem to be pretty enamored with the guy, and the whole suit is all about money and even represent the Merchant, or if you will, the shopkeeper class.  (And if you ask him why he’s selling things to you, he will admit he's raising money, for...some reason.)  In a four-color deck, Diamonds are usually represented by the color blue instead of red.  Also, Diamonds/Pentacles represent the Earth element, which is where one would find worms and insects.  So, he may very well have a close connection to Diamonds, as well as being the Knight of Spades...

I'll get back to that one as well, though, because there's another point I wanna bring into this whole card mess that might complicate things.  Because while researching, I found a very, very interesting little bit of trivia about the Joker card...

Second half of this post and a LOT more fun cracktheories under the cut.  Yep, you heard me, I'm still only halfway done here!

So.  The Jokers, Fool and Magician, former members of the card court, before...something went wrong.  You know how Jevil (and presumably Seam, as his only equal) can apparently do anything?  Well, while researching Tarot, I also randomly looked into the Jokers and their functions in a couple of other card games, the biggest being Spades, because why not.

In Spades, the Joker card can attach itself to any non-Spade card in the deck to make it count as the equivalent Spade, though still inferior to the real Spade card.  In other words, Jokers can turn other cards into Spades.

No, I'm serious.  Look for yourself.

This idea I’m mostly just having some fun with here, but if this little bit of trivia happens to come into play in the next few Deltarune chapters, it might have some SERIOUS implications on what we know about the Spades court.  In particular, it means we might not be able to take...really, any of the Spades characters we meet at face value (pun not intended, but appropriate).

But you know what?  I think we should take a closer look at the Spades we already know, and see if that might already be the case.  

The King fits his card description very well, and we actually see the other three kings locked up in a cage, so none of them could have been converted into the King of Spades.  So, we can pretty much confirm he's who we think.

But, then there's Lancer.  So far, he's the only Jack we've seen -- I know the card characters were originally based on a set of playing card designs by @kanotynes, and that the Jacks in that deck included not only Lancer but also the various minor enemies we see:  Rudinn, Hathy, and Clover.  But, in the game, those three don't seem to have any royal ties at all, definitely not as princes!  So, I think we can confirm that they're not actually the Jacks of other suits in Deltarune.

So, I'm gonna go back to my first Tarot loose end -- the Page of Spades/Swords, Lancer.  Remember how I pointed out some pieces of the card's description didn't fully match the kid?  The secrets, the concealing of one's true nature?

What if Lancer's not the Jack of Spades at all, but rather another Jack that was converted into a Spade by one of the Jokers for whatever reason?  Let's take a quick look at the other Pages, and see if one fits Lancer a bit more, shall we?

The Page of Hearts/Cups:  A "sweet-natured child", immature, creative, naive, a bad childhood, and self-centeredness.  Not a bad fit for Lancer, gotta admit!

The Page of Diamonds/Pentacles:  Planning for and seizing future success and opportunities, loyalty, sometimes associated with fruit trees and harvests (”Delicious little apple” / "Sweet little peach"?), and most importantly, a student, constantly learning just like the Page of Swords.  Also not a bad fit, though maybe a little less than the Page of Cups.

Now for the really fun one.  The Page of Clubs/Wands:  Inspiration, optimism, also creativity and making plans, rushing into things without thinking (appropriate for the Knight's charge...), "a bit of a cheeky charmer or lovable rogue", impatience, laziness, and a big emphasis on "losing yourself".  Also, did I mention that Wands represent the fire element?

So, really all three other Pages have elements that fit this kid in different ways, but some of the things about that Page of Clubs are...striking, to say the least.  This possibility might be worth keeping in mind when chapter 2 ever gets released!

Now, then, there's also another Spade we know, even if unconfirmed, with no known equivalents in other suits to rule out.  Could Rouxls also have been another suit, and got converted into the Knight of Spades?  

Remember all those weird connections to the Diamonds suit I pointed out?  Well, let's talk about the Knight of Diamonds -- A Red Knight, if you will!

"A young man who is dark of complexion and features."  This is an actual quote from Wikipedia. 

Defensive -- focus on protecting home and family.

Hard worker, determined, stubborn, finishing what you start.

All about questioning one's work or home life, or where they stand on an issue.

An animal lover.

The "wish card", about making your wishes and dreams come true, via perseverance and ambition.

Also, a negative interpretation is a loser or laziness, expecting results but not putting in the effort.  

Not a PERFECT fit, but still an interesting comparison, no?  Especially those things about fulfilling your wish, but failing by not putting in the effort required, kinda like how Rouxls is quite proud of becoming the high-ranking and privileged "Duke of Puzzles", but doesn’t actually put together anything other than simple block-pushing puzzles.  Another thought that comes up:  The control crown(e).  If Rouxls was originally a high-ranking Diamond/Disk suit, that fucking thing suddenly makes WAY more sense.  (Also, it would make all the Blue Diamond comparisons really funny in hindsight.  Just saying.)

Yeah, I know, claiming that Rouxls is the Knight is a big enough deal, and this extra cracktheory about him being a Knight who switched suits  is one even I'm admitting it’s crazy, and over-analyzing is just what I do.  Who knows if all or any of this will still be plausible by chapter 2.  However, worth noting:  If Rouxls was originally another suit, and got converted into the "Lesser” Knight of Spades/Swords by one of the Jokers, then there is very likely ANOTHER Knight of Spades/Swords out there, a much more powerful one.  Hm...

...Naaaah.  Too obvious. And on the same note, if my cracktheory about Lancer being the “lesser” Jack of Spades up there ends up actually being somewhat accurate, then there's also an original one out there somewhere...

...Maybe?  If you look at that description up there again, it actually seems to fit Ralsei even better than it fits Lancer -- the things about concealing one's true nature, keeping secrets, intelligence, and analysis suddenly become quite fitting.  And didn't Ralsei's original concept art include a reversed spade instead of a heart on the front of his robe?

So, if these are the case, what card is Susie?  I'm...admittedly not sure.  ^^;  I bet someone else can find a card that fits her though, so I'll leave that one open.

Okay, okay, I'm done with the wild theories now.  Lastly, I just wanna mention a couple of other interesting, weird card things I found out while researching.  Won't go as in-depth with these, but including them because why not:

A lot of people have been theorizing about the idea of Darkners bleeding like humans, and unlike monsters.  What if I told you that "bleeding" is an actual card term?  When you bleed your cards, you're accidentally exposing your hand to other players out of turn.

Remember when Rouxls called the party "mine amigose"?  Kind of an odd line, especially coming from him, but it was actually another card game reference!  Also from Spades is the term "Three amigos":  A nickname for the Ace, Queen, and King of Spades.  Interestingly, the Ace of Swords is all about cutting through lies and exposing the truth.  (Maybe that could be a card for Susie in future chapters?)

Hell, there’s just a LOT of card references thrown all over the place.  A cute one is when Jevil says “piip piip” during his fight -- like the dots on dice, the individual symbols on number cards are called pips.

Want another fun Tarot card meaning?  Take a good look at the Nine of Swords.  It's generally considered the worst card you could get, even in a mostly positive reading -- It's literally called The Nightmare, and represents fear, stress, being overwhelmed, grief, doubts, cruelty, etc.  Basically, if it's bad, it's in this card, up to and including a complete breakdown.  Now, recall another line that seems totally benign at first, courtesy of Jevil:  "From now, a nightmare will awaken in your hearts.  In the shadow of the Knight's hand..."  If I were y'all, I'd make damn sure to WATCH THIS CARD.

Also, "The Knight's hand"...of cards, perhaps?  :P  Okay, bad joke.  

There's sometimes three Jokers in a deck -- a white one in addition to black and red.  Just sayin'.  Might wanna also keep your eyes open for a third Joker in chapter 2, maybe chilling out with the Queen wherever she is? 

[bitchfitch]

There was blood on the warlord's hand. It didn't matter how much he scrubbed, he could still feel it burning him where it stained his palm. He was convinced he could still smell the syrupy tinge of human his former apprentice carried. His own purely demonic blood seeped from where he had scoured his skin off in a vain attempt to get rid of it.

Pavo has pulled beating hearts out of chests, disemboweled the finest warriors with nothing but his teeth, stomped throats ripped heads from their worthless bodies, and never had any of it filled him with this boiling sickness. He felt his ribs would turn inwards and pierce his lungs. His every honed muscle shook with unbearable tension.

He could still feel the blood on his hand.

His apprentice, his fiance, the man he had raised from a boy like he was Pavo's own flesh carved off, he was a lying traitor. A whorish thing willing to abandon the only person who was idiotic enough to buy his sweet smiles and sugared words. A mutt whos kin wouldn't even acknowledge the existence of, leading them in a charge against the only true home he ever knew.

Pavo should have put the writhing, cowardly, disgusting thing in the chair he'd used to show the boy how to flay skin without killing who you interrogate. Should have relished force feeding him his own halfbred off cuts until his fragile little gut burst.

All Pavo had done was shove the ring that the only person he'd ever loved proposed to him with into the bastard's mouth before slapping him to stop his never ending lies and false claims of innocence and fictitious swearing of loyalty.

He hadn't even been the one to make the worm bleed. The strike had just knocked him back enough to gash open his scalp on the uneven stone work of the prison wall.

Pavo had grabbed him by his hair, pulled him off the ground and back onto his weak legs. He'd meant to make Esti look him in the eye and see the rage that Pavo had put so much fucking Effort into shielding him from all these years. Only to have it all killed by his palm coming away damp and red from those locks he used to brush and braid and play with or tussle every single day.

He hadn't seen the tears and snot staining the mongrel's face until that moment. Hadn't thought of the shadow born boy who hid under Pavo's cloak when the world was all too bright, or the young man he'd shown how to wield a sword, who trusted only Pavo to sew his leg closed after his first real battle left it in shreds.

Who never once doubted, who never once asked for more than Pavo could give, who never tried to prove himself the better of them.

Pavo had fled that cell like it was on fire. The man who had been his everything left there while he tried desperately to rid himself of the foul feeling of blood under his nails.

"Sir," there was a knock at his open door. Melagris stood there, her head up, her face stoney, her iridescence dulled by the filth of battle. "The injured combatants have been dealt with according to your orders. Cissa and Pica Corax have been found amongst the dead."

"Where's Gallo?" he already knew the answer, he just wanted to see if she'd take credit for her sudden promotion.

"He died in combat with the Corax boys," she lied.

"Noted. Bring the Coraxes to the prison. leave them in their brother's cell and tell the guards no one is to so much as look at Esti." he rolled his shoulders waiting for the pang of satisfaction he usually got from tormenting a hostage, none came. "You already know what duties you've inherited. See to them and make certain that there is not a single shadow in this village that a Corax can hide in while you do."

"Yessir," she bowed her head and began to turn to take her leave.

"Gallo was soft. I'm glad I will not have to see to his reappointment and I'm glad to have you as captain for this upcoming war. Slip up and your kin will be finding your corpse for years to come."

Melagris preened under his approval of her slaughtering her superior as she left to begin her work.

Morning came with all it's usual annoyances. Pavo had to remake the wards hiding his territory from other demons. The work being slow and tedious as he had to use methods he'd never taught Esti. Meaning methods he himself had never used. New keys were given to his flock of warriors, his herd of humans tallied and directed to take this or that path instead when they traveled. Boring discussions of rations and rebuilding and body burning.

Constant pitying looks thrown his way like darts. No one was stupid enough to say anything. No one even spoke Esti's name. It still made his absence from Pavo's side burn all that much more brighter and the blood he still felt on his hand throb.

The anger was gone. There was just a gaping hole where his insides should be.

Letters, discussions, assurances and bargains, meals, a bribe or too. Starting fights and helping clean away debris for no reason other than that he needed to make his every cell hurt. He needed to burn time before he would have to go decide what to do with Esti.

Night fell, Pavo hadn't slept since Esti woke him up at the beginning of the attack. There was nothing left to do. He tried to sleep, to let the traitor stew for a few more hours while his brothers began to rot beside him. Everytime Pavo dropped the spell on his prosthetic eyes, all he could see was Esti crying and alone.

He could still feel the blood on his hand.

He was stomping into the prison mere hours after sun down looking as weak as he felt.

His hair was loose around his shoulders, his eyes rimmed with exhaustion. His undershirt only half tucked into his sleep pants. Boots scuffed from dragging his feet. Never had he acknowledged a hostage without being dressed to the nines. Long overcoat and gold jewelry hanging from his horns and fingers. They needed to know he was better than them. That his wealth was so great that their blood ruining his finery meant nothing.

Pavo hadn't been able to make himself redress after his resolve cracked enough to send him crawling back to that cell. He needed to see Esti immediately.

Esti was exactly where Pavo had left him. Curled up in the corner with his face hidden behind his boney knees. The sleep clothes he'd been wearing when the attack started were torn and clinging to his grey skin like a snake's shed. His dead half brothers leaned against the wall beside him. Their guts distended with the rot brewing inside them, their blood caked faces twisted by rigor mortis.

Pavo wished Esti hadn't hated his mother's two younger sons. He needed the bitch to hurt even if he seemed too weak to do it himself.

He stood outside that cell with his arms crossed, waiting for his rage to come back.

It didn't. He could still feel the blood on his hand.

Esti knew he was there, kept his head tucked down even as his thin shoulders tensed by the subtle points of his ears. He looked so small. He was small, tiny compared to the full blooded demons he'd grown up around, but he never looked it to Pavo.

"Gracilis. Remember him? Finest warrior in my employ who just went missing one day."

Esti looked up, his brown eyes shadowed by his bangs. He knew Pavo didn't want him to talk.

"We, you, him, his apprentice, and myself, had been out hunting. He pulled me to the side while you and his brat were cleaning the kills, and he asked how much he'd have to pay to take you off my hands. Told him it depended what he wanted you for. You know how many other dumb cunts have made offers for you, He needed to do better than all of them," Pavo opens the door so he could come to crouch before Esti.

"He wanted to slash your throat and fuck the hole. Feed your body to that brat so the two of them could brag about eating the eldest Corax.

"I cut out his tongue and broke every bone in his worthless body for daring to suggest I'd let my apprentice be disgraced like that. I've lost count of how many demons smelled the human in you and made some stupid attempt to take what is mine because it made their mouths water.

"But after the shit you pulled? Telling your mommy how to get her warriors into the most protected village in these lands. It made me realize I should have let him. Should have given you to him as a gift and told him to not be so gentle as to let you die of a slashed throat."

Pavo let's the words hang between them, Esti is shaking and Pavo can see how hard he is struggling to not cry. It gave him no satisfaction. He didn't feel his words, the anger still refused to return.

"Good thing I didn't think some of your other wanters were worth killing."

"Pavo-"

"Shut up. You will not speak my name again. You are lucky you are a war trophy now. Because I'm going to be keeping you around as an accessory and as an insult to that bitch who made the mistake of not eating you the second you were born.

"If you disobey. If you attempt to run. If you step out of line Once. I will auction you off to the highest bidder and demand they let the group take turns with you before they begin eating you alive." he wanted to mean every word. He wanted to relish the idea of an enemy being brought that low, but the idea of Esti suffering that just made him sick.

Esti nodded, and Pavo saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Small, fleeting, and absolutely enraging.