#wu: i suppose some things are best left a mystery—

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

If Lloyd asks how old his Grandma is, would that be enough to leave him dethrone(for a day)?

Lloyd:

Mystake:

Lloyd: ...Grandma—

Mystake: Don't ask questions you aren't prepared to handle the answers to.

Lloyd: *channels inner determination* How old are you?!

Mystake: Sigh... I suppose the time has come... *tilts head and looks to the sky* ....the truth is, my beloved only grandson...

Wu and Garm: *peek from the sides of the doorway*

Lloyd: *leans in*

*dramatic music plays*

Mystake: ...is that I lost track.

*record scratch*

Lloyd: OH COME ON

Wu and Garm: *fall to the floor with a thud*

[wangxianficrecs]

Follower Recs

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Hi! First of all, thank you so much for running this blog, It's become one of three reasons why I haven't yet committed arson (I jest but the Feeling is true). [Hee, hee, hee.] I have a rec for you! It's called "wholesome life usurp immediately" by comfect on ao3 and it's. So good. It's unfinished but the author updates it literally every other day if not faster! It's a lovely fic, I hope you enjoy it. 🌻

Wholesome Life Usurp Immediately

by Comfect (T, 55k, yunmeng sibs, qingli, wangxian, WIP)

Summary: Wen Qing examines Jiang Yanli at Cloud Recesses and has a cure for her poor cultivation.

Now there are Three Prides of Yunmeng.

Everything kind of fixes itself from there.

~*~

hello mojo!! I would really like to recommend standing still (but we keep going) by lwjromantics!! it's really good!!

standing still (but we keep going)

by lwjromantics (justfantaestic) (T, 5k, wangxian)

Summary: Lan Wangji supposed that if having to take care of little A-Yuan and Mo Xuanyu and having to look at the reminders of Wei Ying in their habits and mannerisms was punishment for his actions, he would willingly take it and flay his own back open.

— There are children in the Burial Mounds.

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hii mojo! I just read this cute fic and I loved it so I wanted to rec it :) 

Word Up, Talk the Talk

by Larryissocute (G, 2k, wangxian)

Summary:  It wouldn’t have been a problem (it really wouldn’t) if they weren’t best friends. Wei Wuxian doesn’t know what good deeds he did in his past life to be blessed with Lan Wangji as a friend nor does he know what evil things he did to be cursed with being only a friend to Lan Wangji.

Or the one where Wei Wuxian kisses Lan Wangji and then runs away.

~*~

Hey! Love your account — and proud of you for taking the hiatus you needed.  [Lol - it was really nice!]  Idk if you take fic recommendations, but I'd love to rec Roots by ardenrabbit. Fantastic characterization, I really love it!

Roots

by ardenrabbit (E, 46k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary:  After Wei Wuxian's duel with Jiang Cheng, he finds that stab wounds aren't so trivial when he doesn't have a core to heal them. He wakes to find Lan Zhan in the Burial Mounds with him, already beloved by the Wens and making himself at home. When Lan Zhan tells him that he wants to stay and offers more help than Wei Wuxian knows how to accept, he fears that it's only too good to be true.

Lan Wangji knows that Wei Ying is doing the right thing, and he couldn't live with himself if he let him do it alone. For everything Wei Ying has sacrificed, Lan Wangji is determined to give something back to him.

Hanguang-Jun has turned his back on the clans to join the Yiling Wens and their demonic cultivator leader, and every clan has a different opinion on the matter.

~*~

Hello! I wanted to rec a fic on ao3 called "Restoration" by jelenedra. It's complete, an alternate universe of the sunshot campaign told nonlinearly. It has strong fairy tale and fae elements, with a touch of mystery. Bit of a fix it. Some delightful one liners, and the final ending imagery is just LOVELY. The fic deserves much more love. There's also some YilingWei, wwx not raised by Jiang, and sentient Burial Mounds elements. Enchanting read that keeps you enthralled and curious and intrigued.

Restoration

by jelenedra (M, 85k, wangxian)

Summary:  They say he was thrown into Luanzang Gang by the man who killed his parents; they say that he is an immortal cultivator who had been in a deep trance until the Wen sect disturbed his rest and incurred his wrath; they say that he is the fierce corpse of a cultivator who had somehow regained his mind and his spiritual powers.

When Lan Wangji sees him for the first time, he understands why people talk.

Meng Yao wants safety. Xue Yang wants vengeance. The Sunshot Campaign wants victory. Yiling Laozu provides, for a price.

~*~

I usually read all your recommendations. Thanks for gathering all good recs of wangxian. I am in love with every single story your recommend especially the favorites. [I’m so glad!]  I just wanted to suggest a fic i came across while searching for phoenix!wwx. Its a new story I think as author has published it today. The first chapter was very interesting that i thought ill recommend it you and know your opinion. The legendary phoenix and his dragon -Devipriya and Hidden Path to Love by ShadowTenshiV

Hidden Path to Love

by ShadowTenshiV (G, 78k, wangxian)

Summary:  Wei Ying is a servant working at the Gusu Lan castle. One day he enters through a secret passage way connected to the library where he meets a Lan for the first time. He may have left quite an impression, gaining the other´s attention and slowly becoming friends. They would like to become something more, but a servant can´t be with a prince, but maybe his secret can change that.

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hello mojo! i was wondering if I could make a fic rec? it’s called “and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow” by izanyas. it used to be on ao3 but the author has since moved it to eir own website and has started posting updates there. i was wondering if this could also act as a signal boost bc some old readers on ao3 might not have known that it is now on another website.   Author's been through a tough time so I think it deserves a lot more love.

For new readers, please mind the warnings in the prologue and the beginning of each chapter! it’s omegaverse and a very heavy read as it deals with (possible spoiler) off-screen rape that results in an unwanted pregnancy, as well as secondary gender oppression which runs deep, but for people who can bear it the writing, worldbuilding, and emotions are truly spectacular.

and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow

by izanyas (E, 270k, wangxian, WIP, link is to WordPress rather than AO3)

Summary: Cangse Sanren was the first of her kind to become a cultivator. Talented, passionate, free-spirited, she bested everything that ever came her way until the very end.

Jiang Fengmian refuses to see her son deprived of that same freedom.

~*~

Hello Mojo! I dunno if this's been recced before, but here's another ficrec for you? It's complete, on ao3, "The Third Young Master of Qishan Wen" by KouriArashi. It's 'if wwx was raised by dafan wen, but gets recognized as 3rd heir due to his skill' scenario. Some really nice banter and characterization. Wwx and lz get together before the sunshot campaign. Story follows the live action but diverges into au, and does some cool callbacks to original canon. Love Meng Yao in this!  [Oh, I know KouriArashi from my last fandom, I love her works!]

❤️The Third Young Master of the Qishan Wen

by KouriArashi (T, 139k, wangxian, my post)

Summary:  The fic where Wei Wuxian is adopted by the Dafan Mountain Wens instead of the Yunmeng Jiang.

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Hi Mojo! I can count the number of times I’ve spoken on Tumblr on one hand (I’m shy heh) but I found this fic that I think you and others would really like? I’m a sucker for emotional hurt/comfort and this was just too sweet for me not to share (did I go through 20 pages of bookmarks just to make sure you don’t already have it? Maybe …) [Aww, you can do a sidebar search in the bookmarks for the author’s name.  But I hope you found other good fics by carding through the whole catalog!]  It’s “Close Your Soft Eyes” by timetoboldlygo! I also wanna say thank you for all the hard work you put into this blog! It’s a treasure beyond compare. :D [Thank you so much!]

Close Your Soft Eyes

by timetoboldlygo (G, 12k, wangxian)

Summary:  When Lan Wangji woke, the first thing he noticed was the slip of paper, folded and tucked between his index and middle fingers, not Wei Wuxian’s absence. His fingers trembled as he unfurled the paper. A donkey with a little smile beamed down at him.

-

On the nights that Wei Wuxian was gone, Lan Wangji woke to gifts on his pillow.

~*~

Hey Mojo! I love your blog it is beyond awesome! [Thank you!]  I was wondering if you would consider reading JaenysBloodcourt series "A Bond to Takes us home"? The summary is weird but I like the fics and would love to hear your opinion on LWJ POV (it's part 2). Part one is Mingxian but part two (Wangxian) reads as a standalone for the most part. Anyways, thank you for all your hard work! <3 [I’ll put it on my list!]

A Bond to Take Us Home

by JaenysBloodcourt (T, 10k, mingxian - nmj/wwx, wangxian, series in progress)

Summary:  Wei Wuxian has two soulmarks. He has two soulmates that seem to be the opposite of him. During his first life he meets both of them, loves only one and longs for the other. In his second life, the one he loved first is dead, and the one he pined after is pining after him.

These are the many tales of his soulmates and the raucous they made across the cultivation world.

Some are dark, some are light. Beware.

~*~

I forgot to send this in for Mother's Day a few weeks ago, but have you read dragongirlG's "into the light of a dark black night"? It's a short canon divergence where Mama Lan escapes the Cloud Recesses after spending one last, heartbreaking night with her sons. It's so beautiful and bittersweet! [Oh, ouch.  I just read this author’s time travelling juniors au, but hadn’t seen this one.]

into the light of a dark black night

by dragongirlG (T, 3k, Madam Lan & sons)

Summary:  The night that Wu Yuhua, formerly known as Madam Lan, plans to escape from the Cloud Recesses, she runs into an unexpected complication.

That complication comes in the form of her younger son A-Zhan running up to her door and kneeling in front of it, hushed whimpers escaping from his throat.

Wu Yuhua knows it's not the full moon, knows that it's not the one day a month she's allowed to see her children—but like hell is she going to leave her six-year-old son out there trying to stifle sobs in the snow.

She opens the door. "A-Zhan," she says, bending down and reaching out a hand. "Come in, my sweet boy."

On a snowy night in the dead of winter, Wu Yuhua, formerly known as Madam Lan, unexpectedly spends one last night with her sons before escaping from the Cloud Recesses.

~*~

Hello queen I’d like to recommend for ur follower rec posts Avatar: The Untamed Waterbender by KouriArashi. Banger of an ATLA au, def the best one I’ve seen. It’s a WIP but the author updates pretty regularly and it’s all around an A+ fic [Oh, yes, I’ve been waiting for this one to finish before I jump in.]

Avatar: The Untamed Waterbender

by KouriArashi (T, 123k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary:  You know the drill. Long ago, the four nations lived in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

100 years later, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli find Wei Wuxian sealed in an iceberg.

Featuring: avatar WWX, waterbending JC, firebending Wens, airbending Lans, earthbending Nies and Jins, Jiang Yanli in possession of the brain cell, et cetera.

~*~

[My ko-fi.]

[rosiehunterwolf]

And the Walls Kept Tumbling Down

Prompts: Trust and Breakdown

Word Count: 3,706

Characters: Pixal and Lloyd

Timeline: right before season 8

Trigger Warnings: Mental Breakdown/Panic Attack, Lack of Self-Worth

Summary: Pixal has been Samurai X for awhile, now- a role that allows her to be herself, to be happy. But it’s also... incredibly lonely. Luckily, she’s not the only one alone- Lloyd has been left in the city while his friends go after Master Wu, and his presence is comforting. But as they struggle with a mysterious biker gang, Pixal can’t help feeling the want to be part of something more.

Link to read on FanFiction.Net:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13897921/1/And-the-Walls-Kept-Tumbling-Down

“Master Lloyd, maybe you should go get that checked at the hospital.”

“Pix, I’m fine, it’s just a scratch,” Lloyd mumbled through the gauze as he snapped it with his teeth, winding the last several inches around his forearm. “And I thought I told you to stop calling me that.”

“Why? You are our master now, aren’t you?”

Lloyd snorted, tentatively testing his arm as he moved it back and forth. “I’m no master. I can’t even keep our team together.”

Pixal stared at him, shocked. “We all agreed on this, Lloyd. It is the most efficient plan to find Master Wu.”

“Yeah, and whose plan was that?” Lloyd’s voice was suddenly sharp.

“I believe it was Zane’s, but-”

“Exactly! It was Zane’s plan, not mine. I did nothing. And now, they’re off searching for Master Wu, and I’m sitting here, doing nothing.”

An unfamiliar sensation squeezed at Pixal’s chest, one that felt hot and fierce and miserable all at the same time, before she had to remind herself that no, she didn’t have a body, didn’t have a chest to feel pain in, and that she was just speaking to Lloyd over the monitors.

At least, in the moment, she was.

“Zane trusted me to watch over this city,” she insisted, her voice unstable- which it shouldn’t be, she was a nindroid, not affected by such things- “He trusted us.”

Lloyd flinched visibly, looking away from the computer they were using to talk. “Pix, I didn’t mean- look, I’m sure Zane much would’ve rather had you come along with him, but instead you got stuck babysitting me.”

“Normally, I would object, but I think you’ve already proven your own point,” she commented, shooting a pointed glare at his bandaged arm.

Lloyd gritted his teeth, letting out a slow breath. “I get it, Pixal, I’ll be more careful next time.”

“A doctor’s visit couldn’t hurt, Lloyd.”

“Will you drop it already?”

She frowned. “I wish you wouldn’t grow cross with me, Master Lloyd. I am only trying to look out for you-”

Lloyd stood up sharply. “I get it, okay? I’m incompetant. You don’t need to keep calling me ‘master’ out of pity, I know I’ll never be able to live up to my unc- Master Wu.”

Pixal blinked at him, stunned. “Lloyd, I never-”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it!” And then he was reaching forward, slamming down the laptop’s lid, and Pixal’s world went dark.

He knew how much she hated that, when he turned her off or walked away without her consent, like she was some sort of object.

He hadn’t meant it- she had learned a lot about Lloyd in their past year alone together, and he often became impulsive when he was angry in order to cover up his sensitive, insecure side. It would probably only be a matter of hours before he came running back, apologizing repeatedly, and sobbing over what a horrible friend he was as Pixal patiently waited for him to calm down. But she had grown to like and respect Lloyd, and it still stung when he snapped at her, even though the logical part of her mind knew that it wasn’t really her that was the problem.

What bothered her even more so, though, was the things he said about himself. It had been abrupt, this time, but she hadn’t missed the times he had slipped it in more subtly into conversation. It made her angry, how he refused to appreciate himself.

And now, stuck in this stupid form, she couldn’t go after him.

Well. Technically, she could.

The Samurai X suit had been up and operational for a few months since her last major upgrade- the one that had finally given her her own, independent body, separate from just the mech itself.

But she was nervous to remove herself from the computer entirely. She was aware that she was so incredibly useful as a program, with instant access to all sorts of technology and data. She had become an asset to her team.

She liked feeling important, feeling like she was part of the group.

But being the samurai allowed her to physically be there. In these last few months, she felt like she had really grown to know and trust Lloyd- even if he didn’t know it was her beneath the samurai mask. She wanted to get to know the others fully, too- she was already fairly close to Zane, but she liked the rest of the team, too- Cole, Jay, Kai, and especially Nya, Pixal felt intrigued by. She had spent some time connecting similarities between them- there were a lot of differences, too, but she felt like they could be friends. A physical form would allow her to bond with them, like a human. She was well aware she wasn’t one, but she wanted to understand.

But she was afraid, too. Except for Zane, and maybe Lloyd, now, seeing the others again felt daunting. They had never been particularly close before she had been scrapped. What if they thought she was infringing on their team? The six of them had been close for so long. It would make sense if she wasn’t wanted there.

She just wasn’t ready, not yet. Communicating with Lloyd through the monitors would just have to do for now. It was difficult, though- it didn’t seem like he took her as seriously this way.

For now, though, they had bigger problems. Lloyd’s injury hadn’t been too severe, from what she could tell, and would heal quickly. But it had been a sizable wound, and could leave some pretty severe scarring, if he wasn’t careful with it- she knew he wouldn’t be, which was why she had to keep him in line- but the point was, these were no common thieves going around, dealing this kind of damage. This gang- whoever they were- were something bigger, more dangerous than their day-to-day threats. Pixal wasn’t sure if it was severe enough to start calling the others back- she didn’t want to interrupt their search for Master Wu. But she would certainly have to keep a closer eye on Lloyd from now on, to make sure he didn’t get in over his head.

She should probably start playing a more active role as Samurai X. Although the ninja had a tentative relationship with her mysterious persona, she wasn’t about to send Lloyd against this gang alone again.

She just hoped he would have her.

---

The next call came in much sooner than Pixal had anticipated. At the unappealing hour of four in the morning, Lloyd hauled himself out of bed and stumbled drearily out the door at Pixal’s report of a prison breach alarm coming from Kryptarium. With the rush, there was no time to talk to him, and the drive to the prison was awkward and silent.

When they arrived, it turned out the alarm had been triggered by accident. The good news was there were no criminals to stop, the bad news was that they had woken up at four am for no reason.

Not that Pixal particularly minded- sleep was inconsequential to a nindroid, but Lloyd was less than pleased.

“I mean, if you’re going to have an alarm system that immediately pages the city’s ninja team and makes them stop everything they’re doing to rush over there, it should at least be heavily guarded. How do you even accidentally set off an emergency alarm? I thought these guys were supposed to be professionals!”

Pixal stifled a laugh as he paused, taking a sip of the iced coffee he had picked up as they had headed back. He had told her, “If I’m already up and ready, I might as well spend some time in the city for a little while. Y’know, in case they trigger any other ‘alarms’ that I need to go rushing off to.”

“Perhaps they need a lesson from the ninja,” Pixal suggested.

“I’ll say,” he grumbled. “I don’t know how this city ever survived before we showed up.”

“Well, experience is the best teacher, and you guys have triggered enough traps and alarms to last a lifetime.”

“Wait, what?” Lloyd spluttered. “No, we haven’t! We’re highly trained ninja, we’re better than that.”

“Oh, really? I seem to remember quite a few in the Tournament of Elements, or the time with the technoblades, or when General Cryptor tracked you- shall I go on?”

“Shut up,” Lloyd snorted, trying to hide his grin. “You don’t know nothin’.”

“You’re right, I don’t. I was only with you for a short time before I was uploaded into Zane’s head, and after that, my view of your adventures was extremely limited. I can’t imagine how much more trouble you got into when I wasn’t there.”

“I hate you,” he said, attempting to scowl and failing miserably, the look on his face was too comedic for Pixal to bite back her laugh this time. It wasn’t long before Lloyd joined her, and soon, he was bent over, clutching his stomach, and he had to sit down for a moment to catch his breath. Pixal felt warm inside as she watched him take a long sip from his coffee. She enjoyed seeing him like this. He had been far too tense over the last few weeks, and she missed the more childlike, carefree side of him.

After a moment, though, the expression on his face fell solemn, and he turned to the tablet they were using to communicate to look her directly in the eyes. “Pix, I’m really sorry for yelling at you last night. I was being a brat.”

She paused carefully, both relieved and nervous that they were finally addressing this. “Lloyd, I know you were hurting. I am only trying to look out for you.”

He put his hands behind his head. “Yeah, I know, I need to work harder-”

“Lloyd,” she interrupted firmly. “That’s the other thing. I need you to stop saying things like that about yourself.”

He cocked his head at her. “Like what?”

Good grief, he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. “Talking down on yourself. I called you ‘master’ because that’s what you are now. You’ve earned this title, Lloyd. Just like you’ve earned everything else in your life, and more. It was not my intention to say you would take your uncle’s place, but say that you can be just as great of a leader as he was.”

Lloyd suddenly found the cracks in the concrete to be very interesting. “See, people keep saying that, but- it’s just so hard. I feel like I always mess everything up. Something always goes wrong, or worse, someone gets hurt-”

“Lloyd, you’re one person. You can’t expect to be successful all the time. You may be a ninja, yes, but your job is very difficult and dangerous, something most people wouldn’t even dream of tackling. You’re part of a team for a reason, and I’m sorry they’re not here right now, but until they return, you’re going to have to give yourself a little credit.”

Lloyd’s breathing hitched, and he scrubbed at his suspiciously wet eyes. His next words were so quiet, Pixal could barely hear them. “I just miss them. Everyone… everyone always leaves, and I’m tired of being alone all the time.”

Pixal was struggling to breathe herself- even though she was a nindroid, didn’t need to breathe- the sensation was still there.

She could remember when she had been alone too. Those nights after Zane had… had died, had been some of the worst times of her life. The emptiness had only made it sting worse, but when Lloyd had reached out to her, she had refused him.

She had been scared, scared to let anyone else into her life in case she lost them too, but now she realized that he had been hurting just as much as she had. She knew his friends had gone off on their own like she had, leaving him just as alone as the rest of them. She had been the cause of that, she had only hurt him more when he was already going through so much.

When she spoke again, it wasn’t just for the situation at present.

“I’m sorry, Lloyd. I’m so sorry.”

He looked up at the screen, his watery green eyes staring into hers, then raised an arm, his fingers ghosting the screen, before falling back to his side. He looked away, swallowing.

“What is it?”

“I just… I wish I could hug you. I wish you were here. Like, actually.”

“I am much more useful in the computer, Lloyd.”

“Yeah, but you’re not… you’re not here. I don’t care about how useful you are.”

Pixal let out a trembling breath, but Lloyd hardly seemed to notice, already beginning to stand up. “Sorry about being such a downer. I better get back to the Bounty, I’m sure the police have something for me to do.”

“Lloyd?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I just… they’ll be back soon. I know they aren’t like… other people. They’re going to come back. And besides, until then, I’ve got you, right?” He gave her a shy smile.

Pixal froze. This was it. He was extending- a metaphorical- hand to her. Offering her to be part of something that she had been wanting for a long time.

But it felt wrong. She wasn’t a ninja. She wasn’t one of his teammates. What if she was assuming wrong? What if he wasn’t really asking that?

“I’m not one of the ninja, Lloyd. I can’t help you the way they can.”

“No, you’re whoever you want to be, Pix. But you’re still my friend.”

Friend. Pixal felt a sudden urge to correct him, to tell him he was mistaken. “I’m not part of your team. I… I can’t be.”

“Trust me, Pix- in every sense that matters- you are one of us.”

---

“Pixal, I need my car! Now!”

The nindroid’s voice came out slightly crackly from the radio. “Your coordinates, Master Lloyd?”

“I’m somewhere around… well, you know how to find me.”

The cable he was gripping onto slowed to a stop, then quickly began to swing back down. Squeezing his eyes shut, Lloyd prayed that Pixal knew what she was doing, and let go.

Air whipped past him as he fell freely, the fall feeling both agonizingly slow and alarmingly quick at the same time, but before he had time to question what the hell he was doing, a blur of green darted out from a nearby alleyway, and Lloyd fell into his car.

He quickly pulled himself up and took over the controls. “Impeccable timing, Pix! You’re getting good at that.”

“I have to do something while you’re busy fighting crime, don’t I?”

“Speaking of which…” Lloyd cut off, gritting his teeth as he wove in between cars on the busy street, chasing after the biker. “Who is this person? Anything you can tell me about them?”

“They appear to be affiliated with the same criminal biker gang we have been having trouble with over the last few weeks. I am afraid I cannot tell you anything other than that. They have been keeping a very low profile.”

“Well, whoever they are, they’re good. I’ll keep you posted.” Gritting his teeth, he pushed on the gas and shot through the streets after the mysterious biker. They were a skilled driver, but Lloyd wasn’t lacking in that department either, and soon, he had caught up to the biker. The person’s eyes glowed an eerie red through their mask, their expression emotionless, and Lloyd forced his gaze away for a moment to examine the object in the back of his bike- presumably the stolen item. It was a red mask, with an ugly, beast-like face patterned over the top, complete with a mouth of crooked, yellowing teeth, and deep, glowering eyes. It looked like nothing more than a costume. Lloyd wondered what they could possibly want with it.

Putting on another burst of speed, he pulled in front of the biker, making them screech to a halt to avoid a collision. The two of them stared each other down, only a short stretch of road between them.

The criminal revved his engine, and suddenly, was racing towards Lloyd. Lloyd began to do the same, and just when he thought the biker was about to hit him head-on, mechanical arms extended from the bike, driving into the road, and sending the biker flying over his head. Lloyd slammed to a halt and jumped out of the car, running over to the bridge as the biker went over the edge. He yanked something near his chest, and all of a sudden, a big sheet was billowing out from his back, gray and black and red-

Lloyd’s breath caught in his throat as the parachute unfolded fully, revealing the emblem of a face that Lloyd had never thought he would see again.

No, no, no. Lloyd stumbled back from the railing, his breath hitching in his chest as he tried desperately to draw it in. This doesn’t mean anything. Perhaps they just are a fan of Garmadon, it doesn’t mean he’s here-

But it wasn’t working. His body just wasn’t listening to him, his heart beating too fast, his breath trembling and shallow, and his head-

“Lloyd!” A voice came from seemingly out of nowhere, and in his panicked state, he couldn’t, he couldn’t-

“Lloyd, it’s Pixal. What’s happened, why aren’t you responding?”

Oh. It was Pixal, on… on the radio. With trembling fingers, he reached down and switched on his mic. “...Pix?”

“Lloyd, don’t scare me like that, what’s wrong?”

“Pixal… Pixal, I don’t know…” Oh gosh, he was spiraling, spiraling hard, panic swamped his brain as images of his father flashed before his eyes, first running off with the golden weapons, then trying to kill him when the Overlord had taken over, then when he had submerged under the ocean, down, down, down with the Preeminent-

No! Lloyd’s eyes snapped open, scattering the images. He couldn’t be thinking about this now, not- not when-

Oh gosh. His father couldn’t be involved with this gang, he couldn’t. He was gone, gone for good. He missed him, so, so much, but nothing with his father was ever that simple. Something always went wrong, and Lloyd was just beginning to get over his last death, he couldn’t- couldn’t live through the pain again-

“Lloyd, Lloyd listen to me, just try to breathe-”

He could barely hear her. His legs had stopped working, and he sunk to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest, trying to remember to breathe. The last thing he needed was to pass out from lack of oxygen.

He buried his face between his knees, gulping through the sobs. Dammit, why was he like this, he hadn’t had an episode this bad since Morro-

And now he was thinking about that part of his life, one he had so desperately hoped to forget- it had been years, why was still not over that, he had gotten good at suppressing those feelings long ago, but when he got like this, he couldn’t control anything-

He hated when he got like this, it was so terrifying, he just wanted to go home, he just wanted Kai to be here, why was he always all alone-

Suddenly, firm, cool arms were wrapping around him, pulling him close. Lloyd gasped, his eyes flying open sharply.

A pair of glowing green eyes stared back at him, shadowed with fear. “Hey,” she whispered, her metallic jaw moving with the words, “I’m here now. You’re going to be okay.”

He had lost it, he was hallucinating, how was- how was she here-

“Pixal?!”

“Yeah,” her voice was quiet, rubbing her fingers across his palm. “It’s me. I’m here.”

“How?”

“I’m Samurai X, Lloyd.”

“Oh.” Vaguely, a part of his mind told him he should be more surprised by that piece of information, but he was just tired. His mind was already on overdrive, he couldn’t afford to take in anything else.

“Lloyd.” Pixal’s voice was scared, and he realized he was trembling in her grip. “Please, what has happened to you?”

“It’s- it’s…” Lloyd gasped for breath. “My dad, he- the biker, he was- he had-” and those words alone were too much. Everything was breaking, splintering apart right in front of his eyes, and he clutched onto Pixal like she was his lifeline- in a way, she was. She felt different from Kai’s warm, soft touch- harder and cooler- but sturdier and stronger, too. And right now, Lloyd could use a bit of strength.

But most of all, she was here.

“Why did you tell me?” He managed to get out. “Out of everyone, you told me first? Not Zane?”

Pixal was silent for a moment. “I know what it’s like. I mean, not exactly- I can’t feel what you are feeling right now. But… feeling emotions has been hard. Draining. You, out of all people, seem to know that. But you’re still so strong through everything. I just… you helped me to see how to heal. How to get better.” She paused, looking down at her hands. “But I guess it doesn’t always work out that way. I figured it was about time I helped you back.”

He leaned his head into her lap, examining her long, silver fingers, brushing them gently. “I like you like this. You’re pretty.”

He wasn’t looking at her face, but he could almost feel her smile. “Thank you. I worked hard to make this. I wanted to make sure… that I was better, this time. I still have some modifications to make, but…”

Lloyd winced, feeling a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry I made you show me before you were ready.”

“Lloyd,” she said firmly. “This was my choice. Not yours.” She took one hand and turned his chin so their gazes met, green on green. “I trust you. I always have.”

Lloyd felt his lip tremble. “I-”

Pixal stopped him. “It’s okay, Lloyd. You don’t have to say it. I know.”

Lloyd curled into her side and wept.

[theadusa]

All the dramas I’ve watched in 2020

These are all the dramas that I watched in 2020, with some review there should be NO Spoilers. I think I watched a lot more than usual probably because what else am I supposed to do between school and quarantine. So this is gonna be a long one...

Crash Landing on You (Lee Jung-hyo, 2019-2020)

Main Leads: Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin

Episodes: 16, 70 to 110 Minutes 

Thoughts: I enjoyed this drama, and it was a good one to start 2020 with. I thought it was a perfect blend of romance, comedy, heartfelt, found family, action, and some tragedy. I would highly recommend it, especially for those who are new to Kdramas. Also fun fact this is my first Hyun Bin drama. Rating: Fun and adorable

Tale of Nokdu (Kim Dong-hwi, 2019)

Main Leads: Jang Dong Yoon and Kim So Hyun

Episodes: 32, 35 minutes

Thoughts: I actually started watching this when it was airing but I stopped around episode 13 because of my busy schedule and finished it in the new year. I adore the main couple, the romance, comedy, the found family, and the women center story. I thought it shined the brightest when it was focused on the group and its funny and warm moments but once it got too political it kinda fell flat. I loved the ending, however. Also, I really like Jang Dong Young as an actor, I saw him in Solomon’s Perjury (2016) and Mr. Sunshine (2018) and I loved how he played Nok Du too. Rating: I love a women’s only widow village

I’ll Find You When The Weather is Nice (Han Ji-seung, 2020)

Main Leads: Seo Kang Joon and Park Min Young

Episodes: 16, 60 minutes 

Thoughts: I really liked this drama, probably one of my favorites this year. As you will notice I enjoy quieter and more slow-burn stories. Also, I am a fan of Park Min Young she tends to pick more interesting and strong-willed female roles, so it is really enjoyable to watch.  Rating: makes me want to own a book store.

King: The Eternal Monarch (Kim Eun-sook, 2020)

Main Leads: Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun

Episodes: 16, 70 Minutes

Thoughts: Confession; I am actually not the biggest fan of Lee Min Ho, nothing against him I just hate rich bratty characters and he tends to play them. However, I surprisingly really liked his character, he wasn’t a rich brat he actually was likable. I also really like Kim Go Eun, she is actually one of the main reasons why I watched and also with all the hype around it. Woo Do Hwan, who I have always liked, stole the whole show, however. I didn’t hate it like a lot of people, I really liked the characters, I liked the romance and the action. Also, Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun’s hugs were absolutely fabulous. It wasn’t my favorite and there were too many product placements, but I don’t think it was the worst drama this year. Rating: Lukewarm 

A Piece of your mind (Lee Sang-yeob, 2020)

Main Leads: Jung Hae In and Chae Soo Bin

Episodes: 12, 70 minutes

Thoughts: I actually really liked this drama despite the low views, again I’m big on slow burn stories and character focus. I believe the episodes were cut from 16 to 12 I don’t know exactly why maybe because of the Pandemic or due to viewership or a mixture of both. Despite its being cut short I really liked the ending, and I thought the two leads were sweet. Rating: Wish we had more time to develop the characters.

Its Okay not to be Okay (Park Shin Woo, 2020) 

Main Leads: Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Yea Ji and Oh Jung Se 

Episodes: 16, 70 to 85 minutes

Thoughts: Out of all the dramas I talked the most about this one. I have always been a fan of Seo Yea Ji since Save Me (2017) and Lawless Lawyer (2018) and I am happy to see her getting more recognition because of this role. The entire cast was amazing and I think I cried every episode. Such a good and heart-wrenching drama which is why I chose to watch it before work every time. Rating: I would let Seo Yea Ji stab me with a knife anytime.

Mystic Pop up bar (Jeon Chang-geun, 2020) 

Main Leads: Hwang Jung Eum and Yook Sung Jae and Choi Won Young

Episodes: 12, 70 minutes

Thoughts: I actually watched this while I was watching Its Okay Not to Be Okay and it was a nice balance to it because this was more of a found family story with less heartbreaking moments. Though it did have its share of heartbreak. I really liked all the characters and their relationship. Also, I am a sucker for bureaucratic fantasy/ magic, and kdramas are so good at it. Rating: I wish it was 16 episodes. 

When the Camila Bloom (Cha Yeong Hoon, 2019) 

Main Leads: Gong Hyo Jin and Kang Ha Neul

Episodes: 20, 63 to 75 minutes

Thoughts: I liked the story overall, the romance was cute and the mystery was interesting but I thought the family expectations was the best part of the story. This was not my favorite drama, but it was enjoyable and heartfelt. I watched it right after It's Okay Not to Be Okay and while I was watching Flower of Evil (2020) which probably is why I was so underwhelmed by it. Rating: Sweet romance and adorable found family.

Flower of Evil (Kim Cheol Kyu, 2020) 

Main Leads: Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won

Episode:16, 70 minutes

Thoughts: This was my favorite drama of this year. I went into this drama not thinking much of it, and I mainly watched it as a post drama blues drama. It was an action and thriller which I mainly don’t get attached to plus I am a huge fan of Lee Joon Gi. I should have known better, I cared so much about all the characters, the acting phenomenal, also every time they showed their hands I cried. This drama left me shriveled and empty inside. Rating: Lee Joon Gi will literally kill me one day. 

Put Your Head On My Shoulders (Zhu Dongning, 2019) 

Main Leads: Xing Fei and Lin Yi 

Episodes: 24, 40 to 45 minutes

Thoughts: This is the first Chinese drama on this list. I thought it was cute, I liked the couple and thought it was alright. I started to dislike the male lead later in the series but it was overall fine. It was basic and sweet with very little drama. Rating: It did its job.

The School Nurse Files ( Lee Kyoung Mi, 2020)

Main Leads: Jung Yu Mi and Nam Joo Hyuk

Episodes: 6,  45 to 57 minutes

Thoughts: This is probably my second favorite drama. I couldn’t tell what happened in the drama but I loved it. I thought it was weird and fascinating, and just so magical. I loved the children and just how the whole school was just off its rocker. I also think that Nam Joo Hyuk does really well in serious roles, and I thought he did a really good job here. Rating: 1 jelly heart.  

Mr. Heart (Park Sun Jae, 2020) 

Main Leads: Cheon Seung Ho and Lee Se Jin

Episodes: 8, 11 Minutes

Thoughts: This was 8 episodes of start fluff and I adored it. Apparently, it is apart of a BL series by Park Sun Jae and there is a movie version that I haven’t watched. If you want to destress and watch just fluff this is the show for you. Rating: If it is any sweeter I would be going to the dentist. 

You are My Destiny ( Ding Ying Zhou, 2020) 

Main Leads: Xing Zhao Lin  and Liang Jie

Episodes: 36, 45 minutes

Thoughts: I hated this drama, I thought it was the worst thing ever. I don’t know why I even watched all 36 episodes. Apparently, it is a remake of a popular 2008 Twaniese drama Fated to Love You and there is a Korean remake of it as well. I have watched neither of them, so I was brand new to this story. I hated, despised the male lead. He was whiny, entitled, and an asshole. The only good part of the drama was the male and female lead actually had a lot of chemistry, unfortunately, they are playing awful characters. Rating: This was made in 2020???

First Romance (Ding Pei, 2020) 

Main Leads: Wan Peng and Riley Wang

Episodes: 24, 45 Minutes

Thoughts: This is another Chinese drama. Similar to Mr. Heart (2020) this show was super fluffy. I really liked the main couple they seem to respect each other and they both had adorable crushes on each other. I loved the whole dumb jock and dumb artist dynamic it was so funny. Rating: Cute!!! 

Lost Romance ( Eri Hao, 2020) 

Main Leads: Marcus Chang and Vivian Sung

Episodes: 20, 70 minutes 

Thoughts: This is the only Twainese drama on this list. I think I liked this drama, I actually only remember very little of this drama. I like the CEO in the real world more than the book world, and I also really liked the female lead except she lowkey stalked the CEO like that was not okay. Rating: I think I liked it???

When We Were Young ( Deng Ke, Liu Guo Hui, 2018)

Main Leads: Neo Hou and Wan Peng and Gala Zhang and Pan Mei and Ye Marcus Li

Episodes: 24, 45 minutes

Thoughts: I really liked this film, I loved all the characters and thought it was all very heartfelt. I cried like a baby, and Hua Biao was such a touching and relatable character. And the whole grandma story hit so close to home. Rating: Made me cry like a baby.

Moment of 18 ( Sim Na Yeon, 2019)

Main Leads: Ong Seong Wu and Kim Hyang Gi

Episodes: 16, 70 minutes

Thoughts: I really liked this drama, and I thought the romance was so cute. I also really liked the relationship between the moms and was sad that the rich mom was a bitch and ruined the friendship. I also wasn’t a big fan of the ending, but I loved the rest of it. Rating: The main lead is part of a boy group because he had a random singing moment. 

Perfect and Casual ( Li Shuang, 2020) 

Main Leads: Miles Wei and Xu Ruo Han

Episodes: 24, 45 minutes

Thoughts: This is another Chinese drama on this list. I’m pretty sure it's considered an Idol drama so that sets your expectations. I really liked this drama a lot, I am a big fan of contract marriages and I thought the leads were so cute together. Also, this is the first contract marriage drama where the leads don’t break up which I like. A lot of the drama came from outside of the relationship. Rating: You can’t analyze love.

Le Coup De Foudre ( Wang Zhi, 2019) 

Main Leads: Janice Wu and Zhang Yujian

Episodes: 35, 45 minutes

Thoughts: My favorite Chinese drama on this list. I loved this drama, I thought it was sweet and simple and the main couple was so realistic. Unpopular opinion I disliked the second couple and the best friend I thought she was annoying and brattish. However, I adore the main couple and their relationship. Rating: Realistic sweet romance. 

More Than Friends ( Choi Sung Bum, 2020)

Main Leads: Ong Seong Wu and Shin Ye Eun

Episodes: 16, 70 minutes

Thoughts: I enjoyed the overall story and characters. I loved the group and their relationships. Also, Young-Hee made me cry, and her relationship with Hyun Jae was so sweet. The main leads were also sweet, and I related a lot to Lee So. I just didn’t like the back and forth. Rating: How many times can we break up in a drama. 

Be With You ( Zhou Miao, 2020) 

Main Leads: Ji Xiao Bing and Zhang Ya-Qin

Episodes: 24, 45 minutes

Thoughts: This is the last Chinese drama I watched this year. It was alright, the romance was sweet, I really like the female lead, and the male lead was nice to look at. It was okay. Also, the second couple was so ??? She was his boss, enemy, and older than him, what?? Rating: Sometimes you need to fall in love to be creative. 

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo ( Kim Kyu Tae, 2016) 

Main Leads: Lee Joon Gi and Lee Ji Eun (IU) 

Episodes: 20, 60 minutes

Thoughts: I know I am really late watching this, but I finally did. I went in knowing this would hurt me and Lee Joon Gi already scared me this year ( damn this man) so I was fully prepared. I really wasn’t,  it so much. (SPOIlERS) When Wang Eun and Park Soon Deok died I sob like a baby (SPOILER ENDING). It took me a long time to finish this show because its heart so much, like it physically hurt me. The show was really good, and heartbreaking, and the ending stabs me in the heart 20 times. Rating: Lee Joon Gi is trying to kill me with tears. 

Persona ( Lee Kyoung Mi, Yim Pil Sung, Jeon Go Woon, and Kim Jong Kwan, 2019) 

Main Leads: Lee Ji Eun (IU) 

Episodes: 4, 19 to 27

Thoughts: This is a collection of mini-films by directors. 4 separate stories are starring Lee Ji Eun. I thought all of them good, especially “ Kiss Burn” and “Walking at Night.” There isn’t much else to this, more than it is an artistic display of filmmaking. Rating: Hipster Kdrama

Come and Hug Me ( Choi Joon-bae, 2018) 

Main Leads: Jang Ki-Yong and Jin Ki-Joo

Episodes: 32, 35 minutes

Thoughts: I actually just finished this show today. I really liked it, I thought it was both sweet and heartwarming/wrenching. I hated that one journalist and the public like why are they blaming a victim. I didn’t watch it with my full mind because I’ve been distracted lately, but I did enjoy it. Rating: another cute but sad couple. 

Movies I watched this year: 

Spell Bound ( Hwang In Ho, 2011)

Main Cast: Son Ye Jin and Lee Min Ki

Running Time: 114 Minutes

Thoughts: I watched this at like 12 am after a bad day and it was cute. I love RomCom fantasy, which I think Korean media does really well. I don’t know what else to say except it is a really cute romance. Rating: Is it the ghost or the butterflies

The Host ( Bong Joon Ho, 2006)

Main Cast: Song Kang Ho and Byun Hee Bong and Park Hae Il and Bae Doona and Go, Ah Sung

Running Time: 119

Thoughts: This film I had to actually watch for class. It was a really good film which is expected from Bong Joon Ho. I love monster films and I thought this was a good rendition of this film. Also, The monster was so cool especially from 2006. I thought it was heartbreaking, stirring, and so beautifully shot. Rating: Oscar-worthy Direction 

Little Forest ( Yim Soon-rye, 2018) 

Main Cast: Kim Tae Ri  and Ryu Jun Yeol and Moon So Ri and Jin Ki Joo

Running Time: 103 minutes

Thoughts: I really, really liked this film. It reminded me so much of I’ll Find You When The Weather is Nice (2020) that I thought that it was based on this film but it isn’t. I have watched this film 3 times since October and every time I watch it have made bread. I really just love everything about this film, how quiet it is, the cinematography, the acting, just everything. Rating: Three loaves of bread. 

Always ( Song Il Gon, 2011)

Main Cast: So Ji Sub and Han Hyo Joo

Running Time: 106 Minutes

Thoughts: I thought it was okay, I watched it while I was knitting so I was distracted a bit. But I thought the couple was sweet, and the characters were interesting. Rating: It's Okay.

       Currently watching 

True Beauty ( Kim Sang-hyeop, 2020-) 

Main Cast: Moon Ga Young and Cha Eun Woo and Hwang In Yeop

Episodes: 16, 70 minutes 

Thoughts: This is currently an ongoing series that is actually really popular. Apparently, it is based on a webtoon, which I haven’t read. I like it so far, I always liked Moon Ga Young and I think she is a great actress. She plays Im Ju Kyung in a likable and insecure way, instead of someone annoying which could easily happen. I will be continuing watching. Rating so far: Okey dokey yo.

Live On ( Kim Sang-woo, 2020-) 

Main Cast: Jung Da Bin and Hwang Min Hyun

Episodes: 8?, 60 Minutes

Thoughts: I really Like this show. The main couple is sweet and supportive. I really like the female lead, I like that she is cold and kinda quiet, but with a sweet spot if you are not a dick. I really like the main relationship conflict comes from friendship instead of romance, I think it makes the show more interesting. Rating: I want to Join a Broadcast group.  

On My List: 

I actually don’t have anything else on my list so if anyone has recommendations please tell me. I am thinking about watching Mr. Queen ( 2020) because I really like Shin Hye Sun. I also want to watch Sweet Home (2020) the Netflix series. But please recommend me some dramas!!!

This is such a long list, and I had fun doing it and going back over all the dramas. I hope everyone has a good New year and that we will have many more good dramas in 2021!

[puttingfingerstokeys]

and we danced

I’ve had this one sitting around for a bazillion years. Sequel to Faraday Cage, though I think I started this one first. Oh well, that’s been happening a lot.

Faraday Cage

prevented timeline 

Sunset in Beverly Hills was a time of peaceful winding down for some—very few, of course, but some—and for Johnny Cage in particular, it was a time to sit on his patio, crack a beer, and play with the new turntable Cassie had gotten him to replace the one that had been lost in the move. A few boxes of records stood about like milling party guests and he was going through them, deciding what to listen to first. There were albums of many genres, and not all of them were his. He held a Doors album that had belonged to his late ex-wife, Sonya Blade, and gripped his beer a little harder than was perhaps necessary.

 The sun sank lower, casting red-orange hues over the expanse of his home and yard, staining everything a rust color while the sky ran through shades of pink, lavender and, to the east, blue, Stygian and star-dotted, though only for the moment. As night’s blanket fell, the lights of the city—the brazen neon refusing to relinquish its hold upon the evening—would drown out those points of light, irreverently casting them aside as if they were shards of glass, rather than precious diamonds. A lot of life’s like that, Johnny considered, choosing a record and placing it gently upon the turntable, lowering the needle with relish.

 An almost muffled crack of thunder—how a lightning bolt could be muffled would forever remain a mystery to the aging actor—resounded across the yard just as night took hold and his hanging “fairy” lights came on, activated by the lack of ambient illumination. He looked up to see the protector of Earthrealm, Raiden, striding across the expanse of grass which marked his yard. He was glad his fences were high and his neighbors were, in all likelihood, out on the town.

 “Whoa Raiden—somethin’ wrong?” He was immediately alarmed and set his beer aside to stand and face the deity. In his defense, Raiden walked everywhere with purpose, as if something urgent was happening someplace and it required his attention. Johnny chalked it up to being a god, though perhaps it was simply Raiden’s personality. Some people had a hard time differentiating between Raiden’s duty and personality; they so often coincided that even the god himself seemed helpless in the face of that gap—if indeed gap there was. But Johnny knew better. The gulf was spanned with firm ties, but there was a divide. 

 “No, Johnny Cage,” said the god of thunder with relief in his voice. “I am sorry to have alarmed you.”

 “I wasn’t alarmed—just… y’know…” Johnny sat back down before realizing he should offer a chair. He stood once more and gestured to his.

 “You were,” the god corrected, “because you rarely refer to me in that way unless you are alarmed.”

 Johnny felt himself go red to the ears as Raiden took the offered seat and he retrieved another from the garden shed which was positioned off to one side of the patio. A push mower and a few lawn grooming implements were also placed therein, but for the time being, he was only interested in a chair. Grasping it with one hand, he lifted it and closed the doors behind himself, returning to the record player, the records, and the literal deity who had settled in his seat.

 “Should’ve known,” Johnny amended, setting his own on the other side of the player so he could still manipulate it. “I mean you’re… not in armor, so I guess shit can’t be that bad.”

 “An astute observation,” responded Raiden, regarding the machine, speakers, and vinyl disks. He touched none of these, knowing that even his presence could upset electronics, but wondering after their purpose. He was certain that the machine itself would be adversely affected by his lightning, even if the discs were not. Raiden was not ignorant of mortal machines or customs, just too busy to become intimately acquainted therewith. No one seemed to hold it against him.

 Rather, they found it endearing. This, for some reason, did not upset him. It delighted the god of thunder to know people found him… approachable. Long ago, he had relinquished the cloak of aloofness, finding mortals and their lives to be far too fascinating and precious to loftily hold himself above them. The irony is in my tardiness; Fujin understood eons ago what it has taken me much longer to learn. I am a fool.

 “So why are you here?” Johnny’s words fled his tongue before he could restrain them and he blushed once more as he reached for the beer he had discarded. “Sorry—not what I meant. What’s… uh… Up?”

 “A desire to commune with a friend,” said Raiden simply but in his usual elaborate fashion that made Johnny wonder if he should also be speaking that way—it was like feeling underdressed at a gala or five-star restaurant, but with words. “I would have called,” Raiden added after a moment, “but…” His hands rose, palms skyward to indicate that he had no means by which to contact Johnny—e.g. no cellphone. Magic amulets, of course, were plentiful if one knew where to look, but there was no need to saddle Johnny Cage with such an implement when he could simply touch down in the man’s back yard and speak with him personally.

 For Johnny’s part, the thought of Raiden texting sent a hysterical thrill through his body and he restrained the urge to laugh aloud. He made a mental note to say something to Cassie later, but for now, it was more important to focus on the fact that Raiden had come back after that weird afternoon a few weeks ago—or had it been months—when he had kissed him! 

 Johnny had been sure that would be the last he would see of the god of thunder, though he had hoped this would not be the case, and he had resigned himself to only hearing peripherally from the guy when Earthrealm was in peril. He had even gone through the “is he avoiding me” phase before the resignation had set in. It was almost thrilling to feel so young and stupid again. Next to him, I guess I am young and stupid.

 “Well, I’m havin’ a beer and listening to old records—and I’m all outta beer. Lemme put this sucker on.” He did just that, gently laying a record on the turntable and placing the needle, standing with what he felt was a thunderous crack of his knees and then straightened. “You want one?”

 “My body is a temple, Johnny Cage; I do not imbibe.”

 “Could be an amusement park, Sparky,” came the reply, but as he had never forced his alcoholic preferences on Liu Kang or any of his other White Lotus or Wu-Shi friends, he did not press and headed inside to grab a second beer and maybe breathe a little. In the background of his retreat, Jim Morrison’s voice filtered through the air and filled his back yard.

 Johnny’s fingers closed on the handle of his refrigerator door and he pulled it open, feeling nothing other than casual affection toward the strange being on his porch. As he reached toward the next beer, however, his mind began racing along, out of control. It felt as if casual affection was morphing. He needed the alcohol and the comfortable haze it promised. 

 His hand closed about the chilly bottle and he stood, regarding the singular illumination provided by his refrigerator and realized that he’d forgotten to turn any lights on. Sunset had come and gone and here he was, standing in his dark kitchen with the god of thunder relaxing on his patio and listening to the Doors. His heart began to pound and he fumbled with the bottle opener magnet. Casual affection was, indeed, quickly giving way to something which scared him.

 When he finally managed to free his bottle of its troublesome top and return to the door, intent on gaining the patio without fumbling anything, Raiden had once more removed his hat and cap and was running his fingers through his hair. Johnny wasn’t sure the guy knew he was standing there, hand poised just above the handle of his slider, watching that silvery-white stuff flow and wave, catching the warm illumination of his yard lights. Once more, he was assailed by the desire to see it spread out upon a pillow beneath him. 

 Johnny shook his head to clear that thought, swallowed hard and tugged the door open. Raiden straightened and shifted, softly glowing eyes turning toward his host. In the back of his mind, the actor wondered if Raiden could read minds. He had never asked, but he certainly hoped this was not the case. 

 “I apologize for arriving unannounced,” Raiden said, inclining his head. His hands had dropped from his hair and were poised almost demurely in his lap. Johnny shrugged and remembered that he was supposed to walk out and join Raiden on the patio, rather than standing in the doorway, frozen by the man’s divine beauty. 

 Fortunately, the possessor of the divine beauty in question did not seem to notice and as Johnny uprooted himself, he turned, politely, and resumed his relaxed position on the seat. Johnny could not help noticing, with offhanded curiosity, that the seat didn’t sink much with the god’s weight as it did with his own. Weird.

 “It’s fine,” Johnny assured him, raising a hand. “Really. It was just gunna be me and this record player.” He reached over and turned the volume dial down so they could converse without difficulty. Raiden’s voice, he had noticed, was firm, but gentle—except when he was pissed. The commanding tone doubled his voice, amplifying it to the point where it seemed to come from everywhere and rattled in Johnny’s ribcage and skull. He was glad this was not the voice he was hearing. “I’m glad you’re here, actually.”

 Once more, Johnny’s words were getting ahead of his brain and, as usual, he could not retract what had been said. It wasn’t a lie, of course, or an exaggeration, but some things were best left unsaid. He lifted the beer to his lips defensively, but the statement was already out there, hovering in the air between them.

 Raiden watched him with a Mona Lisa expression, almost half of a smile, certainly relaxed, and knowing, as ever. Johnny prayed he would not ask why the mortal was glad to see him. He did not have the energy for that explanation, short though it should have been. Just tell him you wanted to see him again because you’ve got a thing for him, simple as that. Liu was right. Better to get it out in one go and see what happens. Worst he can do is vaporize me.

 Johnny decided that was an unkind thought and busied himself digging through his records; better to do that than prolonging the awkwardness of the utter lack of conversation. Fortunately, Johnny was the only one feeling awkward, as Raiden seemed content with the musical quietude and had settled back in the provided chair, inscrutable eyes focused on nothing in particular, and then falling on Johnny’s back as he crouched near a box, having himself a trip through memory lane. A warm wind began to pick up, coming off the ocean and bringing with it the smell of salt.

 “That you, big guy?” Johnny, as usual, broke the silence. Raiden shook his head.

 “No,” he responded. “I am the god of thunder, Johnny Cage, not wind.”

 There was humor in his tone and a levity that Johnny had come to appreciate, even to crave. It was so rare, even now, when everything seemed to be at peace. Shifting from his crouched position to one of kneeling, Johnny clutched a record in one hand and reached for the turntable with the other. Raiden could not see what was on the cover, but even if he could, it would be insignificant. In all his time and travels, he had rarely taken the opportunity to sit and absorb the music of Earthrealm—or any other realm, for that matter.

 “Raiden I—”

 “Johnny Cage—”

 Both men paused as they began simultaneously and then that strange, utterly human embarrassment settled over them like the blanket of night which had tucked itself in for the evening. Johnny turned to face Raiden, still half-crouched. The god of thunder was sitting forward, elbows on his knees, glowing eyes meeting Johnny’s without reservation. There was something in those eyes; right then they were not as inscrutable as they had been in the past. Or maybe I’m just getting better at reading him, Johnny thought, unsure if he was comfortable with this.

 “Please,” ushered Raiden finally, extending a hand toward his mortal companion. Johnny shook his head.

 “Age before beauty,” he insisted, attempting to introduce humor to a situation in which it may not have been appropriate, a very on-brand move for him. His heart was seizing and then hammering and then fluttering, as if there was some kind of small bird within, fighting desperately to escape. Johnny was not even clear within himself just what it was he wanted Raiden to say, or what he himself was attempting to express. He had been content simply allowing his mouth to run away with him, to see where it would take this situation. Now, faced with the reality of what a runaway tongue might cause, he was terrified. To busy his hands, he gingerly switched records as Raiden conceded. 

 “Very well, although I have heard on the breeze that some mortals find me to be… exquisite.” This, too, seemed to be an introduction of humor, so Johnny didn’t feel as silly as he might have done otherwise. Raiden sat back, looking almost impish, and certainly amused.

 “Fujin promised he wouldn’t tell!” Johnny’s tone was jesting, but his heart continued its staccato tattoo. He had not, in fact, spoken with Fujin in quite some time—like Raiden, the man was busy. If he had, it certainly wouldn’t be to confess some kind of high school crush on a celestial being’s equally divine brother. Twins, he reminded himself, they’re twins—Thunder Cat told Cassie and me recently. Weird. 

 They were night and day, Fujin and Raiden, but Johnny assumed that twins among gods did not operate the same as mortal twins. Or perhaps they did and he simply had no firsthand knowledge. The only twins he had ever encountered were a pair of actresses in one of his films—notably not the Ninja Mime franchise. The music began, but it was secondary to the melody of Raiden’s voice as he spoke.

 “He did not have to,” said Raiden, his tone warm, almost inviting—or maybe that invitation was a misinterpretation of Johnny’s fevered mind as he tried to lose himself in a swig of beer and an ‘80s power ballad whose title was lost in the cyan pools of Raiden’s eyes. “I know it is not an appropriate custom,” he continued, “to leave someone for long periods of time with no contact, but the nature of my—of what I am—dictates that I must. Forgive me for that, if you can.”

 “Anything,” Johnny breathed. He realized that he had not yet been able to return to his seat, so enraptured was he in Raiden’s gaze. The soft, warm illumination of his backyard lighting fell upon Raiden’s statuesque face and, rather than making him look ghoulish as it might do to just about anyone else, he became an older Adonis, still painfully handsome—beautiful, even—but no longer pretty in that fleeing way of youth. His face lacked the innocence of a younger man and Johnny realized he had come to appreciate this, craved it too, along with much else.

 “Your kindness does you great credit, Johnny Cage,” Raiden said.

 It ain’t kindness. This is so far beyond that, Johnny thought, his mind losing itself in that strange warm haze of beer, good music, and good company. Without thinking, Johnny shifted once more, moving closer to the god of thunder and reaching out toward him, laying a hand upon his knee. There was a low buzz when he did that, not a sound, but a feeling under his palm and fingers, dancing up his arm. He squeezed, feeling his heart clambering in his throat and wondering if Raiden’s was doing the same—or if he even had a heart. What operated within the body of a being like him? 

 Was it all clockwork, or maybe ethereal light? He had seen Raiden bleed and the blood was red, but when it caught the light, it was clearly shot through with veins of gold, unless his eyes deceived him all those years ago. When it hit the ground, it clattered as if solid. He did not understand this, but all the times he witnessed this, Johnny had been more than a little preoccupied. Gods were not supposed to bleed; it was anathema to their nature. Yet Raiden and Fujin could bleed and, more than that, they chose to bleed for the peace and safety of Earthrealm.

 “You don’t have to say anything,” Johnny advised, speaking low, loud enough to be heard, but not to drown out the music. He was responding to a look on Raiden’s face that suggested he was searching for words. His smile was more tentative now, leaning in the direction of the Mona Lisa, inscrutable and ethereal. He clearly wanted to relax, to allow whatever was happening within him simply to happen. The mortal could almost see the fight in his eyes. It broke Johnny’s heart and he wanted, all of a sudden and more than anything in every realm, to help Raiden move past whatever was slowing him down, whatever strange barrier stood between the god of thunder and his happiness, his own desires. 

 The deity had no trouble being decisive, even vicious, and dropping one whopper of a hammer when the need arose, but that need was never his own; always, it was someone else’s burden, though he would remind Johnny Cage that it was a responsibility he had chosen and for which he would fight to the death—maybe beyond. This scared the actor, sometimes. He didn’t know if he had ever, or COULD ever, dedicate himself to something with such vehemence. Had he expressed this aloud, Raiden might simply have pointed out his daughter, Cassandra Cage. 

 “I do,” rumbled the god of thunder. “My silence has done damage in the past.”

 “Everyone’s has,” Johnny reminded him, moving so he was crouching before Raiden, both hands comfortably on the man’s knees. His connection with the ground seemed to be strong enough that the current was running harmlessly through him. Raiden’s corona of electricity was not arcing or dancing about, seeking to harm him. It simply flowed, rather like water, from the eternal battery that was the thunder god, into Johnny Cage, and down through the earth. Whence beyond that was anyone’s guess. “But this isn’t silence, is it?”

 Raiden reflected that it was not, in fact, silent in that yard. There was music, and there was the two of them, and they were capable of conversation, of healthy discussion, and of much else. He moved with a deliberate purpose that froze Johnny momentarily, both hands finding either side of the actor’s head, a motion he had seen turn healthy muscle, bone, and gray matter into so much electrified pulp. 

 Rather than lightning from Raiden’s fingers, however, he felt the soft press of lips on his own, not urgent, but hardly tentative. This, he realized, was a version of Raiden who knew what he wanted, even if part of him was still unsure he should want it. Johnny would like to flatter himself—it really would be hubris at that point—and think that Raiden had spent all that time away thinking about him, about how to do this. If no one disabused him of that little flight of fancy, he would gladly go on pretending it to be the case. 

 To that end, Johnny returned the gesture, pressing into it and forcing Raiden back into the comfortable seat. The beer spilled somewhere in the grass and its memory was lost in the haze of heat the actor had found between the two unlikely beings—and between Raiden’s thighs. 

 Johnny’s hands were now gripping these, firm and powerful, through the strange material of his pants. He had in the past made a mental note to ask Raiden of what his clothing was made, if it could be manufactured for himself and the SF “kids” (when you were old, everyone was a kid). Right now, that thought was not even in the same galaxy as the rest of his mind. Right now, he only felt that heat; he was a being of pure sensation and would be more than happy to drown in it.

 Slowly, gently, his hands slid upward. His thumbs soon found Raiden's hips through the fabric of what Johnny considered his "habit". His grip tightened briefly, testing the waters. The music hummed on, but Johnny heard nothing. His focus was solely on Raiden, whose grip had shifted to the front of his shirt, grasping the lapels of Johnny's button-down. He seemed content to keep the Hollywood superstar as close as he possibly could. Johnny's hands traced the curve of Raiden's waistline which, though offset by leather and cloth, was pleasantly molded, almost perfectly to Johnny’s grip, like the narrow portion of an hourglass. 

 He heard himself moaning quietly into the kiss while the epiphany of his attraction to the thunder god’s shape washed over him like an ocean wave. His heart's rhythm had regulated itself and was thudding along steadily, if a bit strongly. Blood was rushing to all parts of him and he felt himself break out in a sudden sweat. Maybe he's frying me and doesn't realize it; isn't this what radiation poisoning feels like? He had to remind himself that Raiden was not, in fact, radioactive. 

 “Dance with me,” Johnny heard himself say suddenly, breaking the kiss with plenty of surprise, but no reluctance at all, eager to share this next, utterly unforeseen desire. Raiden, too, seemed more than a little astonished, glowing eyes widening momentarily, before softening. In fact, his entire countenance softened, assuming the look of something more accessible than merely a benevolent deity which, Johnny reflected, he was. He’s seen some rough shit, thought the actor as he stood, hearing his knees crack once more as he did so, pulling Raiden with him. So have I. Now I want some peace and quiet.

 Raiden stood willingly, unsure of what was next. It was a refreshing feeling. In all the eons of his life, he had rarely felt unsure of something and also been very comfortable with it. Lack of information had often led him to make poor decisions. This was not one of those situations, however. He was not really making any decisions, save to follow Johnny’s steps as the mortal pulled him close, wrapping one arm about his waist and taking his other hand.

 Johnny was surprised, as he had been when noticing the lack of weight upon the chair, at how easy it was to heft the god of thunder, so to speak. He was not picking the man up, yet, but even the act of moving him from a seated to a standing position was utterly without strain. It felt natural to draw Raiden to himself, pressing their bodies tightly together, all potential awkwardness draining away in the notes of the song coming from the speakers attached to the turntable. 

 When he held out his hand to receive Raiden’s, the god of thunder offered it with no hesitation or complaint. When Johnny pulled him close, he did not protest. When they began to move to the ebb and flow of the music, it was very much as if they were made for this. When the mortal manipulated the deity’s movements and body into a deep dip, he felt Raiden bend and ride along with the motion. 

 When he kissed the god of thunder, both men held tightly to the lifeline the other had become.

[yichens]

Huo Dao Fu

Because I am kinda obsessed with him

ooohhh i was so excited when i saw this ask!! i’ve always wanted to think about huo daofu some more bc we see so little of him and he’s just so cool. so i don’t blame you for your obsession haha. i wish you get something out of my ramblings!

(placing under a cut so that everyone doesn’t have to be subjected to huo daofu’s very scrutinizing stare. also, spoiler alert for sand sea ig?)

How I feel about this character

Damn this is difficult. I still remember when I got introduced to Huo Daofu in Reboot and was absolutely livid with him. How he refused to help Pangzi and was just frying some damn dumplings like?? Sir??? There is a dying man at the back of that van, please do something??? But at the same time, I was just about to burst with all of the questions I suddenly had because I didn’t know who he was or who he was to Wu Xie and why he would be Wu Xie’s last resort at the doors of death but. He was so cool? And I instantly wanted to know everything about him imagine my disappointment when I learned so little at the end).

So, after my initial shock had faded, I ended up liking him. He is possibly the coolest character in the whole of DMBJ. I would kill for him, though I think he would kill me instead for that if I ever dared. He’s just so capable. I love how unaffected by everything he is while still caring about others a lot. He’s one of those “Mention an emotion to me and I will run away screaming” -type of people. I adore that. Though I am also very curious about how he ended up being like this.

And then we get to Sand Sea where I was so happy to see him again? Even more so because that version of him was somehow so different! He was being so powerful. I could feel him oozing some kind of commanding aura while still standing by that Chen guy. I knew he was in charge. Everyone else knew he was in charge too. He knew he was going to abandon that man’s ass as soon as possible. 

And then I hated him for Yang Hao because. Yeah well. I guess Yang Hao made his own (bad) choices there but that is not a way to treat anyone in that type of situation. But then there was also the glimpse of care Huo Daofu showed to Yang Hao and? Yeah. he is so complicated. I want to pry him apart. I want to make him spill his every secret so that I can inspect him properly. I want to see more of him because he is just so full of mysteries and I adore him as a very unwillingly willing part of this team. He is doing amazing (especially with the outfits!)

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I don’t know if it can be called shipping but I really do believe that he and Wu Xie were a thing at some point. Maybe sometime a lot before the events of Sand Sea. Maybe they dated for a couple of months and everything about it was very bad and toxic. Maybe they still cared for each other with all the heart they had left at that point. I don’t think they ever loved each other or actually acted like a proper couple with all of which Huo Daofu would call “lovey-dovey bullshit” but I think they got attached. There was some type of security found in the other’s presence maybe. Something good but twisted in colliding like that, in all the bad ways. I don’t know, I just really like the thought. And somehow all their bickering in Reboot and the way Wu Xie says, “There was something between us” (partly because I was not aware of Sand Sea) made me just instantly go, “Ah, so they’re exes.” Also, they make way too many eyes at each other? I have no idea what that is about if not this?? Damn.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Hmm. Huo Daofu doesn’t really create that many specific bonds but I do adore him as the member of our Desperado Fam in Reboot. He comes to care for those people and they come to care for him. Especially him with Bai Haotian stands out for me because that feels like something that could really bloom. Huo Daofu might appear cold and emotionless but I think no one can stay like that in front of Bai Haotian’s brightness. I also feel like those two could collide mentally? In a way that like, they would really be on the same wavelength with each other? They are both very intelligent and part of some type of organization (army and Warehouse 11, both in the past now I suppose) that has used them and they have run from in a sense? To have this new life? I don’t know. But I feel like they would understand each other.

Then there are Huo Daofu with Yang Hao and Xiuxiu. I talked about him and Xiuxiu in my post for her so you can check that out if you want (here’s a link). I like the thought of them and explained them more there so I’m not wasting more space on that. And I really want to talk about his fragile and very bad, very good relationship with Yang Hao! Because yes, they are absolutely horrible in Sand Sea. I didn’t want that for Yang Hao and I was crying so much as all of that was happening but I do like the thought of them together. They are somehow very similar? Both outsiders and not as confident as they appear to be. Both in some way abandoned by the world. Both ready to do anything to survive. I think Huo Daofu manages to get under Yang Hao’s skin so well because he sees something familiar in this young boy (and absolutely despises it). Their relationship is very complicated and absolutely toxic, but they intrigued me so badly. I wanted to see more of them. I wanted to see them developing together and finding the dynamic that works for both! Because there is that one brief moment in Gutongjing where they are running away from that horrible place where all the Jiumen Association people want to go where Huo Daofu shows concern. He protects Yang Hao. He seems to take him as his responsibility and considers his safety. And that spark was somehow everything I needed to fall in love with their dynamic.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I gotta once again say that I don’t really know about any opinions regarding DMBJ in general, less so about Huo Daofu. I guess he could be someone that people don’t like but I also know that over here, everybody adores him or is at least fascinated by him. So, feel free to ask me anything if you have any thoughts yourself! I am open to any discussion regarding him ^^

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon

Many things because we see so little of him? I wish we got to see stuff about his army surgeon days. I wish we got to see stuff about him with the Huo family perhaps? I wish we saw something about his childhood or his teenage years. In Reboot, I wish he was even more present because now he just walks in and out every time they need someone with medical skills. And I know that he wouldn’t be there for anything else than his vow as a doctor because he tries his best to keep himself unattached but! I wanted more of him. It would be so interesting to see him with even more different characters. I keep thinking about how he would be with Liu Sang or Xiaoge or Hei Xiazi. I want to understand him more. I want more of him bickering with people and being his bitchy self because I love that for him.

thanks a lot for your ask! i really wish this gave you something bc huo daofu is someone i have problems wrapping my head around. he’s amazing still and i loved talking about him! have a wonderful day ^^

[bowsie22]

Pingxie Week 2021 Day 7

Summary: Pangzi just thought it was a pretty decoration

Written for Day 7 of Pingxie Week – Prompt: Qilin (Warning, mentions of character death. The death isn’t described, but the character dying is mentioned a few times.)

He didn’t expect it to hatch, no one expected it to hatch. It was just supposed to be a nice gift to cheer Tianzhen up, even if only for a minute.

Wu Xie hadn’t been the same after Xiaoge took a shot meant for him and bled out in the tomb. When they got home, he spent the first three weeks in their bed, barely eating the food Pangzi cooked for him, staring at the pictures on the wall, crying silently.

After the three weeks, Xie Yuchen showed up and locked the bedroom door behind him. Pangzi still has no idea what was said, but after a few hours the friends left the bedroom, settling at the kitchen table to eat the food Pangzi and Heiye had cooked. It was a quite lunch and Wu Xie barely ate, but it was something. He was out of the bedroom. For now, Pangzi could be happy with that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He found it in Beijing at a friend’s shop. Wang Meng was keeping an eye on Wushanju and its owner. It had been four months since Xiaoge’s death and Wu Xie was slowly recovering. He ate more, spoke to his friends and family, even smiled every once in a while. But he certainly wasn’t the Wu Xie everyone knew and loved.

So, Pangzi decided to buy him something nice, something he could research or puzzle over, to distract him. Poring over everything in the shop, he eventually decided on what looked like an egg. It seemed to change colour from blue to green when it caught the light and had scale pattern spiralling from the top to the bottom. Large in size, Pangzi had to hold it in two hands, surprised at how light it was. Looking at it, Pangzi had a weird feeling that he’d regret it if he left the shop without this thing. Mind made up he haggled with his friend, coming out on top of course, and walked out of the shop one egg extra.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been two weeks since Pangzi had returned from Beijing and, as he expected, Wu Xie was obsessed with solving the mystery of the egg. How old was it, were the spirals a map or tribal marking, could it be opened? It was nice, seeing his Tianzhen back in research mode. They still missed Xiaoge, that would never go away. Even catching sight of his hoodie that they never removed from the coat stand was enough to bring Wu Xie to tears sometimes, never mind that sword that rested against the wall in their bedroom.

But over the past two weeks, Pangzi had noticed a change in Wu Xie. He was sleeping better, eating better. When Pangzi asked him, the younger man muttered something about the egg helping and encouraging him, which made no sense, but if it made his Tianzhen feel better, who was Pangzi to judge? Let Wu Xie do what he wanted to feel better.

4 am the next morning, Pangzi was rethinking the egg. Woken by Wu Xie screaming his name, Pangzi ran to his room, gun in hand, ready to take on whoever was making Wu Xie scream like that.

“What the hell!”

Wu Xie looked up, eyes wide, hands shaking.

“I don’t know! I woke up to a cracking sound and when I looked this was happening.”

This being the egg. It was rocking from side, cracks growing across the surface. It was also glowing, the light throwing odd shadows across the wall. Pangzi couldn’t make sense of them, why would a desk cast a shadow of a deer?

“Pangzi! Something’s coming out.”

Dropping his gun, Pangzi fell to the floor beside his friend, waiting to see what it was. He definitely hadn’t expected this when he bought the thing. Egg shell falling to the ground, the creature revealed himself. Pangzi knew he wasn’t breathing, but really didn’t care.

“Wu Xie.”

“Yeah. Holy God, it’s a qilin.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was tiny, able to curl up in the palm of Wu Xie’s hand. It had seemed to imprint on the young man, following him around the room, distressed mewling leaving its mouth when it lost sight of Wu Xie. It was kinda cute. Less cute was the fact that neither Pangzi nor Wu Xie knew how to look after it. And Zhang Rishan had been no help.

“I’ve never read anything about an actual qilin being cared for by the family. Best bet, find out what it likes to eat and keep it entertained. And by the sounds of it, keep it around Wu Xie.”

Useless. Through a lot of trial and error over the weeks they soon discovered that the creature’s favourite food was chicken, its favourite person was Wu Xie, closely followed by Pangzi and if left alone for too long, it was very capable of destroying their belongings. Pangzi would miss that leather jacket. Naming it was a responsibility left to Wu Xie, who was struggling. None of the names seemed right, so for now, it was the qilin. It came running when called either man called out for it, stopping at their feet, ready to do anything.

“We basically have a mythical dog.”

“A fast growing one. Pangzi, does he look bigger?”

Another problem. This thing grew so fast. It went from curling up in Wu Xie’s hands to curling up in his lap in the first week. Now it was roughly lion sized.

“Pangzi, it he keeps growing, we’ll have to move him somewhere else. Wushanju won’t be big enough.”

Wang Meng was already complaining about the hooves destroying the wooden floors and the horns damaging the door frames.

“Come on Tianzhen, how much bigger can he get?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pangzi regretted ever speaking. After a month, the qilin was fully grown. It was the same height as an adult deer. Its scales were navy blue or black depending on the light and it’s two horns were a light grey colour. Thankfully, they didn’t have to move the creature, as the courtyard and gardens were more than big enough for it. Pangzi wasn’t sure they could even remove it from the Wushanju. The qilin was still hopelessly devoted to Wu Xie, following his every movement with intelligent brown eyes, racing to his side if it looked like Wu Xie needed help or was in any trouble. Any similarities to the third member of their triangle were quickly and brutally snuffed out. Wu Xie was recovering, looking better and healthier, happier! But anyone who knew him could still see the sadness in his eyes, sense that something was missing from their young friend. Pangzi was not going to ruin that recovery based on a suspicion, and a far fetched one at that.

Going to bed that night, he wasn’t surprised to see the qilin curled up on the nest Wu Xie created at the foot of the bed. Approaching the creature, Pangzi knelt beside it, reaching out to stroke between the horns. He should probably be afraid of the dragon head, but the qilin hadn’t hurt them yet.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this to a mythical creature that isn’t meant to exist, but please look after him. The last person I asked to do that took it very seriously, so I need you to do the same ok?”

Maybe it was a trick of the light, but Pangzi swore that the thing nodded at him.

“Thank you. It won’t be easy, but he’s worth it, trust me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The qilin took Pangzi’s words to heart. He followed Wu Xie everywhere, even into tombs shrinking down to a comfortable size. Knowing that those horns could be used to stab and kill made Pangzi a little apprehensive, but staying on its good side couldn’t be too difficult, could it? They left the tomb, tired and a bit worse for wear, but alive. Wu Xie was silent on the ride home. Their first tomb with Xiaoge was difficult. Pangzi still found himself wanting to call out to the older man to find a trap or follow Wu Xie down a pathway, the name catching in his throat as he realised that there’d be no reply, verbal or otherwise. A few times, he caught Wu Xie turning to the side, excitement on his face, eager to show off whatever he found, only for the smile to fall when he saw the qilin, not his Xiaoge. But they survived this tomb, and they’d survive the others. That’s what they promised Xiaoge before he died, they’d live on and keep exploring tombs. It was the least they could do.

Even with the qilin, he still didn’t like leaving Wu Xie alone. The qilin couldn’t cook or force Wu Xie to eat. Leaving Erbai’s home, having handed over some of the treasures from the tomb, Pangzi settled behind the wheel, taking a minute to relax. Every conversation with Erbai felt like another tomb, traps everywhere for him to fall into. The man couldn’t have a pleasant conversation, could he? Always trying to catch someone out on something. Checking his phone, he was surprised to see a message from Wang Meng. The younger man rarely messaged him, preferring to communicate with his actual boss.

‘You need to come. NOW!’

‘Pangzi!! Get home ASAP!! This is not a drill!’

‘Read your messages! Get back here!’

Stuffing his phone in his pocket, Pangzi sped home, heart in his throat. Had something happened to Wu Xie? Had something happened to the qilin? What was going on? Stopping outside the Wushanju, Pangzi saw Wang Men pacing outside the closed gates. Were those tears? Was Wang Meng crying? Even more scared, Pangzi grabbed the man by the shoulders, shaking him.

“What the hell? What’s with those messages, what is going on?”

“Just go in. You need to see this Pangzi.”

Holding back his own tears, terrified of what he might see, Pangzi steeled himself. He was no coward. And he promised to always be there for his friends, which meant seeing them at their best and worst. Whatever was behind these gates, he would face head on, for Wu Xie, for Xiaoge, for the Iron Triangle.

Pushing the gates, he saw Wu Xie kneeling in the courtyard. He could hear the younger man’s sobbing from here. His attention however, was instantly caught by the person holding Wu Xie in their arms. A very familiar person in a black hoodie with two oddly long fingers attached to the hand stroking through Wu Xie’s hair.

“Xiaoge?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After collapsing next to the two, pulling them into an extremely tight hug and sobbing the courtyard for about an hour, Pangzi managed to get to his feet and send Wang Meng home, ordering him to keep quiet about this for the time being. Once that was done, he and Xiaoge (who was alive! Xiaoge was alive!) pulled a still crying Wu Xie to his feet and deposited the man on the couch, Xiaoge quickly falling into place beside him. Pangzi left the couple to make some tea, needing to do something.

Returning with the tea in hand, he stopped at the door, taking in the scene in front of him. Xiaoge was there, breathing and alive, on their couch. Arms wrapped around Wu Xie, face buried in Wu Xie’s hair, the other man’s face in Xiaoge’s neck, still crying, hands gripping the familiar hoodie (the one from the coat stand Pangzi noted in the back of his mind) so tight it looked like it would rip. Needing answers, Pangzi settled into the armchair, handing the tea to his friends.

“So, what the hell?”

“Pangzi, Pangzi, he was the qilin. All this time, he was the qilin.”

Looking from Wu Xie’s tear stained, blotchy face to Xiaoge’s serious one, he knew they weren’t lying.

“Hah, the eyes never lie, I knew they looked familiar. But how?”

“When a Zhang Qiling dies, they get a second chance. But it’s not easy. The egg has to go to the right person. One who’ll care for it, look after it. Not someone who’ll use it selfishly. Your friend knows Zhang Rishan. After you told him I’d died, he went to the tomb, got the egg and handed it to your friend, telling him that you had to see it. You did and brought me back here. I had to grow and get my memories back before I could be me again.”

“And how did that happen?”

“I kissed him.”

Smile spreading across his face, Pangzi looked at Wu Xie. The other still had his face buried in Xiaoge’s shoulder, ignoring the grin on Pangzi’s face.

“I’m sorry. You kissed him like the prince does Sleeping Beauty? And here I thought you were the damsel in distress.”

“Shut up Pangzi! What would you know about beauties or damsels anyway!”

It felt good to be making fun of the couple again. Xiaoge really was home. Becoming serious again, Pangzi turned back to Xiaoge, wanting confirmation of this ridiculousness.

“You’re saying Wu Xie’s love saved you?”

Xiaoge looked down at the younger man, gentle smile on his face, eyes shining with nothing but adoration for him.

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Ah, this is getting too mushy for me. Xiaoge, stand up and give me a hug. I’m going to bed, let you two catch up. Remember though, not too loud though. I’m an old man, I need my rest.”

Ignoring Wu Xie’s stutters, Pangzi pulled Xiaoge into a tight hug. He was here, he was real. Pangzi wasn’t ashamed to say that he started crying again, tears falling onto Xiaoge’s shoulder.

“Thank you.”

Xiaoge whispered to him, face buried in Pangzi’s collar. His hug was tight, comforting, it was real.

“For looking after him. Thank you.”

“Thank you for coming back to him. To us. I’ve missed you so much.”

Pulling away, he took one more look at the young face in front of him. He still couldn’t believe that this was real, sure he’d wake tomorrow to a qilin at Wu Xie’s side.

“I still have a lot of questions, but they can wait until tomorrow. For now, get some rest, the both of you. We are going to be overrun with visitors once this is revealed.”

Waving to them, Pangzi left the room, stopping in the doorway to take one final look. Xiaoge, living, breathing Xiaoge sat back down, pulling Wu Xie back into his arms. Pangzi couldn’t hear what they were whispering to each other, probably declarations of their undying love, Wu Xie giving out to Xiaoge for sacrificing himself, Xiaoge saying he’d do it again to protect Wu Xie, all the normal things. God, it was sickening.

Pangzi loved it.

 A/N So, I was a bit unsure about writing a shapeshifting/reincarnated qilin. Please let me know if this isn’t ok or disrespectful in anyway and I will take this down.

[save-the-spiral]

Wiztober Day Nineteen: Transformation

Welcome to Day Nineteen of wiztober2020. Content warning for arguing, implied bullying, death mentions.

(link to prompt list)

Castian moved her fingers nervously, the slight rasp of her scales against one another a soft, soothing sound. She balled her hands into loose fists, thumbs slowly feeling the sides of her index fingers, her claws carefully out of the way.

She had been very, very excited at first. One of her best friends had a mysterious, long lost sister, so how could she not be ecstatic for her friend, as well as for the opportunity to watch something so dramatic.

But it hadn’t been fun, not really.

Castian had known of Mari Jade, but had never met the girl. Castian knew almost every student at Ravenwood, so to have not met Mari meant that she was a recluse to the highest degree. All the information Castian had about Mari was through the grapevine of school gossip that Castian played no small part in facilitating, and even that was sparse and, apparently, wrong.

Mari was supposedly intelligent, though not as skilled in practicals, and had a habit of barely even passing classes that relied purely on casting magic. She was a quiet doormat, easily pushed around by the more bullheaded or mean of the life school. She was also a teacher’s pet, on very friendly terms with Professor Wu, sometimes slipping up and calling her Moolinda in class, to her own embarrassment.

It was a pitiful amount of information, and Castian quickly learned that most of it was completely wrong.

The Mari that wreaked havoc through the ice school, barging in and demanding to see Emrys Pyre and not taking ‘no’ for an answer was not the meek theurgist that Ravenwood Academy knew her as. The ambient magic around her was sharp, thorny, and enraged, a dark green aura around her instead of the usual vibrant lime of average life wizards.

When she had found Emrys with the help of a very mischievous Genevieve (usually going by Eve, or Evie), a vital, if not very young member to their friend group, Mari had tackled the stoic and typically rude boy in a hug, and began violently sobbing into his shoulder.

And Emrys, instead of pushing her away or looking uncomfortable at the display of emotions, had simply soothed her, arms reaching around her thin shoulders and mouth moving fast. Castian, Eve, and Jen couldn’t understand the language, but it was fast and in a soft undertone, a constant stream of bouncing syllables as Emrys let this random girl cry all over him. Jen, the only one of them who knew any Earth languages, guessed that he had likely been speaking Vietnamese, though how a half Korean, half Japanese boy who was raised in Mooshu knew the language, none of them could know. Well, they could just ask, but doing so would likely anger Emrys, who was a deeply private person. Private enough to hide a whole sister from his best friends.

Emrys never faltered in his kind, if not protective hold on Mari. He guided her to the ice wizard dorms, and into Jen and Castian’s room instead of his own. There, he had sat down with her on the floor, not even noticing his three friends trailing along.

Finally, when Mari had calmed enough, anger flooding back in over any fear or sadness, the line of her jaw tight enough that Castian worried it might just snap like a rubber band, though she didn’t know much about human wizard physiology. Mari stared at Emrys with a deep anger, not at him, but simply too ingrained in her state of being so she could not stop sounding as if she were going to strike the next person who drew near.

“We need to go to Dragonspyre, and rescue my-” Mari stopped, seething, nostrils flaring. “And rescue someone. The old death professor, Malistaire, kidnapped her. He’s going to kill her, after using her to help destroy the Spiral.”

“Woah.” Eve whispered from the doorway, standing alongside Castian and Jen. She was just thirteen, due to turn fourteen in a month’s time, though she refused to act her age. Considering she was a prodigy, she usually got away with it.

Emrys shook his head, leaning back a bit, putting his weigh on his hand. “Right now? You wanna go storm an entire world right now?”

Mari’s face twisted with her anger. “If you’re not going to help me-!”

“No- no! I’ll help, Mari. Whatever you need.” Emrys’ voice was vulnerable, raw in a tone that usually meant a bad flashback, though not this time. “Just- we can’t run off with no plan, no preparation. I can’t-” His voice cracked. “I really can’t do this without at least a day to prepare, Mari. After that, we’ll do whatever we need to save this person and even save the Spiral if we must.”

Mari huffed out a breath. “A day? She could be dead! The Spiral could be gone, wiped out!”

“It will be anyway if you run off right now, Mari. Look at yourself. You’re running on fumes already- when is the last time you ate, or slept, or even drank some god damned water?” Emrys demanded harshly.

“I-” Mari’s voice cracked. “I don’t...” She seemed to almost sway from where she was sitting.

“A day, Mari.” Emrys murmured. “Just one day and then we can go save another world together, okay?”

“‘Kay.” Mari slurred tiredly.

“Cas, Jen, please take care of Mari while I get the supplies we’ll need? Genevieve, come with me.” Emrys kissed Mari’s forehead as she leaned against the side of Jen’s bed, and then he left, Eve excitedly following him.

Castian and Jen exchanged one look, and that was all they needed. Castian grabbed some of their many mugs, filling two with tap water, and then preparing to make hot cocoa. It would be a long night, and hot cocoa solved most problems, even if it wouldn’t solve this one.

Jen lifted the now sleeping Mari onto their own bed, covering her with a quilt. They hadn’t expected this, but they adapted easily, and this would turn out okay. It had to.

After Mari woke from her impromptu nap, she drank water, she ate, she even drank a bit of cocoa. She was silent, though sometimes if she stared off into space she would let out a dry, hoarse sob. This person who was kidnapped was very, very important to her.

Castian knew the best thing would be to distract her, fill her mind with other thoughts so she could rest, and then she could think as much as she wanted about whoever she wanted then. But not tonight.

It started with a haircut. Jen had suggested it, considering Mari’s hair was a mess, cut quickly and uneven. Mari told them that her braid had gotten caught on a fence, and she had no time. Jen began suggesting hairstyles, pulling out one of their magazines. Mari saw a picture of a beautiful girl in a leather jacket and ripped jeans, with half of her head shaved, staring moodily at the camera.

“That one.” Was all she said.

Jen had gone all out, and they turned it into a spa night, complete with nail (and claw) painting, and a bit of hair dye. Jen had even shaved a little complex design on the side of Mari’s head, vines curling and dyed green, a bit of magic involved to keep it in.

Mari finally smiled when looking in the mirror, though the bags under her eyes spoke of far deeper turmoil that a bit of pampering could not fix in a million years. Castian and Jen knew this, but still. It was fun, and Mari deserved fun before she went on a mission to likely kill a man.

They began picking out clothes, and that was when the real fun began. Mari was introduced to Jen’s rather broad taste in music, though she quickly honed in on the punk side, eyes wide and mouth almost twisting into a smile when she heard loud, almost chaotic sounds, and knew it was called music. After that, Mari spoke more. As usual with Castian, it turned to gossip.

And it was amazing. Castian hadn’t known how deep the life school really went with its sometimes harsh interpersonal relationships, but Mari was in it, and not at all phased by sharing these supposed life wizard only secrets. It was a whole new side to almost every life wizard, and Castian couldn’t get enough, almost overwhelming Mari with questions, both of them drawing out their anecdotes, dramatic pauses and all.

Mari was changing, and she’d need to be more and more prepared to change, because Castian knew that people who went on quests never came back quite the same. It reminded Castian of her cousins who were in the process of shedding their skins, draconian scales dulling, almost dead looking.

Then on the other side they were shining and radiant.

Maybe it reminded Castian of herself, a bit. Though she had never felt the loss and fear Mari had, not since she was very, very young.

Castian would always be willing to help out a friend in need though.

[lunati0ns]

i made these

AMPHIBIA:

THIRD PLANET (series, incomplete)

PLAYLIST: [YOUTUBE] 

RELATIONSHIPS: Sasha Waybright/Marcy Wu (Eventual Sasha/Anne/Marcy)

Reminding me we used to be three, and not just two. 

After Anne leaves them both behind, Sasha and Marcy find each other. 

(Maybe in the end they’ll find her again, too.) 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. even now you mark my steps, lovely bitter water (WORDS: 8.7k)

2. TBA

THE OWL HOUSE: 

THIS SIMPLE SEASON IS ALL OURS (multichapter, incomplete) 

WORDS: 18.6k

PLAYLIST: [YOUTUBE]

RELATIONSHIPS: Luz & Everyone, Luz/Amity

After a disastrous life-long school career, Luz’s first year at Hexside High is supposed to be a new start, and she’s not going to let anything ruin it. Especially not herself. She starts her year resolved to have a completely ordinary experience.

This plan goes completely out the window when it turns out that Hexside is nothing like she expects, in that a) she’s actually accepted onto their cheerleading squad (first try, even!), b) she makes actual friends who like her who she is (?!) and c) she’s given a mysterious pen pal who may turn out to understand her better than anyone else she’s ever met.

SHE-RA: 

I COULDN’T EVEN TELL YOU HOW THAT WINDOW GOT SMEARED (oneshot)

WORDS: 1.8k

RELATIONSHIPS: Bow & Entrapta 

"You... You know we didn't leave you behind on purpose, right?"

Suddenly, Entrapta can’t look Bow in the eyes. She turns her head, looking through the window to watch the world rush by in a blur of blue-green life and water instead of deciphering the look that he has on his face. Her hands resort messing with the buttons on her recorder, dragging her nails against the textured surface of its side. Catra's voice, the things that Beast Island told her while she was in that strange dark place, ring loudly in her ears (Some friends, they left you and they're never coming back, you didn't mean anything to them, you just aren’t suited to be with other people, there’s a reason no one likes you, there's a reason no one stays), and she falters as she struggles to speak above the overlapping echo. "W-Well... That is what I was... Yes. I did, ah, think that. Is that not...?"

"E-Entrapta, we thought you were dead. W-We... We had a funeral for you."

...Oh. Entrapta never really thought that she'd been missed.

*

On the way back from Beast Island, Entrapta asks a few questions. Bow clears some things up.

INSO’S LAW:

PAINT ME IN TRUST, I’LL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND (oneshot) 

WORDS: 4.4k

THEME SONG: [YOUTUBE]

INSPIRATION: [AO3] (read their fic it’s good) 

RELATIONSHIPS: Ham Dan-I/Ban Yeoryeong

They crawl into her bed together. Ban Yeoryeong lies on her side just looking at her, and again, Ham Dan-i initiates the contact- she opens her arms with a soft smile.

Ban Yeoryeong scoots closer, edging into Ham Dan-i’s warmth. The feeling of Dan-i’s arms gently curling around her makes her heart beat faster, the tempo rabbit-quick.

Yeoryeong has hugged Dan-i many times before. They’ve had sleepovers before, too. But they didn’t always share a bed, and whenever they did, there was something so different about it. The closeness felt special.

*

Ban Yeoryeong has a bad day that stretches into a bad night. Because she’s wonderful, Ham Dan-i stays over to help her sleep.

SPIRITFARER (please play spiritfarer):

MY FARAWAY FRIEND (oneshot)

WORDS: 1.8k

WARNINGS: Major character death, spoilers for Atul’s departure 

RELATIONSHIPS: Stella & Atul, Stella and Astrid

Perched on the highest point of her boat’s structures, Stella still has to crane her neck to stare up and up into the dark sky, at the irrevocable shape of her Atul's face carved into the stars, and understand.

Her voice is choked when she says, shattered, "Oh." Her heart lost in an overwhelming tide of too many emotions to name, whatever gleaming hope she had of seeing him again extinguished by a sea of sudden and all encompassing grief. "Hello, uncle."

***

After Atul disappears, Stella visits the Everdoor's waters in an attempt to find him. And she does.

Just not in the way she wanted.

[merinnan]

DMBJ Ep 4

We start off the episode with the Xiaoge Rescue Count at 5.

- Zombie troops. I'm sure that's not going to come up at all later on >.> 

- Hahah, that was not a subtle deflection, Pan Zi. Just admit you haven't read the book 

 - Oh, a gun just left laying around a tomb. Either the bad guys are just that careless, or something bad happened

- Oh, looks like Wu Xie spotted something 

- Or not 

- Mmm, I think one of the coffins in the tomb of the Zombie Lord being open is a bad sign 

- Well, I guess if it's already been scratched by spades, adding some more scratches isn't going to hurt much

- That looks nasty 

- So did the bad guys just...decide to dump their friend's body inside on old coffin instead of taking it back out with them? 

- And on top of the corpse that was already in there, too. That's just rude.

- Creeeepy 

- SANSHU! Isn't that a bit of an overreaction? 

- Wait, it was Pan Zi, not Sanshu

- Uhoh, if something's got Xiaoge visibly worried, that's BAD 

- Hmm, someone also left their entire pack behind 

- Did they just leave without telling him? Or is he hallucinating again?

- Mysterious booms and scraping sounds are NOT what you want to hear in a tomb 

- Coffins sinking and opening by themselves is even less of what you want in a tomb 

- I was expecting that jump scare and it STILL got me 

- And I'd thought that was the coffin with the bad guy in it

- Good move, Wu Xie. Now is DEFINITELY when you run away & find somewhere to hide 

- Oooh, that's what happened to the bad guy 

- I'm not sure that's a good idea, Wu Xie 

- Maybe you should stay where your friends are expecting you to be

- Isn't that where they came in? 

- Those tunnels were definitely not dug recently 

- Oh, a map, that's useful 

- Wu Xie, I know you've got your friend on the line with you, but perhaps exploring a tomb - that might still have bad guys in it - BY YOURSELF is not your best idea

- This is why Pangzi will call you Tianzhen. You're never gonna grow out of this, are you? 

- Sigh 

- Was that a body? 

- Yep, that's a body 

- Oooh, evil bugs. Those are a staple 

- I feel like we've seen that logo before but I can't remember where

- Clever boy, hiding your torchlight like that 

- Looks like the bad guys are still here? 

- Oh, it's Sanshu and Pan Zi 

- No, just Pan Zi

- DON'T JUST RUN OUT LIKE THAT WU XIE 

- ...Pangzi? 

- What are you doing here, Pangzi? 

- Oh, that's a lot of evil bugs

- Don't...don't roll around on the ground like that 

- Was that dramatic roll through the bugs really necessary, Pan Zi? 

- Come on, Pan Zi, you can get to that hole 

- XIAOGE! 

- Haha, the bugs know better than to mess with Xiaoge 

- Xiaoge Rescue Count - 6 total, still 5 for Wu Xie

- I have a feeling we're about to find out who 'he' is 

- The main coffin guy? Different coffin guy? Probably some kind of zombie 

- I think that was the bad guy in the coffin. He's looking even worse now that he's out & can be seen properly

- Those are some vicious bugs 

- A mercenary? I think he's a bit more than just a mercenary now, Xiaoge 

 - Oh, ew. Yeah, let's get that bug out of Pan Zi asap 

- That is HIGHLY UNSANITARY, Xiaoge, but there aren't really any better options right now. Just better disinfect it asap

- You two were supposed to be holding him! Good thing he has enough self control not to flail around while Xiaoge dug the bug out 

- Oh, good, it was already dead. And the little ones aren't poisonous. Because that would have been just what you needed right now

- I'm glad you realise the wound needs to be sterilised now, Xiaoge. I think everyone else forgot that 

- Hahah, Pangzi bribing Pan Zi into living with the promise of food 

- I guess the zombie mercenary is getting closer with the way Xiaoge is acting now

- ZOMBIE 

- Xiaoge Rescue Count: 7 overall, 6 for Wu Xie 

- Don't worry, Wu Xie, Xiaoge will be fine 

- Haha, Pangzi clowning around 

- Biting people? Huh, they really are zombies 

- Huh. I think he's hinting at a pretty vast underground tunnel system

- That doesn't seem like a safe way of doing that, Pangzi 

- Ah, so that's what happened to Pan Zi. Trap door in the coffin room. I guess that's also what happened to Sanshu? 

- Oh, Xiaoge was the one who sent Pangzi down here. I expect we'll find out why later

- Wu Xie, stop being suspicious of your future boyfriend, who has already saved your life SIX TIMES 

- Ah, there you are, Xiaoge 

- Dismembered arm just laying there, chilling on the ground 

- Haha, Pangzi seems personally offended by the bad guys being underprepared for this tomb

- What do you see, Wu Xie? 

- Hi, A-Ning 

- 'Are you acting in a TV drama?' 😂😂😂 Fourth wall? What fourth wall? 

- Good move, Xiaoge 

- Oh, there's a bug inside her, too. Lovely.

And there's the end credits. 

 Xiaoge Rescue Count at the end of ep 4 stands at 6 for Wu Xie, and 7 total.

[gwenbrightly]

Never A Perfect Moment 2

Crossposted from ffnet

Kai blearily peeked out of his hammock, still fully ensconced in the fluffy blankets Lloyd was so taken with. He could just barely make out the sleeping forms of his family on the several hideaway beds, additional hammock, and one air mattress that had been hastily inflated a few nights back when they first arrived at the apartment that Lloyd had taken up residence in while the rest of them were off on their individual missions. None of the others were up yet. Why was he even awake? So early…. Misako and Wu were probably still fast asleep in the loft he was currently dangling from. He snuggled back down, hoping that maybe he'd fall back asleep. He'd take every bit of rest he could get at this point. Everything that had transpired recently was definitely starting to catch up with him. It was hard to believe that several days had already passed since they had all been reunited. Life had been a whirlwind of phone calls, hospital visits, takeout meals, and restoration efforts. So much clean up and repair work… that alone took up countless hours. The busyness was good, he supposed. Kai had less time to worry about Skylor's fragile health when he was distracted by the hundreds of tasks that needed doing in order to return the city to its former glory. Somewhere in all the chaos, however, a small glimmer of light had appeared. Late into the previous evening, they had received word that the master of amber's condition had been updated to stable. Even if she wasn't conscious yet, it was a vast improvement over the puking, seizures and assisted breathing that had initially plagued her. And this fact was enough to give Kai all the hope he needed. The master of fire planned to be present whenever her body decided that it was time to wake up. Part of him wanted to kiss her senseless when it finally happened. But given the… undefined nature of their relationship, he wasn't sure she'd appreciate the gesture. He didn't want to hurt her…And he wasn't quite sure how to go about bringing it up without making the entire situation even more complicated than it already was. The master of fire buried his face beneath a pillow, trying once more to lull himself back to sleep. When it didn't work, he gave a muffled groan. He was going to need a nap later at this rate. Giving up on the idea of sleeping more, Kai quietly slipped from his hammock, navigating his way towards the quaint little kitchen. If he were going to be awake, he might as well do something productive and fix a nice breakfast for them to enjoy before another hectic day began (even if his cooking was nowhere near Zane's level). The master of fire tiptoed past a snoring Cole, then edged around the hideaway that currently housed both Jay and Nya, who were currently cuddling more excessively than he would've preferred. It looked like Jay had graduated from hugging pillows to subconsciously clinging to his girlfriend. But, they had been through an awful lot lately. And he was fairly certain that he'd heard the master of lightning mention something about yin and yang symbols at least once while they'd been in the First Realm. So. He should probably leave them be. In the quiet gloom, master of fire nearly tripped over a sweatshirt that someone (Cole) had left on the floor. He stumbled into the kitchen, catching himself on the island. Kai froze for a moment, concerned that the small thudding noise he'd made would wake someone. When nothing happened, he kept going. His phone was right where he'd left it the night before, plugged in on the counter. The master of fire powered it on and started searching for pancake recipes. He was 100% confident that Lloyd would never have stocked the cupboards with mix under any circumstances. Foods like this simply weren't anywhere near as good when they came from a box, and the blonde knew it. They'd lived off of off brand cereal and cheap multi-purpose mix enough times to recognize the difference. The ingredients weren't hard to find. The milk was perhaps a few days past its best by date, and the flour was a bit clumpy, but he could make do. At least he, unlike some people, had never given anyone food poisoning. Which put the odds in his favor (in his opinion). Kai pulled a griddle off a shelf and began measuring things into various cups and pitchers he'd located while waiting for it to heat to an appropriate temperature. As he poured flour into a cup, he failed to hear the stealthy family member sneak up behind him. Which was surprising, considering everything life had thrown at him lately.

"G'morning, Kai!" Nya whispered drowsily. He dropped a measuring instrument, sending up a cloud of flour.

"Nya, you know you can't do stuff like that. You gave me a heart attack…" He complained, blinking the white powder from his eyes.

"Sorry…" She hissed.

"What're you even doing up?" Kai asked, still in shock. Nya was usually the opposite of a morning person. She shrugged as best she could, careful not to jostle her bad shoulder.

"I… nightmare, I guess?" She informed him with a slight frown. It wasn't like this was anything new. Glancing at the glowing numbers on the microwave, she added

"But it is almost 8:30 in the morning…"

"Already?" He rubbed at his face, trying to remove the rest of the substance that currently coated it. She'd tell him about her nightmare if she needed to.

"Here, you look ridiculous! Please let me help you before you manage to get it everywhere…" Nya requested, reaching for a towel that hung near the sink. She tossed it to him with a practiced air of ease.

"Thanks."

"So. Makin' pancakes?"

"Yep. Wanna help?"

"Sure. It's better than watching Jay snuggle with my pillow…" They glanced over to the boy's prone form. Sure enough, in the absence of the master of water, he'd managed to maneuver her pillow into his arms.

"I bet you wish you knew what he's thinking right now, huh?" Kai said with a smirk. His sister raised an eyebrow.

"What could you possibly know about Jay's innermost thoughts?"

"Psh… don't doubt my abilities. Clearly he's thinking 'Oh Nya, I could hold you in my arms forever and ever. I think of you every second of every day… No! Every millisecond! You're so beautiful and awesome and your hair smells like wild cherries on a Sunday afternoon.'" Nya's cheeks turned bright red.

"He does not sound like that!" She protested, biting back a laugh.

"Oh, really?"

"Really. His lips move about a million times faster than that. Now cut it out before you wake the others. Chocolate chips or no?" The girl busied herself, rummaging through a cupboard Kai had somehow missed.

"Do you even have to ask?" He replied.

"Chocolate chip pancakes it is, then."

"You two really went all put with this place, you know?" The master of fire stated after a few minutes of joint mixing and measuring (during which time several handfuls of chips mysteriously disappeared). Nya sobered.

"Y-yeah… we… we wanted it to feel like home. So."

"I get it. It was hard on both you and Lloyd to be left here while the rest of us were gone." He assured her. The batter was almost ready now.

"Even with all the video calls and stuff. It just… wasn't the same. And then I had to leave too, and then… just when we were all together again…" Nya commented absently, playing with a few pieces of chocolate.

"Hey, let's not go there right now… Things were bad, yeah. But they're getting better. We just gotta keep moving forward."

"You've been spending too much time with Jay lately, haven't you?" She accused in a slightly lighter tone.

"You try being stuck with him after he's suffered a mental breakdown and see if you like it." Asserted Kai.

"No thanks." His sister retorted, a weak smile playing on her lips, "You know what these pancakes need to go with them?"

"Bacon?"

"Bacon." Nya decided, wandering over to the refrigerator. By some stroke of luck, there was a slab that hadn't yet expired.

"Perfect. And we've got whipped cream, too. This is gonna make Lloyd's day."

"Yeah! No one will be able to resist the Smith siblings' world famous pancakes." Kai stated lightly, holding out his hand for a fist bump. The raven-haired girl obliged with an eye roll, but wasn't willing to let Kai off the hook.

"You mean Betty Crocker's world famous pancakes."

"Yeah, sure, that." He agreed dismissively, making an (admittedly weak) attempt to bash her over the head with a spatula. Predictably, she dodged.

"Missed me, dork."

"Only cause you won't hold still, shortie…" The master of fire swiped again. This time Nya grabbed her own weapon.

"I'm taller than you." She reminded, blocking his attempt and returning it with her own.

"Yeah, barely!" The two spatulas met with a soft clang, but the siblings no longer cared whether or not they woke the others (the food was almost done, anyway).

"Porcupine breath!"

"Mistletoe addict!"

"Oh my gosh Kai! That was one year."

"You say that like there's no way it'll happen again this Christmas..." Kai paused to flip the latest batch of pancakes. Nya gave a long-suffering sigh.

"How do you know you won't be the one using it as an excuse to kiss Skylor?"

"I… I haven't even talked to her about things yet. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here... I don't even know if…" He replied in a more serious tone. Her face fell slightly.

"That's... Okay, I understand..."

"Sorry… it's just… you and Jay make all of this look so easy, and…" Kai started. Nya snorted, shaking her head in wonder.

"Easy?! Kai. You know as well as anyone that we've had our fair share of rough patches. Super rough ones. There were days I thought we'd never make it to this point. And sometimes? I'm still scared I'm gonna mess up really bad and hurt him again…" She admitted softly. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He'd missed these heart to hearts with his sister. It felt good to be able to be so open with each other again. Even if there were still a few things he was keeping from her – Jay owed him big time.

"You've both come such a long way. I'm so proud of you, sis. And somehow, I don't think that's gonna happen. Something tells me you guys are gonna be just fine."

"Thanks… I think I needed to hear that…" She replied, leaning against him, "You're heading to the hospital as soon as breakfast's over." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah. If… if she wakes up today, I wanna be there for her. Not sure how she'll take the whole coma and being put on oxygen thing." The ninja of fire admitted. She nodded and snuggled against him, enjoying the quiet.

"I smell food," Came Cole's voice from the air mattress he was currently located on, "How soon're we gonna eat?"

"It'll be sooner if you come set the table like the gentleman that you are." Nya called back.

"Hear that, buddy? It's time to get up and make ourselves useful." The master of earth told Lloyd, throwing a perfectly aimed pillow at him. He sat up with a yawn.

"Gah! Fine. I'm up." The blonde stated with a groan, climbing out of his hammock.

"Want me to set out the juice?" Jay offered, also awake now and full of energy.

"Sure."

"And while we do that, can you guys fold up the hideaways? There's no point in having them take up all this extra space." The Green Ninja asked Zane and Pixal.

"Of course." The samurai replied.

"It shouldn't take us very long." Added the master of ice brightly. Like a well-oiled machine, the group set about accomplishing their responsibilities. Within minutes, several people were already in line to start filling their plates.

"So, obviously Kai will be heading to the hospital first, but then what?" Lloyd asked, spraying nearly an entire can of whipped cream on his food. Was he really that predictable? Kai briefly wondered in between attempts to confiscate the delicious topping before Lloyd could make himself sick.

"You gonna join us at the old monastery? Uncle Wu mentioned wanting to look into rebuilding it."

"Uh. Maybe. I was thinking of dropping by Master Chen's and seeing if June needs any help first, though, if that's okay with you guys?" He answered, piling some bacon onto his plate. Nya nodded.

"That poor girl probably does need some support. I can't imagine how chaotic things at the restaurant are right now. Maybe we should meet you there and all head to the monastery together?" She suggested.

"Yeah. That's a good plan. We'll work on helping with rebuilding efforts somewhere nearby and catch you on our way over." Lloyd decided. Kai gave his family a smile.

"Fine by me. I'll text you when I'm done at the hospital."

~-~

Kai was already far too familiar with the route that would take him to Skylor's room. He hurriedly scribbled his name on the check in sheet and turned leave, but was interrupted by Jen, the nurse who happened to be running the visitor's desk.

"I should probably warn you. Miss Chen is finally awake, but she was causing quite the commotion earlier..." She told him. He stared at her, confused. Oh. Now he wished that he'd arrived a bit earlier. Not that he'd pass up a nice breakfast with his family. He knew how much it meant to Lloyd and Nya.

"What do you mean commotion…?"

"Um… We had to give her a bunch of narcotics because her body is still recovering from being so sick, and she was in a lot of pain, and… Well… maybe it's better if you see for yourself…"

"That's… comforting…" Kai said with only a hint of sarcasm.

"I know... I promise it's not as bad as it sounds." She smiled apologetically.

"And I'm sorry for making you more worried. Maybe things have calmed down by now. Have a nice visit!" The nurse waved, watching him head down the hallway.

"Thanks. I-I will." He called back over his shoulder. Wondering what Jen could possibly have meant, he hurried along. He couldn't help but reflect back on all the memories they shared. All the times he'd come to her, looking for advice, or the days they'd bothbeen desperate for an escape and spent hours hiding from their responsibilities… Over the years, they had spent so much time together… Hopefully it wasn't too late for them to build something more…

As he grew closer to the room he knew was hers, he could hear voices carrying on a rather loud conversation.

"Miss Chen, please stop playing with the iv drip. It'll only work if it stays in your arm!" Someone, another nurse, probably, insisted urgently.

"But I can't bend my arm with it in… see?" An additional voice complained in a tone that was just barely audible. A machine beeped loudly. The owner of the first voice sighed heavily.

"Then don't bend your arm so much… keep it like this, okay?" The beeping stopped.

"Okay, okay. But… ammi gonna have any visitors today? This… this is boring. Like. Why izznt Kai here? He's so great. Betcha he'd make everything just… fade away…"

"I aware of that. You've told me already. Five different times, in fact." Hearing himself being discussed, the master of fire knocked softly on the door. There was the sound of footsteps on the other side, then it opened. A haggard looking nurse ushered him inside.

"Heeey, hot stuff!" Skylor called unsteadily. With a bit of color back in her skin and a noticeably less terrifying body temperature, she looked somewhat better than the last time Kai had seen her. But it was obvious that she had yet to fully recover from her ordeal. He wasn't completely sure she was even focusing on him and not some imaginary version of himself.

"I was juussst. Telling my good man Friday, here, all about you!" The nurse shook his head in exasperation.

"That's…. Not my name, but okay. I'm just gonna step out into the hall and let you two talk this out…Let me know if you need anything." The redhead giggled as Kai took a seat in the empty chair next to her bed.

"Oh Kai! I've missed you sooo much…. I'm really glad you're not dead, y'know? That would've been so sucky…"

"Uh... Yeah? I missed you too..." Was the only thing he could think of to say. She stared at him wide eyed, as if this were some mind-blowing piece of information that had rocked her entire world.

"Kai?" Skylor whispered, her perception of the room spinning slightly.

"Y-es?"

"Hazanyone ever tooold you how beautiful your eyelashes are?" She asked. Well, whatever he'd been expecting her to say, it hadn't been that.

"What?"

"They're so…. Long…a-and full… and. And every time I look at them I just! I wannem. Cause they're so lucious and pretty, and it's not fair!" The redhead cried loudly, "S'not fair…. Why'do you getta be the one with the such fabulous eyelashes when I'm stuck with…. These…?" She gestured weakly at her face (her eyelashes weren't unattractive in the slightest, he noted). He struggled to keep a straight face.

"I dunno Sky, I really don't."

"An' don't even get me started on the hair…. It's sooo…. Spiky. Like a porcupine… except cuddlier... I just wanna touchit…." Sniffling slightly, she continued, "But I won't. Cause I know you probably wudd'n wan' me to. So I won't. But I wanna."

"You're allowed to touch my hair if it really means that much to you. You just gotta ask." He told her patiently. Skylor perked up immediately.

"Woah… really?"

"Sure," Leaning forward, he shrugged. She reached out a trembling hand and gently petted his head.

"Oooh…. S'much softer thanni thought it'd be…" The master of amber mused, before growing serious again.

"Why're you always soo nice to me? Like even back when I was… eeeven back on the island. You were so kind…. And I was a big ol liar… M'sorry bout that… You're too pure for me to pull crap like that on you…. I shouldn't've… Oh! An, then, there was that time you asked me to the zoo? An I totally thought you were gonna backout, but ya did'n. I was so happy! Only, it made me fall more in love with you…. Onn'a these days I gotta get you to ask me out for realsies…." A dreamy look crossed her face as she stared into his eyes for a moment, "That'd be amazing… like maybe even the best thing ever… And you know what? I've been doing some thinking, and you know whattineed? A pet peacock!" Had Kai heard her right? Sure they'd gone out together a couple of times (but was it as friends?), and yes, he'd always hoped she was at least interested, but this was different. If Skylor really was in love with him, then…

"Wait. Say that again... Please?" He begged.

"Uh... I wanna peacock?" She replied confusedly.

"No, before that…" But it was already too late; the moment was gone. She scrunched her eyebrows in concentration, then frowned.

"Hm… I-I.… got nothing… Sorry..."

"It's... It's fine." Kai assured her once it had become clear that nothing was going to jog her memory. Skylor yawned, looking deflated. The energy she'd seemed to have when he first arrived was vanishing rapidly.

"These meds... have really got me all messed up, huh?" The master of amber noted sleepily, in a moment of surprising lucidity, sinking back onto her pillows. She didn't even know the half of it…

"I understand… Why don't you try to get some rest now, okay?" He suggested.

"Mmm… fink I will…" She agreed as she snuggled into the thin white sheets, "G'night Kai..."

"Sweet dreams, Sky." As she shut her eyes with a contented smile, the master of fires heart twisted. There was so much he wanted, no needed, to say to her… but he couldn't, not now, and he wondered if there ever would be a perfect moment. Sighing softly, Kai smoothed the sleeping young lady's hair out of her face.

"Goodbye," He whispered, knowing full well that she couldn't hear him.

~-~

"If I ever have to clean out another industrial sized refrigerator full of rotten food, it'll be too soon…" Chad stated dramatically, collapsing into the nearest chair as he exited Master Chen's storeroom. The table in front of him, which happened to be in restaurant's main office, was covered with cleaning supplies, paperwork, and half empty coffee mugs.

"It could've been much worse, and you know it, Mr. I've held literally every job possible at the Ninjago City Mall." June replied, powering on her tablet. She pulled up the checklist they had been valiantly attempting to complete for most of the morning (there was only so much that could be accomplished at once when working with someone possessing Chad's attention span) and made a note next to 'Clean and inventory all supplies currently in storage; remove rotted foodstuffs'. They still had a lot to do if they wanted to have things up and running again before Skylor was released from the hospital. The bespectacled young lady was holding out hope that this would happen sooner, rather than later. She'd nearly flung her phone across the room in panic a few days ago when Kai had texted her to inform her that her friend (and boss) had been rushed to the ER in the aftermath of the battle. Skylor definitely didn't deserve everything the world had thrown at her, especially not being so ill. And she'd do anything she could to lessen the burdens she knew she carried in the meantime.

"Okay, yes. Anything's better than toilet duty…" He allowed, peering over June's shoulder to get a better look at what she was doing. The level of organization on the screen would never cease to impress him. He could barely keep track of his car keys, let alone make sense of the notes he wrote himself during his journalism courses (which had been paused due to an evil warlord taking over the city). How on earth did she manage it all so effortlessly? But that was just the way June was. For as long as Chad could remember, she had always been good at this sort of thing. Being the one to make sure things would turn out okay, no matter what. The quiet, but comforting force, always there to cheer him on. She hadn't always seen her own strength to begin with, but once she'd found her voice, she'd become unstoppable. And he loved her for it.

"You know, the bathrooms are still on the list if you'd like to revisit your glory days…" The manager of Master Chen's Noodle House informed him with an innocent smile. Chad shook his head vigorously.

"I'm good, thanks. My internship at Ninjago Times is definitely a step up from that."

"I know it is." June sighed, slumping in her seat as she ran some calculations in her head, "I just wish we could make it a bit longer without the city being in danger... We've had giant snakes, evil robots, a cult… when will it all stop?"

"It would be nice to graduate on time… but I'm really just glad we're both alive at this point…" The young man told her, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"And besides, think about how different our lives would be without some of the things that have happened over the years. You might not have ended up applying for your assistant manager position, and I know how much you love working here! And I know Skylor's super glad she has you for a friend…"

"That's very true," She agreed, "And you can't deny that those awkward run ins with the ninja contributed to your decision to go into journalism." Chad stood, flashing her a grin.

"Yep, and I couldn't be happier. Life's good; I've got a career I'm passionate about, a wonderful fiancée who puts up with my crazy ideas… Well, most of the time at least!" He pulled her to her feet,

"And… a restaurant in desperate need of some tlc… we should probably get back to work, huh?"

"Yeah, probably. C'mon, let's go see what the others are up to. I'm sure they are wondering why we're not finished with the inventory yet." Decided June. Still holding hands, they wandered back into the main part of the building. The employees that had so graciously volunteered to come in on their spare time and help revitalize the restaurant were hard at work. Several people were scrubbing the conveyer that usually displayed a variety of dishes. Still more wiped furiously to remove smudges from the windows. A pile of broken chairs and a table that was inexplicably missing a leg sat in one corner – a staunch reminder of lawlessness the SOG had lived by during Garmadon's reign of terror. It was a good thing no one had been present when the restaurant had been torn apart in the search for the green ninja and his friends. That wouldn't have ended well, she was certain. The sight had been devastating when they'd first arrived earlier that morning. But things were starting to look up, now. Even if there was definitely going to be some lingering trauma for some of them.

"It's looking better already. We'll have this place up and running again in no time!" Chad cheerfully declared, knowing just how worried June had been.

"Hey you guys. We were starting to worry that you'd gotten eaten by some sort of mutated refrigerator monster or something." Greeted one of the waitresses as she glanced over at the couple.

"We… got a bit sidetracked…" June explained.

"That's okay – as long as you weren't sucking each other's faces off in there." A busboy replied.

"… Did you really just say that, Kyle?" Someone else deadpanned.

"Yeah, have some respect. June's our boss. You oughta know better than that!"

"Okay," June called, stepping in before the discussion could turn into an argument (a relatively common occurrence with this particular set of individuals), "Hey, you know what? Everyone take a break. You've all been working so hard. Go get some food. And water – hydration's very important. I don't want to see any of you back here working for at least half an hour. But seriously, thank you so much for coming today. I know Skylor would really appreciate your dedication if she were here." This seemed to relieve the sense of tension that had been beginning to grow amongst the employees. They scattered in groups and pairs, grateful to be free of productivity for the time being.

"So… what are we gonna do with all this damaged furniture?" Asked one waitress, who happened to be lingering a bit longer than the others. June and Chad walked over to inspect it more closely.

"Hm… Most of it looks salvageable." The young man mused. She nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah… I don't suppose you know of any good furniture repair businesses, Daisy?"

"Not off the top of my head, but I can ask around, if you want?" Replied the frizzy haired young lady.

"That would be a huge help." June commented, looking relieved.

"Sure thing, boss." Daisy said with a cheerful nod before heading off in search of lunch. The pair looked at each other, smiling tiredly, already missing the chaotic atmosphere and sense of comradery the others had provided.

"Which non bathroom related task shall we tackle next?" Questioned Chad, nudging his fiancée, eager to begin another project. A few more minutes of hard work wouldn't harm anything. They could always retrieve their sandwiches from the refrigerator later.

"Hm... We could-" The sound of the bell above the front door ringing prevented June from answering him.

"I'm sorry, but Master Chen's Noodle House is not open for business at the moment. I'm afraid you'll have to come back later if you want any noodles." She stated absently, a bit surprised that someone would attempt to eat there at a time like this.

"I'm not here for the food. Didn't you get my text?"

"Wait – Kai?" The young woman spun to face their visitor.

"Hey June, Chad." The master of fire greeted sheepishly.

"Oh my gosh. I've had my phone on silent all morning… I must have missed it. I'm so sorry!" June apologized, frantically rushing over to him.

"Eh, it's fine. It uh, looks like you've had your hands full here…" Kai commented, glancing about curiously. He had to admit that he hadn't anticipated seeing the restaurant in quite this bad of shape.

"Yeah. You should've seen the place when we got here. Total disaster!" Chad informed Kai, nodding vehemently.

"What.. What exactly happened, here? Was it the SOG?" He asked, eyes drawn to the broken furniture.

"Uhuh... We weren't here when they arrived... The... Incident with the colossus was broadcast on the news and Skylor sent us all home as soon as she saw it. She was so shaken – didn't want any of us to get hurt due to her relationship with you guys. And of course, she was being her usual caring self and prioritizing everyone else's wellbeing over her own, but it was so difficult to stand by and not be able to offer her any comfort. I've never seen her so upset before..." June frowned, "But anyway, we watched the security footage when we got here, and it was... pretty terrifying... They tore the place apart looking for any sign of the resistance. One of them even suggested burning the place down when they didn't find anything..." She explained. Seeing the all of this play out had obviously been anything but pleasant.

"Oh." Kai said, the realization of how much the disappearance of him and his friends had impacted Ninjago suddenly striking him much harder than it had before. He'd known it'd been tough on Nya and Lloyd, but it was clear that Skylor and her employees were just as affected. He should've checked in on them sooner...

"Yeah, but we'll get through it. I mean, the worst of it is over now that we have all of you back and Garmadon behind bars. You should see how hard everyone's been working. I know we all adore Skylor, because she's an amazing person, but it's so encouraging to see all of them come together to help her like this." June told him, smiling optimistically.

"She is amazing." The master of fire agreed softly, thinking back to his earlier conversation with her.

"Have you been able to visit her?" She inquired.

"I... Yes, every day... And just before I came here, actually." Kai informed her.

"H-how is she?" Came the anxious, but hopeful response. He paused for a moment, not quite sure how to describe her current state.

"She's… Well… She was awake for a little while this morning, so that's a good sign…"

"But?" June finished for him, somehow picking up on his uncertainty.

"Skylor and pain meds are an… interesting combination. She was really out of it and said some stuff that was definitely… unexpected… but do I blame her? No… I mean… She didn't know…" Rambled the master of fire awkwardly. June nodded sagely.

"She told you she was in love with you."

"Uh…? Yeah, she did, and it caught me totally off guard and I'm not sure if- Oh… Why am I even telling you this?" He muttered, massaging his temples.

"Kai, can I ask you something?" She asked, motioning for him to follow her.

"Yeah, sure, I guess?" Kai joined her at one of the booths that was still intact. Chad slipped into the booth as well, obviously curious about whatever it was that June was about to ask.

"When you and Skylor so clearly have feelings for each other, why are you still awkwardly dancing around each other instead of asking her out? I figured you would've started dating a long time ago…"

"I…" He sighed, an unreadable expression crossing his face, "It's complicated..."

"Welcome to Ninjago, Kai. In case you somehow missed it, everything here is complicated." Chad observed, looking at the master of fire like he was a world-class idiot. His fiancée elbowed him gently.

"Everyone has a few hiccups in their lives, sure… but you shouldn't let that prevent you from being with the person you love." June stated wisely.

"It just never felt like the right time, you know?" He told them, not meeting their eyes, "We always had so much on our plates… from the moment she got here, Skylor had to deal with everything that came with suddenly having an entire culinary empire thrust on her and I didn't feel like I could add more to her plate by asking for a relationship… and then Morro happened, and everything else, and I didn't want to hurt her if something happened and my duties interfered with things so I…" June and Chad glanced at each other, then at Kai. The bespectacled young lady chose her words carefully, knowing that someone needed to give him some perspective on this situation.

"Look. As your friend, I'm going to be honest with you, here. I know right now it feels like life will never calm down, like it's just one crazy thing after another, especially for someone like you who has to carry far more responsibility than is really fair… but if there's one thing I've learned over the past couple of years, it's that there's no such thing as a perfect moment, and that if you keep on waiting for one," She eyed him meaningfully as she continued, "You'll come to regret it one day because you'll have missed out on a lot of incredible things."

"I…" The master of fire bit his lip, realization hitting him hard. June was right, and deep down, he had already known that. What had he been thinking?

"Just… talk to her... Skylor loves you, Kai. She has for a long time. She'll understand." She advised encouragingly.

"You're right... I've put this off for long enough. The next time I visit the hospital, I'll tell her everything." Kai determined, doing his best to look confident. It was time for him to do what he should've done a long time ago. Suddenly a future with the girl of his dreams didn't seem like such an unrealistic possibility.

[miraculouscontent]

Do you consider talking a little about the development / treatment of Fu? Not to despise it, but I consider that as Guardian of the Miraculous and connoisseur of great secrets about these does not contribute as much to the plot / series as it could. I mean, I could have started designing with Marinette a plan to catch HawkMoth or anything else beyond "private lessons on Miraculous" (which we never saw by the way) and some occasional council

connoisseur of great secrets

And there’s the problem.

Fu is a vessel to get more miraculouses from, but he’s not allowed to be anything else because it becomes more distracting that he doesn’t say much every time we see him, and the show doesn’t want to have him say anything.

It wants to keep its mystery. It wants to keep whatever secrets and answers it has away from people to keep them watching for as long as possible. Fu is full of secrets, which means he can’t show up unless he has to give some plot information or miraculouses.

Fu got to explain things to both Marinette and Adrien that we never got to see. When “Mayura” came out, I remember being genuinely thrown off when Chat knew about the missing peacock miraculous because we never saw him be told. “Mayura” also had Marinette return the miraculouses to Fu, and yet there’s no talk of the Peacock (which must have happened off-screen because there’s no way serious-about-defeating-Hawk-Moth Marinette wouldn’t tell him what happened).

Fu briefly talks about losing the peacock and butterfly to Marinette, but because we never saw other extensive information, he very well could’ve given both her and Adrien information that we don’t have. There’s just no level of trust between the writers and the audience.

See, Marinette also knows about all the miraculouses (or it would make sense for her to, given that she occasionally comes to Fu to ask for one and it would be more efficient for her to know all the powers in advance), but we don’t, because they want to hang onto the mystery of what each one does for as long as possible. It’s not as if Marinette describes the type she needs and then Fu gives it to her; Marinette must have been told important plot-relevant information while we’re left in the dark because that’s one of the only ways the writers can think to keep people invested.

It’s why Fu never warned Marinette about the extra power Hawk Moth could’ve given himself; instead of foreshadowing (”Syren” did this well when Marinette described the light blue macaron as “icy”), Fu wasn’t allowed to tell Marinette anything because the whole idea is that it was supposed to be this huge thing that no one saw coming.

But Fu is supposed to be wise and know everything about the miraculouses, so they had to remind people of that by giving him the line about Hawk Moth’s powers without excusing the fact that he never told Marinette.

And… honestly? That could’ve been a good character flaw if it was done properly.

What if Fu had a reason for not saying anything? What if it was because Fu was embarrassed that he didn’t have a plan? What if Fu had known, but he purposefully said nothing (despite Wayzz telling him otherwise) because he took pride in his role as Marinette’s “perfect” teacher?

Maybe Fu never had a proper student before. Maybe it’s so nice having a human around that he can teach about everything he knows, and he would be ashamed to admit that he doesn’t know what to do?

Heck, Marinette had already helped him in “Syren” with his potion, figuring out what he couldn’t. That’s more than enough reason for him to feel like he’s not pulling his own weight.

But that’s not why the writers did that. They wanted to show that he was still wise by knowing what Marinette didn’t, but telling us in advance that something was coming would’ve “ruined the mystery.”

Actually, they even had a very subtle hint in “Anansi” where Hawk Moth alludes to Ladybug potentially being “outnumbered” soon, but we could’ve had that from Fu instead when Marinette returns the turtle miraculous. Fu could’ve warned Marinette that, given her new partners as of late, Hawk Moth could be seeking to gain/make more allies, and that she should be prepared.

If you want to take it a step further, there’s also the Wu Xing (Five Elements). Thomas himself has confirmed that the five miraculouses around the ladybug and cat platform are based on the Wu Xing, but we don’t know which one is which element. It would’ve been cool to see a quiet moment where Fu explains the elements and what they represent, and then we as an audience would be able to piece that together with what we know about the characters to figure out who gets what miraculous.

And it’s not as if telling us the ROUGH element gives away a huge mystery. Isn’t the biggest excitement seeing the transformation and the miraculous in action?

They also threw a lot of the lore into the comics, which was a big issue. The stuff in the comics is very important for lore building and could’ve been used to have Fu show more of his knowledge, but they apparently didn’t think it was crucial enough to put in the show.

Sandboy had good ideas since it skipped over the set-up of someone being akumatized, which is ultimately what I think the show needs more of. It gave more time for other things to happen. Fu needed more time and more opportunities to interact with Marinette, but the show already missed out on a lot of their best chances.

[kokosnuss-jaguar]

Ninjago Alternate - The mysterious Green Ninja

___________

~ A universal alternate story, about how the four Ninja met Lloyd, the green Ninja

___________

“It was that guy again!” “Who? The mysterious green Ninja?!” “Yes sis! He was there before us and took already care of the bad guys!” “Could you see him? Could you see his face?” “No..he was already gone..the people told us about it..”, Cole groaned and sat down. “That was the third time this week!”, Jay complained and sat down next to Cole. “Hmmm..you need to find a way to seek him out and talk to him..”, their Master took word. “Why?” “Because he is the green Ninja, the Chosen One, destined to save Ninjago from the ultima-..” “Yeah, yeah! But for being such a hero, he shows us the cold shoulder!”, Jay interrupted Wu and folded his arms. The elder man gave him a dunning glare.

“I wonder why?”, Zane mused. “He was trained alone and he obviously doesn’t know how to work in a team.”, Wu answered. “That is why you want us to look for him, tell him to join our team and be done with it?!”, Kai raised an eyebrow. “Yes.” “Sure! If it’s nothing else!” “No need to be sarcastic..”, Cole glared at Kai and shook his head. “Sorry..but it’s true!” “I don’t understand, Master..”, Zane come foward. “Why do you think he’d join us?” “I don’t. That is why you have to convince him of it…”

———– “Not so fast, green Ninja!”, Kai growled. The four Ninja finally had found the mysterious green Ninja after days of searching for him. They surrounded him, to make sure he didn’t slip through their grasp again. Slowly, the green Ninjas hand wanderded to his sword. “Please, we aren’t here to fight you. We are not your enemies!”, Zane, who noticed it first, quickly spoke up. The other froze in his movement, yet let his hand where it was. “We are here, because we want to talk to you.” No answer, just a puzzled look. “Yes..as Zane already said, we aren’t your enemies.We fight for the same side.”, Cole explained. “That is why we want to talk with you.” “Talk?!”, he finally answered. “Oh look..he can talk.”, Kai mocked and earned an angry glare from everyone. “You have to excuse our friend Kai here..he tends to be..a bit bold..”, Zane told him. “Speaking of names..it may be in order to introduce us first..” Cole made a gesture with his arm: “The calm and nice one is Zane, the fiercy one is Kai, the one who hasn’t said a word yet is Jay-..” “Hey!” “..quiet Jay!..and I am Cole!” “Whats your name?”, Jay asked curiously. The other hesistated for a moment..but finally said: “..Lloyd.” “It is nice to meet you Lloyd!”, the ice Ninja smiled at him. “Yeah! How cool is that! I was finally able to talk to the chosen green Ninja!” But said Ninja only raised an eyebrow at Jay, unsure how to react to such an energetic bundle. “I take it, you didn’t have much interaction with other people?”, Kai asked surprisingly softly. The others glance went to the ground and he shook his head: “No..” “Then it is time we change that. You are coming with us and we talk some more at our home.” Lloyd however, backed away a little at this suggestion: “I..don’t think that is a good idea..” “Wow..he spoke a whole sentences..”, Jay couldn’t help, but point out. “Jaaay..”, Cole retorted annoyed. “Sorry…” “But Master Wu would like to talk with you.”, Kai insisted, ignoring the other twos chatter. The name seemed to evoke a certain interest in Lloyd: “Master..Wu?!..”, he repeated surprised.  Thinking about it for a few moments longer, he nodded. “I go with you..under one condition…I can leave again whenever I want.” “Alright!” “But Kai…Master Wu wouldn’t agree to it.”, Jay whispered to him. “I know..but he doesn’t. Sshht now!” “Then let us no longer waste any time and go.”, Cole agreed. ————— “Master! We have-..” “A new guest..”, he finished Jays sentences. Wu stood up and smiled at the newcomer: “Hello nephew..” The others gasped. “Excuse me, but..nephew?! You are his..” “Uncle, yes Jay.” Lloyd looked for a while at his uncle, but finally bowed down a little: “Uncle, I am glad we finally we met!” “Wait? You never met before?!” “Yes..there are a lot of things you don’t know yet.” “What things?” “You will learn..in time.” and he walked over to his nephew. “But now, I wish to speak to my nephew alone.” All four Ninja raised an eyebrow, but left the room without any complaints.

“What do you think they’ll talk about?”, Jay asked. “Probably about that green Ninja thing.”, Kai assumed. “You think so? For that, they talk really long..” Coles right! What if-…“, Jay stopped, as soon as the door opened and their Master entered, together with Lloyd. “Listen up students! My nephew will from now on stay and live with us. So treat him with the same respect you treat each other with.” “We treat each other with respect? Since when?” “Jaay..not the best time to make your jokes!” “Of course Master!”, Zane replied. “Good! I leave him to you now.” and Wu left. There they were now, looking at each other in an awkward silence. “Soo…you want to tell us more about youself?”, Jay asked. Lloyd nodded: “Sure…”

“And that is how you beat those Snakes?! Awesome!”, Jay exclaimed excited. Lloyd turned his gaze away, smiling a little. “He can even smile. Amazing.”, Kai chuckled, when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. “I am coming Nya! I’ll be right back guys..” “Who is this?”, the green Ninja asked surprised. “My sister.”, the other explained, stopping at the door. “Oh right, you two haven’t met yet! Do you want me to introduce you to her?” Lloyd backed away a little. “A girl?! I..am not sure about this..” “Why? You never saw one before?”, Jay asked amused. “I did. But I..never talked to one..” “It’s easy. Just talk to her like you talk to us.”, Cole explained. The younger boy stared at the earth ninja like he spoke in a different language. “You’ll get the hang of it!” “For sure. Come on, Nya is waiting and I am sure she’d love to meet the legendary green Ninja.”, Kai spoke up again and gestured Lloyd to follow him.

“What is it, Nya?” She turned around. “There you are! I-…” She stopped, when her eyes fell upon the green dressed boy. “Who is this?” Kai smiled, taking a step aside to give a better view of him. “May I introduce: Lloyd, the green Ninja!” Her surprise was obviously visible, as she took a step closer towards him. “So you are the one the boys and Master Wu kept talking about. I am Nya, nice to meet you!”, she smiled. “Uh..h-hey?!” Kai leaned closer to his sister, whispering: “He never had any interaction with a girl before, so don’t wonder if he acts a bit awkward.” “Oh, that is cute.” “Don’t say that out loud or you make it more awkward for him.” “He seems a bit lost.” “Well, he spent most of his time alone.” “What?! Now that is sad!” They both startled a bit, when Lloyd cleared his throat. “We are sorry, we didn’t mean to be rude.” “I just told her you had rare social interactions, so she doesn’t keep bothering you with thousands of questions.” “What is that supposed to mean? I didn’t plan to. Ignore him..”, she said, turning her attention back Lloyd. “You know, I can show you a nice place in the monastery, if you want to be by yourself.” The other only nodded. “I thought you wanted to talk to me?”, Kai frowned. “Yes. I’ll be right back.”

“Here we are. It is quiet, far away from the living room with the boys and their videogame console and you have a nice view too.” Lloyd looked around for a bit. “It does look nice.” “Alright! I leave you to yourself now. You’ll find the way back, in case you want to join us?” Again, he nodded. Right before she was about to leave, he spoke up: “Uh..Nya, was it?” “Yes.” “Thank you.”, he smiled at her. “No problem”, she returned the smile and left.

______

I looked through my phone and the many unfinished FFs/Shorts I wrote over the time, when I stumbled upon this. It’s quite old..around 2017/18 perhaps? I also think to remember I got inspired by @court-royal

[creative-type]

Monster of the Salt Rock Hills XII

First

Previous

AO3

AN: 52000 words. 101 pages. 1 more chapter to go.

Whew, I am exhausted. This chapter was written basically in one sitting and not edited as it probably should. I’m just too excited to hold off. I do plan on giving this chapter and the ones previous a bit of polish before posting the epilogue. 

Thanks for all you guys for supporting me with this. I honestly can say I don’t think I could have finished without you. Many guessed different pieces of the mystery, but to my knowledge no one put it all together, which I suppose means I was clever or not very good at laying out the clues. You can tell me which.

Now, without further ado,

Chapter Twelve: The Truth of the Matter (or Not All Monsters Live in Caves)

The spell worked.

It worked better than Thistle ever could have expected. She had hoped against hope to find the truth of the matter, and with the help of Orrig, Lyra, and Brent, she had. The only question remaining was what were they going to do with the information.

The safest bet was to simply turn it over to the authorities in Crossroads, but by then it might be too late. Without saying it aloud, each agreed that this was something they needed to take care of themselves. They had come this far. There was no turning back now.

All that was left was to tell Rhys what they had found. Thistle walked slowly to the jailhouse where he was getting ready to transfer Isla. She was alone, and already missed the steadying presence of her team at her back.

Rizaek was standing watch outside, but he was paying more attention to his massive stallion than any passersby. As she got closer, Thistle could hear a steady stream of Orcish as he checked his tack, laughing as the horse snorted in his face. Rizaek patted his neck and fished out an apple from inside of his fur-lined coat. It was much too warm to be wearing something so heavy. Thistle could only assume that he was getting ready to fly.

The horse bent to take the fruit, but jerked its head when it saw Thistle. Rizaek spun around, his smile twisting into a more familiar scowl.

“Vat you vant now?” he asked.

“Um, hello there. I, er, need to talk to Rhys about something. Is he around?”

Thistle’s eyes widened as Rizaek’s winged horse walked towards her. It was even more imposing up close, powerful muscles rippling with each movement. The horse fluttered its wings, each coppery feather glittering as light reflected off them. Thistle wasn’t sure what to do as it stood right in front of her, forbidding her from passing. It seemed to be deciding what to do with her, keen intelligence in its ruby-red eyes.

The horse nickered, lowering its head for closer inspection. Hesitantly Thistle offered her hand for a curiosity sniff, which was ignored in favor of rubbing his velvet-soft muzzle against her chest. Thistle giggled, stumbling as the friendly gesture caught her off balance. Rizaek hurried to lead the horse away.

“No, Aegis!” Rizaek chided the horse in Orcish, before turning back to Thistle, a puzzled expression on his face. “He like you. Here, think he no get breakfast.”

Rizaek offered Thistle the apple, which she in turn gave to the horse. Aegis accepted the gift with regal grace, before nickering softly. Rizaek smiled, rubbing the horse’s nose. “No more. Vill get fat. How vill fly den? Hmn?”

Aegis swished his tail in annoyance and wandered back to the jailhouse. Rizaek watched him fondly, before turning back to Thistle, wariness in his expression. Without the lines of anger or annoyance he looked like a completely different person. He shoved his hands in his pockets, his shoulders rolled inward defensively like a dog that had been whipped one too many times.

It was enough that Thistle began to feel sorry for him. “Um, Rizaek, I know we haven’t gotten along the best, but there’s something you need to know—“

“What’s going on here?”

They both jumped as the jailhouse door was thrown open. Rhys descended down the stairs to the street, ignoring Aegis when the horse turned his ears back and tossed his head in displeasure. Rizaek sprang away from Thistle as if she were on fire. “I no know vhy she come,” he said.

“The correct phrasing is I don’t know why she came,” Rhys said, his brilliant green eyes trained on Thistle as he approached. “How are you supposed to speak with potential clients when basic Common is beyond you?”

Rizaek’s expression hardened, and he stared resolutely at his feet. “I sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, be better,” Rhys said coolly. “Now, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

There was a prolonged silence before Thistle trusted herself to speak. She could barely think over the thunderous pulse in her temples. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so angry at another person, and it took every bit of her self-control not to give Rhys a piece of her mind.

Remember why you’re here. Don’t screw this up, or it will all have been for nothing.

“I just wanted to tell you that we found the monster,” Thistle said stiffly. “It was a kludde. We found the body in the mines. It seems that Marco Russo’s team did manage to kill it. Orrig retrieved the head, as well as the sword used to kill it.”

Rhys’s eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch. “Did he now? Thank you for informing me. I’ll have Rizaek take them with us to Crossroads. It could be important evidence. Where is it now?”

“Um, Dr. Malady’s house, but…” her protests were cut off as Rhys gestured at Rizaek to leave.

The young orc took the hint and trotted off in a huff. A smile curled on Rhys’s lips, and he glanced at Thistle sidelong. “It’s a work in progress, but I’ll civilize the runt yet. Did I tell you how I found him?”

A cold sweat broke out on Thistle’s forehead. This wasn’t part of the plan. “Uh, no…?”

“It’s quite the story. I’d been looking into purchasing a winged horse for quite some time, but it’s nigh-impossible to find one broken enough for this line of work, even among the domesticated breeds. They’ve a mind of their own, and quite particular on who they allow to ride them. I was fortunate, really. Rizaek had no prospects with his kind—you know how orcs are with anyone who can’t smash boulders with their bare hands—so he struck out on his own.” He nodded in the general direction of Aegis. “This brute here was rejected by his mother, and born undersized. Rizaek worked night and day to ensure the horse lived, and now it minds no one else.”

Rhys’s smile turned cruel. “Of course Rizaek doesn’t own the thing, and he didn’t earn enough to pay for its upkeep. A horse bonded to a person unable to pay for it is no good to the owner. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn’t stepped in?”

“You bought Aegis?” Thistle said.

“And an apprenticeship for the boy,” Rhys said smugly. “It’s an investment that will pay for itself ten times over. It’s a shame about the kludde. It’s not often a hunt of that nature comes along, I would have liked to see how he handled himself.”

Thistle was horrified. If experienced mercenaries stood little chance against a monster as conniving and powerful as the kludde, then what hope would Rizaek have had? Her own weakness still rankled, but Thistle was glad Orrig made an effort to protect her against something she wasn’t equipped to fight.

“There was something else,” Thistle choked out. “It was about your, er, offer.”

Rhys’s eyes glittered like emeralds. “Have you reconsidered? I was beginning to wonder about your priorities when you were so set on defending Miss Clark.”

“Yes, well, I have questions,” Thistle said.

“Of course, that’s only natural,” Rhys said. “I could arrange a meeting when your team reaches Crossroads, if that would be agreeable. Unfortunately I don’t have much time at the moment, but there’s no need to travel with your current team any longer than necessary.”

“I, actually, I was just wondering how you chose what jobs, and wanted to make sure you had enough work for two mages on your team,” Thistle said desperately. “I get the impression you’re, er, selective with the posts you’ll accept.”

Rhys nodded. “Quite right. I’ll be quite frank, if money interested me I’d have become a lawyer like my mother wanted. I have no interest in wasting my time on frivolousness, which is what makes this job so vexing. Mum thought it looked interesting the first time it was posted, but I’ll not accept anything less than a Class Three listing. If it had been advertised appropriately, I might have had a chance at the kludde myself.” He almost sounded whiney.

“In any case, you’ll have no shortage of opportunity or challenge while in my employ. It’s true I don’t have the years of your Orrig, but you’ll see I’ve a wealth of connections, as well as funding for any projects that might interest you. I could help you set up a lab, introduce you to my contacts at the local University. I know master mages who have trained under Grand Master Wu himself.”

“So it was Mum who brought this job to your attention?” Thistle asked quietly.

“Yes, and I should have listened,” Rhys said. “Mum has been invaluable to me. I’ve always said a good mage is worth their weight in gold, but more difficult to find. It might be a good idea for you two to be formally introduced. He’s out on an errand now, but he should be returning to the tavern shortly for our final departure.”

Rhys led Thistle away from the jailhouse towards the tavern owned by Jacob Swinehart. She allowed herself to go a few blocks before pulling away.

Thistle had to swallow against the bile rising in her throat. “Actually, I’m afraid I can’t work with you.”

Rhys blinked, confused. “Excuse me?”

“I-I never said I would work for you,” Thistle said. “I said I had questions, and you’ve answered them.”

Confusion shifted to anger. “What’s the meaning of this? Did—did that orc send you here? What game are you playing at?”

“His name is Orrig,” Thistle said. “My teammate’s names are Orrig, Brent, and Lyra. They’re people, and you should treat them like people!”

“You are wasting my time,” Rhys growled, turning away primly and stalking back to the jail. He paused, before turning his head back at Thistle, face contorted in fury. “You could have had the world, but it seems you’re content to play in the gutter. Run back to your precious Orrig and tell him to cease this ridiculous farce. You don’t want me for an enemy.”

Thistle stood her ground. “I have one more thing to say: My team was able to trace the blood from the most recent killing, and Isla is innocent.”

“Don’t be stupid. Of course she’s guilty, she’s the only one—“

“Isla Clark isn’t the only mage in the Salt Rock Hills,” Thistle said. Anger overpowered her natural timidity, and she stared Rhys squarely in the eye. “Technically there are three, and I didn’t even know this town existed until earlier this week.”

In the time it took Rhys to understand what she was saying, the hair on the back of Thistle’s neck prickled. The air swelled with magic, and there was a thunderous crack accompanied by a flash of golden light.

Thistle grimaced as Mum appeared out of thin air. As she thought, he had been listening to every word.

There was no time to think after that. Before the dust had even settled Mum was gathering his next spell, and if Thistle hadn’t instinctually thrown a force field the moment she sensed his magic she would have been blasted by golden lightning.

The innocent smile was nowhere to be seen. Fiery determination filled his eyes, and Mum tried two more lightning bolts, each stronger than the last until Thistle’s field was vibrating with electric energy, threatening to overload the spell.

Thistle lowered the force field and settled into an unfamiliar fighting stance. Somewhere on the edge of her vision she could see Rhys had been knocked off his feet and was struggling to stand back up.

“What is the meaning of this?!” he shouted. “Mum, what in the world are you doing?”

Irritation flashed in Mum’s eyes, and without further warning he slung a gale of wind that hit Rhys at his knees. A second spell locked his arms to his sides, preventing him from either activating his magical bracers or breaking his fall. He landed hard, head cracking against the packed dirt road before Thistle could intervene. He made no further attempt to stand.

Much better, a voice said in her head, masculine and soft. Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to do that?

“You can mindspeak?” Thistle said to Mum.

First spell I ever learned, my faceless friend. You really ought to be more careful what you let inside your head.

Thistle’s heart skipped a beat, the accusation hitting too close to home. Mum noticed, and slow, hyena-like grin spread across. He rolled his shoulders to loosen them, bringing his hands out of his pockets for the first time.

Long fingers wrapped around a large piece of clear quartz. The remains of Brent’s shirt that Thistle had hidden in her glove hummed, recognizing the stolen magic stored inside. Quartz held less power than a gemstone, but to store the magic of the horse feathers was the same principle that fueled the magic of Rhys’s bracers. The crystal in the palm of Mum’s hands answered the mystery of his ability to Teleport, the power behind Isla’s wards, and likely the source he used to slaughter other winged horses.

The air crackled with magic. Somewhere behind Thistle a penned pig squealed, while someone shouted from the relative safety of their home. If Thistle wasn’t careful, innocent people would be hurt.

You should have just left well enough alone. Thistle couldn’t tell if the voice came from Mum, her Echo, or some unholy combination of the two. Now be a good girl and tell me how you figured it out, and where the ugly green one and the rest of his lackeys have run off too. I’d like to finish this quickly.

Thistle had never been good at snappy comebacks or witty one-liners. She let her magic speak for her, preparing herself for anything he might throw. Mum tutted in silent disapproval.

Suddenly a dark shadow came screaming in overhead. Thistle risked a glance, and saw the reflection off of copper wings. Rizaek bellowed a wordless battle cry as Aegis charged directly for Mum. Thistle’s scream for him to stop was lost in the wind, and there was a flash of golden light.

And then, after that, the world descended into madness.

“You did it,” Brent repeated gleefully as Thistle showed off how the spell worked. “Where’s it pointing?”

Thistle smiled shyly at the undeserved praise. “I’m sorry for ruining your shirt.”

“Totally worth it. Look, it’s pointing back towards town.”

Lyra came up behind Thistle and said, more practically, “We need to be careful. It could be a trap. Someone’s gone through a lot of effort making sure they weren’t found out.”

“Ve vill deal ven we get dere,” Orrig said. “Now, ve find feathers.”

Looking back on it, Thistle realized they must have made an odd spectacle, four mercenaries huddled close together as they walked through the heart of town, with Thistle at their center. For once she did not notice the lingering glances or the hushed whispers they left in their wake from the few people doing their business. She was hyper-focused on the task at hand, eyes never wavering from her cloth compass.

Their journey was fairly straightforward, although there were a few hiccoughs as the spell did not take private property or the town’s layout into consideration, instead directing them as the crow flew. As they got closer to the source of the magic the cloth began to quiver, as if it could barely contain its excitement.

They walked past town hall and the general store, where Frank was situated playing a checkers out in the sun. He paused as they walked by but said nothing, shaking his head before returning to his game.

The blue veins of magic woven into the cloth pulsed with light when they reached the tavern. The quiver had escalated to a nearly audible hum. She looked up at Orrig, both hoping she was right and not understanding what she was seeing.

“We’re close.”

As they approached Mum exited the tavern. He tilted his head quizzically, raising his eyebrow in silent question.

Instinctively Thistle brought her hands to her chest and shrank back, wishing she could melt behind the wall Orrig, Lyra, and Brent had formed. They at least had the courage not to back away, and met his questioning look with cool stoicism or outright defiance.

Mum shrugged, and with a sarcastic bow continued on his way. As he passed the scrap of cloth in Thistle’s closed fist went ballistic, the magic within vibrating so intently she could feel it in her bones. Thistle bit back a gasp and turned wildly towards Mum, only for Orrig to stop her.

“Remember vhy we here,” he said in a low voice.

“But…!” Mum disappeared around the corner and Thistle unclenched her hand and held it up for Orrig to see.

She expected it to be fixated on Mum.

She didn’t expect the cloth to spin rapidly between two directions—the tavern in front of them and Mum’s path down the street.

“What the actual ^#&@,” Lyra said. “Did he break the spell?”

Thistle hadn’t sensed Mum casting, but then again she hadn’t noticed it when he put the bug on Brent either. Quickly she extended her senses, she searched for the hidden signs of Mum’s magic.

“No, there’s nothing here,” Thistle said as panic rose within her. “I-I don’t understand, it was working so well.”

“It mean two sources,” Orrig said. He adjusted his grip on his axe. “Leave mage for now. See vat he leave behind.”

“But what if he Teleports,” Brent said. “We can’t let him get away with this!”

“Qviet,” Orrig hissed. “Mage dangerous, but does not know ve have spell. Must find proof before he hide. Be fast, before comes back.”

“What if Rhys and Rizaek are inside,” Thistle whispered.

“Vill figure out vhen we get there,” Orrig said. “Now go.”

The more distances Mum put between himself and the bloody cloth, the weaker the signal became, and the it settled once again on the tavern. With a last, hesitant glance to make sure Mum wasn’t going to come storming back, Thistle led the group inside.

Carson was sitting dejectedly behind the bar while his father was working on his books. They both startled as the sight of Thistle, twin expressions that quickly departed into one of welcome and one of anger.

“What’re y’all doin’ here?” Carson said. “Didja need the other mercs? The elf ‘n orc are at th’ jail, and you just missed th’ mage. He went off on some sort of business for his boss, I think.”

“Ve not here for dat,” Orrig said gravely. He turned to Jacob Swinehart and said, much more politely than Thistle could have managed, “Ve must be looking through tavern.”

“Whaddya mean, you’ve gotta look through m’ tavern?” Jacob said harshly. “You ain’t got no right. Now if you ain’t here on account of Mr. Talisen then you ain’t got no reason t’ be here at all. Now scat, afore I make ya.”

It was a bold, if ultimately useless threat that made Carson groan and Lyra laugh. The lines around Orrig’s face deepened. “Mayor give us permission to investigate. Ve investigate here.”

“A pox on th’ mayor. He’s gone sentimental ‘n soft in th’ head. I knew you was trouble the moment I seen you. You shoulda been gone long before now. I’ve got my own business t’ attend to, an no time t’ watch over busybodies and rabble-rousers.”

Orrig drew himself up to full height and took a step towards Jacob Swinehart. To his credit, the tavern owner did not flinch, and he didn’t back down. He pointed to the door. “Git outta my tavern.”

“Pa…” Carson said slowly.

“I said. Get. Out.”

For a moment the only thing Thistle could hear was the sound of her own frantic heartbeat. Then Orrig said quietly, “Thistle, vhere ve go now?”

“Um, it’s uh…” She consulted the cotton square. “It’s straight ahead, in the back storage room. I think.”

Orrig nodded once, and began walking. He ignored Jacob’s sputtered protest, pushing his way—gently, for an orc—into the store room. Once again the spell began to vibrate, but much less forcefully this time, and it let Thistle through the storage room and out the back door of the tavern.

“That was a lot of hassle when we could have just walked around the building,” Lyra said wryly.

“Sorry,” Thistle said. “It points the direct way, not the best.”

“And where’s it directing now?”

Thistle walked slowly to a locked cellar door. “Here,” she said softly.

“What in th’ blue blazes do you think yer doin’?!” Jacob bellowed. “What d’you think you’re gonna find there? Huh! Answer me! I’ll not be ignored by th’ likes of you!”

Orrig had had enough. He spun around, using his axe to point to the cellar door. “Thistle say horse feathers in dat cellar. You open door, or ve vill break.”

All the color left Jacob Swinehart’s face. He trembled with indignant rage, but when he spoke it was with deadly calm. “Are you accusin’ me of somethin’, stranger?”

“I accuse nothing. I tell you: Open door, or ve vill break.”

Carson slid in behind his father, confusion and helplessness plaguing his features. “Pa, wha’s goin’ on? Why’re th’ mercs wantin’ in our cellar for?”

“They’re meddlers, that’s why,” Jacob spat. “Lookin’ for any bit of coin they can lay their grubby hands on at th’ expense of hard-workin folk like you ‘n me.”

“I don’t think tha’s right…Pa, I think you should just open it,” Carson said. “We ain’t got nothin’ t’ hide.”

Jacob Swinehart stiffened.

“Pa, we don’t got nothin’ t’ hide, don’t we?” Carson said pleadingly.

“Carson, could you please bring out the key?” Thistle asked.

Carson’s face crumpled into a picture of abject misery. “Yes’m. Jus’…jus’ give me a minute.”

Jacob stood stone-faced while his son hurried back into the tavern. Thistle risked a glance back at Lyra and Brent. There was a coldness in Lyra’s expression that was somehow more frightening than her fiery bursts of temper, while Brent stared agape, as if he didn’t comprehend what was going on any more than the rest of them.

Carson quickly returned and handed a brass key to Orrig, who made quick work of the lock. Finally Jacob spoke.

“You won’t find nothin’.”

He almost made it sound like a threat. Orrig indicated for Lyra and Brent to stand guard while he and Thistle descended into the cellar. The air was cool and dry, the ceiling low so that Orrig had to duck his head. Thistle called light in her free hand, and checked for every sort of magic she could think of.

Mum had been here, but any spells he may have laid were gone, leaving only the faintest residual that would soon fade completely. There were racks of wine and barrels of alcohol, but at first glance Thistle saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Frustration bubbled within her. There had been at least three horses poached since Lucien killed the kludde. Even if the wild winged horses of the Hills were smaller than the domesticated breed Rizaek rode, that was a lot of feathers left unaccounted for. So where were they? Had Mum Teleported them away to gods knew where? Had she been too slow?

As if he could read her thoughts, Orrig said, “Vat does spell say?”

Thistle’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had almost forgotten. She held up her palm, the scrap of cotton vibrating—weakly, but enough to give Thistle hope.

She followed where it indicated, and was forced to get on her hands and knees as it pointed underneath an ancient wooden shelving unit. Carefully she reached, and she was rewarded as her fingers brushed against an object hiding just out of sight.

Thistle pulled out a single feather. It was three finger widths across and the length of her hand, dull grey in color and lacking the innate luster she had come to associate with the feathers of a winged horse.

It had also been bled dry of its magic, leaving only the faintest remains behind in its core. By all rights Thistle shouldn’t have been able to track something so minute, but it seemed that when she had put enough power into the spell to make up the difference.

“Let us hear vat Jacob haff to say,” Orrig said. He patted Thistle’s shoulder. “Good vork.”

The immerged to the sound of Lyra arguing with Jacob Swinehart, while Carson set off to the side with his head buried in his arms. Brent elbowed Lyra sharply, cutting off a scathing remark that made Thistle glad she had gone down with Orrig.

Thistle held the feather up for their inspection. At the sight of it Jacob’s face went from beet red, to white, to sickly grey. “Where…how…?”

Carson was equally taken aback. “Pa, I don’t understand. Why’s a feather in our cellar?” He turned towards his father, eyes shiny and bright. “What did you do!?”

Jacob swayed unsteadily while his mouth moved up and down, but no sound came out. Carson threw himself away from his father, tears streaming down his face. “How could you? Do you know what you’ve done? We…we gotta stop those mercenaries. They’re planin’ on takin Miss Clark to Crossroads any minute.”

Orrig grabbed the back of Carson’s shirt before he could run off. This was the impetus Jacob Swinehart needed to snap out of his reverie. His face twisted with pure hatred. “Serves her right,” he said scathingly. “Serves her right for fillin’ your head with lies. That &#@*$ was a poison. &$*# that mage, he said he got rid of the last of them.”

A growl escaped from Lyra’s throat, and Orrig was forced to release Carson to hold her back. “Tell us truth,” Orrig said, an unspoken threat in his voice. “Now.”

“I ain’t no rat,” Jacob said.

Carson moaned with despair. “Pa, tell them th’ truth! Tell me! Is this why you was goin’ to Crossroads so much? Is this why you’re runnin’ outta town?”

“I ain’t runnin’!” Jacob shouted. “This were all for your good. Everything I ever did was for you, you’ve just been to blind t’ see it! That mage were tellin’ tales of magic ‘n she wove her spell well enough, why else would you want t’ stay in this dung heap? I spit on your magic,” he said, voice tightly controlled fury as he spat at Thistle’s feet. “You mages is all the same—“

Jacob was cut off by a hard blow to the jaw, courtesy of Brent. The tavern owner crumpled in a boneless heap, a knot starting to form before he hit the ground. Carson and Thistle were paralyzed by the sudden violence, while Orrig sighed.

“I wanted to do that,” Lyra said sullenly.

“Brent, why…We still needed more information from him,” Thistle said.

“He spat on you,” he said simply. “Besides, he wasn’t going to tell us anyway.”

“What in th’ nine hells is goin’ on?” Carson whispered, his eyes wide and frightened. “Does that mean Pa were th’ one killing all those horses? But he don’t got no magic.”

“No,” Thistle said quietly as she stared at the feather in her hand. “But I know who does.”

The fight was not going to plan. Rizaek and Aegis barreled towards Mum at full speed with no regard for their own safety. Mum was caught just as off guard by their sudden arrival as Thistle, and he only managed to loosen one bolt of golden lightening that missed wide of its target. He barely had enough time to throw up a shield, but it wasn’t enough to stop two thousand pounds of angry horseflesh.

Mum was thrown backward, and Aegis took back to the air before he could recover. Seizing the opportunity, Thistle reached into her satchel and threw a handful of seeds at Mum. Vines of ivy and creepers burst to life and wrapped themselves around his arms and legs. If she could just get him to leg to of the crystal…

Thistle heard someone moving behind her and ducked on instinct. One of Rhys’s blades cut in the space her head had been a moment before. She over balanced and stumbled, clumsily avoiding another strike of his knife.

“I’m not the one who attacked you,” Thistle cried, somehow managing to roll to her feet. Rhys blinked blood out of his eyes that flowed from a cut near his temple. He swayed drunkenly, obviously woozy from his fall. It was probably the only reason why she wasn’t dead.

“Y-you did this!” Rhys said, panting hard as he swung an arching cut that Thistle had to jump backwards to avoid, falling hard on her backside. In her mind she could hear Mum cackle as he broke free of his restraints. “What did you do to my mage?!”

Rhys’s head shot up suddenly and he brought his arms in front of him just as an arrow whistled overhead. It exploded as it hit the force field, and Thistle ducked her head to avoid the shrapnel.

“For &$*# sake, Thistle, move!” Lyra screamed. She swore as Mum threw lightening at her, throwing herself away from where she was perched. It hit the house behind her, which blew apart as thunder boomed down the empty street.

Thistle scrambled to her feet and ran. She knew exactly one spell to put out fires, a simple cantrip meant to douse hearth fires or other small blazes. Thistle shouted the words of the spell, putting all her soul and focus into preventing the house from going up into flames.

It worked, at least well enough for Thistle to turn her mind onto more pressing matters. Aegis swooped down where Lyra lay moaning, rearing on his hind legs as Mum stalked forward. Rizaek shouted a warning in Orcish, eyeing the ball of golden light Mum held in one hand.

The mercenary guild is no place for boys, Mum said, projecting his mindspeak so that all could hear. Go back to your stables, little runt, before I’m forced to hurt you. He chuckled. I might anyway, for that stunt you just pulled.

Behind Thistle, Rhys had stopped attacking, staring slack-jawed at his mage.

Rizaek held tightly onto Aegis’s reigns. “You kill horses. I vill kill you”

You’re welcome to try.

This time Thistle was ready for the lightening. At the first spark she clapped her hands together to form a solid barrier between Mum and Rizaek. As the bolt struck, she directed it harmlessly to the ground.

Lyra was slowly standing, hands clasped over her ears. The blast wave had done more damage then then lightning itself. Lyra was strong, but strength meant little if the thunderclap had burst her eardrums.

Silently apologizing for the indignity, Thistle Levitated her onto Aegis’s back. The horse startled, but didn’t spook or buck. “Get her out of here!” Thistle shouted.

Aegis unfurled his wings, and Thistle stopped two more lightning strikes as Rizaek guided him safely away from the fight.

Mum scowled his displeasure, sparks crackling at his fingertips. Thistle was beginning to wonder if lightning was the only battle spell he knew, to have tried it so often without success. It made sense. He seemed to specialize more in subterfuge than war, and relied on stolen power to fuel his spells.

“You can’t possibly hope to get away with this,” Thistle said. “Even if you win this fight, you can’t hide what you’ve done.”

I beg to differ. It’s a simple enough thing to improve upon the facts. You said it yourself, there are three mages in this town—so what, the cripple didn’t do it. Who are people going to believe more, a faceless upstart or a respected member of one of the most promising up and coming mercenary teams? You’ve proven you have some skill. All I have to say is you made me do it, whether through threats or magic, and I’ll be free as a lark. After all, no one would ever suspect a mute.

For a moment the look of boyish innocence was back, beguiling blue eyes wide and frightened. The effect was so startling that Thistle flinched. Then Mum grinned.

See? You have your mask, and I have mine. We’re all monsters of a sort. I’m just honest about it.

“There’s nothing honest about what you’ve done here,” Thistle said through gritted teeth before shoving her hand into her satchel.

Ah yes, more weeds. Truly frightening.

“I would be more worried about what’s behind you,” Thistle said.

Very funny. The sparks in his hand grew into a ball of lightening, the gold of his magic tinged with black. Now let’s finish th—

He turned just in time to see Orrig and Brent hurdling towards him in a berserker rage. Thistle threw her seeds while he was distracted, calling upon her magic once more.

Only this time instead of ivy there was briars, and creepers had been replaced by nettles and rose thorns. Mum’s mouth opened with a silent scream. He managed to throw up a hasty shield against Brent and Orrig, but lost control of the spell gathered in his hand.

Thistle saw it in slow motion. She knew Mum was not skilled enough a mage to manage two spells at the same time, and as he was drawing the sign that raised a magical shield she was encasing as much of the lightning into a force field of her own. The explosion would have otherwise killed Mum instantly was encapsulated and driven to the ground, where the power seeped harmlessly into the dirt.

At the same time Orrig cut through Mum’s shield as if it were wet paper and struck him in the ribs with the broad side of his axe. Mum was knocked to the ground, landing in even more thorns, and Brent wasted no time stomping onto his wrist.

The sickening crack of broken bone filled the air, and the quartz crystal rolled onto the ground.

It was over. They had done it. The adrenaline left Thistle’s body as fast as it had come, and she plopped to the ground, exhausted. She scarcely noticed Orrig securing Mum in manacles, broken wrist and all, or Aegis trot up the street, Lyra and Rizaek on his back and Isla limping slowly by his side.

“Took you long enough,” Lyra said. She held a bloody hand over her ear, while the other was holding onto her seat with desperate strength.

“I would have worked faster with my tools. Runes take time,” Isla said.

“Sorry, can’t hear you,” Lyra said.

Thistle hurried over Aegis and helped Lyra back to the ground, before starting her healing. Once she was sure Lyra’s tympanic membrane was intact and she hadn’t taken any other damage, she asked, “Runes?”

Isla nodded towards Brent and Orrig, “I etched something that could cut through his magic. It won’t last long, I’m afraid, It was only a surface-level marking. It will wear off as the rune fades.”

“It worked just like we planned,” Brent added. “The moron left the key to her cell in the jail when he went to talk with you. We were able to get her out no problem once you lured him away.”

And towards the town, Thistle thought. Stupid, you should have taken him somewhere where no one else could get hurt.

“We should check if anyone was injured from the lightning strike,” Thistle said softly.

“What about him?” Lyra said, jerking her thumb where Rhys stood, frozen in place. No magic had been placed on him, but there might as well have. He didn’t seem to notice the blood that flowed freely from the cut on his temple, or anything at all for that matter.

A cold look came on Isla’s face. She limped towards him slowly, still in her night clothes, greying hair in a mess of tangles and dark circles under her eyes. She stopped about two feet away from him, every harsh, angular line in her face made sharper by her anger.

“I don’t understand,” Rhys said numbly.

“That’s because you’re an idiot,” Isla retorted. She swung her cane, sending a whisper of magic down the length of the wood and into the metal ferrule as it made contact with his leather armor.

Isla couldn’t throw lightning bolts big enough to blow up houses, but she could send enough electricity through her cane to blow Rhys off of his feet. She turned to the rest, as if daring them to speak against her.

As usual, it was Lyra who broke the silence.

“I know I said I wanted to break his nose, but that was awesome.”  

[m0nstera-blog]

Ricky Watches | Mar 13-19

Grimm 06x10 | Blood Magic

After a series of brutal attacks in a local nursing home, Nick and Hank learn about euthanasia being practiced in the Wesen community. Eve asks questions to Adalind that only a Hexenbiest can give.

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Grimm has just three episodes left to tie up a whole lot of loose ends, but it seems to be doing a good job so far. I’m enjoying that, along the way, they haven’t sacrificed the smaller, one-episode plots in an attempt to cram everything they want in for the larger plot. (Though, this will likely be the last we’ll see of that.) This episode, of course, kept with the plot of Eve/Juliette and the Big Bad in the mirror - but also brought us a really compelling and somber sub-plot about dementia and dying with dignity, as well as the preservation of a way of life for a persecuted group of people that are just trying to do their best. In addition, the dynamic between Eve and Adalind has been really intriguing. Two women that were, not too long ago, bitter enemies and romantic rivals but are now warily cautious teammates? A very interesting pair not often seen on mainstream television, at least in a way that doesn’t involve sexism and cat fights. And then, of course, a little humor to make up for the box of tissues you just plowed through:

Eve having to shake one of the Hexen-books to get the letters to unscramble

The medical examiner shrugging off the tox screen results with “I suppose if any place was going to have a giant assassin bug, it’d be Portland.”

Rosalee panics and tells the Gevatter Tod that it’s her husband suffering from dementia as Monroe stares her down and then chugs some wine.

“Make sure your brother doesn’t fall off the bed. No making him float, either.”

Grimm 06x11 | Where the Wild Things Were

Nick finds a way to join Eve in the other place, while the gang reluctantly enlists Renard for help.

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The Scooby Gang pretty quickly realizes that Eve has gone rogue to ̶N̶a̶r̶n̶i̶a̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶U̶p̶s̶i̶d̶e̶ ̶D̶o̶w̶n̶ The Other Place. This episode felt more like a set-up for next week than a stand-alone episode. We find out the prophecy, what’s probably going on (ick, child bride), what’s through the mirror, and finally we are full-circle from the beginning of the show. The keys, the magic stick, the cloth, the symbols, the mirror, the child with ridiculous powers. All is linked. Adalind offering to go through the mirror speaks volumes about her growth over the seasons. Though I do agree that, as a (possibly now single, if Nick doesn’t find his way back) mother, it’s definitely not something to be asked of her, Adalind volunteering as tribute is a stamp on the finished product of Bad Character Who Is Now Good. The heart to heart in the forest was overdo. Eve says she doesn’t blame Nick, and she wouldn’t change anything. The line "Happiness doesn’t interest me anymore, Nick. It just gets in the way,“ did make me a bit sad for Juliette. Eve has recently settled on a slightly more middle ground between the two - but she’s definitely not Juliette. I was really pleased that it didn’t end up with Nick going back to Juliette/Eve in some sort of destined to be together, endgame sort of way. Nick has moved on, Juliette is gone, and that’s where we are. No romantic happily ever after for them. And they’re okay with that. Once this season is over, I think I’ll need to rewatch the whole thing. Considering it’s been six years since I watched the beginning, the overarcing details are occasionally lost to me.

Humans are called “walking meat” in The Other Place? Jinkies.

The Schrodinger’s Cat analogy confused the bejeezus out of me. So because they went through, another dimension is no longer available? Or it might be a pre-life or afterlife, but not like in a heaven or hell type way? But sort of? And Skull Face might be the devil? What?

"I’m guessing this is your standard stone slab sacrificial altar.”

Seriously, though, did the whole show come down to a magic stick and a child bride?

Next: “ A dark force arrives in Portland with its eyes set on Diana; Monroe, Eve and Rosalee make a discovery that uncovers the origins of the mysterious stick; Hank and Wu are called to a crime scene that is linked to the gang’s greatest threat.”

Criminal Minds 12x14 | Collision Course

When pedestrians in Bradenton, Florida are critically injured following a series of car accidents, the BAU suspects that the vehicles involved in each accident were being controlled by a hacker. Meanwhile, Prentiss works with defense attorney Fiona Duncan (Jeananne Goossen) as Reid prepares to stand trial. Things take a turn for the worse when the Mexican authorities find the weapon of the crime. Reid refuses both the deals the prosecution offers him, and he’s denied bail.

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Welcome to Criminal Minds, where the stories are made up and… still completely terrifying. Criminal of the episode: car hacker. Hack the car, hack the smart phone, watch the horrified driver as they unwillingly run into a pedestrian. Fun for the whole family. (Seriously, though, stop making me nervous about things that will probably not be sci-fi in the very near future.) The unsub is a white male, in his mid- to late-twenties, who was repeatedly rejected by women. Next!

Criminal Minds 12x15 | Alpha Male

When several civilians are disfigured following a series of acid attacks in Philadelphia, the BAU sets out to catch an unsub who wants to make his victims feel as ugly as he does. Meanwhile, Reid struggles to adapt to life in prison after a guard with a grudge sends him to the general population, and makes a friend in Calvin Shaw, a former FBI agent with a dark past.

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This one glanced furtively in the right direction, and then ran away. (And yet I still chased it. I’ll never give you up, Criminal Minds!) This week, we have attractive young people getting hit in the face with acid. Early in the episode it was suggested that it might be a woman, or even multiple unsubs, but of course it was a socially awkward, white, twenty-something male with a severe case of But Why Would You Sleep With Him When You Could Have Me? What I do find interesting, though, is a detective show having a storyline - or even two, really - where the system is not working in the favor of those who are innocent. Reid being put in prison, unable to truly legally defend himself, for a crime he didn’t commit. Calvin Shaw, having to spend the rest of his life in prison for a decision he made in a lose/lose situation. Calvin’s status among the prisoners as the alpha male, and his reaching out to protect Reid, tie in nicely with the criminal of the week.

Criminal Minds 12x16 | Assistance is Futile

A mother steps forward with valuable information for the BAU to aid in their investigation of an unsub known as the bone crusher. Also, Reid must adapt to a new set of rules in prison life.

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I’m not gonna lie, I definitely fast forwarded through a few scenes on this one. Crunching bones is not my thing. -shudders- Of course the victims are women, and of course they’re tortured. In a slight shift in routine, the team actually knows who the perpetrator is pretty early in the episode - then it’s a matter of finding him. So, some people are speculating online that Reid was placed in general population as a plant. I’m… uncertain. I mean, this is the show that “killed” a main character and didn’t let her friends know it was fake, so, who knows. But I’ll be a bit upset for the team if they went through all this heartache for nothing.

Next:The BAU suspects that two unsubs are operating at the same time when victims killed in different ways are found in the same city.

Jane the Virgin 03x01 | Chapter Forty-Five

Michael is in critical condition fighting for his life in hospital, as we are given flashbacks to the start of Jane and Michael’s romance. Police question Petra (really her twin sister, Anezka) and find her acting suspiciously, and Jane and Michael’s mom finally learn to get along.

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Please excuse me while I sob into my tea.

Originally posted by rootxsam

Yes. I watched all of these in one go, so I don’t have much analyzing to offer. Next time I’ll pace myself. I will say, the flashbacks showed a relationship that I wasn’t really expecting. What I was expecting, I'm not sure. But it wasn't that. In addition, I’ve been spoiled on a development from later in the season, which has ruined me forever.

Jane the Virgin 03x02 | Chapter Forty-Six

When Rafael finally admits that he is over Jane, their co-parenting style is tested when they argue over what the best preschool is for Mateo. Xo is paranoid about Alba finding out her secret and what it will do to their relationship.

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Ouch. Jane had moved on from Raphael, of course, but that still has to sting. And Gina Rodriguez does such a good job with the slight facial expressions showing Jane feeling hurt, but trying not to look like she’s feeling hurt. I can’t remember ever seeing a show deal with a character getting an abortion as calmly and as casually as Jane the Virgin did. It was mentioned, it was a thing, and that’s that. No slut shaming, no fingernail-biting decision-making. Xo didn’t want to have kids. So she didn’t. End of story. (Well, not quite. Does Alba know? Uh oh.)

Jane the Virgin 03x03 | Chapter Forty-Seven

Jane continues to work on her thesis and she decides to add Alba’s estranged sister to the narrative, much to Alba’s dismay. In order for Rogelio to have a chance at being an American crossover star he decides to bring the Passions of Santos to The CW in hopes they will pick it up.

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Oh, this episode was exquisite. So good. The second hand embarrassment when Marlene gets the video, though, hurt me to my core. (I actually realized about as soon as she was sending the email what was about to happen, and just screeched from then until the reveal of yes-Marlene-saw-it and #yikes.) The back and forth about The CW - not quite breaking the fourth wall, but definitely giving it a solid kick - was a nice touch.

Jane the Virgin 03x04 | Chapter Forty-Eight

Jane and Michael’s housewarming party in their new home hits a snag when they discover they are being evicted for not paying their rent. Meanwhile, “Petra” shocks Rafael with what she wants to do with her shares of the hotel.

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This storyline actually caught me completely by surprise. The idea that Petra’s half of the rent might not be getting paid never occurred to me - so I was (almost) just as shocked as Jane and Michael when the realtor walked through the door. Speaking of Petra, the twins’ switcharoo storyline is just the right ratio of bonkers telenovella plot to actually plausible. The sweet spot that Jane the Virgin does so well in. (Also, I want Petra back.)

Next: Jane convinces Alba to let her read the letters from her estranged sister, but under the condition Jane doesn’t reach out to her family. Rafael is starting to suspect that something is different with Petra. Meanwhile, Michael and Rafael, with the help of Jane and Rogelio, try to create a civil friendship, but it doesn’t go as smoothly as everyone hoped.

Powerless 01x04 | Emily Dates a Henchman

After receiving a wedding invite from her ex-boyfriend, Emily finds someone to date. However, she doesn’t realize that her date is a henchman for the Riddler. Meanwhile, Teddy and Ron find a Batarang stuck to a safe door that Wayne Security is supposed to improve. Van, after learning about the Batarang, wants to use it to lure Batman to Charm City.

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It could be said that Powerless’ characters are rather two dimensional. It’s not an overly thought-engaging show, and honestly that’s why I like it. Cute, funny, upbeat - all things I need these days. There have been large time gaps - at least a few months have passed - so the sudden closeness with the group feels a little out of the blue, but it isn’t unappreciated. (Also, Robert Buckley from iZombie makes a most excellent henchman.)

Powerless 01x05 | Cold Season

While cold-themed villains rampage Charm City, Emily tries to convince Teddy to submit his super-heating gloves to an in-company competition for new inventions. Meanwhile, Van convinces Ron to assemble toys that’ll help him with his new girlfriend’s daughter.

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I really have nothing of substance to contribute for this episode.I really love this show.

Originally posted by colleenwing

Next: When Emily learns that Jackie is in need of some extra cash, she can’t help but try and do what she can to help her out. Meanwhile, Van is on a witch hunt and has his eyes set on Teddy, Ron and Wendy.

What did you think? Have you tried Powerless yet? Is Jane the Virgin making you cry like Titanic during shark week? Have you watched Emerald City? That's on my list. And why are detective shows so addictive, anyways?

until next time xo, ricky

[ciathyzareposts]

Game 111: Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch (1992) – Introduction

Written by Reiko

The last game I played through for the blog was Dune (let’s pretend Rome never happened), which was more or less based on the famous science fiction novel, and before that was Gateway. Up next, I have the opportunity to present another game based on a famous science fiction novel: Ringworld, by Larry Niven. I’m seeing a theme here.

Front cover of the original release.

Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch was released right at the end of 1992 by Tsunami Games, early in their career (they’d only just been founded in 1991 by designers originally from Sierra, according to both Wikipedia and Mobygames). One name that appears a lot in its credits is Chris Hoyt. Listed for both game design and programming, he’d already had a lot of experience before this by programming for King’s Quest IV and V and Police Quest 2 and 3, among others. Another big name was Ken Allen, who wrote the score for Ringworld’s music, after having also composed for a number of Sierra games.

So there was some talent involved with this game, which shows in its colorful graphics and detailed character and setting designs. The graphic design actually reminds me somewhat of the 1994 strategy/adventure game Alien Legacy, but it’s possible that it’s just the level of the tools available at that time.

Front cover of the CD-ROM release.

Sometime in the next year, a CD-ROM version was released (the original was on floppies), but I haven’t found much information about the differences. The CD-ROM was supposed to contain several tracks of music, but the archive.org description indicates that the tracks didn’t seem to exist on the disk, or were written in a non-standard format.

As with the other games based on science fiction novels, adapting the setting and concept to a game format meant changing the plot and characters, often significantly, or taking a completely different perspective on the plot. I haven’t read much of the original novel, but some copies of the game shipped with the book, which seems to be implying that it might be a good idea to read it. Ringworld ties in with Niven’s “Known Space” setting, in which he wrote several other books and stories, so the setting is well-developed and complex. I read up on it in preparing for this game.

Artist’s concept of the Ringworld

At any rate, I was already familiar with the concept of a “ringworld,” since that has been carried over into other science fiction settings since then, including multiple 4X space games like Stellaris. A ringworld is a huge ring-shaped structure built along an entire orbit around a star. Instead of a planet orbiting around the star, the whole structure just rotates around it.

It’s a cool concept for an alien structure in theory, but in practice, it’s completely silly. I have no idea where you’d get enough physical material to even build that large of a framework, never mind all the organic material needed to make it habitable. Niven’s Ringworld was supposedly large enough to have the surface area of millions of Earths. Even Jupiter only has the mass of 318 Earths, and quite a lot of that is gaseous, so even if you (somehow??) spread it out relatively thinly into a flat ring structure, I’m not sure you’d have enough. But “aliens did it��� and that’s all you need to know, apparently. It’s the science fiction equivalent of “wizards did it.”

Title screen

After the title screen displays, we get the option to see the introduction or just start the game. The introduction starts with a credits listing, including an official credit to Larry Niven. Then we get a cutscene introducing the main conflict. So far, this game is rather plot-heavy, so I’ll do my best to summarize. Also, it feels like a sequel to an existing story, which doesn’t help. Actually, I noticed the back cover mentions Larry Niven himself saying that it’s a sequel to the first two books. So I guess we’re jumping into the middle of the story. Whee!

Back cover of the box

Let me start with the characters. The introductory cut-scene is between the Kzinti king, or Patriarch, and his trusted centurion Shachra. The Kzinti are a violent race of male-dominated felinoid aliens. Niven’s setting involves several wars between humans and Kzinti, although I don’t know exactly where in the timeline the game is set. I suspect it’s fairly late, because the first thing the Patriarch says is that he wants to destroy the Puppeteers for their audacity in using the Kzinti in a breeding experiment. Hence, “Revenge of the Patriarch.”

The Puppeteers are a very strange race which I’ll describe more later if they show up on screen, but they’re highly technologically advanced, very focused on the safety and preservation of themselves and their race, and like to meddle in other races’ social and genetic development. So the Kzinti want to destroy them because the Puppeteers deliberately instigated the wars between humans and Kzinti in order to kill off the more aggressive side of Kzinti society. (The experiment didn’t extend as far as the Patriarch yet, I guess.)

The throne room decorations look rather Aztec to me, appropriate for an aggressive race.

In the Ringworld novel, the main characters are Louis Wu and the Kzinti Speaker-to-Animals, also called Chmeee, who end up on a mission to Ringworld at the request of the Puppeteers. But the game starts off with Louis Wu’s mercenary friend Quinn and Chmeee’s son Iacch-Captain, who must find out what happened to Louis Wu and Chmeee after they mysteriously disappeared. The Patriarch mentions Louis Wu and “the traitor Chmeee” as having acquired a new and improved hyperdrive (which in the novel is a reward from the Puppeteers for escaping Ringworld), which the human government immediately used to construct a fancy new exploration vessel. I assume Chmeee is considered a traitor by the Patriarch for working together with a human.

So the Kzinti (at least the Patriarch’s faction) want to destroy the Puppeteers and strike a blow at humans as well. Somehow they’ve managed to duplicate the human exploration vessel. The Patriarch expects his centurion to captain this duplicate and accomplish three tasks: kill everyone at the Chmeee family home, find and destroy the entire Puppeteer homeworld, and take over the human ship. I had to wonder very briefly if we were supposed to be controlling this centurion, but no, I’m sure we’ll have to thwart these plans, so it’s important that the player knows about them.

I should mention that the backstory of the human-Kzinti wars isn’t all explained in this introduction. If you’re familiar with the setting, you’ll likely know it, but if not, I think it would be rather confusing being dumped into the middle of this conflict. It’s not very clear to me, either, especially when it comes to what Louis Wu and Chmeee have already done before the game even started.

Quinn’s motivation for being here

Gameplay begins at the Chmeee family home with Louis Wu’s mercenary friend Quinn, who is over 200 years old, thanks to something called “boosterspice” (presumably no connection to Dune’s spice), which halts aging for a period of years. Louis Wu was 200 at the beginning of the original Ringworld novel, too. Quinn muses briefly about how Louis Wu is the only one who would have the foresight to send a “just in case I disappear” message before he actually disappears. Convenient, that. So Louis Wu has disappeared and Quinn has to track him down.

Now I have to pause for a minute to show the interface. It’s more or less a tidy reskin of the familiar Sierra interface, with a few subtle differences that make it slightly more awkward to use. The right-click button will bring up the menu in a compact triangular-ish design right on screen, rather than in a menu bar at the top. The top button is the look action; the next two are move/walk and use/touch. Bottom left is talk, bottom middle is inventory, and bottom right brings up the utility menu, including save and quit.

Interface with initial inventory

It’s all pretty standard for adventure games of this era, really. Very intuitive. Except that, with the exception of look (and move), the other actions (touch, talk, and using an inventory item) all shift back to the default move cursor after you click on something. That means that, as far as I can tell, you can’t try using multiple things on-screen in a row without going through the menu every time. And you can’t try using an inventory item in multiple places without bringing up the item again every time.

In Sierra games, the cursor would stay on a particular mode until you shifted it with the right mouse button or clicked on a menu item. Here, the right mouse button shows you the whole menu. And the clicks aren’t as responsive as I might like. Sometimes the right-click doesn’t work right away, and sometimes I right-click and end up with the wrong menu option selected.

The entrance to the Chmeee family home

I mention these interface difficulties because I’m a little worried that there might be a bit of pixel-hunting. The first gameplay screen shows Quinn outside the front doorway of the Chmeee family home. The door is blocked with a laser doorbell system. The laser is only a couple of pixel-widths high. It took me an embarrassingly long time to determine that to proceed, all I had to do was touch the laser to block it, which basically rang the doorbell and alerted the family that they had a visitor.

Quinn’s inventory starts out with three items: a stunner weapon, some kind of scanner, and a signet ring from Louis Wu. I spent far too long trying to scan that laser before I figured out how to trigger it.

I’ll pause here, with Quinn having gotten the attention of the Kzinti in the home. Next time, the plot will thicken and we’ll have to make a run for it.

Ringworld can be played from archive.org or downloaded and played through DOSBox if you’d like to play along with me.

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no CAPs will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. As this is an introduction post, it’s an opportunity for readers to bet 10 CAPs (only if they already have them) that I won’t be able to solve a puzzle without putting in an official Request for Assistance: remember to use ROT13 for betting. If you get it right, you will be rewarded with X CAPs in return. It’s also your chance to predict what the final rating will be for the game. Voters can predict whatever score they want, regardless of whether someone else has already chosen it. All correct (or nearest) votes will go into a draw.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/game-111-ringworld-revenge-of-the-patriarch-1992-introduction/