#x. turn dreams into an empire; starters

[callophelia-ailingamnemonic]

Persona designs I made for Persona Crossroads some time ago

While I was cooking for my Persona Crossroads story idea, I was also working on some persona designs for the persona users in the story!

These are just drafts however, and I can't say for sure if any of these guys will stay in the final story since I'm reworking their users, but since these guys have been doing nothing but sitting around in my computer, I might as well show them off X))

This one is my design of Ghostbur from the Dream SMP if he was a Persona. I will admit, this one is probably one of my favourites alongside his user, so he's probably staying on the keep list ^-^

According to my notes, he inherits Nuclear skills, reflects Psy, absorbs Curse, resists Nuclear and Wind, and is weak to Water (yes I added Water into this), Ice, Slash (and brought back the three types of physical lol), and Pierce.

I understand that that's not how starter personas work, but...

but yeah. Instead of making Ghostbur's attributes the typical persona way, I wanted to assign them in a way that reflects actual attributes of the character Ghostbur. Inherits Nuclear because boom boom, reflects Psy because of his selective amnesia, absorbs Curse because I don't remember (probably having something to do with Alivebur?), resists Nucleur because of persona laws and Wind because... also can't remember, and is weak to Water and Ice because they melt him, and Slash and Pierce because his (and Alivebur's) deaths were from being stabbed by swords and pierced by arrows!

The design was heavily inspired by catzgam3rz's Limbo designs!

I also made a Revivebur counterpart to Ghostbur :))

For... um... reasons.

According to my notes, he inherits Nuclear and Psy (Because boom boom and child manipulator), reflect Psy (don't remember why lol), absorbs Curse (dk why lol), resists Nuclear and Wind and is weak to Slash and Pierce, so... Ghostbur, but better.

Moving on to a non-Minecraft character, I also drew Aesop Carl from Identity V as a persona (specifically his Rorschach Physician character from the White Tombstone fan game). This particular persona was designed to be a navigation persona which ngl, felt kinda tough to make. I'll admit... he's visually not the favourite child XPP

Back to turning Minecraft characters into personas, here's Scott from Empires SMP season 1! This one... is probably tied as my least favourite alongside the next one XPP The idea of it was nice, but my execution was... not as nice.

According to my notes, Scott inherits Ice and Bless (because of canonical ice powers and being the champion of the good stag god), reflects Ice, absorbs Bless, and is weak to Fire, Curse, and Slash (because stabby stab)

And I also made his brother, Xornoth! Looking at him again, I think it's safe to say that Scott loses the visual competition XPP

Him and persona Scott were meant to be opposites in both design and attributes.

Xornoth inherits Fire and Curse, reflects Fire, absorbs Curse, and is weak to Ice, Bless, Slash, and also Psy (because mans spent 99% of season 1 possessed by an evil stag god)

And also here are some gross unfinished concept art for persona Bayonetta.

Originally I was going to go with the look she has for most of the first game, but I decided to leave that for a third awakening instead and use her old look for the first awakening, but even though I had a vision I was satisfied with, I just... couldn't make it work -_-

If I were still going with Bayonetta as the protag's persona, I probably would have used Ernesto from Tactica as reference XPP

Tho I did really like the idea of her coming out of a coffin... would make a wicked awakening!

According to my notes, her attributes were that she inherits curse and pierce (because witchcraft and gun), resists Curse, Bless (thanks to dear old dad), Pierce, and Wind (because these witches have never been taught the concept of gravity), and is weak to... Water and Earth? I do not know why I chose those weaknesses for her...

[yoonpobs]

we don't talk together | myg

pairing: min yoongi x oc

genre: angst, hurt/comfort, growth! exes that remain exes

words: 2, 842

summary: it's hard to say it's over

What they don't tell you about goodbyes is that it isn't the end.

It's far from the closing of a book. Goodbyes are the itch that urges you to pick up an old book from the shelf just to feel what you first felt when you re-read certain parts of a book; the same remorse you felt when a character you grew attached to didn't get the ending they deserved. Or, maybe it was the villain that was misunderstood—your own heart wishing to reach out to the sad soul that couldn't even be recognised when all they do is speak.

But some books will end up dusty, forgotten, tucked away in the corner of your shelf; or in the most drastic of cases: lost.

"The park looks ... different," Yoongi speaks up for a lack of a better conversation starter.

You hum. What would you say? That it wasn't the same from when we used to spend our Spring's blended into Summer's until it got too hot for us to lay in each other's embrace?

It was still too fresh even though it's been nearly a year.

"There are more dogs," You point out the moment a tan pomeranian runs past the two of you, the owner an old couple laughing away under the cherry blossoms.

He nods, fingers stuffed in his trench coat. You note that it's the same one he wore on your anniversary, plans abandoned when there was a mix-up with the reservations until the two of you stumbled across a hidden gem that soon became your go-to date place.

You will yourself to look away so no more memories can resurface. It seems like every part of your life has somehow seamlessly intertwined itself with traces of Yoongi that it was impossible for you to exist as just yourself.

"How are things at the firm?" He asks after the two of you walked side-by-side in complete silence as more and more chatter fill your ears.

"It's ... going," You chuckle dryly.

Yoongi raises an eyebrow at you, shooting you a brief glance over until the two of you reach a bench. You dare say it's muscle memory that dragged your heavy feet into the direction of the only bench that you've known in the park. The compressed reminder of the initials of your names that you carved as teenagers likely still staining the years old wood. It was meant to be an emblem for wisdom, the ring of growth that meant to be the endgame for the two of you.

You almost laugh in bitterness and how literal the metaphor was.

"Everything okay?"

Yoongi takes the first step to sit on the bench because he always did. Ever the gentlemen when he opened doors for you, let you into the car first, waited until you stepped ahead of him to trail behind like a shield.

The first date, first kiss, first confession.

The first one to decide that it was over.

"My boss is just being sexist, as usual. I thought I'd get used to it after spending two years there but ... there are some things that you just stay unfamiliar, you know?"

It was very like you to speak in double-entendres without intending to. But it was also like Yoongi to pick up on it, especially after years of learning all the best and worst parts of you; he was and probably will be one of the few people in your lives that will always foresee your next move.

The two of you sit a fair distance apart on the bench even if it was a battle for space anyway. You didn't have the liberty to lean into his embrace anymore and he wasn't in the position to say that it was okay for you to breathe, to relax.

"You shouldn't get used to those remarks. There are times where you learn to grow used to constructive criticism but if what he's saying makes you question your worth because of very arbitrary reasons like your gender then that isn't criticism, nor is it constructive. It's bigoted and chauvinistic."

You look down to your thumbs as you fiddle with it, his words comforting you. It was woeful that you still chased validation from him even after learning to be that person to yourself.

"Yeah, I guess."

Then how did you get used to things?

If time didn't make things familiar then what did? Was it not the five years with Yoongi that led you to see him build an empire for himself all the while destroying the relationship that you had? Or was it because he was the person that you thought of doing the most minuscule things?

"By the way," He clears his throat, eyes still set forward, "Namjoon says hi."

You raise an eyebrow, surprised to hear the name of a mutual friend—or more appropriately, friend by association and acquaintance when that link was broken.

"He knows that you're with me?"

Yoongi nods his head.

"I needed to let someone at the studio know and ... well, he's the only one that knew of our situation."

You chuckle bitterly.

Of course. The suggestion of his work only made your heart drop because as much as you wanted to be supportive of him, even after the break-up, the name of his studio or songs only reminded you of the battle that you helplessly lost.

"You can tell him that I'm still a text or phone call away. No need to play messenger," You return.

The atmosphere is more reflective than awkward. You know that the two of you had your pieces to say, your own narrative to tell but neither brave enough to break the calm that you were settled in. It was a nice difference from the way that things ended, and you supposed that you were similar enough to believe in a mirage than the inevitable truth.

But you didn't call him out after six months to sit in silence to walk away with your heart feeling heavier, nor did you invite him out just to remember what it feels like to have him next to you—even in complete silence.

"Would you have really quit?"

This time, you gather all the bravery that you've built over the past few months to ask the question that has been mulling in your mind since the night you decided that it was officially over.

It was a painful break-up. Even if you expected it when Yoongi came home earlier one night with bags under his eyes and his keys that he usually left at the studio because he knew you'd always be home to open the door for him.

"I'm sorry?" He seems taken aback.

You don't blame him. You've always been more passive in dealing with confrontation due to your conflict-averse nature—but that didn't mean you didn't get angry or annoyed—or hurt. But if you learned anything, it was to stop asking yourself questions that you'll never have the answer to.

"Would you really have left the company to save our relationship?"

You chose your words carefully. Instead of saying to be with you, knowing that he lost the love, he had for you somewhere along the way—you point out the one hole that he held on to for the sake of stability. The one thing that was constant in his life with how unpredictable the music industry was.

"Yes."

Somehow, the answer doesn't make you feel better because even with time apart you knew he was lying to save your face.

"You don't owe me anything to lie to my face, Yoongi." You frown.

Yoongi sighs, rubbing his hands across his face as he leaves your statement hanging in the air to mull over his answer.

You prefer the silence that way. It showed that he was at least listening, or cared enough to decide his next set of words. Nothing like how much it pained you to acknowledge the responses you got from him when you were crying were just out of obligation than sincerity.

"No, I wouldn't have."

You nod your head, expectant of the answer but you needed to hear him say it himself rather than drowning yourself in ruminating thoughts of how there was still a semblance of hope that he would've given it up for you, for your relationship—or the life that you were meant to build.

"I wouldn't have asked you to, anyway." You confess.

Yoongi turns his head to look at you and for the first time since you've met at the park, he notices the absence of a necklace around your neck. The necklace that you never took off. He wants to comment on it, ask where it went or if you've pawned it off out of pettiness but he held no remorse towards you. You were tolerant with the break-up even as you sucked in your tears when he knew that it killed you on the inside. Yoongi didn't have the heart in him to ask you.

"Oh."

"You were the one that said you'd quit so we could stay together," You say softly.

Yoongi doesn't respond as he looks back to the night where the two of you sat down to talk about the standing of your relationship. It was a rollercoaster of emotions that started off with an amicable discussion that eventually led to the two of you yelling until you surrendered to your tears and just left the battle completely.

He said a lot of things that night. From things that he's been bottling up for months, to things that he's always wanted to tell you and things that he didn't remotely mean, and things that he's regretted the moment it left his lips.

"I guess I did."

You sigh, leaning back into the bench as you observe a couple walking in front of you, passing your bench as they share an ice cream on a cone; bickering on who'd get the first lick. To anyone, you and Yoongi would've looked just like a couple that has reached a comfortable point in your relationship where intimacy was just sitting next to one another.

But you admit, there was something oddly intimate and heart-breaking about sitting next to someone you've loved with your whole heart and feel nothing but ... weightlessness. Like the burden of your concerns was lifted ever so slightly just being here.

"I wouldn't have made you choose between your relationship or your dream, Yoongi. I would never have done that to you."

Yoongi knew you would never have made him do something as abhorrent as that. You were far too understanding. But you had wanted from him too, that he wasn't willing to provide just yet. He didn't know if it was because of the expiration date to your relationship or because of the stress he was under at work—but he convinced himself that it was you that was asking for too much instead of him compromising too little.

"I ... I know," He whispers, "I'm sorry."

You purse your lips. You try not to let your emotions appear on your sleeve. You were tired of allowing your face to speak before you did. You needed to use the voice you had.

"I loved you so much, Yoongi," You murmur, "I loved you so much that I would have taken anything I could've gotten with you just so I could be with you."

Yoongi stays silent at this.

"I didn't mind if you spent more time at work than at our home. I just wanted to know if I was ever in the picture when you were talking about the future. I know how much you love music and I supported you through every audition and failure ... and to know that I was just—" You swallow, the words still painful to say. But you needed to make your peace with it, "—that I was just someone that would wait for you instead of your partner. That's when I knew that you didn't love me the way I loved you."

Yoongi chokes to speak up but you shake your head.

"No, Yoongi. You loved me, you did. But somewhere along the way you stopped and you just pretended that we were okay even when I was trying my best to fix the seams. I wasn't your girlfriend anymore, I was just someone familiar to you and I didn't deserve to feel that way." You tell him sternly.

Yoongi surrenders to his silence as you take a deep breath to continue.

"Maybe I loved you too much in a way that you couldn't understand."

"_______, don't say that—" His eyes widen when he tries to reach a hand to yours to comfort you, but your body language remains stoic as you keep your hands in your lap.

"—and that's okay Yoongi. I loved you but not in the way you needed. I'm not here to make you feel bad about what I chose to do on my own because it wasn't my fault that I couldn't be what you need." You say sadly, but a small smile on your face as you finally say the words that have been eating at you for months.

"... okay," Yoongi accepts.

"We all have different ways to love and be loved. I loved you and that was enough for you at one point but love isn't all a relationship needs. You loved me too, in your own way and I accepted that but just because it was enough for me doesn't mean it was enough for us." You glance over at him to see him staring at you intently.

"I'm sorry that things turned out this way," Yoongi says softly, eyes gentle.

You wave him off.

"I don't think I'll ever love someone as much as I loved you, though," He confesses, eyes returning to the scene in front of him filled with different colours of life that seemed to look vibrant under the Spring sunset.

You shake your head and chuckle softly.

"You say that now but you'll meet someone one day and you'll remember all the reasons why you love in the first place. And it'll be enough for you, and them."

He shrugs, a small smile itching on his face.

"I really did love you," He says, "But I'm sorry for not being honest with you. I owe you that much of an apology."

"We're not here to forgive or forget, Yoongi," You look at him kindly, "We're here to move on."

He purses his lips and hums, nodding his head.

"I hope you get that promotion at work you were talking about months ago, ______." Yoongi offers, a gentle grin marring his face.

"I did," You shrug.

It feels liberating to have achieved something and only feeling content by acknowledging it yourself. Months ago, you would've hurt at the fact that Yoongi didn't know. But the change you welcomed after the end only showed you that there was a new path for you to walk on.

His eyes widen, but eventually, he chuckles and shakes his head, muttering something under his breath that sounded a lot like knew it.

You push yourself off the bench, dusting your hands on your pants as you offer him one last smile before you say goodbye for the second time.

"I hope you find someone who you'll love more than you ever did with me." You tease.

He rolls his eyes.

"Impossible," The grin on his face is easy, and your heart still clenches at the nonchalance, but you don't expect the feeling to go away so easily—nor do you mind. It just shows that you needed to wait and that you were willing to do it.

"Of course you will. You're a musician, Yoongi. You need a muse," You smirk at him as you turn around, a small wave on your hand to say goodbye.

As you walk away and his body gets smaller and smaller from your vision, you turn around to say:

"We don't talk together is a beautiful song."

Yoongi's smile is genuine, and so is his goodbye. A gentle acknowledgment of his hand as he stands up himself, walking to the other direction of where you were headed.

You still had a love for Yoongi, and you suppose you always will. Just like how you would feel pleasant when rediscovering a childhood hobby that triggers a fond memory, or how you love different things in your life in different ways. Whether or not you love someone more than you've ever loved Yoongi isn't your concern, because when love comes in one form, it goes in another.

When you still take the same route you'd usually take with Yoongi after your walks back home, you pass the cafe you used to frequent to see that it's replaced with a new bar. You smile fondly to yourself, shaking your head.

You loved that place.

But eventually, you'll find another cafe with a beautiful interior and a latte to match, and you'll love it too.

[intergalactic-padawan]

Season 2 Ezra with a S/O who is super forgetful? (I’m an Ezra simp so get ready for many asks)

Relics - Ezra Bridger x reader

Requested: yes!

Warnings: preprare for some strong feels if you catch the reference! It came to me in a dream and now you all have to deal with it. You're welcome.

A/N: It's no problem at all, please, fill my asks with as many ideas you want! Sorry this took so long as well, i wanted it to turn out really good but my teachers had other ideas. Hope you like it?

Pronouns of reader: she/her

*ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE! I make mistakes just like everybody else 😉*

-"And you did all of that just for one meiloorun?" - You look back at Ezra, guiding him through the packed streets of the open market in a strange planet Hera had landed to refuel, and he gave you a smile. Your question was very serious, though: there was no way that was really the origin story of the 'Commander meiloorun' inside joke he and Zeb shared.

-"Funny enough, that's exactly what that trooper asked" - you snort at his reply and stop at the front of a busy stand of off-world fruits, grocery list in hand and bag of credits at your side.

-"welp, hopefully this time we can find some that are actually avaliable for buying"

Their selection was truly impressive. Not just the stand, but the market as a whole: jewelry, souvenirs, toys, books and foods all found themselves mixed and admired by people who had to yell louder than their neighbour to sell something today.

Ezra continued with his story, examining the apples as you'd instructed him, but you only paid half-attention this time: something had caught your eye, and you couldn't believe how lucky you were that no one had found it sooner.

A genuine DC-17 hand blaster was sitting beautifully two stalls to the right of you. For the looks of it, it was genuine, at least. The sign also advertised it as such, so it was truly a wonder no one with the minimum of firearms knowledge had grabbed it before.

Ezra said something that vaguely sounded like a question beside you, and you nodded, absent-minded. He then handed his shopping bag to you - probably to be able to bend over the table and get a few kiwis from the back - but you didn't turn to him.

-"I'm going over there, take a look at something real quick" - you announced, but didn't wait for an answer before navigating the sea of people to meet the woman selling the blaster.

Firearms weren't reallly the only thing she was selling, you noticed. There were holo-shields, vibro-blades, shoulder paudrons, darts and- was that a kama?

-"It's a nice arsenal you've got here" - you strap Ezra's bag to your shoulder and carefully take the folded fabric to analyze its flexible leather. It was lacking a utility belt to secure it, but seemed to be in very good conditions for something that old; you notice how the style didn't match with any of the ones you'd seen mandalorians wear, much less one of the native fighters from Rotas V. Which means it must have been worn by a clone trooper of the old republic back in the Clone War.

-"It's a keen eye you've got" - the lady retorts, setting down her datapad -"but that's not a skirt, you know that, right?"

She looks amused, almost like she's testing to see if you know the real value of the things offered here. You've got to hand it to her, everything seemed legit; wich only makes you question even more how did she get those things in the first place. She stares at you for a few seconds and briefly reaches for something from below the small counter, placing it on top of a pile of restraining bolts.

It's a dark grey and blue kama, the same size as the one you're holding, though it seems like it has seen better days. The pattern's more detailed in this one: diagonal lines that meet in the middle, forming an arrow-like shape framed by a black seam. The colour reminded you of a worn-out shade of blue similar to the one Captain Rex uses to paint the last pieces of his armour - and you wonder if it's just a sad coincidence or probably the last remainings of a fellow soldier from the 501st.

-"Straight from Coruscant, my great-uncle got a hold of it few days before the Empire became... well, the Empire" - her tone was something you'd been told to avoid using in public when speaking of the Empire. Perhaps it was that courage that had gotten your full attention in the end. Was she with the rebellion in some way as well?

-"Hasn't been worn ever since it was stripped from a dead clone's body" - she continues, checking you up and down - "and maybe it's a bit more your style".

-"Looks decent enough" - you comment and she nods her head in aknowldedgement - "but it does raise the question: how and why are you selling these things... here?"

-"Well, for starters, it's harder to get caught out here. Some of these aren’t exactly... legitimate purchases, as one would say.” - you raise an eyebrow and she chuckles - “this is a legitimate business, I swear. It’s just that my family’s been having difficulties and we're having to sell some relics.”

You can see she's telling the truth as she takes back the kama you'd first grabbed to the side, folding it again. You reach for a different credit pouch out of your pocket: your personal credits.

-"I see. Well, I do need a new blaster, and this one looks like the best i've ever seen in months. Despite the clogged barrel, of course."

-"shall we start negociating a price, then?" - she takes the datapad back and types a few numbers. Before you can say anything, however, you turn back to see Ezra rushing towards you looking desperate.

-"Oh, thank the Force, there you are!" - he brushes the long hair out of his forehead, not sparing a glance to the lady behind the counter -"you just walked off! I didn't know where you were!

Faced with a confused expression from the both of you, he scowls

-"I was at the bathroom! You didn't hear me telling you to wait for me?"

You look at him, suddenly tuning back to reality. All of those relics seemed to have filled you with a melancholic sadness you didn't know, but you managed to snap out of it the moment Ezra came back.

-"Can't believe you forgot me just because of this old junk" - he grumbles, a bit offended. You take his hand into your own.

-"I didn't forget you, Ezra, I swear. I was just distracted for a moment, that's all" - you reassure him, placing some credits on the tray where the lady collected them.

-“I'll be taking this, please” - you take the purse back off of your shoulders and hand it back to Ezra - “you can start taking this back to the ship. I think the list is over, I'll just be taking this and go."

-"wait, Hera didn't tell you to buy this, did she?"

-"It's a personal purchase, with my personal credits. I think I'm allowed that much, right?" - you give him the money bag again, and he shoves in his jacket.

-"Well, can you at least get me something as compensation for forgetting all about me back there?" - you scoff and let go of his hand to slap him on the shoulder

-"Just go along Bridger. I'll be there in a minute"

You turn back to the vendor, who's placing the pistol in a bag with the holster that came along in a slightly larger bag ithan necessary. You also notice the shape of the folded kama peaking though it.

-"Wait, wait! I didn't buy that, I don't have enough credits for that!"

-"Just... consider it a gift" - she smiles and winks - "this specific piece here doesn't really fit anyone's style, anyway. It's better off with you, trust me."

Before you can mutter any type of 'thanks', Ezra calls for you again, making sure you didn't forget your own head back there. You run off to him without looking back, ready to smack him Zeb-style before taking his hand again, reminding him gently he'd never have to worry about being abandoned by you.

[nekoma-not-lee]

RP Rules

I keep it strictly SFW, so you should too! Kissing and hugging/14+ stuff is okay, just nothing sexual or weird please.

Please do not kill off a character without permission! It gets really annoying!

I do rp with more than one person at a time as well, like group roleplays, so we can do stuff like Saioumami or Saioumota.

Please don’t spam the chat T^T

I like to make roleplays public, so you can send me an ask for an rp. If you’re anonymous, then put your @ down on the end of your ask.

I don’t only rp for the fandoms that I write for, I rp for a few more.

Please tell me in dms what your triggers are before roleplaying with me.

You are more than welcome to dm me :3 bc I won’t be able to dm you (social anxiety go brrrrr)!

Info Page

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Sentence Starter Prompt List

Tickletober 2022 Masterlist

Tickletober 2024 Masterlist

Ler Leaning Ranboo Week Masterlist

Switch Sapnap Week Masterlist

YTTD Masterlist

Characters I RP As

Assassination Classroom

Baldur’s Gate 3

Blue Exorcist

Blush Blush

Boyfriends

Bungou Stray Dogs

Creepypasta

Crush Crush

Cultivator X Contract Spirit

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Date A Live

Death Note

Delicious in Dungeon

Demon Slayer

Duchess’s Lo-Fi Coffeehouse

Fate/Stay Night

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Genshin Impact

Girl Jock Empress

Haikyuu

Honkai: Star Rail

How to Train Your Dragon

Hunter x Hunter

If You So Desire My Despair

I Give Up On My First Love As of Today!

Ikimen Vampire

I Was Reborn as a Housekeeper in a Parallel World!

I Woke Up As a Notorious Troublemaker!

Kagerou Project

Lady Leone Must Survive!

Maria The Telepathic Animal Healer

Miraculous Ladybug

Mr. Love Queen’s Choice

Murder Drones

My Hero Academia

My Little Pony

Mystic Messenger

Notorious Wife-Killer’s Remarriage Proposal

Obey Me - Shall We Date?

Obey the Flower

Ogus’s Laws

Omori

Once Upon a Time in a Zombie Empire

Pokémon Journeys

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet

Pokémon Sun & Moon

Pokémon Sword & Shield

Red Hot Revenge

Repurpose

She Is Also Cute Today

Stuck in My Sister’s Dating Sim

Super Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

Teach Me True Love on Hand and Foot

Tears of Themis

The Amazing Digital Circus

The Beastly Count After Dark [YA Edition]

The Devil Butler

The Devil Eats Love

The Emperor’s Sleepless Nights

The Little Princess and Her Monster Prince

The Villainess is Done Trying

This World is Mine

Tokyo Ghoul

Vampire Knight

Vengeful Weapon, Tears of Poison

Villains Are Destined to Die

Voltron

Watch Out for the Dream Demon

When Cinderella’s Magic Fades Away

Where Art Thou, My Hero

Witch’s Heart

You and Me and Her - A Love Story

Your Turn to Die

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book One: Gold (Prompto x Reader) Chapter XV

Their trek into the ruins began. The heels of their shoes clacked against the stone as they descended down a long stairwell. Noctis, as per usual, was in the lead. He kept from running headfirst into the ruins and possibly running into a horde of daemons. With careful footsteps, he and the others took their time descending the stairwell. Halfway down, Prompto glanced over at Aranea. "Those guys your friends or something?" He asked, referring to the two men who were by her side earlier.

"You appeared to be on good terms," Ignis commented.

"Who-Biggs and Wedge?" Aranea questioned. "They're more "subordinates" than they are "friends," but I trust 'em all the same."

"At least you have someone you trust within the ranks of the imperial army," (Y/n) stated.

"It's hard to trust anyone within the empire, even if you are on their payroll."

After a lengthy trek down the stone staircase, they finally reached the bottom. Prompto was more than ecstatic to finally step off the stairwell. "Finally... I thought it'd never end. The people here, they must have been fit." Looking around the room, he noticed the faint glow of the crystal shards hanging on the walls. "Huh? Er...who left the lights on? Maybe the owners are still home?"

"No," Noctis answered.

"We never get warm welcomes," (Y/n) added.

"I doubt we can expect one here," Aranea said.

"Indeed. Stay sharp," Ignis advised.

Checking the area, they headed to the small hallway to their right. At the end, they only found a dead end. Returning back to the previous room, they headed down the left hallway. In the adjacent room, more smaller hallways branched off in different directions. Noctis checked one of the rooms and was nearly crushed by the ceiling caving in. Luckily, (Y/n) had grabbed his jacket and yanked him backwards just before he could be buried alive under the rubble. He thanked her and the two left the room.

Next, they headed down the hallway located across the way from the room with the collapsed ceiling. "Man, all these rooms," Prompto said as he walked ahead of them and towards the next hallway.

"Hey, don't wander off," Noctis scolded the sharpshooter.

"You might end up walking into a horde of daemons or being crushed by debris almost like Noctis was," (Y/n) stated as she sprinted after him.

She tackled him out of harm's way when a small portion of the ceiling collapsed and skeleton daemons fell through the hole. They landed near the couple and were ready to pounce, but the spirit manifested fiery throwing knives and tossed them with precision. Each one hit their mark and caused the skeletons to stumble backwards. Noctis, Ignis, and Aranea disposed of the weakened daemons while (Y/n) helped Prompto off the ground. She flicked him on the forehead once he was back on his feet. "Ow!" He whined.

"Try to think before wandering off," she sighed.

Prompto rubbed his forehead with a pout. "Yes, ma'am..."

Aranea noticed their interaction with a curious glint in her eyes. "Are those two...?"

"Yeah," Noctis replied.

"Firefly and blondie. Who would've thought."

Because of the pile of debris, the group could only proceed left down the hallway. Entering another open room, they were ambushed by skeletons and a reaper. Aranea was the first to act. She swung her lance, targeting the reaper as it stalked towards them. While she dealt with the scythe-wielding daemon, the others focused on the skeletons.

Noctis performed a warp-strike on the last remaining skeleton, killing it. With all the daemons dead, they moved forward and entered the large, open central area of Steyliff Grove. The sight that greeted them caused their jaws to drop.

"Beautiful beyond words..." Ignis gaped in awe.

"That is pretty neat," Aranea said just above a whisper.

Prompto's eyes drifted towards the ceiling of the central chamber when he spotted a strange shimmering. He gasped in shock at the sight of what seemed to be a lake suspended in the air. "Look up!"

Everyone did as the blonde shouted and looked up. Their eyes widen in shock and astonishment at the shimmering water above. (Y/n) took a step closer to the railing and leaned over it to get a better view. "Is that...a lake?"

Aranea also expressed her surprise. "Whoa-If that's the water's surface..."

Prompto, who'd taken his camera out to take a few pictures, blinked in bewilderment. "Wait, what? Does this mean we're underwater?" Taking a closer look, he saw fish swimming through the water. "Whoa. There's even fish."

"The hell is this place?" Noctis muttered.

"Can we truly be submerged?" Ignis mumbled.

"It does seem harder to breathe," Prompto gasped, lowering his camera.

"I don't think that has to do with the lake," (Y/n) stated.

Noctis' azure gaze remained locked on the suspended body of water. "Like seeing a dream."

"Gladio is seriously missing out," the marksman retorted.

"Probably not his thing."

"Now, now, you can never tell," Ignis said.

"As much as I would love to admire the view for hours upon hours, we've got mythril to find," the spirit chimed in.

Aranea nodded in agreement. "Firefly's right. Let's get moving."

Walking a little ways down, they came across a balcony that overlooked the central area. When they went to check it out to see if it could help them gain their bearings, a pack of skeletons and crème brûlées ambushed them. Like the previous battles, the daemons proved to be nothing but an annoyance than a challenge. The group was able to annihilate them all without any issues.

Moving away from the balcony, they arrived at a portion of the pathway that had crumbled. As they stood at the edge and searched for a way across, Prompto couldn't help but express a strange feeling that overcame him. "Huh. Something bothers me about this spot."

"What is it?" Noctis asked, curious as to what the blonde was bothered about.

"Have we been this way?"

"I don't think so," (Y/n) answered.

"Something overlooked?" Ignis asked.

"Not a hundred percent sure..." Prompto mumbled, peering down at the level below.

After looking around, Noctis saw a narrow ledge they could cross to reach the other side. He offered to go first and didn't hesitate to cross. Prompto nervously watched the prince as memories from greyshire glacial grotto filled his mind. He swallowed nervously and tried to ask, "Can I just-?"

"It'll hold you," Noctis interrupted, already knowing what he was going to ask.

"Famous last words," Ignis remarked.

Once Noctis, Aranea, and Ignis crossed, (Y/n) nudged her boyfriend towards the ledge. "C'mon, Prom. It's your turn."

"Right..." Prompto hesitantly approached the narrow ledge. He crossed with slightly shaky legs, but made it safely across nonetheless.

(Y/n) was right behind him and also had no issues crossing. She patted the photographer's back with a minuscule smirk. "Good job, Prom." Said boy pouted with a groan before following after Noctis.

When the path abruptly ended, they backtracked a little ways and entered the stairwell. As they made their way down the steps, Aranea groaned, "Daemons. 'Til death do us part."

"Practicing your vows?" Ignis asked.

"The army swore their oaths a long time ago."

"What does the empire seek here?"

"Specimens-and we're stuck harvesting them," the ex-mercenary answered.

"Specimens?" Prompto parroted.

"Daemons."

Emerging from the stairwell, they walked to the opposite end of the current level they were on. While crossing another extended part of the pathway, more skeletons and crème brûlées manifested.

"These things are getting annoying," (Y/n) huffed, burning a single crème brûlée and exterminating it.

"Couldn't agree more, firefly," Aranea responded, slicing through a skeleton.

Following the successful battle with the daemons, they headed down the path and found another stairwell. Prompto, remembering what the ex-mercenary said earlier, asked her a question. "So what's all this about the army and daemons?"

"What do you think it is?" Aranea scoffed.

"Nice! I love guessing games!" He sarcastically remarked.

"You never were good at them," (Y/n) chimed in.

"I'll say," Noctis commented.

Aranea was slightly amused at the party's banter, but she decided to explain why the empire needs daemons as they exited the stairwell and made their way across the next level. "Turns out the empire makes weapons out of them."

""Weapons"?" The marksman reiterated.

"Yeah. I'm sure you've seen your share by now. Something not quite right with the empire lately."

"It's not just lately," Noctis remarked.

"True. Maybe it's time I left."

"Really?" Prompto inquired. "What would you do if you left the army?"

"Whatever I want. I was a mercenary once. Maybe I'll round up my men and hunt daemons for cash?" She pondered.

"That's a...heck of a plan."

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by another horde of daemons. (Y/n) clicked her tongue in annoyance, creating a large fire vortex and sending it towards the enemies before the others could summon their weapons. Her powerful spell burnt some daemons to a crisp while others were tossed over the railing and fell to their death. She lowered her hand as the flames consuming it extinguished.

Aranea was impressed by the girl's powerful spell and huffed out a chuckle. "You spirits really are a force to be reckoned with."

"Sorry, I'm still a little mad from my short chat with Callyx earlier," she confessed.

"You were being too generous with his eye. Next time, take one of the bastard's arms off."

The guardian smirked in merriment. "Maybe I will."

Continuing their trek, Ignis asked the one question that was brewing inside his head as they located a strange door. "What about the empire strikes you as "not quite right"?"

"The emperor and new high commander, for starters. Then there's that charmer of a chancellor and that asshole of a guardian he has. I really can't stand those guys," Aranea replied.

Entering the room located in the other side of the engraved door, they were greeted by a large room with branching paths. There were bridges spanning across the vast room with a lower level beneath. Noctis approached one of the bridges with caution, but was stopped when hearing Prompto ask, "Is it safe?"

"Not everything's gonna-" Noctis' voice trailed off when he took a single step forward to cross one of the bridges, but a section of it collapses. "Whoa..."

Prompto had been looking at another bridge when he heard the crumbling noise. "What?! Did something collapse?!"

"Calm down, Prom." (Y/n) approached the edge of the collapsed bridge and glanced down at the floor below. She noticed an entrance to another hallway. "Falling to the lower floor might not be a bad idea."

"Guess it couldn't hurt," Noctis replied.

Carefully, the group hopped down to the lower level. They walked through the doorway the guardian had located from the upper floor and down the lengthy hallway. As they cautiously proceeded, Prompto shattered the silence hanging over them. "You smell that?"

"Smell what?" The prince inquired.

"Treasure. The nose knows, dude."

"Now that you mention it..."

"Let's not forget our purpose here," Ignis chimed in.

"Well, aren't we technically here for a specific treasure?" (Y/n) questioned, glancing over at the tactician.

The bespectacled man thought for a few seconds and adjusted his glasses before replying. "I stand corrected."

After traveling through another room, defeating another horde of daemons, and locating a stairwell, they were back on the upper level. They gained access to the adjoining room that had almost the same convoluted layout as the previous. Now they were presented even more paths to choose from. They could either remain on the current floor or venture to the two below.

Everyone left the decision up to Noctis. He decided to test the left path. Just as they were about to cross the bridge, an iron giant suddenly manifests.

"Saw that comin'!" Prompto shrieked.

"To arms!" Aranea shouted, summoning her lance.

Before any of them could attack, the iron giant smashes its fist into the bridge. It crumbled and sent Noctis and the others to the level below. Everyone stumbles slightly from the fall but quickly recovers as the iron giant from above jumps down and more daemons spawn.

"Here comes the big one!" Prompto bellowed.

"Right on cue," Ignis remarked as his daggers were consumed by flames.

"And it's got friends!" The blonde yelled as he shot one of the crème brûlées.

"Livelier by the second. C'mon then!" Aranea leapt into action and targeted the iron giant. Noctis disappeared and reappeared randomly, performing warp-strike after warp-strike on any daemon that crossed his path. (Y/n) favored her fiery throwing knives and helped Aranea fight the iron giant. Ignis and Prompto focused on the crème brûlées.

Once defeating the pack of daemons, the stonework of the shattered bridge floats into the air and seemingly begins putting itself back together. Noctis gaped in shock at the sight. "Huh? What the-?"

"Did that bridge just repair itself?" (Y/n) asked.

"It sure looks that way," Prompto said.

Looking for a way back up, they found a stairwell leading up to the upper floor. The marksman, after traveling up and down stairs for hours now, was becoming slightly loopy. "Never too many stairs! I got a bad feeling about this." He then begins signing to himself. "Stairs they go on, forever they go on, on and on and on..."

"He's gone," Noctis muttered, listening to his best friend sink into a shallow pit of insanity.

"I think we lost him a while ago," the guardian stated.

Back in the upper level, they cross the bridge that repaired itself. From there, they traversed through a hallway and wound up in a room with reapers and crème brûlées. (Y/n), who'd been focusing on one reaper, failed to detect the second one stalking towards her from behind. She disposed of the reaper just in time to turn around and be batted away by the scythe of the other reaper. She grunted when her body slammed against the ground, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the daemon. In the blink of an eye, she transformed and pounced on the enemy.

Using her sharp fangs, she tore it from limb to limb. Her tails flared outwards as she killed the reaper. When its remains vanished, the anger from her body vanished and she relaxed. Her tails that once protruded into the air were now limply laying against the floor.

Being the only one comfortable enough to approach the fox, Prompto strolled over and placed a hand on the side of her neck. He stroked the black fur and noted how her ears twitched. "You kinda went overboard there. Everything good, (Y/n)?"

The spirit turned her head, gold-slitted eyes boring into Prompto's. She reverted back to her human form once his hand fell from her neck. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Still thinking about Callyx, huh?" Aranea asked. "Bastard must've really gotten under your skin."

The (h/c)-haired girl stared down at the floor. "You've no idea..."

Walking down another flight of stairs, the group was back in the central chamber of Steyliff Grove. They found a bridge spanning across the way, leading to the other side. As they were crossing, a pack of daemons manifested in the middle of the bridge. They blocked the group's path and they had no choice but to fight.

The quintet wasn't overwhelmed by the daemons and easily pushed them back before defeating them. Safely on the other side, they follow the walkway until they enter a circular room. From there, they proceeded down a windy hallway with small rooms attached to it. The many rooms and smaller hallways were slightly confusing to the group.

"It's a crossroads," Prompto said, glancing down the hallway before looking into the small room down another hallway.

"Which way?" Aranea asked.

"Whichever way leads to the treasure," Noctis stated, trying to decide which way to go.

"If only we knew that..." Ignis mumbled.

"Welp, guess we bumble on," the marksman responded.

"Keep the bumbling to a minimum."

"How about we stick to the main hallway then?" (Y/n) suggested.

"May as well," the prince replied.

Deciding not to venture into the small rooms, Noctis followed the girl's suggestion and stuck to the main hallway. They were forced to fight against daemons as the hallway would be blocked by metal bars whenever they walked into an ambush.

Another hour passed before the group reached the end of the prolonged corridor. They were finally at the bottom level of the central chamber. Seeing how vast and open the area was, Prompto spoke up. "Ooh, spacious. There's sooo gonna be a big nasty here."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Aranea said.

Walking into the large chamber, they only made it a few feet forward before a quetzalcoatl noticed them. It stood on a bridge above and analyzed them for a few seconds. Once deeming them a threat, it swoops down and begins attacking. Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Aranea conjured their weapons while (Y/n) transformed.

The guardian acted quickly and dodged the quetzalcoatl's lighting attack. She leapt up into the air and landed a little ways from the beast. Using her tails, she manifested a large fireball. Tossing it, she nailed the quetzalcoatl in the side. Her attack did some damage, but not much.

The quetzalcoatl targeted the fox. It ignored the others completely as they attacked it. The beast flew up into the air and shot another lightning spell towards (Y/n). She dodged it and jumped as high as she could and sunk her fangs into its left hind leg. Using her weight, she dragged it down to the ground. The quetzalcoatl tried to shake her off, but she didn't budge. Next, it tried another lightning spell. She was unable to dodge in time and took the brunt of the attack. This forced her to unlatch her jaw from around the creature's leg and stumble backwards with a painful cry.

As she went to back away further, its tail slammed into her side and sent her flying. Her body collided against the wall before falling to the ground, causing her even more pain. She could feel the internal wounds and the external ones. Her body laid limp on the ground, the sound of her blood rushing filling her ears.

Prompto had watched the entire thing with a horrified expression. He shouted her name and lowered his pistol, running to her side with a potion in hand. Noctis, Ignis, and Aranea kept the quetzalcoatl busy while the marksman assisted the injured fox. He fell to his knees beside her, shattering the curative over her. He gently placed a hand on her side as he watched her wounds heal. When her breathing went from shallow to deep, he knew she was okay. Sighing in relief, he got to his feet just as she did. His cerulean eyes remained glued to her, his hand bunching up in her velvety fur.

(Y/n) turned her head and nudged her nose against Prompto's cheek to reassure him before reentering the battle. The boy watched her join the others, gripping his pistol tightly. He also rejoined the fray and shot a few rounds at the quetzalcoatl.

In the midst of the battle, Noctis and Ignis were struck down by the beast. Aranea, (Y/n), and Prompto covered the two while they both used phoenix downs to recover.

Aranea leapt into the air with her lance and dove towards the quetzalcoatl with the sharp tip pointed at its spine. When her attack landed, she dealt some heavy damage and caused the beast to stumble over. It fell on its side and became vulnerable.

With a combined attack from everyone, they were able to defeat the quetzalcoatl. Its body fell limp as everyone stepped away from its corpse. (Y/n) returned back to being human as Noctis wandered deeper into the central chamber. He located the mythril they'd been searching for and put it in his pocket.

Seeing the prince had claimed the mythril, Ignis adjusted his glasses. "That concludes our business here."

Prompto glanced over at the ex-mercenary. "Say, Commodore."

"Aranea," the older woman corrected him.

"You said the empire uses daemons to make "weapons"?"

"Listen-you've seen magitek troopers, right?"

"MTs..." Noctis muttered.

"They're born from daemons, in a lab," Aranea explained.

The marksman rubbed at his barcoded wrist. ""Born from daemons"..."

(Y/n) looked towards the blonde and noticed his strange behavior. Her expression remained stoic, hiding her true emotions. She wondered if he had managed to learn the truth about his existence or was simply just scratching his wrist. Her fists clenched and unclenched, worried about him. Her attention was drawn back to Aranea when she spoke, her jade eyes focused on Noctis. "Darkness is coming. If I were you, I'd watch my princely ass. Uh-"kingly" ass."

"Will do," Noctis replied.

With that, the group left Steyliff Grove.

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[anime-alyssa]

eventually i will be able to remember to update frequently. support me on ko-fi if you liked this and enjoy! also on ao3. 

be’jetii masterlist

s i x.

It had been three months since you had last seen the Mandalorian. Han and Chewbacca helped you fix your ship up and you were back to living life on Tattooine as it had before, stealing things off of people and selling them for double the price. You still had your dreams, though, which were quite annoying. It was either the memory of your father passing, Luke leaving, or some positive memory with Luke. It was damn near painful sometimes but you sucked it up and got over it.

Your kyber crystal had been calling to more lately - which put you on edge. The more it called to you the more stressed you were - the Force was trying to tell you something but you couldn’t tell what it was. You even tried to meditate on it and you got nothing in response. Not a damn thing. You were frustrated - tired of all the clouded visions. All of this didn’t start happening until you met that damn Mandalorian and his foundling. Everything was perfectly fine up until then.

You had a sinking feeling in your stomach lately. Between the dreams and the feeling in your stomach along with your crystal calling to you, you were on edge 24/7. You didn’t want to bother Leia about it, as she could just tell you to go see her and figure it out. She was starting to get stressed too, no thanks to Han and Ben’s growing abilities. The last thing you wanted to do was to give her another problem to worry about, so you were on your own.

Your day started out like any other. You had taken your speeder to Mos Eisley to restock on some food that you had run out of and to see if any parts for your ship were on sale. You had that feeling in your stomach again but you had gotten used to ignoring it and moving on. The second you stepped into the marketplace though, something was off.

For starters, all eyes were on you. Which was strange because it wasn’t like you were an outsider. You frequented the market several times a week, everyone knew you and you knew them. Secondly, the Stormtroopers patrolling the area were a big red flag. You started to back up, which unfortunately backed you right up into one. You tried to scurry away but you were recognized.

“You there!” a Trooper in a Black uniform said. You froze as it walked up to you, starting to shake. “You were seen with a Mandalorian in these parts recently. You need to come with us.”

“Yeah I was seen with a Mandalorian who tried to take me in. I don’t know where he is.” you said defensively. You saw the Trooper look over at his partner quickly before he draw his blaster out and pointed it at you. "You're kidding me, right?" you groaned.

"You are coming with us." he threatened you. You rolled your eyes as you sprung into action, throwing a punch in between the legs - just as a blaster shot was fired in the distance at the Trooper. You didn't think twice as you pulled another punch at a Trooper and dashed off to your speeder. You were being shot at by other Troopers now, at double the shot.

"So they found out." you heard a familiar, modulated voice say from the side of you.

"How did I know this would be your fault?" you asked the Mandalorian as the two of you ran to your speeder, starting it up and high-tailing it away from the marketplace. There were still a few on your trail that he was shooting out, the sounds of your speeder, his shots, and the laughter of the kid echoing through your ears. At least someone was having a good time.

"Someone must have said something. We need to get off this planet - go left!" he said to you.

"What, to your ship?!" you asked bitterly. You wanted to get to your home, which was safe for you. To your ship where you could get the hell off the planet and hide.

"Do you want to lead them back to your home?" he snapped. Okay, so he had a point. You didn't want them going back to your home, even as remote and hidden as it was in the mountains. You veered your speeder left as he kept shooting, the kid toppling over in the process. "Watch it!" the Mandalorian shouted to you as the kid started to whimper.

"Strap him in or something!" you shouted back to him. You could see his ship coming up in the distance and in an effort to get there faster, started to kick up the auxiliary. "Hold on!" you told the Mandalorian as you punched forward, hearing him grunt in response. A shot nearly hit you but the Mandalorian acted quickly as you approached his ship in a matter of seconds, slamming on the breaks.

"Next time, I drive." he huffed as he grabbed the child and your arm and dragged you out of the speeder.

"Hey - my - "

"Shut up and get on the ship!" the Mandalorian said as he put the baby in the ship. You grunted as you listened, running onto his ship as you watched him board your speeder in the cargo hold. Well at least he did one nice thing for you. The Mandalorian closed the hangar door and jumped up to the cockpit, grabbing the baby as he climbed the ladder. You followed as you heard Troopers now beginning to fire on the ship.

"Where the hell are we going?" you asked him as you picked the child up from the co-pilots chair and sat yourself down in it.

"Far enough away that Moff Gideon and his army won't find us." Now that made your stomach lurch. Moff Gideon is someone who you know has been continuing the Empire on a low-key basis, thanks to Leia, somehow faking his death. She's been trying to catch him in the act for years but hasn't been able to find him or come close.

"Excuse me did you say - " The ship started to take off the ground in a hurry, you lurching forward in your seat and holding the baby tightly.

"Shut up now, ask questions later." the Mandalorian snapped. You glared at the back of his helmet as he piloted the ship out of the planet's atmosphere and then promptly, into hyperspace. You let out a breath that you didn't know you were holding and sunk back into the seat. The kid started to tap on your arms happily, excited to see you again clearly.

"So now will you tell me why Moff Gideon is after you?" you asked him. He turned to look at you and sighed.

"He was the one who put the bounty out on the kid last year. I thought I killed him last year but somehow, he's survived. He has the kid's tracking fob still active and can hunt us down anywhere." the bounty hunter explained to you.

"You've got to me kidding me." you said to him. "You're a bounty hunter how did you not kill him right the first time around?" you asked again, frustrated.

"I thought crashing his TIE fighter was enough. I thought wrong." he said, annoyance over his tone. You scoffed and rolled your eyes at him. "Look, I only found this out a couple of weeks ago when he tried to shoot me down in the Outer Rim. I didn't know he'd try to find you." he added semi-apologetically.

"Yeah well you better fucking hope he doesn't trace the kid and I back to Chandrilla or your ass is dead." you said, your mind flashing to Leia and Ben. He wouldn't try to go after them, right? Especially not since Leia is a senator, right? Who in their right mind would go after a senator?

"Relax. They're protected enough, he wouldn't dare. Too risky." the Mandalorian said to you. You sighed in relief as the kid babbled happily in your arms. A silence fell upon you, an uncomfortable one. You still had questions for him, but you knew he'd get annoyed the more questions you asked.

"Where are we going?" you figured that question was safe, you deserved to know where you were headed.

"Nevarro." he answered after a long pause, probably aware of what your reaction would be.

"Are you serious?" you asked him in disbelief. Leia had told you about a shoot-out on Nevarro from a year ago with a bunch of Imperials, you assumed now that was the instance in which he thought he killed Gideon. Why on earth he was bringing you there was beyond you.

"I need supplies and a job. It's a pitstop before we keep going." he added. You supposed he was right and that it was a good reason, but back to the planet were it all happened was a mistake to you.

"So what, we're going to just keep moving and hope he doesn't find us?" you asked him.

"Yup." the Mandalorian left it at that. You huffed in annoyance and aggravation that you were dragged into something that you didn't want to be apart of. That you had to leave behind your home, your life, because of this stupid bounty hunter. "If we keep moving, it’s easier to throw them off." he added to try to make the situation better, or to make you understand.

"Yeah, I know. I'm not an idiot. I was apart of the rebellion for a day." you said to him. That got him to turn his attention to you.

"A day?" he asked.

"Yeah and then my father got killed so I left. Anything else you want to know?" you asked him. That seemed to shut him up and he turned back to staring out the window of the ship in hyperspace. You let out a small sigh as you leaned back into your seat.

You had forgotten that you had the kid in your arms until he started to tap on your shoulder to get your attention. He stared up at you wide-eyed and a smile on his little face, making your heart melt. He started to do that thing like the last time - flashing images through your mind to communicate with you.

He showed images of what he and the Mandalorian have been up to the past few months - different hunts and things. The kid was particularly proud of a moment where he managed to make all the guns in the Mandalorian's armory float by using the Force. It made you laugh because of how stressed the Mandalorian was, but the little guy wanted you to be proud of him. He wanted you to be proud of him because he knew that you understood him.

And then he played a scene in your head that you weren't expecting to see.

——

Lightsaber in hand, you attacked. Or at least, you tried too. Your opponent was stronger than you and you were struggling to come up against them. The blade hummed as you retreated, panting for breath and sweat pouring down your body.

"Again." your father said to you, going back to his first position and watching you. You sighed and nodded, working to gather your composure.

You brought your saber up to your fighting position and went for it again. Naturally, Obi-Wan Kenobi was able to block your attacks with ease, every single damn one. It made you frustrated, angry - how were you supposed to learn to win if the only partner you have is/was a Jedi Master?

"Clear your head - don't let your thoughts take control." he lectured to you, striking back at one of your attacks. You groaned this time as you attempted to keep going.

"I'm trying but considering I can't get a single move in on you, yeah I'm a bit fed up!" you said to him in annoyance. You were starting to get angry - but you couldn't. Anger was for the Sith and you were not going to be a Sith. Hell, you didn't even think you should be a Jedi but here you were.

"Again. Let go of how you are feeling and try." your father certainly had a way with words. You took a deep breath in, for a moment to long it seemed, and your father went to strike you, but this time you were able to block him. "Better already." he commented.

With that bout of confidence you were able to gain a new sense of strength and battle with him. The sounds of your sabers clashing echoed off the mountains and were was sand in your shoes and you were tired and exhausted - but you finally had bested your father, the great Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"You can do whatever you want - so long as you try hard enough and put your mind to it. I know you can."

That was the last time you had ever fought with your father. The next day, Luke Skywalker came along looking for him with his two droids and everything changed.

——

You visibly jumped back and let out a gasp. How in the hell did the baby dig into your memory to uncover that? He was a baby - but he wasn't an ordinary baby. He was a powerful, force sensitive baby. But the fact that he chose that memory - a memory of you fighting back when you were a Jedi Knight. You knew what you had to do, as much as you didn't like it, it was the best option for him. And for you.

"What did he show you?" the Mandalorian asked. You shook your head quickly and turned to face the beskar. You couldn't truly tell him, of course. But if he was actually asking you, it meant that you looked just as shaken up as you felt.

"It's not what he showed me... it's what he pulled from my own memory." you said to him. The Mandalorian tilted his helmet to the side as the baby babbled to himself in your lap. You heard a sigh come through the modulator.

"He's... never done that before. To me. It's something new every day. First, it's saving me from the Mudhorn, then it's harming someone, floating things..." he said from next to you with a sigh. You nodded back, taking in a deep breath yourself. "He needs someone like him - who can help him. I can't help him, Kenobi. Do you know anything about that Jedi that can help us?" he asked.

You started to shake, and it must have been visible because the baby cooed at you and the Mandalorian got out of his chair, putting an arm on your shoulder. It was supposed to be a sign of comfort you thought, but it only made you more nervous. He was right - he needed someone who could help him. That wasn't going to be you, so your only option was -

"Luke Skywalker is his name. I can help you get to him."

@waiting-for-motivation @domino-oh-damn @theocatkov @killtherandomness @mrsparknuts @wolf-lover74 @the-sparkism @jedi-dreea @buckysalefty

[ships-and-saints]

Pale Skin and Onyx Eyes [9]

Happy Easter! 4/16/17 

~katnip

[Throne of Glass] [Elide x Lorcan] [W.I.P.] Chapter Word Count: 2462 words

Summary: Set after Empire of Storms, Elide Lochan and Lorcan Salvaterre are traveling with Rowan and Gavriel in search of Queen Aelin. Will Elide ever be able to forgive Lorcan for betraying her and her Queen? Where will they go next?

Part I: The Search - Chs. 1-8 Part II: The Journey - Chs. 9-??? Part III: The Mission

Chapters: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [13 ] ... Read it on: [ fanfiction.net ] [ archive of our own ]

[Part II: The Journey]

Elide

Elide and Lorcan passed through the tolls uneventfully and rode hard north until they reached a sprawling plain, uninhabited by humans for miles around. She could barely make out the wide expanse of Oakwald forest in the distance, where she knew they would have to traverse again if they were to reach Morath.

They finally stopped near a winding stream with a patch of trees that offered some shade from the beating sun. Lorcan dismounted from his horse and Elide did so as well. She took a long drink from her canteen and loosened the hair from her tight bun, sighing in relief as the pressure on her head lessened. Elide had a headache, and her arms and back were sore after riding all morning. The sun had almost reached its highest point in the sky, and she was sweating. She stretched out her legs, her arms, and her back, hissing as her joints popped and her muscles extended.

"Now what?" She asked, hands on her hips. She was dusty and already wanted a bath.

Lorcan's lips twitched. "Run."

Elide wasn't sure she heard him right. "Excuse me?"

"Run until you can't run anymore." Lorcan shrugged his shoulders. "I never said training would be fun." Elide growled, and then yelped when she felt Lorcan's black flames lick at her backside.

"You-!" she screamed and launched herself at him.

He laughed darkly. "That's the spirit." He easily twisted on his heel and sprinted away. Elide snarled with frustration, but she had no choice but to follow. She had agreed to this unique form of torture, after all.

They ran for two miles before Elide collapsed on a small patch of grass and clovers. She was retching and panting hard, but at least she could run. She couldn't run far, since she had been chained for most of her rutting life. Even with Lorcan's magic, her ruined ankle still barked with pain from exertion. She hissed through her teeth as she massaged the mass of scar tissue with her hands.

Lorcan eyed her scarred ankle and then the other, as if he could see those pale, twin rings under her boots and socks, a constant reminder of the shackles Elide used to wear. His magic immediately chilled the air around them, but Elide shot him a tired glare, in no mood to deal with his bullshit. Lorcan focused on controlling himself; after his magic grew, it seemed to require noticeably more concentration to control.

"It's fine," she hissed, hating her stupid, ruined ankle and that it made her appear weak. "What's next?"

Lorcan had her hold pails of water with her arms stretched out to the side. He only smirked when she screamed in frustration as pain lanced down her arms the longer she held them up. Then jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, crunches, leg-ups – a full body workout.

Finally, he began teaching her the basics of self-defense, how to block, how to punch, how to predict where a punch was going, and the most effective areas, on a human at any rate, to aim for – eyes, nose, throat, gut, groin, and foot. Elide thought she was going to die from exhaustion.

"When are we stopping?" she whined, lying with her back flat on the dusty ground, her chest heaving. She was glad she had wrapped her breasts; it was much easier to move around without them bouncing around and getting in the way.

The sun was starting to set, painting the sky with hues of orange, gold, and purple. Wispy clouds lazed high above.

"Now seems like a good time to start magic training," he mused, staring at the pale, crescent moon that hung low in the sky. His dark eyes danced with amusement when Elide shot upright.

"What- what does that mean?" she asked, both curious and fearful.

"Meditation."

Elide sat up and just gaped at him, exasperated. "Meditation!?"

She was in no mood to joke around, but his immortal face was completely and utterly serious. Elide wondered if talking to the clever goddess counted as meditating.

"Close your eyes," he instructed. "Get comfortable. Focus on your breathing… Then think about what you desire most." He crossed his arms and stared authoritatively at Elide until she obeyed, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knees. She shot Lorcan one last look of annoyance, but then her eyes fluttered shut.

Focus on what she desired most? Well, a hot meal for starters. And a bath. And sleep. Elide sighed; she was cranky from hunger and exhaustion, but she knew she had to take this seriously if he was being serious about it.

She focused on counting her breath to one-hundred with her eyes still screwed shut. She somehow felt that Lorcan had slipped away to give her some peace, right before she finished counting.

What do I desire most? Elide thought hard. Well... She wanted to protect herself and the people she cared about. That's why she was here training, after all. And right now, she wanted to kill her Uncle Vernon herself, with her own hands, with her own magic... She wondered what Lorcan would think of that.

Lorcan... Elide's brow furrowed. If she was being honest, she didn't mind having the Fae male around, sometimes. Liked it, even. She wondered how he felt about her now. Did he feel… obligated to be around her, because of everything that had happened? Did she want him? Elide decided to just push that question far, far out of her mind until she had the time and energy to sort any feelings out.

The ground was still warm from the sun, and she was so sleepy… The soreness was starting to set deep into her muscles and her aching back. After a few minutes, Elide laid down on her side and drifted off to sleep.

Peaceful darkness enveloped her conscious, until she began dreaming of the snowy mountains of Terrasen, and of the great lake and grassy lands near Perranth. She could feel the warmth of the sun, nearly smell the pine and snow, and she yearned to run through the grass and taste the spring air.

The vision entranced her and Elide reached out; she wanted to be in that field so badly, she needed to know what it felt like to be free in Terrasen, in Perranth. She felt such a deep yearning, such a consuming desire within her that something seemed to crack.

Suddenly, the sun seemed just a little too harsh and too bright. The wind had picked up, whipping her long hair around her face. Elide squinted and raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, but it only seemed to get brighter until she was forced to close her eyes against the blinding light.

When she felt the light's intensity lessen, Elide cautiously opened her eyes and to her astonishment, Lady Anneith, the Wise Goddess, gradually shimmered into view above the great lake. Elide noticed that the goddess's reflection did not appear in the water below.

Oh gods... it's the clever goddess herself! Elide gulped and pinched herself. She blinked a few times, and slapped her hands on her cheeks, but nothing changed. The goddess smiled and watched patiently while Elide just stared, wide-eyed. What now?

Lady Anneith lifted one arm up and beckoned Elide closer.

"Child," the voice rang out, undeterred by the wind. Elide recognized the voice that was both young and old; she had heard that voice whisper to her hundreds of times.

"Come."

And Elide stumbled forward, unsure of what was going on or how she was moving in a dream. The glorious figure pointed at something beneath her, and Elide's gaze just followed her finger.

She squinted and rubbed her eyes. Something glinted among the colorful rocks, and she continued to move towards it as if she were being tugged forward. She felt a warm light bathe her as she continued walk, gaining speed and strength. The lake was farther than it looked.

Finally, she stood before the goddess, breathing fast. She looked down at her feet and picked up what looked to be a shard of a mirror, perhaps once the corner piece of a larger mirror, since it had an iron-wrought border. There was an odd symbol intricately carved into the corner, and Elide turned it over to look at the back.

Nothing was inscribed on the back. Elide swore.

A broken mirror shard?! Elide stared at it, wondering what the goddess had thought was so special about it. She opened her mouth to ask, but when she looked up, Lady Anneith was nowhere to be seen.

"Fine," she snapped out loud at the air hovering over the lake. She sighed and used her sleeve to wipe the dirt and dust off of the mirror. Then she stared into it, willing it to activate or do whatever it was supposed to do. The goddess was obviously no fool; she had led her here for a reason. And evidently thought Elide was clever enough to figure it out on her own.

Elide sat down and continued looking into the mirror, not sure what else she was supposed to do. She looked tired, her hair was a mess, and there were bags under her eyes. But even still, her face reminded her faintly of… her mother. Of Marion Lochan, even though she hadn't seen her mother in years and years.

Absentmindedly, Elide pressed her fingers to the glass and found herself hurtling through space-time.

Just a memory, an ancient voice whispered comfortingly, and Elide clung to the thought as she was deposited into an ethereal body somewhere. Her eyes gradually adjusted as she struggled to make out anything familiar in the surrounding fog.

Slowly, the grey mists began to dissipate and Elide was stunned to realize that... she was home.

She was home in Perranth, and there was her mother sitting in the rocking chair in the master bedroom, looking as whole and young and alive as she was before she died. Elide turned to look behind her at what her mother was staring at and inhaled sharply when she recognized the mirror hanging over her mother's dresser, recognized the shard she had picked up. She turned back to look into her mother's warm, brown eyes, a mirror of her own.

"Mom?" Elide whispered, nearly falling to her knees at the sight. Her hands trembled as her eyes began to fill with tears of grief and longing.

"My Elide," Marion said fondly, staring at the mirror, staring through Elide who was standing on the ornate rug right in front of the mirror. "If you are watching this, if you can see me, then it must be because I've passed away and Terrasen has reached a dire state of conflict."

"I've infused this memory into the mirror with what's left of my power. You can hear me, but I'm sorry love, I can't hear or see you." Marion smiled sadly, and a strangled sob escaped from Elide's throat. "I don't have much time, so I'll get straight to the point."

"By now, you may have discovered that you have Ironteeth witch blood of the Blackbeak coven, passed down maternally through generations. I didn't tell you about being a witch because… well, it never seemed like the right time, since you were so young and I wanted you to grow up in peace, as a human girl. The Blackbeak lifestyle was not something I chose, but perhaps you may find yourself in need of your witch family one day, especially if I and your father are gone. Family can be a great blessing and a great burden..." Marion's soft eyes were unfocused as she trailed off, and tears rolled down Elide's face as she sobbed silently.

Just hearing her mother's voice again was such a gift, such a treasure, and Elide listened intently, memorizing every cadence, every rise and fall of her mother's voice. She would never forget her mother's voice again.

Marion looped a stray strand of dark hair over her ear and refocused on the mirror. She took a deep breath and continued.

"Your father and I love you very, very much Elide. We wish you all the happiness in the world. I'm sorry I cannot provide you anything more, just our love and this memory to awaken your blue blood should you ever decide to accept it." Marion's eyes seemed to flicker with gold for a moment, as she smiled affectionately at Elide. Marion blew Elide a kiss in the mirror and smiled while waving goodbye. "I love you, Elide. I pray the gods and goddesses bless you, protect you, and shelter you. Goodbye, my Elide."

Grey mists started to swirl around again, clouding the vision, but Elide was shouting, "Mom! No! No! Wait!" Wait... don't leave me again!

"Elide, Elide!" Someone was calling her name, but she didn't care, she had to get back to that room, had to get back to her mother –

"Mom! No! Wait!"

"Elide!" Lorcan was shaking Elide, who finally lurched upright, breathing hard. He swore he could see the inner rings of her eyes flicker with gold. Tears were streaming down her face, although she didn't seem to notice at first. She was looking through him, reaching out for something over his shoulder, but he quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw nothing.

When he refocused on Elide, her eyes had returned to their normal shade of brown, and she was hastily wiping away the tears on her face. He could scent the obvious grief and sadness, but... her witch blood also seemed more potent, somehow. Lorcan's brow creased in confusion.

"What happened, Elide?" Lorcan growled, struggling to keep his aggression towards the unknown threat in check. His body curved protectively around her small, shivering frame.

Elide just stared at him. "I- I- I'm not sure," she stammered out. Her teeth were chattering, and she glanced down at her trembling fingertips. She didn't feel cold, just… odd. "I saw my mother."

Lorcan understood why Elide was so emotional, remembered that she had lost her parents when she was very young. Had it been another nightmare? Perhaps he had pushed a bit too hard for the first day.

"It's a good time to take a meal break, anyway." His growl was like midnight, and he carefully scanned her for any sign of injury. "Can you walk?"

Elide just nodded. Lorcan reached out his hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come, I found a small cave nearby."

Elide followed him numbly, still thinking about the dream, about what it meant. Lorcan led them to a small cave by a rocky outcrop; there were some animal bones littered throughout the cave, but it was otherwise unoccupied.

[the-desolated-quill]

The Wolverine - X blog

(SPOILER WARNING: The following is an in-depth critical analysis. if you haven’t seen this movie yet, you may want to before reading this review)

I had absolutely zero interest in watching this movie. Why would I after X-Men Origins: Wolverine? It was boring, poorly thought out, badly constructed and it completely butchered the greatest comic book character of all time. (I’m talking about Deadpool obviously. What, did you think I was talking about Wolverine? LOL. In your dreams). Plus I just don’t give a fuck about Wolverine. Did that come across? Hell, at this point, I wouldn’t even pass water over Wolverine. But then my boyfriend at the time convinced me to give this movie, The Wolverine, a shot. Saying it was a massive improvement over the previous film that corrected all the wrongs. So I snuggled up next to him on the couch and watched it, anticipating the ride of my life.

That’s not what I got.

The Wolverine isn’t an improvement over the previous film. It’s not even as bad as the previous film. I’d go as far to say that it’s worse than the previous film (and in case you’re wondering, my boyfriend and I aren’t together any more).

Dear God, where do I even start with this mess? I mean say what you like about X-Men Origins: Wolverine, at least it was attempting to tell a story. The Wolverine is just… I don’t even know how to explain it. Nothing happens most of the time and the few things that do happen don’t make any fucking sense. It’s actually surprisingly hard to follow most of the time.

I suppose I should say the initial premise is solid. Once you overlook the stupidity of Wolverine using himself as a human shield to protect some Japanese soldier from a nuke (yeah, um… what about radiation poisoning? or can Wolverine absorb it all like a human sponge?), the idea of Wolverine losing his healing powers is actually a really good one. It could provide some much needed tension in fight scenes knowing that he can be wounded or even killed, and it could inject a touch of vulnerability into the character that would be interesting to explore. The problem is they never do anything with it. It doesn’t even really change Wolverine that much. He may get wounded, but he’s still fighting the exact same way, throwing caution to the wind as usual. He’s still shrugging off bullet and knife wounds, and there’s even one ridiculously stupid bit where he fights some thug on top of a bullet train, which should have turned both of them into pulp. It’s as if the filmmakers forgot the premise of their own movie halfway through. For fuck’s sake, if you’re going to depower Wolverine, actually commit to it! Don’t chicken out the minute it becomes inconvenient for you.

There are traces of the cure storyline from X-Men: The Last Stand in this. Wolverine wondering whether to give up his healing powers in order to live a normal, finite life like everyone else. But at this point it seems any interesting social commentary the X-Men films once offered has pretty much abandoned ship. There’s no real effort to actually explore the character (again) and the logic behind the premise is just baffling. Curing a mutant’s powers is one thing, but now you can swap them with other people? How the hell does that work? How does that spider thing attached to Wolverine’s heart somehow suppress his powers? How can sticking drills into his claws absorb his powers? I’m really confused!

It’s actually very hard to talk about this movie because I confess I don’t fully understand what’s going on half the time. Basically the Japanese soldier Wolverine saved at the beginning is dying and wants Wolverine’s powers so he can live forever. He has a giant robot samurai suit (don’t ask) that can drill holes into Wolverine’s claws and absorb his powers… somehow, but he doesn’t do that. Instead he concocts an elaborate plan to make his granddaughter the heir to his business empire, thus pissing off her dad and fiancé, leading them to contacting the Japanese mafia and trying to have her killed, which Wolverine prevents whilst having his powers suppressed by another mutant called Viper, and once all that is over and Wolverine has fallen in love with her (because obviously that would happen), the soldier kidnaps his granddaughter and uses her as bait, luring Wolverine to his giant tower of evil and THEN uses the giant robot samurai suit (don’t ask) to drill holes in Wolverine’s claws and absorb his powers.

Now… I think that was the plan, but I’m not sure. I tend to fall asleep about halfway through so I can’t be certain. Needless to say, the plot is convoluted and extremely boring. For starters if you have the time to send that Viper woman to french kiss Wolverine while he’s sleeping, then why don’t that soldier guy just use the robot samurai suit? Why even suppress Wolverine’s powers in the first place? I don’t think he’ll be much use to you dead. But the main issue once again is that I just don’t give a fuck about anything that’s going on. None of the characters are properly developed and I’m just simply not invested. The supposed friendship between the Wolverine and the soldier is never fully explored, which is a shame because the soldier had the potential to be a fascinating antagonist. A man so terrified of his own mortality, he’s prepared to sacrifice his cultural beliefs, his family and his morals just to survive. Plus this is ostensibly a villain of Wolverine’s making. But the film never even touches upon it.

One thing The Wolverine does improve upon over its predecessor is the fight scenes. In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the fight scenes were so poorly edited and filmed that it was hard to make sense of what’s going on. Here that’s not the case. So at least I can see what’s going on, what little of it there is. Because as overly complicated this plot is, it’s surprising how very little actually happens in this film. Vast stretches of runtime devoted to absolutely nothing. The first 10 minutes of the film for instance are devoted to Wolverine trying to figure out who killed a bear. A fucking bear! And then there’s the incredibly forced romance with the granddaughter. Despite the fact that we never learn anything significant about her and the two share absolutely zero chemistry, we’re expected to be invested in them falling in love and fucking like rabbits because… he has a penis and she has a vagina I guess. I don’t fucking know! It’s all stupid. Not to mention it stands contrary to the whole woe is me crap with Jean Grey.

Oh yeah! Jean Grey is back in this movie! Albeit in dream sequences. Basically Wolverine has left the X-Men because he’s feeling all angsty about killing Jean (yawn) and now she shows up every five minutes encouraging him to die so they can be together forever and ever amen. I assume these scenes are here to get us to feel sorry for Wolverine and to get all wistful over his relationship with Jean. Except I don’t feel that because both Wolverine and Jean Grey are incredibly dull and poorly written characters and their ‘relationship’ mostly consisted of him sexually assaulting her. So no, I wasn’t moved. In fact the opposite, I was very, very unmoved. The only time I moved was when I got up to get a sick bag because I couldn’t believe this stupid romance was being forced onto me again and I was feeling rather queasy.

Plus the return of Jean Grey once again caused me to ask some very awkward questions about the X-Men continuity. So this film takes place after X-Men: The Last Stand, right? So how come Magneto has his powers back? Didn’t he lose them at the end of X-Men 3? And how come Xavier is back from the dead? Plus there’s all the discrepancies with the X-Men prequels (I’m assuming X-Men Origins: Wolverine is no longer canon, otherwise what the fuck is Wolverine doing in Nagasaki and where was Sabretooth). Also at the end of this film, Wolverine gets his bone claws back, but in X-Men: Days Of Future Past and the trailers for Logan, he has metal claws.

WOULD IT KILL SOMEONE TO HIRE A FUCKING CONTINUITY EDITOR?!?!

I just feel sorry for Hugh Jackman at this point. He’s a great actor and you can tell he’s really trying his best, but there’s simply nothing anybody can do with this material. No wonder he wants out. If I was stuck playing the same shit character for 16 years of my life, I’d want out too.

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Persephone. starter call for @theharvestmother​

In hell The Underworld, Persephone looked different. The flowers in her hair weren’t blooming; they were still beautiful, but they were dead. If you looked at her out of the corner of your eye, she would seem to flutter, like a ghost, and you could swear you’d seen a skeleton instead of her body (but it was all the same when you looked straight at her). She took a step closer to her mother; whom she hadn’t seen in... a long time now. Or had it been long? Time was different, here, it seemed.

“Mother. I chose to be here,” are the first words she says to her. An explanation. An excuse, perhaps. “I didn’t mean to abandon you, but I didn’t want to leave.”

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starter call — hélène

like for a starter from hélène kuragina

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starter call — persephone

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