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chudleycanonficfest · 3 years

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Just the Girl

Day 21, Story #2 is by @adenei

Title: Just the Girl

Author: adenei

Pairing: Scorose (implied)

Prompt: Songfic

Rating: K

TW: alludes to events in CC, but nothing outright is stated!

A/N: This fic’s idea was originally inspired by the song “Just the Girl” by Click Five. It ended up taking a turn I wasn’t anticipating, but if anyone’s read Cursed Child, you’ll know that Scorpius is absolutely smitten with Rose, who tends to give him the cold shoulder and turns his nose down on him throughout the majority of the play.

‘Cause she’s bittersweet; she knocks me off of my feet

And I can’t help myself; I don’t want anyone else

She’s a mystery; she’s too much for me

But I keep comin’ back for more; she’s just the girl I’m lookin’ for

“Scorpius, relax.”

The older blonde pats his teenage son on the shoulder as they approach the lopsided house at the end of the country lane. Twenty years ago, Draco would have never entertained the thought of mingling with any of the three individuals that made up the Golden Trio, let alone the rest of the Weasleys. Yet here they were, at the invitation extended to them by Albus, Harry’s son and Scorpius’s best friend, to the Weasley’s mid-summer birthday celebration. His late father is probably rolling in his grave as Draco takes each step forward, cognizant of the dust that tinges his favorite pair of Grensons.

“I can’t, Dad! Do you know how big of a deal this is to get invited to the Burrow?”

“So you’ve told me every day since Albus owled two weeks ago.”

It’s not that Draco resents his son’s friendship with the middle Potter boy. If anything, he’s grateful that Scorpius has found such a close friend during his time at Hogwarts. Sure, the two of them caused enough trouble in five years that rivaled Harry’s penchant for saving the world, but that was all water under the bridge now. Draco is sure the invitation was only extended to them today because of his willingness to work with the Potters and Granger-Weasleys to avoid what was sure to be an end to life as they knew it if Delphi had succeeded in her maniacal plan.

As they round the subtle bend in the path, the Burrow’s expansive garden comes into view, and Draco can see a plethora of people swarming the grounds. A dozen teenagers are flying around a makeshift pitch in what looks like a pick-up Quidditch match while the adults sit along the magically expanded picnic table, sipping on beverages and watching the game unfurl.

“Thanks for letting me come,” Scorpius interrupts Draco’s observations as he bounces along beside his father.

“Scorpius, we’ve been over this. Just because Albus’s dad and I don’t always get along, I won’t let that get in the way of your friendship.”

His son beams up at him with a wide smile. “Are you gonna stay for dinner?”

Draco chuckles. “That will depend if I’m welcome. Though I’ll probably just exchange pleasantries and be on my way after I figure out what time you’ll be home.”

“Great!”

As they approach the house, it doesn’t take long for Albus to spot the blonde-haired pair. He’s sitting on the sidelines, which is unsurprising to Draco, considering neither boy inherited any interest or skill in quidditch. Albus scrambles to his feet and begins running toward Scorpius to meet them halfway. Draco is about to make a comment about how excited Scorp’s best friend is to see him but pauses when he notices his son’s gaze peering around the pitch instead.

Well, that’s odd.

“Scorp! Scorp! Over here!” Albus calls, finally gaining Scorpius’s attention.

“Hey, Al!” Scorpius’s tone is bright and excitable as Albus slows in front of them.

“I didn’t know you were coming!” He’s out of breath from the run, but that’s not what interests Draco.

Why wouldn’t Albus know Scorpius was coming? Did he forget to send a response?

Scorpius did have a knack for forgetfulness, so it wouldn’t be surprising to Draco. He watches his son with renewed interest to see how he responds.

“Oh! Uh…” Scorpius has also never been good at lying.

Draco can read him like an open book, just like Astoria. He follows Scorpius’s gaze, which flits back to the pitch, and his face transforms into a goofy grin as an olive-skinned girl with flaming red curls flashes a wicked grin in their direction.

“Oh. Oh!” Albus responds quickly as he looks back toward his family. “Yeah, maybe Wiggy lost your letter. He’s been doing that more and more lately. Dad says he’s getting old…” Albus rambles. “C’mon, let’s go find Rose! I’m sure she’ll want to, er, show you around the grounds with me.”

“Right, uh, thanks, Dad! I promise I won’t be home late!”

“Yeah, Dad’s over there with Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione if you want to figure out a time!” Albus mentions over his shoulder.

Draco has every intention of walking over to his former classmates, but he can’t seem to get his feet to move as he watches the boys run off. His suspicions are confirmed when he watches Rose dismount from her broom and run to meet them. The awkwardness that ensues between the teenage Granger-Weasley and his son matches that of young adolescent love, and terror floods Draco’s veins.

Of all the girls at Hogwarts…

Of course, Draco shouldn’t be surprised by this. He knew Scorpius was smitten with Rose early on. All he could talk about during holidays were Albus and his ‘beautiful, strong-willed’ cousin Rose. But Draco also knew that for the first few years of their Hogwarts career, Rose refused to give Scorpius the time of day, which put his mind at ease. Becoming best friends with Potter’s son was one thing, but Draco may just have a heart attack if Scorpius and Rose were now a—

Bloody hell, they’re absolutely a thing, aren’t they?

It’s all Draco can do to keep a straight face as he watches the two share a chaste hug, their hands grazing as they make their way to the orchard. He needs to stop it. No, he shouldn’t interfere.

Do Weasley and Granger know?

The thought of the girl’s parents shakes Draco from his stupor as his feet figure out how to move again, and he takes long, purposeful strides toward where they are sitting.

“Malfoy,” Potter greets him upon his arrival, his voice not as curt as it usually is.

“Potter.”

“Why d’you look like you’ve just eaten a puking pastille?” Ron asks, ignoring any form of welcome.

Draco’s response is interrupted as Ginny approaches from the house. “Draco! Hi. I didn’t realize Al invited Scorpius today,” Ginny looks at Harry for an explanation before she adds, “Not that he’s not welcome, of course!”

“I wasn’t aware, either,” Harry knits his brows in confusion.

“Well, I was under the impression it was Albus that invited him, but now I’m not so sure.”

“What do you mean?” Hermione asks, her face paling slightly.

Draco’s not surprised. Hermione’s always had an annoying knack to come to a conclusion faster than anyone he’s ever known. For once, he hopes she doesn’t disappoint in this regard.

“When Albus came to greet us, he said he didn’t know Scorpius was coming. At first, I believed Scorpius had forgotten to owl his response, but watching that interaction, I think Al may be covering for someone else once he caught on.”

Weasley was an Auror. Let’s see how long it takes him to string things together.

The answer is not long as the Trio’s eyes travel across the garden, just in time to catch Rose and Scorpius entering the orchard hand in hand as Albus slinks off in another direction. Draco doesn’t think he’s ever seen Ron so pale.

“Hermione, did Rose happen to give the name of the friend she was inviting today?” Ron asks.

“No,” Hermione squeaks, her voice weak from shock, and Draco’s surprised to see that something finally seems to shut the know-it-all up.

Harry bursts out into raucous laughter as Ginny bites back her own chuckle.

“I’m going to kill her.” Ron stands, nearly flipping the table in his haste, as he tears off toward the orchard. Hermione’s hot on his heels, and Draco finds his own limbs moving in the same direction.

He can barely hear Ginny’s quip as he follows his former enemies across the Burrow’s lawn,

“Looks like Rose doesn’t hate Scorpius, after all.”

#chudleycanonficfest2021 #HP fest #hp canon pairings #canon fest platonic #canon fest romantic #submission #romione #scorose #hinny

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rusty-k · 3 years

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A Theory About the Saint of Duty

[HTN/TLT SPOILERS]

Hey TLT people--

There was a reddit thread about the Saint of Duty the other day (link), and I commented some G1deon thoughts of mine that’ve been brewing in my head for a while. I figured I’d bring them to the tumblr tag to open up some discussion and see if anyone else buys this theory, or honestly just to spread some G1deon love. (I imprint on minor characters; it’s a curse.)

This is more or less copied from my reddit comment word-for-word, but here’s some general thought on Gideon the First’s personality, and why I have a theory that he might’ve lobotomized himself like Harrow:

G1deon character thoughts

G1deon as we know him in HtN is likely very different from the man he must've been 10,000 years ago. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he changed significantly between the start of the Wake affair and the events of book 2.

More so than any of the other Lyctors, Gideon and Pyrrha seemed to have had this strong synergy going on. Unlike most necros, Gideon is a buff beef jerky man, and we see two rapiers in G&P's room. The winnowing/construct trial is also referred to as "Pyrrha's trial," which has always struck me as a curious detail and suggests to me that Pyrrha knew more about necromancy than cavs generally do. We know that the saintly epithets refer to the cavs, in general, but I don't think that was exactly the case for G&P; based on the previously stated, I believe they were both equally dutiful people, willing to throw themselves into each other's studies and share each other's skills.

Aug and Mercy were forced to rush their Lyctorization process because of their reckless cavs, and G1deon was next, but the fact that Pyrrha compartmentalized suggests they were closer to figuring it out than Aug and Mercy were--which I think is greatly due to the harmony of their relationship.

We know from what the other Lyctors & John have said that Gid loved and respected Pyrrha deeply. I wouldn't be surprised if the ferocity with which he threw himself into his saintly work over the 10,000 years emerged--at least partially, if not primarily--from his devotion to her. There's Pyrrha, the most spectacular cav and an all-around badass, and Gideon--having taken her to fuel his ascension--acting as John's attack dog with an intensity that would make her sacrifice worthwhile.

It's difficult to gauge how much Gideon actually enjoyed any of this; John seems to think he did, but I wouldn’t trust John for shit, and I'm sure John's understanding of G1d is heavily skewed in his own favor.

I think it's also important to consider Pyrrha's side of this story as it relates to G1deon’s current state, as well as the Wake affair. Her actions raise several questions. First of all, how long did it take for her to realize that she could take control of his body? How exactly did it happen, the first time? And how aware is Gideon? Does he have any inkling at all? Is there something more to his forgetfulness, something purposeful?

I have to imagine that in any case, Pyrrha must have gone through a lot over those 10,000 years. 10,000 years of odd sensory deprivation, which was probably hell for a fiery badass like P. 10,000 years of watching Gideon put up with John's bullshit, of watching the other Lyctors die off one-by-one and accumulate a host of mental, physical, and emotional scars. I'm convinced that Pyrrha's relationship with "duty" changed over the course of the years as she watched from this disembodied perspective, and that her "treachery" against John (her affair with Wake & possibly feeding intel to the BoE) was just a natural progression of that change.

When Wake factors in, I'd bet good money that the driving factor in both Pyrrha and Gideon's attraction to her is that she reminds them both of Pyrrha. Hell, Pyrrha even says this outright: "She was the most dangerous woman I'd ever met who wasn't me." I imagine that P's attraction to Wake, beyond this cool display of cockiness, also emerged from a sort of nostalgia--maybe Wake reminds her of what life used to be when she had a body, when she could fight and command, when she had a cause to occupy her energy. On G1d's side, he sees a woman who's dedicated and dutiful, even if it's for an enemy faction, and a woman who would undeniably make one hell of a cavalier (I think someone says this in HtN, although I'm forgetting who, so correct me if I’m wrong). I'm sure there's nostalgia in it for him, too.

Then, there's elephant in the room: Wake's fiery red hair and Pyrrha's name, meaning "flame-colored." I'm convinced that at least some of the similarities were physical. And at the bottom of it all is the inherent sexiness of finding a worthy opponent who's also hot. Lol.

Gideon Prime Lobotomy Time(?)

Here's where things get squirrelly for me, and the main reason why I have a theory that G1d's current state might be partially self-inflicted.

G&P were having discrete affairs with Wake, which inherently brings up logistical questions. First of all, how? And how exactly did Wake come to "kiss" Gideon "before she realized what they were?" How long were the durations of time in which Pyrrha kept his body under her control? In any case, after Wake & Gideon initiated their leg of the affair, it continued throughout the two years up until Gideon Jr.'s birth, which implies that Gideon Prime had some agency and willfulness in all of it. It's difficult to imagine the permanently-spaced-out-thousand-yard-stare man we know in HtN actively participating in such an entanglement.

Of course, I’ll acknowledge that it's entirely possible that I'm wrong, and that Wake just jumps his bones when she feels like it, and he's like "ok I guess," so take this as you will; but I'd like to put forth the suggestion that G1d's memory loss and overall lack of lucidity might be self-inflicted, to the tune of Harrow's lobotomy. We don't know how aware Gideon is of Pyrrha's presence, but it does seem to be the case that Lyctors having an awareness of the cav is dangerous for the cav. Being an accomplished necromancer, I'm sure Gideon was/is a smart man. Pyrrha mentions that she was "able to go underground" from him, but what if Gideon started to catch on to Pyrrha's presence through the double-affair? What if Wake let something slip? What if the thing that Wake didn't realize about them was the fact that Pyrrha's survival depends on Gideon's lack of awareness?

What if he lobotomized himself at some point, after catching onto Pyrrha's presence, at the expense of his sanity?

What really strikes me is the post-incinerator scene (HtN ch.31, pg. 292 in the hardcover):

The Saint of Duty turned his body toward you. He was clutching his rapier; but it was idle ... His eyebrows were very slightly drawn together, a sort of exhausted crinkle. He looked at you, and he said in a voice you had known since you were eight years old: "I sometimes--forget."

It was the tone--clinical, enamelled, half-defensive, half-endangered--the tone of someone admitting a final fraily. It was familiar because you had used it yourself. Understand I am insane.

It's his quiet resolution that does it for me; he knows something's missing, and he's accepted it. He's being set up as a parallel to Harrow in this particular moment, and it just makes me wonder if the parallel goes beyond his understanding of his own “insanity” and extends to the means by which he has become "insane."

Pyrrha's already being set up as a parallel to Gideon Jr., both in terms of her formerly-skewed sense of duty and her compartmentalization, so I think this sort of dual-parallel between G1d and Harrow would work nicely, if only from a meta perspective.

In short, I think Gideon the First's feelings on everything that happened are complex, fraught. I think "duty" is what defined much of his personality, and I think what we see of him now is the result of split senses of duty having torn him apart:

he's torn between his devotion to Pyrrha (and by extension, ironically, his devotion to John) and his interest in (and perhaps love for) Wake;

torn between John's command to kill Harrow and whatever it is that caused him to pull punches (I'm guessing a combination of basic decency and solidarity); and

at the end of it all, he's quietly accepting of his own "frailty," understanding that the current situation is the shitty result of everything that's happened over the past myriad, and that there's likely no way to set himself straight, even though his shortcomings put him in direct conflict with the man he's "supposed to be," according to this awful religion, and according to what others think of him.

Anyway, for those who’ve stuck around, that’s all I have to say for now! I’m just so fascinated by the Saint of Duty/the Pyrwakeon story that’s going on behind the scenes; there’s such an understated intensity to it, and honestly, it didn’t even hit me until months after my first read-through.

I’m curious to hear what other people are thinking, too!

#the locked tomb spoilers #harrow the ninth #htn spoilers #harrow the ninth spoilers #I have Feelings about G1d #and I want to spread them #and it makes me Sad when people dunk on that beef jerky shrinkwrap man #lol #don't even get me started on how devastated I am that he died off-screen

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megashadowdragon · 3 years

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fgo theory is caster cu really odin

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There is also the 10 bond CE for him being the Yggdrasil Tree, which is very Norse. (the fact he needs a bunch of Yggdrasil seeds may also be a bit of a hint.) Interestingly, the Wickerman festivals were held throughout Europe (Areas such as England and Scotland) and were regarded as a neo-pagan festivity. Chances are, if CasCu really is Odin, it is highly likely he will take action in the English Lostbelt second part. I think itd be really cool, but if that was the case itd be more likely Cu caster was a Cu-Odin fusion similar to Scathach-Skadi. We know its within Odin's ability to do a fusion like this due to how he did the same for Skadi. It also explains how caster cu retains the protection from arrows and disengage skills. It also makes more sense how he's kept his identity a secret, because it's not false that he is Cu.

www . reddit . com/r/grandorder/comments/lkw9xm/summary_of_the_caster_cu_chulainnodin_theory/

At absolutely no point does he ever give his name or makes any mention to it.

Other Servants who initially don't give their names say that they'll give it to you later. Caster does not even bring up the subject.

In the Garden of Sinners crossover event, he says "there's no Cú Chulainn here". It's treated as a gag, but...

In the Singularity F Memorial Quest, he's the only Servant referred to by his Class name instead of his True name.

In Lostbelt 6 he finally introduces himself... as Grimnir. This is an alias that Odin uses in the Grímnismál.

He's not supposed to be the Caster of the Fuyuki Grail War in the first place. In the original reality, it's Medea, while in FGO reality it's Solomon. Material states that Singularity F is the result of data colliding, and Caster resulted from that. However, in that case it should be either Solomon or Medea who appear in Singularity F, not Cú Chulainn.

One of his lines goes as following: "Isn't bit boring to play a game that never ends? For better or for worse, it's like you can't move the pieces forward, yeah?" Is he talking about Singularity F? At any rate, this sounds weird.

His Final Ascension art and animation update features two white wolves. Odin is stated to have two wolves named Geri and Freki.

His second Noble Phantasm, which he mentions in one of his My Room lines, is called "Ochd Deug Odin - Seal of the Great God". It's an exceedingly powerful Rank A Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm with potentially Game Breaking effects, but what's interesting is its description: it activates by chanting its True Name and using all 18 primordial runes granted by Scáthach at once (keep in mind she taught him the Norse ones) and it "temporarily unleashes the power of the rune possessed by the Great Odin". Aside from the weirdness of him even having that Noble Phantasm in the first place (he's not supposed to have Wickerman either, but at least we get an explanation for that), why can't he use it? (Potential Game-Breaker status not withstanding).

In the North America version of the game, his Bond Craft Essense is called "Yggdrasil Tree". That's taken from Norse Mythology, so why would a Celt have it?

In addition, the Yggdrasil tree has a particularly strong tie to Odin. The Ygg bit is another name for him, and according to legend at some point he hanged himself from one of its branches to gain wisdom.

For some reason, he's in the Nordic Fields during Boudica's 3rd Strengthening Quest.

During Valentine's Day in the return gift scene, he talks about the Human Order Incineration and the Human Order Reorganization - a.k.a. the Lostbelts. Somehow he knew about the Lostbelts before the game even got to that point.

In the 2019 Valentine's event, he's seen reading the book "Scandinavia's Beautiful Mountains".

In the FGO mats, Sigurd takes special notice of him and then has a Double Take. He also seems confused about him in his material profile. The fact that Sigurd noticed Caster is odd, but it should also be noted that Sigurd encountered Odin a number of times in his legend, thus making him one of the most likely people to recognize him.

Scáthach's Interlude brings up a LOT of questions. The regular Lancer Cú Chulainn says that his power is reduced because half his Saint Graph is missing. Mash suggests that the reduction in power may be because he was separated in numerous classes, but Lancer Cú is surprised that he can be summoned as a Caster. In addition, there are several Servants summonable in numerous classes, and none of them has this problem. There's a possibility that the other half of the Saint Graph went to Caster, and he's using an external source to stabilize it.

According to the Arcade version of FGO, it's impossible for any version of Cú Chulainn to be summoned without Gáe Bolg or the skill "Martial Arts Disciplining in the Shadow Country". Yet Caster has neither, thus making him an impossible summoning.

Not very noticeable in the English version, but he occasionally slips into using the "washi" pronoun during dialogue. For those who might not know, "washi" is actually pretty formal, and contrasts Cú Chulainn's much more casual "ore".

A lot of his official art has him looking subtly different that the other versions of Cú Chulainn.

He has lighter-coloured hair in all of his artwork, and Fate/Grand Carnival gives him wrinkles under the eyes. This trait is usually used in anime to show a character around 40-50 years old; an age that Cú Chulainn never reached.

In his card art and formal outfit card, his eyes are almost orange rather than red. In addition, one eye is always at least partially hidden.

In his April Fool's card, he has different facial features than the rest of the Cú Chulainns.

Tying to the above, Odin is known for disguising himself as an older man, usually a wizard, in a hood, and he's missing an eye. Missing eye aside, Caster fits most of that criteria, and as pointed out above, most his art hides his eye anyway. Odin gave said eye in exchange for wisdom, and there are a few remarks that Caster is getting smarter.

In the original Fate/stay night, Emiya draws a connection between Gáe Bolg and Odin's spear, Gungnir. Considering that he has picked up things like Rho Aias and Caladbolg, we can probably take him at his word. In his animation update, Caster throws his staff above the enemies heads, and then it changes tragectory to attack them from behind. While this could easily be a reference to Gáe Bolg's actual method of killing in the myth (it entered the victim through the asshole), it could also be a reference to how Odin would throw Gungnir above the heads of his enemies to declare a war.

Another detail from his animation upgrade is that his Instant Runes often take the form of a Valknut; this symbol according to some scholars is associated with Odin.

There are overall several indications that Caster will play a significant role later in the story: he's featured in the trailer of Lostbelt 6 and received his animation update during the Lostbelt 6 livestream, and Word of God has implied several times that we will be returning to Singularity F at some point.

Tying to the above, in one of My Room conversations, he say's he'll teach you how to use Runes later. Maybe it's not Blatant Lies after all.

Caster and Odin share several personality traits. Both of them are known as "the raging one", are strongly tied with the concept of war, magic, and wisdom, and both of them are The Gadfly - as Caster displays in Singularity F when he tries to get Mash to activate her Noble Phantasm. In addition, in various events Caster seems to have a gambling problem, which is also one of Odin's traits. Not to mention "summon me as a Lancer" works for Odin too.

The recent Lostbelt 6 update also adds fuel to the fire. In My Room dialogues, Scáthach tells him that his Rune magic is slightly different from what she taught him. He asks Sigurd not to look at him with the glasses, when he sees Brynhildr he muses that this must be fate/karma and specifically refers to Scáthach-Skadi as "Lostbelt Skadi."

His new battle lines from the same update are just as interesting.

"Witness the essence of the Rune magecraft taught by Scáthach... Sure, let's go with that." Along with Scáthach accusing him of his Rune magic being different, this could easily imply that he didn't learn them from her.

Another line is that "he doesn't have the noose of his neck anymore". As an above point states, this Odin did this to learn his runes. The noose bit also never happened to Cú Chulainn.

One of his victory lines references "wolves and crows" and that he has "no idea what they're talking about". The crows part could be a reference to the story of Cú Chulainn's death, which features a crow sitting on his corpse, but the whole quote seems to better reference Odin and his pets; the wolves Geri and Freki, and the crows Huginn and Muninn.

Lostbelt 6 also gives his a buff to his Disengage skill. More specifically, it's actually two buffs that activate back-to-back, with the first called "At the Fountain" and the second called "Sacrifice to the World Tree". Very specific, game.

In Lostbelt 2, it is outright stated that it was Odin who fused Skadi and Scáthach together. Who says he never did it before?

#fgo #fate grand order #fate/ grand order #fate/grand order #fgo theory #caster cu #fgo odin

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nanami-says · 3 years

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Part IV (3/5): Chapters 40~44

Chapter 40

[Mai to Miwa]

“Maki? She’s worthless”

She actually calls her “just a small fry” here. Which imo is more dismissive than just outright derogatory like in the official release.

“An iai technique huh? That’s strange. I have the advantage in terms of reach. She’s probably looking to disarm my cursed tool and create an opening.”

⇒”An iai [technique], huh? On top of that there seems to be some trick to it. With our difference in reach… rather than myself, she’s probably looking(...)”

Not mistranslated per se other than the “there seems to be a trick to it” line, which imo shouldn’t have been simplified to just “that’s strange”. But the original showed Maki’s thought process better.

“She broke it with her leg? Why is she negating her reach advantage.”

⇒ ”She broke it?? With her thigh?? You’re getting rid of your reach advantage here??”

Again, the meaning was all there but some of the characterisation was lost. Miwa sounded so frantic and full of disbelief here, haha.

[After Mei states that Maki should get promoted at least 2 ranks ASAP]

“I agree but her family seems to be getting in the way”

⇒ “I think so too, but you know, the Zen’ins keep getting in the way. It stinks, right”

More casual speech overall in the original, also Gojou’s more colourful language got a cut again.

MM:“Heh… I don’t understand connections not based on money”

G:“And you’ll always be a cheapskate.”

I get why they went with “cheapskate” here, as the word Gojou originally uses would be accurately translated as “miser”, which’s the kind of word most people would have to check in the dictionary. (I know I had to.) Nevertheless it’s interesting to me how Gojou basically alternates between super casual speech and much less common terms like this one. He seems to like wordplays in general?

“Anyway, I can’t help but notice the video feed around Yuji seems to be a little inconsistent”

⇒ “Leaving that aside, the video around Yuuji keeps on cutting off for a while now, no?”

Again, meaning is there, the characterisation - sort of I suppose? But he was being more casual/straight to the point in the original.

[In reply to Gojou’s question whose side she’s on]

“Whose side? I’m on the side with money, of course. There’s no value in something that can’t be bought since you can’t exchange it for money.”

“Which side? I’m an ally of money, of course. Because there’s no value in things that cannot be exchanged for money. For you see, it cannot be exchanged for money."

I know it sounds like she’s repeating herself but that’s because she actually is. She’s literally saying that there’s no value in something that can’t be turned into money PRECISELY BECAUSE it can’t be turned into money lol. Also, imo “on the side with money” kind of muddled the nuance a bit. Other possible translations for "exchange" include "replace", ”turn into”.

Gojou in reply to above.

“I wonder how much!”

Actually closer to, “[I wonder] how much did you pile up”. The actual phrase is just “just how much did (...) pile up/stock”, so you have to supply the subject by yourself.

“I��m not sure what you guys have planned but Yuji’s different now”

⇒ “I don’t know what you’re scheming but Yuuji won’t be killed so easily anymore”

Again, the basic meaning is there but a lot of subtler nuance got lost.

(jp)

[Explanation on how the school can tell which side exorcised which curses during the competition]

“Talismans are placed on curses released in the area. When a curse is exorcised, the corresponding talisman also disappears. Using cursed energy, we’ve made arrangements for the following -- exorcisms made by the Tokyo school will be indicated with a red flame, while Kyoto’s will be blue. Maki is also participating, so we’ve made sure her exorcisms are marked red as well.”

When I read this for the first time in English, I found this explanation rather unclear. No wonder I did, as it omits vital details such as the original mentioning "recording cursed energy in advance" which imo seems to be pointing to them registering samples of all students' energy.

And then the Maki line adds that since Maki is there too, exorcisms performed by UNRECORDED forces will be marked red as well. And that's why later on the teachers weren't able to immediately discern whether the sudden destruction of curses was done by an outsider or not.

“All those one-on-ones. Did they forget the main objective?”

⇒“(...) Everyone’s waaay too disinterested in the game.”

“Main objective” sounds kinda formal and imo that wasn’t the nuance for the line.

[Nobara to Nishimiya]

“Got down here, you stupid witch!!”

Actually “you shitty witch”. Nanami would be proud ;;

“How dare you hit my sacred face.”

I like their take on this but it’s hilarious in the original because the word she uses literally means “your countenance”, as in you’d normally use it to respectfully refer to someone else’s face, definitely not about your own. And then she adds a “go-” prefix, which further ups the level of reverence haha.

“A scar on the face can be a good thing for guys. But not for girls.”

Not really a mistranslation, but I love the original wording with its juxtaposition of a scar on the face being likened to an "order" for a man and a "blemish"/"defect" for a woman. It adds so much more depth to the line.

[Nishimiya after she points out how unfair the jujutsu world is towards women compared to men]

“And Mai has to deal with even more discrimination than that”

Actually something closer to ”irrationality”, “unreasonableness”, “unfairness”, “derision”. Discrimination was the translators’ interpretation of that, I suppose.

Chapter 41

[About Inumaki’s technique]

“Cursed speech is words with spirit. Essentially, it’s infusing sound with cursed energy”

...They translated it the other way around (“the spirit of words”) in ch. 33… Needless to say, this is still the same technique and still the very same term being used. I’d be leaning towards the more commonly used translation of “the spirit of language”.

“However if you’re not sure it’s coming… you’ll be in a constant state of unease. Protecting your head is difficult as it is”

⇒ “On the other hand, if you don’t know if it’s coming or not, you’re constantly distracted. Even though protecting the inside of my head is already something I’m not used to doing”

Not really mistranslated but I wanted to propose an alternate translation, especially for the second part.

“Inheriting the Zen’in family cursed technique is reserved for the privileged. Every other jujutsu sorcerer starts at a level much further below. And even within their family, some women aren’t treated equally.”

⇒ “Unless you inherit the Zen'in family's cursed technique, you start out as a sorcerer from a losing position. And for women, some of them are not even allowed to stand on that starting line"

Just an overall different meaning for the whole fragment. After all, it’s not like you can control who will inherit what technique, even if you’re from one of the three big families. Also it was about women being discriminated on a more fundamental level.

“Can someone who thinks that curse Yuji is an ally really understand?”

⇒ “How about you try thinking hard with that head of yours that can even mistake [that] curse for a comrade?”

Written with “Itadori-kun”, read as “[the] curse” - there’s no reason for Nishimiya to call him “Yuji”. Also she actually says 仲間/nakama here, which, as I stated before, I personally prefer to translate as “comrade” in the context of jjk. The official release seems to alternate between “ally” and “friend”, which are rather distant terms imo. I’m not sure either what’s their basis for when they go with “ally” because they also used it when Gojou was talking about raising a future generation of strong and bright comrades in ch. 11 (refer to part II).

[Nobara in response to above]

“Does that mean we have to forgive the unfortunate no matter the circumstances? And if someone is blessed with a fortunate life, do they deserve to be ridiculed?”

⇒ ”So if someone’s unfortunate, they’re free to do whatever they want? Then what? If in turn a person is [more] fortunate, you’re not gonna be satisfied unless you can talk behind their back?”

In the original Nobara speaks in shorter sentences and uses rather simple language, which imo really conveys how angry she is about Nishimiya’s words. It wasn’t really a philosophical conversation.

“Have any of you ever stopped to consider the person behind the curse you’ve condemned?”

⇒ “And have you people even thought what kind of a person the idiot that you’re trying to curse [from now] is?”

Not “condemn as a curse” but “that you people are cursing”! Huge distinction imo.

“What do I care about whether someone’s perfect or if something’s fair? Is your life just a job?”

⇒ “Are you obliged to stand up to [things like] ‘perfection’ or ‘unfairness’? (...)”

Lit. “where’s the obligation to live up to”. Emphasis mine! Nobara wasn’t saying she doesn’t care whether someone is perfect or not, imo the nuance was more that there’s no need to force yourself to try and meet people’s expectations/standards.

“Boys versus girls? Give me a break! Just shut the hell up! I love dressing up and being beautiful! I love being strong!”

⇒ “Boys this, girls that? I don’t give a damn! Just do it all by yourselves if you wish! I love myself who dresses up beautifully! I love myself who [always] strives to be strong!”

I know fandom loves the “I love being beautiful! I love being strong” line - it definitely is short and impactful! But I actually really like the nuance that “strive to be/remain strong” has because it implies Nobara’s constantly putting in effort to improve herself and get stronger. Also the nuance of “I love myself who’s all those things [and more]” (emphasis mine) rather than simply “I love being those things”/“I love the act of”, even though to an English speaker the former may sound a bit awkward.

[Mai saying she can’t contact Mechamaru after his fight]

“It’s not a good sign if he was forced to use his finishing move and this is the end result.”

⇒ “If it’s like that [that we can’t contact him] despite him being forced into a corner to the point of having to use his finishing move, then he’s probably lost”

This was Mai speculating Mechamaru has most likely lost if they can’t contact him despite him having used his special move.

“I need you”

⇒ “If you’re not here, we’re in trouble”

Rather than Mai needing her personally, this was her reiterating Nishimiya’s importance to the team. (Same phrasing as in ch. 35.)

Chapter 42

[About Maki and her family]

Y:“But why wouldn’t they want someone so strong?”

N:“They don’t wanna accept someone they’ve already rejected. They’re stupid that way”

⇒Y: “Wouldn’t a jujutsu family welcome a strong sorcerer with open arms?”

N:“(...) Because they’re stupid/idiots.”

Slightly more informative for Yuuji’s line in the original imo. Let’s not forget that Yuuji’s still super new to the jujutsu world, so he’s not really familiar with its inner workings. Imo this line had such a nuance.

“So we have to win this event. You better put your life on the line!”

Not incorrect as much as it's just so much funnier in the original because she tells him to put enough effort to die one more time lol (emphasis mine).

[Maki to Tokyo team, telling them to focus on the competition rather trying to make her look good]

“Don't’ worry about me”

⇒ “Don’t think about unnecessary stuff”

Imo this showed Maki’s personality better.

[Mai to Maki, in her head]

“You thought you could get the jump on me? While keeping your distance as well?”

⇒ “So what if you’re in my blind spot. Aren’t you dumb to put distance between us”

This was more about it being advantageous for Mai, a gun being her weapon, if Maki gets farther away from her.

“I knew it! Maki has something I don’t”

⇒ “I knew it… Maki has a talent I don’t have”

How a single exclamation mark can completely change the meaning of a whole line. Yes, it is “I knew it” but as in “I understood it”, “I felt it”. It’s not some revelation about the fight itself, it’s the beginning to Mai’s retrospection about herself and Maki and their approaches to life that follows after. Also, it literally says “talent” there, not to mention the line gets repeated word for word at the end of the same chapter for emphasis before the conclusion is given to Mai’s musings. (Gege seems to like this particular trick a lot, huh?)

”Did you hear about the daughter of the Ougi?"

Hmm, I tried googling the phrase with “Ougi” in it just to check if it can have some hidden meaning but found out even Japanese fans weren’t sure about the exact meaning of the word. Probably a name, either of a person or of a place.

[Mai thinking about Maki]

“You were always so carefree. I hated it. You just kept moving fearlessly forward into the future”

⇒ “I hated how you were always boldly pushing your way towards the future as if you had no worries/unease”

Imo a slightly different nuance for this line (which’s just a single sentence). “I hated how” could also be “I hated you for” and other translations for “pushing your way to” include “plunging forward”, “pushing on”.

(jp)

[About Mai’s cursed technique]

“Unlike creating an object inside a domain, objects created with cursed technique: construction will not disappear after the spell is finished. However, an immense amount of cursed energy is used, which has a harsh effect on the body”

⇒ “Unlike materialisation of an innate domain within the barrier that occurs in ‘domain expansion’, objects once created with Construction Technique will not disappear even after the technique has finished. That’s why(...)”

Ever wondered why domain and domain expansion related stuff is impossible to understand? Well, here’s why. They only left “inside a domain” out of the whole explanation... “Materialisation” was actually “realisation” but I thought the former would be easier to understand. Also it literally says only “realisation of an innate domain” but imo it could be also interpreted as “inner domain and things within in”.

(jp)

“Maki has something I don’t. Kinda like Mechamaru’s Heavenly Restriction but the opposite. You were supposed to be born with a cursed technique but you traded that in for superhuman physical abilities. This skill was shunned by the Zen’in family. And it’s an ability I don’t have.”

⇒ “Maki has a talent I don’t have. (...) A talent which didn’t get appreciated in the Zen’in family and which I didn’t possess”

Like I pointed out earlier, this is the conclusion to Mai’s retrospection about herself and Maki and some of its effect was, in the original, achieved by repeating the line about Maki’s talent that Mai didn’t have, and by further expanding on it here.

Chapter 43

[About Kamo’s attack]

“A trace of blood on the arrow fletching. Like I thought, Kamo’s technique defies physics”

⇒ "The physics defying trajectory [of the arrow] was because of Kamo-san's cursed technique after all"

More informative in the original, I’d say. The arrows themselves are (and look) normal, hence double the wham i suppose?

[Megumi about Kamo’s Blood Manipulation Technique]

“The ability to control whatever touches his blood”

⇒ "The ability to control his own blood and whatever is stained with it"

Why would they skip the "the blood itself" bit…

[Kamo about Megumi’s Ten Shadows Technique”

“A cursed technique passed down in the Zen’in family”

Just to be clear, it’s actually specified here that it’s “one of the techniques”.

[Kamo about his technique]

“I can manipulate blood beyond its form or motion”

Once again sounds a bit like a more general explanation. “To manipulate blood means (...)”.

[After Megumi calls him out on doping]

“Very good. Although I don’t appreciate the negative connotation”

⇒ “But I’d prefer if you stopped with the vulgar phrasing”

Simpler, more direct language here.

[After Maki’s taken off with Miwa’s sword in tow]

“Mai’s sister is gone. Well, that makes sense. I’m useless without my sword”

⇒ “Mai’s older sister has gone somewhere. Well, it was a correct call as I can’t fight without my sword”

The phrase used here that got translated as “I’m useless” while can indeed mean something similar has the nuance of “to not be useful [in battle]” . So although it’s not incorrect per se, I’m not sure if I’d go with “useless” myself, especially because it comes with tandem with “correct call”/”good decision” wording. She DOES literally say she’s useless later on though.

“We’re a little disorganized after all”

Not incorrect per se but imo the original line might’ve had the nuance of “we’re not monolithic [as an organisation]”.

“Use this scent and whistle to control it. If you can, make it kill Itadori”

⇒ “This scent and whistle were used to train him [this cursed spirit]. If a chance arises, use it well and kill Itadori”

I’m not sure if this can be interpreted as it being JUST the curse itself that’ll do all the work.

Chapter 44

“- Why does everyone torment mother?

- Because she’s a broken mistress”

Closer to “dissolute”, I think. Also the word used for “mistress” can also mean “concubine” and “kept woman” but it’s apparently also an old expression for “close female servant”. It’s hard to say which it could have been without more context but it’d actually make a lot of sense if it was the last one, especially given the fact how Kamo is one of the olden jujutsu families, and very traditional at that.

“Then why do you favour me? Why did you deceive me into becoming a heir”

⇒ “(...)Then why did you take me in and lie about me being a heir”

I may be wrong but it doesn’t sound like they deceived Kamo himself but rather, everyone else. The word used also means “falsify”. “Favour” here is the same word as for “patronage”, btw.

“Then as the heir to the head of the Kamo family(...)”

It’s just “the next head” here, possibly an allusion to his plans for /after/ he becomes the clan head.

[After Kamo praises his growth as a sorcerer]

“Why are you acting all familiar with me?’

⇒ “What’s with this sense of comradeship you keep on showing?”

Not incorrect per se but I found the phrase he used interesting. Also means “fellowship”.

“I intend to kill Yuji Itadori”

“By principal Gakuganji’s order?”

“No, this is my decision.”

⇒ (...) “No, this is my personal/individual judgement.”

Emphasis Gege’s. The word does mean “decision” as well but imo “judgement” (as in “call”) fits better here.

“As a member of the Kamo and the big three families, I believe it is the right decision. You should also understand it. (I must play the part of the heir to the Kamo family)”

⇒ “(...) I consider it a correct call. It’s something you should be able to understand as well. (I must conduct myself as is appropriate for the heir of the Kamo family)

Lit. “think it’s(...)” for the first bit. Imo “you should also understand” could imply that Kamo’s trying to convince Megumi here but in the original it’s more him appealing to the common understanding he feels must already exist between them because of their similar positions within their respective families. Also, wording his inner thoughts as “must play the part” was imo giving off a wrong impression.

Cont. from above

“You and I are the same”

Not wrong but the original has the connotation of “the same kind”.

“He’s saying some scary stuff”

Skipped “all of sudden" here.

(jp)

“(I’ve never thought of myself as doing the right thing.) Actually, I’m sorry. I don’t care if I’m right or wrong. I only believe in my conscience. I will follow my conscience and save people. If you disagree with that then, let’s agree to curse each other.”

⇒ ”(...) No, I’m sorry, that is incorrect. It’s just that I believe/have faith in my own conscience. I will help/save people the way my conscience tells me. So if you’ve denied that, then there’s nothing left but to curse each other.”

Again, like in ch. 9 (refer to part I), the nuance here was actually that Megumi will save people BASED on his conscience. Here it’s literally “I will save people according to my conscience” (emphasis mine), which imo heavily implies that he will choose which people to save, as had already been indicated in ch. 9 as well. This is a huge distinction from the way he’s been (mis)portrayed in the official release as just wanting to save people because that’s what his conscience says or because he thinks that’s the right thing to do. (That’s Yuuji). Also, the way they phrased it as basically “let’s agree to disagree” was imo way too mild. And it wasn’t just “if you disagree” but “if you contradict/negate/renounce”.

“A shikigami! It was still around?!”

Not sure but given the context it might’ve meant “so he still had some left” instead.

Cont. on next page

“He used a wounded shikigami as a decoy!”

⇒ “He used a shikigami at the verge of being called off as a decoy!”

“This uses too much cursed energy, so I can only summon it once”

⇒ “This eats a lot of cursed energy so I can only summon it solo”

Lit. “a shikigami before the release/dissolution” for the first one. Coupled with Megumi’s reply, which was “as a stand alone” instead of “only once”, imo the whole thing meant that Megumi called the frog off intentionally.

[Megumi about the elephant shikigami]

“It only recently surrendered to me.”

⇒ “I’ve only exorcised it very recently”

Seems like they confused “to exorcise” (調伏) for “to surrender” (降伏)...The word he uses here is the former, it also means “to unwish”!

Btw, “surrender” is actually used later in the manga when Getou’s curse manipulation is discussed in the Gojou’s Past arc (ch. 73).. So to me there definitely seems to be a distinction between those two terms and which techniques they apply to.

[to part iv (4/5)]

#jujutsu kaisen #jjktranslation #jjk #jjk translation #jujutsukaisen

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onebadwinter · 3 years

Text

The Joker Tropes Part 2

Taken From Here and here

Nether Realm Studios especially seems to love making Joker out to be evil incarnate. In Injustice: Gods Among Us and its sequel, he loses all his cred (and life) once he nukes Metropolis; Harley ditches him entirely, Batman just completely gives up on indulging him any more, even Guest Fighters like Hellboy consider him worthless, and non-Batvillains such as Grodd and Brainiac and even Darkseid loathe him for either Metropolis, or just in general principle. Mortal Kombat 11 shows that even the MK cast see him as a scourge upon the realms, and also express distaste toward him for either his nuking, a previous outing, or because he's seen as a buffoon who cannot be taken seriously (this is usually the case for other villain characters).

About the only person who can tolerate him for long is Lex Luthor, only because they both have the same level of hatred for their respective enemies. Even then, Luthor prefers to keep his distance from the Joker, if only because a bored Joker screws with everything For the Evulz.

In the animated series, he claims to have been beaten as a child when interviewed by Harley Quinn. It is unknown if this is true. According to Batman, he's simply making it up.

In one issue of New 52, he claims to have been driven insane by an abusive grandmother, who also bleached his skin to its present pallor.

In the same continuity, he is one to a baby gorilla he adopts, trains up as a gun-wielding henchman, and ultimately gets killed off for laughs.

In the comic book adaptation of Injustice, it's implied Harley fears Joker would be one, and gives their daughter to her sister, lest he kill the child. It's left ambiguous whether the Joker's even aware of the ruse.

Averted in one story, wherein one of Arkham's doctors realizes Joker's faking insanity just to piss off Batman as revenge for his disfigurement. Another doctor finds the report and excitedly reveals it to the current head doctor, only to learn that the Joker left it for everyone to read, since the paper's written by Harley Quinn, and therefore worthless as evidence.

In Batman: The Man Who Laughs, it's established that the name "The Joker" was given to him by the media, and he liked it so much that he decided to call himself that.

The same happens in Joker (2019), where Murray tells the audience to "look at this joker" when talking about Arthur. Arthur took it to heart.

Batman: Arkham Knight takes this even further by revealing that being forgotten is the only thing the Joker truly fears.

Just to demonstrate how much disregard he has for his henchmen, a reoccurring motivation for offing his own lackeys is failing to laugh at one of his jokes. Or laughing too late. Or laughing for too long. Or laughing at the wrong joke. He's... unpredictable.

The Joker loves it when people laugh with him, whether genuine or not, but if someone laughs at him, they're most likely already dead.

Joker loves attention and being above the normals, so never imply that he's not interesting or unique. Terry exploits this flaw in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker just to drive him to a Villainous Breakdown.

The Batman Who Laughs. Since the character's first appearance in Dark Nights: Metal, the mere mention of him is enough to put The Joker in an uncharacteristically un-jolly mood and is a good way to get on his bad side. In fact, the dislike of this twisted version of his archnemesis is so great, that when Lex Luthor and The Legion of Doom started cooperating with him against Joker's protests, he quit the legion (after non-lethally jokerizing every other member of it) in disgust.

If you're going to hurt Batman, do it right. One of the supplementary stories for Joker War had him beyond furious with Bane - to the point of promising him he'd kill him in a way he would never see coming - for showing so little imagination in killing Alfred in City of Bane without even letting Batman listen to it to torture him. By his reckoning, if you have a great gag to break the Bat, use it to break the Bat - don't blow it by having Robin be the only one to witness it.

Originally Conrad Veidt from The Man Who Laughs.

Later portrayals base themselves on his actors, with Cesar Romero a popular candidate, and after Jack Nicholson came in, artists such as Alex Ross base him on him, such as the actor's distinct widow's peak and slicked back hair.

During Knightfall he and Scarecrow killed several members of a SWAT team, and one of his last actions in Batman: No Man's Land was to kill Commissioner Gordon's second wife, Lt. Sarah Essen.

One of the alternate realities seen in Zero Hour! was one where he killed Commissioner Gordon instead of crippling Barbara.

Part of the reason Gordon takes over the post of Commissioner in both The Dark Knight Trilogy and Batman: Arkham Series is due to the Joker killing Gillian Loeb. Additionally, the first game in the latter series, Asylum, he sees several of Arkham's guards killed by him and his men.

He's holding a dead cop's corpse in his intro in Injustice: Gods Among Us and using it as a puppet. He also talks to the body of one of the Regime enforcers who captured him once he breaks out and heads to Gotham.

Whether he was driven insane or was already insane and became completely bonkers.

Where he is on the spectrum between "wacky prankster" and "utterly depraved and sadistic sociopath and murderer".

Whether he is a senseless, performative terrorist wreaking havoc for kicks or a deceptively cunning and competent criminal mastermind. Or both. Usually both.

He's no Batman, but sometimes he is a proficient hand-to-hand combatant, Knife Nut or marksman, and other times a flimsy wimp who goes down in one punch. In some of the grittier settings, his raw strength, numbness to pain and viciousness are enough to level the playing field with Batman.

Whether he actually loves Harley Quinn varies. In the animated series, (where Harley first appeared) the writers haveoutright said he's a sociopath incapable of loving anyone, and just sees her as a useful mook. Some other works imply he really does love her on some level (although he's usually still an abusive asshole.)

He can either be Faux Affably Evil, Laughably Evil, just a Monster Clown, or some combination of the three.

At least one such incident implied he would be interested in Batman... but only after he was dead. Again this may only have been a tactic to get under Batman's skin or truthful admission. The readers will never know for certain.

His plot in The Killing Joke is to put Jim Gordon through the wringer hard in the hopes of driving him mad. He'll also try to drive Batman over the edge (particularly, drive him to break his "no killing" rule), sometimes by cutting off all of Batsy's human connections.

The Dark Knight reworks it into Driving Gotham To Senseless Violence with wanton acts of destruction or terrorism, just to prove everyone's as bad as him deep down.

Ironically, a 1952 story has the Joker get himself falsely committed to an insane asylum, to question a patient who knew the location of a cache of money. The end of the story has him Laughing Mad due to a prank Batman used to disguise his identity.

He didn't have his signature laugh. This seems to have been a way to "goofy up" the character to make him less terrifying in the days of the Comics Code Authority. Later on, he'd learn to giggle while remaining terrifying.

He actually committed crimes for moneynote , and wasn't really interested in causing chaos or terror for a joke's sake.

Building off of that, his plans weren't really "insane" until the Silver Age (at which point it's not even fair to say this was exclusive to him), nor was there any question of the character's mental stability.

His obsession with Batman wasn't there, much less the idea that he would pass up chances to kill the Bat or learn his identity. This aspect was probably introduced to explain the Bond Villain Stupidity he (and every Batman villain) had become infamous for in the Silver Age.

His clown-like complexion was actually makeup in his early appearances. He even removed his makeup to disguise himself as a cop, which was referenced in The Dark Knight. It's later revealed that the look is permanent after falling in a vat of chemicals.

The Brave and the Bold #111 and #191 have him team up with Batman to clear his name after being framed for several murders. The first instance turned out to simply be a framing the guilty part occasion but the second instance was actually genuine on Joker's part (except the person Joker seemingly murdered turned out to be faking their death).

He also does this with Batman whenever The Batman Who Laughs is involved (specifically in the Dark Knights: Metal series).

He abruptly ends a partnership with Red Skull when his Nazi affiliation comes out. Red Skull simply wonders why he is so surprised when he thinks that the Joker would make a great Nazi. The Joker is NOT happy about this, proclaiming "I may be a criminal lunatic, but I'm an American criminal lunatic!" It even provides the trope's image. And yes, folks, even an equal-opportunity murderer like the Joker despises the Nazis!note

The exception is mentioned again in the Last Laugh arc where the Joker immediately refused to join the American Neo-Nazi Aryan Alliance group in the Slab after he was offered membership. Joker: I'm evil and all that, but you guys are just plain mean.

Will not harm dumb animals and doesn't condone it. There's no humor to be had in that. Higher primates apparently do not qualify but a lot more effort went into that one.

While in Arkham with villain Warren White, AKA the Great White Shark, Joker calls him the worst person he ever met. He states that while he may kill people, even he doesn't steal their kids' college funds.

Sees nothing funny about someone parking in a handicap spot when they're not handicapped. However, he does think it's hilarious to hurt them in ways that will make certain they'll always be able to park there.

A girl named Janey Bennett, whose class was studying criminal behavior, became pen pals with the Joker while he was in Arkham. When Janey revealed that her father, the mayor of Motor City, was abusing her (exactly how isn't specified, though it was implied to have been really bad) the Joker broke out and, convinced that the authorities would be of no help, tried to force the mayor into admitting to his crimes and giving him Janey (so that he could find a better home for her) by threatening to contaminate the city's blood supply, going through with it (because the ends justify the means) when the mayor refused to give in to his demands. He originally intended to give her to Batman as well so he could protect her but at the end decided to give her to her mom. Joker: I mean, stealing a city blind is something I can admire... but being mean to one's own daughter... that just makes my blood boil.

For a rather literal form of "standard", the Joker's team-up with Carnage in Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds fell apart in part because the Joker, known for his love of theatrics, found Kasady's desire to get straight to killing boring. Conversely, Kasady didn't like the Joker's flair for theatrics.

The Joker absolutely loathes The Batman Who Laughs, to the point where he drops his usual joking demeanor and is deathly serious whenever directly referring to him, even willing to work together with Batman to face him when it comes down to it. When Lex Luthor goes behind his back to make a deal with The Batman Who Laughs (going against the only condition Joker has for joining his plan), Joker responds by Joker-gassing the Legion of Doom, putting Lex into a series of deathtraps, trashing Lex's Power Armor, and quitting the Legion. In the process, he tells Luthor how he had planned on ruining the Legion utterly on the verge of victory, and as nightmarish as his plan sounded, he claims it is nothing compared to what the Batman Who Laughs is going to do.

While he still gloated about it and found Commissioner Gordon kneecapping him funny after remember that he'd crippled Barbara, the actual act of killing Sarah Essen in the penultimate issue of Batman: No Man's Land is one of the few times the Joker wasn't happy with something he himself did, considering he's seen walking away while scowling afterward, leaves the babies he originally planned to murder unharmed and immediately turns himself in to the police.

Emperor Joker sees the Joker disgusted with a corrupted Jimmy O Lsen tormenting the Superfamily and Batman when they're turned int animals.

Later one he is disgusted when his minions vandalize the Moai on Eastern Island.

Again, when he rescues Lex from The Batman Who Laugh's infected minions in Hell Arisen, the mere mention of his alternate universe rival prompts him to have a very uncharacteristic Freak Out. The Joker: I told you. I told you not to deal with him. You should have shot that thing in the head the second you had it in a cage! It is wrong. It is a wrong thing.

Played more straight in his relationship with Punchline. Only time will tell if it lasts.

There’s also a comic storyline when Hush informed that a dirty cop Office Halmet killed his wife Jeannie. The Joker wanted nothing more than to kill said cop in revenge. Then there’s Batman: Three Jokers where, despite it being being heavily implied he was abusive, the “Comedian” Joker is seen setting up fake tea parties with dolls, clearly trying to substitute them for his wife and child showing that he does miss them and desire to be a family with them.

While The Dark Knight is one of the few times the Joker's clown-like appearance is the result of make-up, he does sport a Glasgow Grin.

While Joker still has the permanent clown look, it's combined with the Glasgow Grin.

While Batman: Endgame would see the skin of his face restored with a chemical called Dionesiumnote , at the start of The New 52, the Joker had the Dollmaker skin his face and then, after he recovered it, spent Death of the Family wearing it like a Leatherface-esque mask. And even in Endgame, his restored face ends up badly burned as the result of the finale battle between him and Batman, though it still ends up restored again.

Gotham sees neither Valeska escape this. After his death in season 2, Jerome (the proto-Joker) ends up resurrected in season 3, but because Dwight thinks his attempt to revive him failed, Dwight ends up cutting off Jerome's face ala Death of the Family and Jerome ends up stapling it on when he catches up with Dwight and while he later has it properly reattached, there's still scars from what happened. Jeremiah, Jerome's twin and the show's true Joker, ends up with the "perma-clown" appearance due to Jerome having the Scarecrow brew something up to spray in Jeremiah's face, but season 5 sees his fateful fall at Ace Chemicals badly scar his face and sear off most of his hair with only stringy patches left.

Averted entirely in Joker (2019), where his clown appearance is entirely makeup, and the worst it gets is painting his iconic smile on his face with his own blood from a car crash. Not even a Glasgow Grin or anything, the blood is from his hand and his face only has a few normal cuts on it.

While Batman is a rather serious character who refuses to kill anyone, The Joker is a rather comical character who revels in death.

Joker's gadgets tend to be rather goofier but much more lethal, such as the Joker Venom that he often uses to kill his victims.

While Batman gets along well with his sidekicks Robin and Batgirl, Joker frequently abuses his sidekick Harley Quinn and has tried to kill her before, not to mention all the times he has been a Bad Boss by killing his henchmen for any reason you can think of, sometimes for no reason at all.

While Batman's backstory is well known, even by the citizens of Gotham who know of the tragedy of the rich Waynes' in Crime Alley, no one knows anything about the Joker's backstory, but most versions he tells are consistent in two things: he was a nobody, and possibly someone poor.

In most adaptations, his voice is high-pitched in contrast to Batman's Badass Baritone.

Why he went by the name the Red Hood has changed over the years: The Killing Joke claims he was a failed comedian driven to crime to support his pregnant wife. The trauma of his disfigurement from jumping in the acid and his wife's earlier accidental death drove him insane. However, even this backstory is questionable, as the Joker himself calls it "multiple choice".

In Injustice 2, an intro with Atrocitus has the Red Lantern wondering what drove the Joker to nihilism.

In the animated series, he claims to have been abused as a child when interviewed by Harley, but according to Batman, it's just another ruse to escape Arkham.

The purple suit and matching pants with either an orange and/or green shirt with a bowtie or tie, remains the definitive Joker look one that many artists and costume designers have given spin on. He is sometimes known for wearing a cool hat but other times goes hatless. Heath Ledger's custom-designed purple long-coat, trousers, blue shirt and green Waistcoat of Style with a tie has likewise become iconic and famous for its contemporary and downright stylish update on the classic look.

The original Red Hood outfit which is a black suit, white shirt, bowtie with an opera cap and a bizarre red dome is also quite famous.

The Hawaiian tourist outfit he wore in the notorious scene in The Killing Joke.

The white suit he wears in Miller's The Dark Knight Returns as well as the white nurse maid outfit with red wig in The Dark Knight is also quite notable.

The Future Joker look from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker which went with a mime look (black body suit, slicked-back hair) is also quite distinct and unique.

The first issue of Batman with Joker's debut has him described as having "burning, hate-filled eyes" and the moniker, "the harliquin of hate".

The Man Who Laughs had Bruce dosed with a light version of the Joker Venom and he felt his perspective shift into a paranoid vengeance were he felt everyone deserved to be punished for his parent's death just for existing.

Death of the Family had Batman describe how Joker's irises are always narrow when looking at anyone but Batman and that it is usually an indication of negative feelings toward something with Bruce mentioning that his eye are the eyes of someone who hates everything he sees.

In the Justice League storyline "Rock of Ages", Martian Manhunter has to put in incredible effort to reorganize Joker's mind long enough for him to give up the cataclysmic Philosopher's Stone. The briefly sane Joker immediately says My God, What Have I Done? verbatim as he hands it back, before quickly losing his mind and going back to the laughing madman.

The famous example from the end of The Killing Joke, where Batman tries to convince him to allow Batman to rehabilitate him before their vendetta kills them. Joker considers it for a long, somber moment before quietly reflecting that they're both too far gone.

Batman: Cacophony ends with Joker being pumped full of an inhuman amount of antipsychotic drugs to keep him under control while in recovery from a near-fatal stabbing. Batman takes the opportunity to have a relatively-sane conversation with him, though it's somewhat subverted by Joker still being a homicidal sociopath even while heavily sedated.

He even gives multiple reasons on how he came Back from the Dead in Injustice 2 and will go along with whatever his opponent thinks is true, despite being Dead All Along in story mode and only appearing as a hallucination to his ex-moll.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns sees him kill David Endochrine and Ruth Weisenheimer, who were clearly based on David Letterman and Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

During Knightfall, once he realizes that Azrael isn't Batman, his plan's gone to hell, and one too many criticisms from Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert stand-ins, he kills the stand-ins.

In one of the issues for the The Batman tie-in comic, The Batman Strikes, he terrorizes a stand-in for Conan O'Brien. This becomes darkly Hilarious in Hindsight as the real O'Brien voiced Endochrine in the animated version of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. In the series proper, Harley's debut had the two of them terrorize a stand-in for Dr. Phil for the climax.

If you want to know how truly terrifying The Batman Who Laughs is, look no further than the way Joker acts whenever discussing him. He doesn't laugh, he doesn't smile. He becomes calm and serious and simply tells whomever he's talking to that the TBWL is "a wrong thing that shouldn't exist". Someone HAS to be scary if the very thought of him makes Joker act like a calm rational sane person.

In Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, the clown has a massive Villainous Breakdown when Terry mocks him for his failed attempts to break Batman.

On the rare occasion Joker gets bored and leaves Gotham, expect everyone to think of him as just a silly clown, until the bodies start piling up.

One issue of the Robin Series had him talking about having Abusive Parents, only for a psychiatrist to tell him it's the seventh story he's told now.

Batman lampshades on this to Harley in the animated series, thinking it's another lie to gain sympathy.

The Killing Joke claims he was a failed comedian driven to crime to support his pregnant wife. The trauma of his disfigurement and his wife's earlier accidental death drove him mad. However, even this could be a lie, as he himself calls it "multiple choice".

It's even discussed in Injustice 2, as Atrocitus wonders what drove the Joker to nihilism. Despite only appearing as a hallucination to Harley in story mode, he spews out multiple theories for his Unexplained Recovery and will say Sure, Let's Go with That in non-canon fights. Was he resurrected by someone, or is he from another universe? Did he escape from either the Source Wall or the Phantom Zone, or is he just an apparition?

Shadow of the Bat #38, Tears of a Clown: He celebrates his anniversary of the day he was a still sane, but hapless comedian, and was thrown out of an exclusive Stand-Up Comedy club for an unfunny act the patrons mercilessly heckled. It was the last straw as he agreed to provide to his family by pulling a job for the Red Hood gang. So he kidnaps all the patrons and reenacts his act with control collars that will kill them when they laugh. Oddly enough, the patrons are hardcore Stand-Up Comedy fans, so they can't remember the number of times they've booed someone. However, even this origin story could be a lie.

It's come to be his primary disfigurement over the original skin bleaching.

In Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Terry McGinnis exploits this by delivering an epic Boring Insult so the clown will have a Villainous Breakdown.

King Barlowe proved to be a big one in his Thanatos Gambit in the episode "Joker's Millions" of The New Batman Adventures. In a spiteful Video Will, he gives the clown his millions, revealing in his tape that most of it was fake. Expecting the clown to splurge on it, he won't have enough to pay off the IRS, allowing Barlowe to get the "last laugh" after his death, without the Joker coming after him.

Alan Moore's "I go Loony" from The Killing Joke, an in-panel song-and-dance tune that was eventually made into an actual song belted out in Batman: The Killing Joke.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold has "Where's the Fun in That?" from the episode "Emperor Joker".

Batman: Arkham City ended with him covering The Platters' "Only You (and You Alone)", Batman: Arkham Origins had him cover Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold, Heart" and Batman: Arkham Knight had him provide an original composition, "Can't Stop Laughing".

Action Fashionista: This incarnation of the Joker has a wide variety of garish outfits for every occassion — most of them straight from the comics.

Adaptational Attractiveness: Metal teeth, lack of eyebrows, and tattoos aside, he's still being played by the youthful-looking real life Pretty Boy Jared Leto; especially since the last two cinematic Jokers were a creepy middle-aged gangster with a botched face-lift and a filthy, scarred vagrant (even the mentally unwell clown-for-hire doesn't scream Mr. Fanservice one bit). This version looks more like Marilyn Manson.

Adaptational Nice Guy: A very downplayed example. While he's otherwise the same Clown Prince of Crime we all know and love to hate, he appears to genuinely care for Harley, and even throws her out of a falling helicopter to save her life. Almost any other iteration of the Joker would do that to save his own skin or rid himself of her.

Adaptational Skimpiness: This version of the Joker tends to be shirtless a lot more than he has in any other medium. It mostly seems like an opportunity to show off his tattoos.

Adaptation Distillation: Leto's Joker seems to be less of the "evil philosopher" that Heath Ledger portrayed him as in The Dark Knight, and instead seems to be a cross between the garish, larger-than-life Mark Hamill version from the animated series and the Arkham games, and the creepy, deeply twisted Brian Azzarello version. David Ayer had also stated that he looked specifically to the Golden Age Joker for reference, providing reason for many to believe that Leto's Joker is a modern re-imagining of that incarnation.

Advertised Extra: Heavily featured in Suicide Squad promotional materials, barely appears in the film for more than seven minutes. According to Jared Leto, several of the scenes he shot were not included in the theatrical cut.

Ambiguous Disorder: In Suicide Squad, most of the time the Joker seems... not all there compared to Harley. In addition of psychopathic tendencies, the Joker has random bouts of maniacal laughter, confusion, and slurred speech-like patterns. All attributes that stem from punch-drunk syndrome. Considering he has faced Batman one too many times, it makes sense that the Joker's mental stability is finally catching up to him.

However, come Birds of Prey, they broke up, mirroring the comics where they do have an Relationship Revolving Door. It appears to stick, as Harley publicly calls it quits between the two of them.

His tattoos are very reminiscent of the Joker in All Star Batman and Robin.

Ax-Crazy: Like all the incarnations before him, calling him a violent psychopath is one of the biggest understatements you can make.

Bedlam House: Spent some time at Arkham Asylum, where he met Harley. Then he broke free from it with the help of both Harley and his gang.

Chewing the Scenery: An important part of the character is his theatricality.

Cool Car: A bright purple sports car with underglow lights and a "HAHAHA" license plate.

Dented Iron: It's subtle, but the numerous scars on his body and metal replacement teeth in his mouth are clear signs that his frequent run-ins with Batman are taking their toll.

Disney Death: He seemingly dies in the crash of his helicopter... only to come back to free Harley from her high security prison at the end of Suicide Squad.

The Dreaded: In true Joker fashion, everyone is terrified of him.

Establishing Character Moment: One that takes place before he even makes his official debut in the setting - he killed Robin (a minor) and vandalized his outfit to mock Batman over his inability to save him.

Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Insofar as much as the Joker can love anyone, anyway, but he does seem to genuinely care about Harley. Eventually, subverted.

Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: He considers the brutal murder of a minor as a joke he played on Batman. When he's torturing Harleen Quinzel, he promises not to shatter her well-kept teeth while flashing his own hideous metal dentures. When Harleen later has him at gunpoint, Joker just says "please don't kill me, I'll be ya friend" in a snarky tone.

Evil Is Hammy: It's not The Joker if he's not Chewing the Scenery. And, sure enough, he does.

Evil Is Petty: The graffiti on Robin's costume seems to imply that Joker murdered him just to prod at Batman. It is confirmed in Suicide Squad that Joker and Harley killed him.

Evil Laugh: It's kind of his thing. One notable example is when he chuckles while surrounded by an arsenal of weapons.

Fake Shemp: Indie rocker Johnny Goth stood in for Jared Leto in Birds of Prey, in the flashback where he and Harley torture and tattoo the big mafia thug Harley later bumps back into.

Foil: To Batman as usual, but with some new additions. After 20 years, Batman became more jaded and cruel, while the Joker somewhat mellowed out and his criminal activity became more professional. Batman didn't settle down until the death of Superman while the Joker grew attached to Harley Quinn.

In Suicide Squad Griggs' smug indifference about his gambling debt immediately becomes pure terror when he realizes the Joker has gotten involved.

He is so feared that even the likes of Black Mask would rather steer clear of him. Harley's enemies only start gunning for her in Birds of Prey when it's become clear that she's no longer with him.

G-Y

The Ghost:

There is an allusion to him in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ("HA HA HA Joke's On You, Batman" painted across the chest of the dead Robin's empty suit in the Batcave), but he doesn't actually appear.

He gets mentioned a lot in Birds of Prey, but he's only seen very briefly in some flashbacks, always from the back (including footage from Suicide Squad). There is a whole Deleted Scene where he and Harley have a domestic dispute. Harley leaves the house through the window and the Joker throws her stuffed beaver out through the window. In the film proper, she's just kicked out of the house, with no shot of Mr. J.

Greater-Scope Villain: His role in Batman v Superman. Despite not actually appearing his murder of Robin by this point has driven Batman down a darker, more vengeful path that goes against Batman's traditional moral code; the one that the Joker is always trying to prove is wrong. Batman's rage towards Superman blinds him to the possibility of Lex Luthor being the real threat long enough for Superman to die fighting Doomsday. In a way the Joker's actions contributed to Batman's failure.

Guttural Growler: This Joker is noticeably more snarly than previous incarnations.

Handshake Refusal: He doesn't like to shake hands, as Monster T finds out.

Hell-Bent for Leather: Wears a purple crocodile skin duster at some point in the film.

Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Despite being a homicidal sociopath, he seems to truly love his girlfriend Harley Quinn. Then in Birds Of Prey, he coldly and violently breaks up with her.

Joker Immunity: He appears to die when his helicopter is shot down about halfway through Suicide Squad. To absolutely no one's surprise, he shows up alive and well in the final scene. It helps that he's the Trope Namer.

Knife Nut: And by God, does he have enough blades.◊

Lean and Mean: This Joker, while muscular, is quite lean, especially compared to the heavily muscled Batman.

Love Epiphany: Well, "love" is pushing it, but Joker realizes his affections for Harley when she dives in the chemical bath that ultimately turned Joker into what he is. Symbolic in the sense she was agreeing to join him in madness. Further adding to the complexity of the scene; Joker was tying up a loose end, having used Harley to escape from Arkham. He lead her to her demise and intended to leave her for death but at the same moment realized she had entered his world and his madness. Joker never anticipated the amount of utter devotion Harley would have for him, something inside him just couldn't walk away from her, so he jumped in to save her.

Manipulative Bastard: He manipulated Harley into helping him escape Arkham because she fell in love with him. When she served her purpose, he would have had her kill herself jumping into a bath of chemicals to prove her feelings. He instead saves her from this demise because he has a Love Epiphany in the moment.

Monster Clown: Like the previous film versions, Joker is an Ax-Crazy criminal with clownish makeup. Green hair notwithsanding, his white makeup, red lipstick and absence of facial scars make him look closer to a mime than his predecessors.

Noble Demon: In Suicide Squad, his whole motivation is to rescue Harley Quinn. His commitment is so strong he doesn't even waste time with pranks or petty acts of cruelty. Everything he does is for someone else.

Only Known By His Nickname: He's only known as The Joker, or "J" / "Mr. J".

Outlaw Couple: He and Harley Quinn are lovers and partners in crime.

Sadist: Even though there was only a few select scenes of him, one of them is him torturing Harley. It's disturbingly obvious that he is positively gleeful over it. And he doesn't seem to have lost any sleep over murdering Robin, either.

Pet the Dog: David Ayer confirms that while he did push Harley out of the falling helicopter, his intent was in fact to save her life.

Satellite Love Interest: To Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. His characterization revolves entirely around Harley, not even getting involved with the main plot.

Scary Teeth: Several of his teeth are made of metal. According to David Ayer, Batman punched his teeth out after he killed Robin, leading him to replace them with metal teeth.

Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: Although he has a presence at the start of the film, The Joker appears to have left Gotham City to be controlled by Black Mask in Birds of Prey, with Roman saying that Joker has already skipped town.

The Sociopath: He's chaotic and remorseless, much like his previous versions. Special mention goes to his murder of Robin, which he topped off by spray-painting a cruel taunt for Batman onto the boy's costume.

Tattooed Crook: His torso is covered in jester-themed tattoos. He also has a few on his arms and face.

Villain of Another Story: He mainly appeared in Suicide Squad, but his biggest act of villainy to date — killing Robin — happened some years before Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in which he doesn't appear. The spray-painted message on Robin's empty suit ("Ah ah ah joke's on you Batman!") in the latter film can't be anything else than his doing.

Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?: Is seen with a rather impressive arsenal of guns and knives. And even says to warden Griggs, at some point, "I can't wait to show you my toys." note Notably, he manages to hijack the gunship which was sent to extract Waller and the squad so he can rescue Harley.

Would Hit a Girl: In the past, the Joker electroshocks and manipulates Dr. Harleen Quinzel into allowing her to fall into a vat of chemicals, in order to become Harley Quinn.

Would Hurt a Child: He killed Batman's sidekick, Robin, while the boy was an underage minor.

You Gotta Have Blue Hair: His hair is bright green.

"Knightmare" Joker

"You won't kill me. I'm your best friend..." Appearances:

Zack Snyder's Justice League

"You need me. You... need me... to help you undo this world you created, by letting her die."

The Joker meets up once more with Batman in the nightmarish alternate future where Darkseid has conquered the Earth and Superman turned evil. But things aren't the same anymore between the two legendary foes.

See also the Knightmare page for more on that setting's characters.

Break Them by Talking: He deliberately tries to agitate Batman by reminding him of how many people have died on his watch.

Cop Killer: He wears a bulletproof vest with at least two dozens police badges on it. Whether these were good cops killed prior to the apocalypse or servants of the oppressive regime of Superman after the apocalypse is not detailed.

Costume Evolution: He has ditched his garish gangster suits for what looks like either a medical gown or a butcher gown, complete with orange gloves and a bulletproof vest with a dozen police badges pinned on it. He got rid of his "Damaged" forehead tattoo, let his hair grow and put red makeup around his mouth, looking closer to more common depictions of the character.

Enemy Mine: He and Batman had the worst kind of enmity imaginable, but the Earth being conquered by Darkseid is enough of a Conflict Killer for them to call a truce and work together to try undoing this mess.

Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: He utters the line "We live in a society" while gazing upon the devastated landscape in the trailer. This is clearly a Meme Acknowledgement, and it's quite awkwardly used given the context (is there really any society left in this post-apocalyptic world?). It doesn't appear in the actual film, however. The line was improvised by Leto.

Evil Laugh: Even with the world being in such a sorry state and him still being sane enough to acknowledge how bad the situation is, he'll still let some laughs out, even though they sound more subdued than ever.

Evil Versus Oblivion: Even he sees the necessity of teaming up with Batman to try undoing what Darkseid did to Earth.

Future Badass: He survived the apocalypse brought upon Earth by Darkseid and looks like he's geared for guerilla actions.

My Card: He gives a Joker card to Batman as a symbol of their truce. Shall the Dark Knight want to break that truce, he'd just have to tear that card up. The card could be seen strapped on Batman's assault rifle in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: Joker gets a high reminding Batman how costly his mistakes in the past have been.

The Nicknamer: He nicknames Mera "my little fish stick" and Robin "Boy Wonder".

Progressively Prettier: Despite being worse for wear, this Joker is arguably even better looking than his previous appearance, with his over-the-top tattooed gangster image toned down and his androgyny played up. Ironically, this version also more closely resembles the Heath Ledger incarnation.

Thousand-Yard Stare: He has such a stare when looking at the devastated horizon as he starts talking to Batman.

Villain Has a Point: While he’s the one who killed Robin, he gives Batman a minor What the Hell, Hero? for sending “a Boy Wonder to do a man’s job.”

Vocal Evolution: His voice is much softer and higher pitched than it was in Suicide Squad.

#TheJokerInformation

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misstrashchan · 3 years

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Since @im-the-king-of-the-ocean did a post about what TMA fear entities the RWBY characters are aligned/avatars of, I’ve been itching to do one myself because as a result of overlapping hyper fixations I think about this A LOT

The basic concept is that avatars in TMA become what they fear most or embrace a fear they have developed the most complex relationship with that plays into their motivations and drive as a character. What negative impulses they have to constantly fight themselves on, the shape of the monster that lives in their heart.

To quote the RWBY song Fear, “But our greatest fear will be realised, if we fall and lose ourselves to fear, we’ll become what we’ve feared all our lives” yeah that’s a very loose definition of what becoming an avatar is.

Since MAG s5 has proven that you can be an avatar of more than one fear, (Like Martin serving both the Eye and the Lonely) some of the RWBY characters might have more than one, but I’ll try to limit it to two to avoid getting complicated, but at the end of the day it’s all fear soup, we might categorise them according to Robert Smirke’s 14, but they all bleed into one another, like Gerard’s colour analogy in 111:

GERARD

I always think it helps to imagine them like colours. The edges bleed together, and you can talk about little differences: “oh, that’s indigo, that’s more lilac”, but they’re both purple. I mean, I guess there are technically infinite colours, but you group them together into a few big ones. A lot of it’s kind of arbitrary. I mean, why are navy blue and sky blue both called blue, when pink’s an entirely different colour from red? Y’know? I don’t know, that’s just how it works.

And like colours, some of these powers, they feed into or balance each other. Some really clash, and you just can’t put them together. I mean, you could see them all as just one thing, I guess, but it would be pretty much meaningless, y’know, like… like trying to describe a… shirt by talking about the concept of colour.

O-Of course, with these things it’s not a simple spectrum, y’know, it’s more like –

ARCHIVIST

An infinite amorphous blob of terror bleeding out in every direction at once.

GERARD

Now you’re getting it.

ARCHIVIST

Like colours, but if colours hated me. Got it.

Ruby Rose: The End. The fear of death itself, uncaring and unstoppable. Man this was hard to think about but I have a lot of Big Feelings about this one. Initially I really, really wanted to give Ruby the Eye simply because “can laser beam monsters with their eyeballs once they become powerful enough” and there is a fascinating overlap in how the Beholding powers and Silver Eyes function in the same way, (especially in how Cinder being exposed to the Silver Eyes fills her with an overpowering fear and reopens old wounds from trauma that have never properly healed; which is VERY similar in the psychological affect Jon’s has on his victims when he Beholds them) they’re both direct enemies/opposites to the Dark that expose their enemies/victims true nature and destroying them in the process at times. Only one feeds on fear and the trauma of others while the other feeds off of hope and love (Gerard says there’s no such thing as an avatar of hope and love, clearly he’s never heard of Ruby).

But nope! The fear and nature of the Beholding just doesn’t really match with Ruby at all. She isn’t driven by a need of knowledge, nor does she fear being watched, followed or having her secrets exposed. The End though? Death itself? Ruby outright states that’s her biggest fear in volume 5 to Oscar “It doesn’t matter if you’re standing in Salem’s way or not. She’ll kill anyone. And that, scares me most of all” to me Ruby’s fear of death itself is projected onto Salem here, I think. It’s uncaring, unstoppable, it doesn’t discriminate, and it could come for the people she cares about at any time. What matters though is the context she says this is in explaining her motives to Oscar. Her whole life has been shaped by her inability to process death, her relationship with grief, all starting with the tragic and abrupt death of her mother Summer as a child. She’s also surrounded by a lot of death motif too, the hooded cape, mostly wearing black, the giant grim reaper scythe. She’s the End.

Of course, her being an Avatar of the End means having to imagine the worst version of Ruby, one that is fully consumed by that fear. Avatars of the End are not malicious or destructive in nature but instead are… very apathetic. They don’t need to seek out victims to feed off of, nor do they have a ritual, because the End comes for all. And that fits with what Ruby would be like if that fear fully consumed her. It’s more or less established in vol6 during the apathy arc when she tries so hard to fight against their influence and how horrified she is when everyone around her falls prey to it. Giving up, not caring, accepting the inevitable demise of everyone and yourself? Ruby was terrified of that. And when looking at the vol8 opening where we see Ruby being dragged down by what looks like the arms of the apathy? She fights the hardest against it because it’s what she’s most afraid of, but because of her inability to process her grief properly is ultimately what will make her the most vulnerable to it when she’s pushed to her limit. All Salem needs to do to break Ruby is to remind her of Summer’s death. Not even what actually happened to her or how she died, just the death itself. Hell, the first time we see Ruby in the Red trailer, she’s at her mother’s grave, the first verse in Red like Roses that’s about Ruby “Red like Roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest” in which we come to understand that the “Red like roses” lyrics in both part one and two of the song is referring to Summer’s abrupt death which Ruby apparently dreams about, which brings to mind Oliver Banks, our most prominent Avatar of the End, whose first statement to The Magnus Institute in 011 (underneath the fake alias of “Antonio Blake”) is concerning how he started dreaming about the deaths of others, which he didn’t begin to take seriously- until it was his father that he saw in his dream. Upon which Oliver realised how terrifying death really was and that fear began to consume him.

Okay I’ve probably gone off long enough about this but yeah. Ruby is the End. I mean, she also just got a song in the v7 soundtrack called Until the End

Weiss Schnee: The Lonely. The fear of isolation, of being completely cut off and alone or disconnected from the rest of society. I don’t really have to go too deeply into this one. It’s pretty cut and dry. “The loneliest of all”? And the Schnees basically are the Lukas family. Actually thinking about it the Lukas’ are actually somewhat better? They were the only ones in the whole of TMA that understood to raise a child to be an heir/avatar of their fear they needed room to reject it or actively choose it, even if that had an 80% success rate. Both are still awful though. (Damn, I can’t believe Jaques is an actively worse parent than an eldritch fear avatar)

When Weiss comes back to Atlas in v4 she’s more aware of her loneliness than ever, feels more aware of how she and atlas high society as a whole is disconnected from the rest of the world and its struggles. Whitley commenting on her being in her room for months implies she’s purposefully been isolating herself during this time as well, in order to avoid her family members “A pleasure to see you out of your room for a change” (sidenote; the fact that whenever Whitley shows up it always catches Weiss off guard, like she didn’t even notice his presence until he wanted her too. That’s. That’s a BIG Lonely thing. Given Peter’s siblings eventually ran away and he was the only heir I can imagine Peter being what Whitley would end up like if no one intervenes)

I’d say they might also be an possibility of the Stranger due to her struggling to find her own identity and inability to recognise oneself, but that can be an aspect of the Lonely too, as we see when Martin is in a house that is a domain of the Lonely in s5, and is unable to recognise himself in the mirror or recall who he is.

What I do have to say about this is it’s pretty interesting considering at this point in the show Weiss’ relationship with loneliness is actually somewhat healthy and something she can use to relate to and help others. She understands other people’s loneliness, that Blake in v5 needed space and in time she’d come back, and Weiss would be ready to be there for her when she did. And she also understands Yang’s loneliness in the same volume and that she needed someone there to support her.

“But you’re right. I don’t know loneliness like you do. I have my own version. And I bet Blake has her own version too.”

Speaking of Blake…

Blake Belladonna: The Stranger, I Do Not Know You. The fear that you cannot trust the perception of yourself or of others. The creeping sense that something isn’t right. I considered the Spiral, but the Stranger and the Spiral overlap more than any other two entities so I’m just gonna go with the Stranger. Especially with her semblance being a metaphor for disassociation, a coping mechanism for the abuse and gaslighting from her relationship with Adam being kind of the biggest thing here, since the Stranger and Spiral deal with that a lot. She literally creates false copies of herself, shadow clones which she uses to feint, distract and evade. As well as statues/mannequins when dust is involved, which the Stranger is known for manifesting. Her fighting style centres around misdirection, stealth and fooling people’s senses. She also used to be part of the White Fang, known within Sienna and Adam’s faction to wear the masks of monsters, appearing anonymous. And she literally disguises her identity as a Faunus in order to escape the White Fang and enroll at Beacon. Blake at first was hesitant to trust and rely on the others in the earlier volumes, to let her guard down, and when she finally did, the worst happened and her fears were proven right. In s2 Jonathan becomes more paranoid due to being marked and in close daily proximity to the Stranger (as Not-Sasha), much like how Blake in v2 becomes far more paranoid and less trusting of her team. She also does seek knowledge or answers even at the cost of her wellbeing, which is an Eye thing, but Blake’s desire for knowledge and answers isn’t really consistent or important enough with her character and motives beyond vol2 for me personally to consider her an Avatar of it, but I do think she is Eye aligned.

Yang Xiao Long- The Eye. The Ceaseless Watcher, It Knows You, as well as The Hunt. For the Eye, the first time we see Yang is her trying to find information on her mother, and we see Raven in bird form at the beginning too, as she has followed Yang her whole life, never actually interacting or doing anything for her, just… watching her. We learn in vol2 that her search for answers surrounding her mother has been a part of her entire life, almost overwhelmingly so to the point where in her childhood she and Ruby nearly lost their lives to the Grimm when she decided to journey to a shack in the woods she thought would lead to clues in finding her mother. She is adamant because of that experience to never let her need for the truth and answers control her, but it is a need that is always there. When she finally meets Raven, she’s encouraged to “start questioning everything she knows” which, she does. Questioning and knowledge is a big part of Yang’s character, even now. She’s the one who questions Ozpin the most, as well as Raven herself, and in the recent volumes is the one who challenges and questions Ruby’s leadership the most. There’s also a moment in vol7 of her drawing parallels between herself and Robyn and relating to her when she says “I won’t stop until I find out the truth” Her being the one to take the relic of knowledge is hugely significant in this too, especially given the context that she acquires it right after confronting her mother, getting the answers she’s searched for her whole life, holding an artefact possessing infinite knowledge, and she sinks to her knees and cries because there is no sense of closure, that anything is better because of her knowing who and what her mother is, and that her choosing this path might have cost her ever having a relationship with Raven (which is more Raven’s fault of course, and Yang knows that, but that’s not how she’s feeling at that exact moment).

For the Hunt, this one’s a bit simpler. The thrill seeker aspect to Yang’s character and motives in becoming a huntress and enjoying the chase and fighting in of itself. There’s another element in that as most Avatars of the Hunt start out as monster hunters who then develop the need to hunt and kill monsters, and gradually what qualifies as “monster” starts to blur more and more as they become consumed by the need and thrill of the chase and hunt itself. I bring this up because in vol3 Blake draws parallels between Yang and Adam after she is disqualified for attacking and injuring Mercury, worries with how familiar this all feels and that Yang might turn out the same as him (and just for the record Adam is a full blown Avatar of the Hunt, and the Slaughter too most like)

“I had someone very dear to me change. It wasn’t in an instant, it was gradual. Little choices that began to pile up. He told me not to worry. At first they were accidents, then it was self-defence. Before long, even I began to think he was right. This is all just… very familiar.” What Blake describes is… kind of similar to Basira’s relationship with Daisy with how Daisy, an Avatar of the Hunt, would justify to Basira and explain away how the violence and murders she committed as being for the greater good.

Also just one more, because I have to

Pyrrha Nikos: WebwebWEBWEB. Hoo boi Pyrrha is the Webbiest of Web Avatars as they come. Her whole character’s themes surrounding destiny, control and agency, feeling like her whole life had been decided for her, the fact she’d been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities meant she was supposed to be a huntress, the fact her talent as a world champion meant she was placed on a pedestal without her realising, becoming separate from the people who placed her there in the first place, that Ozpin and his inner circle tell her she has been chosen as the next Fall Maiden, but the method in which she must become so might result in the loss of her identity, that though they ultimately leave the choice to her do pressure and manipulate her into it. The idea of destiny being a predetermined fate you can’t escape is Pyrrha’s greatest fear, and rejects that idea in that she will not let her life be manipulated but will be the one to take control it instead, which is manifested in her having a semblance that she uses to subtly control and manipulate her surroundings. As Cinder puts it, “People assume she’s fated for victory when really she’s really taken fate into her own hands”.

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juju-on-that-yeet · 3 years

Text

From Dusk till Dawn

Whumptober Day 27: Ok, Who Had Natural Disasters On Their 2020 Bingo Card? Prompt: Power Outage

After rescuing Yandere, the egos finally have enough information to rescue Oliver and Chrome and take down Enigma Data, ending this nightmare once and for all. But with Oliver still firmly on the side of the enemy, it won’t be easy. (continued from “Keep Up”)

Warnings: Blood, violence, mind control, amnesia, implied death of non-main characters

Read on AO3 (Full Whumptober Series)

Enjoy!

Several days after rescuing Yandere from Enigma Data, Dark and Google formulate a plan to break into the organization’s headquarters, rescue Chrome and Oliver, and destroy the entire place and everyone in it. There’s no question that they have to bring the place down; an organization strong enough to capture and maim so many egos has to be eliminated for the continued safety of the others. Enigma Data is already so secretive and practically invisible to the public, so it’s doubtful they’ll be missed much. And with the schematics and maps Dark stole when he rescued Yandere, the rescue itself is easy to plan out.

The only real difficulty in preparing for the rescue is deciding who gets to go. Dark and Google, of course. Wilford, too; his presence is necessary to teleport them to the building, and almost no one is better at destruction than him. Yancy wants to come, but his arm is still in the process of healing, fading in and out from the elbow down, solid enough to carry objects that won’t break if dropped but not much more. Yandere wants to come even more, and he argues in favor of himself coming along to rescue his brother until Dark’s shell cracks with the effort of shouting him down. Yandere is still recovering too, still needs more sleep and more food, still has bandages on his wrists from his shackles. Bim is refused outright; despite his desire to help Oliver, his magic isn’t suited for this kind of mission.

Plus wants to go too, and Google almost doesn’t let him. But how could he not? Oliver and Chrome are his brothers, too, and he’s been missing them just as much as Google has, maybe even more so. At least Google knows what it’s like not to have brothers around; Plus has hardly ever been without them in any meaningful way his entire life. Dark approves of the extra muscle, so it’s not really Google’s choice at all. He doesn’t tell Plus his misgivings, but he suspects Plus already knows he has them. Plus seems worried, too.

“You’re the only brother I have left,” Google imagines they’re both thinking, “I can’t lose you too.”

Whether or not Plus is thinking that, Google sure is.

Still, the time comes, and Wilford teleports himself, Dark, Google, and Plus to the back entrance of Enigma Data’s headquarters one evening just after the sun goes down. Before they even go inside, Dark sends his aura spilling out and into the building, searching for Chrome and Oliver among the scientists.

“Chrome is in the holding center like we thought,” Dark says once he’s done, “Oliver is on the west wing of the second floor. He’s moving, but not quickly. It shouldn’t be hard to catch up with him.”

With that, the group splits off as planned; the building’s huge size makes it necessary. Wilford’s job is to cut the power and provide a distraction away from the holding center, away from the west wing. Dark’s job is to spirit through the building; killing from the shadows, destroying equipment and data, and keeping the others informed of any new developments. Google and Plus are searching for their brothers; Plus following a memorized map to the holding center for Chrome, Google following Dark’s directions to find and subdue Oliver. He doesn’t like the thought of fighting his own brother, but he already knows it must be done.

He and Plus only share a nod before splitting up inside the building. Google is worried for him still, but he sees the angry glow of Plus’s green eyes and the determined set of his jaw and knows that Plus will stop at nothing to get his twin out of here.

Likewise, Google will stop at nothing to finally rescue his baby brother after weeks of missing him.

~~~

The power flicks out barely a minute after Plus separates from Google. Another minute after that, the backup generators go out too, leaving the building in pitch darkness. This is why the group waited until night to strike, that way the windows throughout the building offer very little additional light. Of course, it’s never fully dark in LA, but it’s dark enough for Plus’s night vision to kick in, and that means it’s dark enough to hinder the scientists. It’s not hard for Plus to sneak around in the dark, avoiding the scientists that blindly stumble down the halls. He’s not interested in engaging them yet, he has something bigger to worry about.

Oliver was gone for weeks before he was seen again, completely brainwashed. There’s no way of telling how long the whole process took, no way of knowing if it took days or a week or longer to put Oliver in that state. Meaning there’s no way for even someone as smart as Plus to know how far gone Chrome is now. If he’s still in holding then he must not be fully altered yet, but Plus won’t know how bad it is until he gets there.

It doesn’t take him too long. The holding center seems deserted; if the shouts and bangs Plus can just barely hear are anything to go by, Wilford is already providing a significant distraction on the other side of the building. He’s the only one in the group with poor night vision, but with his reality-bending abilities, that hardly matters. Plus doesn’t bother with the holding center’s keypad and fingerprint scanner, now defunct from the power outage. Instead, he chooses to pry the metal door open with his bare hands.

Immediately upon walking in, he sees a pair of glowing red eyes in the center of the room.

Chrome is so covered in chains and shackles and other restraints that his eyes are practically the only part of him that’s visible. He’s forced to his knees by shackles, his arms are held up and out by chains, and his face is concealed by a titanium muzzle mask. Chrome can hardly move, though he tries to at the sight of Plus. But despite their bright glow of distress, Chrome’s eyes have very little else, only the barest hint of recognition. Plus’s core stutters with equal parts relief at finally seeing his brother again, and fear over Chrome’s placid reaction to seeing Plus again in return. How much has Chrome forgotten?

There’s only one way to find out.

“Chrome?” asks Plus, “Do you know who I am?”

“You…” Chrome begins, “I know you, don’t I? Or I’m supposed to…Green, you’re Green.”

Chrome’s voice is muffled by the mask and hoarse (whether from screaming or from disuse, Plus would rather not know), and so uncertain and quiet and unlike Chrome that it’s almost painful to hear. It’s as if the memories he’s lost and the terrible treatment he’s suffered have removed Chrome’s characteristic anger, replacing it with confusion, fear, sadness.

Well, Plus is angry enough for them both, now.

“I am,” Plus tells Chrome, approaching him to free him of his bonds, snapping the straps of his mask first. “I’m here to rescue you. Google, Dark, and Wilford are here, too.” Chrome only looks confused, so Plus attempts to clarify: “Blue, our brother, and our two leaders.”

“Oh, Blue!” Chrome exclaims, “I do know Blue. But the others, leaders…they don’t sound familiar at all.”

Plus means to ask more questions, find out what else Chrome still remembers, but at that moment he pulls off Chrome’s mask and sees his face. Patches of skin have flaked off his cheeks from the mask’s friction, from the damp of countless tears. There’s bags under his eyes, his hair is a mess, and his lips are horribly chapped. He looks worn, beaten down, tired, and so unlike the spitfire brother he remembers.

He quickly breaks open Chrome’s shackles and pulls away the chains in sad, angry silence. Chrome doesn’t question it. Plus helps Chrome stand, and he groans a little as the joints in his knees creak.

“Can you walk on your own?” Plus asks.

“I don’t think so,” Chrome says, leaning on Plus, “I’ve been stuck kneeling for…for…I don’t know how long.”

“Over a week,” Plus tells him.

“And you’ve already lost so much,” he adds in his mind.

As he leads Chrome back through the hallway, he asks Chrome more questions about his memory. The hall is deserted now; fire alarms have started going off, no doubt because of Wilford, and the scientists are likely trying to run away. Plus doesn’t have to worry about being quiet when speaking with Chrome and asking questions. Although Chrome remembers his brothers, he only remembers surface details about them: Blue is the oldest, Green is his twin, Yellow is the baby, or at least, he used to be. He can’t remember their true names, just the colors, though he still knows his own name, at least. When asked about his friends, Chrome recalls that he has two, that their names are similar, and that one is practically a fourth brother to him. But he can recall nothing else about them, even telling Chrome their names doesn’t jog his memory. He doesn’t remember the other egos at all, he doesn’t remember Ego Inc., he’s even forgotten his own birthday. It’s no wonder he’s acting so different, so much quieter and more subdued than normal. Plus is glad he and the others got here when they did; a few more days and Chrome might have been totally brainwashed.

There’s more than just the memory loss, though. Chrome tells him about how the scientists have gone digging through his head, destroying his GPS and internal communication software, corrupting every file they could, pulling out screws, methodically damaging him enough to alter his brain without completely ruining his functionality. Plus guesses with a shiver that they’d perfected the destructive techniques they’d used on Oliver, that his brain might be just as damaged or more.

Plus knows what he’s supposed to do now. He’s been instructed to take Chrome outside, to alert the others that he’s safe, and stay with him unless called to provide backup. They knew that the longer they stayed in the building the more dangerous it would get, and the fire somewhere in the building only proves it.

But Plus didn’t just come here for Chrome. And if he goes to the exit before doubling back, he might run out of time to help, and his help will likely be needed.

“Do you remember fighting Oliver?” he asks Chrome at one point, “Before you were captured?”

“Yes,” Chrome answers, “He was ruthless, so fast and so strong. I couldn’t bring myself to go full-force, and he got an opening and tased me with this horrible taser.”

Under the command of Enigma Data, Oliver doesn’t fight like normal. He plays dirty. He doesn’t hesitate. He probably has less self-preservation, and he probably knows that Google won’t want to hurt him. And he probably still has that taser, the same kind Bing and Bop found so long ago, the same one Yancy, Yandere, and now Chrome described Oliver using. If it took down Chrome, it could take down Google.

Plus remembers Dark’s directions on Oliver’s location. Second floor, west wing.

This is only half-over, and Plus will see it through to the end.

~~~

It takes Google longer than expected to track down Oliver.

Maybe he knows what this sudden break-in and power outage is about, maybe he figured that friends of the people he helped capture would be coming. Maybe he knows about the break-in at Enigma Data’s smaller facility, the one Yandere had been kept in. Maybe he knows that he’d be searched for.

He’s good at evading. Dark doesn’t update Google with more sightings, neither does Wilford. Google searches the second floor west wing and realizes that Oliver has gone elsewhere. He pauses a moment, considers where Oliver might have gone. He recalls the building’s floor plans, recalls the fire escape at the center of the third floor. Perhaps Enigma Data has him on protection duty, escorting the most important people out of the building before Dark and Wilford can kill them, or carrying out valuable data.

It’s worth a try, so that’s where Google goes.

The second floor had small scattered fires, caused either by Wilford’s distraction, or by chemicals left unattended, or spilled, or no longer at the correct temperature to keep them stable. But the third floor has more fires, bigger ones, and smoke billows across the ceiling so thick that the noisy fire alarms can’t be seen. It’s not much of a bother to Google; he doesn’t need to breathe, and his vents are excellent at pulling in clean air. It wouldn’t be a bother to Oliver, either. Though no light comes through the windows and no lights are still working in the building, Google finds himself turning off his night vision, as the bright plumes of flame give him enough light to search for Oliver with.

Google walks past burnt bodies, towers of flame scorching computer monitors, scattered shells and recent dead. Wilford or Dark, perhaps both, was here at one point, but not long enough ago to catch Oliver.

Or recently enough. Even through the deafening roar of fire, the crackling burning, the shrill alarms, the thick smoke, Google can tell he’s being watched.

He turns around to see Oliver standing across the hall, between a double wall of cubicles. Fire lights him up from behind, putting his stoic, frowning face in harsh shadow. His eyes glow vibrant yellow, his hands are already in fists. He still has his yellow shirt, his jeans, his glasses, his fluffy black hair, but he has something else, too: A huge, mean-looking taser on his belt. The same one that incapacitated Chrome.

Google had waited so long to see Oliver again, yet the sight of him only makes the ache in his core grow sharper.

“Oliver,” he says, the first word he’s spoken to his brother in weeks.

“My first assignment was to help my superiors escape,” Oliver says, cold and monotone, “And my second assignment is to destroy the intruders.”

“Let me guess,” Google says, dropping into a fighting stance, “Your superiors have all escaped.”

Oliver doesn’t bother answering, he only charges.

Google pretends to brace, but jumps away the second before Oliver can make impact, bouncing back to tackle him and send them both sprawling into a cubicle. Google’s on top when they hit the cubicle wall, and he straddles Oliver, putting both hands around his neck. His aim is to knock his head against the floor to subdue him, but Oliver kicks up, kneeing Google in the back next to his spine. Google grunts in pain, subconsciously loosens his grip, and it’s all Oliver needs to grab Google’s wrists and throw his arms off him with one hand and push his chest back with the other. Google recovers quickly, but Oliver is faster, punching Google in the nose and sending him backward into an office chair and desk. He can taste the oil dripping from his nose, feel the sharp pain from where the back of his head clipped the edge of the desk. He manages to roll out of the way when Oliver tries to punch him again.

They both stand. They circle each other warily. Oliver reaches down to grab his taser, but Google launches forward and punches him before he can, using his other hand to yank Oliver’s arm away from the taser. They grapple, dancing around each other as they try to trip each other, try to pull the other into a headlock. Google throws Oliver into the wall of a cubicle, and he crashes right through, landing among the rubble. Google pounces, but a moment later, Oliver grabs his taser again. Google barely manages to duck back and under Oliver’s first swipe, electricity crackling inches from his face, sparking in the shadows of the room. Without taking his eyes off Oliver and his taser, Google feels around on the ground for something, anything to fight back with. His fingers find a pen, so he grabs it, clicks it, grabs Oliver’s arm as he swipes at Google again, and plunges the pen through what he knows is the most important joint in Oliver’s wrist. Oliver yells in pain, dropping the taser against his will. Google picks it up, and for a moment he considers using it, considers ending the fight right there.

But he can’t. He can’t do that to his baby brother.

He tosses the taser down the hall, and when Oliver tries to go for it, he punches him.

They grapple again, this time rolling across the floor, punching and blocking. Even with one hand hard to orient through the damaged wrist, Oliver is still able to land punches on Google, though Google gets in some hits of his own. Somehow, Oliver finds and grabs the same pen Google stabbed him with off the floor, despite it being covered in oil and near-invisible in the dark. He punches Google, knocking his head back and allowing Oliver to get on top. He brings the pen down, attempting to stab into Google’s core, but Google thrusts his hand in the way just in time. The pen goes right through his hand, but it doesn’t even break the skin of his chest. Oliver savagely rips it out and raises it again, and Google grabs his arm, uses it to pull himself up, and headbutts Oliver as hard as he can without hurting his own head.

Google stands, prepares to kick Oliver in the gut, but Oliver rolls out of his way and uses the momentum to push himself up. His eyes flick to where the taser fell, but Google kicks again, catching Oliver square in the knee and stopping him from running for it. He steps forward to knee Oliver in the head to finally knock him out, but Oliver surprises him by jumping up, one hand flying into Google’s face, smashing his glasses, and pushing the broken glass into his face.

Google roars in pain, staggering backwards. His glasses are purely for aesthetic purposes, his vision is no less perfect without them, but he can feel a cut across one cornea that makes his vision blurry, and the flowing oil from the cuts around his eyes stains his vision gray. He tries to turn his night vision back on, but it only works in one eye and sends green stripes of static across the other, so he’s forced to turn it back off. Still, he tackles Oliver wildly when he turns towards the taser yet again, grapples with him yet again, but it’s harder to keep up with his vision impaired. Their frenzied fight sends them rolling towards a computer tower in flames, spitting sparks dangerously close to both their exposed arms. Oliver shoves Google into it, and Google cries out as flames eat into his hair and the back of his neck. He pushes himself back forward, tries to pull Oliver in and throw him in instead, but the oil in his eyes slows him down and Oliver punches Google square in his already injured nose. Google hears it crunch, feels it fold in. He expects Oliver to push him back into the fire or run for his taser again, but instead, he stands, pulling Google up by his shirt.

“You did not use your full strength against me,” Oliver muses, lifting Google up until his feet dangle. He fists his other hand and sucker punches Google in the gut, so hard he gags. “You could have ended this fight earlier, but you chose not to.” He punches again, again, and Google can’t get his bearings enough to hit or kick back.

Oliver’s right. Google didn’t fight as hard as he should’ve. He thought he’d be able to turn his sympathy off, to shut down his love for Oliver and treat him like any enemy that needed subduing. But he couldn’t, the moment he saw Oliver he knew he couldn’t. He loves Oliver too much to turn it off.

Oliver has no such love, not anymore. Oliver has no qualms with killing Google. And with every punch Oliver delivers to Google, Google imagines that outcome is coming ever closer. He grits his teeth, tries to focus through the continuous blows and fight back, tries to squint through his impaired vision.

Despite the blurriness, despite the gray tint, despite the dark, he catches a flicker of movement behind Oliver. Through the fire and smoke and alarms and repeated punching of Google, Oliver notices nothing.

Google reaches above his eye, pulls out a shard of his eyeglasses, and slices the front of his shirt. The chunk of fabric Oliver is holding comes away in his hand, and Google jumps back, now free of Oliver’s grasp.

Before Oliver can react, Plus comes up behind him with Oliver’s own taser in his grip, and jabs Oliver in the neck.

The effect is immediate. Oliver’s body seizes, his eyes widen, his jaw clenches. Every part of him is rigid, yet he’s convulsing, limbs and head jittering back and forth. His hand still clenches the fabric cut from Google’s shirt, so tight his short nails might pierce the cloth. His eyes dart back and forth in his sockets, seeing nothing at all. The crackling of the taser’s pulsing is louder than the crackling of the burning building around them. Google should be relieved that the fight is ending, but his instincts are screaming to protect Oliver. But this has to be done, this is the only way to stop him. Plus keeps the taser on Oliver for several seconds, but to Google it feels like years.

Finally, Plus pulls away. Oliver’s eyes roll back, his jaw goes slack, and he collapses, hitting the ground with a thud. There’s a black mark on his neck where the taser fried his skin. Plus immediately tosses the taser away, like he can’t bear to hold it anymore. He looks panicked. Google takes a moment to quiet the thoughts swirling in his mind, the worry for Oliver, the realization that his little brother almost just killed him, his tight-sprung nerves from this whole mission and the bittersweet relief of it being over – and swallows it down for Plus.

“Thank you,” Google tells him, “I had the chance to use it earlier, but I couldn’t, and I almost paid for it. You did the right thing, Green.”

Plus relaxes a bit, smiles shakily. Google hears more footsteps, and looks past Plus to see Chrome, leaning against a cubicle wall, eyes glowing red in the dark. He looks rough, and it’s clear he’s only standing through the support of the wall. It’s a relief to see him alive and in one piece, and by the flicker of recognition in his eyes, he hasn’t lost all his memories just yet. Still, Google frowns.

“The plan was to get Chrome out of danger first,” Google reminds Plus, “And then provide me assistance if necessary.”

“I thought you said I did the right thing,” Plus replies cheekily.

Google sighs, but he finds himself grinning.

“Alright, smartass,” he says in a breathy chuckle, leaning down to pick up Oliver. “Let’s get out of here.”

Plus nods, his smile no longer so nervous. He turns to return to Chrome’s side, and Google has a moment to look down at Oliver as he scoops him up. He gently kisses Oliver’s forehead, letting a burst of relief bloom in his chest at the ability to finally do so again, to finally have Oliver close enough. But despite this relief and the earlier genuine moment of humor with Plus, he still feels sick, deep down in his gut. Every mark on Oliver, the black mark on his neck, the hole in his wrist joint, every bruise from Google’s punches, every cut from scraping against rubble, fills Google with guilt. But between the two of them, it’s pretty obvious who came out worse: Google’s vision is still blurry, his hand hurts from Oliver stabbing him with the pen, his hair and the back of his neck are singed, his broken nose throbs, and he likely has twice as many bruises and cuts as Oliver. Google knows that he has nothing to feel guilty about. Oliver’s injuries will be easy to fix.

But there’s also the matter of getting Oliver’s memories back, of de-brainwashing him. Chrome clearly needs some memory restoration too, but likely not nearly as much as Oliver. Chrome shouldn’t be too difficult to get a memory backup into, to repair. Oliver’s been like this so long, how are they going to begin to fix him?

For now, Google decides to concentrate on getting his brothers out of Enigma Data before it burns to the ground.

He walks past Plus and Chrome to lead the way. If he had a hand free, he’d ruffle Chrome’s hair as he passed, but instead, he offers a quick grin. Chrome grins back, uncertain but still genuine. As Google walks through the building and down the stairs to leave the way they came in, he never stops listening to the sound of Plus and Chrome’s footsteps behind him. Uneven and heavy as they are thanks to Chrome’s inability to walk on his own, they’re proof that Google’s finally gotten all his brothers back, proof that the Googles are a complete set once more.

Despite his worries about restoring Oliver, he can’t help but feel a swell of relief, and of pride in the strength and resilience of his little brothers.

Once they make it out of the building, Dark and Wilford are there, too. Dark is still as composed as over, but there’s a few spots of blood on his neck and dress shirt, and his aura waves wildly, still eager to kill. Wilford, meanwhile, is absolutely drenched in blood and still has a crazed, pink glint to his eyes. He whistles at the sight of Google.

“Ollie sure did a number on you, huh?” he asks, drawl more pronounced than usual.

“Save it,” Google mutters, “His job was to escort other workers to safety, where are they?”

“Oh, I got them as they reached the bottom of the fire escape,” Wilford explains, “It was like playing Whack-A-Mole!”

“There’s no one left alive in the building, I’ve already confirmed it,” Dark adds, aura waving as if to give emphasis. “I already destroyed their security tapes and as much data as I could, and Wilford has left some explosives throughout the building to get anything I missed.”

“Yup!” Wilford affirms, “And they’re gonna go off in about, uhhhhhhh, soon.”

“Let’s go then,” Google says, “We have what we came here for.”

But Google knows this whole trial isn’t over yet. It won’t be over until Chrome and Oliver are fixed, until everything is back to normal. The work has only just begun.

Dark nods, and takes the whole group home through his void in a split second.

#googleplier #google oliver #markiplier fanfiction #fanfic #my writing #markiplier #whumptober2020 #kristin says stuff #i'm v happy with this #i hope you guys like it too :D

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dawnrider · 4 years

Text

Continuation of Reunion Prompt story for @inukag-week Modern AU

CW: Major character is Deaf, Discussion/descriptions of an assault, Recall/memory/flashbacks

Part 1 | Part 2 |

A shower and a cup of coffee had done wonders for his mood. Inuyasha felt lighter on his feet, the flowers in his hand bouncing as he made his way down the hall. To an empty room. His heart nearly stopped. She had been there that morning when he left. She had been fine. No one had said anything about releasing her... Grabbing the nearest nurse, he questioned her immediately. “Where is Kagome Higurashi?” The woman looked startled, then calmed and gave him an annoyed look.

“They moved her into a private room. You should have checked with the desk before you came in here,” she scolded him, leading him over to the nurses station so she could give him her new room number. Fighting down his panic response was more difficult than he'd thought it would be. Inuyasha huffed out a thanks to the nurse and made his way back to the elevators and pushed the up button, waiting for the doors to open. When they did, he was shocked to see his brother inside.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, stepping in beside him and seeing that the floor he needed had already been pressed.

The older youkai eyed his sibling with mild distaste. “I am here to see Miss Higurashi.” Inuyasha glowered at him. He'd been afraid of that. “Your territory will remain untouched brother. I simply wish to see for myself the damage done so that my office can properly prosecute the human who dared touch her.”

While he appreciated that Sesshomaru felt as strongly as he did about going after the bastard, he wasn't sure why that merited a visit from the head partner of the firm. “Isn't that a conflict of interest or something?”

Sesshomaru shot him a dry look. “If I were to defend the vile creature when I am acquainted with Miss Higurashi, yes. However,” he waited as a pair of nurses stepped off of the elevator, “my goal is to protect her rights in case the district attorney is unable.”

“How could he actually get off? She can identify him. Hell, her whole office can identify him!” He barely managed not to crush the flower stems in his hand in his rising frustration. Sesshomaru tossed his brother a disgusted look.

“I am sure the defense will try a number of ploys, from saying she encouraged his advances to implying she attacked him first.”

“Kagome wouldn't hurt a fly!”

“The jury would not know that. I have chosen to investigate on my own and offer my assistance to the DA so that nothing is missed.” The closest thing to an angry growl Inuyasha had heard come out of his stone-cold brother rolled in the inuyoukai's chest. “I will not allow that filth to get off on a lesser charge. He will get the full sentence.”

“For once, we can agree.” The elevator dinged and the brothers just barely managed not to have a childish struggle to get through the doorway at the same time. Sesshomaru cleared his throat and adjusted his suit while Inuyasha ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt at nonchalance. They both turned down the hallway and made their way toward Kagome's new room. Neither one of them noticed the appreciative glances being thrown their way by many of the medical staff, female and male. 'Kagome,' Inuyasha greeted her when he entered her room first. She smiled at him a little lopsidedly, the part of her mouth which was bruised or split too painful to move. He held out the flowers for her to see before putting them aside. Inuyasha saw her one good eye widen when his brother followed him in, her gaze flitting to his questioningly. Her hesitation to greet his brother made him smile. Her name sign for Sesshomaru - an ‘s’ in the placement and movement of a raised eyebrow - was not exactly polite, but it made them laugh. His brother wouldn’t appreciate the joke, however. Since she rarely, if ever, saw Sesshomaru in person and he didn’t know how to sign anyway, she usually tried to speak to him with Inuyasha’s assistance.

“Sesso'aru,” she murmured, her accent on top of the restricted movement of her mouth making it difficult for her to pronounce. The taller youkai bowed his head slightly.

“I came to assess your injuries and get your story so there are no questions about what happened.” He pulled a digital camera from his briefcase and a printed sheet of questions. He was smart to keep an interpreter out of the equation, making sure there were no misinterpretations of the questions being asked of her. Once the video of her testimony was analyzed, likely by several interpreters at once, they would be able to solidly state her answers to the questions.

Sesshomaru started with still shots of her face and hands, showing the progression from the initial photos taken when she arrived in the hospital. Inuyasha didn’t miss the faint rumble of disapproval from his brother when she showed him the bruises on her neck, collarbones and upper arms where the bastard had grabbed her. He got close-ups of her lip and her eye, where the outlines of knuckles were visible. “Tank 'ou, fo comin',” Kagome whispered. Inuyasha murmured what she’d said when his brother couldn’t understand.

“We will make sure this bastard pays for what he has done to you.” Kagome glanced at Inuyasha for interpretation. When he was able to convey his brother’s message, she smiled a little.

‘I only want to make sure he can’t hurt anyone else,’ she explained. Inuyasha hesitated before interpreting, knowing it was in Kagome’s nature, but wanting so desperately to tell his brother something more vengeful. But distorting what she was saying was unfair to her, and he knew that. A curt nod to her preceded his brother taking his leave. “Yasha,” she sighed. His ears flicked as he turned to her, his shoulders relaxing before he slid into the chair at her bedside. ‘You ok?’ Her nod said yes but her scent and body language said not even close. ‘I hate that you have to keep reliving it.’

Her mouth twitched in an attempt at a smile. ‘It could have been much worse. Lucky that Ayame and Kouga left the office when they did.’ Inuyasha closed his eyes and swallowed against the bile that rose in his throat at what she wasn’t saying. Her shirt had been torn in the assault, the waistband of her pants too. It was obvious what the monster had been trying to get at. Her strong will to live, how hard she fought him, had kept him at bay long enough that he’d been caught in the act and Kouga had torn him off of her. Her hand on his let him know she had more to say. ‘They came by this morning. It was nice to be able to thank them in person.’ He only nodded in response. Part of him hated that the wolf had been level-headed enough not to kill the bastard outright. Inuyasha knew, had he been the one there, there would be nothing identifiable left of Bankotsu. Taking her hands in his, he leaned down without thought and kissed her knuckles gently. Her soft shuddering intake of air perked his ears in her direction, lifting his eyes to hers a moment later.

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured, knowing she could read his speech. She shook her head, squeezing his hands in return. That she didn’t blame him was so obvious in that simple gesture and it nearly brought tears to his eyes. If only he could forgive himself so easily.

He sat with her until she fell asleep again, keeping the connection of their hands to help both of them calm down. Inuyasha watched the morning light on her face, the way it highlighted the bruises just now beginning to turn from red and purple toward yellow and green. There was little he could do to help her other than be there with her, which frustrated him. He wanted to solve everything, to heal her immediately, to take her home and hold her. As it was, he had yet to hug her. Her injuries, the bruised collarbones and ribs most notably, made it painful for her to accept an embrace like that. Just holding her hands was a delicate thing. Inuyasha exercised every iota of restraint in himself to make sure he did not cause her further pain by not being gentle enough. For now, it was enough. Those light, gentle, touches were more than he'd had for months and he would treasure every single one.

***

The room was darker without the light of the moon. Inuyasha didn’t relish being out tonight, but he didn’t want Kagome to be alone either. He had come in when it was busy and stuck around until no one was looking. The nurses wouldn’t be by to check her for another four hours. He sat at her bedside as she slept, his indigo eyes troubled. The arraignment had been earlier in the day and the monster who attacked her had friends who posted his bond. He was under house arrest, but there was no telling what he would do. Bankotsu wasn’t a top fighter in the local MMA ring for no reason.

“Fucking human night,” he growled to himself. He turned his clawless hands in the faint light from the monitor at Kagome’s bedside. If Bankotsu made it here, he might not be able to stop him. Hanyou, he was more than strong enough to protect her. Human? “Keh.”

A screech nearly made him leap out of his skin, Inuyasha jumping to his feet and looking around for the source of the noise before he realized it had been Kagome. Her dark eyes were clouded, terrified, and she was clutching the sheets to her chest. “No,” she gasped. “‘Eave me a’one.”

With a pang of horror, he understood. She had woken to a black-haired man in her room in the dark and had instantly been brought back to her attack. He had put that fear in her eyes. He flicked the light on and raised his hands slowly. He signed his name sign to her several times until her eyes cleared and she stopped panting in fear. “Kagome, Kagome. I’m so sorry,” he whispered, kneeling down to her level and submitting to her. ‘I didn’t mean to scare you,’ he signed.

‘Human night. I forgot.’ She touched his head to acknowledge his apology.

They were abruptly interrupted when the nurse came barreling in. “Who are you? What are you...”

“It’s ok,” Kagome managed to get out. “‘E start'ed me.” The nurse was clearly still suspicious. Kagome looked at him a second, a clear blush on her cheeks before murmuring, “Thih ih my f’ance.” Inuyasha fought his immediate reaction to be shocked. She was obviously trying to get the nurse to let him stay, but having her call him that…

“Are you sure?” She was searching for any sign that there was anything wrong, that she was under duress. Kagome nodded and smiled softly. The nurse left slowly, reminding Kagome she could buzz if she needed anything.

‘Fiance?’ Inuyasha signed with a teasing raised eyebrow. Kagome flushed hotly and sunk down into her pillows. ‘I know you just didn’t want her to force me out.’ The half shrug and the intense but fearful look he got in response made him wonder. Did… was she trying to tell him something?

‘If you don’t want it to be pretend,’ she started, trailing off as if not sure if she should finish.

Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat. ‘Really?’

Kagome’s eyes fluttered as she opened her mouth in an unsure gesture. ‘If you still want me after…’ she looked around the room in frustration. She jumped when his finger hooked her chin, bringing her eyes to his.

‘Nothing could make me stop wanting you. Least of all, this.’ He waited for the tremulous smile on her lips before gently touching them with his own. It could barely be called a kiss, but her mouth was still healing. ‘Marry me?’ he pleaded. She sucked in a sharp breath in response, tears coming to her eyes. ‘Be with me. My Mate.’ Her fingertips trailed his mouth, his nose.

‘You will still want this in the morning?’ A fair question. They both knew how much easier it was for his emotions to get the best of him when he was human, to make statements he might not otherwise make. Not that he didn’t feel those things, just that as a hanyou he was less inclined to share.

‘Yes. I know you weren’t sure when I asked you before, but my feelings have not changed. Not at all.’ Her face glowed with her smile, despite the bruises and split lip. Inuyasha felt tears well in his eyes, mirroring hers. ‘I love you.’ His hand stayed in the sign for some time to ensure she understood and saw his sincerity. ‘I’m in love with you,’ he emphasized, ‘that will never change.’

‘I have been in love with you a very long time.’ She sniffed, giggling awkwardly as she had to wipe her nose. 'I love you too, Inuyasha.'

***

Getting her home felt like a huge weight off of his chest. Until he remembered how poor the security in her building was, how small her actual apartment was. ‘We can’t stay here,’ he told her decisively. Kagome only raised an eyebrow at him and walked around him to set her purse down on the cafe table that equated to the dining room in her studio. He tapped her shoulder to get her attention and gave her a serious look.

‘This is my home, Inuyasha.’

He huffed. “I know that. It’s not safe!” Kagome blinked at him for a moment before a sly smile lit her lips. Lips which were still healing from the attack. ‘What?’ he signed with a scowl.

‘You want to protect me. That’s sweet,’ she told him before tracing a fingertip down the middle of his chest. He pulled in a shuddering breath, cheeks flushing slightly.

‘There is not enough room either,’ he reminded her, pointedly looking at her full sized bed barely hidden behind a partition opposite the kitchen. He was no giant, and Kagome was petite, but there was no comfortable way to fit both of them in a full. Especially when Kagome tended to sleep sprawled on her stomach.

‘I need the alarm. I won’t make it to work on time…’

“Kagome, you’re not going anywhere near that office for…” Her scowl gave him pause. He signed what he’d said only to be interrupted by her shaking her head at him. ‘Please. I need you to be safe. I can’t lose you.’ The sincerity in his face, the droop of his ears seemed to be enough to sway her.

“Fi’e!” she huffed. ‘But only for a while. Sango will like the extra help with the kids.’

Inuyasha blinked for a moment as he processed what she was conceding. ‘No, Kagome,’ he waved her name sign at her. ‘I want you to stay with me. Not Sango and the pervert.’

“Yasha…” she sighed. It was becoming clear that he wasn't going to budge on this. ‘Fine. I'll get some of my things.’

‘I'll unhook your alarm and you can bring it.’ They parted to attend to their separate tasks in silence. Inuyasha struggled with the under mattress vibrating alarm which was just one of several adaptations she used so she could live on her own. He was familiar with most of them, but he knew that there was still a lot he would need to learn if they were going to be living together. Lessons he was lucky to get the chance to learn. He paused to watch Kagome through the doorway of the bathroom, gathering her toiletries from the medicine cabinet.

He froze when she did, closing the cabinet revealing the mirror. Inuyasha realized that it was the first time she'd really looked at herself in a mirror since being going to the hospital. She had very strictly avoided the one in her hospital room her whole stay. The bruises were just beginning to fade to yellow, the swelling having mostly gone down before they left the hospital. Her dark eyes were wide in her face, taking in the remnants of the damage done. Inuyasha was in motion before his brain registered the need to move. He caught her against him as she trembled, silent tears leaking down her cheeks and soaking into his t-shirt. Softly, he pressed his hands to her back to anchor her until the trembling subsided and she stopped taking such desperate breaths. "Inu… Inu…" she murmured into his shoulder.

He rumbled softly, then more assertively when he noticed the vibration helped calm her scent. She couldn't hear him, but she could feel how he wanted to cocoon her, to protect her from everything. When she finally calmed enough, he loosened his hold. His fingers went to her eyes, gently wiping the stray tears away. 'They will go away,' he reminded her. 'You are beautiful, no matter what, and I am going to make sure that no one ever hurts you again.'

It was a steep promise, but one she knew Inuyasha would die trying to uphold. 'Thank you.' She sighed out the last of her upset. 'I am happy you came back. That we can be together. I… I missed you.'

'I missed you too, Kagome. You have no idea how much.' She flashed him a smile. 'Ok, maybe you do have an idea.' Her laughter lightened the weight on his chest, filled his heart. He couldn't resist capturing that laughter within himself, leaning down to catch her lips with his and softly pulling her up against him. She hummed a laugh while accepting his kiss and Inuyasha grinned before letting his own chuckle escape. That easy laughter, the way she made him smile… out of anything, that's what he had missed the most. 'You're never getting rid of me,' he told her with a serious look.

Kagome laughed again. 'Don't want to,' she signed before tapping the end of his nose with her finger. He shook his head, chuckling softly as he followed her out of her bathroom and helped collect all her things. They would have room to spread out in his apartment. Though he didn’t plan for them to be very far from each other any time soon...

@lemonlushff , @fantastiqueparfait , @heavenin--hell, @clearwillow , @mamabearcat , @thunderpo , @keichanz , @meggz0rz , @disgruntledbeast , @sarah-writes-stories , @zelink-inukag , @cammysansstuff , @mcornilliac , @redflamesofpassion , @superpixie42 , @underwater0phelia , @cstorm86 , @noviceotakus-blog , @lavendertwilight89 , @hinezumi , @wenchster , @hnnwnchstr , @lady-dark-69 , @itzatakahashi , @juliatheanimelover7 , @kazeinori , @theinuyashareader , @inupotter , @eternalnight8806-3 , @smmahamazing , @willowandfog , @gaysonthefloor , @sistasecbhere , @jennybean91 , @alerialblu, @laurenintheskyy

#Dawnrider Fanfiction #Inukag-Week #Reunion #Modern AU #Part 2

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breezy-cheezy · 4 years

Text

I finished Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Long story short, I loved it!! So much!! And there’s alot I wanna rant about so here we are. A review of sorts?? Major spoilers ahead!

And if y’all think you’re immune to spoilers because you played the original FF7, YOU ARE NOT. Lots of new stuff here....just warning y’all.

Although! I did find this great looking walkthrough playlist if anyone’s interested and can’t play the thing themselves? Idk how complete it is with the details, but from a glance it looks nice!

- FIRST OF ALL the music in it all is amazing!!! From the menu song all throughout, I got Emotional. All the rehashings of Aerith’s theme?? Tifa’s theme?? The FF7 main theme here are there?? AMAZING!!!! I need to find a tracklist or something there are so many versions of the songs specific to the scenes they played in and I die??? Man it is Good.

- On the music front, I really enjoyed the Jukebox feature! So they could add in old classic songs that story-wise couldn’t appear yet...good nostalgia there.

- Lil disclaimer, I played the original FF7 fairly recently, on Steam. HOWEVER. I played Crisis Core years ago, and watched Advent Children, etc. And Final Fantasy music has been a staple homework playlist for me for ages now.... So yes I’m new to the whole FF7 original story. But not new in how most people are...it’s a weird situation lol. Like I knew the general FF7 story for awhile but just recently filled the details....

- The gameplay is awesome!! I wasn’t great at it, but...tbh it felt like mechanics combo of the original FF7, FF15, annnnd Kingdom Hearts :D Also appreciated it PAUSED when you picked out commands lol. Loved upgrading weapons. Loved working with materia. I wish there were like...ways to save a materia set so you could easily switch over when your characters were switched out though X’’’’D

- Biggs is Aro/Ace

- Cloud is VERY Aro/Ace

- Tifa might be Ace

- I decided long ago (in my Crisis Core phase) that Sephiroth is Aro/Ace. There’s nothing to “prove it” in this game but I’m holding to it. I have claimed these characters askjdhuiwdhguerhgr

- Side note, slightly related, but I love how the relationships shone in this remake?? Lots of casual, comfortable touch with Tifa and Cloud (in which Cloud seems in general pretty touch averse due likely to Trauma) in a “we’ve known each other our whole lives” way and gosh I love them. Aerith with Cloud is adorable. Barret!!! Was characterized SO WELL here, and I love him way more than I ever did!! Barret and Tifa interactions as well were so heartfelt and wonderful aaaaaa how good

- Like...Barret haaaates Cloud in the beginning. But somewhere along the way he adopts Cloud instead and ain’t that fantastic?? He just can’t contain how much he cares about others and especially his daughter and goSH I love him.

- Aerith!! I love her!! She gave such a vibe that she knows more than she says, but is still so cute and sweet and sassy I LOVE!!!! Also that scene in the train graveyard with baby Aerith ;;~;;

- Also

Cloud: You need any help??

Aerith, climbing a ladder: I’m fine. You don’t need to treat me like a princess or anything~~~

*ladder breaks*

Aerith, completely serious: s h * t.

I LAUGH

- Cloud was actually really cute with kids!!!!!

- I think I saw a post where they talked about how much more consistent characterizations were here?? I have to agree. I feel some stuff was lost in translation while playing FF7 original, and it felt alot more put together, character-wise, here. I feel like some of that was learned from FF15 and its success with character relationships?? It was Good.

_ I rambled about this before, but Wall Market was every bit as embarrassing as you would think. *covers face*

- Also I thought it was interesting how they handled who was in your party when! A little annoying sometimes though, switching materia around!!! DX I also really wanted to actually PLAY Red XIII/Nanaki....but sure make him an NPC, whatever. (I am grateful he healed me often.)

- *me when Nanaki shows up* AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! THERE HE IS!!!!!!! (sidenote, in the original, I didn’t wanna call him by his experiment name. He’s the only character I changed the name of. The name I picked? Ignis. :”D )

- The motorcycle segments were ANNOYING AS HECK, especially that last one in escaping the Shinra building DX The game forced your camera to focus on the boss and that made the controls VERY ANNOYING. Cool to watch tho.

- I actually almost completed the game boss fight chain early last night!! But RIGHT when I got to Sephiroth, the family demanded I get off the TV for their use D: all that progress....I had to redo ALOT. DX

- STILL the fights were VERY cool! Reminded me of KHII end alot actually, jumping around on broken floating buildings and whatnot?? Also the creature looked like a HUGE DARKSIDE heartless lol

- There’s actually alot in this remake that gives alot of a KH feel to me?? Nomura I see you....

- *screeching the One Winged Angel theme still not knowing the words*

- I LOVED how they showed scenes of the future in the end?? Probably ripped from Advent Children, but?? The characters actually seeing that?? Going “this CAN’T be our future!!” Yo. Also it’s implied it might not HAPPEN now going against destiny and all. I know alot of people are pissed but I am EXCITED. I’m all for a fix-it fic game thank YOU.

- Speaking of fix-it: ZACK. ZAAAAAACK!!!!!! It’s implied he’s alive in one reality so WHERE IS HE??????? I’m so curious about this new story. I’m gonna eat up theories. I want!! To see!! My baby boy!!!!!! to be Fair (haha) I spoiled myself knowing he was in the game but I didn’t know WHEN!!!

- This is terrible, but I love how much they expressed how NOT OK Cloud is. His mental state is awful, but boi won’t talk about it.

- Like I know it’s in the original, but it comes up ALOT more in the remake, and the flashbacks/brain short out moments are more obvious in HD for sure. Plus Cloud’s eyes seem more green there, which is a great touch!! Also the incredible FORESHADOWING it brought. Love it. Please someone help this idiot with his headaches....

- I did get annoyed with the whole scene in Hojo’s lab. Cloud’s walking like a zombie toward where Jenova is, saying CONCERNING things, and NO ONE reaches out until he outright collapses? We all just gonna stand back and watch?? Sure ok.

- Hojo is absolutely disgusting and horrifying and exactly how I imagined him, creators did great job.

- Also why does no one use curaga in these character death scenes???? Potion? Anything????Hello??????

- I was so relieved Wedge (and one of his 3 cats) got to live, and then devastated when they chucked him out a window last minute ;;A;; still. I didn’t see a body. Maybe he’s ok.....*sobs*

- I WAS NOT EXPECTING BIGGS TO BE SEEN IN RECOVERY THO YEEEEESSSSS (I love ANY sign that they DID manage to change the future a little...I thought he was dead!!) Fun fact! The one part I legitimately started crying was when Biggs “died”! Hhhhhhhhhh

- Those dang dementors huh? X’’’D Whispers of fate...there to make sure the story goes according to the original game basically. Does that make the whispers the purist fans of FF7? ...please don’t kill me for that comment sidfiushguigerha

- I just wanna say making a game ABOUT making a remake (that is different from the original) and the struggles in that is VERY meta and so clever and delightful and I LOVE IT. I really wanna see what happens next....

All in all I spent 52 hours on this game. WAY more than I expected for only covering Midgar. And I ENJOYED it!! Some parts felt like the story was being dragged/padded, but most of the time I didn’t care. Also there’s even more to do?? Apparently I missed some scenes....I don’t have time for now, but maybe someday. Or maybe I’ll just look them up ;;7;;

It’s a good game y’all!!

#breezy babbles #breezy plays ffVII #ff7 remake spoilers #ffVIIr #ff7remake #final fantasy #ff #SPOILERS #but also a helpful link for those that can't get the game!#seems like a good video series of the playthrough #excuse me while I use tumblr as a journal and rant my thoughts #again #and claim characters to my ace headcanons lol #this is a good game and I'd highly recommend thank yoU #so many ideas to draw so little time

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wyrmmaster · 4 years

Note

I started granblue recently on large part because of your posting about it. What happed with Yuel thata got you so upset?

Okay, I’m tempted to point you to some of my other posts but I’m not gonna do that and instead I’ll use this ask as a place to lay everything out, both for my sake and everyone else’s - sorry, this might get long.

Right, so. In the beginning you have Yuel. Unusually for an Erune, she has a massive tail on top of larger than average ears.

Yuel’s a bumpkin, a hyperactive goofball, and generally just all around a nice person. Yuel, bless her heart, is on a quest to discover artifacts that belong to the ancient royal family she serves to return it to glory but is a bit scatterbrained and can’t focus on one thing for too long so really she’s just On an Adventure™. You learn that beneath that ADD is an incredibly perceptive woman that can deduce the exact emotional state of everyone around her and cleverly cheer them up or offer them support without ever seeming to actually go out of her way to do it. She gets people to loosen up and enjoy themselves, even if they’’re miserable.

Later, you have Societte. Like, Yuel, she has a massive tail and larger than average ears.

Her introduction to you is freezing solid a small army of monsters that had you cornered. Societte is grace given physical form but, bless her heart, is shy to the point where even after that display of power she can’t actually talk to you. You guys just patiently interpret her mumbles and slight gestures until you get the gist. Turns out Societte’s the princess of that ancient royal family, and Yuel’s nominal master. You learn that the earlier freezing wasn’t a fluke: beneath that shyness is solid steel. Societte is powerful, brave, and fiercely protective even to her own detriment.

Through Societte, you learn that this ancient family ruled an empire lost to time under a benevolent nine-tailed fox goddess that gave them her power.

They meet in your crew, on your ship.

Yuel discovers that Societte is The Princess™ - this shocks her. She knew that Societte was Important, the local village ojou, but not the level of quasi-religious importance that she actually has. Yuel gets angry that she wasn’t told. They’re old friends, you see. More than that. Even this early on it doesn’t take much reading between the lines to assume they’re actually a romantic item.

Societte starts sobbing because she wanted to tell Yuel everything, she wanted to go with her when she left the village. But the knowledge that she’s the princess is dangerous. There are a lot of murderous people that are after her, to try and get rich. Some of them murdered her parents while she watched.

Turns out the tails and bigger ears are signs of the lineage, and massive red targets. This has given Societte a complex about her ears and tail, and in some of her homescreen lines she outright asks if they bother you and says she’s doesn’t want them.

So, to protect Yuel, she doesn’t say anything and lets her go far away. Then she leaves the village, to try and find out why all this is happening and to protect them from any more roaming bandits that come after her.

The two reconnect and Yuel gets Societte to calm down and look at her journey through a different lens: Societte’s not guilty of anything, she’s not on her miserable quest out of penance or obligation, the cruel world that’s taken so much from her and made her so scared isn’t all bad. They’re together now, and they’re gonna get to the bottom of this - together, as it should’ve been.

Now, enter Yuel’s 5-star fates.

This story obviously focuses on Yuel, and how she feels about Societte and her own role in the grand scheme of this situation. Yuel loves Societte more than anything, but she’s a bit jealous. Societte as mentioned is grace given physical form. Societte is gorgeous, extremely powerful, and a flawless dancer with natural talent that Yuel will never compare to.

However, we learn that Yuel is also a princess - and heavily implied to be the real heir over Societte. Remember: the ears and tail are signs of the heritage.

So, Yuel’s found some ancestral weapons of her own. They’re hers, and they give her memories of a dance, and she does it flawlessly - once. This unlocks her true power and massively boosts her magic.

But she can’t do that dance again. Just can’t. Societte tries to teach her, but again, Yuel does’t have her talent. She fails over and over again and gets angry.

That nine-tailed fox goddess doesn’t approve. Thinks Yuel’s a failure, and useless. Unworthy. So she turns that increased power back on Yuel and starts cooking her alive with her own fire.

This is alleviated when Yuel stops trying to follow an ancient dance and just does whatever comes to mind. Channel herself into the dance, yeah? And she ends up with something more special and beautiful than the traditional dance. Ninetails approves, and stops trying to kill her.

Moral: Yuel is special and talented in her own way; not lesser than Societte, if not exactly equal. They set out anew on the journey with the knowledge that both of them have much bigger roles in this than they assumed.

Then you have Societte’s fire version.

This story focuses on Societte’s trauma. She goes back to where her parents were murdered in an attempt to remember the dance they were doing there and do it herself to finish whatever they were trying to accomplish.

We learn that there’s more to this whole thing than there appeared to be - a fragment of Ninetails’ power is sealed in a stone, and it’s pumping out extremely dangerous poison gas. And it’s spreading more each day. This is not the only stone. And the gas will spread from all of them until the world dies.

Turns out Lady Ninetails ain’t so nice. They’re given visions their ancestors - Societte’s foremost among them - using the ritual dances in front of Ninetails, and channeling her power.

Here, Societte finds her true motivation and overcomes her grief. She will do what she must for the people she loves. She’s got to do what she needs to do, to save everyone. The journey continues on a very solemn but no less hopeful note.

Interlude: Summer Yuel.

We see how close the two are. Yuel follows a Societte who’s grown mostly out of her shyness and can apparently go out and meet people, sparking conversation herself. The change in behavior is so marked Yuel’s flabbergasted, and assumes she started dating someone.

But no, Societte was just doing that to find out where the best vacation spots in the area are and to commission swimwear for the two of them. They enjoy a fun evening with each other and the crew.

The fate episode ends with what amounts to a love confession.

Now, where it could’ve been great but starts to fall apart.

Their first event, Forgiveness and Gratitude.

Enter Kou.

Through him, we learn there were nine royal families, ranked from first to ninth.

We learn that Societte is the scion of the First, and Yuel of the Third.

Turns out that the empire was built around these families sealing an evil Ninetails away and stealing her power to bring about a golden age.

Kou for his part is of the Ninth. This family was mistreated, and basically used as nigh worthless servants by the other eight. In a bid for power, the Ninth betrayed the other eight and sided with Ninetails. The legends about her being a benevolent goddess and the royal families having a shitload of treasure were fabricated by them in order to set bandits after the heirs of the other families as the empire eventually fell apart, so the Ninth would be the only ones left.

Kou was supposed to Ninetails’s vessel so she could return to the world and conquer it.

But…. Now there’s two better candidates. One of them is super gullible and kind.

He tricks Societte into throwing herself on the chopping block instead.

This is important: Ninetails is ecstatic over this. Using Kou was like finding a broken, rusted sword. Getting Societte? The Scion of the First? Finding a fucking chaingun with fifty belts of rounds. She is by far the superior vessel, because again, Societte is just that talented and powerful.

This is solved by Yuel being Yuel, and using her bond with Societte to save her from the possession. Yuel, the freed Societte, and an apologetic Kou work together to defeat the apparition of Ninetails’s power.

That? That’s good. Don’t like how quickly Kou was forgiven, but it’s serviceable.

The bad part? The event is stuffed with onee-chan /ss/ jokes. And people ate it up.

So, we get the event that never should’ve happened.

We get Kou and The Hollow Existence. An event with a character’s name in the damn title.

This event, as you’d guess, focuses on Kou. Turns out the little dude’s actually the FInal Boss for Ninetails. He knows everything, and is inexplicably the most talented and powerful now. He’s the hero. Remember: he’s supposed to be the failure. The spare. The “I’ll take what I can get” for Ninetails. Not so anymore. With zero setup or explanation.

Then we get You. You is a cheap knockoff of Kou, but a Girl This Time, both in and out of story. It’s an actual plot point. You’s being tricked by Ninetails, who’s using her resentment to fuel a revenge streak. Ninetails is gonna use You as a vessel when she’s strong enough. Kou saves her from Ninetails and helps her out of her funk. By himself.

Yuel and Societte’s impact on this event is nonexistent. The major players and main characters don’t do shit but get jobbed and have extremely skeevy shotacon bait moments with Kou. There’s an entire scene dedicated to Yuel intentionally making him uncomfortable by trying to get him in a bath with the two of them.

Yuel goes from emotionally perceptive and kind to a near molester. Societte’s character development is scrapped entirely and it’s like she’s who she was in her first fate episode.

This event quite literally invalidated everything that came before it. Everything was scrapped to make Kou the hero and pander to shotacon fans.

That’s the end of their story.

It’s bullshit.

#gallingsiren

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devintrinidad · 4 years

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Haha, well I wasn’t intending to imply a yandere 1146. XP I was just plucking from canon and thinking he’s a very confident guy who is not afraid to get dirty. Even at the expense of other cell’s feelings. I guess driven to the point of tunnel vision might be a better way to describe it. This is the guy who never even thought about how hard the jobs of red blood cells could be (granted I bet that’s a common thing for most immune cells. I personally think they’re never encouraged to engage or think much about the cells they’re suppose to protect on a personal level) until he cared enough about 3803 to stalk her on her journey through her whole circulation.

And he only cared enough about 3803 after a lot of persistence on her part. The first few times they met he was more then willing to walk and away and if they never saw each other again, eh what can you do (he obviously liked her and liked hanging out with her. But she wasn’t a huge priority on a personal level. I still kind of think it wasn’t until the 1st Cancer arc it hit him how much he liked her and she was here to stay, partly thanks to how much she kept showing how much she wanted/valued his friendship).

He’s very open minded as far as the typical immune cell goes. But he still can be slow to change in dynamics or lifestyle choices. XP

1146 is always motivated by a selfless desire to defend others at his own expense. But you could read also him as very over the top stubborn, a spotlight stealer (he can’t help it he’s just that good) and highly insensitive to others when it conflicts with his current idea of what he thinks is right.

Remember, 4989 told 1146 (very sternly) that one can’t love others if they don’t love themselves first.

Yeah I think 4989 has A lot of thoughts about 1146’s less likeable side and 1146 just doesn’t care. 1146 likes who he is and probably doesn’t see a reason to change any part of himself. Normally that’s a good thing but it can be a pretty bad, self destructive thing too. It means 1146 might be unwilling to admit he’s wrong or see things from another’s perspective. He can see certain things feom, non immunes pov after he’s grown attached to them. But things like duty and doing what he has to do to get the results he wants. He does not compromise. Not even advice or lectures from immune cells who know and feel the exact same way he does make no impact on him when they show displeasure over his actions that nearly get him killed.

I’m thinking the growing focus on 4989’s reactions are a big indicator that there is something a little wrong here. In the sense 4989 is 1146’s best friend and it’s repeatedly shown this happy go lucky goofball can pull a 180 in attitude thanks to 1146. 4989 cares a lot about his comrades, but 1146 is the only one who makes him react displeased to even violent in temper towards 1146 after he’s down something, what 4989 might think, unnecessarily thoughtless. Which I can see. 1146 has proven as nice a guy and polite(?, well he is sarcastic) he is, he does have blind spots when it’s not his priority. Remember how insensitive he was to 3803’s discomfort when they first met. I’m guessing 1146 might think as long as he’s doing something to keep them safe, then anyone mad at him over his methods will get over it. It’s that oblivious side that rationalized things.

Probably helps the WBC squad and Eosinophil are like his siblings in a lot more ways compared to just friends or comrades or casual acquaintances. 3803 is in a lot of ways his only close friend outside his ‘family’ of friends (like I said, Killer T and NK seem to be just work friends. Normal cell is really only a acquaintance friend he might not even see anymore post Cancer part 2, except in passing maybe. It’s hard to tell with 1146. Despite growing a lot more friendly he might still be hard to really befriend in a close way). It’s why he might have such a huge soft spot for her. It seems to be implied, if not outright stated, one of the reasons he got so invested/emotional over Backwards Cap was because he saw he was just like 3803 (twice) - which is really cute when you see how 1146 imagines 3803. Super adorable and blushy smiling with the happiness and most innocent expression on her face. 1146 is so soft towards her. X3

But yeah it could be 1146’s attitude (and it’s possibly the attitude that’s more annoying then the actions?) is that he can take others for granted. He grew up in a ruthless environment, probably expecting he and his friends could die any time. His closest friends are pretty unconditional to him. Even if he bugs them they grumble and have a outburst at most but then get over it. Kind of like family. He expects that so it might make him oblivious to how he can affect others negatively. Ecspecially when everything in his pov works out just fine in the end. If someone else like Killer T literally lashes out at him for thinking or doing something different, 1146 at most will react in surprise or confusion but get over it really fast (Killer T’s opinion ultimately has very little to no affect on 1146 on a personal level). I think 3803 is where the difference might lie. She’s fully accepting of him where other non immune cells wouldn’t be. She’s not meant told suited for the ruthless life he leads. She’s innocent and happy in ways he’ll never be. He wants to preserve that for both their sakes. Which means he’s willing to do a lot for her.

Take for example how he reacts to both Eosinophil and 3803 getting their feelings hurt.

With Eosinophil he obviously takes note of the crowd calling her useless, despite her best efforts, and he tries to correct them stating good facts about Esoniophil functions. He stays pretty calm and doesn’t get act too upset (even if he doesn’t like it), choosing to stop trying to defend her when Eosinophil tells him to.

In contrast with 3803 during the circulation run, 1146 reacts very upset when other cells get impatient and upset at her mistakes. When she goes the wrong way and gets yelled at for it. 1146 can’t even stand to watch the scene. He closes his eyes and shakes like he’s in pain. Later he quickly yells at Killer T and commands him to not say anything at all bad about 3803. That’s a pretty big difference when you compare his other reaction over a friend he’s known his whole life and probably thinks of like a sister. Clearly at that point 3803 being hurt (emotionally or physically) or being thought poorly of by anyone is something unbearable for 1146.

It’s why I think if anyone’s anger/hurt over his actions can affect him. It would be 3803. I think it would just hit him differently because there’s a part of him that would realize he hurt her and took her feelings for granted. That in itself might make he look back and reconsider some of his own actions. I don’t see 3803 ever getting angry at 1146 over his reckless actions like 4989 would. She respects and trusts him so much and she believes whatever he does as a WBC he does because he believes it’s for the best (they’re not going to tell each other how to do each other’s jobs).

However, in your Abnormalities verse. There is relationship drama going on. 1146 is a major player here with deep connections to both 3803 and NC. I do believe that ruthlessness ingrained in all immune cells can translate pretty easily to other areas of their lives. Without even considering how 3803 could feel, I could imagine 1146 doing whatever he saw was nessecary to have NC coexist with everyone in the body and keep 3803 happy and innocent (mixing duty with personal). He might not even initially wonder if being dishonest would hurt his relationship with 3803 in anyway. She’d forgive him if he was acting under orders. But if he did things just to keep her in the dark that eventually came to vote her, eh I think she’d be very quiet. Shocked. Cry and ask to be left alone. That would probably shock him with the revelation he messed up their friendship. Because the one thing 3803 has done since the very beginning is trust him 100%. But if sonething happened and she couldn’t do that. That would be a big ouch for the both of them. 1146 would gate himself that, out of habit and assumption, he hurt her and didn’t communicate better.

But you’ve made me think of 1146 and NC being confidante or angst buddies whenever 3803 gets upset with them both.

NC: (eating a ton of glucose pops) she mad at you too?

1146: (eating a ton of germ snacks and trying to eat his depression away and can’t talk right now)

NC: I hear you man.

Elsewhere -

Eosinophil: Sorry 1146 can be a dummy. -_-;

4989: No…. He’s the world’s biggest idiot and I’ll punch him later for you.

3803 (cries into her mountains of glucose cones and pastries).

~~~

You asked in another post about why I think 1146 is a yandere, so I’ll be posting your concerns about yandere!1146 in that one. I’ll post this separately so people can see your analysis about how 4989 is worried about 1146, how a yandere 1146 might operate, and his overall reactions towards 3803 over the course of the series.

Thanks for your submission and I hope that you have a wonderful day! :D

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kyber-heart · 4 years

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Ashes to Ashes

This is a fic about my Sith Warrior Matai Shayn returning to his homeworld of Ziost after it’s destruction at the hands of Vitiate

Warnings for minor character death, depictions of death, slight body horror, implied and referenced homophobia. If there’s anything else I should tag please let me know!

This is actually a pretty old fic, I think I wrote it in like.. 2017 or something. I was still in college at the time so it was a while ago. I kinda cringe at it but, idk come laugh at me, with me. If it’s outright awful I’ll take it down lmao.

Desolate. That’s the only way Lord Matai Shayn could describe his homeworld of Ziost as he saw it now from the cockpit of the Imperial Shuttle. One standard week had gone by since ‘The Event’ when former Emperor Vitiate destroyed the planet through some kind of Sith sorcery. The planet had been laid bare with no life left on the planet, or so the preliminary scans had stated. Matai stared at the landscape moving past him as the ship hurtled towards the Galactic Solutions Industries research camp. The snowy rock valleys that had once been so beautiful, were now gray. Barren. Lifeless. The ground looked as though it were scorched and the sky was gray with the occasional sunlight peeking through. Sith Temples that dotted the landscape, remnants from the time of Ajunta Pall, were the only objects left around the site. He remembered traversing them as a child with Uma Shayn, his mother. She had been a lead researcher and historian with the Imperial Reclamation Service. Uma had taken her son with her on several expeditions across the planet and other Imperial systems. She taught him the history of The Empire and of their lineage. It was a badge of pride for the Shayns being a part of the few remaining ‘True Sith’, the red skinned, sharp featured humanoids who originated on Korriban. Uma had explained to him that Ajunta Pall established Ziost as a colony world, filled with members of their race and until The Event, had been strongly populated by Sith People.

‘We are a dying blood Matai. Generations of war and breeding with the Humans who call themselves Sith have left our people in decline. We need to protect our heritage, save our history. If ever there comes a time when our people cease to exist, we must show the Galaxy that we were here.’ Uma had told him once while excavating a tomb of an ancient Sith Lord.

As Matai looked at the wasteland before him, he couldn’t help but think bitterly that the chances of his species survival had been greatly diminished. He approached the GSI Camp and as he flew closer, the rock crag which housed the capital city of Ziost, New Adasta came into view. A lump formed in his throat as he looked at it. From this distance, all he could make out was the rocky mesa with few visible structures, one being the impressive People’s Tower. In the distance, he could just make out the sight of the Sith Citadel, one of the old Fortresses. The lump that had formed in his throat making his breathing labored and swallowing near impossible. His life had been in that crag. He thought about the people that had been lost, the friends and the family who were all likely dead now. The weight of this journey was already affecting him but he needed to persevere. He needed to see this for himself. A knocking on the exit hatch of the shuttle ripped him from his thoughts.

“Sir, are you alright?” A mechanical voice spoke from outside.

Matai stood from the pilot’s seat with as much resolve and dedication to his endeavor as he could muster. He adjusted his robe around him and strolled to the ship’s exit. Opening the hatch he was met with the sight of a research camp, populated by droids. A protocol droid stood at the end of the ramp, its silver plating dulled by dirt.

“You are Lord Matai Shayn correct?” it asked in a tone programmed to resemble pleasantness. “My records show you were scheduled to arrive approximately thirty minutes ago.”

“I am, my apologies for my tardiness.” Matai stopped his sentence there. Not willing to explain to the Artificial Intelligence that he had hesitated in arriving and wanted to take his time. He also felt unwilling to put the effort into making an excuse for the machine.

“My records also state that you wish to explore the ruins of New Adasta, this is also correct?” it went on, oblivious to the slight wince on Matai’s face at the mention of the word ‘ruins’.

“Yes that is correct” he stated, this conversation was irritating him. His eyes began to wander to the other machines scanning pieces of biological matter. His eyes found a tree that had been sapped of life. He could hear the droid speaking though he wasn’t listening to the words only the odd word here and there. ‘Danger’, ‘unstable’, ‘shifting’, ‘missing research probes’ none of it felt important to him

“Do you understand sir?”

This drew the Sith Lord’s attention back to the droid

“Yes, I think I can manage. Though I thank you for the warning. Is there anything else?” He asked impatiently

“Yes.” It chirped happily “On behalf of Galactic Solutions Industries, we hope you have a pleasant day”

Matai almost crushed the droid. It took all of his strength to walk away. While logically he understood the droid was following it’s programming, it certainly wasn’t something he wanted to hear. That emotionless, blunt attitude that droids often had irritated him. He began striding to the GSI Speeders on the other side of the camp. Matai felt uncomfortable with his current emotionally volatile state. It was unlike him to be so testy or prone to needless violence. He embraced his passions like any Sith would and he certainly enjoyed the thrill of combat. Taking his rage out on a machine programmed to do its job however, that was unlike him. He approached the speeders and mounted one. Activating the engine, he took off across the dead world. As he drove he noticed the wreckage of several ships, mostly Imperial as well as a Republic walker. The ground was covered in ash and the bike’s repulsors kicked up clouds of it. An unusual shape caught Matai’s attention however and he slowed down to a halt. He was looking at an Ice Tromper, though it looked completely fossilized. Its fur was gone and the body was as black as coal. It stood on its feet and was faced towards Matai. He considered that it had died instantly, without even the time to fall down. The Sith found strange comfort in the belief that it had died quickly. The reports had said that there was no life on the planet. Faced with the Ice Tromper, Matai began to wonder if it were true. He tried to use the Force to sense any possible life that might still exist but all he could feel was the cold sensation of fear, pain and death. The scars of the dark side. He felt as though he was back on Korriban, as an acolyte, exploring the tombs in the Valley of The Dark Lords. Tombs were dark, cold and eerily silent. One of the things that struck him about Ziost now, was the quiet. The only occasional noise was of some light wind that blew but it was not frequent.

It took him only a short time to get to New Adasta. His progress was brought to a halt when he came upon a tram sitting idle on the tracks which lead up to the Central District. He dismounted the speeder and strolled to it. Opening the rear hatch to the last cart he stepped inside. The sight that greeted him was horrific. Bodies littered the cart, some in seats or fallen to the floor. Matai wanted to vomit, barely able to look at them. He knew that he should have expected to see these things but it felt as though there was no preparation for this. Walking through the cart he saw that some of the bodies looked as though they had been killed in the act of escaping. The windows on the left side had been broken and some bodies looked to be trying to climb out of the windows. One corpse he noted looked to have been trying to reach for something, though extended left arm was missing from the bicep. Ash lay beneath the arm. All innocents, all good and loyal Imperials, betrayed by their Emperor. It sickened Matai. How could the Emperor have killed so many of his people? People who had believed in and worshiped him. People like Matai had once been.

One aspect of learning the history of the Sith, was learning what worked, and what didn’t in their society. The level of backstabbing and reckless displays of power had never failed to earn Matai’s annoyance. He remembered as recently as the Siege of Corellia in the last war. A moment that should have strengthened The Empire, undermined by the likes of Darths Thanaton and Baras. They had squandered military resources into their own fights caring only for their petty power plays and not that of The Empire. Sith loved their strength because it gave them Power. Matai had learned that lesson from a very young age. His Father, Abal had been an instructor at the New Adasta Sith Academy. A smaller institute but a prestigious one. Matai had trained there, under his own father’s tutelage for the first years of his training.

‘Remember that the path to power is built on strength Matai. We Sith embrace strength and do not shy away from power.’ Abal’s words rang true, Matai believed, though he firmly believed that there was something wrong in that system, where the Empire suffered by the Sith pursuit of Power. Abal, unlike Uma had been a harsher man. A Lord of The Sith, a title which Matai inherited. Abal had spent his life teaching the Sith ways to acolytes. He remembered when The Dark Council had allowed non-humans into the Academies. Abal had ranted over dinner that the Dark Council should have been purged for treason and heresy. Matai had never agreed with with his father’s conservative view, through he never attempted to confront his father about it. He had often stayed silent to avoid the conflict, even as his father began arranging Matai’s marriage. They had been nice girls, but it wasn’t what Matai had wanted. He actively did everything he could to avoid the topic and worm his way out of meetings and turning the girls away. It annoyed his father but Matai could live with that.

Entering New Adasta he could see the Central District in ruins with bodies covering the ground. The cave was scarcely lit save for the occasional street light flickering though it wasn’t much help and there was a constant mist in the city. He passed by a cantina where a neon sign showed the image of a twi’lek dancing, it spluttered and cut out periodically as it moved. He walked into a park which resembled a burned and salted field. Chairs, trees and the occasional statue littered the ground. He knew this park. It had been where had been taken on his first date. Alec Garn. The fifth son of an Imperial Officer, possibly one of the most beautiful people Matai had ever seen. They had come to this park after getting some caff. The Trees had been in bloom and the grass had been kept clean and neat. They had talked, about everything and about nothing. Alec had wanted to be a pilot, his family had a long history of naval service. Matai had joked that he would make Alec a captain if he wanted, with his own squad of whoever he wanted. A silly statement really, Matai didn’t have that kind of authority nor would he. They had laughed and when the laughter fell silent they had shared a kiss. Matai placed his hand on one of the benches. The memory stung. He had not thought of Alec in some years and to now see their park ruined stung him.

Matai had crossed the city and came to the apartment complex where his parent’s home was. He entered the building and began to ascend the stair case. He had assumed the elevator would be unusable. The building was dark, though the emergency lights lit the building in a red glow. He reached the seventeenth floor. Only two Apartments were built on this level, though they were far larger than those below. While the Shayns had not had vast amounts of money, they had more than enough to get by and live a life of great comfort. Matai stood at the door of apartment 93 his mind running through what he would find beyond the door. He closed his eyes. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and the lump returning to his throat. He began to tell himself that he had to do this, steeling himself for what awaited him.

He pressed the button and the door slid open, but only half way giving a short screech. Matai laughed softly, more out of nervousness that anything else. Of course, something as ridiculous as this would have to happen. He could see partially into the apartment, it was mostly dark and he could make out very little. Squeezing himself through the gap of the Doorway he walked tentatively further into the hallway. It was a long, wide corridor filled with many objects. Some statues stood

tall along the wall along with other oddities that his mother had collected over the years. Things that she wasn’t exactly supposed to take, but did anyway. His mother had always been a free spirit She did what she wanted but unlike other Sith she strived never to hurt others in her pursuits. He always admired her for that. On one wall Matai had to stop and double back. It was a portrait of his family, painted with actual inks and pigments on an actual canvas. It depicted Abal at the back with Uma seated in front of him on a luxurious chair, Matai himself stood beside his mother, Abal’s hand rested on his right shoulder. His Father looked stern but there was still a hint of a smile on his face. His mother held that soft look only a mother has, something he remembered about her well. He reckoned that he was barely five years old at the time this was painted. In fact he didn’t even remember it being painted but he remembered the portrait always being here. Except for when it wasn’t.

It had happened soon after his date with Alec, they had been in the apartment. They had been making out on the luxurious sofa that sat in the living room. His parents had been out at a party and Matai had been confident he would be able to invite Alec to his home and for him to leave before they returned. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his relationship but he knew Abal would disapprove. As their night had gone on the pair had becoming steadily more intimate. Matai could still remember the feeling of pure dread as his parents returned home to find him in a very unflattering position. Uma had stayed mostly quiet after the initial shock had passed, though Abal had never been more vocal, even after Alec had gathered his clothes and left.

‘My Son will not disgrace us by whoring out to some Imperial! A man no less!” he had spat venomously.

Matai had sat on the couch, covered in a robe and sat silently as his Father spat at him.

“You would disgrace your family like this?! Would you?” he had demanded

His mother sat worriedly across from him in a chair identical to the one in the portrait. He looked to her pleadingly. She looked at him softly a sad smile trying to form on her face. What had happened next was a blur. Matai had been brought to his knees as his father’s fist balled into his hair.

“WOULD YOU?!” He yelled

Matai could see that Uma had jumped to her feet with her hands on Abal’s arm “Abe!” she pleaded.

His Father had let go of him and stormed out into the hallway. Uma knelt to Matai. They looked at each other but as they did, they both jumped at the sound of a Lightsaber activating. They both bolted for the hallway. Matai was a head of his mother and saw first what had happened. Abal had sliced the portrait where Matai had been depicted. Behind him his mother gasped “Abal! What are you doing?!” She demanded but Matai knew the answer.

“I will not have my son whoring around with pathetic Imperials. He’s going to Korriban and training with my friends in the Academy!”

That night Matai had left for Korriban to finish his studies and the rest was history. He had risen above even his family’s wildest expectations and become The Empire’s Wrath. After that night however, Abal rarely spoke to his son. He stayed in frequent contact with Uma. Years later he met with his parents again on Dromund Kaas and began to mend fences. It had been slow and he wasn’t sure his father was completely happy with how he was living his life, but the fact that they had talked had been progress. Matai stared at the picture for a few moments. He hadn’t known they had it remade. He was happy that he had reconnected with his parents before they died. With that thought he realized that he needed to move.

He walked slowly into the living room. It was brighter than the hallway as the far wall was mostly a glass window. This however did little to improve the lighting of the apartment as outside was mostly dark. Matai’s eyes were becoming slightly more adjusted. He walked forward through the decorative arch that led to the main room. As he approached the circular couch arrangement in the middle of the room his heart sank. He could feel tears burn his eyes and his legs grow weak. No matter how much he tried to prepare for this, nothing could. In the middle of the room, seated on the couches were two figures. One was larger, clearly a man, his arms were wrapped around the second smaller figure who in turn clung to the larger. Both were unrecognizable in their charred, lifeless state. But Matai knew. Uma and Abal Shayn, his mother and father.

Matai couldn’t help himself. He sank to his knees before them and tears began to fall. He could not take his eyes off them. He reached up to touch his mother’s face. As his fingers grazed her cheek, the ash began to break loose and fall from the rest of her form. Matai just stared for a moment. He looked at his gloved hand, although still difficult to see through the tears, he was able to see the dust that coated his fingertips. His mouth a gap he just looked at it and then to his parents’ lifeless forms. The room was utterly silent until the only living thing began to yell.

He yelled at the top of his lungs. A flurry of emotions swelled in him, pain, anger, betrayal.

The people he loved the most were dead thanks to Vitiate. He didn’t think he could hate a being more than he hated Vitiate.

He thought that if their ‘glorious Emperor’ had never sought to gain more power Ziost would still be safe. His parents would be safe. His home would be safe.

He kept kneeling and stared at the dark navy carpet.

He felt a burning in his chest. Not of sadness or pain, though they certainly fueled it. This burn was of reinvigorated passion.

He stood and searched the apartment to find some containers. He eventually found some that he deemed large enough and walked back to the forms of his parents. He began to gently gather the ashes of his parents and place them into the boxes as best as he could. It was inelegant and it turned Matai’s stomach that he was forced to desecrate his parents like this. Anger burned through him he did. When he was satisfied that he had been able to collect their ashes and store them in the boxes, he stood once more to go to his old bedroom. He was surprised to find how little it had changed since the last time he had been in it. Out of sheer curiosity, he walked to his bedside chest. He opened it and moved some small objects aside, little pieces of rocks, trinkets from tombs, an old set of piercings until he found what he had been looking for. A small holoprojector. He turned it on and it flicked to life. It was a moving holo-vid of his parents and himself at the New Adasta Academy on his day of enrollment. They were all dressed in their best robes. He smiled at the image watching it repeat its five seconds of footage. He fought back the burning sensation of tears that threatened to fall before turning it off. He stowed it in his robe before turning back to the task at hand. At least he would have this memory he thought. He rummaged around in his wardrobe to find a bag large enough to transport the boxes. Eventually he found a leather satchel and returned to the living room. Placing the boxes carefully in the satchel and placing the bag over his shoulder, he stood to leave the apartment. Taking one last look at what was once his home he smiled sadly before using the Force to close the stuck door.

Making his way back down the stairs and back into the street he began to hear something, a rumbling. He turned to his left to see a building begin to collapse. Caught in shock he remembered what the droid had said about shifting ruins and he began to run back towards the direction of the tram. He had gotten about ten paces when he stopped again, at the sound of something louder. Blood chilling. A roar. Matai stood still for a moment before turning around to face the threat. He looked back to see a large creature, with a faint purple aura stomping through the streets slamming against buildings as it walked down streets that were not designed for a creature like this. It looked nearly four or five times larger than Matai himself and it looked almost like a Rancor, but this thing had glistening purple eyes. Matai had no idea what this thing was so he began to run again, faster this time trying to enhance his speed with The Force. The Creature must have been aware of his presence and it followed him as he ran. Matai ran through the door of the tram station and leaped over the turnstiles. Dropping down on to the track he heard a loud crash as The Creature broke through the wall of the station. Matai began to sprint down the tram track. Not relenting The Creature crashed through the turnstiles and leaped on to the track. It followed him down and out of the station, on to the part of the track the led back down the rock crag. As it did, the metal screeched, piercing Matai’s ears causing him to slow somewhat. Suddenly the track gave way under The Creature, the durasteel supports being unable to hold the weight. The track began to separate from the rock wall and fall to the rocky surface below. The Creature fell from the track and it plummeted. Matai dared not look back to see if it had died as the track was still falling apart beneath him. He mustered all of his energy to sprint faster along the falling track.

He had come to the tram he had passed through earlier, though this time instead of going through, Matai used the force to leap on to the Tram and sprint atop the carts. He could still hear the groaning metal as he ran. Coming to the end cart he leaped back down to meet his speeder. Mounting it quickly he took off down the track. As he reached the bottom and the walls that surrounded the crag, he saw the track had fallen almost completely. He felt relief wash over him as he stopped the speeder to look. He glanced back at the City, saying another final goodbye. Deciding that he did not want to wait around to be found by that monster he took off through the rocky wasteland and back to the GSI Camp.

Matai had returned to Dromund Kaas by the evening of the next day. He felt glad to be home, in his new home. He had transferred the Ashes of his parents into urns more elegant and worthy of them, which now stood in the Sith Lord’s library. Matai had been reviewing reports from Ziost both before and after the The Event. He had reported the creature and had been informed they were Monoliths, creations of The Dark Side. After finishing a boring journal article regarding possible rehabilitation of the planet (something he deemed highly unlikely) he stood and looked out of the window of his bedroom. Staring down upon the Imperial Citadel. He considered what Ziost meant for him and for the Empire. The considered the lesson in the destruction of Ziost, about the price of Power and he reached a conclusion. As he thought, the conclusion had become a vow. There would not be another Ziost so along as he could help it.

#my fic #oc: matai shayn #ch: sith warrior #trigger warning #trigger death #trigger body horror #tigger homophobia #swtor #swtor fic #I found this in google drive and thought it might be fun to post idk #i was kinda inspired to post it after seeing that dead world post from earlier #idk this probably awful #please don't be mad at me lol

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 4 years

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Michael in the Mainstream - Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker

Star Wars is a franchise very near and dear to my heart. I’ve grown up watching the films and have fond memories of each of them, in particular Revenge of the Sith, which I got to see in theaters with my father. It’s a series that has introduced me to great characters, great actors, great ways to tell stories, and if nothing else the movies were always fun. I never saw a Star Wars movie I couldn’t enjoy on some level.

That all changed with this movie.

The Rise of Skywalker is a wet fart of a finale. It is a mess, it is underwhelming, it is disrespectful to the previous two films, and worst of all it’s bland. But hyperbole aside, this movie isn’t a complete and utter waste; it’s certainly not the worst film of all time or anything, or even the worst Star Wars movie. It’s just a sad case of a mixed bag where the bag skews more to the bad side than the good side.

Let’s go over what I actually did enjoy first. Obviously, the score was fantastic, but I think this goes without saying; John Williams has never once screwed around, so why would he stop now? His music honestly does a lot of the heavy lifting emotion-wise, as scenes such as the supposed trinity of this trilogy’s reunion at the end would not have any sort of impact otherwise. Then we have stuff like the practical effects, which is both a blessing and a curse as they seem to be a sort of dancing bear for this trilogy. As great and lively as they make the worlds, they shouldn’t be what gets focus over story and character development… but hey, Babu Frik is great.

Speaking of characters, there are a few who were handled very well in this film. In terms of comedy, there is C-3PO and Palpatine. C-3PO is just a genuine riot here, and almost every goofy little joke he cracked gave me a genuine chuckle. He’s really at his best here. Palpatine on the other hand is just a character who is so inherently hilarious that it is physically impossible to be mad at him. Like, he’s an evil zombie wizard who spends half the film insulting Kylo Ren and then the other half cackling and shooting lightning in his big arena full of hooded weirdos while strapped to a big dialysis machine and wearing a sparkling red vest under his robe. Sheev Palpatine is pretty much the greatest character in human history, and while his role in this film is so stupid, shoehorned, and underbaked, you cannot help but crack a grin at the sheer lunacy good ol’ Sheev brings to the table. The sheer revelation that this man actually, canonically had more sex than Kylo Ren is enough to send a man into a fit of giggles.

In terms of actual character, Rey gets a solid arc marred by some incredibly poor writing choices, but overall stays solid throughout. Her interactions with Kylo Ren especially solidify her as an interesting and engaging character, and honestly the whole reveal that she’s a Palpatine is intriguing and could have added depth to her… but they managed to bungle it. And it’s an easy fix too; early on, there’s a scene where she and Kylo are playing tug-of-war with a transporter that is holding an iconic character. Rey accidentally unleashes Palpatine lightning and blows it up, seemingly killing the character inside… only for the character to inexplicably be alive two scenes later. Now, if Rey had actually killed said character by accident and spent the rest of the film struggling with her nature, it would make her ultimate showdown and rejection of Grandpa Sheev’s ideology all the more sweeter and satisfying. A moment at the end would have likewise been improved if she had simply not chosen to rename herself and instead chose to just simply be “Rey,” but gotta have that sweet, sweet branding! Still, I think Rey is remarkably done here, though not nearly as good as she was in The Last Jedi.

But the real MVP here is definitely Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. I’m just gonna say it: this guy carries the film. He has had the most remarkably consistent character arc in this new trilogy, and that concludes just as well here, though sadly in the most obvious way: with a redemption. However, it comes not from Rey, as desperate shippers had hoped, but from his parents – Leia and Han both play a part in ensuring their son’s redemption. And when he’s redeemed, the way Driver is able to convey the character of Ben Solo with just his face and body language is incredible enough to make the redeemed man feel like a totally different character than when he was Kylo Ren, and all of this is without speaking. Driver deserves every ounce of praise he gets for these films, and while I feel his arc would have been far more satisfying if it wasn’t a carbon copy of Anakin’s arc, it’s a testament to Driver’s skill that he managed to sell me such a cliché turn of events and made it work.

This is where my kindness dries up, however, as the rest of this is going to be pretty negative. The story here is just an incoherent mess; it honestly feels like an entire trilogy crammed into one film, a film divorced entirely from the other two films. The big problem with this trilogy is how there is so little cohesion between films that each film feels like a soft reset, and nowhere is that more clear than here. It doesn’t help that this film decides to cram in a bunch of stupid backspaces to everything from The Last Jedi, the most awkward and egregious being how they write off the “Holdo Maneuver” as a one in a million shot at success despite the fact that using the far more obvious “using the rebels as suicide bombers is a bit morally iffy and such a move should not be used unless we’re totally desperate” explanation would have sufficed. It honestly feels like the writers were chickening out a lot of the time and decided to try and distract us from their yellow-bellied attempts at ignoring the previous film by slapping us in the face with tons of fanservice. Sometimes it works – the voices of all the fallen Jedi in the final act was an awesome touch (I hear you Qui-Gon, Windu, and Ahsoka!) - but most of them time it is just painfully on-the-nose and groan worthy, such as when Chewbacca gets his medal. The worst offender here is Lando, who is so carelessly tossed into this mess of a plot that it feels really disrespectful to Billy Dee Williams.

Speaking of screwing over characters though, no one got it worse than Finn, Poe, and Rose. With Rose, it’s frankly just insulting they didn’t even try. It would have been so easy to redeem Rose in the eyes of the fans that didn’t like her character in The Last Jedi; if The Clone Wars can make Jar Jar a likable character, then I’m pretty sure a big budget Hollywood blockbuster can fix the issues of a poorly written character in its sequel. Instead though, this film takes the coward’s route and relegates Rose to a role less important to the plot than Babu Frik, who despite his integral role is only in one single scene. Poe is just handled as nonsensically as ever, given really dumb jokes and a forced and unneeded backstory as a spice smuggler, complete with an implied female love interest in an attempt to try and convince us the character is heterosexual.

But Finn gets it worst of all. Not only does he get a forced implied love interest (who is black, because we can’t have miscegenation in our big blockbuster films!), but he just in general gets shafted so hard. Finn being shafted has been a running theme with this trilogy. The first film set him up to be an integral, important main character, one who would even become the main character…. And then he slowly faded from relevance as the writers put him in increasingly bad plotlines, culminating with the slap in the face this movie gives us by implying but not outright stating that Finn can use the Force. There were so many interesting ways they could take Finn’s arc and they chose the route that is, quite frankly, the absolute worst. The fact that Finn got totally shafted in such a way despite being a fan favorite is all the more baffling and honestly has me wondering what the suits at Disney were thinking. If they weren’t actually minimizing a character as beloved as Finn was after The Force Awakens out of racism, what were they even trying to do? John Boyega has a right to be as angry as he is.

There’s other stuff that’s obnoxious. Leia’s scenes are all terrible and poorly executed, which comes off as really disrespectful to Carrie Fisher; the romance in this film which, as mentioned above, is totally forced, but special mention goes to the Ben/Rey kiss at the end, which while not some life-ending travesty is so utterly out of nowhere due to the lack of romantic chemistry between the two in any of these films that it’s laughable; the editing is so incoherent and terrible in places that it feels like it was done by someone on a mixture of crack and Red Bull; the complete waste that is Hux and his childish reasoning for betraying the First Order, completing the character’s change from a terrifying Nazi allegory to a complete and utter joke; the fact that the new First Order general who takes center stage gets so little development despite being a great throwback to Grand Moff Tarkin and a genuinely amazing character otherwise, with a fascinating history with Palpatine that is never explored and no meaningful interactions with the heroes; the complete and utter unexplained nature of Palpatine’s return; and just how painfully unfunny a lot of the humor in this film is. This movie just has so many problems, so many flaws, and it ends on such a completely limp and unsatisfying note that it’s honestly kind of sad.

This film… I don’t know about this film. It’s definitely not the worst Star Wars film, because it at least has some genuinely good bits to it, unlike Attack of the Clones which I can only really justify liking ironically. But that being said, this film is just so unsatisfying, and what’s more, it’s not very memorable. Not much will stick with you with this one, and if it does, it might be more of the bad things rather than the good ones, which is a shame, because I do think there’s some good stuff buried under the garbage here, but I don’t know if it’s worth sitting through this film to find. This is not the worst thing ever, I really can’t stress that enough… but it’s just not fun, engaging, or anything that will really make you feel anything meaningful, and sometimes that’s just worse.

Ultimately, this film has an incredibly uncertain audience. It’s wrapping up a trilogy in one of the biggest franchises on earth with a plotline that tries to pander to fans in a way that feels gross and condescending, leaving the film feeling like it was made for absolutely no one. If you like this, that’s fine; Star Wars is a franchise that has greatness ingrained in its DNA, to the point where I can’t say any of the films are really among the worst I’ve ever seen. But I think generally this is not going to be a film worth watching, and certainly one to skip in any future marathons of the franchise. It really is a shame… this trilogy if nothing else was full of potential to be a new take on Star Wars for a new generation. Instead, it ended up as a confusing, corporate mess.

#Michael in the Mainstream #review #movie review #Star Wars #The Rise of Skywalker #j.j. abrams #Adam Driver #Daisy Ridley #John Boyega #sheev palpatine #Episode IX #sci-fi #science fiction movie #science fiction #sci-fi movie #Disney

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chloe-gayzer · 5 years

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Fan fiction trope 1.Historical/ royal / criminal . #Chlodine

Thanks! I really enjoyed this one. Didn’t really mean to make it this long, but oh well.

[Read it on AO3]

Nadine sighs and makes a dismissive gesture. The servant before her doesn’t protest and makes a quick turn back to the pile of fabric she’s been forced to choose from. The servant lays aside the garb and picks up the next piece.

This bit is worse than the last.

Nadine has no interest in this charade. It’s all for show. That their nation, her nation, is strong, is beautiful, is dangerous. An ally you want to have.

They don’t need this masquerade for that. They’ve proved it time and time again in the power of their ships, the look of their fleet, and the ability of their army.

But she’s been asked to do this at the request of her father. So, for her father, she does this. She’ll find something that feels right when she wears it and she will be the princess her father needs her to be.

Ugh. Princess. She doesn’t care for that word. It carries with it a sense of fragility that doesn’t fit her, has never really fit her.

She’d rather be anywhere but tucked away in a stranger’s castle. Her ship, for one, but it’s a long way away at home. She’d been sent here on her father’s ship as a passenger, rather as a captain. It kept her from going where she wanted– hunting slavers, maybe. Protecting her nation. Anything but waiting out the next few days until being forced to mingle with other “royalty”. Dukes, duchesses, kings, queens, none of which had ever put in a real day of work in their lives. They have all this power and do so damned little for the people suffering under their rule. Many are more concerned with feathering their own nests or marrying into still more rich or important families.

She’s got no interest. She knows her preferences, her father knows her preferences (and doesn’t care, bless him), and marriage isn’t something she looks forward to. She dreads the day she’s asked to marry– for the kingdom, to continue their prosperity. Do her part in producing an heir.

Feeling fed up, Nadine dismisses the servants from the room. She’s got three days more to find what she can wear.

Her mask, thankfully, is already sorted. It’s simple. Mostly white, the forehead has a golden half-relief of a flower, not unlike the vygies from her home. It covers everything above her mouth.

Nadine tugs her tunic off and tosses it to the side. She despises the bulky clothes most women of her station wear. Layers and layers that require help from at least one servant. Instead, she’s allowed her military uniform more often than not. Her father allows it to show the country’s strength. To show even the women are forces of nature and not to be tampered with.

Many talk about her and her ways, but she doesn’t care.

She rolls her shoulders. The sun is setting, but she could probably go for an evening horseback ride. It’s too dark for falconry. Besides, all her best birds are back home.

Instead of something physical, as she’d like, she’ll grab a book and relax. If she can. This whole place is stifling to her. She can’t wait until she’s allowed to leave. A bunch of white royalty who act like she should be serving them rather than mingling all suffocate her. She detests how they look at her as an oddity.

Her reading material is limited, but something is better than nothing. She can sit by the window and get fresh air as she gets through whichever book she chooses.

A noise comes from outside the open window. Almost like a voice. Someone swearing? Her quarters are rather high up to hear anything but birds. Maybe shouting or loud laughter, but this sounds like a whisper of a curse.

Nadine tenses. Moving slowly and keeping quiet, she gets to the window. Before she can lean out, a hand appears on the sill. She takes two quick steps back and drops into the ready position. A second hand appears beside the first. Each has a gaudy ring or two. One of them is familiar– a small, ebony elephant’s head with ruby eyes. The tusks are lines with gold. Before Nadine can take in more information, someone hoists themselves into her room and manages to land on their feet before her.

It’s a woman. Her long dark hair is barely tied back. On it rests a rather rich looking cavalier, complete with colourful feather. Her garb is that of a man’s: red silken shirt to fine trousers. Her boots are that of a worker’s but take nothing away from her style.

The woman seems shocked, for just a moment, when she sees Nadine there, but all too quickly she catches herself. She gives a suave grin.

“Terribly nice to meet you, your highness.” She removes her cavalier with a flourish, holds it to her chest, and bows low. “I’ve heard of the formidable Captain Ross, but how the stories did not tell me of your beauty, I’ll never know.” She takes Nadine’s hand then and kisses the back of it.

Nadine tugs her hand away, almost offended. “Would you like to explain why you’ve appeared in my quarters through the window?” They’re being civil for the moment, it seems, so Nadine won’t jump straight to attacking. She’d rather size up her opponent first if there should be a fight.

The woman stands again. Her grey eyes sparkle as she takes in the sight of Nadine. “Perhaps, dear lady, you may wish to cover up before I explain myself. I’ve no objection to your state of undress, but I get the feeling you might.”

Nadine realizes she’s standing there with her upper half bare but for her underclothes. It had been perfectly fine with her alone in the room. But now…

She grabs her tunic from where she’d tossed it and pulls it back on.

“Explain yourself.”

The dark haired woman gives a little flourish with her hand. “Of course.” She leans against the window sill. How she’s so nonchalant, Nadine will never know.

She returns her hat to her head. Some simple necklaces hang around her neck and her wrists each bare a golden bracelet.

“I, dear Captain, am a thief.”

Nadine hadn’t expected her to be so blunt.

“Oh, don’t give me that look. I’m not stealing from you. Your room was just the easiest open window to reach.” She grins again. “Like I mentioned, I’ve heard of you. The mighty warrior princess who’d rather be on her ship than speaking to other royalty. No one would dare steal from you so outright.”

Nadine remains quiet and waits for further explanation. A thief, a criminal, has just appeared in her rooms and admitted the fact. The only positive here is that the woman is focusing on her title of Captain, rather than of Princess. It’s near refreshing but it doesn’t change the fact there’s a thief before her.

“Not far from here, there’s a lord by the name of Hunton-Blather. I just need to relieve him of a few assets.”

Nadine knows the man. He’s insufferable and treats his people poorly. He’s been bragging for days about jailing “poachers” in “his” woods. Travelers at best, passing through on the roads there, more like.

“No one will get hurt. Hell, fewer people will be hurt if I do this.”

With a level gaze and a sense of composure she’s practiced many times, Nadine nods. “Alright.”

“Alright?” the woman questions.

“I’ve no issue with you taking from that man. But be careful your theft does not make things worse for those under his rule.”

She nods. “I’m no amateur.” She gives Nadine a slow once over before looking at the pile of clothes left on a side table. “Might I inquire as to what seems to be troubling you?”

“Fairly presumptuous for a woman who hasn’t introduced herself.”

“Ah, how rude of me.” Again, she bows low. “Chloe Frazer, at your service. Whatever that may entail.”

Nadine knows the name. That’s why the elephant ring she wore was familiar. It was the figurehead of the well-known ship The Golden Fish. Captain Frazer’s ship. “The pirate captain?”

Chloe grins wide. “I see my reputation precedes me. All good things I hope?”

Surprisingly, at least some of what Nadine has heard is positive. At least, in regards to a pirate. She’s known as a gentleman pirate, or perhaps gentlewoman, given her gender. She steals, yes, but she’s been known to free slaves, assist those who’ve been shipwrecked, and she never kills those on the ships she captures. There are worse than her, certainly.

Not that Nadine will let her know that.

“I make it a priority to know who I might run into on the sea.”

“Pity we haven’t crossed before now. Women such as yourself are always welcome on my ship.”

Is this her flirting? It’s rare to find a woman so forward given the view on same-sex relations. Though most would think two women could only have a “passionate friendship” rather than be able to make love. Still, Nadine is certain this woman, this pirate captain, is implying something.

She ignores it in favour of asking a question. “How is it that The Golden Fish can dock in a port where so many royals have congregated?”

Chloe scoffs. “I own more than one ship, your highness. Necessary if one wishes to avoid hanging.” Again, she looks at the discarded clothes. “Having a hard time finding something to wear?”

Really, Nadine should be calling for her guards or attempting to apprehend this woman herself. But she doesn’t care to. Maybe she doesn’t understand why, but she has no wish to send this woman to the gallows.

“Ja. I must attend the masquerade.”

“Must? Doesn’t sound like you’re terribly thrilled about it. Isn’t this sort of thing where you might find potential marriage candidates and what not?”

It’s Nadine’s turn to scoff. “Not for me.”

“Hm. Suppose I might relate to that.” She crosses one arm across her front and rests the elbow of her other on it, her hand at her chin. “Though if you didn’t go, many might look more lovely if you’re not there to compare. Should you go, you’ll likely outshine any and every other woman who dares show herself near you.”

Nadine feels the warm rush of blood redden her face. “Quite talkative for a pirate captain, aren’t you?”

“I told you, everyone who speaks of you to me has mentioned all sorts of positive traits– strong, smart, and the like– but how they missed on telling of a face like yours, I’ll never know.” Oh so casually, she walks over to the pile of clothes. Picking one up, she gives a soft chuckle. “Though even your face might struggle to redeem this. They make anything these days.”

Nadine frowns. “One of the women here sent it over. Likely to embarrass me.”

“Who?”

She hesitates. She’s not sure what this might mean. “Lady Cecily.”

“Pfft. Have you seen how she dresses? Might not be to embarrass you, but I certainly advise against wearing it.” Chloe looks Nadine over again. “Warm colours, I think, would look best. Or maybe some nice blues?” She lifts another piece, a dress with gold sleeves, and holds it by Nadine. “Ooh, gold would look good on you. Brings out those warm eyes of yours.”

Nadine doesn’t know what to think. A pirate captain, a well known pirate captain, is in her room giving her fashion advice. Maybe even trying to help pick an outfit.

She drops the dress back onto the pile. “Hm. Which do you like better, dark blue, or a rosy sort of pink?”

“Uh, either.”

“Come on, choose one.”

“Blue then.”

Chloe eyes her, but this time it’s less as if she’s someone to ravish and more like she’s a doll to dress up. “Hm. I do have some ideas for you, but for now… I should probably get to what I’m here for.”

Nadine makes a choice then. “I can send the guards away so you can take the hall. Or the servant’s passage might work.”

“Thank you, sweet, but I think I’ll take the window.” She sits herself down on the sill. “Nice to meet you, Captain. Hopefully, we cross paths again.” With that, Chloe winks and falls backward out the window. She must catch herself, as Nadine can hear her moving around it and up farther.

She closes the window.

An hour later, Nadine feels as though she’s dreamed the encounter.

It turns out the encounter was not a dream, Nadine realizes the next day. Things have gone missing, and not just in Hunton-Blather’s chambers. Lady Cecily’s jewelry has disappeared and she claims to have witnessed, in her words, “a feminine man with dark hair” making off with it. Apparently, a woman in men’s clothing is beyond her.

And it could’ve been a coincidence, but Nadine returns to her rooms after a long session of horseback riding and finds Chloe Frazer reclined on her couch. She’s got a glass of wine in one hand. She’s still dressed as a man. And she’s even sporting a small sword on her hip.

“Was wondering when you’d get in. Rather dull here. Had to hide from a servant coming in to start the fire.”

Nadine sighs. “Any reason you’re back?” She tired and sweaty and plans to retire early.

“Hard to find good company in these parts, lovey. Besides my own crew, you’re about it. And I spend plenty of time with my crew.” She takes a sip of her wine and Nadine finds herself watching those sultry lips on the edge of the glass. Chloe certainly notices. She grins. “Perhaps you find my company better than the others of your class?”

Nadine won’t admit as much, not outright. “Perhaps if you didn’t break in and instead called like a standard visitor I might.”

“Oh, but your highness! If I did that, think of the rumors. Some pirate captain asking to see the most beautiful princess this castle has ever held? Scandal.”

“Dress as a woman and you might have better luck.”

“Whether I dress as man or as woman, there would be rumours. They’ll talk about anything round these parts.”

Nadine huffs, but steps behind her divider. She needs to change before, well she’s not sure before what exactly, but she’d rather be out of her riding clothes. It’s worse that she’s forced to ride side saddle more often than not. Her standard riding clothes– trousers, like a man’s– had been deemed too scandalous by many in the court, so often she’s forced into a dress as well. They’re bulky, hard to get into and out of. She usually has a servant for the second part.

She does her best, but inevitably, she’s half stuck in a restrictive bit of her outfit. She could, possibly, ask Chloe to hide so she could call her servant to help. Otherwise, she has to figure it out on her own.

“Need some help, Captain?”

She turns and sees Chloe leaning on the edge of the divider. Her eyes are focused on Nadine’s face, thankfully.

Nadine narrows her eyes at the intrusion and wonders whether or not she should accept the help.

But then Chloe steps closer. “I can be your lady in waiting. Help you get out of this.”

Nadine is about to correct her on exactly what a lady in waiting does, but then Chloe’s fingers brush the nape of her neck. She works at the knot at the top that Nadine had been having trouble with.

“You’ll have to forgive me. It’s been a while since I helped undress a lady of such high status. I’m out of practice.”

Nadine, despite herself, chuckles. “That was horrible.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Seems to be working in my favour.”

That sobers Nadine a touch. This is the second time Chloe has broken into her rooms. She should have had her tossed out the first time. That’s what would have been right. It was the way things were supposed to be.

“You really shouldn’t be here,” Nadine murmurs.

A scoff. “I’ve done many things I shouldn’t do. This happens to be a more pleasurable instance.”

“If they find you, you’ll be hanged.”

“Hempen halter aside, I like where I am right now. You’re interesting. I like interesting.” She tugs a bit at the fabric she’s working with. “Why else would I have come back?”

Nadine doesn’t understand it. “You stole Lady Cecily’s jewelry.” It’s not a question.

“I did.”

“Why?”

Chloe shrugs. “She needs to be taught respect.”

“And that will teach her?”

A chuckle. “No, but it will annoy her. I don’t have the time to properly teach her. No one has that sort of time.” She hums. “Arms up, dear. We’ll get this off you.”

Nadine feels better when she’s less restricted. She’s got two more layers before she can put on something simpler, but at least she can handle it on her own now.

Despite this, Chloe starts after the next piece of clothing. “No, I doubt that woman will ever show you proper respect, but I had to do something. Couldn’t just let her insult you.” She guides Nadine round so they’re facing each other.

Nadine feels… she’s not sure. She doesn’t really understand why Chloe came back. Doesn’t understand why Chloe was offended at the insult against her.

“Why not?”

Chloe doesn’t answer. Her eyes are resting on Nadine’s scar at her throat. She seems lost and one hand moves as if she’s going to touch it. There’s a moment where Nadine wants her to. Where Nadine craves Chloe’s touch, her kiss. To feel those rough, sea-ready hands on her hips. To be taken.

It’s a trail of thought she should be avoiding. Chloe is a criminal. And she, she is royalty. She is set to take the throne. There’s something unnatural here, surely. This isn’t something she should want.

But it seems she’s not the only one who wants it. Chloe is only just holding herself back, Nadine is certain. There’s not much distance between them; it could easily be closed.

There’s the sound of her door opening. “Your Highness?” comes a voice. It’s one of Nadine’s servants, a young woman she knows by the name of Portia. “There’s a message in for you.”

A message, not a messenger.

Nadine takes a deep breath and betrays nothing as she calls back. “Leave it on the table, Portia.” A pause. “I should not need your help tonight. I intend to retire early.”

“Oh, yes, your highness. But I’m not far if you need me.”

The door closes again.

The spell between Nadine and Chloe seems broken now. Chloe has returned to assisting with the next bit of clothing, behind Nadine. She says nothing.

“I should be able to handle it from here,” Nadine says quietly. “I don’t need help.”

“What if I want to help?”

A sigh. “If you must, then.”

Then, so softly, “Hey, you’re the focus here. Do you want me to?”

Nadine realizes what Chloe is actually talking about. And part of Nadine wants to say yes. She’s certain Chloe could give her a very good night. She thinks on the urges, the thoughts that had tumbled through her head not moments ago before Portia had unknowingly interrupted. Had the question been asked then, she would’ve said yes with so little hesitation as to be meaningless. Then, in her moment of weakness, she would’ve gathered Chloe up in her arms and let whatever she desired happen.

It’s been a long while since she took a woman to bed. And even longer since a woman took her. Chloe shows promise to be the latter.

Logic, though she fears it may be her own cowardice, surfaces. There’s a reason she’s had no lady visitors. At home, she had servants she could trust with secrets and loyalty that kept people quiet. Here, she has none of that. The only servant to follow her from home had been Portia, and while clever, she couldn’t hide everything for Nadine.

No. This couldn’t happen. Not right now. Even if Nadine wanted it.

She does. Badly.

“No… Not now.”

Chloe raises an eyebrow, trying to look unaffected. “Not… now ?” she emphasizes. “So, perhaps… another time?”

Nadine takes a deep breath and turns to face Chloe. She tries to make her expression as blank as possible. “There’s too much risk when I’m away from home. If you find yourself there once I’m back…”

“Oh, but dear Captain, that’s so long away. Surely we can take the risk. Just once.” Chloe gives her a sultry sort smile. They’re still so terribly close. “Visit my ship. My crew can keep their mouths shut. They’re good men and women.”

“I’m not one for risks, Captain Frazer,” she admits. “Trustworthy crew aside.”

Chloe hums. “Please, call me Chloe. And all right. Well… There’s still a full bottle of wine out there. And I’ve got some time. Let’s sit. Enjoy some wine and each other’s company. Risk-free.”

It’s not risk-free, but Nadine aches for decent company here. And Chloe… there’s something about her, past the obvious that she shares with Nadine. Some wine, almost a nightcap at this point, and Chloe’s company sounds lovely. Like she’s found a kindred spirit in this wolves den. But then, Chloe is the wolf here.

Perhaps she is too, judging by the looks the other royals give her.

“Company sounds just fine.”

“Excellent. Then how about we get you into something you can relax in. Once done, I’ll pour you a glass.”

A day later, Nadine finds the rest of the castle near unbearable after her brief hours of respite.

The fact she gets along better with a pirate captain than she does the other women of her class is… well, she wishes it was a surprise, but it’s not. The captain understands things about her that few others do. From the call of the sea to the preference of women’s company, Nadine had been able to truly be open with the woman.

Now, Nadine is back to being near silent and unwilling to join most conversations. Her thoughts stay on that of her parting with Chloe and the woman’s soft promise that they’ll see each other again. It’d been almost a whisper just before Chloe had excused herself and, as was her way, climbed out the window.

Nadine is no idiot. She’s doubtless been placed on a list of women Chloe wants to bed if only to say she’s been with royalty. But despite this, Nadine finds she doesn’t care. She likes Chloe, even if she isn’t sure why. Even though she knows she shouldn’t.

It won’t matter until after the masquerade. She can suffer through it. It’s only hours until the event and once it’s over, she’s writing a message to her father requesting to come home. Or maybe she’ll just find her own way back. Either way, she doesn’t want to be here anymore.

The outfit she’s decided on is still horrible, but there could be worse.

She heads back to her rooms early, well before she has to get ready. Everything is boring today and she may as well be bored in private rather than around people she can’t stand.

Stepping into her room, she’s immediately occupied.

Laying out on her bed is a handsome dress in dark blue with gold accents. The buttons are shaped like tiny ebony elephant skulls.

Beside it is a note.

Nadine picks it up.

So perhaps I stopped in for more than your company the other night. Needed your measurements to get you this. I’m certain it will be stunning on you, and it even has a handy little space for a dagger on the hip, should you need it. Til we meet again.

It’s signed C. Frazer.

At least she’ll look good in her misery.

Her servants ask no questions on where the dress came from, not even Portia who tends to speak up when she finds something strange.

She’s going to find her own passage home, she’s decided. If there’s promise of seeing Chloe again on top of simply being at home with her own horse and her dogs and the simple fact she won’t be here, it’s worth annoying her father.

The dress fits well, but it’s not as restrictive as the popular styles. She can move in it better than most of her wardrobe, and certainly better than the dress she had originally planned on. It flows beautifully and surprisingly, she actually feels good in it.

It doesn’t keep the masquerade from feeling torturous. She dances a little but then stays on the side simply waiting for it to be over.

Nadine is lonely. It’s something she can admit to herself here among strangers and royalty from other nations. She’s got acquaintances, but the only person she might count a friend is her own servant. It’s sad really.

Perhaps she should have let Captain Frazer into her bed. That regret will follow her until she sees Chloe again.

At home she has friends. Many are military officers, some are her own crew from her ship, but all are her friends. Parties there are actually fun. Here, she can’t enjoy herself amid the strange looks and the uneasiness of any she might try to interact with.

“Might I have this dance?”

Nadine looks up, intending to send the man away, when she sees the mask worn. Most of it looks not unlike the upper half of a human skull, but on either side of where the teeth would be are gold lined tusks, like those of an elephant. At first glance, she might mistake this person for a man, but upon further inspection, this couldn’t be anyone but Chloe.

“Captain Jupiter Jones, at your service.”

She’s disguised herself as a man, binding her breasts and wearing a lovely red suit, not unlike military finery. While she had toned her voice down for the question, she whispers a compliment in her normal voice. “You look stunning.” She offers a hand.

Nadine takes it, but says nothing, allowing herself to be led out to dance. Not until they’ve begun to dance can they talk.

“And here I thought I wouldn’t see you until I got home.”

Chloe grins, grey eyes sparkling behind her mask. “How could I stay away from such woman as yourself?”

Chloe is leading the dance, guiding Nadine over the floor. None nearby can hear them over the music. It’s not quite like those cliche stories say– she doesn’t feel like she’s floating. There’s no illusion that they’re alone on the floor. But she’s happy. Not something she’s been while away from home.

“So, how handsome a man do you think I make?”

Nadine chuckles. “Very. I’m sure many of the young women here have eyes on you.” She looks away, as if trying to spot any that might be interested in Chloe, but meets her eyes again. “But I prefer you as a woman.”

The dance brings her to a spin, Chloe’s hand on her waist, guiding her through it. “I’m afraid if you’d like to keep dancing, I’ll have to appear a man.”

“And if I don’t want to dance?”

“Alas, there’s to much company around for us to do more.”

“A pity.”

Chloe chuckles. “I believe I gave you an opportunity for more when we were alone last. Too risky, my dear, don’t forget.”

“Perhaps. But it didn’t mean I didn’t want more.”

The first song ends and the next dance starts. They continue on.

“I’d give you anything you don’t already have, should you give me the chance. Myself included, dear lady.”

Chloe is close. The only things keeping her back are the tusks on her mask and the people around her. Nadine finds herself wishing to be out of sight so she might at least kiss this woman before her.

Nadine has found herself trapped in the arms of a woman she wants more of, wants all of, with sweet nothings being whispered in her ear. It’s near torture knowing they can’t do anything more.

She wants to do more.

Eventually, Chloe is asked to dance by a young lady from the court. Nadine allows it and steps away, feeling Chloe’s eyes on her as she goes. It’s just as well. Nadine feels as though she’s boiling in the heat of the room, though she hadn’t noticed it while dancing.

She fans herself as she heads for the doors. This night has found her in a much better mood than she ever expected. She doesn’t care to think on how Chloe is able to turn her mood towards the better so simply.

“Do you need anything, your highness?”

The question comes from Portia, who’s found her in the crowd.

“No, thank you. Not more than air, and I can reach the garden on my own.”

Portia steps back, allowing her by.

The night is cool. Most seem to have stayed inside, so Nadine is alone among the hedges and flowers. As is popular, there’s a small hedge maze. She steps in and wanders until she finds the fountain she tends to spend time near. It gives her privacy from the others in the castle and the peace and quiet that’s hard to find here.

She finds a seat on one of the benches there.

It’s some time before she’s joined.

Chloe finally makes her way around the corner and spots her. “There you are. As soon as you were gone, those women surrounded like wolves. I’m lucky I wasn’t torn to bits.”

Nadine chuckles. “Jupiter Jones is a handsome man with some amount of mystery. What woman could resist?”

“All of them, should they know I’m truly Chloe Frazer.” She sits beside Nadine. “Though, perhaps I might be lucky if that were the case. None are quite as lovely as you.”

Nadine flushes but smiles. “You keep saying that, Captain Frazer, and I might think you want something from me.”

“Oh, you already know I do. Why would I hide it?” She tugs her mask off and sets it aside. “And please, call me Chloe.”

Nadine hums. “Chloe.”

She’s greeted by a shark-like grin. “That’s much better.”

Slowly, Chloe reaches forward and undoes the ties keeping Nadine’s mask on. It falls away and joins Chloe’s mask to the side. “You know, I didn’t intend to stay in port more than a night.” She caresses the side of Nadine’s face, tracing over her cheekbone and then, so slowly, to her lips. “But I ran into someone who… was worth staying for.”

“Oh? You should introduce her to me,” Nadine jokes.

Chloe laughs low. “Oh, you’ve certainly met her. Long before I did. A beautiful princess with dark skin, covered in freckles, and most definitely worth more than the whole rest of them combined.”

“High praise from a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

“I’m certain you’re in that same boat, my dear princess. You’ve your own reputation, you know. Slavers avoid the waters near your nation to avoid you.”

“Good.”

“Speaking of ships,” Chloe says, changing topics. “My crew is anxious to leave. The tide will change in the morning and my ship has to take it. There are military types in the area and…”

“You’re leaving,” Nadine murmurs. The wind feels like it’s been taken out of her. She doesn’t understand why. Three hours ago, she’d thought Chloe had already left.

“Yes, but… Well, I’ve got an offer for you, should you like it.” Chloe brings her thumb back over Nadine’s lips, seemingly lost in thought, but then she takes a deep breath. “The masquerade will be over soon. You’ve done as you’ve promised and attended. If you want to leave… My ship is yours. As long as you’d like to be aboard, whether it’s only until home or longer. I’ll give you passage.”

It’s then that Nadine kisses her. She pushes close and steals the woman’s breath as quickly as she can. It starts near innocently and quickly grows hot, Nadine clutching at Chloe’s clothes and pulling her ever closer all while Chloe does her best to get her hands on any bit of Nadine’s skin.

When they pull away, Chloe is dazed and grinning. “Is that a yes? Felt like a yes.”

“I already had plans to arrange passage. The fact I can do so on your ship makes things easier. Better.”

Now this, just maybe, could be her floating. It makes no sense. She met this woman four days ago. But she’s happy and hopeful and willing to board Chloe’s ship for the months it will take to travel home. Maybe for longer.

“I may even have room in the captain’s cabin. My cabin,” Chloe offers. “I mean, you are a princess. You’re supposed to get the best possible conditions, no?”

“As long as I can stay in there with you, I can stand it.”

“So you’ll come with me?”

“Yes. I’ll have Portia start packing right away.”

Chloe grins again. “That woman of yours knows too much. I asked her where you’d gone and she gave me this look like she knew I was a woman, and told me where to find you.”

“She’s a good woman. Came with me from home.”

“She’s welcome on the ship to come back with us.” Chloe kisses her again. “Do you need help getting there?”

Nadine thinks on it. “As long as I can get a horse, I’ll be fine. What’s your ship name?”

“The Swift Return.”

“I’ll be there before you leave in the morning.”

Again, they kiss.

“You know this is a risk, right?” Chloe murmurs low, lips not far from Nadine’s ear as they have their cheeks pressed together. “The very reason we didn’t do anything before now?”

“I’ve realized this one is worth it.”

Nadine can feel the smile on Chloe’s face. “Yeah?”

“Ja. You make it that way.”

#chlodine #chloe frazer #nadine ross #royalty au #historical au #criminals au #my writing #the lost writing #Anonymous

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