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mommymooze · 3 years

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Angelic Vision

Claude x Reader

Angelic Vision

“You look like an angel. Have you come to take me to heaven?“ Claude lies on the ground, the back of his hand across his brow.

“No, but when I pull that arrow out of you it’s going to hurt like hell.” You say as you put your knee on his chest and with both hands pull the arrow back out of Claude’s shoulder.

“Yeeowch!” Claude hollers.

You then pour healing magic into his shoulder, feeling the muscles weaving themselves back together. You stand up reaching out your hand for his other hand to help Claude up from the ground.

“Go easy on it. If you reinjure it, go find Marianne because I’m not going to fix it again.” You tell him before running off to the next injured party.

Hilda walks up to stand by the House Leader of the Golden Deer. “Why do the super smart ones always have to be so pissy?”

“Beats me, if they would loosen up or relax a little, they would have a lot more fun.” Claude shrugs.

Mail is delivered and there is a shipment of three boxes for you. Pretty darn heavy boxes. You carry them one at a time from the front gate to your room. Unlocking and opening your door you suddenly find you are not alone. Claude gives a look of shock at the number of books in your room. One entire wall is nothing but books.

“You do know they have a library here.” Claude quips

“It is useless for my research.” You grumble. “The books are old and out of date. They also do not have any ancient texts that may have useful yet forgotten applications.”

Claude is looking at the subjects and titles. “Hey mind if I borrow a few?” You raise an eyebrow at him. “I’ll think about it. “

You’ve been hanging out with Linhardt a lot lately. He’s supposed to be helping with a project you’re working on.

“When I saw them in the library, they were getting pretty cozy.” Hilda snarkily jests.

Claude decides there is a book that he must have right now from the library. He walks in to see you back to back with a very unconscious Linhardt. You’re trying to support him with your back so he doesn’t fall over completely while you are still reading your book. You look trapped?

“Having fun?” Claude grins.

“Yeah. When Lin’s on empty he just crashes. Since Caspar isn’t here, well, I don’t want him to fall and get hurt. I can’t move him.” You groan

Claude helps you get the sleeping cleric to a couch to catch his z’s.

“Thanks. Squishy magic users don’t quite have the strength for these things.”

“I’d be happy to help you out with anything.” Claude smiles. “Call me and I’ll be there!”

You spend the afternoon gathering plants and mushrooms in the nearby woods for your studies. You’ve been working on creating antitoxins and other cures for poisons. You have several bags tied to your waist with different plants in them. Just as you’re about to reach for a particularly ugly and poisonous mushroom you hear a voice calling out your name.

“Hey! Those are really poisonous. You better watch out!”

“Oh Claude, of course I know they are poisonous. How am I supposed to make a potion to neutralize them if I don’t collect them?” You roll your eyes at him.

“Since when have you been interested in poisons?” He raises an eyebrow at you.

“Since Leonie took that poison arrow last battle. We didn’t have anything to counteract it and she had to suffer for over a week until the poison made it through her system.”

“You’re right. He muses. “Maybe we can work together on them sometime?”

An envelope is sealed and addressed to you. It’s the regular update from your father. Sitting down in the dining hall you groan miserably as you read.

Hilda has to know what is troubling you. “Family feud?”

“Just kill me now.” You whine.

She pats you on the shoulder. “Can’t be that bad, can it?”

“My father. I love him dearly but he meddles so much. He agreed that I could come here to further my learning. But…” You hesitate.

She looks at you, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“He told me I have to find myself a husband, preferably a noble while here. I am extremely busy with class work, spell practice, spell development, antidote, and concoction creation. I hardly have time to sleep. Oh, and don’t forget Byleth’s special projects. The guys want someone fun and outgoing like you. You’re cute and entertaining and I’m a dowdy old bookworm.”

“Awww. I am pretty awesome, that’s true.” Hilda grins. “You just need a fake boyfriend while your father is here. I bet I can find someone to help you.”

“Not Sylvain. I will kill myself.” You frown.

“I gotcha fam. Give me the deets and I will set you up.”

“Thanks Hils I owe ya.” You curtsey to her.

“Sky watch for the next month to start, hmmmm…” She ponders.

Later that evening Hilda corners Claude. “One big fat amazing opportunity has just dropped into your lap, loverboy. You better not mess this up!”

“Do tell…” Claude winks.

Tomorrow is the day your father is to arrive. You find Hilda to see if she has anything set for you. Hilda says she’s got everything under control. You’re shaking in your boots, the only thing going through your mind is that your father is going to drag you out of here kicking and screaming because you don’t have a boyfriend.

The day arrives. Standing next to the gatekeeper you watch as the carriage rolls closer and closer to the front gate. Suddenly an arm slides around your back and a familiar voice speaks, “Shouldn’t we go down and greet your father, my deer?” You look up into the sparkling emerald green eyes of Claude. Blushing terribly, you can only nod as you walk down the steps to greet your father.

Your father rushes to you with both arms open to give you a hug and spin you half way around in a circle. “My baby. It’s been so long. In these few short months I daresay you’ve grown in to a fine woman. So beautiful.” Your fathers’ cheeks are rosy and eyes are filled with love for his only daughter. “And who is this young man?” He curiously asks.

“My apologies, father.” You are gasping for breath. “This is Claude von Riegan.

Grandson to-”

Your father finishes your statement. “The Duke of the Leister Alliance!”

“And her beau.” Claude announces proudly, first bowing to your father then taking your hand and intertwines your fingers before placing a gentle kiss onto your knuckles. Your face flushes redder than a summer tomato.

Claude continues to hold your hand as he escorts the both of you to your room. The future Duke and your father are already excitedly discussing Leister business, trade and the safety of trade routes.

“I will leave you to your visit. I’ll be back in time to take you both for a grand lunch in town just across the way.” Claude smiles as he bows to your father and kisses your hand again before he leaves, his cape swishing as he turns.

You open your door to find a small table with a pitcher of ice cold water and lemons as well as two glasses and a small stack of cakes. A beautiful bouquet of daisies and roses accompanies them. Two comfortable and decorative chairs are alongside of the table. You swear you recall those chairs were in Seteth’s office not too long ago.

“Please take a seat, father.” You pour him some of the deliciously refreshing chilled water. “Tell me about your trip.” Trying to keep him focused on what has been going on at home. Every time he tries to ask about your relationship with Claude, you ask about your brothers or your aunt, anything to steer the conversation away from you. An opportune knock on the door disrupts your fathers latest attempt to discuss your relationship with the grandson of Duke Riegan.

“My apologies, we do have a reservation for lunch in town.” Claude bows deeply to the both of you. As you leave your room, Claude swiftly takes your hand. You smile nervously at him. This man is a master of deception.

Claude manages the conversation with entertaining stories of Byleth and the Golden Deer. He makes certain to include some accounts of your healing accomplishments, swearing that none of the deer would be here without your amazing abilities. You spend the entire time blushing or begging Claude to stop praising you, but he keeps going, his smile wider and wider.

At the restaurant, the waitress brings you to the table and Claude attends your chair for you. The waitress comments that it is always lovely to see you two lovebirds in here again. Does Claude have the entire town in on this? Geeez. Claude orders lunch for the both of you, as if he has done this a hundred times.

Lunch is anxious yet enjoyable. You are on the edge of your seat at all times. Claude explains how you met through the Golden Deer. You’re both supportive and loyal to the class. You found common interests in seeking cures for poisons and are very supportive of each other in battle, that you fell for his charm and good looks and that he is incredibly impressed by your intelligence and knowledge. Nothing he says is a lie, except that you two aren’t really together.

The waitress asks about dessert. Your father declines, Claude tells her the usual and your eyes get big. He squeezes your hand that he has clasped in his on the table and gives you a wink.

A small cake with two forks is placed between you. Claude quickly takes a fork and holds a piece of cake in front of your lips. You glance at him and your father. Feeding you? That’s pretty intimate. Claude smiles wider as you open slowly while he feeds you a bit of cake. You look into his eyes and tell him it is wonderful.

He cuts off another bit and takes a bite. “Delicious.” Is that an indirect kiss?

Your father is grinning at you as the cake is finished. You slightly roll your eyes with embarrassment and that fact that you can’t believe Claude is doing this.

The men argue a minute over who will pay the tab, Claude graciously thanking your father for a delightful lunch as your father foots the bill. Your father commenting that this has been the best and most entertaining lunch he has had in a long time makes you blush harder.

The conversation is quieter as everyone his happily full walking back to the monastery. Claude happily swings your hands back and forth together as you walk. Your father asks what things you will be doing soon. Claude advises they have a mission at the end of the month, and also the two of you have a date this Saturday just before sunset.

As you head back to the grounds, your father’s carriage is ready to go. Saying your goodbyes, your father gives you a long hug and whispers “Don’t let this one go, he’s a great catch.” He steps back and gives you one long admiring look.

He shakes Claude’s hand warmly, asking him to watch out for his baby girl.

“I’ll do everything in my power to protect her, sir. You can count on that.” Claude gives him one of his classic winks.

Standing at the gate, holding hands, you both wave as your father’s carriage rolls out of sight.

Claude holds his hands out to you, “A kiss for your boyfriend?” he says as he closes his eyes and puckers his lips. You laugh as you lightly slap his shoulder.

“I cannot believe you pulled this off! I thought for sure I’d be riding back with him, but you actually had him eating out of your hand!”. You laugh as you walk away. “Maybe you should see about getting into acting or the opera. I don’t think Dorothea could have pulled off a performance like that.”

You get back to your room and thankfully Seteth’s chairs are missing. The pitcher of water is still there and the flowers. You didn’t notice before, but there was a card with them.

Every day is heaven with you, my angel ~Claude.

P.S. You keep the date on Saturday at sunset.

#fe3h #fe16 #feth #fe3h x reader #fe Claude #claude von riegan

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fatefulfaerie · 3 years

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Yearning (All I Want For Christmas Is You)

Day 3 of the 12 days of Christmas prompts orchestrated by @zelink-prompts

Incarnation: Twilight Princess post-Ganondorf

Zelda always loved the Hylia’s Day ball as a child. The joyous occasion was met with festive decorations that adorned the ballroom with hues of red and green. She remembered smiles and laughter, times with her mother and father that were now just melancholy memories.

Now, all grown up, her perspective inching further and further away from romanticizing the holiday that was really no different from any other day, she anticipated it with little excitement.

Her dress, which felt as if it were being tied securely around her very lungs, nearly breaking her ribs and flattering her chest a bit more than she was used to, was a dark green. It fell down to the floor elegantly and, since she was now Queen, showed more skin than perhaps the dress of a princess. The green velvet dress had sleeves that dangled off her shoulders and a heavy petticoat underneath that rounded out the skirt.

Zelda placed her hands on her hips as one last pull of the corset strings cemented her into a perfect figure. She was glad she could breathe, but in the mirror she couldn’t help but be worried about the amount of her breasts that could be seen. The entire kingdom knew that she hadn’t yet found a King Consort to measure up to her high standards, and thus every male had his gaze upon her.

And yet all she wanted for Hylia’s Day was the one man who gave her those expectations in the first place, who stole her heart and yet disappeared without even knowing. She supposed in this coming year, she should give up the hope of his return, give up the warmth of her feelings and marry the best suitor in line, to produce heirs and become just another Queen with just another arranged marriage.

“How does that feel, Your Majesty?”

Zelda had lost herself in her reflection, tipping her head, still mesmerized by the bottom of the dress and imagining it gliding across the floor as she danced with the man who saved her kingdom.

“Hm?” She hummed before registering the question in her mind, her head realigning to sit on her shoulders evenly. “Quite satisfactory. Thank you.”

“I take it you have quite a bit of suitors coming tonight,” the handmaiden commented as she carefully placed an ornate crown upon Zelda’s head.

“I do,” Zelda said, her fingers finicking with the skirt of her dress, a habit she had ever since she was a child.

“I guarantee they’ll fancy you in this dress,” the handmaiden continued as she made small, minute adjustments to Zelda’s updo, to Zelda’s makeup. “Is there a suitor whom you particularly fancy?”

Zelda thought upon her answer, staring at her sad blue eyes in the mirror.

“No,” she lied quietly. “Not yet.”

“Well, you never know what this day will bring,” the handmaiden said. “Hylia’s Day is a magical time.”

“Of course,” Zelda said with a small and forced smile.

“Is there anything else you need of me, Your Majesty?” The handmaiden said with a step back.

“No, thank you,” Zelda said as she turned away from the mirror, facing her handmaiden with elegantly clasped hands. “That will be all.”

The handmaiden bowed and departed to the servant’s quarters to enjoy her night off, Zelda wishing she could follow.

——————————————————————————————————

She felt alone in a crowded room of dignitaries, of suitors, of court members and distinguished soldiers. Even when someone asked her to dance she felt alone, that dangerous hole in her heart eroding at her and telling her that with Link nowhere to be found, she would be pining for him until her dying days.

It took a couple hours until she could saunter to the outside balcony without being stopped by another suitor vying for her attention. Hands on the railing, she basked in the cool night air as she closed her eyes, reveling in her temporary freedom.

Her thoughts strayed to Link, as they often did, the last time she saw him becoming smaller against the horizon, the feelings she had that she never had the courage to voice. And, of course, the distance that came after that made her heart grow even fonder of this man of her dreams.

“Perhaps it is time to let you go,” she said to the open night sky. “Three months is a long time to be gone.” She laughed to herself. “You would probably think I’m crazy for my feelings. You were part of my life for such a short time and yet…”

She sighed, hanging her head.

“I just want you back.”

“Your Majesty?” She heard someone inquire somewhere in the ballroom.

“Not even five minutes to myself,” Zelda grumbled to herself, turning around to see not a suitor but one of her servants, carrying a tray with a folded note.

“Thank you,” Zelda said as she took it, the servant bowing and returning to other duties.

The Queen had no idea what matter could be so pressing for her to receive a correspondence during the Hylia’s Day ball, but she figured she would humor that distraction.

Meet me in the west courtyard at your earliest convenience. I assure you it will be safe, but I suggest you bring a guard nonetheless.

She tried not to hope that her mysterious correspondent was Link, but by the time she reached the courtyard, she was convinced it had to be. She didn’t bring a guard because of that. The swordsman who saved Hyrule surely would still be courageous in protecting its Queen.

——————————————————————————————————

Her heart pounded in her chest as soon as she recognized his silhouette. There was no doubt it was him, Zelda having near-memorized the way he stood for her own dreams and fantasies.

Link had, however, positioned himself beyond the reach of the moonlight, standing deliberately in the shadows. Zelda steeled her excitement at the fact that he was alive when she saw his hesitation.

“Link?” She asked as she walked forward cautiously. She watched as he knelt almost immediately.

“I must apologize, Your Highness,” he said, his very voice making Zelda swoon, her cheeks blushing pink. “I no longer am of any use to you.”

“Link, what…” Zelda said with a step forward. “What are you talking about? Where have you been?”

His head remained bowed and his figure remained shrouded in shadow. Zelda’s concern grew by the second and yet at the same time, her relief that he was here was contradicting it.

“A distant village to the south heard of my battles in Hyrule,” Link said quietly and submissively, Zelda’s blue eyes already sinking at the sadness in his voice. “They travelled to Ordon to ask for my assistance defeating a monster that was terrorizing their village, killing innocent people. I left immediately, travelled back with them, and faced the monster. The battle was difficult. I was cocky, over-confident fighting a monster even though I had never seen anything like it. I defeated it eventually, but…not before the monster…robbed me…of my arm…cutting it clean off. These past couple months have been a great deal of recovery, but I’ve also been avoiding facing you, telling you that…you can no longer depend on me to be the hero. I am deeply sorry, Your Highness. I come to you ashamed that someone you depend on for the safety of your Kingdom has betrayed you in such a way, is now so…useless…”

Zelda had shed tears but she didn’t care to wipe them, rushing forward and kneeling in front of him.

“Link,” she said, placing a hand on either of his shoulders. “You aren’t just a soldier to me. That is not all you are worth. Hey! Look at me!”

His blue eyes seemed scared to meet hers until they finally did, Link taking a shaky breath.

“I am so glad you are okay,” Zelda said before insisting. “You. Not your ability to fight. You are worth so much more to me.”

“Yeah right,” Link figuring she was just saying that to be nice.

Zelda was almost angry at his lack of self-worth, for brow furrowing before she captured his lips with his, so suddenly that he didn’t even know it was coming.

Link pushed her off as soon as he could, searching her for why a person of her status would do such a thing, whether or not this was one of his dreams where she actually likes him back. Zelda placed a hand on his cheek.

“I love you for who you are,” Zelda said. “Not what you did or used to be able to do for Hyrule. I don’t love the chosen hero, I love Link. I love you…and I’m so relieved that you are back.”

Link still look absolutely shocked, Zelda worrying he didn’t return her feelings before he surged forward much like she had, only this kiss continued as they pleased.

“I love you, too,” he whispered against her lips. “From the very second I met you, I knew the meaning of love. I’m not sure how that’s possible but…it’s true.”

Zelda couldn’t help but smile.

“I feel the same.” She said, their foreheads touching. “All I wanted for Hylia’s Day was you.”

Link chuckled.

“I didn’t plan to come back on the day of the ball,” Link said. “But you look as beautiful as I remember, even more so in that dress. In the moonlight you look like Hylia herself.”

“Pale and ghostlike?” Zelda jived.

“Transcendently gorgeous,” Link corrected.

Zelda chuckled.

“You know,” she said standing up, backing away, and excitedly positioning her arms, ready to dance. “I’ve danced with every one of my suitors except you.”

“As much as I’d like to be,” Link said, standing up and stepping into the moon light. He was just as charmingly handsome as Zelda remembered. “I’m not one of your suitors.”

“Oh?” Zelda asked as they stepped into each other, Zelda taking his hand with hers and placing her other hand on his armless shoulder. “And why is that?”

“There must be some rule,” Link argued softly, the two starting to waltz in circles.

“Rules can be changed,” Zelda said. “Remember you are dancing with a Queen.”

Link froze immediately.

“I…I-I am?”

He looked absolutely panicked.

“You didn’t know that?” Zelda asked with a smile.

“I…I don’t know, I…” Link looked for more words. “I don’t know I guess I didn’t even think you would…I-I mean of course you would rise to Queen, I…”

Zelda giggled, and her smile accentuated by the moonlight made Link’s blush.

“I supposed I should have assumed,” he said, prompting her to continue dancing in circles.

“Are you,” Link cleared his throat. “A-already in line to marry someone then? Because if I’m getting in the way of that, I really don’t need to stick around. I just want you to be happy.”

“Link,” Zelda said with shakes of her head an an elegant smile. She kissed him again. “You make me happy. Happier than I’ve ever felt. You. No one else. Those other suitors never had a chance with you in my heart. I never chose any of them.”

Link chuckled nervously.

“Good, that’s…that’s good,” Link said before laughing again, a sound much more hearty and warm, his eyes locked in hers. “I’m happy, too”

#zelink #zelda #link #twilight princess #tloz #the legend of zelda #twelve days of christmas #yearning #all I want for christmas is you

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philosophicalparadox · 3 years

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Dark Headcannons for the Demon Bois, part 2.a : Physiological Adaptations and Defense Mechanisms (physical)

I continue this ideology with more horror HC's (kind of) detailing some of the physiology and physical defenses of our boys - HOWEVER there is quite a bit of science invested in this particular post, so there's a little explaining to do first.

Note: I have removed Iblis from the list for the next few rounds because we really dont know anything about her, and I've also removed Egyn because I have zero idea what kind of adaptations he has since no one's ever seen his body. Azazel is floating in kind of the same boat. We seen his clones, but not him, and we have only really seen two of his kin - from that alone its hard to tell. We haven't even seen Beelzebub except in Gehenna, and for all we know they are stuck there. Im basing all this off hypothetical and mythological sources as well as my knowledge of animal and human anatomy.

Onward!

But first! (Yep, scientific Exposition Time Baby! I promise it won't be long) Something that strikes me odd is that all demons seem to be stronger physically than their non possessed counterparts, and so for the sake of not repeating myself where unessessary, we will assume this is due to increased muscular density, as a default which is the same thing that allows much smaller primates to be much stronger than ourselves.

However, be aware that there are MANY factors that influence physical strength alone - efficiency of respiration, bodily waste management (aka, kidney and liver function) and efficiency of metabolic processes (digestive system, pancreas, and again liver). I'll touch on all these things in their own right, but just to let you know, everything is interconnected.

Onward!

Samael

Is, in everyday scenarios, about 7x stronger than the average human. In times of high adrenaline that can shoot up to 10, due to possessing a unique respiratory system, detailed below.

Samael has a physique designed to be an ambush predator, with a body that puts nothing to waste, but he is also built for bursts of speed and agility, both skills vital for his hunting strategy type, detailed in part one, to be effective. Standing out in a crowd may lull prey into a false sense of security, but it also draws a lot of attention from competitors, as well as parasitic predators like Chuchi and Coltars.

Samael is a demon often depicted with avian wings, and for his body to put out the strength it does and be able to at least glide requires an avian-modeled respiratory system. In other words he breathes with lungs, but has additional air sacs in his chest and abdomen to draw as much oxygen from the air as possible. For a demon optimized for bursts of speed and high agility, being able to metabolize large amounts of oxygen very quickly is vital.

More vital still though is having the kidneys and liver to be able to handle it. I suspect he would have a lobed liver akin to a rabbit, and kidneys much like a cat. Technically speaking, if he eats right, he never actually has to drink any water. His kidneys are that efficient.

Now onto the fun one: bones. High density muscles put out huge forces on the bones they are attached to. There are two ways to fix that: make the bone harder and denser, or make the bone softer and flexible with cartilage. Samael does the former. The most efficient way to have denser bones without adding weight is to make them hollow, at the sacrifice of not having much bone marrow. This works out perfectly though, since to metabolize high rates of oxygen you need specialized red blood cells with lots and lots of hemoglobin, and hollow bones allow for the production of just enough of these cells.

Now that the basics are out of the way, Samael has some other unique adaptations, including a ratcheted tendon system in his forearms, like those found in raptors. This gives him a virtually unbreakable, iron-strong grip from which escape is virtually impossible. Combine that with talon-like claws and long fingers that can really dig in, and you're screwed from the word "go".

Making that escape even more impossible is his highly flexible joints, which make twisting out of his grasp before he has a chance to bite damn near unheard of. Remember, it only takes one bite to kill. If he catches you, you're dead already.

As far as defensive abilities go, Samael hasn't got any besides evasion. So much of his body is devoted to being a specialist that there isnt any room for special physical defenses - in fact his hollow bones, while very good at handling internal stresses, are no less brittle than a birds when it comes to some external forces. A sledgehammer to the side of his thigh (impact) would absolutely shatter his femur bone, though he can land on his feet from a great height (compression) and barely bruise.

Lucifer

Is maybe 5x stronger than the average human, on a really good day. He has a bit of muscle, but he is a magic user, not a berserker. On his bad days he can dip below a 1.

Physically he isn't too different from a human mostly, other than having an ultra efficient heart and lungs that are 20% larger to compensate for his increased muscle density.

Except that he has very strange cells. To all appearance his body is mostly human, but one look under the microscope would tell you instantly that something is odd about this duck, because his cells have tiny crystals in them. These crystals are of unknown composition, but they are thought to assist with fluorescence, or the production of the stuff mentioned below.

Also odd about his cells is that they're filled with an almost cellulose like substance instead of normal cytoplasm. Its a bit denser and is THE most heat resistant organic substance on earth. It also makes his cells completely immune to all forms of radiation - this boy could literally survive a nuclear explosion as long as he was in a shelter where he couldn't be impacted by debris or the shockwave. Heat and radiation from it would be like a sunburn at worst.

However, he is not fireproof. While this substance is resistant to heat, it is not resistant to oxidation, so it WILL burn. Not well, and not fast, but it will burn.

Which leads me to the fact that he has some very unique organelles. Multiple types of mitochondria, Golgi bodies and ribosomes help manufacture the weirdness.

Part of that weirdness is of unknown deadliness though. When fully charged up, the light he emits contains dangerous wavelengths, and further study has yet to be done on whether and what types of radiation he may emit. It is known that his dense cytoplasmic substance can hold onto nuclear radiation, but does so very briefly.

As far as defenses go, he does actually have a pretty interesting, but accidental one, for the dense cytoplasmic substance of his cells naturally permeates into his blood plasma. This substance is extremely bitter and even potentially toxic at high enough doses. A mouthful of Lucifer's blood is enough to induce severe nausea, vomiting, cramping of the intestines (colic), and if swallowed, diarrhoea.

The strange substance of his cells also mediates the use of Elixir that is specific to himself. Elixir used for other purposes are rejects of the ones formulated just for him, and are effective at treating a wide variety of things.

On a related but unrelated note, though, the elixir has nasty side effects on humans and demons alike, often triggering the onset of various cancers and cysts, though it's not clear why this happens to some and not others. It is not known why Lucifer is seemingly immune to these side effects, but he could, potentially, be immune to cancer altogether.

Amaimon

Amaimon is a fucking draft horse, with a baseline strength of 9x that of a human. That's somewhere slightly above a pissed off gorilla and/or an attacking tiger, for reference. In high adrenalized mode, that number shoots up to a 12, which is about as high as biology will let anything go, courtesy square cube law.

His muscles are SO dense and heavy, in fact, that he is incapable of floating in water. He also isn't very fast for long distances. He has high stamina at low energy output, and low stamina at high energy output. He can walk for days on end, but in a dead sprint he can't go more than a kilometer at best before his muscles start to rip him apart.

Which leads to : bones. Amaimon takes a very reptilian approach to the issue of having super powerful muscles, and has fibrin and cartilage reinforced bones that bow rather than break. However, these bones have many sharp angles for muscular attachments, and as a result are very poor at resisting torsion (twisting) and high rates of compression. The last thing he wants to do is land on his feet from a great height, for he is likely to fracture his long bones.

But those are not the only bones he has - much like monitor lizards, including komodo dragons, he has ossicones embedded in his skin, forming a chain-mail mesh of steely bone just below the dermis that makes his skin very resistant to slashes and cuts, but very weak to stabbing and thrusting. Cleaving into him wont do much damage, but impaling him on a pike works great.

His organs are strange, made stranger by his blood, which has a pH value of 7.8, far more alkaline than most viruses or bacteria can survive, making him virtually immune to disease. Unfortunately that also impacts the bacteria in his gut, which as a consequence can exist nowhere else on earth.

On the flip side, his stomach secretes acid that is so caustic it dissolves bone in hours, and also destroys even the worst of pathogens. As touched upon before, he can regurgitate this acid onto attackers in self defense, even going so far as to spit it at them from a distance of two meters. It has a patently unpleasant odor too, adding to its defensive quality.

Amaimons claws are semi retractable and grizzly-like, making them excellent tools for digging and prying things apart. They're also really good at ripping people apart, and there is no armor that can really do effective justice except for one: spiky. His skin isn't super resistant to impalement, remember, so the pricklier the better. That is assuming he cant chip away at it. Good luck with that.

Another organ to mention is his tail. It's not exactly prehensile, but it is flexible and very, very powerful. One whack across the midsection could kill a man. In fact his tail is often his first line of defense against attackers; it's so robust and armored that it's almost impossible to injure, and it hits like a truck. Good for offense or defense, or even just lazing around.

Astaroth

Fungi boy has an average strength of just twice that of a human. But when pushed to his limits, he can use hydraulic musculature to increase his strength to 9x that of the average human.

Speaking of which, Astaroth has some weird musculature- or lack thereof. Rather than having ordinary, dense tissue, he instead has a hydraulic system of movement akin to that of a worm or slug. Not only that, but his muscles are not his own - rather they are controlled by slime molds, with which he has a symbiotic relationship. The muscles are very little muscle tissue and a whole lot of mycellial fibers. His body is literally made of fungus, controlled by fungi and microorganisms, and is fed and defended by these things.

He is, in light of this, able to turn his body temperature on or off in any area he needs to at-will, giving his slimy friends the home they need.

He has a perfect mastery over the simple organisms he controls, and can exchange them at will. This combined with the ability to live without body heat means he is completely immune to all but the most severe of environments. As long as he has access to moisture, he can survive and thrive at sub zero temperatures and well into the triple digits. However he can not live without his slimy friends, and so can not endure drought very well. Deserts are the bane of his existence.

When it comes to defenses, Astaroth is nothing but. Toxic spores, all colours of miasma, foul smells, and even sharp needles and thorns when necessary. Nothing with a lick of sense would dare try to eat him, with the exception of microorganisms and parasites thereof - but it's not him they consume, but his symbiotes, which again he can simply discard or exchange as need be.

He is however very slow moving, typically, and doesn't really have a 'flee' or 'fight' response. Instead he freezes, exuding and oozing his more unfriendly companions to deter attack. If this should fail though, however unlikely, he is remarkably fragile and slow to heal, though virtually impossible to kill.

His only real weakness is well established: fire. It is the great sterilizer, though light is also not something he can easily defend against either. Neither are vacuums and immense air pressure. Basically if it's not within the realms of ordinary natural phenomena he has no ability to escape or defend. This gives him an edge against the younger of the Kings, but makes him powerless against the older half.

Whew! That was a lot. This post took FOREVER to make!

Questions and comments are welcome, reading with a grain of salt in mind is recommended.

#ao no exorcist #blue exorcist #demon kings #headcannons #this is just the a.#theres a b. coming

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welllpthisishappening · 3 years

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Welllp These Are Books: the January 2021 Edition

Tumblr’s gif search leaves a lot to be desired, so there’s no actual gif of her slamming the book shut, which is—y’know, disappointing. Still, the continued ability of the public library system to send books to my Kindle ensures that I continue to read every romantic comedy and fantasy story I can find. Of which I have plenty of thoughts and opinions. But, like, what’s the point of having thoughts and opinions if you’re not putting them on the internet? There isn’t one, obviously. Books and links and feelings and more ridiculous headlines all under the cut.

BEST BOOK AWARD WINNER OF A VERY WEIRD JANUARY THAT HELPED DISTRACT FROM A VERY WEIRD JANUARY

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend. She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

This was so good?!?! I finished the first book and them immediately started the sequel, like no break whatsoever?!! I wish they weren’t teenagers?!! But seriously I wish they hadn’t been teenagers. Like, I get it. It’s YA. That probably sells better, something about markets that I don’t understand. I don’t care. It was weird that they were teenagers. Also, some of the plot points just kind of...happened? And I’m not entirely sure they were ever resolved. (Although there are a bunch of short stories, so. Maybe I just haven’t gotten there yet.) Despite that, the writing was gorgeous, I remain as prone to swooning over sad boys patent pending as I was when I was sixteen and Shahrzad was a fantastic heroine. Nine out of ten (would have been ten if they weren’t teenagers) and have already put holds on other books Ahdieh has written.

OBLIGATORY RAGE-INDUCING ROM-COM

Head Over Heads by Hannah Orenstein The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri. Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she's surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.

I stopped reading it. Honestly. I got, like, 46% of the way through, kept complaining to Justin about how goddamn annoying Avery was and how no one had any personality and I wanted them all to fall off the beam and he was like—stop reading it, then? And I was like—I can do that? And then I did! Also, I understand it needed conflict, but the “shocking scandal” in the description is a sexual assault that was not only NOT my cup of tea, but felt like a massive attempt to be topical by using what happened at Michigan State without actually saying it was about Michigan state.

PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW SPORTS WRITE SPORTS AND DO IT OK

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them. Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend, is wrestling with what miserable athletes living out their worst nightmares call the “yips”: he can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why. As the media storm heats up, an invitation from Andy to stay in Maine seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button on Dean’s future. When he moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie’s house, the two make a deal: Dean won’t ask about Evvie’s late husband, and Evvie won’t ask about Dean’s baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken—and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. To move forward, Evvie and Dean will have to reckon with their pasts—the friendships they’ve damaged, the secrets they’ve kept—but in life, as in baseball, there’s always a chance—up until the last out.

I am admittedly a sports snob. Writing about sports is my thing and I’m super particular about reading about it. But this sounded good and for the most part it was good. Emotional, too. Like, “jeepers, that was intense” kind of emotional. But also some of the things Dean talked about were just...not how sports work and that drives me nuts. Also another story that was, as mentioned, super emotional only to get tied up in this nice little bow. Which, cool, but also...not? Just felt rushed at the end.

IN WHICH SHIPPING IS QUESTIONED AND I JUST LIKE BEN BARNES

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed. Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country's magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation. Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.

I wanted to like this so much. So, so much. And sometimes I did. Sometimes I did not. At all. World building is my weakness and this has got it in spades, but the characters are kind of—boring? I couldn’t really bring myself to care about Alina and I wanted to kick Mal in the shins sometimes. The only interesting one was The Darkling who’s like the embodiment of all evil and I am not here to ship-shame anyone, but it’s kinda weird to ship him and Alina. I pictured Ben Barnes the entire time. I’m still excited for the show. I’ll read the sequel at some point, probably.

BEING A JERK IS NOT ROMANCE, YOU’RE JUST A JERK

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters It's Evie Summers's job to find out. Because if she can't convince her film agency's biggest client, Ezra Chester, to write the romantic-comedy screenplay he owes producers, her career will be over. The catch? Arrogant Ezra thinks rom-coms are unrealistic—and he'll only put pen to paper if Evie proves to him that it's possible to meet a man in real life the way it happens on the big screen. Cynical Evie might not believe in happily ever after, but she'll do what it takes to save the job that's been her lifeline . . . even if it means reenacting iconic rom-com scenes in public. Spilling orange juice on a cute stranger? No problem. Leaving her number in books all over London to see who calls? Done. With a little help from her well-meaning friends and the adorable father-daughter duo who keep witnessing her humiliations, Evie is determined to show Ezra she can meet a man the way Sally met Harry. But can a workaholic who's given up on love find a meet-cute of her very own?

I love cliches. Love ‘em. Want to read about ‘em, want to write about ‘em. Here for happily ever after. Much less here for the overused and antiquated cliche of dude doesn’t believe in love like girl does, dude ridicules girl’s belief, dude was secretly in love with her the whole time. It’s super dumb. And we should stop writing it. Also really done with rom com girl can’t figure out her life! she’s overworked! she doesn’t have time for her friends! Super duper dumb. I don’t know guys, this book happened.

FAST-PACED ROMANCE ISN’T AS WEIRD WHEN IT’S WELL WRITTEN AND THERE’S A MOOSE INVOLVED

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler He had a strict "no tourists" policy...until she broke all of his rules. When Graham Barnett named his diner The Tourist Trap, he meant it as a joke. Now he's stuck slinging reindeer dogs to an endless parade of resort visitors who couldn't interest him less. Not even the sweet, enthusiastic tourist in the corner who blushes every time he looks her way...

Two weeks in Alaska isn't just the top item on Zoey Caldwell's bucket list. It's the whole bucket. One look at the mountain town of Moose Springs and she's smitten. But when an act of kindness brings Zoey into Graham's world, she may just find there's more to the grumpy local than meets the eye...and more to love in Moose Springs than just the Alaskan wilderness.

This story of Alaska marries together all the things you didn't realize you needed: a whirlwind vacation, a friendly moose, a grumpy diner owner, a quirky tourist, plenty of restaurant humor, and a happy ending that'll take you away from it all.

I’m not one for slow burn, but I also have a hard time believing romances that happen in, like, a blink. Not the case here! It was so goddamn cute! There was a moose! Graham kept calling Zoey darlin’ and it made my heart try to explode in my chest! Stars Hollow-levels of small town with lots of side characters and a good plot and a restaurant that everyone always went to! You guys know I’m trash for everyone always going to hang out in the same restaurant! I’m reading the sequel now, so that’s how much I enjoyed it.

AMAZON BOOKS THAT CONTINUE TO BE WAY BETTER THAN THEY SHOULD BE

Elodie of the Sea by Shari L. Tapscott (part of the Eldentimber Series) Eight years have passed since the marriage tournament that decided the fate of Princess Pippa of Lauramore and strengthened alliances between the kingdoms of Elden. The competitors have moved on with their lives. Some have found adventure; some have found love. Prince Bran of Triblue, however, has put his life on hold, preparing for his father's crown. Two days before Bran's winter coronation, just when the prince cannot afford distractions, a girl washes onto the Triblue shore. She has no memory of her past life, no clue who she is or where she belongs—nothing but a ring on her finger and a peculiar marking on her cheek. And the newly crowned king has more than a mysterious girl to worry about. The sea has become unpredictable. Storms claim ships in the dead of night, and sailors return with horrifying stories of monsters from the deep. It soon becomes clear the girl and the bizarre events are connected. The girl came from the sea... and the sea wants her back. But Bran isn't willing to give her or his kingdom up without a fight, even if it means he must request help from every corner of Elden.

Listen, sometimes you have to read about a mermaid who lost her memory and the soon-to-be-king who’s, like, immediately in love with her. I mentioned Tapscott’s books in the 2020 post and the sentiment remains the same. You ever read a book that reads like fic? Lots of banter, some romance, steady pacing. That’s what her books are like. There are five in the Eldentimber series, all about a different princess in a different kingdom, but they all connect so characters pop up again and again and then they kiss. It’s real good.

#book reviews #the wrath and the dawn #laura reads books #i'm making my way through some of the recs you guys sent last time around too #but don't hesitate to send more #seriously i am down to read anything #welllp these are books

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violashe · 3 years

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Interview

Dear Lonato,

I am writing to inform you that I made it! I have safely arrived at The Officers Academy. The journey went smoothly, without any unpleasant incidents along the way, and for that I am most thankful.

I am, naturally, also forever grateful to you for giving me the chance to enroll in this school and learn everything that I can to hopefully, someday, become a knight that can serve the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus well. Perhaps the kind of valiant, brave, honorable and powerful knight I have read about in many tales and books in your library is a goal beyond my ability, but it is nevertheless what I have in mind and shall strive towards.

How else can I repay you for everything you have done for me and my little siblings? You are the reason we were able to get anywhere in life, after all. Even more than that… I dare say that were it not for your kindness, we would not be alive today. If you had not taken pity on me that day six years ago, I would have likely been either killed or locked up in whatever institution handles juvenile criminals... and then Ailen and Darya would have no doubt starved to death. I shudder merely writing these words.

For this reason and more, rest assured that I will do everything within my might and ability to meet your expectations, as well as those of the Academy and my peers. Especially if my House leader is to be Prince Dimitri, heir to the throne himself! I admit I am a little nervous thinking about it, but I shall simply treat it as extra motivation to try my best.

Certainly, I can learn all sorts of useful skills here, combat or otherwise. I doubt that the ability to steal things is a desirable one here. Actually, I kind of hope it is not. Though I suppose being agile and quick on my feet will come in handy, will it not? I am not particularly gifted in the arts of magic or heavy armor, though naturally if it is required of me to practice in those fields as well, I shall do what I can not to disappoint. A sword, a light axe, a bow in my hand… those I think I can handle best. But I’m willing to do anything! Any and all abilities might be of use to a knight, after all, and maybe I will discover some hidden talents in me.

And yes, I know, you have already told me many times not to do everything on my own. I am aware that I have this unfortunate tendency to try to do that. I promise not to spread myself too thin. I still want to become the best I can be so that I may help as many people as possible… but I know that I have to learn to leave things to others sometimes. I swear I have taken your words to heart, and that you need not worry about me.

Do you think it overly ambitious and idealistic of me to have taken the perfect knights from our tales as my role model and the goal I have set for myself? I do not know if I will ever be able to achieve this kind of skill and glory, no matter how hard I try… And I am not sure if a great legendary knight is an image that would ever match me, anyway… But I still want to become someone Faerghus can be proud of. Maybe someday my name will deserve being listed among the knights of His Highness. That would be wonderful, I think. I hope that this dream and this ambition I have for myself is something you, too, can be happy for. After all - the heroes of our land’s stories are one thing, but you are my role model as well, and I will exert myself to ensure I do not disappoint you.

Please give Ailen and Darya the news of my safe arrival at the Academy. I hope they do not worry for me and do not cause any trouble for you. I shall keep you posted about my progress on a regular basis.

May the Goddess watch over all of you.

Ashe

#『My sword belongs to you ⁎ IC.』#『I’ll take this one on myself ⁎ Drabble.』#Ashe's Interview #((just gonna throw this on the dash real quick before he starts his ball interactions))

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the-siren-and-the-sailor · 3 years

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Part One of a story I'm working on with Daphne and Leonora! There will probably be three parts. This is the story of how they split up and found each other again. It also deals with the Apollyons rather than the Interlopers this time.

Tag List: @kissthe-gogoat @caloroso-cosmos Let me know if you want to be added or taken off!

“Leo, stop!” A young Daphne shrieked and giggled as she was pelted with berries.

“Say it! Say that I’m the prettiest, you know I am,” Leonora giggled back from atop her perch in the tree.

Daphne playfully stuck her tongue out at her sister, bobbing in the pond below. “I’d never. And you won’t be saying that after this!” And with that she slipped below the algae covered water.

Leonora watched in amusement, waiting for Daphne to realize. The mergirl tried, and tried some more, but the tail she wanted never appeared.

“It doesn’t work in freshwater, you dummy!” Leo called.

Daphne surfaced, flicking her hair and accidentally slapping her face with it. “Well how was I supposed to know that, wench!”

“Oh, Daphne, don’t say words like that!”

“Oh what’s it matter? We’re not supposed to call each other these nicknames, either- yet here we are!” she laughed.

Leonora paused, a stricken look crossing her face. “Yes… We should probably go back, mother would be furious if she found out we were here.”

Daphne groaned. “Leo, chill out, would you?”

“And we need to stop using the names, too.”

“Leonora-“

“My name isn’t Leonora!”

Daphne recoiled, frustration rising. “You go, I don’t want to.”

Leonora put a hand to the back of her neck, brushing over the gem embedded there and causing it to glow a brilliant emerald.

“Leo, stop it! Please!” Daphne cried, panicking as her own gem flashed sapphire.

“Stop calling me that! I hate it when you call me that!” she snapped back, the scenery around them twisting and bending until they now stood in their mother’s starry hall.

And there she sat, Iýa, in all her shining regality. The look on her face was hard to see through its concentrated starlight, but both sisters knew it must have been twisted with disdain.

“Goofing off again, it seems,” her voice doubled and echoed all around the two, like a terrible chorus. “Have I taught you nothing?”

The princess tried her usual tactics. “Mother, you are an excellent teacher, I implore you, show-”

Iýa cut her off. “Princess Lisianthus, you are meant to be studying to be a leader. And Delphinium, you are supposed to follow behind.”

The princess bowed her head and stepped back. The lady-in-waiting, however, was starting to bubble over. How tired she was of this rubbish treatment…!

“So I’m, what, the backup then?”

“You will speak only with permission, of which you currently have none.”

“I don't need anyone's permission to speak but my own. You said you loved us both, and yet here you are acting like a tyrant.”

“Hold your tongue, Delphinium,” she sneered.

“And that’s another thing! You don’t even have the decency to call us by the names we choose. Instead you force us into these positions which we both do not want.”

Lisianthus was desperately shaking her head, Iýa glaring at her through gritted teeth.

“There is so much more life in the ocean and beyond it, yet despite it being my nature to be there, you-”

“I said silence! Both of you are to stay in the Library studying from now on. I don’t want a peep more!”

“Come on, Delphinium, let’s just go.”

Daphne only went for the sake of the opportunity to be away from Iýa. Perhaps her outburst was a mistake, but she was starting to consider it a mistake to stay. And so, perhaps her dear mother was right. Maybe some studying was in order, after all.

~*~

Lisianthus sat scribbling notes, placidly reading only the appropriate materials.

Daphne took a much more frantic approach. If the Library was truly infinite, then there must be knowledge from the people across the ocean somewhere. As could be knowledge of how to get to them.

“You’re not to be discovering those,” Lisianthus said quietly as Daphne thumped a pile of scrolls down on the desk.

“Shush, you. I’ve been following this one for months- it seems to be a journal of some kind. But I can’t read the characters, they’re so forgeign.”

“So put them back!” she hissed.

Daphne instead ignored her, unraveling the parchment. “Such an inefficient way to write,” she mumbled. A passage at the bottom of the page caught her attention. A smaller, more practiced handwriting, a cipher of sorts. Translating their own to a different language. Daphne took out her own translation key. Yes, it matched with one she had!

She spent hours pouring it over, slowly learning the scroll’s language by cross-referencing to the ones she already knew.

They told of a city-state, by a queen who claimed ownership of an empire built on slavery and blood magic. And by the looks of it, Daphne had an idea of where this empire may be.

Snatching her cloak, Daphne looked for a Way to lead her there. Finally!

“Don’t do it, Delphinium! Those people will use you and throw you away like garbage!”

“I have to learn more. I can’t go on here- I need to see the world for myself.”

“You’ll be killed. If not by mother, then by them. You need protection!”

A devilish smirk graced Daphne’s face. “Then by all means, come with me, sister.”

Lisianthus hesitated. Daphne thought she may actually be considering. That was until the gems glowed once more. Iýa was watching. And that was never a good sign.

The mother goddess tore into her, cursing her to never step foot in the Library again, to never see the ocean even one more time.

What was more, she was stripped of her tail, her glow, even her ways of bending the water. She would only have her abilities returned to her if it was ever required that she take the throne. But if her sister was immortal, who's to say that would ever be necessary?

Daphne left her nightsky hall in tatters and tears not an hour later. Fleeing to her room, now forever barred from the places she loved most. She should’ve know something like would’ve happened, and yet she was stupid enough to, to…!

There was nothing she could do. It would take a miracle to get her out of this.

A feeble tapping sounded from her door. Lisianthus, no doubt. Daphne let out another sob and her sister opened the door.

“Come to gloat?” she choked out.

“Not at all! I wanted to apologize…”

“What for? Tapping your gem so Iýa would find me out?”

Lisianthus sat down on the bed next to Daphne. The mergirl, now without her prized scales and instead a pair of dry and dull legs, couldn’t even bring herself to call the goddess ‘mother.’

“She can activate them as she pleases. You know that.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Daphne mumbled, going back to wetting her pillow with tears.

Lisianthus continued to watch her sister. She risked a peak into her mind, only to find it full of the unrecognizable script of the scroll found earlier.

“You truly love the ocean, even though Mother has forbidden it of you many times. And you have a thirst to learn about that which is beyond it, even though your place is behind me.

“Thanks for the reminder,” Daphne snipped. The more she cried, the drier she got. That couldn’t be good. Her hair was going from blue to silver to white all too fast.

“...Does it make you not want to live?” She already knew that answer, she had seen into her sister’s mind, but she wanted to hear it.

“No.”

Well, that didn’t help. The princess was after a reason. The only thing in Daphne’s head was more of that bloody script!

Lisianthus sniffed. “Fine! I was trying to help, but you obviously don’t give a damn. Stay here and rot if it so suits you!”

Daphne sat up as Lisianthus stood. “Read my mind like you always do, you horrible sister! Then maybe you’d bother with a shred of encouragement!”

Lisianthus, sighing, and eager now to avoid argument, did as her sister told. At last, a translation!

It was from the perspective of a young slave, rightfully unsatisfied with their life.Taking to parchment, they wrote the ways of a god they believed would save them. Pillars of sorts, core beliefs- those of determination, strength, and will. Plans of escape.

But the plans were not the writer’s, they were Daphne’s.

“Why escape through death when I can simply escape through the waterways?”

“Delphinium, no! Mother would find you, she’d-”

“I know what she would do! I can’t stand it anymore than I can stand how you act like her doting lap dog, always taking orders with your head bowed, like you don’t hate this as much as I do!”

Lisianthus recoiled at her sister’s outburst. “I don’t do that…”

“Oh yes, you do. Iýa continues to try and turn us into dolls, useful chess pieces for her to control. And you go along with it, encourage it! You’re as much to blame for this entrapment as she!”

“I don’t want this-!”

“So act like it, coward! Say something for once in your pathetic life!”

“My life is the one that’s pathetic? Look at you! Dramatic, a compulsive liar, and a selfish prick at every turn! Have you ever told the truth once in your life? Ever done something for others?”

“I can’t because she’s always putting you first! I have no opportunities to do anything worthwhile because she’s too busy with you! And when she’s not, she’s beating me down!”

“I have my own problems to tend to- don’t try and saddle me with yours! And perhaps you’re the coward for not doing anything!”

Daphne fell into a venomous silence. Lisianthus feared what a taste of her thoughts might reveal.

“Fine. Then watch me do something.” Daphne began to gather a few things; a cloak, a moonstone. A satchel full of paper and charcoal pencils.

“Delphinium, please, no, I didn’t mean it…”

“My name is Daphne.”

And with that, and the last of her water, she liquified and drizzled down under the door frame.

Lisianthus flung it open. “No, please, please stay! I didn’t mean it!”

Her sister was nowhere in sight. That form was so painful for her to take, now that the curse was setting in- if she didn’t get to water quickly it’d kill her. Lisianthus fell to her knees, begging and crying after the last place she’d seen her. But she was not seen again.

#writing #my writing #📝 written in the history books 📜

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buirbaby · 3 years

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The Wardens: The First Trial

Rating : M + Mature content, language, and violence

Masterlist | First | Next

The only thing that had been instant in this world was her rebirth alongside Balerion. Otherwise, learning anything was an atrocious, long winded affair. Tabitha knew a few things, like how to tell differences between plants and combine them into salves, but there were a plethora of other flora that Fang warned her about, vegetation that didn't exist in her world. Additionally, given their sub-zero location within a mountain, there were little to no plants that grew amongst the permafrost. Thus, one of her skills was rendered nearly useless, paled in comparison to all that she didn't know, in addition to the fact that she'd lived a rather lofty life after leaving her job in the military. She'd been decent with a rifle, but there were no guns here and a bow could only get her so far. The weapon chosen for her was Fate, the Valyrian steel legacy sword of the Wardens.

Now, Tabitha wasn't out of shape. She climbed and hiked mountains for fun, her muscles honed from suspending herself on cliffaces, her tactile grip strength surpassing most humans. However, given that she now had a griffin, climbing wasn't particularly necessary unless she had to keep Balerion at a distance. Still, the fact she was athletic and tall for a woman did aid in the training that Fang billeted her with. She had to learn how to use the sword or she'd die with it in her inexperienced palm.

Never had she thought there'd be so much to surviving in a medieval world, taking for granted everything she had back home. From the gross pit she had to utilize to go to the bathroom-which froze her ass off when she did pull down her pants-to the fact that they didn't have food readily available, she had to relearn everything. How to hunt, how to track, how to map topography, how to tell the time by the position of the sun in the sky which was also dependent on where she was and what time of year it was. There was so much. Riding Balerion was no easy feat either. While her partner had a perfect nook to slide into to ride between his shoulder blades, the lack of a saddle meant that she rode bareback. Only, unlike a horse, a griffin was a much more perilous ride. By the end of their first ride, her legs were throbbing from being clenched so tightly, Fang bemused by her harrowed expression and near fainting from when Balerion had turned 90 degrees to sail up a current in the wind flanking the mountain.

The north was cold. There had been placed where Tabitha had been nearly frostbitten, but she'd never embarked on a journey into the tundra, which was basically what she'd compare the Frostfangs. Unironically, there was more territory to the North East that hadn't been officially mapped by men, but Tabitha knew what laid there: a desolate icescape with few living creatures roaming the white, featureless plains. She wondered if the Night King would come from there or further north, descending from the Thenn. Either way, she suspected she had time, but the wind continued to nip at her in a reminder that it could become much colder.

She remembered a rough quote about the place that had become her home, that there were giants, wargs, and worse things in the Frostfangs. That's what she was, wasn't it? Warden was a fancy title, but truthfully, she was a warg.

The abilities seemed complicated at first and she drew upon her knowledge from the books and chapters in Bran's perspective. Even with that as a guideline, she found her expectations were a mere shadow of what it truly meant to be bonded to an animal. She had known Balerion since he had been a kitten, raising him, taking him everywhere with her until their paths became this and he was no longer just feline in nature. There was an innate bond, the ability to sense each other's emotions without making much effort, their beings interlaced together like fingers holding one another. She always could sense how he felt, just as in turn, he could sense her disquiet or a ripple of emotion.

Sometimes, she would dream of his midnight hunts, viewing the world from above as he went in search of large game to sate his hunger. Under the cover of night, his dark feathers and fur made him a shadow against the sky, nearly impossible to see when the stars were blotted out by clouds.

Under Fang's guidance, there had been a few instances where she had forced the switch, taking control of Balerion. However, she found that she did not like the feeling, thrusting his own sentience to the side, when she trusted the griffin's judgement just as much as her own. While there would undoubtedly be benefits to this ability, she found no use in it now.

Days bled into one another, becoming weeks and months under the tutelage of Fang. Daily sword practice, bi-weekly hunts and trapping, lessons in the True Language and of the intricacies of the Others, Fang knew not where she would be needed first, but he wanted to be certain that she would not get herself killed and could survive even in the most inhospitable of environments.

"I've been to a lot of places," Tabitha told him, savoring the fresh venison from the successful hunt that morning. Dressing the beast had become second nature and the rest had been preserved, some being smoked now to turn to jerky. Thankfully, given the frigid temperatures, she could utilize it to save the meat for later. "Mountains, oceans, jungles, deserts. Of course, I had more supplies and equipment than I do here, but I did manage to survive out there."

"If you can survive in the two extremes the world has to throw at you, you're well off," Fang commented.

"Mm, but I'll need to go into cities, mingle with people..." It had been a long time since Tabitha had any company aside from just Fang and Balerion. The idea of trying not to stick out like a sore thumb in a major city made her heart flutter, stomach churning as she thought of high society and how ill prepared she was to face any sort of nobility or royalty. She had a callous mouth, cursed worse than a sailor, and knew that while she had a sharp enough tongue to elicit chuckles at her quips, that might as well get her killed for being impudent with the wrong person.

"That was always a possibility," Fang shrugged, wrapped in a thick shadowskin where he sat against the wall. "But at least you can carry that sword well enough now to fend for yourself. A couple of years ago?" He let her oafish swinging come back to the forefront.

"Hey, I didn't know how to use those muscles. I told you I'd never lifted a sword in my life," Tabitha snorted indignantly, jabbing a gloved finger in his direction. "And for as good as I 'might' be with it, I've yet to fight anyone other than you, pipsqueak. If I were to come face to face with someone like Jaime Lannister, I know I'm like to get myself killed. A few years of steadfast practice doesn't make a master."

"At least you're not arrogant enough to think so," Fang pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I'd like to not die," she huffed. Not die, again. With her luck, she'd go on the first task laid out before her and get murdered. She had a rather cynical outlook on life, given that her second chance was albeit shoddy, riddled with clauses, and was forcing her to play a role she'd rather neglect. Honestly, she could've flown out to Essos and found a city to explore and enjoy or other natural features she could witness with Balerion beside her, but somehow she knew that the magic that had brought her here wouldn't allow it. She was bound by it, a fiery contract that she had not willingly signed. She knew not the details of the contract, only that Fang insisted that she had to do what she was told to.

A good soldier could take orders, but Tabitha had left those years in the army behind her, and it wasn't as if she had great rapport with her commander--which she was beginning to suspect more and more was somehow tied with the Lord of Light.

A west wind blew, biting through the layers that she wore. Despite the thick bundles in which she was swaddled in, there were some chills she could not chase. Groaning, Tabitha drew her cloak in and continued to trudge through the snow. A new blanket had fallen, making it a bit more difficult to traverse through the woods to check her snares. Better to be overprepared with food in the case there was a dry spell of hunting, but she hated leaving the warmth of the forge behind. She hoped her first task was someplace south and warm, not amongst the ice and stone.

Throwing back her cloak as she dug through the snow to check the snare, she heard a soft scittering beneath the white blanket. Had a scavenger gotten to whatever had been frozen beneath? Sighing, she removed her dagger and began to peel away the layers. What she hadn't been expecting was the rabbit to still be alive.

No, it was not alive, but it continued to move. Lashing at the rope snare that had snapped its neck, the head cocked at an unnatural angle as it twisted around. The eyes were a piercing blue, burning around the edges of the fur as it set those blazing irises on her and tried to pounce on her. This was the first creature she'd seen that had been turned into a wight and the implications disturbed her. Didn't an Other need to be within a certain proximity for the wighting to happen? They were coming and still, she had yet to be given a task. What had already occurred in the books that she could have prevented?

She drew her sword, killing the undead rabbit a second time, aware that the steel would stop it from rising again. No longer would traps suffice if they'd just rise again and she wasn't keen on trying wight meat or discovering its side effects. There was enough meat back in the Roost for her to wait for another big hunt. With Balerion to take it back up into the mountain, she wouldn't need to worry about it coming back to life, especially if she finished it with her sword.

The Haunted Forest was a bit of a flight from the mountains where the Roost was situated, but it was the biggest range for food. The Frostfangs had more shadowcats than worthy game. Laden with snow and icicles, the trees were depressed beneath the weight of the world around them. Daylight was fading and she knew she ought to call Balerion to head back to the safety of their home. But she was drawn in by the winter wonderland around her, to include a white mist, her steaming breath more noticable behind the thick fold of her fabric of her scarf that helped keep her face warm.

A warning flag raised in her head, recalling Fang's warnings, in tandem with the rabbit she'd found. It was time to go. It was time to-

"Who goes there?" A gruff voice asked, the audible crunching of noise taking her aback.

She swung toward the nearest tree, pinning her back to it, fingers grazing the hilt of her sword. Straining, she could hear men nearby, but couldn't say if they were wildling or Crows, she hadn't seen them. Of course there might be rangers. Thus far she'd not crossed anyone, but nor had she been exceptionally careful aside from being wary of the Others. Regardless of who it was, they probably wouldn't care for her.

Two, three, four... five? No, there were more. Call Balerion and risk him getting hurt or make a dash for it?

"You!"

But the voice that called wasn't gesturing toward her, she saw the mangled furs bundling up a figure and wondered what a lone wildling was doing. From their lumbering gait, she didn't have to puzzle for long. Just as there had been an undead rabbit, the wildling was definitely not alive. Rooted to her spot, metal sang out of scabbards.

"They don't look right," a different voice commented.

"There's another over there."

"And there. What's with their eyes?"

Crows. They learn the hard way that these bastards wouldn't go down easy, but it was not her job to help them. Until this point, she'd not been given any guidance on what to do. Hopefully, they'd survive and escape back toward the Wall. Time to go. While they were distracted she could escape whence she had come and pretend this had never happened.

Yet, as Tabitha rounded, her stomach dropped and she noticed that there were many wights lumbering from out of the fog that had thickened to a dense wall that was nearly impenetrable. They cared naught if she was a brother of the Watch of a wildling. She was alive and thus, a target. Her movement caught their attention and she had no choice but to rip her own sword out from where she'd sheathed it.

"Fine, bout time I killed a few wights," Tabitha commented to no one in particular. Originally, she had thought they'd be slow, but the ice zombies were feral and quick if their limbs were intact. Despite the encumbering snow, they lurched forward like a pack of wild dogs and she raised Fate to cut down the first attacker. The vibrant blue eyes flickered like a light switch being turned on and off, before fading entirely. There was no time to admire the success of her blow as she turned the sword, taking a step back and rooting herself before parrying the next and hacking down upon the neck, severing the head clean off. "Fuck," there were too many. She was forced back, step by step, toward the Night's Watch men that she did not want to encounter.

If they cared who she was, they did not voice it, because she was another sword amongst the horde and her sword seemed to be putting them down. Tabitha suspected it had to do with how she was dressed, in midnight blue and grey, obviously not a wildling. Perhaps they even mistook her for one of their own, her face obscured so they could not see she was a woman. Given her lean, tall stature, she could have easily passed for a man if she did not speak.

"First Ranger, what do we do? There's no end to them-ERG!" Beside her, one of the Crows was staked through with a roughly hewn spear, the undead wildling twisting the stone deeper, blood frothing to the man's lips.

Tabitha hissed and darted forward, but it was no use. Even as she killed the wight, the man would die from the wound in his chest. The light was fading and she knew that he too would turn. Rather, she spared him a pitiful glance before taking her sword and driving it down to deliver him quick mercy.

"What are you doing?!" A hand gripped her bicep, tightening painfully, as she was forced to gaze up into slate grey eyes.

"He'll turn! He was dead anyways," she snarled, ripping her arm away and glancing amidst the crowd drawing in.

"A woman-"

She'd betrayed herself, but didn't care at that moment. Two of the seven Crows were dead, but the strangest bit was that the wights had paused, forming a semi-circle around them where they panted, steaming hot breath in front of them. With the pause in the slaughter, two of the men exchanged tremulous glances and before anyone had so much as lowered their weapons, they turned heel and ran, cutting through the small gap between the wights and plunging into the wilderness to abandon the other three of their brothers that had survived.

The man that he gripped her snarled, his brows furrowing in frustration, but he did not call after them, too preoccupied with what was going on.

"Why have they stopped?" The question hung open in the air and Tabitha had a very bad feeling, her stomach nearly in her toes as she licked her lips.

"They were commanded to," she answered, the only logical explanation as to why the mindless hive would relent their assault.

"By what?" Tension was high, a stodgier Crow snapping at her, his eyes wide with terror.

"What do you think, chuckle-fuck? What controls wights?" Tabitha snapped back.

"The Others," the ranger beside him was quiet, voice barely above a whisper as the four of them contemplated their options.

"We need to get out of here. We can't fight them," Tabitha told them, her hands shaking. The Others were expert swordsmen, where she was just a novice. Even with three years beneath her belt, she didn't think she was even close to a match for them. "They had the right idea. We need to run-"

But the horses they'd come with had fled and the gap that once existed had closed. Tabitha knew she could flee, but not without condemning these men. Despite owing them nothing, she couldn't help but think 'no soldier left behind'. She was not their friend, perhaps they would have simply killed her had the wights not interrupted, but in this moment they were temporary allies.

Before them, the wights parted and an ethereal figure stepped out. Tabitha was shocked, finding not the zombie-esc being depicted in the show, but a strangely elegant, alien creature. He was made entirely of ice, glistening in the low light of dusk from the greyed sky. Eyes brilliantly, devilishly blue, another flaming pair dancing amongst the crowd that followed him. Each step refracted off his armor, which picked up the images around it, appearing see through. Gripped fast in its hand was a pale, wicked sword of crystal that would shatter any steel aside from that forged by dragon fire.

There was no moment for her to warn them, to say not to attack, but all logic had been tossed out the window. The stout ranger roared and charged forward before she could open her mouth. If they killed the Other, then the wights would stop, wouldn't they? No, not unless this was the Night King. But he did not know this and Tabitha's words were lost amongst the screeching of the crystal sword as it collided effortlessly with the ranger's. Her ears balked, the high pitched wailing of crystal to steel sounding like an animal being tortured. Then it stopped, all time ceasing as the steel shattered into a rain of silver fragments and the ranger's eyes widened in astonishment.

All of them stared in horror as the Other spoke, no one could comprehend the noises, akin to the cracking of ice in a winter lake. Even Tabitha, who knew the True Tongue, had no idea what he said. Given the mocking tone of it, she suspected he was condemning them all to death or challenging them to be as foolish as the first.

"Will killing it save us?" the man who'd grabbed her earlier asked.

"If we can kill it? No, probably not," she conceded.

The moment the sinewy ranger heard this, his fingers tightened on his sword and he spun on his heel, cloak flapping like a bird's wing as he tried to run toward the largest gap he could find. But they had all closed, thus he tried to force his way through, hacking and slashing, until the wights stirred and fought back. The flurry of activity halted, the man falling to his knees as he was punched through the stomach with an axe, cold hands tearing him apart.

"What's your name?" the man asked her, expecting that these fleeting moments might very well be their last.

"Tabitha Flores," she answered, calling for Balerion, wondering if they could escape into the sky without him being injured.

"I wish I could say it's an honor to meet you, but at least it was an honor to fight beside you. I am Benjen Stark, First Ranger to Castle Black of the Night's Watch," he introduced, a sad, but whimsical edge to his tone.

"Hey, don't be counting the daisies you'll be pushing before you've stopped breathing," Tabitha muttered, realizing now what she'd ignored at first. First Ranger. This was where Benjen disappeared and never returned. He was supposed to die here. Or maybe he wasn't. "Who knows, maybe killing this fucker will solve our problems." Hopeful thinking, but she was the one with the Valyrian steel. She needed to at least distract him enough that Balerion could sweep in unimpeded.

Her body screamed against it, instinct telling her to turn tail and run, dash herself to death into the wights just as the other ranger had done. Instead, she leveled her sword and prepared herself. A few minutes. If she could survive just a few minutes.

The chilling laughter of the Other ripped through her, clenching her heart, as he entertained her. Until this point, she'd not traded blades with anyone other than Fang. The wights were clumsy and unskilled, despite how fast they could be. But the Other was fluid, graceful, and did not strike without fully intending on killing. The first blow jarred her shoulder, her nerves twinging as she wondered if her sword would break beneath the crystal, but it held true. The Other noticed this, gaunt face drawing pensively, as her muscles quivered from holding the parry.

He shoved off, sending her a few feet back. Catching her balance, Tabitha raised her sword in the nick of time, struggling to keep up with the relentless hail of blows. Until she couldn't. Her slowing down had left an opening, the crystal blade cutting as true as any steel would, slicing into the meat of her left hand. She jerked back, her spasming hand tossing the sword behind her and into the snow, droplets of crimson splattering in the white to create a blooming of tiny bloody buds. He raised the sword, intending on spearing her through, but she had enough energy to roll out of the way, panting as she clutched her injured hand.

The sword had plunged into the earth where she had once been, her eyes widening as she scrambled back trying to find her feet and the only sword that would protect them against the Other. Rounding on her again, Tabitha still scrambled, unable to get back up as she pressed her palm to her chest and tried to stand. Again, he aimed for her and this time she knew she had nowhere to roll, lest she wanted to tuck right into a throng of wights.

Her eyes scrunched shut, but there was no pain, only the high pitched wailing of steel against crystal. When she peeked from out of her narrowed eyes, she saw that Benjen stood above her with Fate in his hands, holding back the swing that should have killed her. He forced the Other back, the harkening of Balerion above the trees reminding her that they needed to flee. Her hand was throbbing, blood staining her doublet as she managed to finally get up and whip her head towards the sky. Her eyes came back down and she saw Benjen continue to fight the Other, his own skill with the sword out matching her own as he was a more formidable match for the creature.

But it would not be an easy victory. The Valyrian steel bit against the Other's arm, hissing as it marred the brittle flesh. For that, he snaked past Benjen's defenses and caught him hard along his left side before he could turn the blade.

" No !" Tabitha knew that it had cut deep, even if the black fabric betrayed nothing.

He still stood, parrying the next and staggering back as he clutched at his flank. The Other was smug in his supposed victory, snatched only when Balerion bellowed again and nose dived between the branches, seeping from the night sky like a shadowed hellion. Talons outstretched, he caught the Other by its armor and flung it across the field and into a tree. It was not dead, but stunned, leaving them with a few fleeting seconds as Benjen crumpled to his knees, leaning upon the pommel of Fate as he panted.

Tabitha ran, the griffin encircling them and expressing his dismay loudly and with reproach, as if to challenge her. Why hadn't she called him sooner? "Get up, we need to go," Tabitha told Benjen, uncertain if Balerion could fly the entire distance back to the Roost with the both of them. She had to hope that he could. Her own injury seemed trivial in light of the Stark's, her hand flying to the gash to apply additional pressure.

Balerion knelt as she helped her charge onto his back, mounting behind him and keeping her arm pressed into his wound. No words needed to be spoken between them, onyx wings beating as he launched them off the forest floor and into the sky. He was dead weight, sagging slightly in front of her, threatening to slide right off. Balerion steadied himself, trying to keep as even as possible as Tabitha fought to keep him up.

"Stay awake. Stark!"

#game of thrones fanfiction #game of thrones fanfic #a song of ice and fire fanfic #asoiaf fanfiction #asoiaf fanfic #reincarnation insert #added lore #freeform #the ability to change the future but with a twist #romance is not the main theme #BAMF female OC #benjen stark #buirbaby writes #the wardens

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adapembroke · 4 years

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Reading Tarot Like The Hierophant

For many years, I hated the Hierophant.

Whenever it came up in a reading, I sighed, dutifully tried to understand why it was bothering me, and shoved it back in the box as soon as possible. Most of the time I gained nothing from these interactions, even though I knew the Hierophant wasn’t silent. I just didn’t believe the Hierophant could possibly have anything useful to say to me.

The Hierophant is the archetype of traditional, usually religious, authorities. Nuns and priests and popes, temples and tabernacles, synods, dojos, and twelve steps groups . The original name of this card was The Pope, appropriate for a deck designed in Christian Europe,

I am not a person who works easily with the Hierophant. The anti-authoritarian stereotypes of Aquarius moons resonate strongly for me. I don’t do anything unless I know why I’m doing it and agree with the premise behind the action. Settings under the influence of the Hierophant are ritualistic. Their ability to function relies on everyone moving in lock-step. If you have questions, you follow the ritual and ask questions later. If you disagree with the answers to your questions, you leave.

Michelle Tea says in Modern Tarot:

“Conforming rightly has a bad reputation in contemporary culture; it’s used to keep bright spirits down, we think, and to preserve a dying status quo. Likewise, the concept of ‘tradition’ has been hijacked by people seeking to codify their dangerous opposition to a changing world.”

Conformity isn’t my happy place. I was convinced that for the happiness of everyone concerned, it would be best if I remained an outsider in the sphere of the Hierophant, but I was not a happy outsider. Not all of my experiences of the Hierophant were bitter. Without the Hierophant, something was missing in my life.

Beauty and Power of Ritual

There were a few years during college and just after when I had a wonderful relationship with the Hierophant. For most of that time, I belonged to a Christian church that was deeply ritualistic. When you walked into the sanctuary, you had to bow to the altar before taking your seat. You had to bow whenever someone said “Jesus,” and you had to make occult gestures with your hands during the reading of the Gospel.

I grew up in a church that was much less formal, and this new way of doing worship was strange to me, like walking into a dance I didn’t know the steps to. I stumbled through the ritual like a newborn calf, but despite my clumsy gestures, I felt transported. It wasn’t just influence of the thick cloud of frankincense. (Though, frankincense is a mind-altering substance.) I wasn’t any kind of magician then, but I could feel that what they were doing had magical power, power I now recognize as the power of the Hierophant.

The Hierophant’s power comes from tradition, the way that the repetition of meaningful words and gestures builds meaning over time. On the first day I walked into that church, they had been doing the same rituals in that space in the same way for hundred and fifty years. It felt like the rituals and incense had infused the walls. The rituals themselves had been altered little in fifteen hundred years. When the priest said the magic words of the Eucharist, I felt a sense of belonging, as if all of the congregations over time and space that had heard those words together were there with us, lending their power to the working. All of that accumulated power was palpable. I left the service each Sunday feeling like my batteries had been recharged.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take me long to see through the glamor and start asking questions, and when the answers I got to my questions didn’t satisfy me, I discovered that the Hierophant’s hold on that place was too rigid to hold me, and I left.

A few years after I left Christianity, I started studying the Tarot. The Hierophant felt like a tease, a reminder of something beautiful that I was incapable of participating in. It was easier to focus on the Hierophant’s bad side.

Leader of the Mindless Herd

Like all archetypes, the Hierophant has a shadow: Mobs of people coming together to chant slogans of hate, authoritarian leaders whipping people into a frenzy to support a controlling agenda, suicide cults filled with mindless automatons.

The same coordinated practice that builds power over time and that left me feeling empowered can be used just as easily to create power for evil.

Neuroscientists are just beginning to uncover the overwhelming power of habit. The human brain has to do an extraordinary amount of work in order to carry out simple functions. It is constantly trying to offload work as much as possible. It does this by using rituals, habits, and assumptions like a computer that relies on automated processes to do its job.

Group rituals, the natural habitat of the Hierophant, are simply habits that have been adopted by a people who have been trained to act as one. A person who has attended a liturgical Christian church for decades can perform the gestures of the Mass without thinking.

Once habits are set, they are extremely difficult to break. I built the habit of crossing myself every time I heard a siren, and it took me years of constant reminder not to do it to break myself of the habit after I left Christianity.

It is annoying to have to break a habit that no longer suits you, but habit itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Using hateful words can be a habit, but so is brushing your teeth. Habit becomes a problem when it helps you hurt yourself or others without thinking.

Hitler famously used the power of ritual in his rallies and parades to call the power of a nation to the service of hate. He created systems, habits, and gestures that made killing so easy for the bureaucrats in his service, the trials of his henchmen raised the question of whether they could have been accused of thinking about what they were doing at all.

The Hierophant, like habit, doesn’t take a side. Its power is present whenever groups of people use the magic of ritual to raise power. The Hierophant is there when people march for justice and when they rally for hate. The Hierophant is there when a community dances for joy and when they mourn at a funeral. The Hierophant uses the power of habit and group pressure to create addictions and break them.

Guardian of Initiation

The Tarot Pope became the Hierophant under the influence of Waite and Crowley who revised the Tarot in the 20th century. Historically, the Hierophant was the high priest of the Eleusinian Mysteries, a highly secretive cult in ancient Greece that celebrated the mystery of death and rebirth. In order to get in on the secrets of the Eleusinian mysteries, you needed to be initiated, and initiates were so good at keeping the secrets of the order very little is known about it today.

The Hierophant’s new emphasis on initiation was well in line with the archetype’s natural love of structure and conformity. Rachel Pollack says in 78 Degrees of Wisdom that when you work in an initiatory tradition, you are “entering a doctrine, with a set of beliefs which [you] must learn and accept before [you] can gain entrance.”

Initiatory traditions get a bad rap for their secretiveness. They must have something to hide, critics say, if they can’t share everything. But initiatory traditions at their best do not require initiates to assent to the doctrines of the order without knowing them. Instead, initiates are required to go through a discernment period where they think about the principles of the order and whether or not they can conform to them. Once they accept the doctrines of the order, then they are allowed access to the secret rituals and powers that would allow the initiate to use this knowledge.

This process of learning, processing, acceptance, and initiation helps to ensure that initiates do not adopt powerful new habits blindly. The Hierophant is at its most dangerous when masses of people assent to principles without thinking. The draw of belonging is powerful, and the need to require thoughtfulness and consent is one of the reasons for levels of initiation in traditions such as Wicca, the Masons, and Druid orders. At each stage, the initiate learns a little more, and the order and the initiate need to both give their consent before the initiate is allowed to go to the next level.

It was the initiatory side of the Hierophant that finally lead me to make peace with the archetype. I realized that you don’t need to be a mindless automaton to work with the archetype. I had been born into Christianity. I was initiated into the religion under the threat of hellfire before I was old enough to understand its beliefs and doctrines. But I am an adult now with strong beliefs and principles. When I meet the Hierophant in the robes of the initiator, I do it with love and trust and my eyes wide open.

Reading Tarot Like The Hierophant

In the context of a Tarot reading, the Hierophant is present in the rituals you build into your practice. If you always shuffle your cards and lay them out a certain way, you are participating in the Hierophant. The Hierophant helps you to discover the habits and gestures and techniques that make your readings better, and the Hierophant uses the power of habit to help you do those things consistently.

The Hierophant also influences your Tarot practice when you study within the context of magical orders or sit at the feet of mentors who work within a tradition, even if it is a tradition they’ve created themselves.

Because traditions gain power from unconscious habits of thought, it is important to become conscious of the beliefs and traditions that influence your readings.

It is healthy, too, to periodically set aside some time to consider your lineage. Where did your ideas about the meanings of the cards come from? Who are your Tarot teachers? Who were their teachers? How much do you know about the traditions they belong to? How much do you know about your own traditions? What assumptions about how the world works inform your practice? What do you believe about fate and free-will? The afterlife and past lives? Good, evil, and the nature of suffering?

Lastly, if you read for others, it is important to be open with your clients about your traditions and beliefs, as well. Whenever we read for others, we may be acting as initiators, even if we don’t realize it. Your clients have the right to consent before being initiated into your mysteries, just as you have that right when you present yourself to the Hierophant.

#witchblr #tarot

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ccmagma · 3 years

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I think about my story and think about one word: Disbelief. Not because what has happened to me is something shocking, or worrying, no, nothing like that at all. But upon learning my heritage, what has happened over years… It sounds like something from a tale. I’ve heard the story enough times from my parents, more so my father who came from someplace far away much like other refugees. Perhaps, that’s where this story should start… I can’t say for certain how they felt exactly, experiences are, after all, unique to us. However, putting myself in their shoes… I can’t even begin to imagine what it had been like. To have no information, not knowing what was coming and the inability to prepare for it.

My father came from a planet called Earth, a funny name I thought considering the translation of it had meant literal dirt. It wasn’t the most unique of names when I realized the other planets surrounding Earth and its history with Gods and Goddesses.

Earth. It was a planet already doomed thanks to its human inhabitants. The world was crumbling around them, war was a regular term in their households, little did they know something greater was coming. It’s safe to say things did not end well for them, the residents of my home did what they could and saved what humans they could. There were a lot of casualties… Many families were separated and I am certain not many took a liking to their new life.

Emptying Earth and leaving it to ash happened over the course of years. It wasn’t until recently where portals to that planet were closed off as far as two-way travel went. It would be another dumping ground for the creatures that plagued our lands of Izavyn. That was the root of all problems and the cause for most quarrels throughout our countries and city-states. A plague, a virus, an abomination, there were many words to describe what caused the woe of so many but the term we used for those creatures was a simple one, Demons. Their creation was one out of malice but perhaps when an organization sees too much peace, it craves to shift the balance. War might not have been as common here but it wasn’t unknown.

Demons were once people, our people. Changing them back was impossible, at least it seemed that way. When one combines the magic of the land with dark practices given to them by one of The Arms, the one no one mentions for there is power in a name or prayer.

The Arms were created by The Eternal. Those lucky enough to hear her voice or perhaps catch a glimpse learned she had a name, Divi. The Eternal Divi created what we know, her power flows through all of us, and upon passing we re-join her. All life is connected to her and therefore we are all connected, to every fabric of being. The Eternal also created four to help her, to watch and guide us, The Arms. Any paintings or statues of Divi and constructed so that she appears to have four arms, though now at days older art either scratched out or have removed the fourth arm. The fourth betrayed The Eternal and have been gathering followers and temples of his own, promising a new age and have become a powerful deity in his own right. Whispers of The Ascent Mol is rare, but not unheard of.

The Arms were prayed to just as The Eternal was. Though references to them have changed over time. Sometimes I hear elders sigh out, “By the five!” and anyone within earshot is horrified. We no longer reference them as five but as four. After all, if one divine figure goes rogue and attempts to take all, for the most part, you should be against it. Naturally, that isn’t always the cause.

Izavyn had felt responsible for the havoc that came over the years. There are parts of our world that had been destroyed and rebuilt, taken over, some still fight a resistance or civil war. When those who decided to follow Mol and his trek for power over all, things changed. They gave their lives, prayers, their devotion, and in turn, it made him strong. Everything is connected, choosing to give yourself to something so powerful isn’t wise but not all men are wise. Creatures were created, the dangerous sort that can infect you with a wound and have you turned. Death by a Demon though frightening was merciful compared to the other option. They spread throughout the land, diminished populations, and where they roamed, darkness followed. The neverending night was their home, it’s where they flourished and thrived. No one dared made their way to a patch of dark land when the sun was out, the cold and dead land meant creatures that would kill. At night, everyone would stay in their homes, traveling would be banned for cargo ships and merchants. Those who wished to risk it on their own was another story… Not even our armies would venture to the darkened lands. The dark clouds in the distance were an omen, a promise of destruction to those who sought safety. The only way to destroy the patches of darkness would be to kill the hoard that inhabited it, that was not an easy feat. Upon nightfall, they roamed free, and hope at that point was lost.

There was a point the people of Izavyn thought things could turn around. The numbers of Demons were dwindling, causalities were becoming less and less. However, just as we had access to magic, as did they. There was a practice that had been used for the most heinous of prisoners. Those who did wrong beyond fixing and required justice were banished from the world. A portal would open and they would be sent somewhere desolate and free of intelligent life. What happened after would be up to them and no longer the business of our world. However, it turns out that a portal can work two ways with the right studies behind it. That’s how the numbers jumped up again and other worlds began to get involved in the strife that should have belonged to Izavyn alone.

Since then, most Kingdoms and City-States have decided to get involved, working to have the same ability the opposing side did. Wars were fought on all fronts and refugees were taken in of all races, most sent to camps to fight. We needed armies and they needed an escape… it was a dreadful exchange but I could understand the military aspect of it, it didn’t mean I agreed to it. Those who sought asylum were brought over, checked over by doctors and ailments would be removed. The world here was free of sickness that could kill, our healers and their abilities were both inspiring and wanted. Everyone who came through would be treated, and while the masses were grateful… I knew it was because our world could do more with healthy people than sickly ones. It was a double-edged sword of sorts but perhaps everything that had beauty also had an ugliness to it.

To make joining the military enticing, promises were made and kept. Majikas were crafty and their practices were difficult, so much so that only one of the many elements would be taught to them. They could summon fire at will, hold lightning in their hands, or even practice in potions and the arcana which would allow for many things, endurance, a day without needed sleep, even a change of appearance of them or others. Hallows were the most pampered of the bunch, clothes in white and ethereal looking, elegance was their calling and people were in awe of them and their ability to heal the sick or create barriers of protection without needed enchantments. We then had those in the front lines, impressive warriors who gained respect just by their sheer look alone, there were many kinds. Some with bulky armor and a grand sword, an enchanted shield that could but up a barrier. They were front-line men, giving commands to their squadron and leading the way. Others were dressed more lightly, more agile. Some with slimmer long swords, long twin daggers, bows with arrows that would appear on a whim, all enchanted weapons with their own special ability. It all looked glamourous really and those who were not from this world were given promises of a better life if they joined one of the ranks. A promise of enhanced beauty, so you would look like the most prominent version of you courtesy of a Majika, and those who joined the front-line men were given the option of a complete change and land, an enticing idea for those who liked the material things. The person would no longer have to live in the safe house and would instead be given a cozy room to call their own, a private bath included, and the promise to be able to own land or home depending on their choice of rank to follow as well as being given the status of a citizen instead of being labeled a refugee.

The refugees were put to work but they worked alongside everyone else, everyone had to pitch in one form or another. Those with a specialized trade were willing to take on apprentices and that option was one people sought after because it promised a place of their own in the home of the master tradesman. There was also an option to help in re-building, supplies run, guard duty, and many other things. That didn’t mean that there was no downtime, not at all. People were still able to enjoy time with their families or seek out help and therapy due to the drastic changes. Not all took it well and when death rates began rising within the safety of the barriers, those in higher power took action. It was a hard change, but those who remained were able to make it through and over the years the world has prospered the best it can given the circumstances. However, it seems the Demons have run out of souls to take on for their army and the focus now remains on us, the last standing in their path and our unwillingness to bow makes us targets.

Some know that time might not be kind with what looms. Some choose to just make it by, others wise to live as if tomorrow might be the end and that’s what my parents did. My mother is was born in this world, she comes from across the sea and studied as a tailor. Her studies eventually brought her to the City-State of Verrin where she ended up being the private seamstress to the council. She never did talk much of home but I understood. It was painful… Back in her home of Qisyo things were difficult. It was one of the countries where the royal family had been forced out and armies with the banners for Mol were raised. Some refugees from her country could be seen throughout Verrin but I knew of a settlement by the ocean on a cliff where her people were trying to wait out the war across the sea so they can return home. Qisyo’ko was the name of the settlement and I had only been there once…

My father had arrived when my mother was working in a dress shop, he did not join the ranks and instead chose to live his life in the business of delivery within the city. My mother was someone he came across quite often since he would deliver goods to the shop she worked in and their relationship eventually grew and then they were married. My mother was aware of his status as a refugee and knew marriage wouldn’t secure a future for him but her eventual career opened doors and my father was able to eventually work in the library, much like he had back on Earth. It was a quiet enough life for them, and my appearance made things better for them, something they always reminded me of. I remember spending a lot of time with my father in the library, reading never-ending books, and in the evening bothering my mother beyond words since I had not seen her all day whenever work called for her.

Eventually, I did make friends of my own but there was one I ended up being the closest to. It was around the time the last of the humans from Earth made their way over. There had been a group of orphans but there was one who did not seem as sad as the others. It turned out she had already been an orphan and had been placed in home after home. The events of her world and the drastic change stressed her eyes, but she did not cry over the loss of family like the others and seemed more optimistic, hopeful almost. Her name was Morgan and she and I had a bond that could rival the closest of sisters.

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aftermathdb · 4 years

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DEATH BATTLE Review: Beerus vs. Galaxia

Dragonball vs. Sailor Moon. The OG Shonen anime vs. the OG Magical Girl anime.

Disclaimer: Due to issues with prior Deviantart exports, and my desire to keep this as accessible as possible, this review and all reviews after this will be shorter until a new alternative is found. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Also: REALLY REALLY sorry that this took so long. Having everything be lost kinda… bummed me out.

Beerus’ Preview.

The preview opens with Wiz and Boomstick going over Goku’s encounter with Beerus, and what it means to be a God of Destruction.

Our overall stats go over just how absurdly powerful Beerus is and the kind of Ki that he has at his disposal. Where we get to our first Wiz/Boomstick segment with the new character: DUMMI.

Wiz essentially goes over the different types of Ki, with the regular simply zapping DUMMI, and destruction Ki literally vaporizing him. It’s funnier than how I’m describing, but there really isn’t that much else going on.

The hosts go over some of Beerus’ other abilities. Like his various techniques, and the fact that he has actual martial arts training.

A quick guide to Ultra Instinct is introduced, and of course, we have to go over the famous clash with Son Goku that shook the universe.

Now, similar to DC’s universe, the Dragonball universe is much bigger than our own. Our universe is on that bottom part, Hell (or HFIL, depending on your dub) is in the middle, Heaven is up top, and then there’s a bunch of other stuff.

Simply put, this is much bigger than our own ‘verse.

A few more feats are gone over and we get a card for techniques.

Simply put: Don’t mess around with Beerus!

Galaxia’s Preview.

Galaxia’s preview opens with a history on the Sailor Guardians/Sailor Scouts/Senshi/etc. Going over some of the general backstory that’s kinda needed to know exactly what’s going on in regards to the OG Magical Girls.

Then it drops you into the fray of Galaxia’s backstory of being born on a trash planet, going nuts, and destroying anything that she couldn’t have for herself.

Now, I’m going to say this right now: A lot of the highlights are kinda isolated in the notecards. The Wiz/Boomstick segment doesn’t really highlight much, other than some of the more… absurdly named attacks that she has… And apparently… a weird fetish that Wiz has?- I’m sure as hell not showing it. Plus, I was busy.

Anyways, they go over the whole concept of “Star Seeds” and how they’re basically the life force energy in all things. Planets, people, animals, you name it.

Again: Highlights are mainly kept to the notecards. Outside of a speed feat courtesy of meatball head, there really isn’t that much to talk about. So, a lot of the rundown is spent on the story differences between the Anime and the Manga.

And then, y’know… the more kickass stuff.

So, in a nutshell, Galaxia is crazy powerful. Crazy fast. And possibly the standard crazy.

Anyways, she’s got a massive powerset, and realistically, is difficult to defeat. In the Anime, she was freed from Chaos’ control, while in the Manga, she got killed by literal kindness. Because I guess that’s what beats destruction.

I have zero authority as to what kind of end line this is, so I’m just going to leave it here.

The Battle Itself.

Luis is head on animation, Beerus will be voiced by River Vitae and Sailor Galaxia will be voiced by Blythe Renay. Gods of Destruction by Brandon Yates, and audio led by Chris Kokkinos.

So for those of you who watched the preview on DEATH BATTLE Cast, you’re probably just now actually seeing and hearing the actual fight, music, and dialogue because those idiots didn’t plan ahead and didn’t realize that it was preview week. Such is the cast without Ben. Damn, total chaos and I missed it because of a class.

Anyways, remember how Goku vs. Superman 1 ended?- Yeah, that’s how this one starts!

So, right off the bat, we can see that Galaxia… Actually takes speed. She takes Beerus by surprise here, and in a few other places in the fight. And can I say that Galaxia’s little smile there is adorable? It almost makes you forget that she’s kinda a dictatorial mass murderer.

And then, just to sell how absurdly powerful these two are, they poke each other, until a massive shockwave happens.

So, after clearing the rubble, the two go all out.

Beerus goes for his wave technique, but Galaxia, being faster, is able to get by them, and fling Beerus into the Sun.

And after blowing it up, they clash inside the exploding sun.

The two kinda crash onto other planets. Galaxia enslaves a few natives onthe one she landed on, while Beerus, uh…

Blows his up.

The two clash again, and I should probably mention that their respective insta-destruction techniques kinda failed against each other. Neither of them gets to cheese a victory.

So, while Beerus is busy being tied up, Galaxia tries to go in, but Beerus activates Ultra Instinct.

Which frankly, is just unfair, and I blame the fans for it.

Anyways, Galaxia then goes for her attack: Stealing Beerus’ Star Seed.

Finishing Blow in

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

Verdict + Explanation.

So, right off the bat, Galaxia is indeed faster, and her arsenal is much more vast and versatile than Beerus’ due to how many she has.

But after that, it starts going the other way.

Speed alone isn’t going to win any fights (unless you’re the Flash), so power output and durability is what is needed to figure this all out.

Remember: Both are threats to their respective universes, but the Dragonball universe is quite bigger than our own, which the Sailor Moon universe seems to be based off of.

Now, this isn’t as simple as Beerus being equal to a few Galaxias, the two are likely stronger. But Beerus has more evidence of being stronger than Galaxia.

Goku is still considered inferior to Beerus even with Super Saiyan Blue + Kaio Ken, and Beerus wasn’t even using his full power in that famous “Clash that shook the universe” thing. Truth be told, I prefer the movie not doing that because it shows restraint on Beerus’ part.

Simply put, Beerus at his worst is stronger than Galaxia at her best.

And DUMMI kinda wraps everything that Wiz said in a neat little bow… Not sure how to feel about him, but time will tell if and how he grows on the audience.

Overall impression.

Overall, I’d say that this is a pretty solid episode. I kinda touched on it before, but I’m not too sure how to feel about DUMMI. While he has the potential to be an interesting character for the hosts to bounce off of, and the fact that it’s possible that he gets destroyed once per episode, only time will tell if he becomes popular or not.

As for the rundowns, I can’t say that it was that interesting. Numbers that are too low are boring to watch, and numbers that are too high are difficult to keep track of. I had to count the commas in the Beerus Galaxia comparison in speed just to confirm for myself that that’s what was going on.

The fight itself is great though. And we even saw another nice little cameo from the Chuck vs. Segata fight as well, which I think was pretty neat.

The Wiz/Boomstick segments didn’t stand out though. And that’s possibly because it wasn’t really that informative. It was just there to extend a joke. I think I’ve said this before, but I like my Wiz/Boomstick segments to be the areas where there isn’t clear footage to be used in the rundown, not necessarily for jokes only.

Still, a solid 8.4/10. The fight’s great, and the music is awesome! But the rundowns could use a bit of work.

Next Time…

Oh wow. Two kids scarred by their crap dads that wield fire. So original.

Those of you who know that I was hoping to fight Zuko should kinda get why I’m a tad salty.

Is there a fight that you want me to review? - Send an ask/request, and I’ll look into it!

Do you want to read my fanfic based around DEATH BATTLE itself? click here!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time for…

Scarred Fire Fight.

#Deathbattle #review #death battle

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percabeth4life · 4 years

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Three Old Ladies Knit Socks of Death

First Chapter || Previous Chapter || Next Chapter || AO3

I’m really glad that I have a clue as to what happened, even if the constant buzzing surrounding everyone is driving me nuts.

Someone cast a spell of some sort to trick everyone into thinking that Ms. Dodds never existed. The buzzing kept trying to affect me, but it couldn’t get me through my Purifying powers.

Thank Pontus for those.

But the buzzing is very, very, very, annoying.

One important thing I noticed was that Grover didn’t have any buzzing around him, which means that he is fully aware of Ms. Dodds. That and the fact that he’s a horrible liar.

Mr. Brunner’s buzzing didn’t lower at all, but nor did it raise.

I think he’s the source of the buzzing honestly, still not sure if he’s safe. He hasn’t asked for the pen that’s a sword that’s a pen back.

But everyone is denying that Ms. Dodds exists.

…

I may or may not be using it as practice for my purification powers.

…

It seems like a good idea (and keeps my mind off of…)

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

Okay so one person had to go to the nurses office cause I managed to get rid of the buzzing around her with my purifying powers, and whoops…

Apparently, mortals can’t handle that.

Everyone is saying she had a psychotic break yelling about a Ms. Dodds and how she definitely exists…

So, I’ve decided that I should not test my purification powers on helpless mortals.

Katara would be ashamed of me for testing my powers like that.

I’ve also decided to rewatch Avatar: The Last Airbender for the twenty-fourth time.

Don’t judge me, it’s a great show and my teacher for waterbending!

And maybe I’ll see more about healing with waterbending, I can’t remember all the details and I need a way to learn without hurting myself first.

Purification is still cooler, but healing will definitely be helpful in the future. Besides, it’s practically a signature move for Katara, the whole world would’ve ended in the show if it weren’t for her healing abilities.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

Carl was excited for my experiments with the water holder, I was messing with some ice and ignoring the growing sense of doom that was coming as exams got closer.

Triton would be disappointed in me for not paying attention to my lessons now, but I can’t help it.

It’s so hard to focus when you’re trying not to focus on the fact that you killed someone, sure she was a fury, but she had feelings and stuff too.

I shook my head, nope nope nope, not thinking about that right now.

Work on the magic portable ice fish tank.

I sighed, fiddling with the ice to twist it into the right shape.

I’ll need to add the runes-

“Percy!”

I made the ice shatter into a thousand tiny pieces and melt and nearly fell off the bed.

…

“You okay man?”

I nodded, pushing myself up and pretending like my face wasn’t on fire.

“I’m fine.”

“What were you doing anyways?”

Uh…

“I was trying to do a palm reading on my hands.” Nailed it.

“Baa-ha-ha, you do palm readings?”

“No, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I was trying to see if I could pass my exams.”

“If you study you might,” Grover bleated out.

I sniffed, raising my nose and hiding a smile, “Studying is for the weak!” I declared grandly.

Grover laughed.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar view, fields with misty figures as far as the eye could see.

I frowned.

Where am I?

I wandered forward, waving a hand in the face of one of the figures. They didn’t react.

Yep definitely a dream.

Now I just have to figure out where I am.

I probably should’ve gotten around to reading up on prophetic dreaming like probably dad Oceanus mentioned one of those times I was there, but I got distracted.

I wandered the fields, looking around in confusion, this place was very unfamiliar.

Except, a feeling of familiarity clung to me from one direction, so I started that way.

It felt like a low burn edging my senses, I’m not sure where I felt it before, I don’t really remember this feeling.

The sound of leathery wings made me look up, my eyes widening at the three figures.

Hades’s furies.

I suddenly realized where I was.

The itch of a curse made me want to scratch my arms. But looking up, Ms. Dodds, one of the furies, is alive.

It was like I could breathe for the first time in weeks.

I didn’t just kill someone who could think and breathe and feel like us.

I almost felt like sitting down right there, I let out a breath and held back the tears.

Thank Pontus.

I woke up

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

I practiced my Ocarina more, sitting next to some of the plants Grover has and settling the music book in front of me to try one of the basic tricks. Growing plants.

Technically it’s supposed to be done with coral and sea grass and other undersea plants, but I don’t have those. So, I just have to make due with the plants that Grover has.

Grover came in while I was mid-song, but I ignored him, the plant seems a bit brighter, just a little taller.

I smiled, it’s going alright.

Not as much as it should be, but it’s certainly improving.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

School was itching at my nerves. The constant buzzing was driving me up a wall and I was snapping quicker at people instead of doing it the smart way like Triton taught me.

I watched more Avatar and tried to resist the urge to break something.

I have no outlet, I can’t go practice my waterbending, I can’t talk to Triton, I only have Carl who just plain doesn’t understand.

School studies are getting harder and harder for me to do.

I could handle Pre-Calc thanks to all of Triton’s help in the past, and Latin wasn’t that hard either (why is every language but English easier? Should I try learning Spanish or French?), but otherwise… I kind of just gave up.

The buzzing stayed in the back of my head.

I threw myself into my books from Triton, devouring the information on Siren’s Song that I had been ignoring so far.

I practiced my Ocarina and paid attention to my clubs again some. Triton said they were good for me.

The buzzing filled the rooms when there was even a moment of silence.

I ended up kicked out of Model UN because of my lowering grades but music club had pity on me.

I practiced more.

The buzzing didn’t stop.

I snapped at a teacher one time too many, I’m not welcome back at the school next year.

What an underwhelming way to get kicked out this time.

The buzzing was unrelenting.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

I’m really glad for my starglobe. I’ve just been sitting here staring at it for the last hour.

Grover keeps giving me weird looks, but… It’s just sparkly and pretty and reminds me of Triton. It reminds me of the sea that one time my mom let me “sleepover” at a friends house. I got to see the stars from the sea and it was amazing.

“Did you know your eyes change colors?”

I looked up at Grover.

“What?”

“Well, they’re normally this sharp green, like, sea green, but you’re looking at your sparkly snowglobe and your eyes just turn like, silver-gray?”

I blinked, “Do they?”

“Yeah, I mean it’s cool.”

“Hmm, I guess I get it from my mom, her’s do the same thing.”

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

It was the night before my Latin exam.

As much as I don’t trust Mr. Brunner, I just couldn’t figure out this one translation, and I lost the answer key.

Ugh.

I decided to go ask him, at least he would know I was trying. As long as he didn’t like, try to kill me or something, it’d be fine!

…

Hopefully I didn’t just jinx myself.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

I was almost to the door to his office, but something was off.

I stopped, realization hitting.

The buzzing was quiet.

I was almost to his door, where the buzzing is usually very loud, and there was nothing.

I frowned, was he not there? But the light is on?

The door was ajar slightly, and I stepped closer, as quiet as I can be.

“… worried about Percy, sir.”

I stopped, tilting my head. That was Grover.

My heart sank, so I was right, he is working with Mr. Brunner.

“… alone this summer?” Grover questioned, “I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too-“

“We would only make matters worse by rushing him,” Mr. Brunner interrupted, “We need the boy to mature more.”

“But he may not have time. The summer solstice deadline-“

“Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can.”

“Sir he saw her…”

“His imagination,” Mr. Brunner insisted. “The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that. He may still have the pen, but the Mist over it will stop him from realizing.”

“Sir, I… I can’t fail in my duties again.” Grover’s voice was choked with emotion. “You know what that would mean.”

“You haven’t failed, Grover,” Mr. Brunner soothed. “I should have seen her for what she was. Now let’s just worry about keeping Percy-“

I shifted back, a small creak of my rubber shoe bottom on the linoleum floors echoes through the halls.

Mr. Brunner went silent.

I slipped back, seeing a shadow of something larger than Mr. Brunner in a wheelchair pass the lighted glass. It was holding an archer’s bow.

I moved, sliding into the first door I could find and pressed against the wall by the door.

I could fight if I needed too, my trident charm in hand, but… I need time to process.

A shadow went past, clop-clop-clop passing by. Like muffled hoof beats.

A large shadow paused by the window.

Mr. Brunner spoke, “Nothing, my nerves haven’t been right since the winter solstice.”

“Mine neither,” Grover said. “But I could have sworn…”

“Go back to the dorm,” Mr. Brunner told him. “You’ve got a long day of exams tomorrow.”

“Don’t remind me.”

The lights went out in Mr. Brunner’s office.

I waited there, going through what I just learned.

They’re worried about me, whether about my health of something else to do with me…

The buzzing is probably this Mist that he talked about, I’m not sure what that is, a spell of some kind I suppose. When I can talk to Triton again I’ll ask. Maybe it’s a land magic?

Mr. Brunner, whoever he is, has no idea that I know about gods and mythical beings and the like. I can use that to my advantage if he is actually a threat.

They know about the winter solstice mess, all I know is that there’s been a theft.

I frowned, are they blaming me too? And what’s this about a summer solstice deadline? That sounds bad.

Why do they need me to mature more? What do they need to worry about keeping me from? What’s going on?

One thing I’m sure of, Mr. Brunner is definitely not human. Some human animal crossover based on the sounds I heard. Horse half? Centaur? That’s the best I’ve got right now. I’ll look into it more later.

I stood in the dark waiting.

Grover is working with him though.

My chest hurt, could I trust Grover? Was he just going to attack me? Try to hurt me?

I want Triton, I want Triton so badly. He would know what to do.

But I can’t. Triton said not to contact him until things calmed down.

Based on Grover and Mr. Brunner, things are definitely not calm.

I stood in the dark.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

I returned to my room when I calmed, nodding to Grover and settling back down with my notes.

“Hey,” He said, bleary-eyed. “You gonna be ready for this test?”

I glanced over, trying to bury any emotions, Triton had said that Grover might have empathic abilities and I can’t let him know what I’m feeling.

I forced a smile, “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I faked a yawn, “I think I’m gonna go to bed now though. Too tired to get much more done.”

And I am tired, I’m so tired of being here.

I just want to go home, see my mom, hug her, talk to Triton.

I want to be back in the still dirty (but much improved) river and cleaning it and talking to the fish and other sea animals.

I want to go to events with Triton and talk to my merfolk friends and trade notes on our powers.

I don’t want to be here wondering if my friend is going to betray me and attack me. I don’t want to wonder if my teacher is going to try to hurt me.

I just want home.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

Honestly, I fell asleep trying not to cry, so when I woke up in my probable dad’s palace, hidden in an alcove, I kinda burst into tears.

It’s like my dreams are trying to comfort me.

I curled up and cried, this year sucks.

Everything first semester was bad, but since the solstice I’ve been so alone.

Everything aches I just want to see Triton, to talk to my friends, to not be so utterly alone.

I can’t trust Grover, I can’t trust Mr. Brunner, I certainly can’t trust any of the other students in the school.

“Oh dear…”

Soothing curls wrapped around me, banishing the cold currents that felt so like my probable dad’s palace.

A hand was on my back, I couldn’t really see through the tears though.

“Hush now little Half-Blood, it’s alright.”

I took a few minutes to calm my breathing, to stop the tears, the unknown person whispering soothing words the whole time.

When I could finally look at them, I finally saw the Titaness Tethys.

…

Oh no, don’t tell me I just cried like an idiot in front of my probable dad’s wife.

I want to curl up and die, why me.

She settled next to me in the alcove, her hand still rubbing my back, “Are you feeling better?”

I swallowed, nodding.

“Yes Tethys-ran” I whispered.

Using the proper terms of respect are important. Ran is for queen, which she is, Ari would be for king.

She smiled at me, “There, that’s better. Let’s get you something to eat hmm?”

I nodded, letting her tug me out of the alcove.

“We still have only caught the beginning of your name little half-blood, starts with a P right?”

I flushed, “It’s Percy, Tethys-ran.”

“Ah, then a pleasure to meet you Percy-tou”

I flushed, tou is used for children regardless of gender, it’s basically calling them cute little one.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you to, Tethys-ran.”

She led me to the kitchens it seems. There’s a lot of noise as they work on making the food.

Her hand was still on my back, it was grounding.

“Do you have any favorites?”

She was looking at me.

“Oh uh, I like water chestnuts? And uh frozen Plumose? Um…”

She smiled, “Any meats?”

“… tuna?”

She nodded, nudging me forward as she spoke rapid Halmaheran.

“Get something -- him to eat, something on the --- end. And something -- snack on. And some --- if you --.”

I couldn’t catch everything that she said, unfortunately, but I’m pleased I caught as much as I did. She was talking really fast and had an accent I don’t know.

It took only a few minutes before she was ushering me out, a few bowls of food in her hands.

I ended up sitting with her in another alcove, nibbling on the snacks she got me. And sucking clean water from one of the plants, usually used for that purpose. Not like you can have cups with drinks underwater.

She let us eat quietly, her gaze on me.

I glanced at her, then looked away again.

“You seem to find yourself in our palace fairly often Percy-tou.”

I shifted, “I’m sorry, I don’t know why.”

She hummed, “It’s no fault of yours, though you should learn how to control your dream walking.”

I frowned, “Dream walking?”

She smiled, “That’s what this particular branch of prophetic dreaming is called, though the technical name is Hioipihaiho.”

I frowned, Halmaheran.

“You mind effectively leaves your body and travels to another place. It is different from Ahioimua, which is looking into the future of the place you are, Imuaireira, which is seeing the future or other places, Ahiomuri, which is seeing the past of your current location, and Amuritereira, seeing the past of another place.”

I wished I had my notebook to take notes.

“Dream walking is simply traveling, it’s the most common form of prophetic dreaming in Half-Bloods. None of them technically require dreaming, though it is the easiest way to receive the visions of the other forms.”

Okay that’s interesting, so I could do this awake… How would that work?

“Though slipping through the shields of our palace to prevent entrance from those trying to come is impressive. I’m very curious as to how you’ve done so accidentally.”

I chewed on one of the nuts in my snack bowl, “I don’t know, I just started showing up here.”

She nodded, “Well, it’s certainly interesting.”

It must be because Oceanus is my dad? Is this more evidence towards that? I have a lot of really solid evidence now.

I kinda want to say that I know, but I promised Triton I wouldn’t ask or talk about my immortal parent. It would interfere with my safety.

So, I kept my mouth shut and resisted the urge to tell her.

“What had you so upset? When you first arrived?”

I nibbled on one of the tuna pieces, “I uh… Just had a stressful week.”

I ducked my head.

“Oh? Anything in particular?”

“I have a lot of big tests, and found out a friend isn’t actually a friend…”

She hummed, “A sad thing to learn.”

“Yeah…”

She ran a hand through my hair, I peeked up.

She smiled, “Friends come and go like the tides, it is good to learn from your time with them, and they will leave a mark on you. But don’t let them hold you back or cling to what has passed. If they are not your friend accept that and move forward, else you will drown.”

I relaxed, she’s not wrong. Grover was apparently not really trying to be my friend, he was spying on me?

Regardless of what he was doing, I just have to accept it.

It hurts, but… it would be better for me to move on.

I nodded, “Thanks.”

“Well, I believe it is time for you to wake. I’ve already held you here longer than you should’ve been.”

She gathered our bowls and flicked away.

Almost immediately I felt the yank at me. Like a strong current tugging me away.

“Stay safe Percy-tou.”

Oh.

I woke up.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

I finished the Latin exam.

I know that I messed up like half the grammar, but the translation to English wasn’t too hard, I could use context for some of the grammar, and I’m good at the word definitions so that was easy at least. The few history questions were annoying, but I didn’t struggle too badly.

The buzzing in my ear made it hard to focus though.

I think I managed a C? Maybe even a B if my guessing for the grammar was good enough.

I’ll just have to wait and see I guess.

I started to head out when Mr. Brunner called me back.

I swallowed back my fear that he found out about me overhearing him last night, he wouldn’t call me out for that in front of the class.

“Percy,” he said. “Don’t be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It’s… it’s for the best.”

My heart sank, I know that I can’t trust him, really, I do, but… I couldn’t help but like him as a teacher.

It hurt to hear him say that, in front of the whole class too.

The other students snickered, Nancy sent me a smug grin.

“Okay, sir.” I mumbled.

“I mean…” Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn’t sure what to say. “this isn’t the right place for you. It was only a matter of time.”

What does he mean by that?! That I’m destined to be kicked out? That despite the high standards he’s been holding me to he had zero faith in me? That he was going to insure I would be kicked out if it wasn’t something else?

“Right,” I whispered.

“No, no,” Mr. Brunner said. “Oh, confound it all. What I’m trying to say… you’re not normal, Percy. That’s-“

“Thanks,” I blurted, holding back my fear that he could know about my power, “Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me.”

I bolted, hearing his call as I fled.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

The last day of term had finally arrived.

I gathered up my notebooks, my waterskin, my assorted gifts from Triton and my friends, Carl in his new transportable tank, and carefully put everything up in my two bags, my waterskin on top. My suitcase held the extra and all of my clothes.

The other guys were talking about their plans for their breaks.

They’re all juvenile delinquents like me, kids that can’t manage it in other schools, but they’re rich ones.

Doesn’t mean I have to let them know that I’m not doing much unless Triton can contact me soon. I probably shouldn’t even go to the river until Triton gets ahold of me.

One of them asked what I was doing this summer.

“I’ll be visiting some of my friends overseas. I haven’t seen them since winter break.” I flashed them a bright smile that hid the ache in my chest as they questioned me more.

“Where do they live?”

“Oh, on some islands a bit out. They’re a bit spread out, so I’ll probably move around some.”

“That’s cool, looking forward to it?”

“Yeah,” I grinned, “They’re a lot of fun.”

They went back to talking about their trips but did leave an opening for me to join if I wanted.

I didn’t, they were all kind of jerks to Grover, but I appreciated it.

The only person that I was nervous about saying goodbye to was Grover. Even with Tethys’s advice, even knowing that he may try to harm me, it’s so hard to let it go.

Turns out I don’t have to yet though because he’s coming with me. We have tickets on the same Greyhound bus to Manhattan.

Seems suspicious.

OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO

Grover is clearly very nervous, glancing around and down the aisles, watching the passengers. It was similar to how he acted every time we left Yancy. I ducked my head and didn’t say anything about it.

“Hey Percy?”

I glanced at him, “Yeah?”

“I uh, I know that uh, that we’re going different ways this summer. But…. I thought, uh, here-“

He handed me a card, “Just take this, in case you need me this summer.”

I took the card, which is in the most obnoxious fancy script that took me a minute of squinting at to read.

Grover Underwood

Keeper

Half-Blood Hill

Long Island, New York

(800) 009-0009

My heart almost stopped, Half-Blood Hill.

What does this have to do with Half-Bloods?

“What’s Half-“

“Don’t say it aloud!” He yelped, “That’s my, um… summer address.”

I stared at him, is he trying to trick me into going into some sort of trap?

“Okay, so if I want to visit.”

“Or… or if you need me.” He nodded.

“Why would I need you?”

I couldn’t help the bitter words. How could I trust him after what I overheard the other day?

Grover blushed right down to his Adam’s apple. “Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have to protect you.”

I stared at him, the likely mythological being that I’m half convinced is supposed to be assassinating me.

“Grover, what exactly are you protecting me from?”

Could I have misunderstood?

Suddenly there was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and limped the Greyhound over to the side of the highway.

After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced we’d all have to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everyone else, and my senses were on fire.

It was like a web of feeling, fabric flowing over me, almost sparking as it moved.

My head snapped around, on the other side of the road, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-fashioned fruit stand.

There, next to it in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, sat three old ladies knitting the biggest pair of socks I’ve ever seen.

And those old ladies were... dangerous.

The energy I could tell was there, it was overloading my senses.

I couldn’t feel anything but the crackling fabric flowing over me.

The lady on the right knitted one of the socks, the lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn that made me feel like a knife was pressed to my throat.

The combined feelings made me want to claw at my skin, what is this? Who are they? What’s going on?

The three ladies were looking right at me. I rubbed at my arms.

Grover made a strangled sound and I glanced at him. Just barely resisting bolting from the area.

“Grover?” I said. “Hey, man—”

“Tell me they’re not looking at you. They are, aren’t they?”

I swallowed, oh dear.

“Yeah, why?”

The lady in the middle took out a pair of scissors, massive scissors—gold and silver, long bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.

“We’re getting on the bus,” he told me. “Come on.”

I stood still, staring at the old ladies with the scissors that made my head spin, their presence that made electric fabric rub at my skin, and their yarn that felt like knives prickling my neck.

“Come on!” He called, prying open the door and climbing inside.

The old ladies still watched me, and the middle one lifted the scissors.

I could hear the snip of her cutting the yarn from across all four lanes of traffic. Her two friends bundled up the electric-blue socks and I felt the at this point familiar buzz fill my head. The three ladies were gone between one blink and the next.

At the fear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.

The prickling of a knife, the electric fabric, the head spinning all faded, almost entirely gone.

The passengers cheered.

“Darn right!” yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. “Everybody back on board!”

We got back on, the buzzing still nudging me. I pushed my power as hard as I could, shoving the buzzing trying to reach me away.

Grover looked sick, I didn’t feel great myself, but the buzzing had faded almost entirely.

“Grover?”

“Yeah?”

I hesitated, should I? I want to know… I need to know if he’s actually a threat.

I licked my lips, “What are you not telling me?”

He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. “Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?”

“There were three old ladies, two knitting giant socks, one holding yarn. The one in the middle cut the yarn, then they left.

He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers, one I recognized from my time with Triton. A symbol to ward of evil. With magic behind it, it can do small things. Otherwise it’s just a simple hand motion.

“You saw her snip the cord.”

“Yeah. So?” Who were those old ladies? Nothing has bothered my senses like them before.

“This is not happening,” Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. “I don’t want this to be like last time.”

I scowled, “What last time?”

“Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth.”

“Grover,” I snapped, because I just want answers! “What are you talking about?”

“Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me.”

I stared at him, there’s no way I’m letting him know where I live. I’m not endangering my mom like that.

“Sure.”

He continued to bemoan my fate, looking at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I’d like best on my coffin (Forget-me-nots so I can boss people around even when I’m dead).

#percy jackson #powerful percy #percy figures out how to control water young #percy calls himself a waterbender #waterbender percy #Avatar the legend of percy #avatar: the legend of percy #avatar fan percy #grover #Grover underwood #pjo #percy jackson fanfiction #pjo fanfiction #pjo fanfic #smart percy #strong percy

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insertdisc5 · 5 years

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Yet Another Zelda Roleswap (the masterpost)

✨what's this AU?

Check THIS POST I DID that started it all and also the AU’s tag

✨in this au, the previous legends about the triforce are the same, aka “zeldas are princesses links are heroes and ganon/ganondorf is always the same guy and the big bad”! BUT THIS TIME DESTINY DID AN OOPSIE and ganondorf forgot all about his previous lives while link is the one who remembers them all!!! zelda just wants to travel and read cool legends and didnt expect to be part of one

✨ZELDA STUFF

-trans girl, found the name zelda in very very very old royal records

-she's like 16 or something

-seventh heir to the throne who wants to prove herself, so she goes on an adventure to save the world!!!!

-adventurous and impulsive and naive

-main weapon is bows, she also knows magic and sheikah techniques

-has six siblings who dont really pay attention to her. shes probably the youngest

-her point of view is very black and white at first

-even when she gets in the middle of link and ganon’s story she still doesn’t believe she is The Zelda of legend

-how could she she’s just a zelda, one among many, just a kid playing at being a princess

-(she IS the zelda)

-she gets a bird AND a white horse!!!!

-if she sees a weird cave she WILL go into it

-would probably eat moss if dared

✨LINK STUFF

-genderfluid, uses he/they

-hes in his early twenties

-a man zelda meets during her travels, who seems to know a lot about old legends

-he can see koroks and fairies, who can’t be seen by most people

-gets all his past lives' memories after he gets the master sword, over a period of a day or two

-maybe link does remember his past deaths along with his past lives, but past deaths are maybe more muted…. less like he experienced them and more like someone told him about it. still fucks him up tho

-i feel like he’d be pretty nice and sleepy all the time, until you mention something that has to do with his memories (aka, ganondorf, but also like “oh ive heard some hero in the legends went back to being a kid to save the world or whatever) and he’d get this super serious, focused look… something like that, little things that would make zelda go :^?

-he just really wants to kill ganondorf ya dig

-SO MANY BOSS FORMS probably one per main title (kinda like xant’s battle in TP) (strongest/hardest to fight is majora’s mask link), and final form is definitely some twisted looking fierce deity

-as for his past selves he has all of their memories and its kind of… they’re not him, he’s him, they’re just memories that he has, but when he is very very stressed its “memories become actual personalities for a sec” time. 99% of the time its just him and then ganondorf is there and its like WILL EVERYONE SHUT UP IM TRYING TO MAKE A MURDER HERE

-he’s not controlled by malice or anything because it would feel like a deus ex machina to me

-in the end he doesnt die and he gets redemption because he didnt hurt anyone he just tried to kill ganondorf a few times hes good, and also zelda is his friend and an heir to the throne he’s got immunity. poor guy just needs help processing all those lives and needs a cabin in the woods with some fairies!!!

-re: his past lives, oot link SUPER HATES ganondorf while ww link is more sympathetic. links who havent fought ganondorf are ambivalent about him

-endgame ship is either with ganondorf OR beedle. beedle is the secret ending

-will eat moss

✨GANONDORF STUFF

-he's in his twenties i promise he just has resting old man face

-zelda’s old childhood friend

-doesn’t remember anything about his past lives

-gerudo king, very serious but fairly well loved

-lets not talk about malice it either doesnt exist/this ganondorf doesnt have any/this ganondorf knows how to control it. either way its not gonna affect the story

-”what are you wearing today king” “oh, just whatever” (its not whatever he spent hours finding the day’s outfit)

-found out about his past lives while reading a very very very old book, probably read it and stayed in his room for a week and then promised himself to never ever ever turn out like that

-genuinely a good person

-would never eat moss

✨RELATIONSHIPS STUFF

-zelda and ganondorf actually knew each other as kids! Both being royalty and all. legends do talk about a hero a princess a beast or whatever but don’t use link or ganondorf’s names since it’s been so long- it takes zelda and ganondorf both finding old, old books on their own to be like “AH OOPS”!!! Ganondorf learns about his past lives much earlier than zelda, who finds out during her adventures, and she goes from seeing ganondorf as a dear friend to being like “…but what if he’s really bad though”

they’re old childhood friends, you know, the kind that were best friends before and then grew up and saw each other less often (different kingdoms and all) so they kinda grew apart, and then zelda starting her quest made them reconnect again! Ganondorf is a little older than zelda so he always saw her more as his little sister who just jumps into mud because she totally saw a sword there i promise, and zelda sees ganondorf as her cool older brother who actually pays attention to her, unlike her actual siblings

-when link and zelda meet, zelda’s like “weird dude but probably harmless” and link is like “weird girl but probably harmless” and then she’s like “oh my name is zelda” and link goes “ah just likeWAIT” and he kinda observes her to… gauge her abilities? My Zeldas Were Better kinda thing. i guess during their final battle he’s like “you’re really a zelda, after all” and its bittersweet

the second zelda figures out link is also part of those legends she goes full hero worship mode, which makes link’s fall from grace… really… hard on her. ive been admiring you and wanting to be a hero like you all this time, turns out you’re not a hero and also Not Okay

-re ganondorf and link, after everything that happened uuuh

human brain: it probably takes them both a long while to get used to each other, given that one was almost killed by the other and the other has vivid memories of having their world(s) destroyed by the one, but after a while they probably bond over their shared uuuuh memories i guess. link visits gerudo city once in a while and they catch up and become friends and

lizard brain: after 100k words they DATE

no i wont write how it happens you will NOT make me embarrass myself in front of everyone because i earnestly wrote about how link visits ganondorf every time he’s in gerudo country and at first link just passes by to give ganondorf news about how zelda is faring as queen and news about the world, and as time goes and years go by they start talking about their lives and struggles and just taking walks across the desert together and having sand seal races and everyone in ganondorf’s court is like “so when’s that little voe coming back” and ganondorf is like “i neither know nor care that its been three months since his last visit” and everyone’s like (smirk) “okay” and when has he even started to look forward to link’s visits anyway how did this happen and then link comes back and smiles gently and shows ganondorf this cool rock he found that looks like ganondorf’s face and ganondorf is smitten

takes them both Y E A R S to realize their feelings and then date tho. slow burn or bust

✨WORLD STUFF

-takes place in a time where the games’ adventures are only known as legends where they didnt even write down ganondorf’s and link’s names

-now that im thinking about it it wouldnt happen like THOUSANDS OF YEARS after any game because then ganon and link wouldnt be that worried about their destiny??? so maybe like 100-200 years after a game??? and the ppl writing down the legends were just terrible bookkeepers who couldnt even think write down link and ganon’s name

-(smash voice) EVERYONE IS HERE!!!!!!!! tingle and agitha the bug princess and sidon and especially groose who is uuuuum zelda’s rival who is totally not in love with her

-i think in botw its implied koroks are only seen by people like link and zelda??? so id say only people with uuuuh magical power??? can see them???? so koroks are just doin their thing, playing pranks, helping people without them knowing, and, in the case of makar, playing romantic music around couples

#Yet Another Zelda Roleswap AU #zelda #ref #im gonna put most questions ive answered on private so this tumblr remains pretty much art #but i might as well do a post with all the stuff ive said!!!!#i LOVE your questions and i still have some to answer but i usually put ask tags on private after a few days so #PLEASE SEND ME MORE QUESTIONS IF YOUD LIKE!!!#will update this post as time goes on

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satonthelotuspier · 4 years

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How Shall We Stop Dreams - Part 9

Chapters 8 & 9 of How Shall We Stop Dreams, posted over the weekend on AO3. It’s all starting to happen.

As ever follow the link to AO3 for the full fic (link takes you to chapter 8) or the tag below for the other parts here on tumblr, whatever your poison may be.

CW for torture, though it’s not described in much detail.

Chapter 8 – The Wens Unmasked – Part 1

It was greatly against his nature to rush into situations; especially those where he knew they could make things worse. It was scant comfort to Lan Xichen at that moment, however, who merely wished to tear the Nightless City apart stone by stone to get to Jiang Wanyin.

He was entirely to blame for Jiang Wanyin being in danger now, and he wanted to act. If he hadn’t spent so much time away from those books for his own selfish reasons he would have made the revelations so much earlier, in time to stop the other from delivering himself into the hands of the Wens.

Lan Wangji returned to the dining hall, followed by several of the other cultivators who he had managed to locate. They had each gone to round up who they could with the intention of giving everyone the full story of what they had discovered, and sending them back to their own sects to warn against the Wens before enacting a rescue for the Jiang sect heir.

Lan Wangji moved to join him where he leaned against the pillar; he had been the first to return and had had time to brood while waiting for the others.

Lan Wangji paused in front of Lan Xichen and bowed.

“Xiongzhang, I beg you to return to Gusu. You are in grave danger, and you well know it”

Lan Xichen should have expected Lan Wangji to make his request again.

He understood how perilous the situation had become for him, knowing full well he would be a prize like no other to demons who fed on human emotion.

“I thank you for your concern, Wangji, but I will be staying. The man I love is trapped somewhere beneath this city, and I won’t be leaving without him. Even if I could leave the Purpose in your hands at this stage, I couldn’t desert Wanyin”

Lan Xichen doubted Wangji had expected any different response from him.

They didn’t have to wait much longer for Wei Wuxian and Luo Qingyang to return with the remaining cultivators.

“Zewu-jun, lets go” Wei Wuxian nodded, and Lan Xichen moved to stand in front of the small crowd.

“I’m sure by now many of you have your doubts and concerns over what the Wens hope to achieve in bringing us all here. My clan had the same misgivings, and we came intending to investigate what caused our nightmares and why the Wens were so eager to draw so many young cultivators to the Nightless City” Lan Xichen glanced around the faces of the others, trying to gauge how his words were being received. “We discovered the Wens are direct descendants of the Demon Sun Kings, we know they feed on human emotions. We also know they have a cultivating crystal that is feeding on the qi energy of cultivators that they take beneath the city to experiment on. You will have seen the results in your shidis and shimeis who were returned to you, drained, confused, and ill”

They must plan to expand their influence if they have decided to come out of the shadows now, knowing full well what was being done to our sect mates couldn’t remain unknown for long. They have played a long game, and it seems to be time for them to act. I urge you to leave Qishan immediately, return to your sects and warn them to prepare for what may come. We will be sending our disciples back to Gusu and advising our elders to waste no time in seeking to discuss preparations with the other sects as soon as they may. If you are able to warn your own clans and have them begin their own precautions it will ensure we aren’t taken by surprise” he tightened his fist around Shuoyue; he had warned the others now, what they did with his warning was their own business. His one thought now was Jiang Wanyin.

“Zewu-jun” Jin Zixuan halted him on his way to the door, “how much proof do we have, should our sects be loathe to act without it”

“None I can put into your hands at this time, Jin-gongzi. I hope the Lan’s reputation might help me. As such I can merely assure you I am perfectly convinced of the scenario I have presented, based on our observations and information found in the Wen library” he waved a hand at the nearby table where he had placed the books he and Jiang Wanyin had studied last night, and the notes both of them had made whilst reading, “You are welcome to assess them, or take them back to your father if you think it will help” Lan Xichen threw one final look around the assembled crowd, “Whether you believe me or not, please ensure you leave the Nightless City as a matter of urgency, I can assure you there’s no cure to be had here beyond stopping the Wen’s plans. And I expect to have kicked open a hornets nest in a very few hours, after which there will likely be no escape. Better safe than sorry” Lan Xichen left the hall.

***

“I’m coming with you” Luo Qingyang rushed to stand beside Wei Wuxian, who grimaced.

“Luo-guniang, you should be returning to your sect to warn them. You heard Zewu-jun. The smaller sects especially need to be prepared and ready to defend themselves to ensure you’re not overwhelmed if the Wens act”

“The Liu sect have very close ties to the Yi sect, and I’ve already asked Yi Wencheng to ensure the Lius are told of what’s happening” she pointed to a young man in dark robes who was talking with some of the other cultivators. “I’m part of this, and you will need all the help you can get to rescue Jiang-gongzi”

In the face of her determination there was nothing Wei Wuxian could add; he merely bowed his thanks at her offer to help.

They were joined by one of the Lan disciples, who bowed to Lan Wangji before speaking, “Hanguang-jun, Su-xiong seems to have disappeared. He was with us when we joined Zewu-jun”

There was the tiniest creasing of Lan Wangji’s brows, “Search the houses, if you cannot find him continue with the plan and leave for Gusu, Xiongzhang and I will continue the search”

“Yes” the disciples bowed again and left; the trio were just about to join them in leaving when Mo Xuanyu walked over. He looked pale.

“Is it true? Is Wen Ning...are the Wens demons?” he demanded of Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian could only nod. “I thought...I saw he moved too quickly. I hoped it might just be the danger” he rubbed his face with both hands, then looked up, determination set in his eyes. “I’m coming with you” he repeated Luo Qingyang’s words, and Wei Wuxian waved his hands in denial.

“We’re going into the lair of the beast, Mo Xuanyu, to rescue Jiang Cheng. I can’t guarantee your safety down there” he reached into his robes and took out the letter he had hoped he would have chance to place into the younger man’s hands. “This is from Jiang Cheng’s father, Uncle Jiang has agreed to let you come to Yunmeng to be an outer disciple. Travel to Yunmeng and tell him what happened here. Tell him I’m trying my best to look after Jiang Cheng” he pressed the letter into Mo Xuanyu’s hands.

The younger man shuddered, looking at Wei Wuxian in disbelief, “Why would you do that?”

“Because you deserve a chance, and forgive me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you want to go back to your home”

Mo Xuanyu snapped to attention, and bowed to Wei Wuxian; his hands shook, and Wei Wuxian caught him and pulled him up.

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity, I won’t disappoint Wei-shixiong. But I will be going with you. I need to see for myself” Mo Xuanyu assured him.

Wei Wuxian sighed, and turned to Lan Wangji, “Lan Zhan, do your magic mind thing and make them go” he said with a pout. But he knew Lan Wangji wouldn’t. Lan Wangji had explained to him the skill he used was a talent he had been born with, the thing that made his eyes glow gold, and was an ability to place a suggestion in someone’s thoughts and have them act on it, like how he had “suggested” the guard at the hospital entrance go to one of the other rooms and sleep, which had enabled them to access the caves and tunnels under the Nightless City.

“Wei Ying, it would be wrong to use it on an ally” Lan Wangji shook his head once, even though he was aware Wei Wuxian hadn’t asked in seriousness. “You should know how dangerous this will be, however, all of you. You may be captured or killed. Xiongzhang and I will do all we can to ensure we all walk out together, but I cannot promise”

“I know, Lan Zhan, but they have my brother, I’ll slay every Wen who comes to get to him” Wei Wuxian said, and Luo Qingyang nodded.

“It’s the right thing to do. I started this with you, I want to see it through” she added.

“And I must see the Wens unmasked as demons for myself” Mo Xuanyu said, clutching his sword.

Lan Wangji lowered his head in acknowledgement of the three, “Then we must join Xiongzhang now” and he lead them from the hall to meet up with Lan Xichen.

Chapter 9 – The Wens Unmasked - Part 2

They met Lan Xichen coming out of the lodgings the Two Jades had been assigned.

He eyed the additions to their group, but said nothing. He knew his brother enough to know Lan Wangji would have said everything needed to them; it was their own choice to face the danger.

“Xiongzhang” Lan Wangji said as they fell into step and headed from the guest lodging area towards the private clan areas of the city that the three had sneaked into the previous evening, “Su Minshan is missing”

Wei Wuxian saw Lan Xichen look at Lan Wangji, and something seemed to pass between them silently while they walked on without them missing a step.

“Wei-shixiong” Mo Xuanyu fell into step besides Wei Wuxian, who turned to give the younger man his attention. “Is Wen Ning…?” he didn’t seem to be able to finish the thought, but of course his meaning was clear enough.

“Yes, Wen Ning is probably half-demon. Ironically, if he wasn’t, you would be dead”

Mo Xuanyu nodded as if that thought had already occurred to him.

“Why did he save me?”

“I don’t know, perhaps it was because it was the right thing to do and he’s a kind young man” it was the only comment he could offer on the subject to Mo Xuanyu, he didn’t know himself. The fact still stood that Wen Ning had saved Mo Xuanyu’s life, and therefore, unless forced to act against him by circumstances or evidence, Wei Wuxian would assume he was a good person, demon or human.

***

The five moved through the Nightless City and into the walled off Clan areas. They admitted made their way through the back alleys towards Wen Qing’s hospital; but even so, the fact that they only encountered outer disciples, which meant Lan Zhan was able to deal with them easily, and without bloodshed, made Wei Wuxian’s scalp prickle.

He didn’t think the Wens were on their guard against anyone who may have caught on to their plans yet, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. He didn’t really understand why, however, after all they had already sneaked through these streets once before, and again when they had returned to the surface last night, although they had had to hide in a deserted storage shed for a few hours on the way back to avoid the changing patrols and guard stations.

In hindsight Wei Wuxian wished dearly they’d chanced their luck and made a dash for it; if they had they would have been in time to stop Jiang Cheng from walking gamely into the Wen’s web.

Even in the hospital itself there was no more than the single guard sat at the entrance in the floorboards.

Once he had been dealt with in a similar fashion to the evening before they mounted the steps leading down into the rock bed beneath the city.

“I’m not experienced at sneaking into a secret lair” Mo Xuanyu said in a low voice, “but has this all seemed a little too easy?”

“Suspiciously so” Lan Xichen agreed, “Do not drop your guard for even a second, if I tell you to run, please listen”

Wei Wuxian kept his own council on that matter; if it came down to it he wouldn’t leave Jiang Cheng behind, whatever the Lans said to him. Jiang Cheng was his didi, his to protect and he had been doing a terrible job of it ever since they had come to the Nightless City.

As they moved deeper through the tunnels Shuoyue and Bichen unsheathed themselves an inch or so in perfect synchronisation.

Wei Wuxian was glad he didn’t stand on the opposite side of the Two Jades of Lan; their appearance alone was enough to strike fear into the heart of any enemy.

They moved in perfect harmony; their pure white robes; fair visages, set into identical looks of grim determination; and strong aura of implacable righteousness gave the impression of twin gods of vengeance come to earth to mete out divine retribution.

He loosened Suibian in it’s scabbard as he followed close behind the noiseless tread of the Two Jades.

The cloth scraps they’d left the night before were still visible where they’d placed them.

“Do we follow a different route and make straight for the cave floor or follow last night’s path and use the ledge to take stock of the situation first?” Luo Qingyang asked, her voice low.

“The ledge” Lan Wangji said firmly and they began following the miniscule scraps of pink under robe through the twists and turns of the labyrinthine tunnels.

Again, Wei Wuxian felt his scalp prickle in discomfort; he could just be overthinking, on account of his worry for Jiang Cheng, but it felt like this wasn’t the way they’d gone the previous night. Perhaps they should stop following their trail.

He voiced this to Lan Wangji, who agreed with a soft “Mn”

His fears were realised when the tunnel they followed didn’t branch off again, but kept dipping downwards, last night’s route had eventually begun to slope upwards a little.

“It feels like we’re being funnelled into a trap” Luo Qingyang muttered, a feeling Wei Wuxian shared with her.

Their path eventually led out onto the cavern floor, as they had all begun to expect by that point.

“Jiang Cheng” Wei Wuxian called in distress as his eyes alighted on the unconscious form of his adopted brother, tied at the wrists and hung from a hook suspended from the roof of the cavern. He didn’t even care that it was such an obvious trap that even a child could see it as he rushed forward, Lan Xichen matching him step for step across the cavern.

Lan Xichen caught Jiang Cheng around the waist, and lifted him up slightly. Wei Wuxian leapt up and caught hold of the chain with one hand, using the other to untangle the ropes from around the hook. Once Jiang Cheng was free, and carefully cradled in Lan Xichen’s arms he dropped back to the ground, and pressed in to check how Jiang Cheng was.

A small trickle of blood had escaped from his nose, but despite that and some bruising to his left cheekbone he didn’t seem to be too badly wounded. In fact a few seconds later he jerked back to consciousness, almost striking out at Lan Xichen with his still-bound hands. He realised who held him in time to pull his blow, however.

“Xichen, Wei Wuxian” there was a soft smile of relief that shaped his mouth, before he seemed to fully return to his senses and his face twisted into a look of panic.

“Get out of here” he struggled out of Lan Xichen’s arms and gave Wei Wuxian an almighty push back towards the tunnel where the other’s stood; Wei Wuxian felt himself be steadied by Lan Wangji. He was just about to shout at Jiang Cheng when the Wens spring their trap.

Now the prey had their teeth into their sweet little bait the cavern flooded with guards who surrounded the cultivators with their swords drawn. To the right, from another tunnel, a threesome walked into the cavern. One was the broad-shouldered demon they had seen in the cavern last night; the one who seemed to be the caretaker of the demonic crystal which he now held in his hands. The other two were Wen Ruohan, the Wen clan sect head, and Wen Xu, his eldest son.

Wei Wuxian sneered, “Thank you, Wen-zongzhu, for the welcoming committee. I don’t think we’ll stay for long though”

Wen Ruohan chuckled, sounding like an indulgent uncle, “Such a lively little golden core cultivator, I think the crystal will like you very much. Wen Zhuliu” Wen Ruohan waved an elegant hand lazily in Wei Wuxian’s direction.

“Zhao Zhuliu, the last scion of the Zhao dream demons, Jiang Wanyin was correct” Lan Xichen mused, and Wei Wuxian realised he was trying to draw the attention away from Wei Wuxian.

***

Jiang Cheng knew Lan Xichen spoke to play for time, to keep the Wen’s attention divided, but he had heard their foul plans while he had been strung from the iron hook like a piece of meat. He would rather die that let that vile crystal touch his brother.

Jiang Cheng turned to Lan Xichen in a move so fast it took everyone by surprise; he used the drawn Shuoyue to slice through the ropes still binding his wrists then gathered every scrap of concentration he could to focus his qi and send out his spiritual energy to yank the crystal out of Wen Zhuliu’s hands.

It was the oddest feeling, like his energy sank into the crystal and disappeared, and the crystal itself seemed to almost coo directly into his thoughts as it flew through the air towards him. He hadn’t initially intended to touch it, but it seemed to have a strong will of it’s own and it hit him in the centre of the chest, before dropping into his waiting palms.

He heard Lan Xichen’s warning, “Wanyin” a second before an enormous shock-wave of energy reverberated through the cavern; it’s origin was Jiang Cheng with the opaque in his hands; throwing every single person outwards and to the ground.

It whispered such seductive things in his thoughts, showed him how he could destroy the Wen guards with just a wave of his hand, how he could force Wen Ruohan down to his knees, how he could make Lan Xichen choose him above everything else in the world, how he could force Wei Wuxian into his shadow. Image after image flashed through his mind at the speed of thought, each designed to be more tempting than the last.

But the crystal didn’t know Jiang Cheng; the thoughts increasingly made him sick to his stomach and he tried to block them out, gathering his will as he threw the crystal to the ground.

He could give his brother one last gift to boost his chance of escape.

He gathered the last of his spiritual energy, managed to pick up three of the figures closest to the tunnel and threw them back down it, and with the very last tendrils of his qi, drew the sigils to form an energy barrier over the entrance. It would hold for a few minutes, keeping the Wens from following them directly.

His legs collapsed from underneath him but by now Lan Xichen was back by his side and caught him, lowering him gently to the cool, sandy floor of the cavern.

Blood flowed freely from his nose again, but he barely had the strength to even raise a hand to try to stem the flow. He felt a flood of qi trickle into his veins from Lan Xichen, who said his name over and over.

“I’m sorry, Xichen” his eyes flickered from those dark amber ones to Mo Xuanyu’s, who had been the unlucky fourth he just didn’t have the spiritual energy to save. The younger man had rushed over to Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen’s side when he had regained his feet and taken stock of what had happened. “I’m sorry Mo-xiong”

Lan Xichen soothed him with gentle noises, “You nearly killed yourself giving the others a fighting chance, Wanyin, you did well”

Jiang Cheng didn’t agree, but he finally had the energy to lift his head back and try to stem the flow of blood. Lan Xichen’s qi had mostly sealed the blood vessels and it had become a trickle in the interim.

“It’s alright, Jiang-xiong, I knew what the risks were when I agreed to come down here” he took one of Jiang Cheng’s hands and gave it a brief squeeze. Jiang Cheng found the gesture surprisingly comforting.

Wen Ruohan’s voice was strident and took their attention, “Catch them, I want them” he snarled, indicating the tunnel Luo Qingyang, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian had been thrown down.

A tentative voice sounded, “Respect, Wen-zongzhu, but may I suggest you have already won the prize” the voice was vaguely familiar to Jiang Cheng, ingratiating and servile though it was now.

Wen Ruohan stalked across the cavern to stand in front of the three trapped cultivators; his guards, some looking extremely dazed and confused, closed in around them.

Behind him, off to his side a little, in the snow-white mourning robes of the Lans, was Su Minshan.

“I must admit the Jiang heir is more than I ever hoped to find in a single cultivator” he reached out, as if to touch Jiang Cheng’s face, but Jiang Cheng caught Wen Ruohan’s wrist.

“Don’t lay your filthy hands on me” he snapped. He yelped as he was dragged to his feet with harsh hands. Lan Xichen and Mo Xuanyu were dealt with similarly. He had never learned when to shut his mouth though, “And you” he pointed a vengeful finger at Su She, “careful what you say, I’ll rip your tongue out and stab you through your treacherous heart. Be Righteous, what a fucking joke”

Su She barely spared him a glance, looking instead at Lan Xichen with something like a dangerous, predatory look in his dark eyes.

“May I present to you Zewu-jun, Lan Xichen, The First Jade of Lan, and the Lan Clan’s crowning glory. The first empath born to the Cloud Recesses for over eight hundred years”

“I’ll fucking kill you, snake” Jiang Cheng found a burst of energy, twisted free of the holding hands and launched himself at the traitorous Lan disciple, but he was caught again by incredibly strong, implacable hands. It was Wen Xu, who twisted his arms behind his back and held him still.

A look of pure, intense joy crossed the Wen sect leaders face as he contemplated the three captured cultivators in front of him.

“This is indeed beyond any prize I had ever hoped for when setting our plans into motion” he caught Jiang Cheng’s chin in his hand, fingers digging bruises, “A weapon of devastating potential” he tilted his head a little, and looked Jiang Cheng in the eyes, which burned with hatred and anger, “And such a delicious buffet all on your own, so stuffed full of quicksilver emotions, so nourishing” Wen Ruohan stepped back upon releasing Jiang Cheng, and moved to Lan Xichen.

Jiang Cheng had never seen the other so retiring; Lan Xichen tried to back away from the touch of the Wen sect leader, but he was held too firmly, and eventually he had no further room to retreat.

Wen Ruohan trailed a finger down his fair cheek, over his jaw and down the long, elegant line of his throat.

“So beautiful, a prize worth the winning, you’ll make such a darling little pet”

“Take your fucking hands away from him” Jiang Cheng snarled, even though he couldn’t shake the hold Wen Xu had on him even a little.

Wen Ruohan chuckled, back to his avuncular persona, “So much fire. So much ice. I’m going to have a lot of fun breaking you both to my will. And when I have, I will have gained so much for my time and care” he nodded once at Wen Xu.

His son forced Jiang Cheng to his knees and in a single, vicious move stamped on the back of his calf. The snap of Jiang Cheng’s shin bone was sickeningly loud in the echoing cavern, but it was immediately drowned out by his scream of pain.

With his arms suddenly released all he could do was stuff his knuckles into his mouth and bite down to stem the noise as wave after wave of intense pain washed over him.

At the snap a violent tremor had shaken Lan Xichen, who’s eyes had flashed golden, a shout of his own on his lips as his mental defences were smashed to pieces. The nearness of Jiang Cheng, his attachment to him, the intensity of the pain, and the demonic crystal which seeped through his walls all conjoined to break every safeguard he had built to protect himself.

An excited wave seemed to pass over the blood Wens in the cave at the sheer power of the emotion radiating from the Lan sect heir; Jiang Cheng’s pain channelled and amplified by Lan Xichen’s natural born curse, (for that was what Jiang Cheng considered his empathic ability) was heady stuff.

Jiang Cheng desperately tried to build walls of his own, to internalise the pain and shield Lan Xichen from it; but it was a futile effort under the intense onslaught.

“More than we could ever have hoped” there was a feral, excited tone in Wen Ruohan’s voice, and he closed his eyes briefly, before turning to the final member of their trio.

“And what do we have here?”

8 notes · View notes

hqgodspeed · 4 years

Text

a few days after valentine’s day, basteon gather’s the demigods together in the banquet hall, his demeanor seems different than normal, as if the tension between his shoulders is becoming less and less—maybe he’s beginning to believe in the demigods, in their capability to combat the evils of this world.

he clears his throat, arms crossed over his wide chest. “sons of olympus, the time has come to discuss the next trial. we’ve lost one worthy son and gained another. now it’s time to increase those numbers.”

his gaze lingers over each demigod until he stares blankly ahead. “if you believe that you’re ready, step forward and plead your case. let your words sway your companions into action.”

he leaves, then, and demigods begin to stand, one by one, trying to bolster their friends with their words.

𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐌

There’s a silence when the attention turns to the son of Zeus, a careful, stoic expression on his face. In his hand is a heavy, cloth-wrapped object, a symbol. “We’re here again, ready to throw ourselves back in the fire.” He starts, glancing around at the faces of his fellow demigods. “I’ve seen you all survive the flames, emerge stronger, beaten, but better.”

“I’ve faced my own trials too, personal and around the world, both wins and losses.” He pulls the cloth off, revealing the half of Zeus’ shield. “I found this in Greece, and I take it as a sign, one that I have to complete what I’ve started.” He stands tall, back straight. “I’m ready to prove myself.”

𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐎

"it has to be me. i think, there's no roundabout, bullshit way of saying it. i've been here the longest, with ari and tristan, and it's time i show you guys what i've learned and the drive i have to do this. i've lost a lot of friends on the way here, and all those times i always thought i should be going faster. i need help. i need my dad's shoes or whatever, because that's going to be the thing to make sure i actually save the next person. so no one dies on my watch again. i'm ready."

𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇

Daith stood up and cleared his throat as he looked at his fellow demigods. "I have to admit that I wasn't expecting to propose myself for a trial... I honestly planned to wait until the last possible moment because... It would suck a lot if it turns out I'm incapable of it, and I used to think my mother would be so dissapointed that she'd call the next son on line and put me out of my misery" he said, chuckling for a second before his expression turned more serious. "But... things changed. People changed. We lost people... but we also gained them..." he said, smiling at the others briefly, his hand wrapping around the Necklace of Sacrifice, that he never took off now. "I know I'm not the strongest demigod of the bunch. And Ari will be mad at me, but I also have to admit I'm not the best. I panic. I'm selfish. I'm impulsive. I get easily distracted by cute guys..." he said, smirking, as a lot of his current sources of distraction were present. "But I'm also one of the demigods that had stayed the longest here at camp. I used both my fighting and my abilities to survive. But, most of all, I had the support of all of you. And, if the trials and quests had shown us something is that if we don't face challenges united, we will all fall. So I'm willing to put aside my own fails and shortcomings and battle to be recognized as the worthy son of Aphrodite". He then took a deep breath and looked down, to find Mr. Candle waving another flag with his face, which made him laugh. "I understand if you decide to choose another demigod but... know that I'm ready to do this. And that I believe we can do this together. My mother started wars. But she also joined nations under her cult. Love unites us. And, if we are together... Love can conquer all. Thank you all". Mr. Candle waved the flag excitedly before jumping on Daith's lap, clapping and looking at everyone so they would clap too. Or else.

𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑

"So here's the thing," Asher begins, and instantly he felt like he was going through a stint of Deja vu. "A lot has changed since we voted on our last trial. Mostly, we know that there are forces outside of Eris that are coming for us. Forces with powers none of us really know the limits of. I think from a necessity base, we need my artifact that can combat what they can do. I am the son of Time, my father's powers are a trump card, they have to be. If we can secure that, our possibilities are endless." He looked at each of the other demigods, trying to look them each in the eye, "I'm confident that I'm ready to rock my trial. Not only have I been through our latest one, I have assisted in taking down plenty of enemies, and that's just me at half strength. Imagine what I'm capable of once I have my father's gift? Plus. I mean, my father's trial is in the Palace of Westmincer. It beats the hell out of trekking through some enchanted palace. Make the smart move, and give yourself and the rest of us the power of time to get this right. Vote Jones."

𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐍𝐎𝐑

"attention, losers," ragnor leapt on the stage and faced the others, a flourish to his movements.

perhaps it wasn’t the wisest to begin a speech with such a term—but he hoped it was as endearing as he’d meant it to be. ragnor’s heartbeats were rampant within his chest, but the smile that cut through his face was bright, rehearsed. he needed to be the bronze-haired hero for them today, someone martyr-boned and trustworthy. it was a performance but a seamless one that came with much ease.

perhaps a part of ragnor truly believed he was a hero.

he began, and for once his words poured out raw; no sugar-coat, no honey.

“i am not going to stir idle conversation about how i am the perfect candidate; i am not.” that, he believed. that, he knew. “but,” ragnor’s gaze swept over every face. ��i am not the fuckin’ mess from a few months ago, either. no more drunken shenanigans, no more rookie mistakes. these past few quests and the trial have been exhaustin’, but i’ve saved some of your asses with my dancing skills—helped freed kit’s mother from her corruption—held my own against some of those dark aether dip-shits with ari and keaton.” he steeled his jaw then. “what i am saying is, i am strong enough to take on my father dionysus's trial now, i am ready to face his frenzy." he was also ready to confront whatever curse that laid dormant within him; to let his father's madness cut it from the root. "the anklet may not be that remarkable of an artifact but some of you have seen, first hand how powerful a well-timed dance can be in battle.” he let his smirk unfurl then and made a graceful, theatrical bow to signal the end of his speech.

before ragnor left the stage, however, he added: “also, it's in fuckin' vegas, c'mon.”

𝐓𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑

"second verse, same as the first, am i right guys???? haha but seriously, vote tucker rhee! not only will i put my, like, proverbial pedal to the metal, but i promise that i won't let anyone die without a proper seance. also, cali is like a really great vacation spot and stuff, so i'll be able to take everyone out to expensive dinners and we can, like, go to a yoga retreat or something. cheers!!! xoxo!!!"

𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐘

"look," iggy starts, shrugging, "i know i'm newer than most of you that spoke up already, but just because we're new doesn't mean we're not as important." he pointedly looks at everyone, but lingers on the veterans. "you can look down on us all you want, but we're never going to prove ourselves unless you let us." he grins, cocky and sure of himself. "let me be the first to show you all that we newcomers are just as worthy as the rest of you."

𝐊𝐈𝐓

there's a new sense of confidence that swells in the pit of his stomach. before, there was hesitation to his words, in his being. but too many things have happened since talk of the last trial, his eyes have been opened, his focus recentered. "i'm still not the strongest among us." he starts, looking around at each of the demigods gathered. "but i'm relentless." his fingers rest against the table top of their dining tables, closing his eyes for a moment. "i was relentless in trying to figure out where my mother was, so much so that i nearly killed myself trying to find answers. relentless in setting souls to rest after they were forcefully taken from this world. relentless in my pursuit of knowledge." he pauses, eyes lingering over each and every demigod, making eye contact for a moment before looking to the next.

"i found where my mother was, followed the clues that lead ten of us to samothrace. together, we figured out where my mother was, discovered what eris had turned her into—what she might have turned all our parents into." his expression changes, eyes almost flickering dark as he remembers the embryo, the multi-headed abberation that his mother had become when he let her out of her confinement. "and together, we freed her from that corruption, i was willing to die if it meant that she be restored and i almost did—my magic kept me alive and i destroyed the foulness of whatever was corrupting her heart with the magic that runs in my veins. when we got back here, ari and i restored her back to her rightful home down in the crypts and we felt something—power—that was being restored back to olympus, protective magics." his expression softens now, a smile playing upon his lips as he remembers the tremor, that feeling of power that radiated from ancient runes he could barely understand.

his eyes close as he remembers the feeling of her arms around him, the warmth, that same feeling of belonging he's always longed to feel. "she told me she loved me." his voice quiets down to an almost whisper. "she hugged me and told me she was proud of me." his eyes open, the softness of his expression mirroring the look on his face. "and she told me something else, something that this trial—my trial—is the next step in doing."

he takes a deep breath, a sigh parting his lips. "she told me that when i ascend, we'd be together forever. she believes in me." he looks out now, his expression gentle, but a fire lingers beneath the surface of his eyes, one that burns with determination. "and i hope that the rest of you will, too. i'm ready. i was willing to die in order to help the cause, but now i'm willing to survive and fight until we get our parents back and defeat this darkness once and for all."

he takes a seat, eyes still looking out at each of the demigods until his gaze rests on ragnor, a smile on his face as the nerves begin to settle in.

#gstrials

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is0gild · 4 years

Text

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 4

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 3,861

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

So there I was.

Liplocked with a complete and total stranger.

A ridiculously and obscenely attractive stranger.

A fact I hadn’t been fully aware of nor really all that inclined to notice until right then, while stuck in said liplock.

I think it’s some sort of universal law, actually. That the more one embarrasses themselves in front of another person, the more insanely beautiful that person ends up being. I don’t make the rules. It’s just science.

These were the critical thoughts that were running through my head in that second.

One single second. That’s how long the kiss lasted. Short when you really think about it in the grand scheme of things. But at the time? It had felt like an absolute eternity. One miserable, mortifying eternity. It’d seem that while I hadn’t randomly gained the ability to reverse time in that moment like I had silently prayed for, it was a distinct possibility that I had somehow magically learned how to slow it down, but only to make humiliating incidents such as this last excruciatingly long.

Worst. Super power. Ever.

Green, by the way.

The color of his eyes. In case you had been wondering.

I hadn’t been. Not particularly. But it was kind of hard not to notice when those eyes were all in your face and bright and vibrant and-

...was that… guyliner?

I’d heard of such a thing, but I’d never seen it in practice until now. It actually looked kind of amazing. Wow, how did he get the wings to look so… so swoopy and-

Wait. Hold up. I smelled pepperoni.

I suppose that made sense. He did work at a pizza place, after all.

There was the scent of flour too.

That also tracked, what with him having just dropped dough all over his head.

What was a bit of a head scratcher however was the hint of cinnamon added into the mix. Had to wonder where exactly that one was coming from. I mean, it’s not exactly a common pizza topping. Not that I was aware of anyway.

Oh, and his lips? Soft. Like, super, duper soft. Dang, did he use moisturizer on those puppies? ...was that even a thing? Did people actually moisturize their lips? I don’t know about that, seems odd, but maybe-

I finally snapped out of it. The painfully longest second of my entire life at last came to an end and time sped back up to normal. I jerked my head back, hands flying up to clasp over my mouth, my eyes round and horrified, my face burning and breaking heat records across the globe. His own eyes were wide as he blinked at me a couple times before settling back on his heels in a daze.

Oh god, oh god, oh god…

What had I done?

No, seriously. What had I just frigging done?!

He was the first one to break the roaring, deafening silence as he began, “H-”

“LET ME SEE IF WE HAVE ANY MORE IN THE BACK!” I blurted out loudly over him before I even realized what my mouth was doing, causing him to stagger a small step backwards.

That hung in the air between us for a couple awkward seconds.

And then I bolted.

One second I was staring at his dumbfounded, stupidly gorgeous face, the next I was in the back room, slamming the door shut behind me and pressing my back up against it, hyperventilating and staring at my two coworker’s dumbfounded, not-quite-so-stupidly gorgeous faces.

…did that just really happen? Was this even real life? No way… there was just no possible way! This had to be a dream. A terrible, cruel dream! One that I was ready to wake up from now in my old bed in my old room in my old life, because the real world? Too much for me! This had been a bad idea, I’d been kidding myself, I couldn’t handle it! I may not have been happy in my old life, but at least it was safe and predictable and everything stayed the same and nothing happened, nothing like… like…

Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut as the last few agonizing minutes did an instant replay in my mind. I rolled away from the door over to the wall beside it, hiding my face against the cool, concrete surface.

This was a nightmare. All I needed to do was wake up.

I banged my head against the concrete.

Thump.

Wake up…

Thump.

Wake up!

Thump.

For the love of all that is good and merciful, please, please wake up already!

I peeked one eye open.

Much to my dismay, the sight that greeted me was still that of the bland grey storage room wall as opposed to my old, safe fluffy pillow back in my old, safe warm bed.

It wasn’t a dream.

Drat.

And now my forehead hurt. Great. Just… great.

Another groan escaped me as I flipped back around, still using the wall for support as I slid down to sit on the ground, hugging my knees to my chest. Frozone and Kristoff had put down the large box they had been carrying between them and were now kneeling down in front of me. Their faces were twisted in confusion and concern, their lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying to me.

It just kept playing on loop over and over again in my head.

Had I really just said that? After doing… that?! To the poor, unsuspecting pizza guy?!

He was going to think I’d escaped from an insane asylum! That’d I’d planned that. That’d I’d plotted and possibly even schemed. That that was my MO, to lure pure, innocent men into my carefully laid traps before I pounced and-

Dear lord, I was a sexual predator.

They were going to make me watch the harassment orientation video again.

Would it be enough? Or was it too late for me? Was I too far gone and out of control? Men everywhere, see me and despair! Cower and flee, lest I corrupt thy virtue and-

“I kissed him,” the words came tumbling out of my mouth before I’d even realized it and with them, sound came rushing back to my ears.

“You what?!” Frozone yelped as he shot back up to his feet, at the same time Kristoff asked, “Kissed who? A customer? What happened?”

“I- He- It… Dough!” I all but shouted the word, striking up a finger, my eyes darting wildly between the two of them. “There was dough! Flipping, flying! And then, it wasn’t. And- his head! Oh gosh, his head, it was- I started laughing! I mean, wouldn’t you? Who wouldn’t have, it just was too- but then there was the wave! Oh my god, the wave! So I did the only thing I could, obviously… I hid! But then, that was just… it was so stupid! So I stood back up, but, but… he was there and I was there and we both were there and it… it just… It. Just. Happened!”

The deluge came to an abrupt and blessed end and a hush fell. A long one at that, punctuated only by my haggered panting. My coworkers just stared at me unblinking for a few seconds before exchanging looks between each other.

“Did you, uh… follow any of that?” Kristoff mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.

“Not really,” Frozone shook his head, stepping over to the door. He cracked it open an inch to squint through, before brightening a bit. “Oh, that’s not a customer! That’s just one of the pizza dudes from across the way.”

I furrowed my brow up at him, shaking my head, “Does that really make it any better?!”

His fingers scratched under his cap before he shrugged. “...guess not.”

I stiffened. “Wait… he’s still out there? Oh god…” I buried my face into my knees, arms covering my head as I tightened my ball formation. I couldn’t face him, I just couldn’t! Please just kill me now. Put me out of my misery, I beg of you. “Tell him something… anything. Please, just… make him go away!” Then I gasped, head jerking back up once more, “Tell him I don’t work here!”

Frozone stared at me blankly. “...you want me to tell him we left the storefront unmanned, allowing some lunatic to climb behind the counter, steal and get dressed in one of our uniforms and pretend she worked here, all without us realizing it?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. Please, that’d just be silly,” I waved him off. Pft, what a ridiculous idea. “No, I meant tell him that no one like me works here. Tell him that… that I was just a figment of his imagination! Yeah, that it was all in his head! Or, oh! Tell him that I was a ghost!”

Totally plausible.

At least, to my somewhat addled, panicked brain, it was.

...I may have been a bit logically compromised at the moment.

His eyelids drooped. “Yeah, no, I’m not doing that.”

My shoulders slumped at that. But then I perked up again as I seized on another idea. “Then tell him I’ve left the country!”

“...left?” Kristoff cocked an eyebrow at me. “Past tense? As in you’ve already crossed the border? ...in the space of five minutes?”

I nodded my head rapidly. “Yes! I’m already in France! Or Arabia! Ooo, Norway!”

Sighing, Frozone squatted down in front of me once more. “Listen, if this guy is harassing you or… if he attacked-”

“What?!” I burst out in horror before quickly shaking my head. “No! No, it was all me! My mouth was the offending party here! His lips were just innocent bystanders! But it was an accident, a mistake, I swear! I didn’t mean to-”

“Alright, alright, I believe you,” he raised a hand, gesturing for me to settle down. “I’m still not sure I totally understand what exactly went down, but… this all just sounds like one big misunderstanding. I’ll go talk to him and see if I can get him to leave,” he said gently as he rose.

Feeling relief flood my chest, I raised my hands over my bowed head, pressing my palms together. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Yeah, yeah, just… try not to let it happen again,” he mumbled over his shoulder before disappearing through the door.

Wonderful! Problem solved!

...for now, anyway.

I moaned, leaning my head back against the wall and hiding my face in my hands.

I still had to deal with the fact that he worked at the Pizza Planet directly opposite of me. That’d I’d probably have to see him every day, or close to. That’d he probably try to talk to me and want an explanation for the… thing I did. I didn’t even know if I could explain it. I had a hard enough time making small talk with people. And this? So not small! Not even close! Ugh, what was I even going to do the next time I saw him? I had no idea. Absolutely none. Was crumbling to dust and scattering on the wind a viable option? No, probably not.

A tiny whimper escaped me.

“Aww, why so glum?” a very dopey, but very familiar voice asked.

Eyebrows knitting together, I dragged my hands down my face, peeking out between my fingertips.

One of those little reindeer plushies was in my face, being held aloft by Kristoff. Using a finger to bob the stuffed animal’s head up and down, he continued on in that same goofy warble, “Turn that frown upside down! Cheer up! Things aren’t as bad as they seem.”

I just gave him a dull stare.

“When I’m feeling down, I like to sing a song and-”

“Kristoff,” I grumbled, folding my arms atop my knees.

He tipped the dolls head to one side. “Who’s Kristoff? I’m Sven and I’m here to brighten your day and-”

“Kristoff,” I interjected a second time, eyelids drooping now as I said flatly, “Please make the reindeer stop talking to me.”

“Got it,” he immediately dropped the idiotic voice as he tossed the plushie over his shoulder.

“Thank you.” I then sighed, cradling my face into my arms.

It’d been sweet of him to try to comfort me, but…

...I think I’d preferred it more when he was a bit of a grump.

“Wait,” Rayne froze, her reflection’s gaze meeting mine in the mirror. Eyes dancing and voice quivering slightly as she bit back a grin, she asked, “I’m sorry, but you did what now?"

I grimaced, looking down at my lap and shifting uncomfortably. “Please don’t make me say it again.”

“Oh my god!” Now she erupted with laughter, making me twitch in my seat.

My face warmed for what must have now been the thousand and twenty-sixth time that day (oh yes, I’d been keeping count) and I released a tiny huff, glancing back up at her reflection. “I fail to see what’s so funny.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she waved one hand, trying to muffle her giggles behind the other and failing miserably. She at last managed to sober somewhat, saying, “I get it though, I really do. You want to earn them fat tips. But sweetie, you’re supposed to suck up to the customers, not suck face with them!” She spluttered and broke down once more.

I narrowed my eyes, heaving a sigh through my nose.

Ah, having the loving care and support of a dear friend.

Wonder what that’s like.

Must be nice.

I had gotten home not too long ago from my disastrous first day. Thankfully, Frozone had taken pity on me, letting me hide in the back for the remainder of my shift and help him with getting the rest of that new shipment sorted out. But tomorrow I wouldn’t be so lucky. My insides were already twisting into a million knots at the very idea. Sleep? Ha! Like I’d be getting any of that tonight.

Rayne and I were now in my bedroom. By now all of the baby stuff had been cleared out and the room was looking pretty bare. Not like I had a lot of munny (aka none) to decorate with. But hopefully that’d be rectified soon and I could start making the space feel a little more homey… a little more me. For now, there was the bed they’d already had in there, now complete with a quilt comforter with various patterns and shades of blue - sort of a “house warming” gift from Rayne and Riku. As for the rest of the furniture, they’d introduced me to a thing called curb shopping, out of which we’d managed to find me a free wardrobe and dresser, both obviously old and a little nicked but otherwise serviceable, as well as a vanity with a large mirror attached and an accompanying chair.

It was at that vanity that I now currently sat, with Rayne standing behind me while she brushed my hair. Or, rather… had been brushing. At the moment, she was a bit otherwise preoccupied with her chuckling at my expense.

“Why exactly are we doing this again?” I muttered through my teeth.

“Hm?” she wiped at the corners of her eyes, finally settling down enough to resume carefully stroking the brush through my long, pale strands. “Oh! Well, since jellybean here,” she patted her tummy, “is a girl, I gotta prepare! And Riku’s majestic mane is not around at the moment, so who else am I gonna practice on? Besides, it’s soothing. It’ll help make you feel better.”

...which, okay, it kind of was.

She shrugged, “Plus, brushing hair is a time honored tradition of girl talk.”

My nose crinkled slightly. “This is girl talk?”

She gave me a pointed look. “We’re discussing kissing boys, what do you think?”

My shoulders slumped, “Ugh, don’t remind me.”

One corner of her lips twitched up and she pinched my cheek. “Lookit you, already making friends on your first day, I’m so proud!”

Lightly swatting her hand away, I scoffed. “I know I’m a bit clueless when it comes to this whole being around people thing but last time I checked, what I did was not the socially acceptable way to make a new friend.”

“You’re right. My mistake.” She smirked, “I should have said boyfriend.”

I paled. “Boyfriend? Oh no, certainly not. He definitely thinks I have a few screws loose now... That I’m a total freakshow. He’s probably just as mortified as I am. Beyond maybe demanding I explain myself and that I apologize, he’s not going to want to have anything to do with me.”

“You kidding?” she quirked an eyebrow. “You’ve seen yourself, right? Girl, you’re a total knockout. That boy is probably praising Aphrodite for blessing him with the divine gift that was your sweet, sweet lips.”

I groaned, my hands wringing the hem of my skirt. Now commencing blush number one thousand and twenty-seven. “This is all just so humiliating. I wish I could just disappear! Just… find a deep dark pit somewhere to dive into and get lost miles below the earth’s surface and… and discover an underground kingdom of mole people! And they’d welcome me with open arms and accept me as one of their own to live out the rest of my days in peace… that is of course, until I inevitably kiss one of them on accident because, let’s face it, I have a taste for it now, the beast has been awoken, this dark urge cannot be controlled, so then they’ll banish me down an even deeper, darker pit where I’ll find the mole people’s mole people and-”

“Elsa,” she bonked me on the head with the flat of the bristled implement.

“Right. Babbling. Sorry,” I winced, hanging my head. “Maybe...maybe I should just quit.” The hairbrush stilled again, this time as Rayne fixed me with a dull stare. I sighed, “No, I know, it’d be pathetic to give up after only working one day, and over something so silly. Besides, I… need to stop running away from my problems and start facing them head on.”

She smiled and the combing began again. “Good girl. Sorry,” she murmured the last part as she caught a snag, eliciting a soft hiss from me. “Now stop changing the subject. I want all the juicy deets on Romeo. Spill.”

Ugh, I really just wanted to forget the whole thing ever happened. But there was no getting out of this, it seemed. Might as well get it over with. “Well… he works right across from me and-”

“Wait, you mean at the Pizza Planet?” At my nod, she pressed, “Was he blonde?”

I frowned. “No, redhead.”

Her eyes widened. “Aw snap, you kissed Lea?!”

...Lea?

Both eyebrows shooting up my forehead, I blinked. “I don’t know, maybe?”

Annnnnnnd there she went, exploding into another fit of laughter.

I wished Anna were here. She never would have-

...oh, who am I kidding? She would have been cracking up twice as hard.

Reaching for a lock of my hair to twist at, I asked, “Do you... know him?”

“That mall used to be practically a second home to me, I know almost everyone that works there. Oh gosh, trust me, you have nothing to worry about. Lea’s a giant sweetheart, he’ll understand that you’re just a total spazz and it’s all a big mistake. Just talk to him.”

My eyes darted to the left. “I think I’d rather take my chances with the mole people.”

“Oh shush. Just do it, you’ll be fine, I promise.” She fell silent for a couple more sweeps of the hairbrush. “Soooooo…” she drew the word out before conspiratorially whispering, “what was it like?”

My forehead wrinkled. “...what was what like?”

“You know…” she waggled her eyebrows at me, “Laying some sweet sugar on that big red tree of a man.”

Make that one thousand and twenty-eight. I clasped my hands over my ears, “Gah, please tell me you did not just say that!”

She snorted, “What? Don’t get me wrong, I could kiss those pillow lips of Riku’s all day-”

“I really didn’t need to hear that.”

Rayne rolled her eyes. “But there’s nothing wrong with having a little curiosity! So stop holding out on me already, girl. I want to know everything.”

Averting my gaze, I grumbled, “I was kind of too busy having a frigging heart attack to really pick up on any details.”

Alright, so, not technically true. Like, at all. It had actually been kind of distressing how painfully aware I was of everything teeny-tiny little thing in that one now infamous second that had stretched on to infinity and beyond.

But… I really, really didn’t want to talk about it.

I noticed Rayne eyeing me suspiciously, not quite buying it. Before she could press further however, I cleared my throat and said, “Could we… please just talk about something else now?”

“Fine,” she harrumphed. Her lips pursed to one side, then, “...have you called them yet?”

Twitching, I muttered, “Something other than that.”

“No, no,” her reflection pinned me with a stern look. “You don’t get to do that. I already let you wriggle your way out of the last topic, which by the way we’re gonna be circling back around to.” Great. “But really, you need to talk to them and just get it over with already. Rip the bandaid off. They’re probably worried sick.”

I exhaled slowly through my nose. “I know, I just… was giving them more time to cool off.”

“It’s been a week, how much longer do you think they really need?”

I shrugged, “Oh, I dunno, I was thinking maybe… sometime next century?” Another bonk to my head from the hairbrush. “Ow! Could you not?”

She crossed her arms and frowned down at me. “Call them.”

Yeesh, the child wasn’t even born yet and Rayne already had her Disapproving Mom Stare down pat. I could tell you now, that kid wasn’t going to be getting away with anything.

“I don’t even have a phone.”

She fished her mobile out her pocket and slapped it down on the vanity. “Call them.”

Gnawing on my lower lip, I slowly reached for the phone, resting my hand over it. A couple heartbeats of hesitation, then I was pushing it away. “Tomorrow, okay? I… I’ll call them tomorrow.”

Her eyes narrowed, but at last she relented. “Alright then. I’m gonna hold you to that though, missy. Now,” she set the brush down beside her phone and gathered my hair into two separate clumps, one just behind either ear, “I’m envisioning pigtails. How cute would that be?” She beamed at me in the mirror. “What do you think?”

“Uh… sure?”

As she happily set to work, my thoughts wandered back to making that dreaded phonecall.

Tomorrow…

That’s what I’d told myself yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that. So I certainly hoped she wasn’t going to hold me to it.

But who knows… maybe I actually meant it this time…

...eh… probably not.

Author’s note: Elsa being the walking, talking, awkward ball of anxiety rears its ugly head once more! To her credit, at least she remembered to say what Kristoff told her to say… now the question is, did that really help matters? You decide! Side note, I found an excuse to make Kristoff talk for reindeers in this fic, and really, that’s the dream right there. And thanks to Rayne, at least Elsa now knows the name of the stranger she accidentally got to first base with, so that has to be a step in the right direction, right? Also, gosh, I know it sucks that we’re already 4 chapters in and Lea hasn’t even gotten to talk yet. Don’t worry, he starts talking next chapter! It’s all small and slow at first, but once he has a chance to really get going, he doesn’t shut up, I promise xD

Next chapter, will Elsa woman up and sort things out with Lea? Will she make this phonecall to the mysterious “them” (you all can probably guess who) that Rayne alluded to? Stay tuned to find out! Thank you so much for reading, and an extra BIG thank you to anyone who liked or reblogged last chapter, seeing that always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

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