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nikibogwater · 4 years

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Home Away From Home--a Tales of Arcadia fanfiction

"She was trying to make the best of it--after all, it wasn’t like Douxie had much else to choose from when he brought her here. But a creature of sunlight and nature could only stand the dank, grey-lit quarters for so long before she began to wilt. "

Nari is struggling to adapt to New York City, but her family is there to remind her where home truly lies.

The companion to The City Never Sleeps. Very, very, VERY extra special thanks to @poetryinmotion-author for both beta reading and talking me through two encounters with writer’s block. This story would not exist without her.

Read on AO3

Or under the cut:

A rundown studio apartment in New York City with drafty windows, moth-eaten carpet, and no air-conditioning was probably the last place one would expect to find an ancient woodland sorceress. Yet this was in fact the very place that Nari of the Eternal Forest had to call her home for the time being. She was trying to make the best of it--after all, it wasn’t like Douxie had much else to choose from when he brought her here. But a creature of sunlight and nature could only stand the dank, grey-lit quarters for so long before she began to wilt.

Douxie had done everything he could to make it bearable for her, bless him. He bought her a score of houseplants to brighten up the place, subscribed to a gardening magazine, even gave her the only available bedframe so she wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor (which smelled strongly of cigarette smoke and made her sneeze every time she walked in). Winter was just around the corner, and they were lucky to have a roof over their heads at all. At least she had the balcony, where she could easily soak up the sun’s rays for a few hours in the afternoon. And the plants were good company, their spirits always shining with gratitude whenever she tended to them. Archie stayed with her most days as well, and they whiled away the hours together as they waited for Douxie to return each night. Really, it wasn’t that bad, she told herself.

But she was miserable all the same.

She missed the spacious halls of Camelot castle, the feeling of grass beneath her bare feet, the smell of a forest glade drenched in morning dew. She missed the freedom of roaming wherever she pleased without burdening another with the task of watching over her. She missed having long discussions with Merlin about magic, missed the way he would pat the top of her head gently and call her “my dear” whenever he was in a particularly good mood. She missed the sounds of birdsong in the early morning, missed the days when magic could be felt flowing freely in the wind, missed everything about her life before the Order ruined it and forced her to go into hiding in this dusty mousehole on the top floor of an ugly and dilapidated old building.

Today was especially bad. It had been cloudy all day, but a dry sort of cloudy, without the promise of refreshing rain. She felt sick and tired, but didn’t want to sate herself on cheap human fare. Archie had been out all night before hunting rats and checking the stasis traps Douxie had set nearby, and though he’d made a heroic effort to stay awake and keep her company, he was now sound asleep on Douxie’s mattress. Her plants were sad today too. Some of them were getting too big for their stands, and she could sense their longing to grow more freely, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask Douxie for bigger pots. So she simply sat on the floor beneath one of the drafty windows, in the only patch of dull grey light that was managing to seep into the room, watching the dust motes drift hazily around her. It would be dark soon, but not the pleasant kind of dark, with stars shining above and moonlight stretching across the landscape. The heavy, hazy dark of a city whose lights never dimmed, that never bothered to peer into the beyond and search the stars for their magic.

She could sense Douxie was happy today, even without having him nearby. His soul was flickering brightly, thrumming with quiet excitement. He had managed to find a better paying job at a bookstore nearby, and was able to come home most evenings now. Yet another reason she couldn’t tell him she felt like she was suffocating here. She didn’t want to ruin the first good thing that had happened to him since he’d gotten stuck with her. She could feel him approaching the apartment now, sense him on the other side of the door, before she heard the jingling of his keys as he undid the magic seals on the door.

“Good evening, comrades!” He burst into the apartment with all the bravado of a knight fresh from slaying a dragon. Archie groaned and put a paw over his ears. “I come bearing gifts!” He held up a large paper sack in one hand and replaced the seals with the other. Nari plastered a smile on her face and joined him in the kitchen area, where he set his burden down on the grease-stained counter. Archie followed behind her begrudgingly and jumped up on the wizard’s shoulder.

“A new succulent for the fair forest goddess,” Douxie said brightly, pulling a tiny potted plant out of the bag and presenting it to Nari with a flourish. “A can of tuna for our resident reptilian feline.”

“It had better be white,” Archie put in as Douxie placed it on the counter.

“And of course, dinner for the master wizard,” he finished, removing a microwavable lasagna and tossing the bag to the side.

“What’s got you all excited?” Archie asked, jumping from Douxie’s shoulder to the counter in order to inspect the can of tuna.

“The assistant manager at the bookstore is being sacked for swiping quid from the cash register and there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taking his place. Which means I’ll be able to drop the part-time gig at the cafe and have Saturdays off.” He ripped open the box in his hand and pulled out the slightly damp-looking lasagna.

“Every week?” Nari asked, perking up. “For the whole day?”

“Every week,” Douxie replied, flashing her a grin. “Well, apart from any special circumstances that may arise.” He shoved the tray of lasagna into the microwave and scanned the box for heating instructions. “I can finally take you to Central Park. You’ll love it there, Nari. They say it’s like the forests back home in Camelot. We might even find a Kelpie or two living in the Pond.”

“Don’t be absurd, Douxie. Kelpies only live in Europe,” Archie said, pawing impatiently at the tuna can. Douxie merely shrugged as he punched the time into the microwave. Nari smiled and looked down at the plant she held in her hands. She doubted any park could compare to the forests of Camelot, but it might be nice to feel real grass beneath her feet again...

...Or perhaps it would only make things worse. A taste of what she was longing for, just enough to reawaken her drooping soul, only for it to be locked back in this birdcage of an apartment.

Douxie opened the can of tuna for Archie and left him to enjoy it on the counter, while the wizard dropped onto the tatty sofa nearby to wait for his food to finish heating. Nari joined him, still cradling the succulent, clinging to the sensation of Douxie’s aura pulsing and swirling next to her. Archie had an aura of his own, being a wizard’s Familiar, but comforting as it was, it wasn’t the same as the latent power of a true magic-wielder. So she treasured the moments Douxie was nearby, when she could feel a piece of the home she so desperately missed. He leaned back with a satisfied sigh and stared up at the ceiling, leg bouncing impatiently, as his eyes darted from one crack in the plaster to another.

“...We need a TV,” he said suddenly. “There’s nothing to do here. How do you two even stay occupied all day?”

“Talk to the plants,” Nari answered.

“Enjoy the peace and quiet,” Archie put in around a mouthful of tuna.

“Discuss magic.”

“Recount embarrassing anecdotes about you.”

“You what?” Douxie picked his head up off the back of the couch and shot Archie a judgemental look. The Familiar looked up from his tuna long enough to respond with a smug grin, while Nari smothered a giggle with her hand. The microwave beeped before Douxie had a chance to say any more about it, but the wizard did flick Archie’s tuna can out from under his chin as he passed the counter.

The smell of cheap microwavable pasta burst into the room as Douxie opened the microwave, and Nari had to swallow a gag. It was truly amazing, the kinds of garbage humans could eat without qualms. Douxie even looked eager as he pulled a fork out of a drawer and dug into the tray without bothering to get a plate. He gave a satisfied hum as he chewed and flopped back down on the sofa, balancing the floppy tray on the palm of his hand. Nari shifted further down the couch and tried to focus on her new plant friend instead of the rubbery cheese Douxie was winding around his fork.

“Nari, did you eat t’day?” he asked through stuffed cheeks. “There wasn’t any sun this afternoon.”

“I was not hungry,” she replied, not looking up from her succulent. She could feel Douxie stop and stare at her. “I’m fine.” She flashed him what she hoped was her most convincing smile. “Just didn’t have an appetite today.”

“You should still eat,” Douxie insisted. “Lasagna?” He offered the tray. “There’s enough for two.”

“No thank you.” She gently pushed his hand back. “I will eat something later.” Douxie continued to scrutinize her for an uncomfortably long moment, hazel eyes fixed determinedly on her face. She was tempted to shapeshift into a flower and fall between the couch cushions. But he would definitely know something was wrong if she started hiding from him. So she went back to gently stroking the leaves of her new friend and ignored him. Finally, he sighed and leaned back, digging into the lasagna once more.

“What’re you going to call that one?” he asked, gesturing to the succulent with his fork and dripping cheese onto the sofa.

“It looks like a Beauregarde to me,” Nari answered, relieved that he was letting the previous subject drop. “But I will not know for sure for a few days yet. You have to really know a plant before you can name it.”

“Whatever you say,” Douxie chuckled, stuffing another bite into his mouth. Silence fell between the three of them as he practically inhaled the rest of his dinner. He dropped the empty tray on the floor at his feet and sank back into the couch with a satisfied groan. “I’d forgotten what it was like to eat dinner before eleven pm.” Archie had emptied his tuna can by now and was lazing contentedly on the counter, washing his face. Douxie stared at the ceiling again for a few minutes, before sitting up again and summoning his guitar. Nari perked up and set the succulent aside, scooting closer to him on the sofa. He strummed a few experimental chords, and Nari could feel his magic rolling and turning with the sound.

“Douxie, has it occurred to you that perhaps using your staff for band practice could lead to magical accidents?” Archie said from his place on the counter.

“It’s fine,” Douxie replied distractedly, still focused on his instrument. “I’ll be careful. Besides, I broke my last non-magic axe on a Gumm-Gumm and I can’t afford to replace it yet.” The guitar gave an electric whine as his fingers danced on the strings, drawing a raucous melody from it that sparked like lightning within his aura. Nari could sense his ease and familiarity, the energy with which he played, but she also sensed a touch of melancholy. He’d played in a band back in Arcadia, hadn’t he? That was one of the many things he left behind when he fled with her. He plunged into a series of particularly high chords that made Archie wince and cover his ears and felt like a barrage of icicles striking her ears.

“I am still not sure if I like this ‘rock music,’” Nari admitted, once he relaxed back into lower, less screechy chords, his aura unwinding from the tight knot it had twisted into and swirling contentedly around him.

“It’ll grow on you,” Douxie assured her. “Even Archie’s acquired a taste for it.” Gradually, the music lost some of its electricity, and began to flow like water as he coaxed an ancient melody from the strings.

Suddenly, Douxie’s magic wasn’t just around her; it was inside her. She took in a sharp breath as the familiar tune he was playing opened a door in her mind and flooded her head with memories. She knew this song. She’d heard it back in the days of Camelot. She could see the city now, clearer than in her dreams, see the mother gently swaying her child as she hummed, feel the thatch beneath her bare feet where she was crouched on a rooftop, watching, observing, waiting--

“Douxie!” Archie barked suddenly, and just like that, the image shattered as the music stopped and Douxie looked up at his Familiar with confusion. Archie wasn’t looking at him, however, but was staring fixedly at Nari, who could finally breathe again. “I think you should stop,” he said to the wizard.

“...No,” Nari pleaded. “Don’t stop...” Her mind told her to stop, to retreat from these memories, but she was like a creature slowly freezing to death desperately grasping at searing flames in order to feel something besides the cold. She looked up to see Douxie giving her a sideways look of concern. “I am fine. Please keep playing.”

Douxie shifted uncertainly, but readied his fingers on the strings once more. Nari clenched her hands as the song began again. The wizard’s magic rushed out in tandem with the music and slammed into her mind, scraping and digging until all of her most cherished, painful memories were exposed. She could see the wooded glens and meadows blanketed with wildflowers, feel the raw, untempered magic drifting on the wind around her, feel the sense of home, of belonging pounding on the inside of her skull. As though from the end of a long tunnel, she heard Douxie’s soft, untrained voice quietly singing the lyrics in the ancient tongue, and hearing it again felt like wonderful burning knives digging into her heart.

Burning. Camelot was burning. She could see it now, see the blood spilt around Killahead Bridge, feel the heat of Bellroc’s merciless flames, hear Skreal’s cold cackle mingling with the screams of their victims, feel the dirt and ash beneath her fingernails as she mowed down legions of Arthur’s knights as though they were nothing more than an army of ants beneath her heel. It was too much. Tears were burning beneath her lashes, and she could feel her chest heaving, but there was too much smoke, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t--

“--ri! Nari!” A firm hand on her shoulder jolted her out of her vision, and she heard a tremendous crash and the sound of leaves shuddering, as though a great wind were passing over them. She sucked in a gulp of air, feeling the chill of tear tracks on her face as she opened her eyes. The apartment was in complete disarray, as though someone had come through and ransacked it. Several dishes were lying in pieces in the cupboard, and Douxie’s mattress had been tossed clear across the room. She could feel the spirits of her beloved plants trembling in their pots, and the weight of slowly dissipating magic in the air. “Nari? Nari, what’s wrong?” Douxie was clutching her shoulder frantically, his staff lying forgotten on the floor. “Archie, what happened to her?”

“This is exactly why I told you not to use your staff for common music-making!” Archie berated him, coming out from behind the counter where he had taken cover. He had shifted into his dragon-form, which meant he must have been startled pretty badly. “Your magic and your music are intertwined. While you are using your staff, there is no separating them, and there is no predicting how they will affect your environment or the people around you.” Douxie snatched his hand from her shoulder as though he’d been burned.

“Y-you mean I...?” he stuttered, a look of horror dawning across his face. Archie ignored him and leapt up onto the sofa, placing a gentle paw on Nari’s leg.

“Nari, my dear, are you alright?” She heaved a gasping sob and frantically shook her head, hugging herself and trembling as though she had just stepped out of a freezer.

“What h-happened?” she whispered.

“You’ve had a magical outburst,” Archie soothed. “Douxie’s magic broke open one of your emotional pools and you lost control for a moment. But you’re safe now, and no one was injured.”

“I’m sorry, I’m s-sorry!” she wept. “I’m so sorry!”

“H-hey...Hey, Nari, it’s alright. No harm done,” Douxie murmured, hesitantly reaching for her shoulder again. She shook her head again and sobbed.

“B-Bellroc always used to l-lash out like that a-and I hated it, they always killed so many a-and destroyed so much just because they were angry, and I n-never wanted to be like--”

“Nari, this was nothing like that,” Archie said firmly. “You were reacting to an unexpected magical stimulus, that’s all. You were not lashing out in anger or fear.”

“B-but I feel so...” She stopped short, swallowing the words that were rising in her throat, suddenly acutely aware of Douxie’s shrunken and paled aura. He was already feeling guilty for his part in this incident. She couldn’t tell him why his music had shaken her the way it did, that it wasn’t only a reaction to his magic, that the problem went far deeper than that.

“...You feel what, Nari?” Archie encouraged softly. She looked down into his steady golden gaze with tear-blurred eyes, and felt the words smash through the barrier and come tumbling out of her mouth.

“I feel so sad!” she burst out. “I hate it here, I feel like I am suffocating every minute of the day! I want to go home, back to the forest, I want to feel real grass again, I want--” She choked and couldn’t finish the sentence. She could feel Douxie’s aura twist sharply, as though she had struck him, and it sent a new wave of tears cascading down her cheeks.

“Nari...” he breathed. “I...” She didn’t let him finish. She could feel his aura pulling away from her, feel him closing off because of his guilt, and like a starving animal whose only food was about to be taken away, she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and burying her face in his shirt, refusing to lose the one of the few pieces of home she still had. He stiffened, but she only clung to him tighter, muffling a wail in his jacket. A moment later, she felt his arms tentatively settle around her, his left hand coming up to cup the back of her head. “...Alright, easy,” he whispered. “Easy, Nari, that’s it...I’ve got you.” She sniveled furiously against his chest, wishing she was a more delicate crier. “Um....Archie, put the kettle on, will you?” he spoke over the top of her head. His hand moved from her head to her shoulder, where his thumb rubbed a few gentle circles. “That’s all you need, a good hot cuppa.” Nari choked out a half-laugh, half-sob.

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “I’m sorry I am not happy here. I know you are doing your best.” She felt him shrug.

“Frankly, I’d be a bit concerned if you were happy in this dustbin. I know this isn’t the best place for you, and I’m sorry we’re stuck here. But this isn’t permanent, I promise. Soon as I have enough stashed away, we’ll get a nice little place in the suburbs somewhere, with a garden. I can’t...I can’t bring back Camelot for you.” She felt his aura dim slightly, and heard the unsaid I wish I could. “But I will make things better for us. I promise.”

“Kettle’s on,” Archie said as he strode back over to them, returning to his cat form. “Douxie’s right, Nari.” He hopped up on the sofa beside her, and she felt him nuzzle against her elbow. “This isn’t permanent. You’ll be out in the sun again soon.” Nari gave a long, drawn out sniffle and nodded. “I think perhaps in the meantime it would be best if you practiced out on the balcony, Douxie,” Archie continued. “At least until you can acquire an instrument that won’t channel your magic.”

“No,” Nari said suddenly, pulling back. “I wasn’t ready the first time but...I want to hear that song again. It...When I heard it, I could see home, really see it. And it hurt but...” She paused, looking between Archie and Douxie. “...but it also helped. I do not feel the sorrow pressing down so heavily now.”

“...Are you sure?” Douxie asked. She nodded, scrubbing away the last of her tears from her cheek. “Well...I can never say no to a free audience.” He picked up his staff from the floor, and it shifted back into his guitar. “I’m not as sensitive as you are, so keep your hand on me so I can feel your aura,” he said. “If I feel your magic starting to overflow, I can stop.” Nari nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder. Archie climbed into her lap and settled there with a purr. Douxie sent her one more questioning glance, and she responded with an encouraging smile.

The chords were gentler this time, and Douxie’s magic moved slowly, almost timidly, around him. His eyes darted rapidly between the strings and Nari’s face, watching for any sign of distress. But she leaned against him and closed her eyes, letting the images of home dance behind her lids as his airy and somewhat wobbly voice hesitantly joined guitar’s. The fields, the lakes, the city, drifted in and out of her mind like friends passing by, and though she felt the ache of homesickness, it wasn’t sharp or burning like the first time. It felt...bittersweet.

Then, a new image joined the old; a boy, far older than he looked, in dark clothing, with a black cat on his shoulder, both smiling down at her as they started their new life together.

Camelot may have been her home once, but now it was gone. Yet she wasn’t lost. She had a new home right here in her arms. And as the kettle on the stove began to whistle and Douxie reached the end of the song, she felt certain that this home was far better than the last.

#tales of arcadia #toa #wizards: tales of arcadia #wizards: toa #fanfiction #douxie is an excellent big brother #archie is a therapy cat #and nari is a plant mom #found family feels

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noperopesaredope · 3 years

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Fics That I Really Like A Lot

So, I just wanted to make a post uplifting some really great fics I’ve read/am subscribed to or still keeping up with. I like to let people know about other creators, and I just wanted to mention some works I think people should check out.

(Note, this post was made on Sep 2, 2021, so when I say something is recent, I mean compared to when I made this post)

Tangled the Series Fics (Mostly Varian Fics):

Walls of Stone (Finished)

Varian and Whumptober 2020 (Series) (Finished) (Sidenote; I really like this author in general, but there is just so much great whump and extreme angst in this series! Says they are but a humble freshman, but I say they are a very skilled freshman!)

How Pneumonia Stopped a Stubborn Alchemist from Descending into Villainy (Finished)

Screw Treasure, I got Trauma (Finished)

Tangled One-shots (Series) (Finished? I Think?)

Voluntary Manslaughter (Finished)

I’ll Always Lend an Ear (Finished)

Drown Your Past, Burn your Future (Series) (Unfinished, but still going strong)

Scars of a Child (Series) (Unfinished)

Unrelenting Silence (Finished)

Where was the happily ever after? (Finished? Unsure)

All our Dreams (Down the Drain) (Unfinished)

Not All Falling Stars Grant Wishes (Finished)

Alchemy Lullaby (Series) (Finished)

Insignificant (Finished)

Second Chances (Almost finished)

The Pawn Decides Its Fate (Finished)

Unsaid Emily (Finished)

Today, Today (Finished)

The Pride in Your Eyes (Unfinished, but still somewhat new)

Monster (Finished)

You Are Enough (Finished)

An Alchemist’s World (Unfinished, but the first four chapters could definitely work as a standalone fic, so, in my eyes it’s finished)

Too Smart for Your Own Good (Unfinished, going strong)

To find the Sundrop (Unfinished)

There’s More in You (Unfinished)

The Science of Love (Unfinished, going very strong)

Season 2 But Gayer (Unfinished, going strong-ish)

On My Honor (Series) (Unfinished, going extremely strong with consistant updates)

A Prince and His Bodyguard (Series) (Unfinished, going strong)

Rocks, Wolves, and the Moon (Series) (Unfinished, going strong)

Return to Me (Unfinished, going strong)

Perilous Night (Unfinished, possibly discontinued, but worth a bit of the read)

Nomad (Unfinished, author is working on multiple projects, so IDK)

No Reward for Second Place (Unfinished, but fairly new and somewhat well updated)

Oath of the Lawbreaker (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

New Quest for Varian (Unfinished, fairly new)

My Dear Son (Unfinished)

Insignificant (Finished)

Indentured (Unfinished, same author as Nomad)

Enter the mind, remove the sins (Unfinished, going pretty strong)

Darkness exists to make the light truely count (Unfinished, going strong. Updated about every month or two, with consistency)

Creeping Crystals (Unfinished, but going somewhat strong)

Blood of My Brother (Unfinished, going as one of the strongest in its fast updates)

Cyclorama (Finished) (Companion to Blood of My Brother)

Chemistry in Motion (Unfinished)

Away from Home (Unfinished)

Alone? (Unfinished-ish)

It’s just a mild inconvenience (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

Gauze in the Wound (Unfinished, pretty consistent last I checked)

Blood Makes the Knife Holy (Series) (Unfinished, but each part could work as their own fics, and it’s still going)

A Progression of Events (Unfinished)

He Needs Me (Unfinished, going strong)

Or So They Though (Unfinished, going pretty strong)

The Long Road Back to Home (Unfinished, hasn’t been updated in a bit, but is pretty long and each chapter could take about a couple months to finish, and even longer if the creator is stuck/has other fics. Still worth the read)

The Road Home (Different) (Unfinished)

Reunion at Sea (Unfinished, going strong)

Elements of Angst (Unfinished, probably updated soon)

Arson (Unfinished, every time it think that maybe it’s been discontinued, it comes back)

Unconventional Family (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

To find the Sundrop (Unfinished)

Wayward AU (Comic) (Unfinished, pretty consistent)

RWBY (Mainly Oscar Fics):

It’s Venomous (Finished)

Will you stand and be brave or be broken? (Finished)

Oscar Gets Himself a Coat (Finished)

Who You Belong To (Finished)

Imperfect Light (Finished)

Shell (Finished)

Blood on Both Hands (Finished)

Tell Me that I am a Fool (Finished)

If i believed in destiny i'd have to hunt it down and punch it in the face (Series) (Unfinished, can have the occasionally long hiatus, but the creator comes back)

Is Oscar okay? no but the answer is b (Finished)

Running From Memories (Finished)

Rescue Me (Unfinished)

Souls of Love and Bravery (Unfinished, relatively consistent updates)

Revert To Last Save File (but it's the wrong file) (Unfinished, but still going)

Broken Body and Souls (Finished)

Camp Camp:

David’s Family (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

Horror Camp (A little too much child whump for me, but it’s very whumpy) (Unfinished)

Inconvenience (Unfinished)

Still Here (One of my favs) (Finished)

Hetalia (Mainly America and Canada Centric):

Recovering the Broken Pieces (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

Hetalia 2020 - WWIII and more (Unfinished)

(More fics in the crossover section)

She-ra (Quite a few Kyle ones):

The Chronicles of Kyle (Unfinished)

Sunflowers (Finished)

She-Ra: In the Wake (Unfinished)

Princesses and co. work through their issues (Unfinished)

What is Heard (Cannot be Unheard) (Finished)

Long Way Home (Unfinished)

The Hollowed of Etheria (Discontinued. For now at least. Author might revamp it)

Hordak and the Orphans of the Horde (Unfinished)

Big Sis (Finished)

Ex-Horde (Finished? Pretty good on its own though)

Prisoner of Conscience (Unfinished, still going strong)

Tales of Arcadia (Mostly Douxie Fics):

The Immortal Bonds (Unfinished, going strong)

I Can Make RotT So Much Worse (Unfinished, going strong)

Not After 900 Years (Finished)

A Different Path (Finished)

Half-Remembered (Finished)

Shattered Timelines (Unfinished, going strong)

In the Fullness of Time (Unfinished, updated recently)

One Last Time (Unfinished, updated recently)

Tales of Arcadia Watch Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (Unfinished)

Crossover Fics:

Sold (TTS/HtTYD) (Finished) (Author is really good at angsty oneshots that should be made into full fics)

Varian’s Mysterious Transport (TTS/Infinity Train) (Unfinished, unexpected updates)

Of Rocks and Robots (TTS/Big Hero Six) (Series) (Unfinished, very consistent)

(Like the moon) I'll sway the tide and lead you astray (TTS/HtTYD) (Unfinished, haven’t read in a while)

Heathers and other fandoms react to stuff (Multifandom Crossover Fanfiction) (Unfinished, confusing update schedule, not every fandom gets much spotlight, still incredibly fun)

Chemistry in Motion (TTS/Big Hero Six) (Unfinished)

The Weight of Both Worlds (Hetalia/RWBY) (Series) (Finished) (My favorite fic ever)

Infinity (Hetalia/BNHA) (Unfinished, possibly discontinued)

G8 china in UA, 1-S class! (Hetalia/BNHA) (Unifinished, possibly dicontinued)

That Which Makes Up This Land (Hetalia/ATLA) (Unfinished, author is editing and reposting all their series, which could take about a year, but it will be back)

A Waterbending Quirk (ATLA/BNHA) (Unfinished, going strong)

Other Fics:

Earth is Odd Enough (Sanders Sides) (Unfinished)

UA Faculty Tiktok OCs (BNHA) (Webtoon) (Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63lWYueDsek&t=208s, she’s amazing) (Unfinished. The Tiktoks, on the otherhand, are very much still going)

Harry Potter and the Lack of Lambsauce (Harry Potter) (Finished)

Grinch x Tony the Tiger (You know) (Unfinished)

Flowey is Not a Good Life Coach (Undertale) (Finished)

It Wears a Mask (MCU Spiderman) (Finished)

A Different Fate (Harry Potter) (Finished)

A crack in the glass (eye) (ATLA) (Finished)

Identity Saga (MCU Spiderman) (Series) (Unfinished, author is very dedicated to fic and is incredibly determined to finish it, so highly unlikely to be discontinued)

Bakery Enemies AU (Miraculous Ladybug) (Comic) (Unfinished, going strong)

Authors I Like:

AquaQuadrant aka @aquaquadrant (probably know them if you’re in the Varian fandom. Ridiculously talented)

bethhigdon (in the TTS fandom and the Big Hero Six fandom, but also other stuff)

Cate_9xBlue aka @cate-9xblue (known best for their TTS fics)

Royalsciencenerd (Writes amazing TTS Varian fics)

HoneyxMonkey aka @honeyxmonkey (Writes TTS fics and talks a lot about Tales of Arcadia on their blog. Has some great ideas)

Sand_wolf579 (Has a large and varied catalogue)

ExploretheEcccentricities aka @exploretheeccentricities (Lots of TTS fics)

ShadowSnowdapple aka @shadowsnowdapple (RWBY Oscar fics that are amazing)

Widowfics (Great TTS writer)

AMax76 (Wrote the amazing Blood of My Brother)

violetsaren_tblue (has some great TTS fics I like)

Time Traverser (Excellent Hetalia America and Canada Fics)

Aloneintherain aka @captainkirkk (Just started reading their stuff, SO many excellent Spider-Man fics)

So yeah, just giving some appreciation for all the fic creators out there and their creations!

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aevyk-ing · 4 years

Text

My thoughts on Wizards Part 3:

-Now it’s time to talk about the other Knights. Galahad has the cutest design. I would have liked him with an axe, for a Gimli reference, but he’s soft and strong and I can’t believe they killed him after centuries of waiting for Merlin. Seriously, what was he doing there?

Lancelot did a cool Shrek 2 reference (Prince Charming) and that was so funny. It would have been great if the other characters have acknowledged that he looks just like Steve. But why does he have a robotic arm?

-Both Battles are nice. I really liked Morgana’s story, with his brother being the one that cut her arm, raising from death (with a little help of Angor Rot), and the epic fight scene before she could be redeemed. And Douxie transforming his staff in an axe was so in character.

-The creation of the Amulet was a cool scene too. I’m not that keen on the fact that Blinky’s speech about destiny took a couple of sentences from Deya and she was too good for that being her first day as the Trollhunter.

-Why make all the castle float to create the portal? Past Douxie, which is so funny, BTW, would have to be the one to put it down.

-Ok, so in my first viewing, when I was sure Jim was going to die, crossing the portal was a bad ending for my angst. In the rewatch, I understand that they’re talking about the dark magic and him loosing himself, so Douxie saying they’ll fix it makes more sense.

-Anyway, Jim sacrificing himself and becoming full troll... as I’ve said, didn’t see that coming. His full troll design is a little weird, it adds elements from Draal, but my problem is with the face shape. He has to be recognizable, but that long face looks so weird with that bulky body.

-Wizards going undercover in an electronics shop? Quite cool. And Krel’s cameo was perfect.

-Why does the Arcane Order want Jim for? Nari says that his soul is so damaged, but was that before or after the shard? And why Merlin doesn’t care about him? He’s his Trollhunter, he chose him and made him a half-troll, something we still don’t know why.

-My bet is Zombie Arthur ended up corrupted because he doesn’t have magic, while Morgana can be brought back from death with no problem. But why does Arthur try to corrupt anyone, especially Jim? I think this has to do with Merlin and using his Trollhunter as a pawn, or using Jim just as a bargain.

-Claire saying she’s not giving up on him and I’m tearing up again.

-I really was expecting Merlin to have a final words for his Trollhunter, but at least he revealed who Douxie is and left him some clues. But doing the McGuffin story just two episodes before the ending... I get is the only way to defeat the Order, but anyway.

-Dragons in this universe are so weird, but hey, DreamWorks totally excels in making interesting dragons and they have just mixed my two favorite animals, so I’m on.

-The Shadow Realm scene touches me in a deeper level. It’s so heartbreaking. I was so happy to see human Jim again. Not that I dislike Troll!Jim, I’ve always liked his design since the first time he appeared on scene, but human Jim means a lot more to me.

-Now I understand that the Arcane Order just wants Jim as their slave, to do whatever they want like guard the prisoners. Ok, gotcha.

-Can we talk a moment about Zoe? It really seemed that she was going to be an important character and she only got a cameo.

-I though, and I still think, that crossing the Shadow Realm was the key for Jim to get his soul back.

-And, talking about that... I’m sure my heart skipped some beats every time human Jim was on screen, but I totally forsaw some change coming because, sadly, we have too many movies where everybody thinks that the hero is dead and they cry and... nope, he’s not. But seeing Jim emerging from that rubble made me so happy. As I’ve said, I really like Troll!Jim, but I despised what leaded to the transformation.

-While it’s a huge Harry Potter reference, the scene with Douxie and Merlin is just beautiful.

-I’m pretty sure Jim can pull off Excalibur from that stone, he just needs a moment to feel validated again. It’s not the first time the Amulet has been destroyed, but he only needs an armor and he’ll be ready to be the main Trollhunter again.

-People are saying that Douxie and Nari are in New York, so I guess they’ll start the movie with them sending a message to the Trollhunters. It’s sad, because I missed Arcadia and all the other characters, so hopefully New York won’t be a big part of the scenery.

-Talking about Arcadia, some short scenes after the credits would have been a neat way to end all this, with the main characters going back to their houses and their families (I just want to see Jim reunited with his mother, ok?).

-There’s a lot of questions: how are Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! going to survive there? Where is Jim going to live if his bedroom is full of babies? Why Douxie couldn’t find the Changelings? Seriously, why Claire’s hair is whiter now and was there any more reason to have Troll!Jim or he just had to change to be able to kill Gunmar? Why did Merlin had an exact copy of Camelot’s castle in the current days and why was Galahad still alive? And how many Trollhunters have been since Deya was the first one but after her came Kanjigar and then Jim? And where’s Jim’s father? I think I caught a hint, but I may be wrong. Anyway, this series was great even with the short amount of time and I can’t wait for the movie!

#tales of arcadia #toa wizards #toa wizards spoilers #wizards spoilers

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nikibogwater · 3 years

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What did you think of Nari's characterization in ROTT?

Disliked it, as with most of the other things in the movie.

The short version of it is this: In Wizards, Nari's primary character traits were empathy and compassion for others. In Rise of the Titans, her primary character traits seem to be just a general lack of awareness for what's happening around her, and a tendency to make light of very serious situations.

Now before I get into the long-form answer, I will preface by saying that the writers of RotT were at a severe disadvantage when writing for characters who were introduced in Wizards because Wizards was still in production at the time. So I understand why Nari ended up feeling like a completely different character in the movie, and I am not shaming anyone for it. But the fact of the matter is that I found her characterization in Wizards to be much more appealing, and if that characterization had carried over to Rise of the Titans, I think I would've had slightly warmer feelings towards the movie. But let's get down to brass tacks now, because I've actually been dying to talk about this. This is gonna be a loooooong boi, so I've put everything under the cut to avoid clogging people's queues (I'm just really passionate about this bean goddess, okay? 😅)

When Nari is introduced to us in Wizards, she is quietly watching the arrival of our heroes at the castle. She doesn't make herself known to them, but it is clear she is very interested in what's happening. She does not make any other appearance until the Arcane Order launches their assault on Camelot.

Nari's first spoken words are, "Merlin! This is all my fault!" and as one would expect after hearing this, she is very obviously distressed and feeling guilty for putting everyone in danger. Merlin tells her they need to escape to the past, and that he needs her help in order to do it. Nari's response is to begin charging her magic as she says "I will do what I can."

After our main characters are thrown back in time, we're introduced to Nari as she was in the past. Although she is allied with the Arcane Order in their war against humanity, it's clear that she displays the least amount of malice out of the three. In fact, it's revealed that Nari has always been rather fond of humans, and has even reached out to them in friendship a number of times. After resurrecting Morgana, Nari is the one who does most of the explaining and introductions, showing a bit of a playful/mischievous side as she pokes fun at Bellroc and Skrael. ("I told you she would, Skrael! So old, and they still haven't learned manners.")

During the Battle of Killahead, we see Nari watching the war from a distance, and it's clear from the expression on her face that she is not liking any of this. Though she does briefly aid her siblings when they join in the battle, she reveals afterwards that she can sense the pain and suffering they have inflicted on others--and she doesn't believe the Order's ambitions are worth that. She abandons the Order, presumably spending the next 900 years in hiding, before seeking Merlin's protection.

Once our heroes have returned to the present, Nari becomes a bit more involved in the plot. She expresses genuine sorrow over the destruction of Arcadia Oaks High ("Your beautiful school-home was crushed!") and is clearly distressed by Jim's agony as the shard in his chest begins to work its dark magic. ("Poor soul! Your corruption...I feel it worsening.") After Jim is taken by the Order, we can see her comforting Toby in the background. She continues to show great concern and empathy for the people around her, and is still eager to help wherever she can, though her magic doesn't seem to be combat-oriented. She is also shown to be somewhat timid, hiding behind Merlin or Claire during confrontations with the Order--she is very clearly terrified of her old allies, and seems to want to avoid direct contact with them. When Douxie is struck down by the Order and is falling to his death, it is Nari who runs to try to save him before anyone else--apparently, if someone is in need, Nari's first instinct is to rush to their aid.

So, from all of that, we can gather that Nari, as she was characterized in Wizards, is intelligent, curious, cautious, gentle, empathetic, and very aware of what's going on around her. She is also a little playful and wild, but never to the point of disregarding what's happening or how others are feeling.

In Rise of the Titans, Nari remains consistent with this characterization for all of...seven minutes.

Initially, Nari is still very much herself in this scene (though I wish we could've been told what exactly made her want to stop running and face the Order head-on. Again, in Wizards, it was abundantly clear that that was the one thing she did NOT want to do). When Douxie expresses his anxiety about the situation, she takes him by the hand, offers him a reassuring smile, and says, gently but firmly, "No. No more running, Douxie." Excellent interaction. 10/10. Five stars. That's also the only time in the movie where Nari displays any level of awareness regarding Douxie's (or anyone's) feelings/wellbeing.

The body-swap scene is when Nari's character just completely swings in the opposite direction, and she becomes near-unrecognizable as being the same character from Wizards. Douxie, being our favorite Self-Sacrificing Idiot, swaps bodies with her at the last possible second, causing the Order to take him instead. Nari, now stuck inside Douxie's body, seemingly doesn't think much of this development at all. In fact, her first response is to giggle playfully. UM, NARI. NARI, SWEETIE, YOUR BIG BROTHER IS IN THE CLUTCHES THE MOST EVIL BEINGS KNOWN TO MANKIND. LIKE, THEY LITERALLY KILLED HIM THE LAST TIME HE RESCUED YOU FROM THEM, WHY ARE YOU NOT MORE WORRIED ABOUT THIS?! Up until this point, Nari has never been shown to underestimate the Arcane Order--she seems all too aware of the kind of violence and destruction they are capable of, which explains why she was so terrified of them in Wizards. But in Rise of the Titans she seems to just....not really care anymore? The entire time she is in Douxie's body, she doesn't express the slightest amount of concern for him, or for anyone around her. She just keeps doing...cutesy forest gremlin things, like singing to her flower, batting at a light fixture, and antagonizing Archie (she's definitely not the only character who was severely lacking in empathy in this movie, but this is an essay about Nari, so I'm not going to bother touching on everyone else). This is a direct contradiction to her characterization in Wizards, where she was shown to care deeply for the people around her, and displayed genuine distress whenever they were in danger or suffering.

Nari also persists in being pointlessly cryptic for the entirety of the movie because....reasons. Before the Order breaks Douxie's body-swap spell, she tells Jim, "Trollhunter make ninth configuration--the Kronosphere will make right." Which, of course, doesn't help him in the slightest. And when they finally succeed in rescuing Nari, she doesn't elaborate or explain this at all. She just says it again. Listen, I can get behind Nari being Insanely Ancient, and maybe a little out of touch with modern trends, but I'm fairly certain that Wizards Nari at least knew how to communicate. She never showed any inclination towards being cryptic or mysterious on purpose, at least. We're never given any explanation for Nari's sudden lack of clarity, so I guess it was just there for plot reasons. Which makes it that much more infuriating.

Also I don't know why, but the little "Hehe!" Nari does when Douxie pulls her into a hug kind of grinds my gears, because Nari, love, this is a really serious moment, you were just snapped out of mind control and your siblings are currently rampaging across globe in giant magical mechs, why are you giggling like a four-year-old and not, idk, SOBBING IN A MIXTURE OF RELIEF AND HORROR BECAUSE YOU WERE ALMOST PART OF WHAT DESTROYS THE EARTH?! AS THAT WOULD BE A MORE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO WHAT JUST HAPPENED????!!!!! But that's just a stupid little nitpick.

Now this is not me saying that Nari's characterization in the movie is objectively bad. Actually, it's kind of fitting for the Tales of Arcadia brand of humor--Super ancient demigoddess who houses the power to completely destroy the earth is also kind of a clueless ditz and needs to be babysat like a toddler. If she had not been introduced in Wizards, I would've been fine with this. But, much like the rest of the movie, Nari's vastly different characterization felt a tiny bit like a betrayal, and it consistently bothered me in every single one of her scenes. It also kept me from feeling the full impact of her death--seriously, I didn't cry at all when she was killed. Which....yeah, I'm just as surprised as you are.

So anyways, if you've made it this far, thank you so much for the ask, Non! Normally I have a bit more self control than to just....essay-dump like this, but honestly I've been thinking about this for way too long, and I had to get it out of my system. 🥴 And to anyone who really liked Nari's characterization in RotT--that's totally valid! Again, I don't think it was a bad characterization. It was just very inconsistent with her character as she was introduced to us in Wizards. And I just happen to prefer Wizards Nari over RotT Nari. 🌿✨

#tales of arcadia #toa #rise of the titans #rott spoilers #toa nari #niki answers #long post

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