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kylorenisadorkable · 3 years

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How TROS Failed Rey

These are just my opinions and from my personal perspective, if these things worked for you in the movie then cool, but this is why it was never going to work for me.

A Feminine Power Fantasy

Growing up in the 90s there wasn't a ton of media that had female lead characters. I grew up with strong female characters but they were often relegated to being the token girl of the group (see the Smurfette principle), the story was never centered around them and we never got to experience things from their point of view or really get to know their story. It felt like I was being asked to relate to male characters but boys were never asked or expected to relate to female characters.

Just as young boys see themselves as Luke, leading the adventure I also wanted to see myself as the main character. I wanted to have my own adventures.

When I first saw TFA, I went in knowing nothing about the movie. I had seen the OT and the Prequels as a kid and I had thought they were ok but I wasn't a huge Star Wars fan and in hindsight I really think this was due to the lack of female representation, Leia and Padme are great but I never really felt like I really got to know them as people. Not to mention that these characters are 2 women out of a cast that's predominantly male, it just seemed like the message LF was sending was that Star Wars is for boys, yeah girls can watch it if they want to but this isn't a series that is meant for you. So as you could guess I wasn't really expecting much from these new Star Wars movies, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I fell in love with Rey's character during those first 3 minutes of her introduction. During this brilliant example of “show don't tell,” story telling they were really able to convey so much about Rey's character and personality, I really began to care for her and felt like I understood her, as I could relate to her loneliness and isolation in my own way. And I was excited to see a story from a major fantasy/adventure franchise told from a feminine perspective. It felt like I was finally getting the representation I wanted to see.

So what happened? How did we go from Luke's line “And I will not be the Last Jedi” which is essentially him “passing the torch” to Rey, the next generation, to “One day I will earn your brother's saber?”

As if the saber didn't already choose her in the Force Awakens? Why did they decide that all of a sudden Rey was unworthy? Didn't Yoda say “that library held nothing that the girl Rey didn't already posses?” which yes was a clever way of saying that Rey already took the jedi texts with her but was also implying that she already had everything she needed within herself to be a jedi (courage, humility, compassion etc...). Why did they take a step backwards in the last movie in the franchise? Insisting that Rey needed to train, that she suddenly wasn't good enough?

I can't say for sure what happened to lead up to this point. Was it just that the creative team gave in to the pressuring of a loud minority of alt-right youtubers and bots. Were they relying on Reddit and Twitter for public opinion rather than doing actual marketing research? While I think that this was definitely a big factor I think there was just a general misunderstanding of the characters on Terrio's and JJ's part to begin with.

What Does Rey Want/Need?

To know where they went wrong, we have to ask ourselves who is Rey? All characters have a story goal, or the thing they want. By the end of the story the character will either get what they want after some struggles of course or learn that the thing that they want isn't what they need. So what does Rey want? To understand what she wants we have to first understand her wound or past experience that caused emotional pain and interferes with the character's life. Rey's wound stems from her abandonment. Along with the wound, comes the concept of the false lie. What is a lie that the character believes about themselves that we as the audience knows is untrue? Rey's lie is first, that her family is going to come back for her.

The other lie she tells herself is the belief that she is worthless because she was abandoned, as she tells everyone she meets “I'm no one“ or “I'm just a scavenger.”

When Daisy Ridley was asked in an interview why Rey says she's “No One.” Ridley says it's because our relationships to people define so much of who we are and without relationships then who are we? This makes sense considering that our parents are major influences in our development and in how we think about ourselves through much of our lives.

Rey seeks out parental figures, thinking that through them she'll figure out where she belongs. “Whoever you're waiting for on Jakku, they're never coming back. But there's someone who still could. The Belonging you seek is not behind you. It is ahead.”

Rey initially believes that Maz is referring to Luke and when she later sets off to find him. She believe that he is going to be able to give her answers, and provide her with the belonging that she longs for, but Luke ultimately ends up disappointing her but finds comfort in her relationship with Ben.

This goes back to the idea that what Rey thinks she wants, Isn't necessarily what she needs. As JJ stated in the directors commentary of The Force Awakens, “So there was a very powerful idea that what she desperately wanted was belonging, which she’ll get, but just not how she expects.”

JJ and Terrio try to fullfill Rey's need through “found family” the family she finds with her friends and the resistance, but I think there is more to Rey's desire of wanting family that can't be satisfied by this alone. Finn, Poe, Leia are definitely a part of her journey in finding belonging but they're not the final piece to the puzzle. Otherwise she would have felt completely fulfilled by the end of The Last Jedi when she is on the Falcon surrounded by her friends.

I think part of Rey's desire for family, is also the desire to be understood, to be “seen.” Rey even tells Finn in TROS that “People keep telling me they know me. No one does.” We hear Ben's response in the trailer “But I do...” (which was cut from the movie)

Ben has always been shown to be the person who truly “sees” Rey. He sees even the aspects of herself that she doesn't like to acknowledge. Recognizing that her holding on to her parents is affecting her negatively and that if she really wants to “find herself” she needs to let go.

Which is why when Ben says “You have no place in this story. You're nothing. But not to me.” What is really being expressed is “I don't care about where you come from and I see you for who you are.”

This is why I believe that Ben was always suppose to be the final piece to the belonging Rey is searching for. As their narratives are intertwined. They both satisfy each others needs as characters, Rey's need to be seen for who she is and Ben's need for reconciliation and healing within his family.

Rey Palpatine

Rian Johnson said that when he began working on The Last Jedi, he wrote out all the character's names and next to them wrote what would be the hardest thing for that character to face. For Rey, this was that she needs to stand on her own two feet and define who she is for herself but JJ and Terrio seemed to have misunderstood this as Terrio states that,

“We also thought that Rey’s arc cannot be finished after Episode VIII. You can leave Episode VIII and say, “Well, now, Rey is content. She’s discovered her parents aren’t Skywalkers, or whatever, and that’s fine.” But so much of her personal story was about where she came from, what kept her on Jakku all those years and the trauma that shaped her. We see quite strongly in Episode VII that something mysterious and troubling happened to her. Although she did get some answers in Episode VIII, we didn’t feel that that story was over. We felt that there were still more questions in Rey’s head about where she came from and where she was going. So, that was the other big idea that we had to address in this film. Rian’s answer to, “What’s the worst news that Rey could receive?” was that she comes from junk traders, and that’s true. She does come from junk traders; we didn’t contradict that.”

Rey's conflict wasn't that she came from junk traders. Rey didn't care about “legacy.” Her conflict stemmed from her abandonment. Rey thinks she's “a nobody” not because of her parent's occupation or lineage but because she feels that she must be worthless because why else would her parents give her up? Rey learning that her parents sold her off for drinking money, that they didn't want her, was already a difficult and traumatic truth to overcome. Star Wars is a coming of age story, in the OT Luke grows from being a boy longing for adventure to discovering what it truly means to be a Jedi (following your principles and having a compassionate heart). Rey's journey is about letting go of childhood trauma and discovering her own independence.

It's also strange seeing as JJ had previously stated during The Force Awakens press tour that “I really feel that the assumption that any character needs to have inherited a certain number of midi-chlorians or needs to be part of a bloodline. It's not that I don't believe that as part of the canon, I'm just saying that at 11 years old that wasn't where my heart was. And so I respect and adhere to the canon but I also say that the Force has always seemed to me to be more inclusive and stronger than that.”

And there was still conflict for her to overcome. The one person who she felt truly understood her is now the supreme leader of the first order, will the resistance discover their connection? Will they see her as a traitor? All of this had the potential for great external and internal character conflict, but for some reason they didn't see this as conflict enough to sustain a whole movie?

Instead they gave Luke's character arc in the OT of having a dark side relative to Rey. “Discovering that you actually descended from your adoptive family’s greatest enemy, the same enemy who corrupted Anakin Skywalker and is responsible for the destruction of the Skywalker family in the first place, felt most devastating to us.” This doesn't make any sense to me as it feel like they just gave Rey Luke's internal conflict of being afraid of his dark side, I don't think this was ever a problem for Rey. In fact, in The Last Jedi she leapt into the dark side cave to face her darkness (her abandonment). Luke even says “You went straight to the dark and you didn't even try to stop yourself.”

The dark side cave in The Last Jedi was symbolic of Rey coming to terms with her darkness (the parts of herself she wants to hide). It relates back to Jungian psychology (which much of Star Wars is based on) that people can only become whole through understanding both the light and shadow aspects of their personality. So it doesn't make sense for Rey to be afraid of who she is in the final movie when she just finished a journey where she learned to accept who she was?

Rey Skywalker

Terrio says that the decision to have Rey take on the name “Skywalker” was a way to show that “you can choose your ancestry.” Which is not true and also a strange thing to say considering the trilogy started with this:

But even if this was just awkward phrasing and what Terrio meant to say was that she considers the Skywalkers her family. Does this make sense considering that she didn't have a great relationship with Luke to begin with?

I've seen it argued that she took the name as a way of honoring Leia but Leia never took the name or considered herself a Skywalker. Also this is another step backwards for Rey's character as The Last Jedi was trying to assert that Rey does not need to keep looking for parental figures to define herself.

So why must she be a Palpatine, a Skywalker and “all the jedi” anyways? I think this was done for two reasons, the first was because by killing Ben they were going to kill the last of the Skywalker family and they wanted to keep the name tied to the franchise, in case they need the characters for future projects down the line, so they just pushed it onto Rey. The second reason is that I think they were trying to appease the misogynists' who spent the last 4 years calling Rey a “Mary Sue” so they explained her power away through powerful male lineage. It just feels so weird to me, like the creators are saying that we should like Rey not because of who she is as a character but because of who she is in relation to all these other characters we know you like (Luke, Leia, all the jedi that use her as a vessel etc...)

Daisy Ridley has even expressed her frustration with the Rey's lineage debate multiple times, “I love that Rey is such a great character, they’re like: ‘No, no, she has to be… she has to be-’She’s her own person! Let her be her guys, let her live.

Yet even at the end of the final film poor Rey can't seem to catch a break as she's once again asked for her last name. She once again has to justify herself for just existing. Why are surnames suddenly so important in Star Wars now anyways? Shouldn't the correct answer be “just Rey,” now that she's come to accept who she is and where she's come from and shouldn't that be good enough? What happened to the message of anyone can be a hero? That you don't have to come from or align yourself with a powerful family legacy. That we all have the power to make a difference?

TROS seems to be constantly asking Rey to prove herself. And weirdly enough it reminds me in a strange meta way of my own experience being a woman in the fandom and being constantly asked to prove that I'm a “True fan” (whatever the f@#% that means...) to prove that I'm worthy of consuming and participating in this content that male fans feel belongs solely to them.

In Conclusion

So what did our heroine gain in the end? Did she find family and belonging? No. So what does she have in the end? A yellow lightsaber (for merchandising purposes) and a surname of a dead family? I guess she finally has an answer to give all the nosey nellies, obsessed with ones pedigree that have suddenly popped up all over the galaxy.

It's not a satisfying ending for her, as she's basically right back where she started. Alone, in a desolate desert, once again staring face to face at an old woman (an old woman which at the start of the Force Awakens symbolized her fear of growing old and wasting away her life on Jakku).

Terrio states that this is not meant to indicate that Rey plans to stay here, “The very last thing Rey would do after all that is to go and live alone in a desert.” but when that is the last shot you chose to end the movie on then what is the audience suppose to think? The bigger issue however, is that Rey's ending holds no significance to her or her journey. Terrio says that “In our thinking, Rey goes back to Tatooine as a pilgrimage in honor of her two Skywalker masters. Leia’s childhood home, Alderaan, no longer exists, but Luke’s childhood home, Tatooine, does. Rey brings the sabers there to honor the Skywalker twins by laying them to rest — together, finally — where it all began.” Tatooine, the Lars homestead and the twin suns, don't mean anything to Rey. You know who did mean something to Rey? Who was the one person who understood her, who she had an intimate relationship with, who she explicitly states she wanted to be with? Ben. But he's gone too. But clearly a light saber and surname are more important. Again this all comes from a lack of caring for what Rey wants.

I just wish that the Sequel Trilogy had stayed Rey's trilogy, that she got to be a heroine in her own right not because she was a skywalker, or a palpatine or from some other powerful family. I will always love Rey but I will always hate what they did to her and I'm tired of people invalidating my feelings and telling me that it was a good ending or that it was empowering. I just want heroines to be taken as seriously and to have all the same privileges as male heroes. Let them stand on their own without connecting them back to every male hero in the franchise, let them be their own character, and finally just let them be human, let them fall in love and have relationships if they want to. Male heroes are never considered to be less of a hero for having a love interest, so why are female heroes? Basically what I got out of the Rise of Skywalker, was that it was created by a couple of guys that loved Luke and the OT and could care less about Rey and that's truly heart breaking.

#rey #rey nobody #reylo #ben solo #rey deserved better #rey deserves better #bring ben solo back #I love rey #aTROSity #just rey #reunite the dyad

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jasontoddiefor · 3 years

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Title: and I told the world Summary: Padmé is pregnant, Anakin is the father,” Obi-Wan replied and held up his bottle of Serenno wine. Or, Obi-Wan and the realization that Anakin is going to be a father at an age Obi-Wan wasn't even a Knight. AN: More light fix-it verse! Tackling the anidala verse.

The Temple was eerily silent as Obi-Wan walked through its halls. Not many Jedi were on Coruscant right now and the number of nocturnal Jedi was even lower. He was thankful for the quiet, unsure how well he’d handle a conversation right now. Someone’s kind fussing would eventually lead to Obi-Wan needing to confront the fact that Anakin’s last steps into adulthood had been done on bloodied battlefields, far away from him.

He reached his destination without a single interruption and soon found himself knocking against a familiar door. Years ago, even before the war, he might have hesitated to act so boldly over an issue that wasn’t even truly one and could have waited until morning. Fortunately, Obi-Wan was a member of the Council and had learned that not one member of it kept regular hours. As expected, the door opened and Mace stood in its entrance, looking as put-together as on a Benduday afternoon. He blinked, equally non-plussed about Obi-Wan’s appearance, his expression just a bit questioning. Obi-Wan ought to be sleeping, he’d just gotten home from a rather gruesome campaign, but he hadn’t been able to fall asleep after getting Anakin’s hysteric call.

“Obi-Wan, what can I do for you?” Mace asked.

“Padmé is pregnant, Anakin is the father,” Obi-Wan replied and held up his bottle of Serenno wine. It was an expensive gift from Dooku to Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan had meant to open it or smash it so many times but never ended up deciding on either course of action.

Now he finally knew what to do with it.

Mace closed his eyes and Obi-Wan thought he could hear a curse pass his lips, then the older Master stepped aside and let Obi-Wan inside.

He’d been in Mace’s quarters often enough that they were familiar to him. Shelves with plants and books covered the walls. Many of them were on various meditation techniques from across the entire galaxy. In one corner, his contrabass was starting to collect dust from months of no usage. Obi-Wan’s thoughts returned to his own violin, resting in its case in the corner of his wardrobe. Despite the dust on the instrument, the wall covered by trinkets and gifts of Padawans and thankful people alike was as pristine as always.

Obi-Wan sat down at the living room table as Mace returned with two wine glasses. Obi-Wan poured their glasses full and emptied his in one go. It was a very dry red wine, bitter too. Qui-Gon would have disliked it; Obi-Wan hated it.

Still, it seemed appropriate for the given situation.

“So,” Mace said, wetting his lips. “Care to repeat that first statement again?”

“Anakin called me about three hours ago,” Obi-Wan started. “He was frazzled. I thought it was because of his mission, but instead I learn that the cause for his distress is the message he got from Padmé about ten minutes before he called me.”

“Which, I assume, was of her informing Anakin that she is pregnant.”

“Yes.”

It had been a short text message. Anakin had read it out to him thrice in varying degrees of emotional turmoil, from cheerful excitement to bone-chilling terror. From the way he spoke, it had been clear to Obi-Wan that Anakin’s first instinct, before even attempting to sort through his emotions on his own, had been to call Obi-Wan. While it warmed him to know that Anakin trusted him so much and sought his support, Obi-Wan could have done without needing to calm Anakin down when he was still so unsettled himself.

Mace sighed. “Is Senator Amidala going to visit the Temple Healers tomorrow then?”

“Today,” Obi-Wan corrected absentmindedly. It was already far past midnight and Obi-Wan liked to try to keep track of time. It didn’t necessarily make the days spent in the trenches easier, but it ensured he didn’t totally lose contact with reality and got lost in the war. “And no, she won’t. She is currently on Alderaan, visiting Queen Breha, and I don’t think Anakin told her to visit the Healers here after. I’ll tell him or message her directly, perhaps.”

The entire situation was surreal.

His Padawan was going to become a father.

At his age, Obi-Wan hadn’t even thought about teaching a Padawan someday, had three years still until Anakin would be sleeping curled up next to him.

“We have to provide an alibi,” Mace stated. “If the public catches wind of why Senator Amidala is visiting the Temple, the situation is bound to escalate beyond our control.”

And that was putting it nicely. Padmé and Anakin’s relationship was a bit of an open secret in the Temple and among Padmé’s guards, but the public could not be allowed to learn of it. Padmé’s integrity would be doubted, each and every decision the Order made regarding Naboo since the Trade Federation’s invasion would be questioned. The Centrist faction would demand that Padmé lose her seat in the Senate. The balance between the Jedi and the government was already fragile and complicated enough without a scandal of this size threatening to throw everything into discord.

It wasn’t even as if Anakin were unaware of the danger.

No, Master, we’re not going to do anything stupid.

Well, stupid just happened.

Obi-Wan massaged his temples, feeling the pressure behind his forehead build up. Either his migraine was returning at full force – not unsurprising in these circumstances – or he was due for a particularly unpleasant vision.

Or maybe it was just the alcohol.

“And if Padmé won’t leave the Senate, and we honestly can’t afford her to leave, Anakin will have to leave the Order. Keeping an affair under wraps is one thing, but a child?” That wasn’t going to end pretty.

“The war comes closer to its end with every passing day,” Mace said. “Senator Amidala is well-trained and everyone close enough to Anakin to know can keep their mouth shut for a few more months. How far along is the Senator?”

“Three months.”

Which left them with six to end the war and let Anakin and Padmé decide which path they’d take after. Obi-Wan emptied his glass once more.

Anakin would be a father in six months.

Kriff.

His horror must show on his face because Mace readily refilled his glass but kept his own empty. One of them should keep their wits about themselves and Obi-Wan certainly wasn’t going to be it.

“Do you want me to help you come up with excuses for the Senator, keep you from emptying this bottle on your own, or listen to you talk some more?” Mace asked after a long silence.

Obi-Wan was a good orator, he didn’t need any help spinning a story, and he could drink much more than just one bottle of wine before he truly needed someone to keep an eye on him.

“I don’t know the first thing about newborns,” Obi-Wan said, choosing the third option.

This was not the most conventional way for a lineage to grow, but theirs wasn’t exactly one to do things by the book necessarily. And, beyond wanting politics to stay out of their business, Obi-Wan wanted to be there for his family. Anakin had lived half in his mind for over a decade now. Even days’ travel away, shields locked tight, Obi-Wan could still feel the other half of his soul.

Regardless of what the parents-to-be chose, Anakin and Obi-Wan were still Jedi and their Order raised its children in a loving community. And if that could not happen in the Temple, Obi-Wan was sure that nobody would mind if he took a few years off once this blasted war ended.

Mace smiled. “Then I suggest you learn.”

#obi wan kenobi #mace windu #anakin skywalker #padmé amidala #anidala #star wars #fanfic #light fix it verse

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it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream · 3 years

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Silva Lining (Saul Silva x Reader) Chapter 11

Warnings: Mentions of infant death

Word Count: 1.8k

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-19 years ago-

As per usual, Farah was bored. She was home in the kingdom of Solaria and once again her family were throwing another ball. Of course she had to be there, she was part of the royal family after all. Her sister was Queen Luna Star, she couldn’t make the family look bad by ditching the event, especially as it was held in her honour.

Big ball dresses and small talk wasn’t her thing. This was temporary however. Soon Farah would be going back to Alfea to take over as Headmistress and she’d finally start living by her own rules. Her mentor and friend Rosalind would be there to guid her and Saul, a friend she had met as a student, would be there as the Headmaster of the Specialists. She couldn’t think of better people to be surrounded with.

There was one upside to the party. People from all over the magic realms had been invited and there was one person in particular that caught Farah’s eye. She didn’t expect things to go the way they did but one thing led to another and she and the mysterious, dark haired stranger found a quiet room in the castle and made love until the rise of the morning sun.

The story goes that she awoke from a dream, a prophecy. The stranger was never seen again and later was found to be the king of the Blood Witches, an enemy to the fairies. Three weeks later and Farah found that she was pregnant. The prophecy was coming true.

“A child, born on a Soul moon, half Fairy, half Witch. Powers bestowed by the Great Dragon, will be the balance between good and evil. The key to the lives of all those who harness power, they are the one true heir to all the lands.”

The former King and Queen of Solaria were ashamed of Farah. Hiding the truth about the pregnancy from everyone. Even her sister Luna kept quiet of the affair, as she did not want anyone else to have claim to the throne, prophecy or no prophecy.

Nine months later and a girl was born. Farah was elated, however there was a dark sinister plot she didn’t know about. The doctors were ordered to do something unforgivable by Queen Luna, under the pressure from her parents. Farah was told that the baby was still born, a spell cast on the newborn to make it seem as if she were not breathing. Farah was inconsolable. Maybe the prophecy wasn’t supposed to come true. But it was.

Queen Luna had a soldier take the baby to the first world and left it on the steps of a hospital, where it would be taken care of as a changeling, nobody the wiser.

Farah grieved for her lost child but finally moved on, becoming Headmistress of Alfea and leaving royalty behind. She didn’t speak to her family, didn’t mention her sister or her lineage to anyone and changed her last name. It was kept a secret so she could live a somewhat normal life. Eventually the story was re-told to her three friends, Ben Harvey, Saul Silva and Rosalind who all swore never to tell a soul.

Farah thought that part of her life was behind her, a mere, sad memory of something that shouldn’t have been. But she was wrong. 18 years later, Saul found a changeling crying in the woods over the body of a burned one. She didn’t know it then but Farah’s life would never be the same again.

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-Y/N’s POV-

Growing up, you’d connected with books like Harry Potter. Something about you could connect with the main character. Treated unfairly over and over by families that were meant to take care of you. No belongings, no friends, a tiny room and worst of all… no parents. You’d sat in your room at nights pouring over the words in your books, imagining the magical life you wished you could escape to.

You wanted a group of friends like Ron and Hermione. The adventures, the power, the fun. Even reading those books would never prepare you for a moment like this. You’d dreamt about the day you found your birth parents, gone over and over the meeting in your head a thousand times. You hadn’t pictured it like this.

You were still in Farah’s office. She was looking at you, tears rolling down her cheeks. You were crying too, what were you supposed to say? You felt like you couldn’t breath. You’d always thought you weren’t wanted, that your parents had just given you up like people give up smoking after new years, but that wasn’t the case at all. She’d thought you were dead. She didn’t know… She didn’t know. You wanted to be mad, be angry but all you could feel was upset and confused.

“I- I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to say, I don’t know… who I am.” You quickly swept the tears from your face and stood, knocking back the chair in your hurry.

“Please don’t run away Y/N, I.. I wanted to tell you sooner but I needed to be sure. I didn’t want to give you false hope and I couldn’t go through losing you all over again.” You wanted to scream, you didn’t know whether to hug the woman in front of you or run for the hills. It was all too much.

“Stella knows doesn’t she, that’s part of the reason Queen Luna took her, she’s my cousin…” You were sobbing again, more like hyperventilating. Saul had bust the door down as soon as her heard your gasps of air. In seconds you were in his arms and he was trying to get you to breath again. Your ears were ringing and you couldn’t concentrate. You just needed to get out of there.

You did the only thing you knew how to do well. You ran, taking Sauls hand in yours, you opened a portal and poof. Both of you disappeared from Headmistress Dowling's office.

Now, the truth is you thought you’d become stronger after all the training and the hard times you been through. But all this drama and truth takes the cake. How could you not run away after that overload of information?

Mums your Headmistress.. check

Dads the king of the Blood Witches…. check

Your future husband is your mothers best friend… check

Your bestfriend is actually your cousin… check

Your Auntie, the Queen of Solaria pretended you were dead and made you a changeling.. check

And to top it all off you were the answer to an ancient prophecy and apparently you were supposed to be the answer to the balance between good and evil. Just another day in the life of Y/N.

Even when you landed through the portal you were still hyperventilating. You wanted the ground to open up and swallow you whole. Saul was on you again in a flash, trying to calm you down before your powers went haywire. Hey, at least you had an explanation for why they did that from time to time. You were more powerful than you’d ever thought possible.

“Angel, please try and breath, copy me, in and out, it’s okay, I’ve got you, i’m here, look at me. Y/N LOOK AT ME!” Sauls pleading and authoritative voice seemed to snap you from your panic. Your eyes were full of unshed tears and you felt physically drained. His arms came around you and his chin rested on the top of your head. God, you wanted to be mad at him for not telling you but you couldn’t. It wasn’t his place to tell you and you knew that. Plus, being in his arms was the only place you felt safe, you weren’t about to ruin that. You needed Saul more than he would ever know.

You calmed, peeking out of Sauls arms to take in your surroundings. You don’t know why your mind had taken you here, this was the last place you or Saul would probably want to see. Asterdale. The wind swept through your hair and spray from the ocean below dusted your tear streaked face.

“Saul, please, tell me what really happened here. I need to know the truth.” He nodded. You pictured the barrier around the building coming down and a flash of electricity bolted from your hands, the ruins now visible.

“It all started with Rosalind…..” He dove into telling you the truth about what really happened. How Rosalind had lead Farah, Ben and Saul to believe there was no one in the village, burned ones were the only ones left. Apparently Sky’s father had been part of her plan too, he knew the truth and Saul and him had a fight.. ending in Saul killing his best friend Andreas. It was all Rosalind’s fault.. Rosalind, the person Bloom was trying to free from Farah’s spells.

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It had been a few hours of just talking with Saul, laying in his arms, when you both decided to return to the school. By now, people would probably start to wonder where you both were and you didn’t need to make things any more suspicious. It was also still too dangerous to be out in the open like this.

Something about the school looked different to you now. Older, more worn down. Full of lies and secrets hidden in the walls. It was as if she sensed your presence. Farah was waiting on the steps outside, pacing nervously, your friends waiting along side her. You don’t know what compelled you to do it, one minute you were walking next to Saul, the next you were in front of Miss Dowling… your mum, and then you were in her arms. At first she stilled, shocked perhaps, then she hugged you with everything she had in her, tears flowing freely, mixing with your own. It felt right. It wasn’t her fault you were a changeling. If anything, it was just as unfair on her. The baby she was excited to have, was secretly taken away from her and for years she was lead to believe a cruel lie. You were pretty sure you even heard Saul sniffle from behind you.

Your friends had been filled in by Farah, she knew you would need support after the ordeals you’d gone through. There were no words for the shock everyone had experienced today. Yet, you still felt like something bigger was on the horizon.

The burned ones were still a major threat, Bloom was still having dreams about Rosalind, and Beatrix was locked up in some magic stealing cell. Most of all, you had a mother and a father and the King of the Blood Witches, well, he was still out there.

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okay so, this is a short chapter compared to what I usually post, it's more of like a filler chapter but I hope you still like it now you've learnt the story of the Reader and Farah's relationship! Please if you have any thoughts or ideas let them be heard in the comments!!! Please reblog/like/follow <3

CHAPTER 12 ------ CLICK HERE

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hatake-no-sharingan · 3 years

Text

The Jinchuuriki (Minato x Reader)

Summary: Canon divergent AU. Danzo steals the two Uzumaki sisters from their village and seals the Kyuubi inside one of them. He separates them and keeps the Jinchuuriki captive in the Root headquarters. When she grows up alone, until the Hokage orders Danzo to have her trained to fight. Her new tutor arrives, and he’s nothing like she expected. He’s kind and he cares for her. His name is Minato.

Characters: Y/N (Female Reader as the Jinchuuriki), Minato, Danzo, and Kushina

A/N: To the lovely @itsao-mine for requesting and waiting so long, I apologize, you’re my most loyal reader. I hope you really do enjoy this, because it took me so long to write. I think it’s a warm story that you’ll like. To everyone else, I hope you love this story too. I apologize in advance for my incompetence in writing fight scenes. Remember requests are open. Enjoy and be kind <3

Word Count: 4,624

The Jinchuuriki

“From now on, you’re not sisters anymore” you didn’t understand what the man was saying. His face instilled a deep fear in you, as you imagined farfetched stories about how he got that ugly scar on his chin. His uncovered eye made you uneasy, and the covered one, even more.

You clutched Kushina’s hand tighter with your own small one, and looked at her in search of the reassurance that this man was lying.

You and your sister had been plucked from your home, your village, and everything you knew by this man and brought to the Leaf Village without any explanation about it. The only thing you knew was that something in your Uzumaki lineage made you the perfect vessel for a weapon that the Leaf Elders were desperate to keep and control. Your 8 year old brain didn’t fully grasp what this meant, but Kushina and you’d overheard that in a conversation two of the ANBU ninjas had on your way to your new village.

You noticed a streak of sadness cross your sister’s face and your stomach twisted inside you. The man, Danzo they called him, harshly grabbed both yours and your sister’s wrists and tore your hands apart. He handed each of you to a masked ninja, a rabbit and a bear, and you never saw each other again.

They put you through the worst nightmare you couldn’t even have imagined. They locked you up in a dark room, and when they finally let you see light, it was only to painfully seal a demon in you, using the techniques stolen from your family.

You felt the beast stir inside you at night. Now, alone, you cried yourself to sleep and imagined Kushina’s arms wrapped around you, her soft voice singing slightly off-key the lullaby your aunt had taught you, while the personification of hate growled from within your gut.

The first months were pure hell to you, you’d go on rampages and destroy everything in sight, using the beast’s chakra and your own rage. This earned you being put in a cell and chained with chakra suppressing metals. Then, it was just you and him. The Kyuubi became your only company, aside from the guard who slipped your food through the slot once a day who’d never even glanced at you.

The Kyuubi hated you and you hated him, however you soon discovered that you both hated Danzo and Root, the people who’d turned him into a weapon and you into a vessel, even more. The realization brought you two closer. Eventually, he saw himself in your pain and told you that as you were missing a sister, he was missing siblings too.

They’d also been turned into weapons, and you assumed, that wherever Kushina was, she was probably being used to meet this organization’s needs. Though a part of you still liked to imagine that while you were here, she was back home. Her skin soaking up the rays of the sun, her beautiful red hair flowing with the wind, as she ran across the village, to the place where you’d both built a tree house and told stories about other worlds you’d one day go to.

“Listen to me, child” the beast, no, Kurama, told you “I’m willing to lend you my power if you’ll use it carefully and wisely. Only if you promise me, swear to me, that you’ll use it to destroy those who wronged us” and with that, you sealed your fate.

After that day, you became the docile Jinchuuriki Danzo wanted you to be, and earned his trust.

One day, we are going to bite back and he won’t notice until it’s too late.

That was 13 years ago.

Danzo had brought someone who trained you as a medical ninja. You didn’t know their name, not even what their face looked like, it was always fully covered, and you knew they were holding back in their teachings. You helped your teacher heal the injured Root members who came back from missions, serving only as a minor assistant. They had only taught you how to do basic things like heal cuts faster or mend a broken bone, but they never let you learn any just that required a large amount of chakra usage. Still, you obeyed silently.

You were almost sure Danzo no longer saw you as a threat, and the many years that had passed since you last had a rampage, put him in a comfortable spot. However you were still surprised when he appeared in your room just before you were going to sleep and announced

“The Hokage and the elders are pressuring me by saying that it’s about time you learned to defend yourself, after all, you just turned 21 and you don’t know much about fighting. Tomorrow a ninja sent by them will be coming to start training you here on grounds. He’ll be staying here as long as it takes for you to be at least competent in deflecting a few attacks. However, this won’t be free for you. If you want to train, you’d better get information about Sarutobi from him, and pass it on to me. I can’t refuse their orders, but I can’t help it if you have some sort of accident that puts you in a temporary physical (idk the word for this)”

Your blood runs cold in your veins. You know he wasn’t joking, when he made a threat he went through with it. You just nodded and assured him that you’d try to get any information for him. He left as fast as he came, and spent the rest of the night imagining what your new tutor would be like.

Would they be as impersonal as your medical tutor? Without an identity? A name? Or would it be someone as scary as Danzo? That would make it hard for you to get the information you had to pass on to him. You couldn’t lose this chance to train. It was the moment you and Kurama had been waiting for.

When you enter the training room you expect so many things, except what you see. A cheerful smile meets your sight, bright yellow hair with the ability to light the whole room up, and a silky warm voice.

“You must be Y/N” he says “so pleased to meet you. I’m Minato and I’ll be tutoring you under the Hokage’s orders.”

You’re shocked to be met with such kindness. It’s been so long since someone spoke to you like you were an actual person, that you don’t really know what to say.

“Do you have any previous knowledge on controlling chakra or doing any sort of jutsu? I just want to know where to start so you feel comfortable.”

Again, you stay silent. Nobody has thought about your wellbeing in so long, and this stranger is worried about you feeling uncomfortable. He’s perceptive, so he notices your stiff posture and your nerves.

“Hey it’s okay, we don’t have to do much today. You can just walk around the room and play a bit with the equipment so you get used to it. I’ll just stay in a corner until you feel more comfortable in my presence.”

“No—“ you quickly say “walk around with me. Please. Show me how to be a Kunoichi.”

“Alright” he chuckles a bit. “Let me show you the ninja packs first.”

He reaches for one of them and proceeds to pull out a few weapons. He names all of them to you and lets you hold them.

Then he explains a few basic concepts on fighting and has you do some simple exercises to control chakra. Since you know medical ninjutsu, it’s easy for you, but at the end of the practice, you’re still tired.

The first training session gave you a feeling of intrigue, and you start looking forward to the rest. Each day, you start enjoying it more and you get better.

Minato is a patient and determined teacher, and he starts becoming the only friend you’ve had.

You two start joking around during the sessions, and time flies by while you’re with him.

He has you practice different concepts, and also train your body so you have more physical endurance.

When he sees you getting better, he starts challenging you to different competitions. Some test strength, others speed, and your favorite, strategical thinking, Minato almost always wins, but you’re satisfied to notice you’re getting better each time.

Once he challenges you to a race, and he takes you outside for it, but the middle of the way, you step on a rock and twist your ankle.

“Damn! Next time I’ll get ya! Yaknow??” You shout after him.

He comes back to scoop you up from the ground. You thought it was such a gentlemanly action, until you hear him let out a loud laughter.

“Why are you laughing?” You ask, your cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“Nothing bad I swear” he chuckles again “It’s just, the way you talk. It reminds me of a good friend of mine. Actually you remind me a lot of her. She’s as feisty as you, and also very talented.”

He says as he carries you back.

“Kushina” you whisper. “She’s alive”

“What? You know her?” A single tear rolls down your cheek.

“I once knew her.” You say simply “Can you tell me more about her?”

His heart softens when he sees your pleading eyes.

“Sure, if you want me to. I don’t really know what to say though” he starts.

You arrive at your room and he settles you down on the bed.

“Is she happy?”

“I guess so. She’s a fighter. She used to get bullied, for her red hair” You remember how her soft strands felt in your fingers. All your childhood you’d envied her beautiful hair, now you longed to run your hands through it once more. You couldn’t believe people would make fun of her for such a beautiful trait. “She kicked all their asses though, and she made friends. True ones.”

“Like you?”

“Yeah”

He spent the whole evening telling you stories about your sister, making you laugh like you hadn’t done in so long. He brought you sweets he stole from the kitchen, as he went to pick up more ice for your ankle, and he stayed with you, to help you heal.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone you got injured today, so we can still see each other tomorrow”

You smile and nod. If Danzo knew you couldn’t train, he’d bar you from your time with Minato. He already tried to reduce your training time too much, only because Minato insisted you needed more practice, arguing that it was harder for you to learn these things as an adult.

You rest for three days. Minato is more than happy to share more stories about your sister, and also some about his three young students he’s very attached to.

“Kakashi is full of sadness, but he has a huge heart. Obito is a bit clumsy, but he’s the full spirit of the team, he’ll do great things someday. Finally, Rin is the glue holding them together, she’s reliable and kind. You’d love them.” All this kept you wondering what life was like outside these quarters. Minato’s stories were full of magic, and they made you so happy. He tends to you perfectly and then in a flash, your ankle is as good as new. He starts training you again, and it becomes your favorite time of the day. You can feel your body get stronger each time. He lets you practice different types of jutsu and you’re happy to discover that while they’re challenging, it’s very rewarding to master them. The confidence between you and your tutor grows, as well as your own self confidence. Maybe your goal of fighting your captor is closer than you think.

“Why do they keep you here?” He asks puzzled after you finish taking down one of his shadow clones with the shuriken jutsu he taught you “Why didn’t you go to the academy, and instead waited until this age to learn how to fight? You’re clearly a natural, it would’ve helped so much if we could have gotten you on a shinobi team.”

“Minato, there’s something I need to tell you.” The words scrape your throat, but you gather the courage to spit them out anyway “I’m being kept here as a prisoner, ever since I was chosen as the nine tails jinchuuriki”

He furrows his brow, clearly not understanding what you just said. Fear crawls through your veins and you instantly regret saying that. He’ll stop seeing me the same way now.

“Kushina is the Jinchuuriki”

“No, that’s not possible, there’s only one Kurama, and it’s sealed inside me”

“Everyone in the village knows she’s the Jinchuuriki, Y/N, even the Hokage has acknowledged it” he says it with such certainty that you almost believe it for a minute. Maybe the beast inside you was imaginary all along, but then he goes pale. Pale as if he’d seen a ghost, no, worse, as if he’d just found an answer to this confusion.

“No, the Hokage is the one who ordered Danzo to keep me here.”

Minato pauses for a second

“Y/N, I need you to do something for me,” there’s not much you feel you can do but you nod once, waiting for his instruction “can you call the Kyuubi forth and let him speak to me?” “His name is Kurama, he doesn’t like being called Kyuubi” you snap, and then clasp a hand over your mouth as you realize how rude you’re being to the only person that you know who truly cares about you.

“It’s okay, I know it’s hard. Don’t worry about me” he smiles and warmth spreads in your chest “I’ll be kind to him”

You believe him, and Kurama does too, so you switch.

“Kid” he says simply

“So it’s true”

“It depends”

“On what?”

“On what you think is the truth”

“The truth is that Y/N is the real Jinchuuriki, and that Danzo lied to the Hokage and the whole village by telling them Kushina was your vessel. The fact here is that the Jinchuuriki out there is a lie, and he’s keeping the real one hidden”

“You’re a smart one, and yes, there’s truth among your words. The question is, are you going to stop Danzo before he turns us into a weapon with no self control? I can lend Y/N my power, but I can’t fight for her if she doesn’t make her body strong first. If she doesn’t learn how to properly control chakra, it’ll be for nothing”

Kurama switches with you again, and the worried expression in Minato’s face triggers something in you.

He explains everything to you. Root has been telling everyone including the Hokage your sister is the Jinchuuriki, while keeping you hidden here. Most likely Danzo has a plan to use you later to gain more power. The realization makes your stomach drop to your knees.

“I’m scared” you say.

“Shh as long as I’m with you, you’ll be okay. I’ll protect you. We’ll stop Danzo together, the only thing we need to do is make your body stronger, but it’ll be easy since you’re already naturally talented.”

You feel so confident because of him, that without thinking you press your lips against his. He’s startled for a second, but then he moves, responding to your body. With that kiss, you give yourself to him. His hands travel to your waist, holding you tight, telling you, you’re something he’s not willing to lose.

You tangle your hands in his hair, and he utters a soft groan in response. Encouraged, you deepen the kiss and press your warm body closer to his. Your tongues dance hot around one another, coordinating perfectly between longing and pleasure. You stroke his neck, then grasp the collar of his shirt. His hands start to travel under your shirt, sending an ecstatic feeling through your body. You moan, thrusting your hips forward, needing to feel his touch everywhere. But when he realizes what he’s doing, he breaks the kiss, leaving your mouth cold with his own mouth’s absence.

He presses his forehead against yours, and stares deeply into your eyes, seeing right through to your very soul. His eyes transport you to a place where nothing can touch you, where you feel safe.

“Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop.”

“Minato, I want you. I want this. Please.”

You see a golden spark in his eyes, and he smiles relieved, it’s clear he wants this as much as you.

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything”

You always thought being touched by someone would be scary, but now, standing with him here, desire overcomes you. Love, overcomes you. He is the person you want to spend every single moment of the day with, and give it all to. Something in you knows

“Promise me that if you feel unsafe, or it hurts, or you simply don’t want to do it anymore, you’ll tell me.”

How much he cares for you makes your heart melt, you nod, giving him the confirmation he needs, and this time it’s him who initiates the kiss. Just like that, in a small corner of the training room where nobody can see you and nobody can hear you, where it’s just you two, Minato makes your inexperienced, touch starved body, feel loved for the first time.

The month passes in a breeze. You keep training together, and gaining more control over your own body. Minato says that you’re learning at an extraordinary speed, but part of it, you owe it to Kurama. He’s been lending you chakra and helping you every step, and you feel the bond between you get stronger.

Aside from that, Minato has been feeling uneasy by the discovery on Danzo’s deception, however he couldn’t report anything until he knew more.

Spying on Danzo proved less difficult than he initially thought it would be. He knew Danzo felt confident here in his territory, and though he’d mistrusted him since he arrived on the Hokage’s orders, Danzo thought he was being smarter than Minato. That’s why he’d grown careless, and now as Minato was walking back to his quarters, he heard a subordinate address the man.

“Lord Danzo, I have disturbing news for you”

Minato walked closer to the room to hear better, effectively disguising himself against the wall.

“What is it this time? Can we deal with it?” Danzo replied.

“It’s the Jinchuuriki”

Minato’s heart stopped for a second at the mention of you.

“What in the world has that cursed girl done now?” he says with an annoyed sigh “She’s been more trouble than she’s worth”

His subordinate kept quiet, unsure if he should go on with the report.

“Well? Out with it” Danzo ordered, exasperated.

“She’s…” the subordinate trembles, in response to the rage he already feels coming “pregnant”

Minato’s brain goes blank, all that he can think of now is getting you and his unborn child out of here.

Danzo’s visible eye rages, but his demeanor remains calm.

“We just found out, during her routine check up.” The ninja explains.

“But how?” Danzo asks, more to himself than to the other person, after a few seconds it dawns on him “That damned Minato. It seems he’s not only training our weapon.”

The old man thinks for a bit, then says

“Bring the other girl. It’s about time we got rid of this one. After all she’s been nothing but a disappointment.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get everything ready to extract and seal the beast into the new vessel tonight. Oh and don’t tell Sarutobi anything. After all, he thinks the girl we have here is the back up. We’ll just say she died under mysterious circumstances, and turn the one he thinks is the Jinchuuriki into the actual Jinchuuriki. Nobody needs to know I’ve had the Kyuubi hidden here all along.”

Minato has no more time. He has to do something before they hurt you.

Stay calm, he tells himself. He takes a deep breath, and when his hands stop shaking, he teleports to your room, where you are already getting into bed.

“Minato?” You say at the sight of him “What are you doing here? If Danzo knows you’re here he’ll punish us both”

“Y/N, we don’t have much time, you’re in danger”

“What? What do you mean? Why?”

“Do you feel different somehow? Physically I mean”

“Well, I haven’t really thought about it. I guess I’ve been more tired than usual, and I’ve had a bit of nausea, but it’s because of the strain my body’s been through with the training, right? It happens to everybody. Plus I just had my regular check up with the other medical ninjas and they said I was fine.”

“Y/N, I really hate to tell you the news this way, because it should be something happy, but, I just overheard Danzo and another shinobi talking. You’re pregnant.”

Your body feels numb, and the whole world starts spinning around you.

“I’m what?” You whisper. Tears have started flowing and you place your hands on your belly. The only thing you can feel now is fear, for the little life growing inside of you, product of the deep love Minato and you feel for each other.

“Hey beautiful, be happy.” He reaches out and wipes the tears from your cheeks “We’re going to raise this child together, I promise, we’ll get married and Kushina can be your bridesmaid. You’ll be together again. I’m going to get you both out of here now, but we need to act fast.”

You don’t spare another moment, you trust him completely, so you’re willing to do anything he tells you. You look at him determined.

“I trust you. Let’s do it, but let me fight too, I know I’m strong enough now.”

“But the baby”

This time it’s Kurama who answers

“Will be fine. I’ll make a shield of chakra and he’ll be protected. Both Y/N and him.” Minato thanks him, and you also feel grateful towards the creature who’s been living inside you for so long. You can’t believe how close you’ve grown to him, he’s not a weapon and you won’t let Danzo turn him into one.

You take Minato’s hand and he teleports the two of you to the entrance of the Root Headquarters.

Danzo and a dozen of his Root subordinates are already there waiting for you.

“I knew you’d try to steal my tailed beast once you found out I had it here. I just didn’t know you’d put a brat in his vessel. You’re a quick one, Yellow Flash” Danzo mocks Minato. “However, you can’t teleport your way out of here. You know my barrier blocks all of your markers outside of it.”

Minato’s grip on your hand tightens, but you see he’s still calm, not playing into Danzo’s game.

“I’m sorry, but you won’t be taking my best weapon tonight. The new vessel is already on her way, and by the time she arrives, this one and your unborn kid will be dead. Seize them and start the extraction of the beast.” He orders his fighters.

A dozen of the most skilled, battle seasoned ninja charge towards you and though you thought you’d be ready for this, you find yourself frozen.

A glance from Minato, however, gives you all the courage you need.

“I know you can do it. Just remember what we did during training. I’ve got your back.”

So, the fighting starts.

Minato moves gracefully, only aiming to injure, not to kill. Preserving his rage only for Danzo. In just a few minutes, he manages to disable 4 enemies, giving you two the advantage.

You’re less agile than him, which is understandable, due to your inexperience, but Kurama’s strength makes up for it. You only manage to fight off one enemy, using the jutsu Minato taught you, realizing just how effective it is and feeling proud of yourself for being able to defend the attacks.

While you’re fighting his ninja, Danzo is only watching from afar. It seems his confidence diminishes with each shinobi that is taken down by you, but it’s not enough to wipe the smug smile from his face.

With trouble, you take on two more enemies, barely getting by. You wipe a little blood from your face, and reach instinctively towards your stomach, as if the gesture could reassure the baby everything would be alright.

Minato, already finished with the other Root agents, charges towards Danzo and engages in a fight with him.

The old man is more skilled than you’d imagined. Their bodies move at a fast speed, and you can barely keep up with what’s happening. The fight is too confusing for you to follow, but at some point you’re able to notice that Minato has a slight advantage. Younger, faster, and more skilled, the man you love is giving everything to protect his family against the man who would kill you.

Suddenly there’s a flash of red, and you can’t tell whose blood it is.

Your heart stops.

Minato is on the ground, pale and bleeding from a large cut on his back.

“Y/N stay away!” He shouts

You don’t understand how Danzo managed to hurt him this way, but you don’t care.

You call Kurama, and feel his power rushing through you.

Your mind goes blank with anger, and hot chakra seeps out of you, transforming you into a small version of the Kyuubi.

Then you attack Danzo with all your might.

It’s over in a few seconds. His body is barely recognizable after you’re finished with him.

You go back to being yourself, kurama’s power retreating into you.

Your body feels heavy and then you lose consciousness.

When you open your eyes again, there’s a bright light in your face. You rub your eyes and try to adjust.

“Minato?”

“He’s alive, Y/N” a familiar voice says “Thankfully you three are alive. Nobody can hurt you anymore”

“Kushina” you say as her soft hand reaches rub your belly “I’ve missed you so much”

“And I’ve missed you, little sister” she replies “There’s so much I have to tell you and so much you have to tell me, but all in due time. The good thing is you’re awake now and in good hands. We’re in the Konoha hospital, there’s only kind people here”

You can see her face now. She’s grown to become so beautiful, and you experience a type of peace you haven’t felt in so long.

“Minato is already in rehabilitation, he’s very strong, yaknow? That’s why the baby you’re carrying survived, must be his Namikaze genes combined with your Uzumaki ones”

“Kushina, I’d like you to be the baby’s godmother. I want us to be a family again”

She grips your hand tighter in response and nods happily

“Of course we will be”

Days later, when you’re finally out of the hospital, Minato and you get married in a small ceremony. Only his closest friends, his three students –Kakashi, Obito and Rin– and your sister are present, but that is all you need. You wear a simple dress that Kushina helped you embroider with a beautiful flowery pattern. You let your hair loose, and put a single white orchid close to your left ear. It’s the happiest day of your life. Minato looks dashing as ever, and he receives you with that wonderful smile of his, ready to join his life to yours forever.

8 months later, you both welcome your son. You decide to name him Naruto.

#naruto #naruto fic #naruto imagines #minato #minato namikaze #minato headcanons #minato fluff #minato x reader #minato x y/n #minato oneshot #minato fanfic

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straw-of-the-hat · 4 years

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If you're still taking requests, could you do what would happen of Iida had died when he tried committing suicide if you're not busy?

What if Harper was too late? Her ears wouldn’t stop ringing. She’d finally gotten the door down, but she knew the moment she landed in Iida’s front yard that she hadn’t been fast enough. He must’ve texted her last minute, because she’d made good time. Harper had ran, and stumbled up to their door. But as far and as strongly as she reached forth with her quirk, she couldn’t find him. Not even an inkling. Tenya’s feelings were too strong to be overlooked by her when she was searching the way she was. So her ears were ringing, and she wasn’t sure they’d ever stop. She could remember crying. It was like her world cut to static as she had Kurogiri apply pressure while she started palpitations. His mother had let out a choked sob, fumbling with the phone but eventually getting 911 on the line. She hadn’t been able to say much, so Harper had demanded the device. She wedged it between her shoulder and the side of her head, never stopping in her endeavors to revive her friend. The girl didn’t even remember what she said. Apparently, she gave them an address and a rundown of what was happening. She couldn’t recall. She didn’t want to. Everyone was crying. Of course they were, because how could they not? Iida had died. Harper knew it was partially her fault, too. Not only was she too late, but she didn’t do enough to help. She should’ve told more people. Revealed her quirk, maybe. Sero had been arrested, so she could’ve. She should have. And she fucking didn’t, and now Tenya was gone. “It’s okay, Harper.” Tensei Iida was someone she’d communicated with a lot over the past few days. He looked gaunter than before, with dark circles beneath his eyes, which seemed permanently red-rimmed. He was pale and depressed, and hurting so bad Harper felt like breaking down all over again. Nobody loved Tenya more than Tensei. Nobody. “It wasn’t your fault. I know you-” “I knew.” Harper breathed. She’d already told him about her quirk and all she knew, but he still insisted it wasn’t her. That Tenya had been in pain for a long time. He said he’d noticed it in the past, but had brushed it off and hadn’t acted. He hadn’t looked further, and that was on him as a brother. “That doesn’t make it your fault.” Tensei said quietly. “Knowledge isn’t responsibility. You informed the necessary adults and did your best. You were there for him when you didn’t have to be. I knew he valued you.” “But he’s gone.” Harper croaked. She felt cold. “I know.” Tensei’s hand squeezed her. When had he grabbed it? “But we’re not. And that’s something, Harper. He didn’t want us to be upset. He said so.” Harper looked down, closing her eyes and taking a slow deep breath. Tenya had left letters for everyone. For his classmates and his teachers. For his mom, and for his dad. For his brother and his cousins, and his grandparents. Aunts, uncles, distant relatives, neighbors-- Harper. She hadn’t wanted to read it at first, but she’d never been one to beat around the bush. But now that she’d read the words, they were seared into her mind. Harper knew she’d never forget them. Not for as long as she lived. The paper was with her now, folded up carefully in her pocket. It felt like it was burning a hole through her jeans. Like it would set her alight. She almost wished it would. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel so chilled.

Dear Harper, It’s okay. I know you, but I don’t. It’s okay that you hide things. I think that if anyone would have a good reason to keep secrets, it would be you. I’m not mad. Whatever you’re keeping, don’t feel guilt over it. I know you have the best intentions, because there are parts of you I know well. You are kind, and somehow... somehow you know. You know how I feel. I can tell you’re trying to curb it. You counter my thoughts. You know what I’m thinking and mirror it, glaring back so defiantly. You act cold and distant, but you wrap me in something warm. But something on the outside won’t help with what’s in me. I’m sick, and though I know there’s a chance I could get better, I’m tired. Too tired. I want you to be a hero for me. I want you to save people and make them feel hope. I can’t. I feel sick and heavy all the time, and I’m exhausted. I can’t keep going anymore. There’s an ache in me that time will not feel. Nothing has happened to me to make me this way. I had a happy childhood. I had a happy life. There’s something wrong with my brain that makes me this way. A mental illness I do not want to bear the burden of. I know how many people I will hurt, and I”m sorry. It’s selfish of me to ask you to look after our classmates, but I had to go. I feel it was my time, though I know you will disagree. That’s okay. It’s all going to be okay.

You’re a good friend, and an even better person. I’ve been told I’m a good judge of character. That’s why I’m doing what I’m about to. I hope you will respect my decision in this, even if you can’t respect my one to leave. I know it was wrong, but it was also right. For me. I was hurting too much, and I didn’t want to burden anyone. You aren’t an Iida, but you mean a great deal to me. Tensei cannot perform his work. I know you’ve chosen the name Manx to be your own, but I have a request. You don’t have to go through with it. It’s a request, but I will not be upset if you refuse. Japan needs a knight. An Ingenium. I think you’d fill that role rather well. Ingenium is a strong name. It is not just because of our legs and lineage that we have it. It is passed down from generation to generation, to strong men and women with bold minds and personalities. They can hold the pressure and they care. They’re powerful in mind and in body. When I think of the name Ingenium, I think of my brother. But the title doesn’t remind me of him. When I hear it, and really think on it, I think of you.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left, and that I was not a good friend. You’re more than I ever deserved, and I thank you for that. -Tenya Harper hadn’t told Tensei, or his family. She couldn’t bring herself to. Not when Tenya’s older brother was gazing at her with such sorrow, or when his parents were busy breaking down over the loss of their youngest. It was a big deal, and she knew it. But she also knew the name was Tenya’s to pass down now, and that she wouldn’t say no. Because as sad as she was, she would keep going. She had to keep going. It hurt, but she had to buck up for those who couldn’t and keep with her responsibilities. “It’ll be alright.” Harper breathed. Tensei smiled a small smile, giving her hand another brief squeeze before releasing it. “It’ll be alright.” Tensei agreed. Harper’s ears were still ringing, but it wasn’t as bad anymore. #BNHA #TenyaIida

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scavengered · 4 years

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IMPORTANT TROS ( canon divergent ) NOTES THAT influence my portrayal in all of my TROS threads:

this is not a full framework (yet), but rather a couple of important moments I felt I needed to clearly write out & present on my blog. Once the film is properly released, I may consider writing out a full framework, or leave it like it is, if it solely concerns a few scenes ! Should you want to write with me, but would like to see a few things adjusted, do not hesitate to contact me ! please keep in mind that these notes are my own headcanons and ideas based on what happened and/or how I would have liked scenes to be played out. I ask that you respect them and do not steal. I consider these notes to be my canon.

ALLEGIANCE TO THE RESISTANCE

As stated in my rewritten TLJ verse, Rey struggled with her allegiance to the Resistance after delivering the droid back to its master. She had not signed up to be part of it, nor the war, as her sole intention was to return a droid to its master. The more time she spent with the Resistance, the more she came in contact with the loving and caring qualities of others. Having been isolated from interactions on the desert planet where she grew up on, she initially watched as she saw Resistance members enjoy and appreciate every day that they were still out there fighting the good fight. Hope was strong within them, and it was fuelled by love. Others cared for her and in return, she started to care for them. She had formed relationships and some grew to be more than simply friends. Witnessing it all, General Organa had decided to tell her about family; how it it was not always by blood, but sometimes by choice. The words needed time to sink in, but eventually the realisation hit that she had found family of her own, in members of the Resistance.

COMPASSION

Like we have seen in previous materials, Rey’s compassion goes a long way, but it certainly has its limits.

her compassion is for two scavengers she knew not to trust, who saw an opportunity and got away with a ship she had restored to its former glory, along with a bit of their help. her compassion is for the droid with a bend antennae, looking for its master, whom she freed from the clutches of a Teedo. her compassion is for a defected stormtrooper who told her a lie she believed, was the first to ask her if she was okay, and was not someone she wanted to lose when he wanted to run. her compassion is for a pilot who might bicker with her, but they both know their lines and the base on which they bicker: love and friendship. her compassion is for a Wookiee who lost his best friend, and entrusted her with the millennium falcon. her compassion does not forgive and forget. her compassion does not forgive her abuser.

DOUBTS

Rey, in my rewritten TLJ verse, had been trained in the Force by Jedi master Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To. Her skills in using the Force developed through this training, though she still felt vulnerable and somewhat insecure in using them. Especially with the threat of the Dark Side rising, there was much more at stake than before. Her insecurities increased, and eventually it led her to ask General Organa for extra training, once they had found a new and secure base for the Resistance. Her extra training caused her to be on the ground much more than in the air where she could have used her flying skills and aided the Resistance in what was familiar territory for her, doing what she could do best much to the annoyance of some Resistance members. This annoyance, along with the threat of the Dark Side, Rey sensed that expectations were high, and she felt the pressure from everyone, which she struggled to deal with, as well as her new surroundings that encouraged team work. Team work was encouraged amongst Resistance members, as they believed it would pull them out of the darker moments and made victories no matter how small or big feel that much greater. Rey, however, had sworn off team work back on Jakku, where she had initially been in service of others. After a few years, when realising that she knew the tricks of the trade and did not need others to survive, she became aware that she could do the same work on her own. This independence allowed her to keep whatever she got out of a trade, all to herself. Another reason for working alone was distrust; she could not trust anyone on the desert planet, nor see through someone’s genuine intentions. From that moment onwards, she had vowed to work alone, a belief that had worked its way into her mind. Over the years, she had convinced herself that she was someone who did not work well with others. To Resistance members who survived off the strength and support of each other, this vow seemed to be foreign. The gap between the two beliefs where Rey found herself and what the Resistance expected of her had to be crossed, in order to earn her spot in the Resistance. How else could they trust her, if she did not trust them? In essence, the thought of trusting others was an uncomfortable and daunting one, and the fear of letting them down, exactly when they needed her most, scared her. Rey found herself in a position that was the stark opposite of when she was back on Jakku, where she knew herself and her skills, and relied on them. It was a dangerous place to be in to not be able to rely on oneself and knew this was the sort of thing that could mean death on a planet as harsh as Jakku. As a consequence, Rey felt uneasy and did whatever she could to strengthen herself in the use of the Force, even if that meant sitting out on missions.

FINN’S FORCE SENSITIVITY

In an ideal story/trilogy, I would have liked to see Finn realising and coming to terms with his force sensitivity around the time TLJ took place. In my opinion, and the way I write and portray Rey, she would not push him to come forward to her about this. Instead, she would allow him to do so when he felt ready to share this discovery. I believe Rey would have sensed his force sensitivity somewhere along the way, and would respond with a simple “ I know ” , before handing him her lightsaber to practice with. for more finn and rey dynamic, see ‘that lightsaber scene’ at the bottom of the post.

FIGHTING STYLE

Once six-year-old Rey decided to stop working for others, she was no longer able to enjoy the protection of a group. Others saw her as an easy target, and to survive on Jakku, she had to defend her salvage, as well as herself. It took time, but eventually the young scavenger started to win more fights than she lost. Rey would use whatever was available to her, whether that be random items lying around, her staff or her fists to punch with and legs to kick there were no rules to take into consideration: all was fair in a fight that resulted in either survival or death. Her reputation grew, and over time others knew to stay out of her way and leave her be. When leaving Jakku, Rey did not leave her rough and scrappy fighting skills. Even in a lightsaber combat, she would use what she could to get the upper hand, rather than solely relying on striking with her lightsaber.

PARENTAGE

In my main verse for episode IX, Rey will remain a nobody. The power she wields is entirely her own. There is no one who can answer questions about her parents and there is no hidden mystery behind it. Rey was abandoned on Jakku as a five-year-old and has had to fend for herself, believing her family would one day return for her. Instead of them returning for her, she was taken on an adventure when encountering, defending and taking care of a Resistance droid. Any parallels between other Legacy characters would be coincidental in this AU, not hinting to anything more. This darling desert flower child has gone through and survived so much, and she deserves her power to be hers, not something she owes someone / a certain lineage. Alongside of this reinvented canon for my Rey, I have added an AU that follows most events ( as they happen in my own canon ) but in which she is a Skywalker. Way back in 2016, I was inspired by these gifsets [x] & [x] and started to plot extensively with a specific Luke because come on... that IS the Skywalker strut, and you cannot deny that resemblance ( both physically and in background ) ! Not wanting to force this parentage onto another mun/muse else, I kept it between the person I plotted with. We spoke how Rey was his daughter, but he had to get her to a safe place due to the looming threat of the Dark Side. As mentioned, I kept this between the person I plotted it with, until now. Though her parentage has been revealed in The Rise of Skywalker, it is not necessarily one that makes a lot of sense, in my opinion. So, here’s my own headcanon on this matter, that will influence my TROS/post TROS verse: For my Rey’s lineage, she is Luke’s daughter and Anakin’s grandchild, given the name Kira upon her birth. Luke gave his daughter to the “parents” she still remembers leaving her on Jakku. The reason for this was that he needed someone to take care of young Kira, as his attention would be on training the new Jedi order. Luke had not entrusted Kira to just anyone, he made sure to select a couple who he had known from the rebellion, people he knew and trusted with his own life. Eventually, years later, training young Jedis went horribly wrong. Luke might have managed to get a message out to Kira’s caretakers, mentioning them to be careful, that something was about to happen and to keep Rey safe no matter what. Given Kira’s caretakers’ ties to the rebellion, they possessed the mentality that, even if tortured, they would not reveal Kira’s location or give her up any other way. They fought for her survival to the point of them paying the price for it. Sacrificing themselves for the safety of the five-year-old left Luke and Kira on different places in the universe, with no way for either of them to contact each other. Young Kira who over time forgot her name and aptly named herself Rey when inspired by finding a rebellion helmet with the name Raeh on it still held out for the return of those she believed to be her parents, whilst Luke searched everywhere for his young daughter. Not having any luck in finding her, he expected the worst and turned his objective to seeking out and destroying the Sith. Skipping forward to the end of The Rise of Skywalker, in my headcanon-y verse, Rey is told the surname of her caretakers those she believed to have been her true parents as well as discovering that she is Luke’s kid. The choice of the surname is hers, and she takes everything into consideration. She cannot verbally express what her caretakers have meant to her; they have kept her save and protected her, knowing it would lead to their demise. She considers what Leia and Luke have meant to her, and what her life, stepping into their legacy means she is given the choice to choose her family. Her family is the Resistance, and she chooses to attach the name Skywalker to it once and for all. To sum it up, the lineage for Rey in this AU will therefore be: Strong force sensitive Shmi > Anakin Skywalker > Luke Skywalker → entrusted caretakers > Rey Skywalker small disclaimer: as seen in the background story I have come up with for Rey, I am using other characters. Should you want to write with me, but do not necessarily agree with what I mentioned, please contact me so we can look at the possibilities that could work for us both.

KYLO USING HIS LIFE FORCE ON REY

First and foremost, this is, and always will be, an ani-r*ylo blog, as I do not ship someone with her abuser. Still, my paths crossed with this quote from a pro-r*ylo blog in one of my tracked tags: “he used his life-force to resurrect rey because he loves her and he can't live without her.” .. .. . . f u ck no.

If I am being completely honest, I think that Kylo opted to save Rey from a selfish, weak and cowardly point of view. Let us not forget that Kylo has committed genocide, emotionlessly ordered and committed murders, tortured others to gain information and patricide. He is responsible for the death of millions and time and time again, he has shown no remorse. I believe, which in this topic goes hand-in-hand in regards to Rey’s beliefs, Kylo saw this as his escape from his responsibilities ( to own up to his crimes ) and took it. In doing so, he did a small good thing to be fair, he could have stabbed himself with a lightsaber but he chose to give his life force to Rey. Still, I believe it came from a selfish place, as this action allowed him to escape all the crimes he had committed. Important note: I do not believe Rey actually died in this scene, but rather that she was unconscious. It is a sickening thought that she should owe her life to her abuser, and I will not allow that to be my canon.

REY STABBING KYLO & THE AFTERMATH

The scene in which Rey stabbed Kylo with the lightsaber, went a little differently in my head, which is the canon I accept. During the lightsaber fight, Rey managed to get the upper hand and stab Kylo, just before Leia sought contact with her son one last time. Rey felt this, too, and did not decide to heal her abuser. Instead, she told him to live with the damage he had done and the horrors he had caused. Rey took Kylo’s ship, which realistically is the only transport off the Death Star, assuming the dangerous waves did their damage to the Skimmer by then. To clarify, Rey has stabbed and left her abuser with no way to escape off the Death Star. Rey would still take off, but sent out an emotional message to Poe and Finn ( most likely to the Millennium Falcon ) before she would be out of reach, in which she explained her reasoning for doing this. Despite having worked together really well and having faced danger together, that she saw no other way but to set out on her own to finish what others before her had started to end the Sith. Rey continued the message by apologising for leaving them behind like this, but revealed not to know of another way to keep them, the family she chose, safe ( in her mind, she acknowledged the fact that she, too, had once been left behind on a planet for safekeeping, ouch ) . Upon hearing this message, Finn and Poe decided not to accept this, and they head back to base to try and find out where she could have gone. Once back on Resistance Base, Poe sought out the ones in charge of tactics and comms, and Finn headed straight for the Jedi books Rey had been reading up on, remembering her talking about the topics the books covered and what Luke had been up to. In accordance to the film, Poe would catch word of Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing showing up on their tactical screen, and it would become clear that it was Rey sending her signal to them. I reckon that Rey realised, with some guidance from Luke, that she could not complete this task alone. “ You’re stronger when you work together, Rey. ” The Jedi master had told her, which caused her to turn on her signal transmitter, which she made sure was sent to the Resistance receivers, so that they could track her. Finn and Poe immediately realised Rey’s intention by doing this. Convinced team work is the way to take down the Sith, Rey’s actions make my ‘doubts’ topic on Rey and team work come full circle.

THAT LIGHTSABER SCENE

Given the topic above and my thoughts on it, removing Kylo from the narrative would provide the perfect ability for Finn to put his Jedi training to the test, along with his lightsaber skills he possesses, and take out the Sith side by side with Rey. Should the scene have happened with Finn and Rey, it could have shown their growth from when they faced Kylo Ren on Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens, and now stood opposite of the entire Sith together, to bring it down. A scavenger and a defected stormtrooper, side by side, with lightsabers that previously belonged to Luke and Leia. We deserved this, and even more so, Finn and Rey deserved this.

SPICE RUNNER... POE...

Lastly... although this is the one note/thought that does not have any sort of connection to Rey, I still wanted to express my thoughts on this. no . it is stereotypical and racist. The only way this would be slightly possible, would be if Poe used this as a sort of undercover job to gain the trust of a group he had to join to gain intel or something else of value, via which he could have met Zorii ( who I personally think is definitely nothing more than a friend to him ) .

#tros spoilers #sw spoilers #{ . .. little to none drafts have been done these past few days because I have been writing up this bad boii since I saw the film ! }#✧･ﾟ * ｡ﾟ.* 「 meta 」#✧･ﾟ * ｡ﾟ.* 「 headcanon 」#{ I will be writing up my official verse over the next few days – especially after wednesday when I will have seen the film again ! }

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lilhemmo · 5 years

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the forbidden fruit pt. seven

the forbidden fruit part seven: the warning

ao3 | wattpad | masterlist | askbox | moodboards

new parts every friday evening!

t h e w a r n i n g

Sweet Pea knows the route to Ares’ familiar hideaway all too well.

The cove is only a few hours away from the Twins’ temples, and they take the ride in silence. Still, he can tell that she is on the edge of her seat with words boiling at the tip of her tongue. He is merely waiting for the pin to drop.

And so it does when they are moments away from their destination.

“It irritates me that you would let them speak to you like that.”

Sweet Pea takes a breath, as he often does before speaking to Lilith. “If I were to go around slashing at everyone who angered me, there would be none left.”

“And?”

He wants to chuckle because of course Lilith wouldn’t understand nor care as to the consequences of those actions. Sweet Pea holds the reigns tighter around his knuckles, chewing on his lip as he formulates his answer.

“I do not wish to be the ruler of all godkind, my little mortal. I did not want my domain in from the beginning, but I took it with my brothers’ blessings and have ruled it as well as one can.” Sweet Pea squints as the sun sets in the distance, a golden hue washing over the valley, “I would love to raise a sword against each of the gods or men who have angered me even in the slightest. It is my basic nature, but I do have to fight it often, or else I would be as seedy as Ares.”

“If I were a god,” Lilith starts, her hands balling into fists in her lap, “I would be sure the others respected me enough to fear me, and-”

“Lili, you cannot go around just swinging a sword and-”

“-I would be kind enough to those who deserved it.”

“Oh.”

Somehow, Sweet Pea knew this. He has seen her with Cerberus and Charon. He has watched her with the Serpents and the Souls. He knows she has kindness in her heart, but there is a chain of ruthlessness that binds around it.

The stench of bodily musk and blood wafts into Sweet Pea’s nose and he knows that they are near enough for Ares to sense them.

“Please, Lilith,” Sweet Pea grabs her by the shoulders and she swears she sees concern in his eyes, “let me handle this.”

A spear whizzes past the chariot, lodging into the tree trunk behind them.

“Ares!” Sweet Pea roars, yanking the spear from the wood of the tree and positioning it in the opposite direction. “Be still, nephew!”

Sweet Pea launches the spear and it lodges in the middle of a tree trunk about one hundred yards away. Lilith feels the hair on her body prickle at the sight and she fights a smile, remembering that they’re still at odds with one another.

When the pair walk over the crest of a hill, they are met with a burly, muscular figure dressed from head to toe in Ancient Greek battle gear. He has a spear strapped to his back and two swords strapped against his hips. There are long, bronze plates covering his extremities, only making his muscles look bulkier.

As soon as Lilith steps within a few hundred feet of the soldier, she feels a burning in the pit of her stomach and a fire light behind her eyes. She bares her teeth and her jaw quivers under the stress of the bite of her mouth.

“Ah, Sweets,” Ares curls his upper lip in semi-disgust, semi-admiration. “What a pleasure it is to see you in the mortal realm. What brings you to my resting place?”

Sweet Pea steps in front of Lilith, disregarding her, “I see you’ve taken a younger form, nephew. It suits you.”

It is true, Lilith notices. Even though he has a figure full of muscles, strapping around thick, dense bones, he looks young in the face. There is a shadow of stubble across his cheeks and down his jawline, paired with youthful, murderous eyes. If she were to look close enough, Lilith believes she would find literal fire glowing in his irises.

“Well, I need to appeal to the other young men who are running into battle,” Ares smirks, crossing his arms over his breastplate. It looks rather uncomfortable, but Lilith would argue that just spurs on his anger and hate. “They are more agreeable when they see me fighting alongside them, spurring on the heels of war.”

It is as if the word war sent a new shockwave of ferocity and pain down Lilith’s spine. She was in such awe of the god that she forgot his war was what took her brother’s life.

“Ares, you muttonhead,” Lilith points her finger in the air, her other hand hovering dangerously close to the dagger at her waist. “Your heels of war takes away the precious gift of life, and-”

“I like this one,” Ares grins, tilting his head as if to consider the mortal. He turns his eyes to Hades, “She has much anger in her soul, much fight still left in her. A darkness settled on her soul, though. It taints her spirit.”

Lilith grabs for her knife and Ares laughs, snapping his finger and the dagger returns to her hilt, “Young maiden, are you sure of your lineage?”

“Why do you all keep asking me this?!” Lilith spits, grabbing for her knife again. Every time she gets it out of her hilt and into her fist, it returns when she blinks. “Why does it matter who my family is?”

Ares’ eyes glint like firelight and a smirk crooks his lips upward, “If you’re a demigod, child, it is important to know which of the gods claims you. What powers do you possess?”

“Powers?” Lilith blanches. She rolls her eyes and tries to snatch the dagger again, but just as she raises it to Ares’ throat, it vanishes back into the hilt. She groans in frustration, “Listen – we came here for a reason, god of war, and it was not to discuss my lineage.”

“I really like this one.”

Sweet Pea gets an uneasy feeling in his stomach at the god’s comments, so he takes a step in front of Lilith and uses his fingertips to brush her hip and guide her behind his taller frame. The god of war notices this and the gleam in his eye grows brighter.

“Uncle,” he begins to saunter towards the god and the mortal, “what exactly is it that you’ve come to me for?”

Hades clears his throat, “Ares, we were told that the Oracle would be traveling to you for a prophecy. We need to consult with her, and you know she cannot travel to my realm.”

“Oh, so you need the Truth Teller.”

“Yes,” Sweet Pea answers. He chews on the inside corner of his lip, “I know the Oracle travels fast. Has she already spent time here?”

Ares walks around Hades like he’s stalking prey. Every time he circles closer to Lilith, she feels her hair on her neck stand vertical and her heart starts beating quicker. She wonders if she balled her fists, if they might burst into flames. What was it Ares had said about powers? She might find if she dug deep enough, tapped into enough rage, that she possessed some sort of power. As long as it brought Ares to his knees, Lilith did not mind.

“You know information comes at a price, Uncle. I cannot just give you the information regarding the Oracle. Apollo would have my head.” Ares’ armor clanks as he paces around, hand brushing over the harsh line of his jaw.

Sweet Pea’s jaw locks under the pressure of his own teeth, “Ares, you know those rules only apply to mortals.”

“The girl is at least half-mortal, is she not?”

Lilith balls her fists up so tight that her fingernails cut half-moons into her palms. She surges forward, “I am no half of anything, you brute.”

The god of the dead snatches her by the elbow, pulling her back so she stumbles into his chest. Ares watches as he murmurs something into her ear and her posture relaxes. He licks his lips, careening around her like she were his meal, “You would be wise to heed your place, child.”

“I am no child, Ares,” Lilith speaks and it sounds like a warning. If he were being honest, the god of war did feel wary at her threat. Still, he pushes his chest out and presses the heels of his palms to both swords at his waist, “You are a child to me, mortal. Does Hades allow you to talk to him this way?”

Sweet Pea falters and Ares has all the information he needs.

“Ah, he does.”

Ares now stalks Hades as if he were prey. He curls his upper lip as he considers the god, tilting his head to take him all in. After a moment of silence, he speaks, “I knew you were a weakling, Uncle, but I did not take you for a fool. Ever since Aphr-”

“Do not speak her name to me, nephew,” Hades glowers, his hands turning to fists. He knows that his kin is goading him into a fight, but now it does not matter. He is the elder god, must more seasoned than Ares. But the god of war has his own ruthlessness and anger fueling him.

“Oh, so even the name of a lost lover makes you cower?” Ares taunts. He chuckles sinisterly and Lilith catches a flash of fire ignite in his eyes. “How else do you allow this mortal to affect you? Does she crawl into your bed at night, replacing all the other true gods who might satisfy you? None of them have come to visit, have they? Too busy enjoying the spoils of Olympus, I’d think.”

Lilith roars and charges forward, the flicker in her irises reflecting that of the god across from her. Finally, she is able to rip her knife out from her belt and slam it into whatever part of Ares she can find. The grass underneath her feet becomes more solid, it would seem, evening out her foothold and keeping her steady.

The god raises his shield and her sword clangs against it, bronze glinting against Olympian gold. She bares her teeth and holds onto the weapon so tight, her knuckles pale.

Ares laughs, the sound coming from his belly, “You petty mortal. You’re full of fire, but you are unwise.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Sweet Pea jabs from where he now stands a mere foot away from Ares. He grabs the god by the throat and hoists him in the air, pushing Lilith away with the wave of his hand. She stumbles, but does not fall.

Ares’ nostrils flare, eyes wide with ire, “You are a sad blur in the Olympian story, Hades. Your life brings our family nothing but shame. Zeus should have killed you when he had the chance.”

“A god can kill another god, my nephew,” Sweet Pea’s hair turns into bright orange flame, licking at his neck and burning Ares’ face. Welts begin to appear on the god’s skin, bubbling and searing red. Sweet Pea brings the god closer, so close that their noses might brush, “Should we show the mortal how I send a soul to Tartarus?”

Ares goes for his swords, but Hades has rammed his knee into the god’s gut before he can get a good enough grip on the weapons. Ares totters back, “Does she not know of your lover, Sweets? Or of how she abandoned you when you were sent to that rotting stink hole?”

“Is this how low you must stoop, nephew? This is a centuries old story,” Sweet Pea shakes his head and takes a deep breath, collecting some sort of shadowy substance in his hands. “It always angered you how she loved me. Pretending as if she ever cared for you will not change the outcome. You were never enough.”

Sweet Pea throws the shadow to Ares and it immediately morphs into a set of slithering chains, dragging the god to the ground. Ares is able to slash through them, sending little worms writhing into the dirt.

“I am stronger than you!” Ares bellows, slashing his sword. Hades steps out of the way of the blade, turning his body with every blow. “You know you cannot best me, Uncle, and so you cower away like a mortal.”

“I did not come here for a fight, my nephew. I only came for information.” Sweet Pea materializes a glittering obsidian sword from thin air, brandishing it with a confidence that shakes even Lilith to her core.

“I am the god of death,” Sweet Pea boasts. “If you do not think I can kill you, then come forward.”

Ares smirks as if he’s already won, “I will tell you where the Oracle is gone to if you can pin me in battle.”

“And suddenly there is a line drawn before death?” Hades taunts, grinning like an animal. He licks his lips and waits for Ares to charge first.

Lilith watches as the two fight with their swords, gold glinting against blackened steel. Her fists shake with every blow that lands too closely to Sweet Pea’s body, knowing full-well that Ares could kill him if he strikes in just the right spot.

Her fingers twist in the air and she’s not sure what happens, but when she opens her eyes, Ares is pinned to the soil with Sweet Pea’s blade at his throat. Around his legs are vines, dragging him down under the earth so only his upper body is aboveground.

“The little demon intervened,” Ares cries, stabbing his swords in the ground. He tries to pull himself up, but the earth does not waver.

Hades shakes his head, “She is but a mortal, nephew. Lilith cannot intervene.”

“Lilith,” Ares temper flares, his eyes ablaze with molten fire. He snarls up at his kin, “I will remember that name.”

“I should think this encounter would be one that’s hard to forget, Ares. Now, the next location of the Oracle, please.”

The memory of why they came to him in the first place jars the god of war and his scowl turns into a frightful smirk, eyes cooling from a bright red to a warm orange. He chuffs out a laugh, breathing heavy through his nose, “You’re going to enjoy this, Uncle.”

Sweet Pea raises a brow, not speaking but silently waiting for his answer.

“The beautiful Aphrodite has requested the Oracle for a prophecy. That is where you will find the Truth Teller next.”

The ground swallows up the god of war, and Hades turns back to the chariot without another word.

---

Sweet Pea’s hair does not ever stop burning, but Lilith notices that the color changes. As soon as they are far away from the place where they met Ares, it turns from a bright red flickering into a soft blue. Lilith admires it as it burns from the tips upward to his scalp, engulfing his dark hair in the beautiful colors.

She turns in on herself when Sweets catches her looking. Instead of spending her energy on him, she turns and watches the sun set off in the distance. The sky bleeds oranges and purples and pinks and blues. Stars blink off in the sky, forming constellations as day turns to night. She sighs and rests her head against the edge of the chariot, wondering what it must be like to hold the power of the universe in the palm of your hands.

It takes another two days to get to Aphrodite’s temple.

The temple is centered in a meadow, statues made of marble dancing around the fields, all in different positions, all mostly naked.

There are beautiful flowers with fresh petal scents wafting in the air, bushels of them all of different colors. Fruit trees are ripe with specimens, aching to be plucked and eaten. The air smells of honey and roses.

Lilith swears she notices a nostalgic look cross Sweet Pea’s face. The flames on his neck burn pink, blending in with the blush on his skin.

Girls with pink skin and silver hair approach the chariot, seeming to know exactly who Sweet Pea by their winks and giggles. They take him by the arms and guide him up the marble steps towards the temple, leaving Lilith behind to fend for herself.

She ravels her skirt in her hands and marches up the steps, trying not to feel bitter at being forgotten. There are many stairs, but along the way there is a river running on both sides, pomegranate trees sprouting from the shoreline and big, beautiful shells shimmering in the riverbed. Lilith swears it smells like salt water.

“Darling,” she hears a voice coo as she reaches the top of the stairs.

As soon as she sees the dark-skinned beauty, she feels a warmth rush over her skin. Her stomach starts to do flips and her heart beats faster. Suddenly, Lilith is conscious about how bare her face is and how her body is not precisely how it should be. Her shoulders are too broad, she thinks, and she has too many freckles. Did she ever notice before how strange her eyes were?

“Aphrodite,” Sweet Pea greets, but his voice sounds sour.

Lilith is preoccupied with a set of rose bushes varying in color. She touches the petals and they burst with perfume, forcing a haze over her mind and so she dumbly walks to the next bush and does the same.

“You know you don’t have to call me that, baby,” she muses, her voice smooth like molasses, eyes wandering over his body while she speaks. She stands to her full height, a gauzy pink dress billowing down to her toes. It shimmers in the sunlight, glittering like gold has been spun into the fabric.

Aphrodite steps toward him and runs her fingertips over his muscled arms, feeling him all the way down to his wrists, “Might I say, the Underworld has done you a service. You look,” she eyes him while biting her lower lip, “handsome.”

Lilith turns her head in just enough time to see the way the goddess plucks at his body as if he were some sort of specimen. With a shaking of her head, she comes to her senses and stands by his side.

Sweet Pea notices the look that Aphrodite sends her way, and so he does what he always seems to do whenever Lilith is in trouble; he steps in front of her body to shield her with his own.

“Josie,” it sounds like the word pains him, “I need to speak with the Oracle. I was told she would be visiting you sometime soon.”

Josie-Aphrodite?-waves her hand as if the matter were unimportant entirely, “Oh, she’s already passed on to her next victim. You just missed her.”

Hades curses in Ancient Greek and Lilith pushes herself onto her tip-toes to peer over his shoulder. She thinks she should smile at the goddess, and a dopey grin tugs on her lips, “You’re pretty.”

“Thank you, my dear,” Aphrodite smiles, showing off a perfect set of pearly white teeth. She walks past the pair toward the balcony, her dress whipping around in the wind behind her.

“Lilith,” Sweet Pea cups her elbow, “the Oracle has already been through here. We should probably get going.”

“But it’s so nice here,” Lilith whines, dropping her head to his chest. “Can’t we eat the nice fruit and talk with the nice ladies? They remind me of Topaz. I miss her.”

Sweet Pea stifles a laugh and does not notice Aphrodite’s bristling at the two talking. He squeezes the mortal’s arm and nods his head, “I know, little mortal. She will have missed you as well. I will ask-”

“Sweet Pea!” Josie calls, beckoning him over with a bite in her voice. She tilts her head, “What is it you need the Oracle for again, honey?”

The god licks his lips, considering if he should divulge his secret. He could trust her, couldn’t he?

“Listen, Jos, I don’t think it’s safe for me to tell you yet. It’s a big prophecy and you know how those go.” He shrugs and puts his hand on her shoulder, brushing his thumb over her collarbone. “It’s just something I have to do.”

Aphrodite gives him that startling smile that always brought him back to her and she runs her fingernail over the vein on his forearm, “Is it the prophecy your brother told me about all those years ago?”

The blood in Sweet Pea’s veins turns to ice.

“Something about a child of the dark or something like that?”

It seems that her words have brought about the reaction she was seeking. Josie smirks as she circles the god of the dead, her hands traipsing over his body as she does so. She pinches his thigh to break him from his trance.

Lilith appears beside him and notices the tension in the air. Her hand hovers over her weapon, fingers itching to grab it by the hilt.

“Now, now, little mortal,” Aphrodite coos, but Lilith decides she doesn’t like the way the words come out of her mouth. “Sweet Pea and I go way back, there’s nothing to fear.”

Sweet Pea blinks hard, “Josie, which of my brothers spoke to you about this prophecy? And what did they say?”

“To be honest with you,” she starts in a flippant voice, eyebrows raised as if it were hard for her to recall, “I don’t remember much about the prophecy, just that he was always worried about it. Terrible pillow talk if you ask me, honey.”

Lilith can sense the way this conversation is making Sweet Pea feel and she narrows her eyes at the goddess, curling a hand around the hilt of her weapon.

“Pillow talk?” Sweet Pea echoes.

Aphrodite waves her hand in midair, shrugging at the topic, “Yes, yes, Zeus always had to prattle on about it before he was willing to hold me. It made him too nervous otherwise.”

“Zeus?” Hades repeats.

“Why, yes. Oh dear, you didn’t expect me to get with that sea slug of a brother you have, did you?” Josie giggles, her hand over her mouth as the smile reaches her eyes. She shakes her head in disapproval, “No, no, love, I know better.”

“Do you?”

Josie turns her head, glaring with glittering purple eyes at the mortal who had spoken.

Lilith has her arms crossed over her chest, a judgmental look in her eyes. She purses her lips and takes a step towards the goddess, “All you are doing is toying with his emotions, just like you do to everyone else. You poison them with the idea of love, only to rip it away in the end.”

“Excuse me?” Aphrodite balks, her hand wavering in the air.

“I did not stutter, goddess,” Lilith speaks clearly. “You torture mortals with the idea of true love and then break their hearts when they finally fall. And those who do succumb to the natural pull leave all that they know behind for a man or woman they’ve just met. You attach the name true love onto it and suddenly they believe it’s a quest they must embark on to prove themselves.”

“So you’ve been burned by love, have you my dear?” Aphrodite coos like a dove. She raises a brow and tilts her head, “Because surely you’re not insulting me without reason.”

Lilith’s facial features harden and Sweet Pea is too stunned to move. She bares her teeth and plants her feet, “I do not need to have been burned by love to know that it is a fire you do not play with.”

“Ah,” Aphrodite speaks as if she knows the answer to the universe. “So you have been ignored by love.”

This seems to strike a nerve. Lilith surges forward with her white blade drawn, the crystal blade glimmering in the filtered sunlight. Aphrodite does not move, but it is Sweet Pea who stands in the way of the girl.

“I need to know about the prophecy, Josie. It’s important.”

“Zeus knew you would be a joy-killer after spending all that time alone,” she muses, running her dainty dark fingers over her cheeks and through her hair. Josie licks her lips, “I do not know the prophecy, Sweet Pea. I only barely know lines from it.”

“Anything can help,” he argues, his voice keening on the edge of desperation. He reaches out and takes her by the hand from habit alone, “Any of the words, phrases. Or at least tell me where the Oracle is going.”

Aphrodite brushes her fingers along the skin of his cheeks, “Oh, Sweet Pea. Unfortunately, I do not owe you a thing.”

She walks away from him, down the marble stairs out to her meadow. Sweet Pea follows, the ends of his hair flickering a dark purple color. He grits his teeth, “Josie, you owe me plenty. Now tell me of the prophecy. Or does the time we spent together mean nothing to you?”

“That was eons ago, Sweet Pea!” she shouts, turning and throwing her hands in the air. She giggles as she turns to look up at him as he comes down the stairs. “And it was a good time, don’t mistake my words. But that’s all it was.”

“If it was such a good time, why didn’t you visit?” Lilith barks from atop the hill. She has her arms crossed over her chest, a look of disgust curling her upper lip.

Aphrodite’s face morphs into one of repulsion, “Visit that nasty place? It’s full of death and decay, nowhere for the goddess of love.”

“Careful, Aphrodite,” Hades warns. “You speak of my home.”

“Your home was Olympus, until that stupid prophecy came about.” Josie shakes her head and runs a fingertip along a pomegranate hanging in the air. She plucks it and peels the skin back, taking a few of the jeweled beads between her lips.

“Listen, Pea, we had what we had and then we didn’t.” She licks the red juice off her lips and tosses the fruit into the meadow, where another tree sprouts up in the blink of an eye. “You didn’t think I could be tempted into that dark hole you call a domain, did you? It just wasn’t worth it.”

Before Hades can open his mouth to give some sort of sad reply, Lilith is baring her teeth in front of the goddess, knife in hand. The crystal glints in the light of the afternoon sun.

“He was a means to an end for you,” Lilith gathers, her nostrils flaring.

The goddess shrugs, “Sometimes, love just isn’t in the cards, my dear.”

Lilith narrows her eyes, pushing the blade closer to the woman’s throat, “Maybe I should cut out your heart and see how much love you can feel then, hm?”

“And what if I place a curse so horrible on you that even Hades himself cannot hold your soul in the Underworld?” Aphrodite counters, confidence ringing true in her tone. She smirks, “You do not mess with the goddess of love, my dear. I have too many forces on my side.”

Lilith shakes her head, “I don’t care about your forces, temptress. And it appears that all you care about is putting something between your legs. He meant nothing to you, in the end. So much of nothing that you were willing to land in his brother’s bed.”

Aphrodite’s eyes turn a brighter color and incantations begin to fall from her lips.

Lilith tries to turn the blade of celestial bronze in disguise against the goddess’ neck, but she finds herself wilting to the ground before then.

“Josie, stop!” Sweet Pea runs forward, covering Lilith’s body in his own.

The goddess turns her eyes to him, “She is a pest, Hades. She needs to be dealt with. And if you will not deal with her, I will. She will not taint my ideology of love.”

When he realizes that Aphrodite will not stop, he repeats an incantation of his own in Ancient Greek, then bursts forward, “Aphrodite, she is under my protection!”

Josie’s eyes stop glowing and her hands fall to her sides, a surprised look on her face. She wilts back against the staircase railing, her body weak from the incantation and the interruption. Her jaw drops as she realizes what he has done.

“No wonder they threw you out into an exile,” she mutters, watching as he picks up the limp mortal from the ground. He holds her too gently for it to mean nothing. “You are foolish, Hades.”

“At least I am not so easily intimidated by a mortal swinging a knife.”

Aphrodite shakes her head and lets one last giggle fall from her lips, “Oh, Pea. You’re only not intimidated because you are something much worse.”

Sweet Pea cradles Lilith’s body against his chest, her head lolling dangerously limp. He looks up at Aphrodite one last time, “Is there not any information you can give me regarding the Oracle? I need to find her.”

“What the Hera,” Aphrodite waves her arm. She takes a breath and looks off into the sunset, “‘Should the child of darkness grow in strength; Zeus’ reign will have reached its length.’”

He nods, turning to walk back to the chariot. Aphrodite calls to him one last time, “You can find the Oracle in the woods near the mouth of the river. She is visiting the spirits there.”

Aphrodite forces a smile onto her face as he walks away with the mortal in his arms. She murmurs just loud enough for him to hear, “Heed my warning, Pea: you may not like what you hear.”

Sweet Pea sends a smile over his shoulder and he swears he sees a flash of sadness cross over the goddess’ face.

As soon as he sets Lilith down on the bench of the chariot, her skin turns green and she starts to foam at the mouth. And when he calls to her, she does not answer.

----

a/n: i really hope you guys liked this part!!! ares = hal - i couldn’t find a way to work in his riverdale name, but i’ll make a picspam of him eventually. once summer classes and finals aren’t eating my life away!!

SO HOW DID YOU LIKE IT?!?!?! tell me about it here in my ask

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selling-cj · 4 years

Text

Wait and See

A cool wind ruffled red and purple leaves and stole them from branches. The sun, for once, was merely soft and warm. People sat out, basking in it, taking a break from the heat. All was calm.

Beyond this calm, in a far-off corner of a small neighborhood, an inconspicuous house stands. A house that no one dared visit. A house where a family of powerful wizards is said to live. Such power that it could steal a normal person’s soul from their body.

On that spring day, in the crafting room of that house on the far edge of the neighborhood, a witch colored a rather spectacular picture. Knotted white curls, and black eyes. Pale blue skin, and lips of a frostbitten purple color. Lada May, the first child of a most terrifying witch, Cata-Lee May.

Her picture was that of a typical child’s. A grassy field under a bright, slightly cloudy sky—colored purple for no particular reason—a full, blue sun in one corner, and a figure of her, standing happily next to a hundred-foot wolf dog. She added a pair of sunglasses to the sun, giggling as she did so.

She laughed at the idea of a sun needing to wear glasses. She hid the crayons in the skirt of her sun dress, staining it a rainbow of colors. A fair and innocent moment for a child of such myth and lineage. Of course, she had no idea what she was capable of. Her father made sure of that. He was so certain.

Terror of the Universe, Destroyer of Men, Witch of Enzepan leaned against a door frame just outside the crafting room. His hood drawn to cover his lost eye; arms crossed. A dour look on his face. Thoughts lingered on the future rather than his daughter. Rather, actually, because of her.

She was only twelve, but every day she neared thirteen his mind grew heavier and heavier. He had been so careful to keep her away from his past and their powers. He had yet planned for the eventual. The eventual surge of power so intense that it could wipe her mind blank, and control her every movement. The eventual want to rend apart the very environment around her and rebuild it in her image. The moment her body would become paralyzed under the overwhelming fluctuations.

There was no way to explain it now, not through all the lies. Even if he did, he couldn’t tell her how to deal with all of it. How could he? Nobody told him. He dealt with it himself when it happened. Quite poorly.

Turns out he wouldn’t get the chance to decide one way or the other.

On a dark, moonlit night, only a week before her thirteenth birthday, Lada snuck out. She had heard of a library in the middle of the town when talking to her father earlier that day. The library in her own house was a bit lacking. Not to mention she had read all of the books she wanted to.

With her father’s fame it took her very little time to dig up what she wasn’t supposed to. Thousands of stories about Cata-Lee May and his rampage across the galaxy. Reports of feats that were almost god-like. Even the dead race that he had unintentionally brought back into the light.

She was confused, devastated, angry. He had known about all of this. Every single thing, and he never told her. He had lied to her all this time. Did he plan everything out? Did he intend to keep this from her all her life?

Something deep in the bottom of her stomach bubbled to the surface and pulsed to her fingertips. It filled her body. An electric, hollow feeling. Her muscles twitched and contracted. Her mind raced a thousand thoughts a second. And when she breathed, she felt power even in her lungs.

It felt right. Beautiful. Oh, it felt like heaven. And for a moment she reveled in it. Every book floated around her. She could feel each one as if she were holding them up with her own hands. She forced them back down slowly, carefully. Such focus and control. She almost forgot to be angry. Only for a moment.

Everything that she had just learned burned back into her mind. The power in her body turned to fire. He lied to her. Betrayed her. He should feel awful. If he didn’t, she would make him. Unleash the wrath of a million gods upon him.

She made her way back home and waited, as she always had all these years. Father came home late into the night, greeted by the bright lights in the family room. An unexpected sight, truly. Even more surprising was Lada pacing restlessly in front of the door.

Before he could get a word in, she turned to him, rage burning behind her eyes. “You’ve lied to me.”

“Lada,” Cata said carefully, closing the door behind him, “what is this about?”

“You know what this is about,” she seethed.

Fear struck in his chest as things began to lift off the ground. It had begun and he still didn’t know what to do about it.

“You lied to me all this time. Did you ever think what would happen when I found out?”

“Lada, please—”

“You didn’t, did you?” A pressure pushed in the air around the room. Pushed on Cata’s shoulders, making them ache.

A shiver crawled up his spine. “Sweetheart,” he tried sweetly.

“Don’t!” she swung her arms and Cata stumbled back against the door. Furniture lifted off the floor as the pressure in the room built.

“Don’t ‘sweetheart’ me. You don’t get to explain this one away.” Lightbulbs broke. Wood splintered. A hot, electric pulse melted into the room. Cata was pushed to his knees by relentless invisible hands.

“How do you plan to explain away years of isolation and forced ignorance? Locking me away, hoping I would never find out. Hoping I would never want to leave. Were you ever planning to tell me?”

He went to speak but found he couldn’t. Breathing became difficult, labored, until he found he couldn’t anymore. He gripped his throat, pleading it to open.

Everything but him was flying off the ground. Lada’s eyes were blown completely black, hair standing on end.

“Stop just sitting there,” she screamed. Her voice echoed in his skull, multiplied and metallic. “Do something. Fight back, oh, Destroyer of Worlds.”

No, he thought, not like this. Not when it’s you. Tears stung his eyes. Being confronted with his wrongs felt so much worse than he imagined. The anger on her face seared him to the core and he wanted nothing more than to take it all back. Hold her close and apologize. Turn back the clock and do it over again. Tell her everything.

Because he was scared. He loved her, yes, but faced with this—her anger, her resentment, faced with death—it fueled him more than anything. He would do anything, say anything, promise her the world, if it meant she would stop. But he didn’t need to.

Her eyes glistened with tears as everything broke around her. “Do something.” Her body shook. Furniture dropped to the ground. “Fight back,” her voice wavered, almost catching in her throat. She touched back down to earth. Everything around her made a gentle return to the ground. “I hate you,” she choked.

The pressure on her father lifted. He choked and gasped for air. He watched as Lada broke down in front of him.

She cried and wailed. Cursed his name. Accused him of all the heinous things she didn’t know he did. And he let her. He knew what he had done, and he barely regretted it. As far as he knew they were built for destruction. They were monsters, villains. He just wanted to keep her away from all of that. Preserve an idea of her.

Only then did he realize, as he watched her unravel, that he just pushed her closer to that. She may be crying now, but who’s to say she’ll be so broken up when she come to? She may just kill him outright without hesitation. He had done that enough times to understand the temptation.

Lada wailed and screamed until she couldn’t think anymore. He watched as her body went limp and she fell to the floor. Her breath shallow, her heart beat slow and uneven. Her body couldn’t handle everything all at once. She had certainly handled it better than he had the first time. She would be paralyzed for a while.

He gathered her in his arms and held her tight. Perhaps, when she woke up, he would apologize, beg forgiveness, explain everything. Maybe she would snap his neck and move on with her life. That’s what he would have done. But she wasn’t him. She was gentler, less destructive, more focused. But still. There was no way of knowing. So he waited.

#writeblr #writblr #short story #fantasy #kinda #i was thinking more sci fi elements #word vomit #@the-kids-are-not-okayy #helped me with the prompts for this one #my writing #havent written in so long #feels weird

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hereidinathoreauwrites · 4 years

Text

Fixing TRoS

I have thoughts about the Rise of Skywalker. So here’s my wish fulfillment re-write of the final film that fixes a few glaring problems/omissions I saw in the story.

This is all my opinion, so please keep the discourse civil!

Basic Rules for this re-write: must keep all characters and locations from original story, all deaths remain as they were in original.

First things first; two quick prop fixes:

Rey’s Staff - there is no reason for her to keep it as is for this movie. She doesn’t use it a lot and most of the time, she’s just passing it around so it survives the film until she can turn it into her new saber. So a quick fix - it now cuts in half like Dark Rey’s saber so she can more easily strap it across her back and carry it through the events of the film.

The Dagger - again, no reason for this to be what it is. When Rey used it to “read” the Death Star wreckage, I rolled my eyes. How would one even make something like that?

So instead of a dagger that points the way, the dagger will be eliminated and the wayfinder will be split into pieces. The crew will be on the hunt for these pieces.

Also: It’s a holocron. Call it a f*cking holocron. I will call it a holocron.

The plot:

Keep the opening the same, Palpatine is fine as a villain and the set design of Exegol is great. Kylo finds the first holocron and flies to Exegol. After a display of Palpatine’s power, he pledges loyalty to the emperor. Palpatine demands that Rey be delivered to him for unknown reasons. The spy recon scene and lightspeed skipping scenes are also fine, they can stay as is.

Rey’s training is fine but she should not be using Luke’s saber. Instead, Leia has given her a training saber that Rey breaks during the training. She tosses it on a garbage heap and takes up another one from a long line.

When Kylo Ren reaches out to her with Vader’s mask, she sees visions of herself as a Sith standing over the bodies of everyone she loves. This begins her journey.

More infighting should be apparent in the First Order, particularly among the leaders. They should appear to be crumbling from within, especially with regard to the Hux-Ren-Pryde dynamic. Ren is obsessed with finding Rey because he still believes they can defeat Palpatine together. Hux is discontent with Pryde’s newfound authority in the order and the two spar during the meeting. After hearing about the Final Order and discovering the existence of another holocron, the gang sets out, taking R2 with them, as he has an old star-map from Luke that may or may not contain the location of the holocron. As a parting gift, Leia gives Rey her old saber before she leaves saying that she’s ready for it. She also tells Rey not to be afraid of who she is.

On the desert planet Pasaana, where R2′s map indicates the holocron might be, all the events from the movie can remain (except the dagger is now half a holocron in pieces). Poe’s leadership during the speeder chase lands them in the sand, shaking his confidence. Everyone thinks that the pieces are just junk but Rey still pockets them, something in them calling softly to her. After realizing the holocron is incomplete, the gang realizes that the other pieces of the holocron must be on another of R2′s planets. Rey still heals the snake underground and Chewie is still taken with the pieces of the holocron in tow.

Rey and Ren stand off with the ship and Rey, in a moment of desperation and fury, shoots lightning from her hands, destroying the ship.

Distraught and believing that she killed Chewie, Rey and the others escape. Rey experiences a moment of deep unrest, since her powers have never been so destructive before.

Sometime in the escape, R2′s memory has been corrupted so they need to head to Kijimi to get the rest of the map and find the other half of the holocron. Poe claims to have contacts there who will help them.

On Kijimi, they meet Kaeden Larte, a former Rebel medical professional and her sister Miara, a former Rebel pilot. The sisters provide a safe space for them, especially after Kaeden sees Rey’s saber. While Miara and Babu Frik work on R2, Miara discusses with Poe the importance of leadership and stepping up, referencing her time as a Rebel Captain. “They win by making you think you’re alone.” Kaeden talks to Rey about the role of a Jedi and the option to step outside the Jedi way, revealing that she once knew another force-user who was outside of the Jedi. Rey is desperate to know more but Finn interrupts them, telling them that R2 is ready.

R2 must now have his memory wiped in order to retrieve the location of the holocron. The little droid agrees, conveying his final words through Rey and the little cone-headed droid they have adopted. Before Babu shuts R2 down, we see him pass something to BB-8. R2′s memory is erased but he projects a course to the Endor system and the location of the final pieces of the holocron.

Zorii Bliss, a former smuggler turned pilot for the sisters, offers the gang an escape just as the Knights arrive. But Rey senses that Chewie is still alive and insists that they get to the ship. Zorii agrees to get them there but insists that she cannot stay to get them off. She doesn’t like combat and doesn’t want any part of the war. Finn tries to convince her but she wont have it.

The gang arrive and split up to rescue Chewie and play out the other events on the ship. The only changes here are regarding Hux and the confrontation between Rey and Ren.

Hux plays a larger role in Chewie’s rescue, actively helping them dodge patrols and escape, even prepping the Falcon and releasing Chewie before they can get there. His reasons remain as in the original film. R2 assists with security bypasses, gleefully unaware that he has done this so many times before. Poe, Finn and Chewie get on the Falcon and load up the droids.

Meanwhile, Ren tells Rey who she is during their Forcetime call between Kijimi and the ship:

Rey is a Vergence. Not a Palpatine.

She’s a nobody who happened to have been conceived by the force, just like Anakin. Imagine the rift that would have caused between her parents? Or the pressure it would have put on a single (slave) mother? She was unwanted and abandoned, confirming Rey’s worst fear: no one truly knows who she is and there is no one to guide her. Vergences are powerful and unpredictable. After all, the last one was Darth Vader.

Sensing her unease, Ren tells her only Palpatine can help her understand who she is. Rey and the gang barely escape as Ren realizes where she is. Battered and with Rey badly torn about her uncertain power and the pull to find answers with the emperor, they go to the Endor system, crashing to the surface. Sensing the holocron, Rey thinks she can find it in the Death Star wreckage. All the stuff with First Order defects is fine, including Finn’s discovery of other Force-sensitive beings. Here, Finn begins to recognize his own leadership potential, as the defects all turn to him for a plan when Ren arrives and Rey and Poe are both otherwise occupied. They keep Ren from approaching the wreckage but only temporarily. When Ren chases after Rey, Finn and Jannah pursue. Inside the Death Star, Rey finds all the pieces and uses the Force to reconstruct it. Just as the completed holocron touches her hand, her visions come to life. Rey’s clone overpowers her with the dark side and she feels the temptation to reach into the darkness for strength. It is only Ren’s appearance that breaks the illusion.

Rey flips out on Kylo when he crushes the holocron; fighting him with saber and lightning etc. Her power and emotions are running rampant and she nearly kills him. It’s only Leia that brings her back to the light (NOTE: I would have loved for Leia to have played a bigger role in the story, especially the ending but I’m still in awe of just how much we got considering Carrie’s passing. RIP Carrie.). Rey still stabs/heals Ben but instead of the hand thing, she says she only wanted him to chose his path, instead of the one his family lineage set him on. She takes his ship and runs. Ben still has a memory of Han but Han’s dialogue is all same from TFA scene. And instead of throwing his saber away, he rips the crystal from it and shoves the pieces into his pocket with the remains of the crushed holocron. The emperor orders Kijimi to be destroyed by a ship. In the chaos, Miara and Zorii escape, Kaeden remains behind to unjam their ship, to her sister’s horror. As the blast closes in, Kaeden closes her eyes and whispers her final words: “I’m coming, Ashoka...” (alternatively: “I’m coming, love.” but this way, Ashoka at least gets name-dropped in the movie.) Having found the holocron onboard Ren’s ship, Rey retreats to Ahch-To, crashing horribly in her distress at losing Leia. Here, she encounters Luke once more as a ghost. After recounting her powers and her pull towards the darkness for answers, Luke reminds Rey that there’s darkness in everyone and what matters is doing what is right as often as you can. And no matter how far gone you are, you can always choose to come back. He tells her about the previous Vergence: his father.

Taking Luke’s resurrected ship, Rey leads the fleet to Exegol.

Back at the Rebel base, the survivors are coping with Leia’s loss and the absence of Poe and Finn. Having been working behind the scenes until now, Rose steps up, re-working the comm systems until they can connect with the Falcon on Endor and deliver the news of Leia’s passing.

After an appropriate time for mourning, Rose inspires Finn and Poe to keep fighting even if the odds are against them. Poe recalls Miara’s words, agreeing to be acting general. Finn laments that Rey is gone and they dont know where to go. BB-8 pulls out a small drive that R2 gave him and Jannah says it’s a memory disc. With the cone-headed droid’s approval, they take a vital part from his head and insert the chip into R2. The droid’s memory is restored and he gleefully tells them that he is picking up a new signal.

At this point, Rose reveals that a new signal has appeared on their end as well, coming from Red 5. The fleet rallies, Poe and Finn giving orders from Endor. Jannah and the other defectors pledge to accompany them, vowing to destroy the First Order once and for all. With Rose and Commander Larma leading the deployment, the Rebellion rendezvous with the Falcon near Endor. Here, Lando and Chewie take over the Falcon (Lando fixing it in about 3 seconds), Poe’s X-Wing and the other transport having been brought to them on a larger ship. With everyone in place, they all jet off to the fight.

While the fleet is in route, Rose finally connects up a broadcast system to the whole galaxy. All across the worlds from all the movies, we see an image of Leia Organa, making one final desperate call to the galaxy to rise up (a la “help me Obi-Wan...”). Across worlds, we see people, even that little boy from The Last Jedi, slowly standing up to fight. Across the galaxy, stormtroopers are beat back, some voluntarily throwing down their weapons. Ships begin to take off, blasting through First Order blockades and patrols, rallying to fly to Exegol. From an undisclosed location, Zurii and Miara join the fight.

Much of the battle of Exegol remains the same, with the main difference being in Rey and Ben’s arc.

Upon finding the emperor, Rey learns that he originally planned to use Vader as a vessel for himself but Vader’s defeat on Mustafar made it impossible. He then reveals that after his resurrection, he influenced the Force to create her: another Vergence, this time, one who would be perfect for him. She will become the vessel for all the Sith and rebuild the Sith society on Exegol.

Seeing her friends dying in the aerial attack, Rey embraces her potential for evil. She kills Palpatine and absorbs the entire dark side. At the same time, she already contains all the Jedi and must reconcile these two opposing forces within herself. Voices of the Jedi and the Sith collide in her head, her power spinning out of control around her. Rocks fly, lightning flashes. While this is going on, sky battle continues, with Finn, etc. attacking the command ship. Ben arrives and, in a moment of desperation against the Knights, reassembles his saber using the pieces of the holocron. When he ignites it, it blazes a brilliant white.

Sensing Ben, Rey finds something to ground her as the powers fight within her. Through their bond, Ben steadies her because he too knows the pull; he’s been fighting it all his life. With Rey settled, having defeated the Emperor’s influence, the Guards descend on Ben and Rey. In an echo of the throne room scene from TLJ, they fight side-by-side against the guards. The ghosts of all the Jedi appear with them and guide them through the fight with their knowledge and encouragement. Both are injured critically during the battle, Rey fatally since she is already so drained from her ordeal overcoming Palpatine. Ben knows he only has enough strength to save one of them, he chooses to save Rey. The woman who showed him all was not lost. That even he could chose to return to the light.

With a touch, all of his life force goes into Rey. He collapses. With his dying breath, he thanks her.

Rey closes his eyes and kisses him on the forehead before he fades into the Force. She takes his new saber and Leia’s from the temple.

After celebrating their victory, the Resistance gathers for a proper funeral for Leia, her body fading into the Force as Maz offers up a eulogy. Poe and Finn share a moment that may be simple camaraderie but may be the hint of something more. Off to the side, Rey ignites Ben’s clothes with a spark of lightning and watches somberly as they burn.

As the last remaining Force-user, Rey names herself the Skywalker. The line between the light and dark. The Balance. In the final scene, she buries Leia’s weapon and the pieces of Luke’s alongside the general’s grave. She reveals that she has constructed her own saber: a double-bladed sword made from Ben’s blade and her staff.

She turns and we see Finn, Jannah, and the remainder of the defectors standing watching her. As one, they all bow to her, revealing training sabers on their hips.

“Padawans.” Rey says. She lifts a rock with the Force. “It’s time to begin your training.”

“Yes, Master Skywalker.”

#star wars the rise of skywalker #fan rewrite #please keep the discourse civil #this is only my wish-fulfillment opinion

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kirkwall-on-fire-blog · 5 years

Note

Obscure ask for your Dragon Age OC! (Or feel free to answer for multiple OCs!) What does your OC think about responsibility? Do they see it as a burden or is responsibility something they’re used to?

Did I mention I have way too many Dragon Age Ocs? Because I do. Also this question was harder than I expected. I hope I did your ask justice!

Origins

Leonora Amell: Growing up in the Circle, she’s grown used to the idea of someone else always being there to take the reigns. Oh, sure, she’s had her dreams of being in charge, but that was all they ever were. Dreams. She’s never taken care of anything by herself, never been responsible for anything more than her studies. The seriousness of her situation doesn’t set in until after Ostagar, when Alistair looks at her and says the responsibility for the world’s future now rests on their shoulders. She doesn’t do well with all this pressure, not at first, but eventually she does learn. By the time the mage takes up the mantle of Warden-Commander - not because she wants to, but because she must - she has accepted that responsibility is something she cannot escape. So she carries the weight, because then someone else doesn’t have to struggle like she once did.

Aedan Cousland: A noble son of the Cousland lineage is expected to know how to lead, no? Of course he is. Except that’s mostly a lie he tells himself because it makes sense. There is a reason his father refused to allow him into battle, and it’s because he is simply not ready. Not ready to lead, not ready to hold people’s lives in his hands. But now he is in charge, because Leo has no idea what she is doing and it shows. Her inadequate skills as a leader cannot get in the way of his mission - vengeance - Aedan thinks, and so he takes the responsibility for their mission instead. He likes to pretend he knows what he’s doing, but he doesn’t, and it stresses him out, because he thinks he should.

Elyon Tabris: Ew, responsibility? No, thanks. This little rogue avoids the concept like a plague. Oh, she does have talent for it - but don’t tell her I said so. The woman is responsible as they come, growing up at the Alienage where there was no choice but to own up and take responsibility for others. It was the only way to survive. But now, out of the walls of the hellhole she grew up in? Elyon doesn’t want to be responsible for any more suffering. Attachment in and of itself is a form of responsibility, and she avoids it whenever possible... and yet she still gets attached. It’s a wonder, really.

Theron Mahariel: He’s tried before to take on more responsibilities in his Clan, but every time he was met with a soft pat on the shoulder and a kindly-worded refusal. Merrill, the most honest one, laughed and said that he was too soft to handle it, too kind and too scared to hurt someone. It’s not until much later that the young elf realizes the truth of those words, but by then he is already part of something greater. The Grey Wardens carry a heavy burden and Theron isn’t sure he can handle it. So he sticks to his betters, follows the Warden-Commander like a stray puppy at times. It’s easier, this way.

Daylen Surana: He’s always seen responsibility as something to aspire to, a reward for good behavior and for following all the rules. People in power are respected and so he’s done everything in his power to get to a point where he is seen as a responsible individual, worthy of being tasked with the most difficult things. ...Then he learned the true meaning of the thing he’s so idolized, and now he would rather go back to being a nobody. But he can’t.

Tasha Brosca: She has had responsibility thrown at her for as long as she remembers. Take care of your mother. Take care of your sister. Take care of yourself. Growing up in Dust Town isn’t easy. Tasha learned to grin a bear it, because she must, because she has no choice. It would be nice, sure, to have someone else to throw all that weight on, like those snobby nobles do, but she knows that the moment she lets herself breathe, her sister will have to take all that responcibility onto her own shoulders. And Tasha would sooner die than let that happen.

Duran Aeducan: He was a Prince of Orzammar, raised and trained to be in command of its armies. Now he is a Grey Warden, and the responsibility is no less daunting. He handles it well, however, or at least better than others in this rag-tag team of misfits and outcasts. But the thought of command leaves him with a sour aftertaste, and so he takes on an advising position mostly. Let the youngsters take charge and make their bloody mistakes.

Dragon Age II

Garrett Hawke: It’s the oldest sibling’s job to carry his family, and Garrett believes that responsibility is something he has no choice but to accept. He thinks he does it by taking the blame for every stupid thing his siblings and friends do, by bailing them out and cleaning up their messes. He is the responsible Hawke, after all, the diplomatic one.

Marian Hawke: It’s not something she thinks about, but rather something that comes naturally to her. She is the metal-cast rock that supports her family in the times of need, ready to make the difficult decisions and move on. It’s just the kind of person she is, and pondering it would only make her head hurt. This way of being earned her a high-ranking position in the King’s army at Ostagar.

Inquisition

Herah Adaar: She is a warrior and a soldier, she knows when to follow orders and when to give her own. Responsibility on the battlefield, or on a mission? She has that part down. It’s easy, it’s natural, she was all but raised to do the job. Responsibility for a small elven child with a weird magic glowy hand (holy dragons what kind of demonic craft is this even!?), however? She doesn’t know how to deal with this. An order of people united under one banner in the name of said elven child? Oh hell nah. But she has no choice, and it sucks, but at least she has her old mercenary leadership skills to fall back on.

Felandris Lavellan: When he thinks of responsibility, he thinks of what the Keeper told him when she began teaching him the old elven magic. The responsibility of a Keeper is to remember, to never forget. So that’s what he does. But he is a child, barely old enough to understand the complex politics of the world, and so he doesn’t understand just how much rests on his tiny shoulders, either. But people count on him, and he will do his best.

Elisse Cousland: Her brothers were all about responsibility and noblesse oblige, but Elisse just wants to have fun and help some people. For someone raised in a noble household, she certainly is bad at the whole... noble thing. And that includes being responsible. Her short-term memory is abysmal, she gets distracted by everything and anything, and her ability to stay still for more than five seconds is... well. I think you get the idea. She does take her responsibility to the Inquisition and her friends seriously, however, and she tries her best to carry herself in a way that shows it. Most of the time.

Shale Cadash: She remembers vaguely the weight of command, the responsibility for the lives of hundreds of men on her shoulders. Then there was the responsibility for the lives of her friends, the strange squishies that freed her - stronger, taller, made of stone - from the torment of immobility. This, she remembers better, but she is neither of those people anymore. She accepts her share of responsibility gladly this time, because she owes her friends this much. And now that she is so squishable as well, she has a higher stake in it all.

Maxwell Trevelyan: He ran away from home exactly because he didn’t want to bear the responsibilities that his noble birth forced upon him. He’s a lover and a fighter, but while he does his part well, he does terribly under pressure. In fact, he passes out under it. Dramatically. It’s actually quite funny.

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reylot-rash · 6 years

Text

Here's a thought...

Theme:

I realized something about TFA and TLJ (besides Reylo). They've been trying to push out the, 'Everyone Is Special' thing... I think that's why they allowed Finn to wield Anakin's lightsaber before Rey, despite not being force sensitive, because they wanted to clear up the idea that not only Jedis and Siths are allowed to wield one. That's why they made Rey's parents nobodies too. They wanted and tried to make a refreshing start for the next main force user aka Rey, to go up against someone with a mighty family lineage aka Kylo Ren. Further proving my point with broomstick boy at the end of the movie. Perhaps, they did that so that Rey was more relatable?

Realising this, I began to notice that the reason they focused on Poe, Finn and Rose in the movie too because everyone IS special, everyone has their own problems and things they need to face, whether it being with themselves or others.

Characters and Symbolism:

Each characters stand for situations and qualities a youth may have or have to deal with:

Finn, Ex-storm trooper: Someone raised to believe in something and to realize it's okay to challenge and stray from what you've been taught.

Rey, Scavenger: Someone abandoned or feeling abandoned and is in search for the same belonging she lacked as a child whilst looking for purpose in life.

Ben Solo, Neglected child: Someone who was abandoned and neglected. Huge pressure to live up to expectations because of his bloodline. Doesn't not know how to come to terms with his feelings and eventually lashes out on everyone and everything but all he ever wanted was belonging too. (He's really complex guys)

Poe, The Pilot: Someone who goes to the extremes at what he believes in, impulsive and lacks patience when it comes to certain situations, stubborn and sometimes refuses advice from others because of his pride or beliefs.

Rose, Orphaned child: Feels the need to follow in the footsteps of those she idolizes and is extremely empathetic to others. Always does the right thing, sometimes comes off as naive but always has others' best interest at heart.

Pairings:

Reylo

And if you notice, Rey and Ben's situations were pretty similar in terms of the emotional aspect. It's truly about how they received 'the ball'. Rey wasn't angry because she already has come to terms with it and moved on, but Ben still has so much rage in him because he doesn't even know how to handle himself, truly a child in a mask. Which is kind of ironic since he was the one with the big talk, Mr. "Let the past die". So maybe that was why they were paired up *cough* REYLO *cough* because they are so similar in many ways, it's just that they went on to different directions. But you can't really blame Ben for how he turned out because Snoke was a factor on his path to the darkness. The force bond was there to show them that they are not as different as they think, her anger towards him dissipating after every Force bond session they have as she began to truly understand him. They are a perfect way of showing that no one is evil for the sake of being evil and that we shouldn't be quick to judge others.

Finnrose

I think Finn and Rose were paired together because of their dynamic as a team together. Rose having a tendency to idolize and look up to people, taking their first meeting for example, where she literally called him a 'hero'. But he was not who he turned out to be in her eyes. He admires his naive-ness and the empathy she has towards others, which contrasts his, 'Save myself and Rey only' attitude in the movie. So she lowkey widens and changes his perspective for the good. She kind of gives him a big wake up call to stop running and you see that in a VERY extreme way when he goes on a suicide mission and faces off with Phasma. But she does correct that by telling him that we should 'save the ones we love', cos when Finn gets riled up he kind of tends to go to the extremes kind of like Poe, making Poe and Finn have a little in common with each other *cough* STORMPILOT *cough*. Finn's character is a perfect way of showing that it's okay to have fears sometimes and Rose was there to help him 'overcome' them in a way.

Poeldo

I'm pretty sure they paired Poe and Holdo together because they wanted someone to challenge Poe. Poe being the impulsive and 'blow things up' kind of guy. In a way they explored his character more by showing that he is a little close minded and proud. He is someone who does too much in order to achieve something. But Holdo kind of shows him that there's more than 1 way to do things, also complementing his character by asserting her own dominance over him and taking charge which obviously annoys and frustrates him. Sad thing is, he only realizes that she was right all along before she died and you kind of see his character changing into someone more responsible when he told Finn to abort the mission towards the ending of the movie. Kinda like him realising what he did at the start and defying Leia was stupid, reversing the roles, him as Leia and Finn as him.

Conclusion:

All the characters complement each other and were together for most of the movie for a reason. Everyone is special because of the situations they face and how they handle it. This was demonstrated by every 'subplot' of TLJ.

So life teaches all of us some important qualities. That we should always be understanding towards others and not quick to judge, brave and courageous when needed and open-minded and thorough in times of distress.

But Idk. It's just a thought I had tho... If this was what they were trying to tell us, it would actually be pretty cool.

Side note: Why isn't there a famous tag for the Finnrose ship? Or is that not their ship name?

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laurelsofhighever · 6 years

Text

To Be King

After the events at Howe’s estate and Fort Drakon, the decision about who will rule Ferelden is more important than ever. For Alistair, however, the only concern is for the woman he loves, wounded in taking vengeance for her family...

Originally posted as part of Alistair Appreciation week, but deadlines are my nemesis, so here ya go

Read on AO3

Finally, Wynne stepped out into the corridor, a letter clumsily sealed in blue wax clutched in her hands. She shut the door behind her. Alistair, who for the past half an hour has been wearing a groove in the floorboards, looked up expectantly.

“Can I see her?” he asked.

Wynne fixed him with her best matronly glare. “She’s still recovering, Alistair. She needs rest.”

“I wasn’t thinking – I wasn’t going to –” he spluttered, colouring at the implication. His shoulders slumped, voice cracking. “I just… I have to know she’s alright.”

The teasing lilt of the old mage’s smile softened as she moved towards him, reaching to lay a reassuring hand on his arm.

“She will be,” she said. “She was lucky we found her when we did, and she is lucky she’s strong, and a Grey Warden to boot. Although,” she mused, “maybe it would be best if you stayed with her for a little while. If anyone can keep her from doing something reckless, it’s you.”

Alistair snorted. His steadying influence hadn’t been worth much when she decided to storm Howe’s estate without either him or Cuno at her side. He should have known what would happen when she exchanged her own blade for the heirloom sword she had carried with her since the blazing ruin of Castle Cousland. And yet he had let her go. And he had nearly lost her.

“She’ll be happy to see you,” Wynne said, to bring him out of his reverie.

He glanced at the door. When he turned back to thank Wynne for her help, she was already halfway down the hallway, and the words faded on his tongue. Instead, he let his held breath out in a sigh and straightened his shoulders, nervous for a reason that slipped his understanding. When he’d found her in the dungeon of Fort Drakon, she had looked so small, pressed as tightly as possible against the dank stone wall, sheened with feverish sweat and pale as a fish’s belly. For a moment, seeing the deep wound in her side that seeped blood into her improvised bandage, he had feared the worst. But her eyes had blazed, and she had staggered up to follow and fight her way out of the nightmare, and had only collapsed again three streets away from the front gate, infection and blood loss having finally spent the last of her Warden strength.

The metal of the door handle felt cool under his fingers, the wood sharp against his knuckles as he knocked.

“Come in.”

Rosslyn leaned against the frame of the large bay window that overlooked the arl’s kitchen garden. The late afternoon sun painted her face with golden light, concealing the pallor that still clung to her skin, though it did little to hide the bruise-dark circles under her eyes. She smiled when she saw it was him come to see her, a tired thing that vanished in a sigh as she turned back to watch the servants gather ingredients for the evening meal.

“You should be in bed,” he said.

It earned him a smirk. “I’m fine. I have one of the best healers in Thedas tending to me, after all.”

“Are you cold?” he asked. “Can I get you anything?”

“Alistair, there’s no need to fuss,” she replied easily. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t miss the way her teeth gritted as she shifted her weight between her feet. He picked up a blanket from the end of the bed and cautiously made his way over to her side.

“I want to fuss,” he said. “When everyone came back from Howe’s estate and you weren’t with them – when I heard they’d taken you to – to that place, and I couldn’t do anything to stop them –”

Rosslyn quieted him with a brush of fingertips across his cheek. “You came charging in to rescue me like the hero in an old story.” She smiled. “I won’t forget it.”

“Let me fuss,” he insisted, closing the last of the space between them.

At Rosslyn’s nod, he draped the blanket over her shoulders, gently tucking it against the back of her neck and under her arms to make sure every draught was chased away. The movement brought him close enough to smell a hint of elfroot and fresh linen, and on her breath the homeliness of the chicken broth the cook had made to help her recover. She leaned into him, nudging into the crook of his neck, and when he was finished arranging the blanket it felt good to add the extra layer of his arms, though he was careful to avoid putting pressure on her injury.

“Satisfied?” she asked, in a voice that was a hum against his skin.

“Almost.”

He pecked her on the forehead and then, before she could react, he bent his legs and scooped his arm under her knees. She yelped and clung to his shirt, eyes so wide with shock he had to stifle a grin.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“You’re lucky I’m injured, and that nobody was here to see that,” she shot back, pouting.

He chuckled. “Of course. Maker forbid anyone discover that even the indomitable Rosslyn Cousland can be caught unawares. Where to, my lady – bed, or divan?”

“Divan, please,” she answered with consideration. “I’m sick of being in bed.”

“Oh how I despair to hear that, my love.” The grin he aimed at her made her toes curl. “Although, Wynne did give me a Look as she was leaving, and it’s always better not to incur her wrath.”

“Is earning her wrath not worth what you might get in return?” she asked sweetly.

“Stop it, you. You’re meant to be recovering.” Carefully, he settled them both into the plush cushions of the divan, close enough to the fire that there was little need for the blanket, still snug around her shoulders. “How’s this?”

“Good,” she decided. Gingerly, she snuggled closer. “You’re very warm.”

“Ha! I knew I had my uses – I’m so glad I can add ‘human brazier’ to the list.”

“Mmm…”

They fell quiet. Alistair’s hand traced light circles on Rosslyn’s back. She curled across his lap, while her fingers brushed patterns over his knuckles and his chin rested on her hair. Safe. Alive. The sounds of the market drifted up to them, birdsong and barking dogs and a dwarven merchant toting the value of his goods. But the crackle of the fire was louder, their shared heartbeats more beguiling, and before long they dozed against each other, content to have this brief peace at the eye of the storm.

Alistair’s voice scratched the silence when he spoke again. “On the subject of looks, I’m guessing someone told Anora I was planning to steal her throne. She has a nasty glare.”

Rosslyn sighed. “She came to see me earlier, before Wynne arrived.”

“Oh?” Beneath her fingers, his tightened into a fist. “What did she want?”

“She wants me to support her in the Landsmeet.”

The silence in the room chilled like one of Morrigan’s ice spells.

“What did you say to her?” he asked eventually.

“That a decision affecting the future of a whole country can’t be made lightly, especially when distracted by the pain of a recent injury gained in the service of others.”

“That’s my girl.” His grin faltered. “What will you say to her?”

She buried closer into his neck, feeling for the comfort of a steady pulse. “You won’t like it.”

Whether the leaden tone in her voice was the result of sorrow or mere fatigue was difficult to tell, but either way Alistair found it intolerable. Shifting slightly so she was better cushioned against his chest, he brushed a loose lock of hair away from her face, following the line of her cheekbone so he could lift her chin with the tender edge of his thumb.

“Oh, you never know, I’m full of surprises,” he said, but Rosslyn’s face was still grey as a snow-cloud, the muscles around her eyes tight with pain, and his airy tone was swallowed by a tight, choking rage. “She left you for dead. You rescued her from that place and she handed you over and used the distraction to save herself, just like her father did to Cailan, and now she’s asking for your help? I wouldn’t be surprised if she planned the whole thing from the beginning.”

“It seems she wants to get out from under Loghain’s thumb,” Rosslyn mumbled.

“But he’s the only reason she’s still in power in the first place. His army has kept her on the throne!”

She traced her finger along the seam of his shirt and sighed. “Things have changed since Cailan’s death. The tide is turning against Loghain because before, the nobility only had his word for what happened. Now we appear, and stories of the Blight continue to spread, and the tales paint Cailan as a hero martyred for his country rather than a fool who wanted to go adventuring. Anora’s shrewd enough to know this, and to know her best chance to stay in power is to have us fight her corner.”

“That’s all she wants, isn’t it,” he replied, disgusted. “To sit on her throne and order people about. Never mind about the elves, or the commoners, or anyone who gets in her way. People are just tools to her, aren’t they?”

Rosslyn pulled back again to look at him, searching his face with eyes like the winter sea on a still day. “You’ve been thinking about this a lot, haven’t you?” she breathed.

He swallowed. “Yes. It’s not just what she let happen to you, it’s all of it. The alienage – the elves weren’t surprised by what happened to them. They were hurt, and angry, but not surprised. If Anora becomes queen none of that will change, and monsters like Vaughan and Howe will be allowed to do whatever they want, as long as they don’t cause a fuss among the nobility. What’s the point of saving Ferelden from the Blight if things don’t get better?” he demanded, aware his voice had risen, but not caring at all.

“And what’s the alternative?” Rosslyn asked, in a voice that told him she already knew the answer. She waited for him, patient, her hands wrapped around his as he struggled to put in order all the expectations of lineage that he had been wrestling with since he was old enough to understand them, thoughts he had never voiced aloud, even to the woman who had held his heart almost since their first meeting.

“When I was little, I used to dream of being a prince,” he told her now. “Mostly when I was scrubbing pots in the scullery, because if I was a prince, I wouldn’t have to do it anymore. Then when it never brought me anything buy misery, I resented it. The Wardens were different – we were all equal, so it didn’t matter who I was, so long as I could fight. And then…” He sighed. “After all this, all the suffering we’ve seen, knowing I could help? I… It wouldn’t be right. You taught me – mmph!”

Her fingers slid along his jaw as she kissed him, chapped lips slanted against his, pressing so close her nose dipped against his cheek, and when she broke the embrace, she barely pulled away at all.

“I love you,” she said, and he could feel the shape of the words against his mouth.

He chuckled. “I love you, too. So what do we do now? Maric might have been my father but that doesn’t mean the Landsmeet will listen to me over Anora. I’m still a commoner.”

“You do have one thing she doesn’t.”

“Hm?”

“Me.” She kissed him again, briefly. “I’m a Cousland. What happened to my family happened so that Loghain wouldn’t have anyone to rival his schemes, but now…” Her voice trailed into a hard edge, her mind drawn back to the dungeon where her quest for vengeance had finally quenched itself in blood. She had yet to speak about it to anyone, so all he could do was hold her closer.

“Highever is mine now. Its armies, or what remains of them, are mine. I’ve sent for them to fulfil the pledge my father made to help stop the Blight – that’s what’s in the letter Wynne had when she left. And aside from that,” she added, “my family were well-liked. The Landsmeet will want justice for them.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, imagining what it might cost to stand in front of strangers and wield such personal loss as a weapon.

“I think I do,” she answered. “To lay them to rest. I don’t want them to have died for nothing.” Once more, she reached up and cradled his chin with her fingers, brushing the pad of her thumb over the corner of his mouth. “Are you sure this is what you want? To be king?”

He kissed it. “Will you be with me?”

A nod.

“Then I know I can do this. I want to.”

He smiled as he leaned down, the first brush of his lips undemanding, until she drew him deeper with a brief flicker of her tongue. The hand splayed across her back inched up to weave knots into the silk of her hair, in just the way that made her cant her head back to grant him a better angle. Jolts of heat travelled the length of his spine, shivering out to the tips of his fingers.

“Have I told you I’m really, really glad you’re not dead?” he checked, when he finally mustered the willpower to break away.

She rested her forehead against his. “You have… but I could stand to hear it again. Or,” she added, trailing her fingertips up his arm, “you could show me, if you like.”

“Rosslyn –”

“It’s alright – I’m tougher than I look.”

He couldn’t help laughing at that. “Dear lady, I’ve seen you take down an ogre without breaking a sweat. I know how tough you are.” Temptation sided with the play of her hands over his skin and the warmth blooming in his belly, crumbling away his resolve. “You’re sure?”

She pushed closer into his lap, capturing his lips again. “The worse part of that place was thinking I would never see you again,” she breathed. “That I’d never get to touch you, or hear you say my name. I want the shadows gone.”

“If it hurts…”

“We can stop,” she agreed. “But I want you. Please.”

The crack in her voice undid him. He recognised it for the same desperation that had driven him half to madness watching her leave, then spurred him on through the bowels of Fort Drakon to bring her home. Suddenly it wasn’t enough just to sit with her, passing the day and talking about matters of state that should never have concerned him; he needed her skin under his tongue, needed to burn the chills from her body and wrap her tightly in the promise of never letting it happen again.

“Then your desire is my command, my love,” he purred, scooping her up again. This time she made no protest about the indignity of being carried, only worked her hands at the laces of his shirt, laying the collar aside to reach the tendons of his neck.

He lay her on the bed and slipped under the covers beside her, and they didn’t emerge for hours.

#alistair theirin #alistair x warden #alistair x cousland #cousland #dragon age: origins #king alistair #dragon age #my writing #rosslyn cousland

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