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revengeisourlullaby · 3 years

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If I Never Knew You Pt.2

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt.3 Pt.4 Pt.5 Pt.6

Warnings: 18+, eventual smut, arranged marriage plot, kinda royal au, some fighting, secret relationship, angst.

a/n: Here is part 2! I might upload part three tonight. I’m so excited to see where this goes. It seems that the first part is doing pretty good so I might upload them faster. As always requests/asks are open! Just give me little time to get to them. Enjoy!

Word count: 1.8K

Walking through the town, you felt an inordinate wave of liberation flow through not only you but also through Loki. It felt as if the weight of the world released itself from your shoulders. Confidence and strength soaring through the air. Loki lost his stiffness, his typical carefree nature restored once you became more grounded.

“See, not so bad, right?”

Shaking your head, a cynical chuckle escaped your throat

“For you maybe. All these eyes on us is kinda gross.”

“It’s only because the most attractive prince has finally decided to show his face.”

You looked at Loki, amusement absent from your face. He laughed, a belly laugh almost. It was a free sound you had yet to hear from him and when you did your face painted your emotions before you had the chance to process them yourself.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Yes, but you, my dear, tolerate it. So who's really at a loss in this situation?”

“Well, it’s not me.”

“It couldn’t be me Y/N.”

“Looks like we’re both losers then Loki.”

You were approaching the main entrance of the palace and began to wonder if Loki was considering bringing you inside.

“We lost when we fell in love with each other Y/N. Listening to the heart is the most foolish thing one can do and yet here we are. Charging full speed with our eyes closed hoping we don’t trip over anything.”

Guiding you up the steps of the massive golden structure Loki called ‘home’ your nerves struck up again.

“Seems to make sense that if we’re going full speed, might as well exploit our courtship in the place where you will eventually be spending all your time in. And with all things considered, sneaking you in is...counterproductive, to say the least.”

Exhaling, you brought yourself together and walked in front of Loki. His hand rested on your lower back escorting you inside. Grabbing fabric in your fists, you hiked your dress up a bit making sure you didn’t step on it. Walking through the main threshold, you realized you were worrying for nothing. The halls were massive, the ceiling stretching higher than you ever imagined.

It would be a miracle if you were to run across someone you knew in a place so vast.

You looked around in shock at everything you were being hidden from. The thought of it hopefully being yours to share with Loki in freedom and not in constraint was illuminating. One day to not only be openly in love with him but to call him your husband. Your partner for life was the solace you needed. Everything looked new to you because you had only ever seen the hallways in the dead of night to share evening visits with Loki, being as slick as one could, and it always working in your favor.

“Wow, it looks so different here with the sun shining through. Always felt like a runaway sneaking through the backways and balconies to get to your quarters.”

“And now you get to walk there like every other person in this place. Quite fancy isn’t it.”

“Okay, I didn’t ask for the smart mouth, you ass.”

“Comfortable, are we?”

“With you? Always.”

Finally, you two had walked up to Loki’s quarters. Opening the doors he welcomed you in and you welcomed yourself to his bed. Flopping down on the edge of it, the edge of your dress flying up and you went down. Hearing the door shut, you lifted your head up to face Loki at the door, only thing was he wasn’t there. Furrowing your brow you sat up on your elbows and by the time you looked behind you, it was too late.

“Boo.”

Your body reacted before you could control your response. Your stomach fell to your ass, eyes widening and a sharp inhale all followed one another before you finally shook off the anxiety and realized that Loki had popped up behind you.

“You asshole! What if I screamed, huh?”

Loki laughed falling over on the bed, your reaction to him obviously something of hilarity to him. You rolled your eyes and pushed his shoulder in and began to pout. He caught his breath and calmed down enough so he could respond back to you.

“You’re only screaming for one thing and unfortunately, darling, the sun’s still out. So, someone will have to wait, considering they’re so concerned about being caught.”

Loki raised his eyebrow and your mouth was agape. You squinted your eyes and an idea popped in your head. Rolling over on your knee you placed yourself on top of Loki's lap, resting your hands on his chest stealing his smirk for this moment in time.

“I can control myself...you on the other hand, once you start you can't stop.”

To emphasize your point, you rolled your hips into his and brought your body down to level his. Reaching his ear you whispered

“If you can find containment within yourself, a prize will await you this evening.”

You moved from his ear and hovered in front of his face, your lips ghosting one another. You pulled back a little bit to stare into his eyes. They were hypnotic no matter how many times you saw them. Loki’s hand trailed up your backside squeezing the mound of your ass before continuing up your back. His hand finding refuge at the nape of your neck. He pulled you back to his face, a gentleness about the entire interaction, and kissed you.

There was a different kind of spark in this kiss, it felt electric, coursing through your veins and settling in your brain as a memory you’d never forget. Losing yourself in the thrill of it all, your hips began moving against his. Your building arousal creating a fog between you. The more you ground into the god below you, the more apparent his bulge was. Flipping you on your back Loki now held the reins of the situation.

“Now, don’t tempt me Y/N. You have a habit of teasing and where does it always leave you?”

“At your mercy.”

“Clever girl. So if you like to save this accolade you mentioned for later, mind your manners, my love.”

He leaned down to kiss you as to punctuate his words, ending the discussion with the pull of your lips between his teeth. Hissing through the pleasure you couldn’t help but roll your hips up towards him, now being the one desperately craving friction. Testing the waters, you wanted to see how far you could push Loki to his limits. Your hand found the scruff of his neck and scrunched his hair. Sucking a breath in between his teeth, he pulled back a light laugh following.

“I’m aware of what you’re attempting to do Y/N, and I think it would be fair for you to know that it’s a feeble attempt. Reason being, now you’re the one left in ardor.”

Loki pulled off of you but made sure to drive his point home by sliding down your body and resting between your thighs before fully standing up. You lied on the bed in slight agony of your current predicament. You sighed and brought yourself up on your elbows. Looking ahead of you, you saw Loki sitting in the massive throne chair that was in his room. It was gothic in nature yet still regal with the back of the chair rising well up behind him and the arms of it embellished with Asgardian design.

His position in the chair was more than purposeful. His legs were spread wide, his arm resting on the arm of the throne and his hand propping up his head to look not only at you but out on the balcony. The late evening sun illuminating his eyes, bringing a whole new meaning to golden hour. He looked breathtaking and it was as if you were falling in love with him all over again.

The lust you were previously feeling was now amplified but also accompanied with adoration for your lover. You raised yourself from up off the bed and waltzed over to him. A fire behind your eyes and in your presence but you had yet to act on it. Coming in front of him, you kneeled in front of him and looked up. Two could play at this game. Your hands slid up his legs, paying special attention to his thighs and feather lightly rubbed on this. His eyes were boring through yours and you felt small under his gaze.

The silence between you was telling, that if you were to continue with your actions there would be no waiting until later. You wanted to enjoy the silence between the two of you, so you turned your back to him now sitting on your behind, and crossed your legs. You leaned your head back so it fell in between his legs, but before fully getting settled you reached for the two books resting on the side table in front of the chair and placed them in your lap. You wiggled your hips and settled into a comfortable position.

Resting your head back, you craned it further attempting to look at Loki. He rolled his eyes knowing exactly what you were asking for.

“You know, if I knew how often you’d beg for these I would have never indulged in your initial request.”

“You and I both know this is enjoyable for both parties.”

Loki huffed, a silent agreement without saying explicitly that you were right. Loki began to rub your temples. You closed your eyes enjoying the sensation and the loving intent of his actions. You finally felt calm and safe compared to the rest of the day which was riddled with anxiety and panic and the nagging fear of all the ‘what ifs’ you came up with. You had exhausted yourself and this simple action put you at ease. You opened your eyes for a moment and glanced down at the books in your lap trying to decipher which one was Loki’s.

Catching a glimpse on the side you realized the one on the bottom was Loki’s current project at hand. Grabbing it, you twisted your arm behind you and slid the book into Loki’s lap knowing that sooner or later you would end up dozing off and you figured that getting this out the way would make it easier for both of you.

“You are truly something else.”

“And you love me for it Loki.”

“Can’t argue that one.”

A small smile painted your face before it fell back into its relaxed state and you began to drift off. Every little thing that had happened today made you feel that you were a few steps closer to getting what you so desired with Loki.

#loki #Loki Laufeyson #loki x reader #loki laufeyson x reader #loki imagine #loki laufeyson imagine #loki fanfic #marvel fanfic #marvel x reader #marvel imagine

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mountain-man-cumeth · 3 years

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How would you rewrite Muriel’s route?

This is the 3rd question I got with similar vibes so imma begin by saying that I am not a writer. I am a reader, a decent one, but I’m not the idea guy. I will try, though, since it seems like people are interested for some reason.

First of all I'd make some baseline changes to set the backstory proper;

Muriel chose the mantle of Lucio's executioner willingly, him and Asra had no other means to survive so they willingly worked as indentured servants under Lucio. He reasoned with himself thinking these are bad people and that he has no other skills to offer. (There might be a threat on Lucio's part that they can be replaced, he doesn't have to had given a villain speech for the implication. He is a rich tyrant and they are street kids, it the service they provide isn't up to par Lucio can easily look for alternative options.) Let me be clear, Muriel was not a gladiator. Gladiators are compensated generously for the entertainment they provide and often due to the amount of investment made on them, fighting to death wasn't a common occurrence. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Muriel, or rather the Scourge was well known and probably liked by the crowd, there's literally no reason for Lucio to utilize him otherwise. He wants people to enjoy the show, if everybody hated Muriel what use is he to Lucio?

Kokhuri are alive. The tribe had to relocate but they left Khamgalai to tend to the graves. They are nomadic and matriarchal people who likely don't adhere to mother-father-child kind of European family structure. The children are raised communally.

Muriel's curse has nothing to do with myrrh, there's a rune that can counter it and only he knows how to make it, he figured it out by himself for Asra. Any magic that can nullify a spell by Major Arcana is no doubt strong as fuck.

I'd start similar to main 3, MC is tasked to find Lucio's murderer. They find Muriel's brush or loincloth or whatever early on which leads them to the forest but because of the protective spells and the curse they get lost. They ran into Muriel or Inanna and she leads them to Muriel hunched over the corpse. They try to help, like the canon, and have a brush with Lucio's goat ghost. They tell him they were looking for the Scourge and Muriel says there's no Scourge here.

The day after they forget about Muriel but remember the rest and relay that information to Asra, who gets agitated by Lucio's return. He thinks Lucio is here for MC's body but doesn't explain anything, instead begs them to leave town until he figures something out.

They go to see Muriel and he reluctantly agrees to accompany them to the outskirts of the forest, on Asra's request.

Some point on their road trip Asra water-calls them to inform them that Lucio is looking for hearts and the Magician (or whoever else Asra consulted) implied they might find answers South. MC still doesn't know anything except maybe some comments Muriel could have made that painted Lucio in a bad light but they decide to investigate regardless. Muriel opposes, eventually caves (either thanks to MC or Asra). He lets out that he's been tailing MC on Asra's behalf for years so it shouldn't be that much different.

They go from town to town, MC helps Muriel ease into dealing with people again and it's easier since nobody knows jack about Scourge. They learn that he enjoys card games and collecting trinkets from different cultures. He might even get a little too enthusiastic about plants and gives random advice to a gardener.

We might learn here that Muriel doesn't like feeling that he's on a display or that he's performing. He prefers to lay low and blend in, not necessarily completely shut off the world.

They run into Morga(maybe they encounter raiders or a barfight or something alike), who's also been tracking Lucio. She proposes to work together. She berates Muriel for being a coward and convinces him to fight as that's all he's good for. (I think it's better if MC trains on magic rather than archery, I'm seeing alot of disabled MCs.)

She tries to train them but Muriel doesn't respond well to fighting and eventually Morga leaves. Valdemar or Vulgora catches them, Lucio's still trying to get MC's body. They escape just barely, MC gets hurt, Muriel beats himself up over it, some angst some fluff, you know the drill. Maybe he has a panic attack because panic attacks are usually not as on the nose as "Oh No I Gotta Fight Someone With a Knife". Looking for a shelter and aid, they find a cottage which turns out to be Khamgalai's. She helps them out, teaches Muriel how to heal using the techniques of their clan, I assume MC helps since they know some restorative spells too. She tells Muriel his family sent him away when they got ambushed so he wouldn't have to live on the run as Morga's clan was on a war path to conquer South. We get sad, lots of tears. Kisses might ensue.

Somehow it's revealed that this is the answer they were looking for and not Lucio (because I think the whole "Lucio's clan" plot was redundant) and Morga was just using them as bait to get Lucio out of Vesuvia.

Morga catches on to them, we learn who she is, Muriel and MC confront her but Khamgalai says her warmongering already costed her everything. She says she's trying to make up for it by killing her son and she needs MC to lure him out, they agree to work together, begrudgingly. (MC's past can be revealed here since they need to learn what's the deal with Lucio's obsession of them at some point)

Around this point MC might realize the mark's fading, Muriel brushes it off.

Instead of Lucio, Devil comes and tells them about Lucio's plan to do the ritual again. They go back to Vesuvia to warn people

Masquerade happens, people remember Muriel, Nadia or MC or someone give people an ultimatum. But oh no it was a TRAP all along, Devil told them of the ritual to get them right where he wanted. Lucio gets in MC's body, Asra sends them to the Arcana realm, same story as main 3.

MC forgets Muriel on the Arcana realm but through the power of love and maybe some guidance from the Hermit they go "oh no i forgot my boy". They return to find him in the Coliseum. What?! He was the Scourge?! Who could've thought. (this reveal wouldn't affect MC's opinion at this point since they already know he's a cinnamon roll)

This time Lucio's blackmailing him with MC's body. He says he needs hearts to make himself a new one and if Muriel grabs some for him MC can get their body back.

Story diverges to Upright/Reversed

Upright, if MC encouraged him to take it easy, but take it: MC snatches the body of someone he's suppose to fight to change his mind, he decides not to do it and instead go with defeating Lucio on the Arcana realm plan(curtesy of their friends). So here we can have a romantic scene like in Nadia's route where his chains are broken in the Arena.

They fuck around in the Arcana realm facing their fears and stuff, they bond, defeat Lucio, petrify the Devil etc. I like to think Muriel finds the forest spirit here, too, and maybe manages to heal it or learns that it's damaged but with enough time and care it will regrow. (a metaphor? in my arcana game? its more likely than you think)

Morga is charged for war crimes by the Kokhuri, the Coliseum is demolished and the love birds travel around doing their thing.

Reversed, if MC encouraged him to be strong and uncaring: MC fails to convince him and he decides to go through with Lucio's plan. He kills Morga and some more important spirits and fucks up the world. Which turns out to be a bogus plan anyways, Lucio only needed the hearts to settle his deal and Muriel kills him, too (I am untethered, and my rage knows no bounds!)

Without a body MC is stuck in the other realm so Muriel and them retreat to the magic dimension, defeat the Devil and live the rest of their days.

There might also be a 50 first dates situation going on inwhich they get stuck in a loop where MC constantly meets and falls in love with Muriel only to forget him in a couple of (magic realm)days.

idk man this aint my job im just spitballing here, im writing this long ass thing so ill look like im working

#personal #muriel

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painandignite · 3 years

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medieval/fantasy!dsmp au

here’s my take on what the dream smp would look like if there was magic and took place in an older setting. my knowledge in medieval stuff is very minimal, but i’m trying my best.

- there’s a kingdom called the Dreamlands, which has many towns surrounding the main castle’s city. it’s a joint leadership between george and eret, with bad as their advisors, and sapnap and dream as personal knights. dream also takes on an advisor-like decision with george, and often george will confide with dream before talking to bad. a relationship built on unbreakable trust.

- wilbur is a leading general of their troops mainly as a strategist rather than a fighter. he often keeps the morale of fellow knights by singing tunes or taking time to know each person. however, after the last battle of the Pillager War, he’s no longer able to lead; he’s a shell of himself. more on the war later.

- tommy and tubbo are two knights-in-training. chaos buddies. you know the drill. though tubbo is in the guard, he’s thinking of becoming a craftsman apprentice. he wants to learn how to build things, and maybe create new inventions. but, he stays in-training to stay close to his best friend.

- karl is the main historian/records keeper of the castle. attending meetings and revising the notes bad takes to make into proper logs is his job. sometimes, he disappears for a while, and returns shaken. whenever karl comes back, he spends the next few days writing page after page of stories that no one can truly understand. karl insists they’re important, but can’t give a clear reason as to why. (the first day karl comes back, sapnap always brings him some food or warm drinks, and keeps him company. usually, sapnap ends up napping on a bench in the library.)

- ranboo is a new archivist at the castle since karl was looking for an apprentice. he tries his best, really, but sometimes there are blank pages that appear in records that ranboo doesn’t remember leaving empty. (tubbo makes time to go over ranboo’s work since tubbo knows a surprising amount of what goes on in the castle.)

- antfrost is their medic, who takes care of a herb garden for medicinal needs. it’s by a cottage behind the castle, where he spends most of his time with velvet. -w-

- philza is a sorcerer who prefers to watch things from the sidelines. he resides in his own private wing in the castle, where he experiments with different potion remedies and spells. after the war, he halted a lot of the projects he’s worked on to focus on memory restoration. for wilbur.

- you see, the dreamlands were at war with pillagers who raided towns on the border of their kingdom, slowly working their way to the heart of the land. george and eret sent knights to stop their approach, however the pillagers were powerful enough to eventually reach the castle’s surrounding city, L’manberg. wilbur asked to lead the remaining knights to defeat the oncoming pillagers, and created a plan to use illusionary magic to hide where their troops position. miraculously, their efforts to trick the pillagers worked, and the dreamlands were victorious.

- having won the battle, wilbur led their knights back to the castle with the city’s flag in hand. but a pillager had their enchanted crossbow ready to fire at wilbur, and arrow pierced through his chest. he falls to his knees, gasping as the sudden numbness from the injury.

- wilbur was quickly carried to the castle, with phil meeting them halfway there. they make it to phil’s work area, and he desperately tries to give him herbal remedies to the poison, when wilbur starts coughing blood, he uses healing magic to try to alleviate the pain. it doesn’t work. phil removes the arrow with shaky hands to try to stop the poison from spreading more.

- (it’s too late)

- he dies on the table.

- phil refuses to let him go. he uses a spell he learned about from a wandering trader on resurrecting people. however, there has to be a trade in exchange for granting the life. when wilbur awakes, he’s a ghost with hazy. he can’t leave the castle either because his body died in the castle, so his soul is chained to it. now, he wanders the halls, and many have gotten used to his presence.

- ok enough about ghostbur.

- PONK IS A CHEF AND HE IS THE BEST PASTRY CHEF OF ALL THINGS LEMON. he really wants george to let him plant more lemon trees, but they said no (even though he said please. ponk didn’t like the answer because the royal gardener has so much land to do as he pleases).

- techno. royal gardener. go figure. did i mention he helped write half of the books on potion-making that are in the library? no? well, no one really knows either, except for phil, since he was the main author of most of them.

- fundy is in-charge of the coffers. because foxes like shiny things? (i kind of based it off his originsmp character where he had a den of stolen stuff). when he’s not busy, he’ll keep track of where ghostbur goes from a distance.

- sam is the replacement general for wilbur. dream recommended him for the position because 1. he respects his ability to stay objective and 2. they trained together as knights, so dream knows his capabilities. he sets up rigorous training schedules for trainees, the hard work pays off.

- hannah and purpled are two knights who are basically sam’s assistants, dealing with the finer details of their army like weapon stocks and armor quality. they’re also extremely competitive with each other, and sam thinks it’s fun to watch them try to carry the most shields across the training grounds.

- callahan is a spy for the kingdom, and sends a few reports a month on how areas beyond the kingdom are doing. who’s to say he also includes town gossip about one of the kings and his green-eyed advisor.

- also, to be clear, eret and george aren’t married, they’re more like brothers

- skeppy is a blacksmith, and utilizes magic to create many of his weapons. during peaceful times, skeppy makes a lot of cooking ware for ponk and cauldrons that are exported for sale. he also specializes in making baking trays.

- quackity is a tavern-owner, and drags george, dream, and sapnap from the castle to spend a night drinking together. a gateway to a commoner life. karl makes sure they make it back by morning, though no one in the castle minds that they’re gone.

- niki is the stable master. if nascar racers rode horses, niki would be at that level. she’ll always beat you in a race even with the slowest horse. in addition to taking care of the animals, she keeps track of what medical supplies they have. she’ll have tea with philza and they talk about whatever comes to mind. sometimes, they talk about old memories of wilbur.

- jack manifold is a known explorer in the kingdom, roaming the realms beyond the dreamland. legend says he’s lived and died three times over, and he’s three times as lucky as any other man. jack specializes in fire magic, which is helpful for torches or campfires or lava.

- puffy is a captain on the sea, seeking the “Hermit’s Cove”. the dreamlands is not her home.

- schlatt is a sorcerer that can only create wine from any liquid and give people lung cancer. he’s usually too drunk out of his mind to actually cause damage. george doesn’t know why he’s in the castle, but hasn’t tried to get rid of him because...lung cancer...yea. quackity usually keeps him in check whenever he visits the castle, or drags him to stay at the tavern for a few nights. absolute nuisance.

i can probably write in a role for the other smp members, but that’s all for now.

#not going to tag every person mentioned #im so sorry mobile users #dream smp au #dream smp medieval au #dream smp fantasy au #dream smp headcanon

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casualtheoriesandthoughts · 3 years

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The role of memories in Kingdom Hearts

I recently replayed KH Re:CoM and I have to say it’s one of the more brutal entries in the series, with very little light-hearted letup on the action of the main story. Marluxia and Larxene, more so than nearly any other antagonist (even more than Xemnas imo) in KH, are incredibly cruel. Ansem SoD is literally a ghost haunting Riku and taunting him with his grief (and honestly made me think this is why a lot of fans came to support Riku in the first place).

The scene where Larxene flings Riku Replica to the side? Positively gut-wrenching. Sora being uncharacteristically angry? It honestly made me slightly uncomfortable. Naminé accepting her fate to be forgotten by Sora (despite him promising to meet her again) was super tragic.

But more than anything else, I feel like Re:CoM is a somewhat overlooked entry in the series for its influence on the meta-universe of KH (even if it is a bit of a ridiculous game with the card system). Especially since Melody of Memory has been released (spoilers ahead!), I felt the need to revisit Re:CoM for its lore on the role of memories in KH. Memories are an intriguing dimension of what I’m going to start calling the metaphysics of the KH universe. In this post, I’m going to cover things that memories do in Kingdom Hearts, and the implications it has for Melody of Memory and the ending of Re:Mind (last warning: SPOILERS AHEAD).

Re:CoM - Memories and connected feelings shape the heart

As Sora enters Castle Oblivion, we are told that the deterioration of his memories has already begun. Naminé is actively altering the links in his memory to insert her presence therein (all at the behest of Marluxia, who is manipulating her desire to meet Sora and her loneliness). Despite the creation of false memories in Riku Replica and Sora, however, they still induce people to experience very real feelings. Before his final battle with Marluxia, Sora still feels a responsibility and desire to protect Naminé in spite of the fact he has no personal relationship with her in reality and that she manipulated his memories. He also goes out of his way to tell Riku Replica that his own feelings are real, and that even if the memories are false, his experiences are his own and even possesses his own heart. For Sora and Riku Replica, all feelings are genuine even if they arise from false memories.

It’s worth noting the way memories are referred to in Re: CoM, starting with the title: Chain of Memories. A chain can be either shackling or connecting, as Marluxia and Naminé allude to when speaking about Sora’s memories. Marluxia orders Naminé to control Sora by way of his memories, in order for the latter to do his bidding (help him to take over the Organization, that is). Naminé, on the other hand, refers to Sora’s memories as that which tie him to his friends and loved ones, especially Riku and Kairi. His feelings of friendship and love towards others never fade in spite of his memories being changed, and is even willing to allow Naminé to destroy his heart by erasing his memories.

But that’s where it gets complicated. It is highly implied that memories have the ability to shape a heart, but only at this point is it suggested that the erasure of memories can actually destroy a heart. Marluxia states that if Naminé were to erase Sora’s memories, he would become an empty shell incapable of feeling (which coincidentally describes a Nobody). That said, she doesn’t actually do it, and when she destroys Riku Replica’s false memories, his heart does not disappear. This is why Riku Replica is able to return right before Sora fights Marluxia, his heart intact. This seems to indicate that Marluxia was either speaking in hyperbole, or simply did not know the true relationship of memories to hearts.

It may then be more accurate to say that the destruction of memories traumatizes and numbs a heart rather than destroys it. Larxene comments during Reverse/Rebirth that Naminé’s magic almost remade Riku Replica’s heart by changing his memories, but not quite. In the KH universe, memories seem to be inscribed on a heart rather than fundamentally altering it. Yet, memories also bind hearts to the world by giving them meaning.

Remember that as Sora journeyed through Castle Oblivion, people outside apparently forgot about him and remembered him spontaneously when awoke from his pod in Twilight Town. It’s not just the individual memories that make up a person, but the shared memories and experiences which connect hearts together in a “chain” of memories. In the presence of others, characters acquire purpose and senses of self. In Reverse/Rebirth, Riku rediscovers himself after falling to darkness and battles against his insecurities by rekindling his connections to people like Sora, Kairi and Mickey. This is how he maintains the light within, by dwelling on his memories of his bonds to his friends.

In that context, we might see how memories play an important role in giving rise to new hearts later on.

358/2 Days - The case of Xion

Xion is one of the most curious and earliest cases of a heart being generated seemingly out of nowhere in KH (I’d say possibly even before Riku Replica). Just like Riku Replica, Xion in 358/2 Days is derived from the memories of her original persona (in her case, Sora). She is not a true Nobody, though Vexen muses that his replicas are a special kind of Nobody in the Day 23 Report of 358/2 Days’ Secret Reports. In addition Xion, unlike Riku Replica, actively embodies many of Sora’s qualities while being distinctly aware that she is not truly Sora. It is this crisis of identity which eventually leads her to believe that she must return to Sora, and forces Roxas to defeat her.

After that, people cease to remember Xion after she returns to Sora, a fact about which I’ve always wondered. Consider that Riku Replica, upon returning to Riku (or at least residing in his heart), does not fade from Riku’s memory or anyone else’s. Axel repeatedly doesn’t remember Xion even when hints of her come up (such as the fact that Roxas wields two Keyblades, his knowledge of the Replica Program and his many interactions with Kairi, even during KH3). Yet he clearly remembers Riku Replica as evidenced in the Day 194 Secret Reports from the 358/2 Days. This is well after the events of Re: CoM for both Sora and Riku’s stories, as Xion had already met Riku in his Organization XIII coat.

In theory, one might assume that Axel shouldn’t remember either Xion or Riku Replica because they have both returned to their original forms. Yet objects that belong to them or are about them remain in existence (ex. Vexen’s reports about the Replica Program). Even Xion’s personal memories and those attached to her are sealed inside Roxas’ heart. Presumably because Sora never actually met her or Roxas (a crucial difference from Riku and his replica), and Roxas lost his own memories in his fight with Riku, memories of her became doubly compromised when he returned to Sora. So this begs an important question: what do memories do when it comes to having a heart?

I would say that memories, especially independent ones, allow for the arising of new hearts. Riku Replica may have acquired a heart (and therefore a distinct existence) when he decided to defend Naminé and claim his memories of her, even though they’re not real. In contrast, it is not clear whether Xion has a heart at the end of 358/2 Days, and it is implied that she has one by KH3, and essentially confirmed in Re:Mind.

From where, one can only vaguely guess. Let’s look at other KH beings: darkness is the source of Heartless; nothingness of Nobodies; negative emotions (or rather Vanitas) of Unversed; dreams of Nightmares ,Dream Eaters and Spirits. It would seem that hearts arise from light, or perhaps Kingdom Hearts itself (seeing as it appears to be the bedrock of reality). It makes sense since Kingdom Hearts is composed of all hearts that exist. But crucially, it is memories which give hearts their forms. Xion returns to existence when Sora liberates her memories/essence from within Roxas’ heart during Re:Mind.

Memories clearly play some role in generating an existential niche for hearts. They also may very well be the reason that people can be re-completed: Axel recalls his memories as a kid as he spends time with Roxas and Xion (Day 118 Secret Report). He even says that he feels like he has a heart in the presence of Roxas, Xion and Sora (and very critically, is unsure if he in fact doesn’t have one in a conversation with Roxas). Marluxia seems to recall his memories as Lauriam from KH Union Cross, right as he is defeated in KH3. Terra’s memories occasionally surface in Xemnas, and his feelings of loneliness come up as he dies in KH3.

Sora states in KH Re:CoM that he was able to return to being whole after becoming a Heartless by holding on to his memories of Kairi, and her own ability to free him from the darkness. Roxas, Xion and Riku Replica all develop hearts distinct from their original personas as they experience the world and forge new memories. Xion is primarily able to return to the world because people’s memories of her are restored. Her true consciousness becomes freed through Sora’s actions, not unlike the way Sora’s friends and allies suddenly remember him at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2.

From this, we can deduce that memories are critical for three things:

existing as a unique, complete individual

returning from states of incompleteness (such as being a Heartless or Nobody)

verifying that someone actually still exists in a reachable place

The last one is the kicker with Xion, and bears on a working theory of mine about Melody of Memory and Re:Mind’s endings (which I’ll put in another post for clarity). Hope this interests some people, and inspires some discussion about the possible connections between Re:CoM and Melody of Memory!

#khrecom #chain of memories #kingdom hearts #kh #kingdomhearts #khtheories #xion #kairi #sora #namine #kh lore #kh3 #kh2 #kh3 remind #kh meta

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dragonrajafanfiction · 3 years

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Yamata-No-Orochi (Part 2) Princess Tutu

Princess Tutu is a must watch if you haven’t seen it. It’s a bit after the MCs time though so she wouldn’t have been able to see it.

The throbbing bass from the speakers sync with the flashing lights of the dance club at Takamagahara. The crowd is thriving today. You can see glimpses of the masses of people in the pulsing of light. They appear like brief colorful snapshots on the floor below your center platform table.

The Romanceable MC contest continued despite the tragic death of Chance. The official narrative was that Chance died bravely defending you from street hooligans, which is horribly ironic, because that was something that you specifically told him not to do. Now Club Takamagahara was holding another Princess Night with the theme of Knights in Shining Armor. Men walked around like living walls of muscle wearing silver helmets, silver studded leather straps and bronze colored leather subligacula.

It was the exact opposite of what Chance’s life was. He was no knight. He would have been the first to admit that. He was on the underbelly of the world as a gang member, the lowest of his kind as an unstable hybrid and even then he lowered himself further, running sex dungeons for money to maintain the balance between his humanity and his raging dragonblood. And he still smiled and he still dreamed of a Hokkaido winter wedding.

Your chest constricts involuntarily.

“Are you going to be alright? You don’t have to be here.” A voice murmurs in your ear. Diamond is the only contender next to you. As a cowboy style performer, he has no need to dress up like a knight. Cowboys, like handsome knights, are just another font of masculine charm and marital fidelity. They work hard out on the lonely trails, wrangling sheep and cattle but they are true and come home to you, their sweet prairie wife. As sheriffs, they run out the outlaws in the town. “

You look up at him, his eyes are a welcome distraction. “You don’t have to be here either.”

He huffs. “Well, you can’t hurt too bad, if you come up with a sweet comeback like that.”

“Why are you here? Armani and Calypso have backed out.” Rumor had gone around that Chance's killing was related to an out of control fan who had fallen in love with you and had used his yakuza ties to put out a hit job and kidnap you. The other suitors didn’t mind losing a little dignity if it meant living another day.

“I used to work at Bliss Hall, also known as the Paradisio. I knew shady stuff went down. And when the gang war came there, I looked down the barrel of five guns while they interrogated me and patted me down. They determined I wasn't involved and let me go. So… if I was going to die of gang violence I probably would have already.”

“So why are you here?” You reach for the glass of champagne in front of you. Even though you were underage, you were already accustomed to the taste of drink and the smell of tobacco. Your high level of dragonblood didn’t let you get drunk easily as the men found out on your first day as the Main Character on this show. Chu Zihang checked the records on that night, and you had drunk two full bottles of vodka before you even felt the slightest bit tipsy.

He reached for his own glass. “I'm still a competitor. And I'm curious how Chance won three star-hearts in a single night. Is giving up your life the way to your heart? It’s a high price to pay and a lonely existence for you.”

Your mind flashes back to Renata and Chance. “I can see why you're second in the ranking. You dress much flashier than Kazama. But you’re no less of a sharpshooter.”

He presses his hand to his chest and bows.

“I don't need riches or beauty. So if you offer me those things, I'm not attracted. When I first came to Japan, I didn't care about anything. I felt my life was over. I was just trying to wait until the end and I wanted my life to end. But every time I reached for the end, there was a man who kept telling me no. I should not try to end my life and, even if it looked like my life was over, I shouldn't just take that conclusion at face value. His final lesson was I shouldn't just accept the inevitable death of others. It took a few times to accept those three lessons, but it was what I needed.”

“What happened to that guy? He sounds like a real keeper.”

You huff. “He was very happily engaged when we met.”

Chances eyebrows lifted. “I bet.”

“But I never forgot what he taught me. Chance helped me to speak those words from my own heart and my own experience. It's one thing to learn a lesson. When you teach that lesson to others, then you know it's part of your life. To see him listen to me and put what I learned into action because he loved me? How could my heart not overflow? Chance didn’t just accept his fate. He didn't just give up his life for me. He fought for us to be together. He… he wanted to live. I needed that in a person.” You run your hands over the empty glass in your hands imagining his smooth childlike face, so peaceful in the rain. “How many people are there out there who can look fate in the eye and say… ‘How about no?’”

Diamond reaches over with a champagne bottle and refills. “Oh You need someone who can rewrite the script! Like in Princess Tutu.”

You blink. “I’m sorry, did you just say ‘Princess Tutu’?”

“Oh come on, don't tell me you've never heard of Princess Tutu. It's just the best anime ever!”

You’re speechless. It was like this suave handsome Ikemen had suddenly turned into Lu Mingfei. “No, please fill me in.”

“Okay, hear me out. Once there was a writer named Drosselmeyer, who had the power to make his stories come to life. He especially loved to write stories with tragic endings! But he died before he could finish his final tale, called The Prince and the Raven, leaving the two title characters locked in an eternal battle.”

“After many years, the Raven managed to break free into the real world, and the Prince pursued him. To seal away the Raven's evil, the Prince shattered his own heart with his sword, causing him to lose all his memories and emotions. Without his emotions, he is reborn as Mytho.”

“Drosselmeyer, now a ghost, decides the story must have an ending. He finds it in the form of a little duck, who has fallen in love with Mytho. He gives her a magic pendant that can transform her, first into an ordinary human girl, then into the graceful ballerina Princess Tutu, another character in the story. As Tutu, it's Duck's job to find all the scattered shards of Mytho's heart and return them to him.”

“What's more, Duck learns that part of Princess Tutu's story is that she can never confess her love to Mytho, or else she'll turn into a speck of light and vanish. However, it becomes clear that Mytho wants his heart restored, so despite interference, she persists. She finds a friend in Fakir, a man who is the son of Drosselmeyer who also has the ability to bring his stories to life.”

“After most of Mytho's heart is returned to him, the seal trapping the Raven begins to break. Finally able to feel love again, Mytho realizes he loves Rue, another character – not Duck. Duck also discovers her pendant is the final shard, meaning she must give up her life as a human to return it. She eventually finds the courage to do so, and becomes a humble duck again.”

“Mytho and the Raven battle once more. When the fight turns bleak, Mytho considers shattering his heart to seal the monster away again. Duck begins dancing to show him he must not give up. As she does, this guy named Fakir writes a story about how she never stops, no matter how many times the Raven's minions attack her. They make that story a reality! This gives Mytho hope, which gives Mytho the strength he needs to rescue Rue and defeat the Raven. Mytho asks Rue to be his princess and they return to his kingdom inside the story. Duck and Fakir continue their relationship, even though she's stuck in her duck form. With nothing left to do, Drosselmeyer departs in search of another story.”

“The point is, you're Duck and you need someone like Fakir who can defeat Drosselmeyer by rewriting the script!”

When thinking about a ghost behind the scenes writing a script, it was clear who the Drosselmeyer in your life was. Z had rescued you and taught you to fight so your life could continue even though you didn’t really understand why. You were just like a duck receiving the pendant. But Z also had plans for you. He'd also forbidden you from confessing her love to Ruri Kazama before you even had feelings for him, only for you to meet him and suddenly he’s a potential contender for your heart with a clear connection with your past?

Z had a script. And falling in love with Ruri Kazama didn't fit. Why was your love interest so important? Who are you supposed to fall in love with? Caesar asked that in a roundabout way. Why did the person you fell in love with matter to him, if he wasn't your boyfriend?

Chance said that Izanami loved Izanagi on a whim, as a hobby, while she used him to help her live forever. She loved him and turned him into a monster. She needed him, and consumed him.

Z appeared and kissed you after you entered the MC contest. “I want to get to you before those idiots.” He’d said.

He entered the competition only after you nearly gave a star heart to Ruri Kazama. “I know how the story ends.” He’d said.

Pursuing Ruri Kazama or anyone else would defeat his script! Whatever script Z wrote required that you love no one but him.

Your hands tighten on the wine glass and Diamond massages your back. It's not that you had no feelings for Z at all, but Z was acting like Izanami, hiding his true intentions while making overtures of affection. There's only one way to be sure you weren't going to end up a duck or a monster at the end. Force a confession out of Z!

You look up at Diamond. “Thank you.” Your eyes are sparking with something like anger. You felt fierce and wild inside realizing that you’d been led along by this stranger, assuming that ‘keeping you alive’ was good enough of a good ending to your story. But Izanagi was ‘kept’ alive… as a sacrifice to the White King. Until you understood Z’s intention, there was no telling where he was leading you.

You stand up and lightly tap your glass. The host of the Takamagahara lowered the music and all faces turned to your center platform. “I would like to thank you for coming out tonight. I’ll let you get back to your dancing in a moment, but first I would like to award 3 star hearts to Diamond, for opening my eyes to the truth tonight.”

You spoke looking down on your audience like royalty. Standing in your sparkling silver cheongsam, you looked like royalty. Diamond’s eyes opened wide and he hastily swallowed his Champagne before he could choke on it. He had been kicking himself for speaking so foolishly to this woman. She’d fallen into a deep silence and he figured he’d just killed all his chances of a win. But she liked it!

“And I would like to announce the winner of the MC Romance contest. He knows who he is. He has a deep connection to my past, and I would like to explore that connection further. If you’re listening.”

You raise your eyes to the cameras that broadcast your face to hundreds of screens around Takamagahara. Spectators pushed each other to get a good view and the loud hall descended into a deep silence.

You didn’t remember the tune, but you would always remember the words and you speak them, closing your eyes and placing your hands on your heart. “All happiness may be a fleeting blossom in the shadow of the moon, but I am in that shadow waiting for you in a field of those flowers. Won’t you join me? Together we will dance in the depths of Yomi!”

The hairs rise on the necks of every patron of the Takamagahara. Eyebrows knitted in confusion, hushed puzzled whispers were uttered involuntarily. Your words sounded nothing like a love confession, more like a forbidden incantation written in secret by a practitioner of black magic!

The flashing lights suddenly go dark, every large display screen clicks off in a successive wave. You turn around in horror as those screens replace your face with the words “GAME OVER” in bright burning red text!

The words were on every screen in the room. Your eyes scan the room and immediately spot Caesar moving towards you on the left. You quickly descend from the platform and hurry to him. He covers you, sweeping over you with one arm. “Get downstairs. Now!”

His eyes meet with someone else's, likely Chu Zihang’s. “Don’t take the elevators, he can probably control those. We’ll take the stairwell.” He said.

You enter the beige corridor of the stairwell. It’s also pitch black. Not even the emergency lights are on. The basement is only one flight down and you can see to the bottom. A lone shadowy figure staring up at you with furious red gold eyes. You leap back and try to pull Caesar out, back to the crowd. “No! Caesar! Run!”

Caesar’s eyes blaze gold and he levels the Desert Eagles in the direction where you’re fearfully looking, but then he lowers them. He didn't hear anything, or see anything.

“Don’t! Don’t hurt him!” You beg.

“Z’s here?”

You gasp. “Yes. He’s mad.”

“Then we can talk?”

Your eyes swivel to and fro from Caesar’s eyes to Z’s eyes which apparently only you can see. Caesar still held his Desert Eagles but there was no fear there. “Yes.”

“Alright… Z. You’re running Takamagahara. The MC love contest was your idea right? What are your plans for MC?” Caesar asks. “I get the feeling you don’t have her best interests at heart.”

Z chuckles from the bottom of the well. “This conversation will have to wait. I’m a bit busy with another client.”

You’re shaking so much you hold on to Caesar’s arm to just keep yourself upright. “He’s gone.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he’s busy with another client.”

The door opens, scaring you both. Chu blinks at both of you in the dark stairwell but then he looks at Caesar and holds his questions. “We’ve got a problem. The Uesugi girl and Lu Mingfei have run into trouble. The whole area around the Robuchon restaurant is blocked off and it’s complete chaos. We’ve got to find Lu Mingfei and make sure he’s alright.”

Caesar gathers his arm around you and together you leave the stairwell. “MC, come with us. I don't want you and that Uesugi girl to meet, but until I figure out what Z is… I don’t think you should be alone.”

#Dragon Raja

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brighter-side-of-the-coin · 4 years

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Merlin Fic Rec - Halloween Masterlist

In the spirit of the spooky season, here is a (monstrous) list of fics that cover a range of Halloween-themed tropes!

Many of these fics explore darker themes, so please remember to read the tags/archive warnings - stay safe folks!

🎃Horror/Thriller🎃

The Devil's Table by kriadydragon (28k)

Arthur and Gwaine rescue Merlin from the clutches of slave traders only to find themselves trapped in a strange castle whose residents have up and vanished. There's something in the castle that's after them, and to make matters worse, Merlin is already injured and can't use his magic.

The Tomb by kriadydragon (17k)

There's a reason they say the Valley is cursed.

The Wild Hunt by aa_fic

Every year on Samhain, the Wild Hunt terrorises the small Welsh town of Camford. A year after his own father is killed by the Hunt, Arthur is asked to lead a party against it. Merlin Emrys, the ailing recluse who alone escaped the Hunt in the past, may hold the key to Arthur's success in defeating it—or he may be the leader of the Wild Hunt himself. Mystery/suspense, supernatural, Samhain/Halloween, dark romance.

A Dark and Storming Knight by tehfanglyfish (4.9k)

After their horses run off in a torrential downpour, Arthur and Merlin are forced to take shelter in a cold and creepy abandoned house. To make matters worse, Arthur keeps wishing that a sorcerer would show up to light the fire.

The Monster in the Mirror by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle (7.5k)

A strange mirror has made its way into Camelot. With claims of it being enchanted, Arthur is determined to lock it away as soon as possible. However, while knights and lords and servants have all seemed to be shocked and terrified by whatever visions the mirror presented…Merlin doesn’t seem to notice.

Until he does.

In the Deep, Dark Woods by dante_s_hell (22k)

Arthur hires a company to provide team building exercises for the employees of Camelot Industries. The urban jungle is more their speed, but they make a go of it, traveling into the woods to bond while communing with Mother Nature. Unfortunately, the trip isn't what they expect and they bond the hard way...by trying to survive.

Tales to Tell in the Dark by mushroomtale, Polomonkey (7.3k)

A Prince stumbles across a beautiful man asleep in a castle...A merman longs for the handsome noble he sees above the waves...One orphan courts another in a town where young men are going missing...Three classic fairytales, given a horror twist.

The House by silence_since_silence (1k)

Merlin is a real estate agent. Arthur buys the two bedroom, one bath, one-level house with the streetlight right out front and just across the road and with the giant rosemary bush that has grown up around the front window like ivy.

🎃Ghosts🎃

Gibraltar May Tumble by shes_gone (24k)

Merlin's life in London is a bit of a mess: his career is trapped somewhere between student and professional, his love life is trapped in a relationship gone sour, and most days he feels physically trapped in the tiny, shared flat he can't afford to move out of—until an unexpected opportunity sends him packing for the coast. There, he meets someone who might be in a even worse fix than he is: Arthur, a Victorian-era sea captain who's trapped, a bit literally, between life and death, and who refuses to leave the house he died in over a hundred years ago.

Lament for the Lost by Clea2011 (21k)

Arthur inherits a crumbling mansion and sets out to restore it to its former glory. But Merlin has been held by a far darker inheritance all his life, and its grip on him tightens when he arrives at Camelot House to work for Arthur.

Resurgam by La_Temperanza (16k)

Merlin can see dead people™, and Arthur's just indirectly invited the entire spirit world. To think, people said this party was going to be boring.

The Ghost of Le Fay House by rotrude (28k)

Lieutenant Arthur Pendragon is wounded in action during the battle of Narvik. Rescued, he's sent to recover in requisitioned manor turned military hospital Le Fay House. His doctor, Merlin Emrys, is new at the job but quite hopeful of doing well... until strange happenings start to plague them both.

The Apartment and Everything That Comes With It by Pendragons Dragonlord (PseudoAuthor) (6k)

The apartment is old. Windows still covered in cobwebs, paint peeling from the walls, the bathroom ceiling covered in mould.

It’s a dump.

It’s perfect.

Apart from the flickering lights.

Nothing Like a Good Ghost Hunt by thecheekydragon (17k)

Merlin and his team are commissioned to investigate the hauntings at the famed Camelot Castle and get more than they bargained for when they find that the paranormal investigation team led by Arthur Pendragon has been commissioned to do the same.

Welcome to Camelot Hotel by schweet_heart (3.9k)

When his Uncle Gaius' old friend needs a favour, Merlin jumps at the chance to rent a flat in the newly refurbished Camelot building at a substantial discount. So what if the previous tenant left in a hurry in the middle of the night? It's not like the place is haunted or anything…

The Washerwoman by schweet_heart (4k)

Her dark eyes held such an aching sorrow that the expression almost stole his breath, and there was something oddly familiar about her, though Merlin was certain he would have remembered if he had seen her before.

Haunted by maarzanna (<1k)

Curious visitors keep turning up at the ruins of Camelot's castle. One of the spirits who haunts the grounds is particularly disgruntled by the disturbances.

Dead And Breakfast by yourrockyspine (4.3k)

After his Mum's demise, Merlin kept her beautifully-maintained B&B up and running.

And though he mostly loves having his mother's ghost nearby, it's some of the other deceased residents that make it exceedingly hard to please his (living) clients.

Flattening by yourrockyspine (2.3k)

A small, fluffy Happy Halloween follow-up to Dead and Breakfast

Arthur takes Merlin to his flat; Morgana's there all ghost-like and obnoxious

The Afterlife by supercalvin (3.1k)

“Hey, what’s your wifi password?” “For the love of God!” Gwen yelled, “Merlin you are dead. You do not need a wifi password.”

🎃Zombies🎃

Land of Ghouls by rotrude (39k)

In a world overrun by flesh-eating ghouls, with the apocalypse as part of his everyday life, smuggler Arthur Pendragon has nothing left to fight for until Finna, the leader of a survivor camp, entrusts him with one life-endangering mission he at first doesn't want to accept: escorting Merlin Emrys, a man who has survived a ghoul bite, to the last medical facility left standing in Great Britain in the hopes he will be key to a cure. Arthur and Merlin start on a quest that could cost them their lives or save mankind.

All the Dead Are Here by Footloose (46k)

There's not much outside Arthur's purview -- eventually, all creatures fall to the Reaper's scythe. It's never personal. It's just his job.

That was true until Arthur ran into the only death he's ever regretted reaping -- Merlin, who is inexplicably alive and well.

But that's not all. There are monsters that exist outside of life and death, and they're spreading like vermin in the city of London. The balance is in jeopardy, and Merlin may be the only one who can help him restore order in the chaos.

It's a Beautiful Night; We're Looking for Something Dumb to Do by flammablehat (<1k)

What's a little political unrest and a lackluster zombie outbreak in the face of True Love, anyway?

World of the Skin Puppets by charmed_seconds (3.5k)

The world was in ruins. Zombies have overtaken Europe and everyone was striving just to live. No matter how callous you get from living in a post-apocalyptic world, one is never ready to face the undead corpse of a loved one.

fixing to die by helloearthlings (3k)

He had put in his blue contacts, covered himself nearly head to toe in cover-up mousse, and still all that Arthur could see in the mirror was decayed yellow eyes and rotting flesh.

Zombies, Run! by supercalvin (1.2k)

It’s the zombie apocalypse. Merlin and Arthur are runners for Camelot Township.

🎃Vampires🎃

Dead of Knight by jsea (43k)

Merlin Emrys, supernatural expert and consultant for the local police, knows that going to the opening night of a vampire bar isn't a good idea, not with anti-vampire sentiments running rampant. So when he draws the eye of the bar's charismatic owner, and the new Master of the City, Arthur Pendragon, he's not exactly pleased.

When a series of murders, seemingly the work of vampires, forces them to work together anyway, Merlin unwittingly finds himself falling in love. Suddenly, the lines between work and love are not as cut and dry as they seem.

Dead Men Tell No Tales by a8csock (ladysockalot) (20k)

As a necromancer Merlin had a duty to the dead, as much as he avoided it. However, Merlin wasn't sure if he was lucky or not to have met a vampire in a cemetery, especially when he was investigating murders perpetrated by a vampire.

A Double Dose of Destiny by Drag0nst0rm (1.6k)

In which Camelot has a vampire problem, and Gwen rather wishes she wasn't the one who was expected to deal with it.

A Warlock's Blood by Lullabylily (8.2k)

People are dying. A vampire is terrorizing Camelot. And this particular vampire has taken an unsavoury interest in Merlin…

Another One Bites the Dust by merlin_the_dragonlord (3.2k)

The vampires have kidnapped Merlin. It's up to Arthur to retrieve his precious watcher.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU with slayer!Arthur and watcher!Merlin

Age Ain't Nothing But a Number by Mad_Maudlin (3.7k)

It was all going so well, and then Arthur found out Merlin's secrets. Both of them.

Vârcolac by rotrude (44k)

1740, Young Queen Maria Theresa of Austria sends Hauptmann Arthur Pendrachen and Leutnant Oberarzt Merlin Emryß to Transylvania, currently belonging to the Austrian Crown, with the task of dissuading the locals from believing in legends and myths that are archaic, provincial and frankly absurd. This is the Century of Philosophers, the Age of Enlightment and the state must spread rationality and scientific thinking all around! In short Pendrachen and Emryß are to drive some sense into those credulous peasants who still believe in the undead, also known as vârcolaci, moroi -- vampires.

It all starts to plan, but their journey journey ends up being fraught with less Enlightment and more peril than they'd wagered for.

🎃Monsters (and others)🎃

Skellington by Pasteles, Succulents (3.9k)

((Skellington/Frankenstein AU)) Arthur's been reincarnated in the 18th century when magic is still something punishable by death. But something's wrong, Merlin is no where to be found upon the once and future kings return. Kilgharrah, who has been bound into a human form, takes it upon himself to bring back the powerful sorcerer. In a twist of destiny, Arthur and Merlin meet before Kilgharrah's work is finished.

Through this Wonderland by inktomi (3.5k)

"No," says Merlin. "No. We are not going to Scotland so you can slay a mythical beast that does not exist."

Bumps in the Night by schweet_heart (<1k)

Arthur's back. Merlin's a vampire. The whole destiny thing is a bit anti-climactic, really.

Monster Mash by supercalvin (2.4k)

The ballroom was filled to the brim. On the ground there were the normal crowd of creatures and then flying around the ceiling were the winged clique. Everyone had a drink in their hand as they socialized (Wine, punch, blood, witch’s brew, and brains were all available at the open bar).

A Modern Pygmalion by supercalvin (1.9k)

Doctor Arthur Pendragon has been working on his theory of reanimation for seven years and now he is ready to try his theory on human flesh.

Monster by supercalvin (1.4k)

Merlin and Arthur are the best pair of hunters on this side of the Atlantic.

Lake Monster Matchmaking by FandomOlde (<1k)

Kilgharrah, mistaken for a mythical lake monster, plays matchmaker for a reincarnated Merlin and Arthur.

With Smoke and Shadow by staymagical (1.2k)

Ever since he can remember, Arthur has had The Sight, a gift that shows him the aura of the supernatural. It's a pain, mainly.

The Wallfahrt Witch by rotrude (14k)

1630s, Counterreformation AU. A solitary traveller coming to a small Upper Austrian village finds shelter with the organ player of the local pilgrimage church. While religious strife is on the rise, the supernatural victims of its violence watch on as a star-crossed love story blooms.

🎃Halloween Fluff🎃

Of Halloween Socks and Poor Timing by orphan_account (1.6k)

No one knew he was wearing silly Halloween socks under his patent leather shoes.

Halloween Knights by bunnysworld (<1k)

Percy might have misunderstood as what they were going to the party this year.

Stars directing our fates by Camelittle (4.9k)

In which Merlin finds that his destiny is quite literally written in the stars.

Pumpkin Carving by qvicksilvers (<1k)

The first ever Pumpkin Carving Contest has arrived in Camelot, all thanks to Merlin. Will it become an annual event? Judging by the results, probably not.

Pumpkin patch Mayhem by ForTheLoveOfFangirling (<1k)

Merlin drags Arthur to the pumpkin patch.

To Light the Fires of Winter by Elizabeth (5.6k)

The Druids' mysterious leader, Emrys, has invited King Arthur to their encampment for Samhain.

Eager to solidify their people's alliance, Arthur agrees.

Halloween night by bunnysworld (<1k)

This wasn't their best idea

Suicidal Glasses and the Halloween Goose by giselleslash (3.3k)

Elena has to work Halloween night and Gwaine is smitten by the fact that she’s the worst bartender ever.

for me it's always you by helloearthlings (2k)

“My mum and I watched horror movies together every October when I was a kid,” Merlin said, unfazed by the look on Arthur’s face. “I like them.”

“I get to choose the movies,” Arthur said, not able to just agree without a fight. Merlin, damn him, looked as cheerful as ever as he leaned down to kiss Arthur again before moving away. Arthur missed him the second he was gone, even though he was just going to the kitchen, and it was somehow the most amazing and annoying thing all at once.

Modern Dracula by TsingaDark (3k)

Arthur didn’t believe in supernatural creatures. Nevertheless, he was about eighty-five percent sure that his neighbour was a vampire.

Halloween Story by every1isgay (3.4k)

Arthur always sees Merlin at Gwaine's parties, and he really likes him, though he hasn't asked him out yet. This Halloween, he hopes he can impress Merlin, but does not expect his reaction to Arthur's gory costume.

Away We'll Go by maarzanna (<1k)

The Halloween party at Pendragon's Co. has gotten a bit out of hand, and Arthur is mortified, that is, until Merlin shows up in a tantalizing costume.

Caldron Bubble by maarzanna (<1k)

Arthur does a terrible job at being a supportive boyfriend, and Merlin’s potion gets ruined. It's all Arthur’s fault.

Toward the Darkness by maarzanna (<1k)

A mischievous demon disturbs the Pendragon household.

Don't Kill Me, Kiss Me by safarialuna (2.3k)

Merlin just wants to have a peaceful Halloween. The last thing he expects is to be face-to-face with a towering man who is about to bash his head in with a shovel at a cemetery.

Haunted House by schweet_heart (<1k)

"Dare you to go inside," Arthur said.

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice by supercalvin (2.2k)

Arthur goes to Gaius Cafe before work and sees a fit runner who stops by every morning.

#i baked pumpkin bread while making this #just to really embrace the fall vibes #also i did my best to organize everything by its main trope #but there's bound to be some overlap just as a heads up #my fic rec #merthur #bbc merlin #merlin #merlin fic rec #fic rec #fan fiction #arthur pendragon

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send-me-your-hcs · 4 years

Text

Forever Ch16

Collab fic with @ceratonia-siliqua (check their blog next week for the next chapter!)

Chapter 15

Read on ao3

Warnings: Eventual unhealthy/codependent relationship, possessive behavior, dark themes, check ao3 for additional warnings.

Bucky stared on in shock as Peter wept into his hands.

He cursed himself for leaving the boy alone, but even now, watching Peter fall to pieces on the couch in front of him, he knew it was necessary. As much as he hated it, the nearest town had been absolutely buzzing with the story of Tony Stark’s missing son, the raped boy, even all the way out here in rural Indiana, and they didn’t have the right gear to disguise Peter at all. He would have been seen without a doubt.

So it was necessary that Bucky left him alone, even though, right now, it was breaking his heart.

He set the bags down and drew the crying boy into his arms, shushing him. Peter clung to the sleeves of his jacket, hot tears flooding down his cheeks, sobbing his little heart out. “Baby,” Bucky said again, running his hands down Peter’s trembling back, practically crushing him to his chest. “Sweetheart, what are you talking about? What’s wrong?”

And then he saw it.

The TV flickered, and Bucky looked up just in time to catch sight of what looked like a press conference wrapping up, the screen filled with throngs of people holding up microphones, and at the front of all of them, like a king standing before his subjects, was the cold, furious face of Tony Stark himself.

Bucky’s hands tightened their hold on Peter, and he pulled him closer, his eyes narrowing.

No wonder Peter was so upset. They’d only spent one night together, and already, his thick-headed father was recruiting the whole world to try and separate them. Of course he would be scared, the poor thing.

Bucky sighed and softly kissed the boy’s forehead. “Is this what’s got you all worked up?” he asked gently, smoothing down Peter’s wild head of curls. “Baby. My sweet boy. Come here.”

He turned the TV off and gathered Peter into his lap, cradling him like a child. It shouldn’t have been easy to bundle an eighteen-year-old teenager in his arms this way, but Bucky was tall and broad in all the right places - there was a reason they called him The Winter Soldier, after all - and Peter was...well, Peter couldn’t have been more the opposite. If it wasn’t a slur to refer to gay boys as fairies, that’s exactly what Bucky would call him, because Peter was delicate and ethereal and Fae-like in every sense of the word.

So it shouldn’t have been easy to cradle Peter in his arms, but it was. It was like Peter was born to fit there, one more great, cosmic sign proving they were meant to be together. Everything from their circumstances to the very DNA that designed their bodies matched up to ensure that they were the perfect pair, and Bucky loved it, loved it almost as much as he hated the terrible sound of Peter crying.

“S’all my fault,” Peter said, the words all stringing together as he forced them out alongside his sobs. “My dad, he’s - I hurt him, I hurt him and now he’s - he’s so mad, and when he finds us he’s gonna...he’s going to…”

“Sweetheart,” Bucky said, his arms stilling, no longer rocking Peter against his chest like an infant. “Baby. Look at me.”

He cupped the boy’s cheek and lifted his face up, away from his chest, until their eyes met.

“Peter, I know you feel bad that we left the way we did, but you need to remember, your dad has responsibility here, too. This isn’t your fault.”

Peter rubbed at his eyes, trying, in vain, to stem the flow of tears. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, if your dad ever bothered to actually talk to you, if he was open to the idea of you having a relationship with anyone other than himself, if he had paid enough attention to you to realize you had already met someone and fallen in love...we wouldn’t have had to leave. We would still be in New York.”

Two wide, wet eyes blinked up at him in perfect, heartbroken unison. Peter looked at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing like he didn’t know what to say. Bucky took advantage of his stunned silence, leaning down and pressing a tender kiss to the boy’s hair, hugging him tightly until Peter said, “R-Really?”

“Of course, baby,” Bucky said. He rubbed some of the lingering tears from Peter��s cheek with the pad of his thumb. “You’re an adult. Even if your dad didn’t necessarily agree with us moving in together, or if he just needed some time to warm up to the idea, that would have been fine. But from what you’ve told me, your dad...isn’t like that, is he?”

Peter hesitated a moment, then reluctantly shook his head.

“He would have stopped you, baby. He would have done anything - and I mean anything - to keep me the hell away from you. He wouldn’t have cared that we can tell each other anything. He wouldn’t have cared that I would never let anything happen to you. He wouldn’t have cared that we love each other.”

Tears welled up in the boy’s eyes again, but Bucky caught them before they could run down his cheeks.

“You can love someone and still know that they aren’t good for you, doll. Your dad...I think he does love you. And yeah, right now, I’m sure he’s takin’ it hard. But that’s on him, baby, it’s not on you. Because when you love someone, you have to be willing to let them go. And your dad never would’ve been.”

He pulled Peter in, kissing his wet, tear-swollen cheek, then the tip of his nose, and finally, his pretty, pink, pouty lips.

“Remember how I said you could write your dad letters? Maybe it would make you feel better if you wrote one, baby. I won’t be starting my new job for at least a week or so, so I won’t be able to mail it for you until then, but it might help you process everything if you wrote it out.”

A small, shy smile tugged at Peter’s lips as he sniffled, his tears finally running out. “You remembered,” he said, the angelic bell chime of his voice turned raw from all the sobbing. “You remembered that I like to write things out when I’m sad.”

“Of course I did, sweetheart,” Bucky said, wrapping his arms around the boy’s back and hugging him tightly. How could he ever forget? It was thanks to that that he found out about Skip and what he’d done. It was thanks to Peter’s love of writing that that rat was currently breathing his last wretched, pain-filled breaths.

“I also remembered you telling me how much you like to eat potato soup with cheese and bacon when you’re feeling down, so I picked up the ingredients for it, just in case.” He kissed Peter’s nose again and sat the boy upright in his lap. “Why don’t you come help me figure out where things should go in our kitchen, and then I’ll whip up a big pot for us for dinner?”

Peter’s cheeks darkened to an adorable shade of red, and he wrapped his arms tight around Bucky’s neck, his legs falling on either side of his hips as he straddled him.

“I’m still pretty sore,” he confessed quietly, burying his face in Bucky’s shoulder. “Will you...um. Will you carry me? Please?”

Bucky felt his dick twitch inside his pants, spurred on by Peter’s weight and the warmth of his body pressed against it. He carefully took hold of the boy’s sensitive ass, gently but firmly pressing them together as he prepared to stand.

“Always, baby.”

—

Their second night together was much more romantic than their first.

Peter, the poor thing, was still feeling a little achy and reserved as they made dinner. After Bucky brought their newly-purchased toiletries (and the lube) upstairs, the boy stuck to his side as they put everything else away, clinging to him as they acquainted themselves with their new kitchen. Bucky loved how Peter stayed tucked under his arm as he cooked, or propped up on the kitchen counter with his legs dangling over the edge, palms flat on the countertop beside his thighs to take most of his weight off his sore ass.

But they talked the entire time. Luckily for Bucky, Peter was pretty easily distractible. It was much easier to manage in person than through letters or emails - if a topic started swaying too far into unwelcome territory, Bucky merely had to intervene once with a tidbit he thought might catch Peter’s attention, and watch him sail off in a new direction.

It was comfortable, doing something as domestic as making his own dinner for the first time in ten years while his young lover chirped at his side. It felt like they’d known each other their whole lives. They communicated fluidly, like it was second nature, an instinct written into their very brain matter. Peter had an adorable playful side, silly in a way that couldn’t help but be endearing, sassy in a way that made Bucky want to leave their dinner burning on the stovetop to kiss that mischievous little grin right off the boy’s face.

Peter asked about the house as they ate, specifically about the locked door that led to the basement, and the safes built into the kitchen and master bathroom. Bucky feigned ignorance, suggesting that whoever restored this place had decided to modernize the odd features its original owners had installed instead of removing them. Peter speculated about the wealthy family who must have built the house originally, how strange and creepy they must have been, like something you’d find in a cheap horror movie about ghosts.

Bucky couldn’t help teasing him, and tapped the boy on the shoulder as they were cleaning up, side by side at the sink. Peter startled like a newborn fawn and whirled around in alarm. “Something just touched me!”

“Must have been that ghost my lawyer warned me about,” Bucky said.

Peter glared at him, and Bucky couldn’t help but burst into laughter, only laughing harder when the boy took the side sprayer beside the faucet and pressed down hard on the trigger, soaking him. Bucky was able to wrestle the nozzle away from him pretty easily - God, Peter was such a delicate, little thing, no wonder his dad never let him out of his sight - and hefted the boy over his shoulder like a deer, beaming at the stream of giddy laughter that poured from Peter’s smiling mouth.

“That wasn’t very nice, young man. I think you need to be taught some manners.”

Peter writhed on his shoulder, his legs kicking out futilely. “You totally deserved it!”

“Oh, really?” He trailed his hand up the back of Peter’s thigh, stopping just below the cheeks of that perfect ass. “You’re lucky you’re still feelin’ sore, or else I’d have you over my knee for a comment like that.”

He expected another sassy remark, but to his very pleasant surprise, Peter only whimpered, his hands tightening into little fists in the back of Bucky’s wet shirt, where his upper body hung limply. Bucky waited a beat, then trailed his hand up higher, until he was full on cupping the cheek of his ass.

“You like the sound of that, baby?” he asked, giving the cheek under his left palm a gentle squeeze. “Like the thought of Daddy bending you over his knee when you’re bein’ a mouthy little brat?”

“I - I dunno,” Peter said, but the erection digging into Bucky’s shoulder told a different story. “It’s...it’s kind of weird.”

“You ever been spanked before, doll? Hm?”

Peter buried his upside-down face in Bucky’s soaked back, and the man’s heart nearly burst. “No. My dad threatened to, a couple of times, but - he never had to actually do it.”

“Such a good boy,” Bucky purred, tightening his hands on the boy’s legs as he started walking out of the kitchen. “I don’t think Daddy will have to do it, either.”

Peter clung to his damp shirt as they started ascending the stairs, his voice coming out a little shy and scared as he said, “B-Bucky?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“The, um - the daddy thing - ” he gulped, nervously, squirming in Bucky’s hold. “We don’t...we don’t have to do that all the time, right? I mean, I - don’t get me wrong, I liked it, it’s just - for me, it kind of...it got kind of...I don’t know. Kind of heavy, I guess. We can...we can make love normally too, right? I mean - crap, that’s not the right word - I wasn’t trying to say we did it abnormally, just - can we do it...without the daddy thing, sometimes…? Would that be okay?”

They reached the bedroom, and Bucky took another moment before replying so he could gently pull Peter down into his arms, holding him bridal-style, before lowering him onto the bed like the precious pillow princess he was.

“Peter,” he said softly, cupping the boy’s cheek, his gaze flickering over that sweet, worried little face. “Of course that’s okay. I didn’t mean to spring my kink on you without talking to you about it first. It just sort of...happened.” He smiled apologetically, his heart soaring when Peter smiled back. God, he loved this boy. “If you don’t like it, you can tell me. I don’t want to do anything to you that you don’t like.”

“I do like it,” Peter insisted, leaning in to Bucky’s hands, nuzzling his palms slightly. “It was really hot. But sometimes, if it’s okay, I’d like to just do things...more…”

“Vanilla?” Bucky asked, smiling when Peter’s nose wrinkled. “Romantic?” he tried instead, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the boy’s forehead. “Slow?”

He could feel Peter’s cheeks burning in his hands. His sweet, innocent, beautiful boy. “Yeah,” Peter said, almost a whisper. “Yeah. More like that.”

Bucky tilted the boy’s face up and kissed him, slow and romantic, just like he asked, but still with every bit of desperate hunger churning in his gut shining through. Peter’s mouth opened for him on a gasp, and Bucky’s tongue delved inside, devouring, insatiable for more of everything this boy had to give.

“Okay, baby,” he said as he pulled back, just enough to crawl on top of Peter, flattening him down on the mattress. “I can do that.”

#winterspider #bucky x peter #bucky barnes x peter parker #ceratonia-siliqua #winterspider prison fic #forever fic tag

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rowan-raven-rogue · 4 years

Text

kirschwein (ch1)

will probably edit later when it’s not 3am but let’s get this posted babey

kirschwein

word count: 2127/2830 part 2/8 rating: general audiences warnings: no warnings apply category: f/m fandom: critical role (web series) relationship: jester lavorre/caleb widogast Characters: jester lavorre, caleb widogast

additional tags: let’s see how matt mercer thrusts the harpoon of canon straight through the heart of this story in like 5 episodes, somewhere between AU and canon-divergent?, established relationship, technically mechanically compliant, we can discuss the meta of greater restoration vs heal if you want

chapter 1

Despite evidence to the contrary, she thinks, Jester really is not suited for healer’s work.

To heal is one thing, certainly; one whisper to the Traveler, and a wound in Beau’s shoulder closes, or a burn on Caduceus’ palm blisters over and cools. But the work of healing - bandaging, applying poultice, splinting - that remains a mystery, even after the morning spent in the red-haired healer woman’s tent. A body really does most of the work by itself, Jester thinks, diligently elevating a young man’s shattered leg all the same, the way the woman had instructed. She croons something low and nonsensical to soothe him, as he half-cries in his half-sleep, and is thankful that her mama taught her at least a bit about the work of consolation.

To be perfectly honest, she might have been of slightly more use on the builder’s crew. Slightly.

“That’s very good, dear,” the red-haired woman smiles, only with the corners of her eyes. She finishes applying delicate-smelling balm to the frizzy side of a dwarf woman’s face, then turns to Jester. “You learn quickly.”

“Not always,” Jester admits. “Only because you showed me. If I had to learn this from a book or something, or if you were just talking me through it I would have no idea what was going on.”

“We learn in different ways,” nods the woman, in her thick, familiar accent. “I learned much of what I know from books, but they do not, ah, always have the full story.” The young man lying next to Jester groans again, and she reflexively lays a hand on his arm and hums something lullsome. “A page cannot teach that,” she says, softer, indicating.

“I could do more,” Jester ponders, “but he seems okay for now, and if anyone else gets brought in that might be worse, I don’t want to… I’d rather save it.”

“More wisdom.”

“But if no one else comes today, I can fix it no problem,” Jester says, and puffs just a touch of green sparks from her fingertips, for effect.

The older woman’s eyes crease, again, the way they had earlier that morning, when Jester first arrived, when she first set her fingertips to the gashes clawed in a half-elf child’s back and asked Please, Traveller, make it stop hurting. Not in a smiling way, and not for longer than an instant, but long enough for Jester to see, and to vanish the green sparks with a small noise like a weasel’s squeak.

“You are talented,” murmurs the red-haired woman, and the rain slowly pattering away at the canvas above them drums a little harder and faster.

“I hope Caduceus is okay,” Jester says, as if she could look through canvas walls and summon him, dripping but cheerful.

“He is allergic to water?” the woman says, unblinking, and it takes Jester seconds to realize she’s joking.

“Yes,” she deadpans back, in her best mimic of Caleb - and there was a pang, she hadn’t seen him all day - but the woman actually laughs, small but full.

“He will be alright,” she says. “I am sure the apothecary is… overworked, today.”

“He’s better at this kind of thing,” Jester says. “Healing without, uh. Cheating. He knows what he’s doing.”

“I am grateful for your help,” the red-haired woman says, firmly, seating herself by the small brazier in the center of the tent. “Normally, they,” with a small circle of the hand, to her patients, “would be cared for at the hospital, but. You saw the state of the hospital, after...” And after a long pause, “I do not think of it as cheating.”

Jester sits, mindful of the patients resting. The woman continues to stare into the glowing coals.

“We simply have different ways of accomplishing the same task,” she says, finally. “You are skilled as you are, dear.”

A blush purples faintly over Jester’s cheeks “You sound like my - friend,” she says. How do I refer to Caleb, exactly?

“Hmm?” says the woman. “She is smart, then.”

“He’s so smart,” says Jester, eagerness creeping in at the edges of her voice. “I meant you sound the same like you have the same accent. He’s Zemnian, too.”

“Is he a healer, also?”

Jester shakes her head. “He usually needs me to like, put his arms and legs back on after a fight or something. But he’s really good at other stuff.”

“A mage, then,” and that same small ghosting look gathers in the corner of her eyes, and dissipates just as quickly. “That will be useful, if your aim is to hunt these creatures. They are quite strong.” There is a small pop from one of the glowing coals. “My husband was a soldier, and he only barely managed to slay one of them, once. I nearly had to put his arms and legs back on myself.” A suggestion of a smile turns at the woman’s mouth. “He is… not in his fighting prime, of course. That was one of the few times I have thanked the gods for his hard-headedness. I think he was simply too stubborn to bleed out.”

“Oh my God, Caleb is so stubborn sometimes,” agreement spills from Jester, and the woman cocks an eyebrow.

“Your - friend?” she says, with a suggestion, lilted and understanding, and Jester takes pause.

“Well - yes, and also - I mean, we’re together, but - it’s so hard, when we’re with this big group, you know, like - you never get any time to yourself as it is, and it hasn’t been that long…” Jester’s words trail off into a small, exasperated sigh.

“My goodness,” the woman laughs again, this time fuller. “I do not miss being young, my dear, it seems just as complicated as I remember.”

“It wouldn’t be, if…” and Jester trails off again. If we weren’t worried about everybody making it weird? or for a shameful instant, if he could let himself be happy for longer than a few minutes at a time? although that one Jester quickly sweeps away.

The woman filled her pause. “Well, I’m sorry to say you signed up for stubbornness with that one, if he’s a Zemnian boy. My husband is this way, and my son.” There is a hitch to her voice, near the end, catching over son in a way Jester can’t miss. The pitched canvas above them thrums harder still beneath the rain. “He was a mage, as well.”

“Your son?” Jester says, carefully.

“Yes,” and the woman’s voice peters out into something like a whisper, carrying something heavy and unmistakable.

“I’m sorry,” Jester says simply.

“Thank you,” the woman replies. The wind and rain somewhat quiet, and eventually she picks up again with the smallest of shakes of her head. “From where in the Zemni Fields is your friend, dear?”

“Oh, uh. I’m not actually sure, he doesn’t really like to talk about it.”

Nodding, “Many lives were difficult, before, after the first war. I cannot blame him. Well, if you are going to be in town for a few days, you are welcome to pay us a visit. Gods know there aren’t enough friendly faces near, especially for strangers.”

“That’s very kind, thank you.”

“And if it helps, you can tell him we’re from Blumenthal. He probably won’t know where that is, it’s such a small village, but. Who knows.”

“I will.”

“I’m back, Miss Una,” the canvas flap at the front of the tent mutters open, and Caduceus ducks inside, stray strands of pink slicked to his otherwise-placid face. “They were out of yarrow, I hope you don’t mind, I asked for comfrey instead. Jester, I saw the weirdest thing,” he says, depositing a large pouch on a nearby work table. “I thought this guy out there was Caleb for a minute, it was freaky.”

“Caduceus,” Jester says, in mock disappointment, hoping the points of her teeth don’t belie the joke, “It wasn’t actually Caleb, right?”

“No, when I got closer it was an older gentleman. One of the guys working on the hospital,” he replies. “They look really similar though. I know everyone’s supposed to have a doppelganger here and there, but. Huh.”

“On the hospital?” Una says, frowning. “The only older man working there would be my husband, I think. Tall, brown hair, short cropped?”

“Yeah! That’s him,” Caduceus says, with seemingly no opinion beyond. He digs through the pouch until he finds a vial of greenish liquid, and turns to crouch over the young woman he had left previously, the one with a deep gash just above her collarbone.

As the glow from the coals dances over the woman’s red hair, something begins to gnaw at Jester.

“Miss Una,” she says finally, drawing closer, as one might draw close to an animal that may bolt. “You said you were from Blumenthal?”

“Yes?”

“How - when did you come to Druvenlode, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh,” she says, drawing out a small tilt of her head. “It’s been seventeen years, soon.”

“Hmm,” Jester says, hoping her nonchalance can pass for acknowledgement rather than processing her thought. She creeps further still. “Miss Una.”

Something begins to be wary about the woman’s eyes. “Yes, Jester?”

“Why did you and your husband come here?”

She tenses into rigid politeness, even as her crest falls:

“I - we. We were moved here, after the death of my son.”

“You were moved here? You didn’t move here yourselves?”

“Well, no, we were - this is really not something I would like to discuss, Jester,” says Una.

“Please, forgive me, but - it’s really, really important. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t.”

“We were offered to move, yes. My son was - he died at school. The Academy offered to relocate us, as recompense.” She tightens further, everywhere but her eyes. “It was difficult to leave, at first, but eventually the memories became too - strong, in that house. And so we accepted.”

“The Academy? The Soltryce Academy?”

“What is this about?” Una stands, and Jester sees Caduceus tense as well, before he finishes his work and slowly turns to face them.

“I can explain everything, I promise, I just - need to know. Your son was a mage? And he died - he died seventeen years ago?”

“Uh, Jester…” she hears Caduceus begin, and he approaches, but her focus is trained on the burning brown eyes of the red-haired woman before her. Una stares, stone-faced, calculating.

“Caduceus, this is like, critically important, I need you to trust me,” she says, and perhaps it is because she rarely speaks with such urgency, but he backs down, drawing slowly closer to her instead of between the two women. Jester plays her fingertips over the holy symbol at her belt, and murmurs a plea to the Traveler.

“Please, please forgive me, Miss Una,” she begs, and a shimmering green encircles the woman’s feet. She recoils with a sharp intake of breath. “Please answer my questions, and I promise promise I’ll explain everyhing.”

“Jester…” Caduceus warns again, voice rolling low and docile in an attempt to cool tempers.

“What is your name?” Una is still and silent.

“Please answer me.”

Quietly: “Una Ermendrud.” The white circle at her feet flares white briefly, then shrinks back to green.

“Is there any other name anyone else ever calls you?”

“No.” Another flare of white.

“Is there any other name anyone else has called you before?”

A brief pause before her next answer, “Una Kohler, before I was married.” Yet another white flare.

Jester’s voice quivers. “Your son died seventeen years ago.”

“My son is dead.” The circle burns white.

“Your son Bren. He has your hair.”

Jester feels a whipcrack surge between them as they lock eyes again. Confusion plays across grief plays across anger plays across love plays across guilt on Una’s face. “Please answer me.”

“Yes.” Once more, white.

Pain lodges at the back of Jester’s throat.

“Tell me a lie now, Miss Una.”

“Jester -”

“Please.”

“I - we. We live in R-” and the word rolls and rolls, but she cannot seem to finish it. The circle flares angrily red as she manages “-Rex-xen-trum”, and she stares down, understanding narrowing her eyes as the color fades back to green.

Jester pulls her last question like an arrow from her chest.

“How did he die?”

The whisper cuts over the patter of rain, the reedy keen of the wind:

“A fire. There was a fire.”

The circle momentarily flares white before Jester clenches her fist, and it disappears.

“There were other students, inside,” Una breathes, continuing. “He was - he went back -”

“I’m sorry, Miss Una, I’m sorry,” she says, resisting, “please don’t call the guards or anything, I can explain, I can -”

“You knew my son.”

Jester feels Caduceus’ hand warm her shoulder on her reply.

“I know your son.”

#widojest #liam o'brien don't read me please

17 notes · View notes

sad-sweet-cowboah · 5 years

Text

My Little Secret part 3

Summary: Sam decides to take you to a ghost hunt at the local bed and breakfast. You weren’t sure what your stances on the supernatural was, but some strange things begin to happen...

The arrival of Monday came too fast for you to be prepared, let alone comprehend it. You weren’t prepared for the dreary, rainy morning that cast iron gray clouds over campus, occasional torrential downpours pattering loudly against the roof. Though far from distracting, you found yourself listening to it than your professor’s seminar. It certainly didn’t help that it was an 8 am class.

The day continued on as uneventful; finishing your classes in early afternoon and spending an extra hour at the campus gym. Fully fatigued and covered in sweat, you headed back to your apartment, tossing your heavy textbooks onto your desk. With a quick, soothing shower, you collapsed onto your bed for a nap.

Your nap had lasted longer than you intended; waking up at around 6 pm. You only had an hour to eat dinner and get ready for work.

Managing to shovel food into your mouth and make yourself appear semi decent, you arrived at the bar on a timely manner. Working Mondays was a blessing and a curse; a small crowd meant less time rushing around, although it also meant less tips and the time trudging by slower.

It was the usual week crowd, mostly middle-aged people and a handful of twenty and thirty-somethings drinking cheap beer and snacking on bar food while your boss hosted trivia night. You couldn’t say it was boring; watching the teams put their heads together to solve the questions, cheering and jeering in their somewhat drunken stupor.

You kept yourself occupied by cleaning the bar every once in a while, wiping up the sticky residue left behind by sloppy drinks. Though every time the door opened, you found yourself glancing up, something you don’t normally do. Your eyes darted to each person’s face, though a small prick of disappointment hit you each time. It took you a few moments to understand why; a small flicker of hope that Arthur would step in, though he never did. You couldn’t fathom why, though.

The bar closed at 12, and you were out the door before the clock struck half past the hour. Venturing out into the back parking lot, you paused for a moment, remembering what he told you about falling and injuring yourself. Your gaze shifted around, wondering what could have possibly caused your misfortune initially. Could it have been a fallen trash can? A piece of garbage that wasn’t properly disposed of? Who knows.

That Tuesday proved to be just as boring as Monday, though thankful your classes weren’t until later so you could sleep in a little.

By lunchtime, you were in the campus library, catching up on some study work you’d intentionally neglected over the past few days. You sat curled up in one of the large armchairs, your laptop perched on your thighs as you scrolled through essays and thesis papers.

You tried to focus, though your mind had once again succumbed to wandering thoughts. It’d been an hour since you settled, and it felt as if your brain was beginning to melt. It was even a wonder how you got into this program in the first place. The writing and paperwork became a blur about a month ago.

The unmistakable sound of your messenger pinging caught your attention, and your gaze darted to the blip on your screen. You opened it, finding a message of greeting from Sam.

Hey you, working tonight?

You typed a reply. No, what’s up?

You know that bed and breakfast not too far outside of town? The one that’s like bordering the swamp?

Frowning in thought, you combed through your mind to think. Yeah, what was it called? Shady Belle?

Yep. They’re holding a first ever ghost hunt there tonight, and I just scored some tickets!

Oh boy, you knew where this was going. Before you could respond, the pending message icon popped up again.

You wanna go with me? It starts with a dinner at 6 pm.

Ghost hunting? Not that it ever really piqued your interest, and you weren’t even sure if you believed in such a thing in the first place. But it beat sitting at home and eating Chinese food on your couch tonight.

Yeah, sounds fun!

---

Somehow the day went by quicker than you thought, and it was soon time to leave for this haunted hotel ghost hunt. You knew the general area of where the bed and breakfast was, though you never cared to venture that far out into the bayou. Supposedly it was surrounded by water, and the thought of swampy depths teeming with gators and water moccasins turned you off from the idea.

Still, there was something mesmerizing about the land. You turned off the main road and drove down a dirt path lined with dense trees, spotting some other cars ahead of you upon a long driveway. In the last faint rays of the dying sunset, a large plantation house emerged, its windows casting an eerie golden glow already.

The cars ahead of you pulled into a gravel parking spot off to the side, and you followed suit. Stepping into the night air was like walking into a wall of water, the humidity smacking your face heavily. Taking a deep breath of the damp swamp air, you looked around. It wasn’t exactly surrounded by water as you’d imagined, though you could spot the shine of the ever brightening moon casting off in the distance. Otherwise, the place was surrounded by trees and beautiful plants. In front of the house sat a fountain with sleek running water.

“Y/N!” you turned at the sound of your name. Sam was trotting up to you from her car. “Glad you could join me tonight.”

“So what else is happening tonight?” you asked curiously, falling next to her to walk side by side toward the house.

“Well…” Sam opened her phone. “The dinner is first, obviously. Then we get a tour around the grounds and house with some history of the place. And then we end off the night with a séance, hosted by a real psychic medium.”

“So, Ouija boards and shit? Or a crystal ball?” you joked, the skeptic part of you starting to rise.

Sam snorted at that. “Guess we’ll find out.” She responded with an airy tone.

Stepping into the house, the first thing you’d noticed was how cozy it was. It certainly showed its aging with the molding and woodwork, though somehow beautifully preserved to keep its original taste. Décor hung heavy on the walls, paintings of Victorian era men, women and children. It was well lit, the golden glow you’d noticed from the windows seemed welcoming now. A small crowd had already gathered, chattering amongst themselves. After a few minutes you were ushered into a room on the right, the dining room, where multiple small tables sat with plates set.

After an introduction and an unexpectedly delicious dinner of steak and potatoes, you were guided once again toward the entrance hall to be split up into two smaller groups: one staying in the house and the other to explore the grounds, and then switch.

You and Sam were a part of the inner house tour first, exploring the lower floor before moving upstairs. Though still skeptical about the haunting, you had to appreciate the history of the place. Once a plantation house owned by a rich southern family soon abandoned during the Civil War as there was a battleground not too far from the property. It sat mostly empty and unused until a gang made it their hideout, where apparently a lot of bloodshed occurred. Since the days of gangs and outlaws have dissipated, the plantation house sat yet again unused, until being purchased from the state in the 20’s by a wealthy investor who restored it, though it’d become a bed and breakfast in the 50’s.

“The Lemoyne Raiders once called this their hideout, until the infamous Van der Linde gang wiped out their numbers and claimed this place as their own,” the tour guide’s voice echoed oddly in the hall as she paused before a photo on the wall. You craned your neck to see, only getting a glimpse of what looked like a crowd of people in front of a wooden wagon. “However, this didn’t create a safe space as they’d hoped. The O’Driscolls, a long-time rival of the gang and Dutch Van der Linde himself, had found their whereabouts and launched a full scale attack.”

“Ooh, can you imagine all the dead bodies?” Sam whispered to you.

“Kieran Duffy, once an O’Driscoll member that had been captured and eventually turned into a Van der Linde boy. Unbeknownst to everyone, Kieran was kidnapped by his former crew. They sent him back on his horse, his decapitated head in his lap, strolling right up to the front doors as a surprise before they fired.”

A chill sent up your spine at that, the image a little too clear in your mind.

“Some say they can hear a man’s voice behind them, asking if they’d seen his head. Others have claimed to see a headless shadow pacing on the porch. More people have heard the whoops and jeers of the Lemoyne Raiders, the gunshots ringing off in the dead of night. Others say they can smell gunpowder, or a strong smell of tobacco inside their rooms.” The tour guide went on.

As you shuffled down the hall toward one of the rooms, your gaze wandered toward one of the windows overlooking the grounds behind the building. The sun had long since set, and the green landscape had a silver glow provided by the full moon. Though the thick canopies of the trees made it slightly harder to see, you could make out the silhouettes of the other tour group wandering around. You weren’t sure what else was out there – a shed maybe? A couple of sheds? You’d have to find out.

As the outside tour moved, another silhouette caught your eye. They were standing still, though seemingly facing the house. You blinked, and the figure vanished. Was that just a trick of the light?

A few more minutes of peering into the other rooms, and then you headed back downstairs to switch with the other group. Stepping back out into the thick and heavy air, you appreciated the better view. There were certainly a few sheds here and there, a modern one placed close to the back wall whilst the others certainly showed their age. Slanted foundations with bowed roofs, it’s a wonder they still stood in this environment.

Your group wandered further on the grounds, all guided by flashlight. The tour guide had mentioned graves of a family cemetery not too far off, though some had been swallowed by the swamp. She shone her light into the darkness, the telltale shape of old tombstones illuminating against the murky water. It was true; some were half sunken in, others on land were leaning like the sheds were.

“Over the years of Shady Belle’s run as a bed and breakfast, patrons have claimed to hear strange noises out here. Whispers and friendly chatter that carries with the wind. The sound of horses whinnying and hoofbeats, even the barking of a dog. Others have even claimed that they felt a strong presence overlooking them, or even running up behind them while out here.”

Goosebumps erupted on your arms, odd for such a warm and humid night. These stories were beginning to get the best of you. Your eyes wandered further out into the swamp, your imagination beginning to take over. Those gangs spoken about earlier, it was almost as if you could see them in front of you, locked in gunfire, moving amongst the shadows to keep cover. Although, it almost seemed as if a silhouette was standing there…

“Y/N, come on. We’re moving.” Sam caught your attention, and you fell back into the group.

Later on you found yourself back inside, settling into the living room at a large, round table. The psychic medium introduced himself before settling at an empty chair. Others had a couple of contraptions, EMF detectors and infrared cameras. Time to see if ghosts truly existed.

The medium began by announcing the group and their intentions, as well as asking if there was anyone out there to communicate. You’d seen ghost shows before on occasion, so this wasn’t unfamiliar to you.

Everyone had gone quiet, others with expectant faces, others seemed nervous. A couple of people seemed to not be interested at all. A few minutes had gone by, some of the other tours guys moved around the room smoothly with their gadgets.

Suddenly, another shiver ran up your spine. A small, cold gust of air ghosted across the back of your neck, as if someone was breathing on you. A vague, faint whisper in your ear caused you to flinch. Your eyes closed involuntarily, as if you were a small child trying to hide from the monsters in the closet.

Opening them again, you noticed that the scenery changed. You were still in the building, which was evident. However, the people that surrounded you had changed. Surrounded by men in what resembled cowboy outfits, all leaned over the table and viewing some paperwork. They were speaking to one another, though their voices were muffled and distorted. You opened your own mouth to speak, yet your throat felt parched and dry, producing nothing but an exasperated breath.

As if your action caught their attention, the heads of the closest men turned to look directly at you. One with slicked back hair and a thick moustache, the other with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes…

You blinked again, the image before you disappearing and bringing you back to reality. The group and the medium were still in their spots, though it seemed as if no one had noticed what happened to you just now. Did you just hallucinate, was your food laced with psychedelics?

---

“That was cool, wasn’t it?” Sam mentioned as the two of you headed back to your cars. “When the EMF detector went off, I think I got chills at one point!”

You thought back to that little encounter you had, even if you could call it that. Quite frankly, you weren’t even sure what to label it as. A hallucination, your imagination running wild, or maybe an actual ghost encounter?

“Y/N?” Sam’s voice pierced your thoughts. “Hey, you still with me?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” you sighed. “It was interesting.”

“You okay?” Sam pressed, noticing the tone of your voice.

You nodded. “Just a little tired. I think that food gave me the itis.”

Sam chuckled at that. “Alright, get home then. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“Goodnight.” You said as she veered away toward her car. You approached yours and got in, falling into the line of people leaving for the night.

As you drove back down the dirt path, your mind couldn’t help but to wander back to that vision. Something about it seemed familiar to you, though you couldn’t place what…

#Arthur Morgan x reader #vampire au

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alexthegamingboy · 4 years

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Toonami Weekly Recap 11/02/2019

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind EP#02 - Bucciarati Is Coming: In a flashback, it is revealed that Giorno, who was once abused by his step-father and bullied by other kids, began being treated with respect after saving an injured gangster, giving him a reason to live. Back in the present, faced with Bucciarati's Stand, Sticky Fingers, Giorno desperately uses Gold Experience to defend himself. Upon striking Bucciarati, the latter's senses to go berserk, giving Giorno the upper hand. Bucciarati creates a dimension-distorting zipper to try and escape inside another person, but Giorno tracks him down by turning one of Bucciarati's teeth into a fly, which attempts to return to his body. Given the chance to finish Bucciarati off, Giorno decides against it, instead asking to join his organization so he can defeat his boss and take over the city.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba EP#04 - Final Selection: Two years have passed since Nezuko's transformation, and Tanjiro leaves for the Final Selection. Before his departure, Urokodaki warns him that a demon's strength is equivalent to the number of humans it has eaten, gifting him a fox mask with a protection spell. Tanjiro reaches Mt. Fujikasane, where wisteria flowers bloom all year round, creating a prison for demons. The test administrators, a pair of twins, explain that only those who can survive here for 7 days will pass. Tanjiro is soon ambushed by two hungry demons on his very first night. Using a special "Nichirin Blade" that can kill demons without risk of them regenerating, Tanjiro remembers his training and utilises Total Concentration: Water Breathing swordsmanship style, to unleash an attack that kills them quickly. However, him and another applicant come face-to-face with a huge morphed demon made out of ghastly hands. This Hand Demon promises to kill him, recognising Tanjiro as Urokodaki's student from the fox mask, and gleefully admits to murdering 13 of Urokodaki's students since he was captured by the man himself, Sabito and Makomo included. Tanjiro attacks him, enraged. Back at the boulder, Sabito and Makomo's ghosts wonder if Tanjiro can defeat their killer, having failed themselves to slice its neck. Sabito recalls that Tanjiro sliced through the toughest boulder of all of them and chooses to believe. By unleashing an array of attacks, Tanjiro successfully decapitates the Hand Demon.

One-Punch Man 2 EP#04 (16) - The Metal Bat: It is revealed that when Garou was young, he always rooted for the bad guys to win due to the good guys being too popular. When he asked his father, his father replies that the good guys will always win. Garou find that unfair to the monsters because to him the monsters were always the ones trying their best to win, but will lose all the time because they were seen as "freaks." Unwilling to accept the status quo, Garou resolved to become the strongest monster and never lose, and to change the scenario. Garou wakes up from his defeat against Saitama, with no memory of what happened. Garou meets up with Tareo and sees Watchdog Man and Metal Bat, and plans to find them. Saitama signs up for the fighting tournament, and is looking over a list of the contestants of the tournament when Sour Face, a former disciple of Bang, shows up. Sour Face plans to win the tournament to be famous like Bang, and reveals that the year before a contestant named Wolfman won the tournament. However the authorities found the real Wolfman tied up, which is why there's a new rule that if there are any participants that are wearing disguises or is an imposter, then the participant will be disqualified and banned from the tournament forever, as well as paying a heavy fee. It is also revealed that 6 months ago Garou decided that he has nothing left to learn and rampaged through the dojo, disabling many of the students, including Sour Face. Garou then received a beating from Bang and was expelled from the dojo, which also caused Sour Face to quit the dojo. When Sour Face insults "Charanko", Saitama points out that at least Charanko was brave enough to fight against Garou one on one while Sour Face quit, and vows to win the tournament which angers Sour Face. Meanwhile, the Hero Association plans to protect its officials from monster attacks by assigning S Class Heroes. King manages to get away by lying that he's fighting against a secret boss when in reality he is playing a video game. Metal Bat is forced to babysit Narinki, a VIP sponsor of the Hero Association, and his son Waganma at a Mouse Sushi restaurant in S-City instead of watching his little sister play piano. When Metal Bat receives a call from his sister, two monsters named Junior Centipede and Venus Mantrap attack Nanrinki but Metal Bat easily kills them. Suddenly, another monster named Senior Centipede attacks Metal Bat. A monster named Raffleseidon appears and puts on sleeping gases which knocks out Narinki and Waganma. Metal Bat is forced to endure many hits before hitting himself in the head, which pumps adrenaline into his system, rendering the gas useless and enabling him to kill the two Demon Level monsters with one hit apiece. Two local heroes take Narinki and Waganma when a Dragon-level monster named Elder Centipede attacks Metal Bat. During the fight, Elder Centipede knocks Metal Bat near Garou. Thinking that Metal Bat is dead, Garou plans to find Watchdog Man when Metal Bat gets back up. Garou naturally wants to fight Metal Bat, but Metal Bat wants to go back after Elder Centipede. Garou initiates the fight by attacking Metal Bat, and Metal Bat barely manages to block the preemptive blow. In the post credit scene, a martial artist named Suiryu asks two girls to lead him to the Fight tournament.

Dr. Stone Kingdom of Science Arc EP#11 - Clear World: Senku uses quartz sand to produce glass, which he uses to create glasses for the short-sighted Suika. Lacking the skills needed to glassblow useable lab utensils, Chrome brings in a skilled craftsman named Kaseki, who is able to quickly adapt to the unfamiliar substance. To break in their new lab, Senku offers to make Ginro a silver spear as part of a dangerous mission.

Fire Force EP#14 - For Whom The Flame Burns: While chaos reigns in Asakusa with Infernals appearing and people's appearance being changed at random, Konro and Benimaru argue over who should take charge. Benimaru eventually defers and gains everyone's attention. He explains what's happening, then goes after the Infernals while Konro and Company 7 attend to the fires. Meanwhile, Shinra and Arthur face Haran who has become a horned Infernal after swallowing an Infernal Bug. However, Benimaru intervenes and attacks Haran with his Ignition ability. Benimaru launches Haran into the air with his matoi to spare the town, but Arrow fires a flaming arrow towards them. Shinra uses all of his speed to intercept and deflect the arrow, allowing Benimaru to take the opportunity to use his Crimson Moon (紅月 Akatsuki) avility to create a massive explosion which destroys Haran. Shinra catches Benimaru as he falls from the sky, completely spent from the confrontation. Later, Benimaru and Obi share some sake, sealing the friendship between Companies 7 and 8.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma EP#17 - The Seductive Karaage: Arriving back home, Soma temporarily re-opens Yukihira Diner to serve his loyal customers, including his childhood friend, Mayu Kurase, who has a crush on him. He learns that the Sumire Shopping District has been doing poor business lately due to the arrival of a popular karaage chain shop, Mozuya. Wanting to help revive the shopping district, Soma decides to come up with a competing karaage recipe, calling in Ikumi as his meat expert while Mayu winds up as his taste tester. The three do some recon at Mozuya, where they find its CEO Kinu Nakamozu to be a spiteful woman, before beginning work on a karaage recipe of their own. As Soma takes Mayu's suggestion to use their shopping district location to their advantage, it is revealed that the figure behind Mozuya's success is one of the Elite Ten.

Lupin the 3rd Part 5 EP#20 - Zenigata, Gentleman Thief: Lupin, Jigen and Goemon take a trip to one of their old haunts in Russia to carry out some easy heists. To their surprise, they find another party of thieves already raiding the same targets with their old enemy Zenigata among their ranks. When Lupin talks with Zenigata, he finds that the latter has alcoholic amnesia from a massive drinking bout after another failure to catch Lupin. Zenigata has adopted the alias "Monety" and the modus operandi of his old nemesis Lupin while trying to uncover his lost identity. Unwilling to leave Zenigata in that condition, Lupin and company intercept Zenigata at the site of his next heist. When Lupin and Zenigata escape the crime scene together, the encounter finally snaps Zenigata's memory back into place, and to everyone's relief their relationship returns to its usual state.

Black Clover: Elf Tribe Reincarnation Arc EP#93 - Julius Novachrono: Marx, the Wizard King's advisor, sends word to every squad captain, ordering them to help the Wizard King. Licht's spells cause massive damage to the city, yet Julius holds back so as not to injure Vangeance's body. Julius reveals his Grimoire, which is so large with so many pages it has no cover, just an endless circle of pages around a central spine. Licht comes to believe that as he had planned to unbalance the world by eradicating humans, fate itself conspired to restore balance by creating Julius as the embodiment of order. Licht casts a spell powerful enough to completely wipe out the entire country. Julius recalls his youth as a magic knight, searching for his life's purpose, until he met Zara, Zora's father, who taught him that a true knight should serve the people. After Zara was murdered Julius grew disgusted at the way the class system kept both nobles and commoners from reaching their potential. He decided to become the Wizard King so he could help make the world a better place through the efforts of knights like Asta, Yuno and Noelle. Refusing to give in Julius uses all his accumulated time to reverse the entire country back a few seconds, saving everybody but leaving himself open to Licht who stabs him in the heart. Yami arrives too late to stop him and draws his sword in preparation to kill both Licht and Vangeance.

My Hero Academia Season 4 will air on Toonami November 9 at 11:00 pm EDT.

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#Toonami #Toonami Weekly Recap #JoJo's Bizarre Adventure #JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind #Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba #One Punch Man #One Punch Man 2 #Dr. Stone #Kingdom of Science Arc #Fire Force #Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma #Lupin the 3rd #Lupin the 3rd Part 5 #Black Clover #Elf Tribe Reincarnation Arc #My Hero Academia #Shie Hassaikai Arc #New Toonami Show Promo

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believingbrook · 6 years

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She doesn’t start out with a portrait on the wall behind her. That enchantment is not the first one she lays.

No; when the Bureau is constructed, the first piece of furniture she moves in, one she tacks down by hand, is a map.

Over the past forty years, Davenport entrusted her more and more with command. By this point, a year into their stay on this plane, it’s almost second nature for Lucretia to create an organization on an interplanar scope. She needs a headquarters, and she needs technology, and she needs people to get the job done, and it’s almost rote to establish communication with the Millers and the bugbears and the families Fangbattle and Bonecrusher and Octavius until her dome-encrusted base brims with talent.

In her spare time as Director, even in these budding years of the Bureau of Balance, Lucretia searches. Endlessly.

Every evening she returns to her office and looks at the map and thinks, Lup, where could you have gone?

Barry was a meticulous note-taker. Lucretia thanks any of the gods on this plane for that. He notes carefully which cities he visited, which ones he and Taako visited together (and it hurts, for years, to even hear that name—in her darker moments she thinks, will he ever know how much I took? and she thinks, what a relief it will be to have his anger if it means I have someone to return to him.)

There are a handful of villages that Barry left unturned, so in all of her spare time, Lucretia goes. Upon the ruins of a once-thriving Greenhold she can see a perfect plane of black glass glinting along the horizon. It takes her several minutes, when she lands in the center of that abandoned town, to tear her gaze away.

Their Relics are incredibly powerful objects, Davenport’s perhaps the most so, but in that moment she hates the Gauntlet the most. When Taako compared the worlds to dust he was not wrong, and Lucretia cannot help but hate the Gauntlet for taking one of the only seven people that truly mattered.

Then, she brings them home.

But it’s not home, not really. It’s a home fragmented into seven pieces and torn apart. Bonds, shredded between her own fingers. Lucretia welcomes them to the Bureau with a warm smile and a heavy heart—there’s a space at Taako’s side, a blank absence that tears through her heart like flame.

She has to keep Barry from them, but Barry is still her brother. In her limited spare time, when she takes a break from working, she visits him. It’s one of the few moments she can be Lucretia, nothing more, nothing less; not the Director, nor the stern-faced woman who lost ten years of her life in Wonderland, just...Lucretia. Someone’s sister. The little girl who tried to save her world.

Most of their conversations are filled with silence, now. Even in the dark caves in which Barry has taken up primary residence, he conjures tea for himself, coffee for her. It’s perfectly blended: two sugars, a dash of cream, another of milk, two percent. Barry remembers what she likes, perfectly, because that’s what Barry does: commits to memory what is most important.

They talk about trivialities and the weight of the world and nothing in between. Their conversations are either about the slimming effect the robe has on his silhouette or the last place he saw Lup, places he’s checked, places they have left to scour. The rest of their interactions are filled with silence.

Though the silence should be awkward, perhaps—she has stolen from his family, after all—they aren’t. They’re thick and heavy and warm, somehow, and settle over her shoulders like a well-worn robe.

They say goodbye the same way, every time: “Best of luck.”

Eventually, Lucretia switches out the map for her portrait. Eventually, her days jam up with research about the Relics, about where they could have gone. Eventually, her nightmares—of the Hunger, of Wonderland, of her family shattered by the Relics they created—keep her up at night, wandering the halls of her own organization like a ghost. She takes no comfort in the reflections of these unfamiliar stars, refracted and jagged through the glass planes of the dome.

And on and on, she looks for Lup.

She tucks the map away, unwilling to field questions about it. She stows it next to the baby Voidfish, because deep inside herself she thinks that this child, who has provided her with so many solutions, would have one more answer. Just one more. She’d take this one answer over all the solutions it’s given her so far.

It’s no use. After the Hunger devoured their world Lucretia gave up on praying, and she’s hardly about to start now. Over the last century, the gods have never seen fit to help. Why should they start now?

Those ten years without her family, she looked. Every month, every week; she’d go every day, if she could. She scours the continent top-to-bottom, asking, please, an elven woman with hair spun like gold. Perhaps wearing a red robe, perhaps not. Looking lost and confused. Sometimes Barry comes with her, shielded from prying eyes by one of her spells, and together they devour the continent.

It never shows them Lup.

Lucretia never gives up.

She keeps looking. Even after they recover the Gauntlet, she keeps looking. Even after she spies the Umbrastaff hooked over Taako’s shoulder, scrapes off the remnants of the name L-U-P burned into the wall through blurred eyes. Even after they recover the Oculus and the Sash and the Stone and the Chalice, even as she prepares to send her family into a hell from which she barely escaped—she never stops looking.

In the end, Taako finds her. It’s fitting, Lucretia thinks.

She stows away her map, for a few weeks, tucking it into her apartment. Then she burns it. She doesn’t want anything to do with it, never again.

They come find her later that day, Lup and Barry. Barry talked his way into restoring Lup’s body, and she beams to see Lucretia in a way that makes her gut twist nauseatingly.

Lup sweeps her up in an embrace. She’s so warm.

Lucretia buries her head in Lup’s shoulder, trembling arms clasped around her back, and sobs.

Over Lup’s shoulder, Barry nods. Then he goes to make tea and coffee, and soon, her apartment is filled with the fragrances shrouded with a hundred years.

They talk for hours. They talk about trivialities and the weight of the world and everything in between. “I know what you did,” Lup tells her, when the dregs of her coffee have long gone cold and Lup has twined her fingers with Lucretia’s own. Her smile is radiant and soft, a bed of embers gleaming against twilight falling. “I know how long you looked. Thank you, Lucretia.”

Lucretia swallows, hard. She cried so hard and for so long on Lup’s shoulder that she doesn’t think she could manage any more. “You’re welcome,” she rasps, then: “I missed you.”

Lup’s grin burns brighter. She squeezes Lucretia’s hand. “I missed you too, babe.”

They talk about the festivals of this world, the towns they’ve seen. In their searching she and Barry were not entirely blind to the beauty of the world around them, and one joy—they learned this from Merle, to find joys even in the darkest of places—is that Barry can show Lup the most breathtaking sights on this plane.

He invites Lucretia to join them, for this next one. Talks about a place they discovered together, during their travels. Says he thinks she’d like to come along, and they’d like her to come too.

She says yes, of course. Those last few tears she didn’t think she would manage prove her wrong, but—she’s smiling.

Evening trickles into night into dawn, and in the span of a blink one day has turned to the next, midafternoon streaming bright and burnished into her small kitchen. Old and worn as this body is, she can’t help a cracking yawn that crackles up her jaw. Lup laughs.

It’s a gorgeous sound, and oh, she’d missed it so.

“Let’s get you to bed, babe,” Lup laughs, and curls her arm around Lucretia’s, escorting her to bed. When Lucretia wakes that evening, she finds a note scrawled in Barry’s handwriting—not Lup’s, for good reason—containing an address not far from their place. For rent, Barry’s ink proclaims. We think you’d like it.

The three of them take their vacation. The scenery is gorgeous but there’s nothing so striking as the quiet awe on Lup’s face as she watches the full, bleeding sun drip yellow-orange-red over the horizon. All the light and heat of this arid place and nothing burns quite so bright as her.

Lucretia tours the place once, twice. Then she walks to Lup and Barry’s place, just to test out the stroll. She’s under no illusions about her own condition; soon, she’ll hardly be able to walk, and it’s hardly worth the purchase if she can’t pay her family a visit. They receive her with joy, and coffee, and tea, and the spices that only Lup and Taako know how to transmute, and together they lost track of another day. The next week, another; the next month, Lucretia spends more time at Lup and Barry’s than she does in her new home. She keeps a toothbrush over there, yes, along with several changes of clothes and some of her favorite books and a rocking-chair, a custom Burnsides artifact, tucked in the corner for when she needs to nap.

They travel. Not only around their plane, as they did in the beginning, but across the planes; just the three of them, sometimes. To the ones with good memories but to new ones, too. Barry starts a few cults and Lup holds it over his head, blackmailing him with the knowledge that she would absolutely tell Kravitz if she thought it necessary. The petulance on Barry’s face is so childish and bright that Lucretia can’t help but laugh.

It surprises her. Going by the shock on their faces it surprises them, too. Then they both beam, warm and reassuring, and tell stupid jokes and old, old stories she’d forgotten, until she’s laughing so hard she can hardly breathe.

When she can’t move as much she spends hours in their living room, drawing. It’s a talent that has never left her; both of her hands are steady, and after so long observing so many people and cultures of so many colors, blending and shading comes easy to her. She burned the map but she makes new ones, landscapes of the places they’ve been, both in Faerun and not. She draws their whole family. She takes the pictures that Davenport sends of himself, that Merle sends of himself and his children, of Magnus and Merle and Taako.

She draws Lup and Barry, too. Sometimes, the three of them together. They’re her proudest works.

Her room in their home is painted blue, like her office in the Bureau, but this one—this one she decorates with portraits, layered so thick and so fast that the burnished borders paint the walls scarlet.

#writes #lup #lucretia #blupjeans #lupcretia #taz #taz fic #barry bluejeans

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voidheichou · 7 years

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Flights and Memories - A Stydia Fic

A/N: So this is my first ever Stydia fic, based on a conversation that I had with @cashtonclemmo a few days ago. It’s basically my version of how Teen Wolf should end for Stiles and Lydia, enjoy!

Summary: Stiles has time to kill on his long flight. What better way to do it than to think about how far his relationship has developed with his new wife, Lydia?

Warnings: Me being emotional about Stydia, maybe an overload of fluff, none besides that i think.

Stiles Stilinski felt like the luckiest man in the world. Currently sitting on a plane, a few thousand feet above the ground, the FBI agent was admiring his view of the world outside the aircraft. The sun was starting to set along the horizon, a display of bright colours illuminating Stiles’ field of vision. The young man couldn’t help but relate to the intense shades blending into one another, finally feeling as though everything in life was falling into place after years of chaos.

He remembered when he first grasped the concept of restoring some kind of order back into his life. He was 18 years old. It was the night that he and the rest of the pack had defeated the ghost riders and that awful Nazi werewolf. The night that he and Lydia were finally on the same page about their feelings. She returned to the Stilinski household with him and the Sheriff that night, refusing to leave the younger Stilinski’s side. The pair confessed their feelings for each other, and shared details of what the previous 3 months had been like without the other’s presence. If anything, the distance and slight memory loss on Lydia’s part had just brought the duo closer than ever before. Lydia didn’t want to know how it felt to be disconnected from him ever again, and Stiles? Well, he couldn’t agree more with his girlfriend at the time if he tried.

Stiles watched as Lydia slept in his arms on that very night, clutching onto his t-shirt as if he was her lifeline. Despite her strong grip, this was the most peaceful Stiles had seen Lydia in the decade that he had known her for. Everything that made him happy and content was bundled up in his blankets right beside him. In that moment, Stiles decided that he’d be damned if anything came in between him and his happiness, especially concerning Lydia Martin, ever again.

Stiles’ little walk down memory lane was interrupted when he felt a slight movement on his right shoulder. Turning from the window, his eyes caught sight of an even more beautiful view than the one outside. Like the memory from 5 years ago that he was just reminiscing, Lydia was asleep next to Stiles, her head resting on his shoulder, her strawberry blonde hair splayed out on both of them. Of course, the biggest difference between that night and now was that she was no longer his girlfriend. From today onwards, the two were married to one another, ‘til death do they part.

The last 5 years contained plenty hard times for the couple, that were unconventional to what they were used to dealing with. The supernatural issues had died down a little, but with college separating the two, Stiles and Lydia had new problems to face. With Lydia attending MIT and Stiles in George Washington University, the distance between them was a good 7 hours by car at the least. Stiles was riddled with insecure thoughts, constantly wondering whether he was still good enough for his girlfriend, along with the distance and the guys at MIT who, according to him, were no doubt much better at everything than Stiles was. He had never been one to feel good about himself, so he felt like he would understand if Lydia did decide to leave him. Of course though, Lydia didn’t agree with Stiles’ opinions. A lot of her relationships in the past were unhealthy, but that changed when she was with him. Even before they were in a relationship, Stiles constantly showed Lydia how much he cared for her, which in turn made Lydia care for the Stilinski boy just as much. She never ceased to reassure him of how good he was to her, and more importantly, how no one could ever compare to Stiles in any aspect.

The pair looked out for each other, and always got through things together. With the help of technology, Stiles and Lydia would talk to each other almost every day. From simple texts to snapchats to facetime, the couple remained up to date with each other’s lives. This meant that it was easy to discern when one of them was stressed or worried about something, college work or otherwise. Sometimes they didn’t even need to tell each other that they were specifically stressed; The pitch in Lydia’s voice would rise unknowingly when talking about anything, and Stiles would become more reserved in himself, giving shorter replies and not talking much on the phone. When one of them recognised these traits in their partner’s behaviour, they would drive out as soon as possible to be with them, usually on the closest weekend. They’d comfort each other for as long as needed, and would inevitably drive around in their respective towns, spending as much time with each other as possible before they’d have to separate once more. The drives always occurred in the Jeep, never in Lydia’s car. Stiles always claimed that it was more authentic to drive around in Roscoe, and even though Lydia agreed, she would never admit that to him, knowing that he would just boast about his loyal car with this information.

Stiles smiled down at his sleeping wife, knowing that she’d always be there for him just as much as he would be there for her. He kissed her forehead lightly, running his hands through her soft hair afterwards, knowing how much she loved the feeling of it, especially when she was tired. He knew everything about this woman, the love of his life. She was single-handedly the smartest and most beautiful person in the world, and he couldn’t believe that she was his. Even though they were dating for 4 years before he proposed, and then got married today, over a year later, he still couldn’t fathom that she decided to stay with Stiles when she could literally have any guy that she wanted.

He still remembered how nervous he felt leading up to proposing to the girl of his dreams. He needed it to be perfect, so he enlisted the help of Scott and Kira, planning the event for weeks. When he first spoke to Scott about the idea, he was a complete wreck.

“But Scott, what if she says no? What if she’s never even thought about getting married or what if she doesn’t feel ready to take our relationship to the next level or what if -”

“Stiles!” Scott had to cut his best friend off. He was thankful for supernatural senses, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to decipher a single word that Stiles had just said, all while seemingly forgetting to breathe. Scott stood from the couch, walking over to where his best friend was now frozen from when he was pacing originally. He put an arm on his shoulder and spoke in a much softer tone than how Stiles was speaking just moments ago.

“Listen, dude. Even if I couldn’t hear her heartbeat and smell her pheromones, I’d still be able to tell that Lydia is more than head over heels in love with you.”

Stiles shook his head vehemently, clearly in denial still.

“No but Scott -”

“I wasn’t finished. You’re the best thing that has happened to Lydia, I mean c’mon, she loves you more than she ever loved Jackson -”

Stiles scoffed. “Well yeah, that guy was an A-class douche.”

Scott laughed slightly, then spoke up before his childhood friend could interrupt him once more. “Look, my point is that there’s no one that Lydia would rather spend the rest of her life with. You balance each other out perfectly and she knows it, so if there’s anyone who’s going to marry Lydia Martin, it’s you, buddy.”

Stiles’ face was full of tension until hearing the last thing Scott said. His entire face lit up as realisation hit him, creating a smile so bright that nothing could dim it down in that moment.

“I’m going to marry Lydia Martin.”

The dynamic duo started to set everything in motion from then. Stiles asked Kira for extra help, knowing that she would be able to help in all things Lydia, in addition to keeping Scott and Stiles on track when necessary. Together, the three of them had managed to plan an amazing night.

On their 4-year anniversary, Stiles took Lydia to one of her favourite restaurants. Once there, she gave him a little surprise of her own. She presented him with 2 tickets to the next Mets game, and a voice note that said “It is you that I love, Stiles” in Yoda’s voice, courtesy of a silly app that she had found. He would have proposed to her there and then if it wasn’t for the fact that Kira would kill him if he didn’t go through with the original plan.

Dinner was followed by one of their famous night drives. Stiles wouldn’t let up on where he was taking her, much to Lydia’s annoyance, and they eventually ended up at the beach. They walked hand in hand along the seashore, talking about anything and everything like they always do. After a short while, Stiles led her to a part of the beach that she hadn’t seen on the drive up, nor when they were walking. It was hidden away behind a few shacks, but looked gorgeous nevertheless. A load of fairy lights were strung up overhead, illuminating the space around them perfectly. A piece of string was attached between two posts, with photos of the couple throughout the years hung up on it. Lydia gasped when she saw the setup, running to inspect the photos more closely.

“Stiles, this is really cute!” She kept her focus on the pictures of her and her boyfriend, admiring how happy they look in each one. She called his name again when she didn’t get a response the first time, and when he didn’t reply again, she turned around to see where he was.

Stiles was exactly where Lydia had left him, except now he was down on one knee, with a black velvet box in his outstretched hands. She gasped again in shock, tears welling up in her eyes as she walked over to him.

“Lydia Camille-Grace Martin, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. We’ve known each other since the 3rd grade, although you didn’t really notice me until sophomore year of high school. I’m really glad you did notice me though, because it’s what inevitably started this beautiful relationship between us, even if it did take a while. The last 4 years have been the best years of my life, and don’t tell Scott this, but you’re definitely my favourite person. You’re incredibly smart, and your beauty is too great to be described by ordinary words, along with your personality which never ceases to amaze me every single day. We’ve been through so much together, more than the ordinary couple have, and we’ve both been in our fair share of dangerous situations. Situations that make you appreciate who you love, and make you want to cherish them even more if you got the chance to be with those people again. Lydia, I want to show you how much I appreciate you for the rest of our lives. I want to dedicate every ounce of my time into showing you the love you deserve. You make me the happiest man alive just by being near me, and if you’ll let me, I want to make you feel just as happy as you make me. So, Lydia Camille-Grace Martin, will you marry me?”

Lydia didn’t know when the tears in her eyes had started to fall, but once they did, they didn’t stop, which brought Stiles to tears as well. Here she was, enjoying her life with the one person that never doubted her, that always supported her, and he’d just offered a chance of forever with him. She loved this man more than life itself, and before she even realised she was doing so, Lydia was saying “Yes” repeatedly. She couldn’t stop crying, but she was the happiest she had ever been in that moment, and it was all because of Stiles.

Stiles’ face mirrored the happiness that Lydia was feeling. He stood up, placing the gorgeous ring onto her ring finger, immediately kissing her straight after. A state of euphoria cascaded over the both of them, more than beyond excited to spend the rest of their lives together.

It was eventually Lydia who had broke away from the kiss first, looking down at the ring that accompanied her left hand. She didn’t take the time to look at it before, too caught up in Stiles’ words, and then in his arms. It was simple, yet still beautiful. A polished silver band wrapped around her finger, a magnificent diamond placed perfectly in the middle, with the initials ‘M.S’ and ‘L.M’ engraved on either side of it. She’d only seen it for a few seconds, but already it meant more to her than he’d ever know.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when her boyfriend, now fiancé, spoke to her softly.

“Do you like it?”

She simply smiled, even more than before if that was possible, and looked directly into his chocolate brown eyes.

“It’s beautiful Stiles, I love it. Thank you.”

He was more than relieved, happy that she liked his choice so much. He kissed her temple, in addition to pulling her closer into his arms, and sighed. “A beautiful ring for a beautiful woman. Happy anniversary, baby.”

She laid her head on his shoulder, embracing the bliss that she was feeling, until a thought crossed her mind. She pulled away from him slightly, giving him a light hit on the chest as she looked up at him. The hit had nowhere near enough force to actually hurt Stiles, but he still exaggerated when he said “Ow! What was that for?”

She knew he was joking, which is why her tone was only semi-serious, laughing halfway through. “This is why you didn’t tell me that we were going to the beach when I was asking in the car! You know how much I hate waiting for surprises!”

Stiles laughed with his entire body, practically shaking as he heard what Lydia just said. His head was thrown back, joy consuming him completely, and Lydia wanted to see him like this every day.

When he finally calmed down, Stiles looked playful with a little smirk on his face, and responded with “So I should have just told you when you asked? I’ll make sure to do just that next time.”

Before Lydia had the chance to respond, Stiles started walking off, further down the side of the beach. When she understood what he had just insinuated, she shouted “Wait! What do you mean next time?!” and ran after him. Her attempt to catch up to him was feeble; he heard her running and ran even faster, both of them laughing and being carefree together.

Stiles chuckled to himself as he thought of the memory, not caring how crazy he might look to other people. The sound and minimal movement from him was what woke Lydia up, seeming confused in her sleepy state.

“What are you laughing at, Stiles?”

He looked down at her, finding the mix of confusion and sleep on her extremely adorable. “Sorry, I was just thinking back to when I proposed. Do you remember how you reacted when you realised why I wanted to surprise you?”

She smiled at the memory, neither confusion nor sleep now evident on her face. “Yeah. Still thinking about proposing again?”

He couldn’t help but laugh again, a little quieter this time. “Nah. I think I’m happy with what I’ve got at the moment.” He followed his statement up with a wink, something that still gave Lydia butterflies to this day.

“Oh yeah? Anyone special?”

He took her hand in his, squeezing it slightly, never breaking eye contact as he spoke. “She’s definitely something. She’s like, ten-thousand percent out of my league, but today she and I got married. I guess miracles do happen, huh?”

Lydia had to put her head on Stiles’ shoulder in order to hide the blush that was taking over her face. “You’re such a cheeseball, Stiles.”

He took his hand out of hers, deciding to hug her instead, whispering into her ear. “Maybe, but you love me anyway so it doesn’t matter.”

The last year seemed to fly by for Stiles, Lydia, and the rest of the pack. Months of preparation and effort from everyone had led up to this day. To say both sides of the wedding party were excited was an understatement. Stiles had always experienced nervousness as a side effect of being excited though, and it had never been as bad a case as it was on the morning of his wedding day.

He was getting ready with his best friend and best man by his side, Scott McCall. The two had been friends since they were 4 years old, so it was only fitting that Scott was the only person capable of calming his best friend down besides the bride herself.

“Stiles, listen to me, okay? You and Lydia have been planning this for over a year. You’ve been together for 5 years, and I know for a fact that you’ve thought about this day even before that.” Scott paused, laughing at the thought of a younger Stiles, completely obsessed with everything that included Lydia Martin. “You’ve already got the girl, and after today you’ll have her with you for the rest of your life. You’re ready for this.”

Stiles appreciated Scott’s words, and even agreed to some extent, but he still felt uneasy. He looked from his hands, unsteady and shaking, up to his best friend. “I know, Scotty. The thing is, I’ve thought about this for so long that it has to be perfect. I can’t screw this up, for me or her.” He glanced down once more, his hands still moving on their own volition. “What if I mess something up, Scott? What if I have a panic attack in the middle of it? Or if-”

Scott sighed, being used to Stiles’ nervous ramblings by now. “You’re doing that thing again where you think too much and then become nervous about everything. It’s simple. You have no doubt in your mind that you want to marry Lydia, right?”

Stiles simply nodded, worried that if he spoke then he wouldn’t stop.

“And Lydia feels exactly the same way about being with you. When you’re out there in a few minutes, don’t think of everyone watching you. Don’t think about your dad, or the pack, or even me. Think about her. Focus on her when she walks down the aisle, and only her. That way, you won’t feel like you have to impress everyone else in the room, just her. You’re good at doing that Stiles, you always have been.”

So, Stiles did exactly that. When Lydia walked down the aisle with the Sheriff, she was the only thing that he saw. He was about to marry the woman that he’d loved since before he knew what love was, and suddenly he forgot why he was nervous in the first place. She was his world, and he was hers, so he didn’t need to worry.

He watched as she came closer to him, a tear falling from his eyes. She was the most beautiful thing that he had ever laid eyes on, and that wasn’t even the greatest thing about her. Lydia approached him, the Sheriff standing to the side as she reached his son. She wiped his eyes, her own showing evidence of tears also. They were wiped away by Stiles, the couple smiling adoringly at each other, before the ceremony began.

The event had happened without a single hitch, and before they knew it, Stiles and Lydia were officially married. After their first kiss as a married couple, Stiles turned to Scott, giving him a little fist bump that was only noticeable in close distance. Lydia didn’t miss it however, laughing at how some things never change. She wouldn’t have it any other way though, and gave Scott a warm smile to say thanks, knowing how crucial he was in getting both Stiles and Lydia in this position today.

The reception was an eventful one, to say the least. Filled with laughter and happiness, the entire pack was at peace for once in a very long time. Nearly everyone that mattered to the happy couple were surrounding them. Derek, Isaac, and Liam made up the groomsmen, with Kira, Malia and Hayden being the bridesmaids. Kira took on the double role of maid of honour also, making her just as important as Scott in the preparation for today, if not more so.

The only people who hadn’t attended either weren’t around anymore sadly, or they couldn’t make it. Lydia’s father had made a lame excuse about how he wouldn’t be able to cope if he had to be in a room with her mother, though he did try to back it up with how happy he was for his daughter. Stiles felt upset for her, and was more than mad that her father didn’t even consider going for Lydia’s sake. He watched her enjoying everyone’s company and leaned in to talk to her, quiet enough that people with human hearing couldn’t pick up on it.

“I’m sorry that your dad didn’t come today. I know that deep down you would have loved if he was the one walking you down the aisle instead of my dad.”

She held his hand under the table they were currently sitting by, speaking in the same quiet tone that Stiles had used. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re right, even though I resented my dad for making me choose between him and my mom when I was 16, a part of me still wanted him to be there for me on my wedding day. He chose not to come though, and maybe that’s for the best. You know I haven’t had the best relationship with him since he and mom divorced, and with the lack of contact, I feel like he doesn’t really know me that well anyway. I’m not the same person that I was back then, and he barely knows about the things I’ve gone through since he left. If he wasn’t there for me during my most vulnerable days, I don’t see the point in him wanting to celebrate the happiest day of my life with me. He’d also be a real pain for my mom, and I wouldn’t want her to deal with that, not on today of all days. She may tell me that she’ll be fine with him being here as long as I’m happy, but they weren’t happy when they were together, so seeing him again at her daughter’s wedding day would probably bring back some painful memories for her too. Besides, I’d rather have a father-in-law walk me down that actually cares for me than my biological dad who practically wants nothing to do with me. So, thank you for asking your dad to do that for me Stiles, it means a lot.”

This wasn’t the first time that Stiles was rendered speechless by Lydia, but it was the first time she made his mind go blank also. Usually when he’s impressed by her, a million thoughts race through his mind all at once, making it difficult to filter through them and articulate them properly. This time though, he really wasn’t expecting her to be so okay with the situation at hand. This is the one day that is supposed to be perfect for her, and she’s perfectly okay with not having her own father there with her? All Stiles knew was that he loved her so much, and that he was incredibly proud of how far Lydia had come along. 16-year-old Lydia wouldn’t stand for this, making sure that she would get the stereotypical ideal wedding even at the expense of others. The Lydia sitting right next to him though no longer cared about doing things for the sake of doing them, instead making decisions to make the people that she loves happy, which in turn made her feel happy.

Stiles still hadn’t figured out an appropriate response to his wife’s great monologue, so he did the next best thing. He kissed her as if his life depended on it, trying to convey how much he appreciated her through the action. When he pulled away, she seemed happy, but a little confused.

“What was that for?”

Stiles smiled, kissing her cheek this time. “I just… I love you so much, Lydia Stilinski.”

Lydia loved how her name sounded now, almost as much as Stiles did. “I love you too.”

From that point on, Stiles constantly referred to Lydia as Lydia Stilinski. It got a little tedious to some of the guests there, but Stiles didn’t care. He’s thought of marrying this girl since he was 8 years old. Now that it was official, Stiles wasn’t going to let anyone forget it.

Another thing Stiles kept doing at the reception was teasing his wife about the honeymoon coming up. Lydia had let Stiles plan it all, only regretting that decision soon after because of course he wasn’t telling her a single detail about it. Now that they were married, he was taunting her with the countdown to their flight and giving hints that were too vague to try and decrypt. As much as she hated surprises though, she loved Stiles and trusted that he would plan an amazing fortnight away.

It wasn’t until they got to the airport later that Stiles revealed his plans to whisk her away to Paris, a place she had always wanted to visit.

When it was time for the speeches, Stiles was dreading what would be said about him. Usually, he didn’t believe in regret; his policy was to put everything into his actions and move on, or to not carry them out at all. When the people closest to him had the power to exploit the stories around those actions however, on what is supposed to be the best day of his life, his policy didn’t really protect him. He was expecting the worst, so he was pleasantly surprised when his friends didn’t exceed his expectations.

To everyone’s surprise, Derek’s speech was the more light-hearted one of the two. To everyone who knew nothing about the supernatural, the speech just seemed like a bunch of anecdotes recalling Stiles’ funniest moments. The pack however knew that Derek was picking out certain parts of whole stories, for entertainment purposes. Neither Stiles or Lydia minded though, because it reminded them that even through the worst moments of their lives, they still made good memories along the way. So, when the sourwolf joked about Stiles still being a hyperactive spaz that is nowhere near ready for married life, Stiles was only moderately offended.

Scott’s speech took a much more emotional turn. Being the only person that grew up with both Stiles and Lydia, he knew everything that the couple had been through, both individually and together. Due to this fact, Scott must have felt like it was a duty of his to express to everyone about how he has seen his best friend crush on the girl sitting right next to him since they were in the 3rd grade. He explained how he couldn’t be prouder of the two people getting married today, and how glad he was to grow up with them at the same time. Even though she had no doubt about this, Scott promised Lydia that she will always be loved and looked after by his best friend. He then drew his speech to an end, half-jokingly stating that regardless of Stiles’ operative skills, Scott could still beat his ass if he managed to mess this up. By the time the true alpha was finished speaking, Lydia’s eyes were watering once more, along with Melissa, Natalie, and even a slight tear from the Sheriff.

Lydia watched the best man walk out of the venue, obviously wanting to take a breather. She told Stiles that she was going to speak to him, and then left to approach him. They stood side by side, in silence for a few minutes, until Lydia finally broke the peace. She turned to him, watching him take the view in.

“That was a really lovely speech, Scott. Thank you.”

He looked at one of his closest friends, appreciating everything that she had done for both Scott and Stiles over the years.

“It’s no problem… I meant it, you know, about being proud of you two. You’ve both come so far, and you’ve always had each other’s backs through it all, along with mine too. I honestly can’t see Stiles getting married to anyone but you, and I know he will be the best person for you as well.”

She turned back to where she was previously looking, staring at the lush gardens that surrounded the banquet hall. “You talk like you always knew we’d be together in the end.”

He shook his head slightly, smirking as he did so. “I wouldn’t say I knew, but I definitely hoped you would. Hearing Stiles talk about how much he loved you for as long as I can remember, it made me wish that you two would end up together eventually. When you started dating after the wild hunt, my first thought was ‘finally’, not just because Stiles could stop telling me that he loved you so much and start telling you instead, but also because it meant you would both start to receive the love I always knew you both deserved. If there’s one thing that I did know about you guys, it’s that I knew how right you were for each other. You know that saying that talks about soulmates being 2 sides of the same coin? That is exactly what you two are: soulmates. It seems even more fitting that you were his first love as well.”

Lydia thanked the heavens that she was wearing waterproof mascara, otherwise she would have scolded the man next to her for making her cry with his words. She knew exactly who he was thinking of when he said his last sentence, this being the exact topic she came out here to speak to him for. She reached for his hand, holding it comfortably in her own.

“You’re thinking of Allison, aren’t you?”

He nodded, confirming her suspicions. “She would be proud of you and Stiles too.” He smiled, thoughts of his first girlfriend flooding through his mind. “She would have loved to have been here.”

It was Lydia’s turn to think of her best friend. “Yeah, she always was a romantic girl. She’ll always be here though, in our hearts.”

Scott squeezed Lydia’s hand a little, knowing that she missed her best friend as much as he missed his first love. “Yeah, you’re right.” They shared a knowing glance, not having to communicate to know that they were always there for each other, to talk about Allison or anything else when needed.

The moment didn’t last long, Scott ushering Lydia inside, demanding that she get back to her husband and have their first dance together.

When Lydia did find Stiles again, he was standing next to his dad, in what seemed to be a very deep conversation. She didn’t want to bother them, but she did want to dance with Stiles, so she politely asked Noah if she could borrow his son for a few minutes, to which he accepted completely.

When the couple reached the dance floor, Start of Time by Gabrielle Aplin started to play. The pair swayed to the song slowly, Lydia’s arms around Stiles’ neck, his secured around her waist. In that moment, nothing else mattered to them but each other and the song. Lydia stared into Stiles’ beautiful eyes, getting lost in them like she had done so many times before.

“What were you and your dad talking about?”

He kissed her forehead, giving her a sheepish smile, almost shy even. “He was telling me about how proud he was of us, and how he knows my mom would be just as proud. What about you and Scott?”

She giggled, laughing at the similarity in their conversations. “Pretty much the same thing. He said how proud he was of us, that Allison would be proud, and she would have wanted to be here too.”

He smiled softly, enjoying her amusement in the comparison. “We did our favourite people proud, Lydia Stilinski.”

She could live in this bubble forever, only being accompanied by Stiles and gentle music. “We certainly did, Stiles Stilinski.”

Lydia had swapped seats with Stiles, wanting to get a closer look of the view as they flew over Europe. Stiles didn’t mind though, he was happy enough to just admire her instead. She turned to him, only to see him already looking at her. Both of their cheeks were hurting with how much they were smiling, but neither of them cared. Lydia turned to the window once more, leaning back into Stiles this time so that her back was against his chest. He rested his head atop hers, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She looked up at him as best as she could. In a soft whisper, she asked “Can you believe we’re married? I still can’t.”

He looked down at her, falling in love with her all over again like he does every time he looks at her. “Me neither.”

She spoke so quietly that he almost missed it, despite being so close to her. “I love you, Mieczyslaw Stiles Stilinski.”

He pulled her closer into him, placing a kiss on her cheek. “I love you too, Lydia Camille-Grace Stilinski.”

They both looked towards the window once more, looking forward to what the next two weeks had in store for them, and every day after that too. They were at peace, knowing for sure that regardless of what life attempts to throw at them, they’ll get through it, together.

#stydia #stydia fic #stydia fanfiction #stiles x lydia #stiles stilinski x lydia martin #stiles stilinski imagine #lydia martin imagine #teen wolf imagine #teen wolf fanfic #teen wolf fanfiction #teen wolf fluff #stydia fluff #mieczyslaw stilinski #mieczyslaw stiles stilinski #dylan o'brien #My writing

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bunnyjoyce-blog · 7 years

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Ideas a Starlight Express cartoon could explore

The following was posted on my DA journal Jan. 6, 2015 and can be found here: https://bunnyjoyce.deviantart.com/journal/Ideas-a-Starlight-Express-cartoon-could-explore-505400224

In the 1990s a lot of PG-13 movies were being turned into G-rated cartoon shows. Ace Ventura, The Mask, Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, Jumanji were among the titles that made it to the Saturday-morning lineups here in the States, and many of them were succesful enough to get at least two seasons (Beetlejuice had four!) Though I'm not going to hold my breath for one, I truly believe that adapting a story like Starlight Express to a cartoon series would be successful and even have lots of potential for a serial arc. There are two timeframes the cartoon could take place in -- the events of the show (but expanded) or as a sequel. From my above list of 90s cartoons, I offer Jumanji and Beetlejuice as examples.

If you haven't seen the film version of Jumanji, the gist of it is that there is a magical (and dangerous) game that conjurs jungle animals that terrorize the local town, and the only way to make them go away is to finish the game. At the start of the story, a boy named Alan gets sucked into the game with his freedom being on the condition that another player rolls a five or eight. Fast forward 28 years, and two kids, Judy and Peter, find the game, start playing and free Alan. From there they work together to finish the game so that everything goes back to normal. What the cartoon did was to expand the events of the movie into three seasons, but there were significant changes. At the beginning of the series, Judy and Peter are sucked into the game, but they are given a clue by Jumanji's crystal ball before they enter its world. They meet Alan, who played the game as a kid and is now a grown up, and at first they think they're stuck there forever, but Judy discovers an object that relates back to the clue the game had given them earlier and figures that fixing it will take them home. At this point, Alan realizes that he never knew about the clues. Judy and Peter are able to leave Jumanji, but they promise to find a way to get Alan out, and the series follows their adventures to do just that. For a sequel show, Beetlejuice was an... interesting one, though very successful. The film was about a married couples recently departed and trying to get a family of three out of their house, but they end up befriending the teenage daughter, Lydia, who is the first human to see them. They summon Beetlejuice to help them, but Beetlejuice's tactics are too violent. From there, the plot follows the living character trying to exorcise the two ghosts, not knowing that it counts as a second death, and in the final show down, everyone is trying to seal away Beetlejuice again to keep him from marrying Lydia. What did the cartoon do? It takes place a year after the events of the movie, but the married ghosts are absent, and Lydia and Beetlejuice are best friends, and the show follows their adventures both in the land of the living and the dead. Four seasons, remember? With this in mind, I can see Starlight Express the TV Series as one of the two scenarios. Ideas for an expansion -- * Instead of one night of racing, it can be stretched into a tournament taking place over the course of a month with elimination races all over the world to narrow the racers down to the best of the best. This would provide a lot of new settings with new problems to introduce the characters to. For example, how would a steamer, a diesel, and an electric fare against each other on the icy rails of Alaska? Or in a desert? Or on a steep mountain grade? Or by a beach during a tropical storm? Or in different countries if need be? (It's a cartoon. International travel doesn't have to follow reality.) These displays of prowess can allow for Rusty to prove himself or doubt himself as his story arc sees fit. * With more races means more deadlines, so one episode can involve CB deliberately getting Rusty lost so that he'll miss a race, thus booting him from the competition altogether. * Electra's and Greaseball's individual motivations for racing can be explored in depth and as well as the back stories of the components and key gang members. * More races means more racers to flesh out the train world. In a society with diesel vs electricity, how does a hybrid electro-diesel engine fit? Or an electric-steam engine? What about maglevs, solar engines, and vacuum trains? What about older cars who enter the race? How does an older lounge car (where passengers once went for entertainment) fare against today's video-game cars? * The mythos of the Starlight Express can be explored more. (We can't forget him. He's the titular character!) Is he a train deity or an old racing legend that made his way into a train baby's lullaby? Does the title of Starlight Express get passed on like the position of Santa Claus in Ernest Saves Christmas, The Santa Clause (with Tim Allen), or Mr. St. Nick (with Kelsey Grammer)? If so, Poppa could be the Starlight incognito gently guiding his successor, Rusty, to achieve his destiny, and the series could follow the tests of not just his physical capabilities, but his character. Will Rusty abandon his partner to win a race? Will Rusty stop to help someone on his way to a race even if it means he'll miss it? If a city full of electric engines has a black out, will Rusty help restore power to the engines who were so mean to him? All his successes and failures will measure whether or not he is worthy to be the next Starlight. * Pearl can also be tested. If she's going to date the Starlight Express eventually, she'll have to prove herself worthy -- and maybe that's where Belle comes in. Maybe the run-down look is just a farce to test Pearl's character, so will Pearl listen to an old sleeper with good, but uncomfortable, advice or to her newer coach friends? Ideas for a sequel -- * The events of the musical could be turned into a one-hour/two-part pilot or a TV movie. Disney's Return of Jafar was this for the spin-off Aladdin series. * Sure, Electra and Greaseball claim they want to be steamers, but they have people in their pasts who might not like this. How will Greaseball's adoring fans take to him converting? Or the Union Pacific? Meanwhile, the "engine of the future" was commissioned by someone to be just that, and that someone might not like their creation making drastic changes. (This shady person could serve as the series' Big Bad if need be.) In either case, Greaseball and Electra may change their mind, and their character arcs may involve whether or not they are "under their own control" as themselves or if changing would be better for them. (Is Greaseball really free if he bows to social pressures? Is Electra's current life really better, or is he just a puppet on electrified strings?) * A sequel can explore the day-to-day life of trains and can take a slice-of-life approach, or it can also explore the repercussions of a steamer winning the world-famous race. How many trains will challenge Rusty to racing when he just wants to focus on his growing relationship with Pearl? How many gold diggers are going to start hitting on him? How hard will it be for him to be refurbished now if most of the repair trucks are pro-diesel? If he finally gets his dream of pulling streamlined coaches, how are the other trains going to treat him at different stations? * CB's fall from his social position can be explored. Can he be rehabilitated? Or will he plunge further into a life of crime? Speaking of crime, railroad police can be introduced as can other train criminals. Will CB join their gang? Will they pull underhanded means to keep him from reforming? Will CB temporarily join, take their loot, and then turn them in to the police so that he can play the hero while keeping the stolen goods? * Railroad museums can be addressed. Are they nice retirement homes or boring places for once active trains to live? * The component loyalties can be explored. Will they still be with Electra if he lost his money? If the TV pilot followed the canon and had some or all the components side with Greaseball during the "Pumping Iron" scene, they might not actually like Electra or are always looking for the next better thing.

#starlight express

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ianfaulkner1-blog · 5 years

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By Roxanne Reid It’s like falling down Alice’s rabbit hole to a wacky world where there’s no front door, walls are made of books, friendly ghosts walk the passages, and you’ll meet a character just as intriguing as the March Hare. Find out why to visit the Royal Hotel, Bethulie, Free State.

Bethulie lies in sheep-and-cattle country in South Africa’s dry heartland. Call it the Free State or even the Upper Karoo, no one will argue. Founded back in the 1830s, it sits on the northern banks of the Orange River about 50km from the massive Gariep Dam. At first sight this dusty little dorp looks like it has little to offer a visitor. You might wonder what the hell you’re doing here and whether you should turn tail and run – especially when you can’t find an entrance to your accommodation at the Royal Hotel. Litter and dry leaves scuttle across the pavement and the midday heat beats down as you walk the length and breadth of the hotel’s facade. Not a door is unlocked. Eventually you’ll go round the back, through an eerily empty parking lot and hear voices through a half-open door.

The hotel faces the street on two sides yet you have to go round the back to find the entrance

Yes, the young woman told me, I was in the right place. If I just went to that door around the back and waited, someone would let me in. I did and before long the hotel’s owner, Anthony Hocking, was beetling his bushy brows at me, smiling a Cheshire Cat welcome and gesturing me in. Down the rabbit hole. One step inside and all you see are narrow wood-floored passages lined with books. More books than you’ve ever seen in one place outside a library. (Probably more books than inside a lot of libraries.) This is the reason I’m here. Because I’ve heard about it. And I love books.

The book passage, your first sight of the Royal Hotel's interior

There’s a rabbit warren of dimly lit reception rooms stuffed with books and vinyls too (or LP records to the oldies among you). You see, Anthony is a bit of a pack rat, but with very specific tastes. He reckons his collection totals about 120 000 books and 80 000 records, but only a fraction of those are on display in the hotel. The rest spill over into his house across the road, and one or two other buildings he owns nearby.

No, it's not wallpaper - books, books, books everywhere

The collection is eclectic. Some of the books may be valuable, others he perhaps used for research when he was writing his own books, a medley of works about the paper and mining industries, the Oppenheimers, a few about Canada. The collection includes history and biography, travel and art, as well as a ton of fiction paperbacks, some of them bought for a pittance as job lots to fill the boundless spaces. The tale of the Royal Hotel Back in the 1860s the building that was to give way to the Royal Hotel was a trading store owned by JB Robinson who later made a big splash in diamonds and gold. The hotel itself was founded in the 1880s and has seen its share of well known people, like the infamous Lord Kitchener and Boer President Marthinus Steyn. Anthony has had a home across the road since 1983 so he watched as the Royal Hotel slid into shabby dilapidation. After it was auctioned and the deal fell through he bought it for song in 2005, not quite sure what he was going to do with it. Luckily, he soon struck a deal to fill the rooms with people manning road works in the area. That brought in some income for about 18 months. Later, a Spanish tour company expressed interest in adding the hotel to their stopover route if he’d restore it. And that’s how the Royal Hotel’s renaissance began.

Just a few of the vinyls in the extensive collection

It makes a good base for visitors who want to explore the historical sites of Bethulie. And although nothing was happening when we stayed there, you might strike it lucky and visit when a music recital, poetry reading, wine weekend or murder mystery weekend is on the go. The rooms are nothing fancy, but they’re clean and have all the bits and bobs you need, including a life-saving portable fan to cope with the summer heat. It’s enough for anyone who’s there chiefly for the deluge of books. Stories, stories, stories A collection that’s more subtle, less in-your-face than the books or vinyls is the anthology of stories that Anthony has on the tip of his tongue. He styles himself a storyteller and raconteur and can certainly spin a good yarn, whether it’s about the town’s history or his own life adventures. Over dinner, as we sat dwarfed by books from floor to ceiling, we discovered he’s a keen Bethulie historian and a bit of an Anglo Boer War buff. He drenched us in stories of the war and of his days as a dishwasher in Montmartre or working on a ship during his university holidays. Over breakfast he told us more about ‘the war’ (which around here always refers to the Anglo Boer War of 1899-1902) and about the hoax debutante ball he and some friends at Oxford threw together for a lark. He tells a ripping ghost story too. Inset into the walls of books are a few panels where paintings hang. Four of them in one of the reception rooms are blank white spaces. Those, he insists, are portraits of ghosts, who he describes in great detail – like war correspondent Edith Dickenson whose ghost helps to keep the others upbeat. Generally, they’re a peaceful lot so there’s no need to be afraid.

Portraits of two of the 'ghosts'

Stories come burbling out non-stop. If you look interested and he’s not busy he might volunteer to take you to see historical sites around the town, all the while relating tales about shenanigans and perhaps some bad behaviour in the old days. His Duracell-bunny energy and tendency to jump from story to story can be exhausting, battering your brain with new information at breakneck speed. But if you can keep up, you’ll learn a lot of fascinating stuff. Things to do in Bethulie Obviously, experiencing the Royal Hotel’s book and vinyl collections and meeting its colourful owner are hefty reasons to stay over in Bethulie. But they’re not the only things to do in this small town. Here are some others. 1. Visit the oldest house in the Free State. Back in 1828 there was a London Missionary Society station here to convert the San, until Jean Pierre Pellissier of the Paris Missionary Society arrived in 1832. The Pellissier House museum dates back to 1834-35 and now has displays that include old furniture, photos, clothes and war relics.

Pellissier House, the oldest house in the Free State

2. See the house where actor and storyteller Patrick Mynhardt lived as a boy. He is most well remembered for his renditions of Herman Charles Bosman’s character Oom Schalk Lourens and for his autobiography The Boy from Bethulie. 3. Visit the Louw Wepener monument on a farm 10km west of Bethulie on the Springfontein road (R715). Wepener led the Free State commandos during the second Basotho War and was killed in 1865 while trying to storm Moshoeshoe’s mountain fortress of Thaba Bosiu.

Louw Wepener monument

4. If you’re interested in San rock art and fossils, you’re in luck. Talk to Anthony or Bethulie Tourism for more info about a guide who can take you to see them. You probably need to arrange this ahead. 5. Pay homage at the Bethulie concentration camp cemetery, Kamp Kerkhof. When it was thought the Gariep Dam was going to flood the original Anglo Boer War concentration camp site, bones were exhumed and reburied on higher ground just out of town in 1966. (Later it was discovered there was too much dolerite rock where they planned to put the dam so it was built in its current position instead.) At one place in the monument it says 1737 people died here during the Anglo Boer War, in another place it says 1714. Either way, it’s a lot. At the back, under lock and key, are some of the original rough gravestones. The monument is made of austere grey stone and when we visited a blistering wind made for an appropriately grim atmosphere.

Kamp Kerkhof, the Bethulie concentration camp cemetery and memorial

We also went to the site of the actual concentration camp with Anthony, finding a desolate piece of veld and some remnants of broken gravestones. As many as 5000 people were interred here at full capacity. It was the worst of all 33 camps around the country – largely because the Brit running it was young and inexperienced. He put the tents too close together so disease spread quickly. Water rations were short and the inmates used stream water that was contaminated by cattle that had died of rinderpest and been buried upstream. Typhoid spread like wildfire in the cramped conditions. At the original site there’s also a strange blockish monument that looks like a ruin but in fact was never finished. British women funded the monument that was started in 1918 in solidarity with Boer women but the Boer women were in no mood to accept the gesture, so it was never finished.

Unfinished monument at the site of the Bethulie concentration camp

6. Take a drive to the Gariep Dam about 50km from Bethulie on the R701. It was completed in 1971 and is the biggest in South Africa, with a surface area of 374 square kilometres and storage capacity of 5,340,000 megalitres. Here you’ll find activities like water sports and game viewing in the adjacent nature reserve, where you might spot wildebeest, eland, kudu, red hartebeest, springbok and other antelope. Word is that the dam is silting up and there’s a plan to raise the dam wall. 7. At sunrise or sunset feast your eyes on the arched sandstone bridge across the Orange River. Known as the Hennie Steyn Bridge, it’s the longest road-rail bridge in South Africa. At 1.2km, it connects the Free State to the Eastern Cape.

Longest road-rail bridge in South Africa

8. If you’re a history buff, there are many more old buildings and monuments to discover in Bethulie, from an ox wagon monument and a monument to honour the role horses have played in South Africa’s history, to the Dutch Reformed church completed in 1887 and now a national monument.

What's left of an old water cooling plant on a hill above Bethulie

9. Visit the old railway station at the edge of town. It’s an atmospheric corrugated iron building dating back to 1894 and painted a sun-bleached red. It has a connection to the Bethulie ‘book hotel’ too. When it was slated for demolition, Royal Hotel owner Anthony Hocking, who loves a bit of history, bought it to save it from destruction. For his efforts in preserving this small piece of heritage, the Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge (an organisation dedicated to preserving Afrikaans culture and heritage) recently gave Anthony (a dyed-in-the-wool Englishman) an award. He’s understandably chuffed.

The old railway station

10. If you’re looking for something more action-packed, there’s hiking, cycling (on-road and off-road trails), fishing, star-gazing and ghost hunting. If those don’t appeal to you, just sit back and do bugger all – it’s equally exhilarating. Like it? Pin this image!

You may also enjoy 15 things to do in Clarens in the Free State Maliba Lodge: a romantic & honeymoon getaway Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za

#bethulie #RoyalHotel #bookhotel

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