#I shall simply set it aside for another day

[shibaraki]

nanami fantasy au has haunted my dreams since i thought of the concept. knight nanami?? captain of the guard nanami?? i'm crying

right like aldjksnfkd I outlined ideas for each au just so I could be prepared for whatever won and for the fantasy one it woulda been blacksmith nanami.. WE COULD’VE HAD IT ALLLLLLLLL 📣📣📣

#asks #I shall simply set it aside for another day #dw u guys I have brainstormed so many fics for jjk this week and I will not forget them #this event has been a pretty good exercise for me

[rax-writes]

↬ when night falls

Tywin Lannister x Reader

intended to be a sequel to the morning after, but it's not necessary that you read it prior to this

Warnings: Smut, MDNI, 18+ ONLY ⇆ P in V sex, unprotected sex, creampie, age gap, nipple play, bit of breeding kink, mentions of pregnancy, pregnant!reader

The journey from Winterfell to King's Landing took considerably longer than necessary, given the Queen's insistence that she travel in that godsforsaken carriage of hers. As such, five weeks after your marriage to Tywin Lannister, you were spending one final night in a lavish red and gold tent alongside your lord husband.

For the entirety of the journey, the two of you spent the entire day apart – your horse trotting behind your father and King Robert, and Tywin a short distance behind, alongside Ser Jamie. Occasionally, Arya would pester you into allowing her to sit in front of you on the saddle, as you quietly conversed with her and taught her how to control the horse. But, aside from that, you were alone with your thoughts all day, every day.

The nights, however, were spent in the arms of your lord husband.

The two of you quite quickly developed a very… peculiar dynamic. You had quickly learned and adapted to the way the fearsome Tywin Lannister operates – preferring you speak concisely and directly, vehemently uninterested in anything otherwise. Additionally, there was a degree of mutual respect, as well as a vaguely guarded openness to one another – but certainly no love, or any semblance of romantic feelings at all. In truth, you assumed there never would be.

But gods was there lust.

On your end, it was your first and only experience with sex, and it was undeniably good, so you were eager for it. On his end… you couldn't be sure. It could be that the man was pent up from years as a bachelor, but it would be safe to assume he had simply sent for a whore when the mood struck him. A more likely reason would be his pursuit of an heir, but surely he wouldn't have needed to fill your cunt nightly to achieve that goal. No, you were almost certain that he was simply enjoying fucking you – just as much as you were enjoying fucking him.

When Tywin entered the tent, you were sitting on the edge of the cot, toying with the goblet in your hands, already undressed to your shift. He met your eyes as he entered, but said nothing, that unreadable (but somehow always leaning toward annoyed) expression on his face. He silently began taking off his boots, then removed his sword and placed it beside the cot. He was in the middle of pouring wine into his goblet when you found the courage to ask your question.

"Will you stop bedding me when I become pregnant?"

Tywin said nothing, setting the pitcher down and turning to face you as he took a sip of his wine. He wore that calm, calculating expression as he stared at you – but you could swear there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. The golden goblet made a faint clank as he set it down before speaking.

"Do you ask because you wish for me to stop? Or because you wish for me to continue?"

"I wish for you to continue."

"Then I shall continue," Tywin stated, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Good," you replied, then added, "Because I am."

"You are what?"

"Pregnant."

The smile dropped and Tywin's eyebrows raised, making his forehead crinkle.

"Already?" he inquired dryly, surprised. Then, incredulous, he asked, "How do you know?"

It was a fair question. You had never been pregnant before, so perhaps you were mistaking soreness and fatigue from travel as signs of pregnancy. But no. You knew.

"I should have bled three weeks ago, but I have not. My breasts are extremely tender, and certain smells make my stomach turn."

Tywin nodded, then stated, "I do not doubt that you are right, but we will have a Maester provide his confirmation and look you over when we arrive in King's Landing. In the meantime, is there anything you need?"

A faint but wicked smile spread across your face, and you stood from the bed, setting the goblet down as you slowly made your way over to him. The metal of his armor was cold beneath your fingers as you idly ran your hands over his chest, before toying with the belt around his hips, looking up at him through your lashes.

"You," was your simple answer. But both of you knew that it wasn't meant in a romantic, sweet sort of way.

Tywin's hand reached up to cradle your face, somewhat harshly, hooking his thumb under your jaw to tilt your head up and kiss you. It was lustful and full of desire, accompanied by the scratch of his beard upon the delicate skin of your face.

When he pulled away, Tywin smiled quite faintly, then hummed lowly and said, "Well, what sort of man would I be to deny his pregnant lady wife her wish?"

The old lion made quick work of removing his armor and smallclothes, and relieving you of the thin linen shift you wore, before guiding you to the luxurious cot. Tywin continued to kiss you, eventually trailing kisses down your neck, until he reached your chest, unexpectedly taking one of your breasts into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it.

The sensation nearly made you shout, opting to take in a sharp breath instead as your back arched off the blankets. Eyes squeezed shut, you heard a low chuckle, and looked down to see a set of very amused, crystalline eyes staring up at you.

"Hm, I see you were not exaggerating about the sensitivity."

Electing to ignore him, you let your head fall back onto the pillow. However, it seemed he did not intend to grant you any reprieve, moving to the other breast and doing the same thing – prompting you to dig your nails into his shoulders and bite your lip to avoid crying out. Unfortunately, that made matters worse, as Tywin let out a low groan with his lips still wrapped around your nipple, earning a loud, pitiful whine from you.

Seemingly enjoying himself, Tywin began peppering your chest with gentle bites, which he soothed with his tongue afterwards, sure to become small little bruises by morning. Breathy moans and sighs of pleasure filled the tent, as he then resumed his ministrations on the hardened peaks of your breasts before snaking one hand down to toy with your clit, expertly rubbing it in small, steady circles. Astoundingly fast, your release washed over you, soaking his hand as you moaned and writhed beneath the Warden of the West – who only chuckled darkly at your quick climax.

Noticing that the continued kisses and licks upon your breasts began to make you twitch, Tywin captured your lips in a brief, rough kiss, before rolling onto his back. He then pulled you into his lap, with a strength one wouldn’t assume the older man to still possess – which was, admittedly, arousing. Your mind was still foggy from the orgasm, and your movements were not unlike a rag doll, eyes half-lidded and jaw slack, moving somewhat limply as you allowed him to maneuver you. He gripped his hard, leaking cock in one hand, then reached behind you to urge you forward with a flat palm on the small of your back.

A hiss through gritted teeth escaped Tywin, and you gasped lightly, head thrown back and hands flat on his chest. Although you’d already lost count of how many times he’d taken you, it still felt more incredible than anything you’d ever experienced. A passing thought reminded you of the fact that he seemed to share the sentiment, always hissing or groaning when he first sheathed himself inside you.

Tywin’s grip moved to your hips, prompting you to begin rocking them against his own, keeping your pace steady. However, he made no move to halt you when you eventually began to move faster, leaning back to rest your hands on his thighs as you fucked yourself on his long, thick cock. The sound of it alone would have made a Septa drop dead – a symphony composed of wet skin upon skin and gruff grunts intermingling with breathy moans.

He reached up to grasp and knead your breasts in his rough, calloused hands – but he then surprised you, his hands drifting lower, until they rested flat against your lower stomach. You thought perhaps he was focusing on the movement of your hips, but then his thumbs began to stroke across the soft skin of your belly.

At first, it seemed very sweet and sentimental. You thought that perhaps he was basking in the joy of another child being on the way – until you felt the way his cock throbbed, deep inside of you, as he stared intently at your belly. Immediately, you came to the realization that it must be arousing for a man to have successfully fucked a babe into his wife – stroking their ego and their pride to have done their husbandly duty, as well as show everyone that you belong to them.

Truth be told, you were surprised to learn that it aroused you just as much.

Tywin groaned as you clenched around him, and when his eyes flicked up to meet yours, it felt as though he knew you had been thinking the very same thing he was.

That seemed to ignite something within your husband, and in the blink of an eye, Tywin flipped you onto your back and began driving into your soaked cunt with a newfound ferocity. You bit down on your knuckle to keep quiet, but Tywin pinned both of your wrists down, his arms on either side of your head. The act did not last much longer beyond that point, both parties having already been too near the precipice of climax, and the pair of you met your releases in unison.

Tywin rolled off of you, breathing heavily, a light layer of sweat covering his chest, along with the small patches of silver hair. You allowed yourself a few moments of recovery, before moving to leave the cot in order to extinguish the candles, as well as tidy yourself up. However, Tywin grabbed your arm to stop you.

“Where are you going?”

“The candles –”

“Can wait,” Tywin interrupted, voice sounding unbothered as always, albeit with a hint of fatigue. He exhaled slowly, as he gently pulled you back down to lay upon the cot beside him. “One of the guards outside can see to the candles in a moment. You are carrying my heir, so you are to rest. As much as is feasible, from now until the babe is born. And if anyone questions it, they are to discuss it with me.”

Anyone possessing the sense the gods gave a mule knows “discussing” something with Tywin Lannister was just the opposite – it was not to be addressed at all, because what Tywin Lannister says, goes. A fact which made you smile softly.

“As my lord husband commands,” you replied, a hint of sarcasm in your tone, but you did exactly as he bade you, pulling some of the blankets over you and nestling into the pillows. You were already yawning by the time Tywin called for a guard, who extinguished the candles, and bathed the room in darkness as you drifted into a deep, contented sleep.

#i'm hoping this stayed in the realm of “we have a mutual understanding and respect but no love at all” #also this isn't proof-read or beta-read so if there's anything wrong lmk #tywin lannister #game of thrones #got #tywin lannister x reader #tywin lannister x you #tywin lannister fan fiction #tywin lannister fanfic #tywin lannister fanfiction #tywin lannister fan fic #tywin lannister fic #got fanfiction #got fan fiction #game of thrones fan fiction #game of thrones fanfiction #my writing

[eggluverz]

THE GENERAL NEEDS A BREAK… AND A MOONCAKE

PAIRING. jing yuan x gn!reader

SUMMARY. the general is drowning in work, and the mid-autumn festival is the perfect excuse to take a break.

SOF'S NOTE. i know it's late but i wanted to get this out still hehe hope you still enjoy the moon festival cuteness even though i missed it xD i've been in a jing yuan mood lately ngl i just wanna cuddle and have a lazy day with him :> pls enjoy!!

You knew autumn was in the air as you walked down the streets of the Exalting Sanctum with a bag of fried songlotus roots from a nearby vendor. The trees carefully scattered throughout the streets were now vibrant shades of orange and yellow; you could feel the crisp wind blowing around you. 

And while you were able to enjoy your time outside work, visiting the bustling Mid-Autumn Fesitval in Aurum Alley, you knew the general was not. 

In fact, you hadn’t seen your partner in days now because of how busy he has been lately. You weren’t even sure if he managed to escape work within the past week. 

With a sigh, you sadly munched on another songlotus root. That simply wouldn’t do. 

You understood Jing Yuan was busy trying to keep the Preceptors out of his hair while dealing with the threat of the Stellaron on the Xianzhou. And while you knew how important it was, you also knew Jing Yuan could delegate some of his tasks. He could free up just a bit of time to enjoy the festival before it came to an end for the year. 

As you approached the Seat of Divine Foresight, you were determined to accomplish just that— Get the general to come along and explore Aurum Alley with you. 

“How are you doing, General?” you drawled, walking over to his desk and peeking behind his stacks of papers. 

He blinked blearily before a small smile formed on his face at the sight of you. “Why, I’m having the time of my life. And you?” 

You went around to his seat and gave him a brief kiss in greeting. Your hand cupped his cheek as you smoothed the dark circles under his eyes. Jing Yuan sighed and leaned into you touch.

“I’m doing well,” you said. “Would be better if you could attend the festival with me.”

He chuckled at that. 

“I know you must be having so much fun working, but I promise I can make your Mid-Autumn Festival experience even better than this,” you sang, plucking the pen from his hands and placing it flat on his desk. 

“You certainly drive a tempting offer.”

“Then accept.” 

“Perhaps I will.”

You cheered as he laughed, setting his papers aside and standing up follow you out. Like the gentleman he was, Jing Yuan extended his hand out for you to hold. You accepted graciously and the two of you walked hand-in-hand out of his office and to Aurum Alley.

It was a long walk, but time always felt short with Jing Yuan. Minutes passed by too quickly and you found yourself always wanting to spend more time with him. 

Night had come by the time you arrived in Aurum Alley, and you had just made it in time to see the lanterns lighting up the sky. The warm, twinkling lights of the lanterns lit up the dark night, planting a seed of awe in you as you watched the festivities happily. You felt a stare pointed in your direction and you knew it was Jing Yuan looking at you in admiration.

You turned back to him and tapped his chin upwards. “You should be ogling at the lanterns, not me!” 

“Can a man not do both?” 

With a giggle, you rested your head against his chest. He was warm and inviting, and you were glad he could escape his life as the general for just a little bit to enjoy this scenery with you.

“Have you tried Tall Auntie’s mooncakes this year?” you asked, feeling your stomach grumble as you took in the delicious scents around you. “I swear, it tastes even better than before!” 

“I have not.” Jing Yuan shook his head, tucking your hand back into the safety of his own. “Shall we go?”

You nodded and skipped along, excited to have another one of her mooncakes. While mooncakes could be found everywhere, in all parts of the galaxy, Tall Auntie added the Luofu touch. The filling had a mixture of red bean paste and custard made from puffergoat milk— You almost drooled at the thought. 

Noticing the dreamy look on your face, Jing Yuan laughed. He wiped the corner of your lip, eyes bright with amusement. “You have something here.” 

So, perhaps you did drool at the thought. 

Smiling sheepishly, you wiped at your mouth. “I suppose I’m craving it now. You’ll love it too, trust me.”

“I’m certain I will.” 

As the two of your approached Tall Auntie’s food stall, you ordered two specialty mooncakes and found a secluded area to munch on them. There was a bench surrounded by trees and buildings, with a view of the lanterns growing smaller and smaller in the sky, and you thought it was a perfect place to enjoy your snack. 

“What do you think?” you said, eagerly watching him take the first bite. 

Jing Yuan closed his eyes in contentment, leaning back against the wall. For a moment, he said nothing. He simply chewed, savoring each flavor as it hit his tongue. When he swallowed, he opened his eyes and nodded at you. “Delicious.”

You beamed and he ruffled the top of your head. 

“It’s just what I needed after a long week of work.” 

“You deserve it,” you said, leaning your head on his shoulder. “Even the hardworking general deserves a break.” You took a bite of your pastry and hummed in contentment. “And a mooncake.” 

Jing Yuan nodded in agreement, shutting his eyes and allowing his heavy body to relax into your touch. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Anytime. And after, we’re going straight home and sleeping in bed.”

His eyes opened at that, a teasing crinkle on his nose. “I propose we partake in some other activities in bed before we sleep tonight.” 

You laughed at his boldness, glancing around to make sure no one else heard. “Jing Yuan!” 

“My love,” he replied. 

The warmth in your heart grew as you snuggled against him once more. “Okay, but only if you get me another mooncake first.”

“You have a deal.” 

#hsr x reader #honkai star rail x reader #jing yuan x reader #jing yuan #hsr #honkai star rail #hsr imagines #hsr fanfiction #honkai star rail x you

[witchofhimring]

To cast you down and take all you hold dear

This series is being edited. I feel Alys came off as one dimensionally evil and the reader as a pretty flat character. So this will be heavily edited.

Queen you shall be, until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all you hold dear

Pairings:

Aemond Targaryen x Reader

Aemond Targaryen x Alys Rivers

Part 3 (previous chapter): Younger and more beautiful

Warnings: angst, cheating, mentions of stillbirth/miscarriages, death

A slap echoed through the room. The lady cried out and held her cheek. Alys stood there, wide eyed with a shaking hand. All her ladies stood around her in shock. At that moment Alys did not look even remotely regal. In fact, she had never looked worse. Alys was no longer the beautiful woman who took the throne. There may be remanence, but they were blurred. Her once fine black hair had a slight wear to it from all the nervous tugging over the past few months. Dark brown eyes bore out of a pale face, the skin stretched tightly over it like a mask. Her figure, which had once been so slender, had become blousy and difficult to control. Alys found that she could no longer simply rely on walking and eating soups to keep a slim figure. Her body ached in places she did not even know could. This might have been all worth it if she'd had a son. But only one daughter and two stillborn babes in the end. Panic had set in. They now whispered in the halls of the Queen, unable to bear the King a son. Now they whispered of the old one. Lately, Y/n's name came stalked the halls.

At least she new how to be a Queen.

Twenty years and he just casts her aside.

Queen Y/n would have done it better.

Y/n this. Y/n that. All they talked of was the old Queen. They also whispered of how Queen Alys was losing her grip of the King. No longer was she the fearless mistress who took the court by storm. As Queen she was flooded with worried and responsibilities that made her hair turn grey.

Not like Floris Baratheon. Floris Baratheon was only slightly younger than herself. She had borne her pervious husband two sons yet her figure remained just as lithe as it had been in her youth. Alys had taken great pleasure in sending Y/n's former lady to serve the true Princess, her daughter. But the sneaky little slut had been cunning. Because whenever the Queen had her back turned, Floris took to seductive arts.

"To cast you down and take all you hold dear."

Floris Baratheon, younger, more beautiful, who held a candle for the old Queen. Soon Floris became the governess and had unfiltered access to the King.

Exhausted, Alys dismissed her ladies and headed down the hall. It was late and she had only just heard the last of the petitioners. She would go to her husband tonight and try to get another child. Perhaps this time a son. Summoning her courage Alys walked to the door. In the mirror she quickly checked herself. Today she wore a sleek black gown that highlighted her best features. The black and ruby crown that once belonged to Y/n was placed on her head. She pushed open the door. The sight that greeted her caused Alys to stagger back. Floris Baratheon was sitting in the Kings lap, her dark hair cascading to one side. Her blue eyes drifted towards the Queen and she could see mirth shimmering on the surface of her eyes. The second her husband sees her he simply helps Floris to her feet and sends her away. "Your Grace." Floris gives her the smallest curtsy, and the smallest smile that only she could see dancing on her lips.

"At least the previous Queen was dignified about it." Alys wanted to tear their eyes out for such words. It was all they had been talking about the past few days. After catching her husband with Floris the conversation that followed could have destroyed the Red Keep. Shouts thundered and likely a nosy servant had overheard and spread word about. Or even that bitch Floris had opened her cunt mouth. She wanted to tear their throats out and make them beg for mercy. But that wasn't truly an option. She was the Queen. Just as how Y/n held the title. A Queen never complained.

"You brought that whore into your chambers!" She screamed as tears built up behind her eyes. Aemond pinched his nose, looking irritated. "I did not endure a day of tedious meetings to deal with your harping." This was insulting. He was acting as if his offence was minor in nature. "Harping! This is an insult to me and our daughter the Princess! She is heir to the Seven kingdoms and-" Aemond started to laugh. With a flinch she drew back. Alys could not believe this was the man she had grown to love. "You forget yourself Alys. And let us not forget that my daughter Daenerys was considered the heir at one such time." She could hear the wine on his breath. Horrified, Alys gaped at her husband. "How dare....that is not the same!" She was actually shaking right now, such was her anger. Alys was tempted to rush towards Aemond and drag her nails through his skin. And once she was done with that, her attention would turn to Floris. And Gods help that girl when she did. "In the eyes of many it is the same, My Lady. Many do not see you as the true Queen." She staggered back. No, this could not be her Aemond. This was some horrid parody of the man she had come to love. Unable to take it anymore, Alys fleed.

She knew that the crown was her destiny. Alys had spent days preparing Harenhall for the Kings arrival, as well as herself. Her onyx black hair fell to her waist, she bathed in cold water for weeks to keep her skin pale and a crimson dress that flung to her figure. She waited by the window, excepting to see a dragon descend at any moment. "Queen you shall be." Yes. She would be Queen one day. Her thoughts went to the current Queen. The one who could not even give the King a son. Perhaps this was the Queen she was meant to replace. A deep rumbling emanated from the distance and a great shadow parted the rolling clouds. It was time.

She descended the stairs, careful not to tear her delicate dress. A rumble shook the castle as Vhaegar landed. The great doors opened and Alys entered the court yard, just as the King got off Vhaegar. He was not a young man anymore, though not old either. He still kept the same physic of his youth, silver hair streaming behind him. Alys felt something warm stir within her. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. It was as if someone had plucked the ethereal descriptions of the Valyrians of old and made it into life. He walked towards her in an elegant stride before kissing her hand. His lips were warm.

Days went by as Aemond and Alys spoke. They walked in the gardens and talked about books. The longer they stayed together the more she fell for him. Alys thought that this must be it. This must be the King she was meant to marry. It was just too bad he had a wife. "I shall head back when the Queen gives birth." It had been almost twenty years and the Queen had yet to give a son. Alys hated her, the reason Aemond would have to leave. She just wished Y/n would go away already. She was tired of waiting! "Is she in good health?" From anyone else this would sound like a comment of concern. But no, Alys simply hoped Y/n would finally die. And then Alys could marry and give her King the son he so needed.

She was summoned to the council at the hour of the wolf. She walked, flanked by two of her ladies. On her way there, who should she meet, but Floris. It was late. Far to late for Floris Baratheon to simply be taking a leisurely stroll through the castle. Alys realized they were quite alone. A slow sneer curled on those red lips as Alys realized now was the time. She would take care of Floris once and for all. "It is late to be serving the King as his whore." She put on the facade on an uncaring Queen who saw mistresses as beneath her notice. Only Floris smiled, as if in on some great joke. "Oh, you're alright at it." Instead of rage Alys was confused. "Speak plainly." She demanded. "I mean that your uncaring mask is alright. Though not as good....as say... Queen Y/n." The former Queen's name rolled off Floris's tongue as she relished in the look on Alys's face. "Your loyalty to your former mistress is touching. But I suppose your final memories of her plight encourage you to rebel against be." Alys got pleasure from the momentary, painful spasm that crossed Floris's face. "I regret to inform you that the Queen was hardly pitiful in her final days. She carried herself with dignity, before and after she was in the palace." Alys fought down the hateful heat that threatened to engulf her. This mere mistress dared to insult her. Alys swore that when she bore a son she would have Floris pay for every insult. "Well, regardless, I am Queen now and it is best you remember that. I am sure your mistress told you many things to sway your heart against me." Floris only laughed. "You are most mistaken if you thought that you took up much place in the Queen's mind at all. Queens do not concern themselves with mistresses." The next moment there were was a gasp and a "crack" as Alys struck Floris. Her head turned and Floris's pale skin now wore the beginnings of a bruise. Floris simply wiped the small amount of blood from her lips. "As I said, alright. But Y/n was better."

Now word got around court of how the Queen struck the Kings mistress. All the time they stared and whispered of the jealous Queen. Worst of all were the murmurings of how Aemond might set her aside and take the young, pretty Floris as his bride. After all, she had provided her previous husband with two healthy boys. Alys had tried to conceive again but to no avail. Each month she woke up to blood on the sheets. Day after day she hoped she was pregnant.

It was not only her difficulties in producing a son that haunted Westeros. There was news coming in that Daenerys was plotting something. She had disappeared from the Sept in which she receded and taken her dragon with her. Aemond had sent out men to look her her. Alys hoped that Aemond would see sense and either kill the girl or make her take the veil. But no such thing was to occur. And then they did find the Princess, she was at the head of an army.

Alys went to see her husband that night. This time she went alone. The light flickered on the wall casting shadows. Her steps echoed off the stones. She saw her husbands bedroom door. Oddly enough, there were no guards posted. Without knocking she entered, only to see it occupied. Floris immediately straightened up, turning around hastily. A piece of crumpled parchment in her grasp. Suspicion gripped Alys at the way Floris's eyes shifted. "Hand me that." Alys striddened towards her. Floris stumbled back in her haste. A thin, cold hand closed on Floris's wrist as Alys snatched the parchment. With a shove Floris was sent to the floor. Alys could not discern the writing. But that's why spies used code. They both froze, as Alys realized what Floris had been planning for months. And Floris realized Alys had found her out. Alys could not breath. Floris had charged at her and seized Alys about the throat. Both toppled to the side. Alys dug her nails in Floris's pale skin, wracking it with her talons. Floris cried out but did not release her hold. "You traitorous bitch! I should have killed you and her bastard daughter!" Alys screamed. She called for guards but realized there were none at the door. Floris seized the necklace around Alys's neck and twisted it. Sharp pain exploded across her neck and suddenly Floris let go. She shot up and darted to the door. Alys was hot on her heals and she seized Floris's dark brown hair. She screamed and slammed her weight into Alys's foot. In one last desperate move Alys reached for the candlestick and a moment later it cracked against Floris's skull. Floris feel, bleeding. Victoriously Alys stood over her. And it seemed her prayers were answered as she head voices outside. Guards swept in and the candlestick fell from Alys's hand. At their head was Daenerys Targaryen.

"You should take care." Her elder brother Harwin Strong leaned against the door as he watched his sister put on jewelry. Alys admired her features in the mirror. She was lucky in her looks. Unlike her lumbering oaf of a brother and crippled Larys. "And why is that?" Alys rolled her eyes, she didn't have time for this. Harwin's expression darkened. "Do not take me for a fool little sister. I know what you did to Amelia." Alys sharply turned to him. So her was taking her side, was he. "She should have been more careful." "She accidently dropped tea on you. That was no reason to scar her face." Alys payed her foolish brother, who held to idea of gallantry and chivalry like a child. "Alys, one day your carelessness will harm you."

The great hall was lit. Lords and ladies had been crowded into the court, armed guards standing at every entrance. As Alys was lead in she saw her husband standing in front of a young, white haired man. The second he saw Daenerys he smiled. "I take it that everything went well?" "Yes." Daenerys stood beside the young man. "What is this?!" Alys was shaking. Even though she did not know the events that had transpired she could guess them. She looked to Aemond was had tight lipped and unable to look at her. "Aemond what has happened?" Alys grasped onto his arm, Daenerys's eyes flashed. "Alys Strong." It came out as a hiss. Daenerys's hand rested on a sword that longed to be wielded. "Lady Alys, I have not introduced myself. I am Viserys Targaryen, second of his name. This is my wife Queen Daenerys, first of her name." Her heart seemed to stop beating. She looked from Aemond back to the new couple. "You....you bedded the enemy?" Alys could barely grasp the situation. Daenerys shrugged. "Alliances change, as you well know. After all weren't you once a faithful subject?" "I am Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and-" Daenerys laughed. "And who will fight for your cause, My Lady?" They looked around the court and not one stepped forward. Alys looked at all the faces, at the young lady whom she slapped weeks before. The lady turned her back. Finally one did step forward. It was one of the Kingsguard. Joy leapt in Alys's heart only for it to plummeted as he knelt in front of the couple. And one by one they surrendered to the new King and Queen.

Alys was allowed the keep the Queen's rooms. But it was little comfort. A new succession had been drawn up. After Aemond died it would be Daenerys, daughter of Y/n, who would be Queen. The marriage of Y/n and Aemond was judged as good and valid. And while Alys was Queen her daughter would not be in the line of succession. She did not even feel like a Queen. Most of her ladies had gone. And she held no influence. Her place on the council was taken my Daenerys and her husband.

Aemond did not seek out his wife. Their love was less than a shadow of what it had once been. He took neither council or took to her bed. Sometimes they passed in the halls. How she wished to have words with him. But he never seemed to be interested. They never spoke again.

King Aemond Targaryen died in the early morning, alone, with none by his side. Alys wept bitterly when she found out. They had never even said goodbye. A day later they came in and told Alys that she would have a new residence. Her things were removed from the room and bustled into a carriage. "Where am I going?" The guard simply shook his head. "You will not be leaving now My Lady. The coronation takes place in a week. Alys had to make due with the few things they had left her with. Her new room was nice, but a far cry from what had been. When they day of the coronation Alys was brought to the front of the crowd. She watched as Daenerys and her husband were crowned a joint rulers of Westeros. And she looked every inch her mother, with a crown of Valyrian steel on her head.

To cast her down and take all she held dear.

Alys was bustled into a carriage shortly after. Exhausted, she leaded against the window. Where she was going she did not know. Perhaps back to Harrenhal, a place of happier days. Maybe her daughter would visit from time to time. For days they trundled on and Alys realized the destination was not Harrenhal. But no one told her anything. Perhaps she was staying at Casterly Rock. Which might not be so bad. One day they reached the place. The salty waves beat against the rocks and Alys realized where they were.

She cried out and collapsed.

On the stone steps of a sept.

Note: So this is the end I guess. I'm not entirely happy with this ending, so I might make it into a story at some point. Anyway, thanks for reading!

Taglist:

@watercolorskyy

@bellstwd

#aemond targaryen x reader #hotd x reader #house of the dragon #house of the dragon x reader #hotd fanfic #aemond x reader #aemond x y/n #aemond x you #aemond x alys #aemond targaryen x alys rivers #aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen x reader angst #aemond angst #aemond x reader angst #alys rivers

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Best and Worst of Both Worlds (part 37)

Tw: none 4 now , just a short chapter wirh Yves fluff

Part 38

"Yes dear, you may." Yves sat on the chair next to your bed, crossing his legs elegantly as he watches you open the pristine packaging.

You asked him for permission if you're allowed to eat the imported macarons he flew in all the way from France. You're nervous because the box itself looked extremely expensive, his gift looked too beautiful to eat.

You end up closing the box of delectable, colourful pastries. Some had gold leaf on them. They're definitely mouthwatering, especially after days of eating bland hospital food. You didn't touch any of Montgomery's takeaway.

You told him that you're going to save it for later. Yves didn't react to you, instead he pulled out another box with a black ribbon wrapped around it from his massive shopping bag that he no doubt retrieved from a luxury store. Yves kept the box of macarons from somewhere else, so that you had more space to work with. It was large, taking up the entire over-bed table.

You pulled on the neat ribbon before slowly taking the cover off.

Whatever it was, a sheet of black silk was wrapped around it with an envelope that has the brand logo resting atop. You opened it and pulled out a card with golden embossed letters. You had no idea what it says because you couldn't read it. So you set it aside and took out the main item.

You were baffled when you pulled out a large drawstring bag with a velvet interior. But that wasn't the final object, the thing inside it was. Yves second gift to you was a designer backpack, crafted to perfection and made up of only the highest quality materials. You can feel the lavishness through your fingertips rubbing against its fabric.

You opened it to see translucent packaging paper, protecting its form. This must have at least cost him a few grand, you're not accounting for the currency exchange rate. You turned your head to Yves, you looked uneasy. Do you really deserve this?

He simply tilted your head at your discomfort.

"It is time to retire your bag, (name)." He leaned forward, propping his head on his hand. "Unless this isn't to your liking?" You panicked at the sight of sadness in his green irises.

You said no, you love it. But you're scared to use it because it's priceless to you. It will hurt to even have a smidge of dirt on it!

"Then, this shall teach you to be mindful of your belongings." He smiled. "You should treat what you own with care and respect." Yves playfully tapped your nose with his pointer.

Your face heated up at the memory of him discovering the state of your old backpack, finding a dead lizard at the bottom and mold growing in your waterbottle.

"It's the least you could do for the items that uphold your day-to-day activities." Yves continued his lecture as he bent down again to take something else from his shopping bag.

You kept staring at the bag, cautiously packing it back into the drawstring and into the box. Treating it as if it will disintegrate if you handled it a bit too roughly.

"However." He gently guided your head to face him. Yves stroked his fingers under your chin. "I must remind you, they're merely objects. You shouldn't let them dictate your life. They're there to assist you."

He pushed a small box into your hands. It's a miniature version of whatever is on your table.

You untied its ribbon and opened it to reveal a small envelope and a smaller protective drawstring bag, which contained a velvet jewelry box.

You gasp upon opening it. A golden bracelet embellished with stunning pink diamonds. You took it out to inspect it and found that it doubles as a wonderful fidget toy! It has numerous moving parts and gears, providing that satisfaction of sliding and clicking.

You kept playing with it for a few minutes. Until Yves softly cleared his throat to get your attention.

He was smiling adoringly. "I'm happy that you're fond of my gifts, (name)."

You realized you haven't thanked him. Instead of verbally doing so, you decided to grow a pair and peck him on the lips.

You quickly retracted yourself and looked away, feeling shy from what you just did.

It took Yves a few seconds to register what you just did. His fingers ghosting over his mouth as his eyes were wide, staring at your bashful self.

The corners of his lips shakily curled upwards as he silently pushed your over-bed table away.

"Oh, (name)..." Purred Yves as he felt his heart beat so hard and fast against his ribcage, as if it was going to explode. He has no words to describe how adorable, how lovable and how delicious you are to him right now.

He tucked himself into the same bed, snaking his arms around your waist. Soon, you found yourself being cradled by Yves in his lap.

Your back is pressed against his chest as he buried his face into your hair. His own silky strands tickle you by your neck.

You giggled when he nipped at your cheek, he wrapped his lips around his teeth so it wouldn't tear into your skin no matter how hard he bites. It just felt like a firm yet harmless pinch between two knuckles.

He alternated between fluttery kisses and toothless nibbles. You squirmed and laughed hysterically when Yves utilized his nimble fingers to attack your ribs with tickles. It doesn't matter how you scrunch yourself, Yves will always get you to excite yourself.

"You charming little thief, how dare you steal my heart?" He hissed with mock anger before moving on to press his lips against yours.

You grinned and kissed back, loving how soft and supple they were, loving the taste of them. His hair shielded you from the harsh lighting of the room and his comforting smell made you forget the clinical stench of antiseptic in the air. The warmth he provides nullifies the cruel, artificial visual and physical coldness of the room.

He intertwined his fingers with yours, lightly squeezing them in his hold. But that is only with one hand.

The other is gripping so hard on your sheets that his nails started shredding holes into it. His thumb particularly pierced into the mattress. His veins were throbbing and raised, skin taut and digits suffering from tremors.

Yves occupied himself with your lips. Closing his eyes and enjoying the bliss he was handsomely rewarded with. He tries to ignore the fact that he failed to account for the deranged intensity of his cuteness aggression towards you.

Data be damned, he may have lost count of the number of touches he gave you today, but that one rare kiss from you was all worth it.

He lets go of you only to whisper three special words:

"I love you."

Before diving back in and showering you with tenderness as he fights the urge to painfully squash both of your face cheeks.

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere oc #yandere male #oc yves #yandere concept #tw yandere #yandere x you #yandere oc x reader #male yandere oc x reader

[puella-1n-somn10]

☀️Puella Magi Madoka Magica x Pokemon Sun and Moon: Hau and his Witch Form☀️

Word count w/o intro: 23,951

...Considering our last victim and how I went through the lengths to differentiate these two characters, this should have been a given.

Hello, konnichiwa, salam 'alaykom, and aloha! Welcome back to the emotional roller coaster! For the uninitiated, today we are going to take the rules of the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica and apply them to other forms of media for the sake of breaking our favorite characters' hopes, dreams, and sanities.

Tonight, the universe has cast its gaze down upon a single, unfortunate soul amidst the sea of countless individual melodies. Another bright star, doomed to have his life slip through his own fingers for the sake of the very cosmos and the prevention of entropy. Everybody, give it up for the kid of the hour, Hau!

Much like Hop before him (or technically after him), Hau's rep is surprisingly - and shockingly - divisive; with many a Pokemon fan blaming him for the current state of the franchise's rivals despite the fact that friendly "rivals" have been a staple ever since the third generation- we haven't had a "mean" one until Gladion made his debut, unless if you count Cheren and maybe Barry (though the latter is more insensitive rather than an outright douchebag). The core cause as to why he had gained such bad rep is simply due to him "choosing" the weaker starter and the claim that he is not as strong as the previous rivals, but, think about it-

Hau already had his starter for quite some time before the main character had arrived to Alola, at least that's the case in the base versions of the games. It was you who chose your partner long after he did, much like how your own rival would; in Hau's eyes, you were the one who had chosen the starter strong against him. If that isn't enough to paint Hau as the image of a typical Pokemon player, his signature 'mon, aside from the starter he picks, is his Alolan Raichu; the evolution of this series' very own mascot.

Besides, whoever's still saying that Hau's team is weak to this day is either a darned liar or just a competitive player through and through; not only did Gladion outright state that his 'mons have potential, but he's also our final hurdle to overcome in the ultra version of the games. Speaking from personal experience, he isn't a cakewalk in the base games, either; I seriously cannot count the amount of times he had almost wrecked my team when I tried to play through a Nuzlocke run, only for Kukui to chime in and finish the job...

In my eyes, Hau may not have "ruined" the image of rivals in Pokemon, but he did shake things up even if by a little; his, Gladion's, and Lillie's existence have set a new precedent on how rivals are handled moving forwards, and it is all the more evident with those of SWSH and onwards, in which we are given the "heroic", "troubled", and "mysterious" rivals rather than just sticking with one. It is perfect for character chemistry and experimenting with their dynamics, as well as how one would influence the other's development as their own character throughout the story's progression.

This is all just my opinion, though. For all anyone could care, the reason as to why Hau is appreciated and even loved by the lots of us is because he's a persistent, positive presence throughout our journey; there to bring us down and breathe some air in the midst of tension. Of course, nobody is all sunshine and rainbows all the way to their core, and Hau is no exception.

...So, that's why we're here! Today, we shall be deciphering what exactly lie behind that charismatic smile of his; the history that has molded Hau into this upstanding, bright child that he is, in addition to the withering, rotting foundations of his worldview and how he was raised. Of course, all this is within the context of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, so I'll have to give ya'll the heads-up that there will be spoilers for both this anime and most official media related to the seventh generation of Pokemon.

I should also mention I will be referring to Hau using He/Him and They/Them pronouns; Hau is on the nonbinary spectrum in my eyes, and while it is mere headcanon, it's also one that gives me so much joy. Also, while Elio is the featured protagonist here and, as such, the implied ship present in the second section will be Kalashipping, there will also be hints of SnowlilyShipping scattered here and there due to canonical implications. If either or both of these ships are not your cup of tea, I recommend that it'd be better for you to click away for your wellbeing.

While on topic, I should also warn you that we will be discussing topics related to child abandonment, emotional abuse, and the effects of generational trauma at least. If any, ANY of these themes even make you feel even a little bit queasy, TURN. AWAY. NOW.

With all outta the way, let's just cut to the chase, grab some of the malasadas on the table, and dive right into....

-The Wish, Possible Powers, and Soul Gem-

"I was just talking to Decidueye here about all our memories from our island challenge! We really were lucky to meet so many different Pokémon and people, huh? But there're even more out there for us to meet, wherever we might go next! That's why my island challenge isn't really over!"

Oh, dearie me.

Well, this section right here is exactly what I meant when I said that Hau and Hop are fundamentally different characters (comes with one's free and carefully honed reading comprehension skills). With Hop, we are aware of his dreams, desires, ambition, and goals almost from the get-go; he makes it clear to us that he wants to be like Leon, to attain the same glory, and to follow in the footsteps of his hero. Hop is determined to attain his dreams and achieve that goal of beating his bro; this was no mere life-long dream- nay, this was his destiny! As the game progresses and by picking up all the minor details peppered across his life, however, we start to piece together exactly why he wants to chase after this dream; why he wants to create his own legend, and how the neglect he had experienced and life under his brother's shadow have sculpted him over the years priors to the beginning of SWSH.

Hau, on the other hand, is a bit more on the...vaguer side, let's say. He's a lot more laid-back than Hop, and, though he, too, enjoys battles, Hau is more focused on the fun of it all, and was not really all that shaken up when Gladion scolded him for being too lenient. They are both intelligent and introspective, but Hau appears to be more content with his life than Hop was; truly embodying the easygoing vibes of Alola.

...Do note what I just said here: appears to be more content.

In reality, Hau's life is ruled by uncertainty; from his dad up and leaving him to escape the shadow of his grandfather, to Guzma telling him that the island trial is not as bright and optimistic as what everyone else made it out to be in both USUM and the manga, it becomes clear to us that our sweet and cheerful Hau has been kept sheltered and in the shadows for quite some time- possibly all his life up until it was his time to partake in the Island trial. This isn't even close to speculation, either; it's been stated to us by an NPC outright that Hala was too soft on Hau for so long that it led the kid to adopt this easygoing attitude he's known for to begin with.

That isn't to say Hau is oblivious, dumb, or, God forbid, naive; the cracks in his life are there, and, through them, leaks the harsh truths of reality. He's well aware of the reasons as to why his dad left, he is more than knowledgeable in regards to the tapus, how they assign kahunas, and how each island has its own thing going on thanks to said guardian deities. Plus, he's got that healthy amount of snark on him; regarding Gladion as "just a ray of sunshine" and calling us out when we disregarded his desire to tell us the latest scoop ("I haven't even asked yet."), so it's clear that he doesn't take any foolishly pessimistic takes seriously. An optimist, yes, but even he has his lines that shouldn't be crossed.

Another point that helps refutes the assumption that he has no worries in the world is that he is also aware of his own faults, and painfully so; right before his battle against Olivia, he's expressed his doubts on whether he was as strong as Hala or not, and his insecurities were even presented to us even earlier on during our initial encounter with Gladion, where he read and tore into him like an open book; stating that Hau only focuses on the joys of the trial challenge in order to keep the fact that he will never be able to defeat his grandfather if he keeps going on like this.

Hop noticed his faults and tried to change them, to change himself, to no avail. Hau, on other hand, simply buries his problems; shrugging them away- laughing and smiling at them in the hopes that the pain would eventually numb-

Just like good ol' Hala; hiding his anger and own deep-rooted pains just to keep Hau, his last connected kin, happy. (put a pin on that for when we head towards the later sections)

I know that this sounds like quite the reach on my part, but not only did this toxic trait of his get carried over to his anime depiction, but it was also made more apparent; after being defeated by Ash the first time around, he couldn't help but sob and ask if this is what disappointment felt like - another indication of his inexperience with such emotions, much less how he should deal with them -. In Battling on the Wing, Hau attempted to ignore his feelings after facing such a humiliating defeat, except, this time, Hala had approached him as he left, and told him that he knew he did his very best out there; unable to handle it no longer, Hau broke into tears and sobbed in the arms of his dear grandpa.

So where do we go from here?

Themes of trickle truths and, of course, being sheltered from the dangers of the world are major motifs throughout Hau's life and worldview; his eagerness to go out and see life and what it held in store is born out of his own subconscious, deep-rooted dissatisfaction with it- there's gotta be more to life than just the trials and what's within Alola!

With this in mind, I've come to the conclusion that the specifics of Hau's wish would depend on where in the timeline of the story would Kyubey come and approach them, but they'd still follow a major cause and/or theme, not unlike Madoka's wishes which usually revolve around her desires to save another person's life;

If he happened to be a puer magi before we met him it'd be related to him wanting to actually see the world out there; to experience what life had in store for him and help others see what's beyond those horizons with him; becoming a wise, leading force just like his Tutu. Now, I could say that it must have been related to his father's disappearance instead, and while it would make sense for that to be the case, you have to remember that his dad walked out on Hau all the way back when he was a toddler; leaving him under the care of Hala ever since. Hau also appears to know the exact reason as to why his father had ditched his family for Kanto already, and expressed his desire to meet him face-to-face in the post-game events- so there's no need for the rush on this front. (put a pin on this one, too)

If it was during the climax of the story, whether we're talking about the raid on the Aether Foundation or while he was taking on the trials himself/assisting Hala with fending off the ultra beasts, it'd be related to him wanting to learn of and unlocking his inner potential, and help others around him unleash their own. I feel like this would also be the case if he were to contract right before we meet him for our final battle in Mount Lanakila/the Pokemon league; showing off not just his Z-ring, but also his shiny, new soul gem.

Either way, the wish, at its core, has heavy emphasis on potential, growth, and/or experiences. After all, Hau is already willing to help others become the best versions of themselves by reading their emotions and decipher what must have turned them into the people they currently are - which might be taken to more literal degrees as a passive effect of his wish, much like Kyoko's chains -, unlike Hop's more active drive to become a champion candidate himself and, within the context of the last post, his ability to outright influence the memories of others born out of his desire to not let Lee down. It's also quite ironic; Hau's role is to help Gladion (and Guzma in the Ultra versions of the games) let his guards down and more or less acted as a guide for us at least during the initial parts of the game, while Hop had to learn for himself time and time again of his own strengths and came to the conclusion that Lee is Lee, and he is his own person. In the end, both ended up acting like the exact opposites of how they started; with Hau desiring to see what else life had in store for him out there so he could become a better guiding force for those in need, and Hop taking on the role of a future Pokemon professor in order to teach and help others.

In short, the powers born from Hau's wish relate to transmutation; to turn a rock into a geode, a withered leaf into a sprout, a dried up chrysalis into a beautiful butterfly- to be loved is to be changed. All that is in his hands will become the better versions of themselves if he so desires. You could call it restoration magic, or transformative magic; depending on the context, it may as well be both! Of course, there are limitations to his magical powers; it cannot be applied to humans in order to force character development unto them, nor could he turn a grief seed back into a soul gem; if anything, it might strengthen the witch within it instead, so he needs to be careful with his powers and choose when to use them wisely.

With the wish all wrapped up for now, I guess now's a better time than never for us to talk about his magical boy outfit and weapon.

Initially, I had considered that a court jester would be the most fitting pick for Hau; though we see them as jokesters nowadays, they were the forefathers of modern-day satire, and royal jesters were actually given more privileges than the jester of the common folk- able to even mock the king without any repercussions so long as they succeeeded in giving the king a hearty laugh. Hau is easygoing and is able to lift the heart of both the people around him and even the story tone, but, as stated before, he isn't above snark, either.

It wasn't until I was debating on the type of weapon he would master, however, that problems began to pop up like weeds on a field. As I've stated before, a magi's weapon is indicative of many aspects, but the most common denominator is that it is reflective of their desires prior to contracting or the reason as to why they did so in the first place (Homura's shield, Nagisa's trumpet, and Sayaka's sword immediately come to mind). Another factor behind a magi's weapon is that they would reflect a magi's preferred method of fighting; as depicted in the PSP games, Mami's actual weapons are her ribbons, but she had to improvise and settled with turning them into riffles instead. In the meanwhile, Madoka, a surprisingly shrewd person who dislikes direct combat, uses a bow in order to fight from the sidelines and not engage with the beasts that we call witches head-on.

With all that in mind, if we are going to find a weapon that truly fits Hau, we need to look at his style of battle first and foremost and work on it from there. As stated by Gladion himself, Hau and their pokemon do possess potential to go above and beyond- that they are stronger than what the eye may perceive them as, but battling for the sake of emerging victorious simply isn't his style. To best describe Hau in a fight, a "hidden/sleeping dragon" would fit the bill; a person who would be a nightmare to defeat if he ever were to take the fight seriously.

I would have picked the role of a support for him due to his desires to help others, but it appears that this would only lead to disaster; during the raid on the Aether Foundation, if Hau's starter was Primarina, there is a shockingly high chance for him to activate the Z-Move Hydro Vortex against you. The common theory behind this is that, due to the base move's - Sparkling Aria - ability to heal burns, Hau's AI decided to use it in a way that could be seen as "beneficial" for the fight.

A hilarious mistake on the devs' part? Possible. Another reason for us to see that Hau's whole deal is "untapped power"- that anything in his hands will become as fragile as glass once he taps into that inner potential of his, even when he is trying to adopt the role of a support? Absolutely.

What I am saying here is that the weapon that would fit Hau the most, compliment his easygoing yet fun-loving attitude, and is reflective of his hidden capabilities and desire to explore what's beyond that horizon...is a sniper rifle.

Hey, now! There really was no need to jump the gun, am I right? It does appear that way, yes, since what use would a person like Hau see in a firearm of all things? Well...think about it; a sniper has to remain hidden from potential enemies, be extremely precise when aiming at their targets, and just need to take the shot. They also possess the most area of range in spite of their apparent immobility from their assigned spots.

Hau just wants to have fun with his pals and explore this wonderful world together with them- help them see that there is hope around them still, all while he has been hidden from the world's uglier side by both his elders and himself.

After putting it that way, it sure makes sense - at least it does so on paper - but a rifle? This does appear to be quite the absurd choice for a friendly, cheerful character like Hau, but, simultaneously, it is this very absurdity that makes it all the more fitting; that he is so much more than what meets the eye, and that also goes for his strength. This is all the more evident in USUM; managing to not only help Guzma out while he was at his lowest not unlike how a therapist or spiritual guide (like...his grandfather) would do so, but also managing to defeat each and every member of the elite four and become our final hurdle to overcome in order to gain that title of champion!

With the weapon now set in stone, you can now tell that a cluster of problems have already begun to make themselves present; all of which stemming from the core issues of clashing themes. Yes, it would be hilarious to see a jester just going to town on a witch with a rifle, but it doesn't invoke the vibes of Hau, nor does this combination make any thematic sense; Madoka invokes the idea of a savior and the most common tropes found in the Mahou Shoujo genre, Sayaka has some knightly themes going on, Mami is a western gunswoman, and so on.

After pondering on the matter for some time, another idea for his magical boy uniform had dawned on me; rather than going with the idea of a jester, I instead went ahead with that of a forest ranger- and, no, not the ones from real life! I'm talking about the cloaked guide from the shadows who knows these trees like the back of their hand- they who let their bow and arrow do all the talking, for what use are words- when anything above a whisper can be detrimental to a ranger's cause and everything they have learned whilst underneath these leaves for all these years?

The puzzles are now falling into place, no? We have the forest themes, his role as a guide, and the reminder of Hala's attempts at keeping him in the dark from most of his life's tragedies. As a nice little detail, perhaps his hood would have these two dangling bits that would still invoke the idea of a jester's hat, and it would resemble a smiling clown (or owl, if we want to go all out with the Decidueye themes) once Hau dons it on his head; portraying that theme of duality I wanted to aim for back while I was working on this essay during its early days, especially if all that is visible are his nose and face from beneath it!

Now, let's take a quick looksie at his soul gem! Unlike Hop's, I don't think its color would match that of his eyes, and there's a good reason for that beyond the basis of color theory- his eyes are already pitch black, and as we all know, as soon as your soul gem turns completely dark, it's an instant game over. Going for a shade of grey wouldn't exactly work, either, since it would not only make it harder for the viewer to detect corruption within it, but it would not mesh well with the aforementioned design for his uniform in mind.

So, to remedy this little problem, I believe that a deep shade of orange would do the trick! Not only would it complement the greens and yellows he's already associated with, but it just feels right when we're talking about a bright, optimistic, energetic child like Hau. It also brings his Sygna Suit from Pokemon Masters EX to mind; the warmth of the yellows and oranges mixing well with the blacks and whites of the design; invoking the imagery of Tapu Koko to those around him. Come to think of it, he sure does have the same vibes as Mami's- since both of these characters do possess the role of introducing the main characters and the audience to the world around them, and the positive auras they exude are only there to hide the crushing loneliness and aimlessness they were forced to endure for so long.

As for the exact shape his soul gem would take upon transformation, while I do have some ideas in mind, I do believe that the shape of a sea hibiscus - Hau's namesake - would fit him best; a swirling flower that would serve as the basis for quite the captivating cut of jewelry. In regards to its placement, it would be more than fitting if it were to align with the crown chakra, as it is usually connected to imagination, intuition, and connection with the universe, while its imbalance leads to disconnection from others, isolation, and being out of touch from anything but your own inner world; all of which align with all that we know of this little ray of sunshine as well as his personal pitfalls.

Onto its egg form; yes, much like Mami's soul gem, it would definitely make sense if the emblem on the middle resembled the very same flower that is present on its top, since not only it would look pretty, but it would also fit Hau's forest theme to a T. As usual, though, it's still better to keep our options open and look for other symbols that would shed light at each individual aspect of Hau's character; both his brightest moments and his darkest regrets.

A compass (To boost the theme of him embodying the vibes of Alola and how he had directed us through the region. Plus, the additional irony this symbol will provide once we start talking about his witch form)

A representation of the wind? (probably a reach; represents the theme of directions, travel, new experiences, and disconnection. Symbols that may represent the wind include kites, a feather, a tornado, and a simple visualization of the breeze - like the breath aspect from Homestuck -)

A snowflake (definitely a reach; aside from the sea hibiscus, "Hau" can also be translated to "snow" in Hawaiian, which not only contrasts with Hau's usually-sunny demeanor, but it also symbolizes dark, cold, and stormy skies ahead)

Stylized lightning bolt (obligatory Alolan Raichu reference)

As evident from the options above, his weapon, and his magical uniform, a recurring theme that has been made clear to us time and time again is "freedom"; something that not only Hau craves, but also embodies during his best moments. After all, the world was already shock-full of possibilities! Who knows what life would throw at them next? It could be a memory of milk and honey. It could be a song played with nothing but the darkest of notes. It could even be the stillness that accompanied the hushed sounds of the waves. Nobody ever truly knew of all of life's promises and betrayals. All that was left for Hau was to witness all that the island challenge had in store for him; bear witness to its highs and lows, and emerge from it with a whole new perspective on life.

It was all so exciting, wasn't it? He was going to see that whatever has been awaiting for him at the end of that road- the goal that has been eagerly waiting for his presence...everything his experiences have accumulated to...

-Descent into Despair-

It was all for nothing.

Daytime had paved way for the dull twilight. One by one, the street lights of Hau'oli city began to illuminate as folks began to bid their farewells and rest their little heads for the day. As the Alolan sun paved way for the gentle moon's graceful and guiding presence, the trepidation borne of the bustling, panicking streets of the city was soon swept by the assuring quiet; the promise of a better tomorrow heralded by the arrival of the next sunrise soothed the hearts of many of the residents of Alola.

A false hope just like any other.

The gentle ocean breeze and the soft waves were all that's left. Not even the nocturnal creatures of the night had any energy to keep on going with their usual routines. All that mattered now to everyone was the recollection of their strengths to carry on until the next day. Nobody within the winding paths of Melemele Island was able to rest peacefully until those around them have found the peace to do so.

Wherever he was, which direction he was currently going; nothing of that sort had crossed Hau's mind.

His eyes, unable to reflect the glittering gleams cast by the stars' reflection on the ocean waves, were hidden by the shadows of his ruffled and matted hair. His expression was unreadable; Was he simply shuffling through the branches aimlessly without a care in the world for his own well-being? Or was there so much on his mind that he was unable to look at his surroundings clearly- every color on the spectrum mixing into complete darkness?

Rather than providing any semblance of comfort, the Alolan breeze haunted him with every step he took. His legs were moving as though it was on their own volition, for his mind was racing with hundreds of clashing emotions and thoughts at such high speeds to the point that they have cancelled out his awareness of the outside world. He couldn't even find it in him to wipe away the streaks of tears on his cheeks.

There was no birdsong around him to ease his tormented soul.

The Moon's all-witnessing gaze only gave off the impression of a cold, broken heart.

Even the blades of grass beneath his feet were devoid of any life within them.

There was nothing but the distant ocean's call and the coming tides.

A sudden gust threw the child away from his trance, even if it was a small budge. Blinking once then twice, Hau's mind began to delicately connect the dots- an old bridge was just up ahead, and, in the distance, there it was...

An old bridge that's been all but completely destroyed.

The final frontier.

Hau's breath was caught in their throat.

The fear was barely outweighed by what crumbs of desperation they still possessed. With immense hesitation, Hau pushed themself to continue their journey. Each step was more unstable than the last, the waves underneath the broken planks clashed and raged against one another- yet, he still held on. Swaying from left to right, his persistence on staying on the road ahead was unwavering-

Tears were on the verge of bursting from his eyes; the resurgence of consciousness was followed by the unforgiving wave of vertigo; his legs felt like they were floating on air as his nerves. Even as his face was coated with tears and all of his nerves were on the verge of giving up on him, his grip on what remained of that bridge remained resolute.

He felt sick. He felt cold. He felt weak in comparison to the agony in his bones.

Even with his upset stomach and tightening throat...he had to press forwards. Gritting his teeth through the tears as he sniffled away all the tears and snot, he slowly dragged himself through the splinters and dirt towards the vague destination on his mind. A direction, a morsel of reassurance...

As the raging rivers drowned out what shreds of a coherent thought he had possessed up until that moment, he yearned for the courage necessary for him to be certain of this decision.

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The neon lights were dazzling.

Purples, pinks, reds, and cyans; the inner-most sanctum of the labyrinth was dazzling. Shuffling to the beat of the music, the crazed familiars made their debut; smiling from ear to ear to greet their new guests to the party- only for them to get struck down without a care.

In the middle of this demented cacophony and loud cheers, Elio stood; tapping to the beat as he stared the monster down. A large disco ball for a head, a dress made from the night sky itself, small aquariums for heels; there was no mistaking it, this must be the witch. Once hanging from the ceiling, she had descended unto the dance floor like a slithering snake; taking what he believed to be the wires and the ceiling with her before looking down at the magi before her.

The Kantonian boy had to hand it to her; the vibe, the tunes, the smiles- who wouldn't want to dance like it was the nineteen-seventies without care in the world? To indulge in the good ol' times before the world went to hell in a hand basket? As he took position and showed off his weapon, Elio grinned; giving the witch a sign that it's on. A dance is what she wanted, so a dance is what she'll get!

Snapping her fingers to the beat as she braced herself for competition, the Witch of Disco swung first; sweeping her mechanical legs to strike Elio's calf with the intent of causing him to lose his balance. An unexpected tactic, that is for sure, but the boy had managed to pick himself right back up with a counter- but she had blocked the attack with minimum effort. One strike, two strikes, three strikes- he had unleashed a barrage of attacks, but the witch was swift on her knees; blocking out his feeble attacks while still managing to keep her moves consistent to the music's rhythm. With the beat drop, she kicked him square in the abdomen; sending him flying through the neon walls.

Her familiars began to swarm around them in frenzied masses; bobbing their heads as they shuffled to close in on Elio whilst he was at his most vulnerable. That kid...in the maddened eyes of the witch, he sure had spirit, but these halls have no room for a buzzkill like him. In spite of the clear disadvantage and the tides being far away from his favor, Elio, through gritted teeth and shivering bones, still managed to press on; pushing forwards against the familiars gathering around him as he sliced, diced, and had burnt away all who were surrounding him until there was nothing but ashes in his wake. He was still standing, kicking, and, by the Tapus, singing; still holding on to continue engaging in this battle until the bitter end.

Must that young man really be so stubborn? What good would insisting on destroying the one refuge she had from the chaos of the outside world itself do for him?

Without sparing a semblance of patience, the witch pointed for the rest of her familiars towards the direction of the magi, to which they had flown towards in droves out of servitude for their master. With a his lips curling to reveal a crazed grin on his face, Elio leapt; as he sprung, hopped, and skipped into the air, the young magi had left a trail of searing destruction - a reminder for those who would dare to face the harsh celestial blazes he had acquired in his hands at their full glory - as he paved way for the his close encounter with the witch herself. While Elio carried on with his little massacre, the destruction inflicted upon the witch's familiars appeared began to escalate to the extent that they've started to implode on impact against him; it was as though his very touch was enough for them to melt into liquid gold from the inside-out.

Even the glass of the aquarium walls began to melt from the fervor; covering the dance floor in water and aquatic lifeforms who were struggling to survive.

Strike, strike, strike- the witch had managed to hold on after the few initial blows, yet Elio didn't have any plans on giving up, either; each attack had increased in ferocity and brute strength - even blocking out the attacks provided no comfort from the pain - until, at last, he had knocked her out of balance with a devastating collision. grabbing on to what he believed was the witch's neck, Elio swung as he made sure he had her by his arm; suffocating her as he tried to keep her head pointed upwards- just enough for the struggle to be as minimal as possible.

It was then that the Kantonian boy finally held up his other arm; yelling out a command that echoed throughout the halls-

"NOW!"

As swift and sure as the thunder's strike, shards of glass had scattered throughout the air as the witch was nearly blinded by a sudden flash of white.

As the witch looked around before the last strands of her consciousness slipped away from her fingers, the magi's grip on her was finally undone. There, lying within the corner of her line of sight, she's managed to make out a second figure; their face obstructed by the darkness of her labyrinth as smoke seeped from their weapon. Time passed on slowly as her mechanical body fell apart unto the dance floor; serenity and quiet filled what was left of her cursed heart during the final seconds of her existence, granting her one last moment of clarity before it all went dark...

...Ah...how beautifully did these petals dance...

...

Pushing against the exit door of the abandoned building, the two trainers winced their eyes as the soft sunlight welcomed them back to the real world. It couldn't be any later than 6 in the afternoon. Stretching his back, Hau continued on with his stroll alongside Elio; both of their soul gems were gleaming with recharged power after they've both reaped the rewards of that battle.

It hasn't been too long since they've arrived on Ula'ula Island; it sure was livelier than either Melemele and Akala before it! A new island meant the chance to meet new people, experience new environments- and, of course, new witches to strike down.

"Aue- that was incredible!" The green-haired child exclaimed as the two sauntered under the setting sun, "You sure almost had me fooled there for a professional- I could've sworn you lied about when you've made your wish."

In light of that accusation, Sun clicked his tongue as he shook his head; 'veteran'...if anyone had a say, it was his friend and rival who deserved that title. A swift and certain kill- only someone like Hau had the capability to do that! The rest of the performance leading up to the decisive blow? Well, it was much more of a struggle to pull off in the perspective of the young Kantonian, he'd timidly admit.

"That's nothing but training and strategy work," he nonchalantly smiled, "If anything, you ought to pat yourself on the back, too. I might have managed to stall it for some time, but you were the one who finished it off! That a job well done, if I ever saw it!"

In response, Hau simply scratched the back of his head; still appearing as cheerful as ever, but a tinge of bashfulness was shining through his obsidian eyes.

The chirping of the pikipeks flying overhead complemented the chatters of people and Pokemon; it was another day full of life within the Alola region. The Sun still shone as brilliantly and gracefully as the clearest of jewels even as the day paved way for dusk; night had just arrived at the residents' doorsteps. Basking in the warmth of the setting sun, the people of Alola went on with their merry ways; each and every one of them adding another page to their respective tales of their lives that were destined to be passed down to their next generations.

Another hunt that's been completed with flying colors; what an occasion to celebrate, like the hunters of yore! And what better way to celebrate than a trip to the Pokemon center just to get their fix of tapu cocoa and malasadas? A simple snack serving as the prologue to their respective dinners and a chance to catch up on what the other has been up to lately; neither trainer was able to think of anything better to do!

...Besides training themselves and their pokemon teams for their next trials, that is- but that could wait until tomorrow, no? To say that they've been worn out from that fight earlier would be an understatement, that's for sure.

Lost in his thoughts and in awe of what's before him, Elio had almost tripped on a small pebble that was in the way- had it not been for Hau picking him up by the collar immediately, he surely would have made a complete and utter fool to everyone around him. As soon as he regained his balance once more, he glanced at his close friend with the shock in his eyes withering away before the two began to suddenly laugh. The green-haired Alolan child softly nudged on Elio's back for being the clutz that he was; it sure was a busy life that they've signed themselves up for, but they are what they still are at the day's end.

Just a couple of kids.

As the two neared the Pokemon Center right up ahead, Elio's smile, as brightly as it shone, still paved way for uncertainty to creep up. His stomach continued its descent as all that has been bothering him began to bubble up just beneath the surface; his expression devolved and melted into that of worry and doubt as his pace slowed down- enough for him to pause and ponder on what has been bothering him so as of late. Realizing the somber shift in the atmosphere, Hau was hit with accumulating worry as Elio dazed off into the distance.

"There sure has been a lot more witches than usual lately," Elio pondered, "Wonder what's up with that..."

As the realization of their current situation overtook his mind, Hau took Elio's words and what he knew of these creatures into account as he tried to recall Umber's instructions back when he was new to the job- that for every magi out there who was born from the brightest hopes in their hearts, a witch was destined to follow; forged from the sorrows of this world to spread the very curses that have brought them to existence. A source of light is always accompanied by the shadow it casts; such is the law of this universe, and such is the life of a puer magi.

Hau looked down at his own soul gem; the coalescence of his own hopes and dreams; the desires that have helped him get so far to this point in his life. A shining beacon of hope for all of humankind; that was all Hau wanted in life- the goal he had finally realized in the midst of his island journey...

"Yeah- they are made when people are all beat-down and stuff, right? Once they are born into this world, all they could do is act upon all that they know..."

Much like his rival, Hau also began to gaze into his soul gem as his mind swam in sorrow and doubt, "And then, more people will start feeling even worse- and, with that, even more witches will pop up; it's like a cycle, y'know?"

Hau's heart ached with horror as he pondered upon the possibility of leaving these witches be- as well as a sudden wave of...sympathy...

"...Then again, I guess it almost makes you feel bad for them; all they came to know is sadness and hopelessness. It's not like they asked to be born as witches..."

Elio glanced at Hau as the two continued their stroll through the city; nothing but confusion and were spray-painted on to his face. Hau- he was a big-hearted kid, that's more than obvious; ready to let whatever was in his hands go just to assist someone in need with a beaming smile on his face, but to hold compassion for witches of all things?

Elio sighed with a smirk; only someone with a heart as big as Hau's would find the best in these terrifying, abstract monstrosities. "...I get what you're trying to say," he remarked, "It's sad, but...unfortunately, that is how it is- what else could we do about it?"

All Hau was able to do was shake his head and sigh before the soft whizz of the Pokemon center's doors took whatever chance he had to respond; signaling the end of the duo's little stroll. The cool air seeping from the building clashed with the warmth and humidity of the environment around them, causing Elio to shiver without initial realization. Upon noticing one another's sense of unease and not wishing to end their conversation on such a note, the two, without warning, awkwardly smiled and chuckled at one another- nudging at each other's shoulder's before allowing the other to step in to the pristine walls of the structure before them. The sense of unease still haunted them both, and the weight of what their contract truly meant and their current reality was resting on their shoulders-

Still, that wouldn't stop Hau from dreaming of the ideal.

...

The scent of coffee and burnt caramel was in the air; gracing those who enter the Pokemon center with serenity and peace of mind...

Now that their respective partner pokemon teams are fully healed and their supplies have been restocked, the two trainers were finally able to lay down for the day and get some of that sweet, well-deserved rest.

Chow time.

As he sat down near one of the tables of the cafe while Elio went to order some Tapu Cocoas for the both of them, Hau plopped the bag of malasadas down onto it- the main course for all of them to dig right in! What a perfect way to end the day- oh, Hau just couldn't wait-!

*shuffle shuffle....*

Oi- hold on just a minute there.

As Elio placed the two cups of delicious hot chocolate down onto the table, Hau was glaring at the shifting paper bag with intensity and focus blaring from his eyes; his head tilting and brows burrowing from both curiosity and disappointment towards whoever or whatever was there that dared to disrupt their time of rest. Hoo, nelly, what was he in for now?

Slowly shaking the bag from inside out (and with help from the Alolan kid as he slowly opened it- begrudgingly so, of course), the culprit's tiny head poked out! Translucent wings that shone as brilliantly as diamonds, an eye glittering like the finest of pearls, a glare as heavy as the most exquisite of platinum, and a coat of fur that possessed color that was as deep as the vastness of the space which holds the sun and moon...

Well, if it isn't the guest of the hour- none other than the duo's one and only little contractor.

How they've managed to gobble down half an entire batch within the seconds between the purchase of these snacks and the current moment with a glittering star for a face was anyone's guess at that point. As they chewed on and swallowed down the final bites of the malasada that was in its paws, they turned their head towards Hau, who was standing right above them, before speaking up; snark and impatience leaked from every word they've uttered-

"Took you two long enough with today's hunt; I hope neither of you wouldn't mind myself digging in early."

...right; the grief seed. Guess it's best to dispose of that sooner rather than later.

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It was quieter than usual.

Solitude was more than expected for a sacred place like the Ruins of Conflict; not a lot of people were even allowed to be near it- heck, it felt wrong even for himself to just tumble into these sacred grounds. Every step he had taken was a trial in of itself- each step felt heavier than the last, and, he couldn't even register the blood that was dripping onto the floor being his own...

Nevertheless, he persisted.

The sounds of howling winds were all that remained after such a day like this. The heartbreaking howls of panicked and mourning pokemon, and whatever unholy cacophony of howls and all-too human screams born from the deepest pits of despair that have managed to emerge from the far reaches of the afterlife- none of the sort had echoed throughout this grand entrance to the inner-most sanctum of the ruins. All that had accompanied Hau on his way there was bitter, chilling solitude.

As he slowly made his way through the ruins, the young boy couldn't stop shaking- he shook from the cold, and the fear and terror weighed heavily on his back--

The glacial winds struck him as he gulped. He could feel that he's on the verge of breaking apart from how badly he was quivering, and the bile slowly building up to his throat...

It was now that he had caught on to the sound of his chattering teeth.

It has been a long way home- back to where he was now, in Melemele Island. It could have been a perfect bookend; him and his friends returning from their journeys, now fully grown from all that they've experienced, and possessing new memories and pieces of wisdom to accompany them for years to come. That was all that he had wished for; the core reason as to why he had partaken in the island challenge to begin with and even signed that contract with that 'fairy'...

Fate sure had its sense of dramatic irony, at least.

At that time, nobody had the faintest clue on what sort of drawbacks Lusamine's plans had on the region as a whole, and, perhaps, neither did she- though whether she cared about consequences of her actions at that moment or not might be debatable, at the very least. In her frantic state of mind, all that mattered to her was the safety of those ultra beasts, and would soon rather die than waste even a single second that could have been put to use for her desires and plans. As soon as the wormholes opened, they've invited not only these extradimensional monsters - the behemoths that have captured Lusamine's heart -, but as well as...

Ultra Aura. Lots and lots of Ultra Aura...

Basking the region in this power, the line between what's meant to be perceived and what's meant to remain hidden blurred; both mankind and witches were plunged into one another's realms without warning- everything and everyone was sent into a heedless panic. As the region darkened, the president took off, and everything had devolved into a massacre, Hau's mind raced to the one thing that mattered to him most in that moment-

Home. I have to go back home.

He hadn't the slightest idea of the current whereabouts of neither Lillie nor Elio, and that fact alone was akin to a dagger in his gut that never ceased twisting. All he was able focus on during every second leading up to where he was now was his desire to defend his loved ones from this impending disaster that threatened to unfold at its fullest. Back to back with Gladion by his side, the two hacked and slashed without a moment's rest - without even a second to breathe or even check on their soul gems' current statuses - in order to pave way for Iki Town. He only took pause out of pity for the struggling magi he had managed to encounter before his wake before he gave them the grief seeds he had on his persons before taking off once more- much to the blonde's chagrin.

He had hoped for everything to be at least stable- for everything to be fine, and that he wasn't too late...that he didn't fail yet again-

And look at how that ended for you.

Reflexively blinking as he tried to catch his breath, he was unable to shake away what awaited him at the end of this road; the last few seconds leading up to the decision leading him here were constantly being replayed like a broken record. Tutu- he was the strongest person Hau had ever known in his life; from time's trials to the furies of his own heart, Hala had endured it all. He would stand by, strong and proud, as he laughed at whatever and whoever dared to cross him-

Seeing him covered in bandages and wired to whatever machines they've managed to hold on to without getting noticed by neither beast nor witch. - and the blood, dear Arceus, there was so much blood tainting the bandages keeping him stable...

The sight sickened Hau nigh-instantly. He was about to hurl on the spot back right then and there.

His face twisted in horror at the sight as the lights behind his eyes, what life and hope he had until that moment, began to fizzle away. Even remembering his sheer disgust at the tragedy before him did nothing but deepen the regret he had managed to carry all the way here

Even as Hala reassured him that he couldn't have predicted what would have happened, deep within Hau's mind, he knew Tutu was lying to him; that's how it's always been, hasn't it? Hala hiding his true emotions away just to keep Hau safe and happy, even if the deep pains he was forced to endure were visible just beneath the surface...

In the end, he was the one who had to be protected from the world yet again- all in the attempt at protecting the world from himself and hurting those who were dear to him by the threat of himself breaking apart.

He couldn't take the sight of it. Silently excusing himself, he dashed off heedlessly without a care; ignoring the prying eyes, his name being echoed by all who were around him, and even Gladion's concerned cries...

It was all back to square zero for him.

Within the center of the ruins, staring at the shrine before him, Hau's face was blank of all life and optimism. He was lost in that moment- lost on what must be done and what else he was able to do. Nothing around him even real. All that was surrounding him had simply vanished within the corners of his mind; leaving only the statue and himself.

Before the mighty altar, the link between humankind and the deity of strife, Hau fell to his knees like a puppet having its strings suddenly cut off; severing him from the reassurance of the future just before him. Through incomprehensible mumbles and babbles, he shakily clutched his hands together and whispered out an anguished plea towards the island guardian; a prayer borne not from whatever hope and worship that still remained in his soul, but of desperation...

He had hoped that he hadn't fucked it all up once again.

He wished that all this was a bad dream- one he could wake up from with just a pinch of his cheek.

He denied the tears soaking his face and dropping on to the statue before him- all while he begged for a second chance, for a way to reverse it all, and erase every single mistake he had made up until now just for everything and everyone to be okay...

Mistakes?

That's quite hilarious coming from someone like you, Hau.

You have to face the facts- that all you have done was sit down in hiding as everyone around you dropped like flies, all to evade the risk of pressure shattering your mind and soul in.

You've spent so long fantasizing and focusing on the bright side of life that you haven't noticed the shadows engulfing all that you've known and held dear until it was too late-

And all that you have managed to do so far was stand by and watch.

You have to come to terms with the facts, Hau; none of this would have happened had you not buried your head in the sand so long ago.

None of this would have happened hadn't you been so WEAK.

As he continued on with his blabbering- as his heart continued to race and the reality of the grim situation at hand began to weigh on his mind, the solemn, hopeless prayers soon devolved into numerous apologies mixing with one another; barely taking any comprehensible form. Even coming up with any understandable words was too impossible for him in that moment; whatever his tongue had managed to weave and escaped his throat was not even audible at best, or downright incomprehensible at worst.

He tried his darned best to help everyone around him- trust him, he really did, even if it risked exposing his identity as a puer magi; he couldn't give two shoots about that, so long as he at least made someone's day a little brighter. He wanted everything to be alright- he wanted everyone to be happy, to be safe, and for them be able to look forwards to what the future held for each and every one of them with wide smiles on their faces-

All that- after all that he's managed to do-

It ended up amounting to nothing.

creeeeaaak...

How disgraceful. Even with his failures doing all that he held dear in, he still had the audacity to feel as though he was suddenly going to break apart. If he hadn't already felt weightless and pathetic, then he surely looked the part now.

As he writhed on the ground in blinding pain, another crack echoed throughout the ruins; causing him to scream louder in pure, burning agony. He hadn't completely realized it - his consciousness was phasing in and out of his reach -, but, between his ramblings and apologies, he was calling out for help...he was sobbing for the torment to stop...

Between tears and with all the remaining strength he had managed to accumulate, he had resorted to the one thing he had left- for the one beacon of light and comfort in his life. His mind was frantic - as though he was merely acting upon muscle memory -; covering his face and digging his nails into his face, he let out his final cry-

"G-Grampa...! Grandpa! TUTU-"

"HELP- HELP ME, PLEASE-!!"

C R A C K !

...

As the dark remains of his soul gem were scattered on the ground and what was once its core floated amidst the altar itself, the last thing Hau felt before all light escaped his eyes was the ocean's embrace suddenly surrounding him. With his last remaining bits of strength, he struggled against the force of the waves, but it was to no avail. Feeling as though he had slipped away from what control he had over his own muscles, he slowly ceased all struggle as he allowed himself to succumb to the depths; sinking into the deep blues of the waters until there was nothing but the ocean's calm.

Not too far away, the deity of Melemele Island looked on helplessly as the newly-forged labyrinth overtook the ruins in a flash while the child's despair took form. To meddle with the inevitable is almost never a good decision, that much was true, yet even they knew that this child, much like the rest of the unlucky bunch that came before him...

He held so much promise...

A promise that has been taken away from them by forces beyond their control...

The blonde teen has been calling his name for some time now...

In preparation for the inevitable conflict, Tapu Koko pulled themself together as the labyrinth began to stabilize itself. Not unlike their siblings, it was Koko's sworn duty to defend their island from any and all threats, whether they've arrived from the far reaches of the universe or were as sinister as once-familiar faces turning venomous as they vowed to destroy the lands they have grown up on.

Still, the ache within their heart never ceased to hurt for when it came to clashes like this. They knew they were unable to combat fate itself, but even they knew that this creature, just like the rest of them, never deserved what was coming. After all...

They never asked to be witches...

-The Witch's Nature-

*looks at his personality in Sun and Moon*

*then at him in Ultra Sun and Moon*

*then at him in the anime*

*then I take a teeny tiny look at the manga*

Fun fact: this part actually took me a longer time to finalize than the witch's base form itself. While I was creating the initial concept for him, before I dove deeper into his character, I initially had the idea that it must have been his naivety that did him in; on the surface, he seemed like he just wanted to have fun and explore the grand world around him- and while that's not far from the truth, yes, it still isn't the whole picture; just a mere speck of it.

You see, with time and research, not only did I realize that this term is a far cry from Hau's actual, deep-rooted struggles, it would also re-enforce the flanderized outlook that fandom has towards him. My goal is to take a nosedive into these characters' psyches, so relying on surface actions alone would not suffice. We need to look deeper; know exactly why Hau is the way he is, how he came to possessing his mindset, and all the problems that resulted in and from this outlook of his throughout the game's main story.

Hau is far from ingenuous- nor is he unaware, weak, or anywhere near stupid. He simply assumes the best in the nature that is around him, and, even then, he is perfectly aware of when situations are dire and that certain events are just...not right. Everything's destined to work out, yeah? Sure, life has its moments where it took immense pleasure from kicking us in the ass whilst we were already down, but it's also so unmistakably beautiful; there's no need to fully dwell on the pain. The sun will rise to herald another day- another chance to pick yourself up and start all over again.

After looking at his backstory, comparing the roles everyone significant in his life had in forging Hau as a person before the start of the game, and granting myself some time to think about it moreso, I got the term that would describe Hau's fall from grace perfectly; escapism.

Think about it; Hau's an optimist, yes, but it is his downplaying of - if not the act of outright bottling up - his own troubles and trying so hard to focus on the bright side of the island challenge were what ultimately stiffed his growth as both a trainer and a person. On top of this, we also know that Hau is aware of his own problems, but is trying his best to stay afloat and not get crushed by the weight of his own misery- but how so? Coming face to face with all that troubled his young mind is surely inevitable, so he did he manage to avoid that for all this time?

Well...what if I said that Hau's very own coping mechanism was right before us from the very start? A plan so simple, yet as rounded as brilliant as his character writing? So minuscule...but it holds an important key to finally cracking open Hau's personality?

We are already aware that visiting every malasada shop on each island is his own "island challenge", but...why is that? And why malasadas specifically? Yeah, it could be a way for Game Freak to integrate a snack that is already loved by the people of Hawai'i irl (and I can't blame'em, it does look quite scrumptious), but what does this very fixation on the snack itself speak about Hau as a person?

The answer? Simple; it's comfort food.

A sweet, calming scent that would immediately bring memories of one's childhood rushing into their mind is a universal experience for many, and the same can be said with various types of food. After all, malasadas are already seen as such by various Hawai'ian citizens irl, so it makes complete sense for Hau, someone who is evidently coded to be indigenous Polynesian, to share the same sentiment; of enjoying this treat being his way to wind down after each trial.

The island challenge, in Hau's eyes, is full of wonders and new possibilities, but he just couldn't help but feel his heart drop; it's all so vast and wide, so wonderful but also unrelentingly heart-breaking... He appreciates all the highs and lows - learning from all that had unfolded around him -, but even the most energetic hummingbird needs its time of rest.

Now, I know, I know; it's more than similar to Ichizo's nature - that being "to escape" -; trust me when I say that my perfectionist butt is painfully aware of that and made it very clear whilst I was in the midst of analyzing Hau's personality. Usually this is where I would say that I cracked my back by looking for other terms that would hold a similar meaning to this word specifically, but, honestly? I had to stop myself right then and there. It sounded similar to Ichizo's, yes, but was that really the end of the world? Does it really matter that much, seeing a small word that I used to describe a character ringing true to one that exists in another canon?

My answer to that is: no. Hell to the fucking no. When analyzing characters from various medias like these, finding overlapping aspects in their personalities and behaviors is inevitable, but it is these characters' methods of handling and interpreting these aspects of themselves in their own unique ways is what makes all the difference in a reader's eyes.

Kuroe wanted to escape the eyes of everyone around her; she didn't feel worthy of the love she had wished for and believed that she is far from the image of a perfect magical girl; the idea of being a "good person", even. Hau, on the other hand, was raised under the shadows of his grandfather and yearned for the outside world so he could grow and help others along the way. Their overlapping trait is that they both yearn for their idea of freedom, whether they are willing to consciously admit that or not. Hau may had his inherent optimism and desire to keep on moving forwards by his side for so long - to the extent that it is the effects of his easy-going nature and the kindness in his heart were what inevitably got to him -, but Kuroe eventually succumbed to her self-doubts; becoming the witch symbolizing her inability to move on, Ichizo.

Of course, we can't go wrong with mentioning the honorable mentions; all the other terms I've managed to find that would also fit Hau's downfall depending on your own interpretations of his character! You are all free to reinterpret the witch card below to your hearts' content, and, once more, if you have any criticism, don't be afraid to send them my way!

Sheltered

Trusting

Blinded

To bottle up/bury grievances

To get carried away

-The Witch's Appearance-

"Yeah. My gramps is always saying that nature's got its cruel side, sure as it gives us blessings."

Alright, first thing's first, I need to set up a precedent real quick-

As proud as I am with the end results of both Asclepius (Medic) and Sayf al-Muharib (Hop) before him, I have to admit that I kinda shot myself in the foot by making two humanoid witches in a row. Yes, there isn't anything wrong with making human-like witches, especially when noting how this is the case with the designs of the holy septet's cursed forms, but part of designing a witch and the fun of it all is the ability to go completely off the walls with it; a whole bucket of symbolism just barely taking shape right before our eyes!

What I am trying to say is that I am aiming to make Hau's witch, the accumulation of his regrets and traumas, a straight-up creature- a monster not unlike Gertrud and more than a good half of the witches present in Kazumi Magica. Half the fun of making a character's despair come to life comes from gathering up all their problems, putting them in a bucket, and spilling it right onto the canvas! Plus, I guess focusing on enjoying the process is what Hau would have wanted- in a twisted sort of way.

With all that established, let's take a quiiiiiiiiiick looksie at Hau's backstory, and how it affects him nowadays- or, more appropriately, let's start with the effects everyone else's actions had on him growing up, and the worldview he's adopted as a result. What better place to start it all thank with the very first town we visit in Pokemon SM/USUM, Iki Town?

After finally gaining access to Hala's home, you can find an NPC in there who states that Hala had a habit of spoiling Hau; that he is "too soft" on the boy, and goes on to mention an incident in which Hau had witnessed Hala at his angriest for reasons currently unknown- the sight of his grandfather's fury being enough to immediately push Hau to tears. There was nothing Hala was able to do to comfort the young child, so, ever since that incident, Hala had to hold himself back when in the presence of his grandson.

Of course, if we're going to have to mention Hala's role in sculpting Hau as a character, then it would be of great disservice to not mention the other two individuals who were under him before his grandson was even born; Guzma and Hau's as-of-yet unrevealed father.

We aren't given much details in regards to Hau's father aside from a few sentences from Hau himself; that he had left to Kanto in order to get stronger and escape Hala's shadow. By taking the earlier NPC's words into consideration, it's heavily implied that Hala must have been quite rough towards him, if not apathetic to his struggles at the very least. Being constantly compared to the Kahuna must suck, and it was probably even worse if Hala really was that tough towards him; why else would he just up and leave his entire family behind? To become his own person in the eyes of everyone else including his own?

But, in the end, instead of creating his own legacy and establishing himself as an individual, Hau's father is now known to us - and even to his own son - as the man who left it all behind just to escape the shadow of his own old man. Having a parent like Hala must have sucked if he really was all that strict back in the day, but that is no excuse to abandon your whole family, much less your own child. Parents are people too, hence why even they are prone to terrible mistakes like these, but such decisions that ultimately result in the endangerment of their own children should not be forgiven so easily. Just because he ended up fathering Hau doesn't mean that his words and actions are law, and that everyone who has been affected by his actions should just suck it up.

Of course, this event was not the only catalyst that triggered Hala's change in temperance and approach to those under his care. No, this was far from the only mountain formed by Hala's mistakes; casting a shadow on his conscience and the rest who are still in his life. If letting his own son down and causing him to sever all ties to Alola was achievement-worthy, then him failing Guzma, one of his own "students", the person who needed guidance the most, was triumph on its own level.

Now, I have to state that I wasn't initially sure on where this would fall on the timeline exactly; many fan interpretations of the events leading up to Guzma becoming the "embodiment of destruction in human form" usually depict him and Kukui as young teens and Hala as a man in his 40's-50's. However, as was presented to us in the anime, Guzma and Kukui were shown to have been at least in their late twenties back when they had their fallout, and Hala more or less looked the same as he does now.

While on topic, I also have to point out a certain aspect most of the fans tend to look over whilst discussing the history behind Team Skull, and it's that, no, Guzma did not create it; as much as we want to believe that it was our boy who had founded this rag tag group of misfits, this apparently isn't the case as established by canon.

According to the games, Team Skull was initially created by, or rather was 'centered' around, one of the kahunas; while it'd be natural to assume that it must have been Hala himself due to him vowing to make sure they would right all of their wrongdoings in the post-game, there isn't much proof that would support this hypothesis throughout the canons of the games, manga, and anime. Instead, I believe that it was formed by none other than Nanu, who probably tried to take a bunch of teens who had failed the island challenge under his care as penance for the failed faller mission, but, since apparently nothing goes right in this man's life, he had flunked at this task in levels that would be deemed as spectacular.

How Guzma ended up becoming the leader of Team Skull remains a mystery to this day, but we can hypothesize that, at that point in the timeline, Nanu had already given up; it'd be easy to assume that, due to his strength and imposing attitude, he had gained the respect of the hooligans around him to the extent that, over time, he was deemed as their "boss". Guzma, with his deep-rooted desire for validation to make others feel the very same fear he had to live with all his life, happily took in the role- in his eyes, it was like he was made for this! That this was his right path in life- to destroy all that stood in his way as demonstration of his strength, and rage against the system that has failed him and the rest of Team Skull so...

Realizing the magnitude of his mistakes and the fallouts that have occurred as consequence, Hala looked down at the small toddler in his arms, a child that is eerily silent; not even bringing himself to ask where daddy is, much less whether or not he was returning soon...

His eyes welled with pity and regret. Without hesitation, he held the child up in his arms; promising to himself that he will keep young Hau safe- that he won't mess up and destroy the foundations of this kid's spirit. This time he was going to build this child up, rather than knock his hopes and dreams down. This time, he'll be there for the fledgling under his wing...

This time, Hala was gonna make things right.

Alrighty, so we got two themes in our hands already- shelter and replacement; already off to a good start! Usually, this is where I would start the interpretation games right away, but before we could do that, I need to look at Hau's personality and actions in-canon right away; his role in their entirety of the lore, and how other characters perceive him. Though the elements are there in our hands, establishing a key motif is essential for making a decent, semi-consistent design, and they key to do that is by analyzing Hau's impact on the story.

If there is any way to briefly describe Hau as a character, it's that he represents Alola as a whole- or, at least, what it presents itself as on the surface. As soon as we meet him in the games and their ultra versions, he's shown to be an excitable little lad who is just eager for an adventure and wants everyone to have a grand old time. During the first quarter of the game, Hau was there to help us get to know Alola as a region; how things worked here, the customs, and even the basic idea of the local villainous team - Team Skull -. He was also our first opponent back when we first got our starter and during the festival in Iki Town; he was there during our first steps, because, much like the main character, he was also taking his very first steps as a trial goer, and, by jove, was he looking forwards to it.

I must once again repeat that he is not oblivious, naive, nor any of the sort; he managed to tackle his feelings of inadequacy in USUM, his tendencies to bottle up his emotions have been cranked up to eleven in the anime, and was been hit by the revelation that maybe the island trial isn't all that it is hyped up to be in the manga. Time and time again he has been hit with the knowledge that the seams keeping the his bright outlook in the world are on the verge of tearing apart; from his broken family dynamics, to how the trials have failed countless children like himself, to the nefarious acts of the Aether Foundation, Hau was there to witness it all- as a bystander, as someone so powerless to stop any of what was happening around him all thanks to his focus on the joy of the trials just to escape from the pressure...

Yet he still smiles on; trying to keep his and everyone else's hopes up, and became a guiding force for those in need. When looking at his character and history in-depth, it becomes evident that Hau represents the true meaning of wisdom; trying so hard to look at the bright side of life in spite of it constantly handing him nothing a but rose's thorns without the flower itself. Yes, that trait of him hiding his sorrows away is beyond toxic and is the driving force behind his soul gem shattering, but his dedication to seeing the best in what's around him would have been impressive if we haven't considered the circumstances that brought this trait of his into existence. He realized what his flaws have brought, and, in the end, began to dedicate himself to fixing these broken foundations as much as he could.

Speaking of wisdom, it's also nifty to point out that he's also aware of the customs, legends, and traditions of Alola - which, of course, comes with him being the kahuna's grandson and all -; evident by him realizing the implications of the MC receiving a shining stone from Tapu Koko and how, by the game's end, he began to walk in Hala's footsteps in order to better himself and become a shining beacon for those who are suffering at the lowest point of their lives. Between him and Gladion, Hau knows Alola like the back of his hand, while Gladion assisted us while infiltrating the Aether Foundation - an artificial island that, of course, Hau would have no idea how he could traverse through -.

So now we've got two more themes pinned up on the board, being guidance and traditions. I think now's the perfect opportunity to line up the strings required to draw the necessary connections between all these scattered aspects; now is the perfect time to look at his goal in life, his self-image, and how all this was affected by the way he was raised.

We've already spoken about the effects of Hala's methods of raising Hau in the games; that he was, as TV tropes would call it, spoiled sweet. He's cheerful, kind, and selfless- though he does have that snark every now and then. From his interactions with Team Reskull and how he aims to goad them towards the right path, it can be observed that Hau is quite emotionally intelligent; empathetic and understanding towards those in need, while also recognizing the flaws that brought them into the situations that they are in. He aims to help those around him to overcome their struggles and emerge from their strifes as the healthiest versions of themselves, and not wallow in their own curses and regrets for years to come. If Hop wanted to be a professor, then Hau is the closest thing we have to a therapist.

Now, in the anime, on the other hand, here's where things start to diverge; in the few episodes he was present in, he was shown to be a lot more serious about battling than he was in the games. Sure, he's still the same cheerful little kid who is more than optimistic about life in order to evade heart-shattering pressure from doing him in like it did with his dad and grandpa, but he is also...different; a whole new take on this familiar character who still possesses what makes him recognizable from the rest, who is also acting so unlike the Hau that we came to know and love.

The cause behind this shift in behavior and personality is due to his father having taken him as he left for Kanto; solidifying the fact that the reason why Hau is the person that he is now is all thanks to the people who were around him during his formative years. I should also add in that the way he handles his negative emotions and losses in the anime is a lot worse than the how tried to cope with them in the games; implying that Hau's father is stricter than Hala ever would have been, and he might not have tolerated Hau ever losing. This piece of context would portray the way Hau had broken down in front of Hala after his loss in the league in a much harsher light; despite everything, Hala is the only person there for him- he's the only one he trust enough to lower his guards around. With Hala, Hau is free to act like the devastated 11 year old that he is; not some tough trainer his father tried to sculpt him into as a subconscious way of sticking it to his old man.

Yeah...safe to say that, behind the smiles and Malasada feasts, Hau never really had it easy. It's a lot easier for us to chalk his whole character up to devouring fried dough and being nothing but happy for everyone, but, just like the picture-perfect image of Alola, once you dig deep into what truly goes on behind the sunlight, its rotting foundations begin to make themselves known to us.

We've got all these motifs, the vibe we want to aim for, his struggles, and his self-image to use as a decent "base". Yep, I think we've managed to gather all that we need so far. Now's a good time for us to piece these concepts together and mold them into a singular shape; Hau's eternally-tormented form, forever wallowing in his failures and trapped in a hellscape of his own making.

First and foremost, Hau's witch should symbolize Alola's true heart of darkness; how it gave up on those who have failed the island challenge and shunned them away, as well as the truth behind his upbringing and the disastrous effects it had on his psyche. Hala may have done his best to shield Hau from the harsh truths of the world, but not only was Hau aware of what Hala tried to hide him away from, it is Hala's own over-protection and flaws that have led Hau to bottle up his own emotions- outright ignoring his problems until they piled up on top of one another until, inevitably, he couldn't take it anymore. *Sayori has entered the chat*

I mean, hey, just because Hau is a bright child himself with a warm exterior and bright motifs to his design, that doesn't mean his witch form has to reflect all that to a T; just look at Kriemhild Gretchen and compare her to her base form, Madoka Kaname. That is the magic of creating witches for all sorts of characters, though; with enough resources, you are given free range to go in any direction at your own leisure, so long as it fits the character in mind. Just go absolutely wild- make it as weird and unsettling as you could! Let your creativity run wild and off the walls!

In spite of all this, do not get me wrong; we are gonna give the design a splash of color, but it won't exactly be due to Hau's sunny personality- rather, it'd be reflective of the warlock's goals, what Hau desperately aimed to do even in witchdom, and the sheer chaos that is the witch's mind. He wants everyone - his friends, family, and even complete strangers like Team Skull - to find paths in their lives that truly make them happy, but there's also that fear of separation and disappointment that haunts him. He cannot let himself crack- he can't risk hurting those around him, nor should he fail everyone like he had already failed Lillie...

So, with this idea now on the table - the whole vibe that we wanna aim for -, how exactly would Hau's witch form exactly look like? Since we got all these elements on our hands, how would they all connect? What sort of image will we get by properly placing each and every one of these pieces in a comprehensive manner? Will our efforts blossom into a unique design that fits our little malasada child like a glass slipper? Or will they break everything that we have built up and render the blood, sweat, and tears we have poured into this project as wastes?

Well...remember when I called Hau a "sleeping dragon" a few sections earlier?

Think about it; while they were often portrayed as the penultimate villains of a knight's quest, narratively speaking, they do so in order to symbolize the perils that are associated with their journeys through these vast, new, and unfamiliar lands. It is also usually established within these fairy tales that it's wise not to awaken these beasts from their slumber, and how they are often slain via strategy and a plan in mind.

On top of all that, in the world of map-making, artists would often draw dragons in order to symbolize uncharted or even dangerous territories; hence the phrase "here be dragons". Hau wants to see the world out there, but even he knows that it's not all sunshine and rainbows; there will be unprecedented dangers up ahead, so the best he could do is to endure what gets thrown at him, learn from these events, and do his best to find a reason to smile through thick and thin.

So, a dragon- a decent foundation to build our freaky witch design on, but what kind of a dragon are we looking at here? Is he a wyrm? A drake? Or something entirely new and off-the-shits?

If I have to be frank, I didn't have an exact type of dragon in mind while I was thinking of a design for him aside from several key aspects of the Mo'o; shapeshifting lizard spirits from Hawaiian beliefs that are capable of controlling the weather. If the name sounds familiar, then you'd be right on the money by assuming that the Kommo-o line must have been based on this creature of legends; justifying its semi-legendary status in-game thanks to its real-world counterpart's significance in the overall history and belief systems of indigenous Hawai'i.

The Mo'o were also revered as beings known as 'Aumakuas; deified ancestors who have returned to the mortal realm as family or even personal gods in order to provide protection and guidance to their descendants through various means such as dreams or omens, and are said to be the links between the heavenly and mortal realms. It is also said that 'Aumakuas are able to take on the forms of various animals and even inanimate objects in order to reach out to their families, including, but not limited to, sharks, octopi, stones, caterpillars, plant life, caterpillars, and even owls- if that doesn't tie in to Hau, their status as Hala's grandchild, the Tapus, decidueye, and his descent into witchdom perfectly, I don't know what does anymore.

Back on topic, while Hau's witch form would share several elements with the Mo'o in terms of the specifics of their designs and symbology, their appearances couldn't be any more different; yes, the warlock would be able to dive into the waters of his labyrinth and attempt to 'surf' across the its surface, but it appears that they're a lot more...aquatic than outright amphibious, with some avian elements peppered in here and there for good measure (put a pin on that; this is going to be important later down the line). With four pairs of wings to help them glide through the air and a long tail adorned with a blooming hibiscus at its end, I believe that his silhouette would somewhat resemble an amphithere with certain key elements of the Glaucus Atlanticus- aka. the Blue Sea Dragon!

With the base form in our hands, that being a colorful sea dragon of myth itself that is just as sunny as the child he once was, I do believe that now is the time for us to add some pizzazz to our cute lil' monstrosity- and what better place to look for in order to incorporate more eye-catching themes than Hau's own history, design, and namesake?

To start all this off on a strong note, let's dive in to that theme of shelter from earlier.

Though Hau was excited to take on the Island Challenge and was, more or less, the optimist of the gang - with him trying his best to keep everyone's hopes up even in the grimmest of situations -. he is also no stranger to the truth around him; he knows that it is thanks to his stiffed growth that Lillie was in danger, and was more than self-conscious over the prospect of ever defeating his grandfather at his full power. You have to remember that Hala tried to make sure Hau had nothing to frown over, but, in the end, he couldn't stop reality from seeping through the cracks, and all his efforts into keeping Hau safe only resulted in him adopting the very same toxic trait of his- of keeping all his negative emotions away from the prying eyes of others, and causing them to coalesce from within.

With all this in our hands, there are two key aspects we now need to focus on in order to make a convincing witch design; Hau being kept in the dark, and him trying to bottle up his sorrows until he couldn't anymore. Both of these interpretations are more than helpful to us for when it comes to making his silhouette stand out amongst all the other witches in the canon of PMMM and those within our hands currently, so let's see what we can do with these elements that are at play here!

When I think of "shelter", being hidden away from the world, and Hau celebrating his victories with a feast of his comfort food with his partner pokemon, I immediately think of a turtle's shell; an evolutionary defense mechanism there to make sure that any predators who see them as their next meal receive a nasty surprise at the cost of their jaws. Clashing with the established themes of freedom, Hau being kept away from the world's threats is also a recurring event that has been speckled throughout his life, whether it's in a metaphorical sense (his sheltered upbringing) or literal (Lillie protecting Hau from Team Skull and him hiding behind her during the climax of USUM).

Of course, as we have already stated earlier, this type of upbringing had done nothing but bring tragedies at Hau's doors; not only was the truth still present for him to see, but life under his grandfather's wings had only taught him how he could bottle up his grievances and just focus on the positives before him so that he wouldn't hurt others like Tutu did. The shell did nothing, the shell was useless- the shell is broken. Cracks litter what was meant to be his safe haven, yet it still holds shape - the illusion of strength and stability - after all these years. It could also bear a more literal meaning here; how poor Hau tried his best to keep everyone's hopes up, including his own, but, alas, not even he was exempt from the one law that unites all magi, and the darkness even overtook him once his soul gem had shattered from the pressure and his regrets.

Even after all this time, after his body and shell broke into pieces time and time again, after his sorrows and despair have finally caused him to crack in more literal ways than one and are now bleeding through the fissures- he's still standing strong. He's still smiling even after he had picked himself up and carried on. He's still trying to live his life with positivity and reassurance, in spite of his woes and mistakes following him with every twist and turn.

On top of that, we should also take the significance of turtles in Hawaiian beliefs into consideration, especially that of the "Honu", aka. the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, which symbolizes longevity and good luck. Turtles are also seen as excellent guides and protectors in Hawaiian beliefs; that, in ancient times, they were the ones who have guided the first Polynesian settlers to the islands, and that they represent the link between man, land, and sea...which is all the more ironic for what I am going to suggest next-

We all know that, for some time, Hau felt...kinda lost on what he should do with his life - at least that is the case in the games -, much like any other kid at his age. Before we encountered professor Burnet at her lab, Hau was partaking in the island challenge just to make memories and gain the vigor needed to defeat his grandfather at his full strength. After that, however, he really didn't reveal his plans in regards to his future to us as the players, and it wouldn't exactly be incorrect of us to assume that he really didn't plan for what was to come after all was said and done.

It was when Kukui had explained to us that Hau possessed the potential to not only surpass the Kahuna of Melemele island but also just like him that a spark was lit behind Hau's eyes; a direction, a goal, a purpose- he had finally found his calling in life. It isn't just Kukui who held that sentiment, either; as we've already discussed earlier, even Gladion believed that Hau had it in him to become just like his old man - if not stronger -, and that all he had to do was focus on honing his strengths. Unfortunately, Hau finally came to that conclusion as well when Lillie had gotten abducted by the Aether Foundation; when he had failed at protecting her like he had promised. Had he just taken himself seriously, this wouldn't have happened- but, no, he allowed the breeze to carry him wherever, with not a semblance of a direction in his mind. Like the scattered petals of his namesake, he was now lost in the darkness of his mind and soul; floating in the vast, all-consuming nothingness...

Floating...floating just like his Alolan Raichu! Though I could see him being perfectly able to fly with his wings, perhaps the warlock could also utilize electromagnetism to his aid; his disconnected parts and the sorrows that seep from the cracks on his shell managing to float alongside him and he soars through his labyrinth as if he was swimming in the air. After all, there was a reason as to why I suggested the shape of a compass for a soul gem earlier; since Hop, as Sayf al-Muharib, possessed design elements that are a direct callback to his signature pokemon - being Wooloo/Dubwool - in order to symbolize his self-destruction and abandonment, it is only right to reference Hau's Alolan Raichu in one way or another- this time to symbolize his loss of direction in life and carefree nature.

Speaking of homages to other pokemon, you know what other 'mon that Hau has a strong ties with? The one that his family has been tasked with protecting all these years? The one that has chosen his own grandfather to become the island's head-chief? The one that accompanies Hau in Pokemon Masters EX?

That's right! We're bringing in Tapu Koko to the mix!

Resembling the ruins in which the deity resided in, and the final resting place of the being that was once "Hau", the warlock's scales wouldn't appear too dissimilar to the walls of the Ruins of Conflict and the patterns on Tapu Koko's shell. As though he was a part of these sacred grounds; if one happens to be a bit too careless, they might mistake Hau's warlock form for a whole new tapu- one that is undiscovered and hidden from the records of the deities' achievements. An island spirit just like them who was left to wither away and become one with the tides of time. Combined with the shards of his once-brilliant shell, it wouldn't be too farfetched to reach such a conclusion.

Plus, if we want to go all-in with the references to Tapu Koko, then I suppose it's best that we utilize the warlock's aforementioned avian elements and put them to full use! Just think about it; dragons and dinosaurs share a lot of similarities, with the key difference between them is that one is rooted in fantasy while the other is a real-world creature that is still shrouded by mystery. Would his warlock form possess a body made of scales alongside brilliant feathers that shine with bright golden hues? Seeing that the witches Magireco do have some...questionable elements to their designs, that wouldn't be too out of left field- and, besides, I could definitely see some parts of his silhouette being somewhat inspired by the bird-like takes on dragons and dinosaurs of today. If anyone here reading this has played Flight Rising at some point of their lives, I think one of the newly created breeds, the Auraboa, would definitely fit the vibes I am trying to aim for!

Come to think of it, now that feathers are a key detail to his design, I could see his appearance invoke the imagery of the Quetzalcoatl; an ancient Sun deity who is usually depicted as a serpentine dragon possessing a pair of wings and, of course, bright and colorful feathers. Once more, Hau's potential and beaming personality shine through the deepest trenches of despair, just like the raging sun.

Now, straying away from the 'mons and themes of guidance clashing with him being lost in life for a second, there are two more aspects of real-world turtles that would not only fit Hau's troubles like a surgical glove, but would also help immensely with, let's say, boosting the idea that the witch is him, his corrupted mind and soul, trapped in an eternal nightmare specifically constructed to constantly remind him of his mistakes and unaccomplished goals to no end. Two aspects that, when combined, would bring in a whole new theme to the table; parasitism.

You see, though these graceful creatures usually lead perfectly serene lives and do possess some of the longest lifespans among the other members of the animal kingdom that reside on this blue earth, danger still lurks within every corner of their lives; predators that are ready to tear open their shells for a bite to eat, the ocean waves drowning their young ones as soon as they hatch, and then there's us. The people. The human race. What? With our mega-corporations dumping all sorts of toxic sludge into their homes and all these accidental casualties caused by mass-fishing, isn't it any wonder seeing that the main threat to their survival is the very species that is burning this planet away as a sick showcase of power?

Whenever they aren't grinding their very home planet to dust just for validation and worship amongst their kin, those considered to be the elite of our society would oftentimes indulge in flavors that are considered to be "exquisite", even if it came with the cost of driving the creatures that make up their meals' key ingredients extinct; shark fin soups, blue fin tuna sushi, dolphin meat, and, of course, we cannot forget the green sea turtle! Whether we're talking about their eggs, flesh, or even their brilliant shells- to turn a symbol of long-lasting life and wisdom into a delicacy is considered a symbol of power and status in various cultures, both ancient and modern. Though various organizations have established several rules and protective measures in order to prevent the further decline of this species' population, they are still doing little to stop the concerns of poaching throughout the world- so long as the thirst for power and mindless indulgence remain, these creatures remain to be in danger.

On top of that, if it ain't just us humans who are bringing mass terror to these sea creatures, you know what else is there to drive a turtle to madness and inconvenience its everyday life? Barnacles. Indeed, not even they are immune to these buggers of the sea. Barnacles are suspension feeders; meaning that they act as a filter for the ocean as a whole by devouring bacteria and plankton. So long as an object or living being is ocean-bound and presents a lot of activity, it is considered the perfect spot for a barnacle to settle on.

When it comes to its relationship with turtles, it's quite simple; combined with the aforementioned requirements above, their shells are also prone to getting coated with epibiota - algae, plankton, and the likes -; deeming them as the nigh-perfect hosts to attach to. As result, they'll end up decreasing the creature's hydrodynamic shape, and its surface drag will increase in-turn; there's little to nothing a turtle could gain from this. Due to the risk these barnacles place on a turtle's general health and survivability, the removal of these pesky parasites from their shells once they pose such a danger - with great care, of course -.

So, with all that in mind, now it's time to play pin the rose on the thorn bush! Man, Gertrud is gonna kill me for this one, isn't she-?

Leeching off of his vitality and woes, numerous flora of all shapes and sizes emerge from the back of the warlock and through the gaps of his scales; draining him of excess energy and leaving him languid. In spite of the pain and inconvenience they bring to his door, they do provide great benefit to the warlock by soothing the visitors of his barrier and amplifying the radius of the mist within it. Such beautiful flora- it's almost a shame that the one flower he is unable to provide for nor protect are the lilies that thrive within the ruins of his labyrinth.

And it doesn't end with his shell, either; growing at the tip of his tail, a sea hibiscus in full bloom, with petals that are as bright as day, stands strong under the sunlight. Clinging on to his namesake and all that it represents, one of the last surviving shards of Hau's sanity is the embodiment of the joy and love he shared with everyone around him.

Now, all this is horrifying (and, to an extent, tragic) on its own, but what purpose is it serving here on a narrative level? Why parasitism specifically? What has happened to Hau that has caused his witch form to adopt this trait?

You see, not only would this represent the weight of Hau's emotions and how they are draining him from the inside-out, but they also symbolize an inevitability; one where Hau is destined to run himself so thin that he is at risk of withering away in the blink of an eye just like that. We all know that he wants to help - to become a wise and reliable soul just like his grandpa -, and the catalyst for his change in both USUM and the manga is none other than Guzma; driving him to promise that he would lend a hand to those who have and haven't passed the island trial, and help them lead better lives while unlocking their inner potentials. He is keeping the flora alive with his blood, and, in return, they help him with maintaining his labyrinth; keeping the peace and serenity thanks to his flowers and his shell.

Speaking of his emotions getting to him at the day's end, and because I could probably hear some of you yelling "DYST, WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU MEAN BY HIS EMOTIONS LEAKING FROM HIS BROKEN SHELL EARLIER?", I do believe that now is a great time to incorporate those two ideas and bring in the final piece of the puzzle unto the table; let's unscramble this picture before us once and for all and stare down at the opponent that was once our dear friend.

You see, Hau is able to bottle up and hide away all his troubles all he wants, but even the strongest of glass is destined to reach its breaking point; much like his soul gem during its final hours. Not only would this next aspect reflect the inevitable fate that awaits all magi, but his inability to handle his negative emotions; feeling so confused and overwhelmed due to lack of experience on how he could take care of his wounded heart in a manner that can be deemed as healthy.

Indeed, the very shell that he is supposed to hide himself within, what provides the flora that grow on him life and his labyrinth its eternal calm, is chipping away at the seams. Through them, flora peeks out, and they feed on the warlock's vitality and health. This sounds bad enough on its own, but, remember, if Hau was able to perfectly hide away all his problems and, by some miracle bestowed upon him by celestial trio, manage to forget about them for years to come, none of us would be here in the first place- and...it looks like his futile attempts at making sure he keeps that smile on his face is being reflected on his warlock's design.

From these cracks on his person and the shattered remains of his shell, small, goldfish-like beings would often emerge. It wouldn't be too outlandish to assume that they must be familiars of the warlock, but, in truth, they're a lot more like floating parts of the warlock themself; disconnected, pesky, yet a part of them nonetheless. He tries his best to ignore them; to continue living life without them bothering him too much. He can't focus on them- he can't succumb to the stress, he cannot take the risk...

Ah- how much better would it be if he bottled them up once m o r e ?

Invoking the image of the ouroubouros, the serpent devouring its own tail as a representation of eternity, the warlock would dig his sharp teeth into these small goldfish-esque manifestations; rip them apart without a hint of hesitation or mercy in order to regain his strength whenever he is in a pinch against a powerful foe. In calmer days, however, they're just there for show in the eyes of visitors; a spectacle backing up the graceful image of the monster before them, unaware of their true nature as the embodiments of his regrets and misery.

Ironic, isn't it? That the form his troubles have embodied are generally regarded as the most common and replaceable pets in most households of today. Of course, one should also remember that Hau is the grandson of the Kahuna of Melemele island and is speculated to be the next in line; in Chinese culture, goldfish are seen as symbols of wealth and harmony. In this case, however, it could also be another tie-in to Hau's lineage and family curses, and that, no matter what, he can't exactly run away from his doubts, no matter how much he tried to bury them and move on with his life.

Wow, that was heavier than any of us expected.

So, with everything in regards to the witch himself has been wrapped up, now's the time to focus on the intermission before we get to the main course - their labyrinth -; Hau's karmic potential and the strength of his witch. Now we get to see how much CARNAGE our boy is capable of!

Before we start, I have to make this clear as soon as I could; nope! Unlike Hop/Sayf, he is not as strong as either Timeline 2!Gretchen, Isabeau, or Walpurgis! While it is true that it is thanks to his actions that Gladion, Guzma, and many a Team Skull grunt grew to become better versions of themselves, it's not, let's say, "stopping the apocalypse and bringing peace back to Alola" levels of karmic potential- that honor goes to Elio and Lillie.

Make no mistake, however- he would still end up as a formidable foe; someone capable of targeting large groups of people if he so desired. You have to remember that we're not just dealing with our energetic friend who is concealing the fact that dealing with a lot of shit in his mind with a smile on his face- we're dealing with the grandson of Melemele Island's Kahuna. Someone who, as Gladion had already stated, already holds so much potential; and Hau showcases his inner strength and discipline by managing to defeat the Elite 4 time and time again just for a chance to defeat the MC as the champion. (Plus, of all trainers, he's the one who gave me the most shit, both during normal gameplay and my failed Nuzlocke run. This child and his Raichu are spawns of Homucifer, I tell you-)

So, on a scale of Oktavia (was nuked by Homura single-handedly in one timeline within the PSP game) to Final!Gretchen, I'd say he's on a tier above Hungrige Pumpe and Box Wood. Of all witches, they're the ones who have showcased the ability to target multiple people at once on-screen while also managing to put up a serious fight when it came down to it. I would have mentioned H.N Elly, since she's showcased the same ability to influence multiple people into acts of grave harm, but she was sent to Hell and back by a solitary Sayaka Miki; she may been an intelligent and strategic witch, but she's not on the same tier as the other two aforementioned witches in my own opinion due to her lack of personal strength.

Now that the base appearance of his witch has been established and we got a good idea in regards to his power levels, let's take a step back and focus on his worldview, his mindset, his barrier. "The internal headspace of a magi before they turn into a witch". The world that does its best to keep their wounds open. What better way to keep on hurting poor Hau than by reminding him of all that he's lost?

"The salty breeze sang to me and brought me here to you!"

Once you enter their labyrinth, the first word that would come to your mind is "peaceful", if not "comforting". You arrive in a run-down Alolan home; all signs of human settlement have eroded away with time, seeing that the overgrown flora around you have long proclaimed this area as their new sanctuary. Soft sunlight shines through the countless cracks and particles of dust are dancing under its rays as you make your way through this strangely serene and calming manor; in spite of the destruction, amidst the debris and rubble, the flowers are in full bloom, and the air is just so fresh. It must be the dawn of spring.

As you traverse through the wreckage around you, past the lilies, debris, and worn-away furniture, you've finally managed to find it- a simple wooden door, with what you could assume is the warlock's whisper etched on to its middle. The exit. As you took note of the intricacies of the gate before you, you've finally realized exactly how floral the environment surrounding you appeared to be; if not for the plants growing around the destruction, then the designs present on the walls, furniture, and even the broken windows would have done the deed of invoking this imagery. Speaking of the aforementioned walls for a second, your eyes widened as realization dawned on you; they were a near-exact copy of those present within the ruins dedicated to the island guardians...

The beauty of your surroundings was almost haunting. You gulp down your anxieties as a sudden chill surrounds you...

This didn't feel right.

After taking in a couple of deep breaths - in...and out, in and out... -, you've finally mustered up the courage to open the wooden entrance. You had no idea what awaited you in the other side, and that alone was enough to petrify you; was it a continuation of these very ruins? A gentle daydream awaiting to be beheld? Or a nightmare just begging to be unleashed? You weren't sure- the possibilities were everywhere, and your mind was sent into a panic over the potential danger that's waiting for you just around the corner. Without thinking, you've grabbed on to the door and shoved-

A thick layer of fog covers the ground beneath you. The soft cracking of grass sounded...a bit too much like glass. The sun remained to be just as bright as you've first entered, and the wind appeared to be picking up its pace somewhat. A sudden sense of vertigo overcame you as you've stumbled out of the ruined home; you've felt your heart rapidly fluttering as you've tripped onto the ground nigh-instantly. After catching your breath whilst on your knees, you finally glance at the labyrinth surrounding you-

Stars shone from within your eyes as you beheld the scenery that was unfolding.

The mist reflected the brightness cast upon this small pocket dimension; cloaking the earth beneath you in a soft luminescence, like you're standing amidst the clouds. Ruins similar to the one you've emerged from are standing high and tall; almost completely reclaimed by nature itself, they have withstood the test of time and have become one with the environment around you. Only the graffiti that were long spray painted on the relics and even some of the boulders you came across were the only indicators of human tampering- aside from those, it's as if you've stumbled upon an untouched piece of the Garden of Eden itself, hidden away from the prying eyes of mankind. You could hear bird songs and the distant waves just up ahead; all you had to do was to continue walking down this wooden bridge before you.

You had no idea how you could describe it, but, ever since you've arrived here, you've felt...free; bewildered and unrestrained, like you could just jump around and run through the meadows while laughing without a care. A memory of a distant summer flashes in your mind; one of the last times you ever felt secure...that everyone was going to stay fine until time itself runs its course. Pure nostalgia.

The flora is blooming, the waters are crystal clear, and the ocean- oh, how calming it is. Truly, this must be heaven, right? After all, Hau didn't care about winning or losing- surely this trait must be carried over to his warlock form...or, one might hope so.

Craaack....

Fragile. Oh, it's all so very, very fragile- the leaves, the grass, and even the ground itself. What a clumsy mistake- a devastating, regretful, but overall clumsy mistake. Even the little birdies looked like they could shatter just by perching on your shoulder. With even just the tiniest amounts of pressure, you could feel everything before your fingertips turn into nothing but glittering shards carried by the wind.

How unfortunate. To strive on is to destroy. To express your thoughts and oneself is to risk harm to all that surrounds you. Wouldn't it be better if you were able to exist without posing the threat of destruction towards all you held dear? If you just...went with the flow?

Yeah; that way, you wouldn't hurt anyone. With this, the world can remain beautiful. Just lay back and go wherever the wind took you...

How...how long has it been since you've last touched the ground?

After what seemed like hours of wandering through this faux paradise, trying so hard to hold on to the will to resist the temptation of the gentle waves, the delicious aroma of freshly-made food, and the smiles of all who came before you, you find it; flying in the air like it was swimming without a care, dashing with those who were riding on the waterfalls present like it was a fun race- there was the warlock. After having its fun with the other visitors of the labyrinth, he finally took notice of the most recent newcomer- that being you. After flying gracefully towards your direction, he looked at you intently without even a hint of aggression behind those crystalline eyes; in fact, they appeared to be quite curious. The only action he had done was...pick you up by the collar of your shirt, fly towards what you assumed to be a festival going on, and place you down near a feast among the other visitors.

He didn't attack...far from it; your struggles and fears - both of which were fueled by uncertainty - have only granted you even more sympathy from the warlock. As you've descended from the highs of your worries, you began to almost feel bad for him- a rarity amongst his kind, his compassion didn't melt away even after he reborn as this...beast...

A voice snapped you out of your daydreams; must have been another one of his presumed "victims". Hah, for someone who had stumbled upon an ever-twisting maze of deceit and uncertainty, they sure appeared to be quite pollyanish, much like the rest of the group; they all appeared to be of good cheer, as if they didn't really care about the prospect of them being far away from their homes and loved ones. The person beckoned for you to join in on their banter if you'd like; there appeared to be so much that you could share with them, and the rest are dying to know how you've arrived here!

With a slight tinge of hesitation and worry, you shakily smiled and sat down with the rest. A festival like any other; even the jovial spirits around you made you feel quite homely...

Over time, you couldn't really recognize them by their faces anymore. All your mind was able to register was their laughter and blissful songs. Happiness and joy was all around you. Hours have gone by as you've spent them having a grand old time with the rest of the visitors through conversations, banter, and even games you've all participated in. Even the warlock joined in on your festivities; jumping up and down just like how a small child would! Throwing one of the fried pastries that you've found into the air, the dragon leapt and grabbed the snack with his jaw before digging in with a smile on his face, causing you to laugh right before he offered you another one of these delectable snacks after he was done chowing down on the grub you've given him.

The distant sounds of thunder echoed around you, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. The rest of the guests weren’t afraid at all of the storm, either; in fact, they seemed entranced by it, sharing you and the warlock's love for Mother Earth and her gifts.

Was this truly a labyrinth? Or have you stumbled upon Heaven itself?

The line between the two definitions have blurred in your mind.

As the winds picked up their pace and the torches scattered throughout the labyrinth began lit up, the deep orange hues of the sunset before you and the rest sure looked mesmerizing. What a way to end the day; lying down on the beach sands with the sight of this grand ocean before you all. You couldn't think of any other way there is to put an end to this wondrous event; it's just you, yourself, and the cool breeze surrounding you...a moment of true, undisturbed peace. You've never felt as relaxed and tranquil in your life as you have now.

The tides began to creep in. The warmth of the seawater felt...peaceful; welcoming, even.

You couldn't find any reason nor the willpower to keep your eyes open; even as the waters filled your lungs and dragged you down into its depths, you couldn't help but smile in peaceful, perhaps even cathartic, resignation...

As the skies above shifted to a cooler hue - heralding the arrival of the calming night -, all that remained were the ocean's waves, the endless sea foam, the towering flora, and the warlock of this labyrinth staring off into the distance in content. Now, nobody will have a reason to frown again. Nobody will have to feel lonely or left out anymore. They can become one with the calm waves. As the veil separating day and night faded slowly, the ocean hues sure resembled deep pools of viscera and gore as they reflected the skies above...

The thunderstorm surrounding his labyrinth continued to rage on; lightning strikes shone through the pitch black of the night, revealing the clouds' resemblance to the bars of an old, battered bird cage. Such a grand yet familiar sight did not cause the warlock's nostalgia and appreciation for what was around him to waver; such was the wonder of nature and the world around him, and now he and the others can bask in it forever...

With the dawn of a new day, came new visitors; new souls who have been lost for some time, those whose purposes have slipped from their fingers and were deemed to be outcasts by the public. The sight of their broken souls had granted them pity from the warlock- but he was there now. He'll make sure they won't have to continue living their lives in sorrow and stiffing regret. This is his sworn duty; to make sure they have at least be free from the burdens of everyday life; only then, will their souls be at rest, and they shall become one with the ocean's calm. Yeah, it was for their best interest...

This time, however, he noticed it; dark and messy hair, sunken and unblinking eyes, and a shining jewel that is as bright as the sun... As this newcomer unsheathed their weapon with great hesitation after he stared at Hau for so long, it became clear in the warlock's eyes that this was no new visitor, but an interloper; dead-set on destroying his sanctuary, the fruit born from the desires deep within his heart, and bringing everyone back to their miserable, stiffing lives.

The air crackled with electricity...he can't let them destroy all that he has built up over these months! He had failed in making the last intruder see that it would have been a lot better if it had accepted his offer and stared into the ocean's depths with him not too long ago; that there was no need for an island guardian in a piece of paradise like this labyrinth. He bared his teeth and shook his head- he really couldn't help but mess everything up again, huh? Why did he have to mess things up so?!

...No-

No. No. No! He wasn't going to let this happen! He was going to stand strong and defend this happy world, even if it killed him! He wasn't going to mess up and stand by this time-

He was not going to make the same mistake ever again...

He y e l l e d.

.

.

.

Last but not least, it's time to speculate on the shape of his witch's kiss/warlock's whisper. Within the canon of PMMM and its spinoffs, a witch's kiss usually represents a part of the witch (Oktavia), the witch themselves (too many to count atp), or a general symbol that represents them and their goals (Gretchen). For the longest time whilst writing this post, I've dreaded this segment the most- yes, I could have gone with a simplistic symbol and gotten over it, but I needed to make a symbol that captures the vibes of Hau; one that is welcoming and bright without losing its intimidating aura most witch's kisses possess.

After much agonizing and indecision, I've found myself face-to-face with the first aspect we have discussed earlier- dragons in ancient maps. As pretty and mystical as they appeared to be, they were there to symbolize danger above all else. A spark was lit in my head, and I've finally got it-

A simplistic dragon circling a large hibiscus flower; perching his head on it just like how a hummingbird would feed from flora. Parts of the flower possess patterns that resemble waves near the end; representing the end of those who dare step foot into his labyrinth. To top it off, it's drawn in a way that would absolutely fit on a kapa; fabric created by the native Hawaiians and is made by tree fibers. A simple drawing, yet it is one that invokes serenity and nature's terrifying grace...

-Witch Card-

Kealamauloa Kinimaka. The Warlock of Endless Horizons. Their nature is escapism. Floating high above and disconnected from his troubles, the warlock yearns for what lies beyond the homeland's shores. Wherever he soars, a trail of his inner-most sorrows glide alongside him and follow his every shift and turn, yet the warlock pays no heed towards them; so long as the sun's warm rays shine down upon his labyrinth and the soft chimes of the waves surround those around him, none of these complications shall ever hold their meanings in the end.

A gentle mist emits from his thunderous shell, cloaking the beach in a tranquil quiet. Going with the flow of the ocean breeze, he aims to bless those who enter his labyrinth with the most peaceful and exciting days of their fleeting lives, all so that everyone could rest by sunset and submerge themselves within the waters to become one with its calm, forever. That way, everyone can be together in one place. That way, everything will be harmonious and they don't have to feel independent sorrow anymore. That way, the warlock won't ever have to worry about anyone leaving and failing them ever again. Those who dare disrupt the peace and disturb the water's surface are pierced from behind a wall of fog.

(Initially, I wanted to go for a naming convention that wouldn't feel out of place from either Kazumi or Tart Magica; after all, as someone who is passionate about worldbuilding, I was at awe over how the names of witches differ from city to city and have evolved over time. During this post's earlier days as a draft, I've figured that perhaps Alola must have a similar naming convention; to dub witches as forces of nature rather than simple malevolent entities or souls trapped in eternal torment)

(While I was thinking of a name for Hau's warlock, however, problems have begun popping up like dandelions on a sidewalk; my knowledge of Hawaiian as a language is...minimal, to say the least. Using Google Translate was a terrible option as well; if I cannot trust it with the Arabic language, then I have no hopes in regards to its treatment of this endangered language. During the early stages of this concept's lifespan, the warlock's name was 'O Kekahi Lā ʻŌpua, which was supposed to mean "Another cloudy day". I am aware that this is not a decent translation at all; and I sincerely apologize for my lack of knowledge in regards to the Hawaiian language. Fuck Google Translate, all my homies hate that shit.)

(After that idea was canned and thrown away, I've turned my gaze towards notable figures present in the history of Hawai'i, and eventually came across David Leleo Kinimaka; a descendant of Hawaiian nobility and the hanai (adoptive) brother of King Kalākaua - the final monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai'i -. It is also important to note that his paternal grandparents consisted of two high chiefs - Kapiiwi of Kaʻū and Kahikoloa of Maui -, and he was the first to lay down his weapons and surrender his post during the mutiny of 1873 in opposition to the suggestion of having to return to working under the Hungarian captain at the time, Joseph Jajczay; tying in to both Hau's heritage, his conflict-avoidant ways, and his desire to do what's right. He dies after falling off his horse in 1884 while he was on the way to Kaumalumalu, which brings Hau's attempts at training himself to ride his tauros in mind and become an expert at it like Hala. In 2013, hundreds of his descendants returned to 'Iolani Palace for a luau in celebration of their family's history and heritage.)

(As for his first name, Kealamauloa, it means "path to eternity", which fits Hau's journey quite well! As well as the whole...you know...turning his victims in ocean water a la End of Evangelion... Look, he didn't get the title of Warlock of Endless Horizons for the vibes alone. On the one hand, there is the vast world out there and his eagerness to experience what lies beyond the Alolan skies, and, on the other, his warlock heralds the death of his victims' individuality; making them become one with the labyrinth itself as they and the warlock travel endlessly together so that they could keep on exploring all these regions and learn more about these places and themselves.)

-Familiars-

Halia. Minions of the Warlock of Endless Horizons, whose duty is to make memories. A conversation by the side of the street, warm and delicious food to mark the passage of time, catharsis achieved at the end of one's personal journey; as long as the labyrinth remains unbroken and everyone has a reason to smile, these familiars have no reason not to beam with satisfaction. Such fragile creatures; their brilliant, crystalline feathers refracts the sun's light into a spectrum of colors none has ever seen, even as they break into glittering shards and dust.

Once the visitors are the happiest they've ever been, it is time to herald the end of the day; chanting as the sun's warm hues begin to disappear by the ocean's edge. Unfortunately, these minions do possess the tendency to wander on their own in search of others to guide and explore what's outside this labyrinth.

(Initially, I had the idea of the malasada shops and comfort food in mind; visiting every one of them was his own "personal island challenge" as some sort of point of motivation or something to spice up his journey. Having a celebratory feast of his favorite comfort food is also his way of heralding every step he's taken forwards.)

(After thinking about it, though, I believe these familiars represent two things; the roles every other adult had on Hau's life, and his desire to help others lead better lives. Of course, it becomes quite ironic when you recall Hau's desire for new experiences, and the fact that these familiars do their best to make you feel as comfortable as possible would kinda hinder that; reflecting his initial approach to the island challenge to a T.)

(They also represent Hau's sorrow towards those who have left him - how he must have felt like everything he did to Lillie and especially Gladion just meant nothing in the end -, and how it clashes with his desire to leave Alola and see the other regions that are just at his fingertips. Look, if Sayf has Oktavia vibes, then Kealamaoloa here deserves to have a bit of Kriemhild's drip, as a treat...actually, they might get along, come to think of it.)

(On top of that, the name, Halia, means "rememberance of a loved one", and it sure does sound a lot like "Hala", doesn't it? Guess he's still subconsciously craving his grandfather's comfort, protection, and guidance, even in this form...)

-Inspirations-

In-canon:

The Alola starters- especially Decidueye, his signature pokemon in the anime

Alolan Raichu and its dex entry

The Ruins of Conflict

Iki Town

Hau'oli City

His dad and Lillie leaving for Kanto, both for reasons pertaining their own parents

How he and his Primarina would target us during the Aether raid; using a Z-Move, no less (I wish I was joking; look it up)

Outside influences:

The Ocean of LCL from the End of Evangelion. ah, yes, the depressed ocean

Dvalin, aka. Stormterror, and the Millennial Pearl Seahorse from Genshin Impact

The Prophecy of Fontaine and Navia's Trial from Genshin Impact

How compasses utilize the Earth's magnetic field to function

The Diverge by Jack Stauber

Joubutsu 2000 from Taiko no Tatsujin (specifically for his Descent to Despair)

The cover of Hitorinbo Envy by Madotsuki@ (same as the above)

Nocturne op.9 No.2 by Chopin (ditto)

Everything about Sayori from DDLC

The Auroboa from Flight Rising

The summer versions of the doppels from the MagiReco game

The Other Side of Paradise by Glass Animals

Hotel California by Eagles

The Ba'al Bosses - specifically Goldie and Turtle Dove - from Bravely Default

The Zenith of Monsterkind from Undertale Yellow and her demise

The Light Dragon from the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

-Closing Statements-

FOUR MONTHS! THIS HAD NO RIGHT TO TAKE FOUR MONTHS OUT OF MY FUCKING LIFE!

Am I sad over how he wasn't utilized to his fullest potential by both the manga and anime? Yes. Yes, I am.

Am I still gonna smack (read: block) whoever dares to slander his character and reduce him as a happy-go-lucky dumbass who does nothing but eat malasadas all day? Oh, no fucking shit I will-

So, here we are! The third entry on our witch list, and first ever of 2024! GOD, I am just...so, so happy with how far this series has come along, and am grateful for all the people I have met along the way through them! I will say, trying to see how Hau would fall into despair without making it too similar to either Hop's or Medic's was quite challenging, but I wouldn't have managed to do so without ya'll's help!!

No. Seriously. If not for my good chums, @bluethepearldiver and @anemonether, this wouldn't have turned out the way it did; the former assisting me greatly with his magi outfit (her idea of incorporating jester themes with his current ranger suit in the form of a happy mask), and the latter with the latter half of his witch card. Please, for goodness' sake, go and support them- please please PLEASE!

Now to answer the question everyone must have on their minds right now- "Why?" Why did I go through all this? Above and beyond just for the sake of manifesting one pure malasada boi's struggles and history into physical forms? Why am I so dead-set on psycho-analyzing these rivals to a T? Is it spite towards the fandom? Pride? Curiosity?

Well, you're not wrong by assuming that spite is definitely one of the reasons here, but it's also due to the fact that I just adore everything about the seventh generation of Pokemon; I'm talking the games, the anime, the 'mons introduced, the lore- you name it! God knows how much joy and comfort this generation's given me while I was facing adversities in life, so I hope that, by dissecting one of our rivals' goals and psyche, I am doing it a sort of justice; for the times I went through - both good and bad -, for the wonderful people I've met through out love for the games, and for the smiles it has provided me through tears.

In a sense, you could say that this post is just one love letter to this generation I have in mind out of many.

Before we bid our goodbyes and close yet another marvelous chapter...I do want to point out a certain elephant in the room; the red herring that has been looming over me as I was writing this, the air of dread that surrounded me with each letter printed down- a certain accumulation of untold secrets and questions begging for their accompanying answers...

Alola; an island full of color and warmth, a hallmark of humanity's cooperative nature, and the very lifeblood of many of our memories and achievements- is it any wonder to any of us to see that even such a peaceful region like this one has its own share of secrets? Z-moves, Z-power, the tapus, and even its people; just what exactly is lying beneath its captivating exterior?

Ladies, gents, and those who have abandoned this feeble concept known as "gender"-

We're gonna talk about Alola's Island Guardians - the infamous Tapu quartet -, the effects of Z-Power on Soul Gems and witches, and the culprit behind all these strings of disasters, Umber.

So, from what we have seen in Hau's Descent to Despair, not only were we finally given the name of this universe's incubator species, but also the revelation that the Tapus are aware of the witch system. From Tapu Koko's sorrow and reluctance to fight the young child's tormented form, we could see that even the tapus partake in these witch hunts- though it appears that the deity of conflict is more sympathetic to these monstrosities than some magi themselves.

Makes sense, doesn't it? Their whole deal is the safety of their respective islands, even if it came at the cost of some pesky human lives (full respect to Tapu Bulu there; I'd be pissed as hell if someone had built a SUPERMARKET over ruins that hold great historical and religious value to the natives, even if I wasn't a deity myself). The reactions of each Tapu for when it comes to having to deal with these witches, though, varies depending on their personalities. Aside from Tapu Koko, I could also see Fini being somewhat remorseful over the fates of the magi who have fallen to the curses of this world; their souls are far beyond salvation, and whatever they've managed to channel from the grief seeds they've collected are the agonized, repeating screams of the people they used to be...

Speaking of, I'm still unsure on what they'd do with the grief seeds they've accumulated over time; my best guess is that most of them would gift them to magi who are doing what's best for the islands and aren't causing too much harm to the living beings around them, but, in Tapu Lele's cause, I could see them hoarding grief seeds instead- just another act of Lele's classical sadism, it seems. At least, thanks to Tapu Lele's healing scales, the grief seeds aren't prone to hatching on their own; they're sort of kept in a stasis when around'em, so that rules out the possibility of them hatching in the Ruins of Life, I suppose.

This brings us right to the topic of Z-moves and what role they might serve in a hypothetical PMMM/PKMN AU. You see, a magi's region of origin tends to hold a degree of influence over their powers, strengths, and, of course, how their witches would interact with the world outside of their labyrinths. When it comes to Z-Power, as it was presented to us in the anime, we can see that it is shared between trainer and Pokemon; it allows them to be in sync with one's emotions and powers- highlighting Alola's main theme of "togetherness" and "bonds".

That is not all there is to Z-Power, as well, for there is a reason as to why I highlighted the anime especially; as presented to us in "Filling the Light with Darkness", it is shown that, when Necrozma had drained the region from its Ultra Aura, the adults present became lethargic, which proves to us that perhaps the adults are a lot more dependent on this energy than the kids. In my hypothesis, I believe that the children of Alola are capable of living without much Ultra Aura surrounding them because they are capable of producing more energy than an adult; they haven't lived long enough to become fully dependent on this power, hence why Necrozma's little transgression didn't affect them.

But what does this have to do with the witches? How is it that when Lusamine (or Necrozma, if we're going by USUM canon) had opened all these Ultra Wormholes across all of Alola that humans were able to see witches all around them and vice versa?

The answer to that, my friends, is a mixture of consequences that came with this one event; the barrier that separates Alola between all these dimensions going haywire, light frequencies being thrown off-whack, and how witches are already not too dissimilar to humans or even Totem Pokemon in the above regards-

You've heard me right; everyone in the region possesses a degree of Z-Power, and that includes the witches. This helps explain a number of peculiarities that are unique to the witches of Alola; how they are more in-tune with the physical world than the rest, and how, instead of treating one another with aggression over them stumbling into their labyrinths, are more than likely to ally with one another to take down any and all magi who dare trespass into their domains. I have a long list of differences the witches of each region possess that is still a work in progress.

This isn't the only Z-power related anomaly that is exclusive to Alola, however...

By activating a Z-move and syncing your heart with that of your pokemon's, the two of you are able to unleash the energy you are sharing and strike a devastating blow against your opponent. For when it comes to magi, however, and when they possess a degree of corruption in their soul gems- you've guessed it, they unleash their Doppels.

Unlike the doppels present in Magia Record, it isn't automatic nor is it caused by some purification system set up by a bunch of cultists; this is due to the aforementioned connection that's established by trainer and 'mon that allows them to share their powers momentarily. While your doppel appears to be rather normal and close to how your witch form would appear if you were to use a Normalium-Z, they'd also adopt additional traits if other types of Z-crystals were brought in; usage of Waterium-Z would give it a more aquatic look, Fairium-Z grants it an appearance that would fit a fairytale or even an old legend passed from one generation to the next, etcetera.

Of course, and this might be the biggest drawback to this system, this does NOT completely cleanse the soul gem, either; rather, it creates an equilibrium of hopes and curses between the trainer and their pokemon. You might feel a little better after unleashing that titan of an attack, but your partner 'mon would NOT. An issue regarding ethics and sacrifice is now on the table; are you truly willing to sacrifice your Pokemon's health and happiness just to prolong your own life? Or are you willing to turn the world asunder just to make sure your team is at least free from the suffering?

As for Umber...

What else hasn't already been said about the incubators themselves? Truly they are the worst of the worst manipulators in all of anime history; their intents may be noble once we step back and glance at the bigger picture at hand, but the tragedy of each individual life holds heavy weight on one's consciousness- which makes the incubators' inability to even care for those who placed great trust in them all the more appalling. It isn't any shocker seeing that Umber here is a lot less picky for when it comes to Magi candidates than its canonical counterpart, Kyubey; as a matter of fact, aside from emotions and karma, another aspect that Umber takes into account is the strength of a person's ambitions- a desire so deep and moving that it drives them to sway or even challenge the very narrative itself.

Make no mistake, however; unlike Kyubey, who appears to be a hivemind yet is, at the day's end, just an alien species that could get wiped out (even if it is hard as hell, according to Urobutcher), Umber is...more like a part of the universe itself. A shred of its code; a program present to keep the OS running efficiently and smoothly. What the trainers perceive as "Umber" is merely an avatar of this extradimensional being- you strike one down, it's as troublesome as a system lag in their eyes(?).

In regards to their appearance, I'm still working on it; for now, my biggest inspirations are the Roaring Titans from Deltarune, the butterfly of death and rebirth, and the general aesthetics that come with anything related to computer science and the cyberpunk genre. Perhaps this little critter is unsettling and does invoke the imagery of the stars, but the form we see is undearing enough for them to be considered an ally- a guide- or a friend, even.

There's a lot more that needs to be said in regards to Umber - namely the fate of the witches whose grief seeds it incinerates, and the cycle of pain and despair it brings just to fuel the universe's cogs and springs -, but it appears that our time is running low. To answer this one inevitable question, though-

No. Umber is not a Pokemon. It is the furthest thing from a comprehensible living organism. They exist as a piece of the universe; they do live, eat, breathe, and chatter like us, but they are also disconnected from reality as a whole. They're an anomaly to our perception of reality, they're a deity whose mentions are scrubbed clean from any and all records-

They are, without a doubt, far beyond our mere comprehension. A concept that is eternally far of our reach. A missing number, if you will.

Before we leave and close this chapter for good, I believe I should come clean; I am more than aware that the time taken writing this post has been far too long, and I have kept ya'll waiting for quite the stretch of time. While it has been due to my laptop's fucked up keyboard and writer's block, I felt like I have done ya'll a great disservice with this wait! So, to make up for lost time, and with great thanks to @superstaridolstart for a lot of key elements (especially the Z-Crystals for eyes), I bring you all a first in my series of crossover witch analyses-

Concept art!

And let's not forget Super Star's concept made during this post's early days that helped inspire me while I was finalizing the design; seriously, I cannot thank them enough, and would appreciate it if ya'll went ahead to support them!

(please don't mind my horrible handwriting; I am aware that I cannot write with ink...)

While they're not indicative of the current final design - once more, I must mention the Auraboas -, they sure as hell helped immensely with coming up of the clearer picture of what I wanted to aim for. Again, please please PLEASE send all your support to Super Star there! They're also working on a Magical Girl AU of their own, so please send them all the comments and reblogs you could give- they deserve it! ;W;

As for the finalized color palette, once more, I need to thank Flight Rising here for helping me tremendously, because I've managed to make a mockup using the site's "Predict Morphology" feature that not only depict the colors I had in mind almost-perfectly, but they are also closer to the final appearance save for the shell and the Z-Crystal eyes;

(Genes present are Umber Python, Buttercup Weaver, and Jungle Thorns. Eyes are Faceted Light)

So, with all that said and done, I believe it is high time for me to take my leave- I wish the best for you all, and bid you Alola!

...Oh, right, how rude of me- of course you can take the malasadas to go- as much as you need! It does my heart good that you enjoyed my work so much, and I'm more than delighted to see everyone's content smiles when reading these essays of mine!

Tell you what? Because you guys have been there for me for so long, I suppose I should bring some heartwarming, delicious curry for all of us to enjoy next time.

#Pokemon #Pokemon Sun and Moon #puella magi madoka magica #madoka magica #Rival Hau #Hau #Hau Pokemon #kalashipping #madoka witch #madoka magica witch #witch archives #holy shit i didn't add an itoki hana reference this time #truly these are the end times

[pix3lplays]

PIXIE I GOT MY HISBAND AKGNKDGN HE'S HOME. MY SAVING PULLED OFF. I'M TRYING TO GET HIS LC TOO :D

He's so pretty I can't, this is the man I live for, I'll do anything for this man.

Ahem.

Anyways, if you're doing Argenti requests do you mind one of him reacting to reader being his S/O who's usually kind to everyone and helps everyone suddenly feel overworked/stressed reader? :D

Hope your future pulls will go well!

-Signed: Argenti's Spouse

Argenti’s Spouse!! I’m so happy for you, your MAN CAME HOME😭😭😭😭😭 And thank you!! I’ll gladly do it! Gonna do another combo with this one! And thank you!! I appreciate it! May all your future pulls be lucky!

Spoilersss for Argenti’s mission

Tw! Maybe slightly suggestive?? Argenti gives a massage is what I mean. Religion and prayer and stuff since he’s a religious man

-Argenti x Stressed!Reader-

If you remember Argenti’s mission…this man doesn’t get stressed. At all. “Continue enjoying the current moment,” or whatever he said-

But seeing you stressed…? Oh his heart Aches for you.

Imagine, you walking into your shared hotel room, dropping your stuff on the table and collapsing into a chair, burying your face into your hands. You don’t know when he arrives… He sees you in a state of distress, quietly sets his lance aside, and approaches you from behind, taking off his gloves and setting them on the end table. Suddenly you feel the sensation of warm hands slipping underneath your shirt, resting on your shoulders for a moment. He doesn’t ask what’s bothering you, just asks: “have you tried saying your prayers today?” Which was a very Argenti response. Regardless of your response, it doesn’t stop this man from trying to make you feel better. His warm hands rub up and down along your shoulders and the base of your neck. You have no idea where Argenti learned to give massages, but it genuinely feels really good. “Shall I just keep going, or would you like to speak about it?” “Just…keep going…” “Of course, my love…” There’s just something about him though. It doesn’t take long for you to break down under the warm feeling of his hands against your skin that makes you cry and confess everything that’s been on your mind, everything that’s bothering you- And he just listens, nodding, massaging you, occasionally asking a question, but mostly just…hearing your concerns. He doesn’t bother with his usual advice, unless you ask for some. His advice usually consists of starting a daily routine of prayer, and journaling and religious or recreational studies…stuff like that, simply because that’s what works for him. But he knows that’s not going to work for everyone…so he tries to expand his world of advice to something more practical and decisive. But at the end of the day, you just want to snuggle with him. Cuddle all the negative feelings and the stress out, and he’s very happy to do that for someone as beautiful inside and out as you.

#honkai star rail #honkai star rail x reader #Argenti #Argenti x reader #Hsr Argenti x reader #honkai star rail Argenti x reader

[colorpuffball]

I'm beating the buzzer with this one (^_^;)

Anyways I'm really glad to have been able to join this summer santa event! Big thanks to you @solarisfortuneia <3

I was assigned to @lychniis, hope you enjoy reading ╰(´꒳`)╯

I chose Zhongli fluff, here's a lil preview:

“Please lay down on me.” “Perhaps you mean with you?” “No. On me.”

“Do you have any plans for the day?”

Your question is directed at the man sitting in front of you. Morning sunlight streams into your shared home, making your teacups give off a warm glow.

“Aside from my usual walk through Liyue, no.”

“Then, could I make a request?”

Zhongli sets his cup down. "It would depend on what it is you desire. Although I am inclined to accept anything you propose."

You lean closer. “Could you please lay down on me.”

His brow furrows ever so slightly. “Perhaps you mean with you?”

“No. On me.”

A breath. He raises his cup, answering before taking a sip. "It is hard to refuse a request so simple."

_____________________________

Despite his acceptance, he was in no rush to finish his tea. Not that you minded of course. Conversation flowed as free as the tea he poured for the both of you.

When you do reach the end of the pot, you go quiet as he cleans the tea set. With a flick of his wrist another teapot appears in the air. The steam from within rises, curling into the light. He rinses every piece with such gracious movements that so obviously stem from years of experience. It never fails to capture your attention.

Finally, he sets everything aside.

"Shall we?"

_____________________________

The two of you return to bed. With the way you're laying, Zhongli is slotted almost perfectly against you. His head rests on your shoulder.

"Does this satisfy you?"

His warmth and weight feel more comforting than you'd imagined. Although… now that you've got your foot in the door.

“More.” You demand, although you’re mostly joking.

You thought he understood that with the way he inhaled, like a half finished chuckle. But then he stretches out.

You’ve seen him in his dragon form before, the great Morax in the flesh. Or more accurately, in the scales. You can only describe the transformation process as something akin to a molting reptile. Objectively, it isn’t pretty. To you though, it’s always a breathtaking sight. 

The change literally steals your breath away. You struggle to breathe under his weight. How such a large being can fit into a smaller form, you have no clue.

“Is this adequate?”

His voice is a tinge deeper, and seems to hold a lot more power. You always wonder if it truly changes, or if it’s your brain playing tricks on you.

You laugh lightly. “Much, thank you.”

Knowing your satisfaction, he decides to make himself comfortable. Around and around he goes, until he’s balanced (mostly) on top of you in a coil.

When he’s finished he sighs. You sigh in solidarity. No matter for what reason he actually sighed for.

The two of you lay in silence for a while, simply enjoying the physical contact. 

His scales are smooth to the touch. When your hand travels up towards his mane you’re hit by a puff of hot air. He watches with crinkled eyes as you run your fingers through coarse strands.

He’s gorgeous. 

You can’t help but smile to yourself. From his grand horns to the steady beating of his heart against your chest, even the fact that he's so willing to show this form to you, it all makes you question how any of this is even real.

It’s like a dream come true. 

If you had told yourself in the past that you’d end up in a relationship with a now retired god who happens to be able to transform into a dragon. Well, you’d think you were insane.

You unknowingly shake your head at the idea, to which Zhongli tilts his.

“Is something the matter?”

Your cheeks warm. “No, nothing.” You immediately change the subject. “Does it feel better when you get to take on this form again? Is it relieving, or- I mean, how does it feel?”

With the proximity of your faces, it's hard not to notice the way his eyes narrow ever so slightly. "It is a welcome change. Much like when one walks a different path as they would in their day to day."

"Do you wish that you could do it more often?"

He hums, the sound more akin to a purr with how it reverberates. In fact, it even relaxes you further. You feel as though you've shifted farther into the bed, the blankets brushing against your skin.

Or maybe you actually did, as you immediately tense when you feel his claws on you. 

"Those are sharp!"

Immediately they're gone. "My apologies. I should be more mindful. These claws, they were not made for such activities after all."

You chuckle. "These activities? You make it sound so suspicious."

He yawns, his jaw opening so wide you realize he could swallow a boar whole. Several boars maybe. Or even a boat.

"I was referring to these more peaceful activities."

Your eyes widen. “Ah. Right.”

It's easy to forget what Zhongli is capable of. Especially since he's currently acting as your weighted blanket.

The silence stretches. Your gaze shifts between his mouth and literally anywhere else. Zhongli’s eyes rest solely on you.

“Do I scare you?” As he speaks you’re forced to face his teeth. You pull your eyes from the multitude of knife-like points to observe his face.

To you, it simply holds curiosity. You were afraid that he’d be unhappy with your reaction. Although he could be saving it for your response.

“Well…”

It’d be a lie to say that he is harmless. Or to say that you weren’t spooked just now. It’s a bit difficult to ponder on his nature and that of your relationship with him on top of you.

Of course, in his bountiful patience, Zhongli simply watches as you find the right words. His face betrays no emotion.

Although, if you’re being honest…

You start gently. “Yes, at times.” You watch him out of the corner of your eye as you stroke his mane once again. “However,” you grin, “I can’t say that I’m not into it.”

#— summer santa. #x reader #zhongli x reader #gn reader #no pronouns used #Zhongli #genshin impact #Big shout out to Misha for Beta reading <33 #Is it just me or do y'all hear the Minecraft ender dragon sound when you see Morax as a dragon

[alittlefanatic]

hi!! can you write a wally x reader one shot where the reader joins this foxtrot ballroom dance competition with wally (they join as friends, i think you can see where im going w this) and through those days of practice, both the reader and wally get flustered by eachother (hidden mutual crushing !!) omgg then the reader asks poppy for advice bc shes kimd of like the mother figure of the neighbourhood .. then the day of the competition arrives, wally is a little anxious about it like what if they fall on the floor?? he only learned how to ballroom dance bc he wanted to partner up with the reader but the reader reassures that hes going to do great and glamourous!! they perform and omgg the eye contact, how secured both of their grasp is on one another, the reader's whispers of reassurance to wally while they danced to can't take my eyes off you?? omgggg, both of them confess during when they were awarded for 2nd place !!

oh and ofc, always make sure to take breaks n drink water!! :D

STORY BELOW!

Oh, this made my heart absolutely MELT!

I don't know much about dance competitions but do not worry I will indeed try my best neighbor!!

I think I'm going to make this story have multiple parts, so I apologize if this is too long! I already have chapter Ideas if this tells you anything LMAO But I have so many ideas for this story in particular that I want to put my all into it! Until the other parts come out though, enjoy this first chapter! And if you would like, I can tag you in the updates

____________

🍎Shall We Dance? - Day 1🍎

Wally Darling x Reader Story

Tags: Fluff, Romantic, Established Crush, and Friendship!

Summary: Sally recently announced a Dance competition in the neighborhood! Granted, you have no idea how to even Foxtrot, but it couldn't be so bad right? Besides! You have your best friend Wally there as your Dance Partner! Nothing could go wrong...well, that is, until some feelings come to the surface...

(Lovely art by TTobeeb on Twitter)

It was a beautiful Sunny day in the neighborhood! It was peaceful, quiet, relaxed...well, you would say that if it wasn't for Sally Starlet running around happily in the neighborhood, posters in hand as she plastered them onto doors and trees and fences all along the neighborhood.

You and Wally were sitting in the grass simply chatting in the warm sun, spring was coming to a close and summer was beginning to arrive, when you noticed the happily frantic star gushing and dancing about. You couldn't help but glance toward Wally, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you have any Idea what she's up to?"

"No clue neighbor. It could be that she's trying to set up another play?"

"Maybe? God, I don't know if I could star in another one. I completely messed up my lines halfway through and I just wanted to lie down and perish."

Wally couldn't help but laugh, giving you a friendly pat on the shoulder. Wally was your best friend, you have pretty much been through it all! Julie would tease the two of you relentlessly, saying that we'd be the 'picture perfect couple' but we always joked about it and cast it aside. We were just good friends, and I was happy to say that I knew him!

"Oh come on neighbor, you weren't that bad."

"Wally, how does a person mess up Romeo and Juliet?"

Wally was about to answer before the bright and energetic came running up to the two of us.

"NEIGHBOR! WALLY! You're going to join my competition right?" She spoke excitedly, doing a twirl as she held her fliers close, before handing one to each of you. You cocked your head, confused.

"Competition? What happened to plays?" You spoke, reading over the flier. It was very colorful and bright, with red glitter over the title 'Foxtrot Dance Competition.' This was dancing, was it not?

"Yes, this is a form of...ballroom dance? Have you been hanging out with Julie again? I know how much of a romantic she is." Wally spoke, obviously teasing but Sally was oblivious, nodding her head.

"Yes! Julie would talk about how ball dances worked and thought we should incorporate them into our plays sometime. But that would mean we would need some great dancers as the leads in order to sell the play more! So! With that in mind, we came up with the idea of creating this competition, not only to see others' dance skills, but to think about leading roles for the future~"

Sally rambled on and on excitedly as I couldn't help but continue to stare at the flier, reading it. 'Foxtrot Dance Competition! Partner Required! Come test out your dancing skills! Winners get to be the star in the upcoming play!' The thought wasn't too bad! You didn't know how to dance much, you had some skill, but hey, the worst that could happen was that you would place last right? Deep in thought, Wally's voice broke you out of your thoughts.

"Thank you for the offer Sally, but I think both neighbor and I will have to de-"

"I'll do it!" You spoke with newfound excitement. It would give you something to do on these hot summer days and learn a new skill, there are no downsides!

Wally looked over at you, eyes widening. He looked at you with dilated pupils, but you couldn't help but smile excitedly. Sally couldn't either, she was beginning to shine even more than she already was! Grabbing both of my hands and pulling me up to jump up and down.

"Oh my goodness that's so exciting! Thank you neighbor I absolutely know you're going to do great and you are going to dance wonderfully and-" Sally kept on and on, jumping you in circles to the point you were almost dizzy.

Wally looked down at the flier again, contemplating before letting out a quiet sigh. What was he getting himself into? The sight of you with your wide smile though, was all that he could ask for. He loved seeing his friend smile.

"I'll join in too. You need a partner for these kinds of things, right? Neighbor, I'd like to enter with you as my partner if you don't mind~" He spoke, looking towards you with his signature smile. Your excitement only continued to grow as you grabbed Wally's hand.

"I'd absolutely love to! We are an unstoppable pair! This is going to be a breeze!"

"Well, you two better get to practicing then! The competition is the next Saturday, not this upcoming one!" Sally interrupted, tapping the flier to show the date.

"That's only...10 days away! Is that even enough time?" Wally asked, there was a hint of worry in his voice. "I don't know how to dance very well, in fact, I'm poor at it."

You never actually heard Wally admit he wasn't very good at something before, so that was a first. He was usually a confident guy, it may seem as if he was full of himself sometimes sure, but he always meant well. You couldn't help but smile.

"Well, what's the worst that'll happen Mr. Darling?"

He pondered that for a moment, shaking his head as he gave a lighthearted laugh. "Ha ha ha. Nothing too bad I guess now that I think about it! You're right neighbor. You always know how to view things positively. That's what makes you the most!"

You couldn't help but smile, as Sally looked between the two of you, a small smirk set across her face.

"Well, get to dancing you two! I want to see passion and sparks! Make my heart SOAR with your dancing! I have to tell others about this-"

"Haven't you already put fliers over the whole neighborhood?" You raised an eyebrow.

"That's barely enough! I have to get going!" Sally laughed and waved, grabbing her fliers when she spotted her next targets. With a cheerful smile, she ran towards Eddie and Frank. You could faintly hear in the distance her rambling on about the competition.

"God, does that girl ever know how to slow down?"

"Sometimes I wonder if she knows the meaning of slow."

You and Wally both looked at each other and laughed, holding the flier in your hand as you extended your other to Wally.

"Well 'Partner,' looks like you're stuck with me for the next 10 days! You ready to get your dancing shoes on?"

"You make it sound like being stuck with you is a bad thing! I'm delighted neighbor." He spoke, grabbing your hand as you lifted him off the ground and onto his feet. You couldn't help but smile at him, as you looked down at the flier once more, putting your hand to your chin as you began to pace back and forth.

"I need to make sure I have the appropriate attire, dance shoes for certain, we need to have lots of water, especially during this heatwave. Hmm...do you have a music disc? Or at least a slow-paced song?" You thought allowed, looking towards Wally who was thinking alongside you.

"I know I have one somewhere at Home, I might just have to go and dig for it is all! Other than that, I think we are as prepared as we could be. If we need to, we could always go to Howdy's Bugdega and ask for some supplies?"

"I might have to...I don't recall having any dancewear...I do know we need to start immediately! Tomorrow! After we get our supplies, let's get straight to dancing and see what we need to work on!!" You spoke enthusiastically, your hands on your hips as you had this smirk about you.

Wally couldn't help but roll his eyes and sigh a little at your disposition. It was too late to back out now, and he certainly wasn't going to. He couldn't help but remain cheery though.

"Well then neighbor, I do have a couple of things I need to do before then, like clean Home and find some records. So I will probably head back, as it is starting to become late anyways." Wally looked over to the sky, it was getting a bit late! Time always seemed to fly by when you were with each other.

You nodded and smiled, giving a little salute. "Well then Mr. Darling! I'll be at Home at nine am sharp! You better be prepared!" You half-joked, as you turned around, giving him a little wave as you began to walk back to your house.

"Be safe neighbor! I'll see you at nine am!" Wally smiled, waving goodbye as they headed back towards home.

As you began to walk home though, a pit of nervousness began to grow in your stomach. Dancing? You had no idea what you were doing! You've never slow-danced before, nonetheless been to a dance, unless you count dancing in your bedroom with the music turned up.

You sighed, making it to your home, opening the door, and heading inside, putting the flier on the kitchen counter, as you stared at it.

What did you get yourself into?

AUTHORS NOTE:

THIS IDEA MAKES ME SO SOFT!! I genuinely have about 10 chapters in mind, one for each day...so I hope you enjoy this neighbor!

Gentle Reminder I am a student and I am writing these when I can, finals are ROUGH!

You can also find this story on my wattpad!

#wally x reader #wally darling x reader #wally darling #wally darling x y/n #wally x y/n #welcome home arg #welcome home x reader #i am so soft #i dont know much about dance contests but i have ideas #stick with me for the ride #slow burn?????

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Their Oath Shall Drive Them and Yet Betray Them

When you run through the events of the Silmarillion, it’s glaring how consistently the Oath of Fëanor works against its own fulfillment.

One of Fëanor’s first acts after taking the Oath - not directly driven by it, but certainly driven by the same pattern of ‘I will kill anyone who stands between me and reclaiming the Silmarils’ - is the massacre of the Teleri and the theft of the swan-ships. This isn’t a necessary action to get to Middle-earth - it is simply the fastest, easiest, and most violent path.

But let’s say we set that aside, and look only at actions that are directly in service to the Oath.

For the four hundred years that Morgoth - their enemy, responsible for the deaths of their father and grandfather, supposedly the reason they swore the Oath in the first place - holds the Silmarils, the Fëanoreans make no attempt to reclaim the Silmarils.

But when non-Morgoth people even think about them, it is another matter entirely.

Celegorm and Curufin usurp the rule of Nargothrond, send Finrod and Beren to their deaths and deliberately abandon them once their capture is know, take Lúthien captive and attempt to forcibly marry her to Celegorm and rape her, and, after they are expelled from Nargothrond, attempt first to kill Beren and kidnap Lúthien, and then attempt to murder Lúthien (and nearly do murder Beren) after she has shown them mercy.

Now, Thingol didn’t want a Silmaril in the first place. He never expected Beren to retrieve one. The goal was for Beren to be daunted by the task and leave, never to return, or else to die in the attempt. And the Silmarils aren’t inherently something people are unwilling to give up (thanks to a recent essay for pointing this out) - Beren gives it to Thingol, a messenger brings it to Dior after Beren and Lúthien’s deaths, Elwing has it as an infant and no one surrounding her tries to take it for themselves, Elwing gives it to Eärendil. Aside from the incident of Thingol and the dwarves - which involves (in some versions cursed) dragon-treasure, which we know from The Hobbit has an ill effect on some people - people are mostly only unwilling to give it up to the Sons of Fëanor. With just cause!

If it wasn’t for the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, and especially for Celegorm and Curufin’s actions in Nargothrond - if there had never been an Oath - would it have been possible to negotiate with Thingol for the Silmaril? It might have cost a great deal, politically - it might have cost the recognition of Thingol as King of Beleriand - but if they could humble their pride that far, it wouldn’t have been out of the question.

And beyond that - without Celegorm and Curufin’s acts in service of the Oath, would both Nargothrond and Doriath have joined in the assault against Angband that was the Fifth Battle? Could they have won? Could they have, among other things, regained the other two Silmarils? It’s questionable (there’s still the issue of having to fight inside Angband, and fighting Morgoth himself, and of additional dragons…), but the narrative in the Silm does suggest a few moments in the battle when there was a chance.

And with later events, it becomes even clearer. Beren, and certainly Lúthien, don’t care a lot about the Silmaril for its own sake; if there was no grievance - if not for the Fëanoreans’ deeds of kidnapping, and attempted rape and murder, and treachery causing the death of Beren’s friend and Lúthien’s cousin, and on top of that, threatening to murder Lúthien’s father - wouldn’t there have been a pretty decent chance to reach an agreement where the Fëanoreans recieved it upon Beren and Lúthien’s deaths? Or wouldn’t they have had far better chances of negotiating with Dior for it? At every step motivated by the Oath, the Fëanoreans make enemies of the very people whose goodwill would be of most value to them.

And of course, after the Second Kinslaying, none if the refugees of Doriath have cause to guve the Fëanoreans the time of day, much less a Silmaril.

But it keeps going. We come to the end of the War of Wrath; the other two Silmarils are reclaimed from Morgoth by the Host of the Valar. Maedhros and Maglor demand them of Eönwë, and he tells them that they have lost all right to the jewels - because of their many and merciless deeds, and most of all because of their slaying of Dior and the assault upon the Havens.

For a long time I found the temerity of this demand from Maedhros and Maglor, and of their later theft of the Silmarils, unfathomable, coming as it did towards an army that had arrived beyond hope and saved their lives and the lives of everyone in Beleriand, an army arriving at the appeal of two people whose friends and home Maedhros and Maglor had slaughtered and whose children they had stolen. But in this context the theft becomes clearer. They are being told that the very atrocities that they took to regain the Silmarils - atrocities that they loathe - have in fact permanently barred them from regaining them. They have, in effect, been told that if they had not spent the past years violating their own consciences and turning their deeds to evil and murder, and if, indeed, they had spent all the years since the Nirnaeth doing sweet fuck-all about the Oath, they would now be rid of it and have the Silmarils. That’s devastating! They don’t want to have done those things! All their evil choices, all their regrets, have served only to cut them off from a goal that they could have otherwise achieved. Of course they cannot accept this. Of course they make a last attempt, and learn the truth of Eönwë’s statement.

They recieved a prophecy and a warning, and they ignored it, and it had come true at every turn. Their Oath shall drive them and yet betray them. At every moment in Beleriand when there is any chance of the Fëanoreans regaining a Silmaril, the single greatest obstacle standing in their way is the Oath itself.

#tolkien #the silmarillion #oath of feanor #maedhros #maglor #sons of feanor #celegorm #curufin

[tigergirltail]

Seeing a fair number of posts lately from transfems wishing they had known a trans person who would have told them when they were younger that they're trans, and it's been bothering me. First of all because it puts the onus of responsibility on this mysterious, cool, older, wiser transwoman to break the egg out of their shell, which I thought we agreed was a toxic ideal back when we called them Manic Pixie Dream Girls.

Second, and more importantly, because in the ideal scenario, in which the egg is very definitely a closeted transgirl, and the more open transwoman is genuinely just trying to help the egg find her true self, being forceful about it can set that discovery back years, even decades.

Source: It literally happened to me.

In my late teens, I played an MMORPG called City of Heroes, and my best friend in that game would later reveal to me that she is a transwoman. As I aged into my mid twenties, we got to meeting up IRL and going to anime conventions together, and she'd inevitably broach the topic of me trying more feminine presentation. Not even telling me she saw signs, just subtly trying to steer me in the right direction. She was particularly enthusiastic about seeing me in a skirt.

Every single time it happened, I'd get mad and shut down.

There's a psychological phenomenon in which, when someone holds a set of deeply held beliefs, and those beliefs are challenged by verifiable evidence, the cognitive dissonance causes the person to double down, and hold to those beliefs even harder. That's why right-wingers are Like That, but it applies just as much to all of us. I'll get back to this concept in a bit.

When I was around 15, an anime aired in Canada called Cardcaptor Sakura, or Cardcaptors as it was localized. Something about the exact stage of development I was, and seeing Sakura getting to set aside her mundane responsibilities to dress up in cute costumes and go out on magical adventures, it called to my closeted little girl heart. I have a vivid memory of staring in the mirror, holding my hair to look like Sakura's and imagining myself as her. As a girl. I have many more memories of looking at feminine characters and thinking "gods I wish I could look/dress like that", but Sakura was the first.

I kept it fully to myself, because I had grown up in the late 80s and 90s - before the word 'transgender' was commonly known, before media depicted us as anything but objects of mockery or horror. It was a deeply ingrained and societally reinforced belief that Boys Are Boys and Girls Are Girls, and never the two shall cross.

So when my best online friend tried to convince me to be more feminine, that cognitive dissonance would kick in and I'd shut down. Even though she was objectively correct that I was a closeted transgirl, it was her word against the word of my entire upbringing and societal viewpoint.

What actually helped, what actually put a dent in my egg, was the fact that she simply existed as a transwoman, she was visible and proud. That existence challenged my preconcieved notions in a way that could not be resisted.

From there, it was a matter of time and continued exposure.

Another friend who explained to me what 'cisgender' meant, and who eventually started leaning into transmasc presentation. A romantic partner who came out as genderqueer and helped me understand the concept of 'nonbinary'. Transgender content creators who posted about their experiences online - special shoutout to demilypyro and assumptionprime, two of the most influential voices for me while I was figuring this out, but far from the only ones.

The shields of my egg were down. It was primed for hatching.

On April 22, 2022, I was looking up some fanart of Hex Maniac from Pokemon X/Y, who I had cosplayed at a convention three years before, and thinking of how good it felt to wear that dress. How good it felt to look like her. How good it felt… to be a girl.

-CRACK-

…Later that day, I went to my old City of Heroes friend, practically begging her for help. How do I know if HRT is what I want? How do I know if I should transition? How do I know if I'm really a girl?

She knew. She always knew. She tried to tell me, but I wasn't ready to listen. Not yet.

The point of all of this is that one transperson telling an egg they're trans is not a solution to the problem. The problem is that society has tried very hard to make us the outliers, to make us the weirdos, but society is losing that war. If you want to help the eggs of the world, be visible, be proud, and treat being trans as something normal and beautiful. Don't tell them unless they ask, just… be there.

Eggs hatch when they're ready, and not a moment sooner.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Oh, and by the way… She got her wish in the end. I wear skirts now.

#trans #transgender #transfem #transwoman #in this house we respect the Prime Directive #it's not universal (no rule is) #but it exists for a reason #egg discourse #trans thoughts

[jaimebluesq]

I wish you would write a fic where...

Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang spending time together at some point before Huaisang goes to Gusu for the first time (can be before or after their father dies)

I always love me some Nie bros! I hope you enjoy this - I had a good chuckle writing it :D

(I didn't state it in the fic but NHS is about 13-14 years old)

~ ~ ~

“Nie-zongzhu?”

Nie Mingjue looked up from his papers at Elder Nie WuFong. “Yes?”

“This one was wondering if Nie-gongzi wasn’t a little too old to spend his days painting in your office. Would his attention not be better spent elsewhere? Perhaps studying battle strategies, or mingling with other boys his age.”

Nie Mingjue glared over at his brother, who had shifted down in his seat and only just looked up over the surface of his table. The last time Nie Mingjue had sent his brother to ‘mingle with other boys his age’, he’d walked in on two fourteen-year old boys stripping their outer robes off after losing to Nie Huaisang at a game of dice.

“While I appreciate the concern,” Nie Mingjue replied with a sigh, “I believe my brother’s time is best spent here with me.”

Elder Nie nodded and bowed before making his exit, closing the office door behind him. Nie Huaisang sat upright in his seat once again and continued his work of gliding a brush across his paper to shape the wings of a crane in flight. Nie Mingjue huffed and picked his own paper back up.

He grunted.

“What’s another way of saying ‘this sounds interesting, but we can’t afford it right now’?”

“Which sect leader?” Nie Huaisang asked without looking up from his artwork.

“He-zongzhu.”

His brother nodded. “Unfortunately, this year’s budget has not allowed us any leeway in pursuing new projects or proposals, however, I would greatly appreciate any updates you can give on its progress. If there is another way I can support this, then please let me know, and I shall see if in the future, we might find room in next year’s budget to assist in this endeavour.”

Nie Mingjue smirked at his brother’s way with words and wrote down what his brother had suggested, with only the occasional tweak to apply it to Sect Leader He’s request. He set his completed letter aside for the ink to dry and took up another piece of correspondence.

He groaned.

“Yao or Ouyang?” Nie Huaisang asked.

“Yao,” Nie Mingjue replied through gritted teeth.

“What does he want this time.”

“Nothing much,” Nie Mingjue tried to speak casually, “only to marry you off to his little sister.”

Nie Huaisang’s head popped up looking absolutely horrified. “Da-ge, you can’t be serious!”

“You’re right,” Nie Mingjue nodded. “I’ll write him back and accept immediately-”

“Don’t you dare!”

Nie Mingjue was no longer able to keep a straight face and he burst into strangled chuckles. His brother heaved a sigh of relief. “So, brat, how do you think I should respond?”

“Dear Yao-zongzhu,” Nie Huaisang spoke dramatically, “while I am honoured by your proposal, it is one we simply cannot accept. My brother is, unfortunately for such an alliance, the most cuttingest sleeve that ever was cut-”

“Didn’t I catch you kissing the cook’s daughter last week?” Nie Mingjue accused with a raised eyebrow.

“You also caught me with the captain’s son the week before that,” Nie Huaisang countered, “so technically it isn’t completely untrue. But if you don’t like that, you can always say... my didi is unfortunately on his deathbed after I forced him to go on a night hunt and he was cursed by a trickster ghost, and I could not possibly allow you to betrothe your sister to a dying man.”

“Since when are you a man?”

“It’s for the effect, Da-ge!”

“And what do we say when he sees you alive at the next cultivation conference?”

“That it was a miraculous recovery,” Nie Huaisang grinned. Nie Mingjue snorted. “Or you can tell him I’m already betrothed... maybe to Wangji-di or Xichen-ge?”

“You wouldn’t survive Cloud Recesses’ rules.”

“What about Jiang Wanyin?”

“You haven’t seen him since you were five – you don’t even know what he looks like now.”

Nie Huaisang nodded solemnly. “You’re right, he might have gotten too ugly to kiss even with a bag over my head.”

Nie Mingjue was tempted to throw a brush at his brother’s head... then he thought of something better. “You know, didi, I think you’re onto something. But you know what sect we should marry you into?” He waited until his brother looked at him with wide-eyed curiosity. “The Jin. They’re rich and they love artsy things like you do.”

Nie Huaisang tilted his head consideringly. “But Zixuan-xiong is already betrothed to Jiang Yanli.”

“I know.” Nie Mingjue made a production of pulling out a clean piece of paper. “Dear Jin-zongzhu, I believe it is time for a proper alliance between our sects. I would like to propose a formal betrothal between my brother and heir, and your nephew Jin Zixun-”

Nie Huaisang wailed and flopped back onto the floor. “If you even consider sending that, I’m going to run off and join a night hunt so I can let a yao gore me to death!”

“Would you really prefer death to marriage with Jin Zixun?”

“Yes!!!!”

“Always a critic,” Nie Mingjue smirked.

“But back to Yao-zongzhu’s sister.” Nie Huaisang stood up from the floor and brushed off his robes. “I think there’s a possibility you haven’t considered yet.”

“Oh?” Nie Mingjue watched as his brother approached his desk to grab sect leader Yao’s letter. “And what would that be.”

Nie Huaisang’s face turned more mischievous than a fox’s. “Marrying her to you! Dear Yao-zongzhu, I will take your sister for my own wife and we will have ten children so my didi no longer has to be my heir-” he dictated as he ran out of the room.

Nie Mingjue sat and shook his head at his brother’s antics.

And then he stopped.

His brother wouldn’t actually send such a response... would he?

He jumped up from his desk and ran out after his brother – just in case.

#nie bros #nie mingjue #nie huaisang #humour #ficlet

[radiokathryn-if]

Hola amigo (amiga). It’s me again. I’m in class, slaving away my life and with my newfound brain juices, I decided to spend it on something worthwhile like expanding your own brain juices.

The ROs decided to play Monopoly (because that’s where brain power works more effectively). Who loves it, who hates it, how do they play, and who ultimately wins against one another? Also, have a good day (or night depending on when this is.)

Hello friend! Just for you and your slaving brain power, I shall gift you with a little bonus!──long answer! +I just finished cooking(&eating) supper so it has indeed been a good night lmao, I hope you have one too! ++I may have way too much fun trivia about monopoly just rattling around in my head, so I apologise if I start rambling! +++also! I'm acting as if they're all playing together... which would never happen but is still fun to think about!

Which little mascot token thing do they choose/get/fight for/end up with?──in 1972 there was only: the shoe, the hat, the dog, the iron, the car and the boat... so I've added more such as the thimble, the lantern (retired in 1950) and the rocking horse (retired 1950)

NATE──is picky and also very narcissistic, he has to pick first and he always gets the dog (a yorkshire terrier!) because it's "objectively the best one" no one really objects because they don't want to deal with his whining.

EVA──she always gets the lantern. when she's not at the table to claim it first, it's gets set aside for her. unlike with Nate, everyone else lets her have it because she simply asks nicely. Eva just thinks it's pretty─she calls it her good luck charm! (she has a nice winning streak!)

MICA──does not care for their token at all, and is usually the last to gain it, often getting the one no one went for or wanted... which mostly ends up being the iron... Mica thinks it's rad though so they don't mind!

DETECTIVE HAN──doesn't really play board games and is subsequently a bit slow to the battle royale of the token picking... they end up with the shoe because it's only of the only two left and they'd rather not pick the iron...

JOSÉ──they're not going down without a fight! they are pretty competitive, especially when it comes to board or card games─curtesy of their many siblings─and they will bargain for the token of their choosing... which is the the thimble... but they usually lose out to Ji Han, in which they fight Fauve for the boat!

JI HAN──he wins the thimble from José but he only goes for the thimble if the the plane is gone and considering its the one token lost to the void, well...

FAUVE──she watches José and Ji Han fight it out for the thimble with glee and then when José sets their sights on her and the boat its quickly wiped away... she knows when to take her losses and resigns the boat to them after she can feel a ten minute debate forming, leaving her with the car!

JACKSON──used to picking last when playing board games, though most times Cilly just gives him a token she seems fit... he'd end up with the hat (a top hat!) because even though he doesn't particularly care, he's still quicker than Mica or Detective Han to scoop up one of his favourites!

???──they like most of the tokens and are usually the first to pick, in actuality, they're the one who set aside the lantern for Eva and make the dog easy to see for Nate to claim 'first' after which they swoop in and collect the rocking horse! much like Eva, the token is a bit of a good luck charm for them─the only time they've ever gone bankrupt was when they were playing with the boat instead!

actual game play! who loves it, who hates it, who's winner and who's a sore sore loser baby?

Nate says he likes monopoly but he is quick to change his mind as soon as he loses his money... honestly, if he didn't fixate on the money side of things and strategise like i know he can he'd probably give Eva, ??? and Ji Han a run for their money! (sore sore loser, losing loser baby, sore loser baby)

Like most things outside of her personal life, Eva stays winning. She loves strategy games and she's very good at interpersonal tactics (and she doesn't get greedy or blind sided by fake money.) She's on a winning streak... but there are a couple that give her a run for her money! (somehow she always manages to get one or both dark blue's on her first circle of the board...)

The ever unbothered Mica could honestly care less about monopoly──that is to say that they get surprisingly intense around two thirds in! Something about monopoly specifically ignites the competitive fire under them. They're strangely protective of the train stations and the utilities. They always somehow end up going bankrupt though, and sell out to Eva or Ji Han (or ???) depending on who can give them the most appealing sales pitch... Mica just likes hearing what they'll come up with!

Detective Han is a baby at playing board games... that aren't chess or checkers that is. The first time they play they're too caught up in the rules to realise all the spaces are slowly being taken up. The next time they buy every space they land on and were the first to go bankrupt so quickly in a while! They're a bit of a rules lawyer but have since mellowed out to enjoying the game without getting worked up about losing.

José is competitive and they love a classic board game. Playing with their siblings, they're known to be one of the winners more often than not... playing with the other ROs? That's a whole different ball park─a whole different weight category! Especially with brilliant players like Eva, Ji Han and ??? (when they're in the mood to win)! José can admit when they're out of their depth but that doesn't mean they aren't going to go down without a fight. They're the most... involved player, often propositioning places or money with literally anyone if they can see it coming out advantageous for them. (Not many of their propositions are accepted, though some are for the sheer audacity and the entertainment value they bring!)

As opposed to his older sibling, Ji Han is actully quite well versed in the ways of the game... Given that he's only played it while half drunk in university halls at 3 in the morning while they wait out for a 5am lecture... playing it with the rest of the ROs is only a little different. (that and he plays with a clear mind and thus remembers the rules and can get into the manipulation tactics!) He's won almost as many times as Eva has, and it's usually the two of them as the final two! He's a gracious loser, even if he's a bit of a show off winner (that's mainly spurned on by Eva's taunting and the final overcoming of her as an opponent.)

Fauve has a competitive streak in her, but it's mainly for bragging rights. She actively tries hard to beat at the very least José and then sets her sights on Ji Han. (The sexual tension between them when she does is quite, palpable... if the teasing barbs and lingering looks are anything to go by) She has yet to win over Eva though and is hedging her bets on a team up with The Trio as a means to an end. (She loves the bragging rights... is winning bragging rights over Eva in monopoly of all things super important? Yes. She already reigns supreme in Uno, this is the next step in her bragging rights empire!! She's up for the challenge!)

Jackson is an easygoing run of the mill average player. He's used to going easy at these kinds of games since most of his experience playing them is with his daughter and her friends... That being said, Jackson is an excellent banker! He's very strict about the money, especially after they found out that Nate was sneaking money when he would designate himself as banker! He bankrupts quite early, but his heart nor his pride is hurt by it, he takes losing like a winner!

Secret mastermind, ???. They're actively the best at playing the game however, they don't have the competitive flare or heart to actively secure more than third place. However, when ??? is in a competitive mood, or a mischievous mood (or just wanting to impress a certain MC or Eva) then all the cards are down and all the bets are off!

bonus round! common team ups!

Eva and ??? are unstoppable when they're both playing together and playing to win! Not that a team up trio of Ji Han, Fauve and José won't give them a run for their money. Nate refuses to team up with any of them, not like they're dropping everything to offer. Mica is a lone island of overconfidence and chilled cockyness... (MC over their shoulder like an angel(or devil) during a poker game...) In a shocking turn of events, Detective Han and Jackson team up as Rules Lawyer and Banker after they declare bankruptcy and are kind of terrorfying to defy... which leads to people trying to loophole their way through the game and providing many moments of laughter inducing entertainment!

lmao i started this at like 8pm... it's taken me like 8 hours to finish and if that doesn't tell you what my mental states been like then idk what will

#radio kathryn if #long post #fun fact monopoly has a 1972 edition (which is the setting of this if!) but it only had a few mascots lmao #another fun fact──monopoly was invented in 1903 but only came to england in 1936! #also monopoly was created by lizzie magie who was in fact a woman #thank you m'lady #all ros #c: nate nicks #c: eva vidal #c: mica hollens #c: detective han #c: josé danger #c: ji han #c: fauve #c: jackson lewis #c: ???

[swanmaids]

for the @yearoftheotpevent prompt ‘make me’, for march

Elwing stretched out her legs and dug her toes into the sand, setting aside her hand-loom in order to watch Earendil better.

It was good to see him smile as he worked. Now, watching him as the sun lit up his golden head from behind, as he stood amidst the skeleton of what would be his ship- now, he shone. Were she a more sentimental person, she may have thought that he resembled a maiar made flesh, or that he had been bathing in the light of the Trees that she would never see. But those flowerly descriptions were more Earendil’s style than hers. As it was, she simply thought- he’s so beautiful. I’m so in love with him.

She had not fallen in love. Rather, it had grown in her; after fourteen years of salt-tinged and sun-bleached days together, she was content that there was nobody else that she wanted to spend the rest of them with.

She pushed herself to her feet and stretched her arms over her head. Barefoot she could walk, catlike, right behind Earendil and not be heard. Silently she made her way towards him, and wound her arms around his waist from behind.

He turned in her arms towards her, giving that beaming smile.

“Foam Flower! Beloved, I missed you.”

She smiled back. “I was less than fifty yards away!” Then she laughed and released him. “Perhaps you are too absorbed in your work, sailor, and we shall have to find you a distraction.” She reached down and snatched up the small chisel he had been working with, dancing backwards with it. “Oops! Mine now!”

“Hey!” He said, but there was no anger in his voice. “I was using that.”

She held the chisel over her head- being half a head taller than her husband herself, he would not reach it. “If you want it back, you’ve got to make me give it to you.”

A raised eyebrow. “And how shall I do that, my love?”

“The price is not steep.” She said, “One kiss.”

“That,” he said softly, “I will give you freely.”

He stepped forward and took her around the waist with those strong hands that she loved so well, pressing back against one of the beams. His lips, salt-chapped yet still somehow soft, met hers, and the rest of the world fell away for a moment as they kissed. She hooked her own arms around his back, chisel still clutched in one hand, and held him close. They broke apart for air, and kissed again.

“Your prize, sailor,” she said when they broke apart for a final time, pressing the chisel back into his hand.

Earendil grinned at her. “My thanks! But now-” he stretched up on his toes and pulled the large hairpin from her head, her hair cascading down to her waist. “Oops! Too slow. But I’ll ransom it back for a very low cost...”

Laughing, she fell back into his arms.

The ship remained unfinished for another day.

#year of the otp #elwing #earendil #starwing #peredhil #my fic #my post

[astatia-ghast]

Moments in Time #1: A Divine Analogy

Synopsis: Clockwork explains to Danny why no one can simply fly to the Elsewhereness.

About my Moments in Time series.

------

I've always been fascinated by thoughts of how heaven, hell and purgatory fit into the Danny Phantom universe. I'm also fascinated by questions of how the Ghost Zone works physically. Where does it exist in the cosmos? What is the science behind how someone travels from one dimension to the next?

As I was pondering all this one night, I began to imagine what a conversation between Danny and Clockwork would look like if Clockwork were to explain how to get to the Elsewhereness. What kinds of analogies would he use? Thus, this scene was born.

(As an aside, I'm glad Butch Hartman confirmed the existence of the Elsewhereness. I always assumed that heaven was canon to the show, given Hartman is religious, but it's nice to have confirmation. It gives me something concrete to work with.)

I also imagined another conversation between Danny and Clockwork about how the Ghost Zone works in relation to realms like the Earth, the Elsewhereness, the Unworld, and so on. I'll post that one too if I can get the conversation to sound compelling enough. But for now, I'm just thrilled that this one is making its Tumblr debut!

Without further ado...

------

“...So, how come no one except this ‘Sojourn’ guy has been able to find the Elsewhereness?”

Clockwork smirks; Danny gets the odd sense that he is excited to explain this to him. “You know the story of Genesis, yes?”

Danny nods, though a second later, he brings his hand to the back of his neck and rubs it shyly. “Yeah... I mean, I’ve never been religious, but everyone knows the story of Genesis.”

“That is no matter,” says Clockwork, nodding encouragingly. “What is important is that you know.”

He dives into his analogy with hushed gusto. “Imagine that at the beginning of the Earth, there is a doorway in the Garden of Eden that leads directly to heaven. The first humans can use it to travel between Earth and heaven freely, whenever they want to.

“However, on the day of humanity’s fall, God closes the door and decrees that it shall remain closed forever. In fact, he doesn’t just close it; he destroys it. This doorway will never exist ever again, no matter how hard anyone tries to find it or reopen it. It is closed as completely as if it never existed at all.

“Now, you tell me: if someone born after the fall of man wanted to find this doorway, how would they do it? And before you ask: yes, there is a solution.”

Danny’s eyes bug out a little; he didn’t expect Clockwork to subject him to some impossible logic problem. He gets enough of this nonsense in school. His gaze darts this way and that as he rapidly seeks his bearings. “Um... It’s not prayer, is it?”

“No – though that would certainly help.” Clockwork smiles patiently. “The person in question is irreligious.”

If he were in any setting other than here, in Clockwork’s tower, Danny would have floundered on this until his asker took pity on him and gave him the answer. But as his gaze falls onto Clockwork’s timeless form, a surprisingly practical solution comes to him. “Could they... travel back in time?”

Pride brightens Clockwork’s features, and he nods. Danny is instantly sure that Clockwork already knew he would provide the right answer, so the fact that he was overcome with such pride anyway leaves Danny feeling surprisingly moved.

“Yes!” he exclaims. “No matter how fervently they may try, no human would ever find the doorway to heaven because they can only move forward, further and further from the day it was closed. But if they were to move backward, they would eventually arrive at a time when the doorway is perfectly usable.

“But there’s still a problem with this, isn’t there?” Clockwork beat him to it; Danny was already beginning to shift uncomfortably. “Humans can’t go back in time. So how would they get there?” A sparkle is in his eye as their gazes meet. “How would you get there?”

I would ask you to take me. Danny’s discomfort comes to a head. “You’re not about to tell me you single-handedly take the dead to the Elsewhereness, are you?”

A small, fond chuckle escapes Clockwork, and Danny’s discomfort is relieved. “Ah... If only it were that simple. No, I do not know the way to the Elsewhereness, but you have the right of it – the only way someone can get there is if one of its residents leads them there. Only they know the way. The rest of us are so blind that even if we were to find the path, we would wander off it immediately and not realize our mistake.”

The rest of the tension leaves Danny, making him once again a curious young charge in his mentor’s tower. “But do they actually have to go back in time?”

Clockwork smirks. “I don’t know, but I don’t think so. That is merely an analogy.”

Danny falls silent for a moment as he considers all this. He’d like to know what the path is really like, but something tells him his mind would explode if he tried to make sense of it. Besides, Clockwork appears to be just as stuck on this side of “Elsewhere” as he is. So instead, he asks, “Do you think Sojourn was just a resident of the Elsewhereness this whole time?”

Clockwork leans back, tapping his chin. For the first time, Danny feels like this is a question they’re working out together. “No – or, at least, probably not. Scarce have I gotten wind of what is contained within his writings, but what little I do know seems to suggest that he was no different from us. Just a normal ghost who persevered until the cosmos itself could no longer deny him.”

It’s Danny’s turn to chuckle. “Well, I’m hardly a ‘normal ghost,’ but I get your point.”

------

Clockwork loves making time-related analogies. 😝

Thank you so much for being part of the first Danny Phantom fanfic I've ever posted to Tumblr!

#Danny Phantom #fanfiction #phanphiction #Moments in Time #Clockwork #Elsewhereness #Sojourn #Astatia Writing

[ravensilversea]

Use Your Words (Here's a Ouija Board)

Title: Use Your Words (Here's a Ouija Board)

Author: Raven_Silversea

Rating: G

Pairing: Mammon (Viper) & Skull

Prompt: Monster Hunter AU, Ghosts

Tags/Warnings: No Major Warnings Apply, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ghosts, ghost!Xanxus

Summary: Mammon has a ghost problem, so they call Skull to come help them deal with it.

“Have you tried a Ouija board?” Skull asks, voice almost tinny over the phone. For once, the stuntman is quiet, almost cautious in his suggestion, but Mammon wants to throw the phone across the room anyways. Of course they haven’t tried a Ouija board. The suggestion is firstly ridiculous as the sheer fact they are calling Skull about the possibility of ghosts in the first place is truly a moment of desperation, and secondly Ouija boards are notoriously easy to mess with, even if one isn’t living with a horde of constantly bored, Varia assassins.

“Myu, why would I call you when I could simply acquire a Ouija board myself if I desired?”

“… so that’s a no then?”

Mammon refuses to deign that with an answer. Instead, they finish reading the report in their hands, sign it, and put it in the completed stack while they wait for Skull to continue.

“Why did you call the Great Skull-sama then? Perhaps you have finally realized his greatness at everything he sets his mind to?” Skull’s voice grows louder and more dramatic as he talks, but where Reborn says such things dead-pan with a straight-face, there’s a grin in Skull’s voice.

Even so, Mammon feels obligated to pop Skull’s bubble. “Myu, like when you exploded half-blended smoothie over the kitchen?” Skull splutters on the other side of the phone, and they allow themself a self-satisfied smirk. Tugging another report off of the steadily diminishing pile, they say, “Out of my contacts, you are both the one most likely to be familiar with potential hauntings as well as hoaxes and the cheapest-” Skull squawks indignantly- “to hire to make this determination.”

“You’re saying that you are willing to pay me to figure out whether or not you are being haunted? You? Give me money?”

“Myu, it is an unfortunate side effect of the exchange of goods and services yes. I expect you to arrive by next week unless you have actually died. In which case, I shall see you at your funeral.”

Ao3

“Now hang on a minute! I didn’t agree to-”

Mammon ends the call and clicks their phone closed, setting it aside on their desk and turning their full attention to the reports requiring their attention. They’ll know when Skull arrives in Sicily when he inevitably calls them to gripe about ‘not having directions, Viper’. Until then, they have assassins to terrorize because this report is not filled out correctly.

The phone call comes first thing in the morning, right as Mammon steps into their office and finds the contents of their bookshelves have exploded all over the place. Their furniture has also all been moved slightly out of place. Though, thankfully, the furniture has not been moved enough to require them to find somebody currently not in the body of a toddler to move it back into place. They answer Skull sharply, giving directions to the Varia castle when he does indeed indicate he managed to follow their trail to Sicily but no further.

Skull’s strangled whimper in response almost made their day. Would have, if their office wasn’t the scene of a disaster.

They spend the subsequent hours until Skull arrives cleaning their office. The sea of papers and folders interspersed with books turns into towering stacks on their desk, couch, and chairs for sorting after they move the furniture back into position. Moving the furniture takes a lot more effort than it would have almost two decades ago, and they vow vengeance on Checkerface yet again.

It doesn’t help that their progress is impeded by the occasional shower of rethrown paperwork.

 Skull walks into their office, shuts the door, and slides down it to the floor, which is admittedly appropriate reaction to the Varia for anyone who isn’t Quality. “How do you manage them?” he asks, not looking at Mammon.

“Myu, I charge them money every time they inconvenience me. Eventually they stop in order to save their paychecks.” Mammon floats with another of their more valuable books to the top shelf of the bookcase behind and to the right of their desk. Whoever this ‘ghost’ is, they’re lucky none of the truly rare or antique books were damaged, if they were thrown at all. Mammon is not above charging the dead.

“Of course you do,” Skull sighs. He stands and brushes himself off. “So what happened here?”

Mammon pauses in their tidying to give him a deadpan look, and Skull responds with one of his own. The camaraderie Skull displays sometimes is disgusting. They’ve clearly known him for far too long. “My office was totaled when I walked in this morning.”

“You think it’s the ghost?” Skull pulls off his helmet and sets it on an empty spot of their couch, hopping up next to it. There’s a gleam in his eyes that Mammon’s only seen when he talks shop with mechanics and other motorcyclists. “That’s one hell of a haunting you’ve got here if so.”

Another book to its appropriate place on the shelves, and another pile of paperwork that needs to be skimmed over and resorted into the proper file placed to the side. “It needs dealing with,” Mammon says sharply. “This,” they throw their arms out to the side in mid-air, “cannot happen again. There are financial reports, mission reports, mission assignments, and my books! all mixed together, and I can’t find anything in this mess.”

Skull nods. “And you’ve wasted an entire day just cleaning up and it’s still a huge mess.” He hops off the couch and approaches a stack of books. “I think I remember your book organization system, so I’ll start putting these away while you get started on sorting the paperwork.” He picks up a thick reference book and playfully staggers under the weight.

Mammon’s lips definitely do not twitch at his antics as they settled in their desk chair. “Myu,” they say, “you have thoughts.”

“Well,” Skull gently tips the reference book on to the bottom shelf of the bookcase to the immediate left of the door, “it’s certainly not any of your people given the size of the mess- they wouldn’t see their paychecks for weeks! So it is likely to be a ghost, but the exact reason why…” He trails off, watching as some of the paperwork is thrown into the air again for seemingly no reason. “Hey now! Stop that!” he shouts toward the ceiling. “We can’t do anything if you keep making a mess of things!” Picking up another book, he reshelves it and then another one. Every now and then he glares in the general direction of the ceiling.

Taking a deep breath, Mammon refuses to cave to their impatience and demand Skull finish his thought. Instead, they focus on sorting the paperwork into piles by type, a much easier job now that the ghost appears to have ceased and desisted. When that’s done, they can then move on to putting them in chronological order.

“It’s like the ghost had something very important for you to notice,” Skull finally continues, “but they’re not skilled enough with manipulating the physical world to pick out the specific thing. They ended up trashing the place by accident, or at least in part. Given it’s likely to be a Varia ghost, they may very well have thrown a few extra things from sheer frustration and rage.”

Mammon twitches at the thought of a long-dead Varia assassin throwing their things around just because it wanted to draw their attention to one specific paper now lost in the mess. So help them, they will bring the culprit back to life just to kill them again if it happens again.

It takes the two of them until close to Midnight to get the office back in order, and Mammon repeatedly curses their tiny sizes over the course of those hours. They could have reshelved their books so much faster if the books weren’t almost as big as them! And Skull simply cannot handle any of the paperwork due to not being Vongola, much less Varia, though he does crack a joke about the hypocrisy of a criminal organization being concerned with Op-Sec.

Mammon threw a pencil at him and pointed out being a criminal organization made keeping Op-Sec arguably even more important. The ghost must have agreed with them as an additional fistful of pens is thrown at the stuntman.

However, the books are finally put away, and the paperwork is no longer teetering in towers on Mammon’s desk. The two Arcobaleno both flop onto Mammon’s thick rug, heads next to each other and feet pointing opposite directions, and stare up at the ceiling. “So…” Skull drawls out. “Did you figure out what the ghost threw a fit over?”

Mammon sighs disgustedly.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’ then.” There’s a distant thud somewhere in the castle, and a loud shout in response. “What would a Varia ghost want to bring your attention to anyway?”

Mammon shrugs. “Myu, most of the Varia are here to prove they’re the best and to do work that challenges them. Once they die, they are dead.”

“And by dying have proven they are no longer the best, so if any of them end up haunting the place, they’re more likely to generically throw a fit about it,” Skull says. “Or work to become the first literal ghost assassin.”

Turning their head to glare at Skull, Mammon hisses, “Do not give any of them ideas. The paperwork alone would be a nightmare.”

Skull laughs and heaves himself upright. “Right well, time for the Ouija board.”

“You did not.”

“I did,” Skull says gleefully, pulling out the board in question and laying it out on the ground. Mammon sighs but sits up and settles themself on the opposite side of the board from Skull.

The board is more solid than what Mammon was expecting. It’s a solid piece of wood, almost like someone took a cutting board and carved letters and numbers into it. Skull sets the planchett in the middle and then pulls a handful of candle jars seemingly out of nowhere, placing them at the corners of the border. “Myu, how does this work?”

“Well,” Skull strikes a match on the matchbox he also pulled out of hammer space and begins lighting the candles, “your ghost has already proven themself able to move physical objects around, so I was just going to let them move the planchett on their own.” He gives Mammon a raised-eyebrow-knowing-smirk. “That way it can’t be argued one or both of us is influencing the results.”

“Myu, fine.” Mammon pulls their miniature notebook out of the pouch they keep on their belt under their cloak. At Skull’s questioning look, they say, “Someone should take notes. If the ghost has something so important to say, I want evidence.”

Skull doesn’t say anything in response, but his face says he’s putting all sorts of endings onto Mammon’s assertion. Such as, so they can charge them in ghost taxes or have proof it wasn’t actually important and get a priest to exorcise the problem. With all the candles lit, Skull sits back and wraps his arms around his legs. “Ready?” he asks.

Mammon nods.

Skull takes a deep breath, holding it for a moment before saying, “Are there any spirits here?”

The planchett rockets across the board toward ‘Yes’ so hard it flies off into the corner. Mammon stares blankly at the now empty board.

“Right, um,” Skull chews on his lip piercing. He stands and collects the planchett, putting it back in the center of the board. “A bit less force next time, I think. It’s like blowing on hot soup, not moving a mountain with your breath.”

“Myu, you would know this how?” Mammon asks, ignoring the planchett now inching slowly back towards ‘Yes’.

Skull shrugs. “I don’t. It’s just something my aunt would say. This was her board,” he gestures at the board. The planchett settles on ‘Yes’, and there’s a feeling of anticipation in the air. “There you go,” Skull says with a smile. “That’s so much better, isn’t it? Can you tell us what you were trying to bring to Mammon’s attention earlier?”

The planchett seems to shiver before it starts moving again, picking up speed as the ghost becomes more familiar with the motion. M-I-S-S-I-O-N W-R-O-N-G I-N-F-O F-I-L-E-D.

Mammon makes a sound not unsimiliar to a tea kettle. “Myu, what mission? Who filed the misinformation?”

O-T-T-A-B-I-O.

Oh that mission. Mammon would be lying if they said it didn’t seem somewhat off. Everything about it was just a little too perfect, a little too lined up, a little too placed in their lap. They had been planning on sending one of their junior squads on it as a learning experience for how exactly one conducts a financial assassination but now… 

Mammon scowls. They’re going to have to double-check all of that information with their own contacts, which will spend precious time and money. If they’re going to do that…

“Myu, who exactly are you?” they demand. The ghost must prove their own credibility before Mammon takes their information with anything less than a grain of salt.

Skull makes a strangled noise, and Mammon’s heart drops into their stomach when the planchett moves to ‘X’. “There’s no way,” Skull whispers. He glances up at Mammon, “Maybe it’s a different assassin? From before your time?”

Mammon wouldn’t gamble on those odds, even with the Varia’s general turnover rate over the past few decades. Why would the ghost linger for so long and how would they have not been noticed before?

The planchett moves to ‘A’.

“Don Vongola says he’s imprisoned, not dead.” Skull’s very clearly grasping at straws, and Mammon’s a bit touched by his attempt. But-

The planchett moves to ‘N’, and Mammon doesn’t know. None of the Varia, not even Squalo, has been allowed to know anything about their Sky and what happened to him after the Cradle Affair. For all they knew, he could very well be dead and the Ninth’s covering it up.

The planchett moves to ‘X’ again.

Skull reaches over and grasps Mammon’s hand. He has a strong grip, and it’s the only thing grounding Mammon. Without it, they might have been able to convince themself this was nothing but a nightmare.

It moves to ‘U’. Then ‘S’.

Xanxus, their boss, their Sky. Mammon’s eyes narrow, and they burn like they haven’t since the Promised Day. They wrench their hand out of Skull’s grip with a snarl, cursing Vongola Ninth in every language they know. Their Sky is dead, and there will be hell to pay.

“Mammon,” Skull says, slowly, quietly. When they turn to face him, his eyes are bright but serious. His voice cold, he asks, “What do you need me to do?”

#khr #khrrarepairweek2023 #mammon (viper) #skull #raven's pen