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#IF THAT PROPHECY WAS ABOUT ME I'D BE LIKE “BET I HAD NO PLANS ON KISSING ANYONE ANYWAY SO THIS IS GREAT”
litrallymadlad · 6 months
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you mentioned you were reading trc at some point—what are your thoughts on it so far? :0
HAHAH IT MADE ME SO MAD I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE IT. I got like two chapters into the second book and haven't picked it up in a couple weeks.
I've been wrangling in my rants about trc so if you're interested to know em I'll put em under the fold below. BUT FAIR WARNING: I think I missed the opportunity to read them in middle/high school because I think I really would have enjoyed them then and been able to read them later in life for the nostalgia factor because THE VIBES WERE IMMACULATE.
BLUE PISSES ME OFF. FUCK HER HONESTLY. She's so unnecessarily mean to the lads (specifically Gansey AND I'M A GANSEY APOLOGIST. I LOVE THAT MAN I WOULD DIE FOR HIM.) It's giving 2012 not like other girlies PICK ME VIBES. I ENDED UP SKIPPING BLUE'S POVS CUZ SHE'D ALWAYS SAY THE FOULEST THINGS ON THE PLANET and I'd have to put the book down. I just don't respect her as a person LMAO
AND ADAM PISSED ME OFF for similar reasons but his beef with Gansey was a lot more personal so the justification was there. BLUE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THESE GUYS. TALK ABOUT PRIDE AND PREJUDICE MY GOD. Adam's angst was like, a deep character and circumstantial flaw that I can get behind. BLUE???? I get the impression that she's supposed to be a y/n character which is very 2012 tumblr girlie of her so I'm supposed to insert my grievances with rich boys and wanting to kiss em onto her BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT TO BACK HER UP. SHE'S ON HER OWN.
ALSO I'm convinced the kissing scheme is BS because theoretically she can kiss the love of her life AFTER he dies. What's stopping her from kissing a corpse. Necrophilia?? NO!!!!!!!!!!! That doesn't have to stop her. Why aren't we considering the possibility that the person she kisses could die before she even kisses them and then in a fit of grief she kisses them or gives them mouth-to-mouth trying to resuscitate them. YOU KNOW WOT OIM SAYIN BRUV??? ALSO Istg the logistics of the kissing scheme CHANGE. IT CHANGED LIKE THREE TIMES. I think it was just a matter of rephrasing it but with something like that THAT'S LIKE A PROPHECY. YOU CAN'T BE MIXING UP THE LANGUAGE. THAT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE. It added to the unreliability of the narrator misinterpreting it and it made me want to wring someone's NECK. Cuz by the end of the book I was like "I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THE ORIGINAL VERBIAGE WAS."
Also, what if she has MULTIPLE LOVES?? I'm of the belief you can love someone the same amount in various parts of your life like??? Do widows just never love the same way again? What if the love of her life was a childhood friend who died tragically? LOVE IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE AND EVERY RELATIONSHIP. IT'S NOT ALWAYS A HIERARCHY WHERE THE END-ALL-BE-ALL IS YOUR PARTNER. She loves her family! What if she kisses her mom on the cheek and she knocks out DEAD. WHAT THEN. DOES IT HAVE TO BE ON THE MOUTH?? I don't trust anyone relaying this prophecy. FUCK THEM, HONESTLY. I'm sure I'm just reading into it too much and am bitter about the verbiage constantly changing. It's probably more like a fairy tale Disney vibe of True Love HAHAH IF SO IGNORE ME.
Honestly I think if I'd just read this in middle school/high school I'd like it a lot and the nostalgia would be unreal. It'd be so iconic. But at this point I think I'm too old to vibe with it HAHAHA I FUCKING LOVE GANSEY AND ADAM THOUGH. THERE'S LIKE NO FICS OF THEM (and them alone, no Ronan). I'VE READ THEM ALL. THEY'RE SO GOOD. THE GANSEY X ADAMS OF THE WORLD KNOW WHAT THEY'RE FFFFFUCKING DOING.
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oddyssey77 · 7 days
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Legal Trouble - Annabeth
TW: Lawyers :D
POV Annabeth Chase
We clambered out of the cave through the crevasse in the roof. I still couldn't understand what was happening to us. I wanted to believe that Percy and Nico were out there somewhere looking for us as well. I also began to notice that Will was starting to act uncomfortable when we talk about the attack on the camp. As if he were holding something back from me.
We were standing in a large, endless wheat field and no matter how far we'd travel through it, nothing ever changed. I decided to not bring up how little I knew about our situation. I was completely lost and had no plan whatsoever. None at all. 
Nothing, no matter how hard I thought, made any sense to me. It was completely illogical. Are we in another realm? Are there more stone warriors looking for us right now? Is Luke really dead? Can Athena help me? Is Percy out there? Does he know what's going on? How is Ethan Nakamura involved in everything? Are Will and I going to make it back?
"It'll be alright, Annabeth. There is something about this place, Something not powerful." Will told me.
"How is that alright?" I argued
"No, good powerful. It feels similar to when I met my father last year."
"So Apollo's around?"
"I'm not sure."
"Before the attack started on the camp I could see it coming. I think Apollo sent me a vision." Will sounded very uncomfortable talking about it.
"Well what was in the vision?"
"I could see them marching up the hill. And there was a voice. It was chanting something. A prophecy."
"What was it?"
The Engineer and his fall from grace,
Once more shall you see his face
In caves, cliffs, fields and flames
You must escape the worst of games
"Well we've been to the caves and now we're in the fields." I said, "That just leaves cliffs and flames." 
"I think I like our two better." Will decided. I nodded absently, agreeing with him, but I was still focused on that prophecy. 
"Who could the engineer be?" I muttered, "Valdez maybe."
Will looked at me ominously, "Annabeth. There's more."
The Sun, the star, the ocean, the wise,
Will fail to stop his inevitable rise.
The boar, hammer, strength and flight
One will die from the wretched blight.
"Well that's jolly." Will chuckled sarcastically. Will always deflects negative thoughts and expectations or he covers them up with humor, "So it looks like I'm the sun, you're the wise, and I'd be willing to bet the ocean is Percy, wherever he is."
I shook at the sound of Percy's name. 
"The boar is the symbol of Ares," I sighed, "That could be Frank."
"The hammer's Hephaestus. So that's probably Leo." Will stated
"So we are just missing the star, the strength and the flight." 
"Flight would've been Jason." 
The silence was so loud it hurt my brain. Jason. It had only been a few weeks since his death. We were all still shook to the bone at the thought of him. Will loved Jason. They had been best friends while the Argo II was being built. Will treated grief differently though. 
The rest of us wanted to distract ourselves. Think about anything other than Jason. Or, in Percy's case. Just cry. But Will didn't grieve. He pretended to himself that everything was alright. As if Jason were still here or something. He would forget that anything was wrong and just carry on smiling, hoping that the nightmare would end without him having to face it.
"Well that's an unsettling prophecy," I sighed
"Then you're not going to like this."
"What?" 
"There's more."
To save the dove who's eyes bleed red,
But wind up calling upon the witch of dead.
Face off against the fallen king,
And suffer the pain of his final sting
"Oh gods."
"So no matter what we do, this king will still win?" Will asked
"Not necessarily. It's possible that we still win but the king will still manage to do something terrible."
"Well dove is Piper. Something bad is going to happen to her. We all had to share a paragraph. She gets this one all to herself."
"So whatever happens, Piper is in danger." I sighed, worried about my friend.
"Something like that."
~Some Time Later~
After slashing our way through the endless fields for another few hours, my stomach was starting to groan. Will and I hadn't even thought about food. We were in desperate hunger by now though, and it wasn't getting any better. 
"What's this?" Will pondered as we approached the only clearing in the wheat for miles round. There was a pile of rocks in the center with an engraving that read Ὁ Δικαιόπολις βραδέως ἐκβαίνει έκ τοῦ οἴκου.
Shrine of Demeter I translated,
"Don't suppose Demeter's around?" 
"She couldn't be behind this could she??" Will asked
"Well I'll bet she's at least behind all of this wheat." I muttered, "Stupid wheat."
"STUPID WHAT?!" A voice boomed from behind us.
Demeter was standing there, in her green flowery dress with a pouty expression on her face. 
"Demeter," Will gasped, "I meant not to insult you or your crops."
"He really didn't." I assured.
"Alright. I believe you. If I am being honest I am not here because of that." the goddess huffed, "Your friend was here not long ago. daughter of Zeus."
"Thalia??" I gasped in shock
"Yes. With the Roman she was. She gave me quite a stern talking to. I was almost convinced to change my ways. But with everything that is going on underground, and with Apollo's desperate need for my help, I didn't deem now the appropriate time to repopularise the farming industry."
"What's going on underground?" I asked inquisitively.
"What's going on with my dad?" Will asked in succession. 
"Oh, Apollo came to my palace yesterday. He has been there ever since. He's gotten himself into quite trouble with Olympus. Zeus is not happy."
I was about to share my deepest apologies for Apollo's situation and turn the conversation back to the underground thing. That is, if Will hadn't had butt in.
"Take me to him," Will demanded.
"Will," I muttered angrily, "What are you doing?"
"I have to see Apollo. I have to."
"Very well." Demeter granted. "But you must swear to do something for me, son of Apollo. You too, daughter of Athena."
Something about this request made me very uncomfortable.
"This may feel like an attack, you being here, but it is not. This is a quest. On this quest, you will venture through caves, cliffs, fields and flames."
The line of the prophecy I thought. 
"When the choice comes, Solace. You must save her. Or I will whittle out every curse I know onto your mortal bones."
"Jolly," Will muttered.
"Save who?" I asked her. But she didn't respond.
"Swear it, Solace."  she bellowed
"Careful, Will." 
"I swear. I swear I'll save her. Whoever she is." 
Demeter nodded approvingly and the area around us lit up like Christmas. I was forced to shut my eyes and felt a searing headache hit from the intense brightness. I felt the soft grass get replaced by cold, solid flooring. 
I hesitantly opened my eyes as I realised that I was crouching in the porch of Demeter's official palace on Olympus. I looked around at the tall green marble columns holding up the large pediments. I designed this I thought. 
Demeter's palace was a tricky one for Annabeth to plan out. It needed to have nature bond with the fundamental man-made aspect of a palace in general. Annabeth was proud of her work though, she had tinted the marble green and had vines growing around it.
"In we go!" Demeter shouted indignantly. The doors large, ornate doors opened by themselves and the stubby, little goddess trotted inside like she owned the place, which of course, she did. Will Solace shuffled close behind and gestured for me to follow. 
"Whoa," he gasped, amazed. I could tell Will never spent much time up on Olympus.
"Welcome to Mi Casa!" she announced. turning to face us. She expected for us to see an elegant, peaceful lobby to her palace filled with fancy decorations, and expensive bronze busts of her head, just like I had designed it.
It did not look like this. 
THUMP!
Demeter was instantly thrown off her feet and slammed into the ground, as Hermes flew past, propelled by a pair of winged Converse. Demeter tried to crawl back to a stand, but Artemis skipped over her, clipping Demeter's head with ankle and hurried off.
Behind them, Hephaestus skirted up a flight of spiral stairs, knocking pricey ornaments over as he frantically typed into a computer. 
Demeter huffed as she watched all of these gods run around her home, wrecking the place. But she didn't look mad. In fact, it put her into a much sadder mood instead. She solemnly looked at them and sighed.
"Apollo's legal trouble had overrun my palace. Hermes, Artemis, Hephaestus, Poseidon, and I are his legal team. We are using my home because it is the furthest from Zeus's throne."
"What legal trouble?" Will questioned. But I think I already knew the answer. 
"Zeus is trying to prosecute your father for the crimes against Olympus that he knowingly committed last summer in the war against the giants."
"That's so unfair!" 
"What will they do to him?" I asked
"If Zeus has his way, Apollo will no longer be a god. Gods follow the rules was his argument."
Zeus isn't much of a rule follower himself. I thought, thinking of Thalia and Jason. But I decided not to say it. Can't be good to insult Zeus in his own kingdom. Will didn't have the same restraint on the matter though...
"Zeus can take his bull crap rules and shove it up his-" Thunder boomed. 
"Apollo's trial begins in an hour. We must hurry." 
As Demeter led us through the rooms of her palace, I began thinking of my mother, "Where is Athena?" I asked and Demeter stopped abruptly, causing Will and me to crash into her.
"Athena?" Demeter said her name with such disdain it angered me, "Athena took one look at Apollo and this ragtag team and turned her back on all of us. On her own brother. 
"She wouldn't have-" I began to say but Demeter wasn't finished.
"Then, she invited all of her lawyer demigod children up to her palace, and damn does she have a lot of them, and created not a team, an army of different beings, all hell-bent on wiping Apollo off of Olympus!" 
Annabeth didn't want to believe that her mother would've done something like that, but she didn't know what to believe anymore. Demeter calmed down and turned to Will. 
"He's just through here," she ushered him through a set of doors and Will told me that he would rather speak to Apollo alone. I understood this and waited outside. I glanced at a pile of files sitting on a cute little desk, covered in flowers and picked up 3 of them. 
In the event of our success in this trial, I willingly hand over my domain of disease and healing to Demeter, goddess of agriculture, in return for her full assistance in my defence team. 
Signed: Apollo
I was so mad, I wanted to throw this contract across the lobby. How could Demeter talk bull about my mom when she's only helping out so she can become the goddess of disease and healing as well as agriculture and farming? I felt so bad for Apollo. He risked a lot for us, giving Leo that prophecy too soon, and now he had to give up everything he loved? It wasn't fair. How could Athena not see that?
She shuffled through the other two contracts which were similar, promising Hermes poetry and Hephaestus the Sun. The whole Sun! Apollo would hardly be a god anymore if he had to give that away. I realised that Poseidon and Artemis were the only gods choosing to stand with Apollo. It made sense that Artemis would because she is his twin but Poseidon I couldn't figure out.
"Annabeth?" I nearly jump, scattering the papers I should not have been looking at across the floor. Poseidon chuckled and stared at me, understanding what was troubling me.
"Hermes and Hephaestus would have stood with Apollo anyway," Poseidon assured me, "They just wanted to see if they could get anything out of it."
I looked into Poseidon's eyes and saw the same green swirls that I would see in my boyfriend's every single day. Oh my gods. Percy! I had completely forgot about everything. The attack on Camp Half-Blood, the fight against Luke, the hike through the endless wheat fields. 
I needed to get back. I needed to find out what had happened. But maybe Poseidon knew.
"Where is Percy?"
"Percy?" he pondered, "Where is Percy?" 
"You don't know??"
"Well I knew about the Camp getting ambushed by stone warriors, supposedly killing Will Solace, Nico Di Angelo, Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, Thalia Grace and, well you. And Percy of course, but I knew yous were still alive. I just didn't know where you all were.
"So Percy's alive?" I gasped, relieved by the news. 
"Yes, but something about his current state has a deathly aspect to it. Like he's not fully dead. As if he's dead but his soul can't reach the Underworld." Poseidon chimed as if he hadn't just proposed the concept of his favourite son's afterlifeless death, "Or..."
"He could be alive, but in the Underworld!" I gasped, glad to finally have a lead. 
"If you want to know more. You should talk to Artemis. She should be in Demeter's study. Poseidon smiled warmly at me. I tried to ignore the pain behind his eyes. He couldn't get involved in mortal matters like this as much as we could get involved in Apollo's trial. Being a god probably sucked more than any of them would care to admit.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Come in!" Artemis called. 
I made my way into the study. It was adorned with bookshelves and plans, there was a work table, a writing table, a garden table, an architecture table, a cartography table, there was a table for everything. So exactly my kind of room. 
There was a teenage goddess in the centre with her hands placed firmly on the astrology table, which was made of a glass globe that projected a map of the stars. You could swipe through the constellations and map them as you go. Her head was hung low and I thought I glimpsed Zoe's constellation on the table but Artemis swiped it out of view before I could check.
"Annabeth Chase," she chided, "To what brings thou to Olympus on this dire hour?"
I forgot about Artemis's Victorian dialogue and was instantly stunned by my nerves in the presence of the goddess. I never felt very comfortable around Artemis. She had always been my biggest what if? If I had lived my life any differently, I could've been a huntress right now. Leading the pack with Thalia.
I realised that she was still waiting on an answer and blurted out, "A Demeter teleportation special." 
I didn't mean to crack a joke but it seemed to be effective in cheering up her half-aunt.
"My brother is being wrongly prosecuted, the huntresses are scattered, my chief lieutenant is missing, and Z-" she cut herself off and bit her lip.
"And what?" I asked
"T'is nothing of importance," she shrugged.
"Lady Artemis," I bowed, "You were there that day. The Festival of Jason Grace."
"I was," she admitted, "When the warriors laid siege I made a swift escape up here to help my brother with his dilemma."
"Yes," I remembered, "Will says you couldn't get involved?"
"Alas, no. As much as I desired to 'nock some arrows' as one might say, I am forbidden to assist in demi-god matters. And I think we have enough trials to suffer as it is."
I nodded and focused in on her Astrology table.
"What are you looking at?" I dared the question
"Uhh, the path of Sagittarius." she responded wistfully 
"That's Virgo," I stated glancing down at the table. I expected a goddess of the moon and stars to know that. Artemis cursed in Greek which I doubted would be approved of around the huntresses. She shuffled around the table, trying to find Sagittarius but after a few seconds, Artemis did something I never thought she would do.
She collapsed into her chair.
She shrouded her face in her palms, giving up hope. Tears poured down her face. I think this is what's known as a divine breakdown.
"I can't keep doing this." she croaked, "This job. It hurts too much." 
Annabeth met her wet, teary eyes and spoke kindly to her.
"What happened?" 
Artemis scooted toward the table again, trying to keep things together. 
"She's gone. Zoe, from the stars." I couldn't believe my eyes. Right where there should've been a constellation of a teenage huntress with her bow drawn, willing to sacrifice everything for those she loved, there was nothing.
"The problems never stop piling up!" she cried. I had never seen the goddess like this and I soon found myself doing something I never thought I would. I gave this 16 year old-looking 3000 year old a hug. A big squeezy hug.
I heard the voice of Hermes call through the mansion.
"Alright Team Apollo!" he yelled, "The time for trial is now! Everyone gather outside!"
Artemis stood up and her expression sharpened. The tears faded completely and her outfit converted to a suit that much resembled one of a lawyer.
~Some Time Later~
I watched as Team Apollo left the building all in identical suits and it was quite a beautiful sight.
"Very Legally Blonde" I muttered. But Will didn't laugh. He hardly looked like himself at all.
At that moment, Demeter, in her cute little suit, without even turning to face them, snapped her fingers above her head and the whole scene changed leaving Will Solace and I back at the Shrine of Demeter in the endless fields. 
RUSTLE! 
I turned and couldn't see anyone who could've made the noise. Except that was the problem. I couldn't see anyone. Will had ran away.
This Chapter is Dedicated to Sophie
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chordsykat · 11 months
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Would it fall into spoiler territory to ask the what where when why and how about Eden’s super sheltered persona? Those ask prompts with Eden’s answers seeming so oblivious to the world has me curious! Of course, if spoilers they be, feel free to say no!
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This is a whole can of worms, and you guys will learn a bit more about her as Dethkomic goes on -- so I won't spoil too much of what isn't already out there...
However, there are things that I can totally reveal right now, and especially as it pertains to how I wanted to develop her...
That said, I'll put a cut here in case even that amount of spoiler is too much. :)
When the past scenes in Dethkomic are taking place, Eden is somewhere around 10 years old, I'd guess. Charles' hostel manager, Emily, says this:
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Most readers guessed correctly that she was referring to Eden. Also, extra kudos to those of you who pointed out the secret bio-weapon Lars Luder was developing goes by the name "Project Dragonfly", which indirectly references her - the dragonfly being her totem animal.
Eden was orphaned at a young age under mysterious circumstances. The letter in the panel above says "The sisters", implying she was under the care of some sort of Catholic-run orphanage/school at the time. I am not sure if it's important enough for me to explore how she came into Orpheus and Valentina's care, but if you recall these panels from earlier:
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...Dr. Necrophagist was fresh out of college then, and it seems Project Dragonfly had perhaps been abandoned, according to Charles' informant. And he wouldn't lie.
...unless he was trying to throw him off the trail... Which, hey - Orpheus seems to have managed to find himself as one of the girl's primary caregivers these days. Sure that's just a coincidence, though... right? Regardless, Lars Luder having a vested interest in the prophecy would seem to imply he's wise to the idea of Eden (potentially) being a piece to that particular puzzle. And as you'll see in the coming pages, he was right to think so.
Luder is one rich bitch, and he funds Eden's upbringing up to (and past) the day he dies. While alive, he seems to throw his whole existence (including his family) away on pursuing things like magical girls with super powers, insane experiments, and recruiting armies of people to become his followers. It's quite ironic, considering who he turns out to be, actually.
But then, that's a story for a few updates down the line. And Eden grows up in various institutions until coming fully under Orpheus and Valentina's care. By then, she's not only been revealed to be magically endowed as a healer, but a gifted guitarist, too. Orpheus finds himself as obsessed with The Prophecy(TM) as Lars once was, and you know the minute he finds out all of that research has been pointing to Dethklok playing a pivotal role in it all, he is going to start hatching a plan to get close to them. Luckily, a certain opening act just happens to be looking for a replacement guitarist so they can continue their tour with the boys, right around the same time.
All that said, Eden's not really treated as anything more than a convenient way to gain access to Mordhaus. Had she not shown any skill on the guitar, in fact, it's likely Val and Orph would have dumped her and moved on to trying to get Dethklok's attention, by themselves. They're clearly not impressed with her healing magic the same way Lars was, and by the time they all pack up for Mordland, it's probable they're not betting on her being connected to the Prophecy at all.
So you have this girl who has grown up with no real parents, passed around from place to place, possibly experimented on, treated like a lab animal, definitely sheltered away from much of the outside world, and suddenly given an amazing opportunity to not only tour with the biggest band in the world - but for the first time ever, have real friends and a life of her very own outside of four sterile walls (and the very occasional visit to the park and, I'd wager, out-of-doors at large)? I mean, there's culture shock, and then there's untangling indoctrination, and then there's what Eden's going through - which is kinda like finding out water is wet for the first time. :D
I've said it before, but it bears repeating: All of the girls in Baen-Shee play this sort of opposite-but-equal part to their reciprocal member of Dethklok. Eden and Toki may be the most up-front of them all, I guess. They're both the youngest members of their bands and are in a band for the very first time - both have a sort of "secret badass" thing going on - both have some real trauma to work through when it comes to things like isolation, rejection, the world at large and profound loneliness. Even the thing with Toki "killing" things and Eden healing them is the same, in a way. They both speak to the same "entity" (death). Their messages are just different, is all.
The author, too, admits to taking Eden as more utility than person, sometimes. Remember the Baen-Shee quiz? This answer to this question is "the Eden one":
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Anyway, I'm guessing that was more than you wanted to know. :) Actually, it might be none of what you wanted to know, hehe. Either way, it was fun to sit down and write about Miss Nightwish for an hour, and I'm always happy to spout on and on and on when you guys want to know more about my characters. I very much appreciate the question, Anon, and I promise - there's SO much more to come. :)
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citrusreadstoa · 1 year
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Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 16 (SPOILERS)
"In my four thousand years of life, I had searched for many things . . . and a 1958 Gibson Flying V." Image below. They sell for ~$9,999. Apollo's fine with $15,000 Tater Tots but draws the line at a rare $9,999 guitar.
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"If we die here, I'd just like to say you aren't as bad as I originally thought." Aw hey, they're making progress.
"And alas, I was all out of Tater Tots." I love how his Plan B is to try negotiating with the Tots. Actually, those are pretty pricey. Maybe he can pay his own ransom money with that.
"Good cheap labor is terribly difficult to find." [Insert comment about inhumane Chinese factory wages here]
"My friends call me Lit, but my enemies call me Death!" That's not nearly as cool a line as you seem to think it is.
"I changed my mind. First, that roof collapsed on me." Fair counter. If anything were to change your mind about taking someone alive, it would be an attempt on your own life. "Then my bodyguards got swallowed by a stand of bamboo." Say what now? I was wondering why Lit was here but the Germani weren't.
"My pulse boomed like timpani" TIMPANI (n.): kettledrums, especially when played by one musician in an orchestra
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"Surely Zeus would intercede." They're probably going to find a way out of this situation before it becomes too close of a call, but if Apollo were to actually die, I think Zeus would actually intercede. At worst, his intentions for Apollo's punishment might be to live and die permanently as a mortal, but dying a month into his punishment might cross the line there. Besides, if Apollo died, he'd have to find a new Sun god.
"the crossed blades of Meg McCaffrey." Knew it would be her. They've been building up the anticipation with the plants.
"Hyacinthus the time he wore that amazing tuxedo on our date night" They... did not have tuxedos back then. Whatever, Apollo has the gift of prophecy. Of course he would use it for little things like this.
"THIS is Meg?" Oh yeah, forgot they've never met. I bet Apollo's been hyping her up and all and with the way he embellishes stories, Calypso at this point probably thinks she's some great hero to rival Hercules.
"Yep . . . You're stupid." Very Meg. "Now she would stay by my side" These very words instantly convinced me that she would not stay by his side.
"Now it was clear that our master-servant relationship could not be so easily broken." Okay, so even Meg can't release Apollo from her authority.
"no child can match the Reaper of Men." Okay, so once he said this to Meg, I started wondering how old Lit was and after some Googling and being careful to avoid spoilers, I found everything I need to know about him except his age. He's also a child of Demeter! Meg's bro! That makes "Reaper of Men" a marvelous pun. He has a sister named Zoe, unrelated to Zoë Nightshade. Also, his Wikipedia page is depressingly short and part of his fandom wiki page is literally a copy-paste of the Wikipedia article. According to Wikipedia, he challenged people to harvesting contests and beheaded the contestants when they lost. Guess he's really good at that. Then Hercules came along and turned the tables on him and that's how he died. Apparently the PJO series is the only ever piece of pop culture poor Lityerses appears in. I still don't know his age.
"leaving Calypso behind to the blemmyae . . . I'd like to say that wasn't a serious thought, but it had been, however briefly." Wait, he was serious about that?!
"run over by a herd of armored ostriches." THE OSTRICHESSSSSSSS! Man, Lit's really taking a beating today. First he gets run over by a roof and then he gets run over by a bunch of big birds. Now I see where he gets all the scars from. Does this happen regularly?
"She howled in rage and the net blasted upward, ripped from its moorings" She does still have magic? Holy shit, she can do more than sing!1!!1! She seems surprised by it afterward, though. Has this never happened even once when she was in the Sea of Monsters? Surely she'd be in equally dangerous situations. Or maybe she's surprised she was able to conjure enough power to rip out the whole net.
"I was quite content to be annoyed, once again, by Meg McCaffrey." I like this ending line. I dunno, I just like it.
Also, this chapter made me realize that the cover art is not, in fact, the two of them flying under a bridge. That's netting and if I looked closer, I would have seen the arena. So sue me, the blue looked like water. I just thought the ostriches could walk on water.
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lovehatecomics · 2 years
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Suli but she eventually leaves Darkseid and works undercover with Himon (am i spelling his name right?) to undermine Darkseid's plans and also make the lives of ordinary Apokolips people less miserable.
Sorry for not answering your ask sooner. My week's been very hectic 😩
I think if Suli was alive, maybe Darkseid would've been less likely to become the god we know him as today. bc comics tell us it was Suli's death that hardened Darkseid's heart, that she was the only one he's truly loved, etc. I've already talked about this a few times if you wanted to look through my "suli" tag, but if she had survived the initial poisoning I'd want Suli to take revenge on Heggra for trying to kill her. I'd lowkey want to toss Desaad's nasty ass in the mix, BUT Suli would know that he was following orders and therefore shouldn't be the reciever of her anger. Plus, we all know he'd probably enjoy it a lil too much tbh
Suli's a scientist and sorceress, so I refuse to believe poison would've killed her. Not only that, she's survived on Apokolips all this time in spite of her "softness". This leads me to believe she's got a sharp mind, capable of being two steps ahead, preferring Brains over Brawn, etc. A lot like Darkseid imo, I mean why else would they have gotten along so well and to the point that Darkseid not only marries Suli, but has a child with her behind his mother's back.
Hegra was a wicked mother-in-law who felt like she knew what was best for Darkseid and acted accordingly. She kills Suli before forcing Darkseid to be with Tigra, who was the EXACT OPPOSITE of Darkseid's beloved. Tigra was chosen specifically for her ferocity and I bet Heggra thought to herself, "Surely, this one will remind Darkseid about his purpose and he will stop being weak."
Now, if Suli had survived and wanted revenge on Heggra, I can see her allowing Tigra to bear a child for Darkseid. It's her love for Darkseid that drives Suli to ensure Tigra remains healthy so she can birth a strong child. When Tigra voice her confusion about Suli's actions, Suli could simply answer, "I do all of this because I love Darkseid. I refuse to have you bear him a weak child, so I will care for you during your pregnancy. Even I will admit that wretch had picked a fine mate for her son. Though, I imagine you had no choice in the matter."
(Imagine the Pact still taking place and the sheer terror Suli feels when she learns about Tigra's Declaration of her son Orion killing her beloved Darkseid. Here, I can see Suli being the one banishing her instead of Darkseid. AND instructing her son Kalibak to kill his stepbrother Orion in a desperate attempt to stop this "Prophecy". Even though Kalibak and Orion don't cross paths until they're adults, Kalibak remembers his mother's instructions to kill the New Genesis warrior who fights "like one of us, bearing the ferocity of Apokolips". Kalibak would know when he sees it in Orion, maybe doesn't know that they're brothers yet.... Anyway, I'm getting distracted! 😅)
I can imagine her telling Tigra about her plan to kill Heggra so Darkseid can have his rightful place as ruler of Apokolips. Then her son Kalibak would become his rightful heir and everything would be as it should be. Tigra agrees with the plan bc she's never liked Heggra and based on the Orion solo, we see in Tigra's memory that she was interested in a (royal?) guard who was then killed by Darkseid.
Heggra thinks that Suli's dead, Tigra's with Darkseid now, Kalibak won't become her son's heir, all is right in her little world. Now Suli would be a patient person to exact her revenge on Heggra by poisoning and weakening her. Stabbing Heggra with her dagger bc Suli can't think of anything better than watching the life leave out of Heggra's eyes. To watch her mind race as she tries to figure out how long Suli's been alive, why would she let Tigra bear Darkseid's child, etc. To see Tigra just within sight, bearing witness to her murder and doing nothing to stop Suli. Suli keeps the dagger and gifts it to Darkseid, confessing to him what she had done. Darkseid becomes new ruler of Apokolips and continues his battle against New Genesis while Suli remains behind the scenes.
So, maybe if Suli was alive and Tigra still had to bear Darkseid's child in an attempt to fool Heggra, maybe Tigra and the guard she actually loved could've raised Orion together for a moment. Then Orion wouldn't find out that Darkseid was his true father until later on bc he remembers being raised by Tigra's bf guard along with his mother Tigra.
Ooooooooh, what if Tigra's guard is killed trying to protect Orion bc Darkseid's guards came to take him for the Pact. Which could also be why we have Orion fighting the guards so fiercely before he's tossed through a boom tube to New Genesis. SO, Tigra loses both husband(?) and child in one day, and a friend as she chases Suli off to refrain herself from killing her. Suli had no idea about the Pact or that Orion would've been used (which Suli later realizes with horror that she unknowingly orchestrated Darkseid's inevitable end), but Tigra doesn't believe her.
NO WAIT LISTEN. OK OK OKAYYYYYY
Imagine Tigra busting into Darkseid's place of work demanding to know where Orion is. Tearing shit up, right? Her voice roaring into the atmosphere as guards try and fail to obtain her. In a parallel scene we see Orion, having witnessed the death of his father/Tigra's lover, is viciously attacking the guards who stole him. And we then get Darkseid's classic line of comparing the two as snarling, angry killer-cats. bc imo Orion takes more after Tigra than he does Darkseid and then we'd get the visual of the two fighting in similar fashion. In the OG New Gods comic, it took GROWN MEN to toss Orion through the boom tube to New Genesis and even then he was fighting them off.
Suli later confronts Darkseid about the Pact, Tigra's Declaration of her son killing him, etc. Darkseid states matter-of-factly that this was all done to buy himself more time to prepare. Suli warns about Orion and what he's likely inheritted from Tigra, a warrior Heggra had chosen as Suli's exact opposite. Suli had seen firsthand how dangerous Tigra was even as she restrained herself from killing her. The instinct Suli felt to FLEE from Tigra's presence, but remained frozen in terror. Warning that if Orion grows to be anything like his mother, that he will become a thorn in the side of Apokolips.
For the most part, what happens in canon can easily remain the same. Kalibak being raised with his mother might have changed things for him, too! He could still be known as Kalibak the Cruel, perhaps being cruel in a variety of ways to break the spirit of people as opposed to just physical harm 🤔
Now to finally answer your question, YES I could see Darkseid's pursuit of the Anti-Life Equation driving away everyone he held dear. Specifically Suli, who sees how far this obsession has driven him. Do I see her allowing Himon (you did spell it right) to help others escape Apokolips or at least make life easier on the planet? Yes. She wouldn't help with Scott Free though, knowing that it could lead to the Pact being broken and Darkseid's death brought faster. Unfortunately, Scott eventually escapes on his own even though this was part of Darkseid's plan as well.
As the war between both planets continue, Suli dreads witnessing Tigra's Declaration fulfilled in the inevitable clash between father and son. Perhaps her beloved had died long ago as he continued pursuing the Anti-Life equation. Her pleas have since been ignored as Darkseid remain transfixed on his goal. Maybe she had debated killing him, thinking it's better for Darkseid to die peacefully by her hands than brutually by his son's. Then Kalibak could rule and they find a way to end all of this.
OR Suli follows and supports Darkseid to the bitter end, finally meeting Orion full grown and looking so much like his mother. Feeling the same sense of dread and urge to flee like she had ages ago. Unable to move and stop Orion from advancing any further as he walks right past her. Hearing his footsteps echo further away as Suli falls to her knees, letting out a breath she held in before heaves shake out of her followed by sobs. Wails for the inevitable death of her beloved Darkseid. While a part of me don't think she could bear witnessing it, I can see Suli forcing herself to. Tigra would definitely be there to witness her Declaration come to pass along with all of Apokolips and New Genesis alike.
Sorry, if this is too long. 😅
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twoidiotwriters1 · 3 years
Text
Written In The Stars CXXXVIII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)
A/N: Meet Mel’s little brother :)
Words: 5,235 
Series’ Masterlist
Previous Chapter // Book Six
Listen to: ‘Thread’ -by Keane.
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Chapter Thirty-Six: Leon Regulus Sultens-Black.
HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNS
[...]Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, re-instated member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, was unavailable for comment last night. 
He has insisted for a year that You-Know-Who was not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile the Boy Who Lived —
"There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," Hermione interrupted.
"Of course they would," Erick rolled his eyes, he was sitting on the floor between the two beds, his back against Hermione's bed. 
Now that all his Slytherin friends knew the truth, they had stopped talking to him, so Erick was now spending all his time with Mel.
"He's 'the Boy Who Lived' again now, though, isn't he? Not such a show-off maniac anymore, eh?" Ron grabbed a bunch of chocolate frogs from his bedside table and handed one to each. 
He leaned over and stretched out his hand to Erick, the older boy stared down at the chocolate and then up to him, Ron waved it impatiently in front of his face and Erick grabbed it quickly.
"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry," Hermione agreed. "'A lone voice of truth... perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story... forced to bear ridicule and slander...' Hmm... I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering, though... 'You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter and Mel Dumbledore, page nine...' Well, it's certainly given them lots to write about. And that interview with Harry and Mel isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago..."
"Daddy sold it to them," said Luna. "He got a very good price for it too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer and see if we can catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."
"...That sounds lovely," Hermione said after a short silence.
"So anyway, what's going on in school?"
"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp," said Ginny. "He did it in about three seconds. But he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off —"
"Why?" 
"Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic."
"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George, they sent me all these, you know," Ron pointed at the bunch of Frogs. "Must be doing all right out of that joke shop, eh?" 
 "I'll miss them..." Mel sighed.
"You can always buy a few of their products and set them around the school," Harry offered, "it'll feel as if they were still here."
She chuckled softly, around them the group shared confused and relieved glances. It wasn't exactly like before, but they could sense the friendly tones of their conversations, they had stopped fighting.
Although it didn't mean there wouldn't be fights later, they had pushed the conversation about their lifeline further into the future, right now they didn't have the energy to discuss life-changing matters.
"So has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, everything's settled right back down again," Neville nodded.
"I s'pose Filch is happy, is he?" asked Ron.
"Not at all! He's really, really miserable, actually..." Ginny lowered her voice. "He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts..."
"If any of you feel like pranking Filch next year, let me know so I can look the other way," Erick joked.
All of them turned to see Professor Umbridge on the bed opposite Ron and Hermione's. Dumbledore had rescued her from the centaurs, nobody knew how, and Umbridge was out of it, therefore unable to speak.
"Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock," Hermione explained. 
"Sulking, more like," said Ginny.
"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this," said Ron, and with his tongue he made soft clip-clopping noises. Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking wildly around.
"Anything wrong, Professor?" called Madam Pomfrey, poking her head around her office door.
"No... no..." said Umbridge, sinking back into her pillows, "no, I must have been dreaming..."
Hermione and Ginny muffled their laughter.
"Serves her right," Mel scowled. "She caused a lot of suffering this year..."
She looked down at Harry's hand, and the boy moved it only to hold hers.
"Speaking of centaurs," Hermione spoke, causing Harry to retreat his hand abruptly, "who's Divination teacher now? Is Firenze staying?"
"He's got to, the other centaurs won't take him back, will they?" Harry shrugged.
"It looks like he and Trelawney are both going to teach," said Ginny.
"Bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good. Mind you, the whole subjects useless if you ask me, Firenze isn't a lot better..."
"How can you say that?" Hermione frowned. "After we've just found out that there are real prophecies? It is a pity it broke..."
"Yeah, it is. Still, at least You-Know-Who never found out what was in it either, it was clever of you to break it, Mel. Though you really shouldn't have used your hand to do so..."
"I think it made you look really tough," Erick smiled.
Mel returned his gesture tensely, she wished she could feel as calm as the rest of her friends, she wanted to go back to normal but she couldn't ignore what was about to happen once the school year ended, now her home had as many ghosts as the castle.
"Hey, where are you going?" Ron asked in a hurt voice when Harry stood up to leave.
"Er — Hagrid's. You know, he just got back and I promised I'd go down and see him and tell him how you two are..." 
"Oh all right then," Ron grumbled. "Wish we could come..."
"Say hello to him for us!" said Hermione. "And ask him what's happening about... about his little friend!"
Erick occupied Harry's place, he nudged her arm. 
"You're going to let him go just like that?" 
Mel contemplated the door in silence. She was ready for Harry's grief this time, there would be moments when he would want to be left alone and she had no problem with it. She understood, there were moments in which she wanted to hide away forever and never wake up.
"He doesn't need me right now," The girl shrugged. "And before you give me a lecture, I don't mean it in a bad way. Whatever he's going through... I can't help him go through it faster. I can't even help myself..."
Mel looked out the window to avoid her friend's eyes.
"How about we go for a walk?" Erick suggested.
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They stopped once they reached the courtyard. It was deserted, most of the students were out on the school grounds bathing in the sun. Mel sat on the edge of one of the archways while Erick remained standing, she could feel him staring, but she kept her eyes down.
"So you and Harry are okay now," He started, "no more fighting?"
"None at all," She sighed. "We have better things to do than to fight over our love life. Not that it matters, we've stopped liking each other that way."
"How come?"
"It just happened," She replied quietly.
Erick hummed, moving to sit next to her. 
"Maybe you're meant to be just friends. I mean, your relationship is already too complicated with the lifeline..."
Mel couldn't care less about what her relationship with Harry was destined to be. She didn't know what she wanted to do with the connection after hearing Harry's reasons to keep it.  All she could think of was her mother; she'd sacrificed so much to keep them safe, what Sirius had done to help them... She was running out of days to think of a proper way to apologize to her family. Dumbledore had taken the blame but those were just words, in the end, it was Mel and Harry who'd decided to drop every precaution, part of her felt she deserved all the hurt.
"You know," Erick said quietly. "I've been thinking about dropping out of school after this year."
"Why?"
"Well, my intention was to become a Ministry worker, but after these last few months, I realized they're useless. It would change my plans completely... but maybe I could join the Order?"
"Is that what you want?"
"I don't know what I want," He sighed tiredly. "I know I'm good at duelling and I have nowhere else to go... Did you know Sirius offered to take me in for the summer?"
Mel stared at him. 
"Well, he did," Erick continued. "He said I could live with him, that he didn't mind having me around — said I reminded him of his younger brother... Wish I could've done something to help him..."
"You should hate me," She blurted out. "My mother's going to hate me. She'll hate me for being impulsive and for not listening to my uncle — My brother will hate me..."
"Why would I hate you?" He frowned. 
"It's my fault that your parents kicked you out," She responded. "I made you write those letters to Anne. It was me who dragged you into this mess, you never wanted any of this, you would've lived a quiet, prosperous life —"
"And I would've been miserable," Erick shook his head. "You never forced me to do anything. You asked and I granted every time because I wanted to, I needed you to give me that final push... I made my choice the moment I met you, Mel."
"It's my fault you don't get to live with Sirius — it's because of me that you won't have a nice home —"
"It's because of you that I'm still alive," His voice trembled with incredulity. He moved closer and held her by the shoulders. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, I'm so lucky I found you..."
The girl had been shoving all her worries deep within herself for too long, she hadn't cried properly, refusing to let herself grieve since she felt she had no right to do so. Erick's voice sounded honest and comforting, she cracked under the pressure.
Erick hugged her and Mel wept like she hadn't done in months, not even while making peace with Harry. She sobbed as loud as she wanted, and the knot that had been stopping her from breathing finally loosened a bit, it made her feel as if she was slowly shrinking back into her child self, the girl cornered in the playground, but she wasn't alone anymore, and she was no longer a weak little thing.
Erick ran a hand through her hair gently, there was something about the way he touched her that made her feel safe. 
"You'll feel better. I promise you will..."
He'd lost someone not so long ago, the only adult he'd loved and cared for him. He was probably still grieving, but the fact that he was there, in one piece, was the definite and only proof she needed to hold onto her hopes.
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When the last day of school arrived, it also meant having to sit there surrounded by curious eyes all staring at her and Harry, and she knew what Dumbledore would say during his speech. 
Stay together. 
She'd talked about the same thing for three days in a row and she was exhausted, if she could, she would drink a potion to forget everything, maybe even the fact that she was a witch, and she would go live with her uncle Lupin, surrounded by nothing but trees...
However, Mel had to keep fighting. It was far from over.
She decided to skip the feast and asked her friends to bring her food once it ended, she slowly made her way back to the tower. Mel turned right on one of the corridors and stopped abruptly when she saw Harry. 
For a second they stared at each other in mild confusion, they had been careful not to spend too much time alone because they knew they would end up discussing things they weren't ready to address. Mel gathered enough energy to give him a weak smile.
"Trying to find your appetite? Me too."
Harry raised his eyebrows. 
"You're not hungry?" 
"It's been happening all year," She sighed. "I guess I grew out of that too..."
"No way. You'll be eating in a week, I expect."
"I expect the same from you," She replied. "I'll make sure you eat twice as much. Merlin knows you need it."
A faint smile appeared on his face. 
"Care if I join you? I could use a walk."
The silence didn't last long when they found Luna.
"How come you're not at the feast?" asked Harry.
"Well, I've lost most of my possessions. People take them and hide them, you know. But as it's the last night, I really do need them back, so I've been putting up signs."
"That's horrible," Mel frowned.
"How come people hide your stuff?" 
"Oh... well... I think they think I'm a bit odd, you know. Some people call me 'Loony' Lovegood, actually," The girl said casually.
"That's no reason for them to take your things," Harry replied. "They used to call Mel a nutter too, but they didn't hide away her things."
"That's because they thought I was an attractive nutter," Mel rolled her eyes. "Prats. People need new brains, Luna. You're wonderful."
"D'you want help finding them?"
"Oh no," Luna smiled. "They'll come back, they always do in the end. It was just that I wanted to pack tonight. Anyway... why aren't you at the feast?"
Harry and Mel shared a look and shrugged. 
"We didn't feel like it."
"No," Luna agreed, and for a second, Mel was able to see something more than just the usual vagueness in her eyes. "I don't suppose you do. That man the Death Eaters killed was your godfather, wasn't he? Ginny told me. She also said your mother and him were expecting a baby, Mel."
Harry nodded, Mel barely replied with a broken 'yes'.
"Have you..." The boy started slowly. "I mean, who... has anyone you've known ever died?"
"Yes. My mother. She was a quite extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment and one of her spells went rather badly wrong one day. I was nine."
"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled.
"Yes, it was rather horrible. I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I've still got Dad. And anyway, it's not as though I'll never see Mum again, is it?"
"Er — isn't it?" Harry glanced back at Mel with slight worry.
"Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn't you?"
"You mean..." The boy started, but he didn't dare to finish.
"In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that's all. You heard them. I could see you felt them too, Mel. They're always there."
Luna smiled at them carelessly, as if she'd just commented on the weather.
"Are you sure you don't want us to help you look for your stuff?"
"Oh no. No, I think I'll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up... It always does in the end... Well, have a nice holiday."
"Yeah... yeah, you too."
"Bye, Luna."
As they watched her go, Harry turned his head slightly without withdrawing his eyes from the Ravenclaw.
"You think she's telling the truth?"
"About what?"
"Everything."
Mel stared at the notice on the wall for a moment, deciding to use her popular card one last time in order to help a friend. 
"I think I would love for it to be true," She responded. "And since I have the liberty to believe in whatever I please... then yes, I think she's right."
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Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who had clearly been waiting all week for the opportunity to strike without teacher witnesses, attempted to ambush Harry halfway down the train as he made his way back from the toilet.
The attack might have succeeded had it not been for the fact that they unwittingly chose to stage the attack right outside a compartment full of D.A. members, who saw what was happening through the glass and rose as one to rush to Harry's aid. 
Ron and Harry walked back into their compartment and told them what had just happened outside, Erick put down the book he was reading and scoffed. 
"One would think that having your parents sent to Azkaban would knock some sense into you... I'll have to keep an eye on them next year, then."
Mel turned to look at him in surprise.
"You'll come back?"
"Yes," He said, a little smile playing on his lips. "I got a letter this morning ..."
He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. It was her mother's handwriting.
"I'm welcomed to stay with you this summer, and I think I'll take the offer," He grinned. "I don't wish to work at the Ministry, but I could learn a few things before I'm off to become a member of the Order. Besides, I can't think of a better way to thank Sirius than to look after all of you in the meantime..."
"I think that's very sensible of you," Hermione agreed. "It would've been stupid to give up your education now."
"What's stupid is that he's been ignored by his housemates," Ron replied. "The only decent bloke that house got in decades and they hurled him out? That's rubbish!"
Everyone stared at Ron with amusement, the boy turned a bit red.
"What? I can admit when someone's a good person!"
"I don't know what to say," Erick laughed. "Gryffindor's king just gave me his blessing..."
Ron turned redder and threw a jellybean at him.
Harry and Ron whiled away most of the journey playing wizard chess while Hermione read out snippets from the Prophet. It was now full of articles about how to repel dementors, attempts by the Ministry to track down Death Eaters, and hysterical letters claiming that the writer had seen Lord Voldemort walking past their house that very morning...
"It hasn't really started yet," sighed Hermione gloomily, folding up the newspaper again. "But it won't be long now..."
Neville let out a short sigh, absently patting his Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Mel put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, he looked up and smiled tensely.
"Hey, Harry," Ron kicked his leg.
Cho Chang was passing by with Marietta Edgecombe, who made a great deal out of hiding her face. Harry barely reacted, glancing at her before returning his gaze to the game.
"What's — er — going on with you and her anyway?" Ron asked, unsure of whether this was a safe subject to handle with Mel around.
"Nothing," Harry answered.
"I — er — heard she's going out with someone else now," added Hermione, looking at Mel as well.
"You're well out of it, mate. I mean, she's quite good-looking and all that, but you want someone a bit more cheerful."
"Right, because Harry's a ray of sunshine," Erick taunted.
"She's probably cheerful enough with someone else," Harry shrugged.
"Who's she with now anyway?" Ron asked.
"Michael Corner," Ginny responded.
"Michael — but —" Ron stammered. "But you were going out with him!"
"Not anymore. He didn't like Gryffindor beating Ravenclaw at Quidditch and got really sulky, so I ditched him and he ran off to comfort Cho instead," Ginny said distractedly, focused on her Quibbler.
"Well, I always thought he was a bit of an idiot," Ron said happily. "Good for you. Just choose someone... better, next time."
"Well, I've chosen Dean Thomas, would you say he's better?" Ginny replied. 
"WHAT?" 
Ron knocked over the chess and Crookshanks chased around the pieces. Grey merely opened one eye before going back to sleep. 
Erick laughed again, freedom suited him. The stiffness of his shoulders had vanished and although he kept some old-fashioned attitudes, he was slowly coming out of his shell. Affection settled on Mel's heart.
"What about you?" He asked her, bringing her back from her reverie.
"What about me?"
"Do you have any new prospects in mind? I know Fred's hard to beat, but..."
"I don't think I'm ready to date anyone yet," Mel responded sincerely. "Why?"
"No reason," He replied. 
His eyes lingered on her long after she'd looked away.
The moment came when the train got to the station, and she stayed behind, unsure of whether she wanted to see what was expecting her outside the platform. 
It was time to meet her brother.
"Remember what I told you," Erick offered his arm for her to hold.
Her mouth was dry, but she nodded and held his arm firmly, letting him guide her to the other side of the wall with a firm step.
There was Mad-Eye Moody, looking quite as sinister with his bowler hat pulled low over his magical eye as he would have done without it, his gnarled hands clutching a long staff, his body wrapped in a voluminous traveling cloak. 
Tonks stood just behind him, her bright bubble-gum-pink hair gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the dirty glass station ceiling, wearing heavily patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt bearing the legend the weird sisters. 
Next to Tonks was Lupin, his face pale, his hair graying, a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers. At the front of the group stood Mr and Mrs Weasley, dressed in their Muggle best, and Fred and George, who were both wearing brand-new jackets in some lurid green, scaly material.
Emily was next to Lupin, she was hugging a bundle of blankets that could only be one thing. She didn't look like Mel was expecting, there were dark circles under her eyes, but she was far from angry. 
Her face filled with relief as soon as she saw her. Mel stumbled back, not knowing what to do. Emily realized that her daughter was afraid and she looked at her in confusion. 
"Mel," She began carefully. "D'you remember what I told Harry last year after the third task?"
Mel remembered, of course. 
"You said no one would blame him for fighting as hard as he could."
"That's right," Emily cupped her daughter's cheek. "I was so scared of losing you... My brave, brave girl."
Mel hugged her mother tightly, around her, she heard the others welcoming the rest of their friends.
"Ron, Ginny! Oh, and Harry dear — how are you?"
"Fine..." 
"What are they supposed to be?" Ron's voice asked.
"Finest dragon skin, little bro," Fred responded, probably talking about his clothes. "Business is booming and we thought we'd treat ourselves."
Mel finally stepped back so Erick could say hi as well. She realized then that she was now as tall as her mother.
"It's time you meet someone," Emily said, drying her face with the back of her sleeve. "Come here... this is Leon Regulus. Reggie, this is your sister."
He was the tiniest person she'd ever seen, didn't have much hair yet, but his eyes were definitely grey. She remembered Luna's words and in a way, she felt that a part of Sirius still remained.
"I have a brother," She whispered in awe.
"Is that your sibling?" Ginny beamed. "Can I see him?"
Quickly, Ron and the girls approached to look at him. 
Harry stayed behind, a bit unsure of whether he was allowed to meet him.
"Hello, kids," Lupin greeted them while the rest of their friends surrounded Emily.
"Hi. I didn't expect... what are you all doing here?" Harry asked.
"Well, Emily can't drive and watch over the baby at the same time, as for the rest, we thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."
"I dunno if that's a good idea," Harry said awkwardly.
"Oh, I think it is," Moody growled. "That'll be them, will it, Potter?"
Mel looked over Moody's shoulder and saw the Dursleys, shocked to the core at such scene. She couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it, the first genuine laughter ever since coming back from the Ministry.
She felt someone poking her shoulder and she turned, coming face to face with the twins.
"What, we stop seeing each other for a few weeks and you forget we exist?" Fred smirked. 
She jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly. 
"I would never forget you. Have you met my brother?"
"Yes, ugly little thing," Fred grimaced, George hit the back of his head. "What? It's true! No newborn is pretty..."
"Bold words from someone with the ugliest taste in clothing," Mel laughed again, it was interesting what a bunch of familiar and happy faces could do to her soul.
"We heard Erick's staying with you this summer... Pitty, we were thinking about hiring him as our assistant."
"I would rather choke on my tongue," Erick walked up to them. "You look ridiculous, and that's coming from someone who likes to wear formal shirts on the weekends."
Fred and George trapped him in a bear hug and messed up his hair, Erick tried to fight back but it only made things worse. 
"You missed us!"
"Flimsy little prince like you must bore to death without us around to keep things interesting..."
"Trust me," Erick grunted, looking at her with a smile. "Mel made sure you weren't that sorely missed."
"Ah, kids!" Mr Weasley looked at them. "Boys, let go of him! Ah, look at what you did! He looks like a madman..."
Erick blushed a nice shade of pink, but he laughed it off. 
"It's okay, Mr Weasley..."
"He looks far better like this," Fred teased. 
"Don't listen to them, they're just jealous," Emily replied, followed shortly by the girls and Ron. "Harry, would you like to meet my son?"
Harry wasn't expecting her to address him, but he didn't have the nerve to say no. Emily took it as a yes and did something she hadn't done with the rest of them: She asked him if he wanted to hold him. 
Harry stared at the baby without uttering a word. He took him, and with a few pointers from Emily, soon enough Leon was safely tucked on his arms. 
"He's... he's got his eyes," Harry said quietly. "Reggie, you say? ...He's brilliant."
For a moment he forgot about the rest of the world, Harry could see his godfather reflected on those small, shiny eyes, and with that came a life with no mistakes in it yet, a new opportunity to make things right.
Emily didn't take the baby away, instead, she joined the group of adults.
"Well — shall we do it, then?" Mr Weasley then directed his attention to Moody.
"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur." 
He and Mr Weasley took the lead across the station toward the place where the Dursleys stood, apparently rooted to the floor. Hermione disengaged herself gently from her mother to join the group.
"Good afternoon," said Mr Weasley pleasantly to Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt right in front of him. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley."
As Mr Weasley had singlehandedly demolished most of the Dursleys' living room two years previously, Harry would have been very surprised if Uncle Vernon had forgotten him. Sure enough, Uncle Vernon turned a deeper shade of puce and glared at Mr Weasley, but chose not to say anything, partly, perhaps, because the Dursleys were outnumbered two to one. 
Aunt Petunia looked both frightened and embarrassed. She kept glancing around, as though terrified somebody she knew would see her in such company. Dudley, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to look small and insignificant, a feat at which he was failing extravagantly.
"We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry." 
"Yeah. About how he's treated when he's at your place," Moody growled. "And trust us, Emily has made sure to tell us all about it."
Her mother smiled brightly.
"I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house —" Mr Dursley started, but he was soon interrupted.
"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley."
"Anyway, that's not the point," Tonks added. "The point is, if we find out you've been horrible to Harry —"
"— and make no mistake, we'll hear about it," Lupin added, looking briefly at Mel and winking.
"Yes, even if you won't let Harry use the fellytone —"
"Telephone," Hermione corrected under her breath.
"Yeah, if we get any hint that Potter's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to," Moody growled.
"Are you threatening me, sir?" Mr Dursley asked in anger.
"Yes, I am."
"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?"
"Well..." said Moody, pushing back his bowler hat to reveal his sinisterly revolving magical eye. Uncle Vernon leapt backward in horror and collided painfully with a luggage trolley. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Dursley."
He turned from Uncle Vernon to Harry. "So, Potter... give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along..."
"We'll keep an eye on him, Moody," Mel's mother replied, "Erick, Mel and I will. Feel free to have every meal with us from now on, Harry. There's no reason for you to be eating rubbish."
Aunt Petunia gasped loudly at this.
"I..." Harry blinked. "Okay."
Emily stepped forward and seized Regulus, then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Harry's cheek. 
"We'll see you in a while, love."
"'Bye, then, Potter," Moody patted his shoulder.
"Take care, Harry," said Lupin. "Keep in touch."
"You're not coming?" Mel asked. 
"I'm afraid not," The man said, hugging her one last time. "We have work to do."
"I could help if you want," Erick responded quickly.
"You're not going anywhere," Mel argued, holding his arm protectively.
"Maybe later, kid," Lupin answered, staring at them in slight amusement.
"We should move," Emily responded before Erick could argue back.
"Harry, we'll have you away from there as soon as we can," Mrs Weasley said. "And of course, Emily dear, all of you are invited."
"We'll see you soon," said Ron shaking Harry and Erick's hands.
"Really soon," Hermione added. "We promise."
Harry then summoned a real, loving smile. He waved at everyone goodbye and then turned to Mel and Erick. 
A strange thought came to her when she watched those two boys standing next to her and her mother: Family.
Difficult times were ahead, but they would go through them. Together.
"Well," Harry scratched the back of his neck. "I'll see you later."
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Erick sat in the backseat with restless curiosity, examining every detail.
"First time?" Mel grinned, looking over to the older boy and her little brother, completely asleep on the baby chair. "If you feel like vomiting don't stress, I get carsick too..."
"Ready?" Emily asked.
Mel stroke Grey's head and turned around to face forward. 
Yes, she was ready.
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Next Part —>
Taglist.
@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @hamiltonwc @omiwashere @t-rexs-world @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @dielgonacoffee @thelastpyle
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stimmypaw · 3 years
Text
stimmypaw reads the apprentice’s quest, a blog post
A big one, just a bunch of thoughts as I’m reading it, of course, lots of spoilers for the first book in the Warrior Cats series A Vision of Shadows. This will be covering just the first book tho, it’s all in the Read More, let’s gooooooo!!!!
Vision Of Shadows time
Lots of new cats!!! I don't remember these guys as kits or anything wrow!!! I like their names but itll take a while to get used to them
Also cant believe they printed stormcloud's dead name
Omg there's a cat named beepaw
I love these cats all of them so much im going 2 cry
All new names are perfect
I FORGOT HOW GORGEOUS THE CAT VIEW IN THE RECENT BOOKS WAS, LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT
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I'm glad leafpool smokes weed
I love reading from Jayfeather's point of view, his grumpiness hasn't grown on me ever but thats just me, I still enjoy it lots he's great and its fun
Firestar and Leopardstar's characterizations are On Point i love it
OOF i feel so bad when jayfeather is mean to others, poor kestrelflight, I love those two
Lovely Jayfeather moments now its time for the first chapter
I like this duo! Also I didn't think I'd ever say this but shut up squirrelflight one can have fun AND learn with their mentors
Sparkkit sounds nice she makes jingling bell noises when she walks around
Alderkit is chadphobic /j
I can see Alderkit taking deep breaths to relax its rotating in my mind its beautiful
God this first chapter feels so good and comfortable, like eating noodles and chicken nuggets. I am so so deeply in love with it, its gorgeous!
Sparkkit is so perfect too, and Graystripe remembering Firestar aaaaaa
DUSTPELT SAID WHAT? PHDHAHAHHA OH NOOOO I don't remember their relationship much, must have been fun, I love young little creature squirrelflight I MISSED HER SO BAD WOW
I started reading the second chapter and died, I think ill take a break now 2 sleep heehhee
I love them describing twoleg stuff its always so fun and alien, like watching an animal planet show about funny sea creatures.
Also I have determined sparkpaw is my favorite, might be my favorite cat ever next to hollyleaf??? I really identify with her and also she's autistic i have decided that
Alderpaw baby noooo hhhh their mentor at least is trying to show its okay, he seems very emotionally distant so far and alderheart feels very emotionally needy, actually both of them do, did I mention I love Sparkpaw??? I might be imprinting myself 2 much on her
I love how like, its clear both of them are absolutely anxious and worried about others opinions on them, which is clearly something they got from being Firestar's grandkids, deputy kids and leader kids. And bramblestar too, I recall him being quite the anxious lad ahhah. Sparkpaw will be showing confidence and being loud but the second anyone isn't approving of her or she does something "wrong" she gets small and quiet, and she ended up setting a high bar for herself by being good at hunting and fighting so I'm curious to see how that will go. Also there's nothing wrong with being guided through a crowded place to meet others Sparkpaw!!! I bet the two of them would be stuck without not knowing how to talk to others had Needlepaw not shown up. I love them, my gf is mocking me saying I'm a Sparkpaw kinnie.
Apprentices will like learn about a thing and tell everyone about it all the time and assume its always true in every situation and thats valid I love kids like that. Also in my head Needlepaw kinda looks like a porcupine. Oh boo she's fatphobic >:(
I love apprentices they are so fun and silly, just making fun of the leaders like its nothing. The way they are clearly learning and absorving everything their warriors say and do like sponges its just ***chefs kiss***
Omg shadowclan is just full of 12 year olds help
And then the old person said "it sure is hard being old!" And everyone clapped
Shout-out to pretty Riverclan apprentice #481977 I love her
Leafpool: 👁👁
Alderpaw: I knew it im cursed and awful and terrible and I will never amount to anything
I wish the cats didn't seem to be giving up on him so easily though
Ah yes the classic thunderclan move "you suck, into the medicine hole you go"
The way sparkpaw changes the things she says and how she does when it isn't the status quo around her oooooooooooooyeaaaaaaa I love 1 autistic cat
Alderpaw considering your problems lesser than other cats won't help you deal with them better bro
I love Needlepaw's excitement about Alderpaw being a medicine cat apprentice, and her sarcasm, she feels like a preppy teenager
Ahhh this is so good, I am so thirsty for family moments like this, just Alderpaw bonding with grandma, I’ll definitely want to draw this one it’s so sweet.
Oh to be young and silly.
I really am enjoying like, Alderpaw’s struggles to seeing how he fits in the clan, how he fits in himself, how he wants to be seen and what he wants to be, it’s really good. I Am Engaged(tm) With This Plot.
SPARKPAW NOOOOOOO but also Yes I want her to be shown vulnerable and weak please 
POP, god watching this stuff always awful, the cats must have thought he broke her ahahah
Also, really great that they learned from Dovewing and now like leave choices and discussions about prophecies between adults
And plus Brambles seemed to take the time to explain stuff to him, seems he wont be going alone either the 1 thing is that he will be the only one knowing what the journey is really about, why though??? I didnt read Firestar's Quest or whatever why does Skyclan need to be secret??? Seems quite silly really!
YESSSS SANDSTORM GET HIS ASS FIGHT FIGHT LOVE THIS LOVE SANDSTORM
I could feel squirrelflight nearing explosion here, this was very fun, i wish they werent hiding this though!!!
The secret thing is showing to be a plot point so I am once again Very Engaged
Also, wonderful dialogue bit, someone asked Bramblestar why an Elder is going and:
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Lovely perfect perfect
I miss you dovewing
SQUIRRELFLIGHT LOVE YOU
Oh boy this is it
Traveling book moment
Graystripe: Soooo you're excited to go on the journey to the old territories and Skyclan?
Sandstorm: Yes! It's been ages and-
Graystripe: I'm sure the tribe will love the visit too
Sandstorm, groaning: Oh noooo I forgot about how the tribe is in the way of every journeyyyyy noooooo they're such a racist caricature, please tell me you have a plan
Graystripe: Yes don't worry about it the writers forgot about the tribe in my comic book so you can just use the excuses i did to actively avoid it
Sandstorm: Oh thank Starclan
Sparkpaw's desperation to prove herself oof, her anxiety with understanding the prophecy, oh boy, and Alderpaw feeling too overwhelmed by the questions and not managing to talk!!!! I am so glad they are both autistic
Hoping "Being Leader" wont mean theyre putting nonsense responsibility on the apprentice again
Ah good Sandstorm is on the lead again, as she should, she should have been leader she would have been great
I can't believe Alderpaw thinks I look stupid and diseased :( /j
Everything about this twoleg scene was scandalous I loved it, Sparkpaw just toppled over a trash bag and they are eating from it, iconic, also did those twolegs throw out a whole turkey? Damn
Its not that Sparkpaw is freakishly good at hunting she is very hungry and constantly on the watch for things to eat
BRO Ive never been in a road where the drivers are this wild, throwing bottles out of the car????? Ive seen Fruit being thrown like once or twice, what the fuck!!! I'm glad they are going to wait until the morning to continue
Okay I was not expecting Needlepaw to show up this girl is chaotic I love her
ACTUALLY YEAH WHY DIDNT THEY TELL THE OTHER CLANS ABOUT THIS SINCE THE PROPHECY IS ABOUT ALL THE CLANS???
Needlepaw is like Rono from Bambi 2 if he wasnt a mean bully and thats very epic
Very curious character though, how come her mentor isnt teaching her the warrior code properly? Is that an issue with all apprentices?? Is the clan overwhelmed by 12 year olds and they won?
Having lots of fun trying to play the game "what animal are they describing this time" the erins made here, im glad they're in a farm. Worried about Sandstorm though :c
Fuck im worried about sandstorm a lot, her wound hurt on Me
Yeah water is good youre right sandstorm
Aw man I hope she's okay let her at least survive to meet skyclan please
NOOOOOOOO SANDSTORMA A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Sandtteooonrjrbbbmmnnnnnnnnnn
I am so sad
Alderpaw denying it, Starclan shining upon their vigil, everything crushed me i cried
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Alderpaw considers Nihilism
Haven't seen a cat thank starclan for prey in a while its
Oh look they time skipped a journey! They don't tend to do that thats nice
I'm so excited to be meeting The Skyclan that everyone in the fandom knows now
So far they seem kinda mean but thats most clans at first glance really
Okay somethings up
I uh have heard of Darktail pretty sure he's a bad guy so yeah something really bad happened to Skyclan
Am worried
Darktail sounds like an evil himbo* i may be enjoying him actually
*himbos are usually nice by default so he's just evil and stupid and strong
Does needletail know these cats already?????
Ah
Shit
Oh okay fuck
I've been quietly reading the rest because I am just concerned and I want them to be okay as quickly as possible
Waterfalls are a classic nice
Oh boy time for our unlikely duo of Alderpaw and Needlepaw to get out of a Mess!
I did not expect this to end up with the two of them journeying into parenthood, but I'm happy it did
Well actually I'm very unhappy theyre so lost and there's no sign of Skyclan I am very worried for everyone involved Sparkpaw must be feeling awful!
Twigkit is a great name
Yeah this ended terribly
Overall! Frigging loved it this book was GOOD and a great start for the series I am very excited to read the rest, SO WORRIED ABOUT SKYCLAN THO AAAA the characterizations were great the characters were great the pacing was fun and I didn't get bored once!
I think o only wish I had read this sooner really so I could look up others thoughts without getting heavily spoiled about the last books, I can watch a few videos already though thats a start ahhaha. But yeah it was great and it felt very good to read, haven't swallowed up a book so quickly in a very long time!!! Very happy I finally got my hands on this 💕💖💕💖💕💖 cant wait 2 start the next one
If you read all this, hope you had fun hahaha, ill be making more of these cus theyre fun and I like talking about warrior cats thats just my thing
Til next time
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happikattwuzheere · 7 years
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I'd love to hear more about this conflict. Is it an ideological conflict? Or more like a power struggle? What was the straw that broke the camel's back?
it’s DEFINITELY a power struggle, but a sorta complex one 
it starts back before the war with the Kouzai family making some agreements with the established royalty of the area and marrying into the royal family, which already caused a lot of people to be like “Excuse me who tf are these people? look its fine if ppl from other countries wanna pass through for trade, or heck we can even live with them moving in, but thats our royal family and whats this about a demon????? what is this?????????” 
then Hajime’s born and in two separate incidents both his parents are killed, and a regent temporarily takes over (this being that one snake dude i drew the other day) and, had Fate’s prophecy gone according to plan, he would’ve killed Hajime, planning to take the throne, only to be the first person slaughtered by the demon (which he had believed himself strong enough to defeat. he is not.). However since Hajime didn’t die, snake dude didn’t either, so he went off and started stirring up trouble in cognito, getting people worked up and angry, ESPECIALLY when rumors started spreading that the queen was cheating on her husband with some highlander (she was not, ofc; as stated Hajime, Minori, and Aster are all a v happy polyamorous relationship but the public didn’t know that back then) and by using this stuff and just generally being an unfortunately charismatic dude he managed to get quite the following, and that’s the start of what became the Solars 
the Lunars, meanwhile, were basically the mafia. Luna, the one who was supposed to wound the demon, would’ve jointly inherited control of the group upon her father’s death or retirement, sharing it with her half-brother…however her father very suddenly and mysteriously died of a sadly terminal case of a knife between the ribs, and her half-brother didn’t even try to claim his portion of control for reasons of his own. And she still wound up killing him. So Luna takes an iron grip over those who served her father, takes over the entire town they’re stationed in through underground dealings, and starts to wonder to herself…how far can I go? Why stop here? Why not keep pushing onward? 
So now the actual ruling family is dealing with two separate groups trying to take control of the place, people are dying both warriors and innocent bystanders, and after the Lunars manage to successfully take over the kingdom’s capitol city, one of the two twin sons of the family goes. 
why don’t we just leave?
We don’t have any way of dealing with both of these threats right now. our people are dying. we lost the advantage that came with that castle. but i bet we could keep this conflict contained, especially if we move up into the mountains, get some people down on the other side, keep an eye on the oceans…
we could just let them kill each other and wait this out, then take down whoever’s left standing after we’ve had time to rest and recover ourselves. 
it seemed like the best plan at the time, but then 200 years passed and they’re still goin and the Lunars and Solars themselves, outside of the leaders who’re still around because of course they are, don’t even remember that neither side is not the actual rulers of this area anymore. it’s all they’ve ever known. 
Course, the Lunar princess, miss Snow, wants real answers for a whole lot of questions, and that’s why she’s setting out to begin with. Whether she likes what she ends up learning remains to be seen. 
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