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musings-and-overanalyses · 9 months

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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: Why This is My Favourite Ghibli Movie

CW: Major high-school English teacher vibes ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

Nausicaä of the valley of wind is a story of the titular character Nausicaä and her being a bridge between the world of humans and nature to bring peace, thus fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

Nausicaa is the princess of the Valley of the Wind. The film begins with her walking and exploring the Sea of Decay, an area with toxic air, plants and fungal spores. She collects some spores and finds the hard molten shell of an Ohmu (gigantic blue-blooded trilobite-looking creatures), which her people use to make weapons and tools. As the name suggests, the Valley of the Wind is a civilisation that depends on and bases their culture around wind, which one can see through an abundance of windmills and gliders, including the one that Nausicaä rides. They are shown to be peaceful people who do not interfere with the politics of the warring human kingdoms or disturb nature. Nausicaä in particular is shown to have a special gift with animals—from calming Ohmus to having a pet fox-squirrel. As the existence of the kingdom depends on the sea wind that shields them from the effects of the sea of decay, there is a general reverence towards nature and its other members such as the Ohmus, that are often referred to with honorifics.

This was an element I liked: the symbolism goes deep in this film; for example, with the nature of wind—it being the very breath necessary for life is contrasted with its other face, through toxic spores in the sea of decay capable of killing anyone who inhales it.

It is revealed that humans had built The Giant Men, weapons so dangerous—not unlike our atomic bombs as shown through the characteristic mushroom cloud—that the destruction caused by the war had unleashed the fury of the Ohmus, an otherwise gentle species. They wiped out entire civilisations and where they died, the Sea of Decay grew on their decomposing corpses, showing how all life is interconnected and that even in death the rage of the Ohmus, and through them the rage of nature, wouldn't subside. It is then that the viewers find out that this is not some far-off planet, but a post-apocalyptic future on earth.

New species of plants and fungi made the Sea of Decay their habitat—nature and life always find a way. It is implied that the humans lost the war referred to as the Seven days of Fire, but the truth is that it is not a war that can ever be won. Even if you win the war against nature you lose. As the story progresses, we see that the plants and fungi that Nausicaä collected from the Sea of Decay are actually trying to purify the soil and water—nature holds no grudges but only seeks balance.

The seventh of the Giant Men, a sentient atomic bomb if you will, apparently hid underground for a thousand years until the kingdom of Pejite found it for use against their enemy, the Tolmekians. They both remain oblivious to the sheer destruction that can be caused by this Giant Man and they don't care either. Despite the balance between humans and nature being a delicate one, instead of trying to rebuild together, they justify to themselves that the war is necessary for self-preservation and to put humans back on top of the food chain.

In their hubris, the Tolmekians and their princess Kushana believe that with the help of their superweapon they can destroy the Sea of Decay despite knowing that it will trigger the wrath of the Ohmus. The Giant Man however is not complete and hence, though the devastation is great, the final giant man dies and all that is remains to be done is to calm the wrath of the Ohmus.

Nausicaä saves an Ohmu child who was injured by Tolmekian soldiers to lure the Ohmus into a war. She saves the baby Ohmu and sacrifices her own life to calm the sea of maddened Ohmus. The now-calm Ohmu then revive Nausicaä, symbolising the mystical healing power of nature and its ability to support and create life.

Nausicaä is an excellent protagonist, and how the trope of the chosen one is utilised is beautiful and full of symbolism. Right from the get-go, we see her being inquisitive and brave. She is willing to defend her people but not through violence. And it is made abundantly clear that her avoidance of violence is not due to any lack of strength; when she strikes down the soldiers who killed her father, rather than feeling any sense of pride (as one might expect from a character not used to strength), it sickens her. She shows understanding even towards Kushana, whose men took over her kingdom. She sincerely loves and respects animals and plants.

There was a prophecy among the people of the valley of wind that a person clad in blue over golden fields will save their kingdom and bring peace. And towards the end of the film, Nausicaä's clothes becoming blue with the blood of the baby Ohmu she saved and the golden fields being the tendrils of the Ohmus healing her is poetic to say the least.

In addition to a good female protagonist, we also get a powerful female antagonist in Kushana, who starts out as a one-note expansionist ruler, but it is revealed that she lost her limbs and got severely maimed by the sea of decay, motivating her to destroy it once and for all. Proud and arrogant, sure, but she has a motive beyond just wanting power and possesses some form of a moral code. In another story she could be the protagonist bravely defending humanity against the evil, alien-esque trilobites and spores.

It was a unique and meaningful choice on Miyazaki's part to symbolise nature through the Ohmus—alien-looking giant insects—instead of something cute and fluffy. Oftentimes humans care more about the conservation of animals that they find cute (pandas over, say, Panamanian golden frogs), but an animal doesn't have to appeal to human aesthetics to be worth conserving.

Absolutely not to be missed is the breathtaking soundtrack by Hisaishi. There are symphonies, techno music, sitar-like instruments and a child's humming, all elevating every scene to give a moving experience.

Ultimately it is an ambitious story that aims to deal with themes of coexisting with nature, the futility and dangers of war, and of how innocent children who should live carefree lives are dragged into it and made heroes. This film is often categorised as falling into the genre of Solarpunk: a literary and artistic movement that centres around building a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community. Although this film does depict violence and wars, it ultimately shows a peaceful future is possible.

Truly a masterpiece. 9/10.

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sanjisboyfie · 7 months

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๑ keep safe : i'll kill you, i'll really kill you (14)

one piece x male reader

let the fear you have fall away

i've got my eye on you,

i've got my eye on you.

say yes to heaven,

say yes to me.

『 prev 』

trying to forget about ace and luffy’s sudden confessions, the crew trudged onward into the desert. [name] was doing his best to not even acknowledge it, humming a soothing toon to take his mind off of it.

“say, [name],” vivi gently called out, making the man jump in surprise. she chuckled weakly at his reaction, assuming that ace and luffy really had him shaken up, “you’re always humming the same song? where’d you get it from? it sounds really beautiful,”

[name] grinned, the subject making him think of other things besides ace and luffy’s stupidity.

“it’s a song i learned from…my home island,” [name] grinned.

“windmill village?”

“oh, no,” [name] said, waving his hand, “someone taught me it where i was born and i just clung to it, i guess,”

vivi’s eyebrows furrowed, “didn’t you say you were from windmill village, with luffy?”

“i grew up there, but i wasn’t from there,” [name] said, rubbing the bottom of his chin, “now that i think about it, i spent more time growing up somewhere else — but that’s irrelevant! i made the most pleasant memories on windmill village, so i say i grew up there,”

“which sea were you from then?” vivi asked.

[name] shrugged, “i’m not really the greatest in…awareness,”

“oh, we know,” nami and sanji said in a monotone voice, the navigator physically shivering in fear as she thought of [name] not even properly navigating the seas before his time on their ship. and that was for 3 whole years! she was scared of his ability to stay alive, that’s for sure.

“oh, that’s alright then,” vivi brushed off the question, not wanting to make [name] too stressed in thinking about it, “the song sounds beautiful though,” she complimented, the grin on [name]’s returning and this time staying present.

“it is, right?! i love it,” he proudly proclaimed.

the rest of the walk was pretty silent, except for [name] and chopper’s whining of heat. that was a constant noise. zoro had hit [name] on the head to shut him up, but it only worked for about 3 minutes.

in the midst of [name]’s complaining of the heat though, vivi - who was walking in front of him, suddenly stopped when they reached the top of a slope.

“what is this ghost town?” [name] asked, looking at the princess, who was worriedly scanning over the terrain.

there was sign of a previous life having lived here, but now it was all dried out. the palm trees were drying up to the point they looked like they could be knocked over by a strong wind. the house were run down and decrepit, the stone of the walls crumbling.

“rain was always scarce, but even so, the city was able to manage by saving every last drop of rainwater it could,” vivi said, leading the group through walking into the “town.” [name] stayed close to her side, subconsciously. his eyes were carefully watching around them, as if waiting for something bad to heppen.

“but for three years now, not a single rain drop has fallen over this country,”

“three years?!”

“that long?!”

“i’d kill myself if i had to withstand this heat without any rain,” [name] said, fanning himself with his hand to cool off.

“don’t say something so insensitive!” nami shouted at him, shaking him back and forth, “since your more respectful brother is here, why don’t you try taking up after him in that sense?!”

[name] looked anything but pleased with her sentence, cringing as he turned his head away, “no, thanks,”

“but even without rain, what about the river we just crossed?” zoro asked, making the attention go back to vivi and not nami and [name]’s bickering.

“yeah, couldn’t they have just funneled the water from the river into the town?”

“the answer to that is up ahead,” vivi said in a grim tone. “but there was one city that got continuous rainfall no matter what - the city’s capital, alubarna. they called it the king’s miracle…until what happened later that day,”

vivi then explained that there was something called dance powder that was being used to artificially create rain. and with nami’s input on the topic as well, it was all beginning to make sense. whenever dance powder would be used, the rain would come down, but the country neighboring of whoever was using it would face a heavy drought.

“wait, vivi!!! that means your dad is the bad guy?!” luffy said, pointing a finger at vivi in shock. [name] was going to take care of him, knock some sense into him, but luffy was easily dealt with by sanji.

“of course, my father had nothing to do with it. but we even found sacks of the dance powder inside the palace, an obscene amount!”

[name] whistled, zoro saying exactly what he was thinking, “they even had people in the palace in on it, huh?”

“that’s terrible,” [name] said, making a tick mark of annoyance form on nami’s head.

“don’t state such obvious things!” usopp and nami cried out at the same time.

they all continued walking through the town, learning the tragedy that was befalling the kingdom. but then, there was a steady breeze going through the entire town.

[name] allowed himself to feel physically relieved at the cold breeze sweeping across the desert, but when he heard a low murmur, almost a singing voice, surround them, he became on edge.

he squinted about, trying to find or see if someone was really manually making that noise. when he looked around, turning in circles several times, he noticed that there was no one near them — it was only them.

“what if it’s baroque works?! have they been following us?!” usopp said, running to hide behind [name] and cowering at the supposed fear of someone following them.

“don’t be ridiculous, there’s no one here, guys,” he announced, trying to ease their worries, “no threat at all,”

“how are you so sure?!” [name] shrugged at nami’s question. thankfully, ace also chimed in to help support [name]’s case.

“it’s just the wind. there’s no danger,” ace said finally, “it’s just the wind blowing across the town and echoing off old buildings.”

“it’s as if…the city of erumalu is crying,” vivi said with a shaky voice, leaning into [name]’s side and ducking her head. he sighed in sympathy for her, rubbing up and down her back once more to ease her worry.

it seemed she was lucky in taking refuge in his side as well because there was a sudden strong wind that nearly knocked some of them off of their feet. [name] looked ahead, squinting to try and not let the sand into his eyes. his hold on vivi was strong, careful to not let her get swept off of her feet.

her arms wrapped around his waist and his arm around her shoulder. he kept her head down by resting it on the back of her head and she ducked into his chest to shield herself from the harsh sand.

in a couple of seconds, the wind had left them alone. they all watched in confusion as the breeze seemed to “twirl” away and then disappear. luffy seemed interested by something as he suddenly rushed in a different direction from where they were supposed to go.

“someone collapsed?!” vivi shouted, letting go of [name] in an instant and running ahead. everyone followed after her, luffy going off in his own direction with sanji and usopp going to fetch him.

when they saw what vivi was referring to, they all stilled. it was a dry skull that was resting in the sand, cloth surrounding it to indicate that it was an innocent civilian that had died.

[name] sighed, watching as vivi fell to her knees in fury and sorrow, “what have the people of this country ever done to deserve this?! to think, crocodile, one of the seven warlords, is in this country and prancing around as some hero when he’s the one pulling the strings! lying and manipulating the innocent people of this country!!”

the crew stayed silent, watching as vivi helplessly fisted the sand beneath her feet as a means of not blowing all of her anger out.

ace moved to dig into the sand a little bit, offering the princess a smile. she took ahold of the skull and gently placed it inside, trying to mimic a proper burial.

they were about to ask where luffy had gone before they saw and heard a building crash in the distance.

“tsk, he's acting like a child,” zoro said in disapproval.

“aren’t you like only two years older than him?” [name] asked, making the swordsman look embarassed.

“don’t remind me…someone as idiotic as that is close to me in age,” he said, putting his head down in supposed shame.

“vivi! let’s get moving now, i’m itching to do this!” luffy shouted once he rejoined the group, sanji and usopp in tow.

“let’s go to yuba, vivi,” nami cheerfully encouraged, making the princess stand tall to her feet and nod in agreement.

“i’m going to persuade the rebel’s leader to put an end to this. crocodile is the one responsible for all the calamaties, i’m going to tell the truth — and put an end to all this bloodshed!!” it seemed vivi had a very idealist way of looking at the situation.

zoro and [name] seemed hesitant about the plan, but nodded nonetheless. in [name]’s head, he finalized that no matter what plan vivi had, he’d be right behind her to hold her up and support her, should it fail. him and the rest of the crew shared the same sentiment, he was sure.

within minutes of hiking over the sandy dunes, [name] was close to passing out, luffy couldn’t stop complaining about the heat, and chopper was being dragged by zoro via sled.

“burning up…sweat won’t even come out,” luffy said, his tongue sticking out as he tried to lower his body temperature.

“vivi, is it really advised to wear this many layers in the heat?” [name] asked, slumped and deflated as he willed himself to walk forward.

“yes, it may be very hot right now, [name], but this is surely better than suffering a terrible sunburn later,” vivi said, trying to ease the man up, but it seemed he was completely fucked out by the weather to notice her gentle tone.

ace came creeping up behind [name] and immediately buried him in a hug.

“ace, i’ll kill you, i’ll really kill you,” [name] said, feeling himself burn up as he crushed him in a hug. ace backed off, but still kept his close distance with [name].

“what does it feel like?” the freckled man asked, looking at [name] in interest.

“like my bones are on fire, they’re gonna melt off and my inside will slowly get cooked by the immense heat they’re radiating. feels like there’s an oven inside of my body cooking me to a crisp,” [name] breathed out, making people look at him in wonderment.

“don’t be so creepily descriptive about stuff like that!” nami shouted, earning a glare from [name].

“just be thankful you don’t have to actually feel it!” he shot back, earning an intervention from sanji.

“don’t raise your voice at nami-san!!” sanji said, trying to kick [name], but was stopped mid air when [name] raised his hand.

“don’t raise your voice at me, either! piss blonde!” [name] shouted, slapping his hand in an opposite direction and sending sanji flying.

“guys, please, don’t fight, you’ll just waste your strength!” vivi shouted, seemingly talking to both [name] and sanji, as well as nami, usopp, and luffy - who were fighting over the water jug.

finally, the sun set across the expansive desert and the hot air became almost freezing.

[name] then took ace up on the offer he gave earlier, comfortably cuddling into his warm side and sighing in relief.

”alright, human furnace, make sure you keep this balanced - like this. this is perfect,” [name] sighed in gratitude, spreading his arms out as he let his back rest on ace’s chest. he shifted his body, very, very slightly so that one of his fingers could trace the lettering on ace’s chest, a soft smile on his face.

the freckled man stayed as still as a statue, not wanting to irk [name] even more with restless moving, and observed the crew in front of them with watchful eyes. ace made sure to hold [name] protectively close, very determined to keep him warm.

and despite [name]’s stomach being almost empty, he was able to fall into a short slumber, snoring gently as ace held him.

“it must be a real surprise,” vivi’s quiet voice whispered, chuckling lightly as she caught sight of [name]’s sleeping face. “i mean, luffy-san, i was surprised too, at first. maybe it’s the fact he doesn’t really act like a captain - or that normal pirate captains are respected by their crewmates. but just this afternoon, a simple drink of water caused that big fight,”

ace kept gazing at [name]’s sleeping face, smiling softly as he listened to the princess ramble.

“[name] was also a surprise to be around,” she said, making the pirate perk up at for what she had to say about [name], “i mean, his bounty is terrifyingly high and he’s got a terrible reputation all across the seas…but he acts just like luffy. so carefree it almost causes issues,”

ace smiled, almost blindingly wide, and shrugged, “that’s just how they are. luffy hasn’t changed a bit since he was a kid,” ace sighed, brushing a couple of stray hairs away from [name]’s face, “[name] hasn’t either, but to me that’s more of a relief than a worry.”

“what was [name] like as a kid?” vivi suddenly asked, not being able to hide her interest in the sleeping man. ace noticed this, chuckling as he saw her pale cheeks become a pale pink.

“you’re interested in [name], then?”

there was a pause before she shook her head violently, “no, not like that! not like that! i want to know more about him, though…” her voice trailed off, noticing the unimpressed look ace was giving her, as well as a knowing smile, “well, i’m interested in knowing more about him - only because i feel like he’s sees right through all of us,”

ace allowed her to continue, “the way he treats everyone…it’s like he knows what they’re thinking. it’s terrifying. it definitely was scary when he first came aboard the ship,” she said, remembering her constant fear that [name] was there only to assassinate her as the princess. “his true colors really showed through when nami got sick.

“he knew the burden on everyone’s shoulders and tried to hoist it all on his own, especially mine.” she grinned as she watched [name] stir in his sleep, “he really understood me in that moment and even made me a promise! like he knew all the right words to say and how to make you feel…comforted,”

ace laughed gently, squeezing [name]’s impossibly closer as he reminisced on their own childhood memories, “i know what you mean, he did the same thing to me when we were younger. he knew exactly what i was thinking and got me to feel better, even though i really wanted to hate his guts,”

there was a silence that passed over the duo, before vivi dared to speak again, “[name]…has a lot of stress doesn’t he?” as ace was about to interject, she continued, “i don’t want you to answer that — that’s more prying that i’d want to take part in. but, it’s obvious, that he worries so much about other people, on top of his own.”

she turned to ace, a look of determination on her face, “i know i’m causing him a lot of stress right now, but ace, i promise you and luffy that i won’t burden him much longer!”

the man looked at her in surprise, breaking into laughter once more, “don’t worry about [name], he’s strong! and besides, you think you’re burdening him, but really, you’re probably giving him more support than you know. as easy as it is for him to read other people, it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking, right?” vivi nodded her head, “but i can see it - he relies on you just as much as you rely on him. so don’t go talking about how you’ll ease his burden so quickly, it’ll probably only make him sad,”

vivi seemed shocked to hear the information, looking between ace and [name]. she seemed hesitant to believe his words, so ace jokingly added in, “don’t forget who i am princess, his lover, i know him best,”

she flushed at the sentence, making ace break out into more obnoxious laughter — happy to send the woman into another flustered state.

“ace, shut the hell up, you’re a better heater when your mouth is shut,” [name] sleepily scolded, lazily punching ace in the face to get him to quiet down, “ruining my sleep, i’ll kill you, i’ll really kill you,”

ace shrugged at the threat, vivi looking at the duo in amusement, “lover’s quarrel?” she asked jokingly, making ace nod his head.

“he’s got a stubborn attitude he likes infecting into other peop-”

“ace, i said shut up!!!” [name] shouted suddenly, pushing his palm into ace’s face.

vivi laughed at the sight and found it even more endearing when ace actually did keep his mouth shut, following [name]’s command.

she was very thankful to have both [name] and luffy on her side.

and just when [name] thought he could get some uninteruppted sleep, courtesy of ace and his warmth, he was proved very wrong when he was suddenly grappled awake.

“who the fuck-?”

“we’re about to get swept off by the sandstorm, just hide behind a rock,” ace quickly explained, knowing that if he didn’t speak fast enough, [name] would beat his ass.

“where’s chopper? nami? vivi?” [name] asked, looking around for those he was most concerned for.

ace chuckled, “chopper is with luffy, nami is with sanji, and vivi can hold her own — she’s the one who grew up here, y’know?”

[name] nodded, accepting the explanation and instead braced for the impact of the sandstorm. it seemed to whip all their belongings out of order, crashing sand in their faces and all around them.

by the time it had passed, the sun was now properly up in the sky, meaning it had passed in the early dawn hours of the morning. [name] yawned, moving the sand from his face and body as he got up.

ace went to check on luffy and [name] found his way over to vivi.

”come on, princess,” he said, easily lifting her up by the undersides of her armpits and carrying her out of the heavy sand, “let’s get to travelling now. that was a pretty shit alarm clock,”

vivi murmured a thanks, seeing as [name] was the one who very easily lifted her up. he shrugged, saying it was no big deal and then moved on to check on chopper. he saw that nami was in the careful hands of sanji.

without waiting much longer, the entire crew decided to get moving. luffy’s dumbass decided that whoever won rock, paper, scissors would be the one to haul the belongings (even though it should have been whoever lost) and then he ended up winning.

feeling pity for his captain, [name] took half the portion and carried it on his own makeshift sled as well.

“[name], you’re the only one who cares about me,” luffy said exasperated by the physical task, “thank you for helping,”

“don’t go making stupid decisions that get you stuck in stupid situations, stupid,” [name] scolded, smacking the back of luffy’s head.

“i will, i will,”

“you mean you won’t?!” [name] reiterated, making his captain nod in understanding, although there was a high chance the information went in one ear and out the other. “why do i have to be the one always giving you advice, luffy? shouldn’t you know these certain things by now, seriously?”

“ooh! you can be my adviserer,” luffy proclaimed.

“what the fuck does that even mean?”

”you’re the adviserer.” luffy repeated, once again saying the incorrect word (he meant to say advisor, but added an extra -er for no reason).

“luffy, stop rambling nonsense,” [name] said, brushing away the topic as he truly didn’t understand what luffy meant.

after some time, usopp finally spotted a rock and announced it to the group.

“rock up a small ways ahead!!!”

“for real?! [name], let’s go!!!” luffy picked [name] up and threw him onto the pile of stuff then used his two free hands to carry both of their sleds of luggage. [name] had to hold on for dear life in order to not fall off as luffy carelessly ran through the desert.

“fucks’ sake, luffy!!!” [name]’s echoed shouts were the only signs that he was still alive when luffy ran off, making the rest of the crew sweat drop in disappointment.

[ BONUS : based off of the new outro in the show <3 ]

it hasn’t been long since chopper joined the crew. and despite the rush to get to alabasta, especially now that nami was better, there was no denying they’d be in need of certain amenities.

for a majority of them, it was food, for nami, it was mainly shopping for material goods. so they anchored down in some unknown island, some of the crew was already in the local town to get some goodies, but [name] and chopper stayed back on the sandy beach they had landed on.

“are you excited, chopper? your first real adventure,” [name] grinned, hyping the small reindeer up for the journeys they would take together.

“i’m excited, but also scared…were you scared when you first set sail, [name]?” chopper asked. “you don’t seem like the type to be scared easily,”

“pft! i was dead scared when i set out to sea by myself!!” [name] confirmed, laughing with his entire chest. chopper seemed shocked to learn that, eyes wide and sparkling.

“what? what do you mean?”

“i mean i was so scared chopper, definitely worse than what you were feeling,” [name] said, wanting to uplift the younger one’s spirits, “it was dark when i set sail, i had to go in the middle of the night! do you know what the sea looks like at night?” chopper shook his head, noting that he often went to bed early, “it’s all black around you. pitch black! could you imagine, going out to sea, and the first and only thing you can see is pitch black?”

chopper shivered where he sat, shaking his head as he most definitely did not want to think about that, “did you really sail out at night?”

“would i lie to you?” [name] asked with a cheerful grin. “that was my first time ever setting out to sea by myself, i was scared chopper, so i understand why you’re on edge.”

[name] leaned back on the palms of his hand, basking in the gentle sun.

“it’s alright to be scared, chopper,” [name] finalized, “you’ve got me to watch your back anyway, so enjoy the sea! you left your island to seek adventure, right?! enjoy and don’t worry about anything!”

[name] pointed a thumb at himself, “i’m strong enough to protect you and then some,”

chopper’s eyes sparkled completely, jumping onto [name]’s shoulder and shouting at the top of his lungs, “i’ll be the greatest pirate doctor to ever sail the sea!”

[name] chuckled at his childish antics, but cheered in alliance with chopper.

unknown to chopper, usopp, nami, and vivi were silently watching from the bushes behind them and were grinning at the heartfelt scene.

“so that guy really does have a heart?” usopp asked with a teasing tone. admiration sparkled in his eyes, though, as he saw how easily [name] was able to uplift chopper's mood.

“[name]’s pretty cool, isn’t he?” vivi asked, her cheeks uplifting in a smile as she watch [name] easily interact with chopper and ease all his worries.

“a pretty cool idiot,” nami sighed, but she too had a fond look on her face.

chopper and [name] were now yelling their dreams of being out on sea towards the shore line in front of them, and the secretly hidden three crewmates behind them to hear.

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#≡;- ꒰ ° keep safe series ꒱#ks #one piece x male reader #one piece x reader #x male reader #x reader #male reader #one piece male reader #one piece imagines #male reader imagines #anime male reader #one piece fanfiction #one piece fanfic #male reader fanfiction #male reader fanfic

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theggning · 1 year

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Luis as Don Quixote

Luis' affection for/continuing references to Don Quixote are one of my favorite little details in RE4make. We find several files that mention it was his favorite book as a child, and of course he brings it up in chapter 11, casting himself as Don Quixote (the "dashing" hero), Leon as Sancho Panza (the goofy sidekick), and Ashley as Dulcinea (the beautiful, kidnapped princess.)

For the uninitiated, Don Quixote is an early 17th century Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes about a middle aged nobleman whose obsession with books leads him to become a "knight," setting out to live the romantic ideals of chivalry and make the world a better place. However, out of delusion or idealism bordering on delusion, he makes foolish mistakes and causes a lot of trouble (for instance, the famous "tilting at windmills" incident.) The novel is a parody of the chivalric stories popular at the time, and interpretations over the years vary on whether Don Quixote is a comedic or a tragic figure, whether we are meant to feel pity for him or view him as a fool and a menace to society.

RE4make shows us that a young Luis was inspired to become a scientist by the plaga infection and death of his grandfather, and set out on his career in the outside world with good intentions. But just like Don Quixote, his obsession and idealism led him to making mistakes, both in his work for Umbrella and his affiliation with Los Illuminados. Though it's implied Luis kept some kind of moral compass intact (he quit Umbrella even before everything went to hell, and he was working to undermine and counter Saddler for some time,) he feels responsible for the collateral damage wrought by his work and blames himself for not seeing his mistakes before it was too late to prevent them.

I just find the whole thing really poignant. Luis holds lifelong enthusiasm for a story about a man who wants to make the world a better place, but who screws up over and over again. Regardless, Don Quixote keeps trying, hoping he'll be able to live up to the hero he's always wanted to be. The "Man of La Mancha" Quixote himself never succeeds at this, eventually returning to his ordinary life and regretful of the harm he has caused.

Luis, on the other hand, really does become a hero. No matter his past actions and no matter how sketchy he acts, by the time he announces his partnership with Leon, Luis is fully committed to a cause greater than saving his own skin. He makes an ACTIVE CHOICE to help Leon and Ashley when it is completely at odds with his own survival, and when he has the means of his own rescue in hand. If he left with Ada as soon as he recovered the Amber, Luis would have lived longer-- but more than likely fallen right back into his same old mistakes and handed over a bioweapon to Wesker. Choosing to help Leon and Ashley seals his fate, but it unquestionably saves both of their lives-- not to mention leads to the chain of events that end Saddler and Los Illuminados, potentially saving the world.

Unlike Don Quixote, Luis does manage to become a hero in the end. And unlike the original game, RE4make acknowledges and remembers it long after he's already gone. Dr. Luis Serra Navarro really was a fine knight, and he really did save the day.

#resident evil #re4make #re4make spoilers #resident evil meta #luis serra #luis sera #luis serra navarro #did i get all his tags this time HOPE SO anyway #little preview before i write the luis serra manifesto coming up here soon #english major tag #resident evil 4 #resident evil 4 remake

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cleverinsidejoke · 7 months

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Part 2

Part 1 | Part 3

I had fun with this one. It's been fun getting this started, writing characters as best I can, and getting this show on the road! If there are any triggering parts in this, let me know and I'll add on a warning.

wc: 1957

The air in the Angel’s Share had shifted. The drunk Bard’s loud singing and boisterous laughter had dwindled to silence. Diluc looked up from the inventory book, seeing Venti sitting upright and tense, hand wavering just by the bottle of dandelion wine, head inclined at a subtle angle, as though listening to the whispers of an unseen being.

Beneath the mountains of Liyue, Azhdaha ceases his cries as the world around him silences as Teyvat’s internal conflict resolves itself. The earth begins speaking again, indecipherable words that Azhdaha is accustomed to, growing louder and louder, deafening to his sensitive ears.

Zhongli hears it too. Even in this mortal form, he is still attuned to the stories Teyvat says, has grown accustomed to ignoring the senseless chatter of the world. The silence unnerves him.

The entities of the Abyss shift in the ancient halls, quieting as something calls to them from afar. The Princess smiles to herself.

In turn, Foul Legacy claws at the edges of Childe’s mind in a poor attempt at claiming consciousness. It settles for a quiet harmony of Abyssal murmurs. It feels strangely calm for the creature. Too human. Almost religious.

Teyvat has been disquieted, in disharmony with itself. It hides it well. Celestia cannot be allowed to know.

The landing lacks the same harshness that pulled you to this strange world in the first place, instead landing you on the ground carefully, as you would a pet or a delicate heirloom. “So this is real, right?” You look over at Gene, collecting yourself. “We’re in Genshin Impact?” They shrug, looking around with caution.

“There’s the Dawn Winery.” you follow their gaze. Sure enough, there it was. You were on the heightened area near the Statue of the Seven, overlooking Springvale. From here, you could see the great city itself, windmills dimly lit by the moonlight. A crisp breeze blew in, rustling the tall grasses around you. With the quiet surroundings and the peaceful atmosphere, Mondstadt felt nothing short of home.

“I don’t care if it’s Buckingham Palace or Disneyland. I want to find someplace to sleep.” It turns out that being transported into a new world after a long day of stress wasn’t the greatest of feelings. You begin a careful descent towards the road, using Windrise as a point of reference.

“Likewise.” Gene follows, taking hold of your arm whenever your footing becomes unsteady. As Windrise grows closer, so grows your need for rest. You’re soon leaning on Gene for support. The gentle breeze fades as you approach the large tree. The Statue of the Seven looms larger than you expected, even stranger to see in real life. Gene takes the opportunity to touch it. The Statue’s light glows violet in turn. A slow transition.

“Let’s just see if we can get some place at the Goth Grand Hotel or the Church. Surely the sisters can’t say no to us. The poor, helpless outlanders.” Slumping over their shoulder melodramatically, you yawn. “It’s getting too late.” The pair of you make your way to the city, with no real plan. Timmy is absent from the bridge. A shame. You rather liked tormenting seeing the boy interact with his pigeons. But it was late, and thus, understandable that he was absent.

“Halt, strange, yet respectable travelers!” The familiar line wakes you up a bit, your head snapping up to look at the speaker. It’s only Lawrence, accompanied by Swan, guarding the gate. Of course it wouldn’t be Amber. It’s not her duty to guard the gate, after all. “What brings you to the gates of Mondstadt so late?”

“We’re only looking for a place to stay for the night, sirs.” Gene continues to shoulder your weight as they speak to the guards. They offer a disarming smile to the men. That same gentle twist of the lips that you’ve become so accustomed to. A smile that practically begs to be trusted.

“The Church or the Headquarters may have a place for you to stay. Do you know anything, Swan?” Lawrence glances at the other man, probing for an answer.

“I’m not sure. I can escort them to the Church if need be.” Your drowsiness dampens the words, your body growing heavy. Soon, your weight is heavy on Gene’s back, unsupported by your consciousness as a deep slumber overtakes you.

The Anemo Archon had become restless. The dandelion wine was left untouched on the counter, the solemn nature of the bard causing some unease in the tavern. Diluc almost preferred the boisterous and easygoing attitude.

Not that it mattered at the moment though. The tavern would be closing in a quarter of an hour. It was time to begin closing. Diluc began by approaching the other patrons, quietly asking them to leave and informing them that the tavern would close soon. Finally, it was down to Venti.

“It’s almost closing time.” The bard remained still, unresponsive. Then he turned, looking up at the bartender.

“The wind carried news, Master Diluc.” Venti’s soft smile is out of place, unmatched with his quiet tone. “Good news.” He seems to have been waiting for someone to ask.

“News?” He couldn’t deny his curiosity, especially if the Anemo Archon thought it was good.

“The Creator has returned, Diluc! The Creator! And, if the winds are accurate, then they’ve brought another with them!” Venti grinned, standing from his chair. “They should have reached Mondstadt by now. Good night, Diluc.”

The influx of information causes Diluc to stiffen. The Creator? But the holy texts had predicted them to arrive much later. Venti pranced out of the tavern, leaving the bartender alone to his thoughts in the Angel’s Share.

Venti allowed the wind to guide him, whispers fueling his excitement. Following the new Anemo footprint of the Creator, he made his way to the Church of Favonius.

You awoke to the sound of idle chatter. Sitting up, you took in the sight of the well lit interior of the Church of Favonius. Gene’s laughter was what rang out across the church, allowing you to get up and track them more easily. You grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around yourself, following the voices.

You had been sleeping on a pew in the back of the church, so it wasn’t all that difficult to walk to the front, where people were gathered and talking. As you picked apart the crowd, you could see Barbara, the sisters, Gene, and Venti himself.

“Oh, Y/N!” Gene waved you over, settling their hand on their neck as they turned their attention to the others. “This is my dearest friend.” folding your arms across your chest, you approach the group, giving an awkward wave. Part of you had hoped it was a dream. The reality was an uncomfortable one to be accustomed to.

“Oh, so this is the esteemed friend you spoke of!” Venti approaches quickly, drawing a subtle flinch from Gene. “Of similar caliber to yourself, Creator?” The final word is what captures your attention. Creator? You had read the stories and Aus. This couldn’t possibly end well, could it?

“Yes. Y/N is from the same realm as myself.” Their discomfort was obvious, in need of something to lean onto. You approach, draping an arm across their shoulders.

“Yep! So… what tales of grandeur are said about you, Gene?” Perhaps if you can find what myths detail them, then you can prevent future danger.

“I’m not sure. I’ve been away for so long…” With a nervous laugh, Gene looks back to the people. Long conversations with strangers, no matter how familiar they seem, had always been a bit difficult for them.

“Do you have any tales, Venti?” You offer a point of conversation to the extroverted bard.

“Of course! I’ll tell you all about it. We’ve even got a whole, ehm... library, for you.” Venti laughed. “I’ll tell you about it when we get there. C’mon!” Approaching the end of the cathedral, opening the entrance to the basement. “Oh, Barbara! Is everything ready down there?”

“Yes, yes!” A rushed voice called back, the stairs creaking. The blonde deaconess exited the basement, curtsying as she spotted Gene. “It’s really you! And your attendant! It’s truly my honor to be present so soon after your descent.” Her words are honeyed, too sweet for your liking. “Um, please come down! We’ve been preparing it for you.” She ushers you down the stairs quickly, the creaking accompanying you.

You’re greeted by the expansive basement, the far ambulatory chambers with statues in the likeness of each archon, another in the likeness of Gene in the center of the apse. The nave has pews closer to the statue, albeit only a few rows. Bookshelves line the walls closest to the front. It is a meager church, unlike what you read about.

“The worship of the Creator is prohibited by Celestia.” Venti pipes up. “In fact, all texts about you were abolished and almost completely destroyed. This is what remains after years of tracking them down.”

“Venti happened to have a collection. After your signs began appearing across Teyvat, the churches and temples opened in secret again. I would say they began happening after the Traveler arrived in Mondstadt.” Barbara smiles sweetly. “You’re more than welcome to come here as much as you’d like.”

“Thank you.” The pleasantries continue as you wander over to the bookshelves, looking for interesting titles and points to research. “The Books of Creation”, “The Heavenly Principles” “Prophecies of the Primordial One”... Each book proves worthy of looking over. Pulling one off the shelf, you begin to read, opening to a note in the beginning. It appears to be a dedicated journal.

The Creator, on their own, is reality. The only god needed to prosper. With their blessings, our nation can prosper. Remember that, Alberr.

You skim through the everyday things, gathering context clues until you begin to read fully.

19.8.

The field tillers are working better than we thought they would. Other nations have expressed concern involving them, but it is a breakthrough that we cannot allow to go to waste.

24.8

Siarri consulted the books the other day. The Creator is due to return from their journey soon. Perhaps they can give us an ultimatum about the field tillers then. I don’t want to give up so easily on the years of work we’ve put into it. It’s worth being outcasted from the other nations.

24.8

Siarri has taken to calling me names.

1.12

The creator is late.

25.1

Khaenri’ah has fallen. Celestia came in with no prior signs of hostility. The archons were there too, fighting with a vengeance. Almost like they were taking something back. Were they upset because their people were inclined towards our ways?

Celestia has been in turmoil since then. Worship of the Creator has been outlawed. Does that extend to the archons? Aren’t they closer to the Creator than us mortals are? Barbatos and Rukkhadevata used to be all for the worship of the Holy one. Maybe the Cataclysm is what caused this change. It caused Khaenri’ah to fall, so I can only imagine what damage has been caused to Sumeru and Mondstadt. What damage it will eventually cause.

We can’t blame anyone. But we can make inferences. I’m going to travel and make as many connections as I can. I’ll get another journal to write that down in.

29.12

To-Do

Buy a new bag journal

Check in with the kids

Document Mondstadt

The journal is gently taken from you, glanced at briefly by the taker, and set aside. “I’m afraid that wasn’t meant to go to the library.” The voice is immediately recognizable. You turn carefully. “Kaeya, Knight of Favonius. It’s an honor.”

#genshin sagau #sagau #genshin #genshin impact #genshin imagines

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your-mom-friend · 1 month

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Malevolent Part 41 “The Windmill” can’t think about anything but Arthur’s hysterical laugh over the creature being an owl

Oh my gosh he’s talking all cute to the owl omg Arthur Lester is a Disney Princess confirmed

Oh that last part is fucked up

I would so love it if the click and static at the end was a recorder and it’s just Kayne watching his little shows

#rem rambles #malevolent #malevolent podcast #kayne malevolent #arthur lester #john doe malevolent #john malevolent #malevolent part 41

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writingnocturne · 4 months

Note

ALBW Zelink at a lake?

Still Life

Notes

Getting back to prompts! Hey, Ladye, sorry for the wait! I had so much fun with this one. ALBW Zelink is so underrated!! I hope you enjoy! :) And thank you to dubiousfood for giving me a quick beta read!

Sneak Peek

《 “What do you think? Is this a good spot, Link?”

Lake Hylia carries a light, cool breeze against the summer air. It rolls along the fan of a windmill, creating a faint rocking sound to those up close. As the grass brushes at their feet, two children stand in its thin shadow. One wears a soft pink dress and carries an easel under her arm— the other wears a forest-green tunic with a scarf of a darker shade. The boy in the Hytopian clothes, fashioned after the wear of the lost Kokiri, shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

“Don't give me that look… You're having second thoughts about standing still for so long, aren't you?” The young princess sets up her work all the same, intent on proceeding nonetheless. “I thought you were excited to model for me!” 》

Ao3 Link

Word Count: 488

Prompt Post

This is for a little ask game I'm doing for short fics! You just send me three words and I'll write from them! See the full post here.

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voidsentprinces · 5 months

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I like that Soken took the Community's memeing of Lahabrea and went: Oh yeah, you like to dunk on this man. So I am going to give him a secret song that only activates in his (Savage) difficulty and once his transformation is complete and he narratively becomes completely influenced by Athena's ambition. We're going to slip lyrics about Don Quixote. The story of a man playing knight, a man who dreams of becoming a champion of justice but is deluded himself with his dreams. His wish to rescue princesses and fight dragons but instead only makes himself a fool by fighting windmills and injurying his back in the process. But also throw in the scientific view of what he has done to his body. Twisting into an abomination of the various creatures banned from Elpis who are still valued for their dangerous savagery...Hephaistos broken away from Lahabrea has not realized all he has done is in service to a woman who loves his not and he is just like the others in his devotion he has become a danger to the very nation he swore to protect when becoming Warder of Pandaemonium in building the cage for Athena. But her ambition is so strong he feasts on such a corruption of what he once represented willingly and delightedly.

Yes, let us make the community laughing about Lahabread and the jokes canon but also show how the delusions can be made dangerous if put in the hands of a man who has the power of creation and the most dangerous concepts at his finger tips.

Black mark payback, marking time With a stone of white do we mark up the night Shadows shifting, paradigm To the man behind, prithee pay no mind

Roughshod riding, overdrive Tilting windmills wicked, wandering blind Milling slowly grinding fine All the rotten grist on which I dine

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theteasetwrites · 1 year

Text

The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Chapter 96: There's No Place Like Home

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: Season 11 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: language, violence ❧ Word Count: 5.6k

❧ In This Chapter: You've finally returned to Alexandria, but it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The Commonwealth has taken over, and it will take some sweat, blood, and tears to get it back. Emphasis on the blood.

❧ A/N: Happy New Year! And man, we don't have very many chapters of this series left... I am hoping it will end at Chapter 100 (nice, satisfying number), but we will see how well that works out. I am hoping to also include some sm*t before the end... Just for old time's sake. Lots of exciting stuff coming up. By the way, please ignore the fact that in the show, it is snowing during the windmill scene. Idk what the writers were thinking, but they clearly fucked up the timeline because in the show, there is a Halloween event (which is obviously in October), and then it cuts to 6 months later, so there's a six month time jump, and that means that all this should technically be happening in APRIL, and it doesn't snow in April so I am just imagining it's April for my own sanity ok? And because I want Wes to be an Aries thanks.

You had watched through Daryl’s binoculars, sitting idly by as Negan struggled against the Commonwealth soldiers that tackled him. You were home now, on the outskirts of Alexandria, but security was high, and brutal.

You didn’t much care for Negan getting beaten, you had to admit. Some old wounds would never heal, and as much as you tried to reserve sympathy for him, it was difficult. What worried you, however, was Ezekiel, Nabila, Princess, Kelly, Connie, Magna, even Negan’s wife, Annie. What worried you most, of course, were the children.

The town had been turned into what you could only describe as a labor camp, with a redheaded man in a dark grey coat barking orders to exhausted workers as soldiers stood by menacingly with their rifles in hand. You didn’t see the children. Wherever they were, it couldn’t be much better than this.

You and Daryl met back up with the others, further outside the walls, where you couldn’t be seen by the guards.

Maggie was disturbed by the news, and even more disturbed to hear that the children were nowhere to be seen from yours and Daryl’s vantage point. “But they have to be there, right?”

You met her gaze, releasing a heavy sigh. You were about to speak before Rosita spoke for you. “Okay, we need to go in now.”

“We can’t,” replied Daryl. “There’s too many guards. We’ll never make it.”

“So, she turned our home into a prison,” said Gabriel. “After promising to give it back.”

“She never planned to give it back,” said Maggie.

“Wait,” you said, an idea suddenly coming to you. “The sewers, we can go in through the sewers, right?” You lifted your gaze to meet Daryl’s, who seemed to follow your line of thinking. “Like before, when the Saviors attacked. You escaped through the sewers.”

“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Good idea. You and me, down shit tunnel.”

How romantic.

The group split, with Maggie and Carol taking the south sewer, you and Daryl taking the north. Gabriel and Rosita stayed on lookout outside the walls, much to Rosita’s dismay. You understood that—she wanted to get to her baby as soon as possible, so did you.

So you told her that if you got to the kids first, you’d be sure to check in on Coco, to make sure she was safe and healthy. It wasn’t much, but it was all you could do.

Daryl climbed down first, shining his flashlight down on the tunnel floor. It always made you nervous, watching him go first into dangerous situations. Still, he always insisted.

“Be careful!” you whisper-yelled down to him, yourself shining your own light on his hands as they moved down the rungs of the ladder. “Watch out for walkers.” As much as you trusted Daryl to be smart, you were always going to worry about him a little too much.

“Shh!” He held his finger over his pursed lips, then let go of the last rung to drop feet first on the ground. He held up his hands to beckon you. “C’mon!” he whisper-yelled back. “Ain’t got all day.”

You rolled your eyes as you turned to climb down. “What’s it like down there?”

“Smells like shit.”

You stepped on the fifth rung down, now catching a whiff of said shit. “Besides that.”

“Dark and wet.”

You gave up asking by the time you got down, but now you could see it for yourself. Indeed, it was dark, wet, and it did smell like shit.

“This way,” said Daryl, pointing towards the beam of the flashlight that illuminated the tunnel. l. “I’ll go first, stay behind me.”

You ignored him, walking alongside him instead.

He huffed, shining his light just below your face. “You never listen ta me,” he said.

You tilted your head and made a sour face. “And you always baby me.”

“Pfft…” Well, he wasn’t going to deny it. He did baby you, but it was for a good cause. “Jus’ be careful.”

The two of you silently stalked the length of the tunnel for a while, until you stumbled upon an overgrown maze of leafy vines hanging from the sewer grate just overhead. Entangled in those vines was a walker, flailing its arms and growling as the two of you approached with your flashlights trained on its rotting face.

“How the hell did it get down here?” you asked.

Daryl spared no time, bending over to begin clearing out the overgrowth with a series of grunts. You followed his lead to help make a path. “Musta found its way in ‘ere somehow. Got all tangled up.”

The walker’s sounds got louder the closer Daryl got, until his knife plunged into its head, ending its growling and flailing. He shined his light further, making sure that was the only one. “S’all clear now,” he said. “Come on, this way.”

You trudged through the brush, grabbing Daryl’s hand when he lent it to you. The path was still not quite stable, though, and a wrong step between the branches caught the toe of your boot, causing you to stumble.

Daryl’s grasp tightened, with his other hand grabbing your other wrist to keep you steady. You didn’t fall, but you stumbled enough for a flash of white to cascade from your coat pocket. All you had in there was your photo, as you always kept at least one with you.

“Oh, no.”

You turned to frantically search through the leaves, while Daryl looked on in confusion as he held his flashlight with the beam concentrated on your hands. “What is it?”

“Nothing, just…” You found the polaroid nestled among a few leaves, and you sighed in relief. “Thank God.”

You turned the photograph over in your hands, revealing the face of your daughter. She smiled wide, with Dog posed beside her as her arm wrapped around his neck. That photo was an older one, taken a few summers ago. Robin wore her favorite white linen overalls, decorated with daisies lovingly embroidered by you, and her floppy brown gardening hat. Even Dog sported a yellow bandana tied loosely around his neck, with his tongue hanging out to the side as his mouth humorously curled into a wide grin.

Robin’s eyes looked so blue here, like two little sapphires shining between caramel colored bangs that hung a little too low on her forehead. You remembered trimming them not too long after you took that photo.

You slathered her exposed skin in sunblock that day, making sure she didn’t get any burns. Her skin was sensitive, like yours. She burnt easily, but when she rubbed her eyes that day, the sunblock seeped in, irritating her. She came up to Daryl crying, her fists balled up in her eyes as she rubbed them in an attempt to get the sunblock out. You were bringing out the lemonade, and Daryl dropped his hot dogs to see what was wrong with the little girl. The poor thing sobbed so much she couldn’t make out any words, and you came out onto the front porch to see Daryl in a parental panic, Robin bawling her eyes out, and Dog feasting on sausages.

At least you had gotten that photograph before all Hell broke loose. You had managed to get your two children to sit upon the porch of your home in Alexandria, taking a break from playing in the unforgiving midsummer heat of Virginia. It was nothing compared to Georgia, Daryl always reminded you, but it was all Robin had ever known, until you left.

We never should’ve left.

“Hon?”

You sniffled, holding back a few tears. After all these years, you still couldn’t stop yourself from crying. Everyone else had gotten so good at it, it seemed. Sometimes, you wondered if you had gotten even more sensitive.

“It’s… I forgot I put this in my pocket.” You chuckled slightly under your breath, just now noticing how filthy Dog’s paws were from digging holes and trying to catch gophers. “Sorry.”

You reached down to return the photograph to its home, but Daryl’s hand stopped you, gently holding your wrist. “Let me see.”

With another sniffle, you held it out to him, and he took it in his own hands. “She was so little,” he said, his lips quirking into the slightest crooked smile. “Even Dog looks younger.”

“They’re precious,” you said, your voice beginning to falter. “I wish… I wish I’d taken one of Wes before we left.”

He looked up to study your face, now with one tear running down your cheek. You quickly brushed it away, sniffling again.

“We should keep going,” you said.

“Wait a sec.”

Odd. Daryl was usually the impatient one of the two of you, and though neither of you wanted to spend more time in this stinking hole, Daryl couldn’t go on with you like this. He didn’t have to ask. He knew what it was.

“We’ll find ‘em,” he said. “We will.” As he held out the photograph to hand it back to you, he cupped your hand over his, as if Robin’s portrait was protected by both of you. Well, it was. She was, so was Wes.

“H-how do you know?”

His eyes softened in the way they only could for you, his angel. “I just do.” He let your hand go, so you tucked your photo back into your pocket. When your eyes looked back up at him, he rested a hand on the spot where your neck met your shoulder. His thumb reached up to rub your cheek, where his touch warmed you.

“Dad instincts,” he added with a smile, much to your amusement. A small chuckle erupted from you, but it was bittersweet.

“You’re such a good dad.”

He could feel himself beginning to choke up, your emotions and your words overwhelming him, too. The empathy link between you and him was always strong, to the point that your hurt was his hurt, and vice versa. Not only that, but he was terrified, too. Still, one of you had to be strong for the other now.

“And you’re a great mom.”

“No,” you said, though you leaned into his touch. “I tried… I tried not to let them take them away.” Guilt washed over you then, and he could feel it, like it was flowing from your body into his from the point where his hand touched your cheek.

He pulled you in, against his body. His arms formed a protective barrier around you, as they always did. His pride was in keeping you safe, like you were entrusted to him forever. It was a great responsibility to protect the most precious thing in the world, to love her and make her happy as much as he could, but he was never one to give up easily. Besides, loving you was easy. It came naturally to him.

“I know.” He let his chin rest upon your head, while his hands smoothed over the ripples in your coat on your back. “I know you wouldn’t just let ‘em get taken. You did what ya could.”

“It wasn’t enough.”

“Hey, I lost the kids, too. They jumped us. Hell, you just had a baby. You weren’t in any condition to fight back, you know that.”

He pulled back, but you still looked down. His hand came up to hold your chin, lifting it until you were forced to face him. Your eyes were weighed down by tears tugging at your waterline, threatening to trickle down your reddened cheeks. Your lips quivered slightly as you tried to hold it together, for him. He was always so strong for you, you had to try to be strong for him, too, even if he had strength for the both of you.

“If we… lose them—”

“Stop it.”

“But we could—”

“No.” Both hands held your cheeks again, this time with more pressure. Not too much, but just enough to let you know he was serious. “Listen to me. There ain’t no damn use in thinkin’ about what might happen or what might be happenin’. All we gotta think about right now is how we’re gonna find ‘em, and what we gotta do to find ‘em. I know you ain’t ever gonna stop worryin’, ‘cause that’s just who you are, and I love you, but you gotta trust me.”

You gotta trust me stuck with you.

“I trust you… Do you trust me?”

“You know I do, angel.”

You held him back, squeezing him as hard as you could, like a human stress ball. “I love you, Daryl Dixon.”

He took advantage of the space where your neck was exposed to leave a small kiss there. “I love you, too… And when all this is over, I’m takin’ you somewhere nice.”

You turned to face him with a weak chuckle as you wiped away the last of your tears. “What?”

“Like a vacation.”

Sometimes, Daryl surprised you. It was a rare occurrence, since Daryl was always rather predictable, which you liked, but there were times like these where his impulsiveness would come out, perhaps just to distract you momentarily from your worries. He knew exactly how to do so.

“A vacation?” you asked. “There’s no such thing. You used to say that vacations were impossible now.”

“Yeah, but… What if we just get on the bike and go? Ain’t gotta be far, just a little ways away, just you and me.”

You shook your head in playful dismay. “Daryl Dixon,” you said, “you seem to be forgetting that we have no less than four children we are currently responsible for, two of which are our children, one of which is a baby.”

“Well, we wouldn’t be gone long… And we could wait till Wes is older, when everythin’ calms down. Maybe things will be better again, like they were before.” He studied his surroundings, the dark tunnel in which you were standing, which wreaked of putrid musk. “Now let's get outta this shithole, and get our kids back.”

By the time you raised the sewer grate, stepping out clandestinely inside the walls of Alexandria, it was dark. With only two flashlights to lead the way, you immediately recognized where you were. It was the middle of Morgan Street, your street.

It was empty, though, too empty for comfort.

“Where is everybody?” you whispered. “The guards…” You trailed off as the beam of light you held in your hand illuminated a distant house, its windows dark inside and the familiar rose bushes you had once kept so meticulously pruned were gone, ripped from the recently tilled dirt that once housed their roots. “Daryl.”

He turned to follow your eye line, and sadness welled within him like a tidal wave. The house was repaired to some extent, but it looked so different now. It looked dreary, empty. The home he’d made with you was no longer boisterous and full of life.

He could still hear the patter of Robin’s little feet upon the hardwood floor as Dog chased her.

He could still smell your potpourri experiments, cloves and oranges and magnolias and lavender and rose and whatever else you could get your hands on.

He could still feel your weight leaning into his chest as he held you, sitting upon the couch as a roaring fire crackled in the fireplace, keeping you both warm into the wee hours of the morning, when he’d more often than not carry you upstairs to your bed.

He could still remember watching Robin help Lydia with her homework, the girls’ hushed voices concentrating on their assignments as you looked on proudly.

So many memories in that house, so many voices had been carried in its walls. Voices of people long past… Old friends no longer here to see what this place has become, for better or for worse.

What was once home was now just some house.

Wordless sadness floated aimlessly between the two of you, but sadness didn’t get things done. Persistence did, and you were both persistent in your search for the children.

You didn’t have to slink around long before you saw it—in the center of town, just in front of the windmill, a small army of Commonwealth guards had gathered, along with what seemed to be all the prisoners. From the looks of things, they’d been woken up, taken by force to the square.

Unfamiliar light posts had sprouted on either sides of the crops, spewing harsh, cold lights to illuminate the scene. The place was grey, sterile, a far cry from your memories. Alexandria had once been a bright, colorful place. It had once been a collage of eras, memories and moments in time that defined the settlement’s journey.

There were the suburban townhouses and model homes from the old world, then the corrugated fence that kept out the dead, marking the beginning of the new world. When the fence was expanded, Alexandria grew, encompassing more land to build. Bare bones buildings put together with the most basic, yet sturdy, of materials dotted the place, giving it that craftsman charm you always admired. Nothing looked perfect, it was always built by hand, trial and error. The windmill you now gazed at was the biggest landmark. The majesty of it symbolized to you human innovation in the face of stagnation.

Now, it was covered in blood.

What shocked you more was the line of guards that stood with their guns held high, aiming to shoot at the people you knew—Ezekiel, Nabila, Princess, Magna, Connie, Kelly, Negan, Annie…

They were making a stand. Of course they were. They were your people, and that’s what your people had always done.

Ezekiel stood before them all, his arms outstretched in a gesture of protection. He spoke loudly, his voice reverberating in the night. “You don’t have to do this! This world is broken, but we don’t have to be!”

At the end of the firing line stood the red-haired man in the dark grey coat you’d seen earlier. He was in charge, you gathered, and he was the one who wanted your people dead.

You noticed a movement in the firing squad, a soldier stepping out of line. The others lowered their weapons to see what was happening, as the soldier who stepped away raised his.

He aimed for the man in charge, much to your shock. When another soldier attempted to shoot him, he shot back.

The red-haired man scurried in a panic, grabbing poor Kelly as he held a pistol to her head, walking backwards as if to eventually make a run for it.

“No!” shouted Magna. “Kelly! Kelly!”

The others held her back, as there wasn’t much to be done. If she moved, he’d kill Kelly. Luckily for you, you were behind him, wrapped around the other side of the windmill, and he was only inching closer.

Daryl moved faster than you this time, procuring his knife as he moved past you, towards the man as he backed up into the darkness in which you were hiding. You were right behind him, your knife drawn, too, just in case.

You didn’t need it, of course. Daryl always aimed just right, plunging the blade into the base of the man’s neck where his spinal cord met his brain. He did it so coolly, with no emotion behind his eyes. You always knew that something shifted whenever Daryl went into that mode—he’d turn off his feelings for a split second, turn off any parts of him that might object to murder. What prevailed in those moments was his sense of justice, revenge, and order. If there was anything Daryl could do, it was kill.

Silence strangled out all the sounds of panic that began to fade. The man fell immediately after Daryl’s stab, no doubt losing all ability for his head to control his body. Kelly was embraced by her sister, and now you both stood before the others in a bittersweet reunion.

Out in the crowd of other prisoners, there was no objection to the end of the tyrant’s rule. Even the other guards stood down, seemingly returning Alexandria to the people.

But the taskmaster hadn’t been killed, not yet. Daryl had only paralyzed him, and he was on his way out, but he was still alive. Negan came forward, picking up the man by his jacket collar and dragging him out towards the crowd. He picked up a rock large enough to hold with two hands, and just before he struck him with the final blow to end the man’s misery, a voice called out.

“Negan!” Rosita burst forward as Gabriel flipped the man till he was facing up. “Don’t kill him!” she shouted.

“Where’s my daughter?” She leaned over the man, grasping his collar as she yelled, “Where is she?!”

There was an unmistakable quiver in her voice, a kind of desperation and rage that only a mother looking for her child could have. He didn’t answer, not that you heard from the distance you stood, anyway.

What you did hear, though, was the unmistakable wheezing and growling of a walker. Your head pivoted like a finely tuned machine, your hand instinctively grasping for the handle of your knife. The soldier that had been shot had turned, and the walker was slowly but surely rising to his feet.

Rosita was faster, though. She tugged on the walker’s uniform, pulling him towards the nearly lifeless man’s body with a wild groan.

She held the snapping, starving walker to the man’s face, shouting again, “Where the hell is she?! Tell me where she is!”

You could only look on, somewhere between understanding and horror. It sent a shiver down your spine—she hadn’t been able to find Coco, what if Robin and Wes weren’t there either?

Frozen in your fear, you only heard the red-haired man faintly say one phrase to Rosita. “You will lose everything.”

Just then, she dropped the walker, letting its teeth sink into the man’s face. “No! No! Ahh!”

Before you looked away, you saw the bright red flesh tearing away as the walker dined on his eye socket. No one made a move, not wanting to disturb the creature’s feast. It would have to be put down, but not only the man was made to suffer.

You didn’t care now, though. With the man still screaming, you turned swiftly, only your children’s safety on your mind.

“(Y/N)!” Daryl followed after you, his breath heavy as he tried to keep up.

“Not my babies,” was all you could reply, panting as you ran towards the nearest house, ready to raid each and every one.

The townhouse you chose to search first looked lived-in with candlelight glowing in the window of the second floor. You hurried up the steps of the porch, knife drawn and ready to kill if anyone got between you and the children.

Of course, Daryl tried to go in front of you, but, in an unusual display of roughness, you pushed him away with more force than he’d ever known you to have. You looked at him with wild, electric eyes, your hair falling out of your hat in an untamed mess. You didn’t have to say anything, he knew what you meant to say: I’m fucking going first.

So you did, kicking open the front door with a grand crash. It was a far cry from your usual more subtle, quiet approach, but there wasn’t going to be any stopping you now. The soldier that almost immediately greeted you was caught off guard when your knife slit his forearm where the armor wasn’t covering. It caused him to drop his gun while you slit his thigh, sending him writhing in pain on the floor.

It happened so fast that you lost conscious thought of the things you were doing, but Daryl watched your every move, making sure you didn’t make a wrong move. You quickly armed yourself with the soldier’s gun, wielding it as you inspected each room on the first floor, each empty.

You huffed, blowing a stray strand of hair away from your face. Then, you heard what sounded like muffled, higher-pitched voices coming from the floor above. They were children’s voices, you knew that for sure.

As you ran through the hallway, jumping over the writhing soldier to flee up the stairs, you began to hear the wailing of a baby. Warm tears flooded your vision, but you were steadfast in your search. You used your back to throw the first door open, holding the gun ready.

When you laid your determined eyes on an eleven-year-old girl with long brown hair, they softened immediately.

“Aunt (Y/N)!” Judith ran to you across the room. Her arms outstretched to hug you, so you dropped the gun and leaned down to receive her.

You peered over her shoulder to see more familiar children—Nabila and Jerry’s kids, whose names you admittedly lost track of at times, were among them, with more you recognized from the Commonwealth. And, of course, RJ was in Daryl’s arms, but the reunion couldn’t last too long—Robin and Wes weren’t here, and the crying had stopped.

“Judith,” you said, both sternly and with a tremble in your voice. “Where’s Robin and the baby?”

The crying began again, coming distinctly from across the hall. This time, Daryl moved first, knife drawn to slam through the door of the room where the crying came from.

You followed behind, peering over his shoulder to see light brown-haired girl, cowering in the corner of the room and facing the wall, rocking back and forth with a bundle of something in her arms. You knew the back of her head anywhere, the shape of her little body. Her hair was tied in a low half-ponytail, and her knitted sweater of seafoam green was unquestionably the garment of your daughter.

“Robin!” Daryl shouted out.

She turned immediately, her face red and puffy from crying. Westley, bundled up in a sloppy swaddle, flailed his limbs and wailed in her arms. She must’ve been trying to keep him quiet, having heard the scary noises downstairs.

“Daddy?!” she called out in confusion. “Mama!”

She lifted herself to her feet, still clinging to her infant brother, as you came forward, arms ready to snatch her up and never let her go.

You couldn’t form words as you held her and the baby, all you could was cry tears of joy and relief. But, out of fear of squishing Wes, you loosened your hold on the child for a moment to delicately take the infant into your embrace.

“He won’t stop cryin’,” she said with a sniffle of her own. “I was so scared, I thought…”

Daryl leaned down to hold her, and she lost of train of thought when she plummeted her head between his neck and shoulder. “S’all right,” he said quietly, his strong, warm hands gently rubbing her back. “Everythin’s all right now, birdie.”

Westley’s crying calmed intermittently as you rocked him, but he was hungry, and neglected.

When Daryl left momentarily to touch base with the others, you stayed behind with the children. Maggie and Carol met up with you in that townhouse, where they’d brought Hershel, Gracie, and some more children that they’d found being held in one of the other houses. It was the biggest children’s sleepover you’d ever seen, though it was still a rather solemn night.

Coco was still nowhere to be found, and a few other babies belonging to some of the Commonwealth prisoners weren’t there, either. It chilled you to the bone, and you wouldn’t be able to sleep that night.

Daryl wouldn’t, either. He instead helped draw up a plan of attack with some of the others, planning on returning to the Commonwealth first thing come sunrise. They were going to get the rest of the children back, and they were going to take down Pamela for what she’d done, or tried to do.

Though it would’ve been a great historical moment to witness, you stayed in the townhouse to help watch over the children, and to nurse Wes. Even Dog, who’d been chained up outside the house, seemed starved of attention, so you brought him in, and he welcomed you with a myriad of slobbery kisses.

It wasn’t until almost sunrise when Maggie paid you a visit, knocking gently on the door to the bedroom you’d planted yourself in.

You smiled up at her, folding your blanket over Westley as he nursed. Robin laid next to you, her head using your belly as a pillow. She was curled up, tucking her legs into her chest as she slept soundly, small, dainty snores and little wispy breaths filling the air. As he slept on the foot of the bed, Dog’s snores helped create a strange little symphony.

Maggie smiled back at you. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know—”

“No, no,” you replied quietly. “You can come in… She’s a heavy sleeper.” You looked down at the sleepy baby, his heavy little eyes trying to stay open as he fed from your breast. “Oh, um… If it makes you uncomfortable, I can—”

“I’ve seen your tits before, (Y/N).”

Oh.

You’d almost forgotten about that. When you live on the road with someone for so long, and in tight quarters at a place like the prison, you get to know everyone a lot more intimately. In other words, Maggie walked in on you changing or bathing more than once.

“Right,” you laughed under your breath. “Come in, sit down.”

You gestured loosely to the armchair in the corner of the room. It sat beside of a small bedside table, upon which was a gas lamp that gave off a warm, dim glow in the dark morning mist.

“I don’t think I got to properly meet this little one,” she said. “Westley?”

“Mhm… We’ve been calling him Wes for short. Well, Daryl likes to call him scout.”

Maggie smiled, and sometimes you forgot just how beautiful and sweet her smile was. It could light up every room, you didn’t even need that old oil lamp. “That’s cute. Wes lucked out. He was born into a pretty great family.”

“Mm, a big family. So many aunts and uncles… I think Aunt Maggie is going to be a favorite, though.”

She shook her head. “Think Aunt Carol’s got that distinction, least with Robin.”

You reached a hand down to lightly caress Robin’s shoulder over the fleece blanket that Daryl had draped over her before he left. “Give it time,” you said. “Soon you’ll be her hero, I just know it.” You paused to adjust Westley, moving him to the other breast as carefully as you could so not to disturb Robin. “How’s Hershel?”

“He’s all right,” she sighed with a nod. “Sleepin’ like a baby. All of them are. Don’t think they got much sleep since they were taken.”

You didn’t think anyone would get much sleep until all this was over. You knew you wouldn’t. “Poor things. They’ve been through a lot.” You looked down at Wes, who’d now fully fallen asleep in your arms. You smiled and gently maneuvered him so you could button up your blouse. “He was so hungry.”

Maggie nodded solemnly, her serious side coming through again. “They’ll pay,” she said, even more quietly, just in case Robin or the other children stirred in their sleep. “For everything.”

“Maggie,” you said, “you were right not to trust them… I should’ve been more skeptical, I just—”

“You were doing what was best for your family,” she interrupted. “For Robin and the baby. You were thinking about them. Any mom would’ve done it.”

You looked confused, and you were. Wasn’t Maggie a mom too? “But you didn’t.”

“I was just doin’ what I thought was the best thing to do,” she said. “Now here we are, in the exact same place.”

“We’re home,” you said. “Did you ever think… when we came here, all those years ago, that we’d be here right now?”

“No,” she replied with a grin. “It’s so surreal. I—I remember how… how excited Glenn was.”

You remembered it, too. Glenn was one of the first people in your group to want Alexandria to be your home. He believed in it. He was the spark of humanity, reminding you all that you could no longer live on the road, always on the brink of starving and never able to turn your back. He wanted you all to have a home.

Alexandria had been through so much. So many people and so many things had been lost, but what always remained was Alexandria.

“This place is special,” you said. “Glenn saw that.”

“He did… I miss him everyday.”

You untucked a hand from underneath the baby, who stirred a little, but soon settled back into sleep once your hand outstretched to hold Maggie’s. “We all do. He’d be so proud of you, and everything you’ve done.”

She sniffled as she bowed her head, nodding all the while. “You know, you’ve always been my best friend.”

Your face melted into touched surprise. It’d been years since she’d told you that. “You’re my best friend, too… We’ve come a long way since the farm, huh?”

“Yeah,” she laughed. “When you asked Glenn for…” She leaned in closer, whispering even lower. “Condoms.”

“Shh!” you laughed.

“Coulda used a few more, huh?” She nodded her head towards the baby in your arms, and you nudged her with her elbow, shaking your head. You couldn’t help but smile, though.

“Shut up.”

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