#but i love him i need more halberd content

[purble-gaymer]

compilation of gsa headcanons i’ve been slow cooking over the past few months

#kirby right back at ya #meta knight #galaxy soldier army #sir arthur #sir nonsurat #sir falspar #sir dragato #has anybody seen origin of the meta knight. i need to know because i love it so much #admittedly i changed a few things from ootmk when i put halberd in my personal canon #ootmk and my interpretation of pre-dreamland are very different #but i love him i need more halberd content #also vlei is here <3 hi vlei #i've never talked about him before but they've been in the back of my mind for a while #if anyone wants me to talk more i will #i still have a lot to say that didn't make it onto here #i just needed to get some ideas down #misc knights #headcanon pile #rhyn's art

[drabblesandimagines]

400 request! Could you do some thing like enemies to lovers with Cid, maybe an argument that leads to an angry kiss. With some spice at the end?

Thankyou!

Thanks for the 400 request, anon! Sorry it took me an absolute age to get round to it - I'm still working my way through a few. I didn't quite get enemies to lovers but there's some argumentative banter and a tiiiiny bit of spice towards the end - please let me know what you think in an anon ask xxx Sparks Cidolfus Telemon x female reader Fluffy, little sprinkling of spice towards the end

You start to look up at the sound of the bell tinkling over the door, announcing a customer, but the heavy boots on the wooden floorboards tell you all you need to know and you sigh, casting your eyes immediately back down when you see who it is darkening your doorstep.

“No.”

“Love, that’s not a nice greeting. Want to try again?”

“Cidolfus-” “Oh, I am in trouble.” He smirks. “Now, this is a nice one.” You hear him heave a pot up in his hands, “how much?"

You look up then – he’s admiring the ceramic with a fake interest. “Not for sale.” You pinch the bridge of your nose to try and relieve the tension as he places the pot down.  “I have a headache that could down a behemoth and I cannot deal with that and you today.”

“Then,” the approaching footsteps show he has not heeded your plea, “you should let me help you.”

“Help?” You scoff. “You always bring more trouble to my door. If the Imperials or Dragoons get word of you being here…”

“They’ll what – poke and prod me with their little halberds?” He pretends to pout. “I don’t fear them and, if someone would finally accept my very gracious offer, neither would you.”

“Leave.” You seethe. “You’re nothing but a hinderance these days.”

“Surely it’s the thought that counts.” He chuckles, laying both palms down on the desk to show he had no plans to leave. “Besides, if you would concede, Tarja could whip you off something for that headache too, quick as you like.”

“By the Mothers. I swear-“

“This isn’t a very viable way to run a business, love – chasing your customers away at the door.”

“You’re not a real customer.”

He shrugs, before lifting a hand off the counter and grabbing a gil pouch off his belt. He drops it in show, the bag giving a satisfying thunk as it hit the counter to show off its contents.

“I’ll take however much this will get me.”

“You won’t. I hold the right to refuse you service.” You stress, shoving the pouch back across to him.

“You’re such a funny shopkeeper, someone might get ideas you’re up to something else here.”

You sigh, meeting his eyes at last. He’s a handsome man and he knows it – part of what makes him so cocky. “What will it take for you to leave me be?”

He throws his arms wide. “Come join my group of outlaws.”

“I’m doing fine work here.” You grumble. Your paths had crossed a few years back. He’d heard word of someone shipping ailing Bearers out to the Kingdom of Waloed – something he could not stand, given his history. His investigations had led straight to you – ushering them onto a boat in a way that wasn’t befitting on a slave master. After a tense exchange, it had been established that the two of you were of the same opinion – that Bearers didn’t deserve the hand they had been dealt and were trying to help where you can in different ways. You’d buy up Bearers where you could and, under the guise of selling them to Waloed, you’d find them havens throughout Valisthea, allowing them to live their final days in peace, for whatever it was worth.

He was smug, cocky, thought he was the Mother’s gift to all around him, and it drove you up the wall – like he expected you to swoon over him and his swagger, go along with whatever he wanted. But no, you’d stayed firm, held your resolve – Cidolfus Telemon will not get his way with you.

“What if I say I’m worried?”

“About yourself? You should be. I heard a certain rumour about an unwanted visitor to Drake’s Head.”

He quirks an eyebrow, looks surprised for a moment before his face falls back into its self-assured grin. “I just wanted a closer look, love.”

The bell above the door rings again and a real customer walks in – a nobleman, by the looks of it, with real gil to burn.

You look at Cid and nod your head towards the door. Thankfully, he relents, giving you a wink and a wave and finally heads out the door.

--

Later that evening, you’re about to lock up when a hand squeezes your shoulder. You turn, alarmed, and find yourself facing a trio of Imperial soldiers – all sporting the same haircut under military standards, the same hardened stares.

“I’m awfully sorry, but I’m closed for the day, sirs. Mayhaps you can return in the morning.” You keep your tone light, almost ditsy to try and diffuse what is clearly not a group of soldiers out shopping for pots.

“I’m afraid this matter really cannot wait, my lady.” The soldier reaches past you and opens the door into the shop before pushing you back within. “After you.”

You make it five steps in when you hear a sword being unsheathed and an almighty clatter as it collides with a group of pots on display.

“Oops.” The soldier says, dryly.

“Accidents happen.” This isn’t good – whatever this is.

“They do.”  We wouldn’t want any more happening, would we?”

“No, sir.”

“Like, it must have been an accident when Cidolfus Telemon was here this afternoon and you did not bring it to our attention.”

“Who?” You tilt your head, trying to mimic confusion. The soldier, the commander of this merry trio, you reckon, grabs you by your jaw, squeezing your cheeks.

“Don’t play dumb, my lady. You’ll only make this worse for yourself. What business did you conduct with him?”

“None.” He lets go of your jaw and shoves you backwards, sending you crashing into another display of pots. Jagged bits of ceramic poke at your back and thighs, but that pain is nothing to the fear you feel when he draws his sword.

“Ladies should not lie.”

“And that is no way to treat a lady, lads.” Cid’s smooth voice comes from the doorway. The soldiers spin on their heels, holding their swords aloft. He steps in, casually, rolling up his sleeves.

“Surrender, Telemon.”

Sparks of lightning begin to crackle along his arm and into his palm. “Not my style.” And before the soldiers can make another move, he punches his fist into the ground, sending three strikes of lightning in each of their directions, sending the trio flying up for a moment before crashing down into more of your pots - dead.

You stare in disbelief of what’s just occurred, your heart pounding as Cid strides over to you, pulling you up to your feet.

“Are you all right?”

“You.” You growl, grabbing hold of either side of his collar with both hands and yanking him forward. “I told you that you’re nothing but trouble.”

He holds his hands up in mock surrender. “Love, I’m sorry, that wasn’t meant to happen-“ You cut him off with a bruising kiss and for a moment he doesn’t reciprocate, stunned, before he drops his hands and slides his tongue in between your lips, fighting for dominance. His hands find your waist and he pulls you closer, one hand dropping down to squeeze your backside. You can feel him smirk into the kiss, but that won’t do. You let go of his collar, trailing your fingers down his chest and then lower, ghosting his crotch, causing him to moan into your mouth…

“We gotta go, Cid – more Imperials heading this way!” A voice comes from the door – one you recognize as another part of his crew.

He pulls away, frowning. “We’ll have to continue this back at my place, love. Come on.” And with no hesitation, his hands are back at your waist and the smug bastard throws you over your shoulder, patting your backside as he adjusts his grip.

“Cidolfus!” --

Comments, likes and reblogs make my whole day x

Masterlist . Requests welcome . Ko-fi

#ghostdogwrites #cid telemon x reader #cidolfus telamon #cidolfus telemon x you #ffxvi x reader

[kerwynlar]

Good Man

A Belly Kink Fic by Kerwynlar

The aristocratic author Lord Woolsey has found that he thinks best on a full stomach. A very full stomach. His butler is only all too happy to help out.

Tags: Explicit, Belly Kink, Burping, Overeating, Stuffing, Weight Gain, Enthusiastic consent but problematic power dynamic, implied/referenced sexual content

Note: This work was inspired by the excellent At His Service by pizza_my_heart. In that story the author does a beautiful job of putting the employer and the butler on equal footing. That's not what is going on here. While enthusiastic consent is given in this story, the power dynamic here makes the consent, at least the initial consent, dubious at best. In the real world this would be very fucked up. If you agree that it's hot in fiction, please read on. Basically all of my fics are built around very loving healthy relationships. This is not that.

1,163 words. Read it below or on AO3.

~*~

Reginald Montcrieff was not sitting idly fantasizing about his employer eating. Reginald Montcrieff was very busy balancing the household accounts. He had certainly not been staring blankly at the page for nearly half an hour, stirring at every half-sound that might be the bell summoning him to the dining room. 

Reginald was not picturing the plates heaped with eggs, bacon, toast, sausage, beans, and tomatoes that he had served to his employer, Lord Peter Halberd Woolsey. He was certainly not picturing forkful after heaping forkful passing Lord Woolsey’s lips. And by no means was Reginald’s mouth watering at the thought of all that food heaped into his employer’s already rounded belly, stretching it and weighing it down, expanding it within the increasingly tight confines of his clothing. 

The bell from the dining room finally rang and Reginald stood so fast, he nearly knocked over his chair.

---

Lord Woolsey was, at least according to the press, one of the greatest minds of his generation. His first two treatises on political philosophy were considered required reading for anyone seriously concerned with public affairs and were discussed and quoted from the coffee shops of the intelligentsia, to university classrooms, to the great halls of Parliament. He was currently penning his third, widely anticipated, treatise. 

While he was writing his second book, Lord Woolsey discovered that he thought best on a full stomach. A very full stomach. 

Reginald had been a footman during the writing of that second book and had marveled at the sight of the platters that had been taken into the dining room and equally marveled at the fact that they were all empty when returned to the kitchen. 

But only the butler, whose duties included being the lord’s personal attendant, was permitted to interact with Lord Woolsey when he was writing. His lordship said that he needed to keep his mind clear of extraneous voices when writing. 

Following the publication of the second book, when Reginald was once again permitted in a much more corpulent Lord Woolsey’s presence, the lord had begun to notice him. The notice turned to interest and conversation. Eventually Reginald had been invited to Woolsey’s bed. He had been assured that it was an invitation, not an order, and he had been more than happy to accept. 

“Would you like a promotion, dear Reg?” Woolsey had asked him one night as he watched Reginald dress after an encounter that had been pleasurable for both of them. 

“I wish to serve you, sir,” Reginald had replied easily. “However you see fit.” 

“I’ll be writing again soon.” Woolsey ran a hand over his soft belly. Reginald didn’t bother to hide his appreciative look. Woolsey saw it and grinned. “You know about my… eccentricities when I’m writing?” 

Reginald swallowed. “Yes, sir. As much as I can from the outside.” 

“You’d be prepared to cater to them?” 

Woolsey liked it when he was bold on occasion. Reginald climbed back on the bed and crawled up to him. He leaned over and kissed Woolsey’s plush belly. “Yes, sir,” he said quietly. “Whatever you need. Anything you want.” 

The other butler had been fired the next day and Reginald had taken his place. 

——— 

When Reginald entered the dining room, Woolsey was leaning back in his chair, eyes closed, and both hands rubbing his belly. Reginald felt his mouth go dry. Woolsey’s belly was straining against his waistcoat and trousers. 

“Was everything to your liking, sir?” Reginald asked as he began clearing the empty plates. 

“Oh ye- UUUUUURRRRRP! Oh my, excuse me, Reg. Uurrp!” 

Heaven help him, Reginald was getting excited by his employer belching. 

“Nothing to worry about, sir,” Reginald replied more smoothly than he felt. 

“And yes, tell Cook that I’ll want the same again tomorrow. Buuurrrp! With perhaps a few more sausages and a bit more toast.” 

More? Reginald could scarcely believe it, but all that was left on the plates he was clearing was crumbs. 

“Shall- shall I bring you anything else now sir?” 

Woolsey smiled at him. “Good man. But no, I’m quite satisfied for now.” He frowned suddenly and rubbed a particular area of his belly, then pushed on it and immediately let loose a thunderous belch. “Mm, pardon me, dear Reg,” he breathed. “I hope I don’t offend you.” 

“Not in the slightest, sir.” 

Not in the slightest. Did Woolsey have any idea? He certainly knew how Reginald worshipped his belly in bed, how he loved the round shape of it, its soft plushness. But this? Woolsey’s overindulgence and the evidence of it? Well, if Woolsey knew he likely wouldn’t mind. There was no doubt he enjoyed when Reginald was aroused. 

Woolsey belched again and gave a quiet groan, his hands roaming his large belly. “Ah, that’s good,” he sighed. Woolsey gave his belly another pat then sat up. “Come, dear Reg,” he said. “Give me a hand up. I’m positively weighed down by that lovely meal.” 

Reginald quickly put down the plate he was about to take to the dumbwaiter and hurried over to help Woolsey out of his chair. As he heaved Woolsey to his feet, he felt his employer’s eyes on his face. 

“You’re looking a little flushed, Reg,” Woolsey said, reaching up to stroke his cheek. Woolsey chuckled and Reginald tried not to notice the movement of his belly. Though that was more difficult when Woolsey took Reginald’s hand and placed it on the curve of his belly. “You like this, don’t you?” Woolsey asked quietly. “You like to see me plumped up with a meal. You always do like my belly. Can you imagine how fat I’ll get writing this book? I’m only on the second chapter, and I have lots more to say.” 

Reginald gasped. He was painfully hard. 

Woolsey glanced down and chuckled again. “Now what shall we do about that, hmm?” 

“S-sir…” Reginald stuttered. 

“I need to go write my book, dear Reg,” Woolsey said quietly, moving forward so his belly was inches from Reginald’s groin. “And I suggest you take a few minutes to compose yourself. But think how big I’ll be tonight after a nice big lunch of roast chicken and then beef and potatoes for dinner, hmm? I’ll be swollen and sluggish. Too full of food to really fuck you. You’ll need to ride my cock. But you’ll do that, won’t you dear Reg?” 

“Y-yes, sir!” Reginald couldn’t have controlled his breathing if his life depended on it. 

“That’s my good man.” Woolsey reached up to stroke Reginald’s cheek again. “You’ll look so pretty straddling my lap, your hands on my stuffed gut. You’ll be ready for me tonight, won’t you Reg?” 

“Yes, sir,” Reginald gasped out. 

Woolsey pressed Reginald’s hand to his belly and gave two quick strokes to the outline of Reginald’s cock clearly visible through his trousers. 

“See that you are,” Woolsey said, and stepped back, surveying Reginald with a smile. He chuckled and left the room. 

Reginald barely got his fly open fast enough. 

~*~

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, I appreciate you letting me know. I have another chapter partially written, and I'm more likely to finish and post if I know it will get readers.

#kerwyn's writing #belly kink #stuffing #burping #overeating #weight gain #weight gain kink #problematic power dynamic

[peachmangopie323]

Back to table of contents

Chapter 6: Set him free

(Kirby SST!)

"...Negative energy had took over Void, she is now known as Void Termina, the Dark lord, destroyer of worlds. Void knew that this will someday happen, she told Galacta of this beforehand, she held him close and said

"You have to kill me." She begged.

Galacta's smile warped into a face of horror, he doesn't want to kill the person he loves the most!"

Kirby read his textbook home in curiosity as he lays on the floor.

"Meta Knight somehow knew of this, he started training harder, it was his chance to prove himself that he is strong just like his older brother. He wants to be the one who kills Void Termina.

The ancients knew of Galacta's hesitance to attacking Mother void, they begged and pleaded for him to defend the Galaxy.

"There..there must be another wa-" Galacta panicked.

One certain Priest reached out to Galacta Knight and whispered a powerful sealing spell for him to use,

"You need not to take our Lord's soul, but rather...You could recite a spell that could keep thine beast in it's place forever."

"...Really? Why, thank you, Hyness. I'll be off to put your spell to good use." Galacta felt relief.

It was time, Void Termina becomes this giant scary beast who yearns for chaos and destruction, it's roar echoes throughout the vast outer space, letting Galacta and his army know the battle has started.

And just as Meta knight catches up with him on outer space, Galacta Knight opens a portal with his lance to the other side of the Galaxy and pushed Meta Knight inside.

"You can not defeat Void Termina, this is for your own good." Galacta said.

Meta Knight shouted in anger as the dimensional rift closes, meta knight felt betrayed, he felt Galacta just called him weak, he thought that Galacta only wants the attention he'll get if he defeats such a strong opponent."

"And as Galacta Knight charged his attack on Void Termina, Meta Knight was left lost on the endless darkness of space. Until he saw a bright ray of light, he came across the brightest star of the universe, that's right, it was Planet Popstar."

"And so, Galacta found a way to get rid of Void Termina without killing her off, he sealed her for good.

Galacta got the praise he deserved but The Ancients were unnerved of what Void Termina could do, of how negative energy could influence a god, even more unnerved that the person who could defeat it could potentially use his powers for evil one day.

They didn't take any chances and sealed him away in a crystal. Never to be seen again."

Kirby closed the book as the story ends, though, the ending gave him an uneasy feeling. He felt, guilt?...sympathy? Maybe both.

He wanted to talk to Meta Knight about it.

Kirby looked all over the castle and there was no sign of him, he tried calling him but Meta Knight never picked up.

"There's only one place he usually goes to when he's late..."

He rushed downstairs and into the garden to find a fountain, there should be a hidden button nearby just Incase someone dropped their special button somewhere.

*Hidden door opens*

Kirby's footsteps echoes throughout the underground lair, he gazed at how big in scale Halberd was, he's glad that Halberd is doing well.

*Knock knock* he knocked at the metal door.

"Ah! Who is it?" Sailor Dee opens the door,

"Hi!"

"AAAAH!!! I mean, h-hello Sir Kirby, haha...why are you here?"

"What is all that nois- AAAHH!!!!!!!!!" Captain Vul shouted.

"You guys look like you've seen a ghost or something" Kirby giggles.

"No but we're seeing the mighty ship destroyer." Captain Vul murmured.

"Is Meta Knight inside? I really need to talk to him about something."

"Oh uhh, well...he took off on his own he didn't really inform the team where he went haha! Classic lord Meta Knight!" Sailor Dee said nervously as Captain Vul gestures her to keep distracting Kirby.

"How about we watch your favorite cartoon together, I like cartoons..." She held his hand to lead him upstairs.

"Really!? Okay!" Kirby said in excitement.

They ascend the surface talking back in forth as Meta knight discreetly left with them without Kirby noticing.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ*.✧ a little earlier:

"Are you out of your mind!?" Captain Vul exclaimed.

"You haven't even heard of what I'll do once I track the location."

"I know it involves letting him out of that crystal and challenging him on a duel! I know you! I forbid it! Your uncontrollable itch for a battle isn't worth the risk!"

Meta Knight ignored his Captain's words as he checks his personal computer for messages.

"On second thought maybe it is better if you continue sleeping, Captain.

Sailor Dee, are you able to track it?"

"We don't really know where Galacta's crystal is located specifically, Halcandra is way out of our radar...but...*Typing noises*

...We do know a man here on Dreamland who might just be familiar with it."

"Please don't be Magolor..."  Meta Knight muttered.

"... His name is Mr. Magolor and given that he's trying to redeem himself he will help you!"

"Goddammit."

"What seems to be the commotion up there?" Sword knight whispered to blade knight on a distance,

"Argdontknewomaybeargboutgalactaknight" Blade replied.

"Well I hope we don't get involved..."

"Meeineitherladsororeighseremei" Blade shrugged.

Meta Knight goes out of his way to ask help from the town shop keeper Magolor, Meta Knight is clearly not fond of the Halcandran but there isn't many options he could choose.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ*.✧

"I need your help."

"What do you want sad caped man?"  Magolor said in an annoyed tone with his foot on the counter reading a book,

Meta Knight slammed a sack full of gem apples right infront of Magolor shop, Magolor quickly stands up as his mood brightens.

"What could I do for ya? Sir Meta Knight!"

"By any chance, could you use your...Lor Starcutter once again?"

"...for what?"

"I assume that you know the exact location of Galacta Knight's infamous crystal, it would be easier for me if your little ship opens a dimensional rift for me.."

"Woah there...First, Halcandra is in the other side of the universe, not Galaxy, Universe! And second, are you just looking for another rematch? You can't risk the galaxy for that!"

"If you're just going to lecture me I might as well find help somewhere else for free." He said as he's about to grab back the sack of apples.

"Wait! wait wait wait! Of course I'll help you aha! But you have to understand, Lor Starcutter is off limits for now, I don't want to get involved if the great aeon hero starts destroying planets!

....If it makes you feel better, I do know the exact location to where he's sealed, I could tell that your Halberd will suffice. So, do we have a deal?" Magolor added

"Deal." He replied as they shook their hands together.

As Meta knight's mood slowly lights up, he begins to think his plan a bit more realistically. Is beating Galacta what he really wants? He had always wanted to be the Strongest warrior of the Galaxy but now, he's not so sure anymore.

It would be the end of Popstar if he lets an enraged Galacta Knight on the loose it's truly a risk if he doesn't think this through carefully.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ*.✧

"Yeah well, since we've never heard anything from Galacta for a thousand years we had to rely on ancient scriptures and interviews to piece our work together." A

Writer said to the knight.

Meta Knight ended up meeting with the textbook's writer, he wanted to know if the writings were reliable in the first place.

"What about 'Dark Matters' was there any writing about that?"

"There's few ancient writing about them and paintings of their appearance, though their origins are left unknown due to some works missing."

"How did you know how both of us were born?"

"From what we could gather our book is heavily based on Galacta's perspective of things, Galacta likes writing he'd always keep a journal or two around.."

"Journal?"

"Some text may get lost in translation and certain words faded in time but the more I read his story the more I feel like he's not like how people portray he is."

"Perhaps you're...a fan of him?" He said with a bit of annoyance.

"Not a fan but, I really feel like this irrational fear that we have of him is from the ancients trying to justify why they have to do such a thing to their protector."

"And you, you portrayed him as this selfish, boastful person when he's more than that!" The writer added.

"Pardon?" Meta Knight felt a bit offended.

"You were blinded by his power and that's the only thing you saw him as, you've never saw what he looked like under that mask and it's just...sad.

it's too bad I didn't have complete control over the book's final draft, but atleast I get to share my side with you."

Meta Knight furrowed his eyebrows and sighed, he admits that Galacta isn't a bad person at all, that Galacta was just specifically mean to Meta Knight because of a yet unknown reason.

The writer leaned and whispered.

"Kirby also needs someone stronger than him to hone his talent, if you somehow unseal Galacta without getting him angry it will benefit us greatly."

Meta Knight didn't want to listen any further but the writer was right. He sat down quiet with his arms crossed.

"He is not immortal, he will slowly and painfully die inside that crystal after eons. Give him another chance in life, he's not evil to begin with hes- he's unfairly sealed after he saves the universe from destruction, he deserves to be free!

Aren't you a knight who values justice?"

The writer explained, Meta Knight paused and said,

"Fine, do not make me regret this."  Meta Knight stood up and left,

"It was an honor meeting you, Sir Meta Knight!" The writer waved goodbye.

Meta Knight thought about how if he himself is ought to die earlier than expected, Kirby would have someone to guide him.

He trailed through his past memories and concluded that maybe Galacta was just misunderstood, maybe Galacta was a victim of injustice, that he has the right of freedom somehow.

It's a dangerous task but if he manages to get in his good side things may turn well.  They might just earn another protector. He started to believe that maybe he isn't the monster everyone thinks he is.

It is all for the sake of the universe, As so he thought.

"Change of plans, I will not be fighting Galacta Knight." The knight called his team from an earpiece,

"Oh phew..." Captain Vul signed in relief

"But I will still set him free."

"WHAT!?"

Meta Knight cut off the communication before his sensitive ears hear more scolding.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ*.✧

"Miss Sailor! The cake is probably cooked can you take it out for me while I prevent the ganache from burning?"

"O-oh! Right away chef!"

The two seemed to be baking a cake using Kirby's Cook ability, the smell of the freshly baked chocolate cake had their Knight following it's scent to the kitchen.

"Meta Knight you're back! Where did you go?"

"Just...had a meeting of some sort, that pleasant smell, is that what I think it is?"

"Mhm! You're just in time for the preparation!"

Kirby poured a pot of hot chocolate fudge on top of the moist thick chocolate cake on a tray,  Meta Knight remembered he had not eaten any lunch since this noon, it is almost sunset,

he drooled on the sight of the cake being sliced.

"I saw that you were sad earlier and I thought maybe you need something sweet!"

"That is very thoughtful of you Kirby, thank you" Meta Knight tried to keep his composure as he removed his mask to reveal his sweet smile craving for the cake.

His cheeks are puffed and full of cake, smiling at every bite, it was a rare sight for Sailor Dee and Kirby!

"You two baked it perfectly, it tastes divine...you should have a slice before I finish it all up!" Meta Knight said with a mouth full,

They snapped out of staring and quickly grabbed a fork and plate, everyone enjoyed their slice, this sweet act of Kirby reminds him that he need not to duel people in order to feel genuine happiness, sometimes he just needs some cake!

⭐Notes⭐

Despite me writing about characters eating cake i don't like cake wwww

They just kinda taste like sponges

I like the textures of brownies more

Thank you for the votes, reads and comments!

Next Chapter

#kirby fanfic #kirby lore #meta knight #kirby gijinka #kirby #galacta knight #void termina

[acuteblock]

"You should have seen them!" Magolor clasped his hands together, eyes growing distant with an unmistakable glow of fondness and pride. "Despite years and years of being under rubble, they stood against the test of time. That's Ancient craftmanship for you."

Underneath the mask, Meta Knight couldn't help but smile. It reminded him of countless rantings by his own Halberd's captain, Vul. The staunch passion and love both felt for their crafts was endearing. Though, he had a feeling that if either of them met and started talking about either ship, they'd be at each other's throats in seconds.

Magolor wouldn't be able to help himself needle at Vul's pride and joy, and Vul wouldn't help himself but fight for the ship's honour.

Meta Knight lifted his mask slightly to take a sip of the cup of coffee in his hands.

"Of course it took me years to really restore them to their true majesty but..." the wizard's eyes softened in a way that Meta Knight was sure was only reserved specifically for the Lor Starcutter. "Well...you saw them for yourself." Magolor's ears folded back as he laughed, scratching the back of his head.

Meta Knight nodded. He did. Alongside the others as well, back when Magolor had shown in true intentions for the Master Crown when they decided to help him defeat Landia. It felt so long ago now, but he could still remember their desperation as they fought in between dimensions to protect Popstar from his rule.

The Magolor now was a far cry from the one they met back then. Despite seeming like he was still planning something nefarious, it was mostly for shock value nowadays.

In truth, Magolor seemed content on Popstar, joining and helping them when he could. Travelling between dimensions occasionally, but Meta Knight could see that he found a place in their world.

He even created an entire amusement park for Kirby as a way to apologise, which Meta Knight and the others were dragged to despite their protests.

Well, his protests. He didn't think King Dedede or Bandana Dee ever needed much coaxing when it came to playing with Kirby.

"They're grand ship indeed," Meta Knight agreed in the silence. "Worthy of having the title of the ruler of the heavens."

"They are," Magolor sighs, before clapping his hands together. "But I don't think you came here to hear me ramble about them, are you, sir Knight?"

"Actually, I am."

Magolor blinked at the honesty of his answer, his ears perking up before folding back as his eyes shrunk in the slits. "Oh?"

Meta Knight said nothing, instead looking down at the nearly empty cup of coffee on his lap.

Magolor bided his time, letting him gather his thoughts or maybe his courage. The wizard reached out to a gem apple on a basket by his left, beginning to polish to absent-mindedly.

Meta Knight did want to hear more about the Lor Starcutter from him. That wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly what he intended either. Besides Meta Knight himself, no one else had much information on the Ancients. Not that he was sure he could trust at least.

He sighs, putting the cup on the table in between them.

"I need your insight," Meta Knight finally admitted.

"Insight?"

Meta Knight gave a firm nod. "As well as your expertise."

Magolor's eyes grew a bit rounder, his ears leaned forward. He looked like he was considering him differently, as if staring at another facet of a gem apple, much like the one still in his hand.

"What are you planning, sir Knight?" Magolor mused, placing the gem apple back in the basket.

"I wish to be the strongest."

Magolor gave a tilt of his head, nodding as if he expected it. "And you think I can help you with that?"

"That depends," Meta Knight paused, as if for effect. He could tell Magolor appreciated that. "Tell me...have you ever heard of the Aeon Hero?"

#this was us trying to figure out how to start this one fic idea we had #we're still working on it but i dont think its gonna be how we initially envisioned it #so have at this #just us writing meta knight and magolor vibing and nerding out #meta knight #magolor #kirby #kirby fic #kirby series #acute writing

[deafeninggardenerpanda]

Diamond Town became Chocolate Town. Though the huge wealth that the diamonds produced was gone, Chocolate Town was more crowded than ever before. The chocolate produced in the mine became a river and flowed into the Town of Wind, giving off a sweet scent that spread throughout the area. When news quickly spread of the all-you-can-eat, super luxury chocolate located there, tourists started to rush in.

Mr Fugo’s crimes being exposed, him being judged and receiving a heavy punishment—

None of it happened.

Thanks to the sweet scent of the chocolate, the hearts of the inhabitants of the Town of Wind have become calm. Soon, even when they went through hard times, they never sighed. Even when something was unpleasant, the finest chocolate made them laugh. Mr. Fugo's wrongdoings were tiny compared to that happiness. For Mr. Fugo, who loved to stand out, it might have been even worse than being dealt a heavy punishment.

He left the town as if not even there, forgotten by everyone.

"This time, I'll win at all—!" The one who came in and shouted was President Dedede piloting the Great King DDD XXIII. Kirby with the Warp Star, on the other hand, was calm and composed.

"It’ll be the same no matter how many times we do this! I'm winning today, too!" 

And, another plane rushed in and cut between the two. It was a black airplane with purple streaks. The latest model aircraft with a sleek design, the "Halberd."

"Kirby, your time is over," Meta Knight murmured from the cockpit. "From now on, I'm the hero of the skies!"

The three planes swapped rankings rapidly in the unfolding climax of the race. Waddle Dee and Daroach looked up at the sky from the goal point in the field. The race course started from that field, went around town three times, and then returned. The planes passed over the two’s heads with a roar and once again flew off into the distance.

"Finally, it's the last lap. Kirby seems to have the advantage for now ... " Waddle Dee said.

"But? What?" Daroach asked. Waddle Dee replied with a serious expression.

"Since Lord Meta Knight joined the races, the two haven't had it easy like before. President Dedede has started pushing himself, doing special training with his rivals, and Kirby has been extending his record of consecutive wins for now, but what happens today ... maybe that record will stop!"

"Heh, is Meta Knight really that fast?" 

"Extremely fast. However, he’s also a little ... um ... " Waddle Dee stumbled over his words, having difficulty forcing them out. "Um ... well, uh ... Does he know what safety is? ... I can't say ... "

"I see." Daroach shrugged. "He’s the same way when driving a car." 

Soon, the three planes returned. The competition was fierce. If Kirby pulled ahead, President Dedede would follow, and of course, Meta Knight wouldn’t be left behind either.  

"They’re almost head-to-head!" Waddle Dee shouted. "Oh, President Dedede came out in front! He did it! As expected from the president! The president’s first victory ...!? "

President Dedede's first victory was just around the corner. The improvements to the Great King DDD XXIII have shown their full potential. Of course, President Dedede trained after work and polished up his maneuvering skills as well. The results of that were about to be demonstrated.

Great King DDD XXIII pushed even further ahead. Kirby accelerated desperately, but he could no longer catch up. The goal was just around the corner! President Dedede shouted as he felt himself nearing the goal.

"I won—! Finally, I won against Kirby ...! " 

... However. 

The Halberd rushed in with incredible speed.  

"Wahh! Stop it, Meta Knight! Too close! Uwaaagh!" President Dedede screamed hurriedly.

But it was no use. The Halberd couldn't stand its excessive acceleration and finally lost control. It violently collided with the Great King DDD XXIII and the Warp Star consecutively in the sky! The three planes fell collectively into the open field.

"I. Can’t. BELIEVE IT—!" President Dedede summoned all of his rage.

No wonder. He missed his first victory because of Meta Knight's reckless maneuvering. He escaped with a parachute just before crashing, so he wasn’t injured, but his anger at Meta Knight still did not subside. Meta Knight kept his cool as he apologized.

"I'm sorry, President Dedede. I messed up because I'm a beginner. I need to improve my maneuvering skills a little more."

"Even though you’re a beginner, that speed you put out—! You irresponsible, dangerous little—!"

"That's right! If Meta Knight didn't get in the way, I’d have been the one in first!" It was rare for Kirby to be so angry.

"Alright, calm down you lot. Let’s leave it at that," Daroach called out to the three glaring at each other.

"I’ll stay angry at this—!"

"Really? In that case, I guess these guys are all for me." Daroach took something out of a paper bag. It was a chocolate cake. "They’re a new creation of mine; a self-confident work that combines large strawberries and chocolate. But, I guess none of you want cake today. Maybe next time ... "

"Ack, wait, wait!" President Dedede quickly raised his voice. "Eat, I'll eat! What a delicious smell!"

"Me too! I’ll eat too~!" Kirby was about to drool at any moment. Meta Knight also leaned forward involuntarily. He cleared his throat.

"I'm not particularly interested, but you put a lot of effort into making them for us. It would be rude if I didn’t have some," he said.

"Come on, then. What are you waiting for? There’s good coffee, too."

Daroach handed everyone a cake. As soon as they had a bite, their faces shone. Meta Knight’s expression was unknown since he was wearing a mask, but it was as if he radiated happiness from his entire body.

"Delicious! It's the best, Daroach!" President Dedede smiled extraordinarily after having some, completely forgetting his anger. He opened his mouth and stuffed it with cake, smearing it everywhere in the process. Kirby and Waddle Dee looked at each other and laughed.  

"So tasty!" 

"Uh-huh!"

"I’ve had chocolate in a different town before, but it wasn’t anywhere near as delicious as this!"

"Aw ... you really think that?" Daroach mumbled happily. "After all, the cakes I make are the best ... " But Kirby shouted out loud, drowning out Daroach’s mumbles.

"It’s because everyone is eating together, I'm sure! Food is always more delicious when you have it with friends!" Daroach started laughing when he heard that.  

"Haha, so that’s the reason. I’m defeated ... Oh, but I agree with that, too!"

The scent of chocolate and the sound of everyone’s laughter spread all throughout the field.

< Previous | Table of Contents

#kirby #king dedede #meta knight #waddle dee #daroach #Kirby: Search for the Dreamy Gears! #kirby light novel #translations

[writing-the-end]

LoL 47- Puppet Strings

Masterpost

A Wizard Hermits tale (AU, designs, ideas belongs to @theguardiansofredland)

Three hermits leave Eremita on a mission. Only two return home.

Content warning: battle scene, knife fight, general wounds

___________________________________________________

Scar didn’t really understand most of what was going on around him, the machines and automations that fired and hissed all down the streets of Darlon. But Doc asked for his help, and of course he was going to say yes to an adventure. And besides, he may have no clue what’s going on around him, but seeing Doc and Mumbo bouncing around the engineering town like children was worth whatever they were here for. 

Doc explained it to Scar at least five times on their journey here, but Scar still didn’t understand. He doesn’t really need to, he’s just here to help his friends get the goods and stay out of trouble. 

The latter, however, is getting harder to do. With the bounty on their heads, their notoriety has risen as well. Everyone knows about the hermits, either from stories fabricated by the Council and guard, or passed along from those they’ve helped. Dolios tried to silence them by making them wanted fugitives, but he’s only made them louder. 

Beside that, the Arcane Guard has become a thorn in their side. They patrol what seems to be anywhere and everywhere the hermits are. Most of the time, they can avoid them simply by keeping an eye out, and going a different route. Other times, they have to hide. Behind bushes, barrels, buildings, duck and cover before the halberd clad soldiers can see them. Sometimes they have no choice but to run, chased off from their plans and forced to reconvene, recuperate, and redesign their plot. And every once in awhile, they end up fighting them. It’s not their preferred choice, but sometimes they have no other option. 

But maybe they should’ve brought along a more observant hermit, because between the three of them, they’re narrowly seen multiple times. It’s Doc that grabs Mumbo, too much of a spoon to notice patrol ahead, and Scar, who’s focused on just about everything except the road before them. Yanking them into a tavern, Doc waits until the clanking and clattering of the armed patrol passes, and another beat longer until they return to the streets. 

“Hey couldn’t have met us at the outskirts of Darlon? It’s not like he has to carry an entire machine across the town.” Doc mumbles, gaze lowered and jaw set. He always walks with intent, purpose. Like he’s on his way to murder someone- sometimes he is. He knew from his time a criminal that no one will ask you questions or get in your way when he’s walking with purpose. 

“He said that he wasn’t safe to leave the town, not with all this guard.” Mumbo reminds Doc, his own stature much less sure as Doc’s. He’s not sure if it’s just Mumbo’s constant nervous, fearful presence, or the fact that he always looks scared, even when he’s not, that makes the newest hermit seem so much more vulnerable. Everything about Mumbo, from how he holds his head to the spooked flick of his eyes across the crowd, including the fact that he has the least amount of scars- compared to Doc’s mechanical half of his body- makes him seem weaker. Act weaker. 

Completely different from Doc. But part of that is why Doc loves being a hermit. Even when he was a criminal, everyone was the same gruff, hardlined person. With the hermits, the kindest hearts like Stress can work beside felons who’ve been to jail, and work together as a group. A family. 

Doc spits out all the feelings and wandering thoughts in his head. He doesn’t have time for any of that. They need to get the information and leave. Back to Eremita, back to taking out the husk storms and corrupted crystals. But one last thought seeps through, and he can’t help but remind the other two, if just to queel his worries in his mind. “No matter what, the team is more important than the mission. If your own safety is coming under fire, retreat.” 

Scar and Mumbo glance at one another, eyes squinting. That may be the closest they’ve ever gotten to Doc saying he cares about them, that it’s more important to him to have his family than whatever mission, whatever endeavour he’s on. Scar gives a soft, sweet hum, opening his mouth to coo over Doc’s words, but the stoic puppeteer keeps Scar from saying anything. And Scar listens, if just to keep up his friend’s bad boy air. 

Doc glances up from his hellbent pace, and mismatched eyes widen, his heartbeat picking up. Guards, their metal armor and sharp weapons gleaming in the sunlight, perfectly matched with the metallic city around them, were on a steady march in their direction. Mumbo and Scar are too distracted to see the incoming patrol. Only Doc is vigilant enough to see the danger- and to get them out of it. 

He grabs both wizards by the collars, yanking them free from the sidewalk before Scar can run headfirst into the guard. His grip stays tight, holding them close to his body. He doesn’t breathe, doesn’t move until he’s absolutely sure the arcane guard has passed. Only then do they return to their own journey, albeit much more hurried. 

The trio slips down a dark alleyway, the trash filled with scrap metal and discarded projects. Mumbo is drawn to the half made machines, his mind kicking into high gear. “Well, the problem here is they just wired the control plate and optical sensors wrong. If I just…” 

Mumbo runs a finger from the camera lens to the cpu, redstone appearing and connecting the two. The robot lights up, eyes whirling and flickering around. A soft beeping permeates the silence of the back alley, where not even the busy, mechanical streets can be heard. 

“You have quite the knack for mechanics, kid.” A voice joins the beeping, although louder and higher pitched. At the end of the alley, seemingly appearing from nowhere, an insectia stands, the spider person’s arms crossed in front of their torso and many eyes. A haphazard top knot sits at the crown of the insectia, clothes and hands stained with oil. “A redstone mage, I can only assume you’re here for my shop?”

“What kind of wares are you selling?” Doc watches the many eyes as they observe the entire alleyway. The three hermits, the trash heaps, the city beyond. Not a single inch left unseen.

“Secondhand machines.... And secondhand information on our beloved magistrate.” The last two words drip from the shop owner’s mandibles like a sickly sweet poison. The second set of arms reach behind, one pressing a button and another pulling a lever simultaneously. The brick wall separates, revealing the shop. 

Doc doesn’t waste a second. He doesn’t linger where they can be seen, marching into the menagerie of mechanics. Scar skitters in after him, with Mumbo behind. The tall arachnid looms at the rear, all eyes on those caught in their web. Machine parts hang from spider silk on the ceiling, creating a maze to walk in and around. Scar yelps when a web of wires brushes against his head, stumbling backwards and causing a ruckus as he knocks over a pile of parts. 

“Be careful with those, that’s good scrap.” The shopkeep hums, passing by without offering their many arms for Scar. But Doc does, leaning down and clasping hands with his friend. Easily hauling him to his feet. Mumbo looks over his shoulder, wondering when the door will close. Surely it’s timer activated, right? He feels exposed, while treason goes on within. “Would any of you like some tea? I’m sure you’re quite thirsty from your journey to Darlon.” 

“That sounds lo-” Mumbo starts, but Doc cuts him off.

“We don’t have time for formalities.” Doc stands across the desk, leaning in slightly towards the insectia. “We were informed you knew of a place that was being drained of energy?”

The shopkeep gives a slow nod, leaning back in their chair. The pregnant pause goes on and on, as if the informant is struggling to remember the details. “Yes, you were fed that news quite well. It brought you right into my web of lies.” 

A clang of gears dangling at the doorway is all the warning the hermits get. Until the shop is swarmed, metal and magic aimed at the prey caught within. Doc turns, knife already in hand, but the insectia is gone. “You bastard!” 

Doc doesn’t have time to dwell on the trap. He grabs the nearest opponent, and pitches him directly into a pile of rusted metal scrap. The heap collapses, just like Scar’s did, sending the shadowed figures scattering. “We have to get out of here.” 

“They’ve blocked the doorway!” Mumbo squeaks, ducking just seconds before a moro kris would have beheaded him. He scrambles over gears in the tight shop. Scar slaps his hands against the cobblestone ground, a shuddering wave toppling metal and enemies alike. 

A battle ensues. Bodies flood the dark, dank store. Doc easily counts at least twenty opponents berating the separated hermits. Too tight, too many for him to use his magic. But he doesn’t need magic to kill a man. He kicks a mechanical leg into the gut of an attacker, and like dominoes three more fall. With his knife, he cuts through skin, fur, metal and web. He’ll carve his way to freedom. 

But first he needs to retrieve the others. He’ll be damned before he leaves without them. Damn that stupid spider, he never should have been so trustworthy! It’s stupid mistakes like this that got him in prison. It’s stupid mistakes like this that could hurt his friends. 

“Scar! Mumbo!” His heavy, gravelly voice raises above the crowd. He feels like he’s in a bar fight, but instead of glass it’s metal. He uses his metal limbs to his advantage, shoving one soldier before stabbing another. He raises his knife over his head, and slashes across the chest of a burly man. 

And realizes these aren’t the arcane guard. His knife intersects with a part of the uniform already torn. A sleeve pre-ripped, as if the wearer was in a fight already. In fact, all of those within the confines of this space share a torn sleeve. 

These aren’t guards. This is the Guild of Gedeon. 

Which makes this fight much worse. He roars, eyes narrowing. His mechanical eyes scour the dark room, until he spots Mumbo’s coat and Scar’s poncho. Scar is trapped in the sticky webbing that drapes the shop, and Mumbo’s magic has failed him. They’re quickly being overwhelmed by the Gedeons. 

Doc plunges his knife into the person before him, ripping through savagely. Clawing his way to his friends. To be their defender. 

Until claws grab him. Sharp nails dig into the flesh of his cheek, throwing him to the ground. Amber eyes gleam in the darkness, hungry for the blood that beats in Doc’s ears. “I’ll rip your guts out if you make a single move, criminal.” 

Sidero looms above Doc, the guildmaster’s brown fur in haggard tufts. Matted with old, dried blood. Doc tries to roll away, but Sidero has him trapped. “Get off of me you stupid oversized teddy bear!” 

A low growl, followed by pain. Doc is wrenched from the ground by his hair, thrown across the small shop. Metal falls like an avalanche around him. He doesn’t give up, standing and brandishing the wicked blade in a way Sidero can’t escape. Pressed right against the guildmaster’s throat.  “I could kill you. I want to kill you. You and every last one of your stupid gang of weaklings. But the magistrate wants to make an example of you all.” 

Despite the approaching beast, Doc glances beyond Sidero. Searching for his friends. Sidero notices he doesn’t have Doc’s full attention, and growls at his team. “Would you wretched mongrels all do your job? Hold the weakest down, make sure they cannot cast.” Sidero turns, and a bloodied grin mocks Doc. “You know… you can save your friends from my wrath.” 

Sidero steps aside- Doc’s knife follows, but his eyes do not. Because, across the shop, his friends are the ones trapped. Tears prick at the corner of Mumbo’s eyes and blood swells from a nasty cut on his forehead, his hair disheveled as he’s pinned to the floor. Scar has become ensnared in the spider’s web, unable to touch or control the ground at his feet. Hanging upside down. “Let them go.” 

“I can do that.” Sidero muses. He waves furry paws, and the Gedeons disappear as quickly as they arrived. Only the ones holding Scar and Mumbo down remain. “If you stay. Here’s your choice, criminal. Turn yourself in, and they get to live. Or fight, and all three of you will be little more than blood and guts across these walls. And you get to watch.” 

Silence once more fills the shop. The scrap metal is the only sound that breaks the emptiness. Except for a whimper from Mumbo, followed by a gasp from Scar. One of the Gedeon’s has punctured Scar’s skin, following the aged wounds that mar his face. That gave him his name. The blade threatens to slit Scar’s throat. 

To kill them all. Doc closes his eyes, remembering what he told them. The team is more important than the mission. His shoulders fall. His head hangs. A knife joins the scrap metal at his feet. 

And two mismatched arms reach skyward in surrender. “Doc, don’t-” 

Scar’s words are silenced by a swift smack, the sound causing Doc to wince. In front of him, the amber stare sharpens with the viscous bite of teeth. “Too easy. You’ve gotten weak, Doc Monster.” 

Sidero grabs Doc’s arms, twisting them roughly against his back and forcing him to move. Doc stays put. “Let go of my friends first.” 

“They’ll be freed once you’re in chains.” All three hermits are led outside, into the bright sun. Blinded, Doc stumbles forward. He trips, but quickly rights himself. Behind him, a tear of fabric, followed by a rasping cry. 

“Doc! Doc they’re gonna kill you!” Scar’s voice cracks, and the terraforming mage attempts to get between Sidero and Doc. The guildmaster tosses Scar away like he’s a ragdoll, Mumbo catching him from smacking his head against the brick walls. 

“It’d be in all your best interests not to interfere with the work of the Council.” Sidero warns. Mumbo wraps his arms around Scar. Holding him back. 

A patrol of guards appear in the alleyway, cuffs already in hand. Unlike Scar, Doc doesn’t resist as they arrest him. He doesn’t fight when they yank his arms behind his back, cuffing him. He doesn’t flinch when the chains are tied to a halberd at each side, the sharp curve of the blade inches from killing him if he attempts escape. Even when Sidero pushes him forward, a low ‘move’ growling from his lips, Doc doesn’t fight back. 

But he does look back. 

Turning to gaze over his shoulder, he sees Scar and Mumbo. Tears streak down Scar’s face, his poncho discarded when he tried to reach Doc before. Mumbo barely holds him back as he screams, one arm pinned back while the other reaches out, reaches forward. Reaches for Doc. 

Doc’s face remains calm, tempered. But in his eyes, a hint of sadness. He did this for them. He’ll do it again in a heartbeat. They’re his family. He locks eyes with Scar and Mumbo one last time, and nods silently.  

Then he’s gone. And when he’s sure they can’t see him, he lets his facade break. And a single tear falls.

#hermitcraft #light of lairyon #hermitcraft fanfic #hermitcraft au #lol #wizard hermits #wizard au #wizard scar #wizard doc #wizard mumbo #gtwscar #knife cw #battle cw #fight cw #docm77 #mumbo jumbo

[friendship-ended-with-pokespe]

Kirby: Meta Knight and the Puppet Princess Chapter 1

Dream Land is so peaceful that even a flying bird would doze off. Three people with a dangerous atmosphere not suiting that of Dream Land are walking. All three have their face hidden with their mask and are carrying a large sword.

In contrast to their looks however, their conversation is as peaceful as it gets. “Are Chef Kawasaki’s skills that amazing, Lord Meta Knight?” “Aye, it’s excellent.” “I’d like to try Chef Kawasaki’s cooking. What about you, Sword Knight?” “I’m fine with just having a meal. It’s not very manly to fuss over the taste, Blade Knight.” The one walking in the center is Meta Knight, the masked swordsman shrouded in mystery. Accompanying him on both sides were his subordinates, Sword Knight and Blade Knight. “I don’t know......meals are pretty important for warriors.” “You pig. If you like meals that much, how about you stop serving Lord Meta Knight and work for King Dedede or something? I’m sure you’ll get along with him if it’s true that the king is famous for his gluttony!” Teased by Sword Knight, Blade Knight lost his cool. “Don’t be stupid! I’m Lord Meta Knight’s greatest man! Not a chance I’ll leave Lord Meta Knight’s side!” “Watch your mouth! I’m Lord Meta Knight’s greatest man!” “Hmph, wanna go, Sword Knight!?” “Fine!” “Both of you, knock it off. It’s shameful to squabble in the middle of the road.” Meta Knight quieted his two men down. The pair straightened themselves. “Y-Yessir, I’m sorry!” “We were just joking, not squabbling!” “Keep it at that. In any case, don’t stand out too much. I would like to settle our affairs and return quickly.” “......You mean to say, my lord,” Blade Knight asked. “That you’ll go back without meeting Kirby and King Dedede even when it's been awhile since you came to Dream Land?” “Of course. I’ll get involved in trouble once again if I happen to be found by them......” An excited voice could be heard before Meta Knight could finish speaking. “Ah, it’s Meta Knight~! Hiya~!” “Hello, sir~!” “......” Blade Knight and Sword Knight whispered. “We’ve been found just like that, huh, sir.” “......Yeah.” Resigning himself, Meta Knight paused and turned around. Rushing over while waving their hands in joy were Kirby and Waddle Dee, residents of Dream Land. Kirby is a live wire with a pink, round body. He is such a glutton, and yet has a very optimistic and kind personality. Waddle Dee is a friend of Kirby and King Dedede’s subordinate. There is no end to his hardships from being sandwiched between Kirby and Dedede who are always at each other’s throats. Seeing Blade Knight and Sword Knight, Kirby said in wonder. “It’s not just Meta Knight today, huh? Hiya, something Knights.” Blade Knight and Sword Knight immediately snapped from Kirby’s words. “It’s not “something!” We are loyal men of Lord Meta Knight!” “He’s right! Remember our names at least, you cheeky pink ball!” “What did you just say!? I’m not a pink ball, I’m Kirby!” Waddle Dee stopped Kirby who seemed to be on the verge of quarreling. “Cut it out, Kirby. More than that, Lord Meta Knight, what do you need in Dream Land today? Would you like to meet His Majesty?” “No, not one bit. I came to meet Chef Kawasaki.” Kirby’s eyes sparkled. “You guys also came to eat lunch? Me and Waddle Dee were also about to go to his restaurant after this!” “No, that isn’t it. I have a favor to ask of him.” “Hmm......?” Kirby and Waddle Dee were in a daze and looked at each other. “What’s the favor?” “That’s......a long story. In any case, let’s go to the restaurant.” The party accompanied them to the restaurant.

Chef Kawasaki’s restaurant was empty as it was a bit too early for lunch time. Chef Kawasaki sat in a chair inside the store without customers and was frowning at the newspaper. “My goodness......I’m worried......” It was when he muttered something to himself. The store’s door opened, and the group entered in droves. “Good day, Chef Kawasaki! We came to have some lunch!” “A......sure thing, welcome, Kirby, Waddle Dee......” Having raised his face from the newspaper, Chef Kawasaki’s eyes opened wide. “Eh, Lord Meta Knight!? And even Mr. Something Knights on top of that......” “It’s not “something!” Sword Knight and Blade Knight laid their hand on their sword. Meta Knight gently stopped them. “Cool it. Only a fool would draw his sword even when it isn’t a fight.”

“Y-Yessir, We’re sorry!” Chef Kawasaki said nervously. “It’s unusual for Lord Meta Knight to come for a meal.” “I didn’t come to have a meal. There’s actually something I would like to order from you.” “......Order?” “Correct. It’ll soon be an important person’s birthday. So could you bake me some sweets to use as a present?” “A cake......you mean?” “Wow, good for you!” Kirby leapt at Meta Knight, his eyes glittering. “What cake is it? Chocolate flavored? Vanilla flavored? Honey flavored?” “I’m going to leave that to Chef Kawasaki......” “Salt flavored is delicious too! Soy sauce flavor as well! I also love tonkotsu flavor!” “......Kirby, what I want to order is a baked good, not ramen......” “What are you gonna use as a topping!? Strawberries!? Melons!? Chikuwa!?” “......” “I think even takuan is fine! It’s colors are pretty! It also has a nice crunchy sound when you eat it!” He’ll run his mouth to no end if left alone. Meta Knight raised one of his hands and stopped Kirby. “I get it, Kirby. I promise I’ll give you a takuan cake on your birthday.” “REALLY!? Yay! Thanks, Meta Knight!” Meta Knight said to Chef Kawasaki, avoiding Kirby jumping about in delight. “The one I’m giving the present to is someone that I’m beholden to. For that reason, I want to give something with as much heart put into it. I think borrowing your strength would be best as he is very fond of sweets.” “I see......it’s a privilege to be ordered with such an important present, sir!” Chef Kawasaki nodded in glee. “I’ll bake the finest cake with my utmost ability!” “I’m counting on you, Chef Kawasaki. To tell you the truth, that person is a famous gourmet. You might know him, but he’s the king of a planet called Chiffon Star......” “......Eh!?” Shouted Chef Kawasaki, where his face turned somewhat pale. “Chiffon Star? I haven’t heard of it before......” Said Waddle Dee. “It’s a small remote star, but has been famous for baking cakes since long ago. A time-honored patissier training school is there, and is hitherto releasing countless renowned patissiers into the society.” “Whoa......how wonderful, sir! If it’ll be the present for......the king of that star.” “I don’t think he’ll be content with an ordinary taste, seeing how he’s very particular about what he eats. Unless it's an exceptionally delectable cake.” “I’m sure he’ll be delighted if the cake is from Chef Kawasaki.” Waddle Dee looked back at Chef Kawasaki with a smile, but......Chef Cawaski’s face was pale and drawn. “You don’t look so well. What’s the matter, Chef Kawasaki?” Said Meta Knight. “Lord Meta Knight, are you not aware of it by any chance?” Chef Kawasaki picked up the newspaper he was reading just a minute ago and held it out to Meta Knight. Meta Knight asked in puzzlement. “What do you mean?” “Please read that newspaper. A terrible incident happened in Chiffon Star!” “What......!?” Meta Knight ran his eyes over the newspaper. His expression may be unknown, concealed with his mask, but his mood suddenly turned grim. “This is......!” “Is there something on it, my lord?” Asked Sword Knight in a worried manner. Chef Kawasaki replied in place of Meta Knight staring intently at the newspaper. “The princess of Chiffon Star has gone missing.” “......Eh!?” Sword Knight, Blade Knight, Kirby, and Waddle Dee all shouted in unison. Sword Knight continued with his voice trembling. “Do you mean Princess Marona by that......!?” “Sword Knight, do you know who the princess is?” Asked Kirby, and Sword Knight and Blade Knight nodded. “Yep, we visited Chiffon Star before for a reason.” “We only saw Princess Marona from afar, but she was really cute.” “To think that the princess disappeared all of a sudden. Chiffon Star appears to be in a tumult.” Chef Kawasaki said. “Could it be an abduction......!?” Waddle Dee shuddered. Chef Kawasaki said with a harsh look. “I don’t know the details yet. Only that the king is awfully troubled, and can���t even get up from his bed. It’ll soon be the king’s birthday, but the party will be canceled if the princess isn’t found, you see.” “......Good lord.” Muttered Meta Knight with a voice of frustration, and squeezed the newspaper tight. “How could I, of all people, not know of this case......tout au contraire, I thought about His Majesty’s birthday present and so without care......this is the greatest oversight of my life.” “Lord Meta Knight......” “Chef Kawasaki, the order just now,” “Right, it’s......cancelled, yes?” “Certainly not.” Meta Knight declared reassuringly. “I’m counting on you, to bake me the finest cake.” “......Wha......but......the party might be cancelled......I heard.” “You think I’ll allow that? I will rescue the princess before the king’s birthday!”  Seeing Meta Knight declare, Sword Knight and Blade Knight gave a fist pump. “So cool! We expected no less from our lord!” “We’ll accompany you too, of course!” Giving a nod to his two men, Meta Knight said to Chef Kawasaki in worry. “I’ll be off to Chiffon Star immediately with my men. Chef Kawasaki, send the cake to Chiffon Star once you’re ready with it.” “Y-Yessir!” “I’ll go too, Meta Knight.” Kirby shouted loudly. “I’m worried about the princess too! We gotta save her ASAP!” “......Kirby, not that I doubt your kindheartedness, but,” Meta Knight said as he started walking. “Wipe that drool of yours. I can see that you have your eyes on the cakes at Chiffon Star rather than the case with the princess.” “That’s not true! Don’t look down on me, Meta Knight!” “Wipe your drolls then.” Waddle Dee said suddenly. “I’ll go too, sir. I’ll return to Castle Dedede and ask His Majesty for permission! Please wait just a little!” Waddle Dee rushed out of the restaurant and sprinted toward Castle Dedede.

Battleship Halberd. It is the enormous spaceship in Meta Knight’s ownership. Having departed from Dream Land, the party gathered at Halberd’s center floor and surrounded a large round table. “Have you met Princess Marona before?” Asked Waddle Dee. “Just once. Although I would say that I only greeted her.” “What kind of a princess was she, sir?” “She lives up to her reputation. She was a gentle, refined, and daughterly young girl.”

“It’s absolutely unforgivable to kidnap a princess like that! I’ll be sure to rescue her!” “......” Meta Knight faced the seat next to him and asked quietly. “I wanted to ask this just once, but why did you follow us, King Dedede?” King Dedede leaned back in his chair and answered. “Ain’t that obvious? It's because I’m an ally of justice! I can’t ignore a case like this!?” “......Wipe that drool of yours.” King Dedede leaned toward Meta Knight while smacking his lips. “I heard from Waddle Dee, and thought this was my turn on the stage! I’ll make sure to rescue the princess. This ain’t your turn to shine, Meta Knight!” “......You don’t even know where Chiffon Star is located.” “How could I? But I do know that it’s famous for tasty sweets from it being called the ‘Sweets Paradise!’” King Dedede beamed in an enraptured manner. “I’ll be the hero of all heroes if I were to rescue Princess Macaron......” “It’s Princess Marona, King Dedede.” “Shut your trap. The king will be touched and will give me the very best cake. No, if anything, he might give me an “Never Ending All You Can Eat Cake Coupon”......” “It’s not fair to hog it all, King Dedede! I won’t hand over the “Never Ending All You Can Eat Cake Coupon!”” Shouted Kirby, jumping up from his chair. “I ain’t losin’ to ya! I’ll be the one to rescue Princess Marron Glacé​!” “......It’s Princess Marona. Knock it off, you guys.” Meta Knight rebuked the pair with an irritated voice. “You should get off of Halberd if you’re gonna get in my way.” “I don’t get in anyone’s way!” “Right, I say. With my renowned deduction, let’s make sure to rescue the princess!” Just for this moment, Kirby and Dedede were in perfect sync even as they always act like cats and dogs. “Yup!” “Yea!” It was when the two said together in great harmony. There was an abrupt impact. Everyone on the round table was blown away and rolled on the floor. “......W-What!?” “A raid!? Were we attacked by space pirates!?” “I’m scared, Your Highnessssss!” Waddle Dee’s cry reverberated. Sword Knight stood up while staggering. “Drat......they got us again......” Blade Knight also regained his stance with a rough sigh. “Yeah, we were caught off guard......” “The frick is this!? If the space pirates are attacking, it’s my turn to shine!” King Dedede shouted fearlessly. However, without a panic, Meta Knight said in a chagrined tone. “Sorry, you guys. This isn’t a raid or something like that. This happens often.” “Happens often? What is the meaning of this, Meta Knight!? Wasn’t your battleship the latest model!?” “I have no doubt the technology’s the latest, but......” It was when Meta Knight attempted to explain. The door leading to the cockpit opened and a man with piercing eyes entered. He has a sharp beak and a white hat on his head. He is Captain Vul, the man in charge of this battleship. “Warp complete, my lord! This ship will arrive at Chiffon Star before long!”

“Eh, already? Pretty sure Chiffon Star’s super far away......!” Kirby shouted in surprise. Captain Vul looked down at Kirby and nodded proudly. “That is warp navigation, a super-advanced, super-latest technology that can travel immediately at any distance! The warp device equipped on Battleship Halberd is high performance and the most accurate in the universe~!” “......Captain Vul, I think highly of your skills, but,” Meta Knight said harshly. “I say it always, don’t I? Let me know in advance whenever you warp. It’ll be dangerous if we don't strap ourselves tight.” “What, have no worries, my lord! The crew on Halberd are all super-outstanding and super-sturdy! There isn’t anyone that would lose heart from something like warping! Wahaha!” “No, I want you to think not of the crew, but the guests......” Meta Knight looked at his three “guests,” that is to say, Kirby, King Dedede, and Waddle Dee. Only Waddle Dee was still rolling around on the floor. Kirby and King Dedede were frolicking with their hands together. “Woohoo! Chiffon Star, Chiffon Star!” “Cake, here we come~! Marron Glacé​ and marron parfait!” “The paradise of sweets! It’s the sweet kingdom of dreams~!” “......” Meta Knight quickly turned back to Captain Vul. “I take back what I just said. It was my mistake to think of them as guests. They’re......cargos.” “Understood, my liege! I’ll toss them out after we land at Chiffon Star as cargos should be!” “Yeah, I’m counting on you, Captain Vul.” The monitor outside the ship projected a star shining beautifully in purplish red within pitch darkness.

Chiffon Star, the paradise of sweets. It emerged from the void of space as though it was a raspberry......

Next chapter

Table of contents

#kirby novels #kirby of the stars #light novel #translation #meta knight #kirby #waddle dee #king dedede #sword knight #blade knight #chef kawasaki #captain vul

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Four: War (Gladiolus x Reader) Chapter Twenty-Two

It had been three years since Noctis was absorbed into the Crystal. Darkness had descended upon all of Eos as the sun was vanquished by the starscourge. Daemons wandered the land and forced many to fear for their lives. Hunters wandered the darkened lands of Eos to hunt down the daemons while others acted as escorts to protect civilians from town to town. The only thing keeping the daemons at bay were the bright fluorescent lights surrounding the settlements located across the Leide, Cleigne, and Duscae regions.

For the past three years, Gladio has been a hunter to assist with slaying the daemons. Of course, (Y/n) was by his side. They took up hunts together and fought daemons side by side. The two hadn't seen or heard from Prompto or Ignis in the past few months, but they weren't worried. Famine was with Prompto and Pestilence was helping Ignis with healing. Death was in Hell, protecting the daemon king from his subjects.

Today, Gladio and (Y/n) were heading to the Vesperpool to slay a horde of red giants that were wreaking havoc in the area. The two were riding together in a truck Cid provided them a couple years back. The old man had installed powerful headlights that kept the daemons from attacking their car while on the road.

War glanced out the window, watching the darkness as the daemons prowled the land. She crossed her legs and didn't realize one was shaking. Her gaze was torn from the window when Gladio places a hand on her thigh and squeezed gently. "You're getting antsy as usual," he said.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's been almost an entire week since we hunted down daemons," she said.

"Nothing's stopping you from going out there and slaughtering them when we don't have a mission."

She purses her bottom lip. "What's the fun in doing it alone? I have you now."

Gladio smiled at her for a second before returning his gaze back to the road. His relationship with the Horseman was going well. (Y/n) wasn't as fiery-tempered as she was three years ago and she's learned to speak her true feelings. She had more patience and was more welcoming to strangers. She even made friends with some of the hunters at Meldacio HQ. Like with any relationship, they had their ups and downs. Whenever an argument did arise, they'd calmly think through it together.

After an hour of driving from Hammerhead to the Vesperpool, the couple arrived at Capitis Haven. They pulled out the camping gear and set up everything. Gladio sat down in one of the chairs around the fire while (Y/n) strolled over to the edge of the haven. She watched the daemons in the distance, searching for their targets.

However, she was promptly torn away from her position at the edge of the haven by Gladio. He'd snuck up behind her, tossed her over his shoulder, and marched her into the tent. She blinked in surprise when realizing she was now laying down on one of the sleeping bags inside the tent. Her (e/c) eyes locked with Gladio's amber ones when his hands grabbed her hips and dragged her towards him. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Remember what Dave said? We've still got some time before those damned red giants appear," he said.

"Of course I remember what Dave said. My question was what are you doing?"

"Recharging my batteries before we hunt some daemons."

She eyed the way he sat between her legs. "In this position? No way."

"You weren't complainin' yesterday when I was-"

She jammed her heel into his back, silencing him. "That was yesterday. Today is today. Putting it in Prompto's term, we aren't gonna "do the dirty" while we're camping. There's no way in hell that'll ever happen, especially with these damned daemons everywhere."

He grinned down at her. "Whatever you say, (Y/n)." He removed himself from between her legs and laid down beside her.

Once he was comfortable, she snuggled into his side and rested her head on his chest. One of his arms wound around her shoulders, his fingers trailing through her crimson locks. "This is much better," she mumbled contently.

Gladio chortled. "Y'know, I never took you for a cuddler."

"You learn something new every day..." Her voice trailed off, (e/c) eyes sliding close. She was enjoying his fingers as they combed through her hair, soothing her and bringing a semblance of peace. She knew it wouldn't be long until she fell asleep due to his ministrations.

Gladio has figured out a year ago that if he stroked her hair for a short amount of time, he'd cause her to fall asleep. It's how he'd get her to sleep with him whenever he needed to rest. It worked every time without fail. When she was finally asleep, he pulled out his phone and set the timer. Once he was done, he put the phone down and fell asleep.

It would only be a couple hours later when the phone would go off. Gladio woke up at hearing the device go off, but (Y/n) remained fast asleep. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before deciding to wake her. "C'mon, firecracker. Time to get up."

Over the past three years, (Y/n) no longer abhorred the nickname. She tuned it out more than anything, but she soon learned to love it. However, she wouldn't say that to Gladio. "No..." she mumbled.

"Aren't you the one who doesn't need sleep?"

"Need? No. Want? Yes..." She snuggled closer to him. "It's your fault..."

"Can't deny that," Gladio sighed.

When (Y/n) was about to fall back asleep, the sound of daemons nearby caught her attention. Her eyes flew open and she dashed out of the tent. She ran to the edge of the haven just in time to see five red giants manifests in the middle of the road. She turned to Gladio once he joined her and peered at his phone. "Dave was right on the nose. It's 1 A.M. and a horde of red giants have appeared." She held out her hand and summoned her sword. "Let's do this."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Gladio conjured his own greatsword, following (Y/n) into battle. They faced off against the daemons, swinging their weapons around. War tossed her sword, piercing one of the red giants' heads as she performed a warp-strike. It tried to grab her, but she quickly dislodged her blade and landed back on the ground.

Gladio defeated one of the five red giants while (Y/n) dealt the killing blow to another. Now only three remained. Because of their attention being focused on two other red giants, they failed to see the third one maneuver behind them. The Horseman was the to realize what it was doing when it targeted Gladio. She shouted his name, warning him of the red giant that was about to bring its sword down on him.

The brute turned around just in time to block and parry the red giant's blade. Using the katana gifted to him from Gilgamesh, he dual-wielded it and slashed widely at the daemon. His quick swings caused the enemy to fall to its knees. (Y/n) switched from her sword to a halberd and used it to decapitate it. Two red giants remained.

Teaming up, Gladio and (Y/n) performed a linked attack. She leapt onto the flat side of his greatsword and he tossed her into the air. Once reaching high enough, she activated the armiger and sent a barrage of spears, javelins, swords, halberds, and daggers towards the two remaining red giants. Each weapon pierced the daemons' bodies, killing them both. Landing back on her feet, the Horseman stretched her arms up to the darkened sky. "Looks like our job here's done." Her hands fell back down to her sides when she finished stretching.

"We're a pretty badass team, if I do say so myself," Gladio said. He replayed their current battle in his mind until a frown appeared on his face. Every time (Y/n) warped or activated the armiger, his mind races to his memories of Noctis.

War noticed his expression, already knowing what was going through his head. "I know you, Ignis, and Prompto miss Noctis dearly. He won't be gone forever."

"And how do you know that?" He asked with a hint of hostility.

She knew Noctis was still a sensitive subject even after three years. "Because he succeeded where I failed. He will return when he's ready."

"What're you talking about?"

"Every 500 years, Vanaheim's ruler would be absorbed into the Crystal in order to receive the knowledge of the Astrals. After some time, they'd return to share such knowledge with the rest of the kingdom. I was supposed to be absorbed into the Crystal on my 22nd birthday, but that day never came."

Galdio fell silent. This was the first time she ever told him about her destiny as Vanaheim's queen. All he knew before now was how she was a tyrannical ruler due to Gaius' influence and she was able to harness the second Crystal's power. He dispelled his greatsword with a sigh. "After three years, I'm still learning new things about you."

"What's the fun in sharing everything at once?" She grinned. Her sword vanished from her hand. "Let's head back to the campsite. You look terrible."

"I'm not the only one who-" Gladio stopped talking when witnessing her minor cuts and bruises heal. "I stand corrected."

She laughed. "I'll heal you when we get back to camp."

The couple returned to Capitis Haven. There, War provided healing for Gladio. She watched his minuscule wounds heal before sighing through her nose. "Better call Dave and tell him the good news."

She began sauntering away, her hips swaying with each step as she grabbed a towel. Gladio watched her for a couple of seconds before asking, "Where're you going?"

"I'm gonna enjoy a dip in the Vesperpool. I don't like smelling like sweat and dirt."

"I think it suits you."

She glared feebly at him. "That is not a compliment. Don't make me punch you."

Leaving the haven, (Y/n) wandered through the darkness with her flashlight. She headed towards the large body of water not far from the campsite. Arriving at her destination, she made sure the area was clear before stripping her clothes off. She entered the cold water, her heated skin cooling. She lowered herself into the water until only her neck and head were visible. Her crimson locks floated on the surface as she scrubbed her arms and legs.

Once she finished scrubbing away the dirt and sweat, (Y/n) delved deeper into the water. Now, only everything from her nose up was visible. She closed her eyes, sighing through her nose. The sounds of daemons in the distance didn't disturb her one bit. She continued soaking in the waters until she heard a small splash from behind her.

Before the redhead could turn around to see the cause of the splash, two toned arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her body against a bare chest. (Y/n) recognized the muscular form without having to turn around. "So, you decided to join me, huh?"

"May as well. I didn't smell all that pleasant, either," Gladio said.

The couple floated aimlessly in the water in silence for a short while. (Y/n) was the one to shatter the silence lingering between them. "How'd the call go with Dave?"

"Told him the good news and said our payment would be ready when we get back. He also mentioned a new mission for us."

This grabbed the horseman's attention. "What does he need help with now?"

"You know that imperial base in Leide near Hammerhead? Well, apparently there's been activity inside and he wants us to check it out. Iggy and his new sweetheart are gonna be joining us."

She furrowed her brows. "You mean Pestilence? She's not his sweetheart. She's just helping him with his eyes."

"You might not see it, but I've known Iggy a long time. I can tell when he acts differently around someone. It just so happens that someone is your sister. Whether he realizes it or not, he's head-over-heels for her," Gladio said. "He could use a woman in his life."

"Guess I'll have to see it for myself," she replied. "We'll leave once you've gotten some rest."

After a few minutes, the couple exited the water. They dried themselves off and put their clothes back on before returning to Capitis Haven. Gladio rested in the tent while War gathered and packed up the items they wouldn't be needing any longer. When that was done, she sat down by the fire and stared into the flames. Her head was filled with the memories she's made since arriving on Eos, both good and bad. She hadn't realized how much time had passed until she heard Gladio exit the tent. She tore her gaze away from the fire and looked at him. "What time is it?"

"4 A.M. Don't tell me you've been staring at the campfire this entire time," he said.

"Got lost in though," she confessed. "Since you're up, let's pack everything else up. We'll meet Ignis and Pestilence at Hammerhead."

They packed up the remainder of the campsite and traveled to Hammerhead. There, Gladio called Ignis and learned he and Pestilence wouldn't be arriving until another couple of hours. Hanging up, he put his phone back into his pocket and shared the news with his girlfriend. He threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side with a grin. "While we wait, we can get a bite to eat."

"You can get a bite to eat," she corrected him. "I'll just keep you company."

They walked into the diner and saw the place was packed with various amounts of supplies. Takka still worked behind the counter, providing some good meals for the hunters that passed through. There were only a couple of booths opened due to the large amount of boxes scattered about the diner. They sat down at one and Takka took the shield's order.

While waiting for his meal, Gladio stared across the table at (Y/n). He admired her (e/c) eyes and crimson locks while she glanced out the window. He suddenly felt a foot kick his knee under the table.

"You're staring at me," the Horseman grumbled, tearing her gaze away from the window to stare back at Gladio. "Have something to say?"

"Nope," Gladio answered. "Just admiring the gorgeous woman sitting across from me, and trying to figure out how the hell I got so lucky."

"I'm still trying to figure that last part out, too," she teased with a smirk.

Just then, Takka returns with the dish Gladio ordered. As he ate, the couple discussed their past missions and what they should expect from their upcoming one. While wondering why the imperials returned to Formouth Garrison, two people sauntered into the diner. (Y/n) perked up when seeing one of the figures was Pestilence. She waved at the ivory-haired girl. "Hey, sis."

"My, my, it's been quite a while," Pestilence smiled at the two, approaching the table with Ignis by her side. "You both seem to be faring well."

"You both look like you're doing well, too," War replied. "Kicked any daemon ass lately?"

"We just returned from Lestallum after having dealt with troublesome flans encroaching near the city limits," Ignis stated.

Gladio glanced between the advisor and the ivory-haired Horseman. He noticed how close they were standing to each other and grinned. "So, have you two sealed the deal yet?"

"Gladio," Ignis hissed.

"Fool yourself all you want, Iggy, but you're not pulling the wool over my eyes."

(Y/n) noticed her sister's confusion at what Gladio was referring to and decided to change the subject before she could ask any questions. "How're your eyes, Ignis?"

The strategist removed his visor to reveal his once dull eyes were back to being a sparkling emerald. "Visibility has returned although portions of the scarring remain."

"With one more dosage, I should be able to heal the remainder of the scar," Pestilence explained.

"I am in your debt for you assistance, Pestilence," Ignis said.

The lilac-eyed girl smiled warmly at him. "You don't owe me anything, Ignis. Being your partner throughout the years is a reward in itself."

Gladio gestured to the two, smirking in War's direction. "See? What'd I tell ya?"

(Y/n) glanced at her sister and the tactician. She could see how much they cared for each other by simply analyzing how they were gazing at one another. She didn't want to tease the two and didn't answer the shield. "Anyway..." She scooted out of the booth and got to her feet. "We've got an imperial base to infiltrate. What's our plan going to be?"

"Our first course of action is to survey the stronghold and search for an infiltration point," Ignis explained. "From there, we shall observe the empire's movements to gain an understanding of why they've returned."

"So no killing?" (Y/n) asked.

"For the time being, no."

"Ugh..."

Gladio was amused at her disappointment. "I'm sure we'll get to knock some imperial heads together before the day's up."

"I will try to keep my sword sheathed," she mumbled.

"Then shall we be off?" Pestilence asked.

"Hell yeah. Let's see what those bastards are up to," Gladio responded.

"We best keep the truck here," (Y/n) advised.

"How're you planning on us getting there?" The brute questioned.

"Horseback. If we take the truck, they'll spot us easily. Even though daemons are everywhere, our cover won't be blown if we ride Ares and Erra."

"I second the idea," the ivory-haired girl chimed in. "Although more dangerous, it'll keep our approach from alerting the entire stronghold."

"Then horseback it is," Ignis stated. "Let us depart."

#ffxv #ffxv x reader #final fantasy xv #final fantasy xv x reader #gladiolus amicitia #gladiolus x reader #gladio x reader

[glacecakes]

Alchemy Lullaby (5/?)

Of all the changes that came with living in the castle, becoming a father was not one he anticipated. When Eugene encounters a small child suffering like he did, he gives them the opportunity to grow up the way he never did… helping them both heal. (AU where Varian is 4 and gets adopted by Eugene)

Chapter 5: Varian has been kidnapped, and his family tries to save him.

SORRY this took a lot longer than I planned because school wiped me tf out. Warnings for child abuse (kinda?) some violence. Shoutout to the scar Varian discord server, AJ, Izaak, and Ten, all of whom helped me figure out some stuff for the AU! And to all of you! The response to this has been. Incredible.

I PROMISE this is the last plot heavy chapter for a lil while. The next few are just gonna be fluffy oneshots with baby mischief. Because after this, we’ll all need that.

Rapunzel gasped for breath as she skidded around the corridor. She’d been perfectly content, finishing up her portrait, when she’d looked up only to find an empty stool. That wasn’t too concerning, since Varian had a habit of wandering off. But she’d checked all his usual haunts by now, from the library’s kids section to the kitchen. Heck, she even checked to see if he’d taken a nap in his room (even though he despised them)! But he was nowhere in sight. 

“Varian!” She called. “Varian, if you’re playing Hide and Seek you’re supposed to tell the seeker!” 

So focused was she, the princess nearly bumped into two massive men striding down the hall. “Oh!” she gasped. “Dad! Hi, have you seen Varian?”

“Hello to you too, Rapunzel,” His father smiled. “Not since breakfast, I don’t think. Quirin?”

The man shook his head. “I’m sorry your Highness. If I see him I’ll send him your way. Varian is the little boy with the blue hair, yes? Doesn’t he normally shadow that Eugene fellow?”

It was like a light went off in Rapunzel’s mind. “Oh!” She gasped. Of course! Varian was awfully impatient, he’s probably helping Cass and Eugene! 

“Ok thanks bye!” She cried, racing back the way she came, leaving the two men alone in the hallway.

“...So, how are you taking to being a grandfather?” Quirin asked.

“Never say that to me again.”

“Understood.”

-

Rapunzel took off towards the dungeons, and sure enough, she could hear multiple loud voices. 

“Sounds like my plan…” Her voice trailed off in horror. She found Varian alright! And there were her two friends… still in prison. “Cass! Eugene! How did this happen?” She bit her lip, eyes wildly searching for an explanation. 

For a moment, everyone was still. No one dared to breathe. The air was thick with tension and panic. 

Varian wasn’t sure what was going on, but he did know that the mean men holding him descended on him like vultures. When he’d raced down the dungeon steps to come face to face with the escaped criminals, he had been too scared to even speak. They had taken one look at him, and grinned.

“You must be the kid Rider loves so much,” Sideburns had said, and his brother stepped forward. He’d advanced on Varian until the child’s back collided with a wall, and then scooped him up. And now these men were grinning at Eugene with shark-tooth smiles.

Soft hiccups escaped his mouth. He wanted all of this to be over! He wanted the men to let him go, Rapunzel to hug him tight, and Eugene to read to him in bed. He just wanted this all to be a bad dream. 

It wasn’t a dream, but it was Eugene’s worst nightmare. He took in Varian so the child would never experience what he did growing up. He took him in so Varian would never have to resort to crime, never have the enemies Eugene did, never live in constant fear, constant flux. And while it was true Varian would never want for anything as a citizen of the castle, he now suffered because of Eugene’s past. The past he never wanted Varian to have to see or experience.  

He couldn’t even muster his mask. The anxiety rushed through his veins. That was his kid in danger. 

Eugene’s hands slammed onto the cell bars. “Let him go. Now!” He barked. “Come on, guys, your beef is with me! You really gonna take it out on a kid? He has nothing to do with it!”

If anything, Patches gripped the boy tighter. Varian let out a whimper, kicking his feet in an attempt to free himself. But to him, it was like trying to topple a brick wall. 

Sideburns laughed. “Oh no, Rider, this has everything to do with him. See, we were going to kill you, but that seems… too kind. This,” He waltzed over and gripped pudgy cheeks. “This seems a much more fitting punishment. All you can do is sit and watch as we make sure you never see your son ever again.” Ice filled Eugene’s veins. They wouldn’t…. Would they?

He couldn’t take those chances. “No!” Eugene screamed, banging his fists against the cell door. “Take me instead! Kill me! Do whatever you want to me, just please, let him go!”

Varian only struggled more at Eugene’s distress. Never see Eugene again…? No! That sounded horrible! He didn’t want to go anywhere with these scary men, he’d rather go back to his momma!

Meanwhile, Cassandra grit her teeth. Until she was free, there was nothing she could do to help. And even then, they had a hostage. One that Cass would prefer to keep unharmed. Where did Rapunzel even put the key? She took it from her dad, did she give it back?

As if her thoughts summoned him, the Captain of the Guard’s voice rang out. “The Stabbingtons have escaped!” He called, and a smattering of footsteps followed. Guards poured into the dimly lit hallway, only to falter at the scene. It must’ve been a real sight, the prisoners out of their cells and the citizens locked in.

Patches grabbed a halberd laying against the wall and held it up to the small child’s neck. “Nobody moves,” Sideburns warned. The guards, who held their crossbows ready to fire, all faltered. 

“Eugene!” Varian sobbed. “Eugene, please help!” The man let out a cry of despair, rattling the bars in a frantic attempt to get to the toddler. 

The Captain seemed to finally notice them in there. “Cassandra?”

“Dad!” She cried. 

“Quiet!” Sideburns roared. The halberd inched closer to Varian’s neck. It nicked him ever so slightly, and the child weeped. Tears dropped onto the silver of the weapon.

“If you know what’s good for the kid, I suggest you put your weapons down.” The large man said. Slowly but surely the guards lowered their weapons one by one. What were they supposed to do? Shoot a child? An actual child who had been adopted by the princess’s boyfriend?

Soft footsteps were the only sound. The Stabbingtons slowly backed up, inching away with Varian still in their grasp. They turned the corner, and just like that, Eugene had lost his child after only a few short weeks.

The captain rushed to move once the brothers were out of sight. He dug the keys out and with a clink, unlocked the cell keeping Eugene and Cassandra. 

Like a shot from a canon, Eugene broke into a sprint, bolting after the men who stole his Varian. He used to wonder how the King and Queen felt, how awful the pain must’ve been when they lost Rapunzel. He now regrets ever wondering. It was an awful, all encompassing sadness that threatened to swallow him whole and leave him empty. He had been completely powerless to stop the Stabbingtons from kidnapping Varian in the first place. He’d fought with Cassandra, he’d sent Varian down to High Security to go retrieve a jack– Varian could’ve easily gone and got the guard, or hell, Rapunzel! He could’ve told Rapunzel that he saw they completed the game, please let them out! Instead, he hadn’t considered the dangers down below. And now his boy was suffering because of it.

Oh who was he kidding. He kept trying to say Varian was just his ward, his kid, dancing around the s word. But with the threat of never seeing him again, Eugene was no longer willing to deny it.

Varian was his son. 

And Varian was in danger. 

His eyes stung with unshed tears, lungs burning and legs pounding on the pavement. 

He heard the telltale sounds of someone catching up beside him. He glanced over, expecting it to be Rapunzel, but instead found it to be Cassandra. They skidded around another corner just in time to see the Stabbingtons enter a small tunnel. 

The whole time Varian cried and struggled. Patches had thrown Varian over his shoulder, and while the child kicked and hit, it was to no effect. He sobbed his little heart out as he was forced down into the tunnels. Eventually, the Stabbingtons had had enough. 

Sideburns grabbed his face. “Shut up or I’ll gag you.” 

“I don’t know what that means!” 

“If you’re quiet you won’t have to find out.”

The little boy screwed his eyes shut, desperately trying to quell his sobs. Deep breaths, in and out, just like Rapunzel showed him when he scraped his knee. 

“Varian!”

Varian’s head snapped up. Hope glistened in his young eyes. It was Eugene and Cassie! They raced towards him, trying to catch up to the Stabbingtons.

Patches scowled. He threw Varian to the ground, and the child hit the floor with a cry of pain. Dust billowed up around him, coating his pants. A sharp rock caught onto his arm, and Varian had to swallow down a fresh onslaught of tears. He didn’t want to get into more trouble. 

The ginger-haired man brought his full weight onto the wooden support pillar once, twice, three times, and it splintered. The tunnel shook, severely weakened without its support. Eugene and Cassandra sprinted the remaining feet, barely managing to dive towards the kidnappers and avoid the oncoming rockslide. Debris clouded the musky hallway, and when the dust settled, it was just them. 

No guards and no Rapunzel. They were on their own. 

...Unarmed.

Undeterred, Cassandra lowered into a fighting position, fists raised and ready to punch. She leaped forward, landing a solid punch onto Patches. He fell back and hissed in pain. The halberd clattered to the floor, and Varian scrambled on top of it. It was far too large for him to use, but he managed to get it upright.

Rising to his full height, Patches threw a punch at Cassandra. The woman was short enough to duck, sliding around his hulking form to avoid hit after hit. But she couldn’t take him down, not on her own. 

A quick glance over her shoulder saw Eugene had begun to fight with Sideburns. The ex thief snarled at his old ally, all charm and false pretenses gone. But for all of his determination, Sideburns managed to land a few hits, and it quickly became apparent that neither of them could defeat these large men at hand to hand. 

“Varian!” Cassandra called. “The halberd, give it to me!”

The child whimpered. “I-I’m not supposed to listen to you!” If he misbehaved, bad things happened! Momma always told him the destruction that followed them was his fault. If only he behaved!

Eugene grunted as he dodged a mean left hook. “Varian, I shouldn’t have told you that! I was just trying to upset Cassandra!” He kicked at Sideburns’s legs, but the man was a brick shithouse. “You don’t have to do everything I say, because half the time I don’t know if I’m making the right call!”

Another dodge. “Half?” Cassandra grunted.

Eugene rolled his eyes. “Ok, most of the time. Give her the halberd!” 

That was all it took. Varian dropped the halberd right into Cassandra’s path, and she grabbed it. The weapon twirled once, twice, and then the flat side whacked Patches, sending him sprawling. 

“Now that’s how you use a halberd,” Eugene called, and the handmaiden smirked. 

“Nice job, kid.” She said. Varian gave her a shaky smile. Now, to help Eugene…

Said man let out a cry of pain. Sideburns landed a hard hit on his face, and he was sent sprawling. 

“Oi, watch the merchandise,” He moaned. 

“You know, we were going to let you live, just without your kid,” The towering criminal growled, fire in his eyes. “But I think I’ve changed my mind.”

Varian stood in horror, watching as Cassandra tried to cross the battlefield to help, but she couldn’t stop the kick Eugene got to his face. He hit the wall with a crack.

The little child shook in terror. He’d been kidnapped, held at knifepoint, threatened, and now Eugene, his Eugene, was about to die. The terror had been steadily building, he’d only just managed to stop crying, but to think of a life without Eugene? 

Would he go back on the streets? Back to his momma? Would Rapunzel and Cassie blame him? If only he’d been smarter, if only he hadn’t gotten kidnapped, Eugene would still be there!

A stream of blood dripped down Eugene’s nose.

The terror went into overdrive.

Varian screamed. 

The earth began to rumble, pebbles jumping up and down from the floor. A deep groan came from the earth, and the tunnel around them began to crack. The small child’s hair began to float, unaffected by gravity, and his hairstripe glowed brighter and brighter, until it shone like a star in the sky. 

From behind Varian, large obsidian rocks sprouted. They sped towards Sideburns, growing bigger and thicker, snaking towards the man. He only had enough time to look up in shock before the rocks sent him flying. He hit the rocks from the earlier cave-in and crumpled beside his brother with a groan. 

The earth stopped rumbling. The tunnel settled. Varian’s hair fell back down over his face. 

Eugene blinked in shock. One moment he was about to die, the next, large black rocks came in and finished the battle. He’d heard from Cassandra and Rapunzel about the rocks that grew back her hair, these must be the same ones.

But how did they get there…?

“Eugene!”

He barely had any time to think before a blur collided with his chest. Varian gripped onto his vest and wailed, burrowing his face as deep as it could go. 

“Hey, hey, it’s ok, you were super brave today,” Eugene whispered, wrapping his arms around the trembling child. “It’s over, you’re ok. We just gotta… get out of here…” 

Cassandra poked at the rocks. While they had saved the day, they now blocked their only escape. 

“Cass? Eugene? Varian?” Rapunzel’s voice floated down. They glanced up, and the princess was peering down from a small hole in the ceiling. Moonlight filtered through and settled on them like a spotlight. “Is everyone ok?” The princess asked as she let down her hair. As soon as they were all up, she wrapped the whole group in a bear hug. “No one’s hurt right? We’re all safe now?” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. 

Eugene stepped back, readjusting his grip on Varian. “Yea. We’re safe now.”

-

The walk back to the castle was quiet. The Captain took on rearresting the Stabbingtons, letting everyone head to their rooms to recoup from today’s insane events. 

“I’m so sorry, for everything,” Rapunzel moaned. “I shouldn’t have done that, I should’ve helped you talk it out, and then I let Varian out of my sight, and-”

Eugene wrapped one arm around his girlfriend. The other supported a dozing Varian. “Hey, hey, Blondie, it’s ok.” 

“Yea, we all made mistakes today,” Cassandra piped up. “...But Eugene started it.”

“I did not!”

“Did too!”

Rapunzel groaned, but smiles on all their faces gave away that none of it was serious. The rest of the trek back to the castle was devoted to filling Rapunzel in.

“The black rocks…?” She asked. “The ones that gave me back my hair?”

Cassandra nodded. She gazed off into the distance, deep in thought. “I wonder if they responded to your distress? Or maybe it was just a coincidence?” 

 “Eh, who cares. They did a good job! Go team.” Eugene shrugged. “I say we worry about it another time. Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I am exhausted, so I’m gonna put this little guy to sleep and then turn in,” Eugene began, but stopped when Varian began to whimper. 

The toddler clutched onto Eugene like a lifeline, shaking his head violently. “Please, no, don’t leave me,” He whispered. “I don’ wanna be alone, please don’t leave me.” 

The last time he got that upset… the last time the black rocks appeared…

That had been the last straw for momma. She’d left him not a week later. 

Eugene glanced nervously and Rapunzel and Cassandra. As much as he wanted to help Varian, he was way out of his depth. Dealing with a trauma like this…

Cassandra thought for a second before speaking. “Hey, I have an idea. Rapunzel’s bed is pretty big, why don’t we all have a big sleepover? Would you like that?” She ran gentle fingers through Varian’s hair. The child melted into her touch.

“Yea, ok.”

The man breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks,” he murmured, and Cassandra gave him a smile back. She moved to brush some dirt off Varian’s shirt, and in the process, moved his shirt sleeve.

“Nooooo,” Varian moaned sleepily. He kicked his legs. “My shirt stays!”

The handmaiden rolled her eyes. “I don’t get it. That has to be uncomfortable. Why do you insist on rolling your sleeves up?”

Varian yawned, curling up in Eugene’s arms. He spoke like the answer was obvious. “‘Cuz that’s how Eugene wears ‘em. I wanna be like him.” With that, he finally fell asleep.

The kid sure was something else, it seemed.

But they could handle him if they all worked together. 

-

“They’re here?” Quirin breathed. “In the castle?”

“The tunnels beneath the castle,” Frederick groaned, running his hand down his face. “If Ulla is telling the truth, then its source is somewhere here.”

“We will find it,” Quirin insisted. “And when we find it… we must destroy it.”

#tangled #tangled the series #varian #tts #tts varian #team awesome #tangled eugene #eugene fitzherbert #tts eugene

[moonguilt]

and maybe i climbed it for you

(Written for the Rolling 20 zine, which I highly encourage you to check out!  Also, huge thank you to @kuranico for collabing with me on this!  Please follow them, they are an incredible artist!)

Pairing: Keith/Lance (and Pike/Thunderstorm Darkness)

Wordcount: 5023

Read on my AO3 here!

---------

“Hey there, big boy,” Pike purred, leaning in with his eyes lidded.  “I don't think I've seen many men in this area quite as ... muscular and rugged as yourself.”  His eyes twinkled as he flashed a wink and caught his lower lip between his teeth.  “In fact, I think some free time just opened up in my schedule.  What do you say … you … me … a little privacy?”  He slowly extended a hand, fingers gentle and searching—

———

“I cast Moonbeam.”

“Very well, Keith, please roll for—”

“Hey!” Lance sputtered indignantly, hands flying up in the air as Keith, looking all too leisurely where he sat at Lance's side, reached for the twenty-sided die.  “I was about to seduce him!  I rolled a seventeen!”  He snatched the die right before Keith could grab it, turning it to the side with the number “17” and shoving it in Keith's face for emphasis.  “You can't just barge in and attack him!  I was—I was—”  He let out a groan of sheer aggravation.  “I was really getting into character, too!”

“Yeah, we noticed,” Pidge piped up from across the table, leaning on her elbows and watching Lance's antics with a bored expression on her face.  “Ew, by the way.  Get a room next time.”

“I was trying!”

Keith just rose an unimpressed eyebrow at Lance, then wordlessly plucked the die from his fingers—Lance's skin tingled where their hands made contact—and tossed it onto the table, where it rattled around for a second before coming to a halt.

“Ah! Another seventeen!” Coran exclaimed, a cheery lilt to his voice, unfazed by Lance's huffing and puffing nearby.  “Very good, then, Keith.  So …”

———

Pike was generally not one for heroic quests.  He found them interesting, sure—but he wasn't one to be persuaded by the mere promise of noble accolades.  Money and fun, though—those were motivators he could get behind.  A little (or, well, a lot of) cash and a bit of adventure was all it took to catch his attention, and he prided himself on showing off his genius plans and his uncanny ability to outmaneuver the enemy.

He had agreed to join up with this traveling group on their mission to defeat something called a Xloraznor under the condition that he would: a) receive a sparkling heap of silver coins as his cut of the reward, and b) get to satisfy his thrill-seeking, wanderlust desires to his heart's content.

He considered his flirting skills to be not only top-notch, but also an essential part of his ideal adventure fantasy, and so it was getting on his nerves that a certain companion of his seemed incapable of letting him do his job.  Every time he attempted to charm his way past an enemy encounter, the party's obnoxious druid decided to attack the target instead, like some kind of boneheaded barbarian.  It was denying Pike any opportunity to show off his brilliant seduction skills, and it was making this journey much longer and more combat-heavy than it needed to be.

“Aren't druids supposed to, like, value life and all that?” Pike grumbled, kicking pebbles as the group trekked through the Forest of Clianuun on their way to Elmora-by-the-Falls.  “I thought that was your whole thing.”

Thunderstorm Darkness, in all his ridiculous, brooding glory, did not even spare Pike a glance as he stepped over a fallen branch and continued following the others toward a faint sound of running water.  “Do I look like that kind of druid?” he replied dryly, his tone flat.

Pike gave him a quick once-over.  Thunderstorm certainly had the animalistic qualities of a stereotypical druid, but admittedly not the nurturing, life-loving ones.  His attire was dark and rugged, revealing enough to expose rather dangerous-looking muscles along his arms, which started off pale and faded into dark black hands with vicious claws—a notable sign, along with his pointed ears and glowing silver eyes, of the galra blood in his veins.  His jet black hair fell in a braid down to his knees, and long bangs framed his angular face, which was decorated in red paint that Pike still suspected might have traces of enemy blood in it.  Thunder always seemed offended at the implication, but hey, he was the one giving off constant murder-vibes.

In all honesty, Pike probably would have protested Thunder’s place in their group by now, if it weren’t for the mildly annoying fact that he found the druid to be unfairly attractive.  It wasn’t his fault, okay?  Really, who walks around with their biceps just hanging out for the world to see?

“… Guess not,” Pike eventually muttered beneath his breath, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.  He opened his mouth, ready to formulate some off-the-cuff insult—

“Look!” Valayun's voice rang out ahead.  “There it is! Elmora-by-the-Falls!”  She pointed through the foliage and took off into the brush, and a moment later, her gasp sounded in the distance.  “Oh, it's beautiful …”

Eager to lay eyes on whatever Valayun was gushing about, the rest of the party picked up the pace and pushed their way through a swath of hanging fern-like vines.  What they saw when they emerged on the other side was … well, Pike thought “beautiful” was an astonishing understatement on Valayun's part.

Pristine marble towers stretched high into the sky, rivaling the treeline and glinting in the afternoon sunlight.  Vibrant pink ivy climbed up their shining surfaces, and expertly secured rope bridges connected the peaks of each tower so that citizens could easily commute from one to the next.  Flowers of all shapes and colors grew along the ropes and spilled down in great draping clusters to hang over the streets and houses below.  The buildings on the ground level looked like giant, upturned clay pottery—ruddy orange and round, with symmetrical designs carved all over the outsides.  No two houses looked the same.

The entire town of Elmora-by-the-Falls was bordered by a three-foot-tall hedge that was home to a species of flying bug that glowed violet, even in the daytime.  They buzzed, but not like bees—almost like birds, actually; their humming had a lovely sort of melody.  Pike found himself perking his ears just to catch the tune.

Beyond the grand display was the town's namesake: Clianuun Falls.  It was magnificent and awe-inspiring: bright blue water catching every ray of the sun as it tumbled over the crest of the cliff side against which Elmora-by-the-Falls was nestled.  The water drummed ceaselessly into a pool below, which then flowed out into a small river that burbled playfully as it trailed off into the forest.

Once the party managed to break themselves out of their trance, they started tentatively moving toward the town gate, staying quiet for fear of shattering the tranquility of the scene before them.  Even so, the purple bugs scattered to avoid the group, and as they passed by the riverbank, a pair of water sprites stopped dancing along the surface and chirped to each other before flying further downstream.

“This place is so pretty I could cry,” Block breathed, gripping his staff tightly with both hands—a nervous habit of his.  He sniffed once, and his lip quivered.  “Aw, man, I am crying!”

Meklavar patted him on the back, as high up as she could reach.  “Keep it together, Block,” she warned, her eyes alert.  “Just because it's pretty and flowery doesn't mean it's friendly.  Some species of flower are known for being beautiful, but will spit poison in your face if you aren't—”

“Relax, Mekky-Mek,” Pike said, then winced when Meklavar shot him a glare.  “Yeah, okay, the nickname could use some work.  Anyway!”  As they neared the gate, he turned around, opting to walk backwards while he fixed the dwarf with a cocky grin.  “I'm something of an expert in mood-reading.  And this place?”  He jerked a thumb over his shoulder.  “Good vibes, my small, cynical friend.”  His tail swished back and forth at a lazy pace.  “This is gonna be a piece of cake.  We drop in, get what we need, maybe meet a few lovely—aiee!”

Pike jumped a full two feet in the air when he felt his back press against something solid and distinctly person-shaped.  He scrambled for balance and spun around, finding himself face-to-face with a grim-looking guard in a full suit of armor.  Her hand was gripped tightly around a halberd, and her eyes spoke of danger.

“Outsiders are not welcome in Elmora-by-the-Falls,” she intoned in a deep, gravelly voice.  “You will leave now.”  She raised her halberd and slammed the butt of the weapon into the ground, making a sharp cracking noise that had Pike covering his sensitive ears.

“Gah!  Hey, no no no no,” he protested, ears now flat against his head.  “I—uh.”  He cleared his throat, put on his best, most charming smile, and batted his eyes up at the woman.  “I'm sure there's something I could do to convince you …”

She met his sultry gaze with a hard stare.

Pike winced a little, but recovered quickly.  “You know … some kind of … arrangement, between you and me?”  He slowly, slowly licked his lips.  “You'll find I have many talents … especially in the—”

———

“I cast Moonbeam.”

“Wha—Keith!”  Lance clambered over the table, his long limbs flailing as he grabbed the die before Keith could so much as twitch.  “Stop ruining my class fantasy!”  His eyes were blazing with genuine annoyance as he shimmied back into his seat, clutching the die to his chest protectively.  “I have very high charisma!  This is supposed to be my thing!”

Keith returned Lance's glare with one of his own.  “Has it occurred to you that maybe my class fantasy doesn't involve sitting here watching you flirt relentlessly with every single NPC we come across?” he retorted, then reached a hand out toward Lance's closed fist.

“Back!” Lance objected, smacking at Keith's intrusive fingers with his free hand while lifting the one with the die as far away from Keith as he could.  “Back, you monster!”  His arm protested the strain, but he held strong as Keith started grappling with him, trying to pull the die-hand back down while Lance smooshed a palm into his face.  It would have been easier if Lance’s traitorous heart wasn’t beating rapidly in its cage at the physical contact, but … he wasn’t complaining.  In fact—

And then Keith stood up, and Lance realized:

Oh.  That's not good.

Lance shrieked and pulled his hand back down to his chest, turning away and curling into a ball with his precious die tucked securely against his sternum.  He managed to remain impervious to Keith's prodding for a few moments, until Keith decided to switch to the tickling tactic, at which point Lance broke down into laughter and gasped for mercy.  Keith, like the absolute demon he was, just smiled.

“… As entertaining as I'm sure this is for both of you,” Shiro spoke up, causing Keith to choke on his own spit while Lance willed his cheeks to cool down, “I have a Zumba class with Adam in an hour and I still need to get changed, so I'd appreciate it if we could keep things moving.”  His mouth quirked with faint amusement, but his eyes betrayed his exhaustion.

Keith sat back down and turned to Lance, raising an eyebrow expectantly.  He outstretched his hand, palm up, and made the universal “give it here” motion.

Lance grumbled as he pulled himself upright, pursing his lips and eyeing Keith contemplatively for a moment.  “Actually,” he said, his lips twisting into a smirk just as Keith's started to twist into a scowl.  “Coran, I have an idea.”  His heartbeat was still recovering from earlier, but he managed to slip on a cocky facade.  “So, you wanna go around killing everyone I flirt with, huh?”

Keith's frown deepened with confusion.

Lance's grin spread.

Keith's eyes widened.

———

“Why, Thunder, has anyone ever told you your eyes are like the sparkling gemstones of the Ilygia Mountains?” Pike inquired, sidling up to the druid's side as the others watched with expressions that ranged from surprise to intrigue to disgust.

Thunderstorm's face darkened with a flush that crept from his throat to his ears—

———

“My character would not blush!”

“I'm sorry, Keith, but that was a very good roll,” Coran admitted, looking up from the game.  “Thunder isn't immune to Pike's advances.”  He shrugged helplessly, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

———

“I love this outfit of yours, Thunder … It shows off your delicious biceps … How did you get so strong?”

“After my older sister was killed by a band of Arovian brigands, I swore to train every day so I could avenge—”

———

“Coran!  You can't just reveal my character's origin story without my consent!”

“My dear boy, Pike is quite the charismatic fellow!  Now, where were we?  You begin to feel like you can truly trust Pike with your heart's deepest secrets …”

“Hold on.  Lance, gimme that stupid die.  Coran, I'm rolling to seduce.”

———

If anyone had told Pike at breakfast this morning that he would be flirting with Thunderstorm Darkness before sundown, he would have laughed it off entirely.  The druid was as prickly as they came, and he had acquired a nasty habit of relying on violence for, well, everything.  Not exactly the safest target for Pike's romantic endeavors.  Sure, he was admittedly a handsome man, but he seemed like the type to bite Pike's hand off if he got too close.

But, here Pike was.

With his hand.  On Thunder's cheek.  In broad daylight.

This was meant to be a joke—a brief reprieve to lighten the mood and perhaps get that stuffy guard to crack a smile.

And now Pike was falling in love.  Which, first of all, what?  It was only a few minutes ago that he had started flirting for fun, but things turned very serious very quickly, and now suddenly he was practically swooning as Thunder turned his head to press his lips to the palm of Pike's hand.  Again, what?  If someone told him right now that some omnipotent force had waved a magic wand and decreed the two to be head-over-heels for one another, Pike would probably believe it.

Whatever the case, Pike was never one to question the power of true love.  And as Thunder fixed him with a heavy-lidded stare, dark and intense and enamored, Pike felt the words tumble out of his mouth before he could stop them:

“Will you marry me?”

———

“Oh my God,” Hunk whispered, biting his fist and watching with wide eyes.  “Oh my God, he went for it.”

Lance puffed out his chest, ignoring the blush that he felt flooding his face.  “That's right,” he declared, placing his arms behind his head and leaning back on the couch.  “I went for it.”  He fixed Keith with his laziest smirk, letting his left knee knock into Keith's right leg teasingly.  “I win.”

Lance thought Keith was sure to burn a hole in both of their legs from how hard he was staring at the point of contact, but instead, he just turned an unreadable gaze toward Lance and said, “Oh really?”

Lance's smirk faltered.

Keith didn't look away.  “Coran, I say …”

———

“Yes.”

Pike's blood pounded in his veins as the words reached his ears.  He blinked owlishly at Thunder, feeling his heart overflow with immeasurable joy, and suddenly beamed.  “Yes?” he repeated in awe, his smile blinding as he leaned in close.  Thunder's expression was fond and doting as he mirrored the movement, tilting his head as his lips grew closer to Pike's—

“What a joyous occasion!”

Pike and Thunder pulled back a bit, exchanging a bewildered glance before looking over toward the gate.  There stood, of all people, the guard from earlier—surrounded now by a small crowd of Elmoran citizens.  Her face stretched into a broad, happy grin as she regarded the pair, and the crowd, which consisted mostly of humans and a handful of elves, erupted in cheers.

“Congratulations,” she announced, stepping toward Pike and Thunder, both of whom were mildly frazzled by the shouting.  “Elmora-by-the-Falls is most honored that you have chosen our town as the location of your engagement.  Truly, we are humbled and grateful beyond words for your kindness this day.”  She laid a hand on both of their shoulders, her expression warm and inviting.  “Please, allow us to welcome you into our home.  You and your companions are our most treasured guests.”

Pike was still stunned into silence, but after a quick jab from Thunder, he nodded swiftly.  “Uh, yeah! Yes. Totally.”  He hurried to catch up as the guard spun around and marched off toward the town.  Finally, he and Thunder managed to spare a look over their shoulders.  The rest of the party just gaped, wordlessly shuffling forward as excited citizens began beckoning them all through the gates.

Elmora-by-the-Falls was even more splendid from the inside, Pike decided as he followed the guard through the winding cobblestone streets.  He looped an arm around Thunder's elbow and peered about in amazement, blinking as small children ran past them with cries of “a wedding! A wedding!”  Citizens stopped in the street to gawk at the procession, and soon people started emerging from their round, engraved houses to offer well-wishes and words of gratitude.  The children returned a few minutes later with two long necklaces made of pink ivy from the towers, and Pike graciously accepted both of them when Thunder failed to do anything other than squint in confusion.

“Thunder,” Pike admonished, donning his own necklace and then reaching to put the other one on the druid.  “It's a necklace. You wear it on your neck, stupid.”  Pike winced and shook his head all of a sudden.  “I mean, sweetheart.”  Weird.

———

“Ugh,” Lance groaned, planting his head on the table after his little slip-up with Pike's dialogue.  “This is too hard.  Let's get a divorce.”

“We're not married yet, 'sweetheart.'”

“Don't you 'sweetheart' me, sweetheart,” Lance grouched, peeling his face from the table and jabbing an accusatory finger in Keith's direction.  “This would never have happened if you hadn't tried to turn this into a flirting competition.”

Keith hummed, leaning back in his seat and picking at his gloves with an air of fake casualness.  “Well, at least this answers the question of who wins.”  His eyes, aglow with the glint of challenge, darted in Lance's direction.  Lance's throat suddenly felt quite dry. “Since you're throwing in the towel.”

Lance opened his mouth once, shut it, opened it again, then began making blustery noises of inarticulate indignation.  There was no way he could let Keith win at romance.  He would never live it down.

“Uh, no no,” Hunk interrupted, frowning sternly at the two of them.  “Nobody's throwing in the towel.  In case you've forgotten, the sorceress told us we need Clia Root from this place, and the only reason we're allowed to set foot here right now is because you two—”  He pointed at them both emphatically.  “—are gonna make moon eyes at each other and smooch under a flower pot or wash your armpits in the Clianuun Falls or whatever these guys do to celebrate a wedding.”  His voice and expression left no room for argument.

Lance grimaced at the mental image, but nevertheless turned to meet Keith's gaze.  They both stared at each other for a moment, then simultaneously nodded in silent agreement.

———

So, it turned out that weddings were kind of a huge deal in Elmora-by-the-Falls.  Like, a monumental deal.  Pike had done some asking around while he was being whisked through the streets.

According to Elmoran tradition, marriage was not something to be taken lightly.  It was extremely rare for romantic partners to decide to join each other in union; the vast majority of Elmoran people spent their whole lives unmarried, to the extent that there was, on average, only one wedding per decade in Elmora-by-the-Falls.  A wedding was said to bring the town spiritual favor and good luck for an entire year afterwards, so when someone did get married, it was received with overwhelming joy by the general populace.

It just so happened that Elmora-by-the-Falls had not hosted a wedding for thirteen long years.  They were practically itching to get the ceremony started, and so it was not long before Pike and Thunder found themselves shoved out onto a marble balcony by a plethora of eager hands.

The balcony was already meticulously arranged: a sturdy burgundy cloth canopy swayed in the breeze overhead, acting as a sort of ceiling, and holes had been cut in the fabric to allow flowering vines to drape down in various places.  The edge of the balcony was lined with a shorter variant of the bushes that bordered the town; the strange little purple bugs glowed as they flitted around harmlessly.  The sun was beginning to set now, so their glow was more prominent against the backdrop of Elmora-by-the-Falls at evening time.  To the left, the waterfall roared; it was far enough not to be an inconvenience to the ceremony, but close enough to cast a fine, cooling mist that Pike reveled in.

The centerpiece, however, was the small white table set up at the edge of the balcony.  It was simple and square, about two feet high, and on its surface sat two small wooden bowls, a pitcher of water, and an array of sparkling powders whose rich and varied hues reminded Pike of a spice stall.

Pike and Thunder shared a look, then instinctively reached for each other's hands—because that was a thing now, them being stupidly in love—before approaching the table.  A cheery old Elmoran woman followed behind, hurrying them along, while the rest of the party spread out to the sides of the balcony and watched with a mixture of fascination and wariness.

“There you go, you two, right up to the front,” the old woman babbled, then grabbed them and turned them to face each other.  “Now, you see the soul dust?”  She gestured to the wooden display piece that held all of the powders in little carved-out holes.  Pike shot a look of alarm toward Thunder and mouthed “soul dust” at him, but the woman either did not notice or did not care.  “You will select the soul dust that you feel best embodies your partner.  It must be an instinctive decision.  Follow what you are most drawn to.”  One crooked finger pointed at the pitcher of water.  “You will use the pitcher to fill the bowls with the waters of Clianuun Falls.”  The finger shifted down toward the two small bowls.  “And then you will pinch your chosen powder into your bowl.  It will disperse in the water, and you will drink it.”

Pike waited for her to continue.

She did not.

“Is that it?” Thunder spoke up, voicing Pike's own confusion.

The woman huffed indignantly.  “Is that it?” she repeated, shaking her head and tutting as she turned around and hobbled off to the seats in the back.  “The boy is about to bind his soul in sacred matrimony, and he asks, 'Is that it?'”  Her muttering became unintelligible as she lowered herself into a plush chair.

Thunder blinked once at her, then turned back to Pike with a glimmer of determination in his eye.  “Ready?”  He squeezed Pike's hand briefly before finally dropping it.

Pike flashed him his most swoon-worthy grin.  “Born ready, baby!”  He whirled around to face the table and immediately grabbed the pitcher, pouring it into his bowl—and into Thunder's, because he was a gentleman, of course.  He wasted no time in inspecting the powders; he knew exactly what he wanted, and he spotted it instantly: a bright vermilion, twinkling like fairy dust.  With delicate precision, he transferred several pinches of the substance into his bowl and gasped as the water took on a glittering red color and began to emit a beautiful glow.

Thunder seemed similarly certain of his choice—an azure powder, Pike noted with no small amount of intrigue—but far less concerned with finesse.  He was just scooping the stuff into his bowl as if he was seasoning soup.  It was maddening, but it was also very Thunder, and for some reason that was no longer a negative assessment.

Thunder's water swirled into a shimmering blue, then started glowing just as Pike's had. The druid let out a soft “oh” and waited for a second, then gently—surprisingly gently, considering his manhandling of the soul dust—cupped the bowl in his hands and cradled it in front of his chest.  He turned to face Pike again, waiting for the man to mirror him, and when he did, they both stood there, suspended for a long moment.  Their gazes flickered quietly between the bowls and each other.

“Well,” Pike finally chirped, taking a deep breath.  “Bottoms up.”  He knocked the whole thing back in one go, coughing a bit when it went down the wrong way; Thunder merely watched with amusement and tipped his own bowl back, and their Elmoran audience erupted with praise.  “Eurgh,” Pike groaned, wincing at the flavor.  “Your soul tastes weird.”  He raised his hands in a placating fashion when he caught Thunder's flat look.  “But like, weird in a good way!  You know, in a romantic way!”

Thunder, impatient as ever, simply grabbed Pike's bowl, stacked it over his own, set them both down on the table, and placed his clawed hands on Pike's hips.  “I want to kiss you now,” he stated honestly and with no hesitation.  His lips glowed with a faint blue gloss—the remnants of his soul dust concoction.  It made Pike's heart stutter.

“Wh—uh—”  Pike paused for a second to regain himself.  “Um.”  He watched as Thunder tilted his head, his gaze penetrating and inquisitive as he waited for permission.  His eyes dipped to Pike's mouth.  Pike swallowed.  Waited.  And then: “Yes.”  And then again: “Yes yes yes yes.  Come here.  Yes.”

And Pike marveled at the rumbling laughter that escaped Thunder's lips as he leaned in, more than happy to oblige.

———

“Sorry, everyone, but I think that's all we have time for tonight,” Coran announced, his tone predictably peppy as he reached across the table to collect the various devices and dice that had gotten scattered about over the course of the previous couple of hours.  “An excellent session, if I do say so myself.  At this rate, you'll get that Clia Root in no time!”

“What?!” Lance interjected, rising to his feet.  He barely noticed as Keith stood with him.  “We only just got to kiss!  You can't just cut it off there!”  He spread his arms with outrage, smacking Keith in the chest by accident.  Oh, Lance thought absently.  That’s a nice chest.

Rather than bat the hand away, Keith said, “Lance is right.  We're in the middle of an action.  We should finish the scene.”  His mouth was set in a firm line, and his brows were drawn together in a display of resoluteness.  It was oddly attractive.

God, Lance was starting to find Keith's stupid eyebrows attractive.  How far he had fallen.

“Hm,” Allura began, a mischievous, faux-thoughtful lilt to her voice.  “I thought you two weren't enjoying this?”  Her expression was innocent enough, aside from the hint of a smile that she tried to hide by busying herself with gathering her belongings.  “Did something change?”

Lance squawked and turned to the others for help, but the traitors seemed preoccupied with grabbing their things and getting out.  “This is—it's not—”  He folded his arms across his chest and glared as Hunk, Pidge, and Allura, gave casual little waves and strolled through the door as if Lance was not currently having a crisis.  Hel-lo.

He was so caught up in his indignation that he failed to analyze Keith's silence as they all packed up and prepared to leave.  It wasn't until Lance was halfway out the door that he paused and turned around, only to find that Keith had followed him, that easily-identifiable Keith-brand of concentration plain on his face.  Still reeling from his embarrassment, Lance was seized by the conflicting impulses of wanting to crawl into a hole and die, and wanting to keep staring until his eyes fell out of their sockets, because—

Because Keith was blushing.  Wow.  What a sight.  It was darker around his neck, fainter around his jaw, and bright as a cherry on the smooth skin just below his cheekbones, where it mottled like sunlight on an ocean floor.

“Hey,” he said.

“… Hey,” Lance replied.

“Do you want to grab dinner with me?”  He looked like he was sucking on a particularly sour lemon.  It would have been funny if it wasn't mildly alarming.  “I was thinking we could talk some things over.”  His head was held high, but his hands were shoved in his pockets awkwardly, like he couldn't decide what to do with them.  “For—you know, for our characters.”

Lance felt his throat tie itself into a knot, twisting around at the base of his neck.  He regarded Keith for a moment, trying to read this odd behavior while simultaneously trying to convince himself this is not a date, McClain; you guys hang out all the time.  Get your head out of Elmora-by-the-Falls.  He thought he did a pretty credible job of ignoring the fluttering of his heart and keeping his expression neutral as he said, “Yeah, man.  Sure.”  He lifted his shoulders in a huge shrug.  Oo, no. Overkill.  His shoulders sank back down.  Casual.  Chill.

“Cool,” Keith breathed with a smile, like he could just do that, like it was simple.

And maybe it was.

“Yeah,” Lance replied, turning toward the exit and burying his own smile in the collar of his jacket. “Cool.”

———

“Hey, Coran?”

“Why, yes, Shiro?  How can I help?”

“Didn't you say you came up with all of these plots in your head?  Did you just … invent the whole sacred marriage tradition on the spot?”

“Shiro, my dear friend, sometimes one must guide the hand of fate.”

#klance #voltron #vld #thunderpike #monsters and mana #i had a lot of fuckin fun with this one guys #and im so happy i can finally post it!! #if you bought the zine you will notice that this fic is a different version #thats because the word limit for the zine was 2k but my original fic was much longer so here is my 5k version! #there is way more gratuitous world building muahahah #anyway please enjoy mwah #rolling 20 #fanfic #lavender letters

[nautiscarader]

Smutember day 18 - teeth and claw marks

Prompt for wonderful @manueillustrations, inspired by wonderful works of @manueillustrations. Gentle love bites are a motiff in her works, and they have been an inspiration for this story. 

Smutember day 18 - teeth and claw marks, Tristeva, E,  1.4k

(Ao3)

If you liked my story, here’s a Ko-fi link if you’d be so kind ❤️.    

================== 

It started innocently, as a bit of an accident: Evangelyne murmured when she felt Tristepin's hands on her waist, travelling up her body to tease her. She heard his footsteps and sensed him long ago, before he entered the armoury of their house where she was taking care of her bow. But she still let him sneak up on her to satisfy his instincts, and arched her body to slid into his strong arms, like two matching pieces of a puzzle.

She felt his breath on her shoulders, while his hands manoeuvred to her breasts and crotch, dropping all pretences. He has never been subtle, though, Cra bless him, he tried. And that's what she loved about him. Also, Eva was looking froward to it, they've never done it in the armoury...

She put her bow away, knowing that in a few moments things may get too heated for any delicate objects in their vicinity. Heck, she wasn't sure if the bench she was sitting on would withstand him...

Tristepin straddled the bench, as his breaths became more and more rugged, signifying his impatience. He dealt with Eva's tight blouse quickly exposing her breasts he cupped with his hands, toying with her nipples. Eva slid back, colliding with him, and she let out a moan when she felt him between her buttocks. she reached her hand back to feel him, and she was surprised to feel lack of clothes on his body, meaning he has either already dealt with his, or he was planning to jump her already naked... Only a true Iop could think of parading naked in a room filled with sharp weapons.

She threw her head back, surrendering her body to him, as his head leaned forward, peppering her naked shoulder with kisses. Eva pushed his hand lower, eager to feel him in her pants. With his mouth so close to her ear, she heard his raspy breath, and just as his fingers traced her folds...

She felt something sharp on her skin.

- Ouch!

Eva jumped in her place, and she heard Tristepin's yelp when her shoulder collided with his jaw.

- Oh, Cra, Pinpin, are-are you okay? - I, I think sho. - he replied, massaging his mouth.

Eva turned her head to see what was the cause of her pain, and noticed a small, reddened bruise, exactly where Pinpin bit her with his fang. She fully expected one of the halberds to be the reason, but then again, she would be in much bigger trouble then.

- I'm... I'm sorry, Tristepin, I just didn't expect that. - Oh, right, I thought that I would, uh, surprise you. - he scratched his head - You-you said that women like when-when men do that in bed...

Seeing him blushing and embarrassed eased the discomfort Eva felt at once. It wasn't that long ago when they've made love for the first time, and he was still learning. She cupped his face and kissed him, gently massaging his jaw she might have hurt.

- True, but we are not in bed. - she whispered. - Not yet.

She grabbed his hand and lead him up the stairs to a place where she wouldn't have to worry about any sharp objects interrupting their caresses. With each step they traversed, the memories of their unfortunate accident seemed to move away, and by the time they reached their bedroom, her fingers were already on his cock that came back to his full glory. But as Tristepin toppled her to their bed and was about to kiss her, he hesitated, just when Eva needed him the most.

- Pinpin? - No, it's' just... I don't want to hurt you. - You won't, trust me.

She kissed him and turned herself around, letting him ease onto her, and onto her other shoulder this time. Once more she felt his hot breath, and his fingers dancing around her naked body. Eva bucked her ass against his, and let out a moan when his cock sprung between her legs and right against her folds, giving her the chance to slide back and forth as if she was on a rail.

Eva listened to her boyfriend's moans, flexing her body, coating his cock with more of her slick juices, hearing the impatience in his voice. Finally, his hand slipped to her belly, and the next moment, she felt the fire in her loins when his cock spread her folds, filling her completely in one swoop, while his lips, as well as his fangs dug into her shoulder.

But this time, she was prepared, and her scream carried joy and ecstasy, making sure Tristepin would not stop. And indeed, hearing her lecherous moan only fuelled his passion. He leaned forward, pressing his girlfriend against the bed and a pillow she stuffed underneath her, to better accommodate to Tristepin's thrusts.

The feeling of his breath on her shoulder, as well as the constant presence of his teeth nearby, ready to mark her as his any moment now, as if she was a meek prey to her predator, drove Eva wild. She responded to his moves, swaying her hips to ensure that every inch of his cock would find way inside her sex, and that his massive balls would occasionally brush her clit, sending sparks of pleasure across her body whenever he slammed himself against her.

But there was another unexpected development when Eva threw her head back, and felt Tristepin's mouth on her ear, kissing and nibbling her lobes, giving her the faintest reminder of his teeth. A small cry escaped her mouth, followed quickly by her words reassuring him of her pleasure.

- Kee-keep doing it!

She babbled with her voice breaking underneath the subtle caresses she quite frankly wasn't sure he was capable of. She arched her back further, giving him better access to her ears, and in return, she got exactly what she wanted. His lips licked the same places he's been nibbling on, just to pepper them with kisses next, preparing for another series of slightly more ravenous bites. She didn't feel pain, nor displeasure, and if anything, his subtlety brought her to the point of orgasm far, far quicker than she could ever imagined.

Her voice broke a few times as she tried to warn him, and in the end, all she could do was to flip herself underneath him, and just when she saw surprise in his eyes, she closed her arms and legs around his back, begging him to not hold back. And when he pushed himself once more time, Eva lost her mind, and as the animalistic desire spread through her body with his seed flooding her womb, some deep instincts awoke inside her, and she dug her fingernails into his back, as she couldn't withstand her climax tearing through her body. In revenge, his fangs sank into her shoulder once more, as the two lovers marked each other as theirs, while their bodies spasmed finishing their job for them.

It took a moment for Tristepin to regain his senses, and as he looked into Eva's eyes, he saw nothing but contentment, which widened his smile and brought his lips against hers to soothe their tired bodies further.

- I think I found a new kink. - she giggled. - I'm glad I have helped you - he replied, breathing heavily. - Wanna try it again? - Mmh, maybe later. - she moaned - All I can think right now is a bath. And I think I should patch those scars I gave you...

She spoke looking at the elongated, shallow wounds her nails left on his skin. She gave each of them a kiss, listening to his purrs as Tristepin lay on the bed, equally tired.

- Nah, a warrior should wear his scars proudly! - he countered it at once - And besides, I'm gonna wear my cape over them, so only you will be able to see them...

Tristepin purred once more, as Eva continued her caresses down his tired body, worshipping him with her lips, and just when he was about to fall into a shallow slumber, he was brought to his senses with a sudden sharp pain when Eva's fang dug into his rump.

- Sorry, I couldn't help myself. - she giggled and hid her face in her hands, as she looked at his surprised face.

She coiled her fingers around his cock, and lay an apologetic kiss on his head, sampling some of the thick seed he has marked her womb with.

- And don't worry, I'm not gonna bite you here. - she spoke, as her lips sealed around his head.

#tristeva #tristepin #evangelyne #wakfu #nautiscaraderfics #lemon #smutember #day 18

[mediaeval-muse]

Video Game Review: Assassin’s Creed Unity (Ubisoft, 2014)

Genres: action-adventure, third person, open world

Premise: Blaming himself for the death of his adoptive father, Frenchman Arno Dorian joins the Assassins during the French Revolution in order to seek redemption. Learning that his adoptive father was a Templar Grandmaster looking to promote peace between the Templars and Assassins, and that his birth father was an Assassin (killed by Shay in Rogue), Arno must investigate the Grandmaster’s death and contend with a changing Templar Order, while also sorting out his romantic feelings for Elise, the Grandmaster’s daughter. In the present, the Assassins contact the unnamed Absergo employee and recruit them to their cause, using Arno’s memories to find the body of a sage, which may contain traces of First Civilization DNA.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 3/5 stars

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals. I will also be evaluating the Dead Kings DLC. 

Content Warnings: violence, blood, body horror

Story: Assassin’s Creed Unity primarily follows Arno Dorian, an Assassin operating during the French Revolution in 18th century Paris. Following the death of his biological father, Arno is adopted by Templar Grand Master de Laserre, who keeps Arno in the dark about the Templar-Assassin conflict. Thirteen years later, de Laserre is murdered following Arno’s failure to deliver a message in time. Arno joins the Assassins to seek redemption and learns that de Laserre was trying to make peace between the Assassins and Templars, but many did not share his vision. Arno must therefore track down de Laserre’s murderer with the help of his Assassin mentor, Pierre, and Elise, de Laserre’s daughter with whom Arno is in love.

There were several elements to the main story I liked: the idea of star-crossed lovers dropped in the middle of a murder mystery during the French Revolution was intriguing, and I liked that the crux of the conflict was a reigniting of the centuries-old Assassin-Templar conflict. However, none of the “crumbs” of the mystery felt particularly engaging; Arno would track down figures which were introduced then eliminated, and even the bigger characters (Robespierre, Germain, etc) didn’t have enough charisma to carry the plot forward. Given the premise, I would have liked to see more emphasis placed on Arno’s emotional journey, since his guilt and romantic turmoil seemed to be more fruitful areas to explore than the larger mystery. I would have liked to see more flashbacks to his memories with his adopted father (like Edward’s flashbacks in Black Flag) to make the mystery feel more personal, and I would have also liked to see more tension between Arno’s Assassin loyalties and Elise’s Templar leanings. The closest we got, in my opinion, to some satisfying interiority were some ghostly figures whenever Arno visited Versailles (good, but infrequent) and a really nice trippy sequence when Arno first joins the Assassins.

I also think this plot felt different from the previous Assassin’s Creed games because there wasn’t a lot of focus on the First Civilization. Arno encounters a Sage - a figure we were introduced to in Black Flag - but there isn’t a lot of focus on First Civilization artifacts or power. It’s not an unwelcome change, but it was different.

The French Revolution was a wonderful choice for a historical backdrop, though I wish Ubisoft had done more (narratively) to make Arno feel entangled with the world. As the game stands, the French Revolution feels more like a set piece - the background is there, and Arno interacts with some historical figures, but the plot itself doesn’t necessarily need to be set during the French Revolution. I would have liked to see the setting be integrated into the main plot more, perhaps by having the Assassins and Templars be more involved with historical events.

The present-day plot which usually serves as the frame in Assassins Creed games is almost non-existent, which made it feel like a distraction rather than an integral part of the story. Most of the modern stuff was just voice-over, with an anonymous Assassin guiding the faceless and voiceless “Initiate” to comb through Arno’s memories in search of a Sage. Periodically, the voice would alert the Initiate that Abstergo was onto them, and the player would have to take Arno through a series of rifts which featured anachronistic obstacles. Personally, I found these parts more annoying than anything, and they didn’t really come together to form a plot of their own, like in previous installments.

The Dead Kings plot was pretty basic. Arno was tasked with finding a manuscript in exchange for passage out of the city. Along the way, he discovers that Napoleon Bonaparte’s subordinate is trying to find an artifact of the First Civilization, which is hidden in a temple under the church. There wasn’t a lot to set this plot apart - it did the job, and I enjoyed myself, but it wasn’t particularly memorable.

Overall, I think Unity’s plot is mainly hurt by its open world setting. The world is so expansive and full of stuff that it detracts from the main narrative; because players can pick up or put down the mystery of de Laserre’s death, it’s easy to forget about it, making it feel less consequential (or, at least, not very urgent).

Characters: Arno Dorian, the PC character, is a charming protagonist with a lot of likeable qualities. He isn’t really a fan of how the Parisian Assassins are more like a cult than a brotherhood, and he’s witty and sassy while also holding onto admirable ideals. I wish Ubisoft had given him a better plot, though I did like that they didn’t overwhelm him with grief and guilt to the point where he was broody. He mostly had a light outlook on life without downplaying the seriousness of the conflicts around him, which made him a fun character to control.

Elise, Arno’s love interest, had a lot of potential. She was independent and highly competent, and I liked that Ubisoft didn’t make her into someone in need of saving. I wish she and Arno got to work more together and that they had had more scenes where they talked about their pasts, but I guess that would have been too sappy for the target audience. Without spoiling anything, I do have mixed feelings about how her story ended. On the one hand, I think it demonstrated a real character flaw that Elise struggled with throughout the game (I like characters to have actual flaws); on the other hand, she didn’t deserve that.

Other characters were a mixed bag. Pierre, Arno’s mentor, was pretty gruff and grumpy, and I didn’t get the sense that the two were particularly close. I wish more was done to cultivate that relationship, especially given Pierre’s arc. Other Assassins were too uptight to be interesting, and the bad guys weren’t charismatic enough to be intriguing. I did like the Marquis de Sade, but that’s because he’s Extra in fun ways. Leon, a child thief in Dead Kings, was also fun, mainly because he played off Arno well.

Gameplay: Unity differs a bit from its predecessors. While the core doesn’t change - players still need to use a combination of stealth and combat to navigate an open world and achieve goals - Unity introduces skill trees and upgradable weapons/equipment. To improve Arno’s abilities, weapons, and gear, players must collect money, earn “Creed points” (awarded for doing impressive things like ledge assassinations or perfect parries), and gain “sync points” (awarded for completing missions). In addition to collecting money from chests, Arno can upgrade his base at the Cafe Theatre to gain a steady income, though there aren’t any widespread economic mechanics, such as the forts/strongholds in Assassin’s Creed 2 or Black Flag/Rogue.

Unity also infamously introduces “helix credits,” a type of currency that players can acquire by paying real, out-of-game money for. Helix credits unlock abilities and upgrades faster (or else just access exclusive content from the online store). I hate this concept just based on principle, so I spent a lot of time exploring the map and unlocking every chest until I built up enough money to purchase legendary equipment.

Weapons themselves were easy to pick up and use, with familiar things such as the hidden blade, one-handed swords, two-handed weapons, pistols, berserk darts, smoke bombs, poison gas bombs, and the like. New weapons included the phantom blade (a silent projectile), the guillotine gun (a gun/blade hybrid gained in Dead Kings), and the introduction of long-arms (such as halberds). I found most of these weapons easy to use, though I did have to get used to the fact that the hidden blade is not selectable as a primary weapon - Arno uses it automatically when doing a stealth kill, but draws his sword or other weapon whenever the player engages in combat.

In terms of movement and stealth, I liked that Arno’s animations were more inspired by real parkour, but I did find it harder to move precisely in this game for whatever reason. I often got stuck on a ledge or wasn’t able to change direction very fast, all of which caused me to fail missions or get killed fairly quickly. I also didn’t like that Ubisoft removed the ability to whistle and draw enemies to a hiding spot; while there were haystacks and structures to hide behind or in, enemies wouldn’t walk by them very often, making them difficult to use for ambushes or stealth kills.

Side quests/activities included a range of things, from “Paris Stories” (quirky missions where Arno had to go kill someone or steal something), to Murder Mysteries (in which Arno had to search for clues and arrest the correct culprit to achieve unique weapons and armor), to “Nostradamus Enigmas” (riddles which led to different landmarks and rewarded Arno with keys to the legendary armor beneath his base). I personally found these fun, even if a lot of them weren’t memorable. They did their job and provided some entertaining little narratives, so I can’t complain too much.

Unity also introduces a lot of coop multiplayer missions, which can be completed with other players or on your own. Players can form or join “social clubs,” which are mainly just teams of gamers, or search the internet and complete missions with strangers. While I liked that the coop missions were able to be completed alone (they were harder, but not impossible) and I was able to play some missions with a friend, I did not like that most of them required players to replay them 3 times in order to get all collectibles and rewards. For a completist, the coop missions will be repetitive, and at times frustrating if there’s a locked door you can’t access without upgrading your skills.

In terms of collectibles, Unity primarily has money chests, cockades (which unlock color schemes for Arno’s outfits), newspapers, artifacts, and nomad points (which can be used in the companion app). Other than the money, I didn’t find the collectibles very rewarding - I didn’t have the companion app, and I didn’t much care for new color schemes or armor/equipment.

Dead Kings introduces tricorns as collectibles while also inserting a few “Franciade Stories,” Murder Mysteries, and “Suger Enigmas,” all of which resemble their counterparts in the base game. The enigmas in Dead Kings were a bit harder than those in the base game because the answers weren’t necessarily in or around landmarks; players have to really pay attention to the map instead of relying on the database for historical clues. I also found it annoying that players could get accidentally stuck in Dead Kings; if you start the DLC unintentionally, you can’t return to the base game until after you complete the first mission. It really sucks if you’re underpowered or just want to experience the narratives in order.

Visuals: Unity is a visually stunning game, with a lot of beautifully-rendered environments, character designs, and the like. The streets of Paris feel like they are inundated with chaos, with crowds of shouting people moving past walls papered with posters and defaced by graffiti, while the interiors are detailed according to the social class of the inhabitants. Arno can wander into a poor person’s home, empty save for the basics, or a rich person’s, decorated with gold and elegant paneling. I very much enjoyed exploring the world and seeing landmarks such as Notre Dame overlooking a rich, vibrant world.

I also really liked Arno’s outfits, all of which captured an 18th century aesthetic. Arno can wear a number of coats, hoods, pants, belts, and bracers, all of which feature a blue, white, and red color scheme by default. I liked that the color scheme wasn’t based around white, as in previous games, as it made Arno feel more part of his world.

In terms of animation, Unity is really buggy, even years after release. Characters would float in the air or get stuck in odd places, but even so, I didn’t find it difficult to complete the game. I did really like that Arno’s combat animations were inspired by fencing, and his kills were fluid and elegant, almost like a dance.

Final Verdict: Although Assassin’s Creed Unity attempts to bring a new kind of gameplay to the franchise and includes some charming protagonists, the difficult controls, lack of engaging plot, and introduction of microtransactions make it merely an average installment in the series.

#video game review

[theautisticquillholder]

Murderous Love Chapter II

(WARNING: This fanfiction has themes of Suicidal Ideation, Suicide itself, Self harm, Sexual Assualt, Murder, Extreme Bullying and Humiliation and a lot of Mental Illness related content and is NOT appropriate for children and the faint of heart. If you are under 18 or may be triggered by the content of this fanfiction please do not read this.)

Mitsuhide’s POV

It was the next morning and I couldn’t sleep at all last night due to the nightmares that I have had of yesterday when Da Ji did those despicable things to me.

I went to the bathroom to have a shower and as I removed my bed Kimono, I looked at the scars on my arms, I was surprised that Motochika didn’t notice them at all.

I soon remember the Instagram post, the horrible things that were said to me by Loki and Ares and grabbed a small blade and began cutting my arms again. I continued until I heard the door open, I flinched and looked up to find Motochika with tears in his eyes.

I teared up “Wh-Why didn’t you knock?” I asked.

Motochika walked to me, grabbed my blade and threw it away from me and hugged me “I was worried, and I didn’t want to give you the chance to hide what was going on… Why? Why must a beautiful man like you have to cut his beautiful skin?”

I hugged him tightly and cried harder, I felt like I wasn’t worthy of this amazing man in front of me.

I then heard Gracia walk in asking why I was crying only to find the blade and looked at us “Motochika, please explain what the hell happened in here? NOW!”

I flinched; I never knew how protective Gracia is of me until now. Motochika looked at Gracia and said,

“I was in bed when he self-harmed, I woke up when I had a bad feeling about something and came here, I didn’t knock because that would have given Mitsuhide the chance to hide what he was doing. I saw him cutting himself when I entered, I knelt down, took the blade, and threw it across the room hence why you see it where it is right now. I asked him why he must hurt himself in such a way.”

Gracia teared up as Motochika explained this and went to grab the blade

“Thank you for stopping him. I’ll give father this and explain what happened. I’ll also be booking an appointment with Hades for oniichan and request his understanding if you need to be there as well.”

I hugged Motochika tightly as the two spoke. I then heard “Mitsuhide, you and Motochika are only going to go to school to attend the appointments with your school chaplain for the next month. I have spoken to the principal, and she has said that its okay and she’ll collect your schoolwork from your teachers so that you don’t fall behind in class. Thankfully, they do not believe in attendance rewards since attending school is the bare minimum and you two do more than the bare minimum.”

We looked up to find my father standing at the doorway, Gracia looked at our father “Do I have to skip school as well? Or can I go to collect the schoolwork?”

my father looked at Gracia “You still have to go to school Gracia. But I understand why you asked.” He said to her.

Gracia smiled “well I want to go because one, Koshosho is there and two Principal Gaia collecting the work is futile if you don’t have someone bringing it here.”

We all laughed at her statement. Gracia giggled “I’m glad you find that funny.”

Gracia and my father soon left the bathroom closing the door behind them. Motochika and I stood up and we went to have a shower together. I was a bit nervous; my body was petite and feminine looking minus the developed hips and the female breasts, because of this I’m a bit self-conscious as many people prefer men who are my height to have some muscle to them.

Motochika smiled “Come on, no need to hide yourself. You don’t need to be muscular. That’s my job. You’re the uke of our relationship, with that in mind, I think you’re perfect the way you are.”

I then walked towards Motochika before stepping into the shower and hugged him. He hugged back, smiling “Very huggy mood today huh. Don’t worry I’m not being mean, I’d rather this than you self-harming.”

I smiled “There is a difference to being mean and having a small giggle because of a strange habit.”

We then washed each other while I heard My parents and Motochika’s parents talking about us. As we were finished and got out of the shower to dry ourselves off, I then heard some noise coming from the basement which sounded a lot like construction work.

We got dressed and walked out of the bathroom, I saw my mother smiling saying, “I am proud to welcome my son in law into our household.”

I blinked before Motochika’s mother added “Motochika, because you’re needed here more than ever, myself and Mitsuhide’s mother have decided that it would be best if you live here until you and Mitsuhide can get a place of your own.”

Motochika teared up and hugged his mother saying “Thank you so much Okasan! I promise I’ll treat Mitsuhide like the prince he is!”

I realised what has happened and teared up, but this time these were happy tears. I was extremely happy, the man I love is living with me. I then heard my mother say,

“This arrangement cannot be carried out as of right now as we’re currently turning our basement into a studio apartment for the two of you so that you two can be a couple without us interfering, the only thing that will be required of you would be to sit with us during dinner, since you two already do that it’s not that big of an issue.”

We then walked to my room. Motochika laid on my bed happier than ever “Looks like we can be together more often.”

I smiled and hugged Motochika

“Yes. I think the spirits of the women from our past lives would be happy about this. No interference from any of our families.” I replied.

We then turned on the TV and my PlayStation 4 and flicked to YouTube, I saw an update from one of my favourite history YouTube channels ‘Elizavata Heridervary’ (Play on words, Heritage and Elizaveta’s last name Hedervary) posting about the tragic lives of Ayano, and Izumi I clicked on it smiling

“I want to watch this!” I said and we began watching the video.

*Video*

“Hello everyone and welcome back to my channel, today I’ll be telling you about the Lady Samurai Ayano and her lesbian lover Izumi.

Akechi Sakura Ayano was born January thirty first, fifteen twenty-six to farmers Akechi Akane and Kanesada Zetsumei. She had an older brother named Takumi. Ayano’s childhood until she reached the age of sixteen wasn’t an eventful one. Her mother Akane spent time tending to the farm and going to the marketplace to sell her produce while her Father Zetsumei stayed home and took care of the children. Ayano wasn’t content with staying inside the house for long, so at the age of nine she started to help her mother on the farm even though in families who live on farms and have a strong farmhand, the average age children joining their mother’s on the farm was fourteen. She was a hard-working farmhand, and her mother was pleased. Ayano spent her free time from farming meditating, journaling, and training in the art of the sword. When Ayano reached the age of fifteen, she grew tired of farming and when she went out to the marketplace to collect some new clothes for her father and brother, she saw a cloth that was nailed onto the board where the missing persons posters, job vacancies, and other community related things would normally be. She took a closer look when she discovered that it was a request for students to attend the Lady Samurai Academy. She took the cloth down and placed it in her pocket, got the items her father has requested and walked back home. When she was home, she told her parents about the enrolment request from the Lady Samurai Academy and that she was interested in going. Zetsumei was supportive of his daughter’s decision, but Akane wasn’t as keen. She remembered being forced onto the battlefield and the horrible things she has seen, when Akane told the family her views Zetsumei had enough of Akane setting so many expectations on Ayano while Takumi was allowed to do what interests him and gave Akane an ultimatum, Let Ayano go to the Academy, or he files for divorce. Akane not wanting to cause any trouble for her baby boy relented and allowed Ayano to attend the academy. Ayano attended the academy until she reached the age of twenty-one and went to join the army of Saito Naomi. At first Naomi wasn’t interested in recruiting new retainers so Ayano went back to the Academy and spent one year teaching meditation and the benefits of journaling. In the year fifteen forty-eight when she reached the age of twenty-two, she tried again to join Naomi’s retainers, this time Naomi agreed on one condition however, her right-hand maiden, Takenaka Tsubasa, who is known to be a fierce warrior, is allowed to test whether or not Ayano was worthy of joining.

Chosokabe Izumi was born on the sixteenth of February fifteen thirty, just four years after Akechi was born, to hunters Chosokabe Yuzuki and Miyoshi Morinari. Her childhood was also an uneventful one, however whenever she went out to play with the other children, she was bullied, which caused her to stay home and read and teach herself medicine. Not much is known about the events of the rest of her childhood, until she reached the age of eighteen, when her grandmother Kinen sent her to the palace of Saito Naomi to train as a maid. Naomi was so impressed by Izumi’s knowledge of medicine that she allowed Izumi to work in the infirmary as well as her normal maid duties.

As Izumi walked to Naomi to acquire a new task for her to complete, she walked into the room where Akechi Ayano and Takenaka Tsubasa were duelling. Ayano was able to disarm Tsubasa, but the halberd flew towards Izumi, Ayano saw this, ran to Izumi, and pushed her out of the way, causing the halberd to pierce the ground instead. Ayano’s quick thinking saved Izumi’s life and shocked everyone in the room. Tsubasa commended Ayano for her deed and the two started another duel, while Naomi requested that Izumi stayed in the room to watch the duel. The duel ended this time Ayano was the victor. Tsubasa congratulated her and informed Naomi that Ayano is worthy to join.

During her employment as one of Saito’s Retainers Ayano and Izumi spent a considerable amount of time together. Yuzuki was impressed that her daughter was able to find someone with whom she can relate to and allowed the relationship to continue. Akane on the other hand wasn’t impressed that Ayano had expressed interest in the maiden and swiftly went to work securing a worthy male suitor for her daughter.

As Akane was searching for male suitors to arrange a marriage for Ayano, Ayano and Izumi had grown fond of each other, to the point of having a lesbian relationship. By the time Akane was able to secure a meeting with Naomi and her son Saito Naoko, Ayano’s relationship with Izumi became so intense that when Akane tried to arrange for Ayano to marry Naoko, Naomi objected the marriage, causing Akane and Ayano to have a heated argument. Historians have debated that Akane had said to Ayano “You don’t want to marry the prince because you’re in love with that lowly maid! She will never have my blessing!” and Ayano telling her mother that her mother’s views will not sway her, told her mother what she had done to her father and another man, disowning her own mother, and stormed off.

Ayano and Izumi spent more time together but were never able to marry due to Kinen’s homophobic views threatening to destroy Ayano’s Reputation. Izumi refused to marry her lover just to protect her as Izumi knew that if Kinen finds out about the marriage, she will destroy Ayano’s reputation as a respectful samurai until she dies as a disgrace and dishonourable woman. The two however were able to convince Ayano’s brother Takumi, to have intercourse with Izumi so that Ayano and Izumi were able to raise children. In the year fifteen fifty-three Izumi gave birth to a baby boy named Akechi Yao and two years later eleven days after Ayano’s twenty-ninth birthday and five days shy of Izumi’s twenty seventh birthday, Izumi gave birth to another baby boy, Akechi Kiku. Ayano and Izumi raised the two boys as best as they could as Ayano had to go away fighting on occasion. In fifteen seventy-one when their youngest son was sixteen Ayano along with her fellow retainers went to fight against Uesugi Echiko, a long-time nemesis of Saito Naomi. While Naomi was victorious in the first battle at Yamashiro, when Ayano was defending Yamashiro, she was outnumbered by Uesugi’s army and despite being able to fight most of them off, Ayano was inevitably captured. Echiko, impressed by Ayano’s skill in Military Strategy and her skill with the sword tried to convince Ayano to surrender and fight as an Uesugi Officer. Ayano refused, explaining to her that her heart and soul belongs to the Saito and that she cannot leave her lover and children behind. Echiko, a bit saddened by the rejection understood and was about to let Ayano go but the Uesugi retainers had informed Echiko that Ayano is dangerous to be left alive. As a result, Echiko had sentenced Ayano to death, Ayano pulled out a short blade, undressed until only her hakama remained, impaled herself in the stomach and sliced it open. For those who haven’t watched many of my Japanese History videos, this method of one taking their own life is named Seppuku, it is a ritual death in which Samurai perform to retain their honour. After the death of Ayano, Echiko beheaded her and sent her head along with a wooden sculpture of Ayano’s body to the Saito. The Reason Echiko didn’t send Ayano’s actual body over was because she was moved by Ayano’s sense of honour for herself, her clan and the clan in which she is a retainer of and because of that honour, Echiko felt that it was cruel to send Ayano’s body in the state that it’s in, so she only sent the head to give the Saito Clan some closure on what had happened to their beloved warrior.

When Ayano’s head and the body sculpture had arrived at the Saito, Naomi, Izumi and Ayano’s sons were beside themselves with grief. Naomi read the letter Echiko sent stating that she couldn’t bear to send the actual body as it has been battered and cut. Naomi placed Ayano’s head on the sculpture and the Saito Clan had a hero’s funeral for their departed general. Izumi after the funeral had written in a scroll that had said.

‘On the sixteenth year of our youngest son’s life, I have lost the one person who has expressed to me that I was a reason to fight and a reason to return home alive. Words could not express how much I love her, she was my strength when I felt weak, she was my sunshine in my darkest days, she made me laugh when I wanted to cry, she made me smile when I felt that smiling wasn’t possible at that moment, she called me beautiful when everyone deemed me ugly. She convinced her brother to help her give me two beautiful strong boys. Akechi Sakura Ayano wasn’t the hero I wanted, but the hero I needed.’

Izumi raised her teenage sons, her youngest, Kiku, who idolised his departed mother Ayano joined the ranks of the Saito Retainers at age twenty and had served Naomi and Naoko for sixty more years. In the year 1582 Izumi had news that her eldest son Yao had died to Jigai, another form of seppuku when he was taken hostage by the Uesugi. Izumi passed away at in the year sixteen hundred at the age of seventy.

Ayano Akechi and Izumi Chosokabe were buried in the same grave on the Akechi estate.

Ayano and Izumi’s story has lived on in a movie ‘The Proper Maiden and the Lady Samurai’ and these historical figures are featured in many video games, one notable one is ‘Oda no Musou’ which is a hack and slash game which features these figures and many others from that specific time period.”

Motochika and I had tears in our eyes as we listened to Elizaveta talk about Ayano and Izumi’s lives we then watched the end part of the video as we wiped our tears and cleared our minds of the tragic story.

*Video*

“Hello again, Elizaveta here again. Before I finish this video off, I thought I might mention some things about this story and my format of telling it. I apologize to my Japanese viewers if I have butchered your wonderful language and the names of these historical figures. I was once completing a history assignment on the Oda period and while I was having a break from the assignment, I did a bit of reading on Akechi Ayano, and I must say, it has intrigued me. So, when I got the chance, I did more research on the life of this honourable Samurai, I couldn’t find too much about her time on the battlefield as Ayano had served the Saito for a short time before being sentenced to death by Echiko. So, I thought I might do some research on what happened when Ayano wasn’t fighting and found information on Izumi, her lesbian lover. If you have any feedback, please leave a comment down below and if you want me to do a video on Akechi Kiku, Ayano’s youngest son, also leave a comment down below.”

I looked at Motochika saying “That is such a sad story.”

Motochika replied “I know, but Ayano and Izumi have been given another chance through us. We can do the things they couldn’t do, that’s the only way we can honour them.”

I nodded and rested my head on Motochika’s chest.

#samurai warriors #mitsuhide akechi #chosokabe motochika #warriors orochi

[kirbydevpostarchive]

HAL Laboratory イシダHAL_Laboratory 08/25/2016 5:10 AM

Hi, this is Satoshi Ishida from HAL Laboratory. Today we'll be hosting round 2 of the Kirby: Planet Robobot Ask-a-thon and, as before, director Shinya Kumazaki is here to answer your questions!

クマザキ 08/25/2016 5:14 AM Nice to see you again. Today I'm hoping to answer behind-the-scenes questions about Planet Robobot that you wouldn't normally be able to find out from simply playing the game.

イシダ 08/25/2016 5:18 AM It seems there are a lot of people out there who read very deeply into the game as they're playing. I'd like to start us off with a question about Meta Knight: At the start of the game, we see the Halberd get shot down, but by the time it shows up again, it's in full working order. Who repaired it?

クマザキ 08/25/2016 5:20 AM The Halberd made a crash landing between the cliffs in the space directly beneath Access Ark. Meta Knight was then captured by the Haltmann Works Co., but managed to entrust the Halberd to his crew. As a result, the repairs were finished in time and the Halberd could rush to Kirby's rescue, with Meta Knight back to his old self. But when Meta Knight shouted for Kirby to get on board, he didn't expect Kirby to ignore his offer and scan the Halberd's ability instead...

イシダ 08/25/2016 5:23 AM And here I thought Meta Knight was the one telling Kirby to scan it... Speaking of Meta Knight, here's a question about Meta Knightmare Returns. Is there any connection plotwise between this mode and the main game's Story Mode?

クマザキ 08/25/2016 5:25 AM It's basically an alternate storyline. Meta Knightmare Returns is a kind of bonus mode that you unlock after finishing the main game, but that alone doesn't hold much appeal for a player so we made it into a "what if" scenario. Kirby games tend to be quite deep and have lots of content, and this game is no exception. There are two sides to the story: one for players who just want to casually play it from start to finish, and another for those who want to delve deeper into the game world. This mode fully realises that two-sided method of development.

イシダ 08/25/2016 5:26 AM While we're on the topic of Meta Knightmare Returns, Galacta Knight was supposed to be sealed away in a crystal, but he broke that seal and showed up again in The True Arena. Are Meta Knightmare Returns and The True Arena connected at all in relation to the story?

クマザキ 08/25/2016 5:28 AM The True Arena is like another ""what if"" scenario, so you can't really consider everything to be connected. Furthermore, the extra-dimensional road that opens up when Galacta Knight appears transcends space-time, so it's difficult to give it a concrete place in the timeline. But if you consider the stages in which Galacta Knight appeared in the past three games, I think that will give you some food for thought. Also, once Galacta Knight has shown up, it should be clear why he cuts down Star Dream: it forced him to travel through time and space and so he considers Star Dream his enemy. That's why Galacta Knight appears as an antagonistic sort of character.

イシダ 08/25/2016 5:29 AM The name Star Dream came up just now. Could you tell us how Haltmann got his hands on the blueprints and technology for Star Dream? Others also noted that the Security Force blueprints bore similarities with Metal General from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and the data for Holo Defense API resembled Pix from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. Could you tell us a bit about those?

クマザキ 08/25/2016 5:31 AM Haltmann travelled to numerous planets around the galaxy to collect their blueprints and technology. He may have gone to Halcandra, or perhaps to a planet with strong connections to it. As for Holo Defence API, Haltmann gained access to numerous different worlds after Susie was accidentally sent into another dimension and this is how he acquired that data.

イシダ 08/25/2016 5:33 AM I see, so that's how you're making use of elements from previous games. Now for a question about Star Dream - during that fight, you can see the company logo on some of the planets in space. Did Haltmann Works Company conquer these planets? If that's the case, what happened to them after Star Dream was defeated?

クマザキ 08/25/2016 5:34 AM Those planets were under Haltmann's control, yes. The logos signify Star Dream's heartlessness and are proof of Haltmann's wickedness in invading those planets. The logo material was made using Star Dream's super-advanced technology, so when Star Dream was destroyed, the logos vanished along with it. That means that the planets should now be back to normal. I should also point out that the soulless evil weapons were wiped out, but some things that were out of Star Dream's reach escaped the destruction.

イシダ 08/25/2016 5:35 AM Like Susie's Business Suit? That reminds me, why did Haltmann lose his memories of the past along with his compassion? Did he discard them himself, or did Star Dream erase them? Also, Susie was appointed executive assistant, wasn't she? I suspect there was there some hidden meaning to this...

クマザキ 08/25/2016 5:37 AM In order to control Star Dream, you need a program controller on your head to have it directly interface with your brain. Haltmann may have suspected memory loss from the beginning, or it may have been an unknown side effect... But the fact is that he started losing his memories bit by bit. This tells you just how incomplete Star Dream really was. Later, after Susie grew up and came back, Haltmann sensed something about her and made her his assistant, but at that time he had completely forgotten that he'd even had a daughter to begin with.

イシダ 08/25/2016 5:38 AM That's really quite sad... Well, after that big revelation, here's a question about the background music. There seem to be a lot of tracks that are slightly redone versions of ones from previous games. Is this because you were trying to please old-school fans? On a related note, there are many tracks whose names people would like to know. Would you be able to disclose any of them?

クマザキ 08/25/2016 5:40 AM With regard to the re-arranged tracks, we have of course tried to cater to our long-time fans as well as newcomers. We wanted to reinvent classic tracks to create something fresh and new, something that fits the current generation's taste. I'm actually really surprised at how many questions we received about track titles. That really makes me happy because I love being able to add more depth to the world through text, be it with dialogue, ability names or music tracks. That said, there were a lot of inquiries about the tracks, so I think it would be best if we save those for later.

イシダ 08/25/2016 5:42 AM So we can look forward to a number of music-related questions next time. We're going to be having one last round of questions to conclude our Kirby: Planet Robobot Ask-a-thon. Please stay tuned!

#robobo #eu en #eu en robobo