#he also gets to ‘capture’ is wife just so she doesn’t get stolen by another trainer wandering in the woods | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

iliveiloveiwrite · 3 years

Text

I wonder what it’s like to be loved by you // Benedict Bridgerton

Summary: You’ve loved him for as long as you can remember. Is this the season where he finally realises?

A/N: I LOVE BENEDICT. I love him so much. What do I have to do to get a Benedict? Title is from Shawn Mendes - Wonder. I had so much fun writing this fic, I can’t wait to write more for the Bridgerton fandom! I truly hope you all like it, let me know what you think please?

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x Fem!Reader

Warnings: swearing, mentions of food and drink, fluff, pining, mutual pining, dancing, balls, obliviousness, friends to lovers, she/her pronouns, a lot of history - I am a historian after all and this is the regency era.

Word count: 4.8k

Lady Danbury never spared any expense on the balls she held every season. She knew full well that many a match could be made that night so there was not only pressure from the ton, but also a responsibility that this ball must outdo all others thrown before – by herself and other matriarchs in society.

A feat she always managed to achieve, the elder thinks to herself as she watches your eyes widen upon entering the ornately decorated room. Looking you up and down, she approves of your outfit – a dark blue dress punctuated with silver jewellery, hair twisted into an updo with only a few strands hanging loose to frame your face. From her spot across the ballroom, Lady Danbury wonders how you hadn’t married yet.

As the band strikes up, Lady Danbury walks into the fray, greeting her guests with a smile. All the while, she keeps a trained eye on you, wondering who on earth had captured your heart but had not noticed.

-------------

No matter how hard he tried, the charcoal would not wash from his fingers. Having scrubbed and scrubbed at his hands, Benedict could only offer you a smile of apology as you not only noted his lateness but the state of his hands.

“It’s very fortunate that you are a talented artist,” You comment with a teasing smile.

Benedict reaches for your hand, dropping a kiss to the back of it before answering. “I class myself as very fortunate to have a friend like you who understands how easy it is to get lost in a sketch or a painting.”

You roll your eyes, careful not to let anyone else but Benedict see your act of impropriety. He smirks, unable to help himself.

“You’re a shameful flatterer, Benedict.”

“Some might even call me a ‘rake’,” He replies, his tone teasing.

“I shall save that for when you’ve really annoyed me.”

He laughs; a loud chuckle that draws the attention of those closest to you. Most notably, Benedict’s mother, Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury.

Benedict clears his throat; cheeks flushed not only from the attention but from the knowledge that his mother would soon be making her way over to him. He adored his mother; was grateful for her every day, but he could happily admit he could live without the meddling in his love life. He grabs your gloved hand once more; kissing the back of it in parting before asking, “Save me a dance on your card?”

“Always,” You answer, watching his back as he stalks away. Benedict narrowly avoids being collared by his mother, an act to which you find yourself smiling at.

With thoughts of Benedict in mind, you wander around the outskirts of the ballroom, your dark blue skirts swishing pleasantly under foot. You pause only to grab a lemonade from the table, sipping happily at the cold drink.

You catch sight of the brunette that had stolen your heart dancing with Penelope Featherington and though you know there is no romance there, your heart is unable to stop the hurt that lashes through it. Schooling your face into a mask of polite delight, you force yourself to turn away from the sight of the man you had so readily given your heart to dancing with someone else.

“How long have you been in love with my brother?” A raspy voice asks from behind you.

Your lemonade splashes slightly as you turn to face your interrogator. “Eloise!” You laugh, smiling too wide to be comfortable, “Whatever do you mean?”

Eloise’s shrewd blue eyes narrow slightly as she takes in your dismissal. She waves her hand in the general direction of Benedict though you knew exactly where he was – could feel his location thrumming in your veins.

“Don’t play coy, (Y/N). It doesn’t become you. Now, how long have you been in love with Benedict?”

That was the question, wasn’t it? How long had you loved Benedict? Thinking back on it, you’re sure that you’ve always loved him. Your family had been good friends with the Bridgerton family for as long as you could remember. Your mother was always having tea with Violet and you were always thrust upon the eight siblings without much worry. Your friendship with Benedict had started in earnest when you had complimented his art skills, bringing up how you liked to draw too. From there, a close friendship was forged.

By your twentieth year on this earth, you realised that your feelings for the second Bridgerton were no longer platonic… that you craved something more. Falling for Benedict Bridgerton felt inevitable almost; that your heart was destined to be his whether he knew it or not.

Sighing heavily, you see no point in lying to the second eldest Bridgerton girl. “For as long as I can remember,” You admit, rushing to add on, “But he doesn’t know so please don’t tell him!”

Eloise’s eyes widen at your confession, not only shocked that you readily admitted your feelings for her elder brother, but for how long you have harboured them. “Is that why you have not yet married?” She demands, “Because you loved him?”

Biting your lip, you nod. “It wouldn’t be fair to my husband. Their wife in love with another man – it doesn’t exactly set stable foundations for a long, prosperous marriage and…”

“And…” Eloise prompts, her innate curiosity getting the better of her. If her mother could hear her now, she would surely receive a scolding.

You ball your hands into fists before letting them drop to your sides; letting them hang there like the constant hope you have for Benedict.

“And I still hope he’ll notice I’m here. That I have been here all along,” You voice cracks on the admission causing a pang of upset to flash through Eloise. She’d reach out to comfort you, but it would only draw attention from the many mothers circling and no doubt, Lady Whistledown.

“(Y/N)…” Eloise begins but you hold a single hand up to stop her before she starts. With a strained smile, you reassure her. “It’s fine, Eloise. I accept it with every season that passes that it is unlikely he shall ever return my feelings.”

“Then he is a fool,” Eloise states plaining, sending a glare in the direction of her beloved brother. She had no qualms admitting that Benedict was indeed her favourite sibling, but he had his moments where he vexed her beyond belief.

“Who is a fool?” A voice questions to the right of you. Benedict.

Freezing in place, you cast a helpless look at Eloise, begging her silently to take control of this situation. Eloise smiles and nods imperceptibly. She turns towards her brother, hooking her arm through yours as she declares, “The men that have not offered their hand to (Y/N) yet. They’re all fools, aren’t they dear brother.”

Benedict casts his gaze towards you; his eyes scanning your face for what, he does not know. “Fools,” He agrees quietly though he is heard perfectly over the music. “Would you care to dance?” He asks, wanting you to himself for a little while. As much as he loved his younger sister, she was a keen observer, and he wasn’t ready for her to figure out his feelings just yet. Not when he hadn’t admitted them to you.

Nodding your head, you take his outstretched hand, bidding goodbye to Eloise for now. The brunette shakes her head as the both of you walk away. Oblivious, she thinks to herself, completely oblivious.

As the music strikes up once more, it becomes obvious that the next dance is a waltz, requiring the closeness of your partner. It was only years ago that this dance had scandalised the ton for its closeness – now, it was required at every ball, many married couples savouring the intimacy.

Benedict’s hand settles on the small of your back as his other grips your hand. Your hand rests comfortably on his shoulder as he begins to lead you through the steps you have known since your youth.

Music around you fades as do the other couples. The only two people in the room are Benedict and yourself. The feel of his hand on your back and the look in his eyes; it’s enough to have you accept your fate then and there. It’s enough for you to admit that you have been ruined for any and all men; finding yourself in love with the man who holds you so tenderly and has always held you in high regard. Is this it? You ask yourself, is this what it feels like to be loved by him? To feel like the only one in the world. If it is, you’ll take it with open hands.

Your eyes do not leave his as Benedict leads you through the rises and falls of the dance. His hand remains a steady presence on your lower back; the feeling just enough to distract you from the crowd now watching you and instead, leading you to wonder what his hands would feel like elsewhere on your body.

As the music falls into another song; this one more upbeat, Benedict drops his hands, letting you free. He hadn’t wanted to; had wanted to pull you from the ballroom, to confess the feelings that have haunted him for years and to ask you to be his for better or for worse.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he bows and smiles, reaches for your hand to kiss it and then lets himself breathe as he turns and walks away.

-------------

Dear Reader,

Though there is much to report from Lady Danbury’s ball last night – the fashion, the food, the décor – This Author wants to focus on one moment in particular.

Now, Dear Reader, whilst you may wonder the importance of such a moment, remember that it is one’s job to observe all. That is why I want to bring attention to Mr. Benedict Bridgerton who found himself extremely popular last night, dancing with many eligible women and delighting them with his talents.

However, Dear Reader, this is not the moment I want to focus on.

No. Instead, I want to bring attention to the heart most likely suffering in silence as Mr. Bridgerton continues to charm the ton.

As you all know, I am not one to beat around the proverbial bush and hide identities, but for the sake of the woman who has found herself in love with the second eldest Bridgerton for as long she can remember, I shall endeavour to keep her name a secret.

Know, however, that This Author’s sympathies lie with you.

To love another unrequitedly is a dear shame.

----------

The gossip sheet is scrunched to a ball in your hands. It’s all you can do to keep the tears from falling down your face. As if you didn’t know your love was unrequited; as if you didn’t know you had all but doomed yourself to being a spinster as you wait for a man who did not know you loved him.

Lady Whistledown knew your secret, and your identity. As a result, the whole ton knew your secret but whatever morals the author possesses, she had not revealed your identity.

Summoning the carriage, you ask to be taken to Bridgerton House where you can speak to Eloise in confidence and ask for her advice on what she might do. Deep down, you had to know whether Benedict had read the paper too.

It doesn’t take long for Eloise to find you in the tea room; a cup of tea in your hands but readily ignored as you chew on the inside of your cheek. Her brown hair tied up in her usual bun, her eyes hold the pity you didn’t want to see or hear as of this moment.

“I didn’t know she was listening, I swear,” Eloise promises, sitting by your side and reaching for your hand.

“I know,” You comfort, “You would never tell a soul.”

“At least she didn’t reveal your identity,” Eloise chirps, trying to find a silver lining.

“Yet she has revealed my secret to the entirety of London society,” You sigh. Removing your hand from Eloise’s, you press your palm to your forehead, feeling overwhelmingly tired and desperate for the day to be over already. “Does he know?”

Eloise chews on her bottom lip, deciding whether to answer you. “He has read it,” She admits, but rushes to add, “He doesn’t know it’s you! He doesn’t have a clue really. He’s angrier at himself for not noticing anything was amiss.”

“I don’t know what to do,” You whisper, feeling helpless.

“For now,” Eloise states, “We do nothing.”

---------

Your heels sink into the soft carpet as you wander down the stairs, pausing only to check you have everything. Your mind remains elsewhere as you check your bag out of habit, the conversation with Eloise, the latest gossip sheet, your feelings for Benedict. They circle around your mind, leaving you dizzy in their wake as you try to make sense of them all, try to find your next step in and amongst the mess.

“(Y/N),” Benedict greets, hurrying down the final few stairs, pleasantly surprised, “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were visiting.”

“I came to drop in on Eloise. I wanted to thank her for last night; she was an ear when I needed someone to listen.”

“Is it anything I can help with?” He asks, voice taking on a concerned note as he reaches out for you.

You shake your head, squeezing his hand in return. “For now, everything is okay.”

Benedict clears his throat. “I’m glad to hear it, but please come to me next time. I want to help if I can.”

“I will,” You promise, your eyes now scanning over his fine clothes. “Where are you off to?”

“An art exhibition at Somerset House. They’re showing some Holbein’s from the Royal collection.”

“Holbein’s?” You ask, shocked at the name falling from Benedict’s mouth.

He nods, just as excited. It was a rare thing indeed to have Holbein’s on display; they were usually kept in whatever royal residence they found themselves in; hidden away from the public eye. Art was the very foundation of your friendship; having seen so many of his sketches as a young boy and watching them develop into surer lines and confident strokes. Benedict was an exceptionally talented artist – something he would say about yourself. Benedict was the only person to see such work; the watercolours in your sketchpad leaving him breathless as you bring life to the inanimate.

“Would you like to join me?” He asks before he can talk himself out of it. He had barely seen you all season; you had closed in yourself, as if accepting a fate that you did not want. Benedict would do what he could to ensure your happiness for a little bit longer.

“Unchaperoned?”

A faint blush rises on Benedict’s cheeks as he realises what he has asked of you. “I shall ask Eloise to accompany us,” He suggests, turning to face the direction in which you had just come, “Did she mention any plans to you?”

You shake your head to which Benedict leases a sigh of relief. “I’ll go ask her now. I’m sure she won’t mind… much.”

Laughing quietly, you wait patiently in the entryway of Bridgerton House. The house in London so often felt like a second home to you; spending so much of childhood summers here when your mother would take tea with the Bridgerton matriarch. As you grew into your teens, you would begin to visit the house with just your maid, calling on the family for social niceties. The friendship with Benedict and Eloise only solidified your standing in the close family unit.

Eloise’s voice brings you back to the present. She walks down the stairs, accompanied by her brother. Taking one look at you, waiting patiently for the both of them, Eloise gets a mischievous look in her eye. It isn’t a look that leaves you in comfort, but rather leaves you wondering just what she has planned for the art exhibition.

“Eloise has so graciously accepted to join us,” Benedict announces, sounding rather pleased with himself.

Eloise smiles: a smile that sets Benedict’s nerves on edge. He would owe her for this, that much he knew. “I would be more than happy to accompany you, brother.”

Benedict resists the urge to groan; he’s in deep shit for this.

“Thank you, Eloise,” You murmur with a smile. Something in Eloise softens at your tone as if she would be unable to deny you this time with Benedict when it was their mother’s mission to see him married off this very season.

“Of course,” Eloise allows, glancing between you and Benedict – noting the longing in both sets of eyes. She shakes her head, gesturing to the door and where the carriages waits just beyond it. “Shall we?”

--------

“He wasn’t a handsome monarch, was he?” Eloise murmurs quietly, staring up at the grand portrait of the fearsome king who preferred executing his wives rather than loving them.

The walls of Somerset House have become dedicated to the eyes of the past. Past monarchs and relatives decorate the walls; their eyes following each attendant, as if curious to see how society is progressing less than three hundred years after the death of the artist.

Benedict chuckles; the very sound raising goosebumps across your skin. You barely repress the shiver the sound elicits. Trying your best to listen as the siblings argue about the reign of this particular monarch – the pros and the cons to what he did for the very country he ruled over for decades.

“Oh!” Eloise gasps, interrupting the argument and loosening her grip on your arm, she waves frantically at Penelope Featherington. “Would you mind terribly if I go say hello?”

“Not at all,” You laugh.

“You’re sure you’ll be okay with Benedict?”

The man in question scoffs, rolling his eyes at his little sister. “Off with you,” He dismisses, “I’ll escort (Y/N) – someone who actually appreciates the art.”

Eloise laughs as she turns away, but you do not miss the wink she sends in your direction. It hits you all at once; her mischievous look before you all left the house. She had concocted this plan in her head; accepting to accompany you as a rouse to get you and Benedict alone.

You didn’t know whether to appreciate her genius or hide her favourite book.

Jumping at the sound of someone clearing their throat, you focus your attention on Benedict. He watches you with an amused look, and it’s then that you realise that he has stood beside you waiting with his arm out for a minute or so whilst you glared after his younger sister. Taking his arm, you rid yourself of any thoughts of violence against Eloise. Instead, focusing on the man beside you.

“How are you?” You ask, hand resting gently on Benedict’s forearm.

“Do you mean in general or after today’s publication?”

“Both, I suppose.”

“In general, I am quite well. I have a wonderful lady on my arm, and I am in the presence of excellent art work. However, after today’s publication, I must admit I am rather angry.”

“Oh?” You sound, trying hard not to let his words affect you so much but they rattle around your mind on repeat, committing themselves where they will last for an eternity.

“I’ve never been the focus of the gossip paper and now after one ball, I am. I don’t think I like the attention.”

“I don’t believe that for one second, Benedict Bridgerton.”

He pauses, smiling widely down at you. His eyes light up with the smile and your heart begins to pound at the sight of it. “Alright, I do like the attention,” He concedes, “But what I don’t like are the looks I’m getting from all mothers.”

“Why?”

“They all look like I’m about to break their daughter’s heart.”

“I’m sure you’re just imagining things,” You reassure, tightening your grip on his arm.

“I don’t think I am,” He states, nodding politely at Lady Whitelaw who in turn glares at the younger man. He turns his gaze to you as if to say, see?

You turn your face away from him, trying your best to hide the smile and laugh that threatens to break free. “You’re laughing at me, aren’t you?” Benedict guesses, a smile in his own voice.

“I’m not,” You promise, schooling your face into a mask of indifference, focusing on the closest sketch to you. A graphite sketch of Anne Boleyn; marking her beauty only years before her death.

“You are,” Benedict argues, standing beside you, admiring the same sketch. Throwing him a knowing smile, you turn your attentions to rest of the exhibition, unable to hide your awe at just what is being shown to the public.

The art is incredible; your watercolours barely compare to what is being shown in Somerset House. He would disagree in a heartbeat, but Benedict could come close to producing something of this calibre. He had shown his portraits of his mother and brothers; Anthony making the perfect candidate for a painting.

You come to a natural stop in front of a portrait of a young women. A young queen, in fact. This particular queen had never got to reign in the manner that she was capable, dying after giving birth the king’s heir. His one true love, the king had called her after he death.

“She’s beautiful,” You whisper, admiring not only the artistry but also the focus on the painting.

Benedict watches you admiring the portrait painted so carefully by Holbein. Though the portrait is indeed beautiful, Benedict finds himself agreeing that they do not hold a candle to you. As he watches you lift a single hand, trying to dampen the urge to run your fingers over the brush strokes, he thinks to himself that there would be no artist on this earth that would be so talented to capture your beauty.

His breath comes faster; his heart rate increases. He recognises the symptoms; he’s only experienced such signs before. He had been eighteen then; barely a man but man enough to accept that he had fallen in love with his best friend. Years later, here he was, experiencing such feelings once more. Once more, he wonders what it would be like to be loved by you. He cannot help but hope that the mystery woman in the society papers is you.

-------

Dear Reader,

It seems that Mr. Benedict Bridgerton reads my paper!

He was overheard at the Somerset House Holbein exhibition, complaining to Miss (Y/N) (Y/L/N) about my last column in which I criticised his treatment of the lady in love with him.

All I have to say on the matter is this:

Mr. Bridgerton, for every complaint you offer, you break her heart further. Stop now before you do irreparable damage.

-----

“What does she mean ‘break her heart further’? I’ve been trying to figure out who it is so I can put a stop to it!”

“It doesn’t matter whether you know who it is, Benedict,” You argue, placing your teacup on the table, “But rather the fact that you unknowingly hurt whoever it is that is in love with you.”

“Do my feelings not matter?” He demands, throwing the damned paper onto the table. Benedict runs a hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. “I’m sorry,” He apologises, “I should not have taken that tone with you. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“You’re forgiven,” You laugh, “I’ve heard you say a lot worse.”

He smiles though it doesn’t reach his eyes. Leaning forward on your chair, you wring your hands together, working up the nerve. “What feelings haven’t they taken into account?”

“Lady Whistledown,” He spits the name with derision, “Hasn’t taken into account that I may not have noticed someone in love with me because I am in love with someone myself.”

It’s as if the chair is pulled out from under you; your stomach dips and flips as the world crashes around you and Benedict is none the wiser. He’s none the wiser to the palpable shift that has taken place. Instead, he’s sat down across from, looking utterly defeated.

“Does she know?” You ask after a moment of silence, using the time to pull yourself back together, to compile it all and put it away for later.

Benedict shakes his head; eyes sad as he watches you. “Why haven’t you told her?” You ask, unable to stop the questions now they’re on the tip of your tongue.

“I suppose for the same reason she hasn’t told me. Fear maybe?”

“Fear of what? I’ve never known you to be afraid of anything.”

“Fear of rejection. Fear of humiliation. Fear of ruining a friendship,” He lists off, counting the reasons on his fingers, holding them up for you to see.

“Have you thought about telling her?”

“All the time,” He answers honestly, and you wonder whether the crack your heart makes was audible to the whole of the ton.

“Do you plan on telling them?”

“Eventually.”

You take a deep breath, staring at the teacup instead of him, readying yourself to offer up your broken heart. To confess that the two most recent society papers have been about you; have shown your heart to the whole of London.

“It’s me,” You confess quietly, voice no louder than a whisper but he hears you all the same.

Benedict’s head whips towards you. Had this been another situation, it would have been funny, but the look on his face… “What?” He whispers, shocked.

“It’s me,” You announce; louder this time, ready to lay your heart out on the floor for him to break entirely. “It’s me, Benedict. Lady Whistledown must have overheard Eloise and myself talking at Lady Danbury’s ball the other night. She had caught me watching you dance and asked me outright. I couldn’t deny it. I’ve been in love with you for years, Benedict. For as long as I can remember.”

“For as long as you can remember?”

You nod, wringing your hands together once more. “I didn’t realise until I turned twenty, just what my feelings meant. I think I’ve always been in love with you, Benedict.”

Benedict remains silent; eyes wide, hands slack as they rest on his thighs. He looks like he doesn't believe the very words leaving your mouth; as if he is unworthy of the love you offer him so willingly.

“Say something, please,” You plead, “I know it isn’t proper for the woman to announce her feelings for the man, but I couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. Not when it is the focus for Lady Whistledown to sell more copies of her paper.”

“I didn’t know,” He whispers after a prolonged silence.

“You weren’t to know. You don’t have to feel the same, Benedict.”

“I do as it happens.”

“What?”

“I do feel the same,” Benedict clarifies, standing from his chair, “I’ve loved you since I was eighteen.”

You sniffle slightly; emotional from hearing the words you have longed to hear for years. The words that have haunted your dreams; had you rushing from sleep, so you didn’t let yourself believe an alternate reality.

“You do?”

Benedict nods, “I do. I love you very much.”

“I love you too,” You reply, standing from your chair, reaching for him – not wanting anymore space between the two of you.

He dips his head, pausing mere millimetres away from your lips. The question burns in his eyes; desperate to know whether he can kiss you after so long waiting. Your nod is barely imperceptible but it’s nod, nonetheless.

Slowly, almost wanting to savour every moment, Benedict presses his lips to yours. Reaching up, you haul him closer, wanting to feel every inch of him pressed against you after having waited so long, after having dreamed of this moment for too long.

He tastes like tea and his hands bring to life the butterflies in your stomach as they wander the path of your back, settling on your lower back, dipping you slightly. Benedict groans softly at the feel of you lined up against him. If he had known heaven was this close, he would not have waited this long.

Benedict breaks the kiss; not out of need of air, but to stop himself from taking this too far when you feel like heaven pressed against him. You smile widely, kissing his jaw lovingly before starting to laugh lightly. Benedict’s hands on your waist tighten possessively as he joins you in laughter.

Briefly, he wonders whether this is what it feels like to be loved by you.

********

Bridgerton Taglist: @heloisedaphnebrightmore @dreaming-about-fanfictions @now-its-time-for-a-breakdown

#benedict bridgerton x reader #benedict bridgerton #benedict x reader #bridgerton #bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton imagines

2K notes · View notes

lovelybarnes · 3 years

Text

saudade- l. laufeyson

pairings: loki laufeyson x reader, mentions of other loki characters warnings: loki tv show spoilers, probably tva inaccuracies, mobius being trusted even though i don’t actually trust him lol, mentions of death, tears, a little sad angst but happy ending, ooc characters?? possible mistakes because i can't read this again skjfj about: requested, DF26 with TVA Loki running into the variant of his dead spouse a/n: thank you so much for requesting! i loved writing the last scene so much

loki has narrowly avoided the tva for years, opportunities much better than this and chaos a lot more chaotic than this have already been caused and passed. so the how and why he has been taken in at this very moment- while he’s eating at one of those fast food places you used to like- is very, very unknown to him. he should know, however; you’ve explained to him the tired concept of time traveling many times before, although the most important things were told to him when he thought you a mere mortal like the rest- something you were not- and could not possibly know something he didn’t- also something very untrue.

but the reasoning for his capturing is not at the front of his mind- although close- his main objective staying on how to get out of this unknown place and go back to looking for you- whether the fragile fabrics of reality and string of the timeline fray and break or don’t. he knows it possible, having seen the avengers do something similar, so why can a god like him not?

he’s ripped many holes, and he supposes the consequences for them are finally catching up to him, a lot sooner than he’d like. in another world, he’d already have you, and, with you by his side, you both would’ve been out long before, or never captured at all. although, he supposes, in a perfect world, you never would have been taken away from him in the first place.

he knows stopping for food he didn’t even necessarily need- or, really, like- was not a smart decision. he’s realizing exactly how not-smart of a decision it was with every passing second that the fools in armor drag him along the halls. the stop wasn’t needed, much less planned, but the memories the greasy food and dirty restaurant brought were too pleasant- a break full of you in the nonstop mission to find you. he could nearly feel your fingers touching his, hear your voice urging him to at least try and your bubbled laugh when he cringes. the fizz of the soda had made him grimace like the first time, except there was no you to giggle at it.

loki nearly thinks it was worth it. nearly.

when the guard shoves him into another room, loki takes a second to examine the exits, barely noticing the man at the desk. the person next to him pushes him further, dropping the tesseract and various stolen pym particles on the desk. loki takes note of where the man puts them so he can steal them back.

the guard stops with him in front of a small elevator, pulling a lever and waiting. loki looks at them, “where am i? get me back right now, i have things i must attend to.” the guard only looks at him, and loki scoffs, “i am loki of asgard, god of mischief and trickery, believe me when i say there will be deadly consequences if you do not do what i ask.”

the guard huffs a small laugh, “i’ve heard that before. we’ll see.”

the doors in front of him part, opening to a room he’s rammed into. he looks back the guard, one foot already out when he’s suddenly back where he was, watching as the entrance closes. he senses the machine before he can have a good look at it, a claw that he’s seen too many variations of beginning to poke at the fabric on his shoulders. he swats it away, standing tall as he glares at the smiling machine. “absolutely not! this is high tech armor, only few of this exists.”

the tech on the machine turns the grin into a frown, pulling back the talons and instead extending another apparatus that scans at his clothing, removing them with a yellow glow until he’s completely bare. he looks down at himself before looking back up at the face, pointing a finger, “now what-”

his words are cut off when he falls through the opening ground, falling onto the bottom room, now dressed in an uncomfortable tan jumpsuit, orange letters reading TVA on the left breast. a bored man in front of him pushes a pile of papers to him, “please sign to verify this is everything you’ve ever said.”

loki ignores his words, pushing it back, “i need to find someone, stop the absurdity.” the man only blinks as a machine whirrs, printing a piece of paper he reaches over to take and place on top of the pile. he hands loki a pen, “sign that too.” loki frowns, “did you not hear me? i have important things to do.” the machine does it again, and the man repeats his motions and shakes the pen in his hand. “that, too.” the god only sighs in frustration and signs, slamming the pen down before he’s dropped again.

another man greets him in a monotone, not even looking at him while he reads off the clipboard in his hands, “please confirm to your knowledge that you are not a fully robotic being, were born an organic creature, and do in fact possess what many cultures would call a soul.” loki’s eyebrows furrow, “i’m not a robot- how many people don’t know?”

“thank you for confirming, move through,” he requests. loki glances at the machine in front of him before stepping through it, a small picture printing after he’s on the other side. loki catches vibrant orange and red with hints of green that overcome any other color. “through the door, please.”

he encounters the same guard from before with a frustrated glare, leading him to what looks like a courtroom, a woman sitting in the middle, reading off a file. “variant L4293, aka loki laufeyson-l/n, is charged with sequence violation 7-20-89. how do you plead?” loki tilts his head at her, “madam, a god- i don’t plead.”

the woman sighs tiredly, “are you guilty or not guilty?” loki’s eyes thin as he observes her. “guilty of… trying to find my wife, yes. guilty of being extremely frustrated, yes. guilty of whatever it is you’re accusing me of, no. not guilty.” loki’s hand curls, trying to use his abilities inconspicuously but dismayed to not be able to. he tries again, only to come up empty as he realizes what is happening. “magic powers are no good in the tva, mister laufeyson,” the judge says absentmindedly. “i prefer l/n,” loki diverts simply, unknowingly catching the attention of one of the attendees. the judge barely acknowledges him, about to say something else before a man jumps up, hand raised, “wait, wait- uh, i have something to add to this. before the court makes a decision.”

the judge tilts her head at the man, pursing her lips before sighing and letting him approach the bench. loki leans in to try to understand the whispers that are exchanged, ending in the judge sending one last look his way before letting him go. “the court finds you innocent- and under agent mobius’ responsibility,” she clarifies, looking at the man and watching him nod quickly. she slams her gavel and motions for the man- mobius, he assumes, to take loki. he stands and awkwardly bows, before going over to loki and raising an eyebrow, “don’t betray me,” he says, words too true to be something playful. loki’s head tilts to the side in slight confusion, watching as the man begins to walk, pausing to urge loki to follow him.

loki ignores the activity through the windows of the hall, choosing to concentrate on mobius. “why did you do that?” he wonders aloud, suspicious eyes following him as his head peeks into halls. “let’s just say it’s a favor, although you’ll be on thin ice forever.”

“favor for whom?” mobius doesn’t answer, turning a corner. loki exhales sharply before following him, continuing to pry as he briefly heeds his surroundings. the sight of a woman in a suit much like mobius’ catches his eye, her back to him but he recognizes the shape of her shoulder and the color of her hair. he looks away, pretending to concentrate on the clock thing on the television but actually chasing the overfamiliar features to a face.

the sound of your voice- something he hasn’t heard in an obscenely long time- craved for so much longer it seems like a lifetime, snaps his attention to what surely must be a cruel joke. he can tell it’s you now. you’re standing there, head tilted at the same receptionist man and chuckling exasperatedly, “come on, casey, we’ve been over this. a fish and a lion are not the same thing-”

“but a lionfish-?” casey asks, and loki is pushing away the guards already, because you’re there, you’re solid and laughing like you used to and you can’t not be real. he can distantly hear mobius’ voice telling the guards to let him go as if loki hasn’t already taken care of that, walking over to you with quick and quiet footsteps. his fingers circle around your wrist first as an assurance, and when you turn, hand still in his, eyes widening when you notice who he is, he pulls you into him completely. your arms wrap around him barely seconds later, finally registering the person in front of you as you squeeze him. “loki?” you whisper, inhaling the same familiar scent of him that you haven’t had in what seems like forever.

“i missed you so much,” he says, hands wandering over your back, touching your arms and your shoulders and your hips just to touch you. “me too- i didn’t- i thought i would never see you again.” your tears are falling on the fabric of his jumpsuit, small tearful gasps escaping your lips while you tug him as close as you can, tangling your fingers in his hair and shutting your eyes at the familiar feeling. “oh god, you’re here-”

“i missed you so much,” he repeats, and you finally notice his words, realization like electricity, making you tremble and sigh softly. “what does that mean?” you question, already fearing the answer and already knowing the effects: the mess of his usually kept hair and the red tint of his eyes, like a sheen of sadness that stains the color of the eyes you have missed for so long. loki pulls away from you only to look at your face, trace the shape of the lips he’d spent hours of the morning pressing kisses to, memorize the curve of the nose you’d scrunch in a laugh when thor was a victim to one of his tricks.

“i have been looking for you, darling,” he murmurs, fingers running over your fallen tears while you notice the shine of his eyes, the tears that enhance the love he has for you. “because i’m…” you don’t want to finish your sentence, and you can tell loki doesn’t want you to either; he scans your features, small smile peeking through the shock and grief.

“i didn’t… mobius didn’t show me that, i thought-” your eyes flicker to the man before settling back on loki, the weight of the ring he’d given you feeling lighter now that it had found its pair. the various eyes on you don’t go unnoticed, and neither does the look mobius sends to the rest of the workers, indicating for them to go back to work. the cold of loki’s skin is comforting to the touch of your warmth, and you find yourself back in the summer afternoons where you would settle with your husband to read books, rubbing cool fingers on the hot of your skin when you felt suffocated by the heat of the sun.

another tear slips from your eyes when you realize you don’t have to imagine anymore, there’s no need to search for your memories and shut your eyes for them to run over you. your lips are on his when you can’t help it anymore, eyes squeezed close and salty tears dropping from your chin when it finally settles that he’s here and he’s yours and he’ll never be gone again.

he’ll make sure of that.

172 notes · View notes

night-filled-mountain · 3 years

Text

Captivity and Escape in Critical Role

So this post has been sitting in my drafts for about half a year. It’s about a persistent theme I noticed throughout campaign 2, which I’m sure others have noticed and written about before, but parallels and recurring themes have always been my Thing, and I couldn’t let it go. And with last week’s episode, and the campaign finale airing tonight, and the dominance of this theme being more glaringly obvious than ever, I thought I’d just give myself a treat and finish up a giant meta post. For old times’ sake.

So, just for the heck of it, here’s an exhaustive exploration of a single through-line of campaign 2 since the very beginning: captivity, and escaping or being freed from it.

Let’s start by taking a quick look at everyone’s backstories, the things that happened to them before the campaign even started, and how they were ultimately resolved.

FJORD: Entered unknowingly and unwillingly into a pact with Uk’otoa, which bound him to perform services he never agreed to in exchange for powers he never asked for. Fjord did not know how he got into this pact or how to get out of it. He makes his escape when he pitches his sword into a lava river and pledges himself to the Wildmother.

JESTER: Spent the majority of her life “locked in her room” (or at least hidden from sight) until the consequences of one of her pranks forcibly liberated her into the wider world. While Jester loves her mother dearly and thinks of her long “captivity” as being for her own protection, its negative effects on her--loneliness, insecurity, a lack of worldly experience and social awareness--were still apparent, and she spends much of the campaign working through them.

BEAU: Her parents had her kidnapped by monks. It could be argued that even before the kidnapping, she was a prisoner to her father’s “over-protective” tendencies and her parents’ expectations when it came to her career, behavior, gender role, etc. But most significantly, she was very much kidnapped by monks, and made her escape from the Cobalt Soul shortly before we met her.

CALEB: Where to start? First he suffered coercion and abuse at the hands of Trent (a form of captivity); then he was made to torture and execute prisoners; then he spent eleven years literally imprisoned in an asylum, and had to kill and steal in order to escape; and four and a half years later, he met Nott when they were both thrown in jail (and had to engineer their own escape once again). Caleb’s ordeals ultimately made him a prisoner of his own guilt and fear, and escaping that prison has been the heart of his storyline.

VETH/NOTT: Besides the aforementioned stint in jail, the catalyst for her entire adventuring career was being captured by goblins along with her family--and then, after engineering the escape of her husband and son, being imprisoned in the wrong body (and subsequently enslaved!). The desire to escape from this second imprisonment was her driving motivation through much of the campaign. With Caleb’s help (and Essek’s, and Jester’s), she ultimately succeeds.

MOLLY: His first memory was of clawing his way out of a grave, which is just about as extreme a form of captivity and escape as you can get. More subtly, he was also a prisoner to the expectations placed on his body--to the life that body once lived, which he could not remember and refused to claim. Arguably (and tragically), his escape from this particular prison is his own death...until Cree resurrects Lucien, Mollymauk fragment and all. Then he presumably becomes a prisoner much like Yasha was, subsumed body and soul by a mind and a will that are not his own. Until last week.

... (incoherent sobbing)

Until last week.

YASHA: She was a prisoner to her clan’s laws and expectations. Her brief attempt to escape this prison through a forbidden marriage ended tragically, and then she was forced to make a second, literal escape (fleeing into the desert)--only to be (presumably) possessed by Obann, imprisoned inside her own mind, and forced to do his bidding until the Storm Lord liberated her once again.

CADUCEUS: When the gang first meet him, he’s literally a prisoner of his own fear (and/or inertia)--though his whole family has left the Blooming Grove, he’s been too afraid or hesitant to brave the corruption of the Savalirwood without companionship, and spent years isolated in the family temple as a result. The Mighty Nein (or rather, Caleb, Nott, Beau, Keg, and Nila) initiate his escape.

***

And that’s just the backstories! Now let’s take a look at each of the places the Mighty Nein have visited since they came together, and the story arcs therein.

***

TROSTENWALD - CARNIVAL ARC: This arc’s entire goal is to free the (future) Mighty Nein and the other carnies from jail or house arrest. (Much later, the M9 come back to pay Gustav’s debt and liberate him as well.) And remember that Beau is especially sympathetic to Toya’s predicament because she, too, was once a young girl held somewhere against her will.

ALFIELD - GNOLL ARC: This arc’s entire goal is to free the citizens of Alfield who have been kidnapped by gnolls to feed to their manticore leader (and to kill off the gnolls and manticore to keep it from happening again).

ZADASH: The Mighty Nein’s first undertaking in Zadash is to kill off the giant spiders in the sewer. In the process, they free a halfling imprisoned in a spiderweb, which leads them to the Gentleman and all his future quests.

Aside from that, their biggest job in Zadash this time around is the High Richter heist--which, yes, is a mercenary/political job that goes terribly wrong, but why does it go terribly wrong? Because Ulog, the M9′s NPC ally at the time, is so furious over his wife being wrongfully imprisoned by the High Richter that he impulsively blows up both her and himself. And arguably the most poignant moment in the heist’s aftermath is Caleb speaking to the next High Richter, Dolan, and ensuring that Ulog’s wife will be freed.

Also, let’s not forget the drow the M9 meet in the sewer. The one they capture, interrogate, and ultimately...let go. Yes, he’s killed shortly afterward and his beacon falls into their hands, but I think it’s very important to remember that the decision they make, when holding a captive terrorist from an “enemy” nation, is to return his stolen artifact to him and let him walk away free.

LABENDA SWAMP/BERLEBEN: The most memorable events during this interlude are: (1.) The M9 literally freeing Kiri from the swamp, where she is stuck in the mud and at the mercy of crocodiles, and (2.) Bowlgate, a.k.a. Caleb and Beau’s tense confrontation over what to do with Calianna, which is once again fueled on Beau’s side by her sympathy for a young woman held against her will. (Caleb proposes that Cali spend the night with the M9, which she did not intend, so they can use spells to determine her truthfulness the next day.)

HUPPERDOOK: This one’s obvious: The M9 fight a deadly automaton to free two gnomes from prison and reunite them with their children (largely to prevent said children from being taken to an orphanage against their will).

GLORY RUN ROAD/SHADYCREEK RUN - IRON SHEPHERDS ARC: ...Even more obvious. The sole goal of the remaining M9 members (and Nila) throughout this arc is to free their friends from slavery. They end up slaughtering all the slavers and freeing several other captives as well.

LUSIDIAN OCEAN - PIRATE ARC: Here’s where things get really interesting. Because this whole arc is also about captivity and freedom, isn’t it?

It’s about whether or not to free a little old captive named Uk’otoa!

I haven’t given nearly enough thought to how this arc fits in with all the others thematically, considering its central lesson is that freeing this particular captive would be a very bad thing. I do think it’s significant that:

(1.) The beginning of this arc, which leaves the whole party feeling so bad and icky, involves them quite inadvertently taking a captive of their own--and one whom they don’t treat very well. (And still don’t, for that matter...poor Marius.)

(2.) Soon after that incident, the M9 are themselves effectively taken captive by Avantika and her crew. This situation doesn’t last nearly as long as many audience members (and quite possibly Matt, and quite possibly the players themselves!) thought it would, because they panic on Darktow, go all Wall of Fire, and free themselves in a huge, climactic, desperate battle. The Mighty Nein do not take well to captivity.

Anyhow, they follow all this up with...

FELDERWIN/XHORHAS - YEZA ARC: ...another very straightforward quest to free a captive. Not only is this arc all about rescuing Yeza from a Xhorhasian dungeon, but after Caleb returns the beacon, after the Bright Queen of Xhorhas offers the Mighty Nein anything they want...all they ask her for is to let them go.

BAZZOXAN & BEYOND - OBANN ARC: ...By now, you know where I’m going with this, right? The entire arc is about freeing Yasha from Obann, who has her imprisoned inside her own body, inside her own mind. There’s a reason That Moment in the cathedral hit so hard, right? “And as you close your eyes, you see yourself breaking the shackles. You see the influence no longer holding any sway over your soul. There's nothing but the storm, vengeance, and hope.”

(Bonus: In the middle of the above arc, we get the HAPPY FUN BALL - RESCUING YUSSA ARC, which, once again, is devoted to freeing a captive.)

KAMORDAH/CYRIOS MOUNTAINS - ISHARNAI ARC: Aimed entirely at freeing Nott from the body in which she was imprisoned. Beau also has a bit of a freedom arc here: confronting the parents who imprisoned her figuratively and literally, turning her back on them (possibly for good), and then confronting a major source of the expectations and superstitions they shackled her with: Isharnai, who is neutralized by Jester’s cupcake.

THE MENAGERIE - CLAY ARC: Aimed entirely at freeing Caduceus’s family, who are imprisoned in perhaps the most literal way possible, being turned to stone. (The M9 also manage to liberate the Stone family while they’re at it.)

RUMBLECUSP - TRAVELER CON: Two great liberations take place here. First, all the residents of the Village of Vo are freed from Vokodo’s influence, their memories restored, their blind devotion dispelled, able once again to choose the course of their own lives. Second, the followers of the Traveler are freed from the deception he’s imposed on them, the cult he’s roped them into. Thanks to the Moonweaver’s interference, they, too, are free to make informed decisions. And I think we can also safely say that Artagan is freed from them, from the false “god” role he managed to box himself into, and he’s happier for it.

EISELCROSS - SOMNOVEM ARC: ...And this is it, folks. This is why I decided to finish this post today. Because I was openly not feeling the Eiselcross arc as an endgame. The hard slog through the elements just wasn’t doing it for me, or the frequent combat, or the increasingly complex lore, or the traditionally heroic quest to save the world from being swallowed by a monstrous city.

...Until last week. Until Lucien’s defeat. And Molly’s oh-so-improbable resurrection.

When I heard all the voices of the Somnovem whispering “Thank you” as their individual souls were freed from the Lovecraftian hivemind...when I heard Jester sobbing that at least Molly’s soul wasn’t “trapped” inside a monstrous Lucien anymore...when Cad’s Divine Intervention succeeded, and Mollymauk Tealeaf opened his eyes--his two plain old natural eyes--unburdened by Lucien and his Somnovem eyes and all of his dark baggage for the first time--I was finally able to embrace this as the ending.

Because it’s not about saving the world. That’s just a bonus. It’s about saving a friend. Freeing a friend. Freeing captives, wherever they find them. Whether from Crown’s Guard, gnolls, and giant spiders, or from royal dungeons; whether from ruthless enemies or from their own families; whether from eldritch abominations or from the forces that chain their own minds.

In the end, the Mighty Nein--and the people whose lives they touch--belong to no one and nothing that they do not choose to belong to. They belong to themselves, to the people they most sincerely love, to the gods and causes they have chosen freely. And that has always, always been my favorite kind of story.

And I can’t wait for tonight.

106 notes · View notes

shenanigans-and-imagines · 3 years

Note

Tell us about your bottled up OC lore

Everything below the cut. I’m serious when I say it’s long.

Loki x Sigyn (Logyn)

Incredibles AU: Sigyn is a superhero and Loki is her sworn arch nemesis. They’re flirted, fought, and occasionally teamed up to take on bigger threats. But, when an act passes forcing all superheroes to go into hiding, Loki finds it’s not fun being a villian without a hero. He finds Sigyn and the pair of them eventually fall in love, get married, and settle down with a couple of kids. But even if Loki can’t deny the happiness his new life brings him, are part of him longs for the adventure and excitement of yesteryear. He’s given an opportunity when a package arrives asking him for his “unique insight” on an upcoming project. How can he resist?

Look, I just want an opportunity to write them both as parents and also have some awkward PTA meetings between him and Sigyn’s fellow hero co-workers.

Just a big ol’ Hunger Games AU that I literally forgot about until just now: Start of the revolution against President Doom lead by survivors of the Hunger Games with Steve Rogers and their new symbol. It’s just two random kids in this universe not one boy one girl.

Tony Stark: Stark is a favorite of the capitol and builds a lot of their tech. He was taken into the games at 15. During the games he was blasted with some shrapnel and had to hide out in a cave. There he met Yinsen and he took pity on Tony. He helped Tony build a makeshift arch reactor to survive the games. Yinsen was killed and Tony survived by inventing weapons and blasting his way out.

Bruce Banner: Bruce is more of a hermit to the public eye, but still close friends with Tony. He was forced into the games at 13. Starting out as a rather timid and quiet boy he spent most of the game simply trying to stay out of everyone’s way, hiding in caves, trees and so on. It came down to the last handful of kids and none of them were particularly motivated to kill the others since all of them had done what Bruce had done and hid. To spice things up the game masters sprayed aggression toxin into the air. All the kids were susceptible to it, but Bruce was the worst. He ended up killing all the kids himself with his bare hands. Although the toxins did wear off Bruce still fears that anger inside of himself. He suffers from PTSD and when he is angry he does become violent.

Thor Odinson: Thor is another one of the capitols darlings. He and Loki entered the games together during an anniversary game in which if one was chosen and had a sibling that sibling must enter the game as well if they are at age. If by the end of the game both siblings are left standing, they can both live. He was 16 at the time. Thor relied on his strength with his preferred weapon being a large hammer. He was also one to form alliances with other members while Loki remained wary. In the end there was Thor, Loki, and two other members of their alliance. Thor wanted to be fair and give the two other survivors a chance. Loki took the opportunity to poison the water they stole from him and Thor in the night. Thor was at first disgusted with what his brother did, but over the years accepted that Loki did it to save both of them.

Loki Odinson: Along with Thor he is a capitol favorite. While Thor plays up the honorable warrior persona, Loki relies on the charming scoundrel. He entered the games with his brother at 15. Loki relied heavily on his wits and traps to survive. Once the alliance was broken he knew the other team would not kill him and Thor in their sleep, but they would steal some of their supplies. Loki made sure to leave food and water in the open for them to take, all of it poisoned. He does not regret anything he did in the games since it lead to Thor and his survival. What he hasn’t told Thor, or anyone, was that he knew that if Thor got in his way of living, he would have let Thor die.

Natasha Romanov: Game master for the reunion Hunger Games, Natasha is actually working for the rebellion as a double agent.

Clint Barton: He is one of the less praised winners; he makes less of a secret in his distaste with the capitol. He doesn’t have any family for the capitol to threaten, so he sometimes says things he shouldn’t. Clint entered the games when he was 14. His brother Barney was chosen as well. For most of the games Barney watched after Clint, both of them were skilled archers and shot at opponents from the trees. Towards the end of the game Barney went down to get some food while Clint waited for him. Barney was captured and tortured by some of the other kids to find out where Clint was, but he didn’t spill. That night Clint heard a boom in the sky and he woke up to see that Barney was dead. Clint spent the rest of the games looking for the rest of the kids and killed them all. Clint is more than ready to fight the capitol and shows it enough for people to catch on it, but not enough for the capitol to kill him.

Juliet Holden: Juliet remains out of the public eye if she can avoid it and spends as much time as she can with her family. She was forced into the games at 17 along with a girl named Beth who as 16. They stuck together throughout the games. Juliet used more hand to hand combat and hiding while Beth was more of an inventor. During an attack Juliet got shocked and Beth helped her through it. Juliet got out alright, but she lost a lot of her pain censors meaning she could take a hit longer. Beth took inspiration and made some make shift gloves that could shock opponents to death. Beth was eventually killed leaving Juliet the winner. Juliet still feels survivor’s guilt about Beth since she was the smarter one between the two of them. She hates the capitol with a burning passion, but unlike Clint has a very large family she needs to protect and care for.

Sigyn Odinson: Wife to Loki, their wedding was shown throughout the capitol making Sigyn as much as a capitol darling as Loki. This was planned by both Loki and Thor to keep Sigyn and Jane safe. If they were capitol favorites the capitol would be less likely to hurt either of them. As a result she became one of the few non-winners to be invited to the capitol. She knows how to be charming and play the role of the dutiful wife. Unfortunately with this new found confidence Thor started speaking more freely his dislike of the capitol. President Doom knew he couldn’t hurt Thor or Loki or their wives so he turned to their children. Jane couldn’t have kids so Loki and Sigyn’s children were forced into the games. Both boys died leaving Sigyn devastated. She no longer went to the capitol with Loki and was an adamant planner in taking down the capitol.

Poe Dameron x Lana Solo (Polo)

Modern AU: I wrote a sum up of it here

Bodhi Rook x Sera Darros

YouTuber AU: Linked Here

Coffee Shop/College AU: Linked Here

10 Things I Hate About You AU:

Jyn: Kat

Sera: Bianca

Bodhi: Cameron

Cassian: Patrick

K-2SO: Michael

Baze: Mrs. Perkey

Chirrut: Mr. Morgan

Draven: Dad

Male OC: Joey

Roadtrip AU:

Sera is going off the college and her adopted brother Cassian and his best friend Kay are helping her move across country.

Along the way they spot a woman having trouble with her car and offer her a ride to the nearest gas station to call a tow. The woman reveals herself to be Jyn Erso. She’s going cross country to meet her father who she hadn’t seen since she was about eight. When she calls the tow they say they can’t get if fixed for a few days. Sera then offers for her to join them on the trip since they’re going in the same direction. Jyn agrees and they’re off.

They travel for about a day when the car breaks down and they have to get it fixed. They go to a local mechanic where Bodhi is working. As he fixes the car he and Sera strike up a conversation where she tells them where they’re going. Bodhi says that he’s going to the same school she is, transferring from junior college. Sera then offers that he come with them since she wants to know someone when she gets there and it would be fun. Cassian begrudgingly agrees since the car isn’t at it’s best and having a mechanic on hand would be helpful.

They travel for another couple of days before eventually reaching a small camp sight. They had been driving all day and all need some rest. The nearest motel is miles always so they decide to camp out. Sera pulls what she can out of the car and makes up a camp using her blankets and sheets. They all have a nice night bonding and fall asleep under the stars.

When they wake up the next morning they find that the car has been stolen and the only things they have left are what they took out of the car the night before. Luckily, a couple, Baze and Chirrut, overheard they’re plight and offer them to ride in their RV. Chirrut and Baze are both former priest road tripping across the country to see what they can see.

Hawkeye Pierce x Elizabeth “Doc” O’Neil

Soulmate AU: Linked Here

34 notes · View notes

jimmymcgools · 3 years

Note

Can you do a directors cut for they pay me a golden treasure?

hi! this has been in my ask box for like two weeks! i'm so sorry! my brain broke and i forgot how to think about things!

i'm glad you asked for this one, thank you so much 🙏 i'd had the first ~500 words of this sitting in a google doc for so long -- i was originally thinking of posting after i finished slip and fall season. but then my brain did that thing where i wanted everything to be exactly perfect and i kept working and overworking the first few paragraphs until way too much gluten had formed in the dough and it was chewy and terrible.

but then i took a step back and just tried to write a thing that captured all the little interesting ideas i wanted to include, and that helped me get the ball rolling.

commentary below! 💖

Two points of pressure weigh down his shoulders, as heavy as the bags of cash had been—heavier, even. It feels like he has two hands locked on either side of his neck. He can feel the man who owns the hands standing behind him, and he can hear the echo of the word wife.

this idea was one of the first things that made me want to write this oneshot -- linking this physical sensation of carrying the bags with this metaphorical way he feels lalo's control over him.

He swallows. His mouth is tacky with a sugary layer of Gatorade.

i wanted the whole thing to hopefully be SUPER sensory and way deep in jimmy's head. and this is the kinda shit that takes me longer than it should to remember. sometimes i have to just sit and think through every part of my body as if i'm in that situation and see if anything good leaps out.

He’s just standing there outside the apartment and his arms are so heavy and his shoulders are so heavy and his head is so heavy he feels as if he’s going to fall right through the ground, as if he’s going to plummet into the earth before she can even open the door.

this is one of the sentences that previously died to being overworked. i kept changing it and changing it until eventually i looked back at my very first version, which was more brainstormy note than intended prose, and i thought it was better than anything else i'd managed. so i used that!

There’s a bang and his eyes snap open. The door is widening to a square of light and his hands are in front of his chest, curling into balls.

this part is a reverse of the previous example, though! here i kept an earlier version for a while, something that started like "The door opens with a bang etc etc" and then i realised it DID need more work, it needed to be more in jimmy's head and not tell the reader exactly what was happening in the first three words.

A square of light—sand and sky and space blankets—and then she’s there, silhouetted against the white, and he takes— —one step, then the next, then the next— —through the bright doorway.

fuckin' love an em dash, mate

His legs, having delivered him here, to this final glowing space, give up.

another one of the ideas i was very excited about for this one-shot was comparing kim to the golden glowstick he holds that night in the desert! i always think about it when i watch that scene!

here's my first shot at making the comparison -- this final glowing space. for a while i wanted to include the memory of him holding that glowstick right here, so that people might link it with him holding her in the entryway, but it didn't work with the pace.

Her voice sounds like it’s coming down a long phone line, traveling through thousands and thousands of copper-lined miles. Crackling and cracking.

i'm a self indulgent lil shit so i put some references to my other fic in here. hopefully if youve read acb, this specific description makes you think of baby kim and jimmy talking softly on the phone at night.

Kim’s fingers are razors in his hair, crushing his head close against her shoulder.

another metaphor from early acb used here, which in itself is a reference to a song by the national, of course. all my fics are just a bunch of national songs stacked inside a trenchcoat

As soon as his chest touches hers, he’s clawing with tight fists at her back, holding her faster and faster, like he’s scrabbling for purchase over screaming dirt

i loved the idea of drawing all these parallels between the desert experience and his experience here. it makes me think of the split-screen opening. jimmy's dry tongue sticking to his mouth is like him trying to say the first part of kim's name. the way he hugs her is like the way he scrambles towards the esteem.

it's all entwined forever now.

From down the long crackling line, she says his name again. Jimmy. He almost can’t hear it. Jimmy.

god, i'm such a writing nerd and i love thinking about writing so much and it's like -- what does not having his name in speech marks add here? in my head it adds so much. is it real, is she really saying it? is he just thinking it? yet he says he almost can't hear it. somehow not having the speech marks also makes it feel far away to me. intangible. if she's really saying it, it doesn't feel real anymore.

i love writing!!!!

“Hey,” Kim says, her voice quiet, her eyes locked on his. The dry skin on his lips stretches with his smile. “Hey.”

would die for these two softly exchanging "hey"s.

It’s good to be close because he knows there’s something horrible trapped between their chests. Something he can feel running warmly down his white and unblemished t-shirt.

jimmy brushing his hand over the spot as they sit together on the sofa.

Like he’s something that might burn her, or something that might break. Or both—like he’s fragile and electrified.

i kind of want to do more with this duality at some point. i think they both feel this about the other. that they could burn them or be burned by them.

He wants her to cradle his cheeks the same way she always does, or stroke her thumbs over his mouth, or curl her fingers around his ears, but she doesn’t. She just holds him in her fingertips. Like water in her hands, he thinks.

more of that wild self-indulgency, but god i couldnt resist linking this moment with the first time they makeout in acb:

"Then she pulls back, breathing heavily, looking down at him. She frames his face with her hands. Gasping for breath, staring up at Kim from between her palms, Jimmy feels like she’s the only thing holding him together. Like he’s water in her hands."

the only thing holding him together.

the ", he thinks." i added in the one-shot makes me feel like jimmy's making the link too, not just me as the writer.

The apartment smells of smoke. Another thing he’s dragged with him over the threshold from the desert: one hundred thousand dollars in cash and the word wife and the smell of dust burning beneath a high sun.

of course, it smells of smoke because kim's been smoking inside, but jimmy doesn't know that

Boxers picked up and then put down in almost the same spot on the bathroom floor.

this moment always gets me. these actors are incredible. there's so much goddamn emotion in one little action.

In his hand now, the ache of a yellow glowstick. The edges of his fingers are made red with it, and his skin and bones and all the gaps between the different parts of himself are marked out with the light. He’s awake, and the yellow stick is fragile in his grasp. Glowing through the cold and the dark. Burning a ghost on his retinas. His suit jacket is thin above him, a loose sheet. The desert is loud with lizards and wind and tires wheeling over dirt roads. The glowstick is golden.

and now finally i get to this glowstick moment. i'm really proud of how i executed this paragraph. it's the writing nerd in me again. i love what the present tense does to it. to me, it makes it feel eternal, ongoing. this is how i felt okay about not setting up the glowstick thing earlier. this paragraph makes me feel like jimmy's been thinking about this the entire time.

all the gaps between the different parts of himself are marked out with the light

also the thought of like... jimmy sitting awake in the desert thinking about the jimmy vs saul of it all.

Burning a ghost on his retinas.

"Did I dream it or did I have $1,600,000 on my desk in cash? When I close my eyes, I can still see it. It's burned into my retinas like I was staring into the sun."

Kim’s face is warm against his spine. Her heartbeat seems to pulse through his skin.

more of my stolen acb lines, this from the final chapter:

"He can feel her breathing, her knees pressed up close behind his, her chest against his back. Her heartbeat seems to pulse through his skin. If he didn’t know better, he’d feel like the Sandias, like a line of protection between her and the world."

When he closes his eyes, he’s walking, he’s still walking.

returning to the first sentence here gave it all a terrifying feeling to me. like -- does jimmy feel like this moment of getting home is the dream? this looping dream?

thank you so much to everyone who read this one-shot, by the way! i was super nervous about tackling canon times, and everyone's messages have been so reassuring. i really appreciate it 💖

#asks #anon #directors commentary #that got SO long

7 notes · View notes

liveshaunted-moved · 3 years

Text

headcanon dump; sally jackson

sally loves her children so fucking much

most of sally’s books get published in the font Dyslexie and in fact, she uses this font when she writes on her computer, therefore making it easier for percy or annabeth or any demigod easy to read when she get’s them to preview it

sad thought of the day…. sally and percy only being able to give affection when gabe wasn’t around because he hated it, so that meant when she would drop him off to school ( bc she sent him to boarding schools to protect him from gabe you will have to pry that headcanon from my cold dead hands ), and pick him up. or at her work if she could.

and then, them still not being able to adjust to it after gabe is gone and when paul does come along, they do kind of ‘hide’ it until they realise that paul isn’t gabe. because yes they know he isn’t but there are still micro things that they do have to re/unlearn

sally is proud supporter of percy & who ever makes him happy

sally and percy are so much a like. most of his traits, he shares with her, not poseidon, for sally was the one who raised him. his stubbornness and loyalty? from her. his need to protect those he cares about, even if it means he gets hurt? that’s so from sally.

because percy is so much more then posideon’s son, he is also sally’s son.

his love of blue food is from SALLY not POSEIDON, sally loved blue and it happens to be percy’s favourite colour too. blue is a sally&percy thing

sally had a miscarriage, and she is one of the very few where it was welcomed. not because she didn’t want another child, she had always imagined herself with more then one child, but the idea of having another child under gabe’s care frightened her and she couldn’t afford / get access to an abortion. this had happened while percy was in school ( a boarding one ) so he doesn’t know about it

it should be known that sally never sought for percy’s approval of paul, she already knew off the bat that paul was a good person. there was no reason for doubt for her, unlike with gabe when there was a little bit of doubt even before she saw gabe’s true colours. the only reason percy didn’t know right away was because she was still figuring it out, she hasn’t dated since she married gabe, it’s a hard thing to navigate.

sally will never have any ill feelings towards poseidon. she took everything in stride, so he wasn’t going to raise percy with her, she didn’t care because she would do her best to give her son the best that she can with what she had.

she never accepted any of poseidon’s offers, because she learnt that you have to earn things. and she was just a ‘summer’ fling for poseidon, that hadn’t earned a place in his home under the sea. and she wouldn’t have felt right accepting it knowing that poseidon had a wife.

she just needed to know if paul and percy would get along, and it was just a matter of when she was ready to let percy know.

when hades had captured her, she was right before her death. she was meant to die, but asked thanatos to bring the mother of percy back to him, alive. it was going to be a way to get his helmet back, as that was also stolen, and believed to have been stolen along side the master bolt. sally was kidnapped for leverage for the son of poseidon.

sally was alive, and for the most part was in mobile, but she of everything going around her. she heard the whispers of hades, of the ghost and how he was accusing her son of such a crime. of how hades has a plan, that if what he thinks is going to happen, that he’d get ahead of it.

her time in the underworld was at least a month, and for a mortal being in the underworld and not being dead can be harmful and it was to sally’s mental health. but, for years, she’s always put on a brave face for her son. and honestly, this why she flinched when gabe raised a hand towards her. usually she could hide her fear of her husband from her son, but the mental toll of having been in the underworld and being made inmobile did a lot.

when she was mobile, it was when hades favoured someone else that wasn’t working for him to talk too. sally would take this time to tell him that he is mistaken. her son would never, ever do such a thing.

sally would often, after finding gabe’s true nature, take percy to her work whenever she could. this is why she sent him to boarding schools too, so he has limited exposure to gabe and his nasty ways

ever since she got her scar on her hip, she when she swims where a fullbody swimsuit & a pair of shorts because she didn’t want to let percy know how badly gabe has hurt her. this scar had happened when percy was seven and in a boarding school, and it healed just before he came home in time for their usual trip.

sally is everyone’s mother? you want a mother figure, sally offers herself up. she’ll bake you cookies and muffins and homemade meals. give you a blanket to keep you warm.

sally also totally asks, and pays for, rachel to do artwork for her books.

sally supports all her children. all demigods are now her children, i will says this until i die

this is just in, your friendly reminder that, sally jackson is in fact, by definition a murder who is getting away with that fact. she placed medusa’s head in front of gabe. she was feed up with his abuse, and feared that he would go back on his promise and actually hit percy because of everything that’s happened. she feared for her son’s safety more then ever.

sally totally uses dyslexic friendly font on her computer, and for her writing. she also, once she gets published, fights for her books to only be printed in dyslexic friendly fonts.

sally has always been able to see through the mist. very clearly. at school. was once even mistaken to be a demigod, only for the satyr to realise that sally was in fact mortal. this has also lead to a very young sally to be labelled as someone with a very creative imagination.

and that label, got her interested in reading and writing, and her want to be a writer.

the wedding was small, nothing too big. just those close to her and paul.

this was her wedding dress, it just showed up the day of the wedding - she knows it was a gift from posideon

she totally invited annabeth, tyson & thalia

this just in, sally wore blue laced wedding dress. it had blue accents in it

sally, sung often to percy when he was a baby, and when he had nightmares.

sally would have never allowed gabe to stay as long as he did if he laid a hand on percy. herself, that was a different story. that was a set rule between the two, that gabe keep his hands off of percy, and sally would stay with him.

gabe was drunk, and sally can be very petty at times. this was how the whole blue thing came about. gabe was drunk and having a fight, while sally was making a cake, with blue food colouring because percy was coming home soon from his first time at school. and somehow they were on the topic of food not being able to be blue. so, it was from then on, sally decided she will go out of her way to make sure that she will get any food blue, and when it comes to cakes and the like of homemade things, blue food dye was right at the ready. and she loved it so much. because it became an inside thing with her son.

sally and poseidon lasted longer then just the summer., bu a few months after that and that is when percy was conceived. and poisdeon had to go because sally was in more danger now that they were going to have a child. sally understood, and let him go. holding no bitterness towards the sea god. she has made it this far in life without the help of others, she can do it again, even with a child.

she absolutely HATES the idea of someone not feeling safe, or having a place to call home. maybe it came from her having a child that could be in danger, or that is just the way she is. but, after gabe was gone, she would always be willing to lend a hand out to those in need ( mainly demigods ). most of the time just for a place to sleep and crash, and a place to feel SAFE and know that they can trust her.

despite her parents dying in a plane crash, sally never truly actually feared flying. she only ever ‘feared’ it when she had percy, for zeus might want to strike her son out of the sky and THAT is what scares her the most.

SALLY WOULD DIE FOR HER CHILDREN BEFORE SHE WILLINGLY PUTS THEM IN HARMS WAY. she knows the demigod life comes with a harsh reality which is part of why she didn’t want percy to go, why she held it off for so long having known about it since percy was like 3 years old.

sally sent percy away to boarding schools, to protect him. to get him as far away from gabe as possible. it was a way she could protect him, sending him away defeated the purpose of her marrying gabe - but, she hoped and prayed that the times that percy was home, that gabe’s sent lingered on her son for just long enough to keep him safe

gabe, for the first few months of his relationship with sally was nice, to her. her tried to woo her, despite him not smelling well. that was always with him, he never knew how to shower properly and sally counted that as a plus, because it would mask her son’s scent as a demigod. they got married quickly, and that seemed to be when gabe’s behaviour would change. she would refuse things, refuses to do things in the bedroom and he would get mad at her. he started to show his true colours as a awful human being, that is wasn’t just a bad smelling person, but the smell matched the personality. gabe was a verbal & emotional abuser.

she never divorced him. because he masked percy’s scent and because he was NEVER physically abusive towards PERCY, her on the other hand. that is a different story. gabe has hit her a few times and she did her best to hide it away from percy.

she stayed with gabe purely & solely to protect percy, because in her eyes, percy’s health & safety comes way before her own.

sally will fight for her son, she HAS fought for her son. there is nothing in the world that will ever stop sally from doing her best to protect percy, even if it means putting herself in danger. her son, always came before her. his needs came before her own. if they could only afford so much food, it would go to percy before it would go to her

honestly, the moment percy had called her, sally nearly collapsed from pure relief. her son was alive, THAT was the main thing, her son being alive. she knows his life can be dangerous, she knows it may not be long, but that doesn’t take away the fear and make it any less painful knowing that his life is in the hands of the fates.

#why be blah when there is aquamarine ( sally canons )#we're standing on the edge of queue #abuse tw #miscarriage tw #long post tw

10 notes · View notes

sweeethinny · 3 years

Text

The Duke - Chapter 5

I took a while to update, I thought about quitting sometimes, I won't lie, but, I started reading fanfics and books about Monarchy and regency era theme, and all my creativity came back.

Thank you as always, @theroomofreq who is very kind to me and helps me beta this story And to all my friends who need to listen to my crazy ideas

AO3 | FF.NET | SIYE (soon)

| G. W |

It was barely dawn when that newspaper fell on the Weasleys' door and the elf caught it. It was like every other day, well rolled, with the ink still fresh, full of gossip, important news, and political speculation, in addition to that malicious hint that they introduced in the news, to be just mean to some stupid Viscount that was stolen - and deserved it - or a newly decorated Marquis who married a woman who struck him - and who also deserved it.

It was just another normal day.

Or so it was meant to be.

As soon as Ginny came down to breakfast, she felt that something was different in the air, or maybe it was the fact that her brothers and mother were on top of her father to be able to read the newspaper page too.

‘’Good morning.’’ She called, but no one paid any attention to her. ‘’What’s so important? Did we find a gold mine?’’ Ginny stood next to Ron, needing to tiptoe to read the main and most eye-catching story on the front page of the newspaper.

'’The - yet - Duke and Duchess of Godric’s Hollow, James and Lily Potter, open the doors of their country house, for the first time in 20 years, for the fiftieth Dueling Party.

Check out more information, and the guest list so far, on page 13.’’

‘’Were we invited?’’ Ginny asked, wanting her father to leave that page right away where showed a picture of the couple in front of their huge country house, with the two of them not looking so happy to pose for the camera.

‘‘We were.’’ Ron confirmed, still looking at the newspaper. ‘’I think… Did Mr Potter go crazy?’’

‘’Ron! Don't say that!’’ Molly slapped his son on the arm, scolding him. ‘’Arthur dear, do you know why… this? Lily's authorizing something like this to happen?’’

''James had talked about applying some measures at Godric's Hollow and some changes but ... I didn't imagine he would host the Dueling Party ... I mean, they have a pretty big list of guests.'' Father said, still standing at same page of the newspaper.

‘’I heard they think they know where their son is.’’ Fred said, a little quietly, as if saying something terrible.

‘’Lily will die looking for that son.. I don’t blame her, of course, but… It’s been almost 24 years, how does she think she can find the boy? Only Merlin knows who took him, where they took him…’’ Her mother put her hand on her chest, facing Ginny. ‘’We need to find you with a new dress.’’

‘‘No mom, please.’’ Ginny denied, looking back at the newspaper. ‘’But what if he’s really alive? How will they find him? Is that why they’re having the party this year?’’

‘’James says the boy was born with a brand.’‘ The father clarified. ‘’But I don’t know if that’s why they decided-- ’’

‘‘-- I’m sorry.’’ Henry’s voice interrupted Arthur’s, and the man bowed to everyone in the room. ''Mr. Weasley, I think you would like to accompany me.'' The man did not look at Ginny, as if he was afraid to show too much, holding a torn piece of paper tightly and having his left forearm grated and dirty. Had he fallen?

'‘Of course, Mr Figg. Excuse me, love.’’ Arthur kissed his wife respectfully and then followed Henry out of the dining room. Ginny almost ran after them, knowing it seemed to have something to do with her, just from the way Henry avoided looking at her.

She hated it when they made her look like a damsel in distress who couldn't distinguish fire from ice.

''Ginny, we will see this afternoon about your dress, and Ron, we also need to decide on new clothes for you ...'' Her mother continued to talk about the duties they would have for the next few days, but all Ginny could pay attention to was in Henry walking away. His cloak was torn in the back and it looked like he had just arrived - which was strange, because he never left in the morning, always preferring to go out in the afternoon when Ginny was at tea time with her mother, or at night, at dinner time. Henry always said that in the morning, it was the time that crazy people wake up and make a mess.

He looked over his shoulder after her dad turned the corner of the hall and disappeared towards the office, but he also followed the path before Ginny was able to have any appropriate reaction.

After his intrusion, and the delay for her father to return, Ginny had to be taken care of by another Auror (she was told that Henry needed to go to his office), and nowhere was Thomas as gentle and nice to her as Henry was.

All morning, Ginny felt like she was being followed by a ghost, in silence for all the hours that passed, a little disconcerted that Thomas didn't like talking to her like Henry did - even though sometimes it was just yes and no - and when she had to leave the house to keep her mother company on the way to the center, Ginny was excited to at least hear different voices.

''Does Mrs. Potter know that I need to bring Mr. Figg?'' Ginny asked, looking at the windows they passed, daydreaming about those colorful and well-sewn dresses.

Even though her father was a Viscount, Arthur had been decorated one after the other 10 in front of him died, so there was not much inheritance for them to benefit from. They weren't really poor, Ginny could still choose a dress sewn by a top dressmaker on special occasions, but she knew that the family had far more limitations than other families who had a wardrobe all made just for them.

‘’I wouldn’t like you to bring him,’’ The mother started, raising her gloved hand as if she already knew that Ginny was going to interrupt her. "It's always quite threatening when he stays behind you wherever you go, and maybe that's what limits gentlemen to ask you out." The younger redhead bit her cheek, swallowing the urge to say what prevented men from getting close to her was that she was seen as crazy. ‘‘But your father would never let us leave the property without him following, so… Yes, Mrs. Potter already knows that Mr. Figg will be with you.’’

‘‘I thought they didn’t throw parties anymore.’’ She commented quietly, smiling at a lady who was looking at her a little terrified, pulling her little daughter aside when Ginny passed.

Ah, London hospitality, always so pleasant.

‘’We all thought so.’’ Molly spread the fan in her hands, fanning herself because of the heat that seemed to be almost deadly. ‘‘But it looks like Mrs. Potter is tired of leaving the doors closed.’’

‘’I don’t remember visiting their house.’’

‘’You first came right when you were born, we introduced you to them. We have a picture of you and little Harry in the crib.'' Her mother sighed, stopping in front of the shop for hats, gloves and other accessories (not as chic as the one on the top street where jewelry was sold) and smiled at Ginny . ‘’Let's go in, I want to see if we can find some hats for you. Maybe there is a suitor who captures your heart during the Dueling Party.’’

[...]

‘'The Dueling Party …’’ Ginny repeated, rereading the news for the tenth time. ‘’Do you know what they say about this party?’’ She asked, looking over her shoulder at Thomas, standing behind her, while she was dining alone.

He denied. Ginny snorted, annoyed by the silence.

‘’Do you know where Mr. Figg is?’’ It was a lot more fun to have dinner with his company.

‘’No, Miss.’’

‘’Do you know when he comes back?’’

‘‘No, Miss.’’ Ginny turned to the untouched plate in front of her. Her father had spent the day outside, just like Henry, Ron had gone out with Fred somewhere, and her mother had already gone to bed, saying she was having a headache from the heat. She sighed, alone.

Thomas was married, not that he told her, she had seen the ring in his hand, and Ginny hoped he would be more talkative outside of work, or she would send her condolences to the poor woman who was married to a ghost.

The day had been quite boring, even after going out with her mother - which resulted in her buying a new hat - her father had sent a Patron with strict orders not to leave the house. Not even to fly. So Ginny spent the afternoon reading, knitting, and even pruning some flowers. All without saying much, since Thomas seemed to hate any human interaction.

At first, Henry was like that, too, quietly, until he seemed to feel sorry for Ginny's loneliness (and his own, since he was 24/7 by her side), and they started talking and she was even able to convince him sit at the table with her when no one was attending dinner.

But today, even after Thomas has been with her a few times, he still seemed to completely ignore the warmth and preferred to remain silent, leaving Ginny talking to herself.

When she thought about starting dinner - even though the chicken looked pale and the potatoes didn't look so appetizing - she heard footsteps toward the dining room, and before she could understand who was coming in, his voice boomed through the quiet room; ‘’Mr. Thomas, you can go to your home. Thank you very much.’’ Henry bowed to her a little. ‘’Good night, Miss Weasley, forgive me for being late.’’

‘’Good night, Mr. Figg.’’ ’Ginny had to bite her cheek to avoid the smile that wanted to break her face. The other Auror bowed to her and left the room, looking even relieved of an unknown tension that weighed on his shoulders. ‘’He doesn’t seem to like me very much.’’ She continued to look at the door through which the man had disappeared.

‘’If you want to know a secret,’’ Henry spoke softly, and approached her a little. ‘‘I don’t think he even likes himself.’’ Ginny laughed, her chest seeming to burn with that feeling of comfort that the man gave to her. It was always so simple to be around him, even when they were around several people and Henry was not allowed to give his real opinions (he would never give them, anyway, but Ginny knew that when it was just the two of them, he could be one little less judicious)

‘’May I know where you and my father have been?’’ She gave up on dinner, turning entirely to Henry and putting her arms on the back of the chair, resting her head there and staring at him curiously. ‘’It was a very boring day.’’

‘’Sorry to leave you, Miss.’’ Like a great gentleman he was, he nodded politely. ‘’But unfortunately I can’t tell you where we went. You’ll have to ask your father.’’

‘’And will he tell me?’’ She tried hopefully.

''I do not think so. Sorry.''

‘‘It’s not your fault.’’ She shrugged, only then really looking at him. Henry was still as he was yesterday; his slightly old and crooked glasses made his green eyes even bigger, Auror's clothes were so tightly buttoned and without any wrinkles that Ginny was embarrassed about her dress, which had a slightly worn hem. But unlike yesterday, she realized that his left hand was bandaged. ''What happened?''

‘’Ah… problems.’’ Henry shrugged. ‘’Another time we can discuss this, but I don’t think it is an issue for a lady who… still needs dinner.’’ He looked over her shoulder at her untouched plate - which now seemed to have gained color and life.

‘’Have you eaten yet?’’ Ginny turned around, slicing the chicken and smiling eagerly for him to sit with her.

''Already, Miss. Sorry.’’ Ginny could even hear his sad smile.

"But sit still, you know I hate to eat alone." She helped herself to the wine, having to bite her cheek again to keep from smiling and bursting into words she swallowed all day, when he sat in front of her. ‘’Can I ask you just one thing?’’

‘’For sure, Miss.’’ Henry seemed to want to disagree when Ginny spilled wine in his glass, but said nothing.

''Your bruised hand, the disappearance for the whole day, and the bloody story... has to do with me?'' She said, filling her mouth with a good forkful of chicken, peas and puree, staring at Henry with a pink color on his cheeks and he looked away from hers for a second.

‘’Yes, Miss.’’ He sighed, looking tense. ‘’But I’m not allowed to say more than that.’’ And then Henry pointed his finger at the walls around them, silent, and then at his own ear.

The walls have ears.

Ginny could not contain the reaction of bulging her eyes and looking at the large window beside them, which showed the entire backyard of the dark and lost yard in the darkness of the night, the trees making a lot of noise, as well as the wind whistling in the small openings of the glass and some old wood.

Henry was still staring at her, his green eyes almost seemed to enter her mind.

‘’What was I doing when I got the scar on my leg?’’ Ginny was alarmed, placing her hand on the wand at her waist, and the other holding the knife even stronger.

‘’You went up on the roof to save a cat, and when I thought was safe and tried to go up too, you slipped and cut your leg on a loose tile.’’ She blew out the air she seemed to be holding. ‘’I’m glad you remember to ask this, but it would have been too late,’’ Henry said, without taking his eyes off her. ‘’You have to do this when I arrive, not after inviting me to sit.’’ He warned her, his eyebrow dark and cut in half by the scar, rising and arching.

‘’I would know if you were an impostor.’’ For some reason she couldn’t take her eyes off him, feeling her chest burn and her hands tremble. And unlike any other time this happened, it was as if her magic was more controlled rather than totally insane inside Ginny.

‘’Miss didn’t seem so sure of that.’’ Henry didn’t seem bothered to look her in the eye either.

‘’I just doubted it. But I would know.’’ She didn’t know how, but something inside her said she would know.

‘’I’m happy that no imposter would take my place.’’ Henry smirked. ‘’I would also know how to differentiate you from an impostor.’’ And then he looked away at the window, and Ginny’s chest seemed to almost break without the pressure that was building there.

She even managed to fill her lungs with air.

| H. F |

‘’If you allow me to ask..’’ Ginny started, as they walked to the place where they were training duels. A place that Mr. Weasley had built after the clearing, where no one would get hurt or end up drawing much attention. It was not respectful for girls born in good families to know the art of dueling.

It was another day, nearly seven in the morning when Henry had to wake Ginny up so they could train the duel. After yesterday's threat, it would be necessary for her to be more than prepared if he could not defend her alone - but he was training even more so that it would not happen.

‘’Where do your scars come from? The one you have on your forehead. I mean.'' She pointed with her gloved hand at his forehead, almost touching where the lightning-like scar was marked on his skin.

‘’It’s too bloody a story for seven in the morning. And for a lady like you.’’ He kept up his education, already seeing the hut they haven’t visited in a few months, trying to ignore the feeling of failure due to having to make a woman like her, needing to learn the art of dueling. Dueling with an auror, to top it off, and not with figures he would transfigure, as he did for the boys who had been a tutor a few years ago.

No Auror learned to duel as Ginny Weasley needed to learn.

Women usually - if they learned to duel - did it with transfigured birds, wooden figures, and sometimes, if it was very necessary, the teacher would participate or call another woman who also trained, so that they would duel.

Ginny was dueling with an Auror who could do this even with his eyes closed, and who had already killed so many men that he almost needed a third hand to count how many.

''Well, if I'm asking for the story of your scar, I'm wise enough to know that I'm going to hear a bloody story.'' Henry opened the wooden hut door for her to enter first, and the smell of damp wood and dust entered their noses. Sunlight passed through broken planks and windows, and the lack of furniture (or what was left over and already broken) caused their voices to echo.

‘’They tried to kill me when I was a kid.’’ He didn’t have to look at her to see her eyes bulge, instead he walked to his usual place and started getting ready for them to start dueling.

‘’Who would do that ?! This is ... This is horrible!’’

‘’I know, Miss.’’ Henry never doubted that. ''But you would be astonished at how many crazy people there are.'' He saw her getting ready across the room, taking off the cloak, gloves and hat that her mother insisted she really wear, even inside the property.

‘’How did you get out alive?’’ Her brown eyes looked a little horrified and a little angry, as if she wanted to protect him. Henry wanted to laugh at the concern of a Viscount's daughter, at a poor man like him. In no dream or hallucination would a woman so above him look at him and speak as she did, always so friendly, seeming not even to notice how foolish she left him.

Henry was only above the bourgeois and, obviously, the miserable and squib (a class that his mother, unfortunately, belonged to), and by very little yet. If it weren't for sheer luck and being in the right place at the right time, Henry would never know what it was like to step inside the Auror Department.

‘‘My mom saved me.’’ He said, simply, but Ginny was still staring at him absurdly. ‘’In fact, she’s not my birth mother… My birth mother died at the hands of the Death Eaters. But she has looked after me since one of the Death Eaters tried to kill me, and here I am, safe and sound.’’

''I've never seen a spell that left a scar.'' She approached, eyes fixed on Henry's forehead, and her bare hand touched his skin, making him shiver and make him walk away in fright, as if her touch burned his face. ‘‘Sorry.’’ Ginny blushed furiously, still looking more scared, withdrawing her hand.

'’It's okay, Miss.’’ Henry swallowed, the wand in his hand shaking slightly, as if the magic wanted to explode out of it at all costs. ‘’And, I don’t know how I came out with just a scar. Maybe my magic saved me.’’

‘’Yeah… maybe it is.’’ Ginny now looked into his eyes, looking a little too serious, the brown eyes that Henry thought were so beautiful, seemed to carry a mountain of feelings that she would never let out. At least, not for him. ‘’Come on… let’s train.’’ And then she turned her back on him, the purple robes making her look like a witch from a Muggle fairy tale. Her hair tied tightly in the braid made her look a little more challenging than she usually was.

Henry knew he would never find a woman more beautiful than she was, and he cursed himself for thinking of her that way.

‘’We’re going to start.’’ He had to breathe deeply, before getting back in line and starting.

They bowed to each other in a sign of respect - if there was any respect in a duel - and then raised their wands.

Ginny and Henry had already dueled a few times, much more than a lady should, and he knew that she was really good and that if they accepted women at the Auror Academy, she would be even better than most the men who worked there. But whenever they dueled, Henry felt that electricity running in his wand, making it difficult to keep the spells for a long time, as if his wands refused to duel.

The magic was out of control - that's why Mr. Weasley had a hut built away from everyone and empty - and he could see the intensity of her magic almost greater than his. There always seemed to be something missing to make his strengths equal, and Henry thought that maybe it was the fact that he always feared for hurting her, while Ginny was instructed to use all her strength.

‘’Expelliarmus.’’ He whispered to himself

‘‘Estupor.’’ Ginny also spoke in an almost lower tone than Henry, and then the spells dueled, and the electricity almost looked like it was about to kill him. His arm was shaking, and the strength of the spells facing each other made the boards tremble and the rest of the entire furniture began to want to dismantle.

But for some reason Ginny lost her focus, and then Henry's magic won and her wand flew into his hands, just as her body stumbled over the furniture behind her.

He also lost his balance, and had it not been for the table well placed behind him, he would have been shamefully thrown back.

‘’I heard a noise.’’ She said, startled. ''I saw someone passing by, behind the house.'' And as if all the strength was suddenly recovered, Henry stood up and looked behind him, through the gaps in the wood where all you could see was the forest.

‘’Are you sure?’’ He asked, already casting a protective spell around them and throwing her wand at her, walking towards her and keeping her behind him - even though she insisted on going to his side.

''Yes. I saw someone. It wasn't a deer or anything. It was a person.’’ Henry’s magic trembled again, and just for safety, he cast three more protective spells around them, and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the house. ''Don't let me stay behind, someone can hit me from behind and you won't even see.'' She complained when he once again put his body in front of hers, stamping her feet next to Henry, who was looking at the forest silent around them.

‘’Miss, you will stay in the circle of protection, while I will see if there is anyone, understood?’’ He stared at her, the taste of blood dominating the palate with the idea of yet another crazy men trying to kill her.

''But I--''

‘’--Don’t make me petrify you. And I will. ’’ Henry didn’t even give her time to complain, throwing more protections around her, stepping out of the circle and preparing to grab another idiot who tried to get close to Ginny.

Yesterday morning Henry had found a miserable boy, doing the dirty work for wealthy people, bringing with him a cursed Ginny doll and a letter detailing exactly what they would do when they caught her. Henry didn't even like to remember the fury that surrounded him when he read what they intended to do. Not even over his corpse, would anyone touch her.

They were starting to be more creative now. It was the second cursed item they tried to get to Ginny.

Making sure she was still safe - and she looked furious in the circle Henry had created - he started walking around, looking at the sides of the house and a little way through the trees, but never losing sight of Ginny, who was so well protected that he could barely hear her voice.

But maybe Henry should have paid attention to what she was screaming, or trying to scream, because when a spell tried to hit him and ricocheted away, he knew it was she who was protecting him, and that they were with visitors. But he saw no one.

Turning to her, even more furious, Henry felt protected once again, seeing that Ginny was also surrounding him with protective spells, and he made the sign that she needed to leave. He told her to Apparate, but Ginny stayed there, denying it while Henry felt his protective sense scream inside him.

Better him than her.

He hid behind a tree, still feeling protected, and concentrating on the image of Ginny and her mesmerizing eyes, Henry struggled to enter her mind, as they had trained exhaustively. But it always seemed easier with her.

''Apparate out of here.. Now.''

He ordered, even though that part of the Forest was strangely quiet. Had they given up?

‘’Not without you.’’ She snapped in his mind, and Henry wished he could shake her shoulders.

‘’You are more important than me.Get out. They won’t see you, you’re protected.’’

''Not. Without. You.''

Henry took a deep breath and looked behind the tree, looking for whoever it was, wondering what he would do with that stubborn woman. There was no more noise, no spell shining, everything was silent. Which was even more dangerous.

They wouldn't come and just shoot Henry and leave without even fighting. But he was not staying to see.

And if he could bet, he knew it was more dangerous for them to stay there, waiting for them to come back. They had done this once, killed a deer as a threat, so Henry knew there must be a dead animal somewhere nearby.

He would send a patronus to Robards.

'’Apparate to our safe place. I will meet you there.’’ He spoke to her, still in mind.

‘’Do you promise to go?’’

‘’I’m right behind you, Miss.’’

#hinny #hinny au #harry x ginny #Harry Potter #Ginny Weasley #Harry and Ginny #hp au #read-a-hinny-fic #Aristocrat and Bodyguard trope

13 notes · View notes

365days365movies · 3 years

Text

January 9, 2021: Kung Fu Hustle (2004) (Part 1)

OK, before we even get started: watch this movie. This movie is a HELL of a lot of fun, holy shit. I’ll gladly go into it, in another two-poster, but you really should watch this movie.

BUT, before you watch it, you also need to know what to expect from it. And so, let’s talk about kung-fu movies.

I’ll actually be going to martial arts films as the next sub-genre of action, so this is a great primer for it. But I’m a big fan of the genre, even though I haven’t seen a lot of it. If you’ve seen Kill Bill, especially Part 1, then you have an idea of how martial arts films work, from an American lens. However, kung-fu movies are one of China’s big contributions to the action genre. The tropes are recognizable, as are the directorial flourishes and themes. And, of course, there are the fights.

OHHHHHH, THE FIGHTS. Glorious, crazy, over-the-top, dramatic, engaging, just...I love the fights in martial arts films, so very much. So, how do you balance that with comedy? Enter Kung Fu Hustle, and I’m just gonna jump right in. I’m excited to talk about this movie.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!! You’ve been warned.

Recap

The Axe Gangsters have taken over Shanghai, in the year 1940! Their leader, Brother Sum (Danny Chan Kwok-kwan), rules the city with an iron fist. All except for Pigsty Alley, which is lorded over by the Landlord (Yuen Wah), and his wife, the Landlady (Yuen Qiu), who watches an otherwise peaceful settlement. She’s...

...something, alright.

Visiting Pigsty alley are two thugs, named Sing (Stephen Chow) and Bone (Lam Chi-chung). The former is a schemer, claiming to be a part of the Axe Gangsters. They try to blackmail a barber to providing a free haircut. This leads to Sing challenging anybody in the village to a one-on-one fight. He challenges this short man...

...and then a child.

That eventually leads up to him facing the Landlady herself, which goes as well as you’d think.

He grabs a firecracker and throws it, claiming that it will summon the Axe Gang that he’s definitely in. Instead, he accidentally throws it at one of the Axe Gang, and manages to convince them that someone in the Alley threw it. The Landlady retreats from the challenge.

OooooooK. The gang threatens the barber from earlier, and is IMMEDIATELY DESTROYED. But not by the barber, I don’t think. That shot’s a little misleading. Anyway, they call for backup using an axe firework, and the Axe Gang invades Pigsty Alley. Just as the leader’s about to set a woman and her child on hire, a guy pops up and starts kicking ass.

And then, as this scene’s happening, a thug gets into a laundromat, where a kindly tailor from earlier…

Yeeeeeessss...

WHAT. YES. MORE.

YEAH BABY LET’S GO

I, uh...I’m a sucker for kung-fu fight scenes. They’re cool. They’re REALLY cool.

When the dust literally clears, standing together are our three martial artists, Coolie (Xing Yu), Tailor (Chiu Chi-ling), and Donut (Dong Zhihua). Awesome. More please.

Might get it, as the two guys from earlier, Sing and Bone, are captured by the Axe Gang. Turns out, yeah, they aren’t members of the gang after all, and just posed as such with a desire to join them. Sing’s also an expert lockpick, freeing them both before they’re executed by axes. Brother Sum tells that they may join if they kill someone, although he doesn’t seem to be on the up-and-up.

The guys scheme to take revenge on the Pigsty Alley residents, with Sing claiming that he’s a natural kung-fu genius, something he’s believed since childhood when a guy on the street told him he was a natural. This is obviously a scam, which is hilarious. But he took it seriously, and used the pamphlet to train himself.

It didn’t go well.

Apparently, this event drove him to desiring a life of crime. And stolen ice cream.

The surprise kung-fu masters are berated by the Landlady for bringing trouble to the Alley, but the villagers appear to appreciate it. Also, the tailor is pretty heavily queer-coded. And I didn’t mention it earlier, even though it’s shown, but...let’s just say the way they treat that fact didn’t age well. Like...at all. Remember, this is in 2004. Even in China, there was a certain...style of joke.

Anyway, uncomfortable elephant in the room addressed, Sing and Bone arrive, resulting in Sing getting stabbed by three separate knives and bitten by cobras. I refuse to reveal how that happens, because it’s amazing. They’re discovered by the Landlady, who…

This is a cartoon, huh. A literal live-action cartoon. I can dig it.

That brings something up, by the way. There’s a surprising amount of CGI in this film, and it didn’t age amazingly, sorry to say.

Sing heals from the stabbing and the bites VERY quickly, much to my (and his own) surprise. Meanwhile, Brother Sum hires a couple of guys who are top killers, setting them against Pigsty Alley’s three fighters. Speaking of the fighters, they’ve been kicked out of the Alley. But as they’re getting ready to leave, they decide to test each other. By fighting.

I might get more, as Coolie passes the two killers, one of whom is playing a guanzheng, a traditional Chinese harp. Unfortunately for me, however, the harp appears to be magical, and kills Coolie with its melodic rhythm, beheading him. Tailor goes up against them shortly after, where we see that the harp seems to create invisible mystical swords, fists, and force. WHICH IS RAD AS HELL

Tailor and Donut go against them, and the Harpists both work together to take them on and…

I...just...it...they…

Well, never mind, since the last two martial artists are down for the count at this point. Damn. That was a VERY cool scene, holy shit. It was legitimately awesome, and I can’t wait for the

...The Landlord and Landlady are martial artists, too. WHAT. YES. HOLY SHIT YES.

And while the effects certainly aren’t the greatest here, I don’t care. LOOK AT THIS SHIT.

Then, when I think the action can’t get any cooler...the comedy comes back with a vengeance.

This movie. This movie rules. AND I AM ONLY HALFWAY IN GODDAMMIT

Speaking of, let’s break this up into two parts! Part 2 later today!

13 notes · View notes

mediaevalmusereads · 3 years

Text

On Stranger Tides. By Tim Powers. New York: Harper, 1987.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Genre: historical fiction

Part of a Series? No

Summary: Aboard the Vociferous Carmichael, puppeteer John Chandagnac is sailing toward Jamaica to claim his stolen birthright from an unscrupulous uncle, when the vessel is captured . . . by pirates! Offered a choice by Captain Phil Davies to join their seafaring band or die, Chandagnac assumes the name John Shandy and a new life as a brigand. But more than swashbuckling sea battles and fabulous plunder await the novice buccaneer on the roiling Caribbean waters–for treachery and powerful vodun sorcery are coins of the realm in this dark new world. And for the love of beautiful, magically imperiled Beth Hurwood, Shandy will set sail on even stranger tides, following the savage, ghost-infested pirate king, Blackbeard, and a motley crew of the living and the dead to the cursed nightmare banks of the fabled Fountain of Youth.

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

Content Warnings: sexual assault, violence, body horror, microaggressions; references to incest, rape, slavery

Overview: I originally picked up this book because I was in the mood for a pirate story, and On Stanger Tides kept popping up on online lists of “greatest pirate novels.” I can see why, to an extent. Powers writes good ship battles, and most of his descriptions of the setting are lush and evocative. However, I couldn’t give this book more than 2 stars on account of the pacing and the treatment of women, people of color, and fat people. I know that, being written in the 1980s, it’s not going to be as “woke” as contemporary readers would like, but even so, there was a lot about this book that made me uncomfortable - things that even “historical accuracy” can’t cover.

Writing: Powers’ prose was something of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, there are some absolutely stunning descriptions of the environment, and Powers has a knack for writing compelling action scenes. I really liked the way Powers would compare resurrected crewmates to “chains and jelly in a wet leather bag” or the eerie look of ships gliding through mist. These descriptions really immersed me in the setting and elicited feelings of horror, so I think Powers deserves praise for that.

On the other hand, however, I think that some parts of the book dragged. It took forever for characters to actually get to the Fountain of Youth, and all the things that were happening in the meantime didn’t hold my attention well. Some of the battle scenes also felt slow at times, in part because Powers is so invested in describing every little action.

Plot: On Stranger Tides primarily follows Jack Shandy as his ship is attacked and he is forced to join a pirate crew. During his adventures, he is forced to accompany Blackbeard to the Fountain of Youth, and must fight a number of sorcerers who seek to control Beth Hurwood, a British woman who seems to exist to be a damsel in distress.

There’s not much to say about this plot. It’s a swashbuckling adventure, to be sure, but nothing really stood out as unique to me. Of course, I could be biased, since I’m reading this story in 2021, not in the 1980s, so take my reaction with a grain of salt. I think to make this story more compelling, I would have liked to see more personal stakes for Jack Shandy. It seemed to me that Shandy mostly went along with the pirates and accepted the existence of magic. Combined with the fact that his desire to reclaim his inheritance wasn’t all that present, I think filtering the plot through the perspective of someone with stronger convictions and goals would have done a lot to create more suspense.

Characters: Jack Shandy, our protagonist, is a bit bland. He originally had some interesting qualities in that he was able to use his background as a puppeteer to get in the pirates’ good graces, but that’s about the only thing I liked about him. He doesn’t seem to have any real flaws and is good at whatever he does, such as handling a sword (despite having only done theater swordplay). He also doesn’t seem to have any strong convictions or goals; other than rescuing Beth and one time shooting a Naval officer because he was about to murder someone in cold blood, Shandy just seems to exist in the world and go along with the flow. His initial motivation - reclaiming his inheritance - also didn’t seem like an important goal; for one, Shandy forgets about it pretty quickly, only retuning to it within the last 70 pages or so, and never seems determined to escape the pirates after 100 pages. Second, his inheritance is a plantation in Jamaica, which gives me icky colonialism feelings.

Beth Hurwood, our damsel in distress and Shandy’s love interest, has no personality traits and serves no role other than being a victim. I hated that her main purpose was to be victimized by her father and her father’s accomplice, Leo Friend, and I hated that her agency was stolen at almost every turn. Beth did have one good moment when she tried to persuade a disgruntled pirate to abandon Blackbeard and escape with her, but since that plan failed, she had no scene where she attempted to seize control of her own destiny.

Beth’s father, Benjamin Hurwood, could have been a compelling antagonist if the focus was solely on his obsession with magic, but Powers had to go and make it weird. Hurwood is obsessed with putting the soul of his dead wife in his daughter’s body, a process which will effectively kill her. The incestuous undercurrent was a bit too gross for me, and I couldn’t get on board with it.

Leo Friend, Hurwood’s accomplice of sorts, is another powerful sorcerer whose goal is to take Beth for himself. Powers also made Friend more gross than he had to be: Friend desires to dominate Beth, body and soul, by using his magic to make her want to have sex with him. On top of that, Friend also wants to use Beth as a stand-in for his mother, who he was also sexually attracted to. To make matters even worse than that, Powers never, ever lets the reader forget that Friend is fat, using lots of adjectives like “pudgy,” “bloated,” and “round” in every scene, seemingly as a way to disgust the reader. This character was so over-the-top. I hated it.

Other supporting characters were ok. Blackbeard was as one might expect: self-interested and intimidating, but ultimately, he became kind of bland when his sights turned towards Beth Hurwood. Davis, a pirate captain, was a kind of loveable rogue with a nice rapport with Shandy. Stede Bonnett had some interesting motivations and hurdles to overcome, but I couldn’t get interested in his story. Anne Bonny makes a surprise appearance, but her entire purpose is to be a sex object, and I hated it.

Surprisingly, there were black characters in this book. However, rather than being complex, they seemed to only exist to be comic relief (such as one named Mr. Bird whose only job is to periodically scream “I am not a dog”) or to embody the magical negro trope (such as Woefully Fat, a deaf “bocor” who delivers weird messages and conducts odd rituals).

TL;DR: On Stranger Tides has some wonderful descriptions and does a good job evoking a supernatural atmosphere, but ultimately, the weak plot, flat and/or offensive characters, and pacing prevents this from being a memorable pirate story.

5 notes · View notes

leslieannefusco · 3 years

Text

The World's Finest

Superman drafts Batman into the League of Superheroes when he suspects there is a traitor among them. Batman ferrets out the traitor, and the reason for his treasonous behavior. It all comes down to a one-on-one battle between Batman and one of the greatest heroes of all time.

Batman must go up against the traitor within the JL ranks, which will have lasting repercussions on Batman, and the JL itself.

JLA The Avengers United They Stand New Line Cinema Premiere Movie Theaters Warner Bros Pictures Presents Universal Studios Bruce Timm Comic-Con International San Diego Intercompany Crossovers Comic Book Publishers In North America Film Adaptation Exploring Modern Hollywood’s Leading Genre Amalgam Comics Archie Comics Boom Studios Comics Dark Horse Comics DC Comics Dynamite Entertainment Comics IDW Publishing Comics Image Comics Marvel Comics Oni Press Comics Valiant Comics Superheroes ToonZone.Net AnimeSuperhero.Com A TimeWarner Company Collectible Ticket IMAX Super Friends (1973-1980) Justice League Action The Tender Box The Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series

In Metropolis, tourists gawk at the Justice League Unlimited watchtower. Within, Micron, a JLU member who can shrink and grow, fights a training robot, then answers a call from an unknown source. There's a monorail out of control! Micron hurries to the scene. He rescues the driver of the monorail, then rushes to engage the brakes and turn the train from its path. That done, he goes to leap clear in the textbook last-minute escape, but a force field goes up over the door, barring him in, so he's inside when the monorail derails and crashes. Meanwhile, in Gotham City, Inque has stolen an experimental airplane and the Batmobile is in hot pursuit. Batman shorts out the plane's electronics, and it goes down in a pond, but Inque escapes. She fights Batman, gets the worst of it, and then takes a bystander hostage. However, the bystander starts spinning around at incredible speed, scattering Inque to the four winds - it's Superman! The Man of Steel sports a stark black and white costume these days and has some gray hair, but he's still pretty tough.

Superman goes with Terry to the Batcave, where he asks Bruce if Terry can join the League. Bruce says it's not up to him; it's up to Terry. But Bruce wonders if he's supposed to be a replacement for Micron. Superman says no, Terry has what the JLU needs.

At the JLU Watchtower, Barda, an amazon from Apokolips, is angry with Superman for bringing Terry in without consulting his fellow Leaguers. Warhawk, an armored guy with wings, agrees. The new Green Lantern, a hovering bald child, says they shouldn't get angry, but Aquagirl agrees with Barda -- they don't know Terry, and Superman should have treated their opinions with more respect. But Superman tells them this isn't up for discussion -- Batman is staying and that's that. Terry is a bit dismayed and suggests this might have been a mistake. But Superman says he needs someone he can trust. Micron is still clinging to life, but even with the League's high technology, it was a very close call. Superman wants Batman there to spy on the others, because he suspects one of the Leaguers had something to do with Micron's accident. Aquagirl apologizes for the others, invites Terry for a swim, and then leaves him to study. Barda and Warhawk practice in the battle room, while Green Lantern meditates in a parklike chamber. Terry watches Aquagirl dart in and out of underwater hoops, then calls Bruce to tell him he doesn't like spying on heroes. When Aquagirl's monitor goes black, he instantly leaps to find out what's wrong. The water in her tank is boiling! He tries to unlock the tank, but the door is too strong even for him, so he rushes next door, steals Barda's Mega-Rod weapon, and blasts the door. Water gushes out, just in time, as Aquagirl has already passed out. Warhawk and Barda chase him and see Aquagirl rescued, but they suspect he was behind her accident. When Aquagirl explains he wasn't at fault, they blame him for not calling for help. They just don't like him. Terry finds a vital part burned out in the tank controls. Superman confirms that there's a traitor in the League; every circuit in that part was fused solid. Later, the Leaguers send Batman out on patrol while they handle an emergency. Bombs are exploding across the city, and the League rushes to the rescue -- except Batman, of course, stuck on patrol.

Superman catches a falling cargo container off a sinking ship and pulls buildings off victims, as does Green Lantern. More bombs set a large building on fire, but Green Lantern catches the falling building with green hands. Aquagirl summons dolphins and a whale to save shipwrecked sailors. Superman sends Batman to help Warhawk rescue people from the roof of another building. Although flying ambulances are on the scene, they don't quite get everyone before the fire reaches the roof. Batman saves the last two people, but then Warhawk gets an emergency call and takes off. Batman didn't hear any such call, but takes off anyway, after him. Warhawk tells him to scram. Since Superman told Batman to stick with Warhawk, that's what he's trying to do. A missile comes arcing in from above, and Warhawk goes after it, redirecting the missile back into the air. Then, all at once, it explodes, and Warhawk's cracked helmet slams into the Batmobile's windshield. Barda lands and accuses Batman immediately -- after all, Warhawk heard a call on the JLU frequency, but nobody else did, and they only have Batman's word that there ever was such a signal. Superman tells Barda to back down, but it's obvious Terry's not real popular at the moment.

Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, the shining stars of the WB's Superman and Batman shows, have been lobbying for a JLA series for years. Each time, the suits told them no -- do more Superman and Batman. So now they've finally snuck the League in, under the umbrella of Batman Beyond!

Although two Leaguers bite the dust in this episode, it's hard to believe they're just going to throw the concept away after the current two-parter concludes. It's also hard to believe Superman is really a villain. The killer has used two fake JLU messages, a force field and a sabotaged computer -- we're clearly looking at a master technologist here. So why couldn't he fake up the image on the Batmobile's computer? That would make it a master technologist with a grudge against Superman. Hmm ... Lex Luthor, perhaps, or Brainiac? Sure hope so -- for all this show's dark, adult-oriented tone, it would still stink out loud if Superman became a bad guy.

The JLU comprises six members: Micron, who can shrink and grow; Aquagirl, daughter of Aquaman, who controls fish and can swim acrobatically; Green Lantern, with all the powers of the Green Lantern ring; Warhawk, who has an armored battle suit and wings, and a Hawkman motif; Barda, the wife of Mister Miracle, who is super-strong, can fly with jet shoes, and carries a Mega-Rod which can emit energy blasts or duplicate various tools. Superman appears to have the same powers as always. There wasn't a body when Warhawk blew up. Think he's really dead? This critic suggests that Warhawk is the most likely villain, if indeed it is a traitor in the League, although I also think it's more probably some outside villain. We'll see!

In part one, Superman asked Batman to join the Justice League Unlimited to ferret out a traitor in their midst who almost killed Micron. And then Terry and Bruce jointly discovered that the traitor was, in fact, Superman himself! This week, Batman and the rest of the League spot Superman fiddling with the controls for Micron's medical tube as he floats unconscious. Warhawk accuses Superman of being the traitor, and Superman angrily says it's not Warhawk who's the traitor, but all of them, working together! Aquagirl tries to defuse the tension, touching Superman on the chest, and something under his shirt squirms away from her touch!

Superman lashes out with heat vision, which Green Lantern blocks. Warhawk tackles Superman and gets beaten down; Barda fires her mega-rod, but Superman puts Warhawk in the beam's path, then throws him at the others. Batman is knocked sprawling, but Micron escapes from his cell and grabs Superman, giving Batman time to get a box from his belt. Barda blows Superman through the wall, and he flies off. Terry calls Bruce. He had the kryptonite (supplied by Bruce) but hesitated to use it because, well, it's Superman, the first and best superhero of them all! The League concludes that Superman probably went to his Fortress of Solitude -- fortunately, Bruce knows right where that is. So they're up in the Arctic Circle when Barda boom-tubes them in. They can't hope to surprise him (the Boom Tube is awfully loud) so they stay together and search for him. They pass though a huge space zoo of space creatures; one of the cells is open, and has been for a while. Superman attacks them, but it turns out to be a Superman robot! Then some more robots buzz them, only to be shot down by Barda and Green Lantern. The real Superman snatches Batman's swinging line out of midair and hauls him in like a fish, but Batman whips out the kryptonite. Superman sinks into unconsciousness. Warhawk wants to finish him off, but instead, they pull off his shirt, revealing a huge starfish-shaped parasite on his chest. It's bonded to his skin, and they can't get it off without risking harm to Superman. Aquagirl contacts the starfish telepathically and discovers it's a form of marine life, captured from a world of water by an alien collector who preserves species by picking up the last of any world's life forms on his big zoo-starship. Eventually Superman was captured by the collector, and escaped, as did the starfish. But the starfish saw how strong Superman was, and determined to use that strength for himself. One day, in Superman's alien zoo, the starfish jumped him and took over his nervous system.

That was years ago; Superman's been possessed for years! But the starfish wasn't done there. It planned to take over the world, breeding countless copies of itself to enslave every being on the planet! And all that remains is to release them from the water tanks under the Fortress into the Arctic Sea. The heroes discover the tanks full of starfish, and boom! The fish are all over them, possessing everyone except Batman, who electrifies his costume and shocks the fish off him. Now he has to fight the rest of the League, including Superman, whom the other possessed Leaguers revive! Barda hurls the Kryptonite shard away from Batman, and the League closes in. Batman uses a flash grenade to cover his escape, and the Batmobile arrives, sent by Bruce. Unfortunately, Superman's after him! Superman tears the wing off the Batmobile, and it crashes. Terry staggers out, gets close to Superman and electrifies the starfish on its chest. It's considerably less invulnerable than Superman, and it falls off him, restoring Superman's mind to his own control. He doesn't seem to remember much. Superman and Batman take on the rest of the possessed Justice League; they've almost opened the door to release the starfish. Superman shoots Green Lantern's fish off his face with heat vision, and Batman frees Barda with electricity. Aquagirl dives to open the door, and Batman dives after her, but crowds of starfish cover him up until he shocks them loose. Superman starts heaving big rocks into the water, hoping to block the passageway at the bottom of the pool before the starfish get to open water. That means Batman and Aquagirl will be crushed, but he knew the risks. Batman manages to lift a huge rock off Aquagirl and haul her to safety, then remove the starfish from her face.

Then Aquagirl reads the fishes' minds, discovers where they came from, and Barda uses a Boom Tube to send them back to the planet where they came from. The Leaguers all want Batman to join the League full-time. Even the old Batman, they say, never made it past part-timer. He wasn't what you'd call a joiner. Terry says that goes for him, too, and declines permanent membership.

Permanent League membership apparently means residing at the Watchtower and not doing private adventures; it would effectively transform this series from Batman Beyond into Justice League Beyond starring Batman. I have trouble seeing this as a bad thing, but WB is famously unwilling to do a JLA series, so perhaps they wouldn't let Dini and Burnett do it. Still, the League can now show up whenever they want, so this is one step closer to a real League series, and the future setting helps by removing continuity shock issues. It makes no sense at all for the starfish creature to bring Batman in to locate a traitor when it knows full well that IT is the traitor. So let's not mention that any more. Remember last week when I said it would stink for Superman to be a bad guy? Well, he was and he wasn't. We got to fight Superman without the serious reservations I'd have about Superman being genuinely evil.

The starfish creature, though never named in the episode, is Starro, the first enemy the Justice League ever fought, back in Brave and the Bold #10. Does Paul Dini love the League or what? When Superman is chasing the Batplane, there's an echo of the music from the Superman TV show, which is doubly chilling now that Supes is a bad guy. The collector of life forms is from the Superman episode "The Main Man," who captured Superman and Lobo as the last sentient forms from their respective worlds.

Madame Web and the Beyonder transport Spider-Man to an alien planet where no evil exists. As a test, the Beyonder introduces evil into the planet and tasks Spider-Man with choosing a team of super-heroes to fight alongside him against the growing evil in the once peaceful planet.

Ah, "Secret Wars." Often the subject of a love/hate relationship of the show's fans based merely upon its title. And the complaints? It's nothing like the real "Secret Wars" classic Marvel crossover! Where are all the villains? Why is Spider-Man the leader? Some questions are left for the episodes themselves to answer others are left to the apparently not-so-common common sense. It's a translation of "Secret Wars" comic arc in a Spider-Man show. Spider-Man. It's only logical they would use his villains. It's the same answer as to why he is the leader. This show did guest stars very well, because it managed to find a great balance between developing the guests' respective characters and having the story take place in Spidey's world. Take the Daredevil episodes, for example. Spidey's villain were used, but were given connections, and in turn, the guest had a connection to Spidey, as he was Peter's lawyer. I especially liked the somewhat slower pace of the episode. Whilst it's true a lot of the episodes had a lot crammed into them, taking a breather is always appreciated. I was especially impressed with The Beyonder's explanation of his fascination of good vs. evil. I loved Spider-Man selecting his team. Whilst there were a lot more people in the original "Secret Wars" line up, most of them were horribly underdeveloped, and came across as horribly two-dimensional. I can understand why he chose whom he did. Since this line up is often the subject of much controversy, I thought I'd go though each of them. The Fantastic Four - As Spider-Man himself explained, he has never faced, or even met, Dr. Doom. Knowing how dangerous Doom is, Spidey would've been foolish to ignore the FF, as he put it, they've fought him and won. These episodes did a fairly good job with the FF. The designs were pretty cool. Spider-Man: The Animated Series changed things up for their designs here, taking a more modern root with their costumes. The Thing was slightly jarring to look at, and Johnny Storm's flame was orange instead of his bright red, but overall, the Fantastic Four worked here. Iron Man - The weirdest choice, as there was no real specific reason for Iron Man to be here, other than the fact there were friends. Perhaps Spider-Man felt he needed someone he could trust, especially since he wasn't sure if the FF would help him or not. The armour design is the same as the one in "Carnage," but still looks really cool. A nice detailed design that actually looked good every single time it was used. It's also worth nothing here that the animation in this episode was on par with the first season. There was some really beautiful stuff here. Captain America - Again, he helped Spidey defeat Red Skull. It's also obvious from the previous "Six Forgotten Warriors" arc that Spidey considers Cap something of a legend. Hell, he even got him out of the vortex that held him prisoner. His design was fine, both here and in "Six Forgotten Warriors." I would've preferred the colours to be a little brighter, but well ... it could've been worse. Cap also became an interesting foil to Spider-Man and The Black Cat's relationship, I especially enjoyed their little would be romance. Storm - The hardest to justify, as Spidey's experience with her in "The Mutants Agenda" was brief, to put it bluntly. It was pretty odvious she was only used here for her powers. She was the only X-Man to be used, because her voice actress was available at the time (that's it, yup), whereas the rest of the X-Men actors were Canadian and would've had to be flown in to L.A, which proved too expensive for Fox. As you've probably gathered, I really enjoyed "Secret Wars." I love part one, but dig part three just that little bit more. On to the next episode...

Spider-Man, along with Iron Man, Captain America, the Lizard and Storm teleport the Black Cat to the alien planet where she reveals her origin. As the villains grow stronger, Spider-Man and his new allies gather the rebels of the alien planet and prepare for an all out attack against the evil forces plaguing the planet!

Whilst it's true that part two is easily the weakest part of "Secret Wars," it's still entertaining. One odd point is the beginning of the episode with The Black Cat, Blade and Morbius. I wasn't expecting to see them here (the voices must have already cost a fortune!), but thankfully the extended cameos were important to the plot, as Spider-Man used the last of the machine's power to transport The Black Cat to Battleworld in order to help him and his team. Speaking of The Black Cat, she does get a neat, small scene with Captain America while they are heading to their next battle. There's a neat discussion between the two and their connecton with the Super-Soldier Serum. That said, it was a little annoying to sit through an extended retelling of her origin. For an episode which bridged the beginning and ending of arguably the biggest story the series, I don't see the point of telling that story again, especially as time is limited. Surely the time could've used on something anything. Despite the fact there was a hell of a lot of characters to animate, this was a very nice looking episode, as were all "Secret Wars" episodes. The designs of the aliens were a little generic and tall robots built by Alister Smythe seemed as generic as they could possibly be. As much as I love this show, I don't think I could stomach more Slayer-bots. The original Spider Slayers were the best, the rest of them were dull, generic robots, most of them defeated far too easily. The guest stars were still handled pretty well, specifically Iron Man, who revealed a little about himself. Despite the fact I'd seen all of season one of his own 1990s animated series at the time, I knew relatively little about him, as none of the writers of his show bothered to develop him. I was a little disappointed we didn't see the Fantastic Four, but they were basically the stars of the next episodes, so it made for it. Spideybeing the leader is a little unnatural for the character, but it works so well here, even with Captain America's logical arguments and actually added some growth tot he character so late in his own show. Whilst this episode did waste some of its runtime, and was nowhere near as entertaining as part one or it's conclusion, it was still an entertaining endeavour.

Spider-Man and his newly formed team of heroes travel to New Latveria and find a civilization ruled by a just and fair Doctor Doom. While there, Doom offers Ben Grimm a device that allows him to switch from his Thing form to his human form and gains his trust. However, Reed is unconvinced and begins an attack against the Latverian ruler but is stopped by Doom's robots, and is held for treason along with the rest of the heroes. Left with no choice, Spider-Man and the Thing launch a campaign to free their friends only to find that Doom has gained new powers.. the Beyonder's!

The final part to "Secret Wars" ends the arc on a high-note, ending better than it began! It's not all that faithful to it's comic book counterpart, true, but it's actually more entertaining, in my opinion. As with all "Secret Wars" episodes, the animation shined. I especially like The Lizard here. It's no secret that he was a stand-in because they weren't allowed to use The Incredible Hulk, but I found that it was pretty convenient as it allowed the story to bring in more characters from Spider-Man's world and help ground Peter, even though they were fighting on an alien planet. The main villain of the piece is finally unveiled - Dr. Doom! Spider-Man: The Animated Series treats him better than most other animated series. His voice, his design, his character - all of it is simply so much better than his appearances in other animated shows at the time. It's a shame we never got something of a follow-up. I'd love to see "Spider-Man vs. Dr. Doom - Part 2!" Even though it was only a small moment, it's worth noting that this is, to my knowledge, the only time Spidey and the Human Torch have had an animated team-up. There was something odd about the FF here, they seem nothing like they are in their own cartoons, but that makes sense since John Semper has stated that he wasn't fond of their previous animated appearances. That said, Sue and Johnny have great designs, but Reed and Ben not so much. "Secret Wars, Part Three" also has some of my favorite quotes in it: Spider-Man: "Hold on Doom. We're not your pawns. Under that metal suit, you're just a very disturbed human being. You can't possibly control the God-like abilities you've stolen. You might place us all in great danger if you don't give that power up! Dr. Doom: Do you take me for a fool? Who amongst you has ever wanted to give up your superpowers? Spider-Man: I have. Because I've learned, time and time again, that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. Unfortunately, as it's the case with this show sometimes, it's followed up with a really silly scene in which the heroes are about to be crushed by a mountain. It's almost embarrassing to watch, quite frankly. Thankfully, we can push that out of our minds knowing that, all in all, the arc hits the landing here in the conclusion. Plus we get a great cliffhanger of what's to come!To know all that we've just watched was merely a test for Spidey made me wonder what was coming next when I first saw it. And it doesn't disappoint, I'm happy to say.

Create superhero characters inspired by Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Catwoman, Lois Lane and others, in the vintage comic book style of the 60's. She can be fighting for truth and justice, or on the contrary she can be a jewelry thief or a vixen! To delete an item from the accessories page, if there is no X button for it, simply click the item twice.

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWorldsFinest/videos

#Buce Timm

5 notes · View notes

aty-altiria · 4 years

Text

I am… Here?

No 26. IF YOU THOUGHT THE HEAD TRAUMA WAS BAD… Migraine | Concussion | Blindness

Word count: 1996

Universe: Harry Potter, My hero Academia

Pairings: Fem!Harry/Shouta Aizawa

Themes: Blindness, Concussion

Summary: Shouta wasn’t in the habit of calling for help from his wife. Mostly because it was difficult to explain the presence of the vigilante who was considered the agent of death to villains. But with the kid in his arms, a spike in his gut, utterly blinded, and the villain stalking his way, Shouta figures… perhaps he doesn’t have a choice in this case.

@whumptober2020

---

The smoke was unexpected and not in a good way.

Shouta shouldn't have been surprised by it, yet he had been. For the first time, in what was probably his entire career, Shouta had actually been given complete intel for his mission. He'd spoken personally with the mother of the lost child, had gotten a full picture from her, the boyfriend, the best friend, and the visiting aunt. The missing child had been stolen by the ex-husband; he had violated his court order and had bolted in full view of the now frantic mother. The mother had, interestingly enough, a tagging quirk and had her daughter tagged every since the court-order had been placed. So, Shouta knew the location, knew the perp and the man's quirk, Shouta knew the dangers. He'd been able to check the area beforehand; he was utterly prepared.

So yes, the smoke had been a surprise.

Shouta crawled through the vents. He was utterly soundless while he moved toward the child's location. Shouta kicked open the vent above the kid with a sharp strike, then promptly dropped to the concrete flooring with one hand on his capture weapon and the other to brace his body as he landed in a roll. Regaining his feet, Shouta had one eye on the child and the other on the perp to prevent the man's quirk from activating. This particular man's quirk created large stone stalactites and stalagmites, or for the less scientifically inclined, sharp-pointed rock formations.

Hair rising up, Shouta's eyes bled red, and he locked his eyes on the perp with his capture weapon already swinging. Communication had already been attempted, the man had already been spoken to by the authorities, several had tried to talk the man down. But when all else failed, the child's safety came first.

His weapon swung forward, the man dropped something in surprise, and Shouta hadn't looked to see what it was. Not when the perp could skewer him the moment he looked away. Truthfully, Shouta wasn't sure if he should have or not in the end. Not as the small round object struck the ground and- and then Shouta couldn't see a damned thing. The smoke instantly overwhelmed the perp, covered him so thickly that Shouta knew it had to be an illegally stolen hero item. That was a problem he'd have to deal with later, however, as his capture weapon hit the perp and the sound of palms slapping the ground went off.

Shouta was given less than a second to assess the new situation and make a choice.

He chose.

Shouta hurled himself to the side toward the child; she looked just like her picture though her brown - like father's colour - eyes were a bid wide and a large bit terrified. Her long blond curls - like her mothers - were a mess, though her clothing was untouched - thank god. And then Shouta had his hands around her waist, and he was rolling. Automatically he cradled her form to his; he tugged her in close, pressed one hand to her back and the other to the back of her head. Shouta skidded across the ground while the noises within the room exploded; the sound was unimaginable in its volume and-

Shouta grunted when he felt something impale his side. It stopped his momentum entirely and almost distracted from the sound of shattering glass and metal. But even the pain couldn't distract from the sudden blinding darkness in the room.

Assessing his situation was second nature but difficult.

The girl was sobbing; she was a terrified mess in his grip - she was also giving away his location with her sounds. Shouta was pinned to the ground; a stalagmite had pierced through his lower abdomen. He couldn't tell if anything vital had been hit, but the stalagmite was keeping his insides… inside. To escape the rock formation, Shouta would have to lift off of it all the while holding the kid who would likely panic; it was a miracle she hadn't yet. Added on his capture weapon had been extended when the smoke-bomb went off, there was a mild chance it was still wrapped around the perp. But it was only a matter of time before he escaped and found Shouta pinned. Regardless, Shouta couldn't use his capture weapon because pulling it back while it was tangled in the rock wall would be neigh impossible.

So what did he do?

A slightly louder sob echoed from his arms, and Shouta hurriedly reached up. The attack had taken out the lights. Considering it was night and smoky, Shouta couldn't see much of anything even if his eyes were slowly adjusting. In fact, it was dark enough that he could barely make out the kid.

"Shhhh," Shouta soothed as he ran a soft hand through her curls; he was probably leaving blood in her blond hair, but what choice did he have? "It'll be alright, you're going to be fine." Shouta pictured his kids, the teenagers sometimes needed comfort, not often, and Shouta rather preferred shirking that part of the job off. But he had done it. He knew how to do it. It was part of the job… but this situation- he was hard-pressed to keep the panic out of his voice.

What could he do?

"You'll be fine," Shouta repeated, "I'm a hero, and I'm going to get you to your mom. Don't you worry."

The villain would be able to hear Shouta speaking- there- shuffling- Shouta had caught him in his capture gear, but he was trying to escape. He had minutes at best, seconds at worse until the man was free and coming for him while he was helpless.

What should he do? Could he convince her to run? She just had to reach the door. Should he yell for his team? It was only police, but if they got here quick enough- but no, the villain could still use his quirk with Shouta blinded, and surely they heard the noise? Were they already trying to get in? Had the door been blocked? Shouta couldn't hear them or see the police car lights- had then been hit by the quirk as well?

"' Scared," whimpered the kid.

"I know, I know…" he ran his hand in her hair and used the other to rub her back.

What was his best choice?

Shuffling again, a victorious noise- and Shouta was still blind-

He could handle this; there was an option. The villain already knew where he was so- "I need backup! Now!"

"I hear you." Shouta felt his heart skip a beat as a fissure of fear entered his chest.

The girl silenced herself instantly; her whole body started to shake as she burrowed deep into the remains of his capture gear and his uniform. Her tiny fingers clung fast to his clothing, and he felt liquid drip onto his neck- she was crying- silent and terrified- no, she was whispering?

"I am here, I am here, I am here." The girl was repeating it over and over in his capture gear, a comforting sentence, a catch-phrase… Shouta hadn't really understood why All Might had such a thing, not until that moment exactly.

There was nothing from his team, so Shouta had to assume they physically couldn't reach him and getting the kid to run would be pointless. She wouldn't find her way out anyway, not when he was equally blinded. So his only option was- "I need you to do something."

A footstep dangerously close to them, the villain was equally blinded and was feeling his way forward. That was Shouta's only advantage now, the man not using his quirk because Shouta had the girl in his arms and the darkness which had been screwing him.

"S-something?" she shifted slightly. She was likely searching for Shouta's face.

"That's right," Shouta felt himself smile, the manic one that always freaked out the kids. He normally wouldn't smile in such a way with a civilian who was scared but… she couldn't see it. "I need you to say something for me."

"Mella, where are you? Daddy is trying to find you."

"Say what?"

"I am here." Might as well steal from that damned number one. As he said it, Shouta fished a hand in his pocket, felt his hands wrap around a small innocuous figurine. The tiny deer was something Shouta insisted on bringing with him everywhere he went. Never knew where something like a tiny-deer figurine could save his life, like now. And Shouta squeezed it in his palm, felt the horns dig into his hand and pierce skin- he was probably holding it too tight, but… she had said to squeeze it firmly and with intent.

He had both of those now.

"I am… here?"

There was a crack of sound to his left. A moment of silence- then the world exploded with light. Shouta was instantly blinded and snapped his eyes closed against it. In his arms, the kid, Mella, gave a gasp and Shouta heard the sound of shifting fabric and a hand, slim and familiar despite the glove he knew she was wearing, touched his shoulder. "Hello kiddo, looks like you may need a bit of help here."

"Who are you-"

"Stupefy!"

Shouta exhaled as something hit the ground with a loud thud and slowly cracked his eyes open. Shouta dropped his head to the concrete; he hadn't realized he'd been lifting it the entire time, not until he actually relaxed.

They'd be fine.

Truthfully, Shouta didn't often like Holly on missions. She wasn't licensed and was considered a vigilante to the public and a menace to her own community. But she was efficient. She dealt with any problem thrown at her ruthlessly and swiftly. She solved major issues in seconds with her beyond versatile 'quirk,' but every time he called her was another time the police could put two and two together. They could realize Eraserhead was connected to the Lady of Death, a rather dark name considering the bright red and gold hero uniform she wore.

However, once in a while, Shouta did call his wife, and typically, those moments were life and death. Neither he nor Holly would ever accept life in exchange for their secret.

"Alright, Sho- Eraserhead?" he squinted at Holly and shook his head the smallest amount. He didn't want the scare the kid but, no, he was very much not alright. Holly's lips pinched under the hood she wore, the fabric was spelled to protect her identity, and he knew no manner of force would let anything but her willing hands would pull it down. As it was, all he could see was her mouth. Even without the sight though, he knew how her brows would pinch in worry, how her eyes would shine as she fretted for him.

"Alright, well, I think we should get the nice police officers in here. What do you think, little miss?" Holly focused on the kid, even as she pressed her fingers into his skin. Shouta felt the skin at his arm warm, another spell, likely to assess his injuries before she got him free. Holly would handle it, she'd get him to safety, and the kid returned to her mother even if the police gave her grief.

She had this.

And Shouta let himself fall into darkness, all the while knowing he'd wake up in a hospital bed with Holly, back in street clothing, sitting at his bedside.

#Whumptober 2020 #Blindness #Harry Potter #Concussion #MHA fanfic #BNHA #BNHA fanfic #Aizawa Shouta #fem!harry potter #no.26 #Whumptober2020

10 notes · View notes

lilacmoon83 · 3 years

Text

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 230: The Tide is High

"He...he's going to use our own blood against us. He's going to use our love against us…" she fretted.

"No...never. That's not possible," he promised.

"He's never going to stop...unless we stop him," she said. He gazed into her eyes and realized she was right.

"You're right...let's end this now," he agreed, as he took her hand and they strode purposefully toward the double doors.

"Crap...that will be a disaster," Leo said.

"Let's go stop them. Walking into Jekyll's playground is the last thing we should do right now. Trust me," Xander said, as they hurried after them.

"Mom! Dad!" the Charming kids called after them. A hasty act at this point with so many villains and danger afoot could lead to disaster and they refused to lose their parents to this madness.

"Mom! Dad!" Emma called, as she hurried in front of them to block their path. Leo and Eva caught up to her and flanked her, while Summer and Bobby got directly in front of them.

"Don't go…" Summer pleaded.

"She's right...it's what he wants. He's psycho," Bobby said.

"I just...I can't keep letting him hover like a plague over us," David said in frustration, as he turned to his wife.

"I can't keep letting him haunt the woman I love," he said, as he cupped her beautiful face with his hand and she leaned into his touch.

"My love...he does not haunt me, at least not as much as he would like to think," she assured him.

"The only thing that would haunt me is if I lost you," she said. He closed to his eyes, trying to quell his rage against the mad doctor inside him.

"I just feel like I fail every time he pops up with some scheme or plot," he confessed.

"You've never failed us, Dad...not once," Emma insisted.

"She's right. There's a reason that psychopath is still alive and it's because he's a coward," Leo agreed.

"They're right...you're one of the greatest warriors in all the United Realms. Jekyll can't compete, even with all his stolen power and scientific mind," Eva insisted, as she put her arms around him and he hugged her tightly. Summer joined her sister and put her arms around him too. He smiled and kissed the tops of their heads.

"The last time he faced you on even ground, you put a hole in him," Emma reminded him.

"She's right...Pleasure Island stacks the deck against you and I'd put money on you still being able to beat him. But we're not willing to put you at risk," Leo said.

"He's right, Dad...make him come to us. And we aren't willing to risk you either, Mom...so don't get any wild ideas about being selfless," Bobby added, making them chuckle.

"They are right...you're amazing and you're our hero," Snow said, as she put her arms around him too.

"My hero…" she added, as she kissed him passionately.

"Okay...no going off to confront him," David relented. Snow smiled and kissed him again.

"That's too bad...because I would promise you a horrible time if you did," a voice said, as the evil doctor appeared before them.

"Without the guaranteed power of your chalice...I am confident I would have captured you and then I would have probably thrown you to the wolves. The riff raff here on the island would have delighted in torturing the illustrious Prince Charming," Jekyll hissed. Bobby picked up a rock from the ground and tossed it at the doctor and wasn't surprised when it went right through him.

"Big words from a coward that has to send his hologram to taunt us," Bobby said.

"I'd watch your tongue, boy," the doctor hissed.

"Come make me, you spineless worm!" he taunted back.

"I was just a baby when you started terrorizing my parents, but even then, I thwarted you and I keep thwarting you. Everything you've tried...I'm immune to and if you think I won't keep stopping you, then you aren't as smart as you boast," Bobby said.

"My, my...strong words, brat. Such fire and spirit...much like your lovely mother," Jekyll replied.

"Whatever, whack job...because I guarantee that you'll never get through us or my Dad to get to her. But if you're stupid enough to keep trying, then we'll be happy to end you and for good this time," Bobby countered and Jekyll growled.

"We'll see, young one. But don't underestimate the horror I have in mind for your father and any of you that get in my way," he warned.

"Don't you threaten my husband or my babies," Snow hissed, as she stepped forward and put her hands on Bobby's shoulders.

"You will not keep denying me, fairest Snow...I will get what I want," he assured her.

"The only thing you're going to get is more holes in you at the end of my sword and this time, I'll make sure you don't recover," David said, as he held his sword out and it glowed with power.

"We shall see, Prince Charming…" Jekyll replied, as his hologram faded and they relaxed a bit, as the others joined them.

"We have got to figure out a way to root out that parasite. Death isn't enough…" Regina said.

"Agreed...we must give him the same treatment we gave the blue flea," Rumple agreed.

"We should probably call it a night though. We're supposed to leave for DC tomorrow," Snow said.

"There's one thing I'm confused about," Elsa said.

"Just one?" Leo muttered and she elbowed him lightly.

"My mother had sisters...were they Northuldra too? Wouldn't they have to be?" Elsa asked.

"Hey yeah...Ingrid and what was the other one?" Emma asked.

"Helga and my mother went by Gerda to the Arendelle people. Only around us did my father ever call her Iduna. She told us it was her middle name," Elsa replied.

"Yes...your mother's sisters. And Gerda was the Arendelle name she adopted to hide her true heritage. As for Ingrid and Helga...yes, they were Northuldra too, though only your mother and Ingrid had magic. They were away on that fateful day," Athena explained.

"Ingrid was so furious and ready to destroy Arendelle as a whole in a fury. Your parents pleaded with the Rock Trolls for help. Grand Pabbie obliged and was able to use a powerful memory spell on Ingrid and Helga. From that day, they thought themselves of Arendelle. But as you know, it didn't take away Ingrid's powers and she felt slighted by their insistence that she conceal her powers. She mistook that as fear from them and she resented them," Athena continued.

"But they weren't scared of her...they were scared for her," Elsa realized. The Goddess nodded.

"And for you. Your father had watched his own father kill someone out of fear of magic and he didn't want that for you. Trying to take away your powers by gaining the Sorcerer's hat was wrong...but it came from a place of love. Not fear," Athena said.

"They...they were never scared of me," she realized and Leo put his arm around her, knowing how much of a relief that had to be for her. Athena nodded.

"Well...now that we've subverted another crisis for the moment, I say we get some sleep. Especially since some of us are leaving for Washington tomorrow," Aphrodite suggested. Snow and David joined hands. They kissed their older children goodnight, while their two youngest went home with them.

After seeing the kids off to bed, they retired themselves and started getting ready for bed.

"I'm sorry…" David said, as he discarded his shirt.

"For what, baby?" she asked, as she sat on the bed, pulling off her leggings.

"For being a hothead and nearly barreling into what would have probably caused a really bad situation," he replied.

"You wanted to end this...end his threat to our family. You don't ever have to apologize for that. Besides, I was ready to confront him myself. The thought of him hurting one more person, especially someone I love, over me...I can't take that," she said, as he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself...we'll beat him. Our kids were right...he'd be dead if he was willing to face us on a level playing ground," he said. She smiled.

"They are...in a fair battle, he doesn't stand a chance against you," she replied, as she got up on her knees on the bed and slipped her arms around his neck. Their lips met in a tender kiss that quickly grew in passion and heat, until their lips were dueling with passionate, smoldering fervor.

"Come on handsome...let's make some magic," she purred. He smirked and lowered the lights and let their passion consume them fully.

~*~

Bobby tossed and turned in his bed in the early hours of the morning. Normally, he was a very sound sleeper. But on this night, dreams assaulted his subconscious. But these dreams seemed to be prophetic and a warning of what was to come if they did not stop the growing threat of one King Runeard and the imbalance of the elements.

~*~

Bobby opened his eyes and found a barren plain before him. Behind him was his parent's castle and he realized the barren plain was supposed to be their garden. However, now it was a dead landscape of dried up dirt, void of any life whatsoever. He slowly walked along the deadened ground and found nothing but devastation before him. The entire Enchanted Forest was dead now. He felt sick to his stomach, as he saw that all the animals, people, and fairies alike were also dead.

"You have failed, young one…" a deep voice said, as he turned to find a man there. He resembled the image he had seen of King Runeard, except this man's skin was ashen gray; dead like everything around them. But he nearly choked in fear and anguish, as he saw his family laying at his feet, or rather their bodies. His parents, his brother, and his sisters...dead. Their skin was ashen gray, like life had been sucked out of them. The chalice lay gray and broken between his parents, who still held each other, even in death.

"What...what have you done?" Bobby demanded to know.

"The elements rage as long as I am free. I am Void...and no life can survive around me for long. You were supposed to balance the elements...only the unification of them through you can stop something like me," he said.

"This is a dream...which means this isn't happening. I will defeat you," Bobby replied. Runeard smirked.

"Spoken just like your father...before I drained every last bit of life from him while your mother screamed. She almost seemed relieved when I did the same to her," he goaded. Bobby's eyes flashed peridot green, as vines emerged from the ground and wrapped around the scourge. But he laughed and the vines died upon touching him and withered to dust.

"You'll have to do better than that, boy...or this…" he said, gesturing with his arms to the landscape around them.

"This is the future…" he warned, as Runeard hand wrapped around his neck and things went black.

~*~

Bobby shot up in bed with a start and touched his neck. He could still feel Runeard's clammy hand around his neck and the life draining from him. He breathed and contemplated the dream. Was it just a nightmare? Or was it a vision of a possible future? He didn't know, but one thing was certain; he needed to talk to someone else that was known for having visions of the future. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand. It was almost four in the morning and he knew this person also happened to be a very early riser.

"Mr. Gold...are you up?" he texted and then waited a few beats. He was relieved when it looked like he was typing back.

"You know me, my boy...I don't sleep much past the witching hour," Gold responded.

"I think...I had a vision of the future and it wasn't good. Can we talk?" he asked.

"I'll put the tea on for me and the cocoa for you," Gold answered. Bobby sighed in relief, as he threw his clothes on and used his magic. He disappeared in a poof of peridot colored smoke.

~*~

"So once again...Snow and Charming have delegated the saving of our Kingdoms to that of one of their brats. Apparently this time, our collective fate rests upon a fourteen-year-old that's still navigating the challenges of puberty. But sure, none of us should be at all worried. Well done, as usual, truest loves. For more hardcore, unfiltered news and commentary, you can follow me on the Looking Glass, the United Realms premier social media network," Goldie reported, as her latest media blurb ended and she stepped off the set.

"Where is my latte?" she demanded from the assistant she had hired. The poor girl looked nervous and rightly so, as Goldie spit it out all over her and tossed the cup against the wall, sending the hot liquid everywhere.

"I told you none of that diner swill! Get me real coffee!" she demanded. The crying girl scampered off and she stormed into her dressing room.

"Where did you find that urchin?" she asked.

"Fidget grabbed her and her father on his latest trip to Storybrooke. Jekyll requested an assistant and her father, Hiram Flaversham, is one of the best engineers at the University," Grimm said.

"Fidget?" she asked, as he gestured to the creepy, peg- legged man, hobbling around.

"I swear...this island is full of the scumbag freaks," she replied. He smirked.

"True...but when it comes to thieving scum, this island has the best. And Snow White is the one that injured him and caused him to lose his leg, so he has plenty of an axe to grind with her," he said.

"That makes a lot of us," Goldie replied, as she checked her phone.

"So...what do you make of this new guy?" she asked.

"He's interesting and I love his power...as dangerous as it is. I'm already working on an article though. When the Land Without Magic finds out there is someone that can do what he does and that he might be a threat to them...it will spark plenty of controversy and fear," he replied. She smirked.

"Oh, I love a good hit piece," she said, as she decided to skip the coffee and pour herself some of the expensive wine that was in her dressing room.

"So...what's your take on this King?" she asked. He shrugged.

"He seems like he'll be a formidable enemy and unlike the doctor, he doesn't care if Snow White ends up as collateral damage," Grimm replied.

"Then I should get along swimmingly with him, though I'm tired of having to rely on others with powers to wreak havoc. I'd rather just do it myself," Goldie said.

"Then we need that precious blood of the truest loves. With it, I can write anything I want for us," Grimm replied. She smirked.

"Do you have some sort of plan?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact...I do," he replied.

~*~

Jekyll seethed, as the hologram projection ended and he glared at his new assistant.

"Your hologram technology is quite impressive. Fidget was correct that you would make a decent assistant for me," Jekyll said.

"I have no desire to help you achieve any of your evil schemes," Hiram said bravely, but then coward, as the mad scientist lashed at him with one of his fiery whips, scorching the all behind him.

"And unless you'd rather I take my anger out on your spawn...you'll continue to do my bidding," Jekyll warned.

"And what is it that you need an engineer for? You're supposedly a brilliant mind," Hiram shot back.

"Indeed I am...but like I said, you are a gifted engineer," he said, as he presented a pair of gloves to him.

"I created a pair of magical gloves like this that allowed Rodmilla Tremaine to use magic. But this pair has another purpose...or it will once you apply your expertise," Jekyll explained.

"What do you want me to do with these infernal things?" Hiram asked.

"I want them to use the same principles as Rodmilla's, only these will be specifically for ripping hearts," he revealed.

"You...you want to rip hearts from people with magic?" he asked.

"Yes…you see, if I am to make Snow White mine, then I need the means to defeat all the obstacles in my way. And inside a magical heart exists a star gem. If I could gain the star gems of her mouthy brats and force them to be my soldiers...then I would control the elements and nothing could stand in my way," Jekyll said, as he showed him a hologram of the star gems he knew existed inside of the Charming children.

"Then I will crush her husband myself and they will nary lift a finger to stop me," he added.

"I will not be a part of such evil!" he said, horrified by the level of horror that Jekyll was willing to go to.

"You will...or perhaps I will use the much cruder method I have for extracting hearts on your daughter!" Jekyll threatened.

"No...don't hurt Olivia. I'll do the work for you...but then you'll let us go!" Hiram demanded.

"Once these gloves do what I want...I'll have no use for either of you," Jekyll replied, as the other man went to work in reluctance.

~*~

Bobby appeared in Mr. Gold's basement potions lab and found him reading a spell book and sipping tea. There was a cocoa waiting for him.

"So...a dream?" Gold asked.

"More like a nightmare," he replied with a shudder and took a drink of his cocoa.

"But you think it's more...because a nightmare wouldn't bring you to me. Your parents comfort a nightmare, like Belle and I comfort Gideon. So...you must believe this is more," Gold surmised.

"I've never really had visions before…" Bobby said.

"Not in the traditional sense...no. But you were a baby when you projected yourself into the netherworld to protect your mother. Apollo and Artemis contacted you in the same netherworld," he said.

"And…Princess Serenity earlier," he added. He nodded curtly.

"Tell me about this nightmare," Gold requested.

"Uh well...it was in my parents courtyard, except the whole garden was dead, thanks to Runeard. But he was calling himself something else," Bobby replied.

"Most villains develop an alter ego of some kind," Gold commented. He nodded.

"He called himself Void...and he sucked the life out of everything he touched," Bobby said, as he swallowed thickly.

"Including my family," he added.

"Ah...and you are his polar opposite. The chosen bearer of the earth element and thus all elements," Gold said.

"Do...you think it was a vision of what is to come?" he asked.

"No...because the future is always in motion. Every time I thought I was certain of a future event, there was always something I was not seeing," Gold replied.

"For example, I saw your parents' true love as the key to bringing magic to a land without and that your sister would break the curse. But yet, I could not see that Belle was really alive," he said.

"I saw that I would find my son, but could not see that he would have a child with your sister," he added.

"The future is never what it seems, even if you are a seer. No, your nightmare was more of a warning. If anything, it gives us an advantage. You saw Runeard and how dangerous he really is without us first experiencing it, at least beyond the storms we have seen thus far," Gold said.

"If he can really do what he can in your nightmare...then out of control storms are just the tip of our problem," he said.

"So you think something showed me what he could do so I can stop him before he does it," Bobby replied.

"Yes...which is a far more useful gift than being a seer," Gold said.

"So what do we do now?" Bobby asked.

"You go home and tell your family about this. Someone like him will not confine himself to Pleasure Island for long and when he surfaces, we will be ready," Gold replied. Bobby nodded.

"Thanks Mr. Gold," he said.

"Anytime, my boy," he replied, as the teen used his magic to take himself home. Gold proceeded to go upstairs, for he knew Belle would be up soon and would be very interested to know about Bobby's revelation.

~*~

"You realize how risky this is?" the woman said, as she looked out her hotel room and to the National Mall below.

"It is...but for the chance to possess some of these treasures...it's a chance that must be taken," the man replied. They were two heads of the most powerful families in the world. He was Charles Ozman, one of the heads of the most powerful banks in the world and she was Ginger Reeves, of the affluent Reeves family that had leadership positions in many banks, hospital boards, and Universities.

"These rumored objects, if real, are worthless without a magical source. Are you sure they'll come?" she asked.

"Positive. They have made it known that they are going after us and we'll be ready to counter them when we get our hands on those treasures," he replied.

"Then...the sky's the limit to our power," she said.

~*~

"So...the attire for this thing is formal, as we expected," Aphrodite said, as they were in the war room, gaming out the evening.

"Of course...none of these people wear jeans and drink anything other than champagne," David quipped.

"You are such a farm boy," James teased.

"And proud of it," David countered, as Snow and Aphrodite shared an amused smile at their husbands and their bickering.

"Mom! Dad! I need to tell you something," Bobby said, as he came into the war room.

"Well good morning, sleepy head. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to get up before noon," Snow said.

"Yeah…I kind of fell asleep, because I had a nightmare last night. Except I think it was more than just a nightmare and so does Mr. Gold," he explained.

"What do you mean?" David asked.

"It was about King Runeard...and I think he might be more dangerous than we think," Bobby replied.

"Then you think your dream was more of a vision," Aphrodite said. He nodded.

"He has his own element...of sorts," Bobby replied.

"What does that mean?" James asked.

"It's hard to explain...do you think you can use your magic to help me describe it?" he asked his Aunt. She nodded and took his hands, concentrating on his thoughts. A life-like hologram projection of his thoughts came alive before them and they saw the horror for themselves.

"He...he did this?" Snow asked. Bobby nodded.

"He's the antithesis of the elements...he's…" Aphrodite said, as she tried to find the word.

"He called himself the Void," Bobby replied.

"Athena didn't mention anything about him having powers other than making the elements go haywire," David said.

"Which means this is likely something that happened while he was banished," Aphrodite replied.

"How do we defeat someone that can kill us with a touch?" Snow wondered.

"Mr. Gold is pretty sure my powers are the answer, because I have the earth element," Bobby said. Snow closed her eyes and sighed.

"You are not facing this alone, sweetheart," she said. He smiled.

"I know, Mom and I'm still going to DC with you and Dad. We can be back here in a second if we need to be," Bobby said.

"We can...and I've just received some updated Intel. This is one engagement we can't afford to miss," the Major interjected, as she came into the room.

"Why is that?" Snow asked.

"Because four other heads of the family will be joining Callista Stavros at this event," Patrocia announced.

"Wait...so you're saying we have an opportunity to take down five of these snakes at once?" David questioned.

"Exactly," she replied.

"That's a lot of snakes though. I think we better have a backup team on standby if needed," James said. They nodded in agreement.

"Wait...why so many in one public place? Didn't you say they avoid public appearances, especially together?" Snow asked.

"Yes...which means there must be a very good reason they are together and though I don't know what it is, we need to stop whatever it is they have planned," Patricia replied.

"And if we stop five of them at once, that means only five will remain," David said. She nodded.

"Then we should get ready to go...and be prepared for anything," Snow said. They nodded in agreement and continued to prepare.

~*~

Fandral dismounted his horse, following his morning rounds and observed his Knights training in the Courtyard. It was a normal morning in Andresia and thankfully quiet for the moment. Zorro arrived back from his patrol as well and dismounted, before siding up to Fandral.

"The perimeter is secure. No sign of that General Mendoza, but I doubt he has given up on breaching our borders," Zorro reported.

"I do not doubt it one bit...but with the event in Washington tonight, I am almost certain that he will be there; even if only to observe things from the shadows," Fandral said.

"Then you think this General may be the most dangerous of all these heads?" Zorro questioned.

"The Major was clear that he has military might behind him," he said.

"But we both know that you could easily take on an army of mortals without breaking a sweat. By yourself," Zorro reminded him.

"That is likely true...but these are merely soldiers following a commander, much like my own ranks. I would not wish to harm those that are either deceived or blindly following orders of an evil general," he said. Zorro nodded.

"Quite true...and his history may go back the furthest, being that his ancestor betrayed the Dragon King," he mentioned.

"Very much so, though we know that Clayton's son's mother is now one of these heads. It's unpredictable how she fits into this, but he claimed she has a prominent family line as well," Fandral said.

"Well…I say we are the logical choices to join the mission when they face Mendoza. They'll need a couple of military minds like us," Zorro replied. Fandral smiled.

"I am sure David will consult us for that mission surely," he agreed, as they made their way into the castle and parted ways, as the Asgardian found his way to his wife in the library. She was a vision, as usual, even in a simple house dress and his heart swelled, as he spotted the tiny swell in her abdomen.

"Good morning, my handsome warrior," she said, as she looked up from her book.

"Good morning, my beautiful angel," he replied, as he leaned down and kissed her lips.

"What are you reading today?" he asked curiously, as he squeezed into the chair with her.

"More of the fascinating history surrounding the Dragon King and Queen. I am reading about their advisor, Tao Lang Xi and his history as a member of the original tribe of Mu," she replied.

"He had a complicated history with the original General Mendoza, didn't he?" Fandral asked.

"Mmm...very much so. Antionio De Mendoza was a gifted Navigator and originally led Esteban, the Dragon King, to the Island of Mu. He wanted to massacre the people to gain the secrets of Cibola, but quickly realized that the secrets had little to do with the people and everything to do with the truest loves, which he had learned about from the Claytons, of course," she explained.

"And Tao became their adviser when he realized they could open the gates of Cibola?" he asked. She nodded.

"That wasn't all. He relinquished the sacred golden jar of his people to them. The legend was that the jar was the key to controlling the limitless supply of solar energy, which can be deployed from the tallest golden tower in Cibola," she said.

"A Solar reactor?" he asked. She nodded.

"That's what it sounds like...no wonder so many wanted to find it. It was more than just gold," she replied.

"So it seems...an endless supply of clean energy. But what would happen if used without this jar?" he asked.

"Disaster…" she said, as she showed him the next page, which depicted the consequences of using the power without the control mechanism," she said, as she showed him a drawing of what looked like a huge explosion.

"What happened to the jar? I don't recall there being any object like that in the Atlantis museum," he said.

"No one knows. Tao took it with him when he left home and it's not written what became of it," she replied.

"Very mysterious...you're right, it's a very fascinating story," he agreed, as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"My Queen...a Mr. Hyde is requesting an audience with Your Majesties," Bianca said, as she bowed to them curtly.

"Tell him we'll be right there," Rose said, as they stood up and joined hands, before they walked to the atrium.

"Hello Hyde," Rose said, as the tall man bowed curtly to her. She knew he still had feelings for her and his eyes always betrayed that, but she would never have to fear him, for he was always a gentleman. Unlike Jekyll, he had accepted that her heart belonged to Fandral and respectfully admired her from afar.

"I apologize for interrupting your day, but I am afraid I come at the behest of a colleague of mine," Hyde explained.

"Has something happened?" Fandral asked.

"Well…I'm not sure and with everything going on, the Sheriff's department has its hands full. So I elected to come request help from you instead," Hyde replied.

"Happy to help. What's the trouble?" Fandral asked.

"It's one of my colleagues. His name is Hiram Flaversham. He is a very gifted engineer and teaches at the University with me," Hyde replied, as he showed them a picture of him and a girl that was probably around Bobby's age.

"That's his daughter Olivia and they are both missing," he said in concern.

"Missing?" Rose asked in concern. He nodded.

"Since yesterday morning...and it's not like Hiram not to show up. If there was a reason he needed to miss work, he would call and his daughter did not show at school either," he replied.

"You care for them," Rose said. He nodded.

"Hiram has become a very good friend and Olivia is like a niece to me now. I am very worried," Hyde replied.

"Leave it to me and Zorro. We will investigate immediately and find them," Fandral assured.

"Thank you," Hyde said gratefully.

~*~

"We'll be fine, Mom," Emma assured, as she and Snow shared a hug.

"I know...but if things get out of hand or any storms break out, call us right away," she said.

"We will, but you do the same. If things get out of hand...call us in for backup," Leo said.

"Don't worry...we're not going to take any chances," David said, as he hugged them too. They were already dressed in their formal wear, with Snow in a white evening gown. David and James donned a pair of tuxes, while Aphrodite wore a reddish orange evening gown. Bobby wore a tux, complete with complaints as well and Patricia wore a pantsuit. Rumple and Regina were joining them on this one as well for extra firepower. Rumple refused to wear a tux and instead wore his usual suit and Regina wore a black evening gown. Finally, Natalie was also joining him, along with Xander and Thalia.

"Are you sure you're up to this? You're getting further along," David said worriedly.

"That's why my mom and our dad are coming, just in case. Besides, an exhibit full of supposedly mystical treasures? I have to see this," Natalie replied.

"Okay...just stay close," he said. She and Snow shared a smile.

"You were right...he is way overprotective," Natalie said.

"Yeah...but it's adorable," Snow replied in a dreamy tone.

"And you are his baby sister...get used to it," she added, as she joined her husband and they created a portal. With that, the current team walked through, while the others stayed behind on standby...

3 notes · View notes

allgirlsareprincesses · 5 years

Text

Lucas and the Lost Bride: Swan Maidens in Star Wars

Five posts into my Folktale Types in Star Wars series, and I’ve finally hit the one that just breaks my heart: The Swan Maiden. Popular podcast What The Force made a splash in the Reylo community a few weeks ago when they posed a theory that used this common folktale as a basis for the idea that Palpatine as the “evil magician” would seek to turn Swan Maiden Rey for her feminine power, possibly even as a sort of romantic rival for Prince Ben Solo. Having delved a bit into the Swan Maiden tale type as part of my Orpheus and Eurydice post, I was intrigued by this idea and wanted to dive deeper to see if there were any further insights to be found. Not only did I find more, but…. I now believe that the Swan Maiden, or rather the universal psychology behind its enduring appeal, was the basis for Star Wars from the very beginning.

Trigger Warnings and Disclaimers: There will be discussion of infertility, miscarriage, divorce, domestic violence, and loss. I’m also going to be indulging in some armchair amateur psychoanalysis here, so take it with a grain of Crait salt since this is not my area of expertise at all. On a related note, some of my arguments are not terribly complimentary to Mr. Lucas, so if you’re sensitive to that, be forewarned.

For this analysis, I relied almost exclusively on In Search of the Swan Maiden: A Narrative on Folklore and Gender, by Barbara Fass Leavy. While her chapter on Orpheus’ Quest was extremely helpful in my first meta of this type, I found the full text of her book even more illuminating, as she gives a great overview of other scholarship on the subject by folklorists and anthropologists alike. Further, she approaches the subject from a self-described feminist perspective, deliberately seeking to provide a perspective that she believes is lacking in prior analyses of Swan Maiden folktales. Her thesis is basically that Swan Maiden tales are not romances at all, but stories of Woman as Other, and therefore of how she must always be either separated from or subjugated by Man. I don’t always agree with her take (which I find somewhat dated), but it’s a great starting point for discussion.

The Swan Maiden Folktale

The basic structure of Swan Maiden stories is as follows: A mortal man is the central character, and at some point in his adventures, he happens upon a beautiful maiden (often surrounded by sisters or other female companionship) who comes from an otherworld or fairy realm. She might be enchanted to appear as a swan, seal, mermaid, or another [water] creature, or she might be a nymph or goddess. Traditionally, the hero “captures” the maiden by taking something from her that is the source of her power or her link to the fairy realm. This stolen item might be her animal skin, or the pattern may be inverted as her captor places a mortal, domestic robe on her. She is then compelled to become his bride, sometimes willingly but often with much weeping and protest.

They live together for some time, and the couple may be happy but there is frequently a suggestion of the fairy wife’s wistfulness and longing for her home, for freedom. Even after she bears his children, there is a sense of the husband’s fear that she will flee if she is able. Eventually, the husband breaks a taboo, such as showing his nakedness to his wife, becoming violent toward her, or otherwise disrespecting her with his behavior. This may also coincide with the fairy wife retrieving the magical item that was stolen from her at her capture. The bond of trust thus broken, she flees back to the otherworld, abandoning her husband and usually her children as well.

Sometimes the story ends here and the fairy wife is lost forever, and other times it continues as the husband “quests” for his lost bride. However, the most common pattern by far is the permanent loss of the fairy wife. In the rare instances that she is recovered, this happens only by two means: either the husband reenacts his wife’s original abduction by recapturing her, which suggests it is not her choice to return with him and that she will be forever under his power, OR as I mentioned in my original Orpheus post, the perspective shifts from husband to wife and the story becomes a Search for the Lost Husband tale, which traditionally ends in the successful reunion of the couple.

Within this basic framework, there are a number of variations and motifs that commonly appear. As I mentioned above, the wife is often classified as an animal bride, which speaks to the bestial nature of woman feared by man. Further, she sometimes has two suitors: one her mortal husband, and the other her demon lover or incubus from the otherworld, her union with whom may in fact predate her capture. Because the loss of the fairy wife is usually final, it can be difficult to tell which husband the narrative intends to be the right match for her, and she usually doesn’t have the agency to choose, anyhow. If she stays with the demon lover, it’s because her bestial nature is her true form, and if she returns to her mortal husband, her flight still stands as an example of how she needs to be dominated and controlled. This stands in stark contrast to the beastly hero of Animal Bridegroom tales, where the assumption is that his human form is his true self and that his transformation is civilizing, emancipatory, and permanent.

Given this universal pattern for the Swan Maiden folktale, we can already see some elements of it emerging in the narrative of the Skywalker Saga. Before we get into that, however, I want to spend some time on the original swan maiden of the Galaxy Far, Far Away: George Lucas’ first wife, Marcia.

Marcia Lucas as the Swan Maiden

Marcia Griffin was a promising young film editor when she got a job mentoring a young George Lucas when they were both assistants to famed editor Verna Fields. Though George was painfully shy and introverted, the two spent enough time together on their work that love blossomed, and they started dating and eventually moved in together. George introduced Marcia to his friend Francis Coppola, who hired her to edit one of his early films, Rain People. Between that and editing another feature film, Medium Cool, Marcia’s career in Los Angeles was just beginning to take off when George proposed to her and convinced her to move to San Francisco with him so he could start his own independent filmmaking career.

Immediately, there are aspects of the Swan Maiden to Marcia. Firstly, the classic folktale bride often comes from a history of female companionship: she is usually surrounded by sisters, other maidens, or a matriarchal group of women. Marcia Griffin was the daughter of a single mother, and she had one sister. Her father, who had divorced their mother when Marcia was only two, was not a part of her life. In LA, she was beginning to succeed in film editing with the support and mentorship of other female film professionals. Part of the fairy bride’s “abduction” from her home world is that she is removed from this sisterhood, separated from the feminine influences in her life. This certainly seems to have been the case with Marcia.

Second, while I certainly don’t mean literally that George Lucas “captured” Marcia, the nature of that motif in the folktale is simply that the swan maiden leaves her own familiar world and enters her husband’s world, which is inherently foreign to her. Even in Cupid and Psyche or Beauty and the Beast variations, the bride’s choice to join her bridegroom in his world and be apart from her family is framed as a sacrifice, something that is not her ideal but is the best option under the circumstances. The few sources that are available suggest that George may have somewhat manipulated Marcia, asking her if she really loved him and wanted to be with him. In any case, moving to San Francisco was great for George’s career but effectively ended Marcia’s for a time. For some months after the move, she had no editing work and basically became a housewife, trying to support George by fixing him meals and encouraging him in his work. She was homesick, too, which is also a common trait of captured fairy wives. Many of the folktale brides chafe in their domestic roles, eventually resenting the mundane existence that they exchanged for their otherworldly former lives.

Another aspect of Marcia that made her like the swan maiden, if only from her husband’s point of view, was the fact that he felt she was somewhat “out of his league” at times. She was very beautiful, and already a successful professional when he was still a student. While George was so introverted and emotionless that it was often off-putting, Marcia was an optimistic extrovert who thrived in social situations and openly expressed her emotions. Even George’s friends expressed surprise that he had found such a wife: “‘She was a knock-out,’ John Milius remembers. ‘We all wondered how little George got this great looking girl. And smart too, obsessed with films. And she was a better editor than he was.’” The fairy wife’s otherworldly beauty and skill often contribute to her mortal husband’s feeling of unease, as he fears that she may recognize the imbalance and leave him.

When George’s first film THX 1138 bombed, Marcia encouraged him to try something the emotionally engaged the audience more. His somewhat cynical response was to film American Graffiti, which his wife helped to edit. The movie was both a crowd-pleaser and a critical success, making the struggling Lucases into overnight millionaires and gaining both of them Oscar nominations. Marcia began to gain more attention for her professional skills, and soon Martin Scorsese asked her to edit his first feature film, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. After a fruitful collaboration, Scorsese invited her back to be the supervising editor on his next film as well, Taxi Driver. While working on these films, Marcia frequently had to be away from home, and George, who was holed up writing his first draft of The Star Wars at the time, was less than thrilled.

His frustration with their separation seemed to be twofold: for one thing, his conservative upbringing had not prepared him for marriage to a successful career woman. “The Lucas family tradition had never allowed a woman to have an independent career--Gloria Katz notes, ‘That was actually a very big step for George; it was consciousness raising.’ George hated cooking and cleaning, and hired a housekeeper while Marcia was away.” And the other reason he didn’t seem to care for Marcia’s work was Scorsese himself, who had a terrible social reputation, especially with women: "’For George the whole thing was that Marcia was going off to this den of iniquity,’ Willard Huyck explains. ‘Marty was wild and he took a lot of drugs and he stayed up all night, had lots of girlfriends. George was a family homebody. He couldn't believe the stories that Marcia told him. George would fume because Marcia was running with these people. She loved being with Marty.’" Some sources say that Scorsese was flirtatious with Marcia, or at least that George thought so. Given this account, I’d argue that Scorsese is the first candidate for the role of demon lover to Marcia’s swan maiden (again, at least from her husband’s perspective). George saw his wife leaving to return to the otherworld, her home in LA, and there she would supposedly cavort with an unscrupulous lecher.

Marcia helped her husband write the final draft of Star Wars, then endured yet more separation as George traveled to Tunisia and England for filming. When the first editor on the film was a dismal disappointment, Marcia took over and along with two other editors, created the final theatrical cut. She is credited in particular with convincing George to keep several small character touches that charmed the audience, for extending emotional scenes for maximum impact, and especially for editing the final Death Star attack that is so iconic today. Despite a difficult production, Star Wars went on to become the most successful movie of all time at that point, and it garnered eleven Oscar nominations. Marcia won for her editing, which was a massive achievement, but George unfortunately did not win for writer or director.

After the exhausting schedule and runaway success of Star Wars, George and Marcia had planned to settle down and have a baby, but they were sadly plagued by infertility. Given that it’s an intensely painful and personal subject that people don’t even talk much about today much less in the 70s, it’s not surprising that the historical record is unclear on exactly what happened. However, the best that I can put together goes something like this: when George and Marcia married in 1969, she was ready to have kids right away, but he was not. It seems they may have waited for a while, but were trying by 1975, when Marcia was editing Taxi Driver. It sounds as though she had a pregnancy then that ended in a miscarriage. Some time after Star Wars was released, around 1978, the couple received the news that George was sterile, and they would never be able to have biological children together.

Every single account I’ve found about Marcia Lucas is written by a man, so I suspect they have no idea what this might have felt like, but I imagine a woman who had been ready for a baby for nearly a decade, had been trying for at least three years, and had experienced at least one miscarriage and maybe more, only to learn that she would never be able to have children with her husband. On top of all the other stresses the couple experienced, that must have been absolutely agonizing. With regards to the Swan Maiden tale, this sad fact relates in a particularly devastating way: in historic folklore, miscarriages were often thought to be caused by the wife’s unfaithfulness to her mortal husband in a tryst with the incubus or demon lover. In fact, the term “incubation” stems from this idea, when people had the superstitious belief that infertility could be cured by the incubus impregnating a woman. I certainly don’t think George Lucas had any such conscious thought to blame his wife and I’m sure he experienced as much pain as she did, especially knowing that it was he who was sterile, but as we will see, he certainly thought his marriage was threatened by a rival.

Around this time, the cracks in the Lucas marriage began to widen. George had always been dismissive and even derogatory toward Marcia, particularly impugning her emotionalism. She stated while they were still married: “But George just said to me, I was stupid and knew nothing. Because I was just a Valley Girl. He was the intellectual." Some time after their marriage ended, she shared more: “I was the more emotional person who came from the heart, and George was the more intellectual and visual, and I thought that provided a nice balance. But George would never acknowledge that to me. I think he resented my criticisms, felt that all I ever did was put him down. In his mind, I always stayed the stupid Valley girl. He never felt I had any talent, he never felt I was very smart and he never gave me much credit. When we were finishing Jedi, George told me he thought I was a pretty good editor. In the sixteen years of our being together I think that was the only time he complimented me." In folktales, this would represent a breaking of a taboo, as harsh treatment of her might cause a cruel husband’s fairy wife to flee.

Further, George never took the break that he promised his wife he would take. Instead, he kept working on the Star Wars sequels, often to such a point of exhaustion that he had to be hospitalized. He was also working on Indiana Jones with his friend Steven Spielberg, and on building Skywalker Ranch. Though the couple finally adopted a daughter in 1981, George would still be away for many weeks at a time working on various projects, leaving Marcia to manage both their daughter and the final stages of design and construction on the Ranch. This is how she met Tom Rodrigues, an artist with whom she developed an attraction. Marcia is open about this fact, but insists she was never physically unfaithful to George. She suggested to marriage counseling to him, which he refused, then suggested a trial separation, which he also refused.

Marcia complained that George was emotionally closed-off, cold, and struggled with intimacy. “[A friend] saw the Lucases at a party… just before the divorce and recalls: ‘I ended up in the corner with Marcia, chatting with her, and what she told me underscored a sense I'd always had that [intimacy] was not a gigantic part of George's life...She just sort of blurted it out that it was extremely isolating; it was like Fortress Lucas. I'd heard this from people who worked with him at that time. They would say, 'I can't stand it. He's brilliant, but it's so cold. I feel like I'm suffocating. I've got to get out of here.' Marcia told me she 'just couldn't stand the darkness any longer.’” For context, Marcia is quoted as making some recommendations during production on Star Wars to emphasize Han Solo’s “virility.” This suggests that sexuality was important to her, so it was likely another stressor in her marriage. In her book, Leavy suggests that many Swan Maiden tales express the husband’s anxiety that his wife will leave him because she is dissatisfied with his sexual performance. This is thought to be the origin of many sexually-coded taboos that are imposed upon the fairy wife, such as the idea that she may not see her husband naked, or that she may not see him in daylight.

In mid-1983, the Lucases finally announced their plans to divorce. They soon decided they would share equal custody of two-year-old daughter Amanda, but George somehow always characterized it as him raising her on his own. From the Empire of Dreams Making of Star Wars documentary: “I ended up getting divorced right as the film Jedi was finished, and I was left to raise my daughter.” This is significant in that it is consistent with one of the most distinctive motifs of the Swan Maiden: she frequently leaves her children behind when she flees her marriage back to the otherworld. While this is clearly not what happened, the fact that George viewed it that way demonstrates where he was psychologically following the divorce. To say that he was devastated is an understatement. Spielberg used the term “pulverized” and their next joint project, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, featured men having their still-beating hearts ripped out of their chests in one of the most famously-gruesome scenes of that era. George admits that the metaphor was a deliberate reaction to the divorce, and Hollywood legend has it that the scene was the origin of the PG-13 rating, so shocking was the imagery.

As an equal business partner, Marcia also took half of Lucasfilm in the divorce, costing George well over the price of another film and effectively halving his filmmaking empire overnight. He would claim in years to come that he did not see the divorce coming, would blame it on the “other man,” and would insist that his overworking was done for his family, but his later filmmaking efforts betray a good deal of guilt. I tend to agree with Michael Kaminski’s conclusion: “At the same time, the separation has a circular irony to it; George emotionally neglected Marcia for years in the hopes of securing his private empire, yet in the end this pushed her away completely, and when she left she took away the private empire that had instigated the process in the first place. His greed cost him his wife, and his empire. It is my opinion that Lucas chose to shape Anakin Skywalker's arc in the prequels in a similar manner because of his reflections on his own self-created loss.”

Like the tragic hero of the Swan Maiden folktales, George Lucas never recovered his lost bride after her flight. And I argue that he wrote their story with rather shocking fidelity in the Prequel Trilogy, featuring the most distinctive Swan Maiden in all of Star Wars: Padme Amidala.

Padme Amidala as Swan Maiden

As I mentioned in my Orpheus and Eurydice post, Padme is first recognizable as the fairy bride when Anakin says to her “Are you an angel?” Immediately, he has identified her as an otherworldly creature, a royal beauty who is clearly out of his league (notwithstanding that he’s a nine-year-old and all). In the films, Padme is idealized to the point that she seems a bit flat, a problem remedied in much of the animated and written content which has been released since then. But at least from George Lucas’ perspective, Padme was the ideal wife. Not the sassy, titillating, tough girl that Leia was in the Original Trilogy, but a sublime, ethereal, motherly figure. She was perfect bride for a tragic hero.

Padme hails from the lush, heavenly, water-soaked world of Naboo. Swan Maidens are nearly always water creatures and their capture often takes place by a body of water like a lake or stream. Naboo not only has such large oceans as to have an entire amphibious culture under the waves, but even the surface-dwellers live among massive waterfalls. Like Padme, but very unlike most of the other planets we’ve seen in the galaxy, Naboo is presented as the image of perfection, a dreamy landscape that reminds the audience that this is, after all, a fantasy. In this way, it is exactly like the fairy world from which the swan maiden comes.

One of the main parallels between Queen Amidala and the swan maiden is her bevy of handmaidens…. While I sadly have not yet read Queen’s Shadow, I understand it delves deeper into the culture of this unique sisterhood. In any case, Padme is consistently surrounded by female companionship when she is on Naboo or representing her homeworld on Coruscant. The queen feels a sense of kinship with and responsibility to her handmaidens, as they do to her. Compare this to one of the most famous examples of swan maiden tales, the ballet Swan Lake, in which Prince Seigfried first spots Odette among a group of swans who are also transformed maidens. When she agrees to marry the prince, Odette is thinking not just of herself, but of gaining freedom for all of her companions. This is why she takes the prince’s mistake so hard later - she feels she has failed the other maidens.

The capture motif starts almost immediately for Padme, with her first being taken captive by the Trade Federation during their attack. Soon, however, she is rescued by the Jedi, but as she has no option but to flee with them to beg help from the Senate, it is as though she is still a captive. This is also where the false bride motif first appears, as I mentioned in my Orpheus post. The queen’s decoy Sabe is dressed in a towering black-feathered gown, almost the precise image of the Black Swan. Later during the finale of The Phantom Menace, we see the real Queen Amidala in a white gown of soft layers, the visual counterpart to her double.

We come to realize that the villain of the saga, Palpatine, also comes from Naboo and exercises a level of manipulative influence over Padme. In this sense, he is the demon lover, the first husband of the swan maiden who often recaptures her from her mortal husband after the taboo is broken. I understand that in Queen’s Shadow, Palpatine’s malicious influence is much clearer, and yet it is far too late when Padme realizes it. While his relationship with Anakin’s bride was never depicted as romantic, Palpatine still qualifies as a demon lover character because his association with the swan maiden is always one of control, a power struggle. He offers her free rein of her heart’s desires if only she will remain under his power. Padme so desires to protect her people, to abolish slavery, and to be with Anakin that she remains blinded to what Palpatine takes in exchange, recognizing how he used her to gain power only when the Republic had already fallen.

On the shores of a secluded lake on Naboo, Anakin woos his reluctant bride, eventually taking her with him to Tatooine to search for his mother. This is another moment of “capture,” for even though Padme comes with him willingly, she is leaving her fairy world to enter the mundane sphere of her husband, where she is painfully out of place. On Naboo, she resisted Anakin on ethical grounds (“We’d be living a lie”), but on Tatooine and then Geonosis (dead planets), she fails to hold him accountable for his violent actions, in a sense losing herself. Notably, her wedding is the last time we see Padme on Naboo before she returns in death, which tracks precisely with the swan maiden tale. The fairy wife’s marriage marks her departure from the otherworld, just as her flight from the mortal world back to her home is often depicted as a literal or metaphorical death.

When Padme becomes pregnant, Anakin’s trauma from losing his mother (twice) resurfaces, and his anxiety over the possibility of losing his wife leads him to become ever more violent throughout Revenge of the Sith. This is extremely common in swan maiden stories, as the flight of the fairy wife frequently occurs right after she gives birth, usually expressing the historical fear of death in childbirth. Some readings even suggest that the husband’s anxiety is less about his wife’s physical safety and more about the loss of the life they had before children, and his fear about the unknowns of parenthood. Naturally, Star Wars takes a more literal approach, as Anakin is literally tormented by dreams of Padme’s death in childbirth.

Eventually, Anakin travels so far down the dark path that he comes to the inevitable breaking of the taboo. As mentioned above, this can take many forms, but in swan maiden tales it is most frequently the husband leaving his wife’s animal skin unattended, OR some direct mistreatment of her. Any form of domestic violence against the fairy wife, for instance, is almost guaranteed to result in her flight. And so it happens with Anakin: he Force-strangles his wife (which parallels the most common form of DV in the real world, manual strangulation), and the betrayal causes her death. Padme leaves behind her children and is interred back on the fairy world of Naboo, eternally separated from her husband. As I mentioned in my original Lost Bride post, this story type typically ends in tragedy like this: the swan maiden is not recovered, and the hero mourns her loss for the rest of his days.

Padme is by far the clearest swan maiden in Star Wars, and her story is sadly an almost exact expression of the tragedy of George and Marcia Lucas. She was an extraordinary woman tied to a mortal man whose fear overcame his love. Fortunately, Padme’s successors were poised to have greater success than she did in love and in folklore….

Leia Organa as the Swan Maiden

Leia is probably the least like the swan maiden of all the Star Wars leading ladies, but interestingly, she is also the one to most frequently experience the main motif of the folktale: the capture. The princess is captured or imprisoned so frequently throughout her story, it’s almost a little jarring when considered with her image as the modern emancipated woman. Still, there are certain motifs that are constant throughout her story, the most notable of which are the capture and the demon lover.

Princess Leia begins her story as another ethereal maiden from a lush and vibrant planet, Alderaan. Almost immediately, she is captured by this story’s demon lover, Darth Vader. Though he is later revealed to be her father, at the time of A New Hope, both the characters and the audience believe there is no relationship between any of the characters, so their roles as folktale archetypes may be different from their eventual position in the story. In any case, Vader takes Leia to the story’s underworld, the aptly-named Death Star. Remember that the capture can go either way: from the otherworld to the mortal world (like Padme), or the mortal world to the otherworld (Leia). There she is tortured with a device holding a needle, which in folklore is always a metaphor for sexual initiation. As I mentioned my Sleeping Beauty post, this tale is a subtype of the Quest for the Lost Bride, so the story is clearly framed this way from the beginning.

Meanwhile, mortal husband Luke (again, their sibling relationship won’t be known for two movies yet) learns of Leia’s capture and sets out on a journey to the underworld/Death Star to reclaim her. He brings with him Han Solo (who will of course turn out to be another mortal husband), and together they work to free the princess from Vader’s clutches. They return her to Yavin IV, yet another life-filled moon, which is an interesting contrast to the false moon of the Death Star. Moons in folklore are a feminine symbol, and in the swan maiden tale, they are usually associated with a transformation or revelation. While Leia never appears as a false bride version of herself, the light and dark “moons” of her story do appear to tell the story of feminine duality. In fact, the motif appears a second time in Return of the Jedi, with the second Death Star and the forest moon of Endor in the roles of dark and light moons, or underworld and mortal world, respectively.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Leia again experiences capture as Han Solo pushes her aboard the Millenium Falcon to escape Vader once again. With Han in the role of mortal husband by this time, the story more closely resembles the traditional swan maiden tale, with the fairy wife falling for her mortal husband and choosing to remain with him of her own free will. On Bespin, she is finally recaptured by the demon lover, as Vader lays his trap for Luke. However, this is where the story changes perspectives from husband to wife, as tends to happen in folktales when the destination is a happy ending. Instead of Leia being lost to the underworld forever like Eurydice, her husband Han is transformed and dragged to the underworld of Jabba’s palace, similar to the Eros and Psyche tale. Now, it is Leia who must pursue him and revive him from his enchanted slumber, a motif I discussed in detail in yet another folktale post.

Of course, the rescue of Han Solo appears to go somewhat awry at first, and Leia is yet again captured, this time by Jabba the Hutt. This time, we see a hint of the stolen garment motif, as the lecherous Jabba takes away her clothes and chains her to him. Getting in touch with her dark side, Leia is able to destroy this particular demon lover (ew), and escapes with Luke and Han. On Endor, Leia appears to have been captured by the Ewoks, though of course we know she went with them willingly (and the clothes change again, although with different intent). And finally, the princess is briefly captured by Stormtroopers before the Ewoks come to the rescue.

There is one more capture of Princess Leia which is an important part of the story, but which never actually occurs on screen, and this is the threat Vader makes when trying to turn Luke at the end of Return of the Jedi. At the thought of his sister recaptured and transformed into a dark version of herself (the false bride), Luke breaks and very nearly kills his father, choosing only at the last moment to turn fully into the light even at the cost of his own life. This scene, though beautiful and poignant, reminds us that the story is told from a masculine perspective, and that the fairy wife is a character who helps tell the male protagonist’s story of maturing into manhood. Return of the Jedi is my favorite Star Wars film, so I have no complaints about this, but it does make me glad that the final trilogy of the Skywalker saga tells the tale from a woman’s perspective….

Rey as the Swan Maiden

The story of Rey of Jakku is fascinating to me because it flips the swan maiden folktale on its head, “subverting expectations” long before Rian Johnson threw our heroine headfirst into a womb-like cave. Since The Force Awakens starts much the same as the previous trilogies, told first from Poe’s perspective and then from Finn’s, respectively, there’s no indication yet that the majority of the tale will center around a heroine’s journey. At first blush, Rey doesn’t seem much the swan maiden at all: she has no female companions, she occupies no magical otherworld, and she doesn’t seem the type to be captured, since she can clearly defend herself handily. She has somewhat of a chaste flirtatious banter with Finn, but he doesn’t quite fit the mortal or beastly husband, either. One could argue that her escape in the Falcon constitutes a kind of capture, but at no time does Rey seem to lack agency or the means of exercising her will.

Until, that is, she meets Maz, whom as I’ve said before is the Oracle in this story. Coming on the heels of her discovery of the Skywalker lightsaber and subsequent Force vision, her encounter with Maz makes it clear to Rey and the audience that her story is not one of rediscovering her lost family, but of finding a new sense of belonging ahead of her. This suggests that she will leave the world of the mundane and enter the otherworld, which is the pattern that the fairy wife takes in the Eros and Psyche variation of the swan maiden folktale. Suddenly, the familiar motifs appear in rapid succession: Rey is at a castle by a lake in a forest, just as most swan maidens are when they are discovered by the hero. She is pursued as the quarry in a hunt, with Kylo Ren in the role of the hunter, a common type for the captor of the fairy bride (Prince Seigfried was hunting when he discovered Odette). And finally, he captures her, sweeping her away in a distinctive bridal carry to his underworld lair. Kylo Ren is not, as it turns out, the mortal husband of this story; he is the demon lover.

The fairy husband or otherworldly lover can take many forms, just as the fairy wife can. He might be a true demon lover, in which case he is understood to be wrong for the heroine and dangerous to her (and to the interests of his mortal rival). He might also be an animal bridegroom, or the beastly husband to the heroine’s beauty, which usually indicates that he will be transformed back to his true princely form by the story’s end. He may be the heroine’s incubus, or the nightmare lover who represents all her dark sexual fantasies. And finally, he might even be a star, as the star-husband or star-bride is a common pattern in North American folktales. Demonic, celestial, or somewhere in between, the fairy husband is often a sure sign that the story focuses on the heroine’s journey rather than the hero’s.

On the underworld of Starkiller Base, Rey awakens from sleep and encounters her monstrous captor, immediately labeling him “creature.” Of course, he then removes his helmet, and Rey finds a handsome prince beneath the beastly skin. In the novelization, she recognized him when he chased her in the woods on Takodana: “She had seen this man before, in a daydream. In a nightmare.” There are other hints that Rey has seen Kylo in dreams before, and when he intrudes on her mind, he finds more dreams there of an ocean and island. Later, in The Last Jedi, their first Force Bond occurs just as Rey is again waking from sleep, and all of the bond scenes have a dreamlike quality to them. In fact, they often take place at night, and are visually coded with clear sexual imagery. All of this sleeping and waking and dreaming of both man and monster makes Kylo Ren a clear folktale figure: Rey’s incubus.

As mentioned above, the incubus is the dream lover of the heroine’s sexual fantasies. While those fantasies might be perfectly natural and healthy for a woman, female sexual appetites have usually been presented in folklore as dangerous, so the man who can satisfy those appetites is often presented as a demonic figure. Often, an incubus is blamed when a fairy wife begins to withdraw from her family, the suggestion being that she has placed her own base desires above the good of the community. If the woman is to retake her place as the good and pure bride of the tale, she must be recaptured from her incubus or he must be destroyed, to cleanse her of her deviant fantasies. If I may editorialize for a moment, I believe this is the dynamic at play in some of the fan arguments that Kylo Ren should die at the end of the trilogy: he is evil and Rey desires him, therefore if she is to remain the heroine of the story, he must die.

Of course, Kylo may not be JUST an incubus. He is, after all, also Ben Solo, which means that he has two forms: the beast and the man. When this is true in folktales, it is understood that the man is the true form concealed by the animal skin, which must be burned away or otherwise destroyed. However, this removal of the beastly skin to reveal the man underneath can also constitute the breaking of the taboo which leads to the separation of the couple. A common taboo is seeing the husband naked, which Rey very nearly does when the Force connects her to a shirtless Ben Solo. While it seems obvious that this was a deliberate choice on Rian Johnson’s part to indicate that Ben shows Rey his true self, we now know that Chris Terrio intends to continue this theme in The Rise of Skywalker: “When Ren takes off his mask, there’s a nakedness about him with Rey that he doesn’t express to anyone else.”

After Ben Solo extends a (naked) hand to her, Rey pursues him to the Supremacy, where the capture motif reappears as she is escorted to Snoke in restraints. Continuing the theme of revealing the true form, Rey calls Ben by his given name, yet another common folktale taboo that the heroine is forbidden to break. There are now so many broken taboos that the flight of the fairy bride is inevitable, and sure enough, when princely Ben proposes to Rey as the demon Kylo Ren, she flees his underworld back to the relative safety of the Resistance. As the story stands at the end of The Last Jedi, the fairy bride has left her animal bridegroom in his otherworld, choosing for now to live in the mortal world of the mundane. However, if the folktale pattern holds, she will not be satisfied there, and will soon begin to long for the otherworld again.

The Swan Maiden in The Rise of Skywalker

So this brings us to the theory raised by What The Force, that the appearance of Palpatine and Dark Rey in the trailers indicate that the final film of the saga will follow something of a Swan Lake pattern, with Palpatine enticing Rey to the Dark Side such that she must be retrieved by a redeemed Ben Solo. It’s definitely a solid idea, but I think that the variants of swan maiden folktales can offer us some surprisingly specific clues as to the path of this last film. First, let’s explore the folklore tradition behind the image of Dark Rey that appeared in the D23 sizzle reel:

Swan maidens are usually presented as beautiful, pure creatures, but there is also something inherently dangerous about them. The dominant capture motif alone speaks to the idea that woman must be possessed and subjugated, and the prevalence of sexual taboos indicate that her unbridled sexuality is fearful to the storyteller. The unmarried maiden is a target of the hero’s hunt for a bride, but the unmarried older woman is an evil witch. This is the “wild woman,” or the projection of the unrepressed feminine.These women are often the false brides of the swan maiden tale: a loathly hag, troll, or succubus who disguises herself as the swan maiden and fools the hero into marrying her. She is usually a male storyteller’s projection that splits the female image into the virginal bride and the man-eating witch. This is true even when the false bride appears in Search for the Lost Husband tales as the heroine’s rival for the prince’s affections.

It is difficult to trace the history of oral tales and whether they vary when passed down by women versus men. However, available evidence suggests that women have often told swan maiden tales not as a warning, but as a fantasy of escape, emancipation, and personal fulfillment. The escape from the mortal husband and his mundane world IS the whole point for women throughout history who have been sold into unhappy marriages, so there is little reason to have the heroine seek out her captor again. Notably, searching wives rarely pursue mortal husbands, but usually are seeking their lost animal bridegrooms instead. For men, on the other hand, the swan maiden story stands as a warning not to neglect or mistreat their wives, lest she run away and thereby cause the breakdown of the family unit. The false bride, therefore, is likely to appear to the hero as a contrast to his pure, true bride, but is unlikely to appear to the fairy wife herself. Then again, you could argue that the swan maiden’s story is one of transforming into the dark and liberated creature that will be truly free of her captor, so the false bride could represent the fairy wife’s temptation to flee her domestic life.

As applied to Rey, this suggests a few possibilities about her dark alter ego: if she appears, whether as vision, clone, or truth to Ben Solo, then she is indeed the classic false bride, the succubus, the Black Swan meant to draw him away from his true bride. In this case, Ben will need to be able to recognize light-side Rey as the real one, and will then be rewarded for his discernment. He could even recognize the true Rey within the Dark version. However, this centers so much of the story around Ben that it leaves almost no character growth for Rey herself, so I think it’s the less likely option.

If, on the other hand, Dark Rey appears in some form to light-side Rey, she will represent less a warning than a temptation to the power she could have if only she would let go of the affection and responsibility she feels toward her mythical husband. Given some of the cast comments about how “everyone has a dark side,” this seems much more probable to me. Seeing an emancipated version of herself, free of all attachments and therefore (so she thinks) free of the pain of rejection, could be a tantalizing concept for Rey, whom we know is positively drowning in her loneliness after her parents, mentors, and would-be lover all failed her. Resisting this temptation and willing herself to remain vulnerable, to keep her heart open to love and hope, would be the ultimate challenge for this character and a fitting ending for a saga of lonely Jedi falling to the Dark Side to protect their shattered hearts.

All of that said, it is a bit of a stretch to say that Dark Rey appears in the tradition of the false bride when she’s potentially not a bride at all, if she’s not specifically meant for Ben Solo’s character arc. In that sense, I don’t really think the Odette/Odile comparison is as apt as it seems based on the aesthetics. I could certainly be wrong and Lucasfilm may choose to have Dark Rey factor into the journeys of BOTH Rey and Ben, which would honestly be a masterstroke of folklore reference and archetypal psychology.

What about Palpatine as the “evil magician” and potential rival for Rey’s heart? Is there merit to this theory based on the folktale motifs? Well, we’ve already discussed the concept of the demon lover, whose relationship with the heroine frequently predates her original capture into the mortal world, and in this sense I do think the Emperor fits the bill. There are a lot of links between Rey and Palpatine buried in the films and expanded lore, most notably her origin on Jakku, which was the site of the Emperor’s “backup plan” if his Empire should fall, as well as possibly his lab which was tasked with seeking the key to immortality. The other distinct tie is in her musical theme, which is in fact a variation on the Emperor’s theme from the original trilogy. Further, if Rey turns out to be the mirror image of Ben Solo, who arose from the Light but fell to the Dark, then she may have her origins in the Dark Side and came the the Light. If so, there could be some kind of historical link between her and Palpatine, much as the swan maiden maintains a tie to her demon lover even after she has married another.

As I mentioned before, Kylo Ren too is a demon lover, specifically an incubus. Palpatine, on the other hand, might be classified as a revenant, or a dark lover that is returned from the dead. The revenant differs from the other enchanted husbands in that he holds no potential to transform into the loving spouse, but only to trick the fairy wife into leaving with him, thereby dragging her into death with him. Swan maidens are often lured from their mortal husbands in the belief that the revenant is a long-dead lover returned to the land of the living, and that her true place is with him. These fairy wives are fooled into following the revenant into Hell, and all of the characters suffer in their eternal separation and abandonment.

It seems very likely that Palpatine may make an offer to Rey which mirrors the ones Kylo made in the previous two films. Though it may or may not be darkly romantic in nature, Darth Sidious’ proposal may be very enticing to Rey if she is at an emotionally fragile moment. Her only hope in that scenario would be to keep faith in Ben Solo, and for him to show himself worthy of that faith by shedding his beastly skin and reclaiming his true identity. By recognizing and pursuing her true husband, Rey would in effect forget the revenant, and he would cease to exist.

The last point I want to make about some likely imagery in The Rise of Skywalker based on the trailers is a reference to a swan maiden tale subtype known as “The Orange Maiden” or “The Love for the Three Oranges.” In this story type, a man cuts into an orange, and a beautiful maiden emerges. She is desperately thirsty and begs him for water, but the man refuses, and she dies. The man cuts open a second orange and the same thing happens. Finally, he cuts open a third orange, and this time he offers her a drink, and the woman agrees to marry him. However, when he leaves her alone by a lake, she is impersonated by a false bride, who fools the bridegroom into marrying her instead. The heroine must then pursue the hero in a classic Search for the Lost Husband tale.

The cutting of the orange is typically a metaphor for sexual initiation, as the mythical husband penetrates the ripe fruit to discover the woman inside. Similarly, Kylo Ren enters Rey’s mind twice in The Force Awakens, and then continues to have sexually-coded encounters with her throughout their onscreen relationship. While I reject the idea that this was a deliberate rape metaphor, the allusion to him taking what was not offered freely is unmistakable.

As many have pointed out before, Rey’s element in the production design of the sequel trilogy is water, which is offered to her in progressively greater amounts throughout the films: Her first appearance in The Force Awakens shows her thirsting, drinking the last few drops from her canteen in the arid desert before rushing away to seek more sustenance. She next finds herself by a lake, and then in a vision in the pouring rain, facing none other than Kylo Ren. Later, Rey is surrounded by snow, another form of water (though not ideal for quenching thirst) as Kylo makes his first offer to her, which of course she cannot accept. In The Last Jedi, Rey is on an island surrounded by water, standing in the rain as she encounters Kylo yet again. Eventually, her association with water is so complete that she is submerged in it as she falls into the cave and emerges dripping. She fights Luke in the rain, then fights alongside Ben Solo on the Supremacy, afterward dripping with sweat and tears. At this point, Kylo makes his second proposal to her, which she again refuses.

If there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that Rey will be completely DRENCHED in the final film of the saga, surrounded as she is by a raging ocean during her duel with Kylo/Ben. This seems like a likely place for a third proposal to take place, one that will hopefully finally quench Rey’s thirst which it seems has yet to be satisfied through the previous two movies. The folktale suggests that the man must learn to care about and give the woman what she needs before she will consent to marry him; and so Ben Solo must learn what it is that Rey truly wants from him in order to make her an offer that she will accept.

However, if Ben and Rey come to some kind of understanding at the end of their Death Star battle, there must still be conflict to resolve. It is for this reason that I think one or both of them may flee the other in a moment of panic or regression, not yet ready to embrace their true self and unite with their soulmate. This would also be the logical moment for Dark Rey to appear in some form, to tempt our heroine and hero in their moment of greatest weakness, when they have been divided. Then one or both mythical spouses would need to pursue the other in order to overcome the lie that separates them.

Conclusion: Triumph of the Swan Maiden

Swan maiden tales represent the feminine ideal of both men and women, but with vastly different aspects. The Quest for the Lost Bride variation of the story is characterized by a deep anxiety that the fairy wife will leave her husband forever, and that he will never be able to retrieve her. To avoid this fate, he overcompensates by capturing and imprisoning her, but this in itself is a broken taboo which will eventually lead to the exact loss that the mythical husband fears. Feminine freedom is a fearful thing, so the masculine must possess and control it, with terrible consequences for both his family and society as a whole.

Meanwhile, the Search for the Lost Husband version of the tale is characterized by the feminine fantasy of freedom, of the agency to make one’s own choices about what she will do and who shall have her heart. As such, she does not shy away from the beast, nor from the demon lover. Instead, she embraces him and pursues her husband’s true form hidden underneath. But, she does these only from a position of freedom and independence: her pursuit of her desires must always follow her escape from her original capture.

The Skywalker Saga tells both of these stories, and the ninth film will show their natural conclusion: The matured masculine will accept the liberated feminine, and the two will unite to ultimately defeat death itself.

Given that swan maiden tales usually end in tragedy, why am I so confident for a happy ending? It’s very simple, really: just as it was natural for George Lucas to tell his story of loss, it will be natural for JJ Abrams to tell his story of unity and balance. Abrams has been married to public relations executive Katie McGrath for almost 24 years, and they have three children together. Further, they are accustomed to working through their differences, as theirs is an interfaith marriage: JJ is Jewish while Katie is Catholic. And finally, Abrams does not appear to be insecure or threatened by his wife, despite her achievements and the fact that she’s taller than him (and even more so in heels, he laughs). While of course we cannot know what their relationship is like behind closed doors, it seems likely that Abrams’ view of romance is much more mature and hopeful than Lucas’ would have been at the time he directed the prequel trilogy. To the extent that the artist’s perspective is expressed through their art, I would expect JJ’s final installment in the Skywalker Saga to be a charming and idealistic romance.

I realize this is a really long way to say “they’re right,” but I thought this deserved a deep dive, so I hope you liked it, dear reader, if you made it this far. If you have not checked out my other entries in this Folktale Types in Star Wars series, you can find those here:

The Search for the Lost Husband: Reylo as Eros and Psyche

More Search for the Lost Husband: The Burning of the Beast’s Skin in Star Wars

The Quest for the Lost Bride: Anidala (and Reylo) as Orpheus and Eurydice

More Quest for the Lost Bride: Sleeping Beauty in Star Wars

Still More Search for the Lost Husband: The Revival of the Prince in Star Wars

…. And if you REALLY liked my ramblings, please consider sharing them! I also deeply appreciate comments, if you have any. Thank you so much, lovely Reylos (and Reylo-curious newbies)!

Oh and by the way, George Lucas remarried in 2013 and seems very happy. <3

Edit: I know the WTForce ladies hate Tumblr but I’m tagging them anyway since this was really all about Marie-Claire’s idea: @theforcerevisited Sorry Twitter isn’t my thing, lovelies!

238 notes · View notes