#the foretellers are lying to us

[rosie-kairi]

Ventus after getting his memories back and realizing he can go brag to Terra and Aqua about being the oldest of the trio:

#Rosie rambles #kingdom hearts #khux #kingdom hearts union x #kh ventus #ventus #the foretellers are lying to us

[goldensunset]

i was like ‘it’s not gonna stop me this time i’m gonna scroll past it with a simple smile and be done’ but unfortunately here i am again quietly laugh-crying the trajectory of my evening has been altered again

#the foretellers are lying to us

[livinggeekchic]

For #phreread2023 week 5, @laukisimp and I collaborated to analyze Hecate’s prophecy in Episode 69 “Moon Maiden” and decipher what it tells us about Lauren’s character development.

When Lauren visits the circus for the first time, she is pulled aside by Hecate (the fortuneteller) for a tarot reading. Lauren draws five cards: the two of swords, the five of cups, the tower, the ten of swords, and death. These cards foretell events that will take place over the next two seasons—and we believe the clues in Hecate’s words can be decoded to pinpoint specific moments in Lauren’s character growth arc, leading up to the moment she’s kidnapped in 158.

The two of swords represents the confusion we face when forced to make a difficult choice. Blindfolded, the woman cannot see the problem clearly and thus cannot find a solution. Throughout S2 and S3, we see that Lauren avoids facing hard truths. She knows that the people around her could be Phantom Scythe, but doesn’t want to believe it can be anyone close to her. She knows Kieran likely can tell her something about the kidnapped kids—about what happened to Dylan—but she’s too afraid to ask. She needs to remove the blindfold and allow herself to seek the answers to these questions. She needs to choose a path: continue to blindly chase the Phantom Scythe in her quest for revenge, or move on and live for the future?

The five of cups explains why she can’t make that choice: she’s too focused on the loss of her childhood friend, her perceived failure to save him and the others at Allendale (and in losing her rank, putting her even further from figuring out what happened), and the disappointment and guilt that she feels over what happened in her past. She is unable to let go and forgive herself, and thus, she cannot see the two standing cups: new opportunities and potential. She has the potential to help save Kieran, and the opportunity to do a lot of good for everyone who’s caught up in this war between the royals and the Phantom Scythe. In the episodes just prior to this, Lauren and Kieran visit Greychapel and discuss how poor the conditions are. Kieran states that while they’re trying to stop the terrorists in the Phantom Scythe, the revolution must happen. It’s possible that the “new opportunity” is Lauren joining Kieran in helping bring about this revolution.

In episode 75, titled Tumbling Tower, Sandman reveals that Lauren’s parents were apostles. This knowledge shakes her entire belief system. She thought that the Phantom Schythe was made up of monsters, and yet her parents were founding members. There is also a literal tower in this story—one that Sandman is currently locked in, as he’s writing Lauren a letter. Is it possible that there are more revelations to come? Ones that will bring Lauren’s existing goal, based on false premises, crashing down?

The destruction of the tower is necessary to clear out old mistruths and make way for something new. But how she handles that course of action depends on her reaction to the betrayal. The ten of swords: someone has stabbed her in the back. But it’s important to note that the sword series in tarot tells the story of a person who attempts to use the swords for faulty reasons, makes mistakes, tries to run from them, and ultimately suffers the pain of being stabbed by them. The story of someone who allows themselves to fall victim to that internal pressure. The swords are a weapon, and can have potential for destruction or good, depending on how they are wielded.

In episode 156, Lauren discovers that March has been lying to them. He’s led her coworkers into an ambush and Lauren herself is being pursued by PS members. Lauren didn’t want to consider that March might be PS; she dismissed Kieran’s questioning of March in episode 146, misinterpreting his statements about his family and the true criminals of Ardhalis.

In episode 158 she is pursued, chased into a warehouse where all of her anxieties and fears overwhelm her. She has been continually plagued by the guilt she feels about Allendale, and now she adds to that the losses that she fears are yet to come (images of a deceased Kieran, Kym, and Will coming to her mind). She is unable to wield the swords because of her continued avoidance of the truth. Blindfolded, she doesn’t want to face her suspicions about Dylan, and doesn't want to consider March as the betrayer. So she spirals, and all of her anxieties take over. They paralyze her in that warehouse, leading to her being knocked out and kidnapped. The title of Episode 158, Seething Sword, tells us that she has been dealt that final blow.

But like the death card, the end of one thing means a new beginning for another. She must learn to wield the swords instead of letting her trauma weigh her down. It’s a symbolic death, not a literal one. The old Lauren, the part of her that was driven by guilt and shame, needs to be buried so the new Lauren, freed of those shackles she’s carried for ten years, can instead look to the future.

And what might we see in the future? We know that Lauren is at a crossroads. The two of swords signifies that two equal and opposing forces are at war, and she is caught in the middle. She has been stuck between the PS and the government of Ardhalis. She wants to take down the PS, but she is increasingly finding that the APD isn’t the paragon of justice she thought it was. Similarly, the PS isn’t entirely evil; though their methods are, their goal is relatable. We believe that Lauren will choose her own path. She won’t side with either, and will instead forge her own way forward, alongside Kieran. Perhaps she will choose to forgo her detective rank and become a fugitive with Kieran—especially if his identity ends up becoming compromised. Perhaps she will support a revolution of the poor and mistreated against the royals who keep them in the dirt.

“He” is closer to her, more similar than she thinks. We believe this is a reference to the leader. She thinks he is hidden in the shadows, but it’s very likely that the leader is someone close to her, given the clues about her parents, the Snapdragon, and how the leader kept her alive all these years. Like Lauren, the leader has also lost people close to him and seeks revenge—against the royals for the massacre of the Snapdragon, for burying those truths along with their bodies.

Hecate mentions enemies, plural, and it’s true that Lauren has many enemies now. Not only those in the Phantom Scythe, but even within the APD, for what she’s doing as Lune. She needs to question those around her more: Stefan, Dakan, March—these people have all lied to her in the past, and yet she is too clouded by her intense focus on the Phantom Scythe to consider those around her. She must remove the blindfold, and it starts with letting go of the past.

Lauren’s obsession with Dylan is holding her back. She needs to accept the truth—that Dylan is dead, and there’s nothing else she can do for him. But that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. She can make a difference in Kieran’s life. She can save him from his cursed fate to kill and kill until he himself perishes. She can help him take down the leader. But in order to do this, she might have to set her privileged life aside. Only when she stops focusing on the past can she create a new future.

#purple hyacinth #webtoon #kieran white #lauren sinclair #ph reread #lauki

[kudzuoath]

Needful Things

With the reappearance of symptoms foretelling of his arcane hunger, Gale seeks out the party’s paladin to plead his case. He needs help. Hopefully Odette is the kind of person he believes her to be. 

Or, Gale and Odette experience mutual attraction and care. Neither one of them acknowledges it.

—

The party’s paladin was taciturn, and brutal on the field of battle. Not someone he typically would have felt drawn to. But then he watched the way Odette interacted with the tiefling children at the grove. Kindly. With a soft voice and a reassuring hand.

Or in the case of the little helion Mol, with a grin and a witty rejoinder that came to her lips as if it were second nature.

There were other things, too. The way she threw herself headlong into danger, flaming greatsword first, the moment she spotted someone in need. How she treated each battle like a game of lanceboard – or the way she carefully handled and collected the books they came across in their travels.

That last bit was the first thing he’d noticed actually – only someone who loved them the way he did would handle them with such care. Even the copies she set back down. It’s not what he expected from a warrior – though perhaps he was letting his biases get the better of him with that.

There was something about her. Under the blood and the bared teeth and the black tattoos covering her neck and forearms. A cleverness. A curiosity. And tying it all together, a surprising kindness.

So one evening in camp he approached her. She was sitting close to the fire, hunched over a tome they’d found in the ruined temple of Jergal.

“That looks like a fascinating read,” he said, unable to help himself.

Odette startled. She nearly took his leg out with her tail when it whipped back and forth. “What?”

“The book?”

“Oh – oh. Yes.” With a faint frown, she closed it and gave him her full attention. Her mismatched eyes were curious – but wary. Not unusual for her, he’d noticed. Though he had also just managed to sneak up on her.

“Did – you need something, Gale?”

“Well, all this travel and adventure has made it somewhat difficult to find my moment, but there’s something rather important I need to speak with you about – if you would be inclined to listen to me this fine evening.”

“Isn’t everything these days?” She gestured at the log she’d perched on, the faintest of half smiles breaking through her stoicism. “Have a seat. Unspool your woes. You won't be the first.”

He itched to ask more about the book. But that wasn’t what he was here for. “How shall I begin… ah! Yes! The beginning. You see, since you freed me from that stone I found myself trapped in I have seen you demonstrate remarkable guile and courage –”

Her smile dropped for some reason. And – was her gaze a little frosty all of the sudden? Did she not believe him?

“ – The way you diffused the tension between Aradin and Zevlor! How you convinced Kagha to release the girl. Or charged in to save that boy from those harpies. And you’ve demonstrated a fair amount of temperance as well – many a paladin would have run that fellow at the bottom of Jergal’s temple through, even though he’d shown no will to harm us! In short, I’ve grown to trust you, Odette.”

Silence. For several seconds that, by the third one, were starting to send prickles of unease down his spine. My but didn’t this woman have a stare on her that could freeze fire! The thing was, he couldn’t see what he’d done to invite it.

Though… perhaps it was just her face? It wasn’t the first time. She only really seemed to gentle around the very young, or very vulnerable. Perhaps it took conscious effort to do so.

“I see.” Another pause. “You’re being genuine, aren’t you?”

He balked. “Of course I am! I am many things, but I’ve never been accused of lying about my feelings towards others.”

That faint smile returned, and she let out a soft little laugh under her breath. She shook her head and ran a hand through her short raven curls with a sigh. “No, you wouldn’t would you? You have my apologies, Gale. I’m not particularly used to people being so complimentary.”

“With how often you save people?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“Gratitude and… flattery are different things, I think. Or… compliments, isn’t it? That’s what they are when they’re genuine…” This last bit was to herself.

He might have been offended if not for how clearly baffled she was. Personally, he didn’t know what to make of her reaction. It was… odd. And it made him wonder what she’d been doing before the Nautiloid captured them. What roads had their Paladin walked? And what Oath now kept her?

“Well, nevertheless,” he said, pushing forward. “The reason I make a point of saying this is that I’ve grown confident enough to tell you something I’ve yet to tell another living soul. Except for my cat.”

She turned to face him fully now. The only hint of emotion he could glean from her face was in the tilt of her head, and the slight furrow beginning to form between her brows. His heart leapt into his throat as the moment came to bear down on him. This was it. He may well find himself a wizard alone. And he was no Elminster – particularly not now, between the tadpole and the orb.

“You see I have this… condition. Very different from the parasite we share. And just as deadly.”

“Can it be cured?” she asked. Immediate, serious. She was sitting at attention and leaning in, examining him with fresh eyes and real, visible concern. He noted the moment she spotted the darkened veins around his eye, and began to follow them down to where they vanished under his shirt. Surely not the first time they’d been noticed. But the first they might hold her any significance.

The way she looked at him. Ready to leap to his aid. It made his throat feel a little tight. And brought to mind his befeathered and bewhiskered friend back in Waterdeep.

“No, it cannot be cured,” he said softly. Swallowing around a lump in his throat. He cleared it and sat up straighter himself. “And I can assure you I left no page unturned in reaching that conclusion.”

Odette seemed to draw back slightly as he said this, eyes shuttered. Something he couldn’t blame her for, given he’d all but told her his days were numbered. Woe betide them all should she learn of exactly how numbered all of their days might be, purely by virtue of his company.

Though that revelation… that one he’d keep close to the chest a while longer. If he were very lucky – lucky enough to survive the tadpole, and find his way back to his tower – she need never know the extent of the threat he posed.

“I can keep this condition under control, as indeed I've done for a significant amount of time! But that was under different circumstances altogether. Home, in Waterdeep.”

“Gale… stop blowing hot air and tell me what you need.” Her voice cracked on the last word, and her hands were fists in her trousers.

“What it comes down to is this,” he said, holding up a finger. He was patently unable to give up his habit of lecturing. Particularly with his nerves strung tight enough to snap and his heart a throbbing drum trying to choke him. He trusted her. He could only hope she proved worthy of it. He thought she would. Hoped.

“Every so often, I need to get my hands on a powerful magical item and absorb the Weave inside.”

There.

“...Are you telling me you’re addicted to magic?” Odette said. Her voice was flat, toneless. But her hands were no longer fists.

“What? No – no. It’s nothing like that. Magic isn’t some – some narcotic to me. It’s literally a lifesaver.”

She stared at him. “It’s not that I doubt you – only that I’ve seen what can happen to people addicted to drink when they go too long without it.” Her voice darkened. “What they can do to people. And how, ultimately, the lack of it can kill them.”

The unfortunate thing was, she had a point with that comparison. Even if it didn't apply here.

“Were it an addiction, it might provide some other benefit than keeping me alive,” he said. And realized a moment after doing so that technically, it did. In that it was also keeping everyone and everything else in his vicinity alive and intact. But – no. Not that. Not now. “It is more a salve for a burn, medicine for an infection – though it wont cure what ails me.”

A new tension in her shoulders drained away. “I see.”

“I would not burden anyone other than myself with this were the stakes not so high, and the means of obtaining such artifacts challenging for a humble wizard to face alone.” He leaned forward. Fear sawed at him now. He hadn’t expected her to agree outright of course – he still didn’t. But he had to absorb something, and soon. Elsewise all might well be lost, tadpole be damned. “It’s been a tenday at least since I last consumed an artifact – since before we were abducted. It’s only a matter of time before my craving returns.”

In truth, he could feel it already. An unpleasant tingling numbness deep in his chest. One that made his heart beat just slightly out of tune. That froze his lungs. It was only a bit of morning frost at the moment. But all too soon he would be reduced to gasping on his back, hands pressed to his chest as if that might hold the snarling demon within at bay.

“That is why I turn to you, I need you to help me find magic items to consume,” he said. Intense. Unable to help himself even though he’d planned the rational facade. His hand was pressed over his hammering heart, fingers clawed in his shirt. The memory of what was soon to come biting under his palm. “It is vital. Dare I say it, critical.”

There weren’t words to describe the danger. His panic at perhaps being rejected. He would turn to petty thievery if he must. Not for his own sake, but for the sake of every living being around them, should it come to that. He would need them, if only to clear enough ground so as to minimize the hells he would unleash in his death.

Odette was watching him with a new wariness. His intensity had perhaps been… a little much. But once he’d noticed that creeping hunger in his chest… the panic had taken root in his tongue. Though it might prove needful. And may well have served to illustrate his genuine need better than if he’d managed to remain collected.

“Where are we going to find these items?” she said.

That wasn’t a no.

“We’ve already done the finding – in fact you have one in your possession as we speak.” He gestured to where her greatsword lay. It glowed like a dying ember, even sheathed. “You know for yourself how hardwon such an item was and it will be no easier when even more are required to assuage my hunger.”

As he’d said before – he was no liar. He wouldn’t pretend this would be easy. The least of what he owed her was that honesty.

“There will be danger involved. Or great cost.”

Odette’s eyes had remained on her sword as he spoke. He’d heard the tale of how she’d gotten it. On the Nautiloid. From a devil. His understanding was that it had been a difficult battle, barely won and only undertaken out of sheer desperation with the temporary alliance of her illithid captors. Giving her allies the time they needed to reach the alien transponder that had ultimately dumped them all into this wilderness.

She let out a long sigh, and unsheathed the weapon. Flames danced up and down the blade, merrily viscous. Its sudden heat made the night air steam slightly around them. Very carefully, she offered him the hilt, and met his gaze.

“Take it."

Gale’s mouth didn’t quite fall open, but it was near thing. He stared at the sword instead.

And then his panic melted away like so much snow falling on a wildfire. He’d expected… well. He hadn’t known what to expect. But Odette disarming herself was not among them. He’d been right. As he typically was of course. Right to trust her. Right to tell her. Like his panic, his tension drained too. And all at once the symptoms of his hunger felt far less pressing.

For indeed, they were less pressing. It was the fear. There was still time. And to feed it too soon… it might upset the balance. Might increase its need to consume. He would have a hard enough time keeping up with it as things were. No need to tempt fate.

“I knew I could count on you!” he said. “And – and utterly pleased as I am by your enthusiasm, there is still time. I did not leave things quite until the last moment. I’m a good deal cleverer than that! Keep your weapon for now. Perhaps we shall find something less dear to be parted with. Faerun overflows with magically infused treasure after all!”

Odette considered him for a moment, but re-sheathed her sword.

Then, in a move that made his heartbeat stutter she set her hands on his shoulders and squeezed lightly.

“Thank you. For asking for help, Gale. I know… it’s not an easy thing.”

Her gaze was as true as her heart was. And he found himself wondering how he’d written her off, no matter how briefly. A wizard she was not. But perhaps she was something just as good. A truly, deeply, decent soul. No matter her viciousness in a fight.

“Nor your promise to sacrifice these items, Odette,” he said, his voice dropping with softness unfeigned. “I know what I am asking –”

“There’ll always be magic daggers and enchanted rings,” she said, cutting him off. “You’re the only Wizard of Waterdeep I know, though. Don’t…” she swallowed. He caught a glimpse of an old pain on her face. One that made those eyes – one brown and one purple – look so lightless he might have been frightened had the emotion not been so clearly one of hurt. Her grip tightened slightly on his shoulders and she wouldn’t meet his eyes. When she finished her thought, it was in a whisper soft voice. “Don’t kill yourself with your silence.

He lifted his hands to cover hers. “Believe me, I shan’t be quiet should my need arise.”

“Good.”

For a moment, they watched each other. And Gale couldn’t help but think of how long it had been since mortal hands – or the hands of anyone at all – had touched him. There had only been Tara. His heart beat stuttered as he looked at the planes of her face, illuminated by the firelight. It was a beautiful sight. He found himself wishing to stroke his thumb over the black flame tattooed on her forehead for some odd reason. Or better, to follow the curved pattern of dark flames along her jaw with his fingertips.

Odette was smiling back at him, and there was a softness there. But then she seemed to notice their closeness. She let go of him abruptly and pulled back. Put distance between them as she busied herself with setting aside her sword, with repacking the book.

He was all at once given the impression of many doors closing and locking one after another. By the time she turned back to look at him, her face was settled back into its normal vaguely intimidating neutrality.

“I should try to get some sleep,” she said. “And so should you. We need to find where those bloody goblins have holed up with the Druid. Interesting as that ruin turned out, our new friend is not the cure we’ve been looking for.”

“Indeed not,” he agreed, standing. He recognized a dismissal, no matter how kindly given. He made a dramatic gesture and half bowed. “Dear lady, may you sleep the sleep your kindness so richly deserves!”

She let out a surprised laugh, that mask breaking again. “And may you rest your eternally wagging tongue, dear wizard.”

A dig, but she said it with a fondness he found gratifying. He wasn’t unaware of his talkative nature, when he’d been given half the chance to chatter. Good that she seemed to like it.

“I shall do my very best to oblige.”

Gale returned to his tent with a lightness in his heart most unfamiliar, and a smile he would have been hard pressed to extinguish.

#gale #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #gale bg3 #gale/tav #named tav #tiefling tav #paladin tav #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #my writing #crossposted to AO3 #featuring vague story based justifications for taking the devil comanders sword #also remixed canon dialogue #i love this wizard disaster #also some of you know of odette #yes i made her a tiefling even though the screenshots are half-elf #i wanted to used different face options without modding

[thedepthsoffandomminds]

The guest PT 12

Masterlist

"You actually really like these people, don't you?" Fagin asks Jack

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?" He laughed, popping a nut into his mouth.

"Help me, Bob, I'm bully in the alley!" Rotty sang.

"I see Big Kit and his boy, Alfie, are doing all right for themselves. It goes to show that there's more out there than just ambergris." Fagin mused.

"Fagin, just enjoy your coin, and drink your rum." Jack shook his head in amusement.

"I am. Don't mean I can't be working. It's how a thief stays sharp."

A woman comes.over and sits on Jack's lap, "No. Thank you." He says to her politely.

"You still thinkin' about your fancy skirt? Who's distracted now from the sacred purpose of drinking, eh?" Fagin quips. Jack sighs.

"I just don't understand it. She keeps telling me I should be with Belle but I kissed her and I felt nothing." He runs a hand through his hair.

"ahh well women so rarely say what they mean."

Fagin fumbled in his pocket for a moment before passing a wrapped cloth across to him. "You'll be needing this soon I suspect." He nods.

Jack unfolded the cloth allowing a small silver ring to fall out.

"What is this? Who did you steal this from?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"No one, well...it was Nancy's."

Jack felt his heart stop at mention of the name.

At that moment the tavern doors burst open and red coats came rushing in. Chaos lost control.

*_*_*_*

You walk into the hospital, trailing along behind Belle and Fanny. You had made sure the younger sister used peppermint instead of peppers for the jelly she had made. You had to admit it was becoming harder to recall the TV show and what happened in it. After all it had been almost two months since you had arrived in Port Victory. At times you could almost forget where you had come from, if it wasn't for the dreams. Every night since you had fallen you had the same dream.

The sight of Hetty made you smile.

"Nurse Beggett, can I speak with you a moment?" You ask, allowing the sister to wander off up the stairs. Hetty nods and leads you into the nurses room.

"I need to talk to you, about your cousin." You say.

"Of course. What do you need to know?"

"Did she have weird dreams?" You ask nervously. Hetty stops folding sheets and turns fully to you.

"Yes, she called them visions. We didn't believe her but she would say she saw other worlds. Places where the people were different but also the same."

You breathe a sigh of relief and nod.

"Okay. What happened to her?"

Hetty's eyes dropped briefly.

"Honestly, we don't know. One day she was here the next gone."

"oh."

There is a rush of movement and noise in the corridor and you both rush out. Hundreds of people are being rushed in all around you.

You rush straight to work helping the influx of patients. You had worked in the emergency room so many nights this felt almost normal for you.

You hear Hetty call out.

"Some doctors would be nice!"

Quickly after you see both Belle and Jack coming in. Jack is frantically trying to help patients into beds and looking for the Professor. Your eyes meet his. He breathes in, opening his mouth to call to you but you turn and rush away. If you were busy with a patient he couldn't talk to you. Could he?

This influx was more than what you thought, Jack explained to the prof that Gaines had ordered this massacre and you recalled the episode.

"Bully in the Alley." You said to yourself. Upon hearing you Jack turned to face you.

"What did you say? You know something don't you?"

"I'm sorry, Jack." You say looking at the young man lying in the bed. Jack sighed.

"Can we talk?" He asks you, "later can we talk?"

"There is no need, everything is as it should be." You say and walk away.

"Y/n-"

"Let her go. I'll talk to her later." Belle says as she moves across the ward.

"Jack, this is a lot more complicated than you think. Y/n is a foreteller." Hetty said across the bed.

"Like your cousin?" His head shoots in the direction you had walked.

"Jack, patients now, love life later." She demanded. Jack nodded and went back to helping the patients.

Slowly the sun began to rise outside, Jack and Belle stood over Alfie Wilderkins.

"There's nothing more we could have done. Not with bleeding like that." Jack explained to Belle, "Hetty, have you eaten anything at all?" He asked. The nurse looked as if she was half asleep.

" No time." She says continuing with her work. All the staff had been cslled.in o er night to cope with the amount of patients. You watch them from the door. Gaines pushes past you knocking into your shoulder as he walked by.

"Captain Gaines, I will be speaking to my father!" Belle spit out at him.

" Have you come to finish them off? Blinded in one eye, a fractured skull, and a ruptured femoral artery!" Jack half shouted.

"All the results of resisting lawful execution of a warrant And that's young Alfie Wilderkins if I'm not mistaken. This is a very good day indeed." Gaines grinned.

" I want the men responsible court-martialled." Jack growled.

" Well, that would be me. You'll need to tell the Governor his right hand is a criminal." The Captain almost laughed.

"Yes. That is a very good idea." You say, causing him to turn round to you. He curled his top lip for a moment.

"Arrest them. They're accomplices." He orders his men pointing at the patients. Belle runs to the door and puts her arms out to her side.

"They need medical care. I can't let you take my patients."

"They were never your patients, Lady Belle. They're my prisoners. Stand aside." He takes a step closer to her, " Your father indulges you. If you were my daughter..." you slide between them putting your hand on his chest.

"She would run away. Like your wife." You his. Gaines narrows his eyes on you.

"And what would.you know of family?" He says.

"More than you. Tell me how is your wife's lover, oh sorry I mean your closest friend." You keep your chin turned up towards him as you speak.

Gaines steps forward his hand beginning to raise, but he's stopped by Jack gripping him.

"No, Jack let him hit me." It's your turn to step forward your face close enough to whisper to the Captain, "Where I come from, women hit back and harder."

Gaines let out a growling huff, his lips moving like he wants to say something else. He turns back to Jack, "Pity you didn't strike me, Dawkins." He said before marching from the hospital. Belle follows him.

"Your father can stop this!" Jack shouted.

"Where do you think I'm going?" She shouted back. Jack takes a step toward you but you retreat slightly.

"You removed your bandage?" He said quietly. You look down at your arm and twist it.

"yes, I needed the movement, I'm alright. It's okay, the pain is minimal." You assure him before once again turning away.

*_*_*_*

"Right. Here we go. Hair of the rat." Fagin poured the secret Whiskey into two mugs handing one to Jack.

" I need to find what Gaines cares about the most and rip it from him. Hit him where he'll howl." Jack says, hand lent on his hand.

"No, Dodge, provoking the lobsters head on, that's not our way."

" He's turning this place into a floating prison yard." Jack argued

" Which it technically is. And what's priceless in a prison? Contraband. He's done us a service, he's turned liquor into gold. And you know what's useful about me being on your ward? I got word from an injured farrier, about where they're takin' all that purloined grog.

"Gaines is knocking my patients' skulls in, and all you're thinking about is nicking grog!"

"It's because we're pickpockets. We're not the cavalry. We melt into shadows, we spot our moments, we survive. Now, I've got a man on the inside. Literally." Fagin laughed.

"These people matter to me, Fagin." Jack spat out

"Ah, very pretty. That's a lovely sentiment. Very noble." Fagin sat across fr.him

"Look, a stagecoach goes by with a year's worth of grog. Flashbang's hiding inside one of the crates..."

" What happened to you to make you so shrivelled with self-interest? Cold winds, Dodge. Cold winds. A stick with brass tacks on it that fell on me back no matter how much I begged. A belly that gnawed and never got filled, except for gruel or filth, and creeping hands in cold alleys and the dark nights without a roof. All right, I get the idea." Fagin explained making Jack feel small. "Yes. Things that you and Oliver never had to worry about, because I always made sure you boys had a blanket and a fire and a meal, and the means to get them when you was grown."

" Then why not show some of that same sympathy to these people now?" Jack implores.

" Look, you can give yourself to this crowd if you want, you can pretend you've found a home. But most people are bastards who will cross you as soon as spit and then when the night turns, the only one who'll be loyal to yourself is yourself, and me." Fagin continued.

"Until it inconveniences you."

"You're one to talk. You get a hole in your chest and you want to fill it up with crime, 'till Lady bloody Cheekbones twitches her skirt, then you drop me and you piss off. Well, I'm your family, Dodge. I'm your home, when you condescend to acknowledge me." Genuine hurt filled every word Fagin spoke.

"y/n is not just a fancy skirt. She isn't one of them." He fights back, turning his eyes to the floor.

"Could have fooled me." Fagin almost walked away until he saw the look on Jack's face. He had seen it once before. Many years ago, utter devotion to another person without question. A set of eyes that would remain in his mind forever in his memory and devotion that got the girl killed. He stepped back to the man that was once his beloved child, gabbing him by the shoulder and squeezing.

"I'm sorry, my boy. We'll get him, soon enough. Give it time, but lad, don't fall in love lad. It'll ruin ya."

@fandomfan-102 @deanstolemydragon @mydeputyghostwagon

[regallibellbright]

I am of the firm opinion that, until EXPLICITLY proven otherwise by canon, Kingdom Hearts Court Magician Donald Duck spent most of his childhood and adolescence traveling across the worlds on adventures with his Uncle Scrooge, and that's where he learned magic.

This is also where he discovered a lot of magical items, not to mention all the ones SCROOGE found, so honestly Donald doesn't even bother to keep track of all the treasures in the Duck Family's possession, no one does really, not even SCROOGE knows, he'll go digging one up because he needs one for a specific purpose/adventure and in the process he'll unearth like five similar ones he just plain forgot about.

Obviously Scrooge continued adventuring while Donald was off being a Musketeer, including at least one use of Zettaflare that is forever engraved in Goofy and Mickey's memories but for Donald was just in his bottom quarter of all-time adventure rankings, and obviously Scrooge continued finding fantastical treasures that he may or may not know the significance of. There's at least one magical sword that's currently being used at the Bistro as a knife because it never loses its edge.

What I'm saying is Scrooge McDuck is a Keyblade wielder and you cannot convince me otherwise. A weapon that can also open any chest is INVALUABLE to an adventurer like him, are you kidding? When he retired from adventuring in favor of being a full-time entrepreneur he just chucked it in the bin with everything else. Probably he managed to find one of the Foretellers' old Keyblades lying around or something. It'd just figure. No one told HIM he was needed for a war between light and darkness for the fate of all the worlds! Donald never tells him where he's been these days!

While I laid out this proposition to a friend on Discord, she agreed and added that Webby should get a Keyblade too.

Conclusion:

This is the current wielder of Ira's Keyblade. Scrooge had it lying around for a decade in some attic somewhere, Webby thought the unicorn was cool, and Scrooge figured, hey! Every child should have a good set of lockpicks for treasure chests and a means of self-defense, and it's not as though he's using it for anything important!

When Donald finds this out, he will be disappointed, but not surprised.

#kingdom hearts #eye contact #scopophobia #just gonna be on the safe side because that is a good Webby Stare right there. #Ducktales 2017 #ducktales #webby vanderquack #scrooge mcduck #donald duck #I know this will never happen for a variety of reasons starting with the fact that it would require a Disney character #who has not previously been relevant to BECOME relevant to the metaplot AND introduce a new one at that. Not likely. #plus then you get into the fact that 2017 Scrooge is a different continuity and design than 1987 Ducktales Scrooge or subsequent appearance #not to mention the voice actor differences (They could've gotten Tennant in 3 but didn't and Enn Reitel isn't trying to be him OR Young) #so using Webby (which they won't) would mean a character who should for design continuity be using her 1987 look and characterization #to go along with Scrooge and the boys but for 'why would Disney ever do this EXCEPT Brand Synergy' should obviously be 2017 #and like any kind of mixing and matching of the designs and voices would be odd even if Webby hasn't been established in KH #so there's no need to try and imitate Russi Taylor's very distinctive Duck Voice but at the same time it would just be ODD #like. Never gonna happen. Especially not to have a FORETELLER'S Keyblade particularly now that they're back in play. #but I think it would be funny as hell and so it is canon in my heart. #besides between the Xion-Roxas-Sora Can Dual Wield Even In 3 thing and whatever's going on with Keyblade Inheritance in 3 #with regards to Terra and Aqua's Keyblades and heirs (and whoever you argue Terranort's using they are also there at the Graveyard) #(like whether it's Terra's-that's-Sora's or Terra's or Xehanort's we've got LW there we've got Sora we've got Xehanort) #the only conclusions I can draw are either that Keyblades naturally duplicate themselves with a few plot-specific exceptions #or that Keyblades are susceptible to at least two different forms of item duplication glitch one of which involves time travel #meaning it is entirely possible for Scrooge and Webby to have Ira's Keyblade and Ira to ALSO have Ira's Keyblade #because time travel was probably involved if nothing else and time travel can allow for Keyblade Duplication Glitches #(no seriously try to explain how Roxas Xion and Sora all use a Keyblade at once in 3 WITHOUT at least one instance of duplication.) #(and this is assuming some convoluted 'Roxas inherited Ven's and Xion inherited Sora's and Roxas bequeathed her Sora's' in Days) #(so that there is technically no duping in Days but then with Sora and Ven ALSO running around in 3... like.) #(I'm pretty sure Saix is getting beat up with 4-5 copies of a single Keyblade that has been repeatedly duplication glitched is my point.)

[dudecreature]

Time Anxiety

Pairing: Task force 141/ soap x GN! Reader Word Count: 2.9k Idea: the reader who has time anxiety and when soap invites them to movie night they freak out about the time. "meet us in the movie room at 8:00 don't be late ;P" *shows up like 45 minutes early sitting on the couch the whole time* the guys walk in like 10 late and the reader looks at them like a kicked puppy bc they thought the guys had pranked them and didn't want to have a movie night with them. "I thought you guys weren't going to show up 🥺🥺 its 10 minutes past when you said to be here by I thought this was y’alls way of saying you didn't like me-" soap interjects with a "woht?! whey'd ja everh think thaht?!" "I dunno I just have a lot of anxiety about stupid stuff" reader ends up passing out on Soaps shoulder bc of the long day they had and the built-up anxiety that had worn them out Proof Read: Yes

You trudged through the hallway on your way back from a solo mission. It wasn’t a horrible mission, it went really well in fact. You were just fucking exhausted, eyes drooping, feet dragging, shoulder slumping exhausted. You were ready to get out of the grody clothes, into the shower, and pass out.

Once you had made it to the showers, using as close to boiling water as you could have, you scrubbed the dirt, smell, and residing adrenaline from your skin. When you stepped out you put on lotion (you weren’t going to be a heathen with dry skin) and put on your most comfortable set of sweats and a loose shirt. The residing warmth in your skin nearly lulls you to sleep just standing there in the locker room.

The mess hall hadn’t opened quite yet and there was no telling if you would be able to stay awake long enough to even be first in line. You had decided to forgo the mess hall altogether this afternoon, foretelling that the conversations around you would be too loud for your taste. Sometimes it wasn’t terrible, but you really did have a tendency to let your anxiety and aversions lead you in life. Besides, you really couldn’t stand the idea of having to sit alone once again.

It felt as if no matter how long you were going to be part of the 141 the guys would never get as close to you as they would each other. You would be lying if you said it didn't bother you, of course, you want to be liked by your team, but you were just absolute shit about starting a conversation and meeting new people.

“Thank you once again stupid fucking anxiousness” you chastise your brain for being the way that it is. It has its perks, you have some of the best intuition about people and situations (you never did like that ‘Graves’ guy) it was just at times like this that you wished you could just turn it off. But hey, it had created quite the talent in you to never be late to anything. Ever.

Swinging the door to your room open, as soon as your eyes locked with your bed it was as if you could hear a choir of angels descending, singing a beautiful song of your victory. Your prize? Glorious, glorious sleep. Completely disregarding the fact that it was still light out you crawled into the thin, but soft sheets and yawn. The weight of the day draped like a blanket over you, no thoughts in your mind as you were lulled to sleep. 

Knocking is what woke you up, it very well could have been soft knocking but to you it sounded like banging. You shoot up, wide-eyed, and nearly trip over yourself getting off the bed to rush the door. Yanking the door open with your eyes filled with bewilderment and panic. You see the figure in front of you jump at the sudden movement, he looks at you and an apologetic look washes over his face. 

“Ah, shite did I wake you? I'm sorry dude." A sheepish smile washes over the face of the man in front of you. It takes a second for you to fully be able to process who the hell is standing in front of you. About 20 seconds of dead silence hung in the air, anxiety rattling in your ribs. You attempt to ground yourself with a breathing exercise you had learned somewhere on the internet.

'Five things I can see. Fuck.. The door frame. Soap. Soap's mohawk. Soap's eyes. Soap’s -.'

Realizing that he was all you were thinking about you shook your head and forcibly snapped yourself out of whatever trance you were in. 

"Huh?"

You sounded like an idiot. In all honesty, it is the only thing you could muster without your voice cracking. The team already thought you were young, no need in giving them even more incentive to pick on you about it. Soap chuckled at you again and apologized once more. 

"Ah… I wanted to invite you to a movie night we are having, the other guys will be there.. in the common room." He hesitated over a couple of his words giving room for suspicion on your end. As if he could sense your trepidation he clarifies his reasoning. 

"I just had figured you would want a way to unwind after your solo mission today... but I'm now realizing.. that you may have just wanted... uh to sleep."

He releases an airy, awkward laugh, scratching at the back of his neck. He locked eyes with you watching as you deliberated your response. You had never actually been “invited” to one of their movie nights, only ever seeing them in the common room on your way back from the mess hall. Thinking about it made your pulse skyrocket, they wanted to hang out with you now? What has changed?

“I… uhm sure… that uh.. sounds fun.” 

Your face did not reflect your words, and your words did not match your internal emotions. You were excited but you were also very nervous, you began to go over the positive things before you were able to fall too deep into the negatives of your own mind. It would be good, a bonding experience with the group, and you would be able to relax then. Forcing a smile on your face to hopefully aid in the portrayal of the feeling of excitement instead of fear, but you probably just looked like you had to shit… honestly. He perked up immensely once hearing your answer and clapped a hand on your shoulder. 

“Great! Well we already decided what movie we are going to watch, hope you like Rango.. but we start at 8 okay?”

You nodded fervently, not able to trust your voice once again, and cracked your knuckles together in a habitual nervous tic.

“Good good! We will see you then! Don't be late.” With a sharp smile and a wink, he lifted his hand and spun on his heel to leave.

“And wear somethin’ comfy!” He shouted with one last word over his shoulder.

You snake your way back into the room fully and shut your door. When your hand leaves the handle you then notice a slight tremor in your hands. Taking breaths to stabilize yourself, you look at the clock hoping that you would have time to mentally prepare for interaction with the people you had assumed did not want to get to know you. 6:30. Great, you had only a little less than an hour of sleep. You knew you would be fine, and with an hour and a half until 8:00, perfect… that's three segments of 30 minutes before you had to be there.

Well maybe getting time to know your way around the common room could take a little bit of time. You mentally scratch off 15 minutes, to be able to get comfortable in the common room in your plan. And you had figured if you walked at your normal pace it would take you less than five minutes to get to the common room, so naturally you give yourself those 5 minutes for it. Realizing to yourself that you now have 20 minutes marked off for preparation, now you only have an hour and ten minutes by yourself.

You couldn’t stand being in your room any longer, all you were doing was sitting and overthinking, and it started to suffocate you. So you left. You grabbed a hoodie from your room and left for the common room. It was only 7:15. When you had gotten to the common room you noticed things were a little out of place compared to how it normally is. Choosing to sit on the couch you sat on the center cushion and put your hoodie on, the silence becoming deafening. You pulled out your phone and decided it would be a good time to check emails and messages that you had received. That had lasted a whole two minutes. 7:17. You really had nothing better to do, so you found one of the little push games on your phone and tried to distract yourself from the one question that had been looming over you since the Scotsman had asked you to join them

“What if this is a fucking prank?”

You hated that thought; you wished your brain wasn’t that untrusting of people you had known for nearly 6 months now, but it just came naturally to you. You so desperately wanted to get along with them, to be able to share some of their inside jokes, to be as close to them as they are to each other. Mindlessly tapping at your phone did nothing to help those thoughts that were digging their way into your brain. When you finally are able to look at the time on your phone, you were less than pleased with what you found. 7:46. The universe had to be fucking with you, sure 30 minutes was a decent amount of time, but not a good thing for the newfound anxieties coursing through your veins.

'Where were the others?' 

As a rule of thumb you typically showed up to a place 15 - 20 minutes early depending on the event, just to get situated and know what the vibe of the room felt like. There was no way for you to know how Soap, Ghost, or even Gaz liked to partition their time. It was nothing new for you to be the first one to arrive at any kind of event.

However, when you had read 7:58 on the lock screen of your phone and no one had shown up yet, you had begun to panic. The thoughts of them pulling a cruel prank on you began to boil over in you. A pit formed in your stomach, and you hug yourself in reassurance, was it beginning to get hotter in the common room. Or was it just you? As soon as the clock hit 8 pm you fought the frown that had begun to form on your face with a sharp bite to your lip. You were not going to cry over this. And so you sat and waited for the gang to arrive.

And you waited

And waited. For what felt like an eternity.

You flip your phone over and the screen lit up. Completely dumbfounded at the time that currently read on the screen. 8:09. You wanted to go back to your room, but you also wanted to give into their little game and finally just look for them. Then you heard a door opening and closing and finally heard their voices. Tears welled in your eyes as you heard them laughing. Were they laughing at you? You scrubbed your face with the sleeves of your hoodie before anyone could see your weakness.

“Oh hey! Looks like you beat us!” You hear Soap gruffly laugh out, and when you looked over you spotted Gaz, Price, Ghost, and Soap just having come through the doorway. They had looked at you with a small amount of confusion and concern in their eyes. Soap caught your eye and silently asked what was wrong, so you looked away. God, you must have looked like a kicked puppy if they knew that something was wrong from just one quick look. When you refused to answer Soap asked aloud,

“What’s the matter, dude? You alright?”

That is when you had realized your mistake. They had just been late. That was all. You had no reason to be fussing over something so small, so menial, it was only ten fucking minutes. You hummed a confirmation and nodded your head. Once again forcing a terrible smile you stated,

“Just excited for the movie.” A pause filled the room for about 8 seconds after and you shuffled slightly in your seat.

“You're absolute shit at lying.” Partially taken aback you turn your head to the sound of the voice. Price had stepped forward and the team had their eyes on him. You locked eyes with him and said in the most uncertain tone, 

“I’m sorry?”

"Apology accepted. I won't knock you for it, just remind me to teach you about avoiding interrogation later." he chuckled at his stupid joke. Your eyes roam over to the three others both Gaz and Soap are looking at their Captain, but Ghost is staring a hole into your head. You swore that man secretly had laser vision and just never told anyone. 

"Well, are you going to tell us what's the matter or are we going to have to use the American's way of interrogating?” He laughed again in an attempt to keep the conversation as light as he could, but it didn't affect the tension in the room. If anything it made it more awkward. Gaz made a face that would have made you laugh if your mood hadn't been completely soiled. At least Soap had laughed for you. Gnawing on your lip once more, you take a breath, there was no use in hiding this, if they could tell you were bothered it was dumb to hold it in. You opened your mouth, still trying to gather your thoughts on how to correctly word how you were feeling. It was a dumb thing, they would surely scoff at you.

“Kid, you can take your time okay? And if you want us to get outta yer face we can.”

“I thought you guys weren’t going to show up.” You say with a heavy heart, the tone in your voice laced with the fear of rejection. “Soap said to be here at 8 and I’ve been sitting here since like 7:15 and when you guys weren’t showing up I thought that it was you guy’s way of saying that you didn't like me and didn’t really want me here-”

“What?! How come wid ye ever think that?!” You jump at the quick Scottish shout that comes from Soap. The question forces you to think about the days you were left out of things as a kid and such. The thoughts are all fleeting but they still had managed to crawl their way out a little. Cracking your knuckles, you cast your eyes away from them. “I don’t know,” pausing you look back with an ashamed look shadowing over your face “I just have a lot of anxiety about that kinda stuff I guess… early is on time, and on time is late ya’ know? No matter what the situation is, it's kinda stupid.”

While you let your words hang in the air you take an abnormally large breath and run your hands over your face, then through your hair. Tiredness washing over you, your eyes drooping ever so slightly you realize how little sleep you were running on at this point.

“It's not stupid to have anxiety about stuff like that,” a deep, gruff voice rang through the room, “it's completely normal for someone to be liked by their peers.” There was no need to even look over at him because you could feel his eyes through his mask on your head.

“Yea, it literally pack mentality, it's kinda like a survival instinct. It's nature.” Gaz butts in and that's when you look over. ‘Pack mentality. Interesting take on it,’ you thought to yourself ‘does this mean we’re… a pack?’ your face scrunches up involuntarily as you try not to make it weird in your head. The four of them chuckle at something you didn't hear, so you shoot them all a quizzical look. Soap smiles at you and shakes his head. He walks over to where you are sitting on the couch and the others follow. Soap sits on your left and Ghost sits on your right, Gaz claims the chair and Price snatches a pillow from the seat to use on the floor. You offer your seat to Price, but he declines with a quick and adamant.

“No, thank you. Those idiots take up too much space and mohawk over there likes to cuddle during movies.”

You thought he was joking until a quarter of the way through the movie, you began to doze off and you felt yourself being pulled from the right to the left. You open your eyes, not even have realized you had closed them, and watch as Soap pulls you into his side with his arm. ‘This motherfucker’ you thought to yourself. You could feel the heat rise to the back of your neck and your ears burn. You had stiffened at the touch and looked up at him with a face that said ‘really?’ He simply smiled at you and leaned towards your ear, whispering “Just like a pack?” Your eyes widen at the very delayed information, that you had asked if the group was a pack.. out.. loud. God, you really were an idiot. 

You half-heartedly shoved him away and attempted to scoot over closer to Ghost but the arm around your shoulders locks you in. He just chuckles at your feeble attempts and continues watching the movie. You continue to stare for just a few lingering moments and turn back to the movie as well, the warmth from him that cloaked you begged you to sleep right there. You didn't need to watch the movie anyway, just being there was what you had craved.

AN: thank you so much for reading!! i genuinely think this is the longest thing ive ever written. its amazing how i can write 2.9k words for tumblr but i cant make the word count for class work 💀. have a wonder ful day!! <3

#dudewrites #dudecreature #soap x reader #john soap mactavish #call of duty mw2 #task force 141 #kyle gaz garrick #captain price #john price #fanfiction

[psianabel]

Ephemer's and Brain's scenes where they get appointed as a Union Leader - a comparison (and some other stuff relating to that)

Hi I'm Psi and I've been rotating these scenes in my mind for so long I just need to put down some words about this. Idk how long this is going to be, but I hope you will enjoy this. (Also screw the 10 picture limit of tumblr.)

There is quite the difference between those two scenes and it reflects a lot about their relationship with Ava, how they treat the title as a Union Leader, and are just ... generally interesting to look at, now that we kinda know everything.

The first frame each scene.

We know all of them got appointed at this same hill (except Strelitzia and, well, Ventus). Yet right from the start - even though the positioning are the same between them, Brain is seen lying down on the hill as Ava talks to him, while Ephemer seems to have been called to the hill to meet Ava there. Ava might have joined Brain on the hill instead of the other way around.

Brain is seen with the Rule Book in his hands already. The conversion starts for us right in the middle - he already got that book, and Ava told him to become a Union Leader.

The scene with Ephemer also starts right in the middle for us. Yet he doesn't have the rule book yet, but also asks Ava the same question as Brain.

Let's continue with Ephemer's scene for now. He questions everything Ava tells him, can't quite understand this end of the world, how he can't wrap his head around this while Ava already tells him what he has to do. It is very overwhelming for him (understandable), but he tries to listen to Ava's talk.

Ava assures him he isn't alone in this, that they can work together.

Ephemer just takes it all in, without questioning this loud on screen. I'm certain his mind is running miles right now. A silent thinker.

Brain, however, reacts quite differently. While we don't see the conversation they had before, the talk about the end, the war, doesn't happen here (which I definitely get from a narration point, and assume happened as he got the Rule Book before this scene started).

Instead he questions the choice of him taking on such an important role, immediately asking whose idea this was. Ava tells him the truth, that it was the Master of Masters, and assures him he'll be fine. And again Brain isn't quite happy about the work he just got appointed to do, and questions her about the four others - Ava must have told him about how they will take over the roles of the foretellers, to lead the Unions, how they can work together etc.

While he doesn't get an answer to his question, Ava's answer is still enough for him to draw an answer for himself - looking right through everything, how they aren't supposed to meet up before the war to do something unexpected.

"Clever as always" says to me that Ava knew Brain before all this. They definitely have met before, Ava knows how Brain thinks, how he's like and what he's capable of. Her short answers of "you'll be fine" over and over imply to me that.

The two scenes now drift apart in terms of the topic, yet they still kind of follow the same path.

Ava asks Ephemer to prepare for the other world - the world she intends to send the Dandelions to - while she starts a conversation about fate and destiny about Brain.

Again, let's start with Ephemer's scene first. Ava has given Ephemer the Rule Book now, and while Ephemer is still hung up about everything Ava just told him, Ava tells him how this other world won't have the Dandelions remember the war. Ephemer counters with how he isn't sure if this is a good idea, how the past is what makes the future after all. Ava notes how she thought he might say that and wonders if he still thought the same if he was there to witness the end.

Ephemer doesn't answer and the scene ends.

Throughout the entire scene Ava stays serious, going through this calm and collected without showing much emotion. The only time she does crack a small smile is at the very end.

Ava, now having joined Brain's side on the ground, starts dropping think-pieces towards Brain about the future, about predetermined fate, and if you knew what would happen, would you be able to change it.

Brain always answers her curious questions with curious questions of his own, furthering the discussion with her. He brings up the Book of Prophecies and knows how it holds the future in text form, wonders if you were to change the future if the text were to change as well.

Ava's expressions during that scene stays smiling, she chuckles at some answers from Brain, ... it comes off as appreciation that Brain just gets her, understands what she is about and her thought process.

A wavelength they share. Ava trusts him and you can see it in that conversation alone.

It is interesting, because with Ephemer - as he states the past is what makes the future - she simply comes off as "don't think about that. Follow the rules set in stone". Ephemer tries to challenge the thought, but Ava shuts him down. Even that far that, when he later meets Brain for the first time and Brain asks about the rules, Ephemer remembers Ava's words and follows what he had been told to.

Sure, these two topics - between Ava and Ephemer, and Ava and Brain - are different, yet it is still a conversation only the two individually got. And I can't help but compare these two, because the intentions of these scenes are the same, yet so vastly different excecuted.

And to bring everything to a peak, Brain's scene continues with him getting the Book of Prophecies, together with the list of the names of the five new Union Leaders.

Again, Ava trusts Brain in this, how he uses it, what he's supposed to do with it. And he assures her that he understood her message loud and clear. The scene ends with Brain saying he won't open it if he can avoid it and Ava, again, assuring him that he will know best.

Ava was intrusted to give the Book of Prophecies to one of the new Union Leaders in secret, noted that no one else from the other four should ever get their hands on it. Now that we know it wasn't Brain who was supposed to get it, the look at this and some other scenes get quite ... interesting.

There are some leftover things I want to cover.

- Ava and Brain have a much more comfortable conversation than Ava and Ephemer. I conclude from that that they knew each other before all this, as I mentioned before. Ephemer states that Ava is easy to talk to, so maybe that is also a factor. I also conclude from this that she specifically chose Brain for the Book because she already knew him. If she knew him before or after she got the list with the names would really be interesting to know, but sadly we don't know that. (But could you imagine if she knew him before she got her role?)

- Maybe Ephemer just needed this serious talk. We do know him as his bright, laughing boy, able to make friends quickly. He has troubles making important serious decisions alone (Shift Pride for example). Brain on the other hand is the more serious one, and Ava was more smiley in his scene - he can make decisions on his own if he wants to, maybe coming from a background where he was alone pre keyblade war times. Hm, just wondering here how this might be relevant to Missing Link one day ...

- Which scene happens first? Ephemer's or Brain's? I can only speculate, but let's put some things in order. We see one other scene between Ephemer and Ava, and it is when they meet at the fountain on the day Ephemer first met Player. There the conversation starts with "oh your name is Ephemer, right?" as if they ... have maybe met once before. Ava would definitely know Ephemer more here already if they had the talk about the Union Leader thing already. It must have been later than this then, though not much all too later, because Ephemer vanishes shortly after, to carry out what Ava asked him to do.

- So, Brain's scene before or after this point? We don't have a clear indication. I want to bring in the lines during the Ephemer - Ava fountain scene "Hey, maybe talking about the Book will cheer you up!" "Not a chance." here, simply because I feel this is important to Ava's decision of giving Brain the Book. Ephemer is so curious about the Book of Prophecies, he doesn't hide it. There is another line I want to bring in now, from the KHUx Finale.

"Master Ava told me you've been wanting to read the Book for a long time." This very line could reference this very fountain scene, implying that Brain and Ava met again at some later point to let him know just about that. Which is interesting, because it means that Brain knew that Ephemer was a Union Leader even before the war, or maybe Ava told him in a way without mentioning he's a new leader - paraphrasing here - "there is a boy called Ephemer who wants to read the Book so badly". Either way, it makes me think Brain's scene happened before Ephemer's just because of this line.

- following up on my previous point, Brain knowing that Ephemer wants to read the Book so badly from the very beginning makes the keyblade graveyard scene of them meeting for the first time interesting to look at. Other theories aside here, Brain asking him if he's the leader and if they should follow the rules, knowing this one thing about Ephemer - challenging him like Ava did in his scene, but this time in reversed roles. Kind of to see where he stands.

- knowing all that, seeing their relationship flourish through the game is so ... good. From Brain questioning if he's the leader to downright trusting him by showing him the list of the names of the Union Leaders, being the first person Brain seeks out to talk about this issue they face. I will not go into details about that, I just want to conclude it with my final image.

The keyblade, the Book, it was meant for Ephemer all this time - implying that Ephemer was the one who was circled in red by the Master of Masters in the first place.

I could go into another deep dive here, about how this was meant to happen in the first place, how even if Ava wanted to challenge fate and destiny by switching around the owners, this timeline was written down in the first place like that - but maybe that's for another day.

So ..... yeah.

Two scenes, so different, yet so similar to the core. Ephemer, who took his role as a Union Leader serious right away. Brain, who calls him a leader right away, calling himself lazy and not fit for the job in the first place.

Yet in the end they worked together blindly, understood and trusted each other.

Anyways uhhh, that's all, thanks for reading and I hope my jumbled thoughts make somewhat sense, lmao.

#kingdom hearts #khux #union cross #khux ramblings #me gesturing wildly in the air #I love Brain and Ephemer so so much #no one look at me i wanted to put these thoughts down since forever #god i could have included so many more pictures but ALAS #anyways. #KH Brain #Ephemer #(me Brain - Ava sibling theory liker. I just think that #yeah.)

[zonerz]

your alvi character is soooo cute and cool looking i love him…

OMG 🥺 TYSMMM He’s my pride and joy and I love him so so much!!! I have sm I still wanna do with him and I'm so so excited for KHML to get him back into the action! 🫶 Unfortunately that also means he will, on some level, being Going Thru It but that's a small price to pay for more content of my boy <3 <3 <3

I hope u dont mind me taking this moment to ramble abt his general deal and vibe bc I feel like my thoughts are all scattered throughout my art with him 😭🙏 Will add a cut and reading past is ofc optional but TYSM for the interest in general! His design is so fun to doodle and he’s got a whole Dreamhouse Closet of fits 👍

But!! Basically in UX my boy joined Vulpes and got his keyblade on his bday, Dec. 25th when he turned 13-14 or so :] he started out on his own and was pretty quiet but very compassionate which paid off in the long run and got him some good friends (both in the form of Ephemer and co. and then with my friends' keykids Vivian and Vial--highly rec checking out their art too btw !!! @thequibblingking13 and @thatalien404 I love Vial and Vivi so so much as well 🥺)

As he pulled in these new friendships (and in the case of Vivi and Vial, practically family/siblingship) Alvi ends up having that compassion fuel him to become more skilled with his keyblade, learn more about how to best guilt and use medals, the best ways to Raid, etc. in order to be able to both protect/keep the people he loves safe as well as to be a teacher. He loved exploring new worlds and helping people in general and I think would end up being the kinda general Big Brother FigureTM who other kids could run to with questions--especially as he got into his later teens.

He ends up learning quite fast and scaling up pretty exponentially compared to some of his peers and, in general, ends up fairly competitive with the weekly rankings and PVP (friendly still, but ready to give it his all) and with that, he ends up taking that protector role more seriously as he becomes more competent. By the time the War really comes around when he's like 15-16, he ends up sticking around to fight in the hopes of shouldering as much weight as he can in the place of others, as well as wanting to shield Vivi and Vial as best as he can.

Though things definitely do get murkier as he gets stronger. I think that he'd always been a bit more open/neutral to darkness as a concept. He knows it can corrupt but would use it in small increments, however those would become larger and be used more often as time passed in trade for more strength--more capability. It would culminate at it's most out of control/chaotic when fighting with the Foretellers (shoutout to Ira who reflected every light attack BTW. like okay bro. u asked for this ig 😐) where he'd really just let loose and give it all, though it'd leave him weak and also pretty freaked out. Plus the whole almost dying thing definitely adds to that 😭 so he'd rein things in dramatically after waking up from the war.

As for the amnesia about the war, things shift a little bit here and I think he'd sorta wake up to reality pretty quick, especially with the nightmares. He loves Chirithy but his was never the best at lying, and despite whatever bumps in the road he and Ephemer had, he doesn't anticipate that he'd ever lie straight to his face. So when he confronts Skuld and Ephemer about it all? Well, they hesitate enough to tell him something's up at the very least--as he suspected. He's sympathetic to his friends' new position as defacto leaders though and, being a pretty natural leader-type himself, knows how precarious of a situation it is regarding information on the war. It's horribly distressing for him to remember everything to say the least, and he figures himself pretty capable of handling it, so the thought of having so many of the other kids remember en masse and just start hurting despite it being over just leaves him feeling sick. He doesn't like lying either though, and it feels wrong to hide such a huge event--which the others sympathize with bc damn they're dealing with that conflict too 😭 But, ultimately, Alvi agrees to remain quiet about the whole ordeal--even to Vivi and Vial whom he shared everything with. Which creates. Problems. 😬

In the weird mundane time they spend in the digital daybreak before things start glitching and life is just continuing "as usual" Alvi ends up inadvertently pulling back from Vivi and Vial (as they can tell something is Up) and gets closer to all of the Union Leaders! I really think he'd get along well and have unique but fun friendships with each and every one of them :> There's already that like Besties Bond with Ephemer and Skuld, but I think he'd really love Ven, Brain, and Lauriam, too. He and Lauriam would be the tallest two of the bunch and I think would lowkey prod each other about it in a mini competition as they both continued growing, he would ADORE Ven and love carrying him on his shoulders and such, and I think would just be chill and funny with Brain. Put them in a room together and the sarcasm level doubles 🤝

When Vivi and Vial finally figure things out abt the War tho, and that Alvi was actively lying to them, ehm... 😬 Things begin going downhill FAST from there. He doesn't really have any good explanation for himself as he just wanted to protect them at his core, but it was still not the best way to probably deal with it. That said though, what's WORSE is how he responds to the question of whether he'd do it again and uh. Well. 🤡🤡🤡

So suffice to say, Vivi and Vial feel pretty damn betrayed and generally angry at him but Alvi has hope they can patch things up and get it all sorted out. But with each attempt to be more transparent about things, Alvi keeps having to clam up because a lot of the stuff he's been doing have been with the Union Leaders and needs to remain kinda lowkey, so he ends up being unable to really tell that much which just comes across as condescending at best for Vivi and Vial. And then the glitches start showing up 🧍‍♂️

Alvi, in the midst of trying to both apologize and explain once more to them both, gets pulled away to go help Ephemer investigate what's going on at the Clocktower. He leaves his little siblings with the promise that, the very moment he comes home, he will tell them everything and share everything about all the worlds he's seen since--just like how things used to be. They have his word! And it's still shaky ground but a potential light at the end of the tunnel! But, well, then he and Ephemer end up in Game Central Station and things get very out of hand very fast. The end of the game unravels faster than they can keep up and the last "interaction" Alvi has with his siblings is Vivi crumbling in her own fight across town as the feeling of Alvi getting that hit to the heart from Ephemer echoes through to her oTL

The end of UX makes me SO. AUGH. I feel like I've already talked a lot but there's just So Much in my head for my poor little guy and MAN. His end would follow the canon ending of the game pretty closely. He'd stick around with Ephemer and Skuld and help see the other Leaders off in the Ark with the intention to go grab Vial and Vivi and get them inside to safety before things go wrong again. One little thing I wanna draw or poke at somehow tho is that like, I think he'd give little mementos/gifts to the others before they send them off in the ARK. To Brain and Lauriam, he'd give them each one of his earrings, Elrena would get his neon bracelets, and Ven would get a moogle chain he always kept on his dufflebag :>

As for the final fight. MANNNN. I think that Alvi would be able to put on a pretty convincing act and, somewhat bitterly, kinda goes down the line of like "Well, I really am a liar lately, so what's one more?" and he'd go all-in to ensure Ephemer was pushed to his limit. WHICH SUCKS AND HURTS MY HEART TO THINK ABOUTTT. But he'd pull it off, and he'd get that shot to the heart, and I think in that fight it's poetic if he was fighting more in a stance like YX than usual. Smth smth foreshadowing also legacy etc. 🫶🫶🫶 He'd go out proud and happy, even if it was immensely bitter knowing the last memories his friends all shared with him.

Suffice to say I have SOOOO many thoughts abt him and I am SO excited for Missing Link to do a round 2 bc I have a rough idea of what I wanna do for his arc/character-wise on his second time around and I am also so hyped to get Brain back 🥺🥺🥺 I think their friendship is going to be so so crucial to Alvi in ML and I cannot WAIT to get into it!!! And OFC THE WHOLE RAISING OF XEHANORT??? MANNNNN. He would love Xehanort with everything he had. It's so bittersweet that he would've passed before Xeha started learning how to do a whole lot with the keyblade and got all manipulated by destiny bc like. Alvi would not be perfect, but he would've loved to train him himself. Which like also ik I'm #Coping and whatever but I'm just gonna say that Alvi, after passing in KHDR, is just chilling in Quadratum bc I'm sorry but he's far too stubborn to die and just leave his son behind so soon 🫶 I only have memes with them so far but I truly believe that Alvi and Xeha have a Like Father Like Son dyanmic thang going on. A long line of guys with something wrong with them 🫶💖

ANYWAYS IVE ALREADY TALKED SO MUCH AND COULD GO ON, APOLOGIES, BUT I LOVE LOVE LOVE MY LITTLE GUY AND ALL THE PREQUEL KEYKIDS SM ‼‼‼💖💖💖

#ask #askzone #khux #keykid #alvi #SORRY FOR RAMBLING BUT AUGH! YKNOW? AUGH !!! #so hyped for KHML #and Alvi’s GOTTA have a proper happy reunion with Vivi and Vial I will bend canon to my will if i must 🫶 #shoutout to my playlist i have for him bc its like russian roulette but all the chambers are loaded

[rosie-kairi]

#Rosie rambles #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts union x #khux #kh ephemer #ephemer #the foretellers are lying to us

[goldensunset]

list of notable khux memes/silly fandom moments @trickster-treat

•‘sparkle on! it’s wednesday! don’t forget to be yourself!’ via @rosie-kairi .this belongs in a museum from the sheer number of spin-off posts it has given rise to. we all associate lauriam with wednesday now. to give you a tiny sample of the vast number of parodies/other posts referencing this meme:

(x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

•you may notice that some of these also reference stairs. well you see i took a nap one day and had a weird dream and posted about it. shortly afterward @rosie-kairi followed up. and within the hour suddenly everybody was posting about it. it was utter insanity. the depths of hiatus boredom. i’ve catalogued all the ones i ever reblogged under #stairposting so feel free to look through that tag for a sense of how broken our sense of humor is.

my fav parts of this were 1. the way the parodies spread faster than the source which left a lot of people baffled 2. watching people on twitter talk about it and not understand us (same with sparkle on it’s wednesday) and 3. the fact that later that very day the second half of the khux fandub project dropped and we were all like high on adrenaline about it. started spamming memes in the live chat as a community

•‘the foretellers are lying to us’ also via @rosie-kairi this has become an echolalia moment and for me personally it’s never stopped being funny. the foretellers are lying to us

•the playernort thing. for a time

•just. the entire [character]-official joke roleplay blog scene. i don’t know if i’d consider these as iconic as some of the others but they sure are funny with how many of them have popped up. it started with @master-of-masters-official and only went nuclear from there. some of the posts and interactions have been really funny

there are probably more i’m forgetting but as for stuff that is both specific to khux and that i was around for these are the most culturally significant. enjoy

#yes there is a lot of rosie-kairi in here sorry for several tags that’s what you get for being a cultural figurehead #khux #kingdom hearts #mine: kh #oh and of course: everyone feel free to add on!

[blazernot]

For the Foreteller Family AU: we've seen a little of Brain's relationship with Ava and Ira, but what are his interactions with the rest of the Foretellers like? And do the other Union Leaders ever find out?

Alright so this'll be a long one

- One thing to note for everyone is that he used to have better relationships with everyone when he lived in the tower. It was never easy but it used to be better. They all care about each other but you know what happens in the plot. Love wasn't exactly enough

- Brain and Gula are very close in age. Like Gula is barely older but is smug about it and it drives Brain crazy. They're both smart alic schemers so as much as they bicker they get each other. Until they don't.

Gula is in a team all by himself so if course no one is allowed in especially the reject foreteller.

He doesn't really baby Brain like the others though. He understands that he's intelligent and not a baby since again they're basically the same age.

Basically it's a case of two people with very very strong personalities

- Ava is of course Brains favorite. Ava doesn't seem like a trouble maker but she can be very sly. Her and Brain get into trouble but she can get them out. She was also the foreteller that fought the hardest in his defense and treats him like her brother and not a project so he's very grateful.

In this au she trusts him enough to know that he will help her change destiny so she gives him the book and md, but also because she thinks he's just as much as a foreteller as the rest of them and deserves them.

She didnt tell him everything though and he felt very betrayed once he found that out

- Aced feels like he would be an overbearing but loving older brother. Like he would tackle you and shadow box in your face. Aced also knows he's very smart but Brain is suck in the category of "little brother" Aced thinks he's still a little kid. Doesn't help that Brain didn't have a keyblade before md and isn't as sturdy as them so he is the small brother going through an angsty phase that needs to be protected

Aced talked a big game but didn't really help Brain when he was kicked out because back then he still had full faith in the master. He felt really bad though and did try to include him at first. Then life happened and he got busy.

He likes Brain because he thinks Brains funny and he's his brother but he's also very useful and he tries very hard to get Brain to join his union. Also the two of them bouncing ideas off each other caused them both to get very disillusioned with The Master and sadly with Ira. Brain is not immune to propaganda. Besides Ava, Aced is the one is the one who spends the most time with him. Aced is very hurt when he finds out that Brain joined Ava's special union and was lying to all of them

- Invi kinda just... Forgets he exists. It's not that she doesn't like him, there's just a lot else to worry about. Kinda out of sight out of mind. She doesn't think he needs her support and he's not actively causing a lot of trouble so she just leaves him be. One less person to worry about, if he wants to be mister big guy independent then that's how she'll treat him. But if he does need help from her she'll of course help, he just doesn't go to her a lot.

This isn't to say they never interact, he's done snooping for her. They're not openly affectionate with each other but they make a great team, even if Brain enjoys sassing her.

- Ira acts like he's at Brain's funeral, thinking about the past and his should'ves and could'ves and how he wished he could have treated Brain better, meanwhile Brain is right there and this drives him crazy. Ira is the one that coddles Brain the most. He feels very guilty about what happened to Brain in the past and how he failed him as his oldest brother and as the leader he needs to make it up to him. But in Ira's mind Brain never grew from being that small terrified and hurt child.

He also uses Brain to try and make himself feel better, feel in control of things. He takes Brain as his apprentice to spend time with a person he cares about but also to make himself feel better. Also he doesn't want another person he cares about to turn against him, he gets very sad once he figures out that Aced was trash talking him to Brain.

He doesn't hold back though when he finds out that Brain was scheming with Ava

~~~

There are different drafts in my head where sometimes the others find out and some where they don't.

There's one where Skuld finds a photograph and interrogates Brain about it because it's proof that he's hiding a lot and she's having a lot of inner conflicts about Ava. There's another where during an argument with Lauriam about Strel where he blurts it out because dang it he's not the only person that's lost people. And another where he's having that same argument but it's in front of everyone and then he runs away. And lastly where he doesnt exactly tell Ven but in a quiet moment he confessed that he had a lot of struggles as a child too

And there's one where no one ever knew but he's like talking to Eph's ghost or something and confesses that they aren't really friends but it's his own fault that they never got to know the real him

Also random headcanon but he covers his eyes at the beginning because it's kinda a thing with the foretellers but also because he can't always control when he has animal eyes or not

#thanks for reading my ted talk lol any other questions? #lol #kingdom hearts #brain #foreteller family au

[vivi-mire]

i need the rosie post thats like "the foretellers are lying to us"

[itsgeecheebitch]

TITLE: Until Darkness Descends

CHAPTER: 40

RATING: Explicit

FANDOM: Final Fantasy XV

MAIN PAIR: Ardyn Izunia x Reader

SEC PAIR: Gladiolus Amicitia x Reader

SERIES: The Fall Part 1 of 4

NOTE: Don't forget to follow me on A03 to stay up to date with the story!

"So you just took it upon yourself to start the prophecy?"

Ardyn shook his head, his silky mane catching glimpses of sunlight from the front window. "The prophecy was set into motion way before I arrived. I am merely playing my part."

"Which is?"

"To assist your prince, of course."

Another thought slithered into your mind, one that flattened your lungs on a stuttering breath. "Is that why you kept me around? Was it just to get closer to Noctis?" Your chest ached as though you had been run through by a spear. His previous words were as meaningless as you had expected. You weren't the 'apple of his eye', but a useful stupid tool in his plans to get closer to Noctis. You served your purpose well. You wished he would just be honest. Rip off the bandaid and let you feel the pain. Why did he insist on lying to you and softening the blow when you had already served your purpose to him? It was cruel. Ardyn was cruel.

"No, I was able to accomplish that on my own. You are dear to me, which is why I kept you close. I had no way of foretelling you would join the royal court, even if you had remained with the temple, my attentiveness would have remained the same". His fingers whispered across your skin as he tucked a stray hair behind your ear. You internally berated yourself when you leaned into his touch. Those long fingers slid over your jaw line, leaving a trail of fire wherever they landed.

Your mouth became unbearably dry. Words meant nothing, but that didn't stop you from drinking it up like a woman dying of thirst. You so desperately wanted to believe him, wanted to bask in the comfort his words delivered. But you would only get hurt in the end. Ardyn was a manipulative liar after all and they were always good with words.

Ardyn frowned when you pulled away. But the loss of physical contact gave you the clarity you needed. A question you should've asked a long time ago danced on your tongue. If he fumbled this one then you would know without a shadow of a doubt, that you meant nothing to him.

"But why, what's so special about me?"

"Like I said, you are dear to me." He answered.

That wasn't enough. You needed to know why. What about you drew him to you and kept him around? Besides your powers you weren't anything special. You didn't possess extraordinarily attractive looks and you didn't have a super high I.Q. You needed him to spell it out to you, if he couldn't then that would be an answer in and of itself.

"But why?" You repeat yourself. His jaw flinched with an agitated muscle. You glared at him, challenging Ardyn to assemble a lie on the spot.

His mouth hardened with frown lines. A vein tic in his temple when he shouted,"because I love you!"

Your brain short circuited. "W-what?"

He seized your arms and pulled you closer until his minty breath fanned over your face. "Keeping you close, abandoning my duties as chancellor to steal another moment with you. I did all of it because you are dear to me, because I love you, Aera."

Confusion spiraled in your brain before it blossomed into a thousand petals soaring through your chest. He…loves you? You didn't know what to think. How to react, only that your fingers itched to comb through his hair and pull him down to meet your lips. But that was wrong. This whole thing was wrong. Not once did Ardyn ever show you he had more than platonic feelings for you. He had always maintained a respectable distance. Not too close to mistake his affections for passion and not too far away to suspect he didn't like you at all. So where did this…?

A lightning bolt slashed through you and you looked at him with wide terrified eyes. Because you belong to me. Pain looped around your wrists, matching the same throbbing ache that left your skin raw the day after that dream. If it even was one.

A shiver tore down your spine, leaving your bones quaking. You looked down at his hands, those same hands that touched you all over, that made you cry, made you moan, made you scream. If Ardyn had feelings for you all this time then did that mean…

Your tongue turned to lead. Were you in danger by standing here talking to him? The question wiggled in your mouth, demanding to be answered. But you were afraid of what that answer might be. If you asked it, he may not even answer it truthfully at all. But if he was unhinged enough, wild enough, he just might. The same way he was in your dream. Your nerves peeled away from your skin and fell to the floor. You remembered the wild look in his eyes, the way his punishing hands pinned you to the bed and forced his fingers between your legs.

What was stopping him from doing that again? You were in his airship, at the mercy of him and his soldiers. Your friends were in another room and even if they weren't there was nothing they could do to save you. The five of you had relinquished your weapons upon entry into the airship. Leaving you defenseless.

Air stuttered out of your nostrils. This was a huge mistake. Jerking your arms out of his hold you backed away from him. If Ardyn tried to lunge at you then it was better to remain close to the door. An electronic door, one he could easily lock from the inside with a click of a button. Fear leeched the warmth out of your arms, leaving you as blanched as a bleached bone. But maybe you were overthinking this. You still had no evidence that your dream was real. Just because Ardyn has feelings for you didn't mean he would stoop so low as to hurt you…right?

You needed to ask, get this over with so you could move on with your life. But that was easier said than done. "...W-where were you…" Your throat constricted and you swallowed to try to relax it. "On the night of May 26th two years ago?"

Ardyn tilted his head, a question in his eyes but he answered you nonetheless. "As I've said before, I was on a ship sailing west. Of course, not for the reasons I previously said. I was sent away on a diplomatic trip. Why?"

I don't believe you. "I need proof." You said. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a folded wrinkled slip of paper. You took it and opened it. It was a boat ticket with a date marked for that day. The scheduled departure clashed with the time he would've been in your room. Soothing relief caressed your shoulders when you saw the stamp of red ink. The word 'boarded' laid across the ticket in bold scarlet letters. Ardyn was telling the truth.

"Have I satisfied all of your questions?" He asked. You nodded your head sheepishly.

It was really just a dream all along. You couldn't believe you entertained something so silly. For two whole years you mulled over that dream, wanting to be skeptical but feeling too confused to dismiss it completely. You should've had more faith in Ardyn. "I just wish you were honest with me." You said. "I wouldn't have stopped seeing you. I wouldn't have…" Stopped loving you. Stunned, your words trailed off. You…love him? When did you start loving Ardyn again? You were in love with him when you were a teenager but those feelings were long past. So why…why did the thought make your body feel as light as air?

Cool hands grasped the sides of your face. The kiss he placed on your forehead made your stomach flutter with fireworks. "I wish I did as well, my dear. I hope you can forgive me."

"I forgive you, but you must promise me. No more lies, I can handle the truth no matter how bad it is."

Wrapping his arms around you, he pressed your head against his chest . The rhythmic beat of his heart was a melody you wanted to listen to forever. "Of course. No more lies." He promised. The two of you stood in easy silence for a minute or two. His hand rubbing your back, massaging away the dregs of suspicion that pulled your muscles taut. "So how was the visit to the Archean? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"No but I found other things. Well, nothing tangible at least." You pressed your chin on his chest as you looked up at him. "I had more visions today. I know it sounds crazy but… I think I really did exist before. And I think you did too, or- or maybe it was an ancestor of yours, I don't know, all I know for certain is that this isn't my first life".

Ardyn's eyes softened, giving you a look one would give a child who still held onto an imaginary friend. "My dear, visions aren't always what they appear to be."

"Only they seem to be the opposite." Your arms fell away from his waist and he released you. "They felt like memories. I saw my family. I had a sister. I saw you and me running through the market playing tag. We had a wedding, I was wearing heavy robes. And…I saw the destruction of Solheim. I was sitting in our garden with my sister when…" When the meteor came and took everything from me. Your throat squeezes shut and you rubbed your neck to relieve the ache. "Does any of that sound familiar to you?"

"No, I'm afraid not, my dear." Something flickered across his eyes and you scoffed.

"You're lying." You accused him. "Not even five minutes later and already you're lying! I don't even know why I try."

Turning away from him, you made for the door when his hand reached for your shoulder "Aera, darling, wait. You're right, it sounded familiar to me, although briefly."

"Then why lie about it?"

"For fear it might spur you into a wild goose chase. If there is any truth to your theories then you will have the answers in time, but for now there is no need to chase after them."

You shook your head. "But what if that's what the gods want? Why else would they give me these visions, that book? They want me to figure it out on my own. And why shouldn't I? The visions are answers in and of themselves and as for the book, I'm sure I'll figure it out if I study it hard enough. I know you think it's just a myth but there is so much more to that book than what you give it credit for. Everything I'm looking for is all here, I just…need to figure out where to start."

"Aera." You looked up at Ardyn when his lips pressed against yours. Your eyes went wide for a moment before they relaxed and closed. His lips molded over yours so perfectly, as though they were made to be kissed by you. Fingers wove through your hair and grip it at the base. You purred, pressing your breasts to his hard chest. This was what you needed all along, what you craved the night before. Your knees went weak as your muscles melted to liquid goo. Your mind was a fuzzy mess, making you feel like you could touch the sky. When he broke it, he pressed his forehead against yours. Your breaths intermingled in the space between you. "Don't overwhelm yourself, my dear. The answers will come."

The blissful moment lasted for a minute longer before the fuzzy haze retreated, leaving you breathless as ice cold reality slammed into you. What have you done? Tension gripped your muscles as your actions came crashing around you. Your boyfriend was on this ship waiting for you, thinking you were in the bathroom. This wasn't supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to kiss Ardyn! Guilt poked holes in your gut as you pulled away from him. You needed to leave. You should've left a long time ago. Maybe then you wouldn't have betrayed Gladiolus the way you did.

"Aera?" Ardyn took a step towards you and you backed away. "Aera, please wait!" You were out the door before he would reach you.

#fanfiction #fanfic #a03 fanfic #ardyn lucis caelum #ffxv ardyn #ardyn izunia #final fantasy xv #ardyn izunia x reader #ardyn x reader #final fantasy x reader #ffxv gladiolus #ff15 ardyn #ffxv fanfic #ff15 #gladiolus amiticia #gladiolus x reader #gladiolus amicitia

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1087: Ambushed (Super Smash Bros Ultimate X Kingdom Hearts)

5:56 p.m. Outside of Smash Mansion's Entrance......

A giant ring appears out of thin air in front of the Smash Mansion's doorway as it shows Dark Pit and Yoshi, who are both visibly injured and bruised, walking out with Kirby, Hades, and Sephiroth, with Pichu strapped onto his chest in a pouch, follows behind them as the ring goes back to it's original size.

Yoshi: Well. We just got our butts kicked out there.

Dark Pit: ('Tch') More like eviscerated. (Throws his Hands Out in Frustration) Who the hell would attack us out of NOWHERE in broad daylight like that!?

Hades: That's what ambushes would do to you, kiddos. You never know who or what would try to go out of their way to annihilate you in the worst way imaginable. (Puts on a Bit of an Evil Grin on his Face) That and how oh so easy the process in doing so truly is in concept

Kirby: (Already Has a Worried Look on his Face) Poyopoyo Poyopoyo.

Yoshi: Yeah, I still don't have a lick of clue who any of those guys were who attack us.

Sephiroth: Can't say I know for sure who the four masked figures are.....(Grabs his Chin While Thinking) But the one in the black cloak, with eye pitch does look somewhat familiar.....

Yoshi: (Turns to Sephiroth) Is he another one of your past enemies or something?

Sephiroth: Perhaps, but the memory escapes me at the moment. (Smirks a Little) But it was mild entertaining seeing him run away with his tail between his legs. (Looks Down at Pichu) Isn't that right, son?

Pichu: (Happily Nodded in Agreement) Pi Chu!~

Dark Pit: Well, whoever those bozos are, we're gonna get back at them one way or another. And we're keeping all of this to ourselves.

Yoshi: ('Sighs Heavily') I dunno, man....I'm all for going back for another round or a few as much as the next guy, but those guys were WAY too strong for our liking.....

Hades: Also, are you....(Raises an Eyebrow at Dark Pit) Absolutely sure about keeping this under wraps from everyone here? Especially from your MOTHERS of all people?

Kirby: (Starts Hugging Dark Pit's Leg in Plead) Poyopoyo Poyopoyo Poyo!

Dark Pit: (Kneels Down to Kirby's Level Before Wincing a Bit in Pain and Gently Rubbing the Top of his Head) Look, I know it's a dumb, risky move on my part, but it will only be until we find a way to beat those jerks in their own game. And besides, the moms aren't even close to being dine with their little shopping spree adventures. We have plenty of time to go in there, heal ourselves up, and act like none if this ever happe-

'GASSSSSPS'

The boys turns around to see the Certified Moms stare and drop their shopping bags in horror, at Yoshi and Pitto's bruised state as they immediately rushes over to them.

Peach: What HAPPENED to you two!?

Yoshi: (Raises an Eyebrow at Dark Pit Beside Him) You were saying?.....

Dark Pit: We uhh....(Immediately Gets Up From the Ground While Wincing Some More in Pain) Just....got into an accident is all.

Tifa: What kind of accident?

Dark Pit: We tripped. O-Off a few staircases or whatever! (Chuckles Awkwardly) Long fall too I'll tell ya what. (Quickly Nudge his Shoulder Onto Yoshi's Side)

Yoshi: (Winces a Bit in Pain Before Speaking Up) U-Uh Yeah! Yeah, it's true. The.....stairs made us trip and fall.

Sephiroth: Pichu and I saw it from our own eyes.(Closes his Eyes) It was tragic.

Pichu: (Closes his Eyes as Well) Pi.

Kirby: ('Sighs in Defeat') Poyo poyo......

Hades: ('Groans') For the love of- The boys here were ambushed earlier by a group of masked hooligans and some guy wearing an eye pitch.

Lea/Aqua: WHAT!?

Aqua: Luxu and the Foretellers did this to you!?

Dark Pit: (Slowly but Surely Turns to Hades With a Sharp Glare in his Eyes) What the HELL, HADES!?

Hades: Look, I was doing you two a favor! Besides, this is leagues better than lying to and trying to cover your wounds up at the very last second.

'GASPS'

Rosalina: (Covers her Mouth in Shock) Oh my god.......

Samus: (Glares at the Two Boys) You were about to keep this a secret from us!?

Yoshi: (Quickly Points the Blame at DP) It was his idea! I never WANTED to lie to anyone!

Dark Pit: (Turns to Yoshi Beside Him) You mother-

Yoshi: Look, I'm sorry alright! And as much as it pains me to say it, Hades is right! You and I both know that we're not any good at keeping any secrets hidden well for the life of us!

Dark Pit: I know that! I was just.....hoping it would last for....('Sigh') I dunno a few months or so?

Daisy: You were gonna to keep this from us for MONTHS!?

Dark Pit: (Turns Back to the Moms) I was thinking about it, okay!? I didn't know we were gonna get caught so soon! And maybe we would've gotten away with it if.....(Turns Right Back to.Hades With a Glare) SOMEONE didn't blurt everything out!

Hades: (Rolls his Eyes) Again, did you two a favor from making fools of yourselves, not like your already doing spendid job of doing that already.

Dark Pit: I'mma about show you who's a REAL fool in second if you don't-

Palutena: PITTO!

The loud, booming voice from the green haired goddess was more than enough to shut everyone up completely as she slowly, but very angrily approaches to her dark angel as the love of her life, Bayonetta, follows behind her, trying to calm her down but with little to no pervail.

It was no secret for Pitto that out of everyone in the Snash Family, Palutena is the last person you ever want to provoked, given that her title as goddess is not to be taken lightly by anyone. That and the powers she possesses are a lot more lethal than it ever was inside the tournament.

As the fellas, Hades especially, steps away from the potential conflict, Pitto turns away and closes his eyes expecting the worse, only to be greeted by a firm grasp on the shoulders. Once he slowly opens his eyes, he sees his mother on his knees, staring at him with tears falling down her cheeks as she tries her very hardest to keep it together, much to his genuine surprise.

Dark Pit: Mom...........

Bayonetta: (Kneels Down to Dark Pit as Well) Now Darling, why on earth would you try and keep this a secret from us?

Dark Pit: (Let's Out a Heavy Sigh Before Speaking) It was our fight. Or in our cases, an unexpected beat down...... And I just didn't want any of you to get involved or....waste your time worrying over us.

Bayonetta: And that's all well and good. But you and Yoshi know as well as I do that your mothers and I will always worry about you kids no matter what you do. And if this Luxu person really went out of his way to hurt you, then we must handle to the situation thoroughly and see it that him and his goons won't ever lay a finger on either of you again.

Peach: (Frowns Sadly) But we can't do that if you won't tell us what happened. (Tears Starts Falling Down From her Eyes as Well) Please.....

Pitto looks around see the rest of the moms staring at him and Yoshi with worry and sadness in each of their eyes as they patiently wait for him to give them details, even Kirby looking up and nodding at him to tell them everything.

Dark Pit: (Takes a Deep Breath Before Speaking) Okay. So.....Yoshi and I were in Twilight Town, right? And were walking around, eating Seasalt Ice Cream and whatnot. Then suddenly, that Luxu guy you mentioned, and his four goons came completely out of nowhere and started attacking us. So we fought back as hard as we could, but surprise-surprise, it didn't go all that well.

Flashback to The Streets of Twilight Town

'THUD THUD'

Dark Pit: (On the Ground in the Pain Along with Yoshi) Argh shit....(Turns to Yoshi) Hey, how are you holding up?

Yoshi: My arms and legs are starting worn-out on me as we speaking and I can't move without feeling immense pain. (Groans in Pain as He Rolls Overs and Starts Sitting Himself Up) See?

Dark Pit: (Tries Getting Himself Back Up on his Feet While Groaning in Pain as Well) Yeah. It's.....(Pushes his Back Forehead as He Winces) ('Crack') Bitch in a half. Did you call or text for back-up yet?

Yoshi: I texted someone, but....(Pulls Up his Now Broken Phone) My phone got busted up before i could even see who it was. (Phone Shatters into Pieces) What about you? You do have your phone on you, right?

Dark Pit: I......(Starts Looking Away a Bit) may or may not have it one me right now.....

Yoshi: (Gives Pitto a Deadpinned Look on his Face) Are you serious?

Dark Pit: ('Sigh') Yeah, I forgot to charge it up earlier today. But with message received, someone's bound to come here eventually. Assuming we don't die by then.........

????: Well, now!

Without warning, the four masked Keyblade wielders appears in front of the boys. One is wearing a unicorn, the second wearing a snake mask, third wearing a white tiger mask, and the last one, whom the boys had the second most trouble with, I'd wearing a bear mask. And their supposed leader appearing before them is none other than the one eyed snake himself, Luxu.

Luxu: (Puts on an Evil, Cocky Grin on his Face) You boys are having fun so far?

Yoshi: (Glares at Luxu) We're having a misery time actually!

Dark Pit: Why the fuck are you doing this!?

Luxu: Oh come now. There's no need for the hostility here.

Yoshi: You attacked us on broad daylight, out of nowhere, how ELSE are we supposed react to that!?

Luxu: Fair point. But in our defense though, we have a perfectly good reason in doing so.

Dark Pit: (Already Losing his Patience) Oh I wanna hear this...

Luxu: (Points at the Snake Masked Figure Beside Him) You see, Invi girl here have been dreaming of meeting and examining an actual angel from up close. So I told her about meeting you back at Firelocks's place a couple of months ago abd here we are. (Grabs his Chin While Taking a Look at the Dark Angel) Though, I don't think I remember seeing your hair and wings all that black.....

Dark Pit: That's because I'm not the angel you were looking for, genius. It was my brother Pit you saw.

Luxu: Ah-haaa!......Gotcha. So like, what? Are you his broody, inferior twin brother or something?

Dark Pit: You mean less obnoxious of the two? Then yes I am.

Back to the Present

Bayonetta: Pitto!

Dark Pit: What? He's annoying! Most of the times.

Isabelle: (Put her Hands on her Hips With a Motherly Glare in her Eyes) But he's also your brother.

Moms: Yeah!

Dark Pit: (Sighs While Rolling is Eyes) Look, I apologize for being rude. Now can I please continue?

Back to the Flashback

Yoshi: Okay, so why are after ME then?

Luxu: Oh that's simple. See, Lil' Gula here been wanting a pet for the longest time now, and when we spotted you walking around town, I told "Hey, there's a green talking dinosaur you can take home" and he stepped out of the portal quicker than any of us did.

Gula: I wanna talking dinosaur.

Luxu: See? He knows what he wants.

Yoshi: (Couldn't Believe What He is Hearing Right Now) You....(Starts Getting Back Up on his Feet) Heartlees- ('Crack') Ack!

Dark Pit: (Quickly Made his Way to Yoshi) Hey, you Good?

Yoshi: (Glares Harshly at Luxu and the Foretellers) As soon as we pummeled these twerps to the grovel, I will be.

Luxu: (Casually Shrugs) Sure! We're down to go a few more rounds. It'll might cost you your own lives though. So-

'Smack'

Before Luxu could finish talking, a chili dog flew in out of nowhere and hits his face.

Luxu: .........('Tongue Click') 'Kay. Was not expecting that of all things to hit me. (Licks a Chili Off From Side of his Lips a Little as He Tastes It) ('Mm') The chili's pretty good at least. (Notices Something Behind Pitto and Yoshi) Say, was that giant ring portal always there or-

Dreamland's savor, Kirby, jumps out of the dimension ring ready for action.

Kirby: Poyo!

Dark Pit/Yoshi: Kirby!?

Hades: (Walks Out of the Ring as Well) Annnnnnnnnnnd HADES!

Luxu: Wait. That's the Hades? You look a whole lot different than from what I've seen. Where's the blue fiery hair?

Hades: (Raises an Eyebrow in Confusion) Bluey fire- Ohhhhh right. I forgot you have another version of me in your universe. I should really look up on that one of these days.....Anyways, we're here to take the boys back home now.

Luxu: (Starts Smirking Evilly) Or what? You're gonna fight us or something?

Hades: Oh not me. I just got back from getting my nails did for the month and I am not risking the chance of getting them broken. (Forms a Smirk of his Own on his Face) Buuuuut not to worry. Besides the pink puffball, you'll be fighting someone else to take my place in the meantime. Ohhhh Sephyyy!~

*Cue One Winged Angel (Advent Version)*

Another figure slowly walks out of the ring with long silver hair, wearing an all black attire, carrying a long sword and a Pichu on his chest pouch happily waving hello to everyone present. His presence alone may not effect the Foretellers in a way, but to Luxu however........it was stepping back into horrific nightmare he never thought he would ever return to after all these years. A nightmare that will continue to haunt him for the rest of his days.

Luxu: No.........No no no no no. Anyone but him......

Sephiroth: So.....these five will be our opponents for the time being?

Hades: Yep. The boys here is in rough shape, so it's gonna be a two-on-five fight. That won't be a problem for you, will it?

Sephiroth: (Forms a Small Smirk on his Face) ('Hmph') Please. (A Large Black Wing Emerges From his Back) This will hardly be a challenge.

Gula: So is he like a.....Half angel or something?

Invi: Fascinating.......

Ira: We must give it our all regardless of who this may be. Isn't that right, Luxu?

Luxu: .................................

Ira: (Turns to the Others Who Shrugs at Him Before Turning Back to his One Eyed Companion) Umm.....Luxu, is something the-

Luxu: Everyone retreat.

Luxu immediately summons a dark portal behind him, must to the Foretellers' confusion.

Gula: What.

Ira: Luxu, what are you-

Luxu: I'll explain everything along the way. Right now, we need to the get the hell on out of here before it's too late!

Aced: (Angrily Stomps the Ground) NONSENSE! We are Keyblade Masters! We do not run and cower from any-

Luxu: (Glares at the Bear Masked Figure) Look, I don't have the time or mentality to deal with your prideful bullshit today, Aced! So quit your yammering and get your ass into that portal before I drag you in there myself!! (Sprints Off to the Portal)

Aced: But-

Ira: (Place his Hand on Aced's Shoulder) Let's do what he says for now. There's no telling what this one winged angel figure is capable off.

The Foretellers did as Luxu commanded and retreat themselves back to their current headquarters with Aced giving Sephiroth one last glare before following behind them. It didn't take long for the portal itself gets smaller and smaller till it disappears completely.

Yoshi: ........Yeah, you better run.

Back to the Present. Again..........

Yoshi: And that's basically about it. They spotted us, beaten us to a pulp, and we would've been done for if Kirby, Hades, Pichu, and Sephiroth haven't stepped in at the last second.

Peach: And we couldn't be any.more happier. (Turns to the Four Beside Pitto and Yoshi) Thank you so much.

Kirby: (Smiles Sheepishly While Rubbing the Back of his Head Back and Forth) Poyo~

Hades: Ah it's nothing. Though.....(Starts Smirking) If you really wanna thank me, you could reward me something valuabl-

Smaus: Don't push it.

Hades: (Sighs Whille Rolling his Eyes) Nevermind. I'll treat myself to a vuctory drink or whatever. Care to come with, Selhpy?

Sephiroth: (Shrugs) Don't have anything else to do. (Looks Down at Pichu) Would you be alright without daddy for the remainder of the night?

Pichu: (Happily Nodded) Pi-chu.

Dark Pit: I wanna fight them again.

Everyone: (Immediately Turns Back to Dark Pit) WHAT!?

Yoshi: (Glares at Dark Pit) You're going back out there after EVERYTHING we've been through today!?

Dark Pit: (Glares Back at Yoshi) Not now obviously! I'm gonna heal myself up first, THEN, I'll go back and face them again.

Yoshi: Oh my freaking god.....Please tell me you're hearing yourself right now.

Dark Pit: Dude, they came out of nowhere, thrashed us, treated you like a pet, and me like some kind of test subject they can experiment on daily. I'm NOT going down without another fight!!

Aqua: We understand how you feel, Pitto, truly. But you cannot challenge him or the Foretellers again, especially now that you know how powerful they truly are.

Lea: Now, for me personally, I'm not sure how Luxu is now that he's the actually the apprentice of that Master of What-its-face, but I know for SURE how dangerous he was back at the Organization.

Samus: How dangerous are we talking here exactly?

Lea: Sneaky, conniving, and precise on almost ANYTHING he set his sights on killing. He was a menacing back then, and there's no telling kind of new tricks he got in his sleeves......

Palutena: ('Sniff') They're right, you know?

Dark Pit: (Looks Back to See Palutena Finally Calmed Down a Little) Mom, you okay?

Palutena: (Starts Wiping the Tears Away) Yeah.....I mean, I'm not completely happy, but I'll be fine. (Takes a Deep Breath as She Gently Grab Hold of Dark Pit's Hands) I know what happened to you and Yoshi earlier is upsetting and I am fully aware of how capable of a fighter you are, but there's a lot more to those people than any of us could imagine. And the last thing we want right now is for them to hurt you WAY more than they already have! So please, don't do this.....('Sniff') I beg of you.....

Pit: (Takes One Good Look at Palutena's Watery Eyes For a Brief Second Before Finally Sighing in Defeat) Alright. If you guys really have what it takes to beat 'em, then I'll back off. And whenever you do fight 'em, just.....(Immediately Gives his Goddess Mom a Hug) be careful out there, alright?

Palutena: (Giggles Softly) Awww~ Is our angsty, baby boi getting worried about us already? That's soooo unlike you!~

Dark Pit: (Rolls his Eyes) Yeah, well, it was bound to happen eventually. I'm way too exhausted to try and hide it now......

Palutena: I know, sweetie. I love you so much.

Dark Pit: Love you too. And thanks.

A blue dust of light suddenly surrounds the duo for a few seconds before disappearing completely along with Pitto's cuts and bruises.

Dark Pit: What the- (Pulls Away From his Mother's Embrace as He Takes a Looks at his Upper Body) I'm healed?

Palutena: (Smiles Brightly) Yep! I can any wounds in one's body with a simple touch of the hand. My hugs are no exceptions.

Yoshi: Ah dude. I wanna a healing hug! (Starts Walking Towards Only to Felt a Pain on his Pain') ('Crack') Ack! Dang it! Not again!

Daisy: I gotcha, honey! (Quickly Makes her Way to her Son and Helps Him Makes his Way to Palutena)

Peach: Once Yoshi gets healed up, we're gonna have ourselves a group hug session!~

Moms: (Cheers in Rejoice)

Dark Pit: Yayyyyyyyyyy..........

Aqua giggles softly at the Pitto's blatant sarcasm along with the others before noticing a worried look on Lea's face.

Aqua: Lea?

Lea: (Comes Back to Reality) Hm? Yeah, teach?

Aqua: Is everything okay?

Lea: ('Sighs Heavily') Yeah, just.......Thinking about Luxu and whatnot.......I know I shouldn't waste my time worrying, but......

Aqua: Hey, I get it. Today's been.....surprising to say the least, but we can't let boggle our minds forever, you know?

Lea: Definitely. But there's one thing for sure, and I never thought I would ever say this, but....I really need to train more.....

Aqua: (Place a Hand onto Lea's Shoulder With a Soft Smile on her Face) And Terra and I would be happy to help you.

Samus: (Wraps her Arm Around Lee's Other Sode of the Shoulder) Same here. Couldn't help but overhear your need to training and I want in.

Tifa: (Happily Chimes in) Me too. Namine and I could really use another sparring partner.

Lea: (Eyes Widened in Fear) Uhh! Actually, I'm....gonna have to take a pass on the whole hand-to-hand sparring invitation.

Samus: (Forms a Teasing Smirk on her Face) What? You're scared of getting your ass kicked? Your gonna have to take the beating sooner or later.

Lea: (Glares at Samus) I know that! I just.....(Twiddles his Fingers Around) Being cautious is all.

Samus: Cautiously scared?~

Lea: You know what I mean, woman!

Tifa: I know it's a Intimidating, but I promise to do everything I can give you the best training exercise you could ever hope for.

Aqua: (Smiles Brightly) I think we should give this hand-to-hand combat a chance, Lea. I'll might come in handy one of these days.

Lea: I doubt it, but sure, I guess.....

To Be Continued

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#super smash ultimate #kingdom hearts #dark pit #yoshi #hades #kirby #sephiroth #palutena #bayonetta #peach #aqua #lea #certified moms #luxu #the foretellers #luxu & the foretellers arc #hurt/comfort #angst #sweet family moment #humor #luxu is terrified of sephiroth #you'll know why soon lol #edited

[typing-noises]

mythological creatures (part 1)

hi guys, this is audrey and I am back :D it’s also me taking over for this week!! hereeee are some cool mythological creatures you could add to your wip…part 1’s focus will be some scandinavian, irish and japanese mythological creatures 🐍🧚🧟

scandinavian

elves: can take the form of dimunitive faerie spirits or tall, ethereal humanoids. associated with early morning mist or twilight specifically in swedish folklore. it’s said they dance in the low-lying mist during dusk or dawn and you can hear birdsong. little mushrooms sprout where their feet have danced.

fossegrimmen (norwegian)/strömkarlen (swedish): a water creature taking the form of a young man who sits naked while playing music on a fiddle underneath waterfalls. can teach humans how to play his music if they steal a piece of meat for him.

huldra (norwegian)/skogsrå (swedish): a forest creature who takes the form of a beautiful woman with an animal tail (often a cow or a fox tail) and a back resembling a hollowed out tree. known for being kind to charcoal burners by watching their kilns while they slept. some tales say that she seduces men by hiding her tail in a knot under her skirt.

kraken: giant, squid-esque monster from nordic folktales that can drown entire ships by wrapping its tentacles around them

lindwyrm/lindworm (danish): a limbless serpent that emits poison. grows fatter over time from the humans it consumes. legends say it likes coiling up around churches to prevent people from going to sermons.

trolls: forest dwellers with grotesque appearances; short limbs, slime-covered skin and fat bellies. known to live in family units inside caves or mountains. intrinsically connected to nature and not particularly aggressive towards humans but can be cunning tricksters.

valkyries: beautiful, female warriors who descend on battlefields to bring fallen warriors to valhalla (heaven promised to vikings)

irish

changelings: faerie babies that are swapped with human babies by faerie parents

banshee: a female figure who wails or shrieks to warn of an incoming death. can take various forms such as an old woman, a woman in white or a shroud, though it’s her wail and red eyes from weeping that can be used to identify her.

dobhar-chú: a half dog-half otter creature that lives in bodies of water and eats human flesh.

dullahan: a faerie that takes the form of a headless rider on a black horse. some folktales say that he uses a human spine as a whip and can foretell deaths – when he calls out your name, your death is imminent.

faeries: one of the most well-known creatures in irish folklore. they are split into two categories: unseelie faeries are known to be more troublesome while seelie faeries are more helpful towards humans.

fear gorta: legend emerged during the great irish famine in the 1940s. symbolises the spirit of starvation and takes the form of an emaciated, old man begging for food. generous passers-by are rewarded with good fortune

leprechaun: a small, humanoid being who loves being mischievous and playing tricks

pooka: a shapeshifter with bright, golden eyes who can transform into any form. it’s able to speak, confuse and terrify.

redcap: a malevolent goblin who can be found in castle ruins. described as taking the form of a short, old man. known for soaking his cap in the blood of unwary travellers who try to seek refuge in his lair.

japanese

tanuki: shapeshifting racoon-dogs known to be tricksters who enjoy playing pranks on and stealing money from passing travellers for fun

tsukumogami: household objects turned into spirits after acquiring a kami (spirit) of their own when living for 100 years. generally considered harmless but can be vengeful to the humans that abandoned them.

kappa: has amphibian and reptilian features – slimy, scaly skin in various shades of green, webbed toes and fingers. all kappa have turtle shells on their backs, beak-like mouths and are said to carry bowls on their heads with liquid inside that is said to be their life force. not necessarily friendly and known to lure humans into their rivers to drown them.

jorogumo: evil spider demons who disguise themselves as women to hunt for human flesh

kitsune: intelligent, mythical foxes with the ability to shapeshift. can be symbols of both good and evil in Japanese folklore. the most powerful kitsune were the nine-tailed foxes who had infinite knowledge. kitsune would grow a new tail for every 100 years they were on earth.

onryō: restless ghosts with long, unkempt hair and blue-tinted skin. driven by the desire to get revenge on people who did them wrong in their human life. reflect perceived wrongs, jealousies and crimes of passion.

that’s all for today! there’s still more that I haven’t covered yet…but part 2 👀 see you next time :)) - audrey

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