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ladybellissima · 6 months

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Finding Love Katakuri x Reader Part 8

Slowly (Y/N) opened her eyes and got up. Her throat was screaming for some water, while her face burnt of the dry tears. Getting up she walked to the bathroom and washed her face with cold water. Every move she made felt odd. Like a robot, an empty vessel which just worked automatically. Looking into the mirror she gasped of her image. Her hair was standing in all directions and black mascara painted her cheeks. She didn't recognize herself anymore.

"What words are able to do…", she thought sadly and started to clean her face to get a glimpse of her self confidence back. Pulling the dress over her head she gave it one last glance. She would never forget the stunned look in his eyes after seeing her dressed like that. His expression soft and happy. She remembered how her heart fluttered nervously after getting closer to his side, while the others were gasping in awe. She didn't wear it, because to get admired. She wore it to show him that she cared for this event and his family. To support him as his wife. Shaking her head she smiled bitterly, while putting it back into her wardrobe.

"I am really pathetic…"

A sudden knock let her jump of fear. She wasn't prepared for him now. She couldn't endure his cold look and emotionless attitude without breaking out in tears again.

"Lady (Y/N)? May we are allowed to bring you some food?", a servant asked through the door and let her sighing in relief. Showing herself the servant gave her a kind smile and presented her a plate with fruits and pancakes. Smiling she took the food from his hands.

" Lady (Y/N) are you feeling alright? ", he asked uneasy.

"I should ask you if you are alright and not scared to death after his outburst of rage… I hope he didn't scream at you as well?", she asked and surprised the servant. Flustered he was in tears of hearing her sweet and caring words.

"Lady (Y/N)…. You are too kind… We are so happy to have you here.", he spoke while other servants in the back nodded happily. Smiling brightly she felt much better. There are still people out there, who cared for her feelings. Looking back into her room she remembered that her table was a broken mess.

" I think I have to eat at the dining hall.", she spoke uneasy and was about to go, but stopped in her tracks. "Is… Is he here?", (Y/N) asked nervously. The servants understood that she needed time to recover. Katakuri's bad mood wasn't something easy to handle and never did they hear him shout like that. That she even stood against him, without any harm was a miracle for them.

"He had to travel to whole cake island. Big mom wanted to see him"

Nodding she left to eat her breakfast alone and in silence like she used to. But this time it felt more lonely. What should she do now? Hiding for a lifetime wasn't an option. Plus Big mom wanted her doughnuts. If not she would be in more trouble and Katakuri's mood would become worse. A never ending circle of troubles.

"If life gets hard, don't give up. It could always be a new opportunity, a new chance to experience something new. " her grandmother's words popped up in her mind.

"I don't give up. She can call me all the names she want. I will always get up and stay strong.", she whispered and walked into the kitchen to get her apron.

"Lady (Y/N)? Are you making doughnuts for Master Katakuri?", a cook asked stunned and took her by surprise.

Normally she made them for him. Every day she had made all kinds of specialties to make him feel better. To support him.

"I know what I do with Big mom, but Katakuri is another story…."

Without to answer she started to bake, while the others gave her understanding smiles and time she needed. The smell was incredible. Like magic one doughnut after another filled the baskets. Wiping the sweat away from her forehead she focused on the details. Every coating, fruit or candy had to be perfect. Everyone was helping to fill the baskets and cheering of the beautiful creations. But sadly they didn't recognize a shadow, which slowly appeared behind their backs.

Xxx

"Big brother Katakuri!", Pudding's voice reached his ears and let him stop before the doors of the chateau. Looking down to her he waited patiently for her to go on.

"I… How is (Y/N)?", she asked uneasy. Taking a glimpse of the future he could see tears in her eyes and apologizing.

"She is at home. If you want to apologize you should go to her than me.", he spoke short. Pudding forgot about her brother's ability and was struggling for words.

"You know that she was totally honest about every word she said?", his deep voice gave her a shiver of fear.

Tears rolled down her face and she rubbed her eyes while apologizing. "I know.. Never was someone so nice to me. Never was someone so caring and happy around me. I.. couldn't deal with it.", she sobbed, but was pulled up by her collar. Gasping she looked into Katakuri's angered eyes.

"so you didn't show her your real self and on top of that you didn't tell her how to deal with Mama's behavior towards you. (Y/N) was standing up for you and you knew that. You let her run into a knife with your manipulating words of how poor you are..", he spoke seriously and gave her a fearful shiver. His outbursts of rage were scary, but his serious, cold acting side with this intense glare, made you terrifyed.

"I was jealous brother. I am so sorry. Mama wanted me to spend time with her to learn how to act as a wife, who is forced into a marriage. But the way she smiled after speaking about you. And how happy she seemed with everything. I couldn't believe it. I wasted time to come late. (Y/N) didn't know that Mama gets mad about that. And with styling (Y/N) so beautiful, Mama got her attention even more. It was clear that Mama would say something bad about me after seeing that she was dressed with more effort than I was….",she spoke shaken. Katakuri let her fall to the ground.

" Don't go on my nerves.", he spoke coldly and started to leave.

" Wait I am really sorry. I didn't want that it escalated that bad. I didn't imagine that she would make a deal or that Mama went berserk. But mostly I didn't wanted to destroy your feelings for each other. ", she sobbed and watch Katakuri froze in the spot. His blood boiled with anger. Why did he let her go with Pudding? He should have known that there was something off with her over friendly attitude. To hear that (Y/N) was happy with him let his heart pain even more.

"I swear if you ever hurt (Y/N) in such a way again, I forget that you are my sister.", he spoke in a threatening voice and let her shiver of fear. Nodding quickly Katakuri left her behind without another word.

Xxx

"Lady (Y/N) I have to say these are the best that you ever made.", a cook spoke amazed next to her. (Y/N) smiled brightly and was beyond happy. Before she was able to hug the cook of happiness she froze in the spot after feeling something cold and sharp by her neck. Gasping the other servants stood still terrifyed.

" what a sweet little maid we have here…", a deep voice whispered into her neck and she could feel how he smelled her hair.

"How iresistable… I knew we would find some treasures in here….", the dark clothed figure added and grabbed her hair roughly. Whimpering in pain (Y/N) tried to get out of his grip, but it was useless.

"stop that…you are at Katakuri Charlotte's mansion! If you leave now, you maybe get out of this alive!", one servant tried to handle the situation, but the intruder pressed his blade deeper into her neck.

"Fine with me. We already have what we want. With this sweet cherry on the top.", he smiled evily and let the others gasp of shock.

"Don't you dare. I think you don't know who she is!"

Laughing amused he turned (Y/N) around and looked into her frightened face.

"Well okay. Tell me. Who are you sweety?", he asked in a mocking tone. Shaken she took a closer look of this man. Clothed in black, dirty and smelling like he hadn't showered for ages with a deadly aura around him.

"I… I am (Y/N) Charlotte. Katakuri Charlotte's wife. ", she spoke her full name for the first time and was surprised how powerful it sounded. Laughing out loud he grabbed her hair and pushed her to the ground, while the other servants were attacked by bandits as well.

"You think I believe this shit? That the most feared pirate Katakuri has a wife, which stands in the kitchen baking!? You are just a maid who tries to escape with such an awful excuse.", he laughed and dragged her with him. The immense pain in her head let her scream, while one servant after another was slashed by the bandits. (Y/N) was pulled along by her hair the whole way to their ship. Her legs were cut open with scratches from the stones and dirty from the mud. Feeling dizzy of the pain she found herself pushed on board.

"Oh where did you get this beauty?", a big fat man also clothed in black and wearing a stupid hat with the words "no mercy" came to their side to have a good look of her.

"I told you boss that at his mansion we would find something useful as well. Rare Flour, money and we got a nice maid to sell for a good price.", the man spoke and cheered with the other bandits.

Shocked (Y/N) fell onto her knees shaken violently. Terrifyed she didn't know what to do.

"good work. Big mom will regret that she denied my offer to invade Islands for her. She thinks we are not worth her money. This old hag! She will pay for saying we are too weak! We are not scared of her. And now with these precious goods, others will be impressed and fear us for our courage. We robbed the Charlottes! Look at us. We are the black bandits!!.", he laughed and ordered to leave the island immediately.

Her look fell back onto Katakuri's island, while the distance got bigger with every minute. Pushed into the next nightmare she felt her heart breaking. Not only because she feared her future. Also because the last time she saw him was at her room with him loosing his temper and shouting those hurtful words.

"Will you come to get me back?…"

#fanfiction #romance #katakuri x reader #karakuricharlotte #one piece

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innocentimouto · 2 years

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How would you characterize Jet? What are his most critical characteristics? I feel like I don't have a great grasp on his character. I know more about how people mischaracterize him than how people characterize him.

I've been planning to make a comprehensive post on this for years, but I keep putting it off.

How do I do this? I don't know you're just going to have to trust the process.

Jet is very serious and pessimistic when it comes to the war.

Despite people blaming Aang for not saving the world in s1 and s2, Jet, whose entire plot purpose was his "extremist hatred", never brought that up. He didn't ask about why the Avatar abandoned the world, or what the plan was to end the war.

His focus was protecting the valley where he and the kids under him lived. I don't think he believed he'd live to see the war end.

I also think he suffers from survivor's guilt due to his village getting destroyed, and that's one of the reasons he's so focused on helping others.

He doesn't like authority.

In general he’d hold some grudge against the adults around him for not stepping up like he did, in part because he can’t be a child anymore. The kids turn to him to be a leader or to comfort them, so he’s obsessed with keeping the image of being much older than them so they won’t consider he’s just as afraid as them.

If he ever met any of the adults in canon, he’d respect them. In his mind, they’re equal. But obviously in the mind of say Hakoda, Jet’s just a kid. Talented, but young. Jet would hate that, the pitying or disturbed looks he’d get if he’d mention how to kill soldiers when you’re outnumbered or any number of things he picked up from years of fighting.

Jet never gets into personal details of his own trauma. In most situations, he'll bring up others or vaguely include his. It doesn’t help the rage, but he doesn’t see anyone around him that he can lean on since he’s supposed to be their leader.

Loss of culture

The blocking of his trauma also had the negative effect of cutting himself off from his culture. He doesn’t remember much of his village and adopts anything useful from the kids around him. But his identity has become entirely on killing the FN and protecting kids. Anything beyond that, hobbies, reading, traditions, goals---he doesn’t bother with them.

Personally I think it opens up a lot of conversations between him and Katara and him and Aang. Katara clung to her dying culture and Jet discarded what remained of his.

He doesn’t see the point of following social standards.

This would come from taking care of kids who come from different backgrounds and are each dealing with their traumas in different ways. Whether by rage, crying, or just lying around for hours. They’re living in a forest. Most of Jet’s rules would be for safety. I think Jet's very accepting to anyone, contrary to how most people view him.

So any trauma reactions that the kids would have, he’d learn them and not judge them for it. He never blames them for it. The bursts of anger, or eating habits, or violence. He doesn’t have words for most of it, but he understands it’s normal for what the kids have endured.

This would make him clash with the upper class though, since manners and social standards wouldn't make sense to him. And also all the other issues with the rich.

He’s fun?

So, fun like that uncle or aunt who lets you stay up all night and eat anything you want. As in, no rules. If a kid wants to learn to use a weapon, he’ll help them. If they want to join the group for hunting, they can. He’s laidback that way.

But also he’ll have rules for kids to not go out by themselves at certain points in the day when it’s common for soldiers to pass through. Or if there’s been no sign of soldiers for days, then none of them are allowed to wander unless they’ve been trained to fight.

And everyone has to learn the whistles. And there’s a rotation of chores. And learning which plants are poisonous. And how to stay quiet. And what to do if they run into soldiers by themselves. And so on.

I don’t think he remembers to have fun.

He has a lot of patience

I don’t know. It just always struck me that he didn’t care at all about any of Sokka’s comments in his episode. Even when Sokka stopped him from killing the old man, he brushed it off. I think being around kids helped with this. But basically, he’s usually the one to break up arguments.

Even if he has very strong opinions. Which he does. But only when it comes to the war. I think he’s very good at finding ways to work with people. And if someone disagrees with his methods, he’ll find ways to work around it. But falling to rage and arguing isn’t his go to method. He’s probably very difficult to aggravate.

I can definitely go on, but yeah. Ta da!

#Jet #atla jet #jet meta

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ninjastormhawkkat · 1 month

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When Matthew finally gained consciousness, he was surprised to see his husband standing over him. Reddened eyes, looking absolutely disheveled. “Love?” He managed to croak out. Carl had carefully pulled him into a hug. “Oh thank goodness! You're awake! Please don't move so much. You're still recovering.” There was a bitter angry tone in his voice. “I found you in time, before those horrid people did anything more to you. I'm so sorry I didn't find you any sooner than I had.” Matthew attempted to speak but Carl shushed him before he could. “Your throat is going to be sore, my love. More than sore. They had to put a breathing tube in your throat combined with how much you've been screaming out in pain from the torment those vile beings made you endure. You're safe now. You're going to be okay. You're safe now, I promise. You'll remain safe. They'll never bother you again. I'll make sure of that, believe me.” Carl had finally released Matthew, allowing him to lay back onto the hospital bed. “The doctor here, they knew how to treat you. I'm taking a guess how but I'll leave that discussion for later. She's really kind. The first to actually jump at the chance at treating you.” He took hold of Matthew's bandaged hand, gently placing it to his cheek. Nuzzling into his hand with tenderness. “You're going to be in here for a good while. I know you can't stand being in hospitals and how much you dislike doctors, but please. For your own good, please bear with it for now.” At that, Matthew had barely nodded which caused him to wince in pain. “Careful, you've got many injuries which are healing.” Carl looked like a mess, Matthew didn't want to know how much of a wreck he looked himself quite yet. “You're never going to be put through that ever again. You're safe from now on. I promise you. They will never get the chance to go near you. I'll make extra sure of it.” There was a slight growl to Carl's voice when he spoke of them as well as a dark, stormy look in his eyes. They said that the scientist had indeed meant every word. It took alot to bring out such rage in his husband and the actions of his tormentors had indeed done that. They spent the next few minutes in silence. Carl's dark expression shifts into one of sadness. Hating that Matthew was put through such an ordeal over something that wasn't his fault in the slightest. How dare they harm his beloved Matthew. Especially when the only crime he committed was being the same species as the ones who invaded Earth. That's it. It was horrifying for Carl to watch as Matthew was dragged by a car that was speeding by. His husband had already passed out from what they've done to him. The demon hybrid had loathed the fact he couldn't save Matthew right away. Having to call the police to deal with them first before getting Matthew the proper medical aid he needed. He memorized the faces of each and everyone involved in the incident. Those he didn't see, Carl had enough of a presence in the city that they had given him the information on everyone else. They were going to pay for what they've done to his wonderful husband. Having done nothing to deserve the agonizing pain they've put him through. A tear had fallen from his eye, Matthew gently wiped it away. Holding onto Carl's face lovingly. As much as he didn't want to, Carl needed to get going. “I'm sorry, my love. I have to get going. Now that you've woken up. I can go deal with some business. I will come back as soon as I'm able to, okay? I won't leave you alone for very long. Just long enough for this. Alright?” Matthew had thought it was something to do with hospital bills and such. Maybe even having to deal with the hospital staff because of him being an alien. Either way, he hoped it didn't give Carl much trouble. Matthew gave a slight nod before Carl carefully placed his hand onto the bed. “I love you. I love you so much. I'll be back soon. Relax and let the pain medicine do its work.” With that said, Carl left with a dark and determined expression on his face.

ooo yes love this Don't worry Matthew, Carl will take care of everything.

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lauwrite1225 · 3 years

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Somebody to die for.

Finan x OC; The Old Guard inspired Alternative Universe

Summary : Victoria's life is rather simple until she has a car accident from which she ends up miraculously unscathed. A series of weird events animates her daily life, everything seemingly bringing her to a strange man. Until this very man knocks at her door.

Spotify Playlist • Masterlist

A/N : Happy Finan Friday!! As you can see on the moodboard, we are learning more about someone ;)

Warnings : mention of death as always and probably torture? I prefer to warn lmao

Chapter 11 : Welcome to the panic room

Victoria stares silently at the plate of vegetables resting in front of her. She isn’t hungry, even the sight of food disgusts her. She pushes it away and stands up from the chair. Warned by the sound, Sophie turns away from the dishes she is washing.

“Victoria.” She sighs worriedly. “You need to eat something. Letting you starve won’t make him come back.”

Vicky rolls her eyes while walking out of the kitchen to join Osferth outside. Since first lights the monk has been searching for any clues that could tell them who the men from last night are and consequently where they are keeping Finan. Victoria tried to help but the lack of results quickly angered her. However, she can’t stay still, feeling like her blood would boil if she did. She’s first been upset with Osferth after he has told them he tried to prevent the men from coming inside, which only resulted in him being killed. Maybe if he hadn’t, he could have prevented Finan from being taken away. But when she saw how guilty Osferth was already looking, she tried to ease her rage. Instead it turned against herself, for being the whole reason they have been in trouble. Of course, she had no ideas as to why they needed her specifically, but maybe if she had made herself known they would have gotten answers. She would have undoubtedly been taken away but Finan would be safe by now, him who has nothing to do with that.

That’s another question that troubles her: why taking him when it’s her they were searching? She’s sure they want her for her immortality, they could have found out about Finan’s during a fight. Her heart squeezes as tight as her fists at the idea of what he could be enduring while they are still, unable to save him. If only she could still dream of him, it would have given her a way to find him.

Exhausted by all her emotions and after a sleepless night, Victoria falls asleep even before sunset. She's not surprised when the first thing she sees is Sihtric's face. Though, this time he's wearing a modern outfit, a dark leather jacket above a white t-shirt. He looks anxious, his different coloured eyes looking around constantly. There seems to be a lot of agitation around him so Vicky spins around to see and a weird feeling takes her, she knows this place. He is in a clearing, full of armed men starting to encircle a small stoned house illuminated by the light of vehicles. She knows this place. A man is standing in the middle, grey hair and a clean shaved face of what she can see, talking to whoever is in the house. Then the door of the house opens and two men come out, raising their hands in sign of peace. They talk for a moment with the grey haired man before with a simple move of his hand soldiers start to walk toward the front door. One of the men tries to prevent them from entering and Vicky jumps at the sound of a shot. She heard this sound. The other man, bearded, catches him as a red stain starts to spread in the middle of his chest. He stays by his side, holding his hand tightly while the men enter the house. They spend a while inside before coming back, the first one shaking his head. The grey haired man seems upset and barks to kill the other still next to his dying if not yet dead friend.

That's when Sihtric finally moves, walking out of the shadow and Vicky can feel his rise of confidence and anger as he barks back to wait. The man who looked awkwardly relieved to be executed stares at Sihtric with wide eyes, a clear surprise and disbelief playing in his pupils. She knows this man. The Dane ignores him and walks toward who Vicky supposes is the chief.

“He could help us to find her.” He says and the older man raises an eyebrow at him.

“How are you so sure?” He asks, narrowing his eyes, wary.

Sihtric glances back at the man who's now shaking his head, trying to silently dissuade him, but he doesn't care. “I know, that is all.” He answers, almost whispering.

Even if the older man seems unsatisfied by Sihtric's answer, he agrees and orders a few soldiers to take the bearded man. He wrestles when they grab his arms, trying to kick them as he shouts Sihtric's name and he is taken away under the Dane's confident eyes.

Vicky wakes up suddenly, gasping for breath as she realizes what she has just seen. Sihtric was here, with the men searching for her and he was the one ordering for Finan to be taken. She can hardly believe it but it gives her some logical answers on how they keep succeeding to find her, they are using Sihtric's dreams.

She gets out of her bed and notices the light in the kitchen. She finds Osferth in it, drinking a beer while the darkness of the night outside is still far from fading. The monk looks up at her, frowning at her heavy breath.

“Are you alright?” He asks her, starting to stand up but Vicky sits on a chair in front before he has the chance to.

“Sihtric… Sihtric was here.” She tells him, meeting his light blue eyes who glaze over in confusion in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

Victoria rubs her face, trying to think of a correct and clear sentence before resting her hands flat on the table. “In my dream, Sihtric was standing in the clearing with the men encircling the house.”

Osferth's eyebrows furrow once again. “I did not see him. Are you sure?”

“I am.” She assures him. “I saw you die, Finan was holding your hand. Then, when they stopped checking the house, a man ordered Finan to be killed as well but Sihtric prevented them and took him away.”

The monk sighs desperately and buries his face between his hands. He stays silent for a long time before joining his fingers to press his lips on his thumbs. “Why did he take Finan and not me then?”

Vicky opens her mouth, trying to remember what Sihtric said to the leader but she can't remember. “I don't know.” She answers, looking down.

“Do you think he finds you because of the dreams?” Osferth demands carefully and Vicky nods. “Then he is going to find you again.”

She clenches her jaw, her fingers drumming nervously on the table. Her friend keeps staring at her intently while she thinks. As long as she isn’t rid of her dreams with Sihtric, he'll keep telling whoever the men wanting her are where she is. Her and him are linked until they finally meet. Suddenly, her fingers freeze and she stares back at Osferth.

“I have to meet him.”

“Sihtric?”

“Yes.” She confirms. “He can find me, but I also can find him. I can determine where Finan is and once we are there, I have to meet Sihtric to be freed of our dreams. He won't be able to find me anymore, and we will just have to hide somewhere else.”

Osferth visibly hesitates, his head leaning on a side then the other. “If he took Finan, it might be because he knows you'll go save him, because he is important to you.” Vicky can't help but blush at Osferth's words, biting her lips. “And he'll know we are coming. It's jumping into the lion's den.”

Vicky can only agree with Osferth, it's another risky plan, more likely to turn badly, but she doesn't see any other way out. “I know. But Sihtric and I can't escape each other, if we don't try, we'll be playing cat and mouse for God knows how long.”

After a few minutes of reflection, the monk agrees to her plan but it doesn’t relieve Vicky much, the hardest is to come. When Sophie wakes up, they tell her of their plan, and she doesn’t even have to speak for them to understand that she isn’t pleased with this plan.

“That’s complete madness!” She exclaims to the two immortals sitting on the couch. “There’s no way it goes perfectly well.”

Vicky rubs the back of her neck. “We know, but we have to try, for Finan and to get rid of them for good.”

Sophie sighs, her hands resting on her hips. “Très bien.” She pushes her glasses which had slid too low on her nose and looks at them again. “But I’m coming with you.”

“What?! No!” Osferth replies, standing up.

She shakes her finger before pressing it on his chest. “That’s not a choice. I’m coming that’s all.”

Osferth spends the following days trying to convince her to not come with them, that it is too dangerous, but Sophie reveals herself to be extremely stubborn, and during dinner he finally gives up, which gives an amused smile to Vicky, despite her very low mood this time.

Vicky spends most of her time concentrating on her dreams, drawing any faces or places she sees, and writing any word or discussion she remembers down. She succeeds to determine that Sihtric is somewhere in Germany and still in the regular presence of the grey haired man. In her drawing, he looks about seventy, with strong features but an awkward warm gaze. There’s something in the man that weirdly initiates confidence.

One night, she stands in a dark and cold cell with only an old bed furnishing it. Sihtric waits near the door while two men carry and then drop a man on the floor. Vicky gasps when she recognizes Finan, His face pale and dark marks coloring below his eyes, his clothes are soaked making him shiver in them. Sihtric looks at him pitifully and when the door closes, he makes a step forward and Finan who is now sitting crawls back until he is against the wall. The Dane keeps walking until he crouches to be at his eye level.

“You know how to make it stop.” Sihtric says, in a cold tone.

Finan huffs, trying to ease the shattering of his teeth. “Why are ya doin’ that?”

“I told you.”

“No, everythin’.” The Irishman leans forward. “Ya’re betrayin’ us.” He growls with the most anger his state allows him.

Sihtric frowns and his own anger takes control. “You were the first to betray us.” He snaps back. “You left us! Not even caring what we could feel and what could happen if you were gone. Do you know what happened to Uhtred? Did Osferth tell you?!”

Finan swallows hard, his gaze dropping down. He shakes his head and looks back to him. “How can ya allow this? Ya know perfectly that immortality isn’t a gift.”

“It’s not about immortality, it’s about saving people.” Finan frowns at him but he says nothing more.

When she wakes up, she can't forget Finan's sight, how he looked sick and sleep deprived. It gives her a myriad of feelings, she feels guilty for being the reason he is there, she feels angry at Sihtric for hurting him and she feels desperate for not being able to do anything at the moment to keep Finan from suffering. But it also gives her determination, one she has never felt before. She has never had so much determination in doing something, of course she is biased, Finan means a lot to her and she can't abandon him. She feels a strength growing in her, a confidence in front of a situation far from certain, something that would usually have made her give up.

She talks about Finan and Sihtric’s discussion to Osferth while Sophie is gone to make research with all she has already written down. The poor monk has been in a low mood for the past days as well.

“Sihtric was the most disappointed by Finan's choice.” Osferth explains after Vicky mentioned he said Finan betrayed them. “Uhtred was angry, obviously, but he forgot. Not Sihtric. Sihtric was loyal to the bone to Uhtred and he didn't understand how Finan could leave us all behind for a woman.”

Vicky nods and leans forward. “Tell me. How did they all meet? Uhtred, Sihtric and Finan.”

Osferth shifts uncomfortably on his chair, his eyes locked on his glass before finally glancing up. “He didn't tell you?”

Vicky shakes her head. “In fact, he lied to me. He didn't tell me of your existence until I started to dream of you. And when he was about to finally tell me the truth, we were attacked. I know only the big lines.”

Understanding, Osferth rests his hands flat on the table and starts to think of how to tell the story. “Sihtric was a slave and the bastard son of a Dane Jarl. He was meant to kill Uhtred with a group of other Danes but they failed and Uhtred kept him prisoner. Then Sihtric asked him to be his man which he accepted.”

Vicky stares at him intently, not having imagined the story to be so complex and tragic. “I didn't know he was a slave.” Her friend looks aside, his lips curling as she guesses he hesitates to say something. “Osferth?” She frowns.

“I suppose Finan didn't tell you he was one as well.”

Her eyes widen in half-horror and half-surprised, not expecting to learn another dark part of Finan's past. “He did not.”

Osferth opens his mouth to say something but the sound of the front door opening stops him. They both turn their heads as Sophie walks in the kitchen with a proud smile, holding a folder in one of her hands.

“I found something!” She declares, sitting at the table with them.

Osferth and Victoria share a glance while she displays papers on the table.

“So I started by the castle you described.” She explains grabbing a sheet of notes.

A few days ago, Vicky saw Sihtric walking in a castle courtyard full of men during an evening. With him was the same old man, talking to people probably rich enough to live in a castle similar to this one. The Dane was quite annoyed to stand in the crowd and most of the time remained silent. Victoria drew some of the facades of the building and is now glad to see it has been useful as Sophie grabbed pictures of a castle to compare with her work.

“So I searched when and where such a reunion happened in Germany, and regarding your drawings, I supposed it was the one in Heidelberg Castle, about four months ago.”

“It looks like it.” Osferth comments after Vicky hands him the drawing and pictures.

“So I did even more research to find who were the participants and I came up with a few names. But the one interesting us is Friedrich Müller.” Sophie's tone loses its enthusiasm to become more serious as she takes out a real factsheet about him, with a picture of the man in the corner. “Do you recognize him?”

Vicky gasps and nods, the man looking exactly like in her dreams. He is as she guessed in his seventies and retired from the firm he has been running, apparently leaving it to his daughter a few years ago. He is a part of the richest men of Germany and respected as an excellent businessman.

“Alright, but all of this is pretty… Clean? It has nothing to do with me, nor Sihtric and isn't going to tell us where they are keeping Finan.” Vicky says, impatient to know more of her friend's reasoning.

“I'm getting there.” She reassures her. “Müller came to the reunion as president of the Quelle des Lebens Stiftung.”

“Fountain of life foundation?” Osferth translates hesitantly.

“Yes, his own father was the president of it during the Cold War and left it to his son during the 80s. It's a foundation meant to do research to fight cancer and rare diseases.” She explains pointing at a description of the foundation's activities. “It still looks pretty clean like this. But after further research, Müller's father is suspected to have funded scientists during the third Reich working on the creation of a superior man.”

Vicky shivers, her fingers stiffening as she holds one of the papers, not expecting the story to take such a dark turn. “So… You think the foundation is just a cover to their real activities?”

“Sort of. But what is sure, is that whatever it hides, immortality is the key of their research.” Sophie concludes, a heavy silence growing in the room right after.

Even with answers, Victoria feels still lost as new questions arise in her mind. She tries to push them away and concentrate on what they know. Finan is somewhere in Germany, according to Sophie somewhere near Munich as the head of the foundation is located there. Their destination is settled and they spend the afternoon preparing for leaving for Germany.

A/N : Sihtric part of the bad guys, did you expect that ? 👀

Tag : @for-bebbanburg @osferth @maggiescarborough @finansarms @dumbledoreisnotmyhubby @solinarimoon @wardl0w

#finan the last kingdom #the last kingdom #finan #finan the agile #tlk #fanfiction #finanxoc #the old guard #somebody to die for

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eryiss · 3 years

Text

Ship: Freed x Laxus

Rating: Mature [References Bullying and Homophobia]

Prompt: AU Rivalry Teamup

Summary: Sent away to a delinquents academy, Freed knew life wouldn't be easy. That was proven to be the case when he met Laxus, a cocky, aggressive arse who used his fists over his words. At least, that's what he thought when they first met, but things can change over the span of a year.

Notes: This is the sixth submission for Fraxus Week, hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus. This one has a brief descrition of bullying and period typical homophobia.

Links: Event Masterlist ||| Archive of Our Own, Fanfiction

The London School for Delinquent Boys

Year 1890

Location: London, England

"We've a new boy in class today," The teacher – Mister Porland, that's what he'd called himself – said as Freed stood before the blackboard. "Freed Justine. I expect you all to behave and not cause any trouble with him."

Freed would have picked another way to be introduced if he'd been granted the choice. He would have much rather not had an introduction at all, and instead he'd slip into the back of the classroom, wave off all the questions that would be aimed at him, and try and get through the first day without any complaints. Instead, he'd been forcibly marched to the front of a class of about thirty sixteen-to-seventeen-year-old boys – all of whom had been taken from regular education and placed in a disciplinary academy – and been served up almost on a silver platter.

He had to wonder if this was a punishment in and of itself. A hazing from the teachers.

It wasn't that he was intimidated by them, of course. He'd earned his place in the school just like them, and he could more than handle himself, but he didn't care for the fuss. This was as close to jail someone of his age and social stature could undergo and, due to an enthusiast habit of reading and a slight flare for the dramatic, he'd decided prison rules might best serve him. Rule number one was to keep your head down.

A few jeers, exclamations and a patronising whistle filled the room, quickly quietened by the teacher. Freed made an effort not to pay attention to it. Animals, all of them. At least he could be safe in the knowledge that he held moral superiority over them, not that he'd state it out loud. Idiots tended not to like being told that.

Keeping his head down would be harder than he thought.

After he was allowed to take his seat, he was forced to walk through the lot of them to the back of the classroom. The jeering continued, albeit quietly, and someone tried to trip him as he walked. He ignored them, and nearly got to his seat when a particular classmate caught his eye. He wore an arrogant sneer, had a scar running down his face, and had shoulders larger and broader than a student their age ought to have.

Freed would have thought the boy attractive were it not for the look of challenge in his eyes, one Freed knew all too well. This boy was testing him, wanting to see if he would be a victim in the school or someone to be respected. To show him, Freed halted his step, made eye contact with the boy for a few moments, and then continued walking to take his seat.

A little 'hm' was the blonde's only response, but Freed paid it no mind.

Two weeks passed before the blonde actual did anything. The two weeks consisted of Freed getting used to his new surroundings, idiots trying and failing to one-up him in the hopes of looking tough in front of their idiot friends, and the blonde's presence being constant but in the distance. That changed when the blonde approached him in the dinner hall.

"Hey," The blonde grunted in greeting, storming towards Freed. His body was tense, coiled up and ready for a fight. "You think you're better than me or something?"

Freed didn't know why the blonde thought that, exactly, but his response was instant. "Better than you, yes."

He felt that was a fair way to think. The blonde had proven himself to be nothing of note intellectually, he barely spoke in lessons and when he did it was usually to make an unwarranted joke or to get an answer wrong, and he seemed quick to anger. More than once, he'd lurched at another student, looking ready for a fight he'd probably win. The fights never happened exactly, but they seemed like a constant risk. So yes, Freed did think he was better than him.

"This whole thing might 'a worked out in yer old school," The blonde growled, taking another step forward. Freed didn't flinch. "But actin' like yer hot shit and that yer smarter than everyone here ain't working. You're here like the rest of us, and you ain't better just because your pa's got money."

"I don't think I'm better than everyone here," Freed retorted, also taking a step forward. "But I am better than an idiot who can't shut up and takes his hobby by rolling around in the mud, somewhat like a little pig. My betterment was never in question."

The insult wasn't his best. The reference to the blonde's position in the rugby team tenuous at best, and Freed's supposed superiority complex might have shone through – but it annoyed the blonde, so it served its purpose.

He would have rather not been shoved in the chest, though.

Stumbling back slightly, Freed made a choice. He had been told in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to get into another fight, it was partially the reason he was there in the first place, but the blonde deserved a punching. He seemed to be something of an unofficial head-boy, and the fear of him was obvious to anyone who would look, and as such Freed felt a punch to the face was long overdue. He was a student like anyone else, and while others might want to lie down and take it, Freed didn't.

That was why he punched him. It hurt more than he thought it would.

Their fight was hardly that. It lasted less than a minute, and anger overpowered its elegance. Freed perhaps got another two punches in, and received one in return. Teachers were storming over the moment it started, and were dragging them away before it could get out of hand, but Freed felt good to hit the bastard.

"Laxus Dreyar, Freed Justine," Their head teacher yelled, voice filled with a rage that Freed felt was slightly exaggerated given the situation. "My office, now."

As Freed was dragged – literally dragged, which again was an overreaction – into the office, he was sure of three things. He'd already completely failed in his goal of not bringing any attention on himself; his father was going to find out and want him thrashed for getting into a fight again; and Laxus Dreyar had perhaps the most interesting name he'd ever heard.

---

"You heard what he did?"

"Nearly killed him."

"Apparently they're gonna kick him out."

"Nah, he's the team captain."

Freed didn't pay attention to the conversations happening around him as he ate. After three months of being in the academy, he'd learned it was best not to. Most of the people had nothing of interest to say, and the people who were interesting were the ones likely to try and start a fight with you if they knew you were listening. He'd learned that when a younger boy, Natsu, tried to punch him and Freed had ended up dumping a bowl of cereal over the man's head and temporarily strangling him with his tie. The detentions and lack of breakfasts for a week had been worth it.

In truth, he'd forged a comfortable place for himself in the school. He was known as the boy who gave Dreyar a black eye, and that title came with its perks. Mainly that most people would leave him alone. He and Dreyar had… something. He couldn't tell if it was a truce, or simply a stalemate. But either way, Freed would enjoy the calm and only reignite the fight should Laxus need another punching.

Other than that, Freed was forgettable in the school. People ignored him, he ignored them, and everyone went on as if he hadn't arrived. The school was fine – teachers were far too happy to punish, but that was to be expected – and their lessons were as good as his old schools had been. Had his parents been scammed, the tuition fee had been high?

His parents were an issue. They hadn't visited, but they were in constant communication with the head teacher, and apparently their 'donations' meant Freed was put under a spotlight by the staff. Maybe that was why they were so quick to punish: they were being paid to do so. Annoying, but it could be worse.

The food, however, was abysmal.

Mashed potatoes and sausages would be a good meal, but the potato was half cooked, and the sausages were tiny. He'd eaten as much as he could stomach within a minute, so he absently played with the food with a slight huff. The rain, as tended to happen in England, was heavily pouring and Freed knew the moment a teacher saw he'd stopped eating he would be forced into the yard for recreational activities. The eating hall was at least partially warm, and he had to admit that the conversation behind him was of interest.

"What's that got to do with anything?" One boy shrugged.

"They don't wanna piss off the rugby team, they all worship him," The other explained. "If they kick him out, everyone gets angry about it, and they fight back. They'll never do it."

"You didn't see the kid," The first dismissed. "Half dead. They've gotta do something."

"Doesn't seem like Laxus to just beat a kid up for no reason," The second argued, and Freed did have to agree. Laxus was an argumentative and aggressive man, but he did tend to stick to people his own age. Mainly those who knew how to fight back, as well. "The kid must have pissed him off."

"Romeo, nah," The first laughed, and Freed frowned. "Kid's nothing. Wouldn't bother Laxus."

Romeo. Romeo Conbolt. It took Freed a moment to put a face to the name, and when he did his fork stalled and his body tensed. He had heard the rumours of a kid being beaten half to death, of course he had, but he hadn't heard who it was. He wouldn't have cared, were it not for the fact he had seen days prior the beating Romeo had endured. Laxus hadn't been the one to beat the kid, it had been a group of six of his classmates.

Freed had stopped it, of course. They were all thirteen, he was seventeen and the boy who got into a fight with the school's toughest figure, so they scarpered when he yelled at them to stop. He told the kid to go to the nurse, and saw the issue as finished with.

Had the kid used Laxus as a scapegoat? Or had it been the group of brats?

Either way, Freed was a man of principles. As much as he wouldn't mind seeing the back of Laxus and his insistence of approaching problems with his fists, it wasn't fair to have him blamed for something he hadn't done. Especially when a grown man beating a kid was something that could get him taken from the school and placed into an actual jail. That wasn't fair. He stood, and quickly started to walk towards the head teacher's office.

"Enter," The headmaster, Mister Fernandes, said once Freed had knocked on the door. Freed entered, and waited in silence. "Mister Justine. It's rare you're here voluntarily."

"I suppose so, sir," Freed agreed, ignoring the insult. "Sir, I have a complaint to make."

"Of course you do," Mister Fernandes sighed, removing a pair of spectacles, and leaning forward in his chair. "You do know that this is a disciplinary institution, and I don't act on the word of my students. If you have issues with your treatment then it's not my concern."

"I understand that sir," Freed assured him. "But my complaint is more about the treatment of another student: Laxus Dreyar."

"You needn't worry about that," Mister Fernandes dismissed the complaint, despite the fact Freed had yet to make it yet. "I know that you and he have something of a… personal vendetta against one another, and I'm sure that the rumours about what he has done have reached you. I will be following a strict set of procedures which will likely end up with him incarcerated for what he did to a younger boy. He'll be out of your hair soon, so don't concern yourself about it."

"That is not my complaint."

"If this is something to do with your silly feud then I'm really not interested by it," Mister Fernandes sighed. "As I said, he'll most likely be out of here within the month. If you can't be civil for that long then that's a bad reflection on your own character. And boys your age really should be fighting their own battles."

Freed bit back a retort, wanting to point out that the time he did try to fight his own battle he was dragged away and reprimanded. Instead, he calmed himself and spoke again with the level of respect a teacher believed they deserved.

"Laxus wasn't the person who attacked Romeo, sir," He said, and the headteacher paused. "It was a group of his classmates. Six of them, I believe."

"And you know this how?" Mister Fernandes asked.

"I walked in on them doing it, sir," Freed admitted, not flinching when the teacher looked at him with sharpened poise. "They stopped when I approached, Romeo went to the nurse's office and I expected him to tell you who actually was responsible, rather than placing the blame on Laxus. Had I known earlier what he'd done, I would have spoken to you sooner."

Mister Fernandes took a moment, thinking before sighing. "He did, actually. He gave me a list of names, before returning a day later stating that it was actually Laxus to blame, and that he'd lied initially as he was worried about the consequences."

"And you believed him?" Freed asked before he could stop himself.

"Are you questioning me, Justine?"

"No, sir."

He was.

"You're dismissed, Justine. Thank you for speaking with me," Mister Fernandes waved a hand in his direction, and Freed nodded curtly and went to walk away. "It was big of you to do this, Justine. Well done."

"It's what's expected of me, sir," Freed dismissed.

"Good man," Mister Fernandes nodded, before waving Freed off again.

Freed left, closing the door behind him. He immediately turned to the right and started walking towards the courtyard, which was still being battered by the heavy rain. As he walked, he was completely unaware that Laxus was leaning on the wall outside of the office, looking at Freed with an expression of mingled bewilderment, disbelief, and belligerent respect.

---

The idiom that the enemy of one's enemy was one's friend was a complicated one. It was limited, didn't work for all situations, and seemed to fall apart under any scrutiny. Freed had long since decided that it didn't make much sense when thought about, and yet he found himself subscribing to the idea when it fitted him.

That was the reason he found himself walking into the rugby team's changing room.

Laxus seemed to notice him approaching the moment Freed walked into the room, and stopped mid-way through changing into his kit to stare Freed down. Freed wasn't put off by the intense and lingering gaze of the man, walking towards him without hesitation. The room seemed to quieten around him, and Freed couldn't be sure if it was because of his presence in the room or because Laxus apparently changed in the back corner away from most of his team. That worked well for what Freed wanted, at least.

"The hell are you doin' here?" Laxus said, voice growly and angry sounding. He always sounded like that with Freed, but it seemed more intense today. Perhaps this how he acted before a match.

"I have a favour to ask of you," Freed stated.

"No," Laxus rebutted immediately.

"You might enjoy doing it."

"Wouldn't be a favour, it'd be an opportunity," Laxus smirked, seemingly proud of himself. Freed had to give him credit, it was somewhat clever. "So, what's the great and powerful Freed Justine need from a man like me? Lessons on how to be an idiot; that's what you keep calling me. Or is it a few tips on rolling around in the mud? Y'know, because that's all rugby is, right."

"The captain of the team you're playing," Freed began, rather than rising to the bait. "Hurt him for me."

"What?" Laxus asked, a laugh tainting the word.

"Hurt him," Freed repeated. "Kick him, punch him, give him a concussion if you're able to. Or perhaps accidentally kick him in the balls, that'd be rather nice to watch. Just do whatever you can to make him cry."

"Why?" Laxus grinned, clearly enjoying this.

"You're playing my old school's team, and he's the reason I got sent here in the first place," Freed admitted, ignoring the quirked eyebrow he got. "He deserves more pain than he gets, I suspect. I want you to remedy that."

"And why should I?" Laxus said, voice a little taunting as he continued to change into his rugby kit. Freed forced himself to ignore the strong body that was revealed to him when Laxus removed his shirt. "We ain't exactly friends, are we? Maybe I'd have more in common with him than I do with you."

"Do you need an excuse to hurt someone?" Freed asked, and Laxus held his gaze. Freed eventually relented. "I can tell you the team's weaknesses. The coach wont change tactics and so they can be exploited."

Laxus thought for a moment. "Nah, you don't need to. I'll do it."

"You will?" Freed asked. He… honestly hadn't expected that.

"Yeah," Laxus nodded. "So long as you watch. If I'm gonna put on a show, I wanna know I'm gonna have an audience."

Laxus pulled on his shirt, much to Freed's quiet disappointment, and sat on the bench before his locker. He leant against it and looked at Freed expectantly, who was looking back with confusion and disbelief. His arrival in the changing room was stupid at best – he'd seen the man who had gotten him there in the first place and old resentment bubbled up faster than Freed would have liked – and as such he had thought Laxus would dismiss him. It's what Freed would have done were the situation flipped.

"Why?" Freed asked.

"This place is shit, anyone would wanna punch the guy who put 'em here. I don't get to do it, but it'll be fun to do it to some other guy," Laxus shrugged, standing up and cracking his back when the coach called for the team to leave for their warmups. He stepped past Freed, but halted once they were all alone. "Be there, pretty-boy."

"What?" Freed stammered slightly. Had Laxus just…

"You think I don't know the reason you're here?" Laxus chuckled a little, but it lacked the edge it normally did. He lowered his eyes slightly and spoke softer than Freed was used to. "You two get caught? Or did he catch you with some other guy and squealed on ya?"

Freed shouldn't answer. He and Laxus weren't friends and admitting anything to him was stupid, but he found himself whispering, "The latter."

"Fucker," Laxus growled, equally quietly. Freed didn't know what to think of it. "Yer right, he needs a kick in the balls. I'll handle it."

"Thank you," Freed whispered.

"Don't worry about it," Laxus dismissed. "Besides, I guess I kinda owe you for stopping me from getting expelled, don't I?" Freed frowned a little. That had been half a year ago, and he didn't know that Laxus even knew of it. Laxus didn't seem to notice Freed's change in body language and continued talking with a smirk. "And, you never know, having a pretty little rich boy watching me might make me play better."

That was all Laxus said before slowly dragging a knuckle over Freed's cheek in a gesture so light but so intimate that Freed felt a shiver run over him completely. Laxus grinned at him, pushed his knuckle against Freed's lips for a split second, before leaving Freed alone in the locker room, heart racing and eyes wide.

---

"How did you know?"

"How'd I know what?"

"The real reason I'm here."

Both Freed and Laxus were sitting on the school house's roof. Laxus had been taking a drag of his cigarette when Freed had approached him and sat bedside him, and the blonde absently offered Freed one. He didn't take it, and for a few moments they had been sitting in silence before Freed had broken it.

It was the last day of the school year. Freed would be dragged back to his home, where his parents would no doubt have a list of grievances about his behaviour throughout the year. His father would make threats about how if his behaviour didn't improve immediately, he would be punished off the back of the man's belt. Nothing would come of it, of course – the elder Mister Justine stopped punishing Freed that way the moment Freed was of an age where he could fight back – but the yelling would be near consistent. It always was when Freed met with his parents now.

He wasn't going to complain. There was no point. Instead, he was going to tie off the loose ends of his school life, particularly with Laxus. Because, when it came to the beautifully, and now somewhat flirtatious man, Freed really didn't know where he stood.

"It's obvious, when you've been here for long enough," Laxus explained, puffing out a stream of smoke. "Yer not obvious, I don't mean that, but when you've been here for years you look out for the signs."

"And what were the signs?"

"You never spoke about why you're here other than saying you got into a fight. I'm guessing it was with the guy who told on ya," Laxus shrugged a little, shifting slightly so that his side was pressed against Freed. "Everyone here wears their story like a badge of honour. Getting into fights, beating kids up, stealing from places. They're all good stories and get's you a lot of credit in a place like this. The worse you were, the more respect you get," Laxus chuckled. "There's only one thing that gets you in here that you don't talk about. Yer queer, and you get found out."

"You don't talk about why you're here," Freed pointed out, and Laxus turned to look at him with a lazy smirk.

"My dad saw me with the neighbour kid," He laughed. "He wasn't even good looking, felt sorry for him really and wanted to know what it's like to kiss a guy. But dad walked in, threw a fit, and I've been here since I was thirteen."

"That's awful of him."

"Maybe, but this place ain't so bad once you get used to it," Laxus shrugged again, leaning back against the wall he was resting on. "Kinda funny, really. I'd say about a quarter of the guys are here for the same reason we are. If you know what to look out for, you can have a pretty good time."

"You could have told me," Freed laughed a little. "I've been rather bored."

"If I told ya, I wouldn't have you all to myself," Laxus grinned, and blew a puff of smoke directly into Freed's face. Freed simply quirked an eyebrow. "I've been spending the last couple of weeks showin' off to ya on the field and I think it was working pretty well. Hardly fair on me if I got you all excited only for ya to use it on some other guy."

"You're a manipulative man when you want to be, Laxus," Freed smirked, leaning just a little closer to Laxus. "But you haven't done anything yet, have you?"

"Maybe I want ya to be desperate for me," Laxus whispered, voice low and rumbling. "Maybe I'm waiting for you to make the move on me."

"If that's true, then maybe you've waited long enough."

They were close now, and Freed wanted to be closer. Laxus' hand was resting against his thigh, and Freed leant further in. He could smell the smoke on Laxus breath, see the slight dilation of the man's eyes as he grinned, and slowly brought their lips together in a slow, tentative kiss.

His first kiss. A beautifully electric, smoky kiss that set Freed's very soul on fire.

He tangled his hand into Laxus' short hair, tugging at it slightly and relishing the slight groan that he was given in return. Laxus pushed into him further, and Freed practically melted.

Eventually, when a harsh gust of wind flew over them and shook them from the spell of their kiss, they pulled apart. They were quiet for a moment, the gravity of what happened only just hitting Freed. He had just kissed the brutish, angry, brilliant man he had once expected to hate, and had felt more alive than ever before.

"You better be here next year."

"Nothing could stop me."

"That's right, pretty-boy."

They shared a smirk, and leant forward to reignite another perfect kiss.

#Fraxus Week #Fraxus #Freed Justine #Laxus Dreyar #Fairy Tail #Fanfic #Writing #One Shot #1800's AU #Rivalry AU #Boarding School AU #Word Count: 4.2k

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morsking · 4 years

Note

i was told to come here for fate zero kotomine kirei questions? i was thinking about kirei in f/z and realized i don't think i actually completely understood his arc and specifically how it relates to his spirituality/belief in God? can you explain to me what happened to this strange knife-throwing man

i’d be VERY happy to, i love talking about kirei even if i don’t do it very often.

this is something that becomes a little more clear later on in heaven’s feel but the gist of it is that kirei has an inexplicably sadistic nature he does not understand where it comes from or why he has it. for the majority of fate/zero’s first part, he doesn’t even know it exists until gilgamesh slowly draws it out of him by making him deconstruct his own thought process and personal beliefs.

kirei was raised catholic and had a priest for a father, so kirei had catholic teachings of altruism and asceticism hammered into his young brain on top of risei’s, his father’s, expectations and desires for kirei to be “pure and beautiful”, just like kirei’s name suggests.

kirei, however, secretly felt repressed by those teachings and expectations since forsaking personal happiness and helping others never brought him any joy, and because he never felt any joy in helping others, he reasoned that joy and pleasure were sinful indulgences that a believer, much less a priest, should never partake in. he therefore internalized displeasure and complete emotional detachment as a natural and righteous state of life. this, coupled with the catholic belief that selflessness in life would mean salvation in death, resulted in kirei becoming far too guilty to ever chase after pleasure because doing so would mean betraying not just the faith in his Lord, but also all the hard work and love his father had put into raising him as a pure and beautiful person. kirei respected his father’s ideal and tried his best to live up to it, but fundamentally could not understand it, and he could not love the man it belonged to. in response to these emotions, kirei resorted to grievous and deadly methods of self-harm to keep himself walking the righteous path.

nevertheless, kirei could not contain his curiosity (and unbeknownst to him, his yearning) for pleasure and travelled the world attempting to find meaning and enjoyment in different activities. he graduated top of his class, skipped grades as an exceptional student, worked diligently as an executor, and even ate some of the most exquisite delicacies known to man... and found them all tasteless and unfulfilling. kirei was a truly hopeless individual with no direction or sense of self and personhood. he had failed to find meaning in basic, and even some luxurious, delights every human being desires to experience.

in a desperate, final gambit to connect with the inner humanity he lacked his entire life, kirei attempted to fall in love with a woman called claudia ortensia. claudia was terminally ill, and was not expected to live for much longer. while she did love him, he could not bring himself to reciprocate despite his best efforts. they were together for two years and had a child, caren, out of wedlock. throughout his time with claudia kirei could only find salvation in claudia’s suffering. but claudia, an incorregible saint, was willing to suffer if it meant bringing him joy and salvation. claudia slowly died, and soon enough her time was at hand. kirei believed that as her husband it was his duty to at least say his farewells on her deathbed. as claudia lay dying, kirei relayed the simple fact to claudia that after all their time together, he did not love her. to prove him wrong and save him, she disconnected her life support machine. kirei cried at the sight of wife selflessly dying to save him, and claudia, with her fading strength, told him that those tears were proof that he did love her, and that love is proof of his humanity.

unbeknownst to either of them, the true reason kirei cried was because he didn’t get to kill her himself.

kirei handed over his child to the church. if marriage did not save him, parenthood wouldn’t either. kirei contemplated suicide, but instead opted to return to his teachings and live as an executor, craving even the most artificial of purpose to justify his existence.

we then reach fate/zero. kirei is at his lowest emotional point, and sensing the pit in his soul yearning for purpose, the grail bestows him with command spells. kotomine risei contacts his ally tohsaka tokiomi, and takes kirei under his wing as an apprentice in magecraft.

kirei is a natural prodigy at magecraft, and is able to almost master every single discipline before abandoning it in frustration at his failure to find fulfillment and joy in it. (interestingly enough, he has a particularly high affinity for spiritual healing and surgery.) while kirei intends to follow tokiomi and risei’s orders to crown tokiomi as the victor of the grail war, he secretly begrudges being a bored pawn with no freedom and bears no actual loyalty to either of them.

in the world’s most bizarre boy-meets-girl scenario in the history of anime, kotomine kirei learns of emiya kiritsugu. kiritsugu is a mercenary employed by the einzberns to participate in the holy grail war. he has fought in countless battlefields, only joining the fight when combat is at its fiercest. he has killed scores upon scores of mages who deviate from the clocktower’s rules, and has been reported to have taken extreme measures in his assassinations such as bringing down an entire commercial airline just because his target was in it. kirei is mystified by kiritsugu’s lack of moral restraint, personhood, and regard for his own life. kirei immediately projects his own lack of self into kiritsugu and is desperate to understand him. he vows to meet kiritsugu in battle to finally grasp the answer to the question that is his existence.

as he attempts to meet kiritsugu throughout the story, kirei is approached by gilgamesh, the world’s most ancient hedonist. gilgamesh senses that kirei is repressing a fundamental part of himself, and that’s the true source of kirei’s unhappiness. gilgamesh attempts to make kirei realize that kirei has never lacked anything, he’s just tried to avert his gaze from the truth of his own nature. gilgamesh tells kirei that pleasure and joy aren’t things that are inherently sinful. human beings instinctively seek pleasure as and end in and of itself, and kirei is no different. because pleasure is a natural human drive, it can never be something unforgivable. to drive his point further, gilgamesh asks kirei that if he can’t see himself winning, then he should try to imagine a scenario where the war’s weakest combatant, matou kariya, does.

kirei does try, but before he can tell kirei what he envisions, gilgamesh stops him. gilgamesh reveals that there was no point to engaging in speculation when kirei asks if there was one, but the fact kirei did anyway shows he found a meaningless notion entertaining, and therefore, fulfilling. this comes to a head when kirei decides to heal kariya’s burn wounds after his confrontation with tokiomi. kirei experiences a rush he’s never felt before. he hasn’t just helped kariya stay in the race for the grail out of his own volition, he has done it against his master’s orders and best interests.

when risei is killed by kayneth, kirei finds his grief to be oddly forced and empty. surely, he must be devastated at the death of his father, the man who loved him, raised him, taught him, and made him who he is today. but strangely, his grief seems to be directed at something else. that’s when gilgamesh appears to him and tells him the reason why he’s sad isn’t that his father died, but that kirei didn’t get to kill him himself. this shocks kirei to his core, but he’s also forced to entertain that notion. once he realizes that gilgamesh IS right about what kirei really wanted out of his father, he’s ordered by tokiomi to leave japan and exit the war as demanded by irisviel if an alliance between the tohsakas and the einzberns against the matous is to take place. kirei secretly meets with gilgamesh, who is bored and frustrated with tokiomi, and they agree to partner up and kill tokiomi. kirei realizes that there was a satisfaction in killing tokiomi and having the last thing he ever saw be kirei betraying him and asserting his personal desire over his obligation to his teacher.

kirei, now fully committed to discovering what he yearns for the most, tells kariya he will allow him to duel tokiomi once more in exchange for bringing him the container of the holy grail and the person closest to kiritsugu: irisviel. unbeknownst to kariya, tokiomi’s wife aoi has been summoned to the church by kirei. kariya finds tokiomi already dead, and aoi walks into kariya holding tokiomi’s corpse. aoi believes kariya has killed tokiomi, and angrily accuses kariya of never having loved anyone. kariya reaches the breaking point of his rage and suffering after being rejected by aoi, the person he was enduring torture and humiliation for, and asphyxiates her in madness. realizing what he’s done, kariya runs away from the church wailing in grief and guilt. kirei and gilgamesh had watched the whole affair, and kirei realizes that what he finds meaning and pleasure in is inflicting suffering upon others and watch them collapse under the crosses struggles they carry. while he does not understand why he is this way, he nevertheless wants to find out to feel complete and intends to use the grail for that purpose.

kirei meets with irisviel, and demands answers for his questions about emiya kiritsugu. irisviel reveals kiritsugu is not the heartless killing machine kirei believed him to be, but fundamentally an altruist who wishes to shower the world in peace and blessings and seeks the grail for that purpose. she condescends kirei by telling him kiritsugu is not like him, he is far better and that’s why kiritsugu will not lose. finally understanding the man whose nature has eluded him and finding where kirei’s karma stands in relation to him, kirei kills irisviel and vows to destroy kiritsugu’s dream with his own hands.

when kiritsugu and kirei fight and the grail interferes by crowning kiritsugu the winner rather than reach a stalemate, kirei watches kiritsugu speaking with angra mainyu. he observes kiritsugu realizing that what he wanted all along was to live peacefully with his family even if it meant forsaking the world to a violent extinction. he is baffled at kiritsugu rejecting the cursed genocidal grail, and demands kiritsugu to hand it over if he doesn’t want it, because kirei has the need to find the defining principle of his own existence. after kiritsugu kills kirei and has saber destroy the grail, the curses that spill out of it engulf kirei’s corpse and resuscitate him. angra mainyu has declared kirei as the winner for the sake of using him as an anchor and a midwife for his eventual birth.

upon seeing angra mainyu’s catastrophe, kirei concludes that the calamity he is standing over is what his heart has yearned for all this time. he laughs in shock, irony, and glee that despite kotomine risei’s righteous nature and teachings, kirei is simply a monstrous and heretical cur who thrives in the agony of mankind. when gilgamesh asks if the sight of angra mainyu’s birth has satisfied him, kirei replies that it doesn’t, because kirei has been shown the end result of his desire rather than the actual philosophical principle and logical process that guides to the outcome. so for the next 10 years, kirei wrestles with the fact that he still cannot abandon his teachings and his obligation to be somewhat helpful as a priest for the desire to reject and challenge god and allow angra mainyu to fully manifest in this world and engulf it completely to finally give his existence meaning and validity because he knows his impulses to be wrong and yet needs to know why he has them and whether he is still worthy of living while having them. he is willing to manipulate and kill and betray and curse and deprive and destroy the world just for that chance at redeeming his existence because not understanding himself and having denied himself joy for so long has utterly broken him as a person and this is all he has left after a lifetime of denying himself happiness, empathy, and understanding to work through his feelings. to bless angra mainyu’s birth as a man of the cloth would reconcile his religious principles and belief in a merciful all-loving god with his yearning to accept and comprehend himself, because if angra mainyu can be allowed to live and prosper in this world while being the unforgivable culmination of all sin, then maybe he can too. (this is also a powerful and intimate parallel to both shirou and sakura that deserves its own post that i may or may not write later.)

that’s pretty much his development throughout zero and his defining character struggle in fate/stay night. this is something that spring song will delve into further and it’s actually quite interesting how such a bastard of a man suddenly becomes so sympathetic towards the end of the entire game.

grace if you ever have time for it i heavily encourage you to read through the heaven’s feel route whether through letsplayarchive or by playing realta nua yourself whilst we wait for a spring song release in the west because your perception of everyone will change drastically as you understand them at a much deeper level the movies could not show because of runtime constraints. i hope this explanation wasn’t too long or convoluted or raised more questions than delivered answers. three good friends of mine, thessaliah, kurozu501, and avicebro here on tumblr can probably elaborate further and offer more insight if you’re interested.

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Kill La Kill The Game: IF Review - Don't Lose Your Way

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Kill La Kill The Game: IF Review - Don't Lose Your Way

Aside from a manga adaptation, Kill la Kill The Game: IF is the first expansion to the story of 2013’s Kill la Kill, the hit anime series that put Studio Trigger on the map. Kill la Kill IF captures the unique fighting styles of the main cast of characters from the anime in arena battles, while also delivering some enjoyable missions to tackle in the single-player campaign. It doesn’t manage to deliver a balanced competitive landscape, but there is a delightful collection of rewards to work towards in Kill la Kill IF–supplying a satisfying incentive for replaying the single-player content.

Kill la Kill follows Ryuko Matoi, who transfers to Japan’s prestigious Honnouji Academy in hopes of finding answers to her father’s murder. Her only clue is half of the giant scissor used to kill him. Honnouji Academy is run by fascist student council president Satsuki Kiryuin and her closest allies: the Elite Four. Students at the school wear Goku Uniforms, each providing enhanced strength and superhuman abilities. Realizing Satsuki recognizes the scissor blade she carries, Ryuko attacks and demands answers, only to be ultimately trounced by the president’s underlings. After escaping, Ryuko stumbles upon a sentient sailor uniform who gifts her with god-like magical girl powers when it feeds on her blood. Now much more powerful, Ryuko swears to defeat the entire student body of Honnouji Academy and gain the answers she seeks.

Kill la Kill IF is a “what if” scenario, asking, “What if Satsuki was the protagonist of Kill la Kill?” The hypothetical is explored in the game’s campaign extraordinarily well, putting forth the theory that Satsuki may have been the brilliant mastermind behind the anime’s entire narrative from the very beginning, tragically refusing the spotlight she wants because she believes her plans for a better world will work out for the better if Ryuko is the main hero. It’s a fascinating addition to Kill la Kill’s lore, and it provides plenty of incentive to see the game’s two-part campaign all the way through.

Combat in Kill la Kill IF is pretty easy to pick up, with your staple combination of close-range, long-range, aerial, guard-break, and special attacks. There’s also a rock-paper-scissors-style clash system that allows you to buff yourself if you’re lucky enough to win. Though every character controls the same, each has a completely different specialty and unique playstyle. Masochistic Ira Gamagoori becomes more powerful by whipping and damaging himself, for instance, while petite Nonon Jakuzure excels at shooting her opponent from a distance and manipulative Nui Harime relies on decoys to overwhelm her opponents from multiple angles. Though the roster does offer a diversity of playstyles, there are only eight options to choose from at launch. That’s a pretty small pool for a fighting game–disappointing given how massive Kill la Kill’s cast is. This is slightly offset by the alternate costumes that change how certain characters attack, but the adjustments aren’t enough to make the variants feel like brand-new fighters.

Exciting though the colorful combat may be, it also feels lopsided with no reliable means of defending yourself. Every fighter can block and dodge, but both moves are pretty slow so it’s fairly easy to just overwhelm opponents with aggressive close-range characters. Once caught in a combo, there’s only one way to recover, and that’s using a counter burst–a move that uses up half of your special attack meter. You have to deal out or endure quite a few hits to fill up the meter, so you can’t regularly rely on having a counter burst at the ready. And if you are caught in a combo and you don’t have that 50% of meter to burn, you just have to wait until your opponent stops attacking you. As a result, juggling can be a pretty big issue against difficult AI opponents or advanced players that know how to pull off the game’s longer, more devastating combos–which can lead to unfair and unfun matches.

Despite the issues with combat, battles in the game are wholeheartedly Kill la Kill, and they’re typically glorious fun as a result. Characters yell out the name of their special attacks–some with barely contained rage and others with malicious glee–in epic battle cries, each one animated in a cel-shaded rendition of Kill la Kill’s over-the-top style. The most powerful blows land with an impact, slowing down the action just long enough for you to understand the recipient is about to be very hurt. The addition of the luck-based clash system feels right at home too, giving you a last-ditch effort to maybe make a comeback–randomly screaming during a battle and luckily finding a deeper well of strength is extremely Kill la Kill. Sure, the lack of a reliable counter system means winning in these battles is less about skill and more about who can press the attack buttons more quickly, but that doesn’t change that most matches are still explosively epic, full of silly puns, and just enjoyable to play. This is especially true for most of the battles in Kill la Kill IF’s campaign.

There are a variety of obstacles to overcome in the campaign as the game offers more than what’s usually expected from arena fighters. Though there are still traditional one-on-one fights, Kill la Kill IF’s story mode is a mixture of various mission types. The most interesting ones take advantage of the constantly shifting alliances in the narrative. One battle has Satsuki, Ryuko, and Nui all fight in a three-way free-for-all, for instance, and another sees Satsuki go up against the brain-washed Elite Four in a one-on-four fight. Wave-based battles against a horde of enemies are thrown into the mix, too. The variety keeps the campaign from getting stale.

Though these types of missions offer a welcome change of pace for an arena fighter, they’re also held back by Kill la Kill IF’s traditional mechanics and features. Most arena fighters don’t need a mechanic to specifically focus on one combatant or a feature to alert you when an off-screen target is about to attack, as fights are pretty much exclusively one-on-one. In Kill la Kill IF’s campaign, where you occasionally fight multiple enemies at once and the only way to remain focused on a character is to stay near them, the absence of any such mechanic or feature is far more noticeable. It’s tricky to stay focused on the fighter you want when you and your opponents are being smacked around the arena, and it’s frustrating when you’re in the midst of a combo and you don’t know whether you need to suddenly dodge or block because you’re about to be attacked from outside your field of view.

Outside the campaign, Kill la Kill IF offers Practice and Versus modes, as well as a horde challenge and figure posing gallery. Given the risque nature of Kill la Kill, it’s a nice surprise that the figures’ available poses aren’t all that leery, though the offering of shots you can produce is a little sparse. The gallery feels tacked on as a poor replacement for a photo mode, which is a shame given how gorgeous many of the characters look while in motion. Versus runs without much issue, but the online ranked mode does confirm that this fighting game has a juggling problem that rewards aggressive attack combos as opposed to strategic play.

Both the Japanese and English dub anime voice actors reprise their roles in Kill la Kill IF, so you can enjoy whichever cast you prefer (it’s something a lot more anime games should do, frankly). Unfortunately, the English dub doesn’t perfectly match up in certain animations, so there are quite a few moments where characters are technically done speaking but their mouths keep moving. It’s no deal-breaker, as both sets of voice actors do a great job once again bringing their respective characters to life. The voices aren’t the only sound from the anime to make it into the game either. Songs from Kill la Kill are regularly intermixed into the originally composed soundtrack, including fan-favorites “Before My Body Is Dry” and “Sirius,” augmenting every battle and emotional moment with the same epic sensations as the anime.

The voice actors and soundtrack provide the biggest motivation to keep playing Kill la Kill IF. As you complete the story and win matches, you’ll unlock in-game currency that you can use to buy songs and special recorded messages. The messages that seem to be from the characters’ perspectives are an absolute delight, like Satsuki providing words of encouragement to those living in “this cruel world,” but most are from the voice actors themselves–Todd Haberkorn (Shirou Iori) teasingly relaying congratulations for beating the game, for instance, or Carrie Keranen (Satsuki Kiryuin) revealing just how much it meant to get a chance to do voice work for Kill la Kill again after nearly five years. It’s all phenomenal content–ranging from hilarious to heartfelt–which provides plenty of incentive to keep playing and earn more in-game currency.

Kill la Kill IF is clearly designed for fans of Kill la Kill who are looking for more ways to enjoy the characters, music, and battles of the anime series. Each fighter behaves as they do in the anime, and the excellent voice actor rewards provide a nice incentive to keep playing even after you’ve mastered every character. However, as a fighting game, Kill la Kill IF doesn’t deliver the expected harmony of offense and defense. And though campaign battles that are beyond the one-on-one formula are an awesome addition, the traditional arena fighting game mechanics aren’t designed to adequately handle multiple opponents. The campaign’s startling revelation is a fascinating turn of events for Kill la Kill’s story, though, creating a new and intriguing interpretation of one of 2013’s best anime series.

Source : Gamesport

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