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inkymagpie · 2 years

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The Book Keeper Pt 1: The Dream is Crumbling

Summary: You are the daughter of Thoth, Egyptian God of knowledge and writing. Three centuries ago you were appointed to the head of the New Alexandria library; once thought burned in a great fire it now holds all of the knowledge that was ever written by man. But when books start to go missing, and even worse are found burned beyond repair you realize something sinister is occurring.

Pairing: Morpheus x f!reader

Chapter Rating: General

Overall Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 3.4k

Warnings: Angst

Chapter Summary: Days went by, and then weeks and then months, Dream of the Endless did not return to the Dreaming; and you began to get more and more concerned letters from Lucienne. Her normal pristine penmanship becoming more scratchy, fear evident in her writing.

The Library of Alexandria…a pinnacle of knowledge, a testament to the wisdom that the Gods bestowed upon humans through their scholars, their muses; a bastion for all those that sought out the unknown, the lessons of both the Heavens and earth. A gift so generously given only to be squandered by human folly and greed.

Mortals can be such fickle creatures.

It is said that the Library burned to the ground over two thousand years ago; the casualty of humans and their need to conquer their need for power. Razed in a war brought on by an Emperor from a foreign land; and it was thought that the books that had burned and the knowledge that they contained was lost forever. And it was…at least to mortals.

As the fires spread and scholars wept, the Gods had predicted this and had delivered the scriptures from the mortal realm back to the kingdom of the Heavens. New Alexandria, a beckon of knowledge now reclaimed and protected by its benefactors; and its caretaker, Thoth, God of the Moon, of scriptures and writings.

For more than millennia and the better half of another Thoth watched over the Library; its corridors and sections ever growing and expanding as time went on…But then Thoth was gifted a child from his devoted wife Ma’at.

Most Gods were known to have many sons and daughters, who then in turn had sons and daughters of their own and so on and so forth, but you, you were the only daughter of Thoth…His only child.

He watched as you grew, taught you of his realm, the realms of others, of humankind; and of the ancient ever presence of the Endless. He taught you the gift that knowledge was, how it shaped both past, present and future. And he taught you the importance of protecting it, so that it might be forever preserved.

However despite his teaching you viewed the importance of knowledge somewhat differently from your father, and at times it brought about tension between the two of you.

You became a Goddess of curiosity, of inquisitiveness finding more in common with mortals than Thoth would care for you to have and you spent much of your time cavorting about on earth, partaking in human customs and curiosities. And with your inquisitiveness and witnessing of the tribulations that man faced you also became a creature of compassion.

Thoth supposed you must have gotten some of that from your mother, though you were definitely more of a handful than she. He deemed that it was high time that he appointed you to a station, and perhaps that would settle you down some.

Around the turn of the century of 1600 to 1700 he gifted you with one of the most important appointments of all: Head Librarian of the Library of New Alexandria. At first you had been disgruntled by the fact you would be spending most of your time in relative solitude, no longer able to have the freedom to galavant around in the mortal realm with such frequency. But as the first decade went by you realized how much you loved being the caretaker of the knowledge that spanned all the way to the dawn of man.

You had always loved to read, how could you not? But the books and scriptures that had always been read to you or presented for you to read had usually been about great events in history, famous ballads and sonnets; epic tales of trials and tragedy. But now as the curator you had access to every story, large and small and you found yourself more fascinated by the very human stories; like a friar that had lost his sandals in the river while washing them. Or a man in a dimly lit tavern that said that he would never die.

The day to day life of mortals was fascinating and they all were so different, no two were exactly alike and you find that to be just as interesting if not more than the rise and fall of an empire. It was just so…human.

During your first century as Librarian you got to see a great number of important visitors; some other Gods, ones that you knew since childhood. Others were fae folk and beings of various magical prowess. But the most interesting guest to grace the halls of New Alexandria was an Endless.

He had arrived with your father one morning and you had watched with great curiosity as your parent spoke in soft tones with him; your father had eventually beckoned you over and you obeyed eagerly.

You had never met an Endless, though you had read about them and of course heard tales. You observed him keenly, non too covertly which had caused your father to scold you for being rude. But the Endless had gazed upon you with a look of amusement, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. And when he spoke his voice was as warm and as rich as honey and just as soothing.

“So you are the keeper of the books.” He had asked.

“Y/n and yes I am,” you bow quickly, watching him still. “Who are you? What realm are you from?”

“I am the King of Dreams and Nightmares and as my title would suggest my realm is The Dreaming.” He replied with a subtle fondness.

“Are you here for knowledge? I have a strict return policy.” You reply puckishly.

Thoth gave you a pointed look, and tapped his quill on the lip of the parchment board in his grasp. Ah, another warning.

“I like to make sure that the books are cared for, looked after.” You corrected hoping to appease your father.

“More should follow that practice.” The Endless nodded his head sagely. “And in a way, yes I am here for knowledge.”

You cocked your head at this, curious.

“The Dreaming has a vast library of its own and I believe it would be beneficial to share that knowledge across them.” He said.

You had heard of the Library of the Dreaming, after all Gods were born in the Dreaming, originally stories themselves brought to life by humankind.

“Might I see it?” You had barely been able to contain your excitement, the idea of seeing the stories yet untold by all living things, what a treasure that would be to witness in person.

“Perhaps one day my child, when the time comes.” Thoth spoke and gave a small nod to the Dream Lord.

“A raven will be in contact with you.” The Endless continued before you had anytime to pout. “They will bring you news of the Dreamings collection as well as ferry desired literature.”

“I will allow you one of my Ibis to do the same Y/n, until your sacred animal manifests.” Your father added.

You had gazed at the ground somewhat ashamed; your sacred creature had still not come to fruition, your worship still young and growing had not yet bore you a beastial symbol.

“I will take my leave Thoth, God of the Moon and Scripts.” The Endless said before he turned to you. “Y/n”

You bristled at that, your station as a goddess was rather small this was true, but he seemed to disregard it entirely.

“And you Morpheus, Shaper of Forms, King of Dreams.” Thoth nodded.

And as the being called Morpheus began to disappear into a cloud of white gold sand his gaze landed on you again.

“I suspect Lucienne will be most interested in speaking with you.” He commented.

“Who is Lucienne?” You called out but he was already gone, sands disappearing into the ether.

You had blinked, thinking for a moment before crossing your arms with a huff.

“He seems a bit-“ your father quickly interrupted you with a look. “…lovely.” You gritted out instead; insufferable you’d rather say.

“This will be a great honor, a partnership with one of the Endless.” Your father turned to leave. “I have the utmost trust that you will face the task with diligence and logic.”

You had watched as your father left the Library, heading back out into his kingdom.

You of course were diligent about your work…but you couldn’t help but take great pause with logic…

____

The smell of weathered pages, bound in leather and pressed paper and permeates the air; a comforting, familiar scent that you had come to love since childhood. The golden light of sun cast through the stained glass windows, casting rivers of iridescent colors across the worn limestone floors of the vast library. When you were given the appointment of head librarian of New Alexandria, Ra had bestowed upon you a gift that while the Library was in your father’s domain of the Moon, a kingdom ever beneath the star sky of the cosmos, you would always have the light of sun grace the halls of your station.

You sigh happily, a thermos of hot tea with milk and sugar in your grasp; you had popped into your favorite tea shop in the mortal realm; you didn’t think your father would be too upset with just a little visit; and innocent one no less! They also made the most delightful breakfast foods there and you took another bite from the pastry you had purchased as well; whoever said the God’s dined on ambrosia had never had Welsh cakes.

You walk further into the expanse of the ever growing library, enjoying your morning treat as you wait for your tea to cool. You hear the flutter of wings and you watch as a kingfisher flies overhead chortling at you, a rolled up parchment paper in its grasp.

You had been expecting a list of possible Gods from Lucienne. While most were never more than dreams, some came to fruition and would be more than figments of imagination and become beings of history.

The kingfisher drops the scroll on your very messy (though you insisted it was organized chaos) desk and lands on a tall reedy piece of drift wood you had set up as a perch. Next to them stands a large ibis, ever watchful of the recent addition to the library.

It had been over two centuries now that the ibis your father had bestowed upon you had aided you in your task, now more of a sentinel, ever keen and observant. Your worshippers had finally bestowed upon you a sacred beast. And while not as prominent or as distinguished as perhaps your fathers ibis or Anubis’ jackal, the kingfisher was a delightful creature that many mortals associated with the freedom and curiosity you so possessed.

You trill gently to the bird and tap their beak affectionately as you come to your desk, it trills in return and ruffles their feathers. You bow to your father’s ibis who ducks their head to you and begins to walk out into the library having completed its duty of making sure you hadn’t gotten lost gallivanting across the realms.

You sit down and begin to unravel the parchment paper, the kingfisher preening themself as you start to read the list from Lucienne, ready to document everything for the Library records.

Being a relatively new Goddess yourself having only come about during the time of the printing press it was still strange to see the concept of potential additions to new and old pantheons. Mortals were always coming up with new concepts to believe in, to worship; some more prolific than others.

Not too long ago you had seen ideas for gods and goddesses of steam after the industrial revolution had spread across the globe. Now it was electricity with the invention of the light bulb (something that you heard Thor was a bit sour about).

You laugh as you read some of Lucienne’s little quips and notes in the margins of her list as you document the ideas formally to fresh pressed papers. It was something that you had both started to do; an entertaining thing to lighten the mood, that and your frequent book exchange you had started doing for the past hundred years. In fact you were almost done with the last book she sent over, perhaps you’d finish it up tonight and tell her about your thoughts in your next letter.

Shortly you come to the end of the list. It didn’t appear that any of the new potentials were manifesting yet past dreams, though you think that perhaps something might happen with the idea of electricity since mankind fancied it so.

You sort the notes and give the stack to the kingfisher to take to the record's section (which now had sprawled far beyond their initial wing of the library). As you hand the papers over, twine forms along the left edge of the papers binding them together, the date appearing at the bottom right of the first page's corner. You would set them in the proper records book later.

As the kingfisher takes off into the belly of the library, you quickly gather up the personal letter that Lucienne also included with the list. You always took great joy in reading about the happenings of the Dreaming. Gods did dream but they didn’t enter the kingdom unless invited, or so your father said. Lucienne had visited you far more times in your realm than you had ever visited her in her lords (which you could count the total on one of your hands, and on one of your fingers). And you hadn’t even seen the Dream King himself while you had attended.

You begin to read through Lucienne’s letter, smiling at the mentions of Mervyn and how he always managed to strike a nerve. You had decided long ago that you would very much like to meet him in person as he sounded like quite the character. You flip the page and continue to read.

You frown at the mention of something more sinister than usual. A rogue nightmare…while it was true that Luceinne had told you about how colorful and at times creepy the Shaper of Forms creations could be, she had always said that they remained in the Dreaming. But here she was saying that he was out in the world of men, preying upon them. You made a note to check the stories of life to see if you could find anything more about this creature and if he had affected the history of man.

You breathe a small sigh of relief when you read that the Dream Lord had left just this morning (or perhaps it was night? Hard to tell sometimes when dealing with the mortal realm) to deal with the matter. You are sure that with the quick intervention that the stories of men will not be too affected.

However you could sense some sort of apprehension in the words that Lucienne wrote. You grab a stack of fresh papers and a fountain pen and begin to write back to Lucienne, hoping to ease your friend's worries. Perhaps you would send back a book as well; a favorite of yours to give some comfort.

Surely it would all be fine…

Days went by, and then weeks and then months, Dream of the Endless did not return to the Dreaming; and you began to get more and more concerned letters from Lucienne. Her normal pristine penmanship becoming more scratchy, fear evident in her writing.

And you yourself began to fear as well…the mortal world was suffering, even the other Gods whispered of a sleeping sickness that plague mankind. Your father continued to bathe the night sky under the light of the moon, but there were no dreamers to be found in its beams.

The library was changing…the stories of mankind becoming something that you feel they never should have been. Countless books now filled with the same suffering; from the pages of a young girl that could no longer find sleep to the pages of a doctor overwhelmed and doing anything they could to find a cure… an answer.

But the thing that scared you most was the pages of those that didn’t wake up; day after day the papers remained blank. Thousands upon thousands of mortals' life stories filling with blank chapters.

Your father had told you that Destiny had a path and to not interfere; if this was the history that mankind must write then it must be written. You had been quite angry with him and whoever this Destiny was…cruelty like this was not something you could bear to see. It was then you also realized that if mankind was suffering then what horrible fate was the Lord of Dreams facing; what horrible cruelties were befalling him that the whole of humanity ailed.

This had to end…

But it didn’t and months then turned into years.

Your letters to Lucienne became so commonplace that one of the Dreaming ravens and your kingfisher had started passing by each other while delivering notes. You had begun to slack on your own duties as a curator and instead of simply documenting and protecting the vast wealth of knowledge you began to pour through it. You looked for anything you could find, hints in the life books of mortals of where the Shaper of Forms had gone. You had also started to disobey your father more and more as well…traveling to the mortal realm in the light of Ra so that your father would not see you in the path of the moon.

And then one day…

“Miss Y/n!” You hear a frantic voice, it’s oddly familiar and you rapidly look up from your research. If you hadn’t been sitting you would have fallen on your behind.

Lucienne stumbles towards you, a waning portal flickering weakly behind her as she gains her footing.

“L-Lucienne?” You are still shocked she’s here in person; she never left the Dreaming to enter your realm unannounced.

“Please Y/n, I know that I did not send word but-“ she ducks her head.

You’ve never seen her so distraught and your heart aches as you worry she might begin to cry.

Quickly you stand and rush to her side.

“What is it, Lucienne, please what’s wrong?” You beg her to tell you, placing a warm hand on her shoulder, urging her to look at you.

“The books… they are all disappearing.” She says her eyes watery as she looks up at you and you feel her hands shake as she takes your other hand in hers. “Whole sections of the library; they are gone.”

Behind her the portal flickers and dissolves into the air. She drops to her knees and you follow, easing her to the cool stone of your own library.

“I used the last of my magic to get here…to seek your aid.” She says.

“Can the books move realms?” You ask quickly.

“I believe that they can, there are millions of them though.” She replies, brow furrowing.

“Can we gather residents of the Dreaming to help us bring the books here?”

“The residents have all left, save for myself and a few others.” You stiffen; they’ve all gone?

You knew that dreams and nightmares had been abandoning the crumbling realm but you didn’t know it had become such a mass exodus.

“We’ll gather those that are left.” You turn your head and whistle to the kingfisher that is by your side in a quick beating of feathered wings. “Gather your friends from the mortal plane please, bring them here and ask them to make haste.” You whisper to them and kiss their soft head.

The kingfisher coos and with the flutter of its wings takes off.

Slowly you stand, facing where the portal Lucienne came through had disappeared; you close your eyes and focus. Plucking at the threads within the ether, pulling them taught, weaving them together until a golden path is spun before you that leads directly into the library of the Dreaming. Lucienne watches, eyes softening and tense posture easing slightly.

“Thank you Y/n.” She says looking up at you, the thankfulness clear in her deep brown eyes.

”You are my dear friend Lucienne, I would do anything for you.” You reply and hold your hand out to her. She takes it, a soft smile on her lips as she stands.

You look to the glittering pathway, you wonder briefly if your father would be displeased with this action. You are, after all, interfering with another realm, however you doubt he would want to see a millennia of knowledge decay… you decide that you’ll deal with it later.

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laxmiree · 1 year

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[CN] MLQC Lucien’s Misty Date translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

I cautiously observe Lucien, his expression is calm, and there is no emotion in his eyes.

It looks like just as he had mentioned before the experiment,

he really doesn't remember me.

Translation under the cut

[Part 1]

(Note: if anyone want to follow along with the voice, you can follow along here. Although, it doesn’t record the other choice :”. No, it’s not sexy or anything, but I like how much of a trickster he is in this date and the voice direction is really good.)

I’m walking through the damp and heavy mist, wading through shallow pools and grassy fields, and eventually coming to a stop in front of the white marble staircase.

A purple butterfly catches my eye.

It is perched on the bronze Thoth* statue by the stair railing, its thin wings reflecting a dazzling and intricate silver light.

(T/N: Thoth was an ancient Egyptian deity who was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon. He was the god of writing, knowledge, wisdom, and the moon, and was also associated with magic, science, and judgment. It really fits with him~)

It seems to be the only focus in this hazy mist.

My eyes light up and I take a few light steps towards it. The butterfly flutters up into the air as I approach, as if inviting me to follow.

MC: Little butterfly, are you going to take me to see Lucien?

The butterfly spreads its wings and lightly flies up the stairs. I lift my dress and take a step forward.

The butterfly eventually flies through the gate at the end of the staircase and disappears without a trace.

I raise my hand and push open the door. The mist dissipates in an instant, and then rustling flower petals and leaves come flying towards me.

At the end of my hazy field of vision, a tall figure is casually leaning on a chair, the gentle sunlight draping over his body and softening his slightly cold features.

Lucien is wearing loose home clothes, and his long eyelashes are lightly drooping. It seems that he has not yet noticed my arrival.

A small sable is obediently lying on his shoulder, and its black-bean-like eyes turn towards me. Suddenly, it shows its teeth fiercely.

Small Sable: Gugu!

(T/N: "Gugu" is an onomatopoeic sound that represents the sable's vocalization.)

Lucien puts down his book and taps the small sable with his fingertips.

Lucien: Is this Miss the person you want me to wait for here?

The small sable makes a "Gugu" sound as if it has a spiritual connection, and then Lucien nods slightly, as if greeting me.

MC: ...Hello, Professor Lucien.

He looks over with an indifferent gaze, but when his eyes fall on me, a hint of surprise shows in his eyes.

(HE CAN SEE HER IN COLOR😭)

After a moment of scrutinizing gaze on me, he curves his lips into a polite smile.

Lucien: What can I do for you, Miss?

I cautiously observe Lucien, his expression is calm, and there is no emotion in his eyes.

It looks like just as he had mentioned before the experiment, he really doesn't remember me.

Thinking about the task goal that I had agreed with him, I take a deep breath and smile as I extend my hand to the present Lucien in front of me.

MC: Hi, I'm MC, the collaborator for this academic seminar, responsible for providing guidance to the participating scientists.

MC: Most of the scientists have already arrived at the venue, do you need me to take you there?

After I finished my rehearsed opening remarks in one breath, Lucien just calmly shook my hand in response, and then withdrew his hand before I could even savor the lingering touch.

Lucien: [in distant tone] Thank you, there's no need. I have already informed the organizers that I will not be attending.

After saying these words, his gaze returned to the book, and it wasn't until a long time later that he looked back at me again.

Lucien: Miss MC, do you need me to escort you out since you may not know the way back?

He speaks out my name, each word coldly uttered without any hint of intimacy or tenderness.

Meanwhile, the little sable beside him bared its teeth and arched its body, displaying clearly the vigilance and rejection that Lucien himself didn't express.

My heart beats uncontrollably as I force myself to steady my breathing and take a step forward, gathering my courage to pull out the chair in front of him.

MC: Okay, actually I'm not really a collaborator.

I sit down, prop my cheek up with one hand, lean forward slightly, and wink at the person across from me.

MC: Professor Lucien, I came here specifically for you.

MC: Because...I have admired you for a long time.

[Part 2]

My frankness clearly piqued Lucien's interest, and there was a hint of inquiry in his gaze as he looked at me.

Lucien: Oh? Why are you interested in me?

The scrutinizing gaze and calm questioning made my ears slightly hot. I thought for a moment before giving an answer.

MC: This question is difficult to summarize. I think it probably stems from... an instinctive attraction.

MC: After reading almost all of your publications, interviews, and journalist reports, this attraction naturally turned into admiration.

Lucien smiled lightly, closed the book in his hand and put it to the side, interlocking his fingertips.

Lucien: People tend to subconsciously build up their image during conversations and steer the topics towards angles that benefit them.

Lucien: In interviews, I am like this. Perhaps Miss MC also does the same.

His lips are lightly curved, but his eyes are devoid of smile, as if he is looking through me into the intricate maze.

MC: I do have a little bit of ulterior motive towards you, I want to know more about you.

MC: In one interview, you said that insight is a two-way observation, a mutual giving between the experimenter and the experimental subject…

MC: "The more subtle you are, the more unexpected colors you will find."

Upon hearing this, Lucien raised his eyebrow and gestured for me to continue.

I started talking about the topics we had previously discussed, carefully selecting the conversation topics.

Lucien listens quietly, occasionally joining in the conversation, and his gaze on me becomes more intriguing.

The warm and fragrant air in the greenhouse gradually relaxes me, and for a moment, I feel as if I am chatting with the real Lucien.

Lucien: So, "need for more time to discover new chemical reactions" is also something I said in the interview, is that right?

(T/N: callback to New Chemical Reaction SP!)

I startle, and my heart rings the alarm bells. I nod my head hesitantly.

MC: This is... my speculation about your thoughts.

MC: So - is Professor Lucien satisfied with my answer?

Lucien: Your answer is very interesting and precise. If I were to describe it using a teaching term-

Lucien: It's like the answer key in the "Lucien" reference book.

He suddenly stands up, leans one hand on the table, and traps me in the shadow.

Lucien: I'm just curious about the path you took to arrive at the solution.

His words are full of meaning, making me feel embarrassed and uneasy as if he has seen through everything.

It seems that achieving the goal of the experiment smoothly is not as easy as imagined. I try to remain calm and stare at him, thinking of the appropriate words to say.

MC: Before coming to find you, I did receive help from someone, and I came here in response to his invitation.

MC: He wanted me to delve deeper into this place…

MC: To explore you.

=Flashback start=

Two days ago.

Lucien: "I woke up from my dream and once again realized that Hanna was dead."

In the quiet room, the pages of the book rustled slowly as Lucien turned them over.

Lucien: "I also know that the longing that is closely connected to her is not a longing for her, it is a yearning for going home."

The sad story came to an end, and I leaned towards Lucien with a hint of sadness.

MC: Why would the protagonist rather bear a false accusation than admit that he can't read?

Lucien: Because he didn't realize that his inner secrets would affect the outcome of the story.

Lucien: As we stand in the perspective of an observer, we naturally have a clearer view.

Perhaps sensing my sadness, Lucien comfortingly patted my head and extended the conversation to another topic.

Lucien: Like us, although we can be honest enough with each other-

Lucien: But I believe that if a secret is meant to be revealed one day, then it loses its meaning as a secret from the very beginning.

Lucien: So, deep down in our consciousness, there may be hidden the true secrets that we subconsciously hide.

MC: I understand what you mean, but this makes exploring secrets seem like a paradox.

MC: After all, we can't just picking up each other's consciousness and rummage through it.

Lucien suddenly smiled and winked mysteriously at me.

Lucien: Perhaps there is a way.

Lucien quickly showed me his method in his laboratory.

The head-worn device was covered in measuring electrodes and connected to a large white machine through several wires.

He took my hand and led me on a tour of the laboratory, patiently explaining the principles of the equipment in front of us.

Lucien: Human consciousness is closely related to the exchange of bioelectricity, and this device generates virtual electrical signals that cover the bioelectricity generated by the brain in response to external stimuli.

MC: So, does it mean that after wearing the equipment, the information received by the human brain will be replaced?

Lucien: That's correct. And the person leading the experiment can also enter the subject's conscious world through this interface that replaces information.

I nodded thoughtfully and looked at Lucien.

MC: I'm guessing Professor Lucien is inviting me to participate in an experiment in the world of consciousness?

Lucien: You guessed it. However, before that, we may need to do some special preparation work.

Seeing my confusion, Lucien lightly hooked the corner of his lips.

Lucien: I do intend to let you enter my world of consciousness, but your presence might trigger my subconscious desire to conceal things*.

(T/N: "粉饰" can mean "to beautify" or "to adorn," but in this context, it likely means "to beautify in a way that is not entirely truthful.)

Lucien: So, in order to prevent this from happening, I will temporarily block any memories related to you.

Lucien tapped the shell of the device lightly with his fingertips, as if contemplating how to add an extra layer of 'insurance'.

Lucien: But there is a certain risk in doing so. If my consciousness resists, the scenarios constructed by the electrical signals will be modified and reconstructed.

MC: What kind of results would consciousness modification bring?

Lucien: Although I'm not sure what the "Lucien" in my consciousness would do, I think he would bring danger to you as a stranger.

Lucien: So, if you encounter an out-of-control version of me, you can always evoke my memories.

Lucien: At that time, you just need to say the safety command "recall". The device's AI will automatically operate to restore my memory in the consciousness world.

My breathing became slightly quickened, and my tone of voice became cautious.

MC: Don't worry, I will try my best to explore until the end, and I won't use the safety command easily.

Lucien chuckled lightly and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Lucien: It sounds like this classmate is not afraid of this "dangerous game".

MC: Actually, I'm a little scared, but…

I curled up my lips and looked back at Lucien seriously.

MC: I'm more curious to see what kind of secrets are hidden behind Professor Lucien's 'danger'.

=Flashback ends=

And now, this dangerous game is unfolding. I sit opposite Lucien at the table, observing and testing each other.

The gentle expression he always had is nowhere to be seen on the face of the Lucien in front of me. I meet his scrutinizing gaze and reach out my hand.

MC: Mr. Lucien, would you like to take me, a visitor with ulterior motives, to visit this place together?

Lucien smiled at me and the curve of his lips was almost gentle.

Lucien: Why not?

He pinched my fingertips, then released his hand. A chill spread from his fingertips and the air inside the greenhouse became slightly colder.

*insert game special effect*

The damp mist rises instantly, and his glass-like cold voice comes from the mist.

Lucien: But the greatest pleasure of exploration lies in the unknown danger, doesn't it?

As soon as he finished speaking, the plants in the greenhouse suddenly grew rapidly.

[Part 3]

Within a few seconds, the plants in the greenhouse rapidly grow into a magnificent and dangerous size.

Graceful branches and leaves wildly expand in space, separating me and Lucien in an instant.

I instinctively reach out my hand towards him, but hear Lucien's cold voice from behind the plants.

*dramatic black screen, showing this text along with his voice-*

Miss MC, welcome to my world of consciousness.

*the screen flash, showing the previous bg*

In an instant, a thousand thoughts flood my mind, making my heart beat faster and faster.

In my expectation, Lucien would quickly understand that this is the world of consciousness. However, this "quickly" far exceeds my expectations.

Lucien: Don't you want to know me better, Miss MC?

Lucien: Then come and see me.

The sharp words seemed to be close at hand, but the owner of the voice had disappeared without a trace in the next second.

Left alone, I faced the plants and trees of the entire greenhouse, all of them looking at me intently.

I take a deep breath and run down the white marble stairs I came up on.

MC: This person is really...I must settle the score with him when I get out!

??(Lucien): You can come find me and settle the score right now if you want.

I was about to grumble to myself when his voice, now laced with a hint of amusement, suddenly sounded, causing me to startle and almost twist my ankle.

I stop and look around, but he is nowhere to be seen, as if a malevolent God is looking down and playing tricks on me.

MC: Hmph, someone clearly doesn't want me to easily meet him and is trying to trip me up.

Lucien: Is that so? Then the person you're talking about must be really bad.

Lucien: But I think he can be even worse.

As if to prove his words, vines behind me instantly wrapped around me, forcing me to run.

As soon as I started running, I came across two paths that went in completely different directions.

And what's even more peculiar is that familiar animals have appeared on both paths.

One of the paths leads to a dim thorny forest, where a ferocious little sable stands at the crossroads, impatiently waving its paws at me.

The other path leads to a bright and fragrant flower sea, and a beautiful purple butterfly is fluttering at the intersection, seemingly waiting for me to follow.

Lucien: Since you have "Lucien's" reference answer, how would you answer this question?

[Follow the sable]

[Follow the butterfly]

(T/N: this part has a branch! but the end is still the same. I’ll put different choice story after the last part)

[Choose to follow the sable]

I turn around and run towards the direction of the ferocious little sable, and the vines behind me retract at the moment they touch the fork in the road.

MC: That's great…

I breathed a sigh of relief, slowed down my pace, and followed the bouncing little sable into the darkness of the thorny thicket.

As if on cue, Lucien's voice sounded at this moment.

Lucien: Why did you choose to follow it?

MC: Although the little sable is fierce towards me, it is very attached to you, so following it will surely lead me to you.

Lucien: But, this road doesn't seem easy to walk on.

MC: If I can get close to you, I will go on no matter how difficult the road is.

Lucien doesn't immediately respond to my words. Just when I think he's going to remain silent, his voice, filled with amusement, sounds out.

Lucien: If you can come, I will wait for you at the end of the road.

After that, there is only the cold light of the moon in the dim forest.

I follow the little sable forward with difficulty, sometimes crouching, sometimes jumping over the thorns.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shoots up from my ankle, causing me to almost fall into a thorny bush.

And in the next moment, a slender branch seems to sense my danger and stretches out to catch me.

I had just breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly my whole body tensed up. My view shifted and rose even higher as I was entangled in midair by the surging vine!

MC: ….!

I try my best to pry open the branches with all my strength, but it's like ant trying to shake a tree*, and I can only watch as they wrap me tighter and tighter.

(T/N: "却如蚍蜉撼树,只能眼睁睁看着它们将我越缠越紧" is a metaphorical expression to describe a situation where someone is in a very weak position and is unable to do anything to change the situation.)

It seems to be indicating the complete control of the owner of the world over me.

The branches lifted me up into the sky and then suddenly let go. I thought I would fall from a high altitude, but the next second, my feet landed on a hard ground.

I am sent to a floating garden, where a figure is leisurely pruning the branches.

MC: Lucien!

Upon hearing my voice, Lucien turned around and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Lucien: You've arrived.

Lucien: I'm curious, has your thinking changed after this journey?

MC: Of course, I think I understand you better now.

Lucien: Is that so? Well, then tell me about it.

He puts away his smile and looks at me, the warmth quietly surging into my ears.

MC: I think, I saw Lucien's possessiveness.

After hearing my response, Lucien smiled lightly in a good mood.

Lucien: You never cease to amaze me.

I couldn't help but feel excited, but he calmly opened his mouth.

Lucien: But unfortunately, it's not entirely correct.

MC: What…!

In the next second, my unfinished words were replaced by a scream as a feeling of weightlessness swept over my body.

[Part 4]

With a flick of his finger, Lucien opens up a deep crack in the ground beneath my feet, causing me to lose my balance and stumble.

I slide down from the flower branch like a petal from his hand, and for a moment, fear seeps through my body with the cold wind.

In the rapid fall, Lucien's voice rings in my ears again.

Lucien: Do you still want to continue exploring me now that things have come to this?

MC: ...I won't give up until I get an answer.

Lucien: Unfortunately, mere bravery alone is not enough to break through the mystery.

His words were infused with undisguised confidence and insight, even his advice carried a cold detachment that seemed to observe from above.

Lucien: Let's stop here. This conciousness experiment is too dangerous for you.

Lucien: No matter who you are, and what relationship you have with the real-life Lucien, I think you need to know when to give up.

He paused and there is a hint of temptation in his tone.

Lucien: Or, at least recall my memory, maybe Lucien who remembers you will let you go.

His words made my heart tighten, and even my tough words couldn't avoid a slight hint of wavering.

MC: I-I won't turn back.

As soon as I finish speaking, something soft underneath me gently catches me, and I fall into a bed.

I force myself to ignore the exhaustion that comes with it and sit up to look around.

Before my eyes is a small wooden house filled with flowers, and warm sunlight is pouring in from the skylight.

Lucien's voice comes from outside the door, his tone is quite serious.

Lucien: You are very firm.

Lucien: I will give you some time to answer again.

Lucien: But you have to remember, this is also your last chance.

His tone remained polite and indifferent, but it made me curve my lips into a smile.

MC: No problem, I will cherish this opportunity.

MC: But you didn't say how much time I have, so can I assume that…

MC: Can I understand that until I give you an answer, I can stay here to observe you?

As if he heard something interesting, there is a hint of amusement in Lucien's voice.

Lucien: Yes, I hope this classmate can maintain this spirit of inquiry.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sun outside the skylight also went down, replaced in a moment by a tranquil night.

The flow of time in the world of consciousness is very vague, and even the alternation of day and night seems to be under Lucien's control.

I wander alone in this isolated garden, carefully examining every flower, butterfly, and leaf…

The sun rises and sets in a mechanical cycle, and occasionally, Lucien would visit my dwelling and cunningly give me tests.

He would transform into a butterfly, gently fluttering its wings, and then speak unexpectedly.

Lucien: By observing my world so meticulously, has Miss MC arrived at any new conclusions?

MC: I'm thinking, your consciousness world is so rich and colorful, maybe my previous answer was too one-sided…

MC: Hold on, let's be clear that this is not my final answer. We are still in the discussion period!

Lucien: That's an interesting thought, and your cunning look is also quite adorable.

As the heavy snow falls on the eaves, the agile little sable climbs onto my knees.

It didn't use to be affectionate with me before, but now it nestles in the blanket on my lap, conveying a comfortable warmth.

I touched it and laughed.

MC: Professor Lucien who turns into a little sable is also very cute.

Lucien: I've also noticed that whenever I appear in this form, you seem to be more friendly towards me.

MC: When you're not so guarded around me, I feel closer to you~

Lucien: Like how you treat "Lucien" in real life?

I instinctively want to give a definite answer, but when the words reach my lips, I swallow them back.

MC: ….How about you try to guess the answer to this question?

The little sable rolled over and looked up at me with its round, watery eyes.

Lucien: You are even more difficult to tempt than I imagined, like... a special drug that exclusively targets "Lucien".

Listening to the amused tone in Lucien's voice, I couldn't help but shake my head with a smile.

MC: Really? I actually think that Lucien is the special drug for me, rather than the other way around.

MC: Every time he can read my desires and lure me unknowingly into the scenario he has calculated.

Lucien: But without your cooperation, one-sided calculation is just empty talk.

I pause for a moment as I touch the fingertips of the little sable, and something becomes clearer in my heart.

MC: Is this a hint that Professor Lucien kindly gave me~

Lucien: Maybe this is also one of the inducements?

The little sable rolled over on my lap and reached out its paws to hold onto my fingers.

I slowly close my eyes, and the answer in my heart seems to become clearer and clearer.

MC: Lucien, I think I already know your secret.

As the words fall from my mouth, the heavy snow disappears, and spring arrives. The dawn filters through the arched stained glass windows, casting a hazy gray light into every corner of the room.

Layer upon layer of white gauze falls down, like a dream reaching its most beautiful moment.

And the owner of the world leans over, his deep eyes gazing at me, with a probing yet restrained fervor.

Lucien: Before hearing your answer, I want to discuss a guess I have with you.

Lucien: Regarding MC's identity, I have a relatively confirmed answer.

My heartbeat inexplicably quickens, staring at his opening and closing lips in a daze.

Lucien: The time we've spent together has given me a feeling that I've never experienced before. It can even be described as... strange.

Lucien: For the first time, I feel that the world is complete with you in it, and this feeling is not unfamiliar.

Lucien: So even though my consciousness doesn't have any memories of you, I still think of you out of habit.

Lucien: I think that's the kind of relationship we have.

His burning gaze carries a hint of inquiry, sinking me into this profound and intense emotion.

MC: …When did you realize it?

Lucien: Probably, it was when I turned into a small sable lying on your lap and your touch gave me a clue.

Lucien: The sensation starts from the top of my head to my chin, then down my body, and my tail…

As he described, he used his hand to trace his body... I couldn't help but interrupt him, blushing.

MC: No, no need to be more specific. Your guess is correct.

I close my eyes, feeling his slightly rapid breath.

-this is both a confirmation to him and a repeated confirmation to myself…

MC: Maybe you are always exploring all the possibilities about me, tempting me to get closer to you step by step.

MC: This is my answer.

Without waiting for Lucien to speak, I quickly add.

MC: I have thought about a question before, regarding a question about Lucien, what should the answer be.

MC: But now I understand that actually, the question about Lucien can be both a single choice question and a multiple choice question.

Lucien: Why do you say so?

I stretch out my hands and make a butterfly shape, then gently wave them.

MC: Because I will choose all of you and only you.

I gaze at his dark and mysterious eyes with affection, my tone unconsciously softening.

MC: So even if you don't try to probe or tempt me, I will fly resolutely to you every time like a determined little butterfly.

MC: And then kiss you.

I lean in and, under his widened eyes, softly kiss the corner of his lips.

MC: Recall me.

The gauze by the window is gently lifted by the breeze, and the butterfly flutters away like a fleeting dawn, floating away into the distance.

The little sable clung to the branches and leaves, stealing glances in our direction.

But in my eyes, there is only the familiar tenderness that is rekindled in Lucien's eyes.

Lucien: (softly) MC, I missed you.

Lucien: More than just missing you a lot, I missed you even more than that.

I gaze at him for a long time, and finally smile, opening my arms to embrace his neck, pressing myself tightly against his warm body.

MC: After a whole spring, summer, autumn and winter, Mr. Lucien finally remembers me.

Lucien slightly lowers his head and gives a gentle kiss to my hair.

Lucien: I didn't expect that my consciousness world would bring you so much trouble.

Lucien: I hope the Great Producer won't be mad at me for causing you so much trouble, okay?

MC: Hmm~ After all, I have endured a lot of hardships and loneliness, so it depends on your performance.

Lucien leans close to my ear, his warm breath gently brushing against my cheek.

Lucien: (whisper) No problem.

He chuckles lightly, pinching my jaw and deepening our kiss.

Lucien: (whisper) And next, it's my turn to explore you, right?

The sky is hazy, and amidst our fiery breaths, my consciousness floats and sinks.

Like stranded on the tidal shore, like drowning in the sea, until completely dyed in his color.

[Another choice: Follow the butterfly]

I turn my steps and run towards the direction of the butterfly, while the vines behind me retract at the moment of contact with the fork in the road.

MC: That's great…

I breathed a sigh of relief and slowed down, following the gracefully fluttering butterfly towards the depths of the bright flower garden.

And at this moment, Lucien's voice timely sounded.

Lucien: Why did you choose to follow it?

MC: The first time, it was the butterfly that brought me to you. I believe it will help me for the second time.

Lucien: Your intuition is correct, and this choice seems much gentler.

MC: But I don't want to only see gentleness, I will find what's hidden behind it.

Lucien doesn't immediately respond to my words. Just as I think he'll fall silent, a voice tinged with amusement breaks the silence.

Lucien: I will wait for you to personally unveil the answer in front of me.

After that, only the gentle fragrance remained in the flower sea.

Petals of flowers whirl around me like spirits, and I struggle to break through their gentle confinement, following the butterfly as it moves forward.

I am surrounded by the intoxicating fragrance and can't help but stop in front of a blooming hydrangea. I extend my fingertips and gently touch its petals.

At the moment my fingertips touch the petals, they suddenly retract and wrap around my fingers!

MC: !!

At the same time, the flowers around me, like they've caught their prey, gently and irresistibly caress my body.

As I struggle, they invade me more deeply, the flower branches penetrate into my clothes, and the wild petals engulf me like waves-

It seems to be indicating the world's owner's exploration of me.

The flowers take me into the abyss and suddenly let go. I think I will fall down high, but the next second, my feet land on the hard ground.

(T/N: The story after this follow the exact same suit, the only difference is MC’s first answer)

Lucien: I'm curious, has your thinking changed after this journey?

MC: Of course, I think I understand you better now.

Lucien: Is that so? Well, then tell me about it.

He puts away his smile and looks at me, the warmth quietly surging into my ears.

MC: I think, I saw Lucien's desire for exploration.

After hearing my response, Lucien smiled lightly in a good mood.

Lucien: You never cease to amaze me.

I couldn't help but feel excited, but he calmly opened his mouth.

Lucien: But unfortunately, it's not entirely correct.

MC: What…!

In the next second, my unfinished words were replaced by a scream as a feeling of weightlessness swept over my body.

[Lux short ramble corner~]

OKAY so, gonna keep it short because... *glances at schoolwork*. This date is... exciting and a bit wild. I like how papergames is trying new things with all the special effect in this date (not saying that they’re new, it’s just that... they usually on main story rather than date, and it really gives an exciting feeling).

I think this date feels like getting to know him again, without him knowing anything about MC. We slowly explore him, who was indifferent at first, then become intrigued by MC’s answer. This make him both guarded and curious. But then, over times we also see him slowly become unguarded in front of her (even worrying about her). And finally after MC feeling him up reach the conclusion that he loves her (the strange feeling) and has this deep connection with her. The connection is based on something deeper than just memories or experience, but rather on fundamental sense of familiarity, it was soul deep. She completes his world. Even though Lucien didn’t have any memory of her, he feel a sense of wholeness with her.

About Lucien’s two (actually not so) hidden desires to explore and possess her- I think this already clear in the date. MC still chooses him despite his flaws and facades (Because I will choose all of you and only you.), despite his attempt of exploring and possessing (and even though he didn’t try, she will still choose to fly to him). Because loving him is the choice that she already made since long time ago, and she is committed to loving Lucien for all that he is.

Overall, I think this date is really fresh and offers deeper insight about their relationship. Whether it’s their soul deep connection or how love is a choice. I also quite like all the shenanigans that Lucien made. It’s not everyday you see him with all of his trickster potential revealed in front of MC lol.dye

#THEY DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO HIDE THAT THEY'RE F-ING ANYMORE #okay real talk though this date is really good #so much feeling #it's both deep and exciting #mlqc lucien #mlqc translation #mlqc spoiler #mlqc cn #mlqc #mr love queen's choice #love and producer

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raayllum · 1 year

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tdp and mythic inspiration electric boogaloo

The Ancient Egyptian and Greek myth edition, brought to you by a lifelong interest in researching Greek myth, the wonders of the internet, and one of my best friends who almost majored in Classics / had a very long Egyptian mythology phase and verified my leanings (and offered up some new ones).

Previous myth metas:

The Fall of Lux Aurea as the Siege of Troy

Rayllum as Orpheus and Eurydice

Deceptive Gift Giving In Greek Mythology and TDP

Aaravos’ Mythic Associations (re: Lucifer and Prometheus)

General thoughts under mythology tag for those interested

Bonus meta about the dark magic sigil being based off Hermes’ caduceus here written by @kradogsrats (and also talks a little bit about Thoth / some of what the above metas touched on as well). With all this out of the way, let’s get into it.

The Trio + Aaravos

Now I have talked briefly about this before as the parallels were actually brought to my attention by another user, @corcracrow in an ask and following meta here. I’d suggest reading that first as we’ll be covering similar territory here but also building upon the parallels between Callum, Aaravos, and Rayla with Thoth, Osiris, and Ma’at in more detail as well as discussing some other deity similarities (Isis, Ra, and Ezran at the behest of my friend).

AARAVOS AND OSIRIS

Even before S4 came out I’d associated Aaravos with Osiris due to the shared duality in their natures, with Osiris being a god of many things, including but not limited to fertility, the embodiment of the dead, resurrected king as well as a general god of the underworld, sometimes known as “The Lord of Silence.” My myth loving friend who also has Aaravos as their favourite TDP character, also heartily agreed that Aaravos-Osiris is where they would place our starry elf when it came to similarities in the Egyptian mythic tradition.

One of the most famous, if not the most famous, myths concerning Osiris is his death and resurrection. He is chopped into pieces after being betrayed by his brother, Set, and his sister-wife, Isis, has to piece him back together. (Being chopped into pieces is also a commonality for his usurper, Set, as well as for the Grecian primordial deity of Space, Uranus, and his son, the Titan of Time, Kronos. Somebody needs to start taking away sickles.)

This connection is also inspired by depictions of Thoth (Callum) presenting Osiris (Aaravos) a Key of Life vaguely reminiscent of his 4x04 intro pose, but more on the Key of Life / Aaravos later.

CALLUM AS THOTH

So why Callum as Thoth? Well, Thoth was the Egyptian god of scribes, magic, master of knowledge, and known as the Divine Author of All Books. This fits not only with Callum’s key characters being linked to his curiosity and cleverness, and the infamous “Destiny is a book you write yourself” (which was also the promo quote for the series before S1 released) but also fits the other gods my recommended I look into / confirmed my suspicions about. Thoth often helps Isis (Ezran) in resurrecting Osiris and is married to Ma’at (Rayla) but more on that later as well.

Last but not least, Thoth’s Egyptian name was Djehuty, which means “He who is like the Ibis.”

He often provides counsel to others and indeed gambled with the Moon to earn the extra five days of the calendar, resulting in the birth of Nut’s many children, and the year having a full 365 days. We can see holdovers in this in terms of Callum’s cleverness, ability to plan, and the way he is often unafraid to take even momentous risks.

RAYLA AS MA’AT

Ma’at had a double meaning to the Egyptians, referring to both a goddess who personified many concepts, and the concepts of Truth, Justice, Morality, and Balance. Good Pharaohs were ones who upheld ma’at in their royal proceedings and decisions. We can see tenets of this in both modern day ideas of Lady Liberty / Justice and of in-universe Lady Justice that Harrow speaks of in S2. Ma’at is also traditionally Thoth’s wife and shares a similar to connection to Ra that Thoth does, but we’ll talk more about that when we get to Ezran.

However, the main reason I aligned Rayla with Ma’at is, along with her conceptual associations, Ma’at was involved in the Afterlife’s most important ceremony: the weighing the newly dead mortal’s heart against her Feather of Truth. Which, while Phoe-Phoe’s feather is initially bound to Ezran, it is intrinsically linked to Rayla in all other instances.

Truthfulness, justice, and morality are also by and large the concepts that define her arc and her various struggles over the past four seasons, so the fact that out of all gods and goddesses, Ma’at also shares a kinship with Ra (Ezran) and wifehood to Thoth was just a perfect cherry on top and honestly, probably the most fun sheer coincidence of it all, if I had to guess.

Ezran as Ra and Isis

So originally I wasn’t thinking too much of Ez having a counterpart due to the fact I’m only passably familiar with Egyptian myth / I always like to make sure my tracing is strong and I’m not stretching things beyond measure. Then my friend recommended I take a look at Isis and Ra for Ezran, so here they are. Isis was definitely not my first thought since she is primarily a mother-wife goddess and associated more with the female adjacent spectrum of divinity; however, my friend pointed out the importance of Isis as a symbol of the throne, which she also wears on her head, as well as her place as a magical healer and magician next to Thoth.

This would be particularly worthwhile, if, as speculated, Ezran plays a role in reviving Runaan in particular out of the coin due to the binding the assassin still wears for his long living target.

This fits Ezran’s ascension to kingship most clearly, as it is his most significant role, as well as his attempts to heal the world from the throne itself, and themes of rebirth in his arc as king; cast out to the underworld (prison) only to reclaim it even without a crown, as Isis is not just a helper to the king, but a Goddess of Kingship. Additionally, Isis often seeks counsel from Thoth, the same way that Ezran leads on Callum, and Ezran’s connection with animals has been widely speculated to fit into something magically in-universe, although we are still waiting on confirmation.

Then you have Ezran as Ra, which also solidifies the Callum-Ezran-Rayla trio as a neat little parallel to Thoth-Ra-Isis. As the god of the sun, Ra was one of the most important and widespread Egyptian gods, Ra ruled in all parts of the created world: the sky, the earth, and the underworld. He was the god of the sun, order, kings, and the sky, and also most heavily associated with rebirth. He would go to the Underworld for the duration of night (thus causing night time) for twelve hours on a boat, with Ma’at at the front of his solar barque, and Thoth also at his side. (It is also a fun, tiny connection of Ez’s best friend, Bait, being connected to the Sun primal.)

But I think that’s probably enough conspiracy string wrangling for now in terms of assigning roles and similarities between characters. Now I want to get to the real heart of the meta which is something I’ve thought for a while now (I want to say shortly post S3, but honestly could have been any time during the very long hiatus) which is to say

The Ankh

the Star arcanum symbol has always reminded me of the Ankh. A symbol of Eternal Life, the Ankh is one of the oldest icons in the world, representing Eternal Life and the first known Cross symbol, believed to have eventually turned into the Christian cross symbol over time and due to simplification. Known as the Key of Life, the Ankh is associated with many Egyptian deities including ones we have mentioned above as a symbol of power and creation, and is the Key of Life is what is being presented by Thoth to Osiris in the artwork pictured above.

However, wait: there’s more.

The Ankh is associated the Nile, the largest and most important body of water in Ancient Egyptian mythos. It can also be associated with air and the very common idea of Breath of Life when it comes to creation and revival, particularly of pharaohs upon death (which would fit with Aaravos promising to revive Viren, a dead king, after mummifying / preserving his body for two years). Now, this makes sense, as breath and water are crucial for well, being alive, particularly in a culture surrounded by a vast desert. However, the Nile could also have negative implications with destruction and thus had a continual rebirth motif, with boats as crucial mode of transportation both in literal life and to the afterlife. (Which is interesting, don’t you think, considering next season is going to be Book Five: Ocean.)

But wait: THERE’S. MORE.

The Ankh was also associated and used to refer to mirrors, specifically ones shaped like an oval rather than a perfectly round circle.

Ovular mirrors represented the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, fitting with Osiris. They would be offered to Hathor, the goddess of Love (and beauty / fertility, dance, etc.) as well. “The association of the ankh with the mirror was no chance occurrence. The Egyptians believed that the afterlife was a mirror image of life on earth and mirrors were thought to contain magical properties” (citation). Additionally on top of it all, mirrors were closely associated with divination.

But wait. There’s still. MORE. Specifically:

The (Quasar) Diamonds

In ancient Egypt, diamonds were a symbol of courage, power, and truth. They also represented the sun. In Greek and Roman mythology, diamonds were believed to be the tears of the gods or splinters that had broken off from falling stars. For the Romans, they additionally believed as early as the 1st century CE that Cupid’s arrows were diamond-tipped as well.

The pharaohs placed diamonds as a centrepiece in the ankh.

All of this to say I am slowly but surely being convinced the Key of Aaravos has a connection to both Aaravos’ mirror prison, but also the Quasar Diamond perhaps taken from his missing Star arcanum symbol that caused him to be a Fallen Star in the first place - that perhaps the key holds the quasar diamond within it as a hiding place in plain sight, and this is why it is needed to unlock his prison.

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this mythic deep dive, possibly learned something new / was delighted to see something you remember from your myth phase, or at the very least, enjoyed seeing me gradually lose my mind over the duration of this meta. As always, mythic comparisons are fun and can often be fruitful, but are not always perfect matches, even if they can help direct us and definitely help theorize, so I hope you had as much fun as I did. As said I am by no means an expert, particularly with Egyptian mythos, so if I have gotten something wrong or wildly incorrect, please feel free to correct me, or to add your own thoughts if you have discovered another similarity or consideration that is not included here.

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iguana-eyanna · 11 months

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In Another Universe Pt. 6

Pairing: Ned Leeds x superhero! reader

Summary: Ned's world turns upside down when his new powers bring a stranger to his world. What's more strange is that she knows who he is.

Everything was set in motion. MJ was assisting Sorcerer Supreme Wong to prepare while Doctor Strange was practicing his incantation. Ned and Peter were sent off to grab everything else.

Ned went straight to get ahold of some herbs in the potion closet, muttering the ingredients to himself.

"Need a hand?" Peter asks.

"Sure, hold these." Ned said in a rush, stacking bottles in Peter's arms.

"Look, about earlier... I'm sorry if I crossed a line." Peter said but Ned doesn't look over.

"You're fine Pete, no worries." Ned said, walking away to get the spell book in the library. Peter followed in tow.

"Ned, I'm trying to apologize. Could we just pause right now?" Peter asks.

"Funny you should say that cause when I wanted to talk to you, you were busy elsewhere." Ned looked over his shoulder as he went up on the ladder to look where it was located.

"Okay, I deserve that. But I feel like you need to take a break and breathe for a sec. You're preparing for something that could kill you."

Ned breathed through his nose as he looks at Peter.

"I am done letting people, especially you, tell me what my limits are. I'm not a kid, I'm not your sidekick, and I'm not rushing this. So you could just let go of your pride for a second and be there for me just this once?" Ned raised his voice.

Peter seemed unsettled with his friend's temper. He never saw Ned angry. Ned returned his focus and turned over to his right, finding the book he was looking for.

It was different than the darkhold or the other books that were on the shelf. This had egyptian hieroglyphs that kept on moving on the cover, glowing a soft gold color.l

"The Book of Thoth." Ned whispered as he went down the stairs.

"That's the God of Knowledge from the Egyptian Mythology. But why does that book sound familiar?" Peter asks, looking down.

"Don't you remember the first issues of the Captain America comic books? He defeated the Witch Queen alongside Bucky when she was resurrected with this book. I thought it was just something they made up but apparently, this is real."

"That's so cool. I gotta ask Mr. Barnes if this is familiar." Peter said, slightly fan boying.

"Only if I get to tag along." Ned joked.

"Of course man! Mr. Barnes is so cool, I think you guys will like each other. He read the first copies of Lord of the Rings."

"No way!" Ned said in disbelief.

The two laugh a bit before Peter looks at Ned.

"I'm truly sorry for the way I've been treating you. It wasn't right to just ignore you like that. You literally took down an evil doppelganger with your powers and you're doing something pretty selfless. I'm proud of you Ned, I hope you know that." Peter said.

"You're my best friend Pete, I don't mind you being with MJ, I like hanging out with her too. I just missed when it was the three of us, or rather me not feeling like a third wheel."

"We're going to change that. No one is going to be left out or forgotten. And Ned? You were never a sidekick."

Ned smiles and gives Peter a hug.

"No matter what happens, I'll be there man." Peter assured Ned.

The two let go and they use their free hand to do their handshake before heading back.

"So, just to clarify, the girl you told us you were dating is or is not your girlfriend?" Peter asks.

"It's more of a cover really... but with these memories I told her that I was falling in love with her."

"WHAT?" Peter half yells which Ned shushed him.

"What?" Peter whispers again this time.

"That's why I'm wanting to do this. Although the memories I have of her are real, it feels more of a movie I watched than actually living them. I need to find the answer if I love her because of me or him."

Peter nods his head.

"Well, I'm glad that both of you are at an understanding. It must have been hard to face those feelings alone." he says

They finally reached the middle where everyone else was as they were busy. You look over at Ned, giving him a soft smile.

"Yeah, you could say something like that." Ned replied.

Ned gave Wong the book as everyone placed the items on the ground. MJ was using chalk on the ground in order to contain the incantation.

"You ready kid?" Strange asked.

Ned nods his head.

"Let's bring Edward up."

Wong opens a portal and out came Edward who looked unfazed of being transported out from his prison.

"If you do anything to jeopardize this, I will make sure you will be transported to the icey glaciars of Greenland." Wong warned him.

"Yeah, that totally makes me want to to do more trouble now." Edward says sarcastically.

"It's a bit unsettling to see them in the same room." Peter whispers to MJ.

"Yeah, I agree." She says.

"Okay. Ned 1 and Ned 2... listen up so I don't accidentally melt your brains into smoothies."

The two Leeds look at Strange with an unsettled look.

"Not the best time for jokes, I get it. But, you should really listen. Here, drawn by MJ, is a circle. Do not step OUT of the circle. This rune will make sure that those inside will only share the others memory. You're not allowed to interrupt my incantation. This hasn't been done for about a hundred years, and we don't want to see the outcome if it goes wrong. Am I clear?"

"So what you're saying is don't step out and shut up?" Edward asks, crossing his arms.

"Pretty much."

Ned looks over at Peter and MJ.

"If anything happens, tell my parents and my Lola I love them."

"You're going to them yourself Ned." MJ reassured him.

"I'm here bud." Peter says, as MJ squeezed Peter's hand as he was nervous.

The two Neds then look at you, expecting any last parting words from you.

"Please... be careful." you whispered.

The two boys stood apart in the circle and looked straight at each other.

"This may hurt a bit." Strange said before reciting the incantation.

Ned was about to ask how much, but soon his eyes glowed yellow. He floated in midair, unresponsive. You were about to go up to him, but Wong held you in your spot.

"We need to do this." Wong stated.

Soon, Dr. Strange waived his hands in a circular motion and brought out the dreams Ned had.

It was like you saw a projection of every moment you had with Edward. They were all in golden colors, and each memory moved as if you were in the moment.

One was when you had your first date at the state fair, and Ned won you a stuffed panda.

One memory that caught you off guard was the second night you spent with this world's Ned on the roof of his apartment. You were looking at the sky and saw how he fell in love with you.

"How is that possible that Ned remembered all of Edward's memories?" Peter asks.

"Any dream you have of yourself is most likely a memory a version of you had in a different universe. Apparently, all these memories of Spidergirl's Ned are the most vivid with our Ned."

Peter walks around the circle, seeing Ned's memories and caught one of them freshmen year of high school. They looked so shy in class, but Ned peered over when he saw that Peter had a star wars comic book on his desk. They started talking, and soon it was the first day of being friends.

Peter sniffles a bit, remembering the time it was them against the world.

Everyone was too preoccupied of looking at the memories floating in the air, the voice in Edward's head became louder.

'Now's our chance, you know what to do.' Hobgoblin said.

Edward reaches into the hidden pocket of the jacket he's wearing, feeling the small explosive he has saved in case of emergencies. He finds where the Book of Thoth was left unguarded. Edward was about to throw the explosive towards it, but then he heard something.

"You won't catch me!" You yelled out loud. "Yes I will!" Ned replied back.

"Huh?" Edward looks back and finds the memory. It appeared him and you were at a park, you wore this white spring dress that was covered in blue flowers. You were smiling, laughing as Ned was chasing you.

"Gotcha!" Ned replied, catching you by your waist as he spinned you back to his chest. "I let you!" You joked, playfully shoving his shoulder. "What will take you for me to release you?" He asks. You hum a bit before an idea pops in your head. "A kiss." Ned becomes easily flushed. This was your fourth date with each other and he has been too shy to kiss you. Maybe it was because he wanted to go slow and be the gentleman he always was, but this was his first kiss. He was worried he was going to mess this up. "Hey... it's okay. I'm not going anywhere. I'm with you till the end of the line." You said, placing a hand on his chest. Ned felt a flutter in his heart as you remembered that was a line from the Captain America and Bucky comic book he showed you. He placed his hand on top of yours and stared at you with such warm eyes. Without hesitation, he tilts his head down and kissed your lips for the first time. Both of you closed your eyes, feeling a thousand stars were surrounding you. Once you pulled away, you brush away a strand of hair that was in his face. "Nothing beats a first kiss." You said, smiling. Ned widen his smile as he picked you by the waist and spun you again and kissed you again with all the love he could give.

"That quote was your favorite movie." Edward whispers, looking down on the ground.

You break away from the memory and look at him.

"Ned?" you call him.

He turns around towards you, his eyes looking almost familiar.

Suddenly, he hisses in pain as he grabbed the sides of his head.

'STOP IT.' The voice yelled in his head.

"What's happening?" MJ asks.

"Something is blocking his mind for the memories to enter. Strange can't do anything when Ned is unconscious." Wong said.

"It's not something... it's someone." You said, hearing a sort of high pitch from your spider sense.

Edward thrashed his head violently, until he paused... giving a bone chilling laugh that filled the air.

He looks at you, smiling at you wickedly.

"Miss me?" Edward's voice slightly changing.

"Hobgoblin." You whispered.

"I can't wait to show you what I have in store." He says, his eyes growing a darker shade.

You don't know what he meant, but you could see Hobgoblin reach for something in his pocket.

"Peter! The book!" You screamed.

Peter ran to wear the book went as Hobgoblin threw the explosive at his direction. Peter almost reached towards, but then the explosive blew up, sending everyone off their feet. Artifacts flown around the room as some laid down on the floor and the book was lost in the chaos. Wong made a magic shield around MJ to protect her from any debris as you and Peter landed on the walls.

You could see all of Ned's memories slightly glitch, as the magic was being disrupted due to the rune on the floor was damaged.

"Someone needs to fix this quick!" Strange grunted, trying to not let any of the memories escape as they now swarmed in the air. Without the book, Strange couldn't maintain the spell. You could hear all the voices of each memory overlap, making it hard to focus.

"I can fix the rune! But you have to keep Hobgoblin inside!" MJ screamed.

"Find the book, I'll deal with him." You said to Peter. He nod his head.

MJ grabbed a chalk and started to connect the runes once more. You went in the opening and went up to Hobgoblin.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore." You said, hoping your Ned would hear you.

"Too late for that." Hobgoblin replied as he threw his fist at you. You knelt down as you caught it in thin air, but it was hard to maintain his grip. Hobgoblin used this opportunity to swing his leg towards your ribs that were already bruised. You let go, groaning, but you stood tall and raised your fists.

"This ends tonight." You gritted before both of you charge.

MJ rushed fixing the symbols on the floor as you and Hobgoblin fought. You ducked most of his punches, but he was almost invincible to take down.

"I'm almost done! You need to get out!" MJ screamed.

"I need more time!" you yelled back, trying to use your web fluid but Hobgoblin breaks free in seconds.

"There's not enough! I can't contain the memories anymore!" Strange yelled.

You look up and see Ned's aura fading like all of his memories. You can't leave Ned like this. And you can't leave Edward either, not again. You look over at MJ and nod your head.

"Do it."

She nods her head and scribbles the last symbol. Finally, the floor glowed around you three. Peter found the book in time and gave it to Strange as he recited the last lines.

"I know you're in their Ned, you can fight against him. You're able to decide for yourself, not him!"

"STOP TALKING" Hobgoblin spoke as you could sense that he was losing control over Edward's body.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby. I'm right here. I-"

You stop as you were now gasping for air.

The air was still for a moment. You could hear your new friends calling your name and you look down, seeing that Hobgoblin found a dagger lying on the floor and pierced you in the stomach.

Hobgoblin smirks back at you.

Suddenly, the soft glow of yellow turned a violent shade of orange. Hobgoblin took notice and turned around, seeing Ned now towering over him, his eyes glowing like raging fires.

"Wong? What's going on?" Strange asks.

"He's still conscious! His emotional ties towards her is stronger than we realized, Ned might not break free from this rage!" He yells back.

Ned took Hobgoblin by the collar and levitated up, flying as Hobgoblin dangled in mid air. Ned didn't even say a word, but his features turned menacing. That innocent kid that he once was is now gone.

"Just do it, kill me now. But if you don't you're just as weak as Edward." Hobgoblin spat.

"Stop, you're better than this!" Peter screamed.

Ned, not facing towards his friends, raised his hands toward them as they became frozen in place, even with Doctor Strange and Wong. But with Strange's lost of control, all the memories began to violently fly around the room. There was screaming, so much screaming. Everyone now saw the horrible things Edward had gone through. His manic episodes when he was lost in the sewers, his destruction towards the city when innocent lives were lost, and the times he fought with you before you were transported towards this world.

"Ned..."

Ned looks down as he sees you lying on your back, starting to bleed out.

"I'm with you till the end of the line."

Suddenly, the memories came to a halt as everyone became quiet. Ned lets go of Hobgoblin. He thought he was about to fall to his doom, but he levitates in the air.

"You're wrong about us. We're not weak... we care a lot. And frankly, I think you're time is finished."

And with that, Ned raised his hands to Hobgoblin, blasting all of the memories at Hobgoblin.

Hobgoblin screams out as Edward fights for control as both of the Leed boys shine bright as the sun. Everyone else closes their eyes as the light overcame their senses. Soon, it began to dim as well as the hold that Ned had on them. They break free from their frozen places and look up to where Ned and Hobgoblin once were.

They see Ned holding Edward's shoulders as he seemed half conscious.

"I got you, man." Ned whispered as they soon stood on the floor. Everyone else surrounded them, unsure.

Edward regains his senses, looking straight at Ned.

"It's... it's quiet. I don't hear him anymore." Edward said in disbelief. Both Ned and Edward smiled as they hugged each other, realizing that it worked.

Edward smiles brightly as he tries to look for you, calling your name.

"I remember now! I remember everyth-" Edward stops speaking as he sees you lying on the floor, eyes closed.

"No," Ned whispered.

Both he and Edward race to your side as Edward lifts you in his lap, trying to shake you to wake up as Ned held your hand.

You lied in his arms, cold as your blood decorated the floor. Peter and MJ go up to their friend as Peter knelt down besides Ned.

"I - I killed her." Edward whispers.

"It's not your fault." Ned said.

"It is. She's gone because of me."

Ned looks over and sees his teacher a few steps away, still shocked as he witnessed Ned's power.

"We can't do anything, can we?"

Wong lowers his head.

"It is forbidden. We must not disrupt the balance of the living and the dead."

"How about the book? There has to be a way-"

"There is. But it requires for one soul to be exchanged in order to bring back the other. We're not risking your lives again."

"What if we shared half of our souls to her?" Edward asks.

Everyone turns back to Edward.

"Half of my soul and half of Ned's creates one soul. Can that work?"

Wong and Strange look at each other, unsure.

Ned looks back at you, as you lied there peacefully

"We have to try."

Edward lies you on the ground as Ned took the book and looked at the spell.

"Hold her hand and I'll hold the other. Whatever you do, don't let go."

"I won't." Edward said.

Ned looked down at the book, repeating the words that was written on the page. Everyone around them saw a small glowing orb erupting from Ned's and Edward's chest.

"That's their souls." Wong whispered to Peter and MJ.

They flew in the air at the moment, slowly twirling around each other until the souls flew in your chest. A few seconds past and you gasp for air. Ned and Edward jump back from you unexpectedly. You look down and see that how your stab wound healed completely, barely leaving a scar.

“What- what happened?” You ask, looking around.

"You died for a good 5 minutes. All hope was gone till we decided we split our souls so you could come back."

"We?" You ask.

He looks over your shoulder and you turn around in his direction, seeing Edward standing alone.

Ned helped you get up until you were on your feet and you slowly take a few steps towards him.

He looks so scared as you got closer to him.

"Is it really you?" You ask, your heart still unsure if your Ned was back.

"On our first date... we went to go watch that new Disney movie. You looked cold so I gave you my letterman jacket. And when you wanted to hold my hand, I warned you that I had sweaty hands and you said -"

"-I had calloused hands so it was perfect." you finished his sentence

Edward and you laugh quietly as he looks at you, close to tears.

"I am so sorry, for everything. If I could take everything back, I would-"

You stopped Edward as hugged him tightly.

Besides you two, everyone around you began to tear up. Strange had to step away because he was more of a mess than all of you.

Edward choked as he quickly wrapped his arms around you, needing your touch like it was the only thing that was keeping him alive.

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

"Thank you, for everything." You said to Peter and MJ as you and Edward were about to leave this dimension.

You've stayed for an extra two days, wanting to regroup all the events this week. But, you two decided it was time to go home.

"Of course, I'm glad that you're able to go back, Ned." Peter said.

"Actually, I think I want to be called Edward from now on... it kinda grew up on me." Edward said, intertwining his hands with yours.

"I like it too." You smiled at him.

At a fair distance, Ned looked at you and Edward happily in love.

"How are you?" Wong asks as he walked up to Ned.

"I'm... i'm alright. Made my piece that they'll be going back. I'm happy for them." Ned said, smiling contently.

Wong nodded his head.

"We need to discuss about your magic. Strange and I were talking and we had never seen someone advanced this quickly during their training. You're powerful Ned, more than you realize."

Ned looks down at his hands, knowing that too.

"Like I told you awhile ago, my Lola told me that we had a long line of people who were gifted."

"It's more than that, Ned. I believe you are a descendant of a powerful lineage. It ties to a mystic artifact that we've encountered: the Ten Rings. No one knows its origin, not even the man that beholds it."

"What's his name?" Ned asked curiously.

"His name is Shang-Chi. I will be meeting him in a few weeks to research more about this from his late mother's homeland, and I want you by my side on my expedition."

"I'm honored, Master Wong. I won't let you down!" Ned replied, about to hug Wong, but decided to bow instead.

Wong smirks and releases a sigh.

"I'll make an exception, just this once."

Ned smiled brightly and hugged Wong.

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" Ned yelled, running toward his friends.

"You didn't tell him everything, did you?" Strange asked.

"That what... he may be a descendant of the most evil sorcerers of ancient times?" Wong asked.

"I get it Wong, he's a good kid. But he needs to know his fate if his powers will corrupt him like The Duwende."

Wong sighs. He thought hearing Edward's alter ego sounded so familiar until he realized that duwende was the Filipino word for elf and goblin, or rather Hobgoblin.

"I will, but for now, we let him live the life he wants. He shouldn't be burdened of a historic destiny when he's finding himself."

The two look over to see Ned smiling and laughing with his friends. He almost died on countless attacks, disappeared from the blip and had to redo half of his education.

But one thing about Ned was that he stilled smiled, even in the face of casualty.

Wong and Strange walked away to give the teens some privacy as they discuss more of their expedition.

In a few minutes, everyone began to say their final goodbyes.

Ned was faced to-face with Edward.

"What are you going to do now?" Ned asked.

"I wanna see my family again. Just thinking about my Lola is making me tear up right now." Edward sighed, brushing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"But I'm going to get help. Even if I'm not Hobgoblin anymore, I need to make things right with the people I've hurt and take responsibility. Thank you, for reminding me of who I am." Edward said, lifting his hand.

"Actually, can we try something?"

Ned quickly taught him the handshake that him and Peter do and were laughing at how cool it was to be doing this with their doppleganger.

"Be kind to yourself, Edward. You were always a good person, don't ever forget that."

Edward smiles at Ned's words as the two hug each other.

"Mind if I steal you for a minute?" You interrupt.

Edward goes next to you and smiles, squeezing your hand before you and Ned were talking.

"I guess this is it." You said, rubbing the side of your arm.

"Yeah... it was um, nice to have you around." Ned said.

You look at him in a bit of disbelief.

"You know I have half of your soul, and that's how you're sending me off?" You sassed.

Ned couldn't help but crack a smile.

Your feels a bit heavy as you went up to him, holding his hand.

"I'm forever grateful for what you did for me these past few days. I'll never forget you Ned Leeds. I have apart of you with me."

Wong steps forward and signals that it's time to go. You look back at Ned and slip your hand away. Wong opens the portal and you and Edward look forward, seeing your New York.

"Ready?" You ask over your shoulder.

"Yeah, let's go home." Edward says.

Everyone waves them goodbye until something in Ned broke.

"Wait!" Ned yells after you.

You turn and see Ned run to you, wrapping his arms around you.

You hold onto Ned as you two began to cry. If these past days taught you anything, it was that love came at the most strangest of places. And you found a different kind of love with him, it was when two people who were hurting found each other.

He gave you a loving look as he wiped his tears away.

"Thank you, for the memories."

You gave him a tearful smile.

"Any time, I hope that one day soon, you'll find someone to share them with." You said, kissing his cheek as you slowly walk away from him as you go back to Edward. You two look back at the people who changed both of your lives.

And it was the last time you ever saw Ned.

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

1 year later

"Okay, ready? Smile!" Ned said, taking a picture of Pete and MJ by the pond at the Boston Gardens.

It was now breaking into warmer weather, so the gang decided to treat themselves of a day of adventuring after finishing their exams from MIT.

Just when he's about to show them the picture, a soft whimper caught his attention. Ned's eyes lit up with curiosity as he spotted a cute, lost puppy wandering near a cluster of trees.

With a warm smile, Ned crouched down and gently scooped the puppy into his arms.

"Hey little guy." He cradled the adorable canine, looking around for any signs of its owner. Just as he began to worry, he hears a familiar voice.

"Milo? Milo!" the voice came closer as he saw them running to Ned with a dog leash that matched the small bulldog's collar that Ned saw.

"Oh my god- is that-" Peter asks.

"Yep. Our world's version of Spidergirl." MJ said, slightly blown away.

Ned was in utter shock as you came closer with relief on your face.

"Thank you so much for finding my Milo! I wanted to have him run without the leash for a few minutes but he's such a troublemaker, always wanting to find new friends!" You said, a bit out of breath.

Ned broke out of his spell and gave you back your dog in your arms.

"Yeah, I uh- I'm glad I bumped into you." Ned said, still in disbelief that you were standing in front of him.

"What do you mean? I should be the one thanking you! How can I repay you?" You ask, about to look in your purse.

"No no! It's okay. I really don't want anything."

"Are you sure? I mean... I could treat you to a coffee. It's the least I can do." You said, wanting to show your gratitude (especially since you thought the guy in front of you was really cute.)

Ned smiles as he looks over to his friends, giving him a thumbs up.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

In a different world, two of the same people were by the beach side in the west coast, soaking in the sun.

"This is much needed." You whispered, as you cuddled closer to Ned as you were enjoying your first vacation with just the two of you after your first year of college.

"Agreed." He whispers in your ear as you guys relax, hearing the small waves crash against your bare feet.

A lot has changed within the year.

Edward had a tearful reunion with his family, and may or may not have been slapped with his Lola's house slipper of his long disappearance, but she hugged him tightly afterwards, afraid to let him go again.

He get the help he needed during his road to recovery. He had moments where he doubted if he was a good person, but you were always there to remind him all the good things he has done.

"What are you thinking of?" Edward asked.

You took a deep breath as you hug him against your chest.

"Just thinking how lucky I am that you're here."

Edward looks back at you with a loving gaze.

"I think I'm the lucky one."

"Oh yeah?" you ask.

"Yeah... and I'll prove it." He says as he turned more in your direction.

You were about to ask what until he inched closer and kissed your lips. Both of you closed your eyes as you felt fireworks, the same way you felt on the day of your first kiss with him.

You connect your foreheads together, later kissing his head as you two stared off in the sunset together, feeling your souls intertwined.

A part of you felt Ned somewhere in another universe. Somehow, you knew that he felt accomplished and accepted... and found someone that would one day love him with all of her heart:

You.

Taglist:

@tenmaabnesti

@diysyfhcjtssuiteryyxhcft

@the-suicidal-lizard

@idkhowbutifoundyou

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feeshies · 6 months

Text

10 Characters, 10 Fandoms

Tagged by @pinayelf thank you :D

Magnus Hammersmith (Metalocalypse)

Real fucked up of the creators of this show to take my celebrity crush + bisexual awakening as the visual reference for a character who's always partially shirtless and wielding a knife. Also there's a 5000 year old prophecy that says his destiny is to be a forgotten loser.

2. Captain Nemo/Prince Dakkar (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea)

The gif is from the Disney movie, but my heart belongs to the original novel characterization. Genius inventor who turned his back from society, but not from marginalized people. Good at everything except for not falling down self-destructive spirals. Takes money from sunken colonialist warships and uses it to fund revolutions. Serves as a haunting metaphor as the ocean itself. Please when will we have a faithful adaptation?

3. Thoth (The Kane Chronicles interpretation)

I am specifically going with The Kane Chronicles' interpretation of this Egyptian god. Especially compared to a lot of other interpretations of him in modern media, I like how the book doesn't portray him as this stuffy "everyone is an idiot except me" kind of guy. It's really refreshing seeing an interpretation of a god of knowledge who is clearly scary-powerful and a genius, but is also the ADHD weirdo who keeps getting distracted and can't finish his projects. I also like how he doesn't brush off the protagonists because they're mortals or teenagers or whatever. The book does a great job showing how his brain works and how he thinks, which makes him a lot more effective as a god of knowledge imo. Also they made him relocate in Memphis, Tennessee? After so many British adaptations of him, it's refreshing to see a god of knowledge with a southern accent (if you listen to the audiobook).

It's so good, it almost makes up for the book's interpretation of Anubis.

4. Vivienne (Dragon Age)

I thought for a while about which Dragon Age character I should add. While there are characters I made more stuff about during my peak years in the fandom, Vivienne is the main character I keep going back to. I love her elegance, the way she's written, her voice acting, her look??? Fashion/character design in the franchise peaked with her. Also as far as a Circle character goes, I find her utterly fascinating as someone having to survive in an oppressive system and developing different/conflicting perspectives about it. I think she was a much-needed perspective and I adore her. Also now I was just reminded of the trend of people having their white mage ocs or the other white mage characters "educate" her about oppression and now I'm mad about Dragon Age bs again lol. Vivienne is the best choice for divine don't @ me.

5. Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks)

*Holds him up like a a cat* he's nice :)

I've rewatched this show (the main series - haven't gotten around to watching the new show) and every time I find more reasons to love him. He could have so easily been this brooding cynical noir type, but instead he's this ray of sunshine who sees the beauty and joy in everything around him. I'm glad he's okay :)

6. Shaolin Fantastic (The Get Down)

Putting aside my heartbreak over this show's cancellation for a second to talk about how good the cast is. I thought about choosing Zeke, but I couldn't not choose Shaolin. I love how he's introduced as this mysterious genius who was willing to fight a man in an alley for a record, but then the main crew gets to know him and he's a huge dork? He takes care of pigeons, he samples the Star Wars theme in his DJ sets, he's nice :) Also the cool big brother vibe he has with the younger characters is really cute. It would suck if this show got cancelled so the story will always end with him being forced to go back to his abuser :) that would suck.

7. Nozomu Itoshiki (Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei)

I think he's funny and pretty and I hope he gets therapy.

8. Bella Goth (The Sims)

Weird to add a Sims character maybe, but not doing so would be a disservice to the chokehold this woman had on me as a younger player. 10 year old me broke my copy of TS2 because I fucked up the game files by trying to get Bella back.

9. Benny (Fallout: New Vegas)

I knew I had to pick a FNV character. I considered Silus, since he's interesting for a Legion character. But in the end I went with Benny. He has the best aesthetic, and his evolution from "the guy who shot you and instigated your protagonist's whole plot" to "pathetic little guy who agrees to help you take down the system because everyone sucks--and also he's into feet" is some masterful character growth.

10. Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold (Once Upon a Time)

This show is a mess, but the scene where he beats that man with his cane was kinda hot. Also you can't make a man 1. the most powerful force in the universe, 2. somehow still pathetic, 3. have that hairstyle, 4. trying to be a good father and partner but always failing because of his own selfishness, and 5. Scottish, and not expect me to enjoy him. Robert Carlyle put his entire rumpelstussy into that performance.

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emma23 · 1 year

Text

Part 1:

Summary: Y/n arrives at a museum and meets Steven Grant. this one discovers that Y/n is not the one he thinks

Steven grant x reader

Y/n had just entered the british museum when she met a man.

He must have been tall, but how he stood he looked smaller. he had curly black hair. and olive skin

Y/n says "hi" when she discovers that the man was looking at her

"Hello" The boy says in a small voice as he looks at you

"Are you looking for something spec-"

He stops, his breath caught in his throat at you're beauty. He blushes a little

"Sorry im just... you are very beautiful..." He says as he tries to keep his cool

« Ooh thank you you are beautiful too » Y/n respond

"Y-You think so?" The boy smiles as he blushes a little more

"Well... what's you're name? Im Steven." He holds out his hand to shake yours

« Yes really. I m Y/n »

"Well Y/n, are you looking for something specific here? Maybe i can help you..." The boy smiles as he looks at you with soft green eyes

"or... would you like to just... hang out with me? I can show you some of the more... cool artifacts."

« I would really like to take a tour with you. are you a tour guide »

The boy smiles gently, feeling very flattered at you're question. He nods excitedly "Well yes, i am a tour guide. I love showing people the good things at the museum! Come with me!"

He says with an excited smile, pointing at the museum behind him. He seems very knowledgeable about the artifacts and history surrounding them and is able to answer most questions you can think of with ease

« wow you are really very passionate about all this it's crazy »

The boy blushes a little "Thank you... it's just... i love the history of this stuff, like i could spend all day talking about Egypt and it's gods and history with you. Do you like... Egypt too?"

The boy looks at you very excitedly, wondering if you shared the same passion he did, because he really wanted to share what he knew with you "How about you... what do you like? Besides being beautiful..."

"Oh thank you" Y/n blushes at this compliment

« I prefer Greek mythology but I like to learn different things and ancient Egypt is one of them »

"You like greek mythology? That's really cool! Is there anything in there that you like? I really like some of the greek gods and goddesses but my main thing is Egyptian." The boy smiles as he talks about the different mythologies. He gets really talkative when it is a subject of something he enjoyed

"There are a lot of things that are... similar actually, especially in a god like Hades, he is kind of similar in roles to Anubis, who is very similar to Osiris. I love learning about new mythologies but especially ancient Egypt"

« you must be really smart »

The boy blushes "I guess... i just know quite a bit about it..."

He chuckles at you "Why don't you ask me something then! I bet i could answer it!" The boy beams up at you, feeling like he can impress you by answering your every question about ancient Egypt

« Ok so which egyption god is the worst? »

His eyes light up with excitement "That would be Set! He is the god of chaos. He's really cruel to everyone and is one of the only... evil gods. He's also the god of storms, which makes him also similar to Zeus, but Set is always cruel and evil and i'm personally not a big fan of him." He says with a shudder

« and suddenly which god is your favorite? me it's taouret »

"My favorite... well that would have to be Thoth or Osiris. In my knowledge Thoth is the god of wisdom, writing and he is a patron of science and the moon. He is an all knowing god, he can write anyone's future in a book and read it. Osiris on the other hand is the god of the dead, the afterlife, but he also has other domains like fertility and agriculture and he is the first king to be considered a god."

« ok and what do you think of the god khonshu? »

"Oh! He is really bad... He is the god of the moon, but he is also the god of justice. He is also associated with healing and the night time. I'm actually a little surprised you know about him, i thought he wasn't one of the more popular gods... " The boy smiles a little as he talks about the god of the moon "What made you ask about Khonshu?"

« steven you are a nice guy but i am here for another reason. i know you are the avatar of khonshu or rather marc »

The boy looks away for a second, a bit shocked before he turns back to you.

"Y-You know i'm the avatar of Khonshu.... how did you find out?" He says in a small voice, almost whispering

« because I'm not from here and I really know everything, it's complicated to explain »

"You're not from... Here? Are you from a place where the Egyptian gods were actually real or something? Is that possible?"

The kid says, eyes wide with wonder as he tries to figure out where you came from. His whole world view was just turned upside down, was this girl an ancient Egyptian god in disguise or was she from some strange alternate universe where the Egyptian pantheon was still real. Either way, his curiosity got the better of him as he looked at you, almost in a bit of a wonder. The idea fascinated him.

« you're a really smart boy, i'd rather you see me as an egyptian goddess than reality »

The boy smiles up at the girl and looks at her in awe. "So you're a goddess? What goddess are you?"

He asks in wonder "Or are you too powerful to belong to an ancient pantheon like the gods of Egypt, and so you're from... i don't even know, a new and older pantheon? It's amazing to think of... a real goddess."

He says with a soft smile. "Tell me about it then... what exactly are you. What can you do? Just how powerful are you?"

« as I told you, I really like the goddess taouret perhaps because I am her. on earth my powers are not as powerful but I can teleport myself or things, open portals »

The boy's jaw drops at your comment.

"You're Taouret? The goddess of child birth, protection, happiness and cats? That's... So cool! Does that mean that there are more gods like you walking among us? What made you come to earth?"

« it was really boring up there, fun stuff always happens in earth. when i felt khonshu's presence, i was surprised to find you. but in the end it was a good surprise »

The boy smiles at you.

"So... what do you do for fun on earth? I mean... are there any fun activities that a goddess can do? Or is that below you... i don't know. Do you watch movies and read books or are you just here to... i dunno? Do you have any other friends on earth or anything?" The questions just seem to come pouring out of the boy, he's never actually spoken to a god before so he has no idea what is or is not appropriate to ask or say.

« infact on earth I spend most of my time reading, full of books, all different.For friends no. you know steven the gods are very arrogant, it's hard to really be you with them.And for human friends, well I might . you humans are cool. but it's complicated, always having to lie about who I really am. »

The boy sighs a little.

"That's true. I never really thought if gods could have friends since... you are sort of on your own level. And it would be hard to... you know have friends when you're so much more than everyone around you... it... is... lonely... " The boy says as his eyes widen with the reality and realization of what you said. He seemed to understand the way that you would feel. Being alone in a world where you were so much more powerful than everyone around must be... hard. No one else could understand.

« and you, I am convinced that you have lots of friends with all the knowledge you have? maybe even a girlfriend? »

The boy stops for a second and thinks "I... actually don't have that many friends or a girlfriend. You know... i spend a lot of time reading and learning stuff so everyone always thinks i'm weird. They dont get the stuff i'm interested in and they think it's boring and it makes the stuff i'm really into... harder to talk about. So i end up just... keeping to myself i guess. It's not the worst thing but... i mean. It does get pretty lonely you know?"

« you know what if you want we could be friends! »

The boy's eyes light up

"Is that an official goddess offer to be my friend? Because i would really love that. You are a really cool person and i would love to be friends with you"

« so there you go Steven you are my very first friend »

The boy smiles widely.

"And you are my first goddess friend... so i guess that makes the two of us special doesn't it?" He says with a chuckle as he takes your hand and shakes it with a grin. He seems really happy

Y/n smile « yes »

He chuckles happily

"So what's it like having an actual goddess for a friend? Does that mean you can give me favors or make me win in games? I won't tell anyone i swear"

he says with a laugh, a little too playfully, teasing a little

« why not. I could knock the quills down when you bowlin » she laughs

He chuckles and smiles

"That would really be something for the record books! "I won at bowling using divine powers" that should definitely be on the news!"

He chuckles as the idea of that was quite hilarious to him but he would definitely not mind winning a few games with some divine assistance... for as long as it stayed just between you two.

« well I'll let you work it would be a shame if donna came to scold you. but if you want we could meet again? »

He nods

"Yeah that would be cool. Do you have a way i could like... contact you or find you again or something?" He says with a soft smile "Because that was really great you know!" He smiles at you

« yes of course » Y/n give her phone numbers.

"send me a message" Y/n give him a wink

The boy blushes a little before taking your number

"T-Thank you..." he says with a smile as he puts your number in his phone

I'll be sure to message you." He says with a chuckle as he blushes a little

He smiles at you once more "Thank you... i'll talk to you later" He says as he waves, his cheeks red.

to be continued…

#steven grant x reader #moon knight x reader #marc spector x reader #jack lockley x reader #Steven grand #marc Spector #Jack lockley

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