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canmom · 2 months

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The themes of NieR Reincarnation

A post about the recurring elements of Drakenier and the use of branching timelines as a storytelling device. I'll be discussing spoilers for basically every DoD/NieR game.

Records

A somewhat understated recurring motif of the Drakengard/NieR series is the idea of stories or memories of humanity being stored in some massive archive.

It's an idea that first entered the series in NieR Gestalt/Replicant. Early drafts of the game focused on the idea of a world built out of stories and fairytale characters, and while most of this was cut, some remained in the Forest of Myth area.

Following NieR's obsessive love of hopping between different game genres, the story here is delivered through prose/text adventure segments. There is a sense that this area of the game exists as prose, with the characters slightly aware of narration - narration which absorbs the characters until you find a way to escape. Eventually you find out - it's rather cryptic in the actual game, but spelled out explicitly in Grimoire NieR - that it's a huge computer system storing records of the deceased humanity.

In your second visit to the area, the story focuses more on distant history, that all these stories are fragments of memory of the lost pre-apocalpytic world. You encounter a Gestalt (human soul extracted from body) that is eating the memories stored in the tree, and kill it, and for Nier and co., this is enough - but for the player, you really don't know half of what is going on.

In the story The Lost World, which was adapted for the additional Ending E added in the Replicant remake, Kainé returns to the Forest of Myth and finds the computer system expanding. She fights clones of herself before eventually speaking to a mysterious administrator and descending into a virtual world that seems like a corrupted version of her memories. But she's able to connect to her memories of NieR, Emil and Grimoire Weiss, and through that connection cause a kind of timeline collapse effect that allows her to resurrect Nier. Terms from DoD3 such as 'singularity' come back again.

youtube

In NieR Automata, the idea of the legacy of humanity becomes increasingly central. While the androids believe they are reclaiming Earth for humanity, the Machine Lifeforms' motivation is in large part driven by their efforts to pore over the records of humanity and learn how to evolve their condition, even by blind imitation. Many of the different Machine Lifeforms you encounter are shaped by their interpretations of human society. The motif of human buildings recreated in white blocks recurs at certain points.

In the final sequence of the game, you climb a tower, and inside it visit simulacra of locations from the Replicant/Gestalt. You learn that the machines have infiltrated the androids' network and downloaded basically all the information the androids have, including all their records of humanity. When the machines' 'Ark' is launched into space, it carries their memories and consciousness in data form.

The YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse raid series in FFXIV continues this idea of obsessive, blind reconstruction. The machines you fight here are now all the more explicitly connected to the apocalyptic shit in DoD; they have also been frantically creating duplicates of YoRHa android 2P, the Bunker and so on in corrupted form. Although the story here has mostly other interests, it's another recurrence of the idea of trying to recreate things that were lost.

Along with this idea of the archive comes the idea of preservation of that archive. Whether by accident or deliberate attack, the survival of the archive is not guaranteed.

This is all absolutely central to what Reincarnation is about.

Branches

The Drakenier series has played around with branching narratives pretty much from the start. It's somewhat infamous for it in fact - did you know that NieR is actually a spinoff of ending E of Drakengard, the one where you appear over Tokyo and have to do a rhythm game? Yeah, so...

Most games are fairly cagey (ha ha) about the mechanics of these branches. Indeed, although we speak of branches, the structure of these games is not really a branching one like a visual novel. The branches and 'endings' are usually unlocked sequentially.

Drakengard/Drag-on Dragoon (DoD1) is probably the closest you get to a traditional branching structure. You can unlock routes in certain missions by fulfilling certain conditions. The exact logic of these branches is not really explained - you can go back to a point before you recruit a party member and get a different branch where they're present for example. That said, it's not like a visual novel where you can be 'on' one branch or another - you can always jump to any level from any timeline.

This oddness of the branches is also lampshaded a little more in DoD3, the game that is most explicit about the nature of the branching timeline. DoD3 is, from the player perspective, a linear game. After you complete the first 'ending', you unlock new levels that appear at earlier points in the timeline, and diverging branches appear. In the later branches, the logic of the world is starting to break down. Party members who you'd recruit later in the story are in your party much earlier, in some cases suffering from amnesia, the implication being that it's an effect of the Flower's corruption.

The game is intermittently narrated by a character called Accord, an android 'Recorder' whose job is to document all the different versions of the story for an unknown party. Accord isn't supposed to intervene in the story, though she occasionally talks to protagonist Zero, and in the final D route, she decides to break the rules and save Zero. Otherwise, she's responsible for 'sealing' branches where it seems the world cannot be saved.

This is Accord:

The final cutscene of DoD3, available only after you beat the ludicrously difficult rhythm game that is the 'final song', shows a bunch of other Accords appearing and talking about what a mess this all is.

Accord's other role in the game is to sell weapons. Another series tradition running back to DoD1 is the 'Weapon Stories'. In each game, you can collect weapons, which can be upgraded through a series of four stages. Each stage unlocks another part of a story. These stories tend to be quite brief - each entry is at most a short paragraph. They also, particularly in the DoD games, tend to be comically grimdark.

DoD 3 came out after NieR Replicant/Gestalt, but in every game since then, there have been cryptic mentions of Accord. In Automata she's mentioned in a note as a weapons seller; in the updated version of Replicant she is mentioned as visiting Nier's village while the party is away on her adventures, and you see a documention that mentions the 'Accord Corporation' supplying magic weapons.

OK, so, put a pin in that, we'll come back to her later.

The side material commits further to the branching idea. The original Drakengard is established to follow from the DoD3 Story Side novel, while Branch A gives rise to the Shi ni Itaru Aka manga and the DoD 1.3 novel. The YoRHa stage plays spawned alternative versions, namely YoRHa version 1.3a and Shōjo YoRha version 1.1a, with the gender of the casts flipped. YoRHa 1.3a also has Accord in it. The anime NieR Automata ver. 1.1a also presents an increasingly diverging version of the events of the game - notably, Adam turns into a multi-armed monster.

DoD2, something of the black sheep of the franchise, was originally written to follow DoD1 ending A; later it was retconned to belong to its own branch. Just 'cause.

With me so far? ...no? Yeah, that's fair. You can read about all the details I've gathered so far here, but in short, there are lots of timeline branches, and multiple versions of several stories with small or large divergences.

Reincarnation

NieR Re[in]carnation is a gacha game that's been running for the last three years, and is going to be shut down at the end of April. At the time it came out, it was acknowledge for having unusually nice graphics for a mobile game, but rather desultory, grindy, repetitive gameplay. Which remained true throughout the game's life, so I can't exactly recommend playing Reincarnation, especially at this point.

But! I would definitely say it's worth your time to dig up the story on Youtube/Accord's Library if you're into NieR stuff. I won't be going into all the ins and outs of the story and how it all fits together in this post, but I am gonna talk about how it's structured.

NieR Reincarnation places you in a vast stone city called the Cage, calling to mind the environments in Ico. At the outset, you play as a young girl travelling with a weird ghost-like creature called Mama, tasked with restoring the memories stored in objects called 'dark scarecrows' which are being subverted and corrupted by black birds which form into various monsters.

Within each chapter of NieR Reincarnation, you get a short story in four parts, presented in a kind of cutout style, which are the four segments of a weapon story. You collect the weapon and the character.

The Cage is shaped by the content of the weapon stories somehow bleeding into the simulated setting. A character's memories can be used to restore the stories to their proper course. It is possible to interfere in small ways with the worlds of the stories.

The corruption of the stories tends to involve subverting characterisation to make them crueller, more prone to random violence etc. - or points when a character could be threatened in a narratively unsatisfying way. For example, a peace-loving runaway prince could be turned into a warlike king.

Over the course of the first arc, you discover that the girl you are playing is actually a monster who has taken the form of a human girl and, regretting it, wants to give her her embodiment back. The second half of the arc has you playing the girl trying to reunite with her monster friend; at the end, you get her own backstory as a victim of brutal prejudice. After all is said and done, both characters transform into weapons, which Mama picks up and hides away.

The second arc, The Sun and the Moon, deals with a brother and sister from present-day Tokyo. Both of them have been transported into the Cage by more of the weird ghost thingies, to participate in a strange ritual that is allegedly going to restore the Cage. The rules are highly mystical - a significant sacrifice is needed.

In the most recent arc, The People and The World, the characters all emerge from their stories as the Cage becomes increasingly corrupted. We finally get the long awaited point where these characters can interact with each other, and advance the stories from a series of tragic vignettes to something more. At the same time, we get a lot more allusions to other games in the series - from the Lunar Tear room where Emil memorialised Kainé and later 9S memorialises 2B, to a brief appearance Devola and Popola.

There's even a nod to Yoko Taro's other terminated gacha game, SINoALICE, which is going to be made into a movie oddly enough. There's a wry nod to the game being shut down.

And in the most recent chapters we find out that the Cage is actually a server on the moon containing records of humanity - 10H from A Much Too Silent Sea is one of the main characters. 'Mama' is actually the Pod tasked with overseeing the archive, and wiping 10H's memories whenever she learns too much - though it seems at some point 10H learned the truth and affirmed that she'd protect the archive anyway and they stopped wiping her memory.

Over the course of the chapter, 10H helps the gang make their escape from the moon through the androids network, to Earth. But when they get to Earth, they find themselves in a strange white city more resembling the Cage.

We'll finally get some answers, maybe, later this month. Anyway...

So, these records come from multiple diverging timelines, and they take the form of weapon stories. You have a unity of the ideas of character - weapon - memory - world. A record is simultaneously a tragic series of events, a person who can manifest inside the Cage itself, a simulated world which other people can visit, and a weapon.

In addition to the main storyline chapters and 'character stories', each character is associated with two additional 'EX' storylines, termed Dark Memories and Recollections of Dusk. Each one is a much more substantial narrative than most in the game.

Some of these EX stories clearly take place in different timelines to the first ones we encounter. Akeha's story, for example, takes place after her death in the original version. For the brother and sister from the Sun and the Moon arc, originally from present-day Tokyo, their Dark Memories take place in the backstory to NieR Gestalt/Replicant - the period where humanity is dying out to White Chlorination Syndrome and fighting monsters called the Legion. In this one, before the siblings could be torn apart by family drama and resentment, the apocalypse happens. Both of them end up coming into their own as heroic fighters. In the finale arc, the characters learn a bit about these alter egos, and it's made very explicit that this is a different timeline.

The monster Levania's Dark Memory is especially weird. It's the story of a salaryman who plays a monster called Levania in an MMORPG. His MMO character inspires him to live more bravely in the real world, and his life seems to be improving, but he is murdered by a jealous coworker. He wishes for reincarnation as he dies - classic isekai stuff. But the connection to the Levania you encounter in the main story is far from clear. Are all versions of Levania derived essentially from this man's tulpa?

The nature of the 'enemies' attacking the Cage is still not yet clear. They take the form of black birds. The birds are given a small amount of dialogue and characterisation, and they seem to not be malicious, just confused. The girl from the first arc in particular tends to interact with them sympathetically. However, they seem to be connected with the mysterious 'God' who was trying to destroy the world in DoD1, and the Angels and Flower of DoD3.

The birds are able to gathe together to manifest much larger monsters, the largest being giant elk and fish called Cursed Gods. During the finale arc, one of these becomes something that resembles the Mother Angel from DoD1 - and yes, there is a rhythm game - though mercifully a pretty easy one.

In the same arc, the character Yurie, an AI city overlord with grandiose ambitions and a loathing of imperfection attempts to download the entire history of humanity from the Cage and become a more perfect being. She succeeds, only to find the answers disappointing...

This is perhaps the closest thing we ever get to an explicit statement of what all these stories and histories add up to, but despite all this, the throughline is very strongly that these stories are essential to preserve. NieR characters exist in small groups, and it is their intense connections to these others, their treasured memories of travelling together, that motivate them to fight to preserve that thing, even if the results are destructive.

Similar themes emerge for example in Noelle's Recollection of Dusk story, which sees her travelling to preserve a place valued by her sister in crystal. And they also connect to the theme of sacrifice - the recurring ending device where the player must delete their save data in order to help someone (something echoed in Hina and Yuzuki at the altar of the sun and moon, or Levania and Fio). It's perhaps fair to say that nothing is more valued in the world of Nier than memories of a treasured person.

What about Accord? She has in fact made a brief cameo in Reincarnation already...

It seems incredibly likely that Accord originates from the Cage, and the accumulation of weapon stories is accomplished by androids like her. Definitely in the fandom there's a lot of excitement for the idea that Accord - something of a fan favourite - will show up at Reincarnation's ending.

So mystery solved, the Cage exists in the world of NieR Automata on the moon server? Not so fast - there are various discrepancies which seem to suggest that the world of the Cage exists in a separate branch than the one we see in Automata. For example, the androids are aware that the humans are dead and what remains on the moon is a huge archive of their memories; the humans seem to have survived much longer; 2B and 9S seem to have died in different circumstances. There are other oddities which fans have compiled.

And yet, despite being a divergent timeline with a much older point of divergence, some things seem to be fixed. There is still a YoRHa, still a 10H deceived about being on the moon, still a 2B and 9S.

One popular fan theory is that Reincarnation belongs to the NieR Automata anime (ver1.1a), since Adam turns into a monster there similar to the ones in Reincarnation. The black birds are reasoned to be the Machine Lifeforms, since we know they come from Earth. I'm not 100% sure of this, but maybe?

Anyway, that's basically the gist of it.

A story told through permutations

In many fictional series with a shared universe, there is an effort to maintain a consistent shared universe, so all the different events can fit into a timeline with understandable cause and effect and characters living out their lives. Even when this proves impossibly unwieldy, as in comic books or Star Wars, the attempt is made.

NieR does not really take this approach. The creators leave many details of the world, such as place names, incredibly vague - the focus is always on telling an emotional story with characters. There is, as we've seen, an almost gleeful willingness to declare another new timeline.

There is also a certain aspect of repetition, or more kindly reiteration - the same core character dynamic revisited and retold in various forms. (2B9S gets the worst of it). A character is something like a principle or ideal, and each story shines another light on that 'core'. In the earlier storylines of Reincarnation, it became quite frustrating because it seemed like e.g. the character event stories were just rehashing the same idea rather than advance the story.

However, the more accustomed I get to this style of storyline, the more I think this kinda works. It is of course quite similar to the ideas proposed towards the end of Homestuck, or to time loop stories - the idea of varying the contingent circumstances to try to better illustrate the core characterisations and dynamics.

Yoko Taro has talked about how he constructs stories from a very simple idea, typically a moment of high emotional impact at the climax, and then works backwards to figure out what sort of story could lead into that. In Reincarnation, each character gets fairly limited time to establish themselves, so they tend to be defined in terms of a pretty narrow high concept.

For example, Akeha is an assassin in a vague historical Japanese setting; her introductory story sees her decide for the first time to disobey her lord after she finds another person who has been treated as instrumentally as her. Most Akeha stories focus on her assassinations, her relationship to her retainer, and what she sacrifices to perform the duty. Only her Dark Memory lets us see an Akeha who has escaped that life - it's a simple story about preparing food, but that's given meaning by all the other Akeha stories.

Hina and Yuzuki are defined by the same traits in their flashy scifi Dark Memory stories as in the more mundane ones - Yuzuki the quiet outcast, Hina the self-sacrificing star. Fio is defined by kindness in the context of abjection, seeing the good in monsters. Levania stories are about the desire for escape and transformation. Argo is always a shitty dad who only feels alive while climbing mountains.

The staticness of these characters seems on some level to be the point - in that we are told in Hina and Yuzuki's story that the mechanism of the Cage is to sort characters into 'Light' and 'Dark' natures, and push them to inevitable conflict, even if they try to break free. In the final arc, the characters seem to finally approach some resolution as they leave their contexts behind. Given the themes of Automata in rejecting an inevitable tragic fate, similar movement may be at work. There's an ambiguity - the need to hold on to even tragic histories, vs the wish to not be confined to them. (Perhaps it's significant that it's called the Cage...)

With so many balls in the air and so many mysteries still unanswered, it's hard to figure out how Reincarnation can deliver a satisfying resolution in just one remaining chapter, but the final arc has been really cooking so who knows! But I'm also coming to appreciate it as a kind of broader lens to notice all these recurring elements and tie them together.

Stories about alternate timelines and branching narratives are very common nowadays, particularly as a tool for revisiting a nostalgic franchise. Something something effect of the fan wiki era. So I can't exactly say NieR is doing something completely unique, but I do think there is something to its fragmented, collage-like approach to putting together story elements. There's something quite honest about it - an ability to say 'these details aren't important'.

Yoko Taro always talks about himself as an entertainer rather than an artist. And probably it is true that a lot of this eemerged from an iterative design process rather than being the plan from the beginning (the first draft of NieR envisioned it as something closer to what SINoALICE ended up being, about a world of fairytale characters; NieR Automata began life as backstory for an idol project). There's definitely a strong sense that it's being improvised. And yet despite that, it does feel like it is cohering into some sort of picture, that there is an artistic throughline to all this.

Or perhaps that's just the effect of getting way too invested in something. I won't deny that NieR brings out the fan in me.

Anyway Accord had better show up next month. Guys. You've been teasing us for so long...

#nier #nier replicant #nier automata #nier reincarnation #drakengard #drakengard 3 #computer games #Youtube

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theemmtropy · 10 months

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Dial of Destiny thoughts (⚠️Spoilers⚠️)

Shirtless Old Man Indy is good and glorious. More realistic depictions of the human body, pls.

Indy x Marion endgame is also good and glorious. Old people deserve romance too.

Helena making Indy come back to his time period beautifully parallels her actions of contacting Marion and Sallah to come take care of him. She refuses to let him live in the past, literally and figuratively.

SPEAKING OF TAKING CARE OF INDY, the Found Family trope in this movie is OFF THE CHARTS and is WONDERFUL.

Almost cried when we found out Mutt died in service. I'm very glad they didn't just say "oh he's busy/doesn't want to talk to me" to explain why he's not in the movie.

The boat captain Renaldo is gay in my heart. Ain't no straight reason why that first mate was looking at him Like That.

Indy being upset over the death of Renaldo is an important way to remind us that he's lost a lot of people over the years, and even adventuring doesn't distract from the pain.

"They look like snakes." "No They Don't."

This might be me reading into things too much, but in one of the Young Indy episodes ("Travels With Father") Jones Sr and Indy are in Greece, and Sr speaks to a local in Ancient Greek, as one does if one is a classics professor. Indy says "I don't think he understood you" and Jones Sr says "well he should have". In DoD, Indy gets to speak Ancient Greek to Archimedes. IN MY HEART it is a reference to Travels With Father.

The elbow kiss scene with their theme playing in the background 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

#indiana jones #ij: dod #Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny #dial of destiny #movies #ijatdod #my stuff #dial of destiny spoilers

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buttered-water · 14 days

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Student Profile: Ochre (may add more in the future)

(reblogs help a lot)

Tribe - Mudwing

Winglet - Pearl

Colour - Ochre brown

Relatives - [Unknown]

Clawmates - Scallop (Seawing), Darkstalker (Nightwing)

Favourite subject - Art

Least fav. subject - “Anything that Clay teaches”

Physical characteristics - Dull eyes, 1st and 2nd-degree burns all over his body that seem to be very recent (mostly focused on his limbs, head, and wings), very large stature, overweight with some defined musculature, can usually be seen wearing a piece of jewellery in the shape of three moons (made by Darkstalker)

Other characteristics/personality - currently the oldest student at Jade Acadamy apathetic, clumsy, pessimistic, aggressive, despises Clay (his actions towards him include: telling him to shut up, talking over him, stepping on his claw and/or tail when walking past him. Separate them as much as possible), abrasive, reported threats of violence against Clay and Fatespeeker, hates loud noises/dragons and crowds, no reports of violence or any misdemeanours have come from his winglet, volatile, grows agitated if burns are mentioned, quick to do tasks when asked (depending on which teacher is asking him), responds well to praise (depending on who it comes from), has refused to counsel (gives many reasons including: “I'm not going to tell Clay anything”, “are you implying that there's something wrong with me?!”), has started painting in the art room whenever he gets angry to relieve stress without being asked to (very commendable, however, his paintings are very questionable, including scenes of the brightest night, blood red eggs, blood red eggs being smashed/cooked in very elaborate ways, Clay being brutally hurt and/or killed in many gruesome and detailed ways and, drawings and portraits of the members of his winglet, usually drawings of Scallop and him together), don’t understand (or care) about other dragons feelings, most often does work when people are watching him and if he gets credit from it; is constantly trying to one-up Clay; acts like a bigwings towards the rest of the pearl winglet (he can be seen caring for the other members and listens to their problems); quick to use violence whenever one of the dragons in his winglet is being bullied (though its mostly Darkstalker since he's bullied the most)

Extras:

I want to take the time to explain some of Ochre’s actions.

First his apathy/aggression towards Fatespeeker. It's simple, he knew the prophecy wasn’t real so he couldn't bother caring for any of the False DoD or about anything at all, there was no reason to; none of them mattered, their only purpose was as a backup in case their originals failed. This is why he gets so mad at Fatespeaker, especially when she talks about how they “were destined to be friends” because no, they weren’t, and watching her act as if they were destined for anything important made him feel even worse about the position he’s in. he wanted to be special, to have a grand adventure but he wasn't and he couldn't. Growing up only living as someone's replacement caused him to always compare himself to Clay. the fact that the prophecy wasn’t real made him angrier because somewhere out there, there was a dragon who was better than you in almost every way possible accomplishing a prophecy that wasn't even real. To Ochre, Clay is the living embodiment of everything that he wants to be but can't because he wasn't treated like he was worth anything. While he may state that he gives himself burns to “Become like Clay” (he may even think this is the reason) in reality he’s desperate to find a reason why Clay got all the cards in his favour, he’s desperate to convince himself that something made Clay so much better than him and that there was nothing he could do. For Ochre, he clung to the fact that Clay is fireproof and he isn't since it was the most distinct difference. (I am so sorry if this part was rambly, I was trying to get all my thoughts on my favourite False DoD in one place)

Also, I didn't mention but Ochre was in the Talons of Peace but left to join the academy. also, I decided who Ochre's mother was (I'll give you a hint, she was a part of the Talons of Peace and its a character we've already seen)

#wings of fire #wof #art #wof art #wof ochre #wof ochre au #au #wof au #wings of fire art #character bio #ill add more tags later #wof mudwing #pearl winglet #I tricked you all into reading a character analysis

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asongofstarkandtargaryen · 1 year

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31 DOD: DICK AND BRUCE OR DICK AND CLARK ( choose your favourite parent)

Clark was born to become a father. He's a great fatherly figure to a lot of younger heroes - Dick included. However, Dick considers him as his role model, his uncle and his friend.

Meanwhile, Bruce while far from being perfect father is the person who gave Dick a home when he lost his parents. He's the one Dick considers a father. Without Bruce there would be no Robin, no superhero life for Dick. That's why I'm gonna pick him over Clark.

From their earlier adventures as a team:

Robin & Batman issue #3

To Dick's adulthood:

Nightwing (2016) issue #84

Bruce and Dick will always be:

Nightwing (2016) issue #100

Father & Son:

Nightwing (2016) issue #100

#31dod #dick grayson #bruce wayne #batfamily #dc comics #bruce and dick

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some-pers0n · 9 months

Note

crawls into your inbox

rant about something you hate, it can be a book, part of a fandom, an entirely different piece of media, i wanna hear (if you're comfortable with it ofc)

Ohoho, alright. Let's see what's bothering me right now.

Hm, I assume you'd want to keep it WoF, so I'll hold back on my mad and exhausted rambles about my foray into the lore of TF2 and coming out bruised and battered and with forbidden knowledge. Instead, I'll ramble about Vulture.

Vulture is a laughably boring and underutilized antagonist and his inclusion baffles me. Like. This is the LAST BOOK in the arc, why are you introducing a entirely new bad guy to take down?? Literally you go from TOP, where it ends with Turtle losing his animus magic, right to Qibli's wacky adventures in Scorpion Den for some reason.

It literally is padding. It feels like Tui wanted to explore Qibli's backstory, but couldn't figure out a way to organically include it in the series. So, what then? Well, have the entire first act of the final book in the arc be about this random new villain and not the main big bad that we've been fighting against all this time. The whole Vulture story is never relevant again past the first act (except when Darkstalker brings back Vulture just to toy with him).

Vulture just. Also isn't really a good villain. He feels like a generic "grr grr I'm evil and bad but also manipulative!!" kinda guy, but we never once see him this way. He's a great example of why you should do show, not tell. We are TOLD that he's a scary and terrifying dragon when really he doesn't do anything. He just kinda stands there. He isn't fun or interesting. Just boring.

DOD in general is such a laughably weak ending to the series, but, hey, at least it's not TFOH.

#ask #wof #wings of fire #vulture wof #sp-rambles

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altairtalisman · 12 days

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Aileen's Bio

"No matter what happens Dan, we'll always be together!"

More details about Aileen is under the cut

Name: Aileen Tasach

Age: 656

Height: 160 cm

Birthday: 19 Tivere 1050 (Teayim)

Orientation: Queer

Pronouns: Xe/Xem

Species: Dullahan (formerly elf)

Title: The Fifteenth Dullahan

Country of Birth: Balwirk

Likes: Trying out new things, the Fourteenth Dullahan (as a friend), grilled cheese and spinach sandwich

Dislikes: Clowns, surprises

Hobbies: Research, experiments, adventuring

Personality: Curious, ambitious and with a lust for adventure, xe wants nothing more than to discover what Ratein has to offer with Danielle by xyr side. Thanks to xyr intelligence, many of the present-day dullahans didn't have to worry about losing their lives in the turning process

Style: High collared tops with belts secured across the body and loose pants with boots

Status: Dead (DOD: 18 Rexim 1706)

Abilities: Shadow manipulation, decent with nature magic

Background: As a commoner, Aileen wasn't expected to learn how to read or write and instead takeover the glassblowing family business. Not satisfied with just being a glassblower, Aileen sought ways to learn how to read simple scripts. This led to xem meeting Danielle in Alstas 1080, who happened to be in the midst of escaping from yons lesson. Curious, Aileen asked why Danielle was running away, with the latter replying that yon was in no mood to study as yons mother passed recently

Aileen decided to help Danielle escape yons lessons, bringing yon on adventures across Balwirk. In 1090, Danielle remarked that it was surprising that the Tasachs allowed Aileen to do whatever xe pleased. Aileen responded that it wasn't the case, and xe was trying to run away from a life that xe wasn't content with. Xe continued that some day in the future, Ratein would know xyr name. Danielle marvelled at yons friend's ambition, and offered to make xyr dreams come true. Soon, Danielle was teaching Aileen how to read and write as the latter dreamt of being a renowned inventor

In 1149, there were whispers of a radical group of elven researchers who sought ways to preserve life even after their heads had been severed from the neck. Curious about the experiment, Aileen tried to find out more but xyr parents banned xem from doing so. Danielle agreed with the Tasachs, with xe assuring yon that the experiment had to be ethical as deliberately cutting heads off alive elves was unthinkable

By Vierum 1175, the number of elves disappearing had climbed to almost ten thousand. Worried for Danielle, Aileen went to the Dardío residence to check on yon but ended up captured by unknown researchers. When xe woke up, the researchers were about to toss xyr head into the bin and promptly screamed. The researchers cheered, carving the number 15 on the back of xyr left hand. Initially meant to be locked up in a room with other survivors, Aileen convinced the researchers to let xem stay to watch how the experiment was conducted, swearing to never speak to anyone about it and even going as far as to offer xyr tongue

Aileen was surprised when the researchers allowed xem to stay on with xyr tongue intact, though xe was still restrained with magic draining chains. An undetermined length of time had passed when they brought in an unconscious Addyson, with Aileen noting that based on the elf's skin colour, she could use sound magic. Xe hoped that the elf would survive the experiment, nearly throwing up as xe watched the experiment being carried out. Horrified by the lack of ethics, xe resolved to make sure that the experiment's current methods never saw the light of day

Aileen was relieved when Addyson woke up, her head angled towards xyr. Aileen quickly mouthed to Addyson to use her magic to break free before she was chained up, the latter complying by amplifying her shouting such that it stunned everyone present. Addyson managed to wriggle free from the straps and rushed to free Aileen, who then searched for the rooms that the survivors were locked in and freed Hywel and Danielle, who in turn freed Hugh and Giselle

Apart from Gerald, Cain, and Fiona, the remaining 13 survivors killed the rest of the researchers and ended the experiment. Despite their distaste towards the entire act, they kept the notes and studied it. Aileen was able to identify the flaws in the research notes, which cultivated in the alarmingly high mortality rate. Using Ilias' existing research on arcane magic, xe, Hywel, and Eva were able to create a ritual that tapped onto Ratein's ley lines which made it safer to turn someone into a dullahan. Afterwards, they destroyed the original notes such that no one could ever attempt the cruel methods used to create dullahans again

Brianna and Danielle then pointed out that the very notion of turning someone into a dullahan was unthinkable, and sought to get an unanimous consensus that under no circumstances should the 16 turn others into dullahans unless the individual in question was prepared to bear the curse of being one. Aileen eagerly agreed, the memory of the experiments still fresh in xyr mind as well as how unethical it was to begin with. Once everyone agreed, Aileen and Danielle returned home only to be met with wariness from their families. Deciding that it was for the best, Aileen invited Danielle to travel across Ratein while xe researched more about the world which yon agreed

They left Balwirk in 1194, and travelled across Steruleang. During their travels, Aileen had gotten into potion craft, a field that had little research. However, due to Aileen's personality, xe threw xemself into research which made xem extremely busy. During this period, xe started to become more self-centered and started to treat Danielle as a servant. This strained their friendship, however Danielle refused to give up on Aileen as yon believed that yon would get yons friend back once Aileen had a breakthrough

In Durna 1529, Aileen had a breakthrough and managed to brew potions that mainly consisted of flora, though the caveat was that they had to be infused with magic in order for the potion's intended effect to last for an extremely long time. Not only that, it was extremely difficult to obtain infused flora naturally and infusing magic into flora was unheard of. Wanting to support yons friend, Danielle suggested that Aileen could conduct research on infusing magic into flora. Xe almost acted upon yons suggestion, but realised that they hadn't hung out properly in a long time and decided to not research upon said topic in favour of repairing their friendship

Aileen then learnt that Danielle was documenting their experiences and even the various species found in Ratein in hopes of educating others. Xe decided that it was xyr turn to support yon and helped yon organise Danielle's notes on Ratein such that it was easy to follow, with xe declaring that xe was proud of yon. Sometime in 1543, Danielle asked Aileen if xe ever wondered what the rest of the survivors were doing or if xyr family was safe. As if on cue, a letter from Lyuharrno was delivered to Danielle. Surprised, yon soon learnt that it was from Brianna, who had heard rumours of the Fourteenth Dullahan compiling a traveller's guide, asking if yon could add a chapter on frostulls in the guide

Danielle decided to travel to Lyuharrno in order to gather more information about frostulls from the Ninth Dullahan. With Danielle away, Aileen decided to briefly look into artificially infusing magic into flora, however without Danielle, xe realised that xe was dependent on yon and felt bad about using yon while xe was researching on potion craft. Even though Danielle returned in 1547, Aileen decided to change the research topic to teleportation so that xe can visit Danielle any time should their paths ever diverge. To do so, xe decided to return to Balwirk and sought out the Netroses for their ability to use teleportation magic. Aileen had also reached out to Ilias in 1550 in hopes of discussing the prospect of teleportation portals accessible for everyone

In 1561 while getting Hugh's parents to open multiple portals simultaneously, the physical and mental strain on them took their toll and in turn, put their lives in danger. While Danielle had managed to save them, both parents were barely able to open teleportation portals for themselves, let alone for multiple people. This forced Aileen to seek other alternatives as xe didn't want to put any more lives at risk especially since the Netroses passed away a few months later due to the strain. Even so, xe was determined to finish xyr research with Ilias' help

Aileen then faced numerous assassins coming after xyr and Danielle in the 17th Century, both soon learning that the Unois Empire wanted to put a stop to Aileen's current research. In 1668, xe had encountered a human Drágyliskan selling trinkets and offered xyr a pair of platinum bracelets. She also offered xyr the opportunity to engrave a message on one of the plates with xyr special someone, with Aileen rushing to get Danielle so that they could get friendship bracelets. While Danielle was engraving yons message to Aileen, the Drágyliskan brought Aileen to one side and asked if xe would do anything to stop the Unois Empire. Aware of the threat it poses to Balwirk, Aileen agreed and was informed to never let Danielle set foot on the battlefield at any cost that when the Balwirkian War broke out. Xe then asked what made her so sure that a war would break out, with the latter explaining that she could see the future and that the best timeline for everyone involved was for Danielle to heal the survivors in a safehouse

Confused but not wanting to risk xyr friend's safety, Aileen decided to take the Drágyliskan's warning to heart. Xe resolved to not tell Danielle about what she had said as xe didn't want yon to worry, especially about a war that might not even surface. However in Trieme 1701, the Drágyliskan's words rang true as Balwirk entered a war against the Unois Empire. The Fourteenth Dullahan volunteered to provide medical attention to those on the battlefield as yon wanted to make good use of yons healing magic. Aileen, taking the Drágyliskan's warning to heart, convinced yon to stay in a safehouse and treat the survivors instead

On 18 Rexim 1706, xe was with Brianna and Eva during the war when the ambush broke out and killed many dullahans in the process, with the trio severely injured. They were all horrified when Cain appeared before Brianna, only to kill her right before their very eyes with a thrilled smile on his pale features. Aileen correctly deduced that Eva would be his next target due to her telepathic magic, and decided to sacrifice xemself to buy her time to escape...

Former Appearance:

#Hallowed Hotel #Aileen Tasach #tw death #tw eyestrain #tw scars #tw war mention #Altair draws

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kinkajouwof · 1 year

Note

Okay, idk if somebody's asked you this but id love to hear ur thoughts on tsunami!!

TSUNAMI AND SUNNY R MY FAVOURITE DRAGONETS :)))!!!!

TSUNAMI GOT THE SHORT END OF THE STICK IN MOST CASES. IT SEEMED AS IF EVEN THE DOD DIDNT UNDERSTAND HER. SHE WAS VIOLENT, AND FOUGHT, YET SHE ONLY DID SO FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. SHE LOVES, AND SHE LOVES A LOT. TO THE EXTENT WHERE IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING TO SOME WHO ARENT USED TO HER. SHE CARES, SO MUCH. SHES A FIGHTER, BUT SHES ALSO A LOVER. A BALANCING ACT OF WHAT SHES LEARNED THROUGH GROWING UP UNDER KESTREL, AND LEARNED THROUGH THE COMPASSION OF HER SIBLINGS (THE DOD).

HER SHORT SIGHTED ATTACK FIRST ASK QUESTIONS LATER USUALLY GETS THE BEST OF HER, THAT AS WELL AS HER HABIT TO TAKE ALL THE PRESSURE AND RESPONSIBILITIES ONTO HER BACK. SHE WILL TRY TO MANAGE EVERYTHING SO NO ONE ELSE HAS TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT IT ENDS UP CRUSHING HER WITH THE WEIGHT OF EVERYTHING SHE HAS TO HANDLE.

THE OTHER DRAGONETS OFTEN HAVE TO STEP IN SO TSUNAMI DOESNT ENTIRELY TAKE OVER A PLAN AND RUN HERSELF INTO THE GROUND WITH STRESS. THIS WAS THE MAIN REASON SHE ENDED UP NOT BEING THE ONE TO RUN JADE MOUNTAIN. SHE DOESNT MIND, THOUGH, AS SHE LOVES TEACHING HUNTING AND COMBAT TO HER STUDENTS. SHE JUST ISNT A FAN OF BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO, NOT THAT SHE DOUBTS SUNNYS CAPABILITY TO RUN THE PLACE, BUT SHE JUST HATES NOT BEING THE BOSS. SHE MANAGES, THOUGH.

I THINK TSUNAMI ENDS UP BEING A VERY GOOD SUPPORTIVE FIGURE TO ANEMONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE RUNS AWAY FROM CORAL AFTER ARC 2. TEACHING HER HOW TO FEND AND MANAGE FOR HERSELF WITHOUT THINGS BEING HANDED TO HER, AND BEING THE FIRST GOOD ADULT WITHIN HER LIFE REALLY.

I ALSO THINK TSUNAMI AND TURTLE DEVELOP A GOOD RELATIONSHIP! TSUNAMI'S ALWAYS THERE TO ENCOURAGE HIM TO GET OUT OF HIS SHELL, AND DRAG HIM ALONG ON ADVENTURES.

#KINKAJOU YELLS #tsunami wof

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xehanortsreport · 1 year

Note

Heya! So, I'm not super familiar with Hypmic, but I figured I'd ask someone who's into it- What's the best place to start for getting into it? I'm only even half-certain of what it all is, tbh.

'Course!! So I'm still relatively new to the franchise myself so I'm definitely not going to be your be all and end all source for this. That said!

Basic plot synopsis:

It's a post-WW3 world and the warmongering government has been brought to heel by the power of all-women political organization known as the Party of Words, lead by the stoic Otome Tohoten. Using the newly developed Hypnosis Microphones, Otome demonstrates their devastating effects - less than lethal soul manipulation capable of torturing grown men into submission - on the Prime Minister, initiating a coup and bringing about the dawn of the H. Era. All lethal weaponry is banned and the only way to fight is with the power...of rap.

Establishing this new woman-led government, Otome further divides Japan into divisions, with Chuoku being the central seat of power where only women (and particularly women who work for the government) are allowed. Everyone else, including civilian women and all men are exiled to the outer divisions, where they must fight for control with the usage of the Microphones...and also it has to be via rap bc that's just where we're at.

At first, said Microphones are handed out willy-nilly, as all structure and government outside of Chuoku has been stricken to zero. Want a house? Rap for it. Need to defend your house from someone who wants to take it? Rap for it. Powerful individuals form gangs and eventually those gangs turn into organizations representing entire divisions. At the height of the consolidation of local divisions under the largest of the powers, Chuoku makes another announcement: rapping is no longer a free for all.

To ensure the safety of the public and to add order to chaos, Microphones are now only allowed to be used by those personally selected by the government. Moreover, the established divisions will now have a fixed set of representatives - a trio of rappers for each division. And lastly, these divisions must compete in the Division Rap Battle, a gladiatorial event in which the territories of each division are now officially decided by who wins and who loses.

The winner gets to take pieces of the other divisions' territories, expanding their power and influence, and also get a shitton of cash.

And thus begin the adventures of Hypnosis Mic!

Genrewise, I'd compare the tone to a delinquent manga with light sci-fi/fantasy elements. The plot is pretty thin and it's mostly just an excuse to serve up some really good characters and excellent music, which is what we're actually here for.

SO. WHERE TO START?

The CDs! THE primary format for HypMic and the base canon are the albums, as HypMic is first and foremost a music project. They are all free to listen to on Spotify!

It is very important to listen to the Drama Tracks, as those are your main story! On youtube, there is a playlist of all the Drama Tracks arranged in chronological order for easy listening, and all Drama Track translations can be found on the Wiki right here, also conveniently organized in chronological order.

Afterwards, if you're really interested in the characters and story, I recommend reading the manga! It does a great job fleshing out a lot of the aspects of each group, including important backstory information that isn't included in the tracks!

The manga is canon, so everything in it is relevant!

The events of the story are currently split into the First and Second Division Rap Battles. Ideally, you listen to the 1st DRB tracks, then read the manga that correspond to those (called "BB/MTC", "FP/M", "BAT/DH" and the important prequel manga "TDD". And yes that is what they're called those aren't just abbreviations lmao.)

Afterwards, listen to the remaining tracks and then read the rest of the manga! ("BB/MTC+", "FP/M+", "BAT/DH+", and a second prequel manga "DoD")

Don't worry as all the manga are relatively short and the drama CDs release very slowly. Once you catch up you'll stay caught up for a while, so take your time!

The anime, game, stage plays, etc. are all non-canon, so don't worry about those. You can enjoy them on your own free time if you get invested!

I've written a lot but the tl;dr is:

Listen to the CDs, read the Manga, then go wild on whatever else you want! And remember, the entire thing is very, very silly, so have fun!

#i know this is long but hopefully it is all legible #i do editing for a living so i sure hope it is...#long post #hypmic #lmk if it helps anon!

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nabooro · 2 years

Text

The Tale of King Dod Veruna and Enshadu

The full moon celebrations in Ojian were different to the ones in Theed. Dn. Sabrun told them all to hold hands in at least pairs and make sure nobody got lost as she led them through crowded streets filled with stalls of rice cakes and sweet breads dipped in thick syrups and large flat breads filled with meat that made her stomach growl just to hear it sizzle on its pans. Dn. Sabrun had promised them a good meal, though, and that where they were going was better than any of these distractions, so Padmé held onto Nura's hand and kept to the group, tugging Nura back whenever she started to get distracted.

Their teacher led them to the very coast, where a small crowd had gathered on a makeshift theatre, temporary seats and lights arranged, and even some tables in the back. Padmé followed her friends to their seats and sat with them, just close enough to Dn. Sabrun that she might hear anything she told them.

"Have any of you seen a theatre performance before?" Dn. Sabrun asked, as the performers began to set up. All of them were masked, some in plain enshué of tasse or synthsteel, the most of them white. Padmé wondered idly what the play was about.

One of the girls in the class raised her hand, though in the dim light Padmé couldn't see who. Dn. Sabrun said, "Have you seen the tale of King Dod Veruna and the Dark Lady?"

The girl hesitated. "No, but I saw Shiraya's Last Days."

Someone else said, "I've seen the holo!"

Several others chimed in, though Padmé did not. She hadn't seen the play before, but she didn't want to say it, not when many of the others had. Though she wasn't alone; several others were only looking among themselves.

Padmé knew the story, of course, or some of them, but if it was her choice, she liked watching Zenda—her mother said that was natural, because Zenda had the best adventures—and if it was her mother's choice, she would always watch Shiraya's stories. And if it was Sola's, it was cartoons. Enshadu had not featured much in their watching.

"This story is best watched," Dn. Sabrun said. "So pay attention, now."

Padmé adjusted in her seat and turned her attention to the beach, where the holo of a palace had been set up, and a performer in a King Dod Veruna enshué and a kua so long it dragged behind him stood, hands crossed behind his back.

In the background, one of the musicians began a low, haunting melody.

The séame began, "Ri cu nanké soc Veshinc, co fuâd re ké tugoné."

——————

Behind her, Anakin said, "Padmé."

Padmé looked up, and Anakin laughed. "What?" she asked, frowning.

"As much as I'd like to, I won't understand much of the holo if it's in Naboo."

Padmé sighed. She hadn't even realised the holovid, so familiar to her, would be basically gibberish to Anakin. "You could learn faster," she suggested, and Anakin laughed again.

"I will, I promise," he said, his eyes flashing to her stomach—still relatively flat, but Padmé knew that would probably not last. So he had noticed her murmuring to herself—well, to their child—in Nabooro. Nothing important, but it felt right, even here on Coruscant. Anakin had been meaning to learn Nabooro for the last three years, but it was only after she told him she was pregnant that his attempts had really gained any meaning. Until then, it had been only "I love you," and "dearest," and the few words she had taught him, all along similar lines. "But can we watch it in Basic now?"

"If you insist," Padmé said, teasing, and Anakin smiled, tucking his nose into her neck as she rewound the 'vid and changed the language settings to Basic.

The séame began once more. "Once upon a time," he said. Padmé repressed the wish to roll her eyes. The voice of the narrator in Basic was somebody with a deep and dignified voice and a Coruscant accent that reminded her a little bit of Master Kenobi. Anakin seemed to hear the resemblance, too, because he pressed a smile into her skin. "There was a just and fair King."

——————

The king's castle sat atop the moon, whence he watched all that happened in the Kingdom. This king was true and generous, brave and kind… but he had one flaw, and that was his pride.

One night, as the moon rose in the sky, the King's eyes fell for the first time on a part of his land where his light did not reach. Where all of his land seemed to shine back at him, this place sat dark and mysterious. Curious about this place, the King put away his royal cloak and his crown of silver, and wore simple clothing to descend to his kingdom, so he may have truthful answers. There, he asked in the surrounding villages about this strange, dark part of his world.

"That is the home of the Dark Lady," he was told. "She protects us from the creatures of the Deep, whom even the moon's light cannot protect us from."

This angered the King, whose pride in his light and his ability to protect every corner of his kingdom had sometime turned into arrogance. At once he took to the home of this Dark Lady… and found that the Dark Lady was only a woman, and nothing more. What could a simple woman do that his light, the light of the moon itself, was not capable of?

He asked her so.

The Dark Lady said, "The light of the moon cannot touch the Deep, and in truth never should."

——————

The performer that played Enshadu had not donned the traditional enshué, but a deep black one with a single tear limned in silver. Padmé watched as King Dod Veruna and Enshadu began a battle with their staffs, their long sleeves and cloaks fluttering around them as they did. It was beautiful—the moon caught upon the silver-threaded embroidery on their clothing and turned them almost into holos of themselves.

"Who do you think will win?" Dn. Sabrun asked.

"They can't fight," Suvane said, sounding shocked. "King Dod Veruna and Enshadu love each other!"

Padmé frowned. That was true, and she knew that, but the sight of their battle had made her think that this was a different tale, or an older one.

"They will," Dn. Sabrun said.

Nura seemed to be in agreement with Padmé. "How?" she asked, pouting. "They're fighting."

Dn. Sabrun seemed amused. "Are they fighting?" she asked. "Or are they dancing?"

——————

The King, angered, said, "There is no place in my kingdom that my light cannot touch." And revealing himself as the King who lived upon the Moon, he ordered every lantern upon the moon lit, until each river in his kingdom shone back the veins of his land. His servants hurried to obey, but the King found the Dark Lady's home unchanged, still under shadow.

"Even now," the Dark Lady said, "the moon's light does not touch the Deep."

Growing angrier still, the King now had great mirrors built, and turned them thus that his own light may shine even brighter, until every lake in his kingdom became a mirror in itself and turned his own light back to him.

"Even now," the Dark Lady said, saddened, "the moon's light does not touch the Deep."

Finally, unable to relinquish his pride and furious to have twice failed, the King summoned the light of the sun to himself, and shone bright enough to illuminate all in the world, even the very shadows themselves. And as the light of the moon finally touched the Deep, all its creatures came forth, great beasts with teeth sharp as knives and mouths as wide as caverns. For these were creatures that had once been kept at bay by the Dark Lady's power, and upon seeing the brightness now they emerged.

"What have you done, King?" the Dark Lady asked, mournful, at the sight of these beasts, who began to crawl over the land, destroying villages and harvests, cities and forests, with no impunity.

Realising his error, the King pulled away his light. First, the King returned the Sun's light, which had never been his to keep. And still the creatures of the Deep crawled over the land, until his kingdom's towns and cities began to crumble.

Then, he dimmed his lanterns, and still the creatures of the Deep ravaged his kingdom, until the people of his land had to lift their own weapons, afraid that their King could not protect them against these beasts.

Finally, he shattered his great mirrors and spread them through the skies, each piece too small to reflect more than a point of light… and even then, emboldened now, the light of the moon was sufficient for these creatures, who did not cease their horrors.

"What have I done?" the King asked, as the people of his kingdom died before him.

——————

Anakin looked mildly horrified as the exaggerated bodré continued their destruction of cities that deeply resembled Moenia and Theed, though of course they wouldn't have. "Padmé," he said, slowly, "this is a story you tell children?"

Padmé raised her chin in the air. "It was my favourite when I was young," she said. On the holo, something exploded. "Children love explosions."

Anakin snorted. "I… you're not wrong," he murmured. "Ahsoka's been telling me some of the popular stories in the creche, ones I never really heard. They're violent." He huffed, a noise of quick amusement. "But the Jedi wouldn't like all this talk of Light and Dark. Definitely not when the Light unleashes, ah, all these beasts."

Padmé shifted in his arms. "This isn't about the Force, though I can see the similarity. It's the moon's light. King Dod Veruna illuminates… the injustices and horrors people believe they can hide under the cover of the dark."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling you don't like the Dark Lady very much?"

Padmé paused, surprised. "They're not opposites, you know," she said. "If you follow the metaphor, it may look like Enshadu is just espousing ignorance, but that isn't it at all. She's the protector of the damned and the outcasts. She protects her bodré just as much as she protects the people in those villages. This holo is… simplifying it a little."

"Monsters need protection, too?"

Padmé raised an eyebrow. "Is it better to pretend they don't exist than to offer them… aid, if they're willing to accept it? Enshadu's presence is a reminder." She looked over at the holo, paused upon a still of Enshadu watching the destruction. The holo had her in tears, but Padmé remembered her own preferred version: a play she had watched recently, in which Enshadu wept not for the villagers, but for the creatures that did not know what to do with so much light.

"An unwelcome one, for most," Anakin murmured, as she continued the 'vid and King Dod Veruna's devastated features rose.

Padmé eyed him thoughtfully. "They're lovers, you know," she said. "King Dod Veruna and Enshadu. And protectors of lovers, together. Our own ceremony invoked them… heavily."

Anakin opened his mouth, then closed his mouth. "Play the 'vid," he muttered, and Padmé laughed.

——————

"Only the darkness is protection from the creatures of the Deep," the Dark Lady said. "Would that you had understood this, King."

"I bow to your wisdom," the King said. "Please teach me what it is I may do to end this senseless violence." And seeing that his humility was true, the Dark Lady pulled him into her embrace. As she did so, the black of her long neem wrapped around him, head to toe, and finally the moon, too, was hidden entirely.

As the light disappeared, the creatures of the Deep, blind once more, began to stumble back into their depths, and the villages of the kingdom were safe once more, though not unchanged from this time.

The King was moved and humbled by this act, and for the first time he gained an appreciation for the dark, which he realised was as much a part of his kingdom as his own light. He thanked the Dark Lady, but as he did, he saw that she could not see. "My eyes were not made for such light," she said, sorrow in her voice. "Having once seen it has changed me. I cannot see in my own dark. How, now, will I protect our people?"

And so, the King once more lit his lanterns, but wary of his past mistakes, he lit only those that would shine upon the surface of her home, and allow her to see.

And even to this day, you may find the moon shining upon the waters of the home of his beloved Dark Lady.

——————

Before them, King Dod Veruna unmasked Enshadu, and pulled her to him for a kiss, tying off a new enshué behind her head before they separated. This mask was the one Padmé knew—deep black, with a streak of silver down the forehead, over the nose, and past the lips: the streak moonlight left on the Dark Lady.

"Any questions?" Dn. Sabrun asked.

There were lots. "Why did he help her?" "Why did she help him?" "Why wasn't Zenda there?" "Why doesn't he wear his neem?"

"What does it mean?" Padmé asked Dn. Sabrun, as the performers parted to to mark just where the moon—not Veruna, but Ohma D'un—cast a bright halo across the lake, rippling out almost to the beach itself.

Dn. Sabrun said, "It means different things to different people," she said, patient. "What do you think it means?"

Padmé stopped. "What does it mean to you?" she asked.

Dn. Sabrun said, "To me, it means we all have much to learn, from the oldest and wisest of us to the youngest. And that we must help each other learn, whenever we can."

——————

"What does it mean?"

Padmé looked over her shoulder. "What did it mean to you?" she asked.

Anakin shrugged, but he looked thoughtful. "There's more than one way to skin a womp rat?"

Padmé grinned, carding her fingers through his hair. "You're not wrong. I've always seen it as a story of… ignorance, and its cost. Where even good intentions can fail." She paused, and rolled over to face Anakin. "And I've always found the lovers very romantic."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "What's romantic about that? I assume the light and dark thing means they never meet again?"

Padmé shrugged. "That can be romantic! It's the sacrifice, I think: he gives her a little bit of his light just so she can see, and doesn't see her again so she can… be who she is without suffering. Do what she's meant to do, even if that means sacrificing his pride."

"He doesn't seem to have much to offer, considering he's the one who blinded her in the first place."

Padmé stroked her fingers across his forehead. "This is a kid's holo, but… there's this poem, Cu Saétâto so Enshadu, where Enshadu talks about how nothing she's ever seen before and nothing she'll ever see again will compare to the singular moment in which she was surrounded by King Dod Veruna's light. It's an erotic poem," she added, and Anakin's attention shifted.

"Is it? Tell me more about this… erotic poem."

——————

"What do you think it meant?"

Leia frowned. "Well, from one point of view, the King was responsible for all of the destruction himself. So perhaps it's about… ignorance and its consequences." She snorted. "Or it's a commentary on the carelessness and arrogance of royalty."

"You're royalty," Luke said.

Leia shrugged. "Self-awareness is a useful quality."

Luke shook his head. "I thought it was about forgiveness. The King was responsible, but—what happened wasn't what he intended."

"That doesn't change everything that was lost," Leia said. Luke nodded.

"I know. But if the Dark Lady hadn't forgiven him, it would never have ended." Leia gave him a wry look, like she knew what he was doing. Luke could feel his shoulders slowly rising to his ears, and he sat up straight again. "What are you giving me that look for? I haven't seen this before any more than you have."

Leia shook her head, but she was smiling. "I want to look into the Dark Lady more. All this beasts from the Deep and Dark nonsense just sounds like Imperial propaganda—how old is this 'vid, anyway?"

Luke checked. "Just a few years, but I don't think the story can be that different from the traditional ones." He clicked through a few articles, then slowed. "They're lovers, traditionally," he said. "The King and the Dark Lady. Enshadu." The name was strange in his mouth, unfamiliar. He imagined what it might sound like with practice, and said it again. "Enshadu."

"I wouldn't have guessed that from this."

Luke nodded. "I'd like to hear the real story, though. If they're lovers, then really, isn't this a story of everyone trying to protect the ones they love? Even if it doesn't always go well."

Leia's expression softened. "I suppose so. If you ever find a better 'vid, one that doesn't look like it was made to pander to Palpatine… well, you know where to find me."

Luke grinned. "I'll find something. Stories like this—they're always being told."

#star wars #sw fanfiction #anidala #padme amidala #nabooro #naboo culture #naboo #luke skywalker #leia organa #this is not how i intended to tell this story but you know what #i enjoy seeing different people interpret the same story. and i DEEPLY enjoy seeing its development in time #imagining fairytale retellings of this a la retellings of cinderella... my heart sighs #i need to add a ...thing with all the translations. and i will. eventually #i hope most of the words are clear enough though lol #.religion #.myths #.mythology #.six

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