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9worldstales · 3 years

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MCU Loki Ep 2 “The Variant” intensive analysis

So, the 2nd “Loki” episode come out and, again, I couldn’t stop myself from talking about it.

Beware about spoilers!

After a brief summary that’s basically made by showing us the most relevant scenes of Episode 1 we’ve the Marvel opening, this time with its usual music… though the Marvel studios logo is still in green and gold.

We start this episode in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 1985, the year of “Back of the future”, only there’s no Martin or Doc or the DeLorean, but just some sort of medieval fair.

Pity.

Anyway Minutemen get on the place and didn’t care at all about how they’re attracting the general attention with their look. We know why, because they think to reset the timeline before leaving so it’s not like their magical apparition might change something.

They believe they’ve detected the Variant so they enter in a tent thinking they can capture them… only to fall straight in a trap, as the Variant was waiting for them, starting a registration as soon as they are where the Variant wants them to be.

Yeah, the registration was meant to be for the show that should have taken place there but the Minutemen are smart enough to get it’s a trap.

After a recorded message that seem to imply in that tent there was meant to happen some sort of contest or show about saving a princess…

My lords, my ladies, welcome and thank you for joining us, here at the castle. Please, settle into your seats for a great battle is about to commence. The prize? Our princess. Will evil prevail, or are we holding out for a hero?

…the song by Bonnie Tyler “Holding Out For A Hero” starts and, as it does Hunter C-20 gets possessed by the Variant (we can see a hand touching her head, green magic on the tip of its finger, and then Hunter C-20’s eyes take an odd green colouring for a moment, a sign she’s possessed) and starts murdering out her own men in a joint effort with the Loki Variant. However while she fights she suddenly drops unconscious and a figure in a cape, clearly our Variant, stabs with her sword the last minuteman. Then, as usual, the Variant steals from the Minuteman what she needs and, this time, also kidnaps Hunter C-20 before disappearing.

Many have seen in the scene a reference to the Shrek 2 scene in which Shrek and his friends storm the castle in order to stop Fiona from kissing Charming, disguised as Shrek.

Me, I would just want to know if the princess is meant to be Hunter C-20 or this Loki Variant.

We’ll see.

Well, anyway we get the Loki title and them we find ourselves with Loki reading a jet ski magazine when Miss Minute would want him to review what he had learnt instead. She tries to quiz him but, although Loki seems to know the answers, he’s not interested in being quizzed, defining it boring.

His attention focuses on Miss Minute, asking her if she’s a recording or alive. She explains she’s both.

Loki looks around then tries to test it, rolling the magazine and attempting to use it to hit Miss Minute, who jumps around in an effort to avoid his blows. He seems to have fun. If this is idea of venting for the mistreatment he suffered at the hands of the TVA or he’s just being playful that’s up to speculation.

Miss Minute escapes inside the pc, complaining he’s being a jerk.

Mobius joins him and from his dialogue we discover the magazine is actually Mobius’ not Loki’s. The guy gives him a package, telling him they’ve to go and that he has to wear what’s inside it, which is actually a jacket, which Loki wears.

They join the others and Hunter B-15 explains how C-20 and her team disappeared in 1885 and they expect it to be an ambush by a Loki Variant, although they don’t know which kind of Loki Variant it can be. Loki suggests they’re the lesser kind, lesser than him, of course.

Hunter B-15 demands to see the back of his jacket on which we can see the writing Variant. She laughs seeing the writing, mockingly, the way one would when he has managed to put an insulting sign on someone’s back without them realizing.

Loki points out she was very subtle in it and she explains she doesn’t want anyone to forget who he is… which, I guess, means Hunter B-15 found yellow, star shaped badges too subtle or maybe not fitting to everyone they deemed a less human to prune away.

Still Loki asks her back if she means they shouldn’t forger he’s their only hope of capturing a murderer.

B-15, who never believed him to be capable of something, correct him saying they should never forget he’s ‘a cosmic mistake’. In short the writing is there to make him recognizable, to ostracize and to humiliate him. He’s not like them, he’s a Variant.

She’s not doing this because he’s dangerous and they should be wary of him, just because he shouldn’t exist.

Mobius states that this is enough… which hints he’s not enjoying this, but he allowed it to happen and didn’t even warn or prepare Loki about it.

Long story short he’s clearly different from B-15 who relishes in all this (and mind you, this is not a critic to Wunmi Mosaku, who’s awesome in the part, just to her character) but he still doesn’t really take a big stance against it as he stopped it only when it dragged on too long.

Mobius brings them back to business, telling everyone they’re looking for a Loki, a variation of the guy with them. He reminds them they should be familiar with Loki because they had pruned more Loki Variants than any other Variant and they’re all different, in appearances.

As Mobius speak we’re shown some Loki Variations with their numbers. Our Loki is the Variant L1130.

I wanted to check the numbers near the Lokis but it seems there had been a mistake in the handling of the numbers

Jotun Loki appears to have first the number L1247 but in the close up it switches to L6792

Cyclist Loki is L1247 and the hulking one is L6792 while the green dressed one is L8914 and the last one with the big helmet is L7803.

Long story short Jotun Loki has probably 2 wrong numbers pasted on himself as they belong to other variations but all the Lokis’ numbers has in common the letter L at the beginning which I guess, stands for Loki.

The visual makes something interesting, projecting the various variants on Loki, which makes us immediately aware of the differences but also reminds us they’re all still Loki.

What leaves me perplex is how those Variants became so different from the original Loki. I mean, our Loki was caught few minutes after he escaped. Unless those Loki managed to escape to the TVA for a while (which would risk the timeline to reach a red line so it seems unlikely it happened) how did they manage to deviate so much from how they were meant to be in the Sacred Timeline?

I mean cyclist Loki would have needed the time to take part to a race to in that cup!

It’s true that in this episode it will turn out the TVA worries only of deviations that impact the timeline, so maybe the TVA started worrying late in their case but it’s still weird.

Anyway Mobius starts digging into the powers they’ve in common which are shape-shifting, illusion-projection, duplication-casting and Mobius’ favourite, which we don’t get to hear as Loki interrupts Mobius saying he got one of the names of his power wrong, it’s Duplication-casting, not Illusion-projection and explains the differences between the two, finishing with:

“But you already knew that.”

… which they didn’t. In short it’s Loki’s turn to point out they act as if they know him when they don’t know him and his powers as well as they think and that he’s actually of some use.

On a sidenote there’s to wonder which one is Mobius’ Loki’s favourite power and if it’s meant to be relevant. This Variant showed it could posses people, and I wonder if what happened to Selvig at the end of “Thor” is a hint our Loki can as well. Our Loki could travel through the secret paths… in “Thor” he could spell his knives, which we know he can make appear out of nowhere. In deleted scenes we learn he could cause mist to appear. “Thor: Ragnarok” said Loki turned Thor into a frog. I wouldn’t mind if he were to start turn people of the TVA into frogs.

Anyway Mobius accepts his explanation and tells the others they’re gonna break in two teams, one of which will include himself and ‘professor Loki’.

B-15’s words about Loki being a cosmic failure clearly made an impression as one of the minutemen question the idea and Mobius is forced to admit since they can’t find this Loki Variant they need an ‘expert’.

Loki takes his chance to remind everyone that by expert Mobius means him. He’s there because he has a use, an importance, a role and they shouldn’t look down on him.

The scene switches.

Loki and Mobius are walking toward the door that will bring them in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 1985.

Loki, repeating a pattern seen in “Thor: The Dark World” asks for a weapon…

Loki (Thor: The Dark World): “You could at least furnish me with a weapon. My dagger, something!”

Loki (Loki): “Do I get a weapon?”

…which Mobius refuses to give him. Loki though points out once out of the TVA he’ll have his magic back and asks Mobius if no one is worried he’ll betray them.

Loki: “Well, I'll have my magic back. Is no one concerned about that?”

Mobius: “Of what?”

Loki: “Me betraying you.”

This also is something we saw in “Thor: The Dark World”.

Loki: “You must be truly desperate to come to me for help. What makes you think you can trust me?”

Mobius can’t say Frigga did trust him or that he promises him vengeance in exchange of loyalty so he tries to go for something he knew Loki wanted, a meeting with the Time-Keepers. Considering Renslayer, who’s above Mobius, couldn’t grant Loki that, if I were in Loki I would genuinely doubt Mobius can. He just tries to dangle in front of his eyes something Loki might want to win him over.

Loki pauses as Mobius mentions he could meet the Time-Keepers and asks if that’s what’s on the table. Mobius doesn’t really give him a straight answer, just a ‘Keep that focus’.

I wonder if Loki really wants to meet the three space lizards or he just let Mobius believe so because, by acting that way, he made clear he’s interested.

Oh, now that I look at it behind the helmets of the minutemen there are codes which could be their identification codes or names, since they don’t seem to use names.

B-15 has obviously written B-15 while other minutemen had much longer codes.

The group arrives in 1985 and Loki makes a relevant question:

“Let me ask you this, why don't we just travel back to before the attack, when the Variant first arrives?”

It’s something many viewers have been wondering and it turns out that the answer is:

“Nexus events destabilize the time flow. This branch is still changing and growing, so you gotta show up in real time.”

In short the authors knew this could feel like a dumb plot hole so they made a rule to explain why this couldn’t be done. It’s still not perfert… I mean, what it means to show up in real time? They aren’t in the same time as 1985, when itìs real time for them? But whatever, it’s nice they tried to fix this problem.

Mobius asks Loki if he watched all the explicative videos he was supposed to watch and Loki replied only as many as he could stand because he find that their ‘TVA propaganda is exhausting’.

I’m glad Loki and I see things in the same way. Most of the TVA babbling is propaganda meant to brainwash people’s mind.

A Minuteman then asks Loki what ‘these’ (these being the Time Charges) do.

Loki knows perfectly and gives us the confirmation to the thing I, and many others, suspected in the past episode.

Time Charges…

“Reset charges prune the affected radius of a branched timeline, allowing time to heal all its wounds. Which sounds like a nice way of saying disintegrate everything in its vicinity.”

So yeah, it’s genocide or total destruction of that timeline and all the people in it.

But also yeah, Loki studied all he was supposed to study although he insists he watched only some of the videos. I’m not surprised though, a wizard had to be good at studying things and Loki clearly wanted to know how that world worked so of course he would have watched the video even if he’s downplaying it.

They reach the place in which the TVA fought Loki and discover the Loki Variant kidnapped C-20. It turns out that it’s the first time that Variant kidnapped someone. A minuteman suggests the Variant might have pruned (aka killed but the TVA doesn’t use that word) C-20.

B-15 acts defensively, saying a Loki couldn’t have beaten C-20. She clearly views the Lokis, the whole of them as this time she’s not even saying Variants, as inferior. She should probably remember she got collared by one Loki.

Loki tries to warn her saying she’s underestimating the Variant… which she’s doing as the Variant could have very well ‘pruned’ C-20 had the Variant wanted to.

B-15 isn’t interested in hearing him out as she interrupt him and tells the other to fan out and starts searching for C-20 fast as they’re approaching the red line.

Loki stops them, telling them if they’ll leave the tent they’ll end up killed. B-15 thinks it’s a waste of time but Mobius is willing to hear him out.

Loki launches himself in a long explanation, the gist of it being he thinks there’s a scheme behind the Variant’s actions, that they should be aware of their surrounding, listen more (like he does) and less prone to underestimate him or the ‘lesser Loki’.

Now… he’s not completely wrong, the TVA underestimates him, and they has underestimated the other Loki Variant, which we saw lead to some of their losses.

Loki claims the Variant wants him because they know he’s the stronger Loki and so wants to join forces with him to overthrown and rule the TVA. I’m not sure how the Variant would have known there’s a Loki working with the TVA but let’s assume they do and that Loki’s reasoning could make sense… or could be explained with him trying to paint himself as more important than he is.

But then he goes saying that this isn’t what he wants as he’s now a servant of the Sacred Timeline… which is patently untrue and hard to believe… who can hand them the Variant but what assurances he won’t be disintegrated once the job is done.

And okay, his own is a legitimate worry and a legitimate request.

It’s actually clever to ask for reassurances the TVA won’t dispose of him once the job is done… though it’s not like there’s an actual bargaining ground because, if Loki isn’t cooperative and therefore is useless, the TVA will dispose of him anyway.

It’s not so clever he would try to pass himself for a servant of the timeline when he clearly didn’t play the part well. Of course since he said Asgardians were fundamentally naïve, maybe that’s the kind of people he’s used to deal with… but he has experienced distrust in Asgard in “Thor”, proof his own people isn’t so naïve… and he should have figured out Mobius isn’t either.

And then he presses for urgently meeting the Time-Keepers saying they’re in grave danger… and this jump isn’t smooth.

Mobius knows Loki wants to meet the Time-Keepers, so of course if Loki pushes the issue in this way he’s going to be prone to assume it’s a trick. The speech doesn’t even keep a logical flow because Loki first presented himself as better than the Variant and capable to handle it but reluctant to do so for fear of being erased… but now he’s presenting the Variant as a grave threat that requires them to urgently talk with the Time-Keepers.

So from one side it’s pushing for too much when he hadn’t even shown himself to be useful yet and for another it makes for a weak argument if he’s really as superior as he claims to be.

So… hum… the speech seems to tumble down in an unsatisfactory manner, ‘seems’ being the operative word because, if there’s a goal behind its weak points, then they still have a reason to exist.

I’m actually not quite sure which game Loki is playing with the TVA.

He’s for sure trying to survive but then what else does he want to get? I don’t believe he aims to control the universe but I’m pretty sure he’s not swallowing the TVA propaganda and he doesn’t enjoy to be there.

His timeline was pruned so he can’t go back there. Does he want to save Frigga? Is that what he aims to do? Does he want to go into the timeline after… let’s call it ‘canon Loki’ died so as to replace him?

Prior to it?

I don’t know.

Is he saying all those things for the Loki Variant’s benefit? He hopes the Variant is out there hearing him and his speech would make the Variant interested in joining forces?

I don’t know. We’ll see.

Anyway as expected Mobius figures it’s a trick and, since there’s no more time to do anything else, they just reset the timeline and leave.

On another note I like how Loki uses an Asgardian way to say. Way too often in movies even aliens feel compelled to use English ways to say instead than way to say from the world they belong to.

We also see how a time charge works. Loki hurries to move away as soon as he sees them starting it.

They… do something with the top part of it, I’m not sure if they push a button or pulled some sort of safety pin. We see something yellowish being released in the fluid inside the time charge which then turns purplish. The purple colour expands to the whole glass of the time charge until from below it something like a coloured expanding pool comes out. Everything that gets touched by that pool ends up being disintegrated.

At the TVA the monitors show that the ‘reset’ (read ‘disintegration’) of the timeline is done and that C-20 ended up MIA.

A music that’s half sad half… disquieting, start being played and we move into Renslayer’s office.

Mobius is complimenting for her office, pointing out how there’s a new snow globe in it and how he doesn’t remember bringing it to her.

She replies he’s not the only analyst working for her, which seems to imply analysts working for her are meant to bring her souvenirs from their missions. Or better… not quite. Mobius asks her why she gets to keep all the trophies from his cases, which seems to imply they weren’t given willingly.

Still, he tries to get her to admit he’s her favourite analyst.

I’m not really sure what’s going on between these two. They don’t seem to be in a relationship and I’m not sure if Mobius’ attempts at flattering her are because he’d like to be in a relationship with her but doesn’t dare to push the issue or because he’s currying her favours.

We’ll see.

Renslayer moves the discussion to the mission Mobius just botched and I don’t know if I would define it as such. Okay, so they didn’t find C-20 nor the other Loki Variant but chances here are two:

- the Loki Variant was out there using C-20 as bait as Loki said, setting a trap for them, and they successfully avoided it

- the Loki Variant wasn’t out there and so wasn’t C-20 and therefore was nothing for them to find.

Either way the mission wasn’t botched as they came back and successfully disintegrated… pardon, the TVA doesn’t like that word, they prefer ‘purged’ the branched timeline and any living being inside it.

Renslayer, referring to Loki as just ‘this Variant’ complains he’s insubordinate, stubborn and unpredictable like Mobius.

Honestly I think the whole series is trying to draw parallels between Loki and Mobius, where Mobius is however the one who chose to submit to the system where Loki just can’t stand it and wants to break it down.

So, although Mobius should be ‘all lawful’ we can see there’s a bit of ‘chaotic’ inside him.

It’s probably worth to remember that ‘lawful’ and ‘chaotic’ are nothing else but the two opposite extreme on the Ethical axis used for RPG alignment where Lawful represents obedience to the law and Chaotic leans toward personal freedom, without regards to the law.

There’s another sign Mobius isn’t fully lawful, the fact he has the bad habit to leave the glass rest on Renslayer’s furniture, leaving rings, and then insisting he’s not who caused them as they were already there… when Renslayer points out they’re all there due to him.

I know a part of the fandom loves Mobius but I wonder if he’s in the story not only to interact with Loki but also to work in contraposition to him. There are two paths for him, either he chooses the same path as Loki or the opposite. We’ll see.

Mobius tries to blame the ring on Renslayer’s other favourite analyst. I wonder if such person exists and is meant to have a relevance in the story. It’ll be interesting if it’s the other Loki Variant in disguise.

I mean… the other Loki Variant knows plenty of things about the TVA which hints at how they should have a previous and prolonged contact with them because the TVA explains nearly nothing about how their things work to their captives but the other Loki Variant knows what Reset charges are and how they work or how to use a TemPad to open Timedoors.

Yet Mobius doesn’t seem to have info on when they captured that Variant, carried it to the TVA and then let them escape, so again, how did the Variant learnt so much about the TVA?

From another escaping Variant?

Hard to say?

Did they saw the TVA and tailed them till the TVA unnoticed?

I can’t really tell, we’ll see.

Anyway, back to their conversation, Renslayer points out the issue isn’t Mobius’ methods with Loki, but the fact he towed a dangerous Variant into the field… meaning they consider Loki dangerous.

Mobius claims that from that they had learnt ‘the Variant’ likes to stall for time, so the other Variant might end up doing the same, because, to Mobius, understanding one Loki leads to understand the other.

And I’m:

- actually you didn’t need to bring Loki to the field to learn this, didn’t you notice that’s what he did in other circumstances?

- if the two Lokis are different, no, understanding one doesn’t mean understand the other. I mean you had a Loki who was fine living as a Jotun while this one was traumatized by the idea he was a Jotun, Loki can be pretty different about them, enough to be complete opposite so no, nobody said they’ll surely share that particular trait.

Whatever, let’s go on.

Renslayer says Mobius has a soft spot for broken things (which Mobius denies because he’s a bit like Loki and doesn’t want to show weakness), which acknowledges this Loki is broken… but gains him no sympathy from Renslayer as she said that ‘Loki is an evil, lying scourge’. Because he attacked New York? Nope, just because this is the part he plays on the sacred timeline and he can change only if the Time-Keepers decree so, not because he wants to.

Renslayer is big on the predeterminism when it’s about Loki (who’s a Variant by the way and therefore already out of the Sacred Timeline) but why doesn’t she apply it to the TVA as well? They’ll take the Variant only if the Time-Keepers will so.

I think the TVA’s faith in the Time-Keepers has plenty of weak points and is hypocritical. I wonder if the show will explore this.

Mobius switches topic asking how the Time-Keepers are and it turns out he NEVER met them. So he basically can’t even be sure they exist or not, yet he’s pouring all his faith in those three space lizard.

Mobius seems kind of glad he hadn’t met them, which seems to hit they’re either dangerous to meet or he doesn’t have a good opinion of them.

Renslayer says:

“The Time-Keepers are monitoring every aspect of this case. I've never seen them so involved. They want that Variant caught.”

…which seems a way to put Mobius under pressure but really, if they decide the flow of time, shouldn’t the decide if Mobius will catch the Variant or not? They can decide if a Variant Loki can change or not but they can’t control the other?

Anyway Mobius signs the event report Renslayer already signed. We can see Renslayer signs R Slayer while Mobius signs M. M. M.

Mobius notices the pen he used for signing has the writing ‘Franklyn D. Roosvelt High School’ on it and complains that pen too should be from the other analyst Renslayer favoured. And I wonder again, who they are? They’re meant to be relevant? Or they’re only a plot device to make Mobius jealous?

Renslayer only tells him to stay focused. As he’s about to leave though, she stops him asking him if he believes in that Variant. Mobius doesn’t confirm this, saying Loki believes in himself enough for the both of them, complaining Loki is really arrogant and that he will delete him himself if this doesn’t work.

Of course these might be just words he tells to Renslayer but we saw him taking part to erasing timelines and even if he showed sympathy and kindness to the French boy he met in the cathedral in the very first episode, he let him be reset.

“Don't worry, that devil's afraid of us. We're gonna take care of him. And we're gonna put you back where you belong.”

This apparently kind sentence meant they disintegrate him and his timeline so the place the boy belong is basically oblivion.

But I’ll dig on Mobius and Loki in a moment.

For now let me pause a moment on the pen, another gift of Renslayer’s mysterious over analyst, with written on it ‘Franklyn D. Roosvelt High School’.

Franklyn D. Roosvelt, ex-president of the united state is also relevant for the MCU.

In 1940 Roosevelt ordered the formation of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) to fight the Nazi Party, even though the United States was still at peace with Germany. To ensure that only the greatest scientists work for the SSR, Roosevelt ordered Chester Phillips to recruit Howard Stark into the agency. SSR works in the creation of the Super Soldier Sierum, which ‘gives birth’ to Captain America then it is the re-tasked to fight Hydra. Later it will become part of S.H.I.E.L.D.

So yeah, maybe it’s a coincidence but it’s interesting.

Back to the story.

Mobius leaves Renslayer and we discover Loki has been left outside Renslayer’s office to wait.

Mobius whistles and also motions to Loki to follow him.

Some has compared this with how one would act to a dog. It’s possible they’re not so off track.

The TVA is a world that discriminates Variants and find them worth only being erased. They shouldn’t exist, they’re cosmic jokes, no one should forget someone is a Variant.

Mobius too in his discussion with Renslayer referred to Loki as just “the Variant”. Yet Mobius also feels some sympathy for Loki. Renslayer says he has a soft spot for broken things, if can mean she acknowledges Loki was broken by his experience… but she might also refer to the mere fact he’s a Variant and Variants, in a way, can be seen as ‘broken’ as they didn’t function properly but followed their own path instead than the one the Time-Keepers traced for them.

So the idea Mobius sees Loki as some sort of pet can be fitting. Mobius is growing fond of Loki… but he’s still imbued in all the TVA’s beliefs and teachings about predeterminism and how Variants are bad.

He doesn’t want to be needlessly mean to Loki, but the latter isn’t equal to him, he’s a tool, as everyone reminds him and as he has to remind to everyone else.

Variants has no rights in the TVA, they just exist to be pruned, reset, or, in less pretty but more realistic words, disintegrated.

And Mobius is a guy in the middle.

While he doesn’t want to be a jerk to Variants… or to people in the Sacred Timeline who’re going to die, he’s not really willing to fully fight against the system because he has faith in the system and a side of him he thinks Loki should just accept his place.

We see it in their discussion.

Loki is somewhat nervous… which, I’ll be honest, feels a little weird to me because he’s being openly nervous when usually Loki can keep controlled and hide this sort of things.

He had played a high risk bet during the mission and lost, he had time to think at what to say to Mobius while Mobius was discussing with Renslayer yet what he comes up isn’t really worth of someone who’s supposed to have a silver-tongue.

Okay, so it’s not like we were shown him using his silver-tongue in the movies, as people tended to do the opposite of what Loki asked them or not listen him at all, with the exception of Malekith and the Grandmaster… but we don’t get to see how Loki won the Grandmaster over.

Whatever, maybe there’s a reason, maybe not, we’ll see.

When facing the Variant later, Loki will say he kept the TVA vulnerable at the Renaissance Fair for some time and also that he has been working on gaining their trust. Presenting himself as openly insecure to Mobius, instead than hiding it as he would usually do, might be part of winning him over. As I said in the past commentary for ep 1, sometimes there are more benefits in being honest than in lying, so it can be that it’s not that Loki isn’t nervous, it can be he sees more benefits in showing it to Mobius.

We’ll see.

Mobius is in a bad mood. Although it didn’t seem Renslayer had given him a earful for his failure, it can be his failure burns. He tells Loki to show up, reminding him in the elevator he said he didn’t like to talk… which is something else that makes me think Loki is trying to give Mobius EXACTLY what Mobius asked for, so as to fulfil his expectations and lower his guard.

The following conversation is relevant.

Mobius: Okay. Just shut up! Please. What happened to the guy I met on the elevator? Who didn't like to talk. Remember him? Now I'm stuck with this guy who won't stop yacking away about what makes a Loki tick!

Loki: What? Isn't that precisely why I'm here?

Mobius: No. I don't care what makes you tick. You're here to help me catch the superior version of yourself. That's it!

Only Mobius in the previous episode told him he wanted exactly this from him.

Mobius: I'm serious. All I seek is a deeper understanding of the fearsome God of Mischief. What makes Loki tick?

This is the problem of an unequal partnership like their own. Loki isn’t there because he’s Mobius’ partner and equal, Loki is there to serve a purpose, capturing the other Loki. Renslayer might be right and Mobius might have a soft spot with him, but in the end Mobius ends up reminding Loki his place in the TVA, he’s there to be useful.

Loki takes offence by Mobius calling the other Variant “superior”.

Mobius gives us a slice of his mind… and Loki calls him out on his attempt of manipulation.

Mobius: See? There it is. Right there. I believed, stupidly, that insecure need for validation would motivate you to find the killer. Not 'cause you care about the TVA mission or bein' a hero, but because you know this Variant is better than you and you can't take it.

Loki: Very nice. I mean, it is adorable that you think you could possibly manipulate me. I'm ten steps ahead of you. I've been playing a game of my own all along.

But there’s something else worth pointing out. Mobius clearly believes working for the TVA equates at being a hero… and also that Loki would be so prideful he would serve the TVA merely to show them he’s better than the other without caring of how the TVA then might dispose of him.

And again Loki shows his cards way too openly so Mobius calls him out.

Mobius: What, charm your way in front of the Time-Keepers, hustle them, and seize control of the TVA? Am I getting warm? A double cross by history's most reliable liar.

Is really this what Loki aims at? This is what he’s telling around but is really this? Maybe but it seems so obvious, even Mobius could guess it in 5 minutes so… I don’t know, it seems too predictable for someone who’s supposedly smart.

The discussion goes on. Loki has figured since Mobius didn’t have him erased after that failure he is sticking his neck out for him so he asks him why.

Mobius: I'll give you two options, and you can believe whichever one you want. A, because I see a scared little boy, shivering in the cold. And you kinda feel bad for that ice runt. Or B, I just wanna catch this guy, and I'll tell you whatever I need to tell you.

I think both options are true, although usually, when proposing two options, the implication is the speaker is telling us to chose the last one… and it makes sense because this is the main motive Mobius is helping Loki. He could do nothing for him if it wasn’t because Loki could be useful… but this doesn’t men Mobius has no sympathy for him.

On another note it’s the second time the scripts hints at Loki as being young

Loki: I was young (in 1971), and I lost a bet to Thor. Where was the TVA when I was meddling with these affairs of men?

I really wonder if the idea is that Loki is young for Asgard standards.

Anyway Loki points out he doesn’t need Mobius’ sympathy, at which Mobius replies that’s good because he’s running out of it.

And again in itself there’s a problem. Mobius probably sees himself as a good person, because the fact he’s using Loki also means he’s sparing Loki from being pruned but, of course, if he has no use for Loki, this wouldn’t save him any longer.

If sympathy is tied to personal convenience, it’s not really sympathy.

As soon as they caught this Loki Mobius ran there to get him for himself because he thought it would be useful. He could have grown fond and it’s fine because it happens… but the key is still Loki has to be useful to him in order to be kept. So he’s not a really selfless act.

That’s why Mobius is no hero, who selflessly sacrifice for Loki, because he hopes in personal gain and… and it’s absolutely human. Mobius might have studied Loki but he basically just met him. Mobius has his own life. Why should he sacrifice it for Loki?

He’s planning for their allegiance to offer mutual benefits, Loki helps Mobius to wipe another Loki out of existence and Loki gets to live a little longer even though, being a Variant, Loki should have been already disposed of.

Mobius probably feels very kind and the other at the TVA would probably agree with him, because he’s giving a chance to someone who is lesser and has no right to chances and this is how their world work.

But we, viewers should be capable to understand their world works in the wrong way.

Loki: What's this? Next step of your manipulation...

Mobius: This is the final step. Your last chance.

Loki: Oh, and what does my desperate last chance require?

At this point Loki has moved back into keeping distance. He calls what’s Mobius is doing as manipulation and sounds flippant as he talks of his ‘desperate last chance’.

Mobius might have sympathy for him but Loki has likely figured out Mobius wouldn’t save him from the TVA beyond a certain point. The very best Mobius can offer him is to remain there working for the TVA to catch other Lokis, all while wearing a jacket that points out he’s a Variant as well, a cosmic joke.

Maybe Mobius might manage to have him dismiss wearing that jacket. Still, all this is tied to how much useful he can be. Mobius though can’t offer him freedom or a way back home.

Anyway Loki’s last chance is to work, to go over each and every one of the Variant's case files, and then, give him his unique Loki perspective and find something. All this while Mobius goes to eat something and keeping in mind his life depends on him proving to be of some use.

Again we’re reminded that Loki isn’t free to drop this work, he’s forced to cooperate, his life depends on it.

Loki starts looking through the documents which basically cover the various cases in which the Variant ambushed the Minutemen and stole their reset charge, clearly not finding them interesting. A woman hush him and he hush her back.

Loki tries going to the one who seems a librarian… but who’s actually so mechanical she feels more like a robot who can’t stop typing to pay attention to those who call her if they don’t ring at her first.

Loki asks her for more files. No, not files on the case, files pertaining to the creation of the TVA… but they’re all classified. The same goes for files pertaining to the beginning of time and the end of the time.

Exasperated Loki asks which files he can have and he’s handed a handful of them which, merely cover his case as a Variant and the life of his alternate self in the sacred timeline.

Loki reads them anyway and discovers of the destruction of Asgard.

As he does he can’t help but shed a tear for his former planet, before noticing the TVA also noted that during the event there was zero variance energy detected.

This causes him to connect some important dots and so he rushes to join Mobius to the restaurant.

At first Mobius doesn’t want to listen him, claiming he told him not to bother him until he read all the files which Loki claims to have done.

Honestly he didn’t seem particularly interested in them but he might have done it as someone who practices magic should have been good at studying. Mobius insists and Loki points out what they’re searching isn’t in the files but in the timeline as the Variant is hiding in the apocalypse.

Mobius asks which one and Loki mentions Ragnarok, asking him if he’s familiar to it. And I wonder if Loki wanted an answer to this one question, if he wanted to know if Mobius knew his homeland was wiped away, that this is something the TVA allowed.

Mobius confirms he knows about it and apologizes to him.

Loki pretends not to care and goes on discussing how a Nexus event is the result of someone doing something he’s not supposed to that causes a chain reaction of things that aren’t supposed to happen.

Mobius confirms.

At this point Loki steals the salad Mobius was eating for his example and decides in his metaphor that salad will represent Asgard.

And tell me whatever you want but, as far as I’m involved this is Loki paying back Mobius for letting him to work while he went to eat.

Mobius gets immediately that his lunch is going to meet an abrupt demise but Loki doesn’t let this deter him.

Loki suggests if he were to go on Asgard before Ragnarok he could do whatever he wants, even push Hulk off the Rainbow bridge, and to prove his point, he adds more salt to the salad. He then says he could also set fire to the place. I don’t know what he adds to Mobius’ salad as he says so, maybe pepper, but this is enough to make Mobius beg not to set fire to the place, which I find hilarious. Loki continues to put salt and… pepper? Into Mobius’ salad commenting that he can do whatever he wants without going against the dictates of the timeline.

He then picks up Mobius’ drink only to find it empty so he goes to get the drink from the nearby’s table, Casey’s table. He then pours it into Mobius’ salad, likely making it impossible to eat, explaining how the drink represents Surtur who will destroy Asgard no matter what Loki does so what he does doesn’t matter.

In short, in addition to making his point, Loki let Mobius too without lunch.

Fair since Loki didn’t have lunch at all.

Mobius still doesn’t get it so Loki goes further on explaining if they have an apocalypse of whatever kind it doesn’t matter what one would do in it because everything would get destroyed so the Variant has to be hiding in an apocalypse, doing whatever they want without them noticing.

Mobius is forced to admit it’s not a bad theory and Loki tells him to bring him to an apocalypse and he’ll show him.

Mobius accuses him of wanting to run back to his homeland and Loki says whatever apocalypse will do. Mobius makes clear he’s afraid to bring Loki around and Loki insists they’ve to test his theory. Mobius makes clear he’s afraid Loki would want to test how stabbable is his back.

Loki complains stabbing someone in the back is a boring form of betrayal. Mobius said he has done it 50 times… which is really not much for someone who lived as long as Loki especially since most of those stabbing if not all took place during battle, because Mobius is talking of literal stabbing here, not metaphorical one.

Loki is not really interested in arguing this one though and just says he won’t do it again because it got old which causes Mobius to laugh. Loki insists that he understands Mobius doesn’t trust him but he should trust something else, Loki loves to be right… and this seals the deal.

So the guys are at Pompeii, Italy – 78 AD, though it would be more correct to say they’re at Pompeii, ROMAN EMPIRE – AD 78 or 78 CE.

Eruption day.

While Mobius is absolutely scared they might mess up the timeline Loki is as overexcited like a kid on a sugar rush.

Loki cried reading of the destruction of Asgard but here he seems pretty giddy.

To Mobius scolding him because ‘it’s just not in good taste’ he replies ‘they’re gonna die anyway’.

And in itself is interesting. Mobius said he’s sorry for Asgard destruction, now he worries about ‘good taste’ but in the end he’s not going to do anything to spare those people’s lives.

The dead count will be of over 2.000 a good part of it dying a horrible albeit fast death as they’ll be literally vaporized by the heat of the pyroclastic flow.

In face of so many people about to die Mobius worrying Loki’s behaviour isn’t in good taste feels hypocritical, a mere care for the form, in fact he agrees with Loki it’s ‘cool’ the whole city will be wiped off the planet and his main worry is they shouldn’t create a huge branch.

Anyway, while Mobius insist they should start creating only a very small disturbance, Loki ends up freeing animals and announcing the eruption and the following death of everyone to the people.

Loki making all that chaos feels as if this is way to distance from the apocalypse that hit Asgard. Honestly I don’t think he wanted to go there during Ragnarok if there was nothing he could have done to save it.

However his speech is also an interesting way for Loki to try and pry info from Mobius about the TVA

Loki: ( Speaking latin ) You’re all about to die. That volcano is about to erupt! I would know, because I’m from the future. ( In english ) We are from the future, right? What is the TVA? I mean, it's from the future. It sounds from the future. It's pretty future-y.

Mobius won’t reply to him but the eruption will start right there, the Tempad continuing to sign zero variance energy, proving Loki was right. I wonder if this was also Loki’s way to try and see if an apocalypse could be prevented.

Oh, Loki talks Latin here but I’ve already talked about the language problem in the MCU and how the TVA seems to have a tv series version of Allspeak which, evidently passed to Loki too as he showed he previously couldn’t talk to Mongolian people.

On another note… the eruption, as depicted in the show, is not historically accurate.

Around 1:00 p.m., Mount Vesuvius violently erupted, spewing up a high-altitude column (the column supposedly as high as 30 km) from which ash and pumice began to fall, blanketing the area. Rescues and escapes occurred during this time.

It’s only much later, in the night or during the day after that the pyroclastic flows began and it Pompeei 4 minutes later, murdering everyone there.

The show instead seems to mix up the first eruption with the beginning of the pyroclastic flow (which is the one we see approaching from behind Loki), skipping the fall of ash and pumice.

Of course from a storytelling point of view it works a lot better, so it’s not a big deal and it’s just artistic freedom, it’s just my history lover’s heart which is bleeding.

If you want to enjoy how the eruption looked like there’s a nice video on Youtube “A Day in Pompeii - Full-length animation”.

The switch between Pompeii and back to the TVA feels a little abrupt, as if the Pompeii scene was meant to last more and they cut it.

Anyway they’re back on TVA and Mobius is summarizing Loki’s theory. Loki tells him he’s welcome, which, I take, is Loki’s clue he’d like to be thanked for his contribution. Mobius though is more focused on the mechanics of their new discovery.

He believes for Loki’s theory to hold the disasters have to be naturally-occurring, sudden, no warning, no survivors. So Ragnarok wouldn’t be okay because Loki and Thor triggered it and there were survivors. That is unless the TVA retconned “Thor: Ragnarok”.

Anyway, they decide they’ll have to find out how many of those natural disasters there are… but in the end Loki falls asleep on all the documents they’re checking.

I know there’s a debate if this proves he trusts Mobius or not… but the point is, he just proved himself he was of great help, so Mobius who has shown to have some measures of sympathy toward him despite his strict adherence to the TVA code and that make him capable to disintegrate him should need arise, has really no reason to harm him, quite the opposite.

Also he’s likely quite exhausted, both physically and emotionally otherwise he clearly wouldn’t fall asleep on an uncomfortable position over a stack of papers.

And differently from Mobius he supposedly didn’t even had lunch.

Mobius yawns which shows he’s clearly worn out as well, wakes him and tells him they’re going for a walk. So no bed, they’ll only take a small break.

I take they end up in the TVA version of a cafeteria where Loki asks Mobius about the jet ski magazine. Mobius ends up showing his total love for jet skis.

“Yeah. You know, some things... Actually, most things in history are kinda dumb, and everything gets ruined eventually. But in the early 1990s, for a brief, shining moment, there was a beautiful union of form and function, which we call the jet ski, and a reasonable man cannot differ.”

Actually he sounds like a fanboy, dismissive of everything he doesn’t like and imposing his own likes claiming no one could have a different opinion from him. It’s not a complain, it’s human. I like how the TVA members, despite their dystopian setting and their fanatic faith to the TVA religion have characteristics, both good and bad, that made them human.

However, at Loki’s question if he has ever tried a Jet Ski, Mobius admits he never been on one because if a TVA agent were to show up on a jet ski that would create a branch. It’s a poor excuse since they show up in timelines in their everyday clothes in time periods in which those clothes aren’t appropriate and anyway, who cares since they reset the branches so they could even show up naked and everything would get erased?

In this Mobius is the opposite of Loki, although he too has wishes that make him similar to Loki he doesn’t dare to fulfil them, he completely focuses on his work, he claims to read the magazines because they remind him what he’s fighting for… jet skis appearing in the Sacred Timeline in early 1990s apparently.

Okay, it’s more that he believes if the Sacred Timeline gets destroyed everything would but people who were believing to be heroes like he does would say they would fight for people, not for a beautiful vehicle that could be enjoyed only for a brief amount of time.

Mobius in a way is disconnected by the people on the sacred timeline, maybe because he never met them, he met the Variants, which are considered something to be pruned and nothing more and he actively help in pruning them.

So maybe he can’t work for people, because as soon as those people become variants, bang, they need to be wiped away. I think Mobius would like to be a decent person, I think he doesn’t want to harm people so he keeps distance and blindly swallows the TVA teaching and this discussion further proves it.

Loki asks if he really believes in all the TVA preaches and Mobius replies:

Mobius: I don't get hung up on, "Believe, not believe." I just accept what is.

It reminds me of a discussion he had with Loki in the past episode:

Loki: So that had the Time-Keepers' seal of approval, did it?

Mobius: Well, I wouldn't think of it in terms of approval and disapproval. That's sort of a... Let's get back to escapes...

Mobius just accepts things as they are presented. But why he accepts them?

Loki goes on summarizing how the TVA’s beliefs are that three magic lizards created the TVA and everyone in it including Mobius, which for Loki is clearly something dumb to believe.

Loki: Every time I start to admire your intelligence, you say something like that.

Mobius tries to retort it by turning tables on Loki.

Mobius: Okay, who created you, Loki?

Loki: A Frost Giant of Jotunheim.

Mobius: And who raised you?

Loki: Odin of Asgard.

Mobius: Odin, God of the Heavens. Asgard, mystical realm, beyond the stars. Frost Giants. Listen to yourself...

Loki: It's not the same. It's completely different. No. It's not the same.

Mobius: It's exactly the same thing.

The HUGE problem in Mobius’ reasoning is that he’s mixing up what Loki has experienced, his skin turning blue, proving he’s a Jotun, living his whole life with Odin, believing him to be his father, with Mobius merely believes as Mobius has no knowledge of what the Time-Keepers are since he never met them and likely doesn’t even remember when he was created or things like that.

Loki believes in what he lived though because he touched and sampled it and, in fact, he had a breakdown when he discovered part of it, the part he had no memory about but embraced out of faith was a lie (Loki couldn’t remember his Jotun heritage or his birth so he accepted what he was told, that Odin and Frigga were his parents). This likely makes even harder for him to accept that Mobius would just blindly believe in something he hadn’t experienced in the slightest.

Mobius had said:

Mobius: I don't get hung up on, "Believe, not believe." I just accept what is.

But at the end of it what motivates him is blind belief.

Mobius: Because if you think too hard about where any of us came from, who we truly are, it sounds kinda ridiculous. Existence is chaos. Nothing makes any sense, so we try to make some sense of it. And I'm just lucky that the chaos I emerged into gave me all this... My own glorious purpose. Cause the TVA is my life. And it's real because I believe it's real.

The TVA is real because he believes so. It has to be or his own ‘glorious purpose’ would mean nothing. Loki got burned by the truth. Mobius doesn’t want to end up the same, he doesn’t want to think at the absurdity the TVA feds him, he doesn’t want to question if what he does is right or wrong because the truth might disappoint it, it might be ridiculous, in bad taste, like being excited as Pompeii is about to be buried by the volcano.

The TVA is Mobius’ religion, and, to paraphrase Karl Marx faith in the TVA ‘is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.’

But this kind of mindset is also the mindset of whose who represent the ‘banality of evil’ of those who indulge in the capital vice of Acedia, whose who do not care, who do nothing to stop evil empower it and support it.

“...morally speaking, there is no limit to the concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings, that indifference to evil is worse than evil itself, that in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.” ― Abraham Heschel

And, after all, Mobius works to support it, to support the TVA as they prune/reset countless lives.

There’s something else that’s interesting.

Mobius is supposed to be a lawful character… yet he doesn’t believe existence is order. Existence is chaos. And, in the same way as he’s afraid to try out a jet ski and making excuses for why he doesn’t do so, I think Mobius deep down is scared by chaos. Fascinated by it but scared by it as well. In fact he’ll later says that he believes when it all will end and the Time-Keepers will have finished untangling the timeline all that will emerge will be order.

Loki: Ah, I see. So, when they're finished, what happens then?

Mobius: So are we. No more nexus events. Just order. And we meet in peace at the end of time. Nice, right?

Loki: Only order?

Mobius: Mmm-hmm.

Loki: No chaos? It sounds boring.

Mobius: I'm sure it does to you.

Order is reassuring, it gives people a sense, a purpose, order is explainable. Order follows laws so it’s lawful. But order, like Loki points out, is also boring, predictable. No bad surprise would come out of it, true, but no good surprise either. No change. No possibility to get worse… but no possibility to get better either. Order is static where chaos is always changing. You need a mixture of both to make a worthy life.

Besides the idea they ‘meet in peace at the end of time’ to me feels more like an attempt to use a different wording to say ‘we’re all dead’ or ‘we’ll be all pruned/reset’. So not particularly encouraging.

But I’m running ahead a bit. When Mobius says Loki that the TVA is real because he believes so, Loki accepts it. For the moment.

Loki: Fair enough. You believe it's real.

And I wonder if, in a way, Loki can understand. Because the chaos, the unpredictable, is what made him discover he wasn’t an Odinson. If he hadn’t questioned Odin’s words, if he hadn’t gone and taken the Casket of Ancient Winters in his hands but just turned his eyes away when his skin turned blue, if, like Mobius said, he hadn’t thought to hard at it, or at how bad Thor could be as a kind, if he just had shrugged everything off and said ‘yeah, I’m sorry Thor will be a poor kind but that’s what meant to be, who cares?’ and ‘yeah, it’s weird my skin turned blue but Odin said I’m his son so who am I to question him?’ he would have spared himself many unpleasant things.

He would be at Asgard, thinking to be Odin’s son, trying to help Thor, who prior to his banning to Earth was completely unfit to rule, not ruin completely the planet. That would be his own glorious purpose. Nothing more.

And while it wouldn’t be a great purpose… well, it would have spared him of a lot of pain so I think Loki can see the charm of it… but at the same time he can see the danger of it. If we’ll blindly follow the rules we give up on our free will.

Loki: So everything is written. Past, present, future. There's no such thing as free will.

Mobius: Well, I mean, you know, it's an oversimplification...

Mobius thinks it’s an oversimplification but it’s not. He’s probably telling himself since he submits to the rules willingly, well, that’s his free will. But we’ve seen that the other option is being reset. The Variants are nothing else but people who didn’t follow the dictation of the Time-keepers, a dictation they didn’t even know existed, but merely followed their free will. And the TVA erases them.

It’s true, the ones that follow the Sacred Timeline, not knowing they’re following the dictation of the Time-keepers, are still, in a way, following their free will, but it’s actually a pretty tricky situation because their options get pruned by the TVA.

People don’t exist in a vacuum. We take decisions according to what happens around us.

Now think to a world in which Odin tells Loki the truth right from the start. This would lead Loki to get very different decisions… only that Odin, if it ever existed, got pruned.

Think to a Thor who’s ready to rule when he’s about to be crowned so that Loki doesn’t have to disrupt the coronation. Well, think twice because that Thor got pruned.

Think to a Frigga who hands the crown to Loki but also sits next to him instead than next to Odin to support him while he’s going through his worst crisis. Pruned again.

Think to the Warriors Three and Sif not attempting to go fetch Thor after he’s banned. Sorry, they got pruned.

Think to Heimdall not allowing Thor to go to Jotunheim. Never mind he got pruned.

Loki made his choices. It was his free will. But his choices were tied to all that happened around him, and since all that happened around him was decided he was channelled toward certain decisions, everything working to make him take such decision.

Actually, each time he tried to take a different decision he too got pruned.

The resulting Loki that inhabits the Sacred Timeline, more than the result of his own free will, is the result of manipulation of the events and TVA selection. Which is kind of creepy.

But okay, it’s interesting how, in a way, Loki tries to connect with Mobius.

Maybe it’s Stockholm syndrome as Loki was someone held captive and sentenced to death and then Mobius came in and made clear that Loki’s survival depended on him, maybe it’s just that Mobius showed him some measure of kindness and appreciation and it doesn’t matter if he was being manipulative or not, Loki was so starved for it he fell for it, or he caught up on some similarities between them.

Sure, it can be that by connecting with him he can better use him but I don’t think that’s just it.

Mobius is someone Loki can connect with on an intellectual level, where Thor was just ‘let’s hit things’ and the Warriors Three and Sif were just, let’s do what Thor says.

And after Thor and his friends there were Thanos and the Other and clearly Loki couldn’t connect with them. So it doesn’t matter how screwed up the situation is and how Mobius manipulated Loki in their first meeting and what he told him, fundamentally Mobius is the only one Loki, who’s forced to go around with a jacket saying ‘Variant’ because no one has to forget he’s a cosmic joke, has in that setting.

So yes, it’s VERY screwed up but it makes sense Loki would partially latch on him. It’s human.

On another note I’m not really fond of the idea of Mobius using the French ‘au contraire’ while talking with Loki. Maybe it’s an ad-lib but since there’s already enough mess on how the TVA can talk all the languages and Asgardian somehow don’t have Allspeak, I would have preferred if they hadn’t mixed English and French now. Whatever, maybe that’s just me.

Loki goes on.

Loki: You called me a scared little boy.

Mobius: I called you a lotta things.

I wonder what Mobius means here, if he’s just telling Loki he shouldn’t focus on that (as calling him as such was Mobius’ attempt at showing him sympathy), but Loki nails another relevant topic.

Loki: You did. You're wrong, though. You see, I know something children don't.

Mobius: What's that?

Loki: That no one bad is ever truly bad. And no one good is ever truly good.

It’s interesting it’s coming from Loki because it means, differently from how sometimes Marvel movies seems to depict a world in black and white, Loki could see the shades of grey.

In his family. In the Avengers. In Thanos and the Other. Maybe even in the TVA people. And this means in himself as well.

And we go back to what he said in Ep 1:

Loki: I can't go back, can I? Back to my timeline. I don't enjoy hurting people. I... ( Sighs ) I don't enjoy it. I do it because I have to, because I've had to.

Mobius: Okay, explain that to me.

Loki: Because it's part of the illusion. It's the cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear.

Mobius: A desperate play for control. You do know yourself.

Loki: A villain. ( Sighs )

He painted himself as a villain, as someone all black, to show as if he was someone in control… in “Thor” when he was in an emotional storm, in “The Avengers” when he actually was working for Thanos.

But if we consider Loki’s words solely for their tie to the present discussion, he’s trying to tell Mobius that the black and white vision Mobius is trying to adopt doesn’t work. If there’s good in bad and bad in good, the perfect world Mobius thinks he can archive doesn’t exist and his glorious purpose is not so glorious.

Nothing is perfect and so no perfect order or perfect chaos can exist and trying to paint things or people black and white as the Time-Keepers are doing and the TVA as well, is a mistake.

Loki’s words though cause Mobius to remember the boy he met in the cathedral before going to Loki’s trial and how he had a candy box left by the Loki Variant. And I’ve always wondered WHY did the Loki Variant left that candy box behind? Is like she’s leaving breadcrumbs for the TVA or someone working with them to track her down.

Kablooie was only sold regionally on Earth from 2047 to 2051. While it wouldn’t be easy to track the Variant with just this, the Variant limits the place they’ve to search for them to only 4 years.

On an interesting note although Mobius claimed to know everything about Loki’s life he evidently had no idea if Asgardians had candies or not. So yeah, I think Mobius didn’t exactly knew EVERYTHING about Loki’s life, only what the TVA deemed relevant.

Anyway Mobius decides since they now know the Variant is hiding in an apocalyptic event in which Kablooie are involved they can cross-reference the two things.

Mobius has probably more clearance than Loki as he gets the files and then gives Loki a half, encouraging him to search fast through them by making it a competition… which actually is dumb, because the Variant can only be in one place so only the one who got that file among them can find it, no matter if he’s fast or slow… but whatever, Loki is motivated enough by this because he likes to win.

However, although Mobius asks him if he wants to bet on something, then he demands they’ll play for pride.

Anyway, as Mobius realizes it’s one apocalyptic event after another (all in 5 years) Loki finds what they’re searching for in an apocalyptic event in Alabama, 2050.

This gains him Mobius’ praise as he tells him he’ll take his job if he’s not careful.

I remember reading some interviews suggested Loki and Mobius had a mentor/student type of relation. Well, Mobius definitely feels like the mentor, one who takes care of Loki and teaches him how it works at the TVA, completely not focusing on how Loki was basically kidnapped by the place, doesn’t aim to stay there and people look down at him and is always ready to dispose of him because he’s a Variant… and what’s worse, the Variant of someone who, according to the Time-Keepers is meant to be ‘an evil, lying scourge’.

On the other side… working for the TVA is Loki’s only option to survive in that setting so Mobius likely sees it as Loki having to stop ‘thinking too hard’ and also make the TVA his life. In short he should just be like him and submit to the Time-Keepers.

So yeah, his point of view make sense but… it’s terrible, it’s actually telling people not to resist to wrong conditions but submit to them. It’s the typical mindsetting of a bureaucratic huge corporation or system, where no one matters and everyone obeys without worrying to much about what they’re obeying at.

But back to the story Mobius goes to Renslayer to asks her ‘to approve deployment of a fully-armed task force to the Variant's potential hiding spot’.

By the way said hising spot is in ‘Haven Hills, Alabama, corporate town owned by Roxxcart until it's wiped out by a hurricane’.

The name Roxxcart might remember to who read the comic or watched “Agent Carter” of the Roxxon Corporation, one of the world's largest conglomerates, founded in the 1940s. It also appeared in Marvel “Cloak & Dagger” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, with vague references at it in “Iron Man”, “Iron Man 2”, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer”, “Iron Man 3” and the MCU comic “The Avengers Prelude: Fury's Big Week”. It’s hard to say if this will be another vague reference or there will be more.

Renslayer is prejudiced against our Loki as she continues to call him a Variant and tries dismissing the whole thing merely because HE suggested it and the other time he ‘blew up’ the previous mission. Which he didn’t but of this I’ve already talked.

Mobius is all happy Loki proved himself useful and his idea to use him was right but Renslayer instead insists on not trusting him, even though he just discovered a huge hole in their security system.

Now, okay, Loki isn’t to be trusted blindly, but Renslayer isn’t really giving a rational reason why this theory, which actually makes a lot of sense and is supported by some evidence Mobius collected, would be wrong. If they’re going to shot down any theory Loki comes up just because he’s Loki then she shouldn’t have even given him to Mobius.

In fact when Mobius point out how Loki HELPED discovering the hole in the security she’s only more worried.

Anyway Mobius is so excited he manages to get her to agree, although she warns him she won’t be able to help him if this doesn’t work out.

They kind of repeat something that was included in the video/commercial of the TVA Miss Minute showed Loki in the previous episode.

Mobius: For all time.

Ravonna Renslayer: Always.

I wonder if this is actually meant to be the TVA catchphrase.

Anyway Mobius leaves Renslayer and we see Loki is out of the room, nervous, waiting for him. He seems quite satisfied when Mobius says they’ve got permission.

Mobius is still all excited… and make a vague promise that amounts to… basically nothing, to Loki.

Mobius: I'm tellin' you. You actually help us catch this Variant, and who knows, my friend.

Loki: What, good enough for a face-to-face with the Time-Keepers?

Mobius: I didn't say that. One step at a time.

Loki: All right. One step at a time.

He actually promises nothing to him, because, as he said, he said nothing. ‘Who knows’ can mean anything, even that after they catch the Variant they’ll prune him, or they’ll merely allow him to live at the TVA, forcing him to work for them. Who knows what ‘who knows’ mean!

Loki tries to have some more solid confirmation and basically gets nothing, which is not very promising.

As far as I’m involved I think Mobius is doing this promise more because he’s trying to keep Loki loyal than because he has something solid to offer to him. In fact he hadn’t bargained with Renslayer for this. Loki is there to catch the Variant, catching the Variant would end their need to use Loki but, as soon as Mobius got permission for the mission he left without insuring if they were to succeed he could keep him.

Does Loki really want to meet the Time-Keepers? What he aims to get from them?

Anyway Mobius is so excited he tries to give knives to Loki.

Enters Hunter B-15, who strongly despise Loki who takes them away from him (I wonder if Loki managed to steal them back unknown to her. I would love if he did). She briefs her men for the mission, which also allows us viewers to get some info and orders them to prune Loki at sight. Clearly she doesn’t even believe in putting him to that mock trials the TVA offers to its captive Variants.

Loki makes present they should preferably prune the bad Loki, not him and then the scene moves to Haven Hills and I love how this time they had introduced it not by writing it on the screen but by showing us a sign saying we’re in Haven Hills, Alabama… before having it destroyed.

I really love this scene.

The TVA arrives at Roxxcart and they’ve the good sense to open their Timedoors outside of it.

It’s interesting how Loki looks up at the storming sky. I wonder if he’s searching for thunders (we saw one hitting the ground before the TVA appeared) as a way to check if Thor is around, even though it’s clear Thor wouldn’t cause such destruction.

To Hunter B-15’s surprise Loki uses his magic to dry up, which somehow seems to make her even more suspicious of him. Because yeah, drying yourself is such a sinister act.

Mobius would like to go with Loki at the Green House but Hunter B-15 forbids it, wanting to part them. Mobius has to go with Hunter D-90 while Loki has to stay with her.

And I’ve the personal suspicion that’s because she hopes in a not to obvious chance to prune him too away from Mobius’ eyes.

B-15 tells Mobius if he’s not fine with it, he can go argue with Renslayer about it.

It’s interesting how they’re arguing. I wonder if Hunters and Analysts actually form two different and opposite classes in TVA who argue against each other despite a poster depicting them as working together.

Anyway Loki gets in between and tells Mobius it’s fine, that he can trust him and that he’ll understand trust has to be gained so he’ll gain it.

Honestly the way Loki puts it makes him even more suspicious for me, but I wonder if the key is it has to work for B-15.

Mobius complains about how is always the people you can’t trust that tell you ‘trust me’. Well, the people you trust wouldn’t need to ask you your trust so they won’t tell it to you.

Mobius though at this surrender as well, he’s so excited to get the Variant he doesn’t consider he could ask to stay with B-15 as well, or that he could say B-15 is asking this because she wants to try to harm Loki. He just let the issue go after a jab about how the past time B-15 ended up wearing the Time Collar.

Meanwhile the Loki Variant has noticed they’re in thanks to all the cameras in the place, as if they were waiting for the TVA. Again I wonder if the Loki Variant has someone supporting them in the TVA because they seem to know too much, later they’ll even show knowing the other Loki was brought in by the TVA to capture them.

We see the Loki Variant leaving down a tempad on which there’s a countdown that’s at 20 minutes.

Back to Loki he’s in the greenhouse with B-15, trying to chat with her… which could be a genuine attempt at communication or an attempt at warning the Variant they’re there. I’m not sure on which side Loki is… but I wonder if his goal is to stall things.

He might suspect if they get the Variant he’ll be disposed off so his aim might be to show he’s useful but also to stall the capture of the Variant. This might be what he was trying to do in the previous mission as well. So it’s not exactly he’s trying to help the Variant, he’s trying to gain time for himself.

B-15 doesn’t feel like talking with him but then they find a guy who claims to be shopping for plants despite the hurricane.

B-15 asks Loki if the guy could be him and Loki points out he ‘probably would have worn a suit, but, yes, maybe’, hinting at how Loki cares about how he looks.

B-15 gets too close to the guy who manages to grab her. We see some green magic pass to B-15 and then the guy faints. Loki asks if he’s dead but ‘B-15’ tells him ‘they usually survive’, making clear she’s no more B-15 but the Variant possessing her, who also recognizes Loki for who he is:

“So, you're the fool the TVA brought in to hunt me down.”

As I said this sentence gives me the feeling the Variant knew the TVA brought him someone to hunt them, in short they’ve inside intel about the TVA and I would love to know how.

Now possessing B-15 is a good move as she’s a good fighter with a weapon in her hands and this also leaves Loki on her own.

Loki recognizes the speaker for what they are, the Loki Variant possessing B-15, in short himself.

The Variant points out:

“Please. If anyone's anyone, you're me.”

Implying the Variant saw themselves as the better/original Loki version.

Wunmi Mosaku does a good work at playing the Loki Variant here, really.

Back in the shelter people is clearly in deep distress and a guy thinks the TVA is there to help them.

I think Mobius is torn, a side of him would just search for the Variant, the other is being affected by the situation but he tries to suppress it.

D-90 instead doesn’t care and pushes the man away as if he didn’t even exist. Which he doesn’t for him.

Mobius: What are you doing? Hey! These people are scared.

Hunter D-90: They're about to die. They should be scared.

Mobius: Okay. Not of us.

Even though those people aren’t Variants as they’re going to die the TVA doesn’t acknowledge them right. Like the Loki Variant they don’t care what they do because everything will be erased, either by a reset charge or by the apocalypse.

Mobius doesn’t like this… but again it’s not like he’s trying to save those people, he’ll let them die because the Time-Keepers dictate so.

Hunters in the TVA are somehow all jerks. Again they would work well as stand in for police brutality but I don’t know if the series wants to go this way.

Mobius and D-90 are interrupted when a Minuteman informs them they had found a tied C-20 who’s in state of shock and repeating over and over ‘it’s real’.

So C-20’s role isn’t to be a bait, I think it’s possible the Variant wants to use her to deliver a message to the TVA.

Back to Loki he comments on the spell used.

“Enchantment is a clever trick. Cowardly, a bit amateur-ish, but clever.”

The fact enchantment was used seems to be a nod to how the Variant might be Sylvie Lushton, who also went under the alias of enchantress.

In the comics Sylvie is not the original enchantress, that one was Amora, sister of Lorelei who appeared in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”. Sylvie was supposedly a human created by Loki who also gave her her magical powers. Although she has no training she has amazing magical powers and moved from wanting to be an Avenger to trying to become a Villain.

We’ll see what this Variant will turn out to be.

Anyway the Variant blames Loki of being the coward one because he works for the TVA. She mocks this asking him if he really believes that, which he confirms so she dismisses him:

Hunter B-15 (possessed): ( The variant chuckles ) And here I was worried that they'd found a better version of me.

And this again seems to imply the Variant KNEW the TVA got themselves a Loki but who told them? They just discovered it at the fair?

A person, Randy, appear and B-15 touches him then faint. Loki almost hurries to help her before realizing what had happened.

Well, the Variant could have disintegrate Randy instead she preferred to transfer themselves into him. This is interesting because it seems although they’ve no hesitation in killing TVA people they’re against harming normal people.

Loki still go to check B-15… or can it be he placed something in one of her pockets? Like a message for Mobius? Loki touches his jacket before bending down on B-15 and this time we don’t see what he touches as she’s cut off the screen which is odd.

The Variant thinks he’s trying to search a transmitting device to call the others for help. Loki tails the Variant, challenging them to face him and then explaining how he had gained the TVA confidence.

The Variant is not that much impressed but they continue to give Loki their back. Not that it matter as that back isn’t really the Variant’s back.

Loki explains his plan… which I don’t know if it’s really his plan or a trick.

Loki: I'm going to overthrow the Time-Keepers. And, uh, cards on the table, I could use a qualified lieutenant.

It’s relevant how Loki, talking with the Variant, uses a more polite and Asgard like language.

The Variant is clearly not interested in working for Loki but what hits me is that they don’t want to be called ‘Loki’ which could be because they aren’t Loki after all.

Loki: What say you... Loki?

Randy (possessed): Ugh. Don't call me that. You can call me... Randy.

I love how this meeting helps Loki to realize why Thor found these techniques annoying.

Loki: God. Now I understand why Thor found this so annoying.

Loki claims he has helped the Variant at the fair so yes, apparently he has played that risky bet back then for a reason. I really would love to know which game Loki is playing.

Loki: Listen. Enough with your games. I've been trying to help you. I kept them vulnerable at the Renaissance Fair for some time.

The Variant still isn’t interested in joining him as they don’t care about ruling the TVA.

We see that there are Time charges placed all around, partially hidden from sight which don’t promise anything good and someone, likely the Variant, is tweaking with them while ‘Randy’ keeps Loki distracted. So yes, this Variant too is good at stalling.

C-20 is still babbling, while Mobius tries to get something out of her.

D-90 just waves her off saying she’s off the dial and showing a worrying lack of a care for a companion.

Although C-20 says she wants to go home when Mobius offers to send them back she says she can’t as she gave away the position of the Time-Keepers.

Oh, so C-20 knew it? Did she, differently from Mobius met them?

D-90 tries to contact B-15 causing her to wake up.

Loki tries to get what the Variant wants but the Variant refuses to explain themselves saying Loki is too late. Loki counters he’s ahead as he found the Variant’s hiding place, then notices the Time charges and thinks the Variant lead them there to blow the place up.

As he turns his gaze Randy has disappeared and the Variant has possessed a big guy who starts beating Loki. Loki is not really fighting back. Are possessed people really so powerful or Loki is trying to pass himself for weak?

Anyway, after pointing out:

Loki: I would never treat me like this.

Which might be our clue the Variant isn’t really a Loki but someone pretending to be one, Loki starts more actively to try to avoid blows and even use his magic to get something he can use as shield.

The Variant’s language is nowhere near as polite as Loki and the possessed guy manages to send Loki on the ground. The idea of a toy dachshund bumping against him is cute.

B-15 manages to find Mobius and she’s forced to confess she lost Loki. Likely she thinks it’s due to Loki but doesn’t know how to explain it while D-90 just says Mobius’ favourite Loki betrayed him as they run to search for him.

The possessed guy is using another tempad connecting it to another mechanism. Although Loki couldn’t move he hadn’t tried to kill him and now Loki wakes up and demands to know what the Variants wants from him and what is this about. He’s clearly angry.

The possessed guy stands up and then tells him to brace himself before fainting, a sign the Variant isn’t possessing him anymore.

A recording keeps on repeating Loki’s last two sentences ‘What do you want from me? What is this about?’.

I’m not sure why the Variant would record those two sentences and play them over unless we’re to assume they’re actually only playing in Loki’s head.

The Variant appears, removes their hood to reveal it hid a blond woman face then in an unfriendly tone she states:

“This isn't about you.”

Loki’s surprise lasts only few seconds before he says ‘right’.

Meanwhile the countdown has reached 0, the light shot down, the time charges, tons of them, turn on but then below them timedoors appear, sending them away.

Mobius notices what’s going on and worries about where the Time charges are going.

Back at the TVA we assist to the sudden formation of LOTS of branches. The Analysts come to the conclusion someone ‘bombed’ the Sacred Timeline.

Renslayer, who has a hunter helmet that starts with A-25… which might mean she was one of the first hunters of the place, grabs her weapon as Minuteman spun to action.

Loki sees the Variant grabbing the Tempad again and using it to open a human size timedoor as she watches him. She waves at him the way he did at the Hulk when he went on the lift and goes through the Timedoor. Loki considers following but stalls for a moment. Mobius is running there, telling him to wait. Loki sees him but decides to go through the timedoor anyway and, as he does the timedoor disappears, leaving Mobius and the hunters outside.

The episode ends here.

People had been wondering what was Loki thinking when he went through the Timedoor and Tom Hiddleston explained it in an interview:

There's a very big moment at the end where Loki steps through that portal. From your perspective what is going through Loki's mind when he looks back at Mobius and then decides to go through the door anyway? Is he feeling any remorse there at all?

I think certainly there's conflict. I think he… you know, Mobius is someone who, perhaps for the first time in his life, he thinks he might be able to trust, and perhaps trusts him, and he doesn't want to betray that trust, but at the same time he has to go and see what that's what's going on, he has to do that. I think it was he can't help himself but follow… uh… because it's too strange and to, you know, provoke so much curiosity within him. So there is a huge conflict there, he thinks “I probably shouldn't do this, maybe there can be repercussions down the line, but I have to see what that's about”. ['Loki' - Tom Hiddleston & Owen Wilson Talk Ep 2 Twist! _ TVLine Interview]

Now this might be not the full truth because Tom might have been forced to withhold information in order not to give away the plot of future episodes but it’s worth considering it.

Undoubtedly following the other Loki is a risk. It’s clear the other is challenging him to follow… and he knows next to nothing about the other Loki so, if the TVA is bad for him, the other Loki could be worse and he might be trading a bad place for a pure hell. Who says the other Loki doesn’t work for Thanos for example?

In the TVA he has Mobius as some sort of interested ally, with the other Loki he has no one. You know, "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know". At the same time it makes sense he wants to try following the other Loki because he’s not the type to stagnate and remain there. He has to see, he has to try. Where Mobius wouldn’t risk, Loki does. I hope for him the bet will be worth it.

Last but not least it’s worth to mention in the ending theme they’ve replaced two photos of Loki with one of the Loki Variant and another with just a different image of Loki with the TVA jacket.

So anyway we’ve gotten to the end of it. I still wonder if the Loki Variant as an insider in the TVA passing her info and if she’s really a Loki or she just pretends to be. How she came to make all this big plan? Why she had looked like she wanted Loki to tail her?

We’ll see.

#loki #loki odinson #loki laufeyson #mobius m mobius #hunter b 15 #hunter c 20 #ravonna renslayer #casey #mcu loki #tom hiddleston #9 worlds study #9 worlds study mcu loki

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smalltowndetective · 3 years

Note

31 for A x detective please 🧡

Hi! Thank you for the request!

31- “I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you”

So, this one does need a little explaining. As much as I love this prompt, my main A detective is just as much as an emotionally repressed dumbass as they are (but she is starting to get slightly better haha) and the other detective that I have been writing A with is way too sweet, and one, would never deal with her feelings this way, and two, would never say anything to intently hurt them. So, of course, I borrowed a detective from @lividlyinlove, who fits this prompt much better.

This is my longest request yet, and I hope you like it! And thank you Liv for letting me use your detective! You’re amazing!

Ao3 Link

Title: Give me Something

Pairing: Adam and Kira (lividlyinlove’s detective)

Words: 3k

Summary: Kira has tried to move on from whatever her and Adam are supposed to be, just to come to the realization- she can’t.

Tags: @lilyoffandoms

She had never met someone who infuriated her so much.

But she also had never met someone who drew her in like he did.

Kira had long given up ever figuring Adam out. She had grown tired of the constant back and forth that he took her on, and she wanted to move on from whatever it was. The fleeting attraction that she had, act like it had never happened. Like she knew he would do.

And goddammit she had tried. Finally accept that he was never going to thaw his icy shell that had formed over the past 900 years, and she was not going to be one to do so for him, even if she wanted to. Only he could so, and he seemed hardly interested in that, preferring to continue to hide whatever was stirring inside of him for the rest of his immortal life.

Does that drive you crazy Adam? Having to try and figure out what the hell this is for eternity?

I know it would if it were me

She had gone on a few dates, a desperate attempt to move on, keeping them a secret from the rest of the team, and while she had internally rationalized that she was doing so in order to keep Felix or even Nate from asking her questions about them, but it was really about Adam. Kira wondered just how he would react if he knew, and while part of her wanted him to feel the confliction from all and maybe just actually say something, but she was not going to push it. At least not yet.

It’s just some fun, a nice night out. There is nothing serious about them.

But she was starting to fear that there never would be. Nothing about them made her want to go back on another, as if it was missing something, but what that was, she had no idea.

All of them have been nice, and most of them are much more open then Adam is, not like that is particularly hard to be.

What possibly more could you want?

This is all came into a head after one particular date with a guy from the big city who was staying in Wayhaven for a couple of days.

She ran into him on her walk to work, and he was nice. He seemed genuinely happy to talk to her, an easy smile never leaving his face, and was not trying to push her away the whole time, doing anything to avoid even seeing her.

Like a certain someone I know.

But one thing that drew him to her immediately were his eyes.

They were a gorgeous green, but unlike Adam’s cold icy eyes, they were dark, as the color of the darkest evergreen forest, the kind that was still just as vibrant even under snow in the bitterest of winters. They were almost soothing to look into, never becoming fraught with hardness, just openness. Kindness. All the things she was not used to.

He asked her out on a date, laughing as he did so, and told her it was on a complete whim that he did so, but she graciously accepted, already finding him intriguing, so different then what she was used to, almost a night and day difference.

They went out together the next night, and everything about it was magical. As if was a scene in a movie, sweet and easy, smiles shared between them that she hoped would never die, drinking in all of the things that he told about himself, but she noticed there was some hesitance when talking about herself, but she was not sure why.

He’s fine talking about himself, why aren’t you?

It hit her like a slap across her face when she realized that she never had this trouble with Adam, stubborn and annoying as he could be, even with her own fears of vulnerability. He drew things from her anyway, and she could never understand why. It was not like he seemed to care anyway, nor would he ever.

You are not going to think about him tonight.

It’s not about him.

Though she knew that he noticed her suddenly get quieter, he did not say anything about it, but she did the slightest tinge of confusion in his eyes, and Kira focused on keeping a smile on her face to drown it all out. Tonight, was not to mope about a guy who pushed her away whenever they got close. She was going to enjoy herself, make the most of tonight, with a new guy where maybe there could be something more, even if it was too early to tell just yet.

The date ended with him dropping her off at her apartment, the sun having long set in the horizon, and she noticed that from the bright lights outside the door, his eyes looked paler than they did earlier, and it only reminded her of the person that she was trying so desperately to forget.

She almost pushed him away at the sight, being confronted with the sudden rush of guilt, though she was not sure why.

You’re not his girlfriend, it’s not like you’re cheating on him.

Then why does it feel like I am?

But she put that out of her mind, and as the pair continued to gaze at each other, as if they were the only two people in the world, she felt herself move forward, and their lips met in a kiss.

It was not a long kiss, but there was sweet feeling there all the same, but then she could see Adam’s green eyes in her mind, and just for a second, she allowed herself to imagine if it had been him, and felt her pulse race at the thought, and she pulled him closer to her, forgetting all about who it actually was and allowing herself to imagine.

And for a few precious seconds, it almost seemed true, her wildest dreams that she had longed pushed away.

But that illusion could not last forever.

When Kira opened her eyes back up, and as she stared into her date’s eyes, his eyes still as gentle and open as they had been all night, horror started to fill her, and she could feel her stomach drop in dread.

What are you doing?

This isn’t fair to him.

It’s not his fault he’s not the one you want him to be

She pulled back from his touch immediately, freaking herself out over everything that was happening, his hands starting to shake.

“Kira, are you alright?”, she heard him say, worry filling his features, “Did I- “

“No”, she stated firmly, “You did nothing wrong. This is all my doing”

He opened his mouth to say something else, but she cut him off, “I’m sorry”

She entered her apartment after that, guilt filling her stomach, and as soon as she closed the door behind her, she sank to the ground, burying her face in her hands, trying hard not to let the frustrated tears spill down her cheeks.

Why can’t he leave my head?

I want to move on, finally accept that he’s never going to admit anything for the rest of his immortal life.

But I can’t.

She was tired of all of this, this confusing mess of feelings. Kira wanted it all to end, stop pining after someone who would never give in to what she knew they both wanted deep down. For everything that he did that had just hurt the both in the end, even if he would never admit that.

Damn it, she had even kissed Bobby. Her absolute scumbag of an ex, because she had been hurt. She knew that she should have not have, but when he leaned in closer to kiss her, she kissed him back, needing anything to get off her mind off eavesdropping on Adam and Nate’s conversation after the carnival. Him admitting that he felt nothing, when her own mind was such a mine field on confused emotions affected her more then she expected it to.

“But you do have those feelings?”

"No, I do not."

Kira had been trying to avoid crying the whole ride home back to her apartment, and when she finally got home, she was far too drained and hurt to even refuse Bobby’s offer to come in, even if about every rational part of her told herself it was a horrible idea for a countless number of reasons.

It was a definite moment of weakness from her, and one that she knew that he would shove back in her face more likely sooner then later, and as much as she regretted, she was not sure if that she could go back, she would be able to do anything different then what she had done.

Maybe that spoke to her own maturity, but she could hardly care.

How else was I supposed to react?

She could not just keep finding other people to put her heartbreak on, trying to make them into someone they were not, since molding someone into you want them to be, breaking apart what made them special in the first place was the last thing she wanted to do.

How long is this going on?

Will months, even years, past, and I’ll still feel like this?

A painful thought entered her brain, of her meeting someone, it all seeming to be working out, but sometimes, there would be times when all she would see was someone that she was trying so hard to get over.

They say moving on is the hardest part.

But will I ever actually ever be able to?

Or will I be stuck in this never-ending limbo forever?

There was no way she was going to have another night like this again, as tempting as it might be. It was not fair to the other person, to have someone who was pinning for someone else, and no matter who it was, they deserved better then that. Her date tonight deserved better than that.

Should I apologize?

Should I explain the situation?

What would I even say?

Kira resigned herself to the fact that there was nothing that she could say that would even make sense at all to anyone except herself, and she knew that it was best to part ways before anything became too out of hand.

I suppose for him, it’s lucky that it happened tonight

It’s a lot less of dragging him along with my own hurt feelings, while I try to desperately find some semblance of a person that he is not.

Shaking the night out of her brain, she got up from off the guard, and she walked through her apartment to go ahead and head to bed, even though she knew she was going to be awake for hours, staring at the ceiling, hoping this would all go away.

She heard the soft padding of footsteps and the light clicks of a collar, and she barely made out her miniature schnauzer Wolfgang in the dark, his already black coat besides the small white patch on his chest making him almost invisible in the dark. He normally would have been asleep at this time of night, so she was surprised to see him still awake.

“Hey bud”, she said as he padded the side of her bed as I plea to get up, and she reached over to pick him up and set her on top of the bed with her, “Everything’s kind of a mess right now, isn’t it?”

Kira ran her hands down his thick coat, scratching behind his ears as he settled into a crook in her bed, the motion soothing her brain slightly, “At least you’re still here. You don’t make things complicated”

She could swear she almost saw him a slight of a nod of his head on the dark, and she chuckled at the sight of it, and she settled back down on her bed, and even though sleep never called her, her mind still too overactive to even try and figure out anything, it was calming none the less, even if she still had no idea at what to do.

I feel like if I do fall asleep, I’ll dream, and I don’t think I want to.

Before she knew it, she could hear her alarm go off on her phone, and she had not gotten a wink of sleep the whole time. She was tired, her eyelids feeling heavy but she would still not allow herself to sleep, and knowing that she would have to start her day regardless, she dragged herself out of bed, realizing she needed to go by the warehouse this morning.

But there was a pit of dread in her stomach as she realized she was going to have to see Adam today.

Why are you so worried about this?

It’s not like he’s not avoiding you right now anyway.

Sighing, she got up to get ready for today, trying hard to ignore the dark circles that had formed around her eyes.

I look like an absolute wreck.

Congrats, me.

She pulled her clothes on, filling Wolfgang’s dog bowl before leaving, making sure he had everything he needed before she had to leave. She normally would eat breakfast, but she was still not feeling normal after last night, so she ended up leaving anyway.

This is all such a mess.

It did not take her long to make her way to the warehouse, and the first thing that Kira noticed was that Adam was standing outside, staring at the horizon as she drove up the warehouse.

What is he doing out here?

I know well enough he’s not waiting for me

“Detective Eveli”, he remarked as she walked up to him.

She fought hard to suppress the growl in her throat. It was not fair how at the second they were seeming to be getting closer, he would just push her away again, and this forced formality he had insisted on using was starting to grate on her, almost making her skin crawl.

It was strange to her why she was getting so upset now, but after last night, she was a shell of repressed emotions, and they were threatening to overspill on any person that dared talk to her today.

Shame (or perhaps not) that had to be the person that all of this was about in the first place.

“It’s Kira, Adam”, she spat out, her blue eyes holding his eyes in a glare, “You might as well have the decently to use it”

“I find that rather unnecessary”, he replied, the faint echoes of a scowl filling his face.

“After everything that has happened, I think it’s quite necessary actually”, she said back, “It’s the least you could do”

“I fail to see what you mean”, he almost whispered, almost hesitant, turning his head to face away from her, and she could not tell if he was truly ignorant or was feigning it.

“You’re still going to act like this?”, she demanded, “Like nothing was going on between us?”

She was not sure why she asked such a question, or what had even compelled her to ask it, but she hardly cared at the moment. After everything that was going through her brain, he had to at least share all of this in her head. She refused to think she was the only one struggling with this.

“There was nothing”, he growled, but the sudden hesitance in his eyes that he worked hard to bury said otherwise.

“I can’t believe you, you know that”, she huffed out, crossing her arms almost subconsciously, “We hold hands once and then you act like you can’t be around me anymore”

Frustration just rose in her voice as he refused to answer, instead noticing that he swallowed hard, “I don’t understand any of this more then you do, you know that? I should have done what you told me to do and save Sanja, but goddammit, Adam, I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave you when you needed me”

Kira felt the sting of tears at the edge of her eyes, and she fought hard to keep them from streaming down her face, as much as they begged her to, “I’m sick of all of this. I can’t take it anymore. You can’t keep drawing me in and then pushing me back out. It’s not fair”

She took a shuddering breath, and she finally dared herself to look back at Adam, who was unsurprisingly, looking away from her, his shoulders tighter than she had ever seen them before. He looked more like a statue then he normally did.

“I’ve tried to move on, you know”, she whispered, and his head snapped back to look at her, and the sudden intense gaze almost made her forget what she wanted to say, “Finally accept you’re never going to let your walls down. But it keeps me coming back to the ugly truth, a truth that I’ve been hiding from myself for so long”

“I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you”

“Kira…”, Adam breathlessly whispered, and she could feel her hands clench, and she looked back into his eyes, narrowing her own.

“You’re going to use my name now, huh?”, she scoffed, “Or are you just coming to go back after this? Speak now, or forever hold your peace”

When he did not deign to reply, she could feel her shoulders slump, but she tried to hide it, “Of course. See you later I guess”

She then walked to the door of the warehouse, the tears in her eyes starting to break through as she turned away from Adam and walked inside, wondering what can compelled her to say what she did in the first place.

But it doesn’t matter now, and it never mattered

Nothing is ever going to change.

No matter what you say, no matter how much you beg.

Nothing is ever going to change.

#the wayhaven chronicles #wayhaven chronicles #twc #kira eveli #lividlyinlove #request #adam du mortain #adam du mortain x detective

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the-wiresmarvelau · 3 years

Text

T.H.E. W.I.R.E.S.

Peter and his Friends are allowed to design the compound and couldn’t help but riddle it with secret tunels and hallways. While Peter installs said hallways he makes some new acquaintences who he has to help and gets help from.

Chapter 1, Chapter 3

Chapter 2: Dramatic enterance No. 1

The prisoner took a deep breath, closed his eyes and concentrated.

Concentrated on his knees and legs; tucked away underneath the weight of his torso.

Concentrated on his shoulders; tense and raised up to his ears.

Concentrated on his forehead and nose; laying on the insufferably warm stone floor.

Concentrated on the pain, pulsating in his black left eye and on the ripping, burning agony emanating from his lips, tong and cheeks; sewn together with silver wires and chains; embroidered to look like a wide, cruel silver grin.

"A silver chain to bind a silver tong" Odin had said while watching as the young, terrified guard pulled the wires through Loki’s parted lips.

The young man had shaken all over and rambled on about how stupid it was of him to mention to his peers that he liked to sew, then he wouldn't be punished for ‘enjoying a girl's job’.

All the while the prisoner beneath him glared at the allfather, determined not to cry out in pain and to stay in the present…

Because otherwise his head would bring him back in time to a scene oh so similar to this one.

Only that he hadn't been bound by chains then but by a dwarf, standing on his calf’s and hands, pushing down his shoulders.

The hands sewing his mouth shut hadn't shaken then.

He hammered his head against the floor, with a frustrated grunt.

These memories kept distracting him from the only chance, of preventing to collect more of them.

Loki wanted to scream in frustration but knew it would do more harm than good.

So, he took a couple deep breaths to calm down and began to concentrate again.

He concentrated on the hot stone against his shins and the top of his feet; And on the bruises all over his legs and sides, most of them either strained or compressed by his folded position on the floor.

Concentrated on the heat in the cuts and abrasions on his back. Loki still hadn't figured out when exactly he would be beaten; the periods of peace between the beatings where too irregular to follow a pattern.

Concentrated on his throat and the feeling of dry air grating through it with every breath he took; like sandpaper over chalk.

He concentrated on every fibre of his being looking for the small, tiny bits of magic he held; gathered it in a bundle just below his sternum and - when he felt like he had mustered up almost everything he had left - he began to channel it in a shallow rivulet and pushed it.

Pushed it up his chest, down his right arm into his wrist and from there: past the handcuffs that had until a few days ago, not only suppressed all of his ability to rebuild his own magic, but also kept him separated from his power’s origin and made him numb, blind even, to the magical streams, he knew were all around him.

But the guards had been sloppy.

One of the whip strokes had caught on his handcuffs and carved a small notch in the metal of his restraints. Just big enough to allow his magic to regenerate the tiniest fraction of his original power.

Not powerful enough to heal the numerus wounds Odin’s... "audiences" left behind. But sufficient, to ... say.. Send an illusion to his mother dearest.

Adopted or not, he loved her more than anything and he needed her to know what her husband was really doing to him over the past few years in the dungeons.

She was still under the impression that his punishment was simply isolation and had even send him a few books, which Odin had ripped apart and burned before his very eyes.

But before he could visit Frigga, he needed a plan.

During the time he had magic available again, he had tried to find out more about the Avengers, he had encountered back then on Midgard.

It would be the last place the other Gods would look, as his crimes there were the newest. But that didn’t mean hiding anywhere else was easier.

Additionally: Midgardians were far stricter regarding what did and did not count as a crime; while that might not sound advantageous to his cause, regarding that he had killed several dozen Midgardians. But by treating their prisoner much worse than was agreed upon, his captors violated those morals too. Thus, justifying a relocation.

Since the Avengers called themselves heroes, they probably had the moral compass to see it that way.

But for some reason, they seemed to have splintered and were preoccupied with what seemed to be the aftermath of whatever had divided them.

While he searched for others who might be able to help, the ravenette stumbled over a promising individual.

"Spider-Man" he called himself.

From what he'd gathered, the spider themed hero wasn't an Avenger but he had a close bond to Stark.

Otherwise, Ironman wouldn't've shown up, mere minutes after the aforementioned spider had been stabbed in the side, to bring him to the tower personally.

He also didn't kill any of the criminals he encountered and seemed repelled by it; rather trying to talk them into seeing their wrongdoings and changing their ways.

Additionally, he probably didn’t have a personal reason to dislike Loki; While the Avengers might still hold a grudge against him because of what happened with the Chitauri and the thing on the hellicarrier.

All in all, the spider seemed to be his best chance.

His only chance.

Keeping that in mind Loki focused on creating an illusion of himself on a, more or less random, roof within the young hero’s territory.

Since he wanted to be recognised, he gave the illusion the armour he had worn during the battle of New York, minus all the golden parts.

That way the boy could recognise him from pictures more easily, but he didn't look like he was going in for a fight.

He didn't bother to conceal the glowing that would give away the illusion’s nature. It was best to play his cards open, if he wanted to be trusted.

But he masked his black eye and other injuries.

His goal wasn't pity and his pride kept him from showing such vulnerability to a stranger.

The Jotun was aware though, that he might be forced to reveal his physical state; either as prof for the mistreatment or because changing his appearance drained a bit more magic than simply projecting himself.

And just like that, he waited.

It didn’t take long until he could see the kid swinging around. Loki tried not to turn around as the hero swung by.

Had he seriously not noticed him?

Normally the boy seemed to be automatically drawn to anything odd happening in his vicinity; did an illusion not register?

Giving in to his desire to look around just the tiniest bit, he turned his head a little to the side.

Relief flushed over him as he saw a red silhouette on a nearby roof in his periphery vision.

Spiderman looked at him. That meant that he had noticed the god.

Now he had to hope that their conversation would go well.

“KAREN..? activate ’don’t tell mom Protocol’ please”

‘Are you sure Peter? Whoever that is could mean you harm’ KAREN objected.

The worry in her voice sounded so real that the boy had to remind himself that she wasn’t, in fact, human.

“I’m sure,” he replied; sounding anything but. “If they wanted to hurt me my Spidey-sense would warn me about it”

‘Alright. Just remember that I am calling Mr. Stark the moment they touch you’

Peter couldn’t help but smile a little at how protective she sounded.

He began running over the roofs in the direction of the green shining figure.

They didn’t turn around when the hero arrived on their roof; They just lowered their head and brought their hands to the back, the palms turned up to be visible.

Even though the teenager wasn’t familiar with such behavioural customs, he understood that it was meant to show that they didn’t want to seem threatening and wouldn’t be the one to initiate this conversation.

“Excuse me?..” the younger one started, cringing at how childish he sounded.” Do I know you?”

Great. If he was wrong and this was a stranger, he had just made himself sound like a creep. And even if this was Loki, he couldn’t say that he knew him.

“You might have heard of me” The ravenette answered.

Slowly he dared to turn around; still carefully telegraphing his every move but conscious to make his movement seem graceful and smooth.

“Yeah, one could say that. You’re Mr. Loki, right? Thor’s brother?”

The addressee gave a single nod, taking the chance to bring up his head a bit.

He didn’t like to be personified over his adoptive brother, but rather Thor being the first association than the destruction he had caused while under the influence of Thanos.

“I thought you were grounded, for like.. forever?” the boy asked curiously; tilting his head to the side.

“How fortunate, then that this is only an illusion” Loki replied. He had seen the other one sassing pretty much everyone he had come across and hoped that mirroring that would make him more likable.

Otherwise, he would be screwed, because that was how he was used to speak and to change the way you speak long-term is tiresome.

But there seemed to be no need to.

“That explains so much. But what about the distance! Isn’t Asgard really far away? Or does that not affect illusions? ... Doesn’t matter right now! What is your illusion here for? I assume it`s not just to enjoy the view.”

The Jotun almost bit his lip, before registering that that was not a good idea in his current state.

“I’m here to ask a favour. -Or rather for help.” In that moment he regretted that he hadn’t led into this talk with a prepared speech. Asking for help was difficult.

“For you as in your people? Or you as an individual?” The Spider powered teenager asked, cautiously.

‘And I messed up.’ The Jotun thought ‘Of course he wouldn’t want to help me’

But the Midgardian continued before Loki could answer.

“I’m just asking, cause if it’s something all of you can’t handle, I wouldn’t know what I could do about it. Mr Stark would be a much greater help with that kinda thing.” He was about to continue on but shut himself up.

His teachers hated it when he just rambled on, and the face before him showed too little emotion to figure out if that was the case here, too. Better safe than sorry.

That was not what the trickster had expected.

“It’s not that kind of problem. And I doubt the Ironman would even be willing to hear me out, no matter what I’d have to say.” It was worded as a statement but the prisoner’s raised eyebrow seemed to ask for conformation.

“Yeaah.. You might be right on this one. He tends to hold on to grudges. But we’re working on it! He-..Anyways what can I help you with?” The young heroes body language changed like a boomerang from shy and embarrassed to excitedly proud and back to shy again.

If his conversational partner hadn’t been so utterly exhausted, he would have noticed how often he had cut himself of in this little time alone.

“Right. You see, the whole being .. ‘grounded’ as you described, it.. isn’t actually this. Harmless.”

The shorter tilted his head to the side and the lenses in his mask did a creepily good job at conveying a mix of scepticism and confusion.

“I know this sound unwarranted considering what happened. A-nd I wouldn’t be here if it was only the lifetime in prison that was agreed upon b-but.. It isn’t”

his voice broke and the image flickered, revealing the true appearance of the magician projecting it.

Curled on the ground with dried blood and open wounds covering almost every inch of his back and shoulders.

He had lost concentration a bit as memories and sensations washed over him for a second. Threatening to take over his thinking but he managed to push back.

This was his only chance.

He couldn’t mess up now. Now that somebody seemed to listen.. to care.

When he had gathered himself and looked up, He saw the eyes of the mask before him, wide with shock, and the body beneath it stiff.

Frozen in time.

The prisoner tried to make his image smile.

But it was drenched in dread and sadness. And his body froze; resembling the boy in front of his eyes.

Slowly, the stiffness in Peters body seemed to melt.

A finger twitched.

His arm began to inch upwards, while his shoulders began to sag.

The second arm wrapped itself around his waist, plucking at his suit subconsciously.

And, in a move that surprised even himself, the brunette pulled down his mask. Clutching it in his fist as if his life depended on it.

Peter didn’t care about KAREN`s protests right now.

He needed the god to understand, to know. That he believed him.

The Spidey-sense still hadn’t made an appearance, even though it normally alerted him to anything directly threatening him including his secret identity. *

Like pulling his mask of while people who might tell on him could see.

But he was either too absorb in what was happening or Loki just.. didn’t pose a threat whatsoever.

The god of mischief before him couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

How could a genuine superhero, for which paranoia and distrust seemed to come with the profession, trust him enough to reveal his otherwise hidden identity.

Just like that.

One of his titles literally was god of lies.

“I need somewhere to stay.” He whispered after a few beats of silence “somewhere I can rest.. And serve the rest of my sentence. Without – Odin, finding me.”. He didn’t bother to move his image’s lips.

The spider teen still needed to wrap his head everything while also trying to find a solution for this situation.

“Riiight... Uhm-..there’s uhh. Maybeishould.. no - he wouldn’t” It really didn’t help that to his already frantic thoughts, his super sense started to act up now; Telling him to PUT ON THAT MASK and TURN RIGHT.

He let out an irritated huff before following his instincts.

“Okay. I-I’ll figure that out. D-“

‘If I could remind you who you’re talking to. It may be in your best interest to hand over those matters to SHIELD or Mr. Stark.” KAREN chimed in.

“Not right now KAREN, I’ve got this. Mr. Loki, do you know how to get here? Because I have no idea how to get to Asgard let alone free you. Finding a hideout should be easier.”

His answer was a nod and after a beat of silence: “I should be able to contact . my mother in a few days. If I am correct she does not know of my treatment and will bring me here.”

Loki had carefully observed the Midgardian’s behaviour. Something to his right must have distracted him, for he turned his head that way before putting on his mask again. But there hadn’t been any movement nor was there anything attention-grabbing; just the roof and more buildings.

And then he started talking while scanning the street to their left with his eyes, only to stop in the middle of a word for several seconds and dismiss something his illusion’s ears couldn’t perceive.

For anybody else that would be a clear sign of hallucination, or worse; But he knew that this mortal before him had his own set of special skills and since Stark always seemed to talk to a somebody in his suit it wouldn’t be impossible that Spiderman’s suit was sentient too.

It wouldn’t be too farfetched to say the boy had his reasons.

“And what if she won’t?” the teen’s voice was small and just this side of trembling.

A few seconds went by in which the older of the two just stared at the younger in front of him.

His vision was unable to focus on the figure; But his mind...

His mind couldn’t seem to hang on to anything but the small frame in front of him.

On the hunch in the narrow shoulders; the tilt of his head, down and a bit to the side. On those slim hands and fingers who couldn’t seem to stop plucking on the black web covering the suit. On the fear in his voice and the knowledge that not once over the course of this talk did either of them lie. And not once did the hero lose a single bad word about him.

It took him a few second to gather his bearings.

By the time he was able to concentrate again, he had sat up, kneeling on the ground.

The body in front of him mirrored his position. Heavily suggesting that his illusion had yet again slipped to resemble reality.

He didn’t bother altering his appearance again. Instead, he tried to listen.

What first sounded like a murmured stream of incoherent rambling soon cleared up to be cautious, soft-spoken reassurances.

Things like ‘it’s gonna be okay’ ‘I’ll get you out of there’ and a lot of ‘safety awaits’.

Again.

Not once did he lie. Not once did he use present tense and not a single sentence invalidated the hurt he felt in that moment; like all the typical, sweet nothings people normally said would have done.

It broke the ice giant’s heart. To realise that this young, naïve mortal knew enough about pain and panic-attacks to be aware of such details.

“It’s alright. I’ve got it together again” He said and briefly masked his illusions mouth with a smile.

He got a nod in return.

“Does she need my name to find me? Or should I set up some sort of signal?” the boy asked. Trying to get the conversation on a more positive note again.

After all.

The God’s appearance had pretty much answered his question.

“I doubt she will miss someone running around in bright red spandex. I didn’t see that many people doing it.” He joked.

The teen knew this reaction all too well. Humour to distract from whatever it is you don’t wanna think about.

He would let it slide this once.

“But I’m not in my suit all the time!! What if something happens and she has to find me during the day?! Or I’m not allowed to go out that night?”

‘Right.’ The Jotun thought. ‘Midgardians keep their young under close surveillance much longer than we do.’

“I could show her an image of you.” He answered. “She will inform you of when and where she can hand me over.”

While saying that he had closed his eyes. Exhaustion clear on his face.

“Yeah! Sure. Gather your strength. I will prepare something for you.”

“I can’t thank you enough” were the last word he heard from the god, before the apparition disappeared, letting Peter alone on the roof.

Alone with his thoughts.

Down the street to his left stood a woman in a window, holding a camera.

She hadn’t managed to get a shot of the vigilante’s face. Or see it for that matter.

But she knew he had taken his mask of. Revealing his face to a green shining figure, strangely resembling the Norse god of mischief.

‘well done Jones.’ She thought ‘this might just become useful in the future.’

*I took this from the comics. In those Peters spider sense alerts him to anything threatening his interests, even bluffs while playing poker or reporters and cameras during identity compromising situations.

Chapter 1 Chapter 3

#peter parker #loki #loki marvel #tw mention of violence #tw mention of torture #chapter 2 #chapters #mcu #fanfic

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terramythos · 3 years

Text

TerraMythos' 2020 Reading Challenge - Book 32 of 26

Title: The Siren Depths (2012) (The Books of the Raksura #3)

Author: Martha Wells

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Adventure, LGBT Protagonist, Third-Person

Rating: 8/10

Date Began: 11/09/2020

Date Finished: 11/21/2020

Moon's past has always been obscure. A winged shapeshifter, he has spent most of his life as a solitary wanderer. He has few memories of his childhood, and only recently found others of his kind-- the Raksura. Now Moon has found a home as first consort to the queen Jade in the Raksuran court of Indigo Cloud.

However, when a neighboring queen recognizes his bloodline, Moon's new life is upended as he's forced to return to a family he doesn't even remember. Seemingly abandoned by Jade and overcome with doubt, Moon has to navigate the complex politics and grave secrets in the court of Opal Night alone. But an old enemy is about to return, threatening every Raksuran court in the Reaches.

The one thing he hadn’t expected to do was miss Indigo Cloud so much. He had been leaving people all his life, to the point where all the turns seemed like an uninterrupted progression of departures, and there had been people he had missed terribly. But this was a never-ending ache in his chest... You’ll get over it, he told himself. You always get over it.

But somehow, this time was different.

Some major spoilers and content warning(s) under the cut.

Content warnings for the book: As always, graphic violence and action. There is a disturbing scene that's... kind of forced cannibalism I guess (I'm not sure how else to describe it). Some sexual content is implied but not graphic. The r*pe plot point from The Cloud Roads is relevant, but is not depicted or described in detail. A romantic relationship with a significant age gap is briefly mentioned (both are consenting adults but it may make some readers uncomfortable).

For the most part, I enjoyed The Siren Depths more than the previous entries. I connected much more strongly to the central conflict, and was pleased to see some deeper character development than in the last two books. This entry also introduces fascinating new settings and characters while exploring some genuinely interesting ideas. It serves as a good parallel to The Cloud Roads, with similar plot beats explored in different ways. I did have one big problem which I will detail further in the review, but let's talk about the good parts first. Moon's conflict in this story, like the rest of the series, has to do with belonging. But The Siren Depths has the advantage of two books of development. From what we know of Moon's past, he sees any home as temporary, and when he's suddenly forced to leave Indigo Cloud (presumably for good), his new attachments and way of life come into question. To some degree, Moon sees this as an inevitable part of his life. Sooner or later, something out of his control will happen and he'll be abandoned. What I found relatable is there's several times Moon knows he is being irrational but still can't stop the negative downward spiral. Like... jeez, just call me out specifically next time! While a depressed protagonist can be a drag to read, I think it really works here because we've grown attached to Moon and know how far he's come. And sure enough, he does get his ass in gear when he realizes this ISN'T like before, and lots of people do care about him. The found vs biological family conflict is interesting as well. I think The Siren Depths does great here because you can see both points of view. Moon always assumed his biological family died, and they assumed the same thing about him. This should be a happy homecoming, but under the circumstances simply isn't. Moon resents being torn from Indigo Cloud because a group of people he barely remembers have a legal claim on him. Opal Night seems strangely hostile until you learn more about its politics and secrets. Even though they're early antagonists, they're not really villains; just a traumatized group of people who see Moon as a missing link from their past. When he's not what the others are expecting, obvious issues ensue, but Moon finds he does care about some of these people, even if it's not really his home. Outside of Moon, several other characters have arcs in this book. While the previous books feature a likeable enough cast, the characters are mostly one dimensional. Not so here; we explore the insecurities and struggles of some of the supporting cast. Jade isn't nearly as self-confident as she appears to be, and grapples with this throughout the book-- for example, wanting to prove to Moon that she is willing to do whatever it takes to get him back. Similarly, Chime's struggle with his involuntary transformation comes to a head here as his strange new powers become relevant again. We see just how bitter he is that he's cut off from his old magical gifts and still holds out hope that they'll return. We even get some indication that while this HAS happened before in Raksuran history, it's incredibly rare. There’s also an interesting hint on what the powers really are, which has some pretty big implications. This is potentially a future plot point, so I’m hoping it gets explored. (Also, I was totally right about Moon/Chime, do I get a prize?)

There are several new characters I found really interesting, namely Malachite and Shade. Malachite (spoiler: Moon's biological mother) is initially presented as the antagonist, and her behavior seems inscrutable. She's a powerful queen who commands respect, yet seems unpredictable and standoffish. All of this starts to make sense as one learns more about her. Turns out unbelievable, extended trauma really fucks with a person. The Fell destroyed her colony, killed her consort and most of her children, and she spent almost a year in full guerilla warfare against them. Yet she adopted the Fell/Raksura crossbreeds and raised them as her own children, demonstrating nothing but indulgent love and kindness towards them. I'm not sure I would be able to do that in her place. In general she's just a huge badass; totally decked out in scars and the first to leap into battle. At least we know where Moon gets it from. Did I say Fell/Raksura crossbreeds? Yup, that plot point is back. Only, it's explored in a different way here. The crossbreeds in The Cloud Roads are terrifying weapons deployed by the Fell. The ones in The Siren Depths, raised in a loving home, are just kind of weirdly pale Raksura. I liked Shade in particular, who we learn is Moon's half brother and serves as an interesting foil. Moon would probably be much more like Shade if the Fell attack on Opal Night never happened. Shade is an earnest and kind (if naïve) man and behaves like none of the Fell we’ve met in the series. I hope we see more of him (and Lithe, the other crossbreed) in future volumes, because I think they're an interesting take on nature vs nurture with the "inherently" evil Fell. Speaking of the Fell, while they themselves haven't changed much, I thought they were more effective villains than in The Cloud Roads. We see their manipulations and twisted views of the world in much more detail. There's a long sequence where much of the main cast is captured by The Fell, and their struggle to survive and potentially escape is harrowing. I also like that Moon isn't their main focus this time, which adds some nuance and perspective to their behavior. They’re also just... creepy as shit. While I do have some issues with the ending of the book, I think the Fell are handled pretty well beforehand.

I'd be remiss to ignore the always excellent worldbuilding in this series. Like in The Serpent Sea, we get to see more Raksuran courts, all of which feel distinct. It’s cool and impressive for a singular fantasy race to have multiple believable factions and societies. The settings in this book are also creative, including a giant half-dead mountain tree, a city carved into a giant statue, and what I can only describe as "Rapture, but make it a solarpunk prison". Wells goes into vivid, loving detail when it comes to the world. That being said, I would like to see more of the sea/sky realms, since this series has largely focused on the earth. The Three Worlds is kind of a misnomer if two of them don't really show up much. Oh well, maybe in future books/stories.

My main complaint, and what drags down the rating, is the ending. It's... underwhelming, confusing, and seems pretty rushed. I'll go into more detail below. *major spoilers for the ending* So... one of the big plot points in both The Cloud Roads and The Siren Depths is that the Fell are crossbreeding with captured Raksura. In The Cloud Roads, this is explained as a ploy to strengthen the Fell with some unique Raksuran abilities; queens can prevent others from shifting, mentors can scry future events, and so on. In The Siren Depths, however, we learn it's not that simple. There's some third party manipulating the Fell and encouraging their actions. The goal is to produce a crossbreed that physically resembles the (unnamed) Fell/Raksura common ancestor for... reasons. We are led to believe the being orchestrating this is in fact an ancient ancestor, though its motives are unknown.

While this feels like a retcon, the discrepancy is acknowledged in the story, and it is explained that the Fell in The Cloud Roads were either lying or those specific ones decided to pursue their own agenda. Which... fine, makes sense based on what we know about them. I'll let it slide. Perhaps it was hinted at earlier and I just don’t remember.

So Moon and the others follow the Fell to the mysterious source, a vast and abandoned underwater city. Soon they find the creature that's been imprisoned there. Turns out it's not the Fell/Raksura ancestor, but something different. I can only describe it as sort of eldritchy, with a vaguely creepy physical form, and the abilities to speak through dead/dying Fell and to create disturbingly realistic illusions. The Fell/Raksuran ancestors trapped it there eons ago, and the only way to free it is the physical presence of a member of the ancestor species (for some reason). Which explains why it has been encouraging the crossbreeding, since their common ancestor is presumably extinct. It's freed from its prison since Shade fits the "ancestor" criteria based on his physical appearance. Then, in the span of literally one chapter, it attacks everyone, chases the characters through the underwater city, gets hit by some water, then promptly melts like the Wicked Witch of the West and dies.

I had a couple problems with this ending. First, the whole Fell crossbreeding conflict with the Raksura is a huge generational trauma thing. Moon has his own horrible experience with them, of course, but it's also a big issue with both Indigo Cloud and Opal Night. Hell, it's the whole reason Moon was separated from his family and lived thirty-some years in exile without knowing what he was. The series literally wouldn't have happened without this conflict. To have everything explained away by "an eldritch wizard did it" is very anticlimactic. I vastly prefer the original explanation.

Second, we know basically nothing about this creature. How was it able to communicate with the Fell (and Chime)? Why was it imprisoned other than being super evil and stuff? Who knows. And yeah, it's possible this will be expanded on later. Except I'm pretty sure that when this book came out, it was the last one planned for the series. The next two books follow a different storyline and came out four years later. So this was probably the only explanation we were ever going to get.

I'm not totally against the concept, but it needed more time and a more interesting/memorable villain for it to work. Introducing all of this in the second to last chapter of (presumably) not only the book but the series, then defeating it with little effort, feels unsatisfying. Hell, there’s more time dedicated to discovering and exploring its prison than anything involving the creature itself! As it stands, the Fell were much creepier and more memorable bad guys in this book, yet narratively serve as bit players in the end. It just feels off.

Also, a nitpick, but the title of the book is weird. The Siren Depths is obviously referring to this imprisoned being. It's trapped underwater and is calling the Fell to it. But it's never referred to as a siren; I'm not sure that word is used at all in the book. It just seems like an odd choice of title that doesn't really fit the vernacular of the world. Siren has some very specific meanings/connotations in our world that don't translate to The Three Worlds. Not a huge deal, just something I noticed.

*ending spoilers end here*

Despite my issues with the ending, I really enjoyed everything else about the book. It does everything the other books do well while featuring serious improvements. I've heard mixed things about the next two books but plan to go in with an open mind.

#8/10 #taylor reads #2020 reading challenge #BONUS ROUND #*casually posts this a week late*

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desert-dyke · 4 years

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the things I’ve read in 2020 and some thoughts...

hey blacklist this now because it’s gonna get long from here. I spent NYE home alone and reading and it has really set the tone for this year. Fortunately, I’ve been reading way more for the first time in...I literally don’t even know? Maybe forever? Which is really dope! Books are fucking fantastic and I hope this trend continues for the rest of the year. So I’m gonna use this post (and continue to add to it as I finish books) to talk about the things I’ve read. It could be annoying. I could give up on it really soon. People might not read this at all. It’s okay! It’s my blog I’ll use it how I want and I want to talk about books I otherwise don’t really have a place to talk about them.

The Shape of Water - Guillermo Del Toro & Daniel Kraus

If you know me irl you’ll know that I love this movie. Like, it’s probably my favorite movie as an adult. I love watching a movie and then going back and reading the book to compare and vice versa, but knowing that the book came out after the movie did discourage me at first, making me think it was nothing more than a cash grab. Though I was talking to (my boss) who also loves this movie and is a huge bibliophile and she highly recommended the book, so I figured I’d give it a stab.

The writing style is beautiful and enticing and overall I was impressed with the quality of it. It’s fast paced and switches perspective between characters frequently, though remains easy to follow. The book focuses a little less on Elisa and more on the other characters and stories around her, including, surprisingly, Elaine Strickland, who despite never wondering much about during the movie, I enjoyed being included in the book. There’s a deeper exploration into pretty much everyone’s backstories, and more prominent character development. It’s excellent as a standalone piece, and supplementary to readers who have seen the movie. There’s also some alternative takes on certain scenes, which I don’t necessarily like better or worse than the choices made in the movie, but it makes for an interesting read.

The book explores themes of alienation and being othered, with a main cast that breaks the stereotype of straight white fully-abled male. Elisa is a mute woman, Zelda, a black woman, and Giles a gay man. With the political climate of the 1950′s, all of them are outsiders and all of them find solidarity in each other, despite their unique struggles, and also with the creature.

The only thing I didn’t quite like was the portrayal of the creature. I think greater efforts were put into making him more godlike and otherworldly, but also, simultaneously, he comes off as much more like a wild animal in the book, and the latter came off as strange to me, and not in the way I like it. Overall, even if the movie didn’t exist and I only read this, I’d still think it was a really good story.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate - Becky Chambers

If I depended on the synopsis on the back of the book to decide whether or not I wanted to read this, I don’t know if I would have bothered. To be honest, I only wanted to read this because Becky Chambers is my current favorite author and all other of her works I’ve read I’ve absolutely adored, so naturally, I wanted to give this one a chance, even if the concept wasn’t as riveting as I would have hoped.

She didn’t disappoint.

Whereas her other books take place in a vast space civilization where humanity is integrated with aliens and there’s technology beyond our dreams, this book took place in a different creative universe, a little more closer to our timeline. The book is about space exploration for the sake of learning and taking care to be as least intrusive on the explored worlds as possible. It’s a nice break from what I usually see in sci fi, with colonization and owning space and wanting to use knowledge in order to hurt others. It follows a research crew of four, sent to research four planets in a far solar system. There’s a lag in travel time, since FTL travel had not been discovered yet, so a common device is communication with Earth is off by years. Eventually, the crew realizes they have lost contact with Earth and Earth had likely suffered some sort of devastation. It wonders if Earth has forgotten them or if it’s even worth it to return since they might be the last astronauts of their time.

The worlds they visit and research are unique and vivid and fill me with wonder. They’re realistic to the point where I found myself questioning if the book was prophetic. Chambers makes effort to incorporate science into her novels, but in a way that does not estrange a reader like me who only has a basic knowledge in science. It’s one of the things I find most attractive about her work, because it has this added realism and this feeling of “wow, this really could happen” and yet remains easy to follow.

I found the crew to be likeable and diverse. Three of them are in a relationship with each other, and while polyamory isn’t usually an interest of mine, it’s in the background as well as it’s never used as a point to cause drama. It’s a healthy functional relationship. Also, one of the crew is a trans man and another is asexual, both details that exist within a single line, but yet important to be included to flesh out the characters.

What I didn’t like was the almost rush to the end of the book. It’s a short book, roughly 100 pages, but it seems to me as if it reaches it’s climax and then the book just ends and it kind of feels like it’s still in the middle of things. I’ve had time to think about it, though, and I’ve considered that maybe anything else written would have been redundant or just filler and therefore not needed. So in that case, that’s fair. It still felt a little abrupt to me, but that’s what fic is for.

Overall, if you haven’t read anything by Becky Chambers you need to change that immediately. Please don’t leave me alone and fanning over this incredible author!!

All Systems Red - Martha Wells

This was another short one, and in fact, I read it entirely in one sitting. The concept of the book was really intriguing, and actually I selected it because I liked the opening line so much. I have a lot of feelings about AI and robots, so this was a naturally alluring story to me. Mixed with the fact that the beefed out security robot, who calls themselves “Murderbot”, was absolutely obsessed with soap opera tv just absolutely gets me!

The story is told through Murderbot’s perspective, who is assigned to guard a research team. They had recently hacked their government module, which now allows them full autonomy and no longer having to obey orders from their assigned humans. It’s interesting to see Murderbot actively choose to help the humans. Also, needing to maintain an illusion that they aren’t unshackled, since what they did was forbidden.

The research team is full of interesting characters, who I find tragically under explored. The only couple in the story is wlw, which I vastly appreciated, along with they obviously cared and loved each other and their relationship was not used for drama purposes. In favor of the lack of development with the cast of characters, since the narrator is Murderbot and part of Murderbot’s personality is they are actively trying not to care about these humans, it does make sense. Still, I would have loved to see more of the crew and more development between Murderbot and them.

I like the dark lore that is hinted behind Murderbot’s existence. There’s organic counterparts to their machine made from cloned humans. It’s creepy and morbid, but a lot is with the lore of the universe that the story takes place in. There’s hints towards a heavy capitalist society in space where the humans and Murderbot came from, where the right price will get you anything, regardless of morals. The overall tone of the story is very quirky, but it needs to be to offset just how dark everything that happens actually is. The book explores the concept of corporate greed, from the existence of Murderbot to the deaths that come to humans on the planet the crew is studying.

This book was deeply fascinating, but I didn’t love the way it was written. I love every concept and choice made, but I didn’t love the execution. It left me wanting without satisfaction. It’s not a bad book and I still over all enjoyed it. It is part of a series, which I did not realize at the time of reading it, but the ending leaves room for more to be written, so maybe in the following books there will be the development I desired. However, the ending of the book leaves it apparent that Murderbot will not be interacting with the same characters of the first, but that is just an assumption and I could be wrong. I’m not sure yet if I will read more in the series but I’m not entirely opposed to it.

All the Birds in the Sky - Charlie Jane Anders

This is another one that I definitely would not have read if I had to choose based on the synopsis alone. The synopsis made it sound so run-of-the-mill star-crossed-lovers, which, hey, maybe that actually helps sell the book because its a pretty well loved trope, but for me it was off-putting, as well as isn’t fair to what the book actually turned out to be. But that’s what reviews are for, and I found this book from some sort of list, I think it was best sci-fi books written by women.

The general idea of the book is a witch and a techie fall in love while the world is falling apart due to a conflict between magic and technology. The book is lauded for bending genre and honestly, it fucking has. It’s as equally a sci-fi novel as it is a fantasy novel. There’s advanced technology, such as robots, two second time machines, rocket ships, and ultimately, a portal leading to a different universe in hopes of escaping the destruction of earth. On the magic side, there’s a connection to nature, rules that have to be abided, quirky witches and magicians and mystique. Both Laurence and Patricia are outsiders that have seemingly found these secret niches in the world that becomes their own.

Both plots are interesting in their own, and could possibly exist as two separate books, but what ties the entire story together is the connection Laurence and Patricia have, and their ultimate romance.

The romance is a wonderful slow burn, from childhood friends, to adult friends to lovers. By the time Patricia and Laurence finally get together, you really fucking want them to. They weave in and out of each other’s lives throughout their own personal plots. There’s tensions and there’s release. And most importantly, they have lives outside of each other. Their romance compliments the story, rather than the story being entirely about romance.

Similar to the former review, there’s a lot of quirkiness in the story, that ultimately offsets how dark the story can be. The story doesn’t shy away from complicated relationships with parents and siblings and friends and other people, people of mixed ages and backgrounds. It explores abuse, bullying, natural disaster and loss. The story would have been miserable and a drag to read without the whimsical qualities of it. Plus it’s a fantasy/sci-fi, so it should have some quirkiness to it! And it made for a very enjoyable read!

My criticism for this one is, yet again, the ending. The conflict resolves and the story comes to an end. In favor of how it was written, the way things resolve, I believe the world is about to go through a grand change. While the story is quirky, I think it would have been too corny to have had a glittery magical wave drag across the land, altering the world as it went. So, it’s fair, I guess, that the author chose to end it where she did. Still, it left me craving more. Maybe because the story was so good and I wasn’t yet ready to let it go.

Also, as a side note, the author is a trans woman. So if you’re looking for books written by trans authors to support, put this at the top of your list.

#book review 2020 #the shape of water #to be taught if fortunate #All systems red #all the birds in the sky #idk how to write about books and these are only partial reviews/reccomendations so sorry if it sucks #also I plan on adding to this post so better blacklist it now #feel free to recommend things

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princess-of-the-corner · 5 years

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Last Ladybug AU concept I promise. Okay that’s a lie but you know what I mean

But I found an old post that’s about a Miraculous Ladybug Phantom Theives AU and like usual I want to go hog wild.

So:

Ladybug and Chat Noir are Phantom Thieves by night. They have the sort of Sly Cooper/Robin Hood/Leverage type thing going on, only stealing from other thieves or criminals.

By day, Marinette and Adrien use their jobs as detectives to find new targets and keep suspicion away from themselves, and arrest the criminals they target.

However: Ladybug and Chat are Rivals, who have no idea that the other is their detective partner that seems dedicated to finding out their identity.

Okay, first, let me address the ‘Phantom Thief’ thing. Like how it works and the culture around it

Being a Phantom Thief is like being a thief, but also a Magician, Actor, and Attention Whore.

While thievery is the main part, there’s the theatrics. Outsmarting your target, stealing everything not nailed down, and avoiding the police, along with over-dramatic bragging to the reporters, yet always getting away somehow.

Like, in this modern age, the only reason heists aren’t livestreamed are that it would make it too easy for the cops. But the thieves might occasionally post videos(untraceable, of course.)

Some Thieves announce targets beforehand, hyping it up and making the heist more of a challenge. Some take the ‘Phantom’ part literally, only leaving a calling card after the fact. Others do something in the middle, purposely sending an alarm out half-way through, which makes the heist itself easier, but gives them a bigger crowd.

The culture about it is kind of weird. People enjoy the ‘show’, and the more of a ‘show’ you put on the bigger fanbase you get. But, ultimately, even if kids think it’s cool and all, most everyone agrees ‘yeah, they’re still criminals, let the cops handle this’.

Side note: While our heroes are the ‘steal from actual bad guys and help the good guys’ type, some thieves are legit bad guys. But we’re not going into that.

And before I get to our main characters, some notes on the Miraculous in this AU:

The Miraculous and the Kwami still exist in this AU, but they’re less… Good vs. Evil. I mean, while the Phantom Theives are technically doing good, stealing from actual evil people, the Kwami aren’t meant to be given to Heroes. They just exist and give power to those who wield the Miraculous.

As for how everyone got their Miraculous… I debated about still having a Guardian handing them out, or possibly you have to ‘win’ it from someone and all our thieves found theirs in someone’s collection on their first heists, but….

Idk. I think I’m going more ‘random chance’ combined with ‘Magic is attracted to Magic’. Basically the Miraculous ended up in the possession of our characters out of random chance, but because Magic attracts Magic, they all end up close to one another, even within the same family.

The Miraculous’ powers are a bit different. They can stay transformed indefinitely, even if they use their Power, but the Power has a much longer cooldown instead of just ‘detransform, eat, transform again’.

One part of the power that is completely nerfed is the part about ‘the Ladybug and the Black Cat combined gives ultimate power’ thing. They just have their normal Creation/Destruction Powers.

That said, while the Magic is still there, it’s a bit downplayed, as all have the usual thief skills that you’d expect.

Onto the characters: I’m keeping it to just the ‘main set’ of Miraculous. For now. So the Zodiac Set doesn’t really exist. The characters themselves do, and are allies to our cast, but they don’t have actual powers. Also, in case it wasn’t obvious, the characters are all bumped up in age in this. Like, the teens are in their early-to-mid-twenties.

Marinette/Ladybug

Obviously a Ladybug themed Phantom Thief.

Leader of a ‘team’.

She uses the power of Creation to make temporary fakes to buy time (no one’s looking for a painting that isn’t missing), or sometimes to get out of desperate situations. Sometimes she can even conjure up disguises.

During the day she’s a Detective hunting down the various thieves around the world. She uses this to find new targets. Ladybug’s team shows up and robs them blind, then Marinette’s team comes in to arrest them.

After encountering Chat Noir on a heist, she focuses on catching him. She keeps trying to figure out who he is, and how to finally take him down. Of course, that’s difficult when they’re face-to-face in the field. He’s pretty and charming, and their ideals would have them make a great team. Perhaps once she finds him, she’ll offer to let him work for her instead of arresting him.

However, there is her detective partner, Adrien. While he’s great and wonderful and Mari will admit to having a crush on him, it’s a bit difficult to let him get close to her with how obsessed he is with finding Ladybug.

Adrien/Chat Noir

A Cat-themed thief

Leader of his ‘team’.

He uses the power of Destruction. Sometimes it’s needed if a safe takes too long to crack, or occasionally used to make a quick getaway through a wall.

Chat uses the same tactics as Ladybug, though neither knows it. You’d think they’d figure it out when Ladybug and Chat Noir show up for the same night of a heist, but they’re a little oblivious.

Chat and Ladybug met on a heist, and while he got away with the treasure they were both after, Ladybug stole something far more valuable: His heart. Adrien would love to make her part of the team, but Ladybug has made a game out of it: she has to catch him first. Too bad he can never be caught.

On the other hand, his detective partner, Marinette… the fire and determination in her when she’s tracking down his secret identity, well, Adrien has to keep himself from giving up and letting her cuff him, if you know what I mean.

Alya/Rena Rouge

Fox -themed thief

Main member of Ladybug’s team.

Uses the power of Illusion to create distractions and keep the guards busy while she and Ladybug grab the target.

By day, Alya is a reporter. She uses her job to gather info for Ladybug, and also get her access to high-profile places. (News coverage on galas, or famous people giving interviews, etc.)

While she’s suspicious of Chat and his team, she actually trusts Adrien completely. She knows Marinette has feelings for him, and thinks he’d ‘turn to the dark side’ if they offered for him to join the team.

She’s also interested in another theif, but we’ll get to him later.

Chloé/Honeybee

Bee-themed, of course

Main member of Chat Noir’s team.

Her Power, Venom, is used to stun guards. Also, because I want more Sly Cooper jokes here and I can’t let go of the Honeybee AU, instead of a spinning top, Honeybee’s weapon is more like the Cooper Cane.

Chloé’s parents are still the same, her dad the mayor and her mother the Fashion bitch. She gets easy access to mansions and galas, always invited and bringing Adrien as her Plus One. But this also gives her access to information, dirt on various targets.

She is impressed by Ladybug and her team, admitting that they might be just as good as Chat Noir and Honeybee , but she’s suspicious of Marinette. She plays nice because Adrien likes her, but she’s concerned about her focus on Chat Noir.

While many people believe she’s into Adrien, some even believing they’re a couple due to how often he’s her ‘Plus One’ to events, they’re far more sibling-like for reasons I’ll get into later.

Nino/Carapace

Turtle themed, naturally.

Carapace is actually somewhat neutral, a member of both teams. They all know this, of course. But they also know he’s incredibly loyal, and won’t give away anything to the ‘other side’.

He’s rarely in the field, usually the tech guy hacking into things (Look, I already pulled out the Sly Cooper references. Let me have hacker turtle.). But when he is needed, Shell-ter can keep them safe from guards and traps.

Nino is of course DJ for his main job.

He’s good friends with both teams, in both identities. He doesn’t actually know anyone’s secret identities though. That said, he does think the ‘rivalry’ is a bit silly, since he’s worked with both and knows that they’d easily become a fantastic team.

He’s been dating Alya for a while now. It’s not yet time to get to the ‘hey, honey, I love you and I should probably tell you I’m a master thief’ talk. But they’re soon getting there.

Gabriel and Emilie/Paon and Mariposa.

So…. here’s the thing….Why isn’t it ‘Hawkmoth and Mayura’?

Because I have old headcanons about things that involve Gabriel being the Peacock and Emilie as the Butterfly, but they did switch sometimes.

The switch was usually when other skills were needed. Like, as I said they don’t rely 100% on their magic. They have other thief skills and they have different strengths and weaknesses. Emilie was better at sneaking(since she’s smaller), Gabriel was better at safe-cracking and disarming traps(More detail-oriented), etc.

So, like, sometimes they’d need the Butterfly’s power near a trapped room, and the Peacock’s power in a place only accessible by small vents or something and they’d switch for the night.

It did help keep the cops on their toes, since they weren’t predictable.

I’m not entirely sure how their powers would work other than distracting guards, but tbh I might change the Peacock’s powers(I kinda hate it’s canon powers anyway, but that’s a conversation for another time.)

Gabriel and Emilie were actually training Adrien and Chloé, hoping to pass the titles of Paon and Mariposa on to them.

Training Adrien is obvious, but why train Chloé? Because she is Adrien’s best friend for most of his life and does show skill in it early on.

The Agrestes practically adopt Chloé. Her mother is never even in the country, and her dad is usually too busy, so she spent nearly all her time with Adrien and his parents. Especially once they decided to train her.

While Chloé does still love her actual dad, since he tries to be a good parent, she hates her mother and is hoping to one day target her as Honeybee. She thinks of Gabriel and Emilie as her parents more than them.

However, on a job where Gabriel and Emilie had switched powers, there was an accident. I’ll go into detail what all happened to her, but while she is still alive, she’s taken out of the game and the Peacock Miraculous is broken.

Realizing how dangerous this life is(well, they always knew this was dangerous, but this was too close a call), Gabriel and Emilie decide to go back on that training. Paon and Mariposa ‘retire’, and forbid the kids from trying to get into this more than they already have.

Then Adrien and Chloé find the Cat and the Bee, becoming thieves on their own. They’re figured out pretty quickly, since Chat Noir and Honeybee use many tactics that Paon and Mariposa used.

While Gabriel and Emilie are hesitant to let them do this, they also knows they can’t stop them now. They resign to mostly minor mentoring, keeping out of too much danger, but not going out of their way to help with heists.

That said, if there was ever a situation dangerous enough, Gabriel might become Hawkmoth to help them. (Due to reasons I’ll explain later, Emilie can’t use the Butterfly and the Peacock is broken).

Of course, Paon and Mariposa are kind of legendary in the business. Like, they were very well known and.. I don’t want to say ‘well loved’ since they were thieves, but you know. They had a lot of fans. It’s a big mystery of what happened, because a few years ago they suddenly ‘disappeared’. Most people speculate that they died, since they would’ve pulled another heist again if they were still around.

Onto other story elements:

What happened to Emilie

So, I don’t have exact details, but she gets very injured and the Peacock is broken.

Her physical injuries are enough to take her out of the game, at least for a long while. She definitely recovers after a good bit of time. But the Magic Backlash of breaking the Peacock has made her Magic unstable. She can’t even safely use the Butterfly.

So she ends up retiring entirely.

Because of this, Chat Noir and Honeybee tend to focus on finding Magic items to steal, since they could potentially fix the Peacock Miraculous and/or Emilie’s Magic.

Even if they are aware that the Ladybug Miraculous could do this, they aren’t entirely aware that Ladybug has it. The Ladybug theme could be coincidence, but even then, it’s not enough of an emergency that they’d steal it from her. After all, Chat is sure that Ladybug will willingly join him eventually.

Ladybug and Chat’s ‘rivalry’ starts early on in their careers

Both had done enough to establish themselves beforehand. So when they run into each other and the rivalry starts, their ‘fans’ get invested.

the first time they meet is actually the first time Marinette and Adrien happen to be working a case together as detectives, actually

Ladybug and Chat Noir planned a heist for the same night. They run into each other in the treasure room, and fight over the prize.

They have some wonderful flirt banter, but ultimately, Ladybug kind of kicks his ass

Only reason Chat wins is because of Honeybee using Venom

Now, every time they meet, they have their flirt banter and try to one-up each other, both in general ‘impressing with thief skills’ and also getting the loot and running off.

Marinette and Adrien get along very well though

They have an issue at first, basically this AU’s version of the gum incident.

When they’re assigned to partner together, the first day involved Adrien sort of panicked and leading her in a wrong direction because of the ‘I don’t want her to figure out that this ‘investigation’ is me casing the place’ thing.

Mari thinks it’s him being a jackass about having to work with her, or disrespecting her for being a girl detective or some thing.

He does apologize later, and it’s all good

They end up as close friends. Obvs Mari is still a bit nervous because of her crush(as is Adrien tbh), but in this AU she’s a grown ass adult instead of a teenager, so she is able to reign in her anxieties and isn’t nearly as wild.

So, the other’s friendship with Chloé is a little different than Canon

Chloé is less of an outright bitch in this AU. This is because she realized early on that her real mom is terrible, therefore she stopped trying to imitate her and impress her. And the Agrestes provided genuine parental affection.

She’s still very blunt and can come off as rude, especially to people who haven’t yet earned her trust.

But because she wasn’t going out of her way to bully people, she doesn’t have much of a history with Marinette and Nino, and while Alya was quick to judge her as some dumb rich girl coasting on daddy’s money, she reconsiders once they start hanging out.

Since I’m discussing personality changes, let’s discuss the differences between the Agrestes.

Gabriel is still a bit emotionally distant, though the Persona he uses for Paon balances this out since ‘Paon’ is very dramatic(Look, the man is a Peacock. They are known for it.)

However, the biggest shift between Canon personality is due to Emilie. I mean, first off she’s alive and all so he doesn’t have a reason to go off the deep end and become a supervillain. She also balances him out when he’s being a bit of a fuck.

Both are protective of Adrien, but considering they were training him for a dangerous life, they do give him his freedom. He still has to sneak out though since getting past the house’s alarm system is good practice!!

That said, they didn’t start training him until he was a teenager. They probably taught him simpler skills, like lockpicking and safe cracking as a kid, but anything dangerous like disarming traps waited until he was older

Speaking of Adrien, he did go through a ‘rebellious phase’. As I said, sneaking out. This was very enabled by Chloé, since as much as she loves Gabriel and Emilie, she does think Adrien should get out more.

He’s a good bit more independent now, partly because when he started ‘rebelling’ they listened and gave him more freedom, and partly because he is an adult and has technically moved out.

Next, let’s discuss Carapace being the middle man between Ladybug and Chat’s rivalry.

He thinks the rivalry is dumb, and doesn’t even bother keeping it going

literally, if he’s working with both teams on the same heist, he’ll have them run into each other and be like ‘work together damn it!!’.

He’s probably the closest to figuring out everyone’s identities though.

Especially since Rena and Carapace are kind of crushing on each other but have discussed ‘look I’m already in a relationship so I’m not gonna fuck that up’, but they keep noticing things that are just a little too similar. Which makes Nino notice similarities between everyone else.

He’s mostly staying in denial because if he’s right then he’s not sure he wont just punch something in frustration.

The Kwami!!!

Okay, so, as I mentioned, the Kwami still exist. But they’re entirely neutral instead of forces for Good. They don’t care what their Chosen use their powers for, as long as said Chosen is someone Worthy of the Powers. All have been used for both Good and Evil in the past.

Plagg, Pollen, Nooroo and Duusu all hang out together since their current Chosen are family.

Side note: While the Peacock is broken, this doesn’t effect the Kwami entirely. Duusu kind of flickers in and out for Human perspective, but the Kwami can always see them.

Tikki and Trixx hang out as well, since Mari and Alya share an apartment.

Wayzz is a bit lonely, but since Nino has his own place he doesn’t have to hide.

Plus, they can hang out whenever their Chosen are together

Because the Kwami can sense one another’s presence, and figured out who was who. They don’t tell anyone though because they find the drama too entertaining.

Next question: Do their families know and how do they feel about the Phantom Thieves?

For the most part, no, families don’t know. But I’ll go individually.

Marinette’s parents are still bakers, and they don’t know that she’s Ladybug. However, while her parents agree that two wrongs don’t make a right, Mari assures them that these thieves aren’t that bad, and are actually fairly helpful to taking down actual bad guys.

Alya’s parents are pretty much the same. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but they seem to be doing good.

Her younger sisters are actually very invested in the thieves, thinking it’s super cool! Big fans of Ladybug and Rena Rouge (Alya is low-key proud about this)

Her older sister, on the other hand, well… Nora is in the same boat as the parents, but she’s concerned over how much Ella and Etta idolize the thieves, since they are technically idolizing criminals.

Their parents don’t think it’s that bad. It’s a cool thing a lot of people are into. It’s not going to ruin the fabric of society since these kids still understand that stealing is a crime.

It causes some problems since in her over-protectiveness, Nora sometimes says some hurtful things toward the thieves, not knowing she’s insulting Alya.

Nino’s family are also similar, but they don’t know about Carapace since he’s more behind-the-scenes. They do keep telling him that since he’s so talented with computers, he should do something more with that instead of just music. If only they knew…

Chloé’s parents are more outright against the thieves.

Her dad has to be, since he’s the mayor. In private he does express that he’s thankful to Chat Noir and Honeybee, since they’ve exposed several corrupt politicians, which has helped him with his job.

Her mother, on the other hand, well… her mother is one of the kinds of people that they would target. And several of her friends have already been arrested because of their crimes being exposed. She doesn’t care what crimes her buddies committed, just that they got caught. Every conversation between them is like: Audrey: “I miss going to the Merciers’ Holiday parties. They always hired the best catering.” Chloé: Yeah, too bad he was arrested for ripping off innocent people with insurance fraud. Just hire the same catering business.’.

Since we already know what Adrien’s parents think of all this, let’s discuss Nathalie!

She’s a friend of Gabriel and Emilie’s, and did become Gabriel’s assistant at his day job.

However, she was not really part of their Thief work. She knew about it, of course. She couldn’t know them as long as she did without knowing them. And se would help in casing places and planning things, but stopped short of fully helping because they wanted to let her have some plausible deniability should they get caught.

Nathalie did pick up some skill over the years, like lockpicking and dodging traps.

Adrien and Chloé see her as a big sister. She would usually babysit while Gabriel and Emilie were out.

First heists:

Chat Noir and Honeybee’s first heist was against some corrupt politician.

Right after Emilie’s accident and they were forbidden from doing things, Adrien and Chloé found their own Miraculous.

While they’d been casing a few potential targets, they picked this politician after one fancy dinner event thing where he pissed off Chloé in particular, and they decided to hit him first.

After the heist, when the news was reporting, they said that it had several classic hallmarks of Paon and Mariposa. Gabriel and Emilie are watching this report and giving each other the ‘please tell me they didn’t...’ look. When news then shows Chat Noir and Honeybee showing off for the cameras, they recognize their kids.

Ladybug and Rena Rouge’s first heist happened in this AU’s version of Silencer.

Marinette and Alya found the Miraculous. They wonder what exactly to do with them, even thinking about becoming Superheroes.

When their friends start a band and are ripped off, they use their powers to break into the studio to find proof of this.

They didn’t mean to become Phantom Thieves, but they were good at it. So they keep going.

Carapace

I’m not sure about his first heist. It was probably something personal, but he covered his tracks well enough when he first did it. And he decided to keep going, righting wrongs and all that.

Nino would’ve been a thief before finding the Miraculous, but he found it soon after and got his ‘theme’.

Paon and Mariposa

Their first heists were years ago, before Adrien was born. Hell, Gabriel’s first heist was before he and Emilie got together.

I feel like this started with Gabriel being in a similar position Ladybug and Rena Rouge. Like, he’s still a Fashion Designer, and some asshole ripped off his designs so he used his power to find proof. Then kept with it.

He was originally a solo act until he met Emilie. He eventually sat her down for the ‘hey I’m a master thief’ talk, and she wanted in. She already had the Butterfly, but had yet to do anything with it.

Let’s talk about the other characters for a little bit. AKA, the classmates. I don’t have specific ideas for all of them yet, but the basic idea is that they’re various contacts in the business. Some are people with special skills, others are contacts to sell things, and a few people who can gather info or give them access to their targets. All of them would have their own codenames too, each corresponding to their in-show Hero Persona. But most of those haven’t been revealed yet so you know. Not sure how their Akuma forms would work at all.

Sabrina – A friend of Chloé’s. Information gatherer. She’s good at remaining invisible, so to speak. People don’t notice her, allowing her to hear secrets. Exclusive to Chat’s team, doesn’t know their identities(she thinks the info she gives to Chloé is for her dad’s political career)

Alix – Museum contact. Good at figuring out value and origins of the various treasures they steal. Not to mention that she knows how to break into various other museums. Also a great getaway driver. Works for both teams, no clue about identities.

Nathaniel – Art world contact. Oh, you have a valuable painting? Hm. Looks like its worth a few million. Let me find you someone who could buy that. Works for both teams, no clue about identities.

Max – While he can rival Carapace’s hacking skills, his specialty is in robotics, flying drones and stuff. Works for both teams, no clue about identities.

Kim – trap and weapon expert. While our thieves do rely more on Magic, they do sometimes need more mundane tools. None of them kill, only subdue. Works for both teams, no clue about identities.

Members of Kitty Section – The band itself is a way for Marinette and Alya to have access, as they’re invited to places as either guests or entertainment, and can bring along a friend or two. Exclusive to Ladybug’s team, suspect Marinette and Alya are the thieves, but decide it’s better not to know in case one of them gets caught.

Some of them do have special skills on their own, but I can’t think of them right now.

I’m going to go ahead and say that Luka is Marinette’s ex. They broke up on good terms with little heartbreak and are still very close friends, but they’re no longer together. (Luka does give Adrien the ‘you hurt her and I’ll fight you’ talk. I mean so does everyone but you know.)

Kagami – Along with fencing she does a different kind of fencing if you know what I mean. Originally exclusive to Chat’s team, but does end up working for both. She might know identities, but idk.

I want to say she used to date either Adrien or Chloé, but whichever one it was they’ve since broken up(on good terms)

Back to Story:

More on the Lovesquare:

Adrienette – very cute, as usual. Everyone thinks they’re a couple. Literally the only thing keeping them from getting together is ‘if we hook up I have to tell you about my secret identity and you might hate me/arrest me’.

Ladynoir – oh. If you thought their flirt banter was bad as partners, imagine the Rival Flirt Banter. During the whole mission the rest of the team are always like ‘uh… would you two like to take a time out while we handle this?’.

Ladrien – This doesn’t get much interaction, because Ladybug doesn’t want Adrien to catch her. I mean, she trusts him enough to know that even if he does catch her, he cares enough about ‘Marinette’ that he probably would let her go. But she thinks he might hate her for it. When they do meet, she’s more reserved than usual, which always throws Adrien off.

Marichat – oh boy. While there is still the fear in the ‘she might hate me if she finds out it’s me’, and they don’t interact much, Chat’s mindset is more ‘if anyone is to catch me, it will be you. And if you manage it, you deserve to know.’. So he can’t help but flirt with Marinette. And since she has no fear of Chat finding out who she is, she flirts back.

I haven’t addressed the fashion!

So, Gabriel’s day job is still fashion designer. That was his original dream anyway, before becoming Paon. While he does take it seriously, like the rest of the thieves he uses it to gather information on targets. Especially because no one thinks of a fashion designer as a threat.

Marinette is in a similar boat. She wants to be a designer, and was heading there before becoming Ladybug. She hasn’t exactly ‘quit’, as she still designs and makes outfits in what spare time she has, but her other jobs take up most of her time.

Mari actually didn’t make the connection between Adrien and Gabriel until Adrien is like ‘hey my dad wanted to ask why you stopped designing?’. Like, she knew Gabriel had a son her age and obvs she knew Adrien’s last name, but why would the son of a famous fashion designer be a detective?

After she does make the connection, she starts to stammer something about how she doesn’t want Adrien to ask his dad about this, because she doesn’t want to use their friendship to further her career even if it’s a career she hasn’t furthered in a while.

Adrien’s like ‘Oh no. I just mentioned your name and he remembered you from a while back. You won a few of his contests and designed for a couple celebrities. He thought you had a lot of talent but then you disappeared and he was wondering what happened.’.

She explains that while she still likes it and would love to be a designer, various things get in the way. Adrien says that if she ever wants to try again she has an invite from his dad. Mari kinda dies.

Of course, all of this leads up to the eventual story line where they do end up teaming up to go after a specific target. Why would they team up now even though they’ve been targeting the same people for months? Well, because they have not just a mutual target, but a mutual enemy.

Adrien comes into work one day to find Marinette studying images from a recent heist.

From the images, it looks like Rena Rouge has gone off the rails. Not only pulling a heist without Ladybug, but pulling a heist on an innocent target.

Adrien finds it odd, wonders what happened, but the way Marinette practically growls at him when he suggests that Ladybug and Rena had a fight makes him think otherwise.

Mari can’t tell him, of course, but Rena has a solid alibi. In fact, Adrien is part of that Alibi since the five of them had been hanging out that night.

Hm… a Fake Fox… You know where I’m going with this.

Next heist, Rena can’t keep herself from addressing the press when they showed up. ‘Hey, heard there’s someone out there impersonating me! Not cool man!’.

A few days later, there’s confirmation of a different Fox-themed Thief. ‘Volpina’.

She plays off the whole ‘Rena Rouge’ thing, claiming that she’s the real Fox, and Rena is just copying her.

Then she takes it a step further, claiming to be Paon’s successor, after he dropped his last ‘Assistant’, Mariposa for being so inadequate.

Both teams are fucking pissed.

Ladybug and Chat both try and call Carapace at the same time, asking him to get them in contact with the other. He’s just connects them now.

Both are immediately like ‘I need you to help kick Volpina’s ass!’.

They’re a little surprised. While Chat knew that Ladybug was upset about Volpina’s Fox theme, he didn’t expect her to ask him for help.

Ladybug, in turn, asks him why he wants her help with this.

He claims that it’s about honor. Volpina’s claim of being Paon’s successor is insulting enough, but she went on suggesting that Paon would be okay with her methods and choice of targets. And bringing Mariposa into the mix is despicable.

Everyone notices that it seems personal, but he doesn’t go into it.

They all agree to meet at Carapace’s base.

After our five Thieves get together and start working out the details of how this will go, someone else shows up. A man, about twice their age, in a purple suit and mask.

Chat and Honeybee are surprised, but grinning.

Ladybug and Rena are on the defensive.

Carapace asks how the hell he got in there without setting off the alarms. The man replies with ‘I’m a Phantom Thief. It’s what I do.’.

When asked on his name, he tells them that while he used to go by ‘Paon’, it doesn’t quite fit his new outfit. Hawkmoth sounds much better, doesn’t it?

Honeybee mutters something about him being dramatic.

Cue Ladybug, Rena, and Carapace freaking the hell out over Paon. Like trying not to fangirl.

After that, identities start to fall apart.

It starts when Chat refers to Hawkmoth as ‘Father’. When they’re like ‘wait, what?’, he just gives his best cat grin and says ‘told you Volpina wasn’t Paon’s sucessor’. They also take a moment to clarify Volpina’s words about Mariposa, saying she wasn’t an ‘assistant’, but Paon’s partner and wife of several years.

I actually think it’d be hilarious if Gabriel figures out the identities first. It happens when Ladybug is taking a break, having gotten frustrated. She decided to start sketching something out, and he recognizes the style as Marinette’s. Of course he makes the connection to the other two friends being the other two thieves.

Gabriel doesn’t tell any of the team. He goes home to Emilie, tells her, and she’s just laughing at how ridiculous and convoluted it is.

The biggest reveal, of course, is between Chat and Ladybug.

While they’re planning this out, trying to pin down Volpina so they can target her like usual, they realize that this feels a lot like working with their detective partner. Each can barely keep from saying their partner’s name instead of their ‘rival’s’ name.

Chat gets an idea. A very bad and dumb idea.

When Ladybug leaves for a break and goes back home as Marinette, she finds Chat waiting for her.

He offers her a deal. She helps him take down Volpina, and she’ll get him. He admits it’s a gamble, but he has a feeling she won’t actually arrest him. The only part of it is that she’s not allowed to go after the rest of his ‘team’.

Mari is amused, and knows there’s probably a trick to let him not get caught at the last second, but she agrees to the deal. She does manage to text Rena and tell her not to react to what’s happening.

Chat leads her back to the base. Hawkmoth is amused at Chat’s decision because of who it is. Honeybee is pissed because ‘damn it she’s trying to arrest you don’t bring her here!’. Carapace almost gives himself away because he nearly forgets that he doesn’t know ‘Marinette’.

At first, they set up as a ‘Marinette will help us’ thing. But, honestly, it’s Hawkmoth telling her to do away with the trick. Because it’d be easier if she just helps instead of pretending to be two people.

Marinette and Rena are a bit shocked he figured her out so quick, but agree.

Marinette admits to being Ladybug. Everyone realizes that means Rena is Alya.

Chat just decides ��well, since we’re telling secrets here...’, and reveals his own identity to them. Obvs they connect Chloé to Honeybee and Hawkmoth/Paon to Gabriel(along with Emilie being Mariposa)

Mari has a minor freakout over how her two idols in both professions are the same person.

Carapace just starts ranting with a ‘this is complete bullshit I can’t believe you idiots’ and detransforms into Nino half-way through

They find out the Kwami knew the whole time and there’s several shouts of ‘you little fucker!!’.

Mari and Adrien kinda have a talk on their own

Mostly just the ‘hey, now that I know you won’t arrest me...’.

Legit though, they had fallen in love twice and now it’s kind of a thing. They do agree that they should probably put off the part where they get all snuggly and all until after this job.

You do get some flirting like Adrien saying ‘Well, even if you won’t arrest me, you can still put me in cuffs.’. (Chloé overhears that and passive-agressively kinkshames him)

At some point, they discover that the Ladybug Miraculous might be able to fix other Miraculous, and the Balancing Ability of it and the Black Cat might be able to fix Emilie’s unstable Magic.

Oh yeah. Paon and Mariposa are back in action!

Jokes aside, they decide to make ‘taking down Volpina’ be their last heist, officially and publicly calling Chat and team their ‘Successors’.

Back to them tracking down Volpina

They find out that most of their other contacts have been in contact with her (You know, to parallel Lila manipulating the class).

At first they were a bit enraptured with the idea of ‘Paon’s successor’ and liked working with her, despite their hesitation with her methods.

But since Ladybug and Chat have the real Paon, along with the real Mariposa, they can prove that Volpina has no clue what she’s talking about.

The actual heist is a beautiful amount of fuckery.

The main team of seven doing their own various parts, disabling trap after trap and stealing anything not nailed down.

They call in literally everyone just to make this seem as easy and ‘fuck you’ as possible.

And it actually does go really smoothly. Perhaps overkill, but they wanted to make sure.

All of the attention this gets is WILD

I mean, I mentioned people being fans of the thieves. And can you imagine how much all this is for them?

Ladybug and Chat’s team up being official, along with a definite ‘She pulls him into a kiss in celebration’ thing.

The return of Paon and Mariposa, along with it being their Finale

Them calling the whole team their successors, though dropping the drama bomb of Chat being their legit kid.

The fact that they returned just to spite some new thief who insulted them on such a personal level.

Also, Volpina herself had gotten a lot of fame quickly, so her downfall is very big.

After that, Paon and Mariposa officially retire, Ladybug and Chat officially team up permanently, Marinette and Adrien get together, and they all have happily ever after and stuff.

#Miraculous Ladybug #Phantom Thief AU #look I found an old post and went nuts and a little self-indulgent #let me have this

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waltzofthewifi · 4 years

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Kota Chapter 8: Mayhem

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"I'm just saying," Alix continued. "A time traveler would be great addition to the story!"

Nathaniel shook his head. "No one has a clear shot of Bunnyx. It would be hard to draw them accurately."

"Then use your imagination," Alix countered. "Creative license, right?"

Nathaniel turned to Marc for support, but he just shrugged.

"It's up to you," Marc said. He checked the time on his phone. "I've got to get to class. See you later."

"See you," Alix replied.

Lacy, Alix, and Nathaniel walked into their class, which was about half full. Marinette and Nino were sitting in their seats, whispering something between them. Chloe and Sabrina were ogling over something on Chloe's phone, and Ivan was in the back talking to Rose and Juleka.

Nathaniel headed to his seat in the back and Lacy and Alix took their seat behind Chloe. Both girls tried to peak at what she was watching on her phone, but Chloe moved her body so they couldn't see.

"Are you feeling better?" Marinette asked, pulling Lacy away from her nosiness.

"Yeah, I just needed to calm down," Lacy replied, giving Marinette a bright smile. "How about you?"

"I'm doing a little better," Marinette said. "Kagami still stayed the night, so that was fun."

She returned back to her seat, and continued talking to Nino.

Adrien walked in, talking to Mylene about something. He waved hi to Nino, but after a moments hesitation, sat down next to Marinette.

Marinette yelped in surprise and stuttered out a greeting.

Lacy gave Alix a conspiratorial grin, and Alix rolled her eyes, but by the quirk in the corner of her lips, she was happy with Adrien's decision too.

Ivan and Mylene took their seats, and after greeting each other, Ivan started talking with Adrien and Marinette. Nino tuned out of the conversation and put his headphones on.

Chloe muttered something under her breath.

"What do you think that's all about?" Lacy asked Alix.

Alix shrugged. "Maybe he finally got over his obliviousness."

"Who, Adrien?" Chloe asked. "He's just being kind. Everyone knows Dupain-Cheng and her friend got into a fight last night. Adrien must realize Marinette doesn't want to sit next to Cesaire."

Alix and Lacy exchanged dubious looks.

"That sounds way too... socially aware for Adrien," Lacy said.

Chloe hesitated. "Okay, yeah, fine. Maybe he's not that clued in. But he's just being nice - there's nothing between the two."

Lacy glanced over at the couple in question, and yeah, Adrien was definitely giving Marinette puppy dog eyes.

Kim and Max arrived, talking animatedly with each other. They sat down behind the girls.

"Okay, so I need your opinion about something," Kim said. "Would Squirrel Girl be able to defeat Thanos?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and turned back to her phone.

"Uh, who?" Lacy asked.

"Thanos," Kim repeated. "You know, the titan who-"

"I know who Thanos is," Lacy interrupted. "But who's Squirrel Girl?"

Kim opened his mouth to answer, but the class fell dead silent.

Lacy turned to see Alya and Lila had walked in.

Alya and Marinette stared at each other for a moment.

Alya broke the silence first. "Hey girl. Sorry about last night."

"You have nothing to apologize for-" Lila started.

Alya held up her hand, silencing Lila. "I was thinking about last night and while I still think you were being unfair to Lila-"

"Unfair?" Marinette echoed.

"It was your room and you have every right to keep others out." Alya sighed. "I'm sorry girl."

Marinette hesitated. "I appreciate it, Alya. I wish you could see that I'm not being unfair to Lila, but I guess we can just agree to disagree."

"I guess."

There was still tension in the air, but when Alya sat down next to Nino, she turned to give Marinette a smile. Marinette smiled back before returning to her conversation.

"That was tense," Lacy commented.

"This is why I don't do drama," Alix replied. "And yes, Squirrel Girl could totally beat Thanos."

Alya was trying, Marinette could tell.

Her apology earlier was genuine, and by lunch, Marinette was inclined to forgive her.

She never had a chance to talk with her, though, because an akuma attacked just as they were leaving for lunch.

Marinette excused herself to the bathroom, but she casted a forlorn look to the cafeteria.

"Couldn't the akuma wait until after I ate?" She said wistfully.

"Don't worry!" Tikki chimed in. "You have a full hour to eat! I'm sure the akuma attack won't last that long!"

"You're right," Marinette agreed.

She slipped into the bathroom, checking over her shoulder for anyone following her. She caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye.

Marinette frowned, a flutter of suspicion in her stomach.

Instead of transforming right away, Marinette took her time using the bathroom and washing her hands. The uneasy feeling hadn't gone away, and as two more students entered the bathroom, Marinette resigned herself to finding another hiding spot.

She exited the bathroom, catching once again a glimmer of movement, like someone stalking her.

Great. Only Lila or Chloe stalked her, and those were the last two people Marinette needed seeing her transform. She debated ignoring the stalker, and finding a more secure place to transform.

No. Better face this problem head on.

"You're not as good of a stalker as you think," Marinette called. She waited a beat, and then another.

"Okay, fine, you got me." Lila walked out, hands in the air and a grin on her face. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Is there a reason you're following me or are you just be annoying?" Marinette asked.

"Just seeing where you're about to run off to," Lila replied. "Alya gets so worried when you disappear, you know? A good friend would let her friends know where she was heading, after all."

Marinette scowled. "And a good stalker doesn't get caught."

Lila scowled. "Not like it matters. No one will believe you."

"Whatever you're planning, Alya will never believe," Marinette argued.

"How can you say that, after all she's fallen for already?" Lila taunted. "She trusts me, Marinette, more than she does you, anyway."

Marinette growled.

Lila flipped her hair and left.

"Well that was inconvenient," Marinette finally said. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to brush off the encounter.

"If you text Alya, you'll be able to warn her about you disappearing," Tikki suggested. "And she does trust you, Marinette."

"Good idea," Marinette agreed. She quickly texted Alya an excuse - she had a commission she just remembered, and had to rush home to use her lunch hour to work on it - before double checking the room for any more lurkers.

"Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug landed on the rooftop, watching as Lila, Nino, and Alya sat down to enjoy their lunch outside. She lingered a moment on the roof, watching them talk. Chat Noir had already messaged her, saying they needed back up, and Rena Rouge had been her immediate thought. But as Alya and Lila talked, Ladybug began to doubt her decision.

When Alya has apologized earlier, she had done it even against what Lila was saying. Alya wasn't completely caught up in Lila's lies, no matter what Lila said. In fact, that's probably what made Lila follow Marinette - the apology had made Lila nervous.

But Lila was so openly antagonistic to Ladybug, going anywhere near her - especially with the fox miraculous - was a risk.

Ladybug would have to find other allies.

She was disappointed to see Kim and Max had left for their lunch period - she had no idea where they were. She did know where Luka was - and Kagami, even if that was a risk.

But Kagami was a friend, someone Ladybug trusted, and also someone Ladybug could find.

Ladybug landed a little ways from Fu's apartment before detransforming.

She knocked on his door, and he immediately let her in.

"Chat Noir said this villain has ability to create mayhem and illusions," Marinette said, sitting down opposite of the Fu. "He believes we'll need back up."

Fu opened the box, giving his using spiel about trustworthy allies. Marinette grabbed the snake Miraculous and reached for the dragon.

"I thought you said Ryuko's identity was compromised?" Fu questioned.

"It is, but I don't have time to find anyone else," Marinette explained. She grabbed the second miraculous. "Besides, I trust Kagami."

Thankfully, Luka and Kagami were where they were supposed to be, and it wasn't long before the three of them were heading towards the fight.

They landed on a rooftop next to the battle, and Chat Noir joined them a second later.

"Viperion, Ryuko," he greeted. "It's great to see you again."

"Likewise," Viperion said.

Ryuko didn't bother with a greeting, focusing in on the villain instead.

Ladybug turned her attention to the villain has well. He was dressed in horribly garish colors, with a large orange top hat and a pink cane. He pointed his cane at various objects, either causing cars to explode violently, or causing cartoonish illusions to pop up around the street.

"What do we know?" Ladybug asked.

"He calls himself Mayhem," Chat Noir reported. "Like I said, he can create small illusions - nothing compared to our Rena Rouge, of course - and can magically cause things to explode into colorful powder. And he has a thing with firecrackers, too."

"Any weaknesses?" Ladybug asked.

"None that I know," Chat Noir answered. "And I don't have any idea where the akuma is. The canes look like they're disposable. He threw one at me and created another out of thin air."

Ladybug squinted at Mayhem. The bright, nonsensical patterns on the clothes made it hard to tell where one piece ended and another started - any kind of trinket would be impossible to spot.

"The hat would be the obvious choice," Ryuko said.

"The hat seems too obvious," Ladybug answered. "But it's the only thing I can make out."

"What's the plan?" Chat Noir asked.

Ladybug frowned in thought, the inklings of a plan already forming.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do-"

Chloe huffed. "I can't believe that Ladybug isn't letting me help her with this latest akuma."

Nearly everyone was back in the classroom, except for Marinette, Adrien, and Miss Bustier. Without adult supervision to keep them on track, they were all talking animatedly about the current akuma.

Lacy scowled. "Why? Why would you want to go anywhere near that fashion disaster?"

Lacy's eyes were closed, but she could still feel Alix's confused and slightly judgmental look.

"It hurts my eyes," Lacy protested. "It's like Hawkmoth loses a little more fashion sense every time he akumatizes someone."

"Loses?" Chloe scoffed. "Did you see the Bubbler?"

"Who?" Lacy questioned, finally lifting her head up from her hands.

"Lahiffe," Chloe commented, which would have been more helpful if she remembered the last names of her classmates better.

"Nino," Alix translated. "He was akumatized because he thought Adrien's dad was being unfair to him-"

"Which he was," Chloe confirmed.

"Which he was," Alix agreed. "But yeah, his outfit was ugly."

Lacy debated asking for pictures, but after Mayhem, decided against it.

"Alright everyone," Miss Bustier said as she walked in the room. "I know we're all excited about the new akuma, but it's a safe distance away, so let's focus on our schoolwork."

Alya raised her hand. "Marinette and Adrien aren't back from lunch yet."

"Yes, well Adrien went home from lunch so we can assume he's waiting until it's safer," Miss Bustier said. "Same with Marinette."

"I hope she's okay," Lila commented. "I heard she was going that direction, something about an event this afternoon-"

"Don't worry girl," Alya replied. "She's just home working on a last minute commission. I'll text her, remind her that lunch is over and to keep safe from the akuma."

"Good idea," Miss Bustier said. "Nino, will you text Adrien?"

"Sure, Miss Bustier."

"Alright, now on to our lesson for today-"

"The akuma has been defeated," Alya reported. "Ryuko apparently-"

"Alya," Miss Bustier scolded.

"Sorry."

Alix pulled out her phone, shifting so that Lacy could see as well. She pulled up a video of the fight, and they watched the replay of the fight show Ryuko doing an insane stunt to help trap the akuma.

"She's super cool," Alix whispered to Lacy.

Lacy nodded eagerly in agreement.

Miss Bustier sighed loudly, alerting the two girls that they were caught.

"Perhaps it would be beneficial if we discussed the akuma quickly, so we could focus better?" Bustier suggested.

"I think that's a great idea!" Alya agreed. "Did you all see that stunt Ryuko pulled?"

"Yes!" Alix agreed. "I wish I could do something like that!"

"What stunt?" Kim asked. Alix showed him the video, and Kim's eyes widened in amazement.

"She's so cool!" Kim said.

"She must have athletic training," Max added.

"Even with a Miraculous, that had to be hard," Chloe admitted. "As the only one in the room who's used an miraculous, I would know."

"Did she just compliment someone?" Alix whispered to Lacy.

"Even Chloe can't insult a move like that," Lacy replied.

"She's a gymnast," Lila contributed. "Ladybug told me herself."

"That looks more like swordfighting technique," Lacy commented.

"Yeah it looks like some of the training Adrien does," Nino added. "Except ramped to like, a thousand. That's one cool dude!"

"Well, she picked up fencing when Ladybug gave her her miraculous," Lila continued.

Alix replayed the video on her phone again.

"That's just so cool," Lacy commented. "I wish I could do something like that."

"Me too!" Alix added.

"You know, I was the one who suggested using Ryuko to Ladybug," Lila lied.

"Really?" Alya perked up. "What about the other heroes, like Rena Rouge?"

"Babe..." Nino said.

"Oh, no, Ladybug choose most of the others on her own," Lila said. "But when she needed help with Ikari Gozen, she had run out of ideas, because she already trusted everyone else she knew with miraculous - except for me, but I couldn't at the time, because of a bad knee injury. And Ladybug liked her so much, she let Ryuko keep the miraculous right then!"

"Wait, Ryuko permanently has her miraculous?" Alya inquired.

"She's a good choice," Alix admitted. "I mean, look at her."

"Ladybug says she's the best hero she's worked with, besides Chat Noir," Lila added.

"Ugh, I bet Adrien's a big Ryuko fan now," Chloe muttered.

"I think everyone is," Lacy replied.

Chloe pouted. "No, you don't get it. He goes crazy over tough girls like that - when Ladybug first premiered, he wouldn't shut up about her!"

"Neither would you," Alix pointed out. "Or Alya."

"Still," Chloe complained.

"Don't worry Chloe!" Sabrina piped up. "Adrien's still a big Queen Bee fan!"

Adrien, with his great sense of timing, chose then to burst into class, shutting Chloe up.

"Sorry I'm late," Adrien muttered.

"I understand," Miss Bustier said. "Your father is strict about akumas, isn't he?"

Adrien sighed in relief. "Yeah, he is."

"Hey, Adrien, what do you think about that stunt Ryuko pulled?" Alix called.

Adrien smiled. "I thought it was really cool! She must be a serious athlete outside of the suit!"

It wasn't his Marinette eyes, but Lacy could tell he did have a thing for Ryuko. Chloe knows him well.

Chloe huffed in annoyance, turning back to her school work.

Marinette arrived a few minutes later, blustering about getting caught up in a project and not seeing Alya's text.

"Alright, can we begin our lesson now?”

Marinette decided to drop by Alya's place. At the last second, she decided it was better for Ladybug to drop by.

Ladybug tapped on Alya's window, and Alya let her in.

"Is it true?" Alya asked. "That you let Ryuko keep her miraculous?"

"What?" Ladybug asked. "Who told you - never mind, I think I know who - but why would you believe that? Ryuko was benched until today, and only because you were occupied."

Alya looked taken aback. "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry - you can always interrupt what I'm doing, Ladybug." She sat down on her desk chair, and Ladybug sat down on the edge of her bed.

"It's not that." Ladybug sighed. She did not want to get into this with Alya right now. "It's the people you - just, I need you to be better."

"Be better? How?" Alya leaned forward in her chair.

Ladybug hesitated. "For one, you need to be more careful with what you post on the Ladyblog."

"Careful with what?"

"For one, check your sources."

Alya frowned. "But I do! To the best I can, at least - after all, there's so little we know about the miraculous and you and it's not like there's much I can double check. Thankfully, Lila-"

"Then don't post what you can't prove," Ladybug said.

"Is this about the whole guardian order thing?" Alya questioned. "I didn't know how to tell you otherwise-"

"No, I appreciate the thought, though I do wish you wouldn't post theories like that where Hawkmoth could find them. You probably know more than he does-"

"Than what's this about?" Alya asked, her voice starting to sound irritated.

"Your interviews, Alya," Ladybug snapped. "They're not all true."

"Well, how am I supposed to know?" Alya questioned. "I can't do a lie-detector test on all my sources. Everything right now is by word of mouth - you're the only one who can really say what happens at akuma attacks! If something's false, just tell me!"

"I can't!" Ladybug said. "I need you to be able to-"

"To what? Magically be able to read minds?"

"You're getting a little defensive right now-"

"You're attacking me for things that are beyond my control!" Alya took a shaky breath. "I want to help you Ladybug, but it feels like you're expecting things from me that I can't do!"

"I'm expecting thing from you because I trust you!" Ladybug said. "But you need to prove that I made the right choice."

"I thought I did." Alya's voice was a small whisper.

"Listen, I'm explaining things badly," Ladybug said. "I don't think this is going to work out."

"What isn't going to work out?" Alya asked. "You're not taking me off the team, are you?"

"No," Ladybug said. "But you're on probation."

"For what?"

"I'll explain when you're ready," Ladybug decided.

"And now you're talking to me like a child!"

Ladybug winced. That was how her statement came out.

"Listen, I've had a long day. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Fine."

Ladybug didn't look back as she swung away.

Alya sunk into her chair, barely breathing. Probation?

And for what?

Ladybug hadn't been saying anything clearly - except that about the blog, but what was Alya supposed to do? She did try to check her sources, but that was near impossible sometimes.

Whatever happened, Ladybug was mad at her, possibly considering taking her off the team.

She didn't hear her mom call out to her.

Alya choked out a sob.

She didn't see the butterfly.

"Lady WiFi," Hawkmoth's voice echoed in her head. "Your idol expects more of you than you can give. But with my powers, I can give the ability to see the truth behind any article - and your blog will be the best in Paris, and all will trust you again. All I need is-"

"No."

It was more of a sob than a word, but Alya forced it out.

"No, Hawkmoth. I refuse. Either I show her I'm worthy of her trust, or I don't, but that's on me. I won't do this again."

As quickly as it happened, it went away. Like a rush of energy falling away.

Alya pulled her knees up to her chest and sobbed.

Someone knocked on her door. "Alya?"

"Nino?" Alya asked. She glanced over her shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking in with you."

Nino moved into her room, sitting down on her bed.

A second later, Alya found herself crying into his shoulder.

#kota #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #miraculous ladybug #Percy Jackson fanfiction #pjo #hoo #kane chronicals #my writing #fanfiction

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nocleansocks · 4 years

Note

Jacquard: 14, 49. Sticks: 8. Florian: 91. Cutlas: 81. Echo: 19. Fouro: 62. Glancer: 98. =)

TRANSFORMERS. ROBOTS IN DISGUISE.

14. Has [Jaquard] character ever been in love?

HOO BOY This question hit me in some sorta way I’m not sure why. I think Jaquard is absolutely a pining romantic. I mean, he basically looks like the incognito mode icon, so. I think he’s the kind of pining romantic that can slip into Jane Austin mode at the flick of a switch. He hasn’t just dwelled on the concept of love in the regards of loving another but also in the sense of love itself. Love for the past: he’s romanticized the life he wasn’t apart of, Asteriniolians’ life, perhaps even Asteriniolian himself. But is that a familial love, or maybe a selfish love? Are they the same person? Different? With that being said though, he’s also dwelt on the concept of love as appreciation, for the present, for family, general thanks. Love for what you do: he has a lot of love for the arcane, for history, for hobbies and function. And of course, love for intimacy. There’s definitely an overwhelming love towards Fouro, something that’s wavered from friendship to interest to respect to family back to confusion. Something unspoken and, again, in his Jane Austin submerged mind, something that’s maybe even more beautiful unexplored.

49. What colors are associated with [Jaquard]?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWAGLkyxQG0

8. What location encountered in the campaign has [Sticks] felt the most “at home” in, or just generally liked the most?

I think Sticks specifically has taken very well to Colkirk. As one of the younger ones, a lot of their formative years were with everyone else in hiding and running, and now they have this big new city to explore full of new people and new opportunities, yet it still has all the familiarity of the city to the east. In all honesty, they’ve been at home each and every time the warforged are all together. They were the most lost in the absence of Fouro. They loved the tower when he was there, because everyone was there! But now, in Colkirk, not only are all of the warforged there, but there’s so much else to explore, too.

91. What is [Florian]’s guiltiest pleasure?

Eating dirt Florian absolutely enjoyed the fighting. The pits in Stormhelm were corrupt and dangerous and the conditions he was fighting under (staking his life to try and free his family) were deplorable, but somewhere inside, the moments between the start of the fight and the end of the fight where the only thing you could focus on was yourself and the person in front of you... he enjoyed that escape. He’s still a pacifist, he can never support violence for the sake of violence, but mutually agreed combat with established limits? Definitely something he never expected to get a rush out of.

81. What does [Cutlass]’s name represent to them? (Or: why as a player did you choose [Cutlass]’s name?)

Answering the second question first, I obviously chose names for all of the warforged inspired by their respective envoy tool. Jaquard - a fabric - for the weaver; Florian, a riff on florist, for the gardener; Os - Osmium - for the alchemist, etc etc. Cutlass was more-so a riff on Cut, focusing on his jeweler’s abilities, and then I settled on Cutlass because he was actually supposed to have Glancer’s personality, originally. Defensive, sharp... all the things that Cutlass himself ultimately turned out not to be. The first session the warforged were all introduced, when they were all in a big room together and we went through introductions like it was the start of a murder mystery detective game, so many of the warforged’s personality came out of nowhere. I had sat down beforehand to give myself a rough idea of how they all would act. I think I remember messaging my players that I was coming dangerously close to homestuck territory, making ten characters and assigning each a zodiac. I can’t remember what I had settled on for Cutlass, but regardless, he was definitely supposed to be more fiesty. Then he started talking in-game, however, and the lovable coward was born. So long story short, what does his name represent to HIM? Something he wishes he could be; a heroic adventurer, weapon in hand, saving the day. But little does he know he shines in just as good a way.

19. Where in the world does [Echo] most want to visit?

Echo isn’t much of a geographer and hasn’t extensively studied the world map, not even Laerakond’s really, but she has definitely heard tales a plenty from Seabor. If she were to make a trek somewhere new, she’d want it to be entirely new. Everywhere in Laerakond sounds too similar. No, if she were to travel to new lands, she’d want it to be an entirely new continent. She’s a bit too hipster for Faerun, though, that’s too popular. She hasn’t dwelt on the idea too much, but Osse sounds perfect for her: far to the southeast on Torillian maps, it’s almost on the other side of the globe from Laerakond. It has just enough mystery and distance to pique her interest.

62. What is [Fouro]’s greatest achievement?

Protecting his family. He’s created a ton of impressive tchotskies. He created a bauble that was able to double the size of a building, for goodness sakes! And if you had asked him this question years ago, yeah, he could’ve given you a list of the magic items that he’s proudest of. But now, his greatest achievement is the fact that nine other warforged are alive and thriving in a big city. Every time he’s able to bring them together in any way it’s a new greatest achievement for him.

98. What advice would [Glancer] give to a younger version of themselves?

It’s funny, cause “younger version” in this case almost even means “two-months-ago-self”. Glancer would give themselves a lecture on reciprocity. You get back what you give out. Whatever you put out in the universe is what will come right back to you. Shroud yourself in illusion? You’re gonna have a hard time with trust. Surround yourself with art, though, and your world is going to light up. Selfless acts actually are worth it, in the end.

#long post #ask meme #soc

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whitecatgraycatblackcat · 5 years

Text

Fictober 2019, Day 4

Prompt: “I know you didn’t ask for this”

Original Fiction

Rating: PG

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1557

“I know you didn’t ask for this.” I lean in even closer. “I’d be upset, too, if this had happened to me. But honestly, it can’t be helped. We all must do our part, both to help others and to find meaning for ourself. I don’t really like this any more than you do, I’m just better at hiding it.” I lean out, surveying my surroundings before focusing again on what’s in front of me. A large, beautifully carved oak table and chair set. I can still feel the emotion emanating from the wood -- mostly peace, but also some anger and betrayal, that I would separate it from its roots and life giving soil, to hack and sand and nail iron into it.

I’ve been able to hear wood and other plants speaking for as long as I can remember, but I think it affects the other woodworkers less than it does me. I’ve grown used to it, though, and found ways to cope. I like to talk to the wood as I work, explaining and trying to give meaning. I know it doesn’t really make a difference, but at least it makes me feel better. I run my hand along the table’s surface one more time, checking for any rough spots that I may have missed. I’ve been working on the set for more than a month, but I think it’s finally ready.

When I glance out the window I notice that it’s just starting to turn dark, and I give a sigh of relief that another day’s work is done and I can go home. I love woodworking, but it always leaves me feeling slightly empty and a little drained at the end of the day.

Once home, I start dinner. Yuki won’t be home for another hour or so, and it’s my turn to make dinner anyway. I settle into the rhythm of chopping and mincing and spend the time thinking about what my next woodworking project should be. By the time Yuki comes home, the soup has come to a nice simmer and I’m relaxing in our sitting room, reading. “How was work?”

“Oh, you know, the usual. A few colds to check, a few stitches. No broken bones, today, though!” She ruffles my hair as she walks by, going into the kitchen and giving an appreciative sniff. “Is this ready?” I close my book and make my way over to our table and chairs. “Yep, we’re ready to eat. Go ahead and bring it over and I’ll get drinks.” I get a few beers out of the fridge, and then help bring bowls and utensils over.

We enjoy our meal, as we normally do, chatting about our days and swapping stories of woodcarving accidents or the latest wound that Yuki had to attend to. I feel pleasantly fuzzy by the end of the meal and think, I’ll just have one more beer, to celebrate. After the meal we settle into a pleasant silence, each thinking our own thoughts as we nurse a beer. I’m thinking about the table and chairs, and how I’ll miss getting to work on them. “That oak was one of the most peaceful I’ve seen in a while. Usually oak stays angry for a long time.” I voice what I’m thinking without realizing it, and then, too late, realize what I’ve done. Oops. Maybe I shouldn’t have had that last beer. I glance over at Yuki. She used to really nag me when I was younger whenever I mentioned stuff like this, so I’ve made a habit of not talking about it around her.

This time, though, she just gives a sigh. “Aren’t you a little old to still be saying things like that, Eiko? I thought you would grow out of it.”

“What do you mean, grow out of it? You’re acting like I’m just making all of this up. Look, I can’t define it very well, but I certainly feel something from the wood I work with, and plants, too. I wouldn’t expect you to understand, not like the other woodworkers.”

She looks at me a little closer. “The other woodworkers? Do you think all of them feel the same as you?”

“Yeah, I know they do. They don’t talk about it too much, but sometimes they’ll talk about how the wood speaks to them.”

“That’s just a saying, though, Eiko, they don’t really--” Yuki gives a small exclamation and sits up a little straighter. “Oh. Oh!”

“What?” I grumble, expecting her to continue to lay into me about growing up.

Instead, she gets up and walks over to me, standing over me and looking at me intently. “I’ve never heard another woodworker talk about wood the same way you do, and you know I’ve spent plenty of time over at Hiroki’s house, hanging out with him and his family, who are all woodworkers.”

Now it’s my turn to be surprised. “Oh. So? Maybe they just didn’t want to talk about it with you?”

I see a strange glimmer in Yuki’s eye as she says, “Maybe. Let’s go outside, I think I have an idea.” She leads me outside, to our small garden at the back of the house. “Haven’t you ever wondered about your connection to plants?”

“Sure, of course I have, but I always assumed all the wood workers felt the same as me, so I never really thought about it.”

At this point she gives a sheepish grin. “Well, I have an idea. I never put two and two together, because you haven’t brought this up in ages and I had put it out of mind, but we had a new patient come in to the clinic last week. She was from out of town, actually from out of country. She had deep, ugly cuts across her arms and legs, and when I asked her about them she just shrugged and mentioned that she had tried to prune back some thorns and had grown them instead. She had quite the accent, so I just assumed I heard her wrong and treated the cuts as best as I could. Now I wonder if she was saying exactly what she meant.” She gives me a look again, an odd look that I can’t totally place, and points at one of the small pepper plants that had just started to sprout. “Why don’t you try to encourage that to grow a little?”

“What?”

“Just try to feel your connection to it, and then speak encouragingly to it, of warm sunlight and moist soil and what it will be.”

“What?” One second she’s mocking me, the next she’s telling me I have magic powers? No way.

Exasperated, she comes over and swats me on the arm. “Just give it a try, won’t you? It certainly won’t hurt anything, and I promise I won’t laugh, no matter what you do.”

“Alright,” I begrudgingly respond, “I’ll at least try.” I sit down and stay still for a moment as I wait for the sensation that’s become so familiar to me. I can feel all of the plants in front of me, each experiencing the world a little differently and giving off slightly different emotions. I peek an eye open to confirm which one is the pepper plant, and then, feeling a little silly, try to send it encouraging thoughts. Images of bright sunlight and warm winds, steady rain that soaks gently into the soil. I think about all the plants I’ve seen grow, how they all followed the same cycle of growth and then death, and I think about what the pepper plant will look like when it’s full-grown, with a leafy stalk and peppers hanging from it. And that’s when I hear my sister gasp. My eyes shoot open, and I see the pepper plant in front of me, a foot taller and well on its way to producing peppers.

“What?” I say for the third, and probably not final, time this evening.

Yuki goes up and touches it, checking that it’s really there and not just an illusion. “You did this, Eiko.” She turns around, a huge grin on her face. “You really did this.” She comes over and gives my hair an exceptionally messy ruffle, while I just stutter. “But, but, how can this be possible? I’m not the oldest and I’ve never heard of plant magic. Sure, you can work bone magic and Mayako can understand animals and Ichiro can speak to the wind, but plants?”

Yuki just gives a shrug. “I guess we were wrong about only eldest children being able to inherit understandings, and is it really so surprising that there’s plant magic?” Now it’s my turn to give a sheepish grin. “No, I guess not.”

And then it hits me, and everything falls into place. Why I always feel so tired after a day of woodworking, why I always feel so much better taking even a small walk in the woods. I guess a little self understanding can go a long way. I’m lost for a second, thinking. Yuki waves her hand in front of my face. “Hey, you alright? You aren’t going to pass out from the shock, right?” “No, no, I’m good. Great even.” I give her a grin as we head inside, sure that we’ll stay up late talking.

#fictober19 #original #4

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athena1138 · 5 years

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apprentice asks, 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 11, 16 I just wanna know everything about Morgana :D (Have I mentioned I love that name btw?)

aeuignefs is this a bad time to mention i’m thinking up another apprentice THANK YOU, MON CHERIE!~

1.) Who is she romancing? I alternate between Muriel and Lucio as the best fits for her. She’s very combative, which in Muriel’s case means she protects the fuck out of him, but in Lucio’s case means she doesn’t put up with any of his (actual) shit. She would threaten to turn him into a goat quite often. What attracts her to them? Muriel is so soft and gentle, she can’t help but want to be there for him. She was on the fence at first about him, but once the attackers in the alley showed up and he just gave in, she realized she would have to stand up for them and from then on it’s just this tiny, squishy woman defending this giant mountain of a man. For Lucio, she thinks he’s funny and cute. A prat and a dick, and when she finds out he’s the reason she died it’s gonna be Fucked Up (tm) but she thinks he’s sweet, deep down. Really it was the way the dogs reacted to him that told her to give him a chance.

2.) What would her route be like? Oh no don’t give me ideas I can’t afford another project aw fuck here we go.

So. I like the idea of her being a palace servant (partially your fault, Shep.) Except she would be a kitchen worker and general cleaner, nothing specific. The MC would meet her when she and Portia come to tell Nadia about a ghost she saw going through one of the portraits. She and Asra are good friends from his time in the palace, so when you mention him, she’s like “Oh! You’re ____?” From there, she’d help with the mystery.

She’s feisty a lot, so there’s more than a few altercations throughout her route. She’s also very vocal about the people she thinks are attractive, so when/if she meets Morga, Nahara, and Nazali, she’s just like, “Oh... Oh my... Why... Hello” and blushy. With you, she tries to be suave and shit, but she gets shy a lot. You’re encouraged to make the moves with her, but every now and then she’ll sneak in a heated moment.

Her Arcana is The Moon.

(((Meaning: The Moon is a card of illusion and deception, and therefore often suggests a time when something is not as it appears to be. Perhaps a misunderstanding on your part, or a truth you cannot admit to yourself. Upright card (keywords): Difficult period, Insecurity, Mental confusion, Deception, Hidden things, Fear Reversed card (keywords): Unhappiness, Release of fear, Insomnia, Unusual dreams, Mysteries unveiled)))

She figures everything out pretty quickly, that Julian is innocent, that Lucio is the cause of the plague and that he’s trying to come back, so a lot of her route would be focused on the courtiers because she knows they’re not natural, and she suspects they have a tie to what’s actually going on. During the masquerade, she’ll have fun with you, but after every room she’s like “ok NOW we have to get back to it! Oh look at that--.” When the Devil comes to make his deal, she’s vehemently against it, tries to put herself in between you and him and tells him to shove off. If you agree to his deal, she’s like “NO WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU, CAN’T YOU SEE THIS IS A TRAP?” Since she’s a fairly good magician, when you’re separated from your body, she magics herself to you to help you through the realms and back to your body and all that.

Her upright ending is y’all defeating the Devil and she and you are living happily in Vesuvia, you in your shop and her working with Nadia to restore the city. (One scene would be her coming home and being nervous, and when you ask her about it she blushes and says it’s stupid, and if you press she takes your hand and asks if you still love her after all this time, and if you tell her yes she’s over the moon and kisses you.)

Her reversed ending, you and her are separated in the new world (is that what happens in all of the reversed endings? I’ve only seen Julian’s. (Nadia’s is unlocked, though, so...soon.)) In her quest to find you, she ended up in the Moon’s realm, but it’s twisted, like an acid trip gone bad. She’s scrubbing an endless amount of pots and pants and sobbing because her hands are bleeding and she just wants to get to you, but she’s shackled to the sink. When you show up, she thinks you’re another illusion and cusses you out, throws a plate at you, and when you tell her it’s really you, she breaks down and struggles to reach you but the chain keeps pulling her back. You have to break the chain yourself to dispel the dream, and she’s just so emotional to have you back that she can’t manage to find words for a solid 4 panels. The last line would be you telling her, “Let’s go home” or “Let’s go find our friends.”

5.) What are some of your apprentice’s minor and major fears? What’s the best way to comfort them when afraid?

Literal/minor fears--she’s deathly afraid of spiders and wary of mirrors. Metaphorical/major fears, she’s terrified that everyone who claims to love her is only putting on a front, that it’s all some big game. A romance? That’s just inconceivable to her. She has to be frequently reassured that the people in her life want to be there. The best thing to do to calm her down, whether it’s because of a big spider or she’s crying because she thinks they don’t actually love her, is just to pull her into a big tight hug and run a hand through her hair.

6.) Does she enjoy dressing up? She doesn’t have many outfits, just 6 really, but she likes a little change every now and then. The Masquerade is really the first time she’s had a reason to Dress Up and she feels like a fucking princess. (With Muriel, she won’t force him into anything he doesn’t want, so the Masquerade is more just looking pretty than acting pretty, but it’s enough with how he looks at her. With Lucio? You best fuckin believe they’re cutting rugs across the entire floor, and she loves feeling like people are watching her.)

9.5 times out of 10, though, she’s just hanging out in a dress. It’s all she can do to brush her hair every morning, what with how much there is.

8.) What would she want as a birthday gift? It would be really hard to get her something she didn’t like, so really anything would be fine. The one thing she regularly asks for is fancy teas from Asra from his travels. Otherwise, she’ll be happy with just some books, maybe a shawl/scarf/cloak. It’s very easy to make her smile.

11.) How does your apprentice act when meeting new people? Are they outgoing, shy, awkward, aloof? Do they like being the center of attention?

A lot of it is reciprocation. She has an adaptable personality, so if the person she’s talking to is outgoing, she can match it. Naturally, she’s a little shy. If she can’t pick anything up from them, she’ll just kind of introduce herself and stand back to observe the interaction and try to study the person. And if it’s a pretty person? Ho boy, she’s too blushy to speak. (I.e., Nahara and Nazali. She wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Nahara thinks she’s a moron because she just keeps stammering around her.) But if the person she’s with is bold, she’ll feed off that boldness. So, being with Lucio, she’ll be glad to be the center of attention because he’ll be glad of it. Opposite for Muriel.

16.) Does your apprentice enjoy the luxury of the palace and Nadia’s gifts or do they find it overwhelming?

She’s conflicted. She’s never had much, so she definitely thinks it’s overly extravagant and a little ridiculous. But she likes making people happy, so if Nadia/Lucio get joy from giving her shit, so be it. She does frequently have to take trips into the city to get some fresh air and some fresh perspective of it all, though. She doesn’t want to forget who she is or where she comes from.

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sulevinblade · 5 years

Note

For DWC! Var/Dorian: messaline - soft lightweight silk with a satin weave

I feel like this is kind of the idea you mentioned to me when I asked about this, but also not. Anyway, G, post Trespasser Dorian and Varevas fluff! Enjoy! For @dadrunkwriting!

The division of labor when they return from the eluvian is managed wordlessly: Sera runs ahead, breathing panicked but not so fast she can’t run and holler to get help assembled, Cassandra carrying the Inquisitor, and Dorian close behind. He tried to pick Varevas up himself when he stumbled out of the mirror but Dorian’s own arms were shaking too badly to carry him. Instead he focuses on concentrating a barrier around the end of Varevas’ arm, keeping the wound as stable as possible to let the elfroot salve do its work. It’s going to take more than a little elfroot to deal with what’s happened but it’s all they had available. Now, back at Halamshiral, they have access to the finest medicine and healing the Chantry and Orlais have to offer, but the key ingredient, as every healer tells them, is simple time. Varevas is recovering from shock, he needs time to recover and no amount of magic can compensate for that.

From there, the division of labor changes but mostly because Dorian Pavus, soon-to-be-magister, refuses to leave Varevas’ bedside. There’s no rush–the Council can’t be concluded without the Inquisitor, so until he’s well enough to be present, it’s on hold–and Dorian would almost enjoy it if the circumstances were less horrifying. As it is, he does his best to treat the whole situation like an extended opportunity to be lazy and linger in bed with Varevas. If he doesn’t think about it too hard it’s easy to accept the illusion. The room is open and breezy, warm in the late afternoon, but time has no meaning when your sleep schedule is adjusted to match that of a recovering patient. For now, Varevas sleeps but Dorian is awake.

“She knows it’s impossible, of course, but Mae refuses to consider anything other than a summer wedding.” He’s sitting on the bed beside Varevas, his back resting against some pillows and one hand gently stroking his hair. His color looks better; the sleep is doing its work. “I think it’s just because she saw a set of robes and fell in love with them. White messaline with a lovely sheen, gold and green embroidery all along the sleeves. I tried to tell her, just because you’re Dalish doesn’t mean you want to be draped in greenery and flowers for a wedding but she thinks they’ll be perfect as well as just the right level of scandalous. If I were to marry you there, after all, the most appropriate thing would be for you to be in full Tevinter fashion with no indication of your own culture. If there’s no abject suppression of Elven culture, is it truly a Tevinter ceremony?”

His speech has turned to soft muttering, not wanting to wake Varevas up, but even as he finishes speaking he sees a weak smile appearing on his face. Dorian holds his breath as Varevas shifts, rolling until he can lean his head on Dorian’s thigh. “I hate to disappoint Mae before I’ve even met her–”

“Hush, amatus, save your strength–”

“But if a little bit of Dalish in the ceremony is what she’s after, then she ought to know that by Dalish standards we’re already married.” Varevas opens one eye, pale green like sunlight through a new leaf, and peeks up at Dorian. His voice is raspy with disuse but still amused. “That ought to be scandalous enough for all involved.”

Dorian’s heart skips a little at the idea but he won’t be fooled so easily. “You’re very funny, you know. She’ll like that even if I suspect it wouldn’t be long before I found the two of you plotting against me.” He leans down to kiss Varevas’ forehead–warm and dry, not clammy or feverish, a huge relief–and chuckles. “Yet another reason I must insist you refrain from joining me in Tevinter. I can’t afford to be outnumbered in my personal life as well as my political one. Besides, you are a terrible liar.”

“You wouldn’t want me to be a good liar. I just thought if you believed we were already married, it would take the pressure off.” Varevas nuzzles against Dorian’s thigh, clearly already starting to drift back off. It’s a shame, Dorian misses him desperately even with him right here, but he does need the rest.

“Take the pressure off, or adjust it in your favor?” If they were married, it would be easy for Varevas to justify following to Tevinter despite the fact that the country couldn’t possibly be less safe for him. Flushing out the last remnants of the Venatori would take months and they were far from the only danger.

“Saw right through, huh?” Both of Varevas’ eyes are closed again and Dorian stays silent until his breathing evens back out, regular and easy as he sleeps.

“I’ll bring you home soon enough, amatus. Then we’ll have a wedding like no one’s ever seen. I just need you to make it there, all right? So… make it.”

#dadwc #dwc #my writing #varevas lavellan #dorian pavus #pavellan #gremlinquisitor #suchanadorer #ahaha i set it up for ao3 before posting here #d'oh

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charminglatina · 5 years

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Ranking Riverdale Actors Based On Their Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Ratings (Part 1).

I’ve done previous posts regarding Biorhythm Compatibility Riverdale couples and pairs of Riverdale actors. I ranked them in order from the Riverdale couple that had the BEST overall compatibility based on their biorhythm compatibility test results to the WORST overall compatibility based on their biorhythm compatibility test results. In case you are wondering what Biorhythm Compatibility is, it’s a scientific test that discovers the true compatibility and chemistry between two people, usually a romantic couple (but can also be used for friends, family, co workers, pets, and enemies). The biorhythm compatibility between two people is based on two people’s full date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY). There’s a percentage rating system that determines how compatible a couple is. There are three different categories within a Primary Biorhythm Love Match Compatibility test. These include Physical Compatibility, Emotional Compatibility, and Intellectual Compatibility. First, there is Physical Compatibility which focuses on sexual compatibility, physical compatibility, sexual desire, lust, and the level of passion that exists between a romantic couple. Second, there is Emotional Compatibility which focuses on emotions, feelings, moods, sensitivity, romantic feelings, compassion, empathy, and general intensity of an emotional connection between a romantic couple. The Emotional Compatibility category is arguably the most critical and important component in regards to romantic compatibility between two people in this test next to the Spiritual Compatibility rating (which is the primary purpose of this post and I will explain this later on). Finally, there is Intellectual Compatibility which focuses on mental and verbal communication between a romantic couple, intellectual and mental stimulation, analytical thinking, logical thinking, decision making, learning ability, and mental understanding between a romantic couple. My last rating post focused on the Physical, Emotional, Intellectual and Overall Compatibility Ratings. However, did you know that there is a Secondary Biorhythm Love Match Compatibility Test which focuses on another four separate categories? These four categories in the Secondary Biorhythm Love Match Compatibility Test include Spiritual Compatibility, Awareness Compatibility, Intuitive Compatibility, and Aesthetic Compatibility. Let me explain what each of these four categories in a Biorhythm Love Match Compatibility Test represents. First, there is Spiritual Compatibility – focuses on the spiritual connection and bond, the telepathic and emphatic connection between two people, and the degree of unconditional love, selflessness, harmony and peace between a romantic couple. Second, there is Awareness Compatibility –focuses on the learning ability between two people, cognition compatibility, and the ‘sixth sense’ between a couple. Third, there is Intuition Compatibility–focuses on the instincts and unconscious perception between a romantic couple. Finally, there is Aesthetic Compatibility–focuses on the appreciation for aesthetics and beauty, the understanding of creativity and the arts, and the creative compatibility between a romantic couple. In this particular post, I’ll be focusing on the Spiritual Compatibility category and ratings between the most popular Riverdale pairings and couples. I’ll be ranking them in order of which pair of Riverdale actors has the BEST spiritual compatibility to which pair of Riverdale actors has the WORST spiritual compatibility biorhythmically. But before I rank the Spiritual Compatibility Ratings for the Riverdale pairs of actors and ranking them in appropriate order according to their ratings, I’d like to explain what spiritual love and a spiritual connection is between a romantic couple and why having a high Spiritual Compatibility is crucial for a long-lasting romance or marriage. Here’s an article explaining what the concept of spiritual love is and why it’s so important to have a good spiritual connection in romance and marriage. Please note that I’ll be using the actors fictional couple to describe their Spiritual Compatibility Rating.

Here’s what it says in the article about Spiritual Love (PLEASE NOTE that the following is not my writing):

What Is Spiritual Compatibility?

People do crazy things when it comes to love. Some run away from home, others stay in an abusive relationship in the name of love, some quit their career because their love dictated so, and so much more. Most people claim they are in love but in reality, they have no idea what the meaning of true, spiritual love is. In some relationships, they are driven by obsession, jealousy, and intimidation of their spouse. They stalk their spouses everywhere they go, they physically and mentally abuse them, all in the name of love. Some people go to the extent of making sure their partners do not have any friends. That is not a definition of love; it is an illusion of love. The meaning of spiritual love is when you are able to maintain your individuality, despite the feeling of passion. You are able to love without applying any rules to each other. This is unconditional love. It does not matter that your spouse is ugly, shorter than you, or he laughs in an irritating way. You will love him or her the way he or she is. You will love all the flaws he or she portrays and not criticize them. Many people apply conditions in their relationships, claiming they love each other. For instance, you tell your spouse you love him when he buys you something. In spiritual love, it is like a spell that has been cast upon you. You appreciate your significant other as he or she is - no condition applies. You love him or her deep down and you just know it in your heart. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, that's spiritual love. Below are some guidelines to help you know you are truly in spiritual love.

1. You Communicate With Each Other With Ease: In every relationship, communication is the key to building a stronger connection. Couples must talk with other often and they must be on the same page. If you are able to talk to your spouse with ease, he will not only listen but will also have empathy for the situation at hand. You feel appreciated, you are respected, and most of all, no judgment is applied. Your spouse supports you fully in all your endeavors. In such cases, most couples enjoy what they have while it lasts. They enjoy each other’s company and they usually look for private space to talk all the time. When one person is talking, the other is listening keenly. No interruptions, no coming up with other options. You are both there for each other and support one another while being in love. A connection in spiritual love is taken very seriously.

2. Equality Applies In Spiritual Love: Most people do not know the definition of equality in a relationship. It means when two people connect and they decided to live together, roles are defined automatically. You are able to acknowledge each other’s talents and respect each other enough to let them work their magic in your relationship. In every relationship, duties come automatically. In spiritual love, you know who is better at handling a certain aspect of your lives together. Trust applies in such a situation where you let your spouse take the lead without any prejudice or judgment. This does not make either the person in the couple lesser human beings, it just makes them more in love with each other.

3. You Are Attracted To Your Spouse: Most people do not know what attraction means. Some get attracted to a person due to their looks, how they dress, how rich they are, among other things. Spiritual love is when you want to connect with the person, mind-wise, body-wise, and to the soul. You want to be close to the person all the time. When you are together, you feel a passion that you have never felt before. It is like a love spell that has been cast upon you. You are consumed with the passion but at the same time, you are able to stay sane. Your individuality is still intact. Furthermore, there is more to life other than being carried away by lust.

4. You Find Comfort in Each Other’s Company: In spiritual love, there are no expectations from each other, no dressing up for the other. You just present yourself as you are. When you are in love with each other, you feel that you can conquer the world together. You do not see anything big under the sun. You experience joy when you are together and you do not question each other’s devotion. Only the two of you understand your connection. The way you feel for each other has no easy definition. You just feel content and your life will have a meaning. In most relationships, you will find people questioning themselves. They do not trust their judgment and most of the time they make excuses to split. Others spend years courting their partner and not making any real commitment since they find flaws in one another. In spiritual love, no such thing applies. You love your spouse as he or she is. You appreciate them for who they really are. There are no jitters or second-guesses when you are together.

5. In Spiritual Love, There Is No Hurry: Society expects that when there is a connection with the one you love, no time should be wasted, and you should quickly make arrangements for your future together. However, in spiritual love, no such thing is expected. Couples enjoy each other company; they leave the fate of their union to Mother Nature. You do not question if your spouse is the right person, if your spouse going to be swept off his feet by another, and so on. You trust your instincts that all will work out just fine. In spiritual love, you know you are under this love spell together no matter what happens. The way you view the world is the way your spouse views it too. You connect well with your lover and share energy.

6. Spiritual Love Promotes Growth: When you connect with someone and you vow to live together, you expect to grow in all ways, especially personal growth. Your spouse should be free to let you know your flaws and you must take them positively. Listen to your spouse's advice. If someone loves you, you should not expect him or her to mislead you. We cannot achieve personal growth if our spouses do not speak up about our mistakes. In spiritual love, you do not take your spouse for granted nor do you see him or her as a tool to make ends meet. This is a great opportunity for you to experience the true joy of being in love.

7. Spiritual Love Does Not Let You Settle for Anything: As a human being, you are entitled to love life, follow your passions, love a certain lifestyle, to be respected and loved. Your spouse should also value the things you love. He or she should not dictate the way you live. Your love should learn to incorporate his or her needs into yours. You should live in harmony and be able to respect each other. Nowadays, most commitments are the opposite. People settle for a lot less. They let their spouses dictate their way of living and have no mutual respect in the commitment, all in the name of "love".

8. Spiritual Love Enables You to Separate Fact from Feelings: In a commitment born out of love, you will have a few fights over the years. But that does not mean you have a bad relationship or your spouse hates you. You will get angry at some of the comments he or she makes. Instead of misquoting each other, you should learn to talk it out. Let your spouse explain what he or she meant.

9. In Spiritual Love, Couples Connect: People in love look each other in the eyes as they talk. Most ordinary couples talk for the sake of it. Some even talk with their back to their spouse. Well, couples who get each other are comfortable with facing each other while taking. They can sit across from each other at a table and communicate with their eyes only. Who would not think they are under a love spell? This shows how comfortable they are with each other and that confidence surrounds their love.

10. Spiritual Love Makes You Long For the Future: Every relationship differs from the others in so many ways. When two soul mates love each other deeply, they do not tire of each other easily. The excitement might fade with time, but curiosity remains. You will love each other more and more with passing years. You are two individuals who have different characteristics, but living together will enable you two to explore each other to the fullest as you age with time. Some claim they fell in love at first sight, but it takes time and growth to realize that you deeply love your spouse and that living without him or her would be unfulfilling. Furthermore, everybody would like an opportunity to grow old with his or her loved one. Nowadays, lovers settle for a lot less. They simply want to benefit from each other since they have no better option. Once they find someone new they feel a connection to, they part ways instead of giving their love a chance. True love takes time and patience. Even in the holy texts of different religions, spiritual love applies. To sum it all up, spiritual love is unconditional love that has no boundaries. It gives meaning and importance to your life. Everyone wishes to experience this kind of love at one point in life. It is a wonderful thing that cannot be compared to any other feeling in the world. It is hard to find unconditional love unless you exercise some patience. Couples who have a spiritual love are happier, they understand each other, and they fight less. If you are in a spiritual love, give it your best since you never know when it will end. Learn from each other and appreciate what both of you have. You are luckier than others because you have experienced spiritual love and you know its definition.

Ratings System (0% = Worst Rating; 100% = Best Rating)

🌹0%–30%: Extremely bad and a MATCH MADE IN ABSOLUTE FIERY HELL! If a couple receives this type of rating, the spiritual compatibility either doesn’t exist whatsoever, or it’s so incredibly low that there isn’t even a spiritual connection to start. As a result of such a low spiritual compatibility rating, there’s bound to be a vast amount of spiritual conflict, disharmony and discomfort within the relationship. With a horrible and low score like this, expect these two to have a lack of trust, honesty, and communication within the relationship. Having a very low rating such as this means that the people involved in the couple will have a very selfish, ungiving relationship. In addition, a spiritual compatibility rating this low indicates that a romantic couple has a lesser chance of overcoming any obstacles that may come their way and it would prove difficult to fix the relationship if obstacles squirm their way into the relationship. If two people in a romance have this kind of rating, it’s best the two steer clear of each other because they clearly shouldn’t be together!

🌹30%–50% : Not good and a MATCH MADE IN TOTAL MEDIOCRITY! If a romantic couple receives this rating, the spiritual compatibility is subpar and mediocre in nature. There won’t be too much of a natural connection on a spiritual level, and they will have trouble connecting from time to time.

🌹50%–60%: Average and a MATCH MADE IN NOTHING SPECIAL AT ALL! If a romantic couple receives this rating, the spiritual compatibility is dull and mediocre. The spiritual connection between a couple who receive this score isn’t horrible but it isn’t all that great either and it would require some effort in order to make the relationship work. The couple with this rating is bound to have a very borderline 50/50 spiritual connection. Some days, they will spiritually connect, and other times, they will want to avoid each other like the Plague.

🌹60%–70%: Good and a MATCH MADE IN COMFORT! If a couple receives this rating, the spiritual compatibility and connection is reasonable and satisfactory in nature. It’s a slightly above average score which means that couples with this spiritual compatibility rating will have a comfortable, warm spiritual relationship. It should be noted that the spiritual connection between a couple who receive this rating won’t have an intense or passionate spiritual bond. It will be enough to provide decent compatibility for the two partners in the relationship to live a comfortable and harmonious enough life together in the long run.

🌹70%–80%: Extremely good and a MATCH MADE IN PERFECT HARMONY! If a romantic couple receives this rating, the spiritual connection is lovely and harmonious. The two partners have a powerful and reasonably intense spiritual bond, and they are highly in tune with each other’s emotions and feelings. Romantic couples (and even friendships) with this rating range will have a very fruitful, happy, successful, and harmonious romantic relationship. They have a strong spiritual connection, and they deeply understand each other very well. They will have solid communication, honesty, and trust in the relationship. Their spiritual chemistry is enough for either partner to have a healing effect on each other if either partner is emotionally or spiritually wounded. There are high chances that a telepathic and psychic link can be developed between the two partners. Also, romantic couples with this rating range can be considered to be soulmates. Couples also have a higher chance of getting married in the future and growing old together in comfort and harmony.

🌹80% to 90%: Excellent and a MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN! If a couple receives this rating, the spiritual compatibility and connection between the two is excellent and highly harmonious. There’s no doubt that this couple will have a very intense, passionate spiritual connection and there will be higher chances of having a very successful, harmonious relationship with ease. Couples with this rating will easily be able to overcome any obstacles thrown their way and stay happy and united together. There may be a chance for the two partners to develop a telepathic or psychic connection because of such an intense spiritual bond between these two partners. A couple with this kind of rating is likely to have a soulmate connection.

🌹90%–100%: Outstanding and a MATCH MADE IN ABSOLUTE TRANSCENDENT HEAVEN! If a romantic couple receives this rating, then the couple is ideal for each other and made for each other in every way imaginable on a spiritual level! A couple who has this rating may be a representation of true spiritual love and unconditional love in its purest form. Everyone that comes into contact with this couple will be envious of their deep abiding spiritual love for each other and will desire to have a strong spiritual bond and love like theirs! The love and passion between this couple will just be emanating from them without even trying. They have an incredibly passionate, intense spiritual bond and connection that is unparalleled or unmatched. A couple with this kind of spiritual compatibility has a bond that is unbreakable and will never be broken no matter what, even in death and beyond. Couples with this high spiritual compatibility rating liely have a mystical, other worldly, supernatural kind of connection. They are also likely to have an intense telepathic, psychic or empathic bond where the two wouldn’t even need to say words or speak to each other to communicate! Couples with this extremely high spiritual compatibility rating are best described as true soulmates or even more, twin souls or twin flames. The two are incredibly spiritually in tune with each other and they are connected to each other intensely and intimately on another level that many others wouldn’t be able to comprehend. These two are spiritually in sync with each other, and as a result, they understand each other very well. They may also have tons of things in common and share many similarities with each other and have parallel lives and journeys. When the two meet, their meeting would have many synchronicities. There will be a feeling of destiny or fate to their meeting. Their spiritual connection is so strong and intense that it’s comparable to that of twins! A couple with this high spiritual rating is best defined as a couple that is destined or written in the stars!

Please check out my Biorhythm Compatibility rankings list where I rank the pairs of Riverdale actors and couples based on their Biorhythm Compatibility Ratings here.

Top 5 Couples (#01 to #05)

⭐️#01. Cole Sprouse & Camila Mendes (Riverdale Pairing: Jeronica; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 98%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating: 100%)

At #1 on this rankings list is Cole Sprouse and Camila Mendes, who portray the fictional couple of Jeronica. Once again, Cole and Camila plus Jeronica is proving that when it comes to chemistry and compatibility, they are the duo of Riverdale actors and the Riverdale couple to beat. Cole and Camila earn a perfect 100% Spiritual Compatibility Rating! This rating is considered to be out of this world. It is the kind of rating that is seen between true soulmates or twin flames. It’s an extremely impressive score between the two actors.. But this is not the only achievement that Cole and Camila, and by extension Jeronica has accomplished when it comes to their Biorhythm Chemistry & Compatibility tests, scores and ratings. In my Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility ratings list where I ranked every single pair of Riverdale actors based on their chemistry, Cole and Camila were also the winner and earned the #1 spot on the list after receiving a very excellent 98% Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. Though their Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating was what secured their #1 spot on that list, their individual Primary Biorhythm Chemistry & Compatibility test scores were just as outstanding including their Physical Chemistry, Emotional Chemistry and Intellectual Chemistry scores. Starting with their Physical Chemistry Rating, Cole and Camila scored an outstanding 96% Physical Chemistry Rating. This rating suggests that Cole and Camila are highly sexually and physically compatible, have a very intense and passionate sexual desire, and they aesthetically match each other very well. Shall Cole and Camila as Jeronica engage in a romantic or sexual relationship down the line on the show, expect them to ignite the screen on fire with their intense and passionate sexual chemistry! Next is Cole and Camila’s Emotional Chemistry which is another category in which they did outstandingly well. Cole and Camila scored a very significant, near perfect 99% Emotional Chemistry Rating. Again, this is an excellent score. Cole and Camila may have a very high Physical Chemistry Rating, but they also have a terrific Emotional Chemistry Rating to help balance out the sexual passion and intensity of their chemistry on screen shall they become canon romantically as Jeronica on Riverdale. Problems would arise for Cole and Camila’s on screen chemistry as Jeronica if they just had a very high Physical Chemistry Rating but had a low Emotional Chemistry Rating to help balance out their relationship. Cole and Camila’s chemistry would be strictly defined by physical chemistry and sexual chemistry instead of an emotional connection being portrayed on screen through their acting. Luckily, Cole and Camila have excellent scores in both the Physical and Emotional areas. Next is the Intellectual Chemistry category. The Intellectual Chemistry and Compatibility category of the test is the category in which Cole and Camila had a perfect, ideal score of 100%.. With this rating, it indicates that Cole and Camila are 100% mentally and intellectually compatible. They complement each other perfectly on a mental and intellectual level. They will provide much intellectual and mental stimulation for each other, and they will never get bored with each other mentally. In all three areas of Physical Chemistry, Emotional Chemistry, and Intellectual Chemistry, Cole and Camila have proven to be highly and exceptionally compatible in all three categories which bodes well for their on screen fictional couple of Jeronica shall they become canon in the future. But they can now add having an exceptional and perfect Spiritual Compatibility Rating to their list of excellent achievements. Cole and Camila earning a 100% Spiritual Compatibility Rating symbolizes that Cole and Camila are kindred spirits and spiritually in tune with each other. With such a high spiritual connection, Cole and Camila could possibly develop a telepathic, psychic or empathic bond where they would be able to communicate with each other without even speaking. Friendships and romantic couples that have this high of a spiritual connection are very rare, and those that do have this kind of spiritual connection have an otherworldly connection that is unusual. Couples and friendships who have an exceptional Spiritual Compatibility Rating will have a very intense, passionate and powerful spiritual bond that is unique to them. Interestingly enough, their strong Spiritual Compatibility rating and the possibility of Cole and Camila having kindred spirit in one another makes sense because when you actually look at Cole and Camila’s lives, they have a lot in common and share a lot of similarities in regards to their backgrounds and their lives. Both Cole and Camila are children of divorce. Both Cole and Camila’s parents divorced when they were kids. Both Cole and Camila have a Water moon sign (Cole has a Scorpio Moon, Camila has a Pisces Moon). Cole and Camila both attended NYU. Both Cole and Camila were going to study Drama and Theatre at NYU (however, Cole ended up studying and majoring in Archeology while Camila majored in Drama and Theatre). Both Cole and Camila have 1 sibling. Both Cole and Camila have 1 sibling of the same gender (Cole has one brother, Camila has one sister). Cole and Camila are both the younger sibling. Cole and Camila have a connection to Italy (Cole was born in Italy, Camila is half Italian on her mother’s side). Both Cole and Camila spend most of their time in New York and California. Cole and Camila both have an even number of letters in their first names (Cole has 4 letters, Camila has 6 letters). Both Cole and Camila are dating a Riverdale costar. Both Cole and Camila have had past relationship problems. Both Cole and Camila are romantic people. Both Cole and Camila are in the acting world. Both have travelled. Both of their first names begin with the letter C. Cole and Camila both battle a mental illness (Cole battles with depression and anxiety, Camila battles with eating disorders and bulimia). Both Cole and Camila have artistic personalities (Cole loves photography, Camila loves painting). However, while Cole and Camila do share alot in common and coincidentally share alot of similarities and parallel lives, they also have their differences that complement each other. Cole is blond haired, Camila is brown haired. Cole is blue eyed, Camila is brown eyed. Cole has fair skin, Camila has olive skin. Cole was born in Europe, Camila was bor in the USA. Cole is from the West Coast (California), Camila is from the South (Virginia and Florida). Cole is introverted, Camila is extroverted. Cole is brooding and serious, Camila is upbeat and cheery. Cole is secretive and private, Camila is expressive and open. To me, Cole and Camila seem to be the perfect combination of Yin & Yang. And it goes hand in hand with the perfect Spiritual Compatibility rating. Now, how do I believe that Cole and Camila’s perfect Spiritual Compatibility rating would play into their fictional relationship of Jeronica on the show? It would have a huge effect on their on screen relationship as Jeronica in fact Through Cole and Camila’s real life high spiritual connection, their characters of Jughead and Veronica could look at each other from across the room and know and understand what the other is thinking and feeling. All Jughead and Veronica have to do is glance at each other to communicate with each other; that's how strong their connection would be. That is what their high spiritual compatibility rating is suggesting. Now, Jughead and Veronica haven't had a chance to explore their powerful spiritual connection because the writers have refused to have them interact and display their chemistry. Jeronica has the STRONGEST chemistry out of all the couples on the show, yet the writers have yet to explore them. With such a high spiritual connection, I believe that Jughead and Veronica would have an unbreakable bond if they form a relationship and connect. Once Jughead and Veronica take that step in their relationship, there will be no turning back whatsoever. Jughead and Veronica will be it for each other. Jeronica would be a prime example of a healthy relationship on this show. They won't be the typical high school, first love that is toxic and unhealthy like Bughead and Varchie. Jeronica's romantic relationship would be one that is solid, evolving and mature. Jughead and Veronica have tons of things in common, and they have similar interests. They would be able to connect with each other on a variety of different things. They would be able to talk about many things together and never get bored. They would provide stimulation for each other on all levels. I had made a list of all the parallels and similarities that Jughead and Veronica have shared throughout the series so far: Here is the post: http://talldarksnarkette.tumblr.com/post/170088867186. That post highlights all of the many similarities and parallels that these two characters share. It's almost eerie how much they parallel and mirror each other. Jughead and Veronica are mirror images of each other. They are highly different but are so alike at the same time. It is where their high Spiritual Compatibility Rating comes into play. I think the fact that Jughead and Veronica share so many coincidental parallels and similarities is a key clue that shows Jeronica has a strong spiritual bond. if Jeronica becomes canon romantically, what Jughead and Veronica would have would be beyond a regular romantic relationship. They wouldn't be the typical romance of cards, flowers, and chocolates. Sure, they would include all that stuff in their relationship, but there would be so much more to them than just romantic gestures. Jeronica's relationship wouldn't be about themselves, it would be about others. You see, I think Jughead and Veronica are going to get together, not just for a romantic relationship, but serving a larger purpose. I guess that their purpose for coming together on a romantic basis would be to bring the Southside and Northside together within the Riverdale community once and for all and to heal the split and the damage that the rift and rivalry between the Southside and the Northside that has existed since Riverdale was founded. Jughead and Veronica are the most powerful and influential teens on their respective sides of the Southside and Northside. Together, they would use their relationship to do good for others. Jeronica is the epitome of what would be purely spiritual and unconditional love. I feel like when or if they fall in love in the future, they won't love each other because of the way they look, or because of how much money one of them as, or what the can offer each other in regards to material needs. Veronica would love Jughead because she has a deep connection with him that she can't describe or explain. She will love him because he makes her feel safe, secure and protected. She will love Jughead because he will make her feel accepted, needed and loved. She will love him because he is the missing piece of the puzzle that she had been searching for the entire time but was never able to find. And in turn, Jughead wouldn't love Veronica or fall for her because she is beautiful, popular and rich. Those are the superficial things, and that is conditional love. Jughead would love Veronica for her vibrant soul and zesty spirit. He would love Veronica because she provides him with the strength that he needs. He will love her because she is someone that he can connect with spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. He will love her because she will give him the intense, passionate love that he deep down desires but isn't receiving right now. I strongly believe that Jughead and Veronica are made for each other and they are meant to be. Not only do all of their Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility tests prove this (this is science, guys!), but the show has proven this time and time again by constantly making Jughead and Veronica have these endless parallels, similarities, and things in common with each other. Jughead and Veronica aren't aware of how alike they are because they haven't come to realize it. Jughead and Veronica will only find complete harmony and happiness with each other. The relationships that they are both currently in seriously lacks something crucial that is needed for a long lasting happy union. With Betty, Jughead is constantly miserable and faced with endless drama. He has a very compleicate relationship with her. There's many endless secrets, lies, and constant non-stop drama in their relationship. Jughead can't open up to Betty and be honest with her when it matters most. He can't openly communicate with her effectively. Even when they do, it falls flat, or they end up in an argument with each other. Jughead and Betty lack that strong spiritual connection (look down this rankings list to see how Bughead and Cole and Lili rank on this list). Considering how highly compatible Jeronica is on all levels, Jeronica is the closest representation of a Twin Flame relationship. Now, you're probably going, what are Twin Flames? Well, Twin Flames is an extraordinary, unusual and unique yet very rare type of soulmate connection. Twin Flames are said to be one soul that was split into two and then separated many millions of years ago to go on their separate human journeys on this Earth. Twin Flames are the ultimate soulmate connection that two people can experience. It is pure unconditional and spiritual love in its form. Twin Flames are similar to that of identical twins. They are extremely alike, but they have differences at the same time which can serve to complement each other. The bond between Twin Flames is unbreakable, and not even death can keep the two apart. Twin Flame relationships aren't just about romance and sex. They are about spiritual work and helping the world. Twin Flames provide spiritual and emotional healing for each other through their connection. It should be noted that sometimes, Twin Flames don't always like each other when they first meet each other. Some Twin Flames are very repulsed by each other at first. But once they accept the connection and look past the ego, they will love each other unconditionally and completely. This is what I believe Jeronica are. I believe that Jughead and Veronica are twin flames. Considering the coincidental synchronicities, parallels, and similarities between the two characters, and I know my theory about them may be right. In case you are curious to understand more about the Twin Flame concept, read some of these articles to get educated on this rare type of soulmate connection:

https://www.elitedaily.com/life/twin-flame-energetic-equal-heres-tell-youve-found/1899291

https://lonerwolf.com/20-twin-flame-signs/

https://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2016/09/18-signs-youre-experiencing-whats-known-as-a-twin-flame-relationship/

http://www.thelawofattraction.com/twin-flames/

https://www.zoosk.com/date-mix/love/twin-flame-relationship/

https://lonerwolf.com/twin-flame/

Now, even though Jeronica has a very exceptional Spiritual Compatibility Rating which in turn means that they have a very intense spiritual bond, this can both be a good and a bad thing for Jeronica if they were to have a romantic relationship on the show. It's a good thing because if things are positive and flourishing between them, their relationship will be blissful, happy, harmonious and transcendent. However, it's also a bad thing because if things are negative between them, their relationship will be chaotic, out of control, destructive and has the power to do significant damage to not only themselves (self-destructive) but also to others around them. When a romantic couple scores an extremely high compatible rating on a Biorhythm Chemistry test, it can be both negative and positive for the couple. So, despite Jeronica having such a high Spiritual Compatibility, they do need to take care and be careful with their relationship because it is very fragile due to the intensity of their connection. If Jughead and Veronica break up or part ways, it's not just going to be a sad break-up. It will be heart-wrenching and gut-wrenching pain for both of them. Cole and Camila’s Spiritual Compatibility Rating being 100% could prove to be the best thing or the worst thing for them and their relationship as friends or coworkers. There is no in between for Cole and Camila when it comes to a friendship, co-working relationship or even a romantic relationship. Cole and Camila’s Physical Compatibility (96%), Emotional Compatibility (99%), Intellectual Compatibility (100%), and Spiritual Compatibility (100%) Ratings are all exceptionally high, and as a result, Cole and Camila need to take extra and delicate care that their relationship doesn’t become too dependent or codependent. Any extreme compatibility or incompatibility rating on a Biorhythmic level can harm a relationship because it can become too destructive, chaotic and volatile. The good thing about Cole and Camila and by extension their fictional pairing of Jeronica and their high ratings is that friendship wise or romantically, they would be extremely compatible on all levels. Shall Cole and Camila as Jughead and Veronica engage in a romantic relationship in the foreseeable future on the show, Jeronica would be the representation of the ideal, perfect relationship on Riverdale. No other pairing comes remotely close to matching Cole and Camila’s Biorhythmic Compatibility. Cole and Camila are simply unbeatable and unmatched and this is just the facts. Science definitely supports these two as a pair!

#02. Skeet Ulrich & Marisol Nichols (Riverdale Pairing: Formione; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 80%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating: 97%)

Taking the #2 and runner up ranking on this list is Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols who portray the fictional couple of Formione. Skeet and Marisol have a whopping 97% Spiritual Compatibility Rating This is an excellent score and proves that on a spiritual level, Skeet and Marisol have a very strong connection. as a result of their high spiritual connection, it’s no shock that Skeet and Marisol are very close off screen and have a very close bond of friendship with each other. Interestingly enough, Skeet and Marisol are the runner up to Cole Sprouse and Camila Mendes, the actors who portray their on-screen children Jughead and Veronica. Like parent, like child, I guess? It seems that when it comes to the Jones men and the Lodge women and the actors who portray them, there is a strong chemistry and connection between the two. Skeet and Marisol having a strong spiritual compatibility rating would bode well for them if their fictional couple of Formione were to become romantic on the show. But I would also like to point out that Skeet and Marisol share some things in common that most people don’t realize. Both Skeet and Marisol are divorced. Both Skeet and Marisol are single parents. Both Skeet and Marisol have children. Both Skeet and Marisol have Southern roots (Skeet was born in Virginia, Marisol’s mother was from Texas). Both Skeet and Marisol come from a family of divorce. Both Skeet and Marisol have had past issues with their fathers (Skeet had an abusive father who kidnapped him and he tried to escape from; Marisol was estranged from her father when she was a child growing up and never met him until adulthood). Both Marisol and Skeet grew up with a stepfather (Both Skeet and Marisol have a daughter. Both Skeet and Marisol have brown hair and brown eyes. Both Skeet and Marisol are born on an even number birthdate (Skeet is born on Jan. 20th, Marisol is born on Nov. 2nd). Both are both in the early 70′s. Both Skeet and Marisol have a Water moon sign (Skeet has a Cancer Moon, Marisol has a Pisces Moon). Both have an odd number of letters in their first names (Skeet has 5 letters, Marisol has 7 letters). Both Skeet and Marisol have a brother(s). Both Skeet and Marisol have been married twice. Both Skeet and Marisol married someone in the late 90′s (Skeet married his first wife in 1997, Marisol married her first husband in 1999). Both Skeet and Marisol were in a Scream movie or part of the Scream movie franchise (Skeet was in Scream 1, Marisol was in Scream 2). Both Skeet and Marisol have guest starred on CSI (Skeet was on CSI NY, Marisol was on CSI Crime Scene Investigation). Both Skeet and Marisol have guest starred on Law & Order (Skeet was on Law & Order LA and Law & Order Special Victims Unit, Marisol was on Law & Order Special Victims Unit). Both Skeet and Marisol were very close to their costar Luke Perry.They have so many coincidental similarities between the two of them that it’s almost eery. Skeet and Marisol having an exceptionally Spiritual Compatibility rating on a Biorhythmic level is not a coincidence. These two have a strong bond and a kindred spirit and it’s obvious in how they interact when they are together. One can tell that they have a close bond of companionship and friendship that exceeds romance and that at their core, they are kindred spirits. Skeet and Marisol don’t just have an exceptional Spiritual Compatibility rating, but they also did very well in their Biorhythm Compatibility rating. Skeet and Marisol have an 80% total Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility rating which is very excellent and proves that they have strong chemistry together. Skeet and Marisol earned a 99% Physical Chemistry rating, 53% Emotional Chemistry rating, and an 89% Intellectual Chemistry rating. Their lowest score was their Emotional Compatibility but it’s past the critical stage of 50+%, ehile their Physical and Intellectual Chemistry categories have excellent ratings and scores. How does Skeet and Marisol having such a strong Spiritual Compatibility rating play into their acting and on screen dynamic as FP and Hermione and Formione? As FP and Hermione, Skeet and Marisol would have excellent and easy chemistry because of their spiritual connection. They would be able to understand each other and read each other like a book. They would play off each other very well and they wouldn’t have to put too much effort into their on screen relationship because it would just come naturally to them. Their work relationship is very solid and they work well together professionally because they have a good personal relationship. If FP and Hermione were romantically involved on the show, they would prove to be one of the strongest couples on Riverdale. To me, FP and Hermione are easily the most powerful duo in Riverdale right now. I mean, Hermione is the Mayor of Riverdale and FP is the Sheriff of Riverdale. Together, they make on formidable and unbeatable team. Skeet and Marisol’s chemistry along with their strong spiritual connection offscreen would help to give their on screen romance between FP and Hermione that extra bit of spark. It’s unfortunate that the writers refuse to put FP and Hermione in more scenes together on the show because whenever Skeet and Marisol share scenes, they always blow it out of the water. Skeet and Marisol work well together and their close bond and off screen friendship is shown whenever they are acting opposite together. They have some of the strongest chemistry between any two actors on the show yet they are so highly unappreciated and underrated. The Jones men and the Lodge women occupy the top two spots on this rankings list with regards to their spiritual compatibility ratings. Is that just coincidence or just a sign that it’s destiny?

#03. Mark Consuelos & Marisol Nichols (Riverdale Pairing: Himione; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 78%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating: 94%)

Up next at #3 on this rankings is Mark Consuelos and Marisol Nichols who portray the fictional couple of Himione. They earned a strong 94% Spiritual Compatibility Rating which is a very good score. This rating solidifies them being in the top 3 couples. Interestingly enough, this is the second time that Marisol Nichols is in the Top 5 on this rankings meaning that Marisol seems to have very strong chemistry with her male costars. Not only does she have strong chemistry with Skeet Ulrich (she earned a 80% Biorhythm Compatibility Rating and a 97% Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating with Skeet), but she has strong chemistry and a solid bond with Mark as well. In addition to having a 94% Spiritual Compatibility rating, Mark and Marisol also have a 78% Biorhythm Compatibility rating. Breaking down their Physical, Emotional and Intellectual categories, Marisol and Mark had a 78% Physical Rating, 90% Emotional Rating, and 65% Intellectual Rating. These are all solid scores in each category. By Mark and Marisol earning a very strong Spiritual Compatibility rating, this adds to their already impressive chemistry and connection as actors. Mark and Marisol do share some similarities and things in common which feeds into their spiritual connection. Both Mark and Marisol have Mexican ancestry. Both Mark and Marisol are half Mexican. Both Mark and Marisol have one Mexican parent (Mark’s father is Mexican, Marisol’s mother is Mexican). Them having Mexican backgrounds and ancestry would make it very easy for Mark and Marisol to be able to relate to each other on a personal and spiritual level. Though Mark and Marisol do have a strong spiritual connection, the on screen relationship of Hiram and Hermione is the opposite and doesn’t show off their spiritual connection. While Mark and Marisol may have a strong spiritual kinship with each other, Hiram and Hermione’s relationship certainly didn’t. Hiram and Hermione had the anthesis of what a real spiritual connection and relationship would be. Their relationship was highly selfish and destructive in nature. There was nothing giving, loving or affectionate about their relationship. Hiram and Hermione’s relationship was based on shallow things. Hermione only married Hiram because she wanted an upgrade in status and an increase in financial wealth. Hermione didn’t marry Hiram for love or because he makes her happy. In fact, we find out that the main reason why she pursued Hiram back in high school was because her mother couldn’t stand him and she was a rebelling Catholic girl who was disobeying her mother. Her being with Hiram was pretty much Hermione saying fuck you to her mother and her family. That is not the defintion of a relationship that is selfless and spiritual in nature. Hermione married Hiram for all the wrong reasons. She married Hiram for financial security and social status. She didn't marry Hiram because she had this incredible, mind blowing connection with him. This made Hiram and Hermione’s relationship a very shallow and empty marriage. Is it any wonder why Hiram and Hermione plotted against each other and were always secretly against each other? Hermione has tried to have Hiram killed more than once! That is not a sign of a woman who genuinely loved her husband. However, Hiram wasn't exactly good husband material to Hermione for all those years they were married. Hiram almost had Hermione killed and he has plotted and schemed behind Hermione’s back numerous times. At the end of the day, Hiram and Hermione’s distrastrous and destructive marriage has finally come to an end in season 3. Though Mark and Marisol may share a strong spiritual bond and connection as costars and friends off-screen, they sure aren’t able to display this connection as the fictional couple of Hiramione. It’s a shame that Hiram and Hermione couldn’t be a much healthier relationship like in the comic books, because then Mark and Marisol would be able to portray a healthy, functional married couple with such ease due to their strong chemistry and their solid spiritual connection. Now that Hiram and Hermione are divorced, does this mean a significant decrease in Mark and Marisol’s interactions and scenes together on-screen? I hope not. Despite how toxic and unhealthy Hiram and Hermione’s relationship was, I genuinely enjoyed their scenes and their presence together on-screen. The fact that Mark and Marisol not only have a very solid 78% Biorhythm Compatibility Rating but have an even more impressive 94% Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating makes them the pair of Riverdale actors with one of the best compatibility and chemistry on this show.

#04. KJ Apa & Ashleigh Murray (Riverdale Pairing: Archosie; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 60%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating: 92%)

Up next at #4 is KJ Apa and Ashleigh Murray who portray the fictional couple of Jochie or Archosie. KJ and Ashleigh garnered a highly excellent 92% Spiritual Compatibility Rating, being only -8% points away from having a perfect, ideal 100% Spiritual Compatibility Rating. With such an exceptional score, this automatically makes KJ and Ashleigh a near perfect spiritual match. In my previous rankings list, KJ and Ashleigh’s fictional couple of Archosie scored more middle of the road ratings, and they were not as outstanding as their ratings on this list. Archosie placed 6th on my other list and earned a 60% Overall Chemistry Rating which is considered to be average. They had reasonably good ratings for their Primary Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility Test scores. KJ and Ashleigh showed significant weakness in the Physical Chemistry category, only earning a measly 20% in this area. When it came to Emotional Chemistry and Intellectual Chemistry, KJ and Ashleigh fared much better in those categories in the test. They earned a reasonably stable 71% Emotional Chemistry Rating and an excellent 89% Intellectual Chemistry Rating. So, while KJ and Ashleigh doesn't have much physical or sexual chemistry, they certainly do bond emotionally and intellectually. And with their high Spiritual Compatibility Ratings, KJ and Ashleigh certainly do have a powerful spiritual relationship and connection. It means that in three out of four major areas of the main components of compatibility which include physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual, KJ and Ashleigh are very compatible with each other and would have a very successful, harmonious relationship and friendship. And it showed whenever they were acting opposite each other as Archie and Josie. In my opinion, Archosie’s relationship was one of the highlights and the good things about the messy season 3 of Riverdale. Going back to their high Spiritual Compatibility and how the strong spiritual connection between KJ and Ashleigh shows in their on screen relationship of Archosie, KJ and Ashleigh as Archie and Josie have shown that they have a strong bond with each other. It is shown in how they support and comfort each other in times of need. When Archie was in the shitter and was having constant troubles due to the trauma that he had been through all year, Josie was the one who was there for Archie and was helping him to heal emotionally and spiritually after everything that he had been through. Josie was the one to snap Archie back to reality and get him back on the right track, and she managed to do so with little effort. All she did was comfort him, support him and bond with him and Archie immediately perked up and realized that he didn't want to go down the destructive path he was going down on. Josie was spiritually healing Archie from the inside. She was providing him with the love and support that he needed but wasn't receiving from anyone else at that time. Because of Josie, Archie became inspired to get back to doing his passion for music. She got him to reevaluate his life and think about what he wants in the future. But it wasn't just Josie that was giving Archie spiritual love. Archie was giving her spiritual love and comfort in return. He showed her support when Josie was adamant of about pursuing music and her passion for attending Juilliard. When Josie sadly didn't get accepted into Juilliard, Archie was there to provide comfort for Josie, and he continued to make her realize that this wasn't the end of her journey, it was only the beginning and that she should continue chasing her dreams. These are prime examples of them having a robust spiritual bond. Though the two don't have a history together as Barchie do, they do share a strong bond and relationship that is beneficial to both of them for the time being. Archie and Josie are perfect for each other right now, but they may not be ideal for each other in the future. Archosie is proving to be a great healthy relationship, along with Veggie, but they are merely relationships that are serving their purpose for the time being. It is where Barchie comes in and where I compare Archosie and Barchie's spiritual connections and relationships because both of them are spiritually compatible. Yes, Archosie did score a higher Spiritual Compatiblity Rating than Barchie (their 92% to Barchie 76%). However, where Barchie has the upper hand overall on Archosie is that Barchie has a long, deep and complex history together that Archosie do not. Because Betty and Archie have spent so many years together intimately, they know and understand each other at a fundamentally more profound level than Archosie, no matter how much higher Archosie's Spiritual Compatibility Rating is. In addition to Barchie having more history than Archosie, Barchie also had better and higher Overall Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Emotional Chemistry scores on their tests. Barchie scored a 75% Overall Chemistry Rating while Archosie only scored a 60% Overall Chemistry Rating. In the Physical Chemistry category, Barchie has Archosie beaten by miles and miles, and it's not even close! Barchie earned a massive 99% Physical Chemistry Rating while Archosie earned a severely inferior 20% Physical Chemistry Rating. Because of these respective Physical Chemistry Ratings, Barchie has excellent, near perfect physical and sexual chemistry which is needed for a good romantic relationship while Archosie has a horrible, nearly non-existent physical or sexual chemistry which doesn't bode well for the passionate and romantic side of their relationship. Next is the comparisons between Barchie and Archosie's Emotional Chemistry Ratings. While Archosie scored a decent rating of 71% Emotional Chemistry Rating, Barchie blows them out of the water easily, scoring an extremely high 94% Emotional Chemistry Rating. So, physically and emotionally, Barchie blows Archosie out of the water. The only areas where Archosie has the upper hand on Barchie is the Intellectual Chemistry Rating (Archosie scored 89% and Barchie only 33%) and the Spiritual Compatibility Rating (Archosie's 92% to Barchie's 76%). Also, Barchie has the life long history of being close best friends since childhood, something that Archosie doesn't have. Barchie is extremely compatible in all of the essential and crucial areas that are required for a happy, harmonious, successful long-term romance (these areas include Physical Chemistry, Emotional Chemistry, and Spiritual Chemistry; Intellectual Chemistry is also highly important for compatibility but not as important as the other three). Unfortunately, Archosie is only reasonably compatible in two of the main areas, and that is the Emotional Chemistry and Spiritual Chemistry. Back to real life and KJ and Ashleigh and their great spiritual bond, there's no doubt that on a spiritual level, these two are near perfect for each other. There is a deep abiding love and respect between them and it is seen in their off screen relationship. Ashleigh and KJ always support each other and they clearly loved working together. As Archosie, KJ and Ashleigh’s spiritual bond is shown when they communicate openly with each other and support each other emotionally, but in how they share a strong passion for music. KJ and Ashleigh as Archosie having a strong spiritual connection ensures them having a very healthy beneficial relationship that is good for both of them. There is barely any disharmony or disconnect in their relationship. These two can have a happy, long, successful and harmonious life together if they can manage to stay together and the writers don’t mess up their relationship down the line. Though Archie and Josie broke up and chose to remain as friends, they still have a kindred spirit in each other for life regardless. The fact that Archosie and KJ and Ashleigh’s ratings manages to beat out all of the other canon romantic couples on this list is a high achievement in itself, and Archosie lovers can be proud.

#5. Skeet Ulrich & Madchen Amick (Riverdale Pairing: Falice; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 74%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating: 89%)

At #5 and rounding out the Top 5 couples on this rankings is Skeet Ulrich and Madchen Amick, who portray the fictional couple of Falice. They scored an incredible 89% Spiritual Compatibility Rating showing that as Falice, Skeet and Madchen sure have a powerful spiritual connection! These two get each other a significantly deeper level and they do have a solid bond. On my previous rankings list, Skeet and Madchen also had impressive ratings. They came in 3rd place with a 74% Overall Chemistry Rating on my original rankings list and then 8th on my updated chemistry rankings list. Skeet and Madchen as Falice were only 1% behind KJ and Lili as Barchie for the runner up spot on my original rankings list of the most popular Riverdale couples with the best chemistry based on their Biorhythm ratings. In regards to Skeet and Madchen’s Primary Biorhythm Compatibility and Chemistry Ratings, they did rather well across the board. They had a solid 85% Physical Chemistry Rating which matches their fictional couple to a tee because if there is one thing that Falice is known for, it's their excellent sexual tension and chemistry. And Skeet and Madchen sure know how to bring the physical chemistry and sexual tension to the table. In fact, Skeet and Madchen are one of the couples that have the strongest physical and sexual chemistry on the show and they can produce this energy with little to no effort. Also, Skeet and Madchen had an excellent Intellectual Chemistry rating of 93%. With that kind of score in the Intellectual Compatibility category, Skeet and Madchen have a strong mental and intellectual connection. They have strong communication skills with each other, and if they meld their intellectual capabilities and their minds together, they can prove to be a formidable and unstoppable duo. However, despite Skeet and Madchen’s exceptionally solid Physical Chemistry and Intellectual Chemistry ratings, they did show weakness in the Emotional Chemistry area; Skeet and Madchen only scored a 43% Emotional Chemistry Rating indicating that they don't have the best Emotional Chemistry. Despite this, Skeet and Madchen can make up for their lack of Emotional Chemistry with their very high Spiritual Compatibility of 89%. Skeet and Madchen may not connect all too well on the emotional front, but boy, can they sure connect on the spiritual front. Skeet and Madchen’s Spiritual Compatibility score suggests that the two are kindred spirits who have a deep bond and do understand each other very well. There’s even some similarities between Skeet and Madchen. The most notable similarities between the two are that they were popular actors in the 90′s and they both have two children. As for how Skeet and Madchen’s spiritual connection and their chemistry affects their onscreen fictional couple of Falice, it does have a strong impact. Through Skeet and Madchen’s strong off-screen chemistry and spiritual connection and their friendship off screen (it’s so obvious that those two have a lot of love for each other and are great friends with each other), they are able to display FP and Alice’s connection with each other with such little effort. Though Falice have had ups and downs in their past and even in the present, FP and Alice still have that deep abiding love for each other. FP and Alice have shown that they do have an unconditional love for each other that goes very deep. Even after they had parted ways all too long ago, FP and Alice still harbored a flame for each other and had deep unresolved feelings for each other despite moving on and having families of their own and being married to different people. FP and Alice spend two decades feeling empty and alone on the inside because they parted ways. Alice ended up marrying Hal. Though Alice climbed up the ladder socially and became a Northsider after being born into the Southside, Alice's marriage was empty, dysfunctional and devoid of any true or real love. The relationship and marriage Alice had with Hal was conditional love in it's purest form. Alice didn't marry Hal for love; she married him for social status and money. Alice has been living an empty life devoid of love for over 20 years. That is such a depressing life. Not only did she have to give up the child she had with FP along time ago, but Alice ended up being put into a situation where she was unable to feel and express love adequately. Alternatively, FP hasn't had the best luck in his marriage either. He was married to Gladys for about the same time that Alice was married to Hal. FP and Gladys' marriage must have been pretty miserable because the two constantly fought with each other and FP became an on and off alcoholic throughout the years. Not to mention that he continued to get himself in and out of legal troubles regularly and was spinning around in the same vicious cycle for years. Gladys eventually left FP after no longer being able to take his crap anymore. FP was left desolate and miserable in his double-wide drinking non stop packs of beers, just like Alice had predicted back in high school. Now, why did FP and Alice end up being so miserable after going their separate ways in high school? Because they lost that spiritual love and connection that they had together. They forbade their spiritual relationship with each other in attempts to move past the Gryphons & Gargoyles era of their lives. And what did it cost FP and Alice? Happiness. Security. Comfort. Real love. In season 2 and 3, it looked as though FP and Alice were rekindling what they shared in the past, but it seems to be on rocky rivers right now especially with Gladys coming back in the picture. The whole point I'm trying to make is that FP and Alice have a spiritual connection and bond that is so deep that for years, the both of them have spent decades being so isolated, depressed, lonely and miserable. These two need each other to stay stable and sane. Without their connection, FP and Alice visibly go sideways, and they are not their best selves. The fact that FP and Alice have such a high Spiritual Compatibility Rating indicates that the two are meant for each other and they need each other in so many ways. FP and Alice need each other for that feeling of support, love, comfort, and security. Without that, they are empty and miserable. Without the spiritual bond and connection with FP, Alice is more vulnerable. She becomes susceptible to being brainwashed and manipulated like she is now with the whole Farm storyline. Alice also becomes an icier and colder person, and she brings out her nasty side. However, when she spiritually connects with FP, she instantly becomes a warmer, gentler and kinder person. She becomes a better person. Her bond with FP provides healing properties and effects on Alice's soul and personality. She becomes a whole new person, a better and well-balanced person. Alice NEEDS FP. And the same is said for FP with Alice. Without the spiritual connection with Alice, FP loses purpose. He becomes a raging out of control alcoholic. He becomes consumed with vengeance and anger and is more prone to violence. He becomes less of a good parent to Jughead, and he neglects his responsibilities. Without Alice, FP is only half a man. He needs that spiritual comfort, love and support from Alice. He was certainly not receiving any of that with Gladys for all those years. If he were receiving the love and support he needed, would FP be so miserable? No, he wouldn't. Falice having a high Spiritual Compatibility Rating proves the one thing that has always been obvious: these two are meant for each other, and they should be together as soon as possible. They are a match made in Southside Serpent heaven! You can thank Skeet and Madchen’s strong chemistry and their solid spiritual compatibility for providing Falice with such strong energy and promise. It’s just sad that the writers have chosen to neglect this relationship altogether and separate them for what seems to be for good. Shame on the writers for not utilizing Skeet and Madchen’s great chemistry and emphasizing their strong spiritual connection.

Top 10 Couples (#06 to #10)

#06. Barclay Hope & Nathalie Boltt (Riverdale Pairing: Cliffope; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 54%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating: 86%)

At #6 on this rankings is Barclay Hope and Nat Boltt, who portray the fictional couple of Clinope. Surprisingly, they earned an excellent score of 86% Spiritual Compatibility. I was shocked by this rating because if there are two actors who I never expected to have a high spiritual connection, it's Barclay and Nat. In regards to their Biorhythm Compatibility and their chemistry ratings, they had a total score of 54%. Barclay and Nat had 58% Physical Compatibility, 11% Emotional Compatibility and 93% Intellectual Compatibility. Barclay and Nat's Physical score was average which is not surprising because they didn't have that strong of sexual chemistry. Their Emotional score wasn't good at all, and they only earned a horrible 11% in this category. And finally, Barclay and Nat did have a strong Intellectual score of 93%, so that means that they connected well on a mental level. Despite their average or lacking scores in the Physical and Emotional categories on their Biorhythm test, Barclay and Nat manage to make up for it by having a reliable Spiritual Compatibility with each other. Unfortunately, despite the two of them having a good score in this area, Barclay and Nat were not able to convey this while they were portraying the relationship between Clifford and Penelope. Barclay and Nat may have a strong kind connection with each other in the real world and as actors, but Clifford and Penelope were the antheses of a spiritual relationship and bond. It meant that Barclay and Nat were never able to display their natural spiritual kinship with each other professionally as Clifford and Penelope because of what their on-screen relationship stood for. Clifford and Penelope's relationship was abusive. They weren't even married because they loved each other. They were married because they were forced to be together. We discover that Clifford and Penelope are an arranged marriage and that Rose Blossom groomed Penelope, who was an orphan from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, to be a sister, companion and eventually a wife for her son Clifford. When one thinks about that, the circumstances surrounding Clifford and Penelope's relationship and marriage is downright disgusting. Clifford and Penelope were the epitomai of a Stepford married couple. Clifford and Penelope were brainwashed into being with each other. They weren't in each other out of their own free will. That is the opposite of a spiritual relationship — a spiritual connection between two people who have a secure spiritual bond would have a selfless and giving relationship where they would value what the other needs and wants before what they want. Clifford and Penelope's relationship was selfish and didn't have an ounce of true spirituality in it. Now that Clifford is dead and buried, there will never be a chance for these two to infest my screen with their toxicity ever again. Clifford and Penelope were one of the worst couples in Riverdale because of the content of their horrible relationship. Clifford and Penelope are already intolerable and appalling individuals in their own right, but the two of them together? Downright destructive. But regardless, Barclay and Nat manage to have a robust spiritual connection with each other in the real world and their 86% rating is proof of this. Perhaps they can showcase this strong spiritual bond that exists between the two of them in another project together, hmm?

#07. Charles Melton & Camila Mendes (Riverdale Pairing: Veggie; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 48%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating; 83%)

Coming in at #7 on the rankings is Charles Melton and Camila Mendes, who portray the fictional couple of Veggie. They earned a very impressive 83% Spiritual Compatibility Rating. It is an excellent score and shows just how compatible Charles and Camila are on a spiritual level. In comparison to their ratings on their Primary Biorhythm Chemistry Tests, Charles and Camila didn't fare as well as they did here. They earned a below average 48% Overall Chemistry Rating which placed them in 10th place on my original rankings list. It was a rating that I was shocked about because I thought that Charles and Camila would have a higher overall chemistry rating than that, mainly because Charles and Camila are dating each other in real life. However, Charles and Camila did have a very exceptional Physical Chemistry Rating of 96%, tying Cole/Camila in that category (also 96%) and being behind Skeet/Marisol (99%), Skeet/Gina (92%), KJ/Lili (99%) and Beronica (92%) in that category. With such a high Physical Chemistry Rating, Charles and Camila undoubtedly have strong and intense sexual and physical chemistry, and they aesthetically look excellent together. Remember Reggie and Veronica's first kiss in 3x09? That was an insider to how passionate and intense their sexual chemistry is and whoa, did they ever light the screen on fire with their sexual tension! However, in the other categories of Emotional Chemistry and Intellectual Chemistry, they both fell flat. Charles and Camila only scored a measly 33% Emotional Chemistry Rating and 14% Intellectual Chemistry Rating. Their lack of Emotional Chemistry deeply concerned me because I felt that if they didn't have a strong enough emotional connection, then their relationship (both in real life and on screen as Veggie)would be based on sexual attraction and lust. They wouldn't have that strong of a bond to help them have a long lasting romantic relationship. And with regards to their lack of Intellectual Chemistry, this was something that I expected. Charles and Camila are on a completely different wavelength when it comes to intellect and mental matters. When it comes to Veggie, Reggie isn't known for being the sharpest tool in the shed (he most definitely has that stereotypical dumb jock thing going for him) and Veronica is highly cunning, clever, smart and manipulative when she wants to be. Despite their mediocre and below average Overall Chemistry Rating in addition to their low Emotional Chemistry rating, Charles and Camila score high when it comes to Spiritual Compatibility. Charles and Camila secure an 83% Spiritual Compatibility Rating and it ensures that despite their lacking scores and ratings in other categories, there's no doubt that Charles and Camila have a deep, abiding spiritual connection with each other. They have a strong love and respect for each other and the two support each other when it's needed and required. It's clear that they genuinely care for each other in the real world. When it comes to Charles and Camila’s on screen relationship of Veggie, life seems to be imitating art or the other way around. Veronica was receiving a deeper and more meaningful connection with Reggie than she ever did with Archie. With Archie, Veronica regularly depended on sex to get through her troubles with him, and they barely talked or was openly honest with each other about things. They would be in the same room, and then they had sex. There was no actual communication, comfort, and support between Archie and Veronica, and that is due to the severe lack of spiritual compatibility between the two. Archie and Veronica didn't connect on an emotional and spiritual level, and that is why their relationship was shallow and lacking in substance in addition to having constant tension and disharmony. Here with Reggie, Veronica communicates openly and honestly with him, and she opens up to him. She has shown a much more emotional and vulnerable side of her personality with Reggie that she didn't with Archie. Reggie and Veronica provide each other with the comfort, love and care that they both need. Reggie has proven that he is willing to do anything for Veronica and that he will be there for her by her side when she needs him. And the same is said for Veronica with Reggie. Though it was likely shown off-screen, Veronica most likely comforted Reggie when he opened up to her about the abuse that he has suffered at the hands of his father since childhood. They have opened up to each other about their issues and their emotions, and it has been seen on the show. With Veronica, Reggie has shown a much more tender, softer, gentle and caring side to his often brash, cocky, and arrogant personality. He has let down those walls that he had built around him out of fear of looking weak or vulnerable. He used his brashness and cockiness as a mask to hide what he was feeling on the inside and all of the hurt that he had felt because of being an abuse survivor. Another thing is that despite Veggie having such great sexual and physical chemistry, they haven't constantly been shown kissing and sleeping with each other. More than anything, Reggie and Veronica aren't just romantic partners and business partners, but they are also great friends. It is what makes them an excellent spiritual match. Reggie and Veronica are like kindred spirits in a way. they have a lot of personality traits in common, and they both come from troubled backgrounds and households of abuse. They may not have the best Emotional Chemistry Rating, but what they lack in that area, they certainly make up for in the Spiritual Compatibility category. Reggie and Veronica can have a very successful and happy romantic relationship if they want because they are spiritually compatible. Their relationship is bound to be harmonious and filled with tons of happy times if they refuse to let any external drama or problems stand in their way. And even if they do confront drama, Veggie will be able to overcome their issues with ease because of their spiritual connection. In terms of canon relationships on the show, Veggie is probably the most compatible and the best relationship as of now. The other canon romantic couples such as Varchie, Bughead and Choni are all toxic and displaying huge signs of incompatibility and disharmony. Back to the real world with regards to Charles and Camila’s Spiritual Compatibility Rating, there's the possibility for a happy, prosperous, and successful future for these two.

#08. Lochlyn Monroe & Nathalie Boltt (Riverdale Pairing: Halope; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 70%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating: 83%)

At #8 on this rankings list is Lochlyn Monroe and Nat Boltt, who portray the fictional couple of Halope. These two actors earned an 83% Spiritual Compatibility and they tie Charles and Camila with the same score. This was another surprise to me that these two had such a strong spiritual chemistry score. At the same time, Lochlyn and Nat did have reasonably good Biorhythm Compatibility scores. Lochlyn and Nat had a 96% Physical score, a 22% Emotional score and a 93% Intellectual score. When it comes to those categories, Lochlyn and Nat did very well in the Physical and Intellectual areas but didn't fare so well in the Emotional category. However, despite their low Emotional Compatibility, they make up for the lack of emotional connection with their high 83% Spiritual score. Though Lochlyn and Nat's characters Hal and Penelope are very villainous characters, Lochlyn and Nat are able to display the fact that they have some sort of spiritual bond as their fictional characters. Hal and Penelope have a lot in common and they share many similarities. They both grew up in terrible, dysfunctional homes. They are both abusive parents to their children. They both grew up to be killers. They both have dark and troubled pasts that caused them to become the villainous characters they are today. They are both highly intelligent and scheming. Is it any wonder why Hal and Penelope have a strange fondness for each other? Despite how fucked up they are as people, they are actually a very good match in every way because of how similar they are and how many things they share in common. So, through Lochlyn and Nat's strong spiritual connection, they are able to display it through their fictionary characters of Hal and Penelope. Life is imitating art in this case. However, even though it's obvious that Hal and Penelope are kindred spirits in every sense of the word, the writers have seemed to have forgotten about this relationship. In season 2, it was revealed that Hal and Penelope were having an affair while Hal was still married to Alice. After that was revealed, it was like the writers and RAS completely forgot about them and we never saw them on screen again. In season 3, there are some snippets of their relationship when Hal talks to Betty about Penelope while she was visiting him in jail. Hal spoke highly of Penelope and stated that he admired Penelope and loved the fact that she was a strong intelligent and cunning woman. He told Betty that he understood Penelope on a deep spiritual level because of how they both grew up in dark and troubled homes that shaped them to become the people that they were today. Though Lochlyn and Nat don't share screen time anymore, their strong spiritual connection is being played through Hal and Penelope's relationship through words, dialogue, and conversation. If only the writers would actually have Lochlyn and Nat be in scenes together once again then we could see any further development in this very complex yet weird and intriguing relationship. What is it about the writers creating dynamics and relationships and all of a sudden neglecting them and acting like they never existed?

#09. KJ Apa & Lili Reinhart (Riverdale Pairing: Barchie; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 75%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating: 76%)

Up next on the list at #9 is KJ Apa and Lili Reinhart, who portray the fictional couple of Barchie. KJ and Lili earned a very impressive 76% Spiritual Compatibility Rating. It is an strong score, and it proves, once again, that KJ and Lili have a powerful connection. On my Biorhythm Compatibility and Chemistry test, KJ and Lili scored a solid 75% Biorhythm Chemistry Rating. In my original rankings list of the most popular Riverdale couples, Barchie was #2 and the runner up to Jeronica, who was #1. In addition to being the runner up in the Overall Chemistry Ratings, KJ and Lili had some very excellent and exceptional ratings on their Primary Biorhythm Chemistry Test. They earned an outstanding 99% Physical Chemistry Rating and a superb 94% Emotional Chemistry Rating. With these impressive ratings, KJ and Lili are one of the pairs of Riverdale actors to have some of the highest and strongest Physical Chemistry and Emotional Chemistry scores. KJ and Lili earned scores in both of these categories that came the closest to having a perfect, ideal score of 100% Chemistry or Compatibility Rating. Undoubtedly, KJ and Lili are near unbeatable in both the Physical Chemistry and Emotional Chemistry categories. KJ and Lili receiving a very high 99 % Physical Chemistry Rating proves that the two have great sexual and physical chemistry. Shall the two emerge in a romantic relationship as Barchie on the show, KJ and Lili’s sex scenes and romantic scenes are bound to be very passionate and intense, and the sparks will fly with these two! In addition, KJ and Lili’s extraordinary 94% Emotional Chemistry Rating is also perfect prospects for not only their on and off screen friendship and relationship but their possible romantic portray of Barchie on the show down the line. KJ and Lili have a powerful emotional connection that they have a connection. KJ and Lili have the intense Emotional Chemistry score that most people would dream of and their Emotional Chemistry Rating is something that would people see in a fantasy or a fairy tale. These two emotional connectand it shows in their scenes together as Archie and Betty. KJ and Lili’s high Emotional Chemistry Rating is something that is highly commendable, and Barchie needs to be explored on the show to showcase this strong emotional connection that they have. In addition to having superb Physical Chemistry and Emotional Chemistry, KJ and Lili have a very great Spiritual Compatibility and Chemistry to add to their list of achievements. Them earning an impressive 76% Spiritual Compatibility Rating proves that KJ and Lili have an intense bond and relationship. When it comes to how KJ and Lili’s high spiritual connection plays into their fictional couple of Barchie, they are soulmates, and they connect on a fundamentally deep level. It's not that they are just best friends from childhood. It's that they intuitively get each other in ways nobody else does. They are spiritually in tune and sync with each other. It's the way they are when they are in each other's presence. It's in how they look at each other every time. KJ and Lili’s Spiritual Compatibility Rating also proves that as Betty and Archie, they have tons of unconditional love for each other. Their relationship is not merely defined by sex, material things, or what they can do for each other. Their relationship is the epitome of pure unconditional love. Remember, Betty didn't love Archie because of his looks or his charisma or because he had tons of wealth. Betty loved Archie because of his personality and his soul. She loved his spirit, and she saw his pure soul for what it was. Betty has loved Archie for years, but Betty could never muster up the guts to tell him how she felt about him. She kept her love for Archie a secret out of fear that he would reject her or destroy their friendship. When Betty did finally tell Archie how she felt about him, Archie had a total freak out, and he declined Betty. Let me be clear. Archie didn't reject Betty and tell her that he couldn't be with her because he didn't love her back. He dismissed her because he hated himself and didn't think he was good enough. You see, Archie has serious self-esteem issues. He doesn't have a lot of self-love. He continually puts himself down and thinks lowly of himself, despite his likeability and popularity at school and within the community of Riverdale. People love and like Archie, but Archie doesn't love or like himself. I believe that the way for Archie to gain some self-love and go on the path and journey to self-love is for him to accept and love Betty. Archie Andrews needs to come to a crossroads and come to terms with the deeply hidden spiritual and unconditional love he has for Betty Cooper. Until Archie comes to terms with the fact that he loves Betty and is in love with her, Archie on;t find and harmony, peace or happiness. the reason why Archie has continued to be miserable and depressed this whole time is that he hasn't accepted that he loves Betty yet. he needs to embrace it and accept those feelings. It's essential for Archie and his character growth. When there is a huge lack of spiritual connection in a relationship (like the one he has with Veronica), it stunts any personality evolvement. Archie has been trapped in a stalemate with Veronica for far too long, and because of that, he hasn't been able to grow. Spiritual love and connection are about growing together for the positive. It's about trust, honesty, and communication between two people. But most of all, it's about unconditional love and a love that has no barriers, secrets, lies, or conditions. The relationship that Archie had with Veronica was conditional love. It was all about what they could do for each other or about sexual matters. There was a huge lack of spiritual connection between Archie and Veronica (as noted in their abysmal 15% Spiritual Compatibility Rating). Archie needs to be with someone whom he is spiritually compatible. He needs someone that he connects with on a deeper level and Veronica doesn't provide him that. Betty is the one that can provide him with such a connection. Because they had a close intimate relationship with each other for years and they are best friends who understand each other and know each other. Archie and Betty have a relationship that is the closest representation of unconditional love on the show. When these two bond and connect, it has nothing to do with conditions, selfish desires, or what they can do for each other. It's just pure love that exists between them, plain and simple. Barchie is a highly compatible possible romance; out of all the canon and non-canon couples, Archie and Betty have very excellent ratings in all the key areas where a harmonious, successful romantic relationship is needed to flourish. Barchie has outstanding Physical Chemistry, Emotional Chemistry, and Spiritual Chemistry. Now, this is something that is considered to be rare amongst romantic couples. Most of the time, a romantic couple doesn't score excellent or outstanding scores and ratings in these three areas combined on their Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility Tests. Most romantic couples only do well in one category or two categories at most but may fail to deliver in one category or two categories and maybe even all three categories. The only area where Barchie didn't perform that well was in the Intellectual Compatibility category. However, they are highly compatible in all of the other areas including Physical, Emotional, and now Spiritual so that they can make up for their lack of Intellectual Chemistry. Barchie having such a strong Spiritual Compatibility Rating indicates that shall they get together romantically, they will have a very harmonious, fruitful romantic relationship. Archie and Betty would be in a relationship that is charging with harmony, trust, honesty, respect, communication, peace, openness, and most of all, unconditional love. Archie and Betty are spiritually in tune with each other, and they would immediately understand what the other needs just by looking at each other. A huge example of an act of unconditonal love that Archie and Betty have done for each other is when the Black Hood was holding them at gunpoint at the graveyard, the Black Hood was threatening to shoot him if he didn't get into the coffin to be buried alive by Betty. Archie refused to gibe into the Black Hood's threats of being shot by him, just like he had shot his father Fred right in front of him and failed to prevent it from happening. However, when the Black Hood pointed the gun to Betty and threatened to shoot her if he refused to get into the coffin, Achie didn't hesitate a second to jump into the coffin to be buried alive because he couldn't let Betty die. Archie would have rather been buried alive in a coffin to die for eternity than for the Black Hood to shoot and kill Betty. It shows that Archie can't imagine living without Betty and that he values his life more than he values his. It is the definition of an act of pure unconditional love. Another example of uncondional love between Archie and Betty is when Betty accepted Archie's relationship with Veronica. As much as it killed her and hurt her so badly when Archie rejected her and chose Veronica over her, Betty just wanted Archie to be happy. Archie's happiness was more important to her than her hurt feelings of pain and rejection. Or, there's that Betty is willing to do anything for Archie including risking her life or getting herself into illegal situations. The one thing that Betty won't do however, unlike with Jughead, is Betty isn't one for dragging Archie into horrible situations. She would rather keep Archie safe and away from danger as much as possible. On the other hand, Betty doesn't have an issue with dragging Jughead into her messes and into her illegal activities. Archie and Betty are always willing to sacrifice themselves to help, protect or save the other and that is waht true love is all about. Sadly, Archie and Betty are trapping themselves in romantic relationships (Varchie and Bughead respectively) that haven't been fulfilling all of their needs on a physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual level. They have been committed in empty, hollow, and shallow relationships that have done more harm than good for both of them. As much as Archie may have thought that he loved Veronica, it wasn't and still isn't love. Well, it is considered to be love between Archie and Betty, but it was a love that is conditional and a love that was meant to fade and not last over time. Archie and Veronica's relationship brought too many problems and too much pain in Archie's direction. Currently, Archie has spiritual and emotional wounds because of his relationship with Veronica. Two people who have good spiritual compatibility and a connection with each other don't have those kinds of horrible issues in their relationship. Even if they do, they are easily able to overcome them with ease and without effort. Varchie hasn't been able to do such a thing because they aren't spiritually compatible. And in Betty and Bughead's case, Betty is just settling for Jughead because she can't have Archie, let's be real here. First of all, Betty moved on way too fast from Archie and she leaped into a romantic relationship with Jughead much too quick. Spiritual Love doesn't rush. Spiritual Love isn't a rebound. It takes its time, and it's evolving and ever-growing. Spiritual Love is a marathon, it's not a sprint. Bughead's relationship never experienced a proper journey so that they can grow separately and together as a couple. they just got together out of desperation and impulse. In the meantime, Jughead and Betty's personalities have changed for the negative since getting together. It is mainly because Jughead and Betty have a serious lack of spiritual compatibility. Barchie, unlike Varchie and Bughead, have a journey. Archie and Betty didn't leap into a romantic relationship without going through some personal and spiritual growth and development on their own. I feel like Archie and Betty will eventually realize their love for each other and come together when the time is right for them to do so. True love, especially spiritual love, has to take its time to formulate and develop. Right now, Archie and Betty are just settling for the current relationships they're in. It's glaringly obvious that both of them are in relationships which aren't spiritually and emotionally fulfilling. Betty and Archie always look sad, unhappy or miserable with their significant others. If Bughead and Varchie are true love, then how come they are rarely happy together? Why has Jughead and Betty grown so distant from each other this season that it seems that they aren't even a real couple anymore? Why did Varchie become so toxic and fragmented and ended up breaking up for good if they were true love and were supposed to be together? because Varchie and Bughead are conditional love, not unconditional spiritual love. Both Bughead and Varchie lack what Barchie have, which is that deep emotional and spiritual connection that's needed for a happy, prosperous, successful and fruitful romantic relationship. Archie and Betty need each other to be in a fullfulling and happy state of mind. It is becoming more and more obvious as the series goes on. Bughead and Varchie just don't work at all. They are both toxic relationships but Betty and Archie can't seem to break free of the shackles of these toxic relationships. Another problem is that Betty and Archie don't even realize how toxic their relationships are and that they are the best option for each other. Bughead and Varchie may be the ships that are currently sailing on the ocean, but Barchie is the safe harbor and the destination for the ships. A ship can't spend all its time sailing out in the rocky seas and oceans; it eventually has to dock and find a safe harbor to find peace, security and comfort. Ships have to go home and find a home. There is no doubt in my mind that deep down, Archie and Betty are in love with each other and they are true soulmates. They have to come to realize it and then accept each other afterward. If they don't recognize their feelings for each other and accept the love and connection that they have, Archie and Betty will never find the peace, harmony, happiness or fulfillment that they need and desire. They will always feel empty, lost and hollow on the inside; they would constantly be questioning themselves. Out of all the canon and non-canon couples on Riverdale, Barchie comes the closest to being the ideal, perfect couple. The writers need to give these two a shot romantically. Their relationship needs to sail sooner rather than later. If Archie and Betty don't get a chance to explore their relationship and let the viewers see how great their relationship could be, it will be such a huge waste and one of the biggest executive writing errors in Riverdale history. Archie and Betty are made for each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Archie and Betty are meant to be. It's that simple and there are no arguments about it. And when it comes to KJ and Lili and their chemistry and spiritual connection, they definitely have something special and they display it when they portray Archie and Betty and Barchie.

#10. Camila Mendes & Lili Reinhart (Riverdale Pairing: Beronica; Total Biorhythm Compatibility Rating: 65%; Total Biorhythm Spiritual Compatibility Rating: 76%)

Next up at #10 and rounding out the Top 10 couples on this rankings is Camila Mendes and Lili Reinhart who portray the fictional duo of Beronica. Camila and Lili earned a solid 76% Spiritual Compatibility Rating, tying KJ and Lili. It is strong score and shows that despite Camila and Lili’s on screen relationship of Beronica not being explored enough on the show, Camila and Lili do have a genuine and good spiritual bond with each other. Camila and Lili also scored a decent rating in my other rankings list; they had a 65% Overall Chemistry Rating and placed 5th on the original rankings, making them one of the top 5 couples that had the best chemistry. Camila and Lili having an excellent spiritual bond is what makes their friendship in real life so appealing and how they are able to bring Beronica so much life and vibrance on the show. When it comes to how Camila and Lili’s friendship mirrors their fictional relationship of Beronica, they instantly bonded when they first met each other, and they connected. Beronica is known to be one of the most iconic friendships in comic book history. But unfortunately, the show hasn't correctly done them justice. Beronica deserves so much more than what they are getting or how they are being written on the show. In season 1, despite them getting off to a rough start because of Archie, Veronica and Betty instantly clicked and became fast friends. Veronica even stated to Archie that she felt she was destined to be best friends with Betty. A line like this proves that Betty and Veronica had an instant spiritual attraction and connection to each other despite coming from entirely different worlds and backgrounds. They were such loyal friends to each other in season 1, and they were always there for each other to provide one another with comfort and support when they required it. In season 2, Veronica and Betty continued to be best friends and act like it. That was until the writers chose to butcher their bond and portray their friendship as toxic instead of what it was, a powerful female friendship with a robust spiritual relationship. The writers made their friendship so toxic with Betty constantly humiliating and bullying and attacking Veronica in front of other people with no issue at all. Or Veronica was continually lying to Betty and keeping essential secrets from her, such as the fact that she was working with her parents and working for her family business. It all came to a head towards the end of season 2, and they had a major falling out. Fortunately, Archie was able to bring these two girls back together and rekindle their friendship once more. Now in season 3, it's like their relationship and friendship never existed. They barely hang out together or are seen communicating with each other. Betty and Veronica have a substantial spiritual connection and, and it's a shame that is going to waste. Camila and Lili scoring a 72% Spiritual Compatibility rating shows that despite their critical differences in a variety of areas, these two girls genuinely love each other as best friends and as sisters. It's sad that the writers are refusing to utilize Camila and Lili’s friendship chemistry properly. Also, it should be noted that not only has Camila and Lili received a good score in terms of their Spiritual Compatibility test, but they had a very excellent Physical Chemistry Rating (scoring a whopping 96%) along with a terrific Emotional Chemistry Score (they racked up a massive 85% in that category). So, not only do Camila and Lili have great Physical Chemistry and Emotional Chemistry, but they also have a good Spiritual Chemistry and Compatibility. Camila and Lili’s ratings have continued to impress, and they manage to beat out many of the canon romantic couples, such as on here and on the other rankings list. Camila and Lili earning a 76% Spiritual Compatibility Rating indicates that there is a deep spiritual bond that they share and they have a deep, abiding and degree of unconditional love for one another. At their very best as Beronica their relationship and friendship can be very harmonious and prosperous if the writers stop giving them storylines that make their relationship toxic and troubled. I understand that the writers do what they do with Beronica because they want to incite and create drama for the show, but it's ruining a profoundly spiritual and robust friendship such as Betty and Veronica's. There are other ways for the writers to create drama for their show instead of throwing Beronica's friendship under the bus constantly every season. Now, in season 3, the writers are refusing to show us why Beronica's friendship is such a deep and spiritual connection of friendship. They don't have them interact or act like friends, and it's just disappointing. I want to see more of these two connect emotionally and spiritually. I want to see these too actually bond with each other and communicate with each other. I want to see these two do things together like actual friends. I want to see them separate themselves from their boyfriends and hang out like usual. I want to see Betty and Veronica open up to each other openly and honestly about the troubles and struggles in their lives. These girls need each other especially with all the ongoing chaos and drama and stress in their lives that's going on right now. They need to connect spiritually. Their Spiritual Compatibility is great, and they need to take advantage of that. Hopefully, the writers get Camila and Lili to share more scenes again because the Beronica scenes are seriously lacking. They shouldn’t let Camila and Lili’s friendship and chemistry go to waste.

Look for Part 2 soon.

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scurvgirl · 5 years

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The Dragon and the Castle

Fairy Tale AU!

Previous | Masterpost

I am super excited (nervous) about this one!

Selene and Des belong to @selenelavellan

Ana belongs to @lycheemilkart

Vena, Dirthamen, Andruil, and Uthvir belong to @feynites

Anaris belongs to @justanartsysideblog

Aili belongs to @lillotte17

“I hate this plan,” Selene says, frowning deeply at everyone.

“It’s for the best, we can’t both be on the field,” Des argues. He’s right, it’s too dangerous for them to be the battlefield at the same time, it’s why this plan was proposed in the first place. If one of them were to be killed or incapacitated, it has a high chance of doing the same to the other.

The scowl does not lessen, however.

“Des is better at illusions and we will need a massive one to distract all of the soldiers in the castle,” Adannar says softly. It feels bad to tell her this, even though it is true. Selene can create illusions, but her gifts lie in quick battle strikes and healing. In an actual battle, she would be the better choice, but this is a mock battle. Des will be creating a horde of attacking mercenaries with the added strength of the fairy dust Vitality gifted him. They need a show and that is what Des does.

“I like this plan,” Dirthamen says, “it keeps you safe.” She gives him a long adoring look before shaking her head.

“It puts those I love in jeopardy and they expect me to sit back -

“We expect you to keep the home base safe!” Des scoffs. He gestures to Dirthamen. “Falon’din could come looking for his brother at any point.”

Selene crosses her arms, clearly not liking Des’s reasoning. Adannar understands, he wouldn’t want to sit back either, but the risk is too high. Any number of things could go wrong. While he wants as much firepower as possible to go get Serahlin, they all need to be practical - sending everyone in just risks more than what they could potentially achieve. Selene is a terrifying opponent on the battlefield, and he has no doubt that she will return to it one day, but today is not that day.

It takes a bit more convincing, but Selene eventually, grudgingly, accepts that she needs to remain at the Tower. Dirthamen is pleased and even moves to hold her hand.

After they convince Selene to remain with Dirthamen and the ravens, they return to hashing out the details of the assault. The plan is fairly simple, but there are plenty of places where things could go awry.

“Ana will create a thorny vine barrier around the perimeter of the castle,” Vena clarifies, drawing a finger around the castle diagram they have on the table. She nods then frowns.

“That is a lot...it will take some time,” she murmurs, and by the look on her face, ‘some time’ may be more significant than what it suggests.

“What if you took one of the fairy dust pouches? I doubt Des needs both for weaving his illusion,” Adannar points out.

“That would certainly make things easier,” Ana says. Des tosses her one of the pouches, then clearly ties the other one tighter to his belt.

“Des will create an illusion of attacking mercenaries, no banners, to draw the castle soldiers out into the open. They will have to be very convincing, Des,” Vena points to a spot close to the vine barrier that is directly in front of the castle’s main gate. He drags his fingers to demonstrate the “assault” Des will lead.

“Once the soldiers are drawn out, Ana will close off their return with another vine wall. How long would it take to make one that would span...just under two hundred yards?”

“Ten minutes. Des will need to keep them engaged for that long.”

Everyone frowns at that. An illusion is great and all, but it’s hard to keep an entire force of soldiers occupied once they realize their attacking force is well, not real.

“What if I corralled them with fire? I wouldn’t need the dust, fire is second nature to me,” Des offers, drawing his own finger across the diagram. Smoke rises up as he singes the papers.

Vena shrugs, “However it gets done. Who is sabotaging the ranged weapons?”

“I am,” Anaris says, rubbing the heel of his boot where the trebuchets and whatever other ranged weapons the elves have conceived.

“Good. The drain to get into the castle is over here,” he points to a spot on the opposite end of the castle from the gate, “there is a small brook we will need to cross. If we can’t escape through the drain, Adannar will need to fly us out from the courtyard here.” There are technically two courtyards, but the one in question is the larger of the two and is central to the entire keep. There is enough room in this secondary courtyard that Adannar will be able to unfurl his wings and fly into the sky. At least, that’s what Vena believes. Adannar is holding onto that hope. If there isn’t enough room...he could always jump the courtyard walls and take off from there.

“Do we have any idea where Serahlin is being kept?” Des asks.

“Aren’t prisoners held in dungeons?” That’s what Adannar’s always thought. It’s what the elves have always mentioned when they’ve worried about being taken captive. Of course that was hundreds of years ago. Judging by Vena’s grim expression, Adannar isn’t correct.

“Not always,” is all Vena says, however.

“I could cast a tracking spell. But I will need something of Serahlin’s to complete it,” Anaris offers.

“I can pick something up from the cottage she stayed in,” Adannar replies, ignoring the way his heart clenches at the idea of returning to the cottage. It’s only been a couple of weeks since she ran from him and yet their time together seems so far. He longs for her now, but he holds no illusions that she will return that affection.

They nail down a few more details before agreeing to move forward with the plan. Adannar leaves to fetch an item of Serahlin’s for the spell. When he returns hours later, Vena has passed out in a bed with his head in Ana’s lap. She’s stroking his hair and humming an old dryad folk tune and every so often, Vena’s ear twitches, making Ana smile.

Selene and Des are also asleep, twined around each other in a cute sleepy dragon pile. He rumbles happily before lying down next to them.

Tomorrow, he will rescue Serahlin, perhaps just for her to leave him again. But for now, he can sleep and enjoy the comfort of his friends.

The illusion of mercenaries begins with Adannar rolling in very real fog to blanket the countryside. Visibility is reduced until he feels like it is safe to begin the trek to Tavathan. Neither him nor Des take their true forms to assail the tower, but rather remain in their elven shapes. Anaris remains perched on Adannar’s shoulder, reserving his energy for facing any issues they may face once they make it into the keep.

Adannar, Des, and Vena all sit upon constructed metal stags, with Anaris perched on Adannar’s shoulder. The stags are large beasts, once crafted to help carry the naturally bipedal magical creatures during the resistance. They have been in the forest, wandering as they please, only returning when Adannar beckoned them home for maintenance. In the time they have been away, their metal has changed from shining coppers and brass to soft green and dark hues. Hanging moss drips down from their antlers. Unlike Huirin and the other smaller deer, these creatures are silent as they move save for the plod of their hooves.

He imagines it’s quite the eerie sight to see three men riding on these large harts through an imposing fog that one seems to be commanding. But it also feels amazing to be using his magic again like this. After hiding for so long, Adannar has grown accustomed to feeling stifled and unable to flex any of his magic - and now here he is, able to roll the fog in still at his command.

Vena wipes at his forehead, “Didn’t realize fog could be hot.”

“It is when the fog is being cast by a dragon who breathes steam,” Des clarifies. Adannar’s a bit preoccupied focusing on keeping the fog dense to explain himself. “See, normal fog is just a cloud on the ground, but Adannar is heating the hair and commanding the water to coalesce with said hot air. This fog is kept together by magical steam. Feels lovely.”

“You’re a dragon, you breathe fire, this is...hard to breathe,” Vena says, breath clearly laboring. Adannar turns his gaze towards the man and waves a hand, allowing a pocket to form around Vena so he can breathe.

“Thanks, buddy.”

Adannar nods, still too focused to speak.

It is a slow crawl through the countryside of Tavathan. The sun is hanging low in the sky when they reach the village. They stop since Des must go complete his task for Vitality before using the powder. There will likely not be time afterwards to complete the task since they will be on the run from Andruil and her lackeys. The dragon turned elf hops off his hart and shrinks into the form of a fluffy cat before disappearing into the fog.

Twenty minutes later, Des returns looking no worse for wear. There is a peculiar look on his face as he retakes his elven form and mounts his hart once more.

“Anything of note?” Vena asks and Des shakes his head.

“Even if there was, I cannot say.” Another fairy promise then. Very well, Adannar can accept that though he does not know if the elf is so capable. This world of the forest and its creatures is still so new to him.

“Time to rescue the princess, hmm?” Des asks.

Finally, Adannar thinks before urging his hart forward.

Tavathan is a large settlement geographically, but population wise it’s sparse. The village is sprawling due to the sheep fields and the hills that seem to belong to specific families. On the far eastern side, sitting atop several hills is a gigantic keep. There is a tower that rises above everything and on a cloudy day, the tip of the spire is shrouded by the clouds. Not as tall as the Glass Tower, but certainly impressive if no magic was used in its construction.

A brook separate the heart of the town and the keep. They cross it easily and Adannar commands the fog to creep into the castle’s grounds.

“Very good. Is Ana finished setting up that barrier?” Des asks referring to how Ana is tasked with creating a barrier of bramble thorns around the keep.

“I do not know, I do not see the brambles yet,” Vena says.

“I will check,” Adannar whispers, finally able to detach himself from the fog enough to tilt his head to the side to listen. Ana took a small mechanical blue bird with her that is temporarily mystically connected to him. It chirps that she still needs time just as he feels the earth begin to rumble.

The normally quiet harts make a whir of concern then move forward. The ground erupts behind them, tall vines reach toward the sky then curl down, sealing them all in the trap.

“Well, that certainly makes things complicated,” Des says. Once more, Adannar lifts his finger and connects to the bird.

Tell her to open it for a minute where we are. He asks. A moment later, the brambles part, allowing Des to slip out.

“Wonderful. I’m off, boys. One hundred distracting, assailing mercenaries coming right up.” He rides off into the fog, his hart once more silent.

Adannar tries to remain confident as he watches Des go, but it is difficult. Somewhere in this castle is Serahlin, but it also houses Andruil. He is not as powerful in combat as many of the dragons she has slain - what hope does he have if he is forced to face her? If he had any hope of defeating her, he would have to turn to strong magicks and vicious fighting styles that would make him appear as bestial as Serahlin fears he is. How could he to convince her to leave then? He pushes it from his mind and concentrates at the task at hand. These are hypothetical fears, giving them substance will only harm everyone.

“Anaris, please go sabotage any of the large long-range siege weapons,” he requests. The fairy salutes then disappears with a flit of magic. Vena stares at the spot where Anaris was standing and tries not to look overwhelmed.

“Magic can be a bit much for those unaccustomed,” Adannar says.

“Uh-huh, that’s one way of putting it. Can your birdie sense if Ana is doing alright?”

Adannar tilts his head again and listens, “She seems fine. A little tired from the magical expenditure, but fine. You seem fond of her.”

Vena shrugs, “She saved my life, I think that would instill fondness in anyone.” Adannar hopes Vena is right and perhaps Serahlin still holds some fondness for him inside her heart. He knows her trust is gone, but he hopes for fondness.

“I hear Princess Serahlin is quite beautiful,” Vena says after a long moment. Adannar nods and finds himself smiling wistfully.

“Beautiful is too common a description for her. She is radiant, lovelier beyond words,” he says, recalling her ink black hair, her soft pink eyes, the softness of her skin...

“There was a rumor that Princess Serahlin declined a hundred proposals before agreeing to marry Dirthamen.” The comment makes Adannar frown. He is not one for gossip, particularly the sort having to do with Serahlin. He rather doubts the authenticity of such rumors, especially if they were espoused at court. He may be a forest dwelling dragon, but he knows enough to know that there are more lies than truths murmured at court, more betrayals than friendships. It hurts his heart to think of Serahlin growing up in that environment. He knows it’s the reason for the walls around her heart, her natural guardedness. But even with growing up in such a place, she is kind and capable of such softness and love.

“I hope she never has to subject herself to court again,” Adannar says in a grave tone.

“From what I hear, Princess Serahlin was lauded at court. But can’t blame her for no wanting anything to do with it.” Vena shrugs but Adannar can’t shake the discomfort at the idea. Serahlin at court, excelling at the various machinations and plots. It’s not what he knows of her, but then again, she didn’t know a lot about him either.

They have much to discuss when this is all done.

Anaris reappears on Adannar’s shoulder, smelling of smoke.

“It is done. The lines in the trebuchets are snapped and Des is beginning to weave his illusion,” the fairy reports.

“Good, we wait for the signal then,” Adannar replies, shaking off the more negative emotions from his talk with Vena.

“What signal is that?” Asks the elf.

At once, shouts and cries of dismay echo from the castle. Anaris grins and Adannar feels a sick trepidation beat with his heart. May I not have to kill anyone today.

“That signal, of course!” Anaris claps. Adannar tries not to sigh as he dismounts the hart. Vena follows suit as they begin their approach.

With the guards suitably distracted by Des’s illusion of assaulting mercenaries and Ana’s vine magic, the trio will be able to slip in, assume the identity of guards themselves, and then ferry Serahlin out. They have two, maybe three, hours to get in, find her, and get her out before alerting anyone.

Adannar has never been one for stealth, but now is a good a time as any to be silent.

Only minutes later do they come upon the drain Vena spoke of. It is large and circular, but there is an equally large metal grate guarding it from any would-be trespassers.

“You said it was unguarded, but I suppose that did not include a metal grate,” Adannar comments.

“You’re a dragon, can’t you just...yank it off?” Vena asks.

“It’s not that simple,” Adannar whispers, “I will have to semi-shift myself to harness the strength to do this. Stand back.” Anaris hops off his shoulder and onto Vena’s instead while Adannar grasps the grate and allows his true form to bleed through his current one.

It is not a comfortable process. In between states feel stuffy, all at once too big and too small, his limbs are not the correct size and his mind is simply screaming to just pick a size and stick with it. But his dragon form is too big and too conspicuous while his elven form is not capable of the strength necessary to pull the grate free. Skin turns into scales and nail lengthen into claws as he wraps his hands around the grate. He can feel his skull pound with magic as his horns extend back from his forehead. His back ripples and he wonders if his wings will make an unwelcome appearance.

Thankfully, his wings remained furled, keeping his robe in tact. His breeches are not so lucky as his tail rips through the back and falls heavily to the floor. Quickly, Adannar yanks on the grate, pulling it free from the stonework. As soon as he sees they are free to proceed, Adannar starts stuffing his true form back under his elven shape. He shudders and feels his draconic features recede until he looks just as elven as Vena.

“Let’s go,” Adannar says, or at least he means to say, it comes out more of a growl than anything. He clears his throat to make the dragon-y voice clear up.

“Let’s go,” he reiterates.

“That was incredible,” Vena states, still staring at Adannar.

“Thank you, Selene is better at it. You’ll see her with horns or scales, even a tail, while in an elven body - but it’s always felt...difficult for me.” He shrugs, the magic works in different ways for different dragons. His talent has never been in shifting his shape but rather creating his creatures. Selene is better at commanding her shape, but the best shape-shifting dragon Adannar had met was a former spirit of Mischief. They were a smaller dragon, not that much bigger than a moose, but they could shift into anything that had a heartbeat. Word of their talent reached Mythal and she had Falon’din hunt and kill them. When Glory saw the myriad of iridescent scales adorning Falon’din’s armor on the battlefield, they flew into a rage.

Now is not the time, he reminds himself as he climbs into the drain -

“Sweet mercy!” He cries, hand slapping over his face. The smell.

“You brought us into a sewer drain?” Anaris drawls.

“As opposed to a nice unguarded entry point that doesn’t exist?” Vena snorts then winces as he draws more of the foul stench into his nostrils.

Even with the stench, it’s a good access point, and with Adannar’s connection to water, he’s able to keep the disgusting sewage away from them as they make their way through the drain. So much for hoping Serahlin would hug him when she sees him, he’ll stink too badly for that.

The drain is thankfully large enough that Vena and Adannar only have to bend at the hip to walk through. It’s far from comfortable, but it’s better than having to crawl. It’s the little things, really. They move through the sewer system for twenty minutes before they find an exit point.

“I’ll check,” Anaris volunteers. Adannar would argue but Anaris’s small size makes him the ideal one to scout ahead to make sure they’re safe. He leaps up the drain past the grate into whatever is above.

“We’re in the castle proper, I think,” Vena whispers, “probably near the kitchens, maybe the washroom.” Adannar sniffs the air. It doesn’t smell like food, but then again, he can hardly smell anything over the stench of the sewage.

A few minutes later, Anaris hops back down.

“Washroom up there, there are a couple of guards posted not far from it. They’ll make good marks.”

“Is there any way to remove the grate without having to yank it?” Adannar murmurs. Anaris reaches up and waves a hand over it.

“Yes, I will remove it.” with some fine tuned quick telekinesis, the grate pops open.

“Why didn’t we do that before?” Vena asks.

“That grate was fused shut - this one is designed to be able to open,” Anaris answers as they begin to climb up. Adannar tries not to think about what his hand is touching as he hoists himself up out of the drain and into the washroom. It’s a spacious room, filled with large basins and racks. It is open to a small courtyard that are filled with clotheslines, sheets and things waving with the wind.

Vena grunts as he heaves himself out of the sewer, nose wrinkled in disgust at the stench still permeating the room. They replace the grate once he’s out, then set to stalking the nearby guards. Anaris directs them out of the washroom and down the hall to the left. Around the corner is a door with two guards at the ready. Their weapons are drawn and Adannar wonders why they are here guarding a door while the rest of the castle is in a tizzy over the “attack.”

Adannar can hear the bustling soldiers running throughout the castle, their heavy footfalls surprisingly quick as they run out to the front to fortify the keep.

“I’ll put them to sleep but then you must be quick to get them, people are coming,” Anaris whispers before darting off. When the guards collapse, Vena and Adannar rush ahead and drag their bodies back to the washroom. They’re quickly stripped them locked into a closet full of cleaning supplies. Someone will hear them after this is all over and let them out. But for now, the risk is too great that they will wake and alert everyone to Adannar and Vena’s presence.

Swiftly, they don the uniform over their light underclothes. They came dressed for this, not wearing heavy over-clothes, the only exception being Adannar’s robe. With a quick murmured spell, the robe disappears back to his lair. It’s been spelled with him for so long, it doesn’t take much to command where it ought to be now.

Vena was right though, they are good sizes for guard uniforms. With the helmets on, no one can tell the truth. Now, to find the princess.

“What are you doing?! Unhand me!” Serahlin shouts, shoving a guard off of her. She doesn’t know what’s going on, but the castle is suddenly full of activity. Three guards came down to the dungeon and are now wrenching her from the dungeon. Ordinarily, she would love to leave such a horrid place. But Uthvir is here, and she is loathe to leave them, especially since Aili clearly won’t be able to escape from her room now.

“Castle’s under attack. Princess ordered us to get you to a more secure location,” the guard says before seizing her again. She tries to fight him but he hoists her up and carrie sher up the stairs. She could use her telekinesis on him, but it would spend precious energy. After working for days to build up her strength, she’s found she can’t keep it up indefinitely. Her power will feel weak and drained if she works it too much. And if the castle is under attack...she may just need it in a more dire situation.

Serahlin lets the guard carry her out of the dungeon. He sets her on her feet and this time she follows willingly. She doesn’t fancy being another prisoner to whoever is attacking the castle. But she has to wonder if this assailant is an ally or would be preferable company to the Princesses Andruil and Sylaise.

They are rushing by a long set of stairs when another cadre of guards rush down them. A short figure with long glowing hair is shrouded behind them. Aili! They must be moving her to this secure location as well! The guards merge into one group with Serahlin and Aili in the middle. They take each other’s hands as they run together. They are ushered down a long hallway and then into a room with a large tapestry. One of the guards pulls the tapestry to the side to reveal a peculiar looking metal door. It’s taller and narrower than the other doors, and even in the dark, it seems to radiate light. Markings are carved in circular patterns all over the door that begin to glow when a guard pulls it open.

Aili and Serahlin are unceremoniously shoved into the room. No guards enter with them.

“What is this?!” Serahlin demands. She can feel the glow in her eyes intensify as she glares at the guards.

“A room to keep you safe.” It is all he says before he shuts the door, leaving Aili and Serahlin alone. Under normal circumstances, Serahlin would be fascinated by the door and this room. It’s a beautiful, filled with plush furniture and tapestries. But today is no ordinary day.

“Who could be attacking?” Serahlin asks as she presses up against the door.

“I saw a large force from my tower - no banner. I heard a guard shout something about mercenaries,” Aili whispers. Mercenaries? Hm. Of all the people Serahlin had worried about, mercenaries were not one of them. They could be after her, but that is only if her mother had discovered her location. Since Andruil seems rather invested in keeping Serahlin around for her own gain, she doesn’t think her or any of her staff informed one of Serahlin’s mother’s allies of Serahlin’s location. Not to mention she has only been her a few days - that is hardly enough time to get word all the way to Eletharan.

That means the mercenaries are here for some other reason, and what are two things all mercenaries have in common? A love for gold and fear for things they cannot kill.

“Our situation has changed, lady Aili,” Serahlin says, hardly able to keep her grin to herself, “we’re escaping this place, today.”

Aili’s eyes widen but it quickly gives way to a steely determination, “We’re not leaving Uthvir.”

“Oh no, they’re going to help us. What mercenary would brave a dragon?” Serahlin quips making Aili grin mischievously. Serahlin backs away from the door and takes a deep breath. Calming herself before using her telekinesis is critical for there to be any success. She extends her hand and focuses on the act of the door opening.

A loud CLANG! Explodes from the door sending Serahlin flying across the room. She screams as her body is flung onto a couch. Fiery pain lances its way through her body, radiating from spine and down.

“Serahlin!” Aili cries.

Serahlin coughs and curls on herself. Before she knows what’s happening, something heavy is flung over her. When Aili begins to sing, Serahlin realizes what’s happening. Warmth and relief sinks into from Aili’s hair and soon she is sitting back up, moving the long hair off of her.

Serahlin rights her clothing and tries to keep the faith. The door is magically warded against anything opening it. They’ll just need to figure out something else.

Aili doesn’t seem as calm, however. She begins to pace, tugging at her hair. “I’m sick of this! I’m sick of being stuck in this stupid place! Why does my power have to be healing things?! You can move stuff with your mind and what do I get? Silly, glowing hair!”

“Aili, healing is a wonderful gift,” Serahlin argues but the princess is having none of it. She shakes her head, immense frustration and anger rising within her like an unstoppable wave.

“All it’s done is get me imprisoned. I can’t fight. I can’t do anything! I’m tired of sitting back while my friends get hurt!” Aili throws her hands down in a gesture of frustration, but in that movement, an inexplicable spark flies from her hands.

And promptly takes root in one of the tapestries on the wall. Aili gasps, eyes wide as the golden flame begins to grow and consume the fabric.

“Fire!” She exclaims, leaping from her seat with a pillow. She pats the fire and the fire dissipates, but the tapestry comes crashing down.

“I did that?” Aili whispers in equal measures amazement and horror.

“Congratulations, you are not quite as helpless as you thought - wait is that a door?” Serahlin was still making sure the fire is out when a dark spot on the newly revealed wall caught her eyes. She looks up and sure enough, there is a door - smaller and less fancy than the magical one they entered from, but a door still.

“Can we get that one open?” Aili asks but Serahlin is already working on it. Focusing herself once more, she gathers her power inside of her, picturing the door opening. The wood heaves then stops, remaining closed.

“It’s locked - maybe if you unlock it, we can get it open.”

“I don’t know how locking mechanisms work…” but there are hinges she can see. She imagines the screws in the hinges rising and falling out. The door groans and leans awkwardly as its support is taken away. With the hinges out of the way, Serahlin imagines the door bending itself until it snaps open. Wood cracks and snaps until there is an opening large enough for them to crawl through.

“Let’s go,” Serahlin declares before stepping over the broken door and into a dark lit hallway.

“I had no idea I could do that,” Aili whispers, giddy but nervous.

“It makes sense, my telekinesis was activated by fear - your fire was activated by frustration and anger.” Serahlin shrugs as they creep down the dark, narrow hall. It turns at odd angles and after the second or third turn, Serahlin realizes they’re curving around rooms. How interesting.

“We’re going to break Uthvir out of the dungeon and then we’ll get far, far from this place,” Aili declares with resounding determination.

“I know a place we can go,” Serahlin says softly. She hopes said place will still welcome her, or specifically, the person who resides there. Adannar surely would accept Uthvir and Aili at least, they haven’t wronged him like Serahlin has.

Once more she kicks herself internally for running away so soon. She didn’t hear him out. Yes, he explained himself, but she didn’t listen. For her entire life, she believed what was said about the dragons. That they’re greedy monsters who kill indiscriminately and it is only thanks to the dragon hunters that elven society still stands. Now she realizes how blind she was. Adannar was kinder to her than most elves have ever been. He made her feel things she never thought she could feel. And how did she repay his kindness and love? By calling him a liar when all he was doing was protecting himself from someone who could cause him irreparable harm then running away.

After escaping this place, Serahlin wants more than anything to apologize to him. She wants to hold his face and kiss him and tell him how wrong she was about his kind. How wrong she was about him.

Serahlin starts feeling along the walls for doors or windows. They find stairs first and quickly descend those. Finally, at the bottom of the stairs is a door. It too is locked, but Serahlin handles it the same way she did with the other door.

They step through the doorway into the castle proper. “Finally,” she whispers, taking Aili’s hand once more, “which way?”

Aili points to the right, “I think the dungeon is that way.”

“Then that’s where we’re going.” How they’re going to bust Uthvir out, Serahlin doesn’t know, but she figures that Andruil had to get Uthvir into the dungeon somehow and she rather doubts they willingly turned into an elf then walked into the cell. There has to be a gate or something that opens up to the surface. If they get that open, they can get Uthvir out and leave while the soldiers are preoccupied with the mercenaries. No one expects a dragon to randomly fly out from under you.

“Have you ever seen something that looks like a gate but in the ground? Probably in the courtyard, maybe even from the dungeon side?” Serahlin asks.

Aili nods, “Yes, but it hasn’t been used in hundreds of years, not since...you know.”

“That’s fine, I’ll blast it open and Uthvir will fly us out,” she whispers, lest a nearby soldier hears her.

“What?” Aili whispers back, “Uthvir can’t fly.”

Serahlin stops and turns to frown at Aili, “What do you mean, Uthvir can’t fly?” Dragons fly, that’s what they do. And she knows Uthvir has wings, so - oh. Oh no.

The rage in Aili’s face confirms Serahlin’s thoughts, “It was one of the first things Andruil did. She wanted them to know there was no escape. I do as much as I can to heal them, but it just helps with the pain.” Her fists clench and Serahlin knows that she is fighting that wave of feeling useless again. Quickly, Serahlin cups Aili’s face.

“This is a hitch, one we will overcome. A downed dragon is still a formidable opponent. They can run, or they can shift and we can steal horses and run away. We will figure this out, we will escape.” The fury cools in Aili’s eyes and she takes a steadying breath. Good, they don’t need another accidental fire.

“The chains. We need to figure out a way past the chains -

Serahlin is about to propose finding the guard who holds the keys when she sees a tiny…person? He’s perched on a slight outcrop of stone wearing a devious smile. But his eyes are those of a cat and the two tails swishing behind him only confirm the strangeness of his appearance.

She swallows back a scream but cannot stop her eyes widening into saucers and pointing wordlessly.

“Wha-AH!” Aili starts to screech and Serahlin is quick to slap her hand over her mouth.

“Excuse me, but who, what, are you?” Serahlin does her best to keep her voice from wavering, but there is a tremble at the end that doesn’t quite sell it, so she raises her chin and turns on her imposing regal expression. The...person’s grin just widens.

“Hello, Princess. My name is Anaris and I am what your people call a fairy.”

“A -ai-y?” Aili asks throw Serahlin’s hand, incredulous. Serahlin can’t say she doesn’t share Aili’s sentiment. A fairy? Really? In this place?

“Yes. And I bring you a gift. Now stay right here.” And just like that, the fairy vanishes. Into thin air! Leaving Serahlin and Aili stunned into silence in a small alcove in the hallway.

“I found her! Down the hall there, keep to the left,” Anaris says, reappearing on Adannar’s shoulder. A thrill runs through Adannar. She’s found! He runs down the hall Anaris indicated, needing to confirm with his own eyes that she is alright.

He keeps to the left, Anaris murmurs she’s in an alcove, he turns -

Serahlin.

She is as beautiful as the day she ran. Her hair is pulled up into a bun that is slowly coming undone and her dress is low and revealing in the Elvhenan style rather than her Elethari dress.

Her expression hardens and she steps in front of the elven woman she had been holding onto, “Step back! I won’t warn you again!” She hisses.

Oh right! He yanks his helmet off, golden hair slipping down his back and around his face. Serahlin stops, a wondrous expression replacing all hostility.

“Adannar?” She whispers in shock.

He cannot hold back the loving smile he has for her. He had been so worried and here she is, relatively unharmed.

“I’m here to get you out,” he says quickly because if he doesn’t say anything he fears he’ll take her into his arms and kiss her. And he cannot kiss her, that time has passed for them.

She chuckles low in her throat, “You’re behind the attack?”

“Actually my friend is, I hear you met him. Des? And it’s not real, just an illusion. But we have to get moving now.” He takes her hand and once more he resists the temptation to pull her into a hug.

“Not to interrupt - but what is going on?” The elven woman asks and Serahlin turns to her, still beaming as joyous relief flows through her.

“Aili, this is Adannar. Adannar, this is Aili - she is Sylaise’s adopted daughter slash captive. She’s coming with us.” Aili, she’s small and cute, but the magic inside of her is barely held back flame, curling within her. It shows in her hair. Something about it is so familiar but he can’t think about that now.

“Very well. She can come as long as we leave now.” He takes Serahlin’s hand again attempting to guide her back to the drain when Aili grows visibly upset.

“We can’t leave without Uthvir! Serahlin, remember? Uthvir, trapped down there? If we leave, they will have no one! I’m not leaving without them!” For such a small woman, Aili stands firm in place. Adannar’s heart goes out to her but -

“Adannar, she’s right. Uthvir’s a dragon, we can’t just leave them here,” Serahlin says and his attention quickly snaps to that.

“A dragon?” He asks, tone turning grave. A dragon is being held captive here? How - nevermind, he doesn’t want to know how this dragon was captured or...kept. The thought is so horrifying to him that it’s best not to dwell.

Serahlin nods slowly, “I wouldn’t believe it myself, but I met them when Andruil threw me in with them to scare me. Their magic is being kept suppressed. They’re chained in the dungeon. We can’t leave them here.”

Uncommon fury blasts through Adannar and he feels his eyes flash to their natural state. Aili gasps.

“You’re...you’re one too?” She breathes.

“Yes. Anaris -

“Ah, this was not part of the original agreement,” the fairy replies. Some part of Adannar, the primitive, draconic part that holds flesh memories and instincts wants to bite him. For a fairy, that would be fatal and would defeat his purpose. He takes a long steadying breath.

“For each person you help me rescue you may have one piece from my hoard with the previous aforementioned conditions. Deal?” He offers.

“No. It will apply to Aili, but this Uthvir...rescuing a dragon is no small task.” Do not kill him, do not.

Adannar grinds his teeth, “Then what do you want?”

“I want something built,” he answers immediately, likely sensing the razor edge Adannar is teetering on. He is not a violent dragon, he abhors violence, but there are few things that enrage him like the abuse and subjugation of his fellow dragons. It also did not escape his notice that Andruil threw Serahlin into the dungeon.

There are moments when he can understand the violence his fellows have been driven to.

“Excuse me, selfish creature, but your demands are foul,” Serahlin hisses, “you have absolutely no regard for life. Do you not realize the implications of Andruil having a dragon, hm? What power she has enslaved? How easily could she turn this dragon’s power against you and your people? And how long do think it is before she attempts to capture fairies? You need nothing built, what you need is to show to these people is that they cannot continue to capture and subjugate the magical people of this world. You will help Adannar, not because you are getting some ridiculous item out of it, but because it is the right thing to do, or so help you, you will suffer the consequences.”

He falls in love with her a bit more with those words, and his heart swells with incredible pride.

Anaris sneers at her, “You will regret those words, princess. You do not understand the fey.”

“And you do not understand me when I say that Andruil needs to be checked lest you all die. That is your payment - your life.” He cannot kiss her right now for that, it would completely undermine her and her ground, but oh does he want to kiss her. Standing up to a fairy even though knowing nothing about them and why they strike bargains. And to threaten him - yes, it’s not advisable, but her bravery is stunning and wonderful, even if it is rash.

“She is right, Anaris. How long would it be until Andruil sets her eyes upon the fair folk?” Adannar asks, which serves to only deepen his scowl.

“They’re looking for power - you have magic, right? That’s why we’re here,” Aili says suddenly, “they’re looking for magical power that they don’t have to break curses or something. Uthvir’s magic couldn’t break them, ours couldn’t either...she’ll come looking for you and your people next.”

“I don’t have people,” Anaris glowers, “but I see your point. Those of us who wander would be...susceptible, if she learned how to capture us.”

“She captured a dragon,” Serahlin deadpans, “I think the odds of her figuring out how to capture a fairy are pretty good. Do this and you put her focus back on the dragons rather than the fairies.”

He realizes that this is how she was at court and that what Vena said was true. She was good at it. She is fierce and stalwart with her words and position. Even while in a position that makes her reliant upon him and Anaris, she stands tall and demands concessions in the best interest for someone who cannot advocate for themselves.

Anaris curses, “Very well. I will aid in the release of Uthvir - but I still get three pieces from the hoard with the pre-existing caveat.”

“Deal,” Adannar says, and holds his finger out for Anaris to clasp it. With the magical deal struck, Adannar turns to Vena.

“Take the ladies to the drain and get them out of here. I will take care of this Uthvir with Anaris.” Vena nods and strides forward.

“Alright, ladies -

“Vena?! How did you get involved in this?” Aili exclaims only to quickly wave her hands, “nevermind, you’ll explain later. And wait, wait - I’m going with you. Uthvir is my friend.”

Adannar shakes his head, “I can’t be worrying about you if I’m going to do this. Rescuing one of my kind is tricky. Please, go with Vena, get to the forest.”

“We can trust him, Aili,” Serahlin says and his heart soars. She...trusts him? Even after everything?

Aili gives Adannar a hard look, “Fine. But you better get them out.”

He smiles, “I will.”

“We have to cut this short, I hear guards,” Vena says.

“There is a door that opens up in the courtyard. Andruil first used it to get Uthvir into the dungeon. One of the guards has the key. Uthvir is also chained in chains that suppress their magic,” Serahlin explains quickly as she is pulled along with Vena down the hall.

“Go! I will see you in the forest!” Adannar says as Vena ushers the ladies down the hall to the washroom. Serahlin gives Adannar a backward glance full of emotion. Soon, they’ll talk again soon. But right now, he has a fellow dragon to save.

A sewer. They came in through a sewer. That explained their stench, at least. Vena helps her and Aili through the drain, somehow trudging through the disgusting sewage for what feels like forever until finally they reach the end of the drain.

The water and...other things on her dress weigh it down. Not to be slowed, Serahlin takes the outer layer off, leaving her in the shift and corset. She throws the dress into a pile of sewage, glad to be rid of it.

Just past the drain are two large mechanical harts. She smiles, his creatures now welcome reminders of the safety of the wood.

Aili yelps and keeps behind Vena, “What are those?”

“They’re mechanical harts. Adannar built them. It’s what he does - create life from the lifeless,” Serahlin explains softly, walking to one of the harts. She reaches a hand out and the hart leans its head down for her to pet it. What a marvelous creature. It’s a bit amazing to think that not so long ago she’d be terrified of it, but now she runs her hand along its smooth snout, marveling at its movements and size.

“We’re riding them to safety,” Vena states and Aili scowls.

“We’re going to help, if we ride around that way, we’ll be at the courtyard,” Aili argues.

“Precisely,” Serahlin replies, “we’ll clear the courtyard out for them. Adannar will need space to take flight.”

Vena sighs, “You’ve spent how long imprisoned here? Don’t you want to get away? Adannar can take of himself - he’s a dragon.”

“I’m perfectly aware of what he is, but I also know what is here, and I’m not going to allow it to prevent him and Uthvir from escaping. You can run if you want, but I’m going to fight.” Serahlin swings a leg over over the hart, “After all, I was one of the best riders in Eletharan. Coming Aili?”

“Yeah!” She rushes over to Serahlin’s hart, hopping on behind Serahlin. Aili pulls her hair forward and wraps it a couple of times around herself, still keeping her arms free. Vena gives a long suffering sigh but doesn’t argue as he mounts his hart.

“The courtyard is this way, we’ll need to wait for the right moment to ambush the guards.” Serahlin can’t help but grin as Vena starts to lead them around the castle.

“This is a bad idea, you don’t even have weapons,” Vana mumbles.

“Oh? I can move things with my mind.”

“And I can apparently start fires!” Aili announces proudly.

Vena’s shoulders slump, “Of course you have magic. Everyone has magic now.”

Anaris is furious, Adannar can tell. He’ll make it up to the fairy later, but right now there are bigger things to take care of. This Uthvir needs to be rescued. They must be young to have been captured and held against their will. Really young. He can only think of one time in a dragon’s life where they would be so susceptible to this - right after first formation. When the body is young and the former spirit is still growing accustomed to the constraints of a body. Normally, other dragons would guard the newly formed to ensure something like this wouldn’t happen, but this is no longer possible. Any gathering of dragons is seen as suspicious and likely to garner more attention. Now it’s safer to simply let the dragon form and hope it doesn’t garner dangerous attention.

Moreover, Adannar has not heard of an Uthvir. He hasn’t made contact with many of his former friends in quite some time, but he thought he would at least know when a new dragon formed. No matter, he will get Uthvir out and somewhere safe so they can fully come into their draconic glory.

If Adannar goes off of the assumption they were newly formed when they were captured, then they will not have many abilities to help themselves through this rescue. They’ve likely never shifted into elven form and he will need to get them to do exactly that if they have any hope of making it out. They will be too much of a target in their dragon form, and while Adannar has abilities to keep himself safe, not to mention an older and thickened hide that can absorb many blows from typical weapons, Uthvir does not. As an elf, Uthvir will be easier to protect, he can just stand over them like a mother hen standing over her chicks.

Anaris pouts on his shoulder as they make their way through the castle. Who knew finding a dungeon would actually be difficult? It’s been so long since he’s been in an elven castle, and the last time he was in one, he never even thought about the dungeon. He was in the banquet hall, laughing and drinking ale as a guest of honor.

“I’ve had enough of running around,” Anaris says, voice clipped. He leaps off Adannar’s shoulder and disappears for several moments.

“Anaris?” Adannar whispers after the moments stretch into minutes. “Anaris!”

“I’m here,” he states, reappearing on Adannar’s shoulder, “with the location of the dungeon. Turn right.” Adannar follows Anaris’s directions until they look around a corner to see two guards stationed outside a large wooden door. Anaris murmurs something in the fairy language and guards promptly collapse. Adannar rushes forward and searches them for a key to the dungeon. Found, he opens the door and sets down the stairs.

Darkness envelops them, but Adannar and Anaris’s eyes quickly adjust to the lowlight. Everything turns to a grey as their pupils dilate, and their noses wrinkle at the nearly overwhelming stench of the dungeon. Has his fellow dragon had to suffer for long in this horrid place? Disgust and fury flow through Adannar unlike they have before, even during the war.

The dungeon is thankfully larger than what he feared. The ceilings are tall, though not as tall as he would like. In his dragon form, he would have to keep his head low to fit, and even then his horns would likely scrape against the ceiling.

Finding the cell with Uthvir is not difficult. The entire dungeon is built around the large, central cell where an immense shadowed figure is lurking. The figure does not move even when Adannar runs up to the bars.

“Are you Uthvir?” He calls.

A growl emanates from the shadow and chains rattle as they move. Red eyes turn to Adannar as they approach the bars, sniffing the air.

“What are you?” They ask, no pretense. His heart breaks for them to not recognize him as one of their own.

“I’m a dragon like you,” he tells them softly, “and I am here to help. First, you must stand back.” Uthvir growls but does as he requests, stepping back from the bars as Adannar allows his magic to spill from him. He controls it just enough to ensure that when he assumes his true form he does not smash himself into the ceiling or any other supports.

The guard’s uniform he’s wearing shatters under the magic as he swells with his magic. Wings and tail and horns spring from him and soon he is on all fours, ramming his well horned head into the bars. As magically reinforced they are, they are not even comparable to the might of a nearly thousand year old dragon.

Uthvir steps away from him though and he can smell the twinges of their fear. And it is then that he sees them more clearly. They are small for a dragon, much smaller than Adannar, and nearly covered in feathers save for the scales of their forearms, belly, and neck. Said feathers ruffles as they shift back and he catches sight of their wings -

It takes all the effort in him to not roar with consuming rage that sets through him at the sight of the mangled flesh of their wings. Their shoulders are lashed, largely plucked to reveal the horrendous abuse that has been heaped upon them.

He can be furious later, right now, he needs them to trust him. That won’t happen if he continues to project anger at them. So Adannar reigns it in as quickly as he can. Uthvir deserves kindness and compassion right now, not righteous fury. The fury can come later.

“No need to worry,” he reassures, “Aili sent me. She is your friend, yes? I can take you to her and away from this place.”

They regard him carefully before shifting and giving a curt nod, “I will accept your help.”

“Excellent! Let’s start on these chains, hmm?” He lays a front claw on the chains, sensing the mystical enforcement. With a surge of righteous magic, fueled in no small part by offense and fury, he snaps the chain with its enchantment. Except it does more than just snap - it disintegrates.

His magic must have...grown since the last time he used it like this.

Uthvir gasps and their magic, smaller and newer bubbles out from them.

That magic - oh. Oh.

“Sympathy?” He whispers and their heads whips around.

“Where do you know that name?” They hiss even as he is close to weeping, he cannot believe -

“Sympathy, it’s me, Adannar. I was a friend of Glory’s before...when you were still a spirit. We thought you died when - you became a dragon?” His voice is whisper soft, even like this, laced with awe and horror.

It’s been two hundred forty years since Glory was slain in battle, and the last time Adannar saw Sympathy was around that time and they had still been a spirit.

“I...do not…” they stammer, clearly struggling to find the memories.

“Sh, it’s alright. We’ll get you out. There will be time to discuss all of this. You go by Uthvir now?”

“I do not remember not being who I am,” they reply. Adannar resists growling. The enchantments meant to suppress magic all over this place must have created a block on their memories somehow since they were so heavily connected to magic.

“We need to get you out of here. You will need to turn into an elf, here let me help.” He shifts back into his elven form, naked, but uncaring. “Look at me, study my form and think about becoming like me. Let go of all the magic you have and let it fill you, then think about being an elf.” He has to coach them through it for several minutes, their form wavering more and more until shadows envelop them and their form shrinks down to that of a small elf, not that much bigger than Aili. Their hair is long and dark and their eyes even change from a bright red to a warm brown.

For a moment, he thinks it is like looking at a darker version of Glory. Their features share a fine beauty that few others have. But there are clear differences. Uthvir’s eyebrows are more arched, their chin more pointed, and their shoulders do not carry the same bold confidence Glory was known for.

They look down at themselves and quickly frown at their lack of clothes. Adannar summons his robe and wraps them up in it. It is far too long for them, but it will do for now.

“Not to ruin the moment, but we need to leave, now,” Anaris declares from his spot by the ruined bars to the cell. Adannar, now naked as a newborn babe, turns toward the rest of the dungeon just as three guards come into view.

Adannar is not cruel and he normally detests violence. He does not wish to kill these guards, so he draws upon his knowledge of metal and casts a spell he normally saves for his creations when they need to be still. Except the magic reacts differently here with the dungeon’s enchantments. The magic ricochets and instead of rooting them to the ground, the metal is magnetized. The guards yell as they suddenly collide into each other until they are stuck in an odd jumbled mess.

Well, it worked.

“Do any of you have a key to the gate?” He asks and they curse him for his “curse.” Fine. He’ll figure it out. He beckons Anaris and Uthvir to him then quickly makes his way through the dungeon.

Uthvir stumbles frequently, unaccustomed to their legs. They curse, stubbing and scraping their feet repeatedly until it slows them too much. Adannar turns, picks them up, much to their protests, and continues through the dungeon.

It’s huge. There are dozens cells and judging by all the scents, Andruil had certainly been busy, capturing all manner of beasts. The cells are empty now, but they have not been so for long. Finally they come to what looks to be a control room. Anaris dispatches the guards inside and a quick search of the bodies reveals that none of them have keys to the large gate above their heads.

Time to do this the obvious way, Adannar is done wasting time. He sets Uthvir down and has Anaris perch himself on their shoulder. Once his friends are at a safe distance, he transforms once more into his true form. Gathering as much strength as he can, Adannar launches himself up at the gate. He rams his body into the metal, willing it to open. On the fourth ram, the gate bursts open and he follows suit, launching himself upward with a powerful kick.

Adannars roars into the sky, steam spilling from his mouth as he directs it to the largest grouping of guards. They scream as their skin burn, cooking inside those metal suits of armor. He turns and swipes out at the guards closest to him. A few seem to rally, however as they charge at him .They go for his face, stupidly enough. He snaps his jaws and catches them in his teeth before he throws them across the courtyard.

“Climb up my tail,” he calls to Uthvir, who follows his direction and grabs hold of the spines in his tail. He hears them gasp and feels their fear when he hears a familiar sound -

“Behind you!” Serahlin calls as she runs her hart around him. Magic zings in the air and he hears several guards scream.

She’s telekinetic, he thinks for a split second before a guard with a very pokey pitchfork attempts to pierce his hide. Adannar flicks his arm, sending the guard sailing through the air. Uthvir resumes their ascent until they are nestled safely between his wings.

“Get out of here!” Adannar cries, worry bleeding from him as he leaps up to start fighting fully. As worried as he is, no guard comes close to Serahlin. She throws them, or their heads turn in sickening directions, and sometimes they even catch fire. When Adannar turns to handle another guard, Vena is there, lopping the heads off several as he rides ‘round Adannar.

“Fly! Go!” Serahlin yells back at him.

“Where is Uthvir?” Aili yells.

“I have them!” He decries before he feels them tense.

“Men! Form up!” A commanding woman’s voice echoes and he knows it’s Andruil. He can hear horse’s thunderous hoof-falls as she barrels for him. The fog parts enough for him to see her running straight at him, spear at the ready.

The obvious thing would be to breathe his steam at her - but she knows that and it would give her a second to throw the spear directly down his throat. It couldn’t kill him right away, but it would incapacitate him long enough for her to kill him. Or worse. So Adannar doesn’t do the obvious thing. Instead, he leaps up over Andruil, faster than a dragon his size would suggest.

The horse whinnies in alarm as Adannar lands on a courtyard wall. His claws dig into the stone and he hefts himself up the wall. The fear rolling off Uthvir is alarming as is his own heart rate, but he can’t think of that right now. He has to get away. As quick as he can be, take off will take effort. He has expended much magic already today, so he will need to run to get himself airborne.

He clears the courtyard wall and begins to run. It is not a pretty run and it takes all his willpower not to look behind him to make sure Serahlin and Aili leave the courtyard safely. Vena will get them out, he will, Adannar has to trust that, just as Aili is trusting him to get Uthvir out.

He forces his legs to move faster when he hears Andruil once more. She urges her horse to go faster just as he unfurls his wings and attempts to take flight. One beat, two. No go. Faster. He has to go faster.

“Any day now, Adannar!” Anaris calls. He’d answer if his lungs didn’t burn with the effort. There is a hill coming up, if he can just make it to that hill -

Andruil gains ground, enough that he knows that if she throws a spear, she could land it. There is a moment where he thinks perhaps she will wait until it will be a finishing blow, but then he hears the leather on her wrist snap with the effort.

Magic explodes around Adannar as the trickiest of magic emanates from Anaris. Luck. It’s power that cannot be expended frequently, luck strong enough to defy physics and intent.

The spear goes wide and misses Adannar by the tiniest of margins.

Andruil screams in anger and he hears her draw her sword instead. But it’s too late, he’s upon the hill. He spreads his wings and beats them when the earth dips, propelling himself into the air. Magic surrounds him and sends him higher, higher still -

“Dispel that which shrouds, bring what is mine down!” Andruil shouts and magic shoots out of her so accurate that no amount of luck can deter it. Uthvir screams as the spells sinks its claws into them, rending their elven form from them.

“Adannar! She’s turning them!” Anaris shouts as he tries to counter the magic - but he can’t. Once the transformation starts, it cannot be stopped. He is high enough that a fall could potentially kill or permanently cripple Uthvir. But their weight expands, dragging him down, down -

No. The sentiment rises in him so strongly, the Dreaming wavers around him.

He is not losing another dragon to Andruil. He is not losing Uthvir. Not again. He thought them lost after Glory, certain that Glory’s twin-spirit had died with them. He is not losing them when they are so close to being free from Andruil. She will not take this again. And he is not abandoning Serahlin.

“Hold on,” he growls. Uthvir digs their talons into Adannar’s hide but he hardly notices the pain as he forces the Dreaming to bend to him, to buoy him up, up, wings beating harder and faster. They strain with the extra effort, but they move and the Dreaming dare not disobey his will now.

His wings burn with the effort to keep them propped up in the air, but he will not waver. He refuses. Andruil has taken too much and she cannot have them! Not one more!

He calls the Dreaming to him with all that he was and is. With his nearly thousand years of draconic life compounded the six hundred years as a spirit before that. He expands his magic to pull on all the joys felt in the lands beneath him. That is his power, that is who he is. Joy. It is what will carry them.

A roar tears from him. The magic snaps and flows like a dam just broken. It sends him up into the clouds and out of Andruil’s sight. Distantly, he hears Anaris laugh and Uthvir rumble in astonishment.

“You did it! You actually did it!”

Some part of him is aware of the blood loss from Uthvir’s talons, but he cannot be distracted now as he sails over the western lands of Elvhenan. He knows he has crossed into the forest when a swirling mass of magic surrounds them. It tickles his scales and brushes along Uthvir’s feathers. He could land, but he isn’t far enough, it’s not home. He needs safety, he needs - he knows what he needs.

He adjusts his wings to catch a magical thermal then banks to the left.

“Where is he taking us?!” Uthvir shouts.

“His home!” Anaris replies.

Home indeed.

The thermal boosts his speed so that instead of hours, it is only a single hour before they are flying over the mountain range. He lowers himself in preparation to land. How he will land well, he has no idea. Uthvir is throwing his weight off and he can feel his muscles protesting even as he forces them to carry the weight.

It takes another hour to cross the mountains, and then almost another entire hour before they make it to the waterfall. He feels its pull, calling him home.

Reluctantly, Adannar released the thermal and begins his descent proper. Trees bend and snap as he careens toward the pool of healing waters. So close, almost there, almost -

His wings give out just as he makes it to the pool. Him and Uthvir drop into the depths, sending a great geyser of water up in the air. The magic keeps it so that the water returns to the pool. It surrounds him and Uthvir, warming them, plugging wounds, stopping bleeding - soothing scars that almost send Adannar back into a rage when he catches sight of them.

The rage quickly dissipates when he realizes that they’re safe now and they can heal. They kick until their head breaches the surface of the water, but they make no move to get out of the pool. Adannar climbs out, dimly aware that he means to go back for Serahlin.

“Adannar, stop, it’s time to sleep,” Anaris chides.

“Serahlin?” He asks, collapsing on the ground, unable to move. All magic and strength has left him. He couldn’t go even if he had to.

“I saw her - Vena got her out with the help of the dryad. The wall of vines opened up and they escaped. It’s done, they’re all rescued.”

Oh. They did it. They really did.

“Thank you,” he says, or at least he thinks he says it.

Relief courses through him and the last of his energy finally sputters out. Adannar collapses, consciousness fading to black.

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