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felassan · 3 years

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Thoughts on Dark Fortress #3

(This post is under a cut due to spoilers.)

There’s a lot I thought/wanna say about this final issue, to the point that it’s hard to know where to start!

The cover art is.. beautiful. The symbolic allusion between Shirallas and the dragon (his draconic-y claws, the semblance of a broken collar falling off in the same way, the fire) 👌 On the whole, lined up side-by-side the three covers of Dark Fortress feel really thematically cohesive. Shirallas’ and the dragon’s claws echo Tractus’ sharp metal gauntlet, and as well as the similarities between the dragon and Shirallas, both Tractus and the dragon have a circle of weapons, and the patterning encircles Tractus’ neck and wrists like the collars and shackles. Y’know, like you can just really tell the cover artist planned ahead and put a lot of thought into how the 3 cover arts would ‘flow’ from one to the other, blending elements between them.

I posted some of my fav panels here.

I knew he was my boy but Shirallas’ backstory broke my heart ( ´•̥̥̥ω•̥̥̥` ) the first panel is so bleak and heart-wrenching. the burning aravel parts.. another Dalish clan met a terrible fate.

I wonder if his clan wandered Tevinter like Clan Oranavra? it makes me wonder if Shirallas and Fenris met in Tevinter. It’s nice to see that another clan took him in. And if Shirallas is a name he took, not his original name, I assume it has a special meaning, maybe to do with his quest for justice/vengeance. Shiral means journey, “allas” is found in vallas, which means set, as in the sun. The “vallas” in vallasdahlen (life-trees, planted in remembrance of those who dedicated their lives to the Dales) means life. in many ways the sun and life are the same thing, and there’s the obvious connection to Elgar’nan, eldest of the sun. So journey/quest - sun/life? Like since the loss of his clan he’s on a journey/quest for the rest of his life to get justice/vengeance, which are attributes of the sun god Elgar’nan? that became his life’s purpose and his direction of ‘travel’ ever since his loss, what he dedicated his life to since then. :’(

Elgara vallas, da'len. ( ´•̥̥̥ω•̥̥̥` )

This is our first look at the vallaslin application process, no? what Shirallas is saying in this panel is the Song to Elgar’nan. it’s interesting, in that that prayer kind of resembles what happened, or almost happened, in this issue. a fortress shaken, fire, winged death (a dragon), pretenders to power, “strike the usurpers” (“Red Wraith, dispose of my enemies, kill the traitorous mage”). pretty cool right?

⬇️ me two months ago, look at the tags in red brackets.

oh my son.. Dalish father roams, and the Dalish son won’t survive the fight ( ´•̥̥̥ω•̥̥̥` )

the panel where Fenris and Shirallas shake hands ;; to which experience is Fenris speaking of, I wonder? once upon a time he saw Anders almost lose himself in his own quest for Justice/Vengeance for the mages.

Parallels between Shirallas succeeding in proving himself to Nenealeus and when Fenris succeeded in proving himself to Danarius all those years ago - compare. ;__; an elf surrounded by bodies of people he’d killed to prove himself, and a horrible Magister telling him “well done”.

I love the design of the sword and its use as a ‘divider’ on the first page splitting up the panels is both smart and beautiful. even here there’s pink light around it, the dragon’s fire

overall I wasn’t expecting this issue to begin with flashbacks to Shirallas’ past and backstory, so this whole page caught me off-guard

omg look at the red lyrium ‘veins’ under Shirallas’ skin. when he emerges from the sarcophagus that is a very cool picture of his face

Nenealeus has been taking beard-styling advice/trends from the dwarves

check out the sword crackling and reforming as Shirallas makes contact with it. is the red lyrium under his skin moving in this scene?

in the panel of Vaea running away from the dragon, it’s nice that as she runs Fenris is still behind facing the dragon, to protect her

gorgeous background in the panel with Marquette, and his expression is one of Regret for what he just did and for his part in all this. the dawning realization that I’ve Fucked Up Big Time

as Nenealeus’ weapon is a sword, does he have some Knight Enchanter-adjacent skills (I don’t expect the actual KE artform is exclusive to southern Circles only)? it’s a physical item ofc, not a summoned one. staffs are infused with lyrium to provide a conduit for a mage’s power. so then, mages can channel power through other [presumably similarly-infused] weapons too, not just mage staves/staff-like magic implements or their bare hands

given the color of Nenealeus’ magic and the fact that the dragon was under the control of his magic, it now makes sense to me why the dragon’s fire is that color! o:

Marius is badass (nice touch that his shoulder is smoking pink with the effects of one of Nenealeus’ magic attacks here) and the four panels where everyone’s grim and determined, facing off against each other and Venatori goons made me feel quite emotional. Aaron is Team Dad.. it’s nice to see him having a friendship / paternal moment with Francesca both acknowledging her pain and power while also giving her a pep talk. You can tell when he says too “We all need to do whatever we can in this moment” that he’s talking about himself too and may already be thinking one or some of them aren’t going to make it out of there

Francesca GO OFF!! she’s so powerful, and it’s really cool every time seeing her plant magic in action. it puts in perspective how powerful Velanna would have been with her similar skills (skills like Thornblades), and I enjoy the contrast of the fire in the background and the blue/green of Fran’s magic in action

Fenris is so cool-headed in high-octane combat situations, quickly taking stock, assessing and realizing the odds then coming up with a plan. the look on Vaea’s face when she’s like >:( wtf u can’t just leave is cute

cool pulled-back bird’s eye shot of the Fortress

Karasten continuing with the sass about Tevinter even during a siege

Fenris speaking Qunlat! I love that they brought this lore fact into play and had him make use of this skill, it’s a neat reminder of Fenris’ exchange with the Arishok if you take him into the compound in DA2. in the opening-up the gates scene, Vaea’s worried about letting the Qunari in and going to the Qunari (from her expression), but she trusts Fenris and his judgement enough to open the gate and see what happens

I like that Tessa’s bolts are fletched the blue of her accent color

chills at the panel where Shirallas is walking out of the flames advancing on Aaron. Ser Aaron, who never retreats, not at Ostagar, not now ;__;

the battle-scenes are beautiful, fast-paced and gory, chaotic and colorful, like it would feel to be there

Fenris then puts himself between Aaron and Shirallas. I could hear “I will deal with this Red Wraith” in my head

Autumn can look so scary. a true mabari warrior! when she leapt towards Shirallas I was Stressed for her safety despite knowing rationally that they wouldn’t kill their dog!

the horizontal combat splash page is awesome

CLEVER GIRL Autumn. she and Fenris are in sync in this sequence.

Shirallas serving super saiyan vibes with the bulk, strength, hair

Fenris bargaining for Fran’s life and then trusting her to use her magic as part of the attack on the Red Wraith

lmao Ser Aaron

smart thinking Fran

Aaron praising her ;__;

Marius was straight-up prepared to die to stop Nenealeus ;__; poor Tessa in this exchange

the face-melting scene 👌

“Ah, Marius... I knew it would come down to the two of us”: this panel is just really cool? Nenealeus looks almost congenial here, which makes him seem all the more colder and more dangerous. and the burning bodies strongly remind me of the bodies at the start of Inquisition which are at the ‘blast point’ of the Breach at the Conclave

when Marius and Vaea’s eyes meet and they formulate the backup plan 👌

nice to see ‘staff’-less magic in action. Nenealeus is clearly a very powerful mage. when he’s frying Marius he has Star Wars Palpatine and force lightning vibes

OH VAEA... you did it, but my heart hurts that she had to kill someone for the first time, even though it was foreshadowed by her discussion with Marius in a earlier issue. & Nenealeus’ look of surprise as he dies says it all

it’s a serious moment but Marius now looks like a cat that stuck its paw in a socket hh

when Nenealeus is doubled over dead, it’s a great panel- the white background taking us out of the chaos that’s going on all-around for just a moment, showing the seriousness of what’s just transpired for Vaea and the realization of it setting in. a pause, the shock. & it’s nice to see Marius being soft with someone other than Calpernia or Tessa

but despite what’s just happened Vaea is still Vaea, she’s concerned about life and immediately wants to save the dragon. I like the part where panels of Vaea and Fran ‘face’ each other as they have this discussion, a lot.

in the moment that it takes off, does the dragon realize Vaea is responsible for saving its life? the ‘eye’ panel feels like an acknowledgement from it, or between the two

Fran’s magic destroying and sinking the sarcophagus into the ground reminds me of what in-world lore says happened to Arlathan, in a way

omg they have to stop Shirallas before he gets over 9000

do you think when Aaron says “We cannot retreat” he’s thinking of Loghain’s retreat at Ostagar?

at this point btw I’m pleasantly surprised that Marius survives, I had sort of expected him to die in this issue

oh Marquette, curiosity killed the cat dontcha know

new lore just dropped: the Red Wraith is able to heal from any wound, which is notable, and he and the sword have a.. symbiotic relationship? with each other. “He feeds energy to the sword from the red lyrium in his veins. And in turn, the sword heals his wounds.” What are the lore implications of this? Just what is red lyrium capable of?

Paragon Branka reference! and later on a Black Marsh reference

:’( As soon as Aaron launched into his story at this point my stress levels went through the roof and I knew it was Time. and then - well. you know :’((( Aaron had death flags in previous issues, so I was logically prepared and not surprised by the occurrence (this isn’t a bad thing btw), but I still wasn’t EMOTIONALLY PREPARED

mfw

nooooooooo.... It was at this point everyone that I burst into tears.. i have never Ugly Cried at a comic before so that was a new experience.. It’s hard to put my feelings about this into words bc rly it just straight-up destroyed me, u know.. Vaea’s “Don’t leave me”, Aaron’s tears when he knows the deed is done, his pendant.. surely the resemblance between the way he looks on this cover and the way he looks in the panel when he’s falling and Vaea is shouting “Aaron!” is intentional. i’m just destroyed okay

On the next page, holes in Shirallas’ shirt where his wounds were before they healed is a nice touch. Autumn’s bite here must surely be shattering the bone in his lower leg. then as if i wasn’t in enough pain already - being separated from the weapon, did that bring Shirallas back to himself for a while? His “Friend?” and the look in his eyes when he looks up at Fenris is so pitiful :’( for a moment just before the end he’s the boy in the wood surrounded by his burning clan again. RIP Shirallas son, we barely knew ye but I loved u :’(((

Having Marquette escape is a smart choice, it means there’s someone still kicking around Thedas who knows what happened here and what went down. maybe we seek him out in the next game when trying to follow up on the plot-thread of the idol/red lyrium/its capabilities/Venatori/Qunari? anyway, can’t help but admire, in a fashion anyway, someone who dips out to save their own skin, and his attempted grift when he’s talking to Tractus x)

we hadn’t seen the last of Tractus indeed. there he is! “This is me, crying over our loss” - he’s such an edgy boi

THE IDOL

“Oh, you mean this idol?” feels like they’re breaking the fourth wall and deliberately teasing us x)

when Fenris says “[stay clear of it] Red lyrium can do things with your mind” I wonder if he’s thinking of his experiences with things like Bartrand and Meredith

started to cry again at the final Aaron scenes ok.. when it pans back to Vaea and Autumn on the shore with the dying Aaron, they look so small and lonely set against the backdrop of the gray rock, windy shore, jagged outcrops. it’s a beautifully poignant and incredibly forlorn backdrop for this scene. Autumn in these panels, and again the parallel between Aaron lying here and him on that cover page.. ;; the whole scene is raw and gutwrenching. even in death Aaron was thinking about Vaea, apologizing that she had to take a life, outlining his hopes that she continues to have a positive future and doesn’t descend into any kind of darkness. the fact that all this time he’s carried around a letter addressed to King Alistair in his pocket, to recommend that Vaea be knighted, the fact that he’s crying too, the pendant, the tenderness between them, how proud Aaron is of Vaea, the fact that he goes out telling a story and smiling because he’s so proud of her, here at the end Aaron is filled with pride and looks at peace.. i can’t ( ok i cried again on this re-read when writing this post, Dad Stuff is the ultimate way to get me ok.. don’t look at me _(°:з」∠)_ )

Vaea IS more than worthy. I’m so glad someone recognizes that and sees it in her. King Alistair WOULD knight her, and there’s a beautiful poetry in that fact as the son of an elf. there’s also something poetic in that, if Vaea becomes the first elven knight of Ferelden, well it echoes the Emerald Knights of old in a way. that’s beautiful. I’m very proud of Vaea.

Here we see another parallel - when Francesca is comforting a crying Vaea as her father figure passes away, it directly echoes when Vaea comforted Francesca when she was crying after her own father died.

Aaron’s hometown of Portsmouth is a real place in England

I’m happy to see Fran and Autumn continuing to travel with Vaea, and Fenris continuing to keep his promise to Aaron to keep Vaea safe, and that Cassé is now Fran’s horse (that’s a lovely touch considering she healed him in Blue Wraith, a full-circle moment)

Fenris is right, they were family. soft supportive Fenris, with emotional intelligence ;; (and he of all people knows about Found Family)

the last panel of Vaea crying is beautiful too, the sun is rising in the east after the terrible night they’ve had, and the ‘faded’ rectangles is a great style/composition choice

even Cassé the horse looks sad

the scene of Fran and Vaea riding double with Fenris smiling in the background is super cute, and I love that the last we see of the party is them honoring Ser Aaron by telling stories like he did, of his exploits. I hope they always tell stories of Ser Aaron ;;

I’m glad Tessa made it out okay, she’ll be able to return to Charter. 💜 I was a bit worried this wouldn’t be the case

the last page DBKGRRGRKRKGREKF

Pour one out for Ser Aaron Hawthorne of Portsmouth, Knight of Ferelden.

---

A recap on wider plot-points

The Qunari Antaam have taken control of Castellum Tenebris, and Neromenian has fallen to their advance.

The sarcophagus is broken and has been buried deep in the ground. Francesca asserts that it won’t be found.

The Inquisition agents retrieved the broken shards of the weapon, and are going to take its remains to the shadow Inquisition.

Tractus Danarius is alive and in possession of the idol, or was at the timepoint of this comic. He wants to use it to impress the Venatori remnants so that he can rejoin them. Marquette thinks, or said that he thinks (could easily be a bluff or his lack of knowledge about it compared to someone like Solas), that it doesn’t work anymore. (I’m leaning towards it does still work, otherwise why would Solas be interested in it?)

Solas, in what looks kinda like his most recent DA4 trailer gear, was watching the events of this series/arc the whole time and knows what happened. He knows Tractus has the idol. None of the people in this comic plot are “People Solas doesn’t know”. And it seems that he is able to use eluvians to watch people.

There’s a chance that Tractus Danarius is the mage in Tevinter Nights, from Dread Wolf Take You - the mage from House Danarius who went with some slaves to Nevarra to use the idol to perform a ritual with the Mortalitasi. That mage wanted to change the world to help fight the Antaam’s invasion. In the tale at least, he used the idol, a rift opened, the Dread Wolf popped out and killed him. At the time of that ritual the idol was still working.

+ some new lore -

the Red Wraith was able to heal from any wound, which is notable, and he and the sword the idol created had a.. symbiotic relationship? with each other. “He feeds energy to the sword from the red lyrium in his veins. And in turn, the sword heals his wounds.” What are the lore implications of this? Just what is red lyrium capable of?

eluvians can be used to watch people. not just to communicate over long distances or as portals between places

Lastly I don’t know what to do with myself anymore as this is the end of a long-running DA arc and was the final piece of [currently-known about] new canon Dragon Age content that we’ll get.

#dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dark fortress spoilers #dark fortress spoiler #dragon age #bioware #fenris #spoilers #spoiler #dragon age: dark fortress spoilers #dragon age: dark fortress spoiler #the Fenaissance #feels #gpoy

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otterskin · 3 years

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Dumb Details From the Loki Trailer I noticed but then got too serious about

First - apparently it’s not a trailer, so I guess we’ll get ‘Trailer 1′ later? ‘Exclusive Clip’ hardly seems accurate, but hey, I’m not Disney’s marketing division. I wouldn’t live in a shoebox if I was.

Dumb detail no. 1:

Owen Wilson’s jacket is...weird. Look closely.

And another shot:

Yeah...his jacket has a ‘reversed collar’. It’s a cut-out rather than cloth folding on top. Huh. What a strange design choice. What could it mean?

I’ve no idea, but that I watched the trailer enough times to notice this should concern you.

Detail No. 2

In this scene, we see what we can presume to be President Loki’s ‘Throne’. Notice the candy-canes. This is a Santa Claus throne, presumably from some mall Santa. This whole place might be in a mall, judging by the stuff in it.

But the Loki in this shot is not President Loki. Notice that he’s wearing brown pants, a thin brown tie, and the beige shirt he’s seen wearing in other parts of the trailer after he's apparently joined the TVA. President Loki wears black pants, a green vest and a wide green tie with a golden clip that resembles Loki’s little chevron he always has (more on that later).

So it would seem that Loki might meet President Loki here. President Loki might even be addressing him at the end of the trailer. It’s possible that his minions turn on him because there’s two Lokis and they don’t know which is the ‘imposter’.

Speaking of, there’s a minion with bicycle handlebars grafted to a football helmet here, likely meant to resemble Loki. I dig it. There’s also cans of food scattered among the rubbish here. Makes sense that food production is non-existent since everyone has resorted to wearing license plates and spoons. Love how tattered the whole aesthetic is.

This reminds me of the opening Michael Waldron’s script ‘Worst Guy of All Time’, which featured a similar post-apocalyptic setting after the ‘worst guy’ ruins everything and makes himself king of the ashes. That’s likely what’s happened here, but I hope that Loki isn’t anything like Logan Paul, who was the inspiration for that title character.

Ah, the mysterious female character watching a meteor shower WAY TOO CLOSE UP. But my eyes are drawn to one thing...

What is that oblong object with a shiny handle? Could it be...

A sword? I do love swords. Did you know there’s a bunch of pictures of me in the stock photos for ‘Fencing?’ That’s my cred for loving swords.

I suspect that this female character will be an amalgamation of Amora (shudder) and Sylvie and an alternate Loki of some kind. This sword is currently in her possession, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it or another timeline version of it becomes the Loki Show’s Loki′s weapon.

Loki has lacked a ‘weapon of his own’ in the MCU for quite some time. I mean, yes, he has his little knives, but they are many and disposable and something he chose for himself, rather than the two legendary weapons wielded by Odin and Thor, Gungnir and Mjolnir. In fact, throughout his appearances, Loki has seemed to want such a thing of his own - he briefly had Gungnir, and then the Gungnir-like scepter, and even tried to lift Mjolnir.

One might ask why Odin would’ve overlooked such an obvious show of favouritism. Why give Thor a storied weapon and leave Loki empty-handed? Heck, even Hela had the Necroblade.

In Thor 1, we might’ve assumed that the Casket of Ancient Winters was perhaps intended one day to be given to Loki, as it is shown with Mjolnir in the Vault and thus connected to it and the children who would inherit it. But in the comics, Odin did have another weapon of storied history put away for his second son: Gram the Sword.

It was locked for eons by Odin in a special vault which required five keys to be opened, and it was meant to be for Loki if he be worthy.[2] The five keys were infused by Odin with the powers of "journeys", "endurance", "secrets", "new beginnings", and "brotherhood", respectively.[3]

The sword, like everything else in comics, has a complicated history full of take-backs and twists, but let’s just leave it at ‘it’s a representation of Loki’s worthiness and belonging in the trifecta with Odin and Thor as a King of Asgard’. It gives him ‘equality’.

In the original mythology, it’s wielded by Sigurd to kill the dragon Fafnir, and the only relation it has to Loki is that Loki is partially responsible for Fafnir existing in the first place (my username is nod to this myth by the by. Sorry Ottär.) But hey, maybe that means we’re getting a dragon? The Fafnir would be very cool.

Or it could just be a bit of rebar in this mining quarry.

Then again...it appears somewhere else...

It’s easier to see in motion, but that’s a sword swinging on this person’s back.

So the hooded figure is this lady...shall we call her Amylkie? Does that mean she’s the antagonist of this show? Well...maybe, but I suspect the true antagonist is foreshadowed here -

So, what’s going on here? A young girl (Young Amylkie? Some other TVA prisoner that the guard is watching over? An oracle, A Norn, or a kid who wandered off from the tour group in a basilica somewhere?) She’s giving Mobius M. Mobius a...piece of chocolate. Maybe he saw a Dementor, I dunno. I suspect it’ll be a MacGuffin of some kind later. He looks pretty concerned here, which contrasts with his ‘another day at the office’ blaséness when dealing with Loki. But of course this is the eye-catcher:

So, Norse Mythology. It’s been Christiannized. You can thank Snorri Sturluson for that, but you can google all about him later. Let’s just say that he made many Norse figures into equivalents for Christian ones. Baldur is Jesus, pure and a sacrificial lamb who dies for a greater good. And the devil is...Loki. Something the Marvel comics and the MCU have continued.

Here we have a devil, dressed in green and with a distinct shape on his chest:

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

Ah. I’d say that cinches it. This is meant to be Loki. If you look at the devil’s hair, it also resembles Loki’s, being shoulder-length and black.

So, what’s devil-Loki doing? Laying an egg? Trying out a foot massager? For a second I thought it was a moon, but we see the moon over his left shoulder, amongst the stars. Which means this is - probably the Earth.

...Dammit; I live there.

So Earth is barren and being devoured by flames, likely caused by this Loki sitting atop of it (in a throne, no less). Aw gee, things look pretty bad, don’t they?

But wait - what’s that? Under the Earth (and, possibly, under the earth)?

It’s a plant. A shoot, to be exact.

Back to Ragnarok for a second. Ragnarok isn’t the apocalypse (something we see a lot of in this trailer - all of it seems to be exploring the end of days). Ragnarok is the fire meant to wipe out the old and fertilize the ground for the new. And after the gods have died, what happens? Well, Baldur emerges from Hel, one of the only surviving gods (hmm, seems him dying worked out, didn’t it?). He’s joined by Líf and Lífþrasir, who are the new first man and woman, who’s names mean ‘Life’ and who are pictured, usually, with plants and new life. It is they who are tasked who growing a new Yggdrasil after the destruction of the old. The previous first man and woman are Ask and Embla, meaning Ash Tree and Vine/Elm tree, so there’s a theme there.

So a new sprout, possibly a tree, growing out of the destruction of the old.

This fits with Loki’s role as understood in mythology. He checks the arrogance of the gods, including when they tried to achieve immortality (sorry, Baldur, nothing personal), and that keeps the gods at their best. After Loki is imprisoned, the gods become weak, unhelpful and foolish, and Yggdrasil starts to rot. Eventually Loki escapes and returns along with Surtur (who also resembles this figure) to burn it all to the ground. This is also referenced in Thor:Ragnarok, with Loki releasing Surtur in the Vault, a place of thematic importance to Loki and one that represents the hidden secrets and sins of Asgard). You could say Ragnarok continued into Infinity War, where Loki played an important part in aiding Thanos’ destruction, giving up the stone to protect his brother and essentially dooming the rest of the universe - but also ultimately leading to its salvation, even if, like Myth Loki, he wasn’t around to see it.

So, we see Amylkie literally start a fire in the trailer -

- in fact, this whole trailer is awash in flame -

It’s fire, fire everywhere and she’s setting them!

It’s possible Amylkie’s our big bad, but I think there’s a chance she’s either a red herring, or, much like how Loki ‘worked’ with Thanos in The Avengers, she is the pawn of a greater foe -

- a Loki bent on destruction, for some reason or other. The TVA is obviously aware that this is the case, and it seems like they might be trying to ‘fight fire with fire’ by enlisting one Loki to combat another. The villain could be President Loki, since there's evidence of 2 Lokis in that scene - or maybe that's one of many Lokis, and the Big Bad Loki is being played by Hugh Grant as Old Loki. In any case, it would appear that Loki will be coming face-to-face with the worst versions of himself, and many of them. And, if I’m right about this scene:

...Loki will likely eventually discover that even his ‘good’ timeline ended in the destruction of his people and home, plus his own gruesome and torturous death. Although I think the TVA will keep that from him, and just show him the happy parts in an effort to inspire ‘good behaviour’. Until Loki inevitably discovers the rest of how that timeline played out and realize he’s been lied to. I don’t imagine he’ll take that very well...

Damn, even our ‘hero’ Loki is burning stuff down! Does this mean that Loki is doomed, always meant to be an avatar of death and toasty destruction?

Well...let’s go back to that stained glass.

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

And there’s something else...the bottom of the Earth is being lit up, and not by fire. Light appears to be coming off this little plant.

What colour is this plant again? That’s right, green. Green is the colour of new life and growth and change and...hang on, I’ve heard that before, too...

Hang on hang on HANG ON... let me have a look at the shape again.

That’s...a letter. An L? For Loki? Like in the title sequence?

Wait...no, a different letter. An older letter. After all, Loki is old Norse. How do you spell his name in that again?

ᛚᛟᚲ ᛁ -

And ENHANCE on that third letter!

This, my friends, is a Kenaz/Kaunaz, or what would become 'K' in our alphabet. It is also known as the 'Loki Rune' (and the Ulcer Rune, for some reason. I suspect Odin understands why). It’s used to spell his name, but is also used on his own to represent him. Heck, it's even his Superman 'S' in the comics:

Runes are more than letters - they are symbols for concepts. So what else does it mean?

Primarly, it means ‘torch’.

And also ‘knowledge’ (ken). As well as ‘growth, change, the search for truth, decay, arrogance, elitism, feminine, kinship and creativity.’

...Okay, that’s a lot, but you have to admit it fits.

More specifically, it means ‘Mastery of the Fire’. As in, someone who has learned to tame fire so that it is helpful, not harmful. To bring light and, symbolically, knowledge.

There’s another way Loki’s been associated with fire - in the Wagner Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold, the opera that inspired much the Thor films’ aesthetic and certainly their helmets, Loki is called ‘Loge’, which means ‘Fire’. He’s usually dressed to match, too -

Many trickster figures are associated with fire. They are usually called ‘Fire-bringers’ - See: Raven, Lucifer, Prometheus, etc. They are often complex figures with a foot in different worlds, but who nonetheless help mankind with the gift of ‘fire’ - although they usually pay for it, and tend to be self-destructive.

(Side note. Lucifer means light-bringer, which is what luciferase is named after. Because it glows. Which is helpful in labs. In case someone needed to know that.)

Moving from a destructive fire-starter to a fire-bringer seems like a great character arc for Loki to take, especially given his rehabilitation in pop culture, the comics, and even wider culture. Loki has gone from being seen as an evil, deviant, destructive character to one who’s seen as a patron of the arts and creativity, of stories rather than lies. Heck, some scholars of Norse Mythology even posit that he’s the closet thing to a protagonist Norse Mythology has, so I guess that backfired, Snorri!). Being dressed in green and with the sprout clearly also being stylized after his Kaunaz, there’s foreshadowing that he’ll be capable of growing good things even out of ashes.

So, to sum up: Being ‘Satan’ sounds pretty bad, but with a little letter re-arranging like we see in the title sequence, you can be...

...practically a saint. Maybe even a saviour.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

#loki #trailer #details #meta #theories #theory #explanation #thor #tva #santa #devil #snorri sturluson whinging #christmas #fire #kaunaz #loki trailer

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turtlethon · 2 years

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“Four Musketurtles”

Season 3, Episode 16

First US Airdate: November 9, 1989 First BBC UK broadcast: September 23, 1991

A blow to the head leads to Leonardo losing his memory.

Our long and winding journey through the third season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continues with "Four Musketurtles". This is the series debut of Doug Molitor, who had previously written for the ABC sitcom Sledge Hammer! and Police Academy: The Animated Series.

April is reporting from the Mardi Gras parade in front of an array of costumed partygoers. Some interesting designs on display from the outset here, including a superhero with a camel head, a Ninja Turtles enthusiast and a LITERAL SKELETON.

Not in costume but in attendance anyway are the real Turtles, who are enjoying the opportunity to wander around and not arouse suspicion. Raphael and Vernon bicker about who’s uglier before April shoos her co-worker away. She explains to the Turtles that her costume is that of a 17th century noblewoman, the kind that would appear in the novel The Three Musketeers. The Turtles don’t get the reference, and April provides them with a copy she just happens to have on her.

Krang watches April’s next report, which is sponsored by a jeweller. She reveals that they found “the priceless Star of Brazil diamond”, which was recovered in Earth’s deepest mine. Krang tells Shredder it’s actually Impervium, “the lost element of Dimension X” and now we bear witness to something even more precious – a TMNT lore flashback!

Three bodyless brains in walkers – one bizarrely sporting a moustache, the other two looking identical to Krang (and based on his narration, presumably one of them is him) are seen examining the impervium crystal. Krang explains that in one of their first experiments with dimensional travel, they teleported the only known fragment of Impervium from Dimension X to Earth, but had no clue where it went. If it’s that precious, you’d think they have sent something more common first.

Okay, there’s a lot to take in here just from this brief flashback. It’s worth noting that these guys are not explicitly referred to here as being the Utroms seen in other TMNT continuities, despite their resemblance. Up to this point in the show’s run we’ve only had vague allusions to Krang’s history, and the loose idea that he was a warlord on Dimension X who was punished by having his body removed. This doesn’t really seem to line up with what we see here, unless his two cohorts experienced the same fate.

Krang goes on, explaining that Impervium is the hardest known substance in the galaxy. Unusually he doesn’t talk about using it to power the Technodrome, and instead enthuses about how he could use it to power all kinds of super weapons. Shredder doesn’t bother getting directly involved, leaving the task of getting the jewel to Rocksteady and Bebop.

Later, in private, Krang talks to himself about how the substance is much more powerful than Shredder realises. He plans to use it to create a forcefield that will make him invincible.

In the lair, Leonardo is enthralled by April’s copy of The Three Musketeers and won’t stop talking about it, to the frustration of the others who are trying to watch an old superhero movie on TV. Leonardo is discouraged by their lack of interest, and confides in Splinter that he’s trying to expose his team-mates to great literature. Inspired by their conversation, he contacts April and asks if she can procure four musketeer outfits for them.

April and Irma are at the jewellery store where the Star of Brazil is on display when Bebop and Rocksteady barge in and announce their intent to steal it. After being alerted via Turtlecom, our heroes take their van and very quickly arrive on the scene. Leonardo obtains the Impervium jewel, but Rocksteady throws the stand it was on, clubbing him in the back of the head and knocking him out. In the scuffle, the jewel bounces out of the building and lands in a nearby trash can.

Back in the store, April’s outfit gets caught under a table. Irma manages to escape and after making it outside, spots the jewel in the trash. We can only assume she wasn’t paying attention during any of this as she believes someone genuinely threw it away, and wanders off with it.

The Turtles attempt to revive Leonardo. When he comes around, the first thing he sees is April in her costume, whom he addresses as “Your Majesty”. Leo goes on to refer to Donatello, Raphael and Michaelangelo as “Artos, Porthos and Aramis” respectively before announcing that he’s d'Artagnan.

Our story continues after the commercial break with the other three Turtles and Splinter in the lair as Leonardo wakes up following his rest, now dressed in one of the musketeer costumes April provided. He goes on to provide the others with matching uniforms. Splinter insists this is a good idea as they “must humour him” until his memory returns. The other Turtles are very resistant to this and insist they won’t go through with it, before we get the classic sitcom wipe to reveal them doing exactly that.

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In the funniest moment of the episode, Leonardo assumes Splinter is their servant, and orders him to clean their lodgings “like a good fellow”. When Splinter is taken aback by this, Raphael throws his own words back in his face, reminding him that he said they must “humour him”. Raph silently tries to contain his laughter as Splinter complies. After being reminded about the stolen diamond, Leonardo charges off, convinced he made a vow to the Queen to “return her stolen jewel”.

Okay, the second funniest thing in this episode is the sight of Krang hurling a desk chair at Shredder’s head as he rages about Rocksteady and Bebop’s inability to obtain the jewel. In a little nod to the repetitive nature of the series, Shredder responds that he can’t be expected to travel to the surface every time Krang wants “some silly bauble”.

Krang reveals to Shredder he needs the jewel to create his forcefield. He gives him an ultimatum, telling him he has one more chance to get it. A seething Shredder stomps off, insistent that he won’t be taking any more orders, and planning a power grab of his own. Later, flanked by Bebop and Rocksteady, he secretly takes Krang’s new forcefield generator device and heads to the surface.

Irma is at home admiring the jewel that she now wears around her neck when Burne calls. He demands she show up at the parade to run a camera, and when she points out she’s a secretary, he threatens that if she doesn’t show, she’ll be neither. Hey, remember a few episodes ago when Irma appeared to be a stage manager instead of a secretary? It seems like this is a common occurrence. I guess Burne really does only have three employees.

The Turtles take Leonardo back to the jewellery store, hoping it’ll help jog his memory, but instead he insists it’s where they fought the henchmen of Richelieu. He charges off, waving his sword in the air.

In a back alley, Rocksteady and Bebop are shaking down dumpsters in an attempt to recover the diamond when Leonardo confronts them. The henchmen assume he’s “one of them jerks from the parade”. He’s joined by the other Turtles, but the dastardly duo eventually escapes.

Still wearing the diamond, Irma is manning the camera (backwards) during the parade. Her image is picked up on TV and spotted by the Turtles as they drive through the city in their van.

Below ground, Krang becomes paranoid that Shredder will double-cross him. His suspicions are confirmed when he discovers that his forcefield generator is missing. He marches off with a group of Foot Soldiers, ready to strike back.

Irma runs into Shredder at the parade and compliments him on his costume, thinking he’s just a normal partygoer. Seeing that she’s sporting the diamond, Shredder scoops her up in his arms. Now completely distracted from her job, Irma carelessly discards the camera, which is heard off-screen hitting the ground with a painful thud.

Still in costume, April spots Irma and rushes off to intervene. “Poor Irma?” declares Vernon. “How about poor him?”

Burne spots Irma from a nearby booth and demands she get back to work. In a love-struck daze, she announces that she’s quit, and after everything we’ve seen regarding the way she’s been treated in this and previous episodes, I couldn’t blame her if she followed through with it.

Shredder is confronted by Leonardo, who believes he’s actually Richelieu. Correctly identifying him as being one of the actual Turtles rather than a guy in costume, he runs off, scaling a nearby float in the shape of an oil tower that forms a part of the parade. Leo is close behind, insisting he’ll rescue the “beautiful maiden”, which draws some less than complimentary remarks from Donnie and Raph.

Leonardo and Shredder battle atop the tower while an elated Irma is thrilled to watch what she thinks are two men fighting over her. April commandeers a news copter to bail her colleague out of danger, but Shredder uses it as a means of escape, taking Irma, the diamond, and inadvertently both of his mutant henchmen with him.

The helicopter lands back at Channel 6, where Shredder and his mutants dump both April and Irma in the basement. Irma is still under the impression that Shredder is interested in her romantically until he laughs in her face and explains he’s only interested in her diamond. Furious, she hands it over, declaring that “if that’s how you feel, it’s all over between us!”

Back in the lair, the Turtles are despondent at having lost April and Irma. Still believing he’s d'Artagnan, Leonardo is unfazed by everything happening around him, which finally causes Raphael to snap. He confronts Leo, who chortles in his face, and only shows a glimpse of his old persona when he briefly is able to correctly identify April’s face on TV.

Leonardo takes offense when the others push him to remember his true identity. He marches off, and Splinter reminds them he needs to discover the truth for himself.

At Channel 6, Shredder forces April to rehearse her announcement of him as “The new ruler of the entire world, Emperor Shredder”. The proceedings are interrupted by the arrival of Krang in a transport module, who orders a group of Foot Soldiers to “seize that traitor”.

Shredder attempts to make his excuses, but Krang is unconvinced. He prepares to declare himself Emperor of the World, using the diamond to power his new forcefield. Krang orders Bebop and Rocksteady to attack him, but their attempts have no effect.

After Krang disables his forcefield temporarily in order to switch to his larger android body, Leonardo has an opportunity to sweep in via a rope and take the diamond. The impervium then winds up in Shredder’s hands after a laser blast from one of the mutants sends Leo falling backwards. Now back to his normal self, Leonardo comes around just in time to see the other Turtles hit the scene, and the four spring into action.

Shredder enables the forcefield generator himself, but finds himself squeezed into a tiny space as it was set for Krang’s dimensions. Leonardo picks Shredder up and briefly uses him as a makeshift shield. As the other villains flee, Saki is forced to disable the forcefield before he can leave with them; however, Donatello's bo staff trips him up, sending the diamond flying once more. It tumbles into a sink and down a drain, now lost forever.

Later, in the lair, Leonardo laments that having lost the gem, all that fighting was for nothing. Splinter insists it was actually all for one, and one for all, which really doesn’t do anything to address the issue at hand when it comes down to it.

We’re missing a member of the regular cast again for this episode, as Greg Berg fills in for Barry Gordon as both Donatello and Bebop. Cam Clarke is on top form here as Leonardo, and this isn’t the first time he’s voiced the role of “d'Artagnan” (or at least his canine counterpart), as he was the lead in the English dub of Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds a few years prior to Turtles debuting on TV.

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"Four Musketurtles" has a premise that’s about as cliched as they come, but is actually a lot better than I remembered. Raphael, Irma and Vernon all have some genuinely funny moments here, and even the very fleeting glimpse into Krang’s past is something I appreciate. Not an essential episode by any means, but certainly a fun one.

NEXT TIME: Who can take your trash out? The garbage van can, in “Turtles, Turtles Everywhere”.

#Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #TMNT #Ninja Turtles #TMNT 1987 #Turtlethon #Four Musketurtles #Cam Clarke

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thekaijudude · 2 years

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More Rumors for TDC and Decker

Ye waited for a while to cover this for other sources to corroborate it

I'm just gonna cover the new info cause this set of rumors confirms many of the previous leaks

Decker Rumors

1. Decker's design

Basically looks like Dyna but if we focus on his torso design, on top of his color timer being similar to Nice's, his protector resembles the shape of a spiral galaxy

2. He has 3 confirmed forms at this point

(I expect Dyna's unused "Unity Type", that presumably being a fusion of all his previous forms would be used as the concept for Decker's super form)

3. His gimmick items are known as "D-Flashy Cards", used via the "D-Flasher"

Cards from Ginga-Trigger would be used, but still no idea if its fusion or something boring like Taiga's gimmick

4. The Decker series, along with the next series would be commemorating the 10th New Gen Anniversary

(This is HUGE, but the implications of this point would be addressed in a later post)

5. The mecha that has been rumored to be a fusion of MG5 and Deathfacer is named "Teraphaser"

In addition, its also pointed out that there's a "Neo-Maxima Cannon-like" weapon on his chest

Also, initially, Teraphaser would be used by the series' antagonist before subsequently being used by the attack team

And that his face is an LED screen which changes when he's under the control of the antagonist or the attack team

6. The character that played "Run" in the second Zero movie is rumored to play a character in this series

Tho no idea what his role is at this point

7. Trigger would be appearing in Decker and used a shared weapon with him

Ya rmb Sakamoto pointing out that the Circle Arms would play a major role? Oh yeah it's all coming together now

Tho no idea if Trigger would be constantly appearing throughout the series or just a few episodes

Also what of Trigger Dark?

8. The rumor reiterates that Decker will debut in Episode Z

TDC Rumors

This time the rumors talk more about the plot details of TDC

1. Tartarus conducts additional research on the Ultras

Not knowing of the existence of Legend prior and feeling careless from the incident, Tartarus time travels to other points in time to do more in-depth research and discovers the existence of Reiga

And then I suppose Mebius Infinity as well going by this line of development, which would explain why we saw from the leaked pic that all of them were physically separated

But if he discovered Reiga, this meant that he surely would've also saw Grimude, considering that in UGF2, we didn't see Grimude in Toregia's memories, and now knowing that Tartarus isn't exactly omniscient here, perhaps upon seeing him, could he also bring back Grimude? This would also answer just who Reiga and Mebius Infinity may fight against

2. Tartarus also observes the events that occurred in UGF1 and discovers UDK

And as expected, he gets Reibatos to revive UDK and his army (translation is abit wonky here cause it can either mean the entire League of Darkness which includes Dark Lugiel and Etalgar or just him and his army of Darkness Ultras), and he creates Grigio Darkness

3. Trigger and Trigger Dark will participate in the battle against Reibatos and UDK

This basically also confirms Truth's appearance. Also can we consider Trigger Dark a New Gen member now?

4. Alot of time travelling would be going on

Apparently the Ultras have also decided to enlist the help of Ultras in the branched timelines

Father of Ultra would be enlisting the help of Ken

Taiga would be enlisting the help of Taro, the one that Toregia left him to follow Tartarus in the past

No idea how they're gonna time travel themselves, most likely Legend would be assisting them since one of his unique Legendary Ultra abilities is being able to freely time travel? Or if we recall back in Ace, he himself was able to time travel back into the past, but he hasn't shown this ability since then. Perhaps he or the other Ultra Brothers would instead?

5. Trigger will be the new leader of the New Gen as he's the "oldest" ultra

Not sure what implications would that bring at this point ngl

#ultraman #ultraman decker #ultra galaxy fight

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gillytweed · 3 years

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Y’all wanna hear about the baby superhero team my brain decided needed to exist?

Yeah you do!

So, I’ve been on a superhero kick lately, specifically DC characters cause I’m kinda tired of Marvel, and my brain decided “what’s the harm in making a superhero OC?” Turns out the answer to that is making an entire team, side characters, a whole world, and lore.

So far, I have the team solidly figured out. Said team lives in a world where superheroes have been around for while (think Young Justice cartoon timeframe in the grand scheme of superhero timelines). People with superpowers aren’t uncommon, so of course a superhero profession surfaced.

On the team, we have Witchboy, a “magic” user, Nightbolt, an unpowered archer/tech hero, Karma, Damage Enhancement ability, aka can take damage and send it back at their opponent even stronger, Ibis, presumably a teleporter, Frost, Iceman but spikier, and Saber, an unpowered sword user.

Nightbolt, Frost and Saber are Legacy Heroes. Aka, they got into heroing through family or personal connections. Meanwhile, Witchboy, Karma and Ibis all have their own reasons for joining a superhero team.

Putting stuff below the cut so I don’t get people shakin’ their canes at me.

General Character profiles

Witchboy Civilian name: Howl Melas (Not their birthname. They chose to have go by a different name for reasons) Ethnicity: Very White, with ancestry all over Europe. Basically a European smoothie Pronouns: They/Them Mentor: Mystic (Sometimes Nightwatcher)

Powers: If I have to choose an already existing hero, I’d say their powers are the most like Raven’s from Teen Titans at a glance. Their powers are based on something I call Kinetic Algorithms, which is basically intense mental visualization paired with specific movements/muscle memory to channel energy into different effects. A list of their basic abilities at their introduction would be short distance teleportation, force fields, levitation, and a basic force blast.

Description: Civilian attire usually consists of a hoodie and workout pants, or dark jeans, T-shirt, light jacket and a beanie to hide their silver hair (it was originally brown, but turned silver as their abilities surfaced). Their Hero suit is black/dark indigo with silver trim, and resembles a sleeveless hoodie (with the hood having a bit more structure so it doesn’t flap everywhere and get in the way) and fitted pants. Both padded for basic protection. They also have fingerless glove/gauntlet sort of things that contain a small communicator and basic GPS system.

Personality: Comes off as dark and brooding, but in reality is having an internal anxiety attack. They want to do their best to help, but often gets tripped up by overthinking, thus they default to not doing anything so they don’t make things worse.

Nightbolt Civilian Name: Edana “Eddie” Cochran Ethnicity: Scottish Pronouns: She/Her Mentor: Broadhead

Powers: Got none but kicks ass anyway. Her primary weapon is the bow and arrow, but she’s also proficient in hand to hand and a few other melee weapons. She’s also the tech wiz of the group, and the only one who’s passed the simulator to be allowed to pilot the dropship. A decent acrobat as well.

Description: Civilian attire is usually jeans, and one of those leather jackets that are also a hoodie sort of deal. Her hair is red, and cut short into an undercut. Her Hero suit is black with red accents. It’s similar to Witchboy’s in that it’s also sleeveless, but it’s more of an armoured vest. No hood, as she prefers a domino mask.

Personality: Easily the leader of the team, as she’s the most mature, despite not being the oldest. Being a Legacy Hero, she’s very aware of how her performance reflects on her mentor, so she does her best at all times, even when it’s clearly leading to burn out.

Karma Civilian Name: Ethnicity: Not sure yet, but def white passing Pronouns: She/Her Mentor: Peacebringer (sorta)

Powers: Damage Empowerment. She takes damage then amplifies it and sends it back several times stronger.

Description: Loves muscle T’s and booty shorts, cause when you worked for the muscles she’s got, you deserve to show them off. Has long blond hair that’s usually pulled up into a ponytail. Hero suit is basically full body armour, as she needs to get hit to hit back. Colours are blue and a yellowish gold.

Personality: A Himbo, but with Street Smarts. At first comes off as cocky, flirtatious, and extremely self confident almost to the point of arrogance, she’s actually quiet sweet and thoughtful when it comes to her friends. She will also drop kick you into the sun if you’re a dick. Shares a braincell with Saber.

Ibis Civilian Name: Kymani “Ky” Lukman Ethnicity: African Egyptian Pronouns: He/Him Mentor: Phase

Powers: Supposedly a teleporter :p

Description: The most handsome black man y’all have ever seen. Too bad for y’all he’s an aroace king and loves it. Civilian attire is nice Henley's and jeans. His Hero suit is black with gold accents that resemble ancient Egyptian jewelry, like the Usekh collar and the gold cuff like bracelets.

Personality: This dudes just vibing. Probably the only one of the group who can process his emotions in a healthy manner. He’s calm, relaxed, and usually unbothered with what’s happening around him. This can turn into apathy in some cases, however.

Frost Civilian Name: Andri Bylur Ethnicity: Nordic descent, primarily Sweden and Norway Pronouns: He/They Mentor: Cryon

Powers: Is basically Iceman but spikier. Can create, manipulate and cover himself in ice. Has the ability to consciously regulate his temperature as well.

Description: Looks like an extremely average dude with brown hair. Usually wears tshirts and plaid with jeans. His Hero suit is rarely seen, as it’s basically a thermal suit to aid in temperature regulation when he covers himself in ice. When covered in ice, they appear to be wearing spikey armour of some kind. In time the design becomes smoother and more streamlined as they get a better handle on their abilites.

Personality: Probably the most empathetic of the group, they took on the responsibility of getting more in depth medical training, so they’re the team medic that never runs out of icepacks. Best friends with Ibis, they’re usually decently calm, but their overwhelming ability to care can bite them in the ass sometimes.

Saber Civilian name: Chenzi “Shenzi” Young Ethnicity: Chinese Pronouns: She/They Mentor: Dynasty

Powers: Got none but is very good with anything sharp. Primary weapon is a sword, but also proficient in hand to hand, and essentially any bladed weapon. Like Nightbolt, is also a decent acrobat.

Description: Gets cold easily, so often wears oversized hoodies and sweatpants (is often told to put on “real” pants when going out in public). Hero suit resembles a lighter, more fitted, and streamlined interpretation of heavy Tang Dynasty era armour. Colours are primarily red and white.

Personality: A gremlin but in a lovable way. She’s convinced she and Karma are the only ones with a sense of humour. Would be a prankster if it didn’t take so much work, so instead goofs off with Karma. Is actually very intelligent and good at what they do, they just manage their stress through shenanigans and can’t focus to save their life (ADHD for the win folks). Shares a braincell with Karma.

#mun mumbles #my writing #Superbabies #original character #i love them your honor

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your-frenchblondgirl · 3 years

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Marvel's Loki: 12 Easter Eggs, Hidden Meanings, & Plot Details From Trailer

The God of Mischief is up to no good again.

Marvel President Kevin Feige unveiled the first in-depth look into Tom Hiddleston's debut solo series, Loki, which will follow the consequences of the 2012 version of everyone's favorite horned anti-hero as he makes a timeline-disrupting escape. From references to other Asgardians to apocalyptic alternate futures, Loki's trailer is full of hints to the show's mysterious plot.

Without further adieu, let's break it all down. Here are 12 things from the Loki trailer — including Easter eggs and hidden references — that you (probably) missed.

Endgame Effects

The first 25 seconds of the trailer contextualize where we are, and how we got here.

To recap, Avengers: Endgame's time heist was not a perfect mission. When the team of Tony Stark, Captain America, Hulk, and Ant-Man travel to the events of 2012's The Avengers, they successfully obtain the Soul and Mind Stones without problem, but fail to capture the Space Stone. After being knocked aside by an irate Hulk (stairs!), the Tesseract pops out of its briefcase, landing at Loki's shackled feet. Behaving like a true God of Mischief, Loki picks up the cube and dips through a portal.

From there, our solo series begins.

Iron Man Callback

Loki crash lands in a desert, located in what appears to be Mongolian-era China, considering the attire of the three people that approach him. Desert crash landings are no stranger to the MCU, as fans will recognize this moment as emulating Tony Stark's crashed escape from the Ten Rings' cave in Mark I of the Iron Man suit.

Owen Wilson

He may not have looked like him, but he sure sounded like him.

Owen Wilson makes his first appearance as a character that goes unnamed on-screen, but closed captions reveal him to be Mobius M. Mobius. What a name! Mobius does not have a rich comic history, but he has been involved in the prosecution of the Fantastic Four before. Interesting timing, don't you think?

Mobius takes a shackled Loki down an elevator, saying he's bringing him somewhere to talk. Loki, donning a Time Variance Authority prison jumpsuit, claims he doesn't like to talk, but Mobius immediately calls his bluff.

Here, Loki is a prisoner of the TVA for his time crimes. This group of timeline FBI officers are tasked with ensuring that everything operates as planned. When 2012 Loki escaped with the Tesseract, he essentially broke the timeline laws, and is now being remprimanded for it.

The Minutemen Meet Mysterious Figure

The TVA's cybernetic police force make their first appearance in what looks to be ancient China. Known as the Minutemen, these guys are tasked with carrying out TVA laws and directly deal with individuals that have interfered with the flow of time.

Here, the Minutemen are searching for someone, or something, in a past time period. If it is indeed ancient China, this would put it at the same location Loki crash landed into at the beginning of the trailer.

While the Minutemen execute their search, a mysterious cloaked figure drops a lantern on surrounding grass, and the smoke brings at least one Minuteman to his knees. There's no telling who this mystery man is, but if reports are to be believed, it could be Jonathan Majors's Kang the Conqueror debuting ahead of his lead antagonist role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Kang has been rumored to be introduced in Loki for months, and there seems to be more tangible evidence of his existence in future frames.

More on that later.

"Glorious."

The MCU is stacked with notable quotes, but there's no one that delivers a Shakespearean line quite like the God of Mischief.

In just one word, Loki calls back to his character-defining statement from 2012's The Avengers: "I am Loki, of Asgard. And I am burdened with glorious purpose."

Oh, and this line is uttered in Stark Tower. Evident by the particular mirror design, it looks like Loki will return back to the timeline he escaped from.

The Three Faces of the TVA

Twice in this trailer we see three figures displayed in an area of prominence.

The three faces first appear behind Gugu Mbatha-Raw's high-ranking TVA executive, who is presiding over Loki's trial. The faces appear once again a couple of frames later, this time attached to full-scale bodies in the form of massive statues.

The faces have been speculated to belong to the Time-Keepers, three time-travelers who head the TVA. The trio, and the TVA organisation, have had disputes with none other than Kang the Conqueror, often fighting over temporal territory across the universe. Loki's timeline meddling might have disrupted Chronopolis, Kang's metropolitic city of conquest that combines all eras of the Conqueror's rule. If Kang is indeed an enemy of the TVA and Loki meddled with his city, Loki's may be in for a whole world of hurt.

Flashback Failures

Wilson's Mobius shows a shackled Loki footage of the God of Mischief's 2012 failed conquest of Earth, to which Loki disapproves. This could begin Loki's identity stuggles, which will be a central theme of the series.

Similar to how General Ross showed the Avengers their past destructions in Captain America: Civil War, it's likely that Mobius is taking Loki on an unpleasant trip down memory lane.

What will be particularly interesting is if Mobius shows Loki future events that he is unaware of. Remember, this Loki has only lived up until 2012's Avengers, so he has not experienced anything from Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Infinity War, and beyond. What if Mobius shows Loki that he did in fact get the Asgardian throne at the end of The Dark World? How will Loki react to watching Thanos choke the life out of him in Infinity War's opening act?

Roxxcart... Roxxon?

Loki is seen with the Minutemen embarking on a mission inside a supermarket.

'Roxxcart' is prevalent throughout the aisles and entranceways, making this location all the more intriguing. Fans will recognize the 'Roxx-' prefix as attached to the Roxxon Energy Corporation, a company that is prevalent on the Marvel comic page. Roxxon has been engulfed in some shady business in the comics, and has been teased to appear in live-action before. If this supermarket is under the Roxxon banner, Loki might have just gained a massive conglomerate adversary.

Upon entering Roxxcart, the Minutemen hold a man at taser-point, though it's unclear if he's their target or simply an innocent shopper. All the while this is going on, the cloaked figure from earlier in the trailer watches from security footage.

Mephisto

Mobius and a Minuteman approach a young boy in a church. The boy offers an object to Mobius, which he accepts. As the two speak, a notable stain-glass window sits behind them. The window depicts a devil-like figure sitting royally, with many speculating this could be the extra-dimensional demon, Mephisto.

Let's start deep diving into speculation.

Considering Loki takes place in a branched timeline and will utilize time travel as an integral plot device, it's fair to assume we will not only visit the past, but also the futures.

Dystopian futures.

We speculated in the WandaVision trailer breakdown that Mephisto would play an integral role to Scarlet Witch's series. Let's run with the idea that Mephisto is not only in WandaVision, but is defeated. Could this tribute-like window indicate this takes place in a future where Mephisto wins?

In the comics, Mephisto spans centuries, popping up in the earliest days of Marvel lore. What if this scene is in the past, when Mephisto was worshipped as some form of god-like figure? There is no telling how Mephisto will factor in to any MCU projects, but if he does indeed debut in WandaVision, this mural becomes a lot more interesting.

Avengers Tower in Ruins

Remember what I said about exploring dystopian futures? This frame gives us our strongest indication that that is a tangible possibility.

Here, stands alone in what is presumed to be Central Park. Around him are jagged ruins of collapsed skyscrapers, complete with overgrown grass indicating that some time has passed since this destruction occurred. Still standing somewhat upright in the skyline is none other than the Avengers Tower in rough shape.

These ruins likely take place some time after Avengers: Age of Ultron, considering the famous Marvel tower has a closer resemblance to its Avengers' style than its original Stark model. Could this be a future where Thanos wins, and humanity gives up on solving it? Or better yet, what if this is Ultron's success story?

Clean-Cut Loki

A suit and sunglassed Loki boards an aircraft looking a lot more like Tom Hiddleston than the God of Mischief we're used to.

Loki is likely undercover here, or at least does not want to be recognized. From here, he jumps out of the plane, calling for Heimdall to time the Bifrost just right to prevent him from falling to his death, like Black Widow (too soon?).

His appearance resembles that of D.B. Cooper, a mysterious man that held a plane hostage, took its passengers' money, and leaped from the plane, never to be found. Could Loki be placing himself in key historical moments?

It is unclear if Idris Elba will return as the Bifrost's gatekeeper in the series, but it is worth noting that Elba has expressed interest in portraying Heimdall again.

Vote for Loki

The final shot of the trailer features a suited up Loki complete with a new horned crown and a 'LOKI FOR PRESIDENT' pin.

The God of Mischief is joined by armed warriors from different time periods, who quickly turn their weapons to the titular character. It is possible that Loki has been gathering some form of an army every instance that he travels through time, and this is the band of misfits he came up with.

Let's talk about that presidential pin!

It remains to be seen whether or not Loki is running a legitimate campaign or if the pin is just for show, but sign me up for an alternate future that sees Loki in the oval office.

While we covered as much as we caught, there's always more information to be found. Speculation has run wild about a possible Black Widow appearance in the trailer, and new findings are surfacing seemingly by the minute.

Loki is set to stream on Disney+ in May 2021.

#tomhiddleston #loki #loki series #marvel #disney+#hiddlestonedit #hiddlesedit #marveledit #mcu #mcuedit #marvel studios #marvel cinema #marvel cinematic universe #lokiedit #mypost #notmyedit #yourfrenchblondgirl

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scribbleseas · 4 years

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The Indignant Pawn, Chapter V: The Extent of Language

Description: You are Y/n Y/l/n- formerly known as Princess Helena, the runaway princess.

You're an assassin for hire who only agrees to find the worst of London's criminals at the business end of your knife; until a mysterious woman hires you to end the likes of Ciel Phantomhive, the King of the Underworld. You find yourself trading your weapons for your abandoned family crest in order to infiltrate his home as none other than Princess Marie-Louise, your twin sister. What's to happen when you find that the young Earl is more than a callous businessman?

OVERALL STORY WARNINGS: sexual assault, objectification, misogyny, death, detailed description of blood/gore, detailed description of murder, lying, impersonation, theft, weapons, detailed panic attacks and flashbacks, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

CHAPTER WARNINGS: single mention of self-hatred.

Author’s Note: If you have any questions or concerns about these warnings, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

-Dan

⇠ PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER ⇢

. . .

JANUARY 28TH, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

The riding habit Doña provided you with was much less intricate than your everyday gowns and pumps. The second you had grown accustomed to squeezing into multiple layers of skirts, the leisurely riding habit reminded you of you who truly were. Instead of balancing on the small, dainty heels of the shoes, you were given black boots that buttoned up. They supported your legs and resembled the ones that you had abandoned at Doña’s residence, save for the high quality leather that they were made of.

Oh, how you loved irony.

Even your long navy gown resembled the sensible style you favored between assignments, the long hem lengthening your profile and the sleeves allowing you to tuck your gloves in with ease. The neckline revealed nothing besides the casual white button up that Mey-Rin surprised you with- the collar ended inches above your throat as it served as your innermost layer of clothing. The dark palette of colors would aid in concealing the stain of Lord Phantomhive’s blood when the time came.

You ran your thumb over the engraved lines of your knife’s wooden handle. The divots that you felt helped you focus and the familiar weight of the weapon was a comfort. You memorized each detail of the silver blade’s intricate design; swirls of turquoise, abstract bits of purple and gold leaves, held together by the illustrated vines. The detail ran up the blade spine, but left the tip a plain silver.

It was finally the day that you’d add the Earl to the count of those whose lives you took with that very blade, putting an end to the assignment. Cautiously, you slid the knife into your boot, between your thin stocking and the boot’s rough leather to avoid slicing the skin of your ankle. Your boot was high enough to conceal the whole of the blade- past the silver quillons. Paired with your extra long riding skirts, the weapon was concealed perfectly.

As you went to the front of the estate where you agreed to meet Lord Phantomhive and Sebastian, your heart raced, expecting the violence you had planned- as if it was going to happen at that very moment. The pace of it only picked up as you opened the front door and shut it behind you, revealing the pair. The Earl was scratching the muzzle of a chestnut horse, it was completely tacked and to your surprise, there wasn’t another one. The fact was bewildering until you recalled that it was poor form for a girl; much less a woman, to properly steer and ride her own horse.

Sebastian was the first to speak, and the amusement in his voice was disarming to you. “Guten Tag, Eure Hoheit. Darf ich vorstellen: Autumn, unser zuverlässigstes Clydesdale-Pferd. Ihr und mein Herr werdet sie heute reiten,” (Good afternoon, Your Highness. Meet Autumn, our most reliable Clydesdale horse. You and my master will be riding her today) he said, likely catching the subtle show of irritation that you fought in your face.

“Autumn is quite accustomed to this trail, if it helps to set your mind at ease,” Lord Phantomhive commented, quickly taking in the sight of your dressed down state. Your hair was even out of its braided bun, for the favor of a looser one that was tied with a black ribbon. Stray strands framed your face, falling in strategically curled waves. The adlib strands accentuated the thin pearl choker and matching earrings you had chosen.

“Right, thank you,” you acquiesced, presuming that any sort of protest would be out of character for Marie, or any high ranking woman in general. You stepped down the small stairs, deliberately avoiding the suspicious glare of ice. The last thing you needed was to take a tumble and injure yourself, which heeled boots made it easy to do.

Upon closer inspection, Autumn was a beautiful horse. Her coat stuck out against the white and grey winter terrain and complimented the black tack set and warming blanket. Her neat maine and tail strategically matched her tack.

You ran your hand over Autumn’s neck as Lord Phantomhive hoisted himself onto the saddle by putting one foot through a stirrup and using that as leverage to swing his other leg over the horse’s back. After righting himself, he extended his hand to you, his white pair of gloves matching the ones you sported, making his rings much more conspicuous. “Your Highness,” he spoke, briefly bending his fingers to express that you needed to take his hand- as if you lacked the knowledge of riding etiquette.

After taking a brief moment to stare at the startling sapphire on his ring finger, you accepted his hand and stepped in the stirrup to settle your bottom on the pillion behind the saddle. Vaguely, you could recall that sitting side-saddle required you to both hold on to the driver’s middle with an arm and cross your ankles, allowing your legs to bend naturally from your sitting position. “Thank you,” you quickly let go of his hand, nearly frowning at the loss of warmth. It wasn’t blizzard cold, but it was enough for you to see your breath when you exhaled. As a girl, you liked to pretend you were smoking a cigar right along with the conman; merely breathing out of your mouth while he exhaled smoke through his nose.

You and the Earl fit well on Autumn’s back, who made no effort to protest against your additional weight.

“My Lord,” Sebastian said, handing the reins to the male before you. You noted that he had no horse prepared for himself and frankly, you didn’t care to ask why. Sebastian accompanied his master at nearly every hour. Following you and his master on foot wouldn’t be a feat that surprised you, at this point. “We should arrive at Richmond Park before a quarter after three.” By the last time you looked at your mantle clock in your room, that would mean that the journey to the start of the trail would be a fast fifteen minutes.

“Alright. You’ll walk at least ten paces behind us- understand?” Lord Phantomhive ordered. While he was distracted with commanding his butler, you anchored your arm around his waist as you took in a sharp breath. The gesture was customary and the Earl made no effort to address it, even though you could feel the warmth in your cheeks intensify with each step that Autumn made.

. . .

As he was ordered, Sebastian remained at a considerable distance from you and Lord Phantomhive. If he felt any discomfort from walking in the powdery snow on the trail, he didn’t show it.

You tried to keep your gaze in front of you, watching the gnarled trees on either side of the wide trail, catching the brief sight of families of deer- their hair thicker to suit the cold weather. Red squirrels jumped about the trees, chasing one another and chattering to accompany the light wind. It seemed that everything around you and the Earl was making noise to make up for the cold silence between you. The serenity of the nature surrounding you was too calm to break with needless conversation. There was no point in disturbing that peace in the first place.

You were in the midst of preparing yourself to put an end to this long assignment. To hopefully stab the nobleman from behind and shove his body down the overlook for the vultures. Fending off Sebastian wasn’t any sort of daunting task, considering his physique suggested that he was just as lithe as his master. You were trained to take down opponents such as him.

“We’re nearing the overlook,” Lord Phantomhive said, speaking over the ‘who’ of a snow owl perched on a bare branch above. The bird quickly flew away and you looked up to watch it go, only for the momentum of its push off to cause the bits of snow to fall down onto you. You squeaked in surprise as the snow fell on your hair and down your face, the cold snapping you out of your daze.

You attempted to pat the flurries off of your head and face with your free hand, pausing when the Earl looked over his shoulder to figure the source of your awkward noise. “I-Is something wrong?” he asked as he squared his shoulders once again. The motion drew attention to the way your arm squeezed tightly around his waist, which was another result of your moderate scare. The intensity of it caused him to stutter, considering you were unaware of your own strength in a barest reaction. You loosened your grip instantaneously.

“Only some falling snow,” you briefly met his eye before facing your front once again. “You scared off the owl by speaking so abruptly.” You didn’t need to see the Earl’s face to have a vague idea of his vexed expression.

“Look ahead,” Lord Phantomhive changed the subject tersely, gesturing to the nearling cliff with a slight nod of his head.

“I see it,” you squinted at the bright glare of sunlight that stared you in the face and reflected off the white snow. The trail had been leading upwards for the bulk of the time, carving a safe route up and down a hill. As you neared closer, Lord Phantomhive pulled on the reins, telling Autumn to stop her slow pace.

After dismounting himself, the Earl took your hand in order to help you down once again. Your boots sank in the loose snow, although it was only a few inches deep. It hindered each step that you took as you allowed Lord Phantomhive to pass you to inspect the height of the overlook. You followed in suit, methodically stepping in the tracks that his riding boots made in the snow.

The valley before you was quite a sight to behold. The setting sun casted an orange hue in the sky, pulling out all kinds of pink and purple dimensions in the grey clouds and sky. A thick forest was below, coated in snow and likely rustling with life as the hill was. You could barely see it over the nobleman’s shoulder as you faced his back. Sebastian was occupied with fastening Autumn to a nearby tree, his back turned from you.

“The sun seems to be setting already. I don’t remember this trail being so long,” Lord Phantomhive commented, putting his hands into the deep pockets of his navy overcoat. The color matched yours and you couldn’t help but briefly wonder if that was a coincidence or not.

“Perhaps it was the speed...or, lack thereof,” you suggested, only half-listening to his sentiment. You were staring at his back, quickly running through all of your options.

“If we went any faster, you might’ve lost your balance, Your Highness,” you could hear the smirk in his patronizing tone.

The most efficient way to kill the Earl would be aiming for the base of his neck to sever his spinal cord. However, it was much easier said than done, since it was placed in a clever spot within the vertebrae, otherwise, the bones that made up the spinal column. Between these vertebrae were intervertebral discs- tough, spongy material that cushions the joints, in severing the spinal cord, you needed to cut between the vertebrae and through the disc in a single stab.

The conman marked the exact spot on his own neck for you dozens of times; outlining the steps quite clearly. Once his gaze left you, you bent down to pull your knife out of your boot by the handle and stood back up, your free hand patting at your skirts to fix them. Your heart rate increased as you slowed to a stop, engaging the blade of your knife by holding it flat.

“Sebastian, have you brought any refreshments along?” Lord Phantomhive asked.

It was your quick reflexes that led you to shove your knife into your pocketbag, keeping your hand steady on the handle. You showed yourself to the Earl’s side as you bit the inside of your lip. The opportunity was wasted, which was equally disappointing and frustrating. You’d need to either bide your time and find another chance or follow through at that moment.

“Yes, my Lord,” Sebastian approached you with a familiar tray and two teacups of steaming tea. You couldn’t recall him bringing any of the items, much less the big tray. He was walking behind the horse with empty hands and there were no pouches draped over her back. Odd. “Black Chai Masala; imported straight from Assam, India. This particular selection is served with a combination of milk and a spoonful of sweetener.”

Rather than drink yet another foreign tea, you would have opted for a large glass of hot chocolate. The conman added several teaspoons of milk and mixed it into the boxed mix and water and on top, he added a combination of whipped egg whites and powdered sugar on top. A proper meringue, he called it. As a girl with a demon-like sweet tooth, you demanded it year round- even during the spring and summer. After he was killed, you did everything you could to recreate the taste, but it was never quite right and eventually, you gave up. The despair that came from purchasing the same brand of mix, Baker’s Breakfast neared your capacity for grief.

If Sebastian could offer you a glass of Baxter’s hot chocolate, then you’d happily give up your knife and simply disappear from his master’s life in exchange. But instead, you were holding a cup of Black Chai Masala from India, rather than hot chocolate made from a mix that came in a short tin can.

You stared at the porcelain cup in your hands and rather than drinking it immediately, you simply enjoyed the warmth that seeped through your gloves.

“Is it not to your liking, Your Highness?” Sebastian was asking you why you had yet to sip from your tea in the most demure way possible. Turning to look at him, you took a long drink from the cup, meeting his gaze from the second your mouth made contact with the rim, to the moment you swallowed. The taste was aromatic and smooth, the robust of the chai’s cinnamon standing out to your taste buds.

“It’s fine,” you offered a halfhearted shrug as you faced your front once again. The winter scenery was much more appealing than Sebastian was. Although he was a dashing man, there was an unsettling countenance to him that you couldn’t quite name. “However, I feel that sweeter drinks are more suitable for this weather. Such as hot chocolate.”

“Hot chocolate,” the Earl repeated, his tone warmer than you anticipated. You were expecting a sardonic chortle, or even a long side glance. “That’s a favorite of mine as well.”

“I’ll keep your preference in mind. Thank you,” Sebastian bowed after the Earl took his tea cup off of the server in the butler’s hands.

. . .

FEBRUARY 3RD, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

You watched the mantle clock slowly tick, the thinnest hand marching around the circumference of the face. It changed the time from 11:59 pm to 12:00 am, evidently signifying the start of a new day. February 3rd. The date that made it officially four years since the conman was murdered. Four years since you killed two men, Pete and James, in defense of your innocence.

You already felt empty like a ghost, and you were merely seconds into the day. Rolling onto your back, you let out a long, dismayed sigh. Sleep wasn’t an option and you knew it from the moment you attempted to close your eyes.

The foyer was one of the best rooms in the entire estate, besides your personal quarters. The fireplace was surrounded by loveseats and cushioned sofas and you preferred the smallest couch that was the furthest away from the door. It was brown and upholstered with leather and the soft cushions paired nicely with the thick blanket that normally hung over the armchair. Sitting there, surrounded by the uncovered windows of the room was the safest option for you and the dark mindset you knew you were headed towards.

February 3rd never treated you well and the best you could do was attempt to make it less terrible.

You took your newest book off the nightstand and headed into the corridor. The foyer wasn’t far from your room, it was down the hall and the main staircase and finally, to the left. The way was rather clear with lanterns and candelabras keeping the entirety of the manor free of darkness, which was likely a silent courtesy to you. Under your feet, the wooden flooring was cold and it whined with each quick step you took, much to your dismay. You had no need to summon Lord Phantomhive out of his quarters. You could see a vague light through his open door, which was unusual for the hour.

In fact, finding the Earl covered in a fleece blanket in the foyer was even more unusual. There was a book open in his lap and a steaming glass in his left hand while his right tugged on the corner of the next page of his book, ready to flip. He seemed to be nursing a glass of hot chocolate- the sweet aroma was as clear as day next to the smell of smoke from the tamed fireplace. You were prepared to light it yourself, but for once, it was you who lingered in the doorway. Normally, Lord Phantomhive required permission to enter from you and although by rank, you were able to do as you pleased, it felt wrong to plop down on the leather sofa and recline without a single turn of phrase.

“It’s rather late to be wandering about, Your Highness,” Lord Phantomhive commented without needing to look up from his book. The fleece blanket was placed over his lap and it was large enough to cover his legs, down to the floor. He was dressed down in another oversized shirt, this one a beige or ecru, rather. It made you more aware of your pink nightgown, this one was puffier than most of them, with a droopy bow in the middle of the neckline, covering your sternum. It covered more than the shift you wore on February 3rd, 1888. If you had worn this opulent pink gown to sleep, you might’ve been warmer before it was pulled off of you.

Your pulse raced. “It’s rather late to be reading, Lord Phantomhive,” you smarted to make up for your mouth running dry. You appreciated the company, even if it was only the Earl Phantomhive, your target- your victim.

“I’ll have Sebastian fix you a glass as well,” the Earl’s gaze was still on the text and he slipped the page over. You took his leisure as a gesture to claim your usual seat, which was next to the tall armchair he picked for himself. “He makes a respectable hot chocolate.”

You pulled the blanket over yourself, finding the fabric significantly warmed by the fire. It felt lovely against your clammy skin and the cold draft that came from the window behind you and the nobleman. “I wouldn’t doubt it,” your eyes followed his hand as he gave a small bell three rings, briefly exchanging it for his hot chocolate. It was the first time he looked away from that book and he validated your response with an occupied ‘mhm’.

Under your blanket, you pulled your legs up on the cushion to cross, the left bending under the right. You opened your book, The Tell-Tale Heart by American author and poet, Edgar Allan Poe. Ironically, it was more gruesome for your taste in literature, but in passing conversation with Lord Phantomhive, you concluded that he had quite a brooding taste in fiction. It matched the readings that Governess Lydia piled on your desk as a child, when you had barely learned to read German, much less English. Apparently, she likes her royal heirs properly dulled out by the time they came of age to matter.

“What are you reading?” you questioned, allotting Lord Phantomhive another quick glance to the side while you allowed yourself to lean comfortably against the sofa’s arm. “It must be fascinating if your conversational skills are so lackluster.” You leaned over, tilting away from the small table where he kept his glass of hot chocolate and the bell he used to summon his butler. A familiar illustration covered the entire left page. It was a tall woman, clad in all white, with two polar bears at either of her sides. There was a tall crown on her head, matching the long, regal scepter in her hand. The Snow Queen.

“I see. Children’s tales,” you commented, stealing the Earl’s previous words to twist at him to suit this particular conversation.

“Your Highness,” Lord Phantomhive turned to look at you, “with all due respect, why don’t you focus on your own book?” The orange hues of the fire that was in front of the both of you lit up his face, strategically hiding a faint flush from your sight. His mouth was settled in his natural frown and the bit of space between his eyebrows was wrinkled. The look. Everytime he regarded you like that, it was a minor cause for amusement that ebbed the pain of your past. Teasing the Earl was a comforting distraction; as were the warm blanket, fireplace and hot chocolate.

Was it selfish to want to live in this luxury for at least a few more days?

No.

It wasn’t.

“Mr. Edgar Allan Poe doesn’t strike my interest at this hour,” you responded, skimming over the line of the page you left off on in your last session of reading. “The Tell-Tale Heart is only about the guilt in sin. The theme is clear and personally, all the extra words are just a bother.”

‘Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief…’

“The words are a bother? It’s meant to be poetic,” Lord Phantomhive protested as he closed his own book to properly judge you. You never would have guessed that he was younger than you, even if the difference was only a slim two years. He had the taste of a seventy year old- a senior of whom you’d normally expect to run a business, head a household and carry out the wishes of the Queen.

“Making the thought process of a murderer poetic,” you mused, flipping the page once more. Your mentality looked nothing like this and you’ve done plenty more than killing an old man and stuffing him under the floorboards. There was no guilt to your conscience because every individual you’ve eradicated deserved it for crimes far worse than the hand of justice. “Ironic, is it not?”

“That’s the point. All the guilt in the universe cannot bring that old man back, much less the excess prose,” the Earl turned back to his book and opened it again, sensing that you were finished with the discussion by your lack of response.

Sebastian soon came with hot chocolate for you, moments after he came to ask why his master summoned him. He was rather slow to come, in comparison to the seconds it took him to appear at any other moment, but rather than questioning this, you simply accepted your hot chocolate with a nod.

Naturally, it wasn’t like the conman’s, but the chocolate was quite sweet and even the heavy cream gathered on your lips. The sugar did nothing to stave off the new, comfortable sensation that had your eyelids heavy and back slouching against the arm of your chair. It was completely silent in the foyer; save for the sound of the Earl turning pages of his book and the soft clink of his glass when he put it back on the table between you. Navigating Edgar Allen Poe’s complex words in this state was a lost cause as you grew more drowsy by the second, until you, albeit reluctantly, finally succumbed to a light slumber.

. . .

“Your Highness,” Lord Phantomhive’s voice coaxed you out of your comfortable sleep. You blinked several times before you could clearly see his face in front of yours, a respectful distance away, but at a peculiar level. The Earl was bent down to properly meet your eyes as opposed to looking down at you. Behind him, the fire was dying- the orange embers hidden within the burned wood. The glow made his dark hair look blue, such as the complexion of a fresh bruise, or of the navy riding dress that you wore on the trail five days ago. “We should be retiring about now. It’s rather late.”

“...What time is it?” You reluctantly sat up, cringing at the new soreness in the side of your neck and your shoulder for napping at such an odd angle. Your head used the plush arm of the chair as a pillow, while the rest of your body curled into a ball on the seat portion of the lovechair. Even your knees protested as you straightened them out, your eyebrows knitting in discomfort.

“A quarter past two,” Lord Phantomhive stood to his full height and waited for you to follow in suit. His book, The Snow Queen sat closed on the table, his cardstock bookmark resting on top of it. He must have finished the book while you slept.

“A quarter past two?” You repeated, taken aback while you stood at your feet. The feeling of your own weight on your feet almost felt foreign- odd, along with the cold, solid floor rug beneath you . “Have you been reading that all night?”

“I finished it early on and proceeded to pick up where you left off in The Tell-Tale Heart. I don’t know how you could fall asleep instead of read it.”

“I explained it to you already, my Lord,” besides, it was in English. Poe’s intermingling sentences managed to confuse you now and then, considering you learned the bulk of the language through listening to others on the streets. Middle-class individuals rarely used so many sentences to portray a single idea. Not to mention, the topic disturbed you. It was as if Poe had killed someone and fully knew of the mental obstacles a murderer faces.

“Shall I show you to your quarters?” Lord Phantomhive opened the door of the foyer open for you, leaving the cozy room a mess for Mey-Rin or Sebastian to tidy in a few hours. The hallway was still properly lit for you, which made the layout of the manor much less foreboding as you could see where the corridor led. Uncertainty was the silent killer, after all.

“Would you?” although you were in a surprisingly good mindset considering the date, you had minimal faith that it would continue. If you coil hold onto some peace for the night by allowing the Earl to accompany you, it was worth trying- whether it came from a place of having someone to speak to or merely distracting yourself.

“...Certainly,” the hesitation in front of Lord Phantomhive’s words expressed that he was merely asking as a formality and didn’t expect you to accept the offer. The brief raise of his eyebrows supported that observation and once he noticed that you were staring, he dropped the expression altogether.

. . .

FEBRUARY 14TH, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

Valentine’s Day- the single most oversold holiday in the world. One that all kinds of companies used to fish money out of men to impress their lovers for the sole purpose of making money. It was a corporate strategy, at most, and yet, the entire world was in love with it. February 14th was the one day out of the whole year where nearly everyone was inexplicably- unbearably, nice.

Naturally, the Phantomhive servants were no excuse. Mey-Rin was somehow, more bubbly than normal- her face was already pink when she woke you that morning and the shade only deepened until you were finally sitting at the breakfast table, where two letters sat on top of your empty place setting.

“These arrived in the postage for you this morning, Your Highness!” Mey-Rin exclaimed, and you couldn’t, for the life of you, figure out what worked her up so much. What could be so special about two letters?

“Alright,” you eyed the woman once again as you took your seat, causing her to giggle. As per usual, Lord Phantomhive was late to breakfast, which left his dense pile of correspondences high. It hadn’t taken you long to recognize that this communal breakfast took time out of his morning and out of pity, you decided to allow him work through all of his letters and notes as he ate with you. The minor convenience significantly lifted the jaded chip that resided on his shoulder, although you knew that there was no way it would vanish completely. The chip on the Earl’s shoulder was as constant as yours.

You opened the letter on top and squinted at the miniscule script in the middle of it, the textbook handwriting reading, ‘Prince Aribert of Anhalt, House of Ascania, an Princess Marie-Louise of Schleswig-Holstein’. There was no address on it, which led you to presume that it went through the Queen, who had it hand-delivered to one of the Phantomhive servants. Marie’s location was only supposed to be disclosed to Lord Phantomhive (and his staff), the Queen, and the royal family. That would explain why the letter under the one you picked up was signed by the Queen.

“It’s from your fiancé- oh, I mean, His Highness! On Valentine’s Day! What could it be?” Mey-Rin’s squealing interrupted your train of thought, causing you to briefly look at her. She was staring at the unopened envelope in your hands with the intent a coroner would inspect a dead body. The analogy was…creepy, but for this purpose, it worked.

Slowly, you tore the seal that kept the envelope closed and pulled out the card. The whole of it was a shade of baby pink, reading ‘Eine Botschaft zum Valentinstag’ (A Valentine’s Day Message) in white block letters under a drawing of two doves, sitting on a barren tree branch. On top of both the doves and the brand was lace, sitting on top of the illustrations to make them stand out against the pink background. The cover also served as an envelope in of itself, the top splitting open to expose a shallow patch, but for the time being, you ignored it. You couldn’t help but wonder how much this specialty valentine cost- and which servant of Prince Aribert’s ordered it.

Inside the card was a small piece of paper and a dried white alstroemeria. It was Marie’s favorite flower- she always had a bouquet of it in her quarters, simply sitting next to a window and thriving in water. She adored the little specks of purple on the petals because they gave an objectively boring plant character. You could recognize an alstroemeria anywhere. The fact that this accurate detail was sent was...unsettling, but even so, you gave the flower a sniff to enjoy it’s remaining scent.

You set the flower aside, allowing Mey-Rin to gaze at it from across the table while you picked up the paper.

“Oh, please read it, Your Highness?” She interrupted once again, clearly not noticing the annoyance on your face each time she spoke.

With a sigh, you obliged. Translating from German to English on the spot wasn’t preferable, but you were more than capable of it. “Sonnet 138: When my love swears that she is made of truth,” your face immediately grew warmer as you read the sonnet, some of the pronunciations causing you to stutter. “Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue: On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.”

Just as Edgar Allen Poe overstated the mentality of a murderer, William Shakespeare over complicated love with too many words. Poets all seem to be idealists, viewing the word under the same passion-stained lenses that the common public did on February 14th.

You heard Lord Phantomhive coming before he stopped at the threshold like clockwork, since this occurred at the same time each morning. Still, you continued to read, finishing out the sonnet in one strangled breath, even though it was meant to be read slowly. However, you could bring yourself to inhale and pause when the punctuation called for it- graceful sexual innuendos were far beyond your comfort zone. “Therefore I lie with her and she with me, and in our faults by lies we flattered be. Shakespeare, 1590.”

Quickly, you put the paper down, half-tempted to tear it to shreds right in front of Mey-Rin’s adoring gaze. She was acting as if the prince had written it himself when truthfully, the most creativity he showed was picking a sonnet from the famous poet and copying it, word for word. At least there was credit where it was due. From what you remembered, Prince Aribert wasn’t much of a wordsmith as a nine year old.

“What a romantic His Highness is!” Mey-Rin sighed, answering most of Lord Phantomhive’s unsaid questions. As you tipped your fingers into the pocket between the card’s cover and the card’s inner lining, you were met with a small satin pouch. Inside of it was predictably, an expensive pair of dangly earrings. Each earring had a large emerald, carved into a teardrop shape and set in gold. The gem matched your family ring, an attempt to show how much the prince paid attention to Marie.

“Yes. The gesture was rather thoughtful,” you aquised, mostly to encourage Mey-Rin to stop hovering as you returned the earrings to their pouch, since you were already wearing simple pearls in your ears. Their simplicity matched the deep magenta of your gown, complimenting the silver decorations that covered the sides of the outermost petticoat and long sleeves. The pink was appropriate, given the day. Even the Earl’s color palette was altered somewhat; his preference for cold color palettes was replaced with a burgundy vest layered over a white button down shirt. You had never seen him wear any shade of brown until that day, and yet, his tan suit jacket matched the ensemble rather well.

The Earl took his seat at the dining table without your word of acceptance- you had done away with the extra formality at the beginning of the week, finding it pointless. You set each of Aribert’s gifts to the side- the dried flower, the earrings and the copied sonnet- for the favor of opening the letter from Her Majesty.

“Good morning,” Lord Phantomhive sorted through his own mail, which was also placed on his plate. However, he didn’t open any of the letters and instead, started writing on a blank piece of stationery.

You tensed upon reading your name at the top of the paper, rather than Marie’s.

‘Y/n. Was I not clear in expressing that timing is of the essence? Your arrival date was January 17th and today is Valentine’s Day- February 14th. I hope you have a-’

You folded the paper and carelessly shoved it back into the envelope where it came from. The familiar handwriting was enough for you to comprehend that it was from Doña, rather than Queen Victoria. Disguising it as a message from Her Majesty was a keen idea, considering it wouldn’t be suspicious for you to want to read a message from your grandmother in private.

“Good morning,” you ignored the Earl’s stare that followed the abruptness of you folding the letter and violently shoving it into the envelope, causing it to wrinkle Instead, you plucked a warm bread roll out of the basket in front of you. The plum marmalade to your side would pair nicely with cinnamon and the hot chocolate that clouded the thin glass to your right. Sebastian had the table set with breakfast before you entered, which was quite seldom, considering the enjoyment he got out of introducing everything he created.

The butter knife in your hand felt heavier as you cut the roll in half, what with Doña’s reminder. She was an impatient woman and you had guaranteed that Lord Phantomhive would be dead within a week after you arrived. Now, you were three days short of a month at the estate and as much as you hated yourself for it, you felt nothing but refreshed- both physically and mentally. You were supposed to be stronger than this.

While you spread the plum marmalade over each half of the roll, it was entertaining to watch Lord Phantomhive write and rewrite over and over again. He was invested in what he was attempting to articulate to the point that he was ignoring his breakfast, which was also seldom for him to do. His cheeks were growing red as he folded his third paper and tossed it to the slide with the other discarded ones.

“Just what are you so amused by?” Lord Phantomhive gritted at you, his words strained as he stared at the blank paper that sat under its predecessor.

“What are you attempting to write?” You set the butter knife down, fighting considerably against an amused smile. The Earl never struggled this much with business letters or correspondences with the Yard- and it was Valentine’s Day.

“...It’s nothing-,” he mumbled, the lie as clear as day.

“-A valentine for Lady Midford,” you interrupted, causing him to frown at you.

“...Fine, yes, that’s what it is. Sebastian is preparing the rest of her gifts and yet, he refused to complete this part for me,” he admitted ruefully as if the words pained him to say. It made you think about Prince Aribert’s valentine to your dead sister and how he simply copied the words of Shakespeare and it was enough to convince Mey-Rin that he was a good man. At least Sebastian was encouraging his master to put some effort in.

“The rest of her gifts?” You raised an eyebrow, awaiting his response as you took a decent bite out of the half of bread. Before taking another taste, you gave the cinnamon shaker a few good jolts to allow its contents to dust over the plum marmalade.

“Her favorite chocolates from Switzerland and a necklace. Sebastian picked it.”

“There’s a compilation of Shakespeare’s sonnets in your library,” you informed the Earl, allowing him to gauge the sentiment’s relevance on his own- which didn’t take long.

“...Right. Would you excuse me for a moment?” Lord Phantomhive asked, standing from his seat before you could approve. Although he wasn’t any taller than the average male (you tended to forget that he was only seventeen), he still had a few inches on you, even without the heeled boots he tended to wear.

“Yes, go,” you couldn’t help but chuckle at his ineptness. Lord Phantomhive knew less about romance than you did and that was quite a difficult feat.

When the Earl returned, you finished most of the bread roll and half of your hot chocolate. His was practically cold chocolate at this point and you intended to mention that, before he spoke first, reading out of the open book you directed him to.

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer’s lease hath all too short a date,” he read slowly, taking his seat at the table once again, leaving the book open as he put it down. “That’s a part of sonnet number eighteen.”

You picked up the book and skimmed the whole of the sonnet for yourself.

‘But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair ow’st.’

“It suits her,” you commented, considering the simile that Shakespeare was making from summer to the subject of the sonnet. “But...I think she’d appreciate it more if you went and saw her today,” you thought quickly, this suggestion coming from a residual need to enter and go through Lord Phantomhive’s study. The smooth cover- pretending to care about his relationship with his cousin- was a tactful one. The conman would be proud of you for suggesting it, since it seemed like it would benefit the Earl more than you. He’d focus on his own benefit, being inherently greedy.

“Go see her?” Lord Phantomhive repeated as you gave the book back to him to have him begin writing the sonnet down on a fresh piece of paper. From your perspective, you could see ‘Sonnet Eighteen- Shakespeare’ written in large, swooping letters on top of the rest of the stanza that he was in the midst of rewriting.

“Yes. Go with your gifts and surprise her,” you explained. “Must I spell it out?”

The Earl looked as if he wanted to protest, or pretend like he had the grounds to protest the proper way to a lady’s heart by ignoring the suggestion of one. He thought better of it after a moment and the back of his pen hit the paper, as his grip on it diminished. Wasn’t the point of this to garner her affections, or at least express his own?

“I suppose you do have a point, Your Highness.” Lord Phantomhive admitted, quite begrudgingly, his fair complexion moderately pink.

. . .

As you predicted, Sebastian accompanied his master to Lady Midford’s estate within the heart of the city, leaving you in the care of Mey-Rin, Baldroy and Finny for the rest of the day. Since the servants were busy with tasks from Sebastian (you presumed, since they were all around the perimeter of the property), you entered the Earl’s study and shut the door behind you.

The walls were lined with books and similar to Doña’s office, there was a large bay window behind the desk chair. However, the surface of his desk itself was mostly clear, save for a pile of papers and small bowls of pen ink.

The paper on top of the disheveled pile was a letter, signed by Cooper Finley, a name that you recognized from your moderate ties with the crime world. He was no one worth your time, a business owner that employed grave robbers to steal riches (and bodies) out of graves. Fresh bodies sold at high prices to doctors and medical students who wanted to learn more about the human body and run labs. The Undertaker made plenty of money off of Finley too, taking bribes to turn the other cheek when aided in funerals that buried empty coffins.

The letter that you picked up was wrinkled on either side of the page from being held too hard. The paper was only a pull away before tearing in half, even though the date said that it was only two days old.

‘Lord Phantomhive. I must request another meeting regarding the cost I allow my services to be used at. What with coal for fuel, repair, staffing and other major impediments (pirate infested waters, if I may be so blunt), cause me to request a higher recompense for carrying the Funtom Company’s products across the North Atlantic. Might I remind you of the high profits you make off of the hopeful children of America? I’ll be in London at the end of the week.’

Finley was just another greedy business owner, the same as Keating and Wright. Lord Phantomhive’s affiliation with him should have put him under the same category, although you found yourself disdainfully reluctant to convince yourself of that. Perhaps, there were no other options. The idea of Finley owning every single steamship meant for cargo wasn’t wholly absurd- the entire world of business was composed of monopolists.

With a sigh, you put the letter down and proceeded to look at the papers that were underneath it. These were records of pay, written out with a typewriter and dating back to the April of 1891. The payment started low at one-thousand and eight hundred pounds for fifty boxes of cargo- three pounds per box and an extra charge for the six week voyage, with money to go towards coal. According to this record, it started to increase by one hundred pounds a month shortly after, and grew to an extra five hundred by December of 1891.

The most recent payment was for January, 1892 for two-thousand and three hundred pounds; which led you to understand why the Earl came out of his business meetings in such a foul mood; Cooper Finley was outwardly conning him and there wasn’t anything he could do about it, if he wanted to keep Funtom products on the shelves of America.

You put all of the papers back in their pile and promptly found that each drawer in the desk was locked- and with no key in sight, which ended your little search prematurely.

. . .

Doña wasn’t a woman that scared you. She caked on too much red lipstick and only wore beige- her stature was lithe and thin. You could easily kill her if you wanted to and at least a few times, you have wanted to.

But, when she insisted on having a meeting at a residence in London to talk about how the Earl- Ciel Phantomhive- was still alive when he should have been murdered weeks ago, you were to go. She was your employer, after all. The woman who paid for every dress and jewel you wore to properly play the part of a princess, on top of promising you a hefty sum, by the end of it. On the assumption you could manage to end it.

The moment Mey-Rin shut the door of your room for the night, you sprung out of bed and began to change out of your nightgown, and into one of the riding habits that were packed with you. This number was a stormy grey for the most part, which made your black riding boots the accessory shade. Riding habit was the easiest to put on without the assistance that you were growing so accustomed to.

You had read a letter that you received at breakfast merely moments after the plates of your dinner were whisked away from your room. You requested to eat at your personal desk, since the Earl, as well as Sebastian, were staying at the Midford’s estate for the night. It was a letter of summons from Doña for you to meet her in the city at an address that you didn’t recognize and with Sebastian and Lord Phantomhive away for the night, your best option was to bite the bullet and get it over with.

The night was cold enough to make your gloves useless, which caused your hands to tremble as you held onto the reins of the horse you were already acquainted with, Autumn. With each gallop she made, down the stone pathway that led to the main door of the estate (you had opted for exiting through your quarter’s window), your body tensed. Your nose was red from the biting wind and simply by the heavy air, you suspected that it was going to snow that night. The snow added yet another sense of urgency to this outing.

You were smart to have paid attention to the route that Sebastian drove to the Globe Theater, which was in the heart of the city. The conman liked to say that preemptive moves often separated success and failure.

“Good girl,” you praised Autumn as she skillfully ignored distractions that increased marginally as the forest lightened around you, transforming into the cobblestone streets and cement walkways of London. She handled the surprise of it better than you did, considering this was your first time in London- alone- in a month. You never knew that you could miss the smell of smoke, or the tall streetlights that kept the streets well lit, not that there were many carriages out at this hour. Even the Globe Theater was completely dark and as for the shops, there wasn’t a soul to be found, which was fine. You didn’t need any distractions as you followed the signage to the proper street and the numbers to a small, brick residence that resembled the Calverts’ home in Birmingham. There was a single lamp over the threshold, unlike the other homes that were shoulder to shoulder to it.

Hesitantly, you slid off Autumn’s back and held onto the reins to keep her close while you put the brass knocker on the door to good use. Someone had better answer before you kicked down the barrier by yourself. You were generally impatient, and the longer you had to wait in the cold, the crankier you grew, which unfortunately, reminded you of a certain nobleman’s temperament.

. . .

Tags:

#ciel phantomhive #ciel x reader #black butler #black butler fanfic #strangers to lovers #anime fanfiction #sebastian michaelis #ciel phantomhive x reader #murder #angst #historical fiction #historical romance #victorian era #the indignant pawn #the extent of language

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martellthemandalor · 4 years

Text

Assistance - Chapter 5

Pairing: Din Djarin x F!Reader (No Y/N, reader is nicknamed)

Warnings: Swearing, I think that’s it

Rating: 15

Word Count: 2.9k+

Summary: You ask some questions and Mando gives you hand with your armour.

A/N: There’s some possible sexual tension in this if you squint, as ever I’d love feedback :) (also yeh the gif is really bad I’m still figuring them out lmao)

Masterlist!

The ambient temperature of the barn was soothingly cool, and the change of it felt like a balm against your flushed skin. Your legs were unsteady beneath you as you tried to feign your usual confident strides; however there didn’t seem much point in doing so as from the way the Mandalorian had studied your walk before, you were certain he could see through you right now. He had situated himself on one of the many piles of long red gratham stems that lined the walls of the barn, sitting so impossibly still with his visor trained on you. He watched as you collapsed against the pile opposite him, letting your bag slump against the ground next to you. You leant your head back and closed your eyes, running your hand down your face to massage at your neck as you tried to regulate your heartbeat. Despite the cooler climate of it, the atmosphere in the barn felt hot and heavy.

You could feel him staring at you again and as much as you wanted to counter it with a fierce stare of your own, you just couldn’t conjure the energy for one. Instead you opted to open you bag and pull out your tool kit before unclasping your right cuff and beginning to tinker with it. The silence felt thick, only interrupted by the occasion sizzling spark of a live wire making contact with your probe. The respite here did you give you time to think about what had happened today and thinking back you realised you only really had one question to ask. You looked up from your work and your gaze fell across his figure, splayed across the long stems piled beneath him, helmet leant against the wall, still so motionless that you wandered if he was even awake.

“Why were those bounty hunters after you?” Your voice rang across the barn, it startled you how loud it sounded in the quietness, but the Mandalorian didn’t move a muscle. You let the question hang for a few moments, before conceding that he probably was asleep and so ducked your eyes back to your task.

“I broke guild rules,” His even tone cut through the peace, making you look up from your work.

“Yeh no shit laserbrain, I figured that bit out” You retorted, waving your probe at him.

“I was sent to fetch for a quarry for an imperial warlord,” You prickled upon hearing that, jaw tensing on impulse. Kriffing imp. “I did the job, I brought it back to him, I took my payment and left. I knew it was wrong but he was offering beskar that had been collected in the purge, my clan would do anything to have that back. It was only after payment that I realised I couldn’t leave the quarry with the imp, so I took him back, destroying their safe house in the process.” He lifted his head from where it had been laying against the dusty brown wall to look properly at you. A smirk had twisted itself onto your lips, eyes glinting with mischievous delight.

“Anything that involves destroying an imp safe house and, presumably, killing some bucket heads is a victory in my eyes. Are they after you then? Or do you still have the quarry with you?”

“The quarry is under my protection.”

“Well then you’re an idiot,” you scoffed, “the guild will keep sending hunters until what’s owed is given over, surely you know that?” You shook your head at him in disbelief that this druk for brains still had the quarry with him.

He cocked his head to the side slightly. “They will. And I’ll keep fighting and running. The kid is all that matters now.”

“Mother of moons Mandalorian, the imp wanted a child? Whatever for?”

“The kid’s special.” There was a beat, like he wanted to say more, but all he gave was silence.

“That’s it?” You asked, taken aback at such an abrupt response.

“That’s all anyone needs to know.” His head dropped back against the wall. You had so many more questions now, however the soft thud of the beskar hitting the wall told you the conversation was over. Mandalorian’s are known for how they take in foundlings, nonetheless you found it hard to believe that the tin can sitting opposite you had taken one in for himself, let alone one with a bounty on its head. You furrowed your brows, shaking your head as your work drew you back in, enveloping you once again.

“How do you know about Mandalorian creed?” He asked suddenly. You looked up to see him sat up, feet planted firmly on the ground, his posture a dramatic shift from the relaxed way he had been lounging what surely must have been mere moments before, his helmet on a slight tilt as he regarded you. You slightly furrowed your brow at him, scoffing.

“The Mandalorian’s are the fiercest warriors in the universe, how could I not know?”

“Yes, most people know us, but you know us.” He leant forward ever so slightly, helmet straightening on his shoulders. Even from across the cracked floor of the barn you could feel his presence bearing down onto you. You were the one to tilt your head this time, your brows forming a harder line across your face as you furrowed them further.

“I don’t understand,”

“You never asked my name, you don’t ask personal questions, you actively told me you wouldn’t look when I had to drink, you told the people here we would eat in the barn and even then you sat outside to make sure no one came in while I was eating. Others ask questions, they want to know. You already know. Why.” All this time of answering the same questions, people pressing him for answers he simply couldn’t give, he had grown used to the exhaustion of it all. In reality you were a breath of fresh air, yet it was eating away at him that you hadn’t asked the questions yet. For him it was part of the routine and without the usual interrogation it felt like there was something missing from the exchanges the two of you shared.

You blinked at him a couple of times, before letting your eye wander from the T shaped visor to the cobwebbed beams of the roof above. You swallowed thickly and returned your gaze to statue of beskar.

“I studied,” your eyes fluttered shut at the admission, shoulders sinking somewhat as they did. “As a child I had heard about an ancient creed of fighters, whose battles are legend and whose weapons are a part of their religion. Story’s like that stuck in my impressionable mind, so when I was old enough to travel and discovered the city over had an info stack, it was the first place I went. The Mandalorian’s were all I was interested in studying, you have such great tales and legends and wars, your weaponry is unparalleled and your armour? It’s something else,” The mere idea of that was enough to make your face light up, nose crinkling slightly as you looked up at him. “I’d just turned 18 when all the information was wiped from the info stack. The empire had banned all knowledge of Mandalorian’s; they were eradicating your history. It’s more important than ever that the creed is respected and your clans live on. That’s why I don’t ask questions. That’s why I respect your creed to never remove your helmet.” The assuredness of your voice was punctuated by you flicking the interface of your cuff shut with a flick of your wrist, the snap of the metal pieces connecting echoing through the dry air.

The Mandalorian leant back slightly, arms bracing against his armoured thighs. He could see the glint in your eye when you spoke of his clan, the way you waved your probe at him talking with your hands in way he hadn’t seen before now. You truly cared about this.

“Thank you,” he affirmed simply, adopting a softer tone through his vocoder. You nodded back him, pressing your lips into a small smile of acknowledgement.

“So then,” You started, eyes scanning across the bails of gratham scattered around you, eventually falling on the pile of blanket the pair of you had carried out from the house, “seeing as you’re the one sleeping in the helmet, I think it’s only fair you get pick of the bail.” Standing up, you gathered an armful of blankets and threw them at the man of beskar. He caught them without looking, gloves closing expertly around the soft fabric. You watched as he looked down at them, hand splaying over the bundle, then back up at you.

“I’m fine on this one,” He informed you, before rising to spread the blankets across the bail. You’d already spied a particularly comfy looking pile. The long plants hadn’t been carefully stacked into a rigid formation yet, and when you arranged your own selection of blankets on top of them it resembled some sort of nest. You nodded your head indignantly at the makeshift bed you had created, then glanced over to find your assistant already lying on top of his own bedding. He hadn’t taken off the heavy beskar, and you found yourself wandering how comfortable he could actually be sleeping like that. You shook away the thought, turning your attention to removing the durasteel of your own armour. Bringing your left arm across your chest you winced as the muscle of your bicep spasmed in pain.

“Kriffing mother of moons,” you hissed bringing your hand to tentatively palm at the armour covered area, but you found nudging the metal only made spikes of pain bloom across your upper arm. You were stupid to think you’d gotten out of that fight unscathed; the blow that hit your bicep must have left a bruise and a damn big one at that. Rolling your shoulder you attempted to ease the tenseness of the muscle, hoping it would make it easier to stretch across- nope.

You groaned quietly, running your right hand through your hair resting it at the nape of your neck, the low sound rippling from you and disturbing the soft quiet of the barn. Your breastplate had been designed to release right side first and it made the magnetic claps feel alien under your fumbling fingers as you tried to undo them with just one hand. Strings of curses hissed through your teeth and you swung your head back to look up at the high beams of the ceiling when your fingers had slipped over the first clasp again, hands tensing into fists as you fought back the urge to kick something.

The Mandalorian’s attention had been drawn by your audible struggle, watching as your hand repeatedly slipped over the obtuse metallic fastenings that descended the side of your torso. After what had happened this morning he knew that you weren’t likely to accept any help, yet at the same time he could see your frustration simmering hotter and hotter and he didn’t want to see the outcome of you detonating.

“Want some help with that?” He asked, swinging his legs over the stiff bale beneath him and sitting up, watching your erratic movements becoming steadily more exaggerated.

“No,” You hissed, throwing him a warning look. One, two, three more times your digits harshly skimmed the harsh metal. You growled, cradling your aching fingers, watching as the fingertips flushed a darker shade. Taking deep breaths you slowly pivoted to face your beskar clad assistant. “Yes,” You conceded through gritted teeth. You could imagine the shit eating grin he was wearing under the helmet, even if his body language betrayed no sign of gloating as he got up moved towards you.

He stood in front of you, his confidence seemingly faulting, unsure of how to proceed. You lifted your arm slightly, bracing your hand on the back of your neck and angled your side towards him so he could see what he was doing. He hoped his vocoder didn’t pick up on the way he swallowed thickly as he started fumbling with the metallic clasps. The only time he was ever this close to anyone was during fights, but here he was close by choice. It made his brain run in overdrive that you were even letting him this close, letting him help you remove the very items that keep you protected, especially since you’d known him less than 24 hours. Granted you had jumped into a battle that he was possibly, and only possibly, outmatched for and helped him without a second thought. This however was a whole different level of, dare he think it, trust? After a minute of his gloves sliding over the first fastening and muttering various expletives, he noticed you stifling a laugh.

“It’s hard to do undo them with gloves, why do you think mine are fingerless?” You chimed. Right as you did however, the first fastening popped open. He looked up at you, visor inches from your own face.

“You were saying?” He retorted, the victory in his voice evident even through the vocoder of the helmet. You rolled your eyes in response, and by the time they returned to look at him his focus had returned to your armour. “Besides, I thought they were a fashion choice,” He joked quietly. He wasn’t exactly used to making jokes and he was surprised when you laughed properly this time, a rich sound he hadn’t heard you make yet.

“You’re making jokes now?” You marvelled, tentatively giving his armoured shoulder a soft tap. The next clasp popped free with a click, making the Mandalorian nod his head. You watched your reflection in the beskar silver warp and shift at the movement.

“While I’m winning against these fucking fastenings? Yes.”

Once again the familiar silence fell between the two of you. You didn’t mind, between his laser focus on your armour and your own focus on steadying your heart after working yourself up over undoing the damn thing, it was very comfortable. His pace picked up slowly as he got into a method for undoing them and so descended the length of your torso with ease. The both of you relaxed a little into the intimacy of it. Both of you also ignoring when his shoulder would brush against your raised arm or how at the final clasp his hand was resting half on your hip as he worked the fastening open.

“Switch,” He murmured as the final clasp opened, his gentle tone not suiting his cold beskar exterior. You nodded lightly as you shifted position, but as you went to raise your arm the familiar pain in your bicep returned. Your face contorted as you dropped it back down to your side. The Mandalorian took a small step back from you, visor focused on your upper arm. Then without saying a word he disengaged the magnetic seal of the armour plate covering your bicep and removed it, before doing the same with your shoulder plate. You watched his hands as they deftly worked removing these pieces; you figured his armour must use magnetic seals to, given how quickly he disengaged yours.

“Try now.” You moved your arm, the pain was still there, except it was considerably less intense than it had been with the durasteel pressuring it. Resting your hand on the base of your neck again, you gave the Mandalorian a nod to continue. He hesitated a moment, then closed the gap between your bodies and got back to work. There were fewer clasps on this side than the other, so when the shaped metal suddenly started to fall away from your body it took you both by surprise. The Mandalorian was faster than you in catching it, you watched as he carefully removed it from your figure and placed it softly by the side of your nest, next to the other discarded plates.

You got back to removing the rest of your armour, starting with the cuff that circled your left forearm. What you didn’t expect was for him to come up behind you and start removing the armour from your right arm. He worked wordlessly, and while you initially flinched at the sudden contact, you made no effort to stop him from helping. Your torso and arms felt practically buoyant without the usual weight of your armour resting on you. The Mandalorian paused, you could feel his hesitation radiating from behind you. Then you felt his hand graze your hip as he reached to disengage your thigh plates.

“I can handle it from here,” the words almost fell over themselves as they let your mouth, your body curving away as you stepped from his touch. His own hand instinctively shot back, landing in a fist by his side.

You both circled away from each other, moving around like clockwork, him towards his bail and you towards your nest as you discarded your thigh plates. He stole glances at you, cursing himself for doing so. You thought of the brief contact at your hip and cursed yourself for doing so.

That was out of necessity, you both told yourselves, it can’t happen again.

You curled into your bed, cocooning yourself in blankets as you felt your eyes grow heavier. The dim light of the barn faded away and you finally let sleep claim you.

Next Chapter

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yourdearhart · 4 years

Text

Louis’ Self-worth (pt. 1)

Part 1: The Physical Aspect

*spoilers for the manga below*

I know I’ve made “Louis is pissed about being an herbivore” jokes on here, but mainly in that “haha no really” sense. Louis does hate being an herbivore. I think this is something that was instilled in him from the earliest possible age, watching the carnivores who caged him, and those who came and went and ate his friends; watching those friends be dragged away, and being helpless to stop it. He and the other herbivores were defenseless, and we know how, as a teen/adult, Louis hates being weak. The path between those two things is a straight line.

Everything about him is built to flee and run at the first sign of trouble, and he despises it; Louis wants to fight. He was raised as food and seen as nothing more than a product; is it any wonder he grew to hate that product, the body that marked him for death? He hates carnivores, presumably because he developed a prejudice against them after what was done to him, but we know he gets past that. He does not get past his self-loathing over being an herbivore.

This is part of his trouble with Azuki: he despises himself and his body so thoroughly that when he looks at her, a fellow red deer (a fact he notes twice in his narration of their intimacy), he sees all the things about himself that he hates the most. He even calls it out during their rendezvous at the hotel:

Louis: Our thin and weak bodies intertwined... [emphasis mine]

This is not the first time Louis complains about his body’s weakness. After he fractures his leg during rehearsal for Adler, he berates his physical failures.

Louis: It seems like the more I exert myself, the more my body fails me...I know I wasn’t born with a body designed for battle. I’m built as food for carnivores to capture and devour.

13 years after he was rescued from the livestock pen, Louis is still painfully aware of his place in the natural world, and he resents, seemingly, everyone for it: carnivores for their urges, herbivores for their prey instincts. He’s disgusted with the part he plays in the natural order, and he pushes his body to the breaking point trying to be other than he is.

Repeatedly throughout the encounter with Azuki he has to tell himself this is normal, as if he’s trying to convince himself to be attracted to another deer. As we know, he fails, and his revulsion to attempted intercourse with another deer is so strong he has a physical response (throwing up).

Louis: This is normal. Nothing about this is strange. The only thing that’s strange is me. That’s why this situation is making me feel so uncomfortable.

What is he drawn to instead? Juno-- a fierce and deadly carnivore, a gray wolf. An image of strength. Also, for the record: a natural predator of the red deer.

Louis, to Juno (“Our Electric Cardiogram is a Straw Ripped to Pieces”): “You shouldn’t be ashamed of your hunting instincts because you’re a female.”

Louis (“Her Breasts so Translucent the Light of the TV Passes Through Them”): She [Azuki] doesn’t kiss like Juno...nothing in her mouth resembles those rough canine teeth.

Early in his acquaintance with Legoshi, he also remarks on his physicality, observing how even casually, even when Legoshi is trying to stay the wallflower that he is, Legoshi’s form projects strength and vitality.

Louis: “Your body is always flaunting its power.”

It’s easy to see that entire exchange with Legoshi in the leader room being tinted with envy. Louis hates Legoshi because Legoshi has what Louis wants: a body that can fight. If Louis could fight, he wouldn’t have been a victim. If he could fight, he wouldn’t have to be afraid, he wouldn’t be looked down on by carnivores, or pitied for his prey body. Louis is fiercely independent (to the point of getting angry with peers who sympathize with him after he lands in the infirmary), and for him, being a carnivore would increase his ability to walk alone.

What does he hate? Carnivores who try to hide their strength, who pretend to be weaker than they are.

Louis: “I wish you’d stop holding back all the time...I want you to bare your fangs!”

Legoshi: “No! I’d be breaking the law. A carnivore is forbidden from bearing its fangs at an herbi--”

Louis: “Don’t you dare lump me in with the other herbivores! ...It’s large carnivores like you who piss me off the most! ...I wish you’d challenge me sometimes--with everything you’ve got!”

When carnivores try to hide themselves, Louis’ feelings are threefold:

They’re trying to lessen themselves to make him feel safe, as if he needs to be coddled or protected, as if they need to dilute themselves for his comfort (as if he could forget what they are because they’re hiding their fangs).

They’re striving to be something weaker than they are. They are crafting themselves into an image of something Louis finds detestable--a weaker animal.

They’re hiding gifts he envies. Louis wants to be strong and deadly, so to see a predator pretend to be otherwise feels like seeing things he wants gifted to someone who doesn’t appreciate them.

I believe quite a lot of this ties into his early childhood. As I’ve discussed before on this blog, Louis openly admits to himself that his time in the livestock pen deeply scarred him, and is still affecting him at present. At one of his lowest, weakest points--when Legoshi, one of Louis’ only friends, is going to die in the fight with Riz and Louis is helpless to stop it--he calls back to that time when he was at his most helpless:

Louis: The fawn inside me is still crying in his cage.

Louis despises being an herbivore, because he sees them as weak, cowardly, prey. Having been raised for consumption, and been unable to help himself or his friends escape their fate, he can’t help but hate the body that failed him, which is why he can’t manage to make himself be attracted to other deer. Knowing he will never be as strong as a carnivore, Louis has poured his efforts into obtaining power in other ways: weapons, political power, intellectual prowess, a forceful personality.

This may also be why he was less than hysterical about losing a leg. Saving the life of his friend is the best thing his body could be used for, since it’s never been any use to him.

We know that Louis gets over his hatred of carnivores. This realization contributes to his decision to leave the Shishigumi, and it’s a powerful moment for him, coming in tandem with realizing he considers Legoshi a friend, and is afraid that he’s going to be hurt or killed in the fight with Riz. But his hatred of his own body and instincts continue--sometimes, it’s easier to forgive others than ourselves.

I’ve broken this into two parts because this has already gotten a little long and I don’t want you to have to scroll for miles to get through this.

See Part 2: The Mental Aspect here

#about the actor #meta #part 2 may come later today or possibly tomorrow #and I may add to this #I think I've made all the points I wanted to make but who knows #anyway Louis hates himself and there's ample evidence in canon for that #someone give this boy a hug #beastars spoilers #beastars #louis beastars

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fullmetaldevil-blog · 4 years

Text

Batim Stitched AU: Halloween Birthday Bash ch 4. Fin

Wow~ The end has come and bringing fun and games to light, but all things must come to and end this Halloween night.

SINdy and Confessional belong to @trashboatprince

Angel Henry, Bendy, Alice and Boris (Errand boy AU) all belong to @inkspottie

Bendy (ITT AU) belongs to @soniccrazygal

Beast Bendy (BBendy for short from Family AU) belongs to @doberart

Fate (Broken Cycle AU) Belongs to @vespavespa

Shadow and Ben (Shadows of the Studio AU) belong to @zanzaflux

On with the show~!

The moon hid in and out of it’s curtain of clouds with a pleasant crisp chill to the night air. The streets were bustling with groups of parents and children armed with flashlights and treat bags pacing throughout the hills seeking out homes offering candy. Pumpkins and gourds lined homes sporting many designs carved into them with small candles offering up their little light to the night air. Some homes had fog machines placed in random locales casting a low fog over some areas with a few older kids hiding out in the bushes jumping out at random passerbys.

Allison was thankful she encouraged the toons to all wear some sort of long sleeve as while it wasn’t exactly cold, it was cool enough to want to be dressed a little on the warm side. Shadow helped pull the cart while Allison told the cat which way to go as she wanted the first stop to be grandma’s house. They stopped at the base of the home with Benny eagerly running to the familiar home and carefully opened the gate before continuing further in. At the toons sudden motion, the others soon gave chase and caught up to their friend as soon as he knocked on the door calling out ‘trick-or-treat’

Janice could hear the cluster of children in front of her home as she had decided to camp out in the living room to deal with the visitors throughout the night as the elderly ladies were already asleep. She got up from her couch and grasped onto the candy bowl by her doorway and opened the door. She nearly jumped at the sight of a cluster of devils all wearing bee costumes, while one looked questionably like a shark, as well as a few other characters dressed in costume as well. She thought she was losing her mind as all of the presumed children in front of her strongly resemble toons, but the only ones she knew were Benny and Bendy. A look of confusion crossed her face as she took in the children before her.

Benny noticed the look on Janice’s face. “Hi Ms. Janice!” the toon chirped gaining her attention.

Janice looked down at the toon before doing a double take realizing it was little Benny. “Hey sweetie.” she bent down to give the toon a one arm hug which he happily squeaked in her embrace. “Trick-or-treating tonight?”

“Yep. It’s my first time.” Benny eagerly grinned at her.

“Oh in that case, let me get the good stuff.” Janice let him go and retreated back inside the home before coming back with an arm full of king size chocolate bars. “I have enough for each one of you, but what do we say?”

Benny’s grin couldn’t possibly get any wider, but somehow it did as he held out his bag. “Trick-or-treat and thank you!”

Janice laughed before setting a bar in Benny’s bag with the toon stepping aside to let his friends all get theirs. Everyone lined up with each saying trick or treat along with their thanks while Allison and Henry watched from the edge of the property. Janice spotted the pair and walked out of the home and up to them.

“So I see you’re chaperoning tonight.” Janice hugged Allison. “And hello sir, nice to meet you, my name is Janice.” the caretaker looked at Henry who stood next to the actress.

“His name is Henry” Allison spoke out gaining Janice’s attention. “He can’t speak, but he’s helping me keep an eye on the kids tonight.

Janice chuckled at watching the toons chat with one another “And I see you have a good number of them. Why are they all wearing two costumes?”

“Oh they aren’t wearing two costumes, the only one doing that is SINdy. They are all toons.” Allison gestured to the group earning a shocked look from Janice, but before the caretaker could ask, she decided to clarify. “See it’s Benny’s birthday and I invited all his friends who happen to be toons like him and his uncle.” she gestured to Henry. “Over to celebrate and to go trick-or-treating, they aren’t from around here which is why you’ve never seen them before.”

Janice nodded in understanding before she turned towards the home. “Well I best not keep you all here as you still have a good walk ahead of you. It’s good you started early so you can get the most candy.” She waved to the toons. “Good luck to you guys and Happy Birthday Benny, be sure to pop by tomorrow when the ladies are up.”

The toons waved and thanked her before they hastily retreated back to the cart to continue their journey down the road. Their travels were fruitful as the toons happily waved their bags of candy. BBendy and Shadow were both enjoying themselves as even they were getting candy since people thought BBendy was a guy on stilts and Shadow was a dressed up dog. Neither Allison or Henry were about to clue in their unsuspecting neighbors and opted to let them believe that little fantasy of theirs.

Eager to get to the next set of homes as a little cul de sac set up a multi house haunted corner full of scary characters and lots of candy, Benny darted ahead of his friends whom were chasing after the eager toon. The plushtoon rounded the corner only to let out a shriek in fear falling on his butt as a masked figure jumped out at him brandishing an ax roaring at the toon. The little demon dropped his candy trying to scramble away as the masked individual laughed at the frightened toon as he was sent crying running back to Allison attaching himself to her leg. The masked individual gladly helped himself to Benny’s bag and ran before the remainder of the toons had a chance to react.

“B-Benny sweetie what happened?” Allison tried to calm the crying toon as he refused to remove himself from her side.

SINdy caught up to his friend and nudged Allison to get her attention. ‘Someone wearing a costume jumped out and scared Benny. He then took his candy.’

“But what could have scared him so?” Allison said in a low tone as she repeatedly rubbed Benny’s back trying to soothe him. Alice joined her in humming to the toon trying to calm him down. She was silently thankful Alice’s voice was similar to hers as she could focus on Benny for her as she tried to find out what happened.

“It was an ax” Fate frowned at the sight of his friend. “I think the motion of the guy jumping at him and the ax is what scared him.”

Fate’s words tugged at Allison’s old memories of Benny’s earliest days of him fearing Joey and the man's choice of weapon in trying to kill him was an ax. It was the sole reason why Tom kept his ax well out of sight of the toon as just seeing one put Benny on edge or would he would flee in fear.

Henry’s Bendy scowled at the scene before him. Everyone was having a perfectly fun and enjoyable night and then someone had to ruin it. He noticed the other Bendy and Shadow were both staring off in a particular direction, seemingly transfixed on where the individual ran to. A little thought crossed his mind as he remembered a little unique trait that the other Bendy had. He gently eased himself away from Henry and walked up to the other toon.

“Bendy, you can see the souls of people correct?” the toon nodded. “Then can you ‘see’ where the guy went to?”

Bendy realized what Henry’s Bendy was getting at and focused on the soul of the individual that frightened his friend. Sure enough, he saw that the soul had fled to one of the backsides of the buildings and seemed to have joined in with a few others. Their souls had a sickly glow to them as the group clearly wasn’t up to any good and if he had to guess, Benny wasn’t their only target tonight.

“I see them” he answered Henry’s Bendy earning a mischievous grin from the toon.

“You can?You know where they went?” the demon eagerly rubbed his hands together. Bendy nodded at the toons response before Henry’s Bendy’s grins got almost impossibly wide as he began to take on his ink demon form.

Henry tapped his foot on the ground crossing his arms at the transformed toon with the other Bendy following suit and transforming into his ink devil form unfurling his wings. ‘Now what exactly do you think you’re doing?’

“Well Halloween is a day where the demon’s come out to play.” Bendy turned to face the direction that the Ink Devil had pointed at. “I say we go play with them a little bit as a ‘thank you’ for messing with our friend.”

Henry pinched the area between his eyes shaking his head, he wanted to say ‘no’ but at the same time, karma does come back around. He was about to give his answer when Allison spoke up.

“Just don’t get caught.” The actress looked at the group with clear intent on her face gently passing Benny to Alice. “Don’t get caught, and don’t hurt them.”

The demon’s faces all turned maniacal before the group split up. Ink Devil took to the skies, Henry’s Bendy disappeared into an ink portal while Shadow and BBendy split up. Boris rounded up the bags the demon’s left behind choosing to hang onto them for them and brought them back to Allison and Henry.

Alice looked down at the curled up demon in her arms, she let out a small sigh in gratitude as he wasn’t shaking anymore and seems to have calmed down. She balanced the toon gently in one arm and rested her hand between his horns rubbing them. “Feeling better sweetie?” Her answer was a small nod as a pair of mismatched piecut eyes met her own. She gently set the smaller toon down for while Benny stayed nestled between her and Allison.

Allison chuckled at the silence of the evening looking at Henry who was focused on the direction the demons scampered to. “I only shudder to think what they are gonna do.”

Henry turned and nodded in agreement before he noticed that SINdy was the only Bendy toon that didn’t go to terrorize their evening nuisance. The angel grabbed his halo stretching it out and waved for SINdy’s attention.

‘How come you didn’t go?’ the angel lifted a brow in confusion.

‘Well Confessional wanted to go, but I wanted to keep an eye on my friend.’ the cardboard demon frowned at the angel. ‘I felt it was more important to watch over my friends rather than to go after the sinner.’

Pride swelled in the parents' hearts before SINdy felt himself being pulled into a hug by Allison. “And I thank you for wanting to make sure your friend was ok.”

SINdy happily wiggled in Allison’s grasp. He wanted to go after the sinner, but his friends are more important to him, and besides, he knew that the other Bendy’s wouldn’t just take it lying down and do something about it. Allison felt nudging as he looked next to her side to see Benny leaning against her and she scooped him up hugging both him and SINdy.

Allison stayed that way hugging the two toons until they hear a loud cluster of shrill screams as a group of young teenage boys burst out from behind one of the houses screaming about monsters. The actress looked up from the two boys as a gleeful look graced her face as the boys were clambering over each other and and tangling themselves up in Halloween props trying to get away before they broke free and tore down the street screaming. Benny looked up to see his mother's face as while he knew she was always a sweetheart, he could have sworn he saw a set of devil horns on her before realizing it was a trick of the light off her antenna bandana.

“Have fun boys?” The actress asked as the demons returned to the group with both Henry's Bendy and Bendy shedding their larger form reverting to their toon states.

“We got the sinners, but we weren’t able to recover the candy. Only the bag.” Bendy frowned as he held up Benny’s now empty bag.

Benny gently grasped onto his empty bag with a small frown before he sighed turning it into a shadow of a smile. “At least you guys were nice enough to get it back. I can always replace the candy.”

The toons felt bad as their friend lost his candy and bowed their heads in guilt. Shadow murmured quietly before trotting up to boris and reclaiming it’s bag and returned to Benny. The toon looked at the large cat confused before shadows mouth split open and it gently bit onto a candy bar lifting it out of it’s bag and dropped it into Benny’s.

“Shadow you don’t have to-” Benny started before the cat growled at him and lifted a few more pieces of it’s candy dropping them into his bag.

Shadow gave Benny a quarter of it’s bag and soon found Benny’s arms wrapped around its neck hugging it with the toon whispering his thanks over and over. The cat purred and gently nuzzled it’s companion. It felt bad that they couldn’t get the candy back, but it’s not like it would really eat the candy it got for the holiday. If anything it would just give it’s candy to Junes girls back at home

While the inky cat was giving some of it’s candy to Benny, both Bendy’s looked at their bags and then at each other. BBendy grunted rolling his shoulders at the contemplating toons before striding past them and reclaimed his bag from Boris. He waited for Shadow to step aside before reaching into his bag and pulled out a few pieces and dropped them into Benny’s bag as well. Once he was done he turned his head towards his 2 smaller iterations snorting at them before walking over to Henry and sitting down next to the man.

The larger demon’s actions spoke volumes. ‘If I can share some of mine, then you can share some of yours’.

Both Bendy’s sighed and soon found themselves being nudged forward by Fate with the group approaching Benny. Each of them pulled out a portion of their candy giving it to the plushtoon with words of apology. Boris and Alice happily gave Benny some of their candy with Alice giving the toon a small hug asking him if he felt better. Boris had to almost peel Benny off him as the cartoon wolf gave him his king size bar as some chocolates preferring to keep the lollipops for himself.

Benny was so happy that his friends were willing to share with him to make up for his loss. He carefully slipped out of his costume and made sure no one was around before transforming into his Ragdoll form. His threads laced about the area gently pulling all his friends except Shadow who opted to lean against the demons side, to himself wrapping them all up in one big hug. “ThAnK yOu EvErYoNe.”

The group all laughed at the sudden group hug while Allison checked her watch. “All right boys, it’s getting pretty late. We should head home.” she called out of the bundle of toons earning various ‘nooos’ and ‘do we have to?’

Henry held up his halo ‘She’s right. We still have to walk back to Benny’s house and then head home from there. People generally stop passing out candy past a certain hour as the children tire out quickly.’ The angel gestured around with the toons realizing that the streets were now very quiet and that most of the houses had their lights off.

SINdy let out a small yawn before quickly covering his mouth looking at Allison sheepishly. She laughed before scooping up the cardboard toon as well as her own and helped them into the beehive cart. Shadow got the hint and trotted back to the harness and slid it’s head through it and managed to get itself in the reins. Boris was content with walking with Henry, but he helped Alice sit atop the cart while Henry’s Bendy was more content with riding on his creators shoulders. BBendy was showing signs of tiring as he whined slightly and sat down on occasion. Allison felt bad as she didn’t know if the cart was strong enough to support the weight of the demon given the fact that only she and Shadow were moving the cart.

Fate smiled and gently grasped onto the large demon as well as onto the reins of the cart. “Henry can you grab onto Bendy please?” The god looked over the angel with Henry looking at him confused. He didn’t question the golden Bendy and grabbed onto BBendy’s arm. Once Fate was certain that everyone was in contact with one another he glowled slightly and snapped his fingers.

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

Tom stretched in his chair he set out in the front of the house as he glanced at his near empty bowl. He was surprised by how many children braved their long driveway to the house as their home wasn’t exactly welcoming looking at night. He set the bowl on the seat of the chair and lifted it up to carry it inside when a flash of light lit one side of the house briefly.

“What the hell?” The mechanic set the chair down and looked towards the source of the light.

Allison, Henry and the rest of the toons were all standing on the side of the house with a few of them looking around confused. Henry’s feathers were puffed up from the travel and Allison was wide-eyed immediately spinning her head around at her surroundings. The woman clearly baffled at the movement and the familiarity of her surroundings.

‘Honey?” Tom called to her attracting her attention

Fate grinded widely “And we’re back.”

Allison was shocked at the sudden travel by the little golden Bendy, then again he is a god so at the same time she knew she shouldn’t have been surprised. Part of her was thankful that Fate was able to transport them all home as she was feeling pity for BBendy who was tired but still had to walk. She was taken out of her thoughts as she felt something nudging her side as BBendy was gently nuzzling her making gurgling sounds that vaguely sounded like ‘thank you’.

“You’re welcome big guy.” Allison laid her hand alongside the demons jaw and gently scratched him at the base of his horns. “I hope you had fun. Don’t be a stranger and have a good night.”

BBendy nodded and stepped away as Fate came up to the actress. “It was a pleasure to meet you in person and I hope to see you soon. I’m gonna take BBendy home for ya Henry.”

Henry nodded ‘Thanks, My toons are getting tired so I’m gonna have my hands full.’

“My door is always open Fate, thanks again for coming.” Allison lightly hugged the golden Bendy.

“Nice to know, but I don’t use doors. Just set out enough glitter and I’ll come running.” the toon beamed at her before gently grabbing onto BBendy and with the snap of the fingers and a small flash of light they were gone.

A yawn broke the brief silence as Henry’s Bendy yawned and clung sleepily to his creator getting a small chuckle out of Henry as the man readjusted his hold on the toon. ‘I guess it’s time for me to head home.’ The angel looked back at Allison and held his hand out. ‘Thank you for inviting us over and I apologize again for bringing the toons, but I’m glad they all had fun at the end of the day, even if there was a little mishap in the end.’

Allison accepted Henry’s hand and pulled the angel into a one arm hug as to not crush Bendy in his arm. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad that Benny has such good friends like you to where he calls you family. If you’re family in his eyes, you’re family in mine.”

“Which means you needs to visit more.” Tom came over and patted the angel on the shoulder.

A warm smile crossed Henry’s face as he lightly cleared his throat. “T-Thank you.” he softly spoke.

Alice looked at her creator worried about him speaking since it’s excruciating on his throat, but she knew he meant it. Henry cares about the little plushtoon and Benny cares for him in turn. In a way they all were an estranged family spread across multiple worlds. She gently slid off the cart with Boris catching her and she peered inside the cart to say goodbye to Benny only to see both Benny and SINdy sound asleep. Henry looked over at her and began to walk to the cart but she waved him off and pretended to lay her head on a pillow asleep, the angel getting the hint.

‘I see the boys are all tuckered out for the day.’ Henry feigned laughing before looking back at Allison and Thomas. ‘Thanks again and good night to you and your family.’

Allison watched as Henry’s halo dripped a bit of a golden fluid that he collected in the palm of his hand. Boris gently took Bendy off Henry’s shoulders allowing the man access to his other hand that he used to draw what resembled a door on the side of the wall. To their amazement the door shifted turning from a drawing to a real door. The angel waited a moment before resting his hand on the doorknob.

‘Let's go home’

He opened the door revealing a tunnel as Alice stepped in first followed by Boris. Henry looked back at Allison and Tom nodding slightly before he stepped through and shut the door behind himself. The door stayed solid for a time before it reverted back to a drawing and faded away leaving behind a blank wall.

“Well Ma’am, it’s been a pleasure” Bendy strode up to Allison shaking her hand as well as Toms.

“Likewise Bendy. Don’t be a stranger.” the actress smiled at the toon.

“I’ll see you around everyone. Thank you for inviting me and happy birthday Benny.” the toon beamed at his sleeping friend before he pulled out a book.

The book floated in the toons hands before it opened to reveal a bright light engulfing the toon. Bendy’s black body began to turn gold as it seemed to melt away as it spiraled around the book and disappeared into it’s pages. Once the swirls of golden ink was gone the light faded with it and the book slowly dissipated into a mist before vanishing altogether.

The stillness of the night had been restored as all the demons had returned to their homes say for one little straggler. SINdy was sound asleep next to his friend in the cart earning a soft smile from Allison as she scooped up both sleeping toons out of the cart and quietly asked for Tom to put the cart away. Shadow freed itself of the harness and helped Tom push the cart back into the garage while Allison retreated inside to put the toons to bed. It wouldn't sit well with her to wake SINdy and ask him to go home. There was no harm in letting him spend one more night.

Allison entered the home and headed straight for the couch which had been folded up and put away with all the blankets stacked neatly on top of it. She was thankful the toons were children sized as she carefully slid SINdy’s night shirt on him and set him on one side of the couch before dressing Benny and set him on the other. Just as she finished dressing her toon and covered them both with a blanket she heard soft murmuring and looked to see shadow looking at her with its head bowed.

Shadow felt bad that it’s creator hadn’t come for it yet, it had hoped that it would be going home around the time everyone else was going home. Then again, neither it nor it’s creator had any clue as to what time it was in Benny’s world when it got dropped off. It sat on its haunches at a loss as for what it was supposed to do. Allison motioned for Shadow to come to her for which it obliged, it soon found the actress scratching it behind it’s stubby horns.

“It’s ok Shadow. If you have to spend another night here that’s fine. I’m sure Ben will come and get you first thing in the morning.” she reassured the ink cat. “There’s enough room on the couch so you can rest.”

Shadow murmured softly before gently headbutting her in her stomach purring before it carefully climbed atop the couch as to not disturb it’s sleeping occupants. It used it’s tail to gently lift SINdy and his blanket while pulling Benny with its forepaws as it laid the two sleeping toons against it’s side with itself acting as a pillow. Allison fetched a small blanket and covered the inky cat and toons while the cat curled its tail around them protectively.

“G-night Shadow” Allison whispered petting the cat before heading into the kitchen to enjoy a little relaxation time before heading to bed.

Tom entered the kitchen and set himself up a cup of tea as he relaxed in the chair inviting Allison to join him for some idle chatter about the days events. The couple swapping stories about their dealings with the toons and how much fun they had with their respective personalities. Allison had to admit it was cute seeing Benny’s energetic and playful side that he mostly shows when he’s around Bendy. Seeing him behaving more like the toon he’s supposed to be brought a smile to both parents face. They could hardly believe that their toon knew so many interesting characters from other places and the light hints about other people who the toon had heard of by never met. It made them realize that what they thought was a small studio family between them, their Henry and fellow survivors was in truth part of a much larger family spread across several worlds.

Meanwhile Shadow barely laid it’s head down to settle in for the night until movement next to it caught it’s attention. SINdy slowly got out off the bed before turning around and retucked Benny and Shadow back in their blankets. The ink cat tilted its head at the sudden movement from the toon before noticing that the toons eyes were very different. The cat felt like what he was looking at was a different being in its entire.

SINdy rested his gloved hand over his chest above his heart and gently removed it without disturbing it too much causing the toons form to melt into a large puddle. Shadow was alarmed at the sudden action and wanted to inspect the spot before the puddle rippled and bulged upwards taking a large shape. The black mass settled into a cape like form before opening and settling down upon the shoulders of a full grown man with pointed ears and long curved horns that curled downwards like a rams. The man's pale complexion and glowing yellow eyes drifting in a sea of black smiled down at the inky cat with a single finger over his mouth quietly shushing to feline.

“It’s ok. I’m just here to have a lIttle talk and then I’ll let his body rest.” the man spoke to Shadow before turning and heading towards the kitchen.

Allison and Tom were both enjoying their tea with Tom listening to Allison recounting the incident with Benny and the masked teenager. Naturally Tom was angry as he wanted Benny’s first Halloween to be a fun one with his friends and it left a bad taste in his mouth that the kid frightened the toon so easily with an ax. The mechanic still blamed himself over the toons very real fear of the tool as it was the weapon of choice by Joey when the man tried to kill him. A scowl formed on his face at Allison’s words, but it soon morphed into alarm at the appearance of a tall horned man in their kitchen.

“Who are you?!” Tom immediately rose from his chair on the defensive at their intruder.

“Nice to meet the both of you in person.” A smile graced the man's face as he took a slight bow calmly. “My name is Confessional. I’m sure you’ve heard quite a bit about me from Benny and SINdy.”

Allison was shocked at her sudden intruder until the man spoke his name. Confessional. A demon that Benny had told her that resides within SINdy who helps keep and eye on the toons, a being that is seldom seen yet is always there.

“N-Nice to meet you Confessional.” Allison cleared her throat finding her voice. “ Um... would you like to join us?” she gestured to the table.

“Why thank you.” Confessional nodded as he fully entered the room.

Tom had only briefly heard of the name Confessional from Allison when she was giving him the list of visitors, but the demon never showed up. He had assumed that Confessional would be a sort of Bendy toon like most of Benny’s friends or maybe vaguely resembling the Ink Demon, but a human male with horns? He was not expecting.

Confessional took the offered seat as Allison got up to fetch him a mug to set him up with some tea. All the while Confessional waited patiently while the charm at the base of his neck that strongly resembled an eye seemed to stare at Thomas making the man slightly uncomfortable. He had no clue how the toons seemed to enjoy this man's presence as he was very intimidating. He had a calm demeanor, but it was like the charm that resembled an eye seemed to stare into ones soul.

“Here you go.” Allison set down a mug filled with hot water and a floating tea bag. “There a little cream and sugar if you want any.”

“Thank you.” Confessional waved his hand slightly as he wasn’t interested in the additional items. He gently squeezed out the tea bag and set it aside before taking a sip of his tea.

An awkward silence filled the air as neither Allison nor Tom knew what to say to their sudden guest. To say that Confessional was a little intimidating was an understatement as the couple lightly fidgeted while the demon helped himself to some tea.

A chuckle drifted through the air from the demon as Confessional set his cup down to look at the pair before him. “For starters I don’t bite, and second I’d like to give you my thanks.”

“For what?” Tom spoke as he fiddled with his mug, the eye charm still staring at him.

“For taking SINdy in.” The demon looked at Tom before turning his gaze to Allison. “You offered him a place of refuge that he may visit at any time should he need it. The studio isn’t a forgiving place as there are some… complications, on our end that make escaping the studio exceptionally difficult. While he himself can leave at any time, his perceived ‘father’ cannot. For him to be allowed to come and go from this place that gives him a mental break from the stress of the studio to replace it with a joy of being with friends, for that I am thankful.”

Allison’s gaze turned from the demon and to her mug in her grasp as she ran her finger along the rim. “He doesn’t deserve it. SINdy is a little sweetheart. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being stuck in that place.”

“Like how Benny had left there before.” Confessional bluntly pointed out as he leaned back in his chair. “You sympathize with him because you both feel guilty over what happened with Benny and how he had been left behind in that little room cause of lack of communication and trust. Then the studio collapsed imprisoning him and both of you in that place for 30 years.”

“D-did Benny tell you about that?” Allison softly spoke while Tom stayed quiet, but it was clear that regret was on both their faces. They both questioned how much Benny had told his friends about his past as there were some parts that he hasn’t even told them.

“My name isn’t Confessional for no reason. I’m a sin eater and I can see the sins of your past. I just want to make sure that you aren’t taking SINdy in as a way to make up for what you both failed to do.” the demon crossed his arms staring at the parents with both of them averting their gazes in contemplation.

The sineating demon had no intention of separating Benny and SINdy as they were best friends, but he wanted to make sure that Allison and Tom weren’t welcoming in the cardboard demon as a way to make up for their neglect to their plushtoon. Trying to solve one’s problem for one toon doesn’t make up for the mistake with another.

“I-I know I really messed up back then, and nothing I do now will fix it.” Tom’s words breaking the silence. “But he’s a cute toon and doesn’t deserve the hand that’s been dealt to him. What type of person would I be if I didn’t help those that needed it when I am able? I can’t fix what I did then, and Benny knows that, but I can do my best to fix the things within our grasp now and keep them safe. SINdy is Benny’s best friend and those two are like brothers. So if Benny accepts him then I, no, we accept him as our own and he has a place here, should he ever need it.”

Tom stared at Confessional with conviction, he may not have known SINdy for very long, but the toon grew on him quickly. Watching the little toons interact with one another was like watching two siblings laugh and play. Having a fellow toon that Benny could be himself around was more than what he could ask for. Benny spent so long isolated that he needed someone to help hold his hand and to push through life. His friends were able to fill in the gap that he and Allison couldn’t fill with needing to keep a roof over their heads, and for that he was thankful.

Confessional looked at both parents who both were looking at him with determination. He could see that they meant what they said and that SINdy was in good hands. A shadow of a smile crept across his face before he finished the last of his tea and set the mug down. “Thank you. I just wanted to make sure that SINdy is in good hands. I didn’t mean to give you both such a hard time as that was not my intent. I am in charge of the little demon and I value his well being above all else.”

“I understand” Allison smiled warmly at the sineater. “You’re his guardian when Sammy isn’t around and you just want to make sure the boy is happy. Any parent can understand the desire, we just want the little ones to be happy and safe.”

Confessional closed his eyes chuckling. “Well said. Anyways, thank you for the tea and allowing him to stay. I bid you two a good night.” The demon rose from the chair handing Allison the mug.

“Thank you Confessional.” Allison softly spoke.

“And thank you for trusting us.” Tom added in as the two watched the demon leave the kitchen and head towards the living room.

Shadow felt a presence approach it as it lifted it head to see the demon from earlier. The man held out a small heart before pulling it into his form, his body melted into an inky puddle before pulling together to form the familiar form of SINdy. The toon slowly crawled into bed and pulled the covers over himself nestling into the inky cats side before falling asleep. All the while Allison and Tom watched the sineating demon revert to his much smaller counterpart as he let the little toons body rest. The couple looked at each other decided that perhaps they too should call it a night and head for bed.

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

The kitchen was full of hustle and bustle first thing in the morning with Allison practically tearing apart her pantry pulling out any item she could think of all the while stuffing them into a backpack. She knew that the studio wasn’t forgiving to SINdy and Sammy, but if she could make it a little easier on them then she was gonna damn well try. Small yawns and the sound of little shoes alerted her to the arrival of Benny and SINdy yawning as they were trying to wipe the sleep from their eyes. Shadow was gently nudging the toons towards the kitchen doorway as the little demonic sloths were dragging their feet. The little toons both mumbling smalls sounds of ‘good morning.’ as they were being herded to the kitchen table.

“Good morning boys, sleep well?” Allison pulled out a few packs of noodles examining them before setting them aside.

Benny opened his eyes to see the table covered in all sorts of canned items and packages of dried foods, the toon looked at the spread in confusion. “Allison, what is all this?”

“Well SINdy’s gotta go back home so I was gonna send him home with a little care package. After all, the only thing you get in the studio is the old bacon soup which I would hardly call a well balanced meal.” The actress beamed as she pulled out the last bag of dried fruits and laid it on the table.

SINdy looked up at his friends mother in shock. ‘You don’t have to.’ the toon began before he found a finger over his mouth with Allison looking at him sternly.

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to.” She pulled her finger away. “I have more than enough to spare that way it’s a little easier on you and you father.”

As soon as her words left her mouth she felt little gloved hands grabbing onto her leg and a little weight leaning against her before a sign floated up for her to read.

‘Thank you so much!’ SINdy was all grins. He didn’t expect for Benny's parents to send him home with a care package for both him and his father. Words couldn’t begin to describe how happy he was.

“Now Benny can you go to the linen closet and pull out a spare set of pillows and 2 blankets?” Allison gently patted SINdy on the head before trying to finish packing the backpack. The little cardboard demon happily clinging to her.

Benny did a mock salute before heading for the linen closet and began to rummage through it. He pulled out 2 fluffy spare pillows and 2 comforter blankets before hurrying back to Allison. “I got the pillows and blankets!”

“Thanks, now can you roll them up for me and use this to tie them down so it’s easier to carry?” Allison handed the toon two ribbons for which he and SINdy rolled the two blankets as tight as they could get them before tying them off.

The pair worked together to round up all the desired items and lump them together for Allison while she prepared the backpack as well as breakfast since she wasn’t about to send SINdy or Shadow home on an empty stomach. Shadow patiently watched and stayed out of the way while they worked while keeping a vigilant eye on the breakfast on the stove. It would occasionally make a gurgling sound to alert Allison as to the status of the eggs and bacon as to make sure they wouldn’t burn.

With a little teamwork the entirety of the backpack and heater were set up. SINdy couldn’t believe Benny’s parent’s generosity in giving him such wonderful gifts. He lifted the backpack up as tucked it behind himself making it disappear into his hammerspace along with the extra canned and dried foods that couldn’t fit into the bag. Allison watched in amazement as SINdy made all the items she was sending him home with disappear. She didn’t know he had a hammerspace.

“SINdy. I didn’t know you had a hammerspace.” The actress watched in amazement as he tucked away the blankets and pillows.

‘Yep, I have a hammerspace just like Benny, except mine isn’t internal.’ The cardboard beamed up at her

“Wait, doesn’t Confessional share the hammerspace with you?” Benny tilted his head. He could already imagine the look on the demon’s face at all the items suddenly appearing in his space.

A grey blush dusted SINdy’s cheeks as he lightly scratched the back of his head. ‘Yeah, I’ve gotten a few lectures about some of the items I keep in the hammerspace as he’ll complain about me ‘junking up the place’.’

“Well I bet he won’t complain if you give him some cake.” Allison reached into the fridge and pulled out a plate with two slices of cake on it as well as a canister full of cookies. She walked up to SINdy and handed him the items for which he stowed away. “There is a slice for your dad, as well as some cookies for the both of you.”

Allison was met with another hug from the little toon before she ushered both toons and cat to the table to eat breakfast. She watched as both Benny and SINdy got into a food eating contest to see who could eat their food the fastest with Benny somehow choking on his food. How he could choke with a nonexistent neck she had no clue, but was quick to the toons rescue with a glass of milk. Needless to say both toons learned to slow down and to finish their meal. Shadow softly gurgled in amusement watching the spectacle while enjoying its slices of bacon.

Bellies were satisfied and a glance up at the clock told SINdy it was time to head home or else his dad would worry, if he wasn’t already. ‘Thank you for having me Mrs and Mr. Connor.’ SINdy hugged Allison’s legs as well as Tom’s whom had just entered the kitchen seeking a breakfast.

“You’re welcome little guy, be careful at home.” Tom tiredly yawned as his hand searched for the coffee pot, one he obtained the pot he slunk away to the corner of the kitchen to fix himself a cup.

Allison accompanied Benny, SINdy and Shadow as they headed out the backdoor and began to make their way across the yard before the wall next to the door began to ooze ink. Shadow purred happily gaining Allison’s attention as she looked to see why the cat was making a happy noise only to see a very familiar dark door appear as well as a lanky demon stepping though.

Shadow trotted up to Ben and gurgled softly as he nuzzled it’s creators outstretched hand. “Ssssorry I’mm late.”

“W-wait a moment.” a voice caught Ben’s attention as he took his attention away from Shadow and to a woman standing before him along with the familiar plushtoon demon named Benny.

The woman looked at him in his unseen eyes. “I have something for you. Can you wait a minute?” earning a small nod from the demon.

Allison hurried into the home tossing open the refrigerator door startling Tom before grabbing the plate containing the last slice of cake. Tom watched her in confusion as she grabbed the last canister of cookies with the actress briefly explaining that Ben had arrived to take Shadow home. She hoped the demon would accept her gift and paced back out the door with her treasure in hand. She walked up to the lanky demon slowly and held out the canister with the plate on top.

“Here this is for you.” she held out the present to the demon. “It’s a thank you for letting Shadow come over.”

Ben looked at the canister and plate in the woman's arms, he wasn’t expecting them to offer him a gift as a thank you for letting Shadow come to their home. It felt strange to receive a gift for such such an act of simply dropping someone off, especially since he wasn’t the one staying. He slowly extended his gloved hand and Allison gingerly placed the canister and plate onto his hand allowing to demon to withdraw his gift. Ben looked over the plate and slice of cake seemingly wondering if it was a trick, he could recall in the past that every time there was cake he never got any as sometime always happened preventing him from enjoying the treat. His inspection was met with a light chuckle taking his attention away from the plate and to the woman standing before him.

“The cake is on one of my plates.” Allison gave a small hopeful smile to the demon. “The rule of thumb is that when someone receives a plate it means that they have to come back with the plate with their own food. It's an invitation to come to the house again.”

Ben looked at the woman before he looked at Shadow, he could feel twinges of optimism from the cat. Shadow was hoping its creator would return and perhaps visit himself. The constant light nudging from the feline finally spurred Ben to speak as his stillness and silence was making Allison fidget slightly. “Thhaaaank you.”

“You’re welcome Ben.” The actress smiled at him with Benny eagerly nodding.

The demon said nothing more as he waved to his portal with Shadow taking the hint, the ink Cat turned and nuzzled Allison, Benny and SINdy before trotting through the portal. Ben took a short glance at the trio before stepping through himself. The dark doorway closed up behind the demon as the ink that made the door seemed to be swallowed with it.

“Maybe someday he’ll visit.” Benny looked up at his mom who was studying where the demon and cat disappeared to.

“Maybe. Ben is very quiet and I can’t read him at all.” Allison looked down at the two toons looking up at her. “It will probably be a little while before he comes, which is fine. We all move at a pace that suits us and his is a little slower than most, and I can’t fault him for it. We really don’t know much about him so only time can tell.”

Benny and SINdy both nodded in agreement at her words. SINdy could feel Ben’s sins radiating from the demon almost like a veil hiding something within. Perhaps someday Ben will be able to shed what’s holding him back and be who he really is. Only time can tell as it seemed that there is a lot that the demon needed to sort out and he could only hope that he has someone who is patient and is willing to give him that chance. Everyone needs a second chance.

Benny gave a small hopeful smile to the wall where Ben and Shadow disappeared. He really hoped that someday Ben would be able to come visit for real rather than simply dropping Shadow off and leaving. He wanted to get to know the demon better as he was a walking mystery, but as Allison said, he moves at a slower pace than the rest of them. He hoped he’ll eventually warm up to them and visit as a friend.

The group stared at the wall a little longer before they slowly made their way across the yard to the heart of the ring of Weeping Willow trees that wrapped Benny’s play hut in a veil of browns and golds from the fall leaves. She brushed the living curtain aside allowing the two toons to slip inside with Benny unlocking and opening the door for them. The group entered the dimly lit hut before Allison turned on the lights casting a warm glow on the interior.

SINdy gazed at his portal before turning back to look at Benny and Allison. ‘I’d like to thank you again Mrs. Allison for allowing me to come over to stay for a little while for my friends birthday, as well as the gifts you’ve given me to take home.’ the little toon hugged Allison’s leg

“You’re very welcome sweetie. I can only hope that you’ll be careful over there and if you need help you know you can always come to us.” Allison gently rubbed the small demons back returning the hug.

SINdy slowly broke the hug and then turned to hug Benny. ‘Happy Birthday Benny and I’m sorry about the scare during trick-or-treating, but I hope you had a fun birthday.’

Benny beamed at his friend giving him a tight hug before letting go. “I had a lot of fun even though there was a little mishap, it happens, but I was glad that I was able to have all of you here to celebrate. It makes it even better knowing that Allison and Tom are allowing you to come over any time to play.”

‘I look forward to it, and can we make peanut butter cookies together next time?’ SINdy looked over at Allison with a hopeful expression.

“Sure sweetie. I always have some on hand. Next time I’ll show you how to make them.” The actress chuckled at the happy toon.

SINdy silently cheered hopping from foot to foot before he accidentally stepped on a pillow in his excitement throwing off his balance. He fell backwards into his portal with his sign following after him reading ‘Not again!’ before it disappeared into the ink stain leaving behind a startled Allison and amused Benny.

“Umm...Benny?” she looked down at her toon gaining his attention. “Will he be ok?”

Benny chuckled at his friends departure. “Yeah, he’ll be fine. That’s how he came across our world to begin with, a little trip down the rabbit hole and here he is.”

Allison looked back at the stain and the pillows before chuckling to herself. Benny has some amusing friends that even she had to admit that she was looking forward to them coming by again. With one swift motion she scooped Benny up into her arms lightly tickling him as she heading for the door.

“Let’s go back inside and harass Tom. That old dog needs a workout.” she laughed, Benny was instantly on board as the pair headed inside and sought out a father to a toon demon and husband to a demonic angel.

Allison had to admit that while the weekend was a little crazy with all the colorful guests, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

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dr-nero-is-god · 5 years

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H.I.V.E. as Joseph Campbell’s monomyth

you may or not know this, but i am the holder of an entire english degree, and that means i know a thing or two about books and their structure

this is both a whim and a post that’s been sitting in my drafts for ages, and I figured I should post it—as the first book in a series, H.I.V.E. is a really interesting example of how the main character’s introductory arc can actually attempt to counteract his goals in the broader context of all the works

i can illustrate this by using joseph campbell’s monomyth. for those who may not know, the monomyth is a structure by the aforenamed critic, and i do believe his claim was that every single story fits in this metric (for reference, there are equally good arguments that every time you try to fit a story to this structure it will fall apart, and both are useful perspectives depending on your interests)

if you want to learn a little bit more about the monomyth, you can look at this link or just look at this really common graphic that everybody steals:

so, without further ado, here is a look at book one, The Higher Institute of Villainous Education

Ordinary World | These scenes take place in the flashback that occurs in chapters five and six. Otto lives at St. Sebastian's more or less happily, certainly as a prodigy, and we come to empathize with him as a fervent, Matilda-esque reader and a motivated trickster.

Call to Adventure | Shortly after waking up on a mysterious helicopter, Otto finds himself trapped on an island from which no one ever escapes, which is a challenge Otto himself almost immediately undertakes. (If we were to read the entire series as a monomyth, you could expand this element where Otto's "call" is not an escape, but a call to be a villain of the highest order.)

Refusal of the Call | Though Otto and his friends don't really have second thoughts about escaping, Otto refuses his call by participating in his classes and obtaining a sneaking suspicion that he actually belongs at this school and would do really well to continue his villainy. (However, if we were looking at the entire series as a monomyth, then we'd flip it. The entirety of the first book, as an escape narrative, could constitute Otto's refusal of his call to villainy.)

Meeting the Mentor | Dr. Nero's first Villain Studies class functions as the mentor scene—not because he is actively helping Otto escape the island, but he reinforces the idea that Otto and the other students are special and they are justified in doing the things that are within their power. By that same logic, Otto's escape mission becomes justified because he (presumably) has the guts and skills to do it. In Dr. Nero's book, that's enough!

Crossing the Threshold | Otto really begins to cross the threshold of escape when he forms his team: Wing, Shelby, and Laura. Not only does a team of four create an accountability to one another via conspiracy, but it also puts Otto in a position of leadership among peers for the first time. He is truly committed to the escape plan ahead.

Belly of the Whale | In this stage, Otto has to demonstrate that he has separated from the known world and is willing to undergo a great change. In a fun way, Otto’s separation from the world seems to contradict his potential for metamorphosis: Otto starts taking his classes and finds he excels at them. Studying villainy seriously both marks Otto as fully severed from his life in the orphanage as well as open to the ideas he is learning. To look at it in another light, Otto is trying to escape H.I.V.E. on principle; he isn’t actually opposed to being changed by his education there.

Road of Trials | Otto and his friends deal with a number of ordeals, including designing an escape route, building the device that will help them escape, and facing off against Block and Tackle, who seek revenge for the lunchroom incident. Beyond that, the obstacles continue into the actual escape itself, wherein Otto and friends must traverse the laundry room, navigate the ducts, bypass H.I.V.E.mind, and then get to the submarine dock.

Meeting with the Goddess | I have not one but THREE interpretations for this one. My first suggestion would be the conclusion of the Wing and Otto vs. Block and Tackle scene: it ends not with Otto's victory, but rather Raven's subtle, secret intervention in his favor. This is the first time the audience sees Raven after her first assignment from Nero, and so while she is implied to have been watching all along, this is a moment where Otto receives Raven's all-powerful and unconditional protection (even though she knows what he's been up to!) arguably resembles that of a Mother Goddess and ensures Wing and Otto's continued life.

My second idea is to read Violet, the man-eating plant, to be a carnivorous Mother Goddess. H.I.V.E.'s greenhouse has strong maternal associations. It is overseen by Ms. Gonzales (whose name, btw, is a variant on a name that means "battle" or "war"). The greenhouse itself is a dome, which is a womb-like shape, and the life that grows within basically fulfills the "Mother Earth" function at the school. Finally, Nigel likes the dome because it reminds him of working in the gardens with his own mom, which gives the planting and growing another feminine angle. Violet could therefore be the product of ultimate maternity: when Otto and Wing meet Violet for the first time, they see a plant that is a Maternal Vibe cubed, and it is the extreme power of this object that will threaten the school. That said, I will backtrack on this one easily because if anyone feels a particular expression of love from Violet, it would be Nigel, who is not the Hero who is doing this journey. In addition, while Violet is weaponized maternal power, it isn't nearly as powerful as option number three...

Escaping within H.I.V.E. is Otto's meeting with the mother goddess! The fact that H.I.V.E. is, physically, a volcano means that we can read it as a kind of maternal image itself. I mean, think about it—a volcano is pretty much the shape of an upside down vagina! When you pair that with the fact that Otto & Co. spend their time crawling through the warm, womb-like laundry room and push themselves into H.I.V.E.mind's central core, you can read that as H.I.V.E. literally birthing Otto as a villain. The thing that really solidifies this point is that Meeting with the Goddess is associated with meeting an all-powerful, unconditional love (as the graphic I'm using says) reminiscent of that which an infant might feel from its mother, which does not literally make sense in a comparison of a volcano and a pre-teen but does make sense when you consider that the volcano is a force of nature that is giving Otto the space and resources to experiment with his villainy and mischief as he pleases. Even though Nero shuts down Otto's escape attempt, the fact that Otto is given the space and time to learn this lesson on his own and explore a new identity that is validated, even if his actions aren't, gives Otto that element of spiritual connection with the world around him.

Temptation | Otto’s temptation to leave his quest behind appears both in his regret at leaving Nigel and Franz behind, but is much more evident when Otto is confronted with the need to kill H.I.V.E.mind, and he can’t do it.

Atonement with the Father | At this point we learn that the ultimate power in Otto’s life has been Dr. Nero all along. Otto’s plan has been futile all along, and Dr. Nero proves his life-or-death power by both forcing the students’ physical submission as well as asking Wing, Otto, Laura, and Shelby what, exactly, they think is waiting for them back in the real world. Unable to challenge this power, the students are reintegrated back into their normal lives.

Apostasis | Otto experiences the “spiritual death” of humiliation in the wake of his failed escape attempt, but this feeling is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Violet, our favorite man-eating flower. Instead of failing again, Otto is integral in the planning and execution of the assault against Violet, giving Otto a villainous rebirth back into competence.

The Ultimate Boon | After ultimately defeating Violet and escaping from Raven and Nero, Otto and Wing have the chance to escape H.I.V.E. once and for all on a helicopter. (One could say that Otto has “earned” the right to escape now that he has defeated Violet.)

Refusal of Return/Rescue from Without | However, Otto chooses not to leave because Wing asks him to stay until they solve the mystery of his mother’s murder. In this scene, though Otto considers Nero’s point that he will never reach his full potential out in the real world, it is Wing’s friendship that pulls Otto back into his normal life at H.I.V.E.

Crossing the Return Threshold/Master of Two Worlds | Otto returns to the life of H.I.V.E., now more prepared to be a villain and with the benefit of Dr. Nero’s respect—he will receive no punishment for his escape attempt due to his heroism during the Violet incident.

Freedom to Live | Otto’s freedom to live is, in fact, tainted. He believes he may have an uneventful few months coming up, but that freedom is tainted by the fact that Overlord is explicitly planning to kill him someday...

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alexthegamingboy · 5 years

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Toonami Weekly Recap 09/14/2019

Dr. Stone EP#04 - Fire the Smoke Signal: After Senku creates a successful batch of gunpowder, which Taiju accidentally sets alight, the group spot a different source of smoke in the distance, suggesting that there are other survivors. Senku makes the decision to light the gunpowder further to use as a smoke signal, leading Tsukasa to find him and use Yuzuriha as a hostage to obtain the recipe for the revival fluid. As Senku relinquishes the recipe to save Yuzuriha and is given the choice of either abandoning science or dying, he recalls how he developed his love of science and became friends with Taiju. Refusing to abandon science, Senku prepares to die at Tsukasa's hands.

gen:LOCK EP#07 - It Never Rains...: On the run from the Union, the gen:LOCK team deals with the aftermath of the loss of the Anvil and presumably the entire Vanguard. Val/entina discovers they can now play Kazu's guitar, a side-effect of gaining each other's memories during their mind-share, which Kazu finds uncomfortable. Chase gets into his Holon and patrols, only to hear Nemesis mocking him for no longer being a real human. Union drones soon ambush the group, forcing them to flee. Cammie realizes Nemesis is tracking them because he's still connected to the GL network, and so long as they stay in their Holons he will know where they are: none of them can use their Holons. As they contemplate their next move, Caliban initiates the Omega Protocol and starts speaking in Dr. Weller's voice: he delivers a message from Weller, who reveals Caliban is one of the earliest gen:LOCK experiments, possessing an early copy of his neural pattern and everything Dr. Weller knew for gen:LOCK; he ends the message assuring the team that they were all important to him and apologizes for not being there to the end. Caliban then reveals the gen:LOCK program's next destination was the Rogue Technology Aeronautics and Space Administration (RTASA) administration facility for further research and development. During the trip, Yaz tries to comfort Chase as he questions whether he or the Nemesis can be considered the real one: Chase being a copy, and the Nemesis now fighting for the Union. The group arrives at the facility to be greeted by a security force, who are quickly ordered to stand down by Dr. Henry Wu, one of the scientists they rescued in Atlanta. Wu introduces them to Dr. Fatima Jha, Dr. Weller's ex-wife and one of the earlier collaborators on gen:LOCK. They inform her of the loss of the Anvil and Weller's death: she expresses surprise that the Holon units made it to field-ready status, and brings in Marc Holcroft, one of the principal investors in the ESU and RTASA. Holcroft agrees to allow them to stay at RTASA and fix their Holons in exchange for the capture or destruction of Nemesis's Holon. Cammie leads the repairs, and upgrades the armor to give the Holons unique appearances, weapons, and abilities: Yaz is given wings similar to Chase's, Val/entina's is designed to resemble them, Kazu's is based on RoboShogun (a manga he loved as a child), and Cammie's is designed to look like a rabbit. Chase upgrades his holographic appearance with the gen:LOCK uniform, accepting the group as his new team.

Fire Force (VS. Special Fire Force Company 1 Arc) EP#08 - Infernal Insects: Captain Obi examines Hibana's research which indicates some kind of insect has been introduced into a human's core to create Infernals. At Company 1, life seems normal, but then a group of Infernals are detected and the company is mobilized. Shinra and Arthur are ordered to stand aside, however they see someone use an insect to turn a human into an Infernal and they go in pursuit, only to encounter Lieutenant priests Flam Karim and Hoshimiya Rekka in the shadows. Shinra and Arthur search Karim's room and find an insect in a glass vial, but Karim claims that he is also investigating which indicates that Rekka is the culprit. Meanwhile, Rekka gets Tamaki to gather some children, promising to protect them from becoming Infernals. Under the pretext of hugging her, he renders her unconscious and turns the children's carer into an Infernal with an insect then slays her. Tamaki awakens and Rekka says that he is creating Infernals for the Evangelist, searching for the one who will become the "pilot light". He infects a child who bursts into fire, but the boy manages to extinguish the flames himself and Rekka declares that he is compatible. Tamaki tries to flame up and Rekka prepares to beat her to death, but Shinra had seen her flame and bursts in to attack Rekka.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin EP#11 - The Battle of Loum.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma (Training Camp Arc) EP#11 - The Magician from the East: Shinomiya initially refuses Soma's challenge, however, Dojima and Inui overhear and pressure him into accepting the challenge. Thus, Soma and Megumi battle Shinomiya in an unofficial Shokugeki under the condition that Megumi is the lead chef as this Shokugeki is designed to prove Megumi's worthiness as a chef. While Shinomiya makes his dish, Megumi starts to panic. Soma tells her to relax and to focus on making something that's representative of herself and not on what Shinomiya is doing. Megumi begins to cook her dish, with Soma serving as her sous-chef. Shinomiya presents his dish first, the Chou farci, and the judges give overwhelming praise to the dish. However Dojima is not satisfied by the dish, as it was not one of Shinomiya's specialties. Megumi then presents her dish, the Rainbow Terrine.

Lupin the 3rd Part 5 EP#14 - How To Steal A Kingdom: Padar society is divided between reformists led by the King and traditionalist elements led by the High Priest who opposes the country's advancement into the high-tech age. Lupin and company travel to Padar to track down Princess Dolma and steal the Bloody Teardrop, as does Fujiko with a grudging Ami in tow. As they all investigate the princess' whereabouts, they stumble right into an imminent coup d'état planned by the High Priest and covertly supported by Padar's army and the American government. Their plan is to depose the King and install Dolma as a puppet ruler. Lupin and Ami sneak into the royal palace to rescue Dolma, but as Lupin turns his back, he is suddenly shot by one of the princess' arrows.

Black Clover: Elf Tribe Reincarnation Arc EP#87 - Formation of the Royal Knights: Mereoleona kidnaps Asta, Noelle and Luck, revealing they and one other member of their group have all passed the exam and are now Royal Knights. Mereoleona takes them to the oath ceremony to meet their fellow Royal Knights, including Yuno, Klaus, Mimosa, Kirch, Nils Ragus, En Ringard, Puli Angel, Rill Boismortier, Fragil Tormenta, Hamon Caseus. Mereoleona announces herself as their captain before Zora arrives in Black Bull robes, revealing that he was a vigilante until Yami brought him into the Black Bulls after defeating him. Mereoleona provides everybody with new Royal Knight Robes while revealing that several other Royal Knight members like Nozel were only accepted despite failing the exam as their magic is needed to facing the Midnight Sun, who are based in a floating dungeon located in the Gravito Stones area. Inside the dungeon, Rhya dreams of a moment from his past as an elf where Licht married a human named Tetia, the half-elf child they conceived meant to be a bridge between their peoples.

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#Toonami #Toonami Weekly Recap #Toonami Music Video #Dr. Stone #gen:LOCK #Fire Force #Vs. Special Fire Force Company 1 #Mobile Suit Gundam #Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin #Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma #Training Camp Arc #Lupin the 3rd #Lupin the 3rd Part 5 #Black Clover #Elf Tribe Reincarnation Arc

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crusherthedoctor · 6 years

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Sonic Villains: Sweet or Shite? - Part 6: KING ARTHUR & MERLINA

There are some villains I like. And there are some villains I don’t like. But why do I feel about them the way I do? That’s where this comes in.

This is a new mini-series of mine, in which I’ll be going into slightly more detail about my thoughts on the villains in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and why I think they either work well, or fall flat (or somewhere in-between). I’ll be giving my stance on their designs, their personalities, and what they had to show for themselves in the game(s) they featured in. Keep in mind that these are just my own personal thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions! I don’t bite. :>

Anyhow, for today’s installment, we’ll be fighting the knight while living life as we discuss the dark spirit of Sonic and the Black Knight, as well as the schemer behind the scenes: King Arthur & Merlina.

The Gist: Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a peaceful kingdom was threatened by the rule of a corrupted king. A young wizard named Merlina valiantly defied this monarch, the famous King Arthur, and attempted to escape the clutches of his evil army, but alas, she was cornered like a poor little lamb. In desperation, she called upon a brave and noble hero to help save her kingdom.

She got a blue hedgehog instead.

He did it guys, he did the thing, we can all go home now.

Eager to fight the villain of the week, Sonic was instead put aside by Merlina, who explained to him that as long as King Arthur had the scabbard of Excalibur in his possession, he was basically Jesus and couldn't be wounded in any meaningful way. She also explained that the king was once a noble soul, until the Lady of the Lake, Nimue, lended Excalibur to him, presumably under the belief that granting an ambitious ruler immortality and the power to pluck monsters from the underworld couldn't possibly be a terrible idea.

It was.

Luckily for Sonic, Merlina guided him to a forest where a poorly guarded sword was held, the one weapon capable of dealing some real damage to the evil king. Sonic even got a chance to make it count when Arthur himself showed up right after, but since this was still early on in the game, he fucked up so badly that Arthur and the sword itself - yes, the sword itself - were both laughing at him for his incompetence.

By the way, I hope you like desaturated cutscenes.

Nonetheless, the sword - who went by the name of Caliburn - decided to give the cocky teenager a chance in spite of his own reservations, and granted him the honorable title of Knave the Hedgehog. Sonic took issue with this title, because he didn't want to be mistaken for a fancharacter (probably). As they discussed their next course of action, Merlina waxed nihilistic poetry about flowers for some strange reason.

Because that's how nature works, silly girl.

So after a trip to the Blacksmith to get Caliburn in tip-top shape for regicide, Sonic went off to seek out Nimue in order to get an idea of what to actually do. Upon visiting her, he was asked to locate and gather the sacred swords, though he was forced to detract from his mission for the sake of saving some helpless townspeople from a cruel dragon, because that's just the kind of guy that Sonic the Hedgehog is... Just as well then that it was part of Nimue's test all along! (Just as well also that King Arthur was presumably patient enough to wait for Sonic to pass his tests instead of using that time to destroy the kingdom.)

All the while, he confronted the Knights of the Round Table, who - being the king's most trusted and most capable soldiers - did nothing other than get their asses handed to them.

Pictured: Useless twats.

Until at last, when everything that had to be done was done, Sonic and Caliburn went to the Faraway Avalon, where King Arthur himself dwelled. The battle was intense to say the least, but with a little help from the sacred swords, the Blue Blur prevailed, and the corrupted monarch who plagued the kingdom... dissipated? Like the Knights of the Underworld before him...? Well at least they got Excalibur back.

Seeking to get to the bottom of this mystery, Sonic brought it to Merlina's attention, who revealed that the King Arthur the hedgehog slayed was a fake, and that there never was a true King Arthur to begin with, as he was an illusion created by Merlina's grandfather, the great Merlin himself.

She also revealed the slightly more important fact that she's an evil bitch who used Sonic for her own gain, and proceeded to use Excalibur to give the hero a very bad time.

Holding a sword like that with her hair so close? Bitch is mad.

After some reassurance that all was not in vain, Sonic convinced the Knights of the Round Table to stop kissing the now-deceased Arthur's feet and help him save the kingdom for real. Using their sacred swords, the Knights formed a powerful barrier around the kingdom's castle, and then immediately proceeded to go right back to being useless.

Just kidding. The barrier wasn't even strong enough to amount to much. That puts the Knights' usefulness points right back to zero.

“Why do people call this our last hurrah again...?”

When Sonic finally confronted Merlina in her domain, with the understandable query of why she was such a manipulative witch, she revealed that her motives are less “cackling rapscallion” and more “morally grey”. You see, with the supposed rift between Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain, and the eventual downfall of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in general, the kingdom was doomed to suffer an undesirable fate no matter what. Seeking to fix her late grandfather's mistakes, she wanted nothing more than to create a world that would never end, for ultimate peace and prosperity... as far as she knew.

Sonic had none of it and promptly called her out on her selfish desire, but the wizard proved too much for him to handle, as evidenced by the surprisingly savage beatdown that he received immediately after. Caliburn got broke in half for his troubles, and the Knights commanded the hedgehog to get the hell out of there, but Sonic remained stubborn, as he never backs down no matter the opponent. This eventually paid off for him, as his heroic nature inexplicably summoned the power that granted him a new form: the knight in shiny gold armor, Excalibur Sonic. This was fortunately just the right amount of power necessary to defeat Merlina's final form of King Arthur 2: This Time It's Personal.

Beaten, but not outright killed, the depowered Merlina was left a broken woman. But Sonic wasn't afraid to show a bit of compassion to the wizard, as he gave her the advice that while the world may not last forever, we must live our lives to the fullest, and make the time that we do have count.

"Well yeah, that’s easy for an iconic mascot like you to say. As soon as this game is over, my career is finished. Eat shit, rodent.”

Also, Sonic turns out to be the real King Arthur. Because self-inserts are canon. Credits!

The Design: King Arthur's design is a bit on the generic side for Sonic standards, but it's decent enough for the type of villain that he is. Though you do have to wonder how he can stand upright with those gigantic shoulder pads of his.

This photo was taken moments before his kneecaps crumbled into dust.

Meanwhile, Merlina heavily resembles Shahra from Black Knight’s predecessor, as befitting of her initial role as Shahra's replacement for Black Knight, as well as making her true role all the more surprising.

“Shahra? No. I'm my own original character... Backstabbhra.”

When the latter becomes the Dark Queen, she initially settles for turning purple and gaining some fashionable feathers, before unleashing her final form which basically amounts to a collection of blue and black tentacles.

Typical angsty teenage phase.

Arthur and Merlina's designs overall are... okay. Just okay.

The Personality: As someone who is more a force of nature than an actual character, King Arthur's personality amounts to saying a bunch of evil things and not much else. That's alright though, since Merlina is the true villain of this particular story, so it’s her personality that counts here.

But here's the problem... Merlina doesn't have much personality either. She spends the first half of the story taking the role of the typical assistant, and the second half whinging about how her kingdom will be ruined unless she does something about it. That is all you get with her. Yes, there is clearly meant to be more to her, as evidenced with her misguided beliefs and her relationship with her grandfather, but very little is actually done with those aspects beyond giving Sonic more things to lecture her and shout at her for.

The Execution: On paper, Merlina is a character who should be among the greatest of Sonic villains.

On paper.

But you see, while she is unique in the sense of being the rarity of a female villain AND an anti-villain in a Sonic game... there really isn't anything else going for her. Once you get past those two initial brownie points, you don't have much of real interest left. You may get a cool moment like the aforementioned beatdown of Sonic come the endgame, but you're given no reason to actually care about the person doing the deed, despite the game wanting you to do so.

“I've not been given any particular reason to do so, so no.”

There's a lot of telling with Merlina, rather than showing. She's presented as a well-intentioned extremist, but we're given no reason whatsoever to actually bother trying to see things her way, even if we would still ultimately acknowledge that what she's doing is wrong. Even Sonic himself doesn't bother considering her side of the story for a second, and while that is certainly in-character for the Blue Blur, it makes Merlina's anti-villain status - one of the very aspects that makes her unique among Sonic villains - fall flat all the more. Likewise, the only information we get about why the kingdom is destined to be doomed comes straight from Merlina's mouth, and that's it. We're never shown an example of what exactly she wants to prevent aside from vaguely alluded ruination, therefore we're given less reason to express actual interest in her motivation and goals.

Also, it must be stated: There wasn't nearly enough foreshadowing with her true intentions. Of course you don’t want to beat the player over the head to the point where they can see the twist coming from a mile away, but you still need a decent amount of build up to make a twist work, otherwise it practically comes out of nowhere. And since you don’t even need to count the hints with one hand in Merlina’s case, it does feel out of nowhere.

Overall, Merlina - and King Arthur, for that matter - are just kind of forgettable at the end of the day. Not terrible. Not outright bad. Just forgettable. And it's a huge shame, because Merlina COULD have been amazing. She had all the ingredients to stand out and be in the same tier as the likes of Eggman and Erazor. But she simply can't live up to the likes of them because there wasn't enough sufficient effort to make her truly blossom as the type of antagonist she was intended to be. There was something good going on with her, I can acknowledge and appreciate that there was something good going on with her... it just wasn't enough.

Which is kind of how I feel about Sonic and the Black Knight in general. It doesn’t do an awful lot with the things that it gets praised for. And the story as a whole - while serving as a great character analysis for Sonic himself - is just kind of boring for an actual narrative in a Sonic the Hedgehog game.

My favourite Sonic game is the one where Sonic made fun of attempted suicide.

Crusher Gives King Arthur & Merlina a: Thumbs Sideways!

#Sonic Villains: Sweet or Shite?#Opinion #Sonic the Hedgehog #King Arthur #Merlina #Sonic and the Black Knight

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