#i feel a certain bond with these characters who have a breakdown so

[crisiscutie]

Can you please do a sephiroth X god reader like for example his world is just a book to the reader because the reader is the god of story's and can bring the characters to there library

I saw a lot potential in this prompt so I gave it a shot! Also going to write this more like a scenario/analysis since there's a lot of possibilities to mess with. This will revolve around Pre-CC (OG) Sephiroth. And featuring Mr. Rhapsodos.

Quick thing through: I'm not too interested in god/godlike readers normally. I will do these requests on occasion. Why? I'm fascinated by power in relationship dynamics, healthy or destructive, especially when it comes to Sephiroth. It's not like you did anything wrong in requesting this, just something I noticed about my writing recently. Always feel free to shoot an ask about an idea or if you guys are wondering if an idea is okay, I won't bite.

I have no issues writing a reader/darling close to Sephiroth's level for most prompts. But she/they will always be beneath him. I don't always do this for other characters, though. Anyways, enjoy the read!

Content Warnings: Not much other than Yandere Sephiroth. Shocker, I know.

The goddess reader allowed herself to get lost in her favorite stories, feeling the warmth of the fire on her skin.

When she succeeded this role from a greater god, she became addicted to the stories that featured her beloved characters.

The silver-haired swordsman, with his shining, long blade and piercing gaze, stood out to her in one certain story. He's always been one of her favorite characters, intriguing her with his complexity.

Perhaps she can rely on her special abilities to connect with him? She knew it was wrong, but who could resist the temptation of such great power? It is now her divine right to do this.

She devised a plan to take him away while he was in the middle of his peaceful meditation in his room, ensuring that no one would even notice he had left.

Sephiroth opened his eyes, and a wave of confusion hit him like a ton of bricks. He appears to be surrounded by rows of bookshelves. Why is he in a library?

A soft voice called out to him from behind, echoing in the air. He became alert, hand ready to summon Masamune at any moment.

The goddess reader soothed him, her calming scent washing over him as she promised he would remain safe.

Sephiroth felt at ease with this goddess, though her presence was strangely unsettling.

She explains to him who she is and what she does. She fondly recounted to Sephiroth how he was her beloved character from one of her favorite stories.

Sephiroth's mental breakdown would be even more intense than when he learned about his origins in another universe.

He realized his entire life had been nothing but a falsehood, and it was just a fabricated narrative. He had done so much, experienced so many emotions, and forged bonds with the few dear to him. And it was all written in the stars by some mysterious god?

During his mental breakdown, the goddess reader was overcome with an unfamiliar pity for him, and something in her chest stirred in response.

She would whisper comforting words in his ear and hold him tightly in her embrace.

Sephiroth's body tensed up as she reached out to hug him, but eventually he surrendered and leaned into her embrace.

The feel of her embrace was like a soothing balm on his anger, and he never wanted to let go. His tears wet her skin as he held her hips tightly in his grasp.

He savored her touch and the feeling of being with her, and he knew he wanted her.

When he's here with her, it was infinitely better than the oppressive atmosphere he left behind.

He would worship this goddess. He would recognize the power she held over him.

The goddess felt a pang of guilt in her heart knowing that she had kept Sephiroth here too long.

She whispered a spell while caressing his long, silver hair with her fingertips for the last time.

Sephiroth's breath quickened and his blood boiled as he realized he was being sent back to his world. He desperately clung to his goddess's hips, pleading with her not to abandon him.

Before he realizes it, he finds himself back in his own familiar room.. Despite being meant to forget, Sephiroth still remembered his encounter with the goddess deeply.

Sephiroth will find a way to get back to her, no matter what. His life will become more than just a figure in a storybook. He will strive for divinity, just to feel the warmth of her calming embrace once more.

 ༻❁༺ Sephiroth would make connections in his head to LOVELESS.

With a seething fury in his eyes, Sephiroth was on his way to a concealed library, not the one near the goddess reader or in Shinra Manor.

He would take the time to read LOVELESS, letting the words linger in his mind as he analyzed it. For days, he stayed in the library, his senses dulled by lack of food and sleep.

 ༻❁༺ Assuming Genesis hasn't deserted yet (for this scenarios sake, he hasn't)

Sephiroth will search for him and question him harshly about LOVELESS. Genesis can sense that something is off when Sephiroth, who has been absent for days is now exhibiting an intense curiosity in LOVELESS, as well as a more aggressive demeanor.

Despite Genesis' bubbling anger, he listens to Sephiroth's story, wanting to know what's causing his insanity.

Sephiroth would then tell him of the goddess reader and how they were all just a part of the story, except for him; he was to become the hero and receive the gift of the goddess.

Now Genesis is ready to throw hands at this point. Sephiroth not only taunts him about his cherished epic, but he also is determined to take away the goddess' admiration, and consequently his heroic recognition, when she is watching? Absolutely not.

This will become a very intense fight, with Sephiroth taking his time to prolong his former friend's despair.

Despite all odds, Genesis had a feeling that Sephiroth was telling the truth. With reading the story, surely the goddess reader would feel a connection to him and choose him over Sephiroth?

Genesis was shrewd enough to capitalize on Sephiroth's sadistic game with him to flee when he was critically injured by him.

Sephiroth was so conceited that he would scheme to dispose of Genesis later, convinced he couldn't hold a candle to him.

 ༻❁༺ Right here, the events of Crisis Core and both FF7 would merge.

Sephiroth has hastened his malicious path of evil due to the events that had occurred.

With a heavy heart, Angeal set out to find his friends, while happening to discover his own origins later. From one tragedy to another.

Genesis would still degrade. Perhaps he can cured by Minerva but he will still stand no chance against Sephiroth.

Cloud and Zack are the only two who stood a chance at stopping Sephiroth. Something needs to happen to cause Sephiroth to let down his guard and get him killed.

But it won't due to the naivety of the foolish goddess reader, who has recklessly twisted fate in Sephiroth's favor. He is relentless in his goals.

While Sephiroth would be the world's enemy (heh), he would still have Hojo's utmost support from the shadows because Hojo is one sick fuck with projection issues of his own.

 ༻❁༺ JENOVA would just be a tool for him to get closer to his goddess.

Sephiroth would still feel her connection to him and acknowledge her.

Since the goddess has already imprinted him, his goal would to be reunite with her, not JENOVA.

In his broken mind, he would see JENOVA as her gift to him.

As long the JENOVA gets to destroy the planet and use it as a vessel to sail the cosmos to do the same to others, it wouldn't care what he thinks. So their goals would still align with each other.

Sephiroth is desperate to become a god, so that he can thrust his unresolved mommy issues onto the goddess, begging for her attention.

Sephiroth would win because his journey to evil started sooner.

 ༻❁༺ The Goddess wouldn't notice because she's too busy reading other books.

She picked up other books and lost herself in the characters of other stories, leaving the pain of Sephiroth behind.

Knowing how much her reveal had hurt her beloved character, she vowed never to do it again.

You could only imagine her shock as she felt the warm breath of Sephiroth's dark chuckle on her neck. He asks if she was happy to see him again…(now this is making me want to make a smutty darkfic follow-up haha)

She was surprised to discover that Sephiroth had kept a perfect recollection of her. Even through he was a beloved character of hers, she still saw him as nothing more than a character in a story.

She knew she'd never look at him the same way again as he embraces her once more.

Author notes:

Thanks for the interesting ask. I want to point out that there is still relationship power dynamics here at work here. Just that goddess reader had all the power at first but it became balanced toward Sephiroth in the end. While he would worship a goddess reader in his own way, he would still be angry at being an character (and getting sent away). A focal point of Sephiroth's character is CONTROL. He controls because he is fearful and because he is determined to get what he wants.

Sephiroth is a man filled with delusions and despair. His mind, like any other hurt human mind, did what it could to preserve the last strands of reason: creating delusions to justify the chaos. Sephiroth may be physically above humanity, but his inner thoughts, feelings, and actions show that he is no different than any other human.

#sephiroth #sephiroth x reader #genesis rhapsodos #genesis rhapsodos x reader #ff7 x reader #final fantasy x reader #ff7 sephiroth #ff7 headcanons #yandere x reader #yandere final fantasy #yandere sephiroth #yandere sephiroth x reader

[celestial-quill-n-ink]

Quick Ramble-y OM Headcanon Post!

(Humans, Demons, and the nature of Sins)

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I've always liked the idea that each and every individual human has a dominant sin, and that demons of that respective sin are better equipped to tempt those souls due to that connection.

This also goes along with my headcanon that every demon is assigned into one of seven categories from birth, colloquially known as the Seven Deadly Sins. It's a natural and instinctual part of their existence, where they can sense the sins of humans and prey upon their lack of knowledge and ignorance.

It would, of course, be especially prevalent with the Brothers, as they were assigned as the Avatars of these sins by the Demon King.

Most lower level demons have the baseline magical compulsion to prey on humans with a compatible sin, but that doesn't say anything about their skills in magic and manipulation. They likely run on base instinct alone unless they are supremely passionate about their education at RAD XDDD

The Brothers, on the other hand, are naturally very powerful and, whether some actually appear this way or not, are also very intelligent (at least when it comes to their sins!)

Basically, you can't underestimate any of them, because if they really want something, they'll do whatever it takes to get it.

As an example, I view my MC's main sin to be Pride, and she just so happens to bump heads with Lucifer on many an occasion, precisely because of their similarities! And just as much as he can understand her on a fundamental level and use that to his advantage, my MC is smart enough to be able to do the very same back to him!

I mean, any human arguably could as well, but I'd imagine Lilith's genes definitely help my and many others' MCs out a great deal in those cases too XDDD

They're both too stupidly prideful for their own good, trying to one-up eachother like a couple of kids. It's almost like a feedback loop; where my MC attempts to get Lucifer to childishly rise to a challenge by using his pride to her advantage, but even when she succeeds, Lucifer can still relish in the feelings of her own pride at succeeding!

I feel like there would be some sort of spell or magical item that can allow a human to get an almost mathematical breakdown of their sins, kind of like a pie chart or some other type of visual, which I imagine would be beneficial knowledge for any sorcerer or witch preparing to interact with demons to any extent.

I believe that any human is susceptible to any demon's temptations, but there are certain combinations that allow for a higher success rate than others.

As another example, my MC's second most prominent sin would likely be Sloth, and so she has received one too many solicitations for naps from Belphie, who can sense exactly when would be the best time to ambush the idea onto her XDDD

I also like the idea that when a Demon makes a pact with a Human, their ability to sense that Human's sins is significantly heightened. (I'm hoping to write about this particular element in more detail for the brothers sometime soon 🤞)

Where in a non-pact situation, a Demon may only sense a sin if a Human is really struggling with it at that current point in time - in a situation where a pact is formed, both parties have agreed to open a magical bond where in exchange for the Human having power over the Demon with commands, the Demon can more freely take power from them without necessarily obtaining their soul.

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Since I've not had much time to work on my character specific headcanons, I figured I'd post a more rough-around-the-edges sort of post where I don't really have to proofread and can just infodump for fun XDDD

- Celeste

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#obey me #obey me hcs #obey me headcanons #obey me shall we date #shall we date obey me #celestial writings

[orangerosebush]

AF Related Asks if I may:

- One event you would change within the series

- Which character you would sit down and have a meal with (and what would you want to talk about?)

Oooh, these are good questions!

I feel like my answer to the first one is different at this moment than it would have been in the past.

As much as I find the Atlantic Complex as a fictional mash-up of various different mental health conditions to be in (immensely) poor taste, I do think that the cast's reaction to Artemis during his breakdown was consistent with their characterizations. I don't mean this in a character-bashing way, however!

Artemis' friendships with the main characters throughout the series are part of why I love the books. They push each other to change for the better in ways that highlight immense affection and trust. Nonetheless, the strength of these bonds cannot simply give the characters different histories.

I'll use a few examples to explain what that means here.

Holly has to repress certain kinds of emotions and vulnerability due to:

1) the culture of the LEP

and 2) her precarious position as one of the first women therein;

Butler, conversely, has zero (0) mental health competence, as shown by his:

1) dealing with Angeline's breakdown by looking away from the fallout

2) training with the Academy being centered around the goal of him being able to compartmentalize during traumatizing situations for the survival of his charge

and 3) dealing with his own grief by refusing to participate in the world until the situation resolves itself against all odds (e.g., Artemis' 'deaths' in TLC, TLG)

Holly and Butler are individuals who care for Artemis so, so deeply -- and who are themselves individuals who struggle with mental health due to PTSD -- but because of who they are at the time of TAC, there would have been no way for them to have responded to Artemis more responsibly or with more kindness.

And honestly, I don't think that was a bad narrative choice for Colfer to make. What I would have liked to have seen (though I understand that narratively there wasn't room for this in TLG) was how Artemis, Butler, and Holly navigated the aftermath of the Complex.

We do see allusions to the ways in which they learn to be more conscious of each other. For example, when Butler picks Artemis up from therapy in TLG, he says, “Well, Artemis, how are we?”. Five words and the royal "we"! Although Butler still has no idea how to navigate therapy or psychs in his own life (as we sadly see in his assumption of the "blame" for Artemis' death at the end of the book), he nonetheless tries to meet Artemis where he's at with triggers at this point in canon. Similarly, we see Holly and Artemis visit the clone in the hospital at the beginning of TLG, and there's this quiet... caution, almost, that suffuses those interactions. Just as Artemis tries to be a friend to Holly in the way she understands the concept, so too does Holly refrain from joking about Artemis' behavioral quirks in ways that she might have before.

(Foaly and Mulch are certainly a different matter, though they too care deeply for Artemis, as he does for them.)

All that to say, I would have liked to have seen more of these character-based scenes in TLG, as I wasn't all that compelled by the swift transition to Opal's plot.

For your second question: I honestly feel like it would be great fun to take Angeline out for coffee. *Clenches fist* Queen I know I could make you giggle

#artemis fowl

[ltwharfy]

"Bob's Burgers" Season 4 Episode Ranking Rewatch (Long Post)

So, I've been rewatching "Bob's Burgers" from the beginning and ranking the episodes using the spreadsheet that @babsvibes created! If you want to know why I'm doing this or how I view the 1-5 rating scale, you can check out my Season 1 post! If you want to check out any of the other seasons, I've been using the "bob's burgers episode ranking rewatch" tag for all of them.

Now, on to Season 4:

Average (Mean) Score: 4.59

Mode (Most Common) Ranking: 5

Ranking Breakdown: 13 5s; 9 4s

Season as a whole thoughts:

I'm genuinely wondering if Season 4 might end up being the highest rated season when this project is all said and done. And that's interesting because it is not a season I immediately think of when I think of a season with a lot of my favorite episodes- I think of 3 and 7 first. But Season 4 is just so consistently entertaining! As I got towards the end of it, I noticed that I had not given any of the episodes a 3 yet- but looking it over again, that checks out. I'd really be happy to watch any of these episodes any time I am in the mood for "Bob's Burgers"- there isn't a "meh" or a mixed review in the bunch. And since I have already rated episodes from later seasons when I've caught them on cable, am pretty certain that this might be the only season with no 3s or lower in it.

But honestly, one of the things that really makes "Bob's Burgers" standout among TV comedies for me- and one of the things that motivated me to do this rewatch- is that I think it has been really consistently good for a really long period of time. And if Season 4 was the most really consistently good season- well, then, maybe it makes sense for it to be my (mathematically calculated) favorite! (But we've still got a lot of seasons to go...)

Some thoughts on specific episodes (and feel free to ask if you want my thoughts on an episode I didn't comment on):

"My Big Fat Greek Bob": One of the "sleeper hits" of the season- I had forgotten how much fun it was! Bob's bond with the frat guys, the kids exploring the frat house, Linda and Gretchen's "lady goods" parties- it's all a hoot! And one of the pleasures of doing this rewatch has been realizing how much I enjoy many recurring BB characters- not in a "they are my new Blorbo I must create a billion head canons about them!" way but just in a "hey, it's nice to see you in this episode!" way. So, hey, Dr. Yap, it was nice to see you in this episode!

"Turkey in a Can": One of the hardest "Bob's Burgers" questions you could ask me is to name my favorite Thanksgiving episode- making me choose between this one and "Dawn of the Peck"?! Please no! The scene in the bathroom on Thanksgiving is one of the funniest bits of chaotic humor on the show ever. If I'm not cracking up when Gayle declares "It's the end of the world!" and kisses Mort, you should check my pulse because I'm probably dead.

"Purple Rain-Union": "Won't you enter my Acropolis and make my yogurt Greek?"- how come Aunt Gayle's name never comes up when people are discussing the greatest songwriters of all time?! Also, I love the scenes with Jen (one of my all-time favorite recurring characters) in this one- especially her hilarious "pep talk" to Linda. I also love the way Louise's nonsensical "everybody gets a black eye" plan somehow works!

"Slumber Party": Yes, the slumber party plot itself is great! Yes, Jessica and all the other recurring characters who debut in this episode are great! But what I really love about this episode is the amount of screentime and dialogue devoted to Little King Trashmouth!! "It's a rac-coup d'etat!" and "Aw, babies getting rabies" are two of my favorite ever Linda quotes! Let's just say that if I lived in Seymour's Bay I would be a crazy raccoon person alongside Linda and Teddy. I love those alley rascals!

"Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial": Hey, Randy, it was nice to see you in this episode! After "Fraud of the Dead", I was thinking about Louise directing that film and also directing the Meatman film in "Ain't Miss Debtatin'" and wondering if there were any other indications in the show that she had this interest in directing. So, it was interesting to rewatch this and note that Louise not only insists that she should direct instead of Randy because she came up with the script idea, but even when Randy is directing scenes of the commercial that she is not in, you can see Louise standing next to him mimicking his actions- like, it's not just about her wanting power or not respecting Randy (although both things are true) she's genuinely interested in directing!

"The Frond Files": Our first three stories anthology! Two things I really love in this one: the way Louise writes that ridiculous argument between her and Gene at the end of her story-it's the most sibling thing ever! Also, I LOVE the coloring and designs of the "Fart School for the Gifted" segment- it's just really beautiful art to accompany a really silly story! (I also love Linda's tearful reaction to that story and Bob insisting to Frond that he ending is ambiguous). I also loved the use of black and white for (most) of Tina's zombie story.

"Mazel Tina": Another fun thing of the rewatch has been noticing story types/structures that the show reuses that I enjoy- and this is one of them, where the Belchers are go to a place together (Tammy's bat mitzvah) and then all have separate little adventures there ("Mutiny on the Windbreaker" and "Legends of the Mall", are among other stories of that type). I particularly enjoy Louise in this one- Louise talking Janet into quitting her job and following her dreams is hilarious, as is all the Tammy-Louise interaction. One of the things that makes Tammy a great recurring character is that she has her own different dynamics with each of the Belcher siblings- they all mess with her, but in completely different ways.

"The Kids Rob A Train": So, as I have written in other long posts and in fics, one of the reasons I enjoy Louise and Rudy's friendship is that we can see it evolve over time. They don't automatically become besties after "Carpe Museum"- in this one Rudy tells Beanbag that he knows the Belchers from school, not that they are his friends. And I think we see some key moments in the development of their friendship in this one- Rudy's patience with Louise's siblings during his presentation about the train, Rudy and Louise's back-and-forth as he tries to get her to hand him the chocolate through the window, and his fake allergic severe reaction and her panicked response. But even if you aren't as obsessed with that relationship as I am, this episode has tons of great things- Bob's "friendship" with "Ramon" the boy riding the bike next to the train, Gene's outfit, the thrilling musical score!

"The Kids Run Away": Another sleeper hit that I never really appreciated until this rewatch. I particularly love that Gayle is actually helpful in resolving the Louise cavity crisis in this episode. Yes, Gayle has a LOT of issues, but I think she does try to be a good aunt and a good sister.

The "How Bob Saves/Destroys the Town" two-parter: Most of the time, my ratings are mainly based on how much I enjoy the comedy, story, and character beats of the episode- I haven't really rated any episodes up or down based on how they look visually- and I readily concede that is not really my wheelhouse, I don't really know much about evaluating animation or direction in animation from a technical perspective. That being said, both parts of this two parter were probably the first episodes of the show where I repeatedly thought about how beautiful it was! There are many great shots that make the episodes seem more cinematic or theatrical (the spotlights on the singers during the musical numbers) rather than "just" an episode of television. The view of the town when Bob and Calvin are on top of the rollercoaster is particularly great. And I love how they brought back so many recurring characters, even if it was just for silent cameos (like Darryl and Logan being in the background for part of "Bad Things Are Bad")! This episode really shows how much the show had grown over four seasons- how it had developed a setting and a ton of characters, both supporting and main, so that you really cared about them. A fantastic ending for a fantastic season!

Random thoughts (stuff that doesn't affect the ratings):

-This season seems to have more plots involving Bob working somewhere other than the restaurant ("My Big Fat Greek Bob", "Bob and Deliver") and more plots about the family or members of it being in physical jeopardy (the first three episodes, "Christmas in the Car", the two-part season finale) than most seasons. I remember noticing that when it was first airing and worrying that it was a trend that might lead to the show becoming less grounded (like "The Simpsons") and that if we got to 10+ seasons we'd be seeing stories about Bob becoming a temporary chef for NASA and the family being stranded on the International Space Station or nonsense like that. Obviously, this concern was misplaced. if anything, the show has become more grounded as it's gone on, making episodes about things my retired aunt and uncle do as hobbies (birdwatching, hunting for mushrooms).

-I try not to nitpick jokes, but it bugs me in "Mazel Tina" when Gene yells "One Luftballoon!" after seeing Tina's blood red face. Yes, the English version of Nena's "99 Luftballoons" was "99 Red Balloons"- but "luft" doesn't mean "red" in German, it means "air" and "luftballoon" just means "balloon"-it has nothing to do with it being red! So, he's just saying Tina's red face looks like a balloon, which is an odd joke. Sorry, this is incredibly dumb, but y'know I took German for two years in high school and I need to use it occasionally so I don't feel like I wasted that time...

Thanks for reading! See you in Season 5!

#bob's burgers #bob's burgers season 4 #bob's burgers episode ranking rewatch #long post

[intogenshin]

[3.8] Veluriyam Mirage - fresh recollections

I don't have a clear idea of what this event was about, just loose thoughts. I think I'd have to go through my screenshots and rewatch the sequences for a more appropriate breakdown.

the characters

I feel like just like in GAA (though to a lesser degree), the event serves as an insight into who the characters are and how they became this way (rather than development per se). GAA had an island dedicated to every character, so obviously it was more focused, while Mirage offers a single lens.

Kokomi, Kaeya and Eula (possibly Klee, but not necessarily) all are characters defined by a role that was handed to them basically, not unlike an actor in a play.

Kokomi was entrusted with Orobashi's will as the Divine Priestess and gave up part of her military ambitions to become Watatsumi's leader

Eula was born into the Lawrence clan which upholds a certain reputation within Mond -of which neither side is wiling to change- yet she chose to more or less disown herself and follow her own principles by joining the knights

Kaeya knows he's supposed to be Khaenri'ah's last hope, and that he was left in Mond with a purpose, but out of the three he's the only one who doesn't fully understand the circumstances of this imposition

Perhaps the point the narrative of the event is trying to make is for these characters to understand themselves as autonomous individuals and not actors (or perhaps actors who choose their roles?)

Kokomi accepted her duty; Eula rejected the traditions of her clan and in this event she mentions she wants to try to change their perspective alongside her cousin; Kaeya has always felt burdened by his imposition, he felt so guilty after Crepus died he had to confess it to the only bond he had left, and back in Caribert he started to reconsider his father's words as perhaps just wanting him to live a better life.

In contraposition to Kokomi and Eula who have deliberately made up their minds, I think Kaeya is the one who struggles with doing what he believes he must out of obligation, and not because it's his genuine choice.

I don't have a good grasp on Klee, she might inherit the role of Hexenzirkel witch from Alice, but I can't say anything else.

Collei has been rather the most impressive character development, from her comic appearance, to her introduction in Sumeru's archon quest, to Windblume, to this point.

(like she makes me feel so proud ueueueue she's grown and overcome a lot, even helping other people as the healer)

the narrative

I can't say I fully understand the allegory if there is any, but the bottle oddly made me think about visions and perhaps how visions came into existence.

In the theater play, a mage puts light in a bottle with the ability to grant a wish. Then gives the bottle to the main character, who later shares it with the bandit who wanted to bring this light to the people that lived in the darkness.

Idiya says she hopes the people who passed by the mirage will be able to remember the sparkle of light they felt inside the bottle and make them feel inspired to chase their dreams.

That's what visions are in a way, as it says in traveler's vision story: Is it wise to allow a moment's ambition to dominate one's entire life?

Makoto thought that dreams were what inspired humanity to progress, and these in turn generated ambitions. Therefore.. ? A vision is a manifestation of their dream in the form of one of these ambitions. It's the sparkle of light that might motivate the character to chase their actual dream.

The people who lived in the darkness in the theater play comes across as a reference to Khaenri'ah, the people who dream of dreaming. Considering a dream is what's actually behind obtaining a vision, and that the bottle in the play contained light inside. Mm. Pepe Silvia.

#ramblings #genshin lore #long post #veluriyam mirage #i just finished it nobody judge my madman thoughts

[sadhorsegirl]

need it on the official record that i do love moiraine and lan's relationship sososo much!!!

i love the implicit understanding they have with each other, based partially in the fact that they are both heirs separated from a crown for very different reasons. moiraine and lan are both people who cannot go back to where they came from, whether they want to or not. so there is this shared sense of loneliness, and drift that they share, wrapped up in the idea that they probably aren't going to survive the last battle (or even the journey to it) and would rather sacrifice themselves than have anyone they care for or, in moiraine's case for some people deem more necessary to The Pattern (although to be fair to her, this often still means having a certain level of care for them she just um. wasn't raised to know how to show any healthy positive emotion i don't think) moving in companionable silence eternally Searching™

i've grown increasingly haunted by this exchange they have at the end of new spring:

like............"surrender after you are dead. yes." is the sentiment set up as one of the core values of their partnership starting from the very moment she decides to ask lan to be her warder. surely, this will end well for all parties and will NOT have any tragic implications!

it sets up this really harsh poetic symmetry (surprise) when they have their Big Fight™ in the great hunt. moiraine LITERALLY invokes how they first met with funny little jokes abt him throwing her in a pond to get his defenses down so she can jump scare him w an intense re-examination of their relationship. the whole fight is basically her forcing him to think on his toes so she can examine him at his most basic emotional level in order to try and expose the truth abt how he feels, going from playful to painful at the flip of a coin lol. and he's aware of it!!! him calling her out on it and her answering back w patented Aes Sedai Speak, in a relationship that should be free of such manipulation.....

the real master stroke here, though, is the fact that the chapter is from moiraine's pov. we get to see her own inner thoughts about it and see that beneath the devastating chess game she's playing she's just as heartbroken at having to play it. the argument is really a crystalization of what makes her such an interesting character for me -- she is leveraging absolutely brutal social dynamics in order to, from her perspective, HELP someone she cares for deeply.

essentially, moiraine is saying that in his love for nynaeve he's found something to live for beyond sacrifice and that means that their bond to each other must be terminated. he can create a new life, and bc she thinks she understands how everything will play out moiraine thinks she is just cutting down the time before he realizes he can and will ask for her to dissolve the bond anyway. he isn't wed to death anymore, leaving the heavy implication that moiraine still is.

which sets us up for something really interesting for them in s2 i think! while their relationship in the show seems to generally be under less strain than it is where we see them in the mainline series, there remains another crucial difference btw the books and the show -- moiraine has siuan!!!!! im rly excited to see how that comes into play in terms of any potential interpretation of this fight/the breakdown of lan and moiraine's relationship bc it makes her decision to push him away feel even more hypocritical and rooted in her tendency to be self-sacrificing to the point of self loathing.

tldr for anyone just trying to figure out what this might all mean for season two according to one singular poster on tumblr dot com: in the books moiraine feels very........time to burn all bridges so no one can chase after me on my suicide mission basically and i can't say im NOT excited to see if that's where she ends up in the show (to live is to suffer etc etc)

#ch 22 of the great hunt is the assigned reading for todays post!!!! plz be prepared for the pop quiz at tomorrows lecture!! #yes it WAS necessary to break out some NOTES some PASSAGES #this fight drives me insane one of the best thing in the entire series i am not kidding #he knows what shes doing!! she knows he knows what shes doing!!!! and still!!!! she chooses to hurt him to try and save him!!! #guess queer platonic life partners doesnt have to cover an entire life together 👀😬🫡 #lan mandragoran #moiraine damodred #wheel of time #wot on prime #wot books spoilers #meta

[necroangelz]

🪽 & 💉 please。。

I'm gonna pretend this didn't take me like 2 weeks to respond to again

『 💉 』

a kin memory

as Monika from ddlc, i remember two timelines/lives! one timeline follows the canon events of the game where i was a sentient entity trapped within the game. in the other timeline, i was a human girl living in like, a normal world, except i suffered a huuuge breakdown from heavy stress. something in me snapped and i began to see the world as lifeless and flat, and i thought i was stuck in a simulation or video game of some sorts where everything and everyone was fake and i was the only real being. it was.... very hard, as you can probably guess, but with professional help and support from the other club members i got better

『 🪽 』

infodump about an oc

@yaoimurder hi squid I'm tagging uu here bc this is where i ramble about that vampire oc i mentioned ages ago, if uu remember that!!! read on if uu'd like (: my oc infodumps are very long and i mention almost EVERYTHING about them so uu can just read the basic info only lol

her name is midah she is my babygirl. she's also my first (and only) empires SMP oc and i ship her w my f/o (mythicalsausage s1)!!

picture #1 is much more accurate to how midah looks but picture #2 includes details about midah not present in the other photo, such as her red vial necklace, flowers on her cheekbones, and silly little hat

since she's an oc for a series I'll mention stuff that some might not know about, im too lazy to explain everything though so if anyone's curious at all just ask :3

okay midah's backstory is a LIIITTLE murky bc i mainly use her for vague-daydreaming purposes. anyway shes an assassin sorceress who practices blood magic and other types of magic (such as offensive fire Magic that involves creating and manipulating white fire). i got the idea for her name from the line, "touch me, midas, make me part of your design," from my ordinary life. other than that though, her character/story doesn't have much connection to the mythology figure midas. it's just her name that's connected to him. her name is pronounced like midas without the "s", or like the name Micah.

midah is half vampire and half flower elf. i don't really have info on what a "flower elf" is exactly, i don't think i wrote down the info for that, but basically it's just. Elf type connected to Flowers. and flowers often grow on (and maybe in...) their bodies. this can be seen in the red roses that grow on midah's cheekbones. help me my brain is coming up with ideas fur this elf type as i type this but I'm too tired to really focus on that and too focused on finishing this rambles

shes brave, strong, self assured of her own capabilities, tbh for the most part she's a normal person with not much mental and emotional problems, and she cares deeply for those she loves (like a certain mythical j. sausage... aka my f/o ever) she cares deeply to the point of sacrifice but hey, anything for true love amirite... shes also usually the voice of logic and reason compared to sausage but she doesn't try to stop his antics (until his antics start getting a little... demonic.) she totally tops sausage btw. shes also older than him by a bit and she's much taller than him (she's like 7ft tall)

anyway midah isn't very affected by the sunlight BUT she does need to drink blood every now and then, otherwise she gets a bit Quirky (aggressive, uncontrollable monsterlike behavior, and also she starts feeling a lot of physical pain) blood is like a Huge thing for her. she can perform rituals using blood. she wears a vial of blood tied to a necklace for good luck. she has a special bond with the blood sheep

wait what the fuck is a blood sheep? they're creatures from empires SMP s1, particularly the mythland empire (cough cough, that's the main setting of midah's "story") basically they're just Minecraft sheep dyed red. but lorewise they're mysterious creatures who have inhabited mythland for a very long time. they exhibit erratic behavior and sometimes display aggression to other beings. their blood and guts are also very useful for rituals! the blood sheep like midah a lot. they follow her around and nuzzle her like docile farm sheep and sometimes she can communicate with them and they follow her orders. they also protect her FIERCELY against anyone

the vial midah wears around her neck is filled with the blood of a sacrificed blood sheep. she wears it for good luck but replaces it every now and then because the luck can degrade and eventually attract bad luck instead

so yeah i have a lot of different storylines i imagined for midah and ill try to go over them briefly (I'll totally not type like 6 more paragraphs)

- backstory #1 explaining how sausage and midah met: midah moves to mythland and works there as a regular farmer at first and then attempts to join the assassin's guild managed by sausage. she expresses interest in being an assassin and spy. sausage is unsure of her at first,but hes intrigued by her, so he tests her with an easy normal mission: assassinating codfather Jimmy in the empire next door and bringing back his head. yeah that's totally not, like, the beginning of a war and political feud or something. so midah sneaks to the codlands, successfully kills Jimmy, returns with his head, and gets accepted into the guild. at the beginning of this backstory she puts on this facade of a totally unassuming and regular citizen who doesn't seem to have any fighting capabilities, let alone the capability to fight with magic and perform rituals, but then time passes and more and more is revealed about her and it's like Wow she's not who she seems to be. at all. and she quits her farmer job and goes all in on the assassin gig but does other stuff on the side too. and falls in love with saus along the way LOL

- midah x saus backstory #2: they're ~ childhood friends ~ who have been separated for like more than a decade and reunite when midah moves back to mythland. (i envisioned this scene in my head actually—a few days before returning to mythland, midah sends sausage tons and tons of letters sealed within a thick envelope, talking about her plans to return to mythland and why. and also updating him on what's been going on in her life the past decade or so. then on the day she arrives in mythland, they have one of those cute cliche scenes where they run towards each other on a long path and hug each other at the middle. and they cry a bit and talk and marvel about how long its been since they last saw each other. its really sweet ugh)

in this backstory midah was actually part of one of mythland's noble families. i made up some lore where mythland used to be ruled by four noble families (among them were house sausage, which is where sausage comes from duh, and house lavendar, where midah comes from, and yea it's intentionally spelled that way). the noble families/houses went to war with each other for power over mythland and the other two houses were defeated. most members of house lavendar left of their own accord and the rest that remained renounced their noble lineage, leaving house sausage who became the ruling family of mythland. the members of house lavendar specialized in blood magic and a lot of advanced complex blood spells were created by them. hence they have connections to the blood sheep in some way.

i like the longtime friends/allies to lovers dynamic that's going on in backstory #2 (: backstory #1 is still cool in its own way, strangers to lovers is nice, getting to know each other on purpose bc uu find each other intriguing is nice, even though uu might think uur very different people at first, uu get to know the other person a bit more and uu find out things about them and uu realize uur not so different after all ^_^ i read smtg about that once, about loving each other on purpose and choosing to love each other even though uu don't have years and years of history with the other person, and uu grew up completely without them and uur roots aren't tangled with theirs. but still uu love them. and that's very beautiful

okay umm this is getting to be a lot lol i think I'll cap it here, maybe the next time someone sends a 🪽 emoji I'll do a pt2 bc i still have more to say LOL

#🎮﹕ press start 𝜗𝜚 ︵

[hunter-sylvester]

I was talking with my friend about Hunter’s emotional state throughout the film (as you do) and we came to the following conclusion.

Disclaimer: I know full well that Metal Lords (2022) is a lighthearted comedy & coming-of-age film of which Kevin is the main character. Like, I get why the film goes the way it goes and I love it as it is. However, I obviously hyper-focus on a certain character and I just like exploring the ‘ifs’ in films & shows, so here’s the thing:

Getting dumped at rehab by his dad should have triggered a Macbeth level breakdown in Hunter and here’s why.

Quite early in the film it’s established that Hunter’s mom left. The only explicit text we get on the subject is in Kevin’s voice-over. “He’s been into a lot of things since I’ve known him, but he’s stuck with metal longer than any of them. When his mom left in seventh grade, he decided it was the key to everything.” And two shots of the picture frame Hunter has in his room that his mom has literally been ripped out of.

So there isn’t much to go off, but there’s implications. You could just read it as him being a temperamental little shit that ripped up a photo in anger. But I think it’s more interesting to go a little further.

We know how Hunter feels about his dad, once again being something touched on in part by Kevin’s voice-over. “Sometimes he’s not so nice to people when he’s uncomfortable. And being around his dad makes him uncomfortable” It’s a line that is cut off by Hunter being a little shit in DnD but we know the word is uncomfortable. Then, obviously, Hunter and his dad are mostly seen mid-shouting match. They don’t get along. They can’t communicate productively. They just don’t get each other. There’s a lot of yelling and his dad makes him uncomfortable.

And with all of that he still has a photo of him and his dad on his shelf. What that tells me is that Hunter has to fucking hate his mom. We don’t get much of an indication as to why but one factor that would make sense is that she abandoned him. She left. And she left him.

If we assume that Hunter and his dad have always butted heads to some degree, his mom leaving him with his dad would be even worse. She rejected him, she didn’t want him and now all he has is someone who makes him incredibly uncomfortable to be around. His dad is a cunt, but at least he didn’t abandon him.

Now, Kevin. Bare with me here, it’s about to get gay. That’s how I see the character, however, it can still apply if you do see Hunter as straight (I don’t know how you manage it, but go off, cis)

Hunter is clearly very very attached to Kevin. Possessive of him, even. I think it beams off the screen that Hunter is in love with Kevin. But even that isn’t entirely necessary to acknowledge for it to be clear that Hunter sees Kevin and himself as a package deal.

“We’re Skullfucker” Skullfucker isn’t just their band to Hunter. It is them. It’s them against the world. They’re not particularly shown to have many/any other friends. One can infer that Hunter has people he plays DnD with. But that doesn’t necessarily make them his friends.

“you are afraid of everybody” It doesn’t matter that Kevin says this in the heat of a fight. I think he’s dead on.

Kevin is the only person Hunter feels safe with. The only person he’s not scared of. And then Kevin abandons him too. Not explicitly. Not to Kevin. But Hunter deeply feels like he has. Kevin getting a girlfriend, trying to get her to be a part of the band. Not to mention drumming for a different band. It would shatter the image Hunter has in his mind of their band being them. Of them, and their bond, and the time they spend together being something uniquely special. 

And then his dad is so fed up with him he dumps him at a rehab facility for no other reason than just not wanting to deal with him anymore.

I don’t buy even for a second that Hunter was dropped off at rehab for being ‘addicted to metal’. His dad didn’t wanna deal with trying to be a parent to a delinquent child that stole his fucking credit card. So he dumped him somewhere where he wouldn’t have to deal with him. In a “they’ll fix him” kind of move.

What I buy even less is that it fucking works. Hunter is portrayed as doing better after rehab. Like it was a wake-up call to someone whose main issue was just being an asshole.

No. Fuck that.

That was the last person he could rely on abandoning him too.

His mom doesn’t want him. His best friend/crush doesn’t want him. His dad doesn’t want him. There is no way in hell he is doing better after that. Hunter spends the entire movie an anxious (autistic) mess that automatically shoves down any emotion that isn’t anger. Being abandoned by everyone he had left would have been more than enough to break him.

There is just no fucking way that Hunter is okay.

#metal lords #metallords #hunter sylvester #kevin x hunter #kind of #kevin schlieb #my post #schliebvester #just my interpretation #hunter is gay #hunter is autistic #every member of skullflower is autistic #hunter has anxiety #the 'go off cis' thing is meant to be a light-hearted lil jokey don't take me too serious #I have not read macbeth #I just like the phrase 'macbeth level breakdown' don't come for me #hunterwriteswords

[newpathwrites]

Series Masterlist Main Masterlist

Chapter 4

Ultimately, he’d succeeded. Rya was here in the ship with him right now, entirely unharmed. The child was safely tucked away in the bunk, fast asleep. It was over, right? But dank farrik - something still felt wrong…

Din would never claim to be intuitive in the emotional sense - but he certainly was observant - and knew his partner quite well. And it was becoming clear to him now that he’d taken some time to assess the situation… Rya was physically unharmed, but she was not okay…

Summary: Keeping the child out of Moff Gideon’s hands turns out to be bittersweet. Rya is struggling, and Din makes an allowance…

Note: This takes place in the final episodes of season 1.

I’m a little self-conscious about this one because I don’t want to offend any touch-averse and/or neurodivergent readers out there who might feel like I’m suggesting that anyone should have to push their limits for another person’s sake or make an effort to change themselves. That’s really not what I’m trying to portray here - Din’s touch aversion and way of being in this story are very much modeled after myself, and I wanted to explore my own experiences and the ways in which my boundaries have evolved in certain contexts through this character.

On the lighter side, I also threw in some asexual stereotypes for Rya to dispel in her conversation with Cara - if you know, you know :-)

Warnings: Implied child death and grief.

Read on AO3

————————————————————————

After their run-in with Din’s old crew, which Rya was trying hard not to think too much about, things had gotten desperate.  Everywhere they turned, the child was in danger.  Credits were running out, the ship was falling apart, and both adults were on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  They didn’t trust Karga one bit, but what other choice did they have?  This all had to end - one way or another. 

It was a long journey to the meeting point with the client, and Cara took the opportunity to pepper Rya with questions about Mandalorian life - along with some more personal things, a certain theme featuring prominently in her inquiries.  While it was a good distraction from her troubles and Rya enjoyed the former rebel’s company, the inquisition was honestly starting to get rather annoying.

“So you are allowed to see each other’s faces?”

“Yeah, the one benefit of bonding - don’t have to keep the helmet on all the time…”

“Is he good-looking at least?”

Rya tilted the helmet in thought.  Mandalorians didn’t have much reason to consider aesthetic attractiveness generally.  “Sure, I guess he’s alright - he’s not ugly, anyway.”

“Hmmm… Do you share a bunk?”

“No, he sleeps in the cockpit.  I share the bunk with the kid.”

“Do you hug?”

“No.”

“Ever?”

“Cara… No.  I told you - he doesn’t like touching.”

“So you’ve never kissed, then?”

Rya sighed.  “Obviously not…  We’re not like that, and you know it.  Will you ever run out of invasive questions?”

“No way - you two are fascinating…”. Cara paused, smirking.  “Sex?”

“What about sex?  You already know the answer to that.  I’m not interested.  He’s not interested.  Zero interest…”

“How would you know if you haven’t tried?”

“Damn it, Cara… How do you know that you don't like sleeping with Jawas if you’ve never tried it?”  Rya tilted her visor at the other woman pointedly.

“Okay… point taken.  But have you?  Now I’m just curious.”  

“Fine… a couple times… when I was twenty or so… hated it… never did it again…”

“Maybe you’d prefer women?” Cara offered.

“Nope.  I’m just as unattracted to women as I am to any other gender.  Before you ask - yes, he’s the same, and no, I know nothing of his experience - that’s his business.”

“Well, that’s no fun...  So… is it weird?  Living with someone who won’t touch you?”

Now Rya was getting a bit angry on Din’s behalf.  “No, Cara, it isn’t.  We all have our peculiarities - some are just more obvious than others.  But I know him, and I respect him, and I wouldn’t want him to change that about himself if it would make him uncomfortable.  He is who he is - nothing weird about it.”

Cara liked to push buttons - but she also knew when to quit.  “Alright - I’m sorry… You’re a good friend, by the way…”

Rya smiled under the visor.  “Thanks.  Now let’s give it a rest with the questions.”

Really, Din any other way would not be Din…. In fact, if he were to ever become overtly affectionate, Rya would probably think him possessed.

It had taken her some time to sort it out over the years - the underlying current tying all of his various personality traits together.  While he claimed it was about things like hypochondria, maybe a bit of obsessive-compulsiveness, or his preference for solitude, Rya eventually realized that at its root was an aversion to intimacy .  Touching for no practical purpose, allowing someone to be privy to your thoughts or emotions, engaging in affectionate words or gestures - all of these things implied a kind of intimate knowing that made Din uncomfortable.  As far as he was concerned, his physical person and inner thoughts were private, to be known by him only and shared with no one.

But Rya had always been his exception.  She figured it was only because she understood and accepted him - and would never expect more than what he offered - that he was comfortable sharing small parts of himself with her as he felt able.  Over the decades they’d known each other, he’d shared quite a lot, and he opened up to her more still every day, now unexpectedly bound together in their middle age, as her trustworthiness was proven again and again.

She’d even noticed his physical boundaries shifting a bit - at least when it was just the three of them in the ship.  He no longer reacted with that exaggerated startle if they accidentally brushed against each other in cramped spaces.  He hadn’t hesitated to help her with an injury she couldn’t properly handle with her non-dominant hand, and barely flinched when she suddenly and without thinking reached out to grip his leg to steady herself against the pain.  And with the kid - it seemed all of his boundaries had dissolved completely - the child’s innocence made it all so much easier it seemed, and Rya sometimes couldn’t believe how natural Din had become with him.  

Rya didn’t expect Din to change - or even want him to - but he was doing it, anyway, of his own accord, on his own terms, and in his own small ways.

But Cara didn’t need to know any of this… His evolving comfort levels with his makeshift family were his private business…

——————————

Moff Gideon was dead (supposedly), and finally, they were safe… 

Din could breathe again.  Every waking moment since taking the child - not that he’d really allowed himself to sleep - had his heart perpetually gripped on the edge of panic… on alert, prepared to do whatever he must to protect those under his care - the only living being he loved in this entire galaxy… and the innocent child he now knew as his foundling.

Ultimately, he’d succeeded.  Rya was here in the ship with him right now, entirely unharmed.  The child was safely tucked away in the bunk, fast asleep.  It was over, right?   But dank farrik - something still felt wrong…

Din would never claim to be intuitive in the emotional sense - but he certainly was observant - and knew his partner quite well.  And it was becoming clear to him now that he’d taken some time to assess the situation… Rya was physically unharmed, but she was not okay…

As soon as the kid had fallen asleep, she’d removed the majority of her armor - in a rather hurried fashion, like she was frantic to be free of it.  It was a strange thing for her to do.  While Rya was certainly not as shy as Din was when it came to being seen in just the flight suit, it was still not in her nature to go any extended length of time wearing none of the beskar at all.  

And then she’d suddenly stopped in the middle of the hull, as if she didn’t have the energy to take another step, and that’s where Din found her now.  The warmth and light was gone from her eyes, which were mostly hidden from view as she stared down at the floor.  Her arms were crossed tightly in front of her chest, hands draped over opposite shoulders, gripping her flight suit there.  She stood completely still, only shivering slightly as a few stray tears slipped down her cheeks, quickly wiped away by a trembling hand before wrapping back around her body.

Din understood her tears but puzzled over her odd positioning for a moment.  He wasn’t sure exactly what it meant - but even he could feel the silent plea radiating from her form.  She needed… something… He didn’t know what, but he would figure it out.  She would do the same for him.

He approached, searching her facial expression for some conveyance of what was happening to her right now, and hesitantly put a hand to her upper arm in an attempt at a comforting touch.  He didn’t really know how to do this.  She flinched just slightly, as if she hadn’t fully registered his presence before but would not meet his gaze.  He’d never seen her like this, and he was beginning to sincerely worry for her welfare.

“Rya…” he spoke softly, attempting the sort of gentleness he often heard her use with the child.  “Are you alright?”

She met his eyes for just a second before dropping them back down to the floor.  She shook her head slowly as she whispered in reply.  “No…”

“What is it?”  He kept his hand on her arm, aware this was probably an awkward gesture, but he could tell it was helping, her rigid form relaxing just a bit the longer he held on.

She hesitated to answer, taking a few calming breaths before her voice cracked with emotion.  “It all just keeps flashing through my mind.”  She still wouldn’t look at him, now closing her eyes as she continued.  “You almost died, Din.  And if I hadn’t been there… you wouldn’t have let anyone else help you… You’d be gone…”  She inhaled sharply, trying to fend off more tears.

He tried to stop her then, reassure her that he was alive and well - but there was more…

“… and Kuill… He deserved better than what we gave him…”  She referred to the shallow grave they’d dug outside the ship in the dust of Nevarro, far from the proud home Kuill had built for himself on Arvala-7.

Din kept quiet this time, sensing that something bigger was at play as she finally looked at him, fresh tears filling her eyes.  “The covert… the foundlings…”  She was cut off by her own choking sob, allowing the sorrow to overtake her, no longer able to hold it back.

Of course, the foundlings… In many ways, they were like her own children, most of them lacking any other parental figure.  She had been like a mother to them, the kind of loving caretaker she and Din never had growing up.  But she couldn’t save them from this - the destruction that she herself had brought down on the covert when she insisted on rescuing a strange child from the Empire.

Now Din understood.  It wasn’t that he didn’t feel the same devastation.  Of course, he did - he felt emotions just like everyone else.  He had just never felt the urge to alter his mood or behavior as a result of them - compartmentalization was a natural and automatic thing for him.  It was Rya who had reassured him as a teenager that his outwardly unemotional way of being was perfectly alright… and taught him the ways in which that character trait might help him navigate this difficult galaxy to his advantage.  Still, he forgot sometimes that Rya wasn’t like him - when it came to the innocent… when it came to those few she loved… she felt everything…  

“I’m so sorry, Rya… The armorer said some escaped off world… Maybe they discarded the children’s helmets so they wouldn’t be targets… We can hope, at least…”

She nodded in agreement, hopeful for a moment but unable to speak quite yet, arms still wrapped tightly around her body.

“How can I help?  Is there anything I can do?”  Din was desperate to help her - somehow…

She shook her head.  “Thank you, Din… but… I just need a hug and a good cry…”

His hand immediately fell from its place on her arm as he realized what she’d said.  She needed a hug… something so simple for anyone else - but impossible for him.  Maybe he could… for her… but even the idea itself was too overwhelming…  He was frozen in place, stuck in a cycle of indecision.

And now he realized why she’d been standing that way, arms wrapped so tightly around her own torso… She was hugging herself … because he couldn’t…  Din felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart.  

Rya registered the pain in his eyes, immediately regretting her words, only speaking the truth in her sorrow without much thought.  She did not expect anything of him - certainly not something he couldn’t give willingly and comfortably.  She had not meant to hurt him.  And wasn’t that just the best way to end this horrible, heartbreaking day?

The crying started all over again.  “I’m so sorry, Din.  I didn’t mean…”  It was all too much.  She couldn’t bear to look at him now, after she’d wounded him, however unintentionally.  She abruptly turned toward the ladder and climbed shakily up to the cockpit, leaving Din standing alone in the hull while the sound of her quiet sobs floated down.

He wasn’t upset with her - he knew that Rya would never ask him for something that he couldn’t give.  The words had just tumbled out - she wasn’t implying any expectation.  But Maker… sometimes he wished he could be there for her in the ways that she needed, just as she always was for him.

The truth was that Din had been growing more comfortable recently with physical contact  - if there was a good reason for it - and only with the two other people who lived on this ship.  Maybe someday… in a very distant future… he might be comfortable embracing her when she was suffering like this… on rare occasions, anyway… But right now , the idea of having an entire body pressed up against his own was unthinkable.

Compromise - another thing Rya had taught him all those years ago to help him cope with a world that constantly tested his limits… Meeting somewhere in the middle - giving enough to accomplish the task at hand - but not so much as to blow straight through his own boundaries.  What could he do to bring her some comfort without causing himself a crisis?  

If only it was possible to hug someone halfway…

——————————

By the time Rya heard Din tentatively climbing the ladder to join her in the cockpit, she was quite sure she had no more tears left to cry.  She only felt numb now - still indescribably sad… and worried she’d broken Din’s heart.

As he stepped into the small space, she assumed he would take his usual spot in the pilot seat - but he didn’t… instead lowering himself wordlessly onto the passenger seat beside her, his arm brushing up against hers.  Rya figured he’d somehow miscalculated his trajectory, sitting so close by accident, and she reflexively shifted a few inches over to put a bit of space between them.

He sighed in mild frustration… Of course … she’d been very intentionally giving him space for decades… Oh well , he was still committed to doing this…

Rya watched in befuddlement as he began removing the vambrace and beskar plates from the arm that had brushed hers just a moment before, stopping only after he removed the pauldron from his shoulder.  He finally looked at her and held out his armorless limb, which hovered between them, and gestured in a way that suggested he wanted her to take hold.  What?  She looked back at him questioningly.  He didn’t have to do this.

“It’s okay. I’ll tell you if it’s too much.”

His reassurance was all she needed, desperate for something to ground her as her world fell apart.  She moved slowly, anyway, giving him plenty of opportunity to change his mind.

She shifted closer, until their bodies were touching again, and then she looped both of her own limbs around his waiting one, looking up at him to make sure he was still alright with this position as she held his arm and pulled herself into his side.

She smiled for the first time on this terrible day as she realized that this was a compromise.  He wanted so desperately to comfort her, but he couldn’t offer her the whole thing.  He could, though, meet her somewhere in between - give her the anchor that she needed, without venturing too far past his own limits.

Her head came to rest on his shoulder - he’d removed the pauldron for a reason, after all.

“Are you sure this is okay, Din?”

“Yeah, it’s okay - for a few minutes.”

Rya took a deep breath, allowing calm to settle into her consciousness.  They were going to be alright.  They would get through this together as they did everything else.  His warmth at her side right now only proved it - something so unlikely made possible by the care and trust between them.

She lifted her eyes to his face again and waited for his gaze to meet hers before expressing her gratitude, all the more sincere because she knew this was not an easy thing for him.  “Thank you, ner burc’ya…”

He grinned slightly, proud in a way that he’d been able to meet her here.  “You’re welcome, riduur.”

——————————

ner burc’ya = my friend

Thank you for reading!

Next chapter

#din djarin & original female character #platonic partnership #original mandalorian female character #the mandalorian fanfiction #din djarin fanfiction #asexual din djarin #aromantic din djarin #aroace din djarin #a unique bond #newpathwrites

[weer02]

25. Ramble about anything, everything you are dying to tell the world of your WIP.

Sorry you had to wait so long for me to answer your ask, but I held off answering it until I'd have chapter 20 posted. It's the part of my WIP I'd like to ramble about 'cause I feel like quite a lot has happened in there. It will make more sense after reading the chapter, sooo I'd recommend reading the chapter first (it's posted now) then this post!

Max&Nathan doing jigsaw puzzle on the visits

I'm gonna start with a fun one, not really important to the plot . I wondered about the things they can do at the visits, have something that would help them bond as friends. I went for jigsaw puzzle, inspired by my own inexplicable need to assemble a jigsaw puzzle (which I did btw, bought myself a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and assembled it alone within like a week haha). While I was doing the puzzle, I thought about the size, what kind of assembling strategies they'd have. Yeah, that starts to sound like "method writing" 😂

Nathan getting worried about Max's emotional state

Ok, I'm gonna ramble a lot about it, 'cause that's one of my fav things in this chapter,! I love to write nice and sweet scenes with them after so many angsty scenes! One thing that I love about my very slow build is how they slowly warm up to each other, start to trust themselves more to share certain stuff, how they begin to notice odd behavior in each other.

Max being quiet on the visits is something alarming, because she was always rambling about random stuff, so he asks her to tell him about how is she. He's the first one to know about what's bothering her lately, what makes it more easy for her is that he is/was dealing with more severe emotional issues than her, so she assumes he'll understand + won't judge her. And what she assumes turns out to be true.

Surprise, now it's Nathan who's helping Max! How the tables had turned! Yeah... at some point of writing this fic, I think I was writing chapter 6? I figured out that Max will develop some kind of mental issues because of the trauma she went through. One of the tropes? in the caulscott I'm writing is that they both somehow bond over their issues, and the help part (that in many caulscott fics is often one sided) is reciprocated here. It's gonna be explored more in further chapters!

The other patient's breakdown

Something that I came up with to show more of the hospital environment; that it's a relatively calm space for Max and Nathan to form their friendship, but there are also moments when something unnerving can happen, because it's still a psychiatric hospital. It's also for the plot's sake, the breakdown adds some action to a scene, but also serves as a some kind of a parallel to Nathan's situation, in his group therapy he has people who committed crimes like him; and his line "Yes, I did fucked up shit and that's why I'm locked up  here with other people who also did fucked up shit. I don't know why are you so shocked." is a great summary to what I was trying to achieve by introducing that OC (? idk if an episodic character counts as oc)

The Nightmare

I decided to do more "Nigtmare Sequences" because of the feedback I've got for it (and because of one of your reviews Kris @kpchrs :DD)

-For the hallway part I have to say that I drew some inspiration for the setting from my interest in dreamcore/liminal spaces -For the second part with flashes were inspired by the nightmare sequence from the original game, the visit scene floating in the void by the Max&Chloe "memory lane" -The part that happens after the "blood red flash", the "worst outcome of that day/alternate universe glimpse" is actually an angsty thought I had once, that "what if things in chapter 1 went not in favor of our protagonist(s)", "What if Jefferson's plan worked?". That's just plain angst(tm) for all the readers from me :")

I really enjoy considering "what if" scenarios, and because LiS' universe heavily connected time travel/parallel worlds, I took the opportunity.

But is it just a nightmare and her brain fearing the worst or a glimpse of an alternate universe? "Our" Max thinks she got to see a glimpse of another universe, mostly because of her alter-ego's implication, but what's the truth is up to the reader's interpretation. I had so much fun writing in the dreamlike, nightmarish setting, and I'm not done with it yet!

The therapy session

An attempt of a rational explanation of Max's powers, one of things that can be found in one of my first outlines. It was supposed to go like she went through multiple therapists, and from the last one she'll hear she made up the powers to cope with a traumatic experience. I think it's a plausible explanation of her powers, especially for like a realistic approach. It's not the typical "character wakes up and realizes everything (supernatural) that happened was a dream" (though "Staying Vertical" by midnight_neverland on AO3 does it SO well), but something in between. I'll see where that will go in my fic 'cause I have a few ideas how to wrap up the Max's powers part, even though it's not a main focus of this fic. But some kind of explanation about why Max had got her powers is something I wish was more explored in the game.

Speaking of the therapist scene, there's a funny thing in context of my new obsession, THG. I named Max's therapist Dr. Collins, because that was what the name generator came up with, before I even started watching THG and got into it. The authors' name is Collins too. I'm gonna leave it like that 'cause I love a funny coincidence 😂

Oh, so many things happened in this chapter but at the same time I feel like nothing happened at all 😩 I sometimes feel like going in circles with this fic, even though I'm satisfied with my outline and I'm following that outline! Ugh, writing struggles once again! As of right now I have around 10 more chaps planned so the fic would have a nice number of 30 chapters. No one knows what will be left of these plans, 'cause in the original it was supposed to be 20 chapters 🥲

For anyone that stayed up until now, thanks for reading!💖💖

#ask game #fic: ambivalence

[regionalpancake]

Picard Season 2, Episode 10: Trailer Breakdown

(And also very probably my breakdown also)

⚠️ Spoilers ahead ⚠️

In this post I’ve added trailer dialogue in bold/italic/inset - because the choice of lines, over certain characters, is making me Sweat. 

Rios: Do you think we’re on the path to the right future? Picard: I’m not certain.

Crash zoom on the rocket, because this season was about ensuring Renee Picard is on the rocket launch, remember? Or did you forget that because of the FBI plot, and the Borg plot, and the Soong Legacy™️ plot, and the (checks notes) victorian-mother-hysteria plot?

Seven: He’s going to use the drones to take out the rocket!

Ah good! Something we’ve not heard of at all this season is now key to episode 10. Excellent storytelling guys. Juice and orange slices all round.

Can someone please explain to me WHY Arik Soong, Altan Inigo Soong, Noonian Soong, Adam Soong has military drones in his basement, hidden behind a retractable secret wall? I am clinging to ‘mad eugenicist’ but this is quickly veering towards Bond villain.

Raffi: I can’t stop them-

(me @ the writers)

And wooosh! Off go the drones. This better be a set up for La Sirena shooting them down. If the last we ever saw of La Sirena was Queen!Jurati flying her off into the sunset then I will be mad.

Picard: There’s been so much loss.

Imagine a season where we cared about Renee Picard. Where we knew something about her. Where she wasn’t (like Picard’s mother) a traumatised woman with no other character traits, who is only there to further Picard’s plot line. (I’m not salty, at all)

Picard: So much death.

Optimist me: Oh, combining Picard’s “So much death” dialogue with this shot of Raffi and Rios hugging, is to reference the death of Elnor (I cannot BELIEVE that is the optimistic version)

Pessimist me: They BETTER NOT KILL RIOS OR RAFFI

Realist me: This is the Goodbye-I’m-Going-To-Stay-In-The-Past Hug, isn’t it?

Pretty sure this is a Stargazer explosion based on the curve of the console in this similar shot of a different extra getting blown up in episode one:

(Don’t stand near these things, not OSHA approved)

Not sure if that shot’s there to tie in with the “so much death” line, or that we’re going back to the Stargazer or-

Tallinn: Other people’s lives aren’t up to you

I mean - he’s (checks notes) apparently back in Starfleet so yeah, some people’s lives ARE up to him to a small extent, though I think this in supposed to be referring to the... 

Tallinn: their deaths aren’t your fault.

...victorian-mother hysteria plot (my belothed)

Soong: “ok, but THIS death will be my fault, let’s go plotline”

Q: Humans.

(deep breath)

LOOK. I know I’m meant to be ecstatic about this. I know I have spent the last TWO YEARS obsessing about this. I have written more than 100k words on AO3 about this. BUT Season 2 has made me suspicious and salty and I’m not counting my chickens until their Alpha Canon SO, this will remain an Almost-Kiss in my books until I see it in the episode AND I am still so mad that so much of their relationship has been designed to fly under the Straight Gaze, and stay in the realm of ✨gal pals✨ 

Us wlw shippers are so utterly used to working with nothing that crumbs do often feel like a feast, but I have watched this show with casual fans and The Straights™️ (who have obviously not listened to No Man’s Land, and who have no recollection of a 2 second shot of a hand hold two years ago) and those people have been reading this pairing as Very Close Friends. To me that is a clear failure of writing, or a deliberate choice, or both. If we can have Rios pretty unambiguously fall for someone he’s known for 48 hours, then we should be able to have that same certainty with Raffi and Seven. And up until this shot we haven’t, and I’m mad about it.

Q: Your pains-

I’m really hoping they do something interesting with Kore, but my hopes aren’t high.

Why we couldn’t just have had Soji I do not know. As the inimitable @curator-on-ao3​ pointed out, we’ve seen Isa Briones discover she was ‘made not born’ THREE SEPARATE TIMES as THREE SEPARATE CHARACTERS, but we’ve yet to have any time for her character to explore what that means to Dahj/Soji/Kore as a person.

The ‘your-past-is-a-lie gaslighting/ trauma-as-character-development’ is getting real old, real fast. Data got to explore his humanity through painting, writing poetry, playing the violin, and forming close and meaningful friendships with his found family on the Enterprise. All we have for Isa Briones characters is the ‘turns out you’re not human’ punchline over, and over, and over again.

Q: -fix you-

Me: I will not read too much into a shot of Cris over the line “Your pains fix you to moments in the past”, and will continue to assume that Rios will be in Season 3. Also me: I WILL assume they’re leaving Rios in the past. I will read into the fact that episode 10 is called ‘Farewell’, I will assume he won’t be in Season 3, and I will mourn everything that wasn’t done with this brilliant, brilliant character.

Q: -to moments-

Fuck these jars of Soong-juice, or whatever.

Q: -in the past.

Please add ‘Maya Orlando’ to the this-isn’t-Laris list.

Oh look, it’s me watching Season 2.

Q: I have one last surprise in store.

Please, PLEASE let it be a retcon of this whole mess. Or they kiss, I guess.

Oh no, I sure hope nothing happens to this plot point that I care Very Deeply about.

IMAGINE if we had got to watch a season of these three getting involved in HIJINKS on La Sirena (plots from a brighter timeline)

Huh. Well shit. At least the QCard lot might be somewhat happy about this season (because I’m not)

Honestly, at this point I just want it to be over. Which is sad. Because this show means so much to me. But If I had put every bad plot idea I could think of in a bingo roller, and picked them out one at a time, I MIGHT have ended up with a better season than this.

Sorry about the salt. (PLEASE pass the tequila)

#picard season 2 spoilers #spoilers #regionalpancakewrites #long post #cristobal rios #seven of nine #raffi musiker #saffi #tallinn #jean-luc picard #renee picard #adam soong #kore soong #star trek q #blood #alcohol #tw blood #tw alcohol #I usually don't rant like this but MY GOD I am mad

[sassyduckqueen]

Miraculous: Rise of Anatis 72

Hello! I am alive and finally bringing the next chapter! So as you can tell, it taken ages to do this. The main reason is that godforsaken ball of fire in the sky also known as the sun. I'm sure most of you are like 'but Sassy, the suns out everyday?'. Yes, I know. I hate that thing! It's too bright and too warm.... basically I'm severely sensitive to heat and summer. I suffer with hay fever and I have reverse SAD (basically I'm more depressed in the summer) plus work has been a little busy. Thank you, Doctor Strange, Top Gun and Jurassic world. Anyway, I hope the court scene isn't too bad. I have no experience with court so please don't comment that it's unrealistic. I know it is but its fine. Also I've tried to explain why Luka hasn't actually mentioned Issac and that since then. Anyway, hope you guys like and hopefully I won't take this long in releasing the next chapter

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Chapter Seventy-Two: Midas

~Dr Lang's Office~

 "How are you feeling today then?" Mila asked as Luka sat on her sofa. He wasn't sat in a relaxed position and seemed more stressed then usual. She wasn't surprised given that the trial of his stepfather was getting closer and closer. Issac was getting charged with endangering a minor, attempted murder and assault. He had been released on bail but this didn't surprise Mila. His bail had been set to €10,000 and Issac had to meet certain things in order to be allowed to roam free before his trial. She wasn't surprised about him been able to afford the bail bond but she was a little worried that he might go after Luka. However, she learnt from Luka that Issac had to keep to certain conditions in order have bail. The lawyers dealing with his case investigated where Issac was in order to make sure he was keeping to his side of the deal and that Luka was safe. They had learnt that he had three conditions to meet for his bail. One, he was to stay in a private mental health facility due to his sudden breakdown. Two, he had to stay in a certain radius of the mental health facility and had a curfew. He was basically under house arrest. Finally, he was not allow to contact or go near Luka or his family. If he does, he will be returned back to prison. Mila personally thought the court was been way too nice considering that Issac attempted to murder Luka but she wasn't surprised that he had managed to get this deal. There was a lot of corruption in Paris so she suspected that someone in a high place had arranged for this. She wouldn't be surprised if it was the Mayor or his wife but she couldn't prove it. Speaking of friends of the mayor, Bob Roth was also facing his own trial for endangering a minor and conspiring to murder when it came to Luka as well as several misdemeanors and gang related crime. It turned out he had been quite the character in Paris' underworld. Dealing with illegal substances was just one of the crimes he was been charged with as the whole situation had opened a can of worms on him. He had originally been arrested for trying to prevent justice and with-holding vital information but they soon uncovered much more. Like Issac though, he was also allowed bail. Something she suspected had been done by the same person who was able to get Issac out on bail too. However, that wasn't Mila's concern. Luka was. "Luka?"

 He flinched, making her frown as he looked around wildly before he closed his eyes and muttered to himself under his breathe. She frowned and noted it as he opened his eyes again, a little calmer. She was very concerned for him.

 "Sorry," He muttered, making her frown. "I'm as ok as I can be,"

 "Luka, you flinched and it looked like you were about to have a panic attack," She pointed out, making him frown. "Is it to do with Issac?"

 "N-No," He replied, shaking his head. "I mean I'm not looking forward to seeing him again or Mr Roth but I'm not afraid of them,"

 "Then what are you afraid of?" She asked, making him look at her. "It's clear it is something,"

 "You're right.." He muttered, glancing down as he played with his hands. "I saw... something... but the thing is... I can't really talk about it. Not to you,"

 "Is there a reason?" She asked, making him frown but he didn't answer. "Can you hint to me what you saw?"

 "It's not what you think," He replied, making her raise an eyebrow. "I didn't see a crime or anything like that. I saw a terrifying akuma but I can't tell you anything more then that. If I do... who knows what will happen?"

 "An akuma?" She asked, frowning. "Luka, most akumas are terrifying and you have a fear of them-"

 "This is why I can't tell you!" He snapped, surprising her. "You just don't get it! No one does because no one else saw it! Only I did! Only I remember but I don't want to! I wish I could forget all about her but I can't! Every-time I close my eyes, I see her! I-"

 He shook as tears rolled down his face, making Mila frown as she reached and handed him a tissue.

"Luka, it's ok," She stated as he wiped his eyes. "This akuma... does she have a name?"

 He shook his head, making Mila frown. He wasn't going to talk about it anymore. She knew that. He said he couldn't, like he was afraid of the consequences of what might happen if he did but this deeply concerned her and it sounded like a miraculous issue. An akuma that no one else saw. It had to be an akuma from somewhere else. Maybe a different timeline or a different reality but as far as she knew, Luka hadn't held a miraculous but then again she didn't exactly know the identities of Anatis' allies. She only knew who she had given them to. She was even considering giving one to Luka as he had a good heart and a strong sense of justice. After all, that's how she chose her holders. They were either her patients or her students. Unbeknownst to Luka and Anatis, Mila wasn't just a therapist or at least she hadn't been until recently. She was also the mistress of a Dojo back in Japan which she had founded when she was forced to retreat there after Toutai's murder. For the last century or so, she had ran the dojo but as far as her students were concerned, she was the great-granddaughter of the original mistress. She used the dojo to find potential miraculous holders in order to prepare for the day where she would have to battle against Su Han and the Order. A small number of her students had been chosen over the years and were allowed to know her true identity but over the years, the dojo fell into hard times, especially after it's sister school in china was destroyed in a fire. She was devastated to learnt of it and had reached out to the daughter of the master but Fei didn't trust her. Her father had told her nothing of his connection to her and so Fei chose not to believe and distanced herself from Mila. As someone who understood lost better then most, Mila accepted that and hoped that Fei was able to learn to cope with her father's loss. Despite that, Mila still kept an eye on her and was happy to discover that Fei had gained a friend in Anatis. Though she wasn't fully aware of what exactly had happened in Shanghai. She just heard about it from an associate in China about it who acted as her eyes and ears in Shanghai. Speaking of her dojo, she was still the mistress but had left one of her student teachers in charge while she investigated Paris. Still, as far as she knew Luka didn't hold a miraculous but he was close to Anatis so maybe that had something to do with that. She would bring it up to Anatis tonight when they met tonight. She had already sent a request to him as Fu had sent word to her that he was finally settled in a new and safe place. While she had taught Anatis some small things about been a guardian, the differences between them were obvious and she was sure he would be happy to see his master again. Putting her attention back on Luka, she noticed he was shaking again. She grabbed some fresh tissues and gave them to him, getting a mumbled thanks of him. 

 "I'm not going to push you to talk about this akuma to me," She reassured, making him look at her with a grateful look before he nodded. "But can I give you some advice?"

 "S-Sure," He mumbled, wiping his eyes.

 "If you have someone who you can open up to about this akuma then do so," She stated, making him look at her in surprise. "I know you think keeping it in is right but I can see that whatever you saw is eating you up on the inside and bottling it up is not healthy, Luka. It's like having a poison in your system and not taking the antidote. All it will do is poison your mind and heart. It will make you akuma bait so talk to someone about it. It doesn't have to be me. It can be your mother, sister or a friend,"

 "I... you're right..." He mumbled, looking down. "I... I think I know who I can talk to about it..."

 "I'm glad there's someone," She replied in a sincere way. "Now why don't we discuss something more fun for the rest of the session? Like your band? Have you been working on anything new?"

 "I've been working on a new song for Marinette," Luka mumbled, wiping his eyes with the tissue but he seemed happy for the change of subject. Sometimes, it was best to talk about more causal things, especially after an emotional outburst like the one Luka had. While Mila wasn't worried about akumas coming into her office thanks to her protection spells, she knew that leaving a patient in an emotionally vulnerable state is not a good thing especially in a city with an emotional terrorist. So her solution was to get her patients to talk about things they love. With Luka, that is music. "It's not finished yet but she likes it so far,"

 "Marinette? She's your girlfriend isn't she?" She asked, remembering him mentioning her before. Luka nodded. "Does she have a hobby too?"

 "Oh yeah. She's an amazing artist and makes her own clothing," Luka gasped, perking up at the opportunity to tell someone about how great Marinette is. "She's such an amazing girl and I'm still surprised that she's my girlfriend. She designed me my favorite jacket and I actually modelled some of her clothing before. Though modelling is more of my sister's thing,"

 "Juleka right?" Mila asked, getting a nod of him. Luka had mentioned her several times. He seemed close to her and thought of her as one of the people he needed to protect. That was one of the reasons why she had considered him for a miraculous. He had a strong sense of loyalty and wanted to protect the people he loved. "How is she doing?"

 "She's getting better with her anxiety," He replied, making her nod. He had explained about it in one of his previous sessions. "Her modelling with Marinette is definitely giving her confidence,"

 "That's good," She replied before they continued to chat for the rest of the session. By the time the alarm went off, Luka had fully calmed down and seemed more relax then before but he still had a lot of tension. She knew that would be the case though as things like this don't just disappear instantly. However, she was glad with the progress. "Ok so that concludes our session today but I have some homework for you,"

 "Ok?"

 "I want you to open up a little to someone close to you today," She stated, making him bite his lip a little. "Now it doesn't have to be about this akuma... though I do want you to reach out to someone to talk about that even if it isn't me but with today, I want you to tell them something small that you need to get off your chest. It can be anything you want and that you need help with it,"

 "... you're trying to get me use to asking for help..." He stated, making her raise an eyebrow. Sometimes she forgot how perspective he was. "Aren't you?"

 "Yes," She admitted. "I want you to understand that it's ok to ask for help or to talk about things with others. You don't need to shoulder the weight of the world on your own. You have people who love and want to help you,"

 "I know," He replied, nodding. "I just don't want to stress them out or burden them... but I'll try to do what you asked and I think I'll try and talk to my friend about the akuma,"

 "That's a good choice," She replied, walking over to the door with him as he grabbed his jacket. She noticed it had a snake on it. "Is that the jacket Marinette made for you?"

 "Yeah," He smiled, looking at it with a soft look. "I thought I'd wear it today since it brings me comfort and seems to improve my luck. I guess you could say it's my lucky charm,"

 She chuckled at that, making him smile.

 "Well, I can see why you like it," She smiled, making him smile. "Marinette is truly talented,"

 "Yeah," He smiled happily before shaking his head. "Same time next week then?"

 "Yes," She nodded, opening her door to let him out. "Be safe, Luka,"

 "Thank you Dr Lang," He replied before existing the office and leaving. Mila closed the door behind her and walked back to her desk, taking a drink from her water before setting out the notes on Luka and getting ready for her next patient. Meanwhile, Luka began to head back to the Seine, coming to the Liberty. He had taken out his phone and sent an email to Mr Damocles, explaining that he had a particular stressful therapy session today and wouldn't be returning to school for the rest of the day. Because of his therapy, he did have an arrangement with the school in case of something like this as therapy sessions can be very draining. Once the email was sent, he sent a text to Juleka and Marinette as he crossed the gangplank and headed down to his room. With everything sent, he took off his jacket and shoes and flopped onto his bed, letting out  a sigh as Tikki flew out.

 "Are you ok?" She asked, making him nod. "Dr Lang is right. You should talk to someone about her,"

 "I know," He mumbled, moving his arm over his eyes. "I know... I can't keep on bottling it up... I think I'm going to tell Lady Noir. She is the best person to talk to about it and I did say that I would tell her at some point,"

 "That seems like a good idea," Tikki nodded as Luka yawned. "You should get some rest,"

 "Y-Yeah," He mumbled before curling up on his side and falling asleep almost straight away. Tikki flew over to the blanket that Marinette had made for him when he was in hospital and picked it up, moving over him as he slept, breathing lightly as he did. She curled up next to him and closed her own eyes...

 The echos of beeping was the first thing that caught his attention as Luka found himself waking up. The second thing was the smell that can only be described as clean and he recognized it straight away. It was a smell that only seem to exist inside a hospital. He had been in enough of them recently to get familiar with it. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found himself frown as he looked up at a white ceiling. As far as he remembered, he had just fallen asleep at home so why was he suddenly in a hospital? Had he been caught up in an akuma attack? Did he get hurt? He glanced at himself but saw he was still in his normal clothing, still with his shoes off so that ruled out he was a patient. He glanced around the room and saw it was empty. None of the medical equipment was set up but the beds were made so he was on an empty ward and by the looks of the way the walls were decorated, it was the children's ward. He sat up and climbed off the bed, heading towards the door. He went to open it but to his horror, his hand went through the handle. He took a deep breathe and calmed himself. So he was currently in a spirit form. He must be experience something similar to visiting Feng's hut but he didn't think that they could manifest a hospital. Still, at least he wasn't actually in one. He was sick of them. He stepped through the door and began to walk down the corridors. As he traveled down them, the sound of someone crying caught his attention. He frowned and followed it, coming upon a scene that ached his heart. Sat on one of the chairs was none other then his mother but to his surprise, she looked younger. Her hair was a little shorter and not completely gray. By the looks of it, she had only just started to go gray but he could see part of it was brown. She was hugged a little girl who he realized was Juleka. She couldn't be any older then four years old and was clinging to Anarka's side. To his heartache, Anarka was the person who was crying. Even though she was trying to be strong for Juleka, the tears just wouldn't stop.

 "Ma!" He gasped, rushing over to her. He tried to reach out but his hand went straight through her cheek as a dark shadow moved over, making him spin around. He gritted his teeth as he came face to face with Issac but the man just walked through him and moved to Anarka. Luka tried to grab him as he loomed over his mother and sister. "Leave them alone!"

 "Anarka," He stated in a cold voice, making Anarka flinch a little. "Have the doctors said anything since we admitted him?"

 "Only t-that he's in a coma and they need to run tests..." She sobbed, looking up at him. Luka couldn't help but wonder how long he had been in hospital for at this point. "W-What happened? How did he get so hurt?"

 "I'm sorry, Anarka," Issac replied, making Luka grit his teeth. "He was been reckless. I tried to stop him but the boy... Luka... he fell down the stairs and hit his head..."

 "Liar!" Luka screamed, trying to go for him as he realized what Issac was talking about and why his mother was crying. This was the time he was in hospital in a coma. "You lying bastard! I didn't fall! You beat him me up! You tried to fucking kill me, you asshole!"

 "I rushed him here as soon as I could," Issac continued his lie as Luka found himself raging more. He would have to be careful when he woke up though but before he could continue, the doctor came out with a somber look on his face. "Is he...?"

 "It's not great news," The doctor stated, causing his mother to look at him. "Your son's injuries are dire, especially his head injury. Due to it, he slipped into a coma almost straight away which is why we did tests and I'm sorry but the chances of your son waking up are extremely slim. If he does, there's a high chance of severe brain damage but right now, the only thing that's keeping him alive is the medical equipment... which is why I have to ask you... do you want us to continue treatment or will you allow us to let him pass?"

 Anarka burst into tears at that as Issac looked to the doctors.

 "What's the chance of him pulling through?" He asked but Luka could feel that he was hoping there wasn't one.

 "Honestly, I'd say there's less then 10% chance of him pulling through," He answered, making Issac nod. He looked sad but he could see glee in his eyes.

 "In that case, we should do the kind thing and let him pass on-"

 "What?!" Anarka screamed, surprising Issac. "No! I will not let you kill my son!"

 She turned to the doctor with a determined look.

 "Please don't give up on him," She gasped with tears in her eyes. "Luka is a strong boy. He can pull through so please keep him alive,"

 "Mrs Farrow-"

 "It's Miss Couphène!" She declared, surprising him. "Issac is not Luka's father but I am his mother so please save my baby,"

 "I see," The doctor replied, giving Issac a look of disgust before looking back at his mother. "I can't make any promises but we will do everything in our power to try and save him,"

 With that, he turned on his heel and walked back into the room, causing Luka to glare at his step-father as his mother sobbed. He ignored it as Issac attempted to reason with his mother, saying his survival was minimum before disappearing through the door into the room where he was. The doctor had directed the nurses to treat him as best as they can but it was weird seeing his younger self, lying there. His head had been partially shaved in order to place brain monitors on him and he was connected to a machine that was keeping him breathing and his heart beating. He had been so close to dying it actually scared Luka a little. Gradually the nurses and doctors left and the room became empty apart from the beeping of the machine. Luka had taken to sitting the chair next to his younger self, though he didn't seem to be able to affect the environment. From what he could tell, he was viewing the past in a similar to how he viewed his vision on leaving Paris, his dreams about Lady Blanche and his dreams about Feng's life. He seemed to always learn about things in these dreams so he wondered what he would learn about in this one. He frowned a little as he felt the room's atmosphere change a little but before he could do anything, a shade appeared in the room before taking the form of Feng himself. He seemed to ignore Luka as he walked over to his younger self.

 "Oh, Luka," He sighed sadly as he sat down next to the young boy. "I'm sorry. I should have warned you about him and protected you better,"

 "It wasn't your fault," Another voice stated, causing Luka to glance over as Khnurn walked over. "Humans are selfish creatures and most of them will hurt the innocent. We all know this better then most. Will he wake up?"

 "I don't know," Feng answered, frowning. "The others... are they?"

 "Toutai is panicking so Alpheus and Rene stayed with him," Khnurn answered. "He doesn't want to see another one be murdered as well. Is there anything we can do?"

 Feng remained quiet, making Khnurn frown.

 "Feng?" 

 "This machine is the only thing keeping his soul from moving over," He replied, making the younger guardian frown. "Humans have come far but even they can not stop death in it's tracks,"

 "I could," A new voice stated, causing Luka to recognize it as Finni. He glanced over with the other guardians and rose an eyebrow as he saw a young boy stood in the corner of the room. His eyes were the same silver as Finni's in his bird form and his hair was golden with colorful highlights. He wore orange and red robes and looked roughly the same as the Luka in the bed. "I can save him,"

 "Finni," Feng stated, frowning. "This isn't the same as when I was dying. He's already dead,"

 "I know," Finni replied, walking over. "His body is only breathing because of this machine and this machine is keeping us both here but I can't let him die. I can't go through that loss again. I failed to protect Toutai and I'm not about to fail this child either. I have the power to bring him back,"

 "It will drastically weaken you!" Khnurn gasped, making Finni look at him. "Not just that but there would be no undoing that merge. At least with what you have with us, you can separate yourself if you wish to do so and wonder about as a separate spirit but this would permanently merge you with his soul. There would be no way to separate you from him. You'd lose any freedom you had,"

 "I know the risks, Khnurn," Finni replied, smiling softly before looking at him. "But this child is more then just your latest life. He is a light soul and a powerful source of good but even if he wasn't, I couldn't sit there and let him die when I can save him,"

 "You've made up your mind," Feng stated, causing the phoenix boy to nod. "I see. Is there anything we can do to assist you?"

 "I need you to watch over him... and bound his abilities. Right now, it is far too dangerous for him to use them, especially with that man around," Finni replied, making them frown. "Since I will go into a dormant state as I have not fully recovered from Toutai's murder, I won't be able to protect him,"

 "How do we protect him then?" Khnurn asked, causing Finni to sigh. "With his powers binded, he won't be able to see us,"

 "I know but you can use your own magic," Finni replied, making them look at him. "You are all empaths. Influence someone to leave him alone shouldn't be trouble for you,"

 "I see," Khnurn replied, nodding. "We will try our best but it might be enough,"

 "I know but with his powers been bound until it is safe to undo them, that man and the others should leave him alone.  I will also repress his memories of you and that so his 'step father' can not use it against him anymore," Finni replied, frowning. "At the very least, the spirits will leave him alone since he won't be able to see them,"

 "Finni," Khnurn stated but Feng remained quiet. "Feng? You knew this would happen?"

 "I foresaw it," He answered as the three of them looked at him. "But this binding will not last forever. There will come a time where his powers will reawaken and where Finni will no longer be asleep. He will need all of us when they do,"

 Feng looked at Finni, who gave him a nod confirming his words.

 "Don't worry, old friend. We will always be by his side," Feng replied, causing Finni to nod again before he gently took Luka's hand and closed his eyes, beginning to glow...

 Luka gasped as he jolted away, finding himself back on the liberty and not in the hospital. He sat up as he took a breathe and ran his fingers through his hair. He got up and walked out of his room, heading into the bathroom. He locked the door and filled the sink up with water before washing his face and drying it. Once that was done, he took another deep breathe and glanced at his reflection. He needed to know if that dream was in fact his memory and if so, he had questions. A lot of them and he knew Feng or the others wouldn't be able to answer them. No, he needed to talk to Finni.

 "Finni," He stated, looking at his reflection. "I need to ask you something,"

 At first, nothing happened but then the room suddenly warmed up. Not like a fire but more like a feeling of warmth and familiarity. He glanced around the room as the light flickered a little before looking back at the mirror. The glass rippled, causing his reflection to change into the young boy from his dream. Finni in his humanoid form.

 "Hello, Luka," He stated, though his voice was like an echo. "I know you have questions and I'll do my best to answer them as clearly as I can,"

 "Thank you," Luka replied, nodding as Finni also nodded. "That dream I had... I was-"

 "In the hospital," Finni replied, nodding. "I know. I experienced it too. You want to know if it was just a dream or if it was real,"

 "Yeah,"

 "It was real, Luka," Finni replied, making Luka nod. He had a feeling. "I'm sorry. This must be hard for you, especially with the fact that we binded your magic,"

 "... It worked a little..." Luka confessed, making Finni look at him. "Issac was still abusive but he didn't try to kill me again... well not until recently.... and Ma finally got herself and us out of that situation,"

 "I'm glad you were about to get out of that situation," Finni replied before glancing down. "I'm sorry though. I wasn't able to help you,"

 "Hey, you saved my life," Luka stated, wanting to comfort the spirit. "But... was I really dead?"

 "I'm afraid so,"

 "You bounded yourself to me again but in the memory, they said it was different to the time with Feng," Luka mumbled. "That since I was already dead, you wouldn't be able to free yourself if you bounded yourself to me. Is that true and what does it mean? Am I just a walking corpse?"

 "No! You're very much alive," Finni gasped, holding up his hands. "While it's true that I am bound to you and unable to leave, the process brought you fully back to life,"

 "So I'm not dead anymore but I was?" Luka questioned, making Finni nod. "This is a lot,"

 "I know but I can explain it. It's kind of like those people who were dead for two minutes, only it was a little longer," Finni replied, making Luka frown a little. "I promise you that you're definitely alive but our connection changed when I binded myself to you. It is different to the connection I had to Feng and the others. Feng and the others were my host but I existed beyond them too. As a spirit, I was capable of walking both plains, though no one but the gifted could see me. When I binded myself to Feng, it was to save his life but his soul wasn't dead. It was damaged as all soul are when the body receives mortal wounds plus Simme had left damage too but it hadn't passed yet. When I binded myself to him, our souls intertwined which allowed his soul to heal itself from my soul. It feed off me so to speak but with you, the scenario was very different. You were already dead and those machines were keeping you breathing. When I binded myself to you, I wasn't merging myself with a damaged soul that could regenerate. I was merging myself with a one who's life force had already gone,"

 "Umm..." Luka frowned, still feeling a little confused. "I'll be honest... I don't really get it,"

 "Ok, let me simplify it for you," Finni replied, thinking. "Ok, imagine you have two smartphones?"

 "Ok?"

 "One of them is really low battery and desperately needs charging but it's not dead yet and the battery itself isn't damaged," Finni replied, making Luka nod. "You connect to a power outlet with a charger and it charges up right? Takes time but soon the phone is fully battery and it's capable of functioning right?"

 "Yeah,"

 "Well, that is what I did with Feng," Finni replied, making Luka nod as he understood.

 "You were the outlet with the charger and he was the phone who's battery was dying,"

 "Exactly," Finni replied, a little proud of his explanation. "Which brings us to the second phone. Like the first one, it needs help but its in a much worst condition then the first phone. It's battery is completely dead and damaged. It can't hold a charge no matter how hard you try so you have to replace the battery with a new one so that's what you do because you love this phone and you don't want to replace it. That's what I did with you. I replaced your battery so to speak with myself becoming your new battery,"

 "I see," Luka nodded, getting it. "But with the charger, you can remove it and the phone will last a certain amount of time but if you remove the battery, the phone will die... that's why you can't leave isn't it? If you chose to leave Feng, he wouldn't die straight away. He would live out his life but if you leave me... I'll die won't I?"

 "Yeah but it's not because your soul is still dead. The phone isn't still dead when you replace the battery. It is brought back to life but the new battery becomes part of it," Finni replied, making Luka frown. "I have become part of you. I became your life force,"

 "My life force but doesn't that mean that you're my soul?"

 "Not at all," Finni replied. "Life source or Esse in spirit terms is the energy that allows creatures to live. The soul or Chi in spirit terms is the thing that makes people who they are. Souls grow and change as they live through their experiences. In your case, it grows and changes throughout your different lives. I joined with Feng's Chi, allowing it to heal with his Esse. Because I stayed with him, it gave him a long life and when it was time for his death, he allowed his soul to move on and I followed. i did the same with the others and I intentionally did the same with you but because I was weakened from Toutai's murder and our connection had been weakened, I wasn't able to heal you in time when your stepfather attacked you. Your Esse was gone so I became it in order to save you but your chi is still you. That's why we're able to talk like this. If I had become your chi then you wouldn't be here. I'd be inhabiting your body... but I hope you can forgive me,"

 "Forgive you?" Luka asked, frowning. "Finni, there's nothing for me to be angry about. You gave up your chance of a life to save mine. You saved me. If anything, I should give you my thanks,"

 "But... we kept it from you..." Finni replied, looking at me.

 "Can you honestly say that I would have been safe if I knew?" Luka asked, making Finni think before he shook his head. "See? It's ok,"

 "You're too kind, Luka," Finni smiled, making Luka smile back. "However, those memories while locked away are not lost. I can return them to you,"

 "But that means the bad ones too, doesn't it?" Luka asked, looking to the side. While he remembered most of the abuse he had faced from Issac, he knew he didn't remember all of it. There were spots in his memory. He always just assumed that it was because he had blocked it out and even with the option to remember, he wasn't sure if he wanted to. "I'm not sure I want to remember the bad ones,"

 "You don't have to have them back right now. They'll always be within your mind," Finni reassured, making Luka nod as his phone vibrated. Luka glanced over at it and sighed. He picked up the phone, took a screen shot and proceeded to block a number, making Finni frown. "Everything ok?"

 "It's another anonymous text telling me to drop the case against Bob Roth," He sighed, looking back in the mirror. "I keep on getting them so I've been collecting them for my lawyer... well, Dad's lawyer. We think Bob Roth has paid someone to basically try and threaten me. He got out on bail but we're due going to court against him after we've finished up with Issac. Given the link in the two cases, Dad's lawyer has insisted that we do the two trial on the same day. Get it over and done with I guess,"

 "Is that tomorrow?" Finni asked, getting a nod of Luka. "Do you think he will get away with it?"

 "No, this one isn't really a trial but more a sentencing hearing," Luka admitted. Even though he knew Issac was probably going to go away for a long time, he wasn't looking forward to seeing him again. Finni tilted his head to the side as if confused. "Issac pleaded guilty. This court is basically for the judge to sentence him and reward me compensation. Dad's lawyer insisted on it been a thing so I can get closure but the real trouble is Bob Roth. As far as I know, he's refusing to admit guilt for anything even the stuff not related to me. Of course, those cases have nothing to do with me but it's still annoying to know he's refusing to take responsibility for releasing the information that directly led to Issac attempting to murder me,"

 "So what's the charges for him?"

 "Child endangerment, Perverting the course of justice, assisted kidnapping and assisted attempted murder," Luka replied, frowning as his phone vibrated again. He repeated his previous action before sighing. "I'm gonna have to change my number again,"

 "Maybe it's time to get some rest," Finni replied, making Luka nod. "It's late after all,"

 "Yeah," Luka agreed as he yawned. Finni glowed and left the mirror in a golden light before appearing in his kwami form next to Luka. He gently nuzzled his cheek before turning in a golden light that surrounded Luka. He gently placed his hand on his heart as it died down before heading to his room. He looked in on Juleka who was curled up asleep in her room before going through his door. Tikki was curled up in bed, making him smile a little before he got back into bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 ~Next Day at the Supreme Court~

"Now remember that this is just a sentencing court. Issac is under restraint and has been under house arrest for the last few month since his bail was posted," Jagged's Lawyer, Salomé Monet, declared, making Luka nod. She was an interesting woman. Fierce and determined, he could see why his father had hired her. She knew the law like the back of her hand and she was not one to surrender. However, she was also compassionate for those who needed it. "If he does try anything, a number of guards will have him restrained before you can even say 'Anatis',"

 "R-Right," Luka nodded. He glanced over as his mother who gave him her best smile. Sadly, Marinette or Juleka couldn't be there as they still had to attend school but Anarka was and they had already arranged it with Marinette's parents to have Luka sleep around that night. "Shall we go inside then?"

 "When you're ready," Salomé replied before giving him a look. "If you need to step out, don't hesitate. We'll understand if you need to,"

 "Thank you," Luka replied, nodding. A few seconds later, they headed into the court room and took their seats. Luka began to figet a little so Anarka reached out and gently took his hand, making him glance at her.

 "You ok, Lad?" She asked, making him smile and nod as Issac was brought in by some officers Luka's eyes widen as he looked at him. He looked awful, like he hadn't slept in months. His once neat hair was frazzled and his clothes were crinkled and ever so slightly tattered. His beard had grown out and he had dark circles under his eyes. He honestly looked like the living dead. His lawyer, a meek man, trailed behind him as Luka watched them. Issac came to a stop and glancing around, his wild eyes landing on Luka. They widened in fear and he looked like he might start screaming but luckily, he didn't. Instead he looked away from him as he shook before glancing around. Luka realized he was looking for the kwamis and seemed to calm down when he didn't see any. He took his seat and glanced back at Luka, causing him to grip Anarka's hand a little tighter. "It's ok, Lad. He can't hurt you anymore,"

 Luka nodded, not trusting his voice but relaxed a little when Issac's lawyer told him to stop staring. 

 "That freak unleashed little monsters on me," Issac hissed back, making the man facepalm. 

 "Issac, you did take your meds today didn't you?" He asked in a tired tone.

 "I'm not crazy,"

 "Sure, you're not," The lawyer replied, shaking his head as the lead officer came out.

 "All rise," He declared, causing everyone to stand up as the judge came and took their seat. "Judge, this is case 1345 of Farrow vs Anarka Couffaine on behalf of one Luka Couffaine. All parties are here,"

 He turned to the small crowd.

 "Please be seated," 

 "It is my understanding that this is a sentencing case and that the accused has in fact pleaded guilty. Can you confirm this, Mr Auclair?"

 "Yes, your honor," Mr Auclair declared, standing up. "My client offers his deepest-"

 "Save it," The Judge ordered. "I doubt Ms Couffaine or her son want to hear your client's false apologies. Now according to my files, your client also suffered a mental breakdown and you have applied for him to carry out any sentence he is given in a mental health facility? Do you have Mr Farrow's medical records?"

 "Yes, your honor,"

 "I would like to read them before I make a judgement on where he should do his sentence," He ordered, causing the officer to grab the files from Mr Auclair and handed them to him. Luka watched as the judge read over them, making him nervous a little. "Mr Farrow, according to your records, you have no history of mental health issues and have never had a mental breakdown prior to the one you had before you arrest. Is this true?"

 "Yes, your honor," Issac replied, making the judge nod.

 "And while you experienced mental health issues after your arrest, you did not actual suffer another mental breakdown during the time in jail and under house arrest?"

 "Also true, your honor,"

 "I see," The Judge replied, handing the files back to the guard. "In that case, I will not allow your client's request, Mr Auclair. I find your client is of sound body and mind and therefore will complete his sentencing in a normal prison,"

 "But that brat caused me to break down!" Issac screamed, causing his lawyer to pull him down and tell him off.

 "Forgive his interruption, your honor,"

 "Mr Farrow, your stepson did not cause your mental breakdown nor is there any evidence that he was even there when you had it," The judge replied, making Issac tut. "Regardless of those facts, I would say after the trauma you put him through, he would have every right to make you feel as vulnerable as he felt when you kidnapped him,"

 "It's not my fault, your honor!" Issac shouted before pointing to Luka with a smirk. "He's a witch!"

 He had an expression like he thought the accusation would change everything and that the judge and everyone else would suddenly change their minds and agree with him but it didn't go his way. The Judge instead rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.

 "Witch or not, he is still a child," The judge stated, causing Luka to smile a little. "And you still committed a crime. I don't see why you shouldn't be punished to the full extent of the law or placed in a prison instead of a mental healthy facility,"

 "I'm insane!"

 "Playing that card are we?" The judge asked, glancing over his glasses at Issac. "Mr Auclair, your client has been examined by our doctors correct?"

 "Yes, your honor,"

 "Could you read out their findings?"

 "Um... 'Mr Farrow shows no signs of any mental health illnesses and appears to have had a freak mental break down. We have tested and observed him in order to determine a cause for it. We have determined that stress was the main factor in his mental breakdown due to his outstanding warrants for his arrest but we deem him sane. He has no history of mental health issues nor has suffered a mental break before this incident. However, he is a threat to society and has shown a taste for violence'..."

 "In order words, Mr Farrow. You did not act out of insanity when you attempted to murder your step son and were of sound body and mind," The Judge stated, causing Issac to go pale. "Therefore, I think it only fair that you be punished to the full extent of the law. I hereby sentence you to 30 years imprisonment without parole for 10 years. I also hereby reward the Couffaines with €5000 as compensation,"

 He turned to look at Anarka and Luka.

 "I can only reward up to €5000 so I hope this acceptable for you," The judge recommended, causing Anarka to nod. "And I hope that this ruling will allow you two some peace of mind,"

 With that, he turned to the bailiff who nodded. Two officers came back in and made Issac stand up before leading him out. He looked behind him and glared at Luka but before he could do anything, one of the officers roughly dragged him outside. Luka let out a breathe he hadn't realized he had been holding in before the judge cleared his throat.

 "We will take a recess for one hour before we tackle the second half of this case," The Judge announced before getting up and leaving. Anarka and Luka got up and left the court room, just as Luka's phone vibrated. He took it out and frowned as he saw another threat. He sighed and switched off his phone before turning to Anarka who was speaking with their lawyer.

 "Ma, I'm just going to use the bathroom," He stated, making her nod. He walked off and into the bathroom before running the water in the sink and splashing his face. This threat was the worst one by far and he was certain they were from Bob Roth even if they were from an unknown number. It basically threatened to hurt Juleka and he didn't want that. He let out a sigh as he felt Tikki press her paw against his chest, reminding him that she was there for him. However, the door to the bathroom opened and closed before someone cleared their throat. Luka looked up and saw a man in a black suit with sunglasses stood behind him. He turned around with a weary look. "Can I help you?"

 "Mr Couffaine, we want you to drop the case against Bob Roth," He declared, making him frown. "Our client is willing to... give you compensation for the troubles you have endured and will ensure no harm come to your family if you do so but we need you to say to the judge that you want to drop the case. Convince him to do so,"

 "How am I suppose to do that?"

 "Say that you made up the accusations out of jealous against our client's son. Tell him you lied for attention. I don't care how you do it as long as you do," The man replied, making Luka frown. Bob Roth and his people thought he could be brought and bribed but this went against everything he was. As if reading his mind, the man took a step forward. "If you don't, I can promise your loved ones will pay. Mr Roth has connections with powerful people who can make your life extremely difficult. I would hate to see your family lost the Liberty or your mother to lose custody of you and your sister. Speaking of your sister, we can destroy her future easily. She wants to be a model correct? We can easily blacklist from every fashion house there is and that nice little baker you're dating with the dreams off been a fashion designer. It would be terrible for her career if she was accused of plagiarism or if her family's bakery was closed down so I highly recommend you take our offer, Mr Couffaine or else your friends and family will suffer. I'm sure you don't want that so do the right thing,"

 With that, he turned around and left the bathroom, leaving Luka shook. He sunk to the ground as what the man said came into his mind. They knew he was with Marinette. They knew about her dreams and Juleka's dreams. Tikki flew out as he shook. They must have been following them.

 "Luka, take a deep breathe," Tikki gasped, pressing her paw against his cheek. 

 "T-They know Marinette and Juleka..." He gasped, shaking. "I... I can't... th-they... hurt t-them..."

 Tikki looked around panicked as his breathing got more ragged and panicked. She knew she should get Anarka but before she could, the air seem to shift in the bathroom, making it feel like the spirit realm. Footsteps echoed as Luka continued to have his panic attack. He gripped his hair as tears rolled down his face but he jumped as he felt a hand on his, stopping him from yanking his hair out. He shakily looked up and found himself face to face with Alpheus. 

 "Al-Alpheus..." He whimpered.

 "Follow my lead, Luka," He stated, making. "Breathe in.... and out..."

 Luka followed his actions, slowly calming down. Once calm, he wiped away his tears.

 "T-thank you," He replied as the Greek sat next to him as he looked around the room. It seemed different. Luka glanced over at Alpheus and noticed he seemed a little older then when he last saw him. He roughly looked around 25 years old. "Are we still in the court?"

 "Technically yes but I used my magic to pull you into the spirit realm," He replied, making Luka glance at him. "I know what just happened,"

 "I don't know what to do," Luka admitted, hugging his legs. "If I don't get the judge to drop the case, my loved ones will suffer but if I do, it goes against everything I am as a person. It means Bob Roth will get away with it and if this how he deals with a civil thing... how many other people have he threatened to get them to drop their cases against him?... I'm scared, Al,"

 "It's ok to be scared," Alpheus replied, causing Luka to look at him. "And no one will blame you or hold it against you if you decide to drop this case,"

 "B-But isn't that against the rules?" He asked, frowning. "That's why you're here right? To test me?"

 "Do you know what my trait is?" Alpheus asked, making Luka shake his head. "My trait is loyalty. The team I had in my life was built on our loyalty to each other. It was what defined us but it was also what was broken when Juno stole the peacock miraculous. She betrayed my loyalty and it hurt a lot but I learnt from it and fought against her because I couldn't give up on what I had started,"

 "You think I should continue?"

 "I think it's up to you," Alpheus replied, making Luka nod. "But that's not the question you need to ask. The question is if you don't... can you live that choice? You don't have to answer that question now but you'll know it when the moment to answer it comes,"

 "What if I decide to drop it?"

 "Then you drop it," Alpheus replied, looking at him. "and you'll have to live it with it,"

 "... I don't know if I can..."

 "Like I said you don't have to answer it right now," Alpheus replied, getting up and offering his hands to Luka. He took them and allowed Alpheus to pull him to his feet. "And even if you decide that, we'll still be here for you but maybe I give you something,"

 "O-ok,"

 "Here's some words that I think might help," Alpheus replied, making Luka raise an eyebrow as he cleared his throat. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,"

 With that, he disappeared in a wisp of smoke, leaving Luka with his thoughts. Tikki gently placed his hand on his cheek as he splashed his face again before walking out of the bathroom. It was odd seeing Alpheus so serious but that means it's important. Anarka looked at him and asked him if he was ok. He nodded and walked back into the courtroom before taking a seat. Would it be worth it if he dropped it? His family would be ok right? And so would Marinette? But Bob Roth also thought he could get away with stealing their work. Who else had he hurt? Who else had he threatened to get his own way? What if Luka standing up to him gave people courage to do the same? What if it didn't? Was it really worth it but more importantly... could he live with his choice if he choose to drop the case and go against his morals?

 "Luka, the case is about to begin again," Their lawyer stated as Anarka took a seat next to him. "Is there anything else you want to add before we do?"

 "I got another text just after we left for the break," He replied, showing him. The lawyer frowned as he read it.

 "Anything else?"

 "... A man in black came into the bathroom when I was washing my face and threatened everyone I care about," He stated, making both the lawyer and Anarka look at him shocked. "He said that I need to drop the case and that they would give us compensation if I did. when I hesitated, he said he would destroy my loved one's life. He knew about the Liberty and Juleka's dreams of been a model. He even threatened to destroy my girlfriend's dreams of been a fashion designer and threatened her parent's business,"

 "Damn it," The lawyer groaned, pinching his nose. "You're not my first client to experience this,"

 "Lad, if you decide to drop the case, I understand," Anarka stated, making Luka look down. "You haven't decided yet have you?"

 "... not yet..."

 Before they could continue, Bob Roth himself was brought in and had the nerve to smirk at Luka before he sat down with the man in the black suit. His lawyer. Of course. Luka's lawyer gave him a glare before the judge came in and took their seat.

 "Welcome back," He stated before taking his papers. "So now we are dealing with the second half of this case. Anarka Couffaine on behalf of Luka Couffaine vs Bob Roth. Unlike the previous part of this case, this is a trial not a sentencing hearing. Mr Roth has pleaded not guilty against the charges accused of him. I hope both sides have evidence readied. I do not wish to drag out this case longer then necessary. We will start with the opening statements,"

 Luka looked down at his hands as each lawyer did their opening statement. Bob Roth's lawyer tried to paint him as a family man who helped out the community and tried to make out that Luka and his family were ruffians and seemly trying to get money from Bob. Luka's lawyer showed how Luka was a kind and gentle person who tried his best to help his friends, even acknowledging his friendship with Anatis and tried to counter Bob's lawyer's ideals of him. With the opening statements done, the two lawyers presented the evidence to prove Bob Roth's guilt or innocent. A lot of Luka's lawyers evidence was countered by Bob's lawyer including the threatening texts. Soon Bob was brought onto the standing and was questioned by Bob of them. He tried to make himself seem like a nice man, joking and acting 'kind'. The worst part is it seemed people were falling for it.

 "Defense calls Luka Couffaine to the stand," Bob's lawyer stated, making everyone gasp. 

 "Objection! We agreed not to do that!" Luka's lawyer argued, making the judge call them over to the stand. The three of them discussed before the judge nodded, causing the lawyer to walk back over. "I'm sorry, Luka but the judge wants you to be questioned,"

 "... Alright..." Luka nodded, getting up and walking to the stand. He swore the oath to tell the truth before taking a seat. The judge leaned over to him.

 "Answer everything as best as you can and clearly," He stated, making Luka nod. "I will overrule if I think the questions are too personal,"

 "Ok," Luka nodded. He looked over at the captain who gave him a reassuring look.

 "Luka? Can I call you Luka?" The lawyer asked, making Luka nod. "Ok, Luka. Will you tell us your story of your accusations against Mr Roth?"

 Luka nodded and explained what had led up to this case.

 "An interesting story," The Lawyer replied, nodding. "But how can I be certain it's true? After all, your mother has butted heads with Mr Roth before as has your father. Could this be their way of getting even with Mr Roth?"

 "No," Luka answered. "My mother and father have nothing do with this case,"

 "Are you sure?" He asked, making Luka frown. "It seems very far fetched, claiming that Mr Roth and his son stole your music and then released your relationship to Mr Stone for revenge. Why would my client do that? And how can we be sure you didn't make it up?"

 Luka went silence as he realized what the man was doing. This was it. His choice. He could agree with him and get the case dropped... or he could tell the truth.

 "Luka, did you make it up?" The lawyer asked in his best 'child speaking' voice. "It's ok if you did. No one is going to be angry. You just need to tell the truth,"

 The question is if you don't... can you live that choice?

 "Luka, please answer the question,"

 The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

 "Luka?"

 ".... I didn't make it up..." Luka stated, looking at the lawyer. "And my ma and pa didn't pressure me or anything. Mr Roth stole from me and my friends. He released that information on purpose and even got a message from Issac when I was kidnapped. I remember it. Issac had beaten me up then yanked my hair and took a photo before going on the phone with him so he could contact my parents for a random. I know I can't prove that it's his number but he has been harassing me for a number of weeks threatening me to do the case against him and then during the break, you came into the bathroom while I was trying to calm down from seeing Issac again and threatened me and my loved ones! The worst part is I thought about doing what you wanted. I want to protect my loved ones but the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing! I am not going to stand by and let him getting away with this. He is corrupt and greedy and you should be ashamed of representing someone like that!"

 "Why you little brat!" Bob shouted, jumping up as his lawyer looked at Luka shocked. Apparently, he didn't expect that. "You're gonna pay for this you little brat!"

 At that point, everyone apart from Luka started to shout. Bob was screaming about something, Anarka was screaming at him with both of their lawyers trying to calm them down while the judge tried to get control of the court room.

 "Order in the court!" 

 ~Hawkmoth's Lair~

 "Ah, all these emotions running wild and all because of Mr Couffaine. No wonder why he feels so much guilt right now," Hawkmoth declared as his window opened, allowing light into the room. "Should I have kept my mouth shut? Am I wrong to speak up? Have I done the right thing? These questions make for a troubled heart... perfect prey for my akumas,"

 He held out his hand as the butterfly landed on it before charging it up with dark energy. Once that was done, he let it flight off.

 "Go, my little akuma," He declared, spinning his cane as it flew towards the window. "And evilize this lost soul!"

 The akuma flew out the window and fluttered across Paris, coming to the courthouse as the parties continued to shout and argue while Luka tried to put his input and question if he had done the right thing. It crawled through the window and began to flutter down towards him but before it could enter any of his items, Bob Roth spotted it and made a rush for it, causing everyone in the room to gasp including his lawyer. 

 "Bob! No!" His lawyer shouted as he roughly grabbed it and forced it into his golden necklace, opening up the connection with Hawkmoth.

 "Well, this is unexpected," Hawkmoth stated, feeling the feelings of rage and greed going through Bob's mind. "You were not my intended akuma,"

 "Give me powers to shut down this case and I'll give you the miraculous," Bob declared as everyone began to run out of the courtroom and a number of officers came in, shouting at him to surrender and that they had already alerted the heroes. "That's what you want right?"

 "Hmm... I'd be a fool not to accept a willing akuma," Hawkmoth replied. "Midas, I am giving you the power to use your wealth to rid yourself of this case. In return, you will get me the miraculous of Anatis and Lady Noir. Do we have a deal?"

 "I will buy my way to victory!" Bob declared, laughing manically as the purple smog covered his body. As it disappeared, the floor where he stood turned gold and his appearance had changed. The akuma that stood before the officers was still very much Bob Roth but his outfit had most changed. Instead of his normal clothing, he was now dressed as a king. He had a golden crown upon his head where his glasses once were and his eyes had turned black with golden irises. His skin was an extremely pale yellow kind of color but his hands seem to fade into gold. He stepped forward, causing the floor that he stepped on to turn into gold. In a way, he resembled Style Queen but instead of glitter, his body appeared to be made of molten gold.

 "Bob Roth, surrender the akuma and come quietly,"

 "I am not Bob Roth anymore!" He roared, making them aim at him. "I am Midas and you will fear my golden touch!"

 With that, he summoned a golden whip into his hand before hitting the officers with it, turning them into gold. The whip disappeared into his hand as he walked past the statues and began to look for the rest of the people in the court. The main one he wanted to deal with was Luka Couffaine but he'd take everyone else too, regardless of who they were.

 ~Meanwhile~

 Luka and Anarka ran as fast as they could out of the courthouse as soon as Bob had made a grab for the akuma. Luka was glad that he hadn't been akumatized but now Bob had and he had to find an excuse to run off to turn into Anatis. They made a sharp turn but before they could, golden fire blew in front of them, causing the street and unfortunately Anarka to get turned into gold.

 "Ma!" Luka shouted as he stepped back in horror. He looked up and saw a golden dragon flying in front of him. On top of it was the now akumatized Bob Roth. Seeing the young musician, he jumped down, causing Luka to step back. "Stay away!"

 "Drop the case and I'll return your mother back to her normal form," Roth declared, narrowing his eyes at the boy. He edged closer as Luka frowned, clearly not expecting that but he intended that to be the case. He knew that he wouldn't drop the case but that wouldn't matter when he was gold. Seeing his chance, he went to grab Luka's arm only for the boy to realize what he planned and jump back as he ran off. However, his fingers managed to briefly brush the boy's skin, meaning he would slowly turn into gold. Satisfied, Midas smirked and left as Luka ran as fast as he could. He ducked into an alleyway and took a deep breathe before realizing his left arm felt stiff. He quickly moved it and pulled up his sleeve, seeing the golden poison. Tikki flew out, gasping as she did.

 "You got hit!" She declared as he frowned. "And it's spreading!"

 "Shit," He gasped as it slowly increased. "Tikki, how long would you say I've got?"

 "About... 30 minutes at the most?" She suggested, making him frown. "We need to defeat him now!"

 "Can I briefly use a lucky charm to get rid of it?"

 "No, the miraculous cure won't work until you've defeated the villain," She declared, making him frown. "I'm sorry, Luka but you have to fight the villain first then reverse the damage,"

 "Right," He nodded, swiping his ear rings. "Tikki! Spots on!"

 He transformed and frowned as he saw the golden poison had affected his outfit to. The patch was now the size of his hand, making him frown deeply. He really didn't have long. He took out his yoyo and checked the news feed, showing that Midas was terrorizing people near the court and Lady Noir was on the scene. He threw his yoyo and made it there but by the time he got there, his hand was almost covered in gold as well. He frowned as he glanced around. Seeing that anyone who had been hit was already gold made him realize that if Midas saw his arm, he would realize his identity. Somehow he needed to cover it without making it obvious. He glanced around and saw nothing that would help so left with no choice, he threw his yoyo into the air.

 "Lucky charm!" He called out, causing an arm sling to appear out of thin air. He caught it and quickly put it on, covering his arm before swinging down into battle. 

 "Annie! Don't let him touch you! He's got a golden touch!" Lady Noir declared as she dodged his whip attack. Anatis nodded before joining in with the fight. It wasn't easy fighting with one arm at all. Anatis had far too many close calls, especially with the golden dragon up in the sky. The worst part was they couldn't touch him, meaning getting his akumatized item off him was impossible. Lady Noir jumped back as he tried to hit her again. "Annie, I think we need help!"

 "I agree but I had to summon my lucky charm already!" He declared, making her look at him with surprise. Midas and his dragon charged towards them, causing Lady Noir to call on her powers and slammed her hand into the ground, causing it break and dust to cover their escape. With Midas blinded, the two heroes rushed from the scene and into the sewers. With no one on their trail, Anatis leaned against the wall and careful removed the sling. Lady Noir gasped as she saw his now completely golden hand. "I got hit when I was trying to protect Luka,"

 "Can't you just cast the cure?"

 "According to Tikki, I need to defeat the cause first," He replied, making Lady Noir frown as he put his sling back on. "I have about 20 minutes before I'm completely gold. We can't touch him either or we'll be turned to gold straight away,"

 "Isn't there anyway to buy you some time or like stop it?" Lady Noir asked, causing Anatis to make a face.

 "There isn't a way to buy myself more time," Anatis replied, making her frown. 

 "Then how do we defeat him?" She gasped, looking upset. "You'll detransform and be gold before we can and we can't even touch him,"

 Anatis made a face before sighing.

 "Let's go to Mulan," He replied, making Lady Noir nod and follow him out of the sewers, making sure they weren't followed. By the time they got to Mila's office, Anatis' arm and part of his shoulder was completely gold and that had been they moving as fast as they could. Lady Noir gave him a worried look before knocking the window, causing Mila to come over and open it.

 "What on earth happened?" She asked as Anatis' earrings beeped and Lady Noir's ring beeped. The two heroes climbed inside and Anatis rushed off to a separate room to detransform and recharge Tikki. "Lady Noir?"

 "Annie got hit while protecting someone from the akuma. Also could you not look? I'm about to detransform," She replied, making Milan frown as her ring beeped rapidly. Mila nodded and turned around, keeping her eyes closed as Lady Noir turned back into Marinette gave Plagg some cheese.

 "Tell me about the akuma,"

 "His power is literally turning to people into gold. He seems to have copied Guitar Villain and Frightingale too as he has a golden dragon and uses a whip to turn people into statues straight away," She replied as Plagg finished the cheese. She re-transformed and took out her baton, looking for the akuma's location. "But from what Anatis told me, if he briefly touches you, the golden touch is slow and spreads like a poison, meaning we can't touch him either. If we do, we'll turn to gold,"

 "I see," Mila frowned before walking over to the phone and dialing a number as Anatis came back out. Lady Noir gasped as she saw him. The golden poison had spreaded down part of his torso and part of it was spreading across his lower jaw. She went to go touch him but he shook his head.

 "We don't know if it's contagious," He replied, making her frown but she nodded.

 "Fu, it's Mila," Mila stated, making the two heroes look at her. "Bring the ox asap. Anatis and Lady Noir need it now,"

 She looked over at them, frowning.

 "Use the horse miraculous to get here," She added, frowning even more. "I know you're old but Anatis doesn't have long. You'll see when you get here,"

 With that, she hung up and not even a second later, a portal opened, causing Fu wielding the horse miraculous to step through. As soon as he saw Anatis, he gasped and rushed over.

 "What happened?" He asked, making the young hero frown.

 "I got caught up protecting someone from the akuma," Anatis replied, turning to Lady Noir. "Can you take the miraculous? I don't want to risk turn it into gold,"

 "Sure," She nodded, taking the box of Master Fu. "I have a good idea on who could be useful for this... if you're ok with me picking the hero this time,"

 "I'm good with that," Anatis replied before his eyes widen in fear as the gold spread to his eye. "But can we go a lot quicker. I'm down one eye now,"

 "Right!" Lady Noir nodded, worry covering her features before she turned back to Master Fu. "Can you take us to the local swimming pool?"

 "Of course," Master Fu nodded before opening another portal, causing Kim to scream and fall into the pool. Lady Noir giggled a little as he climbed out and grabbed a towel.

 "Whoa! Anatis and Lady Noir! And another hero! So cool!" Kim grinned, clearly happy to see them. "I never thanked you for- hey, Anatis you don't look too good? You ok, bro?"

 "Just peachy," Anatis replied, giving him a thumbs up with his good arm. Lady Noir took out the box and held it out to Kim.

 "Le Chien Kim, this is the miraculous of the ox," She stated, making him tear up. He looked like he was about to cry. "It grants you the power of... um... what power is it, Annie?"

 "The power of Preservation,"

 "Thanks, Annie," She replied, grinning before turning back to Kim. "It will give you the power of Preservation and um... look we need your help. You in?"

 "Sure," Kim grinned, taking it and opening the box, allowing Stompp to manifest. "Aww, a little bull plushie,"

 "I'm not a plush-"

 "Guys, I would love to get you to know each other but we don't have time," Anatis interrupted before looking at Kim as the gold spread down to his thigh and part of his hair. "The transformation words are Stompp, Charge Ahead. Please hurry,"

 "R-Right," Kim replied, realizing the seriousness of the situation. He put the ring in his nose before holding up his arms. "Stompp, Charge ahead!"

 He lifted his arms and threw them back, creating his mask before stomping his feet as his outfit manifested. He lifted his hands and placed them on his head like horns before stomping again, creating real ones then held out his hand, creating real horns. He held out his hand and created a ball of light that turned into a Glaive Staff before he stuck a pose. With his transformation done, he turned to Lady Noir and Anatis.

 "You should be able to find a user's guide in the glaive," Lady Noir stated before turning to Master Fu as Kim quickly read through it. "Can you open a portal to the outside of the Louvre? That's where Midas is,"

 "Yes. Voyage!" Fu answered, causing a portal to open before he looked at Kim. "I suggest you use your power as quickly as you can, young man... and think up a name,"

 "Just call me Lord Ox and sure," Kim or rather Lord Ox nodded before going through the portal with the two heroes. As soon as they landed on the ground, they saw a number of golden statues and Midas sat happily in the middle of them. "Whoa!"

 "Ah, looks like I got one of you after all," He smirked, glancing at Anatis. However, he didn't seem to put two and two together. Anatis hoped that Hawkmoth wouldn't either. "Give me the brat and I'll remove that curse, Anatis,"

 "Not happening," Anatis replied before groaning as his leg turned completely into gold. "Lord Ox, now!"

 "Herd Immunity!" Lord Ox declared, causing his glaive to glow before he slammed it into the ground, causing a light to spread across the area. Midas jumped in shock as Anatis stood up and lifted his golden arm, flexing his fingers. 

 "That's much better," He smirked before turning to Midas. "Now to deal with you,"

 "B-But how?!" He growled before trying to summon his whip but he couldn't. "You brats! You made have taken my ability away but I'm still the boss and I have a dragon!"

 As if on que, the dragon flew down and blew golden fire on them, causing the heroes to jump back, changing the ground to gold.

 "Shouldn't his dragon not work?!" Lord Ox declared, looking worried.

 "It must be above the radius of your ability, meaning it's not been nullified!" Anatis declared, throwing up his yoyo and causing his outfit to change. "Lucky charm!"

 The magical swarm appeared and created a fire truck, causing the heroes to jump back in surprise.

 "How are you going to throw that?" Lord Ox asked as Anatis looked around before the hose, a fire hydrant and Lady Noir lit up. "It's a huge truck!"

 "I'm not throwing the truck!" Anatis declared, grabbing the hose as the dragon flew up in the air. "Lady Noir, can you open that for me?"

 "No problem, Annie," She replied as Midas ran over. Lord Ox dived at him, lifting him over his head like a wrestler as the dragon turned around. Lady Noir quickly opened the lid of the hydrant, allowing Anatis to connect it and turn it on, pointing it towards the dragon as it flew down, ready to fire at them again. "Fire!"

 Anatis switched on the water, causing a strong stream of water to hit the dragon, causing it to turn solid and crash to the ground before he directed it towards Midas, who had managed to the upper hand on Lord Ox. He was about to bring his hands down on the hero before Anatis turned the hose onto him, causing the water stream to hit him into the truck and push it back quite far, causing it to leave the radius space. It turned solid gold but caused Midas to fuse with it in solid gold before Anatis turned off the stream and threw his yoyo around the ladder of the fire truck, quickly pulling it back into the radius as his yoyo began to turn gold. Lady Noir skipped over as Midas' eyes moved and he made some angry noises.

 "It's in his necklace," Anatis stated, making Lady Noir nod. "But we need to be careful. He took it willingly,"

 "For real?" Lord Ox declared as Lady Noir summoned her power and tapped the necklace, causing the akuma to escape. Anatis caught it and released it before throwing the hose into the air.

 "Miraculous Ladybugs!" He declared, causing it to burst into the cure and sweep across Paris before it swarmed around him, returning him to normal. He moved over to Midas as he turned back into Bob, looking down at him as the cops who had surrounded him and been turned into a statue rushed over. "Bob Roth,"

 "W-Wait i can explain!" Bob gasped, getting on his knees. "I was desperate and angry. Hawkmoth took advantage-"

 "There was many witnesses, Roth," Anatis stated in a cold voice. "You took an akuma willingly... I will not allow that to happen again,"

 Anatis held out his yoyo.

 "Prosperity," He declared, pressing it open and taking out a golden charm that resembled a ladybug but unlike the two others he had created, this one did not have a nice look to it. It looked faded and old. Anatis held it out. "This is an anti-akuma charm but since you willingly took an an akuma, I have added an extra charm to this. It is not something you can take off. You can try to lose it but it will always come back to you no matter what you do. I can not risk you taking an akuma willingly again,"

 Bob Roth looked at him shocked as he took his hand and place it in it as the police moved in.

 "Bob Roth, you are under arrest for willingly aiding a terrorist," One of the officers declared as a portal opened, causing the three heroes to walk through. Anatis turned around to Lord Ox, who took off his miraculous and handed it back to them.

 "Thank you for your help, Kim," He smiled, making Kim grin. "Hopefully next time you can get to know Stompp a little more,"

 "Sounds good to me," Kim declared, grinning. "It was so cool! I can't believe I was a hero! Wait til I tell Ondine! She's gonna-"

 "Kim, you can't tell anyone," Lady Noir stated, making him look at her. "If you do, we won't be able to give you a miraculous again,"

 "Oh... you mean like Chloe isn't that Queen Bee anymore?" He asked, making them nod. "I see. I swear I won't tell anyone then,"

 "Thank you," Lady Noir nodded as Master Fu opened another portal for them. "See you next time, Kim,"

 The two of them walked through with Fu before he closed it and detransform.

 "I'm glad to see everyone is back in one peace," Mila declared, sipping tea before she got up and took out two pieces of paper to Anatis and Lady Noir. "Here,"

 "It is my new address," Fu answered as he took the ox miraculous back from Lady Noir. "If you need me, come here. Anatis, we will re-beginning your training again,"

 "Ok, Master," Anatis replied. "But can we discuss this later? I have to return to where I was. It's really important,"

 "Of course," Master Fu nodded, causing Anatis to nod back and leave via the window. He turned to Lady Noir. "You did good work today as well, Lady Noir. Feel free to come by if you need help or just want tea,"

 "Thank you, Master Fu," She smiled, hugging him. "It's great to see you again... no offense, Mulan,"

 "None taken," Mila replied before lightly grabbing her arm. "But please let Anatis know that if he needs my help or any of the western miraculous to come by. You are both welcome here,"

 "I will do!" 

 ~Later that Night~

 "How are you feeling?" Tikki asked as she ate a cookie. Luka was laid on his bed, looking at the ceiling. The court cases were finally over, meaning he could finally talk freely about them but he wasn't sure if he wanted to. He felt relief. Issac was gone from his life and Bob had been returned to the courthouse to receive his charges. His lawyer had confessed as well, admitting that he had arranged to have Luka threatened and had threatened himself. He also was willing to assist the law with the other charges against Bob Roth, having lots of dirt on the former music producer in return for a reduced sentence. Luka had a feeling that the lawyer knew all about Roth's dark side and was only helping to save himself, especially since his client was willingly akumatized. He knew to jump ship when the current one was sinking. If Roth was looking for loyalty, he should have hired someone else. After all, a snake is still a snake even when it sheds it's skin. The same when for the lawyer but none of that mattered to Luka. His part was done now and he was glad. He just wanted to move on with his life. He sighed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breathe. He felt the air shift, causing him to open his eyes and sit up. He was no longer in his room but in Feng's hut. Sat on the floor was Alpheus.

 "Congratulations is in order," He grinned, making Luka raise an eyebrow. "You passed my test. You proved your loyalty and thus have unlocked one of the keys. Three down, two more to go,"

 "I did?"

 "Yep," He grinned, holding up a jug. "Wine?"

 "I'm too young to drink,"

 "More for me then!" He grinned, taking a swig and swallowing it. "If you confused, it was because you stuck to your morals despite that snake's threats. Loyalty to one's self is loyalty never the less! Besides, I had to come up with a better test then friends or family because you are really loyal to them. No question on that!"

 "Then why did I have to get tested?"

 "Do I look like I write the rules?" Alpheus asked, making Luka smile a little. "Oh, no! I do not! Feng did! If I had been the first born, I would have written in a warning for myself! Beware the harlot Juno but nooo, he didn't think to warn me!"

 "Are you ok?"

 "I am dandy!" Alpheus smirked before hiccuping. "And a little drunk but we need to celebrate and you can't drink! So I shall instead!"

 "Who is Juno?" Luka asked as Alpheus took another drink.

 "A traitor!" He declared, placing down the jug. "Claimed she loved me then went with some guy then stole the peacock miraculous of me and terrorized Greece all because I broke up with her and moved on. Got myself a nice wifey too but nooo, Alpheus isn't allowed to love anyone but Juno! Well, fuck that! I stopped loving her the moment she laid with that other guy!"

 "Wait... she was your girlfriend?"

 "Yes!" Alpheus declared. "And then Mr Hunk came along and she fell straight into bed with him! You see you don't have to worry about that! You're too young for one thing and that sweet baker's daughter loves you full-heartedly. She would never ever consider hurting you like that but not Juno! Oh no, she did and then got pissed when I dumped her! She got pissed at me! I'm the frigging spirit of loyalty! I should be the one pissed at her!"

 "Alpheus, I think you've had enough," Feng stated, walking over and turning to Luka. "Congratulations for passing his test by the way,"

 "Thank you," Luka smiled as Feng helped Alpheus to his feet. "Will he be ok?"

 "He'll be fine," Feng replied, making Luka frown. "In his timeline, Hera... well, Juno just gatecrashed his wedding so he's a bit upset about that,"

 "Wait that just happened?"

 "Well, to you it would have happened a long time ago but to him it happened half an hour ago," Feng replied, turning to Alpheus. "Sober up. Ariadne is waiting for you,"

 "Ariadne!" Alpheus declared, smiling. "My sweet Ariadne!"

 "Yes, yes," Feng replied, shaking his head before looking at Luka. "Go back to your room. I'll look after this idiot,"

 "Ok," Luka nodded, waving to Alpheus who waved back before he laid back down and closed his eyes. When he next opened them, he found himself back in his room. He got up as Tikki looked at him. "Time to go meet Lady Noir... I think it's time I told her about Lady Blanche,"

 ~XY's Hotel Room~

 "I can't believe this!" XY declared, kicking a pillow before he paced across the room. His rich life was pretty much over. Not only was his father been sued but he had been arrested for aiding a terrorist. To say, XY was angry was an understatement. His father always had the nerve to call him dumb yet he was stupid enough to willingly become an akuma and on top of that, that brat Couffaine had won the case. His father was expected to pay that trashy family compensation for the stress he put them through and would be doing time for Child endangerment, perverting the course of justice, assisted kidnapping and assisted attempted murder. In other words, their image was ruined. XY growled and kicked something again. "This is all Couffaine's fault!"

 He punched one of the amps in the room, causing to it to break and a small box to fall out. 

 "Huh?" He gasped, reaching down and picking it up. "What the hell?"

 He shook it, causing to make a noise. He realized something was in there and opened it, causing him to cry out as a ball of light appeared. Once it disappeared, a little floating crocodile appeared in it's place. It opened it's eyes and looked at him before bowing.

 "Hello, Master,"

 "What the hell are you?"

 "My name is Snapp and I'm the kwami of Immersion,"

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

Next Chapter: Coming Soon (hopefully :p)

#luka couffaine #anatis #rise of anatis #anatis au #Ladybug Luka Couffaine / Anatis #Bob Roth #akumatized Bob Roth #Midas #Golden Touch #Roth is a dick #issac farrow #justice is served #alpheus #Test of loyalty #Lady Noire #black cat marinette #pro lukamari #le chien kim #Ox Kim #Ox Kim / Lord Ox #Master Fu returns! #lukanette #lukanette endgame #blueberry square #Luka needs a hug

[thatll-do]

top five favorite video game characters?

Ok, so I originally had this whole thing with pics and gifs typed out, and I was on the last sentence before posting answer when tumblr glitched out and deleted all of it. So Imma redo it and hopefully do the original draft justice, but without gifs and pics just in case that was what screwed it up

Edit: it happened a third time >:(

1: As a devout Haru stan and apologist, it pains me a little to say that I have not had the full Haru experience, having not played any of the spinoffs or supplementary material outside of Persona 5 Royal, and we are not counting the Haru that exists only in my head, which is why despite my love for her, I cannot in good conscious call her one of my favorite video game characters, yet. With that in mind, I will have to with mild begrudges have to hand it to Futaba. What can I say? I have no choice but to stan an internationally wanted hacker who is capable of shutting down governments from her phone while being incapable of calling the pizza place down the road without going into a nervous breakdown. Plus, have you seen her? She smol. Diminutive. Gremlin shaped. Perfectly scampable. Plus, I feel she provides a very welcome change of pace with her palace in the story, being the only one where the antagonist is not some overtly hostile villain being quite refreshing for when she comes into the story, with her overall arc being very satisfying to watch play out, both in the grand narrative and in her smaller personal interactions. However, I must admit I'm not overtly fond of how navigators are used in Persona games, with them feeling generally detached from the general gameplay loop of them not being active party members, but as someone who doesn't typically go for JRPG's I am totally willing to recognize this may just be a me thing and that my sensibilities might not quite line up with how these things typically go

2: Surprise motherfucker! Nobody expects Wheatley! Which is a shame, because he's great, but it's understandable. On the one hand, you have GLaDOS, who was scientifically engineered to be fucking hilarious at every possible moment. And then in the other corner you have Chell, a fine self insert to insert your sense of self into, who shoots things when you tell her to. But people often overlook this little metal ball of idiocy, and what he brings to the table. First, he brings a very different kind of humor to the table that I think tends to go a bit underappreciated by the audience, and I'm not just talking about the slapstick and general incompetency, although that is also top notch. Honestly, just his inane ramblings are fucking comedy gold on their own that I could listen to for hours. He's also surprisingly arguably a more effective antagonist than GLaDOS. I went into Portal 2 almost completely blind, and while GLaDOS's insults were funny, they never really like stung or anything. There wasn't any real substance to it, it was just a one-sided hatred from my perspective. But Wheatley? When he did his heel-turn, I was in active shock. It took me several seconds to fully process what the fuck had just occurred. Unlike GLaDOS, there was a genuine bond formed, and breaking that opened so many doors despite slamming my fingers in them. And highlights what he does incredibly well. He brings a certain element of chaos and danger that GLaDOS could never have due to the fact that she has a functional sense of self preservation. With GLaDOS, you know what you're in for. She's gonna try to kill you, but she's gonna do it through elaborate traps and her patent pending Aperture Science Testing Chambers, but never directly, and she sticks to those rules. She is bound to them, and because of that you can plan around them and monkey your way out of it. But Wheatley? Wheatley in charge of Aperture is like a ticking time bomb without the watch. He doesn't even know what the rules are, otherwise he wouldn't mash two testing tracks together like a four-year-old smashing two lego master-builder sets together and almost accidentally killing you in the process.

3: Madeline, from Celeste. She is trans and I can project myself onto that

Not much else to say, really

4: Nope, you're not getting off that easy. The actual thing about Maddy is that, genderisms aside, I don't think I've ever felt quite as seen as I have with her. Celeste, by all accounts, is a very simple game. Both in terms of story and mechanics. The story is you climb a magical mountain in Canada, and the mechanics are run, jump, and climb. But it's how these two interplay to put you in the mindset of her, how anxiety hounds you, how it unnerves and undermines you, getting you stuck doing the same things making the same mistakes over and over again, is where Madeline really strikes a chord with me. And the game really doesn't shy away from how "tricks" and coping techniques can help but they're not a cure-all, they don't always work. Your fears and worries will break through, and you can try to ignore them, or leave them behind entirely, but you really can't. The only way to deal with them is to accept them for what they are, that they're just a part of you but you nonetheless and need to work with them. Her frankly snippy personality is also appreciated, because like, while it's not the nicest thing it's refreshing to see someone who's kinda just really tired of people act on that annoyance even if it's not strictly other people's fault for setting it off. And also her being trans just really brings it in for me

Actual number 4: This may be because I'm a horny shill, or maybe because I would prefer to liken myself as something of a philosopher, but I find myself drawn to 2B and her plights and think that the world of Nier:Automata provides some of the most profound and insightful moments modern gaming can offer. She's something of a stoic hardass, meant to be unfeeling of the world around her but still taking note of the absurdity of it all and sometimes going along with the unexpected asides from the farce she finds herself in. For all intents and purposes, she's just a cog in the machine, just a perfect mindless unthinking AI soldier in a proxy war with machine enemies that has spanned millennia. But as much as she plays the part, she can't help but display an overt world-weary awareness of her role that she's lived and relived time and time again. It may be only displayed subtly most of the time, but those tinges in her interactions quickly bleed out once you get a fuller picture of the story at hand.

5: Ok, as tempted as I was to put a FromSoft character here, even I have to admit that I find their interactable NPC's rather lacking. And while I like a fair amount of them, I would never call them my top of the list favorites. Instead, I'll go with my favorite companion who is trapped in one of my least favorite games, Curie from Fallout 4. I'll try to keep this spoiler free since I think you've been playing it and I don't wanna ruin anything for you, but simply put Curie is a sweetheart. You find her long abandoned in what was one of the most monstrous vaults designed, made purely to violate every medical ethics code in the book, but she spends her days toiling away trying to create medicines instead. After nearly 200 years alone, she's eager to explore the world, and she just has this bright-eyed curiosity about the wasteland that's rather infectious. Where most people see ruins and decay, she sees resilience and life persisting, and that kind of optimism in such a jaded setting hits like a hot shower after a filthy day outside. She's not terribly complicated, but she doesn't need to be

#sometimes i answer these things

[kl125]

Which season of ST has been your favourite and why? 😊

Definitely Season Four. I always love when characters get a chance at introspection, because it deepens our understanding of them. We start to put the pieces together of why they do certain things and act a certain way. More under the cut!

One of the main themes this season was trauma. What have these characters gone through to get them to this point, and how has that affected their psyche? Not every character got a full deep dive, as a show only has so much time, but what we did see was fabulous! I want to focus on Hopper, El, Max, Mike, Will, and Lucas, because those arcs connect in rather compelling way.

(Keep in mind, these are snippets, and it’s my reading of what’s happening, so I understand that important elements could be missed or left out or interpreted a different way.)

Hopper feels incapable of creating lasting bonds with people, so he pushes everyone away to prevent the inevitable heartbreak. Better to stop something before it starts, than to let it ultimately destroy everyone involved.

El feels like a monster, and who could ever love a monster? She questions if she’s worthy of everything she’s found since escaping the lab (family, friends, a home, a sense of belonging, love). Is she the superhero, or the supervillain? Is she like Mama, or like Papa? Or worse, is she like Henry?

Max feels guilty for wishing death upon Billy, as it lead to a breakdown of her home life, and she sees the cruelty of this desire and connects it to the same cruelty she saw in Billy. Instead of sharing her burdens, she cuts herself off to protect her friends from discovering this shame, preserving the positive image they currently have of her.

Mike feels inadequate among his circle of friends, and he’s lost his sense of self. There’s artistic Will, strategic Max, courageous Lucas, intelligent Dustin, and powerful El. He wonders where he fits in this dynamic. He used to be the compassionate leader, but is this role even needed? And if it’s not, will that lead his most treasured people in his life to abandon him?

Will feels like a mistake. His experiences (the Upside Down and the Mind Flayer) coupled with his identity issues make him wonder if his friends and family would even care if he’s gone. He worries that the six months apart have created a rift so deep, there’s nothing left to do but get lost in it.

Lucas feels like he’s blinded himself to his friend’s struggles (namely Max) in his pursuit for normalcy in a very abnormal world. He’s grown resentful of his nerdy side, but rather than reconcile his opposing personalities, he rejects the one he sees as weak, at the cost of alienating his friends and himself.

These are all very brief overviews, but the important part is that they have a well-defined arc. They start with all of this lingering insecurity, but by the end, they resolve these issues and begin piecing themselves back together. It’s a beautiful story about isolation, represented physically by the different locations, and the power of acceptance, not just of the people around you, but of yourself.

As for my feelings on the other seasons, they are as follows.

Season One is absolutely perfect. It’s one of the best seasons of television, in my humble opinion. The characters each have distinct personalities and individual motivations with clearly defined arcs. The story is compelling, drawing on just enough nostalgia to make it feel familiar, while also making sure it still feels fresh and original. The synth-driven score and muted color palette enhance the tone of mystery, and the cinematography is gorgeous. It would have worked perfectly as a limited series, as originally intended, however because we now have three more seasons, I view that one with the thought, “The best is yet to come.”

With Season Two, it felt like a tool to setup plot points that wouldn’t pay off until later seasons, so some things feel incomplete. A great example is Max’s arc. She has a very gradual journey through the story, and it’s entirely purposeful, but because the climax comes in Season Four, everything we see in Season Two contains an air of “what’s hiding under the surface?” As for other elements, it’s very tonally similar to Season One. They’re moving away from childhood innocence, and preparing for more mature themes to come. If Season Four is the season they lose, then Season Two is the season they win. By the end, their lives are tied up in a neat little bow, but the Upside Down is still out there.

While I enjoyed Season Three, it was a major departure from the first two seasons. It felt like it was trying to be a both a romantic comedy and a self-contained mystery amidst a larger-than-life blockbuster, and it didn’t quite hit the mark on any of them. The jarring tonal shifts took many people out of the story, and it left us confused as to what they were trying to accomplish.

Season Four felt like a course correction, and a successful one at that. The Duffers took the time to ask, “What makes Stranger Things unique?” Boy, did they nail it. It’s the people. Their inner struggles, manifested as otherworldly monsters, push them through the mystery each season. We needed a reminder of why we root for these unlikely heroes.

The best decision was making Vecna a largely practical effect, like the Demogorgan in Season One. The Mind Flayer worked in Season Two, because Noah’s performance grounded the experience. We only got glimpses of its real form. However, Season Three made the monster unrealistic basing it entirely on CGI. The VFX is phenomenal, but it’s hard to imagine them fighting this iteration of the Mind Flayer. It’s not that CGI can’t make a compelling monster, but the show has spent so much time building up the realistic parts of the mystery, that an entirely fake opponent didn’t mesh well with the dynamic. With Vecna, not only is he a real person (the absolutely fantastic Jamie), but his MO is internal. He weaponizes people’s trauma, breaking them down until there’s nothing left.

Another great thing they did was make the characters fail. They were right in calling this the Empire Strikes Back season. Towards the end of that movie, Luke sees a vision of Han and Leia in danger, prompting him to abandon his training with Yoda on Dagobah, but he was not ready. El visits the void and learns of the Hawkins Crew’s imminent battle with Vecna, abandoning her training with Papa in Nevada, but she was not ready. Han gets encased in carbonite while Max ends up in a coma. Luke loses his hand, while El loses her hair. These characters may have survived their battle, but can they fix what has been broken and defeat evil once and for all?

Not to mention, the cinematography is positively stunning, and the score elevates everything to a whole new level. I love how they mix traditional orchestral instruments with their usual synth-based sound. The scene between El and Papa in Chapter Eight and the last shot of the show are my favorite moments by far. Everything comes together so majestically.

(On a more selfish note: this season had a shoutout to WarGames, which is my favorite 80s movie, and they drew a lot of inspiration from it. Hearing the original score from the movie made me so happy!)

There’s a lot more I love about this season, and I know I didn’t talk about every character, but this is already getting a little long, so I’ll stop here. If people want to know my feelings about a particular part of the season, my ask box is open! Thanks for the question!

#my post #stranger things #stranger things 4 #asks #thatgirlwithasquid #mike wheeler #netflix #eleven #jim hopper #max mayfield #will byers #lucas sinclair #el hopper

[narrators-journal]

YASSSS MATCH UPS ARE OPEENNN!!!

Can I please have a hunter x hunter match up?

I would like a boy match up please!<3

No manga characters included please, just the one sin the anime.

Please no milluki or Meruem, I'm sorry but I don't want them😭 also Gon is so sweet!! But I would like to get someone else then him. Sorry if this bothers you😭

I'm a girl, with black hair and brown eyes, I sometimes put my hair in a high ponytail or a braid. I'm either 5'2 or 5'1.

I'm a very imagative person, I also like art and I like reading, I day dream a lot.

I'm introverted and I don't usually talk a lot with people when I just met them, but when I start to open up and get more comfortable then maybe my extrovert side might come out.

I'm usually nice with people maybe for certain people I might snap here and there but thats kinda rare, even if I talk back I wouldn't be yelling. But if someone for real annoyed me and I start yelling in public, they really did something cause you would never see me like this. If someone hurts me or anything, I wouldn't tell anyone and instead, I would go and probably cry myself to sleep. I also tend to hold grudges....｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡ depends in what you did tho. I like keeping the drama and everything that happens that is drama included to me. I wouldn't tell anyone not even my family. Even if someone hurt my feelings. I would just go and have a mental breakdown in my room😭

I used to train in taekwondo in the past. I like the color purple and black is also cool.

What I look for in a partner: I don't know if you mean about personality or their looks but I would look for someone who is honest and loyal.

What I don't like in a partner: someone who would talk behind my back, like I trusted you and now your doing this??🫤

Lol, I'm glad you returned! And I hope you don't mind getting Kurapika. Also, the turn-ons/turn-offs are in relation to simply your taste in men/women. Physical traits, personality traits, all that.

Now, it is kinda true that you're a bit of polar opposites. As Kurapika is a pretty secretive person. However, he's still very loyal, especially to his family. And while he isn't very open, and is a little vengeance-thirsty, he doesn't talk behind your back. You also both share your grudge-holding lol, so you have that to bond over.

He's also pretty ambivert-ish, so he'll be able to match your moods. Though, he is kind of mean now and then, so that's a lil bit of a sour spot, but that's mostly when he's in a vengeance mood from what I've seen. Outside of that, he's rather motherly and pretty sweet, so it balances out.

I hope you enjoy my matching!

#Hxh #hunter x hunter #Kurapika Kurta #match-up #ask #I'm a tad rusty lol

[zalrb]

https://www.tumblr.com/zalrb/662039685476024320/i-know-you-dont-watch-queen-sugar-anymore-but?source=share

specifically - but i didn’t quite buy into that narrative and i think it’s because there’s a certain distance to them that the entire show has

Oh. Part of it could be that I think the cast as a whole don't really gel. They're kind of like the Superstore cast except it worked for the Superstore cast because they were coworkers. Like even when I was commending the show for its acting, for its portrayal of complicated sibling/family dynamics, I do mention that sometimes I felt like they're kind of just people who know each other

Queen Sugar is interesting just because the dynamics between the three siblings are so complicated and I don’t know if it’s because they’re so complicated that sometimes I feel like they’re people who know each other instead of, like, siblings but the point of the show is seeing them come together and bond and they do, like they’re very much a family and even looking up these gifs for them, I’m getting emotional because the acting is emotional, the show is emotional, and the relationships between these three siblings are emotional which means it’s a great portrayal of siblings.

so it's really down to the fact that writing-wise I thought it was a great portrayal of siblings but in terms of the chemistry between the cast, they feel like strangers, which extends to the family at large.

I also think it just has the quality that a lot of cerebral shows have as well, that inherent removal and distance, like watching Charley's breakdown at the mill, I'm not in it with her, it's more like an observation

there is emotion in the show and good acting in the show, particularly Bianca and Rutina, but there isn't warmth,

even when there's drama, even when there's mess it feels bloodless

and part of it is the style, which I find very beautiful and very striking but I also find impersonal. It makes sense that the director of photography talks about how they wanted to shoot it like they they're paintings or photographs because that's there

but unlike a movie like Selah and the Spades, for instance, which is vibrant and lush and warm

and the way colour tells a story in the movie

"Color also played a part in the costumes of Selah and her potential heir, Paloma (Celeste O’Connor), to differentiate their positions. “We always tried to have [Selah] in purples and gold,” Fray says. “We wanted her to have a real sense of regalness about her. In many ways she is the king, queen, judge, jury and executioner at Haldwell.” On the other hand, Paloma is dressed in earth tones throughout the movie. “We wanted her character to feel grounded and connected to herself,” Fray says. The neutral color also separates Paloma from the faction-based world of the school"

it actually made the movie feel more personal to me when the characters were lacking, whereas with Queen Sugar it helps with the removal.