1. Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
    Dismiss Notice
  4. If you wish to change your username, please ask via conversation to tehelgee instead of asking via my profile. I'd like to not clutter it up with such requests.
    Dismiss Notice
  5. Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
    Dismiss Notice
  6. A note about the current Ukraine situation: Discussion of it is still prohibited as per Rule 8
    Dismiss Notice
  7. The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.
    Dismiss Notice
  8. The testbed for the QQ XF2 transition is now publicly available. Please see more information here.
    Dismiss Notice

Mixed Family (SFW, SI, Slash) - A Chronicles of Darkness/New World of Darkness 2e Crossover Story.

Discussion in 'Creative Writing' started by Repentant_Dragos, Apr 20, 2022.

Loading...
  1. Zxzx24

    Zxzx24 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2020
    Messages:
    605
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    Then I'll miss it. Rest well.
     
    Repentant_Dragos likes this.
  2. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Perhaps you can shop around for potential beta readers, though?

    Edit: Yes, I am indecisive.
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2022
    Zxzx24 and Yuki no Yue like this.
  3. Yuki no Yue

    Yuki no Yue Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2016
    Messages:
    388
    Likes Received:
    3,389
    Ther isn't some sort of thread where people can ask for Beta readers?
     
    Zxzx24 likes this.
  4. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    There is. It's mostly deserted. And the people there don't like Yaoi.
     
    Zxzx24 and Yuki no Yue like this.
  5. Yuki no Yue

    Yuki no Yue Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2016
    Messages:
    388
    Likes Received:
    3,389
    Ouch. I know the feeling.

    Well, I don't really know anyone, I'm sorry.

    Still, you can try there, it's not like it can hurt, no?
     
    Zxzx24 and Repentant_Dragos like this.
  6. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    I did two years ago. I got no response.
     
    Zxzx24 and Yuki no Yue like this.
  7. Yuki no Yue

    Yuki no Yue Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2016
    Messages:
    388
    Likes Received:
    3,389
    ... Yeah, I'm going to shut up now.

    I would offer my help if you wanted to co-write a fic, but it's not the case right now, so...

    Also, even in that case, I'm not a good beta, so....
     
    Zxzx24 likes this.
  8. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Actually, I can co-write a fic if you want, depending on what idea you wish to go with. But fair warning: I like noblebright or nobledark.
     
    Lemonbarb, Zxzx24 and Yuki no Yue like this.
  9. Yuki no Yue

    Yuki no Yue Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2016
    Messages:
    388
    Likes Received:
    3,389
    As long as we don't go down the Grimdark or Grimderp route, I'm fine with that.

    Do you have Discord? We can start workshopping something, if you are interested.
     
    Zxzx24 and Repentant_Dragos like this.
  10. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    I do. Let me PM you.
     
    Zxzx24 and Yuki no Yue like this.
  11. Threadmarks: Chapter Three: The Hunt
    Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Chapter Three: The Hunt

    We were ambushed as soon as we entered the mall’s lower ground floor. As a small army of Darkspawn and malign Spirits came at us from all sides as we stepped off the broken escalators leading downwards.

    “Fate reweaves itself as Time bares its secrets,” Leon said as he gestured towards Elise, skillfully reweaving the threads of probability to guarantee her a sure hit as she clawed at a Cradlesnatcher (Darkspawn made up of fat and folds of loose skin descended from people who kidnap children to influence or silence their parents), drawing a mix of blood and fat and disgusting slime from the wound.

    As Ken, in his Transformed form, began mowing down a throng of Corpse-eaters (Cannibalistic Darkspawn with a craving for human flesh) with a magically-conjured assault rifle which spat out bolts of fire instead of bullets, I lifted my right hand and the finger with the golden ring on it, then instead of saying something poetic, I just said, “Burn!”

    And the fires Ken already set while shooting at the Darkspawn burst for one moment, utterly consuming their bodies before fading to nothingness, thus sparing the very flammable wood and paint of the mall’s floor from further damage.

    Mom, Dad, and Simon were facing down a particularly strong Spirit of Alcoholism which had materialized into a glowing cloud of clear liquor, beating it into submission with claws and furred fists. As for the Principal, he was smashing through a half-dozen Spirits of Violence, his exhortations and that of other members of the pack overriding any supernatural inducement to cowardice.

    This was not to say that the Tainted Place did not send an unnatural chill down our spines; we were just more resolute thanks to the Werewolves in the pack using their Capital-G Gifts to keep our fury bubbling hot enough to fuel our resolve but not so hot we’d suddenly be reckless.

    “To the center of the Wound!” shouted the Principal, gesturing for Ken to follow him, “Show us what you can do!”

    As we pressed on, I swiftly pointed my ring finger at another Cradlesnatcher, snapping a few syllables in High Speech (Special Mage Language) which caused its personal gravity to reverse (Forces 2, baby!), and rendering it helpless, pinned to the ceiling, where Elise in her partial wolf form could leap up to tear out its throat.

    “These monsters taste like shit!” she said as I reversed the spell, causing the now-dying Darkspawn to fall down and take more damage as it bled out.

    “Yes,” Simon took the time to talk, “Spirits taste better.”

    Stronger Darkspawn and manifested Spirits awaited us closer to the Tainted Place’s center, an old department store that had been drained of hope well before the mall was rendered ‘condemned’. There, we ought to find a ‘Dark Door’ which leads to a ‘Nightscape’, a small-e echo of the atrocities which led to the place being tainted in the first place.

    Not that we planned to enter; that was Ken’s job.

    "Good luck, boy," the Principal said to Ken as he fast-walked into the 'Dark Door', leaving us behind. Then as the Magical Boy vanished, he then looked at us, sniffed the air, and spoke, "Our quarry is here. Change of plans; if he dies, he dies. If he lives, he lives - But prophecy or no prophecy, it's best to take the hunt to its logical conclusion."

    Why that son of a -

    "As if you mutts, a fortune teller, and a seller of party tricks can take me," a voice echoed out from the shadows, followed by the whirr of... Skateboard wheels?

    And looking at us, no, looking down on us from the escalator we just descended from, was a young man of about our age on a skateboard, wearing a black-and-blue suit-and-long coat of shimmering silk. His left shoulder and the tips and soles of his boots were armored with a silvery-steel material, and his right hand grasped a dark blue scythe with a glittering sapphire edge whose handle was smaller than what was allowed normally.

    [​IMG]
    Noah from Elsword; imagine that he has a matching Skateboard.

    He then announced his identity, introducing himself in a cold tone as grave as a whole row of mausoleums, "My name is Langa Nikiforov; yes, it's a fake one - Like heck I'm revealing my real identity to people from the Rebellious Provinces."

    The Principal snarled and said, "Your 'Corpse-Queen' never ruled us. The only one who is rebellious is you!"

    Simon, our Itheaur teammate, then gestured for the Spirit of a nearby chandelier to cause its earthly vessel to fall on top of where LN (I am not referring to him by the Anime references he used!) currently was, only for the boy on the skateboard to wheel himself down the worn down rubber which covered sections of the escalator railing, then do one of those fancy somersaults which flung him up to the air... Where he stayed, flying literal circles around us and occasionally rolling sideways on the walls.

    This was highly irregular, as in the version of Princess we knew, Flight was a power reserved for the Princesses on our side (aka those who didn't serve the Queen of Tears) who had an emotional connection to the ideals of freedom and laughter Alhambra and the Princes/Princesses of Tears were definitely not about.

    Then I looked directly at his skateboard and saw that the magic wasn't that of the air and wind or even gravity, but rather floated on the shadows and darkness as though those were material things - Which was not a power Princesses and Princes had in any version that we knew and must have come with the boost in power they received from the alterations to this setting!

    "Fancy Tricks," my Mom said next, the bile in her voice making it sound like she was almost spitting. Then she, still in a half-wolf form, drew a semi-automatic pistol and fired one, two, three shots at LN, who merely dodged, ducked, and even somersaulted over the bullets.

    Elise then shook my shoulders and shouted, "That brat's skating on shadows! We need light -"

    "Levinbolt, Multiple, Draining," LN said before a rain of shimmering violet bolts fell all around us, and the Principal grabbed me and Leon in a rough 'hug' and bore us down to the ground for our own safety, even as Mom and Dad put up a destroyed shelf as a barricade against the shower of energy, which continued on for far longer than the original game rules and mechanics ruled it should.

    "This is but the smallest measure of the power granted to me by the desire to protect Alhambra, the last true remnant of The Kingdom," the enemy Magical Boy said as the shower faded, and the Principal faced him, his already half-lupine features transforming to a full-on Wolfman, with fangs and claws, strength several times the average man, and quick, almost effortless regeneration from wounds not inflicted by silver.

    Gauru (not to be confused with the Garou from Old World of Darkness), the war form any Werewolf can access, which can only be controlled for a short period of time until they lost themselves in Primal Rage (capital). As my parents and every Werewolf in the abandoned chamber followed suit, their clothes seamlessly transforming along with their skin into glossy, shimmering fur, I realized that shit just got real.

    "We have to help," Leon whispered to me, even as the Pack leaped to surround LN, who matched them in speed and strength, his scythe spinning in circles and spirals as he matched the Principal blew for blow, then batted aside an attempt by Elise to backstab him, the edges of his cape cutting through her fur and causing the wounds it caused to burn just like silver did (there was a canonical Princess power which can cause one's attacks to take on the properties of silver or cold iron or some special Capital-B Bane of a supernatural if they 'used up' a piece of silver beforehand, so it seemed that LN was expecting us).

    This revelation enraged the Werewolves almost beyond reason, and now it was the turn of our enemy to grow alarmed, skating downward through the small-d darkness and shadows, zig-zagging, rolling, ducking very low, and even leaping up from his skateboard to land on it later on. His strength was in agility and the ability to not get hit, and should one of the Pack get even one blow in -

    Then he dashed straight towards where we were still watching behind the barricade, moving so fast we weren't able to chant, gesture, or even think up the mental images and exercises which made casting spells so easy.

    "Spell-Shattering Palm!" he shouted as he threw his scythe high up to slam his palms against mine and Leon's chests - Wasn't Spell-Shattering Palm from Exalted, and not the latest edition at that?

    The protective spells we've already woven onto our bodies were dispelled, the Clash of Wills (gamer jargon; it's self-explanatory here) not being much of a contest between his uncanonically-boosted powers and our Supernal Magic.

    Mom and Dad were the first to de-transform back to 'merely' being humanoid wolves; the rest of the Pack did so as well, instinctively trying to shake obvious rage from their heads - They had been about to hit their time limit, I thought through the pain from my chest being bruised and my ribs being almost broken.

    The next thing I saw as I forced my eyes to focus, using Forces to clear my mundane sight, was a scythe blade pressed to my throat even as LN pointed a gun of his own at Leon.

    Then he said, "To serve the Queen of Tears and save Alhambra, I will do anything... So do not take another step or I will kill these two mongrels..."
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2022
  12. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Changed my mind; this fanfic isn't dead... yet.
     
    Lemonbarb likes this.
  13. Zxzx24

    Zxzx24 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2020
    Messages:
    605
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    We'll I'm glad to hear that then, and some action too!

    Looks like the principal wasn't thst cold after all. Or at least practical.

    Edgey skate boy appears!

    And with exalted charms no less??
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2022
    Ragura and Repentant_Dragos like this.
  14. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Yes! When I said I'd give Princesses a Boost, I meant it.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2022
    Lemonbarb, Ragura and Zxzx24 like this.
  15. Threadmarks: Chapter Four: Rescue
    Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Chapter Four: Rescue

    As our parents and the rest of the pack growled at LN, Leon faced the barrel of the kid's gun head-on even as Mom growled, “What are your terms for our packmates? Let you go?”

    The Prince of Tears had the gall to tut at us., “I can extract more than that for the lives of two Magelings. The Queen of Tears wishes to sustain Alhambra’s existence in the realms of The Darkness, and -”

    I tuned out the politics while my mother handled negotiations and tried to dredge up what I knew of Princess lore and what LN was talking about. Basically, Alhambra was the last remnant of The Kingdom, a federation of Kings and Queens who were more akin to spiritual guides and embodiments of ideals than actual monarchs. Their realm had covered much of the world in an era before recorded history before being reduced.

    The Kingdom was a place of happiness and bliss, compassion and kindness, which nevertheless stood firm against The Darkness, a force of decay and rot that embodied the murkier aspects of the human heart. However, the Kings and Queens grew dogmatic and arrogant before falling into discord about who was right and proper. This allowed The Darkness to destroy all but the city of Alhambra, where the local Queen had projected a barrier that allowed it to survive. What was left had become the Dark World, a realm of rot and corruption anathema to Humanity.

    Still, the barrier needed Hope to sustain it. This resulted in Alhambra stealing Hope from the ‘Rebellious Provinces’, their term for our world. Which they believed had been left to fall into savagery as recorded history began. How this works with the Mages’ tales about Atlantis as The Awakened City is a question to ask Ken or his patrons.

    I got ripped back into reality when the Principal barked at the Prince of Tears, “No! Your Queen and her agents will not be allowed to even come close to The Academy. It is forbidden.”

    LN replied with a sigh. “Then I’ll just have the deaths of two fellow children on my conscience-” He didn't get any further as Ken interrupted with two words.

    “Lightning Sparks.”

    The Prince of Tears was lit up by electricity arcing through his body, forcing him to let go of his gun and scythe as he fell to his knees.

    Lightning Sparks was a technique belonging to the lost Queen of Cups. A monarch whose powers were linked to self-discovery, personal journey and development. The invocation had become completely inaccessible as she had long since become the Queen of Tears due to the corruption of her ideals.

    So how did he have it?

    I stood up to stare at the scene while Ken walked forwards, looking very dashing in the military fatigues of his Transformed Form. He lifted LN up by the scruff of his neck. “You’re lucky I stopped you before you could make the greatest mistake of your life.”He tossed the Prince of Tears to the ground. “You’re not worth slaying yet. But be warned, we can hunt you again and again until you learn your lesson. Now go, and don’t come back.”

    LN gathered up his scythe and pistol, as got on his skateboard to leave. To everyone’s surprise, he didn’t say any last harsh words, verbal barbs, or even public vows of revenge, Still, he resisted the urge to flee so fast that he’d come off as a coward. Instead keeping a calm, steady pace, while he tried to look cool even as he left for an unused side entrance to our right.

    Ken gallantly walked to me, keeping an even pace that made even his footsteps sound rhythmic. He offered me his hand, which I bashfully took as he raised me up.

    I couldn’t resist hugging the other boy as I was lifted to my feet with his help, my head rested on his shoulders as we held each other close.

    Mom gave a low growl that I instinctively sensed was directed at Ken. We pulled back from each other with a yelp of embarrassment at our public display of affection.

    I looked at Mom andI gave her puppy dog eyes, which might wolf cub eyes in our family. “I’m sorry.”

    My mother sighed as she transformed back to full human form. “Make sure to keep safe. Both of you.” She went over and hugged me for a long moment with a sigh on her lips. “My boy is growing up…” That moment was cut off as she walked over to Ken. “You took care of my son. This gives you a provisional right to date him. But be warned, hurt him in any way and I will tear out your throat. Magical Boy powers or no.”

    Ken nodded courteously, replying in a calm and even tone. “And I give you every right to watch over me as I woo him.”

    I blushed red at that, before the Principal interrupted, taking Mom's lead in shifting back even as his expression was still hardened in frustration, “The Taint is gone and the Wound is closed. Let’s go back home.”

    And with that, the hunt ended.

    ------

    Breakfast the next day involved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, more eggs, and bacon, which I and Leon gorged on heavily. Dad insisted on getting milk instead of apple juice, as we were still growing boys.

    My brother was the first to speak, “We frightened him off, but I didn’t expect Princesses, or rather, Princes, to be so strong. By the way, I think Mom is less hostile to your Prince now, so why not ask him for a date?”

    Mom looked at us with a half-glare as she and Dad washed the dishes.“Only. Him. Only. Ken. If Daniel dates someone else, he’s grounded, even if he can throw fireballs.”

    I retorted. “Like my heart belongs to anyone but Ken.”

    “So, Leon,” Dad said, “Any plans for a boyfriend or girlfriend?”

    Leon made direct eye contact with Dad, then Mom, before saying, “Langa Nikiforov. The boy who pointed a gun at me. I’m planning to mess with his heart as payback.”

    As all three of us realized that Leon was serious, Mom huffed, then puffed, before sighing and saying, “If I wasn’t an Elodoth, I would not approve of this. But I have to offer my help because my duty to my pack involves building and using connections,.” She smiled a little before saying, “Plus the fact that you were daring enough to bring this up while I’m around. That was brave.”

    Dad muttered under his breath, “He’ll succeed, by the way. I saw it in a dream last night.”

    “Nice!” I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Let’s bring up seducing him when we meet with Ken.”

    Dad interrupted that before I could go further, “About that; you boys are to meet with the Principal later today. He’s introducing both of you to the people who will mentor you as Mages. Now finish your food so you two can go to the Academy.”

    ------

    We met up with Ken after classes had let out and went to the Principal’s Office. Despite us letting LN live during the hunt, The Principal had a smile on his face while he sat on the chair and looked at us. He gestured to the side, introducing us to his guest. The woman looked to be in her twenties with long, lustrous black tresses, limpid blue eyes, small diamond earrings, and a grey and black dress that marked her as one of the Academy’s teachers even if we didn’t interact much.

    Her name came to me, Erisse Carpenter. She was the one who taught the Proximi, the people who had partial access to limited versions of Mage spells in exchange for an inborn weakness. They could Awaken as True Mages just like the Mortals could and the few other True Mages we had done already. She was definitely a member of the Free Council from what we knew, one of the most open-minded and innovative of the five Orders of Magi who made up mainstream Magi society.

    “Daniel, Leon,” Erisse greeted us with a smile. “I’m happy to hear that you two have Awakened to the truths of the Supernal. This means private classes with little old me of course, but it also gives you a place in the local Mage Consilium. That’s where The Pentacle, the five Magi orders who want Humanity to become Mages or at least Supernatural and ascend to something more, gathers in order to discuss matters of importance.”

    Erisse gave us a sly wink as she continued. “Then again, Daniel and Leon Cook, we’ve always known you were likely to Awaken to become Magi. Most reincarnates from your world do.”

    We froze, then looked at both her and the Principal. The teacher smiled. “What? You forget that while Werewolves are great at Spirit-related matters, we Mages can see what others can’t, including interdimensional connections. Let’s just say that even before the God-Machine’s occult Infrastructure started to break, a certain Demon Agency has been ‘Isekai-ing’ people from your world for at least a century or so..”

    The Principal interjected, “Despite Erisse downplaying our powers, we Uratha, the Forsaken, the ‘playable’ Werewolf faction, can more easily detect Multiversal Reincarnates than other people bar some groups of Hunters. We’ve known that your souls are from another world since you were born.”

    He paused to let that sink in before continuing “The Academy couldn’t have existed without the help of a Demon Agency hijacking portions of the God-Machine, which in turn they could not have done without Reincarnates like you two. Because of that, we have a fighting chance. A fighting chance to fix these Chronicles of Darkness….”
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2022
  16. Zxzx24

    Zxzx24 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2020
    Messages:
    605
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    That's interesting as well. I could think of a couple of ways one could maybe keep access to it. But it showing up and being used against a prince of tears is extra interesting.

    Dork.

    Also he just got thrashed what could very well be a senior prince of the same queen. Swearing vengeance like that would nnot be very... politically wise.

    Luna approves as well.

    A reminder that werewolves are not to be triffled with either.

    A reminder that the splits are capable of absolutely incredible feats when working united.
     
    KenNM and Repentant_Dragos like this.
  17. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Next chapter might be an Interlude that deals with Ken and Changelings... Which is a problem as I don't have Changeling the Lost 2e.

    Thankfully, I have you guys, right?
     
    Zxzx24 likes this.
  18. Zxzx24

    Zxzx24 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2020
    Messages:
    605
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    Mhm. Its... a tad different? But too terribly different, courts etc etc.
     
    Repentant_Dragos likes this.
  19. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    I heard that it's less grim than 1e, at any rate. Is it?
     
    Zxzx24 likes this.
  20. Zxzx24

    Zxzx24 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2020
    Messages:
    605
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    A bit yeah, mostly they fight and try to avoid huntsman now, which are super powered golem hitmen. The Gentry and changelings rarely have reason to interact.
     
    Repentant_Dragos likes this.
  21. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Nice! I take it you have the PDFs, then?

    If so, can I consult you on some aspects of Changeling 2e in PMs?
     
    Zxzx24 likes this.
  22. Zxzx24

    Zxzx24 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2020
    Messages:
    605
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    sure, hit me with questions. Just arent gonna be able to get back tonight.
     
  23. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Wait, I can't PM you; your account limits who can view your profile.
     
    Zxzx24 likes this.
  24. Winchell

    Winchell Your first time is always over so quickly, isn't it?

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2022
    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    3
    Hope you keep writing! I'm planning on writing a CoD story too, it's cool to see I'm not alone in this. Wondering where I should post it, (here, wordpress, sb, sv, fic.live) but still, excited to see others with similar ideas.
     
    Zxzx24 and Repentant_Dragos like this.
  25. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    You joined just because of this Fanfic? I'm honored!
     
    Winchell and Zxzx24 like this.
  26. Threadmarks: Interlude One: Ken
    Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Interlude One: Ken

    Note: Shout out to bronxterror from QuestionableQuesting for helping me make this chapter as respectful to the transgender community as possible!

    As Daniel and Leon talked with Erisse about their joining the Free Council (without leaving the Iron Masters), I took my leave of the Principal’s Office and walked towards the parking lot, where my car waited; I had a trip to the local Changeling Freehold. Now, what exactly are Changelings, one may ask?

    I’m not as good as my new boyfriend in internal exposition (I think that’s what he’s doing when he spaces out?), but I am good enough to keep two trains of thought up while heading for my car. After all, who knows when my private thoughts need to be copied from my head and set down in a journal in order to guide future generations of ‘Reincarnates’?

    Now, on the subject of Changelings; they are basically humans who had been kidnapped by the True Fae and taken to ‘Arcadia’ (which is not the same Arcadia some Mages go to), where they are then abused and tortured and used as playthings by the Fae, changing their bodies and souls to a hybrid of Human and Faerie.

    How come these abductions aren’t discovered? Because the True Fae replace their kidnapees with a ‘Fetch’, a duplicate made of magically-infused twigs, string, and a piece of the abductee’s shadow which transforms into a clone of the kidnapped person with a duplicate of their memories. This means that a Changeling cannot just get back their former life, especially as their Fetches are not always unsympathetic replacements; some even lack a personality flaw that their ‘original’ had (although others lack one of the original’s positive personality traits instead).

    As I entered my car and drove to the Freehold’s site - A large mixed-use building with numerous small shops and restaurants on its south front and ground floors and apartments on its upper levels and a roof garden sustained by the co-operative which owned the commercial building. I thought wistfully: I’m coming home.

    ------

    In my past life, I had a typical family; a mother, a father, and a sister. In this world, however, I have two mothers. I was found as a baby, abandoned near a dumpster. My mothers, already Changelings, said that my birth parent was a teenage girl who gave me up for adoption after I was born. She then ended up in a building that was being drained of its ambient hope by the Queen of Tears’ followers, who drained her of hope again and left her to die.

    My mothers found her as well and paid for her hospital bills; not that she was ever likely to wake up, even with all the magic I can access now - Some things are just beyond recovery.

    That isn’t the entire story. But if someone is recording my thoughts for future generations, well, let’s just say that there are some things I wouldn’t reveal yet; some suspense is to be kept.

    My mothers’ business was a small Italian Restaurant, one which produced some of the best Pizzas in our home: Infinity City, a city built where the Olympic National Park should be standing in my native world. I was eating one of their best Margherita Pizzas even as my first mother, Catalina Moretti, asked me about how I was doing and about my now-boyfriend, Daniel.

    “You’ve talked about how he and his brother were your best friends in your past life; they and… One other person.”

    I nodded, remembering them. They were a biological female who was as comfortable with a male image as a female one, who switched between both not out of sexual desire but rather as an affirmation of identity.

    What was their name again? Their new name; not their birth name? Or were they one of the people who merely altered or modified their birth name?

    A flash of memory as I remembered them: Alex. But why was their face unclear?

    Another flash: They themselves erased my memory, but they were definitely reborn in this universe.

    I trusted them. I still do. If they did that to me, it must have been with my agreement. As my second mother, Eleonora Brizzi-Moretti, entered the dining room, she brushed aside her long dark hair, revealing her leaf-shaped ears (usually concealed through Changeling Magic), she smiled and said, “You’re one blessed with true friends; would you prefer to live with them forever, or will you continue your Quest?”

    Still sitting down on the upholstered wooden chair, I finished a slice of pizza before continuing, “I must take the Queen of Tears’ place. Changeling Magic is the best way to do that without falling into the trap of following one of the other ‘Twilight Queens’. And by ‘Queens’, I mean ‘Spiritual Guides’, not actual monarchs although it’s easy to confuse the two.”

    Catalina - First Mom - looked at me, her somewhat chubby face and heavy build emphasizing her frown and the sad, doe-like eyes that made her feelings plain.

    “Mom,” I told her, “I love you, but I love the world too - We have a chance to make things better, the chance to make things right. If the King of Cups and its Invocation is restored, and power can be drawn from it, it’d be a step towards…”

    Freeing humanity from the maze of mortal slavery and supernatural predation. Breaking the monopolies of power both mundane and magical. Something the Old World of Darkness kept harping on about while mixing their content with hypocrisy, a hatred for modern technology and civilization, and misanthropy.

    A hand on each of my shoulders; it was both of my mothers. I broke down into tears as I saw how their faces were downcast with worry, their eyes unconsciously looking this way and that, seeking a way to help.

    “It’s so heavy,” I blurted out through my sobs, “A cause worth fighting for, but no guarantee of winning. Maybe winning isn’t even an option, maybe I’ll be fighting forever. But I want this better future - For myself, for Daniel and Leon, for Alex…”

    Eleonora - Second Mom - said gravely, “Your quest will take you beyond this world, to the center of the Freehold where there is a gate to The Hedge which separates our world and Arcadia. It took us a lot of favors to get the leader of the Freehold to allow you and maybe your friends to open said gate. Even then, all we gave up will be returned to us if you quit now; no consequences beyond not being able to do so again for a year and a day.”

    I chuckled wryly. For a year and a day; Arcadia had made it so that Changelings were creatures of narrative, bound by roles and tropes and the rules of fairy tales and other genres of story. Problem is, in real life; stories never truly end.

    It took a few more minutes to get my tears (The Queen of Tears must be enjoying the irony) out of my system before I gave my final answer and said, “Daniel and Leon need to learn how to use their magic better. Each of us is a peer to a True Fae, assuming that I got my lore from before my rebirth correctly. We can tackle their force with equal force of our own, and their trickery with our own intelligence. But once they are done learning how to use their Magic more effectively, we’re going to the Hedge and maybe even Arcadia to get the power needed to become the new King of Cups and redeem Alhambra.”

    My eyes glinted with reflected light from the setting sun and in a tone that I firmed up with teenage determination, I said, “And once Alhambra is redeemed, once these Chronicles of Darkness are rewritten, I will come back to my old world with my powers and my skills. I will remind the people there that they matter, that they deserve more than what they’ve got.”

    Second Mom looked at me, her dark eyes meeting my blue ones, before saying, “Be careful. Even without falling to a Twilight Queen themselves, you might still fall to their creeds. Remember; you yourself said even the Queen of Tears wasn’t evil in the beginning - Her turn began from a better place, to protect her own family and nation.”

    I nodded in acknowledgment and said, “That’s where Changeling Oaths come in; the most powerful ones can be modified into a failsafe which will kill me if I ever become a villain.”

    Finishing my pizza, cleaning my mouth with a napkin with an overdramatic flourish as though I had drunk blood, I looked at my shocked mothers before saying, “Now, let’s go to the Freehold’s own King, shall we? Summer is ending and so is his allotted time of rule, but we definitely have the time to see him.”

    Daniel and Leon, Alex, don’t worry; all will be well.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2022
  27. Zxzx24

    Zxzx24 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2020
    Messages:
    605
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    Town full of people who know whats its like to be ripped from home, family, friends, and thrust into an alien world. Yeah. Yeah they do.

    Debatable. Miracles do happen, but finding one can be the challenge. Or paying the price demanded of them.

    ...Im gonna guess Demon?

    That is. Very dangerous.

    I feel like they are probably gonna get their asses kicked left right and center. Hopefully they learn a bit.

    This is what we call in the business. Tempting fate.

    Hopefully hes quick and clever.
     
    Repentant_Dragos likes this.
  28. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Want a spoiler in DMs?
     
    Zxzx24 likes this.
  29. Zxzx24

    Zxzx24 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2020
    Messages:
    605
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    Nah keep the surprise :V
     
    Lemonbarb and Repentant_Dragos like this.
  30. Repentant_Dragos

    Repentant_Dragos Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2020
    Messages:
    1,615
    Likes Received:
    2,829
    Do you know anyone who can both read and post a comment in this thread?
     
Loading...