Former @misssweetmel here, been lurking for a bit deciding whether to continue with my old blog or create a new one. Tumblr has changed a lot since I left, and I changed too, so I decided to start anew! My interests remain the same, but now I have new ones as well and newfound spite for other social media websites! XD
This blog will be mainly to post fanfiction and enjoy fandom and videogames/anime, occasionally other out of topic things I might like or feel strongly about!
You can find tags below for easier navigation, this post is under construction and will be updated as the blog grows!
Taadaa~
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Fics:
January 2026 30 Day Challenge also on AO3
June 2026 Weekend Challenge also on AO3
Other fics
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Tags:
Final Fantasy
Sonic The Hedgehog
Dragon Age
Persona
Kingdom Hearts
Devil May Cry
Avatar
Psychonauts
Crossover
My thoughts on stuff
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FAQ:
Can I request a fic?
I can't promise anything as I currently don't have a lot of free time, but I would love to write small commissions, drop a message or ask and I'll see what I can do! 😁
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Statement of Generative AI Use:
I certify that no generative AI is ever used in the planning, writing or editing of any fic or fanart that I make, and that I do not allow any of it to be fed to any LLM machine. I believe the usage of artificially generated content is not only lazy and souless, but it should also be highly discouraged. All fandom activity should be done out of passion and joy.
Summary: Ashe's coronation is happening soon and she reflects back on her journey
Also on AO3
Dalmasca will rise again.
Of that much she is certain.
The war took everything from her. Her father, her husband, her kingdom, her birthright. It would've taken herself had she not been assisted by her friends.
Balthier, the sky pirate, runaway heir of House Bunansa.
Fran, the Viera who turned her back on the woods for reasons only she knew.
Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, newly-apopointed emperor of Archadia, only a child forced to turn on his own brother to right the Empire's wrongs.
Vaan and Penelo, Rabanastran youth caught in the webs of a war which had already taken too much from them.
Basch fon Ronsenburg, the soldier framed for murdering her late father King Raminas, tortured and left to rot for two years in the dungeons.
The war took everything from them, and in loss they bonded. Be it chance or fate, the truth is that meeting them, having their unyielding support was crucial for the restoration of the kingdom. For her own survival.
She closed her eyes, feeling the gentle warmth of the evening sun tenderly kissing her face.
Dalmascans know the desert like the palm of their lover's hands, they slide through the dunes like her fingers through blond hair, like calloused hands on the waves of her body, they become one with the land like sand and water in Ogir-Yensa Sandsea, like two lovers shifting together in waves under the desert moonlight. The motherland is brutal to the unprepared, the harsh winds fustigating the spirit while the ruthless wild beasts beat the body, but those who prove their worth can quench their thirst in its bountiful oasis.
Her eyes slowly opened again, taking in the city, the people, the horizon.
Those like herself. Ashe. Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca, the rightful ruler of this land. But to her friends, just Ashe. She never had to work hard in her life before the murder of her father, she never had to hide her regal upbringing, she never had to travel by foot through the desert, the plains, the jungle or the mountains. She never had to cross caves full of bats and monsters, never imagined herself disturbing a tomb or fighting forces of nature. She wouldn't have done any of those things without her esteemed friends.
But a question plagues her mind. Is she truly worthy of her destiny? She is the only surviving daughter of the royal family, direct descendant of the Dynast King Raithwall, her heritage is indubitable. She was raised to rule this nation, she never strayed from the righteous path, she never stopped fighting to restore Dalmasca, she refused to be puppeted by other nations or the Occurian, yet so many sacrifices were made just so she could reclaim the throne. Reddas. Gabranth. Vossler. Countless people she never met. Casualities of war, but death is never justified. Would things have been different,would there be less casualities and victims if she was stronger, if she had people whom she could rely on?
Her friends.
Balthier and Fran run untamed, seeking adventure and treasure. Perhaps they could occasionally station in Rabanastre and lend her a hand, but she knows she can't leash them.
She can't ask Vaan or Penelo, much of their youth already wasted to war. No, not yet at least, they should enjoy what she has never been given a chance to.
Larsa is but a child with the weight of an empire on his small shoulders. She would always welcome him and hope to help guide his path, but he has a lot to learn on his own.
Basch... Basch chose to honor his twin brother's dying wish, taking on his identity to accompany Larsa and "further the cause of peace in Ivalice". She wondered if he walked with less burden, less guilt, less shame. No more honorable man was there in Ivalice, and if she was being truthful, his absence weighed heavily on her.
Times were shifting, it was time to mourn the past and the fallen, to carry their legacy forward, it was time to correct the mistakes of yore, to rebuild and start anew. Her trials were just getting started and she had to steel herself, hold her head high, the eyes and hopes of an entire nation entirely on her.
She'd already sent out an invitation for her coronation, and Larsa already confirmed their presence. She knew Vaan and Penelo would be there, and she expected Balthier and Fran to make an appearance too, after all what better place for leads to new treasure than a royal coronation? There was yet time, but she anticipated seeing her friends there, and even though she was not one to indulge in daydreaming, she imagined their familiar voices calling out to her again. Ashe. Not Her Royal Majesty, Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. No, just Ashe to them.
Summary: She was meant to spy on him, not the other way around
Also on AO3
Her forehead touched the cool surface of the door as she stood outside the building.
In all of her years as part of the Guardian Corps, she had never, not once, doubted her superiors, questioned their orders, worried about any underlying intentions. Everything was direct and crystal clear, everything was executed flawlessly to make Cocoon better, safer, to improve people's lives. All Guardian Corps, PSICOM and the Cavalry worked towards that same goal, the Sanctum and the fal'Cie worked towards that same goal. Everything was done for the people of Cocoon, for Cocoon itself.
At least that's what she repeated in her head, eyes shut tight, teeth grinding so hard she was starting to get a headache.
Over a month ago, she was assigned a new role. Her orders were to follow and gather intel on five suspicious individuals. Not to engage with them, not to arrest them, simply to gather as much information as she could. She didn't question it, they would be dealt with accordingly once she assessed who they were and what kind of threat they posed. But it was an unusual order coming from higher up than her superiors in the Guardian Corps, and when they came from higher up they were to be taken as absolute, overriding whatever orders soldiers might have previously had. They were not allowed to discuss them with anybody, only follow through and report back. They were rare, there were rumours, but she only knew of Lieutenant Amodar having taken one himself, and, again, they were not allowed to discuss them. But she had a weird feeling about it, it sounded like something PSICOM was better equipped to do.
She sighed, reaching for her pocket to retrieve the card key and open the door.
She remembered opening the files and the shock of being greeted by a bunch of teenage faces taken from street cams and terminals. There were also some mugshot looking photos from their school and orphanage entries.
Orphans...
It stirred something within her, something that she couldn't quite name but it felt odd. Maybe it was because they were so close on age to herself and her sister, maybe because they had become orphans themselves not too many years ago, or maybe it was the almost violent interest with which the Sanctum moved to gather information about dissidents while at the same time not moving at all to offer support before people became desperate and turned to crime.
She studied the files carefully.
Birth name: ???
Registered name: Maqui
Age: Approximately 17
Relatives: Unknown
Affiliations: New Dawn Orphanage, Esthar Primary School, Doga Middle School, Ridorana High School
Notes: reported as having a short attention span, reported as gifted in tech, frequently seen in Bodhum
Birth name: ???
Registered name: Yuj
Age: Approximately 19
Relatives: Unknown
Affiliations: New Dawn Orphanage, Esthar Primary School, Paramina Middle School, Ridorana High School
Notes: reported as gifted in art, frequently seen in Bodhum
Birth name: [CLASSIFIED]
Registered name: Lebreau
Age: Approximately 19
Relatives: [CLASSIFIED]
Affiliations: New Dawn Orphanage, Esthar Primary School, Doga Middle School, Ridorana High School
Notes: frequently seen in Bodhum
Birth name: ???
Registered name: Gadot
Age: Approximately 21
Relatives: Unknown
Affiliations: New Dawn Orphanage, Deling Primary School, Doga Middle School, Ridorana High School
Notes: reported as aggressive, reported as taking odd jobs, frequently seen in Bodhum
She figured that a bunch of kids with such a background could turn to crime, but they could easily have been sent to a corrective center for misbehaving youth, maybe that was still possible for the youngest, but deploying someone to spy on them felt... invasive, and particularly because they were not discreet about their traces, far from it, there were enough datalogs to track them and pin their area of residence and activity on Bodhum, more specifically centered around an establishment that worked both as a café/bar and a club. Undeclared financial gains, she imagined as the reason for being assigned this task. That, and she was the closest agent in the area, it was easier for her to observe them while living in the same city.
Her eyes lingered on the last file.
Birth name: ??? Villiers
Registered name: Snow Villiers
Age: Approximately 21
Relatives: Unknown
Affiliations: New Dawn Orphanage, Deling Primary School, Doga Middle School, Ridorana High School
Notes: reported as good at boxing classes before dropping out, reported as taking odd jobs, frequently seen in Bodhum
She stood there staring at the guy's face while planning how to go about her mission. If they ran an establishment, she could just go as a customer as long as she didn't raise suspicion. But just to play it safe she decided to lurk in the vicinity of the café before going in head first.
The next day she lurked in the vicinity of the café, observing if there was any suspicious cargo going in or out, or shady people gathering there at late hours. It worked as intended, a food/drinks/leisure establishment, she figured she could just go as a customer as long as she didn't raise suspicion.
The following day, she went in, taking her personal computer and pretending to work while gathering information. She saw all the people from the files at some point, that is, except for Gadot and that Snow guy. Everything she observed was mundane and they were friendly in the few instances they interacted. Everything was normal, too normal.
The day after, she went in again pretending, keeping the busy career woman façade. This time she saw everyone but Snow. From what she gathered, Lebreau ran the place and cooked, Yuj was a waiter and a bartender, Maqui was a waiter as well, but also their tech expert, Gadot was in charge of bringing in their supplies, taking out trash and keeping an eye out for misbehaving clients. These were not fixed roles, they would help one another if needed. Their mundane conversations didn't reveal anything suspicious, Lightning would have to place a recording device and track them outside the café. She hated it, she felt like a stalker, but if the Sanctum had a reason to assign her this task, she would find out whatever was going on with these guys.
The following days she followed them, observed their every move, every single interaction, every single activity log from terminals they used. They talked a lot about very normal things, the only not-so-common topic was their desire to become independent, grow their own food, live in community with nature. It was... unusual, the fal'Cie could provide everything, but she could empathize with their distrust, she too had everything taken away from her in a blink of an eye, and it was best to rely on yourself and your family instead of society or the gods. She would never say it out loud of course, but she could understand why they felt so strongly against that dependence, especially when all of them seemingly grew up relying only on one another. And they were very open about their feelings, especially towards Snow. They all venerated him as their charismatic leader, even when he was barely around. He was the hardest to track, the most careful about leaving traces, she was able to see him twice very briefly, he was always on the move, but both times he showed that he could stand his ground and fight, be it monsters or drunkards hitting on Lebreau. He was... impressive, despite all of his strength and imposing figure, he was also kind-hearted and had a magnetic personality. Not that it mattered, he was not her type, too laid back, positive and carefree to the point of slightly irritating her.
But at times it felt like she could just walk up to him and strike a conversation. It was easy to forget that she was on a mission, and once she almost did, almost got caught. For a moment, from Snow's pause and stillness, she was almost sure he noticed her, noticed that he was being watched, but then his friends broke the silence to ask him if everything was alright and he gave a laid-back "yeah, don't worry about it".
After two weeks or so of spying, there was nothing unusual about them. Their little coffee shop was pretty much normal. So normal in fact that she spotted her own sister there once and had to hurriedly sneak out before Serah took notice and blew her cover. Seeing her there took Lightning by surprise, and when she got home she questioned Serah about it.
"The seaside café? Yeah, I go there sometimes with my school friends."
"What do you mean, if I've seen anything weird? Like illegal activity? Do you think they are involved in shady stuff?"
"No, not at all, they're nice and I've never seen them doing anything strange."
"... well, they have these sort of book club evenings where people go there and discuss books or movies, and it turns into a whole political debate."
"Sometimes they're a bit critical of the way Cocoon works, but they're free to have different opinions, it's not illegal to criticize the Sanctum as far as I know."
Serah was right, of course. Cocoon was a free world, they could point fingers to the things that didn't work, they could try to live more independently, that was not reason enough to become people of interest to the Sanctum.
... and yet Lightning felt a nervousness starting to act in her stomach.
She started drafting her report that same night, writing down irrelevant information that she learned about her targets, about their food preferences and other things that portrayed them as random citizens, random consumers. She noted down their routines and interpersonal relationships, keeping things as vague and uninteresting as possible. She wasn't omitting information, these people were not criminals, their hearts were in the right place and the revolutionary fire of youth would likely weaken once they got older and more responsible. They were no cause of concern to the Sanctum, and she hoped her theory of undeclared financial gains was the issue, or something even lesser.
Lightning submitted the report the next day, did her hours and was now returning home. She closed the door behind her and removed her shoes.
"Serah, I'm home." She called out, hearing some rustling and her sister seemingly talking to someone. Maybe some slumber party, she was always out of the loop with Serah, but she would make it up now that her mission was over.
"Lightning, you're finally here! There's someone I want you to meet!"
As soon as she said these words, it was as if time slowed down and Lightning felt her heart rate spike as she spotted a familiar blond man turn around the corner, his eyes locking on her as if he'd been expecting to see her.
"This is my boyfriend Snow!" Serah's words echoed in the distance as all Lightning could see was that stupid smug grin that spread across the man's face. He looked at her sister and then back at her, taunting, mocking her.
His heart stands on the edge of the abyss, one jump and his life is over or born anew.
A moan, swallowed by a hot mouth over his. A kiss, wet and deep and almost violent, a clash of raging flames and a tsunami of a thousand days of yearning. He pulls away for a short breath, a second of clarity before plunging back to his death.
A sumptuous feast and a reunion long awaited. Chatter and laughter. All of their friends are present. The joyous noise of the night almost muffling the sound of his name being called. Almost.
Lips drag across his neck, hands drag across his body, mapping all the sweet spots like a private treasure hunt.
He turns his head towards the caller, who leans to whisper into his ear. Warmth. Light. Him. A short question, pulling him into a stretched dialogue. The sweet wine goes down and the heat goes up.
Clothes too tight, tossed away in desperation. Skin burning, melting their bodies together.
Secret glances, mischievous smiles. A touch that lingers, a request to leave, lust and wanton overriding the mind.
A hand that travels south, warping around the handle of this trainwreck of a night, and the room spins, the world spins, his head spins.
They can't walk straight, leaning on each other to cross the corridors. Dinner forgotten. Your room or mine. An innocent question really, a joke maybe, but something bubbling underneath the surface and it wasn't alcohol.
His tongue trails lower, replacing the hand
Mind intoxicated, eyes burning feverishly, an answer that took too long, a kiss that didn't. A kaleidoscope of sensations and feelings.
He considers the cost. His heart stands on the edge of the abyss, one jump and his life is over or born anew. A night of pleasure. A lifetime of regrets. Or regrets of a night that never happens and a lifetime of restraint.
It’s sad to see phoenix repeat that he has no talent whatsoever, I want to think he was a good painter!!! 😭
Now imagining he hadn’t picked a pencil or a brush ever since changing faculty major, and only did so again because he needed an outlet for his struggles about edgeworth leaving…
I’m so sure in that year he filled notebooks with angry scribbles and sad letters 😔
The people and the friends that we have lost,
or the dreams that have faded...
Never forget them.
In Okinawan dialect, the Hibiscus tiliaceus (sea hibiscus) is called Yuuna. The flower meaning is 楽しい思い出 (tanoshii omoide = happy memories). Considering her ending words in FFX, it's very apt for her and her story.
The sea hibiscus grows in coast areas, just like Besaid. It's a one-day flower, meaning it blooms in the morning and falls at sunset. It's yellow when it blooms and slowly grows orangier and then red at sunset, when it falls. It's somewhat bittersweet then that the hibiscus Yuuna has on her obi is red...
