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samgirl98 · 9 months ago

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A Dip and a Slip 4/?

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I'm sorry that it's been over a year since I updated. I have no excuse😅

Danny tensed as soon as the power went out. Besides him, Danny felt Sam’s muscles coil, ready for any attack. She brought her clutch closer to her, where he knew she had a few small weapons stored. Around them, Danny saw different reactions. He could tell the Gothamites apart from the outsiders. The Gothamites were muttering and taking off jewelry calmly. The outsiders, barring Sam’s parents, were wide eyes and asking fearfully what was happening.

“Everyone, please keep calm,” Bruce Wayne came out of nowhere, talking calmly, Damian Wayne scowling by his father’s side. “We’re trying to turn on the generators as we speak. Everyone, remain ca—.”

The windows shattered as agents in white suits burst through them. Once again, the Gothamites were undisturbed. They ducked under tables or any covers they could find without thinking twice while the non-natives screamed and ran around, getting injured in the process.

“Nobody move! We’re Ghost Investigation Ward from the US government implementing the Federal Anti-Ecto Control Act! We know there are ecto-entities in the vicinity and are here to—umph!”

Danny didn’t have the patience to hear Agent K’s whole spiel. He hadn’t hesitated in drop-kicking the agent and didn’t flinch when Agent O pointed a weapon at him. He felt smug as Agent K got up with a dark shoeprint, marring his pristine white jacket, knowing it would cause the agent distress. From the corner of his vision, Danny saw both Waynes tense and get in a fighting stance.

“Who dares get in the way of the US Govern—Fenton,” Agent O growled, paling slightly. Without missing a beat, every agent in the room turned their whirring weapon toward Danny.

Danny scowled at the agents. The evening had just got interesting.

____

The only thing keeping Damian back was his father’s hand on his shoulder. Damian’s brother was in front of him. There were weapons pointed at him, and his father wasn’t letting Damian protect him. Though Damian could agree that his brother’s kick was impressive, that didn’t mean he could defend himself from all those agents; he didn’t have training yet.

“Oracle, find out what this Anti-Ecto Control Act is,” Father whispered into the comms. “Nightwing, Red Robin, be on the ready, but don’t do anything yet.”

“On it, B,” Oracle answered.

“Understood,” Nightwing said, “be careful down there.”

Damian moved his jacket a bit, hoping his mother was getting a clear signal of what was being said.

Samantha got in front of Daniel, clearly shielding him from the weapons.

“The Anti-Ecto Acts were repealed a few months ago for violating the Metahuman protection laws. You no longer have any jurisdiction. You’re here illegally terrorizing US citizens,” Manson said, her voice carrying clearly throughout the room.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Manson stood beside their daughter.

“Isn’t it bad enough that you left our little town in shambles with your ridiculous law? Now you’re causing trouble in another city that clearly doesn’t have a ghost problem?” Mrs. Manson said in a haughty voice.

Ghost problem?

“We sued you once and won. We can do it again. Especially since you’re causing trouble in Wayne Manor,” added Mr. Manson.

His father took that as his cue and cleared his throat. Soon, every weapon had been turned toward his father. He didn’t flinch.

“Gentlemen, if you could tell me why you’re in my house and refrain from pointing live weapons at my guests, I would appreciate that.”

“Guys, this Anti-Ecto Control Act is crazy. It gave the US Government the right to quote, ‘hunt, detain, and experiment on any entity or person who produces, filters, or absorbs ectoplasm at the discretion of the USA Federal government and any person or organization they permit to.’”

“Samantha Manson is right. This was a clear violation of the Metahuman Protection Laws. It passed when Luthor was President. It was repealed a few months ago when the Mansons, Fentons, and Vlad Masters brought it up to Justice League Dark. Bruce, how did we miss this?”

“Hn,” Father grunted softly.

How indeed? The family was usually on top of things like this. Well, Father did make it an unwritten rule not to mess with Justice League Dark. He hated magic and usually depended on Dark to tell them things at their bi-yearly meeting. Even then, though, it was at the discretion of the members of Dark, and they weren’t usually the most forthcoming type.

Damian would have to convince his father to follow Justice League Dark closer because this law was something everyone in the JL should have known about.

“Mr. Wayne, you and your guests are in trouble. We detected multiple ecto-entities on the premises and are here to protect you and any civilian in danger.”

“The only danger I see here are you and your men pointing weapons at my guests. Not to mention, you have destroyed my personal property and endangered my guests with the raining glass,” he said while waving a hand toward a few people who were bleeding and trembling.

Thankfully, guests were starting to leave now that the agents were paying attention to his father.

“Leave my manor, now.”

“Now, Mr. Wayne, we’re only here to help,” Agent O said while approaching them.

“Ecto-entity detected ahead,” a robotic voice said.

“Attack,” a random voice said, and soon, every weapon was aimed and ready to fire at Damian. Damian tensed, ready to jump and dodge, while his father moved before him.

“Hold your fire,” Agent O yelled, but it was too late. Damian saw a green beam coming toward them.

Before it could hit its mark, Daniel stepped in front of them, and a green shield appeared. Before Damian and father could react, Daniel had attacked. From where he stood, Damian could see Daniel wearing some electric gauntlet. He pushed a few buttons, and the shield shrunk. Before Damian could even blink, he saw Daniel punching the agent closest to him and then went into a seamless kick to the following few agents.

Daniel was trained. Not in the way of the League, but he knew how to fight.

There was no way his twin brother was a regular civilian.

Even though Damian was shocked, he was about to attack an agent that had gotten behind his brother, his secret identity be damned. Before he could, though, Samantha had done a backflip and kicked the agent in the back. Even the elder Mansons had joined the fight. Mrs. Manson was using her decorative scarf to choke a female agent. Mr. Manson had taken out a white and green ray gun from who knows where and was shooting a few agents, stunning them in their tracks.

Thankfully, by that point, most of the guests had left. His father whispered something into the comms. Damian wasn’t paying attention; he was running toward his brother.

Before reaching Daniel, he saw his brother take Samantha’s wrist and spun her around. She used the momentum to kick several agents in the face. Then she did a backflip in the air, took out a mini-ray gun that was on her wrist, and blasted a few other agents.

“Stand down,” Agent K yelled, “That’s a Fenton! That’s a Fento—umph!”

Daniel had kneed Agent K on the face and leaped away from the Agent, “Fuck yeah, I’m a Fenton, and you’re done!”

Daniel was running toward the agent again but stopped when Nightwing and Red Robin got in front of him.

“Don’t worry, we got this,” Nightwing said.

Damian finally got to his twin’s side. He took Daniel’s wrist and forced him to hide under a table. Even though it pissed him off, he got under the table, too, not wanting to be far from his twin.

Damian took the phone out of his back pocket.

“Mother, Daniel has been retrieved and is by my side under a table. Don’t worry, I will not let anything happen to him,” he spoke in the League’s language.

“Dude, I totally had that! And was that Nightwing? That’s so cool!”

Daniel was about to poke his head out when Damian pulled him back.

“Dude, what is your damage? I have to make sure my girlfriend is fine. Also, as cool as they are, I doubt Nightwing and the other one know how to deal with the Guys in White.”

Guys in White? Hadn’t they introduced themselves as the Ghost Investigation Ward?

Before Damian could ask, Samantha got under the table with them.

“Danny, are you hurt?”

“Nah, they’re idiots as usual. They all missed,” Daniel said with mirth. Damian could admit to himself that Daniel’s lackluster responses disturbed him. What had his brother gone through? And why was the Fenton name so important to those so-called agents?

“How’s it looking out there,” Daniel asked.

“Nightwing and Red Robin have got it. You should’ve seen it! They took them out with no problem.”

“So, we can leave the table?”

“Tt, I think it would be better to wait for the proper authorities. We should probably call the Justice League, too.”

“Oh, yeah, you just have the Justice League on speed dial.”

“Not me, father,” Damian said smugly, trying to impress Daniel. It had the opposite effect.

“Of course, all billionaires are crazy,” he said disgustingly. Damian frowned.

Damian was about to defend his father when he heard her.

“Where is he? Where’s my son?”

Mother had arrived.

I have been told time and time again that my action scenes are good, but every time, I don't believe it and feel like what I have written is subpar at best. Hopefully, people are correct, and this action scene came out well.

A little background: I was tired of Justice League Dark not being called more often in these fics. They deal with the supernatural, so of course, they will fight against these laws. That doesn't mean they have to tell the JL everything. Mostly, they were afraid that members of the JL (Superman) were gonna investigate Amity Park and get possessed, so they kept in on the hush-hush and put a 'do not disturb' on their files in the hopes of dissuading the JL from going in case they stumbled upon the little town.

Anyway, up next, Talia has to fight for Danny cuz the Fentons are not going to let their baby boy go.

#A dip and a slip #dc x dp #dp x dc

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hollowed-theory-hall · 5 months ago

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hey! i’m not sure whether you’ve read the percy jackson books or not, but i was wondering — in which cabin would you place harry? like, which god would he be descended from?

i’m only asking because, well, first of all i’m genuinely curious, and second of all it’s become somewhat of a trend on tiktok — this thing with placing characters from different fandoms into each cabin. and many many people associate harry with zeus, i assume because of the lighting which supposedly ties in with his scar?

i mean, yes, i could see that working for harry, what with him being quite a good leader when he needs to be, the fame tied to his name, etcetera.

buuuuut i would strongly consider him as being a descendant of hades. just to list off some of their core powers: necromancy, sensitivity to death, they can sense/see someone’s life aura and there’s also a skull ring which makes the nearest dead restless upon twisting it. like come onnnnnnn

I have read Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series (though, I consider the second of these and all subsequent series non-canon, and it's why I didn't watch the new show. I just think Rick Riordan doesn't actually know his own characters. When I read HoO, Percy was just, not Percy, and it annoyed me so much I dropped the series after Mark of Athena, but I digress). I used to love the PJO books in, like, 7th grade. I was a PJO girl before I was an HP girl.

(I also reread the first 3 PJO books 4 years ago, so I remember some stuff from it. Not as much as I remember for HP, but when I was 12 I could just, recite the entire first PJO book. I can't do so anymore)

Honestly, the lighting shape of Harry's scar has more to do with Hades than with Zeus. In HP, lighting is repeatedly used as a symbol of death:

Harry's scar, left behind by the Killing Curse is shaped like lightning.

When Dumbledore is killed by the same curse, the Astronomy Tower is referred to in the chapter title as "The Lightning-Struk Tower".

When Harry describes the killing curse, it's described as "lightning-like":

“Avada Kedavra!” The green light filled the cramped hallway, it lit the pram pushed against the wall, it made the banisters glare like lightning rods, and James Potter fell like a marionette whose strings were cut. . . .

(DH, 296)

Harry's scar is lightning shaped because it symbolizes death.

Not to mention the Deathly Hallows and him being the Master of Death and an actual descendant of the Peverells who made them. Like you said, there's a lot to support that he's a descendant of Hades based on it.

Not to mention he really does feel death, or, at least the Killing Curse as I mentioned in this post:

Moody raised his wand, and Harry felt a sudden thrill of foreboding. “Avada Kedavra!” Moody roared. There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through the air — instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. Several of the students stifled cries; Ron had thrown himself backward and almost toppled off his seat as the spider skidded toward him. [...] So that was how his parents had died . . . exactly like that spider. Had they been unblemished and unmarked too? Had they simply seen the flash of green light and heard the rush of speeding death, before life was wiped from their bodies?

(GoF, 216)

But, I also want to bring up the fact that Harry speaks Parseltongue into consideration.

This brings up the caduceus, Hermes' staff, which has two intertwined snakes or the Rode of Asclepius, which is a staff with one snake coiling around it — both staffs are connected to medicine and the god Apollo (Apollo gifted Hermes his staff and is the father of Asclepius). And Apollo is associated with snakes in his stories in general, so, you could make an argument for the Apollo cabin as well.

The snake specifically references Apollo's victory over Python and the establishment of the Oracle of Delphi. So the snake, as a symbol of Apollo, represents prophecy (and that's just as relevant to Harry’s life as death. Apollo as the god of medicine and plague is also associated with death, albeit from a different angle). Not to mention, Crows/Ravens as messengers of prophecy are also symbols of Apollo. Harry's talent as a flyer and his love of gold things fits with Apollo better than with Hades (in PJO, Apollo is the driver of the sun chariot, not Helios. Giving us flight and gold).

(And Harry spends so much time in the hospital wing, yk...)

Also, Harry's polyjuice potion turns gold. Gold is a color usually associated with the sun in alchemy, so it also lends itself to Apollo (and godly ichor in PJO, in general, but the series aren't working with the same rules of magic).

So, I can see an argument for either Hades or Apollo, really. (These are the two I thought of at least when I saw your ask).

Personally, I think a more distant Hades descendant on his father’s side (Peverell) and then Lily as a daughter of Apollo could be really fun for Harry. Becouse he'd be placed in the Apollo cabin but have the aura of a Hades kid (and have more Hades powers than Apollo ones. Like, he'd speak to snakes (Apollo) with no healing or musical ability whatsoever, but could sense death and have the fear aura, but not constantly (Hades)), and he'll just confuse everyone, and I think that'll be funny.

(I just want him to have both James and Lily as parents! I can't give up on either of them and make him a full demigod! Maybe they had a threesome with Apollo/Hades instead of the above, and godly genetics made it work, so Harry has three parents in this AU? Then he'd be like Gilgamesh)

#harry potter #hp #hollowedrambling #pjo #percy jackson and the olympians #godly parent #harry james potter #hp au #pjo au #just for funsies

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tsunael · 1 year ago

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wolcred week | 1. 'the first.'

They all knew it was coming. Either their brightest star would claim the last of the Light, or the Light would claim her.

What were they to do but careen to their inevitable deaths? He had sacrificed one lamb for another, and now a third was to be laid upon the butcher's block. How many must die so that another might live?

He would not forget the sight of the woman before him, holding her outstretched hands aloft as the curtain of Light parted one last time to reveal the night sky in all her glory. Menphina smiled down in a smirk of a crescent for their efforts, and just as she had appeared, was the curtain drawn once again.

He didn’t need an aetherometer to see that Tsuna was suffused– the aether was thick, cloying enough to be seen. The ewer of her body failed to contain it, finally splitting at the seams for a means of escape.

Their ascian friend dealt the final blow. The Exarch, in his well-meaning duplicity, left for dead. And then Tsuna slumped to the ground, just as lifeless.

He ought to be angry– furious– for Urianger’s joint deception, for his own empty hands, or for the cards Sister Fate had dealt them time and time again, but the queer feeling roiling within him was not one of anger, but of fear. He stood there, powerless, shaking to his core whilst the twins rushed to Tsuna’s aid alongside Ryne.

Even Minfilia could not wholly extinguish the Light– she could only freeze it in time– and as Ryne sank to her knees beside the supine woman in hopes of doing the same, he could only watch in abject horror.

“Give her room,” he barked, though the twins were undeserving of his ire as he approached. They still took a collective step back.

Brilliant white blood readily trickled from Tsuna’s nose, and by way of her laboured breathing it was evident that she was being torn apart by a force of which a layman could not hope to see. Something within Tsuna was stirring, whether it was brought about by her own will, or by Ryne’s suppression, he couldn’t know.

It began first in her hands as they twitched and grasped for purchase, then her spine as it coiled. Her eyes snapped open, hungry and searching, as she lunged for the Oracle’s throat in hopes of supping upon the wellspring.

Thancred fell to his knees, wrestling the woman onto her back as an inhuman screech tore from her throat. “Don't stop!” he cried out, harsh with concerted effort. There was an unnatural strength burgeoning within her tiny frame that even as a man grown he struggled to contend with, and if Ryne did not finish the ritual, it would swallow them whole.

Ryne was shaken, but nothing if not determined. The power flowed through her once more, and Tsuna’s struggles came to a head. She thrashed upon the ground against his weight, spitting blood, and gnashing teeth. She would bite her tongue if it kept up-- he could barely hold her steady long enough for Ryne to work in her magicks.

“In our lifetime, please!”

"I'm trying!" "Ryne made a frustrated growl of effort as a bead of sweat rolled down her cheek. The very aether about them seemed to compress, tangible enough that even he could feel it become leaden as it coalesced.

Tsuna cried out one last time, waning to a whine as she pushed wildly against his arms, seizing. Her legs writhed as if a sudden, great pain knifed through her. And then all was silent.

Ryne immediately flagged, catching herself on the marble. Her power had all but been exhausted whilst he held the aftermath limp in his arms. Y’shtola and Urianger had begun to crowd about, to inquire, to plan, to move, but all he could do was hold the small woman in his arms, and pray to the Twelve, unseen, that the Light did not break through once again whilst their last bastion was too weak to hold.

“Ryne,” he called, softly, intently. Apology was writ together in his tone. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, though he knew she waned, looking close to tears from it all.

He swallowed thickly, realising he shared in the sentiment.

Adjusting Tsuna’s body in his arms, he felt just how cold she had grown. They needed a chirurgeon's assistance, and to get off this Godsforsaken rock, but more than that they needed a miracle. His hands would not stop trembling.

“Ryne, you know that I would not deign to ask a favour of you.” He breathed for a long moment, hanging his head low in penance. “Gods–” He swore. “You have to help her. I– We can’t lose her to this.”

Ryne stared back at him, having caught her breath, eyes wide, and glassy. She was searching him for something he couldn't know.

She opened her mouth, before aborting the question. Finally, she pursed her lips, looking uneasy in a way that only managed to make him feel worse.

“I’ll do what I can,” she whispered, and he had no choice but to believe.

#gpose #barfs this is so...#nay I shan't say it... (cwinge)#ANYWAY IT BEGINS........... welcome to my wolcred week #7 days of hell #thinks about when he called wol their brightest star haha anyway #please help her ryne she ate so much glue #i should just make this tunasan week so it doesn't get conflated with the other one but #who gives a hoot #ALSO THANK YOU @sileniadream for giving me a tip for getting this gpose arena set up-- couldn't have done it without your crimes 🫡🫡🫡🫡#wolcred week #my writing (derogatory)

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misfortunekeep · 1 year ago

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MORE INKBLADE HEADCANONS CAUSE I CANNOT BE STOPPED

Once, they got invited to a high born party because Adaine is The Elvin Oracle and their world's saviour twice over and despite being only half a dragon (wild, untameable) some people considered them noble and an invitation was extended to him, they were forced to dance (too proud to admit you can't dance, Hakinvar? Don't tell me you've gotten rusty after years of being uninvited to these dances, Abernant?) when Adaine got a prophecy and her eyesight is gone, burned white with the power of Divinity, and so as to not be humiliated of stopping in the middle of the dance floor he pulls her close so her weight was on him and continues dancing like nothing was wrong. When she came to, he lifted her up to twirl in the air so that her sudden jolt would be disguised to look like she was surprised by his sudden maneuver. Later he is smug.

I saved you from social embarrassment, Abernant. You're welcome. No the fuck you didn't!? (There are eyes on them, they were so close and that twirl wasn't in the choreo-)

Adaine, rich kid and sister to Aelwyne Abernant, stepsister by law to Figueroth Faeth, and to an extent also stepsister by law through Fig to Fabian Seacaster, and Oisin Hakinvar, with the pride of a dragon and surrounded by the most judgemental teens to have ever walked through the doors of Aguefort Academy, have the most judgemental stare and together they embody all the disapproving posh noble bearing down on some unfortunate soul in ridicule when they are irritated and someone just said something truly astronomically stupid

Adaine is dangerous as she is, but she becomes even more when she accepts that she will probably end up with Oisin. It's an acceptance of his proposal and by doing so she has accepted to become a part of his hoard. Anyone who tried to kidnap her has met a horrible death either by the hands of herself and/or her party or, if they were lucky enough to evade their righteous fury, Oisin's dragon madness.

Walking dragon hoard Adaine is bwksnislanxjf

Walking Dragon Madness Adaine is ajsjbdakks

When they get sucked into their own world snapping at each other with sharp words and even sharper glares, thinking themselves alone (they never are), Oisin always somehow ends up draped on Adaine's back looking as smug and satisfied as a dragon atop his hoard while she hisses acidic curses

If they sleep together, Oisin is always coiled around Adaine, his body and tail covering her so that none can see her unless he moves which he never does, creating a barrier between her and the outside which settles her anxious battle weary mind, everyone has learned to steer clear from lunging distance when they try to wake them because it's when they're asleep and just waking that Oisin's his most Draconic, attacking the intruder near his hoard before he realizes they're in the football field and their friends are here to wake them up because the sun is setting and they need to go home

#dimension 20 #inkblade #fhjy #adaine x oisin #oisaine

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plounce · 2 years ago

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made this chart because i think the role/class assignments are such fun pieces of characterization for story NPCs! information pulled from here.

footnotes under the cut:

many NPCs have fancy titles instead of job names - for example, ysayle is referred to as "oracle of ice", and pre-edw alphinaud is an "academician". the jobs i marked them as are pulled from the icons of their classes + the movesets they use.

i didn't include the nameless fill-in NPCs like "temple chirurgeon" or "scion lancer". i am aware that the ARR duty support npcs have dialogue and mini-arcs, but that isn't relevant to my interest in making this chart. and sorry to j'moldva and any fans she has, but she also does not meet the threshold of character significance to be included in the chart.

thancred, urianger, and alphinaud can only dps in specific duty support instances: thancred in the antitower (if he tanks, this is the only time he can GLD - without a shield equipped! uh oh), alphinaud during hvw & stb, and urianger in the mothercrystal (if the player heals, alphinaud is your other healer). y'shtola will only heal in the burn and edw patch dungeons (funny, since her introductory epithet is "cultured conjurer"). all of these can only be used in duty support and not in trust, so they are on the cusps of their overlaps, not properly in them, as i feel this more accurately reflects their actual roles.

alphinaud functions as a scholar with his special massive carby. urianger also pulls out an even bigger carby to somehow be a summoner ("lithomancer") who can use bahamut and phoenix, but not the other three egis! due to his involvement in the bahamut coils raids?

there are no pure healers, outside of the fill-in NPCs!

DPS is a girl job, tanking is a boy job, and healer is equality. ysayle and venat are the only women who can tank, and both use a sword & shield, which makes me want to eat drywall, also i'm also kissing them both on the mouth.

apparently samurais can tank (🔄Third Eye🔄) and apparently gladiators are DPS.

g'raha is notable outside of being an all-rounder in that all of his jobs are, well, jobs. the majority of characters use class icons, while he gets to be full-fledged versions of all of these things. something something soul crystals / the crystal tower / the exarch / etc etc. frankly i'm a little fuzzy on soul crystal lore. i just think this is an interesting distinction.

if you're interested in this kind of stuff, @trustinsighters is a great resource for character dialogue, actions, and many more interesting details in the characters' programming in duty support and trust dungeons! they have great infographics and videos, including localization differences. one of my favorite accounts. their twitter has charts for every trust dungeon from shb onwards, and high-res versions are available on their kofi!

now look at my wol's adorable starlight RDM fit. isn't she so cute. she's my angel. i think about her lore and i weep. her heart is so Good. tomte peregrin on maduin ♥

that is all.

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #chirps #robffxiv

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lev-berryz · 4 months ago

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Rafayel's Oddyssey ch2

Synopsis: In Ancient Greece, you encounter an unknown ocean deity.

Pairing: Rafayel x Reader

Tags: Greek mythos, God of Tides, angst, it will get worse later on

WC: 2,628

Chapter 1

Tears cascade down my cheeks as I lie curled upon the coarse, gritty sand, choking on memories of my mother's laughter, her warmth contrasting sharply with this cold reality. My body shakes with sobs, worlds apart from all that I once knew. Rafayel stands rigid, refusing to meet my gaze, his frame coiled tight, as if preparing for an unbearable blow. "Why?" I choke out, the raw anguish in my voice resonating against the ceaseless rhythm of the waves, crashing far too serenely for my shattered heart. Rafayel stands rigid, an unwilling sentinel to my grief, his frame coiled tight like a spring, as if bracing for the unbearable weight of my unanswered questions. The words pierce through the fragile silence, heavy with accusation.

Time stretches unbearably as we linger in this wretched moment, and when he finally speaks, his voice is a strained whisper, mingling with the salt-laden breeze. "It was not my doing," he says, his multicolored eyes darting restlessly over the bay, as if searching for salvation in the unyielding sea. I hang on his words, breath hitching, heart racing. "I was angry—yes—but I never intended to harm her; I meant to take you as payment." Each declaration cuts deeper than the last, infused with a bitterness birthed from anguish and regret. "Your mother was collateral damage," he continues, the air between us heavy with unsaid grief and guilt, "but you were the target, girl."

Tears cascade down my cheeks as I lie curled upon the coarse, gritty sand, desperate to clear the blurriness of anguish from my eyes. Memories of my mother flood back, my body shaking with sobs, as the grittiness of the sand embeds deeper into my skin, a harsh reminder of my swelling despair. The tempest of emotions colliding on Rafayel’s visage is palpable, an electric storm beneath the surface of his ethereal countenance, and for a moment, I see the celestial light flickering dimly, as if dimmed by the weight of his own sorrows. "Him," Rafayel hisses, the name emerging like a poison from his lips. "He seeks vengeance, driven by jealousy over my defiance in his realm."

"Who?" I venture to inquire, raising my gaze to the figure silhouetted against the twilight sky—an ominous specter entwined in shadows, evoking dread as his presence sends chills through the very marrow of my bones.

"I seek not to utter his name, child; names wield great power. Yet, you are aware of whom I refer." Rafayel’s voice trembles, draped in fear and reverence; the air around us thickens with the weight of his unspoken truths. My heart stumbles, crashing against the jagged cliffs of my own dread.

Every breath I take feels heavy with dread as the impending chaos looms, mingling with the salt-laden air around us. Of course, it would be Poseidon, the stormbringer, guardian of the deep, yet also a leviathan of wrath. His jealously simmered like a tempest, eager to unleash chaos upon this fragile world.

"What now?" I ask, wiping the remnants of tears with the hem of my chiton, though the fabric feels like a betrayal against the grief that clings to me. I can't just forgive you for what happened to... my mother... My voice quakes under the unbearable weight of grief, yet a flicker of fierce determination ignites within me.

Rafayel met my gaze, determination etched in his features. “We need to find the Oracle of Delphi,” he proposed. “She holds the wisdom we require to confront Poseidon.”

“The Oracle?” I echoed, uncertainty creeping in. “What if she refuses to help?” “It's a risk we must take,” he replied, stepping closer. “Staying silent only invites more chaos. With the Oracle's guidance, we can approach the Earthshaker not as enemies, but as equals seeking balance.”

"I can’t just forgive you for what happened to... my mother..." My voice falters beneath the unbearable weight of grief, yet a flicker of determination stirs in me, pushing me to confront the past. “And if we succeed?”

He reaches out his hand. "I do not know what lies ahead; only the Oracle can guide us to true redemption with the Tidebreaker."

I watch out over the bay and take his hand hesitantly. He hoists me on my feet, guiding me to the waves in the distance, but before we can even get close, the water starts to foam and the waves grow larger. Poseidons rage still palatable in the azure stretch before us. Rafayel pushes farther, almost dragging me behind him into the foaming waves, but he keeps getting pushed back with every step he takes.

Rafayel's eyes blaze with an eternal flame as he confronts the unyielding sea. "Let me in, you overgrown coral!" he commands, his voice resonating with the power of a god. "The sea is as much my domain as it is yours!" The waves crash against an invisible barrier, as if the very waters themselves have turned traitor. Rafayel's gaze burns with a tempestuous fury, his grip tightening around my hand. Raising his free hand, Rafayel summons his divine essence, a radiant flame igniting in his palm. "Do you think you can keep me out?" he growls, the fire flickering with his rising anger. "I am the master of the tides! The currents answer to me!"

With a swift motion, Rafayel slams his hand against the unseen wall, the barrier rippling and distorting as the eternal flame licks at its surface. "Break, you accursed limestone!" he demands, the fire surging with his words. "I will not be denied my rightful place in these waters!" The cracks widen, seawater seeping through, but the barrier stubbornly mends itself, the limestone-like surface hardening once more. Rafayel's expression twists with outrage, his jaw clenched tight. "Curse you, Poseidon!" he roars, the flame in his palm flaring brighter, scorching the unyielding wall. "This is my domain as well, and I will not be kept from it!"

With a mix of awe and terror, I watch as Rafayel's divine power radiates through the air, bending the very elements to his will. Yet, despite his might, the sea remains stubbornly defiant, denying him access to the depths he claims as his own. “Let us go, my lord,” I plead softly, my voice trembling like the waves lapping at the shore. “It’s futile to challenge Poseidon’s claim over Corinth. He is far too powerful here.” As my fingers interlace with his, I feel the heat of his fury—a storm barely contained. His eyes blaze with the fraught beauty of a tempest battling the tranquil sea. Though my words offer little solace for his wrath, he allows me to guide him away from the tumultuous bay. The weight of divine destiny looms heavy between us, and I can’t help but yearn to shield him from the fate that awaits.

"We shall take the land route," I murmured, my voice barely a breath against the tumult that surrounded us. A shiver ran through me as the salty air twisted with uncertainty, but I felt a flicker of defiance kindled in my core. "The path will be fraught with challenges, yet it promises safety from the wrathful tide of Poseidon." I turned to meet Rafayel's blazing gaze, the storm within him slowly ebbing at my words. "Away from the ocean’s clutch, we can gather our strength, prepare our hearts, and navigate the shadows encroaching on our fate." The determination in his eyes ignited my resolve, and together we could face whatever lay ahead.

With a resigned nod, Rafayel replied, “Very well. We’ll take the land route to Delphi.” As we turned away from the turbulent sea, I felt a flicker of hope igniting within me. The journey ahead was uncertain, but together we would forge our path, facing each challenge as it came. “I may be without powers on land,” Rafayel said quietly, his weary tone laced with determination, “but I won’t let my weakness define us.”

“Nor will I,” I promised, a newfound strength welling up inside. “We will find the answers we seek, even if it’s against the odds.” With our resolve binding us, we stepped into the shadows of the land, ready to navigate the unknown. The weight of destiny hung over us, but together, we would face whatever awaited in the dim light of dawn.

Chapter 3

#lads #lads rafayel #lnds #lnds rafayel #rafayel love and deepspace #love and deepspace #love and deepspace fic #slight angst #rafayel x reader #rafayel x you #qi yu

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art-of-mtg · 4 months ago

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Coiling Oracle (Arena League 2006) - Mark Zug

More cards with art by Mark Zug on Scryfall

#mtg #magic the gathering #tcg #mark zug #coiling oracle #arena league 2006

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lostyesterday · 6 months ago

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Star Trek Voyager B Plots Part 2

[Link to Part 1 of this project]

In this second part of my B Plots project, I was interested in looking at which major Voyager characters feature most and least frequently in B Plots. In the vast majority of cases, Voyager’s B Plots focus on interactions between several of the major characters, or interactions between a major character and a minor character. B Plots that feature no major characters are rare.

The following graph shows the total number of Voyager episodes that included at least one B Plot featuring each major character:

Note that this graph counts episodes rather than individual B Plots. There were many cases of a particular character being featured in multiple B Plots within a single episode, but only individual episodes were counted. Once again, double episodes counted as only a single episode. Also, one B Plot could count as featuring up to four separate characters. If a B Plot significantly featured more than four major characters or no major characters at all, I did not count it in this particular graph.

A complete list of B Plots organized by character is below the cut. Once again, constructive thoughts or feedback on any aspect of this project are welcome.

Side note: The above graph only represents B Plots, not the overall proportion of time/focus dedicated to each Voyager character – after all, A Plots take up the vast majority of most Voyager episodes. I previously completed another project on character focus in the main plots of Voyager episodes which you can find here. If you found this project interesting, you’ll probably also be interested in this project done by @the-oracle-of-the-lost on number of lines spoken by each Voyager main character (the project also includes data on other Star Trek shows).

Kathryn Janeway

Caretaker: Janeway discusses her dog with her fiancé Mark (Janeway)

Phage: Neelix converts Janeway’s private dining room into a galley (Neelix, Janeway)

The Cloud: Neelix tries to convince Janeway to try his coffee substitute (Janeway, Neelix), Chakotay and Janeway discuss “animal guides” and Chakotay helps Janeway find her own (Chakotay, Janeway)

Eye of the Needle: Kes convinces Janeway and the Doctor himself to begin thinking of the Doctor as a member of the crew (EMH, Kes, Janeway)

Cathexis: Janeway starts her Victorian gothic holonovel (Janeway)

Learning Curve: Janeway plays her Victorian gothic holonovel (Janeway)

Initiations: Neelix tells Janeway he feels underutilized as part of Voyager’s crew (Neelix, Janeway)

Elogium: Janeway and Chakotay discuss how they should deal with crew members having romantic relationships and children (Janeway, Chakotay)

Twisted: The crew throw Kes a surprise party (Kes, Neelix, Janeway, Paris)

Persistence of Vision: Janeway observes Torres and Kim’s attempt to transfer the Doctor to Engineering but he appears tiny (Kim, Torres, Janeway, EMH)

Future’s End: Tuvok walks in on Janeway practicing tennis (Tuvok, Janeway)

Macrocosm: Janeway and Neelix discuss a difficult negotiation they completed with an alien species (Janeway, Neelix)

Coda: Neelix Janeway and Chakotay discuss a talent show that Neelix held (Janeway, Neelix, Chakotay)

Scorpion: Janeway runs her Da Vinci holodeck program (Janeway)

Day of Honor: Seven has difficulty adjusting to life on Voyager (Seven, Janeway)

Revulsion: A party is held to celebrate Tuvok being promoted to Lieutenant Commander (Tuvok, Janeway, Kim, Paris)

The Raven: Janeway tries to get Seven to participate in making a sculpture in the Da Vinci holodeck program (Janeway, Seven)

Year of Hell: Chakotay tries to give Janeway a watch for her birthday but she refuses (Janeway, Chakotay)

Random Thoughts: Seven argues with Janeway about Voyager’s philosophy of exploration putting the crew at unnecessary risk (Janeway, Seven)

Mortal Coil: Janeway encourages Seven to socialize at a party (Janeway, Seven)

Hope and Fear: Seven and Janeway play velocity (Janeway, Seven)

Latent Image: Janeway Chakotay and Tuvok debate the results of a martial arts competition (Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok)

Bride of Chaotica: Neelix and Janeway discuss the lack of functioning replicators and lavatories (Neelix, Janeway)

Think Tank: Seven finds Janeway attempted to solve a puzzle game (Janeway, Seven)

Survival Instinct: Janeway Chakotay and Tuvok discuss issues surrounding the visitors to Voyager (Janeway Chakotay Tuvok), Janeway reprimands Kim and Paris for getting into a fight (Janeway, Kim, Paris)

The Voyager Conspiracy: Janeway and Chakotay have dinner together and discuss rumors on the ship (Janeway, Chakotay)

Child’s Play: Janeway Seven and Torres observe the Voyager children’s science fair (Janeway, Seven, Torres)

Good Sheppherd: Seven presents an efficiency analysis of Voyager’s departments to the senior staff (Seven, Janeway, Chakotay)

Fury: Janeway discovers Tuvok’s birthday (Janeway, Tuvok)

Life Line: Janeway and Chakotay discuss communication from Starfleet (Janeway, Chakotay)

Unimatrix Zero: Paris gets promoted back to Lieutenant (Paris, Janeway)

Shattered: Chakotay retrieves a secret bottle of alcohol to share with Janeway (Chakotay, Janeway)

The Void: Seven prepares a meal for several crew members (Seven, Neelix, Janeway, Paris)

Q2: Janeway conducts Icheb’s Starfleet history exam (Janeway)

Renaissance Man: The Doctor wakes Janeway up with his singing on an away mission (EMH, Janeway)

Endgame: Janeway and Chakotay discuss who will replace Neelix in the Mess Hall (Janeway, Chakotay)

Chakotay

The Cloud: Chakotay and Janeway discuss “animal guides” and Chakotay helps Janeway find her own (Chakotay, Janeway)

State of Flux: Neelix introduces Chakotay to Leola Root (Neelix, Chakotay)

Elogium: Janeway and Chakotay discuss how they should deal with crew members having romantic relationships and children (Janeway, Chakotay)

Manuevers: Chakotay and Torres discuss playing hoverball (Chakotay, Torres)

Lifesigns: Paris and Chakotay argue about Paris’s recent unprofessional behavior (Paris, Chakotay)

Coda: Neelix Janeway and Chakotay discuss a talent show that Neelix held (Janeway, Neelix, Chakotay)

Revulsion: Kim and Seven work together and awkwardly navigate Kim having a crush on Seven (Kim, Seven, Chakotay)

Year of Hell: Chakotay tries to give Janeway a watch for her birthday but she refuses (Janeway, Chakotay)

Message in a Bottle: Torres and Chakotay discuss Torres’ difficulties in working with Seven (Torres, Chakotay)

Drone: Chakotay and Kim discuss Kim being in charge of the bridge during night shifts (Kim, Chakotay)

Nothing Human: Chakotay and Kim don’t rescue the rest of the crew from having to sit though the Doctor’s boring presentation despite promising to (EMH, Chakotay, Kim)

Latent Image: Janeway Chakotay and Tuvok debate the results of a martial arts competition (Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok)

Survival Instinct: Janeway Chakotay and Tuvok discuss issues surrounding the visitors to Voyager (Janeway Chakotay Tuvok)

One Small Step: Chakotay confronts Seven about making changes to Voyager’s computer core without permission (Chakotay, Seven)

The Voyager Conspiracy: Janeway and Chakotay have dinner together and discuss rumors on the ship (Janeway, Chakotay)

Memorial: Kim Paris Chakotay and Neelix come back from an away mission (Kim, Paris, Neelix, Chakotay)

Tsunkatse: Torres encourages Chakotay to give his work to someone else so he can watch a Tsunkatse match (Torres, Chakotay), Chakotay Torres Kim and Paris banter about sports (Torres, Chakotay, Kim, Paris)

Collective: Paris Kim Chakotay and Neelix play a card game (Paris, Kim, Chakotay, Neelix)

Good Sheppherd: Seven presents an efficiency analysis of Voyager’s departments to the senior staff (Seven, Janeway, Chakotay)

Life Line: Janeway and Chakotay discuss communication from Starfleet (Janeway, Chakotay)

Flesh and Blood: The Doctor tries to convince Chakotay to let him go to a conference (Chakotay, EMH)

Shattered: Chakotay retrieves a secret bottle of alcohol to share with Janeway (Chakotay, Janeway)

Endgame: Janeway and Chakotay discuss who will replace Neelix in the Mess Hall (Janeway, Chakotay), Seven and Chakotay are secretly dating (Seven, Chakotay)

Tuvok

Faces: Neelix makes Plomeek soup for Tuvok that’s too spicy for him (Neelix, Tuvok)

Jetrel: Paris watches Neelix and Tuvok play pool and Tuvok misses a difficult shot he claimed he could get (Tuvok, Neelix, Paris)

Meld: Neelix irritates Tuvok by trying to find a fun Vulcan holiday (Neelix, Tuvok)

Tuvix: Neelix and Tuvok bicker on an away mission (Neelix, Tuvok)

Basics: Suder wants to contribute more to the Voyager crew from his imprisonment (Tuvok)

Flashback: Neelix tries to make Tuvok a breakfast he will like (Neelix, Tuvok)

Future’s End: Tuvok walks in on Janeway practicing tennis (Tuvok, Janeway)

Fair Trade: Neelix asks Tuvok to let him accompany him on security rounds (Neelix, Tuvok)

Revulsion: A party is held to celebrate Tuvok being promoted to Lieutenant Commander (Tuvok, Janeway, Kim, Paris)

Year of Hell: Tuvok and Seven discuss annoyances in working with other people (Tuvok, Seven)

Hunters: Seven asks Tuvok if Janeway trusts her (Seven, Tuvok)

The Omega Directive: Seven finds Kim and Tuvok playing Kal-toh (Seven, Kim, Tuvok)

Demon: Tuvok prevents Neelix from taking a large number of items with him to emergency sleeping accommodations (Tuvok, Neelix)

Night: Seven finds Tuvok meditating in Astrometrics (Seven, Tuvok), Kim plays a clarinet piece he wrote to Tuvok (Kim, Tuvok)

Latent Image: Janeway Chakotay and Tuvok debate the results of a martial arts competition (Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok)

Juggernaut: Torres attempts to do Vulcan meditation exercises with Tuvok (Torres, Tuvok)

Survival Instinct: Janeway Chakotay and Tuvok discuss issues surrounding the visitors to Voyager (Janeway Chakotay Tuvok)

Alice: Paris and Kim try to get Tuvok to tell them how old he is (Tuvok, Paris, Kim)

Riddles: Neelix tries to convince Tuvok to play a game with him (Tuvok, Neelix)

Fair Haven: Tuvok is feeling sick and Paris and Kim make it worse (Tuvok, Paris, Kim, Seven)

Live Fast and Prosper: Tuvok confronts Paris and Kim about altering his Holodeck program (Tuvok, Paris, Kim)

Fury: Janeway discovers Tuvok’s birthday (Janeway, Tuvok)

Body and Soul: Paris tries to help Tuvok with his Pon-Farr (Tuvok, Paris)

Prophecy: Neelix and Tuvok are temporary bunkmates (Neelix, Tuvok)

Homestead: Neelix throws a First Contact Day party, Neelix tries to convince Tuvok to dance (Neelix, Tuvok)

Endgame: Icheb wins a game of Kal-Toh against Tuvok (Tuvok, Kim)

B’Elanna Torres

Eye of the Needle: Torres and Kim discuss their families back in the Alpha Quadrant (Torres, Kim)

Prime Factors: Torres Seska Kim and Paris discuss rumors and misconceptions about Kim and Paris’s double date with the Delaney sisters (Torres, Kim, Paris)

Persistence of Vision: Janeway observes Torres and Kim’s attempt to transfer the Doctor to Engineering but he appears tiny (Kim, Torres, Janeway, EMH)

Manuevers: Chakotay and Torres discuss playing hoverball (Chakotay, Torres)

The Swarm: Torres and Paris discuss a crewmember who has a crush on Torres (Torres, Paris)

Walord: Neelix shows everyone his Talaxian resort program (Neelix, Paris, Kim, Torres)

Alter Ego: Torres and Paris discuss clothing for the holodeck program they’re planning to visit (Torres, Paris)

Real Life: Paris finds Torres reading a Klingon romance novel and flirts with her about it (Paris, Torres)

Distant Origin: Paris wins a bet and gets Torres to agree to do a Klingon martial arts holodeck program with him (Paris, Torres)

Displaced: Torres and Paris argue after attempting to do a Klingon martial arts program together (Paris, Torres)

Revulsion: Torres and Paris confirm that they both love each other and begin a relationship (Torres, Paris)

Scientific Method: Torres confronts Seven about rerouting power to Astrometrics without permission (Torres, Seven), Torres and Paris meet together secretly to make out (Paris, Torres)

Year of Hell: Kim and Torres play a trivia game to pass the time while trapped in a turbolift before Seven finds them (Torres, Kim, Seven)

Waking Moments: Torres and Paris discuss holodeck date locations (Paris, Torres)

Message in a Bottle: Torres and Chakotay discuss Torres’ difficulties in working with Seven (Torres, Chakotay), Torres tells Seven that she should try being less rude (Torres, Seven)

Hunters: Torres teases Kim about his crush on Seven (Torres, Kim)

Hope and Fear: Seven and Torres discuss what it would mean for both of them to return to the Alpha Quadrant (Seven, Torres)

Night: Torres and Paris play a game called Derada and argue (Paris, Torres)

Drone: Torres Paris and Seven discuss how small the shuttlecraft are and introduce the idea of building a larger one (Torres, Paris, Seven)

Nothing Human: Paris Torres and Neelix discuss the Doctor’s holophotographs (Paris, Torres, Neelix)

Course Oblivion: Torres prepares Seven for being in charge of Engineering during the honeymoon (Torres, Seven)

Juggernaut: Torres attempts to do Vulcan meditation exercises with Tuvok (Torres, Tuvok)

Someone to Watch Over Me: Torres catches Seven studying her and Paris’s “mating behavior” (Torres, Paris, Seven, Neelix)

Equinox: Torres catches up with her ex-boyfriend (Torres)

Memorial: Torres makes a television set for Paris (Torres, Paris)

Child’s Play: Janeway Seven and Torres observe the Voyager children’s science fair (Janeway, Seven, Torres)

Repression: Paris creates a movie theater holodeck program (Paris, Torres)

Nightingale: Icheb thinks that Torres is romantically interested in him (Torres)

The Void: Neelix serves Paris and Torres a meal (Neelix, Paris, Torres)

Author Author: Torres talks to her father (Torres, Paris)

Renaissance Man: Paris tries to set up an impromptu date with Torres (Paris, Torres)

Endgame: Torres has her baby (Torres, Paris, EMH)

Harry Kim

Caretaker: Kim decides to become Paris’s friend despite others warning him against it (Paris, Kim)

Time and Again: Paris tries to convince Kim to go on a double date with him and the Delaney sisters (Paris, Kim)

The Cloud: Paris introduces Sandrine’s to Kim and others (Paris, Kim)

Eye of the Needle: Torres and Kim discuss their families back in the Alpha Quadrant (Torres, Kim)

Prime Factors: Torres Seska Kim and Paris discuss rumors and misconceptions about Kim and Paris’s double date with the Delaney sisters (Torres, Kim, Paris)

Parturition: Paris listens to Kim practice the clarinet (Kim, Paris)

Persistence of Vision: Janeway observes Torres and Kim’s attempt to transfer the Doctor to Engineering but he appears tiny (Kim, Torres, Janeway, EMH)

Meld: Paris runs a replicator ration gambling operation (Paris, Kim)

The Thaw: Paris watches Kim practice the clarinet when Kim’s neighbor bangs on the wall to get him to stop (Kim, Paris)

Walord: Neelix shows everyone his Talaxian resort program (Neelix, Paris, Kim, Torres)

Revulsion: A party is held to celebrate Tuvok being promoted to Lieutenant Commander (Tuvok, Janeway, Kim, Paris), Kim and Seven work together and awkwardly navigate Kim having a crush on Seven (Kim, Seven, Chakotay)

Year of Hell: Kim and Torres play a trivia game to pass the time while trapped in a turbolift before Seven finds them (Torres, Kim, Seven)

Concerning Flight: Kim advises Seven that she might want to be more diplomatic in talking to other crew members and she ignores him (Kim, Seven)

Message in a Bottle: Paris tries to get Kim to create a replacement EMH (Kim, Paris)

Hunters: Torres teases Kim about his crush on Seven (Torres, Kim)

The Omega Directive: Seven finds Kim and Tuvok playing Kal-toh (Seven, Kim, Tuvok)

Unforgettable: Seven asks Kim to explain “courtship rituals” (Seven, Kim)

Demon: Paris and Kim discuss Kim being more assertive in senior staff meetings (Paris, Kim)

Night: Kim and Paris are interrupted in the middle of playing the Captain Proton holodeck program by the Doctor (Paris, Kim, EMH), Kim plays a clarinet piece he wrote to Tuvok (Kim, Tuvok)

Drone: Chakotay and Kim discuss Kim being in charge of the bridge during night shifts (Kim, Chakotay)

Once Upon a Time: Kim helps Neelix replicate a Flotter doll (Neelix, Kim)

Nothing Human: Chakotay and Kim don’t rescue the rest of the crew from having to sit though the Doctor’s boring presentation despite promising to (EMH, Chakotay, Kim)

Thirty Days: Paris and Kim play the Captain Proton holodeck program with the Delaney sisters (Paris, Kim)

Survival Instinct: Janeway reprimands Kim and Paris for getting into a fight (Janeway, Kim, Paris)

Alice: Paris and Kim try to get Tuvok to tell them how old he is (Tuvok, Paris, Kim)

Fair Haven: Tuvok is feeling sick and Paris and Kim make it worse (Tuvok, Paris, Kim, Seven)

Memorial: Kim Paris Chakotay and Neelix come back from an away mission (Kim, Paris, Neelix, Chakotay)

Tsunkatse: Chakotay Torres Kim and Paris banter about sports (Torres, Chakotay, Kim, Paris)

Collective: Paris Kim Chakotay and Neelix play a card game (Paris, Kim, Chakotay, Neelix)

Live Fast and Prosper: Tuvok confronts Paris and Kim about altering his Holodeck program (Tuvok, Paris, Kim)

Body and Soul: Seven, Kim, and the Doctor are on an away mission (Seven, Kim, EMH)

Prophecy: one of the Klingons is interested in Kim (Kim, Neelix)

Workforce: Kim feels sick after Neelix encouraged him to try an alien drink (Kim, Neelix), Kim and the Doctor argue about who’s in command (Kim, EMH)

Author Author: Kim tries to talk to his parents (Kim, Seven)

Endgame: Icheb wins a game of Kal-Toh against Tuvok (Tuvok, Kim)

Tom Paris