#Changeling Extract

[author-a-holmes]

Leaves, warm coat

Hello Anon! Thank you for the asks <3 This is going to be a bit of a long post, because my editing process is... detailed, so I'll answer Warm Coat first, in case you get bored about reading my long-ass editing process <3

Warm Coat: Share a happy or fuzzy scene from your wip!

This is a cute moment that I love. It's from Chapter 20, and it really shows how Lizzy and Cara's friendship develops over the course of the book. Poor Lizzy though, they fey just don't celebrate birthday's the way we do...

"It's Lizzy's birthday," Cara said, pretending that she wasn't still blushing, and Lizzy rolled her eyes. Cara slid on the straw sun hat she'd been carrying in her hands, the orange band of fabric encircling it the brightest splash of colour on her entire outfit, and Cara's hands fussed with the ribbon tails as they trailed off the brim and down her back.

"It's— Your birthday?" Andric asked, switching his attention from Cara, as she fussed with her sunhat, to Lizzy mid-sentence, and Lizzy shrugged.

"It's not that—"

"It is important," Booker cut her off with a growl. "You're eighteen. This one's important... even without Maddy," he added, voice softening.

"I was thinking; Shopping, movie, meal," Cara said quickly, stepping closer to Andric, and Lizzy watched, bemused, as Andric got hit full blast by her roommate's wide-eyed pleading.

He seemed to hesitate a moment, and Lizzy half expected him shut down Cara's extravagant plans, but then she leant forward and added, "Did you know that fey don't do birthday parties?" and he caved.

"Sounds like you've got it all planned out," he said simply, holding out an arm towards the front doors of the school, "if we want to fit all that in, we'd better get started."

"Yes!" Cara celebrated, jumping on the spot and throwing one hand in the air as Lizzy looked on bemused.

"Looks like you're getting a mortal-realm style birthday," Booker teased as Cara and Andric moved towards the doors, and Booker began dragging her after them with the arm that had curled around her shoulders, "whether you wanted to or not!"

Leaves: What does your editing process look like? How does your wip typically change as you work on it?

My editing progress is... in depth? I guess? I know that grammar is my weak spot, so I kind of just do the best I can to get it as clean as I can before I send it off to an editor.

The way I do that, is to edit in layers, and this ties into the second half of this question about how my WIP changes. Because once I have a completed manuscript, my WIP's core story doesn't change all that much.

So, it might sound strange, but step one of my editing process is actually to create an outline of my story before I start writing. I know. Sounds weird. Bear with me...

So I make my outline. It's very rough, it's not in depth, it's not detailed (Sometimes it's nothing more than a list of bullet points), and I'm not going to stick to the outline as I write. So why do I make it, you might ask... because I can use it when I come to edit.

For example. Changeling's outline. The first version I wrote before I started the series. I changed the outline after I finished the first act. By the time I'd reached the 3rd act, I had to entirely rewrite the final act of the outline, because my story had drifted so far that the original outline no longer worked.

So now I have a finished manuscript, and 3 versions of the Changeling Outline, because while I was editing the outline, and rewriting it, I never deleted the original.

The first thing I do to edit, is I reread my original outline. I look at the story I wanted to telll, and the things I wanted to include, and I decide if I managed that. If I didn't, do I still want to include them? Or is the story better without them? I'll make handwritten notes about all this while I'm reading the outlines, because I don't edit the manuscript straight away. I have to let it rest, but I go over the outline as soon as possible after finishing the manuscript so that it's still fresh in my mind.

The second thing, once I have all my notes from re-reading the outlines, is to let my manuscript rest. The length of time varies. Stolen I let rest for 8 months. Changeling I was happy going back after about 3 weeks.

The third step is to actually edit. I don't reread my manuscript. I've let it rest so it's fresh, and I don't want to lose that by rereading it. I have the notes I made from the outlines, after I first finished it. These are usually large, plot structural changes I need to implement, so I have that notebook beside me as I work through the project. For example, in Changeling, I realised I needed Booker to have a 'Tell' for when he's using telepathy (for plot reasons), so that's something I needed to weave in throughout the story as I went.

And then I edit the manuscript one chapter at a time.

This is still step three, but I do each chapter in small, easily repeatable steps.

(A) I copy/paste the chapter from my writing program into the Hemmingway App. (Warning for Anyone who uses Hemmingway; It will not save your work. If your browser page refreshes, closes, or your computer restarts, you will lose ALL your work. If you need to navigate away from Hemmingway, copy your work into a googledoc or something)

While it's in the Hemmingway App, and before I use any of it's functions, I use Ctrl+F (Find in my browser) to search through the chapter for Weak Words, Filter Words, and my commonly overused words.

Caveat; If any of these are found within character dialogue, I ignore them. Character's shouldn't speak perfectly and so Character Voice always wins out.

Weak Words

Suddenly

Then

Very

Really

Started

Just

Somewhat

Slightly

Somehow

Seem

Definitely

That

Filter Words

see / saw / look / looked

hear / heard

taste / tasted

smell / smelled / smelt / scent

touch / touched

feel / feels / felt

wonder / wondered / think / thought

decide / decided

realise / realised

know / knew

My Personal Overly Used Words

Own

Though

Quickly

After I've searched for each of these words, looked at the paragraph it's contained in, and decided if it's the best word for the job/if it can be rewritten to remove it/if it can be deleted outright/if i want to keep it there... then I move onto the things Hemmingway App can actually do.

Hemmingway highlights a bunch of things, but the only two features I actually use or pay attention to is it's highlighting of Adverbs and Passive Voice.

If my Passive Voice is below the recommended, then I'll still go and have a look at them and see if I can reword to remove them, but I don't worry about it too much. I've usually only got 2 or 3 instances per chapter, and that's a comfortable quantity for me, as most of the time these are within character dialogue.

Adverbs are where I'm quite weak, I usually have a painful number of Adverbs, so I will painstakingly go through and check each adverb to see if it's a strong or a weak adverb. To see if I really need it there, or if I can cut it. If I do need it, then I try and see if I can rewrite the sentence or paragraph to remove the adverb, and replace it with a stronger verb instead.

I always try and get my adverbs below Hemmingway's recommended number, but as long as I've checked over each one, and made a decision on them, that's good enough because that usually gets me within 5-10 adverbs of their target anyway.

As I'm going through editing Adverbs, I'll also work in any new content I need to add from my notes. I'm rewriting paragraphs during this stage, so it's the easiest moment to slide in extra, additional, or changed content.

(B) Once I've done my final Adverb check in Hemmingway, I copy/paste it from Hemmingway into Grammarly.

I use Grammarly's free version. I've tried their paid, but I don't think it's worth the price, especially if you're also paying for a professional editor. ProWritingAid is another good grammar checker, but I find it too complex to work with. Your Milage May Vary.

So, my document gets placed into Grammarly, and I wait for it to run it's grammar check. I then go through each of it's suggestions. I don't accept every suggestion, I read it and make a decision based on how I want my story to read.

Honestly, this is probably the fastest step.

Once I've said yes or no to each suggestion, I move onto Natural Readers, but KEEP the Grammarly Document open in a different tab.

(C) Keeping my chapter open in Grammarly in one tab, I go to Natural Readers Online. Natural Readers have really GOOD sounding voices, and they will read back to you any text you paste into their website.

So I'll copy the chapter from Grammarly, and paste it into natural readers. You can get 5 minutes of their Plus voices for free per day, and I think it's 20 minutes of their Premium voices for free per day. Their basic voices are free, unlimited, but do sound more like the robotic voice you'd expect.

I hate reading my own work aloud, so this is the way I bypass that embaressment. I have Natural Readers read my work back to me. I find this step invaluable. I can hear the flow of the text, I can catch spelling mistakes that a spell checker thinks are correct, but aren't what I intended (like Brian instead of brain, for example).

I also find that I can spot repetativeness more easily when it's read back to me too. I can hear I used "running" three times in two paragraphs easier than I can see it.

I can also spot where I've duplicated paragraphs. Sometimes, at the Hemmingway Stage, if I need to rewrite a paragraph, I'll go to the next line and retype it out from scratch, but will forget to delete the original. Natural Readers, and hearing it read back to me, is where I'm most likely to catch this mistake.

The reason I keep my Grammarly tab open, is that any errors I hear in Natural Readers, I edit in Grammarly. That's because Natural Readers doesn't like my Em-dashes. It breaks them. So it's easier for me to copy/paste from Grammarly that it is from NR and to fix all my Emdashes later.

(D) So after Natural Readers has finished reading my chapter back to me, and I've fixed any error's that's highlighted, I copy my final version of the chapter, and I paste it into my manuscript's Googledoc File.

I run Googledoc's spellchecker, to catch any tiny, last things every other step missed, and then I log the final wordcount of the chapter so that I know how many words I cut or added, and so that I can keep track of my manuscript's final word count (Because final word count is what I'm paying my editor to check)

(E) Then I do it all over again on the next chapter. This process can take me anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours, per chapter.

Final Step, once I've completed all my self edits, is to read through the book from start to finish myself. At this point, I'm hopeful, I don't find anything else I think I can change.

Then I hand it over to Beta Readers. I'll make any small changes they find, then it'll be time to send my manuscript off to my professional editor, Nicole at Evermore Editing.

She edited my prequel short story, Whatever Happened To Madeline Hail? and I have every intention of going back to her for Changeling

So that's my editing process. It's also why my core story doesn't really change a whole lot once the manuscript is completed. Any huge, structural changes happen during the outline, and during the actual writing process. If I reach the end of a manuscript, it's almost entirely how I wanted it to come out, or I go back and rewrite.

Editing is really the final stage, and some once I'm reached that point, there's not a whole lot that is due to shift.

So I whine about editing a lot, but it's more that I find it highly tedious, and repetative, than stressful or difficult.

[bigskydreaming]

Also, does anyone else feel like this is all Locutus related? Everything weird about Jack, the Changelings’ mysterious benefactor, Picard’s original body....

I’m just saying, I feel like this is a Locutus thing but I don’t know how common that guess is.

[starry-bi-sky]

DPxDC Masterpost

Almost all of my DPDC posts have the #Danny Fenton is Not the Ghost King tags, barring perhaps my earliest aus like my Thomas Wayne Au (which will be included in the post). This tag includes art i've made, asks i've answered, and non-fic au posts I've created. This is my main tag!

DPxDC posts under the main tag that don't have their own tag: Danny's Life-Changing Cross-Dimensional Roadtrip with A De-Aged Batman Danny is also Bruce Wayne (Starry goes back to their middle school roots) Danny being the first batkid (if i can get the creative juices flowing I will expand on this. mark my words) There is a Damian clone LOOSE in Amity Park. Oh wait, Danny's got him.

My Biggest DPxDC Aus #Danny Fenton is a Clone: all my posts talking about clone!Danny.

Clone Danny Masterpost: previously my pinned post. A no-powers au where Danny is also a clone of Bruce Wayne, also includes some clone^2

#Clone^2: Clone Damian + Clone Danny au combined, explores themes like identity, found family, and growing into your own as a person. Starting post Here.

#Childhood Friends Au or #Cfau: A childhood friends dead on main au that explores grief, how it may change a person, and how growing up in Crime Alley changed Danny. Contains heavier themes like smoking and mild violence.

#Danyal Al Ghul Au: Mostly contains my au where Danny is not Damian's twin, but his older brother! An excuse for me to delve into the psychological effects that growing up in the League would have on Danny that I don't really see in other DAG aus. Putting the 'assassin' in 'raised by assassins'.

My Minor DPxDC Aus Danny Fenton is Thomas Wayne: an oldie but a goodie! An reveal gone wrong au where Danny decides to go by his middle name 'Thomas' shortly after the events of TUE, and leaves Amity Park two years later. He finds out that Vlad cloned him again and finds an infant in the lab. Danny takes the baby, names him Bruce, and ends up adopted by the Waynes.

#Danny Fenton is Jason Todd au: An au where Danny is Jason Todd! He was adopted by the Fentons shortly after the events of the carjacking.

#Older Brother Danny: contains all of my aus where Danny is an Older Brother. This currently includes only my DAG posts but it's not limited to Danyal Al Ghul.

#Changeling Danny: a half-ghost? oh, wait, no. that's a changeling. even worse! Danny's got latent fey blood from a Fenton getting freaky with a faerie some dozen generations ago, and it reactivated with a fervor when he had his accident! Instead of a halfa, he became one of the Fair Folk.

#Blood blossom au: currently the name for the time being. A Nightingale/First Batkid au where Vlad poisons Danny with blood blossom extract, and it results in Danny running to Batman! Currently only one post, but it has a lot of branching pathways in the reblogs. Batdad centered!

#tales of the passerine: the official au name for my "Danny being the first batkid" post! This au is what inspired changeling Danny. It's the idea that Danny was the first to be adopted by Bruce, and features me favoring batdad over "lmfao Danny goes fuck you bruce and adopts the other kids" au. Because I want batdad.

(Nightingale is, so far, the official vigilante name for the Eldest Batkid Danny concept on my blog.)

#mother of monsters danny: specifically its mother of monsters dan but i digress. I was messing around with my fem!Danyal au and boom! Her evil timeline self is Layal, the terrifying Mother of Monsters who raises any manner of monstrous beasts. I love her <3

Bonus Excerpt: a ficlet I made in response to a DPxDC Dead on Main prompt! It's not under the main tag as I didn't make the post, however it can be found if you search #fem danny fenton on my blog. I actually really love this idea so I may make it its own tag in the future.

[elegantjellyfishwerewolf]

Trollhunters! Nomura Au

Final

The third part(2/2)<

This AU was made me and @enniyart

While part of the team, consisting of Nomura, Angor, Blinky, Draal, Aaarrgh, Toby and Jim, went in search of Merlin. Another part of the team with Steve and Eli stayed to look after the exhausted Claire in the Lake house (due to recent events, the house was empty for a very long time).

The journey to the tomb is uneventful. The only interesting moment happens when Merlin wakes up and Nomura says that she is now a trollhunter. This statement makes the Wizard surprised, for a second he looks at Jim, but quickly assumes the usual cynical expression on his face and together with the others goes to Arcadia where an unpleasant surprise awaits them.... The fact is that while the trollhunter and the others were looking for Merlin's tomb, the Creepslayerz, who were left to look after Claire, witnessed her obsession with Morgana (due to the fact that there was more concentration of dark magic in Claire, Morgana's possession occurred earlier than in the original). Steve was already ready to say goodbye to life, but fortunately Eli watched all seasons of "Supernatural", so the first thing he does is throw a jar of salt into the obsessed Claire and lock her in the basement to wait for the rest of the team.

After the rest of the team returns, Morgana is tied up in the same way as the original and they think about how to return Claire to her body. They decide to send a couple of team members to the world of shadows to pull Claire's soul out of illusions. Jim and Toby are called to go to the world of shadows, Angor remains to keep the portal open, and the rest remain to watch the queen of the Eldrich.

While Jim and Toby search for Claire, Morgana tries to manipulate the remaining members of the team. But Merlin begins to do what he does best, infuriate others, and Morgan is already being led to his manipulations and jokes.

Just like in the original, Jim and Toby find Claire's soul and together they expel the witch from her body.

At this time, Gunmar, with the help of Avalon's staff and Strickler, frees Morgana. Gunmar decides that he no longer needs changelings, but Strickler stops him saying that of all those present, only he is aware of what is happening in the world (and with the help of his connections has a great influence in the human world), he also says that he should not underestimate the superiority of people in technical terms. Strickler proposes a plan according to which his changelings penetrate into all important spheres of humanity, and when Gunmar decides to begin conquering the upper lands, humanity will already be destroyed from within and will not be able to provide proper resistance to the Gumgum army. Morgana, who has just been released, agrees with Strickler's plan and Gunmar and Morgana go into the shadows for a while to regain strength after a long imprisonment.

After all she's been through, Claire decides that her parents deserve the right to know what's really going on. At first, Ophelia and Javier do not believe their daughter, but when her teacher from the "exchange school" appears, all doubts disappear instantly.

Thanks to the help of a member of the Nunez council, the team is better able to hide trolls from the trollmarket.

A team of hunters is discussing a plan to defeat Gunmar and Morgana. Merlin tells about the stones of the three shadows capable of summoning the eclipse sword. The trollhunter already has the eye of Gunmar, and therefore the whole team goes for the rest of the stones. It turns out to be quite simple to get the stones of death and birth. Only in the process of extracting the second Draal accidentally turns into a human (he and Nomura even manage to go on a date to a human restaurant. The date itself happened surprisingly well, until Draal started eating curtains). After learning about this, Merlin and Angor finally figure out how to defeat Morgana once and for all. They decide to prepare a potion that, like with Draal, will turn Morgana into a human and when she will become mortal, they will finally be able to kill her.

Angor also decides that they need all the

powers they have and therefore helps Claire create her own shadow staff.

Blinky and Aaarrrgh, as well as in the original, gather allies among the trolls to fight back against Gunmar.

Gunmar also wasted no time and while the trollhunter was looking for the stones of the three shadows, he attacked troll settlements and replenished his army, simultaneously absorbing their hearts of stone, becoming even bigger and stronger because of this.

After that, Morgana begins eternal night (she also breaks Merlin's staff), but when they come to the surface, gumgums do not find a single person.

The fact is that council member Nunez is seeking consent to conduct a training evacuation of the entire city, so all residents of Arcadia are safe.

Morgana, seeing this, immediately begins to ask Strickler what is going on, and then it turns out that Walter has long betrayed her and sided with Gunmar. Morgana is about to kill the changeling, but she is attacked by an Angor that appeared from the portal and takes them to another battle location.

Gunmar at the same time starts a fight against Nomura in the eclipse armor and Draal.

Merlin goes to the ruined market to get a staff, and the rest of the team, together with the Order of Janus, fight against the Gumgum army.

The trollhunters' plan is that Angor should get close to Morgana and poison her with a poison that turns into a human (Angor himself understood that he was unlikely to be able to get out of the battle alive). Claire, when the witch finally turns into a mortal, will deal a fatal blow to the exhausted Morgan, thereby canceling eternal night. At this time, Nomura and Draal will try to restrain Gunmar in an open area, so that when the sky dissipated and the sun appeared, Gunmar fell under his direct rays and turned into stone (the fact is that he became so huge that Merlin was not sure whether the eclipse blade would be enough to kill Gunmar). The task of the rest of the team is to restrain Gunmar's army so that she could not come to his or Morgana's aid.The task of the rest of the team is to restrain Gunmar's army so that she could not come to his or Morgana's aid.

Angor and Morgana begin their battle during which the staff of the shadow breaks and Morgana kills Angor, but he manages to cut her with a poisoned blade. Morgana notices that her wounds do not recover, but remain and begin to bleed. In a panic, she tries to escape to regain her strength and stop the effect of the poison, but Claire, with a new staff of shadow, blocks her path. A long fight ensues between them during which Claire loses her right eye and is again in a dying state, but still she manages to kill the witch.

Gunmar finds himself right under the withering rays of the sun. He tries to find shelter (his skin has almost turned to stone and has become very fragile), but at that moment Nomura and Draal decapitate him. Gunnar dies, but also due to a strong surge of magic, the stone in the amulet splits, and Draal also loses his right arm.

The remaining gumgums, which did not have time to eliminate, are destroyed by themselves due to the death of Gunmar, as in the original.

Eternal Night ends (Merlin, due to the fact that Morgana broke the staff of Avalon, does not regain her powers).

Residents of Arcadia are returning to the city (a little oh.evayut when they see the consequences of the battle against Morgana and Gunmar). And when the team of hunters relaxes, the changelings take over the city and Strickler declares that his plan remains unchanged. Changelings will also destroy humanity from the inside, and then using human weapons they will strike at all the deposits of stone hearts, so the world will belong only to changelings (the world did not want to accept them, and they are not going to accept this world).

Claire goes to the hospital. Draal also becomes incapacitated due to the loss of his arm. Steve, Eli and Toby say that they will fight with the others, but Nomura does not want the children to participate in the massacre, so takes them to the pantry and locks them for a while until it's all over. Jim looks at all this from the side, and then follows Nomura (she did not look for him because time was running out, and she thought that he would have enough brains not to follow her (not enough)).

Nomura (already without the amulet, armed with khopesh), Merlin (still with 10% of his magic), Blinky, Aaarrrgh and the remaining surviving trolls go to storm the Order of Janus.

At this time, it is not Enrique who goes to the dark lands for familiars (let's accept the fact that the Darklands were not destroyed during eternal night).

While the rest of the trolls are fighting the changelings, Nomura infiltrates the headquarters of the Order of Janus (Jim slips behind her unnoticed) where Strickler is now. A fight ensues between Nomura and Strickler during which Strickler prepares to deliver a fatal blow to the hunter....

*BANG*

Jim picks up a crossbow lying on the floor and shoots his history teacher.

The surviving changelings escape from Arcadia. It is NotEnrique who successfully gets out of the Darklands with the familiars in the cradle stone.

Afterword: after the finale, Jimmy and Claire start dating (they fell in love with each other at joint sessions with a psychologist).

Claire continues to practice shadow magic (after the battle, she picks up a piece root of the Angor Rot body and now it grows in her pot).

Nomura, Draal, Blinky and Merlin, along with the rest of the trolls from the market, leave for New Jersey. Aaarrrgh stays with Toby and the others to protect Arcadia.

[thedemonofcat]

Jaskier is a changeling, including a deep connection to nature and its magic. However, what sets Jaskier apart is an extraordinary, almost unnatural strength. His physical power reaches such incredible levels that he can effortlessly lift Roach, even when Geralt is riding on her back.

Curiously, Jaskier remains oblivious to his true nature as a Fae being. The manifestations of his magical abilities only occur when he finds himself in situations where he feels threatened. It is during these moments that his latent powers surge forth, granting him access to his innate magic.

Following Nifflgaard's pursuit of Jaskier to extract information about Geralt and Ciri's whereabouts, the decision is made to bring Jaskier to Kaer Morhen for his safety. In line with the rule that everyone residing at Kaer Morhen must contribute, Jaskier finds himself obligated to participate in the training regimen, much to his annoyance. Despite his attempts to evade the training sessions, emphasizing his role as a bard and lover rather than a fighter, his pleas fall on deaf ears.

Eventually, Jaskier finds himself reluctantly preparing to spar with Eskel. Among Geralt's brothers, Eskel is the one whom Geralt trusts not to get carried away during the fight and inadvertently harm Jaskier.

At the onset of the spar, Jaskier's main objective is to evade Eskel's attacks, desperately searching for any means of avoiding the impending blows. However, Eskel's persistent prodding pushes Jaskier beyond his comfort zone, compelling him to gather his courage and fight back. Overwhelmed by panic, Jaskier inadvertently taps into his dormant magic, unleashing a surge of power.

In a sudden and unexpected turn of events, Jaskier's magic surges forth, propelling Eskel across the training ground and into the air. Realizing the potential danger, Jaskier instinctively conjures a bush to cushion Eskel's landing, using his nature-based magic to soften the Witcher's impact

Overwhelmed by the unexpected display of power, Jaskier spirals into a state of panic, convinced that he is some kind of monstrous entity. In his distress, he becomes consumed by the fear of being hunted down and killed by the people he has come to consider his friends. Desperate to escape this perceived danger, Jaskier attempts to flee, but his flight is halted by Geralt's firm grasp.

Geralt, understanding Jaskier's turmoil, intervenes to prevent any harm befalling his bewildered companion. He assures Jaskier that he has no intention of allowing any harm to come to him, emphasizing his commitment to protecting Jaskier at all costs. Once the others have ensured Eskel's well-being and tended to his injuries, Geralt leads Jaskier inside, seeking a more secure and private space to address the situation.

Inside, Vesemir takes the opportunity to chastise Geralt, expressing his frustration at the apparent lack of awareness Geralt had regarding Jaskier's true nature as a Fae. Vesemir remarks upon the extensive time he has spent imparting knowledge to the Witchers, highlighting their supposed intelligence and yet their failure to recognize Jaskier's heritage despite Geralt's years of companionship with him.

As Vesemir's words sink in, Geralt's mind begins to connect the dots regarding Jaskier's true identity. Certain peculiarities about Jaskier's interactions with nature start to make sense. Geralt recalls how birds would harmonize with Jaskier's melodies even when the bard merely hummed absentmindedly. It becomes clear that Jaskier's affinity with nature and the presence of magic within him are linked to his Fae heritage.

Still trembling with fear, Jaskier musters the courage to voice his concerns, questioning whether his Fae nature makes him inherently dangerous. In response, Vesemir assures Jaskier that his power does not make him a threat but rather reflects his lack of training. Recognizing the importance of keeping both Jaskier and those around him safe, it is decided that Jaskier should receive proper combat training. The goal is to harness and control his exceptional strength, ensuring it is wielded responsibly.

In addition to combat training, Jaskier finds himself joining Ciri in her magical lessons under the guidance of Yennefer. This allows him to explore and develop control over his magical abilities, granting him a better understanding of his nature-based magic and the means to channel it effectively.

[leohttbriar]

one day i'll make a whole obnoxious powerpoint (with the checkerboard transition effects obvs) that's a thematic comparison/contrast-ion between jadzia dax and odo and what they mean but for now i'm thinking again about "children of time" and the way odo and dax were framed as like the only possible actors in a impossible-to-act situation. it was odo or dax, who would let the potential closed-loop lives of a colony of people be rendered materially forgotten. and the more i think about it the more convinced i am that, actually, dax wouldn't have ever chosen differently. it had to be odo.

they're refracted versions of the other---defined by a multiplicity, which they understand and handle in different ways. where dax (who has been accused of frivolity the whole season by her upright buddy worf) can't see beyond the agony of her own selfishness, odo just does. he does what he thinks he is obligated to do based on his own individually-mandated moral rectitude. he is solipsistic in the way all of the changelings are for they can be anything and are also all each other and that is certain. but he loves kira, who is similar but solipsistically fastened to the world, thru a faith in fate, so he can just...selfishly act in a way she couldn't. and tbh the morality of the selfishness is up for grabs, too, bc kira "selflessly" choosing to die is also a condemnation for everyone else so like. odo's lawful/strict-desire sure does help them out of jam. and dax isn't about to step on anyone even if perhaps there should be some stepping. she is "conviction-less." but.

in a way. the show argues, while not really making the argument, that: dax's mistake is sourced in its own obligations. what's the point of anything if you're not going to risk it for sweet victory-biscuit? to risk something to get the details on some (potentially smart) maybe-fungus? to take a magic-carpet ride? to extract the dino-dna from the amber? to be curious? is that not also a carefully considered rectitude? is that not a justice--that, if one has the power to witness what exists, however weird, however potentially useless, then they possess a simple fealty, sworn to lord universe, as vassals made up of sensory powers, to continue witnessing? like "this planet is here and is therefore interesting and i seek glory thru it yay" and now she is presented with lives upon lives who absolutely need her--who existentially need her perpetual attention. as her curiosity dooms, her own version of personal law chooses for her too: odo and kira are sure of their own minds. dax is sure of everything else outside herself (or within herself but within a worm--the boundaries are fuzzy) and swears to it, quite a lot.

so like. where odo and dax agree about the value of a proto-universe, they disagree here. odo is like: "thou shall not kill. it is written." so he can just. unwrite a reality that is utterly dependent upon those that are not children of time, but freely moving amongst it. citizens, for instance, of the real. he breaks nothing bc the kira-dying reality is what is broken to begin with. also he's like. super in love. and dax is like: "phenomena! there it is! things that exist! in my hands and my choices, phenomena! you can't make me be god about it :(" and then her future self which is still technically her tries to be god about it and then ultimately doesn't. so.

what's really funny about all this is later when odo is fully on board with kira just throwing herself off a cliff bc of "fate," dax is in the background with miles coming up with scientific eviction papers for super-dimensional aliens. odo just accepts a law in contradiction to his own (he is large!) and dax is like "what even do we have to do with this" and "i think living is a lot more attractive." bc. the point is. they are foils.

[blairstales]

The Fairy Queen of Scottish Folklore

Perhaps thanks to the terms seelie court and unseelie court, or maybe because of fiction, there is now modern folklore that there are two opposing fairy kingdoms. One is good, and the other is bad. However, the Seelie/Unseelie Court terms were historically just ways to categorize typically good fairies and typically bad fairies.

There is only one queen and king of the fairies mentioned in Scottish folklore.

"The Fairy Queen" by Arthur Rackham(1914)

The queen rarely has a name(though is sometimes called Nicneven), and is more often simply called The Fairy Queen, or The Queen of Elphame, which is within the Otherworld. She is described as being clothed in green, as having otherworldly beauty, and having great power.

Within church lore, she must send a human soul to hell every 7 years, otherwise hell will take a fairy soul. This is also related to the changeling folklore, where those souls are sometimes swapped out with something (or someone) enchanted to look like the missing.

However, there are even more stories that contrast this dark side by painting her in a kinder light. In those, the queen will remove curses off people and give gifts. Even The Silver Chanter is sometimes said to be given by the fairy queen to Ian Maccrimmon, after she was impressed with his musical talent (and good looks). In his hands only, it would play the sweetest music.

There is sometimes a fairy king also mentioned in folklore, but the queen seems to hold the most power.

“There was also a king of elf land. From the accounts extracted from or volunteered by witches, etc., preserved to us in judiciary and Presbyterian records he appears to have been a peaceable, luxurious, indolent personage who entrusted the whole business, including the recruiting department, to his wife.” “Folk Lore in Lowland Scotland” by Evelyn Blantyre Simpson (1908)

Not only does the king take a background roll, but there are more stories of her taking human lovers than there are with even mention of the king. The most famous of these human lovers might be “Thomas the Rhymer.” He was said to be an amazing singer, but what instrument accompanied him can change depending on the tales; some times he is a famous lute player, other times a harp, and sometimes another instrument.

It was a dreadfully hot day when Thomas had set out walking, so he decided to take shade under a tree — called the Eildon(or Eldyn) tree — to catch his breath. There, on the slope of the east-most of the three Eildon hills, he found the spot so pleasant that he decided to stay and play a song on his instrument.

As he played, he began to hear a twinkle of bells on the wind. The source of the bells turned out to be a gorgeous woman who rode out of the woods on a white horse.

“Her skirt was o ‘ the grass green silk , Her mantle o ‘ the velvet fine ; At ilka tett of her horse’s mane hung fifty silver bells and nine.” "Folk Lore in Lowland Scotland" by Eve Blantyre Simpson(1908)

After much talking between the two, the woman admitted to being the fairy queen, and asked if he would go with her to the fairy realm. Awestruck by her beauty, he readily agreed. There, he enjoyed himself so thoroughly, he had no idea how much time was passing.

"They came at last to the fairy kingdom where revelry and dancing were the order of the day . Thomas passed so delectable a time that when the queen asked him how long he thought he had been there , he calculated some seven days had been passed chasing the golden hours with flying feet . He could scarce believe the beautiful sovereign when she assured him he had been gone from earth five years and two." "Folk Lore in Lowland Scotland" by Eve Blantyre Simpson(1908)

This marks another crossroads in how the tale (and the perception of the fairy queen) differs. As per the church lore, Thomas was supposed to be one of the souls given to hell, but the queen had grown a soft-spot for Thomas and advised him to run.

In other stories, he simply returned to the human realm and remained there for some time.

In both versions, before they parted, she charmed him to have a tongue that could not lie, as well as a gift of prophecy. He had thought the truthfulness would be a hindrance, but back in the human realm, his honesty earned him the name “True Thomas.”

There are many prophecies said to originate from Thomas, some of which people claim came true. If you are interested in a list, there is a lengthy one in the book “Popular Rhymes, Fireside Stories, and Amusement of Scotland” by Robert Chambers(1842).

After many years, he abruptly stated “I have been here long enough,” and simply left our world, never to be seen again. Some say the queen reclaimed him and he is now forever trapped in the Otherworld, while others say it was his own choice to return to the woman he loved.

Note: If you want to research further, I have more quotes and sources on my website.

[britishraptor]

So did they actually clear up the changeling thing regarding age or not

Like. It’s very unlikely that you would be able to go your entire life without washing off the spores but. If you were able to. Reapply the spores in a cream every day. Would you be able to extend your time as a different race? Would it extend your lifespan? Or would the changeling fungus eat you up eventually

The change is obviously deeper than skin deep, because the characters experience changes in sensory sensitivity, exhaustion levels, mass and instinct. So if someone were to cultivate changelings would you be able to extract the magic and use it? Isn’t that a better and more direct method than black magic to soothe marcille’s anxiety?

If so, perhaps one of the reasons why it hasn’t been studied more is because certain people form certain races don’t like the implication or the idea of shorter lived races suddenly standing on a similar playing field, lifespan wise

[roguetelepaths]

someone in a discord server I'm not in anymore asked me ages ago why I think that Changelings having been and continuing to be victims of persecution is important to the narrative. you don't have to believe that the Voice of the Link was telling the truth about pre-Dominion Changeling history, but it's my opinion that it makes a better story when you do.

image text is under the readmore

Resident Goo Today at 11:18 PM okay. you asked, here we feckin' go. I broke discord's character limit while writing this because apparently when you get me on this subject I do not stop

trauma takes center stage in the narratives of so many characters in DS9. the loss of his wife for Sisko, the occupation for Kira, Julian's augmentation and the essential death of his childhood self, Garak's childhood of abuse and brutal training in the Obsidian Order, everything Mora did to Odo, etc etc.

in the first episode, we are shown that trauma is a form of time distortion. it is Not Linear. when a person goes through that kind of pain, a part of them remains stuck in that moment, and they return to it again and again long after it's passed.

enter the Founders. we are told, from the beginning, that they have withdrawn from the universe and built the elaborate system of safeguards and deterrents we know as the Dominion for the explicit purpose of being left alone. the reason, we are told, is because they were once hunted, hated, and feared.

(I feel the need to state here that if they were colonizers for the sole purpose of being colonizers, we would see them taking a much more hands-on role in the extraction of resources and the direct control of their colonies' affairs, but they seem content to rule as distant, even mythic figures. they aren't leaders. they're a symbol. the power they actually have is the power granted to a symbol. honestly, they have no reason to be colonizers at all. they don't need land, they don't need food, they don't really need resources. trauma is the only conceivable reason for them to do what they've done.)

(I also feel the need to mention the way the Link works on a mechanical level. when a Changeling is in the Link, time does not pass. one can spend days or presumably longer in the Link and have no idea how long they've been in there. this is important.)

it is very rare for a Founder to leave the Link. there are probably many, many Founders who have not left since the Dominion was established. if you consider that the Link is inherently a form of psychological time fuckery, a large portion of the Link remembers the days in which Changelings were persecuted as if those days were, like, a week ago, tops. They literally Exist Here because they are biologically in a state in which time does not progress the way it does for solids. and this trauma is affecting everyone and everything around them because of the drastic lengths that they have gone to in order to protect themselves. they are inflicting equal amounts of trauma on the Vorta, on the Jem'Hadar, on their subjects, etc etc, because they are afraid and locked in a mentality where everything is a threat, because the only evidence they have found is evidence that says yes, everything is.

tl;dr it's about cycles of violence, it's about social wounds treated as social wars, it's about how to tell hypervigilance from reality in a world that actually does want you dead, it's about sympathizing with Bad Survivors, it's about choosing between the familiarity of fear and the danger of hope. and those themes are important to me

[dread-red-queen]

Cyberpunk 2077 Vampire AU Lore

🚫 Do Not Re-Upload/Edit My Shots/Art Without My Permission🚫

                [Pillowfort][Instagram][Tumblr][AO3][Nexus]

My Vampires are a cross between Vampire the Masqurade and the Fai/unseele, they are in tune with the Magic/supernatural in all things. in my lore they are not conventional european Vampires so certain weaknessess dont apply to them but new ones do.

The Pax A nomad Vampire tribe, originally pacifists they never hunt to kill and only took what they needed from there prey before releasing them (they can make them forget). they had been known to take in refugee's and sometimes bestowed the gift on them if they choose to stay and follow there ways and have a sponsor from the tribe. they believed nature should be preserved and while not against technology entirely they mostly avoided it.

They cant die of old age or disease but severe injury/dismemberment/beheading can destroy them, they can take alot of damage but if they are too injured and can not consume blood to boost there healing factor they will perish and turn to ash.

Traits Strength - extremely strong Speed - very fast - some even look like they can teleport Healing Factor - super healing Forget - make there blood doner forget the experience. Pleasurable bite - while the initial bite can hurt the overall experience can be pleasant and almost erotic in some cases (some tribes have been known to have willing blood donors live with there tribe because of this)

healing saliva (can close small cuts, puncture wounds and scrapes with there saliva) Enhanced Vision - can see very far and in the dark Advanced Hearing - super sensitive hearing Fortitude - can take alot of damage

Weakened by Prolonged exposure to Sunlight - can burn and in extreme cases set them on fire or destroy them turning them to ash Iron - weakens there link to magic/the supernatural making them weak. Lack of rest - If they do not rest in there coffin during the day it can weaken them severely the longer they go without rest.

Vampire Tiers (age since becoming a vampire) Fledgling (under 10 years) (1 to 2 gifts) Vampire (10 - 99 years) (1 to 2 gifts) Matriarch/Monarch (100 years) (3 gifts) (can bestow the gift) Elder (200 years +) (4 gifts) (can bestow the gift)

Gift types

Influence. Common - Awe - an aura that makes the vampire appear more friendly/trustworthy to the target) Rare - Compulsion (influence the target by pushing there thoughts on them making the target think these thoughts are there own (cost Rest) Dark Gift - Domination - hypnotise a target and control them completely (Cost: blood of the target, if used on the same target 3 times they can become resistant to Domination)

Sensory Common: Sense - get a sense of the innate power of another vampire or the potential for power from a human if bestowing the gift. Rare: Echo - get glimpses/flashes of images/memories of any object, vampire or humans past (cost: rest) Dark Gift: Total Recall - by consuming the blood of the target the vampire can extract memories or the surface thoughts or intentions of another vampire or human (cost: blood of the target, if used to often on the same target it can change the vampires personality for example using it on an alcoholic, smoker, gambling addict could give the vampire the same addiction.)

Transformation Common: Mimic - change eye or hair colour, get freckles, scars, birth marks to blend in Rare: Changeling - change physical traits for example growing claws, glowing eyes ect (cost: rest) Dark Gift: Transformation become a beast like a wolf or bear or change a single body part like growing a maw (cost: blood, if used to often you can take on a physical change permanently) (it is rare but there are some Vampires that are permanently stuck as wolves)

Common Gifts: can be used with no limit or consequence Rare: are more powerful and require rest after Dark gifts: have blood costs and can have other consequences

Raven stats Sire: Varek Tier: Matriarch gifts: Sense, Compulsion, changeling

Goro stats Sire: Raven Tier: Fledgling Goros gifts: Awe, echo, ?

[runningwolf62]

Add a race to Baldur's Gate 3

This is just for fun but what races would you like to be able to play as in BG3? (Some of these won't be feasible but I'm throwing them on there for fun)

[author-a-holmes]

Romantic Snippet Tag Game

Thank you @kaiusvnoir for the Tag.

Time to share some romance... Tagging forward, with no pressure, to; @faelanvance, @minamoroz, @queen-kass-the-writer, @sylhorn, @talesfromaurea, @withlovelunette, @mr-writes, @jasmineinthenight, @tyne-sharrow, and @afoolandathief

As for my own share...

Changeling is the first act of a slowburn romance between Lizzy Hail and Andric Roche, so there's not too many instances of outright romance in the first book, and only one kiss.

And call me a miser, but I don't want to share Lizzy and Andric's first kiss out in a public platform. It's one of my favourite scenes and if anyone wants to read that specific climactic moment, then Changeling's for sale on all ebook platforms, with physical books also available through Amazon.

But there are some earlier moments that imply romance, and build the slow burn between Lizzy and Andric, one of which is another favourite scene of mine. It's a really raw moment for Lizzy, who very rarely allows herself to be emotionally vulnerable, and this revelation that there's a gentle heart beneath her rock hard surface endears her to Andric and brings out every protective tendancy he has.

"So... you're just— you're going to do nothing?" Lizzy spluttered, and Andric smiled before letting himself take another, closer, look at her.

She was small, but there was an inner strength to Lizzy. He should have seen it the first night they'd met, when she'd recovered from her fear fast enough to stand her ground and argue with him, but he'd dismissed it. He'd assumed it was due to shock, or the woman not being aware of how close to death they'd been.

But even now, even believing she'd revealed a secret he could wield against her, even after breaking apart just a little, she stood with her chin raised.

Lizzy met his gaze and held it. She was terrified, it was hidden there in the darkest depths of her gaze, but she refused to flinch. Andric couldn't help but find that deeply impressive.

"I'm going to guard your vulnerabilities," he said, "as per the terms of my employment contract with you," he added, smile widening teasingly. "And maybe, if I'm very lucky, earn a little of your trust."

"Why?" she asked, and Andric's smile faded as he sighed.

"Because you're clever, funny, and you've got potential... and I don't think I was too far off the mark. Apart from your mum and Booker, do you have anyone back in Arbaon?"

She didn't flinch or order him to be silent this time, but she went very still. Like an animal startled in the wild. Andric waited, not pushing her, and a second later her mouth tightened and she glanced away, shrugging one shoulder.

[ask-carmenpondiego]

Chapter 16: The Unexpected Visitor

Weeks go by as the VILE team prepares for the retrieval of the chest that was mentioned in the moonlit carvings of their previous clue. In the bathroom, Wally sits shirtless on the bench by the tub as Carmen removes what vivianite crystals she could, making sure not to cut her latex gloves by accident. In a steel pan, she collects the shards, disinfecting and patching each wound as she goes. “I really wish you would see an actual trained doctor and not me. I just know basic first aid and CPR.” Wally winces a few times as he feels her remove the crystals, hearing the clanking of the shards in the pan. “I doubt they’ll know anything about this. Its not like that have an antibiotic for it. Its a little worse than the sniffles..” he tried chuckling, but started to cough a little, making Carmen hesitate a moment. She wipes her wrist across her forehead under her horn, moving some hair from her face. “Sounds like its starting to affect your lungs. We need to get these treasures so we can get you cured as soon as possible. Otherwise I wouldn’t even bother with asking a jerk spirit for anything.”

The blue pony sighed, looking at his scarred body in the mirror. “How much do you know?” He asked. She was silent for a little bit, closing up a rather large hole with a few stitches, “About the treasures? After the chest is a rabbit then a duck then an egg with a needle inside.. we need that needle to-“

“No, about me. What I am.” He fidgeted with his wedding ring, looking at her from the mirror. She straightened up and sighed. “I had my suspicions but I fully found out because of M. He claimed to be your brother by blood. He confirmed that you were a light balance changeling. Which would explain why Blendin changed from green apple color to a teal when he was a newborn if he is half changeling. But I don’t care what you were. I care about who you are as yourself. You married me as an earth pony, M told me you prefer to be an Earth Pony, so to me you have always been an Earth Pony. I still love you all the same no matter what you identify as.” Wally turns to face her and smiles, brushing her cheek with his hand. “What did I ever do to deserve an angel like you? Even after all this time, we found each other again. Its like you chase away the rain from my life.”

She chuckles and nuzzles into his hand, “You silly stallion, you always need a little rain, otherwise you’d be a desert. Harsh, gritty, dry… getting sand in unpleasant places..” The two ponies laugh a hearty bit. Wally smiles and leans closer and kisses Carmen softly.

Kiros knocked on the doorframe and smirked, “Hey Boss, is this a bad time? We zeroed in on an opening for the chest. We just need your approval for the go-ahead.” Carmen pulled off her gloves and tossed them in the bin. Kiros handed her the tablet, showing a plan and extraction, complete details of any traps or weak structure points.

She poured over the details, made a few notes and frowned. “Is this the best window we have to grab it? Theres several variables that are not consistent. We need stability in these areas to pull off that zip-line. Not enough room for a glider. If we can’t get across that way, going around will add more time.” Kiros shrugged, “This is what we keep coming up with after weeks of trying to figure this out. We’re fresh out of ideas of how to cross that trouble area. We just don’t have the ability to do much more in the way of advanced options.” Wally peeked over, “Have you thought of flying her over? I mean you have wings.. M has wings..”

Kiros and Carmen looked at him a moment. Carmen checked his wingspan and shook her head, “Just about the glider size. I can’t risk broken wings.” Kiros thought more, “Although I can size shift, making me smaller would mean I wouldn’t be able to carry as much. So thats out. What about Lekir? Maybe she can solidify those weak points with ice?” Carmen rubs her temples, “The moisture in the rocks expand when frozen, there a chance it will destabilize even worse.” Carmen hands Kiros the tablet and heads over to the war room to see if looking at it another way may be helpful. Kiros followed her as Wally stayed behind, looking over his bandages before putting his sweater back on.

The bathroom closet suddenly glowed blue around the edges and a young teal unicorn colt stuck his head out. His pink and blue eyes met Wally’s blue eyes with confusion. “Well hey there! Thats a funny place to hide!” The colt stared back at Wally, “…Dad?” Wally tilted his head, “Are you.. Blendin?” The colt rushed out of the closet door and gave his father a big hug, almost being the same height. It was quite obvious he was in his early teens and getting his growth spurt. “I didn’t expect you here! Why are you hiding in the closet?” Wally laughed. Blendin whipped around and closed the closet door, which did not look like a closet when Wally peeked in. It looked like a lobby to an old library if he had to guess. “I wasn’t in the closet.. Is… Mom here? I’ve been getting her letters. But I needed to ask some questions..” Blendin rubbed his arm nervously, his red hoodie looking baggy on his thin frame.

“So if we attach the zipline to this opposing wall, that will be a much better angle to be able to swing without issue..” Carmen pointed to a now 3D hologram of the temple area they were previously discussing. Wally cleared his throat, “Um, my light? I’m sorry to bother you while you’re working but.. I think you may need to see this.” He gestured for her to join him in the hallway privately. “Wally, I can’t keep stopping things for…” Carmen stopped as he stepped aside, pulling Blendin from shyly hiding behind him. “Look who I found in the bathroom closet!” Blendin blushed and gave a very annoyed sigh, “I wasn’t in the closet! I used the ley lines to connect my door to one of yours! How was I supposed to know it was in the bathroom??” Blendin looked over at Carmen who was practically shaking with holding back emotions. “Blendin.. look how tall.. you.. how.. how did you find us? We’re practically off the grid!” So many thoughts and questions raced through her mind, “You’ve grown so much! How is the Library treating you? Have you eaten? Have you gotten my letters? Are you angry with me? Where is Adora? Is she still angry with me? I’m so sorry for leaving you two so alone!” She rambled and had to stop herself.

Blendin chuckled a bit nervously. “Um… I will tell you as much as I can, I’m just on limited time. I snuck over here, I wasn’t supposed to use the ley doors yet. But I did a bit of digging online and noticed some activity in the dark web about this location being connected to the Sweet Spot. It was really tough to hack through, but I was able to find rough coordinates and wanted to see if you were here.” Carmen looked past him towards the bathroom, “You say you connected doors? Like interdimensional travel?” Blendin adjusted his glasses, which looked remarkably like Wally’s. “More like a more stabilized teleportation spell but yeah. Why?” Carmen wrapped him in a huge hug and kissed his cheek repeatedly, “I think you may have solved our problem!! You are such a smart kid! I’m so proud of you!!” Blendin squirmed out of her hugs and adjusted his hoodie, “Please.. warn me next time?” Carmen held up her hands, “Oh I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to overwhelm you. Right. Technically new person…. Have you eaten? You have time for a snack, right?”

Wally puts his hand on Blendin’s shoulder, “She’s been through a lot, give her some credit, this is new to her too. She’s just really excited.” Carmen darted back into the war room and gathered some books and papers, “Sorry! Big thing. Son’s here.” She blurted out and dashed out again, “Ok, Let’s go to the kitchen! Questions are always good paired with food. Eating something pleasureful helps the memory retention.” Blendin watches her hurry towards the kitchen and looks at Wally, “Is she always like this?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, “No, only when she finds something really interesting or if she finds an answer to a long problematic issue, she gets a bit hyper. But I’d say this is bigger than that.”

“Aren’t you excited to see me? You seem very… not excitable.” Blendin tilted his head, Wally chuckled. “Oh I’m very excited, I just dont show it like your mom does. I’m also dealing with some amnesia from a few years back so I’m just vibing until things start to click more.”

Wally and Blendin sit down at the kitchen island, Carmen had her small stack of papers and books on one end and was busy putting together a veggie platter, and stopped, “Do you like veggies? Whats a good snack you like?” Blendin sat up straight, arms by his side and hands on his lap, “Oh um, veggies are good, and maybe some Tajin and hot chili oil?” Carmen smiled over her shoulder, “Thats my boy, a good taste in seasoning! You probably get that more from your father, he’s loves everything spicy! I like more flavor than pure spice though.” She set the food in front of them and leaned on the bar, “Ok so you said you had some questions for me? I’ll answer what I can if you can answer some of mine.” Blendin’s eye sparkled as he saw different fruits and veggies on the platter, he was expecting just carrots and celery. “Um yeah, I needed some help with completing this thing for the Library.. and since I’m a minor, and technically a surrendered child, I can’t get a parent or guardian’s permission, and the Keeper won’t sign off as my guardian. And this is important to me. I want to learn more so I can travel and not be stuck in the library..” Carmen beamed, “You’re saying you need a permission slip signed or else you cannot start to go on missions until you are 18?” Blendin nodded, crunching a starfruit, “Yeah and that may set me back farther than some of the other candidates.” Carmen looked at Wally and tapped her chin, “Sounds like I need to pay the Keeper a visit then. Perhaps I can finally get to get custody of you two again. And this mansion is the safest place you can be as far as I’m concerned.” Blendin perked up, “You mean it? You still want us around?!” Wally and Carmen chuckled, “Of course we still want you!! We never wanted to give you two up in the first place!”

Wally smiled, “I’ve only come back recently as well but from everything I know, she’s been worried sick about you kids.” Blendin smiled and started to cry, “I’m so happy that we actually have parents.. I need to tell Daring..” he pulls out a pink cellphone and starts texting. “Daring? Who is Daring” Wally asked, looking at Carmen, “I’ve seen some fiction books about a Daring Do, but maybe its one of his friend’s nicknames? You know how kids are with fursona or original characters and fanfics..” Carmen chuckled, snagging a carrot chip and stacking a dragonfruit piece on top. “Oh, no, I’m talking to Adora, she IS Daring Do. Its not fiction. She writes about her adventures all the time.” Blendin showed his cellphone to Carmen, showing off pictures of a young adult Adora in safari gear. “I thought she was working with the Warehouse. Not galavanting through rainforests and rough terrain!” Blendin smirked, “She’s the top of her class, been doing work in the archeology division. She loves the stuff!” Wally laughs, “She really takes after you, doesn’t she?” Carmen almost chokes on the carrot and dragonfruit, “You mean thats all real? So she’s top of her class AND a published author? And here I thought being promoted to detective in my early 20’s was impressive!”

M strode past, looking a little worse for the wear, shirt and leather coat all disheveled, a few new plasters on his jaw, bent cigarette hanging from his mouth, his horns looked a bit demonic, one the tip was broke off. He went behind Carmen and used his tentacles to reach the top shelf for some chips. Blendin nearly dropped his phone. “M-Mom?? Why is there a demon in here? I thought you said it was safe here!!” Carmen turns to look at M, who just waved, “Sup, Squirt?”

“That is a good question. Why are you here? You should have been the first to tell me of a breach in security..” Carmen raised her eyebrow at the demon changeling, crossing her arms. “What? I fuckin checked him out, he’s cleaner than a newborn. Plus he came from one of your secure locations you told me to keep around. Consider yerself notified.”

Carmen noticed how uneasy Blendin looked and smacked M on the arm. “Fine, but you’re scaring the poor kid, tone down the horror show for a bit.” She leans towards Blendin assuringly, “Its alright, thats M, your uncle. He’s a dark balance changeling. He’s the one who helped me get back on my hooves after the accident with your father here. Its a long story.” M, who didnt turn down the horror show at all as far as his appearance was concerned, “I ain’t the only one he needs to worry about. He hasn’t met the fuckin team yet and I smell delicious doubt on him, like he doesn’t know if this was the right call, coming here. Which he knows exactly where here is.. or should I say What here is.” The poor young teen was trembling visibly and kept his eyes on his phone. All of a sudden he blinked invisible, startling the three adults. “Where the fuck did he go?” M blurted out as Carmen remembered to tap her glasses. “He’s still here. He’s just using one of his talents! Brilliant boy!”

She looked around and found him curled up under the island bar by his chair. She motioned for them to be quiet as she took a seat on the floor next to him. “Hey kiddo, I know its kinda scary with all these new people, but you can trust them. They’ve all been a part of this weird family we pieced together.” She heard sniffling and looked at the heat signature beside her. “So you aren’t just a misunderstood adventurer, are you? You really are a villain? Thats why you have demons and monsters and secret mansions with black market ties…” Carmen thought a moment and nodded, “I suppose you could see it that way, but its more like being an anti-hero, we don’t kill and most the targets have done things that made them deserve what we did.”

Blendin sniffled still and made his head visible from inside his hoodie, the strings pulled tight. “So I have anti-hero villain parents who want to have custody of us..” Blendin groaned as he tried to wrap his head around it. “I… don’t know if I can do this. This was a bad idea. You probably just want to have us break the law with you..” Wally and M looked at Carmen who winced, she did hope she could use his door transport to help with the chest retrieval. “No, sweetheart.. I will never force you into anything you don’t to do, ok? I could never do that to you, especially since this Librarian candidacy seems to really have you excited. And I couldn’t be more proud, you are a brilliant colt, and you are handsome and so very loved! And your sister too! I wish she were here so I could tell her to her face!” She opened her arms and let him choose to hug her or not. The young colt groaned in uncertainty still but tilted himself into her arms, dropping his invisibility. “This is fine, its progress!” She rubs his back comfortingly. Wally smiled wide, bouncing in his chair a bit, “You are so good with kids. You always were.” M scoffed, “Give it time, they’re teens.”

[averagepathologicenjoyer]

Things the game doesn't tell you (Path HD)

A list of things that the game won't tell you, or would not be something found/realised as a first time player (and sometimes a casual player), feel free to add any I might've missed

The Bachelor has a Plague Finder/Sense - By pressing 'G' on the keyboard he'll pull out a lens that can detect plague clouds from far away to help you see and avoid them, you can get lenses that'll upgrade how far you can see

The character has a lamp on them - You start with kerosene in your inventory but don't have the lamp as an item, pressing 'F' on the keyboard makes a ring of light appear around you and consumes kerosene

You receive letters every day telling you things to do/who to go see - By pressing 'L' on the keyboard it opens up your letters, you can look through every letter you receive from each day. When not opening/closing the map, a page turn sound will play and an icon will appear in the bottom left corner indicating you got a letter

The map tells you where shops are - When looking at the map, character houses are marked in red while other buildings are brown, but some buildings are a cream colour, these are shops

The town is made up of various districts that all have names - Sometimes a character will reference a district to go to or where you might find a character, but the map isn't marked for districts, so you may have to look up where certain districts are

The Changeling can heal people but it costs her health - By using your melee attack on infected person (the ones covered from head to toe) you'll do a different animation that will heal them of the plague, doing this earns you reputation but costs you a small amount of health

You can trade herbs to Andrey Stamatin for different items - As the Haruspex and Changeling you can collect herbs around the town and in the Steppe, for the Changeling this seems pointless, but you can take them to Stamatin's pub and trade them for weapons, bullets, and extract

Being given an item when you have no inventory space drops the item in a bag on the floor - This is easily overlooked as the sound cue that plays for this doesn't make it obvious what happened and the bag is out of view if you aren't looking at the floor, the bag will remain for a while but will eventually despawn

You can enter any infected house (bar Isidors') and loot them at no cost to your reputation - Any house in any infected district can be entered and looted while it is infected. The following day when they aren't infected, they can be entered and looted again but there will be looters in the house who are hostile, when the district is normal and not infected the houses will become locked again

EDIT: Changed a tip about the Changeling healing people, doing so COSTS health it does not heal like I thought, this is hard to tell in the game, thank you @tommynb for pointing this out and correcting

[chrometikaink]

Meet Lio! Another PC I've made because I just can't help myself.

He's a changeling sorcerer who was raised in an underground village which worshipped Mind Flayers, and was sacrificed to them as part of a cult ritual. He was resurrected, but lost all of his memeories, and hasn't quite been the same since....

(Expanded Bio below)

Li-Kthu AKA "Lio" 

Aberrant Mind Sorcerer  

Changeling  

Lio was born into an underground clan of changelings who have a symbiotic relationship with a small group of Mind Flayers. In exchange for their protection, the changeling's offer a child every 100 years to be a host for a juvenile illithid. When Lio was born, he was determined to be this centuries sacrifice. He was strictly raised to be a well-educated man, the Mind Flayer's determining on the most intelligent of hosts. There was a grand ceremony for Lio when he turned 20, lavish and extravagant and the clan celebrated his short life. After the formalities, the illithid larvae was inserted into his brain through his ear. Upon being implanted, it would feast on his brain and grow until it took over his body and turned into a Mind Flayer.  

Unbeknownst to the clan, the celebration was under the watchful eye of a group of rebels, who had caught wind of the inhumane practice. To save Lio, they needed to kill the illithid, however to kill the illithid, they needed to kill Lio. His head was smashed open and the larvae extracted. A specialist cleric travelling with the rebels was able to resurrect and restore Lio. But he was different when he came back. The Mind Flayer's eldritch powers had a lingering effect on him, and he now has similar magical powers, although in their infancy. His personality changed through the trauma of being murdered and resurrected, and he lost memory of his scholarly training. When in the heat of combat, Lio can sometimes feel himself slip into the evil sadistic nature of the Mind Flayer.  

Due to his sheltered upbringing, he does not hide his changeling appearance and appears in his true form at all times. He does not understand the terrified reactions from others. He has little understanding or want to understand social norms. He is now flight and airheaded, exploring the world wherever the breeze takes him.

Lio keeps the remnants of the dead illithid in a jar in his bag.