#Lis and her stormbird

[the-horizon-lounge3041]

Felt like drawing another Cloudburst and Lis, again I am working on the Gaia gang pic, it’s just taking me a bit.

[pride-moth]

Kotallo/Aloy "there's only one bed" pre-relationship for the drabble requests? (I'm basic and I love this trope)

Hell yeah, I love when there's only one bed!!! (But also oops I made it angsty)

Dare To Look (Aloy/Kotallo)

Kotallo steps into Aloy’s quarters with all the confidence and boldness of a fox caught between a Stormbird and a Thunderjaw. His eyes dart around to look at anything that isn’t her. She’s the one who offered him to stay the night, and yet… He doesn’t feel he should be here, with her, in her space. Her personal, private space. “I can simply leave to get the parts needed for the bed right now, I don’t wish to intrude-“ 

Aloy merely looks at him and he swallows. She has this way of looking at people that makes them fall silent in an instant with the understanding that any objection will not be heard. He usually admires it, but he is anything but thrilled to have it cast on himself. “I can see the dark circles through your paint, Kotallo. And I fought a Stormbird and a Thunderjaw today and I ran into two Slitherfangs on the way back, so I’m going to get a good night’s sleep now. You should, too.” 

He nods, tightly, unwilling to refuse, and makes his way to the large carpet in front of her bed. He can’t even sit down on it before she stops him.

“Don’t even think about it. You’re not sleeping on the floor.” 

“I really don’t want to intrude.” 

She gives him a look he doesn’t quite know how to read now, stern but not as serious and with an eyebrow quirked up. He hasn’t seen her use it before, but he nods and sits down on the bed, next to her, as she takes off her armor, revealing a simple tunic underneath. 

He doesn’t dare look at her for too long, for fear she might find it indecent. He turns away to get out of his own armor and can’t help but bitterly smile to himself. It’s her learning the truth that he’s afraid of. That his thoughts so often do turn indecent when he thinks about her and especially when he sees her fight, drenched in sweat and fire in her greenshine eyes.

And she mustn't know. He’d rather remain in this state of minor but persistent agony than have her reject him and look at him with the same pity she regards Erend with sometimes. 

“You can’t intrude when I’ve invited you. Now come lie down.” Her voice is firm but gentle and he is not about to disobey her. Not when she's smiling at him. Not when the dim lights make her hair glow like a cozy campfire in a cold night.

So, he lies down, at as respectful a distance as he can manage in this bed that is, while larger than his own, still evidently made for only one person. Her scent is in his nose, his eyes caught in the intricate braids in her hair, and he wonders how, in the name of the Ten, he is supposed to find any sleep tonight.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[mudaship39]

Character Bio of the East Asian Half Human Half Firebird and Stormbird Monk character 

Dossier, Profile, Record, & Archive: Zhou Zhen/Zhou Chen:

Name: 

Chinese name: 

Zhou Zhen (the National S Rank Hero of Korea and S rank Adventurer of China)

Zhou Chen (the Half Human Half Phoenix Firebird and Lightning Bird Monk the S Rank Adventurer and Guild Member)

Korean name: Che Hae-Sook

Japanese name: Miyoko Takahashi

Species: 

Human

Metahuman with pyrokinetic fire powers and electrokinetic lightning powers

Celestial/Stellar bipedal humanoid Phoenix Firebird Fenghuang and Lightning Bird 

Ethnicity: Asian 

Racial Identity: East Asian Chinese Han, East Asian Korean, & East Asian Japanese Yamato 

Cultural Identity: Zhuang ethnicity, Ryukyuan/Luchuan Indigenous, and Manchurian ethnicity 

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 130

Body Type: Lean, lithe, slender, & and athletic. Body type similar to a martial artist or gymnast. 

Appearance:

B,H,W: 

Hairstyle: 

Pre-colonial East Asian hairstyles. 

Short hair 

Long hair tied in a medium or long ponytail

Hair color: black

Hair texture: 

Hair look/state:

Eye Color: light brown

Skin color: terra cotta brown

Extra: Red, orange, and yellow phoenix feathers grow on her chest, back, arms, & legs. In her full phoenix fire bird form she has wings, a beak, a tail, feathers on her entire body, & she has talons on her hand and feet. She has golden raptor-like eyes.

Age: 27 

Birthday: Taurus Horse

Shoe Size: 8

Tattoos: Celestial and stellar colored and black and white East Asian tattoos of tigers, phoenixes, dragons, fish, buddha, qilin, etc that glow when she uses her firebird and lightning bird powers especially electrical fire fusion elemental powers 

Piercings: Facial Piercings with gemstones on her face on her ears, eyebrows, nose, tongue, forehead, chin, & cheeks

Body Piercings with gemstones on her body on her chest, nipples, navel, & genitalia 

Markings:

Jewelry: East Asian buddhist bracelets, jade gemstones rings, Buddhist necklaces.

Features: 

Sex: Female

Gender: Cis 

Sexual Orientation: Lesbian

Pronouns: He him, she her 

Religion: Shinto Buddhist

Languages: 

Chinese, Korean, Japanese

Common, Undercommon, Goblinoid, Giantkin, Gnomish, Halfling, Dwarvish, Fey, Elvish, Sylvan, Underdark, Draenei, Draconic, Aarakocra, Auran, Celestial, Fiendish, Deep Speech, Serpent Tongue, & Primordial

Disabilities: Autistic. 

Nuerodivergent: ADD, ADHD, OCD, 

Mental Illnesses: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, & PTSD

Relatives: 

Father: Lei Chen 

Mother: Eun-a Choi

Aunts and Uncles: Miyoko Kobayashi, Ha-min Choi, Liya Chen 

Siblings: 

Brothers: Yun Chen

Sisters: Yan Chen, Xiuying Chen 

Cousins: Nanami Kobayashi, Takeo Kobayashi 

Nephews and Nieces:

Children: 

Adoptive children: 

Biological children: 

Marital Status: Married

Relationship model: Polyamorous

Love Interests: 

Elsa Johansson, Afro Asian half dragon Chun Hei Kim, Afro South Asian Desi Afro European Amelia Himmat Mishra, Afro West Asian Maysa Uzun, Latine Native Valerie Nadia Torres Garcia. Artist Dancer Yuli Li, Madam Brothel Manager Sunrita Maheshwari, Swordswoman Xiuli Chang, Grandmaster Weili Yang, Military Captain Soldier Chunyu Liu, Government Official Kanako Takahashi, Scholar Miyoko Kobayashi, Police captain Saruta Chaiyasan, Noble Lady Hyo-jin Jung, Warlord General Sae-hyun Park, Jonin kunoichi assassin Nanako Yamada, Samurai Lady Kiyoko Nakamura, Merchant Myeon-ji Kim, Shogun Tomiko Satou, Princess Lady Minh Nguyen

Character traits:

Positive character traits:

Negative character traits:

Vices:

Virtues:

Voice:

Rank: 

S rank

S rank Adventurer:

S Rank Hunter

S Rank Hero

Level: 300

Stat Points:

Skills:

Traits:

Alignment: Neutral Good 

Class: Monk (Magical melee and unarmed martial arts) 

Subclass:

Background: 

Disgraced Noble. Fallen Noble. Arranged Marriage. Exile. Academy Dropout. Unseen Academy Reject. Acolyte. Apothecary. Artisan. Attention Addict. Chef. Chosen One. Craftsman. Dauntless. Destined to be a Hero. Doctor. Duelist. Farmer. Fortune Teller. Government Official (Imperial Civil Servant). Hermit. Isekai. Lesser Scion. Librarian. Matchmaker. Merchant. Mercenary. Monk. Monotheistic. Monotheistic Traveller. Nurse. One Soul Two Bodies. Otherworlder. Poet. Primogenitor. Prodigy. Retired Hero. Roamer. Sage. Shaolin Monk. Scholar. Sealed One. Second Soul. Smith (Metal, Gemstone, Blacksmith). Soldier. Tourist. Town Apothecary. The Chosen One. Time Frozen. Time Traveller. Trader. Vendor. Wanderer. Warlord. Warrior. Weaver (Fabric). Wise One. 

Cultivation: 

Martial Arts: 

Magical martial arts (imagine bak mei, wushu, changquan, hung gar, xingyiquan, shuai jiao, wing chun, san da, choy li fut, shaolin kung fu, & wuzuquan)

magical mixed martial arts (imagine karate, capoeira, krav maga, savate, muay thai, jiu jitsu, kickboxing, hapkido, judo, aikido, taekwondo  

magical kendo, sai, kobudo, spear, kalaripayattu, escrima stick fighting, bo staff, silat, tonfa, & nunchucks 

Patron: Sun Wukong

Titles: 

Sage of the Stars. Young Master of the Chen Family. Grandmaster of the Way of the Fire Fist Lightning Fist Martial Arts School. Sword Empress. Sword Saint. Owner of the Auctionhouse. Owner of the Lotus Medicinal Pills Apothecary. Marquis of the Imperial Military.

Homebase:  

Shanghai, China. Kyoto, Japan. Seoul, Korea. Human Federation of Magical Human Kingdoms and Indigenous Magical Human Confederacy of Nations 

Affiliation: 

Murim Alliance. Xiao Lei: Poison Master (Master in poison arts). Jonin (assassination, ninjutsu, & shadow arts). Yuan Jian: Swordmaster (Melee Martial Arts Mentor). Himi Satomi: Array Master. Shimada Tokuma: Pills Sage (Medicinal Pills mentor). Grandmaster Ch’u Min-Hee (Martial Arts mentor).

Education: 

High School Graduate

High School Diploma

Associates Degree in Biology

Bachelor's Degree in Medicine

Masters Degree in Anatomy and Physiology

Certificate in Calligraphy 

Certificate in Arrays

Certificate in Pill Making 

Seoul National University. The University of Tokyo. Peking University

Korea Military Academy

U 13 or Under 13 for full contact Magical mixed martial arts

U 15 or Under 15 for magical melee combat with tonfa, escrima sticks, sai, nunchucks, & bo staff

Under 18 or U 18 for magical melee combat with magical swords, spears, clubs, axes, and sledgehammers

Occupation: 

Earth: 

Military. Conscript. Drafted. Grunt. Soldier. Officer. Gym trainer. Olympic Level Athlete. Martial Arts World Champion. Stunt person. Producer. Stunt double. Director. Stunt coordinator. Martial arts actress. Fighting game voice actress. Celebrity. 

Isekai: 

Beggar. Bandit. Farmer. Fisherman. Gardener. Courtesan. Matchmaker. Fortune Teller. Chef. Painter. Dancer. Artist. Actor. Musician. Flute, Piano, Violin. Chinese Stringed Instruments. Craftsman. Artisan. Poet. Smith. Shaolin Monk. Monotheistic. Monotheistic Traveller. Martial Arts Grandmaster. Doctor. Nurse. Scientist. Cartographer. Astronomer. Librarian. Apothecary. Conscript. Drafted. Grunt. Soldier. Swordsman. Archer. Calvary. Officer. Warlord. Merchant. City Guard. City Watch. Trader. Vendor. Business person. Mercenary. Armed Escort. Shinobi/Kunoichi assassin. Genin. Chunin. Jonin. Samurai. Ronin. Shogun. Professor. Scholar. Sage. Philosopher. Government Official. Aristocrat. Noble. Lady. Hired Guard. Bodyguard. Royal Guard (Human Empress) Lady in Waiting. Judge. Royal Advisor. 

Economic Class: Aristocratic 

Base of Operations: Firebird Fire Fist and Lightning Bird Lightning Fist Style Martial Arts School and Shaolin Monastery

Place of Residence: Manor of her Noble Chen Family 

Transportation: Horse drawn carriage. Car. Plane.

Mounts: Qinlin, Dragon, Griffin

Familiars: 

Firebird 

Lightning bird 

Pets: Hellhound, shadow cat, phoenix, kitsune nine tailed fox demon

Companions:

Apparel:

Facemask and bandana, spiked arm gauntlets, t-shirt, martial arts gi uniform, vest, obi belt, fingerless gloves, kung fu pants, spiked knee gauntlets, & combat boots

Red blue Silk uniform and Qingdai guanmao or mandarin hat with phoenix feathers as an imperial officer. Accessories to denote rank such as a phoenix and qilin.

Close fitting top with elbow length sleeves that is fairly tight fitting but allow room for movement. It is a kind-of-faded saffron color similar to the breast color of the Fenghuang. Over which she wears her leather and metal armor. Then over that, layers of very thin (almost diaphanous cloth) that are very loose fitting so it is easy to slip out of or just shuck off when needed. That builds up in colors until the outer layer where the skirt section splits off into separated 'tails' of colors. That way, in terms of movement and flow, the clothing picks up the slightest breeze and floats. Creating the illusion of effortless gliding and flight while allowing the character's movement with her clothes to punctuate her body language as she herself moves. The idea being that just the act of movement portrays elegance and effortless poise. When Zhou Chen moves with purpose all the outer layers will immediately flows behind her. Also heightening the impression of a hunting bird striking at its target. The robes are made of two layers of thicker material that doesn’t have the same flow to it. The upper layer would be smaller than the lower layer to create a two-tone color effect. The robe could be belted at the waist. It is form-fitting so that it contours to the body down to the waist. The upper section would be held in place by the armor over the top. As opposed to Zhou Zhen who would have the armor underneath the robe and the skirt of the robes flared somewhat so that when Zhou Chen moves it forms something of a sem-circle around his/her calves. In terms of color maybe the robes for Zhou Chen could have the lower layer the same blue as the second and fourth tail plumage on a Fenghuang with the upper layer the blue/gray/green of the outer feathers in the wings.

Hoodie, t-shirt, jeans, high top sneakers

Equipment: 

Items:

Weapons: Great Sword, bojutsu bo staff, nunchucks, long swords, daggers, short sword, sai, escrima sticks, broadsword, tonfa, magical composite bow, & spear

Armor: 

Leather and metal medium class armor 

Plated chainmail military armor with helmet with Phoenix firebird and lightning bird feathers (based on the helmet of her patron Sun Wukong the Monkey King)

Power origin: 

Earth:  

Fire accident as a superhero.  When saving civilians from a house fire caused by fire magic. 

Lightning accident as a superhero.  When being attacked by a supervillain with electrical lightning powers. 

Isekai: 

Firebird 

Lightning bird 

Abilities: 

Electrical Fire Fusion 

Fire manipulation

Lightning manipulation

[hzdtrees]

Free Heap

Past the Glarebreak, sandwiched between a Stormbird and just too many Thunderjaws, lies Free Heap, one of the few Oseram settlements in the game. True to Oseram fashion, there's not much left in the form of trees, giving the area it's own, almost ravaged feel. (Or maybe it is because every time I finally make it there, I was ravaged by either Thunderjaws or the Stormbird, although I've always felt Stormbirds were less of a challenge, as they need more time to compose themselves after being frozen compared to Thunderjaws, that mostly just shake it off and charge again.)

Most notably about the area however is the "heap", the scrap pile the settlement subsists on when it's not overtaken by a bandit clan and Scrappers, or they're not chasing down a herd of Behemoth in the pursuit of cables and young love.

It's also the first look at the Oseram cannon that becomes so useful during the final battle, and I do wonder - a friend rushed through her NG+ right upon finishing her first playthrough, focusing only on story missions, and was therefore able to answer the question whether the Oseram cannons are still there if you don't meet Petra at all. They are, since they seem to be so integral to the gameplay at that stage, but does it make a difference if you completed her quest, other that she comes to join the final fight? Petra tells Aloy the Oseram cannons that helped liberate Meridian - presumably the ones you use in that final battle - were a prototype to what she was working on in Free Heap (at least that is what I took from "this one's mother"), so I assumed the reason why there is no perceivable difference between her Free Heap model and the ones you use in Meridian is due to her improving on them/building new ones. So, if you never meet her, are those cannons somehow less effective? Is their aiming slightly more off? Do they differ in any way? I might also just, once again, be putting too much thought into this.

[chronic-ghost]

because no one fucking asked me to . . .

Fandom: Horizon Zero Dawn

Pairing: Aloy/Nil

Rating: General Audiences

Title: breathe as though you are drawing your bow

___________________________________________________

She burst through the crowd at the edge of Daytower and took a deep breath. The smell of the spices, the loud chatter of the crowd, the sheer number of people —

Aloy slipped open the wide gate door and managed to shut out some of the static in her head. It was as though someone had thrown a blanket over the world and muffled everything that wasn’t important. She heard the chirp of crickets, the rush of water down below the cliff face, and the rush of wind through the grass.

She felt a worrisome buzz travel up her ribcage at the thought of being stuck in such a small camp with so many strangers, so many travelers, and so much noise. She knew eventually someone would come looking — to say thanks, to cheer her name — so blessed moments to herself like these were precious.

Aloy took another deep breath, this one free of anxious fears and full of cool, moon-lit air. At the end of the rampart, someone had lit the traveler’s fire and it called to her like Nora horn. Yet, as she approached, it seemed someone was already there — lying supine in the dark grass as though on chaise of a king.

Bow and helmet cast to the ground beside him, Nil tore at a blade of grass in his fingers, the hollowness of his collarbone cast dark shadows in the firelight. As though on instinct, she became irritated at the sight of him. She just wanted to be alone, by the goddess , and here he was — when she needed silence the most.

Behind her, the din of the festival echoed into the crevices of the mountain behind Daytower.

“Well, huntress, are you going to come over here or just stand in the dark, staring at me, all night?” Without looking back at her, he tossed the shredded bits of grass into the fire in front of him.

Aloy scowled at the back of his neck as she tried not to stomp over to the empty space beside him.

“How did you know it was me?” She asked as she slid down to the ground, her knees bunched up to her chest.

At that, he frowned, still not looking at her. “Come now. Do not all great hunters have a keen sense of awareness? I know exactly where you are, whenever you’re around.”

A crack in the fire made her cheeks warm. “A great hunter, huh? Is that what you’re calling yourself these days?”

“What would you prefer to call me?”

“A murderer with an advantageous bloodlust.”

“Better than a skinny savage with no social skills.”

The fire burned red hot against her cheeks. “Why are you out here, Nil? Why aren’t you inside, with everyone else?”

He stilled and finally, those storm-grey, metallic-silver eyes fell on her. The heat on her cheeks dropped into the back of her throat.

“ Why aren’t you? ”

Aloy bit the inside of her cheek to stop the spread of the heat to her entire face and she looked away. Why did he have to be like this? Always . Always pushing. Always going too far. Always saying things that —

“It’s the music.” He was talking to the fire again, the pads of his fingers nimbly twisting another blade of grass. “No offense to your people, but there is too much religion in your music. Too much praise to an indifferent being, if there was one at all. It’s a fine call-to-arms, but it’s just simply not my taste.”

Rost once said, some people lied as easily as they breathed and she was sure Nil was one of those people. Though she wasn’t sure why he would lie now, when there was nothing to lose. Then would you tell him , Rost’s voice asked, answer why you don’t want to be around your own tribe and the Carja Sundom who has embraced you as their own? Would you be so honest as to admit that despite all you’ve done, you still feel as though you are an outcast?

She knew very little about Nil and his past, Aloy thought vaguely as she watched him pluck more grass from the ground below him, then ease them into the fire. So little in fact, she dared to wonder if there was something in his past that made him reject the great cities of the Sundom and find peace in the wild, open lands.

“You cannot dance to this music,” he said simply, never needing encouragement to hear the sound of his own voice. “And dancing is nearly as good as killing.”

“That’s not true,” she said, ignoring his casual bloodlust. “I’ve seen hundreds of Nora tribesman dance at the Blessings.”

Nil shook his head, his dark hair sliding free from where his helmet would usually hold it in place. It brushed easily against the smooth skin, below the dividing line on the side of his head. “Dancing is meant to be shared, little huntress, not in the supplication of some silent goddess.”

“What are you talking about? Dancing is dancing.”

His grey eyes seemed to glow in delight as a thought crossed his mind. “Have you never danced with anyone before?”

She really didn’t like the small, knowing smile creeping across his face. Her mouth was suddenly dry. “I don’t dance at all.”

Nil chuckled to himself as he brushed the grass from his hands and stood up. “Well, that explains so much. Stand, huntress, and let me teach you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Nil.” She rolled her eyes away from his outstretched hand, something hot and warm simmering in her stomach. “You said it yourself — dancing to this is impossible.”

“Not if you have the right partner.” He slid his wide palm underneath her hand resting on her knee, pulling her forward. He kept tugging until she was on her feet and Alloy wanted nothing more than to run into the nearest glen and never been seen again.

“Nil —,”

He pulled her close, his bare chest warm beneath his silken vest. She put a hand between them to prevent her body from falling into him. “Hush, now. This isn’t meant to be torture.”

He lifted their hands still wrapped around each other until they were about shoulder-height. He stepped impossible closer until he had one knee gently between her legs. Aloy found she couldn’t mount a sound of protest even if she wanted to.

Nil held his other hand aloft, fingers splayed wide as though to show he held no tricks. His eyes were the color of a Stormbird’s wing and he was circling ever closer.

“Don’t snap my neck over this.” That grin, sharper and heavier than any he had given her before, was growing wider, bolder. “This,” he indicated to his aloft hand, “is meant to go here.”

It came to rest on her hip, gently, as though he knew she was hovering on her instinct to fly or fight.

They stood like that, pressed together, in the shadow of the Carja outpost under the summer moon. She felt his breathing, smelling of wintermint, tumble down the bridge of her nose.

“Now what?” She hated to think her voice came out as a whisper. The point where his throat met his collarbone fluttered under her forceful gaze. If he really were a Stormbird, her hesitation to look him in the eye would have meant her death — her corpse a charred mess, still warm from the blast of electric power.

He tipped her elbow up, up across his chest to rest on his shoulder, at the curve of his shoulder. The pads of her fingers brushed the fine hairs regrowing at the base of his skull and the breath on her nose hitched.

“Now we dance.”

As the hand on her hip tipped her closer, Nil stepped forward. She moved with him, against him,  and he stepped again. Little steps, nothing more than an inch in the shape of a square, but she was moving and he was carrying her, his fingers resting cooly low in the middle of her back. She heard the crisps of their feet as they edged around on the grass.

Beyond them, the drums beat wildly, like a throbbing heart. The crowd roared with ecstasy.

“Relax,” he murmured into her hair. “Don’t think of this as part of your training, or a challenge to win. Lean in. Breathe as though you are drawing your bow.”

He paused and put his wide hand flat against her breastbone. Up an inch more and he could have taken her throat in one palm.

His eyes were as dark as a turbulent river. “Breathe.”

For a single absolutely absurd moment, she thought he was going to kiss her —

— and in that breath that she felt all the way down to her toes, her body loosened, hips and thighs going slack. Her fingers spread against his neck and her lips parted.

His smile was almost cruel with delight. “Such a good listener.”

But then his head turned, his feet resumed their shuffle, and he pressed his temple to hers as though by touch alone he could transmit the tune in his head.

“You must stay in Meridian longer next time,” Nil continued, unhurried and frustratingly unaffected. “It’s a rather shit city but the dance halls are quite extraordinary.”

There were things she wanted to ask him; questions that began as feelings and vague fantasies that were only now growing clear and concrete. But where to begin? Her eyes on the glowing Daytower, Aloy dropped her chin and rested her lips against his shoulder. The silk there was warm.

“What are our thoughts now?” He asked after a moment. He had slowed their flow from a pattern to a slow turn, their two bodies revolving and swaying under the light of a thousand stars. “Still think dancing is just dancing?”

Rost had warned her about all sorts of men — liars, cheats, thieves, killers, monsters more machine than man — but somehow he neglected to tell her about men like Nil. Perhaps there wasn’t anyone else quite like this Carja soldier.

So, she thought about his question, and her answer, and she thought about his gaze on her when he thought she wasn’t looking, and she thought about the calloused hand at her back, and she thought about him, and her — Aloy lifted her head to look him straight in the eye.

“Is that all we’re doing? Dancing?”

He hummed, as though his every nerve was crackling. “Little girl, that’s all we’ve ever done.”

Inside Daytower walls, a loud bang echoed into the night and a brilliant tongue of fire lit up the night sky. The crowd cheered as more and more brightly colors exploded against the blackness above, the sound incredible before it all faded out.

Aloy turned to the noise, watching the explosions rise and fall.

Something warm brushed the shell of her ear, her skin vibrating sharply with sound so close, and suddenly his hands were gone.

She knew he would not be there if she turned to look for him, so she continued to stand underneath the great screaming fireballs with a knot rising in her throat so painfully it hurt to breathe. Her hands knotted into fists, she watched the lights even when her vision blurred.

Eventually the lights faded and no more came. A thrilled shout went up from the outpost and the music started again. Behind her the fire had died out and she was suddenly colder than she had been all night. Willing her hands to stop shaking, Aloy turned to go — to wander, to hunt, to be anywhere from here — when she saw something scarlet in the dark grass.

A single red feather.

And in that moment, she realized what he had so pleasantly whispered.

Come find me, little dancer.

Or read on AO3

[ask-valerian-40k]

Horus Appears

spoilers

obviously

be warned:

'And the Warmaster? He is here, isn't he?' Aspertia's machine voice warbled.

Sota-Nul inclined her head and stood aside, leaving the access ramp free.

'The Warmaster,' she said.

A group of armoured figures appeared suddenly in the ruddy interior, as if they had walked out of thick mist. They were universally savage, their armour hung with awful trophies. First out was a grinning warrior with a high topknot who swept the delegation with a challenging gaze. Three others came with him in a close group, then a Space Marine with halting gait and a serious mien. Their bare faces were pale and angry.

When they were arrayed at the ramp's edge the Warmaster came out.

Horus wore a variant of Terminator armour crafted specifically for his primarch's frame. His hands were sheathed in giant gauntlets from whose backs sprouted claws as long as swords. But impressive though his armour was, it merely acted as a frame for his majesty. His visage was at once beautiful and terrible. He was handsome by standards applicable to gods, his features sculpted by a hand of rare genius. All eyes in Tria Station were fixed upon that face. It was impossible to look away from it. He wore a smile that promised generosity and violence in equal measure.

'Citizens of the Martian Empire,' he said. He did not speak loudly, but his voice carried further than that of the most skilled actor. 'I have come to you to free you from the lies of the False Emperor, my father.'

When he spoke, every thinking being in earshot willed their hearts to be still in case they missed the slightest nuance to his words. When he paused, they craved more.

'You have shown great wisdom in joining yourselves to my cause. At my side, you will help me usher in a new era for the Mechanicum. Together, as equals, not in the master and slave relationship the Emperor forced upon your noble nation, we shall reforge the galaxy and declare a new Terran Empire that shall rival the greatest realms of the ancient days. Only with me can mankind reach its true potential. By embracing the truth of the empyrean shall we conquer the galaxy and rule supremely for evermore.'

A cheer erupted from every mouth and mechanical augment. An outpouring of love for the Warmaster banished every trace of fear, so loud and fervent the ships in the docks shook.

By a great act of will Cawl cut all forms of broadcast and plugged any external data receivers he could find in his augments. He shielded his biological thoughts with a repeated loop of devotional binaric chants that drowned out the speech of the conqueror.

The whole of Trisolian was enthralled. This was the legendary charisma of Horus Lupercal gone bad from within, like a great tree whose limbs bear green leaves and fresh shoots, but whose heartwood is rotted out. The compulsion to listen went far beyond that engendered by a man of oratorical prowess. The effect the words had was out of all proportion to their meaning. He was an artwork of a master overwritten by a less kind hand, its nobility perverted into something vile An urge to abase himself before this man gripped Cawl, and he knew it was wrong through and through.

'A great age beckons our species,' Horus continued, and though Cawl was now intentionally deaf, he heard it still. 'To share in it I ask only that you pledge your service to me for the duration of this war. The forces of the Emperor are strong. The misguided stand before me. Every gun fired in my service no matter by which branch of humanity is a shot fired in the name of truth.' He lifted a massive claw and pointed at an adept upon Magos Visreen's grav-dais. 'Do you pledge allegiance to me?' the Warmaster said.

'Me?' The adept looked nervously to his fellows. They drew back from him.

'Answer the Warmaster!' shouted the warrior with the topknot. He plucked a mag-locked pistol from his thigh and aimed it at the hapless man.

The adept was too slow in kneeling. The bolt pistol boomed. The adept's body flowered redly, showering chunks of meat and shattered bionics over the side of the grav-dais. They fell into the null grav zone generated at the heart of the sphere, where they took up orbit, like an orrery made from a butcher's leavings. The echoes of the bolt's detonation rang from far-off surfaces.

'What about you?' said the warrior. He aimed his pistol at another adept.

'Ezekyle, put away your gun,' said Horus.

The warrior named Ezekyle made a dismissive noise, and locked his pistol back to his thigh.

The adept he had aimed at knelt. Then the rest followed suit, displaying their submission in a rustle of robes.

'I am with you,' one said. 'I pledge to serve the Warmaster, for the Greater Glory of the Martian Empire,' said another.

'For the Mechanician, I will follow you,' said a third.

So it went on. Wordlessly it was made perfectly clear that all were expected to voice their loyalty. Horus looked to each man and woman present as his lieutenants watched, the threat of death plain in their faces.

The litany of surrender proceeded. The ripples of abasement lapped out into the crowds below, and they proclaimed their loyalty. Cawl kept his head bowed the whole time, until the words stopped, and he looked up to find the would-be master of mankind staring directly at him.

An ancient Terran saying had it that the eyes were windows to the soul. In that moment, Cawl could believe it to be true. What he saw behind Horus' face was burned into his memory forever.

He could never serve what he saw behind those eyes.

'I am with you, my lord,' he said. 'I pledge my service to you and my life.' The oath was hollow. As he spoke, his interference cant shielding his mind, the thought of escape rose urgently in his thoughts.

When the giving of oaths was done, Horus looked over the leaders of the forge world, and into the crowds packing the skin of the sphere.

'Death is the price of disloyalty to me,' he said, and the screens showed his vastly magnified face. 'But know this - if I bring suffering to some it is because I would save you.'

He returned to his ship. His men followed. Sota-Nul was the last aboard. She turned at the top of the ramp, and looked down upon Aspertia's barge. The Stormbird's engines ignited, their jet burn focusing to searing daggers of fire. 'You are the Warmasters now,' she shouted over the rising whine of the ship. 'Do not forget your oaths. Shortly I shall send advisers to you. With the blessing of Kelbor-Hal, await your orders.' The ramp rose. Before it had closed fully, the Stormbird lifted off, turned and accelerated away.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[the-horizon-lounge3041]

Lis introduces Cloudburst! Her Stormbird.

[mudaship39]

Character Bio of the East Asian Half Human Half Firebird and Stormbird Monk character 

Dossier, Profile, Record, & Archive: Zhou Zhen/Zhou Chen:

Name: Zhou Zhen (the National S Rank Hero and Adventurer of China)/Zhou Chen (the Half Human Half Phoenix Firebird Lightning Bird Monk S Rank Adventurer and Guild Member)

Species: 

Human

Metahuman with pyrokinetic fire powers and electrokinetic lightning powers

Celestial/Stellar bipedal humanoid Phoenix Firebird Fenghuang and Lightning Bird 

Racial Identity: East Asian Chinese, East Asian Korean, & East Asian Japanese 

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 130

Body Type: Lean, lithe, slender, & and athletic. Body type similar to a martial artist or gymnast. 

Appearance:

B,H,W: 32 B

Hairstyle: 

Pre-colonial East Asian hairstyles. 

Short hair 

Long hair tied in a medium or long ponytail

Hair color: black

Eye Color: light brown

Skin color: terra cotta brown

Extra: Red, orange, and yellow phoenix feathers grow on her chest, back, arms, & legs. In her full phoenix fire bird form she has wings, a beak, a tail, feathers on her entire body, & she has talons on her hand and feet. She has golden raptor-like eyes.

Age: 27 

Birthday: Taurus Horse

Tattoos: Celestial and stellar colored and black and white East Asian tattoos of tigers, phoenixes, dragons, fish, buddha, qilin, etc that glow when she uses her firebird and lightning bird powers especially electrical fire fusion elemental powers 

Piercings: Piercings with gemstones on her ears, eyebrows, nose, tongue, & face

Markings:

Jewelry: East Asian buddhist bracelets, jade gemstones rings, Buddhist necklaces.

Features: 

Sex: Female

Gender: Cis 

Sexual Orientation: Lesbian

Pronouns: He him, she her 

Religion: Shinto Buddhist

Languages: 

Common, Undercommon, Goblinoid, Giantkin, Gnomish, Halfling, Dwarvish, Fey, Elvish, Sylvan, Underdark, Draenei, Draconic, Aarakocra, Auran, Celestial, Fiendish, Deep Speech, Serpent Tongue, & Primordial

Disabilities: Autistic. 

Nuerodivergent: ADD, ADHD, OCD, 

Mental Illnesses: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, & PTSD

Relatives: 

Father: Lei Chen 

Mother: Eun-a Choi

Aunts and Uncles: Miyoko Kobayashi, Ha-min Choi, Liya Chen 

Siblings:

Brothers:

Sisters:

Cousins:

Nephews and Nieces:

Children: 

Marital Status: Married

Relationship model: Polyamorous

Love Interests: 

Elsa Johansson, Afro Asian half dragon Chun Hei Kim, Afro South Asian Desi Afro European Amelia Himmat Mishra, Afro West Asian Maysa Uzun, Latine Native Valerie Nadia Torres Garcia. Artist Dancer Yuli Li, Madam Brothel Manager Sunrita Maheshwari, Swordswoman Xiuli Chang, Grandmaster Weili Yang, Military Captain Soldier Chunyu Liu, Government Official Kanako Takahashi, Scholar Miyoko Kobayashi, Police captain Saruta Chaiyasan, Noble Lady Hyo-jin Jung, Warlord General Sae-hyun Park, Jonin kunoichi assassin Nanako Yamada, Samurai Lady Kiyoko Nakamura, Merchant Myeon-ji Kim, Shogun Tomiko Satou, Princess Lady Minh Nguyen

Rank: 

S rank

S rank Adventurer:

S Rank Hunter

S Rank Hero

Level: 300

Stat Points:

Skills:

Traits:

Alignment: Neutral Good 

Class: Monk (Magical melee and unarmed martial arts) 

Subclass:

Background: 

Disgraced Noble. Fallen Noble. Arranged Marriage. Exile. Academy Dropout. Unseen Academy Reject. Acolyte. Apothecary. Artisan. Attention Addict. Chef. Chosen One. Craftsman. Dauntless. Destined to be a Hero. Doctor. Duelist. Farmer. Fortune Teller. Government Official (Imperial Civil Servant). Hermit. Isekai. Lesser Scion. Librarian. Matchmaker. Merchant. Mercenary. Monk. Monotheistic. Monotheistic Traveller. Nurse. One Soul Two Bodies. Otherworlder. Poet. Primogenitor. Prodigy. Retired Hero. Roamer. Sage. Shaolin Monk. Scholar. Sealed One. Second Soul. Smith (Metal, Gemstone, Blacksmith). Soldier. Tourist. Town Apothecary. The Chosen One. Time Frozen. Time Traveller. Trader. Vendor. Wanderer. Warlord. Warrior. Weaver (Fabric). Wise One. 

Cultivation: 

Martial Arts: 

Magical martial arts (imagine bak mei, wushu, changquan, hung gar, xingyiquan, shuai jiao, wing chun, san da, choy li fut, shaolin kung fu, & wuzuquan)

magical mixed martial arts (imagine karate, capoeira, krav maga, savate, muay thai, jiu jitsu, kickboxing, hapkido, judo, aikido, taekwondo  

magical kendo, sai, kobudo, spear, kalaripayattu, escrima stick fighting, bo staff, silat, tonfa, & nunchucks 

Patron: Sun Wukong

Titles: 

Sage of the Stars. Young Master of the Chen Family. Grandmaster of the Way of the Fire Fist Lightning Fist Martial Arts School. Sword Empress. Sword Saint. Owner of the Auctionhouse. Owner of the Lotus Medicinal Pills Apothecary. Marquis of the Imperial Military.

Homebase:  

Shanghai, China. Kyoto, Japan. Seoul, Korea. Human Federation of Magical Human Kingdoms and Indigenous Magical Human Confederacy of Nations 

Affiliation: 

Murim Alliance. Xiao Lei: Poison Master (Master in poison arts). Jonin (assassination, ninjutsu, & shadow arts). Yuan Jian: Swordmaster (Melee Martial Arts Mentor). Himi Satomi: Array Master. Shimada Tokuma: Pills Sage (Medicinal Pills mentor). Grandmaster Ch’u Min-Hee (Martial Arts mentor).

Education: 

High School Graduate

High School Diploma

Associates Degree in Biology

Bachelor's Degree in Medicine

Masters Degree in Anatomy and Physiology

Certificate in Calligraphy 

Certificate in Arrays

Certificate in Pill Making 

Seoul National University. The University of Tokyo. Peking University

Korea Military Academy

U 13 or Under 13 for full contact Magical mixed martial arts

U 15 or Under 15 for magical melee combat with tonfa, escrima sticks, sai, nunchucks, & bo staff

Under 18 or U 18 for magical melee combat with magical swords, spears, clubs, axes, and sledgehammers

Occupation: 

Earth: 

Military. Conscript. Drafted. Grunt. Soldier. Officer. Gym trainer. Olympic Level Athlete. Martial Arts World Champion. Stunt person. Producer. Stunt double. Director. Stunt coordinator. Martial arts actress. Fighting game voice actress. Celebrity. 

Isekai: 

Beggar. Bandit. Farmer. Fisherman. Gardener. Courtesan. Matchmaker. Fortune Teller. Chef. Painter. Dancer. Artist. Actor. Musician. Flute, Piano, Violin. Chinese Stringed Instruments. Craftsman. Artisan. Poet. Smith. Shaolin Monk. Monotheistic. Monotheistic Traveller. Martial Arts Grandmaster. Doctor. Nurse. Scientist. Cartographer. Astronomer. Librarian. Apothecary. Conscript. Drafted. Grunt. Soldier. Swordsman. Archer. Calvary. Officer. Warlord. Merchant. City Guard. City Watch. Trader. Vendor. Business person. Mercenary. Armed Escort. Shinobi/Kunoichi assassin. Genin. Chunin. Jonin. Samurai. Ronin. Shogun. Professor. Scholar. Sage. Philosopher. Government Official. Aristocrat. Noble. Lady. Hired Guard. Bodyguard. Royal Guard (Human Empress) Lady in Waiting. Judge. Royal Advisor. 

Economic Class: Aristocratic 

Base of Operations: Firebird Fire Fist and Lightning Bird Lightning Fist Style Martial Arts School and Shaolin Monastery

Place of Residence: Manor of her Noble Chen Family 

Transportation: Horse drawn carriage. Car. Plane.

Mounts: Qinlin, Dragon, Griffin

Familiars: 

Firebird 

Lightning bird 

Pets: Hellhound, shadow cat, phoenix, kitsune nine tailed fox demon

Companions:

Apparel:

Facemask and bandana, spiked arm gauntlets, t-shirt, martial arts gi uniform, vest, obi belt, fingerless gloves, kung fu pants, spiked knee gauntlets, & combat boots

Red blue Silk uniform and Qingdai guanmao or mandarin hat with phoenix feathers as an imperial officer. Accessories to denote rank such as a phoenix and qilin.

Close fitting top with elbow length sleeves that is fairly tight fitting but allow room for movement. It is a kind-of-faded saffron color similar to the breast color of the Fenghuang. Over which she wears her leather and metal armor. Then over that, layers of very thin (almost diaphanous cloth) that are very loose fitting so it is easy to slip out of or just shuck off when needed. That builds up in colors until the outer layer where the skirt section splits off into separated 'tails' of colors. That way, in terms of movement and flow, the clothing picks up the slightest breeze and floats. Creating the illusion of effortless gliding and flight while allowing the character's movement with her clothes to punctuate her body language as she herself moves. The idea being that just the act of movement portrays elegance and effortless poise. When Zhou Chen moves with purpose all the outer layers will immediately flows behind her. Also heightening the impression of a hunting bird striking at its target. The robes are made of two layers of thicker material that doesn’t have the same flow to it. The upper layer would be smaller than the lower layer to create a two-tone color effect. The robe could be belted at the waist. It is form-fitting so that it contours to the body down to the waist. The upper section would be held in place by the armor over the top. As opposed to Zhou Zhen who would have the armor underneath the robe and the skirt of the robes flared somewhat so that when Zhou Chen moves it forms something of a sem-circle around his/her calves. In terms of color maybe the robes for Zhou Chen could have the lower layer the same blue as the second and fourth tail plumage on a Fenghuang with the upper layer the blue/gray/green of the outer feathers in the wings.

Hoodie, t-shirt, jeans, high top sneakers

Equipment: 

Items:

Weapons: Great Sword, bojutsu bo staff, nunchucks, long swords, daggers, short sword, sai, escrima sticks, broadsword, tonfa, magical composite bow, & spear

Armor: 

Leather and metal medium class armor 

Plated chainmail military armor with helmet with Phoenix firebird and lightning bird feathers (based on the helmet of her patron Sun Wukong the Monkey King)

Power origin: 

Earth:  

Fire accident as a superhero.  When saving civilians from a house fire caused by fire magic. 

Lightning accident as a superhero.  When being attacked by a supervillain with electrical lightning powers. 

Isekai: 

Firebird 

Lightning bird 

Abilities: 

Electrical Fire Fusion 

Fire manipulation

Lightning manipulation