#all i know is that if i were allowed to wear that type of armor and helmet around in public i would be so much less dysphoric

[soldfor3000credits]

i find so much gender envy in these helmets yall do not understand

u dont even need a face at that point

[wareagleofthemountain]

Let’s talk Prince Nuada HCs, cause it’s been a while!

1. He gets very watchful and protective in a crowd setting, always holding your hand or arm and ready to pull you close to his body to defend you at a moment’s notice.

2. He’s a Prince, so of course he will spoil you with expensive gifts even when you insist that it is not necessary. For you, the joy of getting to love him is enough, which is why he wants to pamper you. Your trust and openness towards him is more than enough of a reason. He sees your pure heart and is still in awe that he gets to be the one it beats for. His favorite gift to present you with? Roses preserved in gold.

3. Nuada is actually quite sensitive behind closed doors, and sometimes weeps for the earth’s pain as his soul is deeply connected to it. During times like these, he loves nothing more than to kneel between your knees and rest his head in your lap while you stroke his hair. He feels safe and free enough to cry out his anguish to you.

4. During his leisure time, when he is not wearing armor or fancy robes to court, Nuada likes going barefoot and shirtless as he feels more connected to the earth that way. Also, he enjoys bathing in cold rivers.

5. If you two are together while his father, King Balor, is alive, you become his “daughter of the heart” as he calls you in elvish. He’s always inviting you to family dinners and jokingly (not really) threatening to disown Nuada if he breaks your heart. The king is very cheerful and loves to laugh, especially when in the company of his loved ones. Seriously though, I imagine Balor to be the type to make paper airplanes out of the napkins at said family dinner party and toss them at whoever is across the table from him while they’re not looking. Balor raised the twins as a single father for the majority of their lives after the death of his wife, so he’ll share with you all of the fairytales he’d tell his children every night before bed when they were young.

6. Nuada loves cuddling by fires.

7. As is my HC for LoTR elf pairs, your souls are connected as one in a lifelong bond after making love for the first time or “bonding”. The bond allows you and Nuada to communicate telepathically, sense each other’s emotions, and even bring healing to the body. If Nuada were to get injured, you could lay skin to skin against the injury (gently) and pour out your energy to seal the wound shut. This is why skin to skin cuddles are so important to the Prince, for it can heal body, mind, and soul. He views it as sacred between you both. Also, during the first year of being married or bonded, you and Nuada cannot be physically far apart from each other for an extended period of time as distance is harmful to a new connection. So much energy is being used to bind your souls during this initial stage that you will start to feel physically ill if you and Nuada are not able to stabilize each other through nearness and quality time. Physical touch is also super important.

8. You will never get lost with this elf. He’s like a living breathing  compass.

9. Nuada purrs when he feels safe and content, usually in your arms after a long day. He didn’t even know he could. It just came out as a natural reaction after meeting you. 

[awkward-tension-art]

Catatonia

Leon x gn!reader

Warnings: Trauma, depressive catatonia, crying, hurt/comfort, panic attack, post-raccoon city, Leon needs a hug, reader-insert, gender neutral pronouns but lmk if I slipped up anywhere, reader being supportive and taking care of Leon

Everything I know about catatonia is based on my own research and my undergrad psyc degree, so chances it may not be accurate. Enjoy the sadness!

You had no idea what happened.

Leon was supposed to go to Raccoon City and begin his first day as a cop. He would be ahead of you for a couple of months while you finished your semester. You were supposed to transfer to Raccoon University.

But then Raccoon City collapsed. The president bombed the city and everyone in it. 100,000 souls, wiped off the face of the earth.

For a day you thought you lost your boyfriend. Your grief was overwhelming, assuming he had died. Only to get a call from the military, confirming his survival, along with a little girl named Sherry.

Once you reunited, you brought him back home. Sherry, taken to a hospital for testing and recovery from…some type of infection.

Leon looked like hell. He was covered in grime, sweat and blood. The RPD uniform he wore was ripped and ragged. And his shoulder…filthy bandages were wrapped around his shoulder.

Worse of all, his eyes…his beautiful baby blue eyes were empty. Distant. Traumatized.

He seemed entirely dazed. Confused even. Unaware of his surroundings.

“Come on,” you whispered, leading him from the entrance of your small apartment to your shared bedroom.

Your upstairs neighbors must’ve dropped something, because you heard a muffled thump. Leon, in response, jumped. His hand shot to Matilda, grabbing the gun tightly.

“Leon, it's ok.” You spoke softly, your hand reached for the gun, putting your palm on the top of the barrel, “It’s ok…you're safe.” Matilda was trembling in his grip. He didn’t speak, as you took the pistol from his shaking hands. You clicked the safety, took out the mag and emptied the chamber.

Your eyes roamed his face. Jesus christ, he looked terrified.

Your boyfriend was traumatized. PTSD, you theorized. But without a professional, you couldn’t be certain.

“Come on,” You put Matilda down on the counter and slowly led Leon to your bedroom. Once inside the room, you sat him down on the bed. You didn’t care about the stains on the sheets; they could be washed or replaced.

“Leon.” you knelt, having him look down at you, “I’m gonna remove the…armor, ok?” You weren’t entirely sure what Leon was wearing on his body. Was it some type of specialized riot gear?

You received a small nod.

“Ok…I’m gonna start at the chest.” You had to warn him of everything you did. Any wrong move and Leon might jump. You didn’t want to scare him.

Your hands went to his side. You had to move his arm, which allowed you to lift the velcro. With the sound of the usual tearing, you freed one side. You did the same for the other, being careful of his injured shoulder. Once the armor was open, you slowly and carefully lifted the chestpiece over his head.

Leon was still silent. His eyes were still distant and unseeing.

Your fingers went to his belts. This felt…you were afraid of violating your boyfriend. “I’m gonna get your belt off ok?” You remained kneeling, “Can I, Leon?” Was he even in the right mind to consent to undressing?

He wasn’t speaking, mind entirely somewhere else.

“Ok…Listen, I’m going to get your belt off, then the rest of your clothes, ok?” You explained softly everything you planned to do. “Then, I’m going to turn on the shower, and get you washed up.”

No response either.

You were running out of ideas. Your hands went over his, “Leon…If you understand me, please squeeze my hand.” You hoped and prayed he could do that much at least. Your eyes met his, silently begging him to react to…something.

His fingers twitched. Good.

You smiled ever so slightly, “Alright…Here…” carefully, you put his gloved hand on your shoulder, “If you want me to stop, you squeeze my shoulder, ok?” It was a way for him to communicate without speaking.

Your movements were slow and clear as you removed his belt. It was surprisingly heavy, weighed down by the hip pouches attached to it. Jesus, what did he carry? There was a knife sheath wrapped around his leg. The moment you touched it, Leon’s hand shot to the handle.

“Woah, it's alright.” You pulled back, giving him space, “Leon, it's ok. You're safe.” your tone was quiet and reassuring, “It’s you and me right now. It's just you and me.”

Slowly, his grip loosened and he let the knife go. His eyes stared at you, through you. Your boyfriend wasn’t seeing you anymore.

Carefully, you removed the sheath and its straps. Pulling the other smaller armor pieces off was easy enough. However, your hand grazed his shoulder, causing him to flinch. At first you assumed it was a bruise or type of scratch, yet you were still careful getting his shirt off and peeling off the dirty bandages.

It was worse. Much much worse.

A gunshot. Jagged, circular, and surrounded by dark spidery veins. Your boyfriend had been shot!?

“Oh my god…” You breathed, “Leon…” Checking his shoulder, you realized the bullet had gone through completely. “Has anyone seen you for this? A doctor?”

He didn’t answer you.

“Ok…” You sighed, calming yourself, “I’m gonna turn on the shower.” Your steps were quiet but hurried as you got to the bathroom. Your thoughts were racing as you turned the water on, setting it around the temperature you knew Leon liked.

Your boyfriend had survived something awful in a city that’s been bombed. He’d been shot. Taken in by the military. Returned to you traumatized and quiet.

You returned to his side, kneeling down and looking into his eyes. “Let's get you cleaned up, ok?” The both of you were silent as you got Leon to his feet and to the bathroom. Once inside, you put his hand on your shoulder again as you pulled off his filthy pants and boxers. You did your best to not react to the smell.

Christ. Did he run through a sewer ?

You tried not to ponder, leading your boyfriend into the shower. He grimaced once the warm water began to hit his skin.

This stupor he was trapped in scared you. He most likely wasn’t in control. Was he at least aware of the world around him? You didn’t know enough about catatonia. He needed a professional. A doctor. You’d take him to the ER after the shower.

The water around your feet had turned brown from the grime on Leon’s body. It slipped down the drain in a continuous stream as you grabbed some body wash and began to scrub his skin. Tonight, you’d use your shampoo, conditioner and soft loofah. If your boyfriend was in the right state of mind, he’d deny loving the vanilla and lavender smell you preferred for your soaps. But he wasn’t, and you used them anyway.

You grabbed your shampoo and squeezed out more than the ‘recommended quarter size’. Reaching up, you ran your soapy hand through his hair before scrubbing your fingers into the strands. Leon grimaced again when you began to massage the sweet smelling soap into his hair and scalp.

“I’m sorry, I don't mean to be rough.” You murmured, washing his hair as much as you could. With only one wash, you weren't satisfied. Neither would your boyfriend. You tilted his head back and poured more shampoo directly onto his head. You scrubbed again, being more gentle this time.

One more wash later and you could tell his hair returned to its natural blonde.

Hopefully…

Next battle was his skin. You started at his neck, being as careful as you could as you scrubbed. there was a slight flinch when you touched his neck, causing you to back off. Leaving that area of his body alone, you moved on.

You were as careful as you could be with his shoulders and arms, especially around the bullet wound. Leon grimaced again when you began to clean his hands. His empty eyes stared ahead as you worked to clean under his fingernails.

Thank god you had a nail cleaning kit. It came in handy as you cleaned as much as you could. It felt like you spent a good 10 minutes on each fingernail, removing grime, mud and…blood.

Once done, the bottle of body wash you used was empty. You mentally thanked yourself for picking up a new bottle just a few days before Leon left. Popping the tab open, you got to work on his chest and back.

He’d been stock still the entire shower. Even when you began to wash his legs and feet, he didn’t react. Normally he’d try and pull away, complaining of being ticklish. But tonight? Nothing was causing any sort of reaction.

By the time you felt your boyfriend was clean and the water streaming down the drain was clear, the shower had run cold.

Leon wasn’t even shivering.

“Come on…” Your words were soft as you turned the handle, shutting off the water. “Let’s get you dried and dressed.”

Lean remained unresponsive as you pulled him out. You wrapped a towel around his waist as you took another and began to dry his face and hair. From there, you dried the rest of his body. The towels were blessedly clean and unstained when you pulled them off. Good, you managed to get off all of the unknown gunk that had clung to his form an hour ago.

“Leon,” He was entirely lost to you. You weren’t even sure if he could hear you, “I don’t know what happened, but I’m here for you, ok?” Gently, you stroked his cheek, looking into his unfocused and dazed eyes.

Catatonia. Completely.

Once you managed to get him dressed, you got him sitting on the couch to rest a bit more. You stripped the comforter off the bed and threw it into the washer along with the towels. They’d run while you take your boyfriend to the ER.

It was late now. A little past 3AM by the time you got in. The intake nurse was kind and understanding, taking you and your boyfriend to a bed after a 30 minute wait.

Honestly, the ER was a blur. You held his hand while he sat on the bed. Some tests were run. You were asked questions. his bullet wound was tended to properly. You signed some paperwork, and by 4:45 in the morning, Leon was confirmed to be in a depressive catatonic state and treated with lorazepam.

An hour later you were sent home with a prescription once the IV was finished.

Once inside, you led him back to your bathroom to wash his face and prepare for bed. He needed sleep. You did too.

But a part of you wanted to remain awake in case he needed something. Leon’s stupor was terrifying. What if the treatment didn’t work? The doctor mentioned ECT…

No . it was too early. It had only been a few hours since he was given the medication.

You got your boyfriend to lay down. He was on his side as you knelt next to him, knees on the carpet next to the bed. Your hand pet his hair, trying to give some sort of comfort to him. “Leon…” You whispered, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but…I'm right here.” You sounded like a broken record at this point, “I love you and I’m gonna stay right here to help you.”

At some point, when you noticed the sun coming up, you joined Leon on the bed. Your arms wrapped around him, his back to your chest, holding his hands in your own. You drifted off, somewhere between awake and asleep. You don’t know how long you remained like that.

A strangled cry rammed you out of your state. You sat up, looking around in a panicked rush. Your eyes landed on your boyfriend, sitting against the wall, gripping his hair. He was hyperventilating, letting out a choked sob. His blue eyes were wide, staring at nothing.

“Leon! Leon, it's alright.” You shot out to him, kneeling in front of his face, “Shhh, look at me, ok? It's ok. Everything is alright, Leon.” You didn’t want to scare him or panic him, but all you wanted to do was hold him.

He sobbed, closing in on himself and shutting down.

Shit. Shit!

“Leon, Leon, please…” Your words were failing. He wasn’t hearing you. Not entirely, “Leon shhh, you're safe. It's over. You’re home.”

Stupidly, you took a chance. Very, very slowly, you raised one hand to his cheek. Something clicked in his mind feeling your touch. His terrified eyes flicked up to you. It took a few moments for him to fully register that it was you in front of him.

His lips trembled. You barely made out your name in his quiet and cracked voice.

“Can I hold you?” you asked tenderly. his consent mattered. He was extremely vulnerable. You refused to add to his fear and panic.

Your boyfriend nodded slowly.

In response, you adjusted your position and wrapped your arms around him. “Shhhh…” you hushed Leon as his shoulders shook with more weeping, “Shhhh, it's alright. It's alright…” You unconsciously began to rock back and forth slightly.

You didn’t know what Leon had survived. You didn’t know what he went through. But dammit …as you heard his cries and sobs, you swore you’d be there to help him through the aftermath.

[superman86to99]

Super Titles Round-Up (July 1994)

This month: Superboy collides with the Parasite! Steel collides with Hardware! This blog collides with the Green Lantern one!

Superboy #6

LOTS happening in this issue ("Worlds Collide," "Fall of Metropolis," the Super-Parasite, Cadmus' fate revealed, a mysterious "Lady Dragon" villain cameo, Dubbilex loves tanning) but the most important part is: Superboy finally meets Krypto! You know, that little mutt Bibbo saved from drowning and then tried to name "Krypton" but the guy making the collar tag wanted to charge him extra for the final letter? Anyway, it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

About Cadmus: turns out everyone in it wasn't crushed to death in Action #700. Superman deflected the missile blast but allowed everyone, including Superboy, to think that the place was destroyed to prevent Luthor from trying to destroy it for real, I guess. Now the place is in pretty bad shape (especially for Guardian, who gave up like half of his blood to create the cure to the Clone Plague) but they're using this opportunity to go back to being a secret government agency, like they were before Superboy ran his big mouth.

Superboy is glad his friends at Cadmus are alive, but he doesn't really wanna hang out underground, so he goes back to Metropolis to help rescue survivors (especially those right in front of TV cameras). He happens to rescue Cat Grant's elderly neighbor just as Cat is reporting from outside her own destroyed building, and he even gives Cat a photo he found of her with some little kid we haven't seen in a while...

By the way, this is how Superboy's friends back in Hawaii find out he didn't die from the Clone Plague (his manager Rex Leech was already starting to look for other "super-types" to manage).

Meanwhile, the Parasite, who's been on the loose ever since he stole Superman's excess powers and became all big and buff, runs into Fred Bentson, the reality-hopping mailman from the "Worlds Collide" crossover, and tries to absorb his freaky reality-hopping energy. Superboy intervenes and, with Dubbilex's help, ends up tricking the Parasite into getting his own energy sucked by Metropolis' electric grid, leaving him looking like an empty Parasite cosplay suit.

As for Fred, he's understandably freaked out by the whole situation, runs away, and clumsily falls off a bridge (despite Bibbo's efforts to rescue him). Superboy grabs him as he's falling, and that's when Fred teleports them both to Milestone Comics' Dakotaverse, leading to their appearance in Icon #11. And that, in turns, leads to...

Steel #6

Last time we saw John Henry, he said he was gonna kill his old boss, the Colonel, for trying to murder John's family and causing his nephew Jemahl to shoot himself up with a superhuman drug that messed him up pretty badly. For a second, it does look like John is gonna kill the Colonel... but nah, he was just scaring him into confessing who he's been working for: some organization by the not very original name of "Black Ops" that operates in Metropolis.

So John goes to Metropolis to look up these "Black Ops" fellows, and as it happens, they're the ones operating the shady sleep clinic from the "Worlds Collide" storyline. The head of the group is a generous philanthropist called Manual Cabral who in his spare time dresses up in a slick robot armor and tries to exploit the reality-hopping powers of innocent mailmen. Reality-hopping is exactly what Fred and Superboy do once again, but this time they also bring Milestone's Hardware and Rocket along from the Dakotaverse.

Cabral (or "Hazard," as he likes to be called when he's wearing the armor) sends some goons to capture Fred, but his new super-friends won't allow it. Steel hears the resulting ruckus and flies in to help, but Hardware mistakes him for another goon and their obligatory fight scene ensues. Just when Rocket has gotten the boys to stop fighting, everyone but Steel is teleported back to the other universe.

Superman shows up to increase this issue's resale value even more, and Steel barely has any time to explain the situation to him before there's another bizarre plot twist: Fred somehow made a literal bridge between the two worlds! (But we already knew that from the Milestone issues.) CONTINUED!

Outsiders #9

The Eradicator finds out that his old pals the Outsiders are now in super-prison and he's like "That means they must be guilty! I'm gonna go there and kill them." But, when he gets there, he's like "Aw, I can't stay mad at you guys" and helps them break out.

He ends up rejoining the team to help them prove their innocence, because deep down, he's a big softie. By the way, that super-prison is the Slab, the same one Mongul broke out of in Green Lantern #52, which leads to...

Green Lantern #53

Superman drops by LA to help the All-New, All-Confused Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, who can't understand why a yellow guy from outer space is trying to kill him. This issue includes the classic moment in which Superman and Kyle introduce themselves to each other and Superman says one of his most perfectly Superman quotes: "By the way, I'm Superman."

Read my full post for this issue at the greenlantern94to04 blog, which finally caught up chronologically to this one, and I'm planning to keep them that way (especially with a certain timeline-shaking crossover coming up...).

Wonder Woman #88

We talked about this issue in the post for Man of Steel #35, but how could I pass up the opportunity to show that Brian Bolland cover here? Aside from the robot-fighting stuff we already covered, the plot is about Diana feeling unhinged due to some magical shenanigans going on in her series and coming to Metropolis to ask Superman to do whatever it takes to "stop her" if she ever puts innocent lives at risk. Too bad she can't just give him a ring that'd take care of it.

"Unless it's an innocent who's been retconned into being evil. Then just let me snap his neck."

Superman's reaction is telling Wonder Woman she might be "overreacting" and then ditching her with Dr. Fate (actually a villain in disguise) because Diana "won't be much use until she gets her head together." Are we sure Superman isn't the one whose personality was magically altered to make him a dick?

Showcase '94 #8

Not technically Superman-related, but this issue has a very interesting story written by Dan Jurgens in which Waverider and his fellow Linear Man (Rip) Hunter notice some time disturbances in 1994 and go check them out. This turns out to be a trap by the villainous Monarch, formerly the heroic Hank "Hawk" Hall (what's with guys called Hal/Hall going evil?). Waverider touches Monarch to look into his future and find out what he's up to, and what he sees shocks him. Then a blast to the face shocks him in a more literal way.

Monarch kidnaps Waverider, and... CONTINUED! All across the DCU!

[juniperss]

Band of brothers medieval au ,that's just a thought...

anon, your mind….lets take this a step further if you don’t mind me doing so:

knights of the round table au. Now I’ll be honest and admit that my knowledge on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is entirely sourced from BBC’s Merlin so you’ll have to bear with me BUTTTTTTTTTT

“We would fight a thousand armies with our bare hands for you. We are never alone. We stand together." -Elyan to Arthur

In this AU I clearly picture Richard as Arthur. Just as in Band of Brothers, we see how quickly Easy Company (led by Lipton and so on) admit they would rather be transferred (or even killed) than to have to serve under Sobel. It’s clear from the beginning who the loyalty of the Company belongs to and that is Winters.

Now there aren't enough Knights of the Round Table to have each member of Easy Company, so I'm going to divide Easy into the Archetypes of each Knight that they most reflect in either all or most aspects (in my opinion!) -Sir Gwaine Archetype: "I think we have no chance. But I wouldn't miss it for the world." Bold, seeing the best in others, flirtatious, confident, fiercely loyal, humorous, throw hands first and ask questions later, and believed that people should be defined by what they did rather than who they were [Guarnere, Toye, Speirs, Talbert] - Sir Lancelot Archetype: "It is not just his deeds that we'll never forget. It is his courage. It is his compassion. His unselfish heart." Kindhearted, compassionate, courageous, humble, loyal and self sacrificing. [Lipton, Roe, Malarkey] -The Sir Elyan Archetype: "He's [Elyan] just one of those types of people, never settles down, never thinks about the future. Just follows his heart wherever it takes him." Affectionate, adventurous, loyal, brave, kind to others, cunning and quick on their feet, giving. [Muck, Skip, Nixon, Liebgott, Luz] -The Sir Leon (THATS MY MAN!) Archetype: "I have fought alongside you [Arthur] so many times, there is no one else I would rather die for." Steadfast, loyal, sensible, knew the difference between courage and foolishness, outspoken, humorous, good natured, self sacrificing for the greater good [Martin, Buck, also Lipton] -The Sir Percival Archetype: "Your enemies are my enemies" Quiet, man of few words, skilled, brave, gentle and softhearted, decisive, mischievous in the right company. [Shifty, Bull, Babe, Skinny]

Prince Richard presents his plan to stop an evil that has grown so powerful and destructive that he isn't sure he can actually succeed but he vows that he will try anyway. He doesn't ask his friends for help, but one by one they pledge their aid to him.

The Knights that Richard chooses aren’t all nobility nor are they approved by the King. They are simply men who have shown unwavering loyalty and love to him, they are men he trusts. And they are there when he has no one else, and they commit themselves to his cause knowing full well that they might not survive. Their numbers aren't many (only 5 Knights with any skill in battle and 3 honorary members) but they are steadfast and skilled.

After Richard establishes the Knights of the Round table, he would later abolish The First Code of Camelot that states that only men of noble blood can be Knights. After all, blood does not make the man. It's his actions and loyalty that do.

I do absolutely adore the idea of the Knights (Easy) wearing red cloaks and armor like the Knights do in Merlin. It's so dramatic and I think it should be allowed *bangs gavel*

Something something the Knights were so deeply loyal to one another that it bordered on something more than platonic something something the dedication to one another that after the death of their leader there was too much grief to continue on something something.....

While the Knights are meant to be a symbol of the realm and its power, I also see them as representative of the common people, especially in the BBC Merlin version after the Round Table is established. These are men who have come from varied backgrounds and experiences and there's not a way that they wouldn't be seen as what could be for the future.

watch this video and tell me i'm wrong (pls don't tell me i'm wrong)

[hermit-lover]

i absolutely LOVE the way you write Xisuma as a father figure 💕

could you write another one where child reader meets Evil X for the first time? a lot of people usually write it so that he's mean and that the reader doesn't like him, but what if Evil X has to babysit them and turns out he's actually soft for children? just soft Evil X content 😌

Babysitting

Character: Evil Xisuma x Reader

Type: Series Blurb (~1.7K) (pt2) pt3 here

Theme: Fluff, familiar, child reader

Summary: Dad (Xisuma) has some Admin errands to run, and with the usual babysitters busy, you get placed in the care of an eerily familiar clone.

TW: Lighthearted usage of teasing nicknames

A/N: I ADORE SOFT EVIL X! In my previous story he's mean but that's because its a nightmare, I love it when he's just a little guy. Enjoy!!

Nerves flutter in your chest as you sit idly on the couch. The cushions are as soft and plush as ever, but you cant shake the urge to squirm. Dad sits next to you, helmet on the table, and various admin screens floating around. You've asked him a couple times whats he's doing, he always excuses it as 'work'. The strange runes on the floating blocks make you all the more curious, but he wont budge. The anxiety creeps around you, and you kick your legs as something to do. You see, your usual babysitters (Stress, Doccy, and Papa K) were busy, so dad had to ask 'someone special'. Whatever that meant. The prospect of a stranger entering your house sent your tummy into butterflies. Dad has reassured you that he trusted this new babysitter, but why haven't you seen him before?

A knock makes you jump, letting out a squeak. Dad stands, patting your head as he crosses to the door. His gloves are always strange to feel, smooth metal contrasted by the leather warmed from his body heat. You prefer when he wasn't wearing his armor. But that couldn't always happen, dad couldn't breathe the Overworld air like you could. Only in your house, which he makes a special thing to be able to. The door opens, and dad offers the person outside a smile.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice." He starts, stepping back to allow the newcomer to enter.

"Don't make a big deal out of it." The stranger replies, stepping into view. The first striking thing is their armor, crimson red. Then their hair; stark white. Thirdly the way their voice sounds eerily similar to dad's- You blink in panicked realization. This man looked almost exactly like dad, and sounded almost the same. Instead of a helmet, a mask covers the lower half of his face. His eyes lock to you. Goosebumps pimple on your arms. His eyes are bright red, and narrow upon spotting you. You shrink slightly.

"Right! Uh- Evil X, this is my kid." Dad gestures appropriately, "Kiddo, this my brother, Evil X. Your uncle of sorts." Uncle? Evil? Whats this guys deal??? You stay silent, eyeing 'Evil X' warily. He eyes you right back.

"So this is the little terror, hm?" Evil X seems to brace slightly, and takes a step towards you. Terror? Dad always said you were an angel. Before you can defend yourself, he jerkily sticks out a hand. "Good to meet you." The formal greeting baffled your tiny mind. Hesitantly, you place a hand in his own. His gloves are warmer, and the metal feels scratchy. Evil X's grip is firm, but gentle in the way reminiscent of Dad. He gives your hand one good shake before releasing. You almost miss the warmth of his palm. Determined to be wary of the stranger, you slump back. His gaze softens ever so slightly. Hm, strange.

"You two seem to get along, and I can't stall any longer." Dads voice draws you from your shell. He trots back to the couch, plucks up his helmet in one hand, then leans down to press a kiss to your forehead. "See you later kiddo, don't be too hard on him." A sly grin tells you he's joking, so you let a smile grace your own lips.

"No promises." You chime back, and dad chuckles. It feels good to know you can make him laugh. Opening the front door, plopping his helmet on, and stepping out. Dad leaves you. Now alone with Evil X, the nerves settle back in.

"Sooo..." He draws the sound out, scanning the room. He still hasn't removed his mask, and it creates an odd vibe in your usually comfy space. "What do you do for fun?" lingering around the far end of the couch, he addresses you.

"I like to draw." You offer, picking at a string on the sleeve of your shirt. Most of your babysitters draw with you when you ask, so maybe?

"What sorts of things do you draw?" He continues, tilting his head and sending his wave of white hair cascading over his shoulder. it's almost mesmerizing, stark white like Etho's but double in length. Not answering him directly, you hop to your feet and pad into the kitchen. Fluffy socks muffling your steps, and causing a bit of slippage on the wooden floors. His own footfalls follow, quicker then dad's, and almost rhythmic like marching. Locating the appliance, you gesture at it. Various drawings are tacked to the fridge, the most recent being one of Bubbles and Etho on horses, because they had taken you horse back riding. It was really fun, and so of course you had to draw it. Evil X hums, tilting his head as he scan your art. Feeling rather self-conscious you watch his reaction closely. "You like drawing the Hermits?" his gaze flicks to you, genuine curiosity coating the question. You nod excitedly, they were always fun to draw! They all look so different, and were fun to hangout with. Feeling more confident you, smile at him.

"Can we draw?" Hope blooms in your chest as you ask, he blinks a few times then nods.

"Sure." With that one word, you turn to try and skitter away. Fluffy socks unable to get a grip, your feet slip out underneath you. For a terrifying moment, your body plummets to the ground. Then two arms grab under your own, and you sag into their hold. A sigh of relief passes through your lips. "You okay?" A worried voice rumbles behind you, becoming once again weightless to be placed back upon your feet.

"Yes." You reply quietly, adrenaline still fading. His arms retract, and you can feel him sigh as well.

"Good, be careful." You spin around as he speaks, nodding in response. He reaches a hand forwards, hesitating a moment to let you lean away. When you don't, he places the hand on your head and ruffles your hair like dad does. Warm blooms in your chest, and you grin at him. Evil X's eyes crinkle, as he smiles as well. "Lets get the drawing materials, yeah?"

"Yeah! It's in my toy room." You turn, and more carefully this time, dash to your playroom. Gathering sheets of paper, crayons, markers, and pencils, you drop them all onto your table. Sliding into a seat, you pat the one next to you excitedly. Evil X sits, knees almost to his chest like dad's due to the height of the chairs. One time you had Doccy sit, and he almost broke the chairs! He had to sit on the floor, which he insisted he didn't mind. Humming, you grab your crayons. Giving a page to Evil X, you prepare to draw.

Evil X being your uncle meant that he was Dad's brother, so you decided to draw them together. Adding the green grass, and red blanket, you planned out their picnic.

Finishing up the blue sky, you leaned back with a grin.

"Look!" you present the drawing to Evil X, it was your best work! Even using two different shades of green to make sure Dad's armor didn't look like grass.

"Wow!" he reacts, accepting the artwork to look at it better. "This is amazing, I love the flowers." Beaming with pride, you bounce in the chair. "How about we hang this on the fridge so your dad can see?" he suggests, and you hop to your feet.

"Can we??" You ask, hopefully. He chuckles, standing up and shaking out his legs. Knees popping with the motion.

"Of course." This time, he leads the way. Carrying your drawing as though it was made of precious gems. Vibrating in excitement, you watch impatiently as he shuffles around other drawings to make space. Finally tacking it to the fridge, he steps back and admires it.

You bounce around him, "You really like it?" He was so hard to read!

"Yeah." Warmth is evident in his voice, "I really do." Celebrating, you grab his hand. Starting a little dance and trying to pull him into it. Chuckling he lets himself be lead. Gently pulling you to slide you across the floor in a controlled circle, you burst into giggles. He twirls, and picks you up occasionally to arc you in the air. Eventually, with one last twirl, Evil X stabilizes you. "Alright alright, what now?" You hum, tilting you head. He mimics.

"Can I braid your hair?" You ask, bouncing onto your toes with a smile. He blinks back, surprised at your words. A beat goes by, and insecurity begins to set in. "If not it's okay-"

"No no- You can." He smiles back, "I just wasn't expecting that question." You keep hold of his hand, tugging him to the couch where you met. Sitting on the cushions, Evil X sits on the floor leaning against the pillow. De-tangling his long locks with your fingers gently, its as soft as you imagine. Cloudy, soft white strands flow through your fingers. He sighs, shoulders relaxing. Remembering what Stress taught you, you divide it into three chunks, and slowly begin to loop them across each other. Its hard work, but once you begin it slowly comes together.

You just finished when the door opens, making Evil X jolt.

"I'm home!" Dad calls, glancing in surprise at you two. "Oh" he sounds pleasantly shocked. Evil X stands up jerkily, braid flopping against his back.

"Good to see you." Evil X greets stiffly, and you realize he's probably embarrassed being caught like this.

"You as well." Dad removes his helmet, "I'm glad you two get along." you recognize his tone, he's happy. A smile graces his lips, and you hop up to stand on the couch.

"Welcome back!" You greet, opening your arms for a hug. Dad places his helmet down, and embraces you. Armor cool to the touch but so familiarly him.

"Thanks Kiddo" he presses a kiss to your nose, causing you to scrunch it.

"So I'll uh- head back." Evil X interrupts, awkwardly lingering by the door much like when he first entered.

"Wait!" you leap off the couch, and slide to him, throwing open your arms for a hug. Only a beat passes before he opens his arms as well and lets you hug him. He's warm, and squeezes you pleasantly before releasing. "I want you to babysit more!" You demand, Evil X glances at Dad. Then looks back at you fondly, ruffling your hair.

"Sure Kiddo, see you soon."

[moonlight-tmd]

I had few ideas concerning Cyberbeast AU.

SO- there are different types of Cyberbeasts:

Bumblebee's kind is called Starborn; they can switch between being bipedal or quadrupedal, they're small with colorful feathers and long horns, they utilize electricity as their main power- in the wild they would harness lightning to protect and assert dominance. The Alpha-Builds are exceptionally huge for their normal size. They have little spots and swirls on their plating as biolights, the feathers also glow. They don't like pitch black spaces.

Shockwave is the type of 'beast called Switcher; they are very humanoid in build, mostly bipedal, they are grey-ish colors, lanky with thin tentacle-like biolight cables coming out from behind their audials. They have thin biolight stripes on their body. Their tail is more like a cord than an actual limb. They are loners, rarely sticking to other Cyberbeasts. They're swift and distinctively clever. Their abilities allow them to mimic other cybertronians' appearance, it's not specified how many appearances one Switcher can wear. So far Shockwave has 2, excluding his Beast Mode.

Megatron is a Sunshadow: Those Cyberbeasts are classified as Alpha on their own. They have leadership in their blood and will do anything to protect their clan. They are bipedal, have thick rough plating- their build is similar to Godzilla really, on top of that they tend to have massive horn and tusks. Their biolight pattern looks like cracks and is usually a bright color in contrast to their dark armor. Despite being so powerful, they need diret contact from the Allspark to enable their Beast Mode- that's why Megs is after it so badly.

Blitzwing is not a Cyberbeast, but because he has Cyberbeast blood it alters one of his faces- the black one. The blood he got was from a Cyberbeast classified as Voidwalker. They are black in color, sharp spikes along their back, with deadly claws and teeth. The biolights affect their insides therefore there is a glow to their maws. Their build makes them look like they are starving. They are fast and excellent hunters. They almost always stick in packs which makes them a difficult enemy- the largest one is always the leader aka the Alpha. Their one weakness is sensitivity to light. They don't like bright lights so they usually stay in caves and go out at lunar cycles. These and Starborns are considered natural enemies.

Next on the agenda- So i know there's Dinobots in TFA. The basic info i got is that Megs somehow brought them to cause chaos but Prowl befriended them and then they went to live on an island. There was also a moment where they were talking with the rest of the team i think.

I imagine the Dinobots were oddly polite toward Bumblebee and weren't going after him when Megs released them in the city. They sensed Bee is a Cyberbeast- therefore much stronger than all of them combined, they had respect for him even if they didn't say he was a Cyberbeast. Bee is also welcome on their island along with Prowl, the others are on tolerable level.

Another thing- Boot Camp. Longarm knew Bee was a Cyberbeast the moment he stood next to him- Cyberbeasts have shapened senses, smell included- every Cyberbeast, even it they haven't had their Awakening yet, has a certain smell that sets them apart from normal Cybertronians. He saw the little bot being tormented by Wasp and he helped him out- both cuz Cyberbeasts need to help each other to survive and cuz Wasp was a total jerk. Same with Megatron, he wasn't striking at Bee whenever they met- he was much stronger than the little one and he was there to witness the brief glow in his optics- his Awakening. That kind of applies to earth too- he didn't want to kill him but certainly make him not get in his way.

One of the "Bee is a Cyberbeast" reveal ideas was that Megs finally got his servos on an Allspark Shard and managed to transform into his Beast Mode- they weren't doing any damage to him, Bee ran away saying "To defeat a Cyberbeast, we need a Cyberbeast." They had no idea what he could mean but after a while he returned- he had 2 additional Shards with him- which was really stupid not to mention risky. Megs tried to get them, he ended up knocking a whole building on Bee, but not really- shortly after it fell, something bright launched itself at him, painful electricity jumping on Megs' armor while the thing tried to bite and scratch thru it. He managed to shake it off- the thing landed on a giant broken crane- there was a bright yellow beast with a plume brighter than the sun and 2 Shards embedded in each horn. Only then it clicked that this was Bee. All the Allspark energy concentrated in one place brewed up a storm- which Bee used to his advantage. He struck Megs with the biggest electric charge all of them ever seen, broke out the Shard that sat in Megs' horn and got him back in his Cybertronian form. The 'cons fled and surprisingly Bee went missing- all the Shards were laying in the middle of the battlefield. Only few days later Prowl caught Bee stealing oil at night from their supplies. Bee thought that his team wouldn't want him around anymore so he went to live on Dinobot Island. But it was all fine so Bee came back.

Lemme know what else you'd like to know.

[grimmswan]

Love Bites (But So Do I) part 2

For Captain Swan Supernatural Summer 23

Once Upon a Time : Captain Swan : Supernatural Steampunk AU

“This situation seems dodgy to me.” Killian observed, looking over the file. “These attacks seem too well planned. Too calculated. The residents, as well as the staff, were never in the house during an attack.”

Emma agreed with her partner.

“The beast destroys the door getting inside the home. Overturns and breaks several pieces of furniture. But is careful opening up cabinets?” She looked at Killian. “When we’ve had to force our way into places, you’ve never needed to splinter the entryway door. It’s like this beast is going out of its way to prove its wild and violent.”

Sensing there was more to this case than simply a werewolf on a rampage, the two thought it wise to go undercover.

By blending in and mingling with the types of people who were targeted, they hoped to discover the truth about the thefts.

But first, they needed to visit a friend who would fit them out with reinforced armor.

Love Bites

“I think you’ll like this.” August, the second finest craftsman in the city, held up a sleeve made up of copper and leather. “It will fit over your arm when you’re in your wolf form. This will give you an advantage over any opponent.”

The leathers would do well to protect Killian from an attack.

Sliding it on, Killian shifted, getting a feel of the fit.

“You look incredibly sexy.” Emma purred, running her hands over his leathers and chest. “You should wear these at home. We can break them in.”

“Not just yet, you two.” August said with a laugh. “We need to make a few more adjustments for the fittings to be perfect. The last thing we want is your armor slipping off during a fight.”

While Killian dealt with his armor, Emma looked around the shop

“Is the werewolf your lover?” Geppetto, August’s father, and the one who taught the second best craftsman everything he knew, asked.

“He is my mate. My husband. My partner in all of the ways that matter.”

“He will be eternally devoted to you. If you should ever take another lover, he would likely go insane, and become savage. He exists solely for you, now. If you grow tired of him, it would be better to kill him, than break his heart. I would advise caution.”

“I’m not foolish enough to ruin my own happiness. I know what I have. And I know I would never find anything better. Anyone who tries to come between my beloved and I should be the one to take caution.”

“No one will take you from me.” Killian growled, coming up behind Emma and wrapping her in his arms. “I have lost too much. I won’t lose you.” He buried his face into her hair, deeply inhaling her scent, seeking comfort.

She lifted her hand and stroked the side of his face. Turning her head toward him, she looked at him in adoration. “My beloved beast. We will destroy whomever is foolish enough to try to come between us.”

They paid the craftsmen for the items, then said their goodbyes. Eager to return home.

Love Bites

Emma sighed happily as she laid naked on the bed. Her lover, in his wolf form, hovered above her with blatant hunger in his eyes.

She widened her legs and stretched out her form, placing her hands above her head, allowing her lover full access to her body.

He licked a long stripe up her body. Starting between her legs and moving over her stomach and breasts.

"Oh Killian," she moaned, "I love your tongue."

That seemed to encourage him to continue licking her.

She loved getting him riled up, so that he would pounce on her and ravage her.

She also loved it when he would take his time and worship her body with his eyes, hands, and tongue.

Emma discovered that the werewolf’s libido increased with the approach of the full moon. Though there was never a night where Killian didn’t want her, he always needed her the week before and the week after a full moon. In the days surrounding the slimmest moon phases, he was not as desperate to have her and Emma was able to play with and tease him for much longer.

There were times he would not be able to control himself. His desire for her would cloud his judgment, making everything disappear save for the urge to press himself to Emma.

She had to laugh at times when she would be doing something as simple as taking a dust rag to a high reaching shelf. Just as she had stretched out her body, Killian would be right behind her, rubbing his prominent organ against her ass.

“Emma” He would groan. Panting heavily as he tore their clothes from their bodies.

Sometimes he would simply wrap his arms around her and hold her to him as he thrust into her. Other times he would carry her somewhere, so he could have more leverage.

Emma was certain that if she hadn’t been a vampire, she would have horrendous bruises all over her body from her werewolf lover.

She could honestly say she had never been happier in all of her existence. Every moment was filled with joy, and immense pleasure.

Well,,,almost.

The one thorn in her side was her ex, and sire, Neal.

They had only known each other a few months when he had turned her.

She had not consented to being turned. He had done it without her permission or informing her.

His motive? He had wanted to keep her young and beautiful forever.

He had assumed that she would stay with him. He had believed that she would be dependent on him.

He had been severely mistaken.

As a human, Emma had always been independent and resourceful. Being turned into a vampire did not change that.

It had not taken her long to figure out everything she needed to.

She had encountered another female vampire who had helped her adjust to her new existence.

Emma was in a junkyard, destroying everything as a way of stress relief.

The two had gotten to talking, and soon Emma had obtained a job dealing with nuisance to society.

Neal hadn’t liked it. Had repeatedly demanded that she quit, and return to him. That she owed him for the eternal life he had given her.

She had repeatedly told him that she wanted nothing to do with him. That she owed him nothing, except for a great deal of pain if he continued to bother her.

Neal had been especially livid when he discovered that she had been partnered up with a werewolf.

He had stormed into Nemo’s office, demanding that he fire Emma.

“As Emma’s sire, I have authority over her.” He stood as straight as possible to make himself appear taller.

He was still much shorter than the water demon.

“You have no power or authority over anyone. Even if I thought there was merit to your concern, I certainly wouldn’t dismiss the lady without reason. Sires only have influence over their progeny if the progeny has feelings for their sire. The laws of the vampires, and of the supernatural council make it clear; if Emma doesn’t want you in her life, then you won’t be in it.”

Neal was forced to leave. Obviously seething with anger.

He regretted turning Emma.

The strength of the mind, will, and spirit often lended to a vampire’s powers.

So though Emma was younger than Neal, she was stronger, faster, and more agile.

To put it simply, she was a more powerful vampire.

If he had kept her human, he would have had the advantage.

But he had feared her losing her beauty.

And now he had lost her.

But he vowed that he would find a way to make Emma obedient to him. 

And kill her werewolf lover.

He often said so right in front of them both.

Usually right before he ran away.

He was no match for Killian or Emma separately. Facing them together would be certain death for him.

They didn’t see Neal as a threat. But they also didn’t put it past him to find something that he could use to gain an advantage.

@cssns

[itstimewehavesomesoliddick]

I remember when the gameplay trailer for payday 3 came out you kinda vague posted about disliking it, did you ever elaborate on what you disliked?

@metalgeara-10cii-arc-210 sorry for the delay but here it is

Basically I've seen footage of the beta since then and some things aren't as bad as I thought but I still see a lot being wrong with it, some of my thoughts about it are below (tl;dr at the bottom)

The UI is worse, they had a perfect coop hud in payday 2, all it needed was to fit indicators for some of the new mechanics and it would have been fine, now you have to play a guessing game of which health bar is yours while going cross eyes because all you ammo and equipment stats are on the other side of the screen, and they got rid of the interaction circle for some reason, so instead of having a very clear indicator of how long an action takes, now you have to squint to look at a tiny square filling up (also they added a crosshair for filthy casuals)

I still have gripes with the gazillion particle effects on some things because unreal engine move, especially the grenades, turns out the flashbang also blinds you by making you not know what the fuck you're looking at thanks to patented Nvidia PhysX™ drivers

I still hate the new look of all the characters, heisters look unnaturally lanky (and the devs getting rid of the suits as the default outfit), all the SWAT guys look the same, all blue uniform black tacticool gear, which is a big departure from 2 where you could always easily tell SWAT tiers and types apart (even on normal the heavy SWATs had a distinctive white helmet and yellow shoulder pads), plus the new special enemy designs sucks, the bulldozer went from a bulky green (or full black) EOD guy that easily stood out in a crowd to basically a blue SWAT guy but bulkier, the Taser went from having a different silhouette and color palette to just another blue SWAT with a couple of yellow bits glued on him, the new grenadier is the same, same base color, just muted red bit, a gasmask (same color as balaclavas) and grenades on his chest to tell him apart, they also made the cloaker go from a stealthy ambusher that punished going around alone and rewarded watching your teammates' backs to a fast walljumping ninja

I also hate the new look of equipment, in the first two game all your equipment had this jury-rigged-with-hardware-store-parts look, medic bags were just that, a bag filled with pharmacy first aid supplies, the ammo bag was a bag full of gun store ammo boxes (before being a rucksack full of magazines), the old look of the turrets was and MP5 rigged to a raspberry pi with 2 motors inside of a tool case, now we have this futuristic self deploying milspec futuristic turret, or clean cases of kevlar plates, it really took away quite a bit of the aesthetic (like how the first hideout was a laundromat's basement)

Then there's mechanics like being able to shoot through a shield's viewport, which completely nullifies their purpose of rewarding teamplay by making someone need to flank them, and they're completely cheapened as an obstacle since you can just slide to stagger them (instead of breaking your leg by sliding on asphalt into a level 4 shield being held by SWAT operator wearing 30 pounds of gear), besides we already had an enemy invincible from the front unless you took an accurate shot, it was call a tan SWAT

Speaking of sliding, there's all the trend chasing flavor of the year mechanics, the sliding being one of them, there's the power meter that you fill with kills they stole from RAID:WW2 so you can pull a more powerful weapon out of your ass, sure some weapons in payday 2 were silly like that, but grenade launchers were usually balanced out by a poor ammo economy

Also now your armor doesn't automatically regenerate apparently (unless I'm getting this wrong), I really don't see the point of having two healthbars that don't regenerate on their own, I always thought the point of it was to allow you to pop out of cover and to reward some risk, now I don't know what they're trying to do

I'm also not a fan of the new skills system, basically they replaced the old one, which promoted teamplay with different trees/roles all bringing different things that helped the team, now it's closer to an ARPG, with 3 different effects that trigger buffs depending on conditions, effects that can stack and chain together etc, it's all very min-max-y, because ARPG mechanics is exactly what I wanted in my Heat (1995) simulator

Speaking of trend chasing, they seem to be copying the Modern Warfare reboots for this one, by both having the same tacticool animations as everyone else (especially the grenade throw) and by making the guns wildly shake from left to right because that's how recoil works apparently

Another domain they're emulating the MW reboot in is the sound, with guns that sound muffled and completely lack punch and bass like a sewing machine, whereas Payday 2's weapons sounded great, this might be due to Simon Viklund leaving, which also brings me to my next point:

No Bain = no buy, I know Simon hated doing the voice, and I'd have easily settled for Locke, but instead of a professional, experienced criminal mastermind or an Afrikaner veteran mercenary, we now have an irritating, sarcastic, quippy, annoying mission control

This also applies to the music, half of Payday was the fantastic soundtrack by Viklund and with him gone, I'm not sure I want to hear whatever they replaced him with

After audible pain, I can talk about a visual one, and the fact that even in the beta there's also eyepopping oversaturated CS:GO tier weapon skins plus weapon charms and stickers, which also shows their priority, I hated the weapon skins in Payday 2 since day 1, 95% of them looked terrible and I don't expect it to get any better, which also brings me to my final point

When I saw the menus for Payday 3, it was clear to me that they wouldn't be caught lacking a second time monetization wise. When Payday 2 released, it was never meant to have weapon skins or purchasable outfits, and those menus reflected that, but not in Payday 3, everything is already ready for it to be a live service game with all the gazillion DLC cosmetics you could imagine, the menus are all already set up to be filled with purchasable items down the line, leaks already showed "payday credits" so I have a feeling that we're already headed down microtransaction road, even with the cope of "muh it's just for cosmetics!", especially knowing their publisher Starbreeze (the same one that made them break their promise of never putting in microtransations in 2, they made that promise for the last game, yet now they're already implementing the framework for them before it got out of the beta)

TL;DR: Just like in many other cases, Payday started out as an indie franchise with a unique and interesting premise, then the sequel got popular and monetized, the studio grew, and now the latest entry is nearly unrecognizable from the original, completely diluted by time and the core studio founders leaving, they used to be a stone standing out of the river, now time has made them a grain of sand going with the current

Payday went from Heat (1995): The Videogame to Just Another Modern Shooter (Cops & Robbers flavor)

I might end up getting it much later down the line but I'll be real with you, I loved Payday since 1, I slowly watched it move further and further away from what it was and for this one, I'm not hyped at all

[writingsofwesteros]

Do you think we could get some king daemon crumbs on this fine day?

How did he rise to power? What’s his plan for the realm? And what do the small folk and nobles think of him

Also I just know he’s wearing cool ass armor when he sits on the throne to look more intimidating

He really is wearing such armour thank you very much

~~

Daemon had waited patiently; the surprise of his brother's disinheritance would not happen again. He watched from the sidelines - allowing his niece the liberties that would soon destroy. Oh, if only she had listened to him. He sees now they were no match. She was no dragon. Neither was her daughter, the rogue Prince thought to himself but so easily controlled and eager to please. From one look; he knew he had to have her. A part of him thought just once would be enough; if he ruined her in her mother's bed but it seemed the desire for her only grew. The small folk were so easily swayed; he only had to have his favourites whisper in their ears about his niece's bastards and soon..it was all done for him. The only other problem was the Hightower brood..which would be a lot harder to fix but he soon had use for them. Aegon and Aemond blossomed under his teaching as he kept his enemies close.

Daemon was not a conquering type; not matter what the small folk thought of him. He just wanted a peaceful existence but the throne belonged to him - no one was worth of it or to lead the family than him. Rhaenyra was proof of this, he thought to himself as his own arrogance lead him. He would double down on any rebellions as well as bringing more riches to his realm. Daemon's next stop would be taking back the steps tones.

The small folk are fickle and he is one of their heroes..for the time. With his mistress of whispers; they know the mood of the small folk and grant them their wishes..from time to time. The nobles are equally frightened and impressed but the houses he needs are loyal and that is all he cares for

[staycalmandhugaclone]

Bleed for Love

This was written by a lovely anon who requested I post on their behalf for the fic exchange!

Clone Fic Exchange!!

Warnings: TW: Blood, severe injury, near death, wound care

WC: 1,622

"You're covered in blood-"

The urgency in those pained words struck with such violence, it ripped you back to the present; for a moment held captive as you stared at all the blood on HIM while he looked at YOU as if you were the one who had been cut and gashed with such profuse wounds.

"It's yours," A desperate breath came out, pleading as you watched him grow weary and weak under the loss, hardly able to stand, "We have to get you to a medic or a doctor!"

"No," Hunter huffed, trying to put on the brave face he always wore when he was playing his role of the fearless leader.

And it was concerning.

He had never done that with you, at least, not since the two of you found a sort of trust with one another; a trust that saw a parallel in every color the other wore. No acting tough, no gritted teeth or restrained tears; just a pure vulnerability that needed no mask because there was no fear of being seen by one who was willing to know it for what it was.

So now, to see him like this, a weakness spilling from him as he struggled so dearly to hold it all together… It sent a shockwave of fear through every last nerve in your body; paralyzing in every meaning of the word as everything crawled to a sudden halt beneath the horrid revelation..

"They'll find us if we go." Hunter answered the question that couldn't quite make it out of your throat; your words seized by a tide that swept away everything beyond the fight to remain in the moment.

"You can't just die!" Anger was the first to appear as the words broke free, tears trying to push through but you wouldn't let them fall so easily.

"I won't," A lie, or in the least, a promise without a guarantee. It felt like a lie. Or maybe that was the concern wearing a mask of rage speaking. How were you to tell when the world was spinning so fast?

"You think you can make it back?" You finally gasped out after a few painful seconds ticked by, voice impassive and breathy, words falling silent as they were spoken.

"...no," Confessed the clone as he watched the first tear fall and, realizing he couldn't so easily conceal the truth, hoped instead to give comfort before it was too late to hide behind a facade when you had already seen what was beneath.

So he allowed himself to shed the exterior, to fall from a grace he swore upon his name as he stood tall without any fear; as if he wasn’t already forced to fight the terror and exhaustion and confusion he’d suffered beneath since that first day he had been deployed to fight a war he was not expected to see the end of.

You had seen him worried before: whenever Omega flew the ship, when the others went on a mission without him, even that one time you got in a scuffle and he’d pulled you away with a look that haunted your memories in a strange way.

But this was different.

This was an admittance; not a hope or a wonder or a questioning, but a knowing.

And you didn't know what to say or do; didn’t know if there was anything to say or do to begin with.

Yet you were hardly the type to give up. You would go out kicking and screaming and biting, and if he was willing to give up then you would fight on for the will he lost. You could fight for two. 

Taking a deep breath to fill your lungs with a bravery you curated, your hands reached out and cautiously took hold of him, unwilling to let go despite his protests and moving now with careful haste.

"Stop-"

"No," You spat back, stubborn as a woman could be, "I'm going to try."

"I need you to take care of them for me." Hunter spoke as he allowed you to drag him over to the smallest amount of cover. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

"I won't have to." Denial was not your way, yet you were still determined in your decision as you started to pull away the armor and peel blood-soaked clothing from a still gushing wound.

"Listen to me-"

"No!" You were shouting now, unwilling to hear any of what the man had to say despite knowing you might regret it later, that you might come to hate yourself for silencing the one person you would listen to for days on end. Maybe it was the wrong thing to do. But right now? You didn't care.

Hunter sighed, resigned to the knowledge that he’d find no leeway when you've risen your walls beyond where he could even hope to see over them. That was fine. He was content with the trust he had, the understanding that you would care for his brothers and sister in his absence; the knowledge of knowing you would fight for them just as you were fighting for him now.

Hands shaking, breath frail as your mind raced, you took his blood orange scarf and began to wrap it around the wound, the contrast of a deep red staining the otherwise gentle tones of the colors bringing another wave of panic as you watched the crimson flood across the fabric. Growing desperate, you shed your jacket and tore it into a long strip, the last of your mind and wit being pulled to keep the streak of a wound from taking him from you.

A couple times your eyes glanced at his, and he only stared back with a softness that lacked the heat of worry, instead bleeding with a sorrow you couldn't possibly hope to see through right now. A million words scattered in his mind, but he wouldn't say a single one, not until he knew what it was he needed to say. The apprehension written across his features was far too bold to be ignored even in your state.

"I love you," Hunter breathed out, voice pained and growing weak as the words slipped from under his control. 

A slight hitch came to his breath as you finished your work in wrapping the wound as well as you could given what you had. His scarf stuffed beneath the jacket you wore but had since laced around the bloodied and bruised fabric, encasing it in a protection that wouldn't let the red seep without one hell of a fight. 

"Save that for when we get back, alright?" Desperation painted your words with deep strokes, finding yourself unable to even process such a confession much less reciprocate it - even if it was everything you wanted to hear, this isn't how or when you wanted to hear it.

You tucked yourself up against his side, the shade of the meager cover eclipsing you in darkness well enough, and you would just have to pray to the force that your adversaries were not keen enough to do more than a quick visual sweep.

Leaning gently against the clone, hand pressed cautiously to the wound across his side as your other reached around to hold him close. Breathing. Just breathing. Feeling the rise and fall of your chest in harmony to his own. Head against his shoulder as he, too, allowed his weight to shift against you.

If he could make it until the morning you knew it would be alright. Everything would be fine. 

♡

"Hunter," Your voice called out when you saw the man stir.

His wounds were freshly bandaged, cleaned and cared for to the best of Tech's abilities.

And he was alive.

The night had been rough. He slipped from consciousness and you forced your breath to become shallow to hear his, to ensure he continued to breathe through the unending hours the sky stretched dark above you. When he persisted until dawn broke the horizon, you knew he’d pull through; that this wasn't the end of his story, nor of your own.

Or of the story you both shared together, and would share from this moment on.

He was slow to focus; though as soon as he opened his eyes they searched the space until they found you, and a relief flooded over him when he saw how bright you shone at seeing him conscious again.

Hunter reached weakly for you, and you spared no hesitation in meeting him, hold almost delicate as you took his shaky, cold hand in your steady and warm one, allowing your heat to chase that chill from even the space between your touches.

"I love you too." You found your words falling from your tongue the moment your eyes locked again, and a smile slipped across your face as he huffed and closed his eyes for a moment.

How silly. Perhaps it wasn't the right moment, but the words had been echoing in your mind since you had gotten him back to the arms of his brothers and sister.

"I really said that before, didn't I?" Humorous touched his tone, causing you too to find a bit of a laugh rising with your next words.

"You really did, yeah," Amusement evident in your words, and you couldn't help but find a strange appreciation for what had happened. 

For how long had the two of you been dancing this dance? And how long would you have continued to tango if something hadn't forced the words out of your mouths?

"I didn't mean to-"

"You did."

"And you feel the same?"

"I just said so, didn't I?"

Oh, was that a smile he had?

Tags: @dragonrider9905 @cloneficgiftexchange

[hergan416]

Perhaps Von Herder and Moneypenny for the <100 words drabble prompt?

Since I know you like Q, and I think that there is a lack of Moneypenny in the world.

🤔 With the word "quirks"?

Unless that doesn't spark anything, I can always offer a different combination—

Alright! I'm not sure if this was your intention when you gave me that word but ... My Hero Academia AU! (But only in that the superpowers in that universe are called quirks, there are no MHA characters here)

It also turned out... longer than 100 words but I don't want to try to cut it. Hopefully you don't mind

--

Nerves coiled in Miss Moneypenny's stomach as she sat behind a silent Mycroft Holmes as the small steamboat putted its way through a series of underground canals on its way to the office of one that had thus far only been addressed as "Q." It was her first day since her unprecedented promotion to an agent in Britain's top military intelligence agency: MI5. She still could hardly believe that her efforts had paid off, and half-expected to find out that it was all a cruel joke.

The boat stopped in a large chamber. It was neat and organized, with several tables that served as work stations arranged in a semi-circle. These were covered with various components: plates of metal and cloth and screws. The remaining tables displayed a neat array of weapons in locked glass cases.

Perhaps this was, actually, not some cosmic joke.

As the boat came to a stop, Mycroft lowered the board and walked across the plank, gesturing for Miss Moneypenny to follow him.

She did, pleased that he had not offered her his hand, as though she were so weak as to need help to disembark the vessel. He paced towards an archway and led her through it.

Miss Moneypenny realized that the room they had seen was merely an antechamber, preceding the real office in which she now found herself. Massive machinery and high-tech gizmos filled the room in various states of completion. Upon a ladder, a man with sandy blond hair wearing a blindfold felt his way along the edge of a giant mech, power emanating from his hand.

"Q," Mycroft addressed calmly.

"Yes, yes Director," the man tutted, his words heavily accented. "I could hear you coming a mile away. I will just be a moment."

Mycroft shifted his weight, clearly annoyed, but did not speak. Miss Moneypenny followed his lead and remained silent as well. The man hummed tunelessly as he finished with his work, ignoring them while using some sort of telekinesis to speed the process along.

Finally satisfied, he began to descend the ladder, ceasing his notes in favor of speech. "You have brought me a new agent for outfitting, yes?" Q confirmed.

There was a beat of silence, during which Mycroft did not answer the question. Miss Moneypenny took this as her cue to take initiative. She stepped forward and extended her hand.

"Agent 9, Miss Moneypenny. Nice to meet you."

Q took her hand and shook it with a bemused expression on his face.

"Well, don't just stand there, step up," he said, gesturing towards a podium surrounded on three sides by armor and clothing. "Let's get you measured."

She nodded, feeling a bit foolish, although... without instruction, how was she to know? She stepped upon the podium and allowed him to begin wrapping a tape around her shoulders.

"Age?" Q asked.

"21."

"Blood type?"

"A."

"Quirk?"

"None."

Q's hands paused in their motions. There was a silence, and Miss Moneypenny found herself turning her head to look at the man nervously.

He was smiling.

"A quirkless female agent?" he commented, and the smile extended into his words. "What are you thinking director?"

Something in his tone made Miss Moneypenny feel like he very much approved.

Miss Moneypenny looked away from his face and back towards Mycroft. She had already pegged Director Holmes as being quite logical and most kind. He returned Q's grin twicefold, giving him an appearance of outright insanity.

"Something brilliant, or something quite stupid, I imagine," he replied. "I am certain that you understand."

"Indeed I do," Q replied, returning to his measurements of her upper arms. "What support items were you imagining that she needs?"

[ashcoveredtraveler]

A ship that I have only drawn but haven't really made a post about would be Dryya and Xero. I thought it would be a bit more popular, but nope.

I only have seen Dryya paired up with the White Lady and Xero with Markoth(I don't dislike those ships, I just like to change things up instead of seeing the same types of things over and over again). The only times I have seen them paired as a couple is if Xero is training as a guard until he succumbs to the infection.

However, I like this ship and I think it could be explored more, so this is how it would work in my Split Family AU:

(Oh ya, slight TW here for mentions of physical trauma)

Malicious Trauma- While all of the great knights and guards around them experienced physical trauma, it wasn't targeted or malicious like Dryya's and Xero's trauma. None of the other knights had to worry about dying every day or about getting lynched(both of their backstories go more in-depth which is right here). Both of them dealt with horrific trauma that no one really understands but themselves and each other.

Unattractive- Both Xero and Dryya in my AU aren't really handsome or beautiful. In the concept I drew for Xero, he looks rough. Now this concept isn't his set design as in Bugs That Warm Up Five Cold Days(which is a short little fic I made for the AU), I describe Xero as a bug that could be mistaken for an ant. But the drawing does get the point across that he has patches of burnt skin and fluff around his body and his wings are barely intact. His veins and skin could be seen and his claws were cracked(which I drew here). He is clearly not the most attractive bug, which is part of the reason why he covers himself head to toe with armor. Now Dryya is in the same boat as Xero, though she was born 'unattractive' and it isn't based on scars that she gained. You wouldn't guess as she always wears her armor, but she has no pigment in her chitin at all. She isn't like PK or WL where they had silver or white pigment, she is a sick pasty color and is very translucent. If you were to place her in front of a light, you would be able to see some of her organs. In a normal situation where you would see her in normal clothes, you can see her veins and see the slight colors of her organs. Obviously, Dryya has some scars from her past and her time as a knight which accentuates her translucent features. Regardless of these features, both of the knights find comfort in each other's bodies, knowing that regardless of how they look, they are cared for and someone understands what they went through.

Short guy, tall girl - Xero is about a head shorter than Dryya. This isn't really a huge part of their relationship, I just like this sort of relationship dynamic and is one of the few straight™ dynamics I like.

Kindness towards kids (and others)- They both have a soft spot for kids, though Xero can show it more than Dryya. Dryya had a hard life and was practically a child slave for the Colosseum until she fought her way out and was rescued by the guards. The reason why she fought was to free the children younger than her. She always cared for the well-being of those who were being taken advantage of. When she heard about Xero's ambush of some of the traffickers(which I get into more in Ghost's backstory), she was quite touched as this event hits close to home for her. And once she found out that he kept one of the children from the event, she started observing him more. Soon after the event Xero starts to be trained as a Great Knight and Dryya realizes how far his kindness goes.

Not really a point, but I think this meme encompasses their personalities:

But to add to the image above, Xero does allow Dryya's inner child to come out. Xero always keeps the childish side of him while Dryya never had the chance to be a child. He allows he to find that side of her.

The Straight Knights™- Out of all of the Great Knights Xero and Dryya are the only straight ones. While Isma and Orgim are dating, Isma is bisexual while Ogrim is pansexual. Ze'mer and Hegemol have a wlw/mlm solidary. This makes them the token straight™ friends. However, this doesn't affect any of their friendships at all in any way. No one feels uncomfortable with each other, and Dryya and Xero still go to queer events with the others as they think it is fun.

I feel like this dive into their relationship was a good exercise on how their personalities should work as there isn't much material to go off of.

I'm going to do this with some of the other rare pairs in my AU like Mallow(Markoth and Hollow Knight) and Lurimol (Hegemol and Lurien).

[quinloki]

Ship It, Ship It Real Good (Part 1)

Okay, so I have two OCs that are kind of similar in that they're both reptilian-people, snake variety but I based them off two very different things. Starting with the female. And you know me, I run long-winded so sit back and make yourself a cup of something warm, this'll take a while to read.

Her name is still a work in progress but for the time being I'm calling her Avalon, Lon Lon as a nickname. Avalon means apple and she does like to eat them, fangs notwithstanding. Technically speaking, she's based on a lamia however, if one were to look up what a lamia traditionally is—she isn't that.

Lamias are demonic snake women, think centaur but instead of a horse's body below the waist it's a snake body. Lamia are always female thus the upper body is always that of a woman. Like Medusa, women were given an unfair curse to be these demon snakes.

Traditionally they are hideous to look upon, they absolutely reek, their bite is horrendously venomous, and they devour people (usually men). Now, I had never heard of these things before until I watched some anime that I would like sponged from my memory (not sure if that's the proper phrase but you probably get the gist). The one good thing about that anime is that it gave me an idea for a snake woman.

I may or may not have stolen the coloring of the anime lamia for my own but I'm choosing to refer to that as "inspiration" because I then butchered their idea further. Because that's what I do, I borrow ideas and then mutilate them.

Anywho, enter Lon Lon, the fun-loving but continuously hunted Snake Woman. Avalon ate the Hiss-Hiss fruit, a rare Zoan-type that allows the user to turn into the mythical Lamia or Demon Snake-Woman. As with most Zoan users she has her regular human form (which I have yet to develop at all) and a hybrid form along with the full-blown lamia form.

Avalon, being the inexperienced devil fruit user that she is, and also being a rather unlucky lass to begin with had a bit of a hiccup first time using the devil fruit. She managed to bypass her hybrid form (also need to develop that) and is currently stuck in full lamia form.

I wish I could draw better because I can see her perfectly in my head and I can't figure out how best to describe her in words, but I'll try:

Waist down, her snake body is predominantly bright crimson red with some purple highlights and a pinkish underbelly. At her waist she developed flaps that look like she's wearing a skirt but really they're more like the webbing between a fishman's fingers/toes. Lon Lon is an aquatic sea snake that took to land more than the water, but the skirt webbing at her waist allows her to glide through the water easily.

For some reason, water doesn't bother her like it does other devil fruit users. It is unknown if this is because she's a sea snake lamia or if it's because she's been in the lamia form so long that she is slowly turning into the lamia in full.

Upper body from the waist up she is extraordinarily pale, not quite albino but she's often mistaken as albino. Her hair is snowy white and long enough to reach her belly button. She has little horns the grow on her forehead and they resemble jewels as the ends are rounded instead of pointed. On top of her head going down as a line on each side are a row of pointed horns. Nothing too pronounced, she can cover them with her hair if she gets creative (which she often does, she is very self-conscious about her horns) but it has been said that it looks like she grew her own little tiara of sorts.

She doesn't wear any clothing at all—she doesn't need them! She has strategically placed scales: larger scales that serve as armor on her sides from waist to underarms, and then her boobage area has scales covering the underboob all the way up to cover nipple and areola fully. They kind of grew in like a bra so she's modestly covered and protected and clothes rub weird against the scales so she just slithers around in her birthday suit. She has a few scales, very small ones that go on the sides of her neck just like her side scales but much tinier. Her upper body scales are silvery-white so at first glance you'd think she was totally nude until light hits and you realize she has scales.

She ended up stranded on an island somewhere and I headcanon that after Law loses to Blackbeard and Bepo whisks him away to safety, they end up stranded on an island. Bepo is not a ship, at some point he has to make landfall because he's going to get tired and he needs to get Law out of the ocean. They stop at the first island they come to.

Exploring the island brings them face-to-face with Avalon. She was probably munching down on an apple and Bepo probably ran into her first and panicked. Law shows up to see the commotion and honestly? Finds her fascinating but in a creepy-Law kind of way, like he wants to figure out why she is stuck in the full lamia form and why she seems to be waterproof so really what he sees is a living experiment.

She likes Bepo enough to not eat him and she tolerates Law enough to see if he can fix her. I have a bit more about her but it's still in development, but I see her traveling with Law post-Blackbeard battle. I don't ship her with Law either, I want to ship her with the other snake OC I have—she's more tame than that one, so he needs her.

I see Law and Avalon as being allies right now because he needs one but they could become good friends. Law would like it pointed out that when Avalon goes to sleep, she hisses her tongue out every time she exhales. If you fall asleep next to her, she will tickle your eras unwittingly in her sleep with her tongue. It's kind of adorable and Law will not admit to it being adorable, but it's adorable.

xD I have been effectively info-dumped \o/ and I love it =3

I love Lon Lon, and not just because I do like snakes, but also because I feel like if I ever got a Zoan fruit I'd be stuck in a fully-transformed state. Or, worse maybe, only able to change like, one limb at a time, be thrown terribly off-balance by it and accomplish little more than falling over.

The point when she comes into canon events is interesting to me. I love the late-game vibes of it, but I also really like that despite being her "first contact" there's no romance between her and Law or Bepo. I write so much romance/smut anymore that it's refreshingly different to see that ^_^ (Not that I don't like the first contact -> lovers pipeline, don't get me wrong).

You descriptions are always so good too. If I was a better artist I could probably translate them into picture form better, but gah, just thank you so much for sharing, and pardon me while I get to the other three asks you sent in XD

Ship it Good ask game

[thezenanna]

Hi! Same anon that asked about Dina, Maya and Gadrielle's face shapes... I wanna ask about body shapes now. So what shapes do you tend to use when designing their bodies, how different are they from each other? What do you categorize/view their bodies being like (this can be as specific as you want it to be. I like reading your answers).

Also! If you had to assign a kibbe body type to them... What would you pick and why (I don't enjoy the kibbe body types when applied to real people. But ocs are totally fine imo).

heyyy thanks for the question!

Also totally did not know what kibbe body types were so ya learn something new every day yay! That being said, cuz I'm not quite familiar with kibbe body types so imma try my best to describe my ocs' shapes as clear as i could and hope thats suffice somehow?! (words are hard pls bare with me! >.<)

Short answer: Dina and Maya both have a gender-neutral athletic body type being a weird trait of aasimar plus the rigorous monk training. Dina is much lankier than Maya because the bitch is kinda depressed and doesn't look after herself very well, which makes the size difference between Dina and her buff blacksmith orc gf Laura very funny. Maya is slightly taller and buffer than Dina. It's one of the few things Maya would forever hold over Dina like 'im taller so im the big sister here'. Gadrielle, whom to me and my DM's pov, is very much a power femme, her body shapes is almost a small hourglass, but very graceful and she's usually in some humble but flowy and loose clothing. And yes their clothing also aids in shaping them!

Longer explanation below (if u dare)

When you design a character from a concept artist pov, u usually need to take into account their backstory, context, environment etc... So briefly the context for all my ocs here and general high fantasy dnd, which explains the magical features like elven ears, white pupiless eyes, sometimes wings, etc...

Backstory is what's the oc has gone through. Both Dina and Maya have grown up majority of their youth in the Cobalt Soul, where they've gone through rigorous monk training and discipline. Fair to say, they are incredibly in shape. Dina's fighting style however is different from Maya. Dina is a 9th level monk while Maya is a 3 Monk & 7 Warlock and has not gone through as much training as Dina did. Maya's fighting style leans more towards the warlock magic as well as brute strength at times. Dina leans towards dexterity. Maya is more buffed than Dina and Dina is lankier and leaner than Maya. On the other hand, Gadrielle grown up as a humble merchant on the streets and doesn't involve in any martial training, so her physique is rather graceful and soft. Her power lies in her charisma!

Dina doesn't wear any armor at all as a monk so very clean cut clothing that allows her mobility to shine through (croptop, baggy pants). Maya wears something of a cloak and a tough leather vest. Gad wears humble and flowly and loose garment.

Other than that is the little environment bits! Dina has gone down a lot in battles (cursing DM for well play and beat her AC every time), so Dina is sure racked up with scars, I even think there are subtle physical internal parts of her body is deformed or something after this many death saves. Maya also adorns some scars but the magic does save her from having to go toe-to-toe melee we love that for her. Gadrielle does not get in any physical fighting as far as we know of (and we surely hope so!!!)

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Dragoon armor–historical evolution (continued)

Okay. From last night.

Trueblood->Drachen->Dragonlancer->Trueblood (again)->Pteroslaver->Tiamat

-cough, adjust glasses-

(Disclaimer: Theorycrafting ahead. I typed this out on my phone, there may be errors in my post and my lore gathering.)

At this point, I feel that it’s safe to say that the proto-Ishgardians were dragon-riders. Period. Estinien’s short story (From Azure Ashes, Tales from the Storm)-

Along with an ingame line from either Vidofnir or Vedrfolnir (but based on his bio in EE1 I think it’s Vedrfolnir) proves this. It may have been highly common to see knight and dragon working as one unit to maintain the peace, and as a result it’s not that far off to assume there might have been a proto-Knight-Dragoon order.

Therefore, that means it’s time to poke at the armor!

———-

Trueblood/Drachen:

Okay. Last night I said this possibly was a bit of a difficult one, for the simple fact that Haldrath is seen wearing Drachen-mail. While this can be attributed to story purposes and DRAMA…I don’t think so. While we don’t know if Haldrath was a dragon-rider himself, it would make sense that he knew of it or even *had* training for it. Kings and princes are almost always automatically slotted in for training in the arts of war in many contexts, historical and fictional.

There’s another reason why I don’t think Square plopped that armor on Haldrath for superficial story reasons as well. And it’s very simple.

Haldrath fought Nidhogg.

You do NOT fucking tangle with any dragon, ESPECIALLY A FIRST BROOD DRAGON THAT IS RIGHTFULLY PISSED, IN REGULAR ARMOR.

You don’t. You CAN, but uh…you are not going to survive unless the gods fucking love you that day and I’m willing to bet Halone took one look at that situation and went ‘you fucking morons.  You absolute idiots!’

So now possbily at this point, we reach an interesting point.  Why don’t we see Haldrath in the Trueblood then?  Why the Drachen set?  

Honestly?  I couldn’t tell you.  But I will say this.  It’s very interesting that the Trueblood set is armor that’s forged using dragonfire, while the Drachen set is forged using dragonblood.  Dragonfire requires (ideally) a willing and active participant (insert your level of enthusiasm here) in the forging process.  Dragonblood on the other hand…you really don’t need permission to take from the newly dead, now do you?

I’m also beginning to suspect that maybe we could have had differencing armor sets.  I mean, it is possible that with the bonds between man and dragon, you could have had some dragons giving the a-ok to use their blood.  It could be that the Trueblood and Drachen sets were both actively used during that time period. But then we have this quote from the story…

While this is a direct reference to the murder of Ratatoskr, it could possibly also imply something darker.   It very well could be that the Trueblood armor was spurned for the Drachen. Dragonfire is all well and good, but blood historically irl and in fiction has always been touted as the source of great strength.

And if we're going there...who's to say that Haldrath’s Drachen was made with the blood of Ratasokr? Who’s to say that maybe some long-ago armoror got an idea in their head one day? We may never know. All of this is my own idle speculation.

But the fact that we see Haldrath in the Drachen set is pretty fucking telling, I feel.

——————–

Dragonlancer:

undefined

CAN WE JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE SHADOWBRINGERS TRAILER MOVIE FOR SHOWING US DRAGOON MID-AIR COMBAT?!

(3:20-3:13)

Seriously. I know the biggest gripe about this armor is that it gives one a fat ass but DID YOU SEE THOSE MANUVERS?!

Dragonlancer was originally created by a famous Ishgardian armorsmith named Urseille the Meek. This armor was specifically designed to allow the dragoon to be more aerodynamic in the air, yet the Church rejected the design because it wasn’t old and stogey enough (aka 'tradition’).

Dragonlancer is more than likely created via the same means–hot metal and dragonblood–but given the 'wings’ I wouldn’t be surprised if there was actual dragon hide included in the design. Or at the very least, a strong leather component. There’s no details in EE1 on how the armor was made.

————–

Trueblood (part 2):

EE2 goes into detail on the Trueblood, and it is lovely. The set itself is metal and cast-off dragon scales merged in dragonfire. The greaves provide traction, and the description goes so far as to *specifically* state Coerthas weather as one of the reasons the greaves needed tractionproofing. The helm is stated to have been forged when the people of Coerthas and dragonkind lived in harmony. In From Azure Ashes, Ratasokr is only all too happy to participate in the forging of such sets, and Hraesveglr states that the original dragoons wore such armor. EE2 states that forging with dragonfire was rediscovered after the Dragonsong War, and it’s my personal headcanon that dragoons now primarily wear variants of the Trueblood set once more.

--------

Pteroslaver Mail:

Um.

So yet again, disclaimer.  Anything I say on this set and the following one, the Tiamat armor--this is strictly all me.  To the best of my knowledge, we have no lore yet on any of these.  However we do know Encyopedia Eorzea III is coming out soon, and hopefully it’ll have some detail on one, if not both these pairs.  My take however--

To begin with, Ptero.

We also have Pterodactylus, which is an extinct genus of pterosaur, which were basically flying reptiles that lived during the Late Triassic to the Late Cretaceous period on Earth.  Some people generally know a critter from this group as pterodactyls.  So...

Ptero = Feather/wing 

Slaver = A person dealing with or owning slaves

So...Featherowner, Wingowner?  Featherslaver, Wingslaver?

?_?

There’s also the design.  (rant on the female Drachen mail aside).  In comparison to every other set (again, aside from the female level 50 Drachen) the entire body is covered.  The Pteroslaver? Not so much--it’s not as blatant as the level 50 Drachen set on female characters, but...

(yes i’m using Reinhardt pictures do not @ me I SPENT ALL DAMN DAY FIGHTING VARIS SO I COULD DYE THIS ARMOR GODDAMN IT WE’RE USING IT)

Methinks you DO NOT want the entire underarm exposed in combat.  Just saying.  That is a big fat target zone.  

Nor do you want toes possibly exposed-yes look at the top picture.  I'm also not saying anything about the tail because the Dragonlancer had the same thing and it looks purely ornamental so you can lose it no problem in a fight.  

Honestly to me, this looks like something one might wear in a gladiator ring.  Take my words worth a grain of salt, I’m not an armor expert.  If you’re using this in combat, my thinking is you have to be fast and nimble as fuck, because again, you got two big old areas of attack.  I can see the underarm armor being sacrificed for more maneuverability, but...yeah. You have to be fast.  

-----

Tiamat:

...I got nothing. The name certainly intrigues me, as does the make. Everything is streamlined, the dragoon wearing this is gonna be fast and nimble as fuck, possibly even more so than a dragoon in the Dragonlancer armor. Considering this is of Thavnarian design, and Vrtra's involvement in the warding scales, I would not be surprised if this is metal and insert-whatever-dragon-part merged with an absolutely bonkers Thavnarian alchemical combination/compound/what have you.

Another headcanon I've been nursing is Tiamat and Bahamut basically having their own version of mail they gifted to mortals--if they ever did so. Or a thank-you gift for freeing her and her children. In comparison to the Raident Host gear, which save for the caster and healer, definitely sport dragonish motifs on the armor itself--clawish hands and feet, fanged faceplates and tails--the Tiamat gear stands out for only having the dragon image on the chest, greaves, and gauntlets.

We'll see come EE3!