#also i love flintlocke okay

[alexa-fika]

Hello Alexa! Hope your doing well as always seems like your not lacking requests so put the other requests before my own ♡

An idea came to me last night when I failed a test for the third time- and need to redo it, when I'm sad or something bad happens I go hide in my closet with blankets and pillows, like a child- so how would the whitebeard pirates or mihawk react to child dokusha hiding when their sad? Like their because they got in trouble or isn't allowed to go with the crew on an island and instead has to stay on the ship?

As someone who had gone through a lot in their early childhood I find these stories so comforting and sweet. I often find myself only opening Tumblr to see if you've posted. Remember to take care of yourself, because someone really cares about you♡

Solace and Comfort (Whitebeard pirates, Mihawk x gn!child!reader)

A/N Hey hey Holo! I absolutely love when you request and as a a ghank you for being such a sweetheart I went ahead and did both :) I also do the same thing, when im upset I like to find a closed or cozy space and just huddle up and hug my plushies. Your words really mean a lot, I appreciate them and it makes me so giddy.

Reader is replaced by Dokucha as a placeholder which stands for Reader in japanese

Dividers by @/saradika

Thatch found himself in his kitchen, preparing the next meal for his Captain. He made sure to take into account his current condition and choose the right ingredients to alleviate it.

"Hm, should I use kale or broccoli for this one?" he inquired to Izou, who had joined him earlier to escape the rowdiness of the crew as he completed maintenance in his pistols.

"I'm hardly the person you should ask Thatch."

"Kale it is," he exclaimed, beginning to chop down said vegetable, the tapping of the knife hitting the cupboard echoing around the otherwise quiet room

"Regardless, it is about time we addressed it, isn't it?" Izou spoke, pushing the lock back in his flintlock, a snap resounding across the kitchen

The chef stops chopping the kale at the comment, glancing up at his brother and letting out a sigh, putting the knife down

“I suppose so.”

“How about it, Dokucha? Want to come out and talk about it?” The sniper called out, walking around the counter to stand next to Thatch

A few beats of silence filled the room after that statement until the sound of ruffling came from one of the cabinets in the kitchen as Dokucha slowly crawled out of it, a stuffed bird held tightly in their arms

“How did you know I was here?” They mumbled, drying their teary eyes

“You usually hide here when something happens,” Thatch answered, kneeling down

"You should consider branching out," added Izou with a smile

"Would you like a hug?" Thatch offered

They nod, running into his arms, cries escaping them as he crashes into him

Thatch hummed, wrapping his arms around them and picking them up, swinging them from side to side for a few minutes until their cries lessened

"What's going on?" Izou questioned, glancing at the child, who by this point had positioned their head on Thatch's shoulder and looking back at Izou

"I wanted to go with Ace," they sniffled

"I know you do, but he had a risky mission he had to go on," Izou replies gently

"Why?" they cried

“They had something of ours, so Ace had to get it back.”

“I wanted to go with Big Brother too!” They cried, beginning to struggle against Thatch’s embrace

“Let me go!” They scream, beginning to throw punches his way

“Hey, Hey, it’s okay,” the man reassured them, tightening their hold, ignoring the shrill screams that now escaped them

“Hey, Hey, Dokucha, he always comes back, just like he came back from his previous mission and the one before. Just like I come back, just like Izou, and everyone will come back. But we need to calm down so we can welcome them back.”

“We would love to take you with us, Dokucha, but we want to keep you safe even more; we couldn’t bear something happening to you,” Izou continues, rubbing the child’s head

They sniffle, relaxing in their hold

“Hey, how about we go see Pops?” Thatch suggests

“Papaw?”

“Yeah, I’m almost finished with his meal; how about you come with us to deliver it?”

“Okay”

“Pops, food is ready; we had special help today.” thatch announced approaching the man

Whitebeard glances down at the two commanders, about to ask what they mean, until he spots the ‘special help’ running towards him

“Papaw!”

He grins, lifting the child up

“Gurararara, what brings you here, Dokucha?” he questions, glancing down at his sixteenth commander as he spoke

“We were having a hard time earlier wanted to go with Ace.”

“Gurarara, why would you be upset about such a thing brat?”

They shrug

“Has the boy ever broken his promise to come back?”

“No…”

“Has he ever lied to you?”

“No…”

“Then why were you throwing a fit?”

“I didn’t throw a fit!”

“Sounds like you did”

“You’re mean, Papaw!”

“It’s called tough love.”

“It’s being mean!”

“If that’s the case, are you not coming to the celebration when he does return?”

“I want to!”

“Are we done with the fits?”

“Yeah!”

“Did someone say celebration? I could use some grub,” a voice joins in

Dokucha beams, jumping off Whitebeard's hand and crashing into Ace

“Ace! You’re back!”

“Just like I promised.”

“Where are they?”

The human drills look at each other nervously and turn back to the swordsman, letting out a string of hoots and sneers.

Mihawk narrows his eyes at this

“Is that the answer you wish to go with?” He said, pulling out Yoru from his back and pointing it against the apes

“I will allow you to try again; where are they? I am well aware this is where they run to when they grow upset.”

In response, the human drills sounds escalate as they pull out their own weapons, only to stop as a small voice joins in

“It’s okay, Ezra, Enrique.” A small child wrapped in a blanket spoke, patting the apes, effectively calming them Down as they slowly lowered their weapons

“Don’t hurt them, Papa,” they mumble, hugging their blanket closer to them

He sighs, sheathing Yoru once again and extending his hand toward the child

The child wobbles their way to their father, taking hold of their hand and looking back at the human drills, sending a wave their way

As they walked on, the only sound that could be heard was the sounds of the forest around them as insects and birds chirped together, the sound of the human drills still reaching their ears, and the sound of Dokucha’s blanket being dragged as they walked next to the warlord.

“Are you going to tell me why you ran off?” he spoke, breaking the silence between them

He sighs at the silence that followed, pausing to pick up the child and place them on his hip, in turn the child leans their head against his shoulder

“Is this about the sword practice you were doing before?” He inquired, letting out a hum as the child nodded their head against his shoulder

“Can you tell me about it?”

“I can’t do it,” he mumbles

“Do what?”

“I can’t make the sword cut like Papa’s.”

“Is that what this is about?”

“Yeah”

“That kind of precision takes practice, it takes time,” he explains

“But I want to be strong like you!” They cried, leaning back and glancing up at him

His eyes soften at this, halting his walking as he puts all his attention on the child

“I know you do,” he said, wiping the tears that began falling from their eyes

“But one cannot simply master the sword overnight.”

“Not even Papa?.”

“No, I am not an exception to the statement. I had to train for years to be able to reach my current state, and I don’t doubt you will one day surpass me; that day is just not today.”

They frown at that, lying their head on their shoulder again

“How about we begin with the move you were attempting before?”

“Papa will teach me?” They exclaimed, shooting up

He chuckles

“You should have asked; I am never below teaching you the way of the sword.”

They grin, hugging his neck tightly

“I love you, Papa.”

“I love you too, dearest.”

Here we go! Two for two!! These are really cozy ones, loved how the Mihawk one turned out

Taglist:

@imaginarydreams

@amethystviolin

@h0n3y-l3m0n05

[incorrectnevermoor]

At what point do you think Jupiter switched from protecting Morrigan because she was a Wundersmith that he had to keep away from Squall, to the parental sort of care, pride, and joy he has for her now?

Oh, I love this question!

Okay, so, I’m of the belief that Jupiter felt protective and, more importantly, sympathetic towards Mog from the very beginning. I mean, he did his best to get her out of her shell, to support this kid who obviously hadn’t had the best life thus far, to make her comfortable, or at least safe.

And then the “you’re not a curse on anyone” scene comes to mind, making us all start sobbing, because no matter if he saw her as a part of his people, his own chosen little family yet, he wanted to make sure this little girl realized that she wasn’t inherently evil, or bad luck, or whatever other hateful rhetoric she’d been fed throughout her life.

I’d also like to add that he felt protective of her at first, sure, but he started liking her around the time she started showing her personality. She’s so funny, you guys, and Jove rubbed off on her fairly quickly, just look at the “Consider your next words carefully,” line that Mog literally copies off him, or the entire interaction with Flintlock during chapter 10, Jupiter was having the time of his life when Mog started sassing.

Anyway, to answer your question, I believe the entirety of the first book not only tells us Morrigan’s story, but it shows us how a familial bond was formed between her and Jupiter. From protection to camaraderie to actual love and fondness, mutual between the two of them. I think that there’s no one moment where you can pinpoint, “There! That’s when Jove started loving her!” But more of a combination of little things throughout the story that exemplify him starting to care for her as his kid. I believe that kind of love isn’t something you fall into suddenly, but something you stumble upon through interactions and shared experiences. Something you wake up one day and discover it’s been there for a while.

And I think that’s what happened to Jove, he just looked at Mog one day and thought “oh. She’s my kid. I love her, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”

But that’s just me rambling.

[pealeii]

please talk to me about ninjago bro no one gets it like you do 😭😭😭😭 who’s your favourite ninja (there is not a correct answer but there definitely is an incorrect one 👁️👁️). also what headcanons do you have for them

OMGG I WISH I HAD MY SKETCHBOOK WITH DRAWINGS OF THEM RN BUT I’M NOT AT HOME

okay its tooo hard to think of a fav ninja but as a kid kai was my fav so i still have a soft spot for him (also i partially relate to him. his full potential arc? oof.) i literally love them all its so hard to choose but i love cole and nya. BUT I ALSO LOVE JAY AND ZANE TOO LIKE I’M SO INDECISIVE HELP?????

headcanonsssss welllll cole (obviously) is BUILT like he’s just a huge guy. chub and all. aroace probably and latine DEFINITELY. has a man bun and a septum and snakebite piercings. and my TRUTH is that jay is chubby. was just arguing with my brother abt it. oh and he has freckles obviously. i’m a lloyd/nya/kai being siblings truther duh and them being asiatic is also important . to me.

i think my hottest take is like I don’t ship anything. to me the found family is so important and takes precedent like. i have no problem with ppl shipping stuff there are just certain fandoms I don’t rlly ship in and this is one of them

i’m just ranting at this point 😭😭

uhhh idk how far you are so i’m putting season 4 and onward under the cut

LOVE skylor. i draw her with as poc with red dredlocks and snakebite peircings (get it >:)) and a lil gold snake earring on her left ear

also i LOVED clause as a kid and he’s still one of my favs???? just so interesting

AND I LOVE FLINTLOCKE SOOOO MUCH OUGHHHHH he’s one of my favorite characters HELPPP

also ronin is a very interesting character i kinda wish they did a little more with it in possession. like especially the last half of the season

darreth. just darreth.

ALSO P.I.X.A.L RAAAAAHHH

[marsbotz]

hello I keep seeing u talk ab loving skybound but I'm curious as to why u love it, and would LOVE to read a super in-depth explanation bc im kinda a skybound notliker and ik uve changed my mind on certain thigns ab this show b4, and I was hoping u cld do it again !!! :DDD /gen

YEAH. OKAY !!! sorry this is super long and rambly i already had to rewrite it once cus tumblr ate it lol... and also sorry its all basically abt jay (running away embarrassed)

first of all let me say i do think skybound is a BAD season. having the characters suddenly all be sexist out of nowhere to drive plot is stupidddd and so is having a retcon ending that makes it all redundant except for Jaya Canon Now. i think thats mostly what makes the fandom not like it. BUT. i think its sooo interesting for like so many reasons also

i think s8 is considered the darkest season which is fair. but skybound also has a crazyyy amount of dark and DEEPLY interesting things it touches on. the ninja disappearing one by one. jays birth father being his favourite actor. jay torture. jaya actually being interesting!! lets talk abt these.

having the ninja slowly be cut out of the season is GREAT for not only building tension but also being able to more deeply build upon jay and nyas characters (and their relationship). the 22 min format means that some characters (like wu and kai) are gone for AGES. which is sad for kai fans but greatttt for the season. it rlly makes u feel their absence, and some of their disappearances are scary!! zane trying to outsmart nadakhan but realising too late hes been tricked... AHH!!!

if you compare this to how they did it in s12 its a lot more impactful as theres more time for the characters to... be gone. and the videogame nature rlly does take away a lot of the tension IMO. if jays mothers had been in prime empire like planned.... it would have been a GREAT parallel i think but as it is its just kind of odd. thats another convo tho lol (altho there issss the mention of jay being adopted at the end. very interesting [it goes nowhere])

i literally think abt jay adoption arc every god damn day of my life. ill try to explain this without getting too deep into my personal sicko hcs lol. first you get a rlly nice callback to s1 w jay being ashamed of his parents and living in a junkyard only to realise how litte he cares once theyre threatened. thennn you have the whole situation at cliffs house. jay finds out the man who abandoned him at birth (possibly? we dont know details) is the actor for fritz donnegan. the same character who jay imitated and aspired to be like. and then he realises his father felt the same admiration towards jay!! and they both never knew!!!

i think this twist is what makes a lot of jays behaviour in s6.... not excusable... but understandable. jay is shown to be insecure and have weird fucking ways of coping with this (lying. lying lying all the time) and so it kinda feels natural that his way of coping with this information would be to 1. hide the fact he made wishes 2. try to imitate his father through his book and 3. Never Speak Of This Again.

speaking of that lets talk about jay being tortured. can we talk about that?? they FUCKED him up. but the most important part out of allll of it is a character trait i rarely see ppl attribute to jay even though its like... pretty consistent for him. is his willpower!! hes able to endure days of torture to the point where he can barely walk and talk at the end of it just to stop nadakhan from gaining more power

nadakhan also directly points out jays insecurities and how they make him lie to his friends... and jays able to show some of his smarts thru trying to get flintlocke to stage a mutiny! honestly the whole episode is so damn interesting it makes me SEETHE its not more talked abt LOL

i wont get into my insanely complex jaya opinions rn but i will say s6 has one of the most interesting depictions of the ship to me. nya being reluctant to date jay due to being seen simply as his girlfriend is soooo interesting and fits well w her arc of not wanting to give up her own deal w sam x to become a ninja. its just a shame they had to retroactively make everyone misogynistic to do so lolol... and the ending w jays wish Potentially forcing them together is soooo odd and kinda goes what the rest of the season was setting up for them. THIS IS MAINLY why i think ppl hate this season. cus it sets up SOOO much cool stuff and then drops it all last second

i think the things that could have saved skybound from being so hated would be

1. do the same plotpoints w nya but dont drag the ninja AND DARETH into it ..... make them supportive of her!

2. makes jays final wish have some FUCKING consequence! you could do a LOT with how he worded it to twist it badly (im a nadakhan return truther for life)

3. not dropping every single intersting character trait ever. and also not dropping the GOD DAMN ADOPTION ARCCCCCC and also not revealing jay to be so crushingly insecure he physically cannot stop himself from lying to ppl and putting on a happy mask and then turn him into a one note comic relief character. [becoming a soulless husk]

LOL i realise this sounds now like i hate skybound I DONT i just think its very flawed. BUT thats whyyyy i love it... because its so interesting! its flawed in a way like "there is soooo much i cld do w this" and not like "i dont care about any of this its so bad". w ninjago my fav parts have always been the weird icky edgy parts that are almost too much for what it is... which is a childrens lego show. ik they cld never have done most of the interesting stuff i imagine coming out of skybound and thats ok! bc i get to think abt it evilly.

heres some assorted things i love and think are fun in skybound

kai and zane banter at the repo yard

ronin capturing the ninja!! specifically him shutting down zane from the inside is super scary and cool

NINJA IN PRISON!!!!! i almost threw up when they went to jail in crystallised its so fuckign fun. SKYBOUND 2!!!

zane playing chess against nadakahn. another scary zane moment

jay trusting only cole w the truth abt his wishes (HELL YES BROTHER)

clanceeeeee <3 him being like one sided friends w jay and standing up to nadakhan at the end of it all... wahhh

NINJA REPLACEMENTS. so fucking funny i love jay and his assortment of old guys And Skylor

everytime i watch it i cant stop thinking of this ytp and it makes me cry. its not even that funny i just have watched it like 50 times

its dungeon media. this is smth i made up and only i know abt . dont worry abt it but its true

ok my brain is mush HOPE THIS MAKES. some sort of sense . bascially trying to condense 6 years of Thoughts into coherent analysis is impossible for me LOL

[bisexualbumblebee-writes]

Black Widow- Malcolm Bright x OC

Malcolm Bright x Elena Nadis

Description: Malcolm finally tells Elena that he loves her. It would have been a cute moment if his hand wasn’t stopping a bomb from exploding them and the rest of the team. 

Word Count: 2k

Mal 💙: Heading to the airport now. See you in a few weeks. 

Me: Have a safe flight babe ❤️

“You texting your lover boy back there?” Dani teased, glancing at the girl from her rear view mirror. A light blush dusted the girl’s cheeks and she shook her head. 

“I told him to text me when he was at the airport,” she informed both her and JT, who sat in the passenger seat of the car. “I’ll put my phone away when we get there.” 

“Don’t let his absence distract you,” JT demanded playfully. “Can’t have another detective be off their A-game.” The girl rolled her eyes and shoved him in response, which earned her a laugh from her friends. 

Elena kept to her word and put her phone away as she, Dani and JT arrived at the house of Jules Connor, a former district attorney found dead in his home by his housekeeper. They walked inside in unison, each going their separate ways to look at something different. While Dani looked at the security cameras, JT asked about the victim to whatever officer had arrived at the scene first. Elena took that time to look over the body, though she couldn’t do much until Edrisa’s team arrived. 

She had still been looking over the dead body when she heard Gil’s voice becoming louder as he walked into the room. She turned when she heard Malcolm call JT and Dani’s name, which confused her. Malcolm was supposed to be leaving for his vacation today, what was he-

“What’s up, Miami Vice?” JT laughed out upon turning around to face the newcomers. Elena heard Dani also laughing, so she looked back. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the snazzy suit that adorned Malcolm’s body and she could barely hold back a giggle.

“Oh my god,” she muttered. 

“Aw, that’s no way to talk to a friend, JT,” Malcolm playfully pouted as he looked around the room. He grinned when he spotted Elena crouched down by the victim’s body. 

“Were you able to kill James Bond or,” the girl trailed off jokingly, earning another laugh from those in the room. 

“He’s going on vacation,” Malcolm retorted with a teasing smile. “Download me quick, then we’re off to kill JFK.” JT shook his head at them then looked at the victim. 

“Our vic’s name is Jules Connor, former district attorney,” he started. “Been in private practice for the past decade. This dude was connected.” Malcolm hummed thoughtfully then looked around the room, eventually pointing to a security camera that hung in the corner of the room. 

“Talk to me about that camera.” 

“The security system is all in-house and it’s all been fried,” Dani responded. “Our killer covered his tracks .” Malcolm nodded. 

“Based on the murder weapon, he had a flair for the dramatics,” he started. 

“He’s not the only one,” Elena joked, to which he grinned sarcastically. 

“Double-barrel flintlock pistol. Walnut handle, gold filigree, a real pirate’s gun. Dates back to the 1730s. I have two.” 

“Who invited their coke dealer?” Edrisa’s voice came from the doorway, which made everyone turn around. Edrisa looked surprised to see that it was Malcolm in the white suit, and smiled awkwardly. 

“I mean, hello Colonel. I love your chicken,” she joked. 

“Okay, now I’m glad I brought you,” Gil told Malcolm with a snicker. The man, however, disregarded his statement and smiled politely at the forensic expert. 

“Hello, Dr. Tanaka. I was just in my way to-“ 

“To poach the ivory in the Serengeti?” She finished for him with a playful smile. “Sorry, I had to.” 

“Comedy comes in threes,” Malcolm shrugged before Edrisa showed him something that Elena couldn’t quite see. It must have been important because Malcolm began ranting about the Count of Monte Cristo., talking about how the Count’s life was destroyed by three men: Villefort, Danglars and Fernand. 

“So we may be looking for a revenge killer with a penchant for poetic justice,” JT stated as Edrisa crouched beside Elena to examine the body. “And if your profile’s right, two more bodies are gonna drop.” As he spoke, Edrisa began fiddling with Jules’ body. That’s when Elena noticed something under him. 

“We’re not gonna let that happen,” Malcolm stated. 

“While you’re on vacation,” Gil concluded, shooting Malcolm a pointed look. 

“What’s this?” Elena questioned as she moved the body to the side shortly before hearing a click. In an instant, Malcolm’s head whipped around. 

“Elena!” He yelled, jumping over the table that stood between him. The girl barely had time to process his actions before he pushed her out of the way. Gil caught her and moved her away as Malcolm pressed his hand firmly on the device Elena had just discovered. 

“It’s a landmine, a Black Widow,” he exclaimed urgently. Elena’s eyes widened as JT yelled that they’d need the ESU, the bomb squad and the level-one mobilization. 

“Alright all non-essentials clear the area,” Gil instructed loudly, letting go of Elena. “Edrisa, get your team out of here.” The doctor nodded then snapped her fingers, getting them to move the body before running out after them. 

“What the hell is a Black Widow?” Dani questioned, looking alarmed. 

“An anti-personnel mine, been around since the 50s,” JT explained. “Taliban loved these things.” Someone walked in with a protective vest which JT took and, with Elena’s help, placed it around Malcolm. Elena made sure that his hand didn’t move as they did so. 

“Alright man, just stay still,” JT instructed. “The only thing keeping this place from blowing is a weak creep spring on the pressure plate.” Once he finished speaking, he grabbed Elena and kept her back, knowing that she’d want to stay beside her boyfriend. 

“Oh, well then it’s a good thing I don’t have hand tremors,” the man replied sarcastically. Elena shot him an unimpressed look. 

“You’re seriously choosing now to make jokes Mal?” 

“There’s no reason for you guys to be here,” he stated, now serious once more. “Just go, I can handle this until the bomb squad gets here.” 

“We’re not leaving you,” Elena and Dani responded in unison. 

“It’s fine! I-“ Malcolm stopped mid-sentence when he heard another click. 

“That was the spring,” JT explained gravely. “The bomb’s been activated.” Elena’s eyes widened and she gripped his arm tightly. 

“What?!” 

“Okay,” Malcolm started rapidly. “Turn of events, this mine is definitely not stable so I need to speak quickly. Uh, JT, auction houses will have records of the gun’s sale. Gil, Dani, the killer identifies as the Count, which means that the victim would have deemed him inferior or unworthy in some way. And Elena,” he stopped after saying her name, which made her furrow her brows. 

“Yeah?” She asked softly. Malcolm stared at her for a minute, trying to catch his breath. 

“I love you,” he finished, which made her tear up. “And I have a plan. I need you guys to get out of here.” 

“What? No!” Gil exclaimed. 

“Gil, please! Just trust me,” he begged. “Get Elena out of here.”  Gil’s lips set in a thin line and he finally nodded, making Dani and JT leave. 

“Come on, let’s go,” he instructed gently, taking Elena’s hand. The girl put up a fight, which made him have to pull her by her waist. 

“No,” she cried shortly before they left the room, staring into Malcolm’s eyes as he watched her sadly. They finally made it outside and Elena immediately fell into Gil’s arms, sobbing into his shoulder. The man rubbed her back comfortingly and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. 

Just a few minutes later, they heard the sound of glass breaking then the house exploded. Elena’s head whipped around to look at the wreckage, and she couldn’t help but cry even harder. Whatever was left of the house had gone up in flames that the firefighters attempted to put out. Malcolm’s words echoed in her mind. ‘I love you.’ They had been dating for nearly a year and a half, but they hadn’t said it yet as they wanted the moment to be special. It had been the first time either of them said those three words, and Elena hadn’t even said it back. That made the situation all the worse for her. JT and Dani appeared by Gil and Elena’s side, ready to help soothe her when they heard someone yell that there was a survivor. Paramedics ran to where one of the firefighters stood and seconds later, Malcolm appeared in the team’s line of sight. Elena would have cried in relief if she hadn’t already been crying. She moved to walk over to them, but was stopped by Gil’s arm around her waist. 

“Let the paramedics do their job,” he instructed her softly. “You’ll get to see him in a few minutes, just let them make sure he’s okay.” Elena sighed, but nodded knowing that he was right. Things were only able to calm down for a few minutes before the news stations arrived, wanting to know about the explosion. 

“We’ll take care of them,” Gil muttered, finally letting her go. “Go find Malcolm.” Elena nodded gratefully then began pushing past everyone to get to the paramedics’ truck. She didn’t care about the news people that she had to shove past, the only thing she focused on was trying to get to her boyfriend. Finally, she found him sitting in the back with a shock blanket around his shoulders. His suit jacket was laying beside him and his sleeves were rolled up so they could take his blood pressure. 

“Malcolm!” She called above the chaos around her. The man in question perked up at her voice and looked around for the source. When he finally spotted her, he grinned and stood. Elena felt herself tear up all over again and she sprinted to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He returned the hug immediately and his chin rested atop her shoulder. 

“I love you too,” she whimpered in his ear. Her words only made his grip tighten around her and she felt something wet hit her shoulder. Malcolm was crying too. 

“Malcolm,” she started, pulling away to look into his eyes. “Don’t ever do that to me again. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn't jumped out the window in time. Promise me you won’t.” She cupped his face in her hands and wiped his tears away with the pads of her thumbs, shedding a few herself. He leaned into her touch, pressing a soft kiss to her palm. 

“I promise,” he muttered, leaning down so their lips brushed against each other’s. Once she got confirmation, she grinned and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. 

“You know, it’s a shame your suit got dirty,” she added once they pulled away. “I was ready to get dressed for Saturday Night Fever.” Malcolm rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the laugh that left his lips. 

“Shut up, my mom got it for me. She’s very hard to say no to,” he mumbled shyly. Elena giggled upon noticing a blush settling on his cheeks. Before she had time to respond, they heard Gil’s voice call for them. They turned just in time to see him catch up to them. 

“I think it’s time for your vacation,” Gil pointed out, checking his watch. “If we leave now we could probably still make it to the airport.” Elena wasn’t surprised to see Malcolm shake his head. 

“No way, the killer tried to blow up my team, my girlfriend, and me. I’m not leaving now,” he responded firmly. Gil knew better than to argue, so he just nodded with a sigh. 

“I’m not about to be the one to tell your mother,” he added, to which Malcolm shrugged off. “At least let Elena and I take you home so you can change out of that ridiculous suit.” Elena grinned cheekily then looked at her boyfriend, who huffed dramatically. 

“I’m burning it once it’s off,” he informed the both of them as they began walking him to Gil’s car. 

“I thought it was cute,” Elena shrugged, climbing into the backseat. Malcolm hummed thoughtfully as he got into the passenger seat. 

“I guess we’ll just have to see then.” Gil shook his head at the couple’s banter but grinned as he started the car. He was glad that they were both okay because he knew that if one wasn’t, the other would never be.

[that-was-anticlimactic]

okay but the skybound music is an absolute BOP

[stalwolf]

My random Candle Cove headcanons lets goooo

Janice:

-Is about 9.

-Is from Ohio, and is hilarious about it. Poppy could be talking about how dangerous an island is or something and she’s like “I’m from Ohio, the island can’t be that bad.” -Is actually kind of ruthless when she’s angry? She’s shy most of the time but when she snaps she snaps.

-Is allergic to peanuts.

-Has a birthmark on her left knee that’s shaped like triangle.

-Has adhd. She and Percy are adhd autism solidarity in the most chaotic way possible.

-She was actually afraid of skeletons before she ended up in Candle Cove and seeing an actual spooky skeleton did not make it better.

-Loves horseshoe crabs.

Percy:

-About 23.

-Full name is Percival Crowe.

-Is actually crafty as hell; the dude is cunning and sneaky when he wants to be, and can lie about anything with a straight face like nobody’s business if the stakes are high enough. But he cannot tell a normal white lie to save his life, he gets so nervous that it immediately gives him away.

-His coat used to belong to his dad. So did his flute.

-Is better at fighting with swords or knives than with guns. Always keeps a knife concealed somewhere just in case. -Has a scar over his left eye, along with a few burn scars from the Red Mary incident and he hates being asked about them.

-Is pretty good at sewing. If any of the crew need clothes mended he’s their go-to. He also likes to draw sometimes.

-Just kind of hides when he’s upset? He’ll lock himself in his cabin and not come out for a while or will wander off wherever the ship has docked.

-Can hold alcohol surprisingly well. His fear is not nearly as prevalent when he’s drunk, and it confuses everyone.

-Likes to feed the seagulls even though everyone tells him not to. “If you feed them they’ll keep coming back.” You fools, that’s exactly what he wants.

Poppy:

-Like 29 ish?

-Hella strong. Our guy can lift several people.

-Has a scar across the bridge of his nose.

-Actually really morally gray, but he’s trying to be a better person, especially after Janice shows up. He’s initially put off by Janice looking up to him so much because he really isn’t a great role model and he knows it.

-Has the crew’s collective braincell some of the time, but loses it on the regular lmao.

-His relationship with Milo is literally    “Some dumbass is getting into a knife fight in the street again. Oh no thats my dumbass”.

Milo:

-About 20.

-Has heterochromia; his left eye is brown, and his right eye is green.

-Has a tattoo of a mermaid that he lowkey regrets. -Chaos Incarnate. Is an asshole tbh, but is an okay person at first. Emphasis on at first.

-Is actually a really good shot; he fights with flintlock pistols but can also fight with swords.

-His mentality is “fuck it, i’ll figure it out as i go along”. Although this actually works in his favor a lot, except when it does not.

-Will drink all of your rum and steal your wallet.

-Speaking of rum, this dude starts drinking at the crack of dawn. His liver is pickled at this point.

-Thinks he’s good at flirting; he isn’t. Has had a lot of drinks thrown on him. When he does manage to woo a girl, it usually ends in some kind of trouble when Milo inevitably pisses someone off.

-Knows how to juggle, but will never do it in front of people unless he’s either drunk or being paid.

-Is that dude that knows everybody, despite the fact that he borderline does not really like people? The crew will be docked at a random island and there’s someone there that knows Milo. There’s a fair chance that it’ll be someone he owes money.

-Cuts his hair with a knife. Has tried to burn it off but Poppy stopped him.

[ragingbookdragon]

Winter Wishes Make For New Beginnings

A Connor Kenway x Reader One-Shot

Word Count: 2.3K Warnings: Angst, Death

Author’s Note: Day 16 of the CF’s. I really don’t know why I thought this would be a good idea to write considering the fact that I recently lost one, but I felt this needed to come out. I broke down crying while writing and revising, so if there’s mistakes, look them over. Uh...enjoy? -Thorne

           The wolf had come out of nowhere; too fast, and too agile for her to spot in in time to take it down. There was no chance for her, but the old foxhound had smelled it coming. They wrestled in the snow, a gnashing of teeth and fearsome growling, and she would’ve shot the timber wolf if she knew she wouldn’t hit the dog. When the wolf had the hound pinned, she fired a single shot, and it hit the ground in a heap of gray fur.

           The flintlock dropped at her feet and she sprinted to the dog, sliding to her knees to his side. One glance told her that it wasn’t good, too many cuts, too much blood.

           “Oh, buddy,” she breathed, gently prodding at the gash along his abdomen. “Why, bud? Why’d you jump in?” The hound simply groaned, raising a leg to paw at her.

Tears stained her vision as she shirked off her jacket and tunic, leaving her in her undershirt. She wrapped the tunic the best she could around his stomach, then her hands caressed the dog’s face, and while he whimpered, he still tried to lick her cheeks.

           Sniffling harshly, she pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’ll come back,” she whispered, laying her heavy winter coat over him. “I promise I will come back.” She stood to her feet. “And I’ll come back with help.” The dog merely groaned and flopped on his side, umber eyes watching her for security.

           Her heart ached to stay with him, but with a determined mind, she spun on her heel and ran as fast as she could.

***

           Connor turned at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, nodding at Achilles when he hit the bottom floor.

           “Connor have you seen (Y/N)?” the old man asked, and he shook his head.

           “I have not. Not since she went hunting,” he replied.

           Achilles hummed. “You didn’t go with her?”

           “There were other things on the homestead that needed my attention.” His cheeks warmed and he muttered, “She also told me that she needed some alone time and that I was to stay here.”

           The old man snorted, and Connor reacted like he usually did when he sensed ridicule.

           “What? Why are you laughing?” he questioned.

           Achilles smiled knowingly. “Seems to me that your lovesi—” The sound of a banging door echoed through the manor, followed by a terrified voice.

           “Ratonhnhaké:ton!”

           Connor’s spine went ice cold at the pure fear in her voice, and he bypassed the old man, skipping the steps to the first floor. He turned the corner and there she was, coming out of the dining room. His heart dropped at the sight of tears on her face and she ran up to him, breathing heavily and swaying slightly.

           “(Y/N), what has—”

           She shook her head and grabbed his arms, panting, “Jethro—a wolf—need your help.” A coughing fit tore through her and she let him go, bending over to rest her hands on her knees as she hacked.

           He rubbed her back, brows pulled together in confusion as he tried to piece the information together.

           “Jethro was attacked?”

           (Y/N) nodded rapidly and jerked up, already making her way back to the door. “I can’t carry him,” she said. “I need your help. He’s injured—badly.”

           Connor was running after her, grabbing her bicep. “Wait. We—”

           She yanked her arm out of his grip, a fresh round of tears in her eyes as she yelled, “We don’t have time to wait around!” (Y/N) pressed a hand to her chest. “I promised him I’d come back. I have to go!”

           “I know,” he affirmed. “But let me get a horse and we can get back to him faster.”

           (Y/N) shook her head. “You go, I’m gonna start running back.” She didn’t wait for him, once again turning to sprint off in the direction she’d come. Connor shook his head and ran towards the stables; glad he’d left the saddle on one of the horses.

***

           They’d barely made it thirty meters to the hound before she was jumping off the back of the horse, scrambling to her feet to get to him. Connor spurred the horse a few more meters before descending and running after her, watching as she knelt beside the dog.

           “Jethro? Buddy?” she whispered, and he knew she was afraid for the worst, but when the hound’s head shifted up a bit, she let out a watery laugh, caressing his head.

           “Hey buddy,” (Y/N) greeted, then pointed back to Connor. “I told you I was coming back.”

           He squatted beside her, gently unwinding the shirt she had tied. The fabric has soaked crimson, and when he opened it, he felt his breath leave him and he stared into her eyes.

           “I—” he started, then swallowed thickly. “This is bad, (Y/N). Very bad.”

           Her lips pursed into a thin line and her eyes flooded with warmth. “I know,” she said. “But I have to do something.” With her gaze shifting to the dead wolf a few feet away, she added, “Jethro saved me.”

           Connor let out a wary sigh and opened the shirt again, wincing as he felt along the wound. “I do not feel any ruptured organs but…” he pulled his hands back, holding the hound’s abdomen. “He will not make it if we do not sew him.”

           (Y/N) started feeling along her pockets, unclipping one to pull out a small pouch. She opened it and dumped it in the snow, hurriedly grabbing one of the needles that fell out. Raising it, she met his eyes and he turned to the horse.

           “Go jerk a few hairs from the horse’s tail but be careful to avoid a kick.”

           She nodded and rose to her feet, moving to the horse. After the third pluck, the horse tried to kick at her, but she dodged it and hurried back, kneeling beside him.

           “Can you sew, (Y/N)?” he asked, and she nodded.

           “I can.” When he gave her a doubtful look, she squared her shoulders and declared. “I can do it.”

           Connor stood up. “Then I will go and make a pull.” He left her without another word, and she looked back at Jethro. His dark eyes watched her, and she knew he was in pain.

           “Everything’s gonna be okay, buddy.” (Y/N) threaded the needle, pinching the slit in his abdomen. “I’ll fix you up.” He quivered as the needle went in, but no sound left him, and he lay back on the snow, one paw pressed onto her leg.

***

           By the time Connor had returned and hitched the horse with the makeshift pull, (Y/N) was curled behind Jethro, one hand holding his wound, the other rubbing his head. He directed the horse beside them, then laid a hand on her shoulder.

           “(Y/N), I need to move him.” His voice was soft, and it took her a moment to move.

           When she did, she watched him pick the hound up, considerate as he could and lay him on the pull. She climbed behind Jethro and cradled him, resting her chin atop his head, her hand delicately stroking his fur.

           Connor eyed her a moment, then bent over, pressing a kiss to her head. It took everything he could not to take her into his arms when he caught sight of the tears in her eyes, instead climbing onto the horse, beginning the journey back to the manor.

***

           It had been to much of a hassle to try and move the dog into the manor and as the sun began to sink below the horizon, Connor carried a few more blankets down to the stables where (Y/N) had been for the past few hours.

           He stepped into the stable and frowned as his gaze drifted over her, curled around the dog, her face pressed into his fur. Doctor White had long since come to check on the hound at his request, stating that all he could’ve done had been done by them. He’d given them a firm look and with as much professionalism as he could manage, he stated that they should hope for the best, but to understand that the dog’s end was in sight.

           Connor poked at the fire just outside the stable before entering and settling behind her. He covered them with the blanket and propped his head up with his palm, his free hand softly kneading her side.

           “Are you well, (Y/N)?” he knew she wasn’t, but it was still the polite thing to ask.

           She swallowed thickly and shook her head. “No,” she replied, turning her head to catch his eye. “I’m not.”

           His heart felt for her. “What can I do for you, Otsi’tsa?” Connor touched her cheek. “What can I help you with?”

           Her eyes filled with tears and she whispered, “Just…stay with me.”

           “Of course,” he vowed, watching as she looked back at the hound, raising her hand to his head.

           For a moment, she said nothing, then she murmured, “I’ve had Jethro since I was a young girl.” She stroked his ears, softly scratching. “I found him baying in a ditch just outside Boston one day” (Y/N) let out a watery laugh. “Wouldn’t stop following me after I did.”

           “What was he like when he was a puppy?” Connor inquired.

           She snorted. “Stubborn and naughty.” Jethro gave a huff as if trying to defend himself. “Caught him more than once sneaking into a hen house to steal eggs.” She scratched at his ears again. “Wore his tail to a frazzle over it too.”

           Connor chuckled. “Did it work?”

           “No,” she deadpanned. “Damn dog went right back the day after.” Her hands stilled in his fur and she lamented, “I’d give anything to go back a few years.”

           (Y/N) sucked in a ragged breath. “I should’ve seen it coming.”

           He knew she was furious with herself. “Otsi’tsa—”

           “I should’ve known the wolf was coming.” Tears slipped down her cheeks and her fingers splayed across Jethro’s side. “It’s my fault he got all tore up,” she cried.

           Connor covered her hand with his. “He chose to protect you.” A choked sound came from her throat and she looked away. “He knew that putting himself between you and the wolf would do this, (Y/N). But he did anyway.”

           She turned and met his eyes, and though she couldn’t form the words, she mouthed, “Why?”

           He frowned and gazed at Jethro, who was resting, and remarked, “Because he loves you.”

           (Y/N) moaned lowly and rested her head down beside Jethro’s, staring up at the sky. She petted his side, whispering, “Oh, my boy.” The hound shifted, turning his head up slightly and she smiled. “Hey, boy.”

           One of his front paws lifted and she reached over, taking it in her hand. “Yeah buddy, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

           “Look up there, buddy.” She pointed with her free hand, hoping he was looking with her. “The first star.” (Y/N) kissed his head. “Gotta make a winter wish with me, okay?” She shut her eyes and squeezed his paw.

           When she opened her eyes again, she glanced at him. “Get your wish in?” Jethro groaned and laid his head back onto the floor, causing her to laugh. “I bet you wished for a giant steak, huh?” His tail thumped once against the floor and she rested her head back against him. “Me too, buddy.”

           His eyes began to close, and she kissed his head. “You’re my best boy, you know that? The best one I’ve ever had.” She started to choke up. “I’ll stay,” she whispered. “I’ll stay with you until the end, Jethro. I won’t leave your side.”

           Connor watched her, silent tears falling down his cheeks at her anguish, and prayed that whatever wish she hoped for would come true in the end.

***

           He walked into the manor with a box in his arms, climbing the stairs to the second floor. “(Y/N)? Are you here?”

           “In your room,” she answered, and when he stepped inside, she looked up at him with a smile. “Hey you,” she greeted, nodding at the box. “What’s that?”

           Connor walked over to her and set it on the bed. “A present from a friend in New York.”

           “To you?” (Y/N) asked and he shook his head.

           “From me to you.”

           Before she could speak, something sounded from the box and she jerked back slightly, giving him a suspicious look.

           He smiled at her. “Open it.”

           (Y/N) let out a ‘pfft’ and grabbed the top of the box, pulling it off and setting it aside. Two little white paws and a tiny black nose appeared at the side and she brought a hand to her mouth, staring at Connor with tear-filled eyes.

           “I know it has only been a few weeks since he passed but—” he watched her pull the puppy out and cradle it to her chest, one hand thumbing over the puppy’s head.

           “I wanna punch you,” (Y/N) blubbered and he smiled at her.

           “I know,” Connor replied and reached over, wiping at the tears. Before tapping the foxhound’s nose. “She is not Jethro…but I do not think he will mind her filling in for him.” Her lips wobbled and she took a few deep breaths.

           After a moment, she asked, “Have…have you named her?”

           Connor shook his head. “I would give you that honor.”

           (Y/N) nodded and raised the puppy to look her in the eyes. “I’m gonna call you…Grace.”

           He smiled. “A fine name, Otsi’tsa.”

           The foxhound let out a small growl and she laughed. “I think she likes it.”

           Connor watched her coo at the puppy, laughing when it nibbled at her nose, and murmured, “I think she does.”

[emerald-echeveria-plant]

[Part 3 of ???]

The Lost Civilization

//Baozhai is doodling in a notebook. She drew a picture of the stranger aka Flint with little hearts draw around him.//

Baozhai, sighs in admiration: you're the most handsome man I've ever seen..

Cletus: Why thank you! I always did fancy myself as good-looking.

Baozhai, glares at Cletus: Not you! I'm talking about the stranger I saw from yesterday..

Cletus: Which one?

Baozhai: The handsome one..~

Cletus: ...

Cletus: Erik?

Baozhai: no!

Cletus: Sao?

Baozhai: No... The one that I felt I had a close connection to..

Cletus: Oooh! I know who you're talking about... The Captain is gonna be real mad if he finds out you're attracted to Haggis.

Baozhai: WHAT?! NO! NOT HIM! GROSS DEFINITELY NOT HIM!

Cletus: Well, then who is it?

Baozhai: I don't really know his name..

Cletus: If you don't know who the fuck it is, how am I supposed to know??

Baozhai, frustrated as hell by this point but somehow manages to stay calm: I'm talking about the guy that... Punched me in the face..

Cletus: Oooh... I already knew that I was just fucking with ya' *snickers*

//Baozhai punches Cletus in the stomach. Cletus falls the floor. He groans in pain as he clenches his stomach. Noëmie walks up to Baozhai and lightly taps her shoulder.//

Noëmie: Um.. Baozhai?

Baozhai, turns to Noëmie and annoyed: What do you want Noëmie?

Noëmie: I know almost everyone you talked to about your love interest isn't going to well... But uh, maybe the next time you see him, try to, I dunno... Get to know him more and tell him about yourself..?

Baozhai: ...

Baozhai: Noëmie... did you just give me advice about love?

Noëmie: Um, I think so..?

Baozhai: ...

Noëmie: ...

//Baozhai hugs Noëmie and twirls her around in her arms.//

Baozhai: Noëmie, you're a genius! That's a wonderful idea!

Noëmie: oh my, well, thank you!

Baozhai: Yes, I'll charm him! Flatter him! Make him mine! And if he doesn't accept it... I'LL RIP OUT HIS SPINE, GOUGE HIS EYES WITH A RUSTY NAIL, AND-

Noëmie, cutting her off: How about you don't do any of that brutalizing stuff..

Baozhai, genuinely confused: Why..?

Noëmie: Well if you love someone, you can't threaten them with violence and maiming. Especially when they don't accept your feelings.

Baozhai: Then, what do I do..?

Noëmie: Cry it out, accept thats how they feel, and move on.

Baozhai: That sounds good.. but what if I keep bothering him-

Noëmie: what-

Baozhai: keep professing my love to him-

Noëmie: wait-

Baozhai: and I'll make him mine..! I am such a genius!

Noëmie: Please don't do any of that..

Baozhai: Don't worry Noëmie, I won't do any of that unless he loves me back. You have nothing to fear! Because I am the master of charm 😏 oh! I better go practice putting on makeup.. since I don't really know how.

//Baozhai runs off to another part of the ship.//

Noëmie: ...

Noëmie, shakes head: This is going to end horribly.. I just know it is.

Islay, walking up behind her: You really shouldn't have said those things. Don't ya' realize the captain will take issue with her falling for one of Haggis's crewmates???

Noëmie: Oh dear! How could I forget their fueding..! I hope this infatuation is minor with Baozhai. Who knows what'll happen if the stranger falls in love with her too!

Islay: oh please, you don't need to worry about that. Baozhai has the literal sex appeal of a boat crash. It looks terrible but you just can't look away. I don't mean to insult her but it is true. Can't see any men or women falling in love with her personality or looks. And knowing Baozhai, she's going to do something stupid and dangerous to get his affection.

Noëmie: I mean she is rather distasteful at times but I wouldn't call her that...

Islay: This better not cause any issues. The captain already has enough on his plate with Haggis nearly killing him. But if it does, this'll be on your hands for getting those ideas into her head!

Noëmie: okay..

//Islay goes to help Cletus off the ground. She puts the injured man over her shoulder and proceeds to walk towards the hold. Leaving Noëmie alone on the deck. The dark grey canid poundered for a bit.//

Noëmie: I mean, it's not like Haggis and his crew are following us... Right..?

//And Noëmie couldn't have been more wrong. Because in fact, they were following right behind them... On Haggis's ship, they managed to fix up the hole that Bonnet had caused previously. Haggis was still pissed that Bonnet did that to his ship. He was getting revenge and they were going to pay with their blood. As Haggis navigated the ship, on the deck were Flint and Billy, swabbing the deck.//

Billy, looked over to Flint: So, you and that loony crewmate of Bonnet's... Kinda odd that they stared at you for a pretty long time.

Flint: Mhm.

Billy: ...

Billy: Not gonna say anything about that?

Flint: Whatever happened between me and that man was minor. So, no, I don't have anything to say about it.

Billy: Flint... That was a woman.

Flint, stops swabbing and looks at Billy: what?

Billy: That was a woman. That you also happened to punch. In the face.

Flint: Oh... Well, too late to take it back now.

//Flint walked towards the bucket of water. As he went to dip the mop into the bucket of water, Erik stepped in front of the path of the cabin boy.//

Erik: Hello Flinty~!

Flint: Erik. How disappointing to see you.

Erik: Oh you're such a charmer! Wonder if your little girlfriend thinks so too! *Chuckles*

Flint: What the hell are you taking about?

Erik: Heh, You think nobody noticed you and that little wench making goo-goo eyes at each other?? Because boy, everyone's been talkin about it!

Flint: First of all, he's- I mean, she's not my girlfriend. And secondly, I wasn't making "goo-goo" eyes at anyone. Especially towards someone who looks like they got their nose done by the front door.

Erik: hmm.. well, it'd be a real shame if someone told the captain about those rumors about you and that girl.. and told him they were true. Meaning you'd get punished some more for coercing with the enemy..😏

Flint, rolls his eyes: you want something don't you. Of course you do, I already know you too well... Now tell me what is it???

Erik, grinning: Give me half of yer loot when we find the treasure and I'll keep my mouth shut.

Flint: what if we don't find the treasure??

Erik: Then, I guess I'll have to tell the captain. Too bad you've barely gained his trust from the time you spent on this ship..

Flint: Just in case you didn't know, I loathe everything about you.

Erik, chuckles: Hehe, I know. So do we have a deal..?

Flint, sighs: what other choice do I even have..

Sao, interrupting their conversation: LAND HO!

//The crewmates put their attention forward. A few miles away from them was a planet with lush jungles and plants. Beaches with golden sand with oceans that seem so crystal clear you can see right through them. Not too far in a distance were tall golden buildings, along with statues of different deities. The ship came to a stop, landing near the sandy beaches.//

Captain Haggis, shocked: I can't believe it..

Sao: what is it captain..?

Captain Haggis: Don't you see it... This is the lost civilization of the Paititi! A city that has tons of gold hidden somewhere to prevent colonizers from stealing it..

//Haggis looks through a telescope. He looked towards where Bonnet's ship had landed. He saw Bonnet, what looked like giving his crew orders. Bonnet then pulled out several maps and passed them out to each of his crewmates. Haggis chuckled darkly.//

Captain Haggis: Too bad the "gentleman pirate" and his crew won't be as much as getting a dabloon of that treasure.. Sao, round up the crew and get them ready. I'm making sure they don't leave this place... Alive.

Sao: Yes Captain! Right away!

//Sao made her way down towards where the rest of the crewmates were.//

Sao: Alright everyone, Captain says to get ready.. we're going treasure hunting!

//The crew cheered with joy. Some lifting their swords and flintlock pistols in the air.

Meanwhile on Bonnet's ship, he finished giving out the maps to the rest of his crew.//

Captain Bonnet: Alright with these maps we can all split up into two pairs. They show where hidden booby traps are and how to get to the treasure.

Ironbeard: this all seems like a good idea captain but uh, why are you splitting us up into pairs exactly..?

Captain Bonnet: Because I think I'd be a much more quick and efficient way to do so! And also the twins have been freaking me out lately..

//Ironbeard and Bonnet turn their heads towards the Solace twins. The twins slowly crept their heads towards the rest of the the crewmates. They were holding hands and were side by side to each other. Their eyes looked soulless as they stared at the others.//

Solace twins: A horrible fate awaits to whoever dares to awake the beast's slumber from inside the depths of hell and they'll bring misfortune and misery if awoken.

Ironbeard: ...

Ironbeard: Yeah I guess I can see why.

((Bonnet, Baozhai, Noëmie, Cletus, Islay, and the Solace twins belong to me!

Haggis, Sao, and Erik belong to @chaossmith2))

[masterhandss]

(I am sorry for adding another, but this one is a bit less specific) thanks to the Otome game’s artwork for the pirates and clear imagery of Silva’s flintlock pistol. Guns exist, gunpowder exists. That is chaos waiting to happen. What do you think could happen with that new bit of info for the crew, especially in terms of Geordo’s fire magic. Or just general h/c and potential drama.

It’s okay, thank you for all your asks! I have a lot of asks and questions to answer and I’m trying to get through all of them (really slowly), but i’m really happy to see yours and everyone’s ideas and headcanons!

thanks to the Otome game’s artwork for the pirates and clear imagery of Silva’s flintlock pistol. Guns exist, gunpowder exists. That is chaos waiting to happen 

I’ve seen a few people talk about the implications and world building that comes with the knowledge that guns exist. I’m pretty interested in it and its one of the reasons why i’m excited for the nintendo switch game!

My personal interpretation of this information is that, yeah guns and gunpowder do exist, but its only currently exclusive to one country. Quid, from what I translated, is the country of engineering. I’m not the smartest potato of the bunch but I know that probably doesn’t really say anything about the country’s weaponry, but i’m assuming that Quid is the most technologically advanced country.

I’m more of just accepting and assuming the fact that only Quid (and by extension, the Weiss Pirates who I assume are from Quid) have guns because yknow, each country is known for something. Sorcier has Magic, Lousabre has high crime rates, Etran has trading, Xiarmah has eastern culture and etc. In order to have Quid stand out as well, it’s gonna need something of its own so advanced technology and weaponry sounds good to me.

I know realistically it doesn’t make any sense, because that would mean Quid has the military prowess to take over any country they want, because they have guns and maybe even other forms of firearms, but there are lots of series where each country/region/island has different extreme levels of weaponry but can exist just fine (like Granblue Fantasy and Fire Emblem Heroes. For the latter example, FEH just introduced a new arc where a country with advanced tech and guns have just been introduced the other day, so Book V of feh may have influenced this interpretation). Some countries still use swords and magic, and some countries have guns and robots but can coexist just fine (don’t ask me how gsjdgf).

In addition to this, I’m gonna assume that guns have only recently been invented and is either still in its production/experimentation stage and the Weiss Pirates stole guns from a cargo, or they are just about to be shipped out and introduced to other countries before the Weiss Pirates stole guns from a cargo. I don’t like the idea that the Weiss Pirates themselves invented guns because that would make them too much for a powerful threat, and I don’t think the writers of the hamefura game would bother to write them as that much of a big threat. 

I guess unlike most, I’m not the type the analyze historical periods and world building implications of stuff like this, but I tried ahahaha. 

I guess I just know so much fantasy series where swords, magic and guns (and even robots) can coexist, that the idea that we have some in hamefura doesn’t even surprise me at all.

What do you think could happen with that new bit of info for the crew, especially in terms of Geordo’s fire magic   

If the otome game is gonna seriously address the implications of Quid having advanced form of weaponry, then damn we might get a short arc of them trying to stop a possible war ahahaha. Hamefura’s magic is very weak (I can make a long ass essay just complaining about the existing magic system based on what we know from the series so far) so I’m not really sure what to think of Geordo’s magic when compared to guns and other forms of firearms. There’s a lot of debates between “technology vs magic” and the winner of that usually depends on who is asking. 

On the scale of power, I think Geordo probably has no match against a gun or a make-shift bomb/bazooka. Magic activates really slowly in Hamefura so Geordo’s strength (or at least the levels I’m personally imagining) isn’t really much in battle even if it is. I mean we know he can burn a man alive as he implied in LN8 and that would give magic the advantage in terms of power (magic can possibly be equal when it comes to area damage than a bomb/bazooka but that only depending on the magical output), but again he really lacks in terms of speed. Unless Fire Magic has a spell where they can make fire balls rain from the sky? Fire magic seems like it only manifest through the hands so I’m just imaging Geordo with flamethrower hands.

I might not be giving Magic a fair fight here because I may or may not be exaggerating in my head how weak magic is in hamefura. I’d love to revisit this question again when we get more insight about how magic works in the series, like whenever Vol. 10 rolls around.

I’d love to see the crew’s reaction to seeing a gun for the first time. A “what the hell is that?” line from either Alan or Keith would make me a happy champ kshdfdsf. Plus points if Katarina immediately identifies it as a gun before anyone else in the ship are even told what the weapon is. 

I’d be really sad if the upcoming otome game doesn’t touch up on the guns though. Somehow I feel like the artists/writers didn’t think too much of it and just added guns to complete the full pirate aesthetic. 

Or just general h/c and potential drama.

Going back to where I said “I wouldn’t like it if the Weiss Pirates invented guns themselves”, there’s also the possibility that guns are treated in the same way as they are in “Dragalia Lost”. Since we know in hamefura there was a Golden Age of Magic in the past, where magic is so common that even Dark Magic is normal to see, then maybe there was also a point where technology was also advance before their ancestors decided to abandon it in order to maintain their roots with nature and magic. 

This is just a random idea of mine, but it would be cool if Katarina and Silva can bond over the existence of his guns. Silva seems like he might be a “robin hood” kind of character to me. Katarina will obviously freak about guns at first, but she would chill with it when she finds out that the Weiss Pirates aren’t bad people. Unlike others, she isn’t as afraid because she used to live in a world where guns are more common (though that doesn’t mean she isn’t afraid of guns). Maybe Silva’s pistol is a gift from a family member or from his ancestors, and when he realizes that Katarina isn’t freaking too much about the gun, he can give its backstory. I don’t know, something like “this gun only shoots down evil! This bullet kills so that the people/public can live another day!” or something like that. 

There’s most likely not gonna be a plot like this in the nintendo switch game but hey, it works if they want to treat the gun like an artifact rather than a new invention. 

I don’t know if I gave a satisfactory answer here, but I tried gasjhgsj I’m writing this late at night so I might rewrite this if I can think of anything better to say in the morning :DD I’m not a smart bean either so I’m so sorry if my answers sound so dumb gfsjhgf

Thank you for the ask!

[reynauldapologist]

Beau + 99? Or maybe Vvulf + 17? 🤔

@nandashibs i did both! hope that’s okay :) also, i’m seriously beginning to think that you’re a psychic. how the hell did you know which songs would fit them the best??

apologies for any weird formatting or typos. i wrote all of this on my phone. putting it under a readmore bc this got a bit long.

Beau - Bloody Mary by Lady Gaga

(for anyone who’s unfamiliar, Beauregard is a HWM oc from one of my fics)

Hieromania, but make it silly:

Love is just a history that they may prove

And when you're gone, I'll tell them my religion's you.

Beauregard felt like he was breaking in. He knew he wasn’t - the Sisters had made it clear that the abbey was open to all, at any hour - but he couldn’t help but feel as though he was invading a sacred place, tainting it with his mere presence. It didn’t help that he had decided to visit so late at night. He’d been in churches before, sure, but the small stone chapel of his childhood seemed almost blasphemous next to this lofty place.

Big fluted pillars and a ribbed ceiling stretched above him, so high that the light from the fluttering lanterns posted at regular intervals along the walls couldn’t reach it. His breath caught in his throat. Small. He felt so small. Like a mouse scuttering along beneath a moonless night sky, waiting for the harsh scrape of an owl’s talons against his back. The altar rose at the end of the sanctuary, old and opulent, surrounded by hordes of lit candles, framed by blood-red tapestries. Beauregard crept forwards, hardly daring to breathe, unsure of what he even meant to do there. Statues of saints lined the small alcoves between the grand stained glass windows. Some wept, some stretched their hands out like beggars, some clutched at weapons, and others cradled their dismembered body parts.

Beauregard shivered. How could anyone relax in a place like this?

A door squeaked open at the end of one of the transepts. Beauregard stopped, frozen, crouched low before he could think of what he was doing. He slunk down one of the rows, as silent as a shadow scudding across an open field.

Great. As if you didn’t already look like a robber…

Heavy footsteps coming closer. His eyes darted around the sanctuary, searching for a more permanent hiding place. They fell on a statue of a man without a right hand and a knife in his left. If there was space behind it...

A shadow stretched along the far wall, made grotesque by the weak lighting.

It’s now or never!

He slipped into the gap between the statue and the alcove. It was a tight fit, and it was dusty, but it was doable. His nose was less than a hair’s breadth away from the back of the statue’s neck and his arms were twisted oddly to account for its form. Awfully intimate…

The footsteps echoed strangely off of the stone walls, making it difficult for him to pinpoint exactly where they were heading. Beauregard focused on his breathing. Slow and steady, in and out through the mouth. Beauregard couldn’t see what was happening around the statue’s head. Surely it was just the abbot, or one of the Sisters, there to check on the candles… No worshippers came here this late. Right?

Wrong.

The footsteps stopped. Directly in front of his alcove. Out of all of the alcoves in the abbey...

Now, Beauregard was certain that the Light must truly exist. There was no other explanation for such a cruel joke.

The rustle of clothes. A deep sigh.

“O Saint Dismas…”

Beauregard knew that voice.It was Reynauld, the old crusader.

...Saint Dismas?

“...patron of repentant thieves, I humbly beseech thee for thine guidance.”

Beauregard’s nose began to itch.

No. Oh, gods, no. Please.

“I have faltered once again. Forgive me for my weakness, my repeated transgressions.”

His eyes were watering. His mouth was opening.

I’ll do anything. I’ll convert. I’ll become a monk. I’ll never so much as glance at a tavern again, please, don’t let me-

“I have taken-“

“AH-CHOO!”

It was like he had fired off his flintlock. The sneeze echoed for far longer than it had any right to. The silence that followed was deafening.

Light, if you’re out there, have mercy and strike me down now.

As the seconds trickled by and it became clear that Death would not be paying him a visit anytime soon, Beauregard forced himself to break the silence.

“I…er...” Beauregard swallowed. “...forgive you?”

“Beauregard? Is that you?”

“Who’s asking?”

Another heavy sigh. A groan and a rustle of clothes as Reynauld got to his feet.

“Come out, lad.”

“A-Alright, listen, I can explain-“

“Now.”

Beauregard disentangled himself from the statue. Reynauld had his arms crossed over his chest and a severe expression on his face. Beauregard ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck.

“What are you doing?”

“I… Well, y’see, I was on a walk anyways, and it’s awful cold out there, and windy too, and I thought-“

Reynauld held up a hand. Beauregard shut his mouth.

“No. What are you doing hiding behind Saint Dismas?”

“Uh… I was… Trying to get closer to the Saints?”

Reynauld stared at him. Beauregard hunched his shoulders, ready for a lecture.

Reynauld started to say something, paused, and cleared his throat. He let out something like a rolling grunt, his shoulders bobbing up and down.

He was… laughing? Beauregard relaxed and allowed himself a cautious smile. Reynauld shook his head and covered his eyes, little hints of teeth peeking out between his bristly beard. He inhaled sharply, then broke out into full laughter, leaning his head back. It bounced off the walls, low and hearty, but cracked around the edges, as though his throat was unused to making the sound.

Beauregard chuckled along, equal parts relieved to have avoided being chastised and delighted by this new side of Reynauld.

“It’s an unorthodox form of worship,” Reynauld said, still grinning, “but better than nothing.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your prayer. I just… I heard someone coming and I… panicked.”

“All is forgiven.”

“I’ll… um... leave you to it.”

“Are you headed back to the barracks?”

Beauregard nodded.

“I’ll accompany you. My heart no longer feels so heavy. Contrition can wait until the morning.”

As they left the abbey together, Beauregard turned over the statue in his mind. What an odd coincidence. Had Dismas’s parents named him after the saint on purpose? Who would name their child after a mutilated man who oversaw thieves?

“Reynauld?”

“Hm?”

“Who was Saint Dismas?” he asked, slipping his hands into his pockets. The cold air nipped at his cheeks.

“Oh, that’s quite a story,” Reynauld replied. “One best told in front of a roaring fire, I think.”

—

Vvulf - Take You Back (The Iron Hoof) by Orville Peck

uh oh it’s self-indulgent modern au time 😳

I've been around this world and now everything's a bore

I don't know that much, but I know about keeping score

And if there's one thing I know for sure

It'd be a long cold day in Hell when I take you back

“I knew you’d come crawlin’ back.” Vvulf blew smoke out through his nostrils. It formed a hazy wreath around his face. He leaned back in the ratty chair. “Sure as the sun rises…”

Dismas was sweating. And not just because he was stuck in the cramped, windowless backroom of a bar, in the dead of a sticky summer night, with a man nearly twice his size. It was one thing practicing his speech in front of a warped motel mirror, it was another thing entirely to face the real thing. He sucked in stale air between his teeth.

“I’m not crawlin’.” Desperate for something to do with his hands, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his leather jacket. He flicked it open and pushed one between his lips.

Vvulf smiled, cool and thin. Dismas repressed a shiver.

“Bit late for pride, ain’t it?”

Dismas lit his cigarette with trembling hands. He puffed on it slow to get it going. He sucked down a burning lungful, held it, then blew it out of the corner of his mouth.

“I didn’t have to come here, y’know.” A lie. He wouldn’t be here if he had any other choice. “I’m doin’ this as a favor to you.”

“A favor to me?” All traces of humor left his face. “You got a lotta nerve showing your face around here and talkin’ like that, boy.”

Boy. Dismas bit back a snicker. He was pushing forty.

Dismas shrugged. “If you don’t wanna hear what I got to say, fine. It’s your damn funeral.”

“What do you want?” Vvulf tapped ash off the end of his cigarette.

“You could stop puttin’ hits out on me. That’d be a start.”

“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about...”

Dismas raised his eyebrows.

“...but I’ll see what I can do.”

Dismas nodded. Alright. He might actually swing this.

“That all?”

Here we go.

“I want protection,” he said plainly. Beating around the bush would just make Vvulf angry, and even less likely to grant his request. “He’s after me, too.”

Vvulf stared at him. Then he laughed. Harsh and mocking and gravelly. Like hail drumming against a tin roof. Sweat trickled down Dismas’s back.

“Don’t act like I ain’t ever put my neck out for you,” Dismas said, raising his voice to be heard over Vvulf’s laughter. “I’m just askin’ to borrow a safehouse for a couple weeks, until all this blows over, that’s it.”

“You got some serious balls on you, boy, I’ll give you that.” Vvulf took a hard drag off of his cigarette. He spewed the smoke at Dismas. “You dumb son of a bitch. What makes you think you’re leavin’ here alive at all?”

Dismas’s gut hardened. This had been a mistake. But what other choice had he had? It was either this or give up the ghost and turn himself in at the nearest police station. Anything was better than getting collared by the Widowmaker. He eyed the door over Vvulf’s shoulder. His gun weighed heavy at his hip.

“Now, here’s how I see this playin’ out.” Vvulf batted aside his denim vest, exposing a holstered pistol. “You can either tell me everything you know right now, and I’ll end things quick, or I could take you out back to the shed and get you nice and acquainted with a car battery, and then you tell me everything you know. Right before I gut you like a pig.”

“You know… Neither of those options are all that appealin’ to me.” Dismas shifted in his seat. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d taken Vvulf head-on in a fight. In a tight space like this, though, he didn’t like his chances.

“I had a feelin’ you’d say that. Which is why, as an acknowledgment of our long history together, I’ll open up a third option.” He grinned. “Just for you.”

Dismas clenched his jaw. He should’ve expected something like this…

“On one condition.” Vvulf stubbed his cigarette out on the sole of his boot. “You gotta beg for it.”

“Go to hell.

“After you.”

[nonnui]

Review: Time Princess

Genre: Dressup choose-your-own-adventure

Intrusiveness: 3/5.  Lots of packs for sale, occasional need to dismiss an ad beg, but mostly possible to play uninterrupted.  Does routinely warn you of the file sizes of various subcomponents you can download, and it does this fakeout in some tutorials where it guides you through spending resources it pretended you actually had when really you were just holding them for a second till you spent them as directed.

Generosity: 5/5.  I never felt particularly strapped for the main resources, though if I had been trying to play for the long haul I would have needed to be more strategic.

Aesthetic: 4/5.  Many of the dressup articles are very pretty, and the art in other areas is also lovely; but I am dinging the game one aesthetic point for having the dressup mechanics have absolutely no interaction with how nice anything actually looks, so you routinely wander the gamescape dressed like a five year old who got loose in an estate sale.

Writing: 4/5.  I can tell they hired at least one person whose non-farcical job description is in fact "writer", and I am willing to grade on a curve.

Interface: 2/5.  Little floral sparkles erupt whenever you touch the app, loading times are slow, it can be hard to follow all the little exclamation points till they go away, several actions are redundant with others, a lot of things that could be batched aren't, and search among the clothes isn't great and I could tell it would be worse if I'd played long enough to accumulate more.

Coherence: 1/5.  Between the interface problems and the absurdity of putting on plastic sunglasses in eighteenth century France, and the total disconnect of most minigames and events from each other, the game doesn't hold together well.

Gestalt Experience: 3/5.  Occasional moments of genuine charm and prettiness and a steady flow of all the game's essential resources made it a pretty painless way to earn some imaginary money.

Time Princess is a game where your character can enter the worlds of individually downloadable stories, taking on the roles of female protagonists such as Marie Antoinette, Christine Daaé, or Some Rando, and changing outfits to various specifications as the situation demands.  I was playing to level 15, which requires surprisingly little interaction with the stories since there are faster ways to get XP, and I did not finish any of the ones I tried, though I got several stages into three.

The game's standard dressup mechanic (all articles are tagged with a couple of adjectives, such as "warm" or "elegant", and you must maximize one or two scores of those adjectives) could have been executed better.  The score of an outfit, once any attention is paid at all to the target adjectives, has nothing to do with how good it looks.  If the powers that be have tagged a ridiculous wedding-cake dress "grand" and a stupid-looking hat "formal" you may have to combine them to pass a stage.  If you have five necklaces with the right adjective, but the one that looks good is worth two stars and the one that looks absurd is five stars, you will do better to choose the latter.  I think the game must have some sort of basic style recognition beyond these tags, because it has a minigame where you try to match an outfit by sight, and it's capable of scoring you highly if you have none of the exact articles and go "okay, hat with a feather in it, green earrings, tall boots, green clothes, carry a sharp object" or something along those lines.  Yet this basic style recognition is not in evidence in outfit scoring, whereas whether you choose to invoke your possession of a flintlock pistol can increase your score by a substantial percentage.

They have a genuinely decent minigame (which costs game currency and has no mechanical rewards that I discovered, but still) where you alter clothes by changing their colors and adding textures and “stamps”.  The level of customizability is pretty high, or at least it would have been if I’d stuck around long enough to unlock more colors and buy more textures and stamps, but I only found two dresses that I could alter in this way.  Two!  Maybe there are more in the depths of the game but it was pretty disappointing to find the good part and only be able to do it twice.  You can’t even use multiple copies of the same dresses they have this set up for in order to make them in different palettes or whatever.  And, of course, since none of the colors, textures, or stamps affect the adjectives attached to the dress, when you go on to wear the damn things it doesn’t matter in the least whether your alterations were attractive.

Several submechanics remained opaque to me by the time I put down the game (for instance, it was never clear how I could combine "fragments" into a whole object).  It rewards but does not pathologically beg for daily attention (some things recharge over time, some things are available once a day, but in a general atmosphere of abundance it doesn't seem inclined to make you suffer for missing a day).  For some reason the game wishes you to own and breed virtual cats.  The cats affect your outfit scores.  No, I don't know why.

[jcmorrigan]

Okay, how did Versafina came to be?

If I'm REALLY digging back and being honest, I do remember at one point having a concept when I was in middle or high school of twin sisters, one good and one evil. The good one, Phantasia, would have dark skin and white hair, while the evil one would have pale skin and dark hair. And she's "Versafina" because her palette is REVERSED. (Funny thing: Phantasia as her sister survives to this day, but is NOT the "good twin" anymore. Heehee.)

But really, it was a dime-a-dozen villain design I had back when I came up with that. Officially, Versafina's life began as a fanchild for my earlier (and now discontinued) crossover project, Elements of Harmony. She was then known as "Sable Smisse," the biological child of Rémington Smisse (Wakfu) but raised jointly by YOU KNOW THEM, YOU LOVE THEM, Archibald Snatcher and Roman Torchwick.

This was one of my favorite fankids I ever made because the combo of those three lending to her gave me SO much to work with. You can see Rémy's genetics and fashion sense here, as well as the fact that Sable carries like a thousand weapons hidden on her person. But having her be a RedHatBlackHat adoptive child gave me soooooo many cool ideas for her, such as:

-Learned how to fight from Roman. Learned how to dance from Snatcher. The dance lessons helped improve her combat skills, so she started wearing high heels to every session, and now she fights in heels JUST TO SHOW OFF THAT SHE CAN.

-She had a male dragsona used to infiltrate social functions. (His name was "A.K. Flintlock" back then. It's "Andely" today and has a complete makeover, but that's a footnote.)

-She was the MOST WANTED in whatever city she lived in.

-French accent!

-Believed loyalty was a luxury. See the quote I included in the dollmaker illustration above.

-SERIAL KILLER

Anyway, she's one of those characters who took on so much life of her own that I soon realized I was writing my own thing instead of a fanchild. Even though she took tropes like the dragsona, they really were TROPES rather than anything completely derivative.

In my modern universe, she hasn't really changed much at all, except for her name and the fact that her parentage will differ depending on the AU. Main 'verse Versa is the daughter of an evil faery queen, but I've also wanted to make the Disney AU of her and she'd make most sense as Grimhilde's daughter but learning tricks from Helga Sinclair.

[vedj-f-bekuesu]

Arr, me mateys! I may have work to do in the day, but I consider myself a wee fast crewman! They even ran out of work to give me so I finished the day with long hours to spare. And since I got the time, ye bet I decided to use it to explore new depths of Ninjago with Skybound!

Okay, I won’t do that for the whole post. But honestly, I thought Skybound was...decent, but does have some drawbacks from how ambitious it was. Let’s just go through it.

-Jay...hmm. Two minds about him. His arc at the start of the season (lasting about halfway) was clearly intentional and setup for his later redemption, and his character after that point is the best kind of Jay. And the reason for said start of season funk does make sense (unlike Home). On the other hand, yeah, the first half is pretty much Jay at his worst with bits sprinkled in to remind you that they still remember his good side. It’s not like giving him that sort of flaw is bad, but it pretty much dominated his entire character for that duration so at some point you just want to punch the little git. Also his parent arc is a bit undercooked, but he’s got plenty elsewhere so that doesn’t really bother me, especially when Ed and Edna ultimately get to have the crucial pep talk.  -Nya has a similar problem to be honest, although part of hers was also fabricated by Dareth being an absolute dick at the start (despite his moment in season 4). After that, it was fine for her up until she starts the whole fucking thing by being stubborn in such a perilous situation. And then halfway through they calm it down and make her realise she’s taken it somewhat overboard. Once that halfway point crosses it’s a lot easier to get behind the both of them, but mileage may vary on how much you can stand before then. I did like the lunchtime scene though.  -Zane doesn’t get much this season, but I did like his sass, it was a good check. Otherwise, not much happening with him aside from one scene that people immortalise due to how out of character it was for him, but since that has zero consequences I just brush that off as a one time gag. Pixal had like two scenes but they were both great scenes for her.  -Lloyd had more going for him this seasons than prior ones at least (even Possession), but he was still on the more bland side. I think every character got an attitude increase in this season though. Seriously, even the one-scene characters. But let me tell you; Lloyd Garmadon is no Rex Fury, that’s for sure.  -Cole and Kai...I think were on some substance or other during this arc, at least at the start. -Kai has Project Arcturus’ issue of playing his vain side up to the point where it’s actively jeopardising the mission (and actually could be considered as much responsible for starting the whole thing as Nya), but at least this time they reign it in to turn it into something of a clever tactic. And of course this is all absent when he’s freed from the Sword of Souls because Kai typically gets characterised into two modes at this point in the show. -Cole has a similar thing. I mean, eating tools...what? It’s mostly comedic and not that detrimental to begin with (aside from him straight up ditching Jay at the theme park. Not out of spite or anything, just because the plot wanted an extra minute I guess). Then Kai gets trapped and suddenly his character is all about being Jay’s best friend, which in of itself is fine until it again gets way heavy-handed about it. I’m assuming that the writers just wanted any potential remnants of Cole and Nya as a pair to just die (hence why he has no reaction to Jay revealing things about the caves despite Jay’s worry over it, and why this is the season he starts really taking potshots at Nya), but surely Versus was enough on its own combined with Jay and Nya’s arc in this season? Plus the ghost thing is almost entirely wasted this season, only serving a point where his invisibility comes into play (oh, and I guess a threat when he walks the plank).  -Despite the much bigger cast of characters, they don’t really get to do that much. The standouts are easily Soto (who’s just funny throughout), Dareth (who despite having a really bad start with being a misogynist for no reason, gets much better when he comes in second time) and Ronin (who I guess was still a writer darling at this point). Anyone else? You might get a moment for some of them (mainly Misako and Echo Zane), but eh. It’s a shame because Jay set up the ninja replacements like it would be this shining moment for them, but not really, and they just end up as fight fodder. And being a gag for hating Jay for being annoying despite him not doing anything to at least a couple of them. Also because of my other LEGO interests, every time I see Ronin whistle for the R.E.X, I expect the Rexcelsior to just come down and crush everything. That would have been a bad time for Kai and Nya.  -One thing I didn't mention in Possession is how the villain and lackey dynamics are developing into something actually worth investing in (beyond the tension between Pythor and Skales), and Skybound takes it even further. This is the first season where the villains are just as investing as the heroes, and I like how its a slow burn from Nadakhan and his crew having comradery, to Flintlocke slowly realising that Jay was telling the truth, to him and Dogshanks playing key roles in the final confrontation. -Speaking of which, Nadakhan was an interesting villain. I don’t like him as much as Morro, but he’s still got plenty to him. What I find most interesting is how the Jay seasons like to play parallels with the villains, what with Nadakhan being a reflection of Jay’s romance thing and Jay using his abandonment to find a way to connect to Unagami. Also the fact that he doesn’t even seem to care that much about doing evil in Ninjago at first. He does evil stuff, and they’d certainly need to find a way to fix Wu and Misako’s situation, but it’s just as a means to get home. Once he finds out that home is just about to die? He loses the plot entirely, and that’s fun to see.  -Ironically, the interactions I liked best this season were the more understated ones. For example Jay and Zane’s conversation early on (which doubles as foreshadowing to Zane’s demise) was really nice for characters who don’t usually get time to speak to each other one on one, and I wish more of the interaction in the season felt as natural as that in the first half. As a bonus, it wasn’t even wiped out at the end so that conversation still happened! -Yeah, plot. The story was interesting once we got to the Sky Pirates, not quite as engaging as Possession but it was clearly aiming at more individual dynamics than looking at the whole group and it definitely managed to balance that with the actual story and giving the villain perspective. The framing arc was less interesting, if only because even for this show everyone suddenly turning on the ninja without giving them more chance to defend themselves is laughable at this point. And as for the ending...eh, I’m ambivalent on it. Jay and Nya’s arcs remain no matter what so at least that stuff stuck around (by design). But you do lose the existence of the other Sky Pirates who made a good chunk of the good stuff. I guess the other biggest thing you lose is all the scenes where Cole reaffirms that he is Jay’s best friend, but he can do that in future seasons and not just drop it because they’ve settled the score on the love triangle...right? -Once again, it felt like a pretty dry season in terms of tone. I think this is a running theme. -At least the annoying slow-mo seems to finally giving way. It was used twice. One was random, the other was thematically appropriate. 

Overall, this season can be described as “heavy-handed”, moreso than any other story-heavy season so far. When it’s in this mode, it’s pretty annoying even if not terrible. But it still has elements to keep it going, and ends up in a pretty good place. Definitely comes down to individual taste on how much of said elements you can stomach, so I’m not surprised it has a marmite reputation. Out of the non-Possession story-heavy seasons I’ve seen so far this is the better one, but it’s still below S1 and S2 for me. 

Next time, I will not be doing a season. The writers seems to want to end Cole’s ghost arc and that’s exactly what they’ll do in Day of the Departed.

[thethistlegirl]

It’s horrible, I feel like a kid in a 🍭 store, Cornelian choice : 🏹 for Ronin 💔 for John 🔬 for Mac in what if I fall 🍄 your Mac in Wunderkid And you, what would you choose, because it’s not you’re « only » the writer that you don’t have to choose what you like or would like to write/read 🥰

This is SO late, but I hope the length makes up for it!

🏹 used for target practice for Robin (For clarification this is pre-novel when Robin is still with the agency that trapped him in a contract and the team who was using name magic to control him)"Staking a vamp isn't as simple as it looks on TV," Michaels says. Robin watches the man lay out a series of stakes on the table in front of the new cadets. "Okay, choose your weapon."The cadets by and large reach for the stake that most closely resembles the classic horror movie weapon, a rounded stick with a pointed end."And, you're dead," Riverdon says dispassionately. "That's an antiquated weapon that's as unreliable as a flintlock. Welcome back to the dark ages of hunting, everyone."Most of the cadets appear shamed into silence."She's right," Michaels says. "This kind of stake is almost never used in the field. It's only viable if your vamp is already so incapacitated they're not moving." He sets aside the handful of round stakes. "Basically, this is the kind of thing you tend to see most when you're taking it off vigilante hunters. In a pinch, if you've run out of standard issue weapons, making something like this might be a trick to fall back on, but I wouldn't recommend it."Riverdon picks up a long, flat stake. "You probably won't see this one a lot either, since it's never used outside of legal executions." She bends it forcefully, and the wood cracks. "It's narrow so that it slides between the ribs and offers virtually instant death, but it's also fairly fragile. Impractical for field work.""This," Michaels says, gesturing to a small pile of the third and final type, "Is the field stake." Robin is quite familiar with that kind, he's made plenty of his own. The stake starts out with a long diamond cross-section, but every hunter shaves theirs down to fit their own hand. Generally, the grip area is smoothed but with a wide section at the very end so that the hand won't slide off the end of the stake, the tip area is shaved narrow, and the middle of the stake has the wider-angled parts of the diamond shape sliced down. The result is a stronger stake that is still capable of penetrating between the ribs. "Knowing what stake to use is only half the battle," Michaels adds. "Since a vampire can only be truly killed by a penetrating stab to the heart, you need to know exactly where and how to strike, so that the stake bypasses the ribs and enters the heart." He glances at the assembled class, then at Robin. "There's no way to accurately learn the feel of this on a training dummy. You'll use them to test the force and pressure you'll need to use, and learn the location of the ribs, but for learning to hit the right areas of the body on a moving target, you'll need a moving target."Robin can tell some of the cadets are getting uncomfortable, knowing where this is going. But most of them look totally unfazed. "Who's first?" Michaels asks, and a burly looking guy steps up, picking up one of the stakes. "Alright, a vamp is coming at you, what are you gonna do?" Robin knows what this means. He fakes a lunge at the cadet, who sidesteps his movement and then digs the stake in under Robin's outstretched arm. Robin winces as the point of the stake jabs into his side. That was a hard blow. He can feel the broken skin, the faint trickle of blood starting to slip down his ribs. He bites his lip and glamours the evidence. There's still an hour left of this class. And causing trouble will mean a punishment so much worse than a few more overzealous cadets' stakes. 💔 broken promise for John He said he was never gonna use the kid's true-name. He'd promised the kid, he'd promised himself. And now here he was holding Robin's limp body in his arms, the true-name stinging on his lips like poison.He tries to tell himself that it was the only way. That if he hadn't taken control, he'd have had to kill Robin, and he couldn't do that. Couldn't hurt the kid even as his hands closed around John's throat. It wasn't Robin trying to kill him, but it would have been Robin who died when John slammed a stake into his chest. And he couldn't do that. Not when there was another way. That doesn't change the fact that the last thing he promised the kid before he was taken is the first thing John has done to him since they found him. He doesn't know all of Robin's history, but he knows enough. And using his true-name...well, he'll be lucky if Robin ever wants to look at him again. Still, the kid will be alive for that to be an option. He carries Robin out to the waiting medics. The kid is so light and fragile, he feels like he could shatter if John handles him too harshly. How he didn't see that the kid's heart is as fragile as his body John doesn't know. How he managed to ruin everything with careless words.Although nothing about today has been careless. John may not have known what he was doing when he turned Robin's true-name into a joke months ago in Maira's office, but he knew all too well what he was doing today. And he knew that if he lost the kid's trust forever, it was better than taking his life.So why does he feel like using Robin's name tore out a piece of his OWN soul?🔬 lab rat for Mac in what if I fall He shivers, wrapping his wings around his shoulders. If he's caught, things will be BAD, but he's just so cold. And then the door slams open. Doctor James stalks in, his coat billowing around him like his own set of wings. Mac jumps and folds his own behind him, hoping James hadn't seen."We are on a DEADLINE." James strides up to the head night scientist and grabs the collar of his coat. "WHY do I not have the subject's test results?""We...didn't run the tests. The subject is sick. Not functioning at optimal capacity. I didn't think you'd want to take those reports to the board.""Well, I have to take them something. How fast can you turn them around?" Doctor James asks."A few hours, if I push the night staff.""Get him out and do the tests now. Have them on my desk by morning." James turns to the cage where Mac is huddled, shivering and sniffling. "And stop playing with your wings. Those are tools. Not security blankets." Mac struggles to his feet when the cage door opens and he's pulled out. His whole body feels stiff and shaky. He's not sure he can stand, let alone fly. But if he fails, he'll be sent to the Basement. And no one comes back from there. He flexes the muscles in his wings, trying to warm them up. He can't fail. He can't. 🍄 poisoned for your Mac in Wunderkind Mac sets down his drink after a small sip. These fancy parties always have the worst tasting things. Mac guesses they're supposed to be for cultured, refined tastes. He'd take a beer by the fire with his teammates over this stuff any day. He hopes their target won't be too concerned about his lack of enthusiasm for the beverages. After all, the guy's here to buy a set of classified documents from someone he thinks is an agency sellout. He tries not to jump when a voice comes from his elbow. "Enjoying the party?"Damn it he really hates being snuck up on. He disguises his moment of panic before turning around. "I'd enjoy it a lot more if I had some cash to spread around and impress some of those lovely ladies." He makes a pointed nod in the direction of the bar. Riley turns around with a drink in her hand and waves. Pretending to flirt with her has never gotten any less weird. Especially not now that she's his actual sister. At least she's pretty cool with it. "You have the documents?""You have the cash?" Mac says, turning around. Or trying to. The room kind of feels like it's spinning. "Actually I have something better." The man's voice sounds like it's coming through a tunnel, and Mac frowns. "The antidote to the poison you just ingested." The drink. Damn it. Mac stumbles, leaning heavily on the stair railing to keep himself upright. Is it just the shock, or does this poison really work this fast?"See, I need a little insurance policy. I have someone who is going to verify that these codes are genuine. If he does, then you get the antidote. If he tells me you're setting me up...well, then, you won't live long enough for your little plan to succeed." Mac grits his teeth, reaching into his pocket for the papers. He knows his team heard all of that. Now he just has to hope they find a way to fix this before it's too late. And you, what would you choose... ⛈ bad weather for Riley in Pre-series WunderkindJack wakes up to the sound of rain on the roof, the crash of thunder shaking the ranch house, and the sounds of soft muttering from the room next door.He long ago stopped being able to sleep through the sounds of storms. He's learning not to be able to sleep through the sounds of his partner in distress. He crawls out of bed, grabbing his jacket from the chair beside it, and steps carefully across the hall. Momma's probably still asleep, no reason to wake her.

He knocks on the door. Startling agents, especially ones who are probably either in a nightmare or waking up, is a bad plan. Riley might only be as big as a soaked kitten, but she's got some scrappy fighter in her, and even with one shoulder out of commission she's not someone he wants to tangle with. 

"Who is it?" The voice is shaky and a little wet.

"Jack. Can I come in?"

"Okay." 

He pushes open the door and steps inside. Lightning flashes, showing the room in sharp blue and white relief. Riley is huddled at the end of her bed furthest from the window, blanket pulled up over her head. He can see the white of her sling and the shimmer in her eyes.

"Can't sleep either, huh?" He's pretty sure he knows what she's reliving. The bomb blast that threw her across a Venezuelan street...and killed two families in an apartment building. The first time Riley's been up close and personal for the casualties of an op gone wrong. 

She shakes her head. "It's really loud."

"Yeah, this old house is anything but soundproof," Jack says. "You know what I do when I need to drown it out?"

"N-no..."

Jack grins. Another gullible one. He sits down on the bed and breaks directly into the first of the Metallica songs he knows by heart. He knows he can drown out the thunder. 

There will be time to talk about the trauma. About the damage and the scars this job leaves in its wake. About how Riley is going to have to learn to live with the body count on ops sometimes. About how to move forward.But for now, he just has to make things a little better, get her out of the bad place in her head, because that's no place to be for the kind of serious conversations they need eventually. And from the way Riley is shaking her head at him and his singing, he's succeeding. Just a little. And that's okay. 

[mudaship39]

Warring Kingdoms:

It was the Alliance or Coalition vs the Horde or Legion War. The War that formed the Federation of Aehinara and that united the Coalition and Legion together into a single united government of the Federation. On one side were the magical humans, the homo magi, the wood elves, the blood elves, the night elves, the high elves, the centaurs, the draenei, the fairies, the pixes, the dyads, the void elves, the dark elves, the dark pixes, the dark fairies, & the dark dryads. On the other side were the imps, goblins, hobgoblins, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, minotaur, tauren, werewolves, worgens, orcs, high orcs, trolls, high trolls, giants, cyclops, & goliaths. Lysander Norwood the grand prince had disguised himself as a lower ranked noble and had enlisted under the name of Lyon. He as a gunslinger, mage, & fighter was loading his semi automatic pistol and semi automatic carbine rifle. Guns augmented with magic runes of rune smiths and artificers and enhanced with esoteric and arcane magic of mages. Guns have advanced so much as a technology. From the first ancient single barrel, double barrel, or quadruple barrel flintlock pistol blunderbuss and the first single or double barrel flintlock rifle musket. To the outdated dual wield six shot revolvers and lever action ten shot repeating rifle with iron sights or bolt action hunting rifle with scope. To the modern semi automatic pistol and the sub machine gun with iron sights or semi automatic rifle carbine with scope or the sub machine gun with the drum magazine. The latest innovation of the gun in this fantasy realm was the portable mounted Gatling gun. A high elf paladin and cleric Cellica Urigwyn who also disguised herself as a low elven noble was gazing at the arcane and esoteric characters of magical symbols on his body that allowed him to use magic as a homo magi half breed. She was also staring at his traditional magical human body tattoos. She asked, “Those body markings are they important to you?” “Yes,” said Lysander “Lyon” Norwood, “magical humans are humans known for their many races, many cultures, & many shades of skin.” “Some cultures have traditional body tattoos.” “These are my cultures.” “I have magical human traditional tattoos all over my body.” “Some on my face.” “Some from my neck to my stomach and my neck to my back.” “Some on my upper arms from my shoulder to my elbow and some on my lower arms from my elbow to the finger tips of my hands.” “Some on my legs from my thighs to my knees and from my knees to my toes of my feet.” “These are cause of the discrimination and prejudice that I face as a magical human half breed.” “From homo magi.” “Surely people aren’t that intolerant,” the high elf asked. “You don’t know much about homo magi do you?” “It is what they are known for.” “But they treat you as a high elf differently from the other elves.” “High elves and blood elves have privilege that other elves like the void elves, night elves, & dark elves do not have.” “So you do not experience this hate.” “But in the eyes of the Homo magi as non homo magi you are all lower than dirt.” “My first experience with this was in the military academy.” A memory of Lysander Norwood, “Half breed dog,” said a homo magi to Lysander Norwood. “Excuse me, what the fuck did you just say to me asshole.” “You’re arcane and esoteric script on your body tells me that you are homo magi.” “I’m okay with that since we as a species are better than everyone else.” “But you dilute it.” “I see that with those tattoos on your body.” “That you are a magical human.” “Lower than dirt.” “Lower than dogshit.” “You have ten fucking seconds to apologize dirtbag,” snarled Lysander “Lyon” Norwood, “or I am beating the ever loving dogshit out of you,” “The homo magi walked up to Lyon right up to his face and said, “Sharper than normal canines.” “You aren’t just magical human are you.” “Tell me did your ancestor fuck a high orc or high troll?” Lysander clenched his fist as it cackled with arcane and esoteric energy. His hand was blazing with blue energy. The homo magi he then leaned over and whispered into his ear, “Or maybe your grandmother was a giant or Goliath whore?!” “You son a bitch,” Lsyander roared as he punched him with a left uppercut to the stomach and a right hook to the cheek full of magical energy. His eyes were now burning sapphire. The homo magi then hit him with a left elbow to the head and a right knee to the stomach. Everyone started to fight even the magical humans of the Human Federation, the Homo magi of the Homo Magi Empire, Light Fae of the Elven Federation, & Dark Fae of the Elven Empire. Elven Ranger Ashryn Genmaris asked Lysander Norwood asked Lysander Norwood, “Are you a paladin?” “Not by choice,” said Lysander Norwood. “I am a gun paladin as a fighter and mage.” “I don’t mesh well with with paladins or templars.” “Especially not as a magical human and Indigenous magical human.” “Years, decades, & centuries ago paladins from the homo magi lands came to the lands of the magical humans and Indigenous magical humans and forcibly converted us.” “They proceeded to ban our spirituality.” “Calling us heathens and heretics.” The Templars or mage hunters then came and outlawed our magic calling it unholy and evil.” “So I hate paladins and templars out of principle.” Elven Ranger Ashryn Genmaris asked Lysander Norwood asked Lysander Norwood, “Are you a paladin?” “Not by choice,” said Lysander Norwood. “I am a gun paladin as a fighter and mage.” “I don’t mesh well with with paladins or templars.” “Especially not as a magical human and Indigenous magical human.” “Years, decades, & centuries ago paladins from the homo magi lands came to the lands of the magical humans and Indigenous magical humans and forcibly converted us.” “They proceeded to ban our spirituality.” “Calling us heathens and heretics.” “I also think that paladins, clerics, & templars are uptight pretentious assholes who have a giant stick up their ass,” said Lysander Norwood. “I get along more with my fellow guild members who are magic users (warlocks, sorcerers, witches, or wizards), rangers, druids, fighters, barbarians, or rouges.”