#also. having the spirit guard things is So useful to me as a combat challenged player

[loving-jack-kelly]

btw. tulin totk is my little baby boy and I've adopted him nobody else can have him

[blackjackkent]

OK time for yet another boss battle combat report!

(Everyone seemed to like the Iron Throne play-by-play so I guess I'm getting more thorough with these. XD )

We get to fight big boy, who i'm not referencing by name till under the cut, and his three lady friends from the other thrones, plus the three guards from the front door.

Sarevok is quite beefy - 206HP. Surprisingly, the guards from the front door are the other scary ones; That Which Guards has 236HP and the other two are 162. Amelyssan and her cronies are a much more reasonable 72, which means that they're our first targets to get off the field as quickly as possible.

springagainafter: hee hee I've been waiting for you to get to the bit where Sarevok shows up springagainafter: ghost Melissan too UGH springagainafter: PUNCH SAREVOK, HECTOR springagainafter: do it for Rasaad, it's what he would want XD blackjackkent: heeeeee blackjackkent: hell yeah

Let's see how well Team Juggernaut holds up to this challenge.

Minsc was able to open the fight by taking out Amelyssan at once. (He gets five attacks with Nyrulna on the first turn of the fight due to Dread Ambusher and Enraged Throw and he used them all on her.) I like to think that this was not actually strategy but just him zeroing in on her immediately as the person he hates second most on the field (but was most likely to kill quickly) and wanting her GONE.

I backed up out of combat for a bit so I could look at Sarevok's inspect screen and he's a spooky boy. Among his Exciting Features are: Legendary Resistance (unsurprising), Exceptional Plate (decreased physical damage), multiattack, bleed infliction on enemies with full health, and 20AC. Fundamentally, though, the scariest thing about him is that he has a number of equally scary friends and a lot of health, so we'll be better off taking the friends out of the equation fast. We've dealt with Steel Watchers, so as long as Sarevok doesn't start exploding, I'm not as worried as I was with them. XD

The three echoes also turn out to be primary targets because they cast Haste on Sarevok and Slow on our party, both of which are TERRIFYING in this context, so good to get them off the field as quickly as possible.

As the fight goes on, though, things get... interesting. Every time our boy Sarevok hits something he gets a stack of "Murderous Strikes", and when it hits 4 he can cast "Deathbringer's Legacy" which basically allows him to do a four-strike multihit. And when hastened he can get that VERY often.

On her second turn, Jaheira DISCONNECTS HERSELF FROM THE PARTY because she doesn't have time for my mediocre combat skills, casts Confusion on all three of the weird scary guards, and beelines straight for Sarevok like a house on fire entirely without my input.

CORRECTION: The above point seriously confused me through quite a few reloads and I couldn't figure out what was causing it bc it only seemed to happen sometimes. Turns out that one of the Big Scary Guards cast "Compelled Duel" on her, which I think broke her out of my control briefly even though it's supposed to just prevent her from attacking anyone other than the caster. And then I think her casting Confusion caused the control to drop (when the BSG failed its save) but didn't put her back in the party.

I like my interpretation better, though, that she's so pissed off with Sarevok that she doesn't have time for my bullshit.

Honestly Hector's brute force punching is carrying the day. (The spirit of Rasaad moves within him indeed.) His second turn he got a starting topple on Sarevok and melted him for a total of [does hasty math] A HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE DAMAGE. My boy is a guided missile and we love that for him! This build is so broken oh my god, Zen. XD

Looking more closely at the Big Scary Guards, I noticed this:

This is good news actually and means we probably don't have to kill them, just keep them from killing US long enough to deal with Sarevok.

Having finally, after a number of confused reloads, figured out what was going on with Jaheira, it was time to bring out the owlbear to smack Sarevok around, and leave Karlach in the back to deal with the BSGs. Four owlbear claw hits in a row for ~22 damage each is spicy, plus each of them does knockback, which gives us the incredibly satisfying image of Sarevok Anchev bouncing across the floor like an errant ping-pong ball.

Eventually we whittled him down! The BSGs, as expected, despawned when Sarevok died, and we just had to clear out the remainder of the echoes in order to finish the fight.

Yasssss. SAREVOK ANCHEV IS NO MORE!

*loud cheering from Faenya-Dail*

I would damn well hope the Murder Tribunal are impressed after that display. XD

I didn't even know that was an option but I think I'm glad we didn't become whatever that is. XD

Excellent. That will be Thursday's project since I have raids tomorrow. XD

[enchantingpeachrunaway]

The First MoonKnight

Summary: We're familiar with Khonshu's well-known Avatars, such as Marc Spector and Arthur Harrow, but have you ever wondered why there are so many? While other gods typically have just one Avatar from the beginning or none at all, what happened to Khonshu's first Moon Knight? Who was that enigmatic figure?"

Word count: 1.2K Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 A/N: English is not my first language and I really hope y'all like this because it is my first fanfic :) And sorry for disappearing for some time, many things came up and I didn't have much time to write.

Khonshu's P.O.V.

Chapter 4

When she finally left the physician's house, likely belonging to someone named Akil, I watched her make her slow way back toward the temple. Clad in a plain whitish robe similar to those worn by most of the other village women, she hugged to her chest the ritual clothes she had worn earlier, with her own blood glistening on them now, as she moved stiffly and clumsily around the oasis.

This time, I didn't follow her since I had a lot to process. As I reached the oasis, I looked down at the reflection of my eternal companion again.

Could this woman really have put herself in harm's way just for offering prayers to me? To express gratitude?

And she refused any help offered to her, maintaining her composure with a smile without turning the child away, despite their persistence, akin to bothersome insects?

She's got patience and faith when many people would not have. I have to give her that.

I thought as I glanced in her direction, she was approaching the dead thief. Curious about what she was doing, I decided to watch her actions. Expecting to see the usual acts of a vulture-foul actions and cruelty to the deceased. But, I was surprised to see gentleness in her actions. She picked up the crops and carried his body to the oasis’ edge.

What is she doing now?

Though this was a visible struggle for her due to her injury, she did not stop. Gently setting him down, she cleaned the wound on his head that she was responsible for, cleaning them with a cloth dampened with the oasis water.

Isn't she supposed to be punishing the man? After all, he tried to end her life, yet she shows respect to him?

She caught me off guard. Most mortals like her would retain intense hate for anyone who had crossed them, especially a person now dead and helpless. She, however treated his remains the same way his family would.

Wasn't she going to take vengeance on the man who wanted to take her life?

Contrary to my expectation of revenge, she instead chose an unexpected route of sympathy.

She had disturbed my expectations about human nature. If vengeance were to be sought, the fallen thief was given solace and care. Everything she had done today had moved against my expectations and made me ponder over the depth of human mercy.

After some moments of gazing upon her, I managed to tear my eyes away from her. I turned but to the reflection of the moon thinking.

Her kindness is exceptional, and her courage undeniable. She possesses a strength of character that sets her apart. Her unwavering devotion to pleasing us is also remarkable. She would never dare to disobey our commands, always striving to ensure our satisfaction and favor.

Her youth, naivety, and lack of combat experience pose significant challenges, particularly in the face of unpredictable threats like Ammit. 

Yet, in all this she had one thing that the most seasoned warriors could desire-the resilience of someone who steps forward. Her resolve shines brighter than her frailty or the lack of skill. It's as if the spirit she holds carries the weight of ages, bound not by her own understanding but by something greater.

As I looked down between the ripples on the oasis, the moon's reflected face glittered-seemingly a reminder of my ever-watchful presence. This human creature, steeped in blood and unyielding heart alike, had somehow managed to stir in me curiosity I hadn't experienced in hundreds of years. She was more than a servant of the gods; there was something in her that demanded more from the world, from herself.

But what was it?

Something in me wanted more-a test for her to see if this kindness, this loyalty, would hold onto the face of true adversity. Will her heart stay pure, her actions still selfless when faced with deeper trials? Or would she, too, falter under the full weight of divine expectation, like so many before her?

I have to know.

The temple loomed ahead, and she slowed her steps, the tiredness catching up with her. I could feel the pain in her body, the ache in her muscles, yet she did not stop or utter a word of complaint. Her commitment bordered on reckless-or perhaps that was the only way she knew to live.

I watched her closely, unseen; yet, I could feel her subconscious awareness of my presence. The priestess glanced up as she knelt before my statue.There was no sound coming for her at first, only the quiet crackle of the flames and the soft shuffle of her bloodstained garments as she dropped onto the ground, her head bowed in supplication.

She is at her limits, her body screaming for rest. And yet here she is again, knelt before me.

Her lips moved in silent prayer, and though the words were indistinguishable to me, I knew their meaning. She was seeking strength, guidance-possibly even a sign. She was lost in the special way of mortals, torn between her own desires and the weight of her devotion. She had given so much already, yet she would prepare to give more. Always more.

Something stirred inside me, pulling me toward her in an instant that hadn't been there before. One couldn't deny her unyielding faith. But I couldn't shake the thought-the cost of such loyalty. Would she break under its strain? Or would she rise as I suspected she might, into something far greater than she ever imagined?

This human was different from any I had known. She had a pure heart, her will unyielding, but it was her willingness to give all-everything unto the very point of her very life-which set her apart. Almost everything that I had been seeking-what was required to confront the storm that was coming-she possessed.

I had been aware of the soft sigh that escaped her lips as she completed her prayer. Her eyes remained fixed on my statue as she slowly rose to her feet again. She seemed to be searching for a sign.

I gave her none. At least, not yet.

And as she left the altar, the temple fell into further silence. I was still there, looking at the flickering of the sacred flames and how they would throw a radiating length of shadow across the walls. My thoughts weighed heavy in the air, but somehow, they felt right.

In front of her, the path would be steeped in danger. Ammit stirred, her power growing ever closer. But this woman—this mortal who knelt before me with blood upon her hands and faith within her heart—was prepared. Maybe, not physically but her mindset was going to make everything come together in the end. She would face what was to come, not as a mere servant, but as my chosen, my warrior.

And I'd be there with her, every step of the way, guiding her from behind the scenes.

I  have made my decision. Tag List: @alittlechaotics-blog

[jennsterjay]

Wake up! 

SA2 Re:verse- The Last Scene

This is the last scene in my Sonic Adventure 2 Alternate Universe, titled SA2 Re:verse. This story follows the plot of Sonic Adventure 2, but with a focus on Knuckles the Echidna as the Ultimate Lifeform and Shadow the Hedgehog as the Last Guardian of the Master Emerald. Prologue: Shadow was raised by his uncle who was the last echidna and guardian of the Master Emerald. After befriending Sonic two years ago when he helped retrieve the master emerald from Eggman, he learned that he can rely on others and doesn't have to face his challenges alone. 50 years ago, Dr. Gerald Robotnik created Project Terra also known as Project Flora. From this, the Ultimate Lifeform Knuckles was created using Echidna and Black Doom's DNA. Knuckles honed his skills in controlling natural elements such as earth, plants, water, and other natural elements, as well as manipulating chaos energy. His most notable skill being the ability to heal others, which Gerald used and researched to help his granddaughter Maria from a rare and incurable illness. Aboard the Space Colony Ark, he found family in Gerald, Maria, and Rouge the Bat who was a former jewel thief turned G.U.N. scientist (with a focus on gem properties and flora and fauna studies) as well as a combat specialist. When the Space Colony Ark is raided when word gets out on Gerald's Experiments, Gerald is captured, telling the three to escape. Rouge, running behind Knuckles and Maria, chooses to face the guards head on so the other two can escape. Rouge is cornered and escapes through a cryogenic pod which freezes her in time as she lands on earth. Knuckles and Maria make it to two escape pods, but Maria is shot by a G.U.N soldier and Maria launches Knuckles pod before he has a chance to help her, and he hurtles towards Earth alone. Present: 50 years later Knuckles is woken up from his pod by Eggman who tells him Gerald was his great grandfather. He says he knows of Rouge's whereabouts and will help Knuckles achieve revenge for the Space Colony Ark's erasure from history. Sonic and Shadow especially are chased by GUN when word gets out that there is an Echidna wrecking havoc in the city and at different military bases. With GUN thinking that this is a coup planned by Shadow, Sonic and his friends are now thought to be ex-government criminals. Sonic follows a lead on a mysterious Bat girl who keeps stealing the Chaos Emeralds, and Shadow comes face to face with Knuckles. Shadow is stunned, telling Knuckles that all of the Echidna's are gone and that he is the last. He asks where he has been all this time, and offers to help him. Knuckles is distraught, saying he couldn't be the last and that by Shadow being the guardian of the master emerald, that he is an imposter and a faker. Shadow throughout the game, learns more about Knuckles through their fights, and tries to convince him to start healing from his past and that he can offer him a new future. After many side-battles, Rouge has taken most of the Chaos Emeralds, so Knuckles goes right to Angel Island to take the Master Emerald from Shadow. Its a close and intense battle, but Knuckles wins and tells Shadow to give up being a guardian because he was never strong enough to be, and if he pursues him it'll be over for him. Shadow refuses to accept this and tells Knuckles he wont give up, and despite everything he wont give up on Knuckles either. Sonic and the gang get to the Space Colony Ark and Shadow tells Sonic to get the Master Emerald from Rouge who is guarding it. Shadow is the one who will face Knuckles alone, because he feels he is the only one to understand him and get through to him. Sonic goes to Rouge and they battle. Sonic asks Rouge if this is really how her family wanted to be remembered and if this is what you really want for Knuckles? Rouge after a lot of back and forth, and Sonic saving her from falling off a ledge tells Sonic to protect her jewels (Knuckles and the Master Emerald). Sonic Promises. Elsewhere, Shadow skates down a long corridor until he reaches Knuckles, who seemed to be waiting for him. Shadow tells Knuckles being a guardian is who I am, and protecting the earth and all of it's creatures is what he does, and that if he doesn't believe his words, then he'll show with his actions that "I Am All of Me". Knuckles and him fight and Knuckles fights dirty and at one point throws him into a pod with a fake emerald, leading Shadow to his demise as he hurtles towards earth....or so he thought. Shadow uses Chaos Control using the fake emerald and reappears on the battle field with Knuckles. This pisses Knuckles off and they fight again all while Shadow convinces him that he can heal from his past and doesn't have to face the world alone. Shadow is about to lose the fight despite his best efforts, but right before Knuckles is about to end him, Shadow says even though Maria's not here anymore, she wanted him to be. And even if the world feels like your enemy, I am glad you exist, and you are here now with me. Knuckles punches the ground near Shadow's head and finally gives up, cries in Shadows' arms, and heals him. Later, Knuckles apologizes to Rouge and then they all get an announcement that the Space Colony Ark is going to hurtle towards the earth. They retrieve the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds and Knuckles transforms into Hyper Knuckles, while Sonic and Shadow transform into Super Sonic and Super Shadow. Knuckles and Shadow Fight the Biolizard, while Sonic tries to slow the Ark's descent by pushing it back. Knuckles and Shadow are about to deal the final blow, but the Biolizard rapidly creates what appears to be a massive chaos energy spirit bomb aimed right at Knuckles and Shadow. With no time to run or react, Knuckles and Shadow are toast until Sonic jumps in the way to shield them both and take the hit. Sonic is de-supered and hurtles towards the Earth. At the last minute, Rouge flies out there and catches him and thanks him for keeping his promise. Sonic makes a joke and laughs. Finally Knuckles and Shadow give the Biolizard the final blow, and with low energy they struggle to stop the space colony ark from entering Earth's gravitational pull. They both know this is the moment where they might not make it unless someone sacrifices themselves. Shadow is about to do it but Knuckles tells Shadow thank you for not giving up, the world needs a guardian, and to take care of Rouge for me. He pushes Shadow out of the way, and blasts the ark back all on his own, then de-hypers and falls, hurtling towards the Earth. Shadow uses his last remaining energy to catch him, tells him "I promised you a future, so for you to throw it all away, that's not gonna happen", and heals Knuckles all the way until Knuckles is back in his hyper form. Shadow hurtles towards the earth, and Knuckles catches him saying expletives and starts to panic. He tells Rouge to gather the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald because Shadow isn't moving. He flies all the way to the space colony ark from earth's atmosphere and rushes through the gates and chaos controls until he gets to the main hub where everyone is waiting and worried. He sets Shadow down carefully near the abundance of Chaos Energy around him. Rouge listens to Shadow's heart and looks concerned back at Knuckles. Knuckles looks back at Shadow who has his eyes closed, looking like the most at peace person in the entire room and Knuckles refuses to let this be the end for him. He carefully picks Shadow up in his arms, and has a flashback of an old memory of watching Disney's 1959 animated movie, Sleeping Beauty. Maria was watching it with him and told him one day she wishes to find someone who makes her feel special, and one day she hopes Knuckles finds someone who makes him feel special too. Knuckles holds Shadow's face in his hand, with his other hand on Shadow's back. And Knuckles says: "You saved me, your friends, and the entire Earth, and you barely even know me. I don't think it's fair to take a nap when all your friends are waiting...and I'm waiting. I guess you could say, I've been waiting for someone like you this entire time. So sorry, if this is forward Shadow, but I'm not letting you die without me" Then Knuckles kisses Shadow and heals him, and slowly Shadow takes in all the chaos energy, and his fur and quills turn golden once again. Shadow wakes up and looks into Knuckles eyes. "Did we win?" Shadow asks. Knuckles laughs and tears up. "Yeah, we won" Knuckles smiles. Everyone cheers and hugs Shadow, and Knuckles too, and celebrates living another day in a limitless future, where even the hardest memories can become treasured things, and your present can be what you make it to be. Sonic Adventure 2: Re:verse -------------------------------- Artist/Author Notes: -Knuckles outfit is based on his SA2 Goth Alternate outfit, the same is for Rouge -The red streaks on Shadow's quills are echidna war paint

[ygreczed-3]

The Red Guard and the Snow Angel

Summer Falls desert concept art

Hank and Connor

Gavin and Nines meditating + thunder, snow, fire and wind seal

Gavin and the thunder spirit

More concept arts - traditional art & inking

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

When they go through the Summer Falls desert, Connor and Nines pass out fairly soon due to their intolerance to fire magic. They only get better at night, when the temperature drops, so they stay awake to watch out while the humans sleep. During the day Hank and Gavin have to take them on their horse/Sumo and walk beside them, even though the intense heat isn't making things easy for them either. They reach a village in an oasis where Connor and Nines get better, and when they realize there's a spring in it, they decide to go and rest a bit as the night arrives.

Nines and Gavin are gone meditating on a less crowded part of the spring.

Gavin : That's stupid… How can this make me stronger than my training ? Nines : Stop talking and focus on your breathing.  Gavin : Grmphh.. Nines : Can you feel the source of magic inside your body ? Gavin : … Yeah. Nines : You have to… establish a connection with it. Show him you don't fear it Gavin : But I fear it. Nines : The war spirit you host is an incredible source of power, and you can believe me, it is as bellicose as you are. It only needs a goal to aim for and you'll be able to channel its energy.  Gavin : … You know I'm your enemy… Why do you help me ? Nines, closed eyes : I know I can compete with you. I'm ready to be challenged. And it's funnier to fight a skilled warrior than a scared little boy. Gavin : … Fucker.

X

Connor and Hank in the hot spring

Connor : I think that's what your hug feels like. Hank : hm ? Connor : The hot water. I think it's what hugs feel like. Hank : You said my hugs... Connor : Did I ? I was just thinking… about how you hug Sumo sometimes. He loves it. Hank : Yeah, this big boy loves cuddles  I admit that. Connor : It must feel good. Hank : What… You've never been hugged before ? Connor : Golems do have… intimate behaviors, of course but it's not… I mean we're… not physically warm, so... (NB : I was thinking golems in this universe would be like vampires, not as freezing as actual snow but still colder than humans) Hank : ...Thought you didn't like heat that much. Connor : Warmth from human's touch is different from fire magic : it feels more… safe, less aggressive. I think I'd like that. Hank : … How do you know that ? Connor : I touched your back to heal it, remember ? Your warmth feels nice. Hank : Yeah okay, you touched me, but you don't know what my hugs feel like ? Maybe you'd hate that. Connor : I wish I could know.

They look at each other, but then Hank looks away and stands up.

Hank : It's late, I'm tired. I'm going back to the inn. Connor seems disappointed, but then Hank keeps going. Hank : You coming ?

When they enter the room they share all together, Nines is already in stasis and Gavin is snoring loudly.

Hank takes Connor's wrist silently, looking at him in the eyes as if tacitly asking for permission. Connor just lets himself be enveloped by wide arms, and rests his cheek on his collar bone.

Connor sighs, closing his eyes as he enjoys that nice bear hug. He feels that warm something in his chest growing in his body, invading his stomach with pleasing flutters. 

Connor : Hank… Hank : Shhh… it would be embarrassing to wake those two idiots up now.

Connor bites his lower lip as he silently reaches for Hank's hand, his skin turning white as he presses gently each of his fingers against Hank's. It's known to be a quite intimate gesture among golems, and the closest human equivalence to it would be a kiss. Connor is aware that it could even be interpreted as indecent given how close their bodies are, and that if Nines was to wake up at that moment he would probably choke on thin air. Of course Hank has no clue about that and just thinks it's funny.

Hank : What, you wanna dance ?

Connor realizes they're holding each other on the left side and touching hands on the right side, and it seems like they're going to waltz. He chuckles from the absurdity of the situation from a human's perspective. 

Connor : I wouldn't know how to. Hank : Good thing, I'm a terrible dancer. Connor : Ahah...hmm, Hank, I like it. Can we stay like this for a moment ? Hank : Sure.

X

One night in the middle of the desert, Gavin is on the watch as Hank sleeps in the tent. Connor is with him, but Nines inexplicably stays around the fire, silent. Gavin is bored out so he just starts the conversation. 

Gavin : I feel like the old man and your stupid brother are getting along. Nines : I have this feeling too. Gavin : Doesn't bother you? Nines : What can I do ? I asked Connor to be careful, but I'm not blind… He's shining with glee whenever Hank is around him. I can't… force him not to feel. Also, I think Hank isn't that bad of a person… for a human. Gavin : Still certain we're the bad guys ? Think about it : you were made to serve us.  You betrayed your creators and let us starve like dogs. Nines : Humans didn't create us. Kamski did, and if he had wanted to, he could have made unthinking, obedient golems. Maybe we were meant to break free. Gavin : Oh yeah, so why can't you even procreate ? Simple answer: you were not designed to be an individual species from the start. You were built with no other purpose in life than to help us survive.  Nines : Didn't that even occur to you that humans did bad things too ? Gavin : We're just trying to survive ! Nines : So we are. Gavin : … So what ? You're saying we're two evils ? Of course we are. But I have to protect my people, you understand that ?

Nines stays silent, exploring the surprisingly genuine glare Gavin throws at him. Of course he understands that. His own despise for humanity is only driven by his deep desire to protect Connor, Marcus, and his people. He looks back at the fire heating them, unconsciously processing how ridiculously similar they are.

And yet, something starts growing in his mind, the irritating sensation his relationship with Gavin has changed from the moment they met, and that he unexpectedly wanted to protect him as well.

Nines : Would you kill me ?

He can't even explain how this sentence even made it out of his throat. He already knows the answer. Gavin stares at him longingly, noticeably surprised by the question. He stays silent as he puts more wood in the fire.

Gavin : If I had to, I probably would. But I… hum… don't want to. Nines : … hm. Gavin : What about you ? Would you kill me ? Nines : I don't know. If lives were at stake, certainly, even if I'd find this decision… regrettable. Gavin : ... Oh wow, is that your way to tell me you like me ? Nines : … Don't set your hopes too high.

Gavin breathes in a laugh and goes back to silence, smiling smugly. 

X

They arrive in Nestlepeek and split in two teams, Hank and Connor go to the center of the town, where Connor hopes to find more precise information about Kamski and where he hides.

Gavin and Nines were supposed to go buy supplies, but as they head to the covered market, they are challenged by a man in the street to defeat his champion in a fight. As Nines realizes it's all for illegal gambling, Gavin accepts and finds himself in a cage, combating a birdman.

He thinks he's got the hang of it but as soon as the birdman starts flying Gavin can't touch him with his sword anymore and becomes vulnerable to his aerial attacks.

Nines : Gavin ! Summon the spirit ! Gavin : No way ! Nines : You'll lose if you don't ! Gavin : I know what I'm doing, alright !? Nines : You obviously don't ! Thunder magic gives you advantageous long throw attacks, you can't win against a flying foe with close combat techniques ! Gavin : I think I killed enough Golems to know how to fight flying foes ! Nines : You bastard…

Nines uses his snow magic to catch the champion in ice and immobilize him.

Owner : What the hell !!! Who did that ?! Nines : I did. I'll replace your champion, open the cage.

The owner is confused first but then he sees the opportunity and accepts. Nines enters the cage and gets ready to fight.

Gavin : … You wanna die ? Told you I could do it. Nines : We've been talking about this fight for ages. It's time to see what you're capable of.

They start fighting and they're pretty even for the first ten minutes. Their fight gathered a lot of gamblers and spectators.

When Nines starts to take advantage, Gavin's eyes suddenly turn bright yellow, and he charges at him : Nines can see the thunder magic halo surrounding him. He parries many strikes but Gavin has gained in speed and ferocity. Soon enough, Gavin throws him to one extremity of the cage, and as the crowd around them is screaming in excitement, Gavin holds up his dagger. He's trembling, electricity forming around his hand. 

Nines can make eye contact but somehow, Gavin isn't answering his glare.

Nines : Gavin- You hear me ?

Gavin doesn't say anything, and Nines is sure he's gonna die when the human warrior shoots down his dagger… only to hit one of the cage's bars just behind him. Gavin closes his eyes, and opens them, showing blue-green orbs again, and he straightens up, breathless.

The crowd boos them as Gavin takes a step back and drops the other dagger. He asks the owner to open the cage and leaves the place, Nines following him, still out of breath as well.

Nines : Gavin !

Gavin stops, letting Nines get closer, until they face each other again.

Nines : You did it. You mastered the spirit… Do you realize that ? Gavin : I could have killed you, then everyone around me. That's what the spirit wanted to do… Do you realize that ? Nines : But you didn't. With a bit more training-... Gavin : I almost killed you, Nines, for fuck's  sake ! Nines : … So what ? Thought you were ready to. Gavin : Listen, this beast wanted you dead, everyone dead so bad… How can I… How can I use this power when I know how dangerous and unstable it is? Nines : … But you stopped it, right ? You can control it. Gavin : You fucker, if it wasn't for you, I know I couldn't have stopped it. I would have killed all those strangers, I know that, and I'm not… I'm not a murderer. Nines : … What do you mean, for me ? Gavin : Drop it. I need some air, don't follow me.

X

Hank and Connor enter the library, Connor is looking for the archived events-records to see if Kamski came into this village (which is most likely given it's the first one you can find after the desert)

It appears that the local people can fly so the library is very high, and most scales don't even reach the top of the bookshelves.

Hank : How the hell can we reach the archives ? Connor : Wait a minute, I'll go there and take some volumes with me.

Connor spreads his wings, that widen to support his weight as he takes off to the highest point of the library. Hank is impressed by how graceful Connor looks in the air. When the golem comes back with a consequential pile of old, handwritten books, he's just there, mouth open in amazement.

Connor : Here we go… the last 10 years of history in this village… Ready to pull an all-nighter ?

Hank doesn't reply.

Connor : Hank ? Hank : You're beautiful.

Connor blinks once, his lips slightly parted from the surprise, his eyes conveying nothing else than confusion and yet, low-key content.

Connor: ..I'm sorry ? Hank : When you fly I mean… that's impressive… and beautiful. Connor : Huh… Thank you, I guess ? Anyway hum… let's… let's find a table… Hank : “Thank you” ? But do you even realize how beautiful you are ? Connor : I was created to meet some human ideal. Why would I be proud of something that isn't my doing ? Hank : Ah, don't be so modest.  Connor : … you know, I think I find humans more attractive than Golems. Each one of you is unique, and I love everything you call “flaws”.

Hank laughs halfheartedly at his last line.

Hank : You don't make sense, kid.

X

They read the archives until it's dark outside. Hank can't help but yawn as Connor lights the candles to keep reading.

Connor : You can go back to the inn, Gavin must be there already, and Nines can take over. Hank : Nah, I'm good. Connor : Hm… Hank : You okay ? You look… worried. Connor sighs : … What if we can't find Kamski ? What if… I was wrong, what if we had to go back to Detroit and Jericho with just nothing ? I don't want to return to a situation where I'll have to fight you… I just can't.  Hank : … Yeah, I understand that. I don't think I can remain a Red Guard after what we've been through… After I got to know you. Connor : If we were to fail… nothing will never be the same again. Without you.

Hank just looks at Connor with sharp eyes, as if he's got the urge to say something. At this point Hank knows he's falling for the Golem, but of course, he won't say anything, because he's sure it's only one sided, Connor is so young and handsome he can't possibly feel the same.

Actually the dark haired golem is totally in love with the man, but again, he thinks Hank can't reciprocate his feelings since he's probably into women (after all he used to have a wife), and definitely not into Golems anyways. It just feels so unfair to both of them to consider going back to their normal life when they just want to stay with the other so bad. They just wish they could stay together and run away in some romantic and lovesick lunacy. Again, they won't tell each other about it.

[sage-nebula]

Game Review — Blue Fire

One of my all-time favorite game series is The Legend of Zelda. My favorite game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And my second favorite game of all time is Hollow Knight. So it would make sense, then, to think that a combination of the two would be the most amazing thing the world had to offer me.

Overall Score: 7/10

Well . . . it could have been better. It also could have been worse, absolutely, but it also could have been better. For more detailed thoughts, jump below the cut (and view on blog due to formatting).

The Pros:

The graphics and animation are beautiful. The specific Zelda game the graphics brought to mine (despite the color palette, which was clearly more Hollow Knight inspired) was The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Whatever reason the developers had for going the cel shaded route (maybe they had an artistic vision in mind, or maybe it was easier somehow) it was a good one to make. In particular, all of the glowing and flame effects were lovely, the shadows all fell in the right places, the characters were charming to look at, et cetera. Everything worked well with the acrobatics as well. Visually, the game is beautiful.

For the most part, the platforming is fair and even platforming challenges are doable with enough practice. This is particularly true for the overworld / main dungeons, rather than the Voids, which are more extra dungeons that you don’t have to complete to beat the game (although doing so certainly makes the game easier given that each completed Void gives you another life heart). While there were some areas where the game lagged for whatever reason and threw off crucial timing, as well as some Voids that were definitely more Platform Hell than simply platforming, the platforming puzzles were very well put together for the most part and were enjoyable to play.

The fast travel system, when unlocked, is incredibly convenient and takes a lot of the headache out of traveling around the world, particularly given that you use the shrines for a number of things (fast travel, saving, char—spirit equips) and there aren’t any maps present in this game whatsoever. It does take some time to unlock fast travel and you’re not exactly pointed in the direction to get it (in fact I had to look up to figure out where I was supposed to go to get it), but once you have it it’s a well-developed system that took a lot of pain out of playing that would have otherwise been there.

A minor thing that I liked, but (just like in Hollow Knight) when you die, your spirit or soul is left behind. Also like in Hollow Knight, it keeps all of the money you had on you when you died. Essentially, it is the exact same thing as the Shade from Hollow Knight, but white instead of black. Anyway, the minor thing I liked about this is that if you die in a boss fight, your spirit waits for you directly outside the boss arena, meaning that you don’t have to try to reclaim it while the boss is trying to kill you. It was a nice bone the developers threw the player.

While no tracks in particular standout, and while the OST doesn’t live up to the OSTs of the inspirations behind this game, there were times when the music was very nice, which is always a plus.

While the main quest is very short, there are numerous sidequests you can do even apart from the Voids that give you things to do in each area, making them feel a little less small and giving you a bit more time with the game, as well as unlockables as rewards (mainly in the form of new costumes, but still). There are lots of little secrets hidden around in each area too, which is nice to discover if you’re someone like me who loves exploring in games. 

The Neutrals:

The story. The story is . . . how do I put this . . . okay. So, it’s clear the developers wanted to write a story with the aesthetic of Hollow Knight (ruined kingdom, lots of shadow / light dichotomy, fallen kingdom, et cetera), but with an overt storytelling style like The Legend of Zelda. So you get a lot of exposition about what happened in the past, and what you as the main character are supposed to do now . . . but the thing about the exposition is that not only is the same thing repeated about fifteen different times (such as the constant harping on about how the main character contains both light and shadow within them), but also there are huge chunks of seemingly important detail that are just left unexplained. Like for instance: we know that the Fire Guardians from the Fire Keep were one of the last strongholds against the Shadow (who was also the sixth god and has also corrupted the queen yadda yadda). And we can extrapolate that the Fire Guardians were specifically trying to create a warrior that was both light and shadow based on the fact that the game starts with the main character breaking out of a test tube with a bunch of corpses that look just like the player scattered around, seeming to be failed experiments (i.e. just like how the Pale King created the Hollow Knight in Hollow Knight). But the only Fire Guard that we see around is Von. I think he mentions briefly once that the Fire Guards were trying to make the warrior, or had made the warrior, or something like that, but we’re never told why, exactly. We don’t know what processes led to that. We don’t know who was in charge. We don’t know why this specific type of warrior was needed except “since you have both you may be the answer.” And the fact that there were apparently a bunch of failed experiments is never really touched upon either. Furthermore, we’re told that the five gods had lifted Penumbra (the world) into the sky to protect it from the Shadow (a la Hylia raising Skyloft to protect the people from Demise), but that it didn’t work and the Shadow ultimately got to them anyway. So allegedly this is a post-apocalyptic land. But the only thing to really be ravaged is the Temple of Gods, where apparently the corrupted queen sleeps. Everyone else seems mostly fine as long as they avoid the monsters? It’s like they were going for what Hollow Knight did, but didn’t quite want to go the full route of having corpses literally everywhere on-screen at all times. Although weirdly enough, there is also a distinct lack of NPCs which makes the world feel more empty than Hallownest despite the circumstances . . . What I’m getting at here is that there definitely is a story, but it was told in a way that was pretty sloppy. It’s not so sloppy that it detracts from the overall experience, but it’s like too much was piled on in some areas and not enough was explained in other areas. Or like they took some things they liked from other games (e.g. making the creation of the “warrior of light and shadow” reminiscent of the creation of the Hollow Knight) without following through on what made those things work. Like it wasn’t just that there were a lot of failed Knights and that their corpses were tossed into the abyss and that The Knight had to try to claw his way out (as did Broken Vessel and others) while the “successful” Hollow Knight was raised by the Pale King. It was also that we know that the entire reason why the Hollow Knight was created in the first place was to contain the Radiance / the Plague. It was also that these hundreds or thousands of corpses were the Pale King’s children. It was also that the Pale King has a monologue over that segment saying, “no mind to think, no will to break, no voice to cry suffering” as requirements for the Hollow Knight to be considered successful. The horror didn’t come just from the corpses being tossed down the pit around you as you had to climb up in an attempt to get out, but also at all of the surrounding context, which was left entirely out of Blue Fire’s version with the warrior of light and shadow. Not that they should have copied it (although if they had it really wouldn’t have been surprising), but it’s clear what they were trying to do and where they failed because they didn’t have the follow through to go with it. I feel like the above paragraph is so critical I should move it to The Cons, but I do want to say that I don’t think the story itself was terrible. It borrows so much from both Zelda and Hollow Knight that it really isn’t original and it doesn’t follow through on things that made those stories work, but overall it doesn’t ruin the experience, even if all of the repetition gets old pretty quickly. Although as a final note, I’ll also add another thing that bugged me, which is that we never learn what the people of Penumbra are. Like we know the Shadow is bad, but they all look like Shadow people. We know there are creatures called “onops” but we don’t know what they are, or if everyone is an onop. Whereas in Hollow Knight we know that all the characters are bugs. It’s just another little thing that wasn’t explained but probably should have been.

On a less long note, the combat is also pretty mediocre. Again, it’s not bad. There is a parry system that, if you learn to time it right to actually pull off the parry, is pretty cool. But although you are given magic, which is useful for killing long-distance enemies, the magic can’t do a single thing for you in boss battles no matter how many times you upgrade your mana. Additionally, it is very much a “mash Y to win” type of game, where Y is the button you use to attack and you just mash that while jumping around. There’s no complexity to the combat at all or any strategy that is really required. It’s not bad, per se, but it’s nothing to write home about either.

The charms in this game are called spirits, and while you can buy a majority of them from shopkeepers, you can also “capture” your own by coming across the spirit of a dead person and trapping it to use its power for yourself. This is made apparent when you go back to a young child who is dead the second time you go to see them, and capture their spirit for use. Also when you literally murder an NPC for a sidequest and then later capture their spirit to use for your own use. And aside from the sidequest giver being horrified you killed the NPC and telling you to keep it hush-hush (without even knowing that you can and will capture the spirit of that murder victim for your own use) this . . . is never really remarked upon. Ever. And the thing is, it creates a sort of dissonance, because your character is treated as a hero in this game. No one seems horrified by you, there’s never any question of whether your existence is moral or not, nor any reason to think that your character would be amoral. In Hollow Knight, the Knights were created to be soulless husks who were there to be vessels for the Radiance / infection. Hornet in particular calls out your cursed existence and how she does not like you because of it. But although you can learn “emotes” from statues (which is teaching your character either actions or emotions, it’s unclear), no such deal is made here. So this aspect of the game is strange, even if I can at least appreciate that they tried to make their spirits a tiny bit different from Hollow Knight’s charms. Though with that said . . .

The Cons:

It’s one thing to be inspired by other games, but the sheer amount that this game cops from The Legend of Zelda and Hollow Knight is, at least to me, incredibly distracting. Just a handful of examples off the top of my head: — In Hollow Knight, you have a Shade that lingers where you last died and keeps all of your money from when you died. In Blue Fire, you have a spirit / soul (again, it’s unnamed) that lingers where you died and keeps all of your money from when you died. You have to retrieve them before you die again to get your money back. — In Hollow Knight, you have different circular charms that each have a different design, name, and grant you different abilities. You can only have a certain amount equipped at a time (though you can increase how many you can equip at once) and you can only equip them at save points. In Blue Fire you have different spirits that are contained in circles that each have a different design, name, and grant you different abilities. You can only have a certain amount equipped at a time (though you can increase how many you can equip at once) and you can only equip them at save points. — Everything I explained above about how the main character breaking out of a test tube at the beginning, surrounded by corpses just like them, felt like an echo of the Knight’s creation in Hollow Knight (but again, not as effective for reasons outlined above).  — The default tunic has a hat that is exactly like Link’s from The Legend of Zelda. This is made even more obvious with the dyed green tunics. — The story segment detailing how the five gods created Penumbra was copped from how the golden goddesses created Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. To compare the dialogue: Ocarina of Time: “Din. With her flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth.” Blue Fire: “Dina, God of Land. With her mighty body of stone, Dina carved mountains, deserts, and landforms in the earth.” It’s in the exact same cadence, to the point where I half expected the artifact they created at the end of the story to be the Triforce (instead it was called the Oath of Sarana).  — In Hollow Knight, the titular Hollow Knight is housed inside the Temple of the Black Egg, and is in fact locked inside that Black Egg to seal the Radiance / infection. There are three locks on the egg, and each one will only be broken when one of the three Dreamers dies. You have to break all three locks to face him, a corrupted “final” boss. In Blue Fire, the corrupted queen is housed inside the Temple of the Gods. There are three locks on her door, and each one will only be broken when one of the three Shadow Lords dies. You have to break all three locks to face her, the corrupted final boss. — It’s implied that, especially in places like the Temple Gardens, that the humanoid enemies that attack you are not monsters, but are people who were once completely normal and even forces of good who were corrupted by the Shadow. This is exactly like how all of the enemies you face in Hollow Knight (with the exception of, say, Hornet) were also once normal bugs before they were turned into zombies by the infection. I could go on. The point is, it’s perfectly fine to be inspired by something. Hell, it would be hard to find an action/adventure game that wasn’t inspired by The Legend of Zelda at this point. But it’s one thing to be inspired by something, and another thing to completely rip-off your inspiration to the point where the similarities are distracting to your audience. And it’s not just me; when I was looking up the exact dialogue for the story of the gods from Blue Fire, I found others who were pointing out just how similar everything was to Hollow Knight in particular, including someone who, like me, realized that the Temple of the Gods was essentially the Temple of the Black Egg. When things are this blatant, it feels a whole lot less like inspiration and a whole lot more like plagiarism.

The Voids all have a star rating to indicate how difficult they are. These star ratings are completely meaningless. Granted, partly it’s because everyone is going to have different abilities and so it will be hard to create an overall difficulty scoring that will be accurate for every player, but it’s also telling when a four-star course is miles easier than a two-star course, which I found to be the case on more than one occasion due to level design that was, at times, kind of bullshit. 

Although there are NPCs, there are none who are memorable or standout, despite the fact that most of Penumbra’s populace is (maybe?) still alive. Unlike in Hollow Knight, where there were characters like Elderbug, the Last Stag, Hornet, Quirrel, and so forth that were memorable and lovable, all of the NPCs in Blue Fire feel rather the same and are pretty easily forgettable.

The world itself is incredibly small. While the fact there are no maps makes this kind of a good thing, on the other hand it’s a bit disappointing that there are a total of two towns and then a few small connecting areas. It doesn’t really make it feel like the kingdom that it’s supposed to be. 

On that note, why aren’t there maps? The fact that there is fast travel is really more of a necessity than mere convenience because there are no maps to help lead you around. If you put down the game for a while and then go back to it, you might not remember how to get to different areas in the game, and if you haven’t unlocked fast travel yet (since it is something you have to unlock) you’re going to be pretty much boned due to the lack of a feature that is in basically every other game. 

Overall, while this is not a game I think I would ever go back to, it also isn’t one that I regretted purchasing and playing. It could definitely have been better, but it also could have been worse. My only hope is that the next game this studio makes is more original, rather than copying so much from other, more successful titles. (Or at the very least, that they study why certain things worked in more successful titles, instead of just copying at the surface level and calling it a day.)

[angstsfordays]

No, Mama!

Summary: Steve Rogers faces the toughest challenge in his century’s worth of life presenting in the form of his 3-year-old son. Inspired loosely from the tiktok video on this post. 🥺💖

Pairing: Dad!Steve Rogers x Mom!Reader Warnings: None. Just FLUFF all around. Word count: 5k-ish Notes: Hi! I’m back with another story now that exams are over and I am on holiday! No angst this time just lots of sweetness. Really hope you like it as it’s just cute domestic fluff with 1 out of 2 favourite century old super soldiers!

Have a look at my masterlist of other stories if you’re interested! 🥰

Leave a like, reblog or comment to let me know what you think! Thank you! :) 

———————————————————————

The drive back home from the compound was always welcomed by Steve. Even after his many years of fighting, the world still counted on his help every now and then. As the saying goes, evil never rests.

He was starting to grow wearisome of the fighting but he knew that the world still depended on the Avengers. His innate sense of justice could not allow him the selfishness to abandon his duty. Furthermore, he needed to ensure the world was safe to keep his whole world safe.

Steve Rogers counted himself lucky still. He was able to meet someone who understood his line of work and still wanted to be with him till the end. You were a former SHILED agent and Avenger, now retired to take care of your family. As committed as you were to your career, you knew the moment your son was born, you were willing to give everything up to dedicate your life to him.

You exchanged your stealth suit for mom jeans and baggy shirts. Your combat boots with sneakers. You did not regret your decision.

You figured that you didn’t want your son to grow up with two parents who are often absent and risking their lives in the field. You made the choice to take a step back to raise your son with full time commitment.

Perhaps, you might return back to the field when he grows older. But that’s a thought for many years later. For now, it was a daily routine of diapering, feeding, napping, playing and lots of entertaining a spirited toddler.

You left your son, Hugh James Rogers to entertain himself with his wooden blocks and animal toys while you cleaned up after lunch. You just finished with the last set of dishes before washing your hands clean. 

The beeping sound of the Stark Technology home lock alerted your senses of someone entering the front door of your home. Recognising the sound of familiar footsteps, you quickly made your way out of your kitchen to welcome the arrival.

The clank of metal on the floor only served to quicken your steps as you threw yourself onto the big mass in your living room.

“Welcome back, Stevie.” Steve chuckled as he took a step back when your welcome caught him by surprise, his hands went to scoop your legs up and around his waist. You pulled away from the crook of his neck when you previously laid your head and gazed lovingly into your husband’s eyes.

Your fingers went to cradle the sides of his face before your thumbs moved along the bags underneath his eyes. Your brows furrowed at how tired he must have been from the mission. He had been away for almost three months and it was the longest he had been away from you and your son.

“I’m fine, doll.” Steve could sense your worry as you observed him silently for a moment. You knew better than to believe him. “I’m calling Tony.”

“Come on, love. There’s no need for that.”

“Don’t you try and stop me. Why does he get to stay home with Morgan and have you go out on such long missions? He’s not the only one with a family.” A pout formed on your face as your husband tried to coax you into leaving things be.

“Tony promised to give me a break after this. I won’t be on call for missions.” Steve reassured you. You raised an eyebrow with slight doubt but you knew Tony was a man of his word.

Steve’s heart soared at how much you looked after his well-being. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world for having someone to take care of him. With you, he could let his guard down and be vulnerable. People were used to viewing Steve with such awe, expecting him to be all strong and unfaltering.

However, he was only a human. He craved to be comforted when he was feeling his lowest. Steve was glad that he found and met you.

“I missed you so much, Stevie.” Steve was almost not ready for the onslaught of kisses that you started to pepper him on his face and lips to show how much you missed him. He relished in your love and care but it was short lived before you had yourself released from his hold.

Disappointment washing over him, he made to pout and whine until he heard your voice perked up.

“Hugh, Daddy’s home!”

The mention of his son’s name had Steve quickly follow you into the living room. As your son tilted his head in response to the sound of your voice, you crouched down beside him to get his attention.

“Look, Hugh! Where’s Daddy?” Your voice squealed in the baby talk as you gestured for Hugh to look towards Steve. Hugh did not move from his spot as his eyes moved to watch Steve who crouched down on his knees to meet his son’s eye level.

“Hey buddy, it’s me.” Stretching his hands out, Steve gestured for Hugh to come straight into his arms. Steve’s face was filled with anticipation for his son’s welcome. However, as seconds passed, dread started to fill Steve when Hugh still remained seating down.

You caught Steve’s crestfallen expression and decided to intervene.

“It must be the beard, babe. The last time he saw you, you were totally clean shaven.” You tried to explain at your son’s unusual behaviour.

“Should I shave it?” The gears in Steve’s mind started shifting at your words. You chuckled at the panic look that Steve showed.

“No, it’s fine. Besides, I love it.” You responded fondly as you moved to caress his full grown beard.  Steve’s eyes twinkled at your remark but he still looked sullen at your son’s lack of interests towards him.

“He will come around, Steve.” Indicating for Hugh to let you carry him, he toddled his way into your arms. Making your way towards Steve who now stood up, you hoped that you can help Steve to reacquaint Hugh soon.

If you were a little heartbroken at your son’s apathetic attitude, you were sure it was a thousand times worse for Steve.

“Should I bring the shield in so that he recognises me?” Oh, Steve.

———————————————————————

It had only been three days since Steve returned home from his last mission. He was still relishing in the comfort of his own home and the company of his family. With your help, Hugh starting to warm up to Steve again.

It involved the shield and a lot of re-enactment of himself as what Hugh watched on TV. Steve even called for Bucky to deliver the suit to your home from the compound so that he could get in costume for Hugh to be familiar with him.

However, his happiness was short lived when a call arrived for you. It was 3am when you got the call from the compound. You were called in for a special mission and honestly, both of you were taken aback since you have not been back in the field since you got pregnant with Hugh.

It was a hostage mission involving the child of a very powerful Italian mafia boss. You were specifically requested as you developed a friendship with said boss after saving his life once from your earlier SHIELD days. He did not want other Avengers involved despite their stronger talents. He only trusted you as a friend to get his only child back.

You agreed on account of your friendship and empathy with his plight as a parent. You were honestly worried about returning to the field after such a long hiatus but Steve had confidence in you. He understood the situation and encouraged you to take on the mission.

Your mission will take 48 hours and you had to leave Hugh for the first time in awhile. Aside from worrying about the mission, you also worried if Steve could handle Hugh on his own. He hardly parented on his own as you were always around.

You looked at your watch and saw that it was 8.30am. You were tasked to leave in half an hour. You had woken earlier at 7am when Hugh climbed into your bed. You decided to quickly freshen up and spend some time during breakfast together before you got ready to leave.

With your bag in hand, you left your room and turned to see your son and husband in the living room. The sound of your boots clicking on the wooden floor attracted the attention of the two men in the room.

“Mama!” Hugh called you as he put down his favourite dinosaur toy to walk over to you.  Placing your bag down on the floor, your arms stretched out to scoop your baby boy into your arms. His own chubby finger reached out to play with the lapels of your suited jacket.

 Steve looked at you from head to toe, admiring how you looked in a full formal black suit with a white silk blouse and combat boots. You reminded him of the first day he had met you when you were introduced to the team.

“It’s been awhile since I saw you in this getup.” You shifted Hugh’s weight in your arms before you responded.

“I thank god it still fits.”

“You look amazing, darling.” You could feel Steve’s eyes raking up and down when you sat down with him on the couch. He leaned over to give you a quick peck on the lips affectionately.

“Are you sure you will be alright?” Call it a woman’s instinct or more so mother’s instincts, you had a nagging feeling about leaving Steve alone with Hugh. No doubt Steve is a loving father, but in all the time of raising Hugh, his presence was staggered with missions, meetings and conferences.

Furthermore, Hugh was still getting to warm up to Steve after his previous long absence.

“I will be alright, Y/N. You raised Hugh so well, I’m sure he will be a good boy while you are away.” Steve reassured you of your worries as he smoothened Hugh’s messy locks. Hugh was in a long-hair phase now.

“Alright, I should go soon. I still need to head down earlier for the pre-mission briefing.” You said before looking over to Hugh.

“Hugh, Mama is going out for awhile. Be good for Daddy, ok?” Hugh’s interest in your attire was suddenly lost as soon as he heard your words.

“Why, Mama?” Hugh was smart and receptive for his age. He had slowly become attuned to the concept of Steve’s frequent and long absences from a young age. You had made sure to remind Hugh of Steve’s presence through video and phone calls nevertheless.

It was one of the ways to make sure Hugh bonded with his father. Sometimes, you were afraid Hugh’s bond with Steve would falter and you knew Steve shared the same worry so you did your best to be the bridge between father and son.

Luckily, you knew Hugh was incredibly fond of his father still as he always needed to have his Captain America plush to sleep.

“Hmm, Mama’s friend needs my help and as soon I am done, I will be back.” You thoughtfully came up with an answer that was easy enough for Hugh to understand.

“Like Dada?” Hugh made a thoughtful expression when he heard your answer.

“Yeah.” You nodded enthusiastically, thinking that Hugh will be understanding as how he would when Steve leaves for missions.

“NOOO! Dada go away long. Mama go away long.” Taken aback by Hugh’s sudden outburst, you looked up to meet Steve’s panicked expression.

“Oh Hugh, it won’t be long. Only two moons and I will be back, baby.” Calming your son down by bouncing him in your arms and patting down back, you hoped Hugh will ease on his crying.

“No, Mama!” Hugh immediately stood on the couch to wrap his whole body around your torso. His crying grew louder by the second. You and Steve were at a loss. Hugh rarely had such emotional outbursts. He had always been an easy-going child with a calm temperament.

“Hugh, Mama will be back really quick. Daddy will be here with you to wait for Mama.” Steve tried chiming in to calm your son down. Hugh seemed to start easing up on his cries and you handed him over to Steve.

“Baby, I promise I will be back real soon! You are a brave boy. Aren’t you, Hugh?” You tried to engage Hugh with encouraging words.

“Yes.” At the mention of the word ‘brave’, Hugh lifted his head off your shoulders to look at you.

“Hugh James Rogers is the best boy I know because he is really brave.” Taking advantage of the moment, you continued to give motivating words to Hugh so that he would feel better.

“Hugh is brave.” Your son responded adorably and you heart clenched at how cute he was. It was also because you almost regretted the decision to take on this mission.

“Yes. Hugh is brave.” You emphasized his words once more before starting to pick up your bag and making your way to the door. Steve followed closely behind you with Hugh in his arms, his nose still sniffling from his previous crying. 

“Take care, babe.” Turning to Steve, your hands reached out to bring his face closer and you give him a quick peck.

“I could say the same for you.” You eyed him before continuing. “I can’t be contacted at all for the next 48 hours. I already wrote down what to do for Hugh. His routine and such. I left it on the fridge-”

“I know, I know.” Steve returned with an expression that said he got this.

“You can do it, Daddy.” You stroke your thumb affectionately across Steve’s face. “Bye Hugh.” You made a kissy face, hinting for Hugh to lean down and give you a kiss.

“Bye, Stevie.” Steve leaned down similarly to kiss you once more and a bit longer than the previous ones. As he pulled back, he leaned in to kiss Hugh for another round of affection.

“Bye, boys.” You gave one more goodbye before walking over to the car. As you sat in the seat, you looked out the window to see your boys waving you goodbye.

Let’s do this, Y/N Y/L/N.

———————————————————————

Once you drove out of sight, Steve finally turned back to enter his home. Looking at his son with snot dripping from his nose, Steve went to clean it up. His eyes drifted to the clock hanging on the wall. 9.03 am.

Steve went back to his son whose sitting on the kitchen counter staring back with his wide eyes.

“Hey buddy, what do you think about reading some books?”

“No, Mama.” Steve was surprised at the immediate rejection. He did not expect Hugh to be putting up resistance once you had left.

Steve pondered for a minute on how to respond.

“Hugh buddy, should we play?”

“No, Mama.” The feeling of dejection washed over Steve once more at Hugh’s response to his proposal. How did you do it?

Steve went ahead to carry Hugh off the counter and bring him to his play area into the living room. Setting Hugh down on the baby-proofed flooring, Steve waited to watch what Hugh wanted to do.

Hugh looked back at Steve for a moment before standing up to walk over to the TV. Hugh’s head moved left and right as if he was looking for something. His small hands then skillfully reached to open the drawer and take out the remote.

“Boss-boss.” Hugh repeated. Steve had no clue what he was trying to say.

“What is it, bud?”

“Boss. Baby.” Like the over century old man he was, Steve had no clue what his Son was saying.

Hugh started stomping his feet and repeated the two words. Steve scrunched up his face in confusion at his actions.

“Boss. Baby. TV.” Hugh reiterated like a mini adult. Steve went to switch on the TV and the channel came on. Hugh’s finger went on to press the only white button on the remote, switching the channel to Netflix.

Steve’s eyes widened in amazement at what his son was doing. Hugh went on to click to the profile picture he recognised to be his. You had let him choose it himself.

Steve’s attention went back to the screen and the first thing he saw made him dawn in realization at what his son was trying to tell him along.

“You are indeed the boss baby, Hugh.” Steve spoke as he looked between the character on screen and his son. Steve inwardly chuckled at the slight resemblance. Hugh looked back at his father for a moment before passing the remote back to him.

Letting out the deep sigh, Steve thought that he was in for a long day.

Following an hour and a half of Boss Baby, Steve figured that it was too much television. He wanted his son to play like a normal child back in his days with toys. Steve’s decision was met with opposition as Hugh started throwing a tantrum.

Steve didn’t mean to make him upset but he was firm in his decision. He ended up cajoling Hugh for a good thirty minutes before convincing him to play with his toys.

Steve let out a deep exhale as he made his way to make lunch. He lifted the magnet that held the note you left for him. It explained Hugh’s routine and preferences.

Looking over at Hugh playing in the living room, Steve hoped that he could get lunch right for his son. He already felt defeated barely two hours into your departure. How did you do this for three years of Hugh’s life everyday?

Steve shook his head at his inadequacy as a father and hoped he could make it up to Hugh.

Lunch passed by with no issues, Steve thanked the heavens that he recalled Hugh loves cheese and made a grilled cheese sandwich. Nothing could beat the satisfaction that was brought from Hugh’s enjoyment of his lunch.

“How is it, buddy?” Steve’s question was met with silence but Hugh continued to take bites out of his sandwich. Steve grinned at this sight and considered this a small win.

Little did he know, this was his only win for the day. Nap time took awhile as Steve tried to pat a restless Hugh to sleep. After nap time, Steve had to wake up a grumpy Hugh from his nap and changed his diaper. If looks could kill, Hugh’s sent Steve into a deep hole for waking him up.

Steve tried to please him with milk and cookies. Afterwards, it was playtime before dinner. Dinner became a struggle when Hugh refused to have the porridge that Steve made. Hugh ended up having the leftover soup you had made and then kept in the fridge a day before.

Bath time was a nightmare as Hugh immediately started running off once he heard the word ‘shower’ came out of Steve’s mouth. While Steve was definitely quick to catch his son, Hugh ended up resisting his hold.

Hugh started splashing water from the tub that Steve had prepared which caused Steve to get wet and eventually joining his son.

Surprisingly, Hugh warmed up back to Steve and they had a great time pretend playing during bath time. However, this happiness was short lived once again when Steve announced that bath time was over.

It was another round of struggle for Steve to dry Hugh and dress him. The super soldier’s son ran out of the bath room and around the house stark naked. Steve had to chase him without his clothes as well. It was another twenty-minute chase and round of persuasion before Hugh allowed himself to be dressed.

It was already 10.30 pm and Steve decided it was bed time. Steve carried Hugh to his own bed and prepared to pat him to sleep. With his Captain America plushie in tow, he laid down for a peaceful moment.

Fighting aliens and bad guys could not tire him out as much as today. Steve patted Hugh’s side rhythmically and slowly, hoping for Hugh to fall into a trance. When Hugh started to blink, Steve assumed he was going to sleep soon.

Steve made the move to shift himself off Hugh’s bed but was met with a whine.

“No, Mama.”

“Come on, bud. You have to sleep.”

“No, Mama.” Hugh quickly sat up from his once sleeping position and made grabby hands at Steve. “Mama’s not here-”

Steve caved when he saw the puppy eyes and carried Hugh to his shared room with you. Placing the long bolster on one end of the bed, Steve placed Hugh between himself and the bolster to prevent him from falling off the bed in the middle of the night.

“I want Mama.”

“Me too, buddy. Hey, I know. I have drawings of Mama somewhere-” Steve got off the bed to search for something in his drawers and made a ‘o’ face towards Hugh as he held up several sketchbooks.

“Look what I have here, Hugh.” Steve exclaimed animatedly as he walked over back to his Steve who now sat against several pillows. Steve settled beside his son and began flipping the pages.

“Mama is here!” Hugh quipped excitedly when he spotted a sketch of you. You were leaning your chin on one of your palms, elbow on a table as you watched a video on your phone. You were in between a grin and chuckle as Steve recalled you watching a funny animal video.

It was a significant sketch because while you were doing nothing special and it was just an ordinary day where both of you had the day off, it was in that moment Steve knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you like this.

A simple and happy life with someone he loved and cherished.

Hugh went on to flip more pages and amazed Steve with how quick he was to recognise details in what he drew. You really did a great job raising Hugh. Steve only wished he had done more.

In fact, through today, he realised how he fell short on being a parent as he struggled with managing Hugh. This dawning realization had fell on him like a bomb and he didn’t even have a shield to protect himself.

“Mama again!” Hugh’s call snapped Steve out of his thoughts and his attention went to the random photo of the two of you. You had a love for taking and collecting photos. While photos can be forever kept in phones, there was always something special about one that was printed.

The photo in Hugh’s tiny hands was from your honeymoon. The two of you went to Japan and you were keen to see the cherry blossoms. You had one of the locals take a photo of you and Steve under a blooming cherry blossom tree.

“That’s right, bud. And there’s Daddy!” Steve pointed to himself who wrapped his arms around you close from behind.

The two of you were at peace for once. Away from saving the world, away from the perils of Avenging. It was just the two of you in the comforts of each other.

“Mama!” Steve scoffed jokingly at Hugh’s insistence. That’s why they say boys are always close with their mothers.

“Is Mama pretty?” Hugh turned to look at Steve and nodded fervently. Steve smiled at his son’s adorable act and decided to try his luck.

“Is Daddy pretty?”

“No, Mama!” Hugh huffed in response and even gave Steve a side eye. Oh well, he tried, Steve thought.

———————————————————————

The next 24 hours felt long but Steve got used to the routine. A text came after dinner time and Steve started to cheer inwardly when it came from you.

Your mission was successful but you needed to clear up some back-end work. Your mafia friend also insisted to thank you properly for your help and invited you to stay for a meal.

You initially refused as you wanted to quickly return home. However, you caved in at his persistence to persuade you. You will be back tomorrow before lunch. Steve wanted to share with Hugh the news but held back, once he figured that it might excite Hugh so much that it will disrupt his routine.

He figured he could tell Hugh the next morning closer to your time of return.

Steve ordered for flowers and your favourite takeaway to be sent as he thought of preparing an event for your return. He wanted to celebrate the success of your mission and showed his appreciation of you too.

As it got closer to noon, Steve had set up the living room with streamers and balloons. It was a little over the top but who cared? This was for you, his wife.

As soon as he heard the beeping of the door lock, he knew you had come back home. Steve heard you calling out for him and Hugh. Steve told Hugh to keep quiet and was pleased that his son was actually co-operative.

“Oh, what’s this?” Your voice drew closer as your steps drew closer to the living room, Steve pull the string of the party popper. Confetti in the air, Hugh blew into the party horn.

“Welcome back, Mama!” Steve exclaimed and your reaction was enough to call this event a success. Your jaw dropped at what your husband did and no words could describe how you felt. Multiple emotions came rushing in: surprise, joy, amazement, heartful gratitude.

“What’s this?” You asked once more. You took another gasp when Steve passed Hugh a bouquet of your favourite flowers. Your son took confident steps and presented them to you. You were floored.

“Oh my goodness. You guys-”

“Congrats on a successful first mission back after a break. We’re so proud of you, sweetheart.” Steve came up to embrace you and you were still reeling in from the surprise event he had done.

“Thank you. I’m so touched-” Steve’s lips came to meet yours before you could even finished. What a welcome home indeed. Your bliss was momentarily interrupted when you felt something or someone trying to claw your legs for attention.

You immediately crouched down and put your bouquet aside, leaving your arms open to scoop Hugh into your arms.

“Thank you, Hugh. I miss you so much, baby!” You started peppering kisses over your son to which he responded in squeals and giggles.

“Did you and daddy do all of this?” You asked animatedly.

“Yes, Hugh helped!” Hugh nodded while indicating to himself and you responded with a few more big kisses on his cheek. “Hugh is such a good boy!”

The three of you retreated to the couch where you continued to admire the setup of the living room. Hugh sat between you and Steve as he played with the party horn still. Steve was just quietly appreciating your presence back at home.

You started sharing about the mission while he listened to you intently. You asked Steve about his two days with Hugh and he let out a grunt. Chuckling at his exasperated expression, you knew it must not have been easy.

“The next time someone calls me a hero, I will say they’re wrong. You’re the real hero, Y/N. All mothers are.” An appreciative smile formed on your face at your husband’s words.

“Hugh said he had fun with me.” Steve excitedly told you of his accomplishment. Yesterday during playtime, Steve casually asked Hugh the question. Steve didn’t expect much, knowing that Hugh was still warming up to him.

“Hugh, are you having fun with Dada?” Hugh didn’t give a verbal answer but he nodded in response to Steve’s question. His response got Steve excited and Steve asked once more.

“You like spending time with me, buddy?” Hugh nodded once more and Steve knew that all his struggles were not in vain.

“Oh wow, that’s amazing Steve! You did such a good job.” Steve cooed under your praise as you caress the side of his face and leaned in for another soft kiss.

“Hugh, you had a good time with Daddy?” Hugh nodded wordlessly to your query as he fiddled with the confetti remains stuck on the couch. Steve and you looked at each other with wide satisfied smiles.

“Do you love Daddy?” You asked once more to which Hugh nodded once more. Steve let out a silent ‘YES’ as he held his hands up in victory.

“How much do you love Daddy?” You asked your son once more and Hugh paused his actions for a moment to think. He turned to you and Steve, the two of you waiting curiously for his answer.

“This much!” Hugh extended his arms out wide and horizontally.

You burst out in laughter as Steve clasped his hands together in gratitude towards Hugh’s answer. You could tell he was basking in joy.

“I love you this much too, buddy!” Steve returned with his own exaggerated gesture and Hugh laughed at his father’s silly antics.

“Mama.” Hugh made his way over to your lap and started to tell you how he missed you and if you missed him. Of course, you missed him so much. You made sure you did a good job so you can return to him safe and quick.

You and Hugh started to be in your own loving world as you exchanged sweet words, tender hugs and kisses.Steve, on the other hand, felt that his moment of bliss was short lived as he looked on at the both of you.

“Hey buddy, I want hugs and kisses too.”

“No, I want Mama!” You cooed at your son’s insistent preference for you, even if you feel bad for Steve.

“Hugh, you must thank Daddy for taking care of you. He loves you very much too, you know.” You tried to bring Hugh’s attention back to Steve.

“Thank you, Dada!”

“Nothing can beat a mother’s love.” Steve chimed as he looked at how Hugh was trying to hold your attention fervently. That’s it. He was going to make the call.

“Where are you going?” You asked Steve as he stood up from the couch.

“I’m going to call Tony. I’m taking a sabbatical. I want to spend more time with Hugh from now on.” You beamed at Steve’s words. He was making such a big decision.

“Once I get it approved, I won’t rest until I have what you have with Hugh too.” Steve proclaimed with determination before turning to Hugh.

“Hey Hugh, you and I are going to spend lots of time from now on. Are you excited, bud?” Hugh took a moment to ponder thoughtfully before smiling wide at Steve.

“No, Mama!”

“Oh come on!” Steve let out a grunt before marching out to get his phone asap.

You turned back to Hugh who had a cheeky grin and you jokingly chided him. “Stop teasing your dad, Hugh James Rogers.”

Hugh looked at you with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes and giggled. 

“Silly dada!”

———————��———————————————

[martyrtomb]

pick  up  your  sword,  girl.  raise  your  blade,  child.  cut  down  your  enemies,  girl.

you  are  a  queen  before  you  are  a  wife.  you  are  a  knight  before  you  are  a  daughter.  you  are  a  dragon  before  you  are  a  woman.

you  carry  the  world  upon  your  shoulders  but  you  do  not  relent.  you  lift  the  spirits  of  the  fallen  but  you  do  not  crumble.  you  raise  the  morale  of  the  soldiers  but  you  do  not  fail.

you  are  a  goddess.  you  are  a  queen.  you  are  atlas.

and  atlas  does  not  kneel.           a.e.w.

ϟ.  →  zoë  kravitz  :  cis  female  :  she  /  her  :  wandmaker’s  apprentice  :  kiss  with  a  fist  by  florence  +  the  machine  ϟ  did  you  see  DORCAS  MEADOWES  ?  you  know  ,  the  33  year  old  MUGGLE-BORN  who  was  formerly  in  slytherin  .  some  say  dorcas  can  be  quite  dependable  but  are  known  to  be  cynical  .  they  are  aligned  with the order .  maybe  that’s  why  they  remind  me  of  daggers  sheathed  in  holsters  ,  bandages  twined  around  bloody  and  bruised  knuckles  ,  a  feral  animal  with  teeth  bared  in  a  fight  to  the  death  .

EXPANDED AESTHETIC.     she  is  leather  jackets  draped  over  the  backs  of  chairs,  smiles  shared  over  bitter  wine,  bandages  twined  and  twined  and  twined  around  hands  and  feet  as  she  takes  off  her  shoes.  she  is  empty  cups  stacked  up  in  the  sink,  books  left  open  among  the  rubble  of  a  crumbling  childhood  home  and  dying  memories,  hands  soaked  in  blood  and  daggers  in  a  holster.  she  is  bloody  rags,  the  stone  that  causes  the  ripples  in  a  great  lake,  the  feral  animal  with  teeth  bared  in  a  fight  to  the  death  and  fingerless  gloves.  she  is  sleepless  nights,  the  emptiness  of  an  abandoned  museum,  the  vacancies  in  hotel  rooms  that  will  never  be  filled.  she  wears  her  smile  like  armour,  her  wand  up  her  sleeve,  a  phoenix  dead  and  reborn  and  alive,  again.  she  is  strong  morals  hidden  behind  a  facade  of  apathy,  blasé  at  the  worst  of  times  and  lethal  at  the  best.  she  strands  herself  on  an  island  between  worlds,  the  girl  surrounding  herself  with  tombs  and  folded  pictures.  she  is  exhausted,  but  exhaustion  will  not  destroy  her.

WAND.  Cherry. Dragon Heartstring. 12 ½" in length. Hard flexibility.

CHERRY.  This very rare wand wood creates a wand of strange power, most highly prized by the wizarding students of the school of Mahoutokoro in Japan, where those who own cherry wands have special prestige. The Western wand-purchaser should dispel from their minds any notion that the pink blossom of the living tree makes for a frivolous or merely ornamental wand, for cherry wood often makes a wand that possesses truly lethal power, whatever the core, but if teamed with dragon heartstring, the wand ought never to be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind.

DRAGON HEARTSTRING.  As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental.

PATRONUS.  Mastiff.

Although Dorcas tends to be more brash and unforgiving, her Patronus is one that is gentle, patient, nurturing, and protective. Mastiff’s were once bred for combat, to both guard troops and fight alongside them. It seems almost ironic, then, that her Patronus is as such. Dorcas is someone who is very combative in nature; she’s fought her whole life for her right to survive, as a Black Jewish woman, and as a Muggleborn Witch. Her Patronus is an almost comically perfect match, a true match for her, in many ways.

AMORTENTIA.  Freshly baked Challat, black coffee, her mothers’ perfume, her sister’s conditioner, her step father’s cologne, her brother’s shampoo, petrichor and wand polish. 

FRESHLY BAKED CHALLAT.  The family recipe was handed down to the Meadowes grandchildren after the car accident in 1968. She used to make it as a child, with her grandmother Zola, and her grandfather Tzvi, and it brings back memories of childhood. Three or four hours at a time spent cooped up in the kitchen, baking and laughing and sharing stories. She now occasionally makes it for the other members of the Order - it’s significant for her. These people have become family.

BLACK COFFEE.  It’s one of the few things she’s inherited from her father, his terrible love of coffee and almost inability to function without it. She drinks it every morning, and has three to four cups a day. She’s tried to cut down, but that’s left her with larger mugs and more coffee consumed at once. She doesn’t really know when she started drinking it; it’s been one of the constants, as the rest of the world turns upside down. It reminds her of early mornings, spent curled up next to her window sill, watching the sun rise and the muggle world turn.

HER MOTHERS’ PERFUME.  It brings her back to the last time she ever hugged her mother. Dorcas’d moved the entire family to a new house, a new community where nobody knew she even existed, in an effort to keep them safe. She’d buried her face into her mothers neck, quietly telling her she didn’t know when she’d see her next. It’s a bittersweet memory, tinged by the fear that they wouldn’t be safe, with that underlying sense of relief that they were out of the brunt of the fighting. She misses her mother more than she’ll admit.

HER SISTER’S CONDITIONER.  Her sister, Petra, doesn’t really understand why she’s not around. When she first came home with their brother, Isaac, she only heard stories about Dorcas. There was never any time to explain the war to them. The day that she found out her mother was dead was the worst day of Dorcas’ life. She spent hours on the floor, cradling her brother and sister as close to her as she could. She remembers inhaling, her sister’s conditioner filling her senses and transporting her to better times.

HER STEP FATHER’S COLOGNE.  Dorcas first met Gerald the day that the entire concept of magic being real was explained to him. It was July 21st, just after she’d jumped off the train at Platform 9 and 3 quarters. After that and his decision to stay rather than leave, Dorcas and Gerald became close. He became as close to her as her father should have been. It was him that would often tell her to slow down, although he would remain at her side when she refused - trusting her to make her own decisions.

HER BROTHER’S SHAMPOO.  Isaac didn’t understand why they had to move. He’d only been a baby when they’d adopted him and his biological sister, Petra, and so had clung to Dorcas the day that they were told that they were moving away from London. She remembers the way he’d clung to her shirt, five years old and overjoyed at seeing his older sister. She remembers pressing a kiss to the crown of his head before letting him down, the smell of his shampoo filling her nose, and allowing her a brief moment of disjointed happiness.

PETRICHOR.  Dorcas’ favourite holiday was one she and her mother had taken to the southern coast of Spain when she was eight. There had been a dry spell of around a month and their last day had been the day that the clouds had opened and the rain had come pouring out. She still remembers that blissful feeling of leaning her head out of the hotel room window when the rain had finished, that bone-dry heat now absorbed by the rain that had fallen only minutes before. The smell reminds her of that innocence.

WAND POLISH.  Dorcas works day and night with wands. She’s spent days in Ollivander’s workshop, refusing to sleep until she absolutely had to - powering through each urge to go to sleep. The smell of wand polish seems to be stuck to her hands. It’s a part of her life which is only secondary to her membership of the Order. She’s never been someone to back down from a challenge and taking on Ollivander’s mantle is something that she knows is inevitable, and is certainly something she knows would be nigh impossible to do.

BOGGART.  Her family and friends, with no recollection of who she is.

SEXUALITY.  Bisexual biromantic / panromantic pansexual, with a preference for women but also tends to make bad, bad sexual decisions. Hate sex, anyone? 

HOBBIES.  Writing (she has a leather bound notebook she keeps on her at all times), duelling, listening to music, designing wands, ice skating, reading, and hiking. Drinking. Lots and lots of drinking.

OWLs RESULTS.  Arithmancy (O), Astronomy (O), Care of Magical Creatures (O), Charms (O), Defence Against the Dark Arts (O), Herbology (O), History of Magic (E), Potions (O), Transfiguration (O) and Study of Ancient Runes (O).

NEWTs RESULTS.  Arithmancy (O), Astronomy (O), Care of Magical Creatures (O), Charms (O), Defence Against the Dark Arts (O), Herbology (O), History of Magic (O), Potions (O), Transfiguration (O) and Study of Ancient Runes (O).

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES.  Slug Club, Duelling Club (Member and President), Slytherin Seeker, Prefect (she never did learn how to keep her damn mouth shut, though).

SCARS.  A white, three inch scar along the outside of her left arm. Several scars in varying depth on her stomach and chest. Birthmark on her right shoulder.

SKILL SETS.  Duelling. Future wand maker. Skilled at deciphering ancient runes. Can ice skate, even though she doesn’t, not anymore.

PETS.  A three year old Barn Owl named Fester and a ten year old black Kneazle-cat named Wednesday.

MBTI.  ISTJ.

ALIGNMENT.  Chaotic Good.

TIMELINE OF MAJOR LIFE EVENTS. 

Sep. 30th, 1912: birth of Simcha “Simon” Uriel Meadowes.

Mar. 4th, 1919: birth of Rivka Annalese Lehrer.

Jan. 17th, 1939: first meeting of Rivka Lehrer and Simcha “Simon” Meadowes.

Feb. 15th, 1940: name change of Simcha Meadowes to Simon Meadowes.

Aug. 1st, 1945: marriage of Rivka and Simon Meadowes.

May. 6th, 1945: birth of Dorcas’ cousin, Imelda Meadowes.

Jan. 25th, 1946: birth of Dorcas’ cousins, Dominick, Frank, Rita and Meera Lehrer.

Oct. 9th, 1946: birth of Dorcas Chaviva Meadowes.

Oct. 9th, 1947: Dorcas Meadowes’ first birthday.

Nov. 23rd, 1947: death of Chaviva Naama Lehrer.

Oct. 9th, 1948: Dorcas Meadowes’ second birthday.

Apr. 13th, 1949: birth of Dorcas’ cousin, Craig Meadowes.

Oct. 9th, 1949: Dorcas Meadowes’ third birthday.

Oct. 9th, 1950: Dorcas Meadowes’ fourth birthday.

Sep. 3rd, 1951: Dorcas starts attending “pre-school”, ran by the local Synagogue.

Oct. 9th, 1951: Dorcas Meadowes’ fifth birthday.

Sep. 5th, 1952: Dorcas starts muggle schooling.

Oct. 9th, 1952: Dorcas Meadowes’ sixth birthday.

Oct. 9th, 1953: Dorcas Meadowes’ seventh birthday.

Dec. 9th, 1953: allegations of domestic abuse are filed against Simon Meadowes; he is shunned by the community.

Aug. 28th, 1954: legal separation of Rivka and Simon Meadowes.

Aug. 29th, 1954: name change of Rivka Meadowes to Rivka Lehrer.

Aug. 29th, 1954: Rivka is awarded full custody of the nearly eight year old Dorcas.

Oct. 9th, 1954: Dorcas Meadowes’ eighth birthday.

Oct. 9th, 1955: Dorcas Meadowes’ ninth birthday.

Jun. 2nd, 1956: divorce of Rivka and Simon Meadowes legalised.

Oct. 9th, 1956: Dorcas Meadowes’ tenth birthday.

Oct. 9th, 1957: Dorcas Meadowes’ eleventh birthday.

Sep. 1st, 1958: Dorcas attends her local school of magic (for pre-Hogwarts magical education).

Oct. 9th, 1958: Dorcas Meadowes’ twelfth birthday.

Jul. 14th, 1959: marriage of Isabel Watson and Simon Meadowes, to which Dorcas was not invited.

Jul. 21st, 1959: completion of Dorcas Meadowes’ first year of magical education.

Sep. 1st, 1959: Dorcas attends her local school of magic (for pre-Hogwarts magical education).

Oct. 9th, 1959: Dorcas Meadowes’ thirteenth birthday and subsequent Hogwarts letter.

Dec. 22nd, 1959: car accident leading to the deaths of Zola, Tzvi, Isabel, Simon and unnamed baby Meadowes.

Dec. 28th, 1959: the joint funeral of the Meadowes family.

Jul. 21st, 1960: completion of Dorcas Meadowes’ second year of magical education.

Sep. 1st, 1960: the Sorting Hat sorts Dorcas Meadowes into Slytherin. She starts her first year.

Sep. 9th, 1960: Dorcas receives her first detention (and not her last).

Oct. 9th, 1960: Dorcas Meadowes’ fourteenth birthday.

May. 26th, 1961: first meeting of Rivka Lehrer and Gerald Daniels.

Jul. 21st, 1961: completion of Dorcas Meadowes’ first year.

Jul. 22nd, 1961: first meeting of Dorcas Meadowes and Gerald Daniels.

Sep. 1st, 1961: start of Dorcas Meadowes’ second year.

Sep. 3rd, 1961: Dorcas Meadowes joins the Slug Club and the Duelling Club.

Sep. 19th, 1961: audition to join the Slytherin Quidditch team.

Oct. 9th, 1961: Dorcas Meadowes’ fifteenth birthday.

Jul. 21st, 1962: completion of Dorcas Meadowes’ second year.

Sep. 1st, 1962: start of exam year.

Oct. 9th, 1962: Dorcas Meadowes’ sixteenth birthday.

Jan. 4th, 1963: marriage of Rivka and Gerald Daniels.

Jul. 21st, 1963: completion of exam year; she sat her OWLs.

Jul. 21st, 1963: completion of Dorcas Meadowes’ exam year.

Jul. 22nd, 1963: start of Dorcas Meadowes’ third year.

Oct. 9th, 1963: Dorcas Meadowes’ seventeenth birthday.

Feb. 6th, 1974: adoption of Isaac and Petra Daniels.

Jun. 18th, 1964: meeting with Slughorn for career aspects and subsequent subject choice solidified.

Jun. 19th, 1964: first meeting with Garrick Ollivander is scheduled.

Jul. 21st, 1964: completion of Dorcas Meadowes’ third year.

Aug. 3rd, 1964: informal acceptance to work under Ollivander as a Wandmaker’s Apprentice, pending formal acceptance from Hogwarts Board for the year commencing 1964.

Sep. 1st, 1964: start of Dorcas Meadowes’ fourth year and first as Ollivander’s apprentice.

Oct. 9th, 1964: Dorcas Meadowes’ eighteenth birthday.

Jul. 21st, 1965: completion of Dorcas Meadowes’ fourth year and first as Ollivander’s apprentice.

Sep. 1st, 1965: start of Dorcas Meadowes’ fifth year and second as Ollivander’s apprentice.

Oct. 9th, 1965: Dorcas Meadowes’ nineteenth birthday.

Nov. 5th, 1966: Dorcas accidentally blows her own eyebrows off.

Nov. 8th, 1966: Dorcas first meets a Unicorn and collects some wand cores for the first time (and is #smitten).

Jul. 21st, 1966: completion of Dorcas Meadowes’ fifth year and second as Ollivander’s apprentice.

Sep. 1st, 1966: start of Dorcas Meadowes’ sixth year and third as Ollivander’s apprentice.

Oct. 9th, 1966: Dorcas Meadowes’ twentieth birthday.

Jan. 31st, 1967: Dorcas travels to Romania with Ollivander.

Feb. 18th, 1967: Dorcas collects Dragon Heartstrings for use in Ollivander’s wands.

Apr. 19th, 1967: Dorcas witnesses wand wood collection for the first time.

Jun. 6th, 1967: Dorcas returns to Hogwarts.

Jul. 21st, 1967: completion of Dorcas Meadowes’ sixth year and third as Ollivander’s apprentice.

Sep. 1st, 1967: start of Dorcas Meadowes’ seventh year and fourth as Ollivander’s apprentice.

Oct. 9th, 1967: Dorcas Meadowes’ twenty first birthday.

Dec. 2nd, 1967: Dorcas meets other wandmakers from across Europe and the Americas.

Jul. 21st, 1968: graduation of Dorcas Meadowes with the class of 1968.

Oct. 9th, 1968: Dorcas Meadowes’ twenty second birthday.

Oct. 11th, 1968: formal induction into the beginnings of the Order of the Phoenix.

Feb. 1st, 1969: Dorcas begins a temp (six mo.) position working with an Eastern European wandmaker, at the urging of Albus Dumbledore.

Jul. 22nd, 1969: Ollivander offers Dorcas a full time position.

Aug. 9th, 1969: formal acceptance of full time position at Ollivander’s wandshop.

Aug. 14th, 1969: first full official day as a Wandmaker employed by Ollivander, even if her title still says apprentice.

Oct. 9th, 1969: Dorcas Meadowes’ twenty third birthday.

Oct. 9th, 1970: Dorcas Meadowes’ twenty fourth birthday.

Jan. 1st, 1971: first wand made by Dorcas Meadowes.

Oct. 9th, 1971: Dorcas Meadowes’ twenty fifth birthday.

Aug. 27th, 1972: first wand made by Dorcas Meadowes sells.

Oct. 9th, 1972: Dorcas Meadowes’ twenty sixth birthday.

Oct. 9th, 1973: Dorcas Meadowes’ twenty seventh birthday.

Feb. 26th, 1974: Order of the Phoenix mission (aka errand running for Dumbledore) causing numerous injuries which leaves her hospitalised for three months in recovery.

Aug. 8th, 1974: Dorcas is benched from field missions for the Order of the Phoenix.

Oct. 9th, 1974: Dorcas Meadowes’ twenty eighth birthday.

Jan. 9th, 1975: murder of Rivka Daniels (under definitely suspicious circumstances); Death Eaters involvement is confirmed by ongoing Auror investigation following Dark Mark burned onto every surface of the Daniels home.

Jan. 10th, 1975: Dumbledore waives the bench placed on Dorcas, allowing her back into field duty.

Oct. 9th, 1975: Dorcas Meadowes’ twenty ninth birthday.

Oct. 9th, 1976: Dorcas Meadowes’ thirtieth birthday.

November 18th, 1976: Dorcas arranges a Portkey for her muggle step-father, adoptive brother (13) & sister (14) and travels with them to New Zealand before Apparating home & having a friend Obliviate the Portkey provider.

Oct. 9th, 1977: Dorcas Meadowes’ thirty first birthday.

Oct. 9th, 1978: Dorcas Meadowes’ thirty second birthday.

Oct. 9th, 1979: Dorcas Meadowes’ thirty third birthday.

A LIL’ EXPANSION.

Dorcas Chaviva Meadowes was born to doting Afro-British Ashkenazi Jewish parents, Simon and Rivka Meadowes. For the first few years of her life, things were almost picturesque. They lived in a sheltered, Jewish community where the colours of their skin meant nothing, only the observation of the faith that had been driven out by the events of the Holocaust, from which all their families were still reeling. Simon, who had struggled with the generational trauma far more than Rivka had and had struggled through life with an abusive father ( ever changed by the realities of war, and watching his family members die ), moved the family after four years of living there. Then, everything changed. Rivka refused to stop what she’d always known: her pride in her families rich history of Judaism struck a chord in Simon that they both never wanted to be struck. He changed, almost overnight, beating on her almost relentlessly until he broke her arm in a fight over whether or not Dorcas would stay with her Luhrer grandfather for a night. That was when she kicked Simon out. It wasn’t the Jewish way, but, it was the best way for her to protect her daughter from the pain of an abusive father. Rivka’s love for her daughter, who had no sense of self preservation, and was the scrappiest fighter.

Dorcas Meadowes dealt with her generational trauma in a way nobody suspected: staying true to some aspects of the Jewish faith, but also completely abandoning some ideals ( they’d always assumed she’d run from her blood, run, run, run, like her father had. ) She fought, relentlessly, climbed her way out of her own interpretation of hell, and ended up earning a letter to a magical school. This, was the only thing she laughed herself silly at. She wasn’t afraid of death. Wasn’t afraid of the Holocaust repeating itself ( although, in hindsight, she feels that it’s already begun, just for the eradication of her people, her fellow mudbloods ). She wasn’t afraid of much of anything, but the idea that this was a hoax? That the only thing she felt made her special, made her feel as if she could rise above all the xenophobes and racists and Holocaust deniers, was a hoax? It terrified the living daylights out of her, and her cynicism developed as almost a smokescreen, an emotional failsafe, a protective barrier between her and the rest of the world. When she found out it was real, she was overjoyed, in her own way. She leapt from strength to strength at Hogwarts, finding herself distancing her inner most thoughts from the world at the reality that the Wizarding world was just as corrupt as the muggle one, at the reality that people hated those with muggle blood in their veins for just being so.

Her going from strength to strength meant that all eyes were on her. From her first year to her last, people watched her incredibly closely. It wasn’t just because of how smart she was, how much ambition she had, how she clawed her way through Hogwarts, unrelenting, unforgiving, it was also because she’s a muggleborn. A piece of filth in Voldemort’s regards. Once she graduated with her NEWTs scores as high as possible, she joined Ollivander in his workshop. It’s a place she feels more at home in than she ever did Hogwarts. It’s the place where she found out her mother had been murdered. That her family was broken, forever. Now? She has no mother. Her father died years ago. Her step-father and her adopted siblings were sent far away from England, to New Zealand. Three years on and she’s still struggling with it, although she’d never admit that to anyone.

CHARACTER INSPIRATION.  Rosa Diaz ( Brooklyn Nine-Nine, ala always having a weapon on hand and the bisexual Vibez ), Jessica Jones ( Jessica Jones / The Defenders, ala drinking vodka from coffee cups and not giving a single fuck ), Frank Castle ( The Punisher, ala fighting for what they want to fight for and probably having dopeass symbols ), Johanna Mason ( The Hunger Games, ala the fucking constant, deep, burning rage and yes, she would strip in front of anyone, sdgaf ), Derek Morgan ( Criminal Minds, ala the Trust Issues and being good with their hands ), Alexander Hamilton ( Hamilton, ala the fucking relentless nature ), Ziva David ( NCIS, ala badass bitch ), Nick Torres ( NCIS, ala being very uncomfortable showing emotion ), Cristina Yang ( Grey’s Anatomy, ala the sarcastic bitch, I chose my person and the rest of you on this fuckin’ mudball don’t mean shit ), Toby Ziegler ( The West Wing, ala the ‘you’re too sad, Toby.’ scene and literally the most cynical ass on that way, way too optimistic show ), Any Shadowhunter, there’s probably More but I literally can’t remember a thing.

RANDOM FACKS.

“Damn, you got no chill!” “Fuckin' right I'm relentless.” is probably the best way to describe anyone @ dorcas and her response.

one of the best duellists of the age, in all probability ( which explains her probable kicking of everyone’s asses during practices @ the duelling club ). 

definitely still dealing with the generational trauma that comes from being biologically  jewish ( ashkenazi jewish ) and having grandparents who survived the holocaust because they were smuggled out by a non-jewish neighbour.

would actually fight anyone. would also fuck anyone, but, yk, that has lead to some Problematic situations she’s had to drag herself out of.

nobody actually knows about her families whereabouts ? the only one that probably does is dumbledore himself & anyone who finds out is sworn to secrecy & she would definitely resort to the unbreakable vow to stop anyone telling voldemort or accidentally spilling it

and actually Is the definition of slytherin ? she’s INCREDIBLY ambitious & ruthless but she’s also hella f*ckin’ smart & has brains for DAYS.

thinks the gov’t is shit & believes that the era of the ministry is going to come to an end at some point b/c if it doesn’t, the death eaters will have free reign & she’s prepared to be That Anarchist, if it comes down to it.

actually does have a death wish, in all probability.

do not move coffee if she is near it. this is no joke. she could & would threaten you & then follow through.

actually only really afraid of irrelevancy???? dorcas is. ambitious. and she wants more than anything to be remembered. which is funny, considering she never is. her name is simply a footnote. 

likes droobles. hates basically most other forms of sweets. sugar quills are too sweet, those weird cockroach chocolate things are NOT her thing, licorice is the worst thing Ever Patented.

hates orange juice. seriously. 

was seeker on the slytherin quidditch team for several years. loves flying. doesn’t ever let herself do it for enjoyment anymore.

tired honestly.

misses her sister and brother a lot but won’t talk abt it.

would kill to sleep but also will not sleep.

smiles a lot but its nearly always either sarcastic or a defence mechanism so no one actually knows what shes thinking, lmao.

f*ck voldemort, yo.

probs alastor moody’s best friend at this point lmaoooooo. trust issue bffs. fskdfnksd.

gonna end up experiencing a lot! of Pain in the future! and has experienced a lot of Pain already!

listen if you’re her friend her answer to any problem that you have with anybody has literally been responded to with simply “stab them.” she swears by it.

will bite u. has bitten ppl before. did honestly get a detention for doing exactly that in her first year. they shouldn’t have put their hand near her after calling her a mudblood!!!!

if you need someone to get something done, dorcas is your girl. but don’t expect any hugs or smiles or condolences when things go wrong. she’s blunt and no nonsense and definitely trained herself out of any form of compassion after being locked in with the purists under the fucking lake for seven years. #fuckudumbles 

WANTED CONNECTIONS.  

friends! people who Knew her in school! and were not slytherins! bc i know dorcas made a lot of enemies out of the ppl in her own house (not only bc she just existed but also bc she did get into a lot of trouble, lost them house points, got detentions constantly, but stayed at the top of the class and was actually friends with slughorn.

a healer???? mediwitches???? someone who Knew her when she was stuck in a mf bed for three months recovering after dumbledore sent her to fuckin albania and she nearly died thanks to fuckin giants. (also @ hagrid she luvs u. this is not @ u.)

ex boyfriends. ex girlfriends! she used to be someone who could love fairly openly. but she would never, ever let someone in now, unless they’d already found their way in years before (ala unrequited to requited friends to lovers shit or even enemies to friends to enemies to lovers idfk i make no sense).

dedalus diggle. for the fuckin hilarity that is dorcas, ultra competent badass lady, recruitin the biggest dumbass this side of the atlantic. (ok but seriously him turning into her psuedo little brother after she swore she would never get attached again.... yes.)

ppl she should not have had sex with but Definitely Did. either theyre actually marked death eaters or people who literally made her want to burn hogwarts to the ground when they were at school together, idfk.)

ppl she’s hospitalised before. PPL SHE’S STABBED BEFORE BECAUSE DORCAS DEFINITELY HAS A LIST OF PEOPLE SHE HAS AND HASN’T RANKED BY WHO DESERVED IT THE MOST DKJF this is also why dumbledore actually benched her lmao.

friends that she would fight to the Death for. she’s not a hufflepuff or a gryffindor but she sure is loyal. ones that she now considers to be family, even if she can’t Express it with words or ever truly say how much she cares (bc that makes you vulnerable. and vulnerability now is only going to get people killed). would love to also have one of these ppl be who finds dorcas’ dead body lol

basically anything okay i suck at these

[givemeonebreath]

A big, messy Linked Universe playlist

Link for Links

Heavy on the angst, because of who I am as a person. (At the same time, don’t take it too seriously, man.)

Influenced by canon, manga (TP Link is really Going Through It™ ), my personal perceptions, and popular fandom canon.

A pretty wide variety of genres, with a bias towards metal and prog rock.

I kept snippets of lyrics for most songs, also because of who I am as a person. (Some were particularly hard to narrow down to just one verse or chorus.) Those - and a little more rambling - are under the cut if you really want, in the order of the playlist. But. It’s long.

I didn’t initially make this with the intent to share, but hey. Throughout my past year+ of listening, I’ve been haphazardly adding songs to a playlist I very creatively named Links. If something reminded me of them, whether through the music or lyrics or both, I threw it on the playlist, so some songs might seem odd or vague. Some are really on the nose, as subtle as a sledgehammer. (Sky for Sky? Dude. Sorry.) Some are there because of a fitting line or two that stuck in my head. Ultimately, music - like any form of creative expression - can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. 

My listening habits and tastes are erratic, which is why this is one big, jumbled playlist and not separated for different Links. Not to mention if I did that, some (Wild, Legend) would have a lot and some (Wind, Four) would have none, both because of my own familiarity with them, and because of the general themes of the music I tend to listen to. Most songs are a general ‘hero’s spirit reborn’ mood, anyway - those are the first part of the playlist. The second half is more nuanced to specific Links, plus a few Ganon vibes.

1. Deep Purple - April (Koji Kondo, composer of the original Legend of Zelda theme, was into Deep Purple as a kid, and it shows.)

2. Kamelot - Regalis Apertura

3. Au4 - So Just Hang On, Beautiful One (I’ve posted this here before. I can’t hear it without thinking of LU now.) So I slipped in through the gate almost unknown. All my border stamps were late. Seven days old. Cold hand griped my shoulder blade, broke the bone. Bloody nose and turned away, all the way home.

4. FC Kahuna - Hayling Don’t think about all those things you fear, just be glad to be here

5. Glass Animals - Youth Boy, when I left you you were young I was gone, but not my love You were clearly meant for more Than a life lost in the war

6. Pain of Salvation - Restless Boy A restless boy in a world too slow A flame born into cinder, ash, and glow I've given everything I gave it all Yet find myself alone

7. Haken - The Endless Knot Our design shifted frame by frame! Across the line our cycle starts to fail. Our design shifted frame by frame! Across the line we die to live again.   We need a story to believe in. We need a hero to prevail. We need a challenge we can overcome, it takes a tragedy to make us one 

8. Kamelot - Memento Mori (I particularly associate this with Time and Twilight) I am the god in my own history The master of the game I may believe if she would come to me And whisper out my name Sometimes I wonder where the wind has gone If life has ever been Sometimes I wonder how belief alone Can cut me free from sin

9. Katatonia - Fighters Look I told you so We never stop If we said that We'll back it up For sure You know We're fighters

10. Megadeth - This Day We Fight! (I mean, all Links, but particularly Warriors) For this I was chosen, because I fear nothing With confidence I tread through the dead of the night Off to another war-torn, faraway battlefield Wherein lies a demonic enemy horde

11. Moon Tooth - Igneous Well, the spirit took me And this old broken body leapt up and danced Settin’ out Settin' out with all my heroes in a bundle at my back Hawk am I More wings span in my shadow than overcast Yeah, you know what they say Always need something to look up to, ha

12. Samael - Moongate Destiny, tomorrow is today Destiny, without boundaries How many nights will we spend together traveling infinity back and forth and again How many times will we go together questioning eternity about us about our wonders...

13. TOOL- Parabola This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion

14. Lunatic Soul - Blood on the Tightrope No matter how hard you try To shut down your feverish thoughts They hunt you down with no regret Cause you have to fix it all

15. Hybrid - Keep It In The Family

16. Soul Savers - Unbalanced Pieces Gone, now carry on Through violent seasons I call you mother, mother, mother In vain, absent chain The twilight's bleeding And the playing board has two unbalanced pieces

17. Steve Von Till - Valley of the Moon All she gives is a stone facade Like ill-given flowers at a dead man's wake Here we slave for the dreams of another And fight over scraps like wayward dogs

18. Ludovico Einaudi - Experience

19. Lunatic Soul - Summoning Dance Three stones on the right side Three stones on the left My vicious circle of life and death   “Oh you want it” I hear it again “Oh you want it” My burden Curse to break

20. Lunatic Soul - Through Shaded Woods Run through your shaded woods Run through your shaded mind Run through the night Run away Run through the darkness Run

21. Lunatic Soul - Naavie

22. David Bowie - Nature Boy There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They say he wandered very far Very far, over land and sea A little shy and sad of eye But very wise was he

23. The Dandy Warhols - Sleep Well, I could sleep forever But it's of her I dream If I could sleep forever I could forget about everything 

24. Au4 - Everyone is Everyone (and Everything is Everything) Tripping and tumbling, Flipping and fumbling. Flowing on the rivers of sadness That have been forever rumbling.   But from dawn until now Of all the paths that I could have gone down Of all the valleys That I could have been flowing through.   In spite of all the chaos And all that has come between us, How is it I still find myself Here with you. 

25. Kingcrow - Everything Goes Your hands again upon the ground Falling rain for hours and hours As you learn the game Time dispels the fog ... Ever been there? Ever felt like prey? Ever thought your mind was feeble? Lot of things that don’t make sense

26. Pain of Salvation - Icon As a child I felt too old And now when I'm grown-up I feel too young A different kind so I've been told Just slightly out of reach and out of time

27. Sophia Loizou - Divine Interference (I got spooky dungeon vibes. Also, the title.)

28. Carpenter Brut - Fab Tool Runnin Gunnin Forward in the phantom shatter so grand Splatter grand, arcanum fuel Wrought iron out of the sky Over me, tells no lie

29. Blue Stahli - Death Will Have to Run All on the open road Where none will ever grow A journey toward the known With countless miles to go

30. Gyroscope - Mistakes & Ladders I am the first? No I can't be the first A continuous nothing, destined for something Tell me who you are and why you trapped me here

31. Queens of the Stone Age - Run, Pig, Run Run, pig, run Here I come

32. Chali 2na & Krafty Kuts - Guard The Fort The swords are drawn and odds are stacked And we clash the impact's a thunderous clap Calm demeanor Even though we are under attack [...my turn to guard the fort ready for combat]

33. The Great Discord - Army of Me (lol)

34. Kongos - Terrified I think I'll start again and change my name You only live once or twice, what a shame Somebody fucked up when designing this game

35. Woodkid - Run Boy Run Run, boy, run! This ride is a journey to Run, boy, run! The secret inside of you Run, boy, run! This race is a prophecy Run, boy, run! And disappear in the trees

36. The Beta Machine - The End A million miles away from you this time I'll do what it takes I'm on my way If lines are in the sand I'll go under If I can make it in time I will bring you back with me

37. Devin Townsend Project - Gump When we last met who was I? I'm sorry we no longer see eye to eye The energy to keep you in while keeping myself out I'm sorry how you'll take this  But I just don't have the patience anymore 

38. Arrested Youth - Riot! I can't get much satisfaction living in this cave It's tough to breathe, I'm in the belly of the beast Can't sleep with all my rage With me and all my generations living in this cage Pick up your guns and tell your sons, tonight we break the cage

39. Led Zeppelin - Friends So anytime somebody needs you Don't let them down, although it grieves you Some day you'll need someone like they do Looking for what you knew

40. Faunts - M4, pt 2 (Wild) Fight your foes you're not alone Holy war is on the phone Asking to please stay on hold Bleeding loss of blood runs cold And I need you to recover   Because I can't make it on my own

41. Faith No More - Ashes to Ashes (Wild) I want them to know it's me, it's on my head I'll point the finger at me, it's on my head Smiling with the mouth of the ocean And I'll wave to you with the arms of the mountain

42. Devin Townsend - Jupiter (Wild) I know you At least I think I do Everything's changed But in the days that are so dark It's wonderful

43. Katatonia - Neon Epitaph (Wild) Shadow of my shadow Cling not to my grief I am long left behind now You are free

44. The Smashing Pumpkins - The Beginning is the End is the Beginning (Wild) Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us No one can separate us For we are all that is left The echo bounces off me The shadow lost beside me There's no more need to pretend Cause now I can begin again 

45. Katatonia - Lacquer (Wild) My voice travelling Soaring bird above your head The house we lived in Ridden with disease ... The levee breaking I can't live to fight once more The road to the grave is straight as an arrow I'm just staying around to sing your song, baby

46. Eskimo Joe - This is Pressure (Wild) There is no romance in suffocation  The walls fall down like your expectations You want to scream  And you want to shout But you've built up steam  And you can't let it out This is pressure 

47. Portugal. The Man - 1000 Years (Wild) We'll wait 1000 years  Until the end of time We'll wait 1000 more Dressed up in gold and white We'll climb the mountain sides  To find what's in the sky We'll dig through mountain sides  To find what's deep inside

48. Au4 - An Ocean’s Measure of Sorrow (Wild) Forgot my name and who I was. Memories of nothing floating up. All of the sorrow we once knew, Colours the ocean's water blue.

49. Band of Skulls - Carnivorous (Twilight) I am corrosive and cohesive Like a chemical bond I'm all together undone I am the broken kingdom I'm just so, so, so  So carnivorous

50. Glass Animals - Flip (Twilight) I wanna go back with a club and attack I wanna take to my guns and break you I gotta make my little foe take his own

51. TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me (Twilight) My mind has changed my body's frame, but, God, I like it My heart's aflame, my body's strained, but, God, I like it

52. Kamelot - The Spell (Twilight) All my demons cast a spell The souls of dusk rising from the ashes So the book of shadows tell The weak will always obey the master

53. OSI - Radiologue (Legend) I was dreaming I was heading west thirty days faster Had a fever woke up in a sweat bailing out the water  Can't go on Can't go back   Heard your voice coming through the noise wrote it in the radio log Hurt my head, wondering what you said so I threw it overboard  

54. Katatonia - Don’t Tell A Soul (Legend) I have been destroyed by the perfection that is a lie see I'm moving soon see my feet are already on the road and if you know where I’m going don’t tell a soul

55. Haken - The Mind’s Eye (Legend) The shape of things to come are closer than they seem Changing your design every time you disappear I'm planning my escape through portals of your mind Where people seem to drop like flies

56. Pain of Salvation - Species (Legend) Sometimes I hate my fucking species Yet most days I'll do anything to please it  My generation was fooled to pursue our dreams But it is not what it seems You never need what you want And you rarely want what you need

57. Euringer - Do You Kiss Your Mama with That Mouth? (Legend) All my life, misunderstood I'm fuckin' too smart, too smart for my own good The last question, before I go is "Hey motherfucka, do you kiss your mama with that mouth?"  Yes! I kiss your mama with this mouth

58. !!! - Pardon My Freedom (Legend) Like I give a fuck, like I give a shit Like I give a fuck about that shit Like I give a fuck about that motherfucking shit

59. Team Sleep - Ataraxia (Legend) Froze asleep Coma deep I dream I'm out with you Alone at sea

60. Oliver Tank - Embrace (Legend) You're in my dreams The world is torn apart at the seams And I don't wanna leave Wearing my heart on it's sleeve

61. Machine Gun Fellatio - The Girl of My Dreams (Is Giving Me Nightmares) (Legend) The girl of my dreams is giving me nightmares I don't know what it means but she's got multi-coloured hair When she stands in the sand I dream of peaches And I'm not sure what that means either

62. Earl Greyhound - Shotgun (Legend & Hyrule) I am nobody, nobody is who I am I am a traveler on this land And nothing, nothing, nothing in my hands

63. TV on the Radio - Staring at the Sun (Hyrule) You're staring at the sun You're standing in the sea Your mouth is open wide You're trying hard to breathe The water's at your neck There's lightning in your teeth Your body's over me

64. Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon (Time) Fate Up against your will Through the thick and thin He will wait until You give yourself to him

65. Sufjan Stevens - Sugar (Sky) Don’t break my heart, don’t break my flow now And all this rage has got to go now Let’s take up this lifeline Come on, baby, gimme some sugar Don’t make me wait Don’t make me wait too long Don’t make me sing the sad song Come on, baby, gimme some sugar

66. Obsydians - Ascension (Sky) Rise above the hardships you’ll face I will sign and keep on rising As long as you are giving me your soul and keep me awake Feel like home and spread your light around I will listen and just be there As long as you are giving me your love I’ll give you my soul

67. Sonique - Sky -_-

68. Enter Shikari - The King (Ganon) Watch your back, my friend I'm about to kickstart a cycle Of never ending revenge And this time it's primal, it's tribal

69. Saul Williams - WTF! (Ganon, Hylia) "You've been polluted, uprooted by time You have been muted, computed but I'm A living vessel of the one, of the moon, of the sun" Hey! You ain't as dead as you seem, what the fuck? Hey! But you keep living your lies

70. These New Puritans - We Want War (Ganon/ Dark Link/ any nemesis I guess) Shadows dance back up, it's happening again If you listen carefully you might hear them whisper: "We hold all the secrets, we hold all the words; But they're scrambled and broken so you'll never know" Can't you see them Floating like black ash? Can't you feel them Crawling down your back?

[eleventhdoctorsangel]

Where is the real me

Summary: Ever since quirks became the new normal the US decided to try to recreate some powers from the movies such as Marvel and DC. I happen to be one of those people that they recreated powers on. I was the lucky or unlucky one depending on how you look at it that got scarlet witch powers. I've was recently got accepted into UA college.

A/n: This is an aged up fic. The UA students will be college age. Since I decided to make this story a love triangle between the reader, bakugou and Dabi and since bakugou and the reader would be a early age teen in the original story I didn't want the FBI to be breaking down my door so aging them up was the way to go.

“What’s the matter you two? You guys look scared. You dodged the attack so you can still fight can’t you? Come and get me.” Bakugou said. I started to walk slowly over to him. “You need to stop this right now. You acting childish.” I said. “Oh I’m the childish one. Here you are helping the team. Didn’t you tell me that we were a team?” Bakugou said. “I’m making sure that the damage you are trying to cause doesn’t affect the weapon. Because if this was real and we were guarding a real weapon with would have gone off by now.” I said. “Come in what’s the situation.” Midoriya said. “Are you ignoring me again? I’ll get your attention.” Bakugou said. “Bakugou. Use that stored-up power again and I’ll stop this fight. Your team will lose. ” All Might said through the loud speakers. “Huh?” Bakugou asked. “To employ such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That’s a poor strategy whether you’re a hero or a villain. The penalty would be a massive loss of points.” All might said. Bakugou let out a frustrated yell. “The pillar by the window. Get there now!” Midoriya said. “Fine. We’ll fight hand to hand.” Bakugou yelled and used his quirk to launched himself towards Midoriya and I. But before I could do anything to stop him he out stretched a hand at me shooting a blast at me. Just like before I caught it within my energy and kept it contained. “Come on you got to be kidding me.” Bakugou said. But this time the blast seemed a bit stronger than the last one I stopped. It had caused me to fall down on one knee. By the time I stopped that blast I heard two more go off. Son of bitch he distracted me. “Here it comes nerd! The famous right hook you were whining about!” Bakugou yelled. Bakugou slammed his right hand against Midoriya side as he grabbed his arm using his quirk to turn himself around. “Stop!” I yelled. “Deuk! Don’t you ever forget what you are! You’re a weakling!” Bakugou yelled as he flipped Midoriya over his shoulder slamming him on the ground. Midoriya was quick to get up and started to run away standing on the other side of the room. “Why won’t you use your damn quirk against me? Still think you can stop me without it?” Bakugou asked. “That’s not it.” Midoriya said. “You’ve been hiding your true power for years. What’s the deal Deku? Did you think you were better than me this entire time?” Bakugou asked. “That’s what you think? You idiot. You’ve always been stronger Kacchan. I know that you’re better than me.  Can’t you see? That’s why I wanna beat you. Because you’re amazing!” Midoriya said with tears in his eyes. “You’re even more of an idiot than I realized. Come at me!” Bakugou yelled. Then the two of them started to run full force at each other. Bakugou got ready to throw another blast while I saw Midoriya’s arm start to glow. “I said stop!” I yelled. I watched as my red energy start to make its way over to the two of them. “Both of you stop!” All Might yelled. “Uraraka now!” Midoriya yelled. Right as my red energy reached the two of them Midoryia got the full force of Bakugou’s attack while his went up into the ceiling. I started to stop Midoriya’s attack but I was struggling. It broke through the ceiling causing debris to start raining down. I kept the debris in its place. I started to hear the windows start to break. I let out a scream as the ceiling start to fix itself and I could hear the glass start to fix itself too. I started to feel lightheaded I dropped my arms to my side as my legs gave out from under me sending me to the ground. 

“This was your big plan. From the very beginning wasn’t it? You were playing me this entire time you bastard.” Bakugou said. “I wasn’t going to use it. Because I can’t control it. My body just can’t handle the backlash of my power yet. Mr. Aizawa said I’d be useless. But this was all that I could think of. This is the only was I had a chance at winning.” Midoriya said. “The hero team wins!” All Might yelled. I heard the sound of something falling to the ground. I looked up to see that Midoriya was now on the ground.

I wanted to go over to see if Midoriya was okay but every time I tried to get up my legs gave out from under me. “Your indoor combat training is over.” All Might said. A few minutes later All might came into the building. He went to check on Midoriya first. He ordered some medical robots from the nurse to come and get Midoriya. Then he came over to me. “Are you okay young Y/n?” All Might asked as he kneeled down. “I’m fine. I just never used that much of my power before. I just need a minute. But you might want to go check on Bakugou looks like he having some sort of panic attack.” I said. “You seem to be right young Y/n.” All Might said as he got up and went over to Bakugou who by then had started to breathe heavily. Bakugou seemed to be lost in his thoughts to notice All Might come up to him putting a hand on his shoulder. “Young Bakugou cool your jets. Let’s go review your work. Whether you win or lose you can always take something away from an experience like this. As long as you’re open to learning.” All might said. I tried to get up my legs were still a bit wobbly but other than I could walk just fine.

Bakugou, Tenya, Ochako and I followed All might back to the watch room where the other students were watching the fights. “Well despite the results. The MVPs of this exercise is Young Iida and Young Y/l/n!” All might said. Wait a damn minute. Wait a damn minute. “Huh?” Tenya asked confused and I was right there with him. “Shouldn’t it be one of the heroes instead since they’re the winners?” Tsu asked. “Mm! Valid question. Why didn’t I choose one of those two? Who has a guess?” All might said. “Sir! I can tell you why! Iida embraced this challenge. He was the only one who truly adapted to his assigned role. I’ll explain. Bakugou’s judgement was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya. As you pointed out earlier launching a large scale attack indoors was a foolish move. It could have been disastrous. Similarly Midoriya’s  plan was also poorly thought out considering the amount of damage that he received. He rendered himself helpless. Not smart. As for Uraraka… She let her guard down mid battle and her final attack was far too reckless given the hypothetical stakes. If she’d treated the fake weapon as though it were real she never would’ve risked using such an imprecise move. As for Y/n she managed to keep any damage that Bakugou and Midoriya would have caused to a bear minimal. She tried to make Bakugou stop but when he didn’t she didn’t force it on him but made sure that the weapon wouldn’t have gone off if it was real. “Iida was fully prepared for his opponent’s arrival he had a strategy and never lost sight of his mission to protect the dummy weapon even if he was foiled in the end. Technically the hero team won yes but they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They didn’t respect the spirit of the trial.” A girl with long black hair explained. “Yes well you over looked a few things. Young Iida could have relaxed a little bit in the exercise but otherwise you nailed it!” All might said giving a thumbs up. I laughed a little as I shook my head. “One should always start with the basics and devote themselves wholeheartedly to learning. That’s the only real way to become a top hero.” She said. Everyone looked at her in shock. “Now then. Time to blow this joint. Let’s move on to the next match! Think about everything was saw and discussed as you tackle this training for yourself.” All might said. “Yes sir!” All the other students said. All might drew the next to team which was B for the heroes and I for the villains.  I started to get a little dizzy again. I decided not to say anything as I watched the fight.

I watched as one of the boys on Team B walked out of the building while the other who was the boy I sit front of stay inside. Then the whole building was covered in ice. The room also got cold fast. I looked around to see almost everyone shivering. But Tsu was asleep. Which seem a bit odd. “He incapacitated them without compromising the weapon of his teammate. Take close note of his technique students.” All might said. “Woah he’s so strong!” A male voice said. I watched as he place a hand on the fake weapon. “The hero team wins!” All might yelled. Just like that all the ice melted away. “Holy crap.” Another male voice said. “That guy’s kind of intimidating.” Another said. “He got in on a recommendation so he must be good.” Tsu said. “I say if there’s enough time that he and Y/n should got against each other now that would be an interesting fight.” One of the guys said. “Moving on! Time to gather round for a review of the second match. After that we’ll jet on over to our next battle.” All might said. “Yes sir.” Everyone said.

Soon all the matches were over and they were pretty interesting to watching. Expect maybe with the kid that was with the black hair girl. He acted like a pervert so I will have to be careful around that one. The last battle ended just a few minutes before class was about to end which made almost everyone groan since they really wanted me to go against the guy on team B. We walked back to the entrance of the training area. There were a few students talking which made All might blew his whistle. “That’s a wrap! Super work. You really stepped up to the plate and we didn’t have any major injuries expect for Midoriya. You should be proud. Excellent first day of training all around!” All might said giving us a thumbs up. “it’s nice to hear some encouraging words after our homeroom class. Mr. Aizawa was kind of a buzzkill.” Tsu said. What have I missed? Whatever it was is probably a good thing. “I’m happy to bring such staggering positivity to my alma mater! That’s all for now folks. I should go and check on Young Midoriya’s progress! Now watch how a pro exits. Like he’s got somewhere to be!” All might said then ran off leaving a cloud of smoke behind him. “Okay you guys that is a hero.” One of the boys said. “Aw I’ll never be able to run that fast.” Another boy said. “Super awesome!” Another one said while putting a hand to his mouth and that one was the pervert.

All of the girls started to walk out and I followed them. “So Y/n is it?” One of the boys asked. I stopped in my tracks and turn back around. “Yes?” I asked. “Is it true that you were experimented on when you were younger?” A boy with red hair asked. “Sorry Y/n I didn’t mean to tell everyone.” Tsu said. “It’s fine Tsu I don’t mind. Yes I was experimented on when I was younger.” I said. “She also mentioned that your quirk was recreated from the superhero movies and it looked really familiar but couldn’t remember who’s was it?” A boy with blonde hair with a black lightning bolt streak in it. “It was the scarlet witch.” I said. “A real babe come to life.” The perverted boy said. “Yeah I have problem ending you.” I said pointing at the boy who looked scared to death. “Yes ma’ma.” He said. “That also goes for the other girls. If you make a perverted comment about any of them I will make you go through your worse fear.” I said. “Yes ma’ma.” He said. “Good.” I said turning back around to follow the other girls back to the locker room.

Once we walked into the locker room a girl with pink skin pulled me into a hug. “Girl thank you. He’s been making so many comments since yesterday.” She said. “Yeah no problem.” I said hugging her back. “Yeah thanks a lot.” The girl with black hair said. I nodded. “You’re pretty strong too.” A girl with purple hair said. “So are you guys.” I said. “Yeah but none of us could go up against Bakugou like you did.” Ochako said. I guess what Ochako said was kinda right. “What are your names?” I asked. “I’m Mina Ashido.” The girl with the pink skin said. “I’m Momo Yaoyorozu.” The girl with black hair said. “I’m Kyouka Jirou.” The girl with purple hair said. “I’m Toru Hagakure.” The girl was completely invisible said. “Well it’s nice to meet you all.” I said. “We should all get changed we wouldn’t want to be late don’t want to make Mr. Aizawa mad.” Momo said. We all got changed out of our hero costumes and back into our uniforms. This is something I will have to get use to.

A/N: I will be taking possible super hero names at this time

Taglist: @flowersgirl02 @jazzylove

[penguiduck]

Writing Fight Scenes

I’ve had a lot of readers mention that they don’t feel comfortable with fight scenes.  Well, that’s understandable. It’s challenging writing about experiences you’ve never had.  But with some perspective and practice, you can most certainly work toward writing those fast-paced, heart-pounding scenes with ease.

To give you some background, I practiced competitive martial arts for six years.  I competed in tournaments and trained hard to perform well in the ring. It was a contact sport, and even if I wasn’t sparring, training often left me with bruises, usually of the physical nature, sometimes of the emotional persuasion.

This experience gave me a lot of perspective when it comes to writing fight scenes.

Whenever I step into the ring, I have a flexible strategy in mind that combines what I know about myself, my opponent, and what I’m going to learn about them in the next two minutes.  I’d like to share some of these thoughts and perspectives with you, and how your character may think before and during a match of their own. Of course, my fighting experience is limited to a contact sport.  Your story may very well be far more violent with higher stakes, but strategies may be of similar foundation. Once you take a fight into deeper consideration, aside from the depiction of two fighters merely exchanging blows, you can begin to enrich your writing experience.

I’m including examples from Yu Yu Hakusho because that’s the fandom I write the most for, and as you know, there’s a lot of fighting involved!  But remember — anime and writing are two completely different mediums. There's no one narrating everything that our beloved characters are doing on screen. You just see it. That is why you, as a writer, must paint those scenes through words for your readers.

Nevertheless, this advice really stands for any sort of writing, so do with this information what you will.

A well-written fight scene is never about just trading blows.  There are other conflicts at play, whether between the fighters or even in the heads of your protagonists.

Allow me to elaborate:

1. Who is your protagonist?

Whenever I am preparing for a sparring match, the first thing I worry about is me. I must be self-aware. 

I think about my own fitness.  How am I doing? Do I have any existing injuries or ailments?  How is my weight? My body type? What are my strengths and weaknesses?  What do I have in my toolbox? What techniques do I know? What techniques am I most versed and confident in?  

I also think about my overall wellness. Have I been eating well?  Drinking water? Sleeping? How is my emotional state of mind? What are the stakes?

Is my uniform clean and pressed?  What about my equipment? Headgear?  Mouth guard? Shin guard? Did I replace that torn lace?

I recommend using these questions to bring your character’s own reflection to the forefront in whatever way makes most sense for them.  How is your character’s fitness? Is she in good fighting condition? Has she been injured previously? What has happened since the last fight that might impact her state of mind? 

It’s possible that she’s recovering from an illness or injury.  Perhaps her mentor died a gruesome death. Maybe she’s frustrated because she lost use of her right hand, temporarily or permanently, and has had to compensate with her non-dominant hand.  Or perhaps she’s lost the will to fight, having experienced something traumatic.

Hiei had to constantly think about his own state of health throughout the Dark Tournament after his fight with Zeru.  His arm had been sacrificed to his Dragon of the Darkness Flame, rendered useless, and he was in terrible pain. He never let it impact him, of course, being the stoic warrior he is.  His personality allows for little inner dialogue to be shared with the audience, but as a fighter, he was most certainly considering what options he had with his handicap. And, as a writer, perhaps you would like to elaborate on his thoughts for your readers.

What has your character been practicing lately?  Is her weapon of choice the same? Has it been upgraded?  Has she been training with a different weapon or technique?  Is she perhaps nervous about using something new?

Maybe she just repaired her sword, and she’s unsure if it’s as strong as it was before.  Perhaps she’s been studying a new technique, and she knows she’ll need to use it in this battle.  

Remember when Kuwabara first introduced his spirit sword in Maze Castle?  He was so proud of himself, and that whole battle was an introduction to his newfound technique, how he manipulated his sword, and how he was able to harness his spirit energy.  It’s far more interesting to see this development and exploration than to just watch him stab at Byakko a dozen times.

My point is that while your character probably should keep her emotions out of the ring, she may not be able to.  There are so many things that could be on her mind, plaguing her thoughts, especially if there’s a lot riding on this battle.  I think it’s really important to not only acknowledge the physical part of fighting but the emotional toll it can take a fighter, too.

Think about the fight between Yusuke and Toguro.  Toguro had just killed Genkai, and Yusuke took that very personally.  This was not a simple battle of strength or wits. This was a battle of emotions, and it wasn’t until Yusuke was able to master his feelings and reach beyond that “six foot wall of crap” as Genkai so affectionately calls it that he was able to finally defeat Toguro.

And the catharsis that came from defeating Toguro? It was made all the more powerful because Yusuke went through that emotional journey. It wasnʼt just a fight — it was a calling, a purpose, and a lesson.  It was painful and potent, and it made him realize just how much these experiences shaped him as a person.

2. Who is the opponent? 

Before I participate in a tournament, I do my research.  Who is likely to be competing? Who is in my weight class?  What do I know about these competitors? If I don’t have answers, I would find them.  I’d chat with my instructor, my fellow martial artists. Has anyone else from my school fought these people before?  What were they like? Are there videos online of their performance?  

I find as much information as possible. I make calls, send texts, take people out to lunch, scour the internet for information.  Even if your character lives in a less technologically dependent world, I would imagine that he might talk with friends, look through old records, listen to gossip and hearsay.  He might watch battles leading up to his own fight in an effort to learn more.

And if this pre-work isn’t possible, that’s okay.  Fights in your story may be entirely unpredictable, but your character can also learn things about his opponent during the match.  

When I step into the ring and ready myself to compete, one of the first things I want to find out is on which side my opponent is dominant.  In other words, are they right-handed? Or left-handed? Right-footed? Or left-footed? Maybe they only focus on one side during training (which is silly, but that’s another conversation).  But there could be an underlying reason why as well. Perhaps they injured themselves in the previous round or maybe they just don’t like exposing one particular side of their body for whatever reason.

This information is critical because this tells me what I need to watch out for, which side of my own body I should be guarding, how I may penetrate my opponent’s defenses.  How can I catch them when they least suspect it? Where can I knock them off balance? My instructor always told me to watch the shoulders — shoulders move before the rest of the body.  You can tell what your opponent is about to do by watching their shoulders.

Your character may wish to discover the same thing.  Maybe his opponent uses a two-handed sword and is very clearly right-handed.  This may give him some information on where his blind spot is — or maybe he just needs to disable his opponent’s right arm.  The possibilities are endless, and understanding his opponent will give him leverage, offering him many options.

Understanding an opponent’s technique is also important.  In martial arts, practitioners often favor a strategy or skill.  This seems obvious, but it’s vital that you understand what it is — only then you can combat it.  

Consider Kurama’s matches with Gama and Toya during the events of the Dark Tournament.  The English dub did a wonderful job voicing Kurama’s inner conflict during these fights, struggling with first his inability to move and then his imprisoned spirit energy — if you were to put these scenes into writing, explaining his thought process would be fascinating.  How does Kurama overcome these obstacles? He seeks to understand his opponents before he defeats them, which, unfortunately, also means he risks injury to himself until then.

Your character’s thoughts about the fight, interpreting for your audience what he feels he might need to do to secure victory, is just as important as detailing the fight itself.

3. What about the writing?

The writing will come once you begin to dissect your characters and their motivations for fighting.  Your characters aren’t one-dimensional, or, at least, they shouldn’t be!  

Your fight scenes shouldn’t be, either.  It’s not about two fighters trading blows. It’s about an artfully curated dance.  Two opponents are engaged in a craft that they both know well, and whether they’re fighting to win a tournament or for their very lives, they have reasons and complex thought processes that should make their fight interesting.  

There are two players here, and unless the fight is grossly one-sided, they’re both thinking and acting independently of one another.  My advice is to thread their actions and consequences together — weave the fight scene as if it’s a stream of conscious thought, separated into paragraphs, each with a shift in perspective, for clarity.  

Instead of writing:

Yusuke charged at Kuwabara and punched him in the face.  Kuwabara punched him in the mouth. Yusuke then kicked him in the stomach.

Try this:

Yusuke had little patience for Kuwabara’s bad jokes, and he rushed toward him, landing a blow square in the side of his head.

Kuwabara flew backward with a grunt, stabilizing himself before launching himself at Yusuke, returning the favor.  His fist collided with Yusuke’s jaw, a blow hard enough to knock the teeth out of any regular human.

Yusuke expected him to retaliate, and although he was nearly knocked off balance, he swung his leg around, making full contact with Kuwabara’s stomach.

You may also find it useful to deviate from the fighting itself.  You can speak to a character’s inner dialogue or thoughts, whether about the fight or something else.  You may choose to have them begin a brief conversation. Or you may describe what other characters are feeling about the fight as onlookers.

There are many ways to make these fight scenes seamless and interesting — take some time to explore your options!

Just a few more general tips that might help:

If you’re going to use a thesaurus, be mindful about it. I use a thesaurus when I write because I suffer all day, every day from tip-the-tongue syndrome.  But words, even if they generally fit the same definition, can have vastly different connotations, so before selecting a word from the thesaurus, do some digging.  Look at the exact definition and perhaps Google some common usage. Punch, slap, and stroke do not mean the same thing, even if a thesaurus might say otherwise.

Read your writing out loud.  If you’re unsure, this is the best way to understand your cadence, the flow of the battle.  Use your best Morgan Freeman or Jorge the Ogre voice.

Consider a beta reader.  Sometimes having a second opinion is immensely helpful.

Remember that there are no strict writing rules.  You write whatever your heart desires in whatever manner your heart desires.  Experiment and explore with different styles and techniques to find whatever works for you.

I hope you find this information useful!  Please feel free to suggestion additional blog posts you would like to see from me in the future.  ^_^  Of course, please reblog this if you found it helpful!

Pictures are, of course, not mine.  They are shots from the anime or other official derivatives.

[drethanramslay]

Rock Bottom

Pairing: Mona X MC (Alexis Jennings)

Masterlist

Word count: 1.8 K (I really tried🤧)

Warnings: None, there is swearing, also there is a crossover 👀

Author's note: I'm taking part in @rodappreciationweek and this is my entry for day 3 (mona)

The hosts of RoDaw @client-327 @brightpinkpeppercorn and @choicesarehard are donating $5 usd to the Lebanese red cross, up to $500 for every piece of Mona content today! Please consider making/posting something for Mona today if you haven't already❤️

I'm also taking part in @wackydrabbles so you will find the prompt in bold

Forgive me if I make any mistakes

"Prisoners move back to your respective cells." The loudspeaker blared, cutting sharply through the air, giving Mona a cold splash of reality.

Until that godforsaken announcement, Mona had been sitting on the steps, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the cool breeze threading through her hair. The sun rays poured over her and she enjoyed the warmth emanating from them. She could smell the ocean and with her eyes closed, she could almost imagine standing on the shores of Santa Monica, the sound of the waves washing over her.

But there is only so much imagination one can use to forget that she was in jail.

To her darn luck, she had been transferred to Trask Island, a maximum security prison off the coast of Florida. It was one of those dreary prison where you were completely cut off from the world.

No call, no letters, no communication.

Whatever fucked up environment they created here, that was her world and Mona hated every second of it.

It was also called the 'rock' because one, it was on a island and two, it would drown all your hopes and wishes of a future, just like how a rock sinks in water.

No one has ever escaped Trask Island and no one ever will. The words of the warden echoed through her head making her scoff.

It's cute that he thinks I will be sticking around in this shit hole.

Mona was super determined to get the fuck out of here even though there were moments when she was completely and utterly lost.

She hated the orange tracksuits she had to wear. She hated the way these spiteful men dictated her life and tried to break her spirit. She hated being stuck in a tiny cell.

She longed to feel the adrenaline rush in her veins when she raced.

She longed to feel her hands gripping her steering wheel, as she drove at speeds defying gravity.

But most of all she longed for Alexis... The girl she left behind.

Mona found it ironic. After her ex ratted her to the police she swore that she would never let anyone have that power over her. That she would never wear her heart on her sleeve again. She built this impenetrable fortress around herself so that no one could enter and know the real her.

But Alexis managed to do that by just smiling at her.

The way their hands fit perfectly into each other's... The way that all her worries would go away when Alex was in her arms... The way that they both pushed each other, looked out for each other and challenged each other...

Mona had never witnessed such a feeling of companionship and she couldn't help but fall for her.

I love you Mona... Those words haunted her but at the same time motivated her to keep going through the motions of the day.

Her fantasies were abruptly interrupted by the guard kicking her combat boots. "Up and going, or do you want a month in solitary?"

And the thing she hated the most about this prison are the guards. I mean it was normal to hate them but this was some next level shit. She absolutely abhorred them to such a extent that she wanted to strangle them with her bare hands.

The number of times she was thrown into solitary was not even funny. And all of them were for the dumbest of the dumbest reasons.

Hell she was thrown in the hole for a fight she wasn't even part of.

All men are the same... Power hungry and drunk on greed. That's why girls are better.

So not wanting to risk living in the darkness for a month, she bit her tongue and got up before joining the other cellmates.

"What a dick." Eris Huang, an expert demolition muttered under her breath, so low that only Mona could hear it, causing her to snort.

In the six months she was here, she was low-key glad that she met Eris. They two met when Mona was moved into Eris' cell. Both were strong willed, hard headed and sarcastic woman so it wasn't really surprising that they became fast friends.

"Tell me about it. One of these days he is gonna piss me off so bad that I will end up castrating him with a blunt knife."

"Oof. I will hold him down and break his legs." Eris offered causing Mona to smirk. I like this girl. 

"Anyways, I have a shift at the library so meet you later." Eris spoke.

"Get me another notebook if possible."

"What are you writing? A love letter?" Eris teased which made Mona roll her eyes but she wasn't very far off from the truth.

"A lady never tells." Mona answered causing Eris to chuckle as she took a left to go to the basement.

Mona reached her cell and she felt the the cell gate close behind her with a loud clang, which resonated in her ribcage.

Sure, hanging out in the yard and working in the workshop was a welcome distraction but staying in her small cell for more than 17 hours would make a girl lonely.

So, in all these hours of loneliness, sadness and hopelessness Mona found some sort of solace in writing about her dreams, list of things she was going to do once she was out, her aspirations... But most importantly, how much she missed Alex and how she wished to be by her side.

So settling into the corner of her bunk, she opened the notebook with tattered pages so that she could write.

Dear Alex, I know I told you to not let me imprison you but that's not applicable to me because you are always on my mind. It's hard to forget you. I miss you so much....

Do you know what day it is today? It's the fifth... Or I assume so because there is no calendar here. We aren't told what date, month, year it is. It's just days which sinks into the lonely nights and the cycle continues.

It's been six months since I last saw you... And I guess it just hit me hard.

It's just cruel how little time we had together.

I still remember that night. How happy we were in that cute little prom of yours. I still remember how heartbroken you were when I betrayed you.

But you didn't let it break you.

I still remember the way you took down those bastards. I still remember how fucking proud I felt on that moment. I still remember how I took a bullet for you and the shock that coloured your face.

And I know the thoughts which ran at your head in that moment. "Someone actually cares enough for me to take a bullet for me."

I'm here to tell you that yes, I took a bullet for you and I would do it a thousand times over just to prove that I love you and I care about you. I'm here to tell you that you are worth it and you deserve all the love in the world.

I wish I could hold you in my arms and tell you all of this but... Life loves fucking with me and you got caught as collateral.

It's just... Hard some days. Sure I have made friends with some other criminals and tried to make this fuckery my new normal but I'm only human. I'm few moments away from sinking to rock bottom, as shocking as that may sound.

You always perceived me as an aloof, careless and a strong badass but that changed when I met you.

Sure I was always strong but you make me stronger. You and me... We both are like two knives sharpening each other. Pushing each other to reach new heights of awesomeness.

But, I also want to worry for you. I want to appreciate you. I want to wake up next to you and I want to love you.

I often wish how we would have met if I had not gone down the wrong path. Would we have met at some pub? Or in some Ivy League college? Or some frat party?

People often say that you shouldn't waste time thinking about the things that could have been but when you are in a prison with nothing but time, that's all you seem to do.

So yeah, you are the only thing preventing me from going insane.

I think that's enough emotional bullshit for today and I'm low-key relieved that you aren't reading these letters, of me talking like a sap.

But one thing is for sure- I love you.

Yours, Mona.

She heard the electric buzzer and the door of her cell opened. Eris walked in with an impassive face with a guard standing at the entrance. He shut the cell gate and walked away.

Mona's eyes narrowed as she sat up straight. Wait a minute-

She waited for the guard to be far away before she spoke up. "You have a plan."

Eris turned the light off of the cell and plopped on to the bed opposite Mona's.

"Smartie. Always knew I did a good job of recruiting you."

"But how? Do you remember the last time you failed and ended up in the hole for a month and a half?!"

"Yes I do remember but this is foolproof. We have outside help."

"... I'm listening."

"Do you speak thief?" She asked which made Mona scoff in disbelief.

"Obviously. I have stolen cars and kidnapped people. Obviously I'm no amateur."

Eris proceeded to explain how her friends Rye and some other chick had come up with a plan. She listened with complete attention and only stopped her to ask valid questions.

"So... Are you in?"

Mona tried weighing the pros and cons. It's sounded a tad bit unrealistic and far fetched. There were a couple of loose ends which made her hesitate.

Eris noticed that and grasped her hand. "See Mona, no escape plan is perfect. This is a rough draft and we will work out the kinks. But remember, the three crucial things an escape plan needs is- Luck, faith and determination. We don't know about what lady luck has in store but, we sure can have faith and determination."

"I know that you hate it here and I know the punishment of escaping is harsh but what's wrong in trying? We are already suffering as it is, what's a little more? And I see that fire in your eyes, M."

"The fire to break free and the fire to go back to your girl."

Mona looked up and the momentary joy of getting to see Alexis soon. Adrenaline courses through her veins, causing her heart to beat faster.

Eris leaned forward, her voice intense. "So tell me- Would you like to blow this joint or rot in here for the next five years wishing you could have atleast tried?"

Mona's eyes met hers and a smirk formed in her face. Reaching forward she shook Eris's hands, sealing the deal.  "What the hell. This is without doubt the stupidest plan you've ever had. Of course I'm in."

Don't worry Alexis, I'm coming home.

Hope you liked it 😊

Mona x MC Taglist : @kamilahsayeet2063 @kaitlynliaofanxx @vampiregirlsblog @made-me-deep-blue

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[husbandohunter]

LMAO that’s why she’s called Kat. She’s not exactly the same as her brother. In terms of being very deadly in combat they’re both pretty similar, yes, they spar often, but Kat won’t go as far as mastering all weapons and picking a fight with strong looking people. Before Ajax fell into the abyss, his desire is to be an adventurer, explore the world and what not. But after the abyss, well things change. Kat knew that the minute she stare in her brother’s eyes, she knew she lost a part of him.

Her going on her merry way, exploring entire nations, meeting interesting people and over all just having a grand adventure was her way of fulfilling a part of Ajax that she thought she lost. She still loves her brother but she doesn’t know how to confront him with the past and the fatui. Speaking of the fatui, it’s not exactly hard to not suspect a few things. Honestly she doesn’t want to know, hopefully it won’t cause her too much in the long run.

For the most part she lived up to her Anemo Vision. She does what she wants with no regrets. Except on the topic of Ajax and his very questionable life choices. And you were right to assume that their parents have their hands full. Ajax likes adventure + Kat likes adventure = sneaking out a lot to have their own little adventures. Never mind the bone chilling climate of Snezhnaya or the fact this twins are getting pretty adept at climbing houses. Nothing stops them from rescuing a dragon and fighting a princess— no wait that doesn’t sound right.

In terms of sending souvenirs she actually doesn’t do that. Unless she’s going home then she’s sending the souvenirs in bulk. But if she’s still in her conquest of 100% exploration, one nation at a time, she’s only sending letters and recipes and for the sake of trolling her brother her will. Alright now for how she met Xiao. It’s actually pretty funny, after befriending Smiley by buttering him up with compliments he agreed to give her tips on cooking and teach her how to make their specialty dish. When she mastered that, it’s obviously going to lead with her making a few modifications here and there.

Once she’s finish with her version of Almond Tofu, she left it at one of the tables that give the best view on the balcony and went to fetch her Kamera. She’s planning on sending a photo to her family and the recipe. She went back to the balcony only to find her that her food is missing. It obviously piss her off that someone had the AUDACITY to steal from under her nose, her room was close to the balcony she would have caught them red handed!

At this point in time, she’s already a regular and a friendly face in Wangshu Inn. She stayed there whenever she investigate Sal Terrae and to collect horsetail for rice buns. So she’s comfortable whining like a child at Verr about how some punk stole her dinner last night. A very amused Verr told her about the Inn’s secret and Kat just dismissed it “Adeptus or not, won’t change the fact that they stole my food. They should learn some manners or something.”

She woke up the next day with an empty plate on her nightstand and a qingxin flower on it. All Kat could think at that moment was ‘Is this an apology or an insult?’ So that night she made an Almond Tofu. Her Almond Tofu. And she meet the adeptus that night as well. An unlikely friendship was born from this. I’m not gonna go into details because it’ll turn into a fic.

In summary though, their friendship dynamic consist of, a very free spirited woman with a Guardian Yaksha for a guard dog best non human friend. When the traveler arrived and also befriend the yaksha Kat wouldn’t help but feel possessive. They befriended him the same way she unintentionally did. So she cooly challenge them to a chess game, because fighting is her brother’s thunder and unlike some people she doesn’t steal anyone’s thunder. Also chess fights is what cool and sophisticated people do.

They were good, more than that! The traveler actually made things challenging and interesting. Before she or the traveler knew it, quite a few hours had pass already. The traveler was close to dozing off but Kat still wants to play. Despite that, her big sister instinct kicking in, she gently coaxed the traveler to rest. She comfort herself that there’s still tomorrow to continue the game.

Uggghhhh I knew I was gonna word vomit about this. Things might get funky in my ‘descriptions’ because it’s honestly getting dangerously close to being a fic.

-Birdie

Yeaaahh these two would totally make their mom go bald and their dad constantly scolding them for their behaviour or something 😭😭 but you know I think its nice that Childe can have a sibling who is similar to him rather than protecting them 24/7 while hiding his secret life. I think they would share each other's burdens from time to time due to how close they are, at least thats the vibe I'm getting at xP Knowing that Kat isn't as extreme as her brother tells me shes probably the one who has to look out for him the most.

Oh would you look at that, now theres two cooks in the family (the moment I found out that Childe can cook was canon had me melt and vaporize 🥺) Maybe both of them would also have cooking sessions than just fighting ones? Thats some wholesome family moments uwu. Your OC kind of reminds me of a mix with Xiangling and Hu Tao because of their cheery vibes, but compared to their bold attitude, Kat sounds more brave (I guess its cuz she grew up with Childe). Xiao is a scary looking guy whom barely anyone goes near, unless they brushed off that glare like dust and just continue being their cheery self (I honestly love that dynamic as you can see xD). But truthfully, Xiao needs someone who is like that because obviously he's too secluded to do it himself ._.

I think his first impressions of her would be "presumptuous" but later he gets used to her company and it even grows on him. Maybe I'm just over analyzing this, the fact they both have anemo visions show how different they handle it's meaning. One wants freedom and the other knows how to live in it (eeek! Okok i stop before this gets off topic). In addition to the traveler coming into the scene, I bet they'll also become good friends too! After all, they both share the burden of loving their siblings too much (perhaps traveler would find some familiarity in her presence).

Hehe this was a fun read tho \(^0^)/ thank you for sharing! Honestly even if I said this many times, I really love reading people's ideas since it helps me get my inspiration back >_< The word vomit had just begun my friend, you might wanna keep it in a notebook LOL.

[clumsydarknut]

Having just rewatched The Legend of Korra and The Last Airbender in that order...

I just gotta say, the Gaang is so incredibly powerful that it's shocking to me that anyone argues Korra is the more powerful Avatar. Let me break this down:

Sokka

Though he isn't especially good at combat in the beginning of the series, his intellect repeatedly comes to the rescue at just age 16. It's Sokka who develops the lid for the Fire Nation War Balloons. He also thinks up the fake firebending they use in the Fire Sanctuary. His tactical knowledge is equally impressive - it's him who figures out the Solar Eclipse, how to bring down the drill threatening Ba Sing Se, and who discovers Jet isn't as righteous as he claims. Despite being the butt of all the jokes that episode, Sokka's instincts are, in fact, incredible. Then on top of that he trains in the way of the sword with one of the greatest blade masters in the history of the world, and progresses at an incredible speed. The man is an unstoppable force of intellect and dedication, even compared to many of the tacticians and leaders in both ATLA and LoK.

Katara

In only season one, before reaching the Northern Water Tribe and at only age 14, Katara teaches herself most of the basics of waterbending, including freezing things at will, improvised control, and basic forms from the scrolls she stole from the pirates. But that's just what we see on-screen. When they do reach the Northern Water Tribe, she not only unflinchingly challenges a master waterbender in at least his 60s, she holds her own against him, using advanced techniques we don't see used anywhere in LoK (even by Kya, her own daughter) that she is largely improvising on the spot. She then learns everything Master Paku has to offer her in the span of a few weeks and is deemed a master waterbender, at only 14. Katara, with no training, was able to take on Fire Nation climbing tanks single handedly, and with training was capable of halting the rain in at least a 40-foot radius. Katara bends more water at one time than any other waterbender in either ATLA or LoK with the exception of the Moon and Ocean spirits.

Toph

In addition to being blind, being the creator of metal bending, and being the first to learn the badgermole's seismic sense, Toph had raw power that few other benders ever knew. The most notable instance I can think of off the top of my head is when she, on her own, in the middle of a sea of sand where she could hardly see, halted the descent of Wan Shi Tong's Library, which was being dragged back to the Spirit World via his spirit powers. She single handedly stopped a hugely powerful spirit in his tracks with only brute force. This 12-year-old tiny blind girl had enough power to keep a massive stone library tethered to the physical realm. I'd argue this is on par with Avatar Kyoshi separating Kyoshi Island from the mainland in terms of raw strength.

Zuko

Though he is always shown to be a weaker firebender than other members of his family, it's important to realize he is still far more powerful than your average firebender. In the beginning of the series he's still learning the basics, but he hits a major turning point when he asks his uncle to teach him how to use lightning. He isn't successful with that, of course, but in the process of learning to redirect it, we see a change in him. He gets the hang of that technique more or less, but the real difference shows in how he absorbs his uncle's ideology on the balance of the world. From that moment on, Zuko's bending improves at rapid and even frightening pace. His bending becomes fluid, adaptive, and creative. Rather than the short bursts of flame we see in season one, where he's focusing on the muscle and not the breath, we see his abilities change to more full and sweeping attacks - where he focuses on the breath, and how it extends past his body.

In all honesty, though, it's his sword and stealth skills that are truly incredible. I'm fairly certain we can all agree that his work as The Blue Spirit far outdoes any other nonbending warrior (and most other bending warriors) in either series. It's actually when he combines his swordplay and his bending that he is the most proficient. Then, on the day of Sozin's Comet, he is able to fight with heightened power without losing control of the flames - I'd bet that some of that comes from his swordplay. Neither Ozai nor Azula show the same level of precision or restraint.

Aang

This kid is 12 and he's already an airbending master, complete with tattoos. People may complain that he relies far more on airbending than the other elements compared to Korra, but realize this - Aang's avatar experience began the day he was told. He didn't even attempt bending other elements until he met his teachers. In terms of time covered in the show, Aang had access to these other elements for a considerably shorter amount of time, and we didn't see much after the defeat of the Firelord. By my estimate, he likely was just as proficient in the other elements as Korra by the time he reached 16. I don't think using his most comfortable element more frequently while still learning the others (all of which he's been studying for less than 6 months) indicates a difference in power or skill - especially when you look at how much raw strength he has in all four.

Without the Avatar State, Aang was able to: destroy dozens of Fire Nation Naval Warships singlehandedly; create a whirlpool powerful enough to wrench a massive sea serpent into the side of a cliff; generate a shockwave of earth large enough to take down the entirety of the Earth Palace Royal Guard (different from the Dai Li); create a rolling wave of earth to ride while wrecking Dai Li agents; build a massive zoo in a matter of minutes; redirect lightning from a comet-enhanced Ozai; and, though not necessarily powerful, he invented the air scooter.

The most amazing thing, though, is that Aang could easily take any one of his companions in a fight. Without the Avatar State. And while still bearing the burdens of his entire culture being destroyed. It's shown that he defeats Zuko multiple times, and based on the little bit we see of him fighting with Toph, the makings for a quick victory in an actual fight are all there - though that's probably more due to him being able to fly, making him immune to her seismic sense. Against Katara in a water-only match, he'd probably lose. But give him his other elements, and we're in for a show. And again, his companions are nuts. Some of the strongest benders and smartest warriors in history. That should tell you something about just how amazing Aang is, and all without the Avatar State.

As a fan of epic battle scenes, despite how beautiful LoK's animation was, ATLA is always gonna take the cake.

[strahd-von-asthmavich]

The Dread Lands of Ravenloft - Mod Van Richten’s New England In-Table Campaign [Session 6]

Session Highlights

Did you know that this is technically the party’s third official combat? We’re a pretty role-play heavy group.

They’ve angered six very hungry vampire spawn last time! During the lead-up to this session, my players were so scared of TPK. But, spoiler alert, I’m not that cruel. I planned this out to a T!

Side Note: Any art that I share of NPCs within these highlight posts is my (Mod Van Richten’s) original and fan art. Any art that I use for my players that wasn’t created by myself but by other artists is kept private and within our friend circle.

Abrascus Barbarian (4) Path of the Ancestral Guardian Race: Tortle Background: Haunted One

Direthorn Rogue (4) Swashbuckler Race: Drow Background: Urchin

Flopsy Barbarian (4) Path of Wild Magic Race: Rabbit Man Background: Experiment

Mangus Monk (4) Way of the Open Hand Race: Half Elf Background: Urchin

Neracahne Wizard (4) School of Evocation Race: Eladrin Background: Noble

Nyra Rogue (4) Phantom Race: Fairy Background: Noble

CW: decapitation, sensual themes, gender dysphoria

Let’s see how the battle went under the cut!

I made a grave error when writing session 5's recap. I missed a lot of details! Good thing my players don't read these bc they would laugh at me for missing this!

Nyra made two discoveries during the day. While inside the Blue Water Inn, she notices something while Ismark is flirting with Rudy. There's a spirit hovering near the half elf. He looks like a young human boy, and he seems slightly surprised when Nyra suddenly tries to talk to him aloud. After the spirit fades, she hears a voice telepathically:

"I wonder if she can't hear me either."

At the dinner, Nyra can't help but notice the same phenomena again. Instead, she sees multiple tortured spirits around the dinner table and throughout the mansion. It appears that they're all in agony.

The session begins back on Direthorn, who was away from the other adventurers most of the day. They’ve been trying to scavenge for where they can find more pie, without realizing that Flopsy still had pie left despite not being addicted anymore. They’ve gone through garbage cans and different alleyways in vain, scaring townspeople all the while with feral noises.

They’d been so caught up in trying to find pie that they’d completely forgotten about the Baron’s dinner. The only thing that snaps them out of it is Vasili, who catches them scavenging through garbage in the noble district. He snaps them out of it by asking where their friends are. They have no idea, for they weren’t with all of them when they went to the coffin shop earlier that day. Shortly after the conversation starts, however, Adelaide rushes out of the manor and comes up to Vasili to exclaim her worries. She was worried about Escher, but she was also able to tell Vasili and Direthorn where they were. With that, they head straight to the shop.

By the time that the official combat begins, Direthorn, Vasili, and Adelaide are at the entrance. Here are some very notable highlights:

(A/N: Nyra’s player wasn’t able to play for the encounter, but she allowed me to use Nyra’s stats to run her on autopilot during the fight. Unfortunately, I had shit dice rolls)

We had two critical hits: One from Mangus and the other from Abrascus.

Vasili was able to very quickly join the fight, and he had a very powerful rapier. Its blade was pure black, and a lot of its damage was necrotic.

This is the first time that Adelaide shows off her spellcasting to her new friends, but unfortunately it’s not as effective as she’d want it to be.

Izek and four guards arrive at the scene a couple rounds into the fight to help.

Mangus got the first kill of the fight.

Flopsy dealt the most damage in the fight.

Direthorn spent most of the fight antagonizing one vampire spawn in the back corner of the shop. They have spiderclimbing ability and were able to climb up to the window right above the door. Afterwards, they proceeded to mess with this one spawn until it got bored of them (aka: Izek hit them with his hurl flame ability)

We had four critical failures:

Vasili accidentally stabbed Flopsy with his ridiculously powerful rapier.

Mangus lost his quarterstaff by throwing it across the room.

Nyra accidentally pierced Neracahne with one of her arrows.

Abrascus accidentally strikes Adelaide with his greataxe, which leads to major consequences.

After Abrascus hits Adelaide with his greataxe, she looks so angry as she tries to cast a spell on him with little success. However, Escher also saw what happened, and he then cast the same spell on Abrascus, which did success. Abrascus ended up going unconscious because of seeing horrific images.

After the fight was over, Henrik was under arrest. Henrik was terrified and constantly tried to say that he was innocent and was framed. Izek did let the party briefly talk to him, but that ended up being inconclusive. Henrik said he couldn’t say the name of the person that made him do it. Aloud, Flopsy simply said, “It was daddy,” which made everyone very uncomfortable. Again. Henrik was crying out that he was innocent as he was being dragged out of the shop. Vasili left shortly after.

Because the investigation was a success, the adventurers are all considered “guests of honor” during the Festival of the Blazing Sun. What this means for them is that food expenses are all paid for during the festival, and they’re allowed to spend the festival with the baron at his table whenever they wish to.

Ismark arrived with Rudy during the aftermath. One of the vampire spawn was burnt to a crisp by Izek, and Rudy proceeded to decapitate the body. After this, Rudy looked at everyone in confusion, claiming that they needed to decapitate the corpses and then burn the bodies in order for them to die. Flopsy looked confused and told him about how he killed Doru. Even though Doru’s head was bashed in, Rudy tells Flopsy that because he wasn’t decapitated, then he’s technically still active and can eventually regenerate from that.

Rudy is dumbfounded by the party’s lack of knowledge, until he realizes that they’re not really from here. He explains to them that because Barovia is run by a vampire, then vampires that live here are stronger than vampires that would typically be found in the Material Plane. So, it takes more effort to kill them. However, after seeing that Flopsy has Van Richten’s Guide to Vampires, he seems really disappointed that he doesn’t know more about vampires. That is, until he’s given the book and sees that many pages on how to kill vampires are missing. Flopsy tells him that he’d gotten the book like this from Vasili.

When Abrascus wakes up, he’s suffering from an effect of longterm madness, experiencing tremors and feeling shaken up. Rudy quickly takes care of it before it gets too out of hand, and he and Ismark work together to heal the adventurers. When Rudy does this, he holds onto his pan flute while Ismark plays his balalaika to cast his healing spells.

More Content Warnings: Misgendering, trans pregnancy mentioned

Before resting…

Abrascus ended up staying behind at the coffin shop to sleep in one of the coffins. Rudy took exception to this, and he told Flopsy to place a holy symbol on top of the coffin. Just in case. Ismark stays the night with Rudy when they all part ways.

When the rest of the adventurers return to the manor, Flopsy goes inside and can hear Adelaide crying while Escher is tending to the wound caused by Abrascus’ greataxe. She’s devastated that someone she thought was her friend would hurt her like that. Escher tries to assure that things like that happen sometimes, but he will do anything to defend her. Adelaide then asks him, “Is Father going to do something to him?” His answer to her is to not worry about that, for that’s his business.

Flopsy soon makes his presence known, or rather, Escher begins to notice him. He stops talking with Adelaide, and she decides to go see what the girls are up to at the guest house. This leaves Flopsy to continue the conversation he had with Escher earlier that day.

Flopsy insists that Escher needs to tell him who his host was so that he could become a vampire too. Escher refuses to give the name, for it’s too dangerous, but Flopsy can conclude that Strahd is Escher’s host. To challenge that, Flopsy asks, “What if I ask her other dad?” That makes Escher go from deflective to immediate defensive, now that he knows how much Flopsy heard. It’s then that he tells Flopsy that Adelaide having two fathers was supposed to be kept a secret. Escher is transgender, and he left his old life to escape a forced marriage. How that led to him being in Barovia and being one of Strahd’s consorts is unknown.

Escher makes a promise to Flopsy. If he were to tell anyone that Escher was a vampire and that Adelaide is a dhampir, he would know that it was Flopsy that did it. Essentially, he was going to kill him if he told.

Direthorn, Nyra, and Neracahne all go back to the guest house when everything was cleaned up. Some time later is when Adelaide comes over to see them for comfort. They all decide to have a girls’ night where they drink wine and get to know each other. Adelaide quickly starts getting tipsy, and Neracahne and Direthorn immediately pounce on that as a way to get information out of her. They ask her about her papa, and she tells them that he had raised her mostly on his own and that she’s her favorite person. They then ask about her mom. She seems confused, and after some explaining, she tells them, “I don’t have a mom.” They ask if she’s adopted, but that also needs to be explained to her. She says no, and then she explains how Escher came out to her when she was a child.

Even though Escher had said that her body is similar to hers, that doesn’t change the fact that he is a man. Even if he gave birth to her, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s her father. She’s very adamant about that, but she’s relieved that Neracahne and Direthorn respect that. The conversation gets a little more personal when they start asking about who her other dad is. They’d noticed that when she laughed, Adelaide had fangs. She gets scared when trying to explain herself, and it eventually comes out that her other father is Strahd.

When Escher came to Barovia, he was with his party of adventurers in Vallaki. The way that Adelaide described their union was that it was… not exactly a conventional one. But in the end, they’d “married,” but before Escher could be turned, they found out that he was pregnant with Adelaide. They had to wait until after she was born, or else risk her dying in the process. Escher had almost died when she was born, but Adelaide perceives that her papa turning into a vampire saved him. She also tells them that although Strahd hasn’t really been in her life during her childhood, she knows that he cares about her.

She begs them not to tell and makes them promise. Even though they promised her that they wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, Adelaide knows that people will kill her if they find out. They will also kill Escher, and even though it seems like she knows a lot of people hate Strahd, she doesn’t want him to get killed, either. She soon relaxes once she’s reassured, and they’re all able to open up about their personal lives and experiences.

Direthorn talks about being orphaned and running away from the orphanage at thirteen. They’d been alone for the longest time, after they’d lost their best friend. That makes Adelaide feel a little sad as she expresses her sympathy. Neracahne then talks about how she ran away from an arranged marriage. As she’s explaining her story, Adelaide perks up. She exclaims, “That sounds a lot like my papa!”

She then tells Escher’s story to them, or at least, what she knows of it. Escher was a student at a wizarding school before he came out, and he excelled in his studies. Something happened, however, that made him earn his teachers’ ire. He had crafted his very own spell, which was the spell demonstrated at the coffin shop against Abrascus. In response, the teachers lambasted him and told him to stick to his studies. Escher was angered by this and felt like he was being held back.

That story felt so familiar to Neracahne. She’s heard something similar to this in the past.

Adelaide continues the story. After Escher dropped out of school and took up apprenticeship with a necromancer, he started his transition. It was shortly after this that Escher was forced into a marriage. She didn’t quite remember the name of his husband. “...Reginald?” It was their wedding night that Escher used his spell against someone for the very first time. After his husband was knocked unconscious, Escher escaped and became an adventurer.

Now this was too familiar to Neracahne. It’s then that she remembers a story that she overheard when walking through town one day. That person’s name wasn’t Reginald. It was Roland, who was a middle-aged elf that was a well-respected noble. He’d just stepped out of a chapel holding his head. Different people asked what happened to him, and he started talking about his wedding that was roughly a week earlier. He took a young wife and thought that the union was a success. But then, “that crazy bitch stabbed me in the shoulder,” and she then had cast a spell on him that made him go crazy. She then disappeared without a trace.

It’s then that recognition spread across Neracahne’s face. She realizes in that moment that her old friend is Escher.

After the revelation, the night between the girls continues as normal until they all fall asleep together.

There’s one unfortunate problem that night. Mangus was left alone to wander. He didn’t know where to meet everyone, so he ended up in the dark manor while everyone else was at the guest house. Not a single light was on inside the manor, except for in the closed off study. He checks the door and sees that it’s locked, annoyed that he didn’t have any thieves’ tools on him to try and break in. He doesn’t dwell on that thought for long. When he realizes that whoever’s in there is coming out, he hurries to hide so that he’s not noticed.

From his hiding spot, he can hear Vasili walking out of the study, lightly beating something against his hand. He didn’t see what it was, but it was something with a bit of weight to it. Mangus then hears Vasili go back into the room and douse the fire before leaving it with the door locked shut behind him. In the pitch black manor, Mangus hears Vasili walk up the stairs. Mangus tries to go back towards the study to check the door, but in the process, he hears Vasili call, “I know you’re down there.”

Vasili then walks down the stairs in the pitch black manor, appearing to navigate fine despite being a human. Mangus is a little perplexed and tells him that he was trying to find the others, to which Vasili laughs and tells him that he’s in the completely wrong build. But Vasili does offer to take him back to the guest house.

On the way there, Vasili engages in small talk with Mangus in the dark. He asks about Adelaide, but Mangus can’t seem to get his words out. During his fumbling, Vasili asks Mangus to look at him. It’s here that suddenly Mangus finds himself to be charmed. He sees Vasili as a trusted friend to be protected. He can tell him anything, so he does. He’s able to get his words out that he’s interested in Adelaide in a romantic sense, but he’s still trying to process his feelings. It’s what Vasili says that causes the air around them to still.

“You better be careful with that. You do not want to get on Escher’s bad side. Or mine.”

It’s then that Mangus let’s Vasili bite him, revealing himself to be a vampire. After a considerable amount of damage, he says this to Mangus:

“You will not speak of what happened here, you will not tell anyone I spoke with you, and, if I can help it, you will not remember what happened here.”

Flopsy soon comes to the door to the guest house after they’re done, and Vasili briefly engages in pleasantries before going back to the manor. Flopsy drags Mangus into bed to sleep, and from the other room it sounds a little bit awkward. But the session ends there, as the adventurers take their rest.

[lordofcrowns]

                                    ➤   “If I were to warn you, what would I say...?”

C A P T A I N  C Y R I L  S T A C Y

Cyril is highly defensive, hard to hit, and extremely quick to punish anyone that gets in his melee range. Melee to mid-range is where he’s the most dangerous, because that puts his opponent both within bullwhip range, and grabbing range. In combat, Cyril’s motive is always to subdue his adversary, not to kill. His goal is to force them to surrender, and he will employ whatever nefarious and cruel tactics he must in order to manage this swiftly. He will grapple, choke, bruise, beat and break bones without hesitation if he has to.

His bullwhip is the weapon he’s the most proficient and dangerous with, as well as being the weapon with which he can inflict the most pain and fear. Typically his whip is used for crowd control - it is most often utilized to halt someone’s retreat. It’s common for people to attempt to flee, only to be tangled up in the coils and yanked back into Cyril’s range. It’s common for individuals to suffer dislocated joints or snapped limbs when this happens, to say nothing of the way the whip cuts into the skin upon latching onto them.

Once someone is stunned, entangled, or otherwise slowed enough for Cyril to get a firm grasp, he can use his right hand to shock them and effectively paralyze them long enough to shackle or bind them. In most encounters, once he’s shocked someone, unless there is outside intervention - the fight between those two is over.

U N T O U C H A B L E

While it’s no secret the Captain keeps his right eye covered, the reason as to why widely remains a mystery. Those oblivious to his name and reputation will typically assume he lost that eye somehow, or perhaps that he keeps it covered as some sailors prefer to do, to allow for better sight in the darkness below decks as well as to sharpen one’s aim. Few ask, as it’s of course terribly rude to pry into such things.

Those who do know of him will often insist the covered eye is magic, a source of power and the very thing that renders him “untouchable”. Rumors often circulate that this magic eye is also the source of the crackling lightning that sparks and manifests from his right hand, allowing him to knock people down for the count so easily once he merely gets a hold of them.

As if to deliberately reinforce the frankly wild belief and ridiculous rumors that he is invincible, Cyril outwardly bears no scars nor marks on his body.

[ bold for often  //  italicize for situational  //  strikethrough for never ]

commander /  duelist / “honorable” / dishonorable / would have others do their fighting /  stealthy  / long-ranged / melee / technological / sorcery / superhuman abilities /  has fought in an illegal tourney / a lover of fighting / a hater of fighting  / cowardly / reckless / strategic / uses underhanded tricks  / renowned for their skill / trained ( sword and shield ) /  untrained / keeps skills secret / won a battle / lost a battle / ruthless / merciful

╳   F L A W S

moody | short-tempered | emotionally unstable | whiny | controlling | conceited | possessive | paranoid | liar | impatient | cowardly | bitter | selfish | power-hungry | greedy | lazy | judgmental | forgetful | impulsive | spiteful | stubborn | sadistic | petty | unlucky

♔   S T R E N G T H S

honest | trustworthy | thoughtful | caring | brave | patient | selfless | ambitious | tolerant | lucky | intelligent | confident | focused | humble | generous | merciful | observant | wise | clever | charming | cheerful | optimistic | decisive | adaptive | calm | loyal

Tagged by:  @whitherliliesbloom​​​ & @windupzenos​​​ ( Thank you both! )

Tagging: @verdandir​ @manawalls​ @finalvalor​ @noscean-scholar​ @wanderlust-spirits​ @cero-tia​ @menphinasbow​ @windup-dragoon​ @thebratcat​ @mystellis​ @reshaepocan​ @pearlescent-scales​ @bastets-ocs​ @alun-ura​ @finalsongxiv​ @amurr-reha​ @ennochian​ @mieyun​ @deviri​ @ashadowatthefork​ @unmend​ @candideangel​ @alinteau​ @sati-ffxiv​ @bolt-from-the-dark​ @ishgardianblossom​ @shroudblessings​ @sunnythanalan​​ @windupnamazu​ & anyone else interested!

[ I know I’m a bit late on this one, so no pressure & if you’ve already done it / been tagged - my apologies. Also, please feel free to use me as your tagger even if I didn’t mention you, I would love to read more of these! ]

Full stat breakdown & continued Cyril related ramblings under the cut:

C O M B A T  M O D E :  C A P T A I N  C Y R I L  S T A C Y

★★★★★★★★☆☆  —  STRENGTH ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆  —  OFFENSE ★★★★★★★★☆☆  —  DEFENSE ★★★★★★★★★☆  —  SPEED ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆  —  DURABILITY ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆  —  ACCURACY ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆  —  AGILITY ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆  —  STAMINA ★★★★★★★★★☆  —  TEAMWORK ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆  —  STEALTH ★★★★★★★★★☆  —  MELEE ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆  —  BLADES ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆  —  BLUNT ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆  —  RANGED ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆  —  MAGIC ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆  —  TRAPS ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆  —  MEDIC & ★★★★★★★★★★  —  BULLWHIP

G E N T L E  D I S C L A I M E R : Cyril is written more akin to a thriller genre villain, sometimes teetering over into horror depending on the situation - while still being set in high fantasy. I just realize he might be a bit much, perhaps too dark or violent, depending on your preferred entertainment genre / expectations, so please consider this a soft warning if that’s not something you enjoy!

O V E R V I E W   [ C O N T I N U E D ] :

When in a fight, Cyril typically will come across collected, poised and honestly rather cocky. Cyril is something of an expert at breaking people’s morale and shattering their confidence, and that kind of behavior on his part often starts the very moment he and an opponent, or potential opponent, meet. Cyril will insult, belittle, talk down to, and make a great display of pity towards his adversary - this usually includes offering them ample opportunities to surrender to him before things get bloody.

In the inevitability that someone refuses to surrender, he’ll then dare them to prove themselves to him, which he will equate to proving themselves worthy of autonomy. Cyril will demand their attention and effort, and rather playfully jeer at them the whole time, especially if they seem distracted in any way [ say, for example, if he’s holding their loved one(s) hostage ]. That, however, is typically only his behavior at a distance, or as the fight begins and the two are getting a feel for one another.

Once a fight picks up, and especially once Cyril’s genuinely in melee range - you can expect him to start pushing and forcing himself into his opponent’s personal space. Definitely a byproduct of his confidence, but also typically something he can get away with due to sheer size and strength. He’ll grab, grope, and try to get people into uncomfortable holds they can’t easily wriggle out of. Choke-holds are common, whether he’s wrapped his arm about their neck from behind, or simply clasped his hand about their throat. Getting up in someone’s space may also mean pinning them to the wall, or pinning them down on the ground - he’s skilled at grappling and comfortable with either. It’s also common, both as a way to disorient as well dishearten, for Cyril to slap an opponent if he sees an opening. Usually a slap in the face is paired with an insult - maybe they let their guard down, maybe their footwork is poor - whatever it may be, Cyril will capitalize on any chance to humiliate his opponent.

In addition to getting uncomfortably close, one can expect him to snarl, shout, curse, and even growl at his opponents. Words may still be exchanged, but instead of playful banter one might instead hear whispered threats or extremely dark insinuations and other foul comments. It starts to sound like he’s finished being playful, though that isn’t necessarily the case. After all, he usually treats people like playthings, and encounters are often a game played at his leisure. Cyril likes to scare people, and he likes to see their reactions. He also just so happens to be entirely too willing to make good on any threat he whispers.

At his worst, if an opponent refuses to go down, or say his temper is getting the better of him - Cyril’s restraint will falter and he’ll start being unnecessarily violent. His temper is notoriously fickle, so whether his reaction is appropriate for the encounter he lashes out in or not is hard to say. He has a history of beating people bloody - be it with his whip, his body, or both - until they pass out. Cyril has kicked and crushed people under his boot hard enough to shatter bones and crack ribs, as well as doubtless inflicting many a concussion slamming people against this or that structure. His temper boiling over to such a degree as to see such behavior is rare... but not as rare as it should be.

O U T   O F  C H A R A C T E R  N O T E S :

Cyril is written to be a powerful and ideally ( if I’m doing my job right ;; ) terrifying villain to go up against. He’s supposed to feel impossible to overpower, coupled with losing to him of course having massive & heavy repercussions - both for a hero / heroine and for that individual’s loved ones. I really wanted him to be scary and unforgivable.

While not invincible in any way, he would like to have others believe he is. Therefore, he invests no small amount of effort into selling that invincible image, with a generally rather high success rate. Rumors abound of an “untouchable” Captain Stacy, who boasts no scars and loses no duel. Which... it’s true he’s not yet lost a duel, but why that is can be written about another time.

I’ve written Cyril to intentionally be a villain that someone cannot simply overpower with brute force. Winning against Cyril is going to take strategy, forethought, and ultimately in some cases, stooping to his level or even flirting with a diplomatic relationship. He is a pirate, after all, pirates love to parley.

He’s generally meant to put a hero / heroine in a difficult position, where they’re forced to make decisions and do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do in order to defeat him, because again - simply overpowering him is not going to work. And at the same time, he cannot just be ignored or avoided, because his trade and his tendencies are too cruel and intrusive to cast a blind eye towards. Morally, he cannot be allowed to continue what he does, and someone has to put an end to it. I wanted to make him a villain that challenged heroes on a deeper level than just physical strength.

At least, all of that is what I hope for when I write him. Did I succeed? Who knows. 

Thank you for reading! 🌹