#and connection because of the fact that there still ARE gears and clockwork. the same way kenix's outfit has references to ken's

[roboyomo]

playing around with ken's main fit and i think i have it set, i'll def draw it digitally later!!! just to clarify the text there says "Left scissor blade/sword" cuz that is exactly what it is that is his weapon of choice

fun fact kenix and ken are supposed to wield the two sides to the time scissors (<-what those scissor blades make when are out together) as their weapons so kenix wields the right blade and ken wields the left blade

[mimicha-arts]

I have not written fandom theories for a long time, but LInkClick fuels my interest and search for meaning too much. Recently, I reviewed all the available series, and came across details that I had not connected before. For the most part, this post is speculations about Cheng Xiaoshi, as well as ... timeline.

Spoilers! Please be careful.

Considering so many details about Cheng Xiaoshi, it seems that there has always been something strange about his "symbolism". In fact, I'm really into the theory that the moment in episode 1 of season 2 (when Lu Guang gets stabbed) is the vision & flashback of the past about Cheng Xiaoshi's death. In fact, it amazes and delights me how many details in OverThink support these thoughts. At least because once a frame flashes, which somewhat resembles a scene from Lu Guang's flashbacks.

But there is more. We have 3 main points: clock, сlockwork and camera. 1. Clock - possible time of death Very specific time appear several times. The clock hands look very strange, still not 6, so probably the time is 5:20 (thus, given the symbolism of 520, I have even more questions). They show the same time in any frame.

But the most interesting thing is that at the very end, when we see Cheng Xiaoshi (with the design from the first season), for a few seconds, in addition to the patterns of gears, a very faded inverted dial of this clock appears on him, where inverted 4 is the most visible part. No need to say that 4 is a symbol of death.

This can only be seen in 1s1s ED. Because, in fact, there are 2 versions of the ED, and it's different (without these details) for the remaining 10 episodes.

Even the very first intro with characters contains very similar clock placed in the background of Cheng Xiaoshi. So, at this point, I'm guessing that this strange 5:20 was the key node and the death of Cheng Xiaoshi.

2. Clockwork - сhanging a key event Gears are shown both literally and in pattern. For a long time, I thought that Lu Guang's shadow was just a shadow, or an indistinct noise, but if you look closely, it becomes obvious that Lu Guang is covering a pattern of gears - probably as a sign of changes with clock mechanism and time. Details such as water drops and film strips are also interesting, as both OP (Dive Back in Time and Vortex) connect these elements to Cheng Xiaoshi.

One of the moments shows how the silhouette of hands (overlapping the trees, which may coincide with the background of the forest in the vision in s2s1) touches the inverted clock, after which the second hand of the clock begins to move back.

And the most beautiful thing .. The fact that the hands belong to Lu Guang, as well as the context of this action, confirms that the animation literally coincides with the scene from the end of 4th (and the beginning of 5th) episodes, when Lu Guang explains to Cheng Xiaoshi how key events (nodes) and changes in the past work. But inverted. What a coincidence, right?

Honestly, I think that all these details can further support the theories about Lu Guang, which already have enough speculation. Given all the hints, it is possible that due to Cheng Xiaoshi's death, he changed something in time, thus erasing the "future in that present" and created a new present as an alternate reality. Just a thought.

3. Camera - another timeline Let's go back to the very end again. Here Cheng Xiaoshi is holding a camera in his hands.

Remember this diamond-shaped mark. This camera is very specific, as it has appeared several times, but not in the main series (yet). There is an easter egg in the mini-series, Lu Guang has a rather similar model, only with a round (clock-like) mark.

It's importance becomes even more obvious, especially now that we have a poster for the second season.

So. What's wrong with this camera? Because there are actually two of them. The one on the table has a rounded clock mark. But the camera in reflection is the one that Cheng Xiaoshi holds in the ED, with a diamond mark.

For me... Seems like it is probably one of the main connecting elements or "anchor" between the timelines / alternate realities, at least conveys this idea. All this makes me feel excited and inspired, how it was possible to place all this so neatly. And which of these can really confirm conjectures and theories … Thanks to the scriptwriters and animators, it's nice to be a part of this game.

Or maybe I'm just overthinking… Anyway, thanks for reading to the end. Perhaps someone has their own thoughts, feel free to discuss ~

[miserabull]

A very long meta-analysis on P2 Bad Grief

So, I've gone over every dialogue with this guy a few times, and there is some stuff I've never seen addressed before. This is a mix of analyzing and theory that have been in my head for a while, and I’d love to know if it all also makes sense to other people

The thing about Classic and P2 Grief, is that they are very different characters playing the same role. Who is Bad Grief? A thief, a kingpin of the town's criminal underbelly, and a smuggler working for Big Vlad. In P1, he's also a dangerous murderer who kills people for fun, but denies it, even claims that he kicks people out of his gang for daring to take up knives. Dude lies a lot. In fact, he maintains the lie up until the last route, the Changeling's, and then tries that on her too but ends up confessing. This is my very wordy way of saying that while I kinda agree with people who are like "he's not a violent murderer like P1 Grief", P1 Grief also claimed to not be one up to the last minute. I don't think they are making him a sadistic killer this time, yeah, but I'm pretty sure he's a liar, and that there's a darker secret. The game implies Grief keeps his cards close to his chest and there is more to him several times, like here, when you talk with Lara's reflection

Lara's Reflection: You see, she puts her stock in deeds and not in words. So Stakh was always close to her; for he would hear his heart, and act. A trait you share, Burakh.

Haruspex: And the most taciturn of us all, Bad Grief.

Lara's Reflection: He speaks so much yet does so much more.

or when Artemy confronts him at Aspity's Hospice:

Bad Grief: You heard about Rubin? Know why the Kin wants him dead? He's walkin' around all downcast, doesn't sleep. Says not to ask. Says it's safer like that. What's he done, I wonder? I wanted to ask Sahba, but maybe you know?

Haruspex: You're lying. That's not what you wanted to ask. I can tell.

Bad Grief: If I did lie, I wouldn't tell you the truth now anyway, would I? So back off. 

I'm not gonna go over the blowing-the-train tracks quest now, though I have some thoughts on it/what I think might be his plan there. For now it suffices to say that that whole thing is very odd, that his plan doesn't make sense(yeah, blowing up the tracks is a bad idea for his business. kinda meaningless though if the alternative is being hanged). That is to say, I'm pretty sure there's a hidden agenda there that we're probably only finding out in Changeling route.

So, what I mean is, if you think P2 Grief is harmless, or just a clown, or became a gang leader by accident, then, well. I think honey, you got a big storm comin'

A few more notes on Grief's character, and what I think of what we got so far:

-I believe the reflection(I have some thoughts about the nature of those too, actually lmao) is telling the truth, mostly. He is terrified, he doesn't want Artemy to think badly of him, he never wanted violence. P2 Grief is younger, more sympathetic, and very obviously more scared than his P1 counterpart. I don't think he's out there killing for fun. Still, I think he has a lot of blood on his hands anyway.

-I think his loyalty to his friends is sincere. He's kind of really big on companionship and loyalty, which fits, as a gang member. I really think that he wants to belong, to a gang, to a friend group, somewhere. Artemy mentions he's "always been weird" a couple of times, or stuff like "I knew you'd end up like this." and that thing with Lara's reflection... I think Grief was always a little bit on the margins, even in his own friend group, and that's why he made a place for himself as the leader of the misfits, of the people who don't fit what the town considers to be good society. I gotta get on with this because this is gonna be long enough without me rambling about every single thought and feeling I have about this bastard though

-He doesn't give away Stakh's hideout accidentally because he's goofy and dumb. He mentions more or less where it is like, three times. I think it's obvious that he's practically asking Artemy to go check on him, but he doesn't want to be a snitch, so he plays the fool like "Oooh no I gave you a hint, I sure hope you don't go looking for him now, don't ask me because I’d never tell!!". He's playing the clown, he's not that stupid

Okay, now we're getting to the heart of things. In P1, along with the reveal that he's actually a violent murderer who played another violent murderer(Barley) into taking the fall for his crimes, we get something else: he's working under the patronage and protection of Vlad Olgimsky. In P2, they put a lot more emphasis on that, Grief will tell you about it in the first AND second conversation you have. There is even a certain imagery associated with it... actually, allow me a quick digression here, I wanna go over some motifs around Grief. 

Grief is pretty into clockwork and gears, going by his choice of decoration for his Lair. The town itself is compared to a machine several times, by himself, by Big Vlad, and regarding how the Kains view it. I risk to say that the way Grief sees it is rather different from the Kains, at least at first.  For him it seems to be more of a blunt factory machine, while to the Kains...it means something else, more complex. Grief seems to have glimpsed what that is inside the Cathedral, near the end. That reminds me of something else, in the Diurnal End when Grief talks about how he used to be a clocksmith before, and now he's going to be "another kind of clocksmith", I don't think he's necessarily being literal in either case. Curiously, there's also a Clocksmith inside the Cathedral in Marble Nest...but I'm going off topic again

Bad Grief: Not a keeper of stores, but stories. This town, this great machine, the gears don't turn on their own, no, not till they're slick with secrets. 

But so, webs and puppets. We return to Vlad Olgimsky(old), who uses the metaphor of his “web”. There's also an important character in Grief's journey that is strongly associated with (spider)webs and strings, and that's Aglaya. The most notable time Grief himself refers to it though, I think, it's in the Theatre of Death, if you let him die:

“My path was not called 'The Spider'. No, think wider. It was 'The Silkworm'! The end of a railroad, I pulled strings firm; unaware someone more cunning pulled mine upstairs.”

So about that. He’s referring to the PTB right? Probably, but not only. A theme in Patho is like...these layers of manipulation. I’m gonna pass the mic to P1 Clara and Saburov for a second:

Alexander Saburov: Begin with the Olgimskys. That is the most important sin for me, and the least for him, for it is not his fault. So did Olgimsky protect his illicit trade? Did he benefit from it?

Changeling: He didn't just benefit; he presided over it. Grief was his stooge.

Alexander Saburov: Now then, we shall skip the issue of the barber gang, since it's clear now who their true mastermind was... thanks to your courage, my brave girl.

Changeling: Don't skip it just yet. Barley was as much of a puppet in Grief's hands as Grief himself was for Olgimsky. Everyone has their toys.”

Grief is a puppet in Vlad’s hands both in P1 and P2, as there he says he’s Vlads “eyes and ears” in the warehouses. In the Cathedral, he seems to more or less realize the extent of it, and how it goes against what he always wanted in the first place: to not be trapped by anything. 

Bad Grief: I used to be a thief, yet they made me a storekeeper. And what a perfect fit I made! I got my Warehouse kingdom, and with it, the insides of the Town's great machine. I kept Vlad's riches while havin' all I could dream of. Can't imagine a sweeter life.

Funnily enough, by that time he’s trapped in someone else’s web: Aglaya’s. That seems to be his thing, he thought he was in control and playing everyone, knowing all the secrets and pulling strings. In the end, he’s a Silkworm in the web of bigger fish. I mean, spiders.

Bad Grief: ...Yet they, too, are controlled by someone. Insane to think what kind of teeth you need for that.

But okay. Back to the start, I believe Grief has a lot of blood in his hands even before shit breaks loose. The things he seems to be most afraid of are also… interesting. This ties to his connection to Big Vlad, and the Kin.

Grief’s role in the payroll seems to be as a stool pigeon. He knows where everyone goes, what people are talking about, what they don’t want to become public. And he responds to Big Vlad. What I think is, hm, you know, even after Victoria passed it seems like the Kin and the Bull Enterprise never really defied Olgimsky, or had a leader in any way. Grief, too, seems to enjoy a pretty comfortable life for a gang leader. As an important piece to Vlad, he really doesn’t have that much to fear, since the guy “owns everything” and is very explicit to Artemy about how he can destroy anyone who doesn’t obey him. And probably has done that before. My guess is, Grief kept the machine working right by tattling, so no leadership or enemy to Vlad’s Enterprise could rise. I’d speculate that Vlad possibly paid the favor not only financially, but by maintaining Grief in that position. Basically, I think with Grief’s info, Vlad could eliminate any potential problem. That would mean that maybe without even having to shed blood himself there might be a lot of deaths Grief is responsible for, not to speak of the maintenance of that horrible system in the town. I think the route they are going for here is that Grief is a class traitor.

Why do I say that? Well, first let’s look at Grief’s relationship with the Kin: he’s remarkably close to them for a townie. Geographically, obviously, and also in the sense of living on the margins of society, but he also shares many of their superstitions, and seems to hold Aspity’s opinion in high regard(even calls her Sahba). I find it easy to believe that many of his men are part of the community as well, due to not being welcome in the town. At that time we see him in the Hospice though, and talking with the Kin people there, it’s pretty clear that they are planning some sort of uprising. That it’s imminent. Grief seems to know it. Seems to be absolutely terrified of that too, and to feel betrayed by Vlad.

Bad Grief: It's too late for me, Cub. I've only got one road ahead of me now. Perhaps the outbreak is for the best... Plagues are like fires, people forget old scores. And all hell will break loose here soon.

Haruspex: Any dark prophecies to share? You're the criminal mastermind here, after all.

Bad Grief: No need to prophesize. People fear hunger. Even honest workers will turn their hatchets and hammers to crime. Burglin' houses, lootin' corpses, guttin' each other. They will. Oh, they will.

Haruspex: Not all of them, Grief. Not all.

Bad Grief: The turf's so dry, you don't even need a match-a glare would start a fire. And when the Kin bares its teeth, that's when we'll all dance! They're slow on the start, but oh so fast on the draw! The Master likes them mute and obedient, but apathy makes them that way, not stupidity. They're only obedient till the time comes. And here it comes.

And the people who lose their jobs? They won't be too fond of staying home. They'll find new hobbies, like looking for food, or venting their anger. ...And Fat Vlad shut his facilities down the day before yesterday, didn't he? Crafty... Didn't whisper so much as a single word to me. Do you think he knew?

At the same time he seems to think that he deserves this, and it’s inevitable. “We reap what we sow”, paraphrasing him. He talks a few times about how there’s a vile beast inside each person in the town, about how they are all wretched and everything, including him, which I think might just be a way of coping like “yeah, I sold out, but anyone would do the same if they were in my place”. 

So, yeah. What I think is that Grief was a guy that had no power and money, with absolutely no perspective, who due to his very particular skills had an opportunity to climb up and took it(all while still getting to pretend he’s an outlaw, free from the chains of society!). And it’s...very bad. And he knows it’s very bad, and he’s not evil or sadistic, but he’s immature, cowardly, and desperately wants to be in control of his own destiny, and to not be alone, and all that. He’s still Artemy’s childhood buddy, a loyal friend, and someone who never really wanted to cause that much damage. He also knows that what he did is unjustifiable, and that no matter what he truly feels, the damage is done and he’s guilty of horrible shit.

[pucksnsticksnhockeyboys]

there for you

summary: your best friend Bowen can’t help but draw some connections between you and your favorite show. 

word count: 2k

warnings: heavy spoilers for New Girl. like, its basically the premise of the fic

note from the writer: here’s a link to a tweet with the scene im talking about in this fic, its from the episode “Oregon” (season 4 ep 16). shoutout to @bqstqnbruin​ for finding it for me

Bowen had long since stopped asking to come over before showing up on your doorstep. Usually, he’d send a ‘are you home?’ text to make sure you were around, before heading to your apartment for whatever reason he had in mind.

The latest text had come in twenty minutes ago, so you knew he was going to show up soon.

Like clockwork, you heard a knock on your front door and Bowen greeting your roommates before your bedroom door opened. He was grinning, wide as ever, and you opened your arms for a hug from your position laying in bed, under the covers and in the middle of a New Girl marathon.

“Scoot over.” Bowen grins, barely giving you enough time to react before dropping on top of you, arms wrapped around your middle and his head nuzzled into the crook of your neck. You paused the show, not wanting to miss anything despite being on your third rewatch.

You wondered if he could feel how fast your heart was beating. If he knew just how much his touch affected you, how many feelings you were harboring from him.

“What’s up?” You asked, pushing away any thoughts about your massive crush on your best friend as you tried to get to the bottom of why he showed up out of the blue. It wasn’t the first time he had done so, but he always had a reason.

“I wanted to see you. Practice was rough.” He mumbled in the crook of your neck. Your heart skipped a beat at his words, how they fell past his lips so easily. Those words made you think that maybe your feelings weren’t so one sided, that there was a chance for you to be even happier than you already were with your best friend.

“You’re going to make me blush.” You teased, downplaying the fact that he really did manage to fluster you. Bowen snorted, squeezing you tightly once more instead of responding to your comment. An easy moment of silence passed, one that wasn’t stifling or awkward and it reminded you once more just how much you enjoyed being around Bowen. Subconsciously, one of your hands threaded through his hair. “I like it when your hair is longer like this.”

Your words were punctuated by a tug on his roots and though he didn’t say anything, he hummed contentedly. You worried that maybe he’d be able to hear the hammering of your heart or he’d know that the smile on your face wasn’t because of your platonic love for him. You feared that he would know—know how much you loved him and know that you had been hiding your feelings for so long. But you couldn’t let yourself think too much about that, you couldn’t let yourself overthink and ruin one of your closest friendships, so you tactfully changed the subject.

“Are we napping or watching my show?” You asked, though you had a pretty good idea what his answer would be.

“Nap, please.” He mumbled, and you could never deny him, especially when he was acting so sleepy and adorable, so you agreed easily. You both shifted your positions slightly, you trying to find the comfiest spot and him climbing under the covers with you, but eventually you both melted into your mattress, Bowen’s head still buried in the crook of your neck.

Bowen tried to stay awake a little longer; to tell you about his morning and the practice he had just come from that had drained his energy completely. But before long, his words were slurring together and when he stopped mid sentence, you knew he had fallen asleep with his arms wrapped around you and your fingers carding through his hair.

You tried to stay up too, to relish in the feeling of being in his arms. But you knew that pretending like it meant something more than it did was only going to break your heart more, so soon after he dozed off you closed your eyes and followed suit.

You were the first one to wake up, a combinatin of Bowen’s weight on you becoming slightly uncomfortable and the need to use the bathroom, so you did your best to climb out from underneath him without waking him. You thought you had made it out clear, but the moment your feet hit the floor Bowen was stirring from behind you.

“Where are you going?” He mumbled, causing you to halt your movements. It was far from the first time you had heard his gravelly voice just after he woke up, but it never failed to make your heart race. You swore you could listen to him talk forever, which was a good thing, since he never seemed to be able to stop talking.  

“Bathroom. I’ll be right back.” You told him, finally standing to your feet. When you turned back around, Bowen was already watching you with tired eyes that made your heart clench. God, you were so gone for him.

You slipped out of the room without saying anything more, not trusting yourself to not blurt out just exactly how his smile made you feel. When you returned, he was sitting up against your headboard, your laptop open on his lap as he queued up the episode you had been watching before he arrived.

“New Girl again?” Bowen teased when he spotted you enter the room. You playfully rolled your eyes at him, climbing back into your spot beside him on the bed. You mirrored his position, though you dropped your head against his shoulder.

“It’s a good show. Plus, Jess and Nick’s relationship is my favorite.” You told him decidedly, like you had a dozen times before. The relationship between Jess and Nick truly was somehting you strived for—friends that were always in love with each other, no matter the problems that arised and even when they were broken up they did their best to keep the other happy.

“Fair enough.” He chuckled, shifting slightly so that his arm was around you and he could hold you closer to his side. “What episode are we on?”

“Oregon.” You started, knowing you’d have to catch him up on more than just the episode name. “Jess, Cece, and the guys go to Portland because Jess’ dad is getting married. Jess’ boyfriend, Ryan, was supposed to show up but since he lives in England he said it wouldn’t make sense for him to be there. So, Nick’s trying to make Jess feel better because he secretly loves her and I just need them to get back together.”

“Don’t they end up together though?” Bowen asks, trying to recall as much about the show as he could. It might not have been one of his personal favorites, but he knew you loved it, so that was enough for him to try and follow along.

“Yeah, but they aren’t right now.” You confirm. Before Bowen could ask anymore questions, you pressed play on your laptop and continued where you left off. Jess and the group had just arrived at her childhood home, only to find her mom ready to greet Ryan, who wasn’t there. The scene played on, with Nick telling Jess the hard truth that Ryan bailing wasn’t okay.

You could feel Bowen’s eyes on you as the scene changed to Nick comforting Jess in her room. Giggling at the Jordan Catalano joke, you tried your best to focus on the screen and not the piercing blue eyed gaze that seemed to be studying your face. And, like you always did when you got to this scene, you bit your lip to supress a grin as Nick delivered his next line.

“The only thing that matters is that the guy is there for you when you need him. Otherwise, you’re dating a wall.”

“Are you even paying attention, Bow? That’s like, my favorite line. What I wouldn’t give to have someone love me the way Nick loves Jess.” You sighed, settling further against Bowen as the episode continued on. He didn’t say anything in response, other than a quiet hum, but for the rest of the episode you could practically hear the gears turning inside his head as he turned his attention to the screen.

Netflix automatically continued on to the next episode, but as soon as the intro started Bowen’s hand shot out and paused the show. You looked at him curiously; the two of you usually got through at least a couple of episodes whenever you hung out like you were then.

“You know…” Bowen started, trailing off before he finished his thought. He wasn’t meeting your gaze, and it was clear that what he wanted to say was on the tip of his tongue so you stayed silent while he found his words. “I’m always there for you.”

You felt your heart stop beating and skip three beats all at once. You weren’t sure where he was going with his train of thought, but if you had to guess you would be getting your hopes up. Because there was absolutely no way that he felt the same for you that Nick does for Jess.

“Yeah, you are…” You breathed, trying to get him to meet your gaze but instead he stayed focused on your comforter pulled over both of your laps. The hand that wasn’t around your shoulders was toying with the fabric, and in a bid to calm him down enough to get him to say what he needed you slipped your hand into his. Bowen drew in a steadying breath and finally met your gaze, a dozen and one emotions swirling behind his eyes.

“I love you, you know.” He said firmly, like there was no question about it in the slightest and not the very words you had been dying to hear from him for years. You nodded, unable to form words but not wanting to leave him hanging.

You supposed you did know that he loved you. He showed it in his blatant affection and the frequent texts about how his life was going. He cared for you, there was no doubt about it, but you had never let yourself believe that he meant anything more than friendship. And now he was offereing everything you’d ever wanted on a silver platter.

“Bowen,” You started, but you couldn’t find the words to tell him just how much you loved him back. Instead, you moved the hand that wasn’t wrapped up in his to rest on Bowen’s jaw, turning his head just slightly so that you could press your lips to yours in a long awaited kiss that stole your breath.

Kissing Bowen felt so much better than what you imagined. The angle was a little odd and your neck was craned to face him, but you wouldn’t trade it for the world. You’d share a thousand more awkwardly positioned kisses if it meant you got to be with Bowen.

You were the first to pull away, but you didn’t move far, wide grins on both of your faces as you took in the events of the past few moments. Your friendship was definitely changed, and in place was a relationship that you had been hoping for.

“I love you, too.” You finally mumbled. You wanted to tell him how you had loved him from the moment you met, how he made you fall in love with him with each and every day, but for the moment all that mattered was he knew you loved him just the same as he loved you.

“I hope, or else this is going to be awkward.” He mumbled playfully, leaning in again to close the distance between the two of you. You couldn’t help but chuckle against him, your hand slipping from his jaw to curve around the back of his neck in order to deepen the kiss.

Bowen was the Nick to your Jess, and not a day went by that you weren’t greatful for him.

[welcometoels]

Session Thirteen - Zanthia

After a decidedly mixed few hours in the unfriendly city of Monthend, the party has found themselves in the much more agreeable company of Zanthia, a perky Halfling who works as a waitress-cum-entertainer at The Wayward Alchemist.

It is under her guidance that the team now finds themselves upstairs at the Alchemist, as she leads them past the rooms where the staff entertain their more discerning clientele in private.  She also tells them of the tradition wherein particularly satisfied customers purchase lanterns to be hung on the walls next to the rooms of their favourite workers.

Zanthia’s room is the last, the largest, and the most abundantly illuminated.  Inside, the floors and walls are bedecked with expensive and peculiar gifts from all over Toltirgis.

Also present in the room are three Elves, whom Zanthia introduces; admiring himself in the mirror is the High Elf, Jof Suffers; trying their best to be unnoticed is the Wood Elf, Anemia Rixme; and perched on the edge of the four-poster bed is the Drow, Cailynn Coldcloud, with her clockwork wyvern Moo.

While the first two show little interest in the party, Cailynn takes a moment to introduce herself - perhaps because she sees in them a common yearning to solve the mysteries that have plagued them in life, but more likely because she is played by an actual human person (welcome to the game, Alex!)

Cailynn is an artificer, specialising in alchemy.  Purple of eye and skin, she cuts a dashing figure in black studded leather armour and candyfloss pink hair - though, due to certain magical causes, this changes on a day-by-day basis.

As the team settles in on a plushly cushioned corner of Zanthia’s room, she fills them in on why she has brought them all upstairs.  It transpires that a close friend of hers has been taken hostage by a dangerous group of people - of whom dragon hunter Herrington is a member.  She needs a group of seasoned adventurers to assist in setting them free.

To help pique their interest, Zanthia suggests to Talion that he may well find useful information pertaining to the people who may be tracking him down.  Talion is surprised by how much she knows, but, with a coy smile, she points out that she makes it her business to know as much as she can about new arrivals in the city, and he and his party are the most interesting people to have arrived in a long time.

At this juncture, Jof drops off a hastily scrawled map of the building where Zanthia’s friend is being held, and leaves cautiously.  Zanthia explains that he used to be a member of this dastardly group of kidnappers and dragon killers, and has provided a layout of the building at great personal risk.

There is more to the plan too.  Downstairs, in the back room of the Wayward Alchemist, the guards who form tomorrow night’s shift are playing a friendly game of cards.  Zanthia feel confident that she can get one more player into the game, potentially allowing them to incapacitate the guards somehow, thereby allowing the party to take their places.

Cailynn has just the thing.  Rummaging through her alchemist’s kit, she quickly concocts a mild poison - not enough to kill a person, but certainly sufficient to cause them great intestinal discomfort the next day.

And so, a plan is formed:  Kadis will pose as the player, whilst Oddsock sneaks around dog-style, checking out the other players’ cards and mentally transmitting them using his eldritch powers.  Talion will offer musical distraction, Cailynn will stand ready with the poison, and Julius will be an adorable otter.

In order to help them prepare for this ruse, Zanthia opens up her various closets, with an instruction to take anything they need, but to stay out of the bottom drawer.

Talion is in first, tarting himself up with various ruffs and powders, and perhaps taking it too far.  Oddsock keeps it simpler, with just a top hat, bow tie and monocle.  Julius dons a jaunty poncho, and Cailynn takes feather boas for herself and Moo.  Kadis changes into so smart but comfortable red gear, better matching his new eyewear.

Before they head down, Zanthia bestows a quick blessing upon them, making them all harder to spot when sneaking.  You never know when it might come in handy.

Downstairs, Zanthia has a quick word with the Tiefling bar manager Tabitha - firstly about the game, and secondly about the sleeping man she left at one of her tables.  Tabitha nods, and mutters the words “clean-up on table twelve” into her necklace.

At this, the hulking Golem doorman Stopdick folds himself in through the door.  A path is quickly cleared before him, and he picks up the slumbering lecher and carries him out of the door.  There is a soft clattering of a rubbish bin, and nothing further is seen of heard of either of them.

Inside the back room, the team finds six High Elves around a table, with a jug of booze and a deck of cards.  Kadis strides up to them with unusual brazenness, inviting them all to find out how it feels to be beaten by a blind man.

Amused by his chutzpah, they allow him to join the game.  Kadis sits himself down - successfully feigning blindness, despite his beholder companion being secreted in his eyescarf - and is dealt in.

The game is Raktika Hold’em - a simple poker variant involving two cards per player, five in the river, four rounds of betting and a buy-in of a single copper coin.

The dealer hands out the cards to the players.  Around the table sit Melch, Punsie, Rimothy, Elbothan, Gunnannonnimon and Talion’s nemesis Herrington - a fact that does not go unnoticed by the bard.

Kadis’ hand is promising:

Jammy git.

He throws in his copper, and matches a raise from Herrington - as do the other players.  The river is dealt, revealing an all-important King. Off to a strong start.

Oddsock does a good sneak and ogles the cards of Melch and Punsie - nothing much going on, though the presence of some diamonds in their hands could be an issue.

A round of betting follows, while Talion begins performing a rousing (and hopefully distracting) song for the players.  As he does so, he can’t help put spread a little magic, conjuring up an unpleasant smell from Herrington’s direction.  Gunnannonnimon wrinkles his nose and shifts a little further away.

The fourth card is dealt into the river - a Two of Clubs.  Oddsock can see that this offers nothing to help either Rimothy or Elbothan, both of whom are holding absolute rubbish - not that one would be able to tell based on their bets.

The players go in bold for the next round, and even Kadis allows himself to put in a raise now that four of his six competitors’ cards are in his mind.

The final flop seals the deal - it’s only the bloody King of Spades.  Though he is now sitting on a Three Of A Kind, Kadis does not let this break his poker face, even after Oddsock confirmed that Herrington and Gunnannonnimon have nothing to threaten him.  Delivering a new magical smell into Herrington’s lap, Oddsock returns to Kadis’ side for well-earned scritches.

Emboldened by his sneaky knowledge, Kadis puts in a large raise.  Several players bow out, but Herrington holds fast in the mistaken belief that his pair of fives will bring him anything but embarrassment.  Already troubled by the looks he is receiving for his odour, he puts in a raise of his own, which Kadis matches and raises further with a handful of gold.

A disturbance ensues, with much grumbling about “limits” and “poor manners”.  Between this, the stench and the increasingly raucous music, the stage is set for a sneaky poisoner.  Cailynn sets Moo into flight with a tiny vial, the contents of which he successfully deposits into the jug unseen.

After Moo has returned to his partner, the fracas begins to die down, and somebody proposes a toast to help clear the air.  Drinks are poured from the jug for each of the players - including Kadis.

Ruh-roh.

Seeing this happen, Julius beckons Oddsock over and asks him to connect with him mentally.  Minds linked, the otter tells the dog that he has a certain spell that can remove the effects of poison.  Oddsock passes this intel across to Kadis, who raises his glass and sups with confidence.

Now that the mood is once again convivial, the group excuses themselves to return to Zanthia’s room, wherein Julius lays on his paws and removes the poison from Kadis, thereby avoiding a day of severe intestinal distress.

Settling back into the room, the gang tries to relax - which is easier for some than others.  Julius is uncomfortable with all the skullduggery, and takes a quiet moment in a corner to contemplate the blue pebble that used to be a glowing gem, but which now hangs from his necklace.

He runs his paws over its surface, and tries to recall the intense feeling he got when first he held it, but the emotion of that moment evades him.  Drawing the pebble close to his mouth, he whispers to it:

“Pa...?”

At that moment, each of the former gems and lanterns - even the one in Kadis’ pocket - emits the same sound:

“Pa...?”

Everyone looks at Julius, who looks back with confusion.  A further mystery - albeit a useful one - has now come to light.

With his mind on the gems, Kadis dips his hand into his pocket and withdraws the golden gear.  Taking a bit of a punt while riding high on his modest poker win, he hands it over to Cailynn.  As her fingers meet it, she

Hears the voices of her family for the first time in many years

Hears them pleading with their pursuers

Hears them no longer

She sinks to the ground as the golden gear affixes itself to her silver skull necklace, and becomes very quiet.

After some tentative support from the team, she tells them about the murder of her parents and her 50-year-old sister - still just a child by Elven lifespans - at the hands of a violent group who had been blackmailing them.  Still being young herself, her magic was not enough to save any lives but her own, and she has lived with the guilt ever since.

Talion sympathises and shares his own story of familial woe, as do the others, all of whom have lost family in one way or another.  The mood becomes bleak, so  Zanthia opens up a Dragonborn statue, withdraws a very expensive brandy with several crystal glasses, and proposes a toast to them all, to their friendship, and to the success of their future endeavours.

And with that, to bed.  Most of the group settles right down onto the cushions, though Oddsock has a quick, very educational snuffle around the forbidden drawer, while Julius fidgets nervously, unable to catch sleep.

Zanthia takes to her four poster bed, leaving space for company, and tipping a wink to Talion.  Never one to turn down an opportunity, he joins her as she draws the bed's curtains.  There follows an experimentation with bardic inspiration that shall never be explicitly discussed.

The dreams that follow reflect the day that they’ve all had: Themes of familial loss and gambling abound, but at least there aren’t any tentacles.

In the morning, breakfast is brought up - sausages and regular, non-mimic eggs.  Zanthia asks the group all to be here in her room in the afternoon, but otherwise they have the morning to themselves.

Talion immediately tries to pursue a monetary reward to help refill their dwindling stocks, and speak to Tabitha about a slot performing in the Alchemist.  She requests a sample of his music, and his performance is sufficiently good to earn him a spot onstage during happy hour.  Satisfied, he settles in to hone his art.

Oddsock heads out a-sniffing, to see if he can find any trace of his homeland.  A familiar scent is on the breeze, so he follows it, passing by some priests desperately scrubbing their steps, and finds a barrel storehouse.  Further in, two men are operating brewing equipment, and the scent of hops and malt fills he air.

Oddsock approaches them, and the nearest - a simple fellow named Brando - approaches.  After a deployment of the canine charms, he becomes besotted with Oddsock, and asks his companion Kevinge if he can keep him.

Kevinge is less impressed, so Oddsock delves into his mind and tells him that belly rubs are his only road to salvation - or, at least, that’s what he means to say.  Oddsock is not so good with the long words.

Mistaking the voice in his head for god, Kevinge begins rubbing his own belly and muttering the word ‘salamander’ to himself.  Pleased with his morning’s work, Oddsock trots away.

Also out on the town is Julius.  In an attempt to reconnect with nature, he goes out looking for foliage.  Though the city is very built up, there are a couple of trees here and there, and it is towards one of these that he strays.

Resting a paw upon it, he channels his druidic magic and begins to speak to it.  The spell works, though the tree does not have much wisdom to offer.  It has stood for long and seen much, but its only concerns are the soil, the water and the sun.

It turns out that this is just what Julius needed - a few calm, relaxing words from nature to soothe his anxious soul.  He meanders in the sunshine, a much happier otter.

Cailynn is on a natural quest of her own, but for nothing quite as pure as Julius.  The poison she made last night depleted her mushroom stocks, so she is hunting around for something unpleasant for future efforts.

Though mushrooms and toadstools are nowhere to be found, she does finds a promisingly thick collection of mould behind some bins.  Scraping it into a little container, she adds it to her alchemy kit for later perusal.

In a nearby library, Kadis is sat with a stack of books on the topic of local history.  He is trying to read up on his old home town of Amberstall, and anything that may have happened to it after the event that robbed him of his sight and his family.

Unfortunately, the only books he can find are too old, and the entries only refer to Amberstall as the modest farming town he remembers from his youth.  He does also find an entry about Thornhelm, the town he helped defend against bandits, though again, there is no mention of that event.

Mostly, he is just happy to be reading again, and takes his time leafing through a few tomes in peace.

As the team members begin to return to the Wayward Alchemist, Talion starts playing.  Though his audition was just adequate, his afternoon performance is exquisite.  Even the taciturn Tabitha pauses her work to watch him, and once he is finished, she hands him a purse of gold and a little bottle of good brandy as a tip.

All together again, the group heads upstairs, where a strange woman awaits.  Long of ear and sharp of uniform - just like the guards of last night - she stand just shy of five feet tall in her stacked but professional boots.

The adventurers are cautious, but Oddsock catches a familiar whiff of perfume.

This is Zanthia.  And she’s ready to get to work.

[zafaria]

Precious Metals

Sometimes, I just feel so intimately connected to everthing in the Spiral...

It may strike a wizard as a rather mundane fact to know that the Spiral is dust. That they, are dust.

But think on this a moment. What is dust, and how much of it is scattered across our Spiral, throughout the worlds and on top of them, and on top of the things within them? 

How many farm plots have we seen across the lands, one of Farley’s brothers always graciously tending it? Maybe we even have dust in our homes, whether it’s in our own fields that we water and shape, or across the tops of our books that we haven’t touched since we were novices. We think ourselves too advanced for such texts now. But, we are the same as we were then, at least with regards to what we are made of.

Is it not dust that makes dirt? Bartleby grows in the center of Ravenwood, but not between cobblestones and brickwork; he grows on tender earth, just like the Tree of Life does, just like Yggdrasil above Nastrond does. And though he does not grow on them, those cobblestones around him are made of, well, stone. They are pressed and fused rocks. Like all brickwork, soil and dirt and, yes, dust, had to be cemented together to create those walkways and those bricks and those buildings. Whether they are grey, brown, red, black, green, or yellow, they are from clay, from earth.

If we were to go back, one-by-one, we might remember the many different strata that bend the worlds and create our universe. In the crypts, in Darkmoor, or the Djeserit or Ahnic tombs, there was dust. Some we made (or, rather, brought forth) with fire, some we witnessed. The books in the mausoleum crumbled from parchment, not into nothingness, but into imperceptible fragments. The telescope at the top of the study had a glass lens made from sand. And that sand, in its crystalline form, did wonderful things, broke other rock in the form of an alabaster phylactery, freed souls, brought light, healed ancient wounds and let them become scabbed, confined things. After all, the soft fibers of a bandage come from a plant that must grow in something. We beget softness, kindness from these spots.

In Krokotopia, we might well remember the raging sandstorms that sheltered the old families in the Sphinx or the Well. We might remember how these bits tuck to us, with us. In our shoes, in our mouths, under our nails, in our hair. 

We might remember the sand falling from the top of the Pyramid of Fire, or pushed up against its sides in little hungry piles, leaping upwards. We might even remember finding the location of Alhazared, but not until after we cleared sand over a small map, pointed a solid blue crystal over the projection, and let the magic of light and dirt do its work.

Later on, we called upon old spirits and unfathomable demons using crypt dust, soot and dirt and cobwebs. We lit candles, and the wicks burned and tinged the wax with black powder. We opened portals to unseen realms, places where cursed spirits still lingered, freed from their dust, but something more remained, trapped. Just like they did in those places separate from space and time, those places where stars fused metals overhead, leisurely, like a smooth and thoughtful artist stirring paint, still readying to lay down the strokes.

On the rooftops, there is the soot collecting from the chimneys, and the coal that gave Stoker and the clockworks life, that made gears and wood and ropes and cogs into meaning into existence. In the Dark Cave, the large stalactites that hung over our heads, reaching downwards, intertwined with great roots. Maybe from Bartleby, or any of the saplings around him.

And then the matter of the specialties of all these particles. There was the small collection of sand above the ocean in Celestia where the sun never set and the fronds grew vibrant, and the center shallowed out for a little oasis, no other one quite like it. There was the rich soil full of nutrients and magic and leaf litter that let the jungles of the Aeriel grow so densely; the dust, the dirt cemented into stones used to build the Athanor, imbued with electricity. The scorch marks from our crashed ship.

There was Xibalba. And it, too, was dust. The things that have power to seemingly create can also seemingly destroy. They transform. Just as Xibalba was a conglomerate of particles picked up from the sky, the fragments made from it and the soot from its fires are made of the same stuff. Only, with different intent.

And then there are the fractured segments of the primordial forest, the birch trees falling into flakes and pieces and bits, into earth. All of the fragments of the world itself, circling around, with a haze of colors blue and orange and yellow and magenta, leading the way between them. The streaks in the sky that could be seen on a quiet, level beach, or from the top of a blue-ice mountain.

In Mirage, amidst storms of the stuff, the very flow and moments of time itself are kept bundled together in an hourglass, a whole field of magic dedicated to its study, its control, its knowledge and its mercy.

And what might all of this have to do with us, the forsaken heroes of these realms, the curators of all that exists within them, and even those things that exist without them?

In this grand spectacle, we are the same as any of these other things. We are the stars that long hung over Celestia. The ones that exploded because they saw a better way forward. 

We are the dirt from around the base of all those great named trees, the same life-giving, vibrant clay that was blessed by the roots we hold so dear. 

We are a product of our environments, whether we grew up in a brickwork apartment in Chelsea Court or a simple red farm with yellow soil and a riveting tornado out back the cellar.

Perhaps we are mighty, but think to the last time we fizzled. Think of the hope, the promise, the passion of all those spells before they collapsed--crumbled--before us in the air, the thing that only soot could do. And if we were less hasty, if we counted our cards after battle and looked around us a little longer before taking off for the next great thing, maybe we would have noticed that all of those fizzled spells, well, they pile at our toes, piles of soot. We take our dreams. Even when they don’t turn out as we hope, they are brought into reality as something else. And maybe that soot still contains the passion and the promise that we originally cast those spells with. We leave our signals where we’ve done battle. We memorialize with ash.

Think of our journey. Think of us winding through the lands and the sleeplessness and the heartache of it all. Think of us tripping in any of the many forests we’ve explored, or sliding on sidewalks or decking. We did not wash our hands, or our bodies, until and since Azteca, for things moved so fast. And from this, we collected. We collected grime, we collected dirt. When we fell on the ground, we skinned our knees, and the sticky wet layer of skin collected, too. We walked for weeks then, with small black smudges that trapped themselves over the wounds and hung around the corners, forming the barrier between new and old. 

Actually, we are exactly new and old. There are old great trees in us, fragments of Dragonspyre’s warriors running in our veins, the old Celestians connecting, constellating, and forming our minds. I look at my nail and I see the half-sliver of Xibalba streaking through the sky. I look at my freckles and see spots of earthy poison from swords in Avalon against my skin. I know there is more, like the onis in the spirit realm, Tatyana bound to Darkmoor, the whispers and legends of the Celestians. But something important is in front of us, around us.

For, we are made of the most potent stuff the universe has to offer. We are the dust of dust.

[jacksgreysays]

Fake Fic Summaries 26/?, the Five Ways Love Hurts edition (2020-04-20)

A/N: I would like to preface this be reiterating the shameful fact that I still have yet to consume any canon BnHA. All of my knowledge is entirely from fanfiction, the occasional wiki-ing, and various meta analysis posts.

I mean... I don't think that really matters considering these are all fake AU/recursive ship fics, but I just feel like it's something I should warn people about?

Anyway, here we go!

~

1) clockwork hearts (the too many gears remix)

Or, when you're in love with an android because he's so human, but that android loves some other human entirely...

... and that other human hates your beloved android because he's not the real thing.

Aka, I read clockwork hearts by OneshotPrincess and thought to myself, how do I make this beautiful and sweet fic dramatic and sad? Throw some Bakugou into the mix!

Okay, so, I would highly recommend the fic--it's beautiful and sweet and pretty quick and also this next bit is spoiler-y/won't matter much if you haven't read it.

Anyway, clockwork hearts is a TodoDeku fic in which Izuku is an android, and Todoroki is a rich boy completely enamored by this android who seems so human.

And while I cannot say whether or not it's because the android IS based off a human Izuku in the original fic, I can say that's the situation in this little brainstorm because what if that was true? And so because android Izuku is based on human Izuku that would mean android Izuku loves (whether platonically or romantically) Bakugou.

But that means Bakugou knows (and maybe loves?) the human Izuku so android Izuku is like... a despicable artificial mockery in his eyes.

So I guess first I have to figure out what the BakuxHuman!Izuku side of this fic would be--like, is who/why does Human!Izuku have an android version of him? Is he in some way incapacitated or or missing/presumed dead or actually dead?--and then, second, I would have to figure how the TodoxAndroid!Izuku path crosses with the BakuxHuman!Izuku path.

I mean, if Human!Izuku is missing then maybe Android!Izuku has the clues to find him so Bakugou is like "hey, I need your shitty robot to find my [beloved] childhood friend" to Todoroki because he doesn't even think of Android!Izuku as being sentient and Todoroki's just like, wtf no, but Android!Izuku does kind of love Bakugou and is just like. "He needs my help! Even if it's to find Human!me."

And then it becomes a begrudging trio road trip to either a) find Human!Izuku or b) give Bakugou closure on Human!Izuku's death PLUS c) fall in love???

I just love drama!

~

2) Becoming Real (not too shabby)

Katsuki has long ago put away his childish things, but Izuku's not one for giving up.

Or, in which Izuku is one of Katsuki's childhood toys and wants to become Real.

(aka, a Velveteen Rabbit/Pinocchio AU)

Vaguely reminiscent to the above brainstorm, although I don't know if this would be weird to make romantic or not. Given the whole Izuku starts as one of Katsuki's childhood toys and all.

I'm trying to figure out in this journey to become real, if Katsuki's life is just normal BnHA world (minus Izuku as a human) so he goes to UA and there are quirks etc etc. Because that would mean I couldn't make some of the other toys/beings on Izuku's journey to Realism be the Dekusquad. Like. The idea of Iida and Uraraka and Tsuyu as other toys/Jiminy Cricket equivalents trying to help/guide/keep Izuku from doing something nuts is very fun. But then would that mean they're not in class 1-A anymore? Or is this a weird Wizard of Oz situation? Or are the League of Villains obstacles for Izuku instead of being actual Villains ruining the UA students' lives?

Or... is this somehow a Izuku is actually human with a quirk but long ago something happened to Inko so he turned himself into a toy as a weird quirk defense mechanism and Katsuki took him home and both of them/just Izuku forgot how to turn back? So the answer all along is to get to Aizawa? ... but that one's kinda weird and horrifying, so I'm going to say no.

I don't know, I just thought. Velveteen Rabbit = Izuku was easy to connect but there's not much of a plot to follow through on?

~

3) Bakugou Katsuki's Guide To House Husbandry and Domestic Bliss

It's just a Way of the House Husband AU but with retired pro hero Ground Zero instead of a former yakuza. That's it.

Weirdly enough I have more semi-angsty backstory for this fluffy nonsense than actual fluffy nonsense, presumably because I was trying to figure out a feasible set up for the fluffy nonsense? So it's something like: 

When Izuku and Katsuki are six years old, they are attacked by a villain made of sludge.

This is after Izuku's quirk has failed to appear, after he has been branded as quirkless and useless, but before the words become pointed and suffocating and bitter. 

This is after Katsuki fell and Izuku leaped after him hand outstretched, after a false sense of inequality has been wedged between them, but before it can permanently shape a dynamic of confused conflict.

This is after their lives have been tied together, for better and worse, but before it can be horrendously tangled and frayed.

When Izuku and Katsuki are six years old, they are attacked by a villain made of sludge and saved by the number one hero All Might--it changes both everything and nothing of their futures lives.

Because Katsuki will turn this horror into determination, will become a hero that always wins--and better than All Might, he vows, staring wide-eyed at the curled form of his best friend in All Might's arms as he run, run, runs to the hospital. And Izuku will still help people with all he can give, even quirkless and one hand short.

And two decades later, as they move in together, this still stays the same: Katsuki is far and away the better house husband.

... and it's basically Izuku is some kind of engineer/doctor/physical therapist and at the top of his industry same as Katsuki who is Ground Zero and who is on some kind of injury related sabbatical and who has decided to be the Best House Husband ever.

I had some more thoughts about how, even though Izuku still admires All Might and doesn't at all blame him for the loss of his hand, that his mentor/goal in this world is the engineer/doctor/physical therapist that helped child Izuku with his prosthetic (and I came up with a name and a non-work related quirk for them, too, Akahana Tonakai who can make their nose glow and that's it. Quirks do not make them great, etc. etc.) And also some angst about how the hand that Izuku lost was the hand that he reach out to Katsuki when they were younger (should've take it when you had the chance!! he sometimes thinks, before shaking that thought away)

I don't have anything concrete tho, so... that's it.

~

4) Legend of... ???

Power, Wisdom, Courage...

Even without the great calamity, the princess of legend, or the hero of time, the triforce still remains in Hyrule waiting for those who would wield them.

Or, Katsuki was always going to be a hero, he just has no idea what to about with the weird forest spirit that has the other half of his sword.

Basically... Deku = Deku Tree from Legend of Zelda? Not that Izuku is that big old tree, but, like, maybe he was raised in the forest? Maybe it's the only name that non-forest dwellers know? I don't know. I've literally only played Breath of the Wild and, like, 20% of Majora's Mask so... the lore is not strong in me.

I kind of had an idea of, like, mixing the "canon Fantasy!AU" (which is, frankly, bewildering that that's a term that both applies and makes sense) but I don't really know the full lore of that either? I mean, maybe All Might was a powerful hero who had managed to unite all three pieces of the TriForce (at expense to his health) and when his sword was split in two and one ended up with Katsuki while the other was SUPPOSED to be waiting for its other half in the forest protected by the Deku Tree but instead Izuku was like. Hey. I can wield this to protect people and off he went and now it's kind of this chasing me, chasing you type adventure?

I was also trying to figure out the whole Power = Bakugou, Courage = Izuku, Wisdom = ??? thing. Because while I would normally be like, ah, yes, the Big Three would be Bakugou, Izuku, and Todoroki, I wouldn't necessarily say Todoroki is Wisdom? So... *shrugs*

~

5) i dream of flowers (the always fading remix)

Or, how to take a yearningly sweet and slightly melancholy fic and turn that sad dial up to eleven!

This would be a real sad remix of i dream of flowers (and they're always sad) by Seeress

The idea I have is going to be spoiler-y and it's not worth the spoiler so PLEASE read that first. Trust me, it's worth it. Actually, all of Seeress' fic is so *chef's kiss* if you're into BakuDeku. Anyway, the rest of the brainstorm is under the cut so as not to violate spoilers.

I really just wanted to lean on that ANGSTIER AMNESIA. So the remix is more... in which they can only be together when Bakugou is "Ground Zero" because Izuku's brain is literally incapable of holding memories of "Bakugou Katsuki" after the hanahaki surgery. So not only did the surgery cause retrograde amnesia (in that, all of Izuku's memories of Katsuki were taken out along with his feelings) it also causes anterograde amnesia in that, Izuku can't form new memories surrounding the person he knows as "Bakugou Katsuki." Kind of like a vaccine... or, so as to maintain the flower vibe/analogy, it's like selective herbicide.

BUT (and here's where it gets deliciously angsty) he can still form memories of the hero "Ground Zero" he just can't connect that Ground Zero = Bakugou Katsuki. Which is especially fun given that in the original fic they meet up again and Ground Zero is trying to reconnect with/date Izuku. It's not quite the level of Fifty First Dates, because Izuku CAN keep memories of Ground Zero (and like in the original fic, Izuku has been a fan of Ground Zero for a couple of years) it's just whenever Katsuki tries to say his real name that the memories/connections fail to form. Like the two identities must be kept compartmentalized. So they can have a perfectly functional relationship so long as Katsuki only ever stays Ground Zero to him.

I don't know how to get to a resolution though, or if there even is one? Because on the one hand, I guess I would love Katsuki mildly suffering in order to be with Izuku for infinity, but Izuku is also real smart and I feel like even amnesia wouldn't stop him and he's not really one to be stuck in a dilemma when he can just resolve it through sheer force of will... *shrugs*

[kali-tmblr]

The Alcoholics: Parallels in the Lives of Qrow and Oz

Like Sakura Wars, RWBY is a story that depends on the strength of the characters' emotional bonds. One of the strongest emotional bonds is between Qrow and Ozpin, two characters whose lives parallel each other at an earlier stage.

The bond between them is referenced in the first episode when Ozpin fondly remarks to Ruby that her fighting style reminds him of "a dusty old crow". "That's my uncle!" Ruby proudly exclaims. It's mentioned again in the first episode of the third season when Ruby says that the more she gets to know Ozpin, "the more he's starting to sound like Uncle Qrow". And when Qrow finally appears two episodes later, it's to drunkenly defend Ozpin's honor from Ironwood's insult.

I've written of how the Qrow/Winter brawl is a clash between loyal partisans in "Snowbirds of a Feather", but the partisanship doesn't end there or with them.

When Glynda defended Qrow's drinking my eyebrows hit the ceiling. They spent three seasons building Glynda up as someone with OCD tendencies and zero tolerance for shenanigans, and now this? There was one and only one thing that could make our no-nonsense neat freak back a sloppy drunk who just made a mess of her courtyard -- guilt. She felt responsible for driving Qrow to drink. Right then I knew he'd been going on meatgrinder missions with insufficient resources and little to no backup for people who both cared for him and felt they had no choice. It was a revelation that changed the whole texture of the show, and pointed out just how deeply loyal Qrow was to Ozpin.

These examples indicate Qrow's feelings for Ozpin, but what of Ozpin's feelings for Qrow? Ozpin doesn't leap to Qrow's defense or even verbally acknowledge his actions, and seems more exasperated by his antics than anything else. The signs that he also feels a strong bond to Qrow are more subtle and appear later.

Ozpin introduces Qrow to Pyrrha as "a trusted colleague". He certainly is, being, as we later find out, the one person entrusted with finding and shepherding his next incarnation. But more than that, Qrow is the only person in six volumes who we have ever seen Ozpin look to for approval. When Pyrrha came to Ozpin's office, Ozpin waited until Qrow signaled that he approved of her before telling her about the Maidens. And when faced with growing condemnation over his secrecy, Ozpin held firm until Qrow lashed out at him. It was Qrow's accusations over how Oz had hurt Qrow personally that finally drove Oz into isolation.

For the record, I'm on board for unrequited Cloqwork but nothing more. I doubt the twins had good role models for non-abusive authority figures growing up. "The strong live, the weak die" is a mantra for predatory opportunists, not for people whose moral codes contain strongly defined boundaries around what authority figures can and can't do. Yet Qrow has learned how to be a non-abusive authority figure by the time we meet him; and he must have learned it at Beacon, from Oz, his teachers, and his classmates. I can't see Oz risking someone he clearly had plans for early on not learning such an important lesson as that by modeling a relationship that pushed the boundaries at a time when in all likelihood Qrow barely had any boundaries to begin with. But regardless of whether there is any sexual or requited romantic connection, there is clearly a very strong emotional bond that both men value a great deal.

Qrow is Ozpin's eyes in the field, a job literally encapsulated in their symbols. Ozpin's symbol is two clockwork gears, Qrow's symbol, which he must have registered while attending Beacon, is a winged gear in the shape of an eye, with his twin having the mirror image, which can interlock. It's not exactly subtle.

However, I believe Ozpin considers Qrow not merely a valuable asset, but a reflection of his earlierer self. Both Qrow and Ozma are protectors at heart, and despite the fates they have suffered, this fact goes to the core of their identities. Both men suffer from a carefully concealed depression and a degree of self-loathing. Qrow feels cursed by his Semblance and separated from his loved ones. Ozma 4.0 felt cursed by his mission and separated from his loved ones. And both men dealt with their problems by retreating into alcoholism. They even use the same hip flask, which isn't the only one in the show (Ironwood uses a concha-style flask), so it's not just a case of the animators being lazy.

Because of this resonance Ozpin feels a deep empathy for Qrow. I believe this empathy caused him to see Qrow not just as a potential asset, but as someone he could save from going down the same self-destructive path that he had gone down. And to give credit where credit is due, Qrow admits that Ozpin did save Qrow to a huge extent, by giving his life purpose and meaning and a time when he needed those things. Judging by Ozpin's reaction when Qrow's support of him was withdrawn, this good deed meant a great deal to Ozpin as well.

While their breakup is still fresh and painful, both mutual growth and an eventual reconciliation would fit the show's theme of 'Keep Moving Forward". So far we've only seen young people demonstrate the ability to grow and change, but for the theme to truly be universal we need to see it demonstrated by our older characters as well.

This last parallel is only a hunch at this point, but I suspect there is a final way in which the two men are alike. I suspect that in both men their depression is interfering with their Semblances. There is a widely-held fan belief that Qrow's Semblance isn't bad luck, but luck that reflects his self-image. Logically, if he gets his self-image problems worked out, his luck should improve exponentially -- hopefully before his next round with Tyrian. But what if Oz has the same problem? What if it's not the case that his magic has been "dwindling" so much as his growing depression has been blocking his ability to tap into his magic? In the real world, this is what happens with depression and creativity. The more severely depressed you are, the less able you are to tap into your creativity. It would make sense for magic to work in a similar manner. Thus, if Ozpin gets his own inner turmoil worked out, it might unleash the full potential of his magic -- just in time for the finale.

Maybe, maybe not. But we can dream.

[coeurlskiss]

((To celebrate my return to XIV, a story about what Aurina has been up to! Enjoy!))

Oh good. It’s that dream again.

It’s been less than a moon since it was the truth of my waking, yet night after night I return to it. I don’t know why; all I know is that I no longer even participate in the dream, merely observe it.

I see the cliff face above me through rain blurred eyes, my vision further weakened by squinting. The lashing of windswept rain upon my back and the stone makes every ilm of the ascent more treacherous, but failure is not something I am prepared to consider. So hand over hand I continue the climb.

Looking back, I believe the climb took me only a bell, maybe less. But here in the dream, as it was in life, it seems to take entire days. My soaked cloak and scruffed armor add to the weight, and I curse myself (not for the first time, nor the last) for wearing them in this hunt. The only weight I do not regret is my blade, newly forged and freshly oiled hanging from my shoulders; I feel it hunger for this, and redouble my efforts.

At last I reach the height of the cliff and clamber onto blessedly flat ground, making no effort to rise from the mud. For a while I simply lay there catching my breath, and it is only when thunder booms above that I lift my head.

Behind and below me stretch Vylbrands verdant jungles, all the way to the coast and punctured with chalk white cliffs. Before me and carved into yet another mountain is an ancient cave, at once both a welcoming refuge from the storm and a foreboding danger. Yet to succumb to fear of the later is the same as climbing back down, so I push myself to my feet and enter.

I see marks upon the walls, each a small rune or symbol meant to denote a hunter who has come before me. Those that have been marked through are those who came back from the depths.

Precious few have such a mark.

There were simpler trials; I could have hunted in the lowlands, where my prey is more plentiful. But for my pride, I likely would have; this is a trial for Nuhns and those who aspire to greater things, not an outcast seeking a home.

Moments later, the scraping of my knife still echoing from the walls, I leave my symbol behind and enter the depths.

There is precious little light as I descend into the earth. The faint glow of naturally formed crystals provides scant illumination even for my eyes, but it permits me to see the ragged and forgotten shapes of my preys meals.

Those that looked as if they walked on two limbs are hard to ignore, but I do my best.

I wind through the tunnels, knowing that to forget a single turn is to invite damnation upon myself. Who knows how many runes were unmarked not from the failure to hunt, but the failure to find ones way out.

Then I pause; not out of fear, but because I hear something. A breathing in the darkness, a wet sounding snarl barely louder than my own breath.

I hear it behind me, not in front.

I fall to my knees not in terror but desperate instinct. Despite the fact no contact is made I feel its weight press down on me, suffocating me momentarily with the threat of my demise barely avoided. As I rise I pull a flare from my hip and twist it to life, holding it up.

The coeurl has landed and twisted round to face me, lips pulled back from its fangs as it snarls in anger. Whiskers flick and flare with levinlight at its sides, and in its eyes I see the truth of the situation laid bare.

It was never my prey. I was the prey.

I drop the flare and reach back to grip the hilt of my blade. I feel its yearning to slip free as clockwork mechanisms respond to the tension I place upon it, but I dont draw it yet. I force myself to wait, watching the coeurl.

It growls, then roars stamps a paw. Its next charge is preceded by lightning sparking from its claws, and I hurl myself aside from its tackle.

Not yet.

The beasts tail catches me and sends me off balance, crashing into the wall. Magicless sparks fly from its paws as they drag against stone, arresting its momentum to twist around to face me. With another roar it leaps, and only by rolling along the wall away from it do I avoid being crushed.

Not yet!

The stone crumbles and collapses beneath the pounce, and we both fall through a newt formed hole into a larger chamber. I try not to think of what it is I smell as I roll to my feet, rising and glaring at the coeurl as it scrambles to its feet.

Not yet-!

The crystals in the walls of the cavern glow brighter as the coeurls aether builds, and with a roar and stamping of its paws it unleashes a blast of levin upon me. It cascades upon itself like the tides, racing for me and casting me in a pale blue light.

Now.

I draw my blade at last, and mechanisms catch upon the harness. Gears spin and whistle as the blade sings free, aether infused shells connecting their power to the blade. With a roar of my own I take the blade in both hands and swing it down to meet the charging energy, one finger curled around the trigger and pulling.

The hammer sparks against the chamber and detonates the first shell, unleashing the entirety of its charge. Aether explodes along the length of the blade and splits the lightning in two, singing the tails of my cloak as it passes by on either side. It takes a lot of strength to not let the recoil throw the weapon from my hands, but somehow I manage it.

Instead I swing the blade back and then up, shifting my weight back. One hand leaves the hilt of my weapon to catch the charging coeurls snout in my palm, and my heels dig in to arrest the momentum as much as I can. I feel its heavy breath against my front as my arm is forced back, and know only moments remain before it forces me to the ground.

The pommel of my blade strikes down, catching the coeurl just above the eye. It yelps and stumbles, and I push its head down as my feet lift. I find myself rolling and tumbling along the length of its back, and as I clear it I land a shallow cut along its flank before we part and I strike the ground.

I desperately haul myself to my feet and launch myself on the offensive now, blade swinging down at the coeurl like a hammer blow. Once more a round is triggered at the instant of impact, and I feel bones break beneath the blow.

But that victory has a price, and claws rake against my front, tearing armor from my front. The leather I wear beneath offers little protection against the bite I see coming, and I jam my weapon sideways between the teeth to keep them from closing.

The angle is poor, and the trigger just out of reach. I have to reach into its mouth with my other hand to detonate the next round. The percussive boom of the explosion separates us violently, and it is my turn to feel the jarring pain of a broken limb. Left with only my sword arm, I know the hunt is moments from ending.

I look to the coeurl as it shakes its head, jaw no longer fully capable of closing. I see with abject clarity a single path to victory, and realize just what it will entail. There is no time for resignation or doubt; with a cry of fury upon my lips I charge.

The coeurl see’s what I intend, and charges at me in turn. Bones and remains are crushed beneath our tread, hunter and prey desperate to reach one another and end this conflict decisively. But the damage to its leg has it off balance, and that is the side I fall towards as I drop to my knees.

I feel claws catch my cheek and split it open, at the same instant my blade pierces the coeurls flank and I trigger the remaining rounds simultaneously in the beasts heart.

* * *

The hunt is not over.

I race through the tunnels, my prize clutched against my chest by a sling that only coincidently holds my broken arm in place. My blade yearns to face my pursuers, but I ignore it and focus only on remembering my path upwards.

Were they waiting the entire time? Was the beast I slew being tested as I was? Or were they only alerted to their packmates plight by my final blow? I asked the Nuhn, but if he knew the truth he did not say.

Of course, that was after; for now I am still running from the pack, desperate to find my way out. And there, around the next bend, I see the blessed light-!

There is no time to mark my rune. No time to wonder how I’ll descend. No time to contemplate the danger nipping at my heels.

I emerge from the cave, reach the edge of the cliff, and leap-!

The dream ends there, even if my story does not. I wonder once again as I wake why the dream does not continue. Why it does not make me relive waking on the floor of the jungle, battered and bruised and miraculously alive after crashing through the jungle canopy. Why I do not experience returning to the village and presenting the jaw of the coeurl to my Nuhn. Why I have to remember myself the moment I was marked, and at last permitted to name myself C’arina.

Yet just as the Nuhn would not tell me the secrets of the coeurls, the mystery of the dream is not forthcoming.

[sparklyicecube]

Nap of a star theories - Hueningkai edition

So, apart from Yeonjun, Hueningkai has the most meta to unpack, let’s do this.

First:

He is the only one who seems to purposefully look at the camera, at us. Self-awareness perhaps? Or maybe he just knows much more than the others in general, not necessarily breaking the fourth wall.

His wings are the biggest and most obvious things at the moment, so to that it is!

They are very much mechanical, throughout the MV there is a constant theme of mechanisms, clockwork, gears and those sort of things. Hueningkai’s wings however seem very purposeful, like they’ve been built, they don’t even look like they can actually fly. Few theories:

- He is a fallen angel

So I sorta like this theory, either he’s been banished to be like this or he wanted to try to get back up there so he built these wings himself. But who is the ‘god’? The star? They did make a promise to the star that seemed to be directly related to it dying so maybe he knows who is behind the star and that’s how he got these wings.

- Another theory is that he is dead

Technically both theories could work at the same time, but could the star have sent him down here specifically to get all of them back together? After all, he seems to know the most, be the most composed, and is the one who helped Yeonjun in tough times.

Let’s have a closer look:

He is specifically wearing them. It is so obvious, and like I said, there are no coincidences in bighit. He can take them off if he wants, so why haven’t he? Everything seems to be mechanical whereas everyone else’s, even though Taehyun’s eye has remnants of clockwork (I’ll get into that in another post), Everyone’s are blantantly supposed to be biological, a curse that at least Beomgyu and Yeonjun seem to despise. Hueningkai though? My main theory about this is that he made these for himself to fit in.

Why does Yeonjun hate his horns? Because he fears that he is a monster, different, that he can’t fit in with anyone else anymore. That’s the reason why all of them are here in the forest even though all of them have been in society at some point (they have clothes ok) so why would Hueningkai want to give himself something which is considered different? He doesn’t want to fit in with everyone else, he wants to fit in with who he believes is his family, his friends. It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks if he doesn’t fit in with his friends. 

Even more than that- I can relate it to real life

Hueningkai is part caucasian, he isn’t fully Korean. For anyone else, you won’t be as discriminated! You can get jobs overseas and some jobs will favor you over others! He could’ve gotten a career elsewhere but he is so proud of his Korean heritage, and his friends, Tomorrow By Together, are all Korean. This is a ‘disability’ for so many people, both in the real world and obviously in the Nap of A Star MV but unlike his friends who try to get rid of it, Hueningkai makes himself his own ‘disability’ to fit in with his friends, because those are the people who matter, not society. 

Going onto his suroundings

There is a gate, a very human structure in the middle of a forest. It seems to be abandoned, y’know, cobwebs and stuff but still very much an old house-in-the-woods material, haunted house much? How did he find this place? 

He seems to either be sitting on a pedestal for a statue, a fountain, a bird feeder or... I have not much idea. It fits into what a old rich house would have in the garden, but it is bright gold! And he is also sitting on it very nicely! Did he stumble upon it? I think someone put him here, this place looks vaguely kept for, and the bird feeder-thingy seems to be shining very brightly. 

There are other stars, normal looking ones I might add. Are all of them mechanical?? This gives me the question of whether they are in the same world or is Hueningkai in another world???? 

NO. I went a bit far but there do seem to be a deer, bats, and other animals we see in Soobin’s ‘prairie’. But the stars and the star does scream to me that they aren’t in our world. I have another rant prepared for the star tho, so more on that in another time. 

Then there’s a rando skeleton and tomb in the corner. They seem to be there everywhere, or at least the skeleton. Yeonjun f**king lights a skull on fire with no hesitation or disgust so that apparently isn’t too much of a squeamish thing in their world? The fact that the skeleton has a legit grave unlike literally everywhere in the entire MV.

This tomb probably holds the remains of the owner of this place, or someone connected to this place, the skeleton next to it maybe was protecting the grave, or had nobody left to bury them and died next to their loved one. The fact that there are so many skeletons in the first place makes me think that a war happened maybe? I’ll ponder a bit on that and get back to it. I mean, or Hueningkai is actually one of those two deceased people, either the skeleton or the grave and that’s why he is right next to a house (there’s a gate!) very nicely on a pedestal with only one skeleton in his shot along with a gate. 

Everyone’s masks in the opening shots are made of carboard but Hueningkai (he has wings, bighit was deliberate about this) I honestly remember having play-wings like that when I was younger. These seem store-bought, from their handiwork of their masks we can see that they probably can’t make such thin, perfect wings like that. So maybe it’s reasonably that he may have come from a better off family? This is a big leap, but big theory here:

Hueningkai was part of a sorta eccentric rich family that had a mansion in the forest. Mayhaps they were connected somehow to the guy in the star (because you need someone to operate that star, it ain’t working on no one) but Hueningkai had an accident, or maybe he was sickly, he died. OR or better, there seems to be some sort of war, or maybe a plague, just something that left the society around them desolate and... dead. His parents sent him and a caretaker to a masion in the woods to protect him... it didn’t work. His caretaker died next to his grave with no one to bury him. But the guy in the star, who seems to have power over a lot of things, brought him back. From that scene we see in the MV, maybe he had seen his friends from such a high vantage point in the star, he knows where they are and how they are so he makes wings for himself so that he can fit in with them, since they are obviously his main point of being at the moment. He rounds up the rest of TXT and they all help Yeonjun. Afterwards, the star is happy, because they fulfilled their promise, because Hueningkai is happy, because he now his chosen ones can do his bidding? (Idk what the starguy’s gender is so...) 

This is all a huge strech and just literal theories but if I was the story writer, this would probably be the story I’d have been trying to tell so... 

Next up- EXAMS! Yeah I have exams soon so I’ll try to post the last few but eh

[khrow-shinku]

The Great War S11

D&D 5e Campaign

The Great War

 Session 11

 Our heroes get ejected out of the rook fortress once the time is up. The party makes their way back to town where something strange has happened and there are guards and people lining the streets. Turns out something had happened at the temple and orphanage. Everyone goes to check on the orphanage only to meet someone not from their realm who happens to be a part of Angra’s guild and is the new secretary of the orphanage. They also find  out some of the children were injured but are doing better. They exit the building only to find M.A.W., Tinkerman’s bear,  surrounded by guards who are all sitting in a circle around it protecting it. The party then heads to the council building and are led inside by guards where the summit meeting is still going on (apparently this shit lasts for like a month). It is there that everyone in the room turns and stares at Tinkerman.

Tinkerman noticing all the eyes are on him speaks up, “Ok, why is everyone looking at me? I was told that there was news for us so what is going on?” The speaker who is running the meeting and is from Tinkerman’s empire informs him that it has been discovered that many of the officials in the government of his country were corrupt, in fact all of them were, that were higher rank than him. Seems as though their god let everyone get emotions and control over these emotions. In doing so it enlightened everyone in the country to their leaders' corruption, they had been overcome by greed and already dismantled the one in charge of the country who built the warforged and his apprentice. For this they were all dismantled, meaning Tinkerman who is the only one left of office who can build and create their kind is now the single most important person in their empire and as such is now their ruler, and is in charge of the Clockwork Empire. Tinkerman is taken back by this but accepts his duty and vows to do everything he can for his people.

The party then notices that the spider queen no longer has her illusion up and everyone can see her for what she is. Rin leans down and asks the queen of Dustreodan what was going on, why was her illusion spell down? That is when she informs everyone that they knew all along that the queen of Crecia was a spider creature. JJJ, visibly shocked by this realization, is taken back and stumbles into a guard that was standing next to the wall.  JJJ explains that well as long as you aren’t evil… I am still a little creeped out that you are a spider, no offense my lady, it is just I have a deep fear of spiders. The queen chuckles and says “Oh it is quite alright my dear knight. I was aware of your fear. That along with the recent troubling encounters your party has had is why I had cloaked myself before although it seems some of you were able to see straight through that, which is impressive.” JJJ studders, “Kn-n-n-night? I’m a knight?” His queen nods explains that yes he was indeed a knight, her people had looked into his family records and found out he is linked to royalty in the kingdom and as such is a Knight of Crecia.” JJJ kneels to his queen and says how honored he is to be a knight. The party congratulates him on his new rank.(HAH, hey dm nice touch, he is now Sir John like in robin hood. He is a toilet HAHAHA. Yeah yeah I know it would go by his last name and be Sir Joel but come on it is still funny.) 

Tinkerman then asks about the guards in town and the temple and orphanage, to which the party is informed that a radical group had attacked both locations. As soon as Tinkerman had his answer Rin butted in, “Hold up a min. Ok I get that everyone else here might know you were this spider creature but you had a strong reaction to finding out about Ara's possible brother and I am pretty sure you could tell I could see through your illusion. Then right after we left here and was back at the tavern we were attacked by a bunch of minions that looked like miniature versions of you. Not you specifically, but your species of creature. Explain that huh? Kind of a coincidence with that timing right.” The queen let out a heavy sigh and agreed it did make her look suspicious but it wasn’t her. There is another faction of her race in her kingdom who are in favor of this war starting and are actively helping to start it. Rin nodded and agreed that was fair enough and sound logic so she apologized for being suspicious and dropped it. It is at this time that Rin notices everyone looking at her kind of curious about the radical change to her looks in a matter of just a few days while Tinkerman updates the leaders on what they found out about in that cave and that it had disappeared, and how they met an archdemon who was not evil and had informed them the same that the talkative tarrasque they had met twice before had informed them, that it appears that whoever is trying to start this war is trying to recruit demons and other creatures from that realm. However apparently most want nothing to do with him and do not want this war to happen either. So Tinkerman asks that when they see an extremely powerful creature like that, that they first try diplomacy as it seems that it will be effective. That is when Rin chimes in and says yeah, speaking of creatures from the darker planes, turns out I’m part abyssal from my grandfather's side on my mortal mother’s side. The archdemon we met was nice enough to fill me with info on the ancestry of demons and abyssal and educate me about the part of me I knew nothing about. The thing is I have no clue who my grandfather is and my celestial mother only told me to blame my grandpa for these new features. So again please be nice to the ones we have assumed were evil for all these years. It really seems they are possibly victims of this situation as much as our world is. It is at this time that a random sheet of paper poofs into Rin’s hands.  The note reads: “Your mortal mother was half celestial, half moon elf. Your grandfather is TIMEless.” Rin slowly reads the words out loud as the gears in her head starts turning as she tries to connect the dots. Her grandfather's name can not be mentioned as no one has yet to say his name, everyone refuses to say it so obviously it is a taboo.  The emphasis on the word time, the strange things that have happened around the party. Rin lets out an audible gasp as she puts it together. “My grandfather is the controller of time.” It all makes sense now, she remembered reading about it in the books in the royal library back home. The Time Lord is never named, he exists outside of time and is the keeper of time and not even celestials are allowed to speak his name. However Rin wasn’t given much time to let this soak in as they heard a loud thunderclap come from outside the building. The party ran outside to see what it was and before they could get out of the building there was another thunderclap, this one so loud it shook the whole building.

The party exits the building to find a smoldering crater in the middle of town. Upon investigating it the  party finds a piece of chest armor made with celestial steel with a cut down the center of it and a piece of fabric that is darker than black clung to it.. Paul who recognizes it rushes over to grab it while tinkerman is examining it. As soon the rogue touches it, it turns into a black stone. The armor they found seems to harm anyone who touches it until Rin touches it.It doesn’t hurt her, instead it magically melds itself onto her skin phasing through her other armor and repairing itself. Tinkerman notices on the shoulder of the armor is his personal signature that no one can replicate because it has its own special magic attached to it. The only problem is, Tinkerman has never worked with celestial steel before or ever made such armor. So where or when, did this armor come from? Tinkerman pondered. The party is then teleported to the shadow realm where they see a familiar face.

The party is greeted by Vivec who tells them they have arrived in the shadow realm, a day before a dramatic event that happened in the past of the nameless rogue known as Paul. Vivec also explained that we were brought here to stop it from happening. The party followed the rogue who was the only one who knew the land, as he led them to the capital city. On their way to the capital they were jumped by some warriors who were a part of the army that had laid waste to Paul’s family in the past. Rin gets angry at them for having bigger tits than her, as after the enlightening that the archdemon gave her on all things demon and sexual, she realized people prefer bigger tits and now is convinced her tits are why men and women don’t approach her. After defeating these warriors Paul chopped off their heads and put their heads on spikes and laid their bodies below them on the ground with their shield covering, then Wade pops out and ties the shields on the poles to expose the bodies for further humiliation after catching a dagger that Paul had thrown at him. They make their way to the capital where they are stopped by guards. However once Paul shows them the stone and they instantly place their heads on the ground before him. Paul asks them to escort the party to the castle. Once they arrive at the castle again the royal guard question these actions and again are brought to humility when they see the stone and realize who he is. This time Paul asks for the king. The guard shows them to the king where Paul shows the king who he really is by having the king summon his son. They then go out into another room to have a conversation. When they return Paul announces his name is Ka’ar (no wonder he never gave anyone his name, how the hell do you even pronounce that? Car? What is he the crow? For his sake I hope not,  the last pale guy who used that name died young.) He then announces that he is staying to assist his family in their escape. The party chose to join him in this endeavor. Ka’ar orders the guards to give the party comfortable rooms to sleep within the castle walls and that the party is to be given the best of everything, even the equipment that is in the castle. Tinkerman was granted access to the library of the king of the shadow realm. Tinkerman sets himself to learning the languages of the shadow realm, which are Netherese and Shadow Speak. As the rest of the party go to the rooms provided to them with a heavy guard in the hall to protect them from any wrongdoing in the night.

[entirebodyexercise]

How to break the bladder infection cycle

I checked the components of my Jeep: a water jug, two resting bags, my camping tent, bear spray, a cooler. I prepared. Driving southern from my house in Yellowknife, N.W.T., I was gone to the 60th parallel for a week on my first solo outdoor camping trip. I couldn't await the journey to begin! It was the Might long weekend break in 2012, and also temperatures were reduced, so I was completely alone at the campground. I pitched my camping tent, baked a hot pet and mixed some warm delicious chocolate over a fire. It was entirely serene, and I really felt more relaxed compared to I had in months-- up until I woke the following morning to an acquainted melt and also wet undies.

It was an agonizing feeling that I instantly connected with teary trips to the emergency space. "You have actually reached be kidding me," I believed as I managed my underclothing. Nude from the waistline down in a vacant territorial park, I was 2 hours from the nearby medical facility, with no mobile phone solution, no extra trousers-- as well as it wasn't even cranberry season. Not the most effective location to experience my 4th bladder infection in 2 months.

Studies show up to HALF of ladies will have an urinary system infection (UTI) at some factor in their lifetimes (ideally closer to home!), as well as the majority of them will certainly have repeating infections within a couple of months. UTIs are triggered by the visibility of E. coli bacteria in the urinary system tract, which includes the bladder, urethra, kidneys and also ureters. "If straightforward bladder-related UTIs are left unattended in a healthy and balanced individual, the body could slowly heal the infection, nevertheless, much more difficult UTIs can lead to severe wellness issues, including hypertension, kidney failure or fatality," says Dr. Curtis Nickel, a urology teacher at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. UTIs don't show up discreetly. When I was in university, seven years before my ill-fated outdoor camping trip, I all of a sudden damp myself on my bedroom floor as well as understood I had a problem. I invested the remainder of the evening running to the shower room in distress, sensation as though I needed to pee constantly, although absolutely nothing occurred when I attempted. I had no concept exactly what was taking place. I 'd discover later on that urinary incontinence is a sign, though more typical indications are the incessant burning feeling of requiring to pee, unbearable discomfort while urinating, stress in the reduced abdominal area as well as blood in your urine.

The following morning, I was identified by an institution medical professional and recommended a common three-day program of antibiotics to combat the infection, along with a pain reliever to take care of the shed. It worked fast-- within a day, my discomfort was gone. Normally, if it's your initial UTI and also you're or else healthy, a three-day therapy plan should be all you need.

When the burn comes back Doctors typically aren't certain why some females get struck with reoccuring infections and also others don't. Study recommends a slim vaginal lining could be the cause, yet much is still unknown. Researches have likewise connected UTIs to every little thing from constant sex and also cleaning back-to-front to consuming hen got in supermarkets. (One recent research study found the pressures of E. coli microorganisms in women with UTIs matched the stress discovered in poultry.)

Nickel says most UTIs in ladies can be connected to sexual task, which stimulates bacteria in the vagina and urethra. "We used to call it honeymoon cystitis," he says. "It's why we see a spike of infections in university student and couples." There seems to be a genetic personality as well, he includes. For example, if you have actually inherited a slim vaginal cellular lining or unusual bladder lining, you may be much more susceptible to UTIs.

I do not have a household background for this kind of problem, so I liquid chalked up my initial UTI as an arbitrary one-off. Obviously, that concept headed out the home window two months before my camping trip, when I got another blown up infection at the office. Even though it had actually been years, there was no forgetting that bad burning sensation. "I've simply obtained to run a task," I phoned call to my employer as I hurried out the door as well as gone to the ER. I had the same three-day therapy as before, yet this time around ended up with a second infection a week later.

Watch: How you can treat a bladder infection the natural way >

Naturally, I inquired about safety nets and applied every one I listened to. For instance, I 'd jump out of bed after sex as well as bolt to the bathroom to pee, I began taking cranberry tablets. (Research studies show cranberry products including proanthocyanidins-- the chemical believed to assist prevent the infections-- lower UTI threat by 14 percent.) With each new infection, I was informed there was absolutely nothing even more major going on, which as lengthy as I took prescription antibiotics, it would certainly vanish. The doctors simply didn't claim how much time that would certainly take or when I may get another infection.

When I discussed my persisting infections to Nickel, he stated he would have treated me a little differently as well as sent me home with an extra-long period of low-dose anti-biotics making certain the infection was gone, specifically since it had not been my first.

" Each infection might be a little more challenging to obtain rid of than the first one," he says. "It takes weeks for some individuals's bladders to get back on track. That's why I would certainly have placed you on the low-dose prescription antibiotics for longer to break the cycle and give your body immune system time to recoup." He also would certainly have given me prescription antibiotics to take as quickly as the symptoms emerged the next time around, to catch the infection quicker and stop yet one more trip to the ER.

Nickel educates a self-directed therapy program to a few of his individuals. "If a person has persistent UTIs, they recognize just what an infection is-- they acknowledge the signs and also recognize they have the tendency to get even worse in the mid-day or evening. I offer them prescription antibiotics with instructions to take them for three days as quickly as the signs emerge."

Nickel claims researches show females are much better forecasters of when they require prescription antibiotics compared to doctors. "No one ought to endure for 48 hrs when they understand exactly what the issue is as well as just how to treat it." If my signs had actually persisted, he adds, he 'd have recommended me to obtain even more clinical assistance to eliminate antibiotic resistance or an extra major infection.

Putting out the fire, for good! Antibiotics are less effective due to the fact that microorganisms are becoming much more immune to them. The only various other treatment remedy could depend on vaccines, and scientists at the University of Michigan are tough at the workplace searching for one. Harry Mobley, microbiology as well as immunology chair at the university, leads a study lab and also checks out the e-mails he receives from sufferers to the scientists in his lab weekly. "Ladies need to know if there's a clinical test taking place," Mobley states. "We're working with it. It's heartbreaking, however it's likewise encouraging."

So far, Mobley's team has actually succeeded in creating a vaccine through a nasal spray, evaluated on mice, that contains six perhaps protective proteins isolated by the laboratory. 4 of the proteins functioned, dramatically decreasing germs in the computer mice's bladders as well as kidneys. Mobley states he's currently stuck in "the valley of fatality," which is research-speak for attempting to move his searchings for right into the pricier corporate-backed stage of clinical trials. "If you're a mouse, you don't have to fret regarding urinary system infections," he says, adding that he thinks an injection will be offered in the following 5 to 10 years.

Back in the Canadian wild, I didn't allow my infection destroy my experience. After a quickly, rather agitated trip to an emergency situation space and also pharmacy two hours away, I drove back to my website as well as ended up out the week on principle-- much better hurting with a wonderful view of a lake than in my stuffy apartment, I figured. Then, at the end of the springtime, my UTIs went away as unexpectedly as they had arrived.

To this day I still pee like clockwork after sex (no cuddling for me!). The bright side: It ends up my danger of infection is reduced currently, because research study shows when you've kicked a round of repeating infections permanently, you're much less most likely to be hit by an additional UTI. Still, I'm adding both cranberry pills and bottles of juice to my gear checklist on my following outdoor camping trip. Better risk-free than really, really sorry.

Here are a few of the most usual indications: Once you have actually had one, the symptoms are very unmistakable, however, for first-timers it can be troubling. 1. Burning sensation 2. Pelvic pain 3. Constant urge to pee 4. Blood in your urine 5. Incontinence

When to worry If you have a fever, that suggests the infection is much more major. Some UTIs, when left unattended, can take a trip into the kidneys, which can lead to hypertension, struvite rocks (a kind of kidney stone), kidney failure and even fatality. If you have any of the above signs and symptoms, go see your doctor, stat.

* Every story is based on one person's experience navigating the health treatment puzzle. By highlighting a person's struggle and result, we wish to help others make wise, educated decisions. Laws as well as results for any therapy differ by province as well as individual. Contact your insurance company concerning insurance coverage plans prior to treatment.