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allyvampirelass29 · 4 years

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Goodnight, Chris McQueen

A NOS4A2 Review By: Allyssa J. Watkins

I love you, Brat I hope you know that....... My biggest fear was becoming my old man Drinkin', philanderin', livin' for nothin' I wanted so much more for my little girl But Babe, I'm just like him A haunted soldier That never came back from the war I tried so hard to make you laugh Just so you didn't see me cryin' Funny names, and stupid jokes I guess, don't band-aid the holes Punched through the walls and in Your mother's heart Jesus, maybe this dad thing Was a cosmic hoax right from the start I love you like a big dog I'd die twice just to give you a hug Before I go, I want you to know I'm proud of my kid I could never do what you did It's like you told your ma You're made of steel, Vic You threw the bottle away You sure as hell didn't need me But you let your broken down dad save the day I ain't half the hero to you though As you are to Wayne Give 'em HELL, Babe Fight the good fight Don't cry over me I won't die as I lived A good for nothin' It's gonna mean somethin' I gotta believe Don't stay here, Brat, trapped in my death scene Remember the good stuff, when they say "Goodnight, Chris McQueen."

In the words of the illustrious Linda McQueen........ "Holy HELL." It's been days, and I've been in a morose fog, only just now emerging, shaking and fighting the tears, even as I write this, half numb, and half agony. I'm shocked, dismayed, and altogether fragile. The second I saw that this episode was going to be called, "Chris McQueen," I couldn't have been more thrilled, and my heart soared, excited! Chris McQueen has SHINED this season, our own resident white knight, slaying Vic's demons, both of the vice, and supernatural variety. It was no mistake, or random shuffle of fate, that her magic bridge led her back to her dad. He's been a gun-wielding, bomb-making, godsend!!! He helped her quit drinking, heartbroken that his little girl had inherited his disastrous coping mechanisms, refusing to let it drown her the way it did him. He's fought at her side, let her lean on him, he's become her safe place. He's given her the best advice about fighting for Lou, choosing her family, and oh yeah, he SINGLEHANDEDLY took on Bing Partridge, not just once, but TWICE!!!

If NOS4A2 has a CHAMPION, a dark horse in the game, it's hands down Chris McQueen. If anyone is deserving of their own personal, entitled episode, it's the vindicated father who did the work, fought like HELL for his redemption, made himself a better person for his daughter. That rush of flooding joy, cooled to wary concern, and hesitant dread, however, when I realized....... This honour could be his final tribute.......

Don't kill Chris McQueen........ I pleaded over and over in my mind, the frantic cry, resounding, even as I pressed play. I hadn't been able to shake that sinister, creeping feeling all day, and when we opened onto Chris at a funeral, my relief flooded in, graciously thankful to see him alive!!! Wait, he looked younger, like WAY younger, even younger than the first season, and oh my god, hold on, whose funeral is this!? Someone died........ my stomach knotting again, trying to figure out who, and we realize that this is Chris, decades ago, speaking at his Dad's funeral.

I loved, and I mean LOVED this opener. It's just so beautifully real, and one hundred percent Chris McQueen, as he muses about his father's life, and his own, and how the two came to mirror each other. He's funny, irreverent, vulnerable, and by the end, absolutely heartbreaking. It's a searing portrait of a broken man, and everything that caused his life to fracture, every death, that made him wish he was never born.

"When I came back from the gulf, I finally understood why he was pissed off all the time, because he knew there was no reason for him to born, and that nobody was going to give a shit when he died."

Chris' voice cracks, and my eyes sting, because I feel it, his greatest fear, and I know he's not just talking about his father, he's talking about himself, effectually delivering his own eulogy, and again I implored the fates...... Don't kill Chris McQueen.

Aaaaaaaaah, and HELLO Baby Vic!!! Oh my gosh, she's so precious, about eight years old, frowning as her father speaks, huddled close to her mother, and then when Chris becomes too overwhelmed with his anger and emotions to go on, tearing out of the church, she frantically chases after him, calling for him!!! Even then, she was her daddy's girl!!! Once again, I must COMMEND NOS4A2 for choosing the perfect miniature of our badass leading lady, because this girl is the very IMAGE of Ashleigh, and it was such a joy to see her fierce features, and resolve, in a dear little face!!! More Baby Vic, PLEASE!!!

Flashforward to the present day, and Team McQueen is ready and raring to hit the road. I loved this entire scene. The love between her and Lou as she tells him goodbye, and says, "I'm going to go get our boy." An achingly beautiful moment, these two give me life, and have become my FAVOURITE couple on the show!!! I may have been purely Team Drew Butler, Season One, but now I can't imagine our beautiful badass without her Teddy Bear Man, and I ship McCarmody so freaking hard!!! Vic revs the Triumph's engine, testing it, gearing up with her Dad, and it hits me....... She doesn't have to hide it, sneak away to go do her Creative Hero thing, he accepts her for exactly who she is, believes in her gift enough to go with her. For the first time..... Vic McQueen isn't riding alone........

Linda is an absolute rollicking delight, emphatic in her protest, and I have just come to LOVE her so much!!! "I don't know about this Vicki, taking explosives across a magical bridge IN THE RAIN!!!!" God BLESS this woman, she's so maternal here, and I love it, I see how much she's changed, becoming this mother and ex wife even, that isn't afraid to express her feelings and doubts, no longer shackled by the fear that she's destined to be alone.

"You're my only kid, Vicki, My Baby."

"You know me, Ma, made of steel, remember?"

Awwwwww oh my gosh, so freaking CUTE, and for the first time, they feel like a real family, The McQueen Clan on a Mission, slaying psychotic kidnappers, and rescuing lost children, becoming the family business. Linda's still unsure, hurrying after Chris and Vic, still thinking they're both CRAZY, when she sees it for the first time....... Her eyes widen impossibly, as a rickety, wooden, covered bridge, appears on the street in front of them, and her reaction is EVERYTHING we've been waiting for, I found myself, leaping off the couch, cheering as she says it. "Holy HELL!!!"

Chris' childlike wonder, as he looks up into the dark eves, and watches the bats flutter, the Triumph roaring through the beams of breaking light, weaving in and out of shadow, is such a joy to behold. He believed in it, believed in her, even without seeing, and it means that much more to Vic, you can tell. It's also symbolic, Vic sharing her world with her father, bringing him into her inscape, fighting the good fight TOGETHER, both soldiers. I loved it, every second.

Surprise, surprise, when they roll up to the junkyard, Bing Partridge isn't dead, because some cockroaches just won't DIE!!!! Like an AVENGING ANGEL, Chris McQueen is all of us, flying off that bike, and assailing Bing with murderous fury, backhanding his stupid face with the gun, over and over, impaling him deeper with the protruding rod, and I swear, I wanted to run to him, and HUG him so tightly, so freaking PROUD!!!! THANK YOU, CHRIS MCQUEEN!!!

"Where is he, you SICK, Son of a BITCH!?!?"

"HE CAN'T HELP US IF HE'S DEAD!!!!!"

Vic screams at her father, angrily chastising this good and proper beating that has been a LONG time coming!!!! I'm sorry, isn't that how ANY sane person would react to a sadistic, murdering, rapist whose made their life a LIVING HELL!? What gives, Victoria!? Chris falls back, as confused as I was, and then shakes his head, as he apologizes vehemently, which Vic is having none of. She's AWFUL to her father from this moment forward, rude and spiteful, blaming him for everything, and as much as I love the girl, in this unjust punishment, she REALLY lives up to her nickname, Brat.

This Kids Glove approach to Bing Partridge is MADDENING enough to make me PSYCHOTIC!!! BING. IS. EVIL. Say it with me, NOS4A2!!!! It's like they are hellbent on redeeming the ONE character that is beyond saving, a man that even God, himself, would look at reviled, and say, "Get thee behind me, SATAN!!!" Last week they failed, first through the deus ex machina epiphany, and then through the attempted murder/suicide, so they tried even harder, using a meeker approach, making him say manipulative propaganda like, "I wish I'd never met Mr. Manx, because then Vic McQueen would still be my friend." and "I'm all alone in here, and it's really scary." Ughhhh somebody, anybody, put us out of our misery, and put one right between his beady little rat bastard eyes.

I almost understand Tabitha's need to keep things professional, and speak to Bing, in a reassuring way that reaches his simple, monosyllabic mind. I get that beating the living hell out of him like he so obviously deserves isn't an option for her, but this man is a HEINOUS criminal, who's kidnapped kids, drugged and raped their mothers, KILLED both of his parents, not to mention TORTURED Charlie within an inch of his life, only just last week!!!! But by ALL MEANS, Vic, go HOLD HANDS WITH HIM, and see if that will help get your son back!!!! Cringe.

I HATED this, so, so, SO much!!! Bing was her friend, he betrayed her, violated the trust between them, became her worst nightmare, shot at her, traumatized her, duct-taping her to a chair, she should HATE him, despise the sight of him far more than Charlie Manx!!! I CRAVED a reckoning, even if it was just a verbal assault. But no, instead, Vic decides to play nice, and I get that most of it was an act to convince him to help her get her son back, but I could also feel NOS4A2's misguided hand in her actions. Look, see, even Vic can find the good in Bing!!!! Sigh. Not gonna lie, I was going to scream bloody murder if she said she forgives him!!!

Good Cop pays off, however, and Bing, desperate for Vic's forgiveness, reveals there is one more stop before Christmasland, one last chance to grab Wayne, when he gets out of the Wraith at Sleigh House to hang his ornament. It's a dawning revelation, intel quintessential to their success, and for once they know where Charlie is going to be, before he gets there, and can lay a trap for him and his indestructible car. I hate the way they arrived at the information though, I'd have much preferred to see Bing suffer for his sins, and the whole interaction is just so laughably implausible. I will say this however, there was a rather BEAUTIFUL line in this scene that Bing couldn't begin to deserve, but I LOVED it all the same. "I miss the person I thought you were." My god, that's powerful.

"Chris McQueen," is a STELLAR episode, full of beautiful lines like this, including my FAVOURITE thing that Maggie has EVER said to Vic, which perfectly exemplifies their eccentric friendship!!! "I'd shank a thousand assholes for your mopey ass!!!" YES!!! I LOVE THAT SO MUCH!!! I will say though, that I was SHOCKED at how cool Vic was with Maggie's scary new trick of hurting herself to use her powers, sans seizures. I thought she was going to kick her butt for that!!! I'm really worried, Guys, this is a dangerous addiction, that's going to be the hardest one yet for Mags to quit!!! The break-up with Tabitha was bittersweet, but it did not come as a shock to me. They'd been drifting apart for awhile now, and I feel like Maggie was so scared of losing her, that she was afraid to be herself. "I want to live in the real world all the time." For me, that was the nail in the coffin, having only heard it about a thousand times myself. Maggie will always be living in two worlds, and whoever she's with MUST accept that. They love each other, yes, but they just want different things. I do respect Tabitha so much for not demanding that Maggie give up her tiles, threatening to leave her if she didn't. She'd rather let Maggie go be herself, be happy, than try to stifle her, shove her into that hateful, constricting little box called normal.

Vic continues to be petty, and spiteful towards her father, treating him WAY too harshly, punishing him, when he's done nothing but fight for her, a literal action HERO, avenging Wayne, and kicking ASS!!! It hurt my soul, and I could see the pain in his eyes, thinking he'd failed her, apologizing again, just wanting her forgiveness. The second scene at the McQueen house is a far less fuzzy one, as she forbids her father to come with her, placing all the blame of every bad thing that's happened thus far on his shoulders, and she cuts him with razor edged words, saying the worst thing that she could have possibly said in that moment, something truly unforgivable, that I already know she will spend the rest of her life, regretting.

"I lived eight years of my life without you, Dad, and I can just as easily do it again." She sneers, and even Linda stares, aghast. "Vicki, no, you don't mean that!!!"

I felt the pangs in my heart, stunned that she could be that vicious to her own father, after all he's done for her, getting sober, changing his whole life, hell, getting HER sober!!! Linda is again so adorable, insisting she take Chris with her, like "Vicki let your father play on your magical bridge, if he wants!!!" not wanting him to feel left out, and while I want more father/daughter explosive awesomeness, I'm conflicted whether or not he should go. If he stays here...... he's safe. Eventually Linda's persuasion wins out. "Don't let your anger towards your father, keep you from getting back Wayne." With a frustrated sigh, Vic shoves a black helmet in Chris' hands, and we're off to the races again. "Bring them home," Linda whispers sweetly, embracing him tight, and as they hug, I get the most sinking feeling that it's for the last time. Dont...... Don't kill, Chris Mcqueen.

Vic and Chris work in silence, once they get to the charred foundation of Sleigh House in Colorado, burying the handmade bombs, and finally Chris can't take it anymore. "Is this how you want it, Brat?" He asks her, heartbroken, and Ashleigh's acting is PHENOMENAL, as she breaks down and reveals the truth behind her unprovoked animosity.

"It's easier to be mad at you, than to blame myself."

"None of this is your fault. Charlie Manx is not your fault."

"I want to forgive you, because if I don't, how can Wayne ever forgive me. But I can't just let myself off the hook!!!"

It's not entirely a make-up, but it's an important conversation, something she's been wrestling with for a long time. Chris is again AMAZING, consoling her, easing her guilt, even while she's the one that's been impossible. Again Vic, I love you, but your father did the absolute RIGHT thing, and he's the only one that did right by Bing, as far as I'm concerned.

Maggie and Lou join the dynamite father/daughter duo in Colorado, and I LOVED all of their scenes together, the two people in this world that Vic McQueen loves most, and there's something magical about it, something iconic, seeing all three of them together, the Creative Dream Team, united in their crusade against Charlie Manx.

"Every one of these ornaments represents a kid in Christmasland, lost forever. Do you think there's a way to get them back? The other kids?"

WHEN SOULS FALL.

Maggie stares down, perplexed at the tiles, as she arranges them, revealing to the oracle this cryptic, mysticism, and I myself, could NOT breathe. Holy SMASH. Ever since the end of, "Gunbarrel," where Vic wanders through the trees outside Sleigh House, frowning at them, the hundreds of glittering ornaments, swaying in the wind, glowing as she drew near, I just knew...... I KNEW the souls of the Lost Children, were trapped inside each and every one of them, and this suspicion was ever further confirmed, when she found Bradley's canoe ornament, broken open on the ground, after he burnt up in the Wraith. My prediction? To turn the kids back, they have to smash every single one of these ornaments, and only then can the escaped souls return to their vampire shells, and make them human again. The minute a child hangs an ornament, the transformation is complete.

I also LOVED the transcendent scene between Vic and Millie, a scared little girl, in over her head, calling, pleading through the static, and I couldn't help but MARVEL at how much has changed between them. Last Season Millie Manx was very much her father's daughter, cruelly taunting Vic, on her father's behalf, even appearing to her while she was awake, stabbing her with an invisible sword. Now, she calls out to her to be her saviour, her father's greatest enemy, the iron wrought armour of her inherited hatred falling away, and Vic sees her as she always was, not a hollowed out demon spawn, but just a frightened little girl that needs to be set free. I was also THRILLED that dear little Millie imparted the knowledge that Charlie CANNOT die, else all the children, including his daughter, will die with him. Vic abhors Charlie with a screaming vengeance, but now that she knows his death comes at the cost of every child he's ever taken, she won't kill him, she CAN'T kill him, because then all of this, everything she's fought so hard for, bled for, would be for nothing.

The final act is both the thrilling BEST and the incoherent WORST of the episode, as the chaotic music ominously heralds our man's arrival. Charlie Manx, cutting a dashing, imposing silhouette, dark against the hazy dusk, exits the Wraith, turning every which way, striking in profile, floating smoothly across the front of the car, to let Wayne out. I loved this aesthetic, Charlie moving swiftly through the mist and dying light, rising as the threatened dark, enclosing. It's beautiful, and serves two clever purposes. One, to shroud our debonair dark menace in all the more intrigue and mystery, and the other, to conceal just how bad Wayne's gotten. Charlie clasps his hands around Wayne's shoulders lovingly, the picture of paternal pride, and my heart caught, seeing Wayne in the cast light, his boyish curls, frayed and almost white, his skin covered in white blue veins, every one of his teeth, coming to a sharp point.

"Go on, My Boy, it's time to hang your ornament," Charlie chortles handing Wayne the CUTEST little gray, baby bat ornament, I have ever seen, urging him forward. "Choose any branch you like, just make sure it's a SPECIAL branch," Charlie crows, and my heart melts, so in love with both of them, and the way Charlie dotes on him, knowing that while this began as a revenge plot, Charlie has come to love and favour Wayne, like the son he never had. "Don't dilly dally," He warns adorably, with an eyebrow raise, and even this mild scold is too precious for words.

Charlie waits by the Wraith, already nervous, as little Wayne disappears into the grove of trees. I LOVED the Wraith's ADORABLE warning system, as it flashes danger, the car horn honking, and even more I loved Charlie's distressed reaction to it, hurrying over, brow knit, like a father racing to tend to and protect his frightened child. Can I just have this impossibly PERFECT man, that darling little curly-haired boy, and this pretty, shiny car, PLEASE!?!?

"Smart Car," I whisper to myself, as the Wraith senses Vic's presence, and the waiting bombs beneath the ground. Charlie, alarmed, jumps back into his car, to seek out what's got the Wraith in such a tizzy, racing away, and leaving young Wayne behind. If there was ever a time, to save Wayne, it is NOW!!! NOW, Maggie, grab him NOW!!!! Here's where things start to unravel for me as far as character motivation and realistic ability is concerned. Yes, I get that Wayne's appearance is terrifying for her, that she doesn't know what she's walking into as she approaches him, but there is NO WAY Margaret Leigh, Oracle Extraordinaire, Hourglass SLAYER, would just cower, and watch as Wayne hangs his ornament. Nope, sorry. Wayne isn't even all the way a vampire yet, he's in transition, and the FEARLESS girl that I know and love, would have grabbed him, reassured him, while she wrested the ornament from his hands, and SMASHED it!!! Wayne's soul flies back into his body, crying as he clings to his Aunt Mags, Charlie is thwarted, and everybody lives happily ever after. End Scene.

But no, Maggie, in an uncharacteristic move, waits until Wayne has ALREADY hung his ornament, and then approaches him fearfully. I will admit I was a little nervous too..... Wayne, Darling, NO BITING Aunt Maggie!!! Wayne bares his vampire teeth, and raises his vampire claws in an adorable scare, with the cutest little growl ever, laughing cheerfully as he chases Maggie through the trees, clearly thinking it's a game.

Meanwhile, Charlie bristles as he sees the glowing headlights of Vic's motorcycle up ahead, piercing through the descended dark. His annoyance is obvious, but you can almost sense his secret excitement, at having one last chance to kill her.

"Gunning for Mother of the Year?" Charlie scoffs, amused, looking hot as hell behind the Wraith, clenching the steering wheel, his head down, eyes narrowed and full of smouldering, black intent. It's a FANTASTIC face-off, as the Wraith screams down into the open field, Chris pressing HARD on the detonator, and the first bomb goes off in a spray of dirt and billowing smoke. Again here's where I found myself more than a little bit incredulous, wondering WHAT THE HELL IS THE WRAITH MADE OF!?!? I even giggled to myself, remembering what Chris had said. "I don't care if he's in a GOD DAMNED tank!!!" The Wraith remains unscathed, the gleaming black paint, not so much as scratched, as a second bomb, and then a third go off beneath it, to no detriment. Really!? The Wraith is NOT a tank, it's not even armoured, and while yes, it's a supernatural entity, it CANNOT DEFY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS!!! Baby, I'm sorry, I'm so don't want to see you harmed, but you put a blast beneath that undercarriage, it is going to send that car FLYING, flipping it over at the very least!!!

Back in the grove of trees, Wayne, still chasing Maggie, stops cold when Lou calls out to him.

"Dad..... is that you?" THANK GOD, I cry out tearfully, as Wayne recognizes him, and in a very human moment, runs and hugs his father so tight, snuggling his little head to his shoulder, Lou sighing relieved, as he holds his son at last. Happy tears become angry ones, however, and at first I was LIVID with Wayne, horrified as he sinks his tiny little fangs into Lou's shoulder, biting him hard. DON'T BITE YOUR FATHER!!!!! Why, Wayne, WHY!? But the second time I watched this episode, I noticed something soooo very important. Wayne doesn't show any signs of hostility, poses NO threat, UNTIL the first bomb goes off. This is NO coincidence. Charlie, you're too clever for your own good!!! I suspect, that once the transformation is complete, and the kids are connected to Father Christmas, they can sense when he's in danger, and their innate attack instinct takes over!!! Freaking brilliant, and yet also terrifying!!!

Vic curses under her breath, her foot slamming on the gas, helplessly, as the Triumph won't start, her knife failing her, as the Wraith, screams at her like a shot bullet, promising vengeance, and Charlie smirks, sadistic, knowing he's about to end this....... "Say Goodnight, Vic McQueen."

My heart clenches in my chest, barely breathing, the tears flooding my vision, watching through blurry eyes, knowing what he's going to do, before he even does it. Chris McQueen hurtles himself in front of Vic, selflessly sacrificing his life for hers, and the Wraith runs him over, crushing the back of his legs. as he collides with it. I screamed, I sobbed, and shook violently, stunned because my prayers had been answered....... Chris McQueen, has miraculously SURVIVED. He's alive...... he's alive...... I whisper, reassuring myself. While he's far from okay, surely suffering two crushed legs, unable to move, I'm just so happy to see him still breathing, still fighting.

"Perfect timing, Wayne," Charlie snickers, Vic screaming, "NO!" as Wayne hops back into the car. This is it, this is the moment, where it all goes so wrong. Charlie's holding all the cards, he's got Wayne in the car, he's subdued Vic and her father, neither of them can so much as move, and he listens, drinking in their anguished cries. All he had to do was drive away....... It was over. It was SUPPOSED to be over.

"Chris McQueen, a disappointment of a man, just like your father," Charles snarls, and I AM BEGGING him to stop, bawling, pleading frantic, my terrified voice shrill. "BABY NO!!!! BABY STOP!!! DON'T KILL CHRIS, PLEASE GOD, CHARLIE!!!!!" Tapping into a darkness, donning a heartlessness, unbecoming of our gentleman villain, Charlie looks Vic in the eye, as he does it, snapping Chris' neck with lethal force, killing him purely out of spite. The episode ends with her broken, mournful sob, and Chris' slain gaze, his eyes still full of tears, staring blankly at the camera.

My pain is deafening, my sorrow beyond all hope of any coherent expression as NOS4A2 suffers its greatest loss to date. It's an empty gesture, a callous act, uncharacteristic of the man that I love with all my heart, but who has hurt me something profound with this senseless murder. In what kind of CRUEL world, does an innocent man, who sacrifices himself for his daughter, who fought for eight years to be the kind of father she deserved, have to die, while an indecent evil like Bing Partridge gets to live!? Charlie, HOW could you!? This...... There's no honour in this. Charlie kills only as a last resort, and only in defense, he has a strict moral code, and is vehemently against violence without cause. This was unfeeling, unnecessary, and soulless. Yes, he knew Chris was a bad father from before, but surely in witnessing the valiant manner in which he'd flung himself in front of the car, with no thought for his own life, Charlie would have found him redeemed, he would have seen a father who'd do anything to protect his daughter, not so different from himself, and he would have felt SOMETHING!!!

Goodnight, Chris McQueen. You fought the good fight, you changed and made things right, and now at last you can find peace....... My heart is so heavy, I can't hold it, and crying here, I want him to know how wrong he was, thinking nobody would mourn him when he died. A thousand cry out, stricken with grief. Husband, Father, White Knight Redeemed, here lies Chris McQueen, a HERO who didn't die for nothing.........

#nos4a2 #nos4a2 review #chris mcqueen #vic mcqueen #linda mcqueen #wayne mcqueen #charlie manx #maggie leigh #bing partridge

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pauldron-pieces · 3 years

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Destrier Revel’s Backstory: Burn The Wicked

Fandom: Dungeons And Dragons (5E)

Pairing: N/A, Destrier-Centric

Rating: Holy shit M.

AN: This is a hypothetical scenario featuring original characters in a world created by my Dungeon Master. As usual, this is non-canon and I own nothing aside from intellectual properties specifically attached to Destrier Revel. This installment is mechanically unsound in a multitude of ways and ignores certain important lore facets. Trigger warnings are listed inside. Enjoy!

Taglist: @sporadic-fics and @cookiethewriter!

Inspired By: Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST: Awakening and Ivan Torrent: Facing Fears

[Urgals are a monstrous race that seem to be a cross between ogres and orcs.]

[Destrier Revel is a level ten human Conquest paladin with six levels of Phoenix sorcerer, and his appearance can be found here.]

[And lastly, this is how I pictured Aetros Ad Astra.]

[!TRIGGER WARNING!: This installment contains multiple triggering scenes, including vivid descriptions of gore, extreme duress and character death. Stay safe!]

He entered the temple warily, but not before removing his helmet. Destrier knew better than to assume whatever god this temple represented was dormant, and entering any place of worship with one's head covered was a nearly certain way of getting it separated from your shoulders.

This ancient stone structure was different from the clapboard Urgal constructs that dotted the hillside beneath it. Clearly, it was a relic of some bygone time or civilization.

Knowledge is power, Knight Revel. Seek it out, and we may yet win this war. With his late mentor's words ringing in his ears, Destrier proceeded with caution.

Brittle, charred remains crisscrossed the stones beneath his feet, crumbling to dust at his advance. The knight wondered at the thin layer of ashen debris that coated everything despite the lofty height of the temple. The winds that had whipped outside appeared to have gone still.

Further into the temple, far removed from the weak light that filtered in from the arched doorway, was an altar of some kind. Destrier squinted, trying to decipher the runes on the sides of the obsidian stone table with little success.

A soft crackling noise met his ears and for a moment he paid it no mind, too engrossed in the arcane markings. It was almost like a torch or a cooking fire was burning nearby.

Destrier straightened up abruptly with a loud metallic clank! , certain that he had heard words in that strange sound.

He is not one who would normally come to a place like this. The shine of armor does not gleam so in Our temple , the crackling voice mused softly.

"Where are you?" Destrier queried, turning in place and scanning the room. When he came full circle back to the altar, he was surprised to see a small flame flourishing atop the dark stone. "Show yourself!" He called, more than a bit perturbed.

We will not be commanded in Our own temple, foolish one . The voice sounded stronger now, a thick accent lilting through it as well as a touch of amusement. Grovel, and perhaps We will spare you .

Destrier's grip on his lance tightened momentarily, and then he dropped to a knee. "Forgive my impudence. Had I known this truly was a place of worship, I would not have spoken so rashly." The blond apologized. "May I know the name of the master of this temple?"

The flames sputtered and hissed, almost indignant in their noise. You may address Us as Garuda . First-Born of the Stars, Everflame, Light in the Darkness, Aetros Aegis, Ad Astra, et cetera, et cetera.

"Your titles are many and grand. How is it that I have not encountered any of your followers?" Destrier questioned, legitimately curious.

Somehow, he got the sense that the fire was preening. We have slumbered for many years, foolish one. The Urgals at the foot of this mountain have done wonders at keeping the outside world away.

"I am afraid they have all been slain. My men fell upon them in the dawn."

Such is your way. But why have you come here? The flame turned sly, what brings a warrior of your caliber to this place? Certainly an ordinary man would be pillaging the encampment .

"I have been sent out for more than that," Destrier replied. "I search for true victory; the ability to deal a penultimate blow to the enemy. One that they cannot recover from, that we may rout them completely."

Are you not a paladin? This is all you do . The flame said dismissively.

" Hear me , Garuda." Destrier implored, raising his head to watch the flames dance and lick over the stone. "The common folk do not ask for war. They do not ask for heightened taxes, food shortages or midnight raids upon their peaceful settlements. All they ask for is safety , and I cannot even give them that much!" Destrier clenched his fist. "Women and children starve to death in the cities that were supposed to be havens. The Urgals have learned over six years that to destroy our trade routes is to slit the throat of the army, and their savagery is not held in check for innocent civilians."

Knight Revel took a moment to get himself back under control while the fire in front of him flickered thoughtfully. When next he spoke, his voice trembled slightly.

"I would fight to my last breath for my comrades, for any member of the populace. I serve wholly to uphold the king's ideals. King Jonathan is a man of great wisdom and strength, I gladly serve him." The blond man hesitated, tamping down the memories of his mentor grinning wide in triumph, "I was given this missive because they believed in me."

You do not seek the power for yourself, then .

"What good is power, used by one man for one man's benefit?" Destrier asked sharply. He had never been overly invested in advancement for the sake of advancement. Becoming a squire at the tender age of five had seen to that . "My king and my mentor have charged me with this task, and I will see it through in order to extend my king's territories."

Interesting. You believe that there is still power out there for you to find? The flames questioned sardonically.

"I have no other choice but to believe. Our losses are catastrophic in the face of the numbers of the enemy." He could not bring himself to mention Leofore's name. The shame was still too fresh, not yet blunted by drink or the passage of time. "I have been sent to find the knowledge to turn the tides."

What faith are you of, paladin?

"I have no true faith. I am not a follower of the chantry, nor the monastery. My strength comes from my belief in my mentor and, in turn, my king." Destrier answered the question readily, his hand over his heart in the common indicator of sincerity. "I am unbound to any divinity."

This appeared to please Garuda greatly, satisfaction rolling off the small fire in waves of radiant heat. How very interesting . Faithless paladin, knight of a God king, We will grant you the power to try . Over and over if need be, until your war is won.

An enormous, spectral figure wavered into view behind the flame, their whole body somehow twinkling through and through with stars. Horns that curled like a proud ram's graced their head, and in their hands was a flaming weapon. This must be Garuda's true form , Destrier realized belatedly. The being gestured at him, urging him to rise.

Come, faithless paladin. We shall see whether you are able to be reborn in Our starfire. Take hold of the haft.

Knight Destrier Revel, loyal bondsman of King Jonathan, acting commander of a battalion he should not be leading, felt fear grip his soul. "What if I am unable? What if it is too much to bear?" He asked tentatively, leaving his lance on the floor when he stood.

What is the loss of one man to a God king? His own words, turned back upon him mockingly. We will not wait forever. Either take the plunge or let Us return to rest. Garuda extended the hilt of their weapon toward Destrier.

Knowledge is power, Knight Revel. Seek it out, and we may yet win this war . Leofore's words echoed in his head over and over, giving him the resolve he needed to steel himself. Destrier swallowed hard. "I must. I have no recourse." He finally whispered. Two hands reached out and took hold of the haft of the amorphous weapon. One moment it was a mighty axe, the next a spear with two separate blades.

Garuda chuckled, low and dark. Faithless paladin, you were drawn to Our power like a moth to Our flame. You are charged to burn the wicked and rule the ashes, rising again and again at the cost of your body and soul. Will you take Our power?

" Yes ." Destrier responded fiercely, his brown eyes aglow in the light of Garuda's fiery stars.

…

He awoke on ancient stone steps and for a moment, Destrier simply laid there. Overhead, the stars spun in their nightly dance.

His whole body was hot to the point where he was sweating in his armor. When he went to sit up, Destrier found himself unable to support any weight on his hands. He forced himself up with his elbows and levered onto the next step, finally achieving a semi-upright stance.

Something was very wrong with his hands. Destrier began the slow, clumsy process of unfastening the buckles on his left gauntlet, using his teeth instead of uncooperative fingers. But when he tried to remove the loosened armor, the pain was so great he nearly vomited. Gritting his teeth, the knight continued wriggling the armor until it finally released his hand.

Patches of his skin were entirely burned away or grafted to the inside of his gauntlet. His palm was down to raw tissue. Destrier saw bone . Bile surged in his throat again and he choked, clutching his hand close and drawing on the wellspring of healing power that his mentor's training had granted him.

Gods, Leofore, what have I done .

There on the worn steps with no one but the stars to witness his grief, Destrier wept for the loss of his friend.

/x\

His hands healed well, aside from the brand of the flaming haft that stayed squarely in the center of his palms and the inside of his fingers. At least they did not pain him or impede his ability to wield his lance.

Burn the wicked, rule the ashes . We will grant you the power to try .

The first time he absently lit a small fire with nothing but a snap of his fingers, the knight waved it off as a fluke. Naero took it in stride, just asking Destrier for a light instead of relying on Thranrok or matches.

Destrier found himself drawn to the battalion campfire at night, losing his train of thought for hours while he stared at the dancing flames or looked upwards through the smoke at the stars. If his compatriots noticed, they did not mention it. They were all still mourning the loss of Leofore; it mattered little where one of them found comfort or respite.

The knight slowly adjusted his armor to accommodate his strange new talents, star-shaped cutouts finding their way to his gauntlets that he may better utilize his fire in battle.

The first time Destrier fell in combat, that was a bit of a different story.

The Urgals had set upon yet another village, boldly doing it during the sleepy midafternoon. Destrier was sent out with his battalion, Thranrok and Naero alongside him. Gen and Argon had stayed behind this time, believing that their forces wouldn't be needed for this skirmish. The air was thick with the threat of an impending storm, dark clouds gathering in the distance even as the troops moved forward.

The battle quickly dissolved into anarchy. Destrier was cut off from his men in a suspiciously short period of time, the knight fighting desperately against the hordes of Urgals that descended upon him. There was a strangeness in these creatures, a new frenzy. Something had changed in their ranks.

The blond man whirled and thrust, his lance piercing the chest of one of the monsters that had been approaching from the flank. However, that left him wide open on the other side.

An Urgal warhammer caught him in the ribs so hard he was knocked off his feet. Destrier crashed through the side of one of the houses that lined the street, his vision fading to gray momentarily at the impact. He gasped and choked for breath, feeling his shattered ribs grate against one another as he tried to stand. The young man pressed a palm to his side, mending the injury hastily.

Stifled sobbing echoed in the space and Destrier turned his head, spotting the form of a woman huddled in the corner of the room with a baby in her arms. A shadow suddenly darkened the hole he had made in the wall and the massive shape of an especially formidable Urgal forced its way through in pursuit of the knight.

"Back, beast!" Destrier shouted, slamming his bracers together and then using the haft of his lance to catch the Urgal in the chest, stopping it in its tracks. His gauntlets heated rapidly and the creature shrieked in pain, jerking back with glowing handprints branded onto its leather armor. Destrier snarled, moving forward to press his advantage. He could do this. He could keep them safe-

The other Urgal's warhammer smashed into the side of his head. Destrier dimly heard a wet snap , and then everything went dark.

In the breathless silence, a bonfire roared to life.

Burn the wicked, rule the ashes. We have granted you the power to try. Over and over, over and over. Those who would lay hands on your body will not even be able to touch your shadow. Arise again, and again, and again.

For Leofore.

The paladin reached out to the void of stars and something too immense to name reached back, pouring into him with single-minded intent.

Destrier's eyes flew open. Stars and galaxies swirled hazily in his vision, the whole world tinged an odd, smokey gray. He knew, with a strangely clinical certainty, that he had been dead seconds before. He growled, sparks issuing from between clenched teeth as he grabbed the ankle of the nearest Urgal. His body was molten, his armor shimmering with the same heat that birthed constellations and warmed the very vacuum of space, but he did not feel it.

Destrier all but climbed the Urgal in order to stand again, searing marks into the tough skin as he went. The creature screamed and howled in pain, alerting his companion that the dead paladin appeared to still have some fight left in him. Knight Revel buried his lance in the creature's gut as thanks for being too slow to kill him again.

The woman in the corner had gone silent. Destrier prayed she was alive, but he could not spare the attention to check. His helmet had given way under the assault, one more thing for him to focus on. Have to lead them away from here.

The remaining Urgal retreated through the destroyed wall and the knight followed swiftly, his form wrapped in roaring starfire the second the fresh air from outside the structure reached him. The cosmos burned at the corners of his eyes, stars wheeling just outside his field of vision.

Burn the wicked, rule the ashes . Over and over his mind chanted the phrase, over and over until Destrier found himself mouthing it like a mantra. The air around him boiled and sang as though it was a living being and he snapped his fingers, flames smoldering at the hems of Urgal undertunics.

Destrier was more cautious now, even with this incredible power at his disposal. He wove and ducked around attacks, thrusting his heated lance into chests or stomachs wherever he was able.

"This is why you cannot let go of your weapon even for a moment." Leofore admonished as he helped the younger man back up. "One moment is all it takes for the enemy to gain the upper hand, Destrier. Never let your guard down, and do not be so quick to trust!"

Destrier nodded, accepting his practice lance back from the older man. "Thank you for your wise counsel as always, Knight-Commander Leofore." Leofore struck without warning, knocking Destrier's legs out from underneath him and toppling the blond once again.

The commander threw his head back and laughed, then crouched beside the fledgling knight currently flat on his back in the dust. "Do not even trust me , Knight Revel! It will only leave you with misfortune and more bruises." Leofore grinned.

Destrier shook his head to dispel the echoes of his mentor's voice, baring his teeth and snarling. True, his helmet had been lost in the fight. But he still had his lance, the fire and his wits. Naero and Thranrok were somewhere out there on the battlefield as well. As long as his surviving companions drew breath, he would continue to fight.

/x\

The battle was over.

Piles of embers smoldered in the streets, the rainfall coaxing wraiths of smoke to billow skywards through the downpour.

Knight-Captain Destrier stood in the middle of the main thoroughfare, steaming shoulders bowed under the weight of some no doubt cosmic burden. Naero rolled his eyes, sauntering up alongside the larger man.

He went to place a hand on his shoulder and then paused, feeling the heat that still rolled off his armor in waves. "Revel?" Naero queried slowly.

"Why do we bother with any of this?" The paladin responded with a question of his own, his words clipped. Naero circled around him to find that his arms were protectively cradling the body of a woman. "I could do nothing ." Destrier continued, voice thick with unshed tears.

He raised his eyes to Naero's and the elf was confused by the depth of emotion he saw there. This woman was a stranger, a civilian. Dime a dozen. But the way this buffoon was reacting, it was as if she had been his own mother.

A baby's sharp wail of distress interrupted the thoughtful stillness and Destrier flinched, clearly startled. "What?" He muttered in confusion, laying the woman's body on the ground and then clumsily pawing at the ragged shawl wrapped around her.

Naero saw the child at the same time as Destrier, his ears twitching in annoyance at the impressive racket the tiny creature was making.

"It's alive." The knight breathed, sounding shattered by the whole thing. "Gods, it's alive. Naero, it's alive ."

"Have you never seen a baby before, Revel?" Fick asked dryly.

"I couldn't find it, I thought the Urgals had eaten it while I was…" Destrier paused. "Gone," he finished awkwardly.

" 'Gone' ? Dare I ask where your flights of fancy took you in the middle of battle?"

"I died."

"Oh, I'm certain of that." Naero huffed. "More likely you've taken more hits to the head than you can recall, you dimwit. Where is that damn helmet you're so proud of?"

"Broken." Destrier gestured vaguely towards a house that was missing a wall. "I was killed, go see for yourself."

"' Go see for yourself ', he says. Like I'm a fool to doubt such ludicrous claims." Naero grumbled, begrudgingly picking his way around the piles of ashen corpses. "What absolute hogwash."

He fell silent upon actually seeing the inside of the house, his brow furrowed. True to Destrier's word there was his monstrously gaudy helm, caved in on one side and entirely missing the cheek plates. Blood and hair were smeared on the inside of it, as well as bits of what Naero could only assume was human skin. He grimaced, mind racing. Was Destrier telling the truth? Had he really been killed? Gany was leagues away though, how on earth had that buffoon managed to return from the grave without assistance?

"You listen here, Revel." Naero hissed, stomping back up to the knight and jabbing him in the chest with his index finger. "What are you playing at? What deals have you made, eh?"

"Just one." Destrier's honesty was, as always, a bit of a shock. "I am to burn the wicked that my king may rule the ashes."

Fick recoiled slightly. "Damn. It's been a while since I've heard those words." He muttered. He tilted his head back, narrowly studying the armored man who was carefully wrapping the squalling whelp in the remains of his cape. "Should I ask what you're planning on doing with that?"

"Leofore's battalion had several midwives in their ranks. I have adopted the same tactics." Naero did not miss the pained expression that flitted across Destrier's face when he mentioned their deceased friend. "I will take the babe to them and ascertain whether it can be saved."

"Pretending that you are as hardened as Leofore does you no favors, Revel." Naero said bluntly as his compatriot turned to depart.

"Neither does feigning indifference to the plight of helpless innocents, Fick."

Naero watched the other man start his long walk back to their encampment, the elf shaking his head ruefully after several moments. "Seems like this war just got a lot more interesting."

Part Two: For Leofore

#paladin backstory #a paladin and his god #destrier revel #backstory #basically every paladin trope I could squeeze in here #angst #character death #resurrection #I love Destrier so much #my big blond himbo #also shoutout to #wearepaladin #@wearepaladin #that blog is so good oh my GOD #conquest paladin #dungeons and dragons #dnd #dnd character #dnd 5e

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grimscale-mercenaries · 5 years

Text

The Great Hunt

Written by: Aerdin ‘Svarr’

“How many?”

The Alliance Commander had spent his third week in the barrens of Northrend, the tent holding what little heat was offered from the bodies that entered and left the small space. A makeshift desk, bed quarters, and even a foot locker was all that accompanied the grey haired human as he peered over the newest report from the scout that so urgently rushed in early. The Commander had seen many fronts, the decorations of Alliance medals that he donned was matched by the look of wear the man had acquired over the span of his career. “Boy, I said how many.” The Commander spoke in a sharp tone, addressing the younger scout for a second time. “Sir, w-we lost two more patrols...They were ambushed ahead of the company a-an-...” The Commander waved a hand at the younger man, clearly having heard enough of the rambling. The message was clear, he had lost another two patrols to the Ice Wolves. “Send the paladins out with the second recon team, I want a report of their camp on my table by the end of tonight. In fact, I will join them...I swear, the quality of the troop has fallen sin-..” The Commander’s rambling continued for some time. A man of his rank was rarely on the front, let alone in the patrols ahead of the forward encampment, but their numbers dwindled and it would be a while before more men were sent to the winter like wastes of Northrend. The Commander waved at the scout once more, growling. “Get out of my tent and ready the patrol. I’ll be out there shortly.” The young man offered a brisk salute before leaving the Commander alone once again.

The patrol made haste to leave the makeshift fort, the wooden gates swung open as the Commander lead his squad of paladins though the winter wastelands. The night would cover the team’s movements, carefully weaving through what little treelines were scattered throughout the snow-covered landscape. “Been a while, Commander McHallen?” A woman’s voice broke the near silence in the night. The Commander peered behind him to eye the young paladin bearing the Knight-Lieutenant’s rank. He scoffed. “If you think I’ve lost my edge, Lady Nadila, you’ve surely mistaken….” The woman muffled her giggle, the amusement clearly evident as she spoke in a more mocking tone. “Oh come now. I’ve been in your service for, what? Four years now? Not once have I ever seen you ‘wield’ a blade, let alone kill a man.” The Commander let out a chuckle of his own. It had been awhile since the man seen combat, but he was far from helpless. “It’s because I’ve such a skill in combat, I simply kill my enemies before I ever see them. That’s the ability of command.” He tapped the side of his plated helm, as if to signify that he was intellectually superior. “Sure, McHallen...Whatever you say.” Nadila snorted. The pair’s conversation ended as quickly as it began, the winter’s silence taking a dominant hold over the group once again.

A few hours had passed, the group of ten slowly came to a halt as they neared a single tent placed in a treeline nearly twenty feet away from them. McHallen raised his hand, as to give the order to hold. In harmony, the paladins held their ground. The men and women gripped their weapons, peering at one another as they waited for further instructions. These were the Commander’s elite, some of his best warriors among the 119th Battalion. The man and his company were clearly confident. After all, reports suggested these recent attacks were due to -one- man. Who could stand up to ten of the Alliance’s shock troops? As the group waited, some gazed upon the extent of the woodland before them. The trees appeared to stretch for miles upon miles, making the extent of their hike intensive. McHallen finally motioned at Nadila and spoke. “Clear that tent!” Without delay, the woman motioned at two accompanying paladins and jogged forward, the two falling slightly behind her. The woman tore at the small tent, revealing an Alliance footman, his corpse turning blue from the winter conditions. If it wasn’t for the axe sticking out of his face, one would have wagered that it was the everwinter that killed him. “Another scout, sir! Dead!” She shouted towards McHallen. He growled, rage building up inside him. “Into the wood! I want this savage’s body to hang outside our gates!” The party marched on as ordered, slowly being absorbed by the darkness of the wood.

The full moon above allowed the party’s sight to easily adjust in the woodscape, their eyes constantly peering about as danger lurked around every corner. The troops knew very little of the forest before them, halting at every branch snapping or animal skitter that was heard by the group. At nearly an hour’s worth of travel, the group halted in a small clearing, surrounded by forest on all sides. One of the men spoke. “Sir, I don’ th-...” The gilnean voice was cut short as the sound of a loosed arrow filled the nearly silent air. With a sickening crack, the man’s life was ended instantly, the arrow’s head piercing the side of his skull. The armored paladin fell with a heavy thud as the group closed into one another, forming a circle. Nadila shouted. “Paladins! SHIELDS!” They raised their shields up high, expecting a volley to land. A few moments passed, the night’s silence filled the air once more. With caution, one of the men broke rank to peer at the fallen. “H-He’s dead...Cowards! All of you!” The man shouted into the woods, as if the attacker was near enough to hear. “Fan out, cover the flanks, an-..” The Commander was cut off as yet another arrow was loosed, only this time being stopped by a Nadila’s own shield. “Shit...There!” She pointed at a silhouette in the distance, barely luminated by the moon’s light. The man stood at an impressive height, only looking more menacing with the horns that protruded from his skull painted helm. The man dropped the bow at his side, favoring the spear that was now in his hands. The man walked forward, his spear dragging in the snow as he slowly approached the group.

The party, now nine strong, formed a small shieldwall as the Northman approached, the Commander’s eyes widened as he finally was able to witness one of the many he was tasked with finding in these lands. “Kill him!” The Commander’s only orders. Three of the paladin’s rushed forward, leaving six of the party to defend McHallen. The Northman quickly brought his spear up to parry two swords that made an attempt to slice at him from an upper angle. The man extended his hand forward, sending a blast of ice that knocked the two paladins to the floor. With ease, the Northman drove his spear into each man, switching between the two a few times as to finish them off. As the last paladin of the first assault charged, the Northman charged in turn, his body ducking the swing of the paladin’s greatsword with expert timing. With a swift spin, the Northman buried his spear’s head into the gut of his enemy, slaying the last of the assault. Nadila shouted, attempting to raise the moral of what remained from the group. “Get in there and fight! For the Alliance!” Another two paladins rushed forward, their shields raised high to offer extended protection that paired well with their armor. The Northman ran forward, meeting the charge halfway. He lowered his shoulder and slammed right into the pair, sending them back from the sheer force. The Northman raised his weapon at one of the paladins, a few words were mumbled in the vrykul tongue before a bolt of frost was launched at him. The paladin attempted to shield himself, even going as far as using a Holy ward to do so. The ward was broken once the frost bolt had landed, leaving the man exposed. The Northman launched yet another bolt, this one slamming into the man’s chest, a spurt of blood lining the white snow beneath his feet. The paladin fell hard, gasping for air as his chest was now home to a sharp piece of ice. The second paladin attempted to retreat, though was only met with a spear that punched through his back. The Northman twisted the speer as the man let out a shriek of pain, the display was enough to change the current tactic of battle. Nadila shouted to those that remained at her side. “Retreat with the Commander, I will hold the ground.” The Knight-Lieutenant only offered the Commander a simple nod before the troops nearly forced the Commander to retreat.

The Northman allowed them to retreat, seeming interested in Nadila. He spoke softly, though it was more than loud enough to hear between the two. “Lady of Gold, as you are known. You’ve killed a number of Ice Wolves in your time, I’m impressed. It will bring me great honor to slay you.” The Norhtman huffed through the vents of his helm as he brought the bloodied spear to his side. Nadila growled, throwing her own shield and sword to the ground, opting to use the two handed blade that hung from her back. The steel screeched as she drew the blade, holding it at her side. “You’re kind do not belong here, savage. Surrender now and I promise you’ll be treated far better than how you treated our troops.” The Northman laughed. “You invaded our land, attacked our people, and you think you have the high ground? Enough talk, more fighting!” The man lunged forward, using his leverage to thrust the spear lazily at the woman, as if to test her. The Paladin parried the attack with ease, shuffling back in the snow. She said nothing in return, the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her body hummed softly with Holy energy, her form nearly radiating with light as she charged in turn, the weapon burned with Holy fires as she attempted to strike the man. The Northman parried, though the blast of Holy fire surged across his body, burning him. He let out a grunt before stumbling back. Nadila smirked. She knew how powerful the Light was and having such on her side was clearly going to win her this fight. The Northman lunged forward again, only this time he used his own magics to empower his attacks. Each blow was parried wildly by the woman, nearly unable to keep up with his strikes. The Northman ended his barrage of pike swings with a kick, sending the woman sprawling onto the floor, her greatsword falling a fair distance away from her. As the Northman lumbered forward, she sprung up, pulling a dagger from her belt and jabbing it between the folds of his armor, the man grunting as the blade pierced his flesh. Nadila grinned, a near victory, but still a victory nonetheless. The Northman’s body lingered over her own before the sound of more flesh rending filled the air. Only this time, the woman’s eyes widened. Even through the blow against him, the Northmand was able to pull a brown hilted knife of his own and shoved it into her upper chest. Nadila stumbled back into the ground, the light that once surrounded her had all but faded away.

The Northman pulled the small dagger from his side, tossing the weapon into the snow. His gaze lingered over Nadila and he closed the distance between the two, kneeling beside her. The woman coughed violently, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. There was sympathy to be had, the Northman seemed to be comforting the woman in her final moments. “W-Who are you...Who are you r-really.” The woman mustered a few choked words between shallow breaths. The Northman wrapped his hand around the hilt of the dagger that was in Nadilia’s chest. “Svarr, Seer of the Ice Wolves...I shall see you in the Great Halls, child.” With that, he twisted the knife hard, the woman’s head lunged forward in a final act of defiance before falling back into the snow. He watched as her eyes glazed over before standing. Aerdin shook his head and turned towards the wood once more, taking his leave with no further actions.

A few days had passed and the Commander had finally worked up the courage to enter Nadilia’s tent. McHallen remained silent for a brief moment before breaking down in tears. The woman had been with him through Hell and back. He easily viewed her as a friend, if not a daughter of his own. The Commander stumbled across the tent before sitting in the woman’s bed. His eyes lingered towards her desk in thought, though something quickly caught his attention. The man stood up and took a few steps forward, his fit of crying cut short by what he saw. On the desk, a brown hilted hunting knife was laid on the table, along with the Knight-Lieutenant’s pin.

#grimscale mercenaries #member writing #svarr #battle #the past

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afigureofspeech · 7 years

Text

You were never in any danger: a Kastle rec post

Hey y’all. If you follow me already, you may not have realized that I’ve gained some fandoms recently since I’ve been too busy to do something as time-consuming as reblogging all the stuff I scroll past but yeah, I’ve currently got two other rec posts sitting patiently in my drafts, just waiting for me not to be destroyed by grad school. As you all may know though, The Punisher comes out today, so I really just couldn’t help myself.

I didn’t expect to be here. I get the sense that most people on this ship didn’t either? Cool, we’re all in this together. I haven’t even been here that long; I happened to see someone freaking out on my dash a few weeks ago about that part in the trailer where they’re on the floor and Frank touches Karen’s hair – you know the one – and, well, somehow I wound up rewatching all the Kastle scenes over and over and over… I was even planning on waiting until next week to binge the whole season, when I’m on break and recovering from minor surgery and all, but I’m way too hyped to wait so I’ll probably get to it this weekend instead.

In any case, this isn’t a full rec post cuz the series dropped and I just wanted to get it out. Please forgive the general messy and incompleteness, I’ll do an update later when I have the time. Now a full rec post! Tried to fit in as much as I could think of. Also, if anyone out there has some fics (or anything else) you want to rec, please do! Like I said I am new here and I haven’t had the chance to go through the whole AO3 tag (yet lol).

My other rec posts can be found here.

Hope you enjoy~

* = new

Update 12/19/17: So apparently there is a limit on how many links I can have in a post. In the interest of being able to add more fic, I have removed the extra sections for fanart, fanvids, etc. If you go to some of the kastle blogs I link to at the bottom though I am sure you can find plenty. Sorry about that!

→ FANFIC

alamorn

AKA Under Investigation AO3 Their first meeting after she told him he was dead to her doesn’t go exactly how he thought it would.

glove upon hand AO3 Frank Castle, metaphorically standing in his half dug grave, takes a literal hand to get out. [Post-Punisher s1]

trouble in mind AO3 Frank didn’t like to ask for things. That wasn’t a surprise — she knew that about him before she knew almost anything else. That Frank Castle, he’s a monster, he’s a machine, he doesn’t know how to ask for help. It’s lucky for him that Karen has never waited to be asked. [Warning: explicit sexual content, femdom, pegging]

alchemistc

after AO3 | Tumblr He presses his lips into her hair and breathes deep, chest expanding against her side, arm curled around her, and Karen thinks - Do we deserve this? [Punisher speculation]

can’t no preacher man AO3 | Tumblr She breathes a sigh of relief when she catches sight of the shape of her late night visitor, and then stifles a snort at herself. Only Karen Page would find the sight of Frank Castle relieving. [Part 2 of the devil’s backbone series]

hangman’s knot and three mouths to feed AO3 | Tumblr “Was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d drop in. ”She kinda wants to punch him in his stupid face, but she knows it wouldn’t help. It wouldn’t even land, unless he wanted it to. Besides, it’s not like she could make the bruises littering his skin any worse than they already are. Frank Castle, Walking Bruise. Somehow, it just doesn’t have the same ring to it as The Punisher. [Part 1 of the devil’s backbone series]

walk together with our hands up in the sky AO3 | Tumblr Frank and Karen in the aftermath. [Post-Punisher s1]

you bear the scars AO3 | Tumblr “Men.” “Tell me about it,” Trish says, her voice somehow managing to convey both too-chipper energy and exasperation of the highest level. “I don’t know how much I can, actually.” Trish grins, tipping the plastic bottle in Karen’s direction. “The Punisher has taken you on as a pet project, you spend your days building up more enemies than even Jessica can manage on a bad day, and you’re totally attracted to a vigilante who prowls the streets at night killing people. Does that pretty much cover it?” “How did you - I am not - there is nothing going on between me and Frank!” [Part 3 of the devil’s backbone series]

angel_deux

AKA Puzzle Pieces AO3 Jessica Jones is not an easy friend to have. And Karen’s not even really sure if she can call her a friend. But Jessica is a good person to have in your corner in a crisis, which is good, because one of Frank’s enemies makes a sudden reappearance. [Part 2 of The Sinner and the Saint series]

Between the Sinners and the Saints AO3 A new villain with killer aim nearly takes Frank out, and he makes the call to go to Karen for help. Karen, who hasn’t seen him in months, who has been wishing she could take back those words she said to him in the woods. She never thought she’d get the chance to repair what they both broke that night, so once he’s back in her life, she’s not going to let him disappear again so easily. [Part 1 of The Sinner and the Saint series]

Tough Girl is What I Had to Be AO3 Lisa Castle survives the incident in Central Park, and Karen Page wants to take care of her. Set in an AU where Lisa survived but Frank had no knowledge of it until after the events of Season 2. [Lisa lives AU; you didn’t know you wanted this but I’m here to tell you that you absolutely do]

carrythesky

i started all the wars AO3 | Tumblr (Turns out fighting’s easy, once you start. The problem is that he’s never learned how to stop.) [Punisher speculation, all the angst]

It’s still heavy Tumblr [Karen Page grows up pretending. She escapes to the broom closet downstairs, curls into the dark space and when she closes her eyes she’s an astronaut, a deep-sea explorer, a knight scaling tall towers to rescue damsels in distress.]

things you said in the dark Tumblr [Sometimes, late at night when her eyes itch with exhaustion and the words on her screen become a jumbled blur, sometimes, she thinks of home. The most recent memories are transparent as glass but her childhood is a series of fragments, fuzzy at the edges - rain on the breeze, gingersnap crumbs, Kevin laughing over his shoulder and running ahead, always just ahead - And this, plucked from the haze: Penelope Page hunched over the kitchen table in the middle of the night, crying.]

untitled Tumblr [q: what scares you? a: you have your good arm around her torso, barrel shoved up under her chin and the magazine is an arm’s length away but you’re still careful, careful. she is steel beneath you and that’s when it hits, that’s when you picture your twitchy finger slipping and a bullet going straight through her skull, in and out before you can blink. the elevator door slides shut and you can’t pull away fast enough. (you are the most dangerous thing her hands have touched.)] [How to pack a punch in 500 words or less holy sHIT]

edourado

Bodies make it perfect AO3 | Tumblr Drunk Karen is a test to Frank's will power [Companion piece/sequel to Second Night; warning: explicit sexual content]

Boss AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr prompt: "I need you to scream for me. You're Karen Page he's the Punisher, he will come for you." in which Karen hurt and taken by a villain and Frank is enraged." [Established relationship; warning: explicit sexual content]

But you’re the truth AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr prompt: Frank patches Karen up after she's hurt because of a job and goes after the people who harmed her. Romantic-ish Special appearence: Max, the Pitbull [Companion piece/prequel to For I can’t help falling]

For I can’t help falling AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr prompt: After Frank leaves his hesitation aside, he gets skin hungy [Companion piece/sequel to But you’re the truth]

Have you seen my best friend? AO3 | Tumblr Karen finds a dinosaur toy in the subway. [Everybody lives AU, feat. an adorable Lisa; warning: explicit sexual content]

Hungry AO3 | Tumblr She fought it. With everything she had, she fought it. Karen can only fight for so long. [Companion piece/sequel to Never Had; warning: explicit sexual content]

Karen AO3 | Tumblr Prompt: someone hurts Karen and Frank hunts them down. As he is at it, he realizes his feelings for her [Warning: off-screen attempted rape]

Never Had AO3 | Tumblr How can you mourn the loss of something - someone - that was never truly yours? [Angsty Matt POV, one-sided Karedevil; companion piece/prequel to Hungry]

Not Pete AO3 | Tumblr * She doesn't like the new name [Post-Punisher s1; warning: sexual content]

Ordinary People AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2, Deleted Scenes) Prompt: Best friends who are the Old Married Couple but fail to notice they're falling in love until is too late. [AU]

Pour AO3 | Tumblr * She pulled his boots off him before they finished the first glass. They now sat under the couch, forgotten. [Warning: sexual content]

Second Night AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr prompt: Frank shows up drunk at Karen's door, and she's on edge, because she has dated a few unpleasant-when-drunk men. [Companion piece/prequel to Bodies make it perfect]

What do you want AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr promt: Karen accidentaly discovers Frank has a hair pulling kink. She sees an opportunity, she seizes it. [Established relationship; warning: explicit sexual content]

Ejunkiet

dilaudid AO3 This isn’t the first time Frank has shown up on her doorstep in the early hours of the morning, but this is the first time that he’d been extended an invitation.

feel it still AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) w/ evil bunny wolf (evil_bunny_king) Karen’s legs are unsteady as she makes her way to the bathroom to knock on the door, fingers curling against the wood as she hears the water stop, before Frank’s voice croaks through the door. “What is it?” She has to swallow twice before she can get the words out. “Someone knows you’re here.” [Post-Defenders; WIP]

(in our bedroom) after the war AO3 When Karen had received the invitation from WNEX station to speak on Trish Talk, the most popular radio talk show in the city, her first instinct had been to say no. – “With all due respect ma’am, that’s bullshit. Most people, see, wouldn’t be so easy to let the other things” – murder and brutality, bodies littering the floor of the diner and blood on her hands and face – "go. They don’t seek to understand them. They get one good look, and get the hell away.”

meet me in the woods AO3 * Frank doesn’t wait for them to break the lock – he kicks the door open and slams into the first body he makes contact with behind it, lashing out in a blur of kicks and punches. The intruder falls back, face bloody, and then Frank’s gone, and Karen is left alone, crouched beneath her bed like a five year old hiding from the monsters in her closet, except that she’s no longer a child, and now she has a gun. -- Frank turns up on her doorstep on a Tuesday night and stays until Friday. [Part 1 of the corvidae & whiskey series]

elizma_c*

Flight from the City AO3 | Tumblr What are you doing, Karen? she thinks. He might not even be here. Would he even want to see her? What if – The door beside her suddenly swings open. Of course he senses her right away, even as she’s sort of hidden behind the door. He actually puts a hand to his lower back, and she realizes he’s carrying. Of course. “Jesus Christ,” he mumbles, but there’s surprise in his tone. “Karen.” Even with the questionably overloaded vital signs her body is displaying, she gets the sickest sense of pleasure that she’s gotten the jump on Frank Castle.

What You Know AO3 | Tumblr “When reality feels like its slipping away, hold on to those things that you know are true. You have to focus on what you know.” What did Karen know? Karen knows that she likes to read on the subway. She likes wearing heels that click on the sidewalk. Karen hates exercising but is apparently not a fan of therapy, so she goes running on Saturday mornings. She keeps a .380 in her purse and a pot of dying roses in her window. She has a track record for falling in love with the wrong people. She is fine. She repeats the list in her head each morning when she wakes up, until her hands stop shaking and the knots in her stomach go away.

evil bunny wolf (evil_bunny_king) / devilbunnyking

author our own disasters AO3 | Tumblr Frank Castle’s flesh is a litany to disaster. – Karen and Frank meet again for the first time since that final showdown on the rooftop. It doesn’t go as planned. [Part 2 of the you make me feel so criminal series]

feel it still AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) w/ Ejunkiet Karen’s legs are unsteady as she makes her way to the bathroom to knock on the door, fingers curling against the wood as she hears the water stop, before Frank’s voice croaks through the door. "What is it?” She has to swallow twice before she can get the words out. “Someone knows you’re here.” [Post-Defenders; WIP]

Graves AO3 Frank Castle - had cared. He’d broken himself caring; he’d loved with a heart she’d only glimpsed beneath his darkness, broken and bleeding as it was. She refused to believe that that man could be gone. [Part 1 of the you make me feel so criminal series]

Pacific Swells AO3 | Tumblr It’s not morbid curiosity. She’d be easier to scare away, if it were – he could play the part, flog away another shred of his humanity to dangle before her and ask ‘is this what you wanted? This what you wanted to see?’ [WIP; part 3 of the you make me feel so criminal series]

Perihelion AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1) “I’ve had, I’ve had a hell of a week, but that, I think, might’ve been part of the worst of it.” She clears her throat, and then again, drawing her knees in. Her eyes shine a little in the lamplight. “Yeah. I was scared too. For you.” -- Frank visits Karen, after. [Post-Punisher s1]

Touch AO3 | Tumblr “Why are you here?” he settles on, instead. Her hand moves to the marks on his neck, thumb grazing his adam’s apple. “Because I made a choice. And now I’m making another.” [Part 4 of the you make me feel so criminal series]

The Twist AO3 | Tumblr Frank finds Karen trussed up in the back of a van in Queens. [Kidnapping, protective!Frank]

glycerineclown*

glutton for punishment AO3 | Tumblr If she wants it, it's not a punishment. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

Operation Spot AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) A stocky grey pit bull peeks out from the mouth of the first alley that Karen passes. It's Frank, but she doesn't know it yet. [Shapeshifter AU]

Ordinary Citizens AO3 | Tumblr Rawlins’ fist had really done a number on Frank, and he has to get some teeth pulled a few days later. Karen takes him home, after, for rest and mothering. He stays longer than he has to—long enough to figure a few things out. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

idekman / hipsterfrankcastle

around the world my body will roam (my soul’s in new york) AO3 | Tumblr She gets two blankets, one for each of them, and sits out there with him until the sun rises. Frank moves into Karen’s apartment. She dreams. [Punisher speculation]

my girl is tall with hard long eyes AO3 | Tumblr He returns the book the next day. She’s asleep, curled up on her sofa, the window shut. She looks so small like this, fragile and vulnerable and not at all like the electric force of nature she is in waking.

this is all I ever was AO3 | Tumblr 'I always thought you liked tulips.' Karen takes the pot of roses from him, places it gingerly back on the windowsill. He listens to her fiddle with it, twist it this way and that – finding the best spot for it in the sun, he realises. 'Maybe. Before.' - prompt: kastle through matt's eyes [Post-Punisher s1]

jazzonia

come upstairs but not to talk AO3 Frank comes to her straight from the firefight. [Warning: explicit sexual content; part 1 of the we’re always alright series]

don’t care about your intentions AO3 Karen’s world is upended when Matt reveals his identity to her. Frank helps her right it again. [Warning: explicit sexual content; part 2 of the we’re always alright series]

LaMorenaReina

Ascendancy AO3 Karen Page's relationship with control becomes all the more tenuous as she explores a singular and inconclusive friendship with Frank Castle, wages her own war against Wilson Fisk, and has to start answering some unwanted questions about her past that lead to new conclusions about her identity.

Re-Entry AO3 Frank shows up again and causes trouble because he’s Frank. Karen goes along with it because, well, she’s Karen. They have adult conversations because, honestly, they should. [Punisher speculation]

PurpleLex / shipsabound

bloodsport AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) two-part tumblr prompt: "A baddie is threatening/hurting Karen in front of a tied up Frank. And he’s raging?” [Protective!Frank, h/c; warning: mature content, description of torture/violence]

during the dark and storming nights AO3 | Tumblr Frank POV retelling of “the space between dreams and reality” The concrete columns echo again with the second gunshot and he stands there for a minute on shaky feet, disgust and satisfaction twisting and warring against each other within his gut. The satisfaction doesn’t last long, yanked from him harshly when he climbs back into his truck and hears the radio abuzz over a shooting at the tenement building on 47th. Two women sustain injuries — one Sophia Rossum, and one Karen Page. He forgets to breathe for a long minute. [Part 3 of the Dreams & Lasts series]

fourteen weeks AO3 | Tumblr tumblr prompt: “something where Frank has a dog and because said dog has pretty much adopted Karen as his second owner, Karen often times takes care of the dog when he’s away/busier than usual. And it doesn’t take long for someone to start putting two and two together about who the dogs main owner is."

leaving is my last option AO3 | Tumblr Kastle Week Prompt: Lasts Frank rakes his gaze over her entire form, like he’s trying to decipher her. She shifts. He has a way of making her feel like every inch of her soul is being seen, and it’s as much something she longs for as something she’s insecure about. “Sooner or later, you’re going to burn out,” he says, tone flat. “How are you going to take care of yourself then? Defend yourself?” A bitter smile curves her lips. “I could say the same thing about you.” [Part 2 of the Dreams & Lasts series]

meet me in the woods AO3 | Tumblr tumblr prompt: "I would DIE if you wrote a couple of scenes where Karen army trains with Frank. I could TOTALLY see Frank being like, "You can’t get involved in the extra dangerous stuff unless you at least let me train you.” Imagine them running in the mornings??? Karen getting into crazy shape and the tension between them intensifying???“

shine a light through the distance AO3 | Tumblr “You sure about that?” He asks, incredulous, but she doesn’t give an inch. “You help me, you’ll only get blood on your hands.” “I already have blood on my hands.” She almost had his on hers half a year ago by force of a bullet. He put his blood on her hands just a month ago by force of a plea. “Doesn’t mean you need any more,” is all he says before opening the door. [Part 4 of the Dreams & Lasts series]

the space between dreams and reality AO3 | Tumblr Kastle Week Prompt: Dreams He stands in her apartment, by the door, but it is closed this time, and no bullets are coming through her windows. Her gun is in her hand, though, gripped loose from where it hangs at her side. “Why?” She asks. It’s a whisper of a loaded question. He doesn’t respond, just stares at her, gaze too unreadable. Karen wakes with a frustrated sigh. [Part 1 of the Dreams & Lasts series]

untitled Tumblr [Can you do a prompt where Micro yells at Karen and Frank gets the in his face. I literally be for protective!Frank 😂💕] [Punisher speculation]

PunkyNemo / thevampirecat

As days go by, the night’s on fire AO3 | Tumblr She’s lost him, she’s found him and she’s lost him again. And now he’s standing on her fire escape, holding out his hand and looking at her like she’s the only thing on Earth worth seeing. [Canon-divergent AU; part 2 of the Ballads for a dead man series]

Be my saviour and I’ll be your downfall AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1) Once upon a time she derided herself for imagining they were a done deal on a collision course straight to her bedroom. But that’s all over now and he’s gone, hasn’t been back since he walked off her roof and disappeared into the night air. It’s not all bad though. She has friends, she has work and tonight she even has cause to celebrate. It is, after all, her birthday and there’s a chance the universe will be kind. It’s just a chance though. And not a very good one. [Canon-divergent AU; warning: explicit sexual content; part 3 of the Ballads for a dead man series; WIP]

The bullet you never saw coming AO3 | FFN | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) There are days that he wonders if he’s the worst man on Earth. And then there are the days that he doesn’t need to wonder. But, worst man or not, she’s here, sitting on his couch and crying like the world is ending. And he has no idea how to feel about that. Except he does. He really does. [Canon-divergent AU; warning: explicit sexual content]

Can you wait while the world circles the sun? AO3 It’s hard when you can’t take her out - when you’re The Punisher and the world can’t know she’s your girl. But he can make it up to her, make it right … even if he’s not really sure what it is that he’s wanting. [Warning: implied sexual content]

Could you crawl out of your perfect skin and climb into mine? AO3 | Tumblr * It's just a hug, so why does it feel like it's so much more? [Frank POV, The Hug]

Love me back to life AO3 | FFN | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) He can keep her safe. It’s the one thing he knows how to do, the only thing he can truly give her. So why does it feel like it’s not enough?

You’re a ghost town (and maybe I’m a ghost) AO3 | FFN | Tumblr Safe up in the mountains with Frank following a bloody showdown in Hell’s Kitchen, Karen wonders just how much more complicated things between them can get. She’s about to find out. [Canon-divergent AU; part 1 of the Ballads for a dead man series; I cry about this series in the best way, it’s long and plotty and UST-y and so so great]

queensofthekastle / StellarRequiem & homesickblues

For Whom There are No Words AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1) Originally inspired by the prompt “Frank protecting Karen after Fisk finds out she killed Wesley.” A dialogue-driven slow burn exploring their relationship through conversation, spaghetti dates, two incidents involving vodka, and a whole lot of back and forth between who Frank is, and what Frank does. [Canon-divergent AU; protective!Frank, slow-burn]

Nowhere to Go but Everywhere AO3 * Karen has some emotional recovery to do, Frank is still working on "after," and all along the east-west interstate, someone has been abducting children and wiping all record of the disappearances. ** The roadtrip fic has arrived [Roadtrip AU; fake married, sharing a bed]

untitled Tumblr [based on the new trailer (which shook us to the core tbh)] [Punisher speculation]

untitled Tumblr [Kastle+forced to share a bed (best trope ever)]

untitled Tumblr [kastle prompt fill: “matt and frank having a conversation about karen”] [Canon-divergent AU]

untitled Tumblr [OOOH! What about holding their unconscious body WHILST sobbing into their shoulder/chest ] [Punisher speculation]

samssalvation / jonbernhthal

one day Tumblr prompt: between the explosion and the elevator

weak knees AO3 | Tumblr prompt: karen tripping and falling into frank's arms

SecondFromTheRight

All We Do Is Hide Away AO3 But when she opened the door to him that night with a “Frank”, her lip trembling as she stared at him – her eyes were already red from crying and she looked tired – he wondered how much that mattered. He knew what Karen Page looked like crying and breathing – or yelling – his name, he knew what she looked like with blood on her, but he didn’t know who Ben Urich was to her. He kind of hated himself for that. And for a man used to self-contempt, this dose noticeably burned. [Post-Punisher s1]

The Sounds She Makes AO3 * Now, now that he’s had her, had this. Something good and something he feels part of it. Now that he’s remembered life and something he’s terrified could be love - he can go out with Karen on his lips, in his lungs, with her saying his name in his ear. He can go out swaying in this elevator with her, her forehead against his. The elevator scene goes a little differently (they have sex) [Warning: explicit sexual content]

watermelonp00fs

shooting stars in a jar AO3 * Frank doesn’t visit Karen, after. Not really. But the flowers are there by her window — everyday, for weeks, months — until one day they aren’t. She’s stopped going to the river for a while now, too. Not that he blames her for it. Cut the threads loose, toss the baggage she’s carried all this time into the goddamn ocean — He’s alright with it, all of it. Then, one evening she goes home with a man he’s never laid eyes on, carefree laughs and cheeky smiles — and Frank should be, must be alright with this because God knows she deserves happiness that he cannot interfere with — Except he isn’t.

the world on its axis AO3 Inhale. Exhale. “I’m scared, Karen.” Rough. Guttural. He hated how weak he sounded. “I’m gonna forget her voice.” His shoulders sagged from the weight of his guilt. Frank Castle — the man who took a woman to bed and cried to that woman about his dead wife. What a joke. What a fucking joke. A low hum sounded in the back of Karen’s throat as she stroked the line of his back, gentle and understanding and oh he did not deserve her — “I know,” she murmured and kissed his shoulder. “I know.” Inhale. Exhale. [Part 2 of the like diamonds in the sky series]

Wynn / astreetcarnamedwynn

One Worth Knowing AO3 | FFN | Tumblr The message arrives in an innocuous envelope, a plain white one marked only with her name and the address of The Bulletin, the two scrawled on the front in thick black ink. Karen doesn’t even have to open it to know it’s from him, from Frank, though almost eight months have passed since she last saw him. [UST; warning: adult content; part 1 of the One Worth series]

One Worth Trusting AO3 | Tumblr Frank presses the first speed dial and, a couple seconds later, her phone rings in her purse. Karen doesn’t bother asking how he knew her number. She just stares at him instead, caught between irritation at his actions and understanding for the impulse behind them. And if that didn’t sum up her feelings for Frank Castle, the man a murderer but one she understood. The man in question watches her, his brow furrowed but his jaw set, Frank willing to throw down over this, his efforts to keep her safe.Sighing again, Karen points to the kitchenette behind him. “If you’re so willing to do things for me, why don’t you pour me a drink? I’m going to get changed.”His face softens, nearly into a smile. “Yes, ma’am.” A continuation of "One Worth Knowing." Frank accepts Karen's invitation to come by her apartment for a drink. All goes well until it doesn't, until truths are revealed and revelations made. [UST, kisses, & angst; part 2 of the One Worth series]

Yggdra / favrielle

Bluest Skies Of Mourning Light AO3 It’s Karen’s birthday. The Punisher is caught unaware by his own legacy. [Fluff]

On Hallowed Ground I Stay AO3 He never says "I love you”, but whispers every word of it in all the spaces Karen Page leaves for him in her life. [Fluff]

Paint Your Demons Red AO3 | Tumblr Frank Castle tries to keep Karen Page at arm’s length and out of danger. (Really, he does.) She has other ideas about what safety means. [Post-Defenders]

She Who Believeth In Me AO3 Her brightness touches everything he lays eyes on. And he can’t shake her no matter how hard he tries. [Part 1 of the all the devils series]

untitled Tumblr [kastle prompt: after the explosion scene, frank takes karen back to his and micro’s hideout. possibly a shower scene (doesn’t have to be sexual) where frank is comforting karen because she took another life while looking out for frank as they were making their escape.] [Punisher speculation]

untitled Tumblr [plllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllssssssssssss write a fic where Karen and Frank go back to his hideout to patch each other up after the explosion scenes 😙] [Punisher speculation]

Misc.

Been with the Devil in the Devil’s Resting Place AO3 by Amazing_E_ko The development of Karen and Frank’s relationship from Matt’s perspective, as his own life goes slowly downhill. [POV Matt, not exactly kind to him but in a fun, vindictive sort of way if you’re into that lol]

Heaven Sent the Saints Down (Hell Sent Them Up) AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) by Ambrosia But no, yes, the Punisher. In her apartment. Staring at her with an unfazed expression on his face. Even from the doorway, she can see the white skull painted on his chest-piece. And this is somehow so normal for her, at this stage of her life, that she honestly takes one look at Frank, at the bruises on his face, at all his gear spread around her apartment, and says, “Okay. It’s 11:07. I haven’t eaten yet. I’m going to order some dim sum from the corner and you are not going to get any of that gun oil on my bed.”

It is So Quite New a Thing AO3 by an_ardent_rain He realizes, as he is about to order, that there is one other thing he has besides his grief and his anger and his never-ending war. That there is something that helps him remember, that reminds him who he used to be. He orders a second cup to go and writes “Page” in blocky letters on the side. [WIP]

don’t fade away AO3 by consultingpathologist* As she unlatches the window to bring the flowers inside, she realizes the yellow is from a piece of paper wedged in between the stems. [Episode tag]

When you drown, I'll drown AO3 by ebethjanna* His voice is gruff, "Not gonna point a loaded gun at you, Karen." (Two missing moments from 1x10.)

Better Natures AO3 by etirabys “Work with me here, Frank,” Karen snapped. “Make some sense here. Talk to me. We can’t figure out what our next move is until you explain why you’re so disgusted at the thought of my being attracted to you — an attraction which, by the way, I’ve never let interfere with our work or our friendship —“ “I’m not disgusted,” Frank said in a strained, calm voice. “You have ghastly taste, but I’m not disgusted. No. It’s just the feeling of having carried a torch for miles and miles in the dark and… having the sun come up.” [Zombie AU with a side of Fake Married feat. HellaBadass!Karen; warning: explicit sexual content of the dom/sub variety; this fic is everything to me READ IT]

loss like the sharp edges of a knife Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5) by fandammit* [The stillness of after is suffocating.] [Frank POV, post-Punisher; one of my current favorite fics]

moth and flame AO3 | Tumblr by freedomatsea Liquid courage and exhaustion lead Frank to reach out to Karen after months of keeping away from her. Set post-finale about 6-8 months. Frank’s POV. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

The Fall AO3 by ghoulsngunz “I need a favor.” A favor? Karen crossed her arms over her chest. She had to be dreaming. There was no way that after three months of silence the Punisher would be standing in her kitchen asking for a favor. “What kind of favor?” Frank rubbed his temples. “I need you to help me find my dog.” [WIP]

Elevator Songs AO3 | Tumblr by Inaccessible Rail (strangetales) A series of drabbles or shorter works that I've posted on Tumblr about my two trauma buds in probable love. [WIP]

But I Wish It Was True AO3 by Ideal_Flower* The first time it happened, he was hit with white hot shame. But there was no bullet, no gunshot, no shattering of golden hair and spray of brain and blood and guilt on the wall, on the side of his face. Just her mouth on him, his hand on her, his fingers tangled through the cornsilk strands at the nape of her neck. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

United We Purge AO3 | Tumblr by Jenye "Just remember all the good the purge does.” – Evil runs Hell’s Kitchen, but one night out of the year that evil is legal. [Purge AU]

Come For You AO3 by larkingstock* Pretty much what the tags say. (I'm so sorry. I wanted it, I wrote it, and if I can figure out the rest I'm probably going to write that too.) (Also so so sorry for the title.) [Sex pollen fic; warning: explicit sexual content, WIP; honestly I am enjoying this fic so fucking much]

You Carry My Heart On Your Sleeve AO3 by Morrigan2345 The first thought that comes to mind when her door opens and she’s standing in front of him in what could only be the tightest black dress he’s ever seen is that she looks good. Really good. The second thought is that he shouldn’t have thought that. The third thought is that he couldn’t give less of a shit. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

the root of the root and the bud of the bud AO3 by nagia* There's a new drug in town, a warehouse full of dead shitbags (and newly empty of a strange, tropical-looking flower), and Karen Page has the kind of connections that might help him figure out what this shit is. [Sex pollen fic; warning: explicit sexual content]

ain’t nothing but a monster AO3 by nighimpossible “Is this okay?” she asks, the question just a murmur in the dark. “You’re already close enough to hurt me,” Frank says finally, after chewing on the thought for a long moment. “So hurt me.” [Warning: mature content]

hail, holy queen AO3 by peppermintcas He kisses her and it’s like setting a building on fire: he knows it’s a bad idea, intellectually, but everything in him is pushing him to do it. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

Strays AO3 by Ruby_Wren* Frank finds out what happened to his dog.

The End of the Line AO3 by ruebellab They say there’s a ghost - that he’s a dead man, but Miss Karen’s seen enough to know one thing. Dead men don’t feel, they don’t hurt, they don’t care - so if there’s a man out there, she knows he ain’t a ghost, he’s broken maybe but he’s not dead. [Western AU; WIP]

Fall On Your Knees AO3 by saltandbyrne* She keeps the flowers in her window for three days. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

windowsill AO3 by shuofthewind Eight weeks, three days. She's going to punch him in his fucking nose. The fic that fixes the lack of Karen at the end of The Punisher. [Post-Punisher s1; UST]

Of Gods and Monsters AO3 | Tumblr by silbecoo Frank is the God of the Underworld, quietly ushering honorable souls to the Elysian Fields while ensuring the evil ones start their time in Tartarus as soon as possible. He doesn’t want or need anyone to care about, until one day the beautiful Daughter of Demeter needs him. He can’t ignore his fate, and neither can she. [Yup it’s the Hades&Persephone AU you were waiting for; WIP]

A Hard Rain AO3 by smolhombre* When he starts over this time, Frank tries to mean it. An after; for people who don't believe in them. [Warning: explicit sexual content; WIP]

the floodgates need repair AO3 by stainofmylove* Karen struggles to put the pieces back together again. Post “I’m already dead,” basically.

moving on AO3 by thecoolestfreak* “I’m going to break the truth over Fisk’s head, sure. But I need the backup to do it. Capable parties.” She said it as she’d rehearsed it in her head, and she winced at how unsympathetic it sounded out loud. “Y’need canon fodder, that it?” he said, and she almost spit out the wine she’d nervously poured in her mouth. “God, no! Frank, that’s not— I’m—" He laughed, a small chuckle, but a laugh, and if he were here she would punch him in the arm.“I’ll do it, Karen. Where and when do you need me?” post the punisher s1 & the defenders s1 - the gang fights fisk, but its basically a kastle fic

elevator AO3 by thefudge 1x10. The elevator scene, but with a much needed addition.

but shrapnel is shrapnel AO3 by theworthofhollin It starts like this: Karen gets a dog. [WIP]

to arm your fears like soldiers and slay them AO3 | FFN | Tumblr by viansian Karen had gotten over the whole “soulmates” hype when she was thirteen years old, and she didn’t plan on getting swept up in that shitstorm again anytime soon. aka the soulmate fic you knew was coming. [Soulmates AU]

Sentimentality AO3 by writesometimes* She stood in front of the windows and scanned the darkening New York skyline. The dark concrete, steel and glass of tall buildings blending with the inky indigo sky. There was no way she'd spot him if he was out there somewhere, but Karen knew. Frank was alive.

Ain’t about what I like AO3 | Tumblr by zombieboyband Before the diner, after the gunfire. City nights, late drives, looking for coffee with Frank. Karen is too tired for easy questions. “Pardon, ma'am?” He sounds so goddamn polite it’s incredible. “The meat hooks. The part where you killed people and put them on meat hooks.” [Missing scene]

→OTHER

On tumblr: kastlelibrary, kastlenetwork, kastlesource, queensofthekastle, thecrimescenejunkie

People with good Kastle tags: afigureofspeech, carry-the-sky, frankcastle, hipsterfrankcastle, likcoln, mazikeene, shipsabound, theworthofhollin

On AO3: the Frank Castle/Karen Page tag

Updated 12/19/17

#kastle #kastle ff #kastle fanfic #frank castle #karen page #the punisher #daredevil #rec post #fic rec #frank castle x karen page #i didn't even attempt to add anything not on ao3 currently sorry #i will fix that when i update #just wanted to get this done #this is how i contribute to fandom lol #i will be freaking out about this show shortly i'm sure #if school doesn't kill me first of course

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setgamesettingstotroll · 5 years

Text

FE8 Draft Log 3

Lords ‘n’ Consorts, oh my~ Otherwise known as: Shinon/Mandi’s Fire Emblem 8 Draft Log. Part 3

Welcome back, everyone. Welcome to part three of my Fire Emblem Sacred Stones draft run.

For those of you new or just now finding this log:

First Log with the rules and things: http://setgamesettingstotroll.tumblr.com/post/114341729022/fe8-draft-run-log-1

Second Log: http://setgamesettingstotroll.tumblr.com/post/116299103872/fe8-draft-run-log-2

And of course, my partner in this draft is ALynnL/Sue, it would be rude of me not to include hers here, too.

Part one of ALynnL's draft: http://setgamesettingstotroll.tumblr.com/post/114649739552/fe-8-draft-log-1

Part two: http://setgamesettingstotroll.tumblr.com/post/116698310697/fe-8-draft-log-2

And with that covered, I'll be putting the rest of this under the cut to spare everyone's dashes.

So here we are, beginning where we left off with Ephraim getting ready to enter the Za'albul Marsh to face off with Selena the Fluorspar and hand her severely misguided ass to her on a Platinum Platter.

Before we begin, I'm putting here for note that I trained Ewan up from Pupil class to Shaman in the Tower of Valni as per allowment.

Ewan's new stats:

Shaman Level 1 Exp: 0

HP: 22 Mag: 6 Skill: 5 Spd: 12 Luck: 8 Def: 2 Res: 10

And now we're off to the Marsh!

========

Ephraim leads everyone towards Za'albul marsh in search of Myrrh, and on their way they learn from soldiers and villages that she's been captured by General Selena. With no choice, Ephraim grimly steels and prepares himself to fight the General to get his friend, and my draft unit, back. |D

Our scene opens with Selena holding the Dragonstone and both marveling and wondering at it. It does indeed look like an ordinary stone. She's also heard the reports of Ephraim and company nearing and curses the fact she's forced to return to the Capital immediately otherwise she'd get rid of them. Well, you're in luck, you're not gonna make it back to the Capital at all and die facing Ephraim.

Before we get ahead of ourselves though, Myrrh appears before Selena asking for the stone back. She tells Selena the story of the darkness and how it has warped things. Selena understands, and tells Myrrh of how she came to be a General, being a commoner from an impoverished town and the Emperor saved them.

Selena asks if it's possible to save the Emperor and Myrrh sadly tells her it is impossible. A soldier arrives saying Ephraim and his company has arrived. Selena tells the men to ready themselves to meet them head on. She releases Myrrh and tells her to return to Ephraim's side, and apologizes that she can't give her Dragonstone back, as she vowed never to fail her Lord again, and if she wants it, to tell Ephraim to come take it from her.

Before Myrrh can protest, Selena tells her to go before the area becomes red from the fighting.

She rides out and orders all the troops to arms.

When we ride up, Seth states the obvious we already know that the enemy is already lining up and that it's Selena leading them. L'Arachel shares her knowledge about the woman, saying she wields the power of the Thunderstorm and uses it to attack from afar without mercy.

Annnd then Seth tells Ephraim to be cautious when facing her. No shit, Seth, but really, stop throwing off Lord Ephraim's groove, he does what he wants. GET LIKE EPHRAIM, SETH. -shot-

With that all said, I'ma take my own advice and get like Ephraim and smite this chapter right proper!

Let's go~!

[Chapter 13 battle, start!]

Soooooo before we begin the smiting, I'm putting note here that I've graciously used the Dragonshield Ewan came with to bolster Marisa's Def up from 4 to 6 because she's gonna need it for this chapter.

Annd 5 turns in Tana takes one too many hits. So much for getting like Ephraim. -shot- xDDD

Annd after that reset....

Eff. I won, but it took an assload of time and I ended up offing the mage that was carrying that speedwing (it wasn't a droppable item either, effff) but I got the red gem and the energy ring.

Selena wasted all her boltings trying to hit Kyle the whole time. WOMAN. YOU HAVE EARNED LORD EPHRAIM'S IRE BY ATTACKING HIS KNIGHT ~husband~ MULTIPLE TIMES. I hope you've come to terms with any regrets and Gods you serve, cause you've earned a one-turn death.

In other words, Ephraim gave her arse the heave-ho.

And fuck, I forgot to get Tethys' starting stats. Eff. Oh well.

Turns taken: 18

Penalty taken: 15

Total turncount: 33

Stat time:

Ephraim:

Level: 18 Exp: 34

HP: 31 Str: 13 Skill: 15 Spd: 19 Luck: 14 Def: 14 Res: 5

Franz:

Level: 4 Exp: 25

HP: 43 Str: 17 Skill: 17 Spd: 20 Luck: 12 Def: 16 Res: 8

Kyle:

Level: 18 Exp: 68

HP: 37 Str: 15 Skill: 12 Spd: 12 Luck: 9 Def: 12 Res: 5

Cormag:

Level: 14 Exp: 8

HP: 34 Str: 17 Skill: 14 Spd: 13 Luck: 5 Def: 14 Res: 3

Ewan:

Level: 7 Exp: 80

HP: 26 Mag: 11 Skill: 6 Spd: 14 Luck: 12 Def: 2 Res: 16

Natasha:

Level: 9 Exp: 51

HP: 27 Mag: 9 Skill: 6 Spd: 13 Luck: 9 Def: 5 Res: 13

Colm:

Level: 4 Exp: 21

HP: 37 Str: 17 Skill: 19 Spd: 22 Luck: 15 Def: 8 Res: 8

Joshua:

[Only gained exp]

Tana:

Level: 14 Exp: 27

HP: 29 Str: 9 Skill: 15 Spd: 20 (capped) Luck: 15 Def: 7 Res: 10

L'Arachel:

Level: 6 Exp: 9

HP: 20 Mag: 7 Skill: 9 Spd: 12 Luck: 13 Def: 5 Res: 9

Marisa:

Level 8 Exp: 63

HP: 26 Str: 7 Skill: 14 Spd: 14 Luck: 11 Def: 6 Res: 4

Tethys:

Level: 2 Exp: 90

HP: 19 Str: 1 Skill: 3 Spd: 13 Luck: 11 Def: 5 Res: 5

Dozla:

[Didn't see combat this round]

Ughhhh I'm not ashamed of the penalty I took, it was an outright honest mistake on my part and I learned my lesson and came out much better this time around. I'm more or less pissed at myself for taking out that mage with the speedwing before Colm could get to them. |D I HAVE MY PRIORITIES, OKAY?

Moving on.

=========

Ephraim returns Myrrh's dragonstone to her. But it's with a heavy heart that she accepts it.

Myrrh mourns and grieves the loss of Selena, asking Ephraim why it must be so that we must fight even against good people to right this wrong. She does not blame the Lord, but wants to understand. Ephraim sadly tells her he has no answers for this, but he will press on towards the Capital in search of one. He wants to learn the truth behind all of this.

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH EPHRAIM -shot-

==========

We interrupt your scheduled draft summary to bring you this side note:

Before heading to Grado Keep I make a sidetrip to restock on stuff. Javelins (the lifeblood of my lance users), some slim weapons and a few handaxes and some more mend staves.

Fed Joshua the Talisman to up his Res from 2 to 4, and fed Natasha the Energy Ring to make her mag go from 9 to 11 in preparation for early promotion since I'll be starting chapter 14 and there's only, what, 21 chapters to fe8? Meaning I need to pick up the damned pace and I need another offensive magic user besides Ewan out there on the field.

Also fed Dozla the Goddess Icon Tethys came with to up his Luck from 4 to 6. Better safe than sorry, right?

And with that, we'll now return you to your regularly scheduled draft summary.

===========

So, marching up to Grado Keep, Ephraim recalls how it doesn't even look different from the two years ago when he'd visited with Eirika and their father and all that. And then cue a flashback to him and Lyon having a conversation. I am too lazy to type the interaction this time, peeps, sorry.

And then an earthquake happens. And Myrrh is startled. And then proceeds to inform us that the darkness is stemming from the middle of the keep. So we rush in.

Cue a scene with Lyon standing beside his father, questioning if he's been foolish, saying when Vigarde had died, he couldn't deal with it... Before he can go on, he's wracked with pain and a soldier runs in, saying they're under attack by Ephraim. Just then, the solider is staring at Lyon.

Lyon's new sprite appears different, darker and more sinister. They comment that they do not appreciate being stared at as if they were some vile creature. Then orders them to wipe out Ephraim. Vigarde slowly tells the soldier to do as he says. The soldier rushes out in compliance and Lyon turns towards Vigarde, addressing them completely differently. "Vigarde, defeat Ephraim. I must go." and teleports out. DUN DUN DUN. Oh my whatever could this be?

We'll find out soon enough~

Til then, we've got a battle to win.

[Chapter 14 battle, start!]

So, considering I have more than 12 units now, I'm forced to bench one. Sorry, Dozla. I need Tethys more than you right now so she can boost her bro so he can get mass expies. 8D

... ... ...

Well. Damn. Seven turns in, I take a penalty. I apparently didn't move Rennac far enough out of the way and he got attacked. Dodged it, but still. Eff. D:

BUT. All in all, I got all the chests, gained levels, stole everything that needed stealing, and it's alll gewd.

Kyle promoted to Paladin and Natasha made it to level 10 and thus was promoted to Valkyrie (despite the inner screaming from my perfectionist side)

AND HOLY SHIT I AM SO PROUD OF KYLE. He critted so many times in defense of his Lord husband -shot-

Reached A rank support with Ephraim and Kyle, C rank with Cormag and Tana. Need to pick up the pace with the others.

Turns taken: 18

Pentalty turn: 5

Overall turncount: 23

Tbh, I could have ended it at turn 11, but I wouldn't have gotten the last chest or the body ring...and My perfectionist side demanded me to get them. xD

ANYWAY. Stats!

Ephraim: Level: 20 Exp: -

HP: 33 Str: 14 Skill: 17 Spd: 19 Luck: 15 Def: 15 Res: 5

Kyle: Level: 20/1 Exp: 0

HP: 40 Str: 18 Skill: 15 Spd: 14 Luck: 10 Def: 14 Res: 6

Franz: Level: 5 Exp: 5

HP: 44 Str: 17 Skill:18 Spd: 20 Luck: 12 Def: 16 Res: 8

Natasha: Level: 10/1 Exp: 0

HP: 31 Mag: 13 (including the +2 from the energy ring) Skill: 7 Spd: 13 Luck: 9 Def: 7 Res: 17

Cormag: Level: 15 Exp: 84

HP: 35 Str: 18 Skill: 15 Spd: 14 Luck: 5 Def: 14 Res: 3

Tana: Level: 16 Exp: 99

HP: 31 Str: 10 Skill: 16 Spd: 20 Luck: 16 Def: 7 Res: 10

Colm: [Only gained exp]

Marisa: Level: 10 Exp: 82

HP: 28 Str: 7 Skill: 16 Spd: 16 Luck: 12 Def: 6 Res: 4

Ewan: Level: 12 Exp: 27

HP: 27 Mag: 15 Skill: 8 Spd: 17 Luck: 15 Def: 2 Res: 19

Tethys: Level: 4 Exp: 44

HP: 20 Str: 1 Skill: 3 Spd: 14 Luck: 13 Def: 6 Res: 7

Joshua: Level: 18 Exp: 56

HP: 34 Str: 12 Skill: 20 Spd: 20 Luck: 11 Def: 6 Res: 4 (with the Talisman used)

L'Arachel: Level: 8 Exp: 13

HP: 20 Mag: 9 Skill: 10 Spd: 13 Luck: 15 Def: 5 Res: 10

Dozla: [Did not see combat this round]

WELP. Fair trade off, I suppose. The added turncount for the treasures. All in all though I'm rather pleased.

==========

AND SO, upon defeating Vigarde, the man just suddenly poofs out of existence, startling our Lord. Seth says they should look for any stragglers within the castle just in case, and Ephraim says he'll go with him because he may find Lyon.

...And he does.

And the darker Lyon greets him and tells him it was all his plan to destroy Renais and everything else. I'm too damned lazy to type the dialogue out so let's just say Ephraim's both confused and pissed, and Lyon poofs.

Then a soldier arrives to inform him that they've found a cell in the back with captives.

They go to see, and upon finding a new figure, said person asks if their execution has been moved up. Then realizes Ephraim's not a Grado soldier and asks who he is.

He's motherfucking Ephraim of Renais, bitch. GET LIKE HIM. EXCUSE _YOU_ whoever the hell you are.

So the dude says his name is Knoll. And until recently, was one of Grado's top researchers in arcane matters.

Seth then has to freaking butt in and ask why he was locked up. Jesus christ, man, this is EPHRAIM'S GAME, NOT YOURS. GTFO, SETH. -boots-

"......" OH GOD THE NOMAD SPEAK HAS BEGUN AGAIN. HALP.

Ephraim to the rescue to fix Seth's GD mistake by assuring Knoll it's okay if he doesn't want to answer that, but if he can at least tell him what Lyon was trying to do.

So basically Knoll tells us all that happened. Vigarde fell ill a year ago and died. And how strange Lyon was acting after revealing his father had returned to life after his usage of the Dark Stone.

Knoll informs them sadly that Lyon has transformed. Ephraim falls silent for a moment, looking contemplative. With my attention to detail more these days, I finally understand why. I think he was recalling what Myrrh said about the corruption. And yet, his own mind can't bring himself to believe it all just yet, despite what he saw and heard from Lyon.

Knoll leads them to the temple where the Sacred Stone was once held, and says if they're lucky, the Sacred Twins are still there. The Tome Gleipnir and the black Axe, Garm.

Knoll comments on Ephraim's knowledge of history when the Lord recalls the stories. Ephraim said he only remembered because Lyon had taught him. Falling silent in contemplation after Seth arrives with the weapons, the shaman bids Ephraim to take them.

I mildly want to cry when he says "I'm sure there's someone else who would've wanted you to." AHHHHH T_T;;;

Annnnnd suddenly a Frelian Pegasus Knight rides up.

Ephraim tries to tell her he has a message for Frelia, but she interrupts him by saying there's terrible news, Princess Eirika and Prince Innes are in trouble, under attack in Jehanna by Tiger Eye and Moonstone, aka Caellach and Valter.

"We'll make it. Eirika is my sister, she will not lay down her blade. And I am her brother, I will not let my sister die!" AHHHHHHHH JUST WRECK MY FEELS WHY DON'T YOU, EPHRAIM. -flails-

WELP. Things are about to get hot and heavy again, folks! |D OFF TO JEHANNA!

=========

So, Caellach attacked Jehanna Hall where Eirika was headed with Innes to forge an alliance with its Queen, Isamaire. The Queen unfortunately does not survive, and Eirika is forced to flee into the desert. However she gets trapped from all sides. Ephraim wastes no damned time waiting for frelian support and goes to save his sis single handedly -shot-

Annnd as we see the Hall in flames, Seth informs us he figured out which generals were leading the attack. Valter and Caellach. WELL NO SHIT THERE SHERSETH. THE GAME JUST TOLD US THIS ALREADY WE DON'T NEED YOU TO CLARIFY FOR US.

"We must rescue Princess Eirika and quickly, and yet... If you fall, Prince Ephraim, we're all finished. And this accursed sand... Most of the units can't get proper footing and are being slowed down. Mounted units are having the worse time, as their movement is severely limited." THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US OF THIS SETH, NO REALLY, WHAT WOULD WE EVER DO WITHOUT YOU HOLDING OUR HAND THE WHOLE WAY?

"Some of us can move better than others, though..." YOU DON'T SAY. He sounds like he hates to admit that he's sucky here in the desert. Ahaha.

"A combination of magic wielders and sky riders should give us some advantage." YEAH WE ALREADY KNEW THIS SETH. ANY SELF-RESPECTING FE PLAYER THAT KNOWS THEIR SHIT COULD TELL YOU THIS.

"Whatever we do, we must move cautiously." FFFFFFFFFFFF JFC. I'm so done with you, Seth. |D

"I understand. This is just like the battle for Renvall. We eithwe rescue Eirika or defeat all the enemy troops. If we accomplish either goal, victory is ours. Let's move!" YAY THANK YOU EPHRAIM I WAS ABOUT TO GO BATSHIT IF SETH SAID ANYTHING MORE REDUNDANT.

Annnd then the scene pans over to Lyon asking Caellach "how it goes", jfc Lyon, you're sure pretty chummy with him.

"Ah, Prince Lyon. Thank you, your highness, for gracing me with...your royal...er..."

"You can stop. There's no need for you to put on airs. You were made general for your military prowess, not your flowery speech." Ho'snap. At least someone's saying something mildly intelligent.

"And an honor it is. You know, Prince Lyon, you've got a lot of nerve. You've really worked over your dear friend the princess of Renais. Are you satisfied?"

"Is there some reason you ask?"

"No, not really. I just wanted to see how you'd react. That's all."

"She... Eirika has always been a very important person in my life. Both she and her brother have been friends of mine for a long time. Tell me, Caellach, do you have any friends to speak of?"

"Huh? Yeah, I got one. An old mercenary I fought with, went by the name of Joshua. He was a fool and a scoundrel, but now that he's gone, I miss the lad. I don't know where he's at or what he's doing, but..."

"Do you miss that life? Do you ever want to be a mercenary again, to see him?"

"Nope. The time we worked together was fun and all, but... No. I don't want to end up another no-name mercenary lying dead in a ditch. I'd rather serve the Grado Empire and make a name for myself. I'm going to see how far my axe will take me. And then, one day..."

"One day, you'll kill me and be emperor in my stead. Is that it?"

"Uh... That's..."

"It's alright. Think whatever you like if it helps you do your duty. As long as you do what I assign you to do, I'm happy. But for now, I'm going. You know what you need to do."

"Yep, leave it to me. I am General Caellac, the Tiger Eye of the Grado Imperial Army, after all! Once my prey is within my reach, I never let it escape. Too bad for the princess, but they've no chance at winning. None at all." BOLD WORDS, ASSHOLE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO RAMMING THEM DOWN YOUR THROAT.

And with all that scene done, to battle!

[Chapter 15 Battle, start!]

Before I started the fight I shifted some items around and let's hope I can manage this without too much difficulty. EIRIKA, INNES, YOU'D BETTER BE ABLE TO HOLD YOUR OWN TIL I FUCKIN' GET YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS OVER THERE TO YOU. -shot-

Because Joshua has to show off and L'Arachel has to use her divine cosmic powah to keep Eirika and the others safe. -shot again-

I managed to get most of the treasures in the desert. Metis' Tome, Swiftsoles, Warp stave (COULDN'T FIND THE GD RESCUE ONE), and the Silver Card.

Promoted Cormag, Tana, Joshua, and L'Arachel in the middle of the battle.

EWAN IS A GODDAMNED REAPER OF DEATH.

Got C support with Tethya and Ewan,

Got C suuport with Colm and Marisa.

Got B Support with Franz and Natasha.

I need to step up my game next map and work more on Joshua and Innes, L'Arachel and Eirika's. And Tana and Cormag's. Efff.

Smashed Caellach AND Valter's faces in with Cormag for the win.

Turns taken: like, 36? It was an assload of turns.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE:

Stats!

Ephraim: [Level 20, no change]

Franz: [Only gained exp]

Kyle: [Only gained exp]

Cormag: 19/2

HP: 42 Str: 21 Skill: 19 Spd: 18 Luck: 5 Def: 16 Res: 4

Ewan: 17

HP: 31 Mag: 18 Skill: 9 Spd: 17 Luck: 19 Def: 4 Res: 20 (capped!)

Natasha: 3

HP: 33 Mag: 14 Skill: 8 Spd: 14 Luck: 11 Def: 7 Res: 18

Colm: 5

HP: 38 Str: 17 Skill: 19 Spd: 22 Luck: 16 Def: 8 Res: 8

Joshua: 19/1

HP: 40 Str: 14 Skill: 20 Sped: 20 Luck: 11 Def: 8 Res: 5

Tana: 17/1

HP: 37 Str: 13 Skill: 16 Spd: 22 Luck: 16 Def: 9 Res: 12

L'Arachel: 10/1

HP: 25 Mag: 12 Skill: 12 Spd: 13 Luck: 17 Def: 7 Res: 13

Marisa: 13

HP: 31 Str: 8 Skill: 18 Spd: 19 Luck: 14 Def: 7 Res: 4

Tethys: 7

HP: 22 Str: 1 Skill: 3 Spd: 16 Luck: 15 Def: 6 Res: 9

Innes: 3 [merely gained exp]

Eirika: 16 [leveled up to 16 that map, but I forget her stats.]

Dozla:

[Didn't see combat this map]

=======

And so the Renais twins are reunited, Ephraim praising Eirika's strength in holding out and Eirika returns the gesture by bestowing the Sacred Twin relics from Jehanna to him.

FFFF L'Arachel.

"Now that we have, at last, been reunited once again, perhaps this would be a good time to share information. I'm sure we all are most anxious to learn of what has happened." You know, L'Arachel can be strangely levelheaded and on-point when she wishes to be. She's very keen minded despite all her oddities. I love her for it.

So the meeting to update everyone goes with Ephraim introducing himself to those newer to the cause, as does L'Arachel. Ephraim then tells of how they took Grado Keep and defeated Vigarde and the guard have surrendered and laid down their arms. He also informs them of the Dark Stone that Knoll told him about. Eirika protests, and Ephraim sadly tells her about the wicked, dark transformation the Stone has done to him.

L'Arachel then suggests to use the Sacred Stones to combat the Dark Stone.

So everyone plots a course back to Renais. Huzzah.

On the side, Saleh reunites with Myrrh and promises to protect her still. Sorry to burst your bubble dude but you're not one of my units. GTFO and into the time-out corner you go!

AND NOW WE'RE OFF BACK TO RENAIS.

==========

And so before moving onto the next chapter I take time to stock up on items, sell unwanted things, and distribute any stat booster stuff I feel I should.

Fed Innes the Metis' Tome because pretty much everyone else is more or less well off and as a pre-promote his stat gains are a bit lacking and since he comes in so much later in Ephraim's side, he's gonna need all the help he can get.

And without further ado, we're off to Renais Castle!

-----

Returning home to see their beloved country in ruins from the war delivers a terrible blow to Ephraim and Eirika's morale. Also, y'guys remember that former dude Orson? Yeah, he's back. Supposed to have watched over the castle but we all know he's obsessed with that dead corpse of his wife to care. FFF. Ephraim's not gonna have any of this shit and vows to kick that dude's ass and do his best to heal his country.

Our opening scene begins with Eirika, Ephraim, and Seth in the window. OH GOD WHY MUST WE SUFFER HEARING SETH SOME MORE??

"Brother..."

"What has happened to our home? What has happened to Castle Renais? How did it come to be so ruined? So desolate?" Ephraim don't start asking the retarded questions we just got answered in the oversight of the next chapter thinggy, I had such high faith in you.

"Spies report that the castle is being held by the traitor Orson." Oh my god Seth did you finally say something useful?

"Orson... In retrospect, I realize he's been acting odd for a while now. He seemed so...dispirited."

"His wide passed away some six months back. The loss may have been too much for his mind to bear. His love and devotion for his wife were ell known among the knights." YOU DON'T SAY SETH. NOW YOU'RE BACK TO STATING THE OBVIOUS. Jfc.

"...." OH JESUS EIRIKA NO STAHP DON'T START THE NOMAD SPEAK.

"Now, he sits alone in the king's former bedchambers. He makes no effort to govern. No one is allowed to enter the chamers, and he takes no meals." Hardcore, dude. Srsly.

"What could he possibly be doing?" I don't think we want to know that answer, Eirika...

"I do not know. The spies had no insight into his behavior. He does nothing to deal with the dark creatures and bandits roaming the land. Reports say all of Renais is engulfed in chaos. Region after region is revolting, and Orson's reign is already crumbling. Left alone, it may very wel collapse under the weight of its own neglect." CHAOS, YOU SAY? I CAN DEAL WITH THAT. 8D Chaos and I are very good friends, don't you know. -shot- |D And fff, we can't have Renais collapsing in on itself, that's not good for its health. xD

"We cannot allow the situation to reach that point." NO SHIT EPHRAIM BUT THANK YOU FOR SAYING WHAT I WAS SAYING. -snort-

"We're going home, Eirika. We're going to the castle."

"I hear you, Ephraim." Of course you do, he's standing right infront of you talking. You're not deaf, girl.

And then suddenly Myrrh pipes up.

"Um, Ephraim?"

"What is it, Myrrh?"

"I-I will fight with you. Now that Selena has returned my dragonstone to me... I'll do what I can until its power runs out. Let's take back your home." More like Ephraim ganked it out of her dying hands but okay we'll go with that nicer version. And aww, thank you Myrrh, sweetie, you're adorbs.

"Are you sure about this?" JFC Eirika, don't ruin the moment.

"For the two of you... I simply want to help." AWWWW. -foams and flails at the feels-

"All right, I understand. But you must make me a promise. You are never to stray from our sides. Got that?" Protective Ephraim is protective, baww.

"Of course..."

Annnd so we're off to Castle Renais fo' realz now.

-----

Next scene opens with Lyon appearing out of nowhere in Renais Castle. A dumb person tries to stop him. Not a very bright idea, thar, dude.

"Huh? Who do you think you are? These are the chambers of Orson, steward of Renais. There's no place for a street urchin like you, boy." OH SNAP. You just signed your death warrant.

"You... You fool! This is Prince Lyon!"

"What? This whelp is... I-I beg your forgiveness!" FFFFFFFFFFF. I'm sure you do.

"...... It's all right. I'm not the sort of person others hold in esteem..."

And he passes along with Reiv.

And the dude talks to the other dude about it.

"Who in the world was that? What a creepy-looking man." NO SHIT.

"Shh... He can hear you."

"You want to talk about ceeepy, that Orson's the one who chills my hide. What do you think he's doing back there? I've heard lots of bizzare rumors from the master of the mess hall. ...Do you think he needs help? Could he be dangerous?"

"I don't care. I'm here for the money. As long as I get paid, I'm happy. But on the subject of rumors, have you heard the stories of the secret treasure? There's supposed to be some fabulous wealth hidden in Castle Renais. I tell you, if I find it, I'm gone."

And scene fades out and when a new screen comes in, it's of Orson.

"What is it, Monica? You seem so happy today. Of COURSE I know what today is. I'd never forget your birthday! I have a present for you, dear. I think you'll like it..." I'm going to get roasted for this comment but: IS IT A DICK IN A BOX? -shotshotshotshot- SORRY NOT SORRY I HAD TO |D

"Orson," Before we can find out if it is, someone interrupts. Damn. |D

"...."

"Do you recognize me, Orson, or are you entirely lost to this world? Yes, it's me, Prince Lyon. I'm the one to whom you are indebted for ressurecting your beloved wife." Oh snap Lyon.

"...Get out. This is Monica and my place. I will not have our home disturbed by anyone. I did as you asked, I betrayed Renais. My promise has been kept."

"Yes, and I am very grateful to you. I came by today to offer you a piece of advice, nothing more. Ephraim is coming, Orson. He's on his way here to steal the happiness you two share." Can I punch his face in right now please? I really really want to for how greasy he sounds.

"Prince Ephraim?"

"That's right, Orson. And he's angry. I don't think he'll forgive you for betraying Renais. You've done so much to free your wife from the grave. It's a shame she'll die with you." JESUS LET ME STRANGLE HIM AND BEAT HIS FACE INTO THE FLOOR.

"No! That can't happen--"

"That's all I have to say to you. What you do now is up to you."

"...Monica, I'm sorry. I have something I must do. Please wait for me here. Oh, darling, don't look so sad. I'll be back soon, and then I'll never leave. I must do this to protect our happiness. You understand that, don't you? All right, then. I'll be back."

Annnnd with that, the scene fades and battle prep screen tiemz!

[Chapter 16, Battle start!]

Woooop. Looted everything that needed looting, got Eirika from level 16 to 20 and yay!

Got B Rank support with Tana and Cormag For C Rank support with Joshua and Innes Got C Rank support with Eirika and L'Arachel

Turns taken: 25

Stats:

Ephraim: [Level 20, no change, hell he didn't even see combat]

Franz: 6

HP: 45 Str: 17 Skill: 18 Spd: 21 Luck: 12 Def: 16 Res: 8

Kyle: 1 [Merely gained exp]

Cormag: 2 [Merely gained exp]

Ewan: 18

HP: 31 Mag: 19 Skill: 9 Spd: 18 Luck: 19 Def: 4 Res: 20 (capped)

Natasha: 6

HP: 33 Mag: 16 Skill: 9 Spd: 16 Luck: 12 Def: 8 Res: 19

Colm: 5 [Only gained exp]

Joshua: 2

HP: 41 Str: 14 Skill: 21 Spd: 21 Luck: 12 Def: 8 Res: 5

Tana: 2

HP: 38 Str: 14 Skill: 17 Spd: 22 Luck: 17 Def: 9 Res: 13

L'Arachel: 2

HP: 26 Mag: 13 Skill: 13 Spd: 14 Luck: 18 Def: 7 Res: 14

Innes: [only gained exp]

Eirika: 20

HP: 30 Str: 13 Skill: 18 Spd: 20 (capped) Luck: 17 Def: 10 Res: 7

All in all, I wasn't thrilled with the turn count, but I honestly wanted the treasure and all the goodies and to get Eirika to level 20 so I could promote Ephraim and Eirika together. It was also worth getting the support ranks so... I'll take what I can get, I guess? Yeah.

-------

AND SO WITH THAT CONCLUDED....

Seth informs the twins that the castle has been secured. NO SHIT, WE JUST WIPED THE FLOOR WITH EVERYONE OF COURSE IT'S SECURED. No thanks to your stating-the-obvious ass, dude.

He also informs them of what they found. Aka the animated corpse of Orson's wife. Eughhhh NO DO NOT WANT. I DO NOT WANT ANY OF THAT. -insert Kikyo Clay Pot joke here about the animated corpse-

Needless to say it shocks the eff out of Ephraim and Eirika. Can't say I blame them. Anyway, after disposing of the corpse, Eirika and Ephraim talk.

About the damage done and all.

"We can repair the castle, and what was stolen, we can do without. But the wounds and suffering inflicted upon the people of Renais..."

"It's too late to undo their pain. Once I become king, I must set our country right. I doubt the people will give me a warm reception, though. I did abandon them. All I can do is try to win back their trust, no matter how long it takes..." AHHHHH EPHRAIM WHY MUST YOU WRECK ME SO MUCH WITH YOUR LINES? For as reckless and all as you can be, you're so very aware of the things that need to be done, even if you doubt your own capability of being able to do such a thing. Hnnng.

And then Seth interrupts telling them to look outside. The crowd is cheering and Seth informs them that it's not the deeds they've done that they're praising, but that Orson's madness is at an end. And Seth then goes onto say that tomorrow, and the days after, their hearts could change...

"I will not let their hopes and dreams be shattered again. I will be king. Like my father before me, I will dedicate myself to their happiness."

"And I will do all I can." HNNNNG JUST TAKE MY HEART, GAME. TAKE IT.

And so with that, Seth takes them back to the throne room to locate the sacred stone and twin relics of renais. AND PROMOTE THESE TWO MOFOS TO THEIR SUPER SAIYAN FORMS -shot-

Their new stats:

Ephraim: 20/1

HP: 37 Str: 16 Skill: 20 Spd: 21 Luck: 15 Def: 17 Res: 10

Eirika: 20/1

HP: 34 Str: 15 Skill: 20 Spd: 21 Luck: 17 Def: 13 Res: 12

ANYWAY After getting promoted and the stone and getting the sacred twin relics and exiting the reliquary, L'Arachel goes on her eccentric spiel about the radiance of the stone for some much comedic relief on my end. Because I truly love this woman's quirks. xDDD

And after Innes remarks that all of the stones besides Renais' are destroyed, L'Arachel quickly corrects him, reminding him that Rausten's still exists as well, only Frelia, Jehanna, and Grado's stones were destroyed. Five stones, five nations. Renais and Rausten's are their only hope. So with that, she says she will guide them all to Rausten.

Yay, road trip!

=========

Well, that's all I'm gonna be doing for the moment because it's been a hella long time since I picked this draft up and I need to kinda replay a different file for fe8 to get myself reaquainted with the game before I try setting ouit from here but I wanted to post the progress I'd made since the last draft summary, so here it is!

Total turncount this Summary: 117

Overall Turncount for this Draft: 313 (without the two unaccounted for turn summaries)

#Mandi gaming #Draft run #FE8 #Fire Emblem #FE #Fire Emblem Sacred Stones #Set Game Settings To Troll #HOLD ONTO YOUR BUTTS #Mand shut up and be stupid elsewhere

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thealfanator · 7 years

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The Steel that Warmed Us in the Night-Time ~ Chapter 8

Ciri crept through the silent, dark corridors and rooms of the castle. The Sun leaked like water through the diamond-shaped tinted windows. It seemed empty. No guards were about and no footsteps echoed around corners. Ciri crouched beside a cold, stone wall and listened for patrols. She could hear nothing except her own breath. She dug her fingertips into the ridges of the bricks so that it led her down the dimly lit rooms. The air was strangely clean like nobody had set foot in there for decades, although that seemed unlikely. Her breaths matched the rhythm of her footsteps. Eventually, she reached a larger, more open room. It was brighter, so she could make out the shapes of some objects although she had to squint to do so. A red carpet flooded the centre of the oval-shaped room. Bookshelves guarded the walls whilst the books made company between their creaky shelves. An empty, melancholy throne stood disappointed at the end of the room. Ciri moved forward slowly, creeping on her toes. If anyone saw her, her glowing eyes would be seen before the rest of her body, drowned inside the dark abyss which smothered the air. She suddenly identified a special glass case just off the side of the room. Light passed through it; looking unusually unguarded for an object which looked too holy and significant to be true. She silently swept to the pedestal. Inside the glass case sat the amulet that was in her grip for what seemed like such a long time ago. Once again, her fingertips were drawn to the sight of it like a strong magnetic pulse. She breathed out again, in awe of the object before thinking of a way to retrieve it.

Triss cast fireballs from the palm of her hand to force the invading drowners to retreat.

“Piss off!” she cried, constantly twisting her neck in a clockwise formation to the next monster who wished to gauge out her internal organs. The waist-high water and claustrophobic pressure of the temple restricted her movement and produced infinite amounts of anxiety within her stomach. The drowners croaked fiercely – their backbones hunched over, making them crawl nastily towards her. Her fireballs proved un-effective. Her powerful fire spells would blast them, but they were clever enough to crouch under the water level to brush off the flames. She continued to curse. Triss counted the synchronised enemies around her: one… two… ten… twelve… too many. She waded through the thick water towards another archway of the temple using all her effort to unstick herself from the claws of the drowners. She twisted her body awkwardly to try to multitask her casting with her steps, but realised she was becoming more and more tired through her movements. Another archway passed which she identified to be more unstable than the last one. Water dripped through the ceiling whilst cracked stones emitted dust particles to become dissolved in the large volumes of water below. In a split-second decision, she cast one last powerful spell directly above her which resulted in a large, blinding white explosion. When the surroundings reappeared, she was surrounded by nothing but darkness. As she came to realisation, she smiled at the corridor which was now caved in and sealed by rubble. It was so thick that she couldn’t even hear the drowner squeals on the other side. She breathed a massive sigh of relief before spontaneously coughing out the concentrated dust particles in the air. Dreading her mission, she turned, lit her fingertips with a light-emitting spell and proceeded down the hallway. It led her to a descent deeper into the temple. They looked like they could’ve been stairs but the stream of water which mindlessly fell eroded it into a smooth, uneven slope. The waist-level water also decreased, to Triss’ liking. She failed to dry her clothing, however, but she had more alerting issues pressing on her mind. She gasped once more for air before carefully trudging towards the dark hole in the ground.

Ciri continued to stare at the amulet; half in awe, half in frustration. If she attacked the vibrant glass casing, the alarm would scream horrifically. That wasn’t an option. She swore at her feet and glanced around the case. Front. Sides. Back. Nothing penetrable. She touched it again, fingertips feeling the warmth of the bright sunlight which conveniently illuminated the artefact. Suddenly, she heard a massive crash from some double wooden doors on the other side of the room. She heard screams from multiple people who entered. Geralt, sword in the air, deflected the blows from manic guards who slashed at the witcher. From the looks of things, Geralt effortlessly slashed back at the guards who then as a result fell to the floor with a satisfying clunk. Ciri stood motionless.

“I thought you were supposed to be distracting them!” she said in confusion. She stared at Geralt, waiting for an answer.

“Things didn’t really go to plan.” He replied, chuckling whilst stabbing more invading steel. He didn’t even turn to face Ciri because of the hectic nature of the attack. Geralt threw multiple spells, knocking books off bookshelves as well as sweeping the guards off their feet. Ciri guessed there must’ve been about ten of them; maybe more. Thinking quickly, she smashed her elbow into the glass and snatched the amulet; glass sprinkling everywhere. Naturally, she cupped her ears at the screeching alarm that sounded. It stormed through the castle like water, aching the ears of everyone nearby. Amulet in hand, she ran over to clutch Geralt’s arm.

“Come on,” she screamed, “we’ve got to go!” She tugged at his arm like a small child. Geralt grimaced at the dazzled guards before agreeing. He ran with her. They sprinted across the ruined red carpet away from the guards and towards the right side of the large room. Ciri emitted a bright, blue light as she teleported up and into a glass-stained window, smashing it into a million tiny fragments. Geralt blocked the shards from falling into his eyes by guarding them with his arm – with sword still in hand.

“You could’ve gave me a warning.” Geralt chuckled.

“Shut up and get up here!” The witcher climbed up the stone infrastructure, crawled over the gap where the glass was standing a moment ago, then ducked through to the next room. Hearing the castle guards run to the window on the other side, they tried to keep up their pace. They were greeted with a long, brightly lit stretching hallway; similar to all of the other rooms that Cirilla had visited. Cobblestone walls scattered throughout followed by an elegant red carpet and torch sconces. They shot down the hallway with incredible speed. They turned a corner just as they glanced back at the knights that had only just managed to find their way over the gap in the wall. They came to an open drop with spikes far down at the bottom. They stopped and shielded each other from the drop. “Shit.” Ciri swore. Geralt looked at her in shock at her goofy language. Ciri smiled back, “Sorry.” The trap in front of them looked entirely out of place and seemed increasingly unusual to imagine having deadly traps scattered around a holy castle. Nevertheless, the stomping feet of guards behind them forced them to think swiftly. Ciri saw a lever on the other side of the drop – only a few metres ahead. It must’ve controlled the trap. She glanced at Geralt, silently pleading. Geralt, almost reading her mind, spoke with a serious, caring tone.

“Absolutely not.” He said. Ciri, ignoring his response, jumped over the gap. As she started to descend, she materialised to the ground opposite the gap, once again casting a bright blue light as she teleported. Out of breath, she looked at Geralt proudly before quickly spinning the contraption. The hole in the ground chugged shut. Guards sprinted around the corner. Geralt started to act. Smiling at his daughter, Geralt pat her hard on her shoulder as he passed her. “Come on, let’s go.” He said. Ciri smirked at the guards before using her finger to push the lever again. A large, spiked hole sat between them and the guards. She turned and walked towards Geralt; the smile still glued to her face.

Triss entered a large, dark, empty room. The air continued to stink of foliage and decayed interior structuring. Walls were collapsing and sprawling over the floor, tiny amounts of water spewed from the ceiling, drops sounding like tiny dwarves crying for help. She inhaled in a pleasant surprise despite the dangerous position she was in. She realised that the building could collapse at any moment. She travelled slowly through the room whilst tripping on small rocks on her way. She could hardly see except within a tiny radius which her pale light emitted. However, she caught glimpse of a shining gemstone at the end of the room. After looking in more detail, she noticed the outline of a large, ominous-looking pedestal. As she walked closer, she noticed vertical graves on both sides of the room; embedded in the walls. They conjured an unnerving fear inside her. There it was. The amulet. She placed it in her hand slowly and with care before smiling to herself.

“Oh no…” she said to herself. Immediately, the ground started to rumble after an almost predictable click of the surface in which the amulet was placed. The graves which burst open wiped the smile from her face. She turned whilst stuffing the artefact inside her pocket. Numerous skeleton-like creatures drew their rusty swords and crept towards Triss. Her heart skipped a beat. Her hands produced an orange flame as she prepared to fight. Then, without her consent they turned blue. A strong blinding blue colour. No, that wasn’t her hands… it was a large portal behind the invaders. Suddenly, with a yell, Yennefer appeared; her hair tugging at the air. “Thank God you’re here!” Triss cried. Yennefer recovered from her sudden transportation and stood up from the rough, stone ground. Together, they fought off the monsters with flying spells and deafening sounds of the casting. At one time, during the blitz, Triss became overwhelmed with the high quantities of necrophages but fortunately recovered with a couple of lightning sparks from Yennefer’s fingertips. In the hall, only Triss and Yennefer stood – highly exhausted.

“Please,” Yen started, “hand me the amulet. I want to see it.” She smiled. Triss handed it over, sparkling in their hands. Yennefer’s face suddenly grew subtly suspicious. She threw an explosion at the wall, making water flood in. Triss became wary. “There’s a way out. Just swim up the water and you’ll be back to the sea and to the surface.”

“You’re coming with me, right?” Triss questioned.

“I’m sorry.” Yennefer responded, looking sympathetically into Triss’ eyes. She cast a portal between the both of them, then dematerialised mercilessly; taking the amulet with her and leaving Triss alone in the temple. Triss grew angry, then relieved her frustration with a difficult sigh.

Yennefer greeted Ciri and Geralt with a large hug in the sweet, bliss hot sun of Toussaint. The pair of them escaped the city guards before Yen prepared a boat journey out of the city. They counted their amulets. The contractor, Janshai, has one. They’ve already given three back. They have another three in their possession; meaning that they needed to collect three more. The journey seemed to fly by and Geralt couldn’t help but grin at Yennefer and Ciri having a conversation together a fair distance away – hugging each other and chuckling at the smallest moment. He sighed. They seemed happy.

Oh no! You’ve reached the end of this chapter :( Sorry, but I can’t write at the click of my fingers; it does take time! Nevertheless, I hope it’s worth it. Please leave me feedback of the series! I appreciate it a lot! :)

Link to Chapter 1: https://thealfanator.tumblr.com/post/161443706234/the-steel-that-warmed-us-in-the-night-time

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robbiefarlow-sidequestfitne-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on Side Quest Fitness

New Post has been published on http://sidequestfitness.com/kick-ass-games-that-should-have-been-remastered/

Kick Ass Games That Should Have Been Remastered on Xbox One and PS4

11 Kick Ass Games That Should Have Been Remastered on Xbox One and PS4

This article had started with some long winded intro about how fucking disappointed I’ve been with the current console cycle.

But honestly, that’s not why you clicked on this link.

You’re here to read about a list of kick ass games that Sony and Microsoft should have remastered or remade on their four-year-old systems. Because at first, that’s all the Xbox One and PS4 were good for, remastering games that were barely out of diapers.

And besides the obvious reasons for why that pisses me off—chiefly, that game companies already siphoned enormous sums of money out of me for games like Grand Theft Auto 5, Skyrim, The Last of Us, Gears of War, and Uncharted to name a few—now you expect me to get excited to play the same (great) games again but with “updated” graphics?

Look, I loved Skyrim. I loved Uncharted and Grand Theft Auto 5. But if I buy a new system, I expect new games, not a bunch of games I played just a couple years ago. That’s not how nostalgia works.

Instead of trying to get gamers dick hard about games that were the best games of 2011 or 2009, you—Sony and Microsoft (even Nintendo)— failed to remaster games that would’ve excited old school gamers (drowning them under a tsunami of nostalgia) and made them want to buy your new-fangled consoles.

Damn it. I said this wasn’t going to be a long intro and here I am 260 some words deep and not to the point. Fine.

Here are the 11 kick ass games Sony and Microsoft should have remastered.

1. Road Rash

Technically, a spiritual successor to Road Rash called Road Redemption has been in development since 2013.

After a Kickstarter campaign, the game was supposed to be released in the summer of 2014. It was not. And as of now, it is still TBA for 2017.

I’m not a developer, and I don’t understand all the tech that goes into making a game happen. So I’m just mouthing off as a fan and gamer.

But what the fuck is taking so long?

We’ve seen four different Call of Duty’s in four years—each one selling less than its predecessors year after year—and remakes of games that were already HD. So why am I not able to drive a motorcycle and bash people in the face with a sledgehammer?

The gameplay footage of Road Redemption below is enough to take me from six to midnight. So, um. Yea, gaming industry. You’re failing. This should have been done years ago.

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2. Mutant League Football

This is hands down the greatest—and most fun—football game ever made. So why has this game not been remade in over 25 years?

NFL Blitz was an amazing game, there’s no doubt about that. But MLF allowed you to play in space with aliens, skeletons, robots, and trolls. And to make the game even more awesome, each stadium had its own special hazards that could kill members of your team or the opponents.

And each team had crazy ass audibles that you could call which were far dirtier than deflating a few footballs to beat the Colts. Including the option to bribe the refs, where they’d call a “fake” penalty on your opponent, like a 5-yard penalty for crying.

Here’s what made Mutant League Football the best game ever: you could win the game by killing the opposing team’s players. Yes, you didn’t even need to outscore the other team. You just needed to tackle more of them into landmines, fire pits, off the edge of the field and into space, or call your team’s special audible that killed the QB in one hit.

Below is some video of a pre-alpha build for Mutant Football League—supposedly—due out on PC in 2017 and 2018 for Xbox One and PS4.

25 years after the first game, is far too long to wait. This should have been done ten years ago.

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3. Zombies Ate My Neighbors

Back in the day, Lucasarts created some of the best video games on Earth: Secrets of Monkey Island, all the Star Wars games, and Zombies Ate My Neighbors.

Zombie games are one of my favorite genres. Left 4 Dead was amazing. Dead Rising was a lot of fun. But neither of them compare to the ridiculousness of Zombies Ate My Neighbors.

My cousins and I couldn’t stop playing this game. We may have played it more than Mario Kart and Zelda combined. And though you can download the original on Nintendo’s Virtual Console, I still have no idea why this hasn’t been remade?

Oh, right. I know why.

Because Disney shut down the video game development side of Lucasarts. And I doubt The Mouse will want to release any game that involves zombie, werewolf, and vampire murder. Goddamn it Mickey.

4. Battletoads

I don’t have kids. But if I did, I wouldn’t send them to time out for punishment. I’d sit them down in front of Battletoads, with implicit instructions that the only way to get out of timeout is to beat the game.

They’d either stay in timeout forever, or they’d apologize and beg for the torture of this game to stop.

A remastered Battletoads would be huge. And yes, I know Rare released it on their compilation, Rare Replay, for the Xbox One. But the game only took up half the screen; plus, that border is obnoxious. And though the original is fun, in a sadistic kind of way, I’d rather have a remastered Battletoads to play than another broken ass Gears of War.

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5. Conkers Bad Fur Day

Since I’m already on the Rare bandwagon, we can’t forget about Conker. This is still, hands down, the most expensive N64 game you can buy on Ebay. Not kidding, I’ve seen this game sell for damn near $200 before.

And yes, Microsoft and Rare did remake the original 64 game in 2005 for the original Xbox, but it deserves to be re-released in HD—with none of the original humor censored.

So I guess this would be a remake of a remake? But who cares. Conkers Bad Fur Day is the most ridiculous game ever made. Not only for its adult humor or smart ass wise cracks that Conker makes to the player as he breaks the fourth wall, but the multiplayer was, next to Goldeneye, the best on the 64.

It deserves to have a modern remake for the Xbox One.

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6. X-Wing vs Tie Fighter

I don’t need to say much more here. This is one is pretty much a no-brainer. But it won’t happen. And if it did, EA would probably muck it up. So maybe it’s best left as a fond, but distant memory.

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7. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem

There were a ton of amazing games that disappeared into the background on the Gamecube. But Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem was a literal mind fuck.

You can read what the story is all about here. But what made this game such a mind fuck is that the game employed what it called, the “sanity meter.” And as you roamed through the game—the hub of the game being your character’s family mansion—if your sanity meter began to get low, the game would do really crazy shit; it was designed to represent a reflection of the main character’s grip on reality.

The lower the meter dipped, the more health you’d lose.

At the same time, you might notice that all of a sudden the camera angle changed. Or that you’d suddenly hear cries, whispers, or unsettling sounds emanating from the speakers.

The game even broke the fourth wall and would give you a “blue screen of death,” making you think the game/system had malfunctioned. It had not. But it was designed to pull you in and mess with your own sense of reality.

Here’re a few more of the crazy things that could randomly happen in this game:

Your character would enter a new room and be walking on the ceiling instead of the floor

Walls and ceilings would bleed

The game would lower its volume and then put a “fake indicator” on your screen, making you think “something” was controlling your TV.

The appearance of large numbers of monsters that weren’t really there and would disappear when attacked

Statues heads would turn and follow your character.

This game was genius. Terrifying. But genius. And a remake by Nintendo, specifically on The Switch, could grant them a ton of opportunities for even crazier mind fucking moments.

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8. Earthworm Jim

Do I even need to go any further here? No. I don’t.

Give us Earthworm Jim. The end.

9. Superman 64

Wait, what? How in the hell could I include (arguably) the worst game ever made? Well, for one, it deserves to be remade. Hear me out, though.

Until Rocksteady came along with Arkham Asylum, Batman games kind of sucked. So who’s to say that someone—cough, Rockysteady, cough—couldn’t make a good Superman game?

Plus there are a ton of Easter Eggs in Arkham Knight that allude to the fact that Rocksteady’s next game might include The Man of Steel.

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10. Deer Avenger

I didn’t get a computer until 1999, so I didn’t get to play a lot of PC games. But Deer Avenger was one of a handful of PC games I got to play at my friend Julian’s in the late 90s.

The premise is simple: you assume the role of a deer named Bambo who hunts humans in the same way you’d hunt deer in Deer Hunter. But with a whole hell of a lot more jokes about rednecks.

Five games were made in the series. It was nothing Earth shattering gameplay wise. But it was a whole hell of a lot of fun and one I’d love to see updated, especially, in today’s world.

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11. Dr. Mario

Nintendo, why in the name of all things holy have you not remade Dr. Mario?

You probably expected something epic at the end and not Dr. Mario, didn’t you? Well, this is my list after all and I fucking loved some Dr. Mario.

Actually, a remake of Dr. Mario would be a great successor to Mario Run as a mobile game. So, um, Nintendo get on that.

If you had it your way, what games would you want to see remastered or updated for this console generation? Let me know in the comments below.

#geek #nerd #Star Wars #video games #Articles

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