#apprentice admit card

[ygoartreviews]

Apprentice Illusion Magician

Right off the bat, this is such a cool color upgrade from normal Dark Magician Girl. Her regular color scheme is fine, but I'm so much more biased towards purple. Plus, as I mentioned in the review I did of her original TCG art, she doesn't look related to Dark Magician with those colors, but these various shades of purple have Dark Magician written all over them. Of course, the multitude of purples included also make her much more interesting to look at, while the gold accents add a bit of Egyptian themed flair. It's interesting that they chose to give her hair more of a Marik kind of color rather than one closer to Mana's, but I suppose that's due to the influence of DM Girl. Although, let's be honest, this wand design is easily the superior one. Love that it looks like you could bash someone's head in with it. Now, don't get me wrong, I love her, but her legs are bothering me sooo much. They look either so disconnected from her body or just awkwardly attached, and I am positive that her armored skirt ruff does not help with this. Also the way her chest piece flows down behind her leg in front. The little twist on her raised leg is bothering me a little too, but that may be more because of her ultra small calf muscle. Man though is her face so cute. I wouldn't object to a more zoomed in version of this art on a card just to look at it more LOL.

Rating: 8/10, Those Yugioh style eyelashes get me every time

[nightingale-prompts]

Alfred's Apprentice- DCxDP prompt

Alfred isn't immortal and he can admit he's not getting any younger. It also wouldn't hurt to have someone else to take on the workload since the family isn't going to get smaller.

Instead of finding help, help found him.

"Call me Nightingale. Danny Nightingale." The young man said presenting a black card with perfect white ink calligraphy.

Danny was about Tim's age. He had already graduated early according to records. His record was perfect in all respects. Smart. An intellect comparable to geniuses in respects to science which had more uses in the households then you'd expect. He was very precise when it came to cleaning. Every surface needed to be cleaned regardless of how much use they see. In fact Danny would carry a blacklight and wipe anything with fingerprints. His almost supernatural strength allowed him to move furniture for easier cleaning.

Alfred had suspicions that Danny had a history in crime scene cleaning. He chose not to say anything.

The kid was a damn good cook as well. Though his tea isn't up to Alfred's standards. At least heist his aim is good.

Bruce at least didn't adopt this one and leave Alfred to take care of him.

"Nightingale, did you clean the ceiling?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, sir. Please leave any hard to reach places to me. The chandelier is especially finicky to polish and you have better things to tend to." He said bowing at the waist.

Bruce was still uncomfortable asking Danny for anything and let Alfred instruct him on what he should do. He has suspicions that Danny was being trained to tend to Damian should something happen to him. Alfred would come up with a contingency like that.

The others took to Danny as best as they could. Most treated him like a brother with the exception of Tim and Damian. Tim couldn't really see past them being the same age but Danny was able to understand his babble about theories and help him. Thought Danny was also to wait out Tim's insomnia easily and take him to bed.

Damian had no issue seeing Danny as a servant which was exactly what he wanted. Dick would criticize him about being rude but Danny would assure him that Damian was not being rude, he was just giving Danny a job to do.

It was during an outing with Damian that Danny was put to the test. They were just visiting an art supply store. Danny carried Damian's bags to the car and put them away in the trunk. As he opened the door to let Damian in a group of kidnappers tried to steal the young master.

It was likely a crime of opportunity as they saw a rich boy and his butler out and about.

As the group tried to drive off with Damian in tow, all the tires on their van blew out as Danny had already thrown down caltrops under the ties.

Gracefully and with the dignity expected of a bulter he pried the rough hands off of Damian, breaking every finger as he went.

"Please refrain from such brutish actions. I'd usually be unwilling to let this go but you must be very desperate to commit a crime so blatantly as to steal a child. I'm in a rush to get the young master home for dinner. So remain here, the police will be here in a few moments."

With that Danny escorted Damian into the car and drove them home.

[oaksgrove]

Roots

Pairing: Muriel x Apprentice!Reader

Synopsis: Life with Muriel is simple and steady, built on quiet understanding and unwavering love. But when strange dreams start haunting your nights, pulling you toward something unseen, you turn to the cards for answers. What they reveal is life-changing—a new beginning, one you never expected but already feel deep in your bones.

Warnings: Pregnancy, mild anxiety about change, lots of softness.

word count: 1088

Life with Muriel was simple, steady—woven with soft mornings, shared meals, and quiet walks through the forest. The hut was filled with warmth, the scent of firewood and myrrh lingering in the air, and Inanna always lounged somewhere close, watching over the two of you with quiet devotion.

Marriage had been an easy thing, slipping into place like it had always belonged there. You had carved out a life together, full of small joys and wordless understanding.

And yet… the dreams had started.

At first, they were just strange—shifting landscapes, echoes of laughter, glimpses of something just out of reach. But each night, they became more vivid, more urgent. You would wake with a sense of something just beyond your grasp, a feeling that lingered in your chest like an unanswered question.

One morning, as you sat by the hearth, fingers curled around a warm cup of tea, you finally told Muriel.

“They’re not nightmares,” you admitted, staring into the steam. “But they feel… important. Like they’re trying to tell me something.”

Muriel glanced at you from where he was seated, sharpening his knife with slow, deliberate strokes. He wasn’t one for worrying, not about dreams, not about things he couldn’t touch or see.

His gaze softened. “Dreams come and go,” he said simply. “You’re safe. We’re safe. There’s no need to worry.”

And for a while, you tried to believe him.

But when the dreams persisted, you turned to the tea. You set your intention, let the leaves steep, and watched as they settled into patterns at the bottom of the cup.

Nothing made sense.

The symbols danced, shifting each time you tried to make sense of them. Leaves shaped like roots, like a river branching outward, like—like something new growing.

It left you with more questions than answers.

Muriel watched as you frowned at the cup for what must have been the hundredth time. He sighed, setting down his knife. “Go talk to Asra.”

So you did.

Asra’s shop smelled of herbs and candle wax, a familiar comfort. He was already making tea when you walked in, like he’d been expecting you.

“You’re not the only one,” he said, before you could even speak.

You blinked. “What?”

Asra turned, his violet eyes studying you. “The dreams. I’ve been having them too.”

A shiver ran down your spine. You sat across from him as he set down the tea, and you explained everything—the restless nights, the strange dreams, the unreadable tea leaves, even how Inanna had been staying closer than usual, watching you with knowing eyes.

Asra hummed thoughtfully. “That’s too many signs to ignore.”

You exchanged a glance before he pulled out his tarot deck. The cards shuffled effortlessly between his fingers, the energy in the room shifting, settling.

“Let’s see what the cards have to say.”

You took a breath and placed your hand over the deck, closing your eyes for a moment before drawing three cards.

When you turned them over, your breath caught.

The Empress. The Moon. The Fool.

Creation. Uncertainty. A new beginning.

Asra exhaled a laugh, shaking his head. “Well, that’s… pretty clear.”

You swallowed, staring at the cards. The dreams, the signs, the way your body had been feeling just a little different lately.

A new addition to your family.

Your hands trembled slightly as you pressed them to your stomach, realization settling deep in your bones.

Asra grinned, leaning back. “Muriel’s going to be thrilled.”

And for the first time since the dreams began, you felt at peace.

The walk back home felt different. The air was crisp with the lingering scent of rain, and the trees whispered in the wind, as if they, too, knew what was to come. Your heart was a tangle of emotions—excitement, disbelief, something warm and vast blooming in your chest.

A new addition to your family.

The thought alone was enough to make your steps falter. You placed a hand over your stomach instinctively, feeling no difference yet—but knowing, deep in your soul, that something had already begun.

When you reached the hut, Inanna was the first to greet you. She lifted her head from where she lay by the door, her keen eyes studying you as if she knew. You knelt down, running your fingers through her fur. “You knew, didn’t you?” you murmured.

She huffed softly, pressing her nose against your palm.

Muriel was inside, tending to the fire, his broad back to you. The warmth of the room wrapped around you immediately, the familiar scent of burning wood and herbs settling your nerves.

He turned when he heard you enter. His gaze flickered over you, gentle, searching. “How did it go?”

You swallowed, stepping closer. “Asra was having the dreams too,” you said. “We did a reading.”

Muriel’s brow furrowed slightly, waiting. You reached for his hand, guiding it to rest against your stomach. His fingers curled instinctively around your side, solid and grounding.

“The cards were clear,” you whispered. “We’re starting something new, Muriel.” Your voice trembled, but not from fear. “We’re going to have a baby.”

Muriel didn’t move at first. He stared at you, his breath slow and steady, his hand warm where it rested against you. For a moment, you worried he might retreat into himself, that the weight of it might be too much.

But then he exhaled, a sound so soft and full of wonder it made your heart ache. His fingers flexed slightly, his calloused palm pressing more firmly against you, like he was trying to feel something that wasn’t there yet—but would be.

“You’re sure?” His voice was hushed, reverent.

You nodded, your throat tightening. “Yes.”

Something in his expression shifted—something deep and unspoken. And then, before you could say anything else, he pulled you into him, wrapping his arms around you, his hold firm and unwavering.

You buried your face against his chest, breathing him in. His heartbeat was steady beneath your ear, grounding you, anchoring you to this moment.

For a long time, neither of you spoke. There was no need. The fire crackled, the rain whispered against the roof, and the forest hummed outside, carrying its quiet blessing.

Eventually, Muriel shifted, pressing a kiss to your temple. “I’ll take care of you,” he murmured.

You smiled, tightening your grip around him. “I know.”

And in the quiet of your home, with Inanna curled at your feet and the promise of something new between you, you knew—whatever came next, you wouldn’t face it alone.

taglist: @honestlymassivetrash @pythonmoth @kittygonap

[galedekarios]

gale, waterdeep & coinage

just musings on gale's means as well as waterdeep lore bc i love waterdeep:

Gale: Believe it or not, but I witnessed a similar standoff back at the Yawning Portal. Of course, an establishment like that invites all sorts of outlandish entertainments. Player: What's the Yawning Portal Gale: An inn in Waterdeep. Never a dull moment there. Adventurers come from all over Faerûn to try their luck down the well: Leads into the Undermountain, you see - full of death, danger, and vast amounts of treasure. Hard to resist. Player: What was the standoff about? Gale: Oh, a drow, a dragonborn, and a cleric of Cyric walk into a bar. Your standard fare. Maybe someone was cheating at cards, maybe it was some weird lovers' quarrel. In any case, out came the crossbow, and a hush fell over the entire room.devnote Player: What happened next? Gale: I stood up and yelled: 'Shadowdark ale for everyone!' The crowd cheered, the tension drained into five dozen tankards, and soon all was well again. Gale: In a place like the Yawning Portal, the most powerful magic is calling for a round of drinks. Gale: Mind you, all I did was call for ale, but you went and stood in front of that crossbow. I'd drink to that.

i will definitely take a look at the yawning portal itself at a later date (as well as other points of interest within the city) bc it's very interesting as a focal point in waterdhavian history and society.

while we can only speculate about what gale's background in terms of means, wealth and standing looked like since things like tutors and even maids were not uncommon in waterdhavian society, it is interesting to note that he - whatever his personal means at the time this event took place - felt the need to defuse the brewing fight with 'five dozen tankards'.

we do actually know how much one such tankard costs at the yawning portal:

[source]

17cp x 60 = 1020cp

this was interesting to me in terms of this meant in actual terms of coinage and wealth and money spent.

here's an overview of waterdeep's various coins:

source: volo's waterdeep enchiridion

gale spent over a 1000 nibs/copper pieces that evening (or more than one sun/platinum coin) to de-escalate a potentially lethal fight.

to put that into perspective, i'm adding this reference of prices here:

source: volo's waterdeep enchiridion

gale also attended blackstaff academy, with elminster as his mentor. the academy had costs attached with it:

Acceptance to the Academy was predicated on either demonstrating extraordinary magical aptitude (those who could not cast arcane spells were very rarely admitted) or having a particularly compelling personal history. Joining the Academy was free, however monthly dues were required to continue attendance. These fees started at 10 gp per month and increased as a student gained seniority and required more advanced tutelage. In addition, it was a requirement that any new spell that was discovered or researched by an apprentice had to be added to Blackstaff Tower's library. [source]

ten gold pieces per month as fees, although with gale being elminster's mentee, he may have chosen to assist gale and morena partially or fully with any costs that blackstaff academy may have charged.

it does sound, however his childhood may have looked like with a presumably absent father and a mother with her hands full with a young genius, able to conjure rabbits as a babe, summoning a tressym, a magma mephit who set a room on fire, as well as casting a level 3 spell (fireball) at age 8 or younger, that gale at least during the height of his career as a wizard, lived comfortably.

ending this with more food for thought and a banter between gale and karlach:

Gale: They say wealth offers a form of magic. Alas, it's one I've rarely dabbled in. Karlach: Nor I. Never had more than a few coppers in the city, and any soul coins in Avernus went straight to Zariel. Gale: Make no mistake. Souls are sold for coins up here as well. All too cheaply, in most cases.

[vidals-harkness]

i’ll come back to you (lilia calderu)

summary: lilia meets agatha, and has to convinve you--her inexhaustible 'stray' baby witch--to allow her, before she embarks on a journey to the witch's road.

fic type: angst/fluff

pairings: lilia calderu x fem!child!reader (family)

warnings: reader invading agatha's personal space, some crying, so much soft lilia you might just weep <3

word count: 1.4k

Afternoons in the sleepy town of Westview were very often uneventful.

A gentle breeze carded through the curtains, ruffling the papers on the table, eviction notice included. The birds twittered faintly outside, along the cars which rolled past with a steady, quiet rumble. The windchimes jingled softly, caught in the wind's dance, the suncatchers on the windows casting tiny rainbows on the hardwood floors.

The kettle rattled as you kept an eye on it like Lilia had asked. Beside it, a pot stood full of dinner--contents of it long gone cold.

Through the quaint shop in the front, you heard a jingle. You reached up and switched off the kettle, following Lilia as she took her place through the beaded curtain.

The front room, or, the shop, was lit with candles, Lilia's magic keeping them from overheating the place. The scent of essential oils and incense was strong, but comforting. You took your place beside the nearby shelves, ready to help Lilia.

"Welcome to the curious," she said mystically as two people--a boy and a woman who had a strange energy around her. You didn't like it. Or rather it took you longer than usual to get used to it.

"Good day, madam," said the woman in a thick Southern accent. "Oh, thank you so much for seein' us,"

"You look strange," you admitted, coming up to her and touching her shawl.

"Y/n, sweet little, if you could please step away," Lilia smiled, noting the look of scorn and disgust on Agatha's face as she yanked the shawl out of your grasp. Trying to quell the situation, she added, "Don't mind my apprentice, she is young, a bit too curious sometimes,"

"That'll get her in a few spats," Agatha muttered, hissing at you like a cat, making you frown.

"Y/n, can you go out back, find me my special deck of tarot cards?” Lilia smiled, looking at you pointedly.

You nodded immediately, rushing out back to find the special deck--the one which felt like her, the one which made you feel safe.

"Miss L--huh?" You skipped back to the reading room, to find her nowhere to be seen.

You heard pained yelling from the kitchen and saw her--golden aura around her head like a halo, making you concerned. You hurried over, tugging at her sleeve for her attention.

"Miss Lilia," you whispered, poking her slightly. "It's just your mind, it's making up silly stuff,"

She took a deep breath, smiling down at you. "You're such a darling, sweet little," she chuckled.

"So you’re a bit of a kook. Every witch has their process," Agatha butted in. "You showed some real skill out there,"

"I didn’t read your fortune. I read your reputation," Lilia said, turning to her, placing a hand on your chest to push you behind her protectively. "Witches like you are the reason people think we poison apples, and steal children, and eat babies,"

"You eat babies, Miss Lilia?" You gasped, looking up at her, tiny brows furrowed with worry.

Her nose scrunched a bit as she smiled and shook her head. "No, sweet little, I don't,"

"I do," said Agatha. "Babies are delicious,"

"Ugh," Lilia groaned, going over to the stove to start with dinner.

You went over to Agatha where she sat on the sofa, poking at her inquisitively. "I've never met a baby-eating witch before..."

The chaos witch made a face at you. Despite her ease around children, you made her regret ever having an affinity towards them. "No, shoo, get away," she said, flicking your nose.

"Ow!" You exclaimed, pushing her shoulder.

"Y/n," Lilia warned without turning around. "What did I say about space?"

Agatha made that hissing noise at you again, which you countered with a blown raspberry before you stood next to Lilia again.

"How old are you? 410? 415?" Agatha asked, giving the older witch a once-over.

She turned sharply, offended. "How dare you?"

"Oh, I apologize," she chuckled in return. "You don’t look a day under 450,"

"Years old?" Teen asked, baffled.

"Mhm, Miss Lilia is very old," you nodded at him, which earned you a sharp but gentle smack upside the head.

"You get, what, maybe two suckers a day in here, and 20 bucks later, you’re sitting on a bed that’s also your wall," Agatha pointed out, her hand gesturing at the bed you and LIlia shared. Which, to be honest, was indeed a bed that was also a wall.

Agatha stood up, trying her hardest to convince her. "Don’t you miss the glory days?"

"When I was chased out of every village I passed through for accurately predicting tragedy?" Lilia asked, heading towards the kitchen. "No, I do not. Beat it, Harkness,"

"Yeah, beat it, Harkness," you said, crossing your arms to give Agatha a once-over.

"Tell your familiar to watch it," Agatha snapped.

"Absolutely not, you heard her," Lilia scoffed. "Beat it,"

"I’m gonna walk The Road," she finally admitted.

"The Road is a death wish,"

"I survived,"

"Yeah? Where’s your power now?"

A beat passed. She'd hit a nerve.

"Time to restock," she countered finally. "I need a Divination Witch,"

"Are you honestly asking me to coven up with the single most infamous witch on this continent?" Lilia laughed.

"Oh, please. Name a badder bitch in South America, or Europe," Teen said, crossing his arms.

Lilia gave him a look, scrutinising him. "Who is this child?"

Before he could reply, Agatha butted in. "My pet. This is my pet. Say hi, pet,"

Looking like he'd have rather swallowed nails, he sighed, "Hi,"

"Hi, pet!" You smiled, giving him a high-five.

"Y/n, sweet little, why don't you go play outside?" Lilia asked, patting your head gently, her gaze fixated on Agatha's.

You huffed, but nevertheless obeyed, grabbing a stick to play with as you went outside of the shop to play in the empty street outside.

Eventually, Agatha left with a disgruntled hiss at you, which you again countered with a raspberry, stomping back inside.

The candles were dimmed, and there came the sounds of Lilia singing soft Sicilian love songs in the kitchen. The pot bubbled, the refrigerator hummed, the lights buzzed and flickered.

"Sweet little, would you be a dear and set the table for me, please?" Lilia asked with a soft smile, turning to you, her song ceasing momentarily.

You nodded, grabbing the plate for yourself and placing it on the table. You sensed a variation in her energy, and asked, "Miss Lilia, why was Miss Harkness asking about the Witch's Road?"

Lilia paused, plating up the pasta she'd made. Her expression was thoughtful as she sat, handing you a fork.

"Well...Miss Agatha needs me for a sort of...plan that she has," she explained as you started to eat.

"Why does she need you?" You asked, swinging your legs a little as you ate happily.

Lilia's heart swelled--such an adorable thing you were, and she'd have to leave it behind. She didn't want to, but she had to.

"The process to begin the plan involves me, sweet little," she said, standing up as you did, too, plate in hand.

"You're super important then," you said, yawning a little. Afternoon nap time.

"Mhm," she hummed, scooping you up in her arms, grinning aas you squealed. "Super important,"

"I think that's so cool, Miss Lilia," you giggled softly.

"Problem is, sweet little, I'll be gone for some time," she whispered, laying down with you in bed, you flat on your b ack while she lay on her side, head propped up on her fist.

Your heart stopped. "G-Gone?" You whimpered, hand coming up to grip her shawl. "I don't want you gone,"

Her heart broke. "I know my little dove," she said, stroking your hair soothingly. "But I'll be back before you know it, I promise."

"No, no, no," you shook your head, tears streaming down your soft cheeks. "You're not gonna go!"

Lilia was quick to pull you close, your head on her chest as she soothed you by rubbing your back in gentle circles. "I have to go, sweet little, but don't fret, I'll come back..."

"But--but--" you began to protest, but her voice was firm.

"I will return to you," she said. "Have I ever broken my promise?"

You sniffled and shook your head. "N-No, Miss Lilia,"

"Have I ever lied?" She asked, making you face her, one hand wiping your tears.

You shook your head again. "N-No, Miss Lilia..."

"Precisely," she chuckled, kissing your forehead. "I'll come back to you, I promise,"

You nodded, eyes drooping as she rocked you to sleep, your worries washing away slowly as the tide of drowsiness dragged them away. One thought was what kept you content, one simple thought.

She'll come back to you.

hi my bao buns! jace here! i'm so sorry i've been mia for so long, but i'm back now! i would like to thank my anon bao buns as well as @lilia-caldareyou and @evildin0saur for motivating me to write again <3 thank you all!

love, jace

[nyaagolor]

I wish DD Apollo visited Kristoph in prison. That’d be fucked up.

-

The Plexiglas between them did nothing to shield Apollo from the intensity of Kristoph's stare.

"After everything, you want my help?" he said. His tone was icy enough that a shiver ran up Apollo's back-- he willed himself to be still. He shrugged Clay's jacket a little tighter over his shoulders.

"The new intern at the office, the one that Phoenix has been watching out for— she's connected to this. She's lied about everything related to the case— she was there, Mr. Gavin."

"And you can't prove it," Kristoph replied matter-of-factly. Apollo searched Kristoph's face for any clue about what he was thinking and came up empty.

"... No. I think... I think..." he steeled his gaze, setting his shoulders back and glaring right back at his old boss. "Athena is hiding something and Phoenix is helping her do it."

Kristoph barked out a laugh, a sharp and bitter sound that made Apollo want to curl under the desk and never come back out. Suddenly he was an apprentice again, an ant beneath Kristoph's leather shoes, something small and insignificant. He swallowed, fighting the burn in the back of his throat.

"I know there's evidence there, so I...” he swallowed, struggling to admit it, “um."

"If you have something to say to me, say it," Kristoph said, voice dripping with disdain. "Being here doesn't suddenly mean I have time for your stuttering." His eyes were on the clock this time, and Apollo thought glumly that some things— about Kristoph, about Phoenix, about lies— never really changed.

"You're the only one I can trust with this. I know they tampered with the scene, and I have to... make sure the verdict is true."

"Evidence is everything in court," Kristoph said simply. Apollo's brows furrowed.

"I couldn't find any evidence, sir, there's nothing," he exclaimed, slamming his fists on the desk in a sudden fit of frustration. Kristoph didn't flinch.

"Look again. Look harder. You'll find your trump card."

Time slowed to a crawl, Apollo's brain buzzing with a sudden and familiar static. "... You're not suggesting?"

"You've done it before," Kristoph said, adjusting his glasses. Apollo stood up before he could think better of it. He couldn't see Kristoph's expression behind the lenses-- but he got the message just fine. Swallowing the doubt like bile on the back of his tongue, he grabbed his bracelet and walked out the door. The feeling of Kristoph's gaze on his back followed him all the way home.

[blade-liger-4ever]

The Problem with Mara Jade, and Why She Doesn't Work

A Mara Jade dissection? From me?

More likely than you think!

Now make no mistake, I know exactly what kind of fanatic waters I'm treading. After all, it's no secret that the Star Wars fandom simply adores anything that Mara does, and people have been clamoring for her "long awaited" return to the Star Wars Canon since she was cast off along with the rest of the crew when the Mouse took over Lucasfilm. However, I have had many thoughts in direct opposition to Mara's worshiping fans, and now that I've finally had enough of both Mara's escape from her actions and attitude, as well as having snapped after suffering the ignorance of those who praise her to the heavens, I'm at long last going to tear down this character and explain in detail not only why she makes no sense in universe, but why she should have never been introduced the way Zahn introduced her in his trilogy featuring Thrawn.

Buckle up, 'cause I am not holding back on the fandom's darling girl.

Problem One: She never suffers in her upbringing

It's explained by everyone in Legends and the fandom that Mara Jade was taken in from a young age to be the infamous "Emperor's Hand" and raised to kill his enemies without remorse and blindly follow his orders. They all say the training is rigorous, and that she was spared no shortage of training in combat, espionage, and whatnot, and I will admit, her skills prove it. But you know what the flaw with this logic is?

Mara is not once shown to have any trauma, pain, or even physical scars from the training.

Don't believe me? Just look at her trading cards which, for added benefit, had a professional "head-turning beauty" model pose for her. She's a shiny, pristine woman in those pictures with no sign of the abuse she logically would have suffered during her training.

"Blade, why are you harping on logic? This is Star Wars, where there are space wizards and jetpacks and intergalatic travel. Logic doesn't have a place here."

I keep "harping" on logic because for the suspension of disbelief to properly work, there needs to be logic for things to work in a story. Take Galen Marek, a fellow Legends character, for example. He was raised by Darth Vader to be a relentless, unstoppable assassin - and his body is covered with scars, and most importantly, it takes Galen two thirds of the game to break free of his loyalty to Vader and see that he's been nothing but a means to an end to his master. By contrast, Mara doesn't suffer nearly as much, nor does she even, truly, break out of Palpatine's hold, even in the globally praised Thrawn Trilogy.

Which brings me to Mara's next problem.

Problem two: She never truly rejects the Dark Side, or her role as the Emperor's Hand

Now before you jump on me, let me say this: I recall her killing Luke's clone and "freeing" herself of the final command Palpatine lodged into her brain. However, if given the option, I still believe Mara would have killed Luke simply because she had no real reason to not kill him.

Oh yes, she kept finding "convenient excuses" to keep him alive, but those are points of plot armor. Anyone else in her place - like fellow Emperor's Hand Shira Brie - wouldn't have hesitated to shoot Luke's head off, or stabbed him through the heart with a lightsaber. The only reasons she didn't were because Zahn wanted Luke to have an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and the writing world has never recovered since he glamorized that trope. Furthermore, despite the fact that Mara has a conniption over being lied to and manipulated into thinking she was the only Emperor's Hand by Palpatine, she does not do so with a realization that she was doing the wrong things for the Emperor. No, she only sees that she was used as a means to an end, and her fury is not all that different from Maul's rage when we see the former Sith Apprentice again in The Clone Wars - which, logically, points to the fact that Mara had a thirst for power, something that Legends actually confirms.

Don't believe me? Pull up her Wookieepedia file. It explicitly states in her bio that in her early career, she pratically dreamed of killing Vader and taking his place as Palpatine's apprentice. It's even said she revels in the Dark Side and her mission as Palpatine's Hand. Furthermore, she does not even express remorse for her actions, or even attempts to make amends by sharing her knowledge of Imperial Intelligence with Republic Intelligence. Compare her to Black Widow: when Natasha Romanov switched her allegiances, not only did she reject her past and even her nationality, she joined SHIELD to atone for her actions.

What does Mara do? Get Anakin's lightsaber handed to her by his own son after she tried to kill him repeatedly, and simply departs to "find her own path."

No honey, you don't get a consolation prize for choosing practicality in that moment with Luke's clone, and you certainly don't get to traipse around the galaxy free of consequences of your actions without at least giving vital information to the Republic.

"Oh, but she'll suffer from the memory of what she's done, Blade!"

Really? There is no reason for that woman to have a conscience, and the fact that everyone tries to hammer that into me points me to the next issue.

Problem three: Mara Jade is given a conscience with no substantial basis for it

Allow me to bring to light the history of a former assassin I love dearly for what she suffered to explain Mara's struggle here: X23/Laura Kinney of Marvel fame.

Literally born into a branch of the Weapon X project, Laura's life revolved around nothing but training, emotional distance, cold-blooded torture, and killing on orders from the highest bidder - and she made her first targeted kill at age nine. Because of that, she emotionally shut herself down.

Why do I have no issue with Laura's response to her first kill? Because she had two people who went against the Facility's status quo and fed her scraps of kindness, warmth, and love.

And for that, Laura was mind-controlled into killing them both as "poetic justice".

The first one she had killed via a "trigger scent" that was engineered to send her into a blind rage was used on her teacher, Tanaka. When she awoke from it, she was horrified to find her "sensei" lying dead in a pool of blood, her own claws coated in his blood. After this, she was given Kimura as a trainer/handler, and the woman took every opportunity to abuse and torture her - all in the name of "making her strong". This, coupled with her mother having to back off on showing her love, made Laura suppress her emotions, and deal with them by cutting herself with her own claws. Her mother, Sarah Kinney, didn't realize until later that the scars (I cannot recall if they healed or not) were Laura's own doing and not Kimura's.

Laura was used by many to kill hundreds, and Sarah eventually gave up hope that there was a little girl left in the assassin.

That changed, however, when Laura found a young boy listed as a target on her assignment. She knew that if she left him alive, she'd be faced with more punishments, torture, and abuse. She knew that, and she must have been terrified for her life.

But Laura, having been shown compassion and love at different points, was able to see a bit of that same fear in the boy.

And despite knowing full well what was in store for her, Laura let. Him. Live.

Sarah orchestrated her and Laura's escape after this, and had Laura undertake one last mission to kill the personnel at the Facility and the new clones of Laura that were being grown. However, Laura's main abuser had a last laugh by getting some of the trigger scent on Sarah, and even though they were both free, Sarah paid with her life at Laura's hands.

To this day in the comics, Laura waking to see her dying mother and her claws sticky with her blood, is one of her most traumatic and devastating memories.

I bring this up, patient readers, to point out the severe flaw in Mara's creation. She was taken in at three years old to be raised in the heart of evil, and yet she's somehow the only Emperor's Hand to have a conscience. Three years old is not the proper age to have a total recall of what morality is, especially when you're being trained to kill with abandon and to not care about taking a life. More to the point, Laura had two people who gave her morals and humanity. Mara, by contrast, had no one: no nanny or diaper-changing droid was mentioned in order to credit where she got her moral compass from, which flies directly against Galen's turn from the Dark Side. Because even Galen had PROXY to thank for being remotely approachable at the beginning of The Force Unleashed. If you don't believe me, check out his Wookieepedia file; the droid is expressly stated to be the reason he has any compassion at all.

Mara has no reason for having a moral compass, and anyone who tells me otherwise should go dunk their head in a frigid cold lake.

Problem four: Mara has too much autonomy for a born and bred assassin

Remember what I was going on about with Laura? Beyond the surface of what I scratched, she never got a break or any rewards for a job well done. That is because no one viewed her as anything more than a tool to get things done. Among the underworld, she was a favorite weapon, but because of that favoritism, Laura was worked to the bone by people around her. When you're a tool, favorite or otherwise, you don't get breaks.

But according to the almighty Timothy Zahn and countless others in Star Wars, Mara got to take vacations because the Emperor favored her so much. And furthermore, she had such an advanced favoritism with him, and was such a spectacularly good agent, she could choose who to kill and who to hide from the Emperor without him being the wiser. Mara even had the nerve to think of and enjoy herself as a "law unto herself" while still being under Palpatine's thumb.

Bullcrap.

Fellow assassin Galen never had breaks, child assassin Laura Kinney never had breaks, international spy Natasha Romanov never had breaks. They never had breaks because they were TOOLS. Tools, in the eyes of their masters, are nothing but instruments to be used or thrown away as seen fit, regardless if said "tool" is a handheld object or an entire company of soldiers. Assassins have this even worse because they are people exclusively used for your personal gain. Giving Mara Jade breaks from her work is inane and breaks the logic of having an assassin turn over a new leaf. And the reason for that is because all the other examples I named worked their fannies off in order to make amends and actively choose to become better. Even though we got little with Galen atoning for his actions, he still tried his best.

Mara doesn't do anything to atone, apologize, or even make up for the things she did. She lived and died in Legends continuity as a selfish brat who got away with literal murder and never had anyone question why they had her there on their side when there was never a guarantee beyond Luke's out-of-character defense of her by saying she "no longer serves the Dark Side/the Emperor".

Luke, my guy, my childhood hero second only to Optimus Prime. You know better than this. Yes, you see the good in everyone, but there was never anything she did right for purely right reasons to have garnered that level of loyalty and devotion from you. She tried to kill you, wanted to take your father's place in Palpatine's grand scheme, and was frightfully close to killing you in the third movie of the Original Trilogy while laughing as you fell into the sarlacc pit. The fact that this all goes on, and no one in or out of universe makes her pay for her actions tells me she was just everyone's darling OC insert girlfriend for Luke, who they could do anything with, and people would and did accept it because they wanted Luke to have a "hot bad girl wife".

Luke is the pinnacle of goodness in Star Wars. A pinnacle of goodness deserves someone who is just as good for almost the exact same reasons as the pinnacle, but able to back him up in his saving endeavors while being a shoulder for him when there was one lost soul he couldn't save.

Mara Jade has none of that, and she never showed anyone that level of care and attention. And if she did, it did not make sense with all the crap she got away with.

Conclusion

Well, there's not much I suppose to conclude this. I expressed why Mara doesn't work in excruciating detail, and why she didn't work in the end. I will go out on a limb and say that my distaste for her is clear, as well as my opinion that she should not have won Luke's hand when he had many other love interests (look it up. Trust me, he had many girls eyeing him, and had many dates in Legends.)

I will, however, say this much: In my Star Wars Canon, Luke marries Alex Winger, the only girl in Star Wars who I feel matches his personality and needs well. Ben Skywalker will not exist in it, unless I make him the oldest or youngest of Luke and Alex's kids, which is entirely possible now that I consider that option. And it may surprise you, but I do intend to bring Mara into my stories - as a true villain, though she may get a redemption before dying in my own take.

Regarding any hate I receive for both my tear down of Mara and my changed plans for my own Star Wars Canon, I will tell you this: I am one person with these thoughts and feelings, so far as I can see, whereas the much adored Mara Jade has hundreds of appearances in old Star Wars media and various fanfictions. If you can't tolerate my dislike for Mara, then go suck your thumb while reading Legends books involving her. It's not worth either of our time to fight over that blasted female, and I've got too much on my table to bother wasting my free time arguing over her.

Good day, and may the Force be with you.

[bestygogirl]

BEST YGO GIRL: ROUND 4, GROUP C

Match 2

please use this as an opportunity to say why you like a character, not why you don't.

Propaganda under the cut!

Mana

mana is the apprentice to mahad and her ka is dark magician girl. she is the basis for apprentice illusion magician. she is the first one to inherit the millennium ring after mahad, while it allegedly has yami bakura in it. her fate is left up to the viewer. another fun fact is she teases atem like he's her big brother and hides in vases. she makes fun of set's stupid hat and turns it in magical hats. she's a fun loving child who is put in a position where she needs to fight a war. and like. she's my daughter please vote for her.

Isis Ishtar

gorgeous, very caring sister, strong duelist, and the only woman to ever make Seto Kaiba squirm

anyways. not only as mentioned above is she the first woman to make kaiba squirm, but she was by all means going to beat him if not for the millennium rod's millennium interference. yami marik admits that she's a strong duelist with a strategy that's been working for literal years-- and given that she's not like, a professional duelist, thats pretty impressive

she also recently got some really cool meta bumps and let me point out that an "ishizu deck" now includes obelisk the tormentor-- which we knew she had prior to giving it to kaiba, but i think it only solidifies my opinion that she very much could wield an Egyptian God Card, an exclusive little club for top tier duelists

as a character she presents herself with an amazing amount of poise and grace, shes compassionate and kind and stays with mai and serenity even though she only just met them. shes struggling through living the past 5 years of her life drowning in guilt for her family's tragedy just because she wanted to make her little brother happy and shadi is a fucking liar. shes foretold her own death and marches towards it grimly but with so much love in her heart. and even then shes 20 years old and holds an important position in the egyptian government that typically requires a doctorate degree AND has been dealing with mariks off-and-on bullshit entirely by her lonesome. she also likes to flex her fortunetelling a little which is awesome i think she should do that more that scene where she tells the guy exactly how the stele is being transported was so everything

speaking of shes got such an attitude. "is it your destiny to waste my time?" iconic. never seen before will never be seen again. watch the duel between her va and joeys its so fucking funny

shes excult. shes doesnt flinch in the face of god nor death. seto kaiba and yami marik respect her. shes so sad and so sweet and battle city couldnt have happened without her.

also her parallels with kaiba are what motivate kaiba to give yugi the card he needed to beat marik.

kaiba, in duelist kingdom, was ready to jump off a ledge if yugi didnt let him through to face pegasus while trying to save mokuba out of sheer desperation to save his little brother. he KNOWS what that dedication feels like and the iron kind of will you need to have to make that kind of gamble. isis is being so fucking legit with what shes saying and he respects that and her judgement enough to change his mind and not only watch the duel, but give yugi a card that eventually helps him win, even if he has no real confidence in the odds. but theres a CHANCE, which is the same thing he taught her when he beat her in a duel. the layers its her faith that moves him to act. which is so crazy

anyway vote isis shes my best friend forever and a real rep for all the 20 year olds who honest to god did not sign up for this bullshit

[charmwasjess]

Your opinions on Rael Aveross? Yee-haw, or no howdy?

Oh, YEE-HAW. Giddy up, Rael Averross!

I admit, it took me a sec to warm up to Rael. If you include Dooku's Sith-era when he was self-medicating with apprentices, the man trained so many students already, characters ripe to be fleshed out, and now instead they invent a new one?? And it's this cowboy-ass talking motherfucker?? (The audiobook voice didn't do me any favors.)

But THEN. Rael. Under that crack cowboy exterior, this is such a fascinating character. He is clearly Dooku's firstborn son - a duelist, Council problem child, card-carrying disaster lineage asshole with all the requisite drama and trauma - but he also has some wonderful warmth to the character. He treats Qui-Gon like a baby brother. He checks in on Dooku's emotional health repeatedly and isn't afraid to speak the truth in love to him. (Hell, he confronts him about his feelings for Sifo-Dyas?) He talks about Master and Padawan dynamics in terms of love and family. He's physically affectionate. He smokes, he curses, he drinks. He fucks. He also says, of Yoda, and I'm quoting directly from Gray's Master and Apprentice novel here: "up the hell, he should shut." There was no going back for me with the character at that point.

I think I like Rael most of all for how he shows us what a Jedi can look like. And for how tremendously his inclusion fleshes out Dooku, in turn, especially early in his life.

[bonefall]

Dragonkin Family Tree

[ID: A tall family tree on a minty green background. It starts with Whitefang and Dragonclaw, and goes down for 6 generations. Mates of the family are marked with blue backgrounds.]

It's a total wasted opportunity that the other Clans very rarely struggle with the idea of legacy, a major recurring theme of WC. ThunderClan shouldn't be the only Clan who has anything interesting going on.

SO here's a noteworthy tree for RiverClan! If you want to see the entire RiverClan Family Tree, it's over here. I've also hit several of them with the gib beam-- I will refer to Duckfur with They/Xe exclusively, and Rainstorm and Rushfish are He/They/Xey.

The Dragonkin is a family plagued equally by strength and scandal. In Lake RiverClan, they've produced several of the strongest and most respected warriors, but are also known for producing headstrong codebreakers.

Whitefang and Dragonclaw

In the Broken Era, Dragonclaw was the largest warrior in RiverClan, and among the strongest.

But as an apprentice, Dragonpaw was terrified of water. There was doubt that she would be able to stay in the Clan, after all, she was the child of a prey-stealing rogue who had been found drowned.

She didn't have RiverClan blood, and what use did they have for a roguekit who couldn't swim?

Whitepaw spent all his time with her, helping her overcome that fear, despite only being an apprentice himself. That was how they came to fall in love with each other.

Later, when his niece Leopardkit revealed herself to be afraid of water, Whitefang was put on the case to build her into the ferocious warrior she could be.

Whitefang died while his kits were still apprentices, and Dragonclaw died while trying to drive out WindClan a second time.

Duckfur and Greenflower

Greenflower was hotheaded and passionate, jumping to conclusions and ferociously sticking to them.

Duckfur was more practical... and opportunist. More interested in how swaying power could benefit them.

Sedgecreek was attracted to Greenflower for her passion and confidence. It would also be the reason they fell apart.

When TigerClan rose to power, Greenflower was an immediate supporter. She voided the Queen's Rights, revealing that Duckfur had honor sired the kittens Sedgecreek had given birth to.

Sedgecreek at first believed this was an effort to keep the family safe. She slowly realized that, no, Greenflower really did believe it.

Terrified and worried for her children, Sedgecreek kept quiet through most of TigerClan, not involving herself in the rebellious activities. After it had passed, the arguments started up.

She learned quickly that it was a sore topic for Greenflower, most conversations ending in fights, though she would grudgingly admit TigerClan went too far.

Duckfur was more open to discussion. Sedge valued their friendship, but sometimes became frustrated by how they didn't seem to have much of an opinion of their own.

During the destruction of the Forest in the Journey Era, Swallowtail grew close to a ThunderClan warrior, Rainwhisker. VERY close.

Sedgecreek had tolerated Greenflower's beliefs in the hopes of things returning to how they were, trying to fix their relationship, but now with their baby on the line...

When Greenflower snapped and disowned Swallowtail for claiming Queen's Rights, she was Reverse Uno Carded by Sedgecreek. That was the LAST straw.

On becoming leader, after the sudden death of Leopardstar to a rogue, Mistystar chose Sedgecreek as her deputy for this reason.

Seeing the tide of power pull in a new direction, Duckfur decided it was best to follow their friendship with Sedge over 'having Green's back.'

Beechfur and Swallowtail

It's ironic that Greenflower would complain that Swallowtail wasn't like her brother... both of them were actually in HalfClan relationships.

Beechfur was just quieter about it... aaaaand eventually ghosted Gorsetail when they settled at the lake.

Much like Duckfur, Beechfur is a bit of an opportunist. He isn't heartless or incapable of compassion, but he will often do things just because he wants to. And he loves his parents too much to want to change Clans.

The relationship between him and his sister Swallowtail became strained after Greenflower disowned her. There was a permanent rift in his family that he wasn't sure how to bridge.

He ended up staying on Greenflower's side, feeling she was alone without him, keeping his hypocrisy secret.

Eventually he found a mate in Graymist, siring many tragic children. The only who went on to have their own kits was Sneezecloud.

Meanwhile, Swallowtail mourns Rainwhisker nearly every day. She adored him, she would have left RiverClan for him, if he had not died in the WindClan Civil War.

Beechfur still being close to their other mother feels like a kind of betrayal, honestly. She feels hurt that Beechfur saw Greenflower treat her so badly, and yet still has a good relationship with her.

But she has her children, and her Mi.

In summary of personality;

Beechfur is passive and a bit selfish, but does care for his family in spite of the rift that formed.

Swallowtail is forlorn and bitter, but very loyal to the family that stuck by her side.

Sneezecloud, Rippletail, Rainstorm

Sneezecloud identifies much more strongly with his cousins on his mother's side, especially Mallowtail who is his best friend, probably because of the fact both families have a lot of tragedy.

For Ripple and Rain, growing up wasn't always easy. It was known that their father was from another Clan, but no one would ever tell them anything. That's the downside of Queen's Rights.

Not to mention antagonism from Greenflower, in spite of the various people trying to protect them.

Rainstorm learned to march to the beat of their own drum. It bothered them, but they found no happiness in trying to please people who treated them poorly for no good reason.

Acting overaggressive only ever landed them in trouble.

Meanwhile, Rippletail was always desperate to prove himself, be the best warrior he could be and serve RiverClan well. Quickly, he became one of their best warriors.

There were times where cats would predict that one day, him and Hollypaw would be opposing leaders of their Clans.

But, his life was cut short on a mission to bring back the water to the lake.

WIP material; Either Rainstorm claims Queen's Rights and their children are born around this time, or Rainstorm adopted them from Rippletail because of his death.`

In terms of personality:

Sneezecloud is confident and rough, in spite of having a moss allergy that gives him a permanently drippy nose.

Rippletail is ambitious and focused, but still knows how to cut loose, especially for his sib

Raincloud is relaxed and goofy, chronically unable to be intimidating.

Hallowflight, Rushfish

Into this came Lizardkit and Rushkit.

They were lucky to be born in a time better than the one their parent was born into. The two of them didn't struggle nearly as much as Rippletail and Rainstorm did.

But struggle, they still did. Lizardtail got it especially bad from Mossyfoot and Troutstream

For more on Lizardtail and how he gets his Honor Title, Hallowflight has a summary!

Rushfish has a very restless personality. They cycle through all sorts of interests, know a little bit about a lot of things, and think boredom is a form of torture.

Harelight, Dappletuft, Softpelt

When the Impostor rose to power, many of the cats in their family were suddenly coming under scrutiny in a way not seen in years.

Softpelt accepted this, but Harefur and Dappletuft did not. The two brothers immediately began plotting with the rebellion, as soon as they learned there was one.

Hare watched as Dappletuft died fighting against the Impostor, and Softpelt died defending him.

He was not even allowed to bury his brother, or sit vigil for his sister, Mistystar sent him back into exile.

When the impostor was revealed and it was shown that Hare had been correct all along, the only way she could apologize to him was allow him to go into the Dark Forest for the final confrontation.

Along with her, Mistystar and Harefur became known as Lights in the Mist. For this, Harefur became Harelight as an Honor Title.

He wanted to be able to accept how proud Hallowflight was of him, and his mother Lakeheart too... but... it's hard.

It's hard that they just accepted their punishments, and let Mistystar put Dappletuft in a shallow grave.

The generational strain upon the family continues.

[markh0ffmanz]

Hoffheight headcanons?

hoffheight my beloved.... i will preface this by saying that i don't think hoffman is capable of something even remotely resembling a healthy relationship, so that definitely applies to any relationship that he'd have with adam.

not sure if my thoughts are what one would count as headcanons because i don't typically have like. singular, overarching thoughts on them that would be consistent between aus but i will absolutely ramble about them for a bit lmao.

my personal fave flavor of hoffheight is ft. apprentice adam. really really like the idea of adam being recruited against his will and sort of scrambling for any semblance of stability in his new very unstable life. amanda is standoffish and lawrence is recovering from their time in the bathroom trap + dealing with a surely impending divorce, and he most definitely avoids john. and then there's hoffman, who's scary and intimidating and always looks at adam like he's picking him apart piece by piece with just his eyes. which, isn't too far from the truth. hoffman probably wouldn't like him at first, in the conventional way, but he'd definitely be interested in him. wants to sink his teeth in him like a dog to a rabbit. wants to squeeze him until he pops. for him, it's the closest thing that comes to a crush. wherever adam is, hoffman is not too far behind. always there, always watching him, always fucking with him. maybe hoffman's projecting some latent feelings from strahm onto him, trying to push adam into biting back.

it ends up in them fucking, because adam is lonely and hoffman is attractive in his eyes, and because hoffman is lonely too even if he doesn't realize or want to admit it. they fuck, and i think hoffman becomes super possessive over him after that. doesn't really like amanda hanging around him and sure as shit doesn't want lawrence around him either. and adam sort of revels in it, because after being left in the bathroom and coming so close to dying, it feels so good to have someone always touching him, always there. someone who always wants him because he's never felt very wanted before, even if that someone wants him enough to eat him up.

that being said, i think adam could maybe round hoffman off a little bit. round out his sharpest edges just the tiniest bit. i can see them having some soft moments in between everything else. hoffman laying ontop of adam after they've had sex, a soothing, heavy weight, letting himself be vulnerable for just a moment with his face buried in the crook of adam's neck, adam's fingers carding through his hair and scratching at his nape. his humor would be good for hoffman too, even if it's annoying more times than it's funny. angelina would have liked adam, he finds himself thinking, and maybe it makes him more fond of adam in between his desire to keep him to himself.

the both of them absolutely love their size difference. adam loves how big hoffman is, how strong he is. how he can pick adam up with ease and toss him around, how he can cover every inch of adam's body when he lays on him, nice and heavy, how he could probably break adam in half if he wanted to. loves the fat on his belly and sides too tbh. and i think adam probably isn't hoffman's usual type, strahm and rigg being far more what he's usually interested in, men that can handle his rough handling with ease and then give it back in stride. men he can really sink his teeth into. but despite that, i think he'd like just how small adam is compared to him, likes how adam never complains when he's too rough or even asks for more, even if sometimes he thinks he might break adam's bones with how rough he's being

[ar-mage-ddon]

What if Luxord was Keykiid's apprentice? I believe this because they both use cards (in Chi, before the medals, cards were used) they both use darkness and light, in addition to ludor, one of the possible names of Luxord's somebody, which means playing, what do you think?

it's an interesting theory! i've been thinking of the possibility that player themself could be luxord (though it's a bit of a stretch since we don't know what the exact rules for reincarnation are yet), but apprentice seems plausible too — especially since in the jp dialogue for the final dark road cutscene, xehanort calls player "master" (not necessarily indicative of them having apprentices, but interesting to note either way)

related to their similarities, i also keep thinking about that kh3 remind scene between luxord and xigbar, specifically where luxord says, "yes, that's what i've always done. i followed the orders from above without question." obviously this could just as easily be me picking out coincidences and making connections where there aren't any, but i have to admit that it just makes me think of player's line in the clock tower when they confronted their foreteller: "i've done everything that was expected of me without a second thought."

which also reminds me of luxord saying "the game isn't over until it's over" in the caribbean, which seems to be becoming something of a reoccuring line — it's said once in the loading screen of xehanort and eraqus's chess game with the exact same wording, ephemer says a variant of it in the khux finale ("it's not over till it's over, skuld."), and even player sorta says it right before they fade away though it's a lot more truncated and could be handwaved away ("it's not over yet."). it's interesting to me to see who gets those lines, and out of all of those luxord's sticks out like a sore thumb to me; sure, games are kinda his thing, but it seems like a line that's gaining some importance, so to give it to luxord of all people feels suspicious — all part of him becoming more important in the story moving forward supposedly

(and this probably isn't related at all so i'm just slipping this in last, but in that dark road q&a there's a question about odin where nomura just says "Naturally, Master Odin also had a master to mentor him. Said master entrusted Odin with a mission, which actually ties in with the identity of the blue-robed individual." and it just . it hasn't left my head because there are so many things you could extrapolate from it. does this imply player and odin had the same master? or is player odin's master? are they completely unrelated and the mission is the only thing that connects them? it keeps me up at night)

anyway i'm rambling but tldr; i think there's a lot of tiny details that link player and luxord together and it's fun to think about what their connection could possibly be, and i'm more than excited to see what gets revealed about them in the coming installments !!

[space-writes]

for the oc asks: ashenivir 2, rizeth 14, vizaeth 19, and 16 for any!

hi fox, ty for the ask!

How long was the process before the character reached its final version? (or a version that would be clearly recognizable as the character?)

i don’t know the exact time length, but it took drafting the first couple of fics and then a few weeks of intense mental writing/daydreaming before Ashenivir became really Ashenivir.

because originally he and Rizeth were to be at Sorcere, and Ashenivir was a vaguely evil, manipulative apprentice, sleeping with Masters to get access to more powerful magic (trinkets and tokens of arcane might, as opposed to the nice jewellery and fancy dinners he gets from his canon bedmates). and then the aforementioned daydreaming happened and they were getting married inside a (mental) month and I was like ‘oh i have to change this, this is a love story now.’

Do you have any quotes tied to the character, either from the story itself or from another source that fit them?

i was sitting here going hmmm i can’t think of anything, then I remembered the Peak Rizeth thing he said in Chapter Thirteen the other week:

“I do not have feelings for anyone, least of all Ashenivir.”

and also Kelran’s line about “how are you one of the smartest wizards I know, yet somehow still the stupidest man?” like. that’s it that’s the boy.

What is your general favourite thing about the character? What is your least favourite?

I love how intense Vizaeth is. he gives me the opportunity to go to 100 on any emotion i want, and to indulge in poetic descriptions of desire, especially more unconventional/darker aspects of desire

however. and i do love him for it but also. he has such intense interiority that writing his fics is an exercise in having to cut how much can happen in them drastically sometimes, because he has Opinions on everything, and there’s so much sensory and emotional detail that has to be applied to Viz-Vision to make it Viz-Vision

Is there any memes or running jokes associated with the character, both in- and out of universe?

augh the uno reverse!

Obedience is one long-running meme about drawing 25 cards instead of letting them admit their feelings :p

…can you believe i don’t have any current ideas of what Rizeth and Ashenivir’s cutesy couple-y in-jokes are? oh my god, what am i even doing. Ashenivir definitely says a kind of bratty lil ‘yes master, no master, three bags full master’ kind of thing when he’s being obnoxious about being given chores. most of the time Rizeth lets him get away with it.

Vizaeth being a chew toy is a meme at this point. He lives in the salad spinner.

Zeth’rinn uses his age as a joke. like ‘I am one hundred and twenty seven years old, i do not need this!!’ it hits different depending on if he’s around elves or short-lived races. also it’s partly in-universe, part out, but because he started as an NPC, my players joked at him that ‘you’re just like your dad. that is not a compliment’, and that is absolutely a running theme. I bully him about it, certain Bregan D’aerthe members (cough Fel’rekt) bully him about it. Oh, and the fact that he’s the reason Jarlaxle has high blood pressure, because then i get to bully both of them at the same time <3

For Rune, there’s still an in-party joke about him having post-combat sex addiction, from when he kept dragging Astarion into his tent after fights to get drunk from so his Urges would calm down. It’s known now that that wasn’t exactly what was happening, but c’mon. He has Minthara and Shadowheart as his closest geographic friend group. they still tease him.

(send me OC asks!)

[longlivefiction]

Gotham: Why Jeremiah is so underrated? Reasons:

Jeremiah replacing Jerome: Well, the master can surpass the apprentice, right? Part of Jerome's charm is that he enjoys causing terror, and if he can bring someone better to do it, so be it.

Jerome's puppet: Jerome admitted that his days were counting, that Jeremiah would be his last revenge, he said that "it would drive him crazy" but he NEVER said that he would make him his puppet, or that he is taking revenge on his little brother, on the contrary, Jerome LOVED to your brother. And if philosophy totally contradicts the thought of him controlling his brother, "they don't want a plan, they want an excuse" this line applies perfectly to Jeremiah. And as Jerome himself said: You will be free. It's time to have fun. (Well, not exactly like that, but you get the point.)

In fact, I consider that the part by which he seems to talk to Jerome in 5x4 is really the same, assimilating Jerome, let's remember that both existed as a single being until later separating. I think the gas also made Jerome disappear from Jeremiah's mind, and, as Jerome said: we think alike. Jeremiah assumed his brother's actions as his own little by little, completely erasing Jerome from his memory, and taking him as part of him, as well as his attitudes, maintaining his own original personality, thus forming what Valeska would have been if he had never met. I would have split into 2. Ironically, the gas wasn't a final trap, it was Jerome's last act of kindness. His brother was free to be who he is, and at the same time, without stifling him, they are closer than ever.

Lack of jokes: Hmm, no. Jeremiah actually makes a LOT of JOKS, just because he doesn't laugh at them doesn't mean they're not there, in fact, there are few dialogues where he's actually serious.

The Joker makes jokes! Yes well, as I said, Jeremiah makes jokes, that's more Jerome's side, while Jeremiah... Well, the Joker is also a poker card, the joker, is a card that serves to replace or represent any other card that is necessary to compose a play. And that's what Jeremiah is

someone who plays any other cards, different masks, a blank canvas, which he can paint however he wants.

Lack of laughter:

Like .. The Joker in the beginning of him ??? Like Ledger?? Like the Joker from Dark Knight Returns?? In fact, Jeremiah laughs more than Miller's Joker. And in season 5, despite having few laughs, he counted 28 in total in all his appearances, he has even more smiles, and the truth is that they are fantastic.

We already had Jerome: Yes! And myself as a fan of Jeremiah I admit that Jerome was a better character, but because Jerome was a better character, Jeremiah was a better Joker, Jerome had not been planned to be the Joker, he was never intended to be, and everything was emerging on the march, in fact Jerome himself is the prologue for the story of The Joker, who is Batman's enemy, chaos incarnate, previously locked up in Jeremiah's façade. And Jerome had the key, he just unlocked the cell and everything just flowed. Besides, we already knew Jerome, we knew who he was, how he was and why he was what he was. Not with Jeremiah, with him everything remains ambiguous, in theories and speculations, nothing is clear, moreover, I even doubt that his name is Jeremiah.

Jeremiah was not a showman: Neither was the Joker, the non-Joker before was not funny, he learned it over the years, just like Jeremiah who little by little learned to be more charismatic and smiling. In Jeremiah's case because of an ego blow.

Jerome was crazy, Jeremiah is too and says he's not:

Of course, a madman does not know that he is mad... but a sane man knows that a madman does not know that he is mad. Understand what I say? It's natural according to Jeremiah's behavior that he uses the term I'M NOT CRAZY, to make you think he's crazy, that's his kind of game.

Now, clearly speaking, Jeremiah is much crazier than his brother, and this is defined in the plans:

Season 1: Jerome wanted to kill his mother: For years of abuse and anger. There is a meaning behind it and it is understandable to a certain extent.

Season 4: Jeremiah's first plan: LITERALLY MAKE A MAZE THAT WOULD KILL THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.. just because, he didn't like the layout of the city. Jerome I DIDN'T PLAN THAT. Jeremiah did it, because he wanted to, he could, and well, if he can have more fun like that in the city... why not?

Season 2: Jerome follows Galavan's plan to be a star. All he wants is recognition and that's very human, not to mention that Jerome's own hand victims were very few despite everything. And it was all very structured, and there's very little randomness.

Jeremiah's second season 4 plan: We're going to make a dark island.

We review: With just the mention of Bruce, he decides to stop threatening Ra's, and he is willing to listen to him, maybe he told him to give himself up to distract his opponents, but it's not enough for him, because not... leave crippled to my soul brother's girlfriend, because she foiled my plan to cleanse him of the impurity of the madness called "morality". Then there is how he performs the distractions, he threatens Gordon, telling him that he is risking lives by not letting him talk to Bruce, then he fucks him up by telling him that he never knew how to take care of what is really important, playing with him. Once he can converse with Bruce, he begins to explain his motivations, which are in my opinion worse than his brother's, due to his complete lack of sense.

First, he starts by asking about Selina's condition, and he knows that Bruce is in pain.

Do you know why we are meant to be best friends? Because we are very similar, you are fighting against your real nature as I used to do. I'm just trying to help you.

You could be so strong. I see.

Everything I'm doing is not to create a Gotham of my own, but yours, the Gotham you need.

You are the brother I never had (then he corrects) The one that Jerome could never be. (I think the fact that he said that Bruce is the brother he never had, was that for a brief moment he forgot that Jerome existed)

We will create a legacy in this city, Gotham falls, and we rise... together...

In season 3: For Jerome's third plan, he was simply resurrected and because he wanted to celebrate it, he felt freer than ever, and I consider that it was, in part, his first attempt to free what his brother was hiding. . And also, essentially show how rotten Gotham really is.

In season 5: Jeremiah, because he didn't have enough, with an ego blow due to his plan, he begins to be much more confident, smiling and emotionally open, while the gas continued to eliminate Jerome, making him relate what is told of he with himself, and begins to remember the lies he invented about him as truths, to the point where he creates a new personality different from him, which is responsible for rectifying the released Jeremiah (I think it's a bit of Jerome worrying about Miah , that's why he warns him that Bruce won't like the gift, because he doesn't want him to suffer)

As if that wasn't too much what he did to Bruce in Season 4, trick him, torture Alfred, make him think Jim and his butler were dead, paralyze his girlfriend, and destroy his city; he decides to put together a plan in which he relives the worst day of Bruce's life, and also wants to make a rain of poison that will make the government never touch the city again, and kill thousands of people, maybe.

In the end he alone does 90% of all that, and instead of rain, he poisons the city's river. At this point, Jerome's existence, as well as the artificial representation of him created by Jeremiah, have completely disappeared.

Jerome in season 4 activates his Jeremiah side and becomes more methodical and manipulative, he plans this for months, it is his great final act and he is going to leave Gotham with the real Jeremiah.

Gain power in Arkham.

Win allies.

Escape.

Allowing them to follow you to Miah's lair

5 Confuse my little brother a little

6 Put on a show feigning resentment, and play with laughing gas so they think that's my main plan.

7 Die epically.

8 Give my little brother the excuse he needs to show his full potential.

I already explained the purpose of that plan.

Season 5: In the end, Jeremiah just wants to get Bruce's attention, and take revenge on all those who ruined his plans, just like a child throwing a tantrum, in the end, although he doesn't manage to kill anyone, in fact he wins, he attracted the real Bruce, Batman. And now a complete being, he found the opposite of him, and they will play together forever, they are bound to a great funtime, a life without boring.

[alex-the-nonsensologist]

Disney Dreamland - Part 5: Create-It-Land

Quite possibly the most visually eclectic of all the lands. This land embodies creativity and the arts, and quite frankly there is no one way to be creative or artistic, so I think the motley visuals are perfectly on theme. That said, I decided to tie the land together by having giant objects themed to each area. For this reason, I specifically wanted Wonderland and 100 Acre Wood next to the border of Fantasyland/Create-It-Land, so that the giant plants and cards of Wonderland and the giant book facade of Pooh would help transition to the giant toys of Toy Box Land and/or the giant art supplies of Toontown. The parade route exits down here.

Showtime Boulevard

The entrance street of the land from the hub. Dedicated to the performing arts. Would resemble a city street, like a small town version of Broadway, but then transition to include giant objects. Giant instruments of the music playground. Giant sheet music. The ballet house could look like a giant music box. Even the normal buildings could have giant props on them, like giant comedy and tragedy masks, or giant film reels and clapperboards. There would also be a decent amount of performers to bring energy to the area, so that it doesn’t feel like a regular city street. Living statues and street musicians. 

Journey Into Imagination: If EPCOT isn’t going to put back Dreamfinder, I’ll gladly take him. Heck, I’ll even settle for a pseudo-sequel with an older Figment now taking on the role of Dreamfinder in honor of his friend. Sets and scenery from the original incarnation are mandatory. There could be a path leading off the boulevard to an area between Create-It-Land and Discoveryland where this ride could be placed, since it does reflect the spirit of both lands. 

Fantasia Music Hall: In the spirit of Walt’s original idea for Fantasia, certain classic segments would be permanent fixtures of the show (such as Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and performed by Animatronics on instruments and as dancers in the same vein as the former Mickey Mouse Revue show, while other segments could be animations shown on screen and switched out throughout the year (such as the segments originally planned for Fantasia 2006 that were later released individually). I would love it if the Animation Studio could create new unique animated segments exclusive to the attraction. Permanent animatronic segments would include characters from Pastoral Symphony, Rhapsody in Blue, Dance of the Hours, Night on Bald Mountain (though I could also work with it being a seasonal segment during Halloween), and The Firebird. Playing the full versions of every song would take too long, so the show would feature abridged versions in a medley. 

“Music Playground”: Interactive playground of giant musical instruments. Think of the piano scene from Big, but on a grader scale. Piano slides, trampoline drums, xylophone bridges, brass instruments the size of trees. I’ll admit, I don’t know if the audio results of this attraction would be wacky fun or pure tortuous chaos. I was originally imaging this as an outdoor attraction, but it might be better if this were indoors with each type of instrument given its own room with soundproofing.

“Russian Animal Ballet House”: I just wanted an excuse to see animals in fancy costumes performing ballet. Could be costumed actors or animatronics. Nutcracker performances during Christmas are mandatory. Building would resemble a giant music box. Alternatively, the stage could also be used for any original cultural performances from countries not already featured elsewhere in the park (Greek dramas, Bollywood dances, etc.). 

Muppet Comedy Theatre: Would have the same mixed media techniques as Muppet*Vision 3D (a screen movie, actual puppeteering, and costume characters), but features a new original story. Could also feature a small meet-and-greet area with Kermit and friends.

Hollywood restaurant: American cuisine. Themed to the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

Toontown

I want this area to have the same energy as Seuss Landing from Universal’s Islands of Adventure, which I personally feel makes for a better Toontown than Disney’s actual Toontown. The buildings would be slightly more distorted and more stylized. I’m wondering if it would also be possible to put some buildings on a moving platform so that they could tilt back and forth for a squash and stretch illusion. Maybe even have a few with giant faces that can emote. This area prominently features giant art supplies that are implied to have brought the land into existence, including giant paintbrushes that are poised in the middle of putting “finishing touches” to the buildings. The entire area would have lots of kinetic sculptures (think of the new Super Nintendo World at Universal) to make the land feel alive. Interactive gags like the Post Office and the Fireworks Factory would of course be included. I would remove the residential area and have the area only themed around Maroon Cartoons Studio, and the downtown area. Characters that don’t fit in any other area of the park could walk around here. 

“Mickey Mouse presents…”: Guests would take on the role of camera crew with Mickey as director. The star of the movie is late and we follow Mickey as he accidentally crashes various movie sets looking for the missing actor, who turns out to be none other than Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The various movie sets would portray different genres of cinema. Based on the Mickey short cartoon Roll ‘Em (which, by the way, would have been a more appropriate replacement for the Great Movie Ride than Runaway Railway). While I intended for this to be part of Toontown, I am also okay with this being the last building on Showtime Boulevard to help transition into Toontown.  

Backstage Meet-and-Greet: Again, I personally do not care much for meet and greets (With the exception of Goofy. Goofy is the best.), but for the people that do, here you can meet Mickey and Friends including Oswald, Roger and Jessica. 

Maroon Cartoons Studio Tour: Based on Roger Rabbit Cartoon Spin but using the art style of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (but with actual sets, not screen projections), as well as an interactive element (partially inspired by Monsters Inc Ride & Go Seek in Tokyo). Guests would interact with the sets by “spraying” paint or thinner from the paintbrushes attached to their vehicles. Based on the video game mechanic from Epic Mickey, where paint brings objects into existence, and thinner erases them. For example, a guest could “paint” an anvil that would drop onto Roger’s head. Even spraying the animatronic characters would elicit funny dialogue, “Hey! Watch where you’re spraying! I just got a new paint job yesterday!” While the sets would be physical, the paint and thinner effects could be projections. The trickiest part is projecting a physical object to look like it’s been erased, and since it would set off chain reactions, the projections would have to hide certain objects’ movements. It would be very difficult, but I insist that this ride does not follow the Toy Story Mania route (I’m looking at you, Web Slingers). Please consult actual engineers.

Art of Animation Academy: History of animation exhibit, with animation from all over the world. Japanese anime, Soviet animation, stop-motion, etc. With acknowledgements that Quirino Cristiani and Lotte Reiniger’s films actually pre-date Snow White as the world’s first animated features. Drawing workshops included.

Happy-Go-Lucky Merry-Go-Round: In the same wacky spirit as the Caro-Seuss-el in Seuss Landing. Like the Caro-Seuss-el, the music could speed up and slow down when it operates. Rather than just having wacky versions of real animals, this carousel would have hybrid animals, like the Wuzzles! Also, what if the carousel could run backwards? 

Jolly Trolley: The vehicles would run on an elevated track to solve the problem of crowds blocking the way. The track could wind around Toontown, the same way as The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! does in Seuss Landing. Originally I was only going to have it stay in Toontown, but then I realized the wind-up key on the roof could make it pass for a toy, so why not have it travel through Toy Box Land too, for an even more scenic route. 

Goofy’s Bakery Studio: Decorate your own cupcakes and cookies with edible paint. 

The Art of Disney: Disney prints, paintings, figurines, and other art. Get your caricature drawn here.

Minnie Mouse Fashions: Disney apparel and headgear. Design and customize your own ears.

Handwich cart: I dunno about you, but I think the Handwich is pretty neat.

Toy Box Land

Yes, Toy Story Land has been both overused as a land and under-utilized as a proper theme, but I simply love the giant toy aesthetic. It feels like being inside an I Spy book (does anyone remember those books?). I probably could have just made this land fully original with no ties to IP (like I did with choosing not to theme Winter VIllage to Frozen), which I am still open to, but also found it too irresistible to include everyone’s favorite lovable rascals. The movies’ existential themes of jealousy and self-worth, moving on and letting go would be difficult to adapt into attractions, so Toy Story’s inclusion here is to embody reconnecting with your inner child and creativity through play. The name change is just my attempt to make the IP sound less in-your-face. The giant art supplies from Toontown could transition into giant crayons in this area. Also, like Toontown, the entire area would have kinetic sculptures to bring energy to the area, like giant windup keys and pinwheels. To keep with the playful and friendly energy of the land there should be plenty of characters walking around interacting with guests. Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and Bo Peep should preferably be characters that can talk, not just silent costumes, and there would not be any giant static statues of them in the land. Bullseye and the Green Army Men are okay to keep as silent costume characters. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, Slinky, and Wheezy are talking animatronics, preferably mobile animatronics that can roam the land alongside costume characters. I think the Little Green Aliens and Bo Peep’s sheep are the only characters that are okay to portray as static statues. Sid’s toys could be available characters during the Halloween season.

“Rube Goldberg Machine roller coaster”: Dual track wild mouse roller-coaster, based on a classic, over-convoluted Rube Goldberg design. One track has guests ride in giant toy karts, the other has guests inside giant marbles for a giant marble run track. Vehicles would set off chain reactions, possibly help other vehicles move forward, or create “obstacles” for others. Pulleys and wheels and dominoes galore.  This is another one of those ideas where I only know how I want it to function without knowing how to accomplish it. Please consult actual engineers. 

“Andy’s Playtime Theater”: Basically Mad Libs / Choose Your Own Adventure. This could either be a show or a ride, but I personally prefer the ride idea. If it were a show it would be part improv, involve guest participation, and have lots of giant props and gags. The Toy Story gang would mingle with the audience and be on stage at the same time. If it were a ride, guests can choose the path their vehicle takes. Andy narrates and has his toys act out a story. At several points, Andy offers two options on how the story can proceed. Stories would have wacky scenarios, like that of the opening scene in Toy Story 3. Multiple endings. Would have plenty of animatronics, and NOT just be screen-based. 

“Giant Toy Playground”: Build with LEGO bricks the size of your head, climb actual towers made of alphabet blocks, play on a chessboard with human-sized chess pieces. 

“I Spy Scavenger Hunt”: I absolutely loved looking at Walter Wick’s I Spy and Can You See What I See? illustrations for hours, and this activity is basically that come to life. I really want this land to be super detailed (and I mean absolutely LOADED) with lots of toy props hidden everywhere. The search criteria can change everyday for different routes. Winners can earn exclusive pins.

Pizza Planet restaurant: Customize your own pizza. Mix your own slushie. Gluten-free and vegan options. Also serves the Alien Mochi from Tokyo. Would follow the retro space building design of the movie .

“Build-A-Toy” shop: Inspired by the former Toys R Us Times Square location. Would include things like a Build-A-Bear Workshop, “Build Your Own Potato Head”, a LEGO play area, a nuiMOs plush modeling studio, and a mini indoor Ferris wheel.

Disney Dreamland Railroad Create-It-Land station: “Built” out of blocks and tinkertoys.

World Galleria

Adventureland

Mysteryland

Fantasyland

Discoveryland

[skyclan-funny-name-squad]

Alright the trial of Houndgrowl

Okay so Houndgrowl joined very early on with his mom Canditumble, where he chose the life of a medicine cat apprentice, he was mentored by Cloudydream, who influenced them to break rules and act erratically. Despite this, when he got his full name he was honored for being pragmatic, being given the very brutal sounding name for a medicine cat of Houndgrowl, his traits are "Troublesome" and "Incredible Runner"

He's had two mates Fallowstripe and Shadedclaw, though by time of their deaths only had kits with Fallowstripe, with only one currently alive, though Bonebright currently has white cough so who knows.

Houndgrowl actually gets along with a lot of the clan, the clan is huge so its not most of the clan, but again, theres only so many cats you can get close to we have around 155 cats, but he has a connection of some kind to 83 of those cats

He was a very good mate, having very high, like stupidly high stats with both shadedclaw and fallowstripe, though he was closer to his second mate Shadedclaw, HOWEVER, this is also because Shadedclaw was his APPRENTICE, Houndgrowl infuenced Shadedclaw to very much stick to rules and be ready for a fight, but also taught her how to swim

however I believe when they got to together they would have both both over a hundred moons, with Shadedclaw being around 130 and Houndgrowl being around 140, with Shadedclaw graduating at 13 moons, it'd have been around 120 moons since they had a power imbalance of that kind, 12 years, I also think Houndgrowl rejected Shadedclaw when they were much younger, but i don't remember.

They were also CUTE AS SHIT mates like look at this

(Also here's Shadedclaw)

Houndgrowl was around 50-60 moons when Houndgrowl killed Freezeshiver, however they crumbled liked a house of cards and admitted to it, begging that it was an accident, and while the two didnt get along, some of it was definitely on Freezeshiver's end being very cold to Houndgrowl. I chose to believe this was an accident, if it's an accident I'll leave that up to you but I think it was.

a hundred moons later, he would kill Icyshade. These cats had only two interactions in their lives. Icykit and Houndgrowl argued about "something important" that Houndgrowl seemed to think threatened the clan's safety. I...have no clue what that could be. Houndgrowl was 133 when the arguing started, and would have been 140-150 when Icyshade was fed deathberries. Unlike before when this was an accident seemingly, when Spindleshade confronted him, he brushed it off, daring the very very young 15 moon Spindleshade to do something about it. Which like if I was spindleshade I would certainly not want to tell on my clans most senior medicine cat for over a hundred moons even if i was considered "audacious"

Houndgrowl is REALLY OLD, like nearly 13 years old, which isnt actually long in cat time but in warrior cat time? this cat could have retired half his life ago. He is ANCIENT and one of the only cats left standing from his time period and the oldest cat in the clan. Nearly every other cat in his age bracket are either mediators or elders, he's at an age where the game is going to start rolling a LOT for him to finally kick the bucket. While he's never been the most cheerful cat in the world, a lot of his interactions at this age seem to be rather bitter and tired, with other cats like Cloudtree even expressing concern for him.

Houndgrowl has also had a LOT of grief in his life, due to being the oldest cat, having had nightmares and been trapped in his nest from sheer grief more times then I can count, for his mate, for one of his kits he couldnt save of yellowcough before he could become an apprentice, for his best friends, to his old mentor who was very much like a father to him i'd say, Houndgrowl is beloved by many cats in starclan.

Pragmatic, old, tormented by dreams and grief, and bitter, he'd gotten away with murder once even if it was an accident, there was no reason to believe he couldn't do it again when his so very beloved clan might have been in danger.

On the other side, Icyshade was only 22 moons when she died, a promising young tom and the grandson of his old mentor. He didn't do anything beyond just, have an argument many moons ago, he was still quite young after all, and literally MENTORED by Bonebright, who is Houndgrowl's only surviving child. Icyshade unquestionably did not deserve to die.

The question is, where does a cat like that go? If it was MY starclan he'd be put likely in new leaf or leaf fall, but this isn't my starclan. So where does he go?