#campaign: the worst vacation ever

[soartfullydone]

Jumbo OC Asks! Riven - 🍊⭐🍐💧; Celeste - 🍒🔥💙🌸

[touches your face] thank you

Riven

🍊 What is your OC’s favourite meal? Snack? Dessert? Drink? Any reasons behind this besides liking how it tastes?

I couldn't name her favorite meal to save my life, probably because Riven prefers variety. So she's become very enamored of the dinner-breakfast hodgepodge she and her da make for the pair of them and Krelyss. She's been trying many new dishes to accommodate Krelyss' tastes (who knew mushrooms could be used in so many ways?) and getting to know some of her lost culture in the process. Even when the cooking attempt doesn't pan out, she enjoys the company above everything. Her home life has never been better. For snacks, she prefers most fruits. Citrus and apples and drupes. Dessert is where she likes to get fancy. Tarts, eclairs, anything with a meringue or mousse. Right now, she's in love with a blackberry mousse, served with gold flakes and mint. As for drink, well, it matters more who she's drinking with than what she drinks. Ale, rum, water, doesn't really matter, but whenever she does order some type of ale, it's because of all the warm memories and conversations she's shared with Delethil—and now also with Eravin and the party during their drinking games. There's nostalgia and comfort in the drink rather than a deep love for the taste.

⭐ What is your OC afraid of? Any crippling phobias or some such? How do they act when scared and what helps them calm down? Does anyone ever find your OC scary? Why?

For a long time, Riven was deeply wary of all the things her da impressed upon her to be wary of: orcs, necromancers, duergar, the undead, and drow. But those fears were so distant and well outside the border. She was more afraid of Lunhaven becoming a cage for her, of being trapped into responsibilities she didn't want by people who neither liked nor respected her. She was afraid that her loneliness would kill her (thanks Britney). Ironically, the way she often dealt with this was to pick fights with her da before running off to be alone somewhere. As Del entered the picture, she gained someone to vent back and forth with and who made her feel valued, but she never left behind her tendencies to run and self-isolate. Now, she's afraid of new things. Of the wrong people discovering she's a glamoured half-drow. Of something terrible happening to Krelyss. Of ruining the relationships she's gained. Of the divide between Del and her friends growing so much that she can no longer bridge it, no longer allow the two halves of herself to intersect. Of one day becoming a mother and being, not only terrible at it, but also unable to protect and connect with her bairn when the glamour prevents her from looking like them. Would they think she was ashamed of them? Would glamouring them to protect them prove that thought right? She's getting better, though, about not running away and isolating herself. She's learning to trust the friends she has and that they won't eventually betray her or throw her away. She's not doing great at it. She's still taking on too much to prove her worth when she doesn't need to. But she's working through unlearning a lot of past behaviors and beliefs. There's still a long way to go, though. As much as people, in Aeranth especially, would find her drow form intimidating, Riven as she is isn't intimidating at all, even when she tries to be lol. But that's okay for a rogue. As frustrating as it is to be constantly underestimated, it's deeply satisfying when she sneaks someone to death with her 10,000 knives attack.

🍐 What is your OC’s mentality? Are they overall positive? Negative? A bit of both? Describe their thought patterns and reasoning behind their choice making!

Riven performs positivity a lot, both to make herself feel better but also because she's desperate for people to like her. But inwardly, she has a bit of a dark humor to her, a bit of a resigned mindset about the way things are—and also a renewed sense of idealism for the way things could be. Her thoughts have recently taken a turn toward being more genuinely positive, but her adolescence and early adulthood was, well. Let's just say she had dreams but she didn't have a lot of hope. There's a vein of sadness that runs deep within her. Because of that, Riven's never had much of a plan. She believed her life would be decided for her regardless of what she attempted. But never being anchored to any one goal made her quick and adaptable, which led to her picking up the rogue arts so easily. It was in her wheelhouse and it was a small way to rebel. Del shared many of these qualities with her, part of why they took to each other so quickly, but Riven is the more openly impulsive of the two. She doesn't think things through sometimes, saying the first thing that comes to mind, and she puts her foot in her mouth often. It's only recently that she's learned to act strategically, and only because she earnestly cares. Ricocheting constantly between doing the honorable thing and doing the cutthroat thing, this one. Whatever feels right.

💧 What is the earliest memory your OC can recall? Do they know what their first words were or remember where they took their first steps? Do they have any mementos of their childhood they’ve kept such as a stuffed toy or tiny baby clothes?

She has no recollection of her first year in the Underdark, of Avenzi, Krelyss, her da's mad flight to freedom, almost dying to fucking pollen, none of that. I think the earliest memories she can manage are cloudy ones a few years after. Erosen carrying her while she was small enough and he strong enough to do so. So many of the estate staff having accents like her and talking to her in their dialect. Playing with dirt in the courtyard because she was "gardening." Her da reading to her. Part of why her relationship with her da growing colder and more distant hurt so much was because she could remember when it wasn't like that between them. She likely has some of her childhood dresses shoved in the dark recesses of her closet, the tulle awfully stiff, the velvet faded. All that costume jewelry either got broken, lost, or tarnished. I know for a fact Erosen still has her favorite children's book he read to her in his personal study.

Celeste

🍒 What kind of things do they expect from their relationships? Does this differ between platonic relationships and romantic ones? Is your OC “demanding” or a door mat? What kinds of things do people expect from them in a relationship?

The primary word that comes to mind is meaning. If a relationship doesn't hold meaning for her, Celeste is quick to dismiss it. She also expects relationships to inevitably end one way or another. There's no great mourning for her about this. It's just a fact of life and doesn't prevent her from pursuing new relationships. You can get plenty of use out of people between now and whenever that end is. That being said, Celeste vastly, shall we say, trusts and prefers platonic relationships over romantic ones. A lover might die for you, but a true ally would defend and kill for you. She had her fun and frivolity when she was younger, but longevity isn't built on fun and frivolity. You have to be able to make hard choices and sacrifice to get what you want. Can you pick up that she is incredibly demanding? And why shouldn't she be? Much is demanded of her, after all. What people expect from her depends. Enemies would declare her a snake and expect her to act accordingly. Those under the protection of her House know that protection isn't offered freely, but nor is it offered duplicitously. Her family knows she is exacting and cold, but she acknowledges talent and rewards good work done in service of the family accordingly. (Oh, but, a certain member doesn't agree and believes she's the root of every unhappiness in his life.) It's not all backstabbing and assassinations in Twalan. Loyalty can and does exist. In fact, Celeste has been in a Very Dedicated Relationship since she was nineteen years old :3 Of course, now Celeste is not in Twalan. She's in limbo with a bunch of capable yet sentimental eccentrics she's not expecting much out of outside their shared desire for resolution. She does not expect them to take on her problems and currently believes whatever issues the rest of the party has is their private affair. She doesn't much care anymore what others expect of her here. If people want to see her as just a frail old woman, it's their funeral—or it would be, if death mattered here.

🔥 Give us a list of general likes and dislikes, such as colours, textures, music, weather and other stuff!

Celeste likes order and tidiness. Distractions and amusements. Power and safety. Loyalty and comfort. She dislikes ambiguity and not knowing where the threat lies. She hates anything that changes masters like one changes their small-clothes. She's also not loving the way magic seems to be shifting away from the arcane toward the technological. Makes her feel obsolete and other things we won't self-analyze right now <3 As for colors, well, black, wine red, gold, royal blue, plum purple. She'd look great in white, too, but those days are behind her, I fear. She enjoys velvets, suedes, silks, and leathers. Feathers, too, but practicality must come first for now. As for music, she has a classical ear and vastly prefers beautiful, sweeping, even tragic stringed compositions over whatever noise the kids are listening to these days. She misses operas in her reserved box. What she never thought she'd miss was the sea breeze misting the air and the salt in her nose. So easy to take for granted! She'd settle for freshwater rain at this point.

💙 What did your OC want to be when they grew up and why? Did they have any lifelong dreams or ambitions they never got to work on or are they currently working to achieve this dream? Has their life taken a very unexpected turn and put all these plans on hold for a while or have they given up on any dreams?

She wanted to not be murdered before she turned twenty. She wanted to matter. She wanted to be able to hurt others before they hurt her instead of the other way around. She wanted power, and security and safety in that power. She wanted to build something that would be sustainable without her. She did just that and was satisfied—until very recently. I think we can call the Worst Vacation Ever one hell of an unexpected turn, but it wasn't Celeste's first. There's a reason the party met her outside of Twalan, her birthplace and stomping ground, and there's a reason she hasn't flaunted her warlock status nor openly stated her family name. Leaving limbo completely out of it, Celeste feels more in the dark and unfulfilled than she's ever been. If it weren't for the sheer anger and indignity of it all, she would wonder why she should even care, about anything.

🌸 What does your OC’s voice sound like? Their laugh? Are they good at singing? Do they have an accent?

Celeste's voice has changed over the years. Now, it sounds lower, more throaty. She speaks with a bored drawl because she either IS bored or amused (it's also the upper-class snootiness coming out). Her laughter is restrained, haughty, condescending, pitying, or concealing. She might occasionally hum but doesn't sing. I don't think she experiences enough joy to either laugh genuinely or sing from the heart. Her accent is Twalanian nobility through and through, but there's something practiced about it, almost textbook.

[zacksfairest]

I even made my totally not a fantasy Mando tiefling barbarian Lehala of Clan Mavari

she's my current D&D character :D

[artiststarme]

Win Some, Lose Some

Based on a prompt from @mysticcrownshipper. Thank you and I hope it meets your expectations! Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

~*~*~*~

Steve was pretty sure he was unlovable. It was the only reason that made sense as to why everyone always treated him like this. What about him made people feel the need to put him down in every conversation or ignore him completely? Neglect wasn’t a new feeling to Steve. No, he was all too used to being uncared for and left alone. He had been since his parents started leaving him for weeks at a time to go on business trips and vacations when he was nine. Neglect wasn’t new to him nor was the underappreciation and ignorance that was constantly present in the Party. Every person he talked to made him feel like an inconvenience and he was sick of it.

Robin was supposed to be his best friend, his platonic soulmate with a capital P, his ride or die. So why was she belittling him and downplaying his feelings every chance she could? Any time Steve wanted to vent about Eddie or talk about his feelings, she would shut it down. She’d tell him that Eddie was just new to relationships and that his feelings were misplaced. She made him feel the worst out of everyone in the Party because she was the one he expected to be on his side the most. Steve ignored it mostly because what else could he do? Call her on it and risk losing her completely? No, it was best to push down his ‘misplaced feelings’ and pretend to laugh when she put him down. It’s not like he didn’t have the practice.

The kids were just as awful as they always were, completely taking him for granted. They expected Steve to give up everything without giving anything back. He has a date with Eddie that night? They want him to drop it and give them a ride to the pool. He has a headache and doesn’t feel like doing anything? Who cares, they need him to watch their DnD campaign. Oh, he doesn’t have enough money for groceries that week? He has to have enough to give them some for the arcade though, right?

Eddie certainly wasn’t helping either. He was constantly neglecting their relationship and placing it as his lowest priority. Steve would go out of his way to make plans with him only for him to cancel last minute or neglect to show at all. He’d go without calling Steve for days, blow him off when he did something nice for him, and poke fun at Steve’s expense to make the others laugh. It was to the point where it wasn’t making just Steve uncomfortable but the Corroded Coffin boys as well. 

He thought he was hiding his hurt feelings pretty well but when Eddie said a comment that hit a little too close to home for him, Steve ducked out of his own dining room to smoke a cigarette he definitely didn’t need. When he heard his sliding door inch open, he hoped that it would be Eddie coming to apologize but it turned out to be a worried Jeff instead. 

“Hey man, you alright?” He asked him, his eyes glimmering in concern. 

“Yeah, man,” Steve nodded before taking a long drag. “It’s fine, he does that all the time. It’s cool.”

Jeff didn’t look convinced and narrowed his eyes at the half-burnt cigarette. “It’s not cool at all. Why are you smoking, I thought you quit?”

Steve sighed, “yeah well, I couldn’t kick it completely. It makes a good excuse for when I need a break. Plus, Wayne is a really bad role model and keeps buying an extra pack for me when he gets his. I don’t have the heart to tell him I’m thinking of quitting, he’d be crushed.”

“I get it.”

There was a moment of silence between the two of them when Jeff spoke again. “Hey, you want to hang out at band practice with the guys and I on Monday? Eddie won’t be there but you could just hang with us.”

“You want to hang out with me without Eddie? You guys don’t even like me.” Steve told him deadpan. 

“What? Yes we do! We think you’re cool and if you ever want to swing by, we’d love to have you. We need an unbiased judge for our music.”

Steve hummed, “okay, what time on Monday?”

“Um, I think eleven. AM, not PM. Just come and hang out with us in Gareth’s garage. His mom is making tuna salad for us,” Jeff added. 

“Well how could I ever resist tuna salad?” Steve laughed, it felt like a long time since he’s done that. 

Jeff pointed at him, “that’s what I’m saying! And ditch the cigarettes, you won’t need a break with us. We won’t treat you like that.”

Steve nodded as Jeff went back inside. It was nice to be invited somewhere without an ulterior motive. Steve found himself looking forward to Monday so he could just relax without having to fake a part. He was excited and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt that way.

~*~*~*~

Word must have spread after that because suddenly, everyone outside of the main Party members wanted to hang out. The Corroded Coffin boys were teaching him how to play guitar and making him sing choruses alongside Jeff. Nancy was inviting Steve over for girl’s night to talk shit about Eddie and Robin. Murray was luring Steve to his bunker with promises of authentic Russian vodka and “sticking it to the man”, Steve didn’t accept that offer but he did appreciate it. Even Hopper and Joyce were inviting him out for milkshakes and basketball practice. 

Steve was having the most fun though with Phil and his new boyfriend Dio. Dio was a goth, twenty something with a sarcastic personality and a stupid sense of humor that complemented Phil’s. Just looking at him, Steve could tell that he and Phil shared a type (a fact often laughed at by Dio). It seemed they both went for alternative guys with shitty tastes in music. When Phil had first introduced the two, they had both been wary of one another; Steve because the guy looked like the type to stab his enemies and Dio because this preppy jock could out him and ruin his life. They soon found common ground however over their love of horror movies and Queen music. Now, Steve saw Dio as another older brother of sorts and couldn’t picture Phil with anyone else. 

 They invited him over biweekly for dinner and movie nights with horror films that left Steve itching with anxiety. But he was finally having fun. With all of the unexpected invites, he didn’t have any time to spend with the Party. Soon, he found out that that was intentional.  

He made a comment to Phil and Dio at one of their dinners that he hadn’t seen any of the Party in a while and that it almost seemed like he was avoiding them to hang out with other people. They both just looked at him blankly and Phil told him deadpan, “Well, duh. We made a plan to keep them away from you, we’re not going to make it easy on them. Now eat your green beans before they go cold.”

Steve just blinked at him. “What do you mean you made a plan? I’m confused.”

Dio gave Phil the side-eye and smiled a strained smile at Steve. “Alright look, we heard from your band friend that your other friends were being dumbasses and decided that they needed a time out. But you didn’t deserve to suffer so we made plans with you to keep you busy and to keep them away. Got it?”

No, Steve did not ‘get it’. 

“Why would you do that? That’s just how they are.”

Phil whipped his head up and almost knocked over his glass of chocolate milk in his haste to point a finger at Steve. “Excuse me?! They’ve been this way the whole time? Then why the hell are you friends with them?”

Steve blinked. “Because they want to be friends with me. It’s not like many people want to.”

Both Phil and Dio stared at him in sadness. They clearly didn’t see that coming. They looked at each other, back at Steve, then back at each other before Dio spoke. 

“We have to step it up then and really make them suffer. Here’s what we’re going to do, we’re going to make them jealous. If they haven’t realized that we’re trying to steal you already, they will soon enough. I’ll make the calls and we can really escalate things.”

“What the hell, um no. Let’s not do that? I just- what?” Steve stammered. 

“No, just trust me. We can make them really jealous with this plan. I’ve done it before, I’m a pro at getting revenge,” Dio smirked at him. 

Steve just stared at him and Phil nodded in agreement. 

“That’s true,” he said through a mouthful of green beans. “He’s gay and vengeful, that’s the worst kind. But remember, I’m an officer of the law so you have to keep it legal this time.”

“This time?!”

~*~*~*~

Dio wasn’t kidding about his revenge plan. He started coming around to Family Video on his lunch breaks in an attempt to confuse Eddie. He had the Corroded Coffin boys inviting Steve over almost daily and even Uncle Wayne taking him out for coffee and donuts. It was all Steve had ever wanted and deep down, he was a little sad that it had to be an act. 

Three weeks in though, the Party started to notice and it was all worth it. The kids came in to glare at the random goth weirdo that was monopolizing his time at work and complained to each other that their calls to the Harrington house were going unanswered. 

Robin was stuck working with Keith when Steve switched his shifts and her attempts to brag about Vickie went unanswered on the walkie. She couldn’t help but wonder where her best friend had gone or what had caused his absence. 

Eddie kept seeing Steve leave Gareth’s garage right as he got there and whenever he asked the guys, he got a disinterested, “yeah, we’re teaching him how to play the guitar. He was just stopping by.”

He reached a breaking point when he walked into Family Video to see a goth standing shoulder to shoulder with Steve in the horror section. Steve was smiling and nodding along to whatever the guy was saying and Eddie had had enough. 

“Hey! Who are you? Why are you standing so close to him huh? He’s taken!”

Steve just looked at him unimpressed. “Oh, are we still dating? I wasn’t sure considering you haven’t talked to me in three weeks.”

“What, three weeks? It hasn’t been that long. Even still, you’re going to go after a goth? What the fuck, Steve?” Eddie shook his head at him like Steve was in the wrong. 

“This is my brother’s boyfriend, Dio. We’re trying to pick out a movie that’s going to scare Phil. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Oh, um. Can we talk?” Eddie murmured, chagrined. 

“No, I don’t think we should. There’s literally nothing you could say to make me forgive any of you. You, Robin, and the kids have ignored me for weeks and I didn’t even do anything wrong. And now you’re jealous because I’m talking to a guy that’s not you? No.”

Eddie’s face dropped. “Are you, are you breaking up with me?”

Steve’s mouth twisted, this hadn’t been part of the original plan but it did feel right. “Yeah, I am.”

“Um, okay. I’m gonna, I'm gonna go,” Eddie whispered before darting out of the store. 

Steve sadly watched him leave as Dio just looked between him and the door. “Well goddamn, you broke up with him? The whole plan was for everyone to make him jealous so he treated you better. I didn’t know that you wanted to dump him.”

“I didn’t either. But these past few weeks have taught me that the Party really aren’t great friends to have. And Eddie isn’t really a good boyfriend. I don’t want to go back to how it was,” Steve murmured. His chest felt heavy with loss and he could feel a tension headache creeping in. 

“Hey, look at me,” Dio met his eyes and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You have to do what’s right for you and if that means cutting ties with toxic people, that’s what you have to do. There’s no shame in that.”

Steve nodded at him and broke away from his hold to get back to work. It was going to take some adjusting to losing the Party but it was the best thing for now. He’d been put down and mistreated too much by them to let them so easily off the hook once again. It was about time he put himself first, even if it meant losing the friends he’d thought he’d never lose.

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[fellow-travelers-fic-recs]

Fellow Travelers Fic Recs | Current WIPs: April 2024

Active WIPs with most recent updates posted in the past month featuring awkward hospital room conversations, a hospital room meet-cranky, and hospital whump... I'm sensing a theme, here. More fake-ish dating, Mama Fuller wisdom, Professor Hawk, a couple road trips, some time travel and a few modern AU's. There really is something for everyone!

Happy reading!

✨ Be sure to show the authors some love and appreciation with kudos and comments on the fics you enjoyed!

🌺 Remember Our Love - Remember Me by Larnee💠[G, 638] Tim Laughlin - the love of Hawkins life is gone. Hawk struggles to move forward until someone unexpected shows up at his doorstep. Tim has never left Hawk, not now, not ever.

🌼 Chances Are by @bluebellsinburbank | ConsumingLove [G, 3K] After a family Thanksgiving, Estelle and Hawk talk. Then she meets Tim.

🌺 I Know I’ve Never Lived Before by @bluebellsinburbank | ConsumingLove [G, 3K] Wherein Hawk completely accidentally and through no fault of his own intentionally ends up dating the man he's sleeping with.

🌼 Within The Heart of Me by drabbleswabbles💠 [NR, 3K] Lucy goes to the hospital to talk to Tim. When she arrives, Hawk is already there.

Otherwise known as, a prompt fill that wanders a bit off the mark, but is close enough in spirit to give credit where credit is due as far as inspiration goes.

🌺 Darkness Before the Dawn by @beyondxmeasure | Cyantific [NR, 350] It’s June 1944, following the US offensive against the German-led Caesar line that tore through a small squad of the 141st Regiment, killing two men and wounding others, along with Sergeant Hawkins Fuller. Following the blast of the Nazi’s K5 railway gun, he underwent surgery to repair sustained shrapnel damage and is now recovering in the Army’s 32nd Evac Hospital. In the bed next to him lies Corporal Marcus Gaines from the 85th Infantry Division, also wounded in action.

Or, the story of how Hawk and Marcus met.

🌼 A Disaster Beyond Measure by drabbleswabbles💠 [NR, 23K] Hawkins Fuller is a campaign manager with a PR disaster on his hands. The solution involves pretending to date none other than Timothy Laughlin.

Featuring: unrealistic portrayals of the life and job of a campaign manager for the sake of the fake dating trope.

🌺 Who Are You (who am I?) by Anonymous [G, 2K] AU- Hawk fails his security clearance after Tim goes to the army and Senator Smith locks him in a mental hospital where he is lobotomised

Or, Tim receives a letter from Mary saying Hawk needs him.

🌼Too old to play (and too young to mess around) by @bejeweledmp3 | ninav [M, 61K] Kimberly Fuller goes on a two-week vacation to San Francisco, in which she: drinks excessive amounts of tea, gets betrayed, cries more than she should, eats donuts, and seeks out truth with the help of a man she only knows from a presentation card; not necessarily in that order.

But mostly, she finds her father in every least expected place. And learns to make her peace with what that means.

🌺Sands of Time (Turn Backwards) by @brouill3r | brouiller [NR, 22K] 1987 Hawkins Fuller is full of regrets for the life he's lived, though Tim once told him he regrets nothing. Hawk so wishes he could say the same.

In the still night air of a hotel room, clutching a cracked paperweight to his chest like it's carved of the finest gold, Hawk gets his wish.

Or, a time-travel fix-it fic that nobody asked for.

🌼 Is it over now? by @satelarry | satelarry [M, 43K] Seeing the love of your life walk away without being able to tell him that you love him has to be one of the worst situations a person can go through. But Hawk decided to fulfill Tim's request, knowing it will be the last. What happens when he wakes up, 18 years before, with the knowledge of what's going to happen if he makes the same decisions? Does the ending always stay the same?

Or, the Time Travel AU in which the only thing ruining Hawk's plan is Tim's stubbornness.

🌺 Again, only better by @madsmeetsmisha | madsmeetsmisha [M, 17K] Hawk had no idea what was really going on here. All he knew was that he was back in 1954 and a completely distraught Tim was standing outside his door. And he also knew that he certainly wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

🌼 🪴His great consuming lovage* 🪴 by @carnivalrow | nightfall_in_winter [T, 2K] Tim's potted plant has a story to tell...

🌺 We'll be on the road like Jack Kerouac by @jesterlesbian | captainquint [M, 4K] He tried to think of what Tim would do or say. The man who had only spoken to his son a handful of times over one weekend in 1968, but had seemed to understand him far better than Hawk ever had.

The business card felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket.

An idea burst to life in Hawk’s mind. This was an emergency if he’d ever seen one.

“What would you say to coming with me to San Francisco?”

Or, Hawk and Jackson go on a cross-country road trip to San Francisco.

🌼 Educate Me by @fullerthanskippy | fullerthanskippy [E, 13K]  A Hawk x Tim AU in which the timelines jump from 2012-2014 to present day 2024. When present day Tim receives an invitation to the 10-year reunion of his Georgetown graduating class, he is filled with both hope and dread that he will run into one particular professor.

One man who was the through-line of his two years in grad school. The man who taught him more than he could have ever learned in the classroom.

When Tim is re-acquainted with Professor Hawkins Fuller, he immediately flashes back to 12 years prior, when he first encountered the man that he had no idea would be the greatest love and loss of his life.

Or, tons of garbage filthy smut sprinkled in between pining, angst, and fluff. Contains explicit material including but not limited to the likes of top!hawk, bottom!tim, top!tim, bottom!hawk, dom!hawk, sub!tim, bratty!tim, and much, much more. Enjoy!

🌺 I Sing the Body Electric by telescape8💠 [M, 28K] Modern AU. It all starts on Election Night 2016. Tim falls hard. Hawk falls harder.

💠Authors: if your tumblr (or other socials) isn’t linked, and you'd like it to be, let me know and I'll be happy to add it! Or, if you’re linked already and would prefer not to be, please contact me to remove it.

[nygmobblepot-trash]

Ed can never be late to dinner ever again.

Oswald: "The fundraising dinner is at 6pm on the dot. I need you there to convince these rich assholes to donate."

Ed: "I wouldn't have to if you weren't such a terrible mayor. If you would actually do your job people would vote and contribute to your campaign."

Oswald: "Be realistic Ed. Stop complaining, you will be there."

Ed with a sly smirk: "Okay I'll bring the wine"

Oswald throwing a pillow at him: "YOU WILL NOT!"

*** 6:01 pm ***

Oswald calling Ed: "Pick up. Pick up. Pick up."

Oswald mouths "find him" to his staff.

Ed finally answers the phone: "Yeah."

Oswald: "Who are they?"

Ed: "Excuse me?"

Oswald: "You're only late to dinner when you're being a whore. So tell me who they are."

Ed: "I'm stuck in-"

Oswald interrupting: "You're already fucking them?!"

Ed: "For the love of riddles shut the hell up. Traffic, Os. I'm stuck in traffic. I told you that you shouldn't close down 5th street."

Oswald: "I'm coming to pick you up. Don't look or talk to anyone."

Ed: "You still aren't listening. You can't pick me up. I'm surrounded by other cars and we're in a deadlock for the time being. You'll just have to entertain your party by yourself for a little while. Just don't act like you normally do and you'll be fine. Also I'm not going to find a date when I'm in bumper to bumper traffic... oh he's cute."

Oswald: "ED!"

Ed laughing his ass off: "Kidding! I'm kidding... kind of. I mean I have yet to see his face."

Oswald: "I refuse to learn from my previous mistakes Ed. I have no issue cutting breaks again."

Ed: "Then I'll shoot you again."

Oswald: "We both know killing me doesn't work. I need a vacation anyways."

Ed: "Butch and Tabitha aren't around anymore so how about we skip to the end and meet at the docks."

Oswald: "It's not the worst date I've ever had."

Ed: "You've never been on a date."

Oswald: "Because you never showed up to dinner!"

Ed: "...I'll be there tonight. We're finally moving now so I should be there at 6:13. I'm going straight to your place. I'm not stopping anywhere."

Oswald: "That better be true."

Ed: "Hang up the phone and talk to your guests or you won't have any reelection money. I have to hang up so I can focus on driving."

[nomorefstogive]

Nightingale and Cinnabar Deserve A Vacation

Hello my fellow Chiefs of Minos, I am posting this to remind you all that there are exactly two individuals who qualify as having even a modicum of sanity within the walls of Minos and we are not one of them.

So please remember to show your support to the pair of individuals responsible for keeping Minos from descending into the pits of utmost primordial chaos and dragging all of Dis down with it in an orgy of madness and chaos. 

Because, let us all be honest with ourselves for a moment here, without Nightingale being the hyper competent and dutiful Adjutant she is, and Cinnabar being the security expert and loyal guard she is, Minos would have become something straight out of an asylum workers worst nightmares. 

So let us all agree these two deserve a chance to take a vacation and relax and not have to worry about coming back home to find Minos either in ruins or having declared succession from dis and began a campaign of world conquest while the chief sits and vibes with some of the other sinners. 

With that said, let us offer our gratitude towards these two brave souls who shoulder the weight of being the dams that hold back the flood of madness that is the antics of Minos and offer them a toast to their health and sanity.

Because if they ever lose either then all of Dis is going to descend headfirst into the hell it claims to have risen above. 

Is this a crack post? Maybe.

Or perhaps a glimpse into a future idea for here or ao3...only time will tell.

Till next time.

[darkmaga-retard]

What a difference a few hours and a plane ride makes!

Earlier Monday Kamala Harris busted out a new bizarre urban accent as she spoke with voters in Detroit.

“Ya betta thank a union memba for sick leave! You betta thank a union memba for paid leave! You betta thank a union memba for vacation time!” Kamala Harris shouted.

This is some of the worst pandering we have ever seen from Kamala Harris.

After pandering to voters in Detroit, Kamala Harris flew to Pittsburgh to campaign with Joe Biden.

Kamala and Joe delivered remarks to an audience stuffed into a small room.

[kachimera]

celia, arikado, leon, sara for the bingo 👁️👁️

Celia

Oh what a mess of a woman. I know it's more of a writing flaw but i adore how she switches between being a threatening villain to the most incompetent moron ever (seriously girl you fake murder Dracula's reimcarnation's crush and you expect him to not instantly murder you? Fr?). Plus depending on the source she either is legit indoctrinated in her cult's beliefs which gives her a sad facet or she has the more selfish purpose of preserving her own dark magic (and what do i say? I can make both work. I think). Plus the way it can be implied that she might have contact n even collaboration w Arikado makes it better (sorry for the ppl reading this but yes it works i swear im not insane). Go silly gal go! Play Machiavellian schemes with the literal son of the dark lord and underestimate your enemy!

Arikado

Oh boi and talking abt Arikado; the common idea of a grown up n stable Alucard finding stability after "ending" the cycle is fine and all, but the implication from his AoS n DoS behaviour that he is in a terrible mental state and unable to let go of the cycle? Beautiful. Amazing. Need me more of that. He's this beautiful mini reflection of the revenge cycle, and after living through it, with the goal of murdering his own father, for so long, and having it as his sole purpose, it has devoured him n broken him. And he now wants to take control of it with his own hands, is showing both the worst behaviour of both his father AND the Belmonts (haha SotN parallels w Richter) and might end up making matters worse :) (I blame you for indoctrinating me into the neg character arc Alu, thank u) Anyways someone force this poor moron to take vacations before he loses it

Leon

THE HIM. MY BABY BOI. I love his honor n morals and how he chooses them in the face of great suffering. His bravery and impulsiveness. How he's sassy can fall into black n white thinking. How loyal he is to those close to him and how much he cares. The balance between his own feeling n his morals. The parallels w Mathias n Sara n Rinaldo. And just hmmmgjsgkwkgd my poor boi

I can't decide if i want him to recover from the LoI events or if I want him to be consumed by his traumas and thirst for revenge but in any case he goes into the blender *puts him into a sock w stones and smacks him against the walls multiple times*

Also, salt warning here but i feel like fandom either exaggerates his neg traits and acts like Mathias descent into madness ("hello church can i abandon our very important military campaign to be at home w my best friend. He needs cuddles n emotional support that will surely fix him. No it's not gay dont worry. Thanks :)"), Sara getting sealed into the VK (which she insisted on and convinced him despite his initial refusal) n the Belmont clan's burden (he did got them into monster hunting w the whip but there's no way he knew how bad things were gonna get) were all 100% his very well informed fault; Or makes him into an idiot sunshine boi who doesn't knows what death is (he's an undefeated warrior with a who knows how large body count) can't think or lead (he maintained the company undefeated during Mathias' illness) and a perfect innocent n easy to manipulate uke for his sexy older seme (I'm not saying they canonically fucked you can perfectly interpret their relationship as 100% platonic or having something but deciding to respect their girls or etc etc. But if they did the nasty then he had to rail Mathias at least a couple of times). I admit im veeery biased and picky regarding this balance but still. He has facets i say

Sara

Yes my anger girl. Let her commit crimes. I wanna write a post abt her but to resume i love her as a symbol of destroyed innocence (ha). A sweet gal who did helped everyone and was good n nice and disliked violence only to have her life ruined in so many ways that her inner frustration blooms into a divine wrath n bloodthirst. Like i said before I adore her relationship w Leon and how they made eachother better n then worse :). Plus, the manual describes her as strong hearted! She obviously loved Leon n was happy to see him! sacrificed her life in order to not turn into a vampire and instead stop Walter from harming more innocents! She has agency and her choice was crucial not only for Mathias convoluted plan but for the whole cycle. (Ppl stop forcing the "boring 100% sweet harmless never angry gal who always got dragged around by men as an object" archetype on her challenge. Yes i used to be like that but i got gud. If i can recover so others can)

And then she had to see how Mathias betrayed her n Leon and then tried to take him, and dealt w the mess that post-canon Leon was, both together but separated, furious and crushed on the other's behalf, until his death :). AND then she had to wait hundreds of years to avenge him only to have to kill the same bastard over and over and over again. Mix in vampire corruption and you have a caring but toxic Belmont Matriarch/Whip stuck in the cycle. So yea let her have negative emotions and commit crimes (Sorry John).

[archesa]

heard you wanted relationship asks--have a whole bunch! (feel free to pick and choose if this is too many! just wanted to give you space to talk about them if you'd like :) ) 2, 5, and 6 for canach and galaed; 4, 17, and 22 for lucianora; and 38 and 39 for anwen and trahearne :D @kerra-and-company

A happy New Year to you 🎇🎆and thank you so much for the asks ! 🥰 I had a lot of pleasure answering these ! A good note to end last year and start this new one 😁

2. Any sleep habits either had to get used to?

Canach is a very light sleeper. As life becomes kinder, he learns to let his guard down but there were a few tumbles along the way... especially considering Galaëd gets extra clingy in his sleep... Galaëd might have found himself pined to the bed once or twice before Canach realised it was him and not an assassin, in the room with him...

Now... as to what sort of assassin tenderly wraps thelselves around your back in your sleep...😅

Canach let out a sound between an exasperated sigh and a strained chuckle when Galaëd pointed this out.

"You are the death of me, Valiant."

5. What is their love language?

For Canach, acts of service. Helping Galaëd dress up his wounds, after the fight against Balthazar. Ordering a round of his favorite drink the second he walks through the door of Amnoon casino. Making sure he feeds himself and gets some rest – forcefully if needed be – when he's working himself to exhaustion, as Acting Commander, after Rorschach's death and filing the request for a long vacation after the victory on Kralkatorrikk and Rorschach's resurrection.

For Galaëd, since they do their best to be discreet about their relationship (quite an arduous endeavour when a good third of your guild are spies!) and he must refrain from public displays of affection (his chief love language is touch, so he makes up for this when they're alone 😁), he simply tries to make as much room as he can for quality time.

6. When did they realize they loved each other?

Alright, I've already motioned how Galaëd got to deal with his reluctant crush on Canach from the moment he joined the Pact in the Silverwaste and his feelings changing over the course of the campaign of Maguuma, to the point of him accepting he did fancy Canach sometime after their detour via Rata Novus and finally understanding he was actually quite smitten sometimes after Bloodstone Fen and Caudecus' Manor.

But Canach got an interesting progression too because the poor cactus got the worst "not now, boner" moment ever 😆

I mean, the conclusion of his vigilante/terrorist days on Southsun was, understandably, a particularly stressful time for Canach. He was a fugitive fighting for his life, setting in motion a plan meant to come to fruition even after his death, cornered in a cave rigged with explosives and high on painkillers...

And one of the sellswords come aid the Lionsguard arrest him had a very unexpected effect on him!

"Well, fuck me."

Needless to say Galaëd totally misinterpreted that at the time!

After that, Canach tried to forget the reaction his pollen addled brain had had to seeing a literal vision of dream come at him with a sword and tackle him to the ground. And if their relation was quite strained when Canach first joined the operations in Siverwastes, the isolation they faced, the defiance of other races (even if their close companions were mostly supportive...), the constant pression of Mordremoth thundering against their willpower, finfing solace in each other's presence forged a strong bond, that Canach realised only after Rata Novus was stronger than mere infatuation. He willed to bottle up his feelings till the day he was free, though. And got smacked in the face by Galaëd falling asleep on his lap in Bloodstone Fen, and scaring the blue out of Anise in Caudecus' dungeons.

4. How did they first meet?

Elianora was sent as an envoy of the Pact in Elona around 1328AE. The mission was to make acquaintances amongst the locals, update their knowledge of the terrain and send reconnaissance reports to the Pact.

She met Lucius her first night in Amnoon. And quickly understood what he was. They danced around each other for a couple of days before they agreed to a meeting outside of the city to discuss the reason of Elie's coming to Elona.

17. Who fell in love first?

I'd say it's a draw. They grew close during the months before Balthazar's arrival and got together after Joko's death.

22. Who gets more easily embarrassed?

Lucius is quite confident in his worth and not easily flustered. On the other hand, Elianora has a lot of insecurities that she hides under her adamant flamboyance. So poking at her flaws or things she's self-conscious about is an easy – if risky – feat 😅

37. What do they like the least about each other?

They happen to share a fatal flaw. They would work themselves beyond the point of exhaustion if not for the constant vigil of their partner. Trahearne had to carry and physically keep Anwen in bed on more than a few occasions. And Anwen had to relieve him of duty her fair share of times.

And of course, when they're both too caught up in work, too intricately entangled in their duties to take care of themselves, Meryw is always there to remind them. Healer's orders!

38. What was their most memorable date?

For long, it was their night at the summit of the Vizier's Tower. It was their first day back in Caer Aval, they had left the Reach after a first but most memorable apparition in society. So being on their own, back in Orr as it started healing, stealing a moment with the history of Tyria, and looking back on their own, for Anwen realising how smitten she was, even at the time, and for Trahearne opening a new chapter of his life – together.

With time, they will have other memorable dates, one of them being a dinner in Lightfoot Passage, enlightened by fireflies and wreathed in the sweet scent of orchids. Kralkatorrikk was defeated. Aurene, ascended. And they were getting married.

[missallanea-archive]

a not-so-brief, utterly useless guide to the muses on this blog:

UPDATED VERSION ( 08/10/23 )

AGNES DRACHINA REUBEN. first born daughter of the royal house of drachium. powerful sorceress who made a name for herself during the dragon campaign. a mischevious young woman with a penchant for drinking and getting into trouble.

BABYDOLL. institutionalized against her will. sweet girl but will not hesitate to end you if you're a creep. sincerely wishes to empower the other women around her. slowly losing herself to fantasy in order to escape from her unpleasant reality.

CARRIE WHITE. patron saint of the bullied. powerful telekinetic with religious trauma. generally a sweet kid, if not extremely shy and socially awkward. she honestly just needs a hug and a cheese sandwich.

CATIANA FREESPARK. swashbuckler rogue turned storm cleric. she's confused about how that happened too. died fairly recently, but she got better. will steal your shit. highkey feels like the divorce baby between procan and umberlee. 

CHROME DOKURO. a powerful illusionist currently in the employ of the vongola mafia family. occasionally shares her body with the criminal mukuro rokudo. learning to stand on her own two feet. a bit of a strange girl, but sweet and undyingly loyal.

FREYA. the once queen of asgard and leader of the valkyries. reclaimed her warrior spirit and found her wings. seeking to reunite and repair the realms following ragnarök. not a woman to scorn, or she will burn you to the ground and salt the earth behind her.

KAGAMI TSURUGI. a recent transplant to paris from japan. loves fencing and being right. she can be a bit cold upon first meeting but she's actually just very bad at making friends. if you take the time to get to know her, she is fiercely loyal and dedicated and will fight for you.

LIAN NICHANG. the white haired demoness. lives alone on a mountain. really only comes down to get rid of people who are harassing the village at the base of the mountain that leaves her the fuck alone. master swordsman. not actually a witch or a demon, no matter what people call her. 

LUNA. magical moon cat. has a crescent moon bald spot on her forehead. trying to keep the protectors of the universe on track but they're just teenage girls so it goes about as well as you would expect. really tired of being the voice of reason but this is what she signed up for. 

LUNASOL GALANODEL. honestly, the worst. burned down her abusive childhood home with her twin brother. basically sold her soul to the queen of air and darkness. pretends to be sweet but she is cruel and cold. typical elvish attitude toward other races, too. really, really likes flowers.

MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG. my god she is doing her best. normal girl turned superhero turned guardian of magical artifacts. just needs one day of peace ffs. currently going through a crisis due to teenage romance and also ptsd. always smells like fresh baked bread which is a plus. 

MAXIMILIAN CALYPSE. a small, stuttering lady of noble birth. married off to keep her father from having to go to war against dragons. considers herself to be useless and has a good deal of anxiety, but is generally one of the sweetest nobles you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. currently learning to use healing magic.

MIYU. vampire who tried to run from her destiny and made it worse. has to hunt down god-demons called shinma that she accidentally let escape. literally cannot die until she finishes her job, and she would very much like it to be over now. usually accompanied by her mask wearing servant, larva. she's cute and cruel in equal parts.

NATHALIE SANCOEUR. for fuck's sake she needs a vacation. and a raise. personal assistant to a supervillain. seriously questioning that relationship at this point. literally dying. trying to beat the current record holder for most akumatizations. she's pretty and could kick my ass. 

PERSEPHONE. our lady of the underground. literal goddess. known for bringing springtime and overseeing torture in the deepest depths of tartarus. the mom friend, she probably already loves you. does not put up with her husband’s bullshit. really loves her weird dog.

PIKE TRICKFOOT. gnome cleric of the everlight. she may be a holy woman but she has the spirit of a barbarian. will definitely try to drink you under the table. overestimates her own strength, but loves to surprise others when they doubt her. precious angel baby.

REINA "GLITCH" CROWNE. student at a prestigious art school with a focus on fashion design. acts like she's tough and untouchable, but she's actually just soft and trying to figure out who she is. loves meshing traditional fashion with digital media. known to the other students as "glitch" due to her first year freeze up.

RIZA HAWKEYE. military sharpshooter and right-hand-woman of the guy who wants to take over the military. likes like two people and her dog. usually smells like gun oil but it's not unpleasant. has no sense of self-preservation and will definitely die for the people she cares about. does not get paid enough. 

ROGUE. the poster child for "look don't touch." mutant and working on the proud part. literally too powerful for her own good. comes with the added bonus of her cajun husband who makes things explode by touching them. the og power couple. 

RYOKO HAKUBI. half alien, half goddess, all trouble. a literal science experiment. crash landed on earth 700-or-so years ago after a space battle with the guy she tried to steal a tree from. recently resurrected and free from the mind control that made her destroy 28 planets. she's doing her best okay? 

RYUKO MATOI. teenage girl who wants to fight. has a magical schoolgirl uniform powered by her blood. wields a giant scissor. could kick your ass, could kick my ass, could kick her own ass. secretly a softie. 

SADAKO YAMAMURA. a very, very angry ghost with the telepathic ability to project her thoughts onto physical media. the switch to the digital era has not slowed down her curse whatsoever but she misses VHS tapes. very wet. is honestly just a scared young woman who doesn't understand why bad things happened to her. will fucking kill you if given the chance. 

SIF. the unwaveringly loyal wife of thor, mother to magni, móði, and thrúd. trying desperately to hold what remains of her family together. can come across as somewhat cold. while not a warrior by any means, she will do anything to protect her children.

TABITHA DELAINE. monster hunter and general know-it-all. was part of a cult at one point but she doesn't want to talk about it. lowkey a witch but tries to use her magic sparingly. the biggest lesbian you will ever meet, next to her girlfriend van. lives in van's van. 

TIKKI. kwami of the miraculous of creation. has existed for as long as the universe has. sincerely loves humans and how wonderful they can be. helps to turn her current owner into the superhero known as ladybug.

VEX'AHLIA. ranger and rogue. sneaky and shooty. just trying not to die again, thank you very much. once stabbed a tree because it made moves on her. the champion of a god. will probably call you darling and wink at you. also, she has a bear named trinket and a husband with too many names for me to bother listing here.

[gristlegrinder]

Late because I’ve been on vacation, but a fun lil tag game, tagged by @sunbat-commander !

Last Song Listened to: Gladiator - Jann

Currently Watching: I just saw Nimona the other night with my roommate! And I’m currently rewatching Riverdale which is, as always, iconic and beyond reproach.

Currently Reading: My beach read has been Brian Evenson’s short story collection The Wavering Knife and I cannot stop thinking about it. It’s the kind of literary work that eats me alive.

Currently Obsessed With:

1) I got back into home bartending after like, seven months of not really drinking— I’m a wizard and I’m Making Potions. Thinking about picking up a bottle of passion fruit liqueur with my next paycheck.

2) Guild Wars 2 as a general concept, but you already know that. So like, specific recent fixation: I have a really, really, really big soft spot for Steel warband, and the last couple days I’ve been thinking a lot about Nicabar? I’ve been rotating an idea in my brain that’s like… Nica as some degree of Frost Legion, thinking about his experimentation with eternal ice shards and how that could develop into production of tonics of icebrood corruption. It’s a fun space to play around with because of how he’s physically absent during DWC, but I’m still figuring out how I want to do it.

2.5) Also the Khismat and Trahearne brainworms never go away, really. They’re so divorced. Worst trammander ship ever.

3) I am once again thinking about running a Changeling the Lost campaign despite having no ideas and no time to be a GM. Send help.

Tagging: the only person i’m gonna tag is @huntunderironskies :3 hi friend. tell me more about your edgy idol boys

[soartfullydone]

Celeste - 🧡, 🌳, 🍆, 🎀

hee hee hoo hoo

🧡 Who is your OC’s favourite person? Why is this person the top of their list and have they actually met them (an idol or rolemodel or celeb can be someone’s favourite after all!).

Celeste will never admit it in public or mixed company, but her favorite person remains her daughter, Vanille. It's not pride that stops her tongue but fear. That's a target that would be put on both of their backs. Her regard for her own daughter isn't wrapped up in some maternal instinct, either. Vanille became a capable spellcaster, but more than anything, she had the drive and the grit required to serve their House well. Vanille had it easier than Celeste did, true. She had access to infinitely more resources, but every test Celeste threw at her, she either passed or she never made that particular mistake again. Celeste did the very best thing she could do for Vanille as her mother, and that was to prepare her for the life she deserved and the leader she would need to one day be. There's also a lot of Celeste in Vanille. She did well in the molding of her, and Vanille never balked or rebelled at it like Bastien did.

🌳 Compare your OC to themself from 10 years ago. How has their mental state changed since then, how have they aged and grown up? Would they say they’re in a better place than they were back then or do they need help? What advice would they give their younger self? What advice would their younger self give to them now?

Ten years ago, Celeste was stagnant. At her age and with all she'd already accomplished, there's not much more to do but bask in it. Rest, maybe. But as we know, fate (or something masquerading as such) had other plans and isn't done with Celeste yet. Compared to her current state, she honestly misses ten years ago! The ease of it, the unawareness. Celeste puts up a front—a capable one, an unsettling one—but she IS in over her head and that won't change until she finally course corrects. Currently, though, she's too proud to ask "these strangers" for help and has no idea if she can truly trust them. She doesn't see why they would be moved to help her in any case. In some ways, she's similar to Foaly in that she doesn't feel bonded by death to the party as the rest of the party feels with each other. Perhaps it's her age. Celeste has endless advice to give to her younger self. "Poison Lestraude a week sooner." "Arrive two bells late to your first birthday gala for the Empress." "Don't love him and don't convince him to love you." But those are inconsequential things. To give advice that will make a real difference, she needs to find out what in the nine hells truly happened in Twalan. Her younger self would tell her: "Be bold."

🍆 Tea or Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Sweet or Spicy? Fruits or Vegetables?

Coffee, spicy, and vegetables—though I'll say Celeste doesn't have much of an appetite anymore. She doesn't have much taste for the things she used to and doesn't sleep well besides. She envies her younger party members. Getting old sucks.

🎀 Do they wear a specific accessory with a special meaning behind it? What is their usual fashion sense like? What do they wear when they want to be comfortable and what do they wear when they’re going to a fancy party? Or do they just not care?

Her half-moon spectacles do have a golden moon and star chain attached to them—a gift from her daughter for her namesake. Sentimental nonsense, but she's keeping it forever. The item she truly covets is her arcane power source: the garnet crystal atop her cane. Anything could happen to the cane and the sword inside it, but a power source will be difficult to replace in limbo. There's also the bottle (with pump) of her favorite perfume, Domina, a grapefruit, bergamot, and jasmine scent that has been sadly discontinued back in Twalan. Is nothing sacred anymore? Her usual fashion sense is not what the party knows. But her body isn't what it used to be and she is extremely critical of herself. If imperfections cannot be perfected, then they will be hidden, even if it means covering everything from the neck down. Celeste does, as a general rule, enjoy dresses. She enjoys the femininity, desire, and even power they can represent. She enjoys weaponizing them in her adulthood the way she couldn't in her early years. But seducing is a younger woman's game. Even though her new dress is very modest, she appreciates that it also offers support in her joints and greater freedom of movement with the slits in the skirt. Celeste does not wear anything that's uncomfortable; she's too rich for that. Tailor-made, or bust. But no, she doesn't see much distinction between "fancy party" clothes and "comfortable" clothes. To her, they are one and the same and should always be curated to represent who you are and what you want. What you wear to bed (or don't) matters as much as what you wear to a royal coronation or your own funeral. Your clothes and bearing are how you present yourself to the world. It can be your armor or your chain. She's experienced both and knows which one she prefers.

[zacksfairest]

Two character headcanons if you want 'em! Ledo/Lehala: Despite not knowing much about each other when they first joined the party, Ledo would often invite Lehala to the forge when she was working on things, both to give Lehala a chance to test some weapon enhancements if she was interested and to just hang out. Ori/Vaela: After the final battle, when they were preparing for the ball, Ori would have offered Vaela some jewelry that they had found in the Prince's palace. She personally recommended a floral and crystal hair pin that she thought went well with Vaela's hair color, with a matching necklace.

oh this made me SO SO EMO

That would honestly be the perfect way to bond with Lehala. Lowkey kind of a parallel play going on here. Ledo works on things and gives her weapon enhancements to test, occasionally chatting about said weapons. The easiest way to worm your way into Lehala's good graces.

VAELA WOULD HAVE BEEN SO TOUCHED!!! She definitely would keep the hairpin and necklace (if Ori let her) and would wear them for any special occasions that needed attending. Vaela is still so very vain and loves shiny things. It'd be nice to be gifted something so lovely from someone she knows is truly her friend and has no ulterior motives.

[theultrablog]

Pulp Storytime #40: The B-Team! Part 1

There was no need to execute prisoners; troublemakers would die soon anyway. They all would. We start with Lala arriving with lawyer Tacito Uriel Velasco at H&M Wakefield prison in England. The characters are paroled, facing trial in a few months because of their tertiary culpability in bringing William the Conqueror to England. Devika whines that the pillows were lumpy and they didn’t even have third helpings. This is the worst prison in the world. No adventure this week, vacation time. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world… Detective JP Diamond, ‘Big Man’ Adonis Carcetti, and Whistlin' Inquo were in the exercise yard of Devil's Island. On the way to help their escape was Trudy Truman, ace reporter. This week featured the B team! The players selected their favorite minor characters from previous sessions. JP was the PI-turned-zombie from "Beignet, Done That." Adonis was one of Baltimore’s crime lords from "The Demise of Dr. Enigma". Trudy was Florence’s constantly kidnapped girlfriend, and Inquo was Atlantean royalty turned hobo, who had joined the team on the "Race for the Electric Orb!". Each character was expanded; JP was a southern gentleman, gangly and willing to dig into any mystery, including his own death. Big man was not just a gang leader, but a utopian philosopher who ran a health food restaurant in addition to his gym. Trudy was a former rich girl, and basically immune to criticism from strangers. Anyway, prison was hell. Luckily, the party was extremely hardy. The real Devil’s Island had a mortality rate north of 70%, with heat exhaustion, tropical disease and squalor earning it the nickname “the dry guillotine”. Inquo decided to scan the yard for a fixer, discovering Dormand, a fellow Atlantean. Adonis quickly whipped up a gang, was thrown into the hole, and used his fellow inmates as stepping stones while he bent the bars. Patience, charm, burglary and muscle were all vital in arranging the escape. Trudy had arranged a fishing boat and new, false documentation. But even with Inquo and his new pal sabotaging a patrol boat, the group barely escaped! Trudy drove at ludicrous speed, crashing the boat into the jungle. After a series of haircuts and new outfits, the group made their way back to Baltimore… To find out who had sent them to prison in the first place! Trouble reared its head quickly. A routine dinner at the big man’s ‘health food restaurant’ was interrupted by an addled college student. He entered normally, then pulled out a piece and plugged one of Garc’s best lieutenants! Before anyone could react, he turned the pistol on himself. Horrifying. Now, JP Diamond is the best investigator our campaign has ever seen. He rolled a +7 and +8 on his two rolls, unraveling the mystery at will. The shooter had old tickets stubs for a local hypnotist. Another similar slaying at a boxing arena confirmed the group's suspicions: someone was committing hypnotic murders! At the hypnotist’s venue, the group ran into some old friends. Bebe was there, eager for stage time, being told that the hypnotists had booked out the rest of the month. In the showroom, Devika was arguing that she deserved a refund because “you couldn’t even hypnotize me.” Yes, the gang was relaxing from their British prison sentence by crashing with Dr. Enigma at his mansion! A highlight of the session was Devika interacting with every member of the B Team. Trudy she loved, Adonis she was scared of (being a crime boss who had flirted with her mother), JP she barely remembered but sensed his mystical essence… and Inquo she just said hi to...

[johnnyrobish]

Wisconsin GOP Threatens to Impeach Newly Elected Liberal State Supreme Court Justice

Wisconsin Republicans are threatening to impeach newly elected liberal state Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz, even though she hasn’t as yet heard even a single case.  Republican legislators are demanding she recuse herself from any and all cases where she might have at one time expressed a general opinion on a subject or face impeachment.  This is a rather interesting position, given that many of the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s conservative justices were “anti-abortion activists” before being elevated to the court.

Oh, wait!  Now I get it.  Wisconsin Republicans want Justice Protasiewicz to be more like Trump’s US Supreme Court nominees - who never once even “thought about overturning Roe v. Wade” before their nominations to the court.  And that’s why a “women’s right to choose” is still safe and legal throughout the country, and “Roe” is still the law of the land today. 

Besides, we all know this Janet Protasiewicz person is only sitting on the Wisconsin Supreme Court because a bunch of Wisconsin voters “stormed to the polls” and elected her.  As we all know, people being able to vote freely and as they wish - is a card-carrying Republican’s worst nightmare.  I mean, is it any wonder why Wisconsin’s nickname is “Wississippi?”

That said, Justice Protasiewicz has no one to blame but herself for the mess she’s in.  Why none of this impeachment talk would have ever taken place had she just had the common decency to accept a few of those “all expenses paid vacations” with conservative billionaires.  Instead, she chose to accept “lavish rides” to election rallies with campaign workers in their Toyota Priuses.  Unconscionable, I tell you!

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[sycamorre]

when one of your potential dnd characters starts living rent free in your head and being sassy, so you gotta draw to get it out of your system