#class 7 light shadows and reflections

[rashmislearningplanet]

Light, Shadows and Reflection | Class 6 : SCIENCE | CBSE / NCERT | Light, Shadows and Reflection

[circeyoru]

Shadow and Void _ Part 3

[Yandere!Sung Jinwoo x Enemy Monarch!Reader]

Arc 1: Part 1 ― Part 2 ― Part 3 (here) Arc 2: Part 4 ― Part 5 Arc 3: Part 6 ― Part 7 Arc 4: Part 8 ― Part 9 ― Part 10 ― Part 11

NAME: [REDACTED]

LV. UNMEASURABLE

CLASS: SPACE, MONARCH, HUMAN

TITLE: <MONARCH OF VOID>, <KING OF THE FORGOTTEN>, <THE HIDDEN ONE>, <HERALD OF FAVOUR>, <HARBINGER OF [REDACTED]>, <[REDACTED]>, MORE

HP: UNMEASURABLE

MP: UNMEASURABLE

FATIGUE: UNMEASURABLE

STRENGTH: UNMEASURABLE

AGILITY: UNMEASURABLE

PERCEPTION: UNMEASURABLE

STAMINA: UNMEASURABLE

INTELLIGENCE: UNMEASURABLE

SKILLS: [REDACTED], [REDACTED], DIMENSION VORTEX, SPACE MANIPULATION, POCKET DIMENSION, MIST MANIPULATION, ULTIMATE STEALTH, MANIFESTATION, MORE+

DESCRIPTION: THE MONARCH OF VOID IS A SOUGHT-OUT ALLY WITHIN THE MONARCHS AND A GREATER ENEMY ON THE BATTLEFIELD. WITH THE MERE AID FROM THE MONARCH OF MIST, THE BATTLE COULD BE OVERTURNED EASILY. THE MONARCH IS CAUTIOUS AROUND OTHERS BUT HAS A SOFT SPOT FOR THE MONARCH OF SHADOWS, ASHBORN. THE MONARCH IS LOYAL TO NONE AND HAS NO CARE FOR OTHERS’ WELLBEING, FOR THE MONARCH IS SELF-CENTERED TO THE POINT OF ABANDONING OTHERS FOR SURVIVABILITY.

[REDACTED] INFORMATION CANNOT TO FOUND THROUGH ANY METHODS. IT IS SUGGESTED FOR PLAYER TO BE CLOSER TO THE MONARCH OF VOID TO GAIN MORE RELATED INFORMATION.

“Hey. Hey!” 

Jinwoo’s eyes blinked repeatedly as he turned his chair around to back his desk, away from the floor-to-ceiling glass window of the city buildings around his. Also to stop reading the information window on his newest ally. “Yes?”

“I’ve been calling you for a while, but you keep on staring at the scenery.” You frowned, arms crossed over your chest. “Are you staring at yourself in the glass’s reflection?”

“I zoned out.” Jinwoo partially lied. While reading the window at first, he was quick to zone out after reading your description. Though, your words provided him with the information that you couldn’t see or know about the System like he does. So Ashborn didn’t tell you about anything in technical terms.

You groaned and scratched the back of your head. 

Jinwoo watched with interest. It was a very human thing for you to do. He had expected you to be more indifferent and cold, perhaps even expressionless or doll-like. However, even in the memories of Ashborn, you didn’t even have a form, just a smokey and misty outline or mass. Now, you were solid. Not that he minded, but with you being in a more solid figure, it was advantageous to him.

“Can you tell me why I should be around you?” You glared at him with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows, you quickly pointed a finger at him when he opened his mouth to say something. “And don’t say it’s for supervision. You have your minions in my shadow already, so that’s supervision enough. Besides… You only stay in your office all the time and nothing happens.” You retracted your finger back to your crossed arms. “At least let me enjoy all that your humans have created before it’s all gone.”

“You’re confident the humans would lose?” Jinwoo plopped his cheek in his palm while his elbow was on his desk, his gaze piercing yours. 

You blinked at him, raising a brow, “Isn’t it obvious? Humans don’t stand a chance against the Monarchs, even with the help of the Fragments of Brilliant Light or whatever their names are.” You blinked again, this time your expression turning neutral or mildly surprised, perhaps amused as well. “You don’t think you can fight them all off, right? You can’t manage the Monarch of Frost last time. How can you when they all come at you or Earth?” You took a short few-second pause, before he could even get a word out, you added. “And! They will bring along their armies.”

“I have you with me this time.” Jinwoo leaned back in his chair, his eyes glowed a purple hue that made you flinch involuntarily. “I heard you can turn the tides of war easily like a snap of a finger, in fact, I bet they are wondering where you have gone right now. Maybe they even realized you had stayed by my side. Willingly or forcefully.” He got up from his seat and approached your form, circling you with his hands behind his back. “Either way, they know you’re not on their side now. Won’t they see you as an enemy too? Won’t it be better if we worked together?”

“I am an ally of myself. You’re saying all this, so I’ll be more inclined to be your ally.” You glared up at him, “Well, it’s not working, nor will it. Everyone knows I pick no side and I’ll stay on my own side. You may have me now, but at the slight opportunity I have to escape from you…” Your eyes glowed too, though you had a silver-grey hue. “I’ll take it without a second thought.”

“Go ahead and try. You will have another dagger in your fresh.” Jinwoo warned.

Your eye twitched, “Don’t act all high and mighty. You only have what you have now because of Ashborn. Your skills, your abilities, your army, your allies, your enemies. Even your confidence, pride, and ego. You’re nothing without him. You will never amount to anything.”

Jinwoo grinned, “We’ll see.”

The two of you shared a stare at each other, unmoving as if a competition was declared, though without warning of any kind. 

Knocks on his office door broke the tension in the room and, most importantly, the little competition between you two. You groaned and turned your heel, heading in the direction of the closest seat in the vicinity, which happened to be the very chair he had been sitting in moments ago. As you took a seat, Jinwoo went to the door and opened it, revealing the vice-guildmaster on the other side.

“Hyung! I wasn’t interrupting you, right?” Jinho peeked behind Jinwoo to see you all crossed with a scowl on your face.

Jinwoo looked back at you, making you turn his chair so that the back of it was facing him and blocking his view of you. The man chuckled and turned his attention back to Jinho. “No. Is there something you need help with?”

“Actually, there’s someone for you.” Jinho jabbed a finger at the reception area.

It would have been a point of curiosity for Jinwoo had he not been perceptive or didn’t had his guard up because of you. Still, he easily had his answer as to who it was that visited his guild office and has the guts to request him. Cha Hae-In.

Formerly he would have been interested enough to go to her or indulge her, but now that you were around, he saw no need for another that could cause a misunderstanding. It would be better if she wasn’t here in the first place and he’d have more private time alone with yo—

Wait. What was he thinking just now? No way was he being this tied up when you were around. Just a few days ago, he had you pinned to the wall with his daggers and you two were at odds even just now. There was nothing pleasant between the two of you. No way. Even a blind person can see they were enemies!

Perhaps it was just because he valued your abilities as a Monarch and the memories of Ashborn was having an effect on him. So then, there was no way he’d want to appeal to you in a gentle and kind manner like friends would. Yes, that explains it.

Jinwoo mentally let out a sigh of relief, feeling his head clear up a bit. Now, the correct and ideal course of action was to meet Hunter Cha and see why she was here. But first, he walked over to you and stared down at you, who was already distracted by scrolling through your phone. “Come with me.”

“I’m not staying by your side while you deal with your boring human business. Call me when you’re going to a dungeon or something that requires violence.” You brushed him off and swirled the chair again so that the back faced his face.

Before you could slam the back in his face, his hand gripped onto the arms of the chair and froze you in place. He leaned down, caging you in as he spoke lowly, and his eyes glowed purple. “You’re coming with me whether you like it or not. Or do you prefer being pinned to the wall in my daggers?”

You raised a brow at him, your bored and neutral face unchanged, “Maybe that would be better than seeing that woman flirt with you.”

Jinwoo’s threatening and oppressive atmosphere immediately diminished to nothing. “What?” 

“Yup, why not? Just pin me to the wall.” You shrugged. 

“No, go back to what you said about Hunter Cha.”

“Ha?” Your eyebrows furrowed at him with a look of ‘are you serious right now’. Jinwoo controlled himself so as not to pinch your cheek because of cuteness. You sighed, “It’s obvious what’s happening. That woman is crushing on you. Romantically. You must have done something to her before.”

Jinwoo looked up and off to the side as he tried to recall. Some memories came to mind, and he muttered with some sense of understanding. “Oh. I guess I did save her during an S-Rank Raid and helped her guild out in another dungeon…”

You deadpanned at this vessel of Ashborn. No wonder he was picked to be the vessel. Just as clueless as that former Ruler. What are you going to do? “See? But then you only have fights and monsters and dungeons on your mind, huh.” Your form cringed from the memories of your vessel falling in love with someone and you had to watch it happen as well. “So now you get it, leave me out of your romance story.”

Note: Been quite busy cause of work. So posts would be less for these 2 months. Hope you like this one though~

Circe Y.

My Works: MASTERLIST

Taglist:

@o-qi-shisme @2021animeandwebtoons @mochinon-yah @skylar896 @rai-xxx

[slyfoxsstuff]

Crush

Suna Rintaro x Reader

Synopsis: Every morning, as the clock strikes at 7:00, you find yourself nestled in your favorite spot by the window, cradling a warm cup of coffee that releases a rich, comforting aroma. The world outside gradually awakens, and you eagerly scan the familiar path. Your heart flutters with anticipation each time you see him—Suna Rintarou—jogging past your house. With his effortless stride and focused demeanor, he glides along the sidewalk, his dark hair tousled by the morning breeze. As he approaches, you catch a glimpse of his concentrated expression, the way the early sunlight catches the silhouettes of his face, and you momentarily forget the rest of your routine. Each passing moment seems to stretch, encapsulating your hope that one day, he might notice you, too.

As you stand in front of the mirror, the soft bristles of your brush gliding through your hair, you find yourself lost in thought, gazing intently at your reflection. Memories flood your mind, transporting you back to that unforgettable moment when you first laid eyes on him. It was the first day of high school, and there he was—his piercing, siren-like eyes locked onto yours, captivating and enchanting all at once. The vivid recollection of his gaze still sends a shiver down your spine, a reminder of how a single glance can spark a whirlwind of emotions.

“Suna Rintarou” he introduced himself in front of the class

His name spread through the school like wildfire. You could easily tell who was into him and who wasn’t. Everyone knew him for his athletic skills, his sneaky antics, and his cool demeanor. He was a real threat on the volleyball court, that the opposing team found it super tough to handle him.

It’s strange how you can’t help but focus on him, captivated by the way his fingers fidget with his pen, each movement drawing your gaze. Every time you catch a glimpse of him from a distance, you feel an irresistible pull to watch him, as if he’s the only one who matters in that moment. You’ve memorized his routine, effortlessly tracking him through the hallways of the school. You know his friends by name, you’ve seen him dominate on the volleyball court, and you can’t help but feel a thrill whenever you watch him during practices and matches. Each moment is a blend of fascination and admiration that you just can’t shake off.

An obsessive thrill courses through you as you track his every move each night, using the shadow app on your phone. Hidden behind the dark, dusty bleachers, you watch intently, feeling the cool metal against your skin and the faint scent of worn wood surrounding you. No one knows you're there, a silent observer shrouded in the shadows, your heart racing as you become immersed in the scene unfolding under the muted glow of the gymnasium lights.

“Oy Rintarou aren't you going to the party?” Said by his friend Atsumu

They were packing their things and ready to head towards the shower room to get cleaned up. Suna sigh heavily as he ran his hair backwards before glancing back to Atsumu.

“Are you?” he asked the blond guy while scrolling through his phone.

“It might be awesome! The whole team will be there except for Kita-san, so you should come.”

“Hmm ok” Suna replied.

they make their way to the shower room, but before that he looks around the gymnasium and stares at the bleachers for a moment, you leaned more to the darkest side so he wouldn't notice you, he squinted his eyes and shrugged as he followed Atsumu, and it's your turn to stroll out of the dark towards the gym exit. You pull out your phone and dial your friend's number

“Hey! (y/n)”

“Tell me where the party at?”

“Oh, I was just going to tell you about it *giggles* it was on hannah’s house, she told me to invite you.”

“Thanks.” you mumbled

“Wear something awesome babe! Can't wait to hang out with you! It's your first ever party I’m going to tell Hannah about it.” your friend said in the other line making you roll your eyes.

As the call finally ended, you noticed Suna and his friend Atsumu casually walking toward their car, which was parked next to yours. Your cheeks burned with embarrassment as you approached, keeping your head down to avoid drawing their attention. You unlocked your car making them look at you and as you swiftly open it, you met his eyes, looking at you intentively, you almost bit your lower lip hiding your nervousness, and hurriedly got into your car.

He noticed you…

He looked at you for a moment with his own eyes, as if he was checking you out. Soon, you drove away with your hands shaking and sweat dripping down your forehead. Your cheeks felt hot, and you were breathing hard. You stopped your car for a moment to calm down and catch your breath. Rewinding the memory of him looking at you. Now you find yourself craving for him more and more.

Minutes later, as you parked your car, you were greeted by the lively crowd gathered in front of the house. The party had started, and you noticed many people arriving continuously. You looked in the mirror to evaluate your appearance; your light makeup looked natural, with a subtle flush of red on your cheeks. Your long, wavy hair added to your appeal, but you still hadn’t stepped out of the car.

“Hey!” your friend Hannah knocked at your window before opening your door and got inside.

“What's up with you, I thought party bores you?” she said, you just simply smiled at her.

“Nothing I just wanted to check out your party,” you said completely reasoning out but the main reason was to get close to Suna.

You scanned everywhere, not for long when you saw a familiar figure of him with his casual clothes, a hoodie, and baggy pants with his usual Converse he was with his friends nearly approaching. You unexpectedly met his eyes making you look away and heads inside as you start to heat up again, completely ignoring your friend's call.

Damn this is what I want but why can't I get close to him?

You walked past the crowd inside the smell of alcohol made you dizzy. You saw your friend Amber clearly making out in the kitchen, which nearly made you jump in surprise and shakes your head while smirking. She just handed you a can of beer after that.

"Oopss Sorry sweetheart.” As you accidentally bump into someone, and noticed it was Osamu.

“No worries.” as you ran towards the staircase up to the balcony to get some fresh air. you bit your lower lip and held both of your cheeks.

This is bad…..

“damn.”

As you turned your head, you were met by a pair of piercing eyes that seemed to lock onto you as he stepped onto the balcony. The lingering scent of cigarettes filled the air, sending chills down your spine and warning you just how close Suna was, the tension palpable between you.

“Excuse me, do you mind if I smoke here?” he politely asked. You just nodded, remaining speechless as your heart began to pound heavily.

You take a slow sip of your beer, the chilled liquid easing the tension that bubbles beneath the surface of your composure. As you lean back, you allow your gaze to drift toward him, who sits a short distance away, enveloped in a haze of cigarette smoke. With each drag, he seems to exhale not just the smoke but also a certain nonchalance that seems to dance in the air between you. The amber liquid in his glass glimmers under the dim light, casting playful reflections that momentarily distract you from the palpable awkwardness of the moment. You can’t help but savor the unique blend of relaxation and unease swirling around you, each sip grounding you even as your thoughts wander.

“Are you this? Quiet?” He mumbled, making you gasp softly, glancing everywhere thinking if he was talking to you or not.

“I’m talking to you doll face,” he said. You glanced at him, eyes widening in surprise.

“What’s your name?” he asked as he leaned towards you scanning your face.

“(y/n)” you breathe in as you whispered your name softly.

“Pretty name it suits you, doll.” he grinned.

“Do you wanna try?” Suna asked you pertaining to the cigarettes at his fingers when he noticed you staring at them. You just blinks innocently at him, which made him chuckled lowly.

Oh god…

Lost in oblivion, he pulled you close. His hand reached your lips, holding the cigarette between his fingers.

“Open your mouth,” he demanded

You slightly parted your mouth as he put the cigarettes at your lips, you closed your eyes as you dragged a smoke. You saw him smirk at what you did.

“Good girl…now exhale doll.” you did what he said getting swayed by his compliments makes you crave for more, and your desire gets stronger.

“Suna let’s grab some more drinks.” his friend said, Interrupting the two of you.

You stepped aside, making way for him. He chuckled at your Sudden embarrassment, you bit your lips so hard enough, almost couldn't handle what you felt at that moment.

“See you Doll face.” he simply said smiling at you as he made his way out of the balcony.

Your heart sank, a heavy weight settling in your chest, as if you were caught in a moment suspended in time. The yearning for his gaze, that electric connection, left you yearning for more—a deeper intimacy, a lingering touch, an affirmation of the bond you so desperately craved.

He finally noticed me….

Pt.2

[ismyevilregal]

Tethered Shadows

Warnings: I have no idea what I'm doing.

Chapter One: Quiet Collisions

The insistent buzzing of my alarm dragged me from a dream where I was flying—weightless and free—over a city bathed in an ethereal, otherworldly light. Disappointment, sharp and sudden, pierced through the grogginess. 7:00 AM. Another day, another grind. I slapped the snooze button, the insistent buzzing replaced by a gentler hum.

Five minutes later, the alarm shrieked again, more insistent this time. I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. The scent of stale coffee and something vaguely metallic—the lingering odor of last night's takeout—assaulted my nostrils. Finally, I surrendered, throwing back the covers and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The floor was a cold, unforgiving slab against my bare feet.

Morning light filtered through the blinds, painting thin stripes across the room. It wasn’t much—just a small studio apartment I’d been calling home for the past year—but it was mine. A safe little corner of the world. But at this particular moment, this studio apartment, once a source of pride and independence, now felt more like a prison cell. The peeling paint on the walls, the perpetually flickering fluorescent light above the kitchenette, the constant drone of traffic from the street below—it all seemed to conspire to dampen my spirits.

First, I stumbled toward the bathroom, the world a blurry kaleidoscope of colors. The mirror reflected a stranger—eyes bloodshot, hair a tangled mess, a faint shadow of a beard clinging to my jaw. I splashed cold water on my face, the shock momentarily invigorating.

Then I shuffled to the kitchen, bare feet padding against the cool floor. The coffee maker, a relic from a previous roommate, whirred to life as I poured water into the machine, the comforting hum filling the quiet. Something about the morning ritual was soothing, grounding me before the day's chaos. While waiting for the coffee to brew, I leaned against the counter, scrolling absentmindedly through my phone. A few unread messages from classmates about an upcoming group project. I made a mental note to respond later.

By 8:15, I was out the door, backpack slung over my shoulder and earbuds in, a playlist of lo-fi beats helping me navigate the crowded sidewalks. College was only a short bus ride away, and I used the time to skim over my notes for class. Balancing work, school, and what little social life I had was a juggling act, but I’d managed to make it work so far. Mostly.

My first lecture of the day was lively—a class on film theory that hooked me from the moment I walked in. The professor, an eccentric older woman with a penchant for dramatic hand gestures, paced the room as she deconstructed scenes from classic films. Today’s focus was on Hitchcock’s use of tension, and I found myself scribbling furiously in my notebook as she dissected a pivotal scene from Psycho. It was one of those rare moments where learning felt less like work and more like inspiration.

The grand entrance hall, usually filled with the hushed whispers of tourists, was eerily silent. The air was thick with anticipation, a palpable tension hanging in the air. I spotted Greg near the entrance, his face pale and drawn.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

Greg chuckled nervously. "Try surviving Professor Sharma's lectures. It's enough to make a grown man question his life choices."

After class, I grabbed a quick coffee and headed to my part-time job at the campus library. The familiar scent of old books greeted me as I walked in, and the quiet atmosphere was a stark contrast to the bustling campus outside. My shift was predictable: shelving books, assisting students who couldn’t figure out the catalog system, and occasionally sneaking a peek at my own assignments during the slower moments. I spent part of the afternoon helping a fellow film student locate obscure texts on 1970s cinematography, exchanging quick opinions about the underrated brilliance of The French Connection before returning to my duties.

It wasn’t glamorous, but I liked it. The library felt like a sanctuary, a place where time slowed down and the rest of the world melted away. Occasionally, I’d catch glimpses of students huddled over laptops, editing films for their projects, and it reminded me of why I loved what I did. Cinema wasn’t just a major—it was a lens through which I saw the world.

By the time my shift ended, the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, painting the horizon in shades of orange and pink. I grabbed a quick bite at the cafeteria—a less-than-impressive turkey sandwich—before heading back to my apartment. The bus ride was quiet, the city lights flickering outside the window as I leaned my head against the cool glass. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I fished it out to see a text from Tara.

Tara: Hey, can you meet me at the diner around 6? I have someone I want you to meet.

Y/N: Someone?

Tara: Just trust me. You’ll like her.

Y/N: …Should I be worried?

Tara: Nope. Promise.

I stared at the screen for a moment, debating. Tara’s matchmaking efforts weren’t exactly a secret, but she’d never been this cryptic about it before. Still, I trusted her. If she thought it was worth my time, it probably was. Plus, it was a good reason to go out and relax a bit after a long day.

Y/N: Fine. I’ll be there.

The remainder of my evening before the meeting passed in a blur of small tasks: drafting ideas for a screenplay assignment, organizing my cluttered desk, and watching clips from a documentary on the rise of independent cinema in the 90s. By the time 5:30 rolled around, I was shrugging into a hoodie and heading back out the door, the crisp evening air waking me up a little more with each step.

The diner buzzed with a low hum of conversation, punctuated by the occasional clink of cutlery against ceramic plates. I wasn’t sure why Tara insisted on meeting here, but then again, Tara always had a way of picking the most unassuming places for moments she swore were important. The chipped laminate table beneath my fingertips felt oddly grounding, even as a sliver of unease twisted in my chest.

“She’ll be here soon,” Tara said, glancing at her phone. Her tone was casual, but her eyes gave her away. There was an eagerness, a spark that told me this was more than just another introduction. “She’s just…” Tara hesitated, searching for the right word. “She’s not great with people. Don’t take it personally.”

“Noted,” I replied with a small smile, though I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to feel. Curiosity? Anxiety? The mixture of both left my coffee cooling in its mug, untouched.

The bell above the door jingled, and Tara’s head snapped up. I followed her gaze, and that’s when I saw her. Sam Carpenter wasn’t what I expected, though I couldn’t have said what I had been expecting. I turned my head quickly to glare at Tara for a moment, but it didn't last long before my attention was back on her bigger sister again. Her presence was immediate, sharp-edged, and deliberate like she carried the weight of her own gravity. Dark hair framed a face that might have been soft once, but the years had hardened it into something unreadable. Her eyes were the kind that didn’t just look at you but through you, as if she were cataloging every detail.

She paused just inside the doorway, scanning the room with a wariness that felt almost instinctual. When her gaze landed on Tara, some of the tension eased, but only just. Sam crossed the diner in a few strides, her boots scuffing against the tiled floor.

“Hey,” Sam said, her voice low and even, almost flat. She slid into the booth beside Tara, her movements economical, like she’d planned each one. For a moment, she didn’t even look at me, her attention fixed on her sister.

“Sam,” Tara said, her tone light and encouraging. “This is my friend, Y/N. The one I told you about.”

At last, Sam turned her head toward me, and I felt the full weight of her gaze. It wasn’t hostile, exactly, but it wasn’t welcoming either. It was searching, measuring. The kind of look that made me want to shift in my seat but refuse to out of sheer principle.

“Hi,” I said, offering a small, non-threatening smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She didn’t respond right away. Instead, her eyes flicked to Tara, then back to me. I guess she was just as confused as I was. “You too,” she said finally, though it sounded more like a formality than anything genuine.

The silence that followed felt heavier than it should have. Tara, ever the fixer, jumped in to fill the void. “Sam just got back in town,” she said, her voice a little too bright. “It’s been… a lot, but she’s settling in. Right, Sam?”

Sam’s jaw tightened slightly, but she nodded. “Something like that.”

I didn’t miss the way her shoulders stiffened at the words. Whatever she’d come back from, it wasn’t something she was ready to talk about. The walls around her were practically visible, brick and mortar and steel, built to keep anyone from seeing too much. But it wasn’t my place to pry, not when I’d just met the woman.

“Well,” Tara said, leaning forward, “the two of you have a lot in common. I think you’ll get along great.”

Sam’s eyebrow arched slightly, as if she didn’t quite believe her sister. “Is that so?”

“Definitely,” Tara said, undeterred. “Just give it a chance.”

Sam’s gaze shifted back to me, and for a moment, there was something almost challenging in her eyes. “Guess we’ll see.”

It was then I realized just how much smaller I was next to her. Tara often joked about my height when she was feeling particularly mischievous, but we both knew we stood eye-to-eye. Sam, however, was a solid presence—a towering figure that only added to her intensity. The size difference was almost laughable, but I wasn’t about to let it shake me.

I wasn’t sure what Tara was trying to accomplish here, but one thing was clear: Sam Carpenter would be a puzzle. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to solve her or if she was better left a mystery. But before I could settle too much into my thoughts, Tara cleared her throat, bringing my focus back to the moment.

"So," she started, a little too enthusiastically, "what do you two think of… Hitchcock?"

The question felt forced, like Tara was trying to find the safest possible common ground to get the conversation rolling. My lips twitched into a smile, appreciating the effort, but I wasn't sure it would land.

"Hitchcock?" Sam asked, her tone flat. Her arms crossed as she leaned back against the booth. "Never really saw the appeal."

I blinked, momentarily thrown. Not because I couldn’t understand the opinion—plenty of people thought his style was overrated—but because the way she said it felt almost deliberately provocative, like she was daring me to disagree.

Tara winced. "Sam…"

"No, it’s fine," I said quickly, leaning forward. I could feel that challenge in her gaze again, and something in me itched to meet it. "I get it. Not everyone likes the classics. What’s your style, then?"

Sam’s brow furrowed, as if she hadn’t expected me to push back so easily. For a moment, she didn’t answer, her fingers idly tracing the edge of the table. When she finally spoke, her voice was quieter, less sharp. "I guess… I like stories that feel real. Messy. People making mistakes, doing stupid things… stuff that actually matters."

Her words hung in the air, heavier than I anticipated. Tara shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and I wondered just how much of that statement was tied to Sam’s personal history.

"That’s fair," I said softly, not wanting to press too hard. "Sometimes the most compelling stories are the ones where you don’t know how they’ll end."

Sam’s gaze flicked to me again, and this time, there was a flicker of something in her expression. Not quite warmth, but maybe a hint of curiosity. "Yeah. Exactly."

Tara exhaled dramatically, breaking the tension. "Okay, great. We’re talking. Progress!"

I laughed, shaking my head at her antics. "Subtle, Tara. Real subtle."

"I try," she said with a wink. "Anyway, I’m gonna grab some pie. You two want anything?"

I shook my head, and Sam muttered a quiet "No," as Tara slid out of the booth and made her way to the counter. The silence she left behind felt different now, less heavy and more… expectant.

"So," I said after a moment, "what’s your story?"

Sam’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if she were deciding whether or not to answer. "Not much to tell."

I raised an eyebrow. "Everyone’s got a story."

She huffed a quiet laugh, though there wasn’t much humor in it. "Trust me, mine’s not the kind you’d want to hear."

For a second, I considered dropping it, letting her keep her walls intact. But something about her intrigued me and made me want to dig a little deeper. "Maybe. But how would I know unless you tell me?"

Sam studied me, her expression unreadable. Finally, she shrugged, leaning back in her seat. "I guess I’ll have to keep you guessing."

It wasn’t much, but it felt like a small victory. A crack in the armor.

For a moment, the conversation settled into a quiet lull, the din of the diner filling the space between me and Sam. I tapped my fingers lightly against the table, debating whether to push further or let the moment breathe.

"You always this mysterious, or is it just part of the charm?" I asked, a teasing edge creeping into my voice.

Sam exhaled a short chuckle, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup. "I think it’s more of a defense mechanism than anything else."

I nodded, sensing the weight behind her words, but before I could respond, she glanced at me with something close to curiosity. "What about you?"

I tilted my head. "What about me?"

"You don’t seem like someone who gives up easily," she noted. "Why bother trying to figure me out?"

There was something almost challenging in her tone, like she was testing me. Maybe even daring me to step back. But instead, I met her gaze and shrugged.

"Guess I like a good puzzle."

Before she could reply, Tara reappeared, carefully setting the plate of pie between us both. "Mission accomplished," she declared, sliding back into her seat with a satisfied grin. "And I even got extra whipped cream."

She shot a look between the two of us, picking up on the shift in atmosphere. "Did I miss something?"

Sam reached for her fork, her expression once again guarded but softer than before. "Nothing important," she said, but the way her gaze flickered to me told a different story.

Tara arched a brow, clearly not convinced but choosing not to push. "Alright, well, I’m eating before either of you try and steal a bite."

I laughed, reaching for my own fork. "No promises."

As the three of us settled in, the conversation drifted into something lighter, but the undercurrent of that moment with Sam lingered—unspoken but present, like a secret waiting to be unraveled.

------

The next morning unfolded in slow motion, sunlight creeping in through the blinds like it had all the time in the world. But something was different. I felt lighter, more awake than I had any right to be. Maybe it was the residual warmth of last night—the easy conversation, the feeling that I had nudged a door open just a little.

A buzz from my phone pulled me from my thoughts. For a brief second, my pulse skipped—Sam? But no. Tara.

Tara: Morning! You survived my sister’s brooding. Congrats. Wanna grab coffee?

A grin tugged at my lips. Even through text, Tara’s energy was infectious.

Me: Morning. I’ll take that as a badge of honor. Where and when?

Her reply was quick—café, mid-morning. Just like that, the day had direction.

As I got ready, I caught my reflection in the mirror, my gaze lingering longer than usual. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just another day. But for the first time in a while, something about it felt... new. Like the start of something. And I wasn’t sure if that excited or terrified me more.

The café was quiet, the air thick with the scent of fresh coffee and the low hum of early risers buried in their screens. I stepped inside, the soft chime of the door marking my arrival. I ordered a coffee to go, restless energy thrumming beneath my skin. My mind kept circling back to last night—Sam, the weight of her silence, the push and pull I couldn’t quite decipher.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed Tara until she breezed in, her presence a sharp contrast to my uncertainty.

"Hey, look who actually showed up!" she called, grinning as she made her way over.

I laughed, the tightness in my chest easing. "Wouldn’t miss it."

Tara pulled me into one of her signature hugs—warm, slightly suffocating, but somehow exactly what I needed.

"You ready for coffee? Or are you still in the ‘don’t talk to me yet’ phase?" she teased, eyes gleaming.

I exhaled, the tension unraveling bit by bit. "I think I’m awake now."

We settled into a table by the window, the city stretching beyond the glass, bathed in the soft glow of morning light. Tara had that effect—making even the most mundane moments feel like something worth being present for.

"So," she started, casual, but sharp. "How’s it feel surviving the Sam experience?"

I took a sip of my coffee, choosing my words carefully. "It’s... different. She’s complicated."

Tara smirked. "You don’t say. You’ve figured that out already? Impressive."

I hesitated before admitting, "I’m just trying to figure out where I stand with her. She’s got this wall up, but it doesn’t feel like she wants it there. I can’t tell if she’s just playing it cool or if she really doesn’t care."

Tara leaned back, tapping her fingers against her cup. "Sam doesn’t do anything unless it matters. She doesn’t waste her time. If she’s acknowledging you, that’s something." A flicker of something softer passed over her face. "She’s been through a lot. Letting people in isn’t easy for her. But if she’s letting you orbit, even a little? That’s progress."

I nodded, mulling over her words. "I just don’t know what she wants from me."

Tara’s grin widened. "Maybe she doesn’t know either. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to find out. Just... don’t let her push you away. She’s good at that."

The words settled deep. Sam was a puzzle I wasn’t sure I should be solving—but the curiosity wouldn’t let go.

"Thanks for the advice," I said, half-smiling. "Guess we’ll see where this goes."

Tara raised her cup in a mock toast. "That’s the fun part. The not knowing."

I sat there, watching the world move outside, feeling the quiet shift in the air. Sam, Tara, all of this—it was unfolding in ways I hadn’t expected. And maybe, just maybe, that was the point.

Tara, ever perceptive, tilted her head, a sly glint in her eyes. "You should text her."

I blinked. "What? Now?"

"Why not? What’s the worst that could happen?"

A lot, I wanted to say. But I didn’t.

Instead, I unlocked my phone, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Tara leaned in, smirking. "Be honest. Keep it simple. Something like, ‘Hey, I was thinking about our conversation yesterday. It was cool talking to you.’"

I huffed a quiet laugh, shaking my head. But she wasn’t wrong.

Hey, I was thinking about our conversation yesterday. It was cool talking to you.

Before I could second-guess it, I hit send.

Tara watched me, satisfaction written all over her face. "There. Easy, right?"

I let out a slow breath. "Not sure if easy is the word, but... it’s done."

She lifted her cup in a knowing gesture. "Now, we wait."

And so I did. Through the rest of our conversation, through the rest of the morning, through every casual check of my phone, heartbeat spiking each time it buzzed. But it was never her.

By the time I got home, the weight of the day had settled in my bones. I tossed my bag onto the couch, my phone still in my pocket, untouched. I told myself not to check it. Not to let it matter so much.

I busied myself with the little things—sorting through the scattered notes on my desk, flipping through a book I had no real intention of reading, absentmindedly scrolling through social media before locking my phone again. The air in my apartment felt heavier somehow, like I was waiting for something I refused to admit.

Eventually, I sprawled out on the couch, arm draped over my face, willing my mind to focus on anything else. It wasn’t working.

And then—

My phone buzzed.

I sat up too quickly, pulse hammering as I fumbled to grab it, screen lighting up in the dim room.

Sam: You too.

Just two words. But they unraveled something tight in my chest.

I stared at the message, reading it once, twice, three times, as if deciphering some hidden meaning within it. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

And something was more than nothing. When it comes from Sam, as I'm learning, something is actually a lot.

A slow smile crept onto my face as I leaned back against the couch, exhaling a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

[ennard-is-near]

Some Michael Afton headcanons and crack theories and whatnot

🚨 warning, If you know me irl (You know who you are, I see you) be aware that I’m not serious hahahahaha I would never be cringe hahaha 🚨

Okay, here we go:

Kid/Teenage hcs:

He’s super quiet after The Bite of ‘83. Like won’t talk to anyone or answer most questions outside of occasional one word answers. [I’ve talked about this before]

He was 13 during the Bite of ‘83.

Wasn’t really popular or a bully or anything before the Bite of ‘83. He was just like, a regular kid whose dad was well-known. It’s like if the mayor’s son was in your class or something. Yeah he’s kind of an asshole, but so is every middle school boy.

Ppl tend to avoid him after The Bite just because if you had the choice between talking to the guy who killed his brother or not doing that, you’d probably pick the latter. People felt bad for him or whatever but it’s not like they wanted to befriend him.

Cannot drive because he just never learned (William was NOT about to teach him). He walks most places.

I know this is semi-canon but he likes drawing stuff. He’s not very creative though, so he mostly draws what he sees around him. He ends of up drawing a lot of animatronics and TV show characters.

Mowed lawns and washed cars around the neighborhood for money when he was like 11-12. William was the type of dad who didn’t give pocket change and made his kids work for their own money. Michael wasn’t great at his neighborhood jobs though so people only hired him if they had money to give away and were willing to go through and fix the spots he missed.

The rest of these are Post-Scoop:

The FNaF 3 hallucinations are like a semi-regular issue for him. He occasionally just sees shit. Doesn’t have to be phantom animatronics, though. Can be more chill (by comparison lol) and like people he knew just standing there, weird shadows (especially in reflections) and sounds and voices. [I‘ve talked about this before too, sorry]

Really scared of the dark. Lights on in every room + flashlight on him at all times scared.

The power went out in his house a couple times when it snowed and (even though it didn’t get pitch black because of light from the windows) he did not like it.

He’s also the master of batteries, they’re scattered all over the house.

His power bill is so much. Like you’d drop dead if you saw it. TV and lights and air conditioning on 24/7 drive it up. His water bill is virtually nothing, though, so that’s good.

Doesn’t have issues with money because he has access to William’s bank account somehow.

Still lives in the house he grew up in. I just feel like he does.

Sort of has an issue with animals. They do not like him and will bark at and attack him whenever given the opportunity. He’s literally a dead body and animals tend to not like those. Birds will literally swoop down and attack him sometimes. He has fought two raccoons.

Absolutely a creature of the night. Only leaves the house past midnight and is back before sunrise. This is for a couple reasons, mostly just because there’s less happening at night. He carries a flashlight around when he goes out though bc he’s so scared.

Has like one guy who he’s on good terms with. It’s some random graveyard shift worker at the local corner store. He goes to the same store like every Tuesday or whatever and it’s always the same guy working there. They don’t even say that much to each other but they’re still buddies. When Michael works at the FNaF 1 location the employee is actually kinda sad because he doesn’t come in that week and he’s really confused as to where that guy could have gone or if he finally died or something. And then Michael comes in the next week and the routine continues and the employee will never know what happened that one week the weird guy didn’t come in.

Okay that’s it. <3

[deoidesign]

do you have any tips on color harmony and the colors of the rainbow? I'm trying to draw a 10 color rainbow but I'm struggling to make the colors match and any color system like RYB, RGB, CMYK or Munsell doesn't work (Usually green doesn't go well with the transition to blue or purple and yellow get stronger shades than other nearby colors)

Color harmony is a really complicated subject, so definitely remember to be patient with yourself.

Colors are significantly affected by how they interact with each other. A red next to orange will look different than a red next to green, which will look different next to blue... etc.

This is really important when it comes to making a color palette, because the colors you use WILL play with eachother, so you have to be sure they're playing nice.

This piece, for example, is entirely red. It's all the exact same hue, but the value and saturation makes the colors still distinct from eachother.

When making a rainbow, especially with 10 distinct steps, you have a lot of potential with your colors.

Personally I use HSB/HSV sliders when I'm illustrating. Hue, Saturation, and Black/Value. This lets me be as precise as possible when I'm selecting my colors.

I'll be explaining everything with these terms! (Hue, Saturation, and Value)

1: These colors vary only on hue 2: These colors vary on hue and saturation 3: These colors vary on the hue and value

You can see how much each of these will affect the colors and how they look next to eachother. Manipulating these factors can give you a lot of control over your palette.

Now, I'm varying which color is the "focus" of the palette. I'm also modifying every aspect of HSB to make them play nice.

4: This palette has a lot more yellows and oranges than the rest, and barely any/no blues 5: This palette is an even spread, 5 colors are warm and 5 are cool. 6: This palette focuses mostly on green 7: this palette focuses more on the purple and blue side of the spectrum.

If you're finding you're struggling well with green transitioning to blue and purple, then you can just have some more greens to make it feel smoother.

When manipulating all three sliders, you can make rainbows that are entirely tinted to a certain hue. This can get you really cohesive palettes.

8: tinted yellow 9: tinted blue/green 10: tinted pink/purple

When your palette is like this, you'll find that putting in a contrasting color will pop significantly more.

(These contrasting colors are pulled from the original fully saturated rainbow that I put together, #1. Notice how different the colors look here than they did in their original palette!)

You can use this effect as you please or avoid it as much as you like!

As always with art more information is key to making your decisions.

Exercises I suggest to understand color theory better:

Making pieces without using specific colors (try to make something look "Green" without using green)

Make a cool toned rainbow and a warm toned rainbow (every color has a cool and a warm variant) and draw something with each of them (one drawing cool, the same drawing warm)

Use red for shadows and green for light, and then draw the same thing with green for shadows and red for light (or any 2 opposite colors

Copy art and photography that has colors you like, but DON'T color pick until you're done to see how close you were (don't post pieces where you copied someone else's work without explicitly saying you did so, it's for study)

Paint from life

Take some colored pieces of paper and shine lights on them and watch how the light reflects off of the paper onto different objects

Here's some studies I did for one of my classes in school. They're old, I can't paint traditionally anymore without pain. But what I learned was still important whether or not the art is old!

I also suggest keeping these timed, All of these were under 1 hour (traditional) or under a half hour (digital). The more practice you get, the better!

And, if you can practice in different media (I understand it can be expensive, take up a lot of space, or even be painful), I personally find that each media has different pros and cons and forcing yourself to work within the limitations of a particular medium will teach you a lot!

(digital still lifes)

(gouache studies)

(Acrylic studies)

(digital copies)

I hope something in here helps!

Good luck!

[myokk]

before it felt like a sin, ch. 3

ch.1, ch.2

pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

word count: 2300

summary: Eloise never wanted to be different.

And yet, her differences are what have defined her life up until this point: growing up as a squib in one of the most prominent wizarding families, being exiled to muggle society, and then attending Hogwarts at the age of sixteen.

She finds herself thrust into the life she should have been prepared for from birth but was denied. As she navigates this new life and her new precarious position in her family, she must come to terms with the fact that maybe what she dreamed of her whole life isn't turning out how she ever expected it would.

a/n: this is how I wish the duel could have gone in the game...😇🙏

I also want to reiterate that this fic is REALLY CANON DIVERGENT!!!!! I will NOT be following the game’s plot at all really with this (it really starts to diverge around chapter 6/7 maybe I don’t remember), and I don’t see Eloise as the game’s MC either.

Eloise was being woken up altogether too soon for her tastes. Something soft was hit her face, and she sat up groggily, pushing it away. She blinked as she looked around, not recognizing her surroundings. It was disorienting not knowing where she was, although, as she rubbed her eyes, it was slowly starting to come back to her…Something happened yesterday, she thought. I…

“Come on, sleepyhead!” exclaimed Imelda, throwing more clothes on top of Eloise. “The house elves left these last night at the foot of your bed while we were sleeping. If you don’t hurry up, there won’t be any more food left for breakfast. And, you know that the first day of classes is the most important…”

As she continued rambling on, Eloise got up and started putting on her school robes. A dark grey tartan skirt with dark green and silver stripes, a cream button-up with puffy sleeves that she tucked into the skirt, a black ribbon to tie around her neck, and her Slytherin robes on top. She didn’t know how to feel about the day that was ahead of her; she felt a strange mixture of elation and apprehension.

“…you’re taking too long. I’ll wait for you in the common room,” Imelda concluded, giving Eloise one last look before striding out of their dormitory. All of the other girls had already gotten ready and left for the morning, which wasn’t really a surprise to Eloise. As soon as her head hit the pillow the second time, she had fallen into a deep sleep and hadn’t heard the bustle of the girls preparing themselves for the day.

She finished lacing up her boots, and after one last glance in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place, headed out to find Imelda.

When Eloise walked into the atrium, she was struck by how different it felt in the morning. It was truly as beautiful now as it had been eerily peaceful the night before. Once again, light piano music playing in the background - Eloise smiled to herself, recognizing the Gymnopédies by Satie. Her piano lessons had been the only bearable classes at the muggle school, and she had excelled at the instrument, often practicing during her free time.

The piano music blended in with the murmurs of students standing or sitting in small groups around various tables filled with breakfast foods and scrolls of parchment. The greens and blues coming through the windows felt refreshing, and the whole room was glimmering under the reflections of the water playing across various surfaces. She could see plants swaying under the water, with schools of fish weaving between them. It felt…magical.

Eloise’s eyes were drawn to Ominis and she started walking to him, standing by the same window where they had been sitting earlier. Instead of being in shadow, however, he was now illuminated by the rays of sun shining through the water. He was smirking to himself as he listened to the two first-years next to him. As she got closer to them, Eloise heard them speculating about the possibility that they would get to see a mermaid.

“Oh! I think I just saw one!” one shouted at his friend, pointing out the window. “Oh, wait…it was just algae.”

Eloise walked up to Ominis, smiling despite herself. 

“Is this your idea of a good time?” she asked him, while he was simultaneously asking her how she had slept. They both paused as soon as they heard the other start talking, and then both started speaking at the same time after an awkward pause.

“Oh…I’m sorry. I…I slept well,” Eloise said, blushing. “And you?”

“As well as I ever do,” he replied. She noticed that the dark circles under his eyes were still very prominent, although they didn’t look eerie in the morning light. He indicated the first-years with a jerk of his head, changing the topic. “I doubt mermaids find us that interesting. I rather think they purposefully avoid our common room so as to not be treated like creatures in an aquarium.”

Eloise laughed at that and tilted her head playfully. “And just where did those two even get the idea that they might see a mermaid?”

“That, my dear, is a mystery. I surely have never seen one before,” Ominis said, standing up straight and taking his wand out. “I have been hearing a lot of chatter about you this morning, you know. It seems like reality has been mixed with fantasy in the tales of your journey here, and nobody knows the full truth.”

“Except for you,” Eloise pointed out, stepping into place next to him as they walked through the common room. She spotted Imelda, supervising some students playing chess and instructing them on the moves they should be doing. Imelda looked up and saw Eloise, and interrupted her own advice mid sentence.

“Eloise!!” Imelda bellowed as she practically ran across the room. Was this girl ever not purposeful in everything she did? The students around them looked up from what they were doing to watch her, and maybe get the chance to hear a first-hand account of what actually happened to Eloise. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were attacked by a dragon last night?”

“Oh, er…” Eloise couldn’t figure out how to respond to the other girl. Imelda didn’t seem worried or scared about what Eloise had gone through the previous day; rather, she seemed indignant that she hadn’t been told about the attack. Beside them, Ominis was laughing.

“It must have been terribly exciting,” Imelda went on, ignoring any response Eloise may have started giving. “A real dragon and all. I wish I was with you guys, I’ve actually prepared for what I would do in that very situation. I would definitely have diverted its attention away from you on my broomstick, and actually the best strategy would have been to…”

“I doubt you really would have been able to do anything,” Eloise interrupted. “It was terribly frightening, but at the same time the whole thing was over so quickly that I haven’t had time to process it yet.”

“Well, you can tell me about it on the way to breakfast. Maybe once you learn how to ride a broom, we can practice what to do together. You have first-hand experience, after all!” Imelda looped her arm through Eloise’s. She shot a look to Ominis. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking her now. We have a long day ahead of us, lots to do you know. The usual. Anyway, Sebastian’s coming over so it’s not like I’m leaving you completely alone.”

Before Eloise could even react, she was being marched up the spiral staircase that led out of the Slytherin common room and they were off to breakfast.

“Duelists, take your mark,” Professor Hecat said to the two students standing on top of the platform in the middle of the room. The duelists in question looked at each other warily, steadying their wands. Eloise was exhilarated. This was the type of class she had been daydreaming about while she sat wasting her time embroidering landscapes.

Professor Hecat hadn’t wasted any time putting the students to work. Although at first, many of them had scoffed at the thought of Leviosa being a useful spell in combat, Eloise listened attentively and focused on the correct wand movements. Maybe it didn’t actually matter, but she was determined to make sure that nobody would think that she didn’t deserve to be there. She had a lot of catching up to do, but between the books Professor Fig had given her and the knowledge she retained from reading from her family’s library as a child, she already knew a lot. She was quite pleased when the feather levitated as soon as she said the incantation, as there were other students who struggled to get theirs to even twitch in an upward direction.

Now, Eloise gripped her wand tightly in her hand, shifting a bit as she stared Sebastian in the eyes. He had said that she would get ‘a proper Hogwarts welcome’ and she was looking forward to it.

If the rumors she had heard before class were true, Sebastian was the best duelist in their year, and quite possibly at Hogwarts. Although she felt a little apprehensive at the thought of facing him, she hoped that he wouldn’t hold back on her just because she was new. Even if she had fought the guardians yesterday in Gringotts, she wanted to prove to herself that she could keep her wits about her in the heat of battle. 

Maybe her stance was a little too stiff, her movements too by the book. But that could only be changed with experience.

Sebastian smirked slightly to himself, no doubt thinking that this would be an easy victory. In the background, Eloise heard Professor Hecat say they could begin, but she was more focused on her opponent’s face. As soon as she saw him raise his wand and begin to open his mouth, she shouted “Protego!” and the shield blocked the spell he attempted to send shooting her way. His eyebrows raised in surprise - apparently he hadn’t been expecting her fast reflexes.

Quick as a whip, she shouted out “Levioso” and Sebastian was in the air. She hit him with a few more curses before he fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He pushed himself up quickly and went back into position. Wand out, now more wary of her capabilities. He blocked her next attack and went in for one of his own, which hit her shoulder. Eloise hissed in pain and immediately shot out a volley of quick jabs in his direction, a few hitting their mark before he put up a shield.

Sebastian was grinning as they circled each other, looking for an opening. The rest of the class surrounded the platform they were on, cheering them on. Both continued to attack and put up shields, without any clear winner in sight. It was obvious that they were very evenly matched.

“I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said as they were catching their breath between attacks. “I haven’t had a fight this good in a long time.”

Eloise just grinned in response, before shooting off another spell in his direction. It was expertly blocked with a flick of Sebastian’s wrist; in response he volleyed off a jinx towards her.

Eloise crumpled to the ground, yelping as she grabbed her ankle. Sebastian was immediately at her side, crouching down and looking at her with concern.

“Eloise? Are you okay?” He looked down at her ankle and then abruptly looked up and back at her face, a faint pink redness dusting his cheeks. He may have been dueling her, but it was distinctly different to be so close to her like this.

In response, Eloise grinned mischievously and quickly levitated him off the ground, getting to her feet at the same time. With a few quick curses sent his way, soon Sebastian was lying sprawled on the ground outside of the little arena Professor Hecat had erected.

“Not fair,” Sebastian exclaimed, rushing to his feet. He looked at Professor Hecat, who was looking between the two with a pleased smile.

Eloise smirked at him, only responding with, “Slytherin.”

Sebastian laughed and ran his fingers through his hair, making his brown curls even unrulier than they had become in their duel. He held his hand out to her and she shook it formally. “Good duel. You can definitely hold your own and I won’t underestimate you again.”

Professor Hecat clapped her hands together to get the attention of the class. “I hope you all paid attention to these two. Ten points to Slytherin for an excellent demonstration of what we learned today. On Wednesday, we will continue with practical application of the techniques learned during this class. I expect to see flawless wand work and concentration. I demand excellence from my students as I know you are all capable of achieving it. Class dismissed.”

As Eloise was gathering up her things, Sebastian sidled up to her. “Really, that was quite impressive. You seemed stiff at first, but it would seem you have fought before. You definitely give as good as you get.”

Eloise blushed and tucked some strands of hair that had come undone behind her ear. “Well, really, I had only read about the techniques before. Haven’t really had much time to put all of that theory to use yet.” She smiled shyly ad Sebastian, who was looking at her with his jaw open. “You fight really well, too. I had to use all of my focus. It’s kind of exhausting, actually.”

“But exhilarating, right?” Sebastian asked eagerly. The two of them started to head out of the classroom together, dwindling behind the rest of the students. Entirely absorbed by their conversation. “Everything else goes out of focus and the only thing in the world is you and your opponent.”

“Yes! Exactly that,” exclaimed Eloise. “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

“Well,” Sebastian said slowly, dragging the word out as he thought. “You know, there might be a way. To continue. I normally would never do this, but…you know…”

“Know what?” Eloise prompted as Sebastian trailed off.

“You’re a really good duelist. Intuitive. There’s a certain exclusive club of sorts, one that may or may not be unsanctioned, where you can continue to hone your dueling abilities.”

“Exclusive and unsanctioned?” Eloise asked with a smirk. “You can count me in.”

“Excellent,” Sebastian replied, smiling broadly. “Sometimes, to make the most out of your experience at Hogwarts, you need to bend certain rules. They’re more like guidelines, anyway.”

“Merlin, Sebastian,” said Imelda, walking up to them and crossing her arms. “Don’t let yourself fall into any of his schemes. That boy is in detention practically every other day.”

“Or maybe,” Eloise said, “he’s just not good enough at avoiding getting caught. I, on the other hand… Come on, Imelda. Let’s go to lunch.”

She laughed as they walked away, leaving behind a dumbstruck Sebastian. He shook his head in disbelief and headed off to his next class.

next chapter

[bardic-tales]

Day 22 | Day 24

31 days of FF 7 Headcanons: Day 23: Encounter with SOLDIER

Bianca Moore’s memorial clash with SOLDIER was more than a skirmish—it was the moment she shed any remaining ties to her humanity and declared herself a force beyond Shinra’s designs. Having endured grotesque medical experimentation at the hands of Hojo and Diana Ravenscroft, Bianca emerged from the shadows of Shinra Manor not as a victim, but as a living weapon forged by pain and prophecy.

When she met a high-ranking SOLDIER operative in the forgotten corridors of Nibelheim Manor, their battle became a brutal testament to her celestial-demonic might against mako-enhanced might. This encounter didn’t just secure her freedom. It cemented her role as an unstoppable harbinger of Creation’s end, inspiring both terror and awe among those who bore the SOLDIER title.

Possible Trigger Warnings: graphic violence, medical experimentation, torture

Bianca Moore’s first true encounter with a member of SOLDIER came at the height of her captivity within Shinra Mansion: a time when she was no longer the woman she once was, but something reshaped by pain, prophecy, submission, and power. After a year and a half of enduring Professor Hojo and Ravencrofts’ torturous experiments, Bianca's escape marked a turning point in her journey.

As she emerged from the bowels of the lab, glowing with unearthly power, she was met with Shinra forces, including operatives affiliated with SOLDIER. They weren't the legends whispered about in Midgar. They were hunters, tasked with containing what she had become who were spliced with her demonic cells, as well as Jenova cells.

The confrontation was swift and brutal. Still raw from the dreamscape and experimentation, Bianca fought not with finesse that was taught to her by Mordecai and later Sephiroth, but with force born from desperation and divine instinct. She moved like a myth reborn, cutting through the security detail with fluid, otherworldly strikes. Her wings erupted in flashes of corrupted light as SOLDIER operatives attempted to subdue her. Her fangs sank into flesh and severed bone and muscle. She feasted. Not as a celestial, but as the Harbinger of Death and Rebirth.

One of them, a high-ranking Second Class, met her in a clash that shattered dilapidated walls and scorched the ground beneath them. Yet even he faltered when her aura flared. Her corrupted light and shadow entwined into a force beyond comprehension. He survived, but not unchanged, left shaken by the raw divinity in her eyes. To this day, this man bears the mark of Bianca's fury. His face is scared by her claws. Chunks of his flesh gouged by her teeth.

This encounter did more than secure Bianca’s escape and reunion with Sephiroth through SC-X. It defined her as something more than a lab rat, more than monster. For all its military prowess and experimentation, SOLDIER was not prepared for a being shaped by both heaven and hell who was jacked up on Jenova and S-cells. Bianca emerged from that clash not just a fugitive, but a force that Shinra couldn’t quantify. And within her heart, a silent truth began to take root. The more humanity and the gods tried to control her, the more she’d show them the futility of their efforts. She had not asked to be made into a weapon, but she would become one, on her own terms through Sephiroth's careful manipulations.

The memory of that confrontation remained with her long after she left the Shinra Manor with SC-X. In the reflections of glass, in the gleam of mako pools, she sometimes saw the faces of those she fought. Some frightened. Some awestruck. All deserved the reckoning that Bianca brought that day.

Bianca understood then that SOLDIER wasn’t just an enemy or an institution. It was a reflection of what she could have been: another tool forged in fire, used by others for their own ends. But unlike the men and women who bore that title, Bianca refused to be used. She wasn’t created to follow orders. She was destined to break the cycle: on her own terms, in her own image. She chose her submission to Sephiroth and his grand scheme.

In the years that followed, whispers of her power reached even the most secure corners of Shinra’s corporate empire. Some SOLDIER operatives feared her. Others sought her: some to kill and others to understand. But none who faced her after Meteorfall ever forgot her. That first encounter was the beginning of her own legend on Gaia: the arrival of a being beyond SOLDIER’s comprehension, a consort to the One-Winged Angel, a terrifying being in her right. And while Bianca bore the scars of that night, she carried its lesson like the blade of Noctemaris: ready to be drawn again when the world dared to stand in her and Sephiroth's way.

[the-whatcherof-89]

“Daddy” Daquavis the Ultimate Challenger.

CR 20 N Medium Humanoid

XP 307,200 (if used as npc for encounter)Half elf Magus(Spell dancer)20

Neutral Medium humanoid

Init +6; Senses Perception +34

AC 40, touch 21, flat-footed 34 (+6Dex, +10Armor+, +4Shield, +5Nat, +5Deflect) Hp 200 (20d8+100)

Fort +22, Ref +17, Will +18

Speed 30 ft(+10ft with Swift Obsidian Battleaxe). Melee Headsman Blade +26/21/16 1D8+11, Swift Obsidian battleaxe+20/15/5 1D8+5, Spells. RangedComposite longbow +24/19/14 1D8+5(+2 with +2Arrows), Spells.

Racial Elven immunities, Adaptability(Escape artist), Keen senses, Elf blood, Multitalented, Low-light vision(Doubled with googles of Elvenkind).

Traits Pragmatic activator, Empty mask.

Class features Spell combat, Spell dance, Arcane pool(25), Spell-strike, Magus arcana(Arcane cloak, Prescient defense, Close range, Hasted assault, Spell shield, Reflection), Spell recall, Arcane movement, Knowledge pool, Dance of avoidance, Improved spell combat, Fighter training(Weapon finesse, Weapon focus, Slashing grace), Improved spell recall, Counterstrike, Greater Dance of avoidance, Greater spell access, True magus.

Spellcasting CL20th DC20 Spells per Daily 5/8/8/7/7/7/7.

Spells known: 0-All I-Grease, Jump, Long arm, Magic missile, Mudball, Ray of enfeeblement, Shield, Burning hands. II-Aggressive thundercloud, Blur, Glitterdust, Gust of wind, Invisibility, Web. III-Air breathing, Fireball, Fly, Dispel magic, Haste, Magic weapon(greater). IV-Aggressive thundercloud(greater)Black tentacles, Dimension door, Martial telekinesis, Arcana theft, Dragon’s breath. V-Cone of cold, Cosmic ray, Telekinesis, Teleport, Vampiric shadow shield, Wall of force. VI-Chain lighting, Disintegrate, Dispel magic(greater), Flesh to stone, True seeing, Stone to flesh, Decapitate, Elemental form III.

Spells added via Greater spell access: Touch of fatigue, Resistance, Crafter’s fortune, Burning disarm, Resist energy, Flurry of snowballs, Air geyser, Spiked pit, Enervation, Emergency force sphere, Permanency, Echolocation, Hellfire ray, Contingency.

Str 14, Dex 22, Con 20, Int 31, Wis 12, Cha 7

Base Atk +15/10/5; CMB +17; CMD +33

Feats Combat casting, Spell penetration, Greater spell penetration, Quickened magic, Extend spell, Still spell, Silent spell, Spell perfection(Dispel magic greater), Penetrating strike, Cosmopolitan(Undercommon, Alko, Knowledge Local, Use magic device).

Skills Acrobatics+30, Climb+25, Craft(Alchemy)+22, Escape artist+12, Fly+14, Knowledge (Arcana+30, Dungeon+30, Local+25, The planes+25), Perception+24, Perform(Dance)+20, Sleight of hand+20, Spellcraft+33, Stealth+30, Survival+21, Swim+25, Use magical device+31.

Languages Common, Elven, Orc, Aquan, Undercommon, Alko, Draconic.

Combat gear Determined Mithral Kikko of Shadows+5, Determined Animated Mithral buckler+3, Necklace of natural armor+5, Ring of protection+5, Ring of spell mastery, Called Headsman Longsword+5, Called Swift Obsidian Battleaxe+3, Called Adaptive Composite Longbow+3, 50+2 Arrows, Adamantine dagger, Headband of vast Intelligence+6(Use magic device), Belt of physical perfection+4, Cloak of resistance+5, Boots of speed, Gloves of arcane striking, Bracers of falcon’s aim, Googles of Elvenkind, Stalker’s mask(Black and purple), Bag of holding type IV, Blessed book, Pearl of power Type IV, Efficient quiver, Tome of clear thoughts+5(Used), Manual of bodily health+2(Used), Potions(2Protection from energy, 1Heroism, 2Gaseous form, 2Displacement), Scrolls(Transformation, Summon monster VI), Wand of cure critical wounds, Masterwork alchemist lab, 4 Fuse granades, 4 Smoke pellets, Magus kit, 37GP.

Background

Daquavis, loves the spotlight but not sufficiently enough to let many bask in his radiance. He always seeks the next challenge and bathes in the thrill. He lets the peasants observe from a distance as he stands triumphant at the top. No one knows if he is a criminal or a hero, for he has accomplished actions on both sides but he loves to stand above and surpass even more dangerous odds as times pass, even from those that challenge him and/or admired him in the past. One other thing known: he challenged only one person, Dream, The Green man of the Manhunt to a duel. While the answer did not came immediately; some time later, he got his wish: "Dream will accept your challenge, all you have to do is chase him." Said the voice from the dark. "If you defeat him, you will get something in return: One wish, limited only by your imagination.” Daquavis, of course did not hesitate and he jumped right in, chasing his quarry. Now, equipped with knowledge and equipment never seen before, he has his sight set on the Green Man, ready to win, no matter the cost.

Image made using Heroforge.

[pathfinderunlocked]

Lady of Ash - CR12 Mesmerist

I can save them. And I intend to do so. I intend to make them mine, in exchange for returning their memories and sanity to them. And this will be my city, filled with the accursed walking dead whose sunken eyes still remember life, whose hearts still remember what it was like to be loved by the living.  But now I love them.  My Ashfallen.

Artwork by Oukawa Yuu on Seiga.  Badly edited by me.

The Lady of Ash is a faction leader in my dark fantasy setting of Vorseah, and her stat block reflects a character who is mostly involved in preventing fights, not winning them. If the artwork looks familiar, you probably remember it from the Vampire's Daughter monster that I posted; this is the same character, 600 years later.

The unusual combination of ancient youth dhampir vampire is what happens when someone is born into a vampire family and gets killed by vampire hunters as a child, and then gets raised into undeath as a full vampire by her surviving family members.

Her unique vampire power grants her the ability to awaken undead, in place of dominating humanoids. She uses this power to form a small civilization of intelligent undead. She has little concern for whether the undead she awakens are, or were, good people - she only wishes to provide them the same freedom over their destiny that living creatures possess. She wishes for both herself and her people, the Ashfallen, to get along peacefully with others, whether they be crusading paladins or evil necromancers. Despite that seemingly benevolent goal, her powers and her upbringing have warped her view of the value of life, and she isn't a good person. She has no empathy for the living, only a desire to avoid conflict with them.

However, she lacks the ability to create vampire spawn, and doesn't desire to create new undead regardless. She relies on her allies to subdue undead and allow her to use her powers on them.

When faced with violent undead, she uses her Command Undead ability to stop combat, and then uses Awaken Undead later at her leisure when the target has been secured and restrained. Against living targets, she charms or dominates them instead of fighting. She virtually never uses her energy drain or blood drain attacks; even if forced into combat against something like an aberration or outsider that she can't dominate, she'll either flee or rely on others to fight for her.

She always has her Umbral Shield trick implanted in herself, and begins battle with her other two mesmerist tricks already implanted in her allies. Typically she implants Compel Alacrity in melee allies and Mesmeric Mirror in spellcasting allies.

Have I ever mentioned that I hate making NPCs that use character classes? This stat block has too many special abilities. Some of it is the vampire template's fault.

Lady of Ash - CR 12

Avoiding the light from the window is what appears to be a young girl in a dress with long black hair and a white hat.  She has unusually pale skin, and the hanging oil lamp casts no shadow on the opposite wall.

XP 19,200 Dhampir, ancient youth vampire, spirit walker mesmerist 11 LE Small undead (augmented humanoid) Init +7 Senses darkvision, low-light vision; Perception +23

DEFENSE

AC 27, touch 17, flat-footed 23 (+3 Dex, +2 deflection, +1 dodge, +7 natural, +3 shield, +1 size) hp 141 (11d8+88); fast healing 5 Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +16; +2 vs. disease and mind-affecting, channel resistance +4 DR 10/magic and silver Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 5 Weaknesses vampire weaknesses (except sunlight weakness) Immune undead traits

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., spider climb Melee slam +10 (1d3+1 plus energy drain) Special Attacks awaken undead (11 HD/day, DC 22), blood drain, children of the night, command undead (8/day, DC 22), energy drain (2 HD, DC 22), hypnotic stare (-3 Will/Perception/Sense Motive/initiative/concentration/DC vs. Diplomacy/DC vs. Intimidate, 5 or 3d6 damage, 50 ft.), mesmerist tricks (3 at a time, 11/day)

Racial Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th; concentration +18)     1/day—charm person (DC 20), command (DC 20)

Mesmerist Spells Known (CL 11th; concentration +18)     4th (3/day)—dominate person (DC 23), serenity (DC 23), speak with haunt     3rd (6/day)—appearance of life, charm monster (DC 22), dispel magic, nondetection     2nd (6/day)—aversion (DC 19), command undead (DC 21), detect thoughts (DC 19), knock, suggestion (DC 21)     1st (7/day)—adoration, hide from undead (DC 18), innocence, mindlink, sow thought (DC 20), undetectable alignment     0 (at will)—daze (DC 18), detect magic, message, open/close, touch of fatigue (touch +10, DC 17), unwitting ally (DC 18)

STATISTICS

Str 12, Dex 16, Con —, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 24 Base Atk +8; CMB +8; CMD 23 Feats Bouncing Spell, Command Undead (see text), Extended Stare, Extended Stare, Demoralizing Stare, Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Focus (enchantment), Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness Skills Bluff +37, Diplomacy +23, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (arcana, local, history, nobility, religion) +6, Linguistics +5, Perception +23, Perform (oratory) +9, Sense Motive +26, Spellcraft +9, Stealth +15, Use Magic Device +14; Racial Bonuses +10 Bluff, +10 Perception, +8 Sense Motive, +8 Stealth Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Infernal, Necril, Orc Gear potion of inflict serious wounds x2, Lily Sunhat, +2 reflecting mithral buckler, ring of eloquence (dwarven, elven, gnome, halfling), amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +2 SQ bold stare (allure, distraction, susceptibility), change shape (dire bat or wolf, beast shape II), gaseous form, glib lie, undead inception, shadowless, spider climb

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Awaken Undead (Su) In place of a vampire's Dominate ability, the Lady of Ash has the supernatural ability to soothe and awaken undead creatures and break a necromancer's control over them.  She can use this on up to 11 HD (a number equal to her own hit dice) of undead creatures per day.  This does not cause the undead to become under her control, but it breaks effects such as Command Undead, grants the undead creature an intelligence score if it doesn't have one (typically the same score they had in life), and changes its alignment back to what it was in life.

To use this ability, the Lady of Ash must touch the target as a full-round action.  An undead creature makes a Will saving throw against this effect, DC 22.  If the creature is under the control of a necromancer or other undead, the Lady of Ash must also succeed on a caster level check with a DC of 10 + the hit dice of the creature exerting control over her target.  On a successful saving throw, or if the Lady of Ash fails the caster level check, this ability has no effect.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

A creature affected by Awaken Undead rolls a d100.  On a roll less than or equal to the Lady of Ash's hit dice, it becomes friendly toward her.  On an 80-89 it becomes hostile to her, and on a 90-100 it becomes confused and self-destructive.  Otherwise, the soothed creature becomes indifferent toward the Lady of Ash.

Blood Drain (Su) A vampire can suck blood from a grappled opponent; if the vampire establishes or maintains a pin, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. The vampire heals 5 hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to its full normal hit points) each round it drains blood.

Command Undead (Su) As a standard action, 8 times per day, the Lady of Ash can enslave undead within 30 feet. Undead receive a DC 22 Will save to negate the effect. The save DC is Charisma-based. Undead that fail their saves fall under her control, obeying her commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of control undead. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist her command. The Lady of Ash can control any number of undead, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed her mesmerist level. If an undead creature is under the control of another creature, the Lady of Ash must make an opposed Charisma check whenever her orders conflict.

Continued Animation (Su) Three times per day, when the Lady of Ash is using hypnotic stare on a humanoid target and the target dies, as an immediate action the Lady of Ash can force the target’s soul to remain in the body. The Lady of Ash can then control the target as if using dominate person for 5 rounds. The creature gains 22 temporary hit points and continues acting as though it were alive and conscious until it loses those temporary hit points or the duration expires.

During this time, the creature counts as undead, but it can’t be healed by negative energy. The target receives a DC 22 Will saving throw to avoid this effect and die normally. The save DC is Charisma-based.

This ability ends immediately if at any point the target’s body is completely destroyed (such as by disintegrate) or restored to life.

Change Shape (Su) A vampire can use change shape to assume the form of a dire bat or wolf, as beast shape II.

Children of the Night (Su) Once per day, a vampire can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or 2d6 wolves as a standard action.  These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.

Gaseous Form (Su) As a standard action, a vampire can assume gaseous form at will, as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Hypnotic Stare (Su) The Lady of Ash can focus her stare on one creature within 50 feet as a swift action.  That creature takes a –3 penalty on Will saving throws, concentration checks, initiative checks, Perception checks, Sense Motive checks to oppose Bluff, and to the DC of Diplomacy and Intimidate checks made against it.  The Lady of Ash can maintain her stare against only one opponent at a time; it remains in effect until she stares at a new target, the opponent dies, the opponent moves farther than 50 feet away, or the Lady of Ash is reduced to 0 hit points.  The Lady of Ash can remove the memory of her stare from the target’s mind; The creature doesn’t remember that it was affected (nor does it realize that it is currently being affected) unless the Lady of Ash allows it. 

The hypnotic stare is a psychic effect, and relies more on the focus of the Lady of Ash than the target's perception of her stare.  It can’t be avoided in the same ways a gaze attack can.  She can use this ability even while blinded, but must succeed at a DC 20 concentration check to do so.  The penalties from multiple mesmerists’ stares don’t stack, nor do they stack with penalties from witches‘ evil eye hexes.  This is a mind-affecting effect, but can affect undead, ignoring their immunity to mind-affecting abilities.

Once per round, when a creature affected by the Lady of Ash's hypnotic stare takes damage, she can increase the damage by 5, or by 3d6 if she dealt the damage herself, and the target must succeed on a DC 22 Will save or become shaken for 1 round. This is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit. The save DC is Charisma-based.

An undead target affected by the Lady of Ash's hypnotic stare loses its immunity to her mind-affecting spells and abilities.

Shadowless (Ex) A vampire casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.

Mesmerist Tricks (Su) As a standard action, the Lady of Ash can implant a mesmerist trick in herself or a willing ally she touches.  She can do this up to 13 times per day, and can have up to 3 tricks implanted at a time.  The trick remains dormant until either it is triggered or the next time the Lady of Ash regains her spells.

As a free action usable even when it’s not her turn, the Lady of Ash can trigger this trick under the conditions listed for that trick.  The subject must be within 210 feet of the Lady of Ash for her to trigger the implanted trick.  She doesn’t need line of sight, but anything that blocks telepathic contact prevents her from triggering tricks.

The mesmerist tricks the Lady of Ash knows are as follows:

Compel Alacrity The mesmerist can trigger this trick whenever the subject begins its turn within an enemy’s reach. The subject can move 20 feet as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. The subject can’t move farther than her speed in this way. The movement from this trick doesn’t count against the subject’s movement speed for that round. Mesmeric Mirror The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject is attacked or becomes the target of a spell that requires an attack roll. Three duplicates of the subject appear, and the attacker must determine randomly which it hits (as mirror image). Each image lasts for 11 minutes or until destroyed. This is an illusion (figment) effect. See in Darkness The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject moves into an area of darkness. The subject gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet for 1 minute. Telepathic Link The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject and her allies are outnumbered in combat. For 1 minute per mesmerist level, the subject and the mesmerist can communicate telepathically. If the subject and the mesmerist are more than 210 feet apart, the telepathic connection is severed and cannot be regained unless the trick is implanted again. The mesmerist and the subject must share a language to be able to communicate. Umbral Shield The mesmerist can trigger this trick whenever the subject would be exposed to harmful bright light (such as sunlight is to a vampire). Once triggered, the subject ignores any harmful effects of bright light or sunlight for 1 minute.  The subject is immune to the dazzled condition while this trick is in effect. Unwitting Messenger The mesmerist describes a recipient to the subject while implanting this trick, then recites a verbal message no longer than 55 words. The subject of unwitting messenger has no memory of the message or the target recipient. When the subject encounters the specified recipient, the subject repeats the message verbatim, but does not recall speaking the message or its contents. This trick ends if not triggered within 24 hours. The subject of unwitting messenger can be fooled by mundane disguises or illusions, causing her to deliver the message to the wrong recipient.

Reflecting Buckler Once per day, the Lady of Ash can use her buckler to reflect a targeted or ranged attack spell targeting her back at its caster. Area spells, touch range spells, and other spells not directly targeting her are not affected.

Vampire Weaknesses Vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from mirrors or strongly presented holy symbols. These things don’t harm the vampire—they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling vampire must stay at least 5 feet away from the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against that creature. Holding a vampire at bay takes a standard action. After 1 round, a vampire can overcome its revulsion of the object and function normally each round it makes a DC 25 Will save.

Vampires cannot enter a private home or dwelling unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so.

Reducing a vampire’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t always destroy it (see vampiric fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay vampires. Each round of immersion in running water inflicts damage on a vampire equal to one-third of its maximum hit points—a vampire reduced to 0 hit points in this manner is destroyed. Driving a wooden stake through a helpless vampire’s heart instantly slays it (this is a full-round action). However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the head is also severed and anointed with holy water.

Normally, exposing any vampire to direct sunlight staggers it on the first round of exposure and destroys it utterly on the second consecutive round of exposure if it does not escape. However, the Lady of Ash's lily sunhat prevents her from being harmed by sunlight.

Vampiric Fast Healing (Su) A vampire gains fast healing 5.  If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, a vampire assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape.  It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed.  (It can normally travel up to 9 miles in 2 hours.)  Additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect.  Once at rest, the vampire is helpless.  It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.

[goddevouringserpent]

tagged by @miseryscrowned to take the "Which D&D class suits your personality?" (or, in this case, your OC's personality) quiz. took me ages because I have been so busy & stressed out I am starting to lose track of time, but wat ever we stay silly and take things as best as we can take them~

putting it under a cut because I chose not one, but two OCs for this, and as is often the case with me I started rambling and this got long as hell, lol.

in light of the DLC release date announcement, I'm back in WOTR mode and rotating my beloved wrathful girlie at washing machine speed, so!

picrew credit

Kaija (she/they), my most developed Knight Commander. who, yes, has a canon class, or... sort of canon? IDK, she's a Sword Saint/Vivisectionist, but I've been contemplating a different build for the run I'll do once the DLC comes out—probably will still be martial heavy, but we'll see... anyway, I just wanted to see what class she got assigned based on her personality LOL

and the result was:

Rogue

You’re a practical and unusually resourceful person with big dreams that may or may not involve copious amounts of money or treasure. You’re ambitious, you know what you want, and you’ll do whatever you can to get it. Some people might think you’re selfish, but you know it’s important to take care of yourself first. You thrive under pressure and you might have a bit of a mischievous or chaotic side.

Arcane Trickster subclass

Some rogues enhance their fine-honed skills of stealth and agility with magic, learning tricks of enchantment and illusion. You’re an adaptable person who likes to cultivate a range of skills and interests. Once you decide to pick up a new skill or hobby, you’re more than willing to put in a little time and effort to learn how to do it well. You like to feel competent and powerful. You’re not always the most direct person and you may sometimes hide your true thoughts and feelings behind lies or misdirection. Some people might not know what to expect of you, or you might be a bit misunderstood, but you’re capable of a lot more than some people give you credit for.

and I'll admit the result really surprised me at first because I've never seen them as the roguish type—she is quite literally built like a wrestler, roughly 190cm tall, contains multitudes of rage & does not have a single subtle bone in her—but upon reflection I can definitely see it, especially considering how the test openly states that it assigns a class based on personality, not mechanics. the descriptions given match really well, too; INSANELY resourceful, ambitious, materialistic, selfish, chaotic, adaptable, hates feeling powerless/needs to feel like the strongest and most powerful person in the room at any given time, rarely if ever shows her true feelings, often underestimated or not taken seriously despite being more than competent enough to deserve a different treatment... so yeah, fair, she would make a really good rogue! might keep that in mind for the aforementioned new build plans hehe

also: fun result considering one of the characters I ship Kai with—and who is essentially her "endgame" pairing in terms of being a healthy, loving, long-term relationship—is Woljif... who is an Eldritch Scoundrel 🤭 meant for each other~

--

then, because I am equally as excited about Shadow of the Erdtree releasing soon (June release dates for both DLCs, in fact... I'm gonna eat GOOD this winter break 😌), my Tarnished Yunia! aka the other she/they I have been spinning in the vortex of my thoughts 24/7, and who hilariously enough could not be more different from Kaija if they tried lol

art credit (and also sick as hell modern fit design credit)

Yunia got:

Cleric

You’re dedicated, caring, and probably a sucker for happy endings. You spend so much time helping other people that you might forget to take care of yourself. You’re very idealistic and have a strong sense of faith in your beliefs, which may be actual religious beliefs or just your personal moral code. You like to be prepared for a variety of situations and you may have a bit of a protective side.

Nature domain

Gods of nature are as varied as the natural world itself; from inscrutable gods of the deep to friendly deities associated with particular springs and groves. You feel comforted by nature and you’re drawn to the outdoors. You want to do as much as you can to take care of our world and you wish other people would take environmental concerns more seriously. You might come across as a calm and easygoing person most of the time, but you can have a surprisingly vicious side when someone violates your principles. You’re not afraid to confront harsh truths and you generally have a practical and realistic outlook on life.

Cleric tracks, it's a ridiculously good fit for her thematically—their entire Character Thing is passionate devotion towards the House of Caria (and later, to Ranni & her ideal for the Age of Stars) which overrides even their most basic self-preservation instinct at times and is pretty much, like, the core of their identity. so in a D&D AU, Yunia being a cleric of the Moon goddess Ranni would work out extremely well: following her dogma to a letter, doing everything in Ranni's name and to serve her earthly purposes, drawing from that very faith and dedication to find their own power and way in life, hopelessly in love with Ranni but shh don't tell anyone

Nature domain, on the other hand, I did not see coming, but the description works... ish? like, I'm not sure Yunia is particularly concerned about environmental issues in their source material LOL (even if there is quite a lot of shit to be concerned about, but that's probably on account of the Lands Between being an absolute shithole at the best of times <3), but in a modern AU I could definitely see her going for something like Environmental Sciences, yeah. being a protector-type with very firm beliefs is, again, a core part of their personality, & it's more likely they'd find themself working with flora or fauna because she is just Not good with people at all lol

(the part about having a "surprisingly vicious side" is 100% true though and I hope one day I can write any of the fics involving her I have planned, because that would be SO much fun to delve into :3)

--

tagging @hate-not-wanting-a-name (Zimka and/or Fixer? Zimka and/or Fixer maybe? my beloved little guys perhaps? 👀), @takers-flames, and UUHHH whoever else wants to do this, feel free to say I tagged you / mention me in your post so I can see! I'd tag more but I'm pretty sure that most of my mutuals' OCs already have assigned classes lmao 😭

[wordsofrowan]

The Shadow Court

Chapter 7 - Shadows of Deception

As Adrien witnessed Marinette's growing closeness to Felix and Chloe, a feeling of unease settled within him like a persistent shadow. He couldn't help but feel that something was amiss, and it pained him to see her drift away from him with each passing day. Gone were the moments when she would smile at him or seek his company; now, she seemed fully engrossed in her interactions with Felix and Chloe, leaving him feeling like an outsider.

Today was the class picnic, and Adrien couldn’t help but look wistfully at Marinette as she talked, joked, and laughed with Felix and Chloe. He found himself lost in thoughts, imagining how it should be him by her side, making her laugh and sharing those joyful moments together. But instead, he could only watch from a distance, unable to bridge the gap that seemed to have grown between them.

The sight of Marinette enjoying herself with her newfound friends tugged at his heart, and he couldn't help but wonder what had changed between them. He had always cherished their friendship, and now, he felt like an outsider looking in.

Suddenly, as if on cue, Lila showed up running to where they were in the park, her eyes brimming with distress. The atmosphere grew heavy with tension as all eyes fixed on her trembling form.

"I-I need to tell you something," Lila managed to say, her voice laced with urgency. The weight of her words hung heavy in the air, threatening to shatter the fragile hope they clung to.

"What is it, Lila? You can trust us," Alya urged, her voice filled with both caution and desperate hope.

Taking a deep breath, Lila hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "It's about Marinette," she said, her voice quivering, "and Chloe and Felix. They've been sending me horrible messages, trying to sabotage my reputation. At first, I didn't want to believe it, but I ran a background check on the number, and it is theirs," she confessed, her voice quivering with an unsettling mixture of fear and betrayal.

The room erupted with gasps and murmurs of disbelief, their worst fears taking shape before their very eyes. The once innocent image of Marinette now tainted by the shadows of doubt and suspicion.

Alya's eyes widened, grappling with the revelation. "I can't believe this," she whispered, her voice laced with hurt and anger.

Nino shook his head in disbelief, "Man, I knew Chloe could be mean, but this is just on another level," he muttered, unable to comprehend the depths of deception.

Adrien's heart sank his concern for Marinette now blending with anger towards Chloe and Felix for their betrayal. He felt torn between wanting to believe in Marinette's innocence and facing the unsettling evidence that had come to light.

Marinette had always been kind and supportive, and this sudden revelation seemed so out of character for her. But the evidence presented by Lila was hard to ignore, leaving Adrien questioning everything he thought he knew about his friend.

"What if..." she hesitated, her voice barely audible. Her words seemed to linger in the air, laden with uncertainty. "What if one of us actually goes to see her and tries to talk to her about what's happening?"

Adrien sighed, his expression reflecting a mix of frustration and sadness. "I've already tried," he admitted solemnly. "But it's like she's built a wall around herself, shutting everyone out, including me."

Alya's concern was evident as her brows furrowed. "We can't just leave her be," she asserted with determination. "We have to find a way to get through to her, to support her in whatever she's facing."

Nino nodded, his eyes filled with empathy. "You're absolutely right, Alya. She's our friend, and we can't just turn our backs on her now."

Rose offered a thoughtful suggestion, her voice steady and calm. "Maybe we should all approach her together. If she sees that we're all genuinely there for her, it might make a difference."

Adrien considered the idea. "Yeah, you know what? That might just be the best approach. We need to show her that we care and won't judge her, no matter what she's going through."

As they formed a plan to help their troubled friend, a mix of determination and worry filled their hearts. Adrien knew that reaching out to Marinette wouldn't be easy, but he also understood that their friendship was worth fighting for. With that shared resolve, they prepared to face the darkness that had shrouded their once bright and radiant friend, hoping to bring back the Marinette they knew and loved.

Adrien turned and looked at the trio across the park, but instead of finding warmth and familiarity in Marinette's eyes, he was met with harsh glares from Chloe and Felix, adding another layer of complexity to the tangled web of emotions and mysteries that now surrounded them.

Adrien's eyes narrowed as he observed the trio rise from their seats and approach a dark-haired man standing by a sleek black car. But what stood out to Adrian the most was the white streaks in the man's hair that were framing his face. His instincts tingled with suspicion, and he couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right about this encounter.

As they neared the man, Adrien noticed the way they exchanged hushed words, glances darting around as if to ensure they weren't being watched. The man seemed to exude an air of authority, and the way they deferentially addressed him only added to Adrien's unease.

"Who is that guy?" Nino whispered, leaning closer to Adrien as they kept their distance, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I don't know," Adrien replied, his gaze locked on the dark-haired man. "But something tells me he's not someone we should trust."

Alya's curiosity got the better of her, and she leaned in as well. "They seem to be discussing something important," she noted, furrowing her brows. "I wonder what it could be."

Adrien couldn't help but feel a knot forming in his stomach. He didn't like the thought of Marinette, Chloe, and Felix getting involved with someone who seemed so mysterious and potentially dangerous.

"We should keep an eye on them," he said firmly. "I don't want anything to happen to them."

Nino and Alya nodded in agreement, understanding the gravity of the situation. They continued to observe from a distance, trying to make sense of the cryptic exchange taking place before them.

As their conversation came to an end, Adrien watched as Felix, Chloe, and Marinette entered the car, and the engine roared to life. The tires screeched as they sped off, leaving Adrien, Alya, and Nino, and the dust left with even more questions than answers.

[time-machine-collective]

House-Rules for the Campaign

During our session 0 I had come up with several house rules for the group to agree on. These were all the ones the players agreed to.

Alternative Alignment system (I'm proposing Discipline vs Harmony and Light vs Dark. So alignments would be Light/Shadow/Dark and Discipline/Balance/Harmony). Positive/Negative damage would remain unchanged. Alignment Damage (Good/Lawful/Chaotic/Evil would become Radiant/Karmic/Dark Damage. Note: This results in a small damage buff to classes that use those damages as they will do damage normally.

Automatic Bonus Progression (Characters gain bonuses to their stats based on their level rather than the gear that they acquire).

Modern Wealth System (In order to reflect the complexity of modern finances, detailed elsewhere, abstracts a person’s wealth and possessions and reduces precise book-keeping. This is adapted from d20 modern, and I feel works really well with how PF2E handles items and item levels.)

Hero Points can be used to increase a success by one tier (turning a normal hit into a critical hit, a failed hit into a normal hit, or a critically failed save into a failed save instead of rerolling).

The +1 to hit from Potency Runes/Automatic Bonus Progression apply to spell attacks. (A common criticism of PF2e is that spells using spell attack are weaker than spells that require saves, and even weaker relative to weapon attacks. This closes that parity a little bit as martial characters still have faster bonus progression than casters and makes these spells a little more attractive)

Gradual Ability Boosts, rather than getting 4 +2 to your stats at level 5, you get a +2 at levels 2-5 (must be to different stats), then repeat this at levels 7-10, 12-15, and 17-20.

Free Archetypes Variant (Automatically able to get multiclass feats for free at every even level. Increases build diversity without compromising your core class abilities. A buff for characters in general).

Can draw a weapon as part of a stride action if you are at least trained in the use of the weapon (essentially how drawing weapons work from PF1E. It does lower the value of Quick Draw and unarmed attacks slightly, although I think it does help dual-wielders a little bit. Improves an action economy that’s already strict and honestly doesn’t feel good sometimes).

Ignoring Formulas for common items (This is really to pair with the wealth system, requiring formulas just seems redundant when information is common. One of the biggest obstacles in adapting the D20 modern wealth system was how to handle crafting. What I settled on was that, since D20 Modern’s wealth system normally uses a wealth check to purchase items, that one could use a crafting check instead. The costs or times to purchase don’t really change, but crafting can make it easier to pass the checks to buy the items if your character doesn’t have a ton of money. However, to create higher rarity/bespoke items, spending time designing formulas for these items or following someone else’s formula still feels appropriate). Link for d20modern for reference: https://d20modern.fandom.com/wiki/Wealth

[sdenvs3000w25]

Unit 8 Blog Post: The Amazing Caribbean Reef Octopus

This week when reading the prompt, I was very excited because it allowed me to learn more about a creature I am deeply fascinated by: The Caribbean Reef Octopus. As mentioned in my previous blog post (week 4), I love the ocean and it would be my dream to work with the water and the creatures and teach children more about it. So when asked “what the most amazing thing I know about the ocean is”, I quickly thought about this versatile, unique sea creature. This cephalopod actively changes, mimicking the forms, motions, and behaviors of poisonous marine creatures to evade predators, in contrast to other species that only use camouflage. It doesn’t just disappear into its surroundings, it transforms into a living shape-shifter beneath the waves. It transforms into something completely different rather than simply blending in (ANGARI Foundation, 2024).

The first time I became truly encapsulated by Octopus was about 7 years ago when I was scuba diving in the Dominican Republic with my family, and we saw an Octopus. It was very different from the cute symmetrical image of an Octopus I had in my head. I initially mistook the crawling motion of the Octopus across the water floor for something else. Its tentacles slithered and pulsed, undulating like thick ribbons caught in an invisible breeze. The movement of its long, banded body matched the currents exactly. However, the "snake" quickly fanned out, retracted its limbs, and took on the appearance of a lionfish, exhibiting spiky "fins" as a warning. The transformation was so seamless that I felt like I was watching a magic trick unfold in real-time. It took me a while to realize that this was neither a lionfish nor a sea serpent. It was an octopus, changing its identity in front of me with ease. Although I had heard about imitation in nature, it seemed unreal to witness it for myself.

Reef Octopus Blending in with its surroundings

The chromatophores, which are pigment-filled specialized skin cells, are responsible for the mimic octopus's changes. The octopus can change its color and pattern at will because these cells may instantaneously expand or contract. These are followed by leucophores and iridophores, which scatter and reflect light to further enhance the disguise's realism (ANGARI Foundation, 2024). Additionally, the octopus can change the shape of its body by stretching, compressing, or curling its flexible muscles. Its motions are smooth and this gives its imitations an uncanny sense of realism. The coolest thing I witnessed was its ability to squeeze through impossibly small holes and crevices between coral and sea plants! It moved as though it wasn’t bound by the limits of a solid body, as though it could slip between states of being, one-moment flesh and the next a shadow.

Effective interpretation facilitates the development of human relationships with nature, as highlighted by Beck et al. (2018) This encounter is a good example of this concept, as I had a scientific admiration for the Caribbean Reef Octopus before scuba diving, but after witnessing it in action, I had amazement, curiosity, and an emotional connection, an appreciation for its intelligence and adaptability. I instantly felt bad that this unique creature is one of my favorite types of seafood! 

Reef Octopus sliding through a small space

One key takeaway from this class is the idea that we can introduce the ocean's wonders to those who would not otherwise be able to see them for themselves through education and storytelling. The imitation octopus serves as both a call to action and a reminder of the inventiveness of nature. If a creature can survive by adapting, then surely we, too, can change our ways by creating more protective and welcoming environments. We must save their planet before it's too late if we want future generations to be as awed by these animals as I was.

Thinking back on my encounter with the Caribbean Reef Octopus makes me realize how crucial sense-making is to understanding the environment. Asking, "Where do I find inspiration?" is a key component of learning about nature, as I stressed in this week's lecture. How can I maintain my motivation? (ENVS 3000 Notes, 2024). Seeing this octopus up close didn’t just teach me about the ocean, it made me rethink my relationship with nature and how I can contribute to its preservation. It made me question my place within the natural world and how I can become a better steward of it. This experience is also in line with Beck et al. (2018), who stress that interpretation is about establishing human connections rather than only presenting facts. A species like the Caribbean Reef  Octopus becomes more than simply an intriguing animal when we come across it; it becomes a part of our narrative and influences the way we see and value nature.  

References

ANGARI Foundation. (2024). Caribbean Reef Octopus Deep Dive. Retrieved from https://angari.org/caribbean-reef-octopus-deep-dive.

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For A Better World.Sagamore Publishing.

ENVS 3000 Notes. (2024). Unit 8: Sense-Making of Nature Interpretation.

[rickyderose]

Priscilla - Countdown Day 7: "The Unseen Crisis: Mental Health in a Fragmented World"

"Car quelque part au fond de moi, Tu sais, je ne t’oublie pas."

These words from "Priscilla" speak to the quiet truth many of us carry. The things we cannot let go of, the memories and emotions that linger deep within. In the same way, our world faces a growing crisis that too often remains unseen: mental health. As lives become more fragmented and pressures mount, mental health has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Globally, mental health disorders affect nearly one billion people. Yet, the stigma surrounding these issues continues to silence those in need. Depression, anxiety, and suicide rates are rising, particularly among young people, who often feel the weight of a world spiraling with uncertainty. This silent epidemic touches every community, crossing boundaries of nationality, race, and class. Yet, the resources and attention it demands remain woefully inadequate.

It is not just individuals who suffer; it is the entire society. Mental health crises can lead to broken families, lost productivity, and weakened social structures. We see the ripple effects of rising rates of addiction, homelessness, and even violence. And while these problems grow, mental health remains a shadowed corner of global health priorities.

What would it mean to listen, to truly hear the struggles of those carrying invisible burdens? Like the heartbeat in "Priscilla," the signs of this crisis are there if we pay attention. We must advocate for better mental health services, fight the stigma that isolates so many, and create spaces for healing and understanding.

Through my Art, "Philoetry," I pledge to bring these hidden struggles into the light. Through storytelling, we can voice the voiceless, opening hearts to the shared vulnerability that connects us all. Today, as we continue this countdown, remember that while some battles are fought in public, others are waged silently, within the depths of the soul.

"Car quelque part au fond de moi..." Know that I am here for you, and I love you all, friends, family, and loved ones who feel forgotten. Together, we can turn attention toward the unseen, offering support and hope to those who need it most.

"In a world that often silences the struggles of mental health, let’s choose to listen and support. Day 7 of our countdown reflects on the unseen battles many face."

~Ricardo Derose

🎶 Join Us for the exclusive release of "Priscilla" by Ricky Derose! 🎶

📅 Date: November 23rd, 2024

🕖 Time: 7:00 PM (EST)

📍 Location: Live at Premiere Danse Academy,

103 Duncan Street, Lancaster, PA 17602

Vocalists: Sean Davis & Reji Woods 🎤

Musicians: Mike Truitt on Keys 🎹 Stephen Brown on 🥁

MC: Amy Eileen 

🌐 Streaming: Live on ALL Social Media Platforms

#PriscillaCountdown, #MentalHealthAwareness, #SongRelease, #LivePerformances, #AidsIsSilent, #NickyDarlingImDying, #History, #Philosophy, #Poetry, #IGiveYou, #Philoetry #RicardoDerose, #RickyDerose, #DeroseEntertainmentLLC, #DeroseEntertainmentStore #PhiloetryByRicardoDerose

[govindhtech]

Apple M4 chip powers new iPad Pro’s groundbreaking design

Apple M4 chip

The new iPad Pro’s innovative design and breathtaking display are made possible by M4, which also offers a massive performance boost.

M4 chip release date

On May 7, 2024, Apple formally unveiled the M4 chip together with the new iPad Pro. Sadly, for the moment, it is limited to the iPad Pro. We’ll probably have to wait until later this year or even early 2025 for Macs and MacBooks.

Apple M4 chip, the newest chip that powers the revolutionary iPad Pro with incredible performance. The M4 system-on-a-chip (SoC), which was created using second-generation 3-nanometer technology, improves Apple silicon’s industry-leading power efficiency and makes the iPad Pro’s extraordinarily thin design possible. In order to power the astounding accuracy, colour, and brightness of the ground-breaking Ultra Retina XDR display on iPad Pro, it also has a completely new display engine.

Up to 10 cores may be found in a new CPU, while the 10-core GPU expands upon the next-generation GPU architecture seen in the M3, introducing hardware-accelerated mesh shading, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and dynamic caching to the iPad for the first time. With a maximum speed of 38 trillion operations per second, the M4 has Apple’s fastest neural engine ever, surpassing the neural processing unit found in any AI PC on the market today.

The next-generation machine learning (ML) accelerators in the CPU, a high-performance GPU, and higher memory bandwidth, together with the Apple M4 chip, make the new iPad Pro an incredibly potent artificial intelligence tool.

“Creating best-in-class custom silicon enables breakthrough products,” stated Johny Srouji, senior vice president of Hardware Technologies at Apple, “and the new iPad Pro with M4″ The iPad Pro’s innovative display and thin design are made possible by the M4’s power-efficient performance and new display engine, while significant upgrades to the CPU, GPU, memory system, and neural engine make the M4 ideally suited for the newest AI-enabled applications. The iPad Pro is now the most powerful gadget of its kind thanks to this latest CPU.

Novel Technologies Activating the Latest iPad Pro

The M4 iPad Pro offers a significant improvement in performance compared to the M2 model. It is composed of 28 billion transistors, which are constructed with a second-generation 3-nanometer technology, hence increasing the power efficiency of Apple silicon. The Ultra Retina XDR display, a cutting-edge display made possible by mixing the light of two OLED panels, has remarkable precision, colour accuracy, and brightness uniformity thanks to an all-new display engine built using cutting-edge technology included in the M4.

A new CPU with ten cores

The new Apple M4 chip features up to 10 cores, with four performance cores and six efficiency cores. With deeper execution engines for efficiency cores and wider decode and execution engines for performance cores, the next-generation cores provide better branch prediction. Additionally, improved, next-generation ML accelerators are a characteristic of both types of cores.

Compared to the potent M2 in the previous iPad Pro, the Apple M4 chip offers up to 1.5 times faster CPU performance. M4 improves performance across professional workflows, whether utilizing Logic Pro to work with intricate orchestral music files or LumaFusion to add challenging effects to 4K video.

GPU Gives the iPad Pro New Features

The next-generation graphics architecture of the M3 family of processors is expanded upon by the new 10-core GPU of the Apple M4 chip. It has Apple’s revolutionary Dynamic Caching, which significantly raises the average GPU utilization by dynamically allocating local memory in real time and hardware. Performance for even the most demanding pro apps and games is greatly improved by this.

iPad hardware-accelerated ray tracing adds lifelike reflections and shadows to games and other visually exciting material for the first time. The GPUs hardware accelerated mesh shading speeds geometry processing and supports more graphically sophisticated scenes in games and graphics-intensive applications. Apple M4 chip significantly improves pro rendering speed, which is now up to four times faster than on M2, in tools such as Octane. The CPU and GPU enhancements in M4 preserve Apple silicon’s industry-best performance per watt. With only half the power, M4 can perform at par with M2. Additionally, the M4 requires only a quarter of the power to achieve the same performance as the newest PC processor in a light and thin laptop.

The fastest neural engine ever found in an IP block specifically designed to accelerate AI workloads is found in the Most Powerful Neural Engine Ever the M4. With a staggering 38 trillion operations per second, or 60 times faster than the first neural engine in the A11 Bionic, this is Apple’s most powerful neural engine ever. The Neural Engine in the Apple M4 chip creates an incredibly potent chip for AI, especially when combined with the high-performance GPU, higher-bandwidth unified memory, and next-generation ML accelerators in the CPU.

Additionally, the new iPad Pro enables users to complete incredible AI tasks quickly and on-device thanks to iPadOS AI features like Live Captions, which provides real-time audio captions, and Visual Look Up, which recognises items in images and videos.

With just a tap, the iPad Pro with Apple M4 chip can tap-freely separate a subject from the background of a 4K film in Final Cut Pro, and by listening to a piano performance in StaffPad, it can automatically write musical notation in real time. Additionally, inference workloads can be completed effectively and discreetly with the least amount of negative effects on battery life, app memory, and app performance. More potent than any neural processing unit found in any AI PC on the market today, the M4’s neural engine is Apple’s most powerful to date.

Cutting-Edge Media Engine for Fluid, Effective Streaming

The most sophisticated Media Engine available for iPad is found in the M4. It not only supports the most widely used video codecs, such as H.264, HEVC, and ProRes, but it also introduces hardware acceleration for AV1 to the iPad a first. This enables streaming services to play back high-definition videos with greater power efficiency.

More Beneficial to the Environment

Apple has high requirements for energy economy, and the all-new iPad Pro meets those standards and offers all-day battery life thanks to the power-efficient performance of Apple M4 chip. As a result, it requires less time to be plugged in and uses less energy overall in its lifetime.

Apple is currently carbon neutral for worldwide corporate operations and expects to be so by 2030 for its manufacturing supply chain and product life cycle.

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