#considering i have her stuck in the city for another rp i might as well make an open so she can easily interact with more trolls

[spootsaline]

Open Rp!

Vircoi frowns. She doesn’t go into the city frequently, but she has to be in to shop, and gather items she simply can’t obtain from her living space. Which in of itself is not the problem.

 What is the problem is that this is the first time that she has been in town since she has become a rainbow drinker, and since she can’t stop her glow, she’s getting nasty looks. Which isn’t something she is accustomed to. She just hopes no one tries anything, as she just wants to get her stuff and leave as soon as possible. 

[guiltycorp]

Playing Genshin for a couple of weeks now and I have some thoughts about Mondstadt, its seeming prosperity, and criminal elements!! Also dunking on Diluc a little bit lol. I'm not even going to touch hilichurls, they're probably the one issue I expect the game to come back to in time! They seem to be an intelligent race that was cursed and so we might get some sad backstory and realize that we've been assholes to them, not 100% sure but hopefully. Other than hilichurls and the Fatui (and yeahhh so fun to make russians into villains, im guessing it's for attracting the american audience or something... at least the characters are interesting enough), there are also Treasure Hoarders, who in the archive are mainly described as workers who lost their jobs or some other manner of poor people who turned to looting and crime out of desperation. And yet the angle is that 'thieving is always morally wrong'. Somebody didn't read Les Mis, I guess! Another note, there seems to be a weird gameplay and story segregation where we as the Traveler do lots of looting and treasure hunting ourselves only to be commended for it. But I digress. My actual point is that interestingly enough those elements of worldbuilding come together pretty well when you look at the city itself!   In Mondstadt it is most difficult to become a small business owner, made all the more obvious when compared to Liyue's wealth of shops, services, and traveling traders (Liyue has its own baggage of problems which tbh seem more serious to me but that's another topic). It's just not the most profitable occupation! Almost everyone we see out on the streets does their own resource supply, production, and service. Naturally, this means that those people don't earn enough to hire their own workers. In turn, that means that there are no jobs to be found in those places. So, where are all the jobs? For that we have the Dawn Winery, the Knights of Favonius, and the option to leave for Springvale to become a hunter or go to a different country altogether. The winery is described as the city's most powerful industry both for local consumption and export, but how does it actually treat its workers? Well, for example there's Patton who accidentally broke a bottle of expensive wine and is now basically an indentured servant to Diluc. He says that even if he worked without any breaks he still would need 48 years to pay off his debt. We can meet his daughter near Venti's statue who has to play by herself because her father is always working. Does that really seem like freedom to you? There's also Guy's father who works at the winery itself and can't afford to rest even when he is heavily sick and old. These are the worst examples for sure but others also have their own smaller problems like Charles who confides in us that he often feels tired and only takes nights off when Diluc is in a mood to tend the bar himself etc.  It is kind of telling that we don't have the option of engaging with their problems and we can't really talk to Diluc about it either. For all that he defends the city each night, he shows no interest in defending his own workers from his business's predatory tactics. To say nothing of the great damage he does to the adult populace of the city, always supplying alcohol and tempting people with deals and sales when there are already too many drunkards even among the named characters. When the opposing tavern (which also only has Diona for a bartender even when her own father has alcohol dependence) chose to present a non-alcoholic beverage during the holiday Angel’s Share doubled down on alcohol. And it doesn't even have snacks? This one bit was probably just for joke purposes, but tbh it's pretty dangerous to drink without any snacks at all, it makes sense why people get so heavily drunk in the first place. Note that Diluc himself doesn’t drink, showing good judgment when it comes to himself. Meanwhile the only person Diluc seemingly has no problem cutting off is Kaeya and it’s not obvious whether that’s out of concern or pettiness. Nobody is cutting off Nimrod who is ruined by his addiction! Now this is probably the core reason why Nimrod turned to crime, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he and his wife are dependant on Kaeya who at the very least knows to appreciate his informants. Kaeya himself is also a gleeful enabler, by the way, which makes sense considering his uh.. everything. And his upbringing at the Dawn Winery didn’t hurt, no surprise why he’s so keen on wine himself. He might be shrewd and oh so clever when it comes to getting information in taverns, but his story details and voice lines confirm that there actually is a problem even if we don’t know the full scope of it.  Now, the Knights of Favonius? Aside from being corrupt in the past they happen to hire minors (we can read that in their handbook) whom they don't even pay. What's that, free labor for the simplest of tasks? Makes sense why some of the adult knights laze about if all the work gets done by minors or the more focused and accomplished senior knights with Visions. That's a wonky structure for sure. Guy tells us that he became a squire at 16 and still has the boring job of guarding the back gates despite repeatedly showing signs of great dissatisfaction. I wouldn't be surprised if he betrays us later or something, honestly. Maybe Kaeya is preparing him for double agent work, who knows. Right now he has no opportunities for climbing the career ladder to take better care of his sick father, stuck in a pointless job for months. And that's a talented and focused young man! what about regular folk? Well. In the end, regular people have several options. They can give up and overwork themselves while spending nights looking for coins in the wishing fountain to try and scrape enough for their sister’s medicine. They can go to the Adventurers' Guild which has highly dangerous commissions with the most profitable ones taken on by Fischl and other professionals, hardly a dependant job for a regular person. There’s also Church which we know very little about. Likely it's dependant on taxes and donations and it’s the one organization that cares about the orphans of the city (no, keeping Klee in solitary doesn’t count as caring, Knights of Favonius!). There’s Springvale for hunters, farmers and chefs, a difficult lifestyle to maintain when the hunting grounds are in one of the Four Winds’ domains with strangely intelligent wolves.  And then there’s the other more accessible and obvious option! You guessed it, it’s crime!!  And there it is, the reason why there's such a big problem with bandits and overworked people in Mondstadt :)  Honestly after writing all that down, if I were to RP a normal person in Mondstadt I’d try to get into the Treasure Hoarders guild at like 5 years old I think. Better than standing around watching random people kill my pigeons anyway. Tbh this is less of a 'makes you think huh!!' take and more of a commendation towards the writers of the game. They obviously have a more conservative outlook if they're so keen on condemning the thieves who have to steal in order to survive, but the world itself makes a lot of sense. It makes the game a lot of fun to explore.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Ninety-Seven: With a Shovel ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Hyūga Hanabi, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina, gore, vulgarity ] [ Verse: When Dead Walk ] [ AO3 Link ]

Shit shit SHIT!

Vaulting over a fence, he lands on his feet, regathering momentum quickly. So much for quiet and unnoticed! How was he supposed to know the place was boobbytrapped?! Bag still slung over his shoulders, it bounces heavily against his back with every thud of his feet against the ground. At least he got a decent haul before all the ruckus. Should keep them fed for a short while.

Behind him, he can hear the rippling-outward cries of the undead. When one notices you, its noise and shift in attention seem to spread like another disease, infecting any others within range and calling them to the same action: to try and feed on whoever’s unlucky enough to get noticed.

And right now, it’s him.

Struggling to keep his breath even, Sasuke’s arms pump as he cuts through old yards, overgrown and filled with weeds. Even the weather is dreary today: overcast and muggy. Just the kind of atmosphere he wants to be running for his life through. Remnants of old lives, probably lost, are scattered throughout: lawn furniture, kids’ toys, empty dog houses, swimming pools filled with sickly green water and bloated dead bodies.

Ah, so that’s where that smell’s coming from.

At least the damn things are slow and unsteady...but he doesn’t want to get caught in a corner. He’s stuck to the outskirts, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t zombies this far out that can cut him off.

But this time, it’s not a deadhead he has to worry about.

Just as he skirts by a house, a figure comes barreling out of the back door, knocking into him and throwing them both to the ground in a heap. Sense scrambled for a moment, Sasuke panics - was that a dead one?! But...no, it was running. He’s never seen one run before, they’re too slow and off-kilter. Then...another survivor? Shit, what if they have a weapon?

“Behind you!”

Rolling to his side, his eyes go wide as his unexpected companion leaps over him, curling slightly as he expects them to hit him. But instead, he hears a dull thud. Flailing to his other side (and trying to wriggle back), he watches as the other human decapitates a walker.

...with a shovel.

Wide-eyed and panting, he watches them catch their breath, then look over their shoulder to him. It...looks like a woman? A little hard to tell, what with the dirty countenance and baggy clothing.

...she’s not gonna use that on him now, is she?

“Get up!” she commands, keeping hold of her tool and offering an arm.

Not about to refuse, Sasuke takes her grip, struggling to his feet with his pack weighing him down. Together, they keep running the way he was headed, crossing a few more yards before reaching the true outside of the suburb.

It’s then they look to each other warily.

“...are you alone?” she asks, glancing back toward the houses.

“...here and now? Yeah,” is his sarcastic reply.

“You know what I mean.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I left my sister stashed. We have a car that runs. We can take you back…” She nods to his back. “...spare some of your loot and we’ll call it even.”

“Don’t I already owe you?”

“Maybe, but I’m not - I’m not about to leave you here. So, is there anyone else?”

Considering her carefully, the ruckus of the undead drawing nearer, he admits, “...not here. My brother’s back at our camp.”

“We’ll take you there.”

“So long as you put that shovel down, sure.”

In spite of herself, the woman gives a hint of a smile. “Unless your heart stops beating, I don’t have any intention of hurting you. The living need to stick together, r-right?”

“Yeah...if only more people thought that way. You lead the way.”

In a thicket of bushes and trees a ways from the development, they uncover a vehicle covered with severed branches. Within is a teenager who jumps at the sight of them. “Hinata, who the hell is that?”

“A new friend,” Hinata, as she appears to be called, replies. “He’s fine. We’re going to take him home, and trade some supplies.”

Eyeing her nearly-empty pack, the girl mutters, “Trade? We don’t have anything to trade.”

“That’s what the ride is for, Hanabi.”

Expression guarded, she remains in the rear seat as Sasuke takes the passenger door, Hinata driving. “Where are we headed?”

“North a ways. Abandoned farmhouse. It’s back in some trees, easy to miss.”

Nodding, Hinata revs the engine, backing from their hiding place and heading up the road.

Behind them, the swarm continues to shuffle toward the sound as it fades into the distance.

The subsequent silence is filled by the humming of the motor, Sasuke keeping his eyes flickering between the road and his companions. While he doubts either are much of a threat, he’s not about to let his guard down, either.

“So you were hitting up the same spot, huh?” Hanabi asks, leaning up between the seats.

“Hanabi, please put your seatbelt on,” Hinata offers wearily.

“Why? It’s not like we’re gonna get pulled over.”

“That’s not the most important aspect of wearing a seatbelt.”

The teen rolls her eyes. “Yes, Mom.”

Watching the exchange, Sasuke sees the elder sister wilt a hair.

“That place is the nearest one we’ve found to hit up,” Sasuke offers, deciding to humor her attempt at conversation. “We’ve been here a few weeks now.”

“We?”

“Me and my elder brother.”

“Cool, another sibling duo.”

His lips quirk in amusement. “We lived in the city west of here, headed out this way when things got bad. Been hopping as we need to ever since. Had a car, but it tanked a while before we got here.”

“Hey, we came from the west, too! Anybody else with you guys?”

“No, just us. We’ve run into a few people, but...it never ended well.”

“Yeah, us either…” Hanabi admits. “Least nobody’s tried to kill us, yet. They just all got themselves killed.”

“Hanabi,” Hinata murmurs in scolding.

“What? They did!”

“Please don’t speak ill of the dead.”

“We had one group try to finish us off, but they didn’t have a car. Running from them’s what got it so banged up until it quit running,” Sasuke offers.

“Have you killed anybody still ali-?”

“Hanabi!”

“What? It’s an honest question!”

“...just one,” Sasuke murmurs.

The car goes quiet.

“...some asshole snuck up on us. Was grappling with my brother. Ran him through with a makeshift spear I’d made. All his hollering brought on the dead...we left him there and made a run for it.”

“...oh man…”

“Sometimes you have no choice. It was him or my brother.”

“...guess you’re right. I’d kill anybody that came after my sister!” She whisks out a pocket knife, pointing it at him with pursed lips.

Sasuke just scoffs humorously. “Trust me, I don’t plan on it. She saved my ass.”

“She did?”

“Yeah. With a shovel. It was badass.”

Hanabi looks wide-eyed to her sister, who seems almost bashful.

Spirits a bit lightened, Sasuke points to a dirt road. “Up there, a few miles in.”

By now the sky is darkening, and he considers the time of day. If these two have far to go, they’ll be drawing zombies like moths to a flame with any headlights. Maybe…

As twilight settles in, they pull up to an old two story farmhouse, a silo and barn nearby.

“Whoa, neat place! Are there any animals?”

“Just a few chickens. Come on, we’ll talk inside.”

From the front door emerges Itachi, watching warily. “...Sasuke?”

“They’re friendly,” he replies, waving a hand. “But if this one pulls out a shovel, start running.”

Hinata gives a weary sigh, suppressing a smile as Hanabi laughs.

“...well all right then,” Itachi agrees, a brow perked.

“She saved my life. They’re here to take a few things to call it even. But I think at this rate, they’d better stay ‘til daylight.”

Hinata frowns. “But -?”

“If you try to make it home in the dark, you might crash...and headlamps will make you way too obvious. We’ve got plenty of room, and we can figure out what I owe you after some sleep.”

“Oh c’mon, ‘nata! This house is awesome!” Hanabi begs, tugging her sleeve.

“Where are you holding up?” Itachi asks politely.

“Firefighter station. It’s a bit out of the way, but pretty secure.”

“The beds are super uncomfy,” Hanabi offers, earning a light laugh from Itachi.

“Well, we’ve not qualms with you remaining for a night. As Sasuke says, leaving now will be trouble either way, a risk you don’t need to take. Besides...it’s been quite some time since we’ve had friendly company.”

“Yeah, us too,” Hinata admits. “If you really don’t mind…?”

“Nah, you’re fine,” Sasuke assures her. “We’ll cook something, then call it a night...hash things out in the morning?”

“Sure.”

Supper is mostly canned foods, the four of them huddled in the kitchen around an old hurricane lamp. Hanabi is soon dozing, Hinata escorting her upstairs.

“This room has two beds - we stick downstairs, so you’ve got it all to yourselves.”

“Thank you...and Sasuke?”

At the threshold of the stairs, he turns back.

“...glad I ran into you.”

He snorts. “Yeah. Literally.”

Giving her own smile in return, Hinata bids him goodnight, shutting the door as he retreats back down the flight.

“Are they settled?”

“Seem to be.”

“I think it best we turn in as well. You look tired.”

“Yeah, well...running for your life’ll do that to you.”

                                                             .oOo.

     ...I think this is my first zombies piece? At least for this challenge, haha - I write it on occasion for RP, but this is my first real fic for it. I should do more!      And yes, it's Hinata wielding the weapon this time around - cuz our girly needs her chances to be the badass she is! I think Sasuke was impressed ;3 And heck yes to sibling duos and alliances.      Anyway, that's it for tonight! A bit early for once, lol - thanks for reading!

[timberline-falls]

Two Asura and the Crown Pavilion

"Can you hear it, Kez? The din of battle! The clash of steel! This is going to be so much fun."

((Just a little text-based RP, with a lore assumption at the beginning))

After a few rounds of pacing in deliberation, Kezza comes to a stop at her console. The stress of boredom and loneliness led her here, to this point of consideration; She would go to Divinity's Reach, and attend the human festival.

But she wouldn't be going alone. Accessing the Magistracy's communications interface, she scans the available roster for the right name and designation. Finding it, Kezza prompts the interface for message creation, and proceeds to stare at the display. It proves unexpectedly difficult to type something so simple, but she manages it soon enough:

"Excel, Ger. Would you like to accompany me to the Crown Pavilion in Divinity's Reach? I'll be ready in the morning once Pwitt is in class. Let me know before then."

+

Thus far, there hadn't been much to Gerik's day to encourage a positive outlook. Between a minor breach in the containment lab, another handful of falsified recreational leave requests, and Sippi's usual lack of involvement with her duties, he'd had his hands full.

It seemed like providence, then, that he'd just been walking out of his office to distribute another round of tongue lashing to his subordinates, when a light 'ping!' from his terminal caught his ear. He stopped in the doorway, quietly debating whether to go back or not, but finally decided that it might be important and marched back over to his desk.

Rather swiftly, his expression shifted from one of mild disinterest, to shock, and finally a giddy sort of uncertainty. He rattled out a response without really perceiving it, then breezed out through the door to take his lunch,

"Kez, I'd be delighted. Bringing my combat apparatuses. Look forward to reconvening."

+ ————— As promised, Kezza readies herself in the morning after seeing Pwitt to his class. With her hair done up in long spirals, she dons her stonework armor, and resets the default chromatics from red to a less antagonistic purple. All the while, she wonders at her choice to attend a festival of bookah, but Gerik's enthusiastic reply was encouraging. It would do her well to work out her anxieties and frustration on a horde of Destroyers-- Watchwork or not.

Expecting to find Gerik at the asura gate, Kezza departs her domicle with a budding sense of excitement.

+

Prompt and punctual as always, Gerik arrives at the asura gate no sooner than Kezza had sauntered into view. His usual attire is modified, his coat dispensed with in favor of a trailing split-tailed scarf and his armor unusually spartan; all trimmed in striking gold and violet.

As his friend draws nearer, Gerik rocks a bit on his heels, arms folded behind his back. He greets her with a warm, toothy smile, "Excelsior, Kez. I hope you're not feeling pusillanimous."

+

"Scarcely!" She answers, coming down the stairs with heavy footfalls. A slim-fitting gauntlet rests on the hilt of a sword, which sparks to vibrant life when she draws it. Lightning tracks in its wake, and so with a smile, she adds, "I'm positively electrified."

+

Gerik goes wide-eyed a moment at Kezza's newly brandished blade, unfurling his hands from behind him. "Where did you happen upon that?"

+

At first it seems she's offended, but she flourishes the blade in a downward swipe, to then be held at her side. "I created it, of course. It's been a pet project of mine for years," she replies, still chiper with self-satisfaction despite it. "I call it Volt."

+

The Disaggregator's eyes sweep up and down the sword, his expression equally envious and impressed. He cups his chin in hand, as though to conceal his obvious overawe.

"Well, it's certainly delightful to look at," he agrees, with building enthusiasm, "But how does it perform in combat?"

+

With a self-assured hum not unlike his, she lifts the blade again for inspection. It sparks and buzzes as though eager. "I've yet to properly challenge it."

+

Forgoing any pretense of dignity at the blade's presentation, he moves over in a single, smooth stride and lowers himself to eye level. "Marvelous," he breathes, a grin curling the edge of his mouth. He looks up to her after a moment, giddy and beaming, "Let's go conduct some field trials."

((that's not suggestive at all))

+

Kezza's smile as she watches him becomes a grin at his suggestion. She nods firmly, despite the light touch of pink on her cheeks set there by his marveling.  "Affirmative."

+

He clears his throat and puts his eyes elsewhere, off towards the asura gate, "Hem. Well, let's to it then."

With a gentler grin, he stands and offers for her to take the lead with a flourish.

+

With marked pride, Kezza takes the lead, returning the sword to a more dormant state at her hip. It still emits a low buzz—likely inaudible to any but asura—but sparks cease to dance across its winding structure. At reaching the gate, she pauses to check over shoulder for him, and pays him an almost giddy look before passing through.

+

It's all Gerik can do to keep from grinning like a fool as he follows through after Kezza, a light bounce in his step.

+

On the other side, some of her elation is taken by arriving in what was always hostile territory. Double-checking that they wore no Inquest identifiers, Kezza descends the steps along with Gerik.

+

Descending the steps after his friend, Gerik finds himself glancing off from side to side on instinct, despite his good humor. Shaking his suspicions off for the moment, he gives Kezza an almost boyish grin as they walk.

"So, what compelled you to extend an invitation to this outing?"

+

The question seems to catch her off-guard. "Oh. Well, I didn't want to go by myself. I thought it might be more fun if you accompanied me." She holds back from mentioning a third reason.

+

He scratches at his chin, leaning his head out of the way of a passing cart's cargo with a measure of irritation, "Well, I suppose I wouldn't have wanted to go alone either. I'm glad you invited me, regardless." His expression relaxes into a familiar comfort, smile easing, "I was one lost asset retention report from a complete neural collapse."

+

Concern crosses her features, "What happened? Was it the interns from accounting again? I told Teokkin to triple-check their work," the former Magistrix frowns.

+

An exasperated sigh tumbles out of his mouth, his claws dragging down his face to hook at his lower lip. "It's everyone. If it isn't Sippi slacking off, it's a researcher losing their passrunes." He grumbles. "I've needed a break."

+

A hand reaches out to join his, allowing Kezza to walk closer beside her friend and superior. "Aw, Ger. You should have told me sooner. I could have arranged something." She pauses at her Magistrix phrasing, shaking her head. "I mean, arranged something outside of work, for us."

+

Gerik's fingers readily slip between Kezz's, accepting her grasp with an easy comfort. He flicks an ear at her phrasing, keeping pace beside. "I'm just thankful for the time we've allotted today. Teokkin certainly keeps us both busy."

+

Kezza hums, a vaguely melancholy sound. The mundane workload she was burdened with was beneath her, nothing as challenging or demanding as she'd had before. It left her unsatisfied and afforded more free time, which she wasn't always able to fill. "I am as well."

+

The lowness in Kezza's tone see Gerik's ears fold back with concern, though he refrains from vocalizing it. This was meant to be a convival outing, after all, wasn't it? Fretting about their occupational troubles could only work against that.

Leaning nearer as they pass through the archway leading out of the plaza into the city proper, he gives her hand a gentle squeeze. "Those protectives suit you."

+

Kezza's smile returns, "Thank you," she answers. "I agree. Though I wonder if I have overdressed."

+

Gerik scoffs at the notion, "Certainly not. I've been informed that the Queen's Gauntlet is one of the most rigorous tests of combative skill on the continent." He glances her way, nose stuck up, "I'd say your accoutrements are impeccably picked."

+

Kezza frowns, "It's only a bookah celebration. I don't anticipate a rigorous test, though I hope for Volt's sake you're correct." She pats the pommel of her weapon.

+

His eyes drift down to visit a longing look on the blade. He hums. "We'll just have to be certain our field testing is thorough. Did you have any inclinations towards a particular biome to start with?"

+

"I read there is one dedicated to Destroyers," she gives him a knowing look, "I'd like to start there."

+

He smirks in a familiar sort of way, "I was hoping that might be your proposal. Let's see if these bookah know how to run a proper simulation, then."

+

Kezza makes an affirming sound tied to a smirk, and as they continue down towards the pavilion, she considers how her hand still holds his. With her other hand set easily on Volt's pommel, she walks comfortably alongside her friend amidst the festival's many guests and patrons.

+

Feeling more at ease than he had in months, Gerik takes in the sights as they descend through the city. Though bookah still earn a dirty look now and then, he finds letting minor annoyances go unattended comes more easily to him.

"Ah, there's that abominable avian."He gestured with his free hand at the rooftops around them. Just visible over the row of houses, the brass eagle looms above the upper Pavilion.

+

"It's a strange celebration even by human standards. Why does their Queen hold a gauntlet beneath that sculpture?" She wonders aloud, narrowly avoiding a collision with a passing norn.

+

He shrugs his shoulders, uncertain himself. "Who can say? As my old professor used to say, there's no sense making sense of simian behavior." The Disaggregator hums, moving his gaze from the horrible sculpture back to Kezza. "At least the arenas are underground."

+

Kezza's ears fold, taking exception to his old professor. She puffs her chest a bit, "I intend to find out, while we're present. Participation in the festivities should prove elucidating."

+

"Oh, you believe so?" The smirk he wore was plainly audible I'm his voice. "Maybe, if your goal is to gather data on watchknight structural integrity-- which I intend to do thoroughly."

+

"As do I," she affirms, returning the smirk. "Though I have no intention of neglecting my research."

+

"I wouldn't dream of interfering with data collection." He grins her way as they descend the stairs into the upper Pavilion. Festival-goers flock in loose throngs across the massive grounds area beneath the brass eagle's shadow. Gerik pauses just long enough to sneer up at it. "So gaudy."

+

"There must be some symbolic meaning in it," Kezza frowns up at the eagle, stopping only a moment to get a look. The confetti and balloons floating through the air prove a minor obstruction, but their presence isn't entirely unwelcome.

+

Gerik sniffs at the strange, and sometimes unpleasant smells carrying on the wind; sweaty humans and oily carnival food. Still, he had to admit that it was difficult to remain cheerless; especially given the company he kept. "I suppose. I just hope these humans subscribe to the idea of building codes."

+ ------

The transition from blinding sunlight and roaring crowds to the cool, moist underground is a welcome one; at least for Gerik. Stepping off the elevator, the Disaggregator grips his friend's hand a little tighter as the motley group around them files off and heads for the fighting pits. He glances Kezza with mounting excitement, "Can you hear it, Kez? The din of battle! The clash of steel! This is going to be so much fun."

+

Kezza flicks her ears, feeling nervous butterflies in her stomach for the first time. Still she nods, "After we've decimated the Destroyers, did you have a preference for the next biome?"

+

He squeezes her hand, perhaps unknowingly swept away by his enthusiasm, "I've always wondered how these human bandits come apart.."

+

As they reach their final descent, the pavilion's depth opens up in full to them. To sensitive asuran ears, the noise is almost overwhelming, but excitement allows Kezza to carry on. She gives his hand a squeeze in turn, privately embarassed by having held it this long.

The crowd at the center of the six pits gathers around long tables adorned with a wide assortment of food, offering something for every race's palate. The smell is only somewhat tainted by the sulfurous emissions of the lava pit.

Kezza grips the pommel of her sword, partially eager to wield it, and partially to soothe herself amidst a population where many would like to see her dead.

((tbc))

[find-your-rp-partner]

In-Depth Character Roleplay With Relationships!

Hey there! You can call me Kale, and I am a 17 years old and living in MST (Mountain Standard Time), looking for some literate, in-depth roleplay. Before anything else, I am a minor. I refuse to roleplay smut, I don’t want anyone to get in trouble. 

I’ve been roleplaying for about six years now on websites varying from omegle, to tumblr, to other websites. My preferred genres are romance, horror, and slice-of-life. I really love it when characters form relationships, so that’s what I’m mainly looking for when I roleplay! 

I am looking for mainly fandom roleplay, but I might be persuaded into original roleplay depending on the plotline. I’m a sucker for historical fiction and romance, so run your ideas by me and we can see where it leads! Fandom wise, I will warn you, fandom roleplay is mostly canon and original character interaction. However, I am fully willing to play as up to three canon characters, as well as my original character if you do the same! Needless to say, I’d be more than happy to do that canon and oc love triangle plot you’ve been itching to play.

I will list my main fandoms, as well as  any ideas I have for those fandoms, as well as my preferences and credentials! 

Main Fandoms:

love interest/who i would like to play against

who i will/can/love to rp as

* (acceptable)

** (please)

*** (craving)

****(kill me now, i’ll do whatever)

****Undertale [ Sans / Payrus / Frisk / Undyne / Asriel / Flowey]****

I just hopped onto the bandwagon of Undertale, so I’m extremely eager to roleplay almost anything! I would love to explore alternate time-lines, or exploring the humans who fell previously. I’d also love a roleplay about the monsters on the surface!  My favorite ideas at the moment, however, would have to be either a modern slice-of-life with our original characters interacting with the monsters on the surface, or a 1920’s speakeasy inspired slice-of-life. Monster mob versus human mob, anyone? Or they could just work at a speakeasy, both are lovely! 

I have a specific oc for Undertale who is a monster, but I also have a few humans that would work as well.

**Gravity Falls [Bill Cipher/ Mabel / Dipper]**

If we are going to be roleplaying Gravity Falls, I’m mainly looking for a darker setting! For example, I would love an roleplay where Bill has taken over, or other demons have gotten involved. Gravity Falls would be a messed up place, because something happened to it. I’m open to other sorts of roleplay for this fandom though! 

Currently, this is the main plot I’d like to roleplay for this fandom: Dipper and Mabel have found themselves back in Gravity Falls on their 18th birthday. Finally free to return to the small town, they discover that a lot of things have changed. Not only are their more residents, but they all seem to have some sort of secrets about them. Not to mention, another pair of twins have moved in, and one of the two seems strikingly familiar…

**Doctor Who: [Rose / Any Doctor]**

Doctor Who is the fandom that I have the most experience roleplaying in. I am looking for something a little different in this fandom however, rather than the typical pick up a companion and fly.

For this fandom, I’d like to go with this idea: The Doctor has found himself stuck in a timeline where he must go under-cover. He has all of his memories, but in order to achieve his goal, he must go under-cover. One of his co-workers in this time seems to dislike him, but one day they end up saving his life. Now, The Doctor finds himself running into this person wherever they go, and eventually decides that something in the time-space continuum is trying to tell them something.

**Marvel (Not just cinematic, comics as well): [ liTERALLY ALMOST EVERYONE ]**

Yay! Superheros! I really do mean it when I say I can play pretty much everyone in this universe. I connect with a lot of the characters. For Marvel, I love doing mission roleplays where the characters are on a mission together, and get character bonding experience.

A prompt idea for this one is the following: Enter cliche S.H.E.I.L.D intern. Enter cliche Villain/Hero. Suddenly, the two of them have gotten themselves stuck together in a hostage situation, helpless to do anything but talk to the other. 

***Jessica Jones:***  As a sub-interest, I’ve just finished Jessica Jones and I would adore a roleplay based in this universe. I would also love to roleplay with Kilgrave or Jessica. For this, I’d be looking for something where we could really look at the characters. For Jessica, it could be someone else who has dealt with Kilgrave or something similar, coming to Jessica for help on a case. For Kilgrave, I’d want to play around with the idea of him laying low and having to try and blend in. Maybe Jessica didn’t kill him after all? He can’t use his powers and just has to deal with us normal people.

****DC (Not just cinematic, comics as well) : [ liTERALLY EVERYONE .]****

For DC, I’m mostly interested in the Batman universe. I’m also willing to dabble in Teen Titans, but mostly Batman. For this one, I’d want to either plot out a villains-sentric roleplay, or a slice-of-life in Gotham City. After all, that would be one interesting life. I will say that I specialize in all things Harley Quinn, so I’m more than happy to take her on!  

For DC, I’d like to play college students trying to survive in the city long enough to graduate and then get the hell out. Another idea is two villains (or more) making deals with each other for their schemes, and how it affects their work and other relationships. I have more in depth ideas for this one depending on the characters, so feel free to ask me about it!

****Death Note: [ Mello / Light / L / Near / Mikami / Takada/ Matt ]****

I know a lot about Death Note. Any plot will work with me for this fandom, I love it to death. Just…be careful. I’m hyper-aware of canon for this one, so unless we specifically do an AU,  I’ll be a stickler.

However, I LOVE this fandom. I will problem accept ANY IDEA YOU HAVE. Throw them at me. Bathe me in them. BATHE ME IN DEATH NOTE ROLEPLAYS.

***Creepypasta: [ Jeff / Laughing Jack / Jane / Slenderman/ Eyeless Jack ] ***

OH BOY CREEPYPASTA. IIf you want romance, both characters HAVE to be fucked up and realistic. I will only roleplay this if you have good Oc’s, and are willing to write some really nasty stuff. Also, I’m going to include Marble Hornets in this category, despite them being separate universes. I feel the same way about Marble Hornets. I love it, but it’s going to be dark and horrifying if we roleplay it.

My favorite idea for Creepypasta roleplay is as follows: These murders exist in the real world, and boy are they nasty. They have types of glamours to disguise them while in the real world, but once business calls, they forget any shred of humanity they’ve learned in the human world. Slenderman and his proxies run the Creepypasta realm like a mafia, killing and negotiating with other high-up socialites. 

*Danganronpa: [ Komeada / Naegi / Celes / Togami / Twogami / Sonia ]*

I’ve never actually roleplayed Danganronpa before, but god damn am I willing. My main idea for this one is as cliche as it gets. We take some of the main characters, and replace them with ours! Boom! Done!

*Black Butler: [ Ciel / Alois / Sebastian / Undertaker ]*

Similar to Creepypasta, but not to the extent. Darker themes, and good OC’s make me willing to roleplay. 

In terms of quality vs quantity, I prefer paragraph roleplay with literate grammar. I don’t consider myself to be too picky about it, but I’d prefer proper capitalization and punctuation at the very least? I prefer at least 1+ paragraph in response, just so I have enough to work with!

I prefer to roleplay over email and (sometimes) skype, but I don’t really mind where you contact me. We can discuss where we can roleplay, and what we will roleplay from there!

I have a couple rules when I come to roleplaying, but not many.

1. NO SMUT. 

2. No graphic descriptions of r*pe.

3. Please be respectful of me and my characters.

4. Godmodding to a certain extent. Turning my characters head is fine, anything more than that makes me uneasy. You can contact me here:

email: rainbowbresnan.net@gmail.com

tumblr: ribbonsrosesandfuck.tumblr.com

Goodbye! Happy roleplaying!

[dnteverdoubtme]

💗 🐹 🌠 👀 ☀️ 💁 🌟 🐾 🎁 💙 😤 ✈️ ⚡️ 💛 💚 💎 🍀 🍰 🙀 💥 🎤 📚 😔 🐧 💫 👻 🎀 🎬

💗 if you could hug anyone, who would it be?

Dominic Sherwood. Jace needs a hug plus he’s my favorite celebrity atm and looks like he gives good hugs, i’m just saying. 

🐹 what are some of your favourite Pokémon and why?

Eevee, he is adorable on his own plus can turn into several other awesome looking pokemons; Cubone, his story makes me want to cry; Dragonite, for no particular reason, i just like him. Pichu for cuteness reasons and Beedrill cause i had this pokemon card game and Beedrill was my stronger card.  

🌠 if you were in charge of the world, what would the world look like?

a lot prettier since i’m a bit obsessed with symmetry. honestly i don’t think i’m a good person to rule the world, i’d have hard stances on many things, but i guess things would be better when it comes to human rights, there’d be no wars ( since i rule everything ) and a lot of tolerance so people can be who they really are as long as it doesn’t hurts anybody else, i’d legalize drugs, abortion, and shove a bunch of LGBT rights down people’s throats… idk, i want to say it’d be better because the current situation is shit, but i’d probably get a council to help me out cause this feels hard already. i don’t want to rule the world, just have the power to make stupid demands like ‘I request a Unicorn Day!’ and “Bring back Life as We Know It for a season 2!’ 

👀 what was the most recent vivid dream that you had?

i rarely remember my dreams so there aren’t many, but the last i can recall was this weird thing where i was in a house somewhere in Europe and Min showed up and threw me a surprise party, and she spoke Portuguese. a lot of people started showing up, some bands i used to know and people i haven’t talked or though about in years.. i’m pretty sure the party ended up in a fight. 

☀️ what do you like the most about your best friends?

Heelary can always put things into perspective for me, help me stop, analyse a situation and see what i can actually do instead of just freaking out and crying. Fee thinks i’m this incredible person capable of anything and she helps me believe in myself. Ana likes the same things i do, like rping and plotting stories, and she helps me see that i’m not so weird and out there as i sometimes think i am. Daniel is someone i see once a year at times but i’ve known him for over 20 years but whenever we do meet it’s like time hasn’t past at all. Min makes me feel less lonely and helps me when i’m down ( she thinks i’m a far better person than i sometimes feel i am ) and, finally, B is my soulmate when it comes to writing and such a talented person it makes me feel special that i get to be her friend. overall i’m really blessed of having this collection of ridiculously special people in my life and i chose to make this about how them make me feel but they’re all incredible and amazing on their own. 

😘 talk about your crush or partner

i have crushes in half of my friends ( the hazards of bissexuality, lol ), but i live with my boyfriend, have done it for a couple years now… we have a bit of a silly love story where i was going to leave the country and drunkenly proposed he be my fake-boyfriend for a few months before my trip just so we could go on dates and make out, no strings attached… so of course we spend a month seeing each other every single fucking day and fall in love. i never had a relationship that lasted more than a couple months prior to that, and now here i am 3 years and counting. he asked me not to leave and i stayed. so that’s it, that’s my relationship, and this whole rant says nothing about him. he’s a lawyer, a big nerd that plays MMO’s all night, a grumpy fuck and totally silly putty for out cat, Arthur. i love him.  

💁 if someone was rude to you, would you be rude back?

it depends… i usually have a ‘kill them with kindness’ approach to rudeness. being the kid dressed in black with piercings and tattoos when i was younger i was used to having people approach me and my friends with a general bad disposition and i loved being extra nice and cheery just to see their momentary confusion and the damn youths being polite and nice. that is not to say i can’t be a rude bitch, i’m a scorpio after all, but it usually has to be deserved. 

🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!)

i like my eyes a lot, they’re my best feature ( well that and my boobs, but it feels shallow to say boobs in a top 3 ). i like my writing, and i think i do it well enough to consider it a talent ( i don’t have many of those so i’ll take what i can get ) and, lastly, i guess i love my creativity, be it with stories, cooking, crafts or just imagining things, i tend to go hard about it and it’s something i love doing, creating something new.  

🐾 what are you scared of most? how will you overcome it?

the deep sea, crocodiles, hippos, extreme heights, anonymity and failure, i don’t really know how to overcome any of them ( and you can’t pay me enough to get anywhere near a hippo ) but i suppose we live on through the memory of the people we somehow touch in life so i hope i can finish my book one day, and maybe live through my stories and those who read them - so i don’t know if it would work, but this is what i’ve got.

🎁 what never fails to make you happy?

rping. it gets me out of my head and helps me forget my real life troubles, being able to think for someone else, plot things and put them into writing or just express them somehow ( since i love tabletop rps as well ) i just honestly turn to my characters whenever real life gets too much. 

💙 what annoys you about some people?

so many things… mostly i guess hypocrisy and ignorance. it’s no secret this fandom for instance annoys me a lot and  it’s mostly due to the fact that some people think they can tell others what to enjoy and how to think, that they love to judge and condemn things. in the few recent times i’ve been through their arguments and rants i can tell you it’s just ignorance and hatred spun into the vague shape of social justice and righteousness and that annoys me a lot. 

😤 do you get angry easily?

i wouldn’t say angry, but i do get stressed easily and worry about things like there’s no tomorrow. i can rant and complain a lot too, but getting truly angry is something i don’t do so easily. 

✈️ what is your dream city and why?

i can’t think of one specific city, more like a feeling.. i love the idea of a homey suburban place where one can raise a family, with snow during the winter ( so i guess it’d be in North America or Europe and safer than my country is. my dream city is probably in Canada, if i had to guess, but i’ve never been there so i can’t name a specific one.

⚡️ if you had any superpower, what would it be and why?

i’ve answered this before in another meme, but definitely to stop time. it’s the one thing i’m always missing and, as an expert procrastinator with friends in different time-zones i could definitely use it. just imagine being able to sleep as much as you want but you stopped time before doing it so you actually missed nothing out of your day *weeps* now that’s the dream. 

💛 if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?

not to worry so much about things, that the conflicts we go through when we are young become small in the future. that high-school grades mean nothing and i shouldn’t stress about them. that getting your first kiss is not that important. that the person you are in school is not who you’ll be forever and that i’d make amazing friends, just give it time.  

💚 who are you jealous of and why?

my friends. i’m not a jealous girlfriend, but i have a weird feeling towards my friends, like i’ll try really hard to bring them together and make them friends with each other because that’s always nice but if someone new comes along that i don’t know i’m just like ‘who dis’ and i stress that they might take my place until it’s clear they won’t. i’m also default jealous of all other Alec blogs out there, obliviously. 

💎 which one would you rather have more of: intelligence, beauty, kindness, wealth or bravery? why?

wealth, cause money can’t buy everything but it sure as hell buys a whole lot. it enables you to worry less, to help people and to live adventures, even if you don’t straight out need it in order to do any of those things on principle. 

🍀 if you could be any fictional character’s best friend/lover, which fictional character would you be?

i wanna say i’d be Alec because then i’d get a Jace… but a very single Alec, desperately in love with my best friend - so basically i’d be season 1 Alec, k bye 

🍰 what are some of your favourite sugary foods?

cheesecake, milky chocolate, chocolate cake/cupcakes… I’m very easy with this kind of thing since chocolate is my favorite flavor for sweets, but i also love lemon tarts and things with almonds and nuts like gianduia chocolate and nutella. 

🙀 are you an adrenaline seeker?

nah, i don’t think so. i’ll do some adventurous things, but nothing like bungee jumping and shit, that’s just terrifying. 

💥 what are some unpopular opinions that you have?

oh boy… unpopular opinions, let’s see. jalec > m@lec. Godfrey Gao was my favorite Magnus Bane. Star Wars is not all that. Friends is not so funny, neither is How I Met Your Mother. i don’t like the Beatles. i don’t like cult movies as a whole…

🎤 what’s the last song you hummed or sang by yourself?

Celine Dion’s It’s All Coming Back To Me Now. i saw this video of Jeremy Jordan singing it has been stuck in my head for days.

📚 share 3 books that you love and your favourite quote from them.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: “My good opinion once lost is lost forever.”

Neil Gaiman’s Stardust:“A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?” Pointless, really…“Do the stars gaze back?” Now, that’s a question.”

Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries, I can’t find the quote and I read them in Portuguese ( unlike the other two ), but my favorite quote would be Michael’s ove confession to Mia in book four, if I’m not mistaken, I literally had it photocopied and pasted to the back of my notebook in high-school, sue me. 

😌 what thoughts keep you going when you’re sad?

that however bad i think things are i know that it gets better. that there are people out there that car about me enough to want to help and to want to see me happy. that i’m not alone, even when i think i am. that no matter how ugly the world seems there are wonderful people out there and things worth living for. 

🐧 describe yourself in 3 words

bossy, needy and witty ( that’s according to Ana ) my own reply would vary between ‘totally fucking awesome’ and ‘not very nice’ depending on the day. 

💫 who inspires you?

successful people, i don’t have one in particular but whoever gets to live their dreams is someone i’d aspire to be ( unless you’re like Valentine and your dreams involve mass murder or something ).

👻 do you believe in ghosts and why?

not really? never thought much about them, but in general i don’t assume all the legends are true unless Jace shows up and tells me otherwise. 

🎀 what’s your fashion sense like?

emo circa 2004. skinny jeans, band t-shirts, cropped tops, combat boots, a lot of black and the occasional fitted dress… i love makeup so there’s that, preferably with smoky eyes, bold lips and a lot of highlight. 

🎬 what are some of your favourite films?

Pride and Prejudice, Stardust ( i’m consistent like that ), Les Miserables, Knight’s Tale, Captain América ( all of them, but specially The Winter Soldier ), Dangerous Beauty, A Cinderella Story, What a Girl Wants, She’ll All That, Memoirs of a Gueixa, The Count Of Montecristo, Pacific Rim, Disney’s Hercules, Mulan, The Lady and The Tramp, Anastasia… I like period romances, musicals, Disney movies and romcoms, that’s me. 

[soclosewiz]

Zombie Finger

I've considered Seattle home for a few years now, but when I returned in April after a month away, I somehow felt very much not at home in my own apartment, my climbing gym, and pretty much anywhere I went in what was supposed to be my city. I was immediately homesick for the mountains, the desert, or simply just the outdoors. Freedom had become a hard habit to break now that I had gotten a taste of it. After ten days of straight work, rain, and sickness, I eagerly jumped on the opportunity to get out of town and follow my friend Jasna to Smith to support her attempts on To Bolt or Not To Be, a dream project of hers. She told me she could stay for up to two weeks if necessary, so I planted the idea in the back of my mind that I might not be back in time for work on Monday when the weekend was over. I drove down solo on a Wednesday night, she sent on Thursday evening, and Sunday morning I awoke to an empty campground and a note that she had bailed back to Seattle. I had sent nothing myself, having been fighting off my cold the entire time. Thus, I was far from ready for my own departure, despite my sudden lack of partners. 

With no belayer for the day, nor place to stay for the night (aside from solo in the BLM land), I had to fight my ever present fear of the unknown that told me to just bail back to Seattle rather than face the uncertainty of being alone. Instead I headed for Redpoint, the local gear/beer/coffee shop, to wait for opportunity to strike. I found a familiar face outside: a friend named Austin with whom at the time I had more mutual friends than actual memories together. We had crossed paths plenty over the years, but barely knew each other on a personal level. Regardless, we were both psyched, and immediately made plans to climb that evening along with Jess (whom I didn’t know at all) when she got off work at RP. The two of them would quickly become one of the main reasons I stuck around Smith for as long as I did. Austin invited me to stay with them at Tree Matt’s house, where a commune of vans had assembled just outside of town that housed an assortment of climbers, slackliners, dirtbags, and Terreboners that would quickly become like family to me. 

I quickly fell into a happy routine: waking up slowly to the sun creeping around the edges of my curtains as I waited until the last possible minute to rip them down, crawl into the driver's seat, and race to Redpoint to use the bathroom. After that I would work for awhile, sit around playing yard games, board games, or music, stretching, or just straight up loitering, and then eventually head off to climb with whoever was most psyched. Usually Austin. When our fingers ached too much to climb any more, or the pangs of hunger were too strong, we would bail back to RP for beer (Bend’s surplus of breweries meant the shop was always well stocked) and usually more chess with whoever happened to be around. 

Life was cheap, convenient, and easy. The only thing not so easy about the central Oregon desert was the climbing itself. Smith is known for being sandbagged, runout, spicy, and extremely technical, and after the rough start I had to keep telling myself that I just needed to put in the time and eventually I would hit my stride with the difficult, scary, and insecure style. One of my first days of actually climbing well came when I was invited to venture up into the Marsupials with Alan, a local developer/crusher that was eager to put my psyche to the test when it came to arduous approaches and chances of choss on newly bolted lines. I was hesitant at first, but he sold me on the adventure by promising that we wouldn't have to carry much gear up the steep hill, so it wouldn't actually be much more of a hike than the standard Smith Rock slog. The next day as we assembled our packs he asked if I had room in mine for a camera. Sure, no big deal. And also a rope... So much for traveling light! While there may have been some sandbagging to get me to agree to go, it was all well worth it when I got a taste of the climbing at the 'Sups,' a more pumpy and powerful (aka more in line with my strengths) style than Smith proper. I managed a second ascent of one of Alan's excellent 5.13s, the Empire Strikes Back, after breaking off a few holds along the way. The taste of success, as well as the healing of a split tip that had plagued me up until that point, made me start to think that I had finally unlocked the ability to climb well at Smith. Little did I know that my battle for climbing success had only just begun.

[Alan getting into the first rest on one of his projects in the Marsupials]

Two days later I split another tip on Taco Chips, blowing my send with some sloppy footwork on one of the easier moves well past the crux. Frustrating, but not the end of the world. I could still climb well enough, I thought to myself as I managed to clip the chains on point several tries later. The following day was the Smith Rock Spring Thing anyway, so a bit of rest should mean I could heal up quickly. During the event I signed up for the Marsupials project, thinking how great it would be to give back to an area that had left me with a pretty meaningful first impression. The trail needed serious work, and I was psyched to try and be a good samaritan. We hiked up (the extra long way) and started moving rocks around to build terraces and stairs. In my enthusiasm, I hoisted a particularly large one right on top of my left hand. Pain shot through several of my fingers at once and a feeling of dread hit me as I immediately knew I had done some serious damage. I looked at the back of my hand to see what I had done to the nails, and was surprised to see they all looked perfectly normal. Then I flipped my hand over and had to force down my gag reflex as my eyes were immediately drawn to the dime-sized blood blister that now took up the entire pad of my middle finger. The most important finger for climbing in Smith’s pockets. 

 Jess and Adam gathered around me as we debated what to do. They insisted I shouldn’t pop it, but it felt like if I didn’t it was going to explode as it continued to inflate with more and more blood. I let the doom and gloom take over my disposition as I was sure I wouldn't climb for days, maybe even weeks as the skin inevitably fell off, or maybe the nail fell off, or maybe the entire finger just fell off. Tears ran down my face as I wondered if I should just head home right then and there to lick my wounds. After a semi-painful rest of the day, a few drinks and a free rope later, I decided the event wasn't a total loss and decided to stick it out at least a few days to see what happened. That night as I stood around a bonfire at Matt’s I listened to friends make plans to climb the next day, miserably lamenting my own loss of ability to try hard. When talk of trad climbing came up, my ears perked up like so many of the dogs that loitered at Redpoint with the climbers each day. That sounded like something I could do with the finger! 

[All taped up and waiting for the rain to stop in the lower gorge]

 A lot of tape and a needle to drain the blood and fluid after every attempt enabled me to climb the following day, to my great excitement. Crack climbing allowed me to still get after it without using the finger. The day after that I found myself able to weight it too, though it still needed to be drained after every pitch. Soon it ceased to even cause pain, though each day brought with it all kinds of changes in its appearance, none any less disturbing than those before. At first it was black and blue and full of blood-- that was when it was most painful. Immediately following that it turned white and squishy, like all the skin had been submerged in water for too long, or maybe it had just died and started to rot away. After that it became red underneath and hard as plastic, which was when I decided I was fed up with the amount of tape and superglue I was using, and started just climbing on it. Every stage was equally disgusting, and thus it was dubbed it the Zombie Finger.

[The progression of the Zombie Finger, from when it first happened to after my last pitch on my last day.] 

I was cautious at first, for the thought of the entire thing peeling off to reveal raw hamburger and bone underneath sat at the forefront of my mind as I tested it without tape for the first time. Soon enough though, I discovered that it was at a point where it was only holding me back as much as I was willing to let it. The same can be said for most excuses at Smith. “It’s only heady if you have a weak mind.” 

Finally, it was time to crush. Unfortunately the return of my skin coincided with the return of the impending summer heat, and a string of back to back 80 degree days struck all the climbers like a tidal wave of lethargy and frustration. We had to wait until the late evening to climb, then try and crank out a few pitches before the sun set and the park closed. Even doing that made the rubber on our climbing shoes feel like chewing gum on the hot rock, and fingers feel like mush on the small holds that define Smith climbing. Nonetheless, if I could climb through the zombie finger, I could deal with the temperatures. I gummed my way up Karate Crack on one of the worst days, then finally managed to send Oxygen and Nacho Cheese on my last day after a thunderstorm cranked the humidity up to almost unbearable levels.

A last day of project sending ended my time at Smith on a high note, but the majority of my time there was defined not by climbing success, but by important lessons learned, friendships made, and experiences captured. From jamming late into the night with the TerreBand, to finding beginner’s luck at poker, to reconnecting with old Tinder dates, to not scoring a single point at foosball, to second hand smoke, to bonding over shared childhood confusion over Disney characters, to failing to find river crossings in the dark, to the most beautiful sunsets imaginable, to all the things eaten by Jess’s dog, to how to get Austin to take a shower, to second ascents, to so many rest days that ended with going climbing instead, to NOT taking the whip on full Heinous Cling, and most importantly of all, to each and every incredible person I got to know-- Smith has once again cemented itself in my memory as a place of real magic. I might have to make every four day weekend turn into a spontaneous three week trip from now on!