#definitely inspired by the family that stays together slays together

[ratshien]

spy stuff

[giantladywithtitsicles]

Introducing my Lavellan brothers;

Fenrir Maliel - Assassin Blades Rogue (the oldest & a shameless self insert) - 27-31

Lin Maliel - Two Handed Reaver Warrior (the middle child, and the Official Inquisitor) - 25-29

Sandu Thevael - Necromancer Mage (the youngest, the “black sheep” that isn’t actually the black sheep: the red herring if you will) - 18-24

Fenrir and Lin were originally of Clan Maliel, which was massacred in an event the elder brothers refer to exclusively as “The Trample”. Clan Maliel was caught in the crossfire between two human settlements, both of which decided to take a shortcut through Clan Maliel’s campsite. The brothers, as young as 4-7 years of age, hid during the duration of the battle. They emerged after the ground was razed, and the fires were long cold.

They were fortunate to have survived the month long journey they took to find safety, picking up scraps as they went. After that period of time, they encountered a trail Clan Lavellan left: freshly put out bonfires, Halla tracks, indents from footsteps and wagon wheels. Tired and hungry, they stumbled into the open, and were caught by one of the healers.

Fenrir is blind in his right eye, Lin has an unnamed heart condition and the tip of one ear is cut off, they both manage. They gain inspiration from the other elves in Clan Lavellan, who have lost much more than an eye or an ear.

They were adopted into the clan as full blooded members, and nobody questioned why neither of them looked or acted quite like the other elves. They trained with the masters, and became an integral part of their community.

Five years later, they go out as a junior party to scout the Emerald Graves, where they encounter another site of a wrecked elven clan. They determine a demon outbreak to be the cause. Sifting through the rubble they find records of this clan: formerly known as Clan Thevael, sister clan of Clan Maliel. They pack as many intact journals and scrolls as possible, and as they were about to leave, encountered a young Sandu. It was clear to them they were taking this child in. The Clan Lavellan healers determined that Sandu was left alone for some time, and that there was no easy way to tell his age due to malnourishment.

Sandu turned out to be a proficient mage, but he was one too many in the clan. Fenrir and Lin begged Keeper Istimaethoriel to keep Sandu around, and somehow convinced her. Sandu is timid, and does not take up more space than he feels he absolutely needs. Keeper Istimaethoriel, though careful around him, tries to make him feel welcome. It’s a work in progress.

Around the time Lin was pulled into the Inquisition, Fenrir investigated the files they found in Clan Thevael’s ruins. He read letters exchanged between his mother and a friend of hers, talking about their origins, how their clan was shunned by others. A few years after Lin’s emergence as Inquisitor, Fenrir arranged a meeting between his two brothers to discuss exactly who they were.

This meeting between the brothers enlightens Lin on many things, and when the time comes to confront Fen’Harel, he is able to put the pieces together as to his original clan’s history. Fenrir discovers why his peers hesitate when saying his name. Sandu has the closest relation to Fen’Harel, but his clan buried these records deep within their stories to protect themselves from scorn, and his exact ancestry is unrecoverable.

They do know that Sandu is more precisely Fenrir and Lin’s nephew, but they treat him as a brother anyway. Fenrir is three years older than Lin. They don’t know exactly how much younger Sandu is, but they estimate the difference to be as little as two years to as much as eleven years to Lin. Sandu’s stunted growth made it a difficult task.

If Fenrir were the Inquisitor, he would have married Cassandra (Vivienne as Divine), and travelled between his estate in Kirkwall and where the new generation of Seekers train. He abandoned the elven gods and adopted Andrastian faith, and became somewhat of a religious zealot. While running errands in Kirkwall, a masked assassin targeted him, and Fenrir was afflicted with a deadly poison. He died within days, and though Varric sent for Cassandra as soon as he could, she was barely too late to make it before Fenrir passed. They had a single child, who Cassandra named “Maliel”, after his lost clan, even though their child was not elven.

Otherwise, Fenrir remained within Clan Lavellan. He became an elder, who was tasked with training their non-mages. He was well-loved and respected, but clan members were always wary of him, as he had an edge to him that unnerved them at times. He recognized that his past experiences would always have made him cynical. Fenrir connected with one of the mages, a woman named Ghili, and they had twin daughters: Juna and Fenwe.

Lin became partners with Iron Bull, and vied to rebuild everything he could. He did not want for anyone to be unreasonably vulnerable, and so he remained meticulous in how he influenced Thedas. He gained favor from Fen’Harel because of the care he put into his actions, though he was always spiteful of the betrayal. After the conclusion of the events in Trespasser, Lin joined the Chargers, and became quite a hit. His arm, amputated from the elbow down, was a roadblock for him. He switched from two handed weapons to a sword and a shield. The shield, specifically tailored to him, acted as a prosthetic arm. Iron Bull jokes that it’s more of a boon than anything else, as its massive size is akin to an impenetrable wall. Lin encounters a small child during a job, and nearly dies protecting it. They are a human toddler, simply nicknamed “Finn”.

As the years go by, Lin’s health declines, and eventually he retires from fighting for good. Iron Bull and Lin retreat to the Storm Coast, bringing Finn along with them. The mantle of leader of the Chargers passes to Krem. Finn learns to fight the Reaver style, and alters Lin’s shield to be useful to them. Finn joins the Chargers, and makes a name for themself as the Lightning Bolt of the Chargers, “Finn the Bolt”, for short. They all find it to be a funny title.

If Lin is not the Inquisitor, he joins Fenrir in the search for their heritage, and becomes an elder as well. Lin teaches healing and non-violence, diplomacy, and culture. He becomes a father through surrogacy, and has a child who they call “Denmirr”.

Or he stays with Clan Lavellan and searches for elven orphans, adopting a bit of a clan of his own. Because of how many children he adopts, Clan Lavellan sends him away with extra members to revive Clan Maliel. Most of the children are not related by blood, but it becomes somewhat of a family of its own.

He himself develops a flirtatious relationship with one of the male warriors, Naris. Fenrir teases him often, but means well.

Sandu, as the Inquisitor, had to learn how to insert himself as the dominant party. He observed Vivienne and found her to be his greatest confidant. Not only did she teach him much about magic, she taught him confidence and that his image didn’t need to reflect who he is completely. She didn’t approve of his choice to establish Leliana as the Divine, but she respected his decision and his reasoning. Sandu felt foolish when he faced Solas for the last time: wondered how he could have missed the signs. After he disbanded the Inquisition, he returned to Clan Lavellan. He remained accessible for Cassandra to summon him when needed, but became Keeper after some time passed, and his connection to the clan became strong again. He never assumed the name Lavellan, but was referred to as that, similarly to a title.

He otherwise would become a tradesman for the clan. He sent to towns and cities to be a spokesman, and learned to deal with ruffians after being abused into a bad situation on a few occasions. In one far trip to the Anderfels, he met a surface Dwarf named Jekard (ym/yr [yim•yer]), and formed a brother-like bond with ym. They exchanged insight and advantages with each other, and both Clan Lavellan and Jekard’s guild benefitted. He met Krem once, and looks up to him like an idol. Sandu never fell in love, and really had no interest to, but took a group of apprentices who aspired to learn from their Keeper. Imposter’s Syndrome hit him hard for a very long time, before he realized he was right where he belonged.

If none of the brothers became Inquisitor, all three stayed together, and functioned as a single mind. They dedicated their lives to Clan Lavellan out of gratitude, and the clan evolved into one of the strongest outposts in all of southern Ferelden and Orlais. They all had different roles, but the future generations of the clan benefitted greatly from their presence.

If all three brothers became influential members of the Inquisition, their power would likely have gone uncontested. Their strengths would allow them to spread farther than if only one of them were Inquisitor. The Inquisition would be an empire, and almost definitely considered a threat to even Par Vollen. Fenrir and Lin would take it different directions, and the possibility of a schism turned great. Sandu would side with Lin for the sole reason that he found Fenrir’s ideologies to be extreme. The Inquisition would be built up by the brothers, and torn down by the brothers.

In that scenario, a civil war would erupt between Fenrir’s loyalists (the Fenedhis), and Lin’s loyalists (the Athim). Fenrir would slay Lin, but Sandu would defeat Fenrir. Sandu would dismiss all soldiers and scatter the army, and soon after would disappear without a trace. He wasn’t dead though- his presence was tangible even though he could not be seen.

While this doesn’t encompass all that these characters are, I thought it was a nice overview of these brothers I’ve had in my mind for a while. The inspiration came from my realization that most of my DA:I characters are elves and Qunari. I might do more in-depth timelines for each brother later. This is completely separate from Dragon Age canon, clearly, and is just a fun little thing I put together. I may revise it if there are details I want to alter.

[metanoiamorii]

❛When I was young, I'd read stories about great heroes doing great deeds. The truth is, real heroes don't look at all like I pictured. They're far from perfect. They're bull-headed, stubborn, reckless. And also recklessly brave. They charge in without a thought to themselves. Not without fear or doubt, but in spite of it. We are all scared. But we are going to fight and die anyway, to give everyone else a chance at a better future. Because the future matters.❜

♧ Title: The Legacy of Vires Ius [TSOVI]

♧ Status: World-Building & Drafting

♧ Point of View: Third, I haven't decided if it's limited or multiple quite yet.

♧ Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action

♧ Warnings: Deaths, violence, nudity, cults, classism, a touch of racism, some homophobia, some transphobia, war, torture, a bit of an apocalyptic vibe, gore, eldritch beings, a very long story; I'm sure I'm missing a few more

♧ Featuring: Well for all of you out there who love the found family trope, I got big news for you! On top of, a diverse LGBTQ+ cast of characters, complex and complicated characters, morally grey characters, complex world building, plenty of symbolism, fantasy religions, unique character arcs, if a dnd campaign got written as a story, not necessarily 'the chosen' one but they definitely take up the challenge as if they're meant to; I'm sure I'm missing some, but you get the point!

♧ Setting: Okay so like... You'll get to explore the ENTIRE world in this one. From the Western European inspired countries, to the Ancient Roman inspired Societies, to a Napoleonic France inspired nation, to indigenous islands, to.... Yeah, no, you're getting a whole look at the world in this one.

♧ Synopsis:

It starts with saving the life of an emperor....— scratch that, it starts sooner than that. It starts with a runaway noblelady, a woman who wants to change her life, an eldritch being that takes the form of a weasel, a wanted bastardized nobleman, and an assassin. Together they all take up a misfit job, never telling the truth to one another, aiming to use each other for their own gain.... They come out if it friends, forgetting the original plan.

So, they become an adventuring group together for some years, until an old friend calls in a favor. That's when it starts, saving the life of an emperor. They're rewarded a keep, a paycheck, and newfound nobility. Sure, it wasn't what they all intended, but it happened. Life looks good for them.

They adopt a child of mischief and care for him as if he was there own. And some years later, the child's mother comes looking for him... She joins the family too, with her own mischief group of trouble.

The family grows bigger.

No, none of them mind, not in truth. The keep is large and quiet, really. They prefer the noise and company. They're a happy family together, until...

You probably guessed it by now. Remember the runaway noblelady? Her cousin winds up in town, with a few friends, all hiding from their past, and the law. You guessed it. They stay at the keep and... Well, they never leave. They become family too.

So what happens when you have three different adventuring groups living together?

Well, it certainly isn't a peaceful, quiet life. Mischief is around every corner, and they celebrate life every day— because hey, you don't always survive slaying a manticore, or stopping a nation from going to war, or even protecting your friends from their past....

But you know what doesn't happen to every adventuring group? Not all of them have to fight a war bigger than themselves. Not all of them take up championships from the gods to fight a field bigger than themselves.

The group originally thought the worst foe they would have to deal with is... Well, they collectively decided his new name is Dickzini. He's a fool, and easy to handle. But, they never knew someone else pulled his strings.

And that person?

That person, who's older than even Khaalida herself, wants to burn the world to the ground as they know it.

So, no more keep. No more politics. No more partying every night. No more misfit jobs. It's time to wield a weapon and prepare for war. Not to protect the world, but to protect each other. It's not a problem if they will do it... But even if they never voice it to one another, they fear if they'll all make it out alive.

♧ Excerpt:

[I want to go on record, I went through at least twenty different excerpts trying to depict which would be best, and this is the one you get.]

"So?"

"So what?"

Rihtyxr faltered where he stood when the nonchalant response was given. The bastard didn't even look up from his dinner plate... He had to stop himself from scrunching his face and showing his annoyace.

He took in a breath, his tail flicking behind him. "What do you think?"

"About?"

Rihtyxr had to bite his bottom lip and tap his fingers against his legs to stop himself from doing something rash. "... The kid— my kid— I was introducing you to..."

"Oh." The knife stopped scraping against the plate. A napkin was picked up, used to dab away the ichor, before dropped onto the plate. Hands neatly folded, Rons'ta lifted his head to stared forward. "I don't like it."

Again, Rihtyxr faltered. "What do you mean—"

"You're playing with something dangerous, Rîxie." Purposely, he used that nickname to infuriate the trickster. "It'll either cost you your crown, if not your life... If we are lucky."

The trickster scoffed. "You're simply paranoid, like always, you bastard. My own flesh and blood would never do me harm!"

Rons'ta was quick to scowl. As it was a rare occasion, he allowed himself to slam a fist against the table and raise his voice at his compatriot. "You should have smothered it in its crib, you arrogant fool!" In he breathed. Out he exhaled. He raised his glass to his lips and looked away, muttering against the rim of the cup. "... You've birthed the end of all things, Nameless Ones help us all when he realizes his power.... Khaalida take pity on the fools to stand in his way..."

♧ Characters:

Here is your cast of characters, since there is a lot, I'll be supplying minimal information until their character intros. I'll be supplying the main ones, but gods are there many in this story.

Vires Ius: 'The Heroes'

━━━━━━━━━━━

♧ Kalimali Sayegh

Male • He/Him • Pansexual • Demiromantic • Half Elf • The Exiled Magister

♧ Blythe Vidya

Transfem • She/Her • Pansexual • Demiromantic • Half-Minx • The Lady of The Voice

♧ Helene Laverna

Nonbinary • She/They • Asexual • Demiromantic • Human • The Runaway Priestess

♧ Raz Gacheru

Transmasc • He/They • Bisexual • Demiromantic • Half-Witch • The Ex-Assassin

♧ Robyn Trikfoot

Male • He/Him • Out of my house asking about a child's sexuality • Halfling • The Champion of Redemption

♧ Biscuits

He/Him • Weasel • ???? • The Mascot

The Misfits: 'The Troublemakers'

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

♧ Vrykolas

Transmasc • He/Him • Demisexual • Demiromantic • Nephalem • The Trophy Son

♧ Diablos

Demiboy • He/They • Asexual • Aromantic • Arc'yni • The Scavenger

♧ Alacèto Qystione

Genderfluid • He/They • Pansexual • Aromantic • Half-Elf, Half Succubus • The Bard

♧ Eithirna

Female • She/Her • Demisexual • Aromantic • Witch • The Wolf Blood Witch

♧ Amidir Naberius Qystinoe Scathaghe

Agender • He/They • Demisexual • Demiromantic • Half Light Elf, Half Dark Elf • The Raven's Champion

The Shifty Bunch: 'The Riffraffs'

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

♧ Chayliel

Agender • He/Him • Grey-Asexual • Demiromantic • Nephilim • The Rebellious Soldier

♧ Niky 'Noé' Orlan Von Brandt

Nonbinary • He/They • Grey-Asexual • Aromantic • Witch • The Horned Witch

♧ Caiomhe

Transmasc • He/They • Asexual • Demiromantic • Fairy-Human-Elf hybrid • The Reckless & Selfless

The Angels of Darkness: 'The Cult'

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

♧ Damocles 'Dámianus' Aliah Teivel

Agender • He/They • Grey-Asexual • Aromantic • Great Old One • The Mad One of The Void

♧ Miriam 'Misam' Heyoka-Teivel

Nonbinary • They/She • All that matters is she is attracted to power • Witch • The Angel Of Darkness

♧ Gaylon 'Gazini' Mavolio

Agender • They/He • Asexual • Aromantic • Great Old One • The Thing That Shouldn't Be

♧ Karayan 'Ianira' Than Blackthorn

Genderfluid • They/He • Homosexual • Aromantic • Feytouched • The Dark Devourer

♧ Malachi 'Jinx' Puck Melodie

Genderfluid • She/They • Homosexual • Aromantic • Feytouched • The Laughing Mistress

Taglist:

If you would like to be added, feel free to leave it in the tags, drop a comment, send in an ask, or shoot me a dm!

[kim-lexie]

start-up

unfortunately all good dramas must come to an end, and this drama was truly a dream. i fell in love with the characters and the premise of this one, and i am saddened to say goodbye to this cast of characters. 

i have also posted the nonsense that is a week-by-week to enjoy here if you wish. anyways, here we go...a drama review!

plot synopsis. 

‘start up’ follows the story of a group of 20-somethings as they journey to curate their own start up business. it specifically emphasizes the story of dalmi, her past and the letters she shared with jipyeong. jipyeong, an orphan that dalmi’s grandmother, mrs. choi took under her wing. jipyeong wrote dalmi letters that truly allowed her to overcome a tough time. years after these letters, dalmi is determined to find her ‘dosan’ the name that jipyeong and mrs. choi used to sign the letters. to protect their secret they find the real dosan to meet dalmi to portray a successful start up business man. and that is where our story begins to become tangled. and one knows how a good tangled story ensues as per the k-drama fashion...

my thoughts. *spoiler alert* 

dalmi, this girl is a queen. i love her determination and drive to get what she wants. i wish she wouldn’t cut herself short, but by the end you can see the growth that is undeniable. we love character development! i love how impacted she was by her dad, and that she never questioned her choice to stay in korea with her father. i loved their family’s relationship, it was precious and mutually supporting one another was an environment that allowed dalmi to believe in all the dreams she held in her heart. mrs. choi truly raised her to be confident in herself no matter her circumstances. 

jipyeong (to be referenced as hjp as well) my man. this man stole my heart. his backstory with mrs. choi was beautiful and i think he had the most character development in this drama. from how he acted at the start, to when they reconnected later, mrs. choi extended grace and never wavered in her love and support for jipyeong. it was endearing and heart breaking, because hjp had never experienced that from a family of his own until he was accepted by mrs. choi. i think this grace and mutual understanding was especially prominent when dosan and dalmi greeted mrs. choi at her new shop in one of the last episodes, after dosan had returned from america. as soon as she greeted them she knew that her jipyeong would be lonely and went straight for him to comfort him and support him in his grief. his character was honest, and unwavering once he found his goal. honestly, in everything else in the drama he faced he was determined and goal oriented however, when it came to dalmi he always second guessed himself. he was always so sure of his business but when it came to the close relationships around him he always questioned his worth. this would be his tragic downfall. but this is where we find a new jipyeong at the end of the drama and we appreciate character development. *insert slow clap for our hjp* 

dosan this man, honestly nam joohyuk was the reason i was initially interested in this drama. i love him and i was surprised when i found that he was not my favorite character. dosan was always unsure of himself and those around him, he immediately latched on to dalmi when he found her because of that confidence she radiated (can��t blame him because eventually he found that in himself). i wish he had been honest with her. so i know it is typically k-drama fashion to start a relationship based on a lie, still i am never happy when it happens in my drama. seriously by the end of this drama i was totally team hjp and i seriously cannot help but think back to the fact that if hjp had been honest at the beginning he may have ended up with dalmi. like come on. my heart is too fragile for this nonsense. i do appreciate that dosan, right after reading her letters ran straight after her without wavering. but if he loved her authenticity from the letters, why did he not give her the same benefit by being up front with her? 

the samsan tech crew. i loved this trio. they were ICONIC. chulsan a precious bean and i loved the relationship we got to see between chulsan and saha. i loved how their relationship developed and she totally fell head over heels for this man with his coding and caring self. because i clearly did not get the happy ending i wanted for dalmi and hjp, at least this ship went off sailing. i also came to love yongsan’s character, he seemed fishy at first when they went to sandbox however it quickly came to light why it was so. i loved that through all of this there was character development and accepting the things that you can’t change and wanted to change the things you had control over. 

sandbox, a place where dreams came to be birthed and reach their unlimited potential. i loved that it all started with sun-hak the ceo of sandbox who was inspired by dalmi’s father’s story about wanting to protect his daughter when she was learning to swing, and he put sand down so she wouldn’t be afraid of falling. it was so perfect, and that is exactly what sandbox became for them, a place for these small companies to get their footing to grow. i love the relationship that sunhak had with jipyeong and how they supported these young businesses. 

this makes an interesting juxtaposition for injae’s company, (injae is dalmi’s sister) to come in next to. nature morning is run by injae’s step-father, a man who abuses start ups and exploits young talent for profit. this sets the stage for injae to want to be set free and create her own business, because as long as she is under his family name she truly cannot make a name for herself. as she leaves she is overcomes multiple difficulties that her father’s company places in front of her, but the queen that she is takes them in stride and in the end becomes the company to beat. 

it was interesting to see how everyone came to be at sandbox. everyone with something to prove. and how once they were at sandbox all these crazy moments led them to their ultimate goal. their journey was not conventional but it made them stronger to overcome those moments when their company was split (frick you alex), and they had to come back together. 

to take a moment that three year time gap was something. i loved that dalmi grew and became more confident as her role as a ceo to get the job done. sisters were working together and growing their companies. i also held out so much hope because jipyeong was starting to get his act together and was becoming confident in himself and his intentions towards dalmi. even going over to their house playing go-stop and making banchan with the family, tears because he never had this in his life. but you know dosan was going to show up right at that moment he was going to say something...anyways, i love that dosan kept his promise and worked on not only the app for mrs. choi but the car because of the dream they birthed before the boys left for the states. and i knew the moment our dalmi walked hours in the woods to get to dosan that it was over for my ship and it twas going to sink. 

the app! oh my goodness. i love that this was their first idea for the company to help those who are unable to see. and i love that dosan was inspired by mrs. choi after overhearing her diagnosis. it was so sad to see how her vision declined throughout the show. but i am happy to see that their app was able to help her through this difficult journey. 

the smart car was such a moment. a dream they had in the top of the rooftop office led to a company that was bigger than any of them. truly incredible. literally so proud of our boys for their work and dedication to their dream to better the world. loved it. 

i seriously appreciated the ending of the drama and how they recapped all the moments they couldn’t fit into the few moments we had left. the living through photos we saw how they all kept their promises to each other. from dosan proposing to dalmi, chulsan and saha announcing their relationship, and even chulsan shaving his head. it was precious to see them all on this journey. i loved how we had them all going to the share holders meeting and injae and jipyeong walking in stride with them! also appreciate a full circle moment for hjp, when he sponsors a new start up connecting orphans with sponsors to help them in the difficult transition where hjp found himself with mrs. choi. (side note: i love the hint that the man who founded the start up had the same voice as young-sil, the smart device that grew on hjp throughout the drama.) (also, totally stand behind that one tweet i saw that said that the writers totally missed a major power couple moment for injae and jipyeong. because my dude and queen deserve to be happy to the fullest.)

i hope everyone enjoyed this drama as much as i did because it is definitely up there on my list of favorites from this year. i would rate it a 9.5 out of 10. 

the ost. 

‘future’ by non other than red velvet slays. i have this not only on my k-drama playlist but my monthly playlist. this is a bop. it is incredible, and they out did themselves with this one. 

‘running’ by gaho. that montage song that had all the moments they worked so hard in fast forward. ahhhh 

‘my dear love’ by suzy. her voice so angelic. and we thank our busy queen for making time to sing for the ost as well as star in the drama. 

‘blue bird’ by ailee. and ‘dream’ by jamie. ballad favorites. 

[annalyticall]

Anime Newbie in her Twenties Ranks her First 10 Anime

With the recommendations of my sister @ging-ler​ and friends, I started watching anime just over a year ago and within that time I’ve watched a total of 10 - some clocking in at almost 200 episodes and some with only 12. I told myself a while ago that once I had finished 10 anime shows I would rank them like some Anime Newbie WatchMojo list, so, here we are. Really this is just an excuse to force more of my unwarranted opinions onto unwilling followers.

I should also preface this by saying I don’t think any of the anime I watched this year was bad, and I enjoyed a lot about every show even if I ranked some low. However, the top three anime on my list are the ones I would recommend to anyone following me even if they don’t watch anime.

10. Death Note

Despite absolutely loathing the “protagonist” since episode one, I really enjoyed the first half of Death Note! The story was intriguing with all of its wild twist and turns and I found myself immediately invested in what was going to happen next. Unfortunately, after the death of who I thought was by far the best character, the show seems to go off the rails as it introduces new characters and contrived plot devices in the second half that were frankly hard for me to care about at that point. The ending was satisfying but I forced myself to sit through a lot of painful meandering to get there.

9. Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop was the first anime I watched as suggested to me by @mcsherrybr​. The smooth and jazzy art, atmosphere, animation, action, and music were all a lot of fun, as were the lovable ragtag group of misfits that made up the main cast. I enjoyed myself a lot while watching this western/sci-fi melding pot of a show, and I only ranked it so low because the last few episodes were a huge disappointment to my found-family-trope-loving heart.

8. Violet Evergarden

Violet Evergarden, following the story of a child soldier learning to love, is absolutely beautiful to look at and listen to. The music in this anime is, for me, THE best music from any show on this list. This is also the only anime that made me sob several times while watching it. The collection of short episodic stories that explore the deep facets of human love and connection are incredibly resonant and will stay with me for a long time. However, the strength of the small story arcs made the rushed overarching war story and finale weaker in comparison. Similarly, the memorable characters introduced in the one-off side plots were more interesting to me than the cast of rather bland reoccurring supporting characters. While I will remember a lot of great individual moments, I can’t seem to remember a single character’s name besides Violet’s, but that might also be due to being one of the shorter entries at only 12 episodes.

7. Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Going from one of the shortest anime on this list to the longest, Hunter x Hunter was an great and engrossing story during the entirety of its 160+ episodes. It’s colorful and playful, but can also be very dark and at times even heart-wrenching. Because it contains so many distinct arcs, there is a wide variety characters and stories to get attached to, and some, like the Chimera Ant Arc, I even cried over. But this also left me with issues regarding the pacing. The show has great action and introspective moments but will often drag with long drawn-out pauses between fights to explain simple concepts (though I understand that’s a common trope in old shonen anime in general). The world-building is rich but also caught me off guard with some strange ideas, and admittedly not all of them I liked. Some eccentric characters and concepts rubbed me the wrong way and ended up hindering my enjoyment of the show. Overall though, it was a lot of fun and I left with a few more endearing favorite characters, like Leorio and Killua.

6. Erased

Also a 12 episode anime, Erased was amazingly impactful for how short it was. Even as I followed the unfolding murder mystery, I was also touched by the meaningful themes and kind-hearted characters I met along the way. The already-strong story is accentuated with great symbolism, art, and music. The only problem I had was with the mystery itself; I was able to tell who the true killer was within the first 4 episodes, which didn’t lend itself well to suspense and I spent the remaining episodes frustrated that the main characters couldn’t see some obvious clues.This is a minor problem, though, since the finale has less to do with mystery and more about the morals and resolution of themes that I felt was satisfying.

5. Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer is gorgeous. The stunning art style, fluid animation, and breath-taking music are all valid reasons to watch it, but the main character Tanjiro and his unwavering devotion to find a cure for his sister-turned-demon Nezuko are the reasons to stay. Tanjiro is unbelievably gentle as he shows even the evil demons he has to slay a hard-fought kindness, and it’s those tender moments between all of the amazing action sequences that really elevate this show for me. The issues I have lie with the rest of the cast. While I love some supporting characters, like the pig-headed Inosuke and the stoic Giyuu, others have very niche personalities that can get annoying if they’re on screen for too long, which they definitely tend to be. Still, the bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko is so strong that it gets me through even those dragging scenes.

And it’s written by a woman!

4. My Hero Academia

Hey so this might come as a shock for anyone who’s followed me for a while: My Hero Academia is not my favorite anime! I do love it a lot - it’s the only anime on this list that has inspired me to read the manga, write fic, and buy merch. There are so many lovable characters and exciting arcs in this show that there is bound to be something for everyone to enjoy, both inside and outside of canon. It’s a wonderfully paced and animated deconstruction of the superhero genre and besides its deeper themes and commentary, there’s also just a lot of endearing teenage goofin’ to be had, and the show balances the tone of these two almost-equally engaging aspects of the story fairly well.

The downside, for me, is the show’s sexualization of female characters, especially the teenagers. With the likes of pervy fellow classmate Mineta, it’s a flaw that’s hard to avoid and takes up an unfortunate amount of screen time. There are in-universe characters that protest against this behavior, and the female characters are still well-written for the most part, but that doesn’t make up for the canon material including it at all. It’s not a huge part of the show but it’s present enough that it really knocks the ranking down for me.

3. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Out of my top 5, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the only one that is complete. Because of that, I can tentatively say that so far, it is the best completed story on this list. From beginning to end, the pacing was perfect - the action never dragged, the characters were never unnecessary, and the plot twists were never unearned. I found myself more invested than I thought I would ever be for the large cast of characters, and everything, including its ending, was satisfying to watch. The animation is fluid and lent itself well to the most impactful scenes, especially involving the flame alchemist Roy Mustang. It’s also written by a woman! Really, the only nitpicks I have were with tonal problems - serious moments would sometimes be ruined by too much slapstick or visual gags.

As I mentioned before, my Top 3 are shows I would recommend to anyone who’s unfamiliar with anime simply because they’re good solid stories with almost no distracting anime tropes. This is a good place to start.

2. The Promised Neverland

The Promised Neverland is deceiving; on the surface it looks like a sweet show about a bunch of adorable kids playing together in the spacious green backyard of their quaint orphanage. Once you finish the first episode, however, you will quickly discover that there is definitely something more sinister lurking under the surface. This show is an expertly executed dark horror/thriller that always had me on the edge of my seat. The cute aesthetic never distracts from the suspense, in fact, it adds to the discomfort when the horrific visuals and expressions are contrasted against the character designs. I loved all of the characters, including the antagonist, who manages to be just as sympathetic as she is menacing. The sound design and music are also beautiful and adds so much to the rich atmosphere. I am definitely excited to see where this series will go!

1. Mob Psycho 100

ONE, the creator of Mob Psycho 100, said the single word he used for the concept for the series was “kindness”. Kindness shines through so much of this story following the life of Mob, a super-psychic kid that just wants to fit in, and I adore every second of it. While many shonen anime stories force the child protagonist to get stronger, become more powerful, and fight in battles against hostile adults, Mob Psycho 100 says “that’s stupid. Kids shouldn’t have to be traumatized by immature power-hungry adults. The only strength that anyone should pursue is strength of character, motivated by self-love and love for others.” And it says it with the most beautiful animation I have EVER seen in a show. The simplistic character designs mean the animators can have as much creative freedom as they like with expressions and movement, and they absolutely use that freedom. Humor is a large part of this mostly-comedy anime, but it makes the serious and introspective scenes so much more important when they do happen. The shifts between these two tones never feel awkward or imbalanced.

Mob Psycho 100 has inspired me to become more experimental and joy-seeking with my art, as well as just become a better person in my own life, which I can’t say for many other anime or many other pieces of media period. Even though a Season 3 hasn’t been officially announced yet, I can still safely say Mob Psycho 100 will forever hold a special place in my heart.

[imagine-nation20]

Freedom

Summary: You and Jaskier have been meeting wherever you both go, only to spend fleeting moments together before parting again, leaving you colder than ever. Just when you think you might lose hope forever, you see him again.

Requested By: @ultracolorfulnerdcollection

Request: Hi there, Could you write Jaskier x Fem reader when he falls in love, but true love like he never has before and the keep finding each other having to let go of eachother. And the last time they find each other they do something crazy because they would not be able to bear departing from each other anymore. (All the fluff in the world, enough space to add smut if you wished to). I hope it inspires you Thank youuu

A/N: I actually loved this request, because ever since watching the show, I’ve sort of seen the whole ‘connected by destiny’ thing as an almost soulmate(platonic or otherwise) concept, and Soulmate AUs are my favorite, so… I was really excited about this.

~~~

The first time you met Jaskier, you were both teenagers. Your family was nobility, but you often traveled from your homes to kingdoms, helping with wars, uprisings, and other fighting matters. Your family was famous for their fighters, even going as far as to train any woman as well. That included yourself.

The party your father had been hired to protect as well as attend was boring. Most of the nobles talked about politics or arranged marriages, some even mentioning their latest affairs. It was a miracle no one had started a fight yet. You cringed at the thought of having to stop a fight between drunk nobles and royalty.

A boy, no older than you with shiny brown hair and bright blue eyes sat next to you at a table, holding out his hand. You eyed it wearily, not sure what he was up to, though you had some idea.

“Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove, but you may call me Jaskier” He introduced himself, bowing as well as he could while seated. You took his hand, deciding to humor him, and with a gentle smile, you returned the favor. He kissed the back of your hand, eyes alight with mischief.

“What brings you to my corner of the room, Julian?” You said, purposefully ignoring his offer to call him by a nickname. He rose a brow, smile widening at your sly look.

“Only your beauty, My Lady, and the hope of sharing a dance with you,”

And so you did. You and the boy danced for most of the night, only stopping to escape the party and find your way to a balcony, laughter escaping into the night air.

“And tell me, oh wise Julian, when you achieve your dream of becoming a bard, what will you write songs about? Heroic tales? Daring quests?” You teased, leaning back against the railing. 

“Love Ballads,” Julian muttered, staring at you. The implications of his words made your cheeks heat up, and a shy smile to grace your features.

“Do you tell that to all the people you meet?” You asked, tilting your head. Julian chuckled, looking down to the ground before meeting your eyes once more.

“No, just you,” He whispers, taking a step closer. You follow, staring into his eyes. Your father’s voice calls your name, and you pull away, barely pecking Julian on the cheek before bidding him a good night and rushing to your father.

The next time you meet Jaskier, you are older, and traveling with a small group of you father’s men to protect a village from some monster. It is then that you also meet Geralt of Rivia, the famous witcher, and butcher of blaviken. It is also then that you hear Jaskier sing for the first time. His voice is soft, words like a delicate breeze brushing over the tavern.

“I am weak, my love,” He sighs out. “And I am wanting.”

He was right. Love Ballads were most definitely his strongest talent. As the song comes to an end, Jaskier looks up, eyes meeting yours still stood in the entrance, and his face visible brightens, smile blinding. With a quick apology and a rushed goodnight, he leaves to tavern goers hanging, rushing to you and ignoring your men, who all reach for their swords. With a wave of your hand, they calm, and you are quickly pulled into a hug.

Jaskier practically crushes you within his grasp, and you’re surprised at how strong he is.

“It had been too long, Julian.” You murmur, pulling away from his arms. He smiles at you, hands resting on your biceps.

“So it has, and much has happened since we last spoke. I’m sure you’ve heard the song.” He moved to offer you his arm, leading you into the tavern and towards a table in the back. You wave your men off, following Jaskier, completely entrance by his words.

“I have, indeed,” You looked to the table, seeing a white haired man sitting there, scowl on his face. “This must be the famous Geralt of Rivia.”

It was a wonder you hadn’t met him yet, as you two most definitely ran in the same circles. You had even arrived in the town of Blaviken after the famous slaughter in the market, hearing the stories of the Butcher. 

“Hmm.” Was the only acknowledgement Geralt gave you looking at Jaskier and your intertwined arms. “I am not in the mood, Jaskier.”

“You’re never in the mood for anything, Geralt,” Jaskier muttered, waving his hand towards me. “This is Lady (Y/N) (L/N).”

Geralt seemed to recognize the name, but still didn’t say much on the subject. A ‘hmm’, was his only response. Jaskier rolled his eyes.

“You could show a bit more tact, Geralt,” Jaskier complained. 

“Really, it’s fine, Julian,” Geralt seemed surprised at the name, quirking a brow at you. “I’m sure Geralt is tired from traveling a slaying monsters. As am I. I was planning on heading straight to a room,”

Jaskier perked up at this, nudging you slightly with a sly look. “May I join you, Lady (Y/N)?”

You laughed, shaking your head and releasing Jaskier. “Not so fast, Julian,” He sighed at the sound of his name, “I know your tricks, as good as they may be… though, you might catch me early in the morning before we leave for Cintra.”

Jaskier didn’t end up catching you, having overslept. He only heard the receding hoofbeats of your men as he roused from sleep, disappointed, but not very surprised. Geralt had him walking all day yesterday, and the exhaustion had started to show.

The third time you meet Jaskier, your father is talking with a nobleman about the possibility of your engagement to his son.

You hadn’t been happy during the entirety of the gathering, baffled at your father’s sudden interest with you marrying.

“You're older now, and people are starting to question your lack of a husband. They see you galavanting around with hordes of soldiers, and they talk,” Your father gripped your shoulders, pulling you to him in a hug. “I don’t want this just as much as you, but I won’t have people calling you dirty names. If you can find someone suitable who you want to marry instead, you can, but if not, I will accept the nobleman’s offer.”

There was no other option, and you knew it. Your father had your best interests at heart, and you were sure this boy would be a fine husband, but he wasn’t him. Your sweet bard, who would strum his lute and spin words of gold, just in the hope of seeing you smile at him. Your bard, who you had never spent more than a few moments with, but who had captured your soul completely. 

It was destiny, your friend, Yennefer had whispered to you one night. The witch was so sure of that fact. Told you she had met Jaskier one time, saved his life, and that in his hazy sickness, he had only mumbled your name. You weren’t sure if she was being truthful or just trying to gain your favor with sweet words at the time, too used to the silver tongues of politicians and noblemen.

Still, sitting in the corner of the ballroom seems familiar, and the face that approaches you as well.

“My Lady,” Jaskier bows, holding out his hand.

“Julian.” Is your only response, but the way it is sighed out in response adds such a complexity, that Jaskier isn’t sure what you mean by it. All he knows is that he wants to hear you say it forever.

You spend that night like your first, and never leave his side, talking with Yennefer and Geralt as well, whenever they aren’t staring at each other. He tells you about their travels, and even sings you the famous song about his first adventure with Geralt. 

You don’t mention your father’s plans of engagement. You knew if you did, Jaskier would offer you his hand instead, but you would never be able to take it, to take his life from him. Jaskier wasn’t the type of person who could settle down and run a household, which was obvious by his occupation alone. Speaking with him, and hearing how he interacted with people, let alone seeing it, was enough to erase any doubt that Jaskier was a free spirit. Being responsible for his misery wasn’t something you could handle burdening you. So you chose a different, more manageable burden. You chose a life of misery for yourself, in the hopes that you would spare Jaskier his own. Because if keeping this from him kept him free, you would never tell a soul.

You don’t see Jaskier for quite a few months after that, which is a short time period if you consider the years between your last few meetings. Your father wasn’t blind, and he could see the pain in your eyes as you spoke to your fiance and future father-in-law. He knew of Jaskier, he knew of your feelings, and that's why he had given you a choice. He had hoped you would try for your own happiness. It was in vain though, because he had raised you properly. Selfishness was not in your vocabulary, and he knew that is what you viewed asking Jaskier to stay was. Selfishness. How though, could it be selfish if he also knew Jaskier wanted the same thing you did?

Maybe that was why he sent out his fastest rider. Why the note clutched in the warrior’s hand was so hastily written.

When the knight finally managed to find the bard, who was tiredly strumming a new song in his and Geralt’s room, he drummed on the door hard enough to shock the bard onto the floor, and have Geralt reaching for his sword. The insignia on the night’s uniform had Jaskier quickly scrambling up, taking the letter address to him. It wasn’t your handwriting, as he would know that anywhere, but it was similar.

Geralt left Jaskier to sit on the bed, waiting for the bard to tell him they had a monster to fight, or that they had to go to another event. The words that slipped from Jaskier’s mouth, however, were not anywhere close to what the witcher was expecting.

“She’s getting married,” Three simple words that escape Jaskier in a small breath. Geralt’s head whips up, legs swinging over the bed to sit on the edge.

“What?” Its gruff, not gentle as Jaskier hoped the moment to be. He felt as if he might shatter if Geralt asked him anything more.

“She’s going to be married in a month,” He turned to his friend, and Geralt was sure it was the first time he had seen Jaskier so heartbroken. Tears were pooling in the bard’s eyes.

Geralt hummed, standing. He gathered their stuff, pushing the bard out the door. “Like hell she is.”

The next time you see Jaskier, you’re dressed in white, and frowning. It wasn’t that your dress wasn’t beautiful, it was rather perfect if you were honest, but the fact that it was being wasted on a day where you weren’t going to be happy, that was what bothered you.

“How are you doing?” Yennefer asked from her place reclining on your bed. She ate a few fruits out of a bowl, the black shine of her midnight dress was littered with glitter that you could have sworn were actual stars. You had given Yennefer the choice over what she wore today, as she was your only bridesmaid, and you knew she wouldn’t have liked what you picked. She looked beautiful as always though, and at least that made you a bit happier.

“I don’t know,” You said simply, running a hand over the bodice of your dress.

“Don’t bullshit me, be honest,” Yennefer said, not giving you the room to dance around the subject like usual.

“I’m completely miserable and I am afraid I will be for the rest of my life,” You said, turning to her. The main that had been working on your hair stumbled, and you brushed her off when she tried to go back. “My hair is fine, now go help set up something else.”

You knew you were being harsh, but you weren’t in the mood to care. The maid scurried off, and Yennefer quirked a brow at you.

“That was definitely not in character for you,” She said, leaning back on the bed once more and smirking at you. “I think I like angry and horny (Y/N).”

“I’m not horny.”

“But you don’t deny being angry?” She asked. You didn’t respond.

The door to the room opened, and one of the maids rushed in, eyes wide and hair frazzled. “There are two men who just arrived at the house, and one of them is asking for you, My Lady.”

You rolled your eyes. Probably another noble here to give you a wedding gift. “Send them up if you must. I can’t deal with another problem today and I fear if I leave this room, I will be riddled with them.”

The maid nodded, bowing and rushing back out. It wasn’t long before the door was swinging open and you were hissing curses. “Who could have so little decency as to-”

Your words were cut off as you spun around and made eye contact with the intruder. The blue eyes you had only ever seen so briefly, but which you knew so well. He was panting, hair wild and clothes unkempt. His usual jacket was long gone, leaving only pants and a shirt with his sleeves rolled up. It was a far cry from how put-together he usually appeared before you.

He looked you over, eyes filled with so much hurt, and anguish. It was a look you had become familiar with over the past few months, seeing it so often on yourself in the mirror.

“Julian…” You murmured, already feeling the tears well in your eyes. You were hoping never to have to see him again, but destiny apparently had other plans for you. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, voice cracking halfway through. That look on his face was what you had been trying to avoid by not telling him. Yennefer leaves the room quickly, grabbing a patiently waiting Geralt as she closes the door behind them.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, Jaskier.” You think that the nickname will be enough to tell him you’re serious about this, but it only hurts your more to see the wince he gives at the cold tone.

“Hurt me? You didn’t hurt me,” He took a step closer. “You cut into my back and tore my heart out.”

Its whispered between light sobs, but he still hears it. “I’m sorry.”

“Why not come to me. If this is about politics, I would have married you within the hour,” He knows he sounds like a man desperate for water after being left in the desert for weeks, but he doesn’t have it in him to care at the moment.

“That’s exactly why, Jaskier,” You hissed out, turning to him and letting the hot tears track down you face without a care. You would force yourself to feel the pain, because it let you know you were doing the right thing. “You would’ve given up everything for me at that moment, but you bore easily, and soon you will become bored with me. What then? When you realize you can’t go out on adventures with Geralt, because you have a house and an army to run? When you realize you can’t travel and write songs about heroes because I keep you tied to this godforsaken house?”

“Love ballads,” Is all he says, like he’s reminding you of a chore you have to do that day.

“What?”

“I told you when we met, my songs would be love ballads,” He stepped closer to you, hands coming up to wipe the tears from your face. “I would give up every adventure, every chance to write another song of heroics, if it meant I could spend even a year with you, writing love ballads.”

“But you will be-” You tried, only to be cut off by the feeling of him pressed against you, lips soft and gentle, but so desperate in their need of you. It was only a momentary kiss, but the way he lingered afterwards, the way his lips brushed lightly against yours, and the way his breaths came out in pants like he had just run a mile to get here, was enough to make it feel like an eternity. You weren’t complaining, but the nagging feeling that you were being selfish remained, and you pushed him away. The hurt look on his face was almost enough for you to say ‘screw it’ and kiss him again.

“I will not be the cause of your grief, Julian,” You regretted the name as soon as you said it. You knew it gave him hope, hearing the endearing way you spoke it into existence.

“Yet you stand here, being the greatest cause of my grief,” He followed you as you stepped away, white dress swishing as you moved. “If you are so scared of me losing my freedom, then run away with me.”

It was an absurd request, which you were keen to point out. “My father-”

“Was the one who brought me here.”

That wasn’t what you were expecting, and quite frankly, you were shocked. Your father had been so adamant in your marriage. Why would he bring back the one thing, the one person, who would jeopardize everything?

“Why?”

“Because he knew I would do anything to stop this wedding,” Jaskier scrambled for his lute, smiling slightly. “I will sing every love song I know.”

“Julian,” You tried to stop him, but only half-heartedly.

“I will get up in front of everyone waiting outside and scream it out.”

“Julian…”

“I’ll get Yennefer to spell it out in the sky with the clouds.”

“Julian!” You tried to shush him, as he was getting louder and louder. He dropped his lute back to his side, reaching for you and pulling you close, lips to your ear.

“I will whisper it to you every morning, as I wake up beside you as gaze upon your beautiful face.”

“Julian…” You mumbled, pulling him in for another kiss. 

You were sure that no matter how hard you tried, he would not give up, as he had never been the sort. You could argue with him all day, cite sources and state facts, but if there was one thing Jaskier was, it was romantic, and he would die before he told you not to be selfish this one time.

Destiny seemed keen on you and Jaskier being together, or they wouldn’t have pushed you together like they did. And really, who were you to argue with destiny?

---

Yennefer stepped up in front of the crowd, smiling to Geralt. The nobleman and his son demanded to know what was going on, but the witch ignored them. She turned to the gathered friends and family, a polite, and somewhat smug, look on her face.

“There will be no wedding today, as I am afraid the bride has run off with her secret love.” Her tone held no remorse. The nobleman protested angrily, spouting off how this was outrageous and an insult to his family. He demanded Geralt, the mighty witcher, track them down.

“I can’t.” Was all Geralt said.

“And why not?”

“I only hunt monsters.”

[voyager-into-the-unknown]

This is my December 31 Contribution to the 2019 Pikelavar Event.

“All I Want for Midwinter is Meklavar” Chapter 6:

Wish

The dawn came too soon for Pike. The early morning sunlight that was filtered through the curtains of their bedroom window was enough to wake him. Meklavar was still asleep upon his chest. She was so small, warm, and cuddly that he just wanted to lay like that for a long time, inhaling her scent, listening to the sound of her quiet breathing, feeling the softness of her body against his chest. He gently stroked her back. “Meklavar,” he spoke softly. “Sweetheart, it is time to wake up.”

She made a soft little moan in her sleep, but did not stir.

“Mek, you have to wake up. We have to get dressed. Block’s village is only a day’s journey from here. Wake up.”

Meklavar stirred at last, lifting her head from his chest. Her hair was sticking up in every direction and her eyes were heavy-lidded from sleep. She squirmed in his arms, rubbed her eyes, and made herself comfortable while leaning on one elbow beside him and then stared down at his face upon the pillow. “It’s nice right here. What if I don’t want to leave this bed?” She looked adoringly at his handsome face. “I’m enjoying the view.” She smirked and traced the outine of one of his ears, which sent shivers down his spine. His breathing quickened at her touch. Her sleeping tunic was askew, and the top few fasteners has come undone as well. Pike was suddenly conscious of the fact that Mek slept with her breasts unbound and that he could see the cleft between them through the opening in her tunic.

He smirked at her. “I’m enjoying the view, too. There’s a valley and a lovely little pair of hills that I would like to explore directly in front of me.” She stared at him, not comprehending his meaning. Then she noticed the direction of his gaze.

“Pike!” She sat up abruptly, and tried to button up her tunic, but she was having difficulty. He laughed. She slapped his forearm playfully.

“Well the view was nice while it lasted.” He sighed. “That’s one way to wake you up in the morning.” He sat up, stretched, and pulled his own sleep shirt over his head. He yawned and scratched his chest and belly sleepily.

“I thought you were supposed to be a gentleman.” Buttoning a nightshirt was difficult when you were still half asleep.

“I am. I’m a gentleman with excellent taste in women, apparently. When we get married I am thinking of so many interesting ways to wake you up in the morning.” He licked his lips, looking like a predator about to capture and devour his prey. He pounced on her.

Mek was suddenly on her back, pinned to the mattress by Pike’s greater size and weight, and he was covering her face and neck with little kisses until he reached her ticklish spot. He nuzzled her there until she giggled uncontrollably. “Stop!” She exclaimed, her cheeks wet with tears of mirth. He kissed her tears away, then kissed her full upon the mouth, not caring that they both had morning breath. She ran her fingers through his hair, determined to mess it up as much as her own. He kissed her passionately until they were both breathless.

There was a knock on the door. “Lady Meklavar! There are important visitors here to see you,” a servant called through the closed door.

“I demand that you unlock the door at once, by order of Lord Samuel and Lady Colleena of Holt Manor!” a man’s voice bellowed. There was the sound of a key turning in a lock and the door swung open.

A pair of middle aged dwarves stood in the entrance way, pushing past the servant into their room. The man was dark grey of hair and beard and wore rectangular spectacles at the end of his straight nose. He was helmed and armored and was clutching a very large axe. Pike sprang up from where he had Mek pinned to the mattress. He was suddenly aware that he was shirtless and Mek’s tunic was askew once more. Their lips were pink and swollen, and they both looked quite disheveled. Even to the frightened servant who remained in the hallway, it was quite obvious what Pike and Meklavar had been doing.

“Father! I can explain—“

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL OF AURITA ARE YOU DOING IN BED WITH MY DAUGHTER!?” He bellowed at Pike, who was very red-faced.

“Sam! Stop it! Give them time to explain themselves,” said the middle-aged dwarf woman. She was dressed elegantly, in a traveling gown of rich green fabric, with an ermine-trimmed robe, and fine grey leather boots. Pike thought she was very beautiful, a graceful woman who appeared to be an older, taller version of Meklavar. Her huge golden brown eyes with their thick black lashes were much like her daughter’s, but her once-tawny hair was streaked with frost.

“Please, sir, ma’am, we can explain—“ Pike began.

Meklavar sprang from the tangled bedcovers, regaining her composure and adapting a regal presence even though she was barefoot and clad only in a half-buttoned sleeping tunic, which had gathered about her waist as a result of Pike’s frisky morning behavior, and which also gave everyone a glimpse of her underpants before she tugged it back down to her knees. She ignored everyone’s discomfort at her state of undress. “Father, it is my honor to introduce Pike, hero of the Battle of Darkland Woods, the co-defeater of the Corannic Dragon, and Honorary Paladin of the Temple of Light, knighted by Sir Jiro himself. He is my comrade-in-arms, dearest friend, and most importantly, you should know that he is my Intended, bound to me by ritual and tradition.” Pike, who had risen from the bed during this introduction, was red-faced, bare-chested, and as disheveled as she was, but not so calm or confident as Meklavar appeared. He gulped a said a tiny “hello,” which seemed a woefully inadequate greeting for dwarf nobility. Lady Colleena sized up his tall, slim, but well-muscled form with approval. There was the hint of a smile upon the older woman’s lips as she made eye contact with her daughter. Mek blushed, and Colleena had a knowing glint of mirth and approval in her eyes. Samuel, still red-faced with fury, appeared as if he were going to have an aneurysm.

“Father, Mother, please sit down.” Mek pulled out the chairs from last night’s evening meal by the fireplace. “Pike, these are my parents, Lord Samuel and Lady Colleena of Holt Manor, vassals to King Iverson the Cantankerous, First of His Name, and hopefully Last of His Kind. They are also the parents of Lord Matthias the Mathematician, my elder brother. Where is Matt, anyway? I thought he would be staying with you for Midwinter.”

Just then, as if summoned by Mek’s question, her elder sibling appeared in the doorway. “Mom? Dad? Our sleigh is rea—What?! Is that my baby sister?!” He scanned the faces of the four people in the room, taking immediate notice of his father’s fury, his mother’s amused delight, his little sister’s denial of her obviously humiliating situation, and finally, the tall, half-naked boy who looked more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Matt began to laugh at the awkwardness of the scene before him. “So the servants’ stories are true! They have been gossiping since last night about the naive young dwarf maiden who was staying the night here with her handsome would-be lover. The serving wenches all said he was quite the stud. It sounded like the stuff that bawdy tavern ballads are made of, a real bodice-ripper of a yarn. You, know, Mek, by this light, we can all see right through that nightshirt, but your studmuffin probably saw quite a bit more than that at the bathhouse last night, from what I heard. They said you gave your cat-boy a bath...” A blushing Pike reached for Mek’s robe and handed it to her, averting his gaze. She put it on while Pike searched for his discarded tunic. It was nowhere to be found.

Mek continued as if nothing were unusual about the situation. “As I was explaining to our parents, Matthias, Pike is my Intended, and soon to be a permanent member of our family, assuming our parents will bless the marriage.”

“Oooh, so you have begun the rituals without us? No wonder Father looks like his axe is bent. There was no one there to defend your honor last night, Mek, you naughty girl. But maybe that was your intention.”

“I am quite capable defending my own honor, Matt, and you’re being very rude,” she said haughtily.

“My apologies, dear sister, and to you, sir. I just couldn’t resist teasing Meklavar. She’s been stomping around this county in full armor and toting an axe for so long that I am surprised that you could tell that she’s a female. I always thought she was more interested in slaying dragons than flirting with boys.” He smiled and extended his right hand towards Pike, who shook it heartily.

“Actually, that’s how we met. We were on a quest with Block the Sorcerer, the Mystic Archer Valayun, and Shiro the Paladin. We slew the Corannic Dragon together,” Pike explained.

“Impressive! Well, that seals the deal for me. A couple that slays together stays together. You have my vote. And probably Mom’s as well. She really wants grandchildren. Good-looking ones are an added bonus, stud.”

Meklavar’s cheeks colored, and Lady Colleena laughed. “It’s true my dears. I had been praying that my little warrior would go off to battle and come home with a husband as soon as she was old enough to bind her bosom. She definitely won’t be mistaken for a boy anymore now that she’s filled out a bit.”

“Mother!” Meklavar was as embarrassed as Pike, who had finally found his tunic and pulled it over his head, momentarily hiding his flushed face. He turned to her father, who had been strangely silent during all of the teasing and banter. He bowed deeply, then went down on his knees in supplication.

“Lord Samuel, sir, I know you have been upset by how sudden this all seems to be, but I can assure you that my intentions towards your daughter are honorable. She is a clever, courageous young woman, and her virtue is without question. It is her honorable nature that inspired me to be a better man, and I am more than ready to dedicate my life to her happiness. It is my most heartfelt wish that you give our union your blessing, sir.” He turned to Meklavar’s mother. “And yours, as well, dear lady. I promised to be a most faithful and devoted husband to your daughter. She is the person that I love most in all of the world, and the person who has brought more happiness into my life than I ever could wish for, or deserve.” He bowed his head and closed his eyes. Mek covered her mouth and was stifling her sobs as she wept openly, her heart deeply touched by Pike’s humility and by the heartfelt eloquence of his words. Matt put his arm around his little sister and gave her shoulders a little squeeze.

Lord Samuel, who was no longer red-faced with fury, sat in silent contemplation of the scene before him, visibly moved by the young man’s sincerity and humility, his daughter’s uncharacteristic outpouring of emotion, his wife’s shining eyes and tear-streaked face, and his son’s obvious delight that his cherished little sister had found someone to love and be loved by in return. Sam remembered how difficult his own father-in-law had been and how grieved he had felt because no matter what he did, her father thought that no suitor would ever be good enough for the fair Lady Colleena.

Finally, Samuel thought of his daughter, and what she wanted. It was obviously this young man and none other but him.

He looked to his son, and nodded. Matt guided his sister to stand, then kneel beside Pike, who took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. Pike looked upon Meklavar with the sweetest and most tender expression Sam had ever seen. His daughter was still weeping tears of silent joy.

Sam smiled upon them both, his own face streaked with tears. “My dearest daughter, and son-to-be, I bless this union of bodies, hearts, and minds, and wish you both every happiness.” He could not hold back a little sob as he took his wife’s hand in his own.

“Dearest daughter of my body and joy of my heart, I bless your joining with this young man. May your lives always be filled with love, laughter, and good fortune.”

“Thank you,” said Pike brokenly, and he turned to Meklavar who threw her arms around him and buried her face into his chest to sob as if a dam had burst to flood the world with tears of joy.

[fallingin-like]

november 17

above the clouds by @gluupor​ [requested by @fuzzballsheltiepants]

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post! 

this is an absolutely amazing fic that features airships, android!neil, and fantastic world-building. it’s a really fun and adventurous read, but still contains enough angst to break your heart. if you haven’t read this yet, drop everything and read it now. if you have read it, read it again.

okay i enjoyed this fic so much that i cannot put it in words. i remember when i first read it, i always get so excited when i see that you’ve posted and i read it in an hour, the time passing by so quickly. i couldn’t pull myself away and was reluctant to go back to real life after i finished reading. all your characters are so entertaining and as always, are integrated so nicely into this au.

things that stood out to me:

”over the khazak grass plains, year 1424 new era (ne), january” i just think that this adds a lot to the story so efficiently. we have a location and time and i just feel like this sort of title/header establishes a tone (makes me feel a steampunk/sci-fi kind of vibe). i’d be interested in how you came up with which locations and years to use?

”andrew shut off the engines and revelled in the silence. he could still hear the mechanical noises that resulted from keeping the gasbag at the appropriate pressure to maintain their altitude, but it was as quiet as it got aboard an airship.” i love this, mostly because i can relate to it? i’m really used to driving with music on, but lately i’ve been turning off the radio and driving in silence which is a really interesting experience, especially since i drive an electric car for work which is really quiet most of the time. also it introduces us to the airship!

”neil would eventually man the flight deck for night watch as he didn’t require any sleep” i am immediately invested in this version of neil and want to know EVERYTHING that he is capable of doing

andrew is wearing a scarf that nicky knitted for him!!! that is adorable! both nicky doing this for andrew, but also andrew wearing it!

your description of the monster is amazing. i would love to explore it. on the ground though (i am afraid of heights and not as brave as andrew lol) i saw that you were inspired by the mortal engine series and i can definitely see aspects of this both here and in later portions of the fic although i only watched the movie which was… interesting haha. were there any other sources of inspiration? i found that this reminds me a little of the films ‘alita, battle angel’, and a little bit of ‘castle in the sky’ as well

having little glowing things in their lamps instead of fire? woah that’s so cool

”neil was futzing around inside it with a tiny screwdriver” LOVE the word futzing. i’ve not heard it before, but it feels right. also it’s kind of cute that they are all helping each other out on the ship

algae bricks and beetle bricks? do they just,,, bite into it? because that feels so chaotic to me. lol mix into water and make it into mush? i am currently very grateful for the food i have

”jealous, aaron? don’t worry; i’ll come service you once i’ve got andrew settled tonight.” NEIL, YOU’RE GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME

”’better do it in the reclaimer,’ said kevin, taking him literally. ‘we need to preserve water if we’re headed to palmetto before our next resupply.’” one of the many things that i love about your writing is your amazing characterization of mr kevin day. what a legend 

”he wasn’t entirely sure why he wasn’t telling the others about wymack’s summons; there was something about it that put him on edge and he wanted to keep it to himself for now.” oh nO this is bad news!! you did a great job of introducing this undercurrent of worry into a scene that had just been so light and funny

“‘yes, i did,’ said andrew, keeping his voice steady. ‘last week before we headed into the plains.’” my stomach dropped at this point, memory problems are always so scary because it’s so hard to tell what the source of the problem is. andrew’s calmness is directly contrasting this, but it feels like it takes effort which is even scarier!

”andrew had spent his childhood shutting down any emotions. they’d been a liability in the type of life he’d led” and ”he had been destined for a short life with a brutal end. sometimes that seemed preferable to how much caring about other people could hurt. he often cursed those responsible for how his life had changed” ahhh this is so sad, but also really soft? because he’s come so far? and he’s opened himself up and let himself be vulnerable by caring

hearing the backstory of the twins is so interesting to me, you do a great job at both establishing this world that these characters are living in and how they fit in with it

”andrew was left with little choice but to do something nice to shut him up” i think this is one of the most andrew-like sentences to be ever written haha

”by all rights he should have died in the slums, but instead-and andrew was never sure exactly how he’d done it-he’d attached himself to andrew and aaron, like a barnacle that they couldn’t remove and grudgingly came to care about” cute!!! the tone is really andrew-like too

woah all these languages are pretty cool! i like the idea of having a common trading language, and the idea of having mandonese and spanglish is interesting.

”that seedy is mine” I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THIS AT FIRST BUT THIS IS SO FUNNY. lowkey reminds me of the lego movie haha. also seems fitting of kevin to collect ancient artifacts, even if he doesn’t really know what they do

ANDREW AND AARON AS GANG LEADERS YES PLEASE. i absolutely love it when people have such a great reputation. very exciting to hear that drake is not going to be an issue in this fic!!! wait a second… andrew and aaron were 16? so small!

hmmm i am interested how kevin got stuck in shanghai?

bad news that wymack is asking neil to stay on the ship. all this mystery and hiding is making me feel like things are not looking so good

”he’d forgotten again that it was bee whom andrew wanted him to see” NOOOOO

ohmygoodness the usbee. do they pronounce it uzz-bee? because that’s definitely how i picture them saying it and it is so funny to me. 

”i informed you that people are after you because i actually care about what happens to you, you miserable little gremlin” i really can never say it enough, but i love the way you use affectionate insults like this so so much.

”’oh, you know,’ said andrew idly, ‘those that slay together slay together.’” NO BIG DEAL. 

”a nobody who got the drop on you. better luck next time” NEIL I KNOW THAT YOU REALLY CAN’T HELP IT BUT PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELF AROUND SOMEONE WHO YOU KNOW IS SO DANGEROUS

”’this time, it was eavesdropping,’ said neil brightly” he’s so enthusiastic!! cute!!

”how do you travel now?” i am also interested in this!! for all i know, he just slides through shadows and pops up wherever andrew is haha

”neil flicked his fingers dismissively. andrew’s eyes narrowed at the performance. he wasn’t this dramatic, was he?” i am very sorry to break it to you, but andrew minyard you are one of the most dramatic people ever

ooooh dang neil is good. does his android body not process poison? also where did he get the knowledge that andrew was going to be set up anyway?

”within a few hours neil had forgotten the whole conversation, but he retained the knowledge that andrew had forced him to see bee and wasn’t happy about it” noooo why is this happening, it’s so heartbreaking to see neil forgetting things (also feels extra-bad because alzheimer’s runs in my family and this could definitely be me in the future which is Scary) and i Hate when andrew and neil are fighting because andrew is just trying to take care of neil!!! ;-;

”mickey, the mouse-shaped god of old america” OHMYGOODNESS

as startling it must have been to andrew, hearing about the moriyamas previously owning neil, i’m curious what was going through neil’s mind during this conversation. it must be so disorienting, not remembering your past. all of a sudden, you just started existing

”’shoot them. escape on the monster,’ said andrew. that was their usual plan for hostility they didn’t want to deal with.” i mean, i guess that’s a pretty solid plan. LOL

ohmygoodness katelyn also having red hair and blue eyes? “andrew always pretended not to notice that he and aaron had suspiciously similar taste in people, gender notwithstanding” LOLOL

”neil’s tension was ratcheting higher the longer they stayed in the region, something which he wouldn’t explain to andrew’s satisfaction.” ahhhh we! need! better! communication! what is neil hiding?

I HATE THAT NATHAN IS GOOD AT ACTING. YOU MAKE ME WANT TO BELIEVE HIM SO BAD EVEN THOUGH I KNOW HE’S LIKE SUPER SUPER EVIL AND IS GOING TO HURT EVERYONE NEIL AND ANDREW KNOW. 

thank you andrew for knowing better and for always thinking ahead. i feel like i can really trust you to take care of neil (and you, gluupor to take care of these characters even if sometimes you break my heart while doing so)

andrew: mawp mawp mawp mawp mawp mawp (LOVE THIS)

”wymack had always said it was because andrew had a death wish but it was really just because he liked going fast” this is really cute! both in this fic and in the series, andrew is like this and he had so little enjoyment as a child, was forced to grow up so quickly, and i’m grateful that he gets to have these little things

”’’M not,’ muttered andrew, too hot to put any effort into lying” so cute!!!

”stop and take a look? sure, why not? i don’t think we’ve got anything else pressing taking up our time right now” I CANNOT GET OVER HOW FUNNY THIS FIC IS

”’old news,’ said aaron. ‘we’ve moved on. now we’ve decided to crash into the sea’” it turns out that sometimes i actually really like aaron! now is one of those times.

oh my goodness, neil speaking only spanglish and BITING. “neil spat several curses at him before literally spitting as well” the scary thing is, this is still in character for neil haha

that’s so sweet of wymack to give andrew his ship!! ahh he’s such a soft character and i’m glad that all the foxes have someone who is taking care of them

what a beautiful way to wrap up this fic! also i feel strangely glad that nathan wasn’t actually the one to invent the tech needed to create neil. he’s too gross and evil to create such an intricate and wonderful person like neil.

BURIED IN ASH FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS WHAT

WAIT VALLEY OF SILICA LOL

oh dang yellowstone supervolcano. i’ve learned a tiny tiny bit about that and it’s actually pretty scary thinking about the consequences of it erupting and also knowing there is basically nothing we can do to stop that from happening and also very little we can do to predict it

andrew and neil are so so cute ahhh

also quick shoutout to the amazing art featured in this fic! so beautiful.

i love the flashbacks that you include. they provide valuable information and understanding of how the characters have developed, but it also gives a bit of a break from the intensity of the main plot. we get a little time to breathe and recover.

as the story travelled to different areas of the world, it was really interesting to see how you included history into it. i think my favourite story was the volcano and the ash-winter that followed. kind of scary to think of the possibility of that actually happening, because even though we have pretty cool tech, i don’t think things would go well. you do such a great job with your world-building, i never found myself confused about what was happening, the geography of it, the new tech, and the politics. i loved how you were able to smoothly include canon events/characters/things and have it work so well within this au.your descriptions are so so good and make this fic really immersive, i feel like i’m experiencing them with the characters.

definitely one of my favourite things about your writing is how you consistently do such an amazing job of incorporating humour and little character quirks into the fic. it really shows how much skill and talent you have because it’s always effortless and reads so easily. it fits well with the characterization and tone of your fics. i will forever be a fan of your dialogue and all the interactions between everyone seemed so realistic.

i’m continually impressed by your consistently marvelous storytelling. you manage to captivate me no matter what subject you choose. thank you so much for writing this!!

[jellyfishdooter]

Okay so, back when I asked for asks for my Ego DnD AU, @lace-maze sent a really good ask a while back asking about why each of the egos chose the characters they did and their playing styles- and I can’t for the LIFE of me find the original anywhere on my blog. ;3;

But! I finished it and I bet it reads horribly but whatever who cares I’m tired- enjoy!

So to FINALLY answer your question, the way I went about choosing what each of the egos would play more or less boiled down to a combo of trying to pick what I think THEY would want to play, and what I figured they would be in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. (wink wonk)

Marvin- Dragonborn Sorcerer

One of the top veterans of the game, he likes to play something with more of a challenge and a lot more mechanics. And since he’s a magician it’s definitely has to deal with magic of some kind (I mean c’mon, he’s already got the aesthetic wardrobe irl for it so why not?). So he’s currently playing a Sorcerer- a magic caster who has the power naturally within him (which ties in his Race for it’s from his draconic bloodline:)

He could have easily chosen his race to be a Tabaxi (a human-cat like hybrid), but he already got enough shit of being the “furry” of the group as it was so instead he decided to go for a Dragonborn. In the game there are different types of Dragonborn, so specifically he’s Brass- which both deals fire damage breath, and is also resistant to fire.

Being one of the older players, his play style depends on the day. For the most part he is the cool, collected member of the party who doesn’t rush in and thinks things through... Until it’s later in the evening with a few drink in ‘em and then they just say, “Yeah, this might as well happen.” Before taking another shot and round-housing someone poor guy’s ass for mocking his scaly features.

Jackie- Half-Orc Fighter

Always wanting to be the hero, Jackie wants to fight and protect his fellow party members. He only has a few sessions under his belt, but he’s confident in saying that he's comfortable with playing more tanky characters and dealing heavy damage.

Jackie doesn’t have a lot of reasoning for his Race other than Orcs Are Cool so he just rolls with that.

As for his Class he likes having a bunch of different fighting styles to choose from while in combat so he can pick and choose which would work best for the situation (they also get more of a range in picking which Armor Class they want-).

His play style is Protect the Party, but also Rush In Head First Into Danger. He’s always in the front lines of a fight to tank the most damage and provide cover for the more squishy characters. It can get quite frustrating for the healer at times when he runs battleaxe-first into battle, leaving his head behind.

Speaking of healers-

Henrik- High Elf Alchemist

A lot like Anti, Henrik found the idea of playing to be quite silly. But once he got into it, the doctor found it quite enjoyable to get into a fantasy character and forget about the real world for a couple of hours. But wanting to retain some kind of dignity, he decided to play as a High Elf. He was drawn to their grace, wonderlust for adventure, and near perfectionism. To say the least, it's easy for him to slip into character.

Strictly speaking, Alchemist is not the the 5E DnD Handbook, but Jack allowed it and made some homebrew additions to the character so their party would actually have a fucking healer. So in addition to the damage-dealing bombs Henrik’s character uses, he also has a special healing bomb he can yeet at the other players when needed.

Henrik’s play style is serious, but curious. He’s always wanting to explore the world Jack created for them and peacefully interact with the NPCs, enjoying events that unfold naturally. However when it’s time for a proper fight he does not beat around the bush, staying in the back for more long-ranged attacks rather than right on the front lines.

Chase- Human Ranger

The recently-single father needed an outlet other than drinking to try and cope with the loss of his family. So like any good friend, Jack offered Chase a spot in his campaign that he was putting together! He wasn’t too sure at first, Chase said that the game seemed really complex and hard to get into. But Jack waves it off and told his friend, “You honestly have to fully jump into it if you’re gonna get anywhere. There’s not really a small way to start. It’s pretty much all or nothing. But trust me, it’s gonna be great!” And ever since his first session, Chase always looked forward to next week’s game.

Being one of the newer players, Chase doesn’t really play anything too crazy, so he sticks to his guns and runs a Human pc. And he may or may not have based the character on his old life to some degree. Giving himself a stable home, a fulfilling job, and a big loving family and at least 3 dogs. Ya’know, real heavy fantasy stuff.

Jack offered him the newer class/ homebrew of a Gunslinger, but he politely declined ‘cause he didn’t want to have to deal with new rules. So he decided to go with a Ranger for his class, figuring it would make for a cool character to play.

Chase’s play style is pretty average (no pun intended), and not all that spectacular. He gets a few good one-liners in here and there, but for the most part he plays passively. Fights when there’s a fight, and interacts almost only when others interact with him directly. (He’s been trying to get better at being more engaging, but he tends to zone out.)

Jameson- Halfling Bard

This session being JJ’s (and Robbie’s) first ever game, JJ pleasantly surprised Jack when he decided to be a Bard. When asked why, the silent man replied simply, “There’s nothing in the rules saying bards HAVE to sing. At the core of them, they are performers.” Jack beams and asks what’s their instrument of choice then? Jameson smiles and shows him this video, saying he thinks it would be interesting to have this as his musical item. (Also gotta love that good The Bard Seduces Everything trope. He’s keeping that in his back pocket for the right moment.)

As for being a Halfling, Jameson figured it would be fun to play a smaller character. And nobody ever suspects the small man to pack such a whaloop. But really, his love for the hobbits in the Tolkin books had captured his heart and really wanted to try and emulate that in the game! Maybe leaning more towards being a little prankster, but still at the core- in short- Soft Cottage Aesthetic™

Jameson’s play style is bouncy and go-gettem. He’s eager to explore the world and have fun with the NPCs. In battles he’s more comedic relief in the back inspiring the other players (and intimidating enemies by aggressively cranking his music box rapidly). And AT LEAST ONCE he has had Jackie’s character YEET his at the enemy to get the final blow to slay the beast. That was a fun session.

Anti- Changeling Rouge 

Do I really gotta explain this one? 

Naturally Anti always tries to play the edgiest characters he can. Giving them dark, moody personalities but with a slight crazed tick. (Chase naturally calls hypocrisy when Anti says his character is a self-insert to the game.)

I’m almost out of steam here so in short-

Anti loves the idea of having puppets to mess around with irl- so in the game he can somewhat do the same- by changing his figure/ features to mimic those of somebody to manipulate another. He doesn’t care much for the society around him and does his own thing, but can easily blend in and slip into other’s traditions if he needs to. His character has a tendency to pick fights pretending to be someone else before ducking out and watch the fight take place with a smirk on his hidden features. None of the party has ever seen his real face/ form, always changing it subtly so every time someone tries to take a second look something seems different or off.

Rouge: Quick and Stabby. Like the bitch himself.

Robbie- Undead Druid

Jack had to make a special homebrew character for Robbie ‘cause he was set on being an Undead. Apparently Robbie and Marvin talked about character ideas before hand and Robbie got a little overwhelmed with all the options that they had, so Marv suggested something Rob could relate to easier. So after an afternoon of crafting a special stat sheet, Jack allowed their favorite zombie ego to play.. Well, a zombie. (I’m sure someone else has made something similar out there but I might try and make a sheet later.. That could be fun lmao)

As for Druid, I like to see Robbie as being a little more connected to nature than the rest of the egos. Since he.. Yaknow, crawled out of the dirt at one point. (Side story- before the others found him in an old cemetery, he liked to just hang out around the area that was slowly being reclaimed by nature and liked watched the birds and animals). So he was pretty drawn to choosing this class. It’s a little complicated at points, but that’s why Marvin sits between him and JJ, so he can help them out through the whole process. Robbie gets really excited when one of his spells works in combat or just having fun interacting with the NPCs by growing them some flowers to be nice. 

As a whole Robbie’s play style is pretty passive. He gets distracted pretty easily and unless Jack is waving his arms around or using miniatures/ figurines to keep a visual, the zombie will sometimes lose focus and stare off into space for a minute before coming back to the game and raising his hand for something to be repeated.

It’s one big mixing pot of different people and play styles, but at the end of the day, Jack has a lot of fun trying to bounce around and keep up with everyone’s antics and storylines. It’s hard as hell at times and it gets a little frustrating when things get out of hand, but they all try to check each other and keep things rolling. And at the end of the day, all the boys enjoy the game and what Jack has to offer and really fucking enjoy themselves. DnD is a good destresser for most of them and all around a grand fun time!

[ifeveristoday]

team Slow Burn/Burn it All Down

“Real monsters don’t announce themselves or present opportunities. Not here. They enter your head, your heart, tear at you from within.” -- Angel, Hellmouth #2

Are we talking about the demons underground or the demon walking around with Angel’s face?

Hellmouth leans heavy on foreshadowing and having unspoken/underlining meanings that differ from the actual words on the page. It continues using elements from Egyptian and Roman/Greek mythos but the main draw of this issue - and I’m assuming the rest of the series, is the reluctant partnership of Buffy and Angel. I don’t agree with the criticism that taking Buffy and Angel away from their respective apocalypses ruins the flow of the overall arcs. It’s a vast story to tell and the pace of the reboots (which is something I have criticized) makes it difficult to include in the main storylines without sacrificing important character development. There are just so many characters, especially in Sunnydale. Jordie’s writing excels at the character and emotional beats rather than plots, and while we have had some great strides in Willow, Xander and Jenny’s personal journeys, there remains some distance from the namesake characters, which I feel like it was intentional to get to the place that Hellmouth occupies. 

Love it or hate it, the Buffy and Angel relationship is a huge part of both of their stories and character developments and we’ve had inklings of how Buffy is going to change/possibly wreck Angel’s life in Angel, but he’s remained a shadowy figure in Buffy’s story. Hellmouth changes all of that while retaining some of the original canon’s flaws/trademarks but also poking gentle fun at them.

Spoilers from Hellmouth #2 below the cut.

Buffy and Angel are slightly different from their canon selves - Angel is independent of Buffy’s journey at the very beginning and already has his purpose set in Los Angeles. Buffy is a newly minted Slayer, living with her secret for a whole three weeks before wacky Slayer hijinks puts her in the path of Willow and Xander. Their initial meeting/relationship is reminiscent of the very early episodes of Season 1 Buffy - with a reasonable amount of wariness on Buffy’s part and Angel’s dry/slightly cocky attitude with a 2019 update of their anxieties. There’s also a flip in roles as Angel asks Buffy how she’s feeling and what she wants to do in the future at the start. It’s just the feeling of a connection with no romantic overtones. 

The comic recognizes the fucked-upness of Buffy being a child and fighting the forces of evil and sympathizing with her via the character of Jenny. While there is an obligatory nod to Buffy’s desire to be normal, it also makes a point of isolating her from the Scoobies and her frustration at knowing how to be the best Slayer she can be. Giles tells her that he’s to direct her, but not tell her explicitly what she has to do sounds an awful like parents preparing their children for adulthood. There is no handbook. While Buffy is welcomed into Willow and Xander’s circle (and that’s another flip - it is Willow who reaches out to Buffy first and invites her into being social), they’re very much a unit while Buffy sort of floats between their friendship. But I feel due to them being so young, it’s easy to claim best friendship, because - the intensity of feelings and hormones.

This makes Buffy’s character kind of harder to read, and less sunshiney than her OG counterpart. But it’s a shared facade - TV Buffy just hid it better underneath girliness and bouncy hair, while Boom! Buffy is focused, for better or worse to her duty. This is a Buffy that hasn’t quit Slaying before, who gets slightly conflicted guidance from her Watcher and who needs Willow and Xander more than they possibly need her to be a connection to being sixteen. Everyone has their own stuff to deal with.

Hellmouth gives Buffy the spotlight and also drops her into an immediate partnership with Angel. It very pointedly is not a romance - they both get on each others nerves actually, and it inspires A+ bantering while revealing the most of each character so far. Buffy’s venting to Angel (Buffy #8/Hellmouth #1) implies that she’s worried about her friendships and failure to connect, that she’d rather tell a complete stranger this than confide in her friends/Watcher. 

Angel listening and not judging shows an immediate empathy for her - and his actions during Hellmouth show a more vulnerable/less closed off Angel. He doesn’t occupy the same caretaker vibe he has with Fred and Gunn that he does with Buffy, namely because Buffy refuses it. She calls him out on trying to be the mysterious weight of the world Loner who takes on all of the responsibilities. 

Angel quickly realizes he just can’t be That Guy with Buffy, and it makes his character hilariously resigned/looser in response. He warns her about dangers in the Hellmouth but accepts Buffy’s way is different from his, but that doesn’t make it wrong. He’s willing to admit he might have been wrong about demons being upfront when the slithery shapeshifter demon confronts them - and Buffy’s snarky response “Cool, cool. Won’t rub that in.” lightens the tense moment. 

Notably, Angel is the one that gets injured/dragged by the demons while Buffy runs to save him. The fighting sequences are highlighted and Buffy’s scenes, in particular, are very smooth and highlights her Slayer grace. They fight beautifully together and despite their prickly banter, feel a shared responsibility to each other’s well being. Their separate confrontations with the shapeshifter shows their fears - Buffy ‘abandoning’ her family and friends and failing to protect them, Angel seeing the ghosts of the people he’s failed to save. Buffy reacts strongly to how her family and friends need her, while Angel angrily tells the shifter to stay out of his head and that it doesn’t know anything about him. Circling back to Buffy saying she doesn’t know what she wants, the Ominous voice implies Angel doesn’t really know what he’s doing and who he is.

Ah, vague accusations of something evil and upsetting, how I haven’t missed you.

After Angel demands to know who’s blood is needed for the further escalation of Evil Plan, and the Voice doesn’t reply, he immediately realizes Buffy is in danger and runs to find her.

Buffy’s still fighting the shifter and it mentions she could put an end to her family and friends’ suffering with her sacrifice - namely, that her blood will save the world.

While Buffy logically knows that the shifter isn’t her mom (because of course, the shifter would take on the form of Joyce), this emotional blackmail breaks her out of the illusion and she kicks it’s ass. Almost punching out Angel in the process. 

Angel is less emotional about his ordeal and Buffy lets him have it again, telling him that it's unfair that she’s the only one being vulnerable - “I opened up because we need to work together, and you haven’t said a thing.”

Instead of being defensive and defaulting to Sir Mopes a Lot - Angel sincerely apologizes and tells her that his fears were also centered around his friends and him not being able to save them in time.

And it’s Buffy’s turn to reassure him/pass on wisdom - she realizes that the Hellmouth wants to separate them to make them weaker and that Angel deserves a little more empathy from her.

THEY’RE COMMUNICATING THEIR FRUSTRATIONS AND CONCERNS WITH EACH OTHER, Y’ALL.

Angel does have a moment of saying, “Silent suffering is more my cup of tea,” and Buffy’s quick response of “And how’s that working for you?” showcase their differences/similarities nicely. Angel despite making friends doesn’t tell them what he’s thinking because he’s used to being alone, Buffy with her very loud opinions isolates herself (un)intentionally because she’s new to Slaying and being a teenager at the same time. They can’t talk to the people who care for them--- but they can talk to each other.

When they face hurdles, they take turns reassuring/pointing out the Obvious Evil, and then a tiny moment - Angel adds onto Buffy’s observation of not getting surrounded by the demon horde by saying, “Just like Thermopylae.”

As with each issue of the Boom!verse, when names I don’t recognize I obviously google them - and Thermopylae is a reference to both the battle of Thermopylae (think the 300 comic and uh, history) and the “Hot Gates,” and is the cavernous entrance to Hades.

Is my theory/wish that there’s going to be Persephone/Hades parallels and Eurydice/Orpheus vibes in this story going to play out? God, I hope so.

Anyway, back to the moment - when they inevitably get surrounded by the demon hordes, Buffy remarks, “Well, there goes thermometer.”

The. Classic. Buffy. Malapropism.

My heart.

Angel gets slashed in the fight, and Buffy worries about him, but there’s a bigger problem - 

narrated by the Voice - “Are you sure everything is as it seems? You’ve been wrong before.”

“Blood is spilled...vessels are filled...every pretender killed.”

Shot to Drusilla as Prometheus in chains, spouting some of the worst “Dru-esque” dialogue I’ve read. Sorry Jordie, this is up there with the clunky faux Whedonisms of the early issues.

So Dru isn’t the major Big Bad, but rather the unseen Voice, who we, of course, don’t know.

Is she ultimate sacrifice, the vessel (after all she is of Angel’s bloodline) and oh, Angel Still Hasn’t Told Buffy He’s A Vampire which...

Boo.

All of the voice overs hint that the confession when it happens is going to cause Buffy Big Mad - after all, Angel knows more about her than she does of him, AGAIN.

The art and coloring is stunning as ever in this issue - Carlini really knows how to draw action sequences, and the varying light/color schemes really make the sense of Buffy and Angel descending into the Hellmouth feel vivid and real.

tl;dr I loved this issue and each issue the stakes definitely seem higher. The bantering and a slow reveal of their personalities are also excellent. The foreshadowing/double meanings of the dialogues.

The stuff I don’t like - the Dru dialog at the end, Angel being secretive about his Vampire self.

[rotten-sourberry]

Of Faith And Fairy Tales, a Sasusaku AU

feudal Konoha AU one-shot , inspired by a picture of Sasusaku I saw(I will post it bellow) . If anyone knows the artist❤️ please tell me so I can properly credit them:)

Rating: K I guess

Also I started using AO3 under the name rottenSourberry,if anyone is interested. 😄😘😘

It was her wedding day. Every girl should be happy on their wedding day, at least that's how she imagined it since she was a child.

But here she stood, looking the prettiest she had ever looked, dressed in an expensive white gown, numb if not miserable.

The tears had stopped since last night, her eyes dry, her face frozen without feeling.

'Stupid girl' she thought to herself, 'how could I ever think fairytales can come true'.

Sakura took a deep breath. She was going to to to to to walk down that isle smiling, she decided. And she was going to look at that man, at her husband with all the love she had.

The love that was not meant for him.

Sakura's love had a different face, stoic , almost unreadable. His hair was darker than a raven's feathers, his eyes more black than the starless sky in a moonless night. His voice was cold yet burning with undying flames.

The man she was marrying was not the man she longed for, the one that haunted her, consuming her every thought. But he was a good man, honorable, hard working, who cared deeply for her. He was a lord of a nearby land, an ally to her country.

His land hadn't much of a military power, but it was rich with crops and full of peaceful people.

Sakura's marriage was the contract between the two countries. Konoha's most beautiful flower, the best healer of her generation, and even though the Haruno family wasn't one of the noble clans of her land, she had inherited her title from her teacher, princess Tsunade, and with it all the responsibilities it held.

The war had started before she was born, but there were a few quiet years, when she was a child, when the countries tried to form new alliances.

But a new superpower had risen and war spread once more.

Sakura had seen the suffering first hand. It was engraved in the bodies of those she healed, in the eyes of orphaned children, in the wrecked cities and burned fields.

She wanted to end that war, she knew she could help, she could fight for her people.

But they only help they asked of her was to make sure the alliance would be unbreakable from now on and in the years to come.

Sakura thought of her love. Sasuke. A boy when she first met him, stricken by fate. His clan, the Uchiha, one of the noblest in Konoha, slayed by his own brother when they tried to overtake the power in the country, left a young Sasuke all alone, and his only alive sibling banished.

But he had grown up, strong and disciplined, with a certain type of kindness he rarely showed, but was definitely there.

There was a time when he was thought to be an enemy of Konoha, although he turned out to be a savior.

And on his nineteenth birthday, Sasuke had made a promise to her, a promised sealed by a kiss.

"I'll be back Sakura. I don't know when, but I'll return to you... I promise" he then, had moved his lips on her, their kiss clumsy, passionate, full of love.

The next morning he was gone, continuing to wander in between the lands, helping those in need, and stopping bandits and war criminals.

Five years had passed. Five years and she was still waiting upon his arrival, thinking of him every day. But her village insisted she should be their gift to the kind young man who helped them, a man she had saved three years ago on a battlefield. Since then, he had tried to court her multiple times, always kind and sweet.

She knew he loved her, but it was the love left from a man who lost his bride to be in the war. A pretty girl, his first love, but tragedy strikes even the kindest of souls.

"Sakura, I think you and me can end this war, if we are together. I know you love him still, and I love her, but it's for the best" he had said on a sunny evening.

Tsunade had agreed they should wait one more year for Sasuke's return but if he wasn't back by then, she would have to fulfill her duties.

That year had passed, and nothing changed. The never heard of Sasuke, not in a long time, his hawks had stopped coming for three years. Many thought him dead but she knew he was alive. She could feel it.

Sakura had a feeling she would meet him again maybe early in a spring morning, when the wrinkles on her eyes are deeper, with her kids by her side. He would pass by, still handsome and serious and he would stop only for a fleeting moment before disappearing in the shadows.

"Sakura, it's time", Tsunade interrupted her thoughts as she walked in to see her.

"That I'd grow so young to see you get married" she laughed pointing her youthful appearance despite her old age.

She wiped a tear from Sakura's cheek.

"You know, I could postpone the wedding for a few months. Maybe you came out sick suddenly. .." she offered a solution to her misery.

"No, everyone will be mad, if we call this off last minute" Sakura said and rose to her feet.

She pushed all her thoughts and started counting. The steps she took, the faces she saw in tha grand garden where the ceremony would take place, the flower bouquets that made the scenery fairy tail like.

Then she saw her future husband, handsome with a sweet smile but her heart didn't flutter at her chest.

No more than thirty feet until she reached him. No more than twenty minutes until she would have to say ' I do '.

Suddenly the crowd made a gasping sound and Sakura was swept of her feet by some force.. no by a man.

Was this an ambush? Her mind made a hundred catastrophic senarios in under two seconds but then she turned to face the man who grabbed her so unexpectedly a moment ago.

"No.. no this can't be..." tears filled her eyes "if this is a dream please let me wake up now, my heart can't take this".

"Sakura" it was his voice, her love's voice there was no mistake. "I am sorry" his magnificent eyes the same even though his face was more mature now.

Before she even knew it, he had run to the outskirts of Konoha. He let her down carefully, taking a step back to admire her beauty.

"I am home" Sasuke said.

Her heart felt as it would burst any moment. Happiness. She had almost forgotten what it felt like.

She touched his face, making sure he was real, once more.

"Will you stay?" she dared asked.

"No."

The tears came in an instant but Sakura fought to keep them back. Her happiness starting to fade away.

"Sakura, I am taking you with me this time." he smirked, eyes shining.

She was speechless, frozen. It was like her prayers had been heard by a caring god, her wishes finally granted.

"When do we leave?" her smile could light up an entire universe.

"Right now."

Her fairy tale was about to start...

[thewarriorandtheking]

The View from the Gallery

This one was a struggle...Lacking any kind of inspiration I thought it might be interesting to hear from The Warrior, since much of The Warrior and The King is told from The King’s point of view. 

Definitely not my best work...hoping the next prompt will help me redeem myself!

MasterList

52 Week Challenge MasterList 

************************************

Kaylea Wolf stood on the gallery in the Hall of Kings, the sounds of the victory feast drifting up from below. There was a soft breeze blowing in over the broken gate, moonlight streaming through the ragged opening, the hall was so large she almost felt as if she was outside. She leaned forward on the parapet, one foot on the archer’s step, enjoying the cool air and the quiet after the noise of the crowded dining hall. It surprised her to see how much had already been cleaned up after the dragon and the great battle, Dwarves were indeed as hardworking as their reputation.

The Battle of the Five Armies had been won just four days ago and thanks to her quick action Thorin was almost completely healed from his injuries. She wondered what was being said in Erebor about her healing skills when the King had recovered so quickly from two fatal wounds. Where she came from that was a long time, but on Middle Earth even Elves didn’t heal that fast.

Kaylea absently took her hair out of its braid, passing the time until Thorin left the party to join her. He had been in the middle of a story when she left the hall, no telling when he would arrive. They had not spoken of it, but they both knew tonight the clothes were coming off. The need was simply too intense to deny, neither wanted to hold back any longer. It was what happened after that concerned her. She was certain Thorin would ask her to marry him, and that simply was not possible. He was a King, and Kings are used to getting their way. How would he take her refusal?

Kaylea felt she was in an impossible situation. She had been in love before, a few times, but had never felt so out of control of her own passion as she did with Thorin. He made her want to throw all caution to the winds, and that frightened her. Every time she was with him she always felt as if she had found some missing part of herself, she knew him so intimately, like they had been lovers for years, though they had only been alone together a half-dozen times and it had never gone beyond a kiss. But there was really no chance of any serious relationship between them; she had her own life and responsibilities, and as much as she loved him she would not give them up to stay in Middle Earth, even if that was an option. Though he might deny it, Thorin could not just do as he pleased either. Kings needed heirs, to continue their legacy, and strong alliances to defend their kingdom. Marriage to a daughter from one of the seven families could give Thorin both those things, Kaylea could give him neither. And she could imagine the scandal if the heir of Durin married a woman of another race. She remembered reading once that love could be either beautiful or monstrous. Love for her had always ended up being monstrous, in one way or another, but there were times it had been beautiful too. This love she for Thorin had changed her, for better or for worse she had yet to decide. But tonight she and Thorin were going to settle this unspoken thing between them, and she did not have to leave Erebor for some weeks yet. There was time to enjoy being with the man she loved, before she would have to give him up and slay that part of herself.

As she was pondering Kaylea heard the sound of a step on the gallery and turned to see the King approaching, he walked up onto the archer’s step, his head now above hers. He was smiling softly at her and it was all Kaylea could do to hold herself still and wait for him.

She bowed low as he approached to cover her arousal, her heart was pounding, she could feel the flush on her cheeks. “Good evening, your majesty,” she said, taking a deep breath to get herself under control. “I hope you have not left your celebration on my account. Will you not be missed?”

Thorin smiled. “My lady, they will be at it until tomorrow morning, or longer.” He looked over the hall and then back at her, with a hungry look in his eyes. “They will never notice I have gone. Indeed, it was to look for you that I left the banquet. We have unfinished business, you and I.”

Kaylea looked questioningly at him. For answer Thorin brought out the flask she had given him so long ago when they had parted beside the river. She smiled when she saw it.

“So, you still have it,” she said. “I was wondering if it had been lost on your many adventures.”

He unscrewed the cap and separated the two cups. “I was careful to keep it safe, my lady,” he said as he poured the liquor. “I have been looking forward to finishing it with you, as you promised.” They clicked the cups together and drank. As Kaylea set hers down Thorin poured the remaining liquor out between the two of them. When the second toast was drunk Kaylea slid the cups together and capped the flask. She looked up at Thorin to see his eyes were on the laces of her tunic, where she had loosened them coming out of the warm hall. She put her hand over his where it was resting on the parapet, feeling that tingle she always seemed to get when she touched him.

He gave her a soft smile, reaching to brush a lock of hair away from her face. “This is the first time I have seen you with your hair down. It suits you.”

Kaylea smiled back at him, shifting closer, the smell of him filling her senses, that rich, earthy scent of frankincense and rain on hot earth. Thorin started to speak again but Kaylea put a finger to his lips, shaking her head. There were no more words needed between them. He pulled her close and kissed her passionately, his dark hair mingling with her gold in the night breeze. It was as if no time had passed since they stood together in the moonlight beside the Bruinen. There was that same sense of being suddenly complete, his touch awakening every nerve in her body, Kaylea wanted him so badly it was almost painful. Thorin began to work his way down her neck with his lips, pulling out the laces on her tunic as he went. The last thing she wanted to do was stop him, but they were in full view of anyone in the hall below and the guards on the front gate.

“Are you sure you want to do this in full view of your night watch?” She asked quietly, catching his hands in hers. Thorin met her eyes, he looked across the vast hall at the guards moving along the top of the gate, then back at her with a crooked grin. It was obvious he did not care. Kaylea shook her head at him, this was better continued in private, and her rooms were only a few steps away. Thorin pulled her to him and kissed her again, ravenously. Kaylea returned his passion, sliding her hands inside his vest, tracing his muscles under his thin shirt. After a long moment, she stepped back and led the way to her quarters.

Read more about The Warrior and The King on AO3 or FanFiction, links on my homepage

@sdavid09 @soradragon @fizzyxcustard 

[alistonjdrake]

Of Rust and Gold: Ardunese Peace, Religious Royalty,  the Dtieri, and The Red Wolf

Wow that’s a mouthful. And I haven’t done one of these in a while! Links to the other world building posts  1 2 3  4 5 6 7 8 9

Of Rust and Gold is the first book in what I call The Saints Song Series. It’s a multi-pov low fantasy, court intrigue drama with romance and adventure elements.  It follows the stories of Argus and Leo. Prince and pirate respectfully, brought together by the plot of a stolen ship holding dangerous cargo and a secret that shakes what they know about their world.

main wip intro here.

One of the main things King Frederick of Escan is famous for is bringing peace to the continent. He is praised for it, so much so that it silences most criticism against him. Before him (and during his reign but people often justify it) there was war between the nations, land switched hands, and conflict was everywhere. It stopped when King Frederick built his empire and emerged as a leading power in the world.

But no such peace exists among the city-states and territories of Codua. It’s often been said, among the Ardunese, Codua would have nothing holding them together as a country if it wasn’t for a few things. Sharing a language, swearing (some more than others) ultimate loyalty to the Justice, and their stance in guarding the shore of the Laniora against those from the Rhine looking to cross into the north. 

They stand together reluctantly. The concept of peace in Codua constantly changes definitions. There is rarely a time where someone isn’t fighting or blood isn’t being shed. There is so much murder in Codua and so few stepping forward as witnesses or confessing to crimes that most Ardunese Knights have taken to sweeping it under the rug if the victim was popularly disliked enough or replaced by someone reasonably lawful. 

Commonly, most wars in Codua start over land and who owns it or old family rivalries. Often a mix of both. But recent Ardunese conflict also revolves around a few groups of people and a unique mix of scheming and climbing social ladders that could only occur in Codua. 

While all of Codua does not fall under the direct rule of the Justice as the city-state Mignola (the holy capital of the Santivian church) does, since every ruler who follows the religion has to swear their loyalty to the one who speaks for the Saints, they all follow under indirect rule. More so than other countries whose sovereigns only swear their loyalty and pay and their dues. In Codua, a Justice is given certain privileges over the surrounding territories. This is often because of the Conclave, the group directly below the Justice. 

This is where old family rivalries and alliances come into play. Mignola is smack in the middle of the Sandotta states, formally republics but often under the aristocratic thumb of the powerful families living there. These families being the Carulli, the Zisa, the Licari, the Fratella, and the Giachetti. Historically, they’ve had the most sitting members on the Conclave and reigning Justices. Beyond picking the most qualified candidate, Justices have often been chosen based on which of these powerful families weren’t in the middle of killing each other when a vote was required, or which family currently dominated the killing and thus shouldn’t be messed with. Rarely, Justices outside this group have been chosen in periods where the constant conflict is tiring, like the vote that placed Justice Dursten (a Kellish man) in the holy chair. His predecessor was a Licari and so much strife was around during his disastrous reign choosing someone unrelated to the inner conflict seemed the safest choice. 

But the five families have already risen high above other Ardunese nobility and cannot be touched. While not quite on the stage of the royal families or important names outside of Codua, they’re not far behind and a few have gone on to make good marriage matches outside of Codua.  However, it’s the marriages they make here that are often the most important. 

In the years leading up to 1782 and the beginning of Of Rust and Gold, a class of contracted soldiers have risen well beyond their means and when the decision is made to marry the most powerful to a sister of a Chancellor (a sitting member on the Conclave), things change forever. 

There’s the Order of the Knights. Fates, soldiers of the Saints’ and the Justice’s army, and the Dtieri. In plain terms, they are a class of contracted soldiers. They started out as anyone, simply men signing away their services to anyone who would hire them and sometime around the 1500s they changed into families built around this purpose and closed off into exclusivity. One is born a Dtieri. 

This does not always make them the best soldiers although when a war is fought in Codua they often make up the majority of the armies. The best example of how effective they are comes from the story of the Albuvo Conflict, where two lords fought over the right to a small port city and their armies both were made from men of the Bottino family. Cousin viciously fought cousin until Neopolo Bottino chose to slay both lords and claim the city for himself. 

Not all of them are treacherous or backstabbing but the stereotype lends to them all being bloodthirsty and mad. 

In 1762, there was war in Codua as there always is. But this one was different. One Dtieri family, the Astorino, had been born from a branch of the Acocella family who held a shaky hold on the duchy of Pontegrono. When the last Acocella died childless, his elderly wife moved to install her nephew as her heir. Benedetto Astorino stepped forward, then one of the most infamous Dtieri generals and feared among many, and claimed Pontegrono as rightfully his. Despite Astorino’s prowess, the fight for Pontegrono lasted years as others kept putting themselves forward as possible new dukes. Only in 1768, did the reigning Justice step forward after pressure landed on his shoulders to choose who had the most legitimate claim to the duchy. To choose Astorino would set the stage for other Dtieri to climb the social ladder, and to choose one among the squabbling nobles might further inspire war and conflict. At least Astorino’s reputation quelled more from trying their hand at taking the duchy. Most of the fighting had taken place away from him after he cruelly slew his first batch of opponents, and he’d been living unofficially as duke in Pontegrono’s palace since 1763. 

Two decisions were made. Benedetto Astorino would be crowned but he would have a bride from a family of the Conclave to ensure his path was righteous. And so, he married Ermenegarda Anna Venessa di ava Zisa, sister to Chancellor Ercolano Zisa. A year later, they had a daughter. She was granted the rights of Dtieri, wrapped in the colors of her father’s men, but given the birth ceremony and name of a princess of the Sandotta states. 

When her father died some months after her birth, no one batted an eyelash. Benedetto Astorino had many enemies and Dtieri leaders are often the victim of murder. There was some talk this was planned by the Zisa and the Justice, but again with no proof, the knights did not step in and at 5 months old, Benedetta Onesta Cassiopeia de ave Astorino became Duchess of Pontegrono. Those who felt slighted a year before when Astorino took the duchy quickly made plans to usurp the throne from the squealing baby, but Astorino’s men had sworn their loyalty to his bloodline and would not let anyone near Benedetta, sometimes not even her own mother. Her cousins protected her fiercely and while the Sandotta thought of her as a Zisa, she was raised like a Dtieri. 

 Most careers in the Dtieri start young, with some children becoming soldiers at the age of ten. Much to her mother’s displeasure, things proved no differently for Benedetta. She took quickly to the blend of her two worlds. She minded her manner lessons, charmed her tutors, could sing and play an instrument, and dressed in the stunning gowns afforded to her by the esteem of her mother’s family and being a duchess in her own right. But under the watchful guise of her oldest cousin, Bertolfo Astorino, she also became adept in the art of war. She studied strategy and by nine had recreated the maps for each of her father’s battles and even began to criticize his decisions. 

She had a great love for hunting and drew first blood when she was seven, which is where her nickname came from. Red for the bloody stain of her father’s reputation. 

Before her tenth birthday, Bentolfo began encouraging her to set in motion her first war campaign. Pontegrono was surrounded by profitable city-states, and while it was rich from its position on Laniora’s coast it all suffered from attacks from Rhine pirates and smugglers.  Her mother greatly disagreed and went to Mignola to call on her brother in hopes holy interference would convince her daughter and the meddlesome cousins. Chancellor Zisa must have seen the benefits in having his family take over more land, and what it would mean for him as Justice Dursten got older and the holy chair was empty again, and his letters to his niece lacked the forceful discouragements Lady Ermenegarda was hoping for. 

Benedetta’s first war campaign began. She played a small part, riding beside Bertolfo and staying away from the main action. She sat in on plans for battle strategy and made her first decisions, but the Red Wolf was unknown outside of Pontegrono and her successful decision making was assumed to be Bertolfo’s genius. In truth, Bertolfo was not as smart as his much younger cousin. He was ambitious but had not learned to read until his twenties when Benedetto raised their family. He was a career soldier and knew the ins and outs of battle. Benedetta trusted him greatly. When was eleven and began riding into battle on her own, it was him who was by her side during her first siege where she kidnapped a rival lord’s wife and only heir to persuade him into submission.  As Pontegrono’s land began to expand, people heard more and more about Zisa’s niece and who was really behind the series of terrors. 

Justice Dursten was getting older and unpopular as he continued to not die and remain as a non-Ardunese authority. Zisa began imposing his niece on people, knowing her reputation and that of her father served as an unspoken promise of what could happen if he was not the next candidate for Justice. 

Benedetta approached twelve. Thoughts turned towards marriage. Lady Ermenegarda chose some likely suitors and sent a list to her daughter. All boys from the Sandotta states, most of them Zisas. It was at this point when Benedetta was holding council and in the middle of tearing up the list her mother sent her, that Bertolfo stood up and announced his intentions to marry her. 

Perhaps he was hoping for her to weep from joy, or be relieved the duchy would stay in her father’s family, or that her fondness for her cousin was likely the cause of a childhood crush. But stories tell that Benedetta recoiled in disgust and had her adviser and right hand stripped off all his titles and benefits for such an insult. Riding into her next battle, she demanded Bertolfo mount his horse naked and without a weapon. He was said to have gotten down on his knees and begged. Whether or not that is true is debatable, but what is true is that he at first refused and when he did, Benedetta had her men strip him against his will and yank his weapon and pride from him. Bertolfo was shot and killed during the battle.

 Another close cousin asked why Benedetta did not weep when they heard the news and were shown the dead body, and Benedetta, still flush from the pride of successfully swallowing another port city into Pontegrono, exclaimed that a few causalities were to be expected and that she did not “cry over fools”.

With the death of Bertolfo, Lady Ermenegarda returned to Pontegrono in hopes of assuming his role and becoming close to her daughter. As of 1782 and with her daughter’s thirteenth birthday behind her, she has not been successful. 

While Benedetta is young, she falls into a long line of power-hungry and bloodthirsty Dtieri, but also comes from blessed religious royalty and might be set to become the most powerful if not famous princess to come out of Codua. 

[featuristicfilm]

Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood review

(Contains spoilers !!!)

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood proves Tarantino is the ultimate artist.

When a film can be successfully marketed merely as a sequential product of a certain director, that’s when you know it has to be something. The ninth edition to the Tarantino’s repertoire reinforces his status as a one-of-a-kind, visionary filmmaker whose work exudes style, taste and true passion. This period piece combines history, dreams and, in a familiar Tarantino fashion, bursts of violence, to present a tale that intrigues and surprises, and ultimately lands with a bang!

Films that Tarantino brings to life seem to carry a certain energy, each unique and alive with heart. Now, me saying this while not having seen every single picture in his body of works might seem silly and diminishing of the power of this statement, yet no one can deny that Tarantino is all about the vision. A writer/director credit affirms that with this film, as Once Upon A Time In Hollywood arrives from a long time in the making, and from careful crafting that appears to have been approached with the utmost thought and dedication. It’s fitting, knowing that Hollywood for him hits close to home, as, well, it is exactly that. The vibrant locations and the scenery of 1969’s Los Angeles are visually as appealing and enticing as it gets, and I especially loved the use of rich and saturated colours, almost as if mirroring the culture of the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’, to which this film heavily reverts to. Indeed, the western-style action, the old-school culture of the film landscape of the time is entrenched in the way characters act and behave, as well as the environments they appear in. And while many keep saying that this is how Tarantino creates his stories and builds his films’ worlds - by taking from already existing material, trialed elements and using them to serve his story, well, not everyone can even do that successfully. Besides, clichés are often over-exaggerated yet accurate representations. And if anything, referencing something in your own creative pursuits is a way to recognise and give credit. At least he definitely puts his own stamp on. It’s evident in this new instalment too. The film does rely on the ideas already laid out by the Old Hollywood format but Tarantino ultimately shines a new light on how narrative and characters can come together.

With that in mind, this story is a refreshing account of fiction-meets-reality. The general premise envisions two friends working in the entertainment business during the 60’s, a struggling actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), as they figure out how to stay relevant and keep themselves afloat. These are fleshed out characters, and their buddy relationship radiates an energy that instantly draws you in to root for them, which is all due to the stellar performances by both DiCaprio and Pitt. Tarantino has hit the nail on the head with this casting, that’s for sure. However, these characters serve more as storytelling devices, than fully realised people. Here, they are being used as models to set the scene, move the story forward. As a result, a good chunk of the movie, about two thirds of the almost three hour long film, is of expositional purpose mainly to build tension for the grand finale. And while it’s understandable why Tarantino felt the need to lay out the ground work so meticulously, some scenes just fell flat or felt unnecessary. (I caught myself fixating on anything other than the screen, like how uncomfortable the chair was, quite a few times.) Throughout and in between those slow sequences, flashes of another character - Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), a real life person in actuality - reignite that eagerness to see how it all plays out. And by it, I mean, of course, the infamous murders of Tate and 4 other individuals inflicted on them by the Manson family in 1969. It all crashes down in the absurdly violent way by which Rick and Cliff become heroes of an alternate reality by mercilessly slaying the known accomplices. Tarantino really doesn’t hold off in showing them no remorse, and by this time the audience is fascinated and amused by this turn of events. Rightfully so, many have praised the way fantasy and imagination is used here to attempt to mediate the harsh reality it takes from and also to subvert expectations in such a daring way. A flamethrower, or a tin-can to the face to counteract the aggressors did have quite an uproar from the crowd. However, there might be some truth to others saying that the boastful need for violence for the sake of humour or satisfaction is an inconsiderate approach of such a sensitive topic. But Tarantino deliberately accentuating the violence, knowing that the audience, the ones dreadfully awaiting for what’s to come, might be shocked and relieved at the reversal, is an ability to really understand what works on a screen and what doesn’t. And all those small, almost forgotten glimpses of Tate being excited about her growing family and rising career, unaware of her terrible fate, still full of life and joy inside of her (which was the baby she was carrying) felt both sad and mournful of what should have been, and honouring and respectful enough by not being sensationalised.

In full, the film tries to balance a longing memory of the glorified haze of Hollywood attraction, depicting history and faces in a secure and safe perspective, and a shockingly horrifying reality replaced by a fairytale resolution. The scenes revolving around Rick and Cliff are about everything and anything comedy-drama style, and actually feel profound yet, unfortunately, sometimes short-lived. Margot Robbie, for what we see of her, plays Tate with a genuine, heartfelt and warm regard. Intertwining an imagined storyline with a familiar truth gave the film a unique duality which Tarantino’s vibrancy and sharp taste made into a riveting portrayal. Whatever backlash this movie received is a testament to how a bold and unwavering creative vision should be used. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood proves Tarantino is the ultimate artist because without vision, inspiration and complete belief in this project, it probably wouldn’t have even happened. Oh and also, Al Pacino is in this movie. What do you know!

[kim-lexie]

record of youth.

seriously when i say i was awaiting this drama, i was WAITING. park bogum’s dramas are always stellar and next level. he knows how to pick them, so as soon as i knew bogummy was on the project you best believe i was counting down the days to the release. they got an incredible cast and this drama did not disappoint. and now that it is over i will miss these characters that i have found myself attached to over these past few weeks. i would 10 out of 10 recommend this gem.

plot synopsis. 

this drama is a record of the moments between a group of people in their 20s. (get it?! basically a record of their youth in their 20s) jeong-ha an aspiring makeup artist with a day-job as a makeup assistant and a youtuber street artist at night. hye-jun an model/aspiring actor, who is deciding what to do with his little time before enlistment. and hae-hyo as hye-jun’s best friend also in the same career field. with this as our backdrop it follows jeong-ha a fan of hye-jun as they meet and grow in their relationship.

thoughts. *spoilers ahead*

i must say that i loved the premise of this one. it was just unique that i was able to see some new sides to this aspiring actor dimension as well as see the side of the makeup industry. but also familiar with the aspects of the family and wanting to do what is best for those around you. 

i thoroughly loved seeing how hye-jun’s family grow into their new role as he became more famous to see that it was not going to go to their heads. his family, and eventually his brother came to find this answer after the shine of it went away. as they stayed in their house, and even hye-jun wanting to do more where he had been planted was beautiful and made me love his character more. 

i cannot say how much i loved hye-jun’s mother. she was the sweetest most precious bean. keeping her husband honest. supporting both of her sons, and encouraging her father-in-law’s new dream. all while working for a well-off family and slaying it. what a queen. we stan. i think that if jeong-ha and her had met at that family dinner (they spent episodes try to plan) it would have been a different story. they would have been the best of friends. because they are both encouraging people with their own dreams to see their people succeed in life. 

i loved the grandfather’s role in all of this. from being quite and timid because of unfulfilled dreams. and hye-jun allowed him to dream and realized that he was not finished yet. to having him go to modeling classes, and get head shots, to winning awards for his modeling after a few years. truly inspiring. and i loved that completed character arc, because we all live for those great shiny stories.

loved his father’s redemption from being critical and cynical and slapping hye-jun at one point to eventually being his father’s manager, to apologizing to his son. yes, yes. and same with his brother, writing malicious comments back saying only i can be rude to my brother and no one else, to asking for forgiveness. 

it was interesting to have the juxtaposition of hye-jun’s family with hae-hyo’s family because the dynamics were so different. and we saw how the two mother’s approached their sons very differently. and hae-hyo’s mother saddened me throughout the drama because of her lack of trust in her son. and when hae-hyo came to find the truth behind his career it devastated him. 

i wish we had seen more of jeong-ha’s family because the relationship with her mother was so drawn and weary i understand why there was not a ton in it. but her father seemed so nice and encouraging of her, i would have loved to seen him more. as well as getting the families together in general. we never got to see jeong-ha meet his mother. and i am so sooooo sour about that. because we all know they would have been the best of friends. 

i feel like jeong-ha’s family explains a lot about her approach to things from her living alone and owning a house of her own at a young age. to the way she wanted to hold on to the friendship with hye-jun. to her ending their relationship because she wanted to not be a burden on him. it kind of all fits. and i wish we had more development from her. she constantly mentions that she loves living unpredictably now because hye-jun literally turned her life upside down and made her grow, which she did grow alongside him. but still she was so dead set on not burdening or sharing how she honestly felt that she didn’t allow herself to fully fall in love. but then again it also speaks to what is love to you? is it never depending on your person and doing it all alone because that is all you’ve known, or is is understanding that you both will have hardships and need to be honest with each other to help one another get through those moments in life...unfortunately she did not see it to be the latter. 

the siblings here took on an important role in this drama. from hae-hyo’s sister hae-na dating his best dude jin-woo, to gyeong-jun taking on new roles and the family realized hye-jun’s importance. they both came to be extremely important in the family relations and dynamics changing. and i must add that i wish we saw more of the relationship between hae-na and jin-woo because they were cute, and i liked them. also while i’m on my soap box i must say that at the end i was kind of wanting min-jae and gyeong-jun to end up together, because they are seriously opposites and they would make a quirky pairing. 

their workplaces were interesting, and i must say that i could have done without all the focus on tae-su, the horrible ex-agent of hye-jun, and his artist do-ha. like we get it you don’t want him to be successful because he dumped you. also could have done with out the focus on the journalist for the tabloid plot like okay we get it you’re out to get our man. you need to get a life. and if we removed these nonsense plots that did not add too much to the overall story of our characters we could have gotten so much more, i.e. a FAMILY DINNER. sorry really just sour about this. 

their relationship was soooo cute. i loved how it developed from her being like ‘nah boo you got it wrong i’m not a fan of you’ to finally owning up and being like ‘yeah, honey you’re the one’ to being like ‘i want to stay friends, and not ruin this beautiful thing’ to hye-jun confessing being like ‘you’re my boo’ to them finally together. it was great, i loved it. wish i didn’t get second male lead syndrome so early on, because you could see that hae-hyo liked her too because she was honest and raw compared to all the people around him, kind of like how hye-jun was with him. 

but yeah it was a great ride, and i freaking knew the writers would screw over the beautiful story i had in my head and have them break up because their timing was off. but in reality i think it would have been fine. like seriously girl, he is enlisting you will be a better person in 2 years no need to fret saying, it’s not our time i want to be a better person because you’re already a better person. so the double standard she put up was there, because our boo was a nobody when she met him. but you know with that open ended ending i totally say they got back together, had a good ole family dinner, everyone got along great and they lived happily ever after. i did love how they added the same scene again at the closing because he was saying goodbye to us for the time period because he was a part of our ‘record of youth’ just as we were in his. 

i must say i kind of liked the time jumps that this drama stacked up. like it was interesting to see the ending the episode prior, then get to see the events from another’s perspective that led to the prior event. kind of liked it in the end. at the start i was really confused, but i caught on eventually. also wish we got more of a time jump into the future with them together, but you can’t always get what you want.

it is also important to mention how much i loved all the guest appearances. like i know that isn’t that important for our characters, but seriously it was uplifting to see the familiar faces every so often in this drama. from park seo-joon, to seo hyun-jin and lee sung-kyung. i thoroughly enjoyed it. also loved seeing the random tidbit of fake dramas that hye-jun was in, like boo i would definitely watch those...

the ost.

‘go’ by my boo seungkwan. we stan because this is literally a gem and i play this all day every day. it’s encouraging and makes me want to smile and jump around. 

‘shine on you’ by whee in. this one delivers all the feels from the precious good moments to the tearful moments. 

‘what if’ by kim jae hwan. THIS ONE. I LOVE IT. this man’s vocals are stunning, and i loved this one. it was beautifully utilized in the drama to express the special moments that they were having. and made me nostalgic for the past moments they had because they did not realize all they had. and makes you want to treasure the now you’re living in. 

‘just you’ by j rabbit. they have such sweet vocals and i loved this dreamy track.

now don’t get me wrong these songs were great, however i would have LOVED a park bo-gum on a track. like seriously. like for real, the voice of an angel would have made a lovely addition.

anyways, i really loved this drama and i tried my best to be cohesive about my thoughts but i’m writing this late the day it ended so i’m still little emotional that it is over. and i shall patiently await for my park bo-gum to come back from enlistment and i shall watch all his dramas once again. 

i will also post my weekly play-by-play because i knew i would have a lot of feelings and thoughts to short through with this one. so if you want you can check it out here. 

[thotyssey]

On Point With: DJ Nita Aviance

One of New York’s most beloved and experienced dance floor DJs, Nita Aviance (from, duh, the legendary House of Aviance) slays us the world over with beats as one half of The Carry Nation and as a solo entity. Today he tells Thotyssey about what’s in store for him, and us.

Thotyssey: Nita, hello! Thanks for chatting with us today! So last month, The Carry Nation (the DJ collective consisting of yourself and Will Automagic) finished their seasonal residence at the Good Room in Brooklyn. What was the best part of this year’s run?

DJ Nita Aviance: Aw man, this year at Good Room was such a blast--it’s hard to pick just one moment. But I’d have to say the closing night B3B with Michael Magnan was such a dream. After working with him all season on the flyers, it was an extra-special way to bring it all full circle. The vibes were absolutely on point from start to finish. Good Room has been such a brilliant club to work with cuz they really let us do our thing, and have been very supportive as we’ve grown over the past three years.

Generally speaking, what’s your favorite type of venue to spin in regarding size or type of crowd?

Each different venue really allows us to explore our sound and bend it to correspond to each. The big, the small--they all have their place in my heart. We played Elevator Club in Shanghai earlier this year, and it was probably the most diverse crowd in a very intimate club with a pumping sound system. They totally let us get weird, and were there raging hard till the lights came on.

Where are you from originally?

I grew up in the suburbs of Rochester, NY. It wasn’t a bad place to be a teenager; there was a thriving nightlife scene where I found other gays and weirdos to get in trouble with at an early age.

What was the first music that really inspired you?

There was always music in my house growing up--my dad made sure of that. His record collection is vast and varied, and he taught me to appreciate all genres. But early on I was very into 60′s pop and Motown. Also, Prince. The first time I remember being allowed to stay up past my bedtime was to watch the 1985 American Music Awards, which we recorded and I studied religiously. Prince was all over the awards that year, as Purple Rain had just come out.

What was the scene like in NYC when you started DJing... and how exactly did you get your start?

When I started DJ’ng in the East Village in the early 2000s, the bar scene was thriving but the bigger clubs were all closing down. The format was changing to more pop and hip hop, so we really had to work hard to keep the dance music alive. That said... it was a serious party, and Michael Formika Jones put me at the center of it playing AREA10009 at Opaline on Avenue A. It was the hottest ticket in town, and I got to cut my chops to a packed room every Friday night.

How did you become a member of the House of Aviance? Are you a voguer at all?

I fell in with the HOA almost immediately when I moved to the city. Spending every Sunday morning at Twilo, I met Mother Juan and Kevin very quickly, and we all just clicked. I soon started coming out in drag, and eventually began dancing backup for Kevin. I wouldn’t call myself a voguer, but I can certainly cut a shape. You’d be hard pressed not to when you’re an Aviance, and your friends have last names like Xtravaganza and Ninja. For me it was all about runway-- when that floor opens up and you really get to pump it.

You've been in the booth for many legendary parties and venues over the years, but many remember you from Tubway at the iconic Mr. Black, which you headed with another DJ legend Gant Johnson. 

Mr. Black was a wild ride. It was completely debaucherous and out of control and we thrived. Tubway taught me how to throw a big party, and my musical taste and DJ style really evolved by being allowed to get buck wild every week. We were fully immersed in throwing that party. Creating a new theme and look every week is incredibly exhausting--thankfully, we had plenty of fuel.

There is a lot of original music out there from you... including a mix called ”Morgan Freeman” which is such a bop. How much have you put out, exactly?

Between myself, The Carry Nation and multiple other collaborations, quite a bit...and there’s a lot more on the way.

Do you have a moment in your DJ career that you are the most proud of?

Honestly, I’m constantly gagged at the fact that I’ve managed to make a career out of something I love so much. We just played the garden at Berghain [in Berlin] last month, which is a total milestone. Also, being welcomed into the Bloc 9 family at Glastonbury for the past five years is an experience that I will be eternally grateful for.

What do you like to spin these days at your gigs?

Anything that’ll get that ass-shaking. I’m a slave to the rhythm, if I’m not dancing how can I expect you to?

Do you generally find at this point that you have a lot of freedom regarding what you can play, or are venue managers regularly trying to get you to stick to a formula?

I think I’ve always been a bit stubborn about playing the music I love, and it has  definitely lost me jobs along the way. But here we are now, and I still play what I like... just more people are into it. It’s how you develop your own sound, ya’ know--years and years of trying everything out. It’s our job as DJs to expose people to new sounds... something they aren’t going to run into necessarily on their own.

What do you think about the state of gay nightlife today, still being so driven by Top 40 pop music?

Save it for your Spotify, kids. Get out there and experience something different. There’s a reason dance music started in gay clubs, it’s FOR US. People forget that the pop machine is driven by straight white men looking to make as much money as they can. Not that I don’t love me some pop, but 100% all the time all night every place you go out... that’s not the type of experience I’m trying to have.

So how was The Carry Nation formed, and why do you think you and Will work so well together?

I’ve always admired Will as a DJ, and after working together in the scene for years I called him up one day and told him it was time we made a record... thus, “This Bitch Is Alive.” It was only fair we started playing together to back it up. We were on our first tour before we were truly friends, even. But I think it’s our mutual love of the nightlife and music that drives us; we have a similar vision for how we want things to feel, and it just works. We argue like any relationship, and that helps keep things moving forward. We’re always trying to create something fresh--it’s our respect for the past, and eye on the future, that really ties it all together.

Lets talk a little about some upcoming New York gigs this week, starting with Thursday, July 26th: Floorgasm, featuring yourself and DJ LSD XOXO at Bossa Nova Civics Club in Brooklyn.

Super excited to get down with LSD XOXO. He is absolutely brilliant, and I’ve been pulling some extra special gags for this one.

Friday, July 27th: Full Moon, featuring The Carry Nation alongside DJs Mike Swells, Mira Fahrenheit and David Kiss at the House of Yes in Brooklyn.

This will be Carry’s first one playing at the new HoY. And on a full moon, you can be sure this one will get wild.

Saturday, July 28th: Mild Fantasy, featuring yourself with DJs Rogelio and Elle Dee at Mood Ring in Brooklyn.

This venue has such a cool, intimate vibe, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it pops off.

Anything else to mention?

Check out The Carry Nation’s new single “Prism” featuring Alissa Briana. So proud of this one--Alissa has such a beautiful voice, and she wrote us a banger!

Okay, last question: What's your best advice for a DJ who wants to make it in this city?

Stay true to you. No one else has done “you” before, I can guarantee it. If you don’t see what you want out there, create it. Study the past, dream of the future, and never stop dancing!

Check Thotyssey’s calendar for DJ Nita Aviance’s upcoming gigs, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Soundcloud and iTunes.

On Point Archives