#galatea & tabitha

[niromeva]

pocky game

[fishylife]

Claymore by Norihiro Yagi, Chapter 108

[robustconviction]

[irisbleufic]

Gotham ships as gods from greek or whatever mythology you'd like.

Hello, anon!  Finally, I feel like I have my thoughts organized enough to respond to this.  I didn’t forget about you; your patience has been exemplary.  

When I first got your ask, I attempted to find 1:1 correspondences from Greek mythology.  This only worked for about 2 or 3 of my Gotham pairings; thereafter, I got aggravated and set it aside for about a week.  I don’t like to do anything by halves.  During the second week I was holding onto this, I realized that it was easier to answer than I thought, as some of the Gotham writing I’ve done already has my takes on mythologies built in!

For just a few broad-strokes answers that don’t appear in any of my fic, I can say that Oswald and Edward have personality traits and relationship features that make me think of Hades and Persephone.  My 3 favorite ladies, Selina and Ivy and Bridgit, make me think of the Moirai (the Fates, Lachesis and Clotho and Atropos respectively, if you’re wondering which one is which).  Tabitha and Barbara make me think of Ceyx and Halcyon.  And, stepping a bit outside the Greek paradigm, Bruce and Jeremiah unquestionably make me think of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.  Thinking about Jim and Harv just vaults me into some of the sadder brothers-in-arms options out there, maybe Euryalus and Nisus.

Now, I mentioned that I’ve already written some fic that takes mythic/folkloric elements and correspondences (with regard to characterization and relationship dynamics) into account—just not necessarily from Greek or Roman sources:

When You Find It, Run, as the longest installment and one of the initial 4 kick-off stories in DDO, was always going to be a retelling of Tam Lin.  It’s one of the stories in that series that can be read as a stand-alone (it accounts for 132,000 words in a series that is cumulatively 320,000 words long).  I built that particular plot thread gradually, and it’s really in the final chapters that it becomes obvious what I built up throughout the narrative.  Oswald and Edward made an excellent Janet and Tam Lin, and I was pleased that a number of readers who were unfamiliar with the traditional ballad in its many forms were inspired to go look it up.

Gold Dust, one of the rare stand-alone projects in my overall backlog of Gotham fic, is a fusion with the world of His Dark Materials, in that the characters have daemons that operate more or less like daemons do in those novels (in no way is it a crossover; HDM characters do not appear in it).  Dust is a thing that’s known and present, as it’s a more “modern” take on the world of HDM by default.  There are some extensions and theories I’ve implemented; I never got around to writing HDM fic in order to test them, so this seemed like as good a place as any.  I pulled the names of the Gotham characters’ daemons from world mythologies, folklore, and literature, casting my net a lot broader than HDM’s naming conventions for daemons.  Oswald’s kingfisher daemon has a Hungarian name, Eszter; Edward’s raven daemon is named Desdemona (yes, that’s a somewhat dark-humored reference to Othello, if you consider Ed’s first major canonical crime).  Gertrud’s daemon is revealed, via Oswald’s ruminations, to have been a greenfinch named Álmos (also drawing on her Hungarian origins); similarly, via Ed’s POV, we learn Kristen’s daemon was a red admiral butterfly named Nestor.  Tabitha has a species of spider-killing wasp (Abernessia capixaba) named Tybalt; Barbara has a damselfly named Eimar.  Butch has a horned toad, Mira.  Selina has an Abyssinian cat called Ovinnik, which is a reference to Slavic folklore.  Ivy has a perpetually unsettled daemon due to what happened to her in the aging-up debacle, but she and her daemon have made piece with this shapeshifting; Damaris usually appears as a luna moth, but takes some other shapes in the fic (such as a Siamese cat, in order to taunt Ovinnik). Harv has an Irish terrier named Cara; Jim has a German shepherd named Sigyn.  Fish has a jaguar known as Tezcatlipoca, Tez for short.  Hugo Strange has a water monitor (lizard) named Gan.  Zsasz has a wolf, name not given.  Caroline and Vee, two of my OCs from DDO, have a passenger pigeon named Laetitia and a grasshopper mouse named Bechor (this name is Hebrew, since Vee comes from a Hispanic/Sephardic Jewish background).  Olga has a tundra swan named Bogdan, about as Russian as you can get.  Bruce’s daemon settled the night his parents died, which was more traumatic than cause for celebration; she’s a barn owl named Taalumah (also Hebrew, since I write Bruce as Jewish), Taalu for short.  Alfred has a red fox named Mathilde.  The names of the Valeska twins’ daemons do come from Greek mythology, which is why I wanted to end on these two.  Jeremiah’s burrowing owl is named Theia, and Jerome’s shrike is named Tethys (Theia and Tethys are both Titânes, Titans, in Greek mythology).  I also cover the twins’ parents’ daemons, Paul Cicero with a pallid bat, Galatea, and Lila Valeska with her black-tailed python (a literal snake in canon, transformed here into a daemon) named Sheba.  Lila’s daemon is the only one with a name pulled from show canon.

[pathfinder-society]

DnD Classes for Claymore Characters

I’ve been playing a lot of DnD lately, and, well, this happened. Feel free to disagree/suggest things for characters I’ve not mentioned :)

Clare - Barbarian Path of the Berserker. Zero self-control and rages like Bruce Banner.

Clarice - Warlock of the Great Old One. No inherent power. Gets what strength she has by channeling something large and tentacled. She’s also kind of good at messing with people’s heads which is on-class as well.

Cynthia - Cleric. Life domain because healer.

Daae - Wizard, School of Necromancy. Braniac maniac who gets off on raising the dead.

Deneve - Fighter, Champion. Champions literally regain HP at higher levels so that’s your regeneration right there. She’s also got mad CON and dual-wields like a boss.

Dietrich - Paladin. I’m leaning towards Oath of the Crown since she’s got a more rules vibe than Jean does but she could very easily also be Oath of Devotion.

Galatea - Bard, College of Glamour. Sassy, gorgeous, and boy oh boy can she mess with your head. I don’t care how much time she spends in a church she is NOT a cleric.

Helen - Rogue, swashbuckler. She’s got swagger, so, so much swagger. Also a hand crossbow.

Hysteria - Fighter, Eldrich Knight. DPS with a teleport. Knows Misty Step.

Irene - Monk. I don’t know much about monks, but high-DEX hermit sounds rather familiar. I’m not making race suggestions here generally but ELF, DUH.

Jean - Paladin, Oath of Devotion.

Louvre - Rogue, mastermind. He’s a spy.

Miria - Wizard! Her INT is off-the-charts and she’s all about strategy so of course she’s in THE academically inclined battlefield control class. I’m going with School of War for the combat-oriented abilities.

Ophelia - Paladin, Oath of Vengeance. I’m not super sold on this one since she might be too chaotic to have an oath, but BOY is she all about revenge.

Priscilla - Sorcerer, Wild Magic. “Hi! I can’t control my powers!” She wants to be a Paladin.

Roxanne - Bard, College of Whispers. She will charm you, kill you, and steal your identity. College of Whispers.

Tabitha - Rogue, scout. Environment information and stealth damage. That said, she has the attitude for a paladin.

Teresa - Fighter, Champion. Didn’t know what to do with herself so she went with something straightforward. Wants to multiclass but doesn’t know what to pick. The fact that she doesn’t have a stat lower than 18 does nothing to narrow anything down.

Yuma - Ranger/Cleric who multiclassed off her WIS stat when the party needed healing more than it did ranged DPS. Not sure about Conclave (Monster Slayer?), but definitely Life domain.

@jean-snow

@thusspakesophie

@lotsofdragons

[hitchell-mope]

Hypothetical titles for season eight of 88

The first half of this season is colloquially called the Taskforce arc

Emeralds aren’t forever. Eight months after stopping Moorcroft’s coup against the royal family. The three Sullivan’s, Lucia, Thornton and Jacob take President Guilroy up on the offer of joining a Taskforce in her name. Their first mission. Foiling a gem smuggling ring in the south of France. Through flashbacks it shows how Findlay and Sidney met the Force’s technician Gideon Gauthier (Josh Peck). First regular appearance of Greg Sulkin as Alabaster Birch

Silver eye. In the Bahamas the Taskforce have to take down a trafficking ring led by an Argyria suffering cyclops

The spy who screwed me. In the Maldives. Lucia’s one night stand turns out to be an Orchish MI6 agent. First appearance of Nicholas Hoult as Agent Norton Grimm.

No time to whine. Prohibited from helping investigate a Haunting in Majorca due to being unable to enter the church site, Lucia runs afoul of Grimm’s lover, a Lynx by the name of Tabitha Bigelow (Natalie Dormer)

Chrome finger. At a children’s hospital in Brazil the team looks into a shoddy prosthesis manufacturer while trying to keep ten steps ahead of Grimm and Bigelow and Lucia makes a fatal mistake

Drive another day. On what should be a relaxing, well deserved break in Costa Rica, Drummond and Gelman stumble across a politician who uses his dead spouses to gain the sympathy vote. Meanwhile. Lucia, still on the outs with Findlay and Jacob, gets into contact with someone who she believes can help her make it up to her friends. First appearance of Kathy Bates as Vice President Martha Fuchs.

To Jamaica with hate. The Taskforce has to rescue a diplomats son from a doomsday cult. Meanwhile Lucia keeps up her correspondence with Fuchs.

The dying skylights. In Puerto Rico, Alabaster has to confront his failings when he’s abducted by Grimm and Bigelow.

Dr Knowles. In Ecuador, Martha brings Lucia to a shady psychotherapist who just so happens to be the same woman that the Taskforce and the MI6 agents are searching for. Guest starring Christine Baranski as Dr Karin Knowles

You only live forever. In Madagascar Lucia’s efforts to mend fences hits a major snag when her and Drummond fall into a trap set by Bigelow.

On his majesty’s secret service. Summonsed to London by king Reuben (returning guest star Dev Patel). The Taskforce are told of Grimm and Bigelow’s treasonous actions by the director of MI6. Lady Galatea Downey (Miranda Hart).

Sun taker. Midseason finale. Part one. During the solar eclipse. Grimm and Bigelow enact their plan while Findlay completely cuts ties with Lucia which does nothing but send her straight to Fuchs. Final appearance of Nicholas Hoult as Norton Grimm and Natalie Dormer as Tabitha Bigelow

Recalled. Midseason premier. Part two. Fuchs uses the incident at MI6 to pull some strings and prove that President Guilroy is incompetent.

Madame president. With Fuchs now at the country’s helm and Lucia completely cut off from her family and friends, Drummond starts to realise how much things have changed in New York.

Meanwhile back at the ranch. Part one. In a flashback episode. We see how things were going for the rest of the five families during the Taskforce arc

Meanwhile back at the ranch. Part two. In a flashback episode. We see how things were going for the 88th precinct during the Taskforce arc. Guest starring Paul Rudd as Captain Conrad Rhys

Horse divorce. Jacob’s first full day back on the job entails him presiding over the separation of Oswald’s parents, Osmond (Donal Logue) and Onoria (Catherine Zeta Jones)

Former friends and acquaintances. Godfrey tries and fails to reconcile Findlay and Lucia’s extinct friendship.

Orchard of discord. Vice President Fuchs, worried for her plans, does whatever it takes to sew the seeds of discontent between Lucia and the Sullivan’s.

Just one question. Lucia seeks Deucalion’s help for her depression. Meanwhile. Crimson (Surrane Jones) returns to ask Sidney’s help in convincing Pearl (Jenna Coleman) to retake her job of looking after Findlay’s immortal soul.

Family day. The Wilmington’s, Mulligan’s and Sullivan’s head to Central Park for Oswald’s birthday while trying to keep Osmond and Onoria from tearing each other’s tails out

An attempt at reconciliation. Jesse manages to get Jacob to seek out a friends night out with Lucia that ends badly when Dr Knowles arrives to deliver her to Vice President Fuchs.

Cataclysm. Season finale. Part one. Fuchs and Knowles succeed in pushing Lucia over the edge, bringing Hollis and Magda Carothers back from the dead in the process.

A cure for the devil. Season finale. Part two. Lilith Hauser, returning guest star Lily Tomlin, assists Findlay and Sidney in rescuing Lucia and her sanity from Fuchs and Knowles.

[silverteresa]

Any claymore ship? Personally i ship galatea miria bcs i can totally see them bantering. There is a good fic on ffnet abt them (m rated but it's not nsfw and even nsfw on last chapter it's not gross) but it's discontinued, a shame. Miria & tabitha kinda feels like young croix & chariot bcs tabitha admires miria so much, much like chariot admiring croix

Oh yes!!! GalaMiri all the way ♡ I LOVE this ship!I read all Shirokurou’s fanfics about them (is 3x6 the fanfic you’re referring to? That’s my favorite one♡.♡).Tabitha x Miria is really cute, Tabitha loves Miria so much and (SPOILERS……I cried so much when she died the feels are back D"x ) Then I found really funny how the fans see Tabitha as the one who’d kill you if you say something mean about Miria, cuz it’s totally true xDDI really like Clare x Jean ♡ Jean such a sweetie :“”) but for once I prefer the het ship xD Raki x Clare- Helen x Deneve - Yuma x CynthiaThere \(^_^)/

[lethalneuroses]

femslash february day 4

Galatea/Miria, hurt/comfort-ish, post-canon.

The grave is outside the walls of Rabona. The bishop offered them a tomb in the cathedral, undoubtedly a great honor, but Miria turned him down. At the time, she said that it was not Tabitha's city, and the warrior would have preferred the wilderness. Now, Galatea thinks that perhaps Miria had ulterior motives. It is easier to let her walls down and grieve out here, with nothing but trees and animals for company.

The grave is where she finds the Phantom. She knew where Miria was going hours ago; she has picked up the habit of monitoring her captain's youki. A visit to the grave is not unusual, and had it been just that, Galatea would have let her stay there alone. She deserves some privacy, at least. But then, when hours passed and she did not return, when the air grew cool and the sounds of the city died down, Galatea followed.

Day and night makes little difference to her now, except that as she moves among the trees she hears an owl calling. She has gotten used to life in the city, and being outside feels odd. It is reminiscent of the time before she lost her eyes, years and years ago, when she walked from village to village and slayed yoma and Awakened Beings on the Organization's orders.

A different lifetime, really. She has seen and done so many things.

Miria is sitting with her back against a tree. Tabitha's resting place is beautiful, a clearing among the trees. Now that it is springtime, there are flowers blooming. Galatea feels each as a tiny point of energy. In the center, she knows, Tabitha's claymore is stood in the soil. A warrior's grave.

"I didn't ask for you to come after me," Miria says. Her voice is steady, though Galatea can tell that she has been crying.

"I didn't want you to have to be alone." Galatea settles herself on the earth, close enough to touch, far enough to give her space.

They sit in silence together. It is peaceful out here in the dark. The pair of them fear neither yoma nor bandits. They are the most dangerous things in the night. Galatea sits and listens. A distant stream rattles over stones. She can hear the same owl still crying. Some other nighttime creature rustles in the bushes. And Miria breathes in and out, in and out, warm and alive.

After a while, Miria reaches for her hand, and speaks.

"She deserves the happiness we have now. She should have lived to see it."

"Yes," Galatea agrees. She thinks of her own gravestones. They are fewer; she does not easily attach herself to others. A fellow trainee; the previous number 3...

Death was easier before the Organization's fall. Dying was the only way warriors could know peace. But now they're free, and the dead are still dead.

"You've done so much," she tries. She rubs her thumb across the warm skin of Miria's hand. "You've done enough. You don't need to regret."

"No." Miria shakes her head. She is crying again. "Not enough. I couldn't save everyone. The ones who mattered most—I failed them. Tabitha. Hilda."

Hilda. A story Galatea only vaguely knows. Miria mentions her, but never says more. There is some wound there, deeper and unhealed.

As is so often the case, Galatea does not know what to say. She would rather be silent than offer words of false comfort. All she can do is draw Miria close to her, hold her. In the here and now, they are together, and she knows that Miria has done all she can. She will say it until she convinces her.

They stay pressed together at the base of the tree all night. Miria rests, drifting in and out of slumber. Galatea stays awake. She feels the pulse of life around her, the heartbeat of the woman she holds. And though she cannot feel any youki, she thinks of ghosts in the clearing with them, watching over them.

[fishylife]

Claymore by Norihiro Yagi, Chapter 109

[teresaandclare]

[teresaandclare]

It’s over.