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graaythekwami · 3 years

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The Little Things - ML One-Shot

(Spoilers for the season 4 episode Hack-San)

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"Out for a solo patrol, Chat Noir?"

Chat Noir jumped slightly, not quite use to hearing an unfamiliar voice up here on the rooftops, and turned. The figure was standing on a chimney a ways from him, the reds of her costume matching the setting sun.

"Scarabella?" Chat Noir said, looking at the temporary Ladybug heroine he had met the other day. His surprise quickly gave way to worry, eyes widening slightly. "Did something happen to Ladybug? Is there an akuma out right now? Is–"

Scarabella held up her hands, but didn't come closer. "No no no, everything is okay– I just wanted to talk to you, that's all, and Ladybug said you often did some patrols in the evening..."

He gave a tight smile, shoulders relaxing slightly. "Not really a patrol, not like what me and M'Lady do when we patrol. It's just... to get some fresh air, I suppose."

He was slightly startled when he turned and found Scarabella walking towards him, as he hadn't heard her steps. She had some papers in her hands, and an uncertain smile on her face. She paused a little ways away from him.

"Is it okay if we talk for a bit?" Scarabella asked. "I don't have a lot of time, and then I can leave you to your... 'patrol'."

"What's up?" Chat Noir asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. His feelings on Scarabella were... mixed. She was an ally and she had spirit, but he would be lying if he said there was no bitterness when he thought about her. About what she knew and why she was there.

"I... I wanted to just show you this," Scarabella said, holding up the papers in her hand, before carefully setting it down on the roof near him, before retreating back slightly. "I had to edit out a few 'tips' for identity reasons, and Ladybug doesn't know I'm showing this to you, but considering my sudden appearance I figured maybe it would help if you saw it."

Chat glanced at the papers, then back at the spare heroine. "I don't want to go behind Ladybug's back."

Scarabella blinked, then let out a small laugh. "Oh, no, no, it's not like it's something I can't show you. It's just the list of tips she gave me of how to be Ladybug while she was gone."

"Okay?"

Scarabella smiled. "Read them, would you? Please?"

Chat Noir looked at the papers, before carefully picking them up and unfolding them. Sure enough he found a list of 'tips', each one carefully numbered off. His eyes scanned down the list, noting a few numbers were missing, which must have been the editing she had been referring to.

Chat Noir's eyes jumped back up to the top, and began reading. He could tell right away that it was indeed written by his Lady, and he could almost hear her voice as he read.

Tip 1 - Keep the earrings in at all times, they are easy to misplace. DO NOT TAKE THEM OFF.

Tip 2 - Always have sweets for Tikki on hand.

Tip 3 - Not just for recharging if an akuma appears, make sure you have something she can snack on if she's hungry.

Tip 4 - No. Seriously. Holders know no fury like a kwami starved.

Chat Noir snickered, knowing fully well what she meant. His interactions with Tikki had been limited, and she had been a very sweet kwami. Ladybug told pretty much the same story... except for the times she didn't have cookies or macarons on hand for her kwami. It turned out the little Ladybug kwami was just as passionate about her sweets as Plagg was with his cheese.

Tip 11 - Tell Chat Noir what's going on right away if an akuma shows up. Since I wasn't able to talk my way into staying in Paris like I thought I didn't get time to tell him I was leaving.

Tip 12 - If you see Chat Noir patrolling at night don't worry, it doesn't mean there's an akuma or somewhere you need to take my place. My Kitty is a free spirit and Paris is our city.

Tip 13 - Leave out croissants for him if he happens to come by where you are on patrol.

Tip 14 - The chocolate covered ones are his favorite. Chat loves anything with passion fruit too.

Tip 15 - Chat Noir likes any kind of sweets, actually, but try to get him his favorites if you can.

There was a small smile on his face as he read, eyes carefully looking over each word, warmth in his heart. The tips soon drifted back towards things regarding the Miraculous, a good dozen involving Lucky Charms and explaining how the yoyo worked.

Tip 25 - Lucky Charms might be bigger than you think! Be prepared to leapt out of the way in case a piano comes crashing down instead of a pencil.

Tip 26 - Don't ask Tikki to explain Lucky Charms. She'll be vague and she'll do it on purpose.

Tip 27 - Don't try to force a Lucky Charm to work. It's just kind of instinctual? I don't know how to describe it.

Tip 28 - Ask Chat Noir for help if the Lucky Charm is too confusing. He's been Misterbug before and has helped me defeat villains with countless Lucky Charms.

Tip 29 - Just ask Chat Noir if you have any questions, he's a professional.

Tip 30 - Don't ask him so many questions though that you stress him out! Akuma fights are hard enough and with him being the most experienced he'll have enough to worry about without a bunch of questions.

Tip 31 - Just follow Kitty's lead, he knows what to do.

Tip 32 - Chat Noir has good instincts and enhanced senses, listen to him.

Tip 33 - When Chat Noir makes a joke try to laugh, even if you think it's not funny. It makes him happy. :)

"My jokes are always funny, My Lady!" Chat Noir exclaimed in protest, though there was a smile on his face.

Tip 34 - Make sure Chat Noir is happy.

Tip 35 - Don't make fun of his purring, he's self conscious about it even though it's adorable. (He embraces everything cat except for the purring, I don't know why.)

Tip 36 - Purring doesn't always mean he's happy! Cats can purr when they're hurt! If he takes a hit and you hear him purr then you got to defeat the akuma as quickly as possible! Sooner you can cast the Miraculous Ladybugs the sooner Chat Noir isn't hurting!

Tip 37 - Don't let Chat Noir take any hits for you.

Tip 38 - Seriously. He does that way too much and I don't like watching it. Stupid self-sacrificing cat. Make sure he stays safe.

Tip 39 - Or else.

"These aren't even tips at this point!" He said, holding back a laugh.

"She does that a lot," Scarabella said with a fond smile. "With 675 'tips' a good chunk of them are ramblings."

"Six hundred and what-?" Chat said, quickly flicking through the papers and towards the end. Sure enough the very last one stared back up at him, the same number as Scarabella had promised.

Tip 675 - When you say "Miraculous Ladybug" don't forget to throw the Lucky Charm.

He flicked back a few more pages, eyes scanning the various notes that had been left. Many were just like he had expected when Scarabella had first told him what the list was: advice on what to do with different types of akumas, how the timer worked, tips for finding the akumatized object, and what to say to a victim after they were freed from Shadow Moth's control.

But then there were others, small little mentions of him and things he hadn't even realized his Lady knew or noticed, things he didn't know people cared about.

Tip 142 - If Chat Noir is dismissive with how his day has gone crack a few jokes. He tries to cover up when he's had a bad day and this is the best way to lift his spirits.

Tip 143 - Chat Noir loves hugs. Quick hugs, tight hugs, long hugs, he adores them.

Tip 144 - Chat likes to be scratched under the chin and behind his faux ears. It makes him purr, but don't mention the purring (see tip 36).

Tip 145 - Chat Noir is a cuddler.

Tip 146 - Ignore all the last few tips. Respect Chat Noir's personal space.

Tip 147 - But don't be distant either, support him! Fist bumps, pats on the back, you know, be friendly.

Tip 148 - You better be nice to my Kitty. I'll be watching all akuma coverage.

Tip 149 - No booping Chat Noir on the nose. That's our thing.

Tip 150 - No bonking him with the yoyo, carrying him in your arms, or using the nicknames 'chaton' or 'kitty', again those are our things, not yours.

Tip 151 - You can use the nicknames 'Chat' or 'CN'.

Tip 152 - He may kiss your hand. Chat Noir is a gentleman, don't let the costume fool you.

"M'lady..." Chat Noir said softly.

Tip 355 - Let Chat Noir handle the media, he's a pro at that.

Tip 356 - Don't leave him alone to deal with all the reporters though, that's a lot of pressure.

Tip 357 - Chat's ears and tail can tell you a lot about how he's feeling. I've read a lot of cat behavior articles and it's helped me a lot.

"Hey!" Chat Noir protested, even though his Lady wasn't here to see it.

Tip 598 - If anyone makes any comment about Chat Noir being dangerous or being a sidekick, you don't hold back.

Tip 599 - If it's a reporter that makes this comment give me their name and who they work for so I can make sure they never get an interview from the heroes again.

Tip 600 - Send Chat Noir a cat meme on the yoyo to cheer him up if anyone does say anything about him.

"I need to go," Scarabella said softly. "Feel free to keep those, I... I just wanted you to know that she was thinking about you. You mean a lot to her, Kittycat."

Chat Noir looked up at Scarabella, vision blurring slightly, but a smile was on his face. "I don't think 'Kittycat' was on the list of approved nicknames, Scar."

Scarabella scowled. "Well I can tell you that one isn't on my list of approved nicknames either."

Chat Noir grinned. "I'm sure it will grow on you."

"Purrhaps," Scarabella said, before giving a salute and a smile. She then tossed her yoyo, swinging away. Chat Noir watched her for a moment, before looking back down at the list he had been given.

He smiled, holding the papers close to his chest as he laid down on the roof, letting out a happy sigh.

#hack san #ml hack san #ml spoiler #ml spoilers #ml season 4 #ml season 4 spoilers #chat noir #scarabella #alya cesaire #adrien agreste #fluff #hurt/comfort

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thisisamerlinonlyevent · 2 years

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the biggest reason i havent posted anything here is that whenever i think abt the merlin characters n what not is an modern au, where they work in a place kinda like supergirl? like an undercover organization that deals with supernatural/magic cases n what not. it has several branches, and the one that uther supervises and that arthur, gwen, morgana, the knights, gaius and others work at is more a hands on deck, action packed situation where they deal with cases that need physical force or neutralization n shit like that. they used to be able to just murder any magic being without question (kinda like how cops handle black ppl in america, yknow, no questions just shoot), but now theyre advised against it, much to uther’s chagrin. even tho he is the boss and this branch is the original, this is a democracy so. he also has to abide certain rules.

this change kinda happened because of merlin, because him n uther have met even before merlin n arthur did. but more on that later.

in present times, where the universe is at, merlin is very antisocial n kinda serious. he’s 26 or up, so think season 5. he’s very strange and off-putting (hehe reference), and arthur actively hates him, while the others dont rly feel that strongly abt merlin but still keep their distance. other ppl also dont like merlin because he is barely there but still gets jobs and gets paid. everyone else needs to hand in reports and attend meetings, go to classes if necessary, go rest while others can go n work. merlin doesnt do any of that, may or may not do a job uther assigns him, and if he does do a job he doesnt stay a minute longer. arthur seems merlin as this guy who thinks he’s better than everyone just because he’s a warlock and very powerful, blah blah blah. in fact, when he refers to merlin as he coworker, merlin denies it and says he doesnt work with arthur, or anyone in uther’s branch. it angers him to no end.

merlin’s files of his work and past in the branch are also very sealed tight, no matter how good elyan is at hacking. he tells them it must be magic as well, tho he knows tech magic isn’t merlin’s thing so someone else must be protecting him. it only makes merlin look more suspicious.

everything comes to light one day when gwen overhears merlin n uther screaming at each other in uther’s office and quickly gets arthur. the first thing they hear when the squad enters the scene is merlin screaming at uther’s face “if you even so much as speak to them, speak about them, or even think about them, i will skin you alive myself, no magic involved” very disturbing, very uuuhhhh where’s the context yknow, so while arthur joins in on the screaming because thats his father getting yelled at while the others watch with different levels of amusement (max amusement being morgana, least amusement being gwen) a lot of things become clear

1) merlin doesnt, in fact, work there. uther tells arthur himself that merlin is under no contract, no obligation to show up at any jobs. merlin sometimes does because of certain debts and other personal matter concerning the old branch where he used to work at, that is more about helping and nurturing troubled magic users, a lot of them coming from uther’s cases (it’s all very organized n shit). uther shows that he respects merlin a lot actually, which leaves arthur very confused, until...

2) merlin is the reason why magic beings aren’t killed anymore in uther’s branch because he was able to summon Ygraine’s spirit, with the help of his old boss. after getting absolutely wrecked emotionally n also getting a lecture from ygraine for how uther is treating magic beings, uther gets to work on making it all better, because that is his wife and also she may haunt him if he doesnt do as she please. summoning a spirit did take a lot of energy from merlin, seeing as he did this several times for uther to re manage the branch like his wife may want to. uther feels indebted to him in this way. merlin offers to summon arthurs mother as well if he wishes to, despite the costs. now it leaves the rest of the context to get to...

3) merlin has adopted 3 girls with unusual magical abilities, that he befriended when they were 8/9 and he was 16. because of certain conditions, he had to let them in the care of uther’s organization, before they were separated. he put them exclusively under his uncle’s care, gaius, while he had a lot of things to work through himself and was a danger to them, this at the age of 18. around 20/21, merlin is much better (also uther’s organization starts to separate) and can afford his own apartment for him and the girls to all live in, and from then on (because this kinda job pays very well) cared for them and paid their livings expenses as if they were his own daughters, even tho the age diff is more like siblings. uther is interested in having them working for him cuz theyre all very smart, talented, and powerful, all personally trained by merlin himself. merlin does not want that. none of the girls want it either, they’d probably want to kill uther, because...

4) at the start, when merlin first came under uther’s “care”, he got experimented on, for around 3 months. after knowing this, Alice, the future boss of merlin, the boss of the first branch that separated form uther to help magic beings instead of killing them, took merlin under her care. from then on out, she became his therapist, from 18 to 26 and onwards. they’re great friends and he keeps trying to get her n gaius together but they refuse (merlin doesnt know that they have in fact met before n have had a relationship but it fell off cuz gaius was uther’s friend and alice could never like that). so now that they know what the context what about, the unbridled hatred merlin has for uther, uther’s weird but respectful views of merlin and merlin’s position in the branch, now they all have one last question. what the fuck does merlin do then, if his job is not on the branch? well...

5) he’s a teacher. do you know mildred hubble? yh he teaches that class. yeah. he’s suffering. he also teaches some other girls but thats more of part time classes for them because they have other shit to do, like school. this is baffling to everybody because what the fuck. your main job is an elementary magic teacher, n your side hustle is... an undercover organization not influenced by the government?? what???

so yh this universe is just pure crack, very self-indulgent n shit, as per usual

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlin AU #bbc merlin au #My writing #my post #this is actually a very fun universe that i have expanded so much like u have no clue

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raeynbowboi · 4 years

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How to Play as Link in DnD 5e (2.0)

With the release of both Mythic Odysseys of Theros and now the new big expansion in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, I figured now would be a good time to reexamine Link with the context of new subclasses, class features, and game mechanics that weren’t around the last time that I built him. While I won’t do this for every character I’ve built before, characters who have new options made available with these updates will get a new rebuild for 2021. If you want to compare and contrast this build to the original, I will link that build right [here].

The Spirit of the Hero

Link’s a Hylian and that’s just a fancy way of saying elf. His best racial options are either the High Elf, the Wood Elf, or the Half-Elf. Half-elf’s extra skills are tempting, but as Link is never given any parents or an ancestral family tree, we can’t really justify him as a half-elf. We’ll call him a Wood Elf for the extra +2 to his Dexterity and the +1 to his Wisdom as well as that woodsy vibe. But if you wanna go for a Half-Elf for the power build, I won’t tell anyone.

Link’s alignment is tricky. On the one hand, he is shown kneeling before the monarchy, defeating the forces of evil and darkness, and doing odd jobs to help the common people he comes across. However, he can also start forest fires, break into people’s houses, smash pots, steal people’s life savings or personal belongings, and attack the chicken population until they attack back. I’d wager he’s Neutral Good if for no other reason than his morality is highly dependent on the player.

My first choice for Link’s background would be the Folk Hero for Animal Handling and Survival. However, Link’s background is so inconsistent, it’s easier to just list out the skills he tends to have and tell you to pick a background that has those skills, or create your own: Animal Handling, Athletics, Investigation, Nature, Perception, or Survival. There’s a case to be made for other skills as well. Acrobatics works a little and his jumps did involve sick flips in Majora’s Mask, but Link doesn’t tend to balance or platform jump very often. Link can play instruments fine and danced in the Subrosian Dance Hall in Oracle of Seasons for Performance proficiency, but he’s usually playing instruments to activate effects, not to actually perform for a crowd. Link shows some Stealth skills in Breath of the Wild, but this hasn’t been a longstanding skill of his, so I didn’t lump it in with his main skill list.

Becoming a Hero

When it comes to his build, Link has made some use of spells in the past, but he’s nowhere near the spellcaster that Zelda and Ganondorf are. Link is definitely more of a martial fighter who augments himself with a wide arsenal of magical items. So when it comes to picking Link’s class, we have a few things to keep in mind.

BARD

Link is a talented young man, and he has had magical instruments in a few games over the years, as well as dancing in Subrosia, among other things. While I don’t subscribe to the idea of Link being a bard myself, I understand why people would come to this conclusion, as Link isn’t really bad at anything... except talking. And lying. And looking threatening. Or haggling. Yeah kind of hard to depict Link as a CHA caster who isn’t proficient in any CHA skill checks.

Spirits (UA) This doesn’t fit for every Link, but especially for Breath of the Wild where Link gets help from the spirits of his fallen comrades, the flavor of calling on the dead works for Link. For a non-BotW example, maybe Link can tell stories of his past lives, and the memories he shares with each of them.

Valor This college has the downside of being built as a cheerleader, while Link really should be built for solo-combat since that’s how he approaches most fights. But Valor is better than Swords and also gives Link proficiency with martial weapons and shields, while Swords does not.

FIGHTER

While there are many martial classes, the Fighter differentiates itself by being the most down-to-earth option. It’s not beholden to rage, or smites, hunting, or sneaking. It is the simple skill of the blade, and this is a skill Link has in spades. From the earliest games, Link has been a master of the sword, the shield, and the bow.

Battle Master Link is a strategic fighter. He looks for weak spots, and he exploits them the best he can. Of all the fighter subclasses, none is more clever than the Battle Master. Its many maneuvers resembles the numerous sword techniques Link has learned especially in the later games. Even in Smash, Link showcases how clever he is by being able to combine his arrows with his bombs and shoot a bomb arrow. To my knowledge, none of the other characters can combine their abilities like this in Smash.

Cavalier The subclass is poorly named, and was better in its initial name as the Knight, as that is really what this subclass is. It is the idea of the knight in shining armor. They can also be flavored as bodyguards, a traveling sellsword, or castle guards. So Link does not have to be glued to Epona to make use of this subclass. The main reason to want this subclass is the Warding Maneuver, as giving Link the chance to either block or reduce all damage he takes is going to seriously improve how well he can tank a hit, and help keep him in a fight longer.

PALADIN

More than any other class, the Paladin actually stands for something. They fight for a value or a belief. They swear their life to a cause and are prepared to die fighting for it. Link works on a lore level as a Paladin. Especially when he’s dedicated multiple lifetimes to the same cause. Across every timeline and game over screen, Link has always returned and stood in defiance against whatever evil may come.

Ancients This oath makes Link sworn to the forces of nature, such as the Great Fairy, and protecting the balance and harmony of the light, life, and love against death, decay, and darkness. The Ancients Paladin is all about protecting the balance in the world and valiantly opposing evil wherever it might arise. It also has a druidic or fey aspect, which kind of works for Link.

Crown With this vow, Link serves the Hyrulian Royal Family. This makes Link the princess’ personal knight, and an agent of lawfulness, order, and peacekeeping in the land. While 5e has backed away from typecasting Paladins as Lawful Good, this is probably the most Lawful subclass one could pick, as it places the authority of the royal family above all else.

Glory Instead of being sworn to the light or the law, the Glory Paladin is the harbinger of the goddesses. They are flavored as legendary heroes of destiny, possibly being demigods or the personal errand boys of the setting’s pantheon. This subclass is clearly focused on being a frontline warrior, and the features make Link a true force on the battlefield.

RANGER

Anyone who’s played Legend of Zelda knows that Link is very good at surviving. The games don’t tell you how to navigate the wilderness, Link just has to figure it out for himself. What’s more, Link may be willing to venture into the wilderness, but he’ll be hard-pressed to find many NPCs that far outside of settlements or cities. Yet what they fear, he thrives in. And it’s no wonder that this is the class most peole would assume for Link.

Hunter This conclave is the slayer of all things that threaten civilization. They can choose to be better at chipping away at one enemy, counter attack bigger monsters, or mow through hordes of minions with more ease by taking out multiple at a time. Especially at higher levels, this conclave excels at ripping apart Ganon’s forces with nary a golden curl out of place.

ROGUE

The rogue doesn’t need to be a wanted criminal on the lamb. They can be a clever fighter with a variety of skills and a knack for evasion. That speaks a lot more to Link’s skill set than one might assume at first glance. It’s not a perfect fit for Link, but it’s really not that inaccurate either.

Inquisitive This roguish archetype is defined by being clever in combat, looking for weak points to exploit. They’re also much more observant, making them better at discovering clues or secret passages, or telling when they’re being misled. At higher levels, their ability to look for weaknesses can even increase their sneak attack damage. This especially fits some of the older games where boss fights were focused on using items to exploit the dungeon boss’ weaknesses, rather than hacking away at their health bar. In these older titles, Link was less of a straight up warrior and more of a clever trickster pulling off strategic victories.

Scout The Scout Rogue has heavy Ranger vibes, as they get free expertise in Nature and Survival, enhanced mobility, the ability to disengage from fights more easily, and at higher levels become masters of ambushes. This fits well with Link’s sneakier sniper playstyle that can be done in Breath of the Wild, as Link can take out entire camps without ever being seen.

Thief While Link is not a standard cutpurse, Link is a treasure hunter, a dungeon delver, and the jokes about him robbing the people of Hyrule and breaking into people’s homes doesn’t exactly help. The thief also gets to use more magical items, allowing Link to use things such as enchanted instruments without being a bard.

WARLOCK

Link usually isn’t the hero of his own volition. He often starts his journey with Triforce of Courage, a source of power gifted by his patrons. It’s honestly a weak connection, but it loosely works, so I’m including it.

Celestial While this subclass is geared toward serving something other than a god, I don’t see any reason why a Celestial Warlock couldn’t serve the Triple Goddesses of Hyrule or even Hylia/Zelda directly.

Hexblade The most obviously martial warlock option, this is a good choice if you want to incorporate Fi into your character.

Link’s Toy Chest

Hero’s Sword - Longsword (+1-3) Mirror Shield - Repulsion Shield Hero’s Bow - Oathbow Gale Boomerang - Storm Boomerang Fire Rod - Wand of Fireballs (requires spellcasting) Mastersword - Sword of Zariel, Holy Avenger Longsword* Hylian Shield - Shield of the Hidden Lord Goddess Bow - Ephixis, Bow of Nylea Golden Gauntlets - Gauntlets of Ogre Power Zora Tunic - Cloak of the Manta Ray Pegasus Boots - Boots of Speed Hover Boots - Boots of Levitation Hook Shot - Rope of Climbing

SIDEKICKS

Sidekicks are a new edition from Tasha’s that let Link bring allies on his hero’s journey. Experts are skill monkeys who focus on Help actions, Spellcasters dip into the INT, WIS, or CHA spell lists, and Warriors are trained to fight and don’t have to talk, so they can be animals.

Epona - Defender Warrior Riding Horse Navi - Expert or Healer Spellcaster Sprite Sidon - Attacker Warrior Merfolk Sheik - Expert Noble (Elf) Wolf Link - Attacker Warrior Wolf

Theros Piety

The Piety System from Theros lets us be devout to a god and earn features from worshiping them. As far as I’m aware, this is an optional feature, and not every DM will make use of these, but if you’re able to, here’s a handy guide. These gods really stood out as the clear choices for Link to go with.

Iroas - God of Victory

Domains: War Virtues: Achieve a great victory, Overcome slim odds honorably, Defeat a foe in single combat, Perform a great feat of strength or skill Sins: Being a coward in battle, Beat an honorable foe through deceit, harm innocents Piety Bonus: +3 Learn Compelled Duel spell +10 Learn Crusader’s Mantle spell +25 For 1 minute, creatures cannot gain advantage on you +50 Increase STR or CHA by 2 to a max of 22

Keranos - God of Storms

Domains: Knowledge, Tempest Virtues: Solve a riddle or puzzle, defeat an unwise enemy, plan ahead for an upcoming challenge, build or restore a temple to Keranos Sins: Jeopardize others through foolishness, ignore a wise course of action, fail to plan for a challenge, give in to anger or self-destruction

Piety Bonus: +3 Add 1d6 lightning damage to melee attack up to INT mod turns. +10 Reroll a failed INT or WIS saving throw +25 Advantage on Initiative rolls +50 Increase INT or WIS by 2 to a max of 22

Nylea - Goddess of the Wild

Domains: Nature Virtues: Help any wild animal, stop those who hunt for sport or profit, win an archery competition, slay an aberration, fiend, or undead Sins: Kill an animal without reason, Dedicate a building to or make a sacrifice for any god (including Nylea), protect a city from a natural disaster

Piety Bonus: +3 Learn Hunter’s Mark +10 Learn Speak with Animals +25 Attacking creatures must pass DC 15 WIS save or change targets. +50 Increase DEX or WIS by 2 to a max of 22

Cunning Tactician

Battle Master Fighter (12) Inquisitive Rogue (8) Fighting Style: Dueling Maneuvers: Brace, Disarming Strike, Feinting Attack, Parry, Precision Attack, Riposte, Sweeping Attack Tools: Thieves’ Tools, Mason’s Tools

While Link is brave and strong, he is most defined by his clever mind and unorthodox solutions to boss fights. With this class split, Link has prioritized strategy and tactics over everything else. While it leaves him a little squishier, Link is still a very capable warrior. As a Battle Master, he got a free tool proficiency. Mason’s Tools allows Link to find secret passageways in stone walls, which most dungeons tend to be made of. On top of that, with his Feinting Attack, Link can give himself advantage, meaning he can use Sneak Attack even in a 1v1 fight, which fits his solo adventurer playstyle.

One-Man Army

Battle Master Fighter (12) Hunter Ranger (8) Fighting Style: Dueling, Archery Maneuvers: Brace, Disarming Strike, Feinting Attack, Parry, Precision Attack, Riposte, Sweeping Attack Hunter’s Prey: Colossus Slayer, Multiattack Defense Tools: Mason’s Tools

I used this build once in a level 10 campaign. 6 levels of Fighter, 4 levels of Ranger with a +2 Longsword, and let me tell you something. This build creamed the competition, which was the other PCs at the table, who were also built as level 10 characters. Link nearly defeated his first opponent in a single round, dealing around 70 damage between his four attacks. When I say this is Link’s “power” build, I mean it. I didn’t even sweat when an adult blue dragon showed up after the tournament ended, that’s how much faith I had in Link’s ability to fight. I honestly forgot to even use Link’s battle maneuvers, he was just dealing so much damage that it slipped my mind. You could swap Battle Master for Cavalier, but for me, the Battle Master is more accurate to Link’s favor of techniques over basic hack-and-slash.

RANGER SPELLS

1 Absorb Elements, Ensnaring Strike, Hunter’s Mark 2 Cordon of Arrows, Healing Spirit

The Hero of Hyrule

Battle Master Fighter (12) Glory Paladin (8) Fighting Style: Archery, Dueling Maneuvers: Brace, Disarming Strike, Feinting Attack, Parry, Precision Attack, Riposte, Sweeping Attack Tools: Mason’s Tools

As a Glory Paladin, Link is driven by a desire to be a legendary hero, and at least in the UA version, the Glory Paladin served the gods, as Link does. Like the two builds above, Link balances the brute might of the Glory Paladin with the tactile diversity of the Battle Master.

PALADIN SPELLS

1 Cure Wounds, Divine Favor, Guiding Bolt, Heroism, Protection from Evil and Good, Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Wrathful Smite 2 Branding Smite, Enhance Ability, Find Steed, Magic Weapon, Warding Bond

Oaths and Promises

Glory Paladin (12) Celestial Warlock (8) Fighting Style: Dueling Pact: Blade Invocations: Eldritch Smite, Improved Pact Weapon, Maddening Hex, Relentless Hex

The builds from here on are more for the flavor than necessarily Link’s character. As a Blade Pact Paladock, Link becomes a CHA-focused martial with some extra spell slots that turn his smiting sword strikes into a bokoblin slurry machine. This build focuses Link more as a servant of the gods than anything else. Just make sure he has the Hex spell, but you can replace Maddening Hex with Agonizing Blast if you want to use the Master Sword laser beam at full potential.

PALADIN SPELLS

1 Divine Favor, Guiding Bolt, Heroism, Protection from Evil and Good, Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Wrathful Smite 2 Branding Smite, Enhance Ability, Find Steed, Magic Weapon, Warding Bond 3 Blinding Smite, Crusader’s Mantle, Elemental Weapon, Haste, Protection from Energy

WARLOCK SPELLS

C Blade Ward, Booming Blade, Sword Burst 1 Armor of Agathys, Cure Wounds, Hex 2 Lesser Restoration, Misty Step, Shatter 3 Spirit Shroud, Summon Fey 4 Galder’s Speedy Courier

To Serve and Protect

Battle Master Fighter (12) Crown Paladin (8) Fighting Style: Dueling, Interception Maneuvers: Bait and Switch, Brace, Disarming Strike, Goading Strike, Parry, Riposte, Sweeping Attack Tools: Mason’s Tools

Link is Zelda’s knight, bodyguard, and servant. So this build prioritizes features that makes Link the loyal emissary of the Princess of Hyrule. As such, this build changes Link’s role to be more of a defender to the princess than a solo hero. This build assumes that the princess or someone else who needs to be protected is joining Link on his adventure.

PALADIN SPELLS

1 Command, Cure Wounds, Divine Favor, Heroism, Compelled Duel, Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Wrathful Smite 2 Branding Smite, Find Steed, Warding Bond, Zone of Truth

After all is said and done, I hope I gave everyone a lot to work with. Of course my suggestions are not law, and if nothing else, I hope it gives you an idea of how you want to build him. Last time I built Link, I gave one set build for him, but I still laid out other options. Recently though, I’ve been trying to show multiple builds at the end of my build posts to offer a wider idea of what building a character can look like. Happy 2021 everyone, and let’s hope this year goes smoother.

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jackoshadows · 3 years

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imo, even if grrm had finished all the books in time for the show d&d would’ve still butchered it. it seems to me like from the beginning they had a very shallow understanding of the characters (arya saying ‘most girls are stupid’, dany threatening to burn quarth in the show when they sought her out and welcomed her in the books, jon being totally ambitionless etc). they cut out jon and arya being wargs all the way in the first few seasons when the show was mostly book accurate. davy’s visions in the house of the undying is cut down a lot, patchface and the ghost of high heart never show up. all these things combined make it obvious to me that they didn’t like the magical/ fantasy aspects of asoiaf from the beginning.

it seems to me that the only thing they cared about adapting was the war of the 5 kings because after that the show just fell apart. affc and adwd could’ve given 2 or 3 seasons of show material but instead they cut out and majorly simplified plot lines to condense it into 1 season.

Yeah, agree with most of what you said. To quote:

In fact, Benioff once said: “Themes are for eighth-grade book reports,” which tells you all you need to know about his dedication to the art of storytelling. ... Oddly enough, the show was at its peak during its early seasons, when Benioff and Weiss were still learning how to do their jobs.

The more interviews they give, the more we realize how ill equipped they were to handle this show and it's incredibly disappointing that GRRM chose them to do this. Even their good scenes were serendipitous. The scene with Robert and Cersei simply talking in season 1? They wrote that in because due to limited budget their episodes were running short. So HBO asked them to add in scenes to make it to 50 minutes running time. So they wrote a scene of two characters simply talking and that turned out to be one of the best they have written. That's why the higher the budget increased, the more trashy the show became.

Benioff and Weiss are also on record saying that they mainly wanted to get to the Red Wedding to sell the show and make it popular - that was their aim, didn't plan for or care much about what happens after. They like the shock moments, the big spectacle. They like the soapy drama and the Lannisters. They have their favorites and other characters then serve as props for those favorites. They hate fantasy. Dany got to have her dragons because dragons are popular.

Bryan Cogman is no better. He is often exalted as this book expert who should have been allowed to write more. Can't stand the guy and his constant fake spiel about how Sophie Turner's Oscar winning thespian skills is why all the other Starks got kicked to the side. At least Benioff and Weiss are honest with their reasons - they just wanted to combine characters and plots.

I do think at the end of the day, one can't fully adapt these huge fantasy novels. Adapting AFfC and ADwD would mean more characters and more plots - and the show was already at it's limit. So I can see why they didn't adapt certain plot lines. But the main problem is that these hacks are just bad writers and lacking imagination. There's so much they could have done with existing characters. If they knew Bran was going to be king - then spend time on him. If you don't know what to write for Jon Snow anymore, let him stay dead. Stop propping up Cersei and keeping on the character just because everyone loves Lena Headey. Stop writing for Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams and write for Sansa and Arya. The actors are not the characters. Stop projecting one's shitty sexism and primitive ideas on what feminism is on these characters.

They could have even gone in a different direction from GRRM's ending after their writing diverged from his - something that GRRM has stressed again and again. If there is no set up for king Bran - just don't do it. If there is set up for Queen Dany - go for it. But no, they wanted to be edgelords and subvert expectations and bought into their own hype and thought that everyone would love them for it.

Just sucks big time that the show's ending is the only ending we will get considering the author refuses to write anymore. I hold GRRM equally responsible for this whole shitfest. D&D only signed up to adapt. If GRRM can't finish his own story properly, how can we expect a couple of untalented hacks to do it?

#asks

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jbuffyangel · 4 years

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The Domino Falls: Arrow 1x12 Review (Vertigo)

It’s officially 1 year today since Arrow went off the air and I thought what better way to mark the moment than by chatting about the show we all love with a review!

We have begun the slow and steady climb to more Felicity Smoak content

and “Vertigo” is a monumentally HUGE moment in Oliver and Felicity’s relationship. One little meet up at Big Belly Burger is what tips the dominoes over for Oliver Queen.

Let’s dig in...

Olicity

Let’s get right to the good stuff. Of course, there’s other stuff that happened in this episode, but do we care? Only a little. Oliver is on the hunt for The Count – the man responsible for the Vertigo epidemic and Thea’s looming drug trial. The Count is in my Top 5 of best Arrow villains. Of course his first episode coincides with an Olicity milestone. That rat bastard worked the hardest for our ship.

The judge has decided to make an example out of Ms. Queen in hopes of deterring others from trying Vertigo. Seriously, does that ever work?

So, he chucked Thea’s plea agreement right out the window. Big Bro in The Hood is hoping to serve up a bigger fish – THE FISH – to help get his sister off the hook. Oliver is generally anti innocent people dying from illicit drugs, so there are unselfish reasons at play too.

No one knows the identity of The Count, so after roughing up the streets and getting nowhere, Oliver reaches out to Alexi Leonov. We met Leonov in 1x03, but for those who need a refresher - he leads the Starling City chapter of the Bratva. This is the first time Diggle meets Leonov, discovers Oliver speaks Russian, is a captain in the Russian mob, and can fake kill someone.

It was a big day for John.

Leonov sets up the meet with The Count and Oliver attempts to buy some Vertigo off him, sans mask and arrow. The cops show up and Oliver tries to run down The Count as he escapes, but is stabbed in the chest with two syringes full of Vertigo.

Never fear, Oliver has his magic herbs from Lian Yu which apparently can cure drug overdose. (Maybe share with the rest of the world?) Vertigo makes him momentarily murderous (more than usual) and he screams a lot.

THE POINT OF ALL THIS EXPOSITION IS ALL ROADS LEAD TO FELICITY SMOAK.

Diggle and Oliver think it would be wise to have someone analyze the Vertigo… for some reason. This leads our dynamic duo to Queen Consolidated and to our favorite blonde hacker.

Felicity rambles about Oliver’s haggard appearance (re: see drug overdose) and a cat being tased (she connects those disparate dots, I assure you). He offers yet another ridiculous lie and we embark on one of the funniest scenes in Arrow’s history.

Arrow struggled to find its footing for a long time, but “Vertigo” is the beginning of the writers settling on to solid ground. If you ever have to wonder why the show focused on Oliver, Diggle and Felicity as the core characters you only need to watch this scene for the answer.

The chemistry between all the actors is amazing. Arrow is not known for its humor (especially in Season 1), but between Emily Bett Rickard’s perfect delivery of another one of Felicity’s awkward and inadvertent sexual slip ups,

Stephen Amell’s inability to stay in character as he laughs right along with us,

and David Ramsey’s stone cold straight man reaction –

this entire scene is comedy gold.

I vividly remember watching it live, laughing my ass off, and wanting more of EVERYTHING these three have to offer. And that’s exactly what we’re going get.

“I ran out of sports bottles” reigned as Arrow’s funniest scene for a solid two years (until this episode), but it also marks the worst of Oliver’s terrible lies to Felicity. It’s so bad even Diggle has to remark on it in the elevator. Oliver’s lies are horrible, everyone knows Felicity doesn’t buy a word of it, and their need for her help is increasing with every day. Something has to change.

As we discussed in 1x11, Oliver is prone to distrust and very reticent to change his mind – ever. He’s been burned so many times in the past it’s difficult for him to view anyone through a trusting lens.

And yet, Oliver told his deepest and darkest secret to a man he’d only known for a few weeks. Yes, Diggle had soldier skills Oliver would find useful as a partner. He knew John could hold his own in the field, but it’s not just about his abilities. It was also about the person Diggle is. Oliver did his homework and realized he needed John to survive. There was a wellspring of humanity in John that Oliver wasn’t able to access inside himself. He was subconsciously reaching out for help - like a moth to a flame.

It is the same with Felicity. Yes, Oliver needs her abilities – perhaps even more than what Diggle has to offer. (It’s not like Oliver Queen can’t handle himself in the field). But he is also drawn to Felicity’s warmth, kindness, humor, compassion and openness. Oliver’s heart is encased in iron and welded shut. He doesn’t know how to open it back up. It’s been dark and alone for so long. And yet, Oliver returns again and again to this brightly shining light and why? Because he craves it.

Something has to change. We need that final push, the first domino to fall, so Oliver can make that final step and tell Felicity who he really is. Diggle was easier. He’d fought a war before. Oliver also knew about Andy’s death. Remember – Oliver brought Diggle onboard when he needed help with Deadshot. Manipulative? Yes, but it worked.

Felicity is trickier. I’m sure Oliver has done his research.

Well, yes that kind of research, but also into her background. There’s no dead family member requiring retribution. No war zone she’s recently returned from. She’s an MIT graduate with a penchant for hacking working at a global conglomerate as a wildly overqualified IT tech. The girl doesn’t have so much as a parking ticket. The leap to vigilantism would be rather big.

I also think a fair amount of his hesitancy to involve her in anything related to The Hood is the danger. Diggle can handle himself. Felicity is a different story. Oliver is constantly battling the need for Felicity’s help versus the risk he’s putting her at by asking for it. The lies are to protest Oliver’s secret identity, but also to shield Felicity from it.

Whether it is Oliver’s own distrustfulness, his inability to see an angle to reel Felicity in, his desire to protect her or all three – it doesn’t matter. He continues to lie to her. Oliver isn’t ready to make that big leap either.

Source: yet-i-remain-quiet

Until… Felicity asks to meet him at Big Belly Burger. Oliver waits for her, looking out the window on a rainy night, thinking of Yao Fei.

Oliver feared Yao Fei betrayed him and was really working for Fyers, but neither was true. He convinced Fyers of his loyalty by pretending to kill Oliver. (So that’s who Oliver learned it from!) Yao Fei wakes Oliver just as he rolls his “dead” body into the waterfall. He also slips Oliver a map with a location marked with the words “Survive.”

Oliver doubted his trust in Yao Fei, but in the end was shocked to find out he had it right all along. Yao Fei was exactly who Oliver thought he was – a good man. That final and literal push cemented Oliver’s belief in his friend and to trust his gut.

There will probably always be a debate as to when the writers began the shift towards Olicity. “We DiDn’T dEcIdE uNtIL sEaSoN 2,” is the standard story, but I’m a firm believer it began in Season 1 and often include this scene in my massive pile of evidence. The last scene in the episode either tees up the next or contains a lot of emotional significance. Felicity beings to carve out a lot of final scene time as the series progresses.

The last scene in “Vertigo” is romantically lit with rain drops shimmering on the window. Oliver and Felicity are meeting outside the office and ALONE. Soft instrumental music plays in the background. It feels more intimate than any scene they’ve shared before.

Source: andjustforthismoment

I still cannot get over Oliver “The Sex God” Queen waving at Felicity Smoak like a giddy school boy and then shaking his head over how completely uncool he looked. We watched this man leave a criminal suspended in the air with an arrow through his hand in the first scene and in the last he acts like a puppy. THE RANGE.

It’s clear Felicity is a little nervous as she exhales walking in. Is she nervous to be meeting with Oliver or nervous about what she has to say? Both. She tips her hand a bit by thanking Oliver for meeting her at Big Belly Burger. She did not want to have this discussion at the Queen mansion. (THE PLOT THICKENS).

It seems Oliver and Felicity are having similar conundrums about each other. Felicity is uncertain if she can trust Oliver and has been debating for weeks whether or not to tell him the full truth. SOUND FAMILIAR? Felicity has far more evidence of Oliver’s untrustworthiness. There’s no rambling this time. She lays out the cold hard facts which is Oliver Queen is a big, fat liar and she knows it. He knows it. They both know it. Felicity Smoak is nobody’s fool.

And yet, she trusts him. Even though Oliver has given her no reason to. Even though there are clearly things he’s not telling her. Even though Oliver has yet to show her the same trust. There is something Felicity sees in him which tells her Oliver is worthy of it. It is an unsubstantiated truth. Felicity is going with her gut and her gut says Oliver Queen is a good man.

This doesn’t stop her from asking him the simple question though. Felicity needs that little bit of reassurance before she makes the final leap.

At first, Oliver plays it off in his smarmy, smart ass and flippant way. It’s the Ollie Queen façade that always works with L*urel, Tommy, Lance, Moira and Thea.

It’s an act that’s never worked on Felicity. She sees through it now just like she’s always has. Her smile fades. Felicity breaks eye contact with Oliver and doesn’t hide her disappointment. She is tired of the games and lies. Felicity wants to talk to the real Oliver Queen. That’s the only man she will share this secret with.

All it takes is five seconds of Felicity’s disappointment for Oliver to drop the façade like a hot potato.

He even apologizes and promises Felicity he is worthy of her trust. Then, Felicity lowers the boom and hands him The List.

It is difficult to surprise Oliver Queen, but this one has him reeling. She hands the book to Oliver, the same book Robert gave him, but he hesitates taking it. He has no idea where this is going, so he defaults to his standard operating procedure and lies.

Oliver is not doing a stellar job covering his “my world is upside down” reaction, so I highly doubt Felicity believes him, but she lets it slide for now.

The more information she shares with Oliver the worse it gets. Felicity begins to fill in all the missing pieces to Walter’s disappearance and the guilt is pointing directly at Moira.

This is not the first time Oliver has reason to doubt his mother, but every time he’s able to reason away her involvement in anything nefarious. If he can’t do that on his own then Moira provides very plausible explanations (LIES), which allow Oliver to continuing looking at his family with a blind eye. But this? This is impossible to easily explain away. Particularly since WALTER was beginning to suspect his own wife.

Source: green-arrows-of-karamel

If The List cost Walter his life then Felicity is risking her own by showing it to anyone, particularly a Queen. She is literally putting her life in Oliver’s hands when she handed him that book. The first domino falls, but it’s not Oliver who pushes it over. It’s Felicity. She gives Oliver the truth when he’s given nothing but lies. Felicity trusts him absolutely when he’s done nothing to show he’s deserving of it. She risks everything while Oliver continues to hide everything.

Felicity shocks Oliver no differently than Yao Fei shocked him. We’ve been waiting all this time for Oliver to make that final step and in the end it is Felicity who gives their relationship the necessary push over the waterfall. It’s a cold awakening, but he can see things clearly now. She is like a flashlight illuminating all the answers clouded by his distrustfulness and hesitancy.

Felicity reveals so much of herself in this moment. First, she is willing to take risks if the cause is worth it. Giving Oliver that book took real courage. Second, the girl can keep a secret. She never said boo about anything related to Moira or Walter during Oliver’s little visits. Not even a hint! Three, Felicity Smoak sees clearly all the things Oliver is blind to.

This serves as an important lesson for Oliver. Felicity knows so much more than he ever gave her credit for. Most importantly, his gut was right about her and he was wrong to ever question it. Two mistakes he will never make again.

And now everything will change.

Thea and Moira

I’m not gonna sugar coat this for you guys. I was one hundred percent okay with Thea going to jail. Season 1 Thea is a pain in the ass. A couple episodes with her sitting in the slammer would be a welcomed break from the teenage ‘tude.

L*urel and Lance work out a sweetheart deal for Thea after the judge basically said he would throw the book at her. Thea will serve 500 hours of community service under the watchful gaze of L*urel Lance at CRNI. And Thea flat out refuses.

Now, typically I am a fan of anyone who tells L*urel Lance to go screw herself, but even this was too much for me. Thea wants to go to jail to stick it to her mother because she’s still convinced Moira cheated on Walter.

She didn’t cheat on Walter, Thea! Your mom just kidnapped him. So it’s fine.

Oliver decides to drop the Robert “I’m not the man you think I am” Queen bomb on Thea and tells her their father was a big hoe. Thea refuses to believe him and Moira is ticked because Oliver told the truth. Queens don’t do that EVER.

Moira: He loved you. No matter his faults. He loved you.

Thea wants to know why Moira took all the punishment for Robert’s sins and her answer is very simple. She was trying to protect Thea’s memory of her father. Moira Queen is as shady as they come, but her desire to protect her children is always the driving force of any decisions she makes – good, bad and the ugly.

Moira: One day I hope you’re lucky enough to have a daughter and then you’ll know why.

This is the essence of motherhood. We will serve ourselves up on a platter and take the brunt of their hurt and anger if we believe it protect or help our children in the long run. Right or wrong - it’s just the gig.

Source: queensarrow.

L*urel and Lance

L*urel and Detective Lance are really Thea’s only hope of avoiding significant jail time and, despite their history, Oliver has no problem groveling at their feet if it means protecting his sister. Luckily for Oliver, this week L*urel likes him, so she’s willing to do Thea a favor.

But her reason for wanting to help Thea turns out have very little to do with Oliver. It’s about Sara. When L*urel looks at Thea she sees all the wild abandon of Sara with all the red flags.

L*urel: For so long you and I have blamed Oliver for Sara's death, but Sara is to blame too.

Detective Lance isn’t too keen on helping Oliver or Thea, but L*urel calls out her father on his hypocrisy. He had no qualms about bailing Sara out after she shop lifted. The youngest Lance daughter seemed to get herself in to trouble long before she ever stepped onto the Queen’s Gambit and her father always helped her avoid the consequences of her actions. Until those consequences finally caught up with her.

This is the first time L*urel lays any blame at Sara’s feet. I find it wildly disturbing whenever I agree with L*urel, but damn it she has this one right. Oliver wasn’t the only one who cheated. Oliver wasn’t the only one who lied. Oliver wasn’t the only one who was selfish. Sara was all of those things too. Just because she paid for those mistakes with her life doesn’t erase the choices she made and the pain she caused. If someone held Sara responsible without destroying her life, like L*urel is trying to do with Thea just maybe she would have never gotten on the boat. Maybe.

The game of “What if?” is a torturous one. It never gives any definitive answers. But Detective Lance refusing to help Thea to stick it to Oliver isn’t fair. L*urel is right. Sure, it may hurt Oliver, but it won’t bring Sara back.

More importantly, it doesn’t hold Sara responsible in any way. Detective Lance is treating Sara the same in death as he did in life. She wasn’t a saint anymore than Thea is – no matter how much Lance romanticizes his memory of his daughter. L*urel and her father don’t resolve the Sara issue, but Lance helping Thea is an important step towards his acknowledgement of the truth and putting some of the blame where it belongs.

Stray Thoughts

Oliver is shirtless and handcuffed in the bunker is an absolutely wasted opportunity for an Olicity sex scene. Pretty sure I read a fic that started like it though. Source: @olivergifs

Bratva Oliver is cold, calculating and stylish. I don’t know what it is about that jacket you guys. It doesn’t things to me.

I say this as a person who was very anti murder throughout the show, but sometimes it’s great to watch Oliver do a little violence.

“Whoever you fear, fear me more!” As vigilante lines go this was a damn good one.

“I’m not the one going to prison.” Give it time, Moira. Give it time.

McKenna Hall makes her first episode appearance as the rotation of female guest stars continues while show desperately searches for a love interest Stephen has chemistry because it ain’t Katie Cassidy. (Psst! You found THE ONE already!!! Call off the search!)

Just for you multifandom folks out there McKenna is also Qetsiyah on The Vampire Diaries.

Why doesn’t Oliver give a sketch to the police of The Count? That could be helpful.

“I don’t need the bow.” Yeah, but you need to walk straight!

Musings of the Kiddo

Kiddo: How many times does he do this to her?

Me: Lie? A lot. She was very patient with him.

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me.

If you’d like to support the blog, please buy me a cup of tea!

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hisunshiine · 4 years

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Money Heist | knj | Part 1

moodboard 1 | moodboard 2 | playlist | Netflix ReImagined BTS Masterlist

↳ #NetflixReImaginedBTS: Kim Namjoon x Reader starring in a bank robbery au

↳ M-18+, implied sexual content, major character deaths, bank robbery actions (violence, use of weapons, deciet)

The Professor’s Rules

Rule #1 - No real names Rule #2 - No falling in love Rule #3 - Absolute trust Rule #4 - No games Rule #5 - Follow the plan, throughout Rule #6 - No taking lives, no civils Rule #7 - Low profile Rule #8 - Memorize the plan Rule #9 - Codes, escape routes Rule #10 - Blend

Prologue: Dread was not the right word to use to express how I felt. Every waking moment was an uncertainty. Every passing day I had to look over my shoulder. Senses on high alert, heart-pounding fiercer, I had to stay sharp. All I had to rely on was my intuition, rationality, the rush of adrenaline as it pumped through my veins as it guided me to safety.

There was no room for fuckups. Rules were set in place before, during, and after the heist. The Professor made sure of it.

Everything was methodically thought out. There was zero tolerance for anything that steered from what already was part of the Professor’s plan. Every detail was thoroughly calculated, gone through numerous times until perfected, and every possible scenario or turn the heist could go, the Professor had already considered it.

When I met him, I guessed him to be someone who was reserved. That initial thought, however, remained throughout the months I spent and got to know him. Regardless of my attempts to loosen him up, he grew more inward. A timid and quiet man, one I could not quite figure out despite my intuitive bullshit radar. My instincts told me otherwise. The Professor was someone I could trust. Moreover, he was someone who had my back if the going ever got tough.

Even after I had broken one of his sacred rules, he kept me around.

He stated it was solely because of my natural blend-ability. In other words, I was the type of person who could go unnoticed and get away with things. Although originally offended, one of the Daegu brothers – during our first meetings – mockingly pointed out my pretty privilege, claiming it was a universal thing to bend the rules and show favoritism to people that society deemed as attractive.

It bothered me to my core but despite it – and as the only woman on the team – I had to admit, I could complete missions and do things the others were not able to. Because of this, I was an asset regardless of how many rules I broke.

I was aware of it being careless, stupid even. It was not something that was planned, it was merely something that happened beyond my control. It occurred and I did not regret it one bit.

Love always seemed to happen at the least likely places. It was not a foreign concept to me, neither were relationships. In fact, I cherished everything about love and my language of expression was forever limitless.

When I was introduced to the other members the Professor carefully handpicked for the heist, I was taken aback by their charms and charisma.

They were handsome, all six of them; each with their own styles and skills to assist the Professor and his master plan. Some of them knew each other from rumors or past jobs and others did not.

I worked alone, always had and always would.

The day the Professor recruited me, he had asked to meet him at Chateau de Foix, a castle in France. He had sneakily placed a note in my jacket as I was scouting a Chanel store intending to rob it days later. I was not sure what I was getting into but before even meeting him, he assured me with his note that he could make me wealthier than I could ever contemplate. So, I met him at Chateau de Foix.

I was interested. He caught my attention.

He did not disclose much until he was certain I was someone who he could trust. Honestly, I could not blame him. Partners were not my thing, especially partnering with a man. There was something about them that made my skin crawl. When it came to men and money, there was always one certain thing; they would fuck you over.

The Professor laid out pieces of his plan and as obscure and ambitious as it was, I kind of felt intrigued by his nerdy appearance, his hesitation to look me in the eye, how well-spoken he was and how greatly he sold his plan.

Again, he caught my attention.

Luckily, he had informed me where the next meeting would be and that I was the only woman on the team. He requested I thought it over and I did. I flew to South Korea. That was where the plan had to take place.

At first, I could not escape the futile catcalls or misogynistic remarks. The Professor was too much of a beta to control the dominant thieves who thought they knew better than most.

The worst one was the man with the effortless beauty and striking features. At first glance, he did not look Korean. GC as we called him, or Geochang County as the Professor had dubbed him. Younger brother to Daegu and quite frankly, a little too handsy for my liking and too excited to see a pair of tits on the team. So, I did what I had to ensure my survival and role as well as what I did not tolerate.

He did not appreciate the sass and the chokehold on his intimate part as I stood my ground.

Since then, no one had attempted to try my patience. In fact, all the teasing became just that, teasing … with zero malice or ill intentional comments. They were guys around me, sure, but they became mindful, more tolerable. Exactly how I preferred my men.

For months, I spent time with the six guys including the Professor as we prepared to rob the Bank of Korea. I got to know them individually and I had to admit they were starting to feel like family.

The Professor had set us up at Jindo, a remote island known for its parting sea during the spring season. He had rented a beach house and from there we listened as the Professor disclosed his plan, made the necessary preparations such as getting familiar with the bank, its routines, staff, and much more.

Busan, Seoul, and I would often get paired when a trip to the Bank of Korea was presented.

Busan was a mastermind in human behavior and expertly designed profiles of everyone that worked at the bank; from cleaners to CEOs. If you ever wondered or had questions about anyone going in and out of the bank, Busan was the man to call.

Despite his small size and soft features, he was a man who could not tolerate disadvantages. Knowledge was power he would often say especially during a heist and he would stride for perfection.

He was smart.

I did not think of making profiles for the law enforcement that would be called to deal with the hostage situation we would inevitably have to take to secure our survival. But Busan did. He knew exactly who the bank would call, their past, their marital status, the number of kids, he knew everything.

He was an asset.

Seoul, however, possessed something that completely went over my head. Technology. At first glance, I guessed him to be an assassin of some sort.

He was the quietest of the group and the hardest man to get close to. Despite his big eyes and tattoos, he was extremely fun to be around. Once he opened up, I realized my instincts about him were a tad off. Although a part of me questioned my abilities, I came to the realization that looks could be deceiving. Seoul was someone who did not open up as easily as the rest and had to assess his environment first.

I was much like him and because of this, he and I became the closest.

The technology was not my strongest suit but it was his. Every trip we made to the capital, he gained more knowledge about the bank and the software they used including hacking their system, so we could gain access to the security cameras.

The Professor was beside himself when he received the live footage of the bank. This meant we did not have to expose ourselves by making those trips to the capital but could spy on everyone from the comfort of our beach house.

I was relieved. Unlike Busan and Seoul, I had to be the one to risk everything and use my abilities and go inside the bank. The Professor had bought wigs and often I would rotate them with each trip but that did not stop my heart from beating faster than it ever had.

A thief afraid of getting caught, Busan would joke often in my earpiece but the Bank of Korea was something far greater than the high-end stores I used to steal from. It was a different level and the consequence of getting caught was larger than a meaningless brand shop.

Once the dust settled and we gathered some information, part two of the Professor’s plan could start. Breaking in the bank and taking hostages as leverage was the easiest part. Once inside, we had to establish some kind of order. The Professor would be on the outside helping the rest coordinate from within while being the voice of the heist.

I caught him blankly staring at the vision board he often used like a teacher standing in front of his class, deep in thought as his eyes wandered across the whiteboard, “Can I help?”

“No, I’m thinking.”

“Need help thinking?” I teasingly suggested the wine bottle I was drinking from.

“Once inside, what is your job?”

“The hostages with GC.”

“Why?”

I shrugged as I took a sip. The Professor ripped his gaze from the board and glared at me. He was not in the mood for my games. Something was bothering him. So, I sighed, “We both can handle a gun, GC isn’t afraid to use it. By having one of each gender there, the women will feel safer and the men won’t try anything.”

“And?”

“And we are the calm and order. Our job is to keep them quiet and put the fear of God in them.”

“And you?” he murmured as he placed his index finger on the bridge of his nose, keeping his glasses from falling, “I am sure there will be arguments and disagreements once you get inside. There’s no going around that fact. All of you have some kind of experience but most of you are hot-headed. Who will put the fear of God in you? As you eloquently said. Who?”

“Gwacheon is the oldest.” The Professor stood up after my answer. I watched him as he began to collect his things from the desk before he excused himself, “Where do you plan on going?” I asked as I followed him to the front door.

“I’ll be back in a couple of days.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” He reached for his jacket and told me to trust him and take a break until he returned before leaving for an unknown mission.

A couple of days turned into a week. The Professor was gone and some of the other guys grew agitated. Some questioned him and his plan while others, including myself, did as he had asked and took a break.

Gwacheon, the oldest and the most level-headed person on the team, was lounging by the bonfire created for the dinner he was preparing. Loyal to the Professor as I was, he went ahead and took his suggestion.

Everyone was desperate for a break. It had been months of planning and thinking of every detail. A break was welcomed, needed.

Gwacheon had planned a dinner for the team and was thrilled to have some downtime. With beers in the cooler, the sun setting beyond the horizon, and a cozy fire, he began to season the beef as he hollered for me to start the music. The Professor was on my mind. So, in honor of him, I played ‘Bella Ciao’ by Manu Pilas. He was far from home as was I and although he was not around at the moment to enjoy the festivities with us, I knew he was with us in spirit.

I tapped on Gwacheon’s broad shoulder and he shot an amused smile. The Latin vibes of the upbeat song made me dance with soju in my hand. Allowing the Spanish words to energize and elevate my mood as I poorly attempted to sing along. He laughed at my dance but could not help swing his hips along to the beat.

My eyes then caught Daegu’s as he was assembling a gun. He smiled and shot me a quick nod to sit by him.

I eyed him as he began to pick the L85 apart before placing it in front of me. I raised an eyebrow at him, he chuckled while gesturing I gave it a shot. Proclaiming it was better to be prepared for a situation rather than a situation unfolding and remaining oblivious.

From the moment I met him, I knew he was the real deal, even heard rumors about the great mastermind who stole the Hope Diamond. When questioning him in my drunken state, Daegu simply flashed me a gummy smile. I was not too sure what that meant but I was certain he was someone who was legit and that I could potentially learn a lot from. I did.

Daegu was the kind of man who kept to himself, quiet and reserved like the Professor but he did not shy away from passing down his experiences and knowledge. I often caught myself wondering how polar opposite he was from his brother, GC. Daegu struck me as someone methodical with his approach while GC was spontaneous. But as the Professor ensured, GC had something most in the team did not have; quick thinking, unique perspectives, and the kind of smarts that could never be taught.

“Go ahead,” Daegu said as GC came into view with Gwangju carrying bowls of rice, kimchi, and steamed vegetables.

I grabbed the disassembled parts and attempted to assemble them to my best capabilities. Daegu grinned and GC approached the table. He waited a moment and watched as I struggled with the parts until he groaned and grabbed the gun from me.

Swiftly, he assembled the gun while casually counting in his native tongue, “Samshipil,” he announced as he slid the gun back to me, “31 seconds.”

“That’s a record,” Daegu smiled at his brother.

“I don’t know what the Professor was on but I doubt you’ll get any hostage to take you seriously if you can’t even do that.”

“Don’t listen to him. He’s a prick,” Daegu shot his brother a glare, “We have time,” he began to disassemble the gun once more, “Try again.”

I was grateful for Daegu’s patience. Although I had some knowledge of firearms, I tended not to use them during my ventures. A small pocket pistol was always in my bag and I could operate it. However, these types of guns were far from anything I had experienced, bigger too.

Luckily though, Daegu was a trained assassin and this was his specialty. He along with Gwacheon and Gwangju had pulled off heists before; together as well as separate. In other words, they were the experts on the team.

Daegu and Gwangju had a friendship like no other and had often saved each other from dire situations. They had worked multiple jobs together and relied on one another in admirable ways. For a moment, I was envious of their friendship and loyalty to each other.

Although Gwacheon had worked with them before, he often carried out small heists on his own. Much like myself, he preferred not to have a partner but made me realize that sometimes they could be useful, especially when it came to bigger jobs.

He was a lone wolf when he had to be. He told me to remember that. And I did.

I did not see the appeal. In fact, humans tend to be unreliable and oftentimes selfish. I could not trust it, anyone for that matter. It was one of the first things I learned from my father. His partner had sold him out, so he could reduce the sentence the authorities were threatening him with. Since then, I did not seek the help of others.

It was always me, myself, and I. However, the Professor managed to find a group of people whose company I actually enjoyed. Despite being thieves and some of them murderers, they were a group of men I had grown to like and trust.

Gwangju sat opposite me as I struggled with the L85. He clinked his soju bottle with mine and I grinned before giving up, “Look me in the eye as you take the first sip,” I ordered.

“Cheers,” he said and grinned, “Does that mean something where you’re from?”

“Means you’ll have bad sex if you don’t.”

“Well in that case,” he clinked his bottle with mine once more, “We don’t want that.”

He shot me a big and pearly smile before he began to assemble the gun. I studied his prominent features for a moment, admiring his natural beauty and olive skin before directing my gaze down at the heavy firearm as he explained which parts went where.

Fully focused on his words and his handle of the gun, I felt Busan’s presence behind me. He climbed between Daegu and me, “What’s up?” I asked when I caught his eyes.

“After dinner, we should get lit and go to the festival,” his suggestive demeanor forced a smile from me. Out of the six men, he was the one who actively sought my attention, persistent fucker.

He was interested in me, I could sense it. And although it would have been easy to spread my legs for him or any of the others, I was only interested in collecting my end of the robbery. Completing the heist unscathed was my sole concern and these little horny thieves were not going to stray me from my goal.

“Low profile,” Gwangju spat as my eyes were on Busan’s, “We can’t be seen together. Rule number seven.”

“Screw the Professor and his rules,” he responded without taking his eyes off mine. Busan studied my features as my gaze shifted from his plump lips to his dark eyes, “Besides, we deserve a little fun,” he directed his attention to Gwangju, “What the Professor doesn’t know won’t kill him.”

“He did say we were on a break until he got back.”

“Do not encourage him, London,” Gwangju warned after finishing the assembly of the gun.

“A little fun didn’t hurt anyone,” Busan voiced as his fingertips caressed my bare shoulder.

“Careful there, brother,” GC sat beside Gwangju with soju in hand, “You do not want her claws piercing your ballsack.”

“London wouldn’t be that mean to me,” Busan’s eyes wandered between mine and then my lips as he leaned closer, “Would you?”

I felt the hot air from his parted lip brush against mine and I could not help but meet him halfway. With a cocky smirk, I reached down for his clothed manhood, digging my sharp nails in the jean fabric he wore as a sudden groan escaped him, “Don’t get too comfortable, kiddo,” I whispered against his mouth as he hissed and cursed under his breath.

“Told you,” GC grinned, and soon after the rest began to laugh at Busan’s failed attempt.

➰

Busan convinced GC and Seoul to join him at the spring festival. Every year on the day of the parting sea, locals would celebrate the event by throwing a massive street party. The island was known for its festivities and attracted a lot of tourists. I could not visit South Korea and not experience what Jindo had to offer. So, I went, and as reluctant as Gwangju was, he joined us as well until Gwacheon decided to make it a family affair and convinced Daegu to join the outing too.

South Korea had always been a country I wanted to visit. It was known for its rich culture, delicious food, and its kind people. So far, I enjoyed everything I had experienced.

Despite the intention of the visit, I was grateful to be here and be amongst native men who could guide me and translate if needed. Sadly, one of the Professor’s rules was to blend as much as we could and not draw any attention to ourselves. Knowing him and the stick up his butt, he would not have been too pleased to know that we were lounging with the locals, getting drunk until late, and essentially making a mockery of his rule system.

Close to midnight, Daegu wanted to head back to the beach house and he did along with me and Seoul who had to prepare to monitor the bank in the morning. He was close to hacking into the internal security system, the one that allowed us to view everything on the inside.

Freshly out of the shower, the house was painfully quiet with most of the others still enjoying the festivities. I danced around with a pair of headsets blasting music in my ears, enjoying the alcohol that roamed in my system as I shimmied into my undergarments. ‘All That’ by Emotional Oranges came on and I sang along as I smeared lotion on my body. Soon the music captivated every inch of my body and I began to dance when suddenly I caught a glimpse of a man watching me by the door.

A loud gasp came out of me, but as startled as I was, my body knowingly eased, assessing the situation as I stared down the stranger without showcasing any fear. I had not seen him before and I wondered how he had gotten inside of the beach house.

Seoul had explicitly explained that the place was safely secured.

The man leaned against the doorframe as a small sigh evaded his plump lips while he unapologetically allowed his gaze to travel down my body, “The Professor didn’t say anything about a woman being on the team.”

“The Professor?”

He eyed me momentarily, “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m Ilsan. What’s your assigned city?”

“London.” I nodded as the realization came over me. He was what the Professor was searching for. He was the mission he had mentioned; the team’s leader and the one to instill the fear of God in us.

Just then did it occur to me that Ilsan had to be someone the Professor trusted completely. He was almost obsessively calculated with everything about the heist. For our safety and his own. Everything had to be planned. And he was right. We were hot-headed, argued, and disagreed many times. Everyone had their own styles but for the heist to be successful, it required that we all moved as a team. The Professor knew this, knew once we were inside, he was limited in terms of guidance. Although communication would be out of the question, he needed someone on the inside that would make sure the proper steps would be taken.

I eyed Ilsan and sensed why the Professor had chosen him. He had an authoritative aura. I was sure he was the kind of man who inserted his dominance well. The Professor was a beta but based on first impressions, Ilsan struck me as someone who did not mind and preferred - despite the pressure and responsibility - to be the top alpha of the team.

“London,” he sang, “That's a pretty name. I have been there. Wet country.” I attempted to hold back the appearing smile that the comment accurately described about my home city, “Did you choose it or did the Profess--”

“You got your sneak peek,” I hastily voiced, not interested in his small talk and especially with lack of clothes on, “Fuck off. I’m getting ready for bed.”

He chuckled into a low hum as he crossed his arms, resting his head against the doorframe, “You usually have a party before bed?” I caught a glance of his smirk and the dimples that came along with it. He was a flirt, much like Busan, and I was not having it. Ilsan did not know that I was someone not to be messed with. But he would soon. I walked over to the door and shoved him backward by his chest before slamming the door in his face.

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sarahlevys · 4 years

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SO YOU WANT TO GET INTO TWYLEXIS

(a fic rec post - last updated 10/31/2021)

11/25/20: I have been talking to a lot of people about The Good Ship Twylexis, and when @earnmysong asked me for some fic recs, I could not resist! Below are some of my favorites, organized by length. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, and is simply composed of some of the ones I’ve read. I hope you check them out!

10/31/21: Nearly a year later, the fandom has grown by leaps and bounds! I've been able to add many excellent Twylexis fics to the below list. I tried to keep these recs focused on fics in which they are either the only ship or a substantial part of the narrative, so while there are many fics nowadays that have Twylexis as a side pairing, those will not be listed below. Now that we can be more choosy, I've also removed fics that featured Twylexis as part of a throuple or moreple (so that I can hopefully do a fic rec list for that specifically in the future!)

So I see Alexis is getting back out there. (Short Reads)

in the middle of the deep blue night – T – 577 – by @hullomoon

Alexis is all alone at the party, that is, until Twyla joins her.

in the hack – G – 2K – by thingswithwings

After Ted, and before the Next Thing, Alexis joins a curling team. She's great at it, because, what, like it's hard?

Icarus had the right idea – T – 4K – by Luthor

In which Alexis convinces Twyla to take her to the beach, and has an okay-time I guess.

never saw you coming, never be the same – G – Podfics! 15 minutes in total – by DelilahMcMuffin, GoLBPodfics, & Amanita_Fierce

Three different perspectives from Twyla Sands and Alexis Rose's first Pride spent together as a couple.

to be your harbor – E – 4K – by @doublel27

Twyla uses some of her money on things that are special to her. Alexis is special to Twyla. Luckily, Twyla is precious to Alexis.

and it's just around the corner darling, 'cause it in lives in me (no, I could never give you peace) – T – 3K – by beepbedeep

She’s what people call the worst, most pointless kind of celebrity, a socialite, and she does it better than anyone else. It’s good, she knows it’s good, she’s serving her purpose, playing her part perfectly, and if she doesn’t really know how to be alone with herself, how to handle the actual weight of her life when the gossip blogs get bored and the photographers stop showing up for a while, that’s fine.

i knew from the beginning (it was you from the beginning) – T – 1K – by @anniemurphys

Twyla and Alexis celebrate, at a distance.

i took an arrow to the heart – G – 3K – by @sarahlevys and @landofsonlali

Twyla calls Alexis in celebration of the fourth anniversary of their friendship, and the conversation shifts to their feelings for each other. Together, they start to explore the intricacies of love and relationships.

aflame – T – 4K – by @pretendtofly

Alexis has a few days left in Schitt's Creek after the wedding and Twyla wants to spend them all together.

could be your baby, ride the same whip (oh no, no, there's no slowin' down) – T – 3K – by @turningtimeinthetardis

Alexis doubts anything too surprising will happen when she and Twyla decide to go on a little shopping spree (such as they can afford, that is) at one of Elmdale’s boutiques. Maybe they’ll encounter some truly hideous blends of patterns, but nothing stranger than that.

After all, if there’s one thing Schitt’s Creek and the surrounding suburbs can offer, it’s quiet predictability.

I weigh a hundredandfuckingsomething pounds (that makes me almost good) – G – 2K – by beepbedeep

Her legs don’t look good, but half of the girls she knows have legs that look even worse, smiles that are even more shark-toothed or arms that are even less toned, and she reminds herself that these are just the rules', that she knows the rules and knows where she’s failing, but other people are failing more.

shining, shimmering, splendid – G – 1K – by @davidbrewer

Twyla finally starts spending some of her lottery winnings on things that make her smile, and learns how much she loves to travel. Who better to show her around the world than Alexis?

ask 'em my questions and get some answers – G – 1K – by @lilythesilly

Alexis and Twyla meet at Disneyland.

a handprint on my heart – T – 4K – by averita

Five times Alexis and Twyla visit each other.

Merry Go Round – T – 2K – by Perkalil

In her first days in town, Alexis is in a rough place; she finds kindness and compassion in the local cafe waitress.

feel you on my skin – E – 1K – by @hullomoon

Alexis notices what Twyla's wearing. She has a lot of feelings about it.

you make everything good – G – by @rosedavid

Twyla has to go and visit her gaggle of cousins for two weeks, and Alexis is pouty about her girlfriend leaving for so long.

didn't ask for this – you freely gave it (so now i watch your mouth for the both of us) – T – 6K – by @turningtimeinthetardis

Alexis chops her name down to three letters like it's nothing.

Twyla thinks about it a lot.

putting roots in my dreamland – G – 4K – by @lilythesilly

A twylexis flowershop au.

(but if baby, i'm the bottom) you're the top – E – 3K – by @sarahlevys

Five times Twyla tops Alexis, and one time she lets Alexis top her.

three o'clock – E – 2K – by @schittyfic

Two tipsy girlfriends thirst over the hot, bearded guy across the bar.

shivers – E – 5K – by @anniemurphys

Alexis has a long day in an airport, and Twyla wants to take care of her.

This Stupid, Wonderful, Boring, Amazing Job – G – 1K – by @lilythesilly

A cute lil 'The Office' AU.

in calm or stormy weather – T – 4K – by @anniemurphys and @landofsonlali

On National Siblings Day, Alexis spends the day with her favorite brother Patrick, and David bonds with Twyla.

all i need is to see your face – G – 1K – by @wild-aloof-rebel

Alexis has doubts. Twyla knows how to soothe them.

got a fistful of four leaf clovers – T – 1K – by iphigenias

Two weeks before Christmas Alexis calls David.

“So I think I like someone,” she says.

all i want is you – T – 1K – by @landofsonlali

alexis is too restless to cuddle and worries about being a good partner to twyla who loves cuddling. twyla reassures her.

Fifty Shades of Gruyere – E – 2K – by @schittposting

Alexis and Twyla eat cheese and fuck.

I dreamt about you last night – G – 930 – by sonichallows

Alexis has a romantic dream about Twyla and tells her about it the next day.

Mistletoe – T – 2K – by in48frames

Alexis and Twyla go ice skating.

Twy, what are you doing here? You could be anywhere, doing anything. (Medium Reads)

Twyla's Cafe Podcast, An Alexis Rose Production, Produced by Alexis Rose (with help from Twyla) – T – 6K – by @whetherwoman

Twyla and Alexis start a podcast, and accidentally have some feelings along the way.

Crystal Clear – G – 6K – by @imalittlebitgogirl

Twyla and Alexis meet at a Winter Solstice celebration and bond over being newcomers...with more connections than they first realize.

take me out (and take me home) – M – 7K – by @anniemurphys and @landofsonlali

When Twyla’s Thanksgiving plans fall through at the last minute, Alexis flies back to Schitt’s Creek.

know that i’m yours (to keep) – T – 8K – by @anniemurphys

Five times Alexis and Twyla talk at Café Tropical.

And one time they talk somewhere else.

I Offer You My Heart – G – 10K – by @landofsonlali, with art and podfic by @sunlightsymphony

Twyla is the owner of a coffee shop in Schitt's Creek and Alexis is a frequent customer, featuring pining, flirtation, and a whole lot of beverages and baked goods.

Oh Please, Not Now – T – by in48frames

“Oh,” Twyla says. “Yeah. Schitt’s Creek is super haunted."

Ladies Night Inn – T – 15K – by @imalittlebitgogirl

What if Twyla had accepted Alexis' invitation to a ladies night in her motel room after she and Mutt broke up?

i'm your moonlight, you're my star – M – 14K – by @sarahlevys and @anniemurphys

Twyla and Alexis spend the holidays together.

and the stars look very different today – T – 12K – by @hullomoon, with art from @hagface

Teaming up with a group of talented women, Alexis plans her next job

Hide Your Diamonds, Hide Your Exes – T – 8K – by @middyblue

Alexis may or may not be a diamond thief. Twyla is the FBI agent tasked with finding her.

heaven is a place not too far away – T – 8K – by @sarahlevys

Alexis' soulmate mark – the ability to sing – triggers when she moves to Schitt's Creek.

Pretty Follies – T – 9K – by @treepyful

Alexis and Twyla team up to play matchmaker for Stevie and Ruth.

Unfortunately, the course of true love never did run smooth.

Everything That We'd Ever Need – E – 12K – by @middyblue

5 times Twyla went skinny-dipping and 1 time she wore a dress.

Rollin' With the Homies – T – 9K – by @sarahlevys

The Clueless AU.

Phasers Set to Stunning – T – 9K so far (WIP – 2/4 chapters published) – by @kindofspecificstore

Patrick wins passes to San Diego Comic Con, and takes his best friend Twyla with him. Alexis Rose, rising star of Galactic Sunrise Bay, is attending for the first time and has her eyes on a super cute cosplayer.

I was thinking we could have a little ladies' night at my place. (Long Reads)

you and i and nobody else - E – 124K so far (WIP – 7/10 chapters published) – by @sarahlevys and @anniemurphys

Twyla Sands and Alexis Rose meet on Mutt’s season of The Bachelor.

Maybe If You Stayed – E – 14K – by @fraudulentzodiac

“Years down the line, this is the moment she will look back on as the moment she should have known she was in love.“

your body’s poetry (speak to me) – E – 19K – by @anniemurphys

Ballet AU.

I’ve Only Ever Wanted Fire – M – 26K – by @sarahlevys, with art from @rhetoricalk

Written for the prompt: Twyla is a real estate agent specializing in properties that are haunted or possessed. Alexis is looking for a new apartment.

Silence Lay Steadily – E – 44K – by @davidbrewer

A ghost story loosely inspired by The Haunting of Hill House.

like glass from sandy ground – M – 18K – by @middyblue

Five times Alexis ran from grief, and one time she didn't.

Taste of a Poison Paradise – M – 15K – by @lilythesilly

Be gay do crimes but make it a Harley Quinn AU.

Half of My Soul, as the Poets Say – E – 20K – by mixtapesandsunsets

Yes, she imagines telling the Alexis of two years ago, who had felt so untethered sitting next to Twyla outside these very rooms. You believe in fate. Your fate is right in front of you, Lex, you just need to reach out to meet it. It’s her. It has always been her.

#twylexis #alexis x twyla #twyla x alexis #twyla sands #alexis rose #schitt's creek #schitt's creek fic #fic recs

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just-a-fangirl13 · 4 years

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MacGyver fanfic

So this is my attempt at a MacGyver fanfic based on the spoiler we got from the MacGyver writers about Mac and Riley getting unexpectedly linked in season 5. (No this does not have anything to do with handcuffs this is just something I would like to see play out.😂)

I know it's kinda long but I hope you like it anyways.

I WOULD RECOMMEND LISTENING TO ARMOUR BY LANDON AUSTIN in the background for added effect...(I am weird I know😂)

(P.S. please ignore any typos...)

spoilers for. season 1-4.

*this takes place a six months after Mac and Desi have broken up. Bozer and Mac are spending time with each other playing video games at Mac’s flat after a long mission. They hadnt got a call from Matty about a new one just yet. So they were making the most of it after ages.*

“So Mac when are you getting back to dating?” Bozer asked. He was happy that Mac was finally doing better emotionally but he was worried Mac was going to spend the rest of his life building carbon scrubbers and car engines out of blenders, alone. He knew Riley and Mac would be perfect together but saying anything upfront would just end with Mac closing up like a clam shell and not dealing with his feelings. He knew better than to try and get involved.

He did have a plan though. He was going to convince Mac to try out this new dating app called Link’d. It was basically like every other dating app only difference..? It narrowed matches down by people you might have crossed paths with and you also have no idea who your date is until you get to a restaurant the app picked for you. The app reduced any possibility of being stood up or judged because you had no idea what the other person looked like and so no one ever lied. Bozer had already told Riley to try it out but he wasn’t sure if she would.

Bozer had hoped that maybe Mac and Riley would see each other going on dates and the fear of losing the other might kick in and maybe, just maybe they would deal with their feelings.

“Bozer come on, I am not ready yet besides I thought we talked about this. It’s only been a few months since Desi and I broke up.” said Mac.

“A few? Mac, its been six months and even Desi has moved on. All I’m saying is go on a date or two. You deserve to be happy too you know. Its time to get all that weight off your shoulders and live a little man.”

“Yeah I know.” Mac seemed to be considering the idea. A date sounded like fun and he could use a distraction from everything going on at Phoenix.

“Fine, then show me your phone.” said Bozer putting his hand out. Mac raised his eyebrow. “Why do you need it? I know I’ve broken a lot of your phones, is this your version of payback?", said Mac laughing nervously, "You'll won't hold my phone hostage until I agree will you?"

Bozer laughed, Mac was really never going to change. He cautiously handed over the phone and Bozer got to setting up Mac’s profile while Mac tried to get a look at what Bozer was doing secretly worried he was going to put him in some ridiculous situation.

When Bozer was done he handed the phone back to Mac.

“There you go. I installed a dating app called Link’d that will set you up on a blind date. Just hit that button and the algorithm will find you your perfect match.” Bozer left out the part where Riley might also use the app. But then again the possibility of them getting Link’d was slim since LA itself had about a few hundred thousand other users.

“A blind date?” Mac was confused. “Boze I dont know if this is such a good idea.” Bozer could tell every worst case scenario was going through Mac’s head right now.

“I haven't hit the button yet. Think about it and press it whenever you want. No pressure Mac. Whoever you end up with will be lucky to know you.”

“Thanks Boze. Ill think about it. Now can we get back to the game so I can kick your ass again?” said Mac with a smile on his face. He really would think about it. After all a blind date meant no pressure right?

*A few days later*

Riley had decided to use the app after all. It was just a date right? It didn't have to mean anything. She wouldn't even have to call the person back if it was a disaster.

Riley’s phone had pinged with an alert last night. She had got a match and had it yes without thinking twice. She was a bit nervous about going on a date with some random guy but Bozer had a lot of faith in the app. She only knew the guy would have a white rose with him so she could identify him. nothing else

She was very tempted to hack into the apps mainframe and find out who the guy was but she remembered her promise to Bozer. No hacking.

She had looked up the restaurant however. It was a nice romantic place in the heart of the city. Yes she could enjoy herself. No worrying about Mac or Phoenix or Codex or anything else.

She could do this. She could go on this one date, no strings attached and maybe just maybe she would be able to forget about her feelings for Mac for a night.

She decided to wear the new black knee-length dress she had bought a few weeks ago, but hadn't had the chance to wear yet. It felt good to dress up for a change. She could totally do this. After all what could even go wrong. No one at Phoenix knew about this date and she would fill Bozer and Desi in later if it went well.

********

Meanwhile, Mac was at the restaurant at a corner table. It was a nice cozy booth that meant they were away from the hustle and bustle of the 3 star restaurant. He had to admit the app was pretty cool. Not only did it pick a restaurant but it had pre booked a table too. It did help alleviate the stress of picking a place.

Mac still fidgeted though:- with the candle in the center of the table, the tablecloth, his suit jacket and even the white rose he had to carry so his date would recognise him. He checked the time for the 10th time in the last five minutes. He was always a little late so he didn't want to take any chances and had ended up 10 minutes early instead.

********

Riley’s cab pulled up at the restaurant. She was walking past the huge front window in a hurry. She was just on time.

She walked into the restaurant and gave her name to the host. As she was being led to her table and praying she wasn’t late, her phone started ringing. It was Bozer. Filled with guilt she put her phone on silent. Stupid button wouldn't work and she fidgeted with it while walking. She promised herself she would fill Bozer in once the date was over.

“Riles?”

Riley looked up from her phone at the sound of Mac’s voice. Was she hearing things now? But nope there he was, with a white rose, sitting at the table where the host had pulled up a chair intended for her.

“Mac? What are you doing here?”

Mac looked handsome as always. He had on a dark blue jacket, with his hair in his usual short and mess style. He had a look that bordered on confusion and amusement.

Surely there was some mistake. Maybe it was a joke. Or maybe there was an emergency mission and Mac was here to pick her up for the mission. That had to be it. Right?

“I was supposed to be here on a date with a girl I have never met before. You?” Mac smiled. Riley’s stomach flipped. Things had just got so much more complicated.

*****

Riley looked stunning. Mac knew that of course but she managed to catch him by surprise all the same.

She was just as surprised as him but now the doubt was creeping in. What if Riley was disappointed that it was him? What if she was really excited to meet someone new and him being here would ruin her night?

Riley had seemed a bit distant lately maybe this was the universes way of giving them a chance to figure things out after all.

“Well I came here thinking i was on blind date too. The Universe has a weird sense of humour." Riley broke into a smile and sat down. Mac was relieved and even more nervous at the same time.

What was wrong with him? It was just Riles. They would have a nice meal, figure things out and then laugh about this story later right?

Riley picked up the menu and a few seconds of complete silence ticked by. Mac couldn’t handle it and broke the silence.

“So” he said. “We should probably talk right?”

*****

“Something on your mind?” asked Riley. A million thoughts ran through her head as she put down the menu. This was the part she wasn't looking forward to. She had hoped he wouldnt bring it up until later in the night but it was the elephant in the room. What was she thinking sitting down, pretending everything was fine?

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” said Mac. “You know about how you’ve been avoiding me ever since we almost died in that Codex compound from the missile. Then you moved out suddenly without much of a reason. If it was the drilling sounds I would have stopped you know.”

“It wasn't the drilling sounds or anything you did Mac. I just moved out to give you and Desi the space you deserved.” said Riley.

Her thoughts ran back to the moment he held her hand. Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to bring that up right now. The truth was Riley had been distancing herself from Mac.

Desi was her friend and she was never going to tell Mac about her feelings. It would ruin everything. Even after he and Desi broke up, Riley knew that she and Mac would never happen. She wouldn't be selfish and risk their friendship.

“Come on Riles. You’re my best friend. Whatever is going on then, you can tell me. I know its probably my fault but I need you to talk to me so I can fix it.”

How could she tell him? There would just be a cloak of awkwardness between them that would never go away and it wouldnt be something he could fix. She had to end this. Now.

“I have to go. I'm not feeling too great. I'm sorry Mac.”, said Riley getting up from her chair. Saying those words broke her heart but she had to put space between her and Mac, otherwise he would know. He would see right through the lies.

“Riles wait!”

Stupid heels she thought and walked out the door of the restaurant as fast as she could only to find it had begun raining. Oh great. This night could not be a bigger train wreck.

She turned around to find Mac right behind her at the door. A sad expression on his face. She prayed he would forgive her for this eventually.

“At least let me give you a ride home. You dont have to say anything if you dont want to.”

Riley considered her options. She really didnt want to. But she was not going to get a cab on a Friday night in this rain. She silently nodded and followed Mac to his truck.

******

Mac was wracking his brains to figure what he could have possibly done to upset Riley this much. They had almost been hit by the Reaper drone and then almost burnt alive in that warehouse, the guilt for putting Riley through that had been eating at him ever since.

He was thinking of all the things he had done in the past month, while Riley sat silently peering out the window not even looking at him.

He could always fix things right? That was what he did best. What was the use of all his skills if he couldn’t even fix things with Riles.

The woman who knew him better then he knew himself. She had trusted him even when everyone thought he was an enemy of the state. Even when he thought he had lost himself. She was always there. He told her things he had never told anyone before.

Suddenly his mind went back to the moment he held her hand in that Codex compound. He had thought about that many times. Why had he done it? He was sure he was going to die and he had just put Riley at risk too. He wanted her to know he was sorry right? What other reason could there have been?

Before he knew it he had pulled up at Riley's apartment entrance.

Riley mumbled, “Thanks for the ride Mac. I'm sorry I ruined your night”, she barely met his eye as she open the door and stepped out.

Suddenly it struck him.

He didn't want to lose Riley. The thought hit him so suddenly it almost sucked the air right out of him. How had he not realised sooner?

It was Riles. It had always been her.

He got out the car in the pouring rain,“Riles wait.” he pleaded, “I'm so sorry.”

Riley turned around to face him.

“You dont have anything to be sorry about Mac. This isn't your fault. I just have a lot on my mind right now.” she said.

“I do Riles. I have so much to be sorry for.” said Mac walking around the car and towards her.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to see what was right in front of me. I’m sorry i didnt realise sooner. I thought back to that day on the truck. The moment I held your hand, I realise it now, it was the first time I wasn't afraid of dying alone. I never let myself think about it. But the truth is Riles, I dont want to lose you.”

Riley had tears streaming down her face.

Oh no. He had made a mistake hadn't he. He had completely misread the situation. Riley had never felt that way at all. He had just made things worse and now they would never be able to go back to the way things were.

But deep down he didn't regret telling her. He had these feelings for so long. The idea of losing her had brought everything back to the surface.

“Riles, please say something.”

All these thoughts were running through his head when suddenly, Riley kissed him. He was taken aback for a second but he kissed her back. He could have stayed there in the rain forever. Just him and Riley. She wrapped her arms around him.

“I am so sorry Mac. You were right.. The truth is I was avoiding you. I thought if I distanced myself I would be able to move on and I would never have to risk our friendship. You’re my best friend too Mac and I just...” she was crying again.

Mac took her face in his hands tenderly and wiped the tears away. “Hey, hey its okay. I think we can both agree for two very smart people we can be pretty dumb”

Riley smiled. It made Mac’s heart do sommersalts.

They just stood there in the rain holding each other.

“So are we doing this then?” asked Riley breaking their embrace.

"I mean I guess your bed is big enough" said Mac with a mischievous grin. Riley smacked him, laughing and rolling her eyes.

"Not that. I meant us, dating and all that." She was blushing now.

“if you want to give this a shot? 100% Should we tell everyone though?” asked Mac. He wasn’t sure how everyone would react. A part of him wanted to just keep this between him and Riley.

“I do want to give us a shot. Maybe we should keep this to ourselves for a bit? Phoenix and relationships never seem to mix too well.” said Riley.

Mac nodded and smiled,”Yeah I like the sound of that. And if they get suspicious I guess we’ll just..”

“Improvise.” said Riley, completing Mac’s sentence. They laughed and kissed, standing there in the rain for what felt like forever.

#macgyver #macgyver fanfiction #macriley #cbs macgyver #cbs #fanfic #macgyver fandom #macrileyfanfic #rileydavis #angus macgyver

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gofancyninjaworld · 4 years

Text

Underappreciated themes in OPM. 1: The Curse of Gamification

One-Punch Man is only partially a parody. At times it is a satire, and in the instance of the points-based system the Hero Association uses to manage its heroes, it is a sharp one on the subject of gamification. While treating non-games as games has been around since the 19th century, the 2010s is when it really took off, round about when ONE started writing OPM.

Since then, it’s only become more pervasive: you can set objectives, quests, and get rewards for just about anything. Eating, sleeping, completing in-work induction, delivering packages, you name it, someone has gamified it. It delivers regular little hits of gratification, bigger hits when you rank up, and rivalry when there’s a leaderboard.

The way the Hero Association has implemented it, it’s a straight up gaming system. We got introduced to their game system right at the newcomer's welcome lecture, where Snek explains that misbehaving heroes can lose points and thus rank.

How to win the Hero Association game? Well, obviously, you can gets points for fighting monsters, but that's not the only thing they take into consideration. You can get points for doing good deeds, for being active, all sorts of things. So much so that the manga notes that 'if you keep active and play to your strengths, you can hang onto quite high rankings within a class' using Mumen Rider as a poster boy for a hero who does just that.

The good thing about Mumen Rider is that he doesn't try to stop other heroes from briefly occupying rank C-1 so they have a chance to be promoted

Furthermore, the points the Hero Association awards can be divided between heroes... and the points split gets decided between the heroes themselves. This is where the likes of the Blizzard Group really come into play. However, it goes further than that: since all heroes in a group of heroes get at least some credit for killing a monster, it benefits lower-ranked heroes to hang around a powerful one. That's why the Tank Toppers get so mad at Saitama, they think he's playing the leech off the S-Class game (and doing it better than they are).

Points-chasing is so much safer than monster-chasing

What's in it for the Hero Association? By their very nature, heroes need to be highly self-directed and self-motivated people: if you don't have the initiative to find trouble and the courage to stand up to it, even if no one else has your back, you have no business being a hero. The points-based system allows heroes to more or less manage themselves, motivate and push themselves with minimal input from the Hero Association. The good side of it for heroes is that they get a lot of freedom as to how they conduct themselves, which allows some real oddballs to thrive.

There are three big problems with the Hero Association game that the story has been showing us.

Problem 0: The game itself is unnecessary. Monsters don't know and don't give a crap about how heroes organize themselves, or whether they're nice or cooperative. They only care about whether or not anyone is able to stop them. Same goes for criminals.

Problem 1: Wherever there is a game, there are people who try to win it strategically. It creates incentives to win points by means other than fighting monsters or criminals too dangerous for the police to handle. A lot of the nonsense we see, like rookie crushing, forming factions, refusing promotions to a higher class since they mean more responsibility and less recognition, chicanery, and going for cheap gimmicks to try to gain points through popularity all stem from the game.

games-playing makes a mockery of heroism

Problem 2: Picking the right fight. The special chapter 'Disaster Levels' makes mention of some heroes pushing themselves to fight high-level monsters, but Season 2's OAV 2 really hones in on that problem. We see Bang and Atomic Samurai discussing the problems with the Hero Association. They single out the Hero Association’s points-based system for especial censure, both being of the opinion that it encourages heroes to take unnecessary risks. And case in point, we see Mumen Rider and Chain n' Toad take on far too much monster for them and need bailing out. It was very good to hear Atomic scold them for relying on guts rather than making sure they also had the strength to back it up.

Taking unnecessary risks may be flashy but it's bad for hero health

Problem 3 (and the biggest one): By its very existence, it turns fellow heroes from colleagues into competitors. The webcomic is really going to town on this issue, but I don't need to go that far to illustrate it.

A system that rewards individualism makes for reluctant team-building. Nurturing leaders? That implies group-formation, so we see very few heroes lead. We see pointless divisions between classes as S-Class heroes get lionized (and over-worked), while good lower-ranking heroes get overlooked. It's a situation made even more pernicious by the Hero Association being perfectly aware that there are many promising lower-ranked heroes who could do with development.

This resentment is completely unnecessary

More seriously, it means that failures can be individualised -- it’s your fault if you’re struggling rather than the system as a whole. If you're competing, it's harder to compare notes to realise that you are all suffering in the same way. Pro-heroes are actually in a very strong bargaining position: despite running Hero Tests year round, for free, in multiple locations, the Hero Association has never succeeded in having more than 600 heroes on its books at any one time. Pro-heroes aren't easily replaced. Things like decent pay, accommodation, help with equipment, and access to training facilities should not be privileges reserved for Class A and S heroes and held out as a carrot for lower-ranked heroes. They should be a matter of course, that would make heroes much more effective. Which is what the public and major donors are paying for.

The concept of the game system with its someone-must-win-someone-must-lose ethos blocks a lot of innovation. Training: they make it a matter of duty for A-Class heroes to orient new recruits, but also having a buddy to look out for new heroes for the first few weeks would be a huge help. Having strong heroes take at least one student to bring on would make a huge difference. And someone like Bang would love it as he's always looking for dojo members. They could get rid of a lot of the infighting by getting rid of ranks within a class and instead having brackets according to how effective heroes are within that class and make it clear that there's no absolute size for any bracket: they'll leave a bracket empty if there's no one deserving of it. Anyone in the top bracket can apply to go to the next class if they can convince the promotion team that they can hack it in the next class up -- no more value in camping the top spot and trying to suppress other heroes. Better data sharing. Pastoral care: it's tough being a hero even if everything's going right, but a competitive system means that heroes hide their woes until they can't stand it any longer and quit. And so on.

If heroes are so precious, why aren't they being looked after better?

If you're looking for the thesis of this to be that gamification is bad, that's not it. Rather, it's that all things have their appropriate place and when misused, bad things happen. Gamifying running a marathon? Awesome. Be the fastest delivery man in the tri-state area? Knock yourself out. Sales targets? Fantastic! Those are situations games work very well for. Gamifying a hero group, where people should be ready to work together and help fight the increasing and increasingly complex threats that blow up out of nowhere, it's idiocy.

Idiocy the rest of the world is paying for.

#OPM #meta #gamification #the mismanagement of heroes

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sssn-neptune-vasilias · 4 years

Text

So like, Ironwood’s clearly tumbling down the staircase towards authoritarianism so I just wanted to clarify my points about him because I did agree with a lot of what he was saying during the first couple of seasons up until he decided to completely throw himself off the boat without a life preserver. Also I don’t want y’all calling me an authoritarian (or fascist, Tumblr really doesn’t like to learn the difference between the different kinds of authoritarianisms and just lumps them all under fascism because why take a class when you can just say words?).

1) I think Ironwood was right to bring his airships to Beacon and frankly I think the other headmasters should’ve as well. Obviously no other Kingdom works like Mantle/Atlas- they’re the only one where the Hunter Academy is a direct branch of the kingdom’s military- but SOME protection should’ve been brought from Shade and Haven as well as Beacon. The Vytal tournament was an incredibly important part of Remnant culture, and ANYBODY could’ve seen that as a chance to strike. Any terrorist organization, anybody with a grudge, anybody with an agenda could’ve seen a giant float collessum and decided it’d look better crashing towards the ground. I think Ozpin, Lionheart and Theodore were hugely negligent not requesting SOME kind of military support from their respective kingdoms to watch over the event. Just think about it, that would’ve created FOUR different systems Cinder would’ve needed to hack into instead of one. The other three headmasters didn’t bring security and relied completely on Ironwood to save them when shit hit the fan. Ozpin’s words to Ironwood will always be hilarious to me. “You brought your army to my kingdom James… Use it!” The same army that he swore brought more harm than good? The same army he promised would be ineffective in keeping the peace? Now all of a sudden he’s begging for it? Ozpin of all people should’ve been READY for something like this. He’s closer to Salem than ANYONE he should’ve KNOWN that she would use an opportunity like this to strike. A wounded and defenseless Maiden locked in Beacon tower, a one-woman army infiltrating an SDC tower and leaving no recognizable trace other than a wake of bodies, a breach where “hundreds of people were killed” just weeks before, then Yang’s random and brutal “attack” on a seemingly defenseless student? Ozpin should’ve seen the signs of an imminent attack and acted proactively to ensure the safety of not just Beacon but the world. And instead he was too clueless to even ask for a security detail. He claimed that there was peace in Remnant, and that there was no need to upset people by bringing weapons of war, but peace needs to be defended. The Fall of Beacon was proof of what happens when you wait too long to defend yourself. Bringing in other kingdom’s defenses would’ve also shot one of Cinder’s weird monologue in the foot. She calls Ironwood a “tyrannical dictator” who “occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces” but if Ozpin had REQUESTED those airships? Maybe not even all of them but SOME? And brought his OWN? It would’ve just been business as usual instead of some kind of “invasion” from a previously adversarial nation. Ozpin’s complacency gave Cinder another nail to shut the coffin with. Did Ironwood overstep bringing ALL those ships without a warning? Absolutely, and whoever’s running Vale is out of their mind for not engaging their defenses to deter those ships before they entered Vale airspace in the first place. Should an equal number of ships all flying different flags have been there ANYWAY to stop something like the Breach or the Fall happening? Absolutely.

2) I think Ironwood’s plan is the right move. Let me clarify, the “tell the world about Salem” plan is the right move. “Unite the world against a common enemy” is the right move. “Expose the enemy for who she is and force her to leave the comfort of the shadows and engage in an actual war instead of the silly chess game proxy war you’ve been engaged in all this time.” If you expose Salem and make her a target, she crumbles. Anyone working for her is a top of the most wanted list, and it’s impossible for her to infiltrate and manipulate behind the scenes as she’s been doing. Her only army is Grimm and the kingdoms have been doing decently against them for centuries. I think Ironwood’s got a good idea, and Ozma was just too jaded by his centuries of life to believe that the world would pull together the way it needed to to band against Salem.

That said, I think Ironwood’s entire plan was a necessary evil. “Pull all Atlesian forces and resources out of Remnant and back into Mantle, to ride out the waves of Grimm that would come to tear the kingdom down after they learned about Salem.” It was a well thought out plan! He had STEPS. He KNEW that people would panic and planned AROUND that! For a “tin man” with no heart, he sure as fuck knew how to account for everyone else’s. Argus would suffer for this, sure, but he left them with a giant fucking jaegar, a Pacific Rim style wall around its biggest weak point, and enough air ships and guns to hold off a small scale invasion. Argus was also a unique situation where it was Mistral’s responsibility that Atlas elected to care for. We haven’t heard of any similar cities like this. He wanted to keep his people safe. And I know that’s a slap in the face to all of the people of Mantle who were living in the beginning stages of authoritarian rule for MONTHS, but I think the ends justify the means here. Ironwood’s plan was never to subjugate his people indefinitely, but to keep them safe until the worst had passed. I REALLY think Ironwood’s plan would’ve worked, and CLEARLY Salem does too, otherwise she wouldn’t be sending the biggest Grimm army ever seen and a whale the size of a fucking island to stop him. Telling Remnant about Salem was and still is a good plan, and drawing his troops and resources back to handle the fallout of it was a smart choice.

3) I think Ironwood is right to try abandon Mantle, and frankly I think he should’ve done it sooner. Ironwood is right, if Salem destroys Atlas, she destroys Remnant’s only hope of defeating her. Mistral and Haven were already attacked by the White Fang and Cinder’s crew without so much as a finger raised against them. Have fun reading the books to find out what’s happening in Shade. If Ironwood doesn’t save A) the power of the Winter Maiden B) the staff of creation, C) the lamp of knowledge AND D) as much of Atlas as he can, we’re fucked, and we’ve already lost the fucking lamp. The WORLD is fucked if we don’t stop Salem. And even KNOWING all of this, Ironwood waited until he had definitive proof that the enemy had already invaded Atlas before moving to leave. Tyrian and Watts were one thing, but Salem leaving her chess piece on his desk without him even knowing she was there? I can’t blame him for being scared. I can’t blame him for wanting to leave ASAP. Frankly I can’t blame him for calling RWBYJNRQOP naive. Saving every individual person down in Mantle would doom Atlas as a whole, and by extension the world. I don’t think I would’ve been able to fight against RWBY for wanting to risk saving everyone, but I don’t think I would’ve been able to fight with RWBY for the chance to take the risk either.

Last season was super political, which was a first for RWBY. Yeah, the writing’s ALWAYS been on the walls that Ironwood would take these steps into authoritarianism, and last episode had him breaking out into a full sprint. He straight up shot a member of his opposition! And that guy wasn’t even EXPLICITLY opposition, he was just questioning how Ironwood was handling the situation! I don’t think anyone can honestly say they’re surprised by this, and it’s super important to not just be against authoritarianism, but actively against it. We can’t condone it and must uproot it wherever it even begins to take hold. That said, I will say that, up to a point, Ironwood’s had good ideas on helping to save the world, while RWBY’ve been cutely optimistic but not very pragmatic in their “save every life no matter the cost” approach. And let’s be real, the show is called “RWBY” not “Ironwood” so I’m fully expecting the narrative to play out in a way that validates RWBY and demonizes Ironwood. I’m fully expecting Ironwood to completely fly off the walls as Salem draws nearer. I’m fully expecting to want to kick myself for agreeing with his motivations during season 7. I’m just writing this so that there’s a clear record of my stance not only for my followers (and for people ready to make callout posts, here you go 😉) but for myself too! So I can see if my stance changes and where I was before. So here you go future Tobias. Good luck!

#RWBY #General James Ironwood

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nightwingshero · 3 years

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A, F, G, M, P, R, and S for Evune, Athera, Blair, Suzume, and Kumeko :D

MEL! THIS IS MERCY?! You're killin' me, smalls! Lol under the cut, love!

A: Aptitude

1. What are your oc’s natural abilities, things they’ve been doing since young?

Evune: Sneaking around and throwing knives. Evune doesn't really like to play the Game, but she's had some bard training when she lived with her noble guardian, and then when she was living in the alienage. She's had to steal, fight, and learned some bow skills before being reunited with her clan.

Athera: Aside from when her magic manifested when she was a child, I would say she's always had a special touch with halla and is rather good at drawing. But she hung around the clan's halla, sticking with the halla keeper because she was always fascinated with them.

Blair: She's always been a pretty smart cookie, so I'm going to say chess was something she was pretty quick to pick up on when she was young. She plays often with her dad.

Suzume: Drawing, cooking, and skateboarding. She's always been pretty good with balance and being naturally good on her feet, so that was something that caught her attention rather quickly. Now, drawing and cooking almost seems to be a family thing, mostly because of her father's quirk got him into art as well. So she would often sit in her room and just draw alone, and then come help her mother cook when it was time--which explains the cooking ability.

Kumeko: Dancing and hacking! Shopping doesn't count, so I won't add it. But Kumeko loves to dance to her music, and will play Just Dance often. She's always light on her feet, and when she started walking as a kid, she would bounce. So her mom says it's pretty much in her blood at this point. Now, her fascination with electronics might have something to do with her quirk, but this girl was taking computers apart and rebuidling them when she was a kid.

2. What activities have they participated in?

Evune: A few games here and there with her clan. There's a game that her and Athera would play with the kids as they told the stories of their gods, and Evune would lead Fen'an with her and they would play tag and chase them around as they pretended to be Fen'Harel. She also does arm wrestling with Thyra, plays chess with Cullen, and does shooting contests with and plays Wicked Grace with Varric.

Athera: She would teach the children of their clan the history and the stories of their people, often leading to the tag game with Evune. She will read with Dorian, practice magic with Halesta, and play chess with Solas. She would often ask him things he saw of her people in the fade as well.

Blair: Lots and lots of science fairs and clubs. She did chess club at one point too, and then learned to play the violin. But she didn't really stick with that, since she preferred doing science stuff, especially astronomy. She does a lot of ice skating too, if that counts, and she'll go out with friends.

Suzume: Heh. Well, she'll get dragged go to karaoke with Kumeko and a few more friends here and there. She's done the Sports Festival a few times with Kumeko when they attended U.A. High. She even placed one year. But when it comes to activites to participate in, mroe often than not, it's Kumeko or someone else coming up with the idea and having her tag along. She'll go to the school events in support for the students, and she'll do team ups with heroes here and there when she has the time. Every now and then she'll anonymously participate in art festivals just to share her art.

Kumeko: Karaoke! Though the last time her and Suzume went they ended up getting thrown out and banned because someone decided that the music selection wasn't cool enough and she hacked the machine. She did the Sports Festival in high school, and does a lot of team ups, especially when her agency is contacted and Fatgum has his plate full (I know what I did there--yes, it was on purpose.) I'm gonna throw shopping on here because she loves it so damn much. DJing is something she does often too, more out of a hobby than anything.

3. What abilities do they have that they’ve worked for?

Evune: The bow. Evune had more experience with dagger growing up and she had to work extra hard to master the bow because that demanded a patience from her that she didn't have. But she gives people a run for their money now, often outshooting most people.

Athera: Making wolves and hallawith her magic. That took forever to master. She can use her elemental magic and manifest it in the forms of wolves, and her protective barriers come out as halla. It took her years to perfect, and it's still hard for her to do sometimes.

Blair: Definitely controlling her powers. Girl was a walking hazard because of it. She was too scared to really practice it because it seemed to always hurt people, and she hated herself for it.

Suzume: The patience to handle those crazy ass class 1-A kids, epsecially the one that blows shit up without warning and has rage issues or the perverted one she's kicked out of her class a few times. Tattoos. She can draw, it took her time to nail skating and cooking, but tattoos...that took her the longest. If she can do it herself, she will; it makes it easier for her to use with her quirk. But it took time because it's not the same as drawing in her sketchbook.

Kumeko: Fighting. Honestly, it was so hard for her because she's not really...a natural fighter. She had to really work at making her quirk for her in fight scenarios, but luckily she was able to really adapt her dancing and hacking into her own odd style that actually works well for her. U.A. was hard for her in the beginning, but she really pulled through and excelled.

4. What things are they bad at?

Evune: Holding her tongue. Evune can and will say whatever it is that's on her mind. It gets her into so much trouble, but she never really learns from it. She will always tell you what she's thinking whether you wanna hear it or not.

Athera: Making very hard decisions. She hates being put on the spot and making choices that really don't have a good ending either way. The pressure isn't something she wants and she fears the backlash and the consequences of the choices.

Blair: Lying. Girl can't lie to save her life. Not that she would ever really want to, but it's always bitter on her tongue whenever she has to, and it never goes well.

Suzume: Being emotionally vulnerable. Not that she doesn't have emotions or doesn't want to share her emotions, she just gets shy and awkward with it. Word vomit is what ends up happening if she's not careful, and so she finds it easier to stay quiet.

Kumeko: Dealing with loss, honestly. She's naturally a go lucky and cheerful person. It's not that she hasn't dealt with loss before, she just takes it really hard when it does happen. It weighs on her shoulders and mind for a long time.

5. What is their most impressive talent?

Evune: A combo move with Fen’an. She jumps back and fires arrows, while her wolf moves in from the side and attacks when their opponent isn’t looking. She’s so good with her bow and working alongside her wolf companion when she needs to--which happens more often than not.

Athera: Her magic, honestly. She’s the First for a reason, and when Falessan was around, he tuaght her a trick or two. The wolf elemental magic is something she only uses when she needs to, and it’s very impressive. Though it takes quite a bit of mana to pull off.

Blair: I know this is going to not really count, but I can’t help it; I’m going to say her intelligience. I could say her meta powers, but honestly, Blair is stupid smart and isn’t afraid to flex it. She has enough braincells to cover for those who are lacking.

Suzume: Okay, so I would say Quirk wise, it’s going to be her ability to animate her tattoos and drawings, but the most impressive? Using her samurai tattoo to cover herself. Its one of her ultimate moves, though whatever damage the samurai suffers, is damage she absolutely feels once it returns to her. It’s cool to see though, she’s such a badass!

Kumeko: This girl can be deafening. I’m not even kidding. She can hack into surrounding sound systems or use her very own built in speakers to deafen an enemy temporarily. Like...some are left immobilzed because of it. She doesn’t do it often because its more of a last resort ultimate move, but it’s super impressive and handy...she can definitely be someone to fear.

F: Fun

1. What do they do for fun?

Evune: She loves to drink and watch people when she has nothing else to really do, and that’s usually watching Thyra start bar fights and wrestling with a lot of the warriors and soldiers of the Inquistion so she can prove her Avaar strength. Other than that, she’s joking around with Dorian, making fun of people or playing Wicked Grace with Varric. She’ll also sing to herself when she thinks no one is listening.

Athera: She loves to read and draw for fun, mostly. She’s very at peace with quiet time to herself, and as things progress with the Inquisition, she doesn’t really get a lot of it. If she’s not doing that, she’s playing chess or spending time with some of her companions to get to know them better or because she enjoys their company.

Blair: Video games, movie marathons, and ice skating. She’s such a nerd at heart, and when she isn’t working on things for fun (yes...for fun), she’s either gaming out or watching movies and eating crepes. Winter is her favorite season, and she goes ice skating every year with her parents and friends. Its one of those things she’s been doing since she was a kid.

Suzume: Mostly skating, drawing, and cooking. She likes to read too, but she’s most likely doing one of the first three things. Music is often blared while doing any of them, and she gets super focused. There are a few places she likes to go for skating, and she’ll usually meet Kumeko there, or just skate around and look at different things with her cat in her backpack.

Kumeko: A little bit of everything. Shopping, dancing, and going to amusement parks. Kumeko likes the rush of things, and likes to be on the move. The girl can’t sit still, she’s gotta be doing something, and so she’s usually always out and about with something on her agenda. Much to Suzume’s dismay because she’s dragged with her.

2. What is their ideal party?

Evune: Small with only the closest of friends. Evune doesn’t like meeting new people, she’s very wary of them. She wants a small get together on the beach at night around a campfire and laughing together. She does go to the big parties Dorian throws at his dad’s in the College AU, mostly after they play a gig or something.

Athera: Something casual with boardgames and cherades! Probably a cookout, if we’re being honest. More people than Evune would invite, mostly because she oddly has a lot of connections--she’s even shocked by it. Its very casual because she’s more comfortable that way

Blair: Honestly, there are a few. She loves surprsie parties, both for herself and for others. Slumber parties are a thing too, mostly because she would throw all the blankets and pillows she had in the living room, make crepes and hot chocolate (or get wine) and have a movie marathon in her pjs with her friend.

Suzume: That’s a huge no. No way in hell. Parties aren’t her scene at all, she doens’t really like going to them because she’s secretly (not that secret tbh) shy and gets nervous. She will go to the hero galas, she will allow Kumeko to drag her to places, but she doesn’t really prefer a type of party. The word just puts dread in her stomach. Now...honestly, a dinner party with a few friends isn’t so bad, but it has to be super casual. Best Jeanist’s annual Halloween party isn’t too bad either.

Kumeko: All of them. Honestly, there isn’t one that she doens’t like, Kumeko loves people, loves music, and parties have plenty of both. Dance parties (which is usually her and a few more friends playing Just Dance at Suzume’s because someone hates going to clubs) or ones that have karaoke so she can challenge Present Mic. Kumeko is perfect for throwing surprise birthday parties too, Suzume finds out every year (as if she could ever forget that).

3. Who would they have the most fun with?

Evune: She’s honestly one of those people that if she can’t have fun with you, she probably won’t like you. Naturally quiet, it would seem that would be impossible to gauge, but it’s really not. Evune has a sense of humor, and she prides herself in being a good judge on character. I would say Arkyn, Thyra, Emerson, Varric, and Dorian are the people she has the most fun with. Cullen, too, but I think it’s different with him--not as chaotic.

Athera: She will try to have fun with pretty much anyone because she wants to get along with everyone. I think the main people she would have the most fun with would be Josephine, Iron Bull, Krem, Leliana, Dorian, and Varric.

Blair: You either love her or you hate her, because she’s not afraid to say what’s on her mind and correct you when you’re wrong. But she has tons of fun with Cisco, Caitlin, Felicity, Ray, Sara, and eventually Mick. You wouldn’t expect it, but it is what it is.

Suzume: Not Hawks. It depends, honestly, but she has a lot of fun with Kumeko, Aizawa, and Tai. Midnight as well whenever she has the energy to actually hang out with her outside of work. She also has a lot of fun teaching and training some of her students (more than that one angry explosive one), but at the end of the day, Tai is really all she needs. That or staying home and locking the door, and ignoring Kumeko when she pounds on her door or when Chicken Nugget calls her 5 times in a row for a casual hero hangout.

Kumeko: Who doesn’t she have fun with? Listen, it takes a lot for Kumeko to not like you, but if you rub her the wrong way, you will absolutely get the cold shoulder. Other than that, that girl is gonna have fun with whoever she’s with. Suzume she forcibly is fun with, she has tons of fun with her boyfriend Aizawa, Hawks, Present Mic, Tai, Rumi, and Midnight.

4. Can they have fun while conforming to rules?

Evune: If she has to break the rules to have fun, they’re getting broken. They’re just a suggestion, right?

Athera: She will do her best when it’s within her control. She doesn’t want there to be any trouble, so she’ll try to avoid it if she can...though her cousin sometimes makes it hard.

Blair: Often, she’s a straight shooter, and it’s not until Leonard and Mick come into her life that she starts seeing the fun to bending just the slightest for fun.

Suzume: For the most part, she can. It depends on who you are and what the situation is if she’s willing to be lienient. Like how she will sometimes let Kaminara, Sero, and Kirishima get away with things here and there.

Kumeko: What they don’t know won’t hurt them. Kumeko is okay with breaking minor rules to keep that fun going, as long as it’s not crazy or gets people hurt. She has her limits. But at the end of the day, she’s still a hero. She will draw the line somewhere, she won’t let things go too far.

5. Do they go out a lot?

Evune: Shockingly, she does. She’s introverted, but she’s hanging around with people and watches on the sidelines. In the college AU, her and Emerson are often at the diner, their regular place, and at the bar where they perfomr. If its not that, and she’s going out, then it’s most likely a friend’s house.

Athera: She does! Athera loves visiting parks and other places where she can draw. The library is also a place she goes often when she wants out of the house, meeting other friends there for maybe a study session in the college au.

Blair: YES. Honestly, the cafe is like her second home, and the observatory is her third. She will often go to book stores and such to buy books and other things she might need.

Suzume: If she’s not at home, drawing, reading, or watching movies, she’s out skating or with Kumeko. At a certain point, she finds herself visiting Fatgum’s agency rather...frequently. For no specific reason, she swears.

Kumeko: ALL. THE. TIME. She always has some place to be and Aizawa has to sometimes beg to get her to have a day in (she caves rather easily, actually). But she’s usually out and about, plus she is a hero, so patrols are also a thing.

G: Gorgeous

1. What is their most attractive external feature?

Evune: I feel like there’s a lot attractive about her, but I would have to say her smirk. Its so teasing and it will absolutely draw you in--especially with her gorgeous eyes sparkling with mischief. Her vallasin are also very striking on her face, even if the silvery tint of them.

Athera: Hmmm...defintitely her eyes. Which...I know I eluded to that or Evune too, but they really just have gorgeous eyes. Athera’s have a teal/light blue eye color with specks of silver. They’re gorgeous. The light hitting them just gives you different shades that just...wow. Its no surprise that she caught the attention of the Dread Wolf.

Blair: Her smile. She is always smiling and it will just blow you away--you can’t help but smile right back at her. That smile will become the center of your galaxy if you’re not careful. It’s even more wow-ing when she actually decides to wear lipstick.

Suzume: Honestly...I could say hair, or her beautiful green eyes, or the way her blush makes her face light up...but it’s honestly her tattoos. Suzume is decently curved with an hourglass figure, but it’s not something she shows off. At least...not upfront. Her tattoos. Suzume has an eye of an artist, and every tattoo is placed perfectly, allowing the lines to flow naturally with her body. They’re gorgeous honestly. You could look at them for hours, though after a while I could guess you’d be staring for other reasons.

Kumeko: She would tell you its her hair, half (natural) metallic silver, and half (dyed) electric blue. But...it’s gonna be her curves. She has pretty decent curves, and she absolutely shows them off. She’s not really overly revealing or anything, she just wears clothes that really complement her and she’s proud of how she looks.

2. What is the most attractive part of their personality?

Evune: Her fierceness and her sense of humor. She’s very passionate and is just...a lot of fun, to be honest.

Athera: Her kindness and patience. She’s kind to everyone and is always patient with people, epsecially when they need it.

Blair: Her compassion. There’s an empathy that Blair has about her that just draws you in and you can’t really escape it, no matter how long you try.

Suzume: Her belief in others, especially in herself. Even she struggles with self doubt, but honestly, the sheer belief in herself and confidence in her students and friends so heartwarming.

Kumeko: Her bubbliness. Mostly because she uses it to make everyone’s day good, including hers, and she never fails to be optimistic.

3. What benefits come with being their friend?

Evune: A fierce loyalty, honestly. She will have your back whether you’re right or wrong, because that doesn’t matter--you do. Plus, she’ll drink and sing with you.

Athera: She is lowkey a mom friend, so she’ll make sure you’re doing okay. Plus, she’s defintely someone to mentor you if you needed.

Blair: A friend that will always make sure you’re knowledgeable about what you’re talking about. She’ll correct you for your benefit, and do it kindly, just to make sure you’re at your best.

Suzume: ...uh...she draws. And cooks...she’ll probably grumble about it, but she’ll absolutely bring you food to work and honestly, she’s just a good support. She speaks honestly about her opinion, but she has your back.

Kumeko: Lots of shopping sprees and a true cheerleader, honestly. Constantly cheering you on and trying to play matchmaker for you (yes Suzume is bitching in the corner, its fine.)

4. What parts of them do they like and dislike?

Evune: There might be a scar or two with a bad memory, but other than that, nothing. Evune is very “take me as I am, or don’t take me at all” and she will be very direct about it. She’s not about that.

Athera: She’s never really thought about that because she just...never really considered pulling herself apart like that. If she had to choose something, it would be the way she comes across as naive (because she is, just don’t tell her that). She hates how people treat her because of it. Also her nose.

Blair: Her feet. She’s so weird about her feet, she is always wearing socks because of it.

Suzume: She hates that she’s quiet and awkward, honestly. She can be shy at times, depending on who she’s around, and she doesn’t understand it because she’s mostly a confident person. She also lowkey hates that she looks so different from her adoptive family, only because of the questions seh gets because of it. Its why she put dark green streaks in her hair.

Kumeko: This girl loves every damn inch of herself, who are we kidding?

5. What parts of others do they envy?

Evune: I wouldn’t call it envy, but she feels very bitter regarding the people who have had a good life and still find a reason to bitch about it. She just wants her people to have better.

Athera: The lack of responsibility. She wishes that she didn’t have the fate of the world on her shoulders, and she envies those who don’t have to worry about the things she does.

Blair: Not having meta powers that might kill your friends when you lose control. Gee, must be nice.

Suzume: Mostly, nothing. She does wish she could be more charismatic though. It would help her speak to a certain someone without blushing like mad and glaring at the ground.

Kumeko: Not a damn thing. This girl is happy with herself and what she can do, it took her some time to get there. But ultimately, she came to the conclusion that you have to love yourself for who you are and focus on what you can become, instead of seeing all the things you aren’t and comparing yourself to other people when it’s not relevant to you.

M: Maternal

1. Would they want a daughter or a son?

Evune: Her and Cullen end up actually having a girl and then a boy, but she never really thought she would have kids to be honest.

Athera: She ends up with twins: a boy and a girl. But she’s in Evune’s boat, she wasn’t exactly planning on having kids or even meeting someone.

Blair: She never thought about kids until Leonard, then once she’s pregnant, she can’t help but imagine a little girl, which she ends up having.

Suzume: She didn’t really have a preference, she was just shocked that she was becoming a mom. Suzume wasn’t sure how it happened, but it did.

Kumeko: Girls. She wanted daughters because after pretty much adopting Eri, she wanted more little precious girls running around their house. They ended up with twins, a boy and girl, and she was so excited and happy.

2. How many children do they want?

Evune: She’s never really thought about it, but she’s happy with the one, open to having just one more.

Athera: Just the two. Athera has a lot on her plate, the twins are honestly enough for her.

Blair: I would say probably 4, because she wants a big family. She loves kids.

Suzume: She wants a couple more because she at least wants another girl, and maybe just another, depending.

Kumeko: I think she’d wanna try for another to make it an even number, with Eri and the twins making three, but after that, she’s good.

3. Would they be a good parent?

Evune: She didn’t think she would, to be honest, but she’s a fantastic mom. She really tries her best and loves her children deeply.

Athera: Yes, though she doesn’t feel like it. Their father is gone and she has so much repsonibility, she feels that she’s failing at being a mother.

Blair: Absolutely. She’s really good with kids and that definitely applied to her parenting.

Suzume: Yes, though she was worried for a minute that she wouldn’t be. She’s a high school teacher, so she doesn’t have a whole lot of experience with tiny humans. But she’s fantastic, just like Tai said she would be.

Kumeko: She is PHENOMENAL. She honestly is super mom, and she’s the go-to nanny when Suzume needs someone to babysit.

4. What would they name a son? what would they name a daughter?

Evune: I haven’t decided on the son’s name, but the girl is Mirae, which means Little Thief in elvish. They did it on purpose becaus Cullen would call Evune his little thief because she would take or mess with things on his desk.

Athera: The daughter is named Soufei (the strength of a thousand wolves) and Hallen (which has something to do with halla). Essentially, wolf and halla related for her and Solas. Symbolism.

Blair: I...have not named their daughter. But it would probably be something space related because Blair is definitely that person...girl really loves space.

Suzume: I haven’t really figured out the details for their kids just yet, but she would want their names to be meaningful.

Kumeko: Same as Suzume, but honestly, whatever sounds good. Kumeko just wants it to sound cool and she’s good.

5. Would they adopt?

Evune: She would if the occasion would arise where she came across a child in need. She doesn’t have the heart to just ignore that.

Athera: I don’t think she would actively seek adopting a child. I think that Athera would do everything in her power to make sure the child found a loving and safe home, only adopting if she failed, because she’s not letting an orphan suffer a terrible fate with an orphanage or worse.

Blair: She would, and I think it was something she considered at one point. Like, no, she really didn’t think she would have kids, but she had little thoughts of “what if” when it came to adopting.

Suzume: In a heartbeat. She was adopted herself, so that’s definitely something she would do. Giving a child a loving home is something she would think about doing. Especially with how she takes some of the students under her wing.

Kumeko: I mean, technically, she does. Her and Aizawa adopt Eri, so yeah, she absolutely would do that.

P: Personality

1. What is their best personality trait?

Evune: Her sense of humor, I think. Evune is sarcastic and hilarious. Granted she will use it to tear you down, but when she’s doing it for genuine fun with her friends, she’ll have to in stitches.

Athera: Patience. It makes her so kind and forgiving, honestly. Athera is so soft most of the time, and people are sometimes shocked with the lack of judgement that comes with her.

Blair: Cheerfulness. She’s usually always in such a good mood, to be honest. There’s always an underlying happy disposition with her...until you piss her off.

Suzume: If you asked her, she would just shrug and avoid you. But her fierceness...is just...she’s very passionate, truly. She’s very strong-willed, especially when it comes to her protecting people.

Kumeko: Determination. This girl doesn’t know what the phrase “give up” means, it’s not a thing she has ever done or heard. She sticks to something to the very end. She won’t quit you.

2. What is their worst personality trait?

Evune: Arrogance. And with her, its more patronizing. Mostly because of her tongue, she will cut you with words and make you feel small. It will drive her to challenge you, mock you, and make a show to demonstrate how wrong you are and to stroke her pride.

Athera: Arrogance as well, but hers is different. While Evune’s is external, Athera’s is internal. She will raise her head high, and naively believe she’s right (whether she is or not), and brings about a stubborness that can be suffocating. You won’t be able to talk to her, she won’t hear you because she has already made up her mind.

Blair: Logical. I know that doesn’t sound bad, but when someone is looking for emotional support, Blair isn’t the girl for you. She’ll immediately break down the situation and come at you with logic rather than the emotional support you need.

Suzume: Guarded and pessimistic. Suzume has a hard time being emotionally vulnerable at times, mostly because sh’s not sure how to be. She knows she’s hard to read and that people get frustrated and kinda give up on their first try with her. She can be a little pessimistic, though she’s normally a realist. It’s always something to do with her personally though.

Kumeko: Obnoxious. Its not a secret that Kumeko can be...a little much sometimes. She tries to tone it down for certain people or when the situation calls for it, but mostly, she’s a take it or leave it kinda girl. If she’s too loud for you, she’ll say “sorry, but that’s how I am” and then move away from you with a smile.

3. What of their personality do others love?

Evune: With her, it’s not just one thing. It’s everything that makes her her. She’s just a mix of things honestly, you can’t detangle that mess.

Athera: Her kindness. It makes her forgiving and warm to those who interact with her.

Blair: I would say her dependability. Blair is always there, no matter what, and she absolutely has your back--whether that’s physically or mentally.

Suzume: When you really get to know her, her softness. Because not everyone gets to see it or even recognizes it when it happens.

Kumeko: Charisma! She has a natural charisma that she oozes and so many people get blown away by it.

4. What of their personality do others envy?

Evune: The way she gives zero fucks about anyone other than those close to her. She will dead ass ignore you.

Athera: I want to say resilience because the girl has gone through some stuff, and she’s still standing. She lost her arm, girl has guts.

Blair: Tenacity. She won’t back down, her spine is made of steel. Especially when she knows she’s right about something. Good luck with that.

Suzume: Her ability to stay calm. Suzume is very level-headed, even in the most dangerous of situations. Girl will jump in front of her students or that yellow hero to protect him (he doesn’t need it), and won’t even flinch.

Kumeko: The way she can make every situation seem bright, no matter how dark it really is. She always makes things better.

5. Do they hate anything about their personality/about other’s personalities?

Evune: For herself? No. Others? Absolutely. If you rub her the wrong way, she’s not going to like you. It’s not really about a specific thing, it’s just a vibe. Like Cassandra and Blackwall...she doesn’t like them. If you lie to her though, you’re done for.

Athera: She hates dishonesty because she’s the kind of person that you can come to about these things with no judgement on her part. Now about herself, she does hate how she can be a little too nice. It makes her think that people try walking over her or steer her in the direction they personally want her to go.

Blair: Her being more logical in emotional situations bothers her, so she tries to work on it. She hates people that are deceptive, the kind that like to play their cards close to their chests. Not necessarily lying (though she hates that too), but just not being upfront about it.

Suzume: Arrogance, she can’t stand it. You will absolutey paint a target on your back with it, because she’ll be super sarcastic and dismissive of you if you are. If you’re overly arrogant, she will watch and hope for you to trip and fall on your face so she can just raise her brow at you and walk away after being like “see? Not so great, huh?”. She is not Bakugo’s favorite teacher. She wishes she wasn’t so awkward at times, to be honest. It would make things easier for her.

Kumeko: Just...bitterness. Like, being mean for no reason. She doesn’t understand it and she won’t put up with it. If you’re being a bully, she will absolutely call you out on it, Kumeko isn’t afraid to step in when she needs to. Now, she loves everything about herself and her personality--shocking nobody.

R: Rules

1. Do they follow rules?

Evune: No, they’re just kind suggestions or she just doesn’t care. She makes her own rules. Meme of “I’m the Captain now” goes: here.

Athera: She does her best! They’re there for a reason and she doesn’t want trouble.

Blair: Yes, but she will bend them for the greater good. But mostly, she’s following the rules.

Suzume: Oh yeah, she follows rules. Now, there may be moments where she instills her own set of rules, but not very often. It depends on the situation.

Kumeko: Is a very good law-abiding hero! She will encourage you to not jay walk and all sorts of things.

2. Would they be a strict or laid-back parent?

Evune: A mixture of both. She’s firm, but she’s also the parent that’s probably doing something really stupid to make the kids laugh.

Athera: More on the strict side, but it’s a soft version of it. Very guiding, in a way.

Blair: More on the stricter side. She’s a fun parent, but there’s a routine and schedule thats down pat and she has a calendar that has post it notes to keep track of everything.

Suzume: Another mixture, but she’s soft. She it more guiding than strict, and she will have fun with her kids, she’s just more quiet than Tai is.

Kumeko: Abosultely laid back. Aizawa has to be the strict parent because Kumeko can’t be strict to save her life, she likes having too much fun with her kids.

3. Have they ever been consequenced for breaking a rule?

Evune: Yes, but that doesn’t stop her. That just tells her she needs to up her game and not get caught. The noble was a strict guardian, so she had to really watch her step.

Athera: Yes, and she immediately felt bad about it. She’s the one to learn her lesson unlike her cousin.

Blair: No, not really. Blair hasn’t really broken any rules.

Suzume: No, because if she did, it was small or she wasn’t caught.

Kumeko: Yep, as a kid, and she would put on the innocent “I won’t do it again, promise” only to do it again, but better.

4. Have they broken any rules they now regret breaking?

Evune: Nope! No regrets!

Athera: Yes, messing with the Dread Wolf statues outside of the clan--she worried that she might have put a curse on her clan for it.

Blair: Nope!

Suzume: No, she was never caught. Maybe pirating that movie once, but that’s it. It just put a virus on her laptop when she was a kid.

Kumeko: Getting kicked out of the karaoke bar after hacking the machine. It was her favorite place.

5. Do they find any rules they/others follow absolutely ridiculous?

Evune: The rule that her and Varric can’t participate in the archery contest because they would both win every damn match.

Athera: Some of them, but she follows them anyway. Like the whole mage and elf restrictions are ridiculous to her.

Blair: She personally thinks that any rule Rip has is stupid, but she follows them because he’s captain.

Suzume: There are some rules that will make her look at you like “really?”, but she follows them because they’re there for a reason and she needs to set a good example.

Kumeko: Mosly the rules at the karaoke bar, but other than that, she has no issue with following rules.

S: Streets

1. Are they street-smart?

Evune: Absolutely. She knows her way around and isn’t stupid. She lived on the streets when she was in the alienage, she’s no stranger to it.

Athera: Not in the slightest. This girl has lived in her clan for all of her life, she’s way too sheltered for it. Evune would have to go with her so nothing bad would happen.

Blair: A little bit, yeah. She doesn’t use that knowledge to her advantage, she’s just aware of some of it.

Suzume: Yes. Suzume is very street-smart, she can hold her own.

Kumeko: Absolutely not. Kumeko struggles with it a bit, and even Fatgum has to explain some things here and there to her, because she’s never really had to think much of it. Just fight the villain, then save and smile at the civilians.

2. Would they give money to someone on the streets?

Evune: Yes, she’s been there and she knows what it’s like, so she’s going to give what she can. But will also keep an extra eye out because she’s a rogue and she knows what cons can be played.

Athera: Of course. Athera is a giving person, she would want to help in anyway she can.

Blair: Without question. She will even try and help them find a job or to better their situation.

Suzume: In a heartbeat. But she’s also escorting them to a shelter, a soup kitchen, or somewhere they will be safe. The streets aren’t safe to live on and they deserve more.

Kumeko: She’s not only giving them money, she’s using her standing as a hero to help out with charity if she can. Hiring them for something, even, to help get them on their feet.

3. Have they ever gotten in a fight on the streets?

Evune: Ha! That’s not even a question? What kind are we talking? Fists? Knives? She’s done both!

Athera: Nope, never. Very sheltered, this one.

Blair: Only hero fights when she’s patrolling. Other than that, no.

Suzume: Yep! As a hero, she’s had her fair share of fights, even on her time off.

Kumeko: Pretty much the same as Suzume: she’s a hero, she’s fighting often.

4. Has anything happened to them on the streets?

Evune: A lot, honestly. Mostly fighting, robbing, and just trying to survive, honestly. Not much different than any other elf in the alienages.

Athera: No, she’s never had an instance like that.

Blair: You mean like when Leonard Snart kidnapped her ass with Mick? Or when she almost lost control of her powers when patrolling with Ollie? Pffft, what?

Suzume: She’s been jumped before...or at least, there was an attempt of it. Girl can kick ass and take names. So that’s what she did.

Kumeko: A guy tried taking her purse once, but she blasted his ass with her speakers and turned him in to the authorities.

5. Are they cautious when out?

Evune: Very much so. Her guard never falls when she’s out and about. She learned you have to always be careful.

Athera: Yes, she knows that her kind isn’t treated well, and she won’t let her guard slip to allow her to be vulnerable.

Blair: Not really, no. She’s going to just go about about her day like normal until something happens that calls for her to be cautious.

Suzume: Yes and no. She’s aware, but not like...overly cautious. Its a mixture of ease and caution.

Kumeko: Not at all. If something happens, she’s goit it. Anyone would be stupid to mess with her.

#my ocs #asks #dragon age #arrowverse #mha

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nissakii · 3 years

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"You can be a hero!" - The Strongest Hero BNHA Game Review

We’re so used to watching our favorite characters fight their battles and anime as we cheer them on relentlessly. We are always on the sidelines and hope they succeed in their endeavors, but we are never in the stories ourselves.

That has now changed with the new mobile game that came out recently based on the popular anime Boku no Hero Academia by Kohei Horiskoshi.

Welcome to: Boku no Hero Academia - The Strongest Hero.

Today, a week after the global release of the game, having played a little and explored some of its features, we will dive into what the game brings to the table, the mechanics of it and what you can expect!

Makii and I worked together on this, especially since we are both fans of BNHA and love to delve deep into these kinds of reviews.

So to start off, this game has had its global release on the 19th of May 2021 and was published by Sony Pictures Television for the US and by A PLUS JAPAN for the EU already on the 18th of the same month.

Many people have pre-registered for the game release beforehand in hopes of snagging rewards, and only quickly enough the first million downloads were established in a matter of days. No wonder at all, since BNHA is one of the most popular new generation anime. There is a huge fan base surrounding it who are eager to play the game.

Before the global release was initiated, it was released by the chinese studio Xin Yuan on December 3rd 2020, which resulted in many people using VPNs and emulators to experience the charm of ‘The Strongest Hero’. No wonder the game downloads skyrocketed when it was released globally in english (more languages such as german and french coming soon), it was recorded that the players had problems getting into overloaded servers, but those problems were quickly managed.

If you have no idea what the anime or manga of BNHA is about but are still interested, let me give you a quick synopsis.

In a world where 80% of the population are born with mutant abilities called “Quirks”, the job of the superhero became more than just a fantasy in comics. Now, the police are second rate as everyone looks up to the heroes who support and save the world.

Izuku Midoriya, also known by his nickname ‘Deku’, is one of the few Quirkless humans but still admires hero-work like nobody else.

Until one day the tables turn and he ends up with his own new power, now ready to go to renowned U.A. highschool for heroes to become what he always wanted to be: someone who saved lives with a smile on his face.

Now in this game, you are the one who steps into the shoes of a young aspiring hero who wants to climb up the ladder of success and defeat all villains in your way while protecting your people.

Are you stoked now? Let’s find out more!

The Game:

Advertised as an action MMO-RPG, The Strongest Hero brings not only one but multiple different player modes that you can enjoy alone or with friends online!

Firstly, it’s an immersive story-telling game that lets you relive the actual plot of the anime Boku no Hero Academia so spoiler alert for the ones who haven’t watched it yet, this game will be dealing with the Deku’s story throughout it all.

It starts off with the first episode of the anime, showing us recaps and recreations of the anime but in the game-animation with small bits of interaction to refresh our memory on the fateful incidents that made Deku a true hero. With this retelling of the story, avid watchers of the anime can enjoy everything again from a new perspective, and new people with no knowledge of BNHA can still enjoy the game just as much.

It was even mentioned that the story campaign will be dealing with the contents of season one to three so far, with more already in planning.

So the developers made sure that the game is not only catered to its original fanbase, but to everybody out there!

Now with Deku as the first person you play as, we fast forward to Izuku who is more advanced in his skill set, as he already uses his original ‘shoot-style’ and One for All Full Cowling. You’re now a provisional Hero who just got his license, working for your own agency and completing missions all around town, meaning there is a little skip between the beginning of the game and where you actually start in Honei City.

The open-world is huge and leaves all sorts of possibilities to explore as you not only defeat villains, but also talk to the citizens and maybe even collect trash to fulfill your duty as a hero. Not only Deku is at your disposal, but currently a lot of other class 1-A students will soon fall into your hands! As Toshinori was released as a hero in the last update on May 26th we can assume that there are more to come.

Game modes:

Single player: As previously mentioned, the game will immediately lead you through the single player story campaign, as you try to keep the city safe and sound by defeating villains and completing missions.

There are next to the main-story missions the daily missions in which you ensure the city’s prosperity to get more rewards daily.

With this mode you can play with a multitude of skills and combos and the handling on the phone is very pleasant. With a left joystick on the touchscreen and skill buttons on the right you can activate the swift and powerful attacks that we already know from the anime.

There are also multiple things to do as a single-player as you can collect your daily supplies in several missions which you will need for training your hero, enhancing your gear and more limited to 20 runs for each supply with several difficulties.

Hero trials, commissions and even more features are all available despite being alone keeping you busy for a while, as some don’t even need stamina to fulfill since stamina limits the player in the missions they can do.

And if that is all too much action you can simply explore the city on your own and search for special items on your way.

This is extremely interesting for the ones who like to play at their own pace and alone to enjoy a mix of story-telling and hack n slash combat.

PvP: Contrary to the first mode, if you’re more interested in actually playing against others, ‘The Strongest Hero’ won’t disappoint in its Player vs. Player mode.

Even here we have multiple ways to play, as the Arena takes on a more classic 1 vs 1 feel in which you can defeat other players similar to other fighting-games, or the Super Co-Op battle which allows you to play 3 vs 3.

Soon we will also know what the mysterious War Zone Co-Op entails, as that feature is still to be launched.

Other Co-Op features are also the Agency assessment, the joint operation and Emergency.

Emergency shows us more of the work of a hero, in which you suddenly trigger an event that is of urgent matter and has to be completed with a team of other players quickly. Time runs out, and it is all about the true work of a hero where you have to act quick!

There is truly something for everyone in here

Not just an MMO:

Truly, this game is a lot more than just an MMO, even though its open-world is a huge part of it all.

To get your preferred heroes and play them, the game has a gacha system in place for you to pull for your luck!

Deku is in the player’s repertoire from the start, and his skill-set is very dynamic and swift with less damage but a lot more speed. His comments are just as loud as in the anime, and if that doesn’t give you any satisfaction do not worry! Every hero has his own fighting style and can be explored by playing the missions in which you will quickly deploy Denki Kaminari and Kirishima Eijiro.

The game differs between three types of heroes: Speed, Power and Technical as the three examples Deku, Kirishima and Denki already represent each respectively.

There is also knowledge that there will be Pro-heroes and even some villain characters in the mix.

The skills range extremely from heavy handed to swift or long to short range attacks. Just as varied as the fighting style is, we have beautiful animations that display the Quirks and many possibilities to use them.

Done with all the fighting? Look at the adorable dorm feature in which you can earn more stamina and organize a dorm room for your heroes. You can even make their chibi-versions run around in that room and catch a break from all the hero work.

Although the story might pester you with it’s orange glowing button in the upper right corner, you can just ignore everything and explore the gorgeously crafted open world environment(in most cases).

Yes, you can even walk up buildings!

Of course there is an autofinding feature to briskly get you to where your missions lead you, but if you so desire you can look at the urban starting world and walk around.

Since everyone else will have Deku as their first hero as well, it is incredibly amusing to see all the other Deku's running about.

The starting setting is true to the anime and shows us urban and modern Japan, with a strong hint of technological advancement.

The preset graphics on SD will give you the ability to walk around smoothly, but if your phone can take it, I urge you to at least try to up the graphics to a better resolution. The scenery is truly mesmerizing, and the art style as well as the visual effects have a huge appeal.

It’s even nicer to look at for the ones who haven’t seen enough of the BNHA universe in the anime, because now there are an abundance of regions to explore and the developers have made sure to give us a lot of eye candy.

“You” can be a Hero!:

After all this technical talk, why should you play this game?

First of all, from what I have witnessed as an excited anime watcher and manga reader, the story is catered to include the player.

It’s a lot more different than just watching Deku go through the world, you are actually responsible for how the mission turns out. It’s exhilarating to see characters from the anime like Kamui Woods and Mt.Lady talk to you and ask for help, as they are characters we didn’t see all that much in the anime. It gives the impression to be needed and included which is a great asset!

A hero doesn’t stray away from any work, so yes you will have to pick up trash from time to time or just talk to people to assess situations! Still, there are a lot of cameos of other characters like Hatsume Mei who takes care of your support gear.

Second of all, there is a lot of freedom for you.

From all the different game modes and mechanics to the story and even the split up Co-Op modes, you will have a lot of possibilities to explore and find why you want to play the game.

One thing is for certain, the gameplay has something for everyone and gives adequate rewards to you for every mission or task you clear. Features get unlocked gradually through playing the story and leveling up, which keeps the player on their toes.

One mission quickly leads to another, and it seems there is no end to what you can do, especially in the beginning of the game.

Sadly, that is also one of the drawbacks I will have to mention.

Due to the immense freedom and possibilities, the game bombards you with a lot of information. As a first time player, it’s probably that you will get overwhelmed by the forceful approach of the tutorial, but after a while it definitely gets a lot better in my opinion.

My personal highlights are the gacha system as I love to collect and work to pull my favorite characters, the story as a fan of the franchise and the co-op because I love to play the game with friends. So far I haven’t had the ability to actually play with others, but from what I’ve seen it all has a lot of potential.

Even though we’re talking about a free-to-play game, since stamina is one of the necessities to play missions etc, it is very scarce and often drives one to want to buy it, which is why the game leans towards a pay-to-win game. Still, with a bit more patience and some hard work everything is playable for free.

All in all, I shall conclude that The Strongest Hero is an honest and great attempt at making an anime based game which held a lot of expectations from the fanbase.

The immersive factors are amazing, the animations are top tier and the possibilities seem endless. At the end of the day it’s a game that is playable regardless of how much time you have due to the auto-play-function in many features and can be enjoyed in your personal way.

I hope you enjoyed our take on reviewing the game and give it a shot! If you have played it already or are planning to, please leave your personal impressions in the comments!

What a Co-Op teatime! Hope to see you again!

SUUMASHU!!

-Nissa & Makii

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