#it's sad as hell... arcane stop breaking my heart....

[robby-bobby-tommy]

The parallels that hurt so much

They both jinxed the most important event in their lives trying to help...

They both lost their closest friends to this....

And both were abandoned and hurt in the worst way possible by the sibling they've looked up to....

They had good intentions, they were so young......

And they're the monsters others have created.

[aesthetic-uni]

Arcane Season 2 Act III Reaction - Final Episode/Episode 9

When I say I will never recover from this series, that is not an overstatement. This series has impacted me so deeply. I know I mostly talked about Jinx in these reactions, but all the characters are just so wonderfully written and so heart wrenching. The story is so heart wrenching. Jinx of course is my favorite character and I do relate to her, so she impacts me the most. I’m so sad this series is over. I’m so sad she’s going to be gone. But thank you to everyone who worked on Arcane, for creating the most beautiful story I have seen in a long long time

And with that, the final reaction

Not off to. Good start BEAUTIFUL shot of Jinx but absolutely heartbreaking don’t do this to me

Oh no BEAUTIFUL ANIMATION THIS IS GOING TO CRUSH ME

EKKO MY KING THANK YOU OH MY FUCKING GOD

Oh no. Oh no how many times is he going to have to do this?! No. NO NO STOP THIS PLEASE!

This is actually fucking hurting me so bad how many times he’s trying to save her oh my god

Also her tear tracks say Vi. I’m going to jump off a fucking bridge

IM GOING TO THROW UP

Oh my god this is the last time I’m going to hear the intro

What. The fuck. Is about to happen.

I don’t like these flashes. What’s going to happen. Ooooooooh fuck

OH WE JUST JUMP STRAIGHT INTO THE WAR HUH?!

OH MY GOD NO NOT HER

God Ambessa is so awful but SO DAMN COOL

OH DAMN CAITLYN GOT A SHOT

LORIS NOOO!!

I can’t even fucking talk I can only fucking watch

I feel so fucking sick right now

YOU’RE KIDDING ME. A GODDAMN NAIL

MADDIE YOU BITCH I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING FUCK YOU TO HELL

CAITLYN NOOOO

OH GET FUCKED BY MEL

JINX JINX JINX JINX MY LOVE

FIRELIGHTS BADASS TIME!!!

SEVIKA!!

OH FUCK YEAH BABEY

There’s still 30 minutes left of the episode

M-Maybe it’s 30 minutes of happiness? PLEASE?!

Oh my god that’s a brutal death

OH NO IT WAS A DIVERSION

OH NO ITS LIKE THE HIT GAME LEAGUE OF LEGENDS WHICH IT IS BASED OFF FUCK

Holy shit that’s a sick design

THAT IS FUCKING TERRIFYING

NOO SEVIKA NOOOOOO

HELL YEAH CAITLYN

Oh my god Caitlyn and Mel are so badass

VANDER NOOOOOOOL

OH MY GOD ZAUN TRIO

STOP IT WITH THE GLORIOUS EVOLUTION

Oh that’s fucked up Not-Viktor

CAIT

OH MY GOD

THAT IS FUCKING BRUTAL

MEL IS SO FUCKING BADASS AND DESERVES THE FUCKING WORLD

OH MY GOD AMBESSA IS HOLY SHIT

AAAAAH MY GIRLS

ALSO SOMEONE PLEASE HELP EKKO

This is fucking HAUNTING

THE BOY WHO BROKE TIIIIIIIIME!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

EKKO

BREAK FREE BABY!!!!

The unbreakable vows of love are DESTROYING ME

Oh my god.

OH MY GOD.

IT WAS VIKTOR. IT WAS ALWAYS VIKTOR OH MY GOD

It was always them OH MY GOD

OH MY GOOOOODDD

NO NO NO

DONT YOU DARE

NO DONT YOU DARE

NOOOOOOOO

YOU CANT DO THIS NOOOOO

NOO THIS ISNT FAIR OH MY GOD

PLEASE THIS CANT BE TRUE OH MY GOD PLEASE

NOOO HOLY FUCK

I SAW THAT ENDING SHE FUCKING LIVES I DONT FUCKING CARE FUCK YOU

SHE ALIVE MY GIRL IS ALIVE

[fantumbatcave]

A Ramble: Skeleta by Ghost

Because I need to ramble or else I’ll explode, here’s my review of each song on the album. Rating with skulls. Five skulls being the highest and one skull being the lowest. These are my opinions. Will contain vulgar language. If you continue, you have accepted the incoherent ramblings of a mad bat.

1. Peacefield

First time I heard it, I thought it was an okay song. The second time around… The chorus is beautiful, like going to church. Well, a Satanic one in this case. It’s a song of reassurance. Yes, these are dark times, but we will get through. And Papa has his hand out for you to hold. The song had me tearing up.

Rating: 5 Skulls

2. Lachryma

Immediate hook. It’s giving so much 80’s horror vibes. I can see people making music videos with horror movie clips to this song. Hell, even Scooby-Doo! Can’t properly explain how much I love this song. I need it injected into my veins. The official music video itself is so hypnotic. I can’t stop watching Papa (I’m fixated on his teeth) and the Ghouls.

Rating: 5 Skulls

3. Satanized

An even more immediate hook, if that makes sense! What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Instant hit. It’s one that can be interpreted in any way, especially with a line such as “I have begged God for the remedy, but I’m no longer sure!” So addicting. I think they somehow put crack in it. I never get tired of replaying it. Need to work on my dance moves for my ritual.

Rating: 5 Skulls

4. Guiding Lights

I may have been influenced by the alleged fact that it was supposed to be for a specific, heart-breaking scene in Arcane Season 2. Sorrow, frustration, a plea for answers, having to watch someone make a choice you know isn’t right. The vocals in the last chorus are sooooooo good! Peacefield is a tear starter, but Guiding Lights has me sobbing. “The road that leads to nowhere is long…”

Rating: 5 Skulls

5. De Profundis Borealis

“The song was always intended to sound, eh, I guess in a way uh kinda like a black metal song. [He faces the camera] I know it’s not a black metal song, so you don’t have to fucking get going!” – Tobias Forge, for Metal Hammer

I have very little experience with black metal, but I think I heard it! As a song about regret, the lyrics sell it. It starts off calmly, then whirls you into a storm. The ending is very haunting. Not sure what else to say. It’s an enjoyable song.

Rating: 4 Skulls

6. Cenotaph

The beginning is definitely interesting. I wasn’t sure where it was gonna go, ha-ha! A memorial song. A reminder that even though those who have passed are gone physically, they still live on within us. I have lost a couple loved ones, so this song is a nice listen when I don’t wanna be sad from Life Eternal. “Wherever I go, you’re always there riding next to me.”

Rating: 3 Skulls

7. Missilia Amori

This song is a literal soundgasm. I don’t care that that’s not a real word. DID I HEAR CORRECTLY? WERE THOSE MOANS??? I need this song to fuck me, fill me. Papa V can come hunt me down and do whatever. If he shows me his, you bet your ass I’m showing him mine. I have nothing but horny thoughts. This is a hate fuck song and I love it.

Rating: 5 Skulls, plus the Eggplant and Water Drops emojis

8. Marks Of The Evil One

This song definitely gives off older Ghost vibes with the lyrics, like if Opus had been done in this time period. If that’s what you’re looking for, this song is for you. With the arrival of the Four Horsemen, there is the fear of the marks of the Evil One. A very catchy song! I find myself bobbing my head to it a lot.

Rating: 4 Skulls

9. Umbra

Alright! We’re fucking again! The intro should sound very familiar to Ghost fans. Didn’t expect to get fucked by two songs on this album! The imagery of the altar, candles, and shadows. The guitar solos coming together as one. Same feelings as with Missilia Amori. “Stripped of sin, deep within, I will make you my angel.” Dear Satan, the chill that went up my spine!

Rating: 4.5 Skulls- I’ll give it a full 5 if Papa can come put his love in me

10. Excelsis

“Go live your lives, god damn it.” – Tobias Forge, for Metal Hammer

At first listen, I thought it was an okay song. There’s parts of it that I felt could’ve been reworked more. I don’t know. I’m not a professional. Now that I’ve had the chance to hear it on repeat… Like Peacefield, I want to tear up. We’re alive now, and we need to live as much as we can. Do as much as we can. Love as much as we can. A song that pulls at my heartstrings. From now on, not a song I’d want to put on repeat in my everyday life, but when I’m in need of a reminder to live. Funny how this is a song about not needing to focus too much on that we’re gonna die, and it’s the last song of the album. “This is the end of the avenue. I am afraid of eternity, too.” Damn.

Rating: A generous 3 Skulls

Overall Album Review

Skeleta seems to be a soundtrack to a play/opera/etc, and I say that as a compliment. Peacefield and Excelsis are a great beginning and ending. Though not so Satanic as what’s expected of Ghost albums, the style for this album works. It’s focusing more on one’s emotional side. Our ups and downs. Inner demons. Huh, maybe it is Satanic after all, ha-ha! Papa V and the Ghouls are the actors and do a phenomenal job. As always, you can hear Tobias’s inspirations in his music, which I always welcome with open arms.

Rating: 4 Skulls out of 5

Thank you very much for reading!

nemA

[actiasteeth]

ASKBOX MEME 048 / ARCANE S01E04-06

All prompts taken from season one of Arcane (2021). Adjust as needed.

04. HAPPY PROGRESS DAY

"Hmm. We really have descended to anarchy."

"Who were you working for?"

"I can't. He'll kill me."

"I can protect you."

"I realize you're used to getting your way, _____, but we have a chain of command for a reason."

"She's a problem and we all know it."

"I expect better from you than excuses."

"You failed. Don't disappoint me again."

"I need to know that I can rely on you."

"These people have nothing new to offer me. The only one actually worth my time is him."

"Could I borrow you for a minute?"

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Now he thinks I'm weak."

"No, no. Not in front of all of them."

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Shouldn't you be resting?"

"You almost died, _____. I just— I just want you to be safe."

"Who the hell are you?"

05. EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY ENEMY

"That's a serious accusation."

"You haven't answered my question."

"Where did you get this?"

"In what mad world would I trust someone like you?"

"I don't need favors. I need you to do your job."

"What if I'm not interested in playing along?"

"You almost got me killed."

"Are you sure this is safe?"

"I knew this was a terrible idea. You don't actually know anything, do you?"

"You've just made yourself everyone's common enemy, _____."

"You don't know anything."

"These are simply favors amongst friends."

"How can I say no to such an auspicious offer?"

"You know what your problem is? You expect everyone to give you what you want."

"If I'm discovered, we're both finished."

"This has gone too far."

"Imagining yourself a hero? One final act to make you the martyr you've always seen yourself as— Then what are you waiting for?"

"You're the only one I can trust with this, _____."

"Fear haunts us all, child."

"_____ wasn't the man you thought he was."

"Betrayal—that pain that feels like it'll eat you from the inside out—can either break you or forge you into something greater."

"You filthy traitor."

"I see you never learned patience."

"Do you ever say 'thank you'?"

"Stop calling me that. My name is _____.'

"You're making a mess."

06. WHEN THESE WALLS COME TUMBLING DOWN

"Don't be afraid."

"Loneliness is often the byproduct of a gifted mind."

"We can be loners together."

"Do you contemplate death, _____?"

"It's a sad truth that those who shine brightest often burn fastest."

"There's quite a lot about me you don't know."

"Listen, I'm sorry for disappearing last night."

"Now he needs me and there's nothing I can do. I hate feeling so useless."

"Why did you come to me with this?"

"Nothing feels impossible when I'm with you."

"We can't change what fate has in store for us, but we don't have to face it alone."

"Everyone makes mistakes, right? What's important is that we don't repeat them."

"I can feel my body eroding."

"What is this place?"

"I know you have your reservations about me, but this only works if we can trust each other."

"You don't know anything about me."

"I shouldn't have left you."

"It's all right. I can tell—despite it all, you have a good heart."

"_____, something's different. You've changed. What did you do?"

"I just... wanted to feel what it was like. To be somebody. To make other people afraid."

"Time and again, you've warned us what not to do. But let me ask you this: what's your plan to fix this?"

"How many problems can one girl cause?"

"Are you real?"

"Things changed when you left. I changed."

"You did what you had to do to survive."

"This is a trick! You're playing me!"

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child!"

"I'm not going to abandon you again."

[tactyl-ymon]

DnD session recap - Storms and Sadness

Another 2 sessions in one recap in what continues to be my Clerics no good week from hell. Whole lot of emotions in this one, so fairly warned be ye. There’s two links to additional in game notes and things for some context to help flesh out stuff. 

We started out hurtling down a mountain in our carriage under a heavy unnatural storm, being pursued by many demons and one of the horses snaps it's leg and the carriage tips. Eridol gets thrown into a tree and spends the next several hours heavily injured. Veiraen cuts off 3 of his fingers trying to butcher the horse for food. We manage to right the carriage and just before setting off Eridol gets the idea to leave a distraction behind by stuffing his old chain mail with a sack of rice and casting light on it which is just enough to distract the literal horde of flying demons long enough for them to make it to Eridols home town and the contingent of guards waiting along with Eridol’s mum... and his fiancé, Sutha ... and his clerical mentor, Bradul Septima sees Sutha first with his 2000 passive perception and recognises her both because Eridol just talked about her and because Eridol subconsciously uses her image as a spiritual guardian. He and Whisky start yelling "Oh you’re Sutha, Eridols fiance. He's over here. He's right here on the carriage" Sutha comes over to the still very hurt and exhausted Eridol and picks him up in a big crushing hug before asking how he could just leave like that, 4 years without a word and then show up out of the blue with these strangers going on about demons. Eridol apologises but says that this isn't the time to talk about this ... Which goes about as well as you could expect and Sutha throws him down and walks off. Eridol and his mentor briefly talk about how him coming back means things will need to be answered for and that the military will come looking for him and that he can't keep running which Eridol kind of flatly mentions he knows and that's part of why he's here. Everyone gets to meet Eridols parents which goes awfully because literally nobody in the group knows how to talk to people. Veiraen immediately introduces himself as his dad, Whisky grabs photo albums and starts giggling at baby photos and Septima goes all snitchbot and tells everyone about all the things that have happened to Eridol the past year. This commotion gets Eridols dads attention and he comes down and is immediately hard core racist towards Veiraen which Eridol is having none of and threatens to throw him through a window if he starts shit again. Big "I'm gay and stronger than you" energy from the boy. Eridol goes to sit outside to try and collect his thoughts and after a bit Septima comes out and silently sits next to him in the pouring rain. Then the demons show back up, perched on top of the carriage and screech some guttural thing that everyone in 120ft hears in their mind Having been seen the demon flies away and Septima has the idea of asking Eridol who else does he care about that might be taken to get to him and he says just Sutha. Septima animorphs into a direwolf to try and find her scent and is led upstairs to Eridols old room that she was apparently staying in but gosh darn it the door is locked. Guess how long it stays that way with Veiraen around? After a mild amount of breaking and entering, Septima picks up her scent again and takes off with Whisky to try and bodyguard Sutha. Veiraen takes a look around the newly available room and instantly zeros in on the old yellowed note that Eridol left Sutha before he ran away, a note that she had read every day to try and understand and like a bastard, Veiraen read it to himself and then just put it back so nobody would know Septima and Whisky track down Sutha in a bar several blocks away and they bond over how Eridol runs away from things and Septima pipes up saying that since he's known Eridol he hasn't run away from things and has been trying to make the world a better place and then the absolute worst thing happens. Sutha quietly asks them if Eridol came back for her, Septima being unable to read a situation says "No, he brought us here to try and find information from the religious archives" and Whisky says "would you really want him to come back for you?" So Sutha gets up to leave the bar and very clearly says for them not to follow her. They follow her. Sutha gets ready to shoot them with her crossbow and says again not to take another step towards her, she just needs time to process things. Septima takes a step towards her as Whisky is asking that they just want to make sure the people Eridol cares about are safe. Crossbow goes off and because Sutha is a military trained artillerist, the resulting explosion leaves an earth shattering kaboom in the night air. The lingering smoke parts and the crumpled unconscious bodies of Septima and Whisky barely cling to life in the city’s newest pot hole. Eridol and Sutha have a very emotional conversation over all the things he's done wrong, all the things he's trying to do better, how he had to learn how to be a person again and that he always loved her but understands why she would hate him and even if it were just for a few days he wanted her to stay here, so she could at least be safe, he'll stay away if that's what she wanted and then he tries to give her back their wedding ring and says that there is too much happening at the moment but that Eridol genuinely hoped that they could have another chance after all this was finished. Sutha stares down at the tiny man bearing his soul and it just isn't enough and Sutha says to keep it and leaves the house in a rush. In the hastily emptied room Eridol finds an old blueprint of his that she had scribbled on years ago, saying how much she loved his mind. Then morning comes and Eridol tries something. He casts detect magic on himself to try and figure out how those demons were able to track them and the brand on his side lights up like Christmas. Shades of divination, necromancy, abjuration and something else Eridol can't recognise. With that confirmed, Eridol tries something else much stupider in hindsight. He casts dispel magic on the brand. Immediate agony and the boy is unconscious Everyone hears the scream and the distinct sound of a tiny gnome falling down and runs upstairs to find Eridol white as a sheet but still breathing and the brand on his side changed from an open hand to looking curled in like it was grasping something Eridols mentor dumps a massive heal into him and Eridol tells them about what he was trying to do. Septima asks Eridol if it would be alright to try again and with a shaky nod Eridol casts death ward on himself and they try again. Septima calls on his connection to the green to help strengthen their cause and it is not enough and they all hear a very distinctly not Eridol sounding voice come out of the tiny man "By my will, you do my bidding" The brand itself twisting on Eridols side to reach out and grab Septimas arm, black goo numbly racing up past Septimas elbow before shuddering to a halt, his own will just enough to beat the influence and stop a second mark of bane appearing. The group knew about soul bound curses beforehand but one straight from a god sure is something else Stabilised and conscious Eridol asks if they not do that again for a bit and the group discusses options. Obviously this whole demon cult needs to die no matter what Eridol says about greater evils and priorities but they would like to wait a day so Eridol can get his strength back. Eridol does not like this idea, reasoning that the demons already know where they are and the quicker they can make it to the religious city the safer everyone will be while they do research into things. The group wants Eridols parents to come, but the boy knows they won't, his mother has too much work left to do and his dad is way too racist to survive the journey sitting next to Veiraen but ultimately it's their choice. His mother comes in and basically says how he is incapable of letting them through the walls around his heart and they won't go with him

While Eridol lays in bed dealing with the fallout of the last several minutes he begins writing a letter, about an hour later, everyone experiences the telltale sound of of wood and metal tearing itself apart from out in the harbour as an impossibly familiar ship appears from a rip in space, followed by a tidal wave and several finned monstrosities. The ship and all of it’s crew, including the recently departed rogue Emmi and her mother, Sharona, collide with the nearly empty dock. In the minutes it takes everyone to run down to the docks, the ship is heavily damaged by a duo of hydras that had followed them through an arcane gate.

The battle is fierce and several sailors are lost before the hydra fall, discussions are had about how the hell Emmi and her mother are here as they left on a boat half the world away like a week ago. Emmi points to a keystone her father had found ages before he disappeared that since being reconnected to the prime material plane allowed them to shift to the elemental plane of water but it had also brought this continent spanning storm with them that had been causing issues since they had left. They’ll be out of the way once the ship gets repaired and take their surviving crew to a nearby tavern to drink their sorrows and remaining brain cells away. The group makes their way back to Eridols old home, mostly empty as his parents had left to their respective jobs. Everyone piles into the living room and attempts to make themselves comfortable as Eridol trudges back up to his old room he shared with Sutha, stopping outside as he hears the frantic scribbling of quill on parchment. After a tense moment, they share a weak laugh about having the same idea and Eridol brings out the letter he had penned maybe an hour ago. Sutha reads it quietly, never looking at Eridol before collecting the rest of her things and marching downstairs, singling out Veiraen and handing him the letter before quickly hugging the drow and asking that he look after Eridol. The moment ends as abruptly as it began and Sutha leaves for parts unknown, leaving Veiraen holding yet another note from Eridol and he begins reading it. After finishing, he slowly makes his way up the stairs to the quiet bedroom where Eridol is still standing and he kneels down and hugs the cleric and after several seconds, Eridol hugs his friend back and quietly begins crying into his shoulder. 

[ren-c-leyn]

The Cycle Repeated

Another fusion story, this one’s a bit off the beaten path, but I had fun working on it. It’s made up of these 1,2 prompts by @thependragonwritersguild, this prompt by @inspiring-prompts, this prompt by @sentence-prompts, these 1,2,3,4,5 prompts by @givethispromptatry, this prompt by @oopsprompts, and this prompt by @humdrummoloch.

 It’s a bit of an angstier piece (shocking, I know), that I think is considered low fantasy? I’m not really sure, since this isn’t my usual forte XD There is a (kinda) character death, a fight scene, and a battle that will probably never be resolved.

~

 And I knew they were back. That I would need to face them again. If I was here, then so were they. Eternal enemies, fighting, dying, then taking our first breaths again. The settings and eras changed, but we never did. Though, I knew we weren’t the only things that didn’t.

 I don’t think my mortal friend understood when I first explained things to her. She gave me that blank ‘you must be mad’ stare, the same one I had received for centuries. It wasn’t until the death toll and the plots started coming to light that she realized the threat was very real. Thankfully, she was good with this so called technology, seeing as magic had grown even weaker since the last time I had been born, because I couldn’t find my way out of a mall with a map, little alone locate my nemesis. But she found them, and we were now standing beneath the huge building.

 “You’re ok with this?”

 “Well… No. I’m not, but I’ve lived a thousand lives and died a thousand deaths. What’s one more in the grand scheme of things?”

 She looked at me.

 “But... she’s the only one you can count on meeting again, right?”

 I sighed and nodded.

 “Time and time again, but never as friend. Sometimes they win, sometimes I do... I cannot promise either outcome today.” I looked back at her. “I just want you to realize that if this doesn’t work I will die and you will be left to deal with the fall out. Can you do that?”

 “I have to, don’t I? She’ll destroy the world if I don’t.”

 “Not all of it, just certain sections, knowledges, and philosophies.”

 “... Right. I still don’t get that.”

 I smiled bitterly.

 “You have not lived as we have. Now, I’m going in, you can either stay or follow, but I cannot guarantee your survival if you come.”

 “Well I’m not just going to stand out here in the cold like a dork, knowing you’re fighting for people’s lives.”

 “Alright, then stay behind me. I mean it, your life will mean nothing to them.”

 She nodded, but I wasn’t sure if she truly comprehended the thousands of years of cruelty history had beaten into my old enemy. The way dictators and wars had ravaged their mind and twisted them from being my old friend into being the enemy of many.

 I reflected on our dark histories as I ascended the stairs, not trusting the rickety boxes my new friend called elevators. Thinking about it, not much had really changed in all of this time. Corruption, suffering, fights over nothing and everything, people breaking each other over their own pain....

  “I can’t believe this is still my life,” I sighed out.

 “Then... why do you still do this sort of thing?”

 I glanced back at her, confused.

 “Why keep wasting your lives doing something you don’t want to?”

 “My first priority is the protection of civilians.”

 “I’m not a civilian.”

 “Yeah, but if I say ‘mortals’ I sound like a weirdo.”

 She laughed.

 “True... but is that really it? Duty and honor?”

 I looked forward again, checking to see what floor we had reached.

 “If you throw away honor, what do you have left, really?”

 She went quiet, though I wondered sometimes if it was to think about what I was saying or to keep herself from laughing at it.

 I stopped at the floor she had traced the signal too, motioning for her to wait.

 “Okay, I want you to stay back. Please don’t put yourself in danger if you don’t have to.”

 “I can take care of myself.”

 “Against someone who has trained for hundreds of lifetimes in the arts of combat from dozens of cultures?”

 She grinned.

 “Don’t know, sounds like fun to find out though.”

 I sighed.

 “Then we’ll spar when this is over, but for now, please be careful. I need someone who knows what the hell is happening to clean things up if I fail to.”

 “Fine.”

 “Thank you.”

 I wandered into the hall, keeping my guard up as I slid from door to door, peaking my head in to check to make sure my ancient foe was not hiding behind them. Room after room appeared abandoned, save for strange technologies and devices. I sensed magic protecting and powering some of them. It seemed I was not the only one who refused to abandon the arcane arts, though I appeared to be the only one who hated machinery.

 When I reached the end of the hall, there was a flash of purple and I dived for the ground. Magic energy cackled somewhere behind me. It seemed they weren’t going to be pulling any punches today.

 “Sillian!” I shouted.

 A tall, blonde woman stepped out from behind the door, eyes glowing purple with magic.

 “That hasn’t been my name in centuries.”

 I drug myself up onto my feet.

 “I don’t care what name you use these days, people are dying because of you!”

 “Oh, good, I thought all my effort was going to be wasted. So hard to tell if your schemes are actually working in this day and age.”

 “Sillian,” I said, trying to keep my voice level as I called forth the ancient powers to my own body, staring at their new face from behind the hazy glow of yellow, “I know you have the potential to feel something for these people. You don’t need to do this. You don’t need to hurt them. We can educate them, show them the truth.”

 And they laughed. Laughed that horrible laugh they always did when I tried to reason with them.

 “Of course, of course you haven’t learned... mortals, their memories aren’t like ours. Generation after generation... they erase it. Their history, their ancestor’s hard learned lessons. Why do you think they keep trading all they have for some illusion of fairness? For the belief that their kings and queens, elected and otherwise, will care for anything but power over them? To control and manipulate them? Why do you think they believe everything and stand for little more than getting in their own way?” They leaned forward, dropping their voice to that hoarse whisper. “Because they don’t teach their children about the horrible things that happened in the past. They bury it, and expect the next generations not to repeat the horrible mistakes of the past.... But we know better. Or, at least, I know better.”

 “Then teach them! Teach them their histories, teach them the wrongs being committed against them!”

 They shook their head at me, sadness creeping onto their face. I grit my teeth before I found myself shouting at them.

 “Please amaze me. Prove me wrong! Just this once! Prove to me that you aren’t a monster!”

 “No. I will continue to disappoint you. To kill monsters, sometimes you need to be one. I’m sorry.”

 “No you aren’t. If you were then you wouldn’t be doing this at all.”

 “… You’re right. It’s hard to be sorry for trying to fix things when all that’s left are bad memories. But you know, I only have one thing I’m truly sorry for. My one regret was saving your life.”

 And they raised a hand, magic energy collecting in their fingertips. Once I managed to get over the shock of the statement, I quickly raised my own, trying to counter before I got blown away.

 Magic tore through the building in a bright light. I heard glass shatter and the whine of metal bending. There was so much going on, I couldn’t even tell what parts of my body hurt and what parts I just couldn’t feel anymore. Lightening bolts, shrouds of mist, bolts of energy, it all happened so fast that the only thing I could register in my mind clearly was the screams of my new friend.

 And then it was silent. Too much so. I couldn’t see my enemy, but I could couldn’t see a good portion of my gut. Adrenaline again, the only thing keeping my heart beating. I... I had to say good-bye before I left.

 I limped quickly to find my friend, covering my wound. I found her in the stairwell, bruised and ruffled from falling, but otherwise alright. She met my gaze and jumped up from the landing she had been sitting on.

 “You’re back! Wait, I’m confused. How did you survive that?”

“I didn’t,” I replied before removing my hand from over my stomach.

 Her eyes widened.

 “Oh... Oh my god... Okay, we... we need to call you an ambulance.”

 She searched around for her phone as I leaned against the wall, only to find it broken. The tears started to form.

 “No... no, no, no.... Okay, okay, we need... we need to get you out of here.”

 I shook my head.

 “It’s too late. They can’t fix magic wounds in this day and age.”

 “NO! Don’t say that! Don’t give up!”

“Don’t be sad child, everything with a start must eventually come to an end.”

 I sat down, feeling my heart slowing to a crawl as the adrenaline faded away. 

 “It’s just one more death... in the grand scheme of things. I’ll be back... I always come back.”

 “But not for me.”

 “But you’ll... remember... what happened... what I... what I taught... you....”

[micahtheprophet]

Fictober19

2 - “Just follow me, I know the area.”

Fandom: Enderal

Rating: T

Warnings/Tags: Language

Tharaêl was starting to believe that Micah didn’t know how to read a map. Not once, not twice, but three times, they had gone the wrong way.

The first was a path north of Ark: there was a fork ahead, and Micah realized rather quickly that they were headed to a farm and not on the road to Goldenforst. The reason they were going there? A bounty, one they picked up from the Marketplace’s bulletin board. It was a long journey, and if he had been honest, it wasn’t that bad. Sure, Micah would get caught up in the few places they passed by, alerting some Lost Ones and highwaymen, but Micah did have a point.

“The roads less traveled might have something others have missed!”

He sure wouldn’t miss the confrontations and the annoying fuckers that tried to kill them. However, there were quite a few sights that caught his eye, and that was something he probably wouldn’t have seen through any other means. The night sky certainly had its charms, and there were a couple of areas that had nothing but a variety of flora; the only reason he noticed that was because Micah had a fascination with collecting them for ingredients. Tharaêl sighed, thinking of the last time they used their alchemy lab and was greeted one morning with an explosion of smoke and coughing. The dining room vaguely smelled of burnt peaceweed and taproot for the rest of the day.

But that was besides the point.

The second time was kind of hilarious, as they ended up running in a big circle. He remembered Micah cycling through several emotions over the course of less than a minute: joyous over seeing civilization again, confusion from noticing how familiar the landmark was, disbelief once they connected the dots, anger over their stupidity, and finally, sadness and defeat. He had to comment that they at least made it back home in one piece and not slain by vatyrs or vagrants.

Home – he’s still getting used to calling that house in the Noble’s Quarter that.

Again, that’s not the point.

The first time seemed like a common mistake. The second could be written off as a blessing, and a warning for them to keep better tabs on where the hell they’re going. This time, he might as well say that the person in front of him was a fool, and to an extent, he was one as well for trusting their sense of direction. How someone like them was still alive marveled him.

“I can’t believe we made it to the Sun Coast,” Micah chimed in. They immediately scribbled down something onto the map, proceeded to pull out their journal, and continued making notes. “I thought it was further up North, but hey, we’re close to Riverville!”

“Really,” Tharaêl questions with a very pensive tone. “Are you sure we’re not back at Ark?”

“Oh haha, very funny.” They finished their thought and placed the journal back into their bag. “I’m still not used to Enderal, so give me a break. Besides, isn’t an adventurer supposed to make a few mistakes? Who knows, maybe there’s a discovery that’s been overlooked, or perhaps an abandoned Pyrean ruin. Those things are crawling with treasure.”

“And Lost Ones.”

Micah sighs, begrudgingly nodding. “Yes, and Lost Ones. You aren’t going to drop what happened in Old Sherath, are you?”

“Considering there was a point we had to drop into the water and nearly ran out of breath once we entered the next room, it wasn’t what I consider to be ‘exciting.’” He adjusts the silver steel bow, one that Micah had given him a while back when he first agreed to accompany them in their travels, glancing down at them.

Blazes, he sometimes forgets how small they are.

“That part was heart-pounding in a panicking sense,” they mused, “But you have to admit there was a lot of thought-provoking ideas we came across.”

That’s right: the burnt bodies. Tharaêl didn’t bat an eye, but for once, Micah had a blank expression when they first realized what the other bodies were. Too lost in the fight, and then lost elsewhere. Maybe they had to question what that all meant in order to forget something. As to what, he wouldn’t know. He figured that when they were ready, they’d inform him as to what their behavior was about.

“Perhaps,” Tharaêl shrugged. “Though that’s not what this is about. How exactly can I trust that you have some idea as to where we’re going when we’ve managed to run into various sorts of trouble?”

To that, Micah stared at him, then towards the ground. They took a deep breath, one he could visibly see from the slowly rise of their shoulders. Those bright eyes shifted forward and off towards the hills ahead. “This is close to the Old Dam Lookout. I want to check it out.”

“Old Dam Lookout,” he shakes his head, crossing his arms against his chest. “Did that friend of yours tell you about it?”

The disbelief is justified, he believes. After all, evidence points that his ally has difficulties with knowing what East and West is, so what else is he supposed to conclude? That they’re purposefully pretending not to know in order to excuse their desires? While that could be possible, it’s not probable when even they have shown signs of being dejected after a wrong turn.

“Just follow me,” Micah groaned. “I know the area. And I mean it, I swear.”

Tharaêl can tell there’s some form of confidence, albeit under a cover of annoyance from their tone and tenseness in their face. Their eyes are slightly narrowed and the thin-lined frown was a bit pronounced around the corners of their lips. He doesn’t have time to retort before Micah steps forward, not looking back at him as they followed the paved road. Following after them was all he could do.

The road is wavy and curves back and forth. Throughout the walk, Micah was silent and unresponsive. Once the two reached the bridge, Tharaêl sees them glance once at the waterfall to their left and perseveres onward. No stops, no comments, nothing.

They arrived at the top of the hill, and after all that lack of communication, Micah finally speaks.

“This is where I met Jespar,” they informed him. “I woke up to him telling me about the fates of those apothecary, the issue of my Arcane Fever, and in exchange for helping me, he wanted information and aid in learning about Yero. Did you know about that incident?”

“No.” His response was brief, but comes in the form of a question. With how distant they looked before, he welcomed any sort of ramblings that he had been accustomed to.

“Yero was a magister in the Holy Order. One day, he came into his seminar with his students, musing to himself about doom and whatnot… And then exploded his whole classroom. No one survived, and the Order came to the conclusion it was because of the Red Madness. He hadn’t really been the type to act in that manner, and of course this led to quite the investigation.”

Micah stopped to glance at the blazing sun that lingered the way they came, pausing to scan the scenery from high above.

“So the mercenary was hired to find out what this magister’s personal life was like?”

“Precisely,” they agreed. “We found that Yero had quite the tragic upbringing, and that even his own friend was suspecting there was some form of anger behind Yero’s kindness and selflessness. His journal entries solidified he became a shell of his former self once his wife was killed in the process of donating supplies to the Undercity. He stuck so close to his beliefs that once his efforts seemed in vain, he ended up a mess. Jespar said it better, and though I agree, I do believe there are those who don’t see their good efforts as meaningless when disaster strikes. Rare, but they do exist.”

Optimistic but idealistic. Micah wasn’t without their flaws, but they were a do-gooder to their core. He wasn’t fully sure if they believed that they could fight off their evils without getting their hands dirtied, as Micah had reprimanded him for his actions towards that whore who was with Qalian and the mercenary back in the temple, and even with that, they stayed loyal to him and his misguided attempts, so he refrained from commenting. That and he acknowledged he had done those deeds for the greater good, so did he really have the right to say anything?

“Yeah,” Tharaêl added with a rather curt chuckle, “You would know, wouldn’t you?”

“I’m pretty sure you’ve said something like that before.” 

They were right about that. After all that was said and done, after they both failed to kill The Father and he told them the truth, Micah still saw something good -- something good in him. Not only him, but the beggars and waifs that wobbled through Ark. Every chance they got, they spared them pennies, even food if they had some on hand.

The lens they viewed the world in were ones he could never see through, and yet, they held a perspective that was…

Brighter. Earnest. Hopeful.

Under the cover of his mask, there’s a hint of a smile. Maybe that perspective wasn’t a bad thing, and he could give them a little more credit where it’s due... As long as they don’t get lost again.

[weareladyknight]

Lady Knight's Drow Arcane Archer Is Taking Some Paladin Levels!

Thought you guys would be interested and excited to hear this! It got long so everything is under the cut. Also, playing in 5e so following those rules.

So we’re playing in the Forgotten Realms. My character, Aryana, isn’t aimless but she’s not super emotionally invested in the story rn. She has A Quest and she doesn’t want Acererak (very powerful undead wizard) to destroy Faerun for the very Peter Quill reason that she’s one of the assholes that lives there. And so does her entire Drow House and her whole thing is that she will do anything for the benefit of her House to the detriment of herself and people not in her House (she is def Lawful Evil). But you know, she could go off on her own and do those things. 

So Aryana walks into the Yawning Portal Tavern with the party while investigating the disappearance of the uncle of the party’s Druid (the uncle is a former PC btw). This human woman glares at Aryana. And she’s like “what? I’ve never seen you in my life” and the woman’s companion is like “oh, she just hates you because you’re a drow.” And Ayrana finds bigotry hilarious (it’s just been a few assholes weaker than her being mean so she can laugh at it). She starts antagonizing the human woman like “come on, let’s fight, you got beef, let’s take this outside, come on, I wanna fight you, let’s do this.” And this makes the human real mad. She stands up and her form changes... 

It’s Ayrana’s commanding officer, her mentor and she’s pointing an automatic crossbow at Ayrana’s heart and yelling “YOU FUCKING TRAITOR!!! YOU DESTROYED OUR HOUSE!!! YOU ARE GOING TO DIE RIGHT NOW RIGHT HERE!!!” 

And Aryana is just like “What the fucccckkkkkk?!?” She doesn’t have gaps in her memory and she hasn’t been back home for ten years or so. But this is her CO, her captain, so she’s open to the fact that she might have. Fight breaks out. The captain’s companion teleports out. Ayrana runs outside because she def does not want to be on Durnan the Bartender’s bad side and this really can be settled outdoors. One of the spellcasters knocks the captain out (bad saving throw on her part). 

The Druid wants to take her to the party base for further interrogation because the captain is a Drow and there was drow poison found in her uncle’s house. Ayrana wants to take her captain to the guards because while she is evil, she is lawful and she wants this done properly. But practically speaking, she wants her captain under watch so she can do other shit. 

A five minute argument ensues because out-of-character I was having connection issues and didn’t know about the Druid’s Uncle (we were playing over Discord) and in-character Aryana is so worked up she forgot why they were at the Yawning Portal in the first place. She’s not really... Emotionally invested in her party members and their problems. But that may change as things go on. She eventually decides that going along with what the other party member wants is best. 

They go back to their base, which is in a cliffside cave outside of Waterdeep. And fucking Acererak is there and he wants to talk. But he wants to see how this will go down first and even though the party is pretty eager to know why he’s here, they don’t want to fight him atm so they’re all just like “whatever.” 

They tie up Aryana’s captain, cast zone of truth (she fails the saving throw, Aryana chooses to pass). Aryana kneels in front of her captain and says “I don’t know what I did, but please tell me. If I did do what you say, I will fling myself off this cliff, I swear.”

 And so much shit is revealed. 

1. The captain claims that “Aryana” came back home, asked for some help with her quest and she got a squad of 400 soldiers. As they’re making their march “Aryana” leads them into an ambush. Seventy-five of Ayrana’s comrades die including her best friend. The captain loses an eye in the fight. The only reason they’re not all slaughtered is that their Drow Mother is able to intervene. 

2. Aryana’s like “I do not remember any of that. Also, we live in Faerun, that was probably a doppelganger, or I was mind controlled or any other thing.” Her captain is not hearing it though and they keep arguing and the druid is really eager to get back to the matter of her uncle. 

Tired of this, Acererak is like “omg, fine, it was me. I disguised myself as Aryana and tricked the soldiers into the ambush.” (The lowest INT character in the party guessed this btw BUT the player is in med school and a real smart cookie). Aryana stands up, gets in the lich’s face and is like “I will destroy your phylactery, and then I will kill you. I will not rest until you are gone from this universe.” He’s not impressed. 

3. Anyways, the druid is still pretty keyed up about her uncle and Aryana’s captain admits that it was her and her partner (the guy who peaced out at the Yawning Portal) who kidnapped the Druid’s uncle for the Red Wizards ( some more seriously bad dudes working for Acererack) and he’s probably in Thay (the city the Red Wizard’s control) right now. I s2g if our princess is in another motherfucking castle...  

4. Acererack “threatens” to leave and the party is like “whatever, we don’t actually want to talk to you or for you to be here.” But before he teleports out, Aryana puts down her weapons and unties her captain and starts beating the shit out of her screaming, “You thought it was me!!! You fucking thought it was me!!! How could you!! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” and Acererack’s like “WORLDSTAR!!!” 

5. When Aryana is done (she stops before her captain is killed or even permanently injured). Acerack finally says what he wants. He wants to trade his phylactery (the thing he keeps his soul in) for The Black Opel Crown, an artifact that’s key in a ritual to destroy the world. And the party for so many reasons says “no way in hell, fuck off!” And before they can fight him and take the probably-fake phylactery just in case (the guy we’re talking to is definitely a clone not the real deal and the party is level 14 so they can probably take him) he teleports out, counterspells the warlock’s counterspell so he’s gone. Bummer. 

I don’t think that’s the order it went down in but i’m trying to make it easy to follow here so. 

So the druid and another PC who also has a missing relative that was in the past campaign’s party are fucking chomping at the bit to go to Thay. But Ayrana’s like “no, we are not going in unprepared this time. We’ve done that too many times and our luck is running out. We need to go... To The Library.” 

More miscommunication ensues. 

Once that clears up, the party hits up our most powerful available contact, Syndra Silvane. She gives us a contract for us to sign basically giving us the authority to do whatever it takes to bring down Acererack. Being trigger happy, vengeance fueled adventurers who really like living in Faerun, we sign it. Don’t worry, there are lines we probably won’t cross. Like torture. Doesn’t work anyways. And if we do commit war crimes, I trust the DM to have it bite us in the ass. 

The warlock tells us everything he knows about Thay (he used to live there but since he was only in the poor/merchant districts and he biffs his History check... we don’t learn much). THEN we go to the library to learn everything we can about Thay and the Red Wizards. We realize that we need to fucking go, so Silvane hooks us up with one of her guys that we know and trust to stay behind and do research and send reports to us. 

Then the DM looks at the clock and is just like “this is going to go on forever, we’re gonna stop here and you guys can think about your next move and start planning properly next week.” I am very sad but very excited. 

So yeah, before she heads out to Thay, Aryana is going to go down into a cave (preferably with running water for the Sheer Purpose of Drama) and swear an oath to Lolth that she will take down Acererack and avenge her House and get the two PCs with kidnapped relatives to witness her promise and bind her to it. Then when the time comes, paladin levels. 

Ngl I was a little hesitant to actually multiclass bc Aryana’s an archer and divine smite is melee-only. But she has sickles (stated as short swords) and the idea of the last thing Acererack sees before he dies is Aryana’s hate filled eyes while she’s smiting the shit out of him with the Divine Wrath of Lolth is too good to pass up. 

So, so much credit to the Dungeon Master @blackbeanswithdice for making a great session. I am thrilled about what’s coming next! 

[sigurdjarlson]

you know..my girls are complicated x) 

(quick backstory if u don’t know: parents were killed when the legion attacked, they fled into the wilds with their nightsabers. diily more or less had to raise her sisters despite being a child herself. they just wandered from place to place with their cats for a long time, just trying to survive. (they were kinda raised by nightsabers lmao. they’re very close to their sabers) Eventually Diily and Alaluria settled and became sentinels. Ladelia studied magic in secret since at that point arcane magic was a NO NO for elves after all that..sundering shit.

Diily and Alaluria ended up being some of Tyrande’s most trusted sentinels. This is where Alaluria ended up meeting Illidan. She fell so hard for this dumbass and genuinely agreed with his views on the war and such. (unlike Diily) and she ended up taking off and joining the Illidari later on leaving Diily and Ladelia alone.

Diily and Ladelia had no idea Illidan was trying to save the world and instead saw this as her joining the Legion. So naturally there’s a huge amount of pain and betrayal there Then as we know Illidan and the Illidari get locked up and just recently were let go and here we are! She’s been reunited with her sisters) 

Alaluria and Diily have a complicated relationship. They’re very close but Alaluria taking off to join Illidan was a devastating blow for both Diily and Ladelia (especially since at that time it was viewed as Illidan = Legion) And they’re still trying to heal the wounds from that but none of them have ever stopped loving the other. Even when they hated each other. In some ways it has helped them. 

It helped Diily let go of Alaluria and now she understands Alaluria needs to forge her own path. And it’s allowed Alaluria create her own identity beyond her family. (for better or for worse lmfao Illidari ftw) 

Ladelia and Diily are very close. They haven’t ever been apart for very long really? She’s learned from Alaluria though and is beginning to understand she can’t hold on quite so tight. Even if it’s scary letting them go. (”I will always hold you close but I will learn to let you go~” no but really Light by Sleeping at Last is completely perfect for Diily and her baby sisters. im emotionalllll)

Alaluria and Ladelia are close as well but that relationship is complicated too. Ladelia has more or less forgiven her for her actions now that she understands Alaluria didn’t fuck off and join the Legion. Diily has to for the most part although there’s still quite a bit to work through. 

Alaluria however...has been locked up in a cell for how many years? Diily and Ladelia have been out adventuring that entire time. there’s a closeness between Diily and Ladelia that Alaluria kind of resents sometimes She should have been there with them..but she was locked up in a damn cell. She almost feels out of place at times now. 

They’re all just getting to know each other again. And healing from some very serious emotional wounds. There’s still some anger and hurt there definitely but there’s so much love there as well. They’ll figure it out and they are. They’re all becoming close again and hopefully in a more healthy way. 

The three of them have all had a rather...codependent relationship with each other. How could they not? They grew up only having each other? Diily was more or less a child and yet she had to be their sole parent figure. Her entire life was taking care of them. That was her sole purpose in life for a long time.

Alaluria doesn’t respond well to being controlled and that’s where her and Diily butted heads often. Alaluria is headstrong and hot tempered and both Diily and her are stubborn as hell. So that doesn’t help. As painful as her leaving was it taught them all a lot. (It was terrifying for Alaluria don’t be fooled by her gruffness. For the first time she was without her sisters and she was thrust into a very brutal environment. Traumatizing really) And both Diily and Delia were absolutely devastated but they had each other and that kept them going. 

But Ladelia and Alaluria? They’re Diily’s entire world. “Take care of your sisters.” Were some of her mother’s last words to her and that’s what she’s done. No matter the cost. No matter how much she has to sacrifice or give. She does. She’s done the best she could with what she had. 

God, losing both of them would break her. Do whatever you want to her just don’t hurt them. Although she has forged relationships of her own too along the way so I like to think she might be able to find solace and support in others if something did happen to them. It would be extremely difficult and a very long, hard road but I think so. She has friends. She has..Khadgar. But before all that? She couldn’t survive it. 

Oh! Speaking of jealousy. Admittedly Diily’s hatred of Illidan doesn’t come from a completely selfless place. That’s her little sister and he took her away. Of course that’s not entirely correct and she struggles with reminding herself of that. Alaluria made her own decision. Yet, she can’t help but view him as the man who took her baby sister away and...turned her into what she is today.

And of course there’s the obvious and main reasons she doesn’t like him. He’s Illidan fucking Stormrage. The Betrayer. Illidan ‘murder everybody for the greater good” Stormrage. She doesn’t trust him nor does she particularly like his arrogant ass He’s the worst possible choice for her sister in her eyes but..Alaluria loves him and she has to support her in that.

Ah. Alaluria loves him despite him being in love with another. Despite him being...well, illidan. And oh, Diily knows...this is going to end with Alaluria’s heart breaking. And she doesn’t want that. She wants to protect her from it but she can’t. We can’t choose who we love. 

She’s better at controlling it then Alaluria though. Alaluria doesn’t dislike Khadgar per say? But she’s often rather snippy with him and it’s for a similiar reason. She comes back and is starting to become close to her sisters again and there’s this...human taking up all her big sister’s time. She’s never been good with Diily’s significant others for that reason but this one is different. And she doesn’t want him to take her away.

Also she dislikes that he’s a human for several reasons. She has a bit of a superiority complex. Why wouldn’t Diily pick another night elf? Why a human of all races? Sure he’s powerful and intelligent but he’s..a human.

Ah...and he will die. He will die soon in her eyes because remember night elves live thousands of years. 80-90 is the average lifespan right? (and that’s not taking into account Khadgar’s borderline suicidal reckless nature and the fact that he’s fighting in a war) although mages have longer lifespans I think...still 100 years even isn’t much to them.  Human lifespans are so very short compared to theirs. He will die and it’s going to absolutely shatter her big sister’s heart. Why did he have to be the one she chose? She doesn’t want that to happen. She really doesn’t.

Ladelia has similiar concerns for Diily/Khadgar but she;s got a much more positive outlook? She just doesn’t think about it. If she doesn’t think about it..she’s not sad so...we’ll deal with that when it happens. Gotta enjoy the present you know? Also she adores Khadgar. Best big brother ever. 

Ladelia is..wary of Illidan. He’s Illidan but...she tries to give him the benefit of the doubt. Alaluria loves him so there must be something good about him, right? She tries to see the good in him for her sake. She’s much more tolerant of him than Diily. She knows it’ll end badly for Alaluria but like with Diily and Khadgar..you just gotta enjoy the present.

Ladelia doesn’t really have a relationship at the moment. She’s got an enormous crush on Jaina but that’s not going anywhere. (She’s AWOL plus in a relationship with kalec? I think? are they still together? who knows) So, she’s just sad about that. 

Alaluria has never met Jaina and Diily is fond of Jaina so there’s that. But for Alaluria she’s like...wtf they both keep falling for humans?? Human mages with issues?? why?? they’re so?? human

When Ladelia does get into a relationship (with anyone) heheh...she’s got two big sisters who are very protective of her. I almost feel for the person except Ladelia can hold her own and would call them out if they overstep. 

They’re family. Got a lot of issues but what family doesn’t? But they love each other unconditionally. 

They’re my babies. 

Hm perhaps I’ll make a post on Laeona and Allueneth if you guys actually enjoy reading this xD I had fun coming up with their backstory and relationship. (lady and the tramp trope incoming) and I love them. Sadly because..well I killed them.

(you know i think i gotta change their dad’s name. when i picked it i didn’t realize it was the same as that damn staff’s. I got it from a name generator and i mean sure it could be a coincidence. People have the same names all the time but it might get confusing. -shrug- haven’t decided yet)

[amusewithaview]

Value Me Steve/Darcy

A/N: In which amuse abuses cliches and feels no regrets.  Possibly NSFW.

“Okay, so, we’re in the elevator.  Now will you tell me why I have to go to the infirmary?” Darcy asked, no longer attempting to dislodge her hand from Sam’s firm grip.  “I’m all up to date on my shots, I swear.”

“I’m not doin’ this for your health,” he told her.  “This is a public service.”

“I am so confused right now,” she muttered, tugging fruitlessly at her hand.

“Look,” Sam said, turning to face her, “you’re gonna thank me for this.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday.  Hell, you might even make a speech.”  He faced front again, muttering, “He sure as hell better.”

She had no idea who ‘he’ was, but doubted that knowing would shed any more light on this bizarre situation.  “So confused.”

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Sam was tugging her down the hall.  At least he was walking at an acceptable pace for her shorter legs.  The world, Darcy thought bitterly, really needed more short superheroes.  Even allowing for her shorter stride, it was the work of a moment to guide her down the hall and into an examining room.

Steve sat on a hospital bed, uniform peeled down to his waist while Dr. Manse held a stethoscope to his chest and Doctor Strange traced arcane sigils in the air around him.  On the whole, while it was a nice view (a spectacular view, emphasis on the ‘pec’), she wasn’t sure why she was required to see it.

“Hey, Steve,” Sam called, “lookie who I found!”

Darcy got her hand back just in time to be pushed in front of Sam and gently steered towards the bed.  Doctor Strange took two steps back, giving her a small smile, while Dr. Manse rolled his eyes so hard she half worried they might pop out before doing the same.

Steve glared balefully.  “Goddamnit, Sam.”

“You’re welcome,” he sang back.

Darcy sighed loudly, rolling her shoulders back.  “Steve,” she said, mentally congratulating herself on not shouting, “why am I here?  This knucklehead won’t tell me shit and I’m assuming you -”

“You’re here because Sam thinks you might be the cure to the curse cast on me,” the blond said, each word coming out short and clipped and - judging by the look on his face - furious.

“Um, what?”

Steve’s jaw worked for a moment, his eyes locked on Sam behind her as he continued to glare.  After a moment he started talking, words hurried: “I have a curse of truth on me.  From what we can tell, I need to answer questions.”

Darcy’s face scrunched up.  “Wait, why would my questions break the curse?  Oh shit, should I not be asking you questions?  Crap, that’s -”

“Sam thinks your questions might break the curse because -”  He cut himself off, looking like he was quite literally biting his own tongue.  “I have more truths to tell you than anyone else,” he said carefully.  “And you can ask me whatever you like,” he told her.

“Ask him what he thinks about you,” Sam said immediately.

She twisted to frown at him, “Why would I ask him -?”

“Just ask, damnit!”

“All right, geez!  What do you think about me, Steve?” Darcy asked, expecting something about him being glad they were friends, or disliking her taste in Viking metal, or liking the bread she baked on the weekends.

Instead, she got a half-furious, half-panicked, “I think you’re beautiful and kind and -” he clapped his hands over his mouth but she still heard the half-muffled, “I think you probably taste amazing.”

“Lets give the two of them some privacy,” a very smug-sounding Sam said, herding the Dr. and the Dr./Doctor from the room.

Darcy was a little too busy staring, slack-jawed, up at Steve to pay much attention to anything else.  “I’m sorry - you what?”

Steve dropped his hands from his mouth, clenching them on the edge of the hospital bed instead.  His eyes were tightly shut and there was a flush blooming on his cheeks.  “I think about how you taste,” he grit out.  “I think about what kinda sounds you make, whether or not you’re a screamer - I…” he paused, licking his lips.  “I think about a lot,” he finished lamely.

Darcy, whose legs had gone all wobbly, staggered over to a chair and fell into it with a whoosh of breath.  “And how long have you been having these thoughts?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from jumping an octave or turning squeaky with her shock.

“Coupla months,” he admitted.

“We only met a couple of months ago!”

His eyes flew open and locked with hers.  “I know.”

Darcy felt pinned by his gaze, immobilized by the heat in those clear blue eyes. “Were you ever planning on doing anything with these thoughts?”

Steve scrubbed his hands over his face (she did not breath a sight of relief when that finished their stare-off) and sighed.  “I was going to ask you out, yeah.  Sam thought I was bein’ too slow, guess this was a good opportunity for him to push things along.”

“I… had no idea,” she told him honestly.  “About any of this or what you… yeah. But I’m sorry that this happened this way,” she said, lips twisting a little.  “For one, this is kind of awkward, and also kind of… unfair?  So, I guess if you have any questions for me - I’ll answer them.”

He looked poleaxed for almost a solid minute.  “Had you ever thought about -?”

“How you tasted?” Darcy asked dryly.  “Not seriously.  I mean, there are a decent number of memes that imply you taste like freedom and/or apple pie, but I hadn’t given any serious thought to answering that question.  I… didn’t think you liked me that way?  Or, I didn’t think I was your type?”

Steve frowned at that, pursing his lips.  “Your question.”

“You sure?  Okay, um, do you want to date me or do you just want to fuck me?”

“Both,” he said bluntly.

“Right!  Um,” Darcy tried not to picture how that would go.  As Steve was still topless, this was much more difficult than she’d anticipated.  Now that the idea had been put in her head as an actual, nigh tangible, possibility, it was awfully hard to stop thinking about sexing up Steve Rogers.

“Had you ever thought about… dating me?” he asked her, and it really wasn’t fair how he could go from smoldering sexily to being adorably earnest.

“I… yes,” she admitted, and she knew that now she was blushing.  She shrugged, “There’re a couple of bakeries I really like that I’ve thought about taking you to.  This one cupcake place in the Bronx is awesome, and it’s right by a cute little gallery, so, yes - I’ve thought about it.  Curse wearing off by any chance?”

“Not sure, why don’t you ask me something you don’t think I’d want to answer?”

She really shouldn’t, but - “Do you think about me when you masturbate?”

Steve went absolutely rigid for one heart stopping moment, then relaxed all over.  “I think,” he said, savoring the words with a smile, “that I don’t need to answer that question.”

“Whew!  Bet that’s a relief!” she said, equal parts of her embarrassed that she’d asked and sad that he hadn’t replied.  “So, I guess now -”

He stood from the bed and crossed to to her, holding out a hand to draw her up.  “Darcy, will you go on a date with me?”

She grinned up at him, “I’d be happy to.”

Steve blew out a breath, looking relieved and happy.  “Outstanding, ah, I’ll go let the doctors know I’m all right.  We can work out the details tomorrow?”  He paused with the door open and glanced back at her, mischief in his eyes.  “By the way, the answer to your question?  It’s ‘yes.’”

Darcy sat down again.