#its a vault unit whatever that means | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

magiamemoriareview · 1 year

Photo

Homecoming is a Dream

Obtainability: Limited to the “New Years First Dream of the Year Scramble” event shop. This is Event Bonus Memoria and should be kept in case of a rerun.

MLB Effect: Anti-Curse [100%] & Anti-Darkness [100%] & Blast Damage Up [20%]

Effect Definitions:

Anti-Curse prevents the equipped unit from being afflicted with Curse. Curse is a Status Ailment that will damage the afflicted target for 15% HP per turn, make the target take 80% more damage from its weak element, and prevent the target from recovering HP.

Anti-Darkness prevents the equipped unit from being afflicted with Darkness. Darkness is a Status Ailment that will cause the afflicted target to have a 35% chance to miss their attacks, and it will also make the target take 80% more damage from its weak element.

Blast Damage Up is a straightforward buff that means Blast Discs will deal more damage. Blast Damage Up has a capped percentage at 100%.

TLDR: “Homecoming is a Dream” belongs in the Memoria Vault. It’s not great, but Anti-Darkness memoria can be hard to find as they’re always limited.

Review: “Homecoming is a Dream” isn’t great, but it’s not the worst memoria out there. It’s probably more helpful for new players than it is established ones, as many long-time players will have access to several Anti-Curse options that are far better to use and a growing number of Anti-Darkness ones-- however, do note that Anti-Darkness can only be found on either four-star welfare memoria or limited three-star gacha ones. If you somehow don’t have any Anti-Darkness memoria, you’ll want to keep “Homecoming is a Dream” for the future.

Hilariously, this memoria is an exact replica of “Like This Until When” except with worse passive ATK stats. Otherwise its effects are the same with the same percentages.

Other Anti-Curse memoria in the game:

(Limited Gacha 4*) “The Pumpkin King Is Very Pleased” Anti-Curse [100%] & Attack Up [15%] & Damage Increase [15%]

(Limited Welfare 4*) “Visit of the Masked Student Council” Anti-Curse [100%] & Damage Increase [15%]

(Limited Welfare 4*) “Like This Until When” Anti-Curse [100%] & Anti-Darkness [100%] & Blast Damage Up [20%]

(4*) “My Bible” Anti-Curse [100%] & Damage Increase [25%]

(3*) “My Things” Accele MP Gain Up [15%] & Anti-Curse [100%]

(2*) “The Way Home after the Rain (Seika)” Anti-Curse [100%] & Attack Up [10%]

(Limited 3*) “May the Wishes Be Heard” Anti-Curse [65%] & Anti-Burn [65%] & Anti-Poison [100%]

Other Anti-Darkness memoria in the game:

(Limited Welfare 4*) “Searching at the Beach” Anti-Darkness [100%] & Anti-Dazzle [100%] & Anti-Fog [100%]

(Limited Welfare 4*) “Until the Day We Reach the Stars” Anti-Darkness [100%] & Anti-Charm [100%] & Anti-Dazzle [100%]

(Limited Welfare 4*) “Good Child Good Child” Anti-Darkness [100%] & Anti-Dazzle [100%] & Anti-Fog [100%]

(Limited Welfare 4*) “Like This Until When” Anti-Darkness [100%] & Anti-Curse [100%] & Blast Damage Up [20%]

(Limited Gacha 3*) “Relaxing in the Park” Accele MP Gain Up [15%] & Anti-Darkness [100%]

(Limited Gacha 3*) “A Sea and Sky for Just the Two of Us” Anti-Darkness [100%] & Status Ailment Resistance Up [30%]

Memoria like “My Bible”, “Visit of the Masked Student Council”, or “The Pumpkin King Is Very Pleased” are better to use if you just need Anti-Curse as an effect, as you won’t be sacrificing potential damage when equipping them. However, you have less options when it comes to Anti-Darkness.

Most Anti-Darkness memoria don’t have a good offensive effect attached to them, making “Homecoming is a Dream” and “Like This Until When” the only ones with any potential benefit in the form of 20% Blast Damage Up. However, that only matters if you’re using a character who will be using Blast discs. If you aren’t, go for the memoria with the best passive ATK (or alternatively, whatever secondary effect you need most).

Before wrapping this review up, you should also consider if you need to use Anti-Curse or Anti-Darkness memoria at all. The benefit of Negate/Anti memoria is that they are fully preventative. Status Ailment Resistance Up can go up to 100% but you can still get hit by an Ailment, while you never will with an Anti/Negate effect.

However, modern Magia Record play has more alternatives. Instead of equipping straight-out Anti-Curse or Status Ailment Resistance Up, you could field a unit like Madoka & Iroha who will negate the first two Status Ailments for every unit on the board. Alternatively, characters like Kako Natsume will the effect “Remove Status Ailments” on their Magia/Doppel, letting you wipe clean all pesky ailments from your afflicted units.

Of course, sometimes prevention is the best approach. But there are multiple ways to deal with Status Ailments these days, including having units so powerful you don’t need to worry about them getting attacked, because you kill all your enemies first.

This memoria can go in your Memoria Vault until it’s needed.

#Magia Record #New Years First Dream of the Year Scramble #Event Shop Memoria #Welfare Memoria #Four Star Memoria #Anti Curse #Anti Curse Passive #Anti Darkness #Anti Darkness Passive #Blast Damage Up #Blast Damage Up Passive #Nagisa Momoe #Madoka Kaname (Ultimate ver.)#Madoka Kaname #Event Bonus Memoria #Memo Vault Jail

2 notes · View notes

slytherinnbitch · 3 years

Text

Day 26: Accident

when harry woke up in a hospital bed for the millionth time, his first thought was hermione is going to kill me. and it was true because hermione had threatened to do exactly that if he landed himself in the hospital yet again.

but when he finally opened his eyes, there’s no red or bushy brown hair in sight. just the pale blond one which belonged to the prat he hated the most. Draco Fucking Malfoy. and for some reason he looked relieved to see Harry. that couldn’t possibly be right. because draco hated harry with passion and he would have been happy if he died-

“Merlin, Harry, gave me a right scare. can’t you play one game without getting injured or is that too fucking much for you?” draco asked, and while the words and the tone of his voice were in perfect contradiction; one thing was clear. Malfoy was concerned about Harry. but that was something he would focus upon on some another moment when his mind wasn’t full of some half a billion questions. starting with what in merlin’s name was malfoy doing here?

“Malfoy, what the fuck are you doing here? he asked, annoyance clear in his voice. and because he couldn’t help himself he asked the other question which was burning a hole in his brain, “what game are you talking about?”

as far as harry was concerned, he had last played in hogwarts, although he did still participate in some of the impromptu Weasley weekly sunday matches but he doesn’t think Draco knew about that. harry’s words seemed to stop malfoy in his tracks. he frowned at harry, then he stared into his eyes for a long time before harry looked away.

“uhm, okay. Ha-Potter, could you tell me what year this is?” malfoy asked, did he really think harry to be so dumbheaded that he would forget the year.

“malfoy, do you really be asking me that? don’t you have better work to do? or did your small brain forget the date?” harry scoffed. malfoy was undetered, he asked harry the same question again, as if he hadn’t even heard harry’s words.

“ugh, you’re so annoying. its January 2001, unless i was unconsious for more than two weeks, then it would be february 2001.” harry replied, and the fuck was he alone? that too with malfoy to keep him company. he was about to ask just that when malfoy said-

“i’ll contact hermione and ron. just- sit here and try not to break anything or get out of bed.”

“and who would you be to comand me that?” harry challenged, like seriously what right did the poncy git have?

“as your appointed healer, if nothing else.” malfoy replied before leaving his private hospital room.

"okay so it's 2011 and I have somehow forgotten ten years of my life. So what's up with me right now then? Senior Auror? Please don't tell me I went for Minister!" Harry tried to joke, it wouldn't do good to panic now afterall. "and however did I end up here? Malfoy mentioned something of a game?"

Ron and Hermione share a look. Harry always hated when they did that, especially after they got together.

"and why did you both allow Malfoy to be my healer? What were you both even thinking?" he added because he can't help but feel slightly betrayed by his friends. Malfoy entered at that exact moment, nosy git that he is, can't let people have some privacy.

"so does he know then? Doesn't look like it," Malfoy claimed, and Harry wanted to strangle him because he was aware that the he was him.

"harry was just asking about his job, and ... other prospects of life." Ron said, looking back and forth between Harry and Malfoy.

"well, I would be going really blunt now because reg would be wanting answers soon." Malfoy motioned his hands around as if whatever he said made sense and who was this reg person even?

even if Malfoy had appeared confident just a moment ago, he took a deep breath before he started, looking determinant, "you're a professional quidditch player. You resigned from the aurors about nine years ago and have been persued by various teams, and have changed teams twice. You now are the main seeker for Puddlemere United. You got hit pretty hard by a bulger before losing consciousness. And then here we are two days later. Does that answer your questions?" Malfoy asked calmy, it's a lot to take in. Well, Harry never fancied being a Auror all that much after defeating that noseless bastard so it's a good decision on his part. He wondered how he came to the decision.

But more importantly, he still had plenty questions let, "who are you? I know your name, malfoy. I am curious to your status in my life." Harry asked and by the look on Hermione and Ron's face and pain reflecting on Malfoy's, he wondered what was so wrong about it.

"Harry, I must have forgotten to tell you. I'm the Minister now. And Ron became head auror just six months back! don't you think that's incredible?" Hermione asked but Harry knew when a topic was being changed pretty well.

"it's no use stopping the inevitable, Mione. He would know eventually and I rather face it myself firsthand. Would be the best route for my heart, you know?" Malfoy said sadly. As if he had something to be sad about, Harry scoffed mentally at that. And what ths fuck? Mione? Not only was Malfoy on first name basis but he also called his best friend by their nicknames? What had the world turned to?

"We are married, Potter. And no, I haven't used any illegal or inauthentic means to achieve it. We have been together for the almost nine years now. And married for the past six." Malfoy said in one breath and what the actual motherfucking fuck?

"Yeah, right. So what's the real shit?" Harry snorted because malfoy might have a humor but this was so fucking far from the truth that it was downright ridiculous.

"Draco is telling the truth, Harry. You both are married." Ron said, and are these people alright? Harry was getting worried.

"what did he do to the two of you as well? What kind of potion did you use? Or is it a spell? Tell me, Malfoy. How have you been doing it for what did you say? Nine years, yeah?" Harry sneered. Malfoy's face shattered, as it should. He had been caught afterall.

"Draco..." Hermione started but Malfoy quickly put up his hand.

"I can't, not right now. It's fine, Mione. Don't worry about me." Malfoy said with a broken voice. Harry had never seen Malfoy showing this kind of emotion publicly before, but Harry didn't care.

"oh, and if we are actually married. I would like a divorce, immediately if possible. You can take whatever you want from my vaults if you want, if money is what you have been after. Reckon you wouldn't need much, what with your family fortune but I guess some people are never satisfied." Harry taunted because that's what he knew best, even if Malfoy looked like he was on the verge of crying.

"are you sure you want that? You won't regret it when you get your memories back?" Malfoy asked slowly.

"oh, absolutely. I think my actual self would be actually thankful. And please do this as soon as possible." Harry requested, although his tone showed anything but.

"very well, Potter. If that's what you wish for, then that's what you get. Don't say I didn't warn you," Malfoy said one last time. Harry just snorted at that.

Ron looked torn between shocked and upset and Hermione was actually crying. She started protesting but Draco just shook his head and smiled at her.

"I always knew this dream would break, mione. I'll be fine. I have reg." Draco sighed before he came to stnd directly infront of Harry.

"break the bonds then, the certificate would already be produced after we do that. I'll contact the advocate right after." Draco put forward his hand and Harry hesitated for a bit before putting their hands together. The touch was familiar, the skin soft and tender. Harry didn't even dwell on that for more than a second.

Malfoy spoke a foreign language, although Harry did catch a few Latin words in there as well. He didn't really care, but when Malfoy finally extracted his hand. Harry gasped loudly, his heart felt lighter and there was a whole comfortable weight on his shoulders that was gone. He didn't like that feeling even one bit.

Malfoy silently wiped the tears in his eyes, as if that was insignificant. He stared at Harry for a long time, to the point that Harry started feeling uncomfortable.

"well, goodbye Potter." Draco said atlast and Harry just lifted an eyebrow and sneered at him. He gave a sad smile to Harry's bestfriends as well. Then, malfoy actually hugged both of them, together.

When they pulled apart, he said, "don't worry, you both. He is not my Harry anyway. I'll be fine." Malfoy didn't look fine and even Harry could tell that.

"what about reg?" Hermione asked. Seriously, who was this reg?

"I'll be taking him with me. Or since ha-potter is the one who is leaving. Reg would be staying with me."

Draco then smiled, Harry didn't like that look one bit, he looked at Harry through his red eyes and said, "i must have forgotten to mention but I'll make sure Regulus stays with me. What with you being unable to even remember him. I'm sure I would have no problem at all. And don't even try otherwise. Consequences would be deadly." Harry shivered at the words but still, didn't understand who Regulus was. The only Regulus he knew was Sirius's brother and he was long dead.

"Potter, Regulus is, Regulus Malfoy-Potter is our son. Or I should say my son." malfoy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "and don't even try contacting him by anymeans before- no even after you have gained your memory back. Because trust me it will, and it won't be pretty. I don't want my child to go through anything that would cause him trauma, and trust me when your own dad can't remember you, that's going to fuck up anyone's mind real bad, especially for a one and half year old." Malfoy spat out.

Harry could still hear some words ringing in his mind. Child? He had a child? He was a dad? He had to-

"Your rings, Potter." Malfoy out forward his hand, Harry frowned at it.

Malfoy finally gestured at his left hand and he say it, a solid but thin band of gold with small diamonds encrusted. It looked perfect. Just what Harry would have wanted for himself. Did he choose the ring himself then? Not detered, he slid the ring out of his finger. It was with some struggle but it came out atlast. But malfoy was still standing with his hand open.

"what now?" Harry asked, irritatedly.

"the family ring." Malfoy coldly stated. Oh, he then noticed the Malfoy family ring on his tiny finger of his right hand. He practically threw that into Malfoy's hands. Who wanted to be even near that thing?

Malfoy's hand pulled into a tight fist and Harry noticed that he still had a wedding band. So of course, Harry asked, "what about the ones you are wearing?"

"what about them?" Malfoy inquired and Hermione asked at the same time Hermione cried out, "harry, can you please not?"

Harry ignored her and lifted his eyebrows at malfoy again, "well if you take away the ones I had. It's only fair, I get those back."

Malfoy's eyes flashed angrily before the icy facade was back on, "i didn't want dissolve the marriage. I have no obligation to return the rings. And even if I did, I won't. My Harry gave them to me afterall." Malfoy said coldly, but his voice broke at the end.

"and the child-"

"nothing of it. Regulus is my son and he'll be known as such from now on. I would like to see you try otherwise." Malfoy basically growled. Then he gave one mock salute to Harry and turned his back to them and strode out of the room.

The three of them sat in silence for thirty more seconds before Hermione got up, mumbled something about Draco and left the room hurriedly. Ron took off soon after.

He patted Harry on his shoulder and said, "mate that wasn't good. You're going to regret it." Ron had said it with such conviction that it had Harry frowning for several minutes.

In the empty hospital room, with no one but himself to provide company, he felt a strange sensation of dread creep up. He looked down on his ring finger and the slightly lighter skin tone seemed to taunt him.

Harry felt extremely lost, again.

Day 25: Battle || Day 27: Babysitting

Part 2

78 notes · View notes

austarus · 3 years

Text

Timeless!Harrison Wells x Reader - White King, Black Queen

*A/N: The picture/edit/gif does not belong to me. It belongs to its rightful owner.

**Please don’t forget to comment, like, and reblog. It means a lot to content creators of all kinds!

***I’d also like to thank @grimtamlain-writes for being my beta reader.

MASTERLIST

Word Count: 2267

You narrowed your eyes as the city continued to bustle, noise from people and cars emitted in the air. Clouds hung sparsely over Central City as the waning moon took the place of the sun high in the sky. The wind blew a light breeze through your hair. You kicked a leg back and forth gently as you sat on the edge of the STAR Labs tower wings. Your other leg was bent close to your body, an arm resting over your knee. The height didn’t scare you so much as it used to. In fact, you didn’t mind being so close to the edge anymore. If you fell, then you fell. Truth be told, your powers would save you whether you willed it to or not. Some would say it’s a curse, others not so much. Your umbrakinesis acted like a defense mechanism at those times. A sigh left your lips as you straightened up your back, cracking it. Relief echoed through your body, but your heart felt heavy. Time is ticking... You knew what was happening downstairs, Gideon had alerted you when someone entered the Time Vault. It wouldn’t be completely wrong to say that you didn’t want to face him – couldn’t get attached since he’d been here. Not again. Staying up here was your way of avoiding that problem until… Until what, though?

The hair at the back of your neck stood up, a chill ran down your spine as your shadows alerted you of a presence a distance behind you. Turning your head slightly, you sent an icy look to the one person you dreaded to see. The face of the man you had seen pass one too many times. Their looks from their final moments imprinted in your mind for this one to come back. He was the last thing you had of them.

Harrison Wells.

A small smile was on his face, his hair tousled with his clear-framed glasses perched on his nose. He knew you’d be up here. The others told him you’d been up here since his reincarnation into the world. Since he’d made contact with Team Flash to help them and explain his predicament of currently living. But really, Harrison would have known if no one had told him. He had sensed it. Seen it – the images flickered past in his brain. The other versions of himself with you up here – the foreign familiarness that he personally did not experience.

But nothing more than a dreadful reminder of what’s past.

“I’ve come to say good-bye,” the genius started in a soft voice, wanting to approach you carefully. Your glare bothered him, yet he knows it shouldn’t, for once Harrison leaves, he will be united with Tess, the love of his life. Over and over and over again.

You snorted, turning your gaze to the stars that twinkled away from the clouds. You could see the constellations of Cassiopeia, winking brightly light-years away. “Such a shame, you could have helped them with Godspeed.” A bitter laugh left your lips as you recalled Nash showing you how to recognize the constellations and where to navigate from there. Sherloque would drink his tea up here with you and converse about his cases. HR would read to you his latest ideas and novels while you gave your input. You would drag Harry out of his lab to get some fresh air. And Eobard… he was the one who showed you this view, before Barry had woken up, before the Particle Accelerator had gone online.

“Team Flash is more than capable of handling threats on their own.”

“I take it you think that having a Wells must be a handicap, hm?”

“I never said that.”

“Hmph.”

“I couldn’t leave without telling you good-bye.” You pressed your lips thinly and Harrison continued, pocketing his hands in his dark coat. “It didn’t feel right to go without saying that.” The night was getting colder, yet you remained out here in a thin jacket. Dare he say, he worried a bit? You turned to fully look at him from your seated position. “I… won’t deny the sentiment I feel towards you. The memories of the past Wells. Their thoughts – well, previous thoughts – and feelings are still here.” Harrison had gestured to his head then placed a hand on his heart. Bile rose at the back of your throat as the smiling images of the boys hit your mind. You bit your lip hard as he spoke, “Each one of them felt strongly for you, but I’m not them. They’d want you to move on. To live-”

“No!” Your patience snapped, standing up rapidly with expert footing. Shadows went rampant in the night, wind howling in his ears. “You don’t get to say that!” Darkness immediately consumed the atmosphere and air around you both. Unbridled anger licked up in your heart and soul as you took heavy steps towards him. Harrison couldn’t see, but he could feel the moving darkness as he stood his ground. “You have no right to act all high and mighty towards me.” A hiss left his lips as a dark particle lashed at his arm, burning through his coat and marring his skin just as he heard your anger burn in your next words. “You don’t understand the strings that fate has chained me with! Nor will you ever understand my burden.”

***Flashback***

“What is it that you want?” You glared at the entity. The Monitor had appeared in your kitchen as you were pouring yourself some alcohol to enjoy your quiet night. You had taken some time away from all the heroes and villains running around.

“I came because I require your assistance for the Crisis.”

“Pass, I’m not in the mood to play the hero.”

“The point is not to be a hero or the villain, but to honor fate’s will.”

“Well fate can go hump a stump for all I care,” you sipped on your choice of alcohol, you turned away from the eternal entity only to find him in front of you right as you had exited your kitchen. A deep frown crossed your features. This is such a drag.

“Fate has bound your life to Harrison Wells the moment you first met him years ago.”

“False, that was Eobard masquerading as Wells. So, technically no.”

“That technicality may be so, but fate saw the speedster as your gateway to the rest of them. Without Thawne you would not have been so tied to Harrison Wells’ existence.” Rolling your eyes, you took another sip, already knowing you’d need a couple of glasses to forget about this interaction. “Your life is bound to his. To them.” The Monitor had you right where he wanted you, pushing images into your mind to allow you to see reason. “You were a lover.” You flinched as the image of Eobard appeared in your mind. “A partner.” Harry. “A friend.” HR. “And a confidante.” Sherloque. “Now this one needs you as well, he is in danger of himself with the Anti-monitor. My opposite entity.” You knew he was referring to Nash, the multiverse explorer with the haughty attitude and snarky comments.

“…”

“You are the anomaly that exists in the multiverse, there is no other in your position.” The entity saw the hesitation flicker in your being. “The time has come for you to be his protector.”

***Time Skip***

Nash panted, on the ground of this desolate land on his hands and knees. His mouth felt dry, tasting iron in his mouth from the blood on his split lip. How much longer can he endure this? The Anti-monitor continued to laugh at him, to mock him, for his weakness. Pariah gripped hard at the dirty snow, blood and mud defiled the pure whiteness. He couldn’t get back up. His body ached. No matter how hard Nash tried to push back, the Anti-monitor was too strong for him even with these temporary powers.

“Humans are such fickle beings,” the anti-entity spoke in a grand manner, “Soon the multiverse will be mine and there shall be no flaws. No humans to corrupt my domain.” The eternal being gathered his divine power into the palm of his hand and fired anti-matter at his appointed Pariah. The one to bear witness of the end of the multiverse. His curse.

Nash shut his eyes; this was the end. This was his end. A breath left him, what he expected to be his final breath. But the final blow never came. Ringing greeted Nash’s ears as he opened his eyes. Standing in front of him, shielding his body was you and your dark powers. For whatever reason it withstood the anti-matter as particles clashed against one another. You stood defiantly and gracefully in your fighting positions, conjuring your dark spectacles from every shaded corner.

“Don’t you dare touch him, you fucking monster.” You growled, your hands working magnificently to bind the Anti-monitor down. Once bound your umbra became spears and swords that pierced through the entity. While it could not kill the Anti-monitor, it slowed him down – meaning it would slow down his assault on Nash. You needed to get him to safety, needed him to have enough strength to teleport you two away from this dimension. And that’s exactly what you convinced him to do when you grabbed him, hugging his injured body to yourself as he fought to stay conscious.

***End Flashback***

“You don’t understand what loss truly is! You don’t get how hard it is to move on from this.” Just as you had moved, so had Harrison. A dagger of darkness at his throat, clenching the front of his cloak as he held a dagger of light to your own throat. Harrison gritted his teeth as he used his powers to light up the area in his green light. “This pain, the misery of losing over and over and over again. To bear the burden of fate’s strings only to watch them all fall.” He flinched at how the veins around your eyes had darkened to a charcoal color. His throat dried as fear hit him. Harry’s memory flashed into his mind – the memory of you in this state, accidentally killing a meta in self-defense. “You’re just a selfish man, running away from what’s in front of him.” Harrison’s light battled against your darkness to keep the physical manifestations of umbra away from harming his body. “I despise people like that.”

“I’m only doing what’s best for me.”

“By what, Harrison? Running to the past? What’s in the past is best left in the past, those who hold on to the past don’t appreciate the present.”

“Such hypocritical words coming from someone who sulks around up here for what once was.”

“You don’t fucking know anything about me. All you have are some second-hand memories, but you don’t truly know me and what I’ve been through. You’re just like Barry.”

“And you’re any different?”

“At least I know the difference between reality and a desperate dream.”

“…” He knew Tess is doomed to die for time to flow, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t cherish every second with her until it was time. Maybe he was a desperate man chasing after a desperate dream, but he would until the bitter end. For Tess.

“A Time Loop is just a miserable notion for you to see Tess when her destiny is already a fixed time point. Just like Barry’s mother. Their deaths are absolute. Even with your Timeless powers you can’t interfere with what’s set in place.”

“That may be so, but I’ve fulfilled my part here – at least I have someone to return home to, even if they are doomed to die. I could be by her side over and over again.”

Harrison’s words pierced your heart, you pushed the tears back. The ache in your heart throbbed at a greater rate. At least… he had the power to return to his someone… The genius saw the haunting dejection in your eyes, the way your shoulders quivered as you tried to keep yourself together. He regretted the words that left his mouth…

“Do as you please,” you whispered, loosening your grip on his jacket to let him go. The darkness dissipated as you walked back to your perch with pocketed hands. “I’m done begging…” You mumbled to yourself so quietly that he didn’t catch your last statement. A tear left your eyes as you stood tall where you once sat.

“Good-bye,” Harrison murmured to the wind drifting in your direction before turning and leaving. A part of him felt torn by the things he had spat at you. What’s done is done. I doubt I’ll be back here any time soon. Clenching and unclenching his hand, Harrison shut his eyes and summoned his powers to pass through time. Tess, I’m coming home.

“Good-bye, Harrison.” Another tear fell, this time you wiped it as the night continued. He was gone. They were gone. You were alone, once again spectacularly alone and cold.

The pieces are all in place. The time has come…

Time still ticked as seconds went bye. A voice whispered at the back of your mind; the presence residing there since his exorcism. The one that kept you company through all this.

“It’s time, my queen.”

Checkmate

#harrison wells x reader #og harrison wells #timeless wells #harrison wells fanfiction #harrison wells #The Flash #the flash cw #the cw #team flash #the flash fanfiction #nash wells #the monitor #Sherloque Wells #harry wells #hr wells

92 notes · View notes

13thbaronzemo · 3 years

Text

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES: PART 1

Baron Helmut Zemo/F!Reader

Rated E (Explicit)

You are the Sokovian custodian of Castle Zemo, which now belongs to the dissolved nation's neighbors, and the baron himself wants a tour after closing hours.

Disclaimer: Written before FatWS: Ep4 aired and set up some time after his separation from the protagonists and while on the run from the law.

Castle Zemo is one of the only historical Sokovian sites still standing and it now belongs to Czechia. After each of its Balkan neighbors had a slice, the once collapsing state had become more united than it had been in decades. And it had its people to thank for it. The Sokovian diaspora in the Czech Republic tried their best to preserve their eroding history by nourishing their new sovereign state’s interest in it. Among the people attempting to preserve Sokovian culture is the youngest conservator to ever walk the castle grounds: you.

While your age may have led many to assume that what you lacked in experience you made up for it in spirit. However, after asking the security staff to look through last night’s recordings to confirm your ghost sighting, they all seemed to agree that there is such a thing as ‘too much spirit’.

You know what you saw and it was Heinrich Zemo. He seemed to be standing still, almost as if he were posing for a painting. It just so happened that before him, handing illustrious and heavy off the wall was the portrait of the first baron, a golden crown adorning his royal purple hood. While the twelfth baron had died alongside the fourteenth while fleeing Novi Grad, there was nothing to chain his soul to that place anymore. In a universe filled with aliens, androids, and sorcerers, the world you live in might as well be haunted by restless spirits.

Haimo, the security guard and the only person besides yourself on the premises that night, had agreed to stay by your side for a second night. You even made him lend you a walkie-talkie and keep his on. They’ll be two witnesses tonight.

“I’m headed towards the west wing. Keep your eyes on the camera. Over.”

“Got it,” he said through the static. “Over.”

You were careful to walk on the carpet and skip any flimsy floorboard out of fear of spooking the spirit. A living person spooking a dead one? That was a concept you wouldn’t have considered before your first encounter with the twelfth baron had ended so briefly. You had run in the opposite direction when you saw the specter at the end of the hall and the sound of your heels hitting the wall made him disappear into the dark. Tonight, you’d be just as quiet as he was and stay hidden in the shadows.

As you neared the end of the hall, you spoke to him once more. “Haimo, what’s the time? Over”

“Ten to three, boss. Over.”

“I’ll turn it off, but you can’t take your eyes off the screen okay? Pay attention to the painting. Over.”

“Got it. Over.”

Behind the velvet ropes, between two tall windows, and out of the moon’s way, you stood as perfectly still as the painting. In the silver moonlight, the golden shine of the baron and his baroness’s jewels was as blinding as the real things. Just beyond the painting was the royal vault where the royal family jewels lay when they were not out on display. Tonight, you prayed it was Helmut I Zemo’s spirit that stalked the halls and not a burglar searching for the baron’s treasures.

You waited for ten more minutes, but it felt like ten hours. You had been on your feet all day, putting every golden bracelet and precious stone away in vaults and setting up checking every camera, and then double-checking the cameras in the west wing. After ten hours, you hear the floor creak.

Then, another ten hours later, the floor creaks again. However this was, alive or dead, they didn’t know the castle like you did. It couldn’t have been the first baron. Still, you held your breath as the specter you blinked and missed the other night was lit up by the moon tonight. With his face obscured by a royal purple hood and his stride as assured as a leader’s, you swore it had to be him. He stepped on almost every flimsy floorboard, so it couldn’t have been him. Still, you held your breath as he passed your hiding place and skipped the velvet ropes.

He stood there, as either man or spirit, almost as breathless and statuesque as you. And he folded his arms and raised his head, just as the painting did. The only thing missing was the crown atop his head. And his baroness. You tried not to blink, but when you inevitably did, he moved to remove his hood. No, not a hood. His mask. Dark hair and light skin shone in the moonlight. He looked opaque from where you were standing, not translucent at all. That didn’t make him look any less like the man in the painting himself, so you sucked in a breath.

When he moved again, it was to face the shadowy place where you stashed yourself away. He had heard you. Even as you covered your mouth and remained motionless, you had no hope of staying hidden any longer. He moved. Again. He was closing in on you. Oh, he looked so much like Helmut I that you were ready to kneel and ask for a pardon. Or, rather, ready to collapse due to the lack of air in your lungs. Instead of doing the former or the latter, you chose a third option: running to the other end of the corridor. Again.

You were within arm's reach when your heels hit the floor. As you weren't a sprinter or a runner and have been on your feet all day and the following night, you collapsed on the carpet. But, before the baron could catch up, you turned on the walkie-talkie: “Haimo, help me!”

“What? Boss, where are you? Are you still in the west wing? Over”

“Can’t you see me on camera? Can’t you see him?” You screamed, uncaring of human or spirit ears that might hear.

“I can’t see anybody, boss. There’s no movement in the west wing. Over.”

A hand came out of nowhere, covered in the same royal color, and yanked the walkie-talkie away from your fallen form. And what felt like the same slick material was wrapped around the back of your neck. “Tell your friend you’re safe and sound and not in the west wing.” The fabric that covered the fingers holding your head down felt frigid against your already chilled spine. Whatever he was, he wasn’t visible to anyone else but yourself. You had no choice but to comply and cleared your voice before shakily responding to reassure him of this: “Y-yes, milord.”

That official address caught your capturer off guard and you could’ve sworn he seemed to listen up on your neck. “Good.” Nevertheless, he pressed the button and bought the device closer.

“I was just fucking with you. I’m in the bathrooms. In the east wing. Over.”

“Not funny, boss.”

“You were right though,” you spoke, and let a shiver run through you as his fist tightened in the tassels of your hair. “There is no ghost. Over.”

“Have a good one, boss. Over.”

“You did good,” he spoke again, a whisper as chilling and powerful as the wind. “I would hate for us to be interrupted, wouldn’t you? Get up.”

Being allowed to walk on your legs again didn’t mean much when you were being guided by an iron grip. With his hand tangled up in your hair, head facing the floor, he walked you past the velvet ropes and right to the painting he still seemed to have walked out of.

“Blue blood doesn't make one immortal,” He started speaking, snatching you up and straightening your back so that you were facing the royal couple. Then, sliding a gloves hand up your side as the other one slid down your and onto your shoulder, he breathed into your ear from behind. “But it does give one the power to persevere beyond death. My ancestors all lived and died with their wealth, but my parents chose to secure their money in something a little more secure than a vault.” When you gasped, he grabbed onto your other shoulder, smoothing your sleeves. “Yes, I know you’ve been keeping the treasure tucked away, but the Czech state owns this land now. I thank my father every day for our German bank accounts, otherwise I’d be scrambling to survive.” His chest was hot against your back and even the hands holding onto your arms were warm, the heat of them seeping through the gloves. You never heard of a ghost whose touch feels like fire, but his presents, his form pressed against your own, made your spine shiver all the same. “I know it’s late, but I would like a tour. What do you say, my dear? Shall we start with the vault?”

“Yes, s-sir,” you swallowed a scream that threatened to rip out of your throat. The fear of his ripping it out himself was great, but what was greater was the chill of the castle overtaking you once he stepped away from you to give you enough space. Your fingers were trembling as they touched the frame, and it took you a second too long to find the notch in it. Once you did and everything clicked into place, you heard him chuckle behind you.

“Do you need help with that my dear?”

“Thank you, sir,” you struggled not to shake as his hand was placed atop of yours and you both pulled on the frame unlocking the painting from the wall like a door.

“What happened to ‘milord’?” He let go of you and you let go yourself, stepping toward the hidden vault while under his heated gaze. You could feel it at the back of your neck, the memory of his manhandling still lingering there. “I think I prefer it to ‘sir’.”

Introducing the combination, information only you were privy to, was proving to be more difficult under his scrutiny. It was as if the baron himself was watching your every move and you had better make your next one a good one. “Whatever you wish, milord.”

“I wish to see my family’s treasure,” he chuckled, but you couldn’t figure out why he was so amused. “Do you need help with this as well?”

“I got it,” you answered, agitated by his pressuring presence. “I mean,” you cleared your throat as you opened the vault door. “There’s no need to, milord.” Then, turning to him, you offered a small and curtsy on shaking legs.

“Very good, my dear. Now,” he caught you before you collapsed and looped your arm around his own. “What can you tell me about these?”

You looked towards the treasure inside, his dark smirk a bigger strain on your eyes than the shimmering gold in the silver moonlight.

“They were f-forged for the first baron Zemo, Helmut The First. The crown and the chain belonged to him, as you can see in the painting,” You skipped a beat as he squeezed you into the small space with no means to escape. You were so close, your breath fogged up the gold and dimmed the shine of the crown. “H-he often wore it atop his cawl.”

“The purple hood, you mean?” He asked and arrested you with the sight of his masked face. To keep you from creeping away, he let your arm escape the loop but captured your middle in another one. His chest, hot and hard, was against your back once more. “I know it’s not exactly the lord’s garb, but I believe I’ll look just as good in designer clothes. Would you mind if I…?”

“Whatever you wish, milord,” you whispered, all the wind having been knocked out of you as the warmth of his breath, filtered to the fabric of his mask, hit the back of your neck.

“I’m going to need your help this time around,” He removed the crown from the bust bringing it down so that you could easily grab it from his hands. “There is no mirror here, you see.”

“Of course,” you tried not to let it slip through your trembling fingers as he turned to face you fully.

“Of course what?”

“Of course, milord,” you corrected yourself and crowned him, the golden band fitting over the royal purple mask like his royal purple gloves.

“Heavy is the head that wears it, but the crown might be heavier,” he craned his neck right, then left, and, while you couldn’t see it, a smirk shimmered in his deep dark eyes.

You mirrored his mirth with a smile of your own, albeit weak. “It fits you, milord.”

“Father never let me wear it. I was but a boy back then,” he touched the sides of it where the band and his temple met. “It was summer the last time I saw it. We’d always come to the castle in August. The stone walls keeps the place cool in the summer months.”

“You had to grow into it.”

“Do you believe I’ve grown into it, my dear?” His hands were on your shoulders, stroking your skin through the shirt.

“Yes, milord.”

“Show me,” he squeezed down, fingers forceful now. “Kneel.”

He needn’t push you down, your knees already buckled at his command. Yet you were still shoved to the floor.

“Would you serve me?” He demanded, glowering down at you like the grand painting always would, with a dark demeanor and a golden crown atop a royal purple cawl.

“Yes, milord,” you breathed out the little air still in your lungs. And, determined to show your devotion to him, to the barony and all of Sokovian history, you fondled the front of his hands with two sweaty, unsure hands. His hands slid up your shoulder and smoothened back your hair, so you were more confident when you unclothed him.

“Is this how you plan to serve me?”

“Whatever you wish.” The harnessed of his crotch and the way he pushed it into your palms told you everything you needed to know. He was eager, but, as you shifted your trembling thigh, you realized that it was the both of you. “Lord Zemo.”

“I wish I were fucking that pretty little peasant mouth,” he heaved, heat coming off of his crotch as you uncovered it, pulling down his pants. Brushing back all the hair out of your eyes, he twisted it into a bun at the top of your head.

When you opened your mouth and rolled down your tongue like a red carpet, you finally freed his cock. As it landed on the saliva-slick surface, he sighed: "I wish you'd take my cock deep in your throat, as deep as it can go." Then, taking himself in his hand by the hilt, he slid inside. "And watch your teeth."

Your answer to this was to lock your lips around the head. It was hot, salty, and sweet, like a kiss stolen in a wet dream. Once you began suckling it, his hips started snapping. You've never heard of a ghost grunting before, but you've listened to men lose their sanity between a woman's lips. He was holding himself back, halting his hips, yet his words flowed freely

"Have you done this before, my dear? Have you ever served a man like this?" The man mirage called you closer, the hand at the bun bunched up atop your head forcing you forward. "Have you ever served a baron before?"

He already knew the answer, but you bobbed your head and blabbered a response anyway. No, you have not. You've served the barony for your entire custodian career, but this was as close that you've ever gotten to actual royalty. And it just so happened to be the baron himself, wearing gold and wrapped in the royal colors. Your knees hurt and so did your jaw, but you were his to do as he pleased.

"No, I didn't think so," he grunted, his voice gravely as he instructed you. "Breathe through your nose. I'm going to fuck your pretty little peasant face."

Holding onto his hips for support, you surrendered to him your entire skull. You couldn't even moan anymore, couldn't even move on your own. All you could do was gag each time his spongy, sweet, and salty cockhead hit the tender spot at the back of your throat. Through the tears, you saw him watching you through the eyes sockets, eyes searing through your soul. He watched himself wrecking you, fucking your face, and watched you being wrecked.

"Good girl," he growled, no longer a man or a ghost, but rather a lion. "That's a good girl." He was in a frenzy, fucking you fast and furiously. All you could do is take what was given to you and gargle. There was spit, there were tears, but the baron drove his dick into you like you were the most desirable damsel he's ever seen. "You serve me so well. Such a good girl. Such a good-"

All of a sudden, he stopped short of spilling down the throat he tore open. You felt the trepidation in the way it twitched, but it was ripped away from you as he retreated his cock from your mouth.

"Fuck."

As you coughed and blinked the tears away, you saw it in his hands, drowning in your drool, swollen and red. He squeezed down on it and seemed determined to contain it and all the come that was supposed to be swallowing.

"Get up," he heaved, his chest growing and shrinking under the security of his shirt. He was a man after all. "I want to you, but I don't want to fuck a peasant pussy," he held out his hand, the glove dirty with your drool and his precum. After you took it and stood on lame legs as he held onto you tight, he directed you to the diadem still in the vault. "I want to make love to a baroness."

Your mind was still in a haze when he sat the diadem atop your head. You couldn't make out your heavy breathing over the sound of his own. Still, you looked up, his crown as steady as his stare, and saw what must've been your reflection in the golden surface.

"There she is," he tilted your chin, thumb stroking the skin. "My beautiful baroness." As one handheld onto your face, the other snuck under your skirt and pushed your panties aside. You must've been so hot, so moist, you seeped through his gloves. Of course, you invited them in, those intrusive fingers, moaning when they moved to part your labia. "What is my lady's wish?"

"Make love to me," you whined, licking your lips at the thought of his tasty thick cock all up in your cunt. "My lord."

"Whatever you wish," he dropped your chin and lifted your leg. Then, as you tried to balance yourself on the other, he lifted it, hooking both of them around his hips.

You scrambled to secure your arms around his shoulders as he slammed you against the vault door. It hurt, but not nearly as much as the need burning in your core. You informed him of this pain through your panting, a pathetic performance, and only stopped when you felt the relief of him ramming it in. Hitching you up with his hands under your thighs, he caught his head on your pussy lips and then dropped you onto his dick.

"Oh, there she is," he mouthed at the side of your sweat-slick neck through his mask. "There's my pretty little pussy," his voice was strained as he slammed inside you over and over and over again. "I want to slip it on like a sleeve, slip it on whenever I'm homesick and live in it for a week."

"My Lord!"

"I'll take you far away from this dying place! Have you ever seen Paris? Madrid? Berlin? That's where we'll live! We'll travel like bandits and live like kings!"

You were delirious and he wasn't doing any better, drilling into the depths of you with a desperation only a living, breathing man could understand. The sound of your skins slapping against each other, the myriad of moans, they all echoed through the corridors of Castle Zemo and you hoped this haunting could go on for all eternity.

"M-my Lord, I'm going to-"

"Yes, come with me, milady! Come with me, my baroness!"

Following his orders was as natural to you as it was to the moon to rise every night. Squeezing your thighs tight and raising your face towards the stone skies, you came around Baron Zemo's cock and collapsed in his arms.

When he unwinded your legs from him like a belt, you were finally awake. The chill of the vault door made your spine shiver and there was a hot pool of come in your panties that threatened to spill down your thighs.

"Thank you for indulging in my fantasies, my dear." The chest your head was rearing against rumbled. "I hope I fulfilled all of yours."

"Baron Helmut III Zemo," you slurred out, too exhausted to enunciate each syllable. "You are supposed to be serving time in Germany-"

"Boss, where are you?" Haimo spoke through the static.

"That's your cue," the baron handed the device back to you. "Tell him you are on your way back and definitely not in the hands of a dashing criminal mastermind."

You searched his dark eyes behind the purple sockets. "Traveling like bandits? Living like kings?"

"Men say the damndest things while in the trawls of passion." He stroked your soaked cheek and spoke softly. "I'll be back tomorrow night to spin you another tale."

Blinking up at him, barely awake or alive, you answered Haimo. "I'm heading back. Over."

"Very good, my Lady. Very good."

#Baron Zemo #Helmut Zemo #Baron Zemo x Reader #Baron Zemo x You

136 notes · View notes

iamanartichoke · 3 years

Text

I wrote a Thing. It’s extremely long. I’d prefer it not be reblogged; I wrote this for my own catharsis and would prefer it not be circulated, bc of Reasons.

I changed my mind, okay to reblog. <3

Under a cut for (extreme, did I mention?) length.

So I got about 12 minutes of sleep last night, as you do, and around 3am or so I found myself - out of sheer curiosity - going down a meta hole of Ragnarok discourse, trying to figure out where this "satisfying redemption arc" for Loki happened. (I mean, there's a lot of things I would like to figure out, but I started there.) Because I could.

Basically I was looking for meta that went into detail about how Loki was redeemed in a satisfactory way. The ‘satisfactory’ is an important word here bc there is a redemption arc in the film, in that Loki starts off the film as an antagonist (kinda) to Thor and he ends the film as an ally to Thor, standing at Thor's side. In that sense, yes, there's a redemption arc. I didn't find much (and I had no idea how much people just despise Ragnarok "antis" [I really dislike that word] but that's another topic [that I don't particularly want to get into, tbh]) but I did find some. I read what I could find, and I read it open-mindedly, and overall I came away feeling like, okay, there are some valid points being made here and I can kinda see where they're coming from.

But it was a bit (a lot) like -- flat. Idk. The best comparison I can think of is that it’s like if a literature class read, I don't know, The Yellow Wallpaper for an assignment, and some of the students came away from it feeling like it was a creepy story about a woman slowly driving herself insane, and the other students came away from it incensed at the oppression and infantilization of women in the late 19th century -

- and neither side is wrong, but the former is a very surface-level reading and the latter isn't (bc it stems from looking at why she drives herself insane, why she was prescribed 'rest' in the first place, the context of what women could and couldn't do back then, etc; basically, a bit more work has to go into it).

[Note: I am not disparaging the quality of The Yellow Wallpaper. At all. It’s just the first relatively well-known story that popped into my head.]

In this sense, I can see the argument for Loki's redemption arc, but I don't think it's a very good argument. Not invalid, but not great.

I mean, for example, I think the most consistent argument I found variations of re: Loki's redemption is that Ragnarok shows Loki finally taking responsibility for his bad behaviour and misdeeds. This includes recognizing that his actions were fueled from a place of self-hatred and a desire to self-destruct in addition to bringing destruction on others. That he probably feels awkward and regretful of these things and doesn't know how to act around Thor, but he figures it out by the end, and decides that returning to Asgard is the best way to show that he's ready to make amends. His act of bringing the Statesman to Asgard is an apology. He allies himself with Thor and ends up in a better place, both narratively (united with Thor once again) and mentally (having taken responsibility and made amends for his past).

And setting aside that he had already made amends by sacrificing his life in TDW (and also setting aside that the argument is made that Loki redeems himself in IW by sacrificing himself to Thanos but if that's the case, wouldn't that imply that he hadn't achieved redemption in Ragnarok or else there would be no need to achieve it again in IW? Or, if you think he did achieve redemption in Ragnarok, then what the fuck did he give his life in IW for? What was his motivation there, and why did the narrative not make it clearer? I digress.)

- setting aside those two factors, I think this is a very fair argument. Loki is fueled by self-hatred, and he does want to self-destruct, and he does want to inflict that pain on others as well (particularly Thor). No lies detected here.

However, I also need to know where that self-hatred and desire for destruction (toward himself and others) comes from and for that, we need to go back to Thor 1.

Thor 1.

Loki starts Thor 1 out as "a clenched fist with hair," to borrow a quote from the Haunting of Hill House (that I tucked away in my mental box of Lovely Things bc it says so much so very simply). He's very used to bottling everything up, pushing it down; he slinks around behind the scenes, pulling the strings to this plot or that. He's "always been one for mischief," but the narrative implies that the coronation incident is the first time Loki's done anything truly terrible. And it all immediately pretty much goes to shit, so Loki spends the rest of the movie frantically juggling all these moving pieces while trying to seem as if he's got it all under control, every step of the way. That's how I view his actions.

But I always come back to that quote where Kenneth Branaugh tells Tom, of the scene in the vault, "This is where the thin steel rod that's been holding your mind together snaps." In other words this is where Loki discovering he's Jotun is just one thing too many. He can't take it. But though the rod snaps, his descent isn't a nosedive. It's a tumble. As the story progresses, the clenched fist starts to loosen, the muscles are flexed in unfamiliar ways (that feel kinda good, after being stiff for so long), and it culminates with the hand opening completely and shaking itself out. All of that repression, that self-hatred, that rage and jealousy just explodes so that, by the time the bifrost scene happens, Loki's already hit bottom. It's not just about proving his worthiness to Odin. He wants to hurt Thor, too; he, essentially, throws a tantrum. (That's right, I said tantrum.)

(Note: The word 'tantrum’ has negative connotations bc we normally equate it with a toddler stamping their feet and screaming in the aisle when their parent won't buy them the toy they want. But in itself, the word tantrum isn't infantalizing. It's an "emotional outburst, an uncontrolled explosion of anger and frustration" [paraphrasing from dictionary.com]. That's exactly what happens here [and why Tom called Loki's actions a massive tantrum, but people took that to mean Tom agreed it was childish whereas I doubt Tom meant it that way]).

He's been pushed past his limit, and he does bad things. He does really shitty things. He hurts Thor, he hurts his family. I'm pretty sure he knows this all along so this isn't, like, some revelation further down the line that "hey, those things I did were probably kinda bad." He got the memo already.

Ragnarok

Fast forward to Ragnarok, and we're introduced to a version of Loki who's had 4ish years to sit with everything that's happened. To sit with it and not do much else. The rawness of it has faded, and now it seems as though it's just become a thing, like when you move through life aware of your childhood traumas and have more or less just accepted them (and you probably share a lot of really funny depression memes on Facebook, which is kinda the equivalent of Loki's play, but that's probably just me).

Loki has, more or less, chilled out. He seems more bored than anything else; he's been masquerading as Odin for longer than he ever planned or intended to, so he's more or less ended up hanging out, letting Asgard mind its own business, and entertaining himself with silly plays. This is the version that starts out the movie as an antagonist to Thor - a version that is, arguably, in a much different place [and is a much milder threat] than the version who originally did those Bad Things.

And of course Thor is still mad at him, and of course they're going to butt heads, because that's what they do (and Thor's grievances are genuine, I’ll add, bc it's not really his fault he assumed Loki faked his death, nor can he be blamed for being pissed about Odin).

One argument framed this version of Loki as being a person who is facing the awkwardness of coming out of a dark place, which is fair. If we're going to frame his actions in Thor 1 as a tantrum, then Ragnarok would be the part where the toddler has been taken home, possibly has had some lunch and a juice box, and is now watching cartoons. They're over the tantrum, and would probably feel pretty silly about it if they weren't, yknow, toddlers. They probably can't remember why they even wanted that toy so badly. If they're a little older and self-aware, they might even be embarrassed for having melted down.

Like the word tantrum, this feeling isn't a thing limited to toddlers. I know I've had a few epic meltdowns as a grown ass adult, and I know I always feel deeply embarrassed afterwards - like, want to crawl into a hole and die. I've said things I can't take back. Adolescents and teenagers throw tantrums, mentally ill people throw tantrums, adults throw tantrums (I mean, my god, look at all the videos of Karens having screaming meltdowns - screaming! - over having to wear masks in order to shop at stores). Humans throw tantrums. And usually, after the feelings have been let out and the tantrum has passed, humans feel pretty regretful and awkward and embarrassed about whatever they did and said in the midst of their meltdown.

I get all of that and agree it's valid and that Loki probably feels it. By the time Ragnarok happens, Loki's had some time to reflect and think hmm, yeah, probably could've handled that one a lot better. The argument further goes that in order to navigate this awkward period, Loki must come to terms with what he's done, acknowledge that some things can't be unsaid or undone, and begin to make amends. Supposedly, some people feel that Loki becomes a better person because he does "own" everything he did wrong and, even though he feels like a jackass (paraphrasing), he sets that aside to become a become a better person by choosing to help Thor and Asgard at the end.

Thus, the overall arc goes like this. Loki, Thor's jealous little brother,

throws a tantrum of epic proportions bc Reasons

continues to act badly and make things even worse (Avengers)

has to face consequences for his actions (prison sentence)

ends up with a stretch of time in which he's free to contemplate and chill out

feels embarrassed and awkward about how he's behaved

sees an opportunity to make up for it and decides to take it

helps Thor, saves the day, and ends the film a better person.

Redemption achieved.

None of this is wrong. The film supports it. It's a fair interpretation. But it leaves. out. so. much.

To circle all the way back around Loki being "a clenched fist with hair," and his actions stemming from his self-hatred, you have to ask - how did he get that way? He didn't end up with all this self-hatred on accident. Generally, one isn't born despising themselves, it's a learned behavior. (I realize chemical imbalances are a thing, obviously, as I have Mental Shit myself, but for argument's sake I'm assuming that's not the case with Loki [at this point in time]).

Where did Loki learn it? From his family, from his surroundings, from his culture. We see examples of these microaggressions in the first, like, twenty minutes of the movie - a guard openly laughs at Loki's magic after Thor makes a joke about it (the tone of the conversation implies that Thor "jokes" like this often) and though Loki does the snake thing, the guard faces no real consequences. Thor doesn't acknowledge that anything went amiss. Not much later, on their way to Jotunheim, Loki's barely gotten two words out to Heimdall before Thor cuts him off, steps in front of him, and takes charge. Loki doesn't look annoyed at this; he looks resigned.

Then, for absolutely no reason at all, Volstagg decides to make a jab at Loki ("silver tongue turned to lead?") just because he can. The ease with which he makes this comment and the way that no one else blinks an eye at it implies that this isn't out of the norm. And Loki doesn't react, not really. In the deleted version, he delivers a particularly nasty comeback but he delivers it under his breath, without intending Volstagg to hear it. In the final version, he simply says nothing, though his expression can be read as hurt or stung. Either way, the audience sees an example of Loki being walked all over by Thor and his friends and bottling up his reactions instead of standing up for himself.

Microaggressions matter. They are mentally and emotionally damaging. They hurt. The implication that this is not unusual treatment for Loki means that Loki's probably gone through this for most of his life. It's like the equivalent of being, I don't know, twenty two and you're the friend who has to walk behind the others when the sidewalk isn't wide enough, and it's been that way since the first day of kindergarten. At this point, you're used to it, but that doesn't make it hurt any less when the jabs come seemingly out of nowhere, for no reason other than to make you feel bad.

(I personally identify a lot with this bc I experienced passive bullying in social settings for years. I was the 'doesn't fit on the sidewalk' friend; I hung around with people who'd pretend to be my friend and would be more or less nice to my face, but would laugh at me and make fun of me behind my back for whatever reasons. And often there'd be the random jabs at me, things that would come out of nowhere to smack me in the face, followed by the fake laugh and “just kidding!" so that I couldn't even get upset without being made to feel like I was overreacting and couldn't take a joke. I'd deal with this socially, particularly in middle school when girls are their most vicious, and then I'd go home and, because I was the only girl with a lot of brothers and because boys are mean and because I am who I am, the dynamic was that my brothers would just endlessly roast me to my face and sometimes it was a "just kidding!" thing, where I was the only one not laughing. But that’s beside the point; my point is that microaggressions, passive bullying, and consistent invalidation are harmful and that shit stays with you into adulthood.)

So, yes, Loki needs to be held responsible for his misdeeds, and it's valid to say that he recognizes those misdeeds and wants to make amends. I have never disagreed with that. But the problem with this interpretation is that it lets every single other character who contributed to Loki's self-hatred and mental breakdown (let's just call a spade a spade here, that's what it was; he was broken psychologically) get off scot-free.

First of all,

Odin is not held accountable for instilling in the princes a mentality of Asgard first, everyone is beneath us but Jotuns are benath us the most, they are literal monsters. He is not held accountable for pitting his sons against one another (even if it was unintentional, he still did it) with "you were both born to be kings but only one of you can rule" being the general tone of their upbringing. He's not held accountable for his favoritism toward Thor.

Frigga is not held accountable for deferring to Odin both in supporting the above things and in keeping the truth of Loki's origins a secret while doing nothing to discourage the "monsters" narrative.

Thor is not held accountable for his own tendency of taking Loki for granted (he assumes Loki will come to Jotunheim, he oversteps Loki constantly, “know your place,” etc.. He grants his implicit permission for Loki to be treated as the sidewalk friend in their “group,” a group which is loyal to and takes their cues from Thor as Thor continues to do nothing in his brother's defense).

[Note: Wanting Thor to be held accountable for things he's done wrong isn't vilifying him. Acknowledging that Thor benefited from Odin's favoritism and his own place as Crown Prince doesn't negate Thor also being raised in an abusive environment. I don't think anyone's saying that or, if they have, it's not something I agree with.]

Furthermore,

Odin is not held accountable for his cruelty in disowning Loki (”your birthright was to die” is never going to be forgotten, speaking of people saying things that can't be unsaid or taken back) and in sentencing Loki to a severe prison sentence (life! only bc Frigga wouldn't let him execute Loki) for crimes that are no worse than what Odin himself has committed (around which the entire plot of Ragnarok revolves! Colonialism (and subjugation) is wrong is, like, a major theme [that people rush to praise, even] here).

Thor is also never held accountable for not trying harder to understand what made Loki snap (fair enough, he didn't have a ton of time after returning from Earth, but certainly he had lots of time to sit around reflecting while Loki was being tortured by Thanos for a year). He knows Loki is "not himself" and "beyond reason" and accepts it at face value; he questions it once and then lets it go. He's fine with assuming Loki's just lost his mind, and isn't that a shame. (I realize I'm simplifying Thor's emotions but my point is that Thor could've tried harder to figure out that Loki was being influenced and/or not acting completely autonomously.)

Thor is also never held accountable for - if not facing consequences for his own slaughter of Jotuns - then at least addressing why Loki can't kill an entire race even though Thor tried to do that, like, two days ago. (Granted, it’s difficult to understand how Thor got from Point A ("let's finish them together, Father!") to Point B (this is wrong!), but that failing belongs to Thor 1 (which is not, by the way, a perfect movie).

The interpretation that Loki is fully redeemed because he took responsibility for his actions, returned to Asgard, and allied himself with Thor to save their people is all well and good - but, why is Loki the only one here who has to take responsibility for their actions?

What about all the loose threads in his story?

For example, how did he get from:

Point A (believing himself a literal monster, having a complete mental breakdown, getting tortured and further traumatized after that, etc)

Point B (Hey, yknow what would be fun? I'm going to write and direct a play about how I heroically died to save Thor and Jane, and I'll go ahead and have Odin say he accepts me and has always loved me. I'm going to do these things because Odin never said this in real life and instead of acknowledging my sacrifice, Thor left my body in the dirt, so someone has to validate what I've done right and that someone might as well be me. And hey, while I'm at it, I'm going to control the narrative on revealing myself as Jotun to Asgard, instead of living in fear of it being found out, and I'm going to do it in a way that they have to sympathize with me and revere me in death, bc they never bothered to do so when I was alive. And Matt Damon should play me, also.)

Point C (Yeah, I guess I feel kinda awkward about that whole tantrum thing, also I should help Thor and support him being king.)

The answers to these questions are handwaved and the audience takes that to mean they don't matter. Furthermore, framing Loki's redemption around an act of service (more or less) to Thor makes Loki's redemption about Thor. Does Loki make this decision for the sake of Thor and of Asgard, or does he make it for himself? It's not super clear to me, and I think arguments can be made for both. Which, again, is fine, but - whatever.

If we're going to collectively agree, as a fandom, that Loki is complex, that he's morally gray, that he's worthy of redemption and therefore arguably a good person who's done bad things, then why is it asking too much to have it acknowledged that Thor (also a good person who's done bad things) played a part in Loki's downfall and has shit to apologize for, too? Bc one can only assume the reason is that you're taking a very gray concept and making it black and white by saying Loki has to apologize and make amends because he is the villain, and Thor doesn't because he is the hero (and it's his movie). And it's lazy.

This is where the crux of the issue lands. There's more than one valid interpretation, yes. And no two people (or groups of people, or whatever) are going to consume and therefore interpret or analyze the source material in the same way. I think I saw a post recently about how studies have been done on this, in fact. But, there is a lot going on under the surface that tends to get overlooked when exploring Loki's redemption arc in Ragnarok, as far as I can see, and that’s why I don’t consider it satisfactory.

[I did read similar arguments regarding other issues that are often debated ('debated'), like Loki's magic and/or being underpowered, whether or not Loki's betrayal of Thor was the natural outcome of the situation on Sakaar or not, whether Thor actually gets closure with Odin [if he does, how does he reconcile the father he's idolized with the imperialistic conqueror he's discovered? Why doesn't he hold Odin responsible for covering up Hela's existence and the threat of her return, especially as he knew he was nearing the end of his life? Is Thor's "I'm not as strong as you" meant to imply that he acknowledges those shortcomings of Odin's and that he's okay with them, or that he's just overlooking them, or is he not okay with them but didn't have the chance to get into it bc he was in the middle of battle? T'Challa confronted his father on his wrongdoings in Black Panther; could Thor not have had at least one line that was confrontational enough to establish where he stands as opposed to this gray middle? Can someone explain to me how any of this equates to Thor gaining closure? Please?) but obviously I'm not going to go into all of them (well, I tried not to), bc this mammoth post has gone on long enough (I may not even post this tbh)]

- but my overall point to this entire thing is that when I say I'm critical of Ragnarok bc it's flawed, that Loki's arc was neither complete nor satisfactory, that many things went unaddressed and, due to all of these things, I do not think Ragnarok is a very good movie nor a very cohesive movie, this is where I'm coming from. I have not seen anything to change my mind to the contrary.

But I am not saying that anyone satisfied with it is wrong, or shouldn't have the interpretation that they do. I'm not vilifying Thor in order to lift Loki up, just acknowledging that Thor is arguably just as flawed as Loki without the stigma of being Designated Villain. I think a lot of these arguments get overlooked or dismissed, and that's fine, but it doesn't make the people who do engage with them hateful, or bitter, or trying to excuse Loki's crimes, or feeling like redemption means that Loki's crimes should be erased rather than reconciled.

And sure, yes, perhaps we are expecting too much and exploring all of these themes (or wanting them explored) means that somehow we think it should be Loki's movie (we don't). Loki is a supporting character, but he's still a character. And the movie itself doesn't have to delve into all these things - no one's saying that. (At least, I'm not.) We just want acknowledgement, from the narrative, that this stuff was an Issue.

This could have been accomplished with -

Some dialogue closer to the novelization (and original script), like Thor and Loki both acknowledging the harm they've done one another and their kingdom due to their Feels.

A single line of Thor confronting Odin, or even asking "Why?"

A narrative acknowledgement that Odin did both Thor and Loki dirty (”I love you, my sons” isn't an apology, because it doesn't acknowledge either that there's been wrong-doing or express regret for having done the wrong in the first place).

A little bit more nuance in the way Loki treats his own past (ie, instead of flippantly telling the story of his suicide attempt, maybe - if it must be flippant - talk about getting blasted in the face with Hawkeye's arrow or sailing through to Svartalfheim [And in that moment, I sang ta-daaaa!]) or whatever.

I recognize that wanting full, in-depth exploration on all of these issues regarding a supporting character is probably too much to ask or expect - but, I also feel like, if you're going to be professionally writing a narrative (or rewriting/improvising, as it were), it's not too much to ask that a little more care be taken in regards to all of the layers that have contributed to said supporting character's downfall and subsequent redemption arc. I don't think that's an unreasonable thing to want.

And maybe if there had been more nuance and continuity in how these things were portrayed on screen (ie, if TW had actually done as good a job as his stans think he did), the fandom wouldn't have divided and conquered itself over which "version" of the same character is more valid and whether or not the film did its best to close out a trilogy (not start a new one), to the point where everyone in this fandom space makes navigating it feel like walking through a minefield.

But, I mean

(Again, please don’t reblog if possible.)

Edit: Okay to reblog. <3

96 notes · View notes

docholligay · 3 years

Note

Please rant/rave (well, we already know which one it will be here) about Harry Potter!

GEE I HOPE THIS WAS WORTH WAITING FOR

OH MY GOD. The level of hatred I have for Harry Fucking Goddamn Potter, the culture around Harry Fucking Potter, extending its poisonous tentacles even to the concept of young adult fiction, fantasy, and the United Kingdom as a country and people.

When you being on this, you may think, “Oh, Doc will explain that Harry Potter sucks because JKR hates trans women” and I will say, oh no, dear reader, that is a fantastic reason to hate the author, and I really suggest we all continue to hate her, and perhaps not purchase the QUEEN’S TONNES of officially licensed merchandise and movies and theme parks that give her stupid little fucking hands all that cash, but no, that is not why I hate the work. There are a number of great works done by terrible people, and the further out the lens of history gets the truer this is.

I hate Harry Potter because it fucking sucks, and mentally stifled an entire fucking generation.

“Well, Doc, Harry Potter was really there for me when--” Oh my god I could not fucking care LESS about your personal emotion connection to “orphan wizard boy turns out to be a rich aristocrat yet somehow less woke than Cinderella though” I have personally emotional connections to hot fucking garbage pails of media properties, and if someone came barreling through talking about the myriad ways in which they were horrible, I would be like, “Oh, you aren’t fucking wrong, pal”

Harry Potter gained wild ass popularity in part due to its magnificent sorting system of Smart, Brave, Evil, and Other, because there’s nothing liberals like more than being able to put everyone’s personality into an easily labeled box, which is why astrology is so popular, or for the intellectuals, Myers-Briggs, which is just as fake but with the veneer of science. This allowed people to give into the tribalism they so desperately liked to pretend they did not possess, and also allow them to write thinkpieces about “The misunderstood Hufflepuff” or “Slytherins aren’t all bad!” or really anything that allows them to write a very real piece about their very imagined oppression for being a part of a totally fake house in a children’s book. Excellent use of your sociology degree, Kai, I thought the addition of phrases like, ‘Content of socialization” and “axes of oppression” really spoke to the struggles you face when wearing a green and silver scarf.

The other reason it became popular is that it’s essentially wallpaper paste formed into characters. I have read all of the books, and I could not tell you even remotely what Harry’s defining personality traits are other than “protagonist”. In American, at least, a large part of it was the fascination with all things British, with the idea of boarding school and prefects and uniforms that aren’t inexplicably chinos and polo shirts for nine year olds. It allowed children to project onto something so bland that it could be anything. And for children, THAT’S FINE. There is a great deal of bland media made for children, but what I’m speaking to is the fandom, which is largely well over the age of 18.

Because if we look at the books, are they...actually good? Was it good, or did I experience it as a child? I mean, honestly, on a literary level, are they, or was it just like we all watched Friends, we did it because everyone else was doing it, because I have a distinct memory of a series that involves such greats as “magical geegaws with poorly defined rules that are quickly forgotten despite being able to solve later problems quickly” or “Everyone loves Harry or is a bad guy, or secretly loved Harry all along”

Oh, speaking of, man, if this was an actual well-written book, wouldn’t it have been wild to have Snape’s whole thing be to teach us that sometimes people do good things for the wrong reasons? Instead of naming your fucking child after the guy who ‘protected you’ because he still wanted to bone your mom? “After all this time” “Always.”

While all this could have been explained, we have Quidditch added into the mix instead because 20 pages of the goddamn Puppy Bowl is exactly what I was looking for while I was waiting for JK to move the goddamn ball on literally any of these actual magical concepts.

Harry Potter is a fucking trust fund baby, star quarterback, who grows up to be a cop and marries his high school sweetheart. (Speaking of, why were we shocked that JKR turned out to be a piece of shit when this was and always has been the conclusion of Harry Potter? Why are liberals so fucking into this series that upholds structures like it ain’t no one’s business? It’s a series that opines that those beneath us “Muggles” should be kept in the dark from us) Literally, he finds out he is a wizard and has a dragon-guarded fucking VAULT OF CASH. At 11. It’s such a series for little tyrants, you are special from birth and need do nothing to prove it, here is a letter certifying as such. Oh, not only are you rich and the greatest seeker and have excellent quips, but also your parents were not only rebels, but the best of rebels, and so deeply involved that your parents were killed by the big bad personally, again, because you are so special. His mother’s love literally saves his ass over and over again, because he was SO SPECIAL. He fought Voldemort FROM THE BEGINNING, and WON. It’s literally the most privilege baby fantasy in the world.

“But Doooooooooooc, it’s for chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiildren”

A) Yeah, and you’re 32, you’re making my fucking point about Harry Potter setting an entire generation up for intellectual failure to launch.

B) Okay, and? I can think of a bunch of kids’ books off the top of my head that in no way require specialness to be given by birth so as to roll out the red carpet for master protagonist. The Hunger Games. Watership Down. A Series of Unfortunate Events. The Chronicles of FUCKING NARNIA, about which I have only a small handful of particularly kind things to say. I’ve never read Percy Jackson, but it’s my understanding that despite his being a literal demigod, the attitudes of the supporting cast are allowed to fall between the extremes of “Appreciates Percy” and “naughty or will learn” Harry does nothing to improve himself even after knowing that he is HUNTED BY THE BIG BAD! “I won’t do this because I don’t like Snape”. So There” which, again, if this series were written with the slightest bit of care or know-how, could be a humbling fucking plot point! BUT NO THAT WOULD BE NAUGHTY.

But the real reason I hate Harry Potter so much has everything to do with the fandom surrounding it, and how it intellectually stunted a generation of adults. The promise of Harry Potter was that it was supposed to make a new generation of readers, and so the popularity of them was pushed, and so there was discussion of teaching them in schools, but I tell you fucking what, I know a whole lot more folks who grew up reading Harry Potter that never advanced beyond reading YA, or even just rereading the entire series every year and that’s pretty much them done and dusted.

In the attempt to recapture whatever it was about Harry Potter that attracted children (A lot of it was your peers doing it. I read them all as they came out, and it was literally the equivalent of watching the game so you could talk at the water cooler. That was never going to be recaptured) people, who by this time were likely in their teens, kept getting recommended stuff at the same and same level. No one ever felt pushed to read things that are challenging, to read things that have some of the concepts or themes of Harry Potter but maybe complicate. I know FAR more adults who read adult books that aren’t into Harry Potter, even if they were as children, than the reverse.

But Doc, why is reading only books meant for 14 year olds a problem??? I mean I suppose I can’t convince you that comfort is not the job of literature or of life, it is the job of an easy chair, because Americans especially are decadent as fuck about being comfy cozy all the time and if anything causes them distress or pain it should be immediately avoided. But Maybe I can convince you that you’re fucking up these books for actual ass children who deserve to have their own writing section without adults bringing their fucking asses into it. They deserve their own spaces. There’s a number of YA editors who have talked about the difficult space YA now occupies because since Potter’s blowup, it’s no longer a niche category, but basically “adult easy reads” and so they have been buying books that are more about the tastes of adult buyers than of literal 14 year olds.

Is that not...sad? To anyone else? Honestly, and this is not part of the essay because it’s a broader reaching problem, but CHILDREN’S MEDIA IS NOT FOR US. CHILDREN’S MEDIA IS NOT FOR US. CHILDREN’S MEDIA IS FOR FUCKING CHILDREN. The fucking 40-23 set really needs to get their shit together and grow up a little bit and engage in some fucking adult media, and maybe, if we support what we’re actually looking for FOR ADULTS, it will come to us. No one is saying you can’t read Harry Potter or watch some Cartoon Network show, but like, search your heart and come the fuck on. Engage in something more complex. If not for yourselves, for the kids getting shoved into simplified adult stories. It should not be about us.

ANYWAY, my larger point is that it was Harry Potter, a badly written series about a magical boy who was chosen and magic and also rich and also a favorite of the headmaster and also more clever than most adults and also spoke the same magical snake language as the big bad and was also star quarterback, but at least there was a system in which you could buy a scarf in block colors and feel like you belonged to a team.

(But not a sports team! lol handegg! I’m cool I don’t get into sports! Except Quidditch.)

#TO say nothing of the fact that I haven't been able to wear gold and burgundy together without some dumbass comment for years #despite being a favored color combination #Anonymous #Eight Days 2020 #Holligay Rants and Raves #I didn't even GET to every point I had but it's been over an hour #GOD I HATE THIS FUCKING SERIES SO MUCH #Doc do you hate me for liking it?#oh sweet thing allow me to reassure you: Yes. Absolutely.#also the prose is god-awful #I've taught teenagers with better rpose

117 notes · View notes

itsclydebitches · 3 years

Note

Well, after eight years Team RWBY finally mattered. They finally did something no other member of the cast would have just done if they hadn't been there. Admittedly the thing they did was remove the Staff to crash and destroy two cities, while moving millions of people from an incredibly cold environment to a desert in no way prepared to receive them, getting most of those people killed on rainbow road or by grimm...but they did something! Yaayy character development.

What gets me... what really, really hits home... is how much of the actual plot we’d have to ignore to make Team RWBY look like heroes here. Because Salem is heading towards Atlas, yeah? I’ve mentioned multiple times in the past that if Team RWBY had posed any plan to Ironwood — literally any plan like “I have silver eyes” or “We can use the Staff for evacuation” or “Oscar has a giant grimm nuke in his cane because we actually established this earlier and/or met with the others before starting a fight” ANYTHING — then they’d have been 100% justified in condemning Ironwood when he chose to leave while the possibility of saving more people was on the table. But they didn’t. Exact same logic here. If they had dropped Atlas to evacuate everyone while Salem was in the midst of attacking them, then that’s justified too! Is dropping the city a good thing? No, but it’s arguably far better than letting the people that city houses all perish.

Yet where’s the danger? Not only did they give the group an ambiguous amount of time in which Salem needed to reform, not only did they fail to show the people who were actually in danger (the army) getting a portal out, not only did they show a contradictory moment where the grimm in the city were killed but then randomly re-appeared, not only did they come up with a plan that involved dropping Atlas while trying to convince the people in the crater (without communications) to leave fast enough before it crashed, not only did they introduce and then ignore the cold as a threat... not only did they do all of that, they also established that Salem didn’t care about the people. I mean, that was always an educated guess, but no one could have been sure she wouldn’t slaughter for the sake of slaughter until she nicely avoided attacking Mantle and then only attacked Atlas with the intent of snagging the Staff. So what do the heroes do?

They open the vault so that the Staff is vulnerable. Then they remove the Staff from the vault, rather than just leaving it there and getting Penny as far away from the entrance as possible (like, say, halfway across the world in Vacuo). If they had built their rainbow road and then left the Staff in its vault, no one would have been able to destroy their escape gateway, let alone snag the Staff itself. Hell, throw the Lamp in there too like you should have done weeks ago! Have Penny blast herself full-tilt towards the Vacuo portal and there, you’re done. No enemy can even force her to come back thanks to Weiss’ “one way trip” comment. Congratulations, if you want the Staff or the Lamp you have to somehow get this Maiden all the way back to Atlas. Instead, the group came up with a plan that destroyed an entire kingdom while carrying the Relic out in the open. So Cinder, and eventually Salem, of course snagged it. How stupid are these characters? The one thing Salem wants is to bring four Relics together to destroy the world... so let’s take the Relics out of their magical vaults and try to bring three of them into one place.

“But at least they saved the people!” Did they? I mean, were the people really in danger? Sure, sure we’re meant to believe they are and objectively things were Not Good, but we also undermined so many of the threats actually introduced. Cold is a non-issue, grimm were briefly wiped out, Happy Huntresses are (presumably) protecting against those that are left, whale is destroyed, Salem is reforming, and even Ironwood’s bomb is (from the group’s perspective) out of the picture. Why do we need to evacuate everyone again? It’s like the airship plan. We never established where the group intended to take these people, which means we never got the chance to weigh where the refugees currently were against where they were heading. Honestly, I’d say hanging out in the now warm crater with huntsmen defending you and the Big Bad literally not caring about your existence is a safer spot than running in chaos across void pathways to enter a hostile desert where grimm are actively attacking people. What did this accomplish except to make things worse? But of course, it’s not presented that way. We’re supposed to believe that the group heroically rescued who they could and faced unavoidable hardships along the way... rather than them actively endangering everyone from the get-go.

They lied to Ironwood, repeating Ozpin’s (presumed) mistake to a T

Jumped at the chance to make him an enemy (though, of course, the story was already determined to make him a villain by then, so)

Told the world about Salem even though now Atlas isn’t in a position to help defend everyone else from inevitable grimm attacks

Sat around waiting for others to come save them

Tried to prioritize their friend’s life over the lives of literally everyone in Atlas

Eventually realize when things are better that they can enact a crazy dangerous plan that was always available to them

Do that and in the process destroy the most advanced kingdom in the world, burying the majority of Remnant’s dust, technology, resources, etc. under water

Took the evacuees to a far more dangerous location, because there’s no way they could have realized that a) there are storms in a desert or b) that Ren couldn’t keep all the evacuees’ auras hidden forever

During all this one hero died and five others “died,” leaving the rest to handle this catastrophe on their own

Which... good, I guess? With Ozpin’s experience, Ren’s temporary self-awareness (snow scene), Nora’s determination, and Oscar’s hopeful attitude, they might actually accomplish something moving forward. I know we keep talking about the possibility of a time skip where Team RWBYJ return to find a dystopian Remnant, but it would be hilarious to me if they returned and found that things... weren’t that bad, actually. Yeah, Salem is still out there, but we’ve united the world and made good strides towards holding her off. Because oddly enough, leaving the fate of the world to this impulsive 17yo was a bad idea and the second she was removed from the picture, what do you know, better decisions were made! At the very least, the Vacuo group should be able to debate ideas now without the ever present expectation that Ruby will a) come up with something eventually, b) everyone must wait around until she does, and c) whatever she decides, no matter how stupid, that’s what they’re going with.

#Anonymous #rwby #mymetas

42 notes · View notes

daggryet · 3 years

Note

this might be a lot, but do you have the entire punz and dream convo transcribed?

i do!

i couldn't find the vod, but here's the video i used (i transcribed pretty much everything but the first few seconds).

i used the timers i did so people could go back and find the most important subjects:

- c!punz and c!dream's conversation about loyalty and him becoming a spy

- c!dream tells c!punz about the prison, what he intends to use it for and the technicalities of the prison

- c!dream says c!tommy has left exile

CONTEXT: DREAM wants to speak to PUNZ, PUNZ is currently thousands of blocks away and says it’ll take him a while to get back to the main SMP area. DREAM teleports him back.

0:24:

PUNZ: I am one of the most powerful on the server, so… I have a shulker box.

DREAM: Yeah, I never would have thought- I don’t know how you got here, I thought you said it was gonna take you a while

PUNZ: No, yeah, I was just bluffing. But I’m here now, so that’s all we needed, so-

DREAM: Let’s go for a walk, let’s go for a walk together.

PUNZ: Alright, Dream.

DREAM: Ehm, so you have been one of the only people that have been on my side since the server started. Every time there’s a conflict, you know, you’re always there to help.

PUNZ: Of course, of course.

DREAM: And you’re always there to have my back, and I know that I pay you - but still, it’s a little beyond that, I would think. And ehm-

PUNZ: Yeah, we’ve definitely grown a strong alliance, I would say. A strong friendship.

DREAM: And recently, everyone’s been turning against me. I don’t know who I have on the server, other than you right now, that’s on my side and that’s dangerous because - I mean - if they got together and were organized, I’m not sure I would be able to- however many of were on the entire server.

PUNZ: Yeah, there’s quite a bit of people on the server nowadays.

DREAM: Even if it was me and you, and I know we’re both very powerful, I don’t know what a 2v20-or-whatever would be, I think we would definitely lose. So-

PUNZ: Yeah, it wouldn’t be good, it wouldn’t be good. It would be tough, to say the least.

DREAM: So, yeah, I guess, I’m getting a tad worried. Ehm, I know… they went after Techno, and I can assume that means that they, you know, will probably go after me. I don’t know because I have no reason to believe that now they went after Techno, I feel like I’ve done way worse things to, eh… L’Manberg than Techno.

PUNZ: They’re going after people that just don’t, that don’t side with them, I guess you could say. You put the walls around L’Manberg so they probably really don’t like you for that.

DREAM: Yeah, and I helped Wilbur, I gave him the TNT to blow it up, and also I- I did a lot of things that even though I’m being good now, I am nervous.

PUNZ: Understandably.

DREAM: And I think that- there’s a couple things that we should talk about, but one; I think that you should… not be on my side.

PUNZ: Really?

DREAM: Well, you should, but you shouldn’t. Act like you’re not on my side. Because if you’re on my side, then you’ll be in danger, and probably before they take me out - they’ll try and take you out, and then I won’t be there to help you, and then… that would not be good. But if you’re not helping me, and you’re not on my side, then they have no reason to go after you, right? And you can always- you can tell me things, and you can keep me updated, and you can…

PUNZ: So, we’ll still be friends though, correct? I’ll-

DREAM: Yeah, no, no-

PUNZ: It’s just a show thing? DREAM: I mean, you’re essentially a spy.

PUNZ: A spy?

DREAM: Yeah.

PUNZ: Okay.

DREAM: But, in order for this to work, we have to do something that splits us apart. So, I don’t know what we can do, but we can think of something that I do to you, that you don’t like. That you then pretend like you’re outraged about, even though we planned it, right?

PUNZ: Okay, yes, more of like a- just to show everyone that… we have kind of disconnected.

DREAM: That you’re no longer on my side, that we disconnected, that you’re not on my side.

PUNZ: Exactly.

DREAM: That you’re done with assisting me.

4:12:

DREAM: So this is a prison.

PUNZ: Wow.

DREAM: Ehm, this is Pandora’s vault. And me and Awesamdude have been constructing it for a very long time, and we will continue constructing it. It’s not done, ehm, but-

PUNZ: Looks crazy.

DREAM: It does look crazy.

PUNZ: It’s massive.

DREAM: We’ve been doing a lot of- there’s a lot of stuff about it. But, Punz, when it’s done - any of our enemies, we can put inside it.

PUNZ: Any of them? Of our choosing?

DREAM: There are over 20 cells in the prison. And there’s a main cell that can have as many people as we want in it, that is inescapable. Like you literally can’t get out of it.

PUNZ: It’s insane.

DREAM: We’re gonna have elder guardians that give you mining fatigue, we have layers of obsidian with - you know - what inbetween for preventing withers and other countermeasures for withers. We have- we’re gonna fill the nether area with obsidian, that way no one can infiltrate that way. We have guards on duty 24/7. We have everything we can possibly do, and no one to oppose us.

PUNZ: This is absolutely mad, this is massive. And it looks good.

DREAM: Yeah, and until it’s done, though, obviously we can’t let anybody know that, you know, that’s even an idea, right? PUNZ: Oh yeah, for sure, does anyone even know about this? Besides Sam

DREAM: Well, I think there’s a few people that know about the prison. I know Bad knows about it, and some other people know about it, but nobody knows what it’s for. And no one from L’Manberg knows about it yet, other than- I think Quackity has seen it, but I don’t think that he understands what it is. And understands what it’s constructed for, so he’s- I don’t think anyone’s worried yet.

PUNZ: That’s good, that’s great. Even if Quackity, like, saw it, yeah I don’t think he’d understand what it is. He’s not the brightest, you know.

DREAM: And nobody can even- even once they know, at this point it’s too far into construction that they can’t even take it down or do anything.

PUNZ: Oh, definitely not.

DREAM: I mean, as soon as we put the elder guardians in, they can’t even- it takes 9 hours to break a single block. They won’t even be able to take it down.

PUNZ: That’s insane. So when-

DREAM: This is-

PUNZ: When is it gonna be put to use?

DREAM: Well, the prison should be done shortly after Christmas. Everything’s gone to plan so far, it’s just- things are speeding up a little, and it should be done shortly after Christmas.

PUNZ: Wow, that’s pretty soon.

DREAM: It is very soon. But the problem is that, until then we can’t, you know, we can’t- as long as, right now the server is kind of against me, we can’t be seen together, we can’t be- you know, right now we’re the only ones on the server, so this is fine. But we need to do something to make people think that, you know-

PUNZ: That we disconnected like we talked about, yes.

DREAM: Yeah, and once we do that, I think it’ll be good to stay like that for a while until we eventually, you know- the Dream SMP always, that’s something I’ve talked to you about before, it’s always been the goal that it’s all one united server, that everybody follows the same rules, there’s no countries, there’s no - you know - any of this. It’s just one giant, like family, right?

PUNZ: Yeah, a hundred percent, I agree. Everything you’ve done is just try and keep that feeling, I know what you mean.

DREAM: Before L’Manberg, there weren't any wars or anything, because there wasn’t any countries to have wars with, right?

PUNZ: Yeah, exactly.

DREAM: So I think that… there’s a lot that we can do, but there’s something, there’s something that I’m doing soon that- nobody’s gonna like me. And-

PUNZ: Alright. We need to disconnect as fast as possible, we need to think of something right now. that you can do- I don’t wanna be dragged down with you, if you-

DREAM: Yeah, yeah, we need to- I also have to say, I, at some point, will have to leave you. Leave you in charge here while I go far away to avoid death.

PUNZ: Leave me in charge? DREAM: Secretly. Your job would be to keep an eye on things and make sure that, you know, the Dream SMP thrives and doesn’t lose all of its power.

PUNZ: Yeah, yeah.

DREAM: ‘Cause even though we’re outnumbered, we’re still the most powerful.

PUNZ: Oh, by far. I mean, I have a shulker box, have you seen it?

DREAM: Yeah.

PUNZ: I’ll pull it out right now.

PUNZ takes the cyan shulker box out of his ender chest. Inside it is an enchanted netherite axe.

9:40: DREAM: Tommy left his exile.

PUNZ: He left his exile?

DREAM: He left. I went, he was gone, I don’t know where he is.

PUNZ: Really? That, that doesn’t seem- I feel like he was being so well behaved, and he’s left. Wow.

DREAM: Hm. I think that- you know Tommy.

PUNZ: Well, yeah, I know Tommy, of course I do.

DREAM: Yeah, I’ll- he, he doesn’t- he doesn’t like listening to people, but the thing is, I don’t know where he went. And I am going to have to go and find him, but I have other things I need to do as well, and like I said; people won’t like me very much, and as long as people don’t like me, they’ll be coming after me. And so, we need to do this. Let’s come up with what we need to do.

PUNZ: Well-

DREAM: What’s something that’s reasonable, that if I did - you would turn against me?

PUNZ: I mean, I think, a lot of people on the server know me for my build. My property, you could say, like the Christmas tree, my tower, my walls. You could break something of that, of a reasonable size to so that I’d have to repair it. I think that’s what people mostly know me for. Or I have Bumpkin, but I don’t really want you to touch Bumpkin.

DREAM: Yeah.

PUNZ: I’ve had Bumpkin for a while.

DREAM: What if we made a fake Bumpkin?

PUNZ: That sounds like a good idea.

DREAM: And we have to stage it so I kill Bumpkin in front of people. But not Actual Bumpkin, Fake Bumpkin.

PUNZ: Yeah, yeah, Fake Bumpkin. I’ll have to hide Bumpkin, I’ll have to make somewhere to hide Bumpkin for a little while, I guess.

DREAM: Yeah, yeah, just for a couple of days and then you have a new one, and you can always just say that it’s a new Bumpkin when really it’s not.

PUNZ: Yeah, that sounds like a relatively good idea.

#ask #anon #long post #in case it doesn't cut off at the read more mark for someone

16 notes · View notes

thelittlesttimelord · 3 years

Text

The Littlest Timelord: The New Doctor Chapter 7

TITLE: The Littlest Timelord: The New Doctor Chapter 7 PAIRING: No Pairing RATING: T CHAPTER: 7/? SUMMARY: With the Doctor newly regenerated, he and Elise must now navigate their new relationship. The Doctor is an old man and Elise is a headstrong young woman. She is no longer the scared little girl the Doctor saved all those years ago. Will Clara be able to keep them from killing each other?

[A/N - Been a while, huh! Not sure who’s still here, but I’m trying to not pressure myself to work on this, because I do have other interests and ideas.]

“The Daleks will be victorious. The rebels will be exterminated.”

“Colonel? What's happening out there?” Journey asked, but they got no answer, only Rusty yelling, “Exterminate.”

“Dalek fleet. Communications open.”

“Doctor, what happened?” Clara asked.

“Do you see?” the Doctor said.

“Do I see what?”

“Daleks don't turn good. It was just radiation affecting its brain chemistry, nothing more than that. No miracle.”

“Let me get this straight. We had a good Dalek, and we made it bad again? That's all we've done?” Journey asked.

“There was never a good Dalek. There was a broken Dalek and we repaired it.” “You were supposed to be helping us.”

“I gave it a shot. It didn't work out. It was a Dalek, what did you expect?”

“No more talking. You are done! Okay, new objective. We are taking this Dalek down.”

“With us inside? Are you insane!” Elise yelled.

“Exterminate. Exterminate.”

The Doctor turned to look at Clara. “What's that look for?”

“It's the look you get when I'm about to slap you.” She slapped him hard, surprising both the Doctor and Elise.

“Ow. Clara!”

“Are we going to die in here? I mean, there's a little bit of you that's pleased. The Daleks are evil after all. Everything makes sense. The Doctor is right!”

“Daleks are evil. Irreversibly so. That's what we just learned.”

“No, Doctor, that is not what we just learned!”

“Exterminate. Exterminate.”

Clara looked at Elise, who nodded, encouraging the small brunette to go on. If anyone could calm down this situation, it was Clara, not two hotheaded Scottish Timelords.

“We need to place these charges for maximum effect. I'm going to scan the rest of the architecture for weaknesses,” Journey told her fellow soldier.

“One question,” Clara said.

“No time.”

“Why did we come here today? What was the point?” Clara turned to the Doctor. “You. You thought there was a good Dalek. What difference would one good Dalek make?”

“All the difference in the universe, but it's impossible,” the Doctor said.

“Is that a fact? Is that really what we've learned today? Think about it. Is that what we learned?”

“Journey, what the hell's happening? That thing's set the Daleks on us. And it's locked us out of our defenses. Journey, you're the Aristotle's only hope. I need you to destroy that Dalek,” Journey’s uncle said.

“The rebels will be exterminated.”

“Whatever it takes.”

“Understood, Uncle,” Journey told him.

“I'm sorry.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Clara Oswald, do I really not pay you?” the Doctor asked.

Clara smiled. “You couldn't afford me.”

The Doctor ran over to Journey. “Whatever you're going to do, don't do it. This Dalek must not be destroyed. We can do better.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“No, I'm inside a Dalek. I'm standing where I've never been. We cannot waste this chance. It won't come again.”

“What chance? I have my orders.”

“Soldiers take orders.”

“And I'm a soldier.”

“A Dalek is a better soldier than you will ever be. You can't win this way.”

Journey held up a grenade, ready to pull the pin, but then put it down. “Argh! So what do we do?”

“Something better.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“The Dalek isn't just some angry blob in a Dalekanium tank,” the Doctor said as he pulled the women over the ledge, “If it was, the radiation would have turned it into a raging lunatic.”

“It is a raging lunatic, it's a Dalek,” Journey commented.

Elise had to admit she had a point.

“But for a moment, it wasn't. The radiation allowed it to expand its consciousness, to consider things beyond its natural terms of reference. It became good. That means a good Dalek is possible. That's what we learned today. Am I right, teach?”

“Top of the class!”

“But now it's back to how it was,” Journey said.

“But what it saw, what it felt, is still there.”

“Yeah, I'm not really seeing that.”

“Not here. There.” He pointed up.

A lightbulb went off in Elise’s mind. “Oh my god.” She locked eyes with the Doctor and he nodded. “That’s brilliant! If it works that is…”

“Someone explain to me what’s going on. You want us to go to the cortex vault?” Journey asked, not following the father and daughter’s silent conversation.

“The evil engineering?” Clara asked.

“Every memory recorded. Some suppressed, but all still intact. We need to show the Dalek that star being born again. Recreate that moment. You need to get up there, find that moment and reawaken it.”

“Me?��

“Yes, you. Good idea.”

“How?”

“Haven't the foggiest. Do a clever thing. And then once you've done it, the Dalek will be suggestible to new ideas. It will be open again. And I will show it something that will change its mind forever.”

“What?” Journey asked him.

“Not a clue.”

“This is crazy. There is no way that we can get back up there in time.”

“Yes, there is,” the female soldier said. She cocked her harpoon rifle.

“No, Gretchen. It'll bring the antibodies back down on us.”

Gretchen turned to Clara. “Tell me the truth. Is he mad, or is he right? I've come this far. Probably going to die anyway. Wouldn't mind something to do for the rest of my life. Is he mad, or is he right?”

“Hand on my heart? Most days he's both,” Clara told her.

Gretchen turned to the Doctor. “One question, then. Is this worth it?”

“If I can turn one Dalek, I can turn them all. I can save the future.”

“Gretchen Alison Carlisle. Do something good and name it after me.”

“I will do something amazing, I promise.”

“Damn well better.” Gretchen primed her harpoon.

“No, Gretchen,” Journey cried.

Gretchen fired two wires up to the cranial ledge. “Go.”

Antibodies started to approach.

“They're coming. They're coming,” Clara said.

Journey fastened a pulley onto the wire. “Grab hold of the rope. Don't look down,” she told Clara.

“Good luck,” Gretchen said.

Journey and Clara flew upward.

Gretchen started shooting the antibodies as the Doctor grabbed Elise by the arm, pulling her away.

“You shouldn’t have to watch that,” he said softly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They wandered through the Dalek until they came to the compartment that held the Dalek itself.

“Well, Rusty, here we are. Eye to eye,” the Doctor said.

“You cannot save the humans. They will be exterminated. I shall join the Dalek units in the final attack.”

“I saved your life, Rusty. Now I'm going to go one better. I'm going to save your soul.”

“Daleks do not have souls.”

“Oh, no? Imagine if you did. What then, Rusty? What would happen then?”

There were flashes and images of dying soldier appeared on the screens around them.

“Your memories. I'm about to give some back to you.”

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and start to cut through the tubing covering the Dalek’s neurons. “See, all those years ago, when I began…I was just running. I called myself the Doctor, but it was just a name. And then I went to Skaro. And then I met you lot and I understood who I was. The Doctor was not the Daleks.”

Elise had never heard this story before, even after traveling with him for over a thousand years at this point.

The Doctor pulled out some of the neurons.

More memories flashed on the screen. Daleks flying in space and attacking a ship.

“Oh, look. It's your memories again. It's like somebody's mucking about up there. Memories, all those memories. Do you remember the star you saw being born?”

“I…I remember.”

The memory of the star being born appeared on the screen.

“You saw the truth, Rusty. Remember how you felt. You saw a star being born. The endless rebirth of the universe.”

“No.”

“And you realized the truth about the Daleks…”

“Truth? What is the truth?”

“Let me show you the truth. I've opened your mind and now I'm coming in.” The Doctor spliced two pieces of a neuron together. He cried out in pain.

“Doctor!” Elise yelled. She wanted to grab him and stop him, but they’d been traveling together for so long that she had to have faith that he knew what he was doing.

“I'm part of you. My mind is in your mind,” the Doctor told him.

“I see your mind, Doctor. I see your universe.”

“And isn't the universe beautiful?”

“I see beauty.”

“Yes, that's good. That is good. Hold on to that.”

“I see endless, divine perfection.”

“Make it a part of you. Remember how you feel right now. Put it inside you and live by it.”

“I see into your soul, Doctor. I see beauty. I see divinity. I see hatred.”

“Hatred?”

“I see your hatred of the Daleks and it is good.”

“No, no, no. You must see more than that, there must be more than that.”

“Death to the Daleks. Death to the Daleks. Death to the Daleks.”

“No, there must be more than that. There must be more than that. Please.”

“Daleks are evil. Daleks must be exterminated. Daleks are evil. Daleks must be exterminated. Exterminate. The Daleks are exterminated.”

“Of course they are. That's what you do, isn't it?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“What about you, Rusty?” Clara asked after they returned to being normal-sized.

“I must go with them,” Rusty said.

“Of course you must. You've unfinished work, haven't you?” the Doctor asked.

“Victory is yours, but it does not please you.”

“You looked inside me and you saw hatred. That's not victory. Victory would have been a good Dalek.”

“I am not a good Dalek. You are a good Dalek.” Rusty turned to leave, then looked back at the Doctor.

“Till the next time,” the Doctor said. He turned away and made his way back to the TARDIS.

“Is he leaving? Isn't he going to say goodbye?” Journey asked.

“I think that was it. Yep, that was it. Sorry, got to run,” Clara said. She grabbed Elise’s hand and they followed after him.

As they reached the TARDIS, Journey came up behind them. “Doctor. Take me with you.”

“I think you're probably nice. Underneath it all, I think you're kind and you're definitely brave. I just wish you hadn't been a soldier,” the Doctor told her.

They went inside the TARDIS and took off.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Clara came back into the control room in a new set of clothes. “How do I look?”

“Sort of short and round-ish, but with a good personality, which is the main thing,” the Doctor told her.

“I meant my clothes. I just changed.”

“Oh, good for you, still making an effort.”

The TARDIS landed.

“Okay, right, you're back in your cupboard, thirty seconds after you left.”

“When will I see you again?”

“Oh. Soon, I expect. Or later. One of those.”

Clara walked over to the door and opened it. “I don't know.”

“I'm sorry?”

“You asked me if you're a good man and the answer is, I don't know. But I think you try to be and I think that's probably the point.”

“I think you're probably an amazing teacher.”

“I think I'd better be.” Before she left, Elise walked over to her.

“Hey Clara?”

“Yeah, Elise?”

“…have fun on your date. He must be pretty special.”

Clara smiled. “He is.” Clara left and the Doctor put the TARDIS in flight.

“I’m sorry,” Elise said.

“For what?”

“That things didn’t turn out the way you planned.”

The Doctor shrugged. “What’s new?”

Elise looked at him.

“What is it?”

“I guess…part of me thought it might have worked. That there was a good Dalek. I thought that…that maybe the Time War would finally be over.”

The Doctor flipped a few switches. “What about the 70’s? You always loved that decade.”

Elise frowned. “I…I used to. Not anymore.”

“Okay, well where do you want to go?”

“I think I’ll just go read something the library.”

The Doctor tried not to let the disappoint show. Maybe she wasn’t comfortable going somewhere with him alone yet. He could respect that. Maybe she needed more time to adjust to the change. “Oh, of course. We’ve had quite day.”

Elise turned to go to her room, a tear escaping her eye. She could appreciate that he was trying, but it was like this body forgot everything his previous body knew about her.

#Twelfth Doctor #twelfth doctor imagine #twelfth doctor fanfiction #doctor who imagine #doctor who #Doctor Who fanfiction #clara oswald #clara oswald imagine #the littlest timelord #the littlest timelord: the new doctor #into the dalek

13 notes · View notes

gobsnacc · 4 years

Text

The wizards tower

(Looks something sort of like this, but not exactly. This is just a reference photo from my sims game)

HISTORY:

The wizards tower is actually an old prison tower that used to house all of river rock ridges most notorious criminals. It was a solitary grey stone tower made to look like a castle turret, (but with a spire hood. ) placed on an island in the middle of a lake infested with crocdillians and piranha, in the middle of a dark forest said to be cursed by a witch.

The tower fell into ruin and disuse after the last warden was killed in a riot, the remaining prisoners trying to flee in the lake were killed by the deadly creatures within, and their spirits haunted the tower, island, lake and surrounding forest. But that was over fifty years before svetza was even born.

DISCOVERY:

Everyone in river rock ridge avoided the area, save for the stupid or the brave. (Is there really a difference?) that is until Svetza graduated magic school and came home with an odd cast of friends. The goblin now wizard took her merry band of misfits into the forest, across the lake, and right into the tower.And this is what they found.

The forest had been cursed by a scorned lover who also happened to be a witch, his wife left him for the last warden of the tower. The curse was set to destroy the wardens life and work, it made the forest deadly with poison mist whick floated to the island across the lake, drove the prisoners mad and started the riot. The lake was already dying due to the over salinity of its waters and overpopulation of creatures. The tower, its grounds, the lake and forest were all indeed haunted by the spirits of the numerous dead men.

Healing

So Svetza and levi, set out to heal it.

Levi the vampire was well versed in the was of exorsims due to his many years of life and love of the occult. Cleansed the area of any spirits that remained tied to or were drawn to the towers forest.

Svetza being a wizard fresh from school, knew plenty of counter curses to help lift the curse on the area.

Svetza and levi having deep connections with the earth were able to use those connections to clense, heal, balance and bring nutriants back into the forest, its soil, the lake and its plants and waters, and the island with its rock, soil and plants.

Svetza being somewhat unhinged and Levi damn near unkillable, the pair then dove into the lake to catch all the terrible creatures with in that they then relocated to more appropriate areas needing those types of creatures. Finally employed a spell to clean all the salt from the water leaving it now a fresh water system. (Levi purified the salt and uses it in potions, svetza and uses it in her cooking)

Construction and landscaping

Levi having lived so long and owned so many properties, and svetza being a learn and fix it yourself kinda gal, they rebuilt the crumbling infrastructure of the stone tower, dug out/designed and built a large basement for the tower, in the islands heart.

Svetza modernized it with central heating/cooling. Electricity. Heated and cooled water. Temperature controlled the basement. Vaulted all the floos except the ground level floor.

Svetza then placing magical enhancements, wards and other magical defences.

Levi and svetza grew two gardents, the left a potions ingredients garden , the right one an edible garden for cooking.

The tower now and its setup

All manner of magical, non magical, human and nonhuman clientelle and gawkers can be found in and around the towers walls and premisis.

Basement level

Running Along the back wall is the potions storage. All ingredients for potions are catagorized and stored here.

To the left of the hallway

immediately under/behind the potions storeroom is Levis potions lab, Its where the vampiric apothecary makes his shops inventory.

Directly below his lab are two food storage rooms, the left most one a cold storage, refrigeration and freezer units can be found within. To the right of that is the dry storage room. Dry, canned, and jarred goods as well as extra kitchen equipment can be found in there.

To the right of the hallway

Immediately under/behind the potions storeroom is Svetzas potions lab, its where she makes specialty potions for whatever is needed wherever. Usually for journeys or jobs.

Drectly below that, connected by a shelved door is svetzas wizards lab. In here is where she does summonings, Or seances, spells items, counter hexes items, hexes items, makes wands m, staffs, and brooms or tweakes her own magical items and so on.

In the very front of the basement, also running along the wall is the Library, all manner of important or rare magical documents, books, maps and information can be found within. To the left of that is a reading nook where books can be read or copied into other books. But they can never leave the library. The librarian (yet un-created) frequently does restorations down there of old or damaged texts.

Random important basement facts.

Both potions labs are connected to the store room by conceked shelved doors.

The wizard lab can also be accessed by a halway door.

The labs are highly spelled, charmed, and warded to keep them exceptionally safe for the potions masters within, and all the rest of the rooms outside of them. They are BLAST, DEMON, FIRE, EARTHQUAKE and FLOOD, PROOF. They are arguably the most secure rooms in the tower, and for good reason.

Each potions lab has a plaque over the door that glows with the words “IN USE” when someones brewing potions or doing spellwork, that way they arent disturbed.

There is a doorway under the basement stairs that opens to a wall. (Ill tell you what it does later.)

The library is protected not only by the librarian, but by spelled suits of armor. They act as defenders of the library should anyone manage to break in or try to steal anything.

Not pictured: bathroom in the bottom left hand corner.

Ground floor

The ground floor is cozy cafe. Food and drink can be eaten while waiting to be directed to whomevers help you needed.

Svetza and levi rotate for the cooking or baking.

Everyone rotates on welcome duty.

An alarm chimes in the home and on everyones shell phones when someone enters the ground floor cafe should no one be around. That way SOMEONE can handle helping them.

The bookshelves inside are filled with fun reading material, like how to join a coven or what to do on a full moon to respect your werewolf neighbor. Silly things, magazines of various kinds, advertisements for shops in town, childrens books, board games and so on.

There is a back door that does not lead outside. (Ill tell you why later)

Not pictured: bathroom in the bottom left hand corner

Second floor - Apothecary shop

The shelves are filled with pre brewed and some mass produced potions.

The shelves in the upper left hand corner are special order potions and magical items.

The book on the podium is actually an in shop catalog folks can look at to help them find what they are looking for.

You use little cauldrons to shop with and all goodies are sent home in little coffins. Any bottles and coffins brought back get you a discount on your next order.

In case of spills there is a wash station in the upper right hand corner of the shop.

There is a back door despite being on the second floor that does not lead outside (Ill tell you why later)

Not pictured: bathroom in the bottom lefthand corner

Third floor - wizards office and antiquities shop and rentals

All the shelves in her office are filled with magical items. Some are cursed, some arent. Almost all of them are either for rent or sale depending on a case by case basis.

Svetzas desk where she does buisness with clients.

Her desk has little candy dispensers for clients. They do magical things like smoke or change colour to help keep things light hearted.

The shelves nearest her desk on either side are actually file cabnits with client information and requests.

In the upper right hand corner of her office is a set of cabnits with special order items (either quested or created) for clients, and the extremely dangerous items that are not to be rented or sold ever.

Behing her desk is a door, despite being on the third floor, and opens to the wall. (Tell you why soon)

Not pictured: bathroom in lower left hand corner.

Fouth floor - meditation and healing room

Bean bag chairs and beds can be found in this sterile environment. This floor is for folks suffering from but not limited too: magical maladies, natural sickness, mental illness, broken bones. Drug or drinking problems.

The room is actually seperate rooms in one made for the purpose of healing folks suffering from an array of problems.

Run by svetza and levi as they both have medicinal experience. Watched over by jasper and void (svetzas cats) who give off calming energies.

Not pictured: his and hers full baths.

Back door, despite being on the fourth floor that opens to the wall. (Just about to tell you why!)

Large windows that can be opened for fresh breeze!

Can be used as a makeshift place to stay if needed.

Random Tower facts

All chandeliers in the tower are electric.

There are spelled mops/ dusters and rags on every floor that keep the whole place clean.

There are floating jars all over the tower that have within them, small suns. A spell of svetzas own design.

Small suns can be purchased!

Those doors i kept telling you about are actually portals! BUT they can only be used by a holder of a crystal key enscribed with svetzas magic symbol. They lead to their house. Each door has a crystal above it that glows green when free or red when in use.

Each floor has a bathroom.

All above ground floors have windows

The tower is a cylindrical shape with only one balcony on the fourth floor. Meaning all rooms are actually circular in shape.

The basement is also a large circular shape.

There is a door in each of their homes that link to all the portals in the tower (and the travelers caravan). That door has a dial with all the places its linked too labeled on it. that can be turned to control where you end up at, from the house. Not the other way around. The portals from the tower are one way.

Handi accessible ways to

Outside the tower - on the island

There are well lit and marked foot paths and entrances leading from all around the island that lead to the front entrance.

The lights are svetzas spelled sun jars.

The gardens are actually kept in crystal green houses to keep them safe from eachother, and from guests.

Spelled flower boats made by the combined efforts of Svetza and unnamed partner, leave to and from all around the island to the edges of the whole lake at twenty muinets intervals with ten muinet rest times for loading and unloading. This happens 24/7

Pretty trees and flowers that are non magical and mostly non edible, grow along the paths and in flower boxes outside of windows.

The greenhouses house dangerous non magical and magical plants. Which is why they are not accessible to the public.

Outside the tower - the lake

The lake is still dangerous, just not as much as it once was. Since being cleaned and fixed up, some of the original inhabitants have moved back in.

The water IS drinkable (but its not reccomend)

Fish, aquatic mammals, mollusk, crustation and fowl live in, on, and around the fresh water lake.

The mermaids have moved back in. They have promised not sing siren songs in the lake. They must go to the ocean if they wish to do so. But they do SING. Just not siren songs.

The lake is surprisingly deep

The only safe place on the lake is the shore, boat, or island.

The mermaids bring fresh fish and clams to the island on a weekly basis. Large pots of stew are made as thankyous.

The crew are the only ones allowed in the water unmolested.

There are warning signs around the lake that tell of the creatures that live in it and the rules.

Mermaid watching is a popular activity along the shore, its not uncommon to find folks gathered around to talk or play or sing with the mer folk.

The mermaid act as security for the island as a thankyou and to keep their home safe!

Outside the tower - the forest

After reviving the forest its original inhabitants moved back in. So its not uncommon to find :

centaur and other taur creatures roaming about.

saytrs

Unicorns

There are even a few small dragons roaming around

The fae folk

Forest elves

Griphons (some smaller species of them)

And more not listed.

Svetza and company have made sure there are well marked, lit, warded and easily recognized foot paths and roads through the forest to get to the tower and around it.

The forest isnt as dangerous as it once was, but it still dangerous. Leaving the marked and protected foot paths and roads will possibly get you killed.

The forests inhabitants have all agreed to leave travelers along those paths alone as a thankyou to the crew for bringing back their homes. But anyone who strays off the path is free game depending on who finds them first.

Svetza and crew are the ONLY ones currently allowed to move through the forest freely and unmolested.

There are warning signs at all entrances and exists that tell you not to enter the forest for fear of death and what can be found in the forest.

Despite the warning signs, people do stick close to the edges of the safe zones to try and get glimpses of the creatures that live within.

Some of the more friendly creatures actively visit the safezones for interactions.

#personal world building #world building #the wizards tower

30 notes · View notes

sinceileftyoublog · 3 years

Text

Riot Fest 2021: 9/16-9/19, Douglass Park

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Much like Pitchfork Music Festival earlier this month, this past weekend’s Riot Fest felt relatively normal. Arriving at Douglas Park every day, you were greeted by the usual deluge of attendees in Misfits t-shirts and dyed hair, the sound of faint screams and breakneck guitars and drums emanating from nearby stages. The abnormal aspects of the fest, at least as compared to previous incarnations, we’re already used to by now from 2021 shows: To get in, you had to show proof of vaccination and/or a negative test no older than 48 hours, which means that unvaxxed 4-day attendees had to get multiple tests. Props to the always awesome staff at Riot Fest for actually checking the cards against the names on government-issued IDs.

For a festival that dealt with a plethora of last-minute changes due to bands dropping out because of COVID-19 caution (Nine Inch Nails, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr.) or other reasons (Faith No More/Mr. Bungle because of concerns around Mike Patton’s well-being), there were very few bumps in the road. Whether Riot Fest had bands like Slipknot, Anthrax, or Rise Against in their back pocket as replacements or not, it very much felt like who we saw Thursday-Sunday was always supposed to be the lineup, even when laying your eyes on countless “Death to the Pixies” shirts. Sure, one of the fest’s main gimmicks--peeling back the label on Goose Island’s Riot Fest Sucks Pale Ale to reveal the schedule--was out of date with inaccurate set times and bands, and it still would have been so had Faith No More and Mr. Bungle stayed, since Fucked Up had to drop out last minute due to border issues. But the festival, as always, rolled with the punches.

The sets themselves offered the circle pit and crowdsurfing-inducing punk and metal you’re used to, with a few genre outliers. For so many bands of all styles, Riot Fest represented their first live show in years, and a few acts knew the exact number of days since their last show. For every single set, the catharsis in the crowd and on stage was palpable, not exactly anger, or elation, but pure release.

Here were our favorite sets of the festival, in chronological order.

WDRL

Last October, WDRL (which, amazingly, stands for We Don’t Ride Llamas) announced themselves with a Tweet: “y’all been looking for an alt black band,, well here you go”. A band of Gen Z siblings, Chase (lead guitar), Max (lead vocals), Blake (drums), and Kit Mitchell (bass guitar), WDRL is aware, much like Meet Me @ The Altar (who, despite my hyping, I couldn’t make it in time to see) that they’re one of too few bands of POCs in the Riot Fest-adjacent scene. Their set, one of the very first of the weekend during Thursday’s pre-party, showed them leading by example, the type of band to inspire potentially discouraged Black and brown folks to start punk bands. Max is a terrific vocalist, able to scream over post-punk, scat over funk, and coo over slow, soulful R&B swayers with the same ease. The rest of the band was equally versatile, able to pivot on a dime from scuzzy rock to hip hop to twinkling dream pop. Bonus points for covering Splendora’s “You’re Standing On My Neck”, aka the Daria theme song.

Joyce Manor

Joyce Manor’s self-titled debut is classic. The best part of it as an album play-through at a festival? It’s so short that you can hear it and you’ll still have half a set for other favorites. So while the bouncy “Orange Julius”", “Ashtray Petting Zoo”, and ultimate singalong “Constant Headache” were set highlights, the Torrance, CA band was able to burn through lots from Never Hungover Again, Cody, Million Dollars to Kill Me, and their rarities collection Songs From Northern Torrance. Apart from not playing anything from Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (seriously, am I the only one who loves that record?), Joyce Manor were stellar, from the undeniable hooks of “Heart Tattoo” to the churning power chords of “Catalina Fight Song”. After playing “Christmas Card”, Johnson and company gave one final nod to the original fest cancellation, My Chemical Romance, who were slated to headline 2020, then 2021, and now 2022. If you ever wondered what it would sound like hearing a concise punk band like Joyce Manor take on the bombast of “Helena”, you found out. Hey, it was actually pretty good!

Patti Smith

Behold: a full Patti Smith set! After being shafted by the weather last time around, a sunglasses-laden Smith decided not to fuck around, leading with the inspiring “People Have The Power”, her voice as powerful as I’ve ever heard it. Maybe it was the influence of Riot Fest, but she dropped as many f-bombs as Corey Taylor did during Slipknot’s Sunday night headlining set. After reluctantly signing an adoring crowd member’s copy of Horses, she quipped, “I feel bad for you have to cart that fucking thing around.” It wasn’t just the filthy banter: This was Smith at her most enraptured and incendiary, belting during “Because The Night” and spitting during a “Land/Gloria” medley, reciting stream-of-consciousness hallucinogenic lyrics about the power of escape in the greatest display of stamina the festival had to offer.

Circa Survive

“It feels good to dance,” declared Circa Survive lead singer Anthony Green. The heart and soul of the Philadelphia rock band, who cover ground from prog rock to post-hardcore and emo, Green was in full form during the band’s early Friday set, his falsetto carrying the rolling “The Difference Between Medicine and Poising Is in the Dose” and the chugging “Rites of Investiture”. While the band, too, can throw down, they’re equally interesting when softer and more melodic, Brendan Ekstrom‘s twinkling guitars lifting “Child of the Desert” and “Suitcase”. Ending with the one-two punch of debut Juturna’s introspective “Act Appalled” and Blue Sky Noise’s skyward “Get Out”, Green announced the band would have a new record coming soon, one you hope will cover the sonic and thematic ground of even just those two tracks.

Thrice

Thrice played their first show since February 2020 the same day they’d release their 11th studio album, Horizons/East (Epitaph). To a crowd of fans that came to hear their favorite songs, though, the Irvine, California band knew better than to play a lot of the new record, instead favoring tracks like The Artist in the Ambulance’s spritely title cut and Vheissu standout “The Earth Will Shake”. Yeah, they led with a Horizons/East song making its live debut, the dreamy, almost Deftones-esque “Scavengers”, and later in the set they’d reveal the impassioned “Summer Set Fire to the Rain”. But the set more prominently served to emphasize lead vocalist Dustin Kensrue’s gruff delivery, on “All the World Is Mad” and “in Exile”, the rhythm section’s propulsive playing buoying his fervency. And how about Teppei Teranishi’s finger tapping on “Black Honey”?!? Thrice often favor the slow build-up, but they offered plenty of individually awesome moments.

Smashing Pumpkins

William Patrick Corgan entered the stage to dramatic strings, dressed in a robe, with white face paint except for red hearts under his eyes. He looked like a ghost. That’s pretty much where the semi-serious theatricality ended. The Smashing Pumpkins’ first Chicago festival headlining set in recent memory was the rawest they’ve sounded in a while, counting when they played an original lineup-only set at the United Center a few years back. It was also the most fun I’ve ever seen Corgan have on stage. Though they certainly selected and debuted from their latest electropop turn Cyr, Corgan, guitarist James Iha, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, guitarist Jeff Schroeder, and company more notably dug deep into the vault, playing Gish’s “Crush” for the first time since 2008, Adore’s “Shame” for the first time since 2010, and Siamese Dream barnburner “Quiet” for the first time since 1994 (!). Best, every leftfield disco jam like set opener “The Colour Of Love”, “Cyr”, and “Ramona” was quickly followed by something heavy and/or recognizable, Chamberlin’s limber drum solos elevating even latter-day material like “Solara”. At one point, Corgan, a self-described “arty fuck,” admitted that years ago he would have opted for more experimental material, but he knew the crowd wanted to hear classics, the band then delving into a gorgeous acoustic version of “Tonight, Tonight”. And while Kate Bush coverer Meg Myers came out to sing Lost Highway soundtrack industrial ditty “Eye”, it was none other than legendary local shredder Michael Angelo Batio who stole the show, joining for the set closer, a pummeling version of Zeitgeist highlight “United States”. Leaning into the cheese looks good on you, Billy.

The Bronx

Credit to L.A. punk rock band The Bronx, playing early on a decidedly cooler Saturday early afternoon, for making me put in my earplugs outside of the photo pit. Dedicating “Shitty Future” to Fucked Up (who, as we mentioned, had to drop out), the entire band channeled Damian Abraham’s energy on piercing versions of “Heart Attack American” as well as “Superbloom” and “Curb Feelers” from their latest album Bronx VI (Cooking Vinyl). Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne’s guitars stood out, providing choppy rhythms on “Knifeman” and swirling solos on “Six Days A Week”.

Big Freedia

The New Orleans bounce artist has Big Diva Energy, for the most part. After her DJ pumped up the crowd to contemporary Southern rap staple “Ayy Ladies” by Travis Porter, Big Freedia walked out and showed that “BDE”, firing through singles like “Platinum” and “N.O. Bounce” as her on-stage dancers’ moves ranged from delicate to earth-shaking. At this point, Freedia can pretty much do whatever she wants, effortlessly segueing between a cover of Drake’s “Nice For What” to “Strut”, her single with electropop DJ Elohim, to a cover of Beyone’s “Formation”. Of course, the set highlight was when she had volunteers from the crowd come up and shake and twerk--two at a time to keep it COVID-safe--all while egging them on to go harder. Towards the end of the set, after performing the milquetoast “Goin’ Looney” from the even-worse-than-expected Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack, she pulled out the beloved “Gin in my System”. “I got that gin in my system,” she sang, the crowd singing back, “Somebody gonna be my victim,” a refrain that compositionally not only leaves plenty of room for the thundering bass but is thematically a statement of total power--over sexism, racism, the patriarchy--even in the face of control-altering substances.

Les Savy Fav

During Les Savy Fav’s set, lead singer Tim Harrington at various points--*big breath*--went into the crowd, deepthroated an audience member’s mohawk spike, found a discarded manikin head with a wig on it, revealed the words “deep” and “dish” painted on his thighs and a drawing of a Red Hot on his back, rode a crowd member like a horse, made a headband out of pink tape, donned ski goggles, surfed on top of a door carried by the crowd, squeezed his belly while the camera was on it to make it look like his belly button was singing, and referred to himself as a “slippery eel.” Indeed, the legend of Les Savy Fav’s live show starts and ends with Harrington’s ridiculous antics, as he’s all but out of breath when actually singing dance-punk classics like “Hold On To Your Genre”, “The Sweat Descends”, and “Rome (Written Upside Down)”. We haven’t heard much in terms of new music from Les Savy Fav in over 10 years--their most recent album was 2010′s Root For Ruin--but I could see them and the extremely Aughts genre in general become staples of Riot Fest as albums like Inches, The Rapture’s Echoes, and !!!’s Louden Up Now reach the 20-year mark. Dynamic vocalists, tight bands, and killer grooves: What’s not to love?

State Champs

This set likely wins the award for “most immediate crowd surfers,” which I guess is to be expected when you begin your set with a classic track 1--album 1 combination. “Elevated” is the State Champs number that will cause passers-by to stop and watch a couple songs, the type of song that can pretty much only open or close a set. And because they opened with it, the crowd immediately ramped up the energy. It’s been three years since the last State Champs full-length, Living Proof, so they were in prime position to play some new songs. As such, they performed their bubblegummy “Outta My Head” and “Just Sound” and faithfully covered Fall Out Boy’s “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago” (releasing a studio version earlier this week). But the tracks from The Finer Things and Around the World and Back were, as usual, the highlights, like “All You Are Is History”, “Remedy”, “Slow Burn”, and set closer “Secrets”. At the end of the day, it didn’t entirely matter: The crowd knew every word of every song.

Bayside

Putting State Champs and Bayside back-to-back on the same stage made an easy decision for the many pop-punk bands at Riot Fest. Bayside’s been at it for twice as long, so the breadth of their setlist across their discography is more variable. Moreover, they’ve thrice revisited their discography with acoustic albums of old songs, so even their staples are subject to change. They provided solid versions of Killing Time standouts “Already Gone” and “Sick, Sick, Sick”, Cult’s “Pigsty”, and older songs like their self-titled’s “Montauk” and Sirens and Condolences’ “Masterpiece”. For “Don’t Call Me Peanut”, though, they brought out--*gasp*--an acoustic guitar! It was a rare moment not just for one of the most popular pop punk sets but the festival in general, a breather before Vacancy shout-along “Mary”.

Rancid

“Rancid has always been anti-fascist and anti-racist,” said Tim Armstrong before the band played “Hooligans”. It was nice to hear an explicit declaration of solidarity from the street punks, reminding the crowd what really matters and why we come together to scream and mosh. The band expectedly favored ...And Out Come The Wolves, playing almost half of it, and they perfectly balanced their harder edges with more celebratory ska songs like “Where I’m Going” from their most recent album Trouble Maker (Hellcat/Epitaph). My two favorite moments? The breezy, keyboard-laden “Fall Back Down” from their supremely underrated 2001 album Indestructable, and when they asked the crowd whether they wanted the set to end with “Time Bomb” or “Ruby Soho”. “We have 4 minutes left, and it’s disrespectful to play over your set time,” said Armstrong. It’s easy to see why Rancid continues to make an impression--instrumental and moral--on touring bands new and old.

Run the Jewels

The brilliant hip hop duo are masters of balancing social consciousness with the desire to fuck shit up for fun. Live, the former tends to come in between-song banter, the latter with their actual charismatic, tit-for-tat performances of the songs. However, Run the Jewels also are probably the clearest live performers in hip hop today, Killer Mike and El-P’s words, hypersexual and woke alike, ringing in the ears of audience members who don’t even know the songs. (Looking around, I could see people smiling and laughing at every dick joke, nodding at each righteous proclamation.) Some of the best songs on their most recent album RTJ4 (Jewel Runners/BMG) are perfect for these multitudes. Hearing both RTJ MCs and the backing track of Pharrell Williams and Zack de la Rocha chanting “Look at all these slave masters posin’ on yo’ dollar” on “JU$T” as the rowdy crowd bounced up and down was the ultimate festival moment. For those who had never seen RTJ, it was clear from the get-go, as Killer Mike and EL-P traded bars on “yankee and the brave (ep. 4)” that they’re a unique hip hop act. For the rest of us, it was clear that Run the Jewels keep getting better.

The Gories

It felt a little weird that legendary Detroit trio The Gories were given the first set of the final day--I’d have thought they’d have more draw than that. No matter what, they provided one of the more satisfying and stylistically varied sets of the festival, showcasing their trademark balance of garage punk and blues. Mick Collins and Dan Kroha’s guitar and vocal harmonies were the perfect jangly balance to Peggy O’Neill’s meat and potatoes drumming on “Sister Ann” and “Charm Bag”, while folks less familiar with The Gories were treated to their fantastic covers of Suicide’s “Ghost Rider” and The Keggs’ “To Find Out”. Smells like time for the first Gories album in 20 years!

FACS

I thought it would be ill-fitting to watch a band like FACS in the hot sun, early in the day. Their monochrome brand of post-punk seems better suited for a dimly lit club. But the hypnotic nature of Brian Case’s swirling guitar and Alianna Kalaba’s slinky bass was oddly perfect in a sweltering, faint-inducing heat. Just when you thought you might fade, squalls of feedback and Noah Leger’s odd time signatures picked you back up. Songs from their new album Present Tense (Trouble In Mind) such as “Strawberry Cough” and “XOUT” were emblematic of this push-pull. And everything from the band’s red, white, and black color palate to their lack of stage banter suggested a cool minimalism that was rare at a festival that tends to book more outwardly emotional bands.

Alex G

On one hand, Alex G’s unique combination of twangy alt country and earnest indie rock makes him an outlier at Riot Fest, or at the very least a mostly Pitchfork/occasional Riot Fest type of booking. On the other hand, like a lot of bands at the festival, he has a rabid fanbase, one that knows his back catalog hits, like “Kute”, “Kicker”, and “Bug”, as much as if not more than hyped Rocket and House of Sugar singles, like “Bobby” and “Gretel”. Backed by a band that knows when to be loose and when to tighten up--and the instrumental chops to do so--Alex G was better than he was a Pitchfork three years ago. He still sings through his teeth, making it especially hard to hear him on louder tunes such as “Brick”. But when the honesty of his vocals combines with the dreamy guitars of “Southern Sky” and circular melodies of “Near”, it’s pure bliss.

HEALTH

The formula for the LA industrial noise band has pretty much always been Jake Duzsik’s soft vocals contrasting John Famiglietti’s screeching bass and pedals and BJ Miller’s mammoth drums. Both in 2018 and Sunday at Riot Fest, the heat affected Famiglietti’s pedals, which were nonetheless obscured by tarp. Or so HEALTH claimed: You wouldn’t know the difference given how much their sound envelops your whole body during one of their live sets. Since their previous appearance at the festival, the prolific band has released two new records on Loma Vista, Vol. 4: Slaves of Fear and collaboration record Disco4: Part 1. Songs from those records occupied half of their excellent set, including battering opener “GOD BOTHERER”, “BODY/PRISON”, and “THE MESSAGE”. It was so wonderfully loud it drowned out K.Flay’s sound check drummer, thank the lord.

Thursday

Last time Thursday played Riot Fest, Geoff Rickly was battling heroin addiction, something he talked about during the band’s triumphant late afternoon set on Sunday. He mentioned the kindness of the late, great Riley Gale of Power Trip in extending a helping hand when he was down and extended his love to anybody in the crowd or even the world at large going through something similar. To say that this set was life-affirming would be an understatement; after 636 days of no shows, Rickly was at his most passionate. He introduced “Signals Over The Air” as a song the band “wrote about men beating up on women in the pit,” that a record exec at the time told them that it wouldn’t age well because he thought--no kidding--sexism would eventually end. Rickly’s voice, suffering from sound issues last time around, simply soared during Full Collapse’s “Cross Out The Eyes”, No Devolucion’s “Fast to the End”, and two inspired covers: Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” and Texas Is The Reason’s “If It's Here When We Get Back It's Ours”. The latter the band played because TITR guitarist Norman Brannon’s actually on tour with them, though Rickly emphasized the influence the NYC post-hardcore greats had on Thursday when they first started. Never forgetting where they’ve come from, with self-deprecating humor and radical empathy, Thursday are once again a force.

Devo

Much like the B-52′s in 2019, Devo was the set this year of a 70′s/80′s absurd punk band with some radio hits that everybody knows but with a swath of die-hard fans, too. It’s safe to say both groups were satisfied. You walked around the fest all day wondering whether the folks wearing Devo hats were actual fans or doing it for the novelty. By the time the band actually took the stage after a career-spanning video of their many phases, it didn’t really matter, because it was clear the band still had it, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale’s vocals booming throughout a massive crowd. They ripped through “Peek-a-Boo”, “Going Under”, “That’s Good”, “Girl U Want”, and “Whip It”, which caused the fans waiting for Slipknot (and presumably some Devo heads) to form a circle pit. And that was all before the first costume change. Mark passed out hats to the crowd, fully embracing converts who might have only known “Whip It”. The feverish chants of “Uncontrollable Urge” and synth freakouts of “Jocko Homo” whipped everyone into a frenzy. And the band performed the “Freedom Of Choice” theme song for the first time since the early 80′s! I had seen Devo before, opening for Arcade Fire and Dan Deacon at the United Center, but the atmosphere at Riot Fest was more appropriately ludicrous.

Flaming Lips

“The Flaming Lips are the most COVID-safe band in the world,” went the ongoing joke, as throughout the pandemic they’d give audience members bubbles for their bubbles to be able to play shows. The normally goofy and interactive band scaled back for Riot Fest. Before launching into their traditional opener “Race For The Prize”, Wayne Coyne explained that while the band is normally proud of where they come from--Oklahoma City--they’re saddened by the local government’s ignorant pandemic response and wouldn’t risk launching balloons or walking into the crowd because they might be virus spreaders coming from such an under-vaccinated area. To his and the band’s credit, they wore masks during the performance, even when singing; Coyne removed his only when outside of his bubble that had to be deflated and inflated many times and that sometimes muffled his singing voice even more than a mask. Ever the innovative band, they still put on a stellar show. Coyne autotuned his voice on “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1″, making it another instrument filling the song’s glorious pop melodies. Less heavy on props, the band favored a glitchy, psychedelic setlist that alternated between beauty (”Flowers Of Neptune 6″, “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate”, “All We Have Is Now”) and two-drummed cacophony (“Silver Trembling Hands”, “The W.A.N.D.”). They’ll give a proper Lips show soon enough, but in the meantime, it was nice to see them not run through the motions.

Slipknot

Apart from maybe moments of Slayer, I’ve never witnessed a headliner at Riot Fest as heavy as Slipknot was. Even the minor ethereal elements present on their most recent and very good album We Are Not Your Kind, like the chorus of voices during “Unsainted”, were all but abandoned live in favor of straight up brutality. Sure, there were moments of theatricality--Corey Taylor’s menacing laugh on “Disasterpiece” and pyrotechnics in sequence with the instrumentation on “Before I Forget” and “All Out Life”--but for the most part, Slipknot was the ultimate exorcism. Taylor’s new mask, with unnaturally circular eyes, seemed like it came from a particularly uncomfortable skit from I Think You Should Leave. They bashed a baseball bat to a barrel during the pre-encore performance of “Duality”. And the songs played from tape, like the gasping-for-breath “(515)”, were designed to contrast Slipknot’s alien appearance with qualities that were uncannily human. For a band whose performances and instrumental dexterity are otherworldly--who else can pull off tempo changes over a hissing, Aphex Twin-like shuffling electronic beat on “Eyeless”--the pure seething emotion on songs like “Psychosocial” and “Wait and Bleed” shone through. Like Smashing Pumpkins, and like so many other successful Riot Fest headliners, Slipknot abandoned drama for pure, unadulterated dirt.

4 notes · View notes

raven-of-domain-kwaad · 3 years

Text

Kine Legacy Timeline Post KOTET

23 ATC

Alliance secures the Eternal Fleet becoming the major power in the galaxy.

Alliance proceeds to rebuild the entire galaxy from the damage the war with Zakuul and the rogue Eternal Fleet caused

25 ATC

Ryscha Kine (32) marries Lana Beniko and Loyat (poly love ftw!)

27 ATC

Kelsa Kine is born to Ryscha Kine and Lana Beniko

32 ATC

Élise Kine is born to Amarra Kine and Amélie Biava

37 ATC

Bryala Kine is born to Ryscha Kine and Loyat

38 ATC

Alliance responds to a distress call from the Chiss Ascendancy

Alliance discovers that the Chiss and Unknown Regions at large are under attack from a mysterious biotech wielding enemy (Harla Vong)

Eternal Fleet is recalled from the galaxy at large so the united coalition of Alliance, Chiss and Mandalorian personnel can combat this invasion

The war drags on with heavy casualties on both sides but the Eternal Fleet gives the coalition an edge and they slowly push the Harla Vong back

39 ATC

Harla Vong shapers create a means of blocking the Eternal Fleet’s GEMINI frequency, removing the coalition’s greatest weapon.

The Harla Vong begin to gain ground once again but both sides still suffer tremendous losses

The war ends when Ryscha (46) and Amarra Kine (51) use the force to pull a moon down on themselves, destroying the last Harla Vong controlled planet.

Alliance is decimated and all but nonexistent with the death of its leaders

Chiss Ascendancy withdraws from the galaxy, closing its borders in order to rebuild

Mandalorians also begin to rebuild their ranks after severe losses taken during the war

40 ATC

The Republic launches an attack on the undefended Odessen. Bombardment leaves the former Alliance headquarters destroyed.

The Republic removes all evidence of the Alliance from official records to wipe it from history and make justifying a return to war the the Empire easier for the public to accept.

Kelsa (13) and Élise Kine (8) escape the Republic bombardment and spend the next few years hiding from Republic and Imperial forces alike

Bryala Kine (3) was rescued from Odessen by Arcann and Senya Tirall who go on to raise her as a member of Zakuul’s royal family as she is technically a descendant of the Emperor just from the Sith side not Zakuul’s

42 ATC

Jedi Order is slowly rebuilt by the Barsen’thor, Biraka Neldorr, who was in hiding on Ossus ever since the Republic lost the War with Zakuul

50 ATC

Élise Kine (18) betrays her cousin Kelsa in order to steal a holocron that she believes could teach her a means of bringing her parents back to life

Kelsa Kine (23) is taken by the Hutts and sold into slavery

52 ATC

Kelsa Kine (25) escapes from Hutt slavey

Third Galactic War breaks out between the Republic and Empire

54 ATC

Kelsa Kine (27) begins a complicated on again off again relationship with the Mandalorian Unna Ordo

55 ATC

Bryala Kine (18) joins the Zakuulan military becoming a Knight of Zakuul

Élise Kine (23) begins a relationship with Braken Rist of Alderaan

Kelsa Kine (28) travels to the Chiss Ascendancy to learn what happened to the Alliance and her family. As payment for the answers she wants, the Chiss have her take a force sensitive child, Olaum (6), away from the Ascendancy. She later adopts the Chiss boy as her own.

58 ATC

Élise Kine (26) draws the attention of the Jedi Order after stealing several forbidden holocrons from a secure vault

Grand Master Biraka Neldorr tracks down and hires Kelsa Kine (31) to try and stop whatever her cousin is planning

61 ATC

Vinn Atrius launches a coup against the Zakuulan Parliament

Bryala Kine (24) fights against Atrius and his Order of Zildrog movement

Élise Kine (29) comes to Zakuul to help her cousin, whom she has recently learned is still alive and has been building a relationship with

Kelsa Kine (34) is asked by her cousin, Élise, to come to Zakuul to help fight against the Order of Zildrog and to meet her sister, Bryala, for the first time since the fall of Odessen.

77 ATC

Olaum Kine (29) marries his longtime boyfriend

78 ATC

Kelsa Kine (51) marries Unna Ordo

#the kine legacy #trying to get my timeline set up as i diverge heavily from canon post kotet #i am not a fan of the iokath war the traitor stuff or onslaught generally tbh #so we get a group of yuuzhan vong that have abandoned the rest of the gods in favor of yun harla becoming the harla vong

7 notes · View notes

enigmatist17 · 4 years

Text

Same Dance (Rhys Strongfork x Timothy Lawrence)

So So

Same trauma boys

--------------------------------------------

When the news of Moxxi taking over the fabled Handsome Jack’s Casino, Rhys couldn’t help but be happy for her and her crew. No one ever ventured near after several spacecraft were pulled in and never freed, and for seven years it sat there untouched and unopened by the rest of the galaxy. It sat until Moxxi had waited for the fall of the Calypso Twins to settle down, and the Vault Hunters who now resided on Sanctuary III were more than happy to help her with her vendetta.

Now, Moxxi called in several favors. She wanted to make the casino something great, make it fair enough yet rid of the corruption that Jack had sunk into its very bones. Rhys Strongfork was one such man, having used some of her help in his early days of rebuilding Promethea. The now CEO of Atlas, still running around and rebuilding after his own War, had promised whatever he could. Part of his aid was to help reprogram the loader bots, as well as to help quietly rid or redistribute the massive army hidden in the depths of the casino. Only he and those who had helped with the takeover knew of its existence, and it was better left that way. Rhys, already on edge of entering Hyperion property after so long, as well as leaving his growing relationship, did his best to keep his nervousness and irritation on the down-low.

Unfortunately, no one thought to tell him of a certain doppelganger.

Rhys had drawn his gun before he had even realized, the other man slowly raising his hands as Rhys did everything he could not to start hyperventilating. Thoughts, ones he had thought long buried, were starting to creep up and into the forefront of his mind.

No, I killed him, he can’t be here, he can’t be here, he can’t be here, he ca-

“I’m not Jack.” It’s a whisper of a thing, Rhys shaking his head slightly to push his rising panic away. “I-I’m not Jack.”

“Then who the hell are you?!” He didn’t mean to scream, but Rhys had thought he would never deal with Jack, not after everything years ago.

Helios enters his mind, and Rhys feels sick as he lowers his gun.

That man isn’t Jack, he isn’t sneering and belittling and mocking his very being. No, this man sounded just as terrified as Rhys felt, and that only made his stomach churn. Well, that and remembering of how he had killed thousands of people to finally kill Jack off once and for all. It’s not until he looks at the man, really looks, and sees the crack of a mask that made his blood run cold, does he remember. Scores of men who bore the same faces, the same smiles, the same dead look behind their eyes as they were sent off to be like the man they were modeled after.

“You’re one of the doppelgangers...aren’t you?” Rhys clears his throat, holstering his gun to the relief of both men. He gets a nod, and after an awkward pause, Rhys offers a hand. “I apologize, maybe we should start over. Rhys Strongfork, and yourself?”

“Timothy Lawrence.’ The other gives an awkward smile, holding out his left hand instead of his right. “I uh...sorry, still don’t have a right hand yet…”

“What?” Rhys moves to shake Timothy’s hand, flesh meeting flesh as Rhys zeroes in on the covered up stump on Timothy’s right arm. Whatever happened was fairly recent, glancing up when the man gave a slight cough, hiding his hand behind his back. “Sorry, it’s just, what happened? I mean, if you want to tell me.” The other shrugs, Rhys releasing his other hand and taking a step back to give him some space.

“Ah ya know...had to save this whole station.” Timothy gave a shy shrug. “Course got trapped and shit, so the only way to do it was to cut off my hand.”

“Would you believe me if I had to do something similar a long time ago?” Timothy cocks a look at the other, who just smiles and begins to regale Timothy with the story of what he had to do after Helios fell.

Conveniently he leaves out the part about Jack, figuring it didn’t matter.

It’s not until months later the subject is brought up. Rhys has had a long day of business dealings, still absorbing Maliwan and making it something better under Atlas’s hand. He’s tired and upset. His frogurt stand was closed for the day, the coffee had run out, and his back ached something fierce. Rubbing at his eyes as he enters his penthouse, Rhys was looking forward to sitting down and just forgetting Atlas even existed.

“You’re finally home!” Rhys doesn’t stop the smile that spreads the moment he hears that familiar voice, dropping his bag by the door and neatly stacking his shoes beside it. Spread out on the couch that had been occupying his thoughts since he left for work, Rhys spies one Timothy Lawrence cuddling up on the couch with a shy grin. Rhys spies some fresh coffee on the table beside him, and he can’t help but sigh in delight at the sight.

“You are brilliant, absolutely brilliant. You would NOT believe the utter disaster of a day I had.” Rhys pouted, taking his tie and belt off before flopping down onto Timothy with a purr. It’s a shuffle of gangly limbs before they are both comfortable, Rhys cybernetic arm grabbing the coffee and downing half of it. Timothy just hums, nuzzling the back of Rhys’ neck as he cuddles the other close. There were days Timothy didn’t say much, a byproduct of being alone for over seven years, and showed how he felt through gestures. Sometimes he would clean up the penthouse and then keep to himself, other days he would be the biggest love bug Rhys had ever seen, almost pleading for contact. It never bothered the CEO, just lying in content silence as some serial played on across the room.

“...Vaughn called today, and we chatted for a long while.” Timothy speaks softly, stirring Rhys from his slow descent into a nap.

“Is he comin’ home soon?” Rhys yawned, burrowing his face into the crook of Timothy’s neck.

“Another month he said…” The way that Timothy hesitates pulls any sort of sleep from Rhys’ mind, the other drawing back. Emerald eyes, flecked with gold are looking right at the other, and the indescribable gaze makes Rhys instantly on edge.

“What’s the matter?”

“...why didn’t you tell me about Jack?” The name, so simple and short, turns the room heavy and frigid for both men. Rhys, usually ready with a remark, can’t find the words, and Timothy just does everything he can not to have a panic attack. They sit there, Rhys eventually sitting up with a quiet sigh. It’s only to move and take Timothy into his arms, feeling the slight tremble the other was clearly trying to hide.

“...I don’t know where to start, except with' I'm sorry.” It’s a start, and thank the universe Timothy doesn’t pull away. Timothy can hear the shaky breath Rhys takes, one he only does if he’s nervous or scared of something, and guilt starts to creep up at making his lover so uncomfortable. Rhys has to start speaking after quite a few tries, unsure of what to start with.

“It started with a deal to buy a Vault Key.” Nice and easy, just start from the top. “Vaughn and I needed access at one point, and we had found some higher clearance access from someone obsessed with...him.” It’s better not to say that name, and Rhys just feels the words start to tumble non-stop now that he’s begun.

“He was in the drive, and because I was stupid and plugged it into my cybernetics, he just...was there.” A breath is drawn, and Helios comes to his mind. “I had to destroy Helios to stop him...I had let him free and because of that I...I had to…” Rhys bites his lip, leaning his head into the warm palm caressing the side of his face. “I killed so many people that day...and after all of that, I killed him again. I had to rip my arm, temple connector, and eye out...god it hurt so much.” Rhys sighed, his arm still acting out at times from nerve damage he had inflicted on himself due to the event. “He is gone...and despite the monster he was, he is always included among the names I memorized from the crash.” Timothy frowns softly, pressing a kiss to Rhys’ forehead. It had been shortly after he moved to Promethea, that he had borne witness to Rhys’ ritual on the day Helios had crashed.

The usually bubbly man had just sat up on the roof, staring out at the city with his prosthetic downstairs as far away as he had possibly been able to place it. Vaughn merely made sure he drank something, only touching Rhys to place a blanket around his shoulders once night had fallen. Rhys just screamed guilt and self-hatred the whole day, slipping into bed between Timothy and Vaughn sometime during the night. Zer0 had taken care of the meetings the next day, and the entire day had been spent in bed with every comfort food that could be grabbed from their kitchen.

“I’m sorry.” Timothy presses another kiss, then another as Rhys just gives a weak sigh. “I am so sorry you had to go through that.”

“You and me...stupid young kids who idolized a monster...and got screwed after his death.” Timothy hums, and Rhys closes his eyes as he takes in the others' warmth.

“I’m just glad it opened our doors to each other. I mean, what were the chances you would give me a chance?”

“I don’t know, but after seeing you smile for the first time, you had me.” Timothy feels a blush creep up his neck, and Rhys just cuddles up as close as possible. The air is no longer heavy, instead filled with a familiar warmth as they just take in each other.

A monster Jack may have been, but his reign, in the end, had united those destined for each other.

#rhysothy #rhys strongfork #timothy lawrence #vaughn #rhys x vaughn x timothy #I just #I love them so much #same trauma boys #borderlands 3 #borderlands 3 spoilers #moxxi's heist spoilers #I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AAAAAHHHH

36 notes · View notes