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msweebyness · 21 days

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Miraculous Barbie: Alya and the Three Musketeers

SURPRISE!!! A special final edition for the series, starring Alya! Enjoy! @artzychic27 @imsparky2002

"True courage is pursuing your dream, even when everyone else says it's impossible."

CAST:

Alya Cesaire as Corinne

Reshma Leghari as Viveca

Lotta Jameson as Renée

Ayesha Reynolds as Aramina

Nino Lahiffe as Prince Louis

Trixx as Miette

Kaalki as Alexander

Master Fu as Monsieur Treville

Olga Mendeliev as Hélène

Armand Dargencourt as Phillipe

Marlena Cesaire as Corinne’s Mother

Mael Chevalier as Brutus

Clara Contard as Madame de Bosse

And so our story begins….

A long time ago, in the French countryside, there lived a girl named Alya. She lived with her mother and sisters, tending to the farm after her father’s passing. But what Alya spend the most time doing was practicing sword fighting, hand-to-hand combat and acrobatics in the barn. And why did she do this? Because her dream was to go to Paris and be a musketeer, just like her father had been!

Sharing this dream with her was her energetic kitten, Trixx, who would practice alongside her, amusing all the barn animals, especially Kaalki, a wise older mare who had been Alya’s father’s horse during his service.

One day, as Alya practices, her mother comes in to speak with her. They have an agreement that when Alya turns 18, she can go to Paris to pursue her lifelong dream. Though reluctant and worried for her daughter, Marlena gives Alya a letter to bring to Monsieur Fu, the captain of the musketeers, asking him to watch after Alya, and some money to hold her over. And with that, Alya leaves the next morning, with Kaalki and Trixx on the long ride to Paris.

After a few days travel, Alya arrives in Paris. She finds a stable to house Kaalki, and then makes her way to find Monsieur Fu. On the way there, she hears the familiar sound of swords clashing and goes to look. She finds a group of musketeers sparring, and one emerges victorious. He boastfully challenges anyone in the crowd to take him on, and Alya accepts. The musketeers scoff, but are then amazed as she shows off her skills with a sword. Not wanting to be shown up by a girl, one of the men trips her, causing her to land in a puddle.

As the crowd laughs, the lead musketeer tells Alya to leave musketeering to the men, which only serves to infuriate her. He then goes on to say that there’s never even been a girl musketeer anyway!

Hearing this only pisses Alya off even more, because she knows damn well that’s NOT true! There was a female musketeer, many years ago. Her name was Kagami Tsurugi, and it was said by those who still remembered she had existed that she could fight off an entire battalion by herself, and no man could best her at swordplay. But one day…she disappeared, and it almost seemed like the musketeer organization tried to erase her from memory after that…

Back to the present, Alya takes out the letter for Monsieur Fu, determined to prove them all wrong…only for the letter to be stolen by Mael, a dog belonging to Armand Dargencourt, the regent in charge of protecting Prince Nino, his young cousin and their heir to the throne. Alya chases Mael to get the letter back, but is stopped at the gates of the musketeer’s headquarters when he jumps over the fence, just as Armand is exiting the building with Monsieur Fu.

As Armand leaves, he approaches the waiting Alya and asks what business she has there, and she explains her desire to be a musketeer, but he only laughs her off and states that a woman couldn’t possibly be a musketeer. Scowling, Alya demands her letter back from his dog, and he obliges before leaving.

Alya is invited inside by Monsieur Fu, and gives him her letter, explaining that he knew her father. When she expresses her desire to become a musketeer like her father, he tells her that it’s not as simple as merely wanting it and training for it. She must prove herself with noble and courageous acts, and she is simply not ready yet. Nevertheless, he tells her to come to him if she ever needs anything. Disheartened, Alya thanks him and leaves.

While Alya is sitting by herself, lost in her thoughts, Mael appears and begins to chase Trixx, with Alya quickly going after them. She pursues them through a crowd of people, along the way knocking a young woman of Indian descent into a mud puddle and soiling her dress, bumping a cheerful girl with heterochromia into a rose bush, and accidentally pushing a redhead into the fountain she was balancing on, causing her to lose her goggles, apologizing profusely to each as she keeps running. She ends up chasing them through the palace gates and is swiftly pursued by guards. She is about to knock on the door she saw Trixx run through, when a girl suddenly runs out in tears followed by a shout of “YOU’RE FIRED!”. A woman with a sour disposition steps out and spots Alya, stating that she’ll do and pulling her inside.

The woman, Madame Contard, asks what brought Alya to Paris, and when Alya tells her she wants to be a musketeer, she bursts out laughing. She then offers the now vacant position of a castle maid to Alya, who quickly accepts when the guards that were chasing her appear. Alya watches as Madame Contard berates an older maid, Olga Mendeliev (who also helped Trixx evade Mael), knocking away the feather duster she dropped, which Alya then picks up and returns. She’s then brought to the grand courtroom, where she meets her fellow maids…the three girls she knocked into earlier. Their names are Reshma, Ayesha and Lotta. And they are NOT happy with her.

After Madame Contard leaves, Alya apologizes again and asks if there’s anything she can do to make it up to them….and finds herself scrubbing the entire ballroom floor. As she’s working, Trixx is thrown out by the stuffy head of staff, hissing in indignation.

Later that night, Alya bids the three girls goodbye and makes to walk down the dark streets, prompting Reshma to ask if she has anywhere to stay. When she tells them she doesn’t, Ayesha offers to let her stay with them since they have an extra bed, with Reshma agreeing after Trixx gives her kitten eyes. Lotta isn’t really on board, but finds herself outnumbered. Alya tells them she needs to take care of something and will meet up with them later.

A short while after, Alya enters the girls’ apartment, bringing Lotta’s goggles, which she had gone to the fountain to retrieve, causing the girl to begin to warm up to her.

The next day, Prince Nino is testing his new invention, a machine that will allow people to fly! (It’s a hot air balloon, btw.) It works perfectly, and as he’s calling excitedly for his cousin Armand, he accidentally crashes into Alya as she’s cleaning the steps. He apologizes and helps her up, before he quickly rushes to retrieve his machine, which popped on a chandelier. Alya then overhears the prince talking to his cousin about how it’s his dream to fly, and can’t help but smile. However, Armand dismisses this and tells him the future monarch has no time for childish dreams, especially with his 18th birthday in a few days, after which he’ll be crowned king!

As Nino is leaving, the chandelier above the staircase suddenly comes crashing down, heading straight for the prince! Thankfully, Alya is able to leap and pull him out of the way just in time, showing off her impressive acrobatic skills and shattering some projectile glass shards with her broom. The other girls dodge more of the glass shards with some impressive moves of their own! Armand arrives with a few of the guards, ranting about how the prince was almost killed. He turns to his righthand, a man known only as Blade, and demands this doesn’t happen again…

Later, the girls are cleaning up the chandelier wreckage, and chatting amongst themselves. Alya sees something shimmering in the shadows and goes to look, finding a ruby near the rope that suspended the chandelier…which appears to have been cut. When she returns, Lotta asks where Alya learned those kinds of moves, and she tells them of her dream to be a musketeer! To her surprise, they all wish the same thing, and have been training just like her! Alya asks if they all know about Kagami, and they excitedly confirm they do. Lotta has wished for years to find out what happened to her, why she disappeared.

Suddenly, the girls hear a throat clearing behind them, and old Madame Mendeliev instructs them to follow her. She takes them down to a secret passageway, at the end of which lies a training facility for musketeers. Mendeliev explains that this was where Kagami, who grew up in the castle as a daughter of a lady of the court, would sharpen her skills. And that she intends to train them to be proper musketeers, if they will accept, which they eagerly do. She unveils a wall of weapons, from which they each choose one (Alya a sword, Reshma a ribbon whip, Ayesha a pair of fans, and Lotta a slingshot) and challenges them to prove their skill. They each try and fail to disarm her, her speed and skill at her age amazing them. She then explains the great responsibility and honor of being a musketeer, and their training truly begins. After hours, they are all exhausted and she instructs them to come back the next day to train again.

That night, Armand is in his study as Blade apologizes for the mishap with the chandelier, and it turns out Armand called for it, intending for the crash to kill Nino so he could remain in charge. He instructs Blade to sabotage Nino’s test of his flying machine tomorrow and warns his henchman not to fail him again, before leaving.

The next morning, Nino is out running tests on his balloon, writing notes as he checks on the various mechanisms. Unbeknownst to him, Blade has frayed the ropes that hold the balloon down, and when Nino gets in the basket to do a small test flight, the ropes snap and he’s sent into the air, tumbling out and dangling from a rope ladder by his foot! Alya happens to spot him through the window she’s cleaning, and quickly pulls off a graceful rescue, pulling him back into the balloon and steering it away from a spire before it can pop. The prince thanks her for his rescue and they exchange introductions. They fly in the balloon for a short time, Alya marveling at the sight of Paris from the clouds, and they discover they have quite a bit in common, such as their determination to achieve their goals.

Nino brings them back to the ground, figuring out the landing mechanisms as he goes. Alya tells him it feels amazing to fly above the ground, that it makes you feel like any dream could come true, and he asks if there’s anything she dreams of. She reluctantly admits that she wants to be a musketeer, and to her surprise, he doesn’t mock her for it, finding her determination admirable. She even gets to tell him there’s been a female musketeer before, and Nino is fascinated, wondering why more people don’t know about Kagami. It’s then that Alya must leave to return to work, bidding the prince goodbye, blushing as he kisses her hand and tells her he hopes to see her again. Unbeknownst to them, Armand watches from the distance with a scowl.

Alya arrives in the training room, and explains what happened to the other girls and Madame Mendeliev, recalling that, just like with the chandelier, the ropes appeared to have been cut…They come to the conclusion that someone may be trying to kill the prince! Madame Mendeliev instructs them to keep quiet but keep their eyes open until they have proof.

The girls promise to do so, and Lotta gets lost in thought staring at the painting of Kagami on the wall. It’s then that Madame Mendeliev decides to tell them what really happened to the first female musketeer. She didn’t disappear…she was killed. The captain of the musketeers at that time, Emani Pulateur, had been unable to handle a woman being superior to him and his men in skill, and had gathered his most trusted associates to… take care of Kagami. (She also may or may not have been trying to help his fiancée get out of their abusive and controlling relationship.)

The next morning, Trixx visits Kaalki in the stables and tells her how Alya rescued the prince, and of their training with Madame Mendeliev. He’s saddened that he can’t train with them because Madame Contard will throw him out, but Mael arrives and mocks the kitten that once his master is king, he’ll have cats banished from Paris. Trixx sasses him, and Mael makes to lunge at him, only to be intimidated into backing down by Kaalki. The old horse tells Trixx of a secret passage to get into the castle and train with the girls.

The girls continue their training every day, growing more and more skilled as time goes on. They even work training into their maid duties! Eventually, Alya is able to disarm Madame Mendeliev, and the girls decide to celebrate by going into town. However, they happen to stumble onto a meeting between Blade and some shady individuals. Alya recognizes the gems in the hilt of Blade’s dagger to be the same as the one near the chandelier rope. Continuing to watch, they see that the swords for the Blade Dance at the prince’s birthday masquerade ball in a few days, which are supposed to be made of paper and confetti, have REAL blades! Horrified, they race to warn Nino that the regent’s men are planning to kill him!

Back at the palace, Monsieur Fu is explaining the security measures for the ball to Armand, who explains he won’t be in attendance, when the girls arrive in a panic. Madame Contard tried to stop them, but they make it past her. They try to explain to Fu about the swords and the plot against the prince, but Armand dismissed them as delusional. It’s then the crates with the swords for the dance arrive, and Alya insists there are real weapons in them. But…there aren’t. They’re the fake paper swords, and the girls look foolish. Monsieur Fu tells them that they can’t act without proof, and the girls are escorted from the palace, with Madame Contard firing them for good measure.

The girls are severely disheartened, but Alya encourages them that they have to do something! They’re the only ones who know about the plot and they know every inch of the castle. After some trepidation, Reshma, Ayesha and Lotta agree, and they begin to devise a plan. Reshma will make them all costumes, and Lotta and Ayesha will make them new weapons that can be concealed in them. They’ll foil the plot and save the prince, and they need to start preparing! The night of the ball quickly arrives, and the girls don their gowns, and prepare to save the day!

That evening, Nino bids the supposedly departing Armand goodbye before leaving to prepare for the ball, as the regent prepares to put his plan into action. He dons a disguise and sneaks back into the castle, just as the girls are arriving at the ball. The regent and his men procure their weapons and prepare to launch their attack.

The girls enter the ball and dazzle everyone with their dresses, and Alya is spotted by Nino after his arrival, who recognizes her immediately and asks her to join him for the sword dance. She accepts and the two partake in the sword dance, with Alya telling Nino what she learned about Kagami’s supposed disappearance.

Outside the ballroom, Monsieur Fu and his men are knocked out by Armand’s henchmen, and the regent joins the sword dance, still in disguise. As they are dancing, all of the girls spot the real swords and know the attack will soon be launched. Armand gives a signal to Blade, and the fireworks show begins as a distraction. Armand draws his sword while everyone’s back is turned and prepares to attack Nino, but Alya leaps to counter him just in time. She takes Armand’s sword, which he accuses of being hers. The girls engage in a battle with the regent’s men, using their new weapons, while the regent spirits the prince away. Trixx even engages in a battle with Mael, using all his new training.

When the prince is in the secret tunnels, Armand unmasks himself and explains that he returned to the castle as soon as heard there was trouble, and tells Nino that he is ‘bringing him to safety’. Back in the ballroom, Alya sees that the prince is gone and spots Armand’s mask by the entrance to the passageway, the girls quickly racing to catch up to them.

As they are riding in a lift to the highest level of the castle, Nino realizes the holes in Armand’s story, and the regent attacks the prince, who gets out of the lift just in time, pursued by Armand. The girls stumble across Fu and his men, and Alya continues looking for the prince while the others untie them. Fu and the musketeers arrest the regent’s men while Alya spots Armand pursuing Nino to the roof of the palace. Just before he can push Nino from the roof, Alya intervenes, swinging over and crossing swords with Armand. An intense battle of swords ensues, and Alya is disarmed. Armand plans to frame her as the one who killed the prince, who he would have been ‘too late to save’, and goes to impale her, but Nino tosses Alya her sword just in time! Alya quickly disarms Armand and Monsieur Fu arrives just in time to arrest him.

The prince thanks the girls for his rescue, immediately calls for Alya, Reshma, Ayesha and Lotta to be named musketeers, and they name their new battalion in honor of Kagami, who is now known to the public with a proper memorial in the musketeer headquarters thanks to Nino (who also asks Alya on a date, which she gladly accepts!) And from that day forward, any girl who wanted to could be a musketeer!

And they all lived happily ever after!

Strong hearts, strong minds, fighting for what’s right every time! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reblogs! Hope you enjoyed this surprise!

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#miraculous ladybug #Miraculous Barbie #Youtube #alya cesaire #reshma leghari #lotta Jameson #ayesha reynolds #barbie and the three musketeers

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ringorambles · 1 year

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*takes a long, deep breath before exhaling*

I have no idea who was the chewed up raisin that thought up of the idea that Serena is obsessive with Ash/overly jealous with any girl around him/’totally’ a yandere but they really need a swift kick in the rear because jesus christ I do find those characterizations still prevalent in art works involving her with Ash being with other pairings and it drives me bonkers!

“sHe OnLy StArTeD hEr JoUrNeY tO mEeT aSh! ShE’s A sTaLkEr!”

Incorrect. Yes, when she saw Ash on the news, she did remember him from Summer Camp and wanted to return his handkerchief to him but the real reason she wanted to start her journey is because she wanted to get away from home and her mother wanting to push Rhyhorn racing on her. She was frustrated with that. She had no actual other plans after giving Ash his handkerchief back before Ash invited her to travel with him, Clemont and Bonnie.

“sHe OnLy CaReS aBoUt AsH!”

Ah yes, that’s why Bonnie finds comfort in her so much that she runs right to her and Serena welcomes it. That’s why she made some alterations to Bonnie’s bag so ‘Squishy’/Zygarde could have a place to stay with her while they traveled. That’s why she went with Mairin to go save her Chespin while all of Kalos was being destroyed. Because she only cares about Ash obviously. 🙄

“sHe’S jEaLoUs Of EvErY gIrL tHaT eVeN cOmEs NeAr HiM!”

... What episodes was that again??? Because the only time she becomes jealous is because of Miette and that’s because Miette is the one that started it with her abrasive attitude at first. You could argue that she was getting jealous over that one girl that wanted to bring him with her, you know that one where they bring their pokemon to a daycare full of kids or something like that, and I think that was more like “she isn’t being serious is she?” kind of thing than being truly jealous.

There is like a bunch more but then this post would get longer than it needs to be.

I didn’t type this to change people’s minds. If you hate Serena, cool. More power to you. But I more or less typed this out of frustration because how could so many people just??? did we even watch the same show???

#cw discourse #?#pokemon #pokemon serena #amourshipping #ringos ramblings #sorry but I just needed to get this off my chest because why ya'll do this to my baby

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woewept · 3 months

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@peachiiihearts, from merida: spotify wrapped starter.

she'd never once contemplated the idea that she might leave paris. her arrival to the city of lights resembled a final destination, following her father's footsteps with no plans to move on. "we can do what we're told, we can go where we're led. but i learned from my father to see what's ahead." yet here she is, wrapped up in her third year travelling further than the horizon could take her, sometimes alongside fellow musketeers, sometimes just with miette and alexander. scotland had by far become a favoured landscape, a place corinne seldom wished to depart. especially concerning the young princess at her side; initially a job, now grown into something deeper than responsibility. "nothing here to hold me, no one that i owe, funny how a girl can grow. funny how a city tells you when it's time to go."

#IC. CORINNE D'ARTAGNAN.#002. PEACHIIIHEARTS.#song: my petersburg. from anastasia on broadway.

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hamstringy · 4 months

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Books of 2023

this is mostly for me to yell at my lawn about books i want more people to read. my faves are highlighted in purple and have a star (☆) next to them. if anyone wants to suggest books at me........ <3

i did not think i was going to make my goal of 26 books, but then i got put on desk duty at work and discovered audiobooks!

The Traitor Baru Comorant - Seth Dickinson gah!!! Builds methodically and slowly but crumbles apart and hits you on the dick over and over. Cannot believe a guy named Seth Dickinson wrote this (affectionate).

The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison Classic feel-good whump, but don't think too hard about the politics. I would have been obsessed with this as a kid.

☆ Babel - R.F. Kuang ☆ A capital-T Tragedy that made me physically cry! RF Kuang is incredible at writing about colonialism and situations that go horribly wrong.

A Lady for a Duke - Alexis Hall Generally cathartic romance about a trans woman who fakes her death at Waterloo to live as a woman and falls in love with her childhood best friend. I think I am not entirely a romance girlie but definitely a solid book.

Sorrowland - Rivers Solomon Oh baby let's get weird and talk about politics! Contains a mycelium-fueled gay ghost orgy and some very good body horror.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy - Becky Chambers The Monk and Robot duology keeps hitting me over the head with ruminations on all the coming-of-age questions but it offers me tea and a listening ear so I quite love it.

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them - Junauda Petrus I think the prose is well written, but I was definitely left wanting more regarding the magical realism.

Feed Them Silence - Lee Mandelo Again with the slacking on the magical realism. Frighteningly contemporary crumbling relationship and not nearly enough weird bullshit for me.

The Future of Another Timeline - Annalee Newitz I hated this book so much. I really think you could pass it off as the product of a corporate man, that's how shallow it is. It has mega commitment issues with the themes it tries to tackle. Also, if you're going to write a time traveling book you NEED to do at least cursory research???? Women in the 1890s did not wear bras????

No One is Talking About This - Patricia Lockwood A fun and brutal investigation of being chronically online and dealing with personal tragedies. Bonus points for being written by Miette the cat's owner.

☆ Greenwood - Michael Cristie ☆ Incredible multi-generational epic. Cristie knows the story he wants to tell and he executes it near-flawlessly. I didn't love the ending but the rest of the book makes up for it.

Rabid - Monica Murphy, Bill Wasik Definitely an interesting look a the cultural side of rabies, but I wish they had maybe not gone with such a wide array of subjects.

The Lucky Red - Claudia Cravens A queer (minor homophobia) Western in the spirit of all the good female country singers.

Persuasion - Jane Austen Oh baby. I get it now.

Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie An unfortunate choice of media means I can't rate this higher. I think it's too hard sci-fi for me to listen to it, so I need to reread it in physical form.

Deaf Republic - Ilya Kaminsky Brutal. Kaminsky is really fucking good at writing about war in a pretty minimalist style.

Small Things Like These - Claire Keegan A book that reminds you about the point of choosing to do something right. Also has the added benefit of teaching me about something I didn't know about (The Magdalene Laundries).

Eartheater - Dolores Reyes Another victim of the audiobook medium. I'm not sure if this is because it was translated or because I was expecting something a bit different, but I didn't really jive with this.

☆ Islands of Abandonment - Cal Flyn ☆ Absolute banger. Beautiful prose, concept that makes me go a bit feral. I want to tattoo this on my brain.

Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros This is not a fair review--I read this because my friend hated it. A deeply unserious and superficial book to me as an avid fantasy person and not a romance person. I wish Yarros had actually gone full hog and actually included disability in the sex scenes at the very least.

The Vanished Birds - Simon Jimenez Genuinely not sure how to feel about this? Sprawling space opera with purposefully unfinished ties. It does make me excited to read A Spear Cuts Through Water though.

Kindred - Olivia E. Butler I get the Butler hype now! Read it.

Flux - Jinwoo Chong A lukewarm positive review here? Very much a deep dive on grief, tech politics, and fandom. Has some weird timeline stuff so I was definitely confused.

Upright Women Wanted - Sarah Gailey Reads like that one ao3 excerpt of Sasuke learning about gay people. It feels like there's next to no world-building or character development. The characters are incredibly juvenile and all the changes happening are spelled out.

The Dragon Republic - R.F. Kuang Lord, this was a deeply intricate trainwreck of a book. Deeply uncomfortable and yet incredibly gripping.

Rereads:

Nona the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, and Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir Decided I needed to listen to the audiobooks of these to inflict maximum damage. Good lord, I am still insane about these books.

Graceling - Kristen Cashore I was obsessed with these books as a 10 year old, and this one still mostly holds up. A good example of romances for little girls who aren't convinced by romance.

#need more books to be insane about :)#book recs #books

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stealthnoodle · 11 months

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There Is No Pond but Ice Pond: Let's Play Tears of the Kingdom

Today on Zelda, I briefly meet the Gerudos and proceed to have a normal one

Lol I got another Zelda flashback and this one is all "I sure am a time traveler! You sure are my ancestors! I sure do need to get back to my time before we get another calamity on our hands, haha! Prime Directive? I don't know her"

I made it through the sandstorm (somehow I made it through-ooh-ooh) but Gerudo Town appears to be empty? What fuckery is this

Okay, I found everyone in an underground shelter after paddling around in the sewers and Ascending through a random ceiling. I was immediately jailed, then released, then kicked out on the streets until I put a shirt on:

You CAGE Miette? You cage her nipples like the tigers? Oh! Oh! Jail for Gerudo! Jail for Gerudo for One Thousand Years!

I have endured Unspeakable Oppression and then stood right outside the entrance, making eye contact with the guard, while whipping my shirt right back off

Ganondorf doesn't have to wear a shirt in this flashback when he pretends to swear fealty to Hyrule. >:( This is bullshit

Dude hang on, I'm finding a korok

I have finally done a "find the crystal and bring it back to the shrine" quest, because the one in Satori Mountains was very close to the target. All I had to do was tuck myself up in a little rock passage and rain down arrows upon a hapless Hinox. You know, hero shit

Call me a cartoon monkey because I have yet to encounter a banana trap that I didn't fall for:

The underground beckons. I think this is the last Big Poe statue and it is being very difficult:

Great Plateau, huh? Okay, back up topside, wanderwanderwander, hello, statue, how are you—

are you motherfuckers in cahoots

You want under the water behind the stone wall? I will FIND your under the water behind the stone wall, mark my words

Okay, I'm pretty sure this is it (it's got arrows point at it from all around!), but how do I get under the icy water?

Openings in the rock below: 0

Successful efforts pairing warm pants with warming elixirs and diving in: 0

Successful efforts dunking a goddamn zonai flamethrower in there: 0

Number of times I have startled a cat with an outburst like "SHIT FUCK COCK FUCK": 4

Items dropped in the water to no avail: lots

I am losing my mind. There is no world beyond the ice pond. The secrets of the universe lie in its frigid depths. I am putting on that one Evanescence track that isn't "Bring Me to Life" because it is 2003 I just finished playing Enter the Matrix

"Ice pond" is an anagram for "coed nip," WE'RE COMING FULL CIRCLE BABY

"Noodle you could look this up" ABSOLUTELY NOT, ice pond forbids it

I've thrown a snowball in and it's slowly bouncing off the edges like a 90s DVD screensaver

Ice pond continues to to reject my sacrifices but I have beheld a golden light shining upon the top of Spectacle Rock and I choose to take it as a sign from my fickle frozen god

Ice pond hath led me to a star fragment. All glory be to ice pond

There's also a gleeok up here, but I recognize this as a trick of the infernal warmth. Not today, hot one

This is what that Florence + The Machine song was about

Um, so, I found a much more obvious stone wall while running around the plateau, blew up a stopper of rocks, and unflooded the area around a little stone statue, so, uh, gonna chase that lead up real quick:

Ice pond, in its infinite and ineffable wisdom, has granted me a special dispensation to pursue this quest of throwing four magical eyes into chasms, because ice pond, in its infinite and ineffable wisdom, understands that this is rad as fuck

My soul of course remains the property of ice pond. From ice pond I have come, and to ice pond I shall return. The frozen bosom awaits. Amen.

#stealthnoodle plays loz: tears of the kingdom #tears of the kingdom #totk spoilers #if it turns out there's just a korok in there i will lost my ENTIRE SHIT #hi i'm playing this game very much as intended #i'll do another main quest someday #probably #maybe #it depends on what ice pond wants

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splattermouth · 1 year

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You said you wanted to talk about valvolo so I reread Val's story and I came up with some questions (although the first is like... indirectly valvolo?): How did Vim feel about Volo when they first met and how did said pokemon feel about Volo's interactions with Val?

And how did the meeting with Giratina go? Like the decision for Volo to introduce Val and Irida to her and how it went down?

GOD Vim's funny, she does NOOOT like Volo at all, at least not at first. She warms up to them enough and Tolerates Volo (stops threatening them as much) after seeing how much Val trusts them, but I think from Vim's perspective it's more like. I'm only being nice because my dearest bestest friend in the whole wide world likes you, and I don't want him to be mad.

Putting everything under a read-more bc it gets looong

I remember reading a lil fic where like the main character's pkmn Also didn't like Volo and like tried to fucking poison him, and it was so funny. I think Vim is on the cusp of that at all times like *miette voice* You USE Val? Manipulate him like the puppet? Oh! Oh! Coma for Volo! Coma for Volo for One Thousand Years!!!!

THAT SAID Volo is definitely wary about Vim at first and makes jokes about it. Even for someone like him that adores pokemon, it's understandable! While not native to Hisui, I'm sure there's enough travelers from Kanto and Johto with stories about near tragic encounters with roving Hypno, that most people have at least a passing knowledge of what they're capable of. While in modern times, the idea of Hypno taking people away forever is probs a big exaggeration, like myths about sharks eating humans, they're still absolutely Not pokemon you wanna test your luck with. And in the past? Especially with alpha pokemon roaming around? I'm more than sure that plenty of the rumors about Hypno stealing people away into the woods are not rumors at all.

He does get more comfortable around her, though, the closer he gets to Val! If Val's so close with her, she must be fine, after all. He ends up teasing Vim a bit for being so so serious and no-fun-allowed all the time. Vim is not enjoying it.

As for Volo trying to introduce Val and Irida to Giratina, it does not. Go well. This might change a bit as I further develop the story BUT. By the time Volo decides to let their other two buddies meet their Third 'buddy' from hell, they're already well into their downward spiral. The three's previous attempt at trying to get Val's (and Ingo's) memories back with Uxie's help went absolutely nowhere. Both Val and Irida accepted nothing could be done, but Irida appreciated the concern the two had for one of her clan members regardless. Has maybe even grown to like Volo's company a bit. Val's kind of upset about it, but he supposes being left in the dark is maybe better than being told a truth he doesn't want to hear at the moment: that his arrival in Hisui was a punishment and not an accident.

Volo, meanwhile, does Not take yet another failed attempt at meeting the gods well. In a bit of an unwell state, they take a hesitant Irida and Val to Turnback Cave to meet another friend of theirs that can help the three on their quest to achieve Volo's dreams return Val and Ingo's memories.

They hardly actually see Giratina it's so dark, but she crawls and seeps from the shadows snarling and screaming and all the while, Volo's trying to settle her down all 'oh these are my friends, this is Val, you know him, I've told you about him, he's here to help us :)' and she just keeps screaming and screaming and spitting up ichor everywhere and eventually recedes back into the shadows and disappears. I imagine without the union of the rest of the plates, she can't escape the distortion world Just yet. That she can only seep out in small bursts and has little affect on the normal world otherwise. That's my excuse.

I also like to interpret Giratina as still very much a violent and Raging god. A lot of people write Giratina as more subtle and coercive, having a hold over Volo and that's fine, its a fun idea! I like the idea of her naturally having an affect on Volo's mind myself, by merit of her being this powerful, essentially miniature cosmic horror. But I also like the idea of her still being in this near inconsolable, wildly irrational state, with Volo being one of the few people able to reach through to her a little. (And Volo is still very much afraid of her as well, of course. It'd be kinda of disrespectful of her power if he wasn't. But he's sure he understands her like no other, sees himself in her blind rage. He trusts her to be good and well intentioned like Val trusts him and he wants the other two to see that.)

And don't get me wrong. While Volo still Very much has his own goals at the forefront of his mind, but he does genuinely want to help Val and Ingo with their respective issues as well. He hates seeing them (Well. Val anyway) suffering for no reason. But he's also just at the point where it's like. Well I guess killing god really IS the only way. By this point, with two people displaced from their own timelines against their will, left to flounder, while a couple no life kids get to run around with god's blessings just like that? Arceus is just a parasite-in-chief with Its idiot halo to Volo.

Anyway, Irida nopes tf out of there after that. She wants to trust Val's judgement because she Does appreciate everything he's done for her and her family, but she has her limits, and witnessing the shadow of Pokemon Satan Itself is It.

Val, meanwhile, still cant break his friendship w Volo. Irida practically pleads with Val to rethink taking Volo's side, but this is his buddy after all!! Volo means the world to him, and they know what they're doing he's sure this is all for good reason!!

...Albeit. Things are gonna be. A little strained now. I think Volo probably understands this, and realizes maybe it was a little too early into their qpr to add a third (the literal devil), and tries to overcorrect. But ultimately, even after the meeting w Giratina fucking flopped, Volo still misses all the red flags with Missingno fusing with Val until it's too late, too absorbed in their own goals to notice until Val is no longer alone in his body and Jacred's wide grin is practically splitting their old lover's face in two.

Both Val and Volo have to get a LOT worse before they can get better.

ANYWAY WOW THAT WAS A LOT AND KINDA GRIM AFTER A WHILE, have a silly scribble for reading everything <3

#THANK YOUUU FOR THE ASK im reeling myself in here and not trying to go off on all the lil lore bits and headcanons and worldbuilding facts #like hoe hypno as a species operate and ingos perspective on his lost memories and spoilery stuff w giratina and volo its a Lot #again some stuff is subject to change im still not sure how i want giratina to fit into the plot but like #its kind of a required thing #giratina plays a massive role in legends arceus i cant Not include her (nor do i want to ignore her lol. shes cool <3)#snap snips #valvolo #the horror that came to hisui

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mountainashfae · 1 year

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OC ask questions!

19, 32, 50

Hehe

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)

I mean, it's time to drag Rowan Thornbrook out into the spotlight again. You remember him, I played him in Ace's game where we met. He was my first ever DnD character and I decided to play him twice like I tend to do with characters whose campaigns never finish. A lot of his personality was based on mine. His character is a load-bearing pillar of my original setting. I haven't drawn him properly in over 5 years.

I named myself after him and he's one of the reasons I met you and Winter.

32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why?

Cay hands down. Because they fear absolutely nothing. So it probably would change the horror game into a comedy because they're so unphased by everything. They're the scary thing in that haunted house.

50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you want.

Okay Cool so I was talking in your DMs about Aurien and Florence and Madelynn. There's a whole mini fic under the cut.

[ ask meme ]

So the typical plot in the Cerdinen timeline is that Orion becomes a deity, Aurien is just kinda left there immortal on earth, and it kinda goes on for a few millennia. Aurien simply isn't allowed to die, because they were made to be the deity of death. But this isn't about Aurien's immortality angst this is about Maddie.

Madelynn is a special little teenage girl with really potent summoning skill. She's got such good potential that she can summon not just elemental spirits, the most common usage, she can summon the spirits of past heroes. This was an accidental Fate joke.

It's over a thousand years since he died, but her first and best summoned spirit is none other than Vio Miette. He distinguished himself by taking charge during the era of chaos when the deities shifted and turned the city of Helianthus into a stable country. But Madelynn is still young and inexperienced. The Vio she summons is his much younger self. A Vio in his 20s who is so positive and trusting but who is missing almost all memories of his life.

The two of them, though Vio's spirit is only ever seen by Madelynn, run into an old and tired but never-ceasing Aurien. And Aurien freezes. Because they see what are basically ghosts of their past. They do see their son and pupil Vio, but they also see Madelynn and are face to face again with their own mentor, Florence. But, they're good at hiding things deep down. They've been doing it for almost 1.5k years now. Well, they can't hide that they can see Vio. But it works in everyone's favor.

Vio's spirit implicitly trusts Aurien because that's the him from a time before Aurien's "betrayal". Aurien almost cries. But just like with Florence, Aurien becomes Madelynn's traveling companion. They're able to help teach her how to better control and use her magic.

Everything goes swimmingly for a while! Madelynn is able to use more of her magic to enhance Vio's spirit... and that's when the cracks start to show. Vio regains some of his old memories, but only up into his 30s. That implicit trust he had in Aurien shatters as he remembers what Aurien did, but he doesn't yet remember how he made peace with his mentor.

Madelynn of course refuses to stop traveling with Aurien, why would she? Aurien had been nothing but good to the two of them. Every time Vio tries to reveal Aurien's secret, of course, he gets stopped. It's Aurien's one request that Madelynn never find out how the gods are unable to notice or acknowledge them.

One night during this phase of Vio's spirit, he finally makes a sort of peace with Aurien. Because while Madelynn is sleeping, Aurien reveals the truth behind the gloves they always wear. Where once the hands were pure white like snow, now there is nothing visible underneath the gloves at all. Their hands are invisible. It's unprecedented, to have a deity's blessing and then for it to disappear so completely it steals a part of yourself. But a goddess being devoured by one of her chosen was also unprecedented. Aurien and Vio are the only ones alive who remember that goddess's existence.

Vio does come to an understanding. That none of it was Aurien's fault, that everything was out of their control. But the bitterness stays.

As Madelynn finally comes into her abilities, she is able to summon Vio at his peak. At the time when he was considered the King of Helianthus. With that also comes the last of his memories. He remembers when Aurien visited all those centuries ago, how they made peace with each other, and how they split ways.

I admit Madelynn being able to summon Vio's spirit or memory was partially a setup for Vio and Aurien, but also, what better way for them to get closure for two of the people he cherished in life. Vio finally comes to understand, and they get to return the compassion that Florence gave to them.

One of these days I'll have a role for Madelynn in that world aside from being a reminder of Florence. It's a very messy concept currently but it's fun to think about. Maddie and her multiple guardians.

#oc stuff #ask meme #good gosh I really wrote the entire Madelynn/Vio/Aurien concept didn't I #she's easily loved

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hoodie-prince-kid · 2 years

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Hello and welcome to this mess of a post. Just a list of the tags I use to sort my brain thoughts, no links because idk how to do that and no explanations because im lazy (will update as needed)

#castles of the calendar #dream of feather boy #the one about the cyborgs #old world #space loz #nutcracker loz #hyrule trio #hyrulean fairy tales #twins anime idea #curse of the witchlock #i dont have a tag for koru's universe yet #clover and onya #juliet and romeo #flooded future #threads of time #phoenix of shadows #cosmos hoshiko #speculo #clover and onya #lucy and randy #crash tiger #the great miette #professor sequoia #rory lyons #the dreamkeeper's circus #the space traveller story #hoodie plays miitopia (again) #fantasy mart

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cupcraft · 2 years

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you know miette getting exiled was the best thing ever bc now i wanna write a ceryn fic where he travels back in time to nlm

#my musings

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lickingyellowpaint · 2 years

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2, 14 and 18 for the music questions please!

2. an album you wish you could hear again for the first time

Hm. I think Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant would be fun just because you wouldn't know what to expect from it, and it's probably as funny to an adult stoner as it is to kids.

14. is there any band/musician who you really strongly dislike? if so, why?

Can't do Phish, can't do Steely Dan, and I know this is blasphemy here but Kate Bush bugs me. She's an acquired taste and I've got the soapy cilantro gene about her.

18. what decade do you think had the best music? is there any particular year that you think was the best?

You decade-limit Miette? You decade-limit Miette like someone who isn't 24/7 time traveling in spirit?

I kid. Close call, but 60s. With the totally unoriginal opinion of '69 as a frontrunner. But that's because you've got the first (and only tolerable, if you dislike long guitar solos) Zeppelin album, you've got TOMMY, you've got Janis' Kozmic Blues, Doors' Soft Parade, Woodstock... lots going on there and all of it very fucking groovy.

#personal shiz #tunes #metaphoricalmelodies

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blacklodgemusictx · 1 year

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Texas Show Three: Austin Night Two

I'm in my San Antonio hotel room, awaiting Show Four. I can see how a person might get used to this. New city, new hotel, comfy bed (fingers crossed), tiny writing desk/table/bureau for me to sit at and pour out my adventures from the night before.

But there is a not insubstantial quantity of animals at home who need me back, not to mention a boss who will notice if I'm not back and re-chained to my oar at the proper time.

So I will continue on with the time allotted to me.

Last night was the Cactus Cafe in Austin and this had me feeling a lot of feelings (in my feelings? as the kids say?) If all eventualities are still playing out every where at any given time, four-years-younger me was still wandering the halls, looking for the cafe.

I was still there taking pictures with Marty where I accidentally hit record and ended up getting a video of the table top and random audio of our weird conversation (90% of conversations with Marty are probably weird conversations and I am 100% here for that), me with my hotel room freshly cancelled out from under me still talks to Salim (he has kind eyes... He's tall. Like me. Most people aren't tall like me. Why is he talking to me?), talks to Danny (who will go home to England and yet - on the other side of a stack of calendar pages - will still become my Skype guitar mentor). Maybe in some reality we still have our Austin hotel room and all is well, maybe in some realties, we hit a deer on the way home (Hill Country Deer roulette is a thing, y'all, never doubt.)

The stage curtains are still red at the Cactus Cafe. The whole thing felt small. Like when you return to a childhood classroom after a growth of years and wonder at the doll-sized tables and chairs, hooks for coats and backpacks now at stooping level.

The audience was good. A very respectable number. Quiet and attentive. Joe and Salim are appreciably tighter as a duo than just a couple of days ago. The songs with Oliva (all songs should be with Olivia. That should be the rule. If you want your song to be exponentially more gorgeous, allow her to deftly draw her bow across it) have grown from one to two ("Friends for Life" and now "Miette.")

Curfew at 10 doesn't afford Marty the same relaxed approach as previously. He still banters... he just tries to do it quickly/more condensed. Still. A sight to behold. I mentioned to Danny ("Laish" from the last tour, 2018) that we didn't get back from Celina last weekend until after 2am. You know how Marty loves to talk. That man, he agrees, loves to talk. But I don't think any one of us who have met him would have it any other way.

If there were ever enough time, I would love to take Marty strolling in some cool, storied old cemetery. He has prefaced "Hopes and Fears" each night with mention of a love story occurring during the Industrial Revolution where people were being eaten by machines just miles from the picturesque English countryside.

I wonder what he would say at the Colorado mining town cemeteries we've been to in years gone by where my favorite thing to do was walk amongst the headstones and imagine the tragedies that went with each short span between dashes. Injury, illness, tragedy... anything has to be infinitely more interesting and therefore romantic than the angry, disposable society of today.

It was a good show. The best possible incubator for what is about to happen because I'm surely about to be standing in Philly tomorrow (philly... philly... philadelphia. TOMORROW. Wake up. Terrifying miracle of modern air travel *POOF* other side of the US) wondering where all that good will and attentiveness went.

Salim gives voice to exactly what I'm thinking (he gestures to me twice last night to come back over to where he is because I wander off when people want to talk to him. Still, watching him wave at me, I stifle the urge to turn around and look behind me. Surely, he's waving at someone else.)

The touring unit, Salim says (Joe, Salim, Marty and Olivia) are hitting their stride and perfecting their performance (story about Venice here, speaking in different accents, counting in different languages, story about the arrival of "I Don't Think So" in one day's work)... just to only have one night left and done. This is the kind of situation where you want this to be the beginning, the warm up, not the end.

The East dates will not be like any of this. I know that. And I worry. He doesn't need me to worry. He's an old pro at this, but I also remember very clearly standing in the West Salem gig in 2020 and just being so angry while forks clattered against plates and people just would not *shut up*. They talked over Rhett too which is bizarre to me as this is who most of them are paying specifically to see (I still have only the most basic concept of Rhett. I know he is kind and gives off similar good feelings as Salim... but I also know he's on TV. Like, a lot). These audiences will be looking for a tipple, looking for a gnosh and the music will be a backdrop that a lot of them will barely pay attention to.

I'm glad for the Texas gigs. I'm glad for the love that has been afforded everyone so far. So so much.

Salim mentioned liking the response gotten so far to "Protect Your Peace," a lovely song Salim has been weaving around a piece of audience participation that has - so far - gone beautifully. I feel like this song is probably not even going to be tried on the next leg of shows... just a feeling.

But an old, dear friend of mine I've never actually met in person bought EIGHT tickets for Philly so there is as much positive mojo as anyone could possibly want right out of the gate.

And Sarah and me and my husband will be there. Which means, no matter how hard he has to fight to win the room every night... the cheering section from home will still be there.

And doubtless, there will be someone there every night that was just like I was. Someone who didn't know that some guy they've never heard of from Texas is EXACTLY what they needed to include to make their listening, their *living* experience that much better.

And winning one person is WINNING.

Grand adventure awaits.

#salimnourallah #martywillsonpiper #oliviawillsonpiper #joereyes #austintx #cactuscafe #nostalgia #dejavu #rhettmiller #sanantonio #lonesomerose #adventure #protectyourpeace #thechurch #thechurchband #nocturum

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askthewvba · 3 years

Note

So, do you guys have any hobbies outside of the ring?

Little Mac

While Mac does devote much of his time to training and preparing for his next matches, he's still a teenage boy! That bike is good for casual rides too, and when he and Doc have some time they'll go riding through the streets of New York (while avoiding fans!). Video games are another go-to pastime; he and Birdy get together to game pretty frequently, though he also makes the effort to teach Doc how to play. Doc's still figuring out how to manage newer generation controllers.

Glass Joe

When out of the ring, Glass Joe greatly enjoys his time to be spent in calm, quiet comfort. He frequents libraries and book shops for new reading material, then makes himself cozy in his reading chair with his cat Miette on his lap. When he chooses to leave the house, he'll drop by his usual café and pick up a snack and a cup of coffee - sometimes he'll visit the café twice in one day if he'd already gone there for breakfast.

Von Kaiser

Von Kaiser's never been one for idling, and prefers even his free time to be productive and/or busy. Otherwise, he just feels antsy! He's got a collection of boots to be polished, bookshelves to be reorganized, training equipment to be tidied and touched up, anything to keep his mind from wandering and his hands occupied. Additionally, he'll take his dog Jäger out for walks around the neighborhood.

Disco Kid

Oh, it's not too hard to imagine! Disco Kid loves the nightlife, hosting parties at his own place or going out to whatever club he can find around town. He just wants to dance and have a good time! Sometimes he'll cruise down the highways going nowhere in particular, blasting his music out of his sports car and flashing the fancy lights he's got, making a real spectacle of himself and his ride.

King Hippo

King Hippo is a simple monarch, and if there aren't any important kingly duties he has to attend to, you can usually find him feasting, resting, or zonked out with a hunk of food still in his hand - best of both worlds! Since coming to the Mainland, he's developed an interest in trying other global cuisines and determining if they compare to his own tastes and what he usually dines on at home. As of now he has determined that spicy foods do not spark joy.

Piston Hondo

Piston Hondo is another who enjoys quiet simplicity. Though he devotes much of his time to meditation and training, he also takes great pleasure in the culinary arts of his culture. He’ll spend hours cooking traditional meals to perfection, and he’s nearly mastered the art of the tea ceremony. Other hobbies include reading (though he’d be hard pressed to tell you what he usually reads), calligraphy, and painting.

Bear Hugger

Bear Hugger’s an outdoorsman, through and through! He spends many hours enjoying the wilderness with his wildlife friends, cooking hearty meals over campfires, hiking through tundras and mountains, and maybe even a game or two of hockey if he’s got the time for it. You could also say boxing’s a bit of a hobby for him - his usual gig is lumberjacking and carpentry!

Great Tiger

Like his friend Hondo, Great Tiger spends much of his time meditating and honing his magical abilities. Speaking of, though he could and has easily sold out arenas to see him perform his wonders, he’d just as soon travel the streets of his hometown and perform tricks for delighted locals free of charge. Like Kaiser, he also takes satisfaction in regularly reorganizing his living space and belongings, just to shake things up.

Don Flamenco

Of course, the obvious answer would be his dancing skills. Which is true! Don Flamenco and Disco Kid often spend nights out at local clubs, where both of them display their abilities for whoever happens to have their eyes on them. But at home, he tends to his flower garden that grows carnations, asters, dahlias, and of course - roses, his pride and joy. Would you believe Don doesn’t mind a little dirt here and there?

Aran Ryan

Aran Ryan’s favorite pastime is, without a doubt, annoying people. Needless to say he’s quite the prankster, lurking around the WVBA gyms for anyone he can mess with, usually some hapless soul just trying to get a workout in. If he’s stuck in the lodgers? Might as well crank his music up as high as it goes to piss off the neighbors! He’s picked up tagging as a hobby too, though mostly keeps it in America.

Soda Popinski

On many days after vigorous training at the WVBA facility, Soda Popinski and his buddy Aran go bar-hopping around town, even if the sun’s still up. Soda’s not drinking liquor anymore, of course, but he does get totally sloshed on soda! Those evenings usually end with both men drunkenly stumbling back to their lodgings, belting pub songs out of key. But on days when he’d rather take it easy, you can find him reading, knitting, or... wrestling bears in the mountains.

Bald Bull

Whatever he’s doing, Bald Bull values his time spent privately away from the public eye. Visiting hot springs and saunas are a tried and true way for him to relax. Back home he lives near a few foothills with herds of wild cattle, and will spend time bonding (and training) with the bulls there. Plus, he’s good at construction! Does he need another firepit in the backyard? No. Is he making one anyway? He’s already halfway done.

Super Macho Man

Hosting lavish and expensive parties with groupies and other socialites? Check. Calling up one of the many numbers in his phone and taking a lucky lady out for a wild night on the town? Check. Showing up to other parties and events and totally stealing the show? Check, check, check. But what Macho loves most is actually a solo activity, out of the limelight - he loves to surf on his private beach, spending hours catching sun and taming waves.

Mr. Sandman

Mr. Sandman is one of those weirdos who legitimately goes to the gym for fun. Whether lifting weights, using the machines, or getting in some cardio exercises, you can be sure that Sandman’s showing up literally everybody else with how efficient and effortless his routines are. But would you have pegged him as being a science fiction and fantasy fan? He’s got quite the sizable collection of novels!

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alolanrain · 3 years

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how old is ash on yours au’s?

It really really depends and I’m finding out that I’m absolutely horrible at actually giving out somewhat concrete ages, barring a few Au’s.

Unspokenly Ash is usually around late 20 to very early 22, unless I did write down and post an age for him in what ever Au has it, but thats also more drabble and fillet based. That is… basically my standard and I really need to vocalize that more from the content that I do write him as younger.

Basically how it goes is that with each region he ages up a year. Spending his birthday at home with his mom and the Oak’s that are present at the time before going off on another adventure. This gets kind of tricky around Sinnoh because Ash stay’s there to take on The Brain. I have that written down that it takes 3 month’s to even half a year. Which then put’s off the ‘sharing the birthday with mom and oak’ thing. This lands his birthday in the middle of his current journey at the time or a bit later like right before the league or a month before, if that makes sense. So in the end he comes home obviously older. Though I have been messing around and making the time in Orange Isles shorter to around 9 months instead of a full year.

Like here’s a time table and I’ll keep both set’s of ages if I do mess around with Orange Isles time line and add it as concrete. It gets really complicated so if you want a little more explanation please don’t be afraid to ask. I am also keeping the Brain Arc to half a year.

Starting age to finishing age *0/12 means how many months he is instead of a full year.

Kanto: 10 to 11

Orange Isles: 11 to 12 or 11 to 11 + 9/12

Johto: 12 to 13 or 11 + 9/12 to 12 + 9/12

Hoenn: 13 to 14 or 12 + 9/12 to 13 + 9/12

Sinnoh: 14 to 15 or 13 + 9/12 to 14 + 9/12

+ battling the Brain: 15 to 15 + 6/12 or 14 + 9/12 to 15 + 3/12

Unova: 15 + 6/12 to 16 + 6/12 or 15 + 3/12 to 16 + 3/12

Kalos: 16 + 6/12 to 17 + 6/12 or 16 + 3/12 to 17 + 3/12

Alola: 17 + 6/12 to 18 + 6/12 or 17 + 3/12 to 18 + 3/12

Galar: 18 + 6/12 to 19 + 6/12 or 18 + 3/12 to 19 + 3/12

I just want to say that typing all this out looks like one hell of a long ass math equation, kinda hate it and might change it later. But this is my completely basic format of what I use. Of course there’s a lot of wiggle room as I write Ash starting around 20 to 21 in Alola and Galar. He’s obviously going to probably spend more the one complete year in a region and less then another. The end of the league doesn’t dictate when he stays and leaves. Theres also the months that build up between each “arc”, another word I use to refer to his journeys, and to account the HC that some leagues start off at wildly different times then others.

It’s literally just a pick-and-pull basket and just a large general target where Ash would be ages wise. As you see in the end the two different age lists end up being only 3 months part from each other. It really doesn’t matter and I’m mostly just playing around with it. Another note thats… vital isn’t the correct word but I’m use it is that I don’t take Cerise Laboratory and the research assistant job into account. This is based off if Ash travels Galar to his normal standard with every other arc but Alola but I did keep the characters.

You didn’t ask for this but I want to add in other traveling buddies and side rivals ages and how they are compared to Ash as well. Usually Ash is the youngest if not one of them up until Hoenn. With the exception of being exactly 24 hours older then Ritchie. And all of this have way to much detail but its making my ADHD brain go brrrr happily.

He’s older than May, surprisingly, by like a month and a half but he doesn’t realize that and mentally clocks that he’s younger than her because of how responsible and adult like she acts a good chunk of the time. Max is obviously the youngest while Brock is the oldest. The same thing kinda happens in Sinnoh. He’s older then Dawn by a good year and a half to maybe even two years. Though Ash is younger then Paul and Barry by a varying few months between each boy.

Unova is where it changes a lot. Going from one of the youngest to one of the oldest out of his group of friends. Iris is drastically 3 years younger then Ash, making her around 12 at the start of the arc and somewhere around 13 at the end, and around 3 and a half with Cilan. This causes her to constantly pick against Ash because to her he’s older. Ash should be acting more like a seasonal trainer with known responsibilities and shouldn’t be so excited about everything. That’s also an expectation that was subconsciously taught to her by Drayden when she was still in School in the Dragon Village. Virgil is actually the oldest being freshly turned 18 years old while Cameron is the youngest at 11 and 5 months. Stephan is like the closest to Ash’s actually age but also acts a lot more older and more adult like then he really is just by his laid back attitude. Bianca actually just turned 18 before starting her journey.

Age Note: the reason why Cilan is weird and awkward around Burgundy is not because of her short temper and brash attitude but because Burgundy just turned 13 years old. She is a legitimate child just like Iris, compared to Cilan’s 16 years and 6 months when the meet on the road for the first time and not at a connoisseur event. Her deep infatuation and how young she is really puts Cilan in a active land mine field. Unlike Iris who listens to him and actually talks, he has no clue how to interact with her. Burgundy isn’t a normal gym challenger coming to his and his brother gym for a badge or even a normal crazed simple fan. As a gentleman at heart as well he raised to talk between certain age limits close to his own and this ends up making Cilan see Burgundy actually younger then she really is. Kind of like how Iris clocked Ash as a ‘kid’ when he’s obviously older then her and more experienced.

Kalos then thrusts Ash or being the oldest out of the main group but not as a whole. Bonnies around 8 while Clemont is 2 months and a half younger then Ash. This is where I struggle a lot in placing peoples based age in Kalos is actually because of Serena. I don’t want to make her too young to which the point it’s weird and also I based the other contest girls age’s around hers. But I also don’t want to make her too old to the point that Miette, the oldest out of the contest girls no matter what, is older then Ash. The general consensus is that Miette is right in with Clemont and Ash age wise while Nini is the youngest out of the trio. So that places Serena around 13 to 14 while Nini is like 12 and 7 months. Sawyer is obviously just turned 10 while Trevor, Tierno, and Shauna are between 12 and a half to 13 and a half years old. Giving that easy bonding connection with Serena and Shauna while giving Miette a older more experienced vibe and the childlike wonder to Nini. You’d think with Alain and all Ash would be the second oldest but your wrong. Ash is exactly 1 whole week older then Alain but, much like May, he doesn’t know that and mentally clocks Alain older then he really is.

In comes Alola and this is again where I usually bump Ash up to 20 to 21 but for the sake of everything I’m going off the basic target. Ash is obviously the oldest of the class by a good year on them alone though the classes collective smarts pushed them up different grades in school so thats how their together. Kiawe was the oldest at 16 and 9 months while Sophocles is still the youngest at 12 and 3 months, again bringing in the fact that the class is super smart and its based off intelligence instead of age like with every other class. Mallow is the third oldest at 16 and 2 months with Lana following on by at 16 and 1 month. Lillie is specifically around 15 years to 13 years and 4 months based off if I want her to suffer more as a older teen or as a child, literally her age is based off if I want to traumatize her more or not. Hapu is around 12 to 13 years old despite her obvious size and squeaky-ish voice. Acerola despite being very very mature for her age is only 17 years and 4 months old. Horacio is about Ash’s age at an even 17 years old when he and his lackies first meet Ash, Sophocles, and Kiawe.

Age Note: Horacio absolutely used his age as a card against Sophocles as many times as he could to the point it was so overused. This made Ash especially angry because he hated it when people used their age against much younger kids. Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you’re right.

Then we reach Galar as our final stop. Ash is once more the oldest out of him, Chloe, and Goh but not everyone else. That would be Hodge at a straight 19 years old when he first meets Ash and Goh at the Battle Frontier Flute Cup. Chloe comes at 14 and a half years old with Goh just freshly turning 14. This makes Ash’s relationship more of a mentor type distant older brother thing. Those two actually don’t find out about Ash’s age up until he and Goh get their letter so of recommendation and have to fill out the normal personal stuff. If you think Hop is close by in age with Ash then you’re wrong again. He’s actually two days younger then Chloe making Hop around 14 and a half years old as well. Marine is 13 years and 9 months old. Bede is much more closer to Ash then the others at 16 years 8 months. For Leon, Raihan, and Sonia their still very much the same in a way. Leon is still the youngest at 20 years while Raihan is the oldest at 23, leaving Sonia in the middle at 21 and a half years old.

Age note… once more: this fits perfectly for the Kanto and Galar Trios as they basically get opposite of themselves in a way. Goh who’s very oriented, loud, and on the go gets paired with marine who’s very quite and shy for the most part and their going to subconsciously teach each other that its okay to come out of your shell or its okay to take a moment and relax. Hop is very much like Ash and Goh combined with the strategies and the none stop puppy own straight crack like energy and he declares himself as Chloe’s, who’s silent and very critical and almost broody like it’s not quite there but it’s close enough, rival and is trying to teach her that battling is fun and okay and a lot of Pokemon like battling for those reason. Ash and Bede are the obvious choice for each other because once again Ash is very bright, happy-go-lucky, just sweet in general to everyone while Bede is completely broody, extremely sour, and just utterly rolling in his own image and being way to cocky.

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jaskiersvalley · 4 years

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i have read your fics more than once. really.

That is super flattering and I am so pleased you read them more than once. Hopefully, this little ficlet of thanks is something you’ll enjoy reading too!

Witchers didn’t have souls. That was a known fact around the continent. Their trials and mutagens and everything else that went on in their mysterious keeps stripped them of their core humanity. It stole away their daemons, left behind unfeeling killing machines that didn’t bat an eyelid at the atrocities fought so viciously. Then again, people whispered that it was better they didn’t have daemons because there was no telling what monstrous creature their daemons would settle into.

Despite all these warnings, Jaskier found himself tagging along with an infamous witcher. The Butcher of Blaviken himself. His own daemon, Miette, settled as a white-tailed mongoose, was happy to trot along by his side or settle on his shoulders. At the start, it was definitely unnerving to have a travel companion without a daemon of his own but, slowly, Jaskier got used to it.

Over time, as Jaskier became more familiar with Geralt, he didn’t miss the longing looks shot towards Miette. While he never touched her, there was a hint of temptation - especially after being in a village where the humans pulled away not their children first but their daemons. On those nights, Geralt always settled a little closer to the fire.

The nice thing about daemons was that mostly there was no need to verbal communication. Jaskier could look at Miette and they were in agreement. However, some things needed more than a look.

“You sure?” Miette asked but she was already turning towards Geralt.

“Go,” Jaskier said, bracing for what was to come. Because either unimaginable ire and offence was going to be rained down on him and Miette. Or Jaskier was in for a night like no other he’d experienced before.

From his own bedroll, Jaskier watched as Miette approached Geralt. Daemon and witcher stared at each other before Miette dipped her head and approached. It was Jaskier who gasped as his daemon nosed her way under Geralt’s arms and nestled into his chest. For a heavy few seconds time and the world was suspended before rushing to catch up as Geralt buried his face in Miette’s fur.

After that night, Geralt actually acknowledged Miette as an entity in her own right and talked directly to her rather than ignore her as he had a habit of doing before. When they were in built up areas, Geralt still ignored Miette. Especially after he once brushed against her at an inn and they were forcibly thrown out as a result. The new rumour that witchers tried to steal daemons for their own was impossible to quash, no matter how hard Jaskier tried.

“Come to Kaer Morhen with me,” Geralt said one night. It was an offer that had Jaskier’s heart picking up in excitement and Miette clambered up Geralt’s trouser leg to settle around his shoulder, tail draped across his throat.

“It would be my honour.”

As winter approached, Jaskier got more and more excited. He was going to meet other witchers, spend the whole season with Geralt and see him relax with family. Even Geralt seemed more motivated than usual. Which was saying a lot because he was the master of hiding all emotions.But Jaskier couldn’t miss the slight bounce of energy in him as they got closer to the mountain range which Kaer Morhen was nestled in.

The climb was bitterly cold and fraught with danger. More than once Jaskier came close to giving up and curling up with Miette, falling to sleep, probably to never wake again. But Geralt’s urging and mutters about Roach kept them moving.

They were on the last leg of the climb, the old keep visible through the trees when Geralt let out a soft laugh. “Vesemir’s home.”

Looking up, Jaskier’s jaw dropped at the sight. There was an elephant by the western wall of the keep, spreading mortar over a large crack. On its back was a man, obviously relaxed.

“How the fuck did you get an elephant up here?” Jaskier asked but Geralt had picked up the pace and was all but jogging to the doors, flinging them open and rushing in. It was a burst of energy that Jaskier just couldn’t muster. And he must have been so exhausted he was hallucinating because the elephant was gone and the man he thought he was on its back was walking towards him with a wave.

Jaskier followed Geralt into the keep and came to a stop, almost choking on his next breath. There were cages on the floor of the entrance hall, three of them occupied by daemons and Geralt was prying one open with excitement clumsy hands.

“I know Roach, I know,” he was muttering and the cage door finally flew open. Instantly, the daemon in the cage was bursting out and rapidly shifting through forms, a wolf knocking Geralt flat on his back, a lioness nuzzling against his chest with a deep purr, a ferret excitedly disappearing down the neck of his shirt and making Geralt squirm until she popped out of his sleeve before shifting to a mouse and nesting in Geralt’s hair.

“What the fuck?” Jaskier whispered and Miette looked just as stunned.

“Welcome to Kaer Morhen,” Vesemir said from beside him, a lizard peering out from his breast pocket. “You obviously know Geralt and now you’ve seen Roach.”

The incredulous “that’s Roach?!” from Jaskier drew Geralt’s attention and he sat up, mouse turning into a cat to sprawl in his arms.

“Roach, meet Jaskier and Miette,” he said and the cat flicked her tail. “She’ll probably come greet you later on but,” Geralt trailed off. It was obvious though, he didn’t want to let go of Roach.

That evening, Jaskier learned a lot of things. Witchers did indeed have daemons but the trials stripped them of the ability to settle on one form. It was safer for them to remain at the keep than be out in the world. A lot of less than well-intentioned people would pay good money to get their hands on an unsettled daemon that could exist at great distances from its partner. Not to mention that having a witcher’s daemon meant ownership of a witcher which was disastrous.

“It also gives us the final boost to come home,” Geralt added, Roach hidden up his sleeve in ferret form. “If we had them with us, we would never make it up the pass.”

“Plus, we know who might return for winter and who might not. An empty cage means we won’t hope needlessly. Speaking of, Bleater’s been looking a little ragged,” Vesemir added. “Eskel’s got himself into trouble.”

Sure enough, when Jaskier walked through the entrance hall, one of the daemons looked rather sorry for herself. She was in wolf form, curled up and shivering. The cage door was enchanted so no matter how small a daemon, it couldn’t pass between the bars.

“Can’t we let her out? Maybe Miette and Roach could give her some comfort?” Jaskier begged.

“The first thing she’d do is take flight to find him. And then he’ll never make it home.” The reply from Geralt was less than pleasing and Jaskier sat by the cage, whispering encouragements to Bleater, trying to keep her spirits a little raised.

The cage next to her housed another wolf. This one threw herself at the door and raged to be let free. When Jaskier dared ask about her, Geralt simply shrugged.

“Lambert’s getting close.”

Sure enough, two days later a new witcher staggered through the doors. He smacked the cage door open and Jaskier bore witness to a wrestle between man and daemon that looked more like a fight than a greeting. Once they were done, the daemon shifted into a cat and swiped at Lambert’s hand.

“You’ll do, eh?” He said to the daemon before looking up at Jaskier. “I see Geralt’s brought home a stray.”

Not disheartened or offended by the exclamation, Jaskier smiled. “Jaskier. And this is Miette. You are?”

“Lambert,” came the reply. He looked at the cat and smirked. “You never did need a name, did you?”

The cat sank her teeth into Lambert’s hand, drawing blood and he laughed, giving her a fond cuff. “Bloody brat.”

Jaskier could only watch as man and cat wandered off but not before their gaze lingered on Bleater in her cage.

Things weren’t looking good for Eskel. Bleater, was on her side and panting by the next morning, looking lethargic and sickly. The witchers all looked grim as they passed her cage but they maintained there was nothing they could do. So Jaskier sat vigil with her, kept her company even though it went against every social etiquette. It was early afternoon when Bleater shivered and gasped on a breath, craning her neck to look Jaskier in the eye.

“Please,” she murmured, “save him.”

It wasn’t something Jaskier could truly refuse. He was up and out the door with Miette a moment later. Eskel had to be close, there was no way he could be too far away. As they got to the path they followed up, there was a low growl from behind them and Lambert’s daemon snarled at them.

“If you’re going to stop us, you might want to snap my neck now,” Jaskier snapped, irritated. He watched as the daemon sniffed the air, scenting it.

“He’s close. Follow me.” She was off and Jaskier had to rush after her, down a different path to the one they took. From behind them there was a thudding and panting, Roach in wolf form appeared too.

“What?” she scoffed. “I’m not suffering a winter with Lambert and his idiot mourning when there’s someone willing to do something about it. Plus-” if wolves could smile, she certainly was, “you get to take the blame for this. It’s not like Vesemir would make you suffer the whole winter.”

It took fifteen minutes of fast paced jogging down a path before the two wolf daemons stopped and sniffed. Whatever they could detect, Jaskier hoped it wasn’t death.

“There!” Miette dashed off through the snowy undergrowth. A little way off the path, there was a small clearing and in the middle of it was a collapsed man. Miette danced around him nervously, chittering to get Jaskier closer. While Roach didn’t touch Eskel, Lambert’s daemon seemed to have no such qualms. She turned into a scarred bear and hefted Eskel onto his back settling over him with a rumble.

“He’ll need to warm up before we can move him.”

It took a few minutes before fingers twitched and buried themselves in the thick fur as Eskel gasped a soft “You.”

“Of course it’s me, idiot,” she retorted.

Eskel looked around, dazed and flinched at the sight of Jaskier. However, Roach’s presence next to him and Miette on her back seemed to help him relax.

“Guess we’re your rescue party,” Jaskier said by way of introduction. “Just as well I don’t believe in leaving people to struggle alone.”

There was something in Eskel’s expression which he couldn’t read. Maybe even grief. “Li’l Bleater got snatched by a forktail. I tried to rescue her but ended up snapping my ankle instead. It’s mostly healed now but I couldn’t push on.”

Shame, that’s what Jaskier could see and he wasn’t prepared to have any of that. He offered Eskel a hand to pull him up and winced as how he still limped. The ankle wasn’t healed up by any of his definitions. His joke about the fact that if that was Eskel’s definition of better could be understood to mean that bones were poking out earlier fell flat. And Jaskier felt a little sick at realising that’s exactly what had happened.

Keeping her bear form, Lambert’s daemon let Eskel cling to her as they limped back towards the keep. It took the better part of two hours and by the time they were back, Vesemir, Geralt and Lambert were standing by the door, looking like a menacing and unimpressed welcome party. Even worse, Lambert scoffed and turned to head into the keep. Jaskier wanted to call after him and berate him however, a moment later, a blur was stumbling and rushing out of the keep. Bleater all but crashed into Eskel who had dropped to his knees to greet her, relief making his shoulders sag.

“Bleat,” he gasped, burying his face in her fur. “Thank you.”

At a more sedate pace, Lambert approached and waited his turn to greet Eskel. As he stood, his eyes met his daemon’s and they nodded at each other. No matter the price, they would have done it again. Lambert squeezed Jaskier’s shoulder as he helped Eskel hobble into the keep.

“I am so disappointed in you,” Geralt chided Roach. “But thank fuck you’re a stubborn mare.”

Vesemir’s quiet “thank you” was the one that took Jaskier off guard the most. He’d expected to be berated, to be thrown out. Instead, there was soft gratitude from all the witchers. And for the whole of winter, Miette had four eternally shifting snuggle buddies to lounge by a fire with. While Jaskier found himself accepted by the witchers, welcomed into their family and, even better, invited back for future winters.

#geraskier #minor eskel/lambert #geralt of rivia #jaskier #lambert #eskel #vesemir #daemon au #long post #tldr: witchers lock away their daemons for most of the year

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