#please someone cast greater restoration on me

[saschacantrip]

If I casted spell. I dont cast it bc I did. No I didn't 💜

[stellartales]

Xiao — Call My Name 04

Chapter 04  — He Stands Alone

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The way to Liyue Harbor was a lot faster on the cargo carriage a regular merchant of Wangshu Inn offered Paimon and her to ride on. 

The herbs Verr Goldett worked wonders; her leg could walk so much better now with barely any pain. Thanks to the lady boss’ care, her last evening in the Inn were spent making his favorite food in Smiley Yanxiao’s kitchen

As Verr Goldet had mentioned — one would only find the Guardian Adeptus if he wants to be found. 

Indeed, on the balcony, that night was the last she had seen of Xiao. Day or night, he was nowhere in sight. Even his usual place, the balcony, stayed empty with no sign of the adeptus. 

However, the missing box of the almond tofu she made that was gone along with her little handwritten note, ‘Eat well! :) Do you happen to know an adeptus named Starsnatcher?’ the following morning told her something else. 

 Liyue Harbor has always been a bustling port city for as long as he could remember. He was , afterall, the one who made sure it flourished. 

The faint aromatic whiff of Jueyun Chilli Chicken coming from Wanmin Restaurant just down the street was instantly recognizable to anyone who had stayed in Liyue Harbor long enough. Laughing children and energetic chatter about anything and everything was accompanied by the distant hollers of the shipcrews down on the port.

Wise golden eyes idled on the scenes around him.

Particularly, on the loaded carts rolling along the streets and the enthusiastic merchants they went past. 

This ever-going vitality was the very blood that kept this city port bright and running, and the Qixing its brain. One he knew Liyue Harbor could depend on when he decided to put his duties as the Geo Archon to a permanent rest and experience the world in the form of a mortal, just like now.

A satisfied sigh quietly slipped past his lips as Zhongli cast his gaze onto the view of the sky beyond the shimmering horizon the location of the tavern he was sheltered under offered, the edges of his lips curling mildly in contentment.

The curt flutters of an opening paper fan turned the thoughtful gaze back to the storyteller, “ We last left off, with ancient Liyue, beset by an ocean demon and a mountain dragon.”  

Elegant, long fingers curled around the steaming teacup on the table before him. 

“ Rex Lapis mustered his adepti,” The wispy steam from the teacup was blown away as it drew near to his lips, ” to restore peace into the land.”

A sip of the hot tea disappeared down his throat with a gulp and as he was lowering the cup to the table, golden eyes swiveled to the left.

The cup was placed back onto the table and he was on his feet, leaving the storyteller to tell his tale.

The crowd on the street of Chihu Rock parted like a flowing river as she maneuvered through the boulevard with eyes glued to the intricate words on the book — Yakshas: The Guardian Adepti . 

Perched on her right shoulder, another pair of eyes were equally engrossed in the content.

The pages in her hands fluttered lightly to the ocean breeze as they broke away from the busy street and onto the wharf overlooking the vast sea beyond the harbor. 

“It’s so tragic…” Paimon’s hands were held to her chubby face.

Brooding sadness brimmed in their eyes as they settled down on the neatly piled wooden planks. The shadow of the huge dockyard in front of them was the perfect shade blocking them from the afternoon sun.

Lumine nodded with a deep sigh, “Oh how they had suffered…” She shook her head.

“—Indeed, and terribly so.” A deep voice interjected.

Both jolted upright with a surprised gasp, lifting their heads sharply to find themselves being gazed upon by a familiar pair of wise eyes.

“Zhongli-sensei??” 

Lumine winced at the volume Paimon released from her shoulder. 

“Do you mind?” A smile played on his lips as Zhongli gestured at the spot beside her.

She shook her head.

His long brown coat fluttered behind him as he moved to sit down.  

“Interesting choice of literature you have there,” The wood beneath them shifted to his weight as he took his spot beside them. 

“Is it true? Is it true?” Paimon flapped her arms eagerly, “Is it true that this tragedy happened a long time ago? The lady at the bookhouse told us this was just a theory spun by historians.”

Zhongli chuckled, lifting a hand to return a greeting from a passing dockyard laborer along with a curt nod.

A serious look swept over his handsome face.

“Time is a powerful force. Stories passed along the passage of time are like the stone spears which I had left behind as the Guyun Stone Forest. I made sure what happened then still lives.“ 

The pensive stare on Zhongli’s face lingered even as he turned back to her, but with a slight frown. 

“Just like those spears which were roughed out by wind erosions, what is left to be seen today is what you get. Fabrication by the imagination of those who weren’t there to know what happened is inevitable, but the truth remains.”

Zhongli raised his gaze to the sky with a quiet look, a hand reaching up to cup his chin as how she would always see him doing when reminiscing something from the past.

“The yakshas, this book told of, after fighting the wrath of the gods for thousands of years, became bound by karma.” 

His deep voice dipped with a sad tinge, “Poisoned by the hateful thoughts of the gods, the yakshas would often descend into indescribable fits of terror, rage or agony…”

His long fingers left his face and curled into a tight fist. “They were a big sacrifice for the greater good. All for the peace you see now.” 

A dark look almost like wistful and remorse settled on Zhongli’s face.

“Then the yakshas…” Lumine mulled over his words for a moment. “The book says that their battles broke their souls and made them turn against each other.”

Sadness fell over her eyes like a grey cloud. “...most are no longer here, are they?”

“Some succumbed to darkness.” Zhongli stared forlornly at the book in her hand. “Even I don’t know where those went. But as of today, one still remains.”

He sighed.

“The age of gods and monsters is over. And so is my first contract with Liyue. This is no longer my Liyue to protect but the common folks.” 

Zhongli shook his head. “The moment I ended my contract with Liyue, so did his, but he still battles till this day.” 

“Hold on a second!” Paimon jumped in, waving her hands frantically, “What do you mean one remains? Aren’t there still two yakshas left?”

“Two?” Zhongli blinked calmly at her. “There has always been one   —  Xiao. I’m sure you know him. He was there in your battle against Osial, wasn’t he?” 

It was his turn to look puzzled.

Lumine frowned. “But what about the Starsnatcher—” Her face fell as realization dawned upon her. She ran a hand down her face with an exasperated sigh. “Oh nevermind, it’s clear now. ”

“Huh?” Paimon scratched her head, “Paimon doesn’t understand! What’s clear now?”

“There’s never been an adeptus with the name Starsnatcher.” Lumine narrowed her eyes at the book in her hand. “He’s a fraud!”

Paimon elicited a gasp. “Xiao needs to know that someone is impersonating the adepti!”

A knowing look from Zhongli was all before the Archon let out a chuckle. “And I trust that you three are capable enough to deal with this...imposter.” 

Long legs uncrossed, Lumine’s eyes were drawn to Zhongli as the man rose to his feet. 

There was an elegance even in the way Zhongli turned around to face them. One that she couldn’t help noticing whenever he was around. 

“You bet we will!” Paimon nodded her head enthusiastically. “Leave it to us, Mr. Zhongli!” Her hands curled into chubby fists as a determined glare scrunched up her cheeks.

Amusement danced in his wise golden eyes as Zhongli responded to Paimon with a light chuckle. “You’ve proven yourselves countless times, my friends, I’m sure this obstacle would pass like a smooth breeze.” 

Zhongli turned as if to go, before glancing over his shoulder. 

“Oh yes, before I go, please do me this favor and give these painkillers to Xiao.” He held out a small green pouch. 

“Painkillers?” Lumine said nearly in a gasp as he placed the pouch in her hand. She looked up at him with a worried frown. “Is Xiao in pain...?”

Then it hit her.

Xiao...with all he had gone through, why wouldn’t he? 

Lumine felt her heart clench with an ache at that thought, remembering Zhongli’s words and what the book had mentioned. 

A bitter feeling sank her heart, at the same time, a strange sense of greediness and yearning tugged her heart — to understand the yaksha behind his piercing eyes, to learn about the pain he hid underneath it all.

“I’m afraid so. Constantly and especially so after his battles.” Zhongli’s face held nothing, but there was gloom in his eyes. “That boy…”

Zhongli sighed heavily. “This may be too much to ask. Xiao will not like this, but please look after him.”

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— published on 16.03.2021

[jaceyneedsabetterusername]

Can’t Get Rid Of Me (Part 2 to Can’t Lose You)

Pairings: Zuko x Reader

Summary: Part 2 to Can’t Lose You. Y/N has finally found her long lost love but now it’s their responsibility to ensure the end of the Hundred Years War and to bring a new era of peace. 

Warnings: Violence

Word Count: 5600

A/N: There are definitely parts of this that are word-for-word from the show and I do not take any creative credit for those. I strictly take credit for what is my writing. But like... I’m actually kind of proud of this particular two-part series thing I happened to write. It was an idea I had for a while and, while I never planned on writing a second part, I’m glad you guys encouraged me to because I actually like how it turned out (and if you’re a writer, you understand how hard it can be to feel like your work is any good). Thank you all for the support <3 

___________________________________

Joining the avatar’s group was easier than you’d expected but from seeing the hodge-podge group of people, you figured that they had a habit of picking people up as they went along. For the few days you were at Zuko’s old vacation home on Ember Island before leaving, you’d trained with Zuko and Aang, working with the two boys to develop your firebending as much as possible before the battle. That was before Aang disappeared at least and you all went off searching for him, stumbling upon the Order of the White Lotus instead. 

“Are you alright?” You asked Zuko, coming to kneel beside him as he sat outside of Iroh’s tent. 

He shook his head, “My uncle hates me. I know it. He loved and supported me in every way he could, and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?” Though you didn’t see much of who he’d become first hand, Zuko had embarrassingly confessed his mistakes over the years to you, especially those concerning the incident with his uncle. 

“If there is anyone who understands what you’ve gone through and why you would do what you did, it’s your uncle. I don’t think he could ever hate you Zuko.” You remembered the way Iroh used to treat Zuko, especially after Lu Ten was killed, and you knew in your soul that there was nothing Zuko could do to make Iroh truly hate him. 

Zuko glanced over at you with wide eyes, like he was on the brink of tears from just remembering the disappointment in his uncle’s eyes, “But you didn’t see the way he looked at me when I made my decision to rejoin my father.” 

“People are allowed to make mistakes, Zuko. You made your choice then but look at the choices you’re making now. Even if he was disappointed months ago, I think he would be so proud to see what you’re doing now. He loves you more than anything.” Your hand reached out to stroke down his bicep comfortingly. 

He took a deep breath before pressing himself up to stand, “I sure hope you’re right.” 

You spent the night in a tent with Suki, allowing Zuko to have his time to fix things with his uncle. If he needed to talk to you, he knew where to find you. But he didn’t come until morning so you knew it must have gone really well or really poorly. 

The next morning, you found yourself sitting alongside the rest of the group, a bowl of porridge in your hands, the only food you’d eaten in two days and it tasted delicious. Iroh was sitting amongst you all, listening to Zuko as he tried to convince his uncle to come with you all to defeat Ozai, “You can beat him and we’ll be there to help!” Zuko explained passionately. 

“Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don’t know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end a war. History will see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Firelord.” Iroh countered and it was clear from the way he spoke that his decision on the matter was final. He would not kill his brother. 

This conversation felt wrong to you. Even though Ozai was a terrible man, and you’d seen years of his horrors first hand, it still felt wrong for some reason to be sitting with his son and brother while they conversed about who should get to kill him. But if it was difficult for you to hear, you couldn’t imagine how difficult of a decision it was for them, but mostly for Zuko, which made you so proud of him. He had come so far from that scared little boy, desperate for his father’s love and approval. Zuko had traveled to the ends of the Earth for his father, literally, but was now finding the strength to put everything behind him for the greater good of humanity and, for once, himself. 

Iroh had a very valid point in wanting to avoid direct conflict with his brother. From an outsider’s perspective, the battle would have looked simply like a murder for political gain. You could tell from the look on Zuko’s face that he knew as well. “And then… then would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?” He asked, nearly begged. 

His uncle looked away, “No, someone new must take the throne- an idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko.” 

Everyone inaudibly gasped at the suggestion. Everyone had a feeling that Zuko would have a large role to play in rebuilding the Fire Nation but nobody had guessed that it would be as Firelord. Zuko looked the most shaken of all, “Unquestionable honor?” He questioned his uncles decision, every regret he had plastered in his eyes, “But I’ve made so many mistakes.” 

“Yes, you have,” Iroh began bluntly, “You have suffered and struggled but you have always followed your own path. You restored your own honor and only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation.” 

Zuko’s wide eyes flicked from Iroh to you, trying to accept the reality of what this delegation meant. “I agree with your uncle, Zuko. I don’t think the Fire Nation could be rebuilt better by anyone else.” You encouraged, nodding your head sincerely. What you wanted to do was hold his hand and try to give him whatever power, courage, and confidence you had to offer but you resisted, only offering the small but very heartfelt gesture. 

“I’ll try, Uncle.” 

A plan was soon devised as to how you would all plan an attack. Iroh and the rest of the White Lotus would reclaim Ba Sing Se. You, Zuko, and Katara would return to the palace to fight Azula and reclaim the throne as soon as Ozai fell. Suki, Toph, and Sokka would all take down the air ships. 

Before long, you were about to climb up onto Appa’s saddle beside Katara and Zuko, where he already sat with the reins grasped firmly in his hands. Just as you reached to begin your ascent up the large creature you’d quickly fallen in love with, Iroh’s hand gripped your shoulder, “Y/N.”

You stopped and turned back towards the man you’d come to see as family yourself, “Yes?” 

“Azula is strong. Please, keep my nephew safe. Don’t let him get himself killed.” It pained you to hear Iroh say those words, knowing that they held so much more fear than they sounded. The truth was, Iroh didn’t think he could take losing Zuko like he lost Lu Ten. 

You swallowed hard, honestly scared to make such a big promise because you knew that truthfully, anything could happen, and the possibility of any of you not returning was very large. But looking into Iroh’s desperate amber eyes, you couldn’t say anything other than, “I will. You stay safe out there, Uncle.” He smiled a little at the endearing term, something that he hadn’t heard you call him in many years, but loved nonetheless because it made him feel like he had children to love. 

“May we meet again, Y/N.” He pulled you into a tight hug, bringing your body close to his. An overwhelming surge of emotion coursed through you as you told yourself that this could very well be the last time you ever saw anyone. 

“May we meet again.” Your jaw clenched in a desperate attempt to keep your composure and not dwell on the what-if’s, no matter how valid they were. 

The ride over wasn’t too unbearably long but it was spent mostly in silence, everyone too lost in contemplation about the upcoming events to find the energy to say much. You’d never done anything this large in your life. You’d been a servant for the first fifteen years of your life and then a runaway turned bead maker for the last few. The closest thing to combat you’d experienced was training with Zuko and the one time you almost lost control with Azula. None of that could prepare you for the agonizing silence before the storm. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Katara asked you. 

“Hm?” You perked up, shaking yourself out of your thoughts, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just nervous, I s’pose.” 

Your chin rested on your knees as you stared down at the ground hundreds of feet below. The distance down didn’t bother you as much as the feeling of impending doom. “I have to believe that we’ll win,” Katara began softly, “And I know I haven’t known you long but, from what I’ve seen, you’re a very strong bender.” 

There it was, you realized. The reason you were so anxious. “I’ve never actually used it against anyone but Zuko, and even that was only for training purposes. I have never actually had to fight anyone, let alone Azula. I just… I don’t want to let everyone down.” 

“That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself. We’re all in this together, win or lose.” She reassured. Your eyes flickered up to look at Zuko, whose back was turned to you and Katara while he flew Appa. Katara noticed the movement and was about to move to take over flying Appa so Zuko could talk with you but just as she went to go, a bright light streaked overhead. 

All three of you craned your necks to watch the infamous comet streak across the sky, casting an orange glow over everything. “Sozin’s comet…” You breathed out, the celestial object actually much more beautiful than you’d ever imagine but so much more daunting as well. 

Zuko looked back to see your eyes trained on the comet and he felt like he was falling in love with you all over again. Your eyes sparkled with determination and courage in the light of the comet, your hair blew wildly around your face in the wind. You looked like the strongest most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on and he couldn’t wait to kick his sister’s ass and restore the Fire Nation with you. 

When the palace was in sight, Azula’s coronation was already underway. You smirked a little at the twinge of satisfaction that nobody had actually attended the coronation aside from the few people that were required to be there. Clearly, Azula was far from the preferred Fire Lord. 

“We have to stop this now!” Zuko called back to you and Katara just before he landed Appa right in the middle of the courtyard. 

You weren’t sure what exactly was being said when you landed but judging by the scowl on Azula’s face, she was unhappy about it. Before Appa could even touch the ground, Zuko was jumping down onto the ground, “Sorry, but you’re not going to become Firelord today. I am.” 

He stood there solidly, unyielding. You and Katara too jumped down to stand beside him. Azula began to laugh hysterically, “You’re hilarious!” 

“And you’re going down.” Katara threatened. 

You stood to the other side of Zuko, staring down the girl who had been the cause of your torment for over a decade. When you locked eyes with her, she scoffed, “And what? You’re going to beat me with some Water Tribe peasant and a servant? You really are pathetic, Zuzu.” 

Gosh, how you were so ready to just destroy her. But none of you moved, waiting for Zuko’s call. In the end, this really was his fight. 

When Azula noticed that there was no reaction to her insult, an evil smirk spread across her face, “Wait. You want to be Firelord? Fine, let’s settle this,” She suggested, appearing more composed than she had since you’d arrived, which was almost scarier than seeing her look psychotic, “Just you and me, brother - the fight that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!” 

No, this was bad. 

“You’re on.” Zuko accepted the challenge, much to your chagrin. 

You shot a look at Zuko, wondering why on Earth he’d be falling into her trap like this, “She’s trying to separate us!” You hissed at him, “She knows she can’t take us all so she’s testing you.” 

He didn’t look at you, though. He just stared straight ahead, locking eyes with his sister who stared hard and sadistically at him. “I know, but I can take her this time.” His eyes narrowed and Azula’s lip turned upwards in a sick smile. 

“Even you admitted to your uncle that you’d need help defeating her!” Katara insisted, desperately trying to talk him out of the Agni Kai. Even though she wasn’t Fire Nation, she knew how serious an Agni Kai was to your culture and that it wasn’t something to be taken lightly. 

Zuko looked as if he was analyzing his younger sister, “There’s something off about her. I can’t explain it, but she’s slipping. And this way, no one else has to get hurt.” He turned to you and you could almost see the fear in his eyes. Not fear for his own life but for yours and Katara’s. 

You wanted to stop him, wanted to talk some sense into your boyfriend. All you could think about was that promise you made to Iroh. Please, keep my nephew safe. Don’t let him get himself killed. Allowing him to fight alone felt like a direct breach of that promise that you’d had every intention of keeping but something in you told you to let him fight her. “Don’t get hurt.” You gave into his plan, hoping, praying, wishing on everything that you were making the right decision. 

Within a few minutes, you and Katara were standing off to the side of the large outdoor space, watching as Zuko breathed deep, centering himself before the duel. You found yourself almost shaking, the memories of what happened at the last Agni Kai you’d attended flooding your memory. It was as if your vision was flashing from thirteen year old Zuko, begging his father for forgiveness, to now, where he was kneeling away from his sister. Only this time, you knew he wouldn’t be granted the same mercy his father had given him. At least then he got away with his life. With Azula, you knew he wouldn’t be so lucky if he fell short.

Katara was tense herself but could practically feel the air stiffen around you. She glanced over to see your eyes almost glazed over, stuck in a memory she’d never see. The rise and fall of your chest had also stopped with your breathing. “He’s going to be alright.” Katara reassured you, gently grabbing your hand, “He has to be.” 

You looked down at where your hands were joined and squeezed, eyes returning to hers with a small half-hearted smile, just enough to show that you at least partially believed her. With a deep, calming breath, you swallowed the lump in your throat and raised your head high. 

Both siblings came to stand up, shedding the cloaks that were slung over their shoulders. “I’m sorry it has to end this way, brother.” Azula apologized insincerely. 

“No, you’re not.” Zuko’s eyes narrowed, already in a starting stance. 

And just like that, waves of red and blue painted the sky. Roaring flames shot from both Zuko and Azula’s hands, almost deafeningly so. Zuko’s bending was more passionate and stronger than you’d ever seen it before. Azula, on the other hand, seemed less refined and sloppier than her highness had ever allowed herself to be in the past but that did not mean that her bending was any less effective. There was so much rage and power behind both of their strikes. 

You watched Zuko’s moves intensely, mentally trying to tell him what to do, what move might be best, even though you knew that he was a far more well-trained bender than you were. But that was when you noticed that his forms were different than what he’d taught you all those years ago. His stance was wider and he looked more locked in place, like he was a boulder that refused to be moved, when he literally split a powerful flame that Azula sent his way in half. It was something you’d never seen any fire bender do before. In fact, he sort of looked like Toph… 

In a small gap between Azula’s onslaught of attack, Zuko took the offense, his arms moving smoothly and gracefully, expelling a stream of fire that almost could have resembled the way water benders shoot water. Your eyes widened. These were not traditional fire bending moves. Could he be using earth and water bending techniques to fire bend? 

As the flames settled in a small pause, you and Katara noticed that the buildings of the palace were all aflame, slowly burning to the ground in an orange glow. It was a short lived breath of silence though because Zuko interrupted it with a sudden blast of flames at Azula that nearly knocked her off her feet. She managed to catch herself with a jet of blue flames that projected her off the ground and towards her brother. It went on like this, shot after shot in the most heated, equally matched Agni Kai you’d ever seen. 

Suddenly, Zuko dropped to his hands and swung his legs around his body, sending whips of flames at his sister. “Isn’t that airbending?” You asked Katara, though your eyes never left the scene before you. The flame landed and sent Azula flying into the ground with a thud, rolling at least fifteen feet before she came to a stop. 

“I didn’t know you could use other bending techniques for a different element.” Katara too was entranced by Zuko’s conglomerated, unpredictable moves. It would have been beautiful to see fire used in such a way if it weren’t for the fact that you were all in the midst of a life-or-death situation. 

Azula slowly stood up, her eyes crazed beneath her choppy bangs. 

“No lightning?” Zuko taunted, “What? Afraid I’ll redirect it?” 

Dammit, Zuko, you cursed mentally, This is not the time to show off. 

Azula stood, pressing her weight off her knees, “Oh, I’ll show you lightning!” With that, she began her windup. With two fingers, she directed lightning in electric blue streams around her body. Zuko prepared for the strike, stance strong, hands ready to catch it. 

What nobody expected though, was the bright blue bolt being sent at you. It was almost too late by the time you noticed it happening. In a split second, Zuko watched in horror as the lightning blew right past him towards you, your E/C eyes wide with shock. “No!” He screamed, running to jump in front but it was too late. 

The lightning bolt streaked past before it could hit him, coming right for you. 

The world almost seemed to stop for a moment while at the same time, your entire life flashed by in a second. Your parents playing with you as a child, you and Zuko feeding the turtle ducks just over those gates, Azula burning you, moving in with the kind old lady on Ember Island, and finding Zuko again. But then memories that you didn’t yet make began to reel through your mind in a flash. You and Zuko were together, hand in hand, before an altar. Was that a wedding? Things flashed so quickly you couldn’t see the details. Then came one of the two of you in a room with a bald man with an arrow on his head. He could only be Aang but he was too old and beside him sat Zuko with longer hair; he looked at least ten years older. You seemed to be part of a serious conversation with them. Then, finally, one of you with a swaddled baby sleeping in your arms and Zuko beside you. 

Something told you that this was not your time. 

Just before the bolt could hit you, you clenched your eyes shut and looked away, sticking out two fingers directly at the lethal electricity coming right at you. With a crack, it came into contact with your digits and coursed through your arm. You brought your arm down to your stomach, or as close to it as you could manage in the heat of the moment, and just held the power there. You had no idea what you were doing. You’d never redirected lightning in your life. Hell, you’d never even seen it done. But in that series of flashbacks, a memory of Iroh telling you and Zuko a story as children about a time he had to redirect lightning during a raid of a city. Zuko had excitedly begged him to show the two of you how he did it and, while he didn’t actually redirect lightning before your eyes, he showed you both the movement for it. 

In the few seconds you held the lightning within you, you felt powerful and exhilarated. Your hair blew in the storm in and around your body. You had no idea what it was like to feel so strong but you also had never felt so volatile, like the smallest mistake, the slighted breath, could cause a catastrophe. 

Just as Iroh had shown you all those years ago, you brought the fingers of your opposite hand to your stomach and shot out the energy at the ground, tiles shattering where it finally struck. 

“Y/N!” Zuko cried out, running over to your body as it crumbled to the ground. You panted hard, trying to catch yourself on your hands and knees but your elbows buckled when you did and you fell face first onto the stone tiles. “Y/N?! Y/N, are you okay?!” He yelled, trying to roll your body over to cradle it in his lap but before he could, Azula sent another blast right next to her brother, purposefully not hitting him. Zuko flinched, shielding your body with his from the shrapnel. 

She laughed maniacally, body swinging wildly, “Oh, Zuzu! Looks like your precious little girlfriend picked up a few tricks! Color me impressed.” 

Azula assaulted the two of you with another barrage of attacks. Zuko again went to use his body to shield yours but Katara jumped in the way, shooting a powerful stream of water into Azula’s arm to move the lightning. Katara took over the battle for the time being while Zuko held you tight. 

“Y/N?” He asked again, eyes wide with worry, almost tearing up, “Please, say something. I can’t lose you!” Those same desperate words that seemed to have haunted your relationship came back around. 

He held your face, stroking your hair out of the way. Your eyes rolled back in your head as you struggled to open your eyes. “I’m-I’m alright. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” You insisted with a weak laugh before flinching, pushing your arms behind you to push yourself back up. 

“When did you learn to do that?” He asked in shock, helping you sit up. 

A loud yell came from Katara as she sent attack after attack of water at Azula. You finally managed to open your eyes enough to see Katara successfully holding off Azula. “Go, help her. I’m fine.” You told Zuko, flinching as you allowed yourself to be helped to an upright position. He looked at you with hesitation in his eyes. You grabbed his collar and pulled him close to you, “Zuko, I’m serious. There are bigger problems.” 

With a reluctant nod, he stood up and shot fire at her even more intensely than before, now fueled by rage at her dishonorable attack on you. You were aware of what was going on but for a few seconds you felt disconnected from it. You were still shocked that you managed to redirect the lightning, though not perfectly, of course, otherwise you wouldn’t have collapsed. Your body felt like it was buzzing but no longer with power, more so an emptiness where power once was. And beyond that, a dull burning ache ran through your arms and through your stomach, along the path the lightning ran through. 

But, beyond that, you felt relatively okay and, for right now, that had to be enough. With some effort, you managed to push yourself to your feet, strength quickly coming back to your muscles as the temporary that shock rendered them useless for a few minutes faded away. 

When you stood, you saw how destroyed everything was. Buildings burned, stone tiles were blown up all over, leaving holes in the ground, and now there were waves of ice. Azula appeared to be struggling against both Katara and Zuko but she also seemed not to mind, still plastering that insane smile on her face. 

The three of them had made their way under the canopy off to the side of the main open area. Azula was on the roof, stalking Zuko and Katara who stood underneath. Everyone was silent and you could see Katara and Zuko silently devising a plan but little did they know, Azula jumped down, gripping the canopy to launch herself into a flip. Before she could land or fire, though, you shot a stream of flames at her back, knocking her forward and rolling onto her face. 

Her eyes were aflame with rage when she stood up, “It’s about time you learned your place, little servant girl. I spared your life several times but you won’t get that kindness again.” 

“I’m not afraid of you anymore, Azula.” You moved to take a strong stance, arms out and ready to deflect any attack she sent your way. 

Her amber eyes narrowed beneath her dark jagged hair, “You should be.” With a loud scream, she sent another strike of lightning at you, sure that you couldn’t handle another one since you barely managed to survive the first. 

But how wrong she was. 

Already predicting an attack of some kind, it was easy to change your hand position and you caught the lightning with your fingertips, brought it down through your stomach, and breathed in for a second - a second that seemed to last forever. It was all coursing through your body again: the power, the volatility, the anger, the fear. 

Nobody else could see exactly what was happening. A storm of blue currents blew your hair around your face, covering it from view, and the lightning itself distorted the view of what was happening. Zuko and Katara watched in terror, worried that maybe you weren’t able to catch it and it hit you. 

Little did they all know, you had caught it and avoided your heart successfully and now, all there was to do was redirect it. Taking a deep breath, you honed all of your attention on the lightning in your control, forcing as much energy into it as you could, before shooting your fingertips directly at Azula, the lightning coming at her with more force than she’d shot at you. 

She tried to move to dodge it but before she could, Katara sent a slick of ice onto the ground just below her feet, sending her slipping instead of jumping like she’d intended. The lightning struck the princess with a loud crack and she fell onto the ground, lying on the cold white ice she’d slipped on. 

This time, you felt… alright. You didn’t hurt anywhere or collapse. Instead, you ran towards Zuko and Katara who knelt over Azula’s motionless body. “Is she… D-did I kill her?” You asked, honestly unsure what exactly you wanted the answer to be. For years, you’d told yourself that you’d kill her one day if you ever got the chance but now that took that chance, you weren’t sure if you wanted somebody’s life on your conscience, even if it really might have been for the betterment of the world that she was gone. 

Zuko reached down to feel for a pulse and shook his head, “No, she’s alive, but just barely.” 

Another wave of confliction coursed through you but, surprisingly, a big portion of it was relief. “What should we do with her then?” You knelt down beside Katara and finally inspected Azula. She was barely conscious, her eyes kept rolling back in her head, but that maniacal smile was finally blasted off her face. Her hair was a mess, just barely held back in the tie anymore. A large portion of her pants were missing, burned away just at the thigh to reveal a massive welting red branch-like wound on her pale skin. That must have been why she was able to survive the hit. 

“She needs help,” Zuko sighed, almost sounding like he was at war with himself in this decision, “Something’s telling me this is more than her just being a terrible person. She’ll be moved to the asylum offshore to get the help she needs. And to keep her from hurting anyone else.” His voice got tense at those last words. 

Katara moved water from the ground and used it to heal Azula’s leg as much as she could. “Just for now, I was thinking we could keep her in ice? I don’t know what else to do.” She rubbed her legs awkwardly. 

Glancing to your right, you saw chains hanging on a pillar and moved to grab them. “Here,” You said, beginning to chain her hands and feet together, her limp limbs moving easily, “Just so when we melt the ice, we still have some leverage.” 

“Good idea.” Zuko stood up, watching as you looped the last bit of chain securely in a knot. When it was all good and secure, Zuko gave Katara a small nod and she gracefully created an encasing of ice around Azula. 

This whole situation felt strange. The accumulation of a hundred years of war was climaxing right at this moment and you, Zuko, and Katara had all just successfully completed your part of that victory. What felt odd though was standing over Azula, the girl who had tortured you for years, and discussing her fate, which literally was in your hands. 

“We did it.” Zuko finally sighed out, breaking the silence, “We actually did it.” 

“Now we just have to hope Aang beats Ozai.” Katara rubbed her arms, nervous that the ultimate outcome of all of this wasn’t entirely in just your hands. 

** 

* Two days later *

Zuko stood in the hallway of the palace, the walls open and overlooking the surrounding city. He leaned against the half-wall, breathing in the fresh air deeply. His clothes that he’d been wearing for much longer than he’d like to admit while on exile had now been exchanged for the robes of a Firelord. “You clean up nice.” You giggled, coming into the wide hallway. 

He turned around to see you walking towards him looking more radiant than ever. Your clothes that you had been wearing when you battled Azula had been quite badly destroyed, ripped and stained with soot and debris. Now, you wore a long dark deep red tunic dress that tied with a slightly lighter band around your waist. It had gold along the inner seams and leading up to the high, traditional collar that was around your neck. The bottom had an ornate design sewn in with amber threads at the bottom. 

“Wow…” Zuko breathed out, “Y-You too.” He managed to stammer. 

Heat rose in your face, “Thank you.” You finished closing the gap between the two of you, coming wrap your arms around his waist, “Are you okay?” 

Zuko bit his lip before half-nodding, half-shaking his head, “I just can’t believe this is happening. Ever since I was little, I was sure my father would find a way to pass along the throne to Azula. I never thought I’d actually be Firelord. But now that I’m about to become Firelord, I guess I’m just scared of making mistakes.” 

Your hand came up to his bicep as you pulled him in closer, “Hey, you are going to be the best Firelord in at least a hundred years. You just managed to end a century-long war and I know you have amazing dreams for rebuilding the world.” 

“I didn’t end the war alone.” He tried to refute but you just smiled warmly. 

“And you won’t have to do all the work to rebuild the nation alone either. We are all here to help you - me, Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph.” You reached up to touch his cheek gently and he leaned into your soft palm, savoring the touch. It was the first time he’d ever allowed anyone to touch his scar but with you, he felt safe and secure. 

Zuko’s eyes slid closed for just a moment and he brought his hand up to cover yours, holding your hand against his face before pulling it away, intertwining his fingers with yours, “Have I ever told you how much I love you? How much I’ve always loved you?” 

A sweet chuckle left your lips like music, “I think you’ve mentioned it a few times. Have I ever told you how much I love you? And how amazing you are? How amazing you will be?” 

The two of you stood like that for a while, just holding each other and staring at each other, beyond grateful that the universe allowed you to find each other again. Words could not express the pride and love you felt for this man, despite all of his flaws and mistakes. Zuko only wished he could put into words how grateful he was for your love and support, how much he loved you and wanted to protect you (not that you needed it). 

“Nephew, it is time for your coronation.” Iroh chimed in gently, peeking at the two of you from around the corner. 

You looked back and gave him an acknowledging smile. “Thank you, Uncle.” Zuko smiled politely at Iroh, who was waiting at the door to escort you to the front of the crowd.

You knew you had to watch the coronation from the ground with the rest of the Gaang but you didn’t mind. You only hoped that Zuko could feel the support from you and the rest of the group radiating from the crowd. 

“You are going to be amazing, Firelord.” You touched his face one last time, pulling him down for a gentle kiss. 

He smiled against your lips. “I can’t wait to build the new world with you.” 

__________________________

Taglist: 

(Sorry if this is messed up, I suck at taglists) 

@oddlypointlessescapes

@eridanuswave

@egm09

[wearesorcerer]

[5e] 9th-Level Spells

You may be wondering why I’m starting my review of 5e spells with the highest level spells available. That’s simple: you only get one.

The 5e Sorcerer table isn’t quite like the 3.x one, but it is like the 3.5 Warlock and Psion: at any given level, you can known X spells and have Y spell level as your maximum. The table is elegant, but you have to know to level your character from first level rather than reading the table straight across if you’re making a higher level character. (I’ve made this mistake many a time. It’s why I dislike this sort of table: it looks nice but isn’t actually helpful.)

If you’re trying to have as many spells of the highest available spell level as possible, you would have from 0th to 9th 6/3/2/2/2/2/1/1/1/1. I find it easier to work backwards in this case, as you can say “I want to reserve X spells known for higher-level spells” and then figure out how many low-level ones you can have instead of getting to a higher level and running into a corner.

The question with 9th-level spells is not “what’s good?” because they’re all good. Rather, it’s “what’s worth taking as my single most powerful class feature?” That should narrow things down a lot.

Primary List

gate · mass polymorph · meteor swarm · power word kill · psychic scream · time stop · wish

I’ve written about wish and time stop ZA WARUDO! (time crunchy noises), but not in the context of 5e. Wish has changed substantially; time stop hasn’t. You have a few options, but the majority of them are boom-boom.

Gate: you can hold open an interplanar portal for as long as you concentrate (up to a minute) at the cost of a 5,000 gp diamond; if you know the name of a specific creature, you can use the spell to summon that creature. For some odd reason, gate is both the most Warlock spell in the game besides planar binding, yet is only a Warlock spell through a UA variant. For a Sorcerer, this could be useful, but you’re making your best spell cost you money every time you cast it. Strategically speaking, this spell is situational enough (read: a Wizard spell) that if you wanted it in the first place you should take it with the Ritual Caster feat, but for some reason this most obviously ritualistic spell isn’t a ritual. There are better uses for your spell known, but this is by no means a bad spell. Save for a scroll or something.

Mass Polymorph: you polymorph (Wis negates) up to ten creatures you can see within 120 ft. for as long as you concentrate (up to one hour), just like with polymorph. It incorporates animal shapes into it. If you want animal shapes, you should find a way of getting it instead: you don’t need a 9th-level spell slot for it (so can cast it more often -- 8th + 9th level spell slots), it lasts for 24 hours, and you can affect more creatures (30 ft. area = radius = 96 squares - the one you’re in = 95 Medium creatures [more if they’re smaller and squeezing together]). I don’t care for the concentration aspect of the 5e polymorph spells. I mean, I get the rationale, I just find it odd for this particular spell -- and I’d rather not give my opponent a tactical reason to target me. Pass.

Meteor Swarm: four fireballs fall from the sky and each deal 20d6 fire + 20d6 bludgeoning (Dex half; average 140 damage), setting everything they touch ablaze. Beautiful. I love meteor-style spells, so this is high on my list even though it’s a boom-boom spell and I’m not particularly boom-boom oriented. The best part of this is that it has a range of one mile, so you can destroy enemy armies without risking getting killed! Yay! Yes.

Power Word Kill: one creature within 60 ft. of 100 HP or less drops dead (no save). 100 HP is more than the average of many high-level characters, so unless the DM gave a boss max HP you can use this to kill even major opponents reliably. An optimizer will tell you that a spell without a save is something you should always take -- and would be correct insofar as it makes you more difficult to stop. I, however, dislike that mechanic: there’s almost no reason a spell shouldn’t have a save. This one should have the choice of Wis (resisting the mental influence) and Con (staying alive despite the heart attack/stroke/whatever). A very good spell, but I’d call it OP.

Psychic Scream: 10 creatures of Int 3+ within 90 ft. take 14d6 psychic damage and are stunned (Int half [damage]/negates [stunning]); their heads explode if they die. The beauty of this one is that it goes off of Int rather than Wis (meaning Wizards are the only targets you really need to worry about) and it automatically avoids friendly fire. Yes.

Time Stop ZA WARUDO!: you get 1d4 + 1 rounds to act, but the spell ends if anything you do (including effects you create) affect other creatures or objects someone else is wearing or carrying or you move more than 1,000 ft. from where you cast the spell. The main purpose of this spell is to buff yourself a lot, run the fuck away, or stack delayed blast fireballs to deal a buttload of damage. That’s all very nice, but it’s a continuation of the 3.0 nerf to the spell: in 2nd ed, you could pull a DIO and attack people or an Over the Hedge and steal things. Now for my main quibble. 3.5′s Player’s Handbook II had the celerity line of spells, which you could cast as an immediate action (choice of reaction or bonus action). Each one dazed (incapacitated) you afterward, but gave you an extra move (lesser), action (no prefix), or round (greater) to do with as you pleased. I’m willing to guess that there are similar spells in 5e. In 3.5, there were ways of becoming immune to dazing; maybe there’s a 5e-compatible build for that. Either way, as a 9th-level spell, I should get to throw knives at people to my heart’s content before dropping heavy objects (like steam road rollers) on them. Good, but I’m going to go to my grave complaining about the restrictions.

Wish: you can do practically anything, but you have a one in three chance of losing your ability to cast your highest-level spell. IT’S A TRAP!

For very personal reasons, I’m torn between meteor swarm and time stop, but psychic scream is also up there. I think power word kill is unfair, but I cannot say that it’s a bad spell. I don’t like mass polymorph, but I think that’s more me not liking how 5e deals with durations. Wish is too big of a risk for a Sorcerer: you have the chance of losing the most powerful class feature you get and have nothing else that can compensate for that loss (unlike a Wizard); it’s better as a scroll. Gate really should be a ritual, but it isn’t, and it’s expensive, so it really depends on how badly you need to move lots and lots of creatures or summon forth an Elder God.

Divine Soul (Cleric) List

astral projection · gate · mass heal · true resurrection

I’ve already covered gate, thankfully.

Astral Projection: exactly what it says on the tin for you and eight willing creatures. I have never understood why this spell is so high-level. Mechanically, it’s riskier and more expensive than casting plane shift, which is two levels lower. Thematically, it’s a mass version of an effect which in folklore is almost always caster-only, which makes no sense, and it’s at max-level when this is fairly standard practice for shaman and shaman-like figures. (Heck, that’s what a bunch of the associated drug culture is about!) Maybe someone can explain to me why you would want to use this spell. Pass.

Mass Heal: heal 700 HP divided as you choose among any number of creatures (except constructs and undead) you can see within 60 ft.; also cures them of all diseases, blindness, and deafness. On the one hand, this seems like a great spell with a raid or during a cataclysm. On the other, you can accomplish everything this does with lower-level spells. Pretty good, but maybe hold out for...

True Resurrection: a creature you touch (or whose name you speak) is restored to life and perfect health (no wounds, no missing limbs, cured of all diseases and poisons, freed from any curses), even if there are no remains, provided the creature has been dead for no longer than 200 years and is free/willing to return. PICK THIS ONE!

Variant List (UA)

Foresight: for eight hours, a creature you touch can’t be surprised, gets advantage on most d20 checks, and causes all creatures attacking it to roll with disadvantage. This is better than the 3.5 version, which was already very good. Yes, this. Very.

Really Cool Spells It’d Be Great to Take If You Could

Or me lamenting about the limitations of the Sorcerer list

imprisonment · invulnerability · power word heal · prismatic wall · ravenous void · shapechange · storm of vengeance · time ravage · true polymorph · weird

Imprisonment: you know any of those fairy tale/folklore/mythology spells that trap someone for, like, ever? This is it. (Combines the spell of the same name, maze, and binding from 3.5.) You’ve got options if you want to seal someone away -- and it lasts until you say otherwise. Sure, it’d be nice if it were a ritual, but it ain’t; you just gotta take a minute to cast it (and throw in 500 gp. of material per HD of the target).

Invulnerability: you are immune to damage for up to 10 minutes (at the cost of “a piece of adamantine” [in D&D, that’s closer to depleted uranium than it is to diamond] of 500+ gp.). Maybe you don’t like the cost for a spell of that level, but hey, invulnerability.

Power Word Heal: target (non-construct, non-undead) regains all HP; has the charmed, frightened, paralyzed, and stunned conditions removed; and can stand up as a reaction if prone. This is a Bard spell, but it’s on the Cleric and Druid variant lists, so probably is an option for Divine Souls. I can see it being handy, but you’d think mass heal would be a better choice.

Prismatic Wall: you conjure up a rainbow wall/sphere (as prismatic spray) that’s a bitch to get rid of. You want an abjuration? This is it.

Ravenous Void: a miniature black hole that needs some errata (how many spaces do creatures and objects getting sucked in move each round?). It’s ludicrously awesome, though.

Shapechange: other than true polymorph, this is what you want out of polymorphing magic.

Storm of Vengeance: let’s say you want all of the boom-boom of meteor swarm but are more meteorologically focused. Here’s your answer. You end up dealing an average of 49 damage (of three elemental types and bludgeoning) to each creature below a storm cloud (360 ft. radius) you conjure within sight. There’s an arbitrary distance beneath the cloud included, as it doesn’t say how far up the cloud has to be.

Time Ravage: you decrepify someone with timey-wimey magic -- but it’s somehow necromancy!

True Polymorph: you can transform almost anything into almost anything else. The limits on this spell are basically to keep you from thinking you’re a literal god and overall I’d think this would work better in a skill-based magic system, but nonetheless it’s quite clearly the best polymorphing spell in the game.

Weird: this is mass phantasmal killer. It’s directly comparable to psychic scream -- Illusion rather than Enchantment, fear rather than stunning, and more potential targets in a smaller burst instead of headsplosions.

[honeymoonjin]

day 14

This chapter was such a cathartic experience for me that I wrote book report for it. I have little else to offer at your altar of magic aside from my undying gratitude for your continued hard work and utter awe of your literary prowess. Please enjoy my attempt at articulating the emotions you have managed to evoke in me with this chapter. Thank you once again! 💜 Jan

Set to Self Destruct: An analysis of Sora’s Day 14 of “The Gentlemen”

Every genre brings with it a set of expectations that shapes the kinds of stories it can tell and the themes it can explore. “The Gentlemen” is entirely shot from one specific location, with its participants prohibited from leaving the premises of the villa (with the allowance only for Y/N and the fan favorite winner of that week to leave for a one night date). This restriction creates a scenario where 1) at first the occupants fall into an unspoken, almost idyllic community and 2) inevitably the conflicts that arise as a consequence of a Utopian society. With the added pressures of a competition, an environment that fosters moments of high emotional tension, physical and emotional intimacy, and 8 very different personalities, it feels as if the show was doomed for dissonance right from the start. It should be no surprise that the rather straightforward, raunchy reality show devolves so quickly into a “bottle episode” filled to the brim with an emotionally charged battle of whose tongue is the sharpest. On the surface, “The Gentlemen” is a story about a single female protagonist judging the sexual abilities of seven random men but this premise and the setting with which the story plays out on, serves to explore the deeper ideas of one’s role in the balance of social harmony verses the human tendency towards self destruction. 

The setting of a story can be a powerful tool in expressing a character’s journey. “Bottle episodes” have often been used for dramatic effect in visual storytelling, with the limited setting and cast allowing for a slower pace and deeper exploration of character traits and motives. Having the entirety of “The Gentlemen” be one long drawn out “bottle episode” allows for the audience to experience a slow-burn like intensity of those personalities. It takes the fundamental process of how a group stuck in a certain location together for an extended period of time inadvertently falls into certain social constructs in order to reach an equilibrium of cohesion. The roles which each occupant of the villa naturally fell into set a precedent for many of the events that followed on the show, most obvious being Y/N as the “queen bee” (the one who holds the most power in the group), Seokjin as the designated “counselor” (the one who is expected to help his fellow competitors when an emotional issue arises), and Yoongi as the “mediator” (the one who is the voice of reason and rationale when tensions run high). And yet it is revealed that there is a price for that harmony, for even roles that are not as explicit begin to weigh heavy as the days wane on. The cohesion of these roles were meant to serve as cogs that fit together to uphold a sense of teamwork in an otherwise tension filled living quarters. But people are not cogs and emotions are not gears to be compartmentalized into neat roles to serve the higher purpose of the show. And as occupants spend more time with one another, natural biases, feelings of jealousy, possessiveness, envy, and pride start to surface under the umbrella of selfish acts, we begin to see that fine balance corrode the fragile peace. 

The road to self destruction has begun in earnest.   

It all comes to a head at the 2 week mark of the show’s timeline. At this point, tensions have been running high: from revelation of Namjoon’s and Seokjin’s romantic feelings for Y/N, to Jimin and Hoseok’s long running rivalry, to Y/N, Jimin, and Taehyung creating a polyamorous relationship in secret, to Jungkook feeling like the odd man out. The pressures of the show were eventually bound to break someone’s resolve and we see that personified in Jungkook in this episode. After speaking with Seokjin about his warring feelings towards certain members of the group and his desires to act on his frustrations regarding the restrictive parameters of the show, Jungkook was able to unload some of the pent up tension he had been carrying around for the last few days. The audience is then lulled into a false sense of security that the equilibrium of the group has been restored when in actuality, it was a red herring that something drastic was about to unfold. At first glance, the guidance that Seokjin offers Jungkook feels like a band-aid on a bleeding artery when in actuality it was more akin to Seokjin inadvertently stepping on a landmine he believes he has already defused. And his misstep triggers the entire villa to fall victim to the explosion. 

In the climatic scene of the episode, Jungkook’s pent up emotions rears its ugly head in the form of harsh words, tactless criticism, irreparably broken trust, and even fists thrown. His actions turn from verbal assaults to physical ones and the damage seems to fissure out towards the entire group. The destruction is absolute; no one is left unscathed. Why is this scene so effective? Its power is not from the dramatic way Jungkook punches Jimin for calling him out on his childish behavior or the out of character way Hoseok tries to break up the fight only to be elbowed in the face by Jimin nor is it in the heartbreaking way those that are left behind in the villa are tasked with the self imposed responsibility to pick up the literal pieces of their tenuous friendship. It is in the fact that the audience understands the self destructive actions of the characters and perhaps to some degree relate to it on a very human level. We understand that Seokjin wanted to talk through the problems with the group because he didn’t want to shoulder all of the burden himself anymore. We understand that Hoseok acts the way he does because he uses it as a defense mechanism to protect himself. We understand why Sejin did not step in earlier when he was asked to by Yoongi and why Yoongi is bitter about it as a direct result of Sejin’s choice to abstain from deescalating the fight before it got out of control. We understand that Jimin and Jungkook clashed with each other so viscerally because they see themselves in each other and it’s a jagged pill to swallow when presented with a mirror of all of the ugly sides of ourselves we think we do such a great job of hiding. Perhaps exaggerated for a more dramatic effect, but at the core of these interactions, we see the flaws that we carry as human beings and are forced to face the unpleasant feelings that it elicits in each of us. We understand because we can empathize with their struggles. 

How does a community attempt to repair itself when its very foundation is practically razed to the ground? Perhaps there is an argument to be made about a complete dismantling of a previous establishment. The audience can view this inevitable clash as a “controlled burn”. In terms of forest management, a “controlled burn” is a fire set intentionally for purposes of farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. These “controlled burning” is conducted during the cooler months to reduce fuel buildup and decrease the likelihood of serious hotter fires. In the same way fires are a part of a forest’s life cycle, the clash that occurred on day 14 might serve as a way for the characters to start fresh, with hopes of emotional maturity and foresight for rebuilding relationships moving forward in the competition. 

The damage done during day 14 of “The Gentlemen” may arguably be irreversible, perhaps even amplified by the uncertain nature of the show, but challenges were inevitable with a setting like this one. And yet, there are seeds of hope scattered among the debris. In John Yorke’s “Into the Woods: a five act journey into story” he writes “…story matches psychological theory: characters are taken on a journey to acknowledge and assimilate the traumas in their past… By confronting and coming to terms with the cause of their traumas they can finally move on.” Day 14 revealed a lot of stances, opinions, and confessions that were previously kept secret due to the need to preserve the harmonious nature of the greater good, “the community”. But human nature does not allow for peace to reign for long; it yearns balance. Thus dissonance created discourse. Yet from strife there is revelation. From the ashes of fiery emotions, there is a chance at peace anew: either reestablish order or embrace the chaos. Yet most likely it’ll come down to a melding of the two in order to find the balance a community craves whilst also giving into the character’s more baser human desire for self ruin. 

-------

jan i literally can’t stop crying thank you so much. there’s no way for me to put into words the feeling of someone caring so much about the story and even about one particular chapter that they’ve written such an articulate and profound ESSAY on it like,,,, i have no idea what i’ve done to deserve this, because writing this story is just this little passion project that i’m fostering with my brainstorming group and with the readers. it feels like a collaborative effort and so i never really saw it as anything more than just the fun gimmick of an interactive fic in a crazy situation. 

you see things in my story that even i don’t see, make it sound beautiful when i worried it was awkward, and i can’t thank you enough for that. and when you brought up Into the Woods i LOST it, i adore that book and hearing someone quote a masterwork like that when referring to my fanfiction? it’s so absurd but so special all at once. 

i’ve never really considered becoming an actual author because the pressure of money and income relying on it seems scary to me (even commissions stress me out) so i’m eternally grateful to you for always making me feel like this is something professional. getting a glimpse into that life by you writing an analysis on d14 is just.... i really can’t describe how special it is. 

every week i aim to make each chapter better than the last, and we have a very different landscape in the house on day 15 after our controlled (perhaps not so controlled) burn. i’ll patiently await your thoughts then, but i just want to say that you inspire me to work harder each week ;;-;

[sockablock]

For the fic giveaway: Bren/Caleb runs into the healer that cast Greater Restoration on him and cleared out the false memories?

Smoke filled the now-empty corridor behind them as the Mighty Nein tore through the halls of Vergessen. Fjord was limping slightly, Yasha’s sword was bent, Caduceus and Jester were both tapped of spells and Nott and Beau were both doing their best to stay upright.

Tucked under one of Beau’s arms was a small metal box. It rattled harshly with each panicked step.

“Scheisse—okay, this way,” at their lead was Caleb, stumbling through a compound he’d long wished to be forgotten. “I think…we can cut them off at this hallway—”

In the distance, another low explosion. The blaring alarm rung louder and louder.

“Quickly!” he barked back at the group. “Quickly, this way! Continue going north!”

“Which way is—”

“Forward! I will tell us when to turn!”

He urged his friends around the corner, taking up the rear, holding back his breath. This…this corridor seemed oddly familiar, the wallpaper…the yellow doors…

Another explosion, closer now. He threw back a Wall of Fire though he knew it wouldn’t last long, just another second, anything to buy more time.

They were slowing, Caleb could see that much. Damn the Vollstreckers and damn Ikithon. His methods were too effective, especially when they wor—

“Ow!” He stumbled back, was caught by Yasha.

“Sorry, sorry—”

“Why have we stopped?”

He tried to peer around her massive shoulders as she explained, “There is a woman…standing in the hallway…”

From the front, Fjord added, “She looks like a patient. Uh…can we move her?”

“Careful,” murmured Caduceus, and Caleb couldn’t help but agree.

“Mist, better not. There could be magic on her.”

He pushed his way to the front, one hand already warm. His friends behind him shifted to make way, he noticed Beau and Jester glancing backwards, getting ready.

He turned around, said, “Ja, okay, miss, please go back—”

He stopped.

His entire body froze.

“Caleb?” Nott whispered. “Caleb, are you alright?”

He didn’t answer. He just stared straight ahead, into the face of the woman, from long ago.

She looked older. Of course she did, idiot. It had been…it had been nearly seven years now, since she had knelt down, pressed her palms to his head—

“…götter.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘no.’“

He quickly shook his head, walked towards her. The woman’s eyes drifted upwards, locking on to his.

They looked cloudy. Her movements were sluggish, not right.

She didn’t fight it as Caleb took her hand.

“You are…the woman.”

She didn’t answer. Maybe she couldn’t.

The rapid footfalls behind them were getting closer. Smoke was leaking into this hallway too. But off to the side, at the mouth of the staircase, was a patient’s peeling door, pushed open.

The room was empty.

Caleb very gently took a step forward.

“G…großmutter, bitte, folge mir…”

She did. Completely unresisting.

He tried not to look at her arms. They were covered anyway.

He guided her through the door, into a sparse, very clean, white room.

There was a bed, and a chair, and a window, like he knew there would be.

He knelt down. He couldn’t stop shaking. He could feel his friends behind him, gathering in the doorway, wanting—but not getting close.

It was fine. They didn’t understand him anyway, maybe only Beau could’ve heard—

“...you saved me. Thank you.”

And then a pause. A breath—

“I will return for you.”

He took her hand one last time. It was wrinkled with age. Someone had cut her fingernails.

He let go. He turned around, but brushed a hand beside the door frame.

He found the number of the room—twenty-nine.

The handle clicked faintly as it locked.

“Come on,” he nodded to his friends. “Before we all get caught as well.”

—

Ko-fi in bio✨ | Finished 5k fic prompts right here! 💜 Requests Are CLOSED!

[knife-dad]

TAZ: Graduation ep. 10 Thoughts

*SPOILERS*

1. They're new room is... Haunted? Did someone die there??? WHO DIED TRAVIS

2. "Did you make a new friend?"

"That's one way of putting it." GRIFFIN NO

... Oh gods this whole conversation is killing me.

3. Roll for crepes. I love DnD.

4. My level of excitement over the firbolg announcing he's going to tell a joke is Unquantifiable.

5. SOMEONE PLEASE CAST GREATER RESTORATION ON THIS KID

6. Rainer's dad is a lich? NEAT!

7. So uhhh... What's up with [Redacted]? Also what's up with Fitz?!?!

8. I love how Clint McElroy consistently makes the best and most endearing characters. I appreciate that so much.

9. CHECK FOR TRAPS!

... I'm proud too Travis. This is a very important lesson.

10. I know Griffin is joking about Argo throwing a cookie at the big boss, but it's actually not a bad idea... After all baked goods can be quite powerful in DnD.

11. Now I see why this episode is titled like that x)

12. I want to go further into the Unknown Forest. It sounds so cool!

13. Oh I'm worried about my boys. Something weird is going on and I do NOT like it

14. This lady seems cool! I hope she turns out to be nice ;-;

[karlyanalora]

Saved

AN: So, I’m going to be bringing back some characters from Star Wars in my story. Here’s the explanation I’m toying with:

Death is not always final.

The Sith have ways of plucking souls out of its clutches. Or that was the rumor.

The truth was a little less resurrection and more about timing.

It started with Darth Plagueis, who had learned it from a Jedi. The dying were plucked before death from where they were and taken to another plane. There they were wrapped in the Force, healed and given a chance to live once more. This process often took time, and while the individual was in another plane of existence, a false body was left behind. A lifeless physical clone.

Darth Palgueis didn’t see the point of the false body; why bury a replica when your loved one would be returned to you soon enough? The Jedi had tried to explain to him that this gift often failed, for it would upset the balance if it always worked. Those who were saved were needed for a greater purpose later on and would be held in waiting until that time came. It was complicated.

The Sith Lord was not satisfied with that. He could not wait to have his loved ones returned and overrode the Light Side’s will, dragging the saved back to a predetermined location right away. He used it to save the strongest warriors he knew, hoping to buy their loyalty with the fact he had saved them.

The only men who were saved were men of honor and rebelled. They slew him before he could wield the weapon built into Malachor, restoring balance to the Force.

For nothing can foil the Light Side of the Force nor override it. Those who are saved are needed, and while not all who are needed are saved, no one is spared for selfish reasons.

Sidious should have learned from the mistakes of his predecessor. He cast the gift upon the entire Republic Army, the Jedi, and a few select others. He knew the Clones would cease to be a capable fighting force as the inhibitor chip fought to keep them from realizing the error of Order 66 for the rest of their lives. He wanted a perfect army with a more flexible control of them, so he hired an outside force to find a way to enslave them to his wishes.

He could see it all before him now. A terrifying army of perfect warriors. A slew of mysterious warriors who haunted the dreams of his subjects. And a few, beloved pawns to bend the wills of the defiant. All without fear of betrayal.

He had seen the power of the Force spare Ashoka as it spared his unseen army. But he should have remembered; the spared came back to hound the Dark. Even after the Empire rose, he continued to “cast his spell” on a few other individuals.

He was disappointed. Far fewer than he had hoped were returned alive. Those who were “saved by his hand” could not be broken. Sidious died waiting for them to bend, his hired third party unaware of his demise and still striving to enslave them.

The Force had chosen them for a purpose. Had not Ashoka proven to be part of the downfall of the Empire?

Thrown in and out of hibernation, tortured, some even killed, the “saved” waited for decades. The time of their freedom grew closer, the time to fight for the Light growing nearer. But even in the Darkness, they could see hints of the Light.

Even as they lay in hibernation, they could see the image of red-haired girls. Girls who needed them to plant the seeds of rebellion against the darkness, who relied on them and gave them joy.

So they waited far from the stars they had once known for the time to come forth.

End Notes: Please let me now what you thought. It’s purposely a bit vague because 1)I don’t want to spoil my entire upcoming stories and 2) I’m not sure who all I’m bringing back. If you have someone you want to see saved, let me know. Give me a good reason why and I might if you really convince me. Thanks for reading!

[wingedarrows]

Small Text of Wanderer’s Journal Is Hard to Read: Let’s Transcribe! (Pt 2)

Let’s just jump straight into it this time (you can pre-order the journal on the fangamer website). And again, if you have any suggestions on words I wasn’t able to figure out, please tell me!

Fiends of Crystal Peak

SHARDMITE                  GLIMBACK

The beasts of burden used in Crystal Peak’s mining operations have begun to wander aimlessly with no one left to command them; the crystal protrusions growing from their bodies now make navigating around them a perilous endeavor.

HUSK MINER

When the infection claimed their minds, many of the miners simply continued digging away as if by instinct. Now finding themselves armed with pickaxes, they can prove quite the hazard for travellers, especially if encountered in groups.

CRYSTALLIZED HUSK

Some of the miners in the upper levels of the mines have begun to grow crystals within their bodies; their ability to create carefully-aimed light beams through these crystals makes them a significant threat.

CRYSTAL CRAWLER                 CRYSTAL HUNTER

Many of the creatures in the mines have adapted the mountain’s crystals into weapons; some are able to launch crystalline growths at intruders, while others use crystal [____] to focus beams of searing light at their targets.

CRYSTAL GUARDIAN

A miner overtaken by the infection, its face completely encased in the mountain’s crystals. Driven mad by the light of these crystals, it savagely attacks any who disturb it by unleashing concentrated beams of energy from its body, as well as from other crystal formations in its territory.

Be mindful of the beams that shine down from above as the guardian jumps about, but be sure not to stay in one spot for too long!

Residents of Dirtmouth

Driven into hiding or enticed by the promise of riches in the depths, many of the village’s residents have disappeared, leaving an eerie stillness in the air.

ELDERBUG

Even in the village’s current run-down state, the Elderbug is always there to welcome visitors and to warn them of the dangers of Hallownest below.

The first friendly face I encountered in my journey.

ISELDA

The proprietress of the map shop in Dirtmouth, Iselda has said she was a warrior of some sort before she settled here with her husband, Cornifer. The various accessories she provides are most helpful for navigating Hallownest’s terrain.

CONFESSOR JIJI

This mysterious conjurer kept herself locked away in a deep slumber for ages. She speaks of regrets as though they have physical form, and seems to have the power to summon them. She can grant anyone the chance to confront their regrets in exchange for her favorite food.

STEEL SOUL JIN

An odd . . . creature? It speaks with such an unusual rhythm. One can only wonder what lies beneath that shiny steel shell.

SLY

This peculiar little merchant deals in all sorts of wares, many of which he has simply found lying around while exploring.

He carries quite a few handy items, though his prices are a bit steep.

Fiends of Greenpath

MOSSKIN         MOSSCREEP        VOLATILE MOSSKIN

The ancient denizens of Greenpath have developed natural mossy camouflage, allowing them to blend perfectly with their surroundings. Some use this camouflage to hide from dangers, while others take advantage of their abilities to ambush invaders.

GULKA

A strange plant-like being that emerges briefly from the canopy to spit venom-filled balls of thorns at intruders.

Its spit balls can be [____] back at it!

SQUIT              OBBLE

The flying creatures have their own way of dealing with dangers and prey, including razor-sharp stingers and acidic venom.

FOOL EATER

A large trapping plant that clamps tightly shut when it detects prey passing by.

Keep an eye out for its little “teeth”

Cloth

A timid warrior who wanders the deepest, darkest corners of Hallownest in search of powerful opponents in her quest to become braver and stronger. She wields her club, carved from the tooth of an ancient husk, with cautious strength . . . when she isn’t hiding from danger, that is.

Mister Mushroom

One of the few mushrooms to have so far escaped the infection’s grasp, this peculiar traveller has been spotted in many different locations, mumbling to himself in some forgotten language.

I’d like to hear stories of his travels, but I can’t understand him.

Bretta

A damsel in distress in one of the lower chambers of the wastes. She somehow wandered into danger and found herself trapped amongst the twisted, thorny passages above; now she awaits a saviour to come to her rescue.

Later in my journey, I found her back in Dirtmouth, sitting nervously[?] on a bench.

Was she waiting for someone yet again?

Leg Eater

This skittish[?] bug has made himself a home among the husks of the dead in the upper reaches of the Fungal Wastes. He may be unable to see, but his powerful sense of smell more than makes up for it. For a price, he offers a number of useful charms, though they’re quite delicate and easily broken, and he [____] also provides a repair service.

Colosseum of Fools

Seated atop the [____] cliffs of Kingdom’s Edge and carved out of the shell of a massive, ancient bug, the Colosseum of Fools draws warriors from across Hallownest and beyond with the promise of riches and glory.

I [____] [____] [____] in fighting (or dying) [____]

Those who fail face the cruelest of fates as they’re ridiculed by the crowd, only to have their lifeless shells unceremoniously cast into the chasm below. But for the would-be champions who frequent this place, the colosseum offers a chance to become something more than just another foolish bug, if only for a short time.

BATTLE OBBLE                OBLOBBLE

Much like their wild relatives in Greenpath, these bulbous creatures float around hurling their acidic spit in all directions. But their combat training, not to mention their armor, makes them a much greater threat.

SHARP BALDUR

Like their cousins, these critters can curl themselves into tight balls and roll at their foes, but their plated shells can withstand quite a bit more damage.

ARMOURED SQUIT

A larger, faster, and stronger variety of Squit bred exclusively in the colosseum.

FOOLS

Powerful combatants gather for even the earliest of the Colosseum’s trials; some fight with traditional nails and shields, while others toss bladed weapons from a distance. All of them are strong, and all of them are determined, so overcoming them all to take the title of champion is no small feat.

Only the most skilled contenders survive to discover what awaits them in further trials.

Fiends of the Ancient Basin

SHADOW CREEPER

Possibly a more primal relative of the Crawlid with a stronger shell, these shuffling things can be found pacing about on walls and ceilings as well as floors.

LESSER MAWLEK

A fast-moving beast with sharp claws and an overabundance of teeth; it can also hurl [____] acid spit at distant targets.

MAWLURK

An overgrown mawlek that has lost the ability to move; it now waits for prey to wander near, and attempts to use its highly acidic spit to dissolve that prey. How it then digests its quarry is unclear.

The mawleks seem to be native to this region, but the brooding mawlek I encountered in the crossroads was surrounded by the remains of others of its kind . . .

Do these creatures migrate closer to the surface in order to breed?

LIGHTSEED

A tiny, scurrying creature that has swollen greatly in size due to infection; it typically hides in small groups out of sight, but will try to run to safety if it senses danger.

INFECTED BALLOON

A globule of pus and light gases, capable of floating through the air by its own power. It gently wafts about until other creatures draw near, then gives chase in an attempt to further spread its infection.

BROKEN VESSEL

The hollowed-out shell of a fallen warrior, reanimated and driven mad by the spreading plague. In life, this creature was likely a very talented nail wielder, and many of its skills persist even in its current unfortunate state. And the infection has only made it stronger, giving it enhanced agility and strength.

It seems to use infectious globs as weapons as well. Stay sharp!

Benches

Scattered throughout the caverns and byways of Hallownest, benches serve as relics of a more peaceful time. The residents of the kingdom’s regions constructed these benches in a number of different designs to reflect the aesthetics of their territories; a few makeshift seats can be found here and there as well, formed from hollowed-out shells and the like.

Though their simple stone and iron frames may not provide the most comfort, they do offer time to rest, reflect, and prepare for the next leg of one’s journey.

Word[?] of this [____] was [____] [____] sitting in these benches, in fact.

[____] [____] [____]

This dangerous-looking fellow seems unwilling to share his seat. How rude!

Hot Springs

The earth beneath Hallownest is dotted with natural geothermal vents, and the kingdom has clearly taken advantage of the phenomenon by building each into a relaxing hot spring. These springs, found all over the kingdom, are the perfect place to unwind after a harrowing journey through hostile bug-infected lands.

The strange waters help restore body and soul!

Hot springs can be a good spot to meet other weary travelers.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Z 173

Last time, King Furry sent the royal military to take out Cell, and he slaughtered them all.   Now, King Furry’s addressing the world to admit that all hope seems lost, unless someone like the boy who beat King Piccolo happens to show up and save them all.    He asks for everyone to pray to Kami.   

Only there is no Kami, and there hasn’t been for about a week or so.

  Fortunately, Goku’s tight with Kami’s boss, King Kai, so he hits him up to find New Namek.   Goku’s plan is to ask a Namekian to return to Earth with him and become the new Kami.  Then that guy can reactivate Earth’s Dragon Balls, which were lost when Kami and Piccolo fused together.   Boy that sentence sure would be confusing if you weren’t familiar with this show.   

Anywaay, King Kai can locate the planet with his powers, but he needs some quiet to do it right, and Goku gets chatty at times like these.

Once he points out the way, Goku can sense the planet and travel there with Instant Transmission.     Now, at this point, King Kai realizes what he can do, and starts talking about Instant Transmission until Goku gets annoyed and asks him to pipe down.     But the bigger point is this: King Kai doesn’t know how to teleport himself.  

I say this because I’m pretty sure the dub included a line where King Kai claimed he could have taught Goku how to do Instant Transmission during the Saiyans Saga, but there wasn’t enough time.    This implies that King Kai can do it too, which begs the question of why he didn’t just teleport Goku back to the other end of Snake Way when he was restored to life in the Saiyans Saga.   Well, in the Japanese version, he never mentions having this ability.    He simply recognizes the technique as the one used on Planet Yardrat, and that’s all.    So that’s why King Kai didn’t take Goku back to King Yama’s in the Saiyans Saga.  He couldn’t.   

So Goku goes to New Namek, which looks a whole lot like the original Planet Namek.   There, he introduces himself to Moori, who’s pretty much up to speed on things.   He knows the Earth is in trouble, because they can sense Cell’s evil power all the way from here.  Goku explains his plan, and Moori has the ideal candidate to become Earth’s new Kami.   Turns out Dende misses the Earth, and he’s a skilled Dragon Type, which makes him more than qualified despite his young age.  

So it’s settled.    Goku teleports Dende back with him, and we’re in business.   I never quite understood why Dende had to be installed as the new Kami to get the Dragon Balls working again.    I kind of thought those were two separate things, but maybe they’re more inter-connected than that.   

Meanwhile, a reporter announces to the world that the champion martial artist, MISTER SATAN, has decided to enter the Cell Games and take out Cell once and for all.    A lot of the localizations of DBZ media refer to this guy as Hercule, because, quite frankly, that’s a lot easier to pull off on cable TV.    Also, I’ve heard that Funimation prefers to keep characters’ names somewhat distinct, so it’s easier for people to find them on the internet.    “Satan” probably brings up all sorts of things on Google, but “Hercule” probably only calls up this dude and Hercule Poirot.  

It took me a while to get used to the name, because I didn’t find out about it until I bought my first uncut VHS tape of DBZ, and heard the version of the dub where they called him that.  And the name is just ridiculous.   It’s perfect for a flashy pro-wrestler-looking mofo who wears a cape.   World Champion of Martial Arts, Mr. Satan!

Here’s the deal, this guy really doesn’t have any powers.    He’s quite formidable in his own right, but he has no understanding of ki or how to use it in battle.   It’s never quite spelled out in this episode, but at some point it gets established that there was a 24th Tenkaichi Budokai that took place during the events of Dragon Ball Z, and Mr. Satan won, mainly because all the most powerful fighters were occupied doing DBZ stuff.   Chiaotzu’s pretty much the weakest Z-Fighter, and things drop off pretty sharply from there.    But it’s not hard to imagine Mr. Satan beating a field of guys including the likes of Nam, King Choppa, Panput, and so on. 

So why would he dare to challenge Cell, then?   He may not understand ki blasts or flight powers, but he’s seen what Cell can do, right?    Well, there’s a simple answer for that one: Mr. Satan thinks Cell’s super powers are merely tricks.    That seems pretty simple, but it’s actually kind of messed up.  

I mean, setting everything else aside, Cell just killed the whole army last episode.   We know he used a ki blast to do it, but Mr. Satan thinks it was a trick.   But the killing part was real, he’s not disputing that.   All those guys are dead.   So Cell used a trick that kills people.   You know, a weapon.    So even if he’s right, what’s to stop Cell from using that same weapon on him when he tries to fight him?   He seems to think that merely knowing it’s a trick is enough to win.  

And this is the main thing that Mr. Satan brings to the table.    While he’s powerless to actually defeat Cell, and clueless as to what’s actually going on, at least he’s there to reassure the populace that Cell can and will be defeated.    His sales pitch makes no sense when you think about it, but it’s convincing because the people are desperate to be convinced.

But Krillin’s not very impressed with any of that.   To him, Mr. Satan is what Master Roshi warned him against way back in the day.    Here’s a guy who thinks he’s the strongest man in the world simply because he won a world title.   He has no idea of the greater powers beyond the combat sports industry.

Goku teleports Krillin and Gohan back to the Lookout so they can hang out with Dende.   It’s pretty cool seeing these three back together again.   

Getting down to business, Dende starts out by saying that it’ll take him 100 days to create a new set of Dragon Balls, but then he realizes that he can just reactivate the original set if he can see the model of the Dragon.   Krillin asks if he can make it so Shenron will grant three wishes instead of one, and Dende thinks it’ll work, but then Piccolo reminds him that they’ll still need to keep Shenron’s ability to revive large numbers of people on the same wish.    Namek’s Dragon, Porunga, couldn’t do that.    Dende thinks it over, and decides that he can make that work, but Shenron will only be able to grant two wishes.  

Now, this has been a sticking point for me for a long time.    The two wish thing seems pretty clear here, but there’s a lot of places where Toei seems to suggest that Shenron can grant three wishes.  I’m pretty sure Shenron says “three wishes” in Movie 12, for example.   However, he only grants two wishes in the Buu Saga.   But in Movie 15, Shenron is back to two wishes.    Sorbet uses one to revive Frieza, and then the Pilaf Gang uses the second to wish for money.   However, when that scene was recreated in Dragon Ball Super Episode 19, Shenron’s back to three wishes.   He even explains to Sorbet that he can always grant three wishes, unless one of them is to revive large numbers of people, in which case that uses two wishes at once.    And that’s fine, but why didn’t they spell that out in the movie?    Or did they spell it out in the movie, just not in the dub?   Questions for later.

I suppose it’s possible that this is just a matter of Dende upgrading Shenron’s power as he gained experience.   In this episode, he suggests that it might be possible to have it both ways, but this is his first casting, and he’s not yet experienced enough to pull that off.  So maybe a few years later he perfected his technique and was able to go back and do it again.  

Anyway, no one is terribly concerned about this, since two wishes is still better than what they had before, so Popo gets out the model of Shenron, and Dende does his thing.    I’m kind of confused on how they just sort of took it as a given that Dende is the new Kami of Earth.   Shouldn’t there be a ceremony or a ritual or something first?  

Piccolo seemed skeptical that Dende could do the job, but now that he’s pulled it off, he’s quite impressed with his talent.   

With that taken care of, Goku teleports to Capsule Corp. to fetch the Dragon Radar.  

Back at the Lookout, Trunks asks Gohan if he knows what Goku’s plan is, but Gohan is just as much in the dark as the rest of them.    When they first got out of the Time Chamber, Goku told Gohan that they would train for three days out of the nine they had left, but now he’s abandoned that schedule so he can gather the Dragon Balls.    But what’s the point of having Shenron ready to wish back Cell’s victims if he doesn’t have a way to beat Cell?

The consensus seems to be that Goku must have something in mind, even if he won’t tell anyone what it is. 

As for Goku, he finds two Dragon Balls pretty quickly, and he’s pleased that Dende’s casting worked.   Not so much about the elephant that trampled his hand, though.

So everyone does their thing for the remaining days.    Except Cell, who has nothing to do but wait.    He’s starting to regret giving them so much time to prepare.  

[pamphletstoinspire]

What An Exorcist Says About Magic & Sorcery

Black Magic: A Grave Sin against the Faith

“All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others — even if this were for the sake of restoring their health — are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion” (no. 2117).

Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2117.

The definition of magic tells us two things. Above all, it has ambition to modify and foretell the course of human events, and to utilize the preternatural (demoniac) powers to make a person fall in love, be cured of an illness, be dismissed from a job, kill someone, provoke atmospheric events, et cetera. In other words, magic is a practice used to do evil things and to influence people and the reality created by the devil.

This is also valid for the rites that are commonly called “white magic” and that are done for the “good” and “red magic,” which regards the sphere of sexuality. All turn to the same preternatural entity, the wizard, who, in all these cases, resorts to the power of Satan in order to obtain the invoked result. Therefore, there is no difference among them, “black,” “white,” or “red.” It is enough to see the effects of all of them.

Superstitions: Sacred & Profane

Whoever turns to witches, fortune-tellers, occultists, or wizards, commits a very serious sin of superstition, which is contrary to faith.

But what is superstition?

The term superstition derives from the Latin superstitio and indicates when something is superimposed on an­other, distorting the original sense. One is superstitious when one believes that something innocent in itself brings misfortune (the classic black cat that crosses one’s path) or that it brings luck (the rabbit’s foot) — that is, when one attributes to certain objects or deeds a power based on their intrinsic essence.

There are superstitions that also regard religious deeds or facts, such as superimposing a true piety on a false religion, that is, at­tributing power to objects and rites that are exteriorly Christian. This happens when practices and rites are carried out or formulas of our Faith are professed, making all their efficacy depend on rigid observances.

True piety in prayerful supplication places everything in God’s hands, knowing that He, in His liberty and sovereignty, whether pleasing us or not, will always act for our good and for the persons and situations for which we pray.

This mixing of the sacred and the profane, for example, the hanging of a horseshoe around a statue of the Ma­donna in order to implore good luck — is superstitious. It leads individuals to divination, magic, and witchcraft, with the expec­tation of gaining supernatural power over their neighbors. As the Catechism says, “even if this were for the sake of restoring their health,” it is “gravely contrary to the virtue of religion.”

Even today, many persons still wink at magic and its sorcerers. The only remedy is to issue an invitation to all those involved to repent and to confess this sin, with the firm intention of not doing anything so foolish again.

At this point, a question comes to mind: Is a person in God’s grace preserved from the effects of magical rites? It is certainly more difficult to strike a person in such a state, although it is not impossible; being that each thing is freely at God’s dispo­sition, an evil can be permitted to be transmitted through a magical act and to do damage to one who lives in communion with God.

The Most Common Examples of Magic Are Evil Spells

“Evil spells” is a generic phrase, which includes all the forms in which someone is harmed through the occult action of the devil and its various rites. The objectives are to divide, to kill, to make fall in love, to make ill, to destroy, to lead to suicide, and to divide spouses, the engaged, and friends.

In order to bring about an evil spell, three things are neces­sary: a witch or a wizard, a person who commissions the witch or wizard, and an object on which the ritual is performed. As the sacraments have visible signs — for example, bread and wine in the Eucharist — evil spells also have theirs that are cursed by the wizard with rituals that are intended to produce negative spiritual effects on the persons affected.

The wizard must “win over” the action of the evil spirit, pressing it into service with invoca­tions and prayers. The effect on the victim, however, is separate from his own personal inclinations, although, as I have said, a person in a state of grace with God is less vulnerable to the at­tack of an evil spell.

How Evil Spells Can Manifest Themselves

Physical Manifestations

Some years ago, I exorcized a young man who had broken up with his fiancée. Soon after, he began to complain of sudden physical disturbances. It was then discovered during the prayer of the exorcism that the aspiring mother-in-law had commissioned an evil spell from a witch. The young man turned to me, and, after some exorcisms, the physical ills nearly disappeared.

The evil eye is a different case, rarer and even less easy to figure out: it involves tossing out a spell through the power of a glance, with the objective of “sending over” a devil. It has nothing to do with popular traditions, such as carrying a good-luck charm or looking cross-eyed at someone. Rather, it involves a true and proper rite. I must say, however, that I have never had a case clearly tied to this practice.

Awareness of a Curse?

Is a person ever aware of having suddenly been subjected to a spell? It is difficult, although possible, that a person subjected to an evil spell may never be aware of it. Above all, it is necessary to say that spells do not always reach their targets, either because the person may be well protected in his life of grace, or because God may not permit it, or because the wizard or sorcerer may not succeed.

I have had cases involving persons who did not know that they had been subjected to spells until they were casual participants in a prayer-of-liberation. In that circumstance they suddenly began to feel sick, to shout, and to curse, which for them was absurd and unthinkable be­havior. After they discovered the evil spell, they immediately began to repair the situation by beginning a serious journey of faith — which is always necessary — by par­ticipating in prayer and exorcism.

Are Witches Possessed?

I am often asked if those who cast the spells are necessarily possessed? I think so, even if they are not aware of it or do not believe in these things. Magicians, wizards, sorcerers, and witches know that they have certain powers — it is something that gives them immense pleasure — and they use them to make people suffer, which also gives them pleasure. Furthermore, the wizards themselves will often submit to the spells, naturally for profit, since they do everything for money. Then the practice of magic worsens their situation.

Prayer Counters Spells

Prayer can counter evil spells, and if done with faith and love, it reaches its objective, which is the heart of God. We know that God Himself will dispose of things according to a plan whose ultimate end is always a greater good: eternal life. Each prayer prayed with this intention is effective. And at times, the Lord, in His infinite goodness, will grant us assistance and graces that are much greater than the fruit of our prayer.

FR. GABRIELE AMORTH

From: https://www.pamphletstoinspire.com/

[babybarrie]

A Lover’s Lament

A very very long ago requested fic by @deepestfirefun

I’m so sorry I never got to this sooner! I hope you can forgive me. 😥 And I hope that what I wrote is to your tastes. I did my best to keep to your request.

Warnings: Minor angst? Some cute fluff at end.

Request: I stumbled upon this one song on YouTube and idea struck me. So Fili x reader (Dunedain) Everything was falling apart around you. Thorin had agreed to take you with them because of your experience in battles, you were one of the Dunedain race. But now Thorin has fallen into dragon sickness and is forcing everyone to search for the Arkenstone. Feeling exhausted and sad you slip away from the others and start walking through the halls of Erebor. You remember one particular song that your grandmother used to sing to you when you were little and started to sing. You don't know that Fili is slowly following you and listening to your singing. He is fallen in love with you but the sake of the quest, he has kept his feelings locked in his heart. But now when he sees your sadness and pain, he decides to tell you that you are his One. Lots of fluff 😀 song the Silmarillion "Luthien's Lament" by Eurielle

"A Dunedain you say?" Thorin slowly approaches you.

"Yes, that I am my lord." you bow

"What weapons are you proficient in? How many battles have you won? If any..." He muses. 

"Many and many master dwarf. If you don't want a woman in your company you should just say so Oakenshield..." You smirk as you lift the hood from your head.

A few chuckles go around the room and Thorin is embarrassed. 

"Oh, I like her." Dwalin remarks

"She is with us then." Gandalf states with a small smile

You weren’t always sure how to handle Thorin when he was his normal, grumpy self, but now?  Things were getting worse, second by second, hour by hour, everyone watched and feared as the noble king, Thorin became the gold-crazed fool of Durin. To you, it felt like Smaug’s greed never left the mountain with him. Instead, it took on a new appearance, one that none of the company were happy to see. You walk among the gold, gems, and stained treasures of Erebor. “Searching” for the king’s jewel in hopes that your “work” satisfied the sicken dwarf. Things were growing more and more bleak as Thorin grew more and more unhinged

"Lass you look lost and tired. Why don't you go and take a break? We'll handle it from here." Balin slowly rose from his crouched posture

“Are you sure? He’s been very...” You look to the masses of money at your feet, saddened by the reminder of what drowned the king in greed.

“We’ll be fine dear. Just go get some rest. Make sure he doesn’t see you though...I’m sorry.” Bofur tries to smile at you then goes back to rummaging through the gold.

“Ok...Please be careful friends...” 

You slowly tread across the large room, making sure that you don’t slip on anything. You head over to gold cover floor. The thought of drowning Smaug was certainly an idea but one that didn’t work in any favor. Now the town burns and the floor is covered in more gold. This isn’t what you wanted. Not your leader falling to such a state, not the town burning and humans losing their homes, not the company being in such disarray and panic of their own king, and not you fearing the on the coming war. This isn’t how you thought it would go. You know that there would be tough trials and hard times but this ending wasn’t what everyone deserved. 

“Grandmother...What will come of all this? This pain and fear.” 

You reminisce on the memories with your family. Your grandmother lying in her bed and singing to you whenever you were feeling sick or when you’ve had a tough day. Your mother rubbing your back and smiling. Your father outside smoking his pipe. and your adopted little brother curled up in your lap, slowly falling asleep to the soft voice of old song.

Oh great Mandos High among Valar I come to you in sorrow And with a broken heart

Long has been my journey That led me to these halls But now I kneel before thee As grief, my spirit calls

I seek a man named Beren Whom I bid await me here I pledged that I would find him Before he leaves this sphere

This man of whom I speak He gave his life for me But thence my soul grew weak And at last, it too broke free

So borne upon an urgent breeze I traveled to this place Where only one thing could appease The torment I now face

Oh tell me I am not too late To see my love once more For that would be too cruel a fate I beg him be restored

That we may take a little time To bid our last farewell And remember all we shared erstwhile Such joy no one could quell

For never was a greater love Than that within our hearts Once born, forever binding us E'en though through death we part

Once born, forever binding us E'en though through death we part

The voice echos in halls. Grief and an odd sense of confusion flow through your notes. Each note, another step you take, another horrid thought flashes through your mind. War, blood, agony, rage, battle cries dissipated to death, and the final blow of a horn. Clutching your arms as you hug yourself tight, nearly losing yourself in the song as each utter emotional definition splits through you.

A small choke of a gasp reverberates in the hallways, turning around you catch a glimpse of what looked like golden sunlight. Ah, your little lion has come for you to take you back to comb through those cursed coins and jewels.

“Do they need my help again little lion?”

You smile as you see Fili come out of the shadows and into the cold light that dances across the golden flooring cast by the large opening in the wall.

“No, I...I just heard someone singing and followed it...I’m sorry to disturb you.”

He’s fidgeting with his hands and feet. Looking down, embarrassed for hiding in the background like a creep.

“Don’t worry, I was just thinking back on my older days as a child. It is one of my favorite songs.” You smile thinking of your grandmother.

“For such a sad song, why do you favor it?”

His eye holds a curious look in them. But there’s more than just curiosity gracing them.

“Indeed it is sad... But it’s the memories that make it so special. My elder would sing it to us when we were young. It was her little way of telling stories. I used to enjoy them immensely.” You sigh with a breath of melancholy.

“I see. I take it that you have many fond memories like that too?” He smiles.

“Yes...Many...But not enough...”

You look down not wanting to press any further into your past. You miss her greatly but you treasure what she has given you. A gift. A blessing. A story to tell.

“I...May I hear that song again?” He gazes at you in wonder.

“Of course, sunshine.”

You sing and sing till you are near the end of the song. You feel calm, almost serene in a way. Being around him always did make you feel at peace. You wonder why...

“Wait...” He stops you before you finish.

You look at him with minute confusion.

“Please...I...I know that this may be sudden and perhaps not the right time but you must know. I have come to care for you these past times. I care for you far more than I will ever admit to anyone else. I always thought that there was something interesting about you aside from the fact that you bested uncle back in the Shire.”

You both chuckle at this recollection. He continues once you’ve calmed.

“But there is far more to you than being interesting. You...you are amazing. You make me laugh even when things are going awry and you make me feel calm even in the most crazed moments. You show kindness even when it shouldn’t be given, you hold a sharp tongue against those who wish to harm those who are important to you, you give the wisest words that even Gandalf would look on and ponder. There is so much about you that I couldn't even put into words.”

You gaze at him with adoration as he studies you with intense loving regard.

“You are everything to me...And I couldn’t hold my heart back from falling in love with you. Amralime. Please. I love you. You are my one and I would give anything and everything to be with you. I will love you even if you don’t return my feelings. I will not trap you with this but I only wish to be at your side for as long as you allow me to be. Protecting you would be an honor, even if you could take me down in one fell swoop.”

You smile and lean down to kiss his forehead and then his cheek. Resting your head against his,

“I return your feelings, love. And yes, I can take you down in one swing. But I’m sure that I could do other things to make you do as I wish.”

You both smirk at the thought and kiss one another.

“I love you, my one.”

“I love you, my little lion. Shall we get back to the company?”

Sighing he nods,

“Yes, we should. I’m sure uncle wouldn’t want us to be taking a break right now.”

Walking back to the treasury, hand in hand, you lean your head on his shoulder.

“We’ll get through this, love...I won’t leave you. I will make sure of it for both of us.”

[expressandadmirable]

Good Luck Out There (Wilhelm)

I.

The sun hung low over the steeples and chimneys of Aelfheim, the sky a brilliant tapestry of pink and gold and deep blue at the corners. On the still-warm tile of the manor’s roof, Aviva pushed herself up to sitting, pulling the leather cord from her hair and letting the long braid slowly release itself. It had been some time since she had enjoyed a rooftop sunset.

“I think I’m going to build a tower,” Wil offered, apropos of nothing.

“A tower?” Aviva considered that for a moment. “Like your father’s?”

Wil chuckled humourlessly, reaching for the half-empty bottle of wine sitting between them. “No-one could build a tower quite like my father’s. His was connected to dark energies I couldn’t even begin to work with. I’m honestly not even sure those energies exist in the world now, given how we remade things.” A pause. “Plus, nobody’s that extra,” he added, taking a large gulp of wine to punctuate his point.

Aviva snorted. “That’s certainly true.” She accepted the offered bottle, taking a considerably smaller sip as she thought. “Where would you build it?”

“I’ve been thinking about that.” Wil’s tone was casual, as if discussing the weather. “So far, my first choice is out in the Blacksand Desert. Less of a chance I’ll be interrupted.”

“Yes, can’t have innocent bystanders walking in on your weirdness,” Aviva teased, but the truth of it nagged at her. Wil had become less and less social over the years since they had restored the world. Though always willing to visit with Aviva and her immediate family, he had withdrawn almost completely from public life, politely declining any official invitations and avoiding what he considered “prying eyes”. She passed the bottle back to him, her smile fading. “If you could still access those energies, would you?”

Wil kept his gaze focused on the vanishing sun, putting the bottle to his lips in a convenient moment of silence. “I don’t know. Alphinaud wasn’t my stone’s guardian, so I suspect it’s a moot point. But I’m starting to wonder if we might have greater access to our own elemental powers. I’m Shadow, after all; there’s probably a lot I could do. I could certainly make one hell of a tower.”

“You could, at that.” As the last of the sun melted into the horizon, a cold breeze whipped across the roof, tugging at Aviva’s hair and making her shiver. “Let’s head inside,” she suggested. “We can find Halei, or we can go out into the city and get into trouble.”

Taking another swig of wine, Wil nodded. “Let’s go find your wife. I’m all for staying in, though. Last time Sol and I went out in this nice city together, we started a bar fight.”

Aviva huffed a soft laugh. “I’m sure they’ve forgiven you since then.”

“I’m not gonna take any chances.”

II.

“Wil?” Aviva called as the dimly-lit antechamber of the tower materialised around her. “You called? I came as quickly as I could. Wil?”

“Hey, V.” Wil leaned against the doorframe, his sleepless face pulled into a wry half-smile. “Thanks for coming. I, uh… I guess I wanted to… talk? To someone?”

“Of course.” Aviva offered him her most reassuring smile. “What’s up?”

For a few moments, Wil fiddled uncomfortably with the wide sleeves of his robe, unable to meet her eyes. Then, finally: “My mum died.”

The Tiefling’s shoulders sank. “Oh, Wil…” With one fluid step, she crossed the antechamber and spread her arms, wrapping Wil in a tight hug. The Half-Elf stiffened, then changed his mind and softened into the embrace. It had been some time since he had touched anyone. When they finally separated, Aviva held him gently by the shoulders. “What happened?”

“Oh, heart failure. Human old age. Not unexpected.” He reconsidered his statement. “Well, not by her doctors. It wasn’t something I’d really thought about in… a long time.”

Aviva nodded. “Did you ever go see her again?”

“Absolutely not,” Wil answered sharply, taking an almost involuntary step backward into the tower’s main hall as he slipped free of Aviva’s hands. “I understood her words.”

With a twist of her stomach, Aviva realised she did not have anything to say to that. She had never understood Evangelina Stonewood’s instructions that, for both her safety and his, her son should never return. After the defeat of his father and the restoration of the world, Aviva had expected mother and son to reunite, sooner or later. The thought of sending her own daughter away, even to guarantee her safety, brought a tightness to her throat. “How did you find out?”

“Dr. Unne.” Wil’s old mentor. “He’s out the door soon himself, but I still keep in contact with him from time to time.” With a deep sigh, Wil turned and began to descend a rounded flight of stone steps, gesturing for Aviva to follow. “You want some coffee?”

“Yeah.” The bottom of the steps opened into a surprisingly homey kitchen, the fireplace burning cheerily even as it cast deep shadows about the room. The skeletons going about their chores had long since ceased to surprise Aviva, and she accepted a steaming mug from what had likely once been a goblin with a nod of thanks. “Got any bourbon to put in it?”

Wil clucked his tongue. “Of course. What kind of man do you take me for?”

Settling at the small kitchen table, they sat in silence for a while. The quiet seemed to comfort Wil, as did the presence of his Tiefling friend. Eventually, he spoke again. “I’m not going to die.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m not going to die,” he repeated. “I’ve been studying my father’s old papers. He was foolish, turning to the path of the vampire. But there are other ways, ones that are less damaging to the mind. I haven’t figured out the best one yet, but… I’m on my way.”

Aviva chewed her lip. “Wil… Following in your father’s footsteps. You saw what he became. Corrupted, mad. Are you sure that’s a good idea? How do you know you’ll avoid the same pitfalls?”

“Because I have all his failures to build on.” Wil swirled the dark liquid in his mug. “I have a map of his mistakes. I know how to avoid them.”

“There are nearly infinite mistakes when it comes to magic of this magnitude--”

“I was in a guy’s head when he died, Aviva. I felt what it was like.” Wil looked her in the eye. “I’m not going to do that again.”

For a time, neither spoke. Then Aviva sighed. “Just be careful, okay?”

Wil scoffed, smoothing the folds of his robe with pointed overconfidence. “When am I not?”

III.

“Aviva?” Halei called from the doorway to their quarters. “V? You’re… You’re going to need to see this.”

“Yes, sunshine?” Aviva poked her head into the sitting room, her fingers tangled in the hair she was attempting to sweep into an elaborate updo. The sight of Halei stopped her cold. “Are those… bones?”

Halei stepped inside, pushing the door closed with her foot. “Yes,” she said simply, making her way carefully around the sofa and depositing an astonishingly large collection of sun-bleached bones onto the table. “It showed up at the front gate and apparently spooked the guards, so they took it down.”

Hesitantly, Aviva approached, freeing her hands and letting her hair tumble down her back. “Alright… So… Why is it on our dining table?”

“Because,” Halei answered, producing a folded parchment from the folds of her tunic, “it was delivering a letter. To us.”

All at once, understanding clicked like a key in a lock. “Wilhelm.”

“Looks like.”

“Of course, because delivering a letter by animated skeleton’s not dramatic at all,” Aviva muttered, taking the parchment from her wife and breaking the ornate wax seal. The handwriting was the same looped, elegant script she remembered from Wil’s previous letters, though somewhat rougher, as if he had not written with a quill in some time. Her confused frown deepened as she scanned down the page. “...Huh.”

Halei tilted her head. “What does it say?”

Clearing her throat, Aviva affected her best Wilhelm impression. “‘Hey Aviva and Sol, sorry I won’t be able to make it to your daughter’s birthday. Please tell her Uncle Wil is bone tired. I’m not just being a lazy bones, I promise. I hope you won’t have a bone to pick with me. Insert additional bone jokes here.’”

“Oh gods,” Halei groaned. “Does it actually say that?”

“‘Anyway,’” Aviva continued, “‘I wanted to let you both know I’ll be taking a leave of absence from our regular get-togethers. I’m close to a breakthrough in my research and I can’t leave my laboratory even for a moment. In addition, I’m not exactly my most attractive right now, and I don’t want to startle any innocent waitstaff or guards.’” Aviva sighed and met Halei’s eyes. “Do you think he’s finally done it?”

Halei pursed her lips, then shrugged one shoulder. “Could be. Either that or he’s close.”

Sharing a look of unspoken concern, Aviva returned to the letter. “‘Before I excuse myself completely from polite society, I want you to know this: you’ve always considered me family, which has meant more to me than I can say, especially as my own blood family and I drifted further and further apart. I want you to know that I think of you as my family as well. Whatever it takes, I will ensure that you and your daughter live your lives in peace, safety and happiness. No harm will come to you -- not if I have anything to say about it. I love you. Never forget that. Yours, Dr. Wilhelm Husk.’”

Stunned silence settled in the room. Aviva stared at the parchment, reading the words a second time, then a third. Halei humphed and folded her arms. “That boy’s turning himself into a lich, isn’t he.”

“Yes, I rather suspect he is. He said he never wanted to die, so…” Delicately folding the parchment closed, Aviva placed it atop the table of bones. “I don’t… know what to make of this.”

“That’s Wil in a nutshell, my love.” Halei smiled gently. “Always has been. He’s a neurotic mystery wrapped in a socially awkward enigma.”

“Do we do anything? Try and stop him? Talk him out of it?” Aviva huffed in frustration. “Would he even listen?”

“I don’t know,” Halei answered with another shrug. “If he’s not hurting anyone… If he is, yes. We will have to stop him. We will stop him. If not… We’ll see what happens.”

Aviva let out a slow, measured breath. “I don’t like it.”

“I know.” Sliding her arms around the Tiefling’s waist, Halei rested her head against Aviva’s shoulder, soothing her worries away, at least for the time being. “We knew this was coming, in a way. It’s a very Wil decision to make.”

“You’re right about that.”

“And it is his to make. At least he let us know. We’ll just have to keep an eye on him and take it one step at a time.” Halei gave the Tiefling a squeeze. “In the meantime, our girl has a birthday coming up. Let’s focus on that.” She glanced at the table. “…And we have to figure out what to do with all these bones.”

(Art by @biasanduntrue)

[kleeboy]

okay im deleting and reposting this because i put a swear word in the tags and it wasnt even showing up in searches for my personal, and i don’t trust the mobile editor to fix my problems but its time 4 me to make a post

Here's what I’ve got for a Thunderbirds D&D AU! I'm not gonna get into numbers and stats and levels because I do that enough when I play normal d&d and I'm gay and tired. Also, there’s probably gonna be a touch of rule bending not only to reconcile d&d with the Thunderbirds canon but just to boost the fun factor a bit. It’s not like we’re setting up a playable campaign so it doesn’t really matter as long as we’re not making it unrecognisable as part of the d&dverse. At that point, you might as well just call it a fantasy AU (still lit tho lmao). This is mostly TOS based but I’ll add some notes on TAG stuff now and then in italics because I’m here to provide. It’s hefty, so everything's under the cut. Hopefully comprehensible.

IR (presumably going by some other name but we’ll just stick with that for sake of ease) is still a rescue organisation - it operates on a somewhat smaller scale but access to magic means it’s got a pretty big reach for typical d&d technology. It’s centred around an ancient deity that few people have heard of and even fewer worship. There’s only one known temple dedicated to said deity and it had been abandoned for a long time before they found it, so it’s currently being restored - if rather agonizingly slowly. Anyway, IR is deity-based because nothing screams “fight for a cause” like paladins! They’re paladins, mostly, is what I’m saying.

Jeff is likely an ex-adventurer, probably a paladin but I’m seriously considering cleric just for interest’s sake so sue me, I love clerics. His party did some pretty cool stuff back in the day, and adventuring pays well as long as you don’t die, so he’s pretty well off. He left the party and settled down in one place when Scott was born, and the rest of them presumably disbanded and went about their own lives eventually. Or maybe they’re still out there causing a ruckus. Who knows. Pretty easy to just say “and he’s not there anymore” for TAG, rationalise his disappearance as you please. Either way, at some point he decided to start an organisation that would make saving lives a bit more structured than the usual “Let's hope a squad of adventurers stumbles on our predicament” that people have been relying on.

Scott is a Battle Master archetype fighter who multiclassed into paladin. Battle Master provides the most appropriate mechanics for a field leader, and also seems like the sort of thing Scott would have been doing previous to IR. He’s the least proficient spellcaster of the group if only by virtue of his class, but access to paladin magic gives his fighting an extra kick which, along with the Battle Master maneuvers, makes him pretty damn dangerous with a sword. It also means he can cast Find Steed, and because said steed’s form can go beyond normal when permitted by the DM and we’re making the rules here I’m giving him a pegasus, which is about the fastest flying mount you could get as far as the monster manual goes. A roc would just be too much. Very VERY cool. But too much.

Virgil is a College of Lore bard into paladin. When it comes to support classes, nothing beats a College of Lore bard for versatility. He’s got the range, darling. Slap an arsenal of magic items on that and you’re well on your way to the d&d equivalent of Thunderbird 2. He has some good offensive spells and weapon training but mostly works to keep others from getting hurt. With a high constitution, the Tough feat, good armour and a shield he pretty much becomes a mobile wall to be put between danger and anyone who can’t take too many hits. Find Steed again lets me give him something interesting to ride, and what better than an owlbear. A big one. Not quite as appropriate stat-wise as the pegasus for Scott but when it comes to aesthetics I’m yet to find something as good as a bear-shaped and -sized owl.

John is predominantly a Divination wizard, with a low paladin level - two maximum - giving him access to a lot of powerful magic but leaving him, how do you say, squishy. Divination is gameplay-wise pretty underwhelming, with not many spells to its name, but for someone whose job is centred around keeping an eye on things, the ability to see very far away and receive premonitions is gonna be useful. The system by which distress calls are sent is giving me some concept trouble but when it comes to receiving it’s as easy as a focus with some capability to project images and sound, gear already necessary to cast Scrying. So, as in canon, rather than going out on missions (at least for the most part), it’s John’s job to keep tabs on incoming signals and active operations. This is all based in the previously mentioned temple - out of the way enough to let me call it a T5 equivalent. He also has the secondary job of making sure nothing else tries to take up residence in the decrepit building. They had to clear it of goblins the first time. As far as Eos goes I don’t have room for all my thoughts (so many) but let’s call her a sentient magic item. Additionally, TAG John probs gets a level or two in cleric.

Gordon is a paladin into druid, Circle of the Land (Coast). He and Alan didn't have any previous class levels before becoming paladins. Neither of his classes give any bonuses for it beyond proficiency for paladins but nobody can stop me from making his primary weapon a longbow, plus the Sharpshooter feat is helpful. Coast druid is the only subclass of any d&d class that has a specific focus on water and what could go wrong if we let him turn into animals? It also has some good circle spells, when he gets to that point. He’d probably have a lot of fun with Mirror Image. There was probably an incident that catalysed his becoming a druid, I'd like to think it's the equivalent of the boat crash just placed on a different point in the timeline. Might get into it at a later date.

Alan is just pure paladin, it's all he's really had time to do with his life so far beyond being a kid and growing up, y'know? I’ll get a little into the subclass here, all of IR’s 3rd level or higher paladins take Oath of Devotion. From the PHB: “These paladins meet the ideal of the knight in shining armor, acting with honor in pursuit of justice and the greater good.” Devotion’s core tenets are honesty, courage, compassion, honor, and duty. Also their Channel Divinity: Sacred Weapon is just really cool. Who doesn’t like glowing stuff, man. Alan's got some more powerful paladin abilities than any of his brothers but probably has the lowest total level regardless. Giving him the Athlete feat, which lets him jump and climb a lot easier, feels appropriate. He snuck a griffon home when it was a baby, and is trying to train it. It's not very well behaved and causes a ruckus when it gets bored but he adores it. One day it’ll make a phenomenal companion. For now, it will continue to attempt to eat his fingers.

Brains is an artificer! Love that class. Artificers, rather than casting spells (though they can do that), make magic items. The artificer class is from Unearthed Arcana and a lot of the mechanics can be hit or miss, it’s been revised many times by lots of different people. But when it comes to the basic idea, it’s the obvious choice for Brains. The less common a magic item, the longer it takes and harder it is to make. The higher level an artificer the more, and more powerful, their creations are. Pretty simple. Also pretty much every version of artificer you come across has some sort of option for a mechanical companion so there’s MAX for you.

Tin-Tin is also an artificer, with a few levels in paladin for good measure. Her time is split between making and repairing gear and going out on missions, and when on call is incredibly useful for lightning fixes and is incredibly creative when it comes to the ways magic items (and nonmagic items) can be used to get out of predicaments. This is the character who constantly has Inspiration. Kayo is an Assassin archetype rogue into paladin. Assassins do… a lot of damage. If you know much about d&d rules (I don’t expect you to), the only thing scarier than a bard, stat wise, is a rogue. +10 to stealth is pretty easy to get by 5th level, combine that with Sneak Attack and Assassinate and you can deal up to 26 damage in one hit with a dagger alone. I said I wouldn’t do any maths but I lied.

Penny doesn’t necessarily have any class levels, though rogue would be appropriate. She falls more under the NPC umbrella, somewhere between Noble and Spy, perhaps? NPCs have a lot less restrictions when it comes to what they can and can’t do laterally, but it’s harder to make them powerful without assigning a class. I also think it’d be really neat to use the fantasy setting to make her nonhuman. High elf would be fitting and cool, but she’d also make a fantastic tiefling. Though, like, call me biased, everyone would make a fantastic tiefling.

I think that’s all I’ve got to say on the matter right now. I have a lot more specific details that I’ll get to eventually but this post is more of a jumping off point listing some options for anyone else who might want to mess around with a d&d AU but doesn’t know where to start. Pick out things you like, ditch things you don’t, add whatever sounds cool, and honestly? Congratulations on getting through this whole thing. This post is kind of in shambles. And thanks! I love taking any excuse to pore over these books.

Shoot me an ask or something if anything’s too incomprehensible or there’s something up with the formatting. Later, skaters.

[shardclan]

The tap of Azricai's fingers against her cane was subtle but incessant. 

The tinkling creep of the ice, the shuffling of a page in another room, and the crackle of the single fireplace in the entire jailhouse faded in background noise. They were louder sounds, yet the somehow fell in line with the cadence of her bony fingers hitting carved marble.  Only the occasional snore from Rieslingale's desk broke the strangely oppressive rhythm. 

From the other side of the bars, Phi's innate light lent a soft, candle-warm glow to his otherwise inhospitable surroundings. He did his best to meet Azricai’s stony gaze. He began with a defiant scowl. When she didn’t respond, he eventually looked away and pretended to be occupied with something under his nails that was clearly more important than her. In another two minutes, he began to fidget with grater and greater irritation, until finally he couldn’t take it any more. 

"If you’re in charge then get on with it," he snapped.

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t gratify him with immediate response. It was several more moments before she finally stopped tapping at her cane. 

“I am the Judge of Clan Analemma,” she began. “And I am beginning to wonder if ever one of the Parhelia will enter this clan without incident."

"I didn't come here to enter this clan." He managed a glare in spite of the frost on his delicate eyebrows. "You can be rid of me and Eosphoros if you release me."

"A clever way of asking to get out of punishment."

"Punishment? Is that what this is? You're going to hold me hostage because of a fight with my sibling?"

In the other room, a sputter of laughter was hastily covered with a cough. Azricai pressed her lips together. "Are you not aware you're in jail?"

Phi recoiled, and clutched at his sapphires. "Then I'm even more sure there must be some mistake. You cannot possibly leave me to that guardian's perversions and think that is lawful?? I'm only a young drake!"

The urge to rub her temples was growing harder and harder for Azricai to suppress. "You're a fledgling at best," she corrected stoicly. "And you have no idea what a jail actually is."

"I'm sorry, is it common for this clan’s young to be well versed in ice dragon fetishism by now?"

Again Nabreus sputtered, this time so explosively that Rieslingale woke from her slumber with a violent snort. She murmured, and fell incoherently back into her dreams with a dull thud of her cheek hitting the desk. 

Nabreus joined the lady judge with a straight face in spite of his extremely amused outbursts. "A jail is a location run by local governing bodies,"  he lectured with surprising patience. "To hold in lawful custody any persons awaiting trial or who have been given a short sentence."

"A place of justice," growled Penitence. "Not whatever lewd dungeon your adolescent imagination has dreamed up."

Phi faltered, and his cheeks flushed hot. Under his breath, he muttered, "Not my fault all your festival garb is weird chains..."

"But it is your fault for jumping to conclusions," Azricai pointed out. "As are all the actions you took that have ushered you into the care of your jailers."

"It's Parhelia business," Phi boasted, lifting his chin proudly. "I do...apologize for any damage I may have caused your structures, but I must return Eosphoros home."

"Eos."

Phi blinked. "What?"

"They haven't used the name Eosphoros since their becoming," Nabreus clarified. "Their name is Eos."

Phi rolled his eyes and rose from his cot with a distinct crackle of breaking ice. "Changing their name doesn't change that they're one of the Parhelia. And my sibling. Eos is coming home with me."

Azricai raised and brow and held out her hand. Courtesy of Penitence, a scroll filled her palm and she unraveled it with a flick. She had already read it from top to bottom twice, but she wouldn't give Phi the opportunity to quibble about her memory.

"It says here that you entered the Merrygold Food Bank and confronted Eos, initiating a verbal confrontation that escalated when you began casting unknown magic. Eos quickly took to the main street to minimize damage, and proceeded to defend themselves and/or subdue you. There were three eye witnesses who were within  earshot of hearing Eos screaming that they only wished to be left alone."

She handed the scroll back to Penitence with a nod of gratitude. "All signs say that Eos is happy here, and actively resisted returning with you."

"There are things more important than personal happiness. We are the ones closest to Lightweaver, we have duties." Phi's hands clenched into tight fists, and it wasn't from the cold. "I have to undo what they've done. I have to take them home, and then we can find a way to undo what they've done. A Parhelion Pearlcatcher is not something that should exist. You cannot possibly understand how shameful it is."

Azricai glanced aside. Nabreus expression seemed to be at rest--unlike his mother, he had a grip on keeping his face impassive that even impressed Penitence--but he was clenching his book with increasingly white knuckles. 

She cleared her throat.

Nabreus caught her glance. Slowly, he relaxed his grip. She observed him a moment longer, but he didn't show any sign of excusing himself, so she returned her attention to the matter at hand.

Further discussion with the young imperial would be rhetorical at best. Phi was young and clearly felt an immense responsibility to carry himself in a way befitting of one of the Parhelia. He was beautiful and poised and he looked the part far more than Eos ever had. But he was also incredibly sheltered and stubborn. While Eos had excessive humility, Phi had so much pride that it was sure to grow into typical light-court arrogance in his adulthood.

Luckily, he was still only an adolescent. His feelings, even beneath all of the spoiled self-righteousness, were bright and noisy and easy for Azricai to parse. Everything she needed to know about him, she had reached out and felt for herself before she spoke to him. But it would have done no good to bare his own angry heart to back him then and there. He wasn't prepared to digest the truth, especially not from someone he regarded as an Outsider who did not--could not--understand him.

The lessons he needed, like most that she gifted to troubled fledglings, would have to be learned the hard way.

"Knowing that Eos has refused, do you still intend to return them to their birthplace and restore their birth-breed?"

"Anything else would be an affront to Lightweaver," Phi proclaimed. He stood at the ready, smiling warmly now that they seemed to have reached an understanding. "I will take care to not use magic this time."

"You certainly will. Penitence, please announce Phi's charges."

The jailer drew stood straight, chest out and shoulders back. The cold impartiality of his gaze bored into Phi as he recited the list:

Use of Non-Mundane Magics in Noon Point

Use of Offensive magic in a crowded area

Damage to food stores in famine times

Magical Assault

Public Endangerment

Disturbance of the peace

Intent to commit kidnapping

Intent to breed change a dragon without consent

Azricai rested both hands on her cane. "By the authority granted me, I sentence you to community service in Noon Point. You will also attend victim-offender dialogues with Eos and a mediator who will be chosen after deliberation."

"At any time you may decline the Judge's sentence," Penitence dictated. "At which time you will be returned to your cell to serve a fitting sentence. As an outlander who came here of your own volition, you will stay within the borders of Analemma. However, your status as a juvenile entitles you to contact your parents or other adult relatives should you so choose."

"Witness Nabreus?" Azricai prompted.

He held up his right hand and answered without hesitation. "No contention."

"Witness Katiyana?"

From the darkness of the high ceiling, a massive black wing stretched down. Phi yelped as it caressed at the bars of his cell, but he could barely be heard below the strange, bellowing voice from above. "No...contention..."

"So be it, then."

The wing retracted, and in the quiet, an icicle dropped and shattered on the floor. That seemed to be the last of what Phi's nerves could handle.

"You can't do this!" he screamed, grabbing at the bars. "I'm one of the Parhelia! I'm blessed by Lightweaver's essence! You have no right to punish me while I'm on divine business!"

A vicious gust slammed Phi against the back wall of his cell and stole the breath from his chest. As he wheezed, Azricai's voice came to him, quiet but immovable as a stone.

"In this clan, even the gods will be made to abide by the law."

[the-christian-walk]

THE BLESSING OF SUPPORT

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.

So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Acts 9:19-32

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It’s been said that if you want to defeat an opponent in war, take out its leader.

As we continue our study of Acts, chapter 9, we see how this was true in regard to the battle between Christianity and the Jewish opposition to it in Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem, the home city of a former fervent persecutor and killer of Christians named Saul. Through the scriptures, we see where he had been as powerful head of the Christian persecution movement, overseeing the stoning of Stephen and having open access to the high priest for approval to continue his work. You’ll remember that Saul’s most recent request was to go to Damascus where he would seek out men and women of “the Way” (code for Jesus followers), take them into custody, and bring them back to Jerusalem where they would be imprisoned and tried.

And so off he went, completely unaware that a power greater than the high priest had big plans for him.

This is where we have been over the past four days, looking at the Damascus moments within the story of Saul which included his personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and his subsequent blinding, to his praying and fasting while he waited for a man named Ananias to come. Ananias himself struggled with what Jesus was calling him to do before discovering that Jesus had already set him up for success, assuring that Saul was ready to become a Christian and take the Gospel to the Gentiles and Israelites. And with that, Ananias set out to meet Saul face to face, even though Saul had no way of seeing him initially. Ananias lays hands on Saul, proclaims what he is doing in the name of Jesus, and immediately, something like scales fell off of Saul’s eyes and his sight was restored. He rejoices in the Lord and wastes little time going into the synagogues, preaching that Jesus was (and is) the Messiah.

Well, this didn’t sit well with some of the Jews in Damascus who plotted to kill Saul but he escaped with the aid of his fellow Christian believers after being lowered in a basket through an opening in the wall.

Where did Saul go next?

We see as our passage for today opens up. For we read where Saul returned to Jerusalem but not the same man. He knew this but others, not so much, for the scriptures tell us that Saul tried to “join the disciples” but had difficulty because “they were all afraid of him”. They had trouble really “believing that he…was a disciple” and who could blame them. After all, the stoning of Stephen, the murderous threats cast out, and other Christian persecution methods used by Saul were still very fresh on the minds of Jerusalem’s Jesus believers. It hadn’t been that long since Saul departed for Damascus and so the skepticism of the disciples, particularly given Saul’s history, fueled the mistrust among the Christians.

Something would need to convince them that Saul wasn’t just misrepresenting a Christian conversion with the hope of deceiving them.

Enter Barnabas who took Saul to the apostles and we have to go to the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Galatians to learn that there were only two apostles he was presented to at the time, Peter and James (Galatians 1:18-19). Barnabas goes on to detail all that Saul had done in the name of Jesus after his conversion, preaching fearlessly in Damascus before coming back to Jerusalem.

How would Barnabas know all this?

It’s believed that Barnabas knew Saul long before they ended up in Jerusalem together. Barnabas lived in Cyprus while Saul in Tarsus and so they resided in close proximity of one another and its believed they became close friends, close enough that Barnabas would have trusted the testimony of his friend upon returning to Jerusalem.

In Barnabas, we see the blessing of support, a blessing that we all need. For there are times in life when we simply need someone to just believe in us and reinforce us in times of need.

For example, I have had numerous occasions when I needed to ask someone to provide a reference. This is found mostly when a person is seeking employment and the company hiring requires character and/or professional references as a condition of position consideration. In those instances, I was grateful for the support provided by people I asked, support that helped me land the work I was vying for. This has become reciprocal as well because I have had the chance to support other people seeking jobs through serving as a reference myself. Maybe you’ve been given the privilege to do the same for someone.

Back to the scriptures where we find Barnabas provide an endorsement for Saul before the two apostles, Peter and James, and the end result was a blessing of acceptance for the new Christian convert. In fact, Saul was welcomed into the fold with great hospitality, allowed to stay with the apostles as he got to work in Jerusalem, moving about freely while “speaking boldly in the name of the Lord”. His work didn’t just involve preaching for we read where Saul also “talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews”.

Was he able to persuade them to come to Christ?

Not exactly. In fact, the Hellenistic Jews made plans to murder Saul, the ultimate cancel culture default of the day, but when Saul’s fellow brother and sisters in Christ got wind of it, the scriptures tell us “they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus”.

What happened next was nothing short of amazing. For we read where the entire Christian church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria “enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened as believers lived in the “fear of the Lord” while being “encouraged by the Holy Spirit”. This led to growth as the church “increased in numbers”.

The number one Jewish persecutor of Christians had changed sides and we can’t help but think that a lot of people who followed him did likewise. And with the head persecutor no longer in the business, we get a sense that the business died off significantly, so much so that Christians enjoyed peace.

Friends, if a murderer of Christians like Saul can change and come to Jesus, receive the Holy Spirit, and convert to a powerful instrument of the Lord’s will, then anyone else can as well. When they do, let’s all follow the lead of Barnabas, providing support and encouragement, not dwelling on who the converted person was but rather who they are now in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com