#probably the families of the riders but one of them also placed like fourth in the entire night so they had an okay run

[netherzon]

Just went to my first bull riding show and from now on America, Brazil, and Australia are the bull riding trio to me

[13reasonstoeatthatcake]

Fourth Wing's Worldbuilding

I'm currently reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and I adore the concept of the world, but so far all of the crumbs of worldbuilding I've been given only make me want more. I've heard that apparently she doesn't get much into it in the first book, but I love worldbuilding and I have a lot of questions I'm sure she's not going to answer so I've written them down for myself for later (hopefully) fanfic worldbuilding instead. These are very much not in order.

how is general sorrengail allowed to place violet in a quadrant made up of volunteers in the war college she's the general in charge of and kick her out of the scribe quadrant without a valid reason, is that not some sort of preferential treatment?

what is the rough technological advancement of the world, are there mass-produced weapons or singular smiths? why is not metalwork a course in the war college/another college? do they use ppl with metal bending signets instead?

is the person with the make-small-things-big signet able to do that with food? is that food nutritious? what is the common diet of the navarre and is it different between what violet as a highclass general's daughter (albeit one w a disability as opposed to a soldier) is used to eating?

how does trade work when navarre is allegedly ignoring the fuck out of the literal apocalypse happening outside its borders? are there other continents that saw the venin invasion and were like 'fuck nah, we're bailing' and just. wrote the whole damn continent off??

does the whole, brutal darwinist society mentality affect anything else in the country?? like the characters admit basgiath is brutal yes but they also talk about removing the weak for the good of the wing a lot, is this also common in other spheres of life? is infant mortality relatively high because if they have a visible disability they're seen as lesser? what does this mean for violet, does she feel the priviledge of being alive as a high-class military family member, since she has obvious internalised ableism or is she stubbornly refusing to see herself and any theoretical disabled children as one and the same in order not to think too deeply abt it (she never sees herself as explicitly disabled as far as i've read, just 'broken'); what does the theoretical darwinism of the society mean for healthcare and its accessibility? are only 'badge-of-honor' disabilities (like lost limbs or other permanent damage from battle and such mental illnesses like PTSD) valid, or are they also looked down upon? what does the existence of menders mean for healers? birth control is obviously not an issue, how are periods treated? are there mental health experts?? if a mender were to 'mend' the battle wounds of a trans man who's undergone gender-correcting surgery, will the gender-correcting surgery also be undone???

how does a culture predisposed to short, practical hair for all genders view hair-care? there's a precedent for hairdye and funky modern-world punk hairstyles in the riding quadrant, but how do common ppl see it? what haircare products and hairstyle trends are there, do high-class ppl imitate riders?

how do newbies deal with watching their comrades being burnt to ash? is there a disdain for ppl who refuse to eat meat because it seems like having a weak stomach not to want to eat cooked meat after watching your friends be cooked to death? does that mean there's a portion of ppl learning to shovel food in their mouths without tasting it in order to get nutrition and/or not look weak, which in turn makes them easier to poison? how does that intersect with probable religious cults/sects where there's food restrictions?

how come there’s 171 first years but 5-6 ppl in a squad and three squads per squadrons? am I just bad at math?

why does a dragon bond with jack who tried to kill a dragon baby? is there a possible larger disagreement in how to choose a worthy rider in the empyrean, and are Sgaeyl and Tairn on the more or less popular side with their opinion kindness is important?

why is Violet, the daughter of a war general whose siblings are soldiers actively fighting a war, so against taking a life? is it something religious, done to spite her mother, a gripe because of the way her scribe father raised her, a distaste for death? is it because they're on the same side/she wouldn't have an issue killing ppl if they were in an official skirmish?

how widespread is the erasure of culture and language after the unification?

how many languages on average should one learn if they’re a soldier, a scribe, a normal civilian? are there multiple scripts being taught or just the cyllian(?) one? how do spies and information gathering work if the larger public isn't supposed to know about venin?

what do civilians think of the 600-year war they’re supposedly leading against Poromiel, are they dissatisfied Navarre isn’t winning yet? What are they being told is the reason they're not allowed to cross the ward-borders of the country (if they're allowed to leave at all)? Does Navarre have somebody with a signet like Imogen's and are deleting/rewriting memories instead? Does Navarre even know Imogen has a signet like that at all, or is she lying about it?

the scribes have apparently been hiding the truth of the world for centuries, but as violet’s dad says history survives in folklore; does that mean there’s a sizeable portion of Navarre that remembers venin because they can’t murder every single superstitious villager? does that mean settlements around the borders are discouraged bcoz that means there’s a bigger chance of someone seeing smthn, or are border villagers discouraged from entering the army? surely talking abt myths like venin isn’t forbidden but maybe military families keep silent bcoz of class loyalty and not let common-born up the ranks but use them as canon-fodder against venin to make sure the info isn’t leaked to the civilians?

what is the common level of literacy in this society anyways?

if assassins can volunteer to come to the rider’s quadrant to take out their targets, how do they leave or get paid?

are there inside assassination jobs, like if somebody is conscripted as a punishment for a crime like the Marked Ones as a method of execution but ends up surviving, can someone be ordered to dispose of them? in that case is it an official execution or is it an illegal assassination?

why did nobody react to andarna being yellow if there’s no yellow dragons, did they just think she was a mega-weak orange??

why does dain know abt the empyrean and mentions it to violet but professor kaori the dragon expert is excited abt learning more, shouldn’t they already be aware of it?

why does the common misconception that dragons despise weaklings exist, why do the dragons not correct it or confirm it?

how do religion and dragons intersect if dragons canonically aren’t impressed with human gods? does that mean that once upon a time bonding with a dragon meant being the fantasy equivalent of a satan worshipper? if every single god has a separate temple like it’s said Amari has a temple in Aretia then does that mean that, just like in Ancient Greece, every kingdom-now-province had a separate patron god? if yes, then were they a pantheon from the beginning or were they monotheistic religions that merged together after the unification, does that mean there’s separate cults for every god, traditionalist and reformist worshippers? can you tell from what province someone is by which gods they call upon, do they have different hymns or prayers, does every god/cult/province have different superstitions and attitudaes towards different tyopes of dragons or signets, what was the historical attitude towards inntinnsics, were they priests, demigods, cursed?

do dragons know when their next bonded human will be their last, is it something to do with their power level, the closeness of their bond, and (i forgot this question but it was smthn to do w signets?)

do they or do they not use saddles and if not then what is the purpose of the pommel thing on top of the dragon they hold onto that I keep reading about?

if tairn and sgaeyl bone so fucking much then why haven't they had a hatchling yet? is there a dragon contraceptive???? is it some sort of magical 'i'm not getting pregnant if i don't want to'? is it some sort of mystical 'only on the first blood-moon in february and after we murder three virgin goats together' type of deal???

[dontmindmyshadowhunting]

The new Shadowhunter Academy (Fan Fic) - Chapter 1

In the mood for a bit of Shadowhunter Academy drama so there goes chap 1 of my new fic (it's part of my "To never being parted series" though it can be read as a standalone story).

Ao3 link here.

*****

This is how I die, Ash thought. He was surprised by how indifferent he was to the news. He had always imagined he would have more fighting in him.

If he were honest, it was not such a bad place to die. Green grass had started to grow again in the lands of Faerie, where there had only been wasteland and death before. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe Ash was exactly what he had been named after. Ash, the symbol of rebirth, his blood fertilizing the land and giving way to lush vegetation and the chirping of birds. Through his blurred vision, he could see Jace lying a few feet away, unconscious. He held on to the steady rise of his chest that told him he was still alive. But barely.

Ash coughed up blood in the already drenched soil. He tried to lift himself up, but the muscles in his arms were failing him and the slightest move equalled to excruciating pain. He felt as if all the bones in his body had been crushed into small pieces that were piercing through his organs.

He thought about the girl he had met in the weapons room, the girl in the drawing. Drusilla Blackthorn. There had been loneliness in her blue-green eyes, yet there had also been a fierce will to live despite everything. A hope beyond despair. You and I are the same, he told her in his mind. We witness the worst horrors, suffer the most intense grief, but keep our chins up and stand ready to fight to live another day. We do not give up.

Ash craned his neck sluggishly to get a better look at his opponent.

The new King of both Seelie and Unseelie Courts, a Herondale no less, who looked more like a Californian surfer boy with his tousled blond hair and unforgiving bright blue eyes, was standing before him, hands curled into fists against his hips, his white wings tipped with gold rustling behind him. He was glorious, an angel of death, and Ash idly wondered how someone so beautiful could be so cruel.

“Stand. Now. There is no fun in striking someone lying on the ground,” the King said, his blue eyes rolling in a very unkingly manner. Even his voice was not that of a monster. It was a nice, clear voice, that sounded like it belonged to a sweet boy. Ash knew, though, that he was anything but. He needed to distract him, to play for time.

“All these faeries that you have massacred,” Ash managed to utter through the blood in his throat. He flinched at the pain that the mere act of talking caused him. “And you call yourself their ruler… I don’t understand. Why this… bloodbath? What did they do to you?”

“What did they do to me? What did they do to me?” If the King’s face bore any expression at all, it would be pure hatred and contempt. “How about what did they do to my mother? And her parents, and their parents before that? Did they really think I would never find out, stay in the dark forever? Remain a blind and helpless mundane my whole life? I see them every single night in my dreams, you know… I am haunted by the cries and howls of my ancestors. Always running, always hiding, never allowed to rest, never allowed to live. No more. I crushed the faeries who stood in my way as if they were cockroaches under my shoe. If there was still such a thing as Shadowhunters, I would have them suffer the same fate, if not worse, for they have betrayed my bloodline just as much.”

As the Herondale King talked, Ash slowly moved his hand to clutch the folded paper inside the left pocket of his jacket. The psychopathic witch that had grown so fond of him – Annabel, the mere thought of her still sent shivers down his spine – had at least taught him one useful thing. How to get out of this hell hole.

He held on tight to the drawing in his bloody fingers. If he focused enough on creating an interdimensional Portal to her… Surely, he would go back to where he came from himself. The drawing had probably been made with material found in Thule, but the artist… the artist was from the other world. Maybe it could work. It was a long shot, but it was the only chance he and Jace had.

My blood, willingly given. He had lost enough blood as it was, but it had certainly not been willingly given. Trying to grab his sword, which was lying a few feet away, would draw too much attention. A deep paper cut could work. That’s how potent his blood was. He brought the paper to the palm of his hand and sliced through the skin, murmuring the incantation.

As the Portal started shimmering before him, Ash heaved a sigh of relief, causing a sting in his lungs. That was the first step. Now, how the hell would he find the strength to haul himself and Jace through it, without being stopped by the Faerie King?

“Wow, you will have to teach me how to do that,” the Herondale King said, showing for the first time a flicker of emotion. “I mean, I probably have enough power for that – Aren’t you like a cheap knockoff of me?”

Ash was spared to give an answer as the King whipped around at the sound of swords being drawn out behind him. The Riders of Mannan. There were only five of them left.

“You again?” The King rolled his eyes. “Ever thought of a retirement plan? Aren’t you like, thousands of years old?”

One of the Riders shrieked. “You killed two of our brothers. It has become personal. We will never acknowledge you as our new King. So that leaves us with only one option.”

“Yep, got it. You pick option B. Getting your decrepit asses kicked by me, myself and I.”

The Faerie King advanced with a casual stride on the five Riders, drawing two longswords that he immediately started twirling as if they were cheerleaders’ batons.

This was Ash’s chance.

He crawled to Jace, grabbing their two swords - Heosphorus and Phaesphorus - on his way. Pulling on a strength he didn’t know he still had, he finally managed to stand, ignoring the ache in his limbs – he had known torture and pain had become a familiar companion – and hauled Jace’s body up and they both stepped through the Portal, with only two swords and a folded bloodstained paper as their interdimensional trip’s luggage. He let himself be transported in between worlds, drained and already fainting from the strained effort.

When he came to, he was lying on a sand beach, the sun barely peeking out from the horizon, casting a reddish glow on the sea. He inhaled deeply the clean and salty air, like a treat to his lungs, so pure compared to the one in Thule. He turned his head to find Jace’s limp body a few feet away. If only he had been taught how to draw the Angel’s Runes his uncle had told him about. The ones that could heal the wounds and ease the pain.

He heard voices and started to drag Jace’s battered body behind a nearby rock, breathing heavily as he did. The fresh air and the sound of the soft push-pull of the ocean made him feel better already.

He peered around to see three figures approaching.

He instantly recognized the girl. Drusilla. She looked a little bit older than he remembered but she had the same thick and luscious dark brown hair and freckled milky skin. She was wearing her pyjamas, black fabric with a pattern of white skulls. She was laughing carelessly, throwing her head back, and it made Ash smile, his zygomatic muscles almost aching as they awakened from their deep slumber. They hadn’t been put to such use in a while. She was holding the hand of a younger boy with rumpled hair of the exact same colour. Their eyes shared the same singular summer-blue shade. Probably her little brother. He seemed to be around ten years old, but Ash wasn’t very good at guessing age.

The third person was a very tall boy, with hair as black as a crow’s feathers, walking along the water’s edge. Ash couldn’t see his face because he was looking away, toward the sea. There was something fragile, almost poetic, in the graceful curve of his neck and the delicate line of his jaw. Something hypnotising about the careful yet purposeful way he moved his long limbs. Ash almost felt disappointed he could not see the face of the person they belonged to.

“Tavvy!” Drusilla cried out as the younger boy released her hand to run to the edge of a tide pool.

He picked something in the water and held it up in triumph.

“Starfish,” he yelled, hopping up and down excitedly. “I have found a starfish!”

Tavvy ran, though not in the direction of his sister, but of the older dark-haired boy.

The tall boy held out his hand and the younger one put the starfish gingerly into the other’s palm.

“Pisaster ochraceus, also known as the purple or ochre sea star,” the mysterious boy said, after a single, swift glance at the starfish. He had a deep, raspy voice.

“It’s beautiful! Please! Please! Can I dry it and keep it in my bedroom at the Institute? I could have it framed, and maybe even painted by Jules!”

“It’s a keystone species that controls mussel populations. It was nearly wiped out by the sea star wasting syndrome. In other words… Waste of a perfectly good starfish,” the voice of the graceful boy caught at his last words and he trailed off, his head still turned toward the sea, almost as if he was no longer talking to Tavvy. He lifted his free hand absently to grasp a shiny object - a silver pendant? - resting on his chest.

The three Shadowhunters snapped their heads in the opposite direction from where Ash was hiding, when a fourth person called. A blond-haired girl – probably a Shadowhunter as well, though she had pointy ears - was coming down the beach wearing slippers, an apron tied around her slender body.

“Breakfast is ready! I have managed not to burn the whole stack of pancakes this time.”

Ash heard his stomach growl. How long had it been since he had last eaten? Probably days. But much sharper than the pain caused by hunger or even by the battle wounds, he felt longing… Longing for a normal life, in a normal happy family. What would he not give for carefree strolls on the beach in the dawn, surrounded by loved ones, followed by something as simple as a breakfast of – even burnt he didn’t mind – pancakes?

The landscape swirled and changed into the dark, dirty and moisty walls of a cell. He was so thirsty, so hungry, and so cold. Two Unseelie guards were staring at him through the bars, with a smirk on their narrow faces.

“We are here to bring you to your bedroom. Yes, you will get a bedroom. How fancy is that? The King just wanted to make sure you knew it was in your best interest to fully cooperate. From now on, and for as long as you behave, you will benefit from the most luxurious accommodation befitting to your royal lineage.” Ash – the younger, clueless version of him – found he did not care for a fancy room. He had known the most decadent living conditions and the worst. Knowing the full spectrum, he had realized nothing really mattered but a place to call home. Mom, where are you when I need you the most?

The door rattled and one of the guards came in.

“You have a pretty face, skinny boy,” he said, as he opened Ash’s bloody shackles. “When we will have cleaned you up, maybe you and I could have a little fun.”

Ash spat on the rude intruder.

The faerie was about to slap him when the other guard grabbed his wrist.

“Careful… He is the Seelie Queen’s son. You can’t take liberties with him as you can with other regular prisoners.”

“He may be of royal blood, but his father Sebastian Morgenstern died leaving us alone to bear the consequences of his mad plans, to suffer the Cold Peace. The traitor is the reason why the Fair Folk are treated as if they are less than nothing.”

A wave of pure hatred – that he had not felt at the time, having never met his father – woke Ash up from his dreams, his whole body drenched in sweat. He almost sighed in relief as he realized he was in his wide bedroom, in the house in the hollow hill.

There was a pain in his stomach, different from the one caused by hunger. He immediately ran to his bathroom and retched above the sink. There had been no time to run to the toilet. He opened the tap and splashed water over his face. As he stared at himself in the mirror, he noticed there were dark circles under his eyes and that his features, although smooth and ageless as all faeries’ were, bore the permanent mark of having seen too much horror, suffered too much pain, loneliness, and sorrow before he had even reached adulthood. He swiftly schooled them into the mask he wore in public. He had become good at that.

****

“Riders of Mannan, tremble!” Mina cried out as she burst into the kitchen and started running around the table on her little legs, brandishing her Cortana baby-sized wooden replica. Her dark hair was now long enough that she could wear them in two tiny braids. It was Kit’s job, and Mina loved to barge into his room at ungodly hours with a hairbrush to jump up and down on his bed until he had performed his daily task. So much for privacy.

“Oh no, here comes Emma Carstairs!” Kit raised an empty pan from the stove to use it as a shield. “Quick, run! Or she will end us all!”

“Nooooo, Kit-Kat” Mina paused to strike a dramatic pose and rolled her eyes. “You are not a Rider.”

“No? What am I today?” He asked, putting down the pan.

“My fiancéééé!”

“Ooooh.” Kit drew himself to his full height, putting on a very serious don’t-mess-with-mine-and-I-won’t-mess-with-you face and brushed his hand through his hair in a mock nervous gesture. “Beware Riders, I will strike you with my wits, if not my crossbow.”

“No. Not Julian. I have changed my mind. I want to marry Tiberius Blackthorn!” She said and shook both her hands in front of her the way she always did when she was very excited about something.

“Oh. Oh. Well don’t tell Julian that, I am not sure he will appreciate the swap.”

“Do Tiberius! Do Tiberius!” Mina exclaimed, hopping up and down. Kit knelt in front of her and rested his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. “Do him, please!” Mina whined.

“Sure, Min. I will imitate Tiberius but please stop shouting that,” Kit said, feeling heat rush up his entire face.

“Yeaaay! Do him!”

“SHHHHhhh,” Kit said, putting a finger on her pouty lips. “Understood, Min-Min. I will play Ty’s part.”

Their parents were in the room next door and though both knew that he and Ty were a thing now, Kit had obviously not gone into detail as to the physical part of their relationship. He expected that they would simply guess and leave it at that.

He had a vivid memory of the time he had been cornered to sit through the “sex talk.” Tessa and Jem had made some Earl Grey tea and scones for the occasion and had taken the opportunity during one of Mina’s naps, to go through the whole process of explaining to Kit that it was the most natural thing in the world and that he shouldn’t feel uncomfortable raising any questions he had on the subject. Kit had dutifully listened, his head bent and his ears red, slouched in the middle of the couch, fingers knotting and unknotting where they rested on his lap. As the awkward conversation had gone on and on, he had disappeared little by little into the plump cushions, wishing he could vanish entirely inside the furniture.

Jem had been the old-fashioned gentleman, talking about “mutual respect” and “the shared responsibility of contraception and adequate protection”, but had been clearly as red faced as Kit, while Tessa had been the modern mom, freely and animatedly speaking about “exploring one’s sexuality” and “ignoring peer pressure and imaginary standards”.

When Jem had started listing all the STDs he had encountered in his life as a Silent Brother, Kit had secretly hoped there was poison in the tea. Dropping dead in the middle of the living room would have made for an adequate diversion. Fortunately, Tessa had silenced Jem with a glare.

In the back of his mind, Kit had wondered if Ty had gone through the same ordeal. He had imagined scary-overprotective Julian discussing sexual intercourse and condoms and had suddenly been profoundly relieved that – where Kit was concerned – the task had befallen to Tessa and Jem.

Kit had to admit, they employed the same thoroughness and dedication in everything they taught him. With Jem, Kit had learnt how to fight, how to heal wounds, how to waltz and – though that part still required a lot of training to get over his bad habits – how to behave like a gentleman. Tessa had taught Kit how to drive, how to cook and how to uncover and harness his First Heir powers. Both his parents had given him history lessons and they were the reason why he now knew how to speak five languages. He had read more books since he had joined their home than throughout the rest of his previous life. While Johnny Rook had taught Kit how to pick locks and steal pockets, Tessa and Jem had taught him trust and boundless generosity.

Truth be told, they were the best parents he could ever have dreamt of. He had the best family he could ever dream of, he thought, watching Mina’s big dark eyes widening as her gaze caught the plate of homemade chocolate cookies.

“Oooh you baked cookies! Can I have one Kit-Kat? Pleeeeeease?” Thank God for her short attention span.

“You already had a croissant this morning, Mina. You can have a cookie tomorrow. Remember, us Shadowhunters must eat healthily.”

Mina raised her eyebrow at him, in a way that reminded him of his boyfriend. Kit slipped a cookie in her tiny fingers.

“One. And remember how generous I was when I am sent away to sugar-addicts rehab and I beg you for one last shot of candy for the road.”

Mina nodded. He loved the way she always acted as if she understood his ramblings.

“Kit?” Tessa called as she entered the kitchen, waving her phone. “It’s Jace. He tells me you’ve been dodging his calls.”

“I am not here,” Kit mouthed.

“He told me you would say that. So, he wants you to know he still has this picture of you from last Christmas and he will not hesitate to send it to a certain dark-haired Centurion if you don’t take the call.”

Kit shot out his hand, palm up, and Tessa handed over her phone.

“This is blackmail.” Kit tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder as he swept the plate of cookies away from sight.

“Never said I was above blackmail. Just make sure it’ll work if you are ever to use it.”

“Is it another one of your cardinal rules and guidelines to being a proper Herondale? I am pretty sure half of them are made up.”

“They’re not.”

“They are,” Tessa mouthed, grimacing, as she whisked Mina away from the kitchen.

“So, here’s the thing. I usually act as a guest lecturer at the Academy, you know, for basic stuff. Learning how to jump and fall properly, balance in swordfight, choice of weapon… I was scheduled for next week, but Clary decided to plan her art gallery opening at the same time. So, I was looking for the best person to fill my shoes and of course immediately thought… who else than Kit?”

“Liar. I know you asked Emma first. What’s her excuse?”

“She sprained her ankle during training two days ago.”

“She posted a video of herself dancing in a nightclub with Cristina and Mark. That was yesterday.”

“This girl sure knows how to put on a brave face.”

“She was doing backflips in front of a cheering crowd.”

“Like I said, brave face. So, you’re in?”

“Do I really have a choice?”

“Not really, but I thought it would be nicer if I asked.”

“Whatever.” Kit grumbled.

“Great. You won’t regret it. I will even buy you dinner in Manhattan while you’re in New York. Fancy restaurant with amazing desserts.”

“Are you trying to seduce me, Jace Herondale?”

“Just lie down and let me do the rest.”

“WHAT?”

“Sorry, not talking to you. I’m in the middle of a training session. We’re stretching. Have you trained this morning?”

“It’s 2 PM here, Jace. I’m on my break. I already trained for six hours, starting at the crack of dawn.”

“You put us all to shame.”

“So, I guess I’ll leave you to it.”

“I was not finished.”

“Raziel, what else is there?”

“The Scholomance is sending a Centurion to represent them and provide a two-days training course for the Academy’s senior students who wish to apply to join them after they graduate.”

“Oh,” Kit said, with a familiar flutter around his stomach. “Do you…” He swallowed. “Do they already know who they will send?”

“Probably that Joshi guy. But it’s not set in stone. Jia Penhallow told me they have been trying to convince their best Centurion to go for months now, but he keeps saying no.”

“Oh, so he gets to say no.”

“I told her Herondales can’t resist a challenge...”

“You didn’t.”

“… and that I had a secret weapon to convince him to go this time.”

“You mean me.”

“Use your body!”

“WHAT?”

“Not talking to you, sorry. Beatriz, use your whole body’s strength, not just the muscles in your arms!”

“Thank the Angel.”

“What was I saying?”

“You were using me to try to convince Tiberius Blackthorn – who absolutely loathes talking in public, by the way – to give a two-days training course at the Academy for Scholomance applicants. Jace, I don’t know how I feel about this. I don’t want him to feel obligated in any way, just because…”

“… just because you let him play with your sword?” Jace offered.

“God, Jace. I am going to pretend you never said that.”

“Make us proud.”

“I hate you.”

“Love you, too. Gotta go. Catch up later.”

“Jace,” Kit groaned in frustration, but Jace had already hung up.

Tagging @gabtapia <3

[prideandpen]

Can I please request the reading you are offering

Libra sun, Aries moon

Can I please know how my future spouse will be like

Thank you😊

First row. Light Seer’s Tarot 6 of Swords (R), Strength (R),8 of Pentacles (R), Ace of Swords (R) Second row. Rider-Waite Tarot: 3 if Pentacles, 6 of Cups (R), King of Pentacles Third row. Wisdom of the Oracle: Mending (R), Poised, All that Glitters Fourth row. Oracle of the 7 Energies Exposed and Revealed, A Grand Symphony Fifth row. Foxfire, The Kitsune Oracle: Hope, Beneath the Surface, The Garden of the Night

Hi kawaiimarshmallow! Here’s your reading for what your future spouse is like. The reading itself is kinda long so it’s below the cut.

In the Light Seer's tarot we start off with the 6 of Swords in reverse. Right away this tells me that we're looking at someone who struggles to accept other people's help. They have a very do-it-themselves type of personality. Now keep in mind that while they are your future spouse this could be their current energy and so it's entirely possible that this something they might grow out of, or something that through your relationship they might grow out of. However this could also just be something they'll always have to work on. With Strength reversed I think that despite their do-it-alone type personality they're probably someone who struggles to see their own value and doesn’t recognize their own strength, this energy in them comes from the 8 of Pentacles in reverse where they've likely been someone who has or has had trouble reaching their goals due to inexperience, lack of motivation, or lack of interest. The Ace of Swords reversed is where we start to expand on this because I'm seeing one of two possibilities here. Either your future spouse has tried to follow a path that was pre-determined for them (thus the lack of interest) and struggles or has struggled to accept that the path laidn out for them isn’t right and that they need to follow their own path. Or this is an explanation of why they have a hard time reaching their goals and tells us this person over analyzes themselves and their work. This person probably struggles with some sort of anxiety, adhd, or other mental health disorder (though please don't take this as a diagnosis or medical advice, it's not. Just the energy from the reading) and it affects their sense of self. There is the possibility that this card in reverse (paired with what we've looked at in the other cards so far) could be suggesting that your future spouse might be a part of the lgbtq+ community and has some challenges around accepting and embracing that.

With the Rider-Waite deck to clarify the Light Seer's deck we start with the 3 of Pentacles which tells me that although this person is someone who has a difficult time accepting help from others they're generous when it comes to offering help. I get the sense that they’re the type of person who will stop what they’re doing at the drop of a hat to help others whenever they can either with advice, working on something with someone, or financially.

The 6 of cups in reverse here makes me think of two things. One, this person is probably not someone who has already been in your life but someone new. And two, that this person has to work on forgiving themselves for the things they've struggled with. Be it work, hobbies, joy, their own identity, whatever. By working on forgiving themselves they'll reach a point where they can better maintain a healthy relationship with themselves, with their future spouse (that's you!), and with others.

The King of Pentacles here is a sign that something this person does not struggle with is their finances. This goes hand in hand with their generosity as I mentioned in the 3 of Pentacles. I get the sense that this person comes from a wealthy background, maybe not insanely wealthy, but their family has definitely been comfortable financially and that carries into their own life as an adult.

With Mending in reverse as our first of the Wisdom of the Oracle cards this repeats the theme of this person needing to forgive themselves for their past in order to have healthy relationships. Seeing as there are two people in the image of the card this could be something that either you encourage or inspire in them when you enter their life, or something that happens through the course of the natural ups and downs of your relationship with them.

In Poised I can see that through forgiving themselves, healing, and beginning to accept help offered to them as much as they offer it to others they'll begin to reach the best version of who they are. They'll start to be as confident as they pretend to be and that confidence and kindness will radiate from them. And I do think they're someone who appears to be more confident than they are. They wear a mask, often showing others what they think people want to see from them, hiding their struggles and their stress with a bit of charm, a bit of money, and a bit of kindness.

All that Glitters is another card that feels like it has a double meaning. First it's another card that suggests that this person comes from a well-off family background, and second it feels like it's confirming what I said about the previous card, and how their poise isn't as well balanced as it seems. Behind their charm and confident mask they're struggling too, they just don't want people to see it. This card could also suggest that while their family is well-off they might cut ties or be uncomfortable with their family money.

Exposed and Revealed, from the 7 Energies Oracle, is about mending that guilt and forgiving themselves - if, as I mentioned earlier, they are a part of the lgbtq+ communities this could be about them coming out, to you, to others, or in general and feeling the discomfort and relief that comes with that. If not, this could simply be about allowing you to see behind their mask and showing you their struggles. Ultimately it's about vulnerability, the kind that comes with either trust or necessity, and sometimes both.

It could also go along with the next card, A Grand Symphony, which brings me back to what I said earlier about how they've maybe tried to fit themselves into a pre-determined role that isnt right for them. I'm getting orchestral vibes from this card, particularly string instruments like the violin, so maybe your future spouse is a musician or involved with music in some way. This could also be another card about accepting help. In order to be a part of any type of team, including an orchestra, including a relationship, you have to be able to work with other people help them, and accept help in return. There has to be trust, and a willingness to allow others to see your struggles and a willingness to accept help in improving.

In the Foxfire Oracle we start with Hope. This card makes it abundantly clear to me that although your future spouse is someone who struggles initially, and maybe for awhile, with something as important as accepting help from others and letting people see beneath their mask they will let you in, in time. And not only that, but their struggles with finding their own way in life - be it with their identity, orientation, work, etc - are far from hopeless. They will find their way through to happiness, they'll find the things that really do glitter and enjoy that grand symphony of a life coming together beautifully.

Beneath the Surface is the first card here that makes me think that at first you might not be taken in by their charm and pretend confidence. You might not dislike them at first, but I feel like you wont be particularly fond of them. The word arrogant comes to mind. You might, at first, think them pretentious because of the confident way they act or even because of their money. You might even at first think it's their kindness that's fake and not their confidence. But once you get to know them you'll start to see what's beneath the surface; what's good, what's bad, and what's real.

The Garden of the Night repeats this, saying that what looks one way in one light might look another in a different light. Things, people, situations, challenges, are not always what they appear to be at first. Good things might not be so good. Things that bother you might come to delight you, challenges may actually be opportunities. One other thing I see in this card is a safe haven. A garden in the night, a refuge from the busy day to day life, some peace and quiet and a place to unwind. That's what your future spouse will be for you as time goes on and your relationship deepens, and what, in turn, I suspect you'll be for them.

To sum it up, your future spouse is someone who struggles to accept help from others, and to accept themselves, but they’re also someone who is kind and generous, and likely has an affinity for the arts. You might get off to a rocky start with them but in time you’ll be someone each other can lean and depend on, their vulnerability with you (and yours with them) will be an important factor in your relationship.

[youeggbastard]

Oc Questionnaire (Again)

Now it’s Jens turn. 

Once Again thank you so much @jessaryss​ for this awesome template you’re the bees knees! ❤❤❤

Iphigenia 

BASICS

Name: Iphigenia ( Iph·​i·​ge·​nia )but better known as just Jen very few people are allowed to know her full name

Race: Imperial

Age: 25

Pronouns: She/Her

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Skin: Pale... she needs to tan more

Height: 5′6

Weight: 143

General Physique: A little more on the curvy side

Tattoos, WarPaints & Scars? None yet but I’m still working on character design

ABOUT

Dragonborn: YES / NO

Werewolf/Bear or Vampire? None

Occupation: Best described as a spell sword for hire, but really she’s just a wandering necromancer for hire. 

Guild Association(s): Used to be a Vigilant of Stendarr, it didn’t end well though. 

Favoured Weapon Class / Type: Duel Wielding One handed, primarily only bound swords. 

Favoured School of Magic / Type: It’s a tie between Destruction and Conjuration. 

Heavy Armor? Light Armor? Robes? Robes

Place of Birth: Cyrodiil

Place Where They Were Raised: Same place up until she was 12 years old, then she came to Skyrim. 

Current Location: Skyrim

Education / Place of Study: No formal education really, her father and his “friends” cult taught her conjuration, or more specifically necromancy, and then when she joined the Vigilants she learned a great deal of restoration magic as well as some destruction. The rest she’s taught herself, so no doubt her magic style would make classically trained mages cringe.

Any Teachers / Inspirations? Pretty much all her teachers and inspirations have let her down in one way or another. 

PERSONAL

Patron Deity (if any): Used to be Stendarr until he abandoned her, now she doesn’t associate herself with gods.

Political Alliance (if any): Despite being Imperial Jen doesn’t have any loyalty to the Empire and she does sympathize with the Stormcloaks cause, but it’s kind of hard to fully sympathize with them when they hate her. So, her political alliance is closer to the common people, the ones who are actually suffering from the war.

Strongest Skills: She’s deadly with destruction magic, mainly lighting and she has always had a knack for Necromancy though that’s more of a curse than a blessing. 

Strengths: Clever, strategist, She can be downright ruthless in battle, fearless, stubborn, will continue fighting until the end. 

Weaknesses: Her fearlessness often leads to recklessness, doesn’t really have survival skills, more often than not her emotions control her rather than vice versa.

Spouses? Flings? Lovers? Jen is pretty sex positive, she’s had a couple of flings here and there but only with people she actually trusts, so friends with benefit situations mostly, she’s not one to have a one night stand or hatefuck, but she’s always kept them at arms lengths and the minute feelings start she scatters. In her entire life she’s only be in love twice, once with her partner in the Vigilants who ended up betraying her and she ended up killing him, and then with Kaidan who she eventually marries. 

Thaneship (and of where?) Whiterun, Riften, and somehow Morthal though she’s not entirely sure how she became Thane of any of those holds. 

Most Difficult Quest They’ve Been On? Pretty much any of the quests from the Vigilant Mod, the one where she had to fight Lamae fucked her up emotionally. 

Jail Time? No she’s too streetwise.

Largest Bounty Held? The vigilants have a pretty large bounty on her head, but I don’t think that counts.

How Much Gold Are They Typically Carrying? Anywhere from 2 to 20000 Septims

How Do They Get Gold? Primarily through necromancy jobs, a lot of people will hire her for help getting rids of spirits, ghosts, etc... But Jen isn’t good at charging or saying no to people in need, so most of her income comes from overcharging rich people and jarls.

Are Werebeings and Vampires Vile Creatures or Simply Misunderstood? If you asked her this a couple of years ago she would have said, yes they are vile and need to be eradicated. Now that she’s no longer a vigilant and not under the influence of them she has a different opinion. Now she realizes the line between man and monster is a lot more blurred, now she sees herself more as the monster after all she’s done in the name of Justice. 

Do They Actively Hunt Dragons? Not really, they hunt her more often than not. 

Goals In Life? Help as many people as she can and hopefully do some good for once.

Deepest Regret? Killing innocent people under the guise of Stendarr’s mercy, and not being able to save Altano before it was too late.

Greatest Hope? She would never say this but she desperately wants a family. She craves the unconditional love that she has searched for all her life and was instead betrayed and her love used against her. 

Most Embarrassing Moment: She has screamed more than once encountering spiders. 

Flaws: Stubborn, hot headed, unforgiving, judgmental, isn’t very good at controlling her emotions which isn’t exactly good thing for a mage or a dragonborn, proud. 

Fears: Spiders and all other kinds of creepy crawlers especially things with more than two legs, betrayal, the dead (especially the ones that haunt her nightmares).

What Makes Them Happy? Flowers, the stars, the quiet nights, helping others, her friends, baths. 

Hobbies: She’s actually an avid horseback rider, if her life had been normal she probably would have owned a stables, collecting flowers and creating new spells as well. 

Favorite Locations: She loves Riverwood and the area surrounding it, it helps that the people of Riverwood actually like her. 

Favorite Holds: Falkreath 

Eating Habits? She’s not very picky.

Can They Cook? She can, though she doesn’t have much time to make gourmet meals, so she really just cooks enough to get by. 

Favorite Food: She loves tomato soup, it reminds her of her childhood, before her parents went crazy. 

Favorite Drink: Wine

First Thing They Do At A Tavern? Take a bath

Sleeping Habits? Very sporadic, sometimes she won’t get sleep for days, other times she will sleep 12 hours at a time. God help anyone that tries to wake her up, she’s a graceful riser.

Cities or the wilds? Both, she likes people watching and being near civilization, but she also loves the outdoors, being under the night sky, fields of flowers etc.

Pet Peeves? Being talked over, being bossed around (specifically by men)rich people just fucking existing. 

Describe Their Bedroom or Home There would also be fresh flowers in a vase, as well as lavender hanging from the roof. It would be very clean, unless she’s working of magic study of a new spell than it’s a complete mess.

How Would A Stranger Describe This Person? She’s got a bad case of Resting Bitch face, comes across as very cold and distant, just an unfeeling bitch.

Someone Close To Them? The opposite of that. She cares so much for her friends and will go to the ends of the Earth for them, it’s that quality that has gotten her in a lot of trouble. She helps whoever she can and has the worst case of bleeding heart syndrome. . 

How Do They Deal With Anger? Jen is a hot head, and when she does get angry she can be cruel and unrelenting. But luckily her anger fizzles out pretty quickly especially if she knows she wrong, so she will apologize and make things right if it’s someone she loves. But if you’re in the wrong, it’s gonna be hard to get her forgiveness back. 

How Do They Deal With Failure? She can take it hard, she’ll probably get moody and lash out, but deep down knows she’s really just angry with herself, eventually she cols off and learns from her mistakes and swears to not make them again. 

How Do They Deal With Loss of a friend or someone close? Jen’s friends are everything to her so losing them would wreck her, she wouldn’t be able to sleep or eat, or probably even let them go that easily, she would storm the gods if it meant saving someone she loved

Go Into The Bandit Filled Cave To Retrieve The Lost Amulet For Some Simpleton, or Tell Them Nah Bye? Depends is it someone desperate and downtrodden who couldn’t do it themselves? Yes. Someone entirely capable  of doing it themselves? probably not then, but all you really need to do is make up a sob story to appeal to her bleeding heart. 

Opinions on Daedra? She isn’t a vigilant anymore but she still knows Daedra are always a bad idea and would probably never side with them or trust them. Molag Bal though, she would storm Coldharbour just to kill him, she would find a way to kill daedra just to kill him. 

Companions / Followers

First Follower: Gorr (3DNPC)

Have They Stuck Around? Not really, they had a bit of a fling and Jen scattered. 

Something The Look For In A Follower (or do they hire anyone without question?) Someone who she trusts and won’t get annoyed by her gentle mothering as well as her need to save everyone and everything. But really trust is a huge thing, she would die for her friends so she needs someone who won’t betray that trust.

Followers Over The Years (or whatever amount of time): In This order

Gorr (3DNPC) (2 Months)

Mercutio (1 Month)

Mjoll the Lioness (5 Months) 

Kaidan (Still Present)

Auri (Still Present)

Serana (Still Present)

Lucien (Still Present)

Funny enough the first three were people she’s had flings with who she ended up leaving once feelings got in the way. I mean Kai is also part of that group, but she actually stayed for him, obviously. 

Fourth Wall

Any Must Have Mods To Play This Character? Vigilant, Apocalypse, and then all the followers mods mentioned above. 

Random Screenshot / Drawing: See Way Above

Level? 34 as of right now

Serious RP or Thomas The Tank Engine Dragons, Fart Shouts, and Kawaii Cat Girl Mods? Serious so far, but I’ve only had one gameplay of her and I’m still working on it there might be some tank engine dragons in her future who knows. 

[elvesofnoldor]

not to rant about highly idealized and highly romanticized and therefore unrealistic and fairy-tale like medieval fantasy elven royalties aka shits no one follows me cares about yet again, but like, these days im so into the concept of tolkien AU in which aredhel and luthien fell in love and married each other. it’d messed up the entire timeline in his universe cause it can probably prevent the doom of mandos from coming to pass, prolong first age, therefore utterly change second age and third age and the events of lotr and the hobbit but do i look like i give a shit abt events of lotr and the hobbit? i care more about a story in which two gay women’s love for each other and desire to live free of men in their lives save the day, mend two divided people and possibly prevent the doom of angry god from coming to pass. Also it’s bullshit that Aredhel’s entire story is about how she got lured to live with this abusive asshole man and that man killed her and her son brought ruins to her people, like, she deserves better and this AU would give her a better story. i also know this au’d make beren and Eol irrelevant and Maeglin non-existent but these are three men and tolkien’s universe is already crowded with men, so if an AU can make more women important and gets rid of some unnecessary men then i’d say that’s a good AU.  

Also, Aredhel and Luthien’s relationship would be like, the elven huntress (Aredhel) and the elven Maiden (Luthien). not to bring in dragon age lore, but they’d be like, the Andruil and Ghilan’nain we (dragon age fans) deserve. except that, unlike Andruil and Ghilan’nain, Aredhel and Luthien are good people aka NOT tyrants and slavers (lmao). 

just, Imagine luthien, princess of Doriath, taking a liking of aredhel when she spots the handsome warrior princess from the woods of doriath when aredhel tries to gain passage through her father’s kingdom. That has the same vibe as morrigan watching female warden in her animal form and finding her “formidable”, and i REALLY dig this vibe. Imagine luthien, curious about a noldor elf--whom she never really get to know--uses her magic to open a passage for aredhel to enter Doriath when aredhel is being pursued by vicious giant spiders and greets her once she reaches safety. Imagine the two princesses learn of each other’s different elven cultures within the woods of Doriath, falling in love with each other in each other’s company.  Imagine Aredhel, while enjoying luthien’s companionship, still longs to once more rides on open grassy plains (which was the reason she left Gondolin in the first place). Imagine the sheltered luthien, having heard Aredhel’s tales of adventure at Tirion and dwellings of noldor in Valinor, wishes more than ever to see the world and the noldor realms outside the cirdle of her mother Melian. Imagine Aredhel proposes that both she and Luthien leave Doriath together so that both of them can see the outside world, and Luthien hesitating out of fear of her controlling father’s wrath. Imagine Aredhel saying something along the lines of, “must we live in the shadow of fathers and brothers in our life? Must we ignore our heart’s desire to abide by theirs? is that the life you wish to live forever?” to pursuit Luthien to leave. Imagine that Luthien still hesitating after that and Aredhel decides to find her way out of the forest. Imagine luthien, forlorn from the absence of her dear friend whom she discover that she held too dear to her heart, comes to her mother in the time of doubt and heartache. Imagine Melian, having known about Aredhel’s presence by her daughter’s side this entire time, helps luthien to get out of forests of Doriath with Aredhel despite her own distrust of noldor elves (due to the first kinslaying they committed), because she wants her daughter to be happy above all and deep down she think it’s wiser if the two divided people can be reunited. Imagine Aredhel, the white lady of Gondolin and Luthien, the princess of Doriath, finally settles on a land of their own somewhere on beleriand, say, the land where havens of Sirion would be, or lindon. It’d be a land under the Luthien’s magical protection, guarded by the rider/warriors Aredhel gathered throughout the years. Imagine the land that Aredhel and Luthien rules later becoming a place of haven of refugee for elves and men alike fleeing from the lands that morgroth’s minions now occupied. Luthien doesn’t get roped into a quest for silmaril, and neither does finrod so finrod doesn’t die. Finrod’s kingdom probably still falls and gets sacked out of some other reason but he survives. Thingol still died from some sort of dispute with the dwarves--even thought there is no involvement of Silmaril, but Doriath doesn’t get invaded by anyone. Melian doesn’t abandon Doriath after Thingol’s death, and rather she stayed for her children (dior and luthien) and Doriath is still safe under her rule. Maybe Gondolin stills falls because of some other reasons, maybe battle of unnumbered tears still happened in some form because Morgorth’s minions are encroaching on noldor realms either way and noldor elves would suffer from heavy losses anyways so it’s kinda unpreventable that maedhros would want to unify everybody for a final strike against him. But say, fingon doesn’t die from the battle despite the heavy losses because finrod’s host and elves of doriath are present at the battle and their involvement allows fingon to retreat successfully. Instead of fingon, celegorm curufin canrathir and the ambraussa twins died in the battle of unnumbered tears. The noldor elves held their own for longer and the first age is like at least a decade if not a hundred year longer but War of wrath still happens at the end of the first age. However, more noldor elves that suffered in the war of jewels against morgorth survived, and most of them had the strength and willingness to fight in the war of wrath when finarfin’s host finally comes to their aid from the west. With the host of valar and finarfin’s help, the noldor elves gathered the three silmarils from a defeated Morgroth. Maedhros and Maglor either gather the silmarils themselves or they were given the silmarils but neither of them want anything to do with the silmarils anymore. Now that they have fulfilled the oath, both of them allowed the three silmarils to be taken back to Valinor and two trees were reborn on valinor upon their breaking, and now it makes more sense that valinor still counts as the undying lands. Maedhros doesn’t kill himself, maglor doesn’t sing in grief by the sea forever and all the former noldor lords who survived war of jewel and war of wrath brought their people to the land/haven under Luthien and Aredhel’s rule and protection, whose realm still stand because of luthien’s magical protection and her mother Melian’s additional help. Elrond and Elros doesn’t lose their mother, but Earendil still went on that journey to find the valinor and brought the valars’ aid to middle earth and become a star in the sky so they don’t have their father. The twins still grow close to maglor either way, and maglor, pitying the fatherless twins and missing his youngest twin brothers, still cherishes the twins as if they are his own children.  Tears are still shed, bloody battles are still fought, and the noldor (and in this au, sindarin) elves still suffered heavy losses, but there is catharsis at the tale’s end. More people survived, more people get to leave for the west, and those who fought against morgroth for thousands of years get to participate in the war of wrath. Noldor elves still left middle earth en masse at the end of first age and second and third age, but there are more noldor realms on middle earth than eregion by the time second age comes. Elves would still all left middle earth by the end of fourth age. And maybe a few noldor elves like Maedhros and Maglor are not pardoned to return to valinor or simply wishes not to return out of shameor pride (in galadriel’s case), but they helped in the war against sauron in some way and eventually all redeemed themselves in the eyes of valar from helping to defend the men of middle earth against sauron, servant of morgroth and were allowed to return eventually, at the end of third age.  imagine the friendship between fingon and maedhros brought hundred years of peace between their divided family, and the love between luthien and aredhel brought two people divide people together and brought hundred years more of peace for all of their people. 

[impossible-rat-babies]

DA 20 questions!

I was tagged by @acepavus! Thank you darling!

I’m gonna tag: @apostatetabris, @dirthara-mama, @wicked-eyes-and-wicked-hearts, @star--nymph, @red-wardens, @vvakarians, @trans-aloth, and anyone else who wants to do this! Sorry if I’ve double tagged you all!

--

01) Favourite game of the series?

I gotta go with Inquisition. I love all the maps and the characters I’ve gotten to make through the games. It’s a beautiful game.

02) How did you discover Dragon Age?

I saw art of Dorian around and figured out he was from dragon age and that he was gay and I was instantly hooked on wanting to play the game. I hadn’t ever seen a video game before with a gay man in it and I was desperate for LGBT content and validation. Dorian has been immensely important to me in helping me realize my identity.

03) How many times you’ve played the games?

I’ve played origins all the way through four times I think. I’ve played da2 three times, twice with my main Hawke and then another Hawke. I’ve played inquisition at least six times with Darva and I’m playing Dimitri for the fourth time. I’ve played that one the most by far.

04) Favourite race to play as?

Elves! I love the elves of dragon age so much

05) Favourite class?

Dual wielding rogue by far along with archers. Rogues are one my favorite classes ever. I do have a soft spot for mages and warriors thought

06) Do you play through the games differently or do you make the same decisions each time?

I try to make little sorts of different choices. I’ve both allied/conscripted the templars and mages before on different little games and I’ve both banished and kept the grey wardens. I’ve never put Gaspard on the throne himself, but I’ve done all the other ways Halamshiral can end up. I’ve only ever not drank from the well once and the was because I was playing a human. I try to mix it up a little each play through for variety sake. Plus I love Calperia’s story so much more than Sampson, so I do side with the templars on occasion. But I am a mage loving gay.

07) Go-to adventuring group?

My Origins go to gang for Eth is Shale, Wyne and Alistair and Slivayn is usually Wyne, Shale, and Zevran. DA2 is a whole grab bag of people, but I usually have one mage, one warrior and a rogue + my mage Hawke.  My crew for inquisition depends on who I’m playing. Darva mainly roles with Cassandra, Vivienne and Dorian while Dimitri runs with Iron Bull, Sera and Solas.

08) Which of your characters did you put the most thought into?

Dimitri and Darva are at a big ole tie with Eth coming in second place. Dimitri is my ever evolving kiddo mainly bc I play a TTRPG with him as my PC, but Darva is like that comfort character where I truly see myself in. Eth is my precious little complicated warden child who I revisit on occasion because I forget how much I do enjoy origins.

09) Favourite romance?

Oooo it’s a hard tie between Bull and Dorian. Dorian was really like that gateway--along with dragon age in general--into me making gay characters explicitly and having them represent me. He made me feel okay with who I am and seeing that blatant love between men was something I had never seen. It was kinda the same with Bull, but he was also like that shattering of men having to preform to a certain degree of manliness to be seen as valid. Bull is manly af, but he loves the color pink. Masculinity doesn’t have to be as society defines it.

10) Have you read any of the comics/books?

I have read the Magekiller comic, but that was about it. I wanna read the books, but having the energy to do it. Does reading the TTRPG book count? Or the World of Thedas books? lolol

11) If you read them, which was your favourite book?

I haven’t read any of the main book tbh

12) Favourite DLCs?

I loved the Return to Ostagar DLC. That one was full of a great atmosphere and just generally quite sad. I liked Mark of the Assassin best out of the DA2 DLCs because it was humorous as well as having good drama going on. A very fun time even though it was a bit of a pain. Trespasser is probably my favorite DLC for Inquisition mainly because of the run through the elvhen ruins at the end of the DLC to get to Solas. It’s throwing everything you have because this is the end at the enemy and I love that.

13) Things that annoy you.

Ehhh most of my annoyance come from the lack of mlm romance options in the game and the treatment of characters like Sera and Sandal who are coded as neutroatypical. But, most of my qualms come from fandom and the rampant homophobia, transphobia, racism and white-washing everyone does. Ya shitty fandom.

14) Orlais or Ferelden?

Ferelden, personally.

15) Templars or mages?

Mages as always.

16) If you have multiple characters, are they in different/parallel universes or in the same one?

I have multiple characters across two world states, my canon one being Eth Tabris, my dual wielding rogue warden who romanced Alistair, Bryn Hawke, my force/blood mage, who romanced Fenris and Darva Lavellan, my dual wielding rogue who romanced Dorian. I also have other Lavellan's that go along with Darva like Fisk and Livonah. Then I have an alternative world state with Slivayn Mahariel, an archer rogue who romanced Zevran, then Farlan Hawke, my two handed warrior who romanced Anders, and then Dimitri Enallasani, my mage elf who romanced Bull. Dimitri only has Daniel as his other sort of important character.

17) What did you name your pets? (mabari, summoned animals, mounts, etc)

Eth named her Mabari, Witt, after her brother who was sent to the Circle when she was 16. I cannot remember for the life of my what Bryn named his Mabari, rip. Darva ends up with a Mabari in Kirkwall just named Da’len. Slivayn named his Mabari Tamlen after his clanmate and lover. I can’t remember what Farlan named his Mabari, RIP. Dimitri has an Anderfels Hart he raises later on named Ghilan after his Keeper’s old Hart and he has a great horned owl named Falon who he rescued.

18) Have you installed any mods?

Nope! I play all my games on console, so no mods for me. I do want to get a good gaming computer after I graduate from college so I can indulge in some mods for Dimitri and Darva and learn fly cam. I would really like to have Dimitri’s vallaslin in the game and more dalish outfits for my kiddos. Alas, I am stuck with what I have for now.

19) Did your Warden want to become a Grey Warden?

Wanting to become a Grey Warden wasn’t something Eth thought about wanting or not wanting. She was ready to die for having saved Shianni and that would have been enough. She kept her safe and that was her duty. Duncan thought she was worth the risk and she accepted that if this was going to be her new duty, it was going to be her new duty.

Slivayn didn’t want to be a Warden at all. Duncan had to conscript him and even then he hated Duncan for a long, long time. He didn’t get to see if he could save Tamlen at all so he was intensely grieving and he was torn from the only home he had ever known. Ostagar was his first experience with humans who weren’t out to kill him and his family.

20) Hawke’s personality?

Bryn is firmly in the Purple Hawke camp, but strays into Blue on occasion. Farlan is a firm divide between Red and Purple.

21) Did you make matching armor for your companions in Inquisition?

Yes, omg yes. My quizzies have their own color palettes I work off of. Darva alternates between Bear Fur + Plush Fustian Velvet + Infused Vyrantium Samite + Blue Vitriol and Great Bear Fur + Darkened Samite + Silk Brocade + Blue Vitriol. Dimitri’s changes from Snoufleur Skin + Drakestone + Darkened Samite + Higher Weave to Great Bear Fur + Darkened Samite + Dragon Scale. aka, Darva wears a lot of deep browns, blues and greens and Dimitri is a lot of reds, blacks and oranges.

22) If your character(s) could go back in time to change one thing, what would they change?

Eth wishes she would have done more to keep Shianni safe along with the rest of the Alienage. Her biggest regret is that she allowed what happened to happen.

Bryn wishes he could’ve saved his family. He covers up a lot of his grief with humor and deflection, but he hurts a lot for what he did. Part of him wishes he had done better with his mother, but he wouldn't admit it.

Darva wishes he could’ve saved his father; he knows he was only fourteen and that he would have gotten himself killed, but at times he thought that a better fate than having to deal with his mother and her all encompassing, smothering grief. 

Dimitri wishes he could’ve saved his clan. He goes over what happened as much as he can, trying to piece together what he could've done to save his family. It’s his life’s biggest regret.

23) Do you have any headcanons about your character(s) that go against canon?

Oooo could Darva being trans be one? Idk, that's a headcanon that doesn’t much go again canon. Biggest one for him would be him leaving the clan at 18 and traveling around Thedas. 

Dimitri’s whole origins and magical usage is a big middle finger at the canon for the dalish inquisitor considering he is sort of his own sect of elves who are drastically different than their southern counterparts.

24) Who did you leave in the Fade?

Ooo Darva leaves Alistair in the Fade because I can’t bear to leave Bryn behind, rip. But Dimitri ends up leaving Loghain in the Fade. I can’t give up my Hawkes.....

25) Favourite mount?

Me personally? I love the Pride of Arlathan mount. Darva mainly uses that mount and it’s his favorite. Dimitri loves his horse, the Amaranthine Charger. But, later on he gets his Anderfels Hart--which is a sandy colored breed of Hart that is larger and tougher than others of it’s breed. They bond with only one rider in their lifetime and will stand their ground, full of as much conviction as the elves who originally bred them.

[yeonchi]

Kisekae Insights #25: The last of Hiroki’s prototypes

Originally, I wasn’t planning on making an instalment of Kisekae Insights this month because I was planning on building a new PC, but then I suddenly got depressed because of stuff and that had to be put on hold, so I decided to write a couple more instalments. At the same time, I’m planning on ending the second run of Kisekae Insights after the next instalment to make way for the Doctor Who Series 13 reviews and also to focus on the last leg of my personal project. 9 instalments in 6 months isn’t bad compared to 16 in the first run, but that’s probably because a few instalments were filler and I have a job now so I don’t have as much time to work on new content. It will take me some time to prepare content for the third run (when I eventually get around to it), but I promise that we’ll go straight into the big stuff, namely My Little Pony, Gokaiger, Decade and Soulbound. I said back in #17 that I would hopefully cover it this year, but obviously things have changed.

Most of Hiroki’s prototypes that I’ve covered up to this point are OCs of animes that have had a significant influence on my personal project; this is not necessarily the case for the remaining ones, particularly because a couple of them are totally original characters. Let’s dive right in and cover the last of Hiroki’s prototypes.

Please note that there is a content warning for family/domestic violence and suicide.

Richard Yang: The First Prototype

Remember back in #6 when I said that Kyōko Izumi is the “Genesis Prototype”? Richard is the “first prototype” because chronologically, he is the first of Hiroki’s prototypes.

Bodyguards and Assassins (十月圍城), not to be mistaken for the namesake movie, is a series I created (or rather, conceptualised because I never really wrote out the series fully) in 2010 as a late-night drama on my totally real TV network after all the simulcasts of TVB dramas were done for the evening (we’ve really come far over the years). Richard Yang wasn’t written as Hiroki’s prototype until 2013 because I didn’t have that plot point back then.

In the drama, Richard is basically an explorer who has adventures. His style name is Samlin because at one point, he became sworn siblings with several other people who either resembled or were characters from Fifi and the Flowertots or Angelina Ballerina, one of them being Ms Mimi, who is like the elder sister or something. His timeline probably got cancelled out by the time he came onto Doctor Who.

Four series of Bodyguards and Assassins were made between 2010 and 2013. The second series involved Richard meeting his old primary school friends or something, the third series involved characters from K-On and the fourth series involved Richard meeting (a reincarnated version) of Yuri Nakamura from Angel Beats, who would go on to become his girlfriend. Richard began being featured on Doctor Who in 2012 with the Kikuchi Arc in Series 4 (he doesn’t do much in it though), but his origin wouldn’t be covered until the year after for the 50th Anniversary.

Speaking of Angel Beats, the series’ main characters, Kanade Tachibana and Yuzuru Otonashi, were also the Doctor’s companions for a few episodes at the end of Series 1 and 2 and the entirety of Series 3 and 4, making numerous reappearances over the years. Aside from Yuri, other characters from Angel Beats were also featured, but not given much focus.

In 2001, Hiroki was with his parents at Madame Tussaud’s in Hong Kong (the actual one, not the other one that we usually use to refer to Melbourne). While his father was trying to take a photo of his wife and son with the wax figures of The Beatles, Hiroki was too busy playing with George Harrison’s hair (I don’t exactly know which one is which so I might be wrong, like that matters anyway), causing him to be distracted. His mother slapped him, causing him to cry and regenerate into Richard. While Hiroki’s real body materialised later, he managed to swap places with Richard so that no one would get suspicious.

Following his birth, the 4-year-old Richard ended up living at an orphanage before he fell back in time to 1998 and ended up in Nagoya with no memories of his past. He was discovered by a local orphanage, but after no one adopted him for a period of three years, he was adopted by one of the female workers.

An unexpected invasion from the Oda Army in 2004 caused Richard to be separated from his adoptive mother. He was found by the Tongmenghui, who decided to take him in, considering his situation. Taking on the name Richard Yang, he became the leader of the Tongmenghui and led children in a rebellion against their parents. This would be known as the Dinghai-Wuzi Revolution of 2007.

Following the end of the Revolution, Richard started studying Geography and Teaching at Tokyo University, eventually becoming a professor there by 2012. He also began working as a casual relief teacher at Camembert Academy and as a tutor in the Chipping Cheddar area, where he eventually decided to settle down with Yuri.

When the Superhero Project was being developed in 2017, Richard moved to Auckland and became the commander of the Superhero Project for UNIT NZ, tasked with looking after the Shinkengers and Go-Busters. After the Superhero Project was decommissioned in 2019 (Soulbound Series 3), Richard was recalled from UNIT NZ and sent to Minato-Sugaru Island to help investigate a minus energy phenomenon, going undercover as a teacher at Canterlot High School. He returned to his normal UNIT duties the year after, during which the Superhero Project was recommissioned.

Zhuge Qiao: Successor of the Guardians’ legacy

(Morina created on Chibi Maker by gen8)

Like with Richard, Zhuge Qiao is another character who was just introduced out of the blue and given an origin story later, the main difference being that Zhuge Qiao’s introduction and origin story was entirely contained within the main Doctor Who series instead of being introduced in a totally unrelated series. She did get a spinoff series though.

Shugo Chara, the series which Zhuge Qiao was created for, was featured in the project in 2012 and 2013. Aside from Zhuge Qiao, the Doctor, Parker, Hiroki and Akari received (multiple) Guardian Characters, but they were relegated to the dollhouse (or Hakushi’s mini-TARDIS) soon after their debut and written out some time after (with the exception of four who were travelling in Hakushi’s mini-TARDIS). The reason why Heart’s Eggs exist is because of a morphic field in the city that caused people to develop them in their hearts. The morphic field would later evolve to the point where visitors to the city could develop Heart’s Eggs and hatch Guardian Characters reflecting their personalities if their emotions were strong enough. However, Heart’s Eggs developed in this manner would disappear from the visitors’ hearts within days of leaving the city and even if a Guardian Character were to hatch from it, they wouldn’t last very long without the companionship of other Guardian Characters.

In 2005, Hiroki went to Honnōji in Kyoto to evade his former lovers, Kimia and Tiffany, who had joined forces and formed the Kurayami Alliance in an effort to assassinate him. He was then forced to commit suicide, resulting in him regenerating into a female prototype, who would come to be known as Zhuge Qiao. Before you ask, yes, she is named after the Three Kingdoms figure of the same name, just as Parker was named after Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Qiao was brought back to UNIT HQ, where she said a brief farewell to Hiroki before heading off to travel the world on her own, eventually going on to fight in the Parallax War as well. In the final days of the Parallax War, she was attacked by a group of X-Egg influenced humans in Handan on Popei Island and was saved by Amu Hinamori, who she became good friends with. After the Parallax War ended, she would go on to gain a Guardian Character named Morina and establish Torchwood North, an organisation for Guardians to continue their duties even after graduating from Seiyo Academy. Although her Character Change has not been shown in the stories I’ve written, Zhuge Qiao can Character Transform into Beautiful Dream, wielding the Marigold Saber Sword.

During her time in Torchwood North, Zhuge Qiao assisted the Guardians in protecting humanity, though she did slip away from Popei Island to help wherever she was needed. She also planned on making a system that would allow the Guardians to transform at will, but it was unfinished when the Daleks invaded Handan (during the events surrounding the Battle of Koshi Castle as covered in #15) and Amu and the Guardians sacrificed themselves to repel the fleet, resulting in them and their Guardian Characters being transported to the Road of Stars. Taking the remaining four Guardian Characters into consideration (because they had been travelling with Hakushi in his mini-TARDIS), Zhuge Qiao perfected her system into a belt named the Shugo Belt (similar to the Den-O Belt) and became Kamen Rider Shugo, an original Rider replacing Kamen Riders Den-O (because who needs the Den-Liner when we have the TARDIS) and Kiva (because I didn’t want to find a way around the Fangire requirement).

Sword Form – Morina (Zhuge Qiao’s Guardian Character) Analogous to Den-O Sword Form and Kiva Kiva Form, Shugo Sword Form utilises the Marigold Saber Sword (similar to the Momotarosword) as a carryover from Beautiful Dream. This form’s finisher is the Extreme Slash.

Brush Form – Miki (Amu Hinamori’s Guardian Character) Analogous to Den-O Rod Form and Kiva Garulu Form, Shugo Brush Form utilises the Canvas Brush Revolver as a giant brush to attack with brush strokes or blobs of ink (similar to Amu as Amulet Spade or Ma Dai’s moveset in Dynasty Warriors 7 and 8). This form’s finisher is the Solid Attack followed by the Open Heart Kick.

Sonic Form – Hakushi (The Doctor’s Guardian Character) Analogous to Den-O Ax Form and Kiva Dogga Form, Shugo Sonic Form utilises the Sonic Hammer (similar to the Dogga Hammer) for powerful short-range attacks. The Sonic Hammer also incorporates technology used in sonic screwdrivers to disrupt enemies at a medium range. This form’s finisher is the Dynamic Smash.

Gun Form – Mubo (Parker’s Guardian Character) Analogous to Den-O Gun Form and Kiva Basshaa Form, Shugo Gun Form utilises the Magnum Revolver (similar to the Ryuvolver) for powerful attacks at any range, however this form’s marksmanship may not be the best at times as Mubo represents Parker’s recklessness.

Climax Form Analogous to Den-O Climax Form and Kiva DoGaBaKi Form, Shugo Climax Form is activated with the K-Chara phone attached on the Shugo Belt. This final form combines the powers of all four Guardian Characters and though it is technically able to use all four aforementioned weapons, Shugo mainly uses the Marigold Saber Sword out of preference. This form’s finishers are the same as that of Den-O Climax Form, namely the Boisterous Kick/Punch/Shout/Slash.

Decade’s Final Form Ride card for Shugo summons the Guardian Sword (similar to the Evil-Crushing Hundred-Beast Sword from Gaoranger), allowing him to perform the Decade Guardian Slash together with Shugo. I had thought about using or modifying it and giving Shugo an “actual” final form stronger than Climax Form, but I decided not to.

Hayato Kisaichi: The Forgotten Prototype

There have been two special cases where one of Hiroki’s incarnations have gone on to become their own prototypes. One of them was Momoka Mizutani, Hiroki’s only female incarnation influenced by Walpurgisnacht, and the other is Hayato Kisaichi, aka the Ice King, an initially forgotten incarnation similar to the War Doctor. I should point out that due to the nature of his regeneration, this incarnation did not use up a pocket of regeneration energy; you’ll find out why soon.

Hayato’s design is modelled off a genderbent version of Elsa from Frozen. He was introduced in the opening two-parter of Series 9, which was released in August 2014, the same time as the BBC Series 8. After that, he was shelved until the 5115 Specials in November of that year.

(Genderbent Elsa art, the basis for Hayato Kisaichi/the Ice King. Art by juhaihai and Awen Ng)

After Zhuge Qiao was found and taken back to UNIT HQ, Hiroki’s next incarnation manifested naked where he fell before he stood up and metamorphosed his residual regeneration energy into ice, allowing him to become the Ice King and build Nijō Castle out of ice. He then built a machine and sent a signal for assistance, which was answered by the Nestene Consciousness, the Ice Warriors and the Weeping Angels.

Though they were not summoned by the signal, the Doctor, Hiroki and his companions from 2014 also came to 2005 in an effort to secure the foundations of Nijō Castle before it falls apart in fifteen years due to it being made out of regeneration energy. During their adventure, they joined forces with the Ice King and helped him and his army fight off the Kurayami Alliance at nearby Yamazaki, but Tiffany and Kimia manage to slip past them and head for Nijō Castle, leading to them having to head back.

Back at Nijō Castle, the Ice King ambushes the Kurayami Alliance with the Weeping Angels, who can move outside of their quantum lock due to them being under the Ice King’s control. Despite this, however, the Kurayami Alliance manage to set Nijō Castle on fire and the Ice King is killed by Kimia after a battle with Tiffany. The Ice King’s ice powers change back into regeneration energy, allowing the past Hiroki to regenerate into his next incarnation without using another regeneration in the process.

The Ice King remanifested himself as a prototype under Nijō Castle, where he laid in hibernation for the next nine years along with his army. Hiroki would begin reawakening the Ice King later during “the Day of Retribution”, but he never got to unleash him or his army. However, Hiroki did summon the Ice King and his army in Heaven when he and the Doctor confront God for rapturing millions of people. They later joined the big battle in Yokohama alongside the angels.

After the battle ended and Girl Power was defeated thanks to the intervention of Jesus Christ, the Ice King was left in the care of UNIT. He was given the name Hayato Kisaichi and offered a job in the canteen at UNIT HQ, allowing him to find a new purpose in life. Later in 2018, Hayato joined UNIT NZ and became Blue Buster. Despite no longer being the Ice King, I like to think that Hayato maintained some level of it (even if only a little). I didn’t put the Go-Busters’ weaknesses into consideration when writing Gokaiger, but I suppose that Hayato could have a tendency to overheat and go out of control, like in the Sentai.

In 2019, Hayato joined the Arima Group on invitation from its CEO, Teppei Arima, and became the development director of its subsidiary, Arima Property Development, helping develop regional towns and bringing more people to them (oh my god, he’s a developer, he works in real estate now lol). For a time, he also became the temporary host of Ultraman Dyna. The year after, he was called back to rejoin the Go-Busters.

I also like to think that Hayato befriended his teammate, Yui Ichii of the Data Processing Club, but I never showed any relationship between them because given his origin, I wanted him to stand out and be more independent instead of being reliant on intimate relationships.

(more genderbent Elsa art from an unknown artist – if anyone knows the source please feel free to contact me)

Terry Mizukoshi: The Parallel Prototype

Unlike every other prototype introduced in my personal project, Terry is unique in that he was spawned from a parallel universe counterpart of Hiroki, which was shown during his debut in 2012’s Series 4. When circumstances led him to the Doctor’s universe, he became a part of the Zhuge family like everyone else.

In a parallel universe named Destination One, Hiroki was being forcefully wed to Hideko Kimihara (a girl with Asperger syndrome that he didn’t love) thanks to the machinations of his high school friends and the Kikuchi Clan from the Doctor’s universe (Girl Power from the Doctor’s universe were pulling some strings behind the scenes as well). When the Fifth Doctor, the Eleventh Doctor (from another universe), Doctor Whooves, the Pony Doctor and their companions intervene, a battle ensues and the Kikuchi Clan lead the Doctor and his allies into Popei Castle, which is a trap that scatters everyone to different places where they confront different enemies.

While the Hiroki from Destination One doesn’t confront an enemy per se, he does see two of his crushes (one of them being Akari) with their boyfriends, causing him to regenerate as his heart breaks. Terry was the resulting prototype while the Destination One Hiroki just manifested somewhere else (namely in front of the Fifth Doctor when he came back with Hiroki and the others from 2014). After the battle ended, Terry was taken to Destination Two, where he took the place of a Hiroki who was being forcefully wed to another girl (not Hideko). The Hiroki of Destination Two would take the place of Destination One Hiroki before presumably making his way back to his own universe. As for Destination Three Hiroki, he got married to the Akari of his universe with no dramas. Gee, it’s almost as if I put in characters that ended up doing nothing at all in the story.

After a while, Terry left his wife to find his own happiness. Upon seeing the stars in his universe going out, he stole a dimension cannon (presumably from the Torchwood there) and transported to the Doctor’s universe to warn him of what was going on, but he forgot about it. Instead, he joined the Doctor in preventing the Daleks from invading Equestria, which resulted in even more chaos as the Cybermen and Sontarans were also involved. During this adventure, he met Saki Mizukoshi and her friends, who had ended up in Equestria through the use of an enchanted rock in Shimoda, Shizuoka. Following the adventure, Terry decided to stay with Saki, having found his one true love. He also decided to change his last name to Mizukoshi for “naturalisation purposes” (as if that isn’t creepy at all).

When Saki and her family moved to Hachijō-jima, Terry stayed in Tokyo to complete his schooling while occasionally visiting his girlfriend on the island. He also began working at a ramen restaurant in an effort to support both Saki and himself in the years to come. By 2019, Terry and Saki got married while the latter was studying for her doctor’s degree. In fact, at the time of writing this instalment, Saki would still be studying right now. I can’t imagine it would be easy given the coronavirus pandemic (not that medical school would be easy for anyone in the first place).

Marco Wong: The Dual-Wielding Prince

When I was writing Block 6 of the 50th Anniversary Series in 2013, I had to find a way to use up all of Hiroki’s regenerations so that I could get that out of the way (in preparation for the Next Gen Series). Marco is one of the prototypes that was created as a result. I’ll explain the circumstances behind his regeneration later.

The Doctor had visited the Magical Kingdom of Parris Island (named after the military base of the same name in South Carolina) and somehow ended up in an arranged marriage to the queen’s daughter, Pixel Maritan. After discovering the existence of Marco’s prototype, he was whisked off to Parris Island in order to take the Doctor’s place, leading him to become the prince of Parris Island. Soon after, Marco and Maritan joined the Doctor as they took part in the Battle of Koshi Castle and teamed up with the Fourth Doctor to investigate Momoka Mizutani and find Hiroki.

In the four years after that, Marco trained himself to be an elite swordsman, specialising in a dual-wielding technique that could equal the likes of the legendary Musashi Miyamoto. At the same time, he also became the commander of Parris Island’s military before stepping down and joining the Gokaigers when he was selected to become GokaiBlue. Although he spends a lot of time with the Gokaigers, I like to think he maintains contact with Maritan now and again even though I haven’t emphasised their relationship.

Yamato/Daichi/Nagi Kurosawa: The Spun-off Prototypes

I was going to put images of them in but I won’t bother because they’re so insignificant. In Block 6, I introduced Yamato, Daichi and Nagi Kurosawa with the intent of spinning them off into the anime Say I Love You, but like I said, I forgot about them because they were insignificant. I kind of regret this decision now, but that was because at the time, I had intended on ending my personal project after the 50th Anniversary Series. Some time after, I decided to commission the Next Gen Series and it all just went from there.

In Block 6 of the 50th Anniversary Series, all the Doctors, their companions and some others (including Hiroki and Parker) were gathered at Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff to help UNIT and Torchwood investigate numerous anomalies, but they were suddenly scattered to different places. Hiroki and Akari confronted the ghosts of Hiroki’s past, future and present (in that order) before suddenly ending up at the former’s house, where his parents forcibly separate the couple, throwing Akari out the back door and locking Hiroki in a secret room that they found in his bedroom.

Hiroki regenerates into Yamato Kurosawa before he blows up the kitchen and takes his archetype self outside to be reunited with Akari. Yamato heads to Yokohama and manages to teleport himself away somewhere (probably interfering in other peoples’ stories) before ending up in Cardiff again.

Parker decides to head to the Voidstation, a building that links every universe in the Void to each other. Hiroki and Akari decide to head there as well and with the power of their Guardian Characters, they rescue Parker and bring him back to Earth. Because of the power overdrive, Hiroki regenerated three times and spawned three prototypes, namely Daichi, Nagi and Marco Wong (see above). After returning to Earth, Yamato was sent away to live with Daichi and Nagi and they were never seen again.

Well, not quite. Yamato did return in Soulbound Series 3 for a tribute to Say I Love You. Becoming the temporary host of Astra, Yamato helped Hikaru Tomokaze fight Doragory, one of Yapool’s Terrible-Monsters, while also training him on Ultraman Leo’s Space Martial Arts in an effort to help Hikaru rely less on his weapons and beams (because Ultramen didn’t have flashy, collectible-centric items and weapons back in the day). At the end of the episode, Yamato gives Astra’s Spark Doll to Hikaru before leaving (for his own universe) with his wife, Mei and son, Ken.

With this, all of Hiroki’s prototypes have been covered. While Hiroki’s prototypes act as the representatives of the different series incorporated in my personal project (before being homogenised as Power Rangers or Kamen Riders), they also have distinct characteristics of their own even though they’re essentially self-inserts and extensions to other self-inserts.

[dfroza]

A Time of the end

of the world as it is known.

the birthing pains of its rebirth is seen played out in the scenes that John describes in the book of Revelation

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament (New Covenant) is chapter 6:

[Breaking Open the Sealed Scroll]

Then I watched as the Lamb broke open the first of the seven seals. Immediately I heard one of the four living creatures call out with a powerful voice of revelation sounding like thunder, saying, “Come forth!” So I looked, and behold, there was a bright white horse. Its rider had a bow and was given a crown of victory. He rode out as a conqueror ready to conquer.

When he broke open the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out: “Come forth!” And there appeared another horse, red like fiery flames, and its rider was given a great sword and the power to take peace from earth, causing one to put to death another.

Then he broke open the third seal, and I heard the third living creature call out, “Come forth!” And behold, I saw a black horse right in front of me, and its rider was holding measuring scales. And I heard what seemed to be a voice from among the living creatures saying, “A small measure of wheat for a day’s pay, and three measures of barley for a day’s pay, but don’t harm the olive trees producing oil and the vines producing wine.”

When he broke open the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature call out, “Come forth!” And behold, I saw a green horse, and its rider’s name was Death, and Death’s Domain followed him. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, death, and by the wild beasts.

When the Lamb broke open the fifth seal, I saw gathered under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and because they had the testimony of the Lamb. They cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Sovereign Lord, holy and dependable, how long before you judge those who live on the earth and vindicate our blood on them?”

Each one was given a glistening white robe. And they were told to rest a little longer, until the full number was fulfilled of both their fellow servants and brothers and sisters who were going to be killed just as they had been.

And behold! I saw the Lamb break open the sixth seal, which released a powerful earthquake. I saw the sun become pitch black and the full moon become bloodred. The stars fell from heaven to the earth, as a fig tree shaken by a stormy wind sheds its unripe figs. The sky receded with a snap—as a scroll rolls itself up. And every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth and its great princes and generals, the rich and powerful, and everyone, whether they were slave or free, ran for cover and hid in the caves and among the mountain boulders. They called out to the mountains and the boulders, saying, “Fall on us at once! Hide us quickly from the glorious face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

The Book of Revelation, Chapter 6 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 17th chapter of 2nd Chronicles that documents the life & times of King Jehoshaphat:

[Jehoshaphat of Judah]

Asa’s son Jehoshaphat was the next king; he started out by working on his defense system against Israel. He put troops in all the fortress cities of Judah and deployed garrisons throughout Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. God was on Jehoshaphat’s side because he stuck to the ways of his father Asa’s early years. He didn’t fool around with the popular Baal religion—he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him; he wasn’t like Israel. And God secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a firm grip on it. And everyone in Judah showed their appreciation by bringing gifts. Jehoshaphat ended up very rich and much honored. He was single-minded in following God; and he got rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines.

In the third year of his reign he sent his officials—excellent men, every one of them—Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah on a teaching mission to the cities of Judah. They were accompanied by Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; the priests Elishama and Jehoram were also in the company. They made a circuit of the towns of Judah, teaching the people and using the Book of The Revelation of God as their text.

There was a strong sense of the fear of God in all the kingdoms around Judah—they didn’t dare go to war against Jehoshaphat. Some Philistines even brought gifts and a load of silver to Jehoshaphat, and the desert bedouin brought flocks—7,700 rams and 7,700 goats. So Jehoshaphat became stronger by the day, and constructed more and more forts and store-cities—an age of prosperity for Judah!

He also had excellent fighting men stationed in Jerusalem. The captains of the military units of Judah, classified according to families, were: Captain Adnah with 300,000 soldiers; his associate Captain Jehohanan with 280,000; his associate Amasiah son of Zicri, a volunteer for God, with 200,000. Officer Eliada represented Benjamin with 200,000 fully equipped with bow and shield; and his associate was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed and ready for battle. These were under the direct command of the king; in addition there were the troops assigned to the fortress cities spread all over Judah.

The Book of 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 17 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Sunday, february 14 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

An email from Glenn Jackson:

February 14th

* The "powers" (of the air) are still present; but wherever Christ is preached and believed in, wherever His authority is "established", a limit has been set to their working. This limit is the sign and the promise of their defeat. Primarily this limitation is seen in the continued existence of the Church of Jesus Christ. By her very presence she breaks through that unshaken stability of life under the "powers" which we know and marvel at in ancient civilizations. She is made up of men and women who see through the deception of the Powers, refusing to run after "isms".

Standing within the community of a people or a culture, their very presence is an interrogation, the questioning of the "legitimacy" of the "powers". The "powers" are limited by the very presence of men and women who will no longer let themselves be enslaved, led astray, and intimidated, against whom the program of the "powers”, that is, their effort to separate men and women from God, suffers shipwreck. It is then inevitable that the "powers" should resort to oppression and persecution. But in this very act of desperation their unmasking is repeated and confirmed. They can no longer exist without being forced to uncover their true nature.

...."When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him".... Colossians 2:13-15 NASB

...."And do not be terrified in even one thing by those who are entrenched in their opposition against you, which failure on your part to be frightened is an indication of such a nature as to present clear evidence to them of utter destruction, also clear evidence of your salvation, and this from God. And the reason why you should not be terrified is because to you that very thing was given graciously as a favor for the sake of Christ and in His behalf, not only to be believing on Him but also to be suffering for His sake and in His behalf, having the same struggle which you saw in me and now hear to be in me".... Philippians 1:28-30 Kenneth Wuest Translation

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

February 14, 2021

The Greatest Love

“And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” (Genesis 22:2)

There are many types of love in the world—romantic love, marital love, erotic love, brotherly love, maternal love, patriotic love, family love, and love for all kinds of things—pets, food, money, sports, and on and on. But what is the greatest love?

Love is probably the greatest word of the Bible, and, by the principle of first mention of important biblical words, the first time the word “love” occurs should be a key to its use all through the Bible. Rather surprisingly, love is first encountered here in our text, speaking of the love of a father for his son, of Abraham for Isaac, the son of promise. Furthermore, the father is being told by the very God who made the promise to offer his beloved son as a sacrifice!

From the New Testament (see Hebrews 11:17-18), we know that this entire scene is a remarkable type of the heavenly Father and His willingness to offer His own beloved Son in sacrifice for the sin of the world. This tells us that the love of this human father for his human son is an earthly picture of the great eternal love of the Father in heaven for His only begotten Son.

And that means that this love of God the Father for God the Son is the ultimate source of all love, for that love was being exercised before the world began. When Jesus prayed to His Father the night before His sacrificial death, He confirmed this great truth; “for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world,” He prayed (John 17:24). Indeed, “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and the eternal love within the triune Godhead is the fountainhead of all true human love here on Earth. HMM

[celiarollins]

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[universalenglishculturebytuti]

Chile

Three important traditions:

The 18th of September

There is one tradition that is celebrated all across Chile, which is the 18th of September. But this is not just this one day, in Chile, we call the whole week the 18th, from the 17th to the 19th (from the 17th to 21st in the Fourth Region) and every single person has to hang the national flag in a visible spot of their houses. Everyone eats barbeques that consist of various types of meats and sausages, and we eat even more empanadas. 

In the Fouth Region of Coquimbo, we have as an unskippable holiday the 20th of September, because in 1810 news traveled slow, and the news about the independence negotiations got to La Serena, in that times the second official city after Santiago got here with a two days delay.

Also, people dance the traditional Chilean dance “La Cueca”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l371_0KNjbo

In the fourth region of Coquimbo, we celebrate the biggest party of the whole country, the “Pampilla de Coquimbo” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYGV2BvDAUE

We Tripantu:

We Tripantu, means "The new sunrise"

In the Mapuche culture, the word is the "monument", an expression of a deeper awareness of the Human Spirit, of the dialogue with the heart to guide the link with Mother Earth.

The Mapuches gave name to everything existing on earth and to the observable in the physical, sociological and philosophical universe. Coincident with many civilizations or influenced by them on Earth, of Küyen the Moon and Antü the Sun. The Mapuche calendar marks the new year at the winter solstice (between June 18 and 24), in the southern hemisphere.

In general, the communities are preparing to receive it on the night of June 23, families gather bringing the food they will share. When the sun rises, it is said Akui We Tripantu (the new year arrived) or Wiñoi Tripantu (returns the departure of the sun) with the dawn of June 24th, another cycle of life begins in the Mapuche world and in Mother Earth. It is the beginning of a new cycle of production, of conversation with the Earth. It is the date, which is the longest night of the year and the beginning of the most intense rains that prepare nature to welcome and promote the wonderful growth of new life. At dawn, still under Wüñelfe, the morning star, with a stick, hits the trunks of the fruit trees to awaken the sap. Then, playing musical instruments: trutruka, lolkiñ, kullkull, trompe and kaskawilla, to express the joy for the arrival of the New Year, children, young people, adults and the elderly come to the estuary, the nearest slope to take a bath in the warm and purifying waters of We Tripantü. Then, turned towards the East where Ngnechen (the Great Creator) lives, Llellipun are made (they beg for things).

In the course of the morning each one gives himself the time to go for a walk in the countryside to meet and converse with nature. Preferably on this date the katan (piercing ceremony of the ears of girls to put chaway (hoops), and in which maternal grandmother gives his name to his granddaughter, the misawün (two people to remember and strengthen their friendship they eat in the same plate), and the akutun, ceremony in which the paternal grandfather gives his name to his grandson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfhWj9C1I5I&t=25s

Grape Harvest Festival

The prestige of Chilean wine is celebrated in a special way in the central zone. Preparations begin with the arrival of summer, and the festivities culminate during the final weeks of March. The Grape Harvest Festival of the city of Curicó is probably the most impressive of all. A religious ceremony blesses the first batch of pulped grapes, followed by a parade. The Grape Harvest also chooses a Queen, who is weighed on a balance against bottles of wine while a contest is held between grape stompers. Each competing team stomps 20 kg of grapes for ten minutes, until the fruit is converted into juice. Applause and shouts of encouragement follow the stompers’ energetic progress as they compete to crush all the grapes and produce the largest quantity of juice they can.

Grape stomping: https://youtu.be/mHbebA63IO4

Three main customs:

The Rise of The National Flag:

In the month of September from the 15th to the 20th or 23rd in Coquimbo, the national flag is hoisted in public places and private houses, which must be done correctly, if done horizontally, it is hoisted on its usual position, with the star up to the left, if done vertically the star should be towards the left even if the front face is on the back, all from the perspective looking from the street. If it is hoisted in the government palace, or in the presence of the President, the flag must carry the shield in the center (Presidential Flag). It is obligatory to hoist the flag during the 18th and 19th, maybe the 20th for the fourth region. And in the 21st of May, though it is not obligatory that day. 

Carreras a la Chilena or Chilean Style Races:

These are speed competitions on a horse in a natural terrain. The riders ride without saddles, without stirrups, without spurs, maybe with a piece of sheep fur or a piece of sponge to reduce impact and only grabbed by the horse's mane or to a simple and rustic muzzle. The rider who arrives first at the finish line wins.

In some cases, people will bet on their favorite horses. (This part is illegal, but we don’t care!)

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp5NjIEzV_w&t=16s

The Chinchineros:

This are men who carry a Drum as if where a backpack, they also attach a pair of cymbals on top of it and play it with one foot using a string, these men can play this drum whilst spinning like a tornado, and they never fall! They dance play the drum and dance at the same time, so the melody is conducted by their dance. AND! they can pass their free foot between the space left between the string and their foot after twirling and they will not get caught in it! it is rather impressive! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u8GfXLvYSo

Main religious ritual manifestations of the country. (Sacred places, dances, religious songs, hymns or prayers):

La Tirana: This counts as sacred pace, it is a display of religious beliefs and songs and it includes dances. 

La Fiesta de La Tirana

La Tirana is a small town in the northern Tarapaca Region, near the city of Iquique. But its annual festival, Fiesta de la Tirana, has acquired an importance that spreads far beyond itself. It has become Chile’s most celebrated festival, visited by both local pilgrims and tourists.  On June 12 to 17 each year, dancers and musicians enact the diablada, the ‘dance of the devils’, a carnivalesque dance for exorcising demons. The dance troupe, wearing fearsome costumes and masks, move to the rhythm of drums and flutes, with the leader of the troupe setting the pace with toots on a whistle. The festival demonstrates a synthesis between local indigenous religions and Catholicism, also paying homage to the Virgen Del Carmen, or ‘Our Lady of Mount Carmel’. Descendants of the Atacameño, Kunza, Aymara and other indigenous peoples arrive at the Virgin’s sanctuary in processions, making promises in exchange for blessings. Masses are said in the church while in the surrounding area there are stalls with handicrafts and food and dancing throughout the day. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOafWmrluAs

Very similar to La Tirana, 

La Fiesta de La Virgen de Andacollo or  The Festival of the Virgen of Andacollo

Is celebrated in the northern town of Andacollo, is a popular religious festival celebrating copper, Chile’s greatest natural resource. Andacollo was a settlement of Molle people, who are related to the Incas and developed agriculture and exploited the copper resources.  In their native language of Quechua, ‘anta’ means copper, and ‘coya’ means monarch, and the Virgen of Andacollo is thus known as the Queen of Copper. The festival, held each year on 24th – 26th December, is one of the most widely-attended religious festivals in Chile, with Chinese dances and pledges to the Virgin. Chilean and foreign tourists are habitual visitors and participants.

In this celebration, the Virgen is taken from the old church to the new church in a procession, she is carried by hand and followed by the dancing groups and the people who throw flower petals to honor her. 

The procession of the Virgen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PAKxVWQRIg

Family, civic and cultural rites within the community:

Family and cultural rite:

Trilla, an almost dying tradition from the countrysides of Chile.

The Trillas used to be a common event between the farmers of the countrysides of Chile, where the owner of a house would gather their wheat harvest in their “Eras” (pieces of land shaped like a circle and surrounded with chicken wire that where prepared for this event, by wetting the ground and making their goats walk in this Eras so they would leave holes in the ground, and then they would wait until its dry to bring in the wheat). 

(Satelite capture of an Era, see that giant circle? those were not aliens, it was a countryman with help of friend and family)

Then, in this Eras they would gather horses, from the owner of the house and other participants (or guest, though everyone who assists to a Trilla must help with something), and make the horses run in circles on top the wheat so the grains of getting separated from the straw. In the middle, there would be men spreading the wheat so everything is evenly stepped on. These events would be accompanied by dancing and feasts given by the harvest owner and made by their wife with the help of the other female guests. There would be a couple of goats sacrificed in order to feed the guests and participants. The whole process lasts only a day, but the party takes all night. Then, the next days when the wind is strong, the harvest owner will go to his Era, and with a pitchfork they will throw the wheath into the air, so the wind takes away the lightweight stuff, the loose grains will fall to the ground next to the man, and the straw and unwanted materials will fly away with the wind.

Here is a video I took from one of my grandfather’s Trilla.  (The more traditional ancient way) https://www.instagram.com/p/BBgWNg2nbHg/?taken-by=miilenenestarkrogers

Here’s a video of a more modern style Trilla (public one) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mWjZvy1ZeU

Five generalized beliefs (religious and/or profane):

Never wear a ring on your ring finger if you are single

In Chile, it is believed that if you wear a ring on your left ring finger whilst you are still single, you will never get married

Balling up the yarn

It is said in Chile, that if a young woman or girl is balling up some yarn and the ball comes up too tight, she will marry a hardworking man in the future. In the contrary, if the ball comes up too loose, she will marry a lazy man.

Itchy hands?

In Chile, we believe that if the palm of your left-hand itches you will receive money, but if the itch is in your right-hand palm you will be greeted soon.

Have a horseshoe in your door

In most houses in the Chilean countryside, there is a horseshoe hanging over the entrance door and with its ends up. There are those who use this element as a symbol of fortune and to ward off bad vibes. The origin of this superstition has to do much more with this last point. Dunstan was the archbishop of Canterbury in 959. Legend has it that before becoming an ecclesiastical authority, he worked as a blacksmith, an opportunity in which a suspicious-looking, hoofed creature asked him to put on horseshoes. At that time he realized that this entity was the devil, so he gave strong blows to the nails that were placed to hold the horseshoe, action with which he caused enormous pain and the prayers of the devil. After this episode, he ordered him not to return anymore, as well as not to enter houses that had a horseshoe on their doors.

Wear Yellow

In new year’s eve, wear yellow underwear if you want to be lucky all year long of the year coming.

Moral norms:

In Chile we are not the most moral country of them all... We usually make fun of the lack of morality of the country...

So I would say things like

Do not say “no” in Chile. Chileans dislike saying “no,” particularly in business dealings. 

Do not be offended by Chileans asking personal questions. Be willing to devote a fair amount of time talking about family, friends and your background. 

Do not go empty-handed to anyone’s home. Gift-giving is a popular custom in all of Latin America, gifts for children are greatly appreciated.

When invited to a house do not sit until told where to sit or ask if you can sit. 

Do not begin eating until the hostess invites everyone to start. Do not begin drinking until a toast has been made. 

Do not get upset if you’re called a “gringo”. Chileans tend to call all non-Spanish speaker foreigners that. 

Two traditional stories from the country:

(Could not find videos that actually explained the stories in English so I will put some illustrations) 

The Pincoya:

Naked and pure, she personifies the fertility of marine species. Through her ritual dance, she provides the chilote (resident of Chiloé) with an abundance or deficiency of fish and seafood. If she performs her dance facing the sea, it means that these shores will have an abundance of fish. When she dances facing the mountains, her back to the sea, seafood will be scarce. Chiloean mythology is appreciative of the Pincoya, believed to be good, beautiful and humanitarian. According to other legends, Pincoya is the daughter of Millalobo (king of the sea, in chilote mythology) and the human Huenchula. Her sister is the Sirena chilota (a type of Mermaid) and her brother is Pincoy (who also is her husband) who has a sea lion body with literal golden fur and a long golden-blond mane and a beautiful human face. The three siblings lead and guide the drowned sailors onto a large phantom ship, the Caleuche, sailing the seas at night around the southern island of Chiloé in southern Chile. The ship appears briefly intact with sounds of a party on board but quickly vanishes. Myth has it that, once on board, the dead can resume an existence as if they were alive again.

(The Pincoya by MinSheep)

The Caleuche:

According to Chilean legend, the Caleuche is a large ghost ship sailing the seas around Chiloé (a small island off the coast of Chile) at night. The Caleuche is said to be a being who is conscious and sentient. The ship appears as a beautiful and bright white sailing ship, with 3 masts of 5 sails each, always full of lights and with the sounds of a party on board, but quickly disappears again, leaving no evidence of its presence. The ghost ship is also known to be able to navigate underwater, just like another well-known ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman.

A similar version of the legend is that the mythical ship appears in the sea of the Chiloé Archipelago where it captivates fishermen and sailors with its enchanting music to enslave them as part of their crew for eternity. These slaves are defined as eternally having a leg folded over their back, similar to the Imbunche of Chilote mythology.

I remember hearing that if you see only the masts or sails of the Caleuche, you will die soon because it was not looking for you, but it can’t leave witnesses of its passing so the ship must kill you or take you with her.

[eddycurrents]

Marvel Legacy is the next in a line of rebranding promotions from Marvel akin to Marvel NOW!, All-New Marvel NOW!, Avengers NOW!, All-New All-Different Marvel, All-New Avengers Marvel Brand New NOW! 2.0 NOW!ER 2099, and you get the idea. Usually these initiatives involve a relaunch of a bevy of new number one issues, a few new titles or a family of titles popping up out of a singular previously successful title, and occasionally some shuffling of creative talent. 

Marvel Legacy only really differs from this in that the titles aren’t being relaunched as new number one issues, rather they’re gaining “legacy numbers” with some series seeing numbers as if their first volume was never cancelled/relaunched. 

Also, many of the Marvel Legacy story-arcs, much like the ad copy and homage covers, look to tap into Marvel’s “rich history of storytelling”. Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same as previous rebranding initiatives.

Marvel Legacy #1

Writer: Jason Aaron | Artist: Esad Ribić with Steve McNiven | Colourist: Matthew Wilson | Additional Artists: Chris Samnee, Russell Dauterman, Alex Maleev, Ed McGuinness, Stuart Immonen & Wade von Grawbadger, Pepe Larraz, Jim Cheung, Daniel Acuña, Greg Land & Jay Leisten, Mike Deodato Jr., David Marquez

Published September 2017

Marvel Legacy #1 functions a lot like the Point One issues that previous Marvel initiatives and relaunches have had, in that it focuses primarily on one central story, and then shows bits and pieces of the rest of the world spinning out into other titles.

Jason Aaron splits the issue into four main interwoven narratives.

The first was used as the selling point of the book and one of the primary marketing campaigns, the introduction of the “One Million BC Avengers”. It’s a team of gods and super-powered beings including Odin, Phoenix, Agamotto, an Iron Fist, a Ghost Rider, a Starbrand, and a Black Panther. Aaron sets them up in battle with a Celestial and, unfortunately, that’s all we really get of them. They’re interesting, but the story doesn’t go particularly in depth with them besides introducing them as the archetypes for the “hosts” we’ll see in one of the other threads.

The second narrative spins out of the one million BC flashback, with Robbie Reyes awakening thinking the events prior as being a dream. Then he gets attacked by Starbrand and most of this sequence remains a long, extended fight scene. In terms of story, it’s probably the weakest part of the book. While it’s heavy on action and allows the art the breathe, it’s a little disjointed. Robbie is displaying powers that he shouldn’t have (he’s technically not a spirit of vengeance) and Starbrand is acting wildly out of character. The former is addressed in story, so both are likely to be intentional character beats, but they don’t lead anywhere.

There is a redeeming quality of this thread, though, because it dovetails an excavation that leads to the modern day reveal of the Celestial. 

The third narrative begins with Loki rousing a band of frost giants to fight on his behalf, then spirits them away to a SHIELD storage facility. This follows a trio of legacy heroes in Jane Foster, Sam Wilson in one of his last turns as Captain America, and Riri Williams as they battle the frost giants trying to get whatever happens to be in the box Loki sent them for. It’s entertaining, and also allows Aaron to provide a gentle rib on legacy heroes sometimes not getting everything right through Riri’s inability to get “Avengers Assemble!” correctly. I also think that “Iron Ma’am” should be adopted over “Ironheart”.

Like the second narrative, this one dovetails a broader story with the return of a character lost for some time, along with what looks like an even larger quest than some solicitations have led us to believe. I won’t spoil the return, but it’s suitably epic. Especially in how Ribić handles the revelation. Just overall it’s a great sequence.

The fourth narrative provides the narration and glue to the issue. The reveal of who’s narrating the story, why, and how it ties together all of the disparate parts including the teasers isn’t revealed until the end of the book. It also features the return of a character I’ll not reveal, but it hints at something more hopeful, more optimistic coming in the future.

Aaron’s Thor: God of Thunder collaborator, Esad Ribić handles the lion’s share of the art here and it’s beautiful. Ribić is deft at action and the weird & wonderful world of gods and monsters, making the sequences with the “One Million BC Avengers” vs. the Celestial and Loki & the Frost Giants look amazing. The design for the Celestial itself is impressive, inviting many returns to its reveal page.

Matthew Wilson does an impeccable job with his colour work here. He changes styles and approaches to suit each sequence and each artist in the book, that you’d kind of think he’s multiple people. While much of the colour over Ribić’s work is somewhat ephemeral, the Ghost Rider/Starbrand sequences take on more bright primary colours, and the more explicit superhero portions show other textures and colour-schemes to differentiate them from the rest. 

Steve McNiven lends a hand to what looks like primarily the Jane Foster, Sam Wilson, and Riri Williams sequences at one of SHIELD’s storage facilities and it acts as an interesting counterpoint to the softer pages with Ribić’s work. It features more flat colouring from Wilson and acts more like “traditional” superhero art, adding a different take on the story. Where much of the rest of the book has an almost ethereal quality to it, these sequences feel much more grounded in reality.

The teasers for other forthcoming stories and characters are pretty nice. 

We get teases for Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Deadpool, Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, Norman Osborn, The Avengers, Thing & Human Torch, Black Panther, Totally Awesome Hulk, Jean Grey, Guardians of the Galaxy, and a few other hints here and there, and it serves its purpose fairly well in whetting your appetite for some or all of these stories. 

The art alone on these pages is incredible. Particularly the pages from Ed McGuinness, Pepe Larraz, Mike Deodato Jr., Chris Samnee, and Daniel Acuña. These tease really make you want to check out what’s coming in the other Marvel Legacy branded titles. It’s just a shame that in some cases these artists aren’t going to be the ones associated with the forthcoming titles.

It’s not a bad overview of some of the corners of the Marvel Universe, but I think some of the connectivity could have been a bit better in regards to why they’re being included in-story. There’s a reason revealed at the end of the book, but some of the vignettes seem disconnected.

Now, where Marvel Legacy #1 really fails is where it goes next. This issue is incomplete in its story and we don’t know where to look next. The one page vignettes by various artists are relatively self-explanatory, but the story of the 1 million BC Avengers? No idea. The narrative of Loki, the Celestial, and the legacy hosts? Likewise, there’s no indication where this is going to be picked up next. I have a feeling that some of it is going to be followed in the Phoenix Resurrection: Return of Jean Grey series by Matthew Rosenberg and Leinil Francis Yu and another part in Gerry Duggan and Marcus To’s All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, but there are no clear sign pointers.

For something that is meant to lead people further into the wide world of the Marvel Legacy relaunch/rebranding, not having a clear direction for the main story spinning out of the book, at least at launch, is highly detrimental. It just leaves people confused as to what and where they can read further stories. It’s well and good to promote the other Marvel Legacy titles, even obliquely or simply as text pieces at the back of the book, it’s another thing to introduce a major story and not give readers a direction for where to continue reading that story.

It’s one thing to leave an audience wanting more, it’s something else entirely to leave them wanting more wondering if, where, and when there’s even going to be anything more.

This Week’s Legacy Titles

Eight titles kick off the Marvel Legacy repackaging proper, with two titles sporting new legacy numbering, four titles continuing their existing numbering, one new series, and Venom that kind of started the legacy numbering “craze” for Marvel a few months ago.

All of the series purport to start off new storylines, to ease readers in to these jumping on points, although two of them at least are definite continuations of the stories to date. Avengers #672 begins its “Worlds Collide” crossover with its sister title Champions. Jesus Saiz joins the book on art, providing a more traditional style compared to Mike del Mundo. Iceman #6 looks back to his Champions days, with the start of “Champions Reassembled”. Iron Fist #73 begins “Sabretooth: Round Two”, invoking one of the legendary battles in Marvel history from the introduction of Sabretooth back in Iron Fist #14. Jessica Jones #13 hearkens back to one of the most harrowing points in her life with part one of “Return of the Purple Man”.

Royals #9 continues its ongoing story since the first issue, but provides a point for new readers to pick up the series with Javier Rodríguez joining the series as its new regular artist, while plunging headfirst into the Inhuman Progenitor arc. Spirits of Vengeance #1 begins a new mini-series of a team-up of some of Marvel’s horror mainstays by Victor Gischler and David Baldeon. Venom #155 gains Mark Bagley as an artist while it continues its look backwards to Eddie’s days as a “Lethal Protector”, reconciling it with his and the symbiote’s attempts to be more heroic. And finally, X-Men Gold #13 begins its “Mojo Worldwide” crossover with X-Men Blue, bringing back Mojo, who really didn’t go anywhere in the first place. But Mojoworld is fun and equals ratings, right?

d. emerson eddy has no legacy numbering, has never personally been rebooted, and probably doesn’t have any iconic stories anyone remembers.

[plasmamuffin-blog]

The Lord of the Rings review: Part 1

So first off, this review is mainly about the lord of the rings book, although i will be doing some things in different orders. I am partly making fun of the plot, and partly making fun of the way it's written, and additionally, this is not meant to show disrespect for LOTR or it's fans, just as a fun thing, and while i do like LOTR and think it's cool, i do have some things to complain about.

Without further ado, the review:

The Lord of the Rings. One of the most popular and respected works of fantasy fiction in the world. And yet, the most boring book to read since the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary. What makes LOTR so popular, and what makes it so boring despite such critical acclaim? Let's find out.

The story begins with a riveting 40 pages detailing a party that has little to no significance to the actual plot. During this time, we learn that this part of the story takes part in a place called the shire, a peaceful farming land with rolling green hills and inhabited by hobbits(rumor has it that tolkien originally called them "fat midgets" but changed this as it wasn't culturally sensitive enough). Soon(a mere 36 years or so) after the party, the main character, frodo, finds that bilbo's ring, which he had passed on to frodo, was in fact the most dangerous magical artifact since the stainless steel cheese grater. It also happens to be the only thing capable of bringing the antagonist to full power. Yes, this humble ring is in fact the Legendary One Ring, created by the most hated and feared enemy of the people of middle-earth, and whose name inspired the title of the book: The Dark Lord, "Of The".

Wait, no, sorry, his name was actually Sauron. Frodo's generic bearded mentor, gandalf, informs him that the only solution is to destroy The Mcguffin Ring by throwing it into the Fires Of Mount Doom in which it was forged(created). Armed with this knowledge, and his faithful minion friend and gardener, sam(and his cousins, mary merry and pippin) our humble young hobbit sets out on an epic journey to destroy the ring.

100 short pages later, something actually relevant to the plot happens, garnished throughout with important events such as the finding of mushrooms(you had to be there, these mushrooms were really good), the appearance of a disturbingly cheery weirdo freak person named tom bombadil, and a chase scene wherein four midgets hobbits used to a comfortable life of eating twice their weight in junk food and moving no more than is neccessary for using the bathroom somehow manage to outrun several dark, evil, and anciently powerful creatures riding dark, powerful horses with an apparent max speed of 7.5 MPH. This plot-worthy event occurs in the village of bree, where the four hobbits get drunk and, due to their shrewd intellect and four long seconds of consideration, decide to take on a creepy guy with a sword they just met(they just met him, not the sword) named strider as a companion on literally the most important quest in the world.

While our young hobbits are thus occupied, the old wizard gandalf gets captured by an old friend, saruman, who decided to turn to the dark side because he gets a cool plasma ball as a "Welcome to the club" gift. Gandalf escapes, with the aid of a suspiciously convenient pet bird he purchased from the "help, i'm trapped at the top of a 500 story building" store for the price of one moth(which it is suspected that he stole).

After leaving bree, thomas frodo and his friends make it to weathertop(literally, "Large Rock") where they were supposed to meet gandalf. Gandalf is, of course, absent, so strider, using his strategical skills and a dash of common sense, decides to abandon the hobbits while he goes sightseeing. It is, of course, just what the Dark Riders(known as Ringwraiths) from the last paragraph were waiting for, and they charge in and attack the hobbits using the tried-and true battle technique of Standing Around Looking Intimidating Instead Of Actually Attacking the targets who they could easily overpower armed with nothing more than a saucepan while they wait for the protagonist's backup to arrive. And arrive it does, with strider breaking in at the last second to save the group. One of the more astute ringwraiths surmises that it would likely be a good idea to actually attack the target, and so stabs frodo with a dagger so ancient and powerful it crumbles to dust as soon as it is removed from the wound. While frodo struggles to remember first aid and decides to substitute ancient elven language as a family-friendly replacement for swear words, strider bravely fends off these most Ancient and Powerful enemies using the legendary weapon that is the bane of evil creatures everywhere; that's right, the legendary Fire On A Stick.

After seeing that frodo is unlikely to survive the roughly 700km trek to rivendell(literally, "Convenient Elf City"), the group encounters a Convenient Elf named arwen, who takes frodo to the city on horseback. Arwen and the now unconscious(he spends much of the book like this) frodo are chased by the black riders to the front porch of rivendell, a river, which spontaneously floods as soon as the black riders attempt to cross it.

Frodo awakes safe in rivendell, brought back from the very brink of death through powerful elven healing magic and the fact that he's the protagonist. Gandalf greets him and explains the whole unpleasant "being captured" business, which is quickly followed by roughly 200 pages of boring and pointless exposition mixed with 7 page long songs(which, being in book form, have no set tune, causing readers to have to substitute familiar tunes such as "Yankee Doodle") after which the elves, gandalf, strider(who is fined by the elves after it was discovered he used a fake ID and his real name was in fact aragorn), and a crowd of racially diverse people such as dwarves, humans, and the other hobbits meet together to discuss the ring. The decision, voted on by the group, is that a phenomenally dangerous and evil artifact(e.g the ring) should probably be destroyed. This is agreed to, and after heated discussion of how to accomplish this(some suggest the use of acid, fire, clorox, or exposure to justin bieber CDs), it is mentioned that the ring must be destroyed by throwing it into an active volcano. Unfortunately, mount st. helens had not been invented yet, and so the only volcano on the entire continent is Mount Doom. It is henceforth unanimously agreed upon that the only thing capable of bringing the dark lord sauron back to power is to be brought to within three blocks of his house in an attempt to destroy it. The obvious choice for this mission is the most skilled, talented, and strong among them: The very likely overweight and chronically depressed hobbit whose entire experience in this field is that he's pretty sure he knows how to pronounce "Macguffin".

Before leaving, bilbo, who had moved to rivendell, gives frodo his old sword and a piece of rare "Plot Armor", which is impenetrable to all but the most fourth-wall breaking attacks.

And so, the group sets off, consisting of frodo, sam, merry, pippin, gandalf, aragorn, boromir, an elf named legolas, and a dwarf named gimli with anger issues. Shortly after leaving rivendell, the group is forced to cross a snowy mountain, upon which they realize that none of them brought any warm clothes. It is then decided that they will go through the mines of moria, a gigantic mining city that has evaded the regulations of OSHA for centuries.

After being attacked by Cthulhu outside the mines, gandalf, who forgot the password, contacts technical support and gets it reset, allowing them to enter said mines. It is then revealed that the entire population of the mines was wiped out by orcs(literally "Big Ugly Guys") with the I.Q. of warm salad. Being dwarves, the inhabitants of the mines needed plenty of ceiling room, and thus the mines are way bigger than is strictly neccessary or convenient. after wandering around lost for a while, the group encounters a large group of orcs, who, of course, being mighty and feared warriors, are easily dispatched by the group without them even breaking a sweat.

However, the orcs had broughten(broughted? broughtinated?) a cave troll with them, which managed to stab frodo before being defeated. However, frodo, who the rest of the group had presumed to be dead, is revealed to be absolutely fine due to the shirt of plot armor he is wearing. Despite being extremely important and worth more than the shire itself, this shirt is completely forgotten and never brought up again. After the attack, the group finds they are being pursued by a large and powerful creature called a balrog, which chases them into a structurally ludicrous room the size of north dakota that completely lacks guardrails. Upon being asked what a balrog is, gandalf replies that it is a foe beyond any of them in power, and subsequently decides to challenge it to a 1v1. After picking a spot(specifically, a balance beam over a bottomless pit AKA literally the worst place to fight a balrog in the entire mine), gandalf spleefs the balrog into the pit, but is thrown down into it himself after he wisely decides to stand there and watch instead of running to safety. The rest of the group, heartbroken, then decides to journey to lothlorien(literally, "Rivendell MK2") for refuge, where the elves, having a clear understanding of economics, provide food and shelter free of charge to a group of people they just met.

After receiving these gifts(including a rope for sam and a glowstick for frodo), the group sets off downriver in boats procured(read: basically stolen) from the elves and end up in amon hen, where frodo, showing wisdom beyond his 85 years, wisely decides to wander off by himself, upon which the ring corrupts boromir who subsequently attempts to take it from frodo. The rest of the group, also very skilled in the fine art of strategy, wanders off randomly by themselves as well in order to search for frodo, which causes boromir to have to sacrifice himself to save merry and pippin from the conveniently placed orcs, which end up capturing the two anyway. Upon finding boromir, who, thanks to the orc archers, now resembles a large pincushion, aragorn, legolas, and gimli get to watch him die from his wounds, after which they send him downriver in a boat in a makeshift burial at sea.

Meanwhile, frodo(who becomes wiser every page), attempts to sneak off to mordor on his own, but is caught by sam, who is determined to go with him.

This ends part 1 of the review of the lord of the rings.

[mstowa]

vigilante!AU Lance Headcanons

So I wrote a superhero/vigilante AU for a Klance fic called Of Lions and House Cats and posted it here on AO3. At the end notes in chapter three, I mentioned that Lance and Spider-Gwen shared a couple of similarities, and 1sakichan2 had asked me to elaborate on those similarities. I just got super excited to the point where I took a break from writing and actual work just to gather my thoughts and explain why I think Gwen Stacy (of Earth-65, namely) and my Lance have some similarities.

I love Spider-Gwen and think that she’s one of the cutest and most badass people in fiction ever. Her character ended up inspiring a lot of Lance’s character in my story, and I’ll go into more below the cut because there will be spoilers for Spider-Gwen.

Warning: There may be spoilers for any readers of the Spider-Gwen, Spider-Gwen II, Spider-Verse, and Spider-Women Alpha and Omega serialisations. There won’t be any for my story if you’re reading it, so no worries!

Okay, so if you don’t know about Spider-Gwen, here’s a quick summary:

This Gwen Stacy is from one of Marvel’s many alternate universes. They have Earth-616, which is Earth Prime, the main Marvel universe where most Marvel comics take place. Earth-616 is where the original Spider-Man (Peter Parker) is from, but Spider-Gwen takes place in Earth-65. Here, instead of Peter Parker getting bitten by a radioactive spider, Gwen Stacy was bitten by one during that fateful field trip, becoming that universe’s Spider-Woman. While Lance does not have any superpowers in my story, most parallels are related to personality and motives.

Just like Lance, she’s extremely free-willed and spirited, and she also has more creative and artistic tendencies that contrasts with how stoic her father, Captain George Stacy of the NYPD, was. Often times in the comics, you can see her immersed in her music, singing and composing lyrics and playing drums, and we also see that with Lance in Of Lions and House Cats. Also, falling in line with the other Spider-Men and Spider-Women, she’s sarcastic and loves cracking jokes when facing off with her enemies. Lance has definitely done so as far as I’ve updated my fic. (Chapter three as I’m posting this.)

Also, Gwen is “sick with the burns and bad at the puns,” according to volume 2, issue #1. Lance is probably her opposite, tbh. (Okay, not probably. He’s really bad at the burns, but he’s good at puns even if he’s not a big fan of them. At least… that’s what I’m getting from season 2, episode 2.)

Anyway, Gwen actually started out using her powers for attention-seeking purposes, and we all know how insecure Lance is in canon. Those insecurities transferred over to my story. Lance is on the same playing field as superhumans, and in my AU, superhumans don’t just have their superpowers (i.e. telepathy for Allura, wind manipulation for Shiro, and fire manipulation for Keith). Supers are also simply physically stronger as a side-effect. They can dish out powerful attacks and take hard hits, but Lance, as a normal human, is more frail. He doesn’t have the physical strength to handle the same amount of damage. Instead, he gets through missions by strategising because he knows that he is not physically capable of withstanding a superhuman punch or taking on swarms of normal thugs. He doesn’t have the biological fortitude to last that long in a fight. On a similar note, Gwen is actually a pretty decent investigator because her dad’s a cop, and she’s done her fair share of snooping in the comics.

Eventually, Gwen uses her powers solely for crime-fighting. However, the catalyst happened to be Peter Parker’s death. He admired Spider-Woman because of her powers, and to fight back against his bullies, he became Earth-65’s Lizard (who was Dr. Curtis Connors in Earth-616). Gwen had to fight against him, and after he reverted back to normal, she was so ashamed of herself for having egged him on and provoked him like his bullies. He died because of his injuries, and Spider-Woman was blamed for his death.

This guilt follows her throughout volume 1 and volume 2; so much of her character development revolved around her guilt and whether or not she deserved to be forgiven. Lance has his own guilt and shame as well, but will Lance’s own character development be similar? Maybe, maybe not. Nevertheless, because of the death of someone close to them, they were driven to a life of crime-fighting as vigilantes. The difference is that, while Gwen is perceived as a murderer by the public, Lance has actually committed crimes. Gwen is actively trying to sway the public’s opinion of her, but Lance, as a hidden vigilante, has remained as inconspicuous as possible. Of course, he hasn’t done a very good job of it as of… chapter one.

From the beginning of the fic, you can tell that Lance has a rather estranged relationship with his family. The best way to describe it might be “complicated.” Now, by the end of volume 1, Gwen’s dad definitely knows her secret, and he tries to keep her out of trouble and tries to prove her innocence. However, from what I’ve noticed of their relationship, they’ve been distant ever since her mother’s death. Because of their conflicting personalities, there’s not much they have in common, but Gwen loves her family through and through and tries to protect what remains of it. You can see this sort of relationship paralleled with Lance and… pretty much everyone who doesn’t want him to die (coughs, Hunk). Even though Lance is harbouring secrets, he still cares about his family and what his family thinks of him. Hell, that’s a fourth of the plot! He didn’t even want Hunk, best friends forever, best bro for life, to be involved with his vigilante affairs either, and he’s trying his damnedest to keep his family safe by keeping them at a distance.

Now, on a lighter point, Gwen isn’t a trained fighter. She runs off instincts and learns her fighting techniques from kung-fu movies. Cindy Moon (Silk) of Earth-616 said she couldn’t even throw a proper punch! (Oh yeah, Spider-Gwen can also travel to different dimensions.) Lance learnt how to fight dirty (biting, spitting, hair pulling, etc.) from his brother through rough-housing and wrestling matches, and ever since he got into his vigilante gig, he’s been picking up more tricks from the streets… but he still sucks at hand-to-hand combat. Close quarters is not his forte, okay?

So that’s pretty much it for a “Blue Shot” inspired by Spider-Gwen. This was actually a lot longer than I expected it to be, and it really did turn into an essay... but I hope you’re satisfied knowing what was going through my head during the character outlining and development process! Of course, there were other characters I had in mind, too -- like Catwoman and maaaybe a little bit of Deadpool! If you’re curious, here’s who inspired the other main superheroes of my fic:

Keith is known as Red Lion. He’s got a fancy lion masquerade mask as well as a sick katana and dagger, both of which he inherited from his mother. He’s a generic Kamen Rider, basically the solo version of a Power Ranger who rides into action with a motorcycle -- hence, modern day samurai.

Shiro is Black Sky, a super who has manipulative powers over wind and, by extension, storms. He was inspired in part by Sky High of Tiger & Bunny (because Sky High was super into the whole justice thing and he was known as the strongest superhero in that anime). Of course, there’s also Storm of the X-Men. She’s got natural leadership abilities, and she’s hella strong.

Allura is Titania, named after Queen of the Fae in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has powers of telepathy, inspired by Jean Grey and, for shits and giggles at the time, Miss Martian. (Remember this for chapter 6; it makes like just one line even funnier… at least to me.)

[forbidden-creepypasta]

Wampus Collection: The Doctor’s Orders

Here's a story from /x/ credited to some chick named Wampus. Nothing in this thread has been edited in anyway. This is good shit. Shit that can shrivel Josef K's manhood. - Tower ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Since it seems /x/ related, I’d like to tell you some stories about my family. I’ve never really thought to write this down, but people seemed to enjoy my last thread so I thought I’d share more. Plus, /x/ is a little out of sorts tonight, and I’d like to help if I can. Hopefully there are people around still interested in hearing. In my last threads I talked about my mother’s side of the family, and their curious beliefs and practices down in the Deep South. I told those stories, not because they were especially paranormal but because I’m most comfortable with them. My childhood was filled with them. I grew up down here, and although it’s a strange place, these are eccentricities I understand. Unfortunately, while the stories about Often and my mother are cute and occasionally spooky, they don’t really compare to the /x/-factor that leaks down from my father’s line. If it's okay with you guys, I'm going to repost the backstory before I begin since I don't think the thread is in the archive yet. I can also post the first story if that would help too, but there's no plot or anything, so it's not important to the grand scheme of things. To say that these stories have been difficult to come by might be sugarcoating it. Up until a few years ago, I had always assumed that my grandmother’s family was filled with a bunch of alcoholics or petty criminals. Something vaguely tragic but hardly interesting enough to warrant juicy gossip. Asking after them would usually make my already cold grandmother clam up and either deliver a smack to the wrist or tell you to go play in the yard (read: in traffic). Recently though, she’s started to open up about her strange past. I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe she realized that after all these years of running from it, that world has finally died off. Maybe she’s actually begun to look back at her life and miss what she had. I don’t really know, and I guess it’s not that important. What is important for you, /x/, is that my grandmother ran away from the circus. And not just any circus. She ran away from a travelling medical show. As always, I make no claims toward the truth behind these stories. Most of these are cobbled together from my great grandfather Max’s journal and the notes of his brother Arthur. Max may or may not have been somewhat of a drunk, and Arthur really only wrote about things his good nature and soft heart would never allow him to speak out loud. My grandmother gave my brother and me these journals a few summers ago, and I was hoping to get some scanned pages for you, but if I keep waiting for my brother to do that, you may never get to hear these stories. What I do know for certain is that these people did exist. I’ve changed around some of the names and locations to protect those involved because it’s surprisingly easy to Google them. So whether or not you choose to believe Max’s stories, know that he is real, as is the show and the performers mentioned. The only thing I’m adding are some adjectives, transitions, and the supporting details my researching drummed up. The stories included are only a few from the years and years they spent on the road. These are the ones I find most /x/-related and in some cases most disturbing. I’ll start before my grandmother was born. If you like these stories, I’ll continue. If not, that’s fine too. While I’m no expert on anything relating to circuses or performances therein, here is what I know. Max and Arthur were brothers. Max was a bear of a man who spent his youth winning boxing championships and had hands so fast his favorite game was to dodge the hammers of men driving tent stakes into the ground. Arthur was more sensitive, a gifted musician and talented gymnast. Both were absolute gentlemen and both loved to put on a show. The brothers somehow fell in with a man who went by the name of Doctor DuMonde (like the café in New Orleans). The Doc, as they called him, was likely not a real doctor, but he prided himself in his travelling show of medical wonders. The show featured acupuncture, herbal remedies, medical oddities, and the usual circus acts to catch the less scientifically minded. Arthur and Max performed as magicians, acrobats, clowns, assistants, barkers, and anything else the doc needed, while other performers included an amazing trick rider, a man who performed with bears and dogs, a sword swallower/fire breather, and a psychic. Over their years together, DuMonde came to appreciate the fact that Max and Arthur’s many talents made them valuable allies, while the brothers came to appreciate the fact that the Doc was a couple rings short of a circus. Doc was forever hunting down medical oddities, if not to recruit them then to at least examine them. While he may not have held a medical degree, by the end of his life, no one could claim they knew more about the abject horrors the human body could produce. So when Max answered a knock on his wagon one early August morning, his stomach had good reason to lurch with unease. “Max, my boy,” Doc greeted. “We have an errand to run.” If you need a title, you can call this one “The Doctor’s Orders” or “What became of that unfortunate soul.” Unlike the larger circuses that dominated the railroads, the little medical show still puttered along in the old ornate wagons and trailers. This made travel much harder but allowed for the doctor to make his own curious, meandering paths. Max often wondered how his life had been hitched to every whim of this strange little man, but as Arthur reminded him, if he really cared that much they could have just quit. This particular detour had led them to a small town in eastern Iowa. A brutal drought left the fields near scorched, and summer heat made the small crowds sluggish and irritable. The morning sun had only just begun to crawl up above the treetops and already Max felt his shirt clinging to him. The Doc wore his standard three piece suit and kept time with a polished cane. The old man rarely ever showed the wear and tear of the roads. Probably because his trailer had an icebox. As they made their way on foot, DuMonde informed Max that this was a house call. He was responding to a letter mailed by a desperate family seeking help for their unfortunate child. And why had he brought the former boxing champ along? Simple a precaution, rest assured. The young man had his doubts, but the farm house they were aiming for was no more run down than any other lonesome homestead in the middle of nowhere. As they approached, a solitary donkey sounded the alarm, and his braying brought the owner of the house out the door. He was a short, stout man with a weathered face and an unnaturally tired look. Max thought he saw others peering through the windows at them, but after very brief introductions, they were lead away from the house and over to a storm cellar. “Heard about you coming to Des Moines last season,” the man explained. “Thought you might be able to do something about this.” He threw back the cellar doors and led them down into the darkness. It was difficult to see much of anything with nothing but the morning light shining in to guide them. The stench down below was unreal. The unmistakable odor of rotting meat and feces reminded him of neglected monkey he had once seen locked in a barren cage. The only thing that kept him from gagging was the fear that the smell would get into his mouth, and even the decorous doctor covered his nose with a handkerchief. Once Max’s eyes adjusted to the lack of light, he realized there was a pile of badly stained blankets near the wall to their left amidst piles of dung and fly-ridden scraps he couldn’t identify. The farmer took a rake that had been resting near the stairs and poked at the lump. The thing that shot out from beneath the blankets was such a confusing flurry of limbs that even Max had a hard time understanding what he was seeing. It was human, though really only by technicality. The boy crawled about on four twisted limbs, but a fourth and fifth leg jutted out from his midsection and right thigh respectively. Though shriveled, these forgotten appendages twitched and flexed as he scurried about. His mouth was torn by a severe cleft palette, though that didn’t stop him from hissing and snapping with teeth grown long and somehow sharp like rodent incisors. He was naked but covered in sores, growths, mud, shit, and rust colored stains Max didn’t want to think about. One eye bulged out slightly, causing it to look off in a different direction, though the odd shape to the iris raised doubts over its ability to see anyway. The boy darted wildly to the end of the rope that had been tied around his neck and presumably anchored somewhere out of sight. He nearly choked himself trying to reach for the three men, and when that didn’t work, he resorted to spitting and finally pissing at them. “Don’t have a right mind,” the farmer said as he stepped away from the spray. “It’s our second boy, but you can see why we keep it down here. Eats just about anything and doesn’t do much but raise hell. Killing it would be a sin against the Lord though.” Max had to hold his tongue to keep from asking what that made keeping the boy alive down there. “Very unfortunate,” DuMonde agreed. He kept his face covered with the handkerchief, but leaned in as close as he could without getting hit. For a terrifying moment, Max thought the Doc might actually take the boy. While he understood wanting to put it out of its misery, accepting the thing instead meant trying to integrate it into the show. And that meant Max would have to deal with it. “I am sorry,” DuMonde said finally. “While this is a very sad case, I’m afraid I have no room for such a child in my show.” “What?” the farmer asked. His look of detached exhaustion gave way to a visible wave of grief and then rage. “You said you handled this kind of thing! You take these monsters off those folks’ hands! Now take this away!” The man’s rising tone made his son launch into a frenzy of yowling and jumping. Max was more focused on the rake the farmer was brandishing, however. He stepped between the farmer and the doctor and took in a deep inhale. He instantly regretted doing so, but at least it puffed out his chest and straightened his spine. The farmer was no weakling by the looks of him, but Max was well over six feet and nothing but muscle. He stared the man dead in the eyes. “Now, the doctor said there was nothing we can do. We’re real sorry about your son, but that’s all there is to it. If you don’t mind, we’ll be going now.” Max let his words hang in the foul air between them for a moment before waving his hand for the man to lead them out. The farmer looked as though he might argue but swallowed whatever bile he had brewing and said not a word to them as they took their leave. The only response a farewell from the Doc got was a spit straight into the dust. The pair got the message and wasted no time getting back on the road and putting the house far behind them. “Such a shame,” DuMonde murmured as the safety of their tents slowly came into view. “Such a poor, poor child.” “I’m glad you didn’t take it though,” Max admitted. “I would have made you carry that thing back.” If the story ended here, I’m sure that everyone would have had a good laugh, learned a little something, and the credits could roll safely. Obviously, that’s not the case. This wasn’t nearly the last time Max and DuMonde had to deal with the Unfortunate. Their troubles were only beginning. The next night, Arthur was called to the ticket booth by one of the few roadies that travelled with them. Max was tied up helping with the bears, and DuMonde had no interest in dealing with the ordinary nuisances of running the show. He approached the depressingly short line and was directed to a wooden box sitting off to one side. “A wagon rolled up and dumped it off here,” the roadie explained. “They ran off before we could stop them. Thing split open and some kind of animal jumped out, but crawled off into the bushes faster than we could catch it.” “What kind of animal?” Arthur asked, but the roadie only shrugged. “Didn’t get a good look. It didn’t look like a dog though. Too big to be a cat. One lady said it might have been a person, but who knows.” “Box’s firewood then, I guess,” Arthur replied. Secretly he hoped it was a monkey. Arthur loved monkeys and never did understand why their show had horses, mules, bears, birds, and dogs but not a single monkey, especially now that Ringling had Gargantua the Gorilla. Later in the evening once everything had closed down for the night, he mentioned this to Max. Max went pale and stared at his brother as if the young man had grown a third eye. “Was it a person? Did they see? Was there a man in that wagon?” “I’m sure there was a man in the wagon,” Arthur answered. “Someone had to drive it.” Max was in no mood to argue with his brother. Instead he rushed off to DuMonde’s trailer, and Arthur followed close at his heels demanding to know what was going on. When Max gave a hurried explanation, Art shut up and helped pound on the Doc’s door. Dumonde listened to their concerns with his usual stone-faced quiet. When they finished, the older man smoothed out his heavily waxed moustache and nodded. “Gather the dogs. Tell the young ladies to remain in their wagons. Search the area for it, but if you find nothing, then I suppose we have nothing to worry about. “ Max roused Carl, the dog and bear trainer. Carl was a short man who loved alcohol and had been occasionally accused of letting his beloved bears drink with him. His dogs came in all shapes in sizes, and though he insisted during the act they were all purebreds, he had once admitted to Arthur they were nothing more than strays he couldn’t possibly turn away. They gathered up the four largest mutts and a couple of guns, and met up with the other roadies Arthur had called out. The only woman among them was Ellen the token bearded lady who was probably at least as strong as half the men there and refused to be left out of the fun. “We’re looking for…something,” Max tried to explain. “You’ll know it when you see it. Just be careful.” “That narrows it down,” Arthur muttered helpfully. They took up lanterns and fanned out through the brush surrounding the campgrounds. They’d taken up temporary residence in a lightly wooded area on the outskirts of the small town. Much to Max’s dismay there were plenty of places for an evil little monster to hide, and every rushing bush or snapping twig made him jump a good foot in the air. He wasn’t entirely sure what the boy could actually do to them, but the pit that was weighing down his stomach told him nothing good could come from this situation. Unfortunately, he didn’t have to wait long to find out. Two men’s screams shattered the nighttime stillness, and Max and Carl went racing towards whoever was yelling. One voice rose above the other in obvious agony, and the pair tore through the bushes fueled by instinctive panic. They arrived close behind another search group, but that didn’t stop Max from nearly getting clubbed by a hammer. “He broke my hand!” a roadie leaning against a tree wailed. “My hand!” “There was a monster on you!” the one with the hammer insisted. Max took the weapon away from him anyway. The man’s eyes were wide with shock and terror. “And then you broke my hand!” the injured man yowled. The man had more than a broken had to worry about. According to the pair, a monster had rushed out of the bushes and attacked the man, clawing like a monster and ripping a good chunk out of his arm. In an effort to save his friend, the roadie had swing blindly but was too slow to connect with the creature and instead had shattered the poor victim’s hand. “You think that thing had rabies or something?” the roadie asked Max as they dragged him back to the camp. “You think I’m gonna get sick?” Max thought back to the conditions the boy had been held in and didn’t have the heart to tell the man about it. He ordered everyone else back to the camp. Searching the brush in the dead of night was just going to get more people hurt or worse. Instead they opted to lock doors, sleep with guns, and get the hell out of this place as soon as dawn hit. With all the yelling and nervous energy in the air, every animal in the show was riled up beyond hope and the humans weren’t all that much better. Max and Arthur found themselves sitting up in their trailers, playing cards and casting nervous glances out the window. “Why would they dump that thing on us?” Arthur asked. “Because they’re cowards,” Max replied. “They’re probably hoping we’ll kill it for them, and then we can go to hell instead.” “Is it really that bad?” his brother asked. “You can let me know if you get a good look at it,” was all Max would say. Some time after midnight they had both managed to dose off. Max was fading in and out of restless dreams, and the incessant barking of Carl’s dogs kept jarring him back to the waking world. He had almost gone under for the last time when a sudden sharp yelp of pain and vicious growling made him leap out of his bed and grab his gun. Both he and Art flew out of their trailer, but though they were the closest and first to respond, they were already too late. In the moonlight the Unfortunate was even more hideous than in the dark of the cellar. Its twisted spine heaved and pressed unnatural ridges against its skin, and the greasy, patchy hair on its head hung in oily ropes down to its shoulders. What skin wasn’t covered in blood and filth was a sickly white-gray, and its vestigial limbs were flicking wildly at the air. The monster had gotten one of the small dog’s cages open, and it was in the process of ripping the poor animal to shreds. When the boy jerked his head up to look at the brothers, the dog’s neck tore with a wet, meaty rip. The animal continue to try to yelp, but the only sound it could make were gurgling, trembling gasps as it shook and bled out. Max was too stunned to quickly read his gun, but another figure was on the scene. Carl took one look at what the boy had done to his beloved dog, and the little man’s face actually grew red with wild fury. While the Unfortunate was distracted by the brothers, Carl took the opportunity to jump onto its back. The thing thrashed and howled, trying to buck the man off or at least get in a good gouging bite, but this was a trainer who routinely wrestled bears, both friendly and not. Carl bellowed out obscenities and slammed the boy’s misshapen skull into the remains of the cage, and when those gave way from the pummeling, he pounded the monster into the earth instead. There was finally a sickening crack as the Unfortunate’s skull split from the force. When Max and Arthur finally dragged Carl off the boy, only his frail, shrunken limbs still flexed reflexively at the night air. By this time the whole camp was awake and watching the commotion. Doctor DuMonde made his way through the small crowd too look upon the remains of the fight. There was still a strip of the small dog’s neck between the boy’s rodent-like teeth, and Carl was now covered in blood and whatever else had been on the child. He was panting and staring at the body of his pet, making no effort to fight the brothers as they pulled him away. Pools of human and animal blood soaked into the dry ground beneath them. “What a shame,” DuMonde said, shaking his head. “I’m so sorry, Carl. Max, when you get a moment, carry the body to my office if you please.” The Doctor’s office was a wagon where he held many of his exhibits. At least the ones that weren’t living. The walls were lined with shelves filled with glass jars and odd creatures pinned to the walls like grotesque butterflies. There were some workers who refused to set foot in the place, but after so many years the brothers had grown accustomed to the good doctor’s collection. Max had to wrap the corpse in a blanket to avoid touching the filth, and ignoring the smell and the unpleasant stiffening setting in by the time he gathered the courage to pick the monster up was no easy task. The Doctor, however, could not have been more pleased. Not two days later, the stuffed and posed corpse had a place of honor on the wall behind his desk.

[leagueofbantcraft]

Taral’s Origin Story

I have finally finished it. Taral’s first planeswalk to Theros. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out and I got to introduce another fanwalker of mine Lauros.

Its a little long sorry, but thats why I included the break.  

Taral glided his hand across the large statue’s hand. The statue held a staff in one hand and the other was a clenched fist. Polu, Lord of Order was inscribed on its pedestal. Taral prayed for a calmness. He was a wildsage. Wildsages helped calm beasts for taming on Phij. The people of Phij relied heavily on a variety of creatures. The terrain became treacherous in sudden bursts and if you were not prepared or did not have help, then you were likely to perish.

The temple to Polu in Varaya was one of the largest temples to Polu in all of Phij. It also held the largest sanctum of wildsages. Taral frequently prayed to Polu while he was teaching and training animals and other wildsages. He prayed to Polu for clarity and calm, not just for himself, but also for all of Phij.

The disasters, storms and climate changes were growing increasingly more frequent and more devastating. Taral had heard of an earthquake claiming a village in southern Kolria last month. Just last week a fisher family was displaced when torrential waves crushed their coastal home in eastern Heireiph. The plane was constantly shifting, but never at a frequency that the people could not manage. Taral ended his prayer with a wish that the natural events would cease for some time. Phij needed to heal.

“Wildsage Taral, a new arowgans that needs training.” A cleric from the temple said without greetings.

“A fledgling arowgans or an adult arowgans?” Taral inquired.

“A fledgling I believe. Its future is a mount for a Prelate’s son.” The cleric answered.

“I will see to it.” Taral said dismissing the cleric.

Arowgans were a large winged creature. Its body resembled that of a bear. Its head was an odd mixture of bear and bull. Its wings were feathery like an eagle. Arowgans were not easy to tame. People also rarely wanted to tame them at all. It would require training, magic, and likely an enchanted saddle. Then, after the beast was prepared, Taral or another wildsage would have to teach the future rider how to properly tend to the arowgans’s needs. All in all, it was a task Taral did not want to complete.

The arowgans was chained up in a pen outside the sanctum. The cleric was right. It was a fledgling male. The beast had not finished growing its horns yet. Taral judged that given the number of chains, five, that the arowgans was giving the handlers trouble. It was likely three years old. Taral thought of pacifying spells. The creature did not look happy to be chained, not that Taral could blame it. Each chain was a heavy iron. Its four feet and its neck were chained to the earth or the walls. Even the weight of the chains themselves would stop it from flying, but not from rampaging the pens.

Taral was ready to begin. The earth shook as he approached the arowgans. Taral hoped it was nothing, but had a feeling he knew what was about to occur. A horn sounded. They were attempting to evacuate. The ground continued to tremble. Taral took a step back. The area behind him began to crack. He was going to have to go past the arowgans. The land behind the pen seemed sturdier than what was behind Taral. He inched closer to the arowgans. He walked softly, lest he startle the beast. He also didn’t want to put too much weight on unstable earth.

The arowgans stared at him. It knew what was going on. It also had clearly struggled enough to understand how trapped it was. Taral thought about saving the creature. He could save the beast and risk his life. Or save his own life and hope the arowgans escapes. As usual, Taral’s empathy was too strong. He whispered some calming words to the creature. Taral unhooked the chain around the beast’s neck. This meant the creature could snap at him while he unlocked the other chains. To common folk, that would be a problem. To Taral, it was a minor inconvenience. He had calming spells, and if that did not work, he had his resonator to paralyze the beast.

He hoped he would have enough time. He prayed to Polu for clarity and Ghelma for time. Ghelma was the Lady of the Infinite. She was the goddess of time. Taral rarely prayed to her. He didn’t feel like she listened to him much. And she usually proved him correct.

The temple began to crumble too. The ground was becoming increasingly unstable. Pillars toppled. Roofs collapsed. Taral guessed a sinkhole appeared in the temple when he saw a large chunk of the roof fall. It made the sound of a rockslide. People were screaming, but Taral knew most would escape. The people of Phij grew up learning the signs of disaster. You had to. If you didn’t then you were not meant to live long on Phij.

Taral had gotten another chain undone. The arowgans groaned. It wanted to leave faster than Taral was freeing it. Taral moved to the next leg. The beast was still calm. It knew he was trying to help. At least that was what Taral assumed. The next chain clinked and fell to the ground. Only the back two legs remained tethered. The arowgans roared and lifted itself on its hind legs. Its attempts to fly were in vain. It was still too restrained.

The force of its wings and straining against the ground shook Taral. The ground was loose. Taral’s worst fears had come true. The entire pen and temple was sinking into the earth. Taral’s first instinct was to panic. However, he trusted in Polu. There was a solution. Taral just had to think of it more quickly than usual.

The only option appeared in his head. Taral had to free the arowgans and ride it to safety. The left hind leg was closest to him. He began removing it. As it fell the beast tried desperately to fly off. It only made the situation worse. They began falling. There was a small chunk of rock that Taral was on. The rock was falling into the chasm that was widening beneath his feet.

The beast was still attached to a larger rock that was falling slightly below Taral. He had put through this much effort to save the creature. He was not going to stop now. It was also his only way out. Taral leapt to the larger rock, fully aware that it would probably startle the arowgans and make the rock fall faster. His torso slammed into the rock with his legs dangling. He pulled himself up and crawled to the final chain. Taral was ecstatic that his calming spell was so successful, although he couldn’t dwell on it very much. He reached for the last chain and unhooked it.

Taral beamed with happiness, having a brief moment of hope. The arowgans instantly crushed that dream. It flew off pushing the rock further down. Taral chided himself. He knew that was going to happen. Creatures don’t like falling into large chasms. Taral was ready to resign himself to his fate. He was going to fall to his death alongside the temple he belonged to.

As he fell Taral passed the statue of Polu. It had gotten stuck on a ledge on its way down. There was a piece missing. Polu no longer had a hand, or a nose. Taral prayed one final time for a clean, quick death and a good afterlife. He awaited the final hit of the ground that would signal his demise.

He never hit the ground. Taral suddenly could see a lot more. It was much brighter. He had been transported to a beautiful forest. He did not know where he was. Wherever ‘here’ was, the sun was setting. Taral was tired and wanted to find rest. He walked towards a clearing, hoping to find a road or a path.

The road had to go somewhere and someone had to have built it. Hopefully the builders were friendly and could tell Taral where he was. He walked until sunset. The stars here were beautiful. They filled the sky. Phij had stars, but they were not as numerous as this place. Taral heard the sound of hooves and paused. Perhaps these people could help him.

The people got closer and stopped at Taral. They looked at him quizzically. Their appearance startled him as well. They had the torsos of men, but bodies of horses. Judging by their expression, they thought Taral was an oddity as well.

“What are you?” one of the horsemen said.

“I am an ainok, of Phij.” Taral answered. “I am lost.”

“Clearly, but I have not heard of the polis, Phij.” The horseman said. “What should we do with him?” he asked the others.

“We could just leave him here; the wilds will claim him.” A female horse-person said.

“Maybe the Setessans will want him.” A lighter furred horseman said.

“I actually think he looks more like the leonine than the humans. Should we take him to Oreskos?” the first horseman said.

“Why bother, he is not our charge.” The horsewoman said.

“He is not a nyxborn, so he is a mortal. We should help him.” A fourth voice said.

Another horseman approached. Unlike the others, who held swords or spears with their torches, this one held a staff. He was white-furred. Or was it hair. Taral had little experience with horses. The white horseman passed Taral a torch.

“If you want to take care of it, Lauros, go ahead. We are going to return to the chieftain.” The horsewoman said.

“I will find a place for him, then join you with the rest of Pheres-Band.” Lauros said as the others ran off. “What do they call you?”

“I am called Taral.” Taral answered.

“Well Taral, I imagine you are a long way from home. But welcome to Theros.” Lauros smiled.