#rumors are below the read more section

[presleyhearted]

Kismet, Kismet ✨🤍 | Part 2

pairing : 1970s!e x Asian!OC summary : Angel Song grew up in a strict, Korean household. Molding her into the perfect 'good girl.' Through a strange case of serendipity, she finds herself face to face with Elvis Presley, the one person who just might threaten to shatter the glass of her good girl act. chapter warnings: age gap, illness, panic.

wc: 3841

genre: 70s!e x college!student!reader. fluff, angst, smut.

taglist: @atleastpleasetelephone @i-r-i-n-a-a @obsessedwithurlove

author's note : Here we are with Part 2! Thank you for the attention on part 1. I hope you like the name change, trust me there is a reason for it. I've always made a playlist for this fic! It is in the link below, but I will be adding songs as I go along. Happy reading! <3 - Rose playlist -

“It’s fine now.” Angel breathed out, signaling to the raven-haired star that it was clear for him to turn around. The split second that Elvis was turned around provided Angel with a small inkling of time to well, breathe. To somehow force her brain to process that this is the reality, even if she does not know how or why. 

Elvis, on the other hand, was ever the gentleman. But the very thought of a beautiful woman changing clothes right behind him - well, he was a man, after all. This was merely a passing thought though, as the realization that he owed her an explanation for this strange happenstance, made him truly forget what words were. She was a stranger to him, and well, judging from the wide-eyed gaze from her a few seconds ago - He was the complete opposite to her. Whether she is a fan of his, or merely one of the members of the population who know him from the enormity of his fame - there was a crossroad.

If he were to tell her the truth about why America’s favorite rock ‘n’ roll star is hiding in a cleaning supply closet - that would fracture the carefully curated image that he knew the people see him as, most certainly including her. Words spread like wildfire, and the nation is always hungry for new information about the world of the people under the spotlight. Hell, even the rumors that are not even remotely true - people inhale and whisper from ear to ear as if it were a section in an academic textbook. For a situation like this, that is true and is real, it would be on the front page news by the morning of the next day. 

It’s better this way. Elvis tried to tell himself. By upholding the immaculate persona that the public has carved out for him, he would not only be saving himself but also saving her idea of him. He does not want to leave her with a memory of Elvis Presley revealing that the man underneath the glimmering spotlight, has never felt more engulfed by the waves of darkness than he does now.

So, that is it. He decides to conceal an ugly truth in exchange for keeping the beautiful idea of him that she most certainly has. And just in time, she tells him that it is fine to now turn around. 

So, he does. And goddamn it, Elvis thinks to himself. The choices and thoughts that occupied his mind suddenly went to a standstill. It was as if the time that he took to think about what his explanation would be, made him briefly forget to truly have a look at her. Albeit, he did not have time to earlier due to letting her change, now - Elvis found himself finding the space of the supply closet shrink at a rapid rate. He was sat down, and she was stood up - Elvis could not help but find his gaze traveling from her long, slightly tanned legs, to the dress, and to her face that seemed to turn a charming shade of crimson under his gaze. 

A pair of hazel eyes looked into his azure eyes. The very same pair of hazel eyes that when she blinked - perfectly captured the appearance of double eyelashes that accompanied her eyes.  Elvis’ gaze traveled further - a small button nose, and a full, inviting burgundy-colored lips. Her skin radiated a glow - she was pale, but slightly tanned, a sure result of the Vegas heat. Like the mix of milk and honey. He noticed her black, wavy hair reaching almost her waist - Angel was certainly not tall, but also not short. She was like an oil painting personified, like an art piece that somehow felt the need to step out of the confines of the frame that she was in and step her hand out to him. A beauty that he never believed existed, never encountered before, and felt that he was the admirer intruding. He was so entranced by Angel, that he hardly realized that she had sat herself down on the floor. 

Angel cleared her throat, “It was . . .  um odd for me to be standing up.” She explained. Her voice was soft, but firm. There was a timidness to her tone, that she noticed very quickly, and tried to desperately fix it because well - I can’t make a fool of myself in front of Elvis Presley. She told herself, but how does one steady herself when he is looking at her with such blunt intensity? It was an intensity that rippled through every part of her being, as he did not fixate on one part of her, he was studying her - every detail of her. She wished she could take a glimpse into his mind and know what he was thinking. She prided herself in being able to read people easily, ever the analytical mind of hers - as her friend Felicity would say. 

But not this time. Angel tried to shake herself out of it and thought to herself ‘It won’t matter. He’ll say what he needs to say, and we’ll part ways.’

Angel then thought to herself that it most probably be the easier and smarter choice to apologize to him, apologise for barging in and invading personal space, and then be on her way out. This would make more sense since he does not owe her an explanation. Yes, she was initially shocked to find him in such a random place, but it did not mean he had to explain anything to her. Then Angel also realizes that Elvis has not said anything since turning around, he must be thinking the same thing. Angel thought. 

So, with that, she shakes her hand at him and starts to stand back up, “I’m so sorry, Mr Presley. You don’t have to explain anything to me, I’ll go.” Her words rushed out of her mouth, words that filled a sudden dread in Elvis. 

“No, honey, it’s alright.”  He said softly, making Angel pause her actions. She was frozen in confusion. She was in a rush a few moments before getting changed because she was afraid to miss her favorite star walking out onto the stage for the first time in front of her eyes. But that was before she discovered that he was sitting down in a supply closet and before she also became aware that the time on the ticking clock in the small confined space - showed it had been well past the time Elvis was supposed to be on stage. 

“But, I don’t want to intrud-”

Elvis cuts off her sentence, “You wouldn’t be, darlin.” 

Angel finds herself biting her bottom lip, in a mental battle of her thoughts. An action that does not go unnoticed by Elvis. Angel felt her cheeks blush again at the sound of the name he called her, she was aware it was probably a habit of people from the South, but it made her blush nevertheless. 

“I shouldn’t have barged in like that,” She finds herself saying, still standing. 

Elvis shrugged, “It’s my fault.” 

Angel profusely shook her head, “No, it’s not. I-”

There she is again, biting her bottom lip - a habit that Elvis found became keenly aware of. 

“If you keep doin’ that honey, you’ll cause a bleed,” Elvis said, a smirk now on his lips. Yes, Angel did make eye contact with him, but not for long. The eye contact was overwhelming, so she found herself catching her eyes on everywhere else, but him. Which has been proven unsuccessful now, since that comment of his - with that teasing smirk on his lips, was a powerful weapon in making her hold the gaze of his blue eyes again. 

She stopped biting her bottom lip, and found herself mumbling under her breath, “What am I doing.” 

“Sit with me. Please.” Elvis said, his tone soft. 

“But-”

“Are you in a hurry, darlin?”

A question, loaded with the hopes of a specific response. Elvis was aware that they were likely searching endlessly for him, hands probably in their hair in distress, but he could not leave. Not yet. Jerry knows. Knows where he is, even if Elvis did pull out a lie about the reason why he needed to ‘step out’ for a while and not be where he needs to be. 

Words were caught in Angel’s throat, “Yes. No. Yes,” Upon seeing the amused grin on Elvis’ face, she sighed and attempted to clarify herself, “I mean, I was - I’m here to see your show.” 

There it was. The very reason why she could not know the truth behind why he was here, and not out there now. She is a fan, and for his fans - telling the truth would be shattering something in them. He could never do that to them. 

Elvis hummed, “I know what you’re thinkin’, I’ll tell you.” 

Angel somehow found herself sitting back down. Slowly. Of course, it would’ve been smarter if she just left. But there is a curious part of her, the part that wanted to know why Elvis Presley was in a supply closet when he was supposed to be on stage by now. Even more so, why his infamous entourage was not in sight. 

Having her at the same eye level as him, Elvis swore he felt his breath caught in his throat and a distant knock of the heart within his body. 

“You must be thinkin’ why’s that fool hiding in a supply closet?” Elvis said, chuckling a little. But also realizing that he said the word ‘hiding’ implies a surface of the truth. The truth that he told himself he would never reveal to her. But he just did, even if it was a tiny particle of the truth, and he did it subconsciously. With no control at all, as if his mind wanted her to learn it. Somehow. 

And he very well knew that Angel caught wind of the word. 

She did not know what to say, so Elvis continued. 

Elvis ran his hand through his hair and sighed deeply, “I lost one of my rings. I was gonna ask the cleaning staff who was in here, thought she was ‘cus the door was open. But nah, no one was in here. Only me,” He then let out a laugh, a laugh that somehow sounded difficult to let out. 

Only me and my foolish self. Elvis thought to himself. 

Angel found the sound of that laugh to be quite forceful, a habit that was similar to what she did when conversing with her relatives when asked about certain subjects at family gatherings. She knew that kind of laugh too well, heck, she was the expert in it. Knew it well enough to know that the explanation Elvis just gave her, held no truth in it at all. Except for the last part. That she was sure of. 

“Did you find it?” She asked instead, despite somehow having a feeling that he was throwing out an elaborate story of this ring. 

Elvis shook his head in an attempt to keep that crooked grin on his lips, somehow looking strained - Angel thought to herself. 

“No, I haven’t. I-”

It was Angel’s turn to interrupt this time. 

“My name is Angel.” She found herself blurting this, not out of randomness, but because she somehow could feel he was sharing something personal with her when she hadn’t even told him her name yet. It was unbalanced. She knew him, well the image of him, and then now sharing this information with her - she had to tell him her name. She owed him that. 

Elvis paused. He couldn’t help but. Of course, it is. There could not be any other name for her out there in the universe, it is the only name that belongs to her. It belongs to her. 

“I thought it was only fair I told you my name. It’s not simple to be sharing this information with me, a stranger, Mr Presley.”

Heck, Angel could not even comprehend why he chose to share this with her, or why he wanted her to stay and sit with him for a while. 

Elvis nodded, “Angel.” He said as if testing the way her name rolled off his tongue. Something was blissfully enchanting but illicit about the way he said her name, which sent a trickle of warmth through her body and locked her breath for just a second. 

“It suits you very much,” Elvis said honestly because it truly did. 

“Thank you, Mr Presley.”

Elvis shook his head, “Just ‘Elvis.’ Mr Presley is my father.” A wide smile overtook his face, an actual smile that Angel knew was genuine. She just did. 

Angel nodded sheepishly and somehow found herself smiling, a contagious effect from him. 

A sight that Elvis couldn’t help but think that he was possibly in a deep slumber, a daydream of some kind that involved this mesmerizing being with the face of heaven sent and the name to suit it. And now that smile of hers, a smile that dares to rival the morning sun. Not that Elvis saw much of the daytime, but if he did, he was pretty certain that the young woman in front of him could easily overshadow it. 

Elvis paused then from drinking in her existence when he saw the frown on her face and her hazel eyes of hers pooling with a sense of sadness. 

Damn it. She must be thinking ‘bout the show. I’ve disappointed her, she’s here tonight to see me perform. Not this. Elvis thought. 

“I’ll be out on stage soon, don’t worry ‘bout it, Angel.” Elvis says, as if sensing that was what Angel was thinking. 

But Elvis was wrong. He’s not even remotely close to guessing what she must be thinking. 

Angel does not know why she has not noticed. Surely, it must be the shock of the strange situation that must’ve made her not realize. Not realize that Elvis Presley was profusely sweating and that made his raven hair stick to his pale skin. Angel was no medical expert, but it was the kind of pale that called for rest and a good break. It wouldn’t even make sense why he was sweating when he had not stepped foot on stage yet. Even more so, the way his chest would rise and fall at an abnormal rate. 

Perhaps also the reason why he has been sitting down the entire time. 

Elvis Presley looked tired. 

She pulled out a handkerchief from her bag, an action that caused an eyebrow to quirk from Elvis. 

The realization of how. . . vulnerable he looked. It pinched her heart in a way that made her ask the next question, forgetting momentarily that they had only merely met each other a few moments ago. 

“Can I. . . ?” She gestured at his face, and somehow Elvis understood. 

Somehow in that split second of her sad, hazel eyes meeting his blue eyes - Elvis knew that Angel saw behind it all. Behind the facade. That the veil of protection he put over the truth and the crafted lie - has now dropped, revealing him. Revealing that he is everything but fine. Elvis Presley crafted his public persona in such a masterful way, to the degree that people would not even notice the energy and shine he once had, was slowly fading away. 

But Angel did. 

And so, with her question, Elvis nodded. Angel put herself closer to him and pulled her knees underneath her as she sat down, so she would be sat on her heels. Elvis closed his eyes, as Angel neared him with the handkerchief in her hand as she slowly, but surely was wiping the sweat from his face. The closer proximity to her made Elvis naturally inhale her scent, she smelled of vanilla and a hint of what smelled like rose oil. A combination that was sweet, but playful. A tease to his senses. Elvis dared to open his eyes again, meeting her hazel eyes. Angel felt herself tense at the intense gaze of his eyes, as she tried to concentrate on the task at hand. The feeling of the cloth wiping the sweat on his face away was not much of an effect compared to the gentleness with which Angel did this. The genuine concentration, and worry in her knotted forehead made his heart sore and trip simultaneously. 

She instinctively put the back of her hand on his forehead, as if realizing that she may be overstepping she withdrew her hand back like a flash of lightning. But Elvis was quick to reach for her, his hand enclosed around his wrist. 

“It’s okay, honey.” 

He let go and she reluctantly, but with Elvis’ nod, touched his forehead with the back of her hand once again. 

“Mr. Pre- Elvis, you are burning up.” She said, her tone not even hiding the worry swimming in it. 

Angel finds herself looking around and grabbing her bag, “I don’t, I thought I had a bottle of water or something. I don’t know. Sorry.” She said, oblivious to the smile on Elvis’ face as she rummaged through her bag. 

Despite feeling the fatigue build up in him again, he found himself smiling at her. 

“Say it again.” He said, despite breathing deeply. 

Angel was puzzled, “Huh?”

“My name, say it again.” He wanted to desperately hear her say it again, a sound that was beautiful and was the opposite of the horrifying state that he felt his body being engulfed in. 

A saving grace.

“Elvis, “ She sighed, “I know I’m in no position to tell you what to do, but you are not well. You need to rest.” She said honestly, gone was the timidness beforehand, and in its place was a woman running in a spiral of worry. 

Worry for him, and it was a sight that Elvis had not seen in a long time. 

Elvis shook his head, “I’m fine. I need to perform. ” He said, almost mumbling his words. 

“You are not well for it. People will understand.” Angel found herself saying. 

“Will you understand?” He asked. 

“Of course. Any of your fans will.” She said with an encouraging nod. 

Angel waited years to see him perform live, and if that first performance happened to be when he was feeling like this, she couldn’t watch him. Can’t let it happen. Heck, she’ll wait years even - she’ll wait till he is better enough to perform. 

“Not the Colonel.” He responds, a sad smile on his lips. 

Angel assumed this must be his manager, remembering his face and the name of newspaper pages. What kind of person, let alone manager - would let him perform like this? 

“It’s too hot here, you need to be someplace else,” Angel said, knowing that the supply closet was not the appropriate place for him to rest properly, “Does anyone know that you are here? How do I get ahold of them?” 

She was in full-on panic mode now and leaped up onto her feet. Elvis sprung his arm forward and grabbed hold of her hand, “Angel, don’t leave. Please.” The tone of his voice was void of the confidence and teasing from moments prior, in place was the pleading voice that was filled with fear. True fear. A fear that she would leave him like this. 

She shook her head quickly, “No, no. I-I just was thinking how to get you help.”

Angel is smart enough to know that she could not just waltz out of here, and find a helpful passerby because it is not just anyone she is getting help for. Elvis Presley. Somehow, she just knew that he wouldn’t want his vulnerable state to be known to any other person than the ones who work for him and know him. 

She was just a fan. But somehow through a happenstance of naturality or not, she saw right through him - saw right through the armor that he lets dazzle everyone else. And even if he realized that she stepped over that veil - he let her. Let Angel walk right through it. 

As if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

Like now, as if it is the most natural thing in the world to have her hand in his. An action that was so quick, but she swore sent a flicker of something through her bloodstream. 

And just in time, there was a knock on the door - a look exchanged between both of them. But a breath of relief escaped them simultaneously as it was the familiar face of Jerry Schilling who walked through and shut the door behind him. Angel knew that he worked for Elvis, and saw him in that one article of Elvis’ entourage being labeled ‘The Memphis Mafia.’ 

So, she was glad that a stroke of luck hit, as her prayers were answered. Because otherwise she really did not know what to do. 

Jerry Schilling’s eyes found Elvis’ and scanned the state that his friend/boss was in, before shifting his gaze to the woman who was standing up and whose hand Elvis gripped tightly. As if signaling to help him, Jerry nodded and advanced towards Elvis, at the same time Angel dropped her hand from Elvis. 

“Come on, E. Let’s go.” Jerry said, but Elvis’ gaze was on the black-haired beauty who was currently getting her bag off the floor. His eyelids were half-closed. 

She turned with the handkerchief in her hand and planned to hand this to him, to let him keep it. But found him tugging her hand again, closer to him. 

“Stay.” He said. 

“I-”

Angel turned to look at Jerry Schilling as if silently asking for his opinion on this. 

“I’ll go if she goes with me,” Elvis said, almost mumbling his words. 

Jerry Schilling then nods to her. 

Angel sighed, not quite sure how and why this is happening all of a sudden. The probability of their meeting, and now with Elvis’  reluctancy to go with someone who could help him. Someone who he knows far more than her, her who was a mere stranger not that long ago. She tried to make sense of and understand why Elvis would want her to be there when he would have more than enough people around him soon. People who knew him personally, and who will help him. 

She could not wrap her head around it at all. 

But with the ticking of the clock on the wall, and Elvis seeming to not have any plans to get up from his spot yet, she realized that he was waiting for her to say something. 

“Okay.” Angel said. 

Kismet. Kismet.  Perform. Mask. facade.  My name. Your name. Angel.  Pale. The truth. Elvis.  Elvis. Angel.  If she goes.  Kismet. Kismet. 

[themainspoon]

If you are a WoD fan and you aren’t aware of how fucking wild White Wolf’s strategy for marketing Demon: the Fallen was, that changes right fucking now, get ready.

So, the year is 2002, American Culture is still moving past the Satanic Panic, and your job is to market a Table Top Role Playing Game where you play as literal demons who were aligned with the Biblical figure of Lucifer. The book has a big ass pentagram on its cover, and is filled with information on fictional demons and their demonic powers.

How do you market this?

Well, isn’t it obvious?

You satirise Chick Tracks by making a fake one about how the game you’re supposed to be promoting is satanic. I’ve linked it below, it’s only 23 pages long;

But you may be thinking: “Ok, that’s a funny concept, but why is this such a big deal to you?” Well, buckle the fuck up kiddo’s, because I want you to look at that last panel again:

Do you notice anything about it that could prompt further inquiry? What about that URL?

You see, the chick track was only one part of this little marketing stunt.

And so, I ask again, how do you market Demon: the Fallen?

You create an entire fake Evangelical church website called the Eternal Grace Evangelical Church, and write a fake sermon in which you claim that the brand that hired you is producing games that turn children into drug addicts and sexual predators, also claiming that Vampire: the Masquerade was involved in real world murders including the fucking Columbine School Shooting.

Below is a link to the site from the Internet Archives Wayback machine, the main bulk of the interesting stuff is in the sermons section.

Quick note, they used EVERY part of the evangelical bullshit playbook to make this site look legit, they went hard on this. So, the site is satire, but it still feels like it would be a good idea to mention that they satirise everything about Evangelicals, including their homophobic, transphobic, anti-catholic, and anti-pagan beliefs.

https://web.archive.org/web/20031205191032/http://www.father-ramos.com:80/

If you don’t want to read it yourself, here are some actual quotes from this fake Evangelical site that was, and I can’t stress this enough, MADE BY WHITE WOLF TO PROMOTE DEMON: THE FALLEN: (above disclaimer applies here too)

“Eternal Grace Congregation Church is a community of Christians who seek to love, worship and praise Him and to communicate the Word of the Gospel to the world around us while exposing the lifestyles and and recruiting prctices of those deviants who would make this world a place of horrors. Among these are homosexuals, gamblers, drug addicts and role-players.”

“You may find it useful to tell role-players about the Dallas youths who were burned to death in the steam tunnels of Southern Methodist University (of course it was the Methodists) while exploring them for treasure. Tell them about the syphilis-related insanity of Jimmy Cox, a Tennessee teenager who used role-playing games to build around him a coven of homosexuals. Tell them about Michelle Sikes, the Montana role-player who had a sex-change operation. The more perversion you can ascribe to involvement with role-playing the better. You may even wish to fabricate some of your own, to better illustrate the point to your specific at-risk individual.”

“Listening to accounts of the role-players’ games is either the height of tedium (it must be said, pardon my air of judgment) or evinces strong feelings of pity, […] Invitations to participate, if accepted, place the individual in a precarious position himself, and will probably expose him to the scourges of drugs, fornication, homosexuality and Catholicism/paganism in many cases.”

“point out to them that the activity borders on delusion (“You are not an elf, Tommy!”) and heresy (“If God intended for you to act like a demon, he would have made you a demon, Jenny”).”

“In addition, rumors (which is why I relegate this to a side note instead of including it in the main body of my discourse) link the activities of the Columbine high-school “trenchcoat mafia” with Vampires Masquerade.”

“As good Christians, it is obviously our duty to prevent our youth from learning the corrupt ways these books and games teach. Sex, suicide, drug abuse, homosexuality, “golden showers” and many other behaviors proscribed by the Lord and the Good Book come as a result of players taking their games too far. In particular, the moral execration contained with the Demon book takes these aberrations to new levels by openly encouraging players to act in the interests of Satan (or Lucifer, as he is depicted herein).”

“Additionally, role-playing games teach that violence is an acceptable and even admirable way of solving problems. Significant portions of their rules are devoted to combat and weaponry. Demon, for example, also contains systems by which the satanic characters can attack or use magic upon their enemies, with dark arts spawned from Hell itself. These are not unlike the gay community’s reactionary “straight bashing” in response to the more physical efforts of their loving fellows (but loving in the Lord’s intended way) to bring them back into the fold.”

“This Week: Pastor "Father" Ramos discusses the Catholic Church and the 68 Million deaths its evil has caused throughout the world! You won't read this in the history books! Father Ramos also discusses why he has chosen to reclaim the Holy tile"Father" from Catholocism.”

White Wolf was frequently quite edgy, and often wasn’t great at dealing with social issues (you could argue this is still true of the modern World of Darkness in some cases). But honestly I think this is a fun stunt. It mocks evangelicals for all their insane bigoted beliefs, and for basically giving all the stuff they call satanic free advertising. No matter what though this is an unhinged marketing stunt, and it is so wild that they actually did this.

[kishigunpla]

Let's Read: A Requiem for Char: The Red Comet of My Youth - Chapter 3

by Shūichi Ikeda

This post will be an overview of the third chapter, A Man Called Char Aznable. Below are links to the previous chapters.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Ikeda begins this chapter by talking about his experiences with Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. As discussed last time, it was Yas’s art that inspired Ikeda to try out for the role of Char in the first place. Whenever he plays Char, he keeps that original inspiration in mind.

The two first met in person backstage at an award ceremony in 1980. Ikeda was struck by what a kind gentleman Yas was, and to paraphrase, was shocked that such an ordinary person could draw such amazing pictures.

Ikeda briefly mentions that he enjoys Yas’s Gundam: The Origin manga, especially the scenes from Char’s backstory. Looking at the scenes from the military academy and where Char meets Lalah for the first time, Ikeda comments, “If I were a little younger, I'd like to try these lines.” (we now know he got that wish!)

Next, Ikeda discusses how Char disappears from episode 12 - 26 of the anime, and the possibility that Director Tomino considered killing the character off around that time, a rumor he apparently heard from a staff member.

The issue was Tomino trying to figure out what Char’s motivation would be going forward, beyond just his personal goal of revenge against the Zabi family.

When Char reappears in episode 26, he admits that the Gundam is an opponent he wants to defeat with his own hands and that such a thing is childish. Of course, we later learn there's more to it than that.

According to Ikeda, in order to bring Char back to the center of the story, Director Tomino invented the concept of "Newtype". This would act as a new motivation for him to go into battle that had not previously been apparent to him.

It is with the emergence of Newtypes such as Lalah and Amuro that Char senses the arrival of a new era, and tries to remove Amuro as an obstacle, who is simply being used as a tool of war. 

In Ikeda’s words, Char's actions in the latter half of the story are symbolized by this phrase, "overthrowing the Zabi family is an afterthought."

Of course this wasn't an easy task to pull off, but by this point Char had grown to be an indispensable presence in the narrative and drama Director Tomino had been crafting.

Due to the show's early cancellation, Tomino narrowed down the focus of the story to Amuro and Char, and Lalah and Sayla. Ikeda commends him for being able to wrap up the story in such a dramatic and satisfying way despite the circumstances.

Ikeda goes on to talk a little more about Tomino. One aspect he draws attention to is Tomino's unique dialogue (as he calls it, "Tomino-bushi" [富野節]) and innovative camera work. He mentions Gackt likens it to song, with a musical touch.

As mentioned previously, Ikeda has the impression that Tomino allowed him some freedom in the direction he took Char, but believes that they both decided around episode 10.

Ikeda: This is also my imagination, but I think that in the episodes leading up to this point, Director Tomino was trying to figure out who he should project himself onto in his "Gundam" works.

Ikeda: At the moment Char indirectly killed Garma, I think Director Tomino thought, "I've decided on this guy." It seems that the appearance of Director Tomino himself is strongly reflected in Char Aznable.

Another interesting point Ikeda brings up is how while Amuro and Kamille are the main face of First and Zeta, they are often at the mercy of reacting to the situations they are thrown into. By contrast, Char often plays the role of the story's "trigger", the character who creates the situations by having an active attitude towards the world.

Now my personal favorite section of this chapter, why Ikeda thinks Char is so cool. To Ikeda, Char's coolness comes from the fact that he is always "fighting with himself". He's fighting Amuro, the Federation Forces, and the Zabi family, but the most formidable enemy is himself.

Char is a half-hearted existence, both as a new type and as an old type. In other words, like an intermediate existence between “a person who can think digitally and a person who can only think analogously.”

Ikeda: Everyone has their own war of independence within themselves. Beyond the battle with Amuro and the Zabi family, Char sees the battle with himself. A man who casually takes on a lot of things and challenges his own battles, that's why Char is cool.

Compared to a character like Amuro, who is designed to be relatable to the audience, Ikeda believes Char should be higher up, "someone out of reach".

He uses the line "Because he was a spoiled kid" from episode 12 as an example.

Ikeda: If I had been a seasoned voice actor, I would have been too shy to say the famous line. I guess I was able to do it because it was my first time as a regular in an anime, surrounded by people I didn't know, and in a tense atmosphere where no one said, "That's a smug line."

Even so, there is a moment where Char’s demeanor begins to change in the final episode, when he asks Lalah what he should do. It’s a pivotal moment where the viewer sees this human side of him for the first time.

Char has questioned himself before this moment, but he has never asked a specific person such a thing.

Ikeda: So, at the very end, Char's weakness and frustration as he prayed to Lalah in order to win against Amuro became the key to a deeper understanding of Char for me as an actor.

Finally, Ikeda addresses the question, “do you have any tips for playing Char?”

Ikeda: I answer, "There is no such thing." If I had to say it, it would be "do nothing".

Ikeda: I have already played him for 30 years, so I have "Char Aznable" in my back pocket for sure. So I always feel Char's presence, and although it may be annoying to him, I believe that he and I are one and the same. Hence, I must always be at 100% or more when playing him.

"Come on, you can do better than that, can't you? Why don't you ask to try one more time?"

Ikeda: I feel as if he is telling me to do it. Playing Char has always been a big hurdle for me. Even so, when I play Char, I always feel at ease. It feels like you are having a drink with an old friend, and you feel very relaxed.

Ikeda: For me, Char was both my partner and my teacher as a voice actor.

~

That's all for my summary of chapter 3. Thank you for reading!

[astrophelsbargain]

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✧New and improved master-post + updated demo✧

Demo link all the way down below! Into the rabbit hole!

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Hello everyone, this is a new master post as the last one is quite outdated, I would like to first and foremost thank you, in every way- you, personally. I had often thought about making an Interactive Fiction, but circumstances would often distract me and make me unable to do continuously work on it. Though there has not been a day in which I haven’t thought of the stories I want to present to you. Quite a lot has changed- I had rewritten most of the book “Astrophel Bargain” which I had previously presented to you, the noticeable changes become apparent after the first bit of the book. Though it is still a work in progress, I hope to be able to update you more consistently. If you have any questions, suggestions or constructive criticism I’ll accept it gladly- as I am writing it on my own, with no help like proofreaders and I am by no means a native English speaker. Once again I thank you for sticking with me, or if you are a newcomer- for being interested in my work.

May stars bless your journey

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Times have changed since the rise of and reign of magicians, as long forgotten victims and villains of history, they remain hidden- only spoken about as the world marches to a new era of technology and science. Though as magicians grew impatient- forever chained to the earth as their souls dwell on its lands with either goals achieved, long ago-as they quietly live amongst the mortals, peacefully enjoying the bliss of omnipotence and immortality. there are still those whose wishes remain a friction of hope- and they just might risk everything to make up for which they’ve lost.

Rumors spread around as magicians become unlawful, immoral and most of all- feared, causing most to either hide further into the shadows or resist their fate with the power granted to them. As the same rumors pass your shop everyday, a new piece of information reveals that perhaps you and your shop might have a bigger role to play in the schemes of fate.

Your shop is no ordinary store, it holds secrets of centuries old vessels, ornaments books and more, all which will eventually leave the safety of your shop and repurpose themselves at the new world. Though a costumer may never visit twice, for each vessel has its own unique fate and purpose if must serve in solidarity. Being the guardian keeper of the shop is peaceful by itself as you mostly pass your time by exchanging information with far travelers who had happened upon your shop, yet when an old friend visits, your days of peace come to a quick end with a dangerous bargain from an infamous magician.

As you make your way to bid your end of the bargain, you just might discover the world outside your shop holds many wonders- and secrets centuries old, unveiled.

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✧ play as a female, male or non-binary character.

✧ define your characters traits ranging from intelligence, charm, brawn and many more all which have different sections respectively throughout the game, making each play through vary depending on your choices.

✧ Design your character as you’d like, ranging from height, hair color, scars, eye color and more.

✧ decide the fate of major characters

✧ discover secrets and unveil them- if you wish to.

✧ get cursed

✧ develop platonic or romantic relationships with 7 gender selectable characters ( A major part of the game is romance, so it is recommended you experience that aspect of the game as you play )

*warning, the game includes triggering concepts such as death, trauma, betrayal, manipulation, gore and more… it is recommended you read with caution. ⚠️‼️

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Dain/Diana astrophel

✧ The flightless Crow, Enemies to lovers

A magician lost in time, rid of their most treasureable possesion as they seek the key to retrieving what was once their own. Upon finding you, the threads of fate twist and knot when they recruit you to do their bidding. ✮ character Masterlinks : TBA

Alen Alfhelia

✧ The wilting Apatura Iris, belated love epiphany

An old friend who had lost a prestigious position at the Bureu of magic due to untimely rise in magicians retiliation against the crown and Atia, a newfound yet prominent religion. Upon discovering your situation they set out to accompany you on journey to the north. ✮ character Masterlinks : TBA

Sol/Soliel Ekhart

✧ The Blinded Sun, Tragic lovers

A talented minor magician living in isolation from world. As their quiet everyday life becomes a-mess due to your interference, they might come to realize mortals hold greater power then they originally acknowledged. ✮ character Masterlinks : TBA

Nil/Nian Vicifer

✧ The Other Story, Unlikely lovers

A young mystery, who insists on joining you in your travels. As they journey with you, it is revealed that behind their incompatibility with most, might lie another story to unfold. Perhaps the pages will reveal a newfound plot for you to discover? ✮ character Masterlinks : TBA

Caelum/Caelan Alphonse

✧ The wondering scarecrow, Strange lovers

A young traveler who seems to have strange ties to Astrophel, their search for the same magician leads them to you, upon realizing you have a connection to Astrophel they decide to team up with you in hopes of you being the bridge that connects the two of them. ✮ character Masterlinks : TBA

Eliseo/Elisa Valens

✧ The cursed Heron, Love at first sight

A mysterious mortal who seems to hold more secrets then they let on- a guest of Ekhart, as you live together they come to learn that the both of you might have more in common then they assumed. ✮ character Masterlinks : TBA

Lilias/Lilia Letifer

✧ The artificial guardsman, forced proximity

Your assigned escort while residing in Ekhart’s residence, amused that there is finally something to look forward to- they keep a watchful eye. you soon finds that your mission might be more challenging then you had originally thought. ✮ character Masterlinks : TBA

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✧ Demo Link ( last update- 26 dec)

✧ Patreon link - coming soon!

✧ Feedback Form

[zegredo]

S2E1 scene 3: Park bench

Daytime, shot of the building, people, we're moving to St. James Park, we're watching the river, Crowley is sitting alone on a bench, reading the paper. He is leaning on the railing with his right hand. Close-up of Crowley. You can see the silver frames of the glasses, the sign of the snake on the right (the height of the infinity loop just below the earlobe). He is wearing a polo shirt with the button undone. A man with a briefcase in a checkered coat joins him.

M: The clarinet

M: can make beautiful music.

Crowley folds the newspaper, looks at the man

C: You what?

M: The clarinet?

M: It can make beautiful music?

C: Wrong bench.

C: You want the Azerbaijani Sector Chief. He's over there.

Crowley hides behind the newspaper, having previously pointed his head forward. The man grunts and walks away.

We hear the sound of a miracle. Crowley hides the newspaper again and we see his reflection in a small mirror. The shot shows Shax sitting to Crowley's left. She is dressed in a red coat with a large decorative bow, a beret decorated with a feather, and a red dress.

S: I brought your mail.

C: Anything interesting?

S: Bills, mostly.

Shax hands the letters to Crowley.

S: I don't understand why they won't just deliver them to your car.

C: Send the bills to Hell's finance office.

S: I did.

S: They say they can't accept my signature as your replecement.

Crowley looks straight ahead, the camera probably shows the Head of the Azerbaijani Section and the man who joined Crowley on the bench earlier.

C: Don't give them bread, you idiot

C: Ducks shouldn't eat bread.

Re-shot on Shax and Crowley

S: What are you meant to give them then?

C: Do they know?

S: The ducks?

C: Downtairs

C: Do they know you're checking in with me?

S: Crowley, I'm now Hell's representative in London

S: And Hell doesn't care how jobs get done

C: Yeah, I remember

C: They just care that somebody does them.

During the conversation, we see Shax sitting stiffly, elegantly, as she makes a point about being a representative, she drapes her handbag over her lap and becomes a bit more formal.

C: Pfffft

C: Do you ever just think what's the pint?

S: How do you mean?

C: What's the point of it all?

C: Heaven. Hell. Demons. Angels.

C: It's all… well, pointless?

Crowley shakes his head in disgust, Shax gives him an appraisal look, smiles slightly, faces him.

S: Was it always this easy?

C: Easy?

S: I keep planning complicated strategic strikes to spread misery and panic among the humans, and just as I'm about to put one into motion, they come up with something themselves which id so much worse than anything I could have thought of.

C: Yeah. Always this easy.

Crowley turns his head towards the river.

C: Antithing going on I should know about?

S: You're still persona non grata

C: Yeah

S: Beelzebub put some of the lesser demons on half-rations

Crowley nods with an "oh, interesting but ok" face

S: And something's up.

C: Up where?

S: Up… up…

Dark music plays, Crowley clearly interested in this information, turns back to Shax.

C: something big?

S: Don't know

S: We just got a rumor that something's going down in the up.

S: If you get wind of anything through your contact in the bookshop, let me know?

C: Nah, they don't talk to him anymore

S: If I learn anything that you might find useful, I'll tell you, and in return, you tell me what I need.

Crowley wears a bored, indifferent expression on his face as he hears that something has happened upstairs, looking off into the distance.

S: Got anything for me?

C: Frozen peas.

S: What?

C: That's what you feed ducks. frozen peas. They love them, and it's good for them too.

Crowley gets up and walks away, we see Shax on a bench processing the conversation they just had.

Questions:

Shax says, "I don't understand why they won't just deliver them to your car." Who should deliver the bills to the car? And why should Crowley pay any bills? For what? For a phone call? After all, the apartment is not for him? is it?

S: "They say they can't accept my signature as your replecement." Why? Why can't they?

Why Bills? What is this scene for? No need to talk about bills or if hell accepts Shax's signature as a replacement.

S: "Beelzebub put some of the lesser demons on half-rations" for what? Withdrawals? Food? What do demons even need that can be rationed? And why such a cut that looks like a systemic/collective action, not personal.

Frozen peas. And why are we talking about ducks again? And are we talking about ducks?

Why are we talking about how hell doesn't care how things are done? Why are we talking about people being better at getting themselves uphill than hell's emissaries? and that the existence of angels and demons is meaningless

Hypotheses:

Shax doesn't understand how humanity and calculations work. Crowley never bothered paying the bills, going through the paperwork. He maxed out his bills (we know from the book that he also sent a contract for electronic equipment with the note "learn")

Hell is badly organized, but hell put up Shax as a replacement. Hell doesn't know humanity either and doesn't know how to deal with rewriting property? Is this a problem at all? Will this have consequences?

This is the second time the issue of paying for something has been discussed in this episode. The first is in the Magie's rent scene. Payments can be a thing.

Another mention of payments and the fact that someone does not get it. Why did Bee decide to do this? It's possible that this is a form of motivation for the dispatch to find Gabriel, it's possible that Bee already knows he's missing.

Well, you certainly don't give ducks frozen food, you give them peas, yes, but not frozen ones. Frozen peas, however, sound almost like a fragile, temporary peace.

Because as Adam said at the end of the book, it's best for people to be left alone.

Masterpost here

The post will probably be edited and linked to subsequent posts. The post is written in my native language (not English) and automatically translated, but the dialogues are transcribed from Amazon's transcript.

[acespaceacepilot]

Genuinely the academia fic makes me want to read every poem you cited!! Oh my god. Obviously I looked up Staying Quiet and I had a moment of stunned silence and wonder that you specifically knew the poem and exactly where it would be at home. Insane. Also reminded me of other great academia AUs in that now I almost want to write my english lit end of semester essays, thank you for the motivation. Anyway I'm here and not in the AO3 comment section because in the author's note at the start you mentioned having planned out what the characters would be doing and since you were on point with what you showed I am so so curious what else you've got for this setting 👀 in any case thank you so much <3

up top, thank you so much!! amongst my friends, i am a known poetry heaux. i go to poetry readings and feel my feelings; my partner got me a necklace that's engraved with a buddy wakefield quote. i have one of his collections signed to me. i fucking Love poetry.

hieu minh nguyen is one of my personal favorites and something was pinging around in my skull being like "hey! listen! there's a poem from them that perfectly fits astarion!" it fell Perfectly into place, shout out to my adhd background thoughts that were So Sure that hieu minh nguyen's poem should be there.

i'm going to put the rest below the cut, because. i have A Lot of thoughts and feelings

let's start with what i directly used in all my visions converted to blurs:

wyll is a low-rung english professor at a state school when he Could be at an ivy league bc of his dad’s nepotism. but wyll doesn't want a position his dad gets him, obvi. i want wyll to want to be out of his father's shadow, damn it.

(ulder is dean of a business school at an ivy league in my mind. it just fits. as a person with an english/linguistics degree: ulder ravengard has hella business major energy.)

astarion has taken a year or four off from school at this point. i hinted at substance abuse being the main reason that it's taken him so long to graduate from the law program? when he was the same age as his classmates, i think he partied A Lot and ended up having to retake some classes during his undergrad. i think i landed on coke being his chosen vice? idk it's vague for a reason. he's trying to get his life back on track

wyll and gale share an office space.

now here's what i left on the cutting room floor:

astarion is Still older than wyll, but not by more than six years

mizora is head of the english department. wyll has to play nice bc he's waiting to defend his dissertation and she'll be on the panel. she uses this to push her work or responsibilities onto wyll

lae'zel is doing her doctorate in anthropology/paleoanthropology. she's researching ancient war strategies and how social norms impacted them.

minthara is lae'zel's advisor because they'd have a Great dynamic. she specializes in biological anthropology. she can ball park which century any given human skull comes from.

shadowheart is working on her doctorate of psychology and specifically writing her dissertation profiling the susceptibility of cult victims mixed with religious studies to compile information about modern worship

1000000000% there are rumors about shadowheart's personal experience with cults. people say she goes by shadowheart so the cult she escaped from can't find her. she's heard every joke in the book about midsommar. there's some frat boy in the greek row that swears up and down that she bit his buddy hard enough to draw blood when they hooked up.

halsin and jaheira do ecology and agriculture, respectively. environmental sciences people. they both have tenure. halsin runs an internship for wetland management in the summer. jaheira is like a leading expert in soil science.

jaheira told mizora she was a bitch during a whole university department head meeting once and that's why halsin's the department head now.

minsc is literally just a coach. he does not teach Any classes and hangs out with the university's mascot Constantly. he coaches rugby and crew in the summer, basketball in the winter.

gale is a double discipline professor for history and cultural anthropology. So Close to getting tenure. his rate my professor score is mid as hell bc students either love or hate him because boy does this man drone onnnnnnnnnn

he's been on like four different digs in egypt and will talk about them at length but does that thing of "my second time in cairo. wait.... no. it was my Third time in cairo."

i posted this on twitter, but here's the couch lore: the couch in their office is a hand me down from gale's apartment because tara scratched it to hell on the corner of the armrests + the reason why the couch doesn't have any throw pillows is because gale didn't want to be tempted to nap and he already has a terrible time maintaining a work life balance

karlach is in sports medicine. she coaches the track team and works with weightlifters that have olympic aspirations. she was good enough to go to the last summer games for weightlifting, but an accident with a treadmill that she doesn't like to talk about prevented her from going.

she still has beef with gortash because he was on the shortlist for open spot availability.

she's Convinced that he's on steroids

[grailfinders]

Grailfinders #24: Georgios

today on Grailfinders, we’re finally getting back to work on the OG servants with Georgios! dear ol’ Dragons Georg is a Champion, because what else is a cleric with a sword supposed to be? that being said, we do make some pit stops into the Cavalier archetype for a cool horse that will not eat you, as well as the Game Hunter archetype to ruin dragons’ days even more, and the Knight Vigilant archetype to become a vigilant knight.

and yes, I’m still using the “confused with a nature god” excuse to give him some extra stuff to do. if nasu can create an entire servant based on one niche reading of a mythological figure so can I. I will be vindicated when saber Georgios comes out in LB 8.

check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

next up: Teach me, Blackbeard-san!

Ancestry & Background

While we will be spicing it up later, Georgios starts out as a bog-standard Human. that gets him a +2 in Wisdom and Constitution, but not a whole lot else at level 1. that being said, he is pretty Versatile, giving him a free first-level general feat like Ride. with this, you can automatically command animals to move while riding them, and they act at the same time you do. you also get situational protection from mental effects when you Keep Up Appearances as a reaction. this doesn’t make you immune to emotional effects, but it does prevent enemies from capitalizing on them.

at level 5, you can Sense Allies. a good tank always knows what their party is doing, otherwise the healer might run off and get himself killed pulling yet another mob group we weren’t ready for and- ahem. sorry. we’ve been playing a lot of FFXIV lately. the important thing is you can always detect when allies are nearby, and finding them while hidden is a lot easier.

at level 9 you become a Hardy Traveler, making it easier to ride around in heavy armor. turns out dragons don’t wait that long to attack.

at level 13 you gain a Stubborn Persistence that helps keep you from getting fatigued by making a flat check to avoid the effect. you still have to get away from whatever’s causing it though, or you’ll have to remake the check every once in a while.

finally, at level 17 you can Bounce Back once per day, preventing you from being wounded after hitting 0 HP. that’s one more chance to get up from being knocked down, which is practically a guts on its own.

George’s real background was a soldier, but we can pick up soldiering skills from anywhere- getting photography lessons at a later level would feel weird. that’s why we’re starting as a Printer. that gives you a boost in Charisma and Wisdom, as well as training in the Society and Scribing Lore skills. you’re also Multilingual, giving you two more languages now, and even more if you level up in society. George is simultaneously Greek, Palestinian, and English, depending on who you ask. a real globe-trotter!

Starting Proficiencies

yeah this part takes so long I’m making a whole new section for it.

Trained: Perception; Religion; Survival; Athletics; [Diplomacy; Medicine]; Reflex saves; Class DC; unarmed, simple, and martial attacks; unarmored, light, medium, and heavy armor

Expert: Fortitude saves, Will saves

Class Levels

1. your Key Ability is Strength, giving you another boost to help haul that big sword around. you also get an Ability Boost in four more stats, like Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma.

I’ve heard rumors that they’re planning on removing alignment restrictions for Champions in the next Pathfinder update, but to be honest, being a Paladin still works really well for you. with this, you can Lay on Hands using your devotion points, which are usually one per devotion spell per day, and can be recharged by spending ten minutes doing good deeds. touch someone, and they get healed.

you can also make a Retributive Strike against an enemy who attacks another ally. this grants the ally in question some damage resistance, and you get to make an attack if they’re close enough. you also get trained in Nature for some reason.

following the trend of useless features, you can Shield Block. useful if you have one, but Georgios usually doesn’t carry a shield. maybe he should? might help.

one last feature, your Deity’s Domain grains you a second devotion point and spell. I’d rather just get the Might domain’s second spell right away, but we need to get Athletic Rush first. this spell increases your movement speed and your athletics checks, and as part of the action you use to cast the spell you can stride, leap, climb, or swim. it’s really just helping you be a lot more physical in short bursts. given what you’re fighting, every little bit helps.

2. at level two, you can take the oath to become a Dragonslayer! that means you have to fight evil dragons now, and to help with that you get a +4 bonus to damage against evil dragons when using your retributive strike. again, every bit.

you also hold the Eyes of the City, making it easier to track creatures in villages and towns by listening to local’s stories. I’m sure this can also help you find the perfect photo ops too.

we’re also grabbing the Cavalier archetype this level, giving you an animal companion. you can also pledge yourself to a cause now for bonuses in the archetype later, and given how champions are all about pledging themselves you’ve pretty much done that already.

3. at level three you gain a Divine Ally, a steed who is… also an animal companion with the mount ability. huh. you can’t keep both at the same time, so we’re mostly going to focus on the champion companion.

thankfully, other features like Express Rider can work regardless of the companion you’re partnered with, making it easier to increase your travel speed while riding.

you’re also an expert in Religion now. it’s kind of your thing. that and the dragons, obviously.

4. at level four your Divine Health makes it harder for you to get sick- you get a +1 to all saves against diseases, and your successes are always critical.

you’re also an Experienced Professional, so your photography is never bad enough to keep you from making any money off of it. I know as a man of god you’re not into material possessions, but you’re going to need quite a nest egg to afford a dragonslaying sword.

you also pick up a Cavalier’s Banner, giving all allies within 30’ of your mount a +1 bonus to will saves against fear, at the cost of causing them to be frightened when your banner is destroyed. carrying a flag everywhere is a little unwieldy, but hey it’s more mental debuff resistance.

5. at level five you get an Ability Boost in Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma again. more health, more dragonslaying, more spell power. you’re also better at Scribing now, since that’s what we’re using as your photography. everybody needs a hobby.

on top of that, your Weapon Expertise makes you an expert with weapons! everything except advanced weapons are your for the using!

6. at level six you get a Loyal Warhorse, making your champion steed a mature companion, and it can no longer attack you, even if magically compelled to. kind of a specific feature, but given your horse’s unique dietary needs, that’s probably for the best.

you’ve spent enough time studying photography that your Unmistakable Lore makes it easier to recall knowledge about the process, preventing critical failures.

you can also Defend Mount as a reaction, taking the hit for your horse while you’re riding it. that’s kind of the opposite of how this is supposed to go, but you’ll have a lot more defensive buffs by the time this is over to eat damage.

7. speaking of, your new Armor Expertise does what you’d expect, plus you get the armor specialization effects of medium and heavy armor. you can also Pick up the Pace while traveling to hustle more, and you’re a master of Religion.

on last thing- your Weapon Specialization adds an extra 2 damage to all your attacks, and grows as your weapon training does.

8. at level eight you get the Advanced Deity’s Domain devotion spell, giving you a third devotion point each day which you can use to cast Enduring Might. as a reaction, you get resistance to all damage from one attack or effect. this is Bayard’s one attack nullification effect, and it also grows as you level up and also based on your strength.

speaking of defense, you can pray for some sacred defense as an action once an hour! if you succeed, you’ll get some temporary hp- you can also try a harder check for more of it!

if all this protection is getting you down, lets go on the offense with the game hunter dedication! with this, you can target creatures with the hunt prey action if you can see it, hear it, or you’re tracking it down. this gives you a +2 bonus to seek and track it, as well as a bonus to stealth checks! you can also get an extra bonus- if you hit your prey while its flat-footed, it needs to make a constitution save. on a failure, it gets slowed down for up to a minute.

9. that last bit from level 8 uses your class dc, so it’s a good thing your champion expertise just came around to give you expertise in your class dc and divine spells. your divine smite makes creatures you make a retributive strike against take persistent damage too.

your saves get better when you become a juggernaut with lightning reflexes. that’s mastery in fortitude saves, plus more crit succs, and expert for reflex saves.

you’re also an expert with nature now for better riding!

10. level 10’s another ability boost in strength, constitution, wisdom, and charisma! all the stuff you need to slap up a dragon real good. well, most of it. we’re working on it, it’s a long-term goal! on thing that’ll help is your battle prayer, helping you blast an enemy with good or law damage once a day. the damage even triples once you’re legendary in religion.

on the nonmagic side, your steed is now an imposing destrier, turning it into a savage animal companion, plus it gets an action each turn even if you don’t spend time commanding it, letting it attack or move for free!

speaking of movement, your quick positioning helps you get into the thick of things at the start of battle against your prey, letting you step up to two times for free. you’re the one with all the defense buffs, so make sure you’re between your friends and your dragons.

11. at level 11 your alertness gives you expert perception, and your divine will makes you a master of will saves, with more crits to boot! you’re also a master of nature!

you can also exalt your retributive strike, getting the rest of your party in on the hitting stuff action! everybody within 15’ of you can make a melee attack with a -5 penalty as a reaction. just really julius caesar his ass.

you also get an incredible investiture, letting you attune to more magic items. the bones of saints are relics, so you already have like, 200+ magic items on you! congrats!

12. at level 12 you become a Blade of Justice. you can spend two actions to make a special attack against something you’ve seen hurt an innocent person, dealing extra damage against evil creatures, and letting you turn all the damage into good! you can also use all your retributive strike effects on this attack.

as a master of nature, you have Morphic Manipulation, helping you grow a plant through ten minutes of meditation. doing this more than once a day is possible, but it makes you fatigued, and you can’t do it more than twice a day. told you we were bringing back the nature god stuff.

one last thing- you can spend three actions on a Trampling Charge, moving your mount up to its speed and through enemies, dealing damage to everything it passes through, based on the targets’ reflex saves.

13. at level 13 your Armor Mastery gives you mastery… in armor! shocking, I know. you’re also a master in scribing now! and your Weapon Mastery does exactly what you’d think. easy level!

14. at level fourteen, you’re actually expected to fight dragons! at least I assume so, since that’s the level you can finally emit a Wyrmbane Aura, protecting yourself and nearby allies from elemental damage, with extra protection if that damage is from a dragon’s breath.

you can also Quick Mount now, mounting a creature and giving it an order in the same action! dragons move fast, but so do you.

you can also use Double Prey now to mark two enemies at the same time. FGO has three slots in each wave, but if you’re fighting dragons usually one of them is really big and takes up two of those, so it all works out!

15. level fifteen’s Ability Boost bumps your Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, and Wisdom. at this point brute strength won’t add too much to your fight, it’s all about survivability. you’re also a Caravan Leader, for more hustle in your bustle while traveling.

your Greater Weapon Specialization adds even more damage to every swing, and we’ll also bump your Athletics up to expert so you can stay on your horse easier.

16. at level 16, Bayard becomes an Auspicious Mount, making it a specialized companion that can be an “Auspice” mount. there are other options, but the feat’s named after it, come on. this gives your mount expertise in Religion, the ability to speak celestial, and increased intelligence and wisdom.

you’ve also been a knight long enough at this point to know some Courtly Graces, letting you use your societal training to make impressions on nobles. given that your society is actually worse than your diplomacy, that may not be a good idea. you look the part though.

speaking of knighthood, you’re now a Knight Vigilant. this increases your proficiency in Religion to Legendary status, and you now provide greater cover to your allies as they stand behind you.

17. more skill buffs! your Champion Mastery improves your spells and class DC, while your Legendary Armor makes you legendary with armor. you’re also legendary in Nature now, to be almost superhuman in your ability to ride creatures. because you are. that’s how servants work.

18. you now exude an Aura of Righteousness, giving you and all allies resistance to evil damage. you now resist evil, elemental damage, and specific attacks, so it’s really hard for a dragon to actually fight you and leave a scratch.

you’re so religious, you can receive Divine Guidance by spending 10 minutes reading the bible. you make a religion check of the DM’s choice of DC, and you can get a hint on how to move forward.

you can also Keep up the Good Fight once an hour. if you’d drop to 0 HP without dying, you can react to stay a 1 HP with some temporary HP to boot, and you become wounded. unless you bounce back. now this is a guts. and it’s also like 90% of the reason we grabbed Knight Vigilant anyway.

19. at level 19 we go entirely off script thanks to your Fey Life. we’re about to go through faerie britain, so you’re bound to save at least one fey, right? your nearby surroundings are now super vibrant at all times, which would mostly be flavor if not for your photography hobby. you can also summon fey once a day, but that’s not why we’re here.

the first time you die past this point, you come back to life, becoming part fey. now this is the gutsiest guts we could guts. I mean get. I know Georgios is more know for being used as solo fodder, but all that means is he’s great at dying and coming back!

this is great, but it comes with a cost- the second time you die, and each time after, you become completely fey, and no longer care about the material world, essentially turning you into an NPC. this can be reversed with a three-day ritual, but the third and subsequent times would require something like the wish spell to be fixed.

you also gain the Hero’s Defiance devotion spell, letting you heal yourself as a free action right before you would drop to 0 HP, so hopefully you won’t die that often. plus, you’re better at athletics again.

20. for your final level, you get an Ability Boost for Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, and Wisdom. you also become a Sacred Defender, giving you a further 10 resistance to physical damage caused by evil or dragon creatures, and you’re immune to critical hits.

furthermore, you can now Influence Nature over the course of 10 minutes, trying a nature check to affect the behavior of animals in the area, like setting up natural alarms via songbird, or making hunting for food a lot easier.

finally, you can gain Lead the Way, spending two actions to guide an ally through danger. your movement will still trigger reactions, but theirs won’t. it’s rough, but that’s kind of the job you signed up for.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

you are really, really, really hard to kill. you have resistance to almost anything a dragon can throw at you, which means you have resistances to almost everything. add onto that your solid health pool, high AC, self-healing, and ability to further block up attacks as a reaction, and you won’t go down easily. and then you’ll get right back up with one of your three or four abilities that just lets you ignore being knocked out. and then you’ll get back up with your “say no to death” card.

all that tankitude is great for taking hits for the team. you block up line of sight against enemies, you have some powerful counterattacks to encourage enemies focus on you, and you can help your team move around while only making yourself a valid target.

for a guy in plate mail you’re so goddamn fast it isn’t funny. not in combat, of course, but being able to cut down on travel time is fantastic in games that care about that sort of thing. travel speed can mean the difference between getting ambushed and setting an ambush yourself.

Cons:

you need your reaction ready simultaneously to heal yourself, counterattack, and block damage. obviously, you can’t do all those at once. this means that if anything, you’re thinking more when it’s not your turn than when it is, and that’s a weird playstyle to get used to. guess it’s par for the course for defensive types.

that “no death for me thanks” card from earlier comes with a major drawback in trading one death for a later, very permanent one. while your defenses are fantastic, you also have to take into account how much hate you’re focusing on yourself.

final downside: the horse can’t come with you everywhere. I know I haven’t brought up Bayard too much in terms of combat effectiveness, but Pathfinder is a lot better than D&D when it comes to horse survivability, and both increasing your own movement speed and getting all the horse-exclusive features from Cavalier is a nice bonus. unfortunately, Bayard is both large and an animal, so there’s plenty of spaces you simply can’t take him.

[lostdrarryfics]

THE BIG FIND: DAY TEN

Welcome to the tenth and final day of our anniversary celebration!

The Big Find is a 10-day long Drarry fic-finding marathon to celebrate the blog’s first anniversary. Below is the Day 10 compilation of lost fics, both old and new, that we’ve been unable to find. Our aim is to get as much attention to these lost fics as possible, to help people finally find their missing fics! Anyone can participate by reblogging, reading through each list, providing additional fic details, and informing us the title, author, or link of a fic, and their respective number in the comment section. Happy finding!

10.1 ffn, the plot is similar to “Boys over Flowers”. It takes place in their 8th year, pretty sure it’s a one shot. Draco is being bullied. Neville also has a crush on draco I believe but it’s drarry. (original post)

10.2 I read it on ao3 not more than three years ago. I think it was short. Harry was a bit smug. He and Draco wear each other’s ties, on accident, I think. And that’s how they reveal they’re dating, at the breakfast (I think) when people take notice of it. One of the two was like, “hey this is your tie” and so people were like, “why do you have his tie?“ I *think* Draco sat on Harry’s lap or something like that? Everything had been done in the great hall. I’m leaning into the possibility that Harry approached Draco, gave him his tie and commented on their relationship while everybody was shocked. (original post)

fic is not tie me up in knots by lauren3210

10.3 ffn, Harry realized that he like wearing girl clothes and being perceived as a girl the summer after 3rd year. Ginny and Hermione helped Harry get potions that would basically do a sex change on him and Cedric and Draco were super into the new Harry. I also remember that Harry felt like they had to hide this from Sirius. (original post)

10.4 Draco works in the fashion industry and is really famous. Harry is an auror. Draco is dating one of Harry’s close friends (OMC). Draco breaks up with Harry’s friend and they leave it on good terms. But on one night out, Harry, while being drunk, accidentally tells his friend that he has a crush on Draco. The friend reacts hostilely cause he secretly still has feelings for Draco. At one stage, the friend attacks Harry when Harry keeps making advances to ask Draco out. I do remember that it had 24 chapters. (original post)

10.5 microfic posted on tumblr, it was eighth year and Harry kept dropping things and forgetting to speak when Draco walked by. I think Draco maybe had long hair? And at the end I think Draco asked him out while Harry was being a disaster. (original post)

10.6 ao3, Harry and Draco had a baby, but only because Harry wanted. He wasn’t aware Draco had no desire to be a parent. Both the baby and Draco only liked Harry and disliked each other. It ended with either Harry asking for another child or Draco as pregnant, with a sentence like “if it was going to make Harry happy, Draco could bear it.” (original post)

10.7 Draco is rumored to be very promiscuous and one day he gets attacked but Harry saves him. But he doesn’t believe draco cause of the rumors, which was actually all fake cause an ex made them up since draco wouldn’t sleep with him. It’s drarry at the end. (original post)

10.8 ao3, hurt/comfort, Harry is ignoring Draco brushing him off, either he IS cheating or Draco suspects that’s what’s going on, Harry says cruel things to him and Draco silently decides he can’t take this anymore so he packs his things and gets ready to leave. Harry is suddenly stricken and despairing, desperately begging Draco not to leave him but Draco is crying and he’s so angry that NOW Harry is showing affection to him but he knows he should still go so he does and Harry like falls to his knees and starts to sob. The rest of it is about Harry trying to win Draco back slowly but surely, Hermione and Ron and maybe Pansy all told him he was a fcking ass to Draco and tell him to earn his trust back again before jumping straight into please be mine again. It takes awhile and lots of tears but they get back together and Harry promises to Draco to make up for what he’s done every day for the rest of their lives. (original post)

10.9 one shot or maybe a short fic, harry and draco are physical but harry is a butt and won’t fully come out and say that he’s with draco so draco feels like this dirty little secret but he adores harry so he does whatever harry asks including being hidden one time for uncomfortably long at harry’s flat when a visitor interrupted their tryst and harry shoved draco away. anyways harry puts a hand on draco’s throat during sex i think he may have asked beforehand or it’s implied they’ve done it before after a consent chat but harry gets too rough and in the spur of his big O he pushes too hard literally choking draco and doesn’t even notice, just rolls over and goes to sleep. draco goes to the bathroom and gasps for air then notices the marks on his throat like he’s been attacked, he starts to cry. he slips out while harry sleeps, worried that instead of harry being sad he hurt him that harry will be angry at draco for it. stops returning harry’s owls, he saw pansy and blaise and they angrily told him to stop seeing his mystery man once and for all because emotional damage is bad enough but physical violence is a crime. he keys harry out of his wards too and harry gets angry says whatever says some nasty things until he sees draco out and about and notices under draco’s scarf a thick ring of bruising and he feels guilt. commence stumbling apologies and guilt and makeup sex (original post)

10.10 a rewrite of canon i think (maybe just the last book?) and draco (spoiler) like sacrifices his life at the end of it. i remember ron and him like share a look at the end before ron gets harry out and harry is obviously quite shaken over his boyfriend’s death. (original post)

FOUND! 10.11 ao3, Harry showing up at Draco’s place at nigth, he and Ginny are separated (or so he told Draco) and they start a relationship, Ginny show up one day and result that she and Harry aren’t totally separated, Draco is arrested for something and there was discrimination against ex Death Eathers and slytherins, there also was a terrorist exploding places where known ex Death Eathers were, in jail Ron talk to Draco saying is Geoge but Harry say is Ron, Harry also say to Draco he love him and is going to divorce Ginny to be with him, but Draco doesn’t belive him because he know the Weasleys are Harry’s family and can’t take that away from him, he didn’t expect Harry to chose betwen him and them, but he also doesn’t want to know the result of that choise, Harry promises that IS going to divorce Ginny, because he want to be with Draco. The last time I read it was in a flash back about Voldemort teaching Draco how to revive someone. (original post)

10.12 8th year fic, all the houses are in one common room playing spin the bottle and they can either kiss the person it lands on or drink. It points to Draco and he decides to drink instead of kissing Harry and Harry was jealous cause earlier Draco kissed Justin FF. Later Draco told Harry that he didn’t kiss him because Harry looked like he’d rather die than kiss Draco. They end up kissing later after the game. Draco kisses Justin and Justin develops a small crush on him (wants to kiss him again) and Harry gets jealous and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a long fic. It might have been one chapter or just a few. (original post)

fic is not night magic by kbrick

10.13 Set sometime after Hogwarts. I believe Harry was working as an auror. He and Draco are together, and have been for a while. One day Draco leaves without a warning (to France or Italy) then he comes back to England with a child. Harry was not aware that he had a child. The fic is mainly focusing on the time Draco comes back to England with flashbacks of the time before he left. Someone threatened Draco and their unborn child one time when he left the the hospital. Draco and Hermione are good friends and that it ends with them having another child (original post)

10.14 Takes place after the war and the golden trio including Draco are working and Harry and Draco become really good friends and realize how much they have in common and continue meeting up. (They might be Aurors). Draco tags along with Harry to a dinner with Hermione and Ron and Drarry are sitting next to each other, constantly looking at each other and finishing each other’s sentences and forming a bubble. Hermione and Ron are just staring at each other and throwing looks as they’re so confused and think Drarry are just friends but they’re very much acting like a couple. They later ask Harry questions about the relationship but Harry is just like “what, why? We’re just friends?”. Harry goes along with Draco to his friends dinner and the whole thing starts again and Harry gets along with everyone very well and even mentions how he almost sorted in Slytherin and Draco is just like “what? Why did you never tell me that?”. In one scene Draco goes “oh” and realizes how much he fell for Harry. At some point they do start dating and all of their friends collectively groan because “we told you so” (original post)

[bratzydollz]

🌌✨ IVANKA'S COSMIC CHRONICLES: Shift Happens – Escapism or Elevation? 🌙💖 #ShiftingSlayage #IvankasMultiversalGossip

December 5th, 2022

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•—✧✷ XOXO, Upper East Shifters! Greetings, my mystical mavens and dreamy lovelies, it's Hana here, your mystical style icon, ready to dish out some otherworldly gossip that's juicier than the Met Gala after-party.

Imagine your shifting journey as the hottest cake in NYC's finest bakery. You're not just baking, honey; you're crafting a masterpiece that would make Marie Antoinette blush. But beware! If your mindset is as out of tune as Yeezy's fashion choices (sorry, Kanye!), your reality cake is destined to be a fashion faux pas.

—✧✷ Now, let's talk about escapism, my fellow reality shifters. It's like having a closet full of Gucci—some forms are chic, like reading a book or daydreaming, while others are a fashion disaster. And guess what? I'm giving you permission to treat shifting as the Chanel of escapism. Break the internet, girl, and let those online skeptics eat their hearts out!

—✧✷ Why the cosmic confusion, you ask? Blame it on the online drama, where they're spreading rumors that treating shifting as escapism is like wearing Crocs to a red carpet event. But here's the tea: the gatekeepers to your desired reality are belief and confidence. Strut your stuff, and let the universe know you're the Naomi Campbell of this catwalk.

—✧✷ Shoutout to the warriors fighting for a reality where love is love, racial equality reigns supreme, and financial freedom is the new black. It's not escapism; it's a multidimensional runway where you shine brighter than the Kardashians in a diamond store.

—✧✷ And to my rookie shifters, take notes like you're in a masterclass with the quantum Kardashians. Google your way through theta states, embrace the multiverse like it's the hottest trend on TikTok, and let the laws of attraction be your astral contour. The universe is your front row seat, sweetie.

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•—✧✷ That's a wrap on today's celestial expose. If you're thirsting for more shifting secrets or in need for some quantum confidante, slide into my DMs or comment section down below. Until next time, keep it chic and dreamy, luvlies.

Xoxo, Ivanka. 💋💫

back to masterlist —❥ 🖤

back to front page —❥ 💙

[eirenical]

Another WIP question, because your list is full of enticing sounding stories - GYADL Fusheng lives BUT AT WHAT COST

Awwww, thank you! You can ask about as many as you want, @lasenbyphoenix! :D

[If anyone else would like to ask me about a WiP title, here is the list! ^_^]

So, this fic started because I'd read a rumor somewhere (that I have yet to be able to find a source for since OTZ), after reading the book, Z1L requested that they kill off Luo Fusheng at the end of the drama because it would be LESS SAD than the book ending. Which is... saying something considering how sad the drama ending is. O_o;;;

So, I did a little digging (and this is also how I ended up starting to translate the novel, BTW XD) and found out that at the end of the drama, Fusheng DOESN'T die. The war elements of the story are way more important and intense in the novel than the drama, and in the novel, Fusheng and Ruomeng are separated due to the war. So Ruomeng goes to France WITH THEIR SON (no adoption here!) thinking that Fusheng is dead. And Fusheng lives out the rest of his days in Shanghai lonely and depressed. By the time Lin Jingyun comes to Shanghai, I'm pretty sure both of them are dead.

SO. What I wanted to play with in this fic is kind of... merging the two endings, but with the twist of "what if Fusheng and Ruomeng AREN'T dead yet?" And the plan is to take this very sad separation ending and, through Lin Jingyun, get them reunited. ^_^

Snippet below the cut? ^_^

Lin Jingyun finished seating the last of the dinner reservation crowd—a young couple and their two children—and turned to survey the restaurant.  They still weren't working at anywhere near full capacity nor had she been able to talk Cheng Musheng out of his reservation-only model, but at least they were making enough money now to cover expenses and hire a few wait staff, bussers, and an actual bartender for the bar—on weekends, at least.  It was a start.  And Lin Jingyun's new column reviewing restaurants here in Dongjiang and several of the surrounding provinces brought in more than enough to ensure that they could live comfortably, even when times were slow in the restaurant.  Musheng was doing better now, spent far fewer of his days in an alcohol soaked haze, but some days were still a struggle, and JIngyun didn't want to put any undue pressure on him, especially when it wasn't necessary, when she could help.

Like today.  The host on duty today had had a family emergency, so Jingyun had stepped in to cover for him.  And things were going well, if she did say so herself.  Everyone had been seated in the correct sections, everyone had menus or were waiting for orders and… wait.

Jingyun narrowed her eyes.  Sitting in the middle of one of the closed sections—not just closed for the day, but closed since Jingyun had first come to the place—was an old man.  Just… brazenly sitting there like he belonged there.  Jingyun hadn't sat him; she'd have remembered seating someone that… unkempt.  So, who had?  She was just about to walk over there and give that old man a piece of her mind—and throw him out while she was at it—when an arm caught her around the waist and prevented her from moving.  She turned to find Cheng Musheng behind her, arm still wrapped securely about her middle.

"What are you doing?  I'm just going to go over there and explain the restaurant policy to him!"

Cheng Musheng shook his head, said quietly, "The policy doesn't apply to him.  That was one of the only conditions to allow me to purchase the restaurant.  Sheng Jian Bao stay on the menu, and he," Musheng nodded in the old man's direction, "Gets to come in for a hot meal and a place to sit whenever he wants, reservation or no."  When Jingyun opened her mouth to protest, Musheng just smiled.  "Jingyun, don't worry about it.  I'll take care of his table directly.  It's no bother."

Jingyun stepped back, bemused, as Cheng Musheng approached the old man.  He was dressed neatly enough, if too casually for Jingyun's taste given the late hour, but everything he wore looked far too lived in.  The coat he wore might once have been a deep olive green but was now closer to grey.  His shirt was worn, almost threadbare in places, and his jeans torn and tattered at the cuffs, and fraying at the knees in a way that would have been almost stylish if Jingyun could have convinced herself he'd bought them that way.  His hair was just this side of too long, grey curls failing into his eyes every time he leaned forwards, but it was still thick, no signs of balding.  And his hands, wrinkled and gnarled, shook where they rested around one of the coffee mugs on the table.

Cheng Musheng bent low in the old man's direction, speaking almost directly into his ear, and Jingyun frowned when she saw him pull a flask from his own pocket, pouring the contents into the old man's mug before bowing to him and backing away.  The old man lifted the mug to his lips, downing the entire mug in one long swallow and holding it out for more.  There was something almost… pitiful about him, in the way his hands shook, the way his eyes didn't seem to quite focus, in the way he slumped over the mug in his hands.  But he smiled when Cheng Musheng bent low to speak to him again, and that smile lifted the years from his face and put a sparkle in his eyes that make Jingyun's breath catch. 

He must have been stunning in his youth.

As Cheng Musheng finally moved away from the table, Jingyun followed him towards the kitchen.  Clearly there was a story here, and Musheng owed her one.

[abidethetempest]

Rise and Fall Ch 1 Retrospective

I've been wanting to do little behind the scenes style posts for my fics for EVER, and now i finally have a platform to do it >:D prepare to be subjected to my ramblings!!!! (link to the fic btw)

long ass post below the cut:

General Notes:

chapter 1 of any fic for me is both very fun and very nervewracking. writing the start of a project that I've been brainstorming for a long time can go one of two ways: i have All The Ideas right away and it comes out in one session, or i spend 600 years agonizing abt my ~vision~ and making sure everything is perfect. this fic was decidely the second. part of this is because im a big dumb idiot and planned everything except the opening for literal years. it took me probably 3 months just to get thru the intro stuff and feel like it was good enough to move on, let alone post.

Stuff I Cut:

unfortunately, there is actually a lot more i wish i could have included, but didn't for the sake of pacing. i wanted this section to include more of Risen's time alone on the road, her isolation from post-collapse society, and her deeply held guilt abt her role and self-percieved failures as a Lightbearer. i'd love to write some one-shots or little scenes about it! I wish we got to see more of what it would be like for a Lightbearer in the dark age that didnt want to be a Warlord, since timeline-wise we don't really see the emergence of the modern Guardian archetype until the Iron Lords or the early Titan orders. We hear abt it some from Drifter, but he is understandably reticent to speak on his past so we don't get much. Risen as a character feels very strongly about her purpose as the "Traveler's warrior", something that will be touched on next chapter, but she struggles to reconcile who she wants to be with the reality around her. The aftermath of this gets explored as time goes on, but i do want to revisit her very early days of life as a new light someday.

The Sanctuary:

the mission that Risen and Ghost are on at the beginning of this fic is,,,,, entirely made up by me, it's not from canon or remotely related to anything in the lore (as far as i know, at least). They're chasing rumors, driven by Risen's desperation for someplace to find a family and a purpose, and by Ghost's desire to keep Risen away from danger. I just needed a reason for them to be on the move.

The Town:

The town scene is... *sigh*. I struggled with it a lot. In part because it, AGAIN, was not something i had ever planned for until i actually sat down to write. I needed a scene to show Risen's desire to be a protector of others conflicting with her current modus operandi. I still feel like it's too on the nose when she talks to Ghost at the inn but sometimes you just gotta spell it out i think. Her reaction after running came out as I wanted, though. While running away to fight another day might be the logical choice, Risen definitely is the type to carry her guilt with her forever even if it was the "right decision". Risen:

I LOVE Ghost as a character. I want more Ghosts that are flawed, angry, hurt. More Ghosts who are afraid maybe none of the fighting and death is worth it. More Ghosts who go thru just as much development as their Guardians, please. I find it interesting that, as the first contact a Guardian has and their constant companion, a Ghost has a big influence over their Guardian's early development, and I want to see it explored more how they could push their Guardian down one path or another.

Warlords:

In case anyone is wondering, the Warlords in this fic are entirely OCs. The destiny timeline already gives me hives, I am NOT abt to try and find some canon characters to use in this fic when I can just.... make them myself. Warlords are such cool concepts! I want more lore about them (and the Dark Age in general).

I think thats all I have for now! Thanks for reading (assuming anyone is reading these lol)

[mediaevalmusereads]

The Penelopiad. By Margaret Atwood. Canongate, 2005.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Genre: historical fiction, mythology, retelling

Part of a Series? No

Summary: In Homer's account in The Odyssey, Penelope—wife of Odysseus and cousin of the beautiful Helen of Troy—is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife, her story a salutary lesson through the ages. Left alone for twenty years when Odysseus goes off to fight in the Trojan War after the abduction of Helen, Penelope manages, in the face of scandalous rumors, to maintain the kingdom of Ithaca, bring up her wayward son, and keep over a hundred suitors at bay, simultaneously. When Odysseus finally comes home after enduring hardships, overcoming monsters, and sleeping with goddesses, he kills her suitors and—curiously—twelve of her maids.

In a splendid contemporary twist to the ancient story, Margaret Atwood has chosen to give the telling of it to Penelope and to her twelve hanged maids, asking: "What led to the hanging of the maids, and what was Penelope really up to?" In Atwood's dazzling, playful retelling, the story becomes as wise and compassionate as it is haunting, and as wildly entertaining as it is disturbing. With wit and verve, drawing on the story-telling and poetic talent for which she herself is renowned, she gives Penelope new life and reality—and sets out to provide an answer to an ancient mystery.

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: allusions to rape, violence, slavery

Overview: This book has been on my TBR for a while, and I was in the mood for a mythological retelling, so I picked it up. Overall, this was one of the more interesting retelling I've read in a long time; I loved the way Atwood played with form and how she devoted time to exploring the injustice done towards the 12 maids that were hung in the Odyssey. However, I didn't give this book a higher rating because I was personally a bit disappointed by Penelope's story. I wanted Atwood to delve into her emotions more and perhaps talk about how women find agency in a patriarchal world. However, it felt like Penelope was absolutely miserable all the time, so for that, I couldn't quite feel satisfied with this book.

Writing: Atwood's writing is the standout star of this book, and I loved the way the author played with language and form to evoke an emotional response in the reader. The book is divided up into sections, some of which detail the events of Penelope's life and some of which are poems, lectures, excerpts from a play, or courtroom hearings that expand on the thematic elements of Penelope's story. In my opinion, the poems, lectures, etc. were some of the most clever and memorable parts of the book. I loved the turns of phrase in the poetry and how Atwood's word choices made me feel absolutely enraged on behalf of the hanged maids. I also think the more anachronistic passages, like the courtroom transcript, made this retelling feel more transformative, and it piqued my interest more than a strictly historical narrative would.

Penelope's narration, while not as memorable, does contain some things I like. I was particularly intrigued by the way Atwood blends past and present, choosing to have Penelope narrate after she has been dead for a few thousand years. It not only gave our protagonist a different perspective on thibgs, but it also made the more modern language feel appropriate; because Penelope has been witness to advances in technology and language, she is able to speak to the reader using familiar phrases and metaphors. Plus, the idea of a story transcending time is echoed in the very language and POV itself, and I very much like when authors match form to function.

Plot: The plot of this book roughly follows Penelope's life, answering the question of what Penelope was up to while Odysseus was away at war (and while he was trying to sail back). Personally, I found the story to be somewhat disappointing, particularly because Penelope seemed to be a victim of patriarchy and little was made of her few attempts to claim power. Penelope is ignored for most her life, and that loneliness only seems to increase when she sails to Ithaca. Even her husband and own son don't seem to value her much, and it made me wish that Penelope would have at least one person whom she loved and loved her back. Granted, there are hints of that with the maids, but for me, it wasn't personal enough to feel like a deep emotional connection.

Characters: Penelope, our protagonist, is sympathetic in that she has to navigate some difficult situations. I liked that Atwood portrayed her as clever, almost as a match for Odysseus, and that she voices her displease at being a woman whose behavior is used as a weapon against other women. While I do wish Penelope had more interesting things to do plot-wise, as a character, I enjoyed her way of narrating and her struggle for survival.

The only thing that irritated me about Penelope was her strange obsession with her cousin, Helen of Troy. Helen is portrayed as vain and unkind, always wanting to be the center of attention, and Penelope spends her entire life (and a good portion of her afterlife) either jealous of Helen or judgmental of her. To me, it didn't feel like a productive antagonism; there wasn't necessarily a clear message about something like inner vs outer beauty, or loyalty or the patriarchy. It just seemed like there was conflict in order to make most of Penelope's woes Helen's fault, and I didn't appreciate it.

Supporting characters like Odysseus and his family were fine. I think they were as fleshed out as they needed to be, and any more complexity and they might have been a distraction. I kind of wish Atwood had made more of Odysseus's lack of fidelity (in contrast to Penelope's constancy) and commented on double standards between men and women, but then again, I don't think the reader needs to be beaten over the head with these themes.

But I do wish Atwood had made the maids more complex so that their deaths felt more emotionally impactful. As it stands, only one of the maids is named, and not much is told to us except that most of them were raised by Penelope and most of them were raped by the Suitors while trying to obey their mistress's commands. Most of the time, the 12 maids are treated like a single entity with not much character other than their thirst for vengeance after death. Penelope tells us that they mean a lot to her, but it's hard to feel it because we aren't really shown moments of true connection.

TL;DR: The Penelopiad is an intriguing retelling of the Odyssey, with Atwood's prose and experiments with form as the standout stars of the book. While the tepid feminism and lack of characterization for the maids made this book less exciting than it could have been, I still think this is one of the better reimaginings of Greek myth, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for more stories focusing on legendary women.

[queersatanic]

So did y'all exclude transmascs from this article https://queersatanic.com/the-satanic-temple-cannot-help-you-get-an-abortion-and-it-does-not-deserve-your-support/ for fun? Cause "women and nonbinaries" isn't the inclusivity one would expect from a queer satanic blog.

Without trying to be insulting, this is literally just a reading comprehension issue on your part.

That being the case, we're going to drop the section you're talking about below the jump for full context.

"Many women and nonbinary people who have spoken out" is not a gesture at inclusivity. It's describing the specific collection of people that immediately follow and are linked to: trans women, cis women, and nonbinary people.

Unless someone's gender identity has changed, we don't have any men included in that list, and in the case of trans men specifically, we don't have examples of such people speaking out about this.

Many women and nonbinary people who have spoken out about problems among TST’s leadership as a persistent issue, although from top people this has slowed down in recent years, likely due to TST threatening critics with legal action for supposedly violating Non-Disparage Agreements they forced top people to sign (and yes, continue to use):

Why I’m Leaving The Satanic Temple by Emma Story

“The Struggle for Justice is Ongoing” by Jex Blackmore

Mary Doe Speaks, an interview by the former TST St. Louis Chapter with TST client Mary Doe, as well as the response to Temple co-owner Lucien Greaves publicly attacking her (part one) (part two)

“Yet Another Quitting The Satanic Temple Post” by Autumn

Why I Left The Satanic Temple by Aria deSatanas

End of Times, Beginning of Times by Evelyn Breedlove

Local chapter member banned, doxxed after reporting sexual assault of chapter head by Anonymous, for obvious reasons

Top leadership more concerned with damage control than addressing damage, (part one) (part two) shared by Rumor Solanine

Second thoughts about Philadelphia Lupercalia by u/tossatanicacc

See also comment “I’m getting some heat from our admin for posting this”

See also: The Satanic Temple’s “Sex-Positive Guidelines” document, namely “Participatory events are those in which attendees may participate in consensual sex-positive activity, 1. Might include orgies, BDSM, fetish balls”

See also TST Ordination Council Member Dex Desjardins re: official TST orgies and the need for that document being that the orgies have “been happening for a while now”

On Washington State leadership by Randi a.k.a. SnailWhisperer

With additional context by another former member, Wylie

Yet more by a third person, Luciana Lovecraft; a fourth, Lynne Cooney; a fifth, Aeryn Kylie Reed; a sixth, who tried to enroll her child in After School Satan (more on that); a seventh, Luci Furr; and an eighth person, famous for their “Lady Lucifer” character.

[eliteprepsat]

The College Board goes to great lengths to ensure that the SAT remains fair—not only to avoid complaints and lawsuits but to maintain a high-quality product. (After all, the College Board is a business, competing with the ACT.)

More to the point, the main purpose of the SAT is to provide a fair, “standardized” means of evaluating students, offsetting any inherent variations among various high school class difficulty levels and teacher grading styles. To establish fairness, the SAT-makers test each question on a large group of students over time and then employ statistical methods to ensure a similar balance of “easy,” “medium,” and “difficult” questions on each test version.

Even after these extensive efforts to craft each test equally, there is naturally some variance in difficulty from one test to the next. To address this, the College Board uses what’s called an equating process. First, a student’s “raw scores” (the total number of questions answered correctly) are calculated for the math, reading, and writing sections. Then, these numbers are converted into “scaled scores” (the section scores between 200 and 800). The specific conversion will differ depending on the difficulty of each test version.

“So, for example, a single incorrect answer on one administration could equal two or three incorrect answers on a more difficult version. The equating process ensures fairness for all students.” — College Board tweet

Let’s look at an example from a couple College Board SAT tests. Compare the two conversion tables below: On test #1, a raw score of 50 for math translates to a scaled score of 700, whereas on test #2, the same raw score of 50 translates to a scaled score of 720.

In determining each “scale,” the College Board does not compare your scores to those of other students who take the SAT on the same date as you, so any rumor you may have heard about particular test dates being easier or harder is untrue.

The take home message can be summed up by this statement from the College Board: “A score of 400 on one test form is equivalent to a score of 400 on another test form.”  

As a result, colleges and universities can confidently compare students’ scores from any given test date without having to adjust for test version differences.

All this being said, test difficulty is also subjective. So yes, some tests may be more difficult for you. It depends on how difficult you find the reading passages and questions on a given test version—one reason to take the SAT more than once.  

Hopefully though, you can breathe a little more easily knowing that all test dates are created equal. And remember that, really, the main thing to consider when choosing a test date is how prepared you are.

(For further guidance, see my previous article When Should I Take the SAT?)

[nntheblog]

Piccolo’s New Form Explained : Everything You Need To Know

Dragon Ball has provided powerups for Saiyans since the end of Super Saiyan Saga. It's almost as if other characters disappear and become punching bags for people. As if all that weren't enough, the series focuses solely on Vegeta or Goku. While we love to cheer on one or the other, some people (or many) prefer other characters to shine. Gohan was also pretty useless after the end of Cell. His fans had been trying to get him screen time, which led to him being left out. Piccolo, another fan, has also been forgotten. Piccolo, once the main antagonist of the story, has now been reduced to being a babysitter for Gohan. We wouldn't be talking about Piccolo's new form if that was true. Piccolo's new form was rumored for some time before the movie even came out. Now that the movie has been released, we can finally see the Namek achieve a level comparable to Rivals Goku or Vegeta. What is the secret to his ability to do this in form? It is discussed in the section below. Piccolo's new form is very strong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kFsb3_aMVo Explaining Orange Piccolo, What You Need To Know About Piccolo's GODLY New Form - Dragon Ball Super The spoiler for Dragon Ball Super Hero Movie is below. Please read it at your own risk. Piccolo's new body gave him power and some physical changes. Piccolo grows in stature and has the power to rival Vegeta's Ultra Ego and Rivals Goku's Ultra Instinct. This is a huge feat! How did he get this new body? He did not undergo a super Saiyan transformation. He chose a more straightforward route to get there. Piccolo made a wish for Shenron when things became dire for the newly formed Super Cell and asked him to unleash all of his potential. What is Potential Unleashed? - Piccolo New Form Explained To fully comprehend Piccolo's Orange form we must explain what the Potential Unleashed is. After performing the Old Kai’s Unlock Ability, one can reach the Potential Unleashed state. This ability is used by Gohan. This form is known as Ultimate Gohan. This Gohan form is different from the Super Saiyan ones because his eyes and hair are the same color. Gohan's most noticeable changes include a large black lock on his forehead, his eyes that are marked and accentuated musculature. It emits a similar aura to its base form, but the aura remains unchanged. Although this appearance is not permanent, Gohan can activate it whenever he wants. In the case of Gohan, the fundamental point of this state is the release all the forces that a Saiyan could provide to the Super Saiyan Transformation. Therefore, Gohan does not need to transform to achieve a certain level in fortress. It is a natural state but it requires regular mental and physical training in order to perform at its best. Otherwise, the person will lose their ability to access the state. Once he has reached this state, Gosen Zosama tells Son Gohan to use the same process that he used to transform into a Super Saiyan (feeling an intense sensation in his back after concentrating his energy on that part of the body), and to throw a Kiai. This state increases the user's power to an exponentially greater and unimaginable extent. This unlocks all the potential of the warrior that he could not use without resorting in anger. In the case Son Gohan's case, it gives him incredible powers that exceed the level of Super Saiyan 2 which is his maximum transformation up to that point. Even with a strength that surpasses Goku's Super Saiyan 3. Gosen Zosama has completed the potential unlocking ritual on Sacred Planet. The Kaioshin tells Gohan that he can test his power by trying transform into a Super Saiyan. After a ki expulsion, Gohan is granted the Potential Unleashed. Gohan is thus teleported to Earth via Kibito, and he fights Super-Boo in a rematch. Super-Boo is about to win a battle against him. The latter absorbs Gotenkss and Piccolo. This greatly increases his power and surpasses Gohan's. Gohan, despite being able to acquire the final form, is unable to use it because he left the training. Piccolo is preparing for the Tournament of Power and Gohan trains with him to be able to beat him as Super Saiyan. However, Gohan forces himself to awaken Piccolo’s Potential Unleashed. Gohan was able to quickly get the upper hand over his teacher by doing this, but he loses his guard and is defeated later. After training, he goes against his father and fights him in Super Saiyan Blue. (Just like Krillin with No. 18 and No. 17 in their respective fights), after which he insistently requests Goku to show his power. It is then that Gohan uses the Kaioken, and Gohan is clearly defeated. It was a blessing that he was able to regain his fighting spirit and desire to improve. Son Gohan is a different person in this state than usual. He fights against his enemies with no mercy, but he also becomes confident. This confidence is evident in the battle against Super Boo. This is very similar in nature to his transformation into a Super Saiyan 2 during the Cell Game. He underestimated Cell and nearly lost the battle. He can transform into a Super Saiyan 2 in this state but his power doesn't increase, which causes an unnecessary energy drain. From Dragon Ball Super to before the Tournament of Power, and from Dragon Ball GT onwards, you can see that Gohan's power has decreased and he decides to transform into Super Saiyan. This implies that he has lost his Ultimate Status. After unlocking his power, Gohan's aura in Dragon Ball Super upon releasing it after a long period of time can be seen surrounding by white luminous particles that are emitted by the flashes of energy. This element was not seen again in their subsequent encounters. Piccolo's new form: How did it come about? The transformation that followed was unlike anything else. Piccolo does not have any hair so he cannot have his hair changed. Instead, he grew to the size of Super Cell (he was strong and big) and received a symbol behind him. The symbol is a circular representation of the trees on Namek planet. Piccolo's True potential is Piccolo's new form. He not only grows in stature but also has slim arms and green-yellowish complexion. It is unclear if this was possible for Piccolo, or if it is also possible for other Nameks. We don't know because we only have one Namek fighter. Perhaps a future Namek would be able to explain this? What's the Dragon Ball Super Hero Movie All About? Dragon Ball Super is twenty-first movie of the series. This movie is the second to take part in the Dragon Ball Super period. The first was Dragon Ball Super: Brolly. Akira Toriyama, who is returning to the franchise as the film's scriptwriter, makes it the fourth Dragon Ball movie that he has written. Dragon Ball movies were animated using 2D drawings. Dragon Ball Super Hero uses 3D graphics for the first time. The movie featured Commander Red, an old antagonist. Many familiar faces returned to the movie, as well as new faces that have connections to those who were there before. Piccolo and Gohan, who were in a similar rut to Vegeta and Goku, are the focus of the movie. Piccolo and Gohan rise to a new level, which puts them on the same level with the duo. Read the full article

[market-news-24]

President Biden is said to be considering a major increase in tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, potentially raising them to as high as 100%. This move could have significant implications for the EV Market and US-China relations. Click to Claim Latest Airdrop for FREE Claim in 15 seconds Scroll Down to End of This Post const downloadBtn = document.getElementById('download-btn'); const timerBtn = document.getElementById('timer-btn'); const downloadLinkBtn = document.getElementById('download-link-btn'); downloadBtn.addEventListener('click', () => downloadBtn.style.display = 'none'; timerBtn.style.display = 'block'; let timeLeft = 15; const timerInterval = setInterval(() => if (timeLeft === 0) clearInterval(timerInterval); timerBtn.style.display = 'none'; downloadLinkBtn.style.display = 'inline-block'; // Add your download functionality here console.log('Download started!'); else timerBtn.textContent = `Claim in $timeLeft seconds`; timeLeft--; , 1000); ); Win Up To 93% Of Your Trades With The World's #1 Most Profitable Trading Indicators [ad_1] The US government is reportedly set to announce wider tariffs on several categories of Chinese goods, including various green products like solar panels and batteries, medical goods, and in particular an increase of tariffs on Chinese EVs from 25% to 100%. The rumors were first reported late Thursday that tariffs would be extended after a multi-year review of “section 301 tariffs” that had been implemented under the previous administration. Then today, Wall Street Journal reported that these tariffs would not just be extended, but expanded, with tariffs on Chinese-made EVs quadrupling from previous levels. Currently, all cars made in China are subject to a 25% tariff when imported to the US, on top of an additional 2.5% tariff that all foreign-made cars are subject to, totaling 27.5%. This large tariff has had the effect of excluding Chinese autos from the US Market, as it’s easier to export to countries with lower tariffs first. However, given Chinese EVs are incredibly affordable, even a 25% tariff might still result in competitive prices. For this reason, it has been considered inevitable by most observers that eventually Chinese EVs would make their way into being sold in the US. It seems that Biden has also decided that the 25% tariff wouldn’t be enough to forestall the advance, and has decided to instead quadruple it to 100%, meaning that Chinese EVs will effectively sell for double the price they would otherwise if brought to the US. While this has not been announced yet and the White House has declined to comment, an announcement on the new tariffs is expected on Tuesday. Tariffs have been called for by several entities in the US and Europe, as Chinese EV manufacturing has rapidly ramped in recent years. China was originally somewhat slow to adopt EVs – in 2015, EV Market share was just .84%, similar to the US Market share of .66% and well below California at 3.1% at the time. But in 2023, US Market share had risen to a meager 7.6% and California to just 21.4%, whereas China’s EV Market share was a whopping 37%, leapfrogging several other leading countries in the process (and it was just 5% in 2020, so the turn upwards has been very rapid over the last 3 years). It caught foreign manufacturers by surprise, leaving ICE car values plummeting in China as consumers are simply not interested. Despite the massive swing upwards in Chinese EV interest, EV manufacturing has risen even more rapidly. This has left Chinese automakers with more than enough vehicles for the export Market, and they have started exporting so many to Europe that they can’t find enough ships to carry them. Those EVs haven’t made their way to the US yet, but most think that it’s inevitable that they will soon. But with these increased tariffs, that makes it a little less likely that US consumers will gain access to these cheap, high-tech Chinese EVs.

This isn’t the first move that Biden has made to limit the ability of the Chinese auto industry to operate in the US. The Inflation Reduction Act which updated the US EV tax credit included protectionist measures to disallow Chinese-sourced EVs from taking advantage of the credit. To qualify, EVs must be assembled in America and must have a certain percentage of components sourced in the US or US free trade countries, and can’t include parts from “foreign entities of concern” (though there are some ways around this). The net effect of the regulation is that batteries sourced from China have a harder time getting access to US tax credits, thus reducing their competitiveness in the US Market. Win Up To 93% Of Your Trades With The World's #1 Most Profitable Trading Indicators [ad_2] 1. What is the rumored announcement from Biden regarding tariffs on Chinese EVs? - The rumor suggests that Biden may quadruple tariffs on Chinese EVs, potentially raising them up to 100%. 2. Why is Biden considering increasing tariffs on Chinese EVs? - Biden is reportedly looking to address concerns about a perceived imbalance in trade relations with China in the electric vehicle industry. 3. How would this potential tariff increase impact Chinese EV manufacturers? - A higher tariff could significantly raise costs for Chinese EV manufacturers looking to export their vehicles to the US Market. 4. What could be the potential outcome of such a tariff increase? - The outcome could result in higher prices for Chinese EVs in the US, making them less competitive against domestic or other foreign electric vehicle options. 5. When is Biden expected to make a formal announcement regarding this tariff increase? - There is no official date for when Biden may announce the tariff increase, as it is still just a rumor at this time. Win Up To 93% Of Your Trades With The World's #1 Most Profitable Trading Indicators [ad_1] Win Up To 93% Of Your Trades With The World's #1 Most Profitable Trading Indicators Claim Airdrop now Searching FREE Airdrops 20 seconds Sorry There is No FREE Airdrops Available now. Please visit Later function claimAirdrop() document.getElementById('claim-button').style.display = 'none'; document.getElementById('timer-container').style.display = 'block'; let countdownTimer = 20; const countdownInterval = setInterval(function() document.getElementById('countdown').textContent = countdownTimer; countdownTimer--; if (countdownTimer < 0) clearInterval(countdownInterval); document.getElementById('timer-container').style.display = 'none'; document.getElementById('sorry-button').style.display = 'block'; , 1000);