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cami-stuffs · 5 months

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Pushing Towards You

Chapter 20: New Year's Resolution

On the morning of the last day of the year, Calista was practicing telekinesis with the girl on the balcony of Artemis's room. The newly discovered skills needed to be improved so that new accidents would happen, even in an attempt to avoid them. The New Year's party was practically all organized, so the mother and daughter took some time for themselves.

Artemis was patient. Learning her skills as a shapeshifter made her resilient, and as she improved, her body control increased. This way, she found it easy to learn to control objects from a certain distance. Still, when she managed to keep them levitating in the air or even bring them to her hand, the girl became anxious and often lost control.

It was still impossible to know which material was most accessible to move; Calista took a while to realize her preference. It was a delicate exercise in body perception. Artemis was already practicing this perception with shapeshifting, so Calista couldn't tell if one skill hindered the other or helped. Only time and practice would reveal whether Artemis would be good at telekinesis or if it would be a secondary skill used in cases of extreme need.

It didn't matter to Calista whether this new ability was so powerful. She was ecstatic about the possibility of teaching her daughter something. Artemis was always different from her and Gaia. The mothers had to learn many things about shapeshifting to connect emotionally with their daughter. Still, neither of them could deeply understand all the difficulties that Artemis faced.

For obvious reasons, Larissa was the only one who managed to help Artemis become who she was. Private lessons helped the girl control and improve her shapeshifting skills. Artemis was now more confident and calm. And the girl, as time passed, the two became closer. After the relationship between Calista and Larissa came to light and the possible connection with Larissa became evident, the girl seemed to blossom even more. Artemis was now confident in herself; she knew her strengths and was aware of her weaknesses. In this way, little by little, she began to love herself.

This way, for Calista, teaching telekinesis became easier. It wasn't Artemis's primary skill, so the girl, although dedicated and willing to learn, didn't put too much pressure on herself. She paid attention to everything her mother said and repeated the same way she was told; sometimes she was wrong, sometimes she was right, but the girl didn't care; she liked this closeness with her mother.

"So, how are things with Ms. Weems?" Artemis asked as she tried to move a tray of cups.

"What do you mean?" Calista watched as the tray slowly moved and began to levitate on the table, slightly crooked.

"Well, you know. At Christmas, you guys talked about marriage and kids." Artemis tried to balance the tray, which became more and more crooked. "Today is the last day of the year. I want to see if the idea is valid or if all that talk was about the Christmas atmosphere."

"Well, there hasn't been an official marriage proposal." Calista prepared to help Artemis as the cups slid down the tray's lowered side. "But yes, the idea remains the same. I think recent events have put everything on hold."

Calista purposely left the shapeshifting couple's visit out of the conversation. She didn't know how this meeting would take place, and she also wasn't ready to talk to her daughter about the type of body shifting necessary for her to get pregnant.

"Sorry about that." The girl began to balance the tray and slowly moved it from one table to the other. "My little accident slowed things down."

"No need to apologize, my precious." Calista relaxed her body when she realized that her daughter was controlling the situation. "Larissa and I are adults. We've waited a long time to be together. Your accident didn't delay anything. I noticed you two getting even closer."

"We really got closer." Artemis moved the tray with the cups to the other table without knocking anything over and was happy with herself. "I think she will be a good wife. And a good mother in the future." She smiled at Calista.

"I think you're right about that." Calista was smiling at her daughter's achievement and her words regarding Larissa.

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Late in the morning, Calista headed to Larissa's office. The two hadn't seen each other since breakfast, and as Calista spent the whole morning with Artemis, she wanted to know if everything was already organized for the party or if she could help with anything else. She knocked briefly on the door, opened it without waiting for a response, and poked her head inside. Larissa was there, as always, working on her laptop, but this time, her gaze met Calista's, and she smiled.

"Hello, you." Larissa leaned back in her seat, moving away from the desk to welcome Calista into her arms. "I've been wondering where you were all morning."

"Did you miss me?" Calista sat on Larissa's lap and pecked her lips.

"Always, my dear." Larissa wrapped her arms around Calista's body, pressing against hers.

"I was with Artemis." Calista closed her hands behind the blonde's neck. "We were practicing telekinesis. She's talented. With a little training, she gets the hang of it."

"And with such a teacher. Easy to learn." Larissa moved forward to kiss Calista.

"Trying to seduce me, Principal Weems?" Calista smiled between kisses.

"Is it working?" Larissa moved her hand under the hem of Calista's shirt.

"Yes." Calista adjusted herself on Larissa's lap, placing the legs on either side of her thighs, keeping their lips attached.

Larissa's hands went up Calista's back until they found the clasp of her bra. Skillfully, she opened it, releasing Calista's breasts, which Larissa quickly cupped. Squeezing and running her thumbs over Calista's nipples, Larissa made her squirm and moan between kisses.

Larissa's mouth, reluctantly, moved away from Calista's lips and went down her neck, kissing and nibbling until she found the base of her neck. Calista bent her head to the opposite side to allow greater access to Larissa's lips while her fingers got tangled in the platinum hair, ruining the entire bun.

The door wasn't locked, and without letting go of Larissa's body, Calista moved her hand towards it and heard the key turning. Unconcerned, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing her breasts that hung in Larissa's face.

Larissa mouthed one of Calista's breasts, biting and sucking the nipples while her hand played and caressed the other breast. Calista felt the tickle between her legs and instinctively moved her hips, looking for some friction, but her jeans prevented any contact.

Holding Larissa by the shoulders, Calista stood up to remove her jeans under the other's protests at the loss of contact between their bodies. Quickly, the pants and panties lay in the corner of the room, and Calista was back straddling Larissa's lap, completely naked.

Larissa supported Calista's back with her hands while she attacked her breasts and nipples. Calista arched her body backward and moaned loudly while thrusting her hips toward Larissa's waist, trying to relieve the throbbing pain she felt between her legs.

"Riss, please," Calista whispered.

"Please, what, my darling?" Larissa smirked.

"I need you inside me." Calista managed to say between moans.

Quickly, Larissa's hands went down Calista's thighs until they reached the fabric of her skirt. She pulled her skirt up and her panties down, and there was the hard bulge. Larissa put her arm around Calista's waist and gave a tug; with the other hand, she held her shifted dick, directing it towards Calista's entrance.

There was no resistance; Calista was soaked. The wet noise mixed with Larissa and Calista's moans. Calista's hands went up to the back of the armchair behind Larissa. She held on tight and increased the speed of her thrusts. Larissa kept her hands on Calista's waist, guiding her movements while she sucked her nipples.

Calista and Larissa weren't going to last long, and they weren't even trying to make it. One desperately wanted the other as if they hadn't touched each other in a long time. Calista increased her speed and pressed her body against Larissa's to increase their contact further. Larissa was the first to give in, cumming, moaning loudly, and resting her head on Calista's chest. A few thrusts later, Calista came, relaxing her body on top of Larissa's shoulders.

The two hugged for a few minutes in silence, catching their breath. When the office phone rang, Calista was about to suggest that the two of them go to the bedroom. The last lunch of the year was ready, and everyone was waiting for Larissa and Calista. After a quick shower, with no time for more caressing and making out, the two headed to the Academy cafeteria.

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The New Year's party took place in the Academy's garden. The pillars were decorated with white lights and balloons, and tables with drinks and food were spread around the area. Few people had stayed at school for the end-of-the-year festivities, but Larissa made sure to throw a happy and well-stocked party for everyone.

A dance floor was set up in the middle of the garden, and a clock was installed above the main entrance for the countdown. Larissa was pleased with herself. Traditionally, she chaperoned Nevermore parties, but not that night. Larissa wanted to end the year with the people she loved, having as much fun as them.

Calista took advantage of Larissa's disposition and dragged her to the dance floor several times. None of her attempts were denied, and the two danced much of the night, accompanied by an ecstatic Artemis. From time to time, Gaia appeared in the group, but spontaneously, she took Larissa's place and checked that all the food and drink stations were adequately stocked and that everyone was having fun.

Everyone was having a great night. The last time Calista had seen such a relaxed Larissa was at the school reunion. The camera was no longer with her; it had become a relic among Calista's belongings, but she could record all those moments with her cell phone. Artemis and Larissa smiling and having fun on the dance floor. Larissa hugging her from behind in a typical and cliché couple photo.

As the night went on and midnight approached, Larissa became a little more agitated, and Calista didn't know why. It could be the feeling of anticipation for the first fireworks display that would take place in Nevermore. Larissa moved around the garden for the first time that night to talk to those responsible for the music and the pyrotechnic show.

Minutes before midnight, Larissa disappeared. Calista looked around to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. When the last minute of the year began, Calista was apprehensive about the director's absence. Artemis noticed and put her arm around her mother's shoulders to calm her down. “It's impossible that a new year would begin and Larissa wouldn't be by her side” - Calista thought.

As the countdown began, Calista felt a second hand on her shoulder and the approach of a body to hers. Looking back, she saw a smiling Larissa and received a kiss on the cheek. Now calm, Calista could enjoy the beauty of the fireworks chosen by Artemis and the beginning of another year alongside the people she loved most.

The fireworks display lasted a few minutes. Artemis had chosen the most colorful and noisy fireworks. Silence fell when the last one burst into the sky, and the flash dissipated. Before, people hugged and wished each other a happy new year; now, everyone was standing looking at the center of the garden, right where Calista was standing.

Calista turned around, looking for what caught everyone's attention, and came across a Larissa kneeling, in the old-fashioned way, with a small box in her hand and a pair of rings inside. Calista was stunned.

"I don't know if people nowadays still get down on one knee to ask each other to marry them." Larissa began. "But when we met, they did. And that's where our story began."

"I spent the whole week looking for the right words to describe everything I feel for you and how much I want to spend the rest of my life by your side." Larissa's voice was choked but remained firm, with her eyes fixed on Calista.

"But no word in the vernacular would be able to translate all the sensations I experience every time I look at you. Every smile, every hug."

"Lis, will you marry me?" Larissa finally asked. "Will you marry me and allow me to make you feel everything you make me feel?"

"Of course I will." Calista responded without blinking. "Come here." She reached out her hand to help Larissa up.

The two kissed passionately. Calista felt Larissa's arms wrap around her waist and briefly lifted her off the ground. Around them, they heard a roar of applause and Artemis's excited screams.

"Vernacular?" Calista mouthed as soon as Larissa released her.

"Sorry, I get really British when I'm nervous." Larissa replied, blushing.

Larissa placed the ring on Calista's finger, and Calista did the same to Larissa. Strangely enough, Calista's wedding ring fit perfectly. She didn't wear rings, a habit acquired with her profession, so she wondered how Larissa knew the size of her finger. But Artemis approached smiling, showing her hand. She was beginning to master the art of shifting just one body part. Calista now looked at her own hand where her daughter's hand used to be.

On the day they bought the fireworks, they also bought the rings. Calista began to understand that the closeness between Larissa and Artemis, little by little, became complicity.

The night ended as it began, with Calista, Larissa, and Artemis dancing. Gaia approached the couple and congratulated them, wishing them happiness. But she was committed to the tasks she took upon herself, so she also ended the night, ensuring everything was tidy.

The year began with a wedding to be planned.

Chapter 19 | Chapter 21

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abyssal-ali · 1 year

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Ice to Meet You

(I'm sorry about the title, that's all I could come up with when I was struck with the panic of needing a title when I posted)

Pairing: Daminette

Rating: G

WC: ~1.1k

A/N: This Maribat Meetcute was inspired by my parents<3 (they knew each other before this, but not very well, and this did happen). I was telling Ella about this, and we decided it was meet-cute-worthy, so I typed this up in an hour this morning. Beta-read by grammarly and that's it. Enjoy!

Note about this AU: Figure-skating AU, no capes AU. Damian wasn't raised by an assassin...I have no clue how he was raised, actually, but it wasn't by an assassin.

Marinette wiggled her toes in her skates, making sure she hadn’t cut off her circulation with that last tight knot, and stepped onto the ice. It was still pretty early, so only a couple similarly dedicated skaters were on the ice, leaving plenty of room for Marinette to start out with some basic moves as she continued warming up.

Her coach, Dick, should be here in about twenty minutes to go over her newly revised programme and inform her about her decision to try pair skating, so she focused on becoming completely loose and prepared for trying any new skills.

She got lost in the music in her ears, flying over the ice in contentment.

Coming out of a spin, Marinette saw Dick across the ice, talking to Mar’i, who was also on her team. Ever since Marinette had joined this skating group, she had gotten along great with Dick and viewed him as an older brother, playing pranks and joking with him when he wasn’t in coach mode.

Their formal instruction would start in fifteen minutes, so she still had time to play with him and Mar’i. Snickering evilly, she dug her picks into the ice and took off, gaining velocity as she sped across the cleared ice toward her unsuspecting victim.

“Dick!” she yelled happily, just before she made contact with him and sent him slamming into the boards.

Mar’i looked at her in horror.

“Hey, Mar’i! Don’t worry, your dad’s fine, we do this all the time.”

Mar’i shook her head and pointed at Dick, who was on the bleachers tying his skates, but had looked up at the commotion and was laughing. “That’s my dad, ‘Nette.”

Marinette turned to see who she’d just bodychecked and gasped in horror at seeing the star male figure skater of the group, Damian Wayne.

“I am so sorry, I thought you were Dick, we greet each other like that all the time. Are you hurt? I am so, so sorry for that!”

Forest green eyes met her own as Damian pointedly brushed a speck of snow off his sleeve.

“Fortunately for you, I am accustomed to my brother’s exuberant greetings as well. I will not hold this against you, as it would not bode well for our partnership to hold such things against one another.” Damian held his hand out in greeting.

“Damian Wayne, your new partner.”

“What?!”

Dick glided over to the small group in the corner. “I see you’ve already met, good. Marinette, you and Damian will be partners for the foreseeable future. Damian has decided to relax for a while after the Grand Prix, so he will be paired with you and can guide you through this learning curve. Any questions or concerns from either of you?”

Marinette shook her head, still a little in shock that the Damian Wayne was relaxing–apparently by skating with her? “Maybe later, but none right now.”

“Just one,” said Damian. “I want to see Marinette in action before anything else.”

Dick nodded at her. “The routine before this new one will be fine. Good luck!” He followed Mar’i off the ice, the traitors, to give her all the space she needed to complete her routine.

Damian hopped over the boards, not bothering with the gate, and that was completely unfair how good he looked doing that. (She’d tried once and almost cut herself. After that, she used the gate like a normal person. Dang being short!)

Dick queued up the music for her routine and Marinette took her opening spot on the ice as the opening notes played over the sound system.

Three and a half minutes later she took a bow, breathing deeply to calm her racing heart.

Damian had looked impressed and even smiled a bit at one of her flirty moves!

Thankfully, he seemed to have actually put the bodyslamming into the boards behind them, although Marinette still felt bad.

Maybe she could bring him some baking from when she inevitably stress-baked and overthought tonight? That sounded like a good idea.

“You skate well,” complimented Damian, as Dick and Mar’i skated over.

“Thank you.”

“That was great, ‘Nette! This new routine I have for you should be perfect for you, it builds off the skills you learned for this one. But first, just practice skating with Damian and hang out off-ice to build trust and friendship. It’s important to have that on- and off-ice. Of course, you don’t have to be blood-bound besties or anything, but be friendly; it’ll come in handy quite often when you’re skating together. Get to know each other well.”

Dick turned to Damian and placed his hands heavily on his shoulders, looking into his eyes. “I hate that you’re taller than me even when I’m in skates,” he grumbled. “Do not scare Marinette off with your intensity, and actually get to know her, please. I know you’re used to pairing with Rachel, but I’m sure you’ll get along just fine with Marinette if you try to get to know her.”

“Tt. I never said I would be anything less than courteous.” Damian turned to Marinette. “May I have your phone number so we can contact each other outside of the rink?”

“Uh…yeah, sure.” Marinette dug her phone out of her bag and handed it to Damian.

Dick and Mar’i exchanged glances behind Damian’s back, and Marinette wondered just how true the rumours of his standoffishness and cold-heartedness were.

“There, we have each other’s numbers. Text me when you’re free for dinner.” Damian handed her phone back and stepped back onto the ice, smoothly gliding across the surface.

Marinette looked questioningly at Dick.

“Uh…let’s head back to my office and we can discuss what to do next.”

Once they were safely in the hallway and Damian couldn’t overhear, Dick whispered to Marinette, “I’m surprised at how well he’s taken to you. Just keep doing whatever you’re doing, and if he gives you a hard time, come to me. His old partner quit and wanted to focus on a different path in life, so he’s still a little sore about that, but I think he needed something new, anyways. You’ll be good for him.”

Marinette smiled, a little less nervous. “I can’t deny being curious about him. I hope our friendship-slash-partnership goes well.”

“It will!” Dick beamed at her optimistically, and Marinette remembered the little smile on his face when he saw her routine.

Yeah, this would be fun.

○•○•○•○•○

In case you couldn't tell, I know nothing about the technicalities of figure skating. If I got something wrong...please ignore it:)

And if you're wondering why Marinette didn't know it was Damian, they're young adults here and he's about half an inch taller than Dick, to Dick's dismay, and they look similar from the back. Also, he's been in Europe competing at the Grand Prix, or their training schedules have no overlap, so they haven't met yet.

Any feedback welcome, including constructive criticism. Hope you enjoyed!💜

Taglist: @questioning-blob-of-fog @jennifer-rose123

#Maribat Meetcute #MM #Maribat #Mlbxdc #Dcxmlb #Daminette #Fic #ali writes

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druidgroves · 10 months

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ok dianthe backstory done she's also long RIP

Before Dianthe Parvenus was even a glimmer in her parents’ eyes, the Parvenus line started with her great-great grandfather, Theron, and his pact with the devil Mephistopheles. A poor man with no money and no last name, Theron did the unspeakable when he sold his immortal soul for money and influence. Thrust into Balduran nobility practically overnight, Theron took on the surname Parvenus to pass onto his newfound lineage.

Fool enough to make a deal but not fool enough to make a pact, Theron used his wealth to become an accomplished wizard. He passed the importance of magic and power down to his only son, Theron Parvenus II, whom he pressured into learning the arcane arts. Passing on the name as well as the expectation that each Parvenus patriarch be a master wizard became tradition. In the latter half of 15th century DR, Theron IV still carried that torch—somewhat.

By this point, the Parvenus line was hemorrhaging gold. Theron III had a bad habit of gambling and throwing money at his problems. Such an attitude lead the third Parvenus patriarch to die at the hands of particularly aggressive loansharks. However, it was his son, Theron IV, and his business prowess that saved the family name from going broke. At twenty, he used what was left of the money to start a business in the importing of spell components and magical items for low key, discerning customers. The idea made enough money to save their social standing as well as secure a marriage that eventually produced three children, Dianthe being the last.

Her elder siblings, Evander and Aurelia, were enrolled in an arcane academy young so as to build skill early. While their father was an accomplished wizard himself, he had a business to run and was simply too busy to teach them as his father had taught him and his father before and so on. Because of this, he pressured them to do well and exceed his own high expectations. When Evander and Aurelia were 8 and 7 respectively, their younger sister Dianthe was born, and sent the entire Parvenus family into chaos.

Born with blue skin and a pointed tail, it was said her mother died of shock right there on the bed when she was placed in her arms. Not long after the funeral did Theron IV find evidence of his great-grandfather's deal, with his youngest child being further proof that the Parvenus name was built on lies and fiendish magic.

Growing up, Dianthe wasn't treated terribly unfairly, but her father's expectations were higher than that of her siblings. She was always expected to sit straighter than Evander, or speak softer than Aurelia. She hated drawing attention to herself to avoid her father’s critical eye and did anything she could to fade into the background. She filled her time reading books about adventurers and far off places, a hobby that would keep her company growing up in her lonelier years.

Her siblings half-resented her for taking their mother away from them and it was clear in her father's eyes that he had his own complicated feelings about her. The only time they seemed to get along like a family was after dinner, when her brother and sister would show off the new spells they learned (a requirement from their father to keep up with their studies). Their magic had always entranced Dianthe and when the time came for her to start attending, she had to beg and plead her father to let her. At age eight, he finally relented by acquiring a private tutor for her.

Within an hour of her first day of class, the man ran out of their estate with fire clinging to his clothes, cursing the family’s name. This was when the wild magic that had laid dormant for nearly a decade showed itself, causing even more chaos for the family. No spell Dianthe cast was without consequence, whether it be fire, a temporary beard made of feathers, or becoming a polymorphed sheep. It was clear that she was a sorcerer with magic she couldn't control, no matter how dedicated to her studies she would be.

With her siblings excelling in their magic and Dianthe left behind as the black sheep of the family, she did everything she could to prove she was still useful to them. She poured herself into arcane theory in an attempt to study her own magic, as well as developing a keen knack for matters of money by listening in on her father's business dealings. She did well in ways she could get her hands on things, being able to accurately price any of the magic items coming in and out of her father's business and even pointing out errors in his ledgers (always with a polite, even tone). In fact, she did so well with finances that her father had discussed using her talents in the business officially, telling her that even if she could not match Evander and Aurelia in matters of magic, her mind could still be put to good use. She figured this was as good as it was going to get. At twenty-three, Dianthe began doing the books for the family business.

For the first time possibly ever, Dianthe felt like she earned her place in her family. During this time of unprecedented good luck, she became acquainted with a young nobleman named Malion Blackwell. He was an artist from a family of artists and the two quickly fell in love. He proclaimed Dianthe his muse and the attention was everything she ever wanted. For every portrait he did of her, she would shower him in gifts for she had no artistic talents to give back. Expensive paints, custom-made canvases, the works; Malion got as much supplies from her as Dianthe got adoration from him.

When discussion of who the family business would go to in the event of Theron IV’s death, Dianthe was sure she would be prioritized. She had done so well with the finances that they were actually saving money, as she had developed better trade relations than her father ever had. She excitedly told Malion of her prospects and the very next week he had a ring. It was no question that she said yes.

A week after that, Theron fell ill. A month later he was dead. The family business was left in Evander’s hands.

Dianthe seethed. She had never been this angry before. She had worked hard for the one thing she thought she was owed in her life, if not her family’s love then the business she helped shape. She would have thought her money-minded father would have at least realized that. She had more financial know-how in her little finger than her older brother had in his entire head. It was with this idea, and with bitter regret, that twenty-six year old Dianthe took the inheritance she had and left the family. She found herself a modest apartment in the Lower City with dreams of starting her own financial practice.

Malion did not share her dreams, and broke off their engagement and left her. Dianthe was devastated, now lonelier than ever, but managed to push through on her new dream. She began advertising herself specifically to adventurers, as she had come to know through visits to the Elf Song that most groups of heroes weren’t very financially savvy. For six years she worked and made the acquaintance of many a would-be adventurer, sometimes trading financial advice for stories of their conquests. Such stories eventually inspired her to perhaps follow the books of her youth and try her own hand at it. She had a little magic—that she was loathe to use, sure—but one didn’t need magic to adventure.

Little was she to know that on the day an illithid nautiloid passed over Baldur’s Gate, she would need more than just her innate, tangled knot of Weave to survive what adventure was to come.

#rae.txt #ch: dianthe parvenus

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hydraschaos · 3 months

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— BASICS

Name: Viktoria Ivanova Age / D.O.B.: 45; July 8th Gender, Pronouns & Sexuality: Cis woman, she/her, & lesbian Hometown: Berlin, Germany Affiliation: REDACTED Job position: REDACTED Relationship status: REDACTED Children: None Positive traits: charming, discreet, intelligent, perceptive, cunning Negative traits: paranoid, obsessive, temperamental, arrogant

Viktoria was born from a small family. A working couple that no one would turn to look at twice upon a quick look. Kind and polite if not a bit reserved. They tended to keep to themselves, but it wasn't that strange of an occurrence in the neighborhood they had chosen. Where most people tended to keep to themselves.

Viktoria had just turned nine when she found out her parents were wanted persons. A concept she couldn't quite grasp at such young age. They were loving parents, often playing with her whenever they could, after work and during the day, reading her bedtime stories and teaching her all sort of cool stuff about technology and languages. Her father often reading to her about each breakthrough. It wasn't strange to her, her father's fascination with it, nor did she paid it much mind when it was decided they needed to move. Even if she couldn't understand why would someone be after them.

She was twelve when they put together their first computer, going through every piece with the utmost care and detailed attention. A precision that was almost obsessive. Viktoria had already grown to love computers and technology as much as her father, and the time they spent together made it all better. She had a brilliant mind, he often said, everything about technology made sense to her, and her father tried to often get her books and magazines about it.

She had just turned thirteen when he decided to tell her why he was chased. Former KGB Agent, dedicated to gathering information for the Russian agency. He had been as drawn to any kind of data then as he was now. And he had sought out to pass his every knowledge to her. By then, she was already fluent in three different languages thanks to her mother, and becoming familiar with another thanks to her father.

By the time she turned sixteen, Viktoria could already access almost any mainframe she wanted. Computers became almost an extension of herself, the only friend she needed in their constant moving as her parents tried to remain invisible. It was a mistake of hers that put them in the radar, when she stubbornly tried to hack into the Russian security mainframe made it possible to track them. Learning of her mistake, her parents rushed to get anything they could, rushing out to get on the move again and doing their best to hide her. It was just two days later that they were found, Viktoria had been hiding in a safe house waiting for their return. After two days, she understood they weren't coming back.

She realized after that, that her parents had kept no physical records of her. A last and effective attempt at keeping her safe. So she started moving around, turning further to technology, finding comfort and familiarity in the only thing left that connected her to them. Learning from her mistake, Viktoria sought to better her knowledge, her skills. Found comfort in the anonymity her lack of papers provided, and grew used to live in the shadows. And started to sell information as way to make a living.

By the age of twenty-five, she had already started to form a small group, hackers she had met that had little qualm about selling information like her. Targeting the companies that had little regard for humanity, selling enough information to destabilize them. By them, she was already going by the alias Spectre. Another strong attempt at protecting her anonymity.

At thirty-five, HYDRA was a large known hacking group, hidden in the shadows and almost impossible to catch. The famous saying "cut off one head..." was embraced deeply. Neither was afraid to push forward for what they wanted, and they were often found targeting larger companies. The economy was theirs to play with, the world, their entertainment. Almost nothing happened that they couldn't find out about.

But it was at forty when things changed for Viktoria. When Davika Of Montmorency, fresh in her position as Adjudicator, entered her life. The activities of The Table was something that had already caught her attention, and Viktoria had followed them as they exerted their control on the world. She had remained outside their radar, and when Davika went to her, it had been largely expected, if not sort of planned. HYDRA didn't often involved itself in the underground activities controlled by The Table, but there had been something about Davika that had her agreeing to help her, just that one time to find whoever she needed to find. And it was enough to completely capture her.

The strong personality, that often clashed with her own. The constant battle of wills as they go this one job done. Had been enough to drive her crazy, a challenge unlike any she's had before. And Viktoria found herself revealing her true identity as well as asking the woman out. They got married a year after, a quiet, intimate affair that they later decided to keep under-wrap. They've been married for four years now, with HYDRA still working largely independently from The Table and Viktoria's identities completely separated.

#intro #talesfmintro

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fallen-darkness · 3 months

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Some Demyx HC

Version 1 - Myde from Radiant Garden

Son of a scientist. He'd mostly be raised by his mother as his father had barely been in the picture, only coming home ones in a while. Though disappearing when his mother died leaving him in the care of his older sister Aria. [Though I like the idea of the dad being Even I thought I'd keep it vague if the Even rpers aren't into it.]

He'd become determined to become a doctor and put a lot of his time in his studies. Though would fall back on practicing music during times of burnout.

His mother played music and encouraged him to learn different things. Though he'd mostly play violin he can play a few other instruments. Mostly string instruments.

When Radiant Garden fell he did escape to Traverse Town with some others. He would work as a medic for a little while despite being quite young at the time.

After he would eventually lose his heart he would eventually smuggle in some of his old textbooks and kept them hidden in an unused room.

There would be confusion over the weapon he had been given. And someone would end up being hit over the head because of that confusion. [Saix]

He keeps his medical skills secret during this time.

Version 2 - Dyme by the Sea

Dyme grew up in a seaside village. His father is a pretty wealthy town mage while his mother would often play music.

He would be pressured to learn as much magic as possible. Though he'd mostly use water magic he could use other types because of his training.

He has a sister named Aria who had taken an interest in collecting books. Between magical manuscripts for the main library or works of fiction for her personal collection.

Dyme would sometimes borrow books from his sister's personal collection.

After the fall of his home world and losing his heart Demyx would take up Aria's hobby of collecting books keeping them hidden in a secret library. Lots of time anyone finds the library they don't look too much into it and assume it was created by Zexion.

Version 3 - Descendant of Daybreak

This is just something that could apply to other of the first two version in which he was a descendant of someone who had once lived in Scala though his mother.

Aria 1 - Radiant Garden

Aria is the eldest sibling.

She takes after her mother and would dedicate herself into learning music. When her mother died she'd take up work at her uncle's bar as a singer for a bit of extra money as her bother sends just enough for her and her brother's needs.

She'd fall along with her home world and later become a dancer.

Aria 2 - Seaside Library

She is the oldest child of the village mage. She had some interest in learning magic from her father he wasn't very invested in her education and only taught her when it didn't have a son. So when Dyme was born she would study on her own.

She'd eventually start collecting books. Either books on magic to add to the family library or works of fiction for her own personal collection.

She is aware Dyme would borrow books from her but doesn't mind. She'd narrowly escape the fall of her home and would later live in Traverse Town.

#demyxheadcanon #dymeheadcanon #Right now I only have Xemnas HC on my page so I decided to write a bit of the three versions of Demyx I have.

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blinditcms · 1 year

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HALEY KENNEDY on the cover of this week’s most recent tabloid! many say that the age 26 YEAR OLD looks like DAISY EDGAR - JONES, but i don’t really see it. while the ACTRESS / INFLUENCER is known for being PROFESSIONAL my inside sources say that they have a tendency to be TOXIC. i swear, every time i think of them, i hear the song YOUNG ONES –– DI-RECT

BASIC INFORMATION:

name: haley kennedy. nicknames: hales. pronouns: she/her. gender: cis woman. age: twenty - six. date of birth: august 2nd, ‘96. place of birth: los angeles, california. astrological sign: leo. orientation: bisexual.

APPEARANCE:

height: five foot six. hair colour: brown. eye colour: brown. wardrobe style: following trends , but nothing particularly stand-out. tattoos: has a small K on the inside of her ankle. piercings: ears.

HEALTH:

physical ailments: n/a. mental ailments: anxiety disorder. alcohol use: socially. drug use: none. addictions: none.

PERSONALITY:

positive traits: professional , generous , creative , determined. negative traits: perfectionist , push-over , overemotional. mbti: ISTP-T.

ACTIVITIES & SKILLS:

skills: piano , acting , singing , transposing music , chess , golfing. weaknesses: confrontation , dancing , overthinks. languages spoken: english.

FAMILY:

father: jonathan kennedy ( alive ) mother: kathy kennedy ( alive ) siblings: diamond kennedy , isabella kennedy , johnny kennedy , jordana kennedy , mackenzie kennedy. other family: maiya kennedy ( niece ) , micah kennedy ( nephew ) , graham lawrence ( ex - brother in law ) , christian o'malley ( ex - brother in law ). pets: oz ( male australian shepherd , 1.5 years old )

BACKGROUND : ( tw: domestic abuse , assault , miscarriage )

growing up in perhaps the second most famous family in america was , in one word , overwhelming. haley was only six when the cameras entered their home and refused to leave , documenting every minute of every day and every tiny accomplishment. spending time with family became monetised. it became a competition , not just getting the attention from the cameras , but getting attention from their parents. she dedicated herself to music , learning to play the piano , take singing lessons ... but as she grew up , that wasn't enough. haley had always been a daddy's girl , but with the cameras coming in , the more often jonathan kennedy sr. could be found on the golf course. so she did too.

haley followed the rules because she wanted to be liked , and in doing that ... she was forgettable and rather unpopular on the show. people didn't care about what was going on with her , which came with one positive – she got some privacy. out of all of her siblings , her life was probably the most normal. she could go to rehearsals for school musicals without getting followed around , more often focusing on johnny's partying or diamond's wedding rather than her high school producation of grease.

upon finishing high school , she was accepted into julliard to study musical theater , but before she could start , she was cast as zoe murphy in the original washington run of dear evan hansen and eventually on broadway. people shouted that it was a nepotism decision , but when the cast album released and nominations came rolling in for the musical , few critics could deny that she was talented. doing six shows a week in new york city , however , meant that she was barely home , and people started separating haley kennedy from the kennedy clan –– and she didn't mind it.

after her run as zoe murphy in dear evan hansen , she took over the role of jenna in waitress. this is where she met her , soon to be long - term , boyfriend matt davenport. they dated for two years before moving in together in 2022 , when haley was painted green for the first time and took over elphaba in wicked. however , it wasn't the only thing that saw green. the attention she was getting , with his career stagnant , was souring the relationship. when they finally unpacked the final box in november 2022 , he proposed and she accepted.

as soon as they were engaged , however , he became controlling , wanting her to come straight home from performances and refusing to let her see friends. similar to the role she'd played in waitress , arguments became constant , matt laying hands on her on several occasions. covering bruises before she went to perform became a daily occurance and having stepped away from the family , she didn't dare reach out to them for help. matt announced her pregnancy on instagram in early march , at six weeks pregnant when no one but the two of them knew.

not but a month later , reports came out that haley had been admitted to mount sinai hospital in the early hours of the morning , after paparazzi had caught the couple arguing on their way home. as soon as she was deemed fit to leave , she took the first flight back to los angeles.

#hillzhqsintro #tw: miscarriage #tw: domestic abuse #tw: assault #* ☆ haley kennedy. | muse.

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heirscrchd · 1 month

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Headcanon - Mental Health

Contrary to some canonical instances, Azula's mental state is still as poor as it had been while in the institute. It has been a continuous breaking down every year since she developed her firebending.

Having spent many of her early childhood years destroying and crumbling any sense of empathy one could have Azula had never been given the chance to be mentally sound. Believing and being taught to instill the ideals that she must be everything that Zuko wasn't, perfection was never an option. Not when it came to her lessons, her life, or any other part of her if she was to eventually take over as Fire Lord. On top of that, she was trained more as a soldier, built up to be a perfect general and powerful weapon, Azula's mental and emotional growth was stunted early as she also dedicated herself as much as she could.

After all, her father would show her more love the more she perfected her skills. People would adore her, worship her, and she was given an affection that, at the time, was beyond anything any one child could have wanted. So she worked to keep it by any means even if it meant becoming a monster.

From this abusive upbringing, Azula learned to cope in other ways with it. Due to the feelings of being left behind that arose with her Mother's neglect and later abandonment, she developed unhealthy attachment behaviors. Believing that she must own those who are close to her, and have power over them, and using the fear she has projected and mirrored to her loved ones. Forcing them to stay, forcing them to love her, all stemming from her mother, the one she couldn't keep. If it was her own fear that kept her from abandoning others, she would put that same fear into those close so they, similar to her, never leave. until she's done with them. . .

Make no mistake, Azula knew very well this was not good. In fact, she was fully well aware that doing these things was extremely harmful but she felt herself needing it nonetheless. Continuing to justify her actions stating that she knew best. That she could meticulously control and influence everything in her life to be as she wished. Praised and adored for how intelligent and skilled she was, what else was she to believe?

Though now it has all backfired. When abandoned by those around her after her abuse came to a breaking point she completely shattered. A mental break of all the built-up cracks through her young life caused psychosis and difficulty in believing reality from her own delusions of those whom she had once loved and cared for. Everyone she tried to keep, now haunting her each day. Mocking her with phrases and things she would want to hear, but it only fueled her hatred more. Instead of the comfort her subconscious was pleading and screaming at her for, Azula wouldn't allow it to quell her fire. Even while in the institution she would make things as difficult as possible. Never truly taking the treatment she was given seriously in the slightest.

Knowing that anything they found out about her would be used against her, she instead played to the angle everyone saw her as for a time. A few times she would try to even act as if she was doing better, and it had almost succeeded until she was denied release. No doubt someone, she assumes to be Zuko, could see through the deception knowing her tricks well.

#Truth Revealed in Flame // HC #;; on one hand i enjoy the idea that yes nature vs nurture in azula and if she was always born that way or raised as such #;; i think that while it was nurture to make her less empathetic #;; she chooses to continue this behavior despite knowing how harmful it is #;; is where she diverts from it #;; she justifies herself at every turn #;; she knows its harmful so she has t he justifications for everything not only as a way to absolve herself from #;; feeling like shes failed or to hurt those she *might* care about #;; azula is not a good person #;; she is way past a point id consider her redeemable #;; and even then she'd be more neutral evil than anything #;; she is a narcissist in a sense as well so its just #;; a perfect soup of awfulness #;; enabled by the fact she continues to enable her own behavior and refuse to change

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rencwn · 1 year

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• • • my tears ricochet by taylor swift : spotted! if it isn’t haley harkwell walking through the streets of nyc. people say she looks like daisy edgar - jones, but i really don’t see it. the twenty6 year old musical actress / socialite is out here making mommy and daddy proud. while she has been known to be + supportive, we’ve all seen her - pushover nature come to light. sources tell me she reminds people of freshly baked cupcakes , a quiet night in with a book , the smell of rain on a hot summer’s day , the tickles in your stomach before going on stage. / cis female & she / her.

BASIC INFORMATION:

name: haley eleanor harkwell. nicknames: hales. pronouns: she/her. gender: cis woman. age: twenty - six. date of birth: august 2nd, ‘96. place of birth: new york city, ny. astrological sign: leo. orientation: bisexual.

APPEARANCE:

HEALTH:

physical ailments: n/a. mental ailments: anxiety disorder. alcohol use: socially. drug use: none. addictions: none.

PERSONALITY:

positive traits: professional , generous , creative , determined. negative traits: perfectionist , push-over , overemotional. mbti: ISTP-T.

ACTIVITIES & SKILLS:

skills: piano , acting , singing , transposing music , chess , golfing. weaknesses: confrontation , dancing , overthinks. languages spoken: english.

FAMILY:

father: james harkwell ( alive ) mother: cassandra harkwell ( alive ) siblings: 4 ( tba ). pets: ozzy ( male australian shepherd , 1.5 years old )

BACKGROUND : ( tw: domestic abuse , assault , miscarriage )

growing up in the upper east side, in perhaps the most famous family in new york city was , in one word , overwhelming. haley was only six when cameras entered their lives when her father ran for senator. his campaign plan was to show his family, to make them feel relateable. it meant documenting every minute of every day and every tiny accomplishment. spending time with family became monetised. it became a competition , not just getting the attention from the cameras , but getting attention from their parents. she dedicated herself to music , learning to play the piano , take singing lessons ... but as she grew up , that wasn't enough. haley had always been a daddy's girl , but as the time continued and the race for senator continued , the harder it became for haley to connect to her parents.

haley followed the rules because she wanted to be liked , and in doing that ... she was out of sight , out of mind. her parents had more imporant things to worry about. it came with one positive – she got some privacy. and she spent that privacy and freedom by going to rehearsals for school musicals and getting more involved with the show choir , still terrified to step out of line.

upon finishing high school , she was accepted into julliard to study musical theater , but before she could start , she was cast as zoe murphy in the original washington run of dear evan hansen and eventually on broadway. people shouted that it was a nepotism decision , but when the cast album released and nominations came rolling in for the musical , few critics could deny that she was talented. doing six shows a week in new york city , however , meant that she was barely home despite living in the same city , and people started separating haley harkwell from the senator harkwell they all knew –– and she didn't mind it.

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annalyticall · 2 years

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Thoughts on Dragon Age: Inquisition

Other Dragon Age Thoughts: Dragon Age: Origins | Dragon Age 2 Part 1 | Dragon Age 2 Part 2

It's done!

Going into Inquisition I was aware of two things: one, that it heavily revolved around the theme of faith, and two, that Solas was the villain somehow. I didn't know much more beyond that, so I was excited to learn that by playing an elf mage I was going to be playing a Dalish First like Merrill was, instead of a circle elf like my Surana. This gave me more narrative threads to follow since I was originally only planning on exploring the question of faith from the viewpoint of a mage (a continuation of Anders' influence, I suppose) but ended up exploring much more the question of warring faiths - faith in the Maker and faith in the elven gods.

My Inquisitor was Eva Lavellan, a soft-spoken yet fun-loving First dedicated as much to preserving elven culture as she was to finding peace with her human neighbors, doing her best to balance the honor of their past and the betterment of their future. While she never claimed to be Herald of Andraste, she didn't deny it either, hoping the title would give humans enough faith to rally behind an elven hero. It wasn't until her experience in the Fade and the Well of Sorrows that she realized the Chantry would erase her heritage anyways, so she rededicated herself to her elven culture despite the Chantry. Her vallaslin honor Ghilan'nain, the halla mother. I used halla leather to tint her armor because I'm nothing if not devoted to my character aesthetic lol.

Major story decisions include: Allying with the mages, reuniting Empress Celene and Briala, sacrificing Hawke to the Fade instead of Alistair, recruiting the Grey Wardens, drinking from the Well of Sorrows, inspiring Leliana (on accident, I only knew this was possible from a coworker who congratulated me for it lol), getting Leliana promoted to Divine, spreading the truth about Ameridan, vowing to redeem Solas, and disbanding the Inquisition. I completed all companion's personal quests and maxed out my approval with all except Sera, who greatly disapproved of my drinking from the Well of Sorrows and would not become my friend after that. I made Cole more human, sentenced Thom Rainer to serve as a true Grey Warden, did not sacrifice the Chargers, and encouraged Cassandra to rebuild the seekers. Lavellan married Cullen with Dalish vows.

Like before, I'll break down my thoughts into "The Good, The Bad, and the DLC" a well as "The Companions" since they were a major part of the game. Then a special bonus section for Cullen and Solas because wow do I have Opinions on those two and their respective romances, so skip to Conclusion if you don't care about them lol

The Good

Knight Enchanter. I was pretty disheartened when I learned there was no healer specialization and that I could no longer spam heal since that's how I survived combat the last two games. However, the lack of healing made the combat more interesting. For once I had to think strategically about the gameplay and figure out which skills would work best together. Knight Enchanter was a godsend. Even when my team was down I was able to solo kill a dragon with no healing potions. The ability to play as a tank warrior and still be a mage was genius, and even better was the fact that the specialization in-lore aligned perfectly with my character: a skill originating from the elves and reappropriated to serve the Chantry. Sounds familiar. In any case, this game was the first one I didn't set the difficulty to easy just to skip the combat.

Atmosphere. The music. The level design. The subtle physics of character movement. Everything worked together to immerse me in the world, even the locations I didn't particularly like, like the Hissing Wastes and the Deep Roads. I LOVED the Emerald Graves and the Exalted Plains, and the entire Crossroads Shattered Library section in Trespasser (perhaps a biased opinion for a Dalish elf). I listened to the soundtrack of this game on its own because the ambient music was just so good.

Companion Quests. Every game has had them so far but the ones here felt most worthwhile. There were some very big and long-lasting decisions to make here, such as the fates of Thom Ranier and Cole and the Chargers. I also liked how many quests involved other companions - Cole's involved Solas and Varric, Thom's involved Cullen, Cullen's involved Cassandra, so on and so on. Really felt like the Inquisition was one unit instead of disparate companions lumped together by association to the main character.

Wow That's a Lot of Content. There was. A lot. To do. And that was both good and bad, but I'll start with the good. I liked having the opportunity to get to know the places I was exploring and having time to hear the banter between my party. The downtime between missions helped build that sense of camaraderie and nostalgia once I stopped playing.

Get-Along Shirt. Something that rubbed me the wrong way about Dragon Age 2 was how much everybody fucking hated each other and nobody ever learned or grew. Anders and Fenris were at each other's throats from day one and they never realized how much they had in common. Inquisition more or less fixes this. There are still some companions who never get along, but you can at least sense they are developing some respect for one another. Although I didn't get to see the romantic consequence of it, I was still able to appreciate this sort of growth in the Dorian/Bull banter.

Romance. Yes, for once I'll praise the romance scenes here. I only played through Cullen's romance and watched a playthrough for Solas', but I do like the variety of romantic dynamics you can have and the progression of each is believable enough, culminating in some very sweet and touching moments that were fairly well-paced. I was mostly spared from sex scenes this time around, though awkward kissing animations still haunt me.

The Bad

Too Much Too Soon. I'm going to say it: The Hinterlands is a terrible location to start the game. The map is too big, there's too much to do, and it's not very easy to navigate for a new player. I think a location like Crestwood would have been much better to start with. It's more streamlined and has a main quest that's easy to follow. As it is, I had to restart the game 10 hours in based on a save file error, and even replaying the first 10 hours again felt like I was replaying the tutorial.

Wow That's a Lot of Content. My god. Once I hit the 100-hour mark I was quickly starting to tire of this game. I know the devs probably put so many side quests in there so people enjoy the hard work they put into the level design but having so many needless collect-a-thon quests padded out the game unnecessarily. I think this game could have easily been cut down to 80 hours or so and not lose anything for it. I don't need to collect 144 crystal shards I just don't.

Decisions, not Consequences. Something I praised Dragon Age 2 for was making the consequences of your decisions unclear until you finally experience them. For example, the game will not ask you if Carver should become a Grey Warden or a Templar, it solely depends on if you brought him and Anders with you on the expedition. That felt real. Inquisition does not do this often and I think it suffers for it. It asks you if you want to ally with or conscript the mages, warning you that allying with the mages might leave them open for corruption. This decision never backfires. Same with recruiting the Grey Wardens. Drank from the Well of Sorrows? Well, Mythal can control you now but she barely asks you to do anything so don't worry about it. There are no consequences for your actions, except who becomes Divine. You will win regardless. That severely hinders my enjoyment from making any decision at all.

War Table Missions. I like the idea in theory but in execution, it was too much reading for too little reward. Cutting down on the number of missions and the reports you have to read would have made a big difference, or even better, getting the player physically involved in some way. My favorite table missions ended up being ones I came across naturally in the field. That or ones that made reference to previous characters, like getting a letter from my Warden, helping Zevran, or defending Kirkwall from Sebastian.

No Evil Allowed. I get it. You're the Herald of Andraste, a supposed holy prophet. You probably shouldn't have total freedom to do the kind of shit you could do in the last two games, like defile a holy relic or sell your friend back into slavery or kill all your companions. Not being able to be anything worse than rude or disagreeable DOES give the effect that you are being stifled by this all-powerful religion, and I think that really could have gone somewhere. However, that's never truly explored, and the player is never given the teeth to fight back against any differing opinion. At worst you might be a little too execution-happy as a judge but since most of those who are brought to you have done some great evil anyways it's not like it can't be justified. The abundance of middle-of-the-road options makes the game feel too limited in possible personalities and doesn't make me feel nearly as good when I choose to be good.

The Dalish. I had this whole thing prepared for how this game handled the Dalish, then I found an article that basically made all my arguments for me. TL;DR though, the Dalish always get the short end of the stick; the Dalish inquisitor's clan can be slaughtered in a war table operation without so much as a mention by anyone including the inquisitor, there are no companions vocally sympathetic to the Dalish, and the Dalish religion and culture is constantly challenged or questioned or proven wrong, and all of this is frustrating considering the Dalish clans are coded to be minority nomadic tribes.

Blood Magic and Red Lyrium. You thought I was done ranting about blood magic? The thing is, my problem with blood magic and red lyrium in Inquisition is somewhat different from my problem with it in Dragon Age 2. In DA2, I thought it was a cheap way to blur the moral line between religious persecutors and the religiously persecuted. In Inquisition, I think it's a cheap way to hide any nuance there could have been in the mage/templar war. This war should have been a BIG DEAL, considering that's what Dragon Age 2 was building up to. But there was no room for an honest debate here because both sides are being manipulated to do vile things - the Red Templars are under the influence of red lyrium and the mages at Redcliffe are heavily implied to be under the influence of Venatori blood magic. There isn't any real side to take because no one is acting on their own accord. I allied with the mages based on principle but I wasn't even happy about it because I could have boiled down my argument to 'they would be best to close the breach and also they were being mind-controlled by other mages so maybe they're not completely at fault here.' My decision had almost nothing to do with the fact they had been systematically oppressed by the Chantry for a thousand years, you know, the whole reason this war started in the first place?

Tranquil. I was pissed when I learned most rebel mages left the Tranquil to fend for themselves which essentially meant they were left for dead. You can't tell me Anders and that one mage you meet first in Haven are the only mages who give a shit about the tranquil - most mages would have seen their friends become tranquil and I'm sure at least some of them would have wanted to help even if they weren't the same anymore. Again, I just got the feeling this cruelty was written into the rebel mages in order to blur morality lines between them and the templars even though it doesn't make any fucking sense.

Corypheus. What an underwhelming villain. His introduction was pretty cool but then he just kind of fucks off and doesn't do anything until the last act. Until then we have to fight his minions and I don't care about them because they're not Corypheus. The decision to make Samson evil (as opposed to making Cullen good?) was also questionable. If I remember right Samson was one of the few templars who had some sympathy for mages in DA2, something Cullen lacked at the time. Felt weird. Probably would have more to say about that if I gave more of a shit about the templars. I also think a better villain for this game would have been the Architect. He was already introduced in Awakening and depending on your choices in that DLC the Grey Wardens being allied with him would have made more sense (because I did ally with him in Awakening). His intentions are actually somewhat noble - he's an enlightened darkspawn who wants to end the slaughter of his mindless darkspawn bretheren. That's SO much more interesting than a guy who wants to be a god. The Architect also mirrors Solas in a way, having a vested interest in his people and wanting to bestow a higher consciousness onto them to better their future.

No Sense of Urgency. What really got me hooked on Dragon Age Origins was the fate of Lothering. Thinking that game was going to be like Skyrim, I left Lothering with some side quests unfinished assuming I could just come back and finish them later. Nope! The Blight is coming, it destroyed Lothering, and you really thought you had time? And after that, while I was traveling across Ferelden, I could see the Blight physically grow on my map and that made me nervous as it touched the borders of another town I needed to go to. THAT'S effective. Dragon Age 2 does this to a lesser degree, making some missions time-sensitive and locking you out of completing them if you don't do them soon enough. Inquisition does not do this at all and from a narrative perspective that doesn't make sense. Corypheus, for all his failings, is a Big Threat. He's world-ending. Possibly worse than the Blight. Yet I'm free to roam the Hinterlands collecting shards and no one remarks on how maybe this is a bad use of time. I get it, the developers probably decided there was so much content that it would be unfair to make any of it time-sensitive. That's fine, then at least give me a sense like this is urgent, like the Blight on the map in Origins that didn't actually end up destroying anything after Lothering. Give me some narrative reason why I can't just jump between The Western Approach and The Hinterlands and have it feel like that months-long journey only took 2 minutes.

The DLC

The Deep Roads. This was probably the most successful attempt any of these games have made in making me interested in the Deep Roads. Unfortunately, I still did not like it. I liked the two dwarf companions we traveled with, and I actually loved the final level at the Titan's heart because it wasn't just another fucking cave filled with darkspawn. That doesn't rectify the fact I still had to fight through 5 levels of caves filled with darkspawn to get to it. I did think the lore implications of the Titan were pretty interesting though.

Jaws of Hakkon. Started off pretty slow, but it quickly picked up once I made contact with the Avvar of Stone-Bear Hold. Learning about their different way of life and approach to magic was refreshing after living in this Chantry-dominated society for the last three games. But most importantly: Ameridan. He felt like a crucial puzzle piece in my Lavellan's story about her heritage being erased from history. I could not have written that better, I loved the ending.

Trespasser. I love this DLC so much that I hate it. I hate it because it SHOULD have been the ending of the base game. I am sincerely sorry for anyone who had to shell out $20 or whatever for the actual ending of the game they paid $60 for. The locations were stunning, the music was gorgeous, the resolutions with your companions and advisors were heartfelt, the way the DLC built up to a big boss fight and you ended up just having a quiet conversation with an old friend was extremely appreciated. Solas himself is an interesting villain and while I worried I was missing out by not romancing him, I actually didn't feel that way at all once I reached the end. Vowing to redeem him as a friend feels somehow just as impactful, maybe in some ways more so.

The Companions

Cassandra. Took a long time to grow on me but by the time I reached the romance novel quest I started to like her. She's just a hopeless romantic at heart and I found that endearing. I also was surprised when, during party banter, she expressed concern for Anders after Hawke was sacrificed to the Fade, asking Varric if he had told Anders yet. For someone who has reason to hate Anders, that really made me soften to her. Didn't mean I thought she would make a good Divine.

Varric. I loved him in DA2, it makes sense I would love him here. He did feel different though. Wiser and kinder, maybe. I had used him as a companion a lot up until I sacrificed Hawke, then something about bringing him along didn't feel right and I switched to Cole as my main rogue. Maybe because I wanted to remember him as Hawke's companion, not Lavellan's.

Dorian. I didn't expect to love Dorian as much as I do, but he's great. I love his sarcastic and witty commentary on basically anything, but his excitement about history especially made me excited about history. He was so sweet and I maxed out his approval in no time since apparently we share similar opinions on things 90% of the time. I definitely would have romanced him if I could lol

Cole. Love Cole. It was a little difficult for me to understand him at first but I quickly picked up on what he was saying after I learned what he was and I was eager to bring him along on most missions just to hear what more he could sense from the locations and people we met. He's also like 80% of the reason I decided to romance Cullen after he told me he could sense his soul was soft or something sweet like that, and also why I decided to redeem Solas after he said he was well-meaning. I trust the compassionate ghost boy with my life.

Blackwall/Thom Ranier. I really liked him as I do most Grey Warden romance options, and apparently, I came really close to romancing him until I chickened out last minute. I'm kinda glad I did considering he lied and wasn't really a Grey Warden, but I still appreciated his down-to-earth company.

The Iron Bull. He was cool. I loved the first little cutscene I had with him where he wanted me to sit down with my army and listen to how I inspired them without them noticing who I was. It was a refreshing perspective to have, and I liked the variety he brought to the group. He's also deceptively intelligent. He feigns disinterest I think, but when I brought him to The Hissing Wastes and The Crossroads he was incredibly knowledgable on the ruins of both dwarves and elves. I guess he wasn't a spy for nothing.

Vivienne. Oh Viv. I DO see why she's hated, being a pretentious Circle mage who favors the confinement of the Circle and Chantry order. But really, if you look beyond that, she cares. She was perhaps the only one besides Cullen and Blackwall who cared about my wellbeing once we arrived at Skyhold, and unlike those two, I hadn't been actively flirting with her at the time. Everything she does she does because she thinks it's what's best to protect her people from themselves, and while it might be a narrow viewpoint to have, I do understand her.

Sera. It's hard for me to judge her since she's the only one I didn't get to befriend (although I probably would have had I finished her war table missions before the Well of Sorrows) so if she had a more heartfelt scene unfortunately I never got to see it. I had the hardest time understanding her at first, but I somewhat got the hang of her speech patterns after a while and started to like her after that. I like how she kept the inquisitor down to earth and places an emphasis on helping the little guy, although I wished she saw that the Dalish were also the little guy. I hated how mean the game could let you be to her. The writing felt almost biased against her, and I was surprised that I still had the option to kick her out of the Inquisition so late into the game when no one else had that option.

Josephine. She is very sweet! I don't have much of an opinion on her beyond that. I did appreciate that she was the ONLY person who asked me what it was like to be a Dalish elf with any honest and open-minded sincerity, so that was appreciated. I just didn't find much of her family's political conflicts very interesting as I was helping her with them.

Leliana. I was sad at first to learn she was hardened despite the fact that I had kept her soft in Origins, and that Surana stopped talking to her even though she was my Surana's best friend. Still, I was able to chip away at her, and in the end, she felt like the Leliana I loved before. I'm very happy that her being Divine meant reform for the Chantry's acceptance of elves and mages. I know it's not the canonical reason, but I like to think her friendship with Surana influenced her views on elves and mages, and her decision to make those changes.

Cullen and Solas

If you don't give a shit about either of them (I totally understand) then I'll just put my bullet points on them here but I will elaborate for anyone who is interested:

Cullen. Surprisingly, I thought he made a good love interest even to a mage inquisitor. He was kind and thoughtful and I am admittedly weak for men who are awkward and shy when flirting. But Inquisition Cullen is not DAO Cullen or DA2 Cullen, who I hated so very much. There was growth there but it all happened offscreen between DA2 and DAI and it's hard for me to say all of it felt natural; most of the time I felt like the writers did a complete overhaul of his character just to make him more palatable as an advisor and love interest and because of that his character across the series feels like a confused Frankenstein's monster of different writers' intentions. His most believable character development happened in the war table missions sometimes. I at least appreciate the apology he gives for the hurtful things he had said to my Surana, that was a pleasant surprise.

Solas. He frustrated me. I wanted to consider him a romance option since everyone kept telling me he's the best one for a female elf. Unfortunately, he gave me the immediate hurdle of not respecting Dalish culture, which made it hard for me to justify that my Lavellan, a Dalish clan First, would want to date him. Beyond that, he's closed-off until you actually get to know him better, and by the time I did, I was already halfway into Cullen's romance track. Once I did get to know him, I did start to really like him. He is gentle and good-hearted, which is why I completely believed Cole when he said Solas had good intentions as we were chasing him down in Trespasser. I do see him as more of a brother figure though, like a narrative foil to my Lavellan. He's the Anakin to my Obi-Wan.

Here is where I talk about them and their romances because boy let me tell you I was torn between these two as someone who has an interest in romancing the Most Narratively Relevant Character. And that is Solas, undoubtedly. Cullen has his relevance too - he's an ex-templar trying to see the good in mages after hating them for so long, which was relevant for as long as the mage/templar war was relevant but also he was personally relevant to me since I had a vendetta built against him starting from my Surana Origin story. But looking at both characters from a pure quality of romance perspective, I honestly think Solas' romance is the one that's lacking.

Here are the qualities they both share that make their romances feel somewhat similar:

Grumpy/unemotional loners

Has an "I can fix him" type quality

Has some pre-existing bias against you if you're a mage with Cullen or a Dalish elf with Solas (which is all you can be if you want to romance Solas)

I will say this now: Cullen's romance executes on all of the above better than Solas. Cullen is grumpy sometimes but he's not opposed to spending time with others as evidenced by his willingness to participate in the card game. Solas almost never willingly interacts with others with the exception of chess with Dorian (which Cullen also does) and mentoring Cole who doesn't count since Solas only sees him as a spirit, so you're never quite sure what he thinks of anyone else but you, making his romance feel isolated from everything else.

The "I Can Fix Him" is also executed better with Cullen because YOU are not the one fixing him. Cullen's decision to get off lyrium was his own and was initially aided by Cassandra, not you. Cullen's decision to place faith in mages and admit he was wrong was his own and was made well before he even meets you. Romancing him means you are supporting him through these decisions, but you are not the one bearing the burden of them. That is how it should be. By contrast, YOU are the one fixing Solas, full stop. He knows what he is doing is wrong and yet he continues to believe he is justified in it. YOU are the one bearing the burden of that decision. Which, to be fair, you would do anyway if you vow to redeem him and are not romancing him like I did, I'm just elaborating on why this doesn't appeal to me as someone who really does not like the idea of "fixing" in a romantic context.

Then there's the pre-existing bias. I think they both get a lot of flak for this because they have similar lines addressing their bias in their romance and both can be interpreted as "I only changed my mind about your people because I am attracted to you" but I think that's oversimplifying it. Cullen, specifically, says "If I had known you back then, I don't think I would have cared about you. And the thought of that sickens me." To me, that's admitting to his own fault rather than placing any on the mages. He's saying you're a good person and he wouldn't have been able to see that because he used to believe all mages were evil. He never claims to think you are an exception to that rule, only that the rule itself was wrong and he's disgusted for ever believing it. He also never realizes he was wrong because of you, since he already made that realization before a flirting option was even available. You're really only further confirmation.

Solas, on the other hand, says "For all they got wrong, the Dalish did one thing right. They made you." Solas IS saying you are the exception to the rule, a rule which he still very much believes in and never apologizes for having in the first place. But at least he's consistent about it, romance or not. In the friendship scene, he says something like "I wonder, if they could raise someone like you, have I misjudged the Dalish?" which is not an outright admittance of his own fault because it's phrased as a question. He deflects that fault onto you to decide if he was wrong or right. If you say he was right and that he didn't misjudge them, you actually gain approval from him. Gross. Please stop hating my family, man.

Also, Solas' offer to remove the vallaslin is sweet on the surface but his declaration of love being "your culture uses these face tattoos as a symbol of pride in your elven heritage after having been subjected to human slavery for centuries but because they used to actually be slave markings themselves in ancient times (which nobody could have known other than me) you should let me remove them to show how much I care about you, although doing so will surely alienate you from your own people and culture who I still harbor undue disdain for" is kind of awful. Maybe the Dalish were wrong about the original meaning behind them, but the current meaning of them and how they came to be so important is what matters, and it's one of the only things the Dalish have left to declare pride in themselves anymore. Needless to say, if I romanced Solas I would have kept my vallaslin.

That's not to say Cullen's romance is perfect, I still have major issues with it. For one, his line about not being able to care about you if he had known you earlier in his life, as well as saying he was "unworthy" for judging the mages so harshly in the past, is about the closest he comes to ever apologizing for the harm he's done to mages. And he has done A LOT of irreversible harm to mages, more than those two lines could ever possibly atone for. Every time you ask him about how he feels about you being a mage, he either deflects the question or never answers it. I asked him what he would do if I were possessed and he sadly said "I don't want to think about it" okay well if we're dating I feel like the subject of you potentially killing me is one that's important to discuss. He benefits a lot by not having an approval meter because if he did I don't think I would have been able to romance him at all. Everything he advised me to do when it came to the recruitment of the mages or templars I blatantly ignored and did the exact opposite because he's still more sympathetic to the templars. That would not have earned me any approval I think.

Then there's Cullen's attitude towards the Dalish. It was leagues better than Solas' (or Sera's) so I took it, but unfortunately "leagues better" means "basically no opinion or interest whatsoever." I asked him how he felt about me being an elf and he said he doesn't mind because elves and humans were viewed the same in the Circle (which I call bullshit on, my Surana was able to say life wasn't easy for elves in the Circle but I digress). But elves in the Circle are not the same as Dalish elves. I was less interested in how he viewed me as an elf since I already knew he could be attracted to elves (see Surana), and I was more interested in if being a Dalish elf specifically bothered him since that meant I did not believe in the same faith he did. Unfortunately, this is not a question I can ask him.

In the end, Cullen pleasantly surprised me by encouraging me to make my Dalish vows at our wedding, so apparently he also didn't mind my differing faith, but it would have been nice to know that before our literal wedding day. Otherwise, his attitudes towards the Dalish were a mixed bag at the war table. Some missions he was flippant about them ("Blasted halla") and others he was in complete favor of them ("the Dalish deserve honest reparations", saving my clan from annihilation) so all in all it was a wash. Romancing him still did help my whole "warring faiths" narrative I was going for though. Something something marriage between elven gods and the Maker something something making peace with human neighbors something something. I AM glad she was able to get married to someone who wouldn't leave her in the end though, really hit home with the theme of "taking the happy moments where you can find them." I needed her to have a happier ending than Hawke.

This all to say I think Cullen and Solas are interesting characters but there are some pretty big and glaring issues with both of them and I do think Solas' romance specifically is a bit overrated and somewhat troubling when scrutinized, even ignoring the whole 'wanting to destroy the world' thing. Cullen is overrated too but purely because he's handsome and scrubbed clean of all his ugly past which is not always properly addressed. I hear Cullen had some hardcore stans from his DAO and DA2 days and I have to say, please love yourselves. Cullen was intentionally terrible in DAO and DA2. I only care about arguably redeemed DAI Cullen but let's be honest, he still pales in comparison to Alistair who never wanted to be a templar in the first place because he was too kind-hearted to become one.

Conclusion

Sorry, I couldn't conclude my reviews of these games without mentioning my love for Alistair one last time. Truly the best video game boyfriend I've ever had.

Overall, I think Dragon Age is great. I know I ragged on these games a lot but it's impressive they even got me to think about them as much as they did. I love most the characters, I love the atmosphere, I love the impact of choice on the world. There isn't much more I can say about them that I haven't already said.

So what's my favorite game? Well, I do think Inquisition is, technically speaking, the best game. It's the most polished, the most mechanically competent, the most expansive. However, I think Dragon Age 2 had the best plot. It was different, took risks, wasn't afraid to say something even if that something was a little muddied by the world itself. So in those ways, I think both Inquisition and DA2 have merits.

But after pondering it for a while, Origins is my favorite. While the plot is pretty standard compared to DA2, and the game isn't as technically impressive as Inquisition, it holds up just fine and I overall thought its characters were among the most endearing barring Oghren. It was the funniest and most light-hearted game of the three, and the various origin stories do so much to enrich the narrative you can build for your character and your experience. It's the perfect length, and side quests almost never feel like a chore. Grey morality isn't forced and doesn't bog down the narrative. Also, you can romance Alistair in it, so really none of the other games stood a chance lol

Thanks to everyone who read my thoughts on these games! I really enjoyed it! :D

#anna plays dragon age #woof this was long I'm surprised it didn't cut me off like the last one did

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worstloki · 3 years

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a huge part of loki's trauma that I wish was talked about more is like,,, the political involvement in his upbringing. he was raised in an absolute hereditary monarchy, so 90% of his childhood, his schooling, and the parenting that Frigga and Odin gave him was simply training for an executive position over an entire planet.

Where Mischief Lies does a good job of explaining how learning magic was an act of rebellion for him, because he was pursuing an interest that wasn't applicable to the skills he needed to be the king of a warrior-driven society. and in Norse mythology, practicing seiðr as a man would have been an enormous blow to his social status. so like when Odin told him that the throne was never actually achievable??? after giving up a majority of his life to training for the immense pressure of leading a kingdom? must have crushed him but also freed him in a way. it's a little upsetting that Loki is characterized as still chasing after status and luxury, and isn't shown to be more disillusioned with Asgard's wealth and superciliousness

also I wish Thor was shown to be more affected by the pressure of being king, and I kinda wish Frigga wasn't as idolized as being Loki's rock, because she had every opportunity to tell Loki about his heritage and take that weight off his shoulders earlier, and she didn't.

sorry this is a rant but like I feel like it's overlooked that Asgard is a war-driven monarchy!!! monarchies are inherently abusive!!

The way I see it, magic isn’t supposed to be a fighting thing. It’s supposed to be a woman thing, and if not then at the very least not a warrior thing. The only other Asgardian sorcerers we see are Odin and Frigga, and neither use their own magic directly in battle.

(I’m also going off how none of the Valkyrie are shown using magic (despite Loki demonstrating it can be extremely useful and functionally effective in battle) when I say it’s not a warrior thing. Hela’s swords don’t count like Thor’s lightning. The necromancy is framed by the narrative to be negative too.)

Loki though, he uses it to stash throwing knives, to store the Casket of Ancient Winters, to trick giants into running off cliffs, to summon and remove armour conveniently, to strengthen throws, to distract, to confuse, to assist him in fighting. But... it’s not meant to be used like that. It’s tricks, not a form of battle or even a weapon to be used.

He still uses it in fights, but people begrudgingly accept it in a “anything can be a weapon” way. And of course that’s not respected when everyone else goes into battle with actual equipment. He does too, but uses magic to assist with it, so is obviously still looked down on, even if it’s the tool that gets them out alive, because it’s not really a legitimate tool. It works, that makes it funny, the end.

It would work as both a show of his creativity and dedication to not just learning but honing the art for his purposes. And, also, another thing that would set him apart from the others, that could be seen as him delving into something he enjoys, or indulging in something to make him stronger in battle, which can both be read positively but would likely be taken negatively.

Loki’s the only character consistently putting down Asgard’s (specifically; Odin’s) method of obtaining rule through war and refers to the bloodshed negatively and criticizes Frigga for ignoring things and being a hypocrite herself.

And Loki does go after the throne at the end of TDW, however, even with Ragnarok trying to make him out as indulging in luxury we’re left to assume Asgard needed to get more arts going while the other realms previously smothering under the imperialism were becoming independent of Asgard’s military. He also... doesn’t argue against Thor having the throne at the end of Ragnarok, and he had offered it to Thor in TDW. I wouldn’t say he was chasing after it because he’s always willing to give it up. He just. Didn’t want to go back to his (unfair) life sentence.

Thor 1 Thor is just so ignorant of what being King of the realms is supposed to mean ulyhcdzexfrcgfvg BUT we ourselves as the audience haven’t been told what it means either so I can’t argue. If it’s to send out a batch of troops to every place that says you’re bad then I see why Thor made it seem like easy-goings.

Frigga’s not better than Odin for a different form of abuse, but some people want Loki to have had some semblance of support in the 1000+ years he was on Asgard so Frigga gets put on a pedestal for not saying Loki! I hoped to bring about an alliance through you! and Loki, your birthright was to die and instead going with Loki! Your Father is right! Stop making a fuss! I’m not at fault! Why would you feel things?! and Loki! Apologize! You know nothing about yourself! Do it or I don’t love you!

#does this count as meta?#i'm using abductive reasoning to draw reasonable (and what I see as the most-likely) conclusions from what information we're given #none of the warriors 4 use magic #Thor's Mjolnir and Odin's Gungnir are all treated differently for being objects of power I guess?#but then Ragnarok is like 'heh actually thor has lightning' which i dont get why i mean what was the point of leaving the curse on Mjolnir??#whatever #Valkyries didn't have magic #no other person be using magic #not when fighting #not directly #Frigga is like 'heh illusion' and that's it???#like #ok ma'am #please step aside #if Loki's a Master of Magic I'm giving him credit for his own achievements because clearly there was enough against it #and the ''some do battles others do tricks'' line wasn't kept but the attitude should remain the same?#I consider that Thor can be appreciative of the magic but doesn't take it seriously #honestly tho Loki integrates magic and has it at his disposal *along with* the regular physical fighting skillz #everyone else sucks for not using this to their advantages if it's learnable??????#like?????#Loki is winning once again #surprise surprise #MetaAnalysisForTheWin #MAFTW #if i missed anything or did something wrong do tell #I may have written this while not paying too much attention

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umbralstars · 3 years

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(Picrew because the drawing machine broke :'). Really cute Picrew though here's the link: https://picrew.me/image_maker/614903)

Name: Yekaterina (Katya) Deryn Blaiddyd

Gender: Female

Orientation: Bisexual

Race: Human

Ethnicity: Faerghal

Age: 13 (Pre-TS); 18 (Post-TS)

Birthday: 12 of the Wyvern Moon 1167

Height: 4'11

Family:

- Rufus Cassius Blaiddyd

- Darya Artemi (deceased)

- Emyr Artemi Blaiddyd

- Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd

- Others not listed

Starting Class: Commoner

Residence: Castell Itha (Formerly); Traveler

Faction: Jeralt's Mercenaries; Holy Kingdom of Faerghus

Basic Backstory

The daughter of Grand Duke Rufus Cassius Blaiddyd and Duchess Court Darya Artemi.

Katya was born during a particularly turbulent time in the court of Itha. With the death of the Duchess Consort a few of the more enterprising and ambitious courtesans strove to elevate her half-siblings to the role of hier or remove the competition entirely. Katya was mostly spared from the political machinations by being so young at the time, but her earliest memories are of this dark period. Despite the circumstances, Katya's early life was not completely mired in darkness and she sought to bring happiness to her life and lives of her family.

She grew very close to her older brother Emyr and a few of her half siblings as well as the other noble kids and castle staff. She could never grow exceptionally close with her father and holds tightly to the pleasant memories of Itha she does have. Katya was very aware of the tension that existed between Rufus and Emyr, and did, for a time, believe it was somehow her fault. She had an interest in the various flying creatures of Fódlan, especially the native Itha Gryphon and swore she would one day learn to fly on them again like the knights in Faerghus' stories. Katya has a great love of Faerghus' stories of chivalry.

When she was around 6, she followed Emyr out into the town and was kidnapped by a group of thugs wishing to extort her older brother for gold. Emyr ended up rescuing her in the end and event served to bring the siblings closer together. Emyr taught her magic in order to defend herself if she ever wished to sneak out of the castle again.

Katya was 8 when the Tragedy of Duscur happened. She didn't understand the true extent of what had occurred at first. Why her father had to move to Fhirdiad, where her uncle went, or why her cousin was suddenly so distant. When her brother came to Fhirdiad from the Officers Academy, Katya didn't understand Emyr's pleas to leave Faerghus but willingly left with him anyways that night. She still wears the same blue cape Emyr brought with him from the Officers Academy.

After the siblings were folded into Jeralt's mercenary company, Katya took to the constant traveling and fighting as best she could. At first, like with Byleth, she wasn't allowed to fight and was taught skills and cared for jointly by her brother and the other willing mercenaries. She helped out in other ways like cooking, mending clothes, and learning healing magic/potion brewing from other proficient members in the company. She does miss her family in Faerghus dearly but considers the Mercenaries just as important to her.

Personality

Curious - Katya is always willing and ready to learn new things. She's imaginative and open minded with a fascination for pretty much anything. She is extremely intelligent and a borderline genius for her age.

Perceptive - To Katya nothing or no one is unimportant. She pays attention to pretty much everything around her and can pick up even the slightest changes in body language or emotions in a person. She hates being presumptive and always airs on the side of being wrong, and will apologize if he is, but always wants to take account for other people's feelings and needs.

Enthusiastic - Katya's energy and optimism seems nearly boundless. She's warmhearted with an extremely friendly disposition. She loves talking to anyone and loves hearing different ideas and perspectives than her own.

Festive - She always tries to find joy in the present moment. Katya knows that joy can often be fleeting and genuinely wants to bring as much joy into the lives of those around her as possible.

Overly Optimistic - Katya is always trying to keep and peace and uplift others. She has a rosy outlook on life and often makes well-intentioned if naive choices. She genuinely believes that often it is worth the risk to trust people and give them the benefit of doubt, even if someone has not necessarily earned it. However, she has a hard time accepting hard truths and will stubbornly cling to her faith in others.

Restless - Believes she has to always needs to be doing something. Katya will get restless and stressed if she isn't working on some kind of project or overarching goal. She does like to relax but relaxation had to be in a way productive.

Hides her feelings - Katya is much more willing to hide her own sadness or frustration if it means she can help someone else with theirs. She keeps a cheerful disposition nearly all the times and only breaks down when things become too much for her. Once she does break, it takes a very long time for her to calm back down again.

Loyal and Dedicated - Katya will do anything and everything for her family and friends. She's extremely loyal to those who she cares about, and actually won't hesitate to use trickery or other dubious methods to help someone.

Likes: Sweets, her family, making friends, animals, helping others, lively places, painting

Dislikes: Lies, Emyr's overprotectiveness, Indolence, People who will hurt those she cares about

Other Notes

Katya is a light prankster and loves to jokingly poke at people, most often her brother.

She loves the woodcarvings Emyr makes her and her brother's poems.

Katya does sorely miss home and doesn't understand why Emyr's so hellbent on keeping their identity a secret at Garreg Mach.

She goes by Katya Artemi while they are traveling with the Mercenaries and does prefer "Katya" over her full name.

She is very religious and often prays to the Goddess for protection.

She doesn't mind fighting as long as it's to defend others and herself. Her brother and the other merchs are teaching her how to handle weapons, and she really enjoys her lessons because she gets to spend time with her brother.

She does really love her father and half-siblings and wishes she got to know them better.

She goes with Arash to Derdriu after the Blaiddyds are scattered on AM, SS, and VW while her brother fights with the resistance in nothern Faerghus.

She eventually makes it back to the other Mercenaries and helps out during the war.

She will not join during Crimson Flower but will survive the war unlike her brother and likely leave Fódlan all together for safety.

After Azure Moon she likely returns to Itha to help her brother manage the Grand Duchy.

#fe3h oc #jeralt's mercenaries #blaiddyd bastards #yekaterina deryn blaiddyd #yes katya is a disney princess and i love her for that #fe3h

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fantasmalforces · 2 years

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@the-maverick-deck ASKED: Rockwell had expected all of Byzantium's finest venues would be packed for the festivities tonight. It wasn't as if he couldn't get a table at any restaurant immediately if he desired, but that felt disingenuous somehow. And it wasn't like there needed to be a special holiday for him to be romantic.

The dinner had taken more effort than he expected, first in finding the old Earth recipes from Psyche's homeland, then his staff tracking down suitable ingredient replacements. Charles had no idea if anything would taste familiar, he hoped the sentiment behind it would outweigh any funny flavors. He wanted to make at least one item himself, non-existent cooking skills aside, and settled for a dessert where rum was poured over sugar-coated nanners before setting the dish on fire. (It sounded rather ironic! And simple enough to not fuck up.)

He had made sure to cover the room up with bouquets of red rose-ishs to set the mood. There were a few more minutes before Psyche was scheduled to arrive, the staff frantically setting up the last few touches all around him.

Charles sipped his apéritif and waited.

Time didn’t seem to exist in space. Not as far as Psyche was concerned anyways. Her bird self was never really certain of the season, and while it caused a bit of confusion at first, she learned to adapt the fact that things never seemed to change. That days felt longer or shorter, that the colors of plants never seemed to turn and the weather seemed inconsistent and unfamiliar now more than ever. With the loss of her sense of time came the loss of her sense of festivity. She wasn’t even sure holidays were celebrated anymore. Her ways of measuring the years had become nothing more than a series of tally marks in a journal somewhere. 365 made a year. No weekdays, no exact measurements of when it was, just that it was.

Suffice to say, she was more than a little surprised at the presentation she came up to. Roses, food, mood-lighting. All kinds deliberate and decadent decorations displayed all around her, dedicated to invoking a sense of romantic aura. Psyche had to admit, the grandiose gesture had her feeling quite charmed. A little shocked, but mostly quite pleased. It was wholly unexpected but not at all unwelcome, save for the fact that she felt a little underdressed stepping into it all in just her leather jacket, her denims, and her usual heel-boots. It all seemed rather inappropriate for such a fanciful occasion. Still, she slowly sat down across from Charles, eyeing him curiously as her eyes flickered between the scenery, the food, and him.

“What’s all this about?” She said carefully. Her eyes lit up, distracted by the food on her plate once she properly studied it. Instantly, she felt tears welling up and had to swallow them back. Moussaka, dolmades, souvlaki, loukoumades, galaktoboureko and more— a giant spread of nothing but foods she had not seen in decades. Foods she thought she’d never see again. She felt herself choking up on the smell alone. They smelled so fresh, so sweet and savory. They smelled like how her family used to make them all. They smelled like home.

For once Psyche had no clever quip or sarcastic comment to make, she could only gather up her utensils and start by digging into the moussaka. The first bite pushed her over the edges, had tears spilling. It wasn’t exact - no, it would never be exact. It would never be just like Calypso and her mother made it. But it was close. It was so damn close. It brought back such vibrant memories of her childhood. Her family. Her flock. Her home. She couldn’t stop the tears once they started. Couldn’t stop the overwhelming feeling of warmth that spread all throughout her from her chest as she swallowed. The utensils fell with a series of clatters and she pushed herself away from her plate towards Charles. There was no warning before she threw her arms around him, pressing a desperate, grateful kiss to his lips and trying to whimper out a heartfelt thank you as she clung to him.

This was truly the best gift he could have given her.

#{ open your eyes : ask }#{ we will rock you : mutual }#themaverickdeck #rockwell and psyche : love is blind when you are staring at the sun [themaverickdeck]#{ the phoenix anarchist : psyche }

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done-dm · 5 years

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Talks Machina Summary, Episode 74

We're lucky enough to get Mica Burton as a guest star for tonight's episode!

"I'm here for five minutes and we're already trying to murder something." -Mica Burton

Aaaaannd there's a Mollymauk body pillow. That's here now.

The party went at least 183 days without knowing Beau's last name.

Reani had the 250th guest dice roll of campaign two.

There were six otter puns during this episode.

Mica has played D&D for several years. She played for fun as a teen and did more professional games during her time working with Rooster Teeth.

Mica only brought a fourth of her dice collection, but she brought the prettiest ones. Mica also sent in a four page backstory, which is apparently light for her. Needless to say, she came prepared.

Mica typically plays chaotic neutral tiefling sorcerers, but wanted to do something different with Reani.

Marisha has difficulty separating Beau's feelings from her own when it comes to Reani. Beau finds Reani endearing and charming, but thinks she might be a psycho.

Reani's vigilante background came from the fact that Mica thought someone who was good aligned had powers and sent to a city with no instructions on what to do afterwards, she would naturally fall into the vigilante lifestyle.

Beau likes keeping the upper hand by continuing to have secrets. Marisha went into this character trying to not reveal anything until it was relevant or someone asked. The more you tell people, the more they have to work against you.

Marisha was trying not to do the whole "do all aasimar know each other" thing, but Beau would be the type to accidentally offend someone when trying to ask a stupid question.

Reani has always had her hard moral code. She had a kind older man who was an apothecary and take her in and become a fatherly figure. He leaned into Samliel's teachings and encouraged her to follow his advice, so she's never felt the need to question any of it.

Beau doesn't see herself as a capable leader, but she knows she can bs being a capable leader in the moment. Marisha put a ton of points into deception due to her background, but her relationship with Fjord has made her try to be more honest. Obviously, this makes deception a skill that's fallen out of use for her character.

Fast travel is a big deal. Marisha's previous experience moving the party around with Keyleth showed her just how valuable travel could be, making her a little more willing to spend all that gold to get Caleb access to the teleportation circle.

Mica isn't concerned about Reani's hit points. Druids are broken.

Reani likes to use poison when taking out targets that Samliel tells her to kill. One of her favorite methods of killing is inviting her target over for tea and putting the poison in their drink.

Nobody told Mica about the slash/dab thing.

Reani understands that what she does can never work with how Fen thinks. Fen is super dedicated to routine, loyalty, protecting the home, etc. Their ideals inherently clash. Their relationship ending was somewhat mutual since they realized it wasn't going to work. Mica thinks Fen won't even talk to Reani when she learns that Reani took the contract. It's safe to say the relationship is over for good.

Beau knows being in the Cobalt Soul is a good bargaining tool in the right circumstances. Still, most of their power is based in knowledge and books, so she couldn't go to a thieves guild and try to use her status to get any favors.

Samliel hasn't said anything to Reani except telling her about the dragon. Since she's so involved in finding this dragon, she overheard the Mighty Nein talking, and Umi trusts them, she was willing to dedicate everything to helping them. Reani thought Beau and Caleb were attractive, but only really got flustered around Essek (hot boi Essek is cannon everybody).

Reani cares about Umagorn like a brother and leaves flowers around his workplace.

The Mighty Nein are the first people who have really questioned Reani's morality.

Mica wasn't sure how she was going to play Reani. It all fell into place as she was playing with the group.

Mica would be willing to come back and do Talks Machina again.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #critrole #talks machina #talks machina spoilers #cr beauregard #beauregard lionett #cr reani #mica burton

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aetherlocket · 4 years

Text

Follow the River

BNHA X READER

Fantasy AU

This is chapter 1. Read the rest on FFNET, AO3 or Wattpad!!

There was a great white palace that was impossible to not catch eye of peering over a fog blanketed summit, where King Enji, Prince Shoto, and Enji's other children resided. Many knights guarded the palace and served under the King, and (Y/n) was one of them.

She was born and raised to become a warrior and serve for one in a higher position. It was something of a family tradition for the women to become something of the sort. Her father was more of a businessman, her grandfather a chauffeur, while her mother was a dragon hunter, and her grandmother also a knight, though not quite so skilled.

Although (Y/n) didn't have the natural talent her female family did when it came to fighting, she tried her best and eventually earned the respect of many skilled warriors in the Kingdom of Yuuei. Every day, she seemed to learn something new in the art of combat, while dedicating her life to the protection of Prince Shoto.

Only few, including her, knew of the corruption underlying King Enji and his family. The blatant favoritism when it came to King Enji choosing his heir went overlooked and uncontested in the community due to his outstanding reputation.

On the road not too far off from the great palace was a white horse. (Y/n) the knight handled the frantic animal attached to the carriage as if it was nothing, and Prince Shoto watched carefully as if he would learn just by watching her armor covered hands move the reins.

"How far is this kingdom?" he asked.

"If you fall asleep, it'll feel like nothing," the knight's voice was echoey and serious inside the steel helm.

"So it's far." Shoto sighed and his eyes fluttered closed as well, sinking into his seat just a bit. "All I must do is speak with this noble's daughter, correct? And then I may go home?"

"Yes. I've forgotten her full name, but your own father is considering a marriage between you two," (Y/n) replied without hesitation.

"I- what?" Shoto blinked. "Why hasn't he told me this?"

There was no response.

"Why do you know, but not me?"

(Y/n) stayed silent, and only swallowed nervously.

"Ah," Shoto sighed. "I see. You weren't supposed to say that."

"Please don't tell King Enji I said anything.." (Y/n) squeaked, not befitting for a warrior graced with the strongest armor and sharpest sword in the kingdom.

"Don't worry about it.." Shoto's voice lowered as he turned his head to the side, watching the trees rapidly pass by him, his hair covering some of his view as a frown made its way to his face. (Y/n) turned her head away from the road for a second to make sure Shoto was alright, and something in his expression flicked a switch in her.

"I.. You know, he isn't sure. It's just to see if she's up to his standards, I guess. Not a guarantee-"

"Won't you get in trouble if you keep talking?" Shoto said with his usual dead tone, but he was just a bit relieved on the inside. He had no intention on marrying anyone, and being forced to would further destroy the already unbearable relationship between him and his father.

(Y/n) nodded without a sound and focused her eyes on the road from then on. But then Shoto pouted. He wanted to know more.

"How do you feel about this?" Shoto asked. "This.. marriage."

(Y/n) hesitated for a moment before answering. "This.. is what the King wants, so there isn't much I can do about it. I just don't agree with it, per say... It's not right..."

"That's all I needed to know," Shoto replied.

(Y/n) always wondered what was going on inside of Shoto's mind, and that moment was no exception. He was an enigma. She didn't blame him for being cold at times, however.

She also wasn't particularly so sure about that area. She hadn't been to their destination before, so she simply trusted her instincts and a ripped map to take her and Prince Shoto there.

Being trusted with such an important figure in the kingdom gave her stomach butterflies. As she began to feel a smile free itself from under her helmet, the carriage came to a sudden halt, throwing both (Y/n) and Shoto forwards.

"Step out slowly. Keep your hands in the air and don't try anything," said a voice, and a battle axe was pointed at the pair. Three, to be exact, one for each silhouette.

(Y/n) knew better than to reach for her halberd, and reassured Shoto with a quick, soft metal touch to his shoulder, slowly leaving the white carriage. "You're challenging someone with armor and a weapon while you're bare? I hope you know that you won't be leaving with the Prince."

"Oh, we don't care about the Prince. We just happened to hear from someone that you're carrying a lot of money in that carriage to offer the daughter of that noble," said a different man, presumably a second bandit. "But we may have to kill him if you resist. There's three of us, and only one has to get close to him. Your armor means nothing."

The third bandit made his way behind the carriage, closer to the Prince, just in case. Shoto gave (Y/n) a look, though she couldn't tell, facing away from him. She was already sweating in her armor from the sun and quite worn out from training, so this wasn't the ideal situation for her. And yet, she didn't downplay herself.

The knight lifted the front of her helm, exposing her face, riddled with sweat. "Yes, there is money. There's a bag next to where the Prince is sitting," (Y/n) said, taking the chance to look at Shoto. He shook his head, as if reading her mind, diverting his gaze to the bandits, his hands inching closer to his sword by the second.

"Before you go and do that," (Y/n) said, stopping the second bandit from walking past her, "Who gave you this information? Only us, the King and the noble were informed of this."

"I won't say. You'd have them executed. They're a big help, so we can't have that," he said, and smiled. (Y/n) cursed mentally. Was it one person, and the bandit refused to reveal their gender, or is it another group of people?

As the second man placed his foot on the edge of the carriage, (Y/n) halberd left it's holster, its tip barely making its way to the second man's neck before the edge of an axe was placed dangerously close to Shoto's neck as well.

"You're risking the life of your Prince? I don't understand you. Some knight you are," said the second bandit.

"I apologize," (Y/n) said, moving her halberd away from his neck.

"Thank you for the distraction," Shoto said, and before anyone could process it, blood fell down like a fountain to dirt. The second bandit tried to speak, only to cough up blood. "Speaking with a sword through your heart proves to be difficult, doesn't it?"

The loud thud of the large man hitting the floor made even the knight flinch, watching the man writhe in agony, holding his fist weakly against his heart for his last few moments. She then realized; she wasn't doing anything to help whatsoever.

"Fuck!" The other men had tried vigilantly to swing their axes at the Prince, who jumped back off of the carriage. It seemed that they had completely forgotten about the money, and focused their attention on the death of the Prince.

The knight missed her attack, but they couldn't even reach the Prince before a clean slice to their necks were delivered by who they were trying so desperately to kill. They went into a stiff paralysis and fell over, holding their necks and drowning in their own blood.

(Y/n) could only stand there mesmerized, lowing her bloody halberd, almost forgetting to wipe the acidic substance coating it.

She was also, frankly, ashamed.

The blood on her halberd wasn't because she had killed them, saving the Prince. It was splatter from the Prince having to defend himself with an incompetent knight by his side.

"I assume we'll have to reschedule this little trip," Shoto said, wiping some blood off of the edge of his lips and softly running his fingers through the docile horse's mane. "Turn the carriage around."

****

Many could tell, simply by watching (Y/n)'s face in the rare times she had her helmet off, or even completely covered, simply from her body language, that she didn't enjoy working in the palace. Even Shoto could tell how much energy wearing the heavy suit and sparring with the others as training took from her each day.

No one could blame her. No one liked working for Enji Todoroki. Ask anyone in the palace for their opinion of him, and it will be some variation of 'bastard' or 'good for nothing.' Ask people outside the palace, and it will be something positive or indifferent, because they believe whatever the newspapers tell them.

Shoto had asked his knight once: "What do you think of this idea; I run away from this place and start a new life."

To which (Y/n) blinked and removed her steel helmet, a way of expressing her concern. It was then that Shoto knew she was serious. "Are you really considering this?"

Shoto only nodded. He felt often like he had said too much, basically, whenever he spoke. His father did a great job of making this point around him.

"I understand," said (Y/n), to his surprise.

He expected a, 'You're delusional. You're a rich prince with everything you could ever want!' or, 'Don't take your position for granted. I'd kill to be in your place.'

"I doubt that," Shoto replied, attempting to provoke her into speaking her mind a bit more, hoping for more encouraging words.

"I can tell why you do, my Prince," (Y/n) said. It wasn't working.

Shoto sighed. "I can't talk to anyone without them treating me like a Prince. I'm just a normal kid on the inside, damnit.." His voice was as low as a whimper, but (Y/n) could hear every syllable as they left his mouth. She pretended not to hear and kept her head down.

***

Shoto hadn't dared to enter the knight's quarters without permission once before.. but he had made up his mind that night about something.

Shoto chuckled as he saw (Y/n) with her helmet still on as she slept. He removed it as slowly as possible, and wasn't surprised to see that her face was sweating uncontrollably with rosy cheeks, and her hair messy.

He almost forgot why he was there as (Y/n) began to wake up, presumably from the sudden influx of cool, fresh air hitting her face.

Shoto held his hand out before the girl could fully awaken. "Come, I'm leaving tonight."

"Prince? What do you mean leaving? Why are you in the knight's quarters? I-"

"Just get your armor and weapons and come," Shoto put a finger to her mouth, lightly squeezing her arm. She didn't dare protest any further. If it was the Prince's will, then she was meant to follow it, no matter what. But there was something off this time. He seemed happy, in a way, for once, without smiling. Shoto helped carry parts of her armor out of the quarters while she carried her halberd, most dangerous areas facing the ground as Shoto led the way.

"So what's happening exactly?" (Y/n) asked, stuffing some leftover yen into her pocket.

Shoto only walked into his room and gestured for the knight to join him. He was already wearing what he usually did, his royal attire embroidered especially for him along with his holstered sword. "I told you, we're leaving."

"You weren't kidding..?" The knight chuckled. "I understand you want to leave this place, but think about it. Your dad will do anything to get you back-"

"I don't care. I'd like to see him try," Shoto replied coldly, polishing his weapon and slipping on a few bracelets, hiding them under his sleeve. "I'm not going to that noble's place. I'm not marrying his daughter either, so I'll have to leave before the trip is rescheduled. Easy as that."

***

"So where.. exactly.. are we going?" (Y/n) asked the Prince.

"To a certain mountain," replied he.

"You don't mean.. That one.. right?"

After a brief moment of silence, (Y/n)'s worst fears were confirmed, and her tongue began to feel heavy in her mouth. "Sir.."

"Is there a problem?" Shoto asked, looking straight ahead as he walked.

"I'm.. not sure if I can protect you, if anything happens, if that makes sense."

Shoto stopped and turned to face the knight. "What are you talking about?"

"Well.. a few days ago.. those men trying to take the money.. and how I was basically useless.. You had to do everything yourself. It doesn't make sense-"

"You were tired," Shoto interrupted her, then continued walking.

(Y/n) stood there for a moment, staring at the ground before picking up her pace to match the Prince's again, until they reached the base of the mountain.

"Why are there steps?" (Y/n) asked.

"Mount Hosu used to be a tourist attraction.. it's closed because of the dragon rumored to live here now."

(Y/n) shivered. "Dragon."

"Did you say something?"

"Nope."

They continued forward, climbing up an unholy amount of steps before it split into two different paths. One of the paths was dry and bare, while the other had a stream of water beside it.

"Just follow the river," Shoto said, and walked along the path with the stream of water.

"How come you know this place so well, Prince?" (Y/n) asked. As far as she knew, Shoto stayed locked in the castle all his life, and only left under supervision from her or another trusted knight.

"It's not Prince anymore, just Shoto," the boy dodged the question expertly.

***

It took a while, but they finally arrived at the top. (Y/n) immediately used her survival skills. (Y/n) gathered dry wood and use a spindle stick to light a small ember. Shoto tried himself but failed, only giving himself some splinters from the wood.

With the knight's guidance, Shoto successfully managed to roast a wild animal. Of course, Shoto had really understood none of it, but nodded in silence, and hoped that she would help him later.

"Now that I've helped you.." (Y/n) began to trace her finger across the dirt. "How about you teach me more about fighting? A knight should know more, if not just as much, as their Prince. It only makes sense."

Shoto hummed. "You're already known as a strong warrior. I don't believe you need extra training."

"Please?"

"I'm nothing special.. I can't really teach."

"Please?" (Y/n) pleaded.

"... Tomorrow, maybe," Shoto relented. He walked over behind a tree and took out two folded tents.

"Did you plan this or something?" the knight asked.

"I've been considering it for a while, let's say."

As they settled, a teenage boy had just finished climbing up the same steep mountain as the Prince and the Prince's close knight, and he was exhausted. Then, as he caught his breath, he repeated his goal over and over in his head; to hunt down the dragon perched somewhere on this godforsaken mountain.

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talesofsonicasura · 4 years

Text

Guardian of the Forest

This has been stewing in my Google drive for quite a bit. It's when you play tons of Digimon, binge watch Attack On Titan and have a love for Demon Digimon that resulted in this little story here.

She was punished from the unrighteous sin of another. His entire species caged in stone walls like sheep to the slaughter. Both refuse to accept their fate and it was time to strike back and rebel.

Monster. A word that has many meanings to describe something. A term often used for otherworldly creatures or those with peculiarities. Something that fit the Evil Digimon species. They were called Evil for they represented the demons, horrors and undead of legends. Demons, ghosts, ghouls and vampires are such a small sample amongst the variety. Yet, not all of them are actually evil.

They are called that mainly for their power to manipulate the element of darkness. Darkness to many was considered malevolent, vile and unneeded. On the opposite, Holy Digimon were considered pure and absolute good. They held angelic appearances and wielded the element known as light. Light to many was blessed, sacred and untainted. Yet, not all Holy Digimon were good.

Yet not many could look past the black and whites of the world. This led the innocent to be punished and the wicked to be rewarded. It was how many innocent Digimon were sent to the Dark Area or worse, deleted. Amongst them was a Granddracmon who was only trying to protect his young. A Holy Digimon with a heart darker than any abyss had struck the family with unequal hatred.

Clash between Mega Digimon was intense and devastating especially one as powerful as GranDracmon who are said to surpass many Demon Lord Digimon vastly in power. In the end, Granddracmon had been subdued and punished. Punishment? The youngest Digimon had the power of Digivolution taken from them and cast out of the Digital World trapped in the In-Training stage with no hope of surviving or returning home.

Yet, hope was something no one could manipulate or control. For it granted the impossible in unpredictable ways.

Shiganshina, the outer town of Wall Maria. Long ago, giant creatures resembling emerged all over the world. These beasts held unbelievably sturdy hides, near godlike regeneration and incredible size from a simple three meters to a towering fifteen meters. To animals, they leave them undisturbed and vice versa. However when it involved humans was where the horror laid.

These creatures hunt down humans and devour them with no emotion. The terrifying part? These beasts only did it for the kill not for substance or vendetta. It was for the kill and no more. It didn't take long for humanity to be pushed to the edge of extinction overnight. Survivors crafted three walls ranging from 50 meters and over to keep the creatures out and these creatures earned their name. Titans, for they only brought death and destruction.

Shiganshina was located in the first wall that was made, Wall Maria. It was where farmers, common folk and those who were considered low status dwelled amongst vast abundance of nature. One forest in particular was special amongst the others. The Legend of the Red Eye. The Red Eye was a mysterious creature that dwelled within the woods. It was called Red Eye for the large glowing red orb that emerged before it strikes.

Deer, wolves and even bears fell victim to its claws with all of their blood drained. Yet to a single boy amongst thousands of people wasn't afraid. Hair short and the color of dark chocolate with eyes as bright as emeralds but a soul that burned like fire. This child was Eren Yeager, son of Doctor Grisha Yeager. An act of bravery was what set the greatest ripple of all history.

The sound of footsteps and crunching of leaves could be heard as a young child barely 3 ft in height ran through the Red Eyed Woods. This child, Eren, was carrying an empty firewood container on his back and in his hand was a few rabbits freshly killed. "Hmm… She should be somewhere around here. Garnet! Garnet! Where are you?" Eren called as his youthful slight raspy voice carried out through the vast woods.

A large bright red glared at the boy from deep within the brush of brambles and leaves. Claws clicked in the sticks they grasped. When the child draws near, it leapt out at him. Eren only turned before being knocked to the ground by a bluish violet blur. The boy laid on his back as green orbs stared into a single large red orb. Pinning the child to the ground was a large violet blue hand like creature.

It was half the boy's size with two wispy antennas, small white claws on each leg and a single giant red eye on the front of its odd octopus/hand body. Though what was peculiar was that Eren had a small pin on his shirt shaped just like the red eyes beast. "Get off me Garnet! If I come home with scratch marks in my clothes again, mom will get very suspicious about what I been doing!" Eren yelled in annoyance.

"Sorry Erenmon. Garnet is just hungry." A childish little girl's voice came from the creature as it walked off the boy. "What do you expect from your large appetite? All that pigging out on bears lately got you triple the size of a normal Tsumemon!" Eren exclaimed as Garnet looked at him. "I can't help it. Not being able to digivolve screws up any Digimon's natural biology. Size is the only thing that has been keeping me alive and not some wolf's dinner." Garnet replied walking over to Eren.

It was actually comical on how the duo met. Eren was being chased by a wolf when he had accidentally walked into its territory. This wolf was the one that actually was being hunted by Garnet. It was an alpha predator hunting a predator who was stalking a potential prey. It ended with Eren throwing a stick at the furball causing it to trip and Garnet the chance to grapple the creature to feed on it. From then it was the beginning of their odd friendship and years of trading.

Eren would visit Garnet with animals he hunted. Then he would exchange it for something the Tsumemon found in the forest or help in tasks like wood gathering. It benefitted both parties for Eren would get stuff he could use or sell and Garnet got more food to eat or store. "Do you need anything while your here Erenmon?" Garnet questioned the child. Apparently adding -mon to someone's name was a sign of respect and endearment for the In-Training's point of view.

"Nah. I just thought of giving you some rabbits to eat today. You have been a big help lately considering dad's work has been going slow." Eren states giving said forest creatures to the Digimon. "Hey, you are my friend and friends help each other. Ain't the Scouts coming back today from their latest expedition? You don't want to miss it." Garnet said as Eren flinched. "Oh crap! You're right! Thanks for the heads up Garnet. I have to go before Mikasa finds out I disappeared." Eren exclaimed as the little Digimon chuckled.

"Go Erenmon! I 'see' you tomorrow!" Garnet giggled with an eye pun as Eren took off. "I wonder when he will ever introduce me to his friends. Though considering everyone's views on the Survey Corps and this Titan nonsense of late, he does have good reasons." Garnet said as she took her claws and dug them into the three bunny corpses. "Why do I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen?" The Tsumemon asked herself before feeding her on food's blood.

Survey Corps or Scout Regiment, it was a military faction dedicated to exploring the outside world beyond the walls. It also had the highest death count of over 40 percent each expedition. This regiment was the only one who also did research on the mysterious titans and it was thanks to them for what precious knowledge they had about the giants.

Many thought they were fools for there was barely anything to cover the massive loss of life per trip but this isn't what Eren saw. To him, the Scouts were the only ones looking for answers to forever ending the titan's reign but also the world they were forced to abandoned for these insufferable walls. Some of the many who didn't support the Scouts was Eren's own mother Carla Yaeger.

She absolutely despises the Survey Corps and couldn't help but belittle them with each chance she gets. Eren could remember the many times she has done so in double digits. It was that attitude that made their relationship rough but meeting Garnet had made it worse. Garnet doesn't insult or belittle his mother whenever they meet up.

She could understand her wanting Eren to be alive but attacking the only thing willing to fight for the better of their face miffed her like a bad itch. "Nothing is forever. There will come a time where these walls will fall. The Survey Corps are the only ones trying to find a solution. They chose to risk their lives for change. To make fun of them is disrespecting their sacrifice. No one should insult their cause or souls" Were her words exactly.

Garnet had not just supported the boy but also teach him skills that could help if he ever enlists in the military. She taught him how to mask his presence, observe his surroundings and develop a sixth sense for danger. Eren had kept his goal to join the Survey Corps secret from his mother. The only ones who knew other than him and Garnet were his foster sister Mikasa and his best friend Armin.

Though he didn't feel it was smart to tell Mikasa. Mikasa was adopted into their family when her parents were brutally murdered by slave traffickers. Her onyx hair and near solemn black eyes with the crimson scarf was the only thing to identify her amongst any crowd. Mikasa was overly protective which was something Garnet believed she needed to hold back on.

Eren easily agreed with the Digimon during his current situation. The Survey Corps had returned to the walls but this expedition was a bust so to speak. A lot of casualties and broken spirits amongst the group of soldiers. The worst was when a mother looking for her son amongst then was brought back his arm and told they didn't learn anything new. That it was a waste. He recognized the look in Mikasa's eyes from the scene and knew what happened next was something he didn't like.

'Traitor!' Eren screamed in his head as he ran from his home in a rage. Mikasa had told his secret to his mother and the reaction was one he expected for her. 'Get that idiotic thought out of your head! I won't let my son go out to get himself killed for something pointless!' His mother's voice bellowed at him. 'She doesn't understand! I don't want to live a life as a bird stuck in a cage! I want to go see what's out there and the answers it holds! We can't sit around or this nightmare will never end!' Eren thought trying to hold back tears.

He needed to do something. Anything to resist the urge to scream in rage and go berserk. He looked up to see a boy around his age being picked by bullies. Eren recognized this particular child as Armin from his sun yellow hair, blue eyes and skinny frame. Despite being frail, Armin was the smartest of the three. Eren was the trio's courage and Mikasa served as the powerhouse. "Leave my friend alone you bastards!" Eren howled before jumping into the fray. It wasn't anyone's day at all.

"Nail Scratch!" A tree limb was suddenly sliced into pieces as Garnet leapt past it. The Tsumemon had decided to up her training by working on her techniques. It was something she did so on the day Eren made it to the Scouts then she could support him in battle. Titans only had one weak spot which was located on the nape of their neck. Her Bubble attack would be useless in a fight but her Nail Scratch had the best chance of actually breaking through their tough hide.

"Alright! I sliced clean through that limb and it was twice as thick as the last one too!" Garnet cheered happily. The sun was beginning to set as Garnet faced the wall far from her home. She felt confused as something was tapping into her senses. Then her pupil shrunk and her antennae shot up in alert. "That aura…! Danger! Really really deadly! It's… a catastrophe in the making! Eren in danger!" Garnet hissed wildly as a giant bolt of lightning crashed down from the distance.

"Find Eren! I gotta find Eren!" She cried out before darting off in a frenzy of worry and desperation. It can take one thing to remind the last remnants of humanity of what kept them caged. Giant skinless fingers hung over the 50 meter as what belonged to it rose into view. The face of a skinless behemoth of a titan with a corpse like mouth and verdant eyes that only promised devastation looked down on the people of Shiganshina.

In an instant the outer gate between the outside and Shiganshina had exploded inward taking into the air. Debris rained from above crushing both people and buildings underfoot the pure terror was the soulless face of a 15 meter titan peeking its head through the breach. A mass of panic had broken out as Mikasa and Eren were trapped in the chaos. "Come on Mikasa! We have to find mom! Part of that gate went flying where our house is at!" Eren screamed as he ran with all his might.

Garnet amongst the panic was also searching for Eren. The Tsumemon wove through the crowd looking desperately for her friend while dispatching any Titans in her path. "Nail Scratch!" She cried out as her claws ripped through the nape of a 12 meter Titan who was about to grab a child. "*huff* That's 7 of them but no sign of Eren. Where is he?!" Garnet shouted. She looked to her right and saw what remained of Eren's house.

How did she know? The corpse of Eren's own mother peeked from underneath the tile roof specifically her hand. "She wasn't eaten since that roof obviously crushed her. Irony on how ones fear of being devoured is to be replaced with death by their own home. Yet, where's Eren?" Garnet questioned before her single eye laid on something that chilled her core.

In the hands of an ugly blonde 15 meter Titan was Eren! "No!" She screamed as she flew desperately towards her friend. Eren was fighting to break the monster's grasp on him but it merely ignored his attempts to the likeness of a fly. 'I'm not going to make it but I can't leave him!' The Tsumemon thought. 'If only I could Digivolve but that bastard took it away from me!' The thought made her want to scream.

A memory flashed through her mind. 'Hey. Do you have a name other than Tsumemon?' A young Eren asked the little Tsumemon. 'No. Tsumemon is the only thing I got. No one really gave me one.' Garnet replied. 'Do you want one? I think you deserve an actual name than something you share with your species.' The boy said as Garnet looked confused. 'Um, okay? What do you think my name should be?' The Tsumemon questioned.

'Um… I got it! I'll call you Garnet! It's this stone Armin showed me in his special book! It said that a Garnet represents a strong spirit and will of defiance! You fight against all the odds and still come out on top yet keep a level head! ' Eren explained as Garnet couldn't help but feel happy. 'Then call me Garnet.' The Tsumemon soon had a determined look on her face.

'I won't give up! Eren put his faith in me! I am a Garnet and Garnets always overcome every challenge! I don't need Digivolution because I have something better! A friend!' Garnet thought picking up more speed. "We are going to see what lies beyond these walls together. Eren… I'M NOT LETTING YOU DIE!!!" Garnet cried out with all her might as Eren felt her resolve. "Garnet!!!" Eren cried as he turned and reached out for his friend.

And at that moment, hope had brought forth a new power.

"Spirit Rebellion! Tsumemon EXEvolve to…!" The Tsumemon cried as a bright red light engulfed her in a brilliant flash. The sound of torn flesh pierced through the destructive chaos as boiling red splattered everywhere. The head of the 15 meter sailed through the air along with other pieces of its body before crashing into different parts of Shiganshina and even one piece splatting onto the wall.

Eren had opened his eyes that he didn't know he closed to find himself still alive. "What happened?" He asked before noticing the surface underneath him was red, furry and eerily shaped like a hand. "Erenmon, you're safe now." A soft, kind and exotic woman's voice spoke as Eren looked up in shock. Only one person called him Erenmon. Holding him gently in their hand was a centaur like creature.

It was around 20 meters and looked capable of carrying a 15 meter Titan on her back. The top half was human with gray skin and the face of a woman that was obscured by a dark blue eyeless mask, red straps, black belts, a blue bat shaped cowl that a beautiful carved garnet gemstone and dark red fur covered the top half of her body and chest, long curly blond mane of hair on her head and a spiralling tail of yellow hair, half black and half white bat like wings on her back, twin curled horns, razor sharp claws, a beautiful woman's face that held sharp fangs behind soft ruby lips.

Her bottom half could be described as something from hell. The bottom half was more wolf and bear like than horse from the bulk and talon wielding paws, two giant eyeless shark like heads snapped from the side of her front thighs practically big enough to swallow a 12 meter Titan's head in their jaws, back curled spikes behind each of her legs guaranteeing pain for those careless to strike and on her lower was some sort of horse armor with a sheath that made home to a sword with a black bat like hilt.

"Garnet...You digivolved…" Eren spoke breathless at his friend's incredible transformation. "I don't think this is Digivolution but it's something more powerful. EXEvolution..." Garnet answered. "EXEvolution… Garnet, is my mom?" Eren asked as Garnet couldn't help but shook her head. Tears welled up in the child's eyes as he looked ready to cry. "The house killed her from collapsing. She was dead on arrival. Though there are more pressing matters." Garnet explained as Eren looked at the madness around them.

"Garnet. We have to get everyone out of here. As much as I want to kill these titans, there are still people alive who need to be saved." Eren said wiping the tears from his face. "I'm with you partner. Do you wish to give this form a name before we begin?" Garnet asked facing her friend. "Yeah I do. No longer are we going to sit back and let these bastards trample our dreams! It's time to fight back! Let's show them your new power Garnet! The power of GranDracmon: Rebellion Mode!" Eren shouted with all his might.

"GranDracmon: Rebellion Mode… Yes! That'll do my friend! Time to break our chains and rebel!" Garnet declared as her twin shark heads roared in challenge. Hope can come in many forms and often comes in moments of rebellion. To rebel against fate is to prove yourself worthy to face the impossible. That is the power of EXEvolution. Something this beauty and cruel world will easily understand because of two spirits who fought against fate!

That's it! GranDracmon line is one of my favorite Digivolution lines other than Cherubimon Evil or Venommyotismon from the Demon Digimon family. EXEvolution is like an alternate version of Digivolution which I created to avoid being a complete hypocrite since quote on quote Garnet can't Digivolve.

Eren's pure hatred stemmed from watching his mother get eaten but since she died an alternate way, he's resolve is more towards saving others than 'I'm gonna kill all the Titans'. Plus GranDracmon Rebellion Mode is came from a dream along with the thought of it being badass with a Rogue Titan Eren riding into battle on Garnet like a badass.

That's it for now! Until next time, stay fresh!

#attack on titan #digimon #crossover #eren jaeger #tsumemon #grandracmon #aotxdigimon #au #shingeki no kyojin #eren yeager #mun sonicasura #oc #oc digivolution #fall of shiganshina au #sonicasura

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