#{ comrades ;; millie }

[tangledfate]

I love the expressions in response to Millie just FUCKING EVERYONE UP. Crim and Chaz really fucked around and found out why Mills is banned from the pain games in wrath okay.

[p0orbaby]

Love Me Tender

summary: alessia just worries about you, is all

warnings: mentions of pregnancy and its symptoms

a/n: I have a soft spot or lessi being a mum okay, sue me

word count: 403

-

“Just humour me will you!” Alessia concedes as the two of you head onto the training ground. “I’m not trying to be controlling, i'm just exercising my right to be cautious”

You set your water bottle down and remove your jacket before you bend over to stretch your muscles out a little. This routine typically involves Alessia giving you a quick kiss before she heads off to join her group of forwards, while you make your way to your backline comrades. However, this time, she lingers by your side, casting a disapproving look your way as you straighten up and start jogging on the spot.

You raise an eyebrow. “What?”

“Y/N” she warns.

Your brief delay onto the grass causes a couple of the girls to come over and investigate.

“Trouble in paradise ladies?” Mille asks.

You reach out and clap the hand she has ready and waiting for you. “It was actually going really well, until about two minutes ago”

Alessia interjects. “She’s being stubborn”

Rachel and Mille both raise their eyebrows, “is she now?” They both say in unison.

You have half a mind to stomp your foot and walk off, but that would just make matters worse.

“She, isn’t” you argue. “Less wants me to take it easy during training”

The two girls look at eachother confused. Not really knowing if they can be of any use in helping the situation.

Alessia turns to you, “you were sick right before you came out” she whispers. “And now you want to throw yourself around out there?”

“You didn’t have a problem throwing me around this morning,” you seethed.

At the flush of Alessia’s cheeks, you realised you just said that out loud.

“Babe,” Rachel starts, an arm coming over your shoulders. “She’s just looking out for you”

“I’m pregnant. Not dying!” you exclaim. “And until I’m told otherwise, by a professional, I’m going to keep working”

“I am a professional”

“A doctor, Alessia. Someone with medical qualifications” you snap.

“I’m also technically a-“

Your resolve finally snaps. “Don’t start with me this morning, Russo”. Then with one last sickeningly sweet smile to the other two girls, you’re off. Jogging towards the main hoard.

“She’s scary when she’s angry” Millie admits and they all hum in agreement. The two older women snap their heads in Alessia’s direction when they realise she’s nodding along with them.

“What?” She shrugs. “You’re not wrong”

[alicent-vi-britannia]

12 characters, 12 story arcs, 1 theme

A few days ago, I tried to synthesize in a single word the narrative arcs of the Code Geass characters (at least, the ones I know they have) with the intention of extracting the theme of each one. I will briefly explain my conclusions. Or, put another way, what each theme means for each character. I'll leave Lelouch for last because he's the main character and his theme is supposed to be that of the series. We go from bottom to top.

Self-fidelity / Milly: "the girl who learned to be in touch with her own desires and chose to be true to herself to bring out her best version." I think the phrase explains it perfectly. Milly found happiness and she became more mature once she decided to stop serving her family's wishes and focus on herself and what she wanted to be and do.

Confidence / Ohgi: "the man who learned to trust himself to become the leader his organization and his country needed." Ohgi's arc is inspiring, if you take off your toxic fandom glasses and take his journey seriously. It is true that he made certain mistakes, but he always thought of the welfare of his people and his comrades. That was his main motivation and what led him to overcome his personal insecurities. I was going to make a comparison, but you guys won't like it and you'll attack me.

Happiness / Euphemia: "the girl who dreamed of a world in which all people were happy." This is the only arc that was cut short and did not come to fruition for reasons that I don't need to detail. Euphemia was a selfless princess without a purpose until she met her brother again and wanted to restore happiness to him, Nunnally and the rest of the Japanese.

Truth / Nunnally: "the girl who had to discover the truth to grow up to become the empress who could rebuild a new Britannia." She is literally blind and cannot see the world as it is, but as it should be (hence her idealism). She also can't see through her brother's and her friend's lies, until her determination and her circumstances push her to do so. It doesn't seem strange to me that the breaking of the seal coincides with the moment in which she learns the truth and decides to face it.

Justice / Nina: "the girl who had to seek justice for the murder of her beloved and her own acts and thus be a better person." Nina's arc is a revenge arc. Obviously. But the anime gives it a negative treatment, as Nina only gets worse with each new chapter. It's not until she understands all the destruction that her revenge can cause (in a literal sense) that she stops and reconsiders. The Zero Requiem gives Nina the opportunity to redeem herself and give justice to her beloved since the culprit pays for her crime. It's at this point that she begins to heal.

Honor / Jeremiah: "the man who managed to win back his honor after offering his loyalty to his enemy." The entire arc of Jeremiah revolved around honor. He believed that he had failed his empress and his prince, made a fool of himself on a live broadcast, was demoted and fell to the bottom. From there, he only lived to seek revenge. But then again, it wasn't the way. He only redeemed himself by putting himself at the service of a lord worthy of his loyalty: his enemy.

Humanity / Rolo: "the murder weapon that regained humanity from him through love." Another phrase that explains itself. Rolo had been used and manipulated his entire life as a tool. But when he created good memories and a sincere bond with Lelouch, he started to make decisions, think and feel like a human being.

Forgiveness / Shirley: "the girl who learned to forgive thanks to love." We find another arc of revenge. Like Nina, Jeremiah, Suzaku, and Lelouch, Shirley lost someone important to her, was overcome with grief and rage, and was tempted by revenge until she discovered that the killer was the man she loved. In the end, her noble feelings prevail and her love gives her the strength she needs to forgive.

Freedom / Kallen: "the girl who embraced her freedom became a hero who fought to liberate her country and the world." This is going to sound strange, but I barely realized that Kallen is who she is because she is free due to a fanfic that featured an anti-Kallen who was in many ways trapped. Kallen is a free spirit and performs as an autonomous individual. She chooses the friends she wants (be it Britannian or Japanese), she loves the man she wants, she champions the cause she wants, she has the value system she wants. However, there can be no freedom without equality, and Kallen and her people live in a society that promotes inequality. The freedom of some (the Britannians) cannot coerce that of others (the Japanese and even half-blood like her). So Kallen works to change the world to a place where everyone has full freedom. That's her motivation to grow up and become the hero her people and the world need.

Love / CC: "the girl who only until she received love from others was able to love herself." CC's arc ties directly to Lelouch's because they both express a nihilistic philosophy. In short, CC wishes to end herself and the world (through the Ragnarök Connection) because she considers her immortal existence to be meaningless and thus unimportant. Worse still, an immortal life implies eternal pain. Something she can't live with. But she wants to be loved, because all human beings cannot live without love. It is in the nature of the human being to give and receive love. Therefore, love will always prevail in the darkest moments. So, when Lelouch offers his affection to CC, she becomes more human and renews her will to live (see how her arc connects to Rolo's arc). Let's say that she transitions from a negative nihilism to an agathonism (that philosophy that it proposes that you have to enjoy life and help to live a pleasant life).

Peace / Suzaku: "the boy who was able to find peace of mind by creating a peaceful world." Without going any further, the lever that moves Suzaku throughout the series is "guilt". Suzaku feels guilty that he killed his father, he feels guilty that the Japanese are oppressed by the Britannians, he feels guilty that he failed Euphemia in his duty as a knight, he feels guilty that he can't protect everyone… Guilt, guilt, guilt. What is the opposite of guilt? We may all think of different things, but I'm leaving for peace because Suzaku didn't make peace with himself until he got the punishment from him and when did that happen? When he made sure to create a new world with Lelouch with the Zero Requiem, in which all his loved ones could live. No wars, no racism, no terrorism, no hate. In peace.

Will / Lelouch: "the boy who twisted the will of others found the value of the will of the human being and began to dream of tomorrow." It's very ironic. Lelouch's Geass is described as the power capable of bending the wills of others to the mercy of his own. As he progresses on his journey and interacts with other characters, he realizes that human beings actively seek happiness and persist despite adversity. They doesn't give up when they falls, but gets up and continues to fight. That is what it is to be human. Arthur Schopenhauer, in fact, said that the will was the essence of the human being. But I think that the approach of Lelouch and Code Geass goes more for nihilism in its most positive aspect. The one who proposes the destruction of everything to establish new values that allow the übermensch to live in freedom. "Emperor Charles searched for the past, you search for the present. But I search for the future. […]. Because no matter how much time passes, people will continue to search for happiness. People who struggle with sadness, those who seek the future. How everyone keeps wishing for happiness. Human nature is the reason I chose Geass and wearing a mask." This is the key to human survival. This is the meaning of life and what this series wants to teach you.

If you start to examine each of the arcs, you will see that they are all connected in one way or another (after all, they are concepts that appeal to the human condition). And, if you reflect carefully, you'll realize that the arcs of our two main heroes (Lelouch and Suzaku) correlate with the extremist views of Charles and Schneizel respectively (this was something I was planning to address in a discussion on CG antagonistic figures).

I hope you have learned something or found something interesting in this post. If you liked it, don't forget to support me with a comment and/or a reaction. I would really appreciate it as that will help the algorithm.

PS: Don't ask me to come up with an exhaustive analysis of the philosophies raised in this series. Although it may not seem like it, I have a hard time handling philosophy (I don't mind going overboard like I did here).

[hypermoyashi]

flops into ur askbox, of the trigun fic u have written in ur last year, which is ur favorite 👀

COCO HELLO!! And thank you for the ask, this is very sweet ;~; I'm sorry it took so long to respond; I had to sleep, family stuff, and reverse bang things to wrap up before answering!

You picked... Such a hard question... I like all my Trigun fics for various reason--the characters really are so very fun to write for, and they're so compelling in so many scenarios, the series has really sparked the writing brain and creativity like no other I've written for before! But, if I had to pick, then...

I'd say Aces in Space (Anastasia AU where Vash is a missing and presumed dead prince and Wolfwood is his childhood friend--Wolfwood meets a stowaway on his ship that looks suspiciously like Vash, and he devises a way to use this definitely-not-Vash individual to con the king out of the reward money for Vash's safe return) is probably my favorite! I wrote it for ace week, and technically speaking, it's the first long long fic (like 50k+) I've ever finished. It was really nice getting to write Vashwood as both T4T and ace4ace (with Vash being written as demi and Wolfwood grayace). I also just really liked how it turned out, how the finale played out and then wrapping everything up

I also don't feel like I can answer this question without also mentioning my big baby, Make it to Daybreak. I had a Demon Slayer stint about a year before getting into Trigun, so getting to write Trigun in a demon slayer inspired world is super fun! It's also neat, because. The idea came from the idea of Vash being a demon, and trying his absolute best not to kill anyone, to the detriment of himself. And the thing is? Just like in Trigun's canon, it's something no one would thank him for, and it would alienate him from other demons, while slayers still wouldn't want to not kill him any less. And then I also just love this one too since, because it has the runtime, I can focus on a lot of different characters, too! I've really loved developing Tesla for it (she's so cool ;~;), and then getting to feature Meryl and Milly (also gay for each other <3) prominently and give them their own distinct character arcs and struggles (Milly with reconciling that the thing she was raised to do may not be something she actually wants or agrees with, and Meryl with learning to let go of her need to plan for everything/learning to be more flexible/reconcile the fact she believes in the cause but is still breaking all the rules/betraying her comrades in befriending Vash). And I'm very excited to get back to it now that reverse bang work is done and posted! There are going to be some fun things in upcoming arcs that I'm excited to share!! (Its one year anniversary is coming up on the 8th too!)

But thank you so much for the ask, Coco!!! I really appreciate it!!

[gcthvile]

Thyri

Name: Thyri (formerly known as Milly Brandt on Earth)

Nicknames: Thy, Ri, As-Grouch (by Tony), Valky-Tude (also by Tony)

Age: 1,500 years old.

Height: 6'0

Sexuality: Pansexual

Background:

Thyri was born into a prestigious family in Asgard, the realm of the gods, known for their long lineage of legendary warriors. Her parents were revered warriors themselves, known for their bravery and unwavering loyalty to Asgard's cause. From a young age, Thyri was immersed in the traditions of her people, taught the ways of combat and valor alongside her siblings.

Growing up, Thyri idolized her parents and dreamed of following in their footsteps, eager to prove herself worthy of their legacy. Under their guidance, she honed her skills in swordsmanship and archery, displaying a natural talent for combat that surpassed even her siblings.

Tragedy struck when Thyri was still in her adolescence. During a fierce battle against the forces of darkness that threatened Asgard's peace, her parents fell in combat, sacrificing themselves to protect their comrades. Their loss left a profound void in Thyri's heart, fueling her determination to carry on their legacy and defend her homeland with unmatched ferocity.

Determined to honor her parents' memory, Thyri dedicated herself to her training, pushing herself to the limits of her abilities and beyond. Her relentless pursuit of perfection caught the attention of Odin himself, who saw in her the potential to become one of Asgard's greatest warriors.

Bestowed with the title of Valkyrie, Thyri joined the ranks of Asgard's elite guardians, tasked with the sacred duty of ushering fallen warriors to Valhalla. As a Valkyrie, she soared across the skies on her majestic steed, wielding her enchanted sword with grace and precision, inspiring fear in the hearts of Asgard's enemies.

But beneath her stoic facade, Thyri harbored doubts about the never-ending cycle of violence that consumed her homeland. She questioned the morality of war and longed for a world where peace could flourish without the need for bloodshed.

Her doubts came to a head during a pivotal battle against a powerful enemy that threatened to engulf the Nine Realms in darkness. As the conflict raged on, Thyri witnessed the senseless loss of life and the toll it took on both sides of the conflict. In a moment of clarity, she realized that there had to be another way to achieve justice and harmony, one that didn't rely on the sword alone.

Against Odin's orders to press the offensive, Thyri chose compassion over conquest, seeking to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Her decision sparked outrage among her fellow warriors, who saw her actions as a betrayal of Asgard's traditions.

Cast out from her homeland and stripped of her title as a Valkyrie, Thyri found herself adrift in the cosmos, haunted by the memories of her past and uncertain of her future. It was during her journey through the stars that she discovered Earth, a world brimming with life and diversity unlike anything she had ever known.

Inspired by the resilience of humanity and the spirit of cooperation among its people, Thyri vowed to protect this newfound home from any threats that may arise. Taking up the mantle of a fallen hero, she adopted the name Thyri, a symbol of her commitment to atone for her past and forge a new legacy as a guardian of Earth.

After arriving on Earth, Thyri, now operating under the alias Milly Brandt, found herself drawn into the clandestine world of SHIELD, the covert organization tasked with protecting the planet from extraterrestrial threats. Under the watchful eye of Nick Fury, she underwent intensive training and adapted to the nuances of life on Earth, all while keeping her true identity hidden from her new colleagues.

As Milly Brandt, she proved herself to be a valuable asset to SHIELD, utilizing her formidable combat skills and keen intellect to thwart numerous threats to global security. Her unwavering dedication and unassuming demeanor earned her the respect of her fellow agents, though few suspected the truth behind the enigmatic newcomer.

Despite her newfound purpose and sense of belonging within SHIELD, Thyri struggled with the weight of her past and the secrets she harbored. The memories of her life in Asgard and the choices that led to her exile weighed heavily on her conscience, threatening to unravel the fragile facade she had built on Earth.

As she delved deeper into her work at SHIELD, Thyri found herself confronted with echoes of her past, facing adversaries who tested her resolve and forced her to confront the demons she had long sought to bury. With each battle fought and each victory won, she grew more determined to redeem herself and make amends for the mistakes of her past.

But as tensions within SHIELD began to rise and dark forces threatened to tear the organization apart from within, Thyrinfound herself at a crossroads, torn between loyalty to her newfound allies and the truth of her identity. Forced to confront her past in order to secure the future of Earth, she embarked on a journey of self-discovery that would test the limits of her strength and resilience.

Reunion

As Thor's banishment to Earth unfolded, Thyri watched from afar, torn between conflicting emotions of relief and apprehension. She had worked tirelessly to conceal her true identity and distance herself from her past, fearing the consequences of her secret being exposed to the world.

When Thor's arrival on Earth coincided with Thyri's tenure at SHIELD, she found herself faced with a dilemma unlike any she had encountered before. Despite her efforts to maintain a low profile, the sudden reappearance of her former comrade threatened to upend the delicate balance she had worked so hard to maintain.

Desperate to avoid contact with Thor and the potential revelation of her true identity, Thyri kept her distance, watching from the shadows as he navigated the unfamiliar terrain of Midgard. But fate had other plans in store for them, as their paths inevitably crossed in a moment of chance encounter.

In a moment of excitement at seeing a familiar face from her past, Thyri's guard slipped, and she found herself face to face with Thor once more. Before she could stop him, he greeted her with open arms, oblivious to the danger his presence posed to her carefully guarded secret.

In a rush of emotions, Thor's exuberance betrayed Thyri's trust, as he unwittingly revealed her true identity to the others gathered around them. Shock and disbelief washed over her as the truth of her past was laid bare for all to see, threatening to unravel the fragile facade she had built on Earth.

As Thyri grappled with the fallout of Thor's revelation, she realized that the time for hiding was over. Embracing her true identity as a fallen hero from Asgard, she stood tall in the face of adversity, ready to confront the challenges that lay ahead with courage and determination.

Personality

Thyri possesses a rare combination of strength and vulnerability, shaped by her tumultuous past and unwavering sense of duty. Beneath her stoic exterior lies a compassionate soul, deeply affected by the suffering she has witnessed throughout her life. Despite the weight of her burdens, she remains fiercely determined and resilient, refusing to succumb to despair in the face of adversity.

Courageous and honorable to the core, Thyri embodies the virtues of a true warrior, guided by a steadfast moral compass and unwavering dedication to justice. She is willing to sacrifice everything for the greater good, even if it means confronting her own demons and making difficult choices along the way.

While Thyri may initially come across as guarded and aloof, she harbors a profound capacity for empathy and understanding, forged through her experiences on both Asgard and Earth. She forms deep connections with those she trusts, valuing loyalty and camaraderie above all else.

Despite her past mistakes and the scars they have left behind, Thyri refuses to dwell on regrets, choosing instead to focus on the future and the opportunities it holds for redemption and renewal. She approaches each challenge with a fierce determination and unwavering resolve, drawing strength from the bonds she shares with her allies and the knowledge that she is fighting for a cause greater than herself.

In moments of uncertainty or doubt, Thyri relies on her inner strength and resilience to persevere, refusing to back down in the face of overwhelming odds. Her journey of self-discovery and redemption serves as a testament to her indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to forging a brighter future for herself and those she holds dear.

The Avengers

Thor

Thor's arrival on Earth marks a significant turning point in Thyri's journey, as his presence forces her to confront her past and embrace her true identity. Despite their initial differences and the challenges they face along the way, Thyri and Thor share a deep bond forged through their shared history as warriors of Asgard. As they navigate the complexities of life on Earth together, their relationship evolves from one of tentative allies to that of trusted confidants, united by a common purpose and a shared commitment to protecting their newfound home.

Steve Rogers

Thyri's relationship with Steve is characterized by mutual admiration and respect, rooted in their shared values of honor, duty, and sacrifice. As two warriors from vastly different backgrounds, they find common ground in their unwavering commitment to serving the greater good, often serving as each other's moral compass in times of uncertainty. Their camaraderie is built on a foundation of trust and mutual understanding, as they stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of adversity, ready to defend Earth against any threat that may arise.

Natasha Romanoff

Thyri's relationship with Natasha is one of cautious camaraderie, born out of mutual respect for each other's skills and abilities. Despite their differences in background and temperament, they share a deep understanding of the sacrifices required to be a warrior, and a willingness to put aside personal differences in pursuit of a common goal. As they fight alongside each other on the battlefield, they develop a bond built on trust and mutual reliance, forming a formidable team capable of taking on any challenge that comes their way.

Tony Stark

Thyri's relationship with Tony is characterized by a combination of admiration and exasperation, as they often find themselves at odds due to their differing approaches to problem-solving and conflict resolution. Despite their occasional clashes, they share a begrudging respect for each other's abilities and a mutual desire to protect Earth from any threat that may arise. Their dynamic is marked by witty banter and playful rivalry, tempered by a deep-seated sense of camaraderie born out of their shared experiences as members of the Avengers.

Clint Barton

Thyri's relationship with Clint is one of mutual respect and trust, grounded in their shared experiences as skilled fighters. Despite Clint's initial skepticism towards Thyri due to her mysterious past, they quickly develop a bond forged through their shared dedication to the team and their willingness to put their lives on the line for the greater good. As fellow warriors, they share a deep understanding of the sacrifices required to protect Earth, forming a formidable partnership on the battlefield characterized by seamless coordination and unwavering loyalty.

Bruce Banner

Thyri's relationship with Bruce, and his alter ego, The Hulk, is one marked by a mixture of awe and concern. Initially wary of Bruce's unpredictable transformations and the destructive power of Hulk, Thyri gradually comes to see past the surface to the man beneath the monster. As Bruce struggles to come to terms with his dual nature, Thyri serves as a steadfast ally and confidant, offering him support and understanding in moments of uncertainty and fear. Despite the challenges they face, their bond grows stronger over time, as they learn to trust each other and work together to harness Hulk's power for the greater good.

Other marvel characters

Loki

Thyri's relationship with Loki is one of profound complexity, shaped by a mixture of history, rivalry, and begrudging respect. As fellow inhabitants of Asgard, they share a long and tumultuous history, marked by moments of camaraderie as well as betrayal. Despite their differences and the animosity that often simmers beneath the surface, Thyri and Loki share a deep understanding of each other's struggles and motivations, forged through their shared experiences as members of Asgard's royal family. Though their relationship is fraught with tension and mistrust, they are bound together by a common heritage and a sense of obligation to their homeland, leading to moments of reluctant cooperation tempered by underlying suspicion.

Brunhilde

Thyri's relationship with Brunhilde, also known as Valkyrie, is one characterized by mutual respect, admiration, and a shared sense of duty. As fellow warriors of Asgard, they once fought side by side as members of the Valkyrior, tasked with defending the realm from threats both internal and external. Despite the tragic circumstances that led to Thyri's exile from Asgard, Brunhilde remains a steadfast ally and friend, offering her support and guidance as Thyri navigates the complexities of life on Earth. United by their shared experiences and a common bond forged through countless battles fought together, Thyri and Brunhilde stand as kindred spirits, bound by their unwavering commitment to protecting those in need and upholding the values of honor and valor that define their legacy as warriors of Asgard.

Stephen Strange

Thyri shares a mutual respect with Strange, admiring his mastery of the mystical arts and his dedication to protecting Earth from supernatural threats. Their paths occasionally intersect when facing otherworldly adversaries, and they form a formidable team when combining their unique skills and abilities.

Peter Parker

Thyri sees Peter as a kindred spirit, recognizing his youthful idealism and sense of responsibility. She admires his courage in the face of danger and often serves as a mentor figure, offering guidance and support as he navigates the challenges of being a young hero.

T'Challa

Thyri respects T'Challa's leadership and wisdom, recognizing him as a noble and honorable ruler. They share a common dedication to protecting the innocent and upholding justice, often collaborating on missions that require their combined strength and expertise.

Carol Danvers

Thyri admires Carol's strength and resilience, seeing her as a role model and fellow warrior. They share a deep bond forged through their experiences as powerful heroes, and Thyri often looks to Carol for guidance and inspiration in times of uncertainty.

Bucky Barnes

Thyri empathizes with Bucky's struggles with his past and his efforts to atone for his actions as a brainwashed assassin. They share a mutual respect forged through their experiences as warriors, and Thyri often serves as a confidant and ally to Bucky as he seeks redemption.

Wanda Maximoff

Thyri feels a sense of kinship with Wanda, empathizing with her struggles as a powerful being grappling with her own identity and place in the world. Despite their differences in background and abilities, they share a bond forged through shared experiences of loss and redemption, serving as sources of strength and support for each other in times of need.

Extra information

Despite her stoic demeanor on the battlefield, Thyri has a hidden talent for storytelling and enjoys regaling her fellow warriors with tales of Asgardian lore and epic battles from her homeland.

Thyri has a soft spot for animals, particularly horses, and often spends her downtime at the stables, bonding with the majestic creatures and honing her skills as a rider.

In addition to her prowess in combat, Thyri is also a skilled artist, finding solace and expression through painting and sketching during quiet moments of reflection.

Thyri has a weakness for Midgardian cuisine, especially Earth's desserts. She can often be found indulging in sweets like chocolate cake or ice cream, savoring each bite with childlike delight.

Despite her imposing stature and fearsome reputation on the battlefield, Thyri is surprisingly fond of music and has a talent for playing the harp, finding solace in its melodic strains during moments of solitude.

In her downtime, Thyri enjoys exploring the natural beauty of Earth, often taking long walks in the wilderness or hiking through rugged terrain to reconnect with the world around her.

Thyri harbors a secret love for poetry, often composing verses in her spare time as a way to express her innermost thoughts and emotions.

hope you guys like her!

tags: @missstrawbs2001 @jackiequick @blueboirick @cherrysft @meiramel @purpleprincessonfyre @ask-missparker @askstevella @therealdaydreamstark @rickb-chaos @luna-d-marsh @rooster-84 @gaminggirlsstuff

[magadauthan]

Ep 10: Quick Draw

Today's recap for @trigun98watchparty. Aw man, I love this one. It's perfect.

Vash's pajamas are the best, aren't they? <3

--This introductory interlude is so nice. It's the first time we hear Vash really talk about himself. He just wants to be a regular guy, in his adorable PJs (who on the planet would believe that Vash the Stampede wears jammies?), putting his pants on one leg at a time in the morning, cooking himself breakfast, talking to the birdies, reading the newspaper. And his hair is all messed up. Go get that boy, Meryl.

--That "you look like my dead girl/boyfriend" has never worked in the history of ever.

--there's a sublime irony in workaholic early-twentysomething Meryl lecturing Vash that he should doing something more worthwhile than playing with kids. After 130-ish years, Vash has more than enough data to have concluded that eating, sleeping, and playing with the kids is about the most worthwhile thing he can do.

--Wolfwood, you twerp. Playing Vash like a violin. (or, he thinks he does; Vash would have helped out either way.)

--OH MERYL YOU'RE SO MAD she's so mean to him omg and Milly gets it right again

--Vash's stat sheet! If WW filled it out... how does he know Vash's blood type, exactly? (yes, I understand the Japanese thing about blood types and how Vash fits the O "profile." Probably an O-neg, at that.)

--How's that pride taste, Meryl? Goes down better with a bottle of booze? Okay, now they're all friends. Love how this scene gets subverted in BR when it's Meryl who gets drunk off her ass and Milly has to carry her home.

--Poor Wolfwood, hoist by his own petard. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to pull a fast one on Vash the Stampede.

--2/2 for Milly.

--The level of mutual trust that Vash and WW have already built speaks volumes to their shared sense of justice; it hasn't been beaten out of WW entirely. That sense comes from very different origins, but the two of them end in the same place.

--STOP FLIRTING, YOU TWO, AND GET A ROOM.

--Cross Punisher makes its debut! (WW's berserk mode is a bit overdone imo)

--The feet belong to Chapel, presumably.

--Meryl and Milly, get yourselves a man who can cook.

--If I were Neil's mom, I'm not sure that I wouldn't be kicking Dad to the curb after he ran out, but eh. Love and Peace?

Nothing of any real plot importance happens in this ep... but everything of plot importance happens in this ep. The entire story arc is meaningless if Vash and Wolfwood don't have a bond. That bond makes each of them question why, exactly, are they doing what they're doing. (are you listening, Orange? Get on it.) Friends, nakama, comrades, lovers... pick one and make it stick.

[fatalbloom]

One of my oldest friends, Milli, is creating a whole Pokémon-style game called “MonRads” (short for “Monster Comrades”). He just finished a beautiful world map for it, but here’s the main post showing all his character designs!

https://cohost.org/Millionsandwiches/post/2785914-mon-rads

I don’t know if any of you are on cohost too, but check his stuff out if you’re a fan of pokémon-like designs ^^

[zak-dar]

Nicholas, where are you looking? You're a priest!

Milly, where are you looking? He's a priest!

I've never mentioned it here, but Trigun is one of my most favorite anime. I don't like westerns, I don't like fiction, but somehow, it was Trigun who captured my heart and never let go again. Although Cowboy Bebop is recognized as a world classic having roughly similar genres and setting at its core, I still think Trigun is better than it. I tenderly love all the characters, and even if I hate someone as individuals (Legato and Knives), I still love them as interesting characters.

However, I can't say the same about pairings. I would never have thought that I would like the canonical couple in the anime more than the wonderful fanon with Vash and Nicholas. As I got older, I realized something: there are some works in which the relationship between two men (because I'm mainly BL fan) should remain friendly, because something romantic between them will make them not the characters I like. Brotp is also a great kind of relationship, and sometimes I just accept the fact that there are absolutely heterosexual characters. So when I see the interactions of Nicholas and Vash in the original anime, I understand that they are comrades, brothers in arms, but I don't see at least an ounce of romance, although I can perfectly understand why people ship them.

(update: I'm sorry, I was too lazy to write in English by myself, so I used translator and it made many mistakes in names, so I fixed it only few weeks latter)

[robotlyra]

I said I was holding off final judgement on Trigun Stampede until Wolfwood showed up, and now that he's here I'm laying down my stamp: the show is flash over substance, and how they handled Wolfwood's intro solidifies it.

Spoilers inbound  

Wolfwood was confirmed as a member of Knives' squad right at the end of the episode he was introduced so there is no time to experience him as anything other than a threat. His critical moment of "comforts a distressed child" that establishes his kind heart and dedication to children was completely neutered because it was an act he pulled with Zazie the Beast in cahoots in order to trick Vash into trusting him more. Even his official job is no longer "priest", but "undertaker", which is like the cherry on top of the sundae of the show's failure to understand the likeability of its characters, and just focusing on making them as cool as possible.  Now, instead of a kind hearted stranger with a surprising toughness and pragmatism and his darker realities only shock us much later, he comes across as snarky, aloof and edgy, and an immediate danger. He's not a comrade to be walked with, he's a problem to be solved. The roles of "who sees through the other's façade on their first meeting" are even inverted, so instead of Wolfwood pointing out Vash is faking his smile, Vash is seeing through Wolfwood's supposed ruthlessness and it makes it seem like Vash's job is to fix him by seeing the good in all people, instead of Wolfwood revealing that Vash's pacifism and attempt to run from his past has its own dangers.

And this isn't really a spoiler, but Roberto continues to be the worst character on the show: he exists only to offer verbal exposition to make up for the fact that the show is plunging hard and fast into action from the manga that the OG never got to, at the expense of slower, more thoughtful exposition. Other than that, all he does is drink, smoke, complain and be a big glaring cynical black hole that only amplifies what was lost when Millie was cut.

I miss the original show's goofiness. None of this show has any of the charming ridiculousness that made the shift to tragedy all the more shocking. There's none of that playing with "is this guy actually that good, or is he just obscenely lucky?" There's no "Why does a priest have guns in his cross? Why is he THAT GOOD at shooting?” Instead everyone's cool and badass and perfectly animated in glamour shots right off the bat

My main takeaway is that even though the original Trigun may have had its flaws (and a big drop in animation quality in the middle), what makes people fall in love with it is the characters. People LOVE Vash and Wolfwood, that's why people hollered when they had all those previews. It wasn't so much the story as the fact that they were going to see characters they loved again. So when this new show does so very little to actually focus on the characters and what kind of people they are, and just kind of plunges headlong into all the stuff that from the manga that the og series never covered, it's a disappointment. Trigun Stampede is basically like an abridged series done by somebody who was only interested in how badass they could make it instead of getting to know the characters as people.

[shallowseeker]

Character parallels and modes of emotional operation

SAM + PROJECTION

You know, someone somewhere in the tags said that Sam projected onto Jack very, very hard, wanting desperately to see himself in him, even when Jack sometimes displayed a very different emotional life.

This is a fun Sam trait. Because Sam saw himself in "the monster," the monster was worth saving. (I don't necessarily judge that as an abnormal, spookily terrible thing. That's literally how empathy works.)

But interestingly, it's also why he's praying to Cas in the beginning of season 7.

SAM: He's not! He's in there somewhere, Dean. I know it. DEAN: No, you don't. SAM: No, I don't. But, look, I was pretty far gone sometimes myself, and never gave up on me.

Sam easily forgives Cas, just like he easily forgives John. Because deep down, he views them as fundamentally similar. He sees himself in them, and so they get big passes on moral things, whereas Dean and Mary, the ones who are supposed to support him in a certain way, do not.

To be fair, with Cas, Sam and Cas actually have a lot of parallel journeys, even translating to back-and-forth cinematography throughout the series. (Hunter Heroici & Our Little World come to mind.)

That's why it was so good for Cas to go with Sam in Peace of Mind to give him mentorship, and for Dean to go with Jack to try to tackle his emotional headspace.

//

THE "SAVE THE CAT" FAMILY LOVE STORY & PARALLEL JOURNEYS

THESE ARE CARVED IN THE LIBRARY ON THE "WORK TABLE" = It gives us a glimpse into each character's primary mode of emotional operation in their daily lives. It's also a little reminiscent of the coworkers' bar, but the library is specifically more of Sam's domain. The family business coworkers' space or the "legacy space," perhaps.

The final table reveals the parallel journeys of the characters: Sam and Cas on one side; Dean, Mary, and Jack more parallel-ish the other. Some lines are literally more parallel.

They're all a big giant love story, but it's in the movie-industry-Save the Cat / Blake Synder kinda way, a tapestry ranging from familial to sibling to parent to child to lover to friends to comrades to even groups of strangers.

(Even buddy stories are love stories in disguise, so the saying goes in the movie workshops. It's often about sacrifices and meeting in the middle, despite your differences and mistakes.)

///

WHERE WOULD OTHER CHARACTERS FALL?

Maybe in completely different directions, like more vertically oriented. Also, I think characters move around the table, depending on their psychological wounds of the moment. Nonetheless, they probably have particular quadrants of operation they stick to within the narrative.

(Movements: For example, I think Mary and Eileen are on the right with other heart characters, but they can also tend to go "lone wolf," more analogous to Castiel and later-John, who live more fully on the left.)

I suspect Henry Winchester would be on the left, too, over with Cas and Sam. He's a "thinking character" and seems stupidly courageous to the point of sacrifice. His idealism has the potential to get him into morally corrupt scenarios, as well.

Millie Winchester on the right, with the other heart characters.

//

The Campbells are harder. Probably because they tend to move with the modes of their circumstances more readily.

I'd put Gwen Campbell for sure on the right with Dean, a sensitive heart who "performs toughness" to disguise it.

Samuel Campbell could be on the left, right next to Mary's rightward name; a parallel to Cas-and-Jack. Samuel is still tragically trying so desperately to save her, even decades after her death.

Of course, Winchesters can move, too:

John could also be right next to Millie, who seemed to try to love him through his crises. (Or John could be next to Mary, of course, especially in the context of The Winchesters, where they actively work together as co-protectors/coworkers within the narrative.)

Another movement character: John could actually be on the right for a little while, with the hearts, running parallel with Millie, as he grows up without Henry.

///

For The Winchesters companion series, even though we didn't get very far into it, I mentally visualize Deanna Campbell as being someone who might sell her soul for Maggie, which is why she's cagey and missing for all of season 1.

Ergo Deanna on the right with the hearts but opposite Maggie Campbell, who lives on the left, very close to an intersection with Mary's journey.

Latika is an idealist, so I'd put her on the left, too, with other idealists.

And Carlos, on the right, with other "heart" characters.

[feekins]

ok so I was sick but now I'm not so much, so ONWARD! here are my thoughts and things and whatever translation weirdness I find as I re-read ch 3 of Trigun Maximum vol 4!

(NOTE: I'm reading the Dark Horse [physical] and the Overhaul [online] translations side-by-side)

(Dark Horse on top, Overhaul on bottom)

this bit's always confused me. I used to think that Meryl was referring to getting Vash and Wolfwood hospitalized (no thanks to Dark Horse's random vague-ness)? but now I think maybe she's referring to things in general what with being back on Vash's trail.

yeah. once again, I prefer the Overhaul on this one - "you're small and powerless" VS "you're small and that could put you in danger".

also I remember someone commenting on Dad Stryfe's headphones and speculating that he was into radio broadcast? I think? anyway, looking at how flashback Meryl's dressed, I wonder if maybe her path to Bernardelli started with helping her dad? idk. just a thought. how sweet would that be, though? 😊

I think...here, we see Vash trying to distance himself? OR he's reacting the way Wolfwood would - bc based on the next page, that's the way Wolfwood seems to think about Milly and Meryl (or at least, that's what he says).

...idk why I only just registered this as Vash seeing right through Wolfwood again. also, Wolfwood rly does read like a cynical teenager in trimax imo - cynical with a soft core, and he's always struggling to reconcile those two sides of himself...

Dark Horse confusing. Overhaul not.

unrelated: I like the continuity of how like...Wolfwood keeps pressing Vash on these difficult conversations.

Dark Horse...weird and vague. Overhaul much more straightforward. what a weird way to translate it..."peaceful relations" VS "like-minded colleagues" 🤨

(Dark Horse on left, Overhaul on right)

the Overhaul makes it clear here - usefulness has nothing to do with it. to Knives, at the end of the day, the GHGs are just another swarm of pests in need of extermination.

also...Hoppered's motive being revealed as revenge comes so abruptly the way Dark Horse translates it, and then Midvalley's reaction to it is so vague. in the Overhaul, we can see how Midvalley's zeroed in on Hoppered's intent to get revenge on Vash, and he's like "y'know what deep shit that'll put you in, right?"

it's weird how Dark Horse clings to that "usefulness" bit. their translation spins it to be about "bleh, I don't want to keep working for Knives" rather than "working for Knives is just a means to an end for me".

it makes me.......rly feel for both Hoppered and Midvalley here. 😞

oh, and after Midvalley and Hoppered's conversation, we have an interesting translation discrepancy in Zazie's first lines! Dark Horse has "Such weakness. I don't understand it. In short...use 'it' to get to his comrades..." while the Overhaul has "Hmm...a weakness. I do not understand it. But it will work. I shall use it to get this woman." I used to think, with Dark Horse's translation, Zazie was talking about Hoppered and Midvalley? But perhaps the 'weakness' they're referring back to is what they overheard Vash and Wolfwood talking about...? idk, the 'it's are confusing me 😵‍💫

aaaaaand one more interesting translation discrepancy.

and I am SO MAD AT MYSELF for not remembering Zazie KIDNAPPING MERYL in the manga - now I see the tristamp parallel with Zazie taking Meryl and Roberto to July to lure Vash out!

[ourlittleforever]

“i wasn’t going to leave without a kiss goodbye.”

Thank you Mike!!! Here's a little dash of love and Angst.

takes place shortly before Dominaria United Ep 4

---

The sun hung low between the mountains, and night crept over Dominaria once more. The Croger Estate's Angelfire lanterns cast a pale green glow over the footpath as Arvad and Millie walked up to the gate. The vampire glanced down at his wife; people who didn't know them would have said Millie looked utterly serene. But he could see the anxiety in their gaze.

Whispers of Sheoldred's forces clawing at Benalia – namely the Croger lands – had caused anxiety to ripple through the kingdom. Eadith Croger had called her foremost cleric of Angelfire back home to assist in the resistance efforts, and Millie had reluctantly agreed.

Arvad would stay back with the rest of the Weatherlight crew, shuttling supplies to other rebel factions. He hated to be separated from Millie, but it had to be done. Right?

"Arvad?" Millie's voice cut through his thoughts, and he stopped walking, dropping the duffel bags he was carrying. The gates began to creak open.

"Yes, princess?"

"I'm scared," they said simply. Their voice was soft. "I don't… I don't know if…" Millie pursed their lips and sighed. "I don't even know what I'm trying to say. Just that I'm afraid, I guess."

He took their hands in his and squeezed them. Millie's shoulders relaxed. "It's alright," he murmured. "I'm afraid, too. But neither of us will be fighting alone. We'll have the crew, the knights, the clerics… and each other." He gave them his best, most comforting smile.

Arvad swept Millie up in his arms, kissing them sweetly. They melted in his embrace – oh, he'd miss that feeling so much – and sighed pleasantly when he let them down. Millie leaned forward slightly as he pulled back, and in response, Arvad couldn't help but steal one more chaste kiss.

A knight of House Croger coughed awkwardly from beyond the gate. Arvad scowled at him, and the knight shrunk back behind the door.

Millie giggled at that, their little laugh a song that lifted Arvad's spirits. "You were being a little… passionate."

"I wasn't going to leave without a kiss goodbye." Arvad cupped their face in one hand. He took to heart the dusting of freckles on their nose and cheeks, their sea green eyes, the softness of their skin. He knew it would be some time before he'd be able to touch them again.

"I love you." Millie kissed his palm, then glanced behind them. The knight from before, along with a few of his comrades, crept around the gate to collect their bags. "I'll… we'll be together again, soon."

"I love you too."

Arvad watched as Millie followed the knights back into the gated estate. As the doors closed, he caught them looking back at him through the sliver, then they disappeared behind the oak. He was suddenly aware that the night was cold and dark, and he was a long way from the Weatherlight.

With a heaviness in his heart, Arvad turned and started the trek back to the ship.

[spearohero]

This is a story about a sheepgirl holy woman exploring how much of herself is safe to give for the greater good. See Chapter 3 here!

Dawnsister, Chapter 4: Kin & Kindling

CW: violence again <3 she's gotta reach her demon quota each chapter guys

Edelyn led Ampara through the shadows of many buildings, turns and pathways unfamiliar to her. Though it seemed they had to step over the carrion of pit-dwellers–and, occasionally, the corpse of a poor soul who had made a meal for them–they did not tread in a warzone. The Dawnsister felt eyes on her from between the boards of hastily-barricaded windows. She heard whispers and shuffling from within the buildings; the hushed hustle and bustle of prey foraging through the underbrush, ever-careful to avoid the notice of predators.

The buildings themselves were reasonably intact, in spite of whatever had brought so many devils to their doorsteps. It was clear that it was unsafe to maintain them properly, and yet a few ill-aligned bricks (and a handful of deep cracks in the streets, which her hooves had nearly tripped up on more than once) were the only physical sign that anything had happened at all.

The pair snuck around what demons they could–easy enough for Edelyn, but more difficult for Ampara, bedecked in clanking mail and clacking hoof–and the Dawnsister made quick work of the ones they couldn’t. They arrived late into the night, but arrived nonetheless: the two now stood before a wide, low building, whose walls were thick stacked stone slabs plastered with mortar and crisscrossed with heavy timbers. Metal grates filled small cutouts in the stone, well above even Ampara’s prodigious height–they were secure, clearly more for ventilation than for the light or the view, not that the ewe cared for either.

Her mouse companion approached the tall, broad oaken doors and knocked an odd rhythm on them. Footsteps followed from within, then a grunt and the grinding of a large bar as the occupant cleared their way. One door cracked inward two paces, enough for Edelyn to pass through.

“We’ve a visitor,” she said to her friend within, and Ampara heard a stifled exclamation as they turned to look at her. The door creaked open a touch wider, and she nodded politely in their direction in thanks. Murmurs of conversation flitted around what sounded like a mostly-open room; a grunt and a distant PAFF as someone set down a heavy load; rummaging and rustling, then the scratch of charcoal on parchment. There was even a fire crackling in the corner nearest her and Edelyn–she assumed it was under one of the small windows–since it likely wasn’t safe to cook outdoors as one normally might. Edelyn directed Ampara around any seating arrangements that the occupants of the makeshift garrison had pulled up for themselves, and found a spot for the two of them a respectable distance away from her comrades.

“Now then,” Ampara inquired, seating herself on a crate that Edelyn had pointed out to her, “How did our predicament come to be?”

“The summer’s been most unkind to us, Ampara,” the mouse replied, raising the ewe’s hackles by a hair yet again. “It started when the mountain opened its damned maw. It may as well’ve been a portal straight to hell.”

“An eruption?” She asked, and the mouse nodded.

“Imagine the misfortune. The city’s stood for centuries, and nobody had the slightest idea what we were building ourselves atop!”

“Terrible, indeed. Pray, what city is this?” She didn’t recognize the name when Edelyn spoke it, and the sound of it was about as foreign as the mouse’s manner of speech. She knew not the mountain, either, and she wondered just how far she had been willed from her own monastery.

“Millie!” called Edelyn to someone nearby, at the ewe’s urging. “Do you happen to know when that statue was erected at the Dawnsisters’ shrine?”

“No,” came the reply, “but it’s been there longer than I can remember.”

“My granduncle told me it had been there since he was a boy,” chimed in another voice.

“The sisters spoke of it more like a myth or a saint than a real person, didn’t they?” asked a third.

A chill wind blew through Ampara. She felt undeserving of such reverence, especially having earned it by derelicting her duties to her sisters. And her sisters–to tend a statue, dedicated to her, for so long… Even if it had served as an inspiration to some, surely it was a reminder of her absence for others. Shame burned her cheeks; she hadn’t considered how they would feel about being left behind.

More chilling still was the revelation of how long she had been away: names and language flowed like molasses, but flowed nonetheless. Was it possible that the mouse’s truncated words were not a dialect, but an evolution? She could have heard of this city, in her own time, even lived within traveling distance of it. She had never stood in the shadow of a mountain, so she couldn’t know the one that sheltered the burg now, but even if she had, would she recognize it after it had so violently shed its peaks?

“Tell me more about the eruption, if you could,” she asked, soberly, eager to put the idea out of mind.

“Right. The damned mountain spat so much smoke and ash that the clouds grew darker than a boar’s hair and even thicker than that, and they’ve stayed that way since. Without proper sun, the harvest failed, and well… people started to get desperate.”

Ampara frowned. That would be where the monsters entered the scene.

“They turned on each other.”

“That they did,” Edelyn said gravely.

“But even that would not invite such profusion from the pit. People acting out of desperation–it is not the same as betraying and stealing with evil in their hearts.”

“But wouldn’t you know it,” the mouse bitterly began, “the ones with evil in their hearts made all the difference. The ones who owned the land, and the ones with enough money to hire themselves some swords, they took what they could snap up and they hid themselves away with it. Did the same thing in the wake of the eruption, too, when the earth shook and buildings fell on people–you left your arm and leg in the rubble, or you paid with them for your medicine.”

“Despicable.” The ewe’s frown curled into a sneer. A fire in her own chest crackled in time with that of the makeshift hearth. “At least you have all been able to keep safe, in spite of the powers that be. How did you come to take shelter together?”

“Most of us’ve known each other a long while. The first lessons any of us learned were in turning to each other in times of need–that’s what you do to survive, when you’re cast out.”

“May I ask?”

“Oh, none of us are ashamed of where we come from. Some of us have bad blood with family–they didn’t like our friends, or our lovers, or the names we chose for ourselves.” Ampara nodded, understanding fully. “Others couldn’t find work, or couldn’t work to begin with. Some simply met misfortune and were left out in the cold. When it all began to go to hell, we all knew we’d have to ride it out together.”

“This little fort of ours used to be a storehouse,” the mouse continued. “Once all those ill-bought brigands picked the armories clean, they moved on to apothecaries and granaries, like this one. But you can’t steal a building! And while they’re off protecting some miserable manse for their miserly master, we’re using the place to stockpile the goods that we can still find in the city, and anything we can buy or beg from the merchants who come close enough to the outskirts to barter, and to provide shelter from the beasts. This is one of the only places in this lightforsaken town with doors still open to those in need. We’re all we had before,” she said, sighing, “and we’re still all we have now.”

“Wise words. May the rest of the city remember that soon.” Edelyn said nothing, offering only a pensive little hmph in response. Ampara turned her thoughts to the room. Though late, someone stirred a pot over the fire in the corner. A cat and a crocodile sat across from a beetle and a rat, talking amongst themselves. A hound and a deer sat, shoulder to shoulder, against a rack that was once used for backs of grain, repurposed now as a stand for scavenged weapons. A squirrel, perhaps a bard or busker when there were still people on the streets to perform for, pestered the watchman and told jokes to others who passed by.

Their camaraderie was plain to see, even for one who could not; and though she could not feel them, she envied them, most of all the ones who shared bedrolls to stave off the dark of the night and the hopelessness of the disaster. The Dawnsisters took no oaths against being wed, and in fact, many of Ampara’s sisters had families outside of the monastery. They stayed there for some of their days, out of convenience (it was easier than making the trek to work every day, and sharing one’s chores always made them easier) and out of necessity (as the minutes saved on that trek could be the difference between life and death in an emergency).

Ampara, for her part, had simply been too zealous to spend time taking a lover or forging a friendship. Her studies, her training, and most importantly her duties, all took the lion’s share of her youthful vigor. As she got older, and as she approached the nadir of her weariness, she had thought that such connections would ease her mind, but, well, by then it was simply easier to push forward. To invite someone into her heart was to track the mud of worry into theirs, whenever she was called to action. To relax in the arms of another was to turn away from people in need for a time, and she could not… she could not bring herself to lower her guard.

Her mind drifted back to the sisters she had spent every day with, who confided in her about the horrors they had beaten back for the sake of their fellows, who she broke fast with each morning and bread with each night. She thought of the townsfolk she served; everyone from those who did business with the monastery and whose routines and habits she learned by proximity, to those she had had to save more than once, whose problems and lives she had become intimately acquainted with. Surely, any of them would have accepted her, had she reached out. But it was too late to lament a path she had turned away from.

“On the subject of reminding this town of the way that things should be,” she began, eager to take her mind off of her abbey but unable to escape her sisters, “where can I find the Dawnsisters of this city? I must join them in dealing with these so-called ‘lords’ of yours. I am sure I can convince them to part with some goods to aid you; elsewise, we would be able to offer you shelter with them.”

“Ah,” Edelyn mumbled.

“Surely, you were at the shrine seeking their aid. You must know where they are, or at least where I could begin my search.”

“No, I simply… I was scavenging, and was taken by surprise by those devils. I needed somewhere to hide, and—damn it all.” Ampara turned toward her, concerned. “Well. Pardon me for this, but in the shock of seeing you stride out of a statue to my rescue, it didn’t occur to me to let you know. The Dawnsisters were spread quite thinly for a while after the eruption, leading reconstruction and caring for the sick and such. Their hands were still full when food got scarce, and when the first real wave of devils emerged… They weren’t prepared. They were our first line of defense, and…”

“That’s impossible,” Ampara insisted.

“As far as we knew, there weren’t any left. You’re the first we’ve seen in months.” The ewe’s mouth hung slightly open, and she turned her visage to the floor. “Things haven’t looked up at all, either. With the Dawnsisters gone, those damned thieves grew even bolder. More mercenaries, more hoarding; and then, with no other option in sight, people started joining up just to have some protection, even if it meant leaving their neighbors to starve.” She bunched up her shoulders and forced herself to exhale. “I’m sorry, Ampara–”

“Dawnsister. Please,” she nearly spat. She took a deep breath and drew herself up from her seat. “I understand the situation now. Your watchman is still at the door, yes?”

“I–yes, he is–”

“I will relieve him. You will all be safe under my watch. Then, at dawn, I will set out to begin making things right.”

“Make things right? How exactly–you’re one woman,” Edelyn sputtered, standing to follow the Dawnsister.

“It is what is needed. I will do what I must.”

“Do you plan to kill every damned fiend in the city by yourself?”

“If I am the only one who can do so, then yes. I have not any other choice.”

“That’s–” The mouse watched as the Dawnsister stopped before the weapon rack. She held out a paw, hesitating over the selection–most rusted or bent–and hefted one in her hand seemingly at random. Evidently satisfied, she turned and marched toward the door, where the watchman looked to Edelyn with uncertainty. She nodded at him, and he left his post, leaving his seat open for Ampara to take.

“I will not be swayed,” she said with finality. “You are in need, and to help you is why I am here.” Edelyn opened her mouth to protest, but the Dawnsister had already unslung the book from her hip, and was reciting hymns to herself. She could feel an otherworldly warmth radiating from the ewe–perhaps these were mantras to bolster herself through the night, or perhaps she was simply calming herself after receiving admittedly crushing news. Whatever the case, the mouse didn’t foresee making any further headway in conversation, and returned to her friends to retire for the night.

The Dawnsister did not sleep. One could say that she had awoken late the previous day, and the rhythms of life were untethered from the light of day for one such as herself regardless. She set out, as she had planned, at dawn, with her borrowed weapon in hand. It was a warhammer–a sturdy, leather-twined iron rod nearly as long as she was tall, topped with a solid chunk of steel as thick as Edelyn’s torso. It had felt right at the time, and this was the basis by which her faith most often guided her. She liked staves as much as her scriptures anyway, as far as a focus for her magic went, and the handle of the hammer would serve her as well as any other rod. Thus equipped, she set out for her first task: to clear the area around her new wards’ stronghold of devils and inform anyone she met where they could find aid.

She ruminated between meetings with monsters. These people truly had no other hope left–the full weight of the city fell squarely on her shoulders, and once again, the noose of necessity rubbed rough on her neck. But she had asked for this, she scolded herself as she whirled the great hammer around her body. It was SHE–she swung, taking the head of a fiend clean off its shoulders–that wanted only to be returned when she was needed. She simmered, stewed, seethed, at the twisted joke, the cruel MERCY–she brought her hammer down, splitting a beast from crown to crotch, and with enough force to spare that she leapt straight over the carnage and pounced on her next mark–of being allowed to “rest” until there was absolutely no other recourse but to return her.

Perhaps if she had stayed, the situation would have been different, she fretted as she left the stronghold again, having provisioned herself for a good few days. The first few blocks of buildings had been easy work; Edelyn and her friends had picked a safer part of the city to work from, and they and their neighbors had been vigilant in reporting and disposing of any wayward demons. She ventured, now, even further into the city. While she could not completely cleanse it without striking at the source of the corruption that compelled these creatures, her first priority was to make it safer for the people trapped there, and in any case, a clearer path would make for easier work later.

What good their statue did them in your absence, she berated herself. How inspired they must have been. What of your experience? What of your skill, your strength? Had you not FLED, perhaps you would have been able to travel to this city and reinforce the Dawnsisters here. Their blood is on your paws, she concluded as she withdrew her claws from the throat of a pit-dweller. She set it ablaze and followed the trail of the next. If you had just pushed through–if you had remained strong, and kept to your duties, not only would things be easier for you now–they would be easier for this entire CITY.

She had rested only when absolutely necessary. Some time ago, her stock of food and water had depleted, and now her pauses included time to scavenge as well as time to eat. She hadn’t slept–at least, not that she could remember. She was nearing the heart of the city, now, and the demons grew denser and denser. She hardly encountered a fellow mortal anymore–most here were living in the fortified complexes run by the bastards that had buried the town to begin with. She cut closer and closer to these as she went, aiming to leave herself a safe trail to storm them later. Now, she pushed: she stood before a column of demons that filled the entire thoroughfare before her, and she did not waver. She took a wide stance and grasped for control of her breathing, haggard and wild. Drawing up as much air and strength as she could muster, she loosed a roar that shattered the glass remaining in the boulevard’s windows, and a jet of fire erupted from her maw. Panting, she puffed the smoke from her lungs and marched over the ashes of the devils.

She hunted near the gates of the town’s lords, now, and they rightly reckoned that she was a threat to their hegemony. Mercenaries had been sent to seek her out in the buildings surrounding the walls of their holds; she bested them, easily, even when outnumbered, but she fought with much greater care than when she was dueling with demons. Some of these folk, she recalled Evelyn saying, felt they had no other choice. Surely some among them fought for medicine for their loved ones, or a roof over their own head, rather than for greed and glory; such was the evil of these lords, that their will bent even good people to play by the rules of their suicidal rat race.

One, however, had wounded her as she tended to his incapacitated troupe. The fruit of your inattention, she rebuked. Your INDOLENCE. Your NEGLIGENCE. She had bandaged herself up with scraps from her robes. You must remain VIGILANT. She would not allow another underhanded attack like that; in fact, she would keep these foul men at bay entirely, and then she wouldn’t have to worry about sorting the desperate from the dirty.

The Dawnsister now turned black night into brilliant day. The air itself hissed at her passing; the paving-stones steamed, and the steel of her warhammer and her now-decrepit mail glowed red-hot. The mercenaries knew better than to charge her now. The monsters did not. As they leapt mindlessly at her, their rotten hides charred and bubbled, and they hissed and keened as they roasted to nothing. Her lungs burned, and even her own wool singed. Push. Through. She half-chanted, half-choked, hymns and verses, leaning on the warhammer like a walking stick as she went.

Hired blades retreated from her advance across a city square, passing through the shadow of the great spire of a cathedral. She doggedly followed them, pressing their lines back, further back, hoping to drive them within the walls of their foul fortresses so that she could scour their city for them in peace. She heard cries from among their ranks–barked orders and confusion. A deafening FWOOSH sounded overhead, and her ears snapped toward the sound of a fireball emerging from the roof of the church. Then, crack after crack after CRACK, and the sound of a church bell clattering wildly against its housing as it began to fall. They had laid a trap for her, planning to bring the spire down on her head, but something had gone wrong. She was on the opposite side of the square, well clear of the jaws of the trap as they snapped impotently shut. Above the crashing, one more sound reached her ears: the panicked screams of someone standing, paralyzed, beneath the crashing steeple.

She released her wall of fire in an instant and dashed for the center of the square. Someone else–perhaps one of their own, perhaps a scavenger who had ventured out of their stronghold–had been snared in her stead. Perhaps they were bait, part of the trap itself, the victim of a fumbled matchstick or misread signal. It didn’t matter who they were. She had only one thought, over and over: push through. Protecting her kin was her job. Her purpose. She held her arms aloft, and that pillar of her very being flared out above her, a shield like the golden rim of the horizon at the break of day flickering to life above her head, and stopped the tower dead in the air. Every muscle and joint wailed. Her knees began to buckle. Push through. Her shoulders bowed. PUSH THROUGH. She pushed with all her might, keeping the tower from sinking any further, and shouted over her shoulder.

“AWAY WITH YOU,” she thundered. “TO SAFETY. MAKE.  HASTE.” Her rescuee found their bearings, and she waited for their footfalls as they ran for dear life.

She pushed, one final time, and gasped as the weight of the church tower slid from her shoulders. It fell to her side, rattling the stones of the street and jolting her bones. Her own weight followed to the ground thereafter, and on her knees she choked on plaster dust and saltpeter smoke. She wheezed and huffed, pawing at the ground to remain upright, fighting to stay conscious. And then, once again, she returned to oblivion.

See Chapter 5 here!

[lastglaivestanding]

She was called in by the remaining Crownsguard to identify bodies found in Cavaugh and Duscae specifically because they wore Glaive uniforms. As simple of a task it was, it didn't stop it from the tightness in her chest as she looked upon their faces. She knew all their faces and names, but she didn't personally know all of them. That was something her father had been better at than her when he was still with them.

It did make her wonder though, when she spotted the familiar crystals on some of the bodies, if there was one particular Glaive still out there. There were few of her former comrades that she hadn't expected to turn coat, but she knew that Millicent wouldn't have been one of them. She too kind of a soul to sell their brethren to the Empire. The closer she looked some of the dead that were laid on the ground, the more she was able to feel the remaining beat of her magic.

For a moment, she was hopeful that they'd meet each other again. The others surely would be happy to see her again.

It wasn't until the last body sheet was pulled back that she froze.

Johanne knelt down beside her body, reaching out to take her hand in both of hers. The Guards took their cue and left her for a few moments. "Oh, Milli..." She was glad they at least had the decency to close her eyes, she's not sure if she would've been able to hold it together if she saw the lifeless look in them.

Murmuring a Galahdian prayer against the hand she held, Johanne finished it off by crossing Millicent's arm across her chest in a final salute, and gently held the woman's face in her hands to press her forehead against hers as she cried quietly.

My muse is dead. Tell me how yours is dealing with it.

[kathyprior4200]

Cletus, Collin, and Keenie stared long and hard at the empty circular space in front of them. It was a portal that the agents had created to send a priest army into Hell…but the actual portal was not big enough. So instead, the cherubs (save for Collin) were more than happy to seize their opportunity for revenge. They had entered the Lust Ring in Hell in powered battle suits with the help of Agent One and Agent Two. They fought Moxxie, Millie, and Loona, in an attempt to kill their leader, Blitzo. Alas, they were defeated and kicked back through the portal to Earth.

They had even tried to convince the agents to use the portal to get them back to Heaven…but a chiding Deerie had banished them yet again within five minutes of glimpsing their home! Collin was upset that his idea to get them back to Heaven didn’t work. Even worse, Cletus and Keenie were more bloodthirsty and determined than ever to kill I.M.P…even if it meant stealing money from humans or putting the human world at risk. At this point, all three wanted to go home, all still in shock after their banishment.

But Collin decided this time, to try again. If going back to Heaven wouldn’t work, and going back to Hell wouldn’t be much fun…what if there was another Heaven they could seek refuge in?

“Another Heaven?” Keenie scoffed at Collin. “Your head is in the clouds. We all know there’s only one such place in existence. One Heaven, One Hell and one Earth.”

“Have you been reading too much mythology?” Cletus added.

Collin folded his arms. “I’m just saying that there may be more than one type of afterlife out there. Valhalla, Summerland, Hindu Heaven, you never know.”

“That’s stupid,” Keenie replied.

“Why can’t we be more inclusive of other cultures?” Collin asked.

“Because this show has a Christian-like Heaven with animal-like creatures and Vivziepop decides what afterlife realms exist in this universe.”

“Stop narrating to the audience,” Cletus said.

“Sorry,” said Keenie, turning back around to Cletus. “Are the agents done with our new battle suits yet?”

“They should be almost finished by now,” Keenie said.

“It’s taking too long,” said Cletus. “I had a lot of fun using my gadgets in mine.”

“Same.”

“Mine felt…a little weird,” Collin admitted.

“That’s because you’re so clumsy,” Keenie stated.

“I am not!”

“Yes, you are.”

“Enough!” Cletus demanded. “The sooner we all work together, the sooner we can return home.”

“Please try my idea one more time,” Collin pleaded.

After a pause…

“Fine,” said Cletus.

After talking with the agents, Agent one spoke up.

“I know you guys want to go back to your little world to report to your general, but please be patient…we still have a lot of kinks to work out.”

“What was Heaven like for you? Who did you meet?” Agent Two asked.

Knowing they couldn’t discuss their banishment for fear of looking weak, Cletus fibbed, “Oh just our usual comrades in arms!”

“Fascinating,” said Agent One. “Do they have hot hounds there, too? It’d be nice to compare Hellhounds and Heavenhounds by…”

“One!” seethed Agent Two. “No more canine fantasies.”

“You think Loona is hot, too, admit it.”

Agent Two’s face briefly turned red. “That’s not important!”

“And you like the thought of taking me for walks…”

“In cosplay only!”

“Oh sure…”

“Can we just create another Heaven portal already?” asked Cletus.

“Another Heaven? We told you to only visit your Heaven for five minutes,” Agent Two folded her arms. “We aren’t letting you guys spread our plan.”

“No, no, a different Heaven!”

The agents paused.

“Hmmm…” pondered Agent One. “The possibility of alternate universes and parallel realities is worth consideration. But I don’t know if our portal can do the same thing…”

“Perhaps we could make the lasers make a Christian Cross again,” suggested Agent Two, “but this time, do it in the reverse formation. Right to left instead of left to right.”

“And I suppose doing the upside-down pentagram in reverse formation created the Lovecraftian Hell we sent those kids to?” Agent One shuddered.

“Again, it may not have been Hell…”

“This would use up a lot of power. I don’t know if we should…”

“If it gets those lambs to stop pestering us…”

“Okay, okay. We’ll try it out.”

The agents turned to the cherubs. Agent Two said, “We’ll do it. But same rules apply. You are to keep silent and not stay for more than five minutes.”

Collin’s face fell. How would they seek refuge in the new Heaven?

“Oh, thank you,” said Keenie.

Carefully, the agents zapped their lasers in the shape of a Christian Cross, but slowly did it from right to left this time. More liquid rose in the tubes on either side.

A pause…

Then a small hole opened.

Cletus, Collin, and Keenie cheered. “It worked! It worked!”

Before they could fly through the portal, a group of figures stepped through. They stood tall and peered around the space. Their faces were dark teal, and they had pointed elf ears. One had white neat hair and wore a white blouse and pants. One had black hair and wore a white suit with a blue bowtie. The leader was tall and bald, with a white upside mark upside down to Blitzo’s black forehead mark. One lower part of his face was black. They all had angel wings and halos.

“What…are those things?” asked Cletus.

“C.H.E.R.U.B.?” asked the leader.

“Hang on,” said Agent One. “Are these angels, too?”

“Looks like it,” said Agent Two.

“I’m Docile, and these are my colleagues, Tirred and Timmid.” The other two waved.

Tirred peered around and then spotted a cloned priest in a tube. “What’s all this?” he asked.

Agent Two pulled out a gun. “I swear, if you tell anyone else about this…”

“Your bullets have no effect,” Docile stated, waving a hand. “But no, we won’t tell. If I can recall, we have seen the cherubs before.” Docile turned to look at the three angels. “We tried to help you guys get back into Heaven when we met you on Earth.”

The cherubs still stared with blank eyes. “Uh…do we know you guys?” asked Keenie.

Timmid shrugged. “Well, I guess not.”

Agent Two spat. “Yes, we are creating an army of priests to invade Hell, to protect this great country!”

“And to go after those imps and defeat them once and for all!” cried Cletus.

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be helping humans?” asked Docile.

“Well…” Keenie grinned nervously. “We are helping them become better people, with the help of their money…”

“So you’re stealing from them?”

“How else are we supposed to survive?” Cletus asked.

“I knew our plans were a bad idea,” Collin whimpered.

“Shut it, Collin!” Keenie barked. “If we have to kill I.M.P. and con every human we see to get back into Heaven, then we’ll do so!” The agents grinned and high fived.

“I liked you guys better when you helped save lives,” Timmid mentioned.

“I like their demon-hunting idea!” Tirred began. “Wanna join them?”

“No!” Timmid and Docile cried at the same time.

“Tirred, this is madness,” Docile said. “We have our own work to do on Earth! I’m not gonna support some shady revenge plot…even if it’s against my worst rival…”

Agent One’s thoughts flowed into Docile’s head. ‘Good, let more angels join our cause. Just don’t tell him that we sent children through the portal to their deaths accidentally.’

Docile froze, his large blue eye twitching.

“Uh sir…?” Timmid looked up in worry at Docile.

Docile’s halo glowed in white flame. Eyes appeared on his white angel wings and his fangs grew sharper. His eyes glowed a deadly hot golden light. The agents pointed their guns at him with trembling arms.

He yelled in a harsh angel voice, morphing into a more powerful monstrous angel form.

“WHAT DID YOU HUMANS DO?! YOU SLIMY SHIT-STAINED MOTHERFUCKING MEN IN BLACK! HOW DARE YOU SEND THOSE INNOCENT CHILDREN OFF TO WAR!”

“You swore…” Timmid breathed, fainting backwards onto the floor.

Bullets bounced off Docile harmlessly. “I have a right mind to report you to the government for your insolence!”

Agent One and Agent Two then stood their ground. “Ha, elf! The government funds us, now! Where do you think we got all our gadgets from?!”

“What?!” Docile seethed. He folded his arms, hovering in the air. “Your world gets even more messed up every day!”

Timmid spoke up. “Listen, cherubs! You don’t have to do this! Stay with us in our Heaven and you can put the past behind us.”

“Remember when your old mentor Kiva wanted us to work for you? Well now you can work with us!” Docile pleaded.

Collin floated toward the elves with hopeful eyes. Keenie and Cletus yanked him back forcefully.

“Revenge isn’t the way!” Timmid said. “We’ll help you defeat I.M.P., but we refuse to corporate with agents who think killing children is a good idea!”

“Do not tell Heaven about our plan!” Agent One yelled.

Keenie scoffed and waved a hoof. “Really? Like Heaven actually cares about us now? I bet they’ll applaud us as heroes once we return victorious from those demons!”

“Yes!” Cletus chimed in. “Working with the agents is the only way! We appreciate your help, strange angels, but if you’re not with us, then scram!”

Collin looked like he was about to cry.

The agents pushed a button, and the portal began to suck the three elves back through.

“Wait!” Tirred yelled. “Let me join you guys!”

“Causing war between worlds? You won’t get away with this!” Timmid yelled.

Docile stared at Collin. “Trust your instincts. I know you’ll do the right thing.”

Docile was sucked through at last and the hole closed up.

“No more portals, cherubs!” Agent One yelled. “BACK TO WORK!”

Collin somberly let himself be dragged by Cletus and Keenie into the darkness.

0 0 0

 The three elves hovered somberly in the air against the golden clouds of Heaven.

“I can’t believe it,” Timmid breathed. “The cherubs didn’t fall to Hell…”

“But they fell, nevertheless,” Docile said, worried. “Soon, they’ll be going to Hell to fight off I.M.P. and they might never return.”

‘They’ll probably die,” Timmid said with concern. “Or maybe turn into demons!”

“I don’t think so,” Docile began. “I have a feeling that purple sheep Collin will redeem himself. He seems to care about humans more than the rest.”

“But, what about the priest army?” Tirred asked.

Docile sighed. “I’m afraid there’s nothing our world can do about it. You know how dire consequences turn up when we interfere with canon world events…it always brings things not in our favor.”

“But we have to warn Hazbin Heaven!” said Timmid.

“The cherubs said that their world doesn’t care what happens to them,” Docile said. “They’d probably consider it a good plan B alternative to the Exterminations. I’m afraid we’ll have to let the cherubs solve this one on their own.”

The elves somberly flew back to headquarters.

[mlbullsportfolio]

Novel Blurb:

One slave master's daughter … One intriguing violinist ...One chance of a lifetime...

In July of 1852, almost two years since the Compromise of 1850, Mildred "Millie" Crabtree is the friendly daughter of the mean-spirited, plantation owner Master Wade Crabtree. Having opposing views on slavery and seeing it as a sin against God, she dreams of leaving the horrors of the South and becoming a children's literature author in the North. During her eighteenth birthday, she encounters Noah Shepherd, a vibrant, redhead violinist who plays classical music during the celebration with two other musicians. Her Mama, Missus Charlotte, dies suddenly at the party.

Now she's forced against her will to fulfill her mother's role as missus in Crabtree mansion and sever ties with her closest friend Pearl, a mulatto house slave. Conditions worsen when she learns her Papa is in debt, plans to sell some of his slaves, and has exchanged her into an arranged marriage to the young, arrogant Chauncey McMillian, the wealthiest plantation owner in town. But after discovering Noah and his musical comrades are secretly abolitionists, things look up and Millie and her slave friends embark on a risky, adventurous chance of a lifetime:

A journey to the Promised Land.

COMING SOON!

Link: COMING SOON