#((Everyone else was doing little after-quest posts so I joined in))

[magicsugarbaby]

Jason was tired.

Not just from the dungeon, though that was tiring. He was tired from the level-up process.

He was pretty sure the girls didn't have character sheets. At least, if they did they wouldn't know about them. But he did, so he knew that was why his patron had.... Rewarded him. So thoroughly.

He'd gone up to level eight, hurray!

And he'd been enveloped in a writhing mass of black tentacles that had exploded out of his orb spell focus shortly after defeating the weird cult losers.

When the tendrils had receded, he was an exhausted mess. He was also slightly... Shorter?

He was definitely shorter. Fareem hadn't been that close to his height before, but at least he was taller than she was. So yeah, he was shorter, and all the cuter for it.

Why the fuck was he shorter? Why was that the reward?

It didn't matter. What mattered was that they did their first dungeon-crawl as a team and came out the other side with only a few bumps and bruises along the way. And a few fun stories to share with bards.

This new town of Guldoon was something of a boon for Jason. He was getting tired of the sheer press of Waterdeep, and the relative isolation of the little village Korinna had been staying in. Sure, he still had his room in Waterdeep all paid up for a few more months, and he would use that one if he wanted to commune directly with his patron(Like maybe asking about his HEIGHT), but he was happy to hang out with his new friends. Good company. Present company.

Not people he left behind and might never see again.

Of course he might never see these people again if he ever went back home.

But following that spiral would only lead to misery and madness, so Jason made use of his secret skill(repression) and went to go take a nap in the bed. He'd talk to the others later, about stuff.

Different stuff. Like Fareem's passing out... Or maybe Korinna's odd relationship with her god. Or maybe they'd just all go party it up to celebrate stopping a nascent cult and getting their names on the proverbial board.

[cokoakeostuff]

Character List. Hero's paradox

Hi! this post it's gonna be kind of a guide of the 12 Links that make up the story I'll be editing this as I finish all their respective drawings. I won't be specifying their ages but rather an approximate.

> You can read the plot here

> Heights chart

Adventures: Skyward sword

Age: 20-24 [Young adult]

Now living peacefully with Zelda on the surface, he has found a quiet joy in life.

His days are spent helping Zelda, playing music, or woodcarving

Although the Master Sword is no longer in his possession, he often visits Fi’s resting place, even though he never receives an answer.

Adventures: Minish Cap

Age: 11-12 [Kid]

After sealing Vaati, he no longer wields the Four Sword

Don’t let his youth or small stature fool you—underestimating him would be a mistake.

Kind-hearted, honest, and sweet, he never hesitates to lend a helping hand to those in need.

He is the youngest (and shortest)

Adventures: Ocarina of time & Majora's Mask

Age: 20-22 [Young adult]

After saving Hyrule and Termina, he now lives as a traveler, and helps out at Lon Lon Ranch.

Despite everything he has faced, he has never given up on his search for Navi.

He is considering joining the Royal Guard,

He doesn’t fully understand it yet, but he has a small crush on Malon, his childhood friend.

Adventures: Wind Waker & Phantom of hourglass

Age: 13-14 [Teen]

He spends much of his time exploring new places with Tetra and always returns with gifts for his little sister.

The most expressive and talkative of them all.

He enjoys joining in whenever the others play music.

Adventures: Spirit Tracks

Age: 13-14 [Teen]

He is physically very similar to the Hero of Winds.

As soon as New Hyrule was safe, he was finally able to continue with his passion: trains.

• He tends to be very forgetful and a bit distracted. His constant fatigue from his job doesn’t help, but despite that, he genuinely enjoys it.

Adventures: Twilight Princess

Aliases: Blue-Eyed Beast, Hero of Twilight Age: 19-22 [Young adult]

He misses Midna deeply, more than anything else.

After his adventures, he returned to Ordon, where his heart belongs, taking care of animals and watching over his friends.

He carries a sword at all times—just in case.

Adventures: Four swords/adventures (Merged)

Age: 12 - 13 [Teen]

He’s the one who most recently finished his adventure; he was on his way to return the Four Sword to its pedestal but ended up with the others before he could do so.

The son of a knight, he was a soldier-in-training before setting out on his quest to defeat Vaati.

The Four Sword has had some mysterious side effects on him...

Adventures: A link to the past, Oracle of seasons and ages & Link's awakening

Age: 17-19 [Teen]

He’s often seen wearing a flower—not because he’s particularly fond of them, but because they remind him of Marin.

After his journey to Koholint Island, he finally took a break from seeking adventures; he needed time to process everything he had been through.

He spends his days tending to his collection of artifacts.

Adventures: Link between worlds, & Tri force Heroes

Age: [Teen]

He shares Wild’s love for clothing and owns a dozen (ridiculous) outfits for every occasion.

He keeps the bracelet Ravio gave him as a precious possession; in the end, he learned to appreciate the cowardly, greedy rabbit.

He’s lively and has a peculiar sense of humor. Out of everyone, he’s the one who’s adapted best to teamwork.

Adventures: Zelda I & Zelda II

Age: 16-18 [Teen]

He struggles to let his guard down and relax, a result of living in a hostile Hyrule and constantly facing threats to his life.

He usually prefers to rely on magic and spells but won’t hesitate to prove he is a formidable swordsman.

It’s not something he’ll say out loud, but for him, turning into a fairy is probably the most fun thing to do.

Adventures: Hyrule Warriors

Age: 20-23 [Young Adult]

Out of the entire group, he’s probably the one who best understands the situation they’re going through—it feels oddly familiar to him.

He once let reckless overconfidence and ego almost kill him once, so he’s determined not to let that happen again. He might come off as arrogant at first, but it’s nothing more than a joke; in serious moments, he’s sensible and deeply cares for everyone.

He currently dedicates his life to his military career.

Adventures: Breath of the wild & Tears of the kingdom

Aliases: Hylian Champion, Champion of Hyrule, Hero. Age: 20-23 [Young adult]

By the age of four, he was already a prodigious swordsman, capable of besting fully trained knights.

He silently loved Mipha, seeing in her a kind soul who loved him for who he was as a person, not for the hero he was destined to be. Sadly, they never had the chance to confess their feelings to each other.

He became far more talkative and expressive after his awakening. Though he still carries the guilt of his fallen friends and kingdom, he no longer feels the crushing weight of the world’s expectations pressing down on him.

———— thanks for reading!

[wildfairies]

things that are bothering me the most:

antaam stuff makes no sense, full stop. it's also explained poorly/insufficiently.

most of what we see of rivain is completely uninhabited. i also don't care about more warden shit there, i was looking forward to more lore on rivaini people and culture, especially the seers obviously, we've been dying to know more about them for three games.

every elf we've met is ok with the huge revelations that their gods aren't what they seemed and this process happened offscreen. i would think there would be many different reactions to the spread of info about the evanuris, and i would think it would be extremely important to make it clear that info had spread pre-game.

the venatori are the same nonsensical vague useless boring cult with the most nothing goals. as incredibly lame as they are, it's even stretching my suspension of disbelief that they'd serve elven gods for vague promises of 'power' given tevinter's extreme history with the elves. i would think this would come up at least one single time.

the past two points are part of an overarching issue. the contentious and complex political landscape of thedas that makes the setting interesting feels flat. i'm supposed to believe NO ONE in super-elf-racist tevinter would blame the elves for their gods terrorizing thedas? even inquisition acknowledged this, w solas/inky showing concern that revealing the orb was elven would lead to elf racism.

i'm supposed to believe NO elves who've been oppressed by humans for centuries would think 'fuck them' and join up? what happened to the elves who joined solas at the end of trespasser when they heard he was trying to bring back their empire? at least inquisition had wacky cults for every side.

walking down the street in minrathous as an elf or qunari with no difference is simply absurd, i would literally rather never visit tevinter if they were going to implement it so toothlessly. where is the immediate opinion hit for being a mage/elf the inky takes in orlais???

yes the tone is off and a little shallow. yes the companions communicate too healthily for my tastes. yes i was dreading 'evanuris are behind everything' lore reveals and that's what we got. but i honestly think i could overlook those things if the above problems were solved and it felt like the same immersive, problematic thedas.

i'm so completely infuriated by the worldstate choices i'm going to make a separate post about it. but yeah i was concerned but made no noise, i was willing to wait it out and see how the three choices played out in game. and it's absolutely ridiculous that so far two out of fucking three have basically no impact, and the last one idgaf about unless inky romanced solas. i'm so so so so mad and disappointed about this, especially after staying open-minded when it was initially revealed.

everyone loves companion quests, so i don't know why the game feels like it needs to sell you on their significance. why did we get two different scenes of varric spelling it out to rook: do the companion side quests, or else they won't be able to focus! it's such a weird and superfluous tie-in. i don't get why they went so out of their way to clarify this when it didn't need to be clarified, companion side quests are expected in rpgs and their relevance to the plot is very easily accepted/overlooked.

[apollothesunrat]

I'm back with more PJO/Riordanverse headcanons! Some of these are also just ways I would have done things after seeing then in new perspectives. This'll probably be a long post so I'll put this all under the cut.

Imma start with the headcanons!

Malcolm and Jake were actually dating for a while but only told everyone after Nico and Will both came out.

Adding on to my Genderfluid Percy headcanon from before, Percabeth are both bi so Annabeth doesn't mind.

Mitchell came around during the Sea of Monsters quest and Lacy came at the same time as Drew due their mortal parents living in the same area since they go to the same school

Clovis has actually been at the camp nearly the same amount of time as Annabeth due to his sleep powers hindering his mortal mothers life, she left on the hill.

Thalia and Grover set up small hidden demigod camps for quests since it's common for monsters to destory your supplies. They are able to do this because they travel a lot.

Percy, and Annabeth often invite Will and Nico over so they can help eachother with eachothers Tartarus experiences.

Percy and Annabeth consider Nico a little brother and let him stay over at anypoint once they have their own home.

Every year Percy has three birthday parties. One at camp courtesy of his fellow campers, one at his home with his closest friends, and his family, and one with his cousins where they go out. Often the one from hosted by Sally and Paul is the only one actually on his birthday. The other two often happen the next day.

After Jason's death Leo and Piper decided to start meeting up at least once durung the school year, to check up on eachother. They are sometimes joined by others.

Percy knows how to cook, on the other hand Annabeth is not the best at cooking.

Clarisse and Percy spar together for fun when either of them need a break from everything else in life.

Clarisse often treats Will like a little brother because of how young he was when he became head medic and how many times he healed her despite her rude words at first.

Magnus and Annabeth have meetups almost every month, occasionally Percy and/or Alex will tag along. Annabeth and Percy have yet to tell Camp.

Percy and Annabeth also often meet up with Carter and Sadie for food. They like to check up on the younger kids. Percaveth had yet to tell Camp about these two as well.

When Sally and Paul want a date amnight and Percy and Annabeth aren't available the rest of the seven or Nico and Will are open to babysitting Estelle so the two can still go out. Everyone loves Estelle.

Now for the changed storylines.

I would have had Percy and Annabth stand up for Nico more during the deabte to go save him from the jar as they have know him since he was ten and it just makes sense.

Caleo but platonic. I've seen many points made by others where it shows Caleo isn't the best and honestly it is a bit strange to resolve Leo's arc by giving him a romantic relationship with an immortal much older than him. So instead of having them date, I'd have them bond over them both having bad luck with relationships and give them a sibling relationship.

I would have Drew be mentioned much earlier, give her a big relationship with Silena. She's always with her sister, looking up to her. She was always kinda of a mean girl but she masks her sorrow about Silena with more hate.

Talk about Jason's missing memories more. He never fully got his back, have him ask Reyna about his life, and Thalia about their mother.

I would make Ares just... Less the way Rick made him. He respects girls in his myths, he supports the Amazons. Yet he abuses his daughter? Have him be a supportive father that just hates other demigods cause they think of him as mindless war disrespect his children.

Similarly I would change Hera. Yes, it makes sense for her to dislike Thalia and maybe other big three children because of the myths. But not any other demigods. She, along with being the goddess of marriage and childbirth, is also the goddess of family and women. So many demigods have horrible families, let her support them discreetly by allowing her cabin to be the cabin for unclaimed campers, or perhaps by leading young demigods to Artemis so she can help them get to camp.

More seafam shit. Percy and Triton bonding, Percy meeting his other godly siblings other than Kym, Amphitrite getting to know Percy and acting like a stepmother, etc, etc. I need more of this.

That's all I have for now! I may post an au ideas post soon. I have many aus, some inspired by fics and some are completely made up of my own dumb thoughts.

[jobean12-blog]

Finding Home (10)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader (Animal Rescue AU)

Word Count: 1,887

Summary: You and Bucky make a big decision and you're overwhelmed with happiness... for everything.

Author's Note: So this is the final chapter for my Finding Home story with Animal rescue!Bucky! I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this but then the Buck's and Noble server Summer Send Off Event gave me a great idea (using the song September, by Earth, Wind and Fire-listen HERE) on how to end it and my sweet friend @newgirlintheneighborhood sent me THIS great post that just made it all come together. Thank you all for the inspo. You can definitely read this as a stand alone but I will give you a few little bits of info just in case:

-Bucky and Sam own an animal resuce called Shelter to Soldier which helps rescue animals find homes with veterans (and everyone else too)

-Reader first saw Bucky when he was walking Alpine on a leash down the streets of the city

-Bucky has his metal arm in this AU since he's a war hero/veteran and he's come a long way both by himself (with Sam's help) and with reader in their relationship

-He rescued the dog Winter (mentioned in this story) and he's a white German Shepard with three legs (he's a war vet too)

-Bucky rescued Alpine from the streets and the cat has been a big help during his rehab

-This part takes place about 2.5 years after reader and Bucky have met

Thank you all so much for reading! Much love always! ❤️❤️❤️Divider by the lovely @firefly-graphics Thank you Daisy! 🥰

Warnings: lots of super soft and sweet fluffs, LotR references, the animals and kisses!

Finding Home Masterlist

The morning light peeks through the thin curtains of your bedroom, warming and illuminating your skin. You slowly open your eyes and see Bucky’s soft profile, his eyelashes fluttering ever so slightly with his even breathing. Winter is at the base of the bed, keeping your feet warm, and Alpine is perched atop the spare pillow on Bucky’s other side.

The moment you shift your feet you hear the thump of Winter’s large white tail and then feel him rise up and do a big downward dog stretch.

“Oh big stretch Winter,” you coo quietly, giggling as you watch him try to tentatively hop over Bucky’s body to get closer.

Alpine lifts his head and blinks at you several times then seems to glare at the dog who is still desperately trying to find a place to settle between your body and Bucky’s.

Bucky starts to move, his long legs tangling even more with yours as he wraps you up and curls you into his bare chest. Winter finally finds a suitable spot next to Bucky, the dog’s big white body pressed into his side and his tail still thumping on the bed.  

“Mornin’ doll face,” Bucky mumbles as he nuzzles your neck.

Winter let’s out a small whine and pushes his wet nose into Bucky’s skin while Alpine paws at the top of Bucky’s head.

“And mornin’ to you two fuzzballs,” he adds, peeping one eye open to survey the bed.

The moment he locks eyes with Winter, the dog scoots closer like a worm and starts to nose his shoulder. Alpine promptly joins in by chasing the glittering rays of sunshine that dance along Bucky’s metal arm every time the breeze blows through the curtains.

“It’s a party already,” Bucky chuckles.

He pulls you impossibly closer and hums into your skin, placing a soft kiss under your ear.

“Morning baby,” you whisper, inhaling his scent.

Winter, apparently unhappy with the possibility of you two going back to sleep, starts to lick Bucky’s cheek and cover it with kisses. Bucky’s large hand lands on Winter’s head and he scratches him before lightly giving him a shove.

“Winter, down boy,” he says. “I’m busy.”

Winter doesn’t give up, only shimmying closer and becoming more determined in his quest for kisses. You sit up and take in the scene, smiling widely when Alpine starts to bat at a piece of Bucky’s long hair that’s laid out across the pillow.

Without warning you lean down and press a big kiss to Bucky’s other cheek. The corners of his eyes crinkle with his smile and you continue to pepper his skin with kisses, hitting every spot you can find.

Winter seems to catch on as his tail swishes faster and he keeps up his licks on Bucky’s other cheek. Your lips trail along Bucky’s jaw, then you nibble his ear, then move back down and cover the whole side of his face with more kisses, catching the corner of his mouth before doing it all over again.

“Best. Morning. Ever,” he sighs.

After several more wet kisses from Winter and sweet ones from you, and even a few paw bats from Alpine, Bucky slips free and flips you over onto your back, dislodging everyone in a heap of blankets and pillows.

“Oops,” he says sweetly, but there’s mischief dancing in his eyes. “My turn!”

He pins you down with his body and proceeds to smother you with feather light kisses on every inch of skin he can find. You arch into him, wiggling beneath his body which makes him rumble with pleasure.

His kisses become slower as he moves along your neck and when he reaches your lips he hovers just above them as he stares into your eyes.

He brushes his nose to yours and presses a kiss to your mouth before slowly rocking his hips.

You moan out his name and nibble his lip before pulling away.

“What?” he pouts. “I was just getting started on having you naked.”

You smile against his lips. “I have an idea for a wedding date.”

His pout disappears as happiness takes over his expression.

“I’m listening doll,” he says, but continues to place butterfly kisses along your face.

“So we had talked about Fall and I was thinking September might be nice. Not too cold but hopefully not too hot if we do it toward the end and there’s a special date that would be perfect.”

“Still listening,” he hums as his lips graze your collarbone. “Which date?”

“How about September 22nd.”

He stills, his lips still pressed to your skin. “I know that date,” he muses, finally lifting his head to meet your eyes. 

You nod with a giggle.

“It’s Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday!” he says excitedly. “That is perfect!”

“YAY!!!” you squeal, doing a dance under him.  

He sits up and pulls you into his lap.

“I can’t wait doll,” he whispers.

“Me either Bucky.”

“We just need to find the perfect spot.”

“Exactly.”

You both sit in comfortable and cuddled silence for a few moments before he breaks it.

“What about in Central Park? I bet there’s a tree we could find that’s big like the party tree in the Shire!”

“You’re such a dork and I love you.”

He beams at that but before he can get you under him again, Winter has nosed his way between you two, impatiently asking for love too.

“Alpine and Winter are coming to the wedding of course,” you add.

“Of course doll,” Bucky says. “Besides, I think they would be like Merry and Pippin and invite themselves anyway.”

You bury your head in his chest and laugh.

“So September 22nd is our day,” you whisper, toying with his dog tag.

“September 22nd,” he echoes.

He’s just about to kiss you when your eyes go wide and you yell out, “OH! And we can play that song at the wedding and on every anniversary…you know the one by uh…um…it goes ‘do you remember…’.”

He studies you, waiting for you to think of more.

“Is this a song from Lord of the Rings?” he asks, looking confused.

“No, no, it’s by…OH MY GOD Bucky, it’s an older song…”

As you start to recall the lyrics you sing them and shake your body to the rhythm.

His face brightens in recognition and he grabs his phone, typing quickly into Google.

“Got it,” he chimes just before ‘September’ by Earth, Wind and Fire, starts to play.

You both start to sing along and Winter begins howling with his pack, much to the dismay of Alpine who seems to want to disappear into the pillow.

“Wait!” Bucky says, pausing the song. “Don’t they say the 21st night of September?”

He clicks on the lyrics and rewinds the song, singing along as he reads. “Yep they do!”

“But that’s not Hobbit day!” you say.

“We’re definitely sticking with the 22nd baby doll. It’s perfect.”

In a fit of excitement you curl into Bucky’s arms and kiss him all over. Winter takes the opportunity to smash himself under Bucky’s arm and even Alpine saunters over to join in the happy cuddle pile.

~September 21st of the next year~

“You need…”

Those are the only words you get out before Bucky’s mouth is on you again, your body pressed into the wall and his hands wandering under your shirt.

“Bucky,” you gasp, gently pushing on his chest. “You need to go. Nat will be here soon and then we’ll never hear the end of it!”

He pulls away slightly but lifts his arms so he can plant both his hands along the wall on either side of your head, caging you in.

“I don’t wanna,” he whines. “This is the last night before you’re officially my wife and I want to make it count.”

“We spent all day making it count,” you giggle, grabbing his shirt and pulling his mouth back to yours.

Your fingertips trace the broad width of his shoulders before delving into the hair that hangs loosely at the nape of his neck.

“Thought I needed to go doll face,” he smirks against your lips in between kisses.

His metal fingers dance along your skin, inching higher until he’s toying with the little boy in the center of your bra.

��I should never have agreed to this girls night,” you pout.

He nibbles on your extended bottom lip before deftly unhooking the clasp of your bra.

“Now who’s whining,” he teases.

“Buck!” you squeak. “Fix that!”

“Well, lemme see here,” he starts with a grin before he lifts your shirt so he can stick his head under it.

Instead of fixing your bra he kisses your skin as he loosens the silky fabric more.

“BUCKY!” you admonish playfully as you try and push his head out. “You’re stretching out my shirt!”

“It’s my shirt,” he says from inside, his voice muffled.

There’s a loud knock on the door followed by Nat’s excited shouting.

“Shit,” you grumble. “Shit, shit.”

Bucky reluctantly pulls his head free but not before he has you pinned to the wall again and he quiets any of your protests with his kiss.

When he pulls away you’re breathless and flustered.

“I’m going out the fire escape,” he says with a wink.

“What?!? You can’t do that!” you whisper shout.

“Better than getting yelled at!” he says as he grabs your hand and rushes into your bedroom and to the window.

He opens it and then turns back to you, pulling you into his arms and kissing you breathless all over again.

“I love you. More than anything. And I can’t wait to marry you.”

“I love you the most Bucky. I can’t wait either.”

With one more kiss he slips out the window and starts to climb down. The banging on the door becomes louder but you can’t tear your eyes away from him.

“Give Alpine and Winter kisses for me!” you shout down to him. “And Sam too!”

You giggle when Bucky gives you a scowl.

“Sam will be lucky if I don’t punch him,” Bucky jokes. “And don’t worry, I’ll make sure the babies are well loved and ready for tomorrow!”

Once he safely reaches the ground he looks back up and blows you a kiss, mouthing ‘I love you,’ before running down the street toward Sam’s apartment.

You watch until he’s out of sight then rush to the door and open it.

“It’s about time!” Nat screeches. “Is he here!?!”

“NO!” you say and throw up your hands in surrender. “It’s just us girls. Not even Alpine and Winter are here!”

She pushes past you and looks around suspiciously.

After a thorough inspection she turns back your way, one eyebrow lifting to her hairline.

“WHAT!?” you ask, going to cross your arms over your chest.

You stop mid gesture, realizing your bra is still unhooked and hanging off you under your shirt.

Nat stares at you and you stare back but it only lasts a few seconds before you both burst into laughter.

Once you’re calm again, Nat asks, “he just left didn’t he?”

“Down the fire escape,” you giggle.

“I knew he was perfect from the moment we saw him walking Alpine across the street,” she states with a warm smile.

“Me too,” you reply dreamily. “Me too.”

@blackwidownat2814 @buckysdollforlife @goldylions @hiddles-rose @randomfandompenguin @book-dragon-13 @lizette50 @mazarinqueen @matchat3a @abigailbeloved @pineprincess @lalalalokii @blossomedfloweroflove @danireal17 @ginger-swag-rapunzel @buckybarnessimpp @mugi-chwan95 @hibernocaledonian @gloriouspurpose01 @adoringsebstan @aedicn @thepurpletie797 @buckrecs @openup-yourmind @lettersandsodas @kingfleury @moonlightreader649 @kmc1989

[ravenwolfie97]

In Wishes and Memories: Chapter 1

Siffrin finished their quest, but they've still got some journeying to do with the rest of the party. What will they find, learn, and realize as they continue their travels? What else does the Universe have in store for them?

(after finishing the game recently, i was filled with thoughts and ideas and i needed to do something with them. i have an over-arching plan for this story though, so i hope you stick with it and enjoy!)

(cross-posted on AO3, but my main audience is here lol)

Reality was finally starting to settle in.

The timeloops were broken, and you were finally free from your curse, fulfilling the conflicting wishes and saving Vaugarde and your friends... your family... your loved ones.

And now, they'll continue moving onward in their journey together with you - the first step of which being returning Bonnie to Bambouche now that their sister was unfrozen.

…With an ulterior motive of finding your hat.

It blew away from the tippy top of the House after you returned back to normal. 

And that hat meant a lot to you; it’s part of what little remained of your country, and you've had it for as long as you could remember.

As everyone travelled one last time through the village, celebrating and eating and merrymaking with the people of Vaugarde, you mostly tried to hang back, to come to terms with what had just gone down. 

You still felt pretty Craft-sick, worn out and dizzy. Though, a full stomach packed with tasty Vaugardian foods made you feel a lot better.

You were really looking forward to a night of actual rest… with a brand-new sunrise awaiting you once your eye opened next.

☆☆☆

It was only about an hour into the celebrations when you saw Isabeau had noticed you sitting on the bench next to the library. He came up and quietly joined you on the bench.

"Hey, Sif." His voice was low and gentle. "How're you holding up?"

You didn't want to pretend anymore. "I'm pretty tired, still," you replied honestly. 

Isabeau crossed his arms. "Makes sense. You have had quite a lot going on for yourself these last couple days." He paused. "Or, I guess, technically way more than that. Do you know how many times you looped, anyway?"

From the way you instinctively withdrew, Isabeau realized his curiosity had trumped his courtesy. "O-oh, I'm sorry, that's probably still a sensitive topic..." 

"No, it's okay," you interjected. "It's just... not something I want to think about right now... Don't think I would remember, anyway."

Isabeau let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah... Alright, then." 

You both looked out into the crowd: Mirabelle was chatting with other Housemaidens, including that stylish fan of hers; Odile was speaking with some of the older folk of the town; Bonnie was playing with some of the other kids. 

Isabeau turned back to look at you. "It seems like the others are preoccupied at the moment, so... what would you like to do now, Sif? Do you wanna go back to the Clocktower and take a nap? We still have accommodations there for the night."

You nodded. "Can you come with me, too, Isa?"

Isabeau's cheeks darkened at an embarrassingly quick rate. "S-sure! Yeah, let's head over there now!"

He leapt up a little too energetically off of the bench but slowed down for you. "Do you need to lean on me again?" he asked, extending an arm out to you.

"I don't think so," you answered. "But... I'd like to hold your hand."

Without waiting for a response, you grabbed Isabeau's hand, lifted yourself up from the bench, and came around to his side. "Let's go."

"Okay, yeah, here we go!" Isabeau started walking towards the eastern side of Dormont, feeling the weight of your hand as you both lightly swung your arms back and forth. It was hardly big enough to wrap around his palm. 

Isabeau had to try and maintain a slower pace to accommodate you, but it didn't seem like he was burdened by it at all. 

It felt nice, not having to be in a hurry anymore. The two of you could just calmly walk together, hand in hand.

☆☆☆

Soon enough, you both reached the Clocktower. After taking your shoes off, you went right upstairs to the bedroom. Immediately at the sight of a bed, you lumbered towards it and faceplanted directly into the sheets.

Isabeau smiled at you from the stairwell. "Do you need any help from me? Or do you wanna be alone for a bit, or-?"

"No!" Your reaction was immediate. Slow down. Talk it out. "I mean... I don't want you to leave. And, um..." 

You hesitated, through some cocktail of guilt and embarrassment and maybe… romantic inclination?

"I'd like your help with changing clothes."

"Sure! I can take care of that." 

You could tell Isabeau was still pretty excited about being so close to you, especially after finally confessing his feelings, but it felt more like he just wanted to help his hurt friend out. 

Carefully, Isabeau knelt down and unfastened the pins on your cloak, laying it gently over the foot of one of the other beds. 

While he was up, he went into the closet where all their extra sets of clothes were.

As he did so, you sat on the edge of the bed and used your toes to pry the socks off of your feet, tossing them somewhere on the floor.

Lifting your head back up, you saw Isabeau had easily found your small, light pajama set, holding the clothes in his hands. 

They were still folded neatly, since you hadn't slept with the others last night.

Suddenly, you noticed Isabeau freeze in place. And then, the realization hit you, too.

Undressing you was a level of intimacy neither of you would be used to, in a romantic context or otherwise. Definitely way outside of the boundary of "not liking being touched", which was what everyone else had assumed for so long.

Isabeau turned back around to see you now, as you were actively removing your gloves and placing them at your side. You attempted to lift the bottom of your turtleneck up, but…

Ow. Ow, that hurt. Your arms quickly began to ache in that position.

You didn’t expect to feel so worn out that you couldn’t even lift your arms and pull something as light as a shirt. It’s a good thing Isabeau had come with you after all, then.

Isabeau quickly hopped over to you. "Here, let me help you!" He put his hands on the hem of the sweater and looked up at your face. "Can you still lift your arms up?"

Slowly and methodically, you raised your arms up straight. It still hurt, but at least you just had to stay still this time.

Isabeau swiftly lifted your shirt up and pulled it over your head and off your arms.

You thought you would feel more uncomfortable, suddenly being shirtless in front of him. But maybe you were just too tired to care right now. 

You had never gotten changed in front of anyone in a long time. Or maybe that was the time weirdness messing with your perception again. 

Or maybe you just forgot. It wasn’t a super important detail to remember, anyway.

You looked at Isabeau’s face after a moment, noticing him staring at your chest. You knew it’s new to him, but what was so-?

Oh. You glanced down at yourself and saw... a star-shaped symbol in the middle of your chest. Its darkless shade was barely distinct from your pale skin. 

You… don’t remember that being there before. Where did it come from? Or was it always there?

…You weren't even sure if you remembered what your body looked like anymore. Even when you would sleep in the Clocktower, there was no mirror to look at yourself in or anything. 

You didn't want to be exposed to your own disgusting visage if you had any say in it anyway. 

...Those thoughts were going to be pretty hard to get out of, huh? 

You shook your head. No more of that talk. 

Isabeau should keep going.

It looked like he just snapped out of his trance, too.

"AH! SORRY!" he yelped. "H-here, let's get this on, now!" He frantically reached for the pajama top and draped it around your shoulders, covering your chest up except for that star marking.

You slid off of the bed to stand, sliding your arms into the sleeves. "Can you help me with my pants, too?"

Isabeau's entire body tensed up and his face contorted into itself, in a stunned expression. That was cute.

"Y-yeah! I gotcha, Sif," Isabeau responded, his voice decidedly more high-pitched than usual.

You felt Isabeau's fingers brush against your belly as he unbuckled your belt and unfastened the button on your pants. 

What an odd feeling, touching somewhere that private so lightly it hardly even counts. 

But it did to you. Every little touch meant so much to you.

Isabeau delicately rustled his fingertips along the waistband on your pants and pulled them down. You stepped out of them easily, giving the ends a little shake off your ankles. 

Quickly, Isabeau grabbed the soft pajama pants and slid them over your feet, bunching the rest of the legs around your ankles so that he could pull them all the way up easily.

You noticed his fingers linger at your hips. You supposed he had to be at least a little curious. But this was neither the time nor the place for it. He knew that too, and backed off after only a moment.

Isabeau looked up at you one last time, raising his hands to button up your shirt.

Warmth rushed to your cheeks. He didn't have to do that, but the softness and ease with which he slid the buttons through... Something about it made your heart flutter.

"Thank you, Isa," you sighed once he had finished.

"Of course, Sif," he replied, honey in his voice. He looked you right in the eye, full of gratitude, even though you were the one feeling grateful here.

Isabeau got back to his feet. "Is there anything else you need?"

You glanced away, embarrassed to say it. But you should. It would make him feel better to say it.

"Maybe not... need , but... I would like it if... you could stay here and sleep with me."

"O-oh!" Every little thing got Isabeau all flustered. It amused you. "Sure, yes! I-I'll go ahead and change clothes as well, then!" 

He hurriedly scrambled back to the closet to grab his tank top and shorts.

You sat back up onto the edge of your bed and just watched him. 

Isabeau unbuckled his sash and belt, and then slipped out of his shirt. His shoulder and back muscles rippled as he settled back into a relaxed position. 

You weren't... “into it”, per se, but… It was fascinating to watch.

Isabeau continued, shuffling off his big pants before putting on his sleep shorts. He then slipped the tank top over his head.

He turned back around towards you and flinched. “W-were you watching me that whole time…?”

You blushed. “M-maybe…” Quick, think of something funny to break the tension! “You just looked so… im-dress-ive.”

Isabeau couldn't hold back a belly laugh and snorted at your dumb pun. “Alright, that's enough outta you. Time for you to get some crabbing sleep!”

He rushed over to you, scooping you up before you knew it, and plopped you down on the bed. He climbed up on the opposite side not long after you came back to your senses.

You gingerly shuffled your aching body under the sheets and got settled, looking Isabeau in the face as he laid beside you.

You realized he was in the same position as when he almost confessed to you over so many timeloop nights in the Clocktower. And you realized that you never had that moment with him in this timeline. You took the time, through your tired eye, to appreciate every detail in his face, the freckles on his shoulders, the sparkle in his eyes… 

“Hey, Isa…”

“Yeah, Sif?”

“...I love you.”

“...I love you, too, Sif.”

You paused for a moment, noticing your heartbeat pick up speed. 

“Can I kiss you?”

Isabeau's face softened. “Of course.”

You felt Isabeau's hand curl around your cheek as you closed your eye and pulled yourself in. And waited.

His lips met yours. They were so gentle and comforting. Like a small hug. You wanted to stay there forever.

That feeling lulled you closer to sleep. You withdrew from Isabeau's face and nestled yourself into his body. His chest was soft and warm, more comfortable than any pillow.

Fatigue settled into your muscles, your bones, your soul. And you drifted off to sleep.

“Goodnight, Siffrin.”

☆☆☆

You opened your eye and rose from slumber in a half-awake state. You felt very groggy, and your body felt pretty sore, but you didn’t feel as sick now.

Wait. You didn’t immediately recognize where you were. The Clocktower? You looked down at your body to find you’d been changed into your pajamas.

Your brain was foggy. Was all of the last two days a bad dream? Did you reset back to the morning before defeating the King? But you never went back here before. So what-

THUNK!

You jumped as you heard the door downstairs slam shut, followed by someone’s stern voice shushing and scolding whoever did it. You couldn’t quite make it out. Something like, “Keep quiet! Siffrin is still asleep!”

Another, much smaller voice whispered “sorry” back to them.

You continued hearing their collective soft shuffling as you tried to organize your thoughts.

But suddenly, a scent caught your attention. You carefully breathed in… the scent of fresh, warm pastries, wafting up the stairwell. 

They must have been a gift from the boulangerie… after defeating the King… and saving Vaugaude.

A whimper escaped you before you'd realized you started to cry. You tried desperately to hold it in so no one else could hear you or worry about you, but you couldn’t stop many loud sobs from exiting your mouth.

You, at the very least, curled up as tight as you could, hands covering your face, as you heard their footsteps rush up to you.

“Siffrin!!” You heard Mirabelle shout as she hurried to your side.

She sat down next to you, gently tapping your right hand and trying to hold it. You took it down from your face and gripped her hand as hard as you could.

Your cries echoed throughout the Clocktower, from deep within your chest, partnered with hot tears that ran down your face. Your whole body was tight, squeezing out every last ounce of emotion.

After what felt like hours, you finally ran out of tears to cry. Mirabelle offered you some tissues in the meantime, which you needed and generously accepted.

Once your eyesight cleared and you could breathe normally, you saw Odile and Bonnie sitting across from you on the other bed.

“Are you feeling better now, Siffrin?” Odile softly broke the silence.

All you could do was nod in response.

“What happened?” Mirabelle asked. “Did you have a nightmare?”

“We might have woken him up earlier,” Odile mentioned to her, before turning her attention a little harshly to the kid. “Because somebody was being loud downstairs.”

“I already said I was sorry!” Bonnie yelled indignantly before quickly reeling it back in. “D-did I wake you up, Frin?” They turned to you and stared with their large eyes. “I’m really sorry if I did.”

You mustered up a chuckle at them. “No, Bonbon. I was already awake for a bit,” you croaked. “It’s okay. And I’m okay, too, I promise.”

“So what were you crying about?” Bonnie wondered aloud. Typical kid question.

“Siffrin doesn’t have to tell us that,” Odile quickly tried to correct them.

“It’s fine, Odile,” you cut in. “I… don’t really know how to put it into words, though.”

“Were you remembering what happened before?” Mirabelle posited. 

No, but now you remembered it all a little bit. All of the bad things you did and said recently.

You bit your lip. You didn’t want to start crying again.

“That’s not it,” you said. “It’s just that I realized… After you came back in, I knew, for sure, that today… was a new day.”

Suddenly, Mirabelle nearly headbutted you as she flung herself into you, giving you a big hug. “Oh Change, Siffrin! Now you’re going to make ME cry!”

Odile covered her emotional smile with a hand, but you could still see it in her eyes. 

Bonnie gave you a big, excited grin. “Well, we just got a whole bunch of tasty snacks, so now we can have something good to eat to celebrate!”

You laughed and smiled back. “Yeah, we can celebrate! Just as long as it's not all croissants.”

Bonnie looked at you quizzically. “What's the matter with croissants?”

Right. You shook your head. “Long story.”

Suddenly, you froze as you noticed something. “Hey… where is Isabeau?”

The last place you saw him was… right beside you, in bed. That was hours ago, he certainly could have gotten up, but where would he have gone?

“We… aren't sure about that, either,” Mirabelle responded. “While the rest of us were out earlier, he broke away and said he needed to get one last thing before we left Dormont. He didn't say more than that, though, so we're all kinda in the dark.”

“Well, no use staying up here longer than we have to,” Odile sighed after a beat, standing up from the edge of the bed. “We’ve got some breakfast to make, don’t we, Boniface?”

Bonnie grinned at her with wide eyes. “Yeah!!!” They immediately darted off towards the stairs but stopped themself shortly before they went out of view. “Come and hang out with us when we’re done, Frin!”

Odile quickly followed behind them, and Mirabelle lingered beside you for just a little longer, holding your hand gently. “I’m glad you’re doing better, Siffrin.”

She got up and gave you one more sweet smile. “I’m going to join the others downstairs. Remember, if you have any more big feelings, please don’t hesitate to talk about ‘em, feelings buddy!”

You made a crinkled smile back at her. “Thanks, feelings buddy.”

As soon as Mirabelle headed down to the kitchen downstairs, you heard the door creak open again. Everyone clamored at the visitor - it sounded like they were being nosy and asking what they had.

A deep, hushed voice told them to back off. You could immediately recognize that voice. 

Isabeau came back!

And as he was telling everyone else off, he mentioned your name. You started to get anxious.

Isabeau climbed up the stairs and flinched when he saw you upright on the edge of your bed. “Uh, hey, Siffarooni!” he greeted. “How’re you doing? Did you get a good sleep?”

You nodded, summoning a yawn and rubbing your eye. “What was everyone talking about just now? You have something for me?”

“Y-yeah! I, uh…” He shuffled his hands behind his back. “Well… y’know what, no.” His brow furrowed seriously. “What you said the other day… you were right. I don’t want to be a coward anymore. So… I’m just gonna give it to you.” 

He extended his hands and showed you… a small gift box. It was wrapped with a cute silk ribbon. 

You carefully untied it and opened the box to find… some lightless pearl earrings and a chain necklace. 

You looked up at Isabeau curiously, and found him blushing hard and squirming in place. 

“What are these for?”

“Well, I noticed that you didn’t wear earrings like the rest of us do, so um… A-and the necklace was for if you didn’t like the idea of wearing earrings! I knew a few people who moved to Vaugarde and pierced their ears later in life, and they said that it hurt a bit, s-so I just wanted to give you an alternative, in case your ears were too sensitive!”

You blinked. You knew the earrings were important to Vaugardian culture, but coming from him after confessing… 

“Did you get these from the jeweler here in Dormont?”

“Yeah!” Isabeau beamed as he spoke. “She and her wife were so happy to be back together, and she gave these to me on discount!” He paused and got shy again. “Wh-what do you think? Do you like them?”

You smiled. Of course you liked them. They were gifts from Isabeau. 

Although… “While I'm not too certain if I'm comfortable with the earrings… I really like the necklace. Thank you, Isa.”

Isabeau smiled wide, his eyes bright. “You’re welcome, Sif. I just thought it would be, like, a nice souvenir from the town! So you can remember it once we go travelling elsewhere.”

You’re pretty certain that wasn’t the only reason he gifted you these things, but you thought that it would be nice to have something personal to remember Dormont by. Something outside of your timeloop journey.

“COME ON DOWN HERE, IT’S TIME FOR BREAKFAST!!!” 

Bonnie’s loud shrill voice echoed throughout the Clocktower. 

The smell of freshly cooked eggs and toasted bread along with the buttery pastries already made you aware of the oncoming morning feast you were awaiting.

Isabeau excitedly headed towards the stairwell. “Come and join us when you’re ready, Sif!”

As he descended, you looked down at the jewelry he got you. Even at a discount, it probably cost quite a bit more than you’d ever be able to pay him back.

No. It’s a gift for you. You don’t have to pay him back. Just accept it.

The chain necklace was a little bit weighty, but the links were still thin and intricate. You slipped it over your head and let it rest on you. It was quite comfortable, and it would make a fun sound as you played with it between your fingers.

Not exactly as fun as a thing that goes “ding-ding” when you walk, but… close enough.

You changed out of your pajamas and into your trusty cloak. You decided to show off the chain necklace outside of the collar, too. You slipped the gift box with the earrings into your pockets. Maybe one day you’ll find something to do with them.

But, for now, it was time for a big breakfast with your family.

[ahamkara-apologist]

Oh thank god now that Echoes is finally out I can talk about the Faith-Keeper loretab

First off: I'm not really sure who it is exactly, but we've got a Hidden agent listening in on a discussion between Eido and the Spider about Eramis. If I had to guess, this agent is likely Ikora, since Misraaks asked her to look after Eido at the end of the Lost in the Light quest post-FS campaign, but we don't really get any clarification here. In my heart its Ikora, though.

First off: I LOVE the callback to Eido's shitty datapad security from Season of Plunder. Remember when she was recording her audio logs and Eramis just dropped in unexpectedly to talk to her behind Misraaks's back? Looks like she hasn't fixed her security breach well enough to prevent others from doing the same. Which is deeply funny to me- babygirl, your father is a Splicer. His whole entire job is being a top tier hacker!! You need better security than that!!!

Eido babyyyy, I'm not sure why you think you can blackmail a crime lord, but I admire your efforts! I'm not really sure what Spider is doing here, maybe moving closer to her? Either way I love how his whole 'fake caring' shtick got immediately dropped to the side as soon as Eido laughed at him. You're not winning any uncle points here, Spider. The note about Eramis having been given up by everyone around her, however? This is both a good and a bad sign. Good because it means that the forces of Darkness that got her into this whole mess no longer give a fuck about her and aren't there to push her into poor decisions again, bad because Eramis is historically notorious for making terrible decisions when there's nobody around to influence her anyways. Given the fact that she was outright suicidal the last time we checked in on her and that means that we have a limited time frame to get Eido to soften her up before she starts putting her neck on the line again (which has me very nervously side-eyeing Revenant; I don't believe that she would want to join with Fikrul given her prior experiences with the Scorn, but it can also go either way if she's pushed. Eido could convince her to give her assistance to prevent him from spreading Dark Ether...or Fikrul could sway her to look away from what he's doing by promising to bring back Riis with the power of the Echo)

Not gonna lie, my first reaction when I read the 'staccato clicking' noises coming from Eido was 'DID SHE JUST PULL A FUCKING GUN ON HIM??', followed by wondering if she was threatening him in some way- then a friend pointed out she was likely crying, which made me go back to reread and realize that the wheezing noises were coming from her, not Spider (in my defense, he's a wheezy boi). So, yeah, she's crying. Poor sweet girl, I've been there before. I know that Misraaks set Spider on her to try to set her straight (which is deeply funny to me- he must be desperately worried for him to have Spider handle her, of all people), but, well...it's the Spider. He's a crime boss. 'Gentle' isn't in his nature

This does give me great hope for an Eramis redemption arc in the future, though. Compared to everyone else we've faced recently, Eramis hasn't even come close to the level of awful that the Witness has done, and she's outright helped us in several instances. There's no reason why we can't try to form an alliance with her- the main thing stopping us is because Eramis herself doesn't think that she's worthy of redemption. If we can barter with Savathun- whose desires are ultimately selfish even if they were momentarily aligned with our own- then we can certainly assist Eramis, especially if it means getting the remaining Houseless Eliksni off our back and in a safe, guardian-free refuge of their own (WITHOUT being tricked into being pawns of the Witness)

Also- absolutely love Eido's little speech here. Her insistence on clinging to optimism is probably what made Eramis see Eido as the guiding light for the future of the Eliksni people, and in a way, it's perfect to fit the Traveler's motif of forgiveness in the Light. Makes me wonder if the theory that Eido is the Kell of Kells may be hinted at here, since it's Eido alone of all other Eliksni who refuses to give up on a person's ability to change for the better. Even Misraaks can't do that, despite creating House Light and its open-door forgiveness policy.

I TOO WOULD LIKE GREATER CULTURAL CONTEXT ON ELIKSNI NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION. I wonder who EKS-443 is- I would love to harass them for more information on what certain Eliksni vocalizations mean. I'm so starved for more worldbuilding on their biology and cultures, I'm hoping this is a sneak peak into what we might be getting in Revenant.

But also. Uh-oh bestie. The Vanguard should probably keep their claws out of this if they want diplomacy to succeed, because Eramis is not going to be happy if we stick our soft little monkey paws into Eliksni business again. We're going to have to back Eido up but let her do most of the talking/persuading, or shit can go south really fucking quickly- just like trying to pspsps a wary old ally cat into the safety of a home after years of extensive abuse. Waiting with bated breath to see how this turns out!

[cringefaecompilation]

not to dunk on junior year again but i am noticing a pattern here with the treatment of certain storytelling elements here.

both bell’s hells and the ratgrinders were pcs that gained sapience. the difference is that the ratgrinders were villains and the hells are heroes.

one of the most love-it-or-hate-it aspects of campaign 3 is that it does not only focus on the main 7 or 8 characters and everybody else is tossed to the wayside unless they benefit them like usual. all npcs (with downfall, that's including the gods!) deserve a chance to have their story told and they are all written to be that. the generic runaway prince you have to help escape to a life of freedom! the cute little helper robot npc! generic spooky evil minions based on public domain monsters! the quirky quest-giving fae! the rough and tumble hired goon! the brave captain of the guard protecting a strong lady in charge!  yes, even imogen, who in any other story would be the sad little abandoned daughter of the bbeg who would mourn the hero killing her mother but understand that the hero had to do what needed to be done.

and again, you don’t have to like it!

but there is a weird sort of thing i noticed amongst all the critical role c3 criticism that reminded me of people defending fhjy. an undercurrent of insisting that all the ratgrinders (who were teenagers. who were groomed and then murdered.) were pure evil spoiled brats and just wanted to be handed everything on a platter because they didn’t deserve what the main cast earned their place as the main characters and made passive aggressive posts saying things to the tune of you know they’re evil right. very Watsonian with a staunch refusal to look at a Doylist explanation. it got so bad to the point where people were insisting that if you liked the ratgrinders and sympathized with them then you were a fascism apologist.

astoundingly enough c3 criticism has only scraped the surface of this sort of overdramatic accusation, but it goes in the opposite direction. if you like where the story is going and how it's being told, then you’re not a real critical role fan. the story should have just been about the characters fighting evil fae or just wiping out the ruby vanguard and everyone in it without all this stupid introspective discussion on power because it’s retconning the gods being bad guys! grey morality sucks, why can’t good guys just be good? they all feel like npcs except for imogen because she’s the only one with a chosen birthright!

(of course, if they say that last part out loud, that might not look so good for them)

 yes, we know the gods are imperfect. that’s what we’ve been saying this whole time. but all these passive aggressive gifsets of liam-as-orym saying that the gods aren’t pure evil and it’s stupid to think so or laura and matt ooc saying that the gods have a grey area don’t mean fucking jack if you turn around and insist the gods have zero flaws and everything they do is good, actually and Aeor Had It Coming.

important caveats:

the actors on d20 could not react to things they were doing in the moment. they were tired after filiming 3 episodes back to back and wrapped up their season faster than usual to join the sag-aftra strike. i am aware of this.

yes i know that d20 is a comedy improv series! that does not prevent it from having deep themes and character introspection! ayda aguefort and zelda donovan still very much exist and had their own arcs despite being npcs!

yes the ratgrinders were working with a man trying to kill and replace a goddess and yes he is a colonizing twat. however, doesn’t that also make it the fandom’s insistence that liking the kids is bad and fascistic but making ship art of him and the other teacher that killed all of them is totally okay? rules for he but not for thee? 

[ageless-soul-au]

If someone was to start getting into asau, which order would you recommend? (Asking for a friend) (Definitely not for me) (Not at all) (Nope) (Nu uh)

I recently reordered the ao3 series, so it should be accurate now! Counterpart, Confidential, and Altars are the only ones you need to read for the main au (in that order) (and even then you could probably skip Counterpart but it's a short read so it's up to you. The series doesn't really start until Con). If you want to read the nsfw (P&C), some of it relies on plot things and some of it doesn't. It's different per chapter since Peaches & Cream is a catch-all.

If you wanna read the spinoff stuff, we have a separate au series for that! It's also linked in the pinned post. Faction is its own thing which receives semi regular updates, and the Lifeblood series is also separate (porn with plot, solely written by me). I need to go back and edit the fic Lifeblood since I wrote that first and then wrote the prequel. I'm kind of working on the third installment but it's slow going.

We're actively updating Altars and Faction, with an Altars chapter lined up for tomorrow (Sunday, Sept 1). Reading the main series is not required to read the spinoffs, though the characterization slightly differs between mainline, Faction, and Lifeblood.

A Condensed Guide to ASAU Fics:

Do you want to read slowburn romance that takes 30+ chapters to resolve? Confidential. Legend and Warriors spend that fic picking up (almost) every hero and having several miscommunications while learning about each other and falling in love. They deal with ✨traumaaaa✨ (and sexuality and gender) with kind of a B plot of the Quest Setup.

In The Stolen Altars, it picks up right where Con left off. With pretty much everyone assembled, it's time to get started on The Quest finally... After almost 300k words... They encounter dungeons and monsters and talk to deities, all while being toyed with by the main antagonist! A few more heroes join the cast! Be forewarned that this fic includes temporary death of major characters. It's tied in with the plot, you'll understand when you get there. This fic has surpassed Con's word count and we still have two more eras to go. It will be followed by a sequel. The main fics will maybe turn out to be a trilogy?????? But if it stretched to a 4th fic I wouldn't be surprised. The timeline on this is years lmao, I can't predict how wordy we'll get.

Faction is a political drama dealing with international relations and war, with a side of romance. It's got all the characters you know and love, but some slightly to the left! General fantasy setting with a bit of Zelda lore mixed in. It'll most likely be completed in one fic! WAOW!!!

The Lifeblood series is vampires and smut. What else do you need to hear? (Real talk tho, The Copper Kettle is higher quality/more cohesive in theme than Lifeblood the fic, gimme a little bit to fix the inconsistencies hxhdbsbsn)

Hope this helps! Happy reading! And don't forget to COMMENT!!!!! (probably with some context bc in some cases it's been years since we wrote this hxhxhsjs)

-Kio

[silviakundera]

Dramas I watched in 2023

[Chinese Dramas]

My Journey to You - Wuxia. Spy games, badass ladies, subtextually homoerotic cousins. Gentle & sweet ML who melts the cold & calculated heart of FL assassin. Gorgeous setting and cinematography. Left me with a burning desire to see Zhang Ling He play more gentle babygirl MLs and Esther Yu to play more anti-heroes. Absolutely perfect to me.., if we just pretend the director didn't add a pointless cliffhanger in the last 5 min. Which is how I choose to live my life.

Story of Kunning Palace - 'rebirth' costume drama that I waited to air for like 2 years or something and then it... actually didn't disappoint? And was almost everything I wanted? 😳😲 This is THE couple for that post about the pair that need to be stuck in a neverending monogamous relationship with each other as a quarantine measure to protect everyone else.

A Journey to Love - wuxia perfection. The stand-out drama that I wasn't expecting. Murder mommy & murder daddy became an otp for the ages and all of the supporting characters were interesting and dynamic. I cared about so many more characters than I expected and never fast fowarded. Just immensely satisfying.

The Ingenious One - wuxia with a weak, scheming scholar protagonist on a revenge quest (yes, we've all heard that before!) who puts together a group to execute his cons, Leverage style. I love me a martial artist x weak scholar couple 👌. Some exciting twists & turns in this one. Both A Journey to Love and The Ingenious One are best enjoyed coming in with little to no information. Hell, skip the trailers and simply dive in!

Hidden Love - Modern drama. Top tier romance-novel-on-screen writing and acting. It felt honest and real. The coming of age arc for the FL was well done. Great brother & sister relationship that feels authentic. The ML's backstory was so heart breaking because it was never overplayed for melodramatics. Just a quiet pain, a distance and a burden he carried with him.

Road Home - Modern. "Do you remember who I am?" / "Yes. If I were to turn to ashes, I would still remember you." I am very weak for the "reunited exes", "second time around" trope when the actors are capable and the breakup wasn't a narratively convenient 'misunderstanding'. As a career woman who works very long hours, I also tend to appreciate modern drama relationships where the couple manages to stay functional & supportive while not having a lot of free time for each other. That's my version of wish fulfillment 😂. I felt like this narrative made me fully understand why they couldn't make a long distance relationship work as young adults but now they're ready and have experienced enough of the world to know that they are happier with their lives joined together than apart.

Love You Seven Times - xanxia. I wrote a whole review post (love letter) on this one, since it seems rather underrated. I feel like this one may actually end up one of my fav examples of the genre. I just sincerely bought into the couple and their mutual devotion.

The Last Immortal - xanxia. Terrible trailer but turns out to be a decent show. I'm a fan of the genre, so I'm enjoying it. (I think you do need to be, to enjoy it - it doesn't transcend or really subvert..just a solid representation of xanxia) I like both lead actors and they do a good job with the material. It's working better for me than Ancient Love Poetry and Ashes of Love. After being eager for Song of the Moon in 2022 but then being let down (I dropped that one quick), I'm very happy 2023 brought me 2 xanxia I liked.

Three Body - modern sci-fi. Book 1 of my fav sci-fi trilogy of recent years. As a novel fan first, I was pleased to see it on screen with talented actors. Eager for book 2.

Love Me, Love My Voice - modern drama with an unusual couple (2 introverts) and dubbing fandom hyper fixation. A laid back relaxation drama, to de-stress with. Minimal plot, no conflict. Just sweet slow burn relationship building, singing & audio performances. Supportive friendships.

Here We Meet Again - modern drama that suffered from sloppy editing. I mean almost incoherent editing in a couple places, like when they are counting down the days until getting married and then.. It's not mentioned again? 🙃 But I very much enjoyed the couple's chemistry. I can't say it was objectively good but it sure was compulsively watchable for some reason.

Royal Rumors - Costume drama that was so aggressively mediocre that I don't have any real explanation for not dropping it. Except I find the lead actress unspeakably alluring. Blame my hormones.

Dropped

Back to the Brink - xanxia. Great concepts but the execution didn't work for me. I'm not a fan of slapstick and wacky humor within serious subject matter. (It's the reason kdramas can be very hit or miss with me.) The amount of humor layered into AJourney to Love is basically my limit for tragicomedies. (Note: I did go read the book and it was very entertaining - the tone was much more to my taste.)

My Lethal Man - modern. Embarassing english name, but they had me in the first half, not gonna lie. Then after her identity was exposed, I wasn't feeling it idk. Sometimes it's just not that complicated.

Destined/Chang Feng Du - costume drama. idk really why I dropped. I watched about a 3rd of it and then was distracted by other shiny objects. I plan to come back to this one in 2024 and finish.

Romance of the Twin Flower - costume drama; unholy abomination of a great novel. I hope somehow, someday, the culprits pay for their crime. Need I say more?

[Korean Dramas]

Perfect Revenge Marriage - a modern rebirth tale. For the 90% of it, I was high on the love of a drama that is just what you didn't know you wanted. The camp, the dedication, the scenery chewing, the glorious evil step mother. It was magical. And then the last 2 episodes I found underwhelming. I can't really explain it, the climax just didn't hit for me. But that's very much a personal taste issue and I'd definitely recommend to all drama lovers who enjoy the genre. Seriously, the performance of evil step mommy was a master class.

King the Land - modern workplace romance. I've heard complaints that there wasn't much of plot. But tbh that was fine with me, because some dramas are simply character pieces. This was all about the personal growth of the FL and ML. I ended up invested and rooting for the ML to become a decent guy who isn't a gross classist like his dad.

Destined with You - modern reincarnation drama. I blame my lingering kdrama good feelings about King the Land for convincing me to keep powering thru this one. Such a strong start but then half-way in I began to realize it simply wasn't going to go into the direction I wanted it to. I still have no idea what they intended to communicate with that love potion subplot.

Vincenzo - modern crime drama. I was late to the party on this one. But after I got around to watching the delightful Kinnporsche, this was rec'd to me as another drama that embraced the bigger than life unreality of Fantasy Mafia™ and provides a rollicking good time. Absolutely ridiculous and compulsively watchable. 10/10.

[American]

House of the Dragon - Awful people doing awful things to each other, as a 1st act before everything goes straight to hell. Plus freaky dragon-riding fantasy incest. What's there not to like?

Fall of the House of Usher (YES i DO watch every horror drama by Mike Flanagan thx) - Was it as good as the first 3..? No. Did I still breathlessly binge it in 2 days? Yes. Awful things happening to awful people, poetically. 👌 👌

[juniorig0327]

Thinking about Sally and Percy in my AU (spoiler alert for something I haven’t written yet, but it has to do with Sally and I may or may not have mentioned this on a post prior to this)

Because subconsciously or not Percy sort of equates Sally as a God, because Sally was a source of hope throughout all the suffering he went through as a child.

And then stuff hits the fan and she just, dies. She’s gone. The Minotaur ran his claws through her and he never saw her again and his salvation is gone.

And from there, things don’t really get better for him, because after the incident tm with Jason, he doesn’t feel like he belongs. (Plus all the gang related activities he’s apart of inbetween pre CJ and right before CHB)

And then he goes to CHB and things are going decently, then his first quest he gets two people killed. But he stays, because he has friends, he has people to find, and eventually he finds friends worth staying for and his life is getting better then BoTL and Titan War happen and he basically loses everyone, all of his friends (and self sabotages and self isolates from anyone who could help him) and then gets hooked on drugs because now it’s back to the real world for him, he has to go to school because it’s the last, plus it’s CHB. He has to get a job because how else is he going to live somewhere with lights and a place to sleep? He joins the shittiest team at CHB because he has to constantly keep his body in shape somehow (he’s too paranoid not too).

And eventually (kinda a spoiler alert but i desperately wanted to yap about this) after all that, plus everything post kidnapping, she’s alive? That Hades was just holding her for all those years, that she’s been trapped? That she wasn’t really dead? That the Gods were so cruel to him they kept his mother away from him when he was at his lowest because saving the world was not enough for them?

And so she’s back, but neither of them really know how to act. Percy desperately craves those warm arms to protect him, but he doesn’t know how to be protected without trying to claw on the cage that’s trying to protect him (he can’t tell if someone’s trying to protect him or trying to trap him anymore).

Sally is just as awkward, she’s missed so much of his life, her little boy has grown weary and tired and this entire time she couldn’t help him.

Sally being hesitant to give him love, not because she doesn’t love him but because it isn’t as easy as it was when he was younger, she doesn’t know him anymore. Doesn’t know if he still eats blue food, or likes her hugs.

Percy desperately wanting love but being too afraid to ask for it, too hesitant to receive it, to even ask.

Sally trying to be a parent but due to circumstances out of her control, she’s years too late to do anything.

And maybe one day they get into an argument. Sally trying to be a parent and Percy picking a fight with her, nearly yelling at her before just, breaking down. He tells her how hard it was without her, how desperately he wanted her.

So they start from there, atleast once a week Percy tells him something from his life, no matter how big or how small and they learn each other. They are both tired and weary, but not too tired nor too weary to love each other.

[attendsquoi]

Thea's Quest ~ Ch. 8

Chapter 8: Homefront

Summary: Thea’s having some boy trouble so she turns to Artemis. A strange but eerily familiar enemy attacks the cave.

Warnings: Canon typical violence, impostor syndrome ig

Word Count: 4.9k

Masterlist: Thea's Quest

A/N: I skipped the Terrors episode bc it’s very M’gann/Conner focused but I have an idea of what’s happening to Thea during that day. If you’re interested, let me know and I can write it up or just post the bullet points!

Also this is the longest thing I’ve ever written but I’m so happy with it. I got to add a lot of fun bonding moments with Thea, Artemis, and Robin, so I hope you enjoy. :)

~~~

Being a couple weeks out from the last few missions, Thea was finally fully healed. Even with spending most of her time in the cave, though, she was also quite bored. Thea was sitting in the kitchen having a snack when Kaldur walked through the space.

“Hey, Kaldur!” Thea called, jumping up to join him.

The Atlantean startled.

“Oh, hello, Thea.” He replied kindly, but Thea could tell he wasn’t totally present.

“Hey, what’s up?” She asked, concerned.

“It’s nothing. I’m going to talk with Tornado.” He explained.

“Okay, yeah, let’s go.” Thea said with a smile, turning to walk toward the hangar.

“I need to speak with him alone, actually.” Kaldur spoke quietly.

Thea stopped. Glancing over her shoulder, she could tell he felt guilty. It was weird for Kaldur to pull rank with the team. He was the leader, but he rarely excluded them from conversations. He valued their judgment - especially Thea’s, or so she thought.

Thea’s eyebrows furrowed. His secrecy was giving her a familiar, uncomfortable sensation. She chalked it up to paranoia from her past with Luke, forcing a small smile to her face.

“Yeah, of course, okay.” She remarked.

“Thank you.” Kaldur muttered as he walked past her, out of the room.

Feeling on edge, Thea decided she needed to distract herself. Everyone else on the team was at school, but Thea texted Artemis anyway. They were good friends, and Thea would often receive messages from Artemis during the school day with updates on gossip or complaints about teachers and classmates, even the occasional meme. 

 I need a distraction, want to hang out later? Thea messaged.

Almost immediately there was a response.

Meet me after class. We can grab coffee. 

Where should I meet you? Thea asked.

A notification came through from the maps app with a pin at Artemis’ location. Pulling it up, Thea was puzzled by the address; Artemis was at Gotham Academy. Knowing the girl’s private nature, Thea decided not to mention it.

Perfect! See you soon.

~~~

Later, Artemis and Thea sat outside at a coffee shop. Thea was grateful to her friend for providing some relief, but Artemis looked so tense that she seemed to have a new problem.

“Is everything alright?” Thea asked as Artemis took a sip of her drink. 

The blonde choked on her drink and had to cough. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean anything by it. I just – I’m your friend. I know you’re maybe not telling the whole truth to the team and that’s fine! If you want to tell me anything, I’m here for you – just to listen. And I’d never tell the team anything. If anything, I’m honored that you trust me enough to show me where you go to school. You don’t have to explain anything. I’m sorry. I’m rambling.” 

At that point, Artemis was giggling at the girl across from her. Thea felt a little silly, trying so hard to make a friend and tripping all over herself, but she was glad to see Artemis’ shoulders finally lower below her ears.

“Thanks, Thea.” Artemis said.

Thea could tell she wasn’t going to get more out of her, but was glad she was slowly gaining some trust. 

“Anyway, why did you need to get out of the cave so badly?” Artemis asked, turning the questioning on Thea. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with our resident fish boy, would it?” She teased.

Thea’s face dropped. Artemis backtracked quickly.

“Hey, I didn’t mean – if Kaldur did something–”

“No, no. It’s not that. Or at least – I don’t think so. Ugh. It’s complicated. He just– He reminds me of someone.” Thea assured.

Artemis softened.

“I’m always here if you want to talk.” She said.

“Thanks.” Thea said with a sad smile. “But I don’t think I’m ready yet.” 

“Cheers to that!” Artemis laughed.

~~~

As the afternoon wore on, the girls decided to go back to the cave to spar for some training. Artemis changed into her suit and Thea followed along in civies, though she had brought her dagger with her. They were walking into the alleyway to zeta back to Happy Harbor when a voice made them jump.

“Artemis?”

“Robin!” Artemis exclaimed, startled.

Their young teammate emerged from the shadows; he stood in front of the zeta tube.

“How random that you're in Gotham City, instead of Star City where your Uncle Green Arrow lives.” He noted with a smirk.

Thea’s eyes narrowed. She could tell Robin knew more than he let on and was teasing Artemis. Thea found herself getting defensive on Artemis’ behalf – she clearly didn’t want to talk about it!

“I'm, uh, here to see my cousin. She was in the state spelling bee here in Gotham City.” Artemis lied.

“C-O-O-L. Did she W-I-N?” Robin said, going along with it.

“N-O.” Thea said brusquely, stepping up beside Artemis.

Robin startled as he realized Thea was there too. 

“D-R-A-G.” He smirked, recovering quickly.

“Yeah. Let's just go to the cave.” Artemis said tersely.

“Ladies first.” Robin gestured to the zeta tube disguised as a phone booth.

“Your town. You go.” Artemis insisted.

Robin shrugged and opened the door. The machine announced his departure.

“What a little shit.” Thea stated once he was gone.

Artemis huffed out a laugh.

“Truly.” She acknowledged, stepping into the zeta tube with a snicker and a salute.

Thea followed behind her.

~~~

As soon as she stepped out of the zeta tube, Thea was hit with fire. The light was blinding, and the heat caused the hair on her arm to singe. Her demigod reflexes kicked in, flooding her with adrenaline, as she turned to shield her body best she could. 

“Thea!” She heard Artemis call from somewhere off to her left.

The blast let up, though not without having done some damage, and Thea ran to her friend. Reaching Artemis, she found Robin too, and the three of them booked it for the showers. As they ran, Robin attempted to contact the rest of the team to no avail. When they got there, Robin started turning on all the faucets before shoving Thea under a stream of cold water.

“Di Immortales!” Thea hissed, as the water hit her raw skin.

“How injured are you?” Robin questioned urgently.

Thea felt breathless, but quickly snapped into triage mode.

“It’s probably only a first degree burn, and mainly my right arm.” She said, assessing the damage.

Artemis was pacing behind her.

“I’m okay.” Thea assured, struggling as she floundered for her satchel.

“I got it.” Artemis stepped in. “What do you need?”

“Just open it?” Thea asked.

Artemis did as asked, and Thea grabbed a clear flasked labeled “nectar” and took a swig.

“There. I’ll be fine.” She assured Artemis.

“At least the water is helping.” Robin suggested.

Don’t tempt the Gods. Thea was about to say, when they heard a low groaning noise. The water pressure exploded and the shower heads fell from the walls. The room started filling with water.

“Or not.” Robin mumbled, taking a gulp of air before ducking under water and swimming toward one of the walls. 

“What in Hades?” Thea asked herself.

Seconds later, Robin’s explosives went off and the three were pushed out of the room on a small wave.

~~~

“We need to get lost.” Robin declared as they stood up and coughed, running for the kitchen.

Thea looked around, scanning for an exit.

“The air vent.” She said, breathless.

“Good. Go.” Robin said.

Thea grabbed Artemis’ arm and pulled her toward the vent. Suddenly, they realized Robin had stopped.

“What are you–” Artemis started.

“Downloading blueprints. Could come in…” Robin explained, trailing off as they heard footsteps approaching.

“Go, go.” Robin whispered. 

Thea hoisted Artemis into the vent, doing the same for Robin before following suit, not bothering to close the grate behind them.

“Go left.” Robin muttered directions from between them.

Just as Thea made the turn, crawling right at Robin’s heels, there was a blast of fire through the part of the vent they were just in.

“Styx.” Thea swore, startled.

“Ugh. Too close. Take the first right.” Robin concurred, continuing to give directions. “There should be a vent cover right in front of you.”

Artemis popped the grate, and the three of them slid down the pipe, dropping into the boiler room.

“This way.” Robin directed, the three of them running through the room.

Thea’s arm still stung, but thanks to her demigod constitution, she wasn’t too slowed down, still able to keep pace with Artemis and Robin. 

From above, there came a metallic thud. The three heroes looked over to see a wall of fire, and within it, a humanoid silhouette. As they raised their arms, the fire grew taller, the room quickly filling with smoke.

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Thea mumbled, not wanting to stick around any longer. 

As they ran, the boiler room started heating up, everywhere they looked it seemed there was a new alarm going off or pipe bursting with steam.

“That's not good.” Robin noted. 

The three of them ran behind more machinery as fire started raining down on them. Robin pulled up the blueprints again.

“I know that other access tunnel is here somewhere.” He muttered to himself.

Thea scanned the floor, seeing a vent cover and making a beeline for it. Artemis followed.

“You mean this one?” She asked, getting Robin’s attention as Thea hopped down into the vents, waiting to make sure her teammates followed.

~~~

As soon as they were all in the vent, Thea started crawling forwards, Artemis hot on her heels.

“Hold on.” Robin called. “Locking cave's motion and heat sensors to prevent the enemy from tracking us.” He explained.

Thea frowned as the technology went over her head, but she waited patiently for Robin to do… whatever it was he was doing.

“And I ask again, who is the enemy?” Artemis said, frustrated.

Robin shrugged, then a mischievous smile grew on his face.

“Let's find out. Downloading cave security footage... There.” He said, satisfied.

Thea, Artemis, and Robin watched the camera footage from earlier in the cave. They saw an overhead angle of Wally, M’gann, and Conner working on the bike while Kaldur watches from next to them. Thea felt a pang of guilt as she saw their faces – she had abandoned them over a paranoid hunch. Maybe if she had just stayed in the cave this wouldn’t be happening and they would all be safe. Thea glanced back down at Robin’s holo watch as the recording’s audio started.

“Torque wrench.” Wally called from under the bike.

M’gann handed it to him with her telekinesis. 

“Thank you, Green-Cheeks.” Wally replied.

“I have been meaning to ask. Any problem juggling school work with your responsibilities here?” Kaldur asked, checking in.

“No. Juggling's just one of my many talents. Socket wrench.” Wally replied breezily.

“Cheerleading practice has presented a challenge. Oh, but my first loyalty is always to the team. This team, not the Bumblebees.” M’gann said.

“Artemis starts school today. Do you think she will have trouble maintaining her loyalties?” Kaldur asked.

Thea frowned at his words. His phrasing was weird, and something just seemed off. She couldn’t help herself from feeling suspicious.

“Eh, she'll manage all right. I mean, how much more hostile and annoying can–?” Wally started to talk and then suddenly, static.

“What happened?” Artemis asked.

“Explosion. I'll find another angle.” Robin replied quickly, already typing away.

He pulled up the rest of the cameras. With these new angles, they could see fire and water in different places, but still couldn’t really tell what happened.

“That's it. All four are dead.” Robin sighed.

Thea’s eyes widened as she realized how his words sounded. She hit him on the arm.

“The cameras! I meant the cameras. Uh, I'm sure the others are okay.” He stuttered. “Give me a sec to find the fastest route to the hangar.”

“Yeah. They're fine. They've all got superpowers. They can handle anything.” Artemis muttered, trying to calm herself.

Thea frowned. She knew firsthand that superpowers won’t always save you in a fight. Surely if they could, Thalia would still be around. It felt weird, as a demigod Thea had “powers,” but both Artemis and Robin were so well trained that in this situation she merely had average capabilities – especially with an injury holding her back. She felt a wave of hopelessness wash over her: once again, people she cared about were in trouble, and even her godly lineage didn’t seem to count for anything.

~~~

Robin led them through the vents and into the library. The three began to navigate the bookshelves, searching for an exit.

“There's a secret passage behind one of these.” Robin told the girls, pulling at books trying to open the mystery door.

“Seriously? Cliché much?” Artemis muttered.

“You should see the Batcave.” Robin teased.

But Thea wasn’t paying attention to their words, standing still as they grabbed at different spines.

“Shh. Do you hear that? Footsteps.” She murmured, jogging over to them as they all crouched down.

They heard a mechanical voice begin to speak.

“Artemis. Robin. Thea.” 

“It's Red Tornado.” Artemis gasped, rushing out of their hiding spot.

Robin’s eyes widened, and Thea instinctively shot out to grab Artemis’ shoulder and shove her out of the way.

“Yes on the Red, no on the Tornado.” Robin announced, following the girls as they ducked under a table, running away from the red machine.

Immediately, they were confronted with another, this time with a feminine build. She stepped out from behind some bookcases, shooting fire from her palms. The kids turned and ran, hopping over shelves to put some distance in between them and the machines.

“Who...? What are they?” Artemis asked, pressed.

With the fire in the room, the ceiling sprinklers activated, suddenly wetting the room. One of the machines hit a bookshelf, sending a domino tower falling toward the heroes. Robin finally found the right book, opening the secret passage as the three of them jump through to (at least momentary) safety.

~~~

The heroes landed in a series of tunnel like hallways, Artemis and Thea following Robin as he ran ahead.

“Unh, did you know Tornado had siblings?” Artemis panted as they ran.

“No.” Robin replied simply.

Thea frowned at the reply, but kept running. When they reached an intersection of hallways, Artemis grabbed Robin’s arm, bringing them to a stop.

“So now what? Red Tornado is one of the powerhouses of the league. How are we supposed to take down two of him?”

“They do seem pretty user-unfriendly.” Robin commented with a sad smile.

Thea huffed softly at the reply. 

“Don't joke. They–” Artemis got cut off by an automated voice over the intercom.

“Attention, Robin. Attention, Artemis. Attention, Thea. You have exactly 10 minutes to surrender or the lives of your teammates will be extinguished.”

The threat made Thea pause, immediately concerned for the rest of the team now that they know for sure they’ve been captured.

“We need to move.” Thea announced.

As Thea, Artemis, and Robin ran through the corridors, the countdown continued.

“Eight minutes.”

“We can access the hangar from here.” Robin told the girls.

They stopped as they heard something coming at them from behind. Turning around, they saw a massive wave of water rushing their way.

“Or not.” Robin concluded.

“Will you please stop saying that?!” Artemis stressed.

Thea grabbed both of their arms, pulling them into a run. It wasn’t enough, they didn’t get very far before the water swept them off their feet. 

Thea gasped as the water hit them, submerging them quickly. She managed to swim toward Robin and Artemis. She knew she wouldn’t be able to hold her breath for too long, but she was a strong swimmer after years of training in the Long Island Sound at camp. She swam over to Robin and Artemis, eyes widening gratefully as Robin passed her a rebreather. 

All of a sudden, Artemis was pulled back. Her eyes widened as she screamed. Thea and Robin swam toward her, realizing she’s been grabbed by the water android. Thea grasped Artemis’ arm to try to pull her friend to safety while Robin grabbed one of her arrows, jamming it into the robot’s head and freeing her. As soon as Artemis was released, Thea and Robin hooked their arms under hers and they swam to safety, emerging in the hangar moon pool. In front of them, Wally and Conner were trapped in some lava-like stone.

“Look out!” Wally warned as they pant for air.

They looked up to see a fireball coming their way and ducked under the water, emerging a few feet away, closer to the boys.

“You guys okay?” Robin asked them.

“Forget us. Help M'gann.” Conner demanded, nervous.

Thea glanced up, heart clenching in fear as she saw M’gann and Kaldur trapped in a cage of fire. 

“Aqualad. Is she…?” Artemis asked, trailing off in fear.

“She is unconscious. I fear she... we cannot survive much longer.” He explained.

A wave of guilt washed over Thea. Her earlier suspicion was gone and replaced with shame and fear. All she’s ever wanted is to save her friends, and all she’s ever done is fail.

~~~

The fire machine returned, and Thea, Artemis, and Robin dove under the water again, evading her. They emerged on the stairs, climbing up to the main floor of the hangar. Behind them, the water machine followed. The heroes took defensive stances. On their other side, at the top of the stairs, the fire android touched down, cornering them in.

“I'm almost out of arrows.” Artemis warned.

“Distract her. Now.” Robin instructed.

Artemis shot an explosive arrow toward the android, setting off a flash of smoke. Thea grabbed her arm and they ducked out of the way. At the base of the steps, Robin tried and failed to throw explosives onto the other android. He shot a wave of water at the heroes right as the other android threw a ball of fire. Thea, Artemis, and Robin dove back into the water, swimming through an underwater grate and emerging back in the vent system.

The countdown resumed.

“Six minutes.”

“What do we do now?” Artemis asked, feeling defeated.

“We save them. That's how it works.” Robin replied coolly.

“Maybe that's how it's supposed to work, but those robots already took out our four superpowered friends.” Artemis pointed out.

Thea spaced out, her tactical mind working a mile a minute. She checked her pockets, finding only her dagger and a few golden drachma. 

“How can you be so calm?” She heard Artemis ask Robin

“Practice. Been doing this since I was 9.” Robin said, unworried.

Thea immediately felt protective of the boy. She was reminded of the feeling of meeting seven year old Annabeth: this is just a kid. In that moment she knew deep in her bones that no harm would come to Robin while she’s around.

“What good is that now?” Artemis pleaded.

“We just have to think.” Thea jumps back in. “Jason and Medea harnessed a mechanical bull in Colchis.” She pondered aloud.

“Thea, this is no time for a history lesson! In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not Jason or Medea! What chance do we have against unrelenting machines?!” Artemis snapped worriedly.

Before Thea could reply, Robin realized something.

“Oh, duh! They're machines.” He emphasized. “And one electromagnetic pulse will shut down any machine within range.”

Thea nodded along, pretending she understood what they’re talking about. But she didn’t need to know what an ‘electromagnetic pulse’ is in order to help. Even a bad plan is better than no plan.

“Great. Except you better have an EMP emitter in your utility belt, cuz I know I don't have one in my quiver.” Artemis replied.

“I'm fresh out. But I'm betting we can make one.” Robin said with a smirk.

“What do you say, KF? Doable?” He asked through the coms. 

“Totally doable.” Wally replied.

“Five minutes.” The android’s countdown warned.

“You know, if you had more time.” He amended.

~~~

Regardless of their odds, the heroes figured they had to try. Wally talked through Robin’s com as he, Thea, and Artemis worked their way around the cave, making an emp emitter.

“Med lab. X-ray machine.” He instructed.

Thea and Artemis watched as Robin followed Wally’s instructions.

“Find a small vacuum tube called a vircator that converts high-energy pulses. Reprogram the unit's microwave conversion from x-rays to EMPs with a cascading energy vector directed outward.”

“A ripple effect! Like dropping a stone in a pond.” Robin muttered.

Artemis and Thea made eye contact, not understanding a word coming out of the boys’ mouths.

“A stone with 10 to the 12th power wattage, yeah.” Wally affirmed.

“So I need to hook it up to the cave’s main generator.” Robin planned.

“Which is where?” Artemis asked.

Robin sighed, Thea frowned, eyes wide, as she realized what he was about to say.

“Oh, gods.” She muttered.

~~~

The plan itself was simple, not that many steps, everyone knew their roles. But Thea was wary, the likelihood of complication was… high.

“Four minutes.” The mechanical voice narrated from the intercom as Thea, Artemis, and Robin snuck back into the hangar.

“Okay, make with the distraction.” Robin instructed the others.

The rest of the team began to heckle the androids as the trio snuck around, Robin ziplining toward the generator.

“Hey, Red Tomato, who's your girlfriend? Red Onion?” Wally berated.

“Yeah, and by the way, worst death trap ever. We can escape any time we want.” Conner shouted, keeping the androids’ attention on them

“Cover me.” Robin told the girls. 

Artemis nocked an arrow, and Thea pulled out her dagger, nodding.

“Wally was made for this.” Thea muttered to Artemis, trying to find a moment of levity. The blonde shot her a small smile, but both of their anxieties were through the roof. They watched as Robin landed on the machine, crouching down to install the emp emitter. 

“Rerouting power now.” Robin narrated through the coms. 

A moment passed. 

“It's not working. The circuit's incomplete.” He realized. 

Thea sucked in a breath through her teeth, her body buzzing with demigod adrenaline.

“I need something conductible, a piece of metal–” He spoke.

Thea saw movement out of the corner of her eye, gaze shooting to the androids, one of whom had realized Robin was there.

“Robin, look out!” She shouted desperately, but she was too late. 

Thea and Artemis watched as he was swallowed by a wave. 

~~~

Thea’s earlier protectiveness came out in full force, and she had to stop herself from screaming. She and Artemis watched the scene with baited breath as the android raised his arm, holding Robin in a vertical trap of water. Artemis grabbed Thea’s arm, trying to pull her away and back into the cave.

“Thea! Come on, we have to go!” Artemis hissed in a frantic whisper.

The jostling of her arm was what it took for Thea to snap back into her body. She shook Artemis off quickly.

“N–no, no. I can’t leave him. I won’t!” Thea replied, searching Artemis’ eyes desperately.

The girls gazed at each other in distress. Artemis realized in that moment that nothing would pull Thea away from Robin. But she didn’t have a plan. Feeling tears gather in her waterline, Thea took Artemis’ hand and squeezed it gently. Artemis’ eyes widened, Thea nodded. Artemis squeezed back, the pain and guilt and fear clear in her eyes. Then she turned and ran.

Thea watched her go, wishing things could have been different. She wasn’t given time to dwell. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Thea turned back to the scene in the hangar just in time to watch Robin fall to the floor, unconscious.

Her body moved of its own accord, jumping into action to try to save him.

She got down to the floor before being confronted by the Reds. Without any long range weapons or a plan, Thea knew she was screwed. Even so, she worked to duck and evade the attacks of water and fire, making her way toward Robin. Her instincts worked in her favor, the demigod reflexes coming in handy. But of course, good things can’t last forever. 

In a moment of distraction, the water android picked up the torque wrench from the ground and sent it toward her in a stream of water. 

Suddenly, Artemis’ voice alerted her. Thea turned toward her friend, brain working a mile a minute as she realizes the blonde’s plan to surrender. Before she could move toward Artemis, movement caught her eye.

Thea turned toward the torque wrench just as she saw it, only to immediately get hit in the head. She barely caught herself as she fell to the ground before everything went black.

Thea was only knocked out for a second. Propping herself onto her elbows, her eyes focused slowly, blurring before finally clearing. In a second, Artemis was at her side.

The blonde knelt down worriedly, but Thea pushed her off weakly.

“I’m fine – go check on Robin.” She murmured urgently.

Artemis glanced at her one more time before rushing over to the boy and starting CPR. As she did so, Thea’s eyes searched for her other teammates.

“Kaldur! How’s M’gann?” Conner called, while Thea slowly moved herself into a criss cross position.

The Atlantean startled slightly, glancing at the others while still holding M’gann in his lap.

“She breathes. I believe she will recover.” He assured. “What of Robin?” He called to Artemis.

As if on cue, the young boy wonder coughed weakly, turning on his side as Artemis rubs his back while he gets the water out of his lungs.

“He’s breathing too!” She exclaimed, the relief audible in her voice.

Thea sighed with relief, comforted that her friends were alright. Thea stood up shakily, moving to walk over to Artemis and Robin but immediately stumbled. Kaldur’s eyes widened with concern, seeing her struggle, as Thea sat back down and laughed at herself quietly. Fishing a piece of ambrosia out of her satchel, Thea offered him a reassuring smile and took a bite, content to rest for a moment.

~~~

Later, once everyone was relatively stable, the team got to work trying to help Wally and Conner out of their traps. Artemis held a laser cutter while Kaldur supported M’gann and Thea and Robin held each other up.

“Will you quit playing with that thing and cut us free, already?” Wally complained.

“It’s not working, genius. EMP shuts down all machines, remember?” Artemis snarked back.

Thea chuckled quietly, meeting Kaldur’s gaze and rolling her eyes fondly before being startled by a mechanical voice.

“All machines present at the time.” Red Tornado corrected, touching down near the team. “What has occurred?” He asked.

Artemis and Wally scoffed.

“We had a visit from your family.” Robin muttered.

“Your extremely nasty family.” Artemis sassed.

“I was not aware I had relations.” Tornado said.

“Where have you been?” Conner asked, all of them feeling rightfully confused, and a bit angry.

“Monitor duty on the Watchtower. When it became clear cave communications were down I attempted to investigate, but your zeta tubes were also non-functional. I transported to Providence and proceeded here.” The android explained, walking over to the nonfunctioning android “siblings.”

The sudden buzzing from the laser caught all of their attention. 

“Hey, boy.” Conner murmured kindly as Sphere rolled over.

“The pulse has worn off.” Robin and Wally realized in tandem.

Suddenly, Red Tornado froze. He rose into the air, creating twisters and psyphoning the oxygen out of the room. Thea grabbed a falling M’gann, breaking her fall only slightly. The air was getting thinner, and Thea was already dizzy. The room started to spin. Ahead of her, Thea saw Robin hit the ground.

“No!” She tried to call, but all that came out was a puff of air before once again, everything went black.

~~~

“Thea, Thea. Come on, Thea.” A feminine voice murmured.

Something felt wrong. Forcing open her eyes, Thea saw the blurry outline of a figure, simultaneously familiar and a stranger all at once. The details morphed and faded, but she could make out the concerned pinch of her brow.

A bright light flashed in her eyes. Thea squeezed them shut, opening them again to find Black Canary kneeling over her. 

“Holy Hera.” The demigod groaned.

Above her, Dinah breathed a sigh of relief. Sending a subtle nod to Batman, she turned her attention back to the girl.

“I know. You’re okay. You’re safe now.” She assured, carefully helping Thea up.

Looking around, the girl saw a collection of leaguers gathered around the team. Most were with their proteges. Taking a quick headcount, Thea couldn’t find Wonder Woman.

“Diana’s on a league mission, but they’re wrapping up and she’ll be on her way back soon. I’ll get you back to her apartment, stick around until she’s back.” Dinah murmured, answering Thea’s silent question and rubbing her back soothingly.

Thea nodded, taking in her words, then winced.

“I think I’m concussed.” She muttered.

Dinah chuckled sympathetically.

“I think so, too.” She murmured, caring but not overprotective. “We’ll take care of you.”

Thea offered her a weak smile, turning her attention back to the rest of the team.

“What happened here?” Superman asked Artemis.

“What happened? The reds happened.” The archer replied, anger coming through clearly in her voice. “Tornado and his– wait. What? Where are they?” She stuttered.

“Gone. All three of them: gone.” Robin answered gravely.

Thea sighed quietly, leaning weakly into Dinah’s hold. Whatever this is, it’s only the beginning.

[thelittlepinkwitchblog]

THE SEAGULLS OF WATERDEEP - A ONESHOT

First off, hello I am not dead just inactive.

I don't usually post much of my writing but here I am, and I'll be 100% honest, this idea has been bouncing around my brain since i made that initial post I dont know when (idk how to link posts but its there somewhere), about the Seagulls of Aberdeen by Scottish comedy group Weegie Hink Ae That? With respect to the source of my setting (the person whose story has me in a vice grip), this one-shot takes place in sort of the “in-between-scenes” of a story like @galebrainrot2024 ‘s on-going series, a former school rivals to friends to more (?) Kind of story. Come into my mind scape, where Tav went to Blackstaff with Gale as kids, they were rivals, and for whatever reason Tav went on to multiclass as a Sorcerer-Bard in order to make a better living or fulfill a passion or whatever, I didn't really think about that until I'm literally writing this intro thing. I like my Tav being F personally but I wrote this as an genderless Tav so I hope everyone can enjoy ^_^

Setting - the party camps in a relatively safe area for the night, allowing everyone to relax a bit from the Ilithid problem, along with the array of personal quests to be fulfilled. Gale made a hearty stew and everyone decided that they should have a little bit of wine as a treat for their weeks of steady hard work. Karlach was the first companion found by Tav after the crash, and so she requested a song the bard had played before meeting the rest of the party. Takes place after the meeting with Elminster.

***

“Oh, oh, sing that funny one about the seagulls!” Karlach almost vibrated from excitement, the heat of her skin radiating more than the well tended campfire. Tav looked around, at the reactions of their companions. Halsin and Wyll both nodded at them encouragingly, Astarion shrugged nonchalantly. Gale had been quiet for days, as quiet as one could expect from him; ever since Elminster quelled the orb with Mystra's blessing, so that he could, well, never mind. Tav observed him as he ran his fingers over the hem of his purple linen chemise, a silent glimpse into the torrent of his mind. “You'll love this one wizard, it's about your home turf.” Having caught on to her friend's gaze, the teifling deliberately brought the wizard from his thoughts and into the circle of conversation.

“Honestly, I would love to hear it.” He did his best to smile, to seem like his usual self, but Tav could see a forlornness deal within his eyes, having taken root in his heart since the orb was silenced.

“Yes, Tav. Do indulge us.” Shadowheart added, taking another sip of wine.

Tav waved their hand, silently summoning a lute with their Bardic Arcana, an act of casual magic that made Gale's heart skip, though for a moment he thought it was the now slumbering orb. Checking the tune with a single strum across the cords, Tav's lips curled into a cat's grin, obviously pleased to have been asked to provide entertainment during their rest. “Alrighty then, if you know the words, sing along.” Playing a simple intro, Tav began to sing, their accent, what dear readers would recognize as Scottish, clearly audible. “Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep, have you seen the fucking size of the seagulls in Waterdeep?” Expecting a ballad that was aforementioned funny, Gale surprised himself when he burst out laughing with everyone else after the first crass line.

“Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep, I watched one fight a granny at the Harbour in Waterdeep.”

Karlach joined into a rough harmony, Tav altering their pitch to accommodate the joyful teifling. “I thought I must be Water-dreamin’ up I wasnae, the big ol' bastard's devil eyes staring right through me. I thought I must be Water-dreamin’ but I wasnae, the big ol’ bastard chased me down and tried to kill me.” Shadowheart, Wyll, and Halsin all joined in with the chorus, Astarion enjoyed the spectacle too much to join, Lae'zel had left to train, and Gale was too busy marveling at how easily Tav smoothed over any friction that may have arisen during the day; any disagreement or tension between comrades was quickly forgiven or forgotten the moment they sat by the fire with their lute and vocal chords. As the bridge came and Tav's voice easily shifted higher, their eyes met for a single moment before the bard turned to Karlach, saying something quickly between verses. “Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep they scream. Karlach, make the seagulls noise! Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep they scream,”

“Wawa wawawa wawawa wawawawa!” With her whole chest, Karlach did her best seagull impression, flapping her hands to imitate wings.

“Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep they scream,”

“Wawa wawawa wawawa wawawawa!” Shadowheart had joined Karlach's impression, her cheeks red from the wine most of them had consumed with the dinner Gale had prepared.

“Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep,” Slowing the tempo, none knew the final line the Bard would deliver, the final blow to a song that almost had tears of laughter flow. “I watched one bust a nut at the Harbour in Waterdeep.” Shaking his head as Tav flourished on the lute in finality, he struggled for breath as his fingers clasped the bridge of his nose.

A moment of applause rang through the clearing as Tav said their thanks and seemed to humbly accept whatever praise or criticism came their way. Though no complement could surpass Gale’s; Tav's heart swelled almost painfully at his breathy laughs as he muttered to himself with a half smile, almost hiding his face in his hand to suppress himself. “Oh sweet Gods above, I needed that.”

***

please be kind to me with criticisms, be constructive but I'm sensitive k thanks

Okay, I love you, Gods bless ♡ bye ♡

[stardustandash]

Fuck it, ask box quiet and I'm vibrating about both my Rooks, so I'm answering sppokyvalentine's 50 questions about Rook for each of them (in seperate posts).

First up is my first Rook, Aylin De Riva

1. How old is Rook?

27 at game start, turned 28 sometime after the Blood of Arlathan quest and didn't think it was worth bringing up. Varric wished them a happy nameday and that was enough for them.

2. How did Rook get the nickname? What do they think of it?

Varric gave it to them! Because they're a Crow, a corvid, and definitely not a typical one. Something else, but within the same family. Rook likes the nickname, as Aylin was actually their clan name and they took it on to remember them after joining the Crows, so it feels like having their own name again.

3. What was Rook’s life before their faction?

Rook was born into Clan Aylin on the borders of the Frostback basin. They were only five when the blight hit, and their mother, a smart woman, fled without the rest of the clan, taking her child with her. A smart move, as the Darkspawn tore through the area leaving nothing living in their wake. They moved northward, eventually settling in Antiva. Their mother apprenticed to a leatherworker, and they had a small life together full of stories of Dalish gods and monsters and myths.

When Rook was 8 their magic manifested in a strong way, and instead of going to the Chantry or the Circle, their mother approached the Crows and sold them to them to apprentice. It was hard, especially with the exchange of money, but Rook never faulted their mother for it, and even visited from time to time when they were able.

4. Which faction did they join, and why? How long has it been?

Answered above, and by game start it has been almost 20 years.

5. What was life like for Rook before joining the Veilguard?

They took the Contracts Viago gave them, though chafed at often being kept away from some of the bigger Contracts or more dangerous ones. They have a very "little sibling" like relationship with Viago and often argue with him about not being given a chance to prove themselves. They also tried to show him that they could do bigger jobs. Which ended with them blowing up their chances with the debacle with rescuing prisoners from the Antaam.

6. What was the reason that brought Rook to Minrathous?

It was the most antithetical place to Antiva they could think of after Viago exiled them. Or that's the answer they'll give if asked. In reality they just let Varric drag them around on his hunt for Solas.

7. Why does Rook agree to join the Veilguard?

They didn't necessarily agree, they were just kind of there, and then both Neve and Harding looked to them to make decisions and it spiralled out of their control from there.

8. What makes Rook a good leader?

Aylin is committed to the team. They will hear everyone out and try to come to manageable compromises with everyone, and never discount advice. They're not great, but they're trying.

9. What is Rook like on the battlefield?

Learning to fight openly rather than with Crow trickery and agility is hard, but as a mage with a preference for orb-and-dagger style fighting, you can find Rook in the thick of the battle.

10. Does Rook know their history? Do they know of the HoF, Hawke, the Inquisitor?

Rook knows the Hero of Ferelden through the Crows, but it mostly relates to the mysteries of House Arainai and the Crow that failed a Contract.

The Inquisitor they've heard more about, if only because they were old enough to be interested in the strange news from the South, and could see the Breach in the sky when it opened, though from Antiva it was only a distant green smear on the horizon.

Hawke they learned about from travelling with Varric and listening to his stories. I imagine they ran into a few old friends on their year of travels as well. They still have yet to read The Tale of The Champion though.

11. Does Rook keep up with current events? (How aware of the situation are they at the start of the game?)

Rook mostly only cared about Antivan news on their travels with Varric. Making sure House De Riva was still standing and there were no major upsets. Anything else didn't really matter to them. So no, they're blind as a bat on most things lol.

12. Does Rook have any family? Do they keep in touch?

Their mother died when they were 13, so no. They do consider Viago as their brother, and after making amends at the start of Veilguard sends letters regularly. While travelling with Varric they would send an "I'm still alive fuck you" every month or so.

13. Did Rook bring any trinkets/sentimental items to The Lighthouse?

No. They still have their rooms in House De Riva in Treviso, and consider that to be home, and their stay in the Lighthouse temporary. It makes it easier to not get attached to the comfort of life there.

14. What does Rook see when they look in the mirror?

An idiot, but they're trying their best.

15. What’s the first thing people notice when Rook enters a room?

Probably their long silvery hair. They went grey at 20 and never bothered to try and dye it.

16. Got any tattoos? What’s the story behind them?

They have a face tattoo, a Vallaslin of their own making. Their mother always told them that they were a way to honour the gods, but Rook just wanted to honour their heritage and went more for how elvhen artifacts look to them.

17. How’d Rook get those scars?

Aylin's most noticable scar is a long cut from hip to opposing shoulder. They got it on one of their first Contract jobs, when they were stupid enough to not check for any Crows the target might have hired. The man sliced her open with his rapier before she managed to fry him with lightning.

The look on Viago's face when they managed to stumble home is still something they laugh about.

18. Their fondest childhood memory:

Curled up with their mother next to a fire, listening to her tell stories.

19. What is Rook’s love language? What love languages do they respond best to?

Aylin is all about touch. Little gestures like pats on the arm or shoulder, squeezing hands beneath a table, leaning on them when sitting next to each other. It's making romancing Lace Harding very difficult, as they have to try and express themself through different methods.

And they respond best to quality time. Simply being around their person and having the confidence of knowing that they are safe to be themself with them.

20. What’s it like to see them smile? Their laugh?

Rook is quick to smile and laugh, and enjoys jokes and sarcasm. It's a bright smile, and soft, and makes them look younger.

21. What does Rook’s voice sound like? One of the voice options available, or do they have a different accent/voicecast?

I fell in love with the lilt in the voice of the UK female VA, and it's so perfect for Aylin. I think their voice would lie between the medium and low options, but the medium was great! When the lilt got stronger it was their Dalish accent peeking through!

22. Most embarrassing memory as a teenager:

They once took a Contract from Viago, thinking they were so special to get one before finishing training. They got all prepared and set out to hunt down the target. Which turned out to be a cat in the market. They were so embarrassed afterwards they didn't speak to him for a week.

23. What does Rook wear in the off hours? Do they like dressing up?

Rook likes soft clothes that are easy to move in. The casual Crow outfit fits the bill, but they also have something more similar to a lounge set stashed away in the Lighthouse for the occasional quiet day.

They'll dress up for a Contract that requires it, but otherwise no.

24. Does Rook have any nightly rituals before bed?

Aylin will set a sort of magical tripwire in the hall to hear if anyone is coming towards their room, and place a dagger on the nightstand and under the mattress.

25. How does Rook like to spend their free time?

In Antiva they like to sample foods from various cafes and stalls, visit galleries, and window shop at arms dealers. It keeps them moving around the city and able to gather information while also having a good time.

In the Lighthouse they'll sit with Varric, or borrow Bellara's serials. Often they just like to sit in Harding's room with her and listen to her talk about plants and stories from the Inquisition.

26. Rook is in charge of the grocery list. What’s on it?

Chocolate. Whiskey. Spiced nuts. Rice for Risotto. Cheese for Harding. An assortment of vegetables. Eight different types of coffee. milk.

27. When was the last time they cried?

Before the start of the game? When their mother died. After the start of the game they wept alone in their room after seeing the destruction of Minrathous and the Shadow Dragons that were hanged in the streets because of her choice to save Treviso. They do a lot of crying alone over the course of the game.

28. Does Rook have any pets/animal companions?

Aylin has never had a pet, but loves the cats that wander around Treviso. They have some dishes and food in their rooms there to feed the strays.

29. Any vices?

They do like a stiff drink. And events in the game definitely drive them to it. Though they do tend to limit themself to two pours, just in case.

30. What is Rook’s class? Did they choose it?

Rook is a mage! Magic chose them lol.

31. What specialization does Rook pursue? What called them to it?

They're a trained assassin through and through - they took the spellblade specialization.

32. How would a desire demon tempt Rook?

By telling them they could relax. That they didn't have to save the world. That they could just let all of it go, and follow the demon to a more peaceful place. Bonus points if the desire demon wears Lace's face after they get together.

33. What do fear demons look like to Rook?

Answered this one before - For Aylin I think fear demons look like undead, but wearing clothes or trinkets belonging to those they hold close. Like they’re being hunted down by dead friends, with the implication being that they couldn’t save them. Nightmares definitely get worse after the Varric reveal and the events of the endgame. Visiting the Necropolis with Emmrich and hearing his take on death and the undead does help with the fear somewhat, but not enough to make them shift into something else.

34. How does Rook begin their day?

They usually start with a round of stretching and balance exercises before going in search of coffee.

35. Ultimate comfort food meal:

Answered before - They love Antivan cooking, and their absolute favourite dish has to be sopa coàda. Which I definitely found by googling traditional foods to the real city of Treviso in Italy. It’s a slow-baked dish of layers of pigeon meat and bread, covered in cheese and pigeon broth. Its warm and hearty and simple, perfect for them.

36. What would Rook say are their flaws?

Their temper. Though they're fun and quick witted most of the time, they tend to jump to anger quickly. When paired with the fact that they're ready to fight anything at the drop of a hat it gets a bit out of hand. And they end up punching First Wardens in front of their men lol.

37. Does Rook ascribe to a faith?

They were raised Dalish, then thrown into an Andrastian culture. They don't truly believe in either, though supposes they make good moral guides, and understands why people do believe.

38. Did Rook have any relationships before Veilguard?

They had a couple flings, some with other Crows, but once with a bookseller in the market. Nothing that ever got very far or serious.

39. What is their room at The Lighthouse like?

Also answered this earlier - Aylin’s room is pretty bare bones. They still have their space in Antiva, why would they unpack here in the Fade where things might disappear? They have a few trinkets here and there: a vase of flowers from Harding and an ancient elvhen trinket from Bellara, books from Emmrich and a copy of Varric’s Tale of the Champion, a carved crow from Davrin and a newspaper clipping from one of the cases they and Neve solved together in Dock to

40. Describe Rook’s bed:

That green divan in the meditation room? That's it. That's what they sleep on for months while hunting down the gods. Their neck is so fucked.

41. What’s on their nightstand?

There's a vase of flowers, fresh cut from Harding's garden. And a dagger. Not much else, that's all they need.

42. Something Rook regrets:

Lol, every choice they made during the game?

They regret not being as Dalish, or knowing as much about the Dalish and their beliefs as they believe they should. They're an elf, they should know these things, like Bellara and Davrin, but they don't, and they feel rather useless for it.

43. Is Rook the type to gossip?

Not really, though they love to hear all the gossip. Being nosy is a Crow trait, after all. In the Lighthouse they like to sit in the library balcony and listen to the others gossip with each other. They don't share any of it, they just like to know what's going on.

44. What is Rook really good at?

They are very good at magic, and precise magic. Their affinity towards electricity meant that they had to learn control in order to not kill their allies and friends alongside their targets. The fear of hurting their friends honed their control into a thin dagger, able to navigate the smallest of openings to find it's target.

45. Who was Rook’s closest friend before joining the Veilguard?

Aylin definitely didn't have close friends before Varric and Harding wore down their walls with months on the road together. Viago was probably the person closest to them, but their relationship has always been more sibling like, as well as business like, than friends. After joining the Veilguard they quickly became friends with Bellara, with the others taking more time to warm up to for various reasons.

46. What does it take to earn Rook’s trust?

Not much, much to Viago's chagrin. Eat a few meals together, spend a few nights in the same place without trying to kill them, and Rook thinks you're trustworthy. Basically don't try to kill them right off the bat and Aylin will trust you.

47. What’s Rook’s temper like?

Like the lightning they summon, quick and bright then gone. It shows up when people don't believe them, or insult a friend. Though their temper rises and dissipates quickly, they do hold a grudge against people who made them angry. Solas gets a good showing of that while they talk in the Fade Prison meditations lol.

48. A color, flower, animal, and weather to describe Rook:

Purple, lavender, magpie, lightning

49. What will always make them laugh?

A bad (dad) joke. Or a dirty one. They dish them out endlessly, much to the annoyance of whoever's out in the field with them. It's also how they and Varric bonded so quickly. Bad jokes make for great friends, and laughing together is a quick way to bond. Varric is a master at working that angle and Rook fell for it 100%.

50. Are they a mystery, or an open book?

Neither. Aylin won't necessarily share details about themself unless they're asked. They're not trying to be mysterious or anything, they just know that the rest of the Veilguard is going through their own stuff and doesn't want to burden them with their own life story while the rest of them are still working out their own. But when anyone asks about their life they'll answer truthfully.

+1 What does Rook smell like?

Musk, lavender, and chocolate

[archangeldyke-all]

So I have a crack-pot theory and I apologize for the random ask/ ridiculous length of the post. It might be totally unrealistic but it's in my brain... What if Sevika joins Noxus/ Ambessa?

Hear me out: as much of a loyal follower of Zaun as she is, there's a consistent something that is preventing her from getting that extra nudge to be a leader - whether that's people's distrust, fear or even just lack of interest of the idea her as a leader (like at Vander's statue where they more or less ignored her points and asked for Jinx instead). She's been fighting for what she believes is the right thing to do for her people for YEARS with not a lot of gratification being given back. She fought with Vander and Silco when they lost focus and they didn't seem to take her seriously (until the Finn incident). She's been fighting to keep the chem-barons in check since Silco died and they're not interested in listening. People quickly turned to a "Machine Herald" that just popped up out of nowhere and eagerly started following him (granted they were all husks of people in a hive mind cult but she doesn't know that).

In her eyes, she's trying to hold the whole ship together by bringing anybody to the table that will give a shit, yet constantly taking on water despite her labors. In her poster, she looks exhausted or resigned, she's turned away from the light or the goal that everyone else is looking towards with determination. We know this season is to push the characters to be the opposite of what they were in Season 1, what if for Sevika, it's not about going from follower to leader, but going from staunch believer in a cause to bowing out because the goal is in sight, but it's just not gonna happen? What if she hits another low with the death of Isha, the people not listening to her, and with Vi and (presumably) Ekko (two true fighters who could make a real difference in Zaun) working alongside Topside... what if she's just had enough?

Enter Ambessa who has a clear vision, the strength and force to accomplish it, and has shown to the audience that despite her deception, she values loyalty greatly. Add onto that, she's got a serious bone to pick with Piltover right now given that she's after their tech, and is now likely on a little tiny revenge quest after Caitlin's betrayal. Would Sevika really turn down a chance to attack Piltover on a scale like the one Noxus is sure to provide? There's also the idea of Noxus society not discriminating where you come from, and being able to achieve greatness regardless of origin that can be appealing. As another over-analytical point, Sevika does wear Noxus colors throughout the show (Red in her cape and gold on her arm/ clothes), so whether that's just a design choice, red-herring, or foreshadowing idk. I know there's probably some holes in logic and whatnot, but like I said, it's a strange theory that I ended up going down. Again sorry about the random ask and length of the rant!

this is so interesting!! ambessa will be needing a new rictus or whatever his name was since vander killed him... maybe sevika will fill that role?

what really convinced me about ur theory is when you pointed out that aligning with noxus could give sevika the opportunity to attack piltover in a way sevika's only dreamt of before. ultimately, though, i think her fight isn't against piltover, but rather for zaun, so i think she'll stick with the undercity 'til the end. plus, with her at the top of the season still refusing to turn in jinx, i think her loyalties to zaun are stronger than ever. (isha's death could change this, tho)

we'll have to see! her red cape, and her and ambessa's little moment of eye contact could all be pointing toward this!!

[thatgenderfluidmonstrosity]

Hurting Is Changing

Little headcanon beforehand that doesn’t have much to do with the fic, but I love it anyway: that Wanderer can wake up with different programming sometimes

Like, maybe he will glitch or experience a nightmare and wake up feeling different.

I think the different versions of him would be the different stages in his life; Proper Puppet (Ei’s Prototype Puppet), Clueless Puppet (Friends with Niwa/Tatarasuna), On The Brink (Friends with Sick Child), Murderer Complex (During Fatui) and Healing (Post-Story Quest)

Now onto the actual fic!

It was a fine morning in the Sanctuary of Surasthana. The birds were singing, the sun was bright, the air flowed softly… Yet something wasn't right.

Nahida found it odd that Wanderer had not yet gotten up from his ‘sleep’. He couldn't really sleep, but she said that to help him feel more human. It was more so… recharging.

He usually woke up before she went for her morning walk, something she did to talk to her people and just feel free. She loved the feeling of the ground under her feet, and the wind on her face. She loved seeing her people, and most of them felt the same. Wanderer never joined her on these walks. He didn’t like the mortal world much, even after his ‘reform’. He hated being reminded of everything in his past. Being amongst the mortals did just that.

“Wanderer?” Nahida knocked on his door.

She had refurnished the Sanctuary so that they could both have places to sleep, and even got a kitchen added for eating. Otherwise, she got her entertainment from going outside and Wanderer… well, she didn't really know what he did when she wasn't there.

She heard no response from him, but didn’t want to just barge it. Wouldn’t that be rude? But what if he was in trouble or hurt?

I could peer into his head… see if he's dreaming… She thought.

She didn’t even have a moment to think before she heard a yell from his room.

“Wanderer!” She exclaimed, barging into the room, where she saw him… crying?

He was sitting up in his bed. He looked scared- no, terrified. His eyes were wide, and his body was still. He was filled with fear.

“Wanderer? Are you okay?” She asked, stepping closer with caution.

His eyes didn’t move, but his mouth did.

She hadn’t noticed it, but he seemed to be speaking. It was just murmurs at first, but as she got closer, she could hear it more clearly, along with the fear that shook his words.

“I- I didn’t mean to- I didn’t- I'm not like that anymore- I don't wanna hurt anyone anymore-” He muttered with fear, his words coming a mile a minute.

“Oh no-” Nahida gasped, rushing over to him.

She reach for his arm but he pulled away, pressed his back against the wall and pulled his arm up to brace himself.

“D-don't-! Don't come any closer-” He shouted, “I'm a monster! I- I am a- mistake- a defect- that's all I am-”

His voice trembled.

This truly worried the Archon as she stepped back to allow him room. He had been doing so well- the traveler was helping him recover and stay on the path of good, and even brought him joy. So what happened? What had caused this?

He must’ve had a nightmare… She thought.

“-thats all I will ever be!” He said it as if he was trying to convince himself rather than tell someone else.

“Wanderer, its okay! You're okay! You're with me, Nahida, remember?” She tried to soothe him.

He seemed to calm down with the mention of her name.

“N-nahida?” He asked, his arm lowering slightly.

“Nahida…” He said again, his eyes taking in every detail of her face.

“I… I killed you too…” He whispered.

It took the Archon a moment to register what he had said.

“You… what?” She asked, taking the moment to step a bit closer.

“You- You were dead- E-everyone was dead- Traveler- all of them-” He started spiraling once more.

“I didn’t want to- I didn’t- I didn’t want to hurt anyone-” He grabbed his head, his fingers digging into his head.

“Hey! Its okay, its okay… Look at me.” Nahida said, climbing onto the bed and taking his hands to hold them.

“I am alive, Wanderer, and nothing bad has happened. I'm okay, and you’re okay…” She told him, looking into his eyes.

His breathing steadied slowly, but soon enough he was able to think clearly.

Nahida helped him out of his room, and into the kitchen area. It wasn’t used much but was good for a snack every once and a while. Like sleep, Wanderer didn’t really need to eat either, but he could anyway. This usually led him to eating whatever-whenever, since it didn’t matter to him.

As he sat at their small but comfortable table, he didn’t really do much. His breathing was shallow, but he wasn't shaking much anymore. Nahida wished that she could read his mind, but knew he would know if she tried.

“How… how did I even dream?” He asked Nahida, who was now preparing some coffee for him.

“I think… maybe it is representative of your growth from a puppet to a human!” Nahida smiled.

“You never told me that the transition would be so… painful… Then again, I suppose I deserve this…”

Nahida looked softly to the boy, who seemed to just be staring off into nothingness. His eyes looked… dead.

“You’re on a long path, Wanderer. But you’re doing wonderfully in your rehabilitation.” She said, giving him the cup of coffee.

“I'm very proud of you.” She smiled, his eyes meeting hers.

“Uh… thanks…” He said, taking the cup and looking away.

She saw his lips curl into a slight smile as he took a sip of the warm liquid.

“You’re quite welcome.”

They sat in silence for a bit till Wanderer put his cup down.

“I know its time for your morning walk. You can go, I’ll be fine.” He muttered.

“Actually, I think I wanna stay in today…” Nahida said, to which Wanderer gave her a suspicious look.

“Okay… Well I don’t really do much when you’re gone…” Wanderer said, taking another sip of his drink.

“Then we can do something together! How do you feel about puzzles?” She smiled excitedly.

Wanderer looked down at the Archon, but not in disgust or hatred… but with wonder.

“I… suppose that would be alright…” He said, standing to wash his now empty coffee cup.

“Great!” Nahida giggled, getting up to go find a puzzle.

Wanderer sighed as she did, standing over the sink. He felt… weird. Warm. But not like fire-warmth. It was different. He fixed himself, standing up straight.

As he heard her leave, his brain started to focus on… other things. Visions from his nightmare. Blood was… everywhere. The more he focused on it, the more the visions seemed to seep into reality.

“Stop it- stop thinking-” He told himself, “It's nothing… It doesn’t matter…” He muttered, running one hand through his hair.

Nahida’s smile disappeared as she turned the corner. She noticed the boys’ stance, his hands over his face… she knew that he likely wouldn’t tell her what was wrong. She hadn’t yet been seen by him, so she wanted to try her luck on reading his mind. She was curious and just wanted to help! So it was fine… right?

She decided to try her luck, reading his mind while he was distracted.

Just as she did, she heard him scoff.

“You aren’t gonna like what you hear.” He mutters, turning around.

“Ah- sorry…” She said, looking down at the puzzle box.

“Its fine… its just… for your own good.” he said, taking a seat back at the table.

“Right. Well then, lets do this puzzle! I got one of the Palace of Alcazarzaray! Built by Kaveh, an amazing architect here in Sumeru!!” She gushed, putting the puzzle on the table and sitting in her chair.

Wanderer watched as she got all of the pieces out and they started to put it all together. He actually found it… a bit calming… The images in his head started to dissipate. He felt better…

Nahida took in his non-brooding expression. She loved that she could help him, and was sure that in no time at all, they would get past the obstacles and he would be healthy and happy.

It’d be a long time till then, she was sure, but she was happy to be able to help. Maybe she could even introduce him to other people at some point, not just the Traveler…

“You’re staring…” Wanderer said, not looking up.

His voice wasn’t mean or annoyed. He was just… fine.

“Right-” She giggled, looking back down.

Wanderer didn’t know what she found funny, but just hearing her laugh… once more, his chest felt warm.

Give it love on Ao3 if you can/want!! :3