#(the rest of this scene has been redacted for everyone's benefit)

[egophiliac]

once again, don't think I'm not still obsessing over 7-12

(eventually I will get back to being less scribbly, whoops)

[technicianuprisingau]

Cast Introduction: Meta Knight

"You must understand the importance of your duties, regardless of where you stand. Lack of discipline is the reason many men fall in this battlefield. Thus... have at thee."

Basic Info

Name: Meta Alecta Age: 43 [by the start of Planet Robobot] Gender: Male | he/him Orientation: Asexual Birth Date: May 1, 2970 Place of Birth: [REDACTED] Hometown: [REDACTED] Current Residence: Star Harbor, Orange Ocean, Dreamland, Cookie Country, Popstar Species: Puffball [Muddled] Job: Member of the Galactic Soldier Army's Star Warriors Division, Other names/titles: Meta Knight, The Lone Swordsman, Batman [Galacta] Alignment: Lawful Neutral (leaning Good) Affiliation: Dreamland, Galactic Soldier Army, Team Starstruck, Dreamland Protection Brigade/Meta-Knights

Personality

There is something about Meta Knight that is strangely mysterious, yet alluring. It can be a bit difficult to see beyond his surface personality: a lone wolf who protects others in his own way, much to the benefit and detriment of many. But apparently, just like anyone in this world really, there is always more than that. A hardened-by-war soldier, Meta's not the nicest guy around, usually reserved and moreso keeps distance - unless he has found enough information or it is necessary, he won't include himself in social interactions. He is experienced, proper, and commonly the sane man of any group he goes with, a proper leader to his men when he has to be. And he will protect the people he has sworn to protect - his friends and students, included. Unfortunately, he can be rather stubborn. Meta likes doing things his way, or at least the ways he was taught by his organization. He is not as flexible as his fighting style when it comes to people. Thus, he ends up looking harsh and  to some, even abrasive at times. But many times, they come from a place of care, as much as he denies it - he wants to ensure everyone is always prepared, not wanting them to make the same mistakes he had, because well… It's sink or swim in this world, as he himself experienced. This comes with a few fatalist weak spots, resulting in others calling out his methods… but he is slowly improving overtime.  It may be hard to read his emotions nowadays - wearing contact lenses to not show your true eye colors does that - but that's the way it is for him. There is no rest for the wicked. He wouldn't rest until his last breath.

Relationships

Kirby

Status: student Ah, his first, and supposedly only student… if Team Starstruck didn't fall to his hands too. Let's make it clear: he initially taught Kirby because, well, he is the only Star Warrior Division member in the area, and since Kirby has been registered as one, well… he ended up being responsible for him. But as time went by, he just accepted it wholeheartedly. Even if he won't admit it publicly.  Despite his harsh self, his overtime experience with Kirby and Dreamland in general had softened him. It wasn't much, but at least he wouldn't resort to making a fake invasion to train the populace. Meta Knight ensures Kirby can be strong enough to defend himself - which, he is now, but you couldn't be too sure nowadays - while Kirby ensures Meta Knight wouldn't fall too deep into his worst qualities. Fair trade, really. Though deep inside, Meta fears that Kirby would one day be the same as he is: a shell of his former self, hardened by war and the loss of comrades. So he is determined, even behind the scenes, to ensure this won't happen again… Sure, Meta Knight might not be Kirby’s true father. But people may as well consider him to be such, much to his dismay. But oh well. The price he must pay. 

Bandana Dee

Status: student Honestly, Meta never thought of taking Bandana in, but Team Starstruck is a whole ass package, and thus, he had to take them all together. At least Bandee is very agreeable, but about Robobot… We'll get to that later, but understand that this waddle dee makes Meta sigh in relief that at least one member is not as crazy as he thinks, being less likely to break rules and everything. One thing that Meta Knight tries to avert with Bandana is his, uh, lack of self-esteem. Despite his lack of magic or special capabilities compared to his team, the knight sees how the waddle dee is a vital part of the team, and advises him to understand that and continue despite all the setbacks against him - especially that the guy is probably the best model student anyone would have, really, much to Bandee’s surprise. He wants to see more of that quality. There is a lot of things that the waddle dee can do after all... and Meta wants to make it clear that Bandee just needs to realize that. Otherwise, their relations are strong, and as far as he knows, Bandee is always welcome to train with him. Always.

Robobot Armor

Status: student It's honestly no surprise that these two don't get along too well... Poor Meta, forced to try and wrangle this rebellious student with a lack of respect to anyone. In a weird irony, the only reason these two were 'close' was because... Kirby. Of course he is the reason. It's not a surprise Robobot got angry at Meta for... really, leaving Kirby alone in the middle of the war battleground, but what choice do he really have? Meta felt how improper Robobot is in general, just the type of rebellious idiot who will get themselves killed quickly. It's like taking Kirby's worst qualities to eleven, at times. But in all seriousness... What they felt Robobot needed to learn was humbleness. It's their temper and lack of thinking that basically shot the mechanical suit in the knees - it's frustrating watching this guy not wanting to listen to others except if Kirby and Bandee asked them to. He does, however, admit that their instincts to act will help them. He is still willing to help the guy hone their abilities to be a better protector. It's a difficult process, but really, with the people of Dreamland, what's easy?

King Dedede

Status: friend Initially, let's just say Meta Knight wasn't the biggest fan of the king. The two weren't that close anyway, especially when the knight’s warnings that Nightmare was only using him to kill Kirby fell on deaf ears. But as things went, these two had built quite the strong trust between each other. It probably helps that the two were the adults around these ‘future heroes’ or whatever. Meta has always been the straight man to Dedede, reminding him that his self-appointed king status means he has to remember his duties. Dedede on the other hand, just like he would with the kids, teaches Meta how to have fun… with predictably mixed results. Despite this, the two can agree on a lot of things quite easily, especially on keeping their citizens safe - they both made it their goal to not stray from this duty, and pretty much had each other's back. People started calling them The Sworn Partners because of this. In fact, many say they sometimes act like a married couple, and even start asking when they'll get married… to their chagrin. Seriously. Knock it off, people.

Galacta Knight

Status: acquaintance, rival (one-sided on Galacta's part lol) As if his students weren't enough of a trainwreck, here comes his self-proclaimed rival… seriously, poor Meta, he felt like being surrounded by idiots. To be fair, this one was his fault - he wished to the Galactic Nova to give him the Strongest Warrior in the Galaxy to fight, and somehow that results in an old ass guy from nowhere to be unsealed and going after him for some revenge regarding his family that he doesn't even know or care about? Anyways. Galacta might have had some beef with Meta's family in the past, but thanks to time displacement, he decided to give Meta a free pass. Doesn't mean, however, that he won't bother him, much to the Galaxia wielder's annoyance. Meta sees him as pathetic at times, probably he didn't believe that this guy, who prefers to lazily watch things or treasure hunting or visit random people for fun, is considered one of the strongest people ever in existence… but the two, at least, maintain a somewhat okay relationship overall. Meta wishes Galacta wouldn't be much of a lazy guy, though. But at least, they both can agree on one thing: they'll keep a close eye on Kirby. But for what reason Galacta does it? That's what he still doesn't know.

Battle Data

Basics

Magic: light magic, heat magic, positivity magic (unmastered, only a bit) Weapon: Galaxia Other Equipments: Dimensional Cape Copy Ability Classification: Wing + Sword

Battle Style Analysis

Meta Knight is a very experienced swordsman. Due to his rough training in the GSA, he has learned several techniques, and the things he brings, including the Galaxia and his Dimensional Cape, helps him to combat efficiently. His speed is also amazing, able to outrun a lot of combatants, which he combines with his swordfighting to dispatch opponents much faster - fast and accurate is a good way to describe what he can do. It doesn't help that he can fly too. Apparently, he also knows some types of magic and while he usually doesn't use it in fair fights, if he has to, he WILL use them, especially in decisive battles. Strengths: has great understanding of copy abilities and magic, high stamina, high speed, great in short and medium range Weaknesses: can actually be outlasted, might struggle with attacks with massive range or area of effect, has to consistently avoid mistakes to close off openings

Backstory

The history of the Alecta family has always been… difficult. There are many branches of said family, each with differing resources of income, societal statuses, and family lineages. And it didn't help that there are only a few pureblood members of that family left… all with various reasons of their own. Meta Alecta was born in the seemingly luckier branch of the family. His parents were aristocrats with some of the biggest riches, and because of this they are relatively safe from the ongoing Nightmare War. Unfortunately, his life there wasn't exactly the happiest, with his parents usually abandoning him to his own whims for business ventures and all, keeping him cooped inside a luxurious mansion protected by guards. Meta is left as a rich kid, with all the knowledge and entertainment he could buy, yet lonely and starved for interaction - he imagines himself being able to explore the world and enjoy the company of others. And enamoured by this, he decided to take things into his own hands, escaping from home at the age of 12. Problem was, as smart and crafty the kid is, he was still young and new to the world after all, and he didn't really prepare himself for the long haul. Eventually, he was left on the streets for a few days until one day, a member of the Star Warriors Division found him lying hapless on the ground. The member took Meta to the nearest base and he was nursed back to health there. There was a bit of whiplash seeing what the soldiers there ate, but the puffball was amazed with the people there, with how many people were friendly towards each other and how they regard the base as their home. As shabby as it may be compared to the mansion, this felt more like home… and after hearing what the people do in that place, he immediately made it his mission to stay there as long as he could. The GSA tried their best to find Meta’s parents, but was unable to. It didn't help that Meta had made a few white lies about his origins - he did say he was an abandoned kid, but never told anyone about his family's true lineage. After what felt like months of searching, in the end, he was admitted as a child in that organization… and those early years became the happiest he was ever be. Growing up surrounded by other warriors, he chose to fully induct himself into the Star Warriors Division once he was of age, hoping to be as great as they were in his eyes. But before he could do so, his parents made a comeback to his life. Turns out, they had finally realized their son was missing, and upon finding out that he was with the GSA, they ended up doing all sorts of attempts to get him back, including even bribing him and the organization with money. However, Meta remains unfettered, and constantly said that he would rather stay than return to the luxurious and empty life his parents had subjected him to. In the end, his parents seemingly gave up, and left him with the organization. Meta finally became a cadet once he reached the tender age of 17. From here, Meta met Garlude Lightblade and Jecra Acacius, who later became his two best friends, and formed Team Three Swords. Under the mentorship of Focaccia Rustica, the trio became a bit of a notorious team, for their successful mission records. Meta had the greatest life he never thought he could've gotten if he didn't escape his rotten family, and is very much content with it. Eventually his team all reached the Master rank, with him and Jecra being knighted together, and he entered the Sacred Trials, granting him the Master Sword upon his success. And soon enough, Jecra got a family, so did Garlude - whom he secretly actually had a crush on, but had let it go for the sake of her happiness - and the world looks so bright for him.

But the Nightmare War never gets better for too long… as it will always get worse. And get worse it did, as strings of bad news after bad news began to bleed into Meta's life… Starting from his parents, who turned out to have been working with the Nightmare Enterprises behind the scenes to find a way to get their son back, alive or dead. Fortunately, he managed to escape their clutches each and every time, so that wasn't much of a concern… Until a certain ambush screwed over the whole team he was in at large. At the time, both Meta and Jecra were sent on a mission alongside a small group of Star Warriors to explore an abandoned planet in hopes of searching for a new base, but Nightmare’s forces beat them to the punch. They went and massacred most of the crew, with Jecra staying behind to ensure Meta's safety. In the end, Jecra was captured and disappeared for a while, with Meta trying to find him in other missions after that… only to find out that he has been brainwashed and corrupted fully, forcing him to put his fellow knight down. The news devastated everyone. But it gets worse. Another mission with Garlude and Meta goes to find the legendary sword Galaxia, which has been guarded by the NME through the hands of a monster by the name of Kirisakin as well as a platoon of other minions. Unfortunately, everyone else in the crew died, including Garlude, who sacrificed her life to get Meta Knight to grab the Galaxia and run with his life intact. That day, the blade chose him as his wielder, but Meta didn't feel happy - rather, he just felt worse, considering that he is now saddled with the new responsibility of being Galaxia’s protector, but also with guilt of the death of his two closest allies. And the cherry on top came a month later. He soon discovers a platoon of a monster experimentation base, and the ones that run them… turns out to be his father, who had turned his wife into a monster. And when Meta had to put down his own mother, he had to also put down the father too, because he transformed himself into a monster himself as his swan song. In the end, outside Focaccia, Meta had no one he can rely on - no friends, no family, just his mentor, and he fears that he would eventually cause his death too… So he closed himself from the world. He chooses to relocate himself to Popstar, a planet in the middle of nowhere, no longer fighting in the frontlines. There, he stationed himself in Dreamland, where Kabu was, and stuck around in Orange Ocean… occasionally helping out Dedede, whilst being rather suspicious with his rulings, but essentially, he distanced himself with most of the mess. Until Kirby crashed down on Cappy Town, that is, and he was the only one viable to teach him. He continues to teach Kirby, even after the war is over, but has taken liberties to protect the people of Dreamland as well… with mixed results. One time, he built the Dreamland Protection Brigade… everyone liked that, and even called themas the ‘Meta-Knights’, though he can't be arsed to care. Another time, he launched a sudden fake invasion to train the denizens of Dreamland… no one liked that, and he was even demoted in the GSA itself into a brigadier for such a rash action, and he ended up taking some time off while leaving Kirby to a redeemed Dedede’s hands. Meta Knight’s actions are a bit swingy, yet people still regard him as an ally… a difficult one, at worst. And now, after being brainwashed in the Technological War and playing his part later in killing off Star Dream, he mentors the entirety of Team Starstruck under Kirby’s request. At least, for now, he’s trying his best to live, despite still retaining a sense of emptiness - no longer he was looking for love or family, as he would rather work his best to avert another tragedy from happening ever again.

Miscellaneous

Favorites

Food: grapes, anything sweet in general Drink: [unknown] Music Genre: Game Genre: [none] (doesn't play games. Boomer) Paraphernalia: A photo of his former team Other talents: Baking, Copy Ability identification, airship operation

Least Favorites

Food: [none] Drink: Any alcoholic beverages

[beatricebidelaire]

The three children looked at one another, and then at the building, and then at each other again, shaking their heads. Try as they might, they just couldn't believe it was a coincidence that the town in which they were to live had a building that looked just like the tattoo of Count Olaf.

-- tmm

The word “ocular,” you might not know, means “related to the eye,” but even if you didn't know this you could figure it out from the cover. For printed on the cover was an image that the children recognized. They recognized it from their own nightmares, and from personal experience. It was an image of an eye, and the Baudelaire orphans recognized it as the mark of Count Olaf.

-- tmm

georgina is really just out there living in a building with vfd insignia, and publishing a book called advance ocular science, with the vfd insignia printed on the cover. like, it’s just ....... absolutely wild when i think about it.

i personally think of georgina more as .... neutral and only worked with either side for her own benefits (such as when she worked with olaf) (she’s an interesting contrast to olivia, who worked with both sides and tried to help everyone, instead of for her own benefit) instead of being on the firestarting side of the schism. it’s just personal interpretation but i feel like there’s no direct evidence she’s actually on that side, so to speak, but either way since she’s willing to work with olaf on this she’s at least not a loyal volunteer having vfd’s goals as priorities, so it’s fascinating she’s out there living in a building with vfd insignia, publishing books with vfd insignia on it ........

we know from the unauthorized autobiography that vfd has stopped putting their logo on buildings after being forced to move headquarters several times (focusing on book canon, not that netflix part of vfd headquarters scene), but georgina seemed to be perfectly fine living there, without any danger, without deciding to change decorations of the exterior of her building. (it’s of course possible being in The City and being in patryville is different. plus, if anyone’s coming after her for that insignia on the building maybe she figured she’d just hypnotize them. low cost high benefits.) perhaps she disliked vfd but thought the insignia was actually really cool

georgina: fuck vfd but that eye insignia aesthetic is excellent

vfd volunteers at meetings:

“do we just let traitors like her continue to use our symbol like that?? without consequences??”

“we do not have the resources to deal with that right now”

“you mean all of us are kind of scared of her”

“exactly”

on the other hand, just to play the devil’s advocate, this is a stretch but, is there conclusive proof that georgina orwell was actually a fully fledged vfd member? sure, she lived in a vfd-insignia building and published a book with that, but that actually seemed overly high profile which go against vfd’s more recent decision to not be so high profile. plus, geraldine julienne also wrote columns of secret organizations you should know about talking about vfd, one does not have to be vfd to talk about / expose vfd. i mean, maybe she’s peripherally vfd, in the same way sir, or poe were, like they worked with vfd but was not a trained volunteer, or maybe she’s peripherally vfd in the way esme was (i’m also inclined to believe esme didn’t really go through the vfd training like the snickets did, etc).

like, this is a bit wild, but is there possibility that she’s who vfd contracted out for hypnotizing related job so vfd itself could stay hands clean? like, just like sir was probably not vfd but his factory has business dealings with vfd, and charles was vfd and was there to keep an eye on him which was partly why he never let despite the imbalanced relationship, what if charles was not just there to keep an eye on sir, but also georgina? charles took klaus to visit dr orwell after his glasses broke, because charles thought georgina worked for vfd and could be trusted, not knowing that at this point georgina had decided to work with olaf - or maybe charles know that georgina could not be trusted on most things, but he’d thought a small matter like this should not matter. it’s just fixing glasses.

we don’t get to see if georgina had vfd tattoo on her ankle since her ankles were covered (Dr. Orwell was a tall woman with blond hair pulled back from her head and fashioned into a tight, tight bun. She had big black boots on her feet, and was holding a long black cane with a shiny red jewel on the top.) (btw ... what a powerful look. i would absolutely let her [the rest of this sentence is redacted]).  and we barely see her have a chance to interact with a vfd member outside of olaf and charles in tmm. (yeah netflix’s has it seems like she’s buddy buddy with monty in that vfd group photo, but we simply didn’t get it in the books). we knew sally sebald was glad that she died, and lemony probably at least heard of her since sally mentioned her in the letter, and jacques had briefly investigated her death. but lemony knew a lot with his research and vfd members knew about people peripheral to the organization anyway, and jacques was investigating because olaf had been there.

we did not see georgina at the vfd tua meeting - there was no one with initial G at the meeting, we did not see georgina mentioned in lemony’s letter to beatrice talking about other volunteers - when even charles and sir were mentioned. we did not see ghede and gifford talk about her when they’re mentioning what other apprentices were doing - granted, perhaps she’s a little older than the rest of them. although - note that monty was mentioned, and we knew for a fact that monty’s been studying snakes for 40 years at the time in trr. (to be fair, jacques and bertrand weren’t mentioned either, nor were the denouements). netflix definitely had her showing up at the masked ball, a probably more vfd exclusive event (but esme wasn’t there) and her in the vfd group photo (esme, again, wasn’t there, but that’s not the point), and she knew b&b well enough, even had a history with bertrand.

speaking of bertrand, admittedly the fact that she and bertrand wrote similarly might have something to do with vfd scientific writing classes teaching everyone to write like that but .... that’s a speculation.

i mean in all likelihood she’s probably vfd, at least more vfd than esme, but i think it’d be interesting if she’s .... not. if she’s just peripherally involved, and occasionally worked with them, thought the eye tattoo aesthetic was very neat. that’d be fun wouldn’t it?

[greyias]

FIC: By the Guidance of Stars - Chapter 4

Title: By the Guidance of Stars Fandom: SWTOR Pairing: Theron Shan/f!Jedi Knight Rating: T (this chapter) Genre: Angst, H/C, Romance, Humor Synopsis: The Coalition tries to heal in the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin 4, but not every wound is physical. A series of missing scenes set during the end of Shadow of Revan. Warnings: See Chapter 1.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Crossposted to AO3

As morning wore on, the drizzle eased into a light mist and the camp began to rouse. The mugs of caf had long since been drained and Theron had reluctantly forced himself to begin tackling the mountain of paperwork waiting for him. That afternoon’s unofficial debrief loomed in the back of his mind, and in an effort to distract himself, he’d thrown himself into filling in as many details of the entire Revanite debacle on his official report, starting all the way back to the initial mission on Korriban.

Well. Most of the details. There were some interpersonal things that would not be making their way into an official report. He was only a kiss-and-tell kind of guy when it was part of the official mission log. And this confusing thing he had with a certain Jedi Master was nobody’s business but their own.

Of course, focusing on his paperwork would have been much easier if he didn’t have to keep trying to stop one Doctor Archiban Kimble from second-guessing the excellent care of sneaky medical droids.

“Can’t you just read whatever the droid wrote and let it go?” Theron grumbled. “I have to finish this report.”

“And I have to make sure that all of my hard work on Rishi wasn’t undone last night.”

“It wasn’t.” Theron glowered at him and then pointedly returned his attention to the datapad. “Now go away.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to work this time.”

“What’s not? Speaking Basic?”

“Your overworked slicer schtick. No datapads during medical examinations. Doctor’s orders.”

“Didn’t stop you last time.”

“Yes, well, I made an exception then because my favorite Jedi was about to be blown to smithereens by your grandpa’s cult.”

“It’s a few more generations than just grandfather.”

“Eh, details.” The datapad was deftly plucked from the spy’s hands and stowed inside of of one of the medic’s inner pockets. “You get this back after we’re done.”

“You’ve got nerves of steel, Doc,” Theron warned. “I’ve shot people for less.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” The medic grinned. “I figure I’m safe. A certain Jedi is very fond of me and my untimely death would make her very sad.”

“And what makes you think that would affect my aim?”

The medic arched one dark brow, as if it was obvious. “You seemed pretty concerned earlier from what I saw. Holding hands and everything.”

Theron wasn’t able to suppress the curse that slipped out. It wasn’t exactly a private area they’d been in, but he had hoped everyone had been too busy with their celebrations to notice that unplanned moment. Of course, unplanned moments seemed to be the norm with her rather than the exception.

Not that he had the greatest track record with sticking to a plan — he tended to fly by the seat of his pants at the best of times. But even if he’d wanted to, he never could have accounted for that ridiculous pirate costume she had picked up from a street vendor for her undercover persona. Nor for the way she got drunk during one of Jakarro’s cantina outings—forcing Theron to figure out how to transport a hopelessly inebriated Jedi back to their hideout without either of them getting shivved in a back alleyway. Or the way her grip on him had lingered before she’d left for that last battle on Rishi, practically shouting the order for Doc to stay behind and take care of him.

And actually if Theron thought about it longer, the one consistent factor in all of that had been the medic currently pulling out his scanner so he could begin to examine the chest of his very reluctant patient. As Doc had been the one to help her pick out that stupid outfit, had left an entire pitcher of fruity alcoholic drinks on the table after leaving their team gathering in a snit, and had been just as annoying at insisting on making sure Theron didn’t have any life-threatening internal injuries just like he was now.

The medic let out a quiet chuckle, apparently mistaking the reasoning for the glare pointed in his direction.

“Don’t worry, I made a lot of loud and rousing toasts over in my area of camp. Your aloof reputation is safe amongst the larger crowd.”

“I get the impression that wasn’t for my benefit,” Theron grumbled.

“No, it wasn’t.” Doc narrowed an eyebrow at the tiny screen in front of him, and started to do some more detailed scans over the previously injured area, as if he needed to double-check something. “But if getting a camp of Imperial and Republic troops inebriated in the early hours of the morning is what it takes to get that woman a small moment of peace, I’ll make that sacrifice for the greater good.”

“How magnanimous of you.”

“It’s a heavy burden sometimes, being such a hero.”

“Are you still drunk?”

“Eh, sober enough to look you over.”

“I think I feel safer with the droid.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you are a horrible patient?”

“Probably about as often as you’ve gotten complaints about your bedside manner.”

“You be quiet and let me finish.”

“And if I don’t?”

“I’ll call your mother over here.” Doc grinned.

“I swear I’m changing my last name when I get back to Republic space,” Theron muttered darkly.

“I’ll still know.”

“Two can play at that game, Archiban.”

Doc shot him a dirty look, but returned to fiddling with his scanner. “Look, I know you’ve got your own reasons, but still… thanks for looking out for her.”

Theron indeed had his own reasons, but much to his chagrin, none of them seemed to stem from anything remotely resembling reason. Of course, he hadn’t really ever been accused of being the most logical agent in SIS. However, there was no way he was admitting that aloud. “I get the impression that you and your crew have been through a lot.”

“Some of us more than others,” Doc muttered darkly.

“Yeah.” Theron pursed his lips. “Got that impression too.”

Considering Grey’s reaction earlier, that was putting it mildly. He was regretting not having figured out what had been redacted before they had gotten to this point—and before he’d made a promise to not pry. Of course, that six month gap had nearly put him off selecting her for the Korriban mission completely. If he’d done that, then he wouldn’t currently have to be listening to Doc ramble on. Of course, then he wouldn’t have met her either.

Something inside his chest twisted. It was probably because he’d been an idiot and had drank too much caf this morning instead of having a real breakfast. He probably needed to find something more substantial before the debrief this afternoon. Or maybe he could just choke a ration bar down as he didn’t really have much of an appetite at the moment.

Doc gave him a funny look, almost as if he’d been reading the spy’s inner thoughts. Theron didn’t really want to get a lecture on his poor diet on top of everything else this morning, so he just glared at the ground instead.

“I’m surprised you didn’t ask.”

“I might be a spy,” he ground out, “but I can respect boundaries. I’m not going to force her to relive anything just to satisfy my curiosity.”

“While I appreciate the gesture,” Doc said quietly, “I think things are going to come to a head sooner or later, whether or not you ask anything.”

Theron glared at the ground, not sure what to make of the internal war raging inside of his gut. “She’s still got you and the rest of your crew. Should be enough, right?”

The medic let out a sad sigh and shook his head, but didn’t say anything else on the subject. There wasn’t much to say, Theron had already made a promise not to pry, and he wasn’t about to go back on that. Keeping promises wasn’t exactly something most people in his line of work did. Although this wasn’t work. This was… it was…

It was none of his damn business is what it was.

And he knew that. Despite his chosen profession, there were some lessons from his childhood he’d had a hard time shaking off. A lot of adjustments—sacrifices even—had to be made in order to get the mission done, because that served a higher purpose in a way he couldn’t with his natural born talents, or lack thereof. It was often a struggle to be the person that Ngani Zho had raised him to be, and beyond just that, he wanted to be a man of his word. At least with the important people.

And she was... yeah. She was one of them.

It took a lot to get under his skin, but that little Jedi had managed it quite effectively. And despite his best efforts, he was just along for the ride at this point, that much was clear.

“Well,” Doc said, barely managing to keep irritation from bleeding into his tone, “looks like between my wonderful skills as a medic, a little help from the Grand Master, and that barely adequate droid, you’re going to be just fine.”

“I already told you that,” Theron said, his own frustration mounting. “If you had just believed me then we could have avoided this whole awkward conversation.”

“Yeah, well,” Doc said lightly, stowing his medical scanner, “I had to be sure. It would be irresponsible of me if I didn’t ensure that you were in peak physical condition before taking on any… strenuous activity.”

The insinuation on what the medic thought of Theron’s intentions was all too clear, and he couldn’t help but snarl. “That is none of your damn business.”

“I’m just looking out for your welfare,” Doc grinned. “You wouldn’t want to sprain anything. That would definitely kill the mood.”

“I am not having this conversation with you.”

“I assume you know all about using protection—“

“Give me my datapad!”

“And I expect you to behave like a proper gentleman.”

Theron’s hand curled into a fist, and it took all of his effort to keep it down at his side. “Now.”

Doc sighed dramatically, but pulled out the requested device with dramatic flair. “Fine, fine.”

The spy snatched the device and started to move away from the medic with a quickness.

“Oh, and Theron?”

“What?” he tossed over his shoulder, not bothering to hide his frustration and not slowing his hasty retreat in the slightest.

“I meant what I said back on Rishi.” The joviality had faded from Doc’s tone, leaving behind a steel certainty. “I know every way to cleanly break any bone in the body. I would keep that in mind if I were you.”

“You threatening me?”

“Only if you hurt her.”

“You and Scourge should form a club.”

“Not my first choice, but I’ll consider it. If it comes to that.”

Theron beat a quick retreat to the safety of one of the private tents before he could be pulled back into anything resembling conversation with the medic. He had no desire to hear any more advice on his love life. Or hear about the ways in which he would be maimed if things didn’t somehow go according to Doc’s outdated notions of romance. For possibly the first time in his career, Theron couldn’t wait to get lost in the minutiae of the Republic’s endless trail of paperwork.

Next Chapter

[theonyxpath]

Hi, everyone. Today, I’d like to preview some Merits from Changeling: The Lost.

When we started the second edition process with Vampire (which, wow, was five years ago), one of the things I was keen on was making sure that every monster had access to cool Merits related to their supernatural nature. Splat-specific Merits have been a big part of second edition, and Changeling is no different. Indeed, it’s even more of a natural fit for the Lost, given the range of innate qualities and unexpected advantages changelings sometimes acquire.

With that in mind, here are some Merits from Changeling. These aren’t all of the changeling-specific Merits in the book (I’d say they’re about a quarter of them), but I think they show off some of the fun directions we’ve gone in.

One of the things I’ve chosen to highlight is changeling fighting styles, because the Chronicles of Darkness can be a rough place. You’ll also notice that some forms of fae magic fit more naturally as Merits than as Contracts, something to keep in mind when customizing powers for your own game.

  Diviner (• to •••••)

Prerequisites: Composure •••, Wits •••

Effect: Your character can dig within his dreams for prophetic answers to primordial truths, as all humanity is and has always been connected through their dreams via the Dreaming Roads. He must enter a dream state, through either the Gate of Ivory or Horn, into his own Bastion. Then, ask the Storyteller a yes or no question about something he wishes to divine from his dreams. She must answer accurately, but can use “maybe” if the answer is truly neither yes nor no. Depending on the answer, you may ask additional questions, up to your Merit dots. You can ask that many total questions per chapter.

Dream Warrior (•)

Prerequisites: Wyrd 2+, one Social Attribute •••, a specialty in Weaponry or Brawl

Effect: Choose a Specialty in Weaponry or Brawl when you purchase this Merit. Your character’s extensive training in oneiromancy allows her to benefit from the flexibility of the dream. By blending dreamscaping and martial techniques, strikes land faster as the dream bends to aid her blows. You may use the chosen Specialty for its bonus even in dream form (p. XX).

You may purchase this Merit multiple times to gain its benefit with multiple Specialties.

Dreamweaver (•••)

Prerequisite: Wyrd 3+

Effect: As his connection to the Wyrd grows stronger, so does the changeling’s control over the dream. Once per scene, you may spend a Willpower point to make three successes count as an exceptional success on a dreamweaving roll (p. XX).

Elemental Warrior (• to •••••; Style)

Prerequisites: Dexterity or Wits •••; Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry ••; Elemental Weapon or Primal Glory (Contracts) or Elemental seeming

Effect: Choose one physical element when you purchase this Merit, such as wind, flame, or wood. Your character commands it in battle; all of the following effects apply only to the chosen element.

Wind Cuts to the Bone (•): The changeling achieves exceptional success on any roll to deal purely elemental damage with three successes instead of five, except when Hedgespinning or dreamweaving. If a weapon is made from only the chosen element, such as a wooden club, it counts.

Defensive Flurry (••): The character adds half his Wyrd (rounded down) in dice to his Dodge pool after doubling his Defense. This swirling elemental shield allows the character to Dodge Firearms attacks as well, but not apply Defense against them.

Hungry Leaping Flames (•••): By spending a Glamour, the changeling may make melee attacks from 10 yards away from his target and add 10 yards to the short/medium/long ranges of a ranged attack for the scene. In addition, the appropriate elemental effects may disturb the scenery: flammable objects can ignite, cutting winds might knock over unsecured objects, and so forth.

Antaean Endurance (••••): While the character remains in significant contact with the chosen element (standing on bare earth, knee-deep in water, facing powerful wind gusts, etc.), he gains extra Health boxes equal to half his Wyrd, rounded down. Add the same as bonus dice to all rolls to resist fatigue or toxins, or to stay conscious.

Wrath of Titans (•••••): The changeling can spend a Glamour to make his successful melee attacks cause one of the following Tilts for the scene, chosen when activated: Blinded (one eye, or two with multiple attacks on the same target), Deafened (one ear, or two with multiple attacks on the same target), or Knocked Down.

Enchanting Performance (• to •••; Style)

Prerequisites: Presence •••, Expression •••

Effect: A character with Enchanting Performance can touch upon whatever font makes all things fae so captivating. She brings a little of that magical obsession from beyond the Hedge and puts it to use. Whether she does so for cruelty or kindness depends on the changeling.

Limerick (•): Your character knows how to aim insults at an audience for maximum humiliation. She can use Expression to force Doors in Social maneuvering, as her scathing words count as Hard Leverage, and adds half her Wyrd rating as dice to the roll to do so, rounded down.

Poem (••): When your character has successfully opened a Door using Expression for performance, she may spend a Glamour to open another Door immediately.

Sonnet (•••): Your character encourages a fearsome self-confidence with a performance unlike anything her audience has ever seen. She may spend a Glamour to give the rote quality to her next mundane performance-related Expression roll. If successful, a target in the audience gains the Inspired Condition (p. XX). On an exceptional success, everyone viewing the performance gains the Inspired Condition.

Fae Mount (• to •••••)

Effect: Your character has befriended a creature of the Hedge to serve as his steed. Through a special song or gesture, the mount comes to its master anywhere in the Hedge, except to the Hollow of a changeling who prohibits it.

Additionally, each dot of this Merit allows the creature one of the following special abilities:

 Manyleague: With a body of screaming wind or quicksilver, the steed is faster than any other, doubling its Speed. It gains the Merit’s rating as a bonus to Initiative if it acts on its own; if not, you gain the Initiative bonus while mounted instead.

Chatterbox: Many creatures in the Hedge are more intelligent than their appearance would let on. The steed can speak to and understand its owner clearly, and can relay simple messages in its master’s tongue to other changelings, though complex words and metaphor are beyond this special ability.

Actormask: Like your changeling, the mount has a Mask. This allows it to leave the Hedge, albeit for a limited time, and in a shape a great deal more mundane. An armored spider mount might become a Volkswagen Beetle, while a horse of steaming blood might become a sporty red motorcycle. Any abilities it receives from this Merit still apply and whatever form the Mask takes should bear that in mind. It may remain outside the Hedge for one scene, fading into nothing shortly thereafter. A Fae Mount that disappears will reappear in the Hedge after a day and a night.

Armorshell: Plates of thick chitin or stone cover the beast. It gains 3/2 armor and provides partial concealment to anyone currently riding.

Burdenback: The mount is massive, with broad shoulders or a pearlescent coach that grows from its haunches. It can carry a number of individuals equal to dots in this Merit. It receives an additional two dots of Stamina.

Dreamspun: Some creatures in the Hedge exist only as long as they’re acknowledged. When the mount dies, it returns to life the next time the character gets a full night’s rest, with no knowledge of perishing. It gains dots in Stealth equal to your dots in Fae Mount.

Thornbeast: Many fanged monsters hunt in the Hedge, and your character’s mount is one of these faerie predators. Add two dice to all attacks the mount makes, and increase their weapon modifier by 2. This can represent anything from natural claws to grotesque metal sawblades.

Hedgefoot: Many faerie creatures aren’t earthbound. They swing from trees, claw their way up walls, and even fly. Your character’s mount is no different. It can either run across water as fast it moves on land, move up buildings at three times its normal Speed, or fly once per scene at twice its Speed for a number of turns equal to your dots in this Merit.

[Stat block redacted]

Faerie Favor (•••)

Effect: The Gentry’s promises bind them to a greater degree than those of the Lost do, and your character possesses such a promise. She is entitled to a favor from one of the True Fae. She may have gained this favor through anything from knowing a clever riddle to a dark deed done at the cost of another changeling’s freedom. However she earned it, she has a bauble, song, or phrase that represents the favor, and when she breaks, sings, or utters it, the True Fae will appear.

The favor can be many things: the capture of a rival the changeling has tracked to his Hollow, a week of freedom from a Huntsman on the changeling’s heels, safe passage to somewhere in the Hedge or mortal world, etc. After the character calls in the favor, she gains dots in any combination of Merits appropriate to the power of the Gentry, per the Sanctity of Merits (p. XX).

Drawback: Nothing about summoning the Gentry for aid can be easily explained to another changeling. The character gains the Notoriety Condition when she calls in the favor.

Hedge Duelist (• to •••; Style)

Prerequisites: Presence or Manipulation ••; Brawl or Weaponry ••; any Social Skill ••

Effect: Your character is a skilled fae duelist, capable of turning the Hedge into a weapon. Each Duelist adopts a different style. A capricious sword-dancer might taunt and tease the Hedge into action, while a king of beasts calls Glamour-phantoms and Hedge-fiends to aid him, and a druidic sorcerer communes with the Hedge, its voice guiding his movements. This Merit’s effects only work in the Hedge proper.

Thousand Falling Leaves (•): The character’s attacks flutter about his enemy like a cascade of falling leaves. You may inflict a ?1 Defense penalty on his opponent in exchange for only dealing half the damage he would normally deal if you succeed.

Emerald Shield (••): The Hedge lifts up the strongest and shields him from harm. Leaves, roots, branches, even flocks of birds surge to turn aside his foe’s attacks. He gains an armor rating of 2/0, which stacks with worn armor but not with armor gained from Hedgespinning.

Bite Like Thorns (•••): Your character’s attacks wound deeply and the Hedge greedily soaks up the blood he spills. Fat vines snake around his opponent’s limbs, fastening like leeches onto their wounds. Razor-edged leaves open their cuts. Add a dice bonus to attacks equal to the wound penalty his foe suffers.

Manymask (•••)

Prerequisites: Wyrd 2+, Manipulation •••

Effect: A changeling is usually stuck with the same Mask he left the Hedge with, an immutable combination of remembered human traits. Some changelings develop control over the appearance of their Masks, either through intense mental gymnastics or some quirk of seeming, kith, pledge, or Contract.

The character may spend a point of Glamour to change his Mask permanently. He may make one change per chapter per dot of Wyrd he possesses to any of the following: eye color, hair color, facial structure, or skin tone; or he may remove any notable scars or other features such as birthmarks, freckles, etc. At Wyrd 5+ he may create an entirely new Mask once per chapter by spending one Glamour, mostly unbeholden to his existing features.

Parallel Lives (•••)

Effects: The changeling is deeply connected to his fetch. Each experiences occasional flashes of the other’s emotional state when something affects one of them strongly, and gains two bonus dice to use Empathy or magic to read the other’s intentions, or to enter his Bastion. By spending a point of Willpower, either can ride along with the other’s senses for a number of minutes equal to his Wyrd rating, losing his Defense and the ability to perceive the world around him as he does.

Either of them can also spend a Willpower point to send a vague message via thought to the other; it comes across not in words, but fleeting impressions and snippets of images, and can only encompass fairly simple ideas. A fetch could warn his changeling of a Huntsman’s impending arrival, but without any detail about when or how. Likewise, the changeling could threaten his fetch’s life, but couldn’t make any specific demands. Whenever the fetch uses this connection to make the changeling’s life more dangerous or inconvenient, take a Beat.

[thisweekingundamwing]

Weekly Recap May 21-May 27

It’s Sunday, and that means it’s time to see all the amazing content created by the Gundam Wing community! 

We’ve taken submissions for all content, but we’ve also gone through AO3 to see what fics were written/created this week. Once again, we want to encourage EVERYONE in the community to submit their work! Fanfic, fanart, moodboards, chats, meta discussions, playlists, cosplay, events - you name it, we want to share it!

Below the cut you will find all the great things this fandom has been busy doing. If any of them take your fancy, please take the time to like, reblog and comment. Any creator can tell you - support and encouragement go a LONG way to inspiring more content.

Thanks and see you next week!

Fanfiction (in alphabetical order by the author’s url)

@amberlyinviolet Knife in Hand

Summary: When Duo learns there’s a hit out on him, he turns to the only person in Chicago he believes capable of helping him. But will the cost of the Broker’s help be too high? Pairings: 2x3

Ammiehawk, Wizards, Gundams and Host Clubs, Oh My!

Summary: Harry Potter finds out he has some relatives on his father’s side and goes to live with them the summer after fifth year, after Voldemort was destroyed in the Department of Mysteries. Along the way he also discovers a wayward brother and many friends and adventures in his new school, Ouran Academy. Originally a challenge by TZAG

@anaranesindanarie One More Light

Summary: Duo goes missing and no one can figure out how or why.

@anaranesindanarie, Random Works

Summary: A collection of complete and uncompleted works. Pairings: 2x5, some 2x4

@the-notorious-bhg @morbidbirdy, Where I Belong

Summary: In the year AC 205 the status of the Earth-Sphere remains relatively peaceful thanks to the efforts of the ESUN and it’s peacekeeping organization Preventer. The five young men who had once fought together for this peace now work quietly behind the scenes to maintain it. Despite their new roles in this world, Heero and Trowa struggle to establish a comfortable place in it. In the process of finding themselves they eventually realize that their place is with each other. Pairings: 3x1

@the-notorious-bhg, @morbidbirdy, Take Me On

Summary: Heero and Trowa run off to Bali and elope. Pairings: 3x1

@chronicwhimsy, Schoolyard Blues

Summary: A new teacher starts at the local town school, hoping for an easy year after moving from the big city. Unfortunately, she wasn’t prepared for the child of two men who don’t understand kids at all…Pairings: 2x5

@claraxbarton, The First Five Times

Summary:After five months in a 'friends with benefits' relationship with Duo, Trowa is asked to pretend to be his boyfriend for Duo's ex's wedding. Ships: 2x3, 1x5, 4x6 Warnings: smut, language, angst

@claraxbarton, My Lover, My Liar

Summary: Set after the war, one of the pilots faces the future. Inspired by Halsey’s “Closed Eyes” Ships: 2x3 Warnings: DEATH FIC

@claraxbarton, Good Things

Summary: Duo and Trowa’s family has a new addition, courtesy of Quatre Winner. Pairings: 2x3, past 3x4

Duointherain, Dark Poetry

Summary: It's ten years after the wars and Heero has now been forced into medical retirement. He had lost track of Duo, but looks him up ... and it's way different than he thought it would be - beyond anything he could have dreamed of. Pairings: 1x2

@helmistress (Talliya), The Assignment

Summary: WuFei's observations on his two friend's rather odd relationship and how he thinks they should just get on with it already. Pairings: 2x3

@i-am-captain-snark, Life After Gundam

Summary: A series of one-shots taking place post-Endless Waltz in the lives of the former pilots, soldiers, politicians, and civilians. Pairing: 2x unspecified female

@kangofu-cb, Just Like Paradise

Summary: Part 3 in the ‘Just One Date’ series.  Duo and Wufei travel to attend a wedding! And buy a house! Sort of buy a house. Pairings: 2x5x2.  No warnings, except NSFW.  Smutty Sunday contribution

@kangofu-cb, Mission: Redacted - Chapter 4

Summary: Post-war, Une has been selected to direct the new Preventers Organization. Unfortunately, following government directives of disarmament and pacifism, criminal enterprises have sprung up, escalating crime and violence. Searching for a solution, she brainstorms a team of off-the-books operatives tasked with protecting the peace at all costs.Meanwhile, the pilots are all dealing with peace and the scars of war in their own ways, not all of them healthy…

LadyJFox, Hard Line

Summary: It's been nine years after the Eurussian Incident and the Earth Sphere Unified Nation continues to experience peace through communication and cooperation. Quatre Raberba Winner, while finishing his doctoral thesis in engineering at MIT in Boston, reconnects with his friend and ex-boyfriend, Trowa Barton. A romantic flame is rekindled while an old enemy plots his revenge. Pairings: 3x4, 2xH, Rx1

@lifeaftermeteor, Snippet Saturday

Summary: Having survived the Eve War, the Gundam pilots are left to their own devices to chart the paths their lives will take in a world that none of them expected to live long enough to see. Peace is disorienting and growing up is hard to do. Pairings: past 3x4x3, 1x2x1 and Sx11xS have started, 5xRx5 is inbound

Luvsanime02, Standby and AO3

Summary: Heero goes in front of the Board of Professional Review, and now she has an important decision to make. This is the fifth story in Navigation, a fem!Heero series.

Nerdybloomers, Golden Hour

Summary: Treize's attempts at traditional courship fall flat on the all-business Une, so he switches strategies. Provides a little more background to the infamous bath scene in episode 4. Pairings: 13x Une

@remsyk-blog, Wine Pairings

Summary: a drabble inspired by a delightful set of Stanley Tucci gifs and @kangofu-cb and @artemisblogs.  Pairings: 1x2, 3x4

Rennitz, Procrastibation

Summary: Wufei is cooped up in the office and is at wit's end. Duo strolls by and, in the course of helping him, starts a flame that neither one of them expect. Pairings: 5x2

Shine, Back to One

Summary: Quatre, an actor, goes on a journey of self-discovery just as his show’s twenty year reunion gets underway. What he discovers about himself and about his four not-really friends leads to a complicated romance everyone but him saw coming twenty years in the making. Pairing: 3x4

@shinigami-of-excellence, Special Needs - They Don’t Care About Us

Summary: Zechs deals with the news of Treize's return, and picks something up on the way home from a briefing with Noin. Wufei delivers some news. Pairings: 2x6, 5x2, 5x13, 13x6, 3x4, 5x2x13x6

@simulacraryn, Ink to Paper

Summary: Dorothy cleans out Treize's estate, but her discoveries only give her further heartache.

@simulacraryn, Speak and Wish

Summary: Late night scrambled thoughts from Catherine Bloom...

TheHiddenBaroness, Resurrecting the Viper

Summary: Following a routine visit to Vingolf, Orga, Mikazuki and Merribit are surprised by the sudden appearance of a practically naked, injured woman. Although Artima seems to have full recollection of who she is, she does not seem to understand the outside world. Against Orga's better judgment, the Isaribi is soon entangled in Artima's quest to find and destroy her old mobile suit - and discover both she and it are relics from over three hundred years ago that could hold the key to Tekkadan's future.

@la-femme-noelle, The Pact

After seducing Quatre, the other four ex-pilots brave the uncharted waters of their new abilities and learn to cope with the unintentional gifts they were given. But as always, power requires responsibility and the humbling acknowledgement of humanity's weaknesses. The struggle to stay true to themselves becomes a dangerous and terrifying endeavor as they skirt the boundary where conscience bleeds into chaos and the dark abyss of temptation. Pairings: 3x5x2x4x1, 3x4, 4x1, 2x4, 5x4

@themanwell, Bungalow

Summary: Duo has a thing for fixing up old houses.  Trowa has a thing for Duo.  2x3. One-shot. Rated M for smut. 4600 words.

@themanwell, “I think you might be pregnant”

Summary: Two out of Three universe, Prompt #52. Pairings: 2x3, HxR (+5)

@themanwell, This is probably a bad time, but marry me?

Summary: Prompt 50. Pairings: 2x3

@themanwell, May Demons Rest: Shinigami Sleeps 2017

Summary: A re-write of my 2004 fanfic “Shinigami Sleeps.” To find and free Duo from his demons, Trowa leaves his uneventful life at the circus for the mean streets of an obscure colony in L2. Pairings: 2x3

Fanart (in Alphabetical order by the author’s url)

@chronicwhimsy made two lovely things this week!

Two chillin’ mermen (Duo and Wufei) 

Two snuggling mermen (Duo and Wufei)

@maevemauvaise made a lovely aerialist Dorothy

@shinigami-of-excellence was VERY busy making LOTS of lovely things this week!

Duo Twins commission for @anaranesindanarie

Duo in a suit commission for @kangofu-cb

NSFW Solo and Treize in the shower

Trowa and pets for @funambulate

Duo and Solo commission for @cylinanightshade

Calendar Events (in alphabetical order by event name):

Summer of Zechs runs June 4-June 17. It’s a two week festival celebrating Zechs Merquise. All content is welcome and there are suggested prompts/themes for each day!

And that’s it for this week! Again, we welcome all Gundam Wing content. Please submit so we can share your awesome things with this great fandom!