#*[ DASH GAMES ] . . . street smarts

[heartsbreaking-migrated]

NINE TV SHOWS YOU COULD WATCH 500 TIMES

tagged by : @vengefuls tagging: @freakarus , @razorfst , @belovedstars , @livedtough , @fyrewalks + VIEWERS LIKE YOU!

[felassan]

Cliff notes on the new info on Dragon Age: The Veilguard from the print issue of Game Informer (DA:TV spoiler warning for link) that came out the other day (magazine hub link) that contained story spoilers - spoiler free version. This post is a version of this post (DA:TV spoiler warning for link), only with story-related information of note removed.

In CC you can customize things like shoulder width, chest size, glute size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, nose crookedness, and more

There are hundreds of sliders for body proportions

CC detail: “Features like skin hue, tone, melanin”

There is nudity in DA:TV, “which I learned firsthand while customizing my Rook” in CC

Rook’s backstory also affects “reputation standing”, along with the other previously-known things like in-game dialogue etc

Lords of Fortune are pirate-themed, “piratic”

Rook ascends because of competency, not because of a magical McGuffin, contrasting with the ‘destiny-has-chosen you’ angle DA:I has for the Inquisitor

Rook is here because they chose to be, “and that speaks to the kind of character that we’ve built. Someone needs to stop this, and Rook says, ‘I guess that’s me'”

The 4 voices we can choose for Rook each have a pitch shifter in CC

The game starts inside the bar (as previously detailed in other coverage)

In some dialogue wheels there is a “romantically inclined ‘emotional’ response” option. These are the replies that will build relationships with characters, romantic and platonic alike, but you can ignore them if you want to. Giving a companion the cold shoulder might nudge them into another companion’s embrace however

Bellara’s surname is Lutara

In the streets of Minrathous (in the opening segment of the game), there is a wide, winding pathway with a pub which has a dozen NPCs in it (is this The Swan tavern?)

The devs used the DA:TV CC to make each in-world NPC, except for specific characters like companions

There is smart use of verticality, scaling and wayfinding in the gameplay

If you play as e.g. a qunari Rook, the camera adjusts to ensure larger characters like them loom over those below. The camera also adjusts appropriately for dwarves to demonstrate their smaller stature

Neve Gallus is described as being capable

Demons are fully redesigned in this game, on their original premise as creatures of feeling that live and die off the emotions around them. “As such, they are just a floating nervous system, pushed into this world from the Fade, rapidly assembled into bodies out of whatever scraps they find”

Our base in this game is the place where the team bonds, grows, and prepares for its adventures

Clock symbols over dialogue icons signal optional dialogue options

If you are playing, e.g., a qunari, and you encounter elfy stuff, you might be missing unique dialogue options and an elf Rook would have more to say at that point

“There’s a heavy emphasis on storytelling and dialogue, and it feels deep and meaty, like a good fantasy novel. BioWare doesn’t shy away from minutes-long cutscenes”

For Rook, this story is about what does it mean to be a leader? We define their leadership style with our choices. “From the sound of it, my team will react to my chosen leadership style in how my relationships play out.” This is demonstrated within the game’s dialogue and a special relationship meter on each character’s companion screen

In gameplay/combat, players complete every swing in real time. Special care was taken in development for animation swing-through and cancelling. We can dash, parry, charge moves, and a completely revamped healing system that allows us to use potions at our discretion by hitting right on the d-pad. You can combo attacks and even ‘bookmark’ combos with a quick dash, which means that you can pause a combo’s status with a dash to safety and continue the rest of the combo afterward

Abilities can be used to customize your kit. They can be used on the fly as long as you account for cooldowns

When you pause and pull up the ability Wheel, it highlights you and your companions’ skills. There you can choose abilities, queue them, target specific enemies, and strategize with synergies and combos

Each character plays the same in that you execute light and heavy attacks with the same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way, regardless of which class you select

Sword and shield warriors can hip-fire or aim their shield and throw it like Captain America

Warriors can parry incoming attacks which can stagger enemies. Rogues have a larger parry window. The mage the writer played couldn’t parry at all. Instead they throw up a shield that blocks incoming attacks automatically, so long as you have the mana to maintain it

On the start/pause screen: it has the map, journal, character sheets, skill tree, and a library for lore information. You can use it to cross-compare equipment and equip new gear for Rook and their companions, build weapon loadouts for quick change-ups mid-combat, and customize you and your party’s abilities and builds via an easy-to-understand skill tree. There aren’t in-depth minutiae, just "real numbers”. For example, an unlocked trait might increase damage by 25 percent against armor, but that’s as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like a Wall of Fire to your arsenal if you’re a mage. As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100 percent bespoke to each class, you’ll work closer to unlocking a spec, complete with a unique ultimate ability

Combat is flashy and quick, with different types of health bars. Greenish-blue represents a barrier, which is taken down most effectively with ranged attacks

The game is gorgeous, with sprinkles, droplets, and splashes of magic in each attack a mage unleashes

The game looks amazing on consoles both in fidelity and performance modes

Bellara is bubbly, witty, and charming. She is spunky and effervescent, a sweetheart and a nerd for ancient elven artifacts, which is why she’s dressed more like an academic than a combatant

While Neve uses ice magic and can slow time with a special ability, Bellara specializes in electricity, and she can also use magic to heal you. electricity magic is effective against a certain mob type. “However, without Bellara, we could also equip a rune that converts my ice magic, for a brief duration, into electricity to counter the [enemies]”

If you don’t direct your companions in combat, they are fully independent and will attack on their own

The style of the game is more high fantasy than anything in the series thus far and almost reminiscent of the whimsy of Fable. Matt Rhodes says that this is the result of the game’s newfound dose of magic: “The use of magic has been an evolution as the series has gone on. In the past, you could hint at cooler magical things in the corner because you couldn’t actually go there, but now we actually can, and it’s fun to showcase that.” however, areas of whimsy will starkly contrast to the game’s other areas. The devs promise some grim locations and even grimmer story moments because, without that contrast, everything falls flat. Corinne says it’s like a “thread of optimism” pulled through otherworldly chaos ravaging Thedas.

We can advance our bonds with our companions on their own personal quests and by including them in our party on main quests. Every Relationship Level you rank up, shown on their character sheet, nets you a skill point to spend on them. “The choices you make, what you say to companions, how you help them, and more all matter to their development as characters and party members”. Each companion has access to 5 abilities.

Each companion has issues, problems, and personal quests to complete.

You can create Arcane Bombs on enemies. It does high damage after being hit by a heavy attack

It sounds like mage characters can charge heavy attacks on their magical staffs. “then switch to magical daggers in a second loadout accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick attacks”

Some enemies are “Frenzied”, meaning that they hit harder, move faster, and have more health

re: an arena-like boss fight "[it] attacks, hitting hard with unblockable, red-coded attacks and a massive shield that you need to take down first. It is weak to fire"

The design of the game is not open world. The devs describe it as a “hub-and-spoke” design where the needs of the story are served by the level design. it is not a connected open world. locations include Minrathous, tropical beaches, Arlathan Forest, “to grim and gothic areas and elsewhere”. Some of these areas are large and full of secrets and treasures. Others are smaller and more focused on linear storytelling.

Each location has a minimap, though linear levels won’t have the 'fog of war’ that disappears as you explore like in some of the game’s bigger locations

The game has the largest number of diverse biomes in DA history

The Thedas of DA:TV “lives in the uncertainty”. “the mystery of its narrative”, “the implications of its lore”

The writer is surprised by BioWare’s command over the notoriously difficult Frostbite engine, and by how much narrative thought the dev team poured into these characters, even for BioWare.

—

[source: the Game Informer pages from Issue 367 - the cover story from June 18th (link), two] <- DA:TV spoiler warning for links

[kilannad]

Musings on Dragon Age alla the Veilguard Controversy

I was talking with my brother after I finished Veilguard and its led to some Thoughts. For context, shortly after Veilguard came out and my dash became nothing but DA, I asked him if the games were worth playing; he said the first three were but the newest was shit and that I'd end up rage quitting quickly.

Naturally, that meant I played all four back to back.

Warning: I'm a literature major first and gamer second. My analysis/meta commentary reflects this. Spoilers for all four games below the cut.

this got stupidly long

I saw a post recently about how the greater theme of all Dragon Age games is Grief. Through all four storylines, it's the one thing they share, the uniting force of the series. I cannot agree more that Thedas is a setting about grief and the greater arc between games reflects that. However, that and the conversation with my brother had me reflecting on the story each game was individually trying to tell.

I'm setting aside the technical gameplay for each of these because while I think it helps tell the story, it's also largely reflective of what technology was like when each game came out and doesn't add much to the point I'm trying to make.

Origins

When you boil it down, Origins is a story about Duty. Someone, for whatever reason, is placed in an organization bound to protect Thedas and is then left nearly completely alone to do it. From the very beginning when Alistair looks to you to make a call in Lothering, it's people and the world asking for a choice and telling you this is your job. It's your choice. Can you live with it? Are you making the right one? Irrelevant. You are a Warden. The Warden. Alistair refuses to lead and you're the only other one left. You need to get allies to stop the Blight and that is the only thing that matters. Do you save the mages or damn them? Can you reconcile the werewolves and elves? Which king do you raise in Orzammar? Every decision you make ripples out and effects the world but you have to make them. The Blight must be stopped. How you get there is important because it changes the world but it doesn't matter because you end up in the same place anyway; fighting an Archdemon, stopping the Blight. You can be cruel, kind, aloof. It doesn't change it. This is your job, your Duty. You are the Warden and the Blight must end.

DA 2

Is there a word that means perseverance and failing anyway? If so, that's the theme of DA2. Inevitability, maybe. You lose your home. You lose your sibling. You go to a city where you're promised a better life and have to sell yourself in order to even get in and live in squalor. Every step you take, every day you live is about protecting your family and fighting for a better life. You collect strays because you are one and maybe together you can make everything a little better (the streets run red with blood). Surely going to the Deep Roads will fix things, will get your mother the life she deserves. (It does, but what is the cost? Unknowable, considering the next two games and the effect of the idol and red lyrium). If you earn enough respect from the Arishok, surely you can prevent bloodshed, can save the city. (You do but you're too late. People are already dead; the Viscount is already dead). Maybe, if you're quick enough, if you're smart enough, you can keep the city together. You're the Champion now, you have real power. You just need to be smart enough, funny enough, forceful enough. (It doesn't matter. Whatever steps you took don't matter and it is your fault. You blow up the Chantry as surely as Anders does no matter what because you let him get here. You promised to protect and you failed). You get up and do your best to limit the bloodshed anyway. But the match has been lit. The path has been laid out. (It's a tragedy. I could make a whole post about how the 3 Act structure lends itself to this story, but I'll save it for another time.) (This doesn't touch on the two DLCs. You have to wonder, years and years later. You are the reason Corypheus is freed. You are the reason those Qunari spies are never identified. Could you have stopped Dragon's Breath? Maybe.) (No.)

Inquisition

Faith. Not religious faith on whether you think you are Maker sent or not (see this for my thoughts on that), though that is important. But Faith in people. In the world. In what could be. Do you have Faith in Cassandra, Leliana, or Vivienne being the Divine? Do you have Faith in Bull? In Dorian's father? Do you have Faith in Solas? Do you have Faith in yourself? I've ignored gameplay for most of this post since it's not very relevant in most ways, but for DAI it is. It's open world for many reasons, most Doylistic, but it also lends itself to the weight and size of the story. The entire south is depending on you keeping the world together. You feel that in every minute you spend running around huge maps, doing a million little things. In a lot of ways, it's the sister game to Origins. But whereas Origins concerns itself with a singular, focused duty, Inquisition is about having Faith in making a better world. Sure you stop and make watch towers; after Corypheus is defeated, this area will still need protection. Why not help the draconologist? He's a good guy. Of course you help Valta go towards the Titan; she's a friend at this point. Every choice you make showcases whatever brand of Faith you carry, whether it be weary or reluctant or passionate. The world is changed by the Faith people have in you but just as equally as the Faith you have in the world.

Veilguard

Finally, we get here. The fourth, bastard child. The reason that I even started these games in the first place. Plenty of people have pointed out that what Inquisition is to Origins, Veilguard is to DA 2. That is a fair comparison I think in many ways, but also diminishes what Veilguard is trying to do. There's a lot of criticism towards the game (and much of it is very fair I think. There is no joy in engagement that isn't critical (meaning well thought out) and shit sometimes needs to be called out) but that being said, I think some things need to be taken in good faith.

The atmosphere: I've seen many a complaint that Veilguard removes the 'dark fantasy' elements that were so beloved in various previous games. Do I think some of the factions were sanitized for the sake of time and staying focused in a way the other games didn't do? Absolutely, yes (Minrathous, looking at you). HOWEVER I don't think that means it stopped being dark fantasy, or magically stopped feeling like Thedas. Did we all see D'Metas Crossing? Treviso/Minrathous? Harding/Davrin??? DA games have always been hilarious (Morrigan and Alistair banter comes to mind, to say nothing of the Bull/Inquisitor BDSM scene) while still feeling real and I don't think Veilguard loses this at all if you're willing to enjoy it for what it is.

Consequences from previous games: this one... this is my biggest pet peeve with the game. Zevran, Fenris, Merill, Hawke/Warden choice... this game is so big (geographically) that there were a million ways to have more of an impact from whatever world state you have. On one hand, I understand that it might take away from the story being told (see below) but on the other I think a few more lines of dialogue, possibly by these characters themselves, would fix a lot of problems about the factions being sanitized that people have complained about. I wasn't part of the development and don't have the knowledge to know if there's a doylist explanation for this.

Personality/choice impact: I've seen some complaints that even the 'mean' options aren't actually that mean and the game hard-fixes you into an archetype. I've also seen complaints that most of the important decisions are near the end game and thus aren't felt near as much as in some previous games. These are both very fair criticisms that are completely understandable. However, I do think there is a reason for them, whether you think it's a valid reason or not. See below.

Here is the crux on which all conversations about Veilguard's plot must rest: what story is it telling? Origins is about someone forced to carry a duty they did not ask for. DA 2 is Some Guy (gn) fighting for a life and life fighting back. Inquisition is an accidental miracle doing everything they can to save a world on the brink of ruin. But Veilguard?

Veilguard is a story about a reluctant hero. If Origins is Duty, DA 2 is Inevitability, and Inquisition Faith, then Veilguard's theme is Responsibility (which is not the same thing as duty). Rook gets hired. That's their problem, that's what sucks them in. They don't even have Hawke's excuse of coming to a place for a better life anyway. Varric finds them on the street (so to speak) and drags them along. And then he dies (not that they realize it) and suddenly the world is ending and it's their problem! There's a conversation where Solas asks you why you're leading the Veilguard and one of the options is you saying because someone has to step up. That's the whole point of Veilguard, the whole story that is being told; the world is ending and you have to be the Hero. Like with all the games, the companion quests all relate to the main theme. Bellara has to take responsibility for her brother and deal with the consequences. Neve takes responsibility for Dock Town. Lucanis for his cousin specifically and then the Crows as a whole. Taash for their identity, Harding for her lost heritage, Emmrich for his life (one way or another), and Davrin for the griffins and also what it means to be a Grey Warden. It all comes back to this one question: if I have to step up, what does that look like?

Rook has to save the fucking world and they did not ask for this. They aren't like the Warden, who was the only choice left. They aren't Hawke, who is fighting for their family and friends and home. They are closest to the Inquisitor, who was also chosen to save the world seemingly by accident, but crucially the Inquisitor had no choice--they had the anchor. They had to be involved with the Inquisition, one way or another (which is why they aren't actually the Inquisitor until after the first act ends and you end up at Skyhold). Rook?

Rook could walk away. Rook has every right to say fuck this and walk away. Let Harding or Neve lead the Veilguard. The only thing stopping them from doing that very thing is the fact that Varric is their friend and has asked them to do this, to take on this responsibility. And that is enough.

A story depends on character motivation. This is especially true of every DA game; if they didn't find a way for the character to buy into the goal, then there is no story. It's the first rule of writing. Even as an asshole, the Warden is still caught in a duty they don't want but have to complete. Even aggressive, Hawke still has to protect their family. Even doubtful, the Inquisitor still has to stop their world from falling apart because they are literally magically infected by the disaster. Rook doesn't have any of that.

Rook can't be an asshole, or at least as much of one as in previous games, because then the whole story stops working. If Rook doesn't care, if they don't value the world, or their friendships, or at least their responsibilities, then why the fuck are we here? You can say that Solas is controlling them as much as the anchor forced the Inquisitor's hand (ha) but I don't buy it. He has to use constant manipulation tactics and hallucinating Varric just to get them to do as much as they already are. If they didn't care about Varric? If they didn't willingly reach out to Solas for help? No fucking way could he get them to do it.

And that means there is no game.

There is a term many of you are probably familiar with: railroading. I would find Veilguard guilty of this far more than any other game, though Inquisition comes close imo (another post for another time). However, I would equally argue it has to be. It is a story of a reluctant hero, forced to carry a responsibility they are not ready for and deal with the consequences. If you aren't willing to be a hero, if you aren't the underdog, if you don't deal with your responsibility, then there is no plot. There is no game. They could have put those conversation options in, but where would it get us? A hollow game without even a sense of internal consistency, which DA has long prided itself for.

Is it perfect? No. Could some changes have been made to alleviate these problems at least? Yeah, of course. But that's true of all the games. How many people complained about DA 2's repeated maps? Of DAI's obnoxious fetch quests? Of Origins' either or mentality for basically all the choices? Don't let its flaws blind you to the story being told. Because that is where it shines, just as all the Dragon Age games do. It's why we're all still here, being heroes even if we don't want to.

[ordon-pumpkin]

Percy Jackson spoilers and criticism below.

I see people complain about how the show just has the characters figuring out things way too quickly (I completely agree with this.) Then I see people complaining about that criticism saying things like “Oh it makes sense! They would know that because Annabeth’s been at camp, Grover is a satyr, and Percy’s mom taught him about the myths!” However, there is a difference between them knowing about the stories and them IMMEDIATELY figuring each potential trap/situation out and zapping the energy from the scenes.

These same instances in the book usually involve a feeling of unease, something feels off, things seem kind of familiar, and it slowly dawns on them what they are dealing with OR they are escaping one situation to be thrust into another and don’t have time to think about it at all. There’s tension, there’s drama. I’m here for it. The show on the other hand? Oof.

Also the circumstances in which they encounter these situations in the book greatly influence how things go. They are human(ish) after all and them getting into these messes makes them easier to connect to as characters. Let’s break it down a little more there.

- With Medusa they were lost in the woods and hungry. The smell of food lured them in. They were hungry children dang it! From the circus lol (Honestly, this instance didn’t bother me too much in the show when I first watched it because it was early on before the knowing things too soon became an ongoing theme.)

- With the Lotus Hotel and Casino they were tired and feeling grimy, having just traveled in the back of a truck with a bunch of animals in horrible conditions. It was scorching hot outside. They were absolutely exhausted and wound up there where a doorman invited them in and it was a relief to have somewhere to take a break, recoup and figure out their next move. Once inside they had access to a shower! There were snacks. Plus the place was incredible. It also showed their interests with Annabeth being drawn in to trivia and city building games, Percy liked the bungee jumping! Grover played a reverse hunting game! Percy figured out the trap by asking a guy using 70s slang and dressed to match, what year it was. He kept asking and getting different answers. Then he was able to snap Annabeth out of it by describing spiders, which he knew she had a fear of from the Tunnel of Love ride. (This whole scene in the show was such a let down, so was the Tunnel of Love scene but I’ll leave that alone for now.)

- With Crusty they were on the run and dashed into the store. This encounter is one of my favorite moments of Percy’s quick thinking in the books btw. Also his absolute lack of hesitation to slice someone’s head if they mess with his friends. Percy is smart. He’s very street smart actually. In the book this scene shows that really well. (The way I paused the show in frustration and almost turned it off when the episode started already at Crusty’s with the line “I know who you are.” Like of course. That’s just how we’re telling this story now. Check. They met Crusty. And he doesn’t feel like a threat at all. But they met him I guess.)

The exhaustion and the circumstances in these instances in the book and getting into these traps aren’t the trio being “stupid.” They were moments that set up the situation to feel more relatable, alive, tense, and interesting. The show’s changes have taken away most of the tension from these scenes. Them knowing and catching on to things so quickly is lazy and it is incredibly boring. It just feels like they are checking off a list of places from the books they wanted in the show, while losing the entire energy and impact of those locations and scenes.

To me everything in this show feels like it’s at 20%. The humor, the stakes, the tension, the personality, the freaking lighting (why is so much of this show so hard to even see?), the whimsy, the magic, the charm. It’s all so dialed back and watered down. The book is a roller coaster of making you laugh and putting you on the edge of your seat with the tension and situations these kids get into. It’s campy, it’s intense, it’s crazy, and so energetic. The show feels bland in comparison. Idk how you manage to make Percy Jackson feel boring but they did it.

I’m not asking for it to be an exact copy of the book. I’m just disappointed with how dull it is. When it’s boring and it’s a scene that was the furthest thing from that in the original version then YES I’m going to compare it and wonder why there were changes to make it less interesting. In fact, my favorite scene in the show so far is actually the taxi in the parking garage scene. It captured the energy and vibe of Percy Jackson really well and it’s a scene not in the books at all. The energy is important and this show is lacking severely most of the time. It has some really good moments (back to that 20% thing) but overall it’s such a let down.

We have one episode left of the season and I don’t exactly have high hopes of it making things better. It just makes me sad because I wanted to love this series. The incredibly talented cast, a major studio behind it, passionate people being involved including the author, amazing source material… I look at all of the ingredients and it should be amazing. But I’m pretty disappointed right now.

[bodhranwriting]

My Favourite Action Sequence: Tocktick by Bodh M.

I promised you guys this, but one of my favourite action scenes simply because you get so much character development. Who's your favourite?

The night had closed in as he stepped into what was ostensibly the lavatory.

It was an alleyway with some crates tastefully arranged into some modicum of privacy, a small lantern lit over the door. It reeked. Obviously, many of its visitors were beyond aiming once they stumbled onto the scene.

Holding his breath, Sixsmith picked his way to the drain – helpfully labelled in glowing white paint – selected a conveniently eye-level brick to become suddenly fascinated with and proceeded about his business.

Just as he had committed every red crack to memory, something round and very cold pressed against the back of his neck.

He froze.

“Hello, doc. Thought we said not to wander off anymore.”

Fuck.

Somehow, his voice didn’t shake even as his heart landed somewhere around his ankles. “Carter.”

He could picture Carter’s smirk and heard someone else snigger. Two of them then. As much as he had enjoyed it, antagonising the man last night had probably not been one of his better ideas.

Neither was kicking him in the crotch, but he felt that was a crime of which the universe would absolve him.

Carter, however, would not.

“Hands where I can see ‘em.”

“What, right now?”

An awkward almost-silence followed.

“… No, you can finish what you’re doing.”

“Very kind of you.”

The gun at his neck didn’t move an inch. His thoughts raced; plans flicked up like cards in a game and were abandoned just as quickly. If he ran now, they’d catch him. Worse than that, they’d make sure he couldn’t do that again. Fighting wasn’t an option. He’d rather go toe-to-toe with a locomotive.  

He took as much time as he dared, wondering if anyone would hear him if he shouted, wondering how exactly they were planning to get him back to the tavern. If, of course, that was where they were going. They could have shot him in the head and been five streets away by the time the echoes died. There had to be some kind of transport, right? A cart or carriage of some sort – unless they were planning on marching him several streets.

And he wondered why.

Finally, Sixsmith turned around. The gun was so close he had to go cross-eyed to keep it in his vision – a battered-looking thing with a fat bullet chamber and most of the paint scratched off on one side. Carter jabbed it at him while his companion – a stout, grinning man armed with a cutlass who he didn’t know – fished in his pockets for something.

Hesitantly, he raised his hands and tried a smile. “Miss me already?”

The door was less than ten steps away, six or seven at a dash.

But they were going to be faster. Not smarter. Carter was a bully. He thought with his fists.

“Not really,” Carter said coolly, “There’s plenty of sawbones hanging around. Just need to dip into the nearest alley.”

Sixsmith widened his eyes as innocently as he could. “Why don’t you bugger off and do that then?”

The crack of his head striking the wall was gunshot-loud, a white flash blinding him. His legs buckled and the only reason he didn’t fall was the hand around his throat, pinning him against the damp brick. The gun pressed against his cheek.

Sixsmith tried to swallow.  Now was the time for panicking.

“Have you always had a smart mouth?” Carter asked mildly.

He managed to shrug.

“How are you still alive?”

“Luck,” he croaked. The words were getting stuck in his throat, only partly because of the clamp on it. “C’mon, Cart-Carter. Gotta… be – easier pickin’s.”

“Yeah,” Carter said, leaning in. His breath misted unpleasantly over Sixsmith’s ear, “Not many of ‘em owe us. And –“ his tone suddenly became upbeat – “have an opportunity to pay us back.”

His lungs were glass. Breathing would shatter him.

“What…?”

“A hundred pounds,” Carter murmured, “That’s your debt repaid thrice. With interest.”

Stout grabbed his hands, wrapping twine around his wrists. The rasp shocked him back to life. Sixsmith went to yank his hands back, only for the pressure to increase around his throat.

It’d been a bloody gamble and he’d lost.

Wait.  

An idea struck him. Not a good idea, but it was better than another head injury. Carefully, Sixsmith let his body fold inwards and tried to look like he’d given up.

Carter was looking at him suspiciously, but he let go. Sixsmith inhaled deeply, wincing at the dizziness which came with air. Bound hands weren’t ideal, but he’d worked with worse odds before. Admittedly, that’d been ten years and several injuries ago, but the principle of the thing wasn’t hugely different.

At least, Sixsmith hoped it wasn’t.

As the two brawlers each gripped an arm and began to march him towards the street, he managed, “Wait, wait, whoa, whoa, wait!”

“What?” Carter growled.

“Listen, listen. You like bets, right? ‘Course you do.” Digging his heels into the ground and fumbling in his pocket – hard to do with one half-working hand and another one quickly going numb – Sixsmith mined a penny from his pocket.

Stout laughed. “A penny won’t cut it, doc.”

Sixsmith shook his head and – somehow – rolled the penny across his knuckles. “C’mon. Just a wager. Indulge me.”

“You’re stalling,” Carter sneered.

“Aye, well, obviously, but c’mon.” He proffered the coin and hurried on, “I flip this coin. Heads, I go with you – no fuss or nuthin’. Tails –“

“We let you go?” Stout smirked, “Not for a hundred pounds.”

“No, no, tails – same story, right?” He tried not to look over at the door, kept his gaze focused on the smaller man. “But if it lands on its edge… I get a ten-minute head start.”

It didn’t appear to be landing, but they’d stopped. Surely, Emmett or someone would be coming to investigate his disappearance…

“On its edge?” Stout broke first. He was scowling in concentration, glaring at Sixsmith’s hands.

He grinned. “On its edge. Ten minutes. C’mon, what d’ya lose?”

Carter appeared to be thinking deeply; Sixsmith could almost see the wheels turning.  Maybe he should’ve bargained for more time – made it less obviously appealingly one-sided. Stout seemed invested enough, quick glances flickering between his compatriot and prisoner.

He held his breath.

Finally, Carter shrugged. “Five.”

Spreading his hands as far as they’d go – not far at all, Shades besides, the twine was tight – Sixsmith repeated, “Five. Five is fine.”

“And if you make a peep on the way, I’ll break your jaw.”

He accepted this with a quick shake of the shoulders and tried to keep his adrenaline tamped down. Far more smoothly than he thought possible, he worked the coin into position, inhaled, and then flipped it into the air.

It spun, a silver glint caught by the solitary lantern, glittering as it reached the pinnacle of its arc and…

Sixsmith smashed his foot into the side of Carter’s knee, shoved him off-balance into Stout, and bolted.

He hit the door, seized the handle in both hands and yanked it open. Light blinded him as he stumbled over the threshold. A hand brushed his shirt as he turned to grab the inner doorknob, fingers snagging in the front of his collar. Gasping, Sixsmith slammed the door closed – earning a shrill “Fuck-bitch!” – and then leapt back as it was ripped from his hands. He backpedalled desperately, dodged a swing from Carter, tripped over an uneven floorboard, and went down hard on his side, winded. Carter grasped his trouser leg, tearing the fabric, and Sixsmith twisted, lashing out. His foot struck bone – Carter’s cheek – and he was released.

Scrambling to his feet, still scrabbling towards the bar, he forced his lungs to fill, and yelled, “Emmett! Help!”

⸹

Emmett’s head snapped up at the cry. Instinctively, he snatched the poker from the stand and vaulted over the fireside chairs towards the sound.

He had enough time to land as Sixsmith fell through the saloon-doors, followed by a furious giant with a gun and the beginnings of a shiner. A second later, a second man waving a cutlass barged into the room.

His gaze immediately fell on Emmett. “You! Thief!”

A heartbeat of confusion thudded through his veins before hard-hammered lessons took over. He was in a tolerable Vinettae as the first strike came.

The poker was heavy, but he hadn’t used a real sword in so long that his clumsiness was neither hindered nor helped by it. Emmett danced back, parrying a wild stab towards his guts. The sword slid along the metal, screeching horribly. The stink of coal filled his nose.

Eyes watering, he blocked another swing and nearly fell over an armchair. Emmett stumbled, barely ducking in time as the blade passed over his head close enough to shave the tips of his hair and jabbed upwards.

His attacker fell back with a screech, holding his ribs. Spittle formed at the corner of his mouth, wet panting escaping between rubbery lips.

It was going to be a wild swing; this man had no finesse with the blade –

A glass smashed near the man’s head, forcing him to jump aside, attention snapping to a new threat.

Emmett glanced too, seeing Kizzy frozen in the aftermath of a throw, but recovered quicker. Swiftly, he brought his poker down on the man’s right wrist.

Yowling in pain, the stout man dropped his cutlass and fell back as Emmett stabbed into his guts.  

A gunshot rang out.

“Nobody move or I blow his head off!”

Sucking in a lungful of air, ears ringing, head pounding, Emmett halted. His heart constricted.

The giant – the brawler who had chased them last night – was by the saloon doors, an arm locked about Sixsmith’s neck and a gun jammed against his temple. Hastily, Emmett scanned the room, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Talas was barely out of his chair, fingers denting the cushioned arms. Kizzy was still on top of the table, Scarlett by the bar. Maia was lying on the floor, arms covering her head.

A still-smoking hole was drilled in the floorboard scant inches from her left hip.

“Nobody move,” he repeated, “Or this shit gets it.” For emphasis, he pressed his weapon harder against his hostage’s head, forcing Sixsmith to have to crane his neck to compensate.  Nodding over at Emmett, he added, “So drop the poker.”

Emmett hesitated.

“Bluff –“ Sixsmith choked the brawler clamped a hand over his mouth, trapping his throat in the crook of his captor’s elbow. He was on his toes, scratching futilely at the man’s sleeves.

“Shuddup!”  

Stout feinted towards his dropped cutlass, dodging back as Emmett pointed the poker.

“If you put him down,” he heard Maia say from the floor, “We can talk about this.”

“Talk?” the giant was backing away, dragging his hostage with him. “Hundred pounds talks. Not you. Owen! C’mon.”

Stout – Owen – sneered at Emmett as he retreated. “Don’t even think of coming after us. Or we’ll – we’ll slaughter all of youse.”

Emmett’s heartbeat was a thrum. Not moving his head, he scanned the room – glasses, cutlery, a few plates.

“Look, put him down,” Maia called, “For fuck’s sake, he’s going blue!”

“Well, if you’d all stop moving -” the giant hefted Sixsmith higher, ignoring the strangled gasp – “then this’ll be much quicker.”

Owen reached the giant’s side, fingers curling and uncurling like he was still trying to reach the sabre abandoned at Emmett’s feet. “Alive, Carter,” he said lowly. “Can’t get the money if ‘e’s dead.”

“Fine.” Carter theatrically loosened his grip and gestured grandiosely with the gun. “If I see any of you following us –“

Sixsmith bit him.

The bar plummeted into darkness, the aftermath of the muzzle-flash blinding Emmett as he leapt forwards. Someone screamed. A body hit the floor followed by something metallic striking wood.

Emmett’s foot hit something soft and he staggered, landing painfully on his hands, shouting rising around him.

Then the saloon doors squeaked to a stop.

“Shades beside us, Emmett. You got me in the ribs!”

“Six!” Emmett scrambled up. “Are you alright?”

A match flared nearby, illuminating Maia’s shocked face. The flame wobbled in her shaking hands.

Sixsmith looked up at them both and grinned, eyes gleaming with a mischievous devilment. “That were an adventure, weren’t it?”

“What happened?”

“Miss Scarlett –“ Sixsmith gestured with bound hands – “has one hell of a throwin’ arm.” He looked down and laughed suddenly. “Holy shit, you sliced his fuckin’ ear off!”

[kevlarcrack3d]

I'm gonna write headcanon pasts for the One Piece admirals! They're just so damn interesting and I love their mobster/rebel/yakuza theme! Kinda reminds me of the games lol.

BEWARE OF ANGST!: MENTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE, VIOLENT CRIME, UNDERAGE DRINKING, AND SELF-HARM

So, I looked at the childhood images of Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru and made what I could make out of what I can see in the images. No kid photos of Fujitora and Greenbull yet, do I used canon events as refs.

Akainu (Sakazuki) 🐶:

He had a turbulent childhood in a crime-riddled place. His father was a crime boss who abused him for seeing Marines as his hero, because his dad knew more that the Marines and WG were corrupt and shit. After all, the dad was a criminal, while Akainu genuinely wanted to serve in the marines and stand for his "justice".

A Marine he idolized gave him the tattered cap shortly before he killed his father because that Marine brainwashed and gaslit him into believing in his twisted justice during his stay in that area while searching for pirates. Akainu saw the battle and was instantly INSPIRED. He would become like his hero and blow up his shithole hometown.

Akainu has seen crimes, vices, violence, and all sorts of moral decadence in his place, so it's not surprising his views on justice got fucked up. He learned street smarts and how to fight due to his environment. He met Aokiji after killing his dad (it's anime logic where the young kid can kill an adult with fighting experience) and both had a rocky, love-hate (yes, I used to ship these two) relationship while wandering and doing odd jobs before being taken in by the Marines.

Since both grew up in turbulent, violent environments, they had the physical and mental strength (and fuckedup-ness) to fight in the Marines, and it'd be a waste to just let them toil while doing household chores, right?

So, they were taken in and trained. All the time, even until they were admirals, Akainu and Aokiji were arguing, always. Their opposing views, personalities, and justices didn't help either. Sometimes, they'd even be petty, like, Aokiji just moves Akainu's bonsai vase a little and Akainu is in a real foul mood and then shit hits the fan. It's very hilarious to see, especially when they were kids, they always had to be disciplined because they were always fighting 😂.

Akainu always had to deal with Aokiji's apathy and laziness. Akainu was the kid always angry and serious, so he was a rather amazing student - always "upright" in the Marines' eyes. Aokiji was the lazy but smart one, as in, super lazy. During teamwork training, Aokiji was kind of a slacker at first and Akainu would fight him always. It kinda died down over time as they became adults, but Akainu is still pissed about it, as always 😂.

Soon, Akainu burned down his pirate and criminal infested hometown. Fuck the innocents and everything. There are criminals there and he will send them to hell. And he succeeded.

Akainu also had a rather romanticized view of the Marines as a child due to his circumstances. Anything about spreading justice, order, and punishing criminals, and he'll be pumped up. This is the shit for him, and he's quick to plan and act when it comes to these. Despite his angry, wild nature, ever since he was young, he was ever so PASSIONATE about being a ROUGH, STRONG Marine man. Hence, the rose of the fuckin' lady killer sheesh 🥵. Something here's burning hot and it's not just the lava!

Yah, yah, I just spent over half the year creating yakuza/boryokudan OCs and well, I guess the dashing underworld outlaw prince swept me off my feet 🤩🤩🤩...

Aokiji (Kuzan) 🐦: Aokiji had deadbeat parents who always let him get beat up. He lived in the same area as Akainu. Due to his family being deadbeat, he picked up vices and began to drink at an early age. He decided to wander away, doing odd jobs. Despite his apathy towards most of the world and anger towards criminals, helping people with chores kind of softened his heart. This has helped him develop a sense of compassion, unlike Akainu, who did these chores as a way to work towards being accepted by the Marines. Sometimes, Aokiji would be dog tired and sleep a lot in his free time.

Soon, he met Akainu and they accompanied each other. Being alone was boring, and besides, they were kids. They'd argue a lot, even while working, AND especially when sharing a sleeping space. Oh boy, they'd get violent when one starts pressing agains the other.

And that's the definition of true love according to what my shipper brain said

The Marines soon took them in and they began to train. Aokiji was rather apathetic to this at first, but then actually began to warm up a bit to his job. Sometimes, it was even entertaining, especially arguing with Akainu or simply bullshitting his fiery frienemy. But, as Aokiji became an adult, cracks began to show.

Aokiji began to see all the misery and corruption. The causes of poverty and crime, a lot caused by the WG. He saw innocent people hurt due to the WG. Soon, he fell back to his apathetic ways. But, despite being so jaded and weary, he still had that kind-hearted side for those with benevolent intentions, regardless of them being pirates or otherwise. Soon, he wanted to be free to do this and resign from the Marines. Deep down, he had a heart like the snow, cold, and yet beautiful.

Dagnabbit, I'm crying why the fuck do I do this to myself 😭😭😭?

Kizaru (Borsalino) 🙈: Kizaru's family was the type that placed all their hopes on him to achieve their broken dreams for them, so they encouraged him to learn and study. He was rather pressured sometimes, but he did truly enjoy his studies and reading. He'd happily skip to the library sometimes and told them his stories. A light to their world, if I must say. Aaaand the feels are back 🥲.

Kizaru then decided to join the Marines, a decision his parents supported, seeing he could finally give them an ego boost, like "HOLY SHIT MY SON IS A MARINE, NOW, CLAP, GUYS". Not really his dream or what he wanted, but he just went with the flow. He was an easygoing, cool, chill dude anyway.

Soon, he met Akainu and Aokiji in training. He ALWAYS had to be there to calm these two down if they started arguing. One mean look from Akainu to Aokiji or vice versa, "woah there, now stop my dudes" Kizaru was the pacifier between them. He was also the quiet, cool, but very smart kid who always was in the topnotchers. However, he was the type to suck up to the government's ideals and decisions of the majority of the top brass and whatever view a certain faction of theirs chooses as right. He was like a ship bobbing on the waves without someone to steer it.

Soon, he got to meet Vegapunk due to his knowledge on some certain machines thanks to his childhood of reading. He would keep a VERY CLOSE EYE ON THE SCIENTIST. That's what he was tasked to do. He had no problem with that anyway. Then, he met Sentomaru, Kuma, and Bonney, and maybe, just maybe, his nonchalant, neutral personality slipped away, having seen the innocence of a kid who viewed him as an uncle and the sweetness of a father and his daughter. He found himself having fun for the first time, but maybe, he just didn't know it. But the memory stuck.

To thisbday, Kizaru is still nonchalant as ever, but maybe, I hope, something might happen in Egghead arc now with him. Could be good development for someone so dull, yet so bright.

Dammit. Them 2D cartoon seamen making me cry.

Fujitora (Issho) 🐯: Oh God, this is a dark one. Fujitora was a very unfortunate lad. He had an, abusive, overpopulated family who hated him and beat him to near death. They saw he was durable when he fought back and decided to sell him to the Marines. It wasn't fair. But the world's not fair. Always, Fujitora saw poverty and very VILE bastards in his place. It was not surprising to him. But, his hell was just going to begin.

Fujitora had a strong moral compass (besides his gambling) and trained hard to spread justice in the Marines. But, as his rank got higher, the more horrible things he saw in the WG. Corruption, slavery, hatred, and all things unpleasant. Ugh, he wanted to leave. Why? Justice is for everyone, right? So, why can't he bring it to those above him, who abuse their power? That's right, it was the world being unfair.

All the shit he has witnessed made him sick to the stomach. Are these the people he was working with and working for? Yuck. He decided to resign last minute before a promotion.

But, before he left, Fujitora reflected on his life before being sold to the Marines and after being sold to the Marines. Just the same. It was just the same back there. It was just unfair, so unfair. Wherever he went, there were always bad people oppressing the lass fortunate like he once was. Fujitora was unable to take the gravity in that moment and cut his eyes. He decided to cancel his resignation and return to the Marines. That way, at least, he can rise up to a position where he can stand for fairness. But if any sign of humanity comes before him, Fujitora will be unable to see it clearly again, despite his kind heart. He may feel it, but never see it, so he can only partially feel it. A prize to pay for justice.

This one was sad. And when kindness did come to his heart genuinely in the form of Luffy, he couldn't see those kind eyes 😭.

Ryokugyu (Aramaki) 🐂: This dude seems to have sucked according to the fandom, but screw that.

So, since he's quite the simp for the WG, Aramakiwas bought as a baby by the Marines, so all he knew was the WG's ideals.

Though unruly and wild, he was valued because he was loyal, even when he did things outside anything approved, like not asking permission to deal with certain peeps. He was also very destructive as a child, so he needed lots of discipline, too. In fact, this wild boy has been chided more than anyone could count they stopped scolding him altogether 😂!

[avcnturine]

deep dive character sheet

stolen from: u do not have to tell me twice to do a dash game

NAME: AVENTURINE

BODY

height: 170cm / 5′ 7"

strength ★☆☆☆☆ ⠀/⠀if he's in a hand to hand confrontation there are so many things that went wrong to lead to that. that scrappy af part of him that killed a man with nothing more than iron shackles is still in there somewhere tho

dexterity ★★★★★⠀/⠀have u seen those coin tricks in that cg cutscene

health ★★★☆☆⠀/⠀slightly above average bc he keeps fit and works somewhat to maintain it, but he's no health freak

energy ★★★☆☆⠀/⠀related to above

beauty ★★★★★⠀/⠀avgin genetics + finely curated = fine mfer. he's very aware that being attractive gives benefits even if his personal relationship with being seen as attractive is more bitter than sweet

style ★★★★★⠀/⠀bruh

hygiene ★★★★★⠀/⠀again, bruh. an additional tidbit here is that while the avgin are known for being beautiful, they're also associated with a poor / low-class / dirty image. this is something that aven is aware even the most rigorous beauty routine and colognes can't cleanse in the eyes of others

SKILLS

perception ★★★★★⠀/⠀avgin survival skills 101. both literal perception as well as emotional intelligence

communication ★★★★★⠀/⠀also avgin survival skills 101 jNJNSJGN. but even without the genetics / upbringing buff, it's something he's honed a lot as any successful businessman has to. it's his most important tool by a long shot, and a game he's exceedingly well-versed in

persuasion ★★★★★⠀/⠀see above

mediation ★★★★★⠀/⠀also comes with the businessman stint. and compared to his coworkers among the stonehearts, he's noted for this by opal: "it should have been me, but diamond believes that the family still had some value in cooperation and hopes this affair still has some room for a peaceful resolution. so, after some thought, i've concluded that you're the best candidate." i do think there's way more to what opal is saying here and that on some level this is an obfuscation of why aventurine's really the one being sent, but i do think it's also not entirely a cover-up

literacy ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀it's more or less average, though i hc that aventurine was illiterate for most of his life until he taught himself to read basics as a slave for survival and then was given further opportunities to improve in this by jade later. he's never been formally educated and still takes longer than average to read long or dense texts that aren't his usual material

creativity ★★★★☆⠀/⠀in the sense of thinking outside the box, long-term planning, problem-solving, and adapting to the environment. creativity in terms of the arts is virtually nonexistent though

cooking ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀like. he won't die if left on his own, but doesn't care for it. if managing his own meals, goes with simple things that can be thrown together easily while being healthy, probably swears by meal kits and food that can be made and then just eaten for days so he doesn't have to worry about it. has to be careful about falling into a habit of eating out constantly to avoid having to meal prep.

tech savvy ★★★★☆⠀/⠀he is hip and with it, as the kids say

combat ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀as stated earlier a fight's far from being his preferred means; if he's in one, it's because a bunch of other things failed along the way. he's not a combatant by nature or training, but he doesn't flinch, isn't afraid of pain, and has a good eye with a gun

survival ★★★★★⠀/⠀the guy's preservation for a reason. that said, this could also feasibly be a zero because he's constantly throwing himself in front of metaphorical moving trains just to see what happens. ask him sometime about his relationship with his own survival ( just kidding, don't. )

stealth ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀usually in his line of work, standing out is more par for the course and also serves him better. if stealth was necessary, he'd do his best, but probably wouldn't be much better or worse than the next guy

street smarts ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀used to be higher, but he's been a wealthy bigwig for some years now. still, some habits from a life at the bottom of the barrel die hard

seduction ★★★★☆⠀/⠀it's kinda like intimidation. not his first go-to tool but sure if it's the most useful one in the moment. he knows the avgin reputation and isn't shy to leverage it

luck ★★★★★⠀/⠀bro that's just canon

handling animals ★☆☆☆☆⠀/⠀he's not abysmal at it but he has no particular love or hatred for critters. puts himself first too much to be a good pet parent and he wouldn't enjoy it, but they're not going to die

pacifying children ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀whatever skills work for pacifying adults also works with kids, but they're easier. in this, he likes them more than adults. but he's not very genuine about it

MIND

intelligence ★★★★☆⠀/⠀this kind of goes in hand with creativity earlier. it depends massively on what form of intelligence you're talking about though; he's not learned and doesn't care much for theory or academics, but he's resourceful, emotionally and socially adept, a flexible thinker, and picks things up fast experientially

happiness ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀it's uh, complicated

spirituality ★★★★☆⠀/⠀surprisingly! hardly in the traditional sense. but avgin spirituality is integral to the culture and tightly tethered to their beliefs about survival, worth, and meaning. like most things, aventurine has a complicated relationship with this faith too, and there's many more facets to him now than ' avgin '. but at his core, that belief in the mother goddess from his roots is still there, albeit a very private and personal thing and not entirely positive. its role in his sense of self is also non-linear and kind of complex

confidence ★★★★☆⠀/⠀generally speaking yes, but it's also kind of complicated

humor ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀he has a developed sense of humor, can read a joke, and appreciates wit, but humor's not really something he displays or utilizes much himself. he's smooth and charismatic and prone to the occasional "that was just a joke, friend", but it's mostly in the interest of keeping things light. he's not really known for being funny

anxiety ★☆☆☆☆⠀/⠀he probably lost whatever anxiety he had when the screws upstairs started loosening, tbh

patience ★★★★☆⠀/⠀deals aren't made in a day and the best wins are weeks, months, years in the making. he can wait for the time to ripen

passion ★★★☆☆⠀/⠀like, in what sense? he doesn't tend to half-ass things, and has good follow-through. he's passionate about pursuing the things that matter to him, like success, self-satisfaction, and the fleeting, euphoric highs that make him feel the most alive

nice         ☆☆★☆☆⠀mean⠀/⠀oh honey it depends on who u ask

brave       ☆★☆☆☆⠀cowardly⠀/⠀it's like...... so dependent on ur definition of bravery. but not being afraid to die makes him brave? or reckless? just ballsy maybe

pacifist     ☆★☆☆☆⠀violent⠀/⠀he'd rather get along than fight but otherwise i wouldn't call him a pacifist by principle

thoughtful ☆★☆☆☆⠀impulsive⠀/⠀there's usually rationale that goes into everything, but it often looks impulsive to the observer

agreeable ★☆☆☆☆⠀contrary⠀/⠀will tell you you're right about everything if it's in his best interest for you to like him

idealistic   ☆☆☆★☆⠀pragmatic⠀/⠀prefers to think in tangibles, even if far-off tangibles, but his ideas can sound pretty out there. this is why he tends to work alone

frugal        ☆☆★☆☆⠀big spender⠀/⠀is it possible to be both? he's a big spender in the sense that he likes luxury and likes grand gestures of expenditure on others, but he's frugal in the sense that he's highly discerning about making the money spent worth it

extrovert   ☆★☆☆☆⠀introvert⠀/⠀leans extrovert but not extremely? he doesn't mind being alone and doesn't really feel the itch to be in a social setting if he's not, but he also does flourish a bit more when he's around others

collected   ☆☆★☆☆⠀wild⠀/⠀like he's collected until u realize he's rly unhinged actually

ambitious⠀/⠀possessive⠀/⠀stubborn⠀/⠀jealous⠀/⠀decisive⠀/⠀perfectionist

SOCIAL

charisma ★★★★★⠀/⠀it's his whole thing bro

empathy ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀a complicated topic. his emotional intelligence is in part based in empathy, and in part empathy-acted-out ; he's not devoid of empathy, and in certain specific situations can demonstrate a surprising touch of compassion. but very little in his lived experience either past or present encourages, nurtures, or rewards empathy; quite the opposite, in fact, and it's in a lot of ways more natural for him to act selfishly

generosity ★★★★☆⠀/⠀he's capable of great generosity, though seldom without reason

wealth ★★★★★⠀/⠀i mean in his eyes he doesn't own a whole skyscraper in pier point under his name yet, so he could be doing better, but.............

honest  ☆☆★☆☆⠀deceptive⠀/⠀makes vague hand gestures. both at the same time, somehow

leader   ☆☆★☆☆⠀follower⠀/⠀preferably neither

polite    ★☆☆☆☆⠀rude⠀/⠀he's cordial unless it serves him better to be otherwise

political ☆☆☆★☆⠀indifferent⠀/⠀he appreciates the ipc's modus operandi but he's not bible-thumping for qlipoth's gain on principle. he's aligned with himself before an ideology

BELIEFS

higher power ★★★★☆⠀/⠀see earlier note about spirituality

fate/destiny ★★★★☆⠀/⠀not in the sense that it rules you, but that certain things about one's situation are not elected and outside of one's direct control to change, and thus, inherently unfair

magic ★★★☆☆⠀/⠀it's not a huge factor in his life but that also begs the question of what constitutes as magic in hsr's world?

soulmates ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀not a romantic by any means but would probably be willing to engage in discussion on the concept for light entertainment in the same vein as fate/destiny before he fairly quickly tires of theoreticals

good and evil ☆☆☆☆☆⠀/⠀there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends, only permanent interests

luck ★★★★★⠀/⠀anyone who doesn't believe in it just needs to see his gacha pull rates

PRIORITIES

family ★★★★☆⠀/⠀in a conceptual sense ; he feels a lot of adherence to the family he lost, but less as concrete individuals and more as a manifestation of belonging

friends ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀rarely just for the principle of it, but he certainly does value his friends :)

love ☆☆☆☆☆⠀/⠀not something he associates with his concept of self, others, or the world at large

home ★☆☆☆☆⠀/⠀he's been physically and metaphysically homeless for so long it's ceased to be something he longs for, especially when concepts of home are bound up with plenty of negative associations as well

health ★★★☆☆⠀/⠀because it's important to take care of

praise ★☆☆☆☆⠀/⠀experientially, most of the time it's double-edged

justice ★★★★★⠀/⠀for what, from whom, in what form? he's not sure. but a hunger for something like it burns hard enough to destroy him

truth ★★☆☆☆⠀/⠀in the sense that he's naturally curious and doesn't prefer to be kept in the dark, but also can healthily appreciate the grey area

power ★★★★☆⠀/⠀it's not a primary motivating force, but he's not immune to it. more than the power alone, it's the agency it grants that he likes

fame ★☆☆☆☆⠀/⠀a byproduct of achievement. he doesn't feel any particular way about it

wealth ★★★★☆⠀/⠀rather similar to power. wealth alone is good because it's a measure of how far he's come ; moreso than that though, it's that wealth is a stepping stone to many, many further things. his voice line about the ipc is a good indicator of his thoughts around this

others' opinions ☆☆☆☆☆⠀/⠀if he cared about this he would not be in this job

[garmgeyr]

deep dive character sheet

stolen from: old dash game from TOA tagging: anyone left who hasn't done this yet

Note: most of this information is about Gallagher the persona and doesn't take into consideration who or what the history fictionologist is, but Gallagher himself admits that the line between the two of them is very much blurred NAME: GALLAGHER

BODY

height: 190cm / 6′ 3

strength ★★★☆☆ (mechanically has low bases and relies on getting one big break hit to deal damage, which narratively could mean he's more opportunistic than consistent; canonically he admits he's not as strong as he used to be)

dexterity ★★★☆☆ (average, he's using his dex to spin drink tumblers around though)

health ★★★☆☆ (robust in the sense that he's not prone to illness, but docked two stars for a couple of reasons: 1) his character stories describe him as a man past his prime, and 2) whatever's in his flask is some kind of medicine (the details of which is meta for another day); whatever the case, he's lucky a diet of soda and alcohol doesn't mean much in the dreamscape)

energy ★☆☆☆☆ (would be napping or lounging with a drink if given the choice; anything else is done because he has to do it, although he was much feistier in his younger years)

beauty ★★★☆☆ (he probably gets tipped well at the bar is all I'll say; his scruffiness definitely appeals to a certain demographic)

style ★★★☆☆ (his clothes themselves are nice; however, he dresses like a guy who woke up from a 4 hour couch nap 2 minutes ago and does not give a shit about how they look on him. those buttons on his shirt are fighting for their lives)

hygiene ★★★☆☆ (similar to above, he's not dirty, but it's probably been a couple of days since he washed his hair/shaved)

SKILLS

perception ★★★★★ (observation is his whole thing)

communication ★★★☆☆ (communicates clearly and well, but also lies constantly and may not always mean what he says)

persuasion ★★★★☆ (although he doesn't necessarily lie to manipulate others, it does come in handy for making convincing arguments)

mediation ★★☆☆☆ (if he valued mediation, he might have tried to strike a deal with the family earlier, but he's been harboring resentment toward them for years and only cooperated with sunday because circumstances made him; on a larger scale, mediation takes more effort than just punching a guy's lights out and gallagher is in favor of less effort)

literacy ★★★★★ (well-read on a variety of topics)

creativity ★★★★☆ (loves inventing new drinks and usually does it in a sort of spur of the moment way; let's not forget that he wrote the watchmaker's story too)

cooking ★★★☆☆ (probably decent, but also experimental and careless, meaning he doesn't measure anything and rarely follows recipes)

tech savvy ★★★☆☆ (he'll play up the old man card if he has to)

combat ★★★☆☆ (an experienced fighter, but one who has certainly lost his edge over the years)

survival ★★★☆☆ (knows his way around the dangers of the dreamscape, but has a city lifestyle so he would be out of his element out in the wild)

stealth ★★☆☆☆ (as gallagher, no, but as a hound statue, stealth is probably his best skill)

street smarts ★★★★★ (he knows just about everything there is to know about the dreamscape and how to navigate it, especially its dark side)

seduction ★★☆☆☆ (he plays the old man card pretty frequently so in general he's not going to be in situations where this would even be possible or warranted, but he could work some charm if he needed to)

luck ★★★☆☆ (everything with the astral express and mikhail's legacy fell into place mostly due to luck and good timing)

handling animals ★★★★★ (full stars for managing to tame sleepie)

pacifying children ★★★★★ (full stars for managing to tame misha)

MIND

intelligence ★★★★☆ (carries an abundance of experience in a variety of areas, has learned all kinds of things from both books and talking to others, has practical knowledge for many skills)

happiness ★★★★☆ (his life has had its peaks and its deepest, darkest valleys, but at the end of it all, he managed to get the ending that he mostly wanted and regained his former glory; docked a star because he does regret that the end came so soon and that disagreements between paths had ultimately led to it)

spirituality ☆☆☆☆☆ (ironic question because the philosophy of enigmata forbids its followers from believing in anything and yet doing so asserts belief in the path's aeon; anyway, 0 stars because the fact that gallagher is an enigmata pathstrider is kept a secret so he just comes of kind of nihilistic otherwise)

confidence ★★★☆☆ (he will hand the reins over to other people when it comes to things he's not good at and does shy away from situations that might embarrass him)

humor ★★★★☆ (his sense of humor is saying ironic shit to get a reaction from others and he does it a lot; in some cases, those people just barely restrain themselves from strangling him (sunday))

anxiety ★★☆☆☆ (generally laidback, but does get anxious when he has to be relied on for important things (writing the charmony festival invitations, leading the trailblazer to the legacy))

patience ★★★★★ (he waited many long years to fulfill mikhail's wishes)

passion ★★★★☆ (it's passion for mikhail's vision for penacony's legacy that carried him this far)

nice         ☆★☆☆☆ mean (friendly to most, but won't hesitate to call someone a fucking donkey)

brave       ☆★☆☆☆ cowardly (having something or someone to protect is usually what allows him to put on a brave front, but that doesn't mean he isn't nervous about it)

pacifist     ☆☆★☆☆ violent (used to go around fighting people for the hell of it)

thoughtful ☆☆★☆☆ impulsive (doesn't usually act unless he's thought something through, but also improvs his way through most of his lies)

agreeable ☆☆★☆☆ contrary (pretty easy to get along with and usually won't write something off immediately for no reason - unless you're mikhail and then gallagher is biting your ass constantly)

idealistic   ☆☆☆☆★ pragmatic (the pragmatist protecting the dreamer's ideals)

frugal        ☆☆☆★☆ big spender (he is buying that top shelf liquor whenever he has the chance)

extrovert   ☆☆★☆☆ introvert (somewhere right in the middle)

collected   ☆☆★☆☆ wild

ambitious / possessive / stubborn / jealous / decisive / perfectionist

SOCIAL

charisma ★★★★★ (charisma comes with the territory of a good drinksmith, and gallagher is a talented storyteller)

empathy ★★★★★ (similar to above, empathy comes with the territory of a good drinksmith especially in a place like dreamjolt hostelry, where the drinksmith usually has to play therapist for the guests)

generosity ★★★★☆ (he'll make sure his friends are taken care of)

wealth ★★★☆☆ (as a member of the family, he's taken care of, and as a drinksmith, he has enough to pay the bills, but that's about it)

honest  ☆☆☆☆★ deceptive (lmao)

leader   ☆☆★☆☆ follower (he's a security captain but deputy to the watchmaker; capable of leading but just as easily falls into line under someone else's leadership)

polite    ☆☆☆★☆  rude (crass as hell but will be polite to guests in all but word choice)

political ★☆☆☆☆ indifferent (the watchmaker and his followers are colored as rebels against the system and gallagher has strong (negative) thoughts about the way the family runs the dreamscape so yeah, political)

BELIEFS

higher power ★★★★★ (yeah aeons exist)

fate/destiny ★★★★★ (enigmata is most similar to the philosophy of absurdism, which has a whole thing about how humans face turmoil when confronted with the meaninglessness of their actions in the face of destiny)

magic ★★★☆☆ (dreams are full of it)

soulmates ★★★☆☆ (some people are tethered to one another through lifetimes)

good and evil ☆☆☆☆☆ (it's all relative)

luck ★★★★☆ (good luck and bad luck are both important facets of the chaos and ultimate meaninglessness in one's life)

PRIORITIES

family ★★★★★ (values family through the lens of mikhail as a father figure and micah as a brother)

friends ★★★★★ (otherwise, extremely committed to the people he cares about)

love ★★★★★ (love does not have to be romantic, and gallagher's love for penacony and mikhail's vision fuels most of his actions)

home ★★★★★ (his whole reason for getting involved in the story is to save penacony)

health ★★☆☆☆ (values is health enough to have given up soulglad at some point, but not enough to stop drinking altogether)

praise ★★★☆☆ (he'll take it)

justice ★★☆☆☆ (similar to his view on good and evil, justice is also relative, but he does fight back against the family under his own concept of justice and believes that what the family is doing ultimately deserves retribution)

truth ★★★★☆ (never stop questioning and never stop seeking is his whole philosophy)

power ☆☆☆☆☆ (does not care)

fame ★☆☆☆☆ (cares a little bit, since he admits that writing real history for once does feel good)

wealth ★☆☆☆☆ (just needs enough to get by)

others' opinions ★★★☆☆ (other people's opinions are what inform his presentation and concept of self)

[dukemeropide]

deep dive character sheet

stolen from: old dash game from TOA tagging: you!

NAME: WRIOTHESLEY

BODY

height: 190cm / 6′ 3

strength ★★★★☆ (the man is strong, but docking him a star because he's not the strongest; he relies far too much on his wit and catching others off their game to be someone who lets pure strength solve all of his problems)

dexterity ★★★★★ (he tinkers with clockwork meka all the time, which has small parts and requires a steady hand)

health ★★★★☆ (pretty good, probably thanks to sigewinne; biggest issue is how much tea he drinks)

energy ★★★☆☆ (work smarter not harder is his work philosophy, and he likes his leisure)

beauty ★★★★☆ (quite handsome in a rugged way, docking a star because all of his scars likely detract from from his general attractiveness for fontaineans / he covers his scars in a way that implies he doesn't like showing them)

style ★★★★☆ (he's a fontainean through and through, so he's conscious of how he dresses and makes sure that he dresses well enough to be seen in public; docking a star because his style does have a blue collar vibe to it, and he's rarely on top of the trends)

hygiene ★★★☆☆ (decent, but he does live in a prison under the sea so his standards are probably much lower than the general public / the fortress notoriously stinks so he's probably gone noseblind to the stench of sweat and other body odors; likely wears cologne when he goes to the surface, and always makes sure he stays clean-shaven to make up for it)

SKILLS

perception ★★★★★ (he's picked up most of what he knows from watching other people)

communication ★★★★☆ (he's fashioned himself into a businessman, so being able to communicate and negotiate effectively is a must; docked a star because he is notoriously avoidant and sometimes deceptive when he could otherwise be direct and forthright)

persuasion ★★★★☆ (see above re : being a businessman; when communication fails, he'll persuade via more physical means, however this doesn't always work out as we see in the fontaine archon quest)

mediation ★★★★☆ (his position within the fortress necessitates this in order to keep everyone living relatively peacefully together)

literacy ★★★★★ (has never had a formal education, but taught himself how to read and reads a lot about all sorts of topics)

creativity ★★★★☆ (he takes unique approaches to problem-solving, not to mention he's constantly coming up with new projects and ways to get people to carry them out for him when he can't)

cooking ★★☆☆☆ (he's probably... ok at it; his specialty is a spare ribs plate that implies the oven/cooking device nearly blew up on him / doesn't really have much reason to cook for himself when wolsey will whip up whatever he wants)

tech savvy ★★★★☆ (as far as meka and other machines go - he can figure out just about anything he doesn't understand though)

combat ★★★★★ (he owes his survival and his current position to his ability to box, the pankration ring is like a second home)

survival ★★★★★ (he was homeless for a while when he was a child and managed to figure out how to survive on his own + he learned how to work the system once he was imprisoned)

stealth ★★☆☆☆ (doesn't really have a reason for it)

street smarts ★★★★★ (see survival above; everything he's learned came from the streets / prison)

seduction ★★★★☆ (he's both charming and attractive; docked a star because he does also come off as intimidating, and his humility means he's not exactly strutting around)

luck ★★☆☆☆ (tentatively skeptical)

handling animals ★★★☆☆ (he doesn't have much of a reason to but he's thoughtful and perceptive, so I think he'd be pretty ok with them)

pacifying children ★★☆☆☆ (he'll work behind the scenes to try to soften whatever is upsetting, but he's aware of his demeanor and his reputation, and thinks other people are better off not seeing him)

MIND

intelligence ★★★★★ (there is nothing out of his grasp if he puts his mind to understanding it)

happiness ★★★☆☆ (he's content by his own admission, more so because he's comfortable, but he's also painfully aware of everything he's missing out on)

spirituality ★☆☆☆☆ (admits he doesn't really believe in fate or the gods, but he won't deny the unexplainable)

confidence ★★★☆☆ (relatively, but does undersell himself sometimes)

humor ★★★☆☆ (pretty dry and tends to lean serious more often than not, but he does have a sense of humor that tends to be sarcastic or ironic)

anxiety ★★★☆☆ (he gets anxious about the unknown and what dangers it might conceal; needs to know everything about a new place before he can fully relax)

patience ★★★★☆ (tends to act like he has all the time in the world and even frustrates people like sigewinne and clorinde with how roundabout he tends to be with things)

passion ★★☆☆☆ (doesn't lack passion completely but does sort of have a "you work with the hand you're dealt" mentality about the world and his own life)

nice         ☆★☆☆☆ mean (he's friendly and considerate when he's not being the terrifying duke)

brave       ☆☆★☆☆ cowardly (will sometimes use deception, backhanded techniques, and his own social power in ways that others might consider cowardly)

pacifist     ☆☆★☆☆ violent (would prefer to take the nonviolent way first but has no problem using his fists - or letting the prisoners beat each other up to send a message)

thoughtful ★☆☆☆☆ impulsive (he thinks through everything he does, has way too much anxiety about how he comes across and the dangers of the world to not think about every step he takes)

agreeable ☆★☆☆☆ contrary (quite sensible and always willing to hear someone out / give them a chance, but will also be annoying for the sake of it (drives navia crazy))

idealistic   ☆☆☆★☆ pragmatic (generally pragmatic, but has an imaginative streak that romanticizes lofty ideals)

frugal        ☆★☆☆☆ big spender (he wouldn't be the wealthiest person in the fortress if he had a habit of spending large chunks of money, but he will spend SOME money to live comfortably)

extrovert   ☆☆☆★☆ introvert (generally prefers to keep to himself, but he's constantly inviting his friends to have tea with him, which suggests that he does like spending time around specific people)

collected   ☆★☆☆☆ wild

ambitious / possessive / stubborn / jealous / decisive / perfectionist

SOCIAL

charisma ★★★★★ (a highly charming man with a talent for communication)

empathy ★★★★☆ (arguably empathy is the reason the fortress has been changed for the better; he uses his own experiences to advocate for and improve the lives of others in similar situations)

generosity ★★★★☆ (he's always willing to lend an ear and give freely if he has the resources)

wealth ★★★★★ (wealthiest person in the fortress)

honest  ☆☆☆★☆ deceptive (it's actually kind of ironic how much he hated that his parents lied to him, and yet he's often deceptive and manipulative himself; plays his cards extremely close to his chest and will do everything he can to avoid talking about himself)

leader   ★☆☆☆☆ follower

polite    ☆☆★☆☆  rude (generally polite (it's that fontainean etiquette) but has a blunt / casual way of speaking to others)

political ☆★☆☆☆ indifferent (he's the leader of a society separate from fontaine so technically he should be concerned with its governance)

BELIEFS

higher power ★★☆☆☆ (skeptical)

fate/destiny ★★☆☆☆ (also skeptical, but will form plans / ideas with things like prophecies in mind, even if they turn out to be false)

magic ★☆☆☆☆ (magic exists in teyvat, so this is more like how much wriothesley relies on it, which is to say: he doesn't; he learned to wield the elements without a vision for most of his life, and meka creations are powered by clockwork and pneumousia)

soulmates ★★☆☆☆ (similar to fate/destiny, wriothesley would be pleasantly surprised by finding that he has a soulmate, but has his doubts that such a thing exists)

good and evil ★☆☆☆☆ (he has to deal with most of fontaine's "evil" people on a daily basis, so he believes that everything can be explained by circumstance and that even "evil" people can become "good")

luck ★★☆☆☆ (see fate/destiny, the man also makes wagers constantly and loses half of them but doesn't care)

PRIORITIES

family ☆☆☆☆☆ (killed his parents and abandoned all connections he had to his siblings; as far as he's concerned, he has no family)

friends ★★★★☆ (values making and maintaining connections because the more people he knows, the more things he can get done - definitely considers these people more like "professional acquaintances" than good friends though, but it still counts)

love ★☆☆☆☆ (keeps other people at such a distance that he believes he'll never really be able to love)

home ★★★★★ (home is the fortress and he makes sure that place runs like a well-oiled machine)

health ★★☆☆☆ (that's sigewinne's job)

praise ★☆☆☆☆ (humility means that he's generally immune to praise)

justice ★★★☆☆ (believes that the people who wind up in the fortress have a good reason for being there, whether they think so or not - trusts the courts to deliver some kind of justice)

truth ★★★★★ (always questioning and trying to understand things, especially mysteries and off limit topics)

power ★★★★☆ (he recognizes that power has given him the comfortable life that he has so he does try to maintain it, whether by fear or respect)

fame ☆☆☆☆☆ (literally avoids kameras and anyone knowing who he is / what he looks like)

wealth ★★★★☆ (with wealth comes power in the fortress, so he's constantly thinking about new ways to make money and turning a profit)

others' opinions ★★★☆☆ (conscious of how his appearance and behavior influences what other people think of him so he does keep their opinions in mind)

[crowfeatherd]

deep dive character sheet

stolen from: old dash game from TOA tagging: you!

NAME: MOZE

BODY

height: 180cm / 5′ 11

strength ★★★☆☆ (he's muscular and well-built but not a powerhouse / relies on the element of surprise)

dexterity ★★★★★

health ★★★★☆ (one good thing that came out of his time with the disciples of sanctus medicus is that the experiments fixed his congenital defects and practically superboosted his immunity)

energy ★★★★☆ (doesn't have as much as feixiao but he can at least keep up)

beauty ★★★★☆ (conventionally attractive and nice to look at, but moze is entirely oblivious to this)

style ☆☆☆☆☆ (boy does not even brush his hair)

hygiene ★★★★★ (obsession with cleanliness is likely a trauma response)

SKILLS

perception ★★★★★

communication ★☆☆☆☆ (he gets one star because when he DOES communicate, he's usually do the point; but getting him to share his ideas is a challenge in itself)

persuasion ★★★☆☆ (insofar as a knife is persuasive)

mediation ★★★★☆ (moze does seem to frequently play the mediator between jiaoqiu and feixiao)

literacy ★★★☆☆

creativity ★★☆☆☆ (has a very rigid and superficial way of thinking)

cooking ★★★☆☆ (learned from jiaoqiu how to make food that's edible and filling should he find himself without the good doctor for a while, but would otherwise prefer jiaoqiu to cook)

tech savvy ★★★☆☆

combat ★★★★★ (born and raised for battle)

survival ★★★★★ (protects himself first and foremost)

stealth ★★★★★

street smarts ★★★☆☆ (he'd probably not fall for a scam but he'd fumble anything that required being indirect or talking in code)

seduction ★☆☆☆☆ (lmao)

luck ★★★☆☆

handling animals ★★★☆☆

pacifying children ★★☆☆☆ (people who tend to think in simpler terms usually are pretty decent with children)

MIND

intelligence ★★★☆☆ (generally speaking, he's good at figuring things out with his hands but can be otherwise rigid and simpleminded)

happiness ★★★☆☆ (generally speaking)

spirituality ★☆☆☆☆

confidence ★★★★★ (he knows what he's good at and what he's bad at)

humor ★★★★☆ (moze does have a sense of humor, albeit an incredibly dry one, that he uses to lighten the mood or smooth things over)

anxiety ★☆☆☆☆

patience ★★★☆☆

passion ★☆☆☆☆ (he's still looking for something to give his life meaning)

nice         ☆☆★☆☆ mean

brave       ★☆☆☆☆ cowardly (bravery goes hand-in-hand with his confidence)

pacifist     ☆☆☆★☆ violent (his whole life is colored by violence and blood)

thoughtful ☆★☆☆☆ impulsive 

agreeable ☆☆☆★☆ contrary (as we see in the shackling prison quest, moze loves to be contrary for the sake of it)

idealistic   ☆☆☆☆★ pragmatic

frugal        ★☆☆☆☆ big spender

extrovert   ☆☆☆☆★ introvert (an introvert who likes to be around his people but would rather do so quietly)

collected   ☆☆★☆☆ wild (once a feral child, always a little bit of a feral child)

ambitious / possessive / stubborn / jealous / decisive / perfectionist

SOCIAL

charisma ☆☆☆☆☆ (he is famously Not)

empathy ★★★☆☆ (while not very good at communicating, empathy fuels much of his actions with feixiao and jiaoqiu)

generosity ★★☆☆☆

wealth ★★★★★ (I assume retainers of an Alliance general are pretty well off)

honest  ★☆☆☆☆ deceptive (to a fault, one might argue)

leader   ☆☆☆☆★ follower

polite    ☆☆☆☆★  rude (rude in the sense that he's blunt, direct, and doesn't really follow social etiquette)

political ☆☆☆★☆ indifferent (feixiao's causes are moze's causes but he still views them like a job / requirement than something he's internalized)

BELIEFS

higher power ★★☆☆☆ (his time with the disciples has made him disillusioned with the aeons)

fate/destiny ★★☆☆☆ (doesn't think about it much)

magic ★★★★★

soulmates ☆☆☆☆☆

good and evil ★☆☆☆☆

luck ★☆☆☆☆

PRIORITIES

family ★★★★★ (feixiao and jiaoqiu are his everything)

friends ★★★★☆ (doesn't have many but does seem to value them)

love ☆☆☆☆☆

home ★★★★☆ (home is wherever feixiao and jiaoqiu are)

health ★★☆☆☆

praise ★★★☆☆ (he is not immune to someone being impressed by him)

justice ★☆☆☆☆

truth ☆☆☆☆☆

power ★☆☆☆☆ (likes it as a side effect, but doesn't pursue it)

fame ☆☆☆☆☆

wealth ★☆☆☆☆

others' opinions ★☆☆☆☆ (only very specific people matter to him)

[heartsbreaking]

NICO'S COMFORT LIST

Comfort food(s): tacos, chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pie, thin mints

Comfort drink(s): peppermint tea, english breakfast tea, coffee, dr. pepper

Comfort movie(s): 10 things i hate about you, spiderman: homecoming, hercules

Comfort show(s): teen wolf, daredevil, game of thrones

Comfort clothing: hoodies, my inside sweatpants, stupid urban outfitters stretchy shirts (you know the ones)

Comfort song(s): entire am album

Comfort book(s): percy jackson & the olympians series, the great gatsby

Comfort game(s): sims 4 and minecraft

tagged by: @awkwardcourage tagging : @fyrewalks , @razorfst , @hookd , @resp0nders + VIEWERS LIKE YOU!

[heartsbreaking-migrated]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN.

what made you pick up the muse you have? i have impulse control issues so two multis is better and more feasible than 160+ blogs. i like the freedom of being able to add and drop muses as i please and explore everything.

is there anything you don’t like to write? i'll write pretty much any subject or genre within reason but what i don't usually write?? men 😂 i tend to lose interest in writing them pretty quickly so i don't have a lot of male muses cause i just can't promise i'll keep them

is there anything you really enjoy writing? i love angst and unfortunately i really love spicy, unhealthy dynamics. anything where i really have to think and challenge myself as a writer

how do you come up with your headcanons?  dreams, delierum right before bed and instagram mostly (and also watching movies n shit)

do you write in silence or do you play music? usually i listen to music or youtube videos but i am fully capable of writing in silence and sometimes i need to to get anything done

do you plan your replies or wing them? usually i wing replies, but some of my best replies are written mentally while i'm brushing my teeth i've realized

do you enjoy shipping? i do! most of my rp experience before transferring to tumblr i didn't get the chance to write ships and i always felt left out on that front and sometimes i still do but it's still so new and fun and special to me. i love exploring romantic dynamics when there's room for it

what’s your alias/name?  nico !

age?  22 !

birthday?  october 28

favorite color?  maroon and yellow

favorite song?  rn probably rowan by raffaella

last movie you watched?  dirty dancing (and i fucking loved it)

last show you watched?  the x-files

last song you listened to?  bardot by raffaella

favorite food?  tacos

favorite season?  fall! especially late october

do you have a tumblr best friend?  i talk to @fyrewalks @razorfst and @loneewolfe pretty much every day and if i don't i genuinely feel like something is missing from my life

tagged by : @selfregard tagging: @loneewolfe , @fyrewalks , @razorfst , @livedtough @unsnare + VIEWERS LIKE YOU!

[skylarmoon71]

Patrick Jane (Mentalist) - Chapter 1

The subtle smiles and looks from your coworkers should have been an indication that something was up.

You were a detective after all. Walking into the office of your supervisor, you stopped by the door.

“Close it would you.”

He gestured.

You closed the door, now very worried at the way he was smiling at you proudly.

Captain Sean Haynes never smiled like that unless a corrupted politician was exposed or a serial killer was off the streets.

“Who did you kill, sir?”

“Because I’m in a good mood I’m going to ignore that comment Detective (L/N).”

He stood from his seat.

“I’m sure you’ve heard some of the others discussing that opening at the CBI. They’ve been looking for some of the best.”

You grin, because you realize where this is going.

“Angela told me. Micheal as well. A lot of them applied for the position. Did Angela get the job? You want to plan a surprise party? I’m on it. I can start putting things together.”

You looked ready to dash out the office.

“Hold up, that’s not why you’re here.” 

He picked an envelope off his desk, stepping closer as he held it out. You just stared down at it.

“What is this?”

“It’s your new job. You got it.”

Disbelief crossed your face, then panic.

“S-Sir, that's impossible, I never applied for the position.”

“I sent in your application. I also added my recommendation along with a few more from your previous jobs. You’re an incredible detective. The director asked me personally to make a recommendation and I chose you.”

The fact that he thinks so highly of you should make you ecstatic, but the realization of what this means is terrifying. You should have explained to him better why you didn’t apply. He must have overheard you speaking to some of the others about your hesitance and assumed you were just scared of change.

“This is a good thing. Trust me I don’t want to lose you in this department, but this opportunity is a game changer. You’re adaptive, honest and thorough. I have faith in your ability.”

You have yet to take the letter. As you stare at it you become aware that you can’t just turn down this. Sean is not known for being the most emotionally expressive person, but you know he’d put his life on the line for any of his officers. He did this for you, to help. To reject that would be bad. You try to keep your hand steady as you take the envelope and his smile brightens.

“You’ll do great.”

That’s what he said.

A month later you were transferred into the California Bureau of Investigation. Angela and Micheal had both congratulated you and used some of their vacation days to help you unpack and get settled in. The second they left California you could feel that internal fear that came with the realization that this was actually happening.

You tried everything to look on the bright side, but the idea of being here was stressful. You took an extra day to gather your wits and when you walked through those doors, you gave yourself a talk. You just needed to be smart. Keep your head down for the first few months. Settle in and above all else, keep your distance from him.

“This is Patrick Jane, he’s our consultant.” Lisbon introduced.

He held out his hand and you gave a nod, keeping your hands at your side like you’d done with the rest of them. He withdrew his arm with a careful look and you were sure to keep your expression neutral.

“Thank you, I look forward to working with all of you.”

Vanpelt was smiling, possibly excited to have another woman on the team.

“Your desk is right here, let me know if you need anything.” She offered.

You were seated a bit closer to Cho’s desk. With a nod, you move to check out the area.

“I’m sorry to throw you into the field so early but we have a case. We were just about to head over. If you’d like to get settled in you can hang back.”

You contemplated it, but turning down the invitation would certainly raise a flag, at least for a certain consultant.

“It’s no problem. I can join.”

“Great, everyone meet at the van in five minutes.”

Nods were exchanged as everyone began to gather their belongings to leave.

You waited patiently, joining them when they started filling out the door.

The second you were all in the van Jane seems inclined to start his interrogation.

“So what’s the deal with you?”

“Jane.” Lisbon’s warning tone was enough.

“Please don’t piss off the newest member of our team.”

“I was just making conversation. “ He responded.

The rest of them snickered in the back, and you just sat quietly, hoping to get there quickly.

~

Lisbon was questioning Mrs. Connell and you studied everything. Your eyes drifted over James. Her son. He’s young. You know this will take a toll on him. Losing his father. At least that’s what you thought. 

You expected a different temperament. 

His collected behavior was a bit suspicious. You lifted your head when you felt a pair of eyes boring into you. Jane was looking at you. Clearing your throat you looked away. About to take a step to the side to maybe look for other clues that could back up what you were slowly putting together about the murder. You moved to head into the kitchen but James grabbed your hand unexpectedly, clearly about to ask a question.

The rush you felt at the contact made you practically rip your hand out of his hold. You stared at him in horror and now all eyes seemed trained on you.

“P-Please excuse me.”

You paced out of the room, lecturing yourself for losing your cool.

When the interview was over everyone met you outside.

“I apologize for my reaction.”

“It’s okay.”

From her look you knew she must have just assumed you had some kind of issue with germs. You sighed, happy with her understanding.

“About the case, I think we should look into previous accidents involving their son.” You advised.

Lisbon looked a bit confused.

“Their son? James is twelve. Why should we focus on him?” 

“Because James is a sociopath.” Jane’s comment produces shocked expressions.

“What do you mean sociopath, he’s a kid.” Lisbon argues.

“He’s the murderer. Case closed. Lock him up.” 

Jane turned heading for the van as Lisbon chased after him.

“Wait! You can’t just drop something like that without evidence.”

“You’ll find evidence in that little box he keeps under his bed. He’s smart, but narcissistic. He doesn’t think he’ll ever be caught. His mother isn’t an angel either. She’s known for a while that he might be dangerous. She probably even suspected that he killed her husband.”

Lisbon still looks unsure.

“If you don’t believe it, just bring them in. Put them in different rooms and threaten to send her to prison, she’ll confess to anything if she thinks she’ll lose her son. Her husband just died, she doesn’t want to leave her her son too.” 

Through his entire assessment you’re quiet. Lisbon lets out a sigh, as she begins to give tasks.

“Rigsby, Cho, call the sheriff, we’re going to take them in for questioning. Vanpelt call forensics, we’ll need a warrant to search the house.”

Lisbon turns back to Jane with a solemn look.

“I hope you’re wrong about this.” 

You know she doesn’t want to believe an innocent child could do something so horrible.

“Me too.”

Lisbon knew it was unrealistic. 

Whenever Jane spoke in that tone of confidence she knew. They’d gotten the warrant. What was found in James’s bedroom proved Jane’s theory and much more. You didn’t need it though. From the second you saw him you knew something was off. But it’s that touch. That short interaction that reinforced what you suspected when you entered the house and James looked more composed than grieving. His mother pleaded, but there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

Her son was a monster. Left unattended he could kill so many. They took a monster off the street. You should be relieved. However, Jane has been sending you some not so subtle looks for the entirety of the day.

You just try to make it through the best you can.

The following day you try to ignore it all. Walk in and pretend that nothing is wrong.

“That’s the fastest we’ve ever closed a case. You might be a good luck charm.” Lisbon commended.

You gave a tentative smile.

“Jane was the one who figured it out, I just had a hunch.”

“Oh, don’t be modest, you’re good. I saw your file.”

You tense and Lisbon glares at him.

“How exactly did you get a hold of this file?”

“I have my ways, anyway, how did you know?”

He’s seated on his couch, just holding his cup of tea. You’ve never been so disarmed by someone that looks completely harmless.

“You’re a good detective, that goes without saying. You studied his body language. Picked up on the little social cues. It’s commendable. Your closing rate is also impressive. What concerns me is the fact that someone as skilled as you has stayed in the detective position so long. You’ve had plenty of opportunities I’m sure. I get the feeling that you were forced into this one. You never wanted to be here.”

You play that off with a smile.

“Why does everything have to be a conspiracy with you Mr. Jane.”

“Answer the question.”

Lisbon can spot the tension and now the rest of the team is just watching.

“Alright let’s all calm down.”

“I won’t because she’s hiding something. Something big. Whatever it is, it’s connected to the reason why you refuse to let people touch you.”

Swallowing, you pray that he’ll stop talking, stop fishing.

“You have no problem letting people think that you’re some kind of germaphobe, but that’s not it.”

“That’s enough Jane, stop it.”

“What, don’t you want to know if your agent is a spy, Lisbon?”

“I’m not a spy.”

He grins.

“But there is something, right?”

"I don't have to listen to this."

You need to leave before he says more.

“It’s something terrible, something you don’t want anyone to find out.”

You freeze in place, and you can see the looks you get from everyone in the room. 

Judging you, suspecting you.

Regardless of how unhinged Jane is, they trust him. 

You’re scared. 

You should have done a better job, faked it better. You should be denying every word, but you can’t get yourself to speak. You’re so panicked that you haven’t realized that Jane has closed a bit of the distance.

“What are you hiding?”

He takes your hands and you jolt.

“Why are you doing this, please, stop!”

You plea.

He’s staring at you in shock.

“How are you doing that..”

You just gape, because you didn’t imagine it, he heard you.

He heard you.

A bulb above your head pops, the glass dropping to the floor. Everyone jumps and you yank your hands out of his grasp. Before anything else is said you sprint out of the room.

“Great job Jane.” Lisbon is wearing that usual exasperated expression.

Jane is still speechless.

“Jane? Jane!”

He jumps back into reality, looking over at the rest of them slowly.

“Everything okay?”

He nods slowly.

“Everything is fine.” 

[bigdealsgoddog]

Ooooo imagine a scenario where Eugene is looking for (maybe traitor?) reader using the 🙉 prompt? All of workers are off fighting big deal so Eugene went to go tie up the loose ends with his “partner”

Ehehehehe I feel like this would be a very yandere esque scenario especially if Eugene personally was into reader Yandere!Eugene(Yoojin)xGN!reader Tw: Threatened kidnapping, implied yandere

It would've been when The Hunt for Big Deal initially started once Eugene had the meeting with the other executives of workers had gathered so he could re-introduce Xiaolung back into the group. He told the others that they could begin the hunt while he went off to go 'tie up some loose ends.' The Only ones who knew what those "loose ends" actually were were Yuseong and Mandeok. Those loose ends being you. You hadn't actually been called to the meeting oddly enough as one of his fellow executives. Turns out, you had been a friend of Big Deal, specifically Jake Kim. You had gone undercover for him initially when you joined the fourth affiliate with Samuel Seo. Personally, when Samuel had joined workers, you had followed him on your own hunch. Jake had been dealing with the gambling scams at that point and landed his stupid ass in jail. Everyone had focused their attention onto hostel, especially between God Dog and Hostel, they really didn't seem to care too much about what workers let alone Samuel was doing. So, you went undercover without them knowing, it's not like anyone would be able to know you came from Big Deal. You didn't live on the street, and you only protected the street because had helped you out one time back in middle school. You doubt he even remembers it and you kick yourself to today you still use that as an excuse to put yourself in danger. Like right now. Samuel had given away your position, most likely to not make himself look more of a suspicious character for whatever his goals were; however you worked your way all the way to workers second affiliate where you were able to get in contact with Jake again and update him about everything.

During your short reconnect with Jake, you had informed him that you were certain that workers was going to go after Hostel soon and once they did, Big Deal would certainly be next. And thus you decided from there on you would continue to spy for Jake to get any information you could that could warn him about the moves he would need to make. However, Eugene started to involve you in less and less meetings. You hadn't noticed at first, you were assuming Eugene was just too busy managing and securing the first affiliate was locked down tight. But you began noticing looks from Yuseong and Mandeok on occasion when they thought you weren't looking. Hell, even Samuel was giving you different looks here and there. They almost seemed like a warning that you unfortunately didn't pick up on until it was too late. You were rushing around Eugenes flat, trying to find something-anything really. You've realized you had to hurry up your ass to find something substantial about what Eugene was doing behind your back. Because not only was Big Deals safety on the line, so was yours. You didn't even get into workers because of your particular strength or fighting style. You just simply knew how to do business well, how to play the game as they say. But as Eugene would say, you've bet the wrong cards.

You froze in your tracks when you heard the front door open, your instincts took over you, making you make a mad dash to some room. It seemed to be some sort of at home office and you rushed underneath the desk, pulling your legs close to your chest and trying to even your breathing. Your heart rate began to quicken as you heard his footsteps coming up the stairs, slowly making their way to the room you were in.

"Hiding again (y/n)?" He spoke to himself, a small chuckle following his words. "You'd think someone as smart as you would have realized that I can track your phone" Your blood ran cold as you could practically hear the smile in his tone. "Although, I can't tell what room you're in, it only gives me a general coordinate for your location." He began to slowly walk around the room, seeming to be inspecting if any of his books or documents had been tampered with. "Although..." He started with a pause, picking up the manilla folder you had left on the filing cabinet when you realized it had nothing important. "I do like a good game of hide and seek, it's just...unfortunate." He set the folder down, walking over to his desk before yanking his chair from in front of the desk, making you gasp as your eyes widened with fear. He squatted down in front of you with a smile, tilting his head to the side as his eyes met yours. "You don't know how to hide very well (y/n). And don't even think of running, I know you're at least smart enough to not test my words whether or not you believe that my brother is standing by the front door to prevent you from trying run." You swallowed the lump in your throat, looking at him fearfully and you tried to scoot back away from him further, only pressing yourself into the corner of the desk. "You look like a deer in headlights" Eugene cooed, chuckling before reaching his hand out to you. You didn't want to see what he was about to do, immediately shutting your eyes as you turned your head away only to be met with a hand gently caressing your cheek. "Oh don't act like that. I'm not going to hurt you. after all, you have a lot to tell me don't you my little toy?"

[fidenciojesusfan92]

Think i can get a lil Human Spike love yall? 👀

Spike the Human

Age: 15

Personally: Happy, caring, overprotective, sarcastic, sensible, noble, sweet, generous, smart, shy, heroic, etc.

Appearance: A little short, Purple skin, Green hair, green eyes

About:

Spike used to live with real family until he was 4, he got lucky to survive a tragic accident that killed his family, he’s been on his own ever since, he lived on the streets for 2 years always helping when someone needs it, then when he was 6, he meets Twilight (Sci-Twi), he help her keeping company when she got lost, they had time to know each other, learning how Spike ended up homeless and without a family, when eventually they found Twilight’s family, Twilight told her parents about how much Spike helped her, she also tells they how he doesn’t really have a home, they were so grateful with Spike, then they ask him if he would like to live with them for the time being, Spike was amazed of what he heard, he emotionally agreed, years pass and eventually Spike turned to be of the Sparkle family, Spike loves his new family, he even have an older brother Shining Armor, who he played and talked of girls, and all guys stuff, but he also loves spending time with his new sister Twilight, he always help her when she needed to, they even adopted a dog, which they found him funny because he looks exactly like Spike, Twilight even wanted to call him also Spike, though Human Spike agreed but eventually, they decided to call him Sparky instead

At “Equestria Girls: Friendship Games” Spike along side with Twilight meets Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity for the first time, though when he sees Rarity, he immediately fell in love with her, not only because she was beautiful, but also because she looks familiar

Trivia:

Human Spike make his first appearance at the post credits of “Rainbow Rocks”

Adopted Family: Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor, Twilight Velvet, Night Light

Friends: Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash

Love interest: Rarity

Nemesis: Ragamuffin

Powers:

Spike gained some Dragon powers, which includes: Super strength, flight, fire breath, healing factor, super viewing and hearing, change sizes

[mintymelty]

YHS: A Serialization [] 4. The Undertaking- Actually-Doing-It Phase

⚠️WARNING! This episode contains uncensored cursing, threats of violence and weapons! (No graphic violence, tho)⚠️

════ ⋆💙⋆ ════

It’s been fifteen minutes since lunch started. I’m currently hiding out in the girl’s restroom plotting a new way in. Why? The coach walked out and (get this) LOCKED BOTH THE BOYS AND GIRLS LOCKER ROOM.

💙: (Crap! There goes plan A.)

I should have seen this coming. Yamada High doesn’t seem like the type of school to just let their precious locker rooms be potentially vandalized. Unlike my old schools.

Argh! Why is it so cold in here all of a sudden! It’s like…

The vents are loose…

Well, I could use the toilet seat as a step-stool. What’s the worst that could happen?

◁◁ ▐ ▌ ▷▷

💙: (OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH I’M GONNA FREEZE TO DEATH.)

💙: (WHYYYYY did I think this was a good idea?? It’s so cramped and wet and dark and gross-)

💙:(Whatever, 50 dollars is 50 doll-)

❓: “.. ᴵ’ᵐ ˢᵒʳʳʸ⁻“

💙: (Oh! Is that… the nerd from P.E.?)

💙: (Is he in the showers? Am I close?)

❗️: “Don’t bother. If you won’t tell me where the pendant is-“

💙: (…And Austin? He wants the pendant too?!)

❗️: “I’ll cut it out of you.”

💙: (Oh…shit! I have to do something!)

🖤: “Stay back! Get away from me-“

💙: (Uh.. is there any way i could.. drop something??)

🖤: “I don’t know where the pendant is! LEAVE ME ALONE!”

💙: (Crapcrapcrap there’s gotta be a something I could hit Austin with-)

❗️: “You can’t even keep track of your own pendant?”

🖤: “It was a gift- I didn’t know it was that important to you-“

❗️: “I don’t give a fuck about that stupid piece of plastic, it’s about what inside-“

*THWACK!*

❗️: “Agh! my head-“

◁◁ ► ▷▷

I did it! I pulled out some screws in a vent opening and threw that thing at Austin! Squeaky footsteps followed and Kai dashed out of the stall (that’s why he couldn’t just run away- they were both in a bathroom stall) and it seems like Austin gave up the chase- for now.

❗️: “Whatever, I need some ice. Don’t wanna be out of commission for training.”

…Y’know it’s hard to believe that a monster that would’ve stabbed a kid can just go about their day like nothing happened. Scary.

Anyways! I’m pretty sure the showers are empty now. Time to find the pendant!

◁◁ ▐ ▌ ▷▷

💙: “Where is it? I’ve been looking everywhere- did she-“

💙: “There you are! Come to mama-“

❤️: “Are you lost?”

💙: “ArE yOu lOst babY gIrl- OH MY GOSH you’re actually there-“

Standing right behind me was some emo-looking dude wearing a hoodie. His hair was an unnatural shade of red and looked like it needed to be brushed. I really need to work on my street-smart game.

❤️: “…are you looking for something?”

💙: “Ummm…. yeah! I kinda like… don’t know where the girl’s restroom is-“

❤️: “Well it’s not here. Get out and take a left. It���s right next door. Not sure how you’d miss the sign.”

💙: “… O.K.! Thank you, kind stranger-“

💙: “…And he left.”

💙: (More like weird stranger.)

◁◁ ► ▷▷

The locket is… odd. For something Olivia was willing to pay 50 dollars for, it was almost comical how cheap it was. For starters, it’s made of plastic. And so is the “gem”.

Not to mention the weird snake symbol on the back…

Oh well! 50 dollars is 50 dollars! The day’s pretty much over, anyways.

════ ⋆💙⋆ ════