#-to see his skills (he is already friends with the five knights and they recommended him)

[thehappiestgolucky]

Hehe modern au Xero go brrr except i actually stick with smiles ft: tiny hood baby tiso

[shivasdarknight]

i may have. a few.

Gwendoline de Lacroix is a Gridanian noblewoman, the team's main healer since ARR, a very well versed scholar, and your resident necromancer 😌

She's a bit snooty and selective with who she attaches herself to since her fields of study and work require her to be severely more cautious than most. Necromancy is something she initially began to study out of morbid curiosity, but now it's worked its way into being her main form of study. She already comes from a long line of conjurers and chirurgeons - specializing in conjury and alchemy long before ARR starts - and found necromancy to be a "natural conclusion" to these interests. By ARR, she already knows how to disrupt the aether of undead servants, can summon a handful of her own (mostly skeletons), and has a strong grasp of the magic's fundamentals. As it goes on, she gains greater control over what she can control, what she can reanimate, how much she can command at once, and has applied that - to a degree - to her white magic not just from studying how necromancy plays upon the nature of umbral magic and its ties to stasis, but from having to deal with a Dark Knight main tank who's extremely reckless but gives her ideas on how to adapt things (such as Living Dead) to her own spellbook. Souls still elude her, but that's part of why she works with The Great Work now :)

Gwen has major only child syndrome, and it can honestly be kinda funny at times when so much of this story does revolve around sibling relationships. She's a demi femme lesbian, she's polyamorous, and as of ENW she's seeing five people: Y'shtola, Nidhana, Venat, Zero, and Surkukteni (main wol, not an elezen so not here). So yeah, the white mage is a necromancer and is also dating God Herself.

Then there's this fruit. Seraphin Eldridge was a gladiator for the Bloodsands and merc-for-hire type before becoming a Warrior of Light. He was born into the Velodyna Duskwight clan to the Evrardoux family, but unfortunately never knew them too well as the Garleans swept in and slaughtered most of them. They lived on the border of the Shroud and Gyr Abania, mostly preferring to be in Gyr Abania as the Ala Mhigans were often way more welcoming of the group. And it's because of that, that not only did Seraphin lose his entire blood family to the Garleans, but was quickly adopted by Ala Mhigan family friends who took him and raised him in Little Ala Mhigo. They've done what they can to help him retain a connection back to his family - such as the face tattoo he keeps under his bangs that now has a dual meaning of both a clan mark and the traditional face tattoos that Ala Mhigans get - and he feels like he has to repay them somehow and quickly became the breadwinner of the family in his many jobs around Ul'dah.

Seraphin was the team's first tank, as of course he winds up as a Paladin. He falls more into the core belief system of Paladins rather than their role as police - which is a good reason as to why he cut ties with the Sultansworn quickly. He was only recommended because of his skills as a gladiator, but began to pursue what paladins were prior to them being effectively co-opted into Ul'dah's military. You can also tell he's genuinely more of a goody-two-shoes since he's quick to pick up Red Magic under X'rhun and continues to help him rebuild the Crimson Duelists.

This man's gay. Very gay. His boyfriend - Teodore - is a man he was supposed to guard, but the two fell for each other because they're hopeless. He and Gwendoline are apart of the original Warriors of Light group, which is funny because they're actually cousins. It's a convoluted plot that has to do with Gridania's nonsense, but in short: Gwen had a disowned brother, who would go on to be Seraphin's blood father (that he doesn't remember). Sera's a spitting image of his mother - aka the woman who got his father disowned - and the entire thing ends up getting to Gwen really badly, only driving her further away from the Lacroixs and into her controversial work.

and then this asshole, Melisande Lanverlais. She's the start of the weird ones, and the only Ishgardian Elezen I've got so far. Of course that's not why she's weird lore wise, just weird in terms of group dynamics because she can be a downright miserable person. I'm shamelessly plugging the fic she's predominantly featured in so folks can get a sense of how bad she can get, but her rancid personality comes from years of trying to keep people away from her. Messy family situation, messier relationship stuff, and just overall a very miserable person and miserable person to be around. Maybe she gets better once she's fully introduced to wol stuff, maybe she doesn't - you'll have to see :)

The thing that makes her the start of the weird ones is the fact that Melisande is someone who has not a hint of dynamis in her soul, and the only one that has no connections to the ascians whatsoever. She's an anomaly in the sense that she's mortal and has this aetherically dense soul, but it's not that weird if you consider her sole past life: that of the Great Wyrm, Ratatoskr. Melisande is the only example so far of a Great Wyrm reincarnating and has been diligently watched over by Hydaelyn and Midgarsormr both to see what would happen. Took nearly a thousand years to reincarnate, but here she is - without a single memory of who she was prior, yet this deep discomfort as she knows that something is wrong. She was born with natural heterochromia (bout the only one of my characters where that's the case), but because she's not one of the original souls of Etheirys, her receiving Hydaelyn's blessing caused things to go a bit fucky - turning that blue eye of hers to crystal. She doesn't realize that it's an Echo, but it's certainly made things harder.

She's drank dragon's blood and it didn't seem to have an effect on her, she's a top ranking fighter at the Bloodsands, she's the one who took Seraphin in and helped him get his bearings so he'd not be used by his manager. She prefers to keep to herself, but there's still that hint of wishing a few people could do better than she's wound up since she feels like she's a lost cause. She's the replacement co-tank when Seraphin can't bring himself to leave the Ala Mhigan resistance during the Doma half of STB, so this is her first taste of just...actually traveling, even if it's under the pretense of war. It's not fleeing for her life from Ishgard to Ul'dah - it's honest to god traveling and something kind of clicks.

Melisande is the epitome of a disaster bisexual, but there are so few people she has actual interest in - she mostly just uses this as a way to build herself a rancid reputation so that it gets back to her nasty family and hopefully tarnishes their image too, since that's the bastard kid- doing as a bastard does. She's gonna end up with Yotsuyu, so this is gonna be fun (:

NOW SHE'S A FUN ONE. This is the oldest person on this list, and this is Iolaine Monranguin - at least, that's her name presently. Iolaine is a ~3000 year old Allagan elezen, and unlike the Allagans we have met, she's in her original body. Iolaine used to go by the name Urth, and she was a double agent working to bring Allag down from the inside with her partner, Odin (who in this is @/hyllhund's oc, a he/him butch Odin .w.) but the two were found out. In order to maintain Iolaine's cover, Odin was slain by her hand so she could remain in the Empire's good graces and won herself the "gift" of immortality. She did indeed live to see the fall of Allag - aiding in it as best as she could - but she was the only insurrectionist to not be caught and executed.

Iolaine then proceeded to go through countless identities over the years as she went from Allag to Mhach to Belah'dia to early Ala Mhigo, scooping up whatever magicks she could. She was a proficient Summoner back in Allag, one of the original Black Mages of Mhach, was apart of the redefinitions of magic in Belah'dia, and one of the original Crimson Duelists that stuck with the order until Garlemald brought Ala Mhigo down. During the Sixth Astral Era, she took up the identity of Iolaine - which she has since maintained - and joined the with the Velodyna Duskwight clan around the time of its formation and remained with them as their history keeper. Of course everyone thinks she's fucking weird for being a 10'2" damn near purple elezen that never seems to age and has stuck around for centuries, but her memory is impeccable so they never complained.

Whilst living between the Shroud and Gyr Abania, Iolaine managed to summon and maintain the primal, Odin. And since then she has maintained his shade through the Eureka weapon, Zantetsuken. She's the one who lures adventurers to the blade so that he might rise again, time after time. When the Velodyna Clan was wiped out, she went further into Ala Mhigo to escape the destruction rather than flee into the Shroud. In a sense she has become somewhat of an asset to the Ala Mhigan Resistance due to her status as a Crimson Duelist, but it means that there's been a lapse in Odin's death and his reappearance - and she can't stand for that.

So she's a ~3000 gnc bisexual bitch who I was trying to effectively make into a female Howl but instead I got Jareth the Goblin King and y'know what, I'm fine with it. She's batshit and I love her.

and this guy's mega hella dead, but what do you expect when this is the past life of a character that's alive in the present day. Ammut was an Allagan elezen like Iolaine and actually worked with her to try and bring Allag down; they just had very different definitions of how they went about that work, and he was frankly horrified by the fact that she killed her own partner. Being a fairly high ranking member of that empire, he wound up as 12' and some of the best transitioning procedures to have ever graced the star (because yup, bi trans man). He was the brother to Amon, but the two very much so did not see eye to eye. He was a vocal opponent of the expansion into Meracydia, but he framed it in such a way that was constantly skirting what could and could not be said.

Behind closed doors, he was a lot more radical. At some point he found himself in contact with the Meracydian resistance and managed to funnel aid their way. One of his main contacts - the general, Macchi (a Mithra and close companion/pactbearer of Tiamat) - greatly disliked him and saw him as a path to ruin because he just didn't believe that Amon's own blood would ever turn against the empire, but Ammut was genuine in his intentions and aid. And honestly, his dedication to this work wound up with him being in a very similar situation as Macchi, instead having a very close relationship with/became a pactbearer of Bahamut. Eventually, Ammut and Macchi do end up together, but Macchi was right that the intervention would lead to their downfall - just not in the way he'd anticipated.

Amon caught the both of them. He knew that the vocal opposition wasn't everything to Ammut's betrayal and monitored his brother's actions for a while before capturing him and Macchi. And as a way to gloat that he finally had the upper hand, he executed them in a way even the Allagans found inhumane - summoning powerful voidsent into their still living bodies - so that they might be used to bring down the nation they sought to protect. Macchi was slain first with the voidsent, Macha (which would lead to the naming of Mhach, actually), while Ammut was killed with the voidsent, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. The rage these two had kept them from reincarnating for three thousand years, and Hydaelyn wasn't exactly too keen on letting them go even after that long because of who their original souls were. But she did anyways-

-and Ammut would reincarnate as Surkukteni, the one Venat met in Elpis that had seen such horrific shit that it spurred her into becoming Hydaelyn. While Macchi would reincarnate as Ysayle, so this vicious cycle could repeat with those two, as well.

yeah the elezen blorbos are fucking batshit but i love them.

also just for an idea of how tall Ammut and Iolaine are, this is Surkie (6'1") vs Macchi (6'3" - Melisande is 6'4" as a comparison) vs Iolaine (10'2") vs Ammut (12')

also look at THEM

I love the ff community sometimes, like, with my OC post, I still get notes, I have followed like, 100 or so new blogs, I get to see so many pretty characters. I could say, "Hey, show me your elezen!" And get dozens of screenshots on this post.

In fact.

Please show me your elezen, I feel like I never see them.

[blorbosondeck]

fic rec masterlist

canon divergent/finale fix its

Anamnesis

THIS! FIC! this fic lives in my head rent FREE it is so good and it makes so much sense in the narrative that the shitty finale concocted, as to why they wouldn't mention cas or anyone else and its just. so good and they write chuck in the most villainous way that i love!!!

"Chuck is depowered, Jack is the new god, and the world is free. Dean and Sam get into the Impala and chase down the miles on an endless highway, and their story is finally, finally their own to follow. At least, that's what Dean tells himself. But the diners and motels and painted interstate lines are blurring together and the smallest details keep catching at his brain like tiny fishhooks and he can't quite shake the feeling that not everything is exactly as it should be. Fix-it/alternate series finale. Canon-compliant through the end of 15.19."

Sunset Sound: Stairway to Heaven by @adhdeancas

GOD FUCKING CHRIST this is so good and sweet and im such a sucker for team ups and reunions!!! its 3:30 am rn and i just finished it and i love it SO much it made me laugh a lot and the last few chapters i had the stupidest grin just plastered to my face

The Closer the Star, the Greater the Parallax by @rocksalts​

repressed bastard dean submits to the mortifying ordeal of being known and receives the rewards of being loved but only after some miscommunication i LOVE this i read it last night and it’s a fast favorite. my interests have overlapped and i am INTO it

“When Dean sits down to watch some bullcrap Discovery Channel episode with Cas, he doesn’t expect to actually learn anything. Except, with Cas explaining, he makes an effort to connect the dots.”

Don't We All Deserve To Be Happy?

VERY sweet and a VERY good pick me up. all around feel good fic!!! 

"Post-canon fix-it, divergent from 15x19 where Jack stays and Dean doesn't die and Cas comes back and everyone is happy. Take a shot every time I'm salty about the finale."

Keep Your Love Alive

okay. okay okay okay this may be my favorite finale fix it just because of how well reasoned it is. like this feels what should have happened i love it SO much

"Dean gets to spend eternity sharing beers with Bobby on the Roadhouse porch and riding around in his Baby with Sam. He’s at peace… or he feels like he should be. But a few things nag at him: Where is Cas, and everybody else Dean had been hoping to see in Heaven? Why does he feel like he’s stuck in a loop, reliving the same memories over and over again? And who are the strangers wearing Sam’s and Bobby’s faces?"

The GoldenRod Revisions by @aethylas​

this is one of the most well written things ive ever read. the script format DID make it feel more real and honestly? this is better writing than this show deserves. the finale that could have been ♥️

“A rewrite of Supernatural’s final two episodes, expanded into a five episode arc - in which Chuck needs to be defeated, Castiel deserves to be saved, and the characters in this story get a very different ending.“

Ascend by @wanderingcas​ 

THEE finale fix it fic!!! written by the AMAZINGLY skilled and talented @wanderingcas !!! it’s 50k of angst and hurt/comfort and pure bliss

“Something in the world is wrong.

Demon activity is rising where mysterious black substance oozes and unusual ecological events are shaking the world. Dean, grief hanging on his shoulders, restlessly searches for answers that might lead him to the Empty… and to Cas.

But what Chuck wrote can’t be undone. The narrative thread pulls Dean along, forcing him to comply. Because once a story already has an ending, it can’t be rewritten.

Or can it?”

Things Happen (They Do, And They Do, And They Do) by THEE @sobsicles

i KNOW everyone has already recommended this and likely you’ve all already read it. but it has to go here bc REPRESSIOOOOOOOOON i LOVE this so much it is one of the most perfect things i’ve read. are you bisexual? did you have a kind of weird relationship with your best friend and not realize that how you felt about them wasn’t necessarily how other people felt about them and you were maybe a little bit in love with them but were too repressed to realize it? you’ll feel seen. maybe a little too seen

Closer (isn't close enough)

are you a sweet and sappy yet horny bastard? do you like cas exploding light bulbs? you will like this.

“the one where they finally talk about what cas said before the empty took him”

You and Your Husband

it is exTRMELY sweet!!! repression dean strikes again <3

"Five times Dean corrects someone about his relationship with Cas, and one time he realizes he doesn't need to."

Tall Grass

miscommunication and a slowburn! despite being written in 2017 and finished in 2018, it feels like a fix it. ft. plant obsessed cas <3 

Invictus

a LOVELY and short (relatively) finale fix it

“They saved the world. They're free. It's done.

Except it's not, and carrying on is the last thing any of them are thinking about.

They still have someone they need to save.”

Unchained Link

post finale- it’s a great case fic and i am compelled i want more!!!

"It's after the end of things. Life continues on while Dean is "livin it up" in heaven. But it's never that simple, is it? A freak occurrence sends Dean into another time stranded back on Earth. And he thought his hunting days were over. But, no worries. His knight in shining armor comes to the rescue. Hijinks, therefore, ensue."

fun and time unspecified

Ladies and Gentlemen, This is Love Potion No. 5

very funny and sweet! miscommunication at its finest ♥️

"Cas gets drenched with a mystery potion from the ‘love spell’ shelf and... Dean has a sneaking suspicion, angel or no— the spell may have taken effect. And Cas might be in love with Sam."

The Way We Were

Y'all. It is so good its a great mix of funny and serious- extremely fun to see dean as like a base bisexual

"Dean and Castiel pose as a couple to gain access to a gated community known as 'The Glen', a pleasant if secretive location that the boys believe might be linked to several dead bodies showing up over the years bearing signs of ritualistic sacrifice. All seems well until Dean's memory is affected from an incident during a solo exploration, leaving Dean convinced that their cover story is true. Castiel is left trying to resolve their case without taking advantage of an increasingly enthusiastic Dean"

While You Were Sleeping

this is basically just the movie but replacing sandra bullock with cas. this is my comfort movie and imo, one of the most perfect rom coms. the fic isn’t finished but i still have the tab open on my phone and i will straight up go back and re read it when i need a pick me up. 

aus/rewrites

The Harvelle Gospels: Offscript

i know everyone ever ( @jewishcharliebradbury ) has recommended this fic. and for good reason go fucking read it

“The Apocalypse is averted, the angels are in Heaven, and Jo is free from the threat of possession. Somehow it couldn't be farther from a happy ending.“

absolute riots

An Ineffably Profound Bond

i honestly would have put this in the finale fix it section! look. i know. i know you've been burned by crossover fics before. but this is Thee good omens/spn fic you want. its funny as hell and immensely satisfying. im weak for everyone working together tropes and that is this

"After Chuck sets 'The End' in motion, the remaining members of TFW make a miraculous escape. Not willing to waste any time, Castiel comes up with a plan to travel to one of the other worlds to try and get help from the angels there, but after a fight with Dean, it's the hunter who gets sent into an alternate universe,with seemingly no hope of return.

When a mysterious human with a heavenly weapon shows up in Aziraphale's shop, he and Crowley learn that their world is not the only one. Now it is up to them to decide whether or not they want to join forces with the human and help him save his world or simply find a way to send him home."

Somebody Up There Likes Me by @lafilleredige

cas is hit with a spell that turns his vessel into a woman, hijinks and sexuality crises ensue etc etc sam is a supportive and bitchy little brother and its all SO fucking funny and also. horny as hell i love it i love it i LOVE it

“’Dean doesn’t want to talk about your breasts, it’s making him uncomfortable because he hasn’t acknowledged the complex fluidity of human sexuality.’“

Stray Cat Strut

a long crack fic that IS one of the funniest things i’ve ever read and i can’t explain why. it’s so ooc but its so funny that i don’t care. if you need a laugh you gotta read this

"Sam and Cas are immediately in love with the adorable kitty they find outside the bunker door, and occupy their time planning how to convince Dean--who they believe is off sulking after a botched hunt--to let them keep their cat. Along the way, Dean learns to use a litter box and hears some confessions he maybe wasn’t supposed to hear, all while realizing just how much he loves Castiel.

Now all Dean has to do is convince Cas and Sam their new pet cat is actually him before they do something crazy--like neuter him!"

canon compliant or slight canon divergence

Give

by @doublestuffedimpala post season 7 episode 7, kind of ambiguous ending but truly a cas is happy to bleed for the winchesters fic

Punch Like Bones 

short, post 5x04 homoerotic moment that i wish we’d gotten

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 2/24/21

SEAN: As I write this, Texas is being hit with blizzards. Why not curl up… in your dark house with no power… with some manga?

Airship gives us the print volume of the 2nd I’m in Love with the Villainess, and also a print volume for Skeleton Knight in Another World 8.

ASH: I haven’t finished reading the first volume of I’m in Love with the Villainess quite yet, but I suspect I’ll want to pick up the second.

SEAN: Denpa’s site says that The Girl with the Sanpaku Eyes 2 is out next week.

J-Novel Club has a trio of light novels. By the Grace of the Gods 6, Campfire Cooking in Another World 9, and The Greatest Magicmaster’s Retirement Plan 8.

On the manga side, they have The Faraway Paladin 4 and Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles 5.

Kodansha has two print debuts, though we’ve seen them both digitally before. Cells at Work: Baby! is essentially the superdeformed version of the series.

ASH: I enjoyed the original series, but haven’t managed to keep up with all the spinoffs!

SEAN: A Sign of Affection (Yubisaki to Renren) is one that I’ve gushed about before, but here I am gushing about it again. This story of a boy and girl meeting and falling in love, it’s all about communication, as our heroine is hearing impaired, and our globe trotting hero does not know sign language. Fans of Kimi ni Todoke should check this out.

MICHELLE: I missed this when it was a digital debut, so I’m grateful for a second chance at it.

ANNA: Amazingly, this is one of the very few Kodansha digital titles that I have read, and it is absolutely wonderful. It is by suu Morishita, so fans of Shortcake Cake should absolutely pick it up. I’m sure I bought the first couple volumes digitally due to Sean’s gushing and just never posted about it. Morishita does some wonderfully innovative storytelling as the two main characters figure out how to communicate with each other, and the hearing-impaired heroine is portrayed with great sensitivity. I’m so rooting for Yuki and her first real romance!!

ASH: I’m really looking forward to reading this one now that it’s in print. Can’t pass it up with recommendations like that.

MELINDA: Well, how can I possibly resist after that glowing recommendation?

SEAN: Also in print: Heaven’s Design Team 3. The anime is currently airing.

ASH: I have legitimately learned things about animal life reading this series.

SEAN: Digitally the debut is How Do You Do, Koharu? (Gokigenyou, Koharu-san), by the author of (and in the same universe as) Say I Love You. Koharu (the younger sister of Yamato, the male lead in Say I Love You) prefers to keep her friends solely on the digital side… till she’s tempted by a follower who she might want to be more than just friends with. This runs, of course, in Dessert. I hope it is a bit less drama-filled than its parent series.

MICHELLE: I’d seen this one on the release calendar but didn’t realize it had any connection to Say I Love You. Interesting!

SEAN: We also see DAYS 22, Harem Marriage 2, Maid in Honey 6 (the final volume), My Best () Butler 6, My Unique Skill Makes Me OP Even at Level 1 2, Shangri-La Frontier 2, What I Love About You 3, and When We’re in Love 5.

Seven Seas’s biggest debut may be one that came out first nearly 10 years ago. After a period where it seemed that you couldn’t go a week without a new volume, the Alice in the Country of _________ series vanished, allegedly due to licensing difficulties with the original creator. But now it’s back… in digital form! It’s getting rolled out over several weeks. This week we get The Clockmaker’s Story and Love Labyrinth of Thorns (Julius) and The Mad Hatter’s Late Night Tea Party 1 & 2 (Blood).

ANNA: I think I’m tapped out of Alice in the Country of stories but I’m amused to see these being released again.

ASH: Oh, wow! I had somehow previously missed this news.

SEAN: In actual new titles, the debut is Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon (Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts), a yuri office romance story that runs in Comic Yuri Hime. Always happy to see more non-high school students.

And there is The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Wizard’s Blue 2, Days of Love at Seagull Villa 2, Failed Princesses 3, and How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? 5.

MICHELLE: I still haven’t even read volume 1 of Seagull Villa!

SEAN: Square Enix Manga debuts Ragna Crimson, a Gangan Joker title whose summary has the words “dark fantasy” and “revenge-fueled quest” and I stopped caring.

In much better Square Enix manga news, we get A Man and His Cat 3.

MICHELLE: Yay!

MELINDA: Yes!

SEAN: Apologies to Tentai Books, I missed their debut light novel which is actually out later this week. World Teacher: Special Agent in Another World (World Teacher: Isekaishiki Kyouiku Agent) is another of those books where the plot is described by the title.

Tokyopop has a debut. The Cat Proposed (Bakeneko Katatte Sourou) is a one-shot BL title from Canna. A man watches a play and sees one of the actors has cat ears. Turns out he’s a bakeneko, and has chosen our protagonist as his spouse!

There’s also the 3rd and final volume of Still Sick.

Vertical has Ajin: Demi-Human 16 and Bakemonogatari’s 7th manga volume.

Yen On has had a few date shifts (try to contain your shock), but we do get a few new volumes this week… and two old ones, as Haruhi Suzumiya 3 and 4 get reprints. 4 is considered the series’ high point.

And there is Do You Love Your Mom (and Her Two-Hit, Multi-Target Attacks?) 8, The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn As a Typical Nobody 5, In the Land of Leadale 2, Konosuba 13, and May These Leaden Battlegrounds Leave No Trace 3.

There’s also a Yen Press title I missed last week, as it’s out this Saturday. Megumi Hayashibara’s The Characters Taught Me Everything: Living Life One Episode at a Time is her new memoir, and Yen is putting it out digitally the same day it comes out in Japan!

ASH: I really hope this is released in print at some point, too! It should be really good.

SEAN: Because of various delays and date shifts, Yen Press has FIVE manga debuts next week. We start with Adachi & Shimamura, the manga version of which we’ve already seen the light novel and the anime. Please enjoy Adachi’s gay panic and Shimamura’s attempts to be a functioning human being in a new medium. This runs in Dengeki Daioh.

Days on Fes is a series about two friends going to rock festivals, and that’s about all it is, from what I hear. Sounds like a Laid-Back Camp vibe. This runs in Comic Newtype.

ASH: Oh, that could fun.

MELINDA: I might be into this? As someone who used to go to a lot of music festivals, that is.

SEAN: The Girl without a Face (Kao ga Nai Onnanoko) is a one-shot from Comic Beam. A boy and girl are in love. She’s a bit… expressionless – literally – but that’s just fine. This looks both cute and spooky?

ASH: This could be fun, too!

SEAN: Golden Japanesque – A Splendid Yokohama Romance is the sort of josei title folks were BEGGING for ten years ago. It runs in Flowers’ online magazine, and its author did Kare First Love, for Viz fans with long memories. A Meiji-era title about a half-Japanese girl who’s discriminated against and the boy who thinks she’s a fairy-tale character.

MICHELLE: Ooh! I actually do own all of Kare First Love, as it happens.

ANNA: I am a Viz fan with a long memory and I think I own most of Kare First Love too. I am officially intrigued and will be picking this up.

ASH: Same!

MELINDA: Same here!

SEAN: Lastly there is ID:Invaded #Brake-Broken, a title which hurts me when I try to say it out loud. It’s the sequel to the anime, and runs in Young Ace.

We also get Eniale & Dewiela 2, Mieruko-chan 2, Overlord: The Undead King-Oh! 6, The Saga of Tanya the Evil 13, Slasher Maidens 2, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun 7, The White Cat’s Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King’s Lap 2, and A Witch’s Love at the End of the World 2.

ASH: I’ll likely be picking up a few of those, too.

SEAN: What manga melts the weather all around you?

By: Sean Gaffney

[ohducknewton]

PLEASE write some Fitzroy angst!!! (Maybe about what happened at Knight school? Or at least how he’s dealing with that now?)

“I just cannot comprehend how both of you came to school with neither quills nor parchment. Honestly,” Sir Fitzroy pauses as he peers in another shop window. “It’s a school. Which therefore implies a need of school supplies.”

In response, Argo shrugs and shoves his hands deeper into the pockets of his jodhpurs. “Just didn’t seem necessary. I mean, with all the gold we’re forking over to attend said school, is it too much to ask that they throw in a free pen or two?”

Bud nods but remains silent.

The three of them have been wandering the town of Last Hope for no longer than two minutes and Sir Fitzroy is already regretting the offer to go with his new roommates on their little shopping trip. Argo insists on touching every single thing he comes across and Bud has tracked no less than six cubic feet of dirt in the single shop they have tried out so far. Maybe it's not too late to feign a headache, head back to the dorm, and just cover Gary the Gargoyle with a pillow so that any comments about Fitzroy’s social skills are muffled.

“Oh this looks promising!” Argo bounds over to Parchment, Parchment & More Parchment. “How ‘bout it friends? Think we might perhaps be able to obtain parchment here?”

Fitzroy doesn’t dignify his wink with a response and instead starts heading over to the shop, Argo and Bud following close behind.

“Alright, so I would recommend purchasing at least three packets of paper, four if you think-” And before Fitzroy can continue, the door to the shop swings open, barely missing them. With the smell of ink and paper comes two figures and as Fitzroy sees them, his stomach drops.

“Oh terribly sorry, we didn’t-” Sir Leopold starts to say, but immediately stops once he looks up. It's impossible to miss the step back he takes or how wide his eyes go. Next to him, Dame Breora does a once over of Fitzroy and from the set of her smile, he failed the inspection. “Oh! Sir Fitzroy! Or- Wait. Is it still Sir Fitzroy? Or just Fitzroy now?”

Taking a deep, calming breath, Fitzroy pauses before replying. “Yes. Still Sir Fitzroy. My title has not changed.”

“Oh. Well it is such a . . . Surprise to see you Fitzroy.”

“Likewise.” He says, teeth grit and smile tight.

Argo glances between the three of them. “Soooo, are you two friends of Sir Fitzroy here?”

“We went to school together.” Breora replies, only sparing a passing glance to Argo.

Leopold adjusts his tunic and Fitzroy would bet a hundred platinum that he did it just so that the insignia for Clyde Nite’s Night Knight School would be shown more prominently. “The school is doing well if you’re wondering. Well, except the battleground. That’s still out of commission after, well- You know.”

“Yes indeed I do know.” Fitzroy puts both his hands behind his back, grabbing one of his wrists. “I was there after all.”

“Of course.”

The five of them are still just standing there in the doorway, no one making any motion to move.

“Well this was-”

“So do you-”

Both Fitzroy and Breora stop as their words come out jumbled and on top of one another. “Please,” he says. “After you.”

“I was just going to ask if you-” She looks him up and down before wiggling her fingers. “You know . . .”

The grip on his wrist becomes near painful. “Still have magic? No actually, I visited my cleric and got a cream prescribed for it. Cleared all that magic right up!”

Leopold falters. “Really?”

“No of course not, magic is literally in all of my bones. Why can no one tell when I’m being facetious?”

Behind him, Buddy coughs. 

“Well, that’s-” Leopold glances at Breora. “That’s cool.” 

“Cool is certainly, a word.”

The awkward silence is back with a fury and Fitzroy is truly concerned at this point that his gauntlets are going to be permanently bent out of shape as he grips them. “Well this was fun.” Fitzroy says as he steps aside to let Breora and Leopold pass. “But my compatriots and I really must be going.”

Argo pats him on the shoulder as he says, “Indeed! We certainly don’t want Parchment, Parchment and More Parchment to run out of parchment, now do we? Can’t complete our homework without it!”

Breora tilts her head, Leopold mirroring her in what would almost be funny if Fitzroy didn’t know exactly where this conversation was headed. “Oh? You’ve enrolled in a new school, have you Fitzroy?”

The surprise coloring her voice starts to color Fitzroy’s vision red. “Yes. I have.”

“Well good for you.” Leopold says, getting a critical failure on his deception check and not caring. “I had assumed that after what happened, other schools would be a bit hesitant to accept you. So that’s wonderful that you’ve found one who is willing to look past all that. What’s the name of this place?”

Bud and Argo share a look. Fitzroy does his best not to challenge him to a duel right then and there. 

“Hieronymous Wiggenstaff's School for Heroism and Villainy.”

“Huh.” Leopold raises an eyebrow. “Haven’t heard of it.”

“Me either.”

And for the cherry on top of this shit sunday- Argo starts to laugh. 

This is it. This is fucking it. Fitzroy’s done. Fitzroy’s out! Built in friends, yeah right Gary! More like just another couple of bastards who will find such delight in his misery! It doesn’t matter if he has to sleep in Godscar Chasm itself, he’s not spending another second with these-

“Sorry,” Argo gets out through his laughter. “It’s just- How have you never heard of Hieronymous Wiggenstaff's School for Heroism and Villainy?”

Fitzroy freezes.

“I mean, it is one of only two schools that have been given a triple diamond rating from the Heroic Oversight Guild and three out every five professional heroes and villains are Wiggenstaff alumni!”

Argo is literally spouting off the spiel from the pamphlets verbatim, but Fitzroy honestly couldn’t care less because Breora’s and Leopold’s faces are priceless.

“I just can’t imagine how you couldn’t have heard of it, can you Bud?”

Behind him, Bud shakes his head and speaks for the first time since this encounter began. “My clan has lived deep within forest for summers beyond count. Many of us born and buried without ever seeing your cities or people. And yet . . .” He looks to the sky as a flock of birds flies above them. “ . . . I had still heard of this school.”

Fitzroy can’t keep the grin off his face.

Breora and Leopold sure can.

But before they can say anything else, Argo leans in closer to Fitzroy and stage whispers. “Maybe it’s for the best you no longer attend that school. Doesn’t seem like their curriculum is up to par if you know what I mean. Now if you’ll pardon us.”

And when Argo move towards the door, both Breora and Leopold move out of the way without a word.

It’s only once they’re fully inside the shop, away from prying ears, that Bud comments, “They are terrible.”

“I have to agree my Firbolg friend. I thought knights were all about chivalry and honor, but those two really sucked.” Argo laughs, but stops as he turns to him. “You alright Sir Fitzroy?”

“Yes of course, I have enough sense to not let the two of them get to me.” He nearly leaves it at that, but after a moment he adds on softly, “Thank you.”

As the three of them go about shopping for school supplies, neither Argo nor Bud press about what happened at Clyde Nite’s Night Knight School, don’t even hint at wanting to know. Fitzroy can’t appreciate it enough. Instead, they chat about homework or new names for Bud or what Groundsy is hiding in his hut (the current bet is on a second identical backup Groundsy). And as they wander through Last Hope, Argo touching every single thing he comes across no matter if it has a clear ‘No Touching’ sign or not, and Bud creating a verifiable trail of dirt wherever they go, Fitzroy finds he doesn’t mind anymore.

Maybe Gary the Gargoyle was telling the truth about this whole ‘Built In Friends’ thing.

Just maybe.

[whatcouldgowrong-ohthat]

The Prince and the Pauper Ch.1

So I know that most people are going to see this and probably think it’s something like Barbie’s The Princess and the Pauper. I just want to warn y’all that like the only thing they have in common is the fact that Prince and Pauper swap places. I hope y’all don’t mind, but I just wanted to make it clear ahead of time. :)

Summary: James Barnes is a prince given everything. He can travel and explore, live a life unlike any other man, and he loves every moment. He can love any woman or man, come and go as he pleases, and gives an opinion on the politics of his kingdom. When the news of his arranged marriage comes about, James finds himself needing only a moment to get away. However, a moment can change everything. What happens when a man identical to James crosses paths with him in this moment of weakness? And what happens when James is forced to live as “Bucky” - a simple peasant whose kept under the stern watch of Clint Barton and his sister, Y/N?

Chapter One

Rays of sunlight streamed through golden-framed windows, lighting up the contents of the study. Its warm glow cast a particular shine on the family portrait, lighting up the faces of the royal siblings. Dark hair framed similar faces, bright blue eyes staring intently at any passing viewer that took the moment to notice them. They were young in the portrait, no more than eleven and fifteen. 

Oh, how times have changed.

Ten years had passed since that portrait had been finished. And James, the older of the two, only kept the décor around for the sake of his sister, Rebecca. Flipping through a book, the prince passed by the painting and instead stared intently at the pages. He was searching for an answer, for a way to get the council to see his way. He had to be prepared for today's meeting and although he'd had three years to prepare for the day, the particular subject that was planned for discussion always seemed to slip his mind. Until now. Until five hours before he'd be told who he's signing his single-status away to. It was an arranged marriage that he had never agreed to, but that was the tradition Shield had thrived on for centuries. 

"You look busy."

James looked up, blue eyes shining particularly bright when the sun caught them just right. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was only Brock. He had come to trust the man well over the years, the advisor really being someone that he would give his life for. "Yes, I was." He shut the book, knowing that confiding his concerns to Brock would earn himself a lecture. The man, though a friend to James, had the kingdom's best interests at heart. And the kingdom's best interests always involved tradition.

Brock smirked, pushing himself off the shelf he'd leaned against. He made his way to the desk covered in books, noting their titles and which particular ones had pages marked. "You're looking for a way out? Aren't you cutting it a little close?"

"Maybe, but there's no proof that tradition always suited a kingdom best." James offered that boyish grin, the same one that would get him out of trouble with his mother. "And I have a history with the council. They know I've made good decisions in the past and I've always had Shield's best interest at heart."

"Yes, but you aren't king yet, James. Should you push your luck every chance you get?" Brock hesitated, lifting the cover of one book before dropping it with a soft thud. "You don't know. Perhaps this woman could be someone you see yourself with. You could really have a life with this woman and fall in love."

James snorted. "You actually think that?"

"Perhaps."

The prince watched his advisor for a moment, noting the way Brock didn't meet his eyes. "You know who she is." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Brock was the best at finding out any information he possibly could. It was his best skill and one that James often relied on for finding out those particular details the council tried keeping in the dark. This seemed to be one of those moments that he would definitely be relying on Brock's talent. "Well, come on, then. Tell me who it is."

"I shouldn't, Prince James."

"Why? It could help me, you know. I thought you were on my side."

"You already know that isn't the truth. I'm on the side of the kingdom. You are merely one man."

James huffed, leaning against the edge of the desk. He wasn't sure he would really mind the idea of a wife. It was possible that tradition might work, sure. He wasn't going to be so thick-headed that he would argue for no reason. However, there were some potential unions that James had no interest in being a part of. One of which was K.G.B. Their women were strange and the idea of his little sister having to endure anything similar to the stories he heard of the "Red Room"? A shudder ran down his spine. No, that was one union he refused to be a part of. For the sake of his sister, he refused to let the K.G.B marry into Shield. He would not let Rebecca lead that life. Not as long as he was alive. "Brock, you know I am only against one potential bride. Only one. Can you assure me it isn't her?" Brock hesitated, gaze fixated so intensely on the books that James was almost positive he could burn a hole through them. "Brock, please?"

Brock drummed his fingers and finally met James's gaze. "If you gave Natalia --" "Oh, come on!"

"I'm only saying this as your advisor."

"Then what about as my friend?" James stood, anger flashing in those brilliant eyes. "I didn't want to marry, but so long as it could open doors for Rebecca, I was willing to consider."

"Says the man who was looking for an out moments before my arrival. It doesn't matter the name of the kingdom or the princess. It doesn't matter the influence it has on your sister. You enjoy your lifestyle, James, and its coming to an end makes you a terrified man," Brock pointed out, earning a glare.

"Watch yourself, Brock."

"I could say the same to you, your highness." Brock faced James completely, hands dropped to his sides. "You say you are fine with an alliance and you look for any possible loophole. Tell me, James, which is real? Which story is honest?"

"I don't want Rebecca to endure any influence from K.G.B."

"Then who would you recommend? Tell me the name of one woman that you would willingly marry. Tell me which kingdom would lead to you putting these books away and instead acting as the future king. If you can give me a name, I will go to the council right now and put this whole argument to rest." Silence. "I thought not. It does no good to talk yourself in circles, your highness."

James grit his teeth, shoulders tensing and practically reaching his ears. He tried to slow his breaths and calm himself, but knew he was unable. His heart beat wildly in his chest, hammering through all his anger and frustration and yet unable to calm him in any sort of way. "What would you do?"

"My responsibility."

He glared at Brock, hating that the man was so dutiful to Shield and its mind-numbing "duties". "It's done," he muttered, looking away. Another statement. James had no loophole, nothing to offer instead. He was left with the council's decision and it would lead to Rebecca suffering in the future.

"There are still hours until the meeting. Get some fresh air. Allow yourself to clear your mind before you go before them."

James glanced to the window, to that warm sun that had been encouraging only an hour before. Now it seemed that was his fleeting escape before everything would be finalized and set in stone. Grabbing the jacket draped over the chair, he ordered Brock, "Don't tell anyone that I've left." 

"Yes, my prince."

Hesitating, James told him, "Don't tell Mother or Rebecca about K.G.B. They need to hear it from me."

"Of course, but please, take the time to calm yourself."

Watching his retreating form, Brock tilted his head curiously. Was the prince really so easy to manipulate? How...pathetic. Sighing softly, he picked up one of the books and read its spine. Grimacing with distaste, he set the book back in its place and muttered, "Pierce will be glad to know that everything's falling into place rather well." --------- Shield's vast country was a particularly wonderful aspect of the kingdom. With massive forests to the north and south and mountains protecting it from both east and west, Shield was practically impenetrable. It made escape, desperation, and a need for adventure almost easy to find. The kingdom never had to worry about the nomads that lived within the forest because they didn't have the resources to take on Shield's army. They needn't worry about the possibility of threat coming from the mountains due to the never-ending winters that plagued the peaks. 

But between the two, James's favorite escape was exploring the forests. He never seemed to get enough of the possibilities. The northern forest was eerie with a constant fog. It left him desperate to seek out anyone who had the potential to survive a world that lacked food, resources, or any means for expected survival. Meanwhile, the southern forest was constantly damp with thick canopies that left almost no room for sunlight to come through. Animals thrived as did evolved plants. He remembered one knight who had come back without his leg, delirious from the acid that had come from one of the carnivorous flowers.

So which was he to escape to?

James dismounted his horse, knowing better than to encourage the beast to trek into the northern forest. He pat her neck, cooing comforting words as he eyed the dense fog before him. Other than making out vague shadows and figures that he assumed to be branches, James could see nothing. It was the perfectly place to leave his thoughts behind, lost to the world. "I'll be back soon." The horse, Domino, knickered, moving in front of him and earning a roll of the eyes. "I will. I've explored this place more than the other and have yet to run into anyone that could live here. Relax." Domino was obviously displeased, but allowed James to move around him. "I just need to clear my head. If I don't come back soon, come and find me."

It wasn't exactly normal that James assured his animal or that he even offered it solutions, but the bond he shared with the beast was unlike what most would work to create. The two trusted one another and, on more than one occasion, had saved each other's lives. He knew that he could trust Domino to find him and bring him back safely.

And so James walked. He was slow with his steps, deliberate just in case. He couldn't afford to be late for the council, but James certainly didn't want coming back to be easy. He wanted the challenge and was desperate for it. All he wanted was to get lost in the possibilities of a future, but if not, he could get lost here. Here could be enough. Ducking under a branch moments before it could snap him in the face, he rounded a corner and kept on a new path. Maybe he could find someone this time? Maybe now there would be something different? However, as easy as it was to get lost, as easy as it was to hope for a new adventure, it was just as easy to lose track of time. There was no way to tell where the sun was in the sky, its rays unable to break through the thick clouds residing just above. Instead he was left to guess, to assume whether it was moments, minutes, or hours. 

And perhaps it had already been more than the former. Pausing in his tracks, James squinted, already knowing it would do him no good. Of course it wouldn't. Sighing softly, he scratched the scruff of his jaw and looked around. Had he come from that way? Or that way? Could he try to backtrack with his footsteps? No, the ground wasn't soft enough. 

"Domino!" His voice echoed, lost to the wind and James knew that maybe he was in trouble. Maybe he would have to offer a few apologies to Fury, Pierce, and Brock. 

Maybe.

"Domino," he called again, spinning around. The more he looked, the more his memories began to blur together. He really couldn't recall which was which. "Really, now you want to be a stubborn mule?"

"That's not very nice." 

James froze, the sound of the feminine voice surprising him. He looked over his shoulder, a woman decked in red being the exact opposite of what he was expecting. "Hello."

"Hello." She smiled, tilting her head curiously as James turned to face her.

 "You're the prince."

James knew he shouldn't admit to that. If this woman wasn't alone, they could possibly kidnap and attempt to ransom him. Or worse, they could kill him. "I'm afraid you have me mistaken."

"No, I don't. I'd know that face anywhere. You look exactly like Soldat.”

James's brow furrowed as he looked around, expecting others to come from what he assumed was nowhere. "Who is Soldat?"

"He is." She pointed past James. He turned around again, his head practically spinning. However, it all came to a screeching halt when he saw the person before him. Ice seemed to hit his veins, stopping him from forming any sort of retaliation. Before him stood an all too familiar face. An all too familiar person. It was him. Except it wasn't. Long hair shielded the same blue eyes and where James had scruff, this "Soldat" had a full beard. He was wearing simpler clothes and it seemed there was a hollowness, a wall in his gaze to keep the rest of the world at bay. It was similar to the look he'd seen in his men that had come back from the war. Now he was seeing it in himself.

"It looks like Crossbones didn't fail us," he spoke, his voice exactly like James's except softer. 

"Who is Crossbones?" James frowned and made a pass for his sword. The action was stopped almost instantly when a knife whizzed just past, barely nicking the back of his hand before striking the ground. He looked to where the attacker must have been, unable to see anyone through the fog. "What is this?" He took steps away from the woman and Soldat, frowning when they took slow strides towards him. "I demand for you to explain yourself."

"How cute." The woman's hands glowed scarlet, a type of magic James had only ever heard stories of. "He thinks he has a say here."

"Who are you?" James's back hit a tree, earning an uncomfortable grunt from him.

"Don't think about that right now." Walking to his side, the woman ran her finger along his jaw and leaned closer. Her eyes flashed scarlet as she whispered in his ear, "I have something else to cloud that little brain of yours."

His mind flashed brilliantly, as if wisps of scarlet were dancing through his mind. James grunted, clenching his jaw as he leaned forward. A hand propped on his knee, struggling to hold him up. "What are you --"

"Go, Soldat, I have this." The words were muffled, practically lost on the prince. 

"Just be sure to finish the job this time."

The sound of footsteps was lost beneath the pounding of James's heart in his ears. He breathed heavily, practically hearing the sound of blood coursing through his veins. Everything was heightened, turned up to a twelve. It left him trembling, lost in his mind. Falling to his knees, he started forgetting about Shield and his life. He started forgetting about titles and duties, his mind drifting off to a world he had yet to see before. 

Until it stopped.

James fell forward, turning his head just in time to see the scarlet woman cry out and stumble back. An arrow struck the ground. He only saw her feet and legs, his hands pinned at his sides by the weight of the world and unable to lift him up. He didn't see the attacker. He couldn't make them out through the black edging at the corners of his eyes. Everything felt so...heavy.

"Wh-Wh..." His voice trailed off, lost in his throat. 

"Fight or flight, witch? She won't miss again." That voice sounded familiar. It was male, but James couldn't bring himself to make out where he knew it from. "And I can do this all day." Who was he? Why was he so familiar? Blinking slowly, he watched the scarlet woman's feet turn and run, disappearing in fog almost instantly. The man's feet turned to face him and, instead of walking towards him, James felt the hands of a third person flip him over. They were small and frail. For a moment, he tried fighting, thinking that it was the scarlet woman yet again. Until he saw this woman's face. It was a blur, but clearly different from the other that had attacked him earlier. Finally, the man who had spoken appeared just behind what he assumed was a concerned face. His low voice rumbled, "Oh, Buck..."

Was that his name? Buck?

The woman looked towards the man still standing. "We have to get him out of here, Steve." She finally spoke. It was nice, oddly comforting.

Steve. Buck knew a Steve, but that was a long time ago. A really long time ago.

"If she was here, there's no doubt that the others are close." Watching Buck intently, her hand brushed the scruff on his cheek. "Maybe Bruce can do some damage control."

Steve nodded. He disappeared for a second before it felt like the ground was disappearing out from underneath Buck. He realized then that Steve was carrying him. Shaking his head, the blonde looked down at Buck and couldn't stop himself from asking, "How the hell did you get out here, Bucky?"

Bucky. He shrugged, unsure how to answer because he couldn't really remember. But that name sounded familiar. Bucky.

-----

Tags:

Prince and the Pauper:

@hail-ey-sader​ @broco8​

All Work:

@rinthehufflepuff​ @the-captain-bambooty 

[rose-in-june-blog]

translation: The biography of Xu Wenchang

徐文长传

明代：袁宏道

The biography of Xu Wenchang

Ming dynasty, Yuan, Hongdao

*the given name of the writer, Hongdao, means “broad way”

In my youth I once passed the market, and saw the script of a northern poetic drama “Four Calls of the Ape”, whose conception and spirit was so unconstrained and heroic, that it seemed completely different from all legends created by recent literary men. The author signed “the literary man from Tianchi”, and I guessed he lived in Yuan, the last dynasty(*Tianchi can also be translated as “heaven lake”). Later, I went to the province Yue, and saw in someone’s house a calligrapher, whose creator signed “tian shui yue”(*meaning the images of field, water and moon). The calligraphy showed great vigour and strength, and reflected vividly the refusal to accept fate. I was much startled by it, and yet didn’t know who the creator was in reality.

One night I sat in the home of my friend Tao, a royal compiler, took out a random book from his shelf and found it to be a poetry anthology named “unfinished collection”. The book used poor paper and bad printing, and it was hard to figure out the characters. I moved towards the light to see clearer, yet as soon as I read several poems, I was surprised and jumped up suddenly to call my friend Shikui(Tao’s art name, meaning “basket for stones”): “who is the author of these poems? Is he contemporary or ancient?” And my friend said: “This is the collection of Sir Xu Tian Chi, a predecessor who is born in my hometown. His given name is Wei, his courtesy name is Wen Chang(* “Wei” comes from the name of a long river. The literal meaning of “Wenchang” is “literacy long”, which conveys the hope that the man’s achievement on literacy shall be as great as the river). He lived during the eras of the last emperor, and died just about five or six years ago. The inscriptions or calligraphers signed ‘Tian Shui Yue’ are just written by him.” I only get to discover then, that all three authors that impressed me were just one man, Mr. Xu Wenchang. Since the field of poetry has been barren and polluted for a long time, the discovery of such a great collection was like waking from a nightmare. We both jumped up and gathered under the light, read, cried, and cried and read again, to the extent that the servants asleep were all waken up. From then on, no matter when I write or when I talk, I always highly praised and recommended Sir Wenchang. Whenever someone visits me, I take out those poems to read together. And soon the great literary men all knew him and began to admire him.

Wenchang was a Xiucai in Shanyin province, failed in further imperial examinations for several times, and lived a bold and unconstrained life(* xiucai is a social range for learned men who passed the first level of imperial examination, but not the second and the third. Once people passed the second level of imperial examination, they will get the chance to be officials, yet Xiucai cannot. However, like knights, Xiucais were in a relatively high place in the social hierarchy and had certain privileges). The marshal, the Honourable lord Hu Meilin appreciated him, and invited him to act as his advisor(*Meilin was Hu’s art name, which means “woods of plum trees”). Wenchang required: “If you want me to work for you, please treat me as your guest and allow me to enter and leave your house whenever I want.” Lord Hu agreed all. Then Wenchang bowed to him and sat down in black hat and Keh clothes, and talked thoroughly about the situation of the world as naturally and fluently as if nobody else was evaluating him. Lord Hu was very glad about that. At that time, Lord Hu lead the troops of several frontiers, and his mighty name inspired awe throughout the southern and eastern part of the country. The soldiers, though strong in armours, knelt in front of him and dared not raise their heads; yet Wenchang, as a weak intellectual under his governance, could act talk and joke as he pleased, showing no trace of fear. It then happened that a white deer that was deemed as auspicious was caught, and Lord Hu let Wenchang write the letter to our late emperor. The late emperor was pleased when he read the letter, so lord Hu attached more importance to Wenchang, and let him write all the documents and letters to the central government.

Wenchang is proud of his own literary and military talents. He likes giving unusual strategies and often goes straight to the heart of the matter when he talks about military. All the strategies lord Hu used to make the pirates, including Wang and Xu, surrender, were discussed secretly among the two. Once Wenchang drank at a restaurant, and several soldiers also came to drink and refused to pay. Wenchang secretly wrote several words to tell lord Hu about that, and lord Hu immediately ordered to arrest these soldiers, and sentenced them to death. The whole army was frightened by that. A monk carried vile conduct, believing that he could not be punished because he was rich. Wenchang occasionally talked about that to lord Hu when he is drunk, and lord Hu later found an opportunity and killed that monk. Such trust between the two can be manifested by the two examples.   

Lord Hu appreciated Wenchang’s talents and ability, and lamented for his failure in imperial tests. During the next provincial imperial test, Lord Hu secretly told each examiner: “Mr. Xu has the ability to be in charge of the whole country, if you see his paper, please don’t miss this talent.” All agreed. Only one head of a county, who was also an examiner, was tripped by some problems in his own county and visited lord Hu very late, and Lord Hu occasionally forgot to tell him about that. Yet this man happened to mark Wenchang’s paper, and Wenchang was not selected again.

Finding himself not appreciated by the mainstream scholars, Wenchang behaved unrestrainedly, indulged himself in drinking as well as in enjoying the beauty of nature. He travelled across the regions of Qi, Lu, Yan, and Zhao, viewing all the sceneries in the desserts. All the scene he saw: the running mountains, standing waves, rising sands, moving clouds, crying of winds, bending trees, deep and serene valleys, grand and busy cities, various people and animals...are presented by poetry. Meanwhile, in his bosom lies an ineffaceable spirit, with the grief and resent of a hopeless hero. So his poem are like angry rebukes, like loud laughter, like sound of water running in narrow canyons, like seedlings bursting out of the soil, like widows weeping at night, like travellers leaving in coldness. His artistic conception can be as vast as thousands of miles of plain, or as steep and secluded as ghosts speaking in autumn graveyards. His sight surpasses time, his work is unique in the era. The so-called high ranking and noble literary men were all despised by him, and so his fame was limited to his hometown province. How lamentable!

Once he drank at an official of his hometown’s. The official plead him to write a Fu, i.e., an article in verse, about a specified small thing on the table, and secretly told the servant to give Wenchang a piece of paper as long as a zhang(more than three meters) to challenge him. However, Wenchang began writing as soon as he got the pen and filled the paper with his excellent creation. His artistic conception was vigorous and unrestrained, and his article left nothing imperfect, so that all at the banquet were shocked. 

Wenchang loved writing calligraphy. His handwriting was as untrammelled and forceful as his poems, and a unique charm stands out from his forceful writings. I cannot write good calligraphy, but I personally feel that Wenchang’s calligraphy is better than the famous artists, Wang Yayi and Wen Zhengzhong’s. It is not the skill of writing, but the spirit behind that is valued here: my sir is indeed a hermit sage and an untrammelled swordsman in the field of calligraphy. His excessive talent overflew to the field of drawing, and the flowers, grass, bamboos and stones he drew were all unrestrained, detached and interesting.

Yet in the end he killed his second wife out of suspicion, and was almost sentenced to death. Zhang Yanghe paid great efforts to negotiate to make him released. And he was as stubborn as before. In his twilight years he was more enraged by the world, and acted more crazily. The dignitaries who visited him were all refused, the powerful officials couldn’t get one calligraphy from him. Sometimes he went to the bars and asked the servants there to drink with him. Once he hit his head with an axe until blood covered his face and the bones were broken, and rubbed the bones to make strange sounds. Once he hit his bottom with a hammer. And once he inserted sharp awls into his ears for more than a cun(three centi-meters), and yet he did not die of that.

(* By this time, the marshal Hu has already died in the prison because of political struggle for many years)

My afore-mentioned friend Shikui said: Wenchang’s poetry and articles became more unique in his twilight years, yet he did not print them and put all his writings at his home. I have only seen two of them: “The Anthology of Xu Wenchang” and “Unfinished Collection”. Yet without being recognised, he died with the anger to this unfair age.

I, Shigong(*the art name of the author means “Mr. stone”), would comment like this: my sir was so unlucky and met so many obstacles in his life, that madness has infected him, and this madness brought him to the jail. In the history, the literary men often meet difficulties and hardships, yet nobody met as many as he did. Yet lord Hu was indeed a hero, and treated him with special respect, which means my sir was appreciated by heroes. Our former emperor was brilliant, and was greatly pleased by the letter he wrote, which means my sir’s ability was appreciated by the emperor. Only that he didn’t became an official through the exam. My sir’s poetry and articles stood out and eliminated the recent abominable climate of literature. The later generations hundreds of years later would naturally give him a fair conclusion. And from this perspective, how could we say that he is unrecognised by the society? Mei Kesheng once sent me a letter which says: “Wenchang is my old friend. His illness is more peculiar than his characteristics, his characteristics more peculiar than his poetry, his poetry more peculiar than his calligraphy, his calligraphy more peculiar than his prose, his prose more peculiar than his drawing.” And I would say that nothing of Wenchang is not peculiar, and this peculiarity caused that nothing waiting for him was not hard. How lamentable!

[goodqueenaly]

House Words Wednesdays: House Moore

Welcome to House Words Wednesdays! Each week, I take a House without known canon or semi-canon words and present what I think could make sense as that House’s motto. You’re free to suggest more as well, if your favored House has not yet been suggested; take a look at this link to see what has already been suggested, and shoot me an ask through Tumblr if you have another House you’d like to see done.

House Moore is a noble House of the Vale, sworn (probably) to the Arryns of the Eyrie. While their official rank is not known (and indeed, no member of the House besides Ser Mandon appears in the main series), the non-canon A Song of Ice and Fire Campaign Guide indicates that the Moores are a landed knightly House, which is about as good a guess as any. I do think that the Moores are probably a pretty old family, given their sigil - three bronze spearheads, on a white field, within a bronze embattled border. Bronze was the favored tool medium of the First Men, and gave them a technological advantage over the children of the forest. With the prominence in the Vale of the First Men Royces - famous for their bronze armor, to the extent that the head of the family is even called “Bronze Yohn” - it stands to reason that a family which likewise uses bronze on its heraldry would claim First Men lineage. 

Whatever their background, the most prominent Moore is unquestionably Ser Mandon, a knight of the Kingsguard under Robert and subsequently Joffrey Baratheon. Ser Mandon was brought to King’s Landing by Jon Arryn when the latter was appointed Hand, and Robert gave Ser Mandon a white cloak in turn. The choice was probably more out of necessity than any real belief in Ser Mandon’s fitness for the position: with five open spots to fill in the Kingsguard - an almost unprecedented number of vacancies - Robert was probably only too happy to pick someone who carried a suitably noble name, came in the train (if not necessarily on the eager recommendation) of his beloved foster father and Hand, and demonstrated sufficient skill in arms to serve as one of the king’s guardsmen. Mandon Moore was and remains one of the most ambiguous members of the Kingsguard, certainly in the modern narrative. Multiple characters remark upon the coldness not just of his eyes but of his character; unlike his other sworn brothers, Mandon never demonstrates any sort of lever that could be used against him. He has neither emotional ties to his onetime benefactor and countryman Jon Arryn, nor an apparent inclination to corruption, nor even any obvious belief in his own chivalry. His only friend was his sword, according to Barristan Selmy, and that in Jaime’s estimation made him dangerous; he would never give an indication what he would do next. His only motivation, it appeared, was his duty as a Kingsguard, though even that he carried out with a disturbing lack of feeling. 

For the Moore words, I came up with The First Defense. With the Moore sigil featuring bronze prominently, I believe the Moores were one of the first families of the Vale, established long before the Andals came. Their bronze spearheads, made from this ancient technology, would demonstrate that since the earliest days of Vale nobility the Moores had been ready to defend their ancestral lands. Moreover, as the only two known Moores (the other being Ser Maladon, a character named in “Sons of the Dragon”) have both been members of the Kingsguard, I thought that this motto was fitting: the Kingsguard is the first line of defense against the safety of the king and royal family, and House Moore has been more (heh) than willing to lend its own sons’ strength to this cause. Ser Mandon, in particular, seemed to have no motivation except his own duty as a Kingsguard: seemingly utterly without personal connection or ambition, Ser Mandon thought only of defense of the king (even when that meant abandoning his own charge, Sansa, or seeking to murder the King’s Hand, Tyrion). (I like this particularly if Ser Mandon was appointed early in Robert's reign - literally the first in the defense of this new dynasty.)

[cianmars]

And AU Headcanons for Detective Red Snowing? PLEASSEEEEEEE

Ooooooooh yes! (literally who sees this please send me even more for this ship as I love them)

Often when they go out on dates everyone assumes they’re on a double date, they are always stressing that they’re all together.

Rogers is actually an amazing cook, a few times he’s cooked for his family if he got home before them, he claims he just follows recipes but he’s overjoyed that his spouses love it. 

They chose their wedding rings together and all have engagement rings from each other (David to Snow, Rogers to Ruby, Snow to Rogers, and Ruby to David). Some idiots  people try to make out that David likes Snow best and Rogers likes Ruby best etcetera, they have no insecurities about it at all, they know they love each other fully and completely. 

They try to go out on date nights at least once a month, but mostly they’re homebodies and have ‘dates’ at home when the kids are asleep.

They’re often caught in the kitchen dancing with each other along to the songs on the radio - they are amazing gestures of love and do them constantly (from flowers, mixtapes, chocolates, dancing, to big gestures like romantic nights away at hotels).

I accidentally started to do like five for each of them…. and for their kids (I have like a million more HC honestly)

Rogers:

They all met after Hook got back from Neverland where he had been for just over a century - having reached his lowest (giving Bae to Pan) he had tried to redeem himself when he met bandit Snow, faking Prince David, and unknowing werewolf Red. He tried to distance himself from everyone and do good deeds from afar so not to hurt anyone else but fate had a different idea and he bumped into them all the time, before long they all finally realised they were all in love and formed a poly Quad.

Under the curse (not done by Regina but by someone else) they were transported to Hyperion Heights which is right next to Storybrooke. Detective Roger’s first name is Kian, he often gets it shortened to either Kee (key) or Ian (mostly because everyone kept pronouncing it differently or asking him a million questions based off of it). Once the curse breaks he keeps that name instead of Killian’s, he finally forgive himself (after over a century of making up for his past deeds and continuing to do that since) and that he wasn’t the same man who had the name Killian Jones. He takes the last name of Charming but he often gets called just Rogers like he was under the curse. 

Because he took in Alice under the curse he’s the one who understands their now growing daughter the most, and her mental health issues, despite that he wished that it hadn’t taken him so long to do it, he also totally regrets not having bonded as much with Emma and tries to make up for it but it’s hard because his baby already has so many walls. 

He and David worked together as partner detectives under the curse, he  visited the diner owned by Ruby twice a week, and spoke to Mary Margaret who he saw in the bookstore every Tuesday and Thursday night at 8pm no matter what (they were subtle like that) (until Emma came to town and it all started to change and become uncursed. He had crushes on all of them but he assumed that he was just good friends with them or desperate for human connection. 

He still has phantom pains where his hand should be, under the curse he got his new hand attachment which works almost like real hand which he keeps when the curse breaks. He only uses his hook against villains.

Ruby:

Ruby is a very logical thinking and a natural mediator, she was both a knight and a diplomat in their kingdom (as well as having the official title of princess like her husbands has the title prince). She uses these skills during the curse at her diner which lies between Storybrooke and Hyperion Heights to both run the place and the financial side and to help people in the diner solving their problems. 

She would walk around with Alice on her back in werewolf form when she was a baby until the curse fell in the Enchanted forest and couldn’t sleep, she would often find runaway near her diner in the early hours when she was starting to open it, she always took her in and made sure she had enough to eat, she did the same when Emma suddenly started to hang around with Alice. She wanted to take them in but was told she wasn’t allowed to foster either of them because she was always at the diner (plus the curse was wanting to make her feel guilty). 

She is an amazing cook and baker, when the curse breaks their home smells like baking all the time. She shares cooking duties with her spouses as they often catch up on their days while cooking. She tries to teach her daughters how to bake, she encourages 

She is a really fast runner even in human form, she uses that to her advantage as both of her girls are such fast runners and they sometimes spook and run away when they’re scared.

Because of being a werewolf she runs hot and rarely ever gets ill, but when her spouses or children get ill she has about a million different home remedies to try and help them.

Snow:

She’s a teacher in a school in Storybrooke during the curse but she lives between the city and the town, close to Ruby’s diner, they’ve been friends for as long as they can remember (because of the curse). The diner is also how they all met during the curse. When the curse breaks she stays a teacher.

She always talked to Alice at the diner but had no idea she was homeless until Rogers took her in (Alice hadn’t wanted her to know), one day she brought her a backpack with some new clothes, hygiene stuff, snacks, and puzzles because she could tell Alice needed things like that. 

She spent hours in the bookstore, becoming friends with Belle as she did, she was constantly (unknowingly) recommending books to her spouses while they were cursed. When they buy a house after the curse breaks there are bookcases full of books all around the house. 

She’s rather type A, just like Kian, she’s hyper organised which comes in positive when they are going out somewhere. She’s also very competitive, particularly when it comes to board games (she sometimes lets Alice or Emma win). 

She became Emma’s teacher in Storybrooke when Emma joined, she made sure to give Emma all the extra help she needs, she bonded a lot with her and strongly supported David fostering Emma during the curse, but felt a little jealous that she didn’t. 

David:

He was partners with Rogers under the curse and had a crush on him during it but thought it was just because they work together in what can be a high pressure environment. He also had a crush on Ruby who he talked to and jokily flirted with at the diner at least once a day, and Snow who he met in the hospital. 

He was shot the week Emma came to town. In hospital he met Snow, Emma, and Alice. Snow was volunteering there and Alice was snooping around trying to figure out what was going on. Emma was part of Snow’s class volunteering and she started to talk to him. They see each other in the diner all of the time, when he realises that she ran away from her foster home and was living on the streets with Alice and a few others, he becomes an emergency foster career and fosters Emma (while Rogers takes in ‘Tilly’)

His apartment in the city is really modern and rather big (his cursed self was pretty well off (because he wasn’t the one who Zelena mainly cared about affecting) He felt bad when he realised even the things he took for granted Emma had never had. He was much happier when they bought a slightly more homely feeling house when the curse broke (plus it meant both he and Kian could try and convince their wives to get a dog - “One that isn’t Ruby” “You’re both in the doghouse”)

After Emma moves out of Snow’s class and into a new one they find that she isn’t being helped at all and is basically ignored, they have to choose between finding a school in the city which can help her better, or David homeschooling her, or a mixture of the two.

He’s pretty athletic and is an avid runner and can even beat Ruby, he competes every year in a few marathons and races, often for charity. He lets Emma and Alice ‘train’ with him, often before they have baths and go to bed… mostly to wear them out.

Alice:

Alice was conceived when Kian had a one night stand a little while before he got into a relationship with David, Snow, and Ruby (he slept around a bit in the hopes that he would stop feeling things for his true loves). The lady tracked him down a few weeks after Alice was born and said that she didn’t want Alice and she was now his problem to “deal with however he wants”, he was not about to abandon (or worse) his daughter. He fell in love at first sight, he prepared to leave because he assumed no one would want to raise someone else's baby, but his spouses would never do that. They also fell in love straight away, Alice knows her story, and that family isn't made of blood but of love. 

Alice was nearly 5 when the curse hit and had been very excited about her mommy going to have another baby, especially when she was told the secret (that it was going to be a girl). She actually helped choose Emma’s name, out of two options (with strong hinting from Snow that Emma would be an amazing name).In the Enchanted Forest she was taught chess by her papa. She started to play chess against him again when the curse started to break when Emma came to town 6 years later. She’s really good at it and it helps her to organise her thoughts and figure out the curse to go on to break it with Emma).She was meant to go through the wardrobe with pregnant Snow but the curse fell before her Hook could get her to the nursery.She told her parents that she was going to marry a girl when she was 4, she pointed out that she was right when she got her first girlfriend.

She had been living with a neglectful couple during the curse so she ran away when she was young, she’s good at living on the street and can parkour pretty well. Emma was in a similar situation and the two found themselves drawn to each other, when Emma ran away Alice looked after her, the two were constantly together. She became a informant for Detective Weaver, which is how she initially met Rogers. She was eventually looked after by Rogers. 

When the curse broke it was rather overwhelming to fully remember her pass as well as being aware of the six nearly seven years she missed out on having her family. She broke down yelling at all of them when she didn’t think Emma was around to hear. Zelena had only cast the curse as she saw how happy Snow was when she was pregnant with Emma , and wanted to be the ruler instead. So Alice shouted (out of being overwhelmed and a little jealous) that if Emma hadn't been thought of she would never had her family stolen from her. Emma heard and ran away, Alice was the one who found her and assured that she honestly didn’t mean it, no matter what she never shouted anything like that again.

When she was a teenager she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Her parents help her a lot with managing it, but she’s still getting used to it. She’s starting to notice a difference between how she feels when she’s on her medicine and when she’s off of them.

Emma:

She came to the city when she was 6 when she was fostered by Blue and George, they were emotionally and physically abusive towards her from the first night she was there, so it took her a short time to run away from there and onto the street. She became best friends with Alice and August along with a couple of other street kids.

She has autism and ADHD. She autism was the reason the people who were months away from adopting her decide that they didn’t want her - her parents pointed out that that’s not her fault and that the other people were wrong to give her back because she’s autistic. Snow (or Mary Margaret) was the first teacher to really invest in her and actually help her. 

She’s worn a hearing aid in her left ear since she was 4 and was hit by a foster mother, the same thing happened when she was in Storybrooke, only by George this time, when people had started to realise that she wasn’t living there and had run away. Tilly holy Rogers and David and they arrested George and made sure that she got checked out at the hospital. 

She’s nicknamed Koala as she’s always attached to one of her parents, particularly David, she’s a complete daddy’s girl despite claiming that she’s independent. She’s always assured that it’s okay to be a little clingy, after all her sister was the same.

She carries around her important things in a backpack she's rarely seen without, her baby blanket, a teddy, sketchbooks, pencils, her kiddie tablet, etcetera. She also always has headphones with her which help when she overstimulates.Things have to be deemed very important to go in her backpack.

[talkingsquidphd]

Review: Sebastien de Castell, “Traitor’s Blade” & “Knight’s Shadow”

My name is Falcio val Mond, one of the last of the King's Greatcoats, and if you listen very carefully you might still be able to hear me screaming.

- Knight’s Shadow

I’ve always had a soft spot for reluctant heroes. Their hesitance often speaks to a kind of endearing humility that you don’t find in either the earnest Chosen Ones of high fantasy or the slippery antiheroes of grimdark. It can also be an “emperor’s new clothes” situation, where they initially refuse the call to adventure on the grounds that they have too much to lose – what sane person with people to protect, after all, would agree to subject themselves and their loved ones to anything like the hero’s journey?

[Right you are, Rocket.]

Falcio val Mond, protagonist of Sebastien de Castell’s Greatcoat series, is the epitome of the reluctant hero. Falcio has no reason to be humble, though he often is – he’s perhaps the best fencer in the world, the handpicked right-hand man of a once-powerful king, and the leader of a far-flung group of warrior-magistrates who categorically bow to no one and whose meager goal is to restore peace and justice to the land. He also has little to lose – by the time the first book picks up, both his saintly wife and his beloved king are long dead, killed horribly in ways Falcio was powerless to avert. Instead, from the very first of over two thousand pages, Falcio wants nothing more than to die, and the events of the series – plucky rescues, daring escapes, and hair-raising duels choreographed as tightly as neurosurgical procedures – are minor speedbumps on his path to rejoin those he loves in the afterlife. To Falcio, death is the carrot on a stick that he chases unwillingly through the hoops of herohood, and against all odds, it’s an absolute joy to watch.

For a man more or less constantly on the lookout for ways to die – especially, in Falcio’s case, for ways to nobly sacrifice himself for king and country – the world of the Greatcoats series offers opportunities around every corner. The kingdom of Tristia, an Alexandre Dumas-esque land which it seems almost compulsory to call “swashbuckling,” was once steered towards socialistic utopia by the benevolent machinations of the idealistic young King Paelis. Five years ago, the local Dukes, from whom Paelis was trying to wrest power, banded together to have him killed. All that remains of Paelis’ legacy are the Greatcoats – musketeer-like magistrates and masters of fencing, singing, and law who roam the land settling disputes between the common folk and their cruel overlords. Their secret weapon? The “greatcoats” from which they draw their name – uniforms, Bags of Holding, and bulletproof vests all in one thanks to hidden pockets and bone plates sewn into the leather – which along with their skills make them nigh-unkillable. In the years since the king’s death, however, Greatcoats – or “Tattercloaks,” as they are derogatorily called – have become the political scapegoats (or “scapecoats,” if you will) du jour, blamed for everything from the current plight of the poor to the suspicious deaths of powerful Dukes.

[Some people even respect the Greatcoats as opponents, but that doesn’t stop them from wanting or trying to kill them at every opportunity.]

Hunted and/or hated by everyone from the Dukes and their retained knights to a mysterious order of world-class assassins to the average guy on the street, for Falcio, the so-called “First Cantor of the Greatcoats,” life is an endless procession of narrow brushes with death, usually the result of some barely-eked-out victory in the face of impossible odds. It’s a good day for the First Cantor if he doesn’t end it by passing out from blood loss for the next week (the punchline of more than a few chapters in first book Traitor’s Blade) after a fierce fight or a bout of torture. In sequel Knight’s Shadow/Greatcoat’s Lament, Falcio spends most of the novel slipping irreversibly into death as a slow-acting poison gradually paralyzes him. By Saint’s Blood, the third in the series, Falcio’s tendency towards being very nearly killed – and his equal propensity for jumping back into the fray only half-healed because the world is on line and there just isn’t time – is a running joke that almost everyone in Tristia is in on. What impresses me most about the series is that, despite Falcio’s tendency to fail or nearly fail at almost everything he does, he never feels underpowered as a character – instead, the compelling antagonists against whom he faces off are developed in such a way as to create the sense that Falcio is an extraordinary protagonist whose bare and often pyrrhic victories are nonetheless admirable in the face of very capable villains and almost certain disaster.

[Just another day at the office for Falcio val Mond.]

If Falcio sounds a bit unbalanced as a character, he is, but purposefully so; as with the Greatcoats’ musketeer models, he constitutes just one third of a triumvirate of lead characters who together make up a single semi-functional human. Serving as counterpoints to Falcio’s passionate idealism and suicidal spontaneity are the stoic, logical, and fiercely loyal Kest, whose mastery of the sword rivals Falcio’s; and Brasti, who eschews the seriousness of the other two for persistent sarcasm and practical joking and trades the typical fencing foil for a trio of imposingly-named greatbows that, in his capable hands, may as well be sniper rifles. The friendship between the three is one of the series’ greatest strengths, and plot points which occasionally separate them left me counting down the pages until their reunion.

Seeing as the series’ main trio of men are characterized as the embodiment of certain traits, it’s perhaps unsurprising that their female counterparts start out equally archetypical. Unfortunately, however, without the additive and complimentary relationship shared by Falcio, Kest, and Brasti, the series’ scattered archetypical females tend to come across (at least at first) less as timelessly heroic and more as two-dimensional. Falcio’s wife, whose honor was besmirched in a Braveheart-esque turn before her untimely death, initially codes as an impossibly good “angel of the house” and little more than a motivator for Falcio, fueling his homicidal anger at ne’er-do-wells and his underlying desire to die. His new love interest begins life as a pretty stereotypical female healer support character to the mostly male movers and shakers. Several teenage damsels cycle in and out of the plot of Traitor’s Blade at regular intervals as big strong Falcio selflessly rescues them from certain death again and again. Most egregiously of all, the female villains who (spoilers) eventually emerge as the puppeteers of each book’s grand conspiracies are primarily characterized as evil through their sexual aggression and kinkiness – a particularly ironic case of the pot calling the kettle black considering the novels’ seeming obsession with keeping Falcio bloodied and half-dead at every turn.

[At one point, Falcio is literally crucified and tortured for over a week, during which the novel toes the line between whump and something more… vindictive.]

Luckily, however, many of these characters make great strides over the course of the first two books. Healer Ethalia shucks the angel’s endless patience, holding Falcio accountable for his choices and actions and refusing to support him unconditionally. Falcio’s female wards become deadly warriors and serious political players in their own right, similarly stepping out of Falcio’s shadow and finding their own priorities. The series also introduces memorable female characters who work against other stereotypes – the supernatural sage who guides the heroes on their quest, for example, is a morally dubious, scheming old woman who spends more time scolding the Three Greatcoateers for running afoul of her plans than she does actually helping them, undercutting both the classic male sage and the mother-figureness of female spirit guides. Marking this great progress over the course of a couple books, I’m crossing my fingers the rest of the series will undergo a similar evolution with regards to sexuality. The way the novels develop the trio’s bromance and import a lot of seventeenth-century social norms has kept the world pretty firmly heteronormative thus far, though a few hints here and there have opened a fissure in this facade that I’m holding out hope is expanded in installments to come.

[Because we all know manly devotion doesn’t always have to be totally definitely 100% straight.]

Perhaps my greatest initial reservation about the Greatcoats series was its meticulous focus on fencing in its many, many fight scenes. I had read in a blurb that the author was a professional fight choreographer and feared that, just as the linguistics-obsessed among us have a tendency to undertake pages-long fights of fancy about the etymologies of invented words, the fight scenes would devolve into extended chunks of jargon that the average layman wouldn’t be able to make heads or tails of, let alone enjoy. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found the deft and precise explanations of combat maneuvers to be some of my absolute favorite parts. Narrator Falcio balances the clear and evocative explanations of a patient and experienced teacher with snappy humor and rapid-fire pacing to create not just the image of a fencing match, but the emotional rollercoaster and the rhythm of one on the sentence level. As such, these sequences move the plot forward thrillingly rather than forcing it into an eddy (a.k.a. Naruto syndrome) and further characterize Falcio and his friends as knowledgeable masters of their respective martial crafts. It almost makes me miss my high school fencing lessons… almost.

For anyone already eager to jump into Falcio’s tempestuous adventures – or even those on the fence – I can’t recommend strongly enough that you check out the audiobook versions of the series. As an auditory learner, a compulsive multitasker, and a grad student with waning eyesight, I seek out audiobooks at almost any cost, up to and including suffering through stilted narration and dubious character voices if it means not having to subject my eyes to 500 plus pages of tiny paperback print. Greatcoats narrator Joe Jameson is not only perfectly cast as Falcio, but a joy to listen to. At 1.75x speed (a leisurely pace compared to the 2.5x or 3x I usually aim for when reading for work), his cadence and inflection are engaging and lifelike, capturing especially well the main trio’s personalities and mannerisms, and even his soprano-pitched female voices hold up to the chipmunk test. Armed with the audiobooks and a lot of menial labor I needed distracting from, I tore through the first and second volumes of the series in just a few days and have happily started the third. Falcio may be itching for the Great Beyond, but here’s me hoping he, his companions, and their collective hijinks stick around for many, many books to come.

[dreamingsushi]

True Beauty - Episode 4

So here we go for episode 4 of True Beauty! So many things happened in the last weeks so I couldn’t really sit down to watch k-dramas. Or any dramas at all. But I’m now back and with a very nice new device so I can watch and make these recaps in my living room, well sited on my couch. Isn’t it amazing? Well I think so.

The episode starts with Seojun riding his motorcycle and it’s a flashback of when his friend Se Yeon died. The poor boy was accused of being a bully and he wanted to seek help from Su Ho to clear his name. But obviously it didn’t work out as Se Yeon ended dying. So it seems that’s why Seo Jun blames Su Ho for it. And there we are back in the cafeteria, when Seo Jun sits to eat with Jugyeong. Which angers Su Ho. They kind of start getting in a fight, but they are stopped by a teacher. The teacher blames it all on Seo Jun even though Su Ho claims he was the one to start the fight. They end up out of trouble because Su Ho is a good student.

The female friend, the black haired girl that his friend with both Su Ho and Ju Gyeong - I can’t remember her name right now - talks all little with Su Ho about it and wonders if things went bad between him and Seo Jun because of Se Yeon. But he only answers with a glare, so she just gives him soin ointment.

The girls are all excited about a potential love triangle between Ju Gyeong, Su Ho and Seo Jun. Ju Gyeong gets surrounded and people ask her who’s she’s going to chose ans she’s like... what chosing? She says they don’t like her, they just don’t get along well. They don’t agree but her other friend dismisses them all. Then Su Ho comes back to class but before they can ask anything, Seo Jun’s friend come over to have a talk with Su Ho. They want to defend Seo Jun, but end up almost getting in trouble. They get punished by having to clean the gym. Su Ho tries to say something about the day Se Yeon died, but Seo Jun doesn’t want to hear him making excuses. Poor Su Ho. It seems he feels really bad himself about it.

Later at night, Su Ho has a flashback of Seo Jun telling him to bring Se Yeon back. So he goes to the manga store and has another flashback of baby Ju Gyeong. She was trying to make him smile. While she’s passing by, Ju Gyeong sees Su Ho and bring him a drink. She scolds him a little for getting into a fight. Once again though, she comforts him a little, he even smiles. He asks her if it’s really important for her that people don’t wee her without make up and she says of course, because maybe others look different, but she’s extremely different without make up. And he says he can’t see the difference so much. So cute <3 Then their faces are close and she sees his lip got a cut and she touches it. Then they are interrupted by the shop owner and he sends her home to study. I guess he was shook.

The next morning, Seojun asks her if she’s dating Su Ho, but she says she doesn’t.

Big sister is still hoping to see the teacher to meet her for a meal. I love the eldest sister. She’s so dorky in her own way.

Ju Gyeong is called to solve a math problem on the board, along with Su Ho and the other smart girl. She’s having much trouble, Su Ho helps a little, but then when Seo Jun laughs, he has to take Ju Gyeong’s place. Then the girls invite Ju Gyeong to join their study group. Lon haired girl tells Su Ho to join too, but he doesn’t want to. Then short haired friend wants to set her on a blind date.

Later that day, when she goes back home taking the bus, Su Ho follows her. She gives him a chocolate bar for his math contest the next day. He says he doesn’t like sweets but takes it anyways. Then he asks her about maths and stuff, she can’t answer anything. And right then she receives a message from her blind date, which seems to upset poor Su Ho. He makes her meet the guy during day time the next day, cause she was considering night time. But he tells her not to meet the guy if she doesn’t want to. She says it’s not that she doesn’t want to, more that she’s nervous meeting a guy outside of school. Wooooups. Poor Su Ho. He’s no more a guy then? But before she can say anything, the bus stops abruptly and he prevents her face from falling. Then some other guy come to sit between the two of them and then she’s happy about the movie she’s going to see with the blind date, so Su Ho gets upset and gets down of the bus.

Seo Jun’s mom is getting out of the hospital. And she goes to pay a visit to Ju Gyeong’s mom along with Seo Jun. So Ju Gyeong tries to hide her bare face with a mask, but it’s a little bit... catastrophic. She has to put on make up again once she washes off the mask so Seo Jun won’t know. When she’s about to leave, her mom invites Seo Jun to eat over at their place the next day and he snitches on her having a date. So she snitches on him riding the bike.

While she gets ready for her date, Ju Gyeong realizes she has no pretty clothes, so she goes into her sister’s wardroom, but she finds nothing until she sees a Jingdonc package with a cute dress in it. She really doesn’t look like a teenager wearing that. The guy is so greasy though, beeeh. Lol, Su Ho went to see the movie too and he’s getting mad when he sees a boy kissing a girl. But it’s not her. Seems it’s a cameo from another drama? I haven’t seen it. But the boy looks like Eun Taek from Cheese in the Trap though. Well the cameo is not from Cheese in the Trap, I know that, but just. Hahaha. Bear with me. Always. At the end of the date, she doesn’t seem to thrilled at the idea of seeing him again though. Then after she left, Su Ho sees that the guy is meeting another girl. BAD BOY. I remember that from the Webtoon now haha. I forgot about it, but now, I remember.

When she’s back home, her mom scolds her from dating and says she would rather ship her with someone like Seojun. But Ju Gyeong is like, hell no, he’s a délinquant. And then mommy goes on explaining how much he took care of his mom while she was sick. Sweet boy Seo Jun <3 He even worked to pay his tuition and his mom’s hospital’s bill.

Then later while she’s washing up for the night, she receives a text from her date saying he’s a bad guy as he already has a girlfriend. She only remembers he rejected her. Not that he was trying to two-time. Even the big sis doesn’t notice the most important part hahaha. They’re from another world, totally. The next day Seo Jun makes fun of her for getting rejected. Such a meanie. It’s so weird though, knowing how the stories unravel, I didn’t remember him being so mean xD

Of course, Su Ho made him move away. The saviour. Later that day, it seems like Seo Jun is showing the pictures he has of Ju Gyeong with a face mask, so she steals his moto keys and he goes chasing after her. When he catches up to her, Su Ho comes in, knight in shining armour. And he joins the study group. He teaches her maths, so it makes Kang Su (is that her name) wondering how come they got so close. Then they go KTV and he covers her legs with a cushion hahaha. Su Ho ma boy <3 While she goes to the bathroom, she hears someone singing pretty well. Woooo, who is that?? WHO IS IT? Hahaha! As if I don’t know hihi! It’s Seo Jun, yep yep! She doesn’t seem him though, she just notices the motorcycle. He comes out right then and since Su Ho is about to see them, she pulls him away, but then they bump into the thugs from a few episodes back. And Su Ho sees that, so he goes running after them. Of course, since he likes our Ju Gyeong. But when they trick them, Su Ho ends up being dragged into this and he gets in trouble. But then, hello jujitsu skills. But when it’s five against one, how could he win? Fortunately the cops come over.

Seo Jun takes Ju Gyeong home on his motorcycle, since the others left with her bag. Su Ho is at the comic book when she comes home with Seo Jun. So they end up fighting, once again, so she tries to send them on their way home, but her sister is going back home drunk and she drags both of them. And she ends up throwing up on Su Ho. Poor baby boy. Ju Gyeong is super embarrassed and sorry. Definitely not how they expected to end the night.

On their way back, Seo Jun asks Su Ho if he likes Ju Gyeong, so Su Ho asks him if he does, so Seo Jun is like, maybe I should. No don’t pretend to like the girl just to piss your ex-friend. Ju Gyeong is annoying, like really, especially in the drama even more than in the webtoon. But still. Oh, Su Ho left the competition for her. Of course he likes her. My baby. I’m crushing real hard on Su Ho. I was in the Webtoon, I am still in the live action. Even though Seo Jun is a little more handsome.

Next day at school, Seo Jun hands the key to his motorbike to Ju Gyeong, saying that since she says not to ride it, he won’t and that from now on, he’ll listen to her. Of course, in front of Su Ho. That’s so mean. Fight all you want with the guy, but don’t involve an innocent girl in your fights. She wants to follow him, but Su Ho grabs her wrist and tells her not to go. And it’s the end of the episode.

I love the ending song for this. I’m in the mood for dancing, I feel like chancing~ It’s so weird because I know how the story goes, but then I also don’t because I don’t remember? So far I am still enjoying this. It might not win an award for my favorite drama of all times, but it’s a good series to change my mood and forget about stuff that upsets me. I recommend it, without having too high expectations. Watch it just to see something light and relax. That’s my advice on that! And it’s enough for today, time to turn in! Goodbye! See you soon. We’re back in full lockdown with a curfew, I’m going to have plenty of time for my beloved dramas.

[geekysweetie]

Top 2018 Nintendo Switch Games for Girls

30 New Games For Girls on the Nintendo Switch in 2018

One of the most popular posts on this site is our Top 2017 Nintendo Switch Games for Girls

With a new year, I decided to take a look at the upcoming releases for the Switch in 2018 and make a few suggestions as to what games girls should be looking out for in the year ahead. (There may be a few games that released in Q4 of 2017 also on this list as I wasn’t sure of a few of the release dates). Enjoy! And leave me a comment to let me know what games you’re looking forward to on the Switch in 2018. 🙂 I’ll also soon add a list like this for PS4 and PC games as well.

Top 2018 Nintendo Switch Games For Girls

1.) Project Octopath Traveler

Originally scheduled for a 2017 release, and part of our Top 2017 Nintendo Switch Games for Girls list, Octopath Traveler blends gameplay elements from 16 and 32 bit classics such as Chronotrigger and Saga Frontier. The retro game feel is sure to appeal to many visitors of this site. But that’s not all, Project Octopath Traveler also offers a variety of endings and a branching plot line that is shaped by decisions you make within the game.

 2.) Kirby Star Allies

He’s pink, cute, and the gameplay is fun. Kirby has been a fan favorite of Nintendo gamers for several decades now. In his new adventure, up to four players can join in and you can combine different power ups, as demonstrated in the Nintendo Direct Video above.

3.) Toe Jam & Earl Back in the Groove

Toe Jam & Earl was a childhood favorite of mine. I spent countless hours (or days, or weeks) playing the original two games on Sega Genesis with my best friend. It’s one of the best multiplayer games of my childhood and this new take on the classic, originally slated for 2017, will grace Switch consoles now in 2018. For those unfamillar with the franchise, you run around colorful crazy worlds with zany characters and crazy powerups playing as 2 funky hiphop aliens.

4.) My Time At Portia

My Time At Portia is a cross platform title that features sandbox gameplay in a large open world enviornment. It blends together many gameplay elements from Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, Rune Factory, and Atelier. In this game you can raise animals, grow crops, and restore an abandoned workshop. The developers say the game takes place in a post apocalyptic world where humans are few and that you search for relics from the past to create inventions for the betterment of society. Also just like in Harvest Moon and similar games, all of the NPCs have their own schedules, they will go to work, school, and have their own stories for you to discover by interacting with them.

5.) Avabel Online

This is perhaps an interesting one to make the list. Avabel Online is a free to play MMORPG that is already available on many platforms, including Android and IOS devices which makes it already portable and playable on the go. Despite that, I’m including it in the list because I do think the gameplay will appeal to girls. Right now, for example, they are running a special Sanrio promotion (makers of hello kitty). You can get cute (sometimes strange) items to decorate your house or dress up your characters. https://avabelonline.com/landing/sanrio

6.) Moonlighter

A Shopkeeping RPG Simulation game with retro style graphics. You can explore and fight for valueable treasure, as well as craft your own items, and then sell them in your shop. You can also communicate with the NPCs to discover what items they want to purchase. The dungeons are procedurally generated and present new challenges and new loot each time.

7.) Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings

Coming in March 2018, Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings is the first Atelier title to hit the Nintendo Switch. Atelier games focus on gathering ingredients and crafting new items. As you can see from the trailer, they feature beautiful anime graphics, and deep stories. Their gameplay is often long, and at times it can get tedious, however, for those who love crafting and exploring, Atelier offers the ultimate crafting system.

8.) Destiny Chronicles

This game looks beautiful, and it is inspired by many classic JRPGs. It features action combat and extensive skill tree customization as well as a light hearted humorous story line. You can enchant and upgrade your equipment, as well as interact with your party members and NPCs.

9.) Revenant Saga

With a level cap of 999, and tons of equipment to collect, Revenant Saga looks to offer some incredible replay value. The ability to tranform in battle and unleash special powers makes combat fun and exciting. While the cute and colorful graphics and dark fantasy story are sure to appeal to fans of classic JRPGs.

10.) Wonderboy: Dragon’s Trap

This remake of Wonderboy III lets you play as a girl. It also lets you toggle between the original Sega Genesis graphics and soundtrack, or the all new graphics and soundtracks created for this release.

11.) Untold Legacy

The retro style graphics appeal to me (and probably most of the readers of my blog). But what really appeals to me is this statement that the Devs make about the storyline: “You will be brought to tears as you uncover the twists and turns in this emotionally story-driven experience that will leave you shocked and surprised as you discover the secrets the world of Touchstone has to offer.” – I am a sucker for a heart tugging story. The Devs also indicate that “The Untold Legacy sets out to recreate some of the most heartfelt and gut wrenching moments imaginable.” These two statements make me very interested in this game.

12.) Yoshi

This game features an art style similar to Paper Mario, and the main character is the lovable, Yoshi, the green dinosaur who first debuted in Super Mario World. The colorful graphics and addictive platformer style gameplay make this game perfect for our list of 2018 Nintendo Switch Games for Girls.

13.) Croixleur Sigma

With a 9/10 and “Very Positive” Rating on Steam, this anime style hack-n-slash RPG is coming to Switch in 2018. The gameplay is reminicessent of several of the newer Hyper Dimension Neptunia games. The local 2 player co-op makes it perfect for the Nintendo Switch. And playing as the cute anime girls make it a game girls will love to play together.

14.) Your Four Knight Princess Training Story

A “Raising Sim” similar to games such as Princess Maker and Graduation 95. Gematsu has an excellent article detailing how you will train your princess in this new 2018 Nintendo Switch Game. Basically it involves scolding or praising your princess at various times, for example during conversations or while exploring dungeons. The story and characters change based on your decisions and how you raise your princess. The princesses each have various parameters that you can train to unlock new skills or increase their stats to help them in battle.

15.) Legrand Legacy Tale of the Fatebounds

Legrand Legacy Tale of the Fatebounds is an impressive indie title with full 3D cinematics and FMV cutscenes. It features tactical turn based combat and interesting city building and mini game mechanics. I’m really looking forward to this title which releases later this month (January 2018).

16.) Shin Megami Tensei V

I haven’t taken time to organize these recommendations in any kind of “ranking” system, but if I had to pick just one game on this list to play in 2018 it would be Shin Megami Tensei V. Atlus’ dark RPG franchise that sparked the Persona spin off games is one of my favorites.

17.) Tohou Sky Arena Gensoukyou Kuusen Hime

This looks like an anime brawler with cute girls and exciting special moves. It’s visually very pretty and looks like combat will be fun too.

18.) Valkyria Chronicles 4

A new title in the tactical Strategy RPG series, Valkyria Chronicles. I’m a huge fan of this series, and this one looks great. It’s due out in March 2018. Valkyria Chronicles is a Sega series known for excellent characters and story lines as well as fun Strategy RPG combat.

19.) The Longest Five Minutes

This humorous RPG launches in February 2018. The tale begins at the end, as you are facing the demon king, but suddenly you’ve lost all of your memories. From there, regain your memories, remember who you are, where you’re from, where you’re going, and your reason for fighting the demon king. The cute and colorful graphics and retro feel are sure to appeal to my readers.

20.) Mulaka

With gameplay reminiscent of Zelda or Castlevania, this action RPG features a story and game world that draw inspiration from Mexican culture. The gameplay trailer above shows various abilities and fighting styles, including the ability to transform into different animals.

21.) Yono and the Celestial Elephants

How could this game NOT make our list??! Look at that elephant. LOOK AT IT!! Has there ever been a cuter video game character in the history of video games? Nope. This adorable little game looks kawaii and charming AF and seems to have some fun puzzles to solve too.

22.) Wandersong

Play as a traveling bard in this cute, happy, colorful paper-cut-out style world. Coming in early 2018.

23.) Goragoa

This puzzle game features gorgeous artwork and requires some outside the box thinking. The soundtrack is also lovely and I’ve heard the story is quite sad as well.

24.) Wargroove

Wargroove promises to be easy to pick up, but difficult to master. Up to 4 players can take control of an army and command it to victory. The colorful retro style graphics really look great and gameplay looks fun and interesting.

25.) Penny Punching Princess

An Action RPG in Which Money Makes the World Go Round. That’s what Nintendo has to say about their latest RPG that lets you bribe monsters to fight for you. Many are comparing this game to Tingle’s Rosy Rupee Land – a game which I’ve never played (nor even heard of).  The colorful and cute graphics caught my eye. I’ll be checking this one out in 2018.

26.) Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory

Nintendo promises new content and features in this release. “Combining both Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion and Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire for the first time on one console, Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory includes all new art, Exemplars, monsters, bosses and challenges not found in the original releases. I’d somehow not heard of this game until now, so now seems the perfect time to pick this one up.

27.) Lost Sphear

From the creators of I am Setsuna, comes a new JRPG for the Nintendo Switch in 2018.

28.) Dragon Quest Builders

Originally part of the 2017 Top Nintendo Switch Games for Girls, this title got pushed back to February 2018.

29.) Mega Man 11

Fan favorite, and often requested, a new sequel in the Mega Man franchise is arriving on Nintendo Switch in late 2018.

30.) Bayonetta 3 – NINTENDO SWITCH EXCLUSIVE

Perhaps one of the most exciting announcements, and why I saved it for last, is that a new Bayonetta Game has been announced and it will be available ONLY for the Nintendo Switch.

Top 2018 Nintendo Switch Games for Girls was originally published on GeekySweetie.com - Geeky & Kawaii Anime, Tech, Toys, & Game Reviews & News

[jinnieboo-blog1]

BTS High School!AU [Park Jimin]

Imagine under the cut! [A/N: Mention of a bleeding wound, but nothing graphic!]

>Masterlist<

The class president; despite Namjoon being the most ideal candidate, he recommended that Jimin take that role because he was just as capable

Literally an angel; has a very soft and gentle expression on his face that shouts “I'm friendly”

Model student for everyone; he's a role model and inspiration

His personality is just as angelic; he's responsible, helpful, hard-working, dedicated and friendly

Charismatic as well; everyone knows this angel and they appreciate his presence and efforts

Because he is just a class president (not the student council president), he focuses more on his own class rather than the whole student body

Takes great pride and responsibility for his class; very dedicated to them

Nonetheless, he makes it a point to make sure everyone’s welfare is ensured

Willing to help his classmates with anything, whether it’s homework, activities, lending them a pencil or so

Also very welcoming and friendly towards other classes; when he and other class presidents have meetings, he is just as friendly towards them as he is with his classmates

Always puts others before himself and is always considerate and understanding

He is also the student council’s treasurer; very responsible and transparent with the funds the council has

Namjoon really trusts him with anything financial related. Jimin sometimes works with the secretary, Jin, on these finances

Is best friends with Taehyung and Jungkook; despite being the “angel class president” these three combined are “Triple Trouble” after class hours- they’re very playful

He is academically good, above average to be honest. Other than that, Jimin also excels in sports. He loves P.E. in fact

Also a very skilled dancer; often practicing with Hoseok and JUNGKOOK during their free time and breaks

To add to that charm, Jimin has a passion for singing, though he does not like to boast. He’s a humble guy, really

As a new student and classmate, Jimin makes sure that you are welcomed properly and ensures that you are comfortable ; he is the first to introduce himself to you and lets the whole class get to know you so you can feel welcomed

For the first few days, he constantly asks if you need anything or need help with something. Sometimes, you’d take up his offer and ask for help getting around the school

Like that one time you needed to get to the library and you didn’t know where to go, you approached Jimin after class and asked, “Jimin, where’s the library?” and Jimin happily tells you where it is, but when he sees the still confused look on your face, he offers to walk you there, but of course, you don’t want to bother him and tell him that you’ll find your way

But Jimin just chuckles and pats your shoulder gently “It’s no problem, don’t worry” and so with his hand placed gently on your back, he ushers you out of the classroom and together, you walk to the library

On the way to the library, Jimin tells you about the different areas and like acts like a tour guide until you finally reach your destination. He goes “the library has quite a few rules, but they’re your typical rules so go have fun” and you smile and say “thank you, I appreciate it”

Then before Jimin leaves, he flashes you that angelic smile and says “I’m always here and available to help, alright? Don’t hesitate to ask, y/n” and you nod and thank him again, but when he’s gone, you get all flustered because this guy is too kind and charming and you may have a crush on him, but you think it’s ridiculous because he is probably too popular and out of your league

So you just focus on studying and doing whatever it is you needed to do in the library, but sometimes, you’d find yourself thinking about Jimin

Eventually, you start to settle into your new school. So, fast forward to weeks later, your class was having P.E. and when you were playing whatever sport it was, you made a wrong step, resulting in you spraining your ankle and before you know it, you’ve fallen onto the floor

Your classmate helps you up, but not only do you have a sprained ankle, but also a huge, bleeding scratch on your knee, so it was kind of hard for you to support yourself and why, Jimin comes rushing in like a knight in shining armor with your teacher following

“Are you ok?” Jimin asks, and you nod, smiling the pain away, but Jimin and his understanding nature can tell that you’re in pain, so he asks the teacher to let him take you to the infirmary, which the teacher says yes too

He then carries you bridal style like it’s completely normal, so you try your best to hide your blush and as he’s carrying you to the infirmary, you tell him “Jimin, I can walk, I’m perfectly fine” and Jimin’s tone is serious, but he still has a small smile on his lips as he goes “I can tell that you’re not fine so let me help. Remember? I told you I’d always be willing to help” so you let him carry you all the way to the infirmary

And when you get there, he continues to watch over you as the nurse gets your wound and sprain treated, but after a few minutes, he excuses himself because apparently the student council called for him and when he leaves, you sit there dumbfounded “student council?”

And the nurse sweetly smiles and goes “Jimin is the treasurer. He’s such a hard-working kid” and you smile at the doorway and nod in agreement “he surely is”

Fast forward to a few days later, you and Jimin are paired for your Literature project, so when you meet up with him at the library, the first thing he asks is “how’s your leg?” even though he asks that every day in class, but you giggle and tell him that it’s better now, which makes him smile with relief

So you sit next to him and discuss whatever your plans are for this project and somewhere along the way, you asked him about the student council thing, so Jimin explains that he’s the treasurer and he handles anything finance-related, so you go “that’s so cool” and he’s like “really? Thanks”

Then you ask him how he juggles student council duties, class president stuff, homeworks, projects, social life and all, to which Jimin simply says “I can somehow manage it because I have supportive and caring friends”

Then minutes later, some of his friends arrive at the library to study as well, but they spot Jimin and head over. One guy goes “Jimin! Who’s your friend?” and Jimin proudly smiles like “she’s y/n. Y/n, this is my best friend Taehyung” and this Taehyung guy shoots a goofy but cute box-like grin, so you chuckle and shake hands

Then the other guy, somehow more calm and relaxed, flashes a half-smile-half-smirk and introduces himself as Jungkook, and then the third guy just happily takes your hand and shakes it fervently and winks “I’m Hoseok” and so just like that, the five of you sit together and just chat about anything other than what you’re supposed to study

And when it’s almost dinner time, you all exit the library. The boys agreed to walk you to the girls’ dorm entrance with Jimin walking ahead with Jungkook and Hoseok, but Taehyung walks beside you and leans slightly closer, whispering to your ear “You know, y/n, Jimin doesn’t always spend this much time with a single classmate. He’s always jumping from one person to another when he’s interacting. And what he did a few days ago to bring you to the infirmary? That’s special”

And you look at Taehyung to see him smirking, so you blush and try to sound strong “First of all, I’m pretty sure he’s just that angelic. Secondly, how’d you know about that incident?” so Taehyung quietly snickers and winks “Jimin told us about it, duh. And trust me. He is nice, but if that happened to someone else, he would’ve helped him or her walk, not carry them or even linger in the infirmary. He’d just drop them off, make sure the nurse is there, then leave”

After he said that, you arrived at the girls’ dorm entrance, so without being able to reply to Taehyung, he just shoots you a sly smirk and wink before the boys head to their own dorms. You stand there, flustered as you watch them walk away, but then while Jungkook and Taehyung are being rowdy as Hoseok calms them down, Jimin looks back and smiles at you for a few seconds before looking straight ahead

And so that evening, you’re stuck thinking about what Taehyung said. You tried to think it was absurd because technically you and Jimin have been friends for only a few months plus he wasn’t always with you, so there was nothing going on. Ok maybe he spent a few more hours with you, especially during your after-class-hours trips to the coffee shop, but that was it

One day, you were looking for Jimin because you had completed your part for the Literature project and wanted him to check it just in case, so when you ask Taehyung, he tells you that Jimin is most probably in the school’s dance club room and despite being pretty close to Jimin, you had no idea he danced, so you curiously went to the dance club room, only to be surprised when you opened the door

There stood Jimin, sweaty and out of breath while staring at the mirror that covered an entire wall. You stood and stared, until Jimin noticed you on the mirror, so he smiled and gestured for you to come in, which you did quite hesitantly because wow. He was hot

Snapping out of your trance, you told Jimin why you wanted to see him and handed him the papers. He told you that he thought it was already perfect and that you did an amazing job, causing you to blush and smile at the floor. Then he chuckles and gives your papers back before grabbing a small towel to wipe his sweat off

You sat down on a small stool and grinned “I didn’t know you danced. You never told me” and Jimin sheepishly scratches the back of his head “Yeah? And I can sing too” so you smirk and tease him “show off” Jimin laughs at it and nods at you “What about you? Do you dance?” and you firmly shake your head “Not at all”

But then Jimin’s smile has become a smirk, and his soft expression becomes a more fierce one as he comes closer to you, and so you gulp and get nervous all of a sudden until Jimin takes your hand and pulls you to your feet “I can teach you” and so you blush and go “No no no, promise. It’s gonna be horrible” and you awkwardly laugh and try to make an excuse to leave

But Jimin has other plans and when you turn on your heel to walk away, Jimin snakes a muscular arm around your waist and you know, Jimin may seem soft and angelic (don’t worry, he surely is), but he can be sexy when he wants to don’t fight me on this. And he just pulls you against him, face-to-face as he quietly says “stay for a while”

And you don’t know what to do; your heart is beating so fast, your face is so red and you can feel your ears becoming hot plus you’re pretty pressed against Jimin with little space so really, all you said was “Jimin…”

Then you’re both just staring into each others eyes with so much intensity and you’re caught up in the moment until he kisses you firmly for a few seconds before pulling away, causing you to somehow giggle, resulting in him smirking “what was that for?” you ask, and Jimin smiles “you’re special, you know that?” and you just shyly shift your gaze to his chest and fiddle with the neckline of his shirt, so Jimin places a finger on your chin to tilt your head up

And is if you guys had telepathy, without another word, you kiss again, this time slower and deeper with his arms wrapping around your waist and your fingers getting tangled in his hair and honestly, it’s just heavenly and when you pull away, you smirk at him “you’re not such an angel, Park Jimin” and he just goes “Now you know” and this is just the beginning

Like Jimin starts to take you out on legit dates and you become a couple after maybe a month, and when you’re officially boyfriend and girlfriend, Taehyung is just going to look so smug and proud of his best friend

[gaogaigar-the-king]

Showdown! - Paladins: Champions of the Realm / Skyrim

The (Long awaited?) sequel to ‘Amazing Holiday’, where Ash, Sariel and Seris have their (long awaited?) showdown. It’s not very long but, well, I’m not very good at writing long fight scenes.

“So, uh, battlemage, huh?” Sariel raised an eyebrow, carrying Seris on her back as they ran across the Realm. It didn’t come with a welcome map, so they were left to just guess where they were going - Thankfully, rumours of Paladins activities were rather frightfully easy to follow. Something about them being locked in a constant struggle with shapeshifting monsters who they never can get the upper hand of.

“Yeah, battlemage. Never was very good at the whole hacking and slashing thing, got too tired and you can probably tell why.” Seris hummed, resting her head against the side of Sariel’s neck. “That doesn’t mean I won’t pick up a sword if I need to though, although now I rarely do need to.”

“I never could get the hang of that magic stuff. I know a few spells but, well, it just didn’t work out for me, although I’m pretty handy with a healing spell. But I could kill an entire army wielding only a knife and fork any day of the week.” Sariel shrugged. “And that’s not even my primary battle skills. Nothing is more satisfying to me than the weight of my greatsword taking someone’s head off, or the sound of a well struck arrow taking down it’s foe.”

“I prefer just a simple disintegration and run. That or just send them flying half way across Skyrim, that’s ALWAYS satisfying.” Seris chuckled.

“Oh, you’re dead right there.” Sariel agreed, laughing. She never thought she would be so grateful to meet another Dragonborn in all her life, especially not a like-minded one.

“Buncha cowards.” Ash laughed as the small squad they had just been fighting fled rather rapidly when she delivered the payload the last few seconds, taking it to the face as the cart full of explosives served it’s purpose. Fernando hid his ever-precious face behind his shield. Accompanying them was Seris, Tyra and Maeve, who debating raiding the fleeing coin purses, but her injuries made her decide against it.

They quickly set up a small camp in the remains of the captured base in Fish Market, something which from experience took them only a mere couple of hours, where Seris tended the injured - Which was all of them - in her usual fashion. Most of the Paladins were still a little bit unsure of how they felt about being directly healed by the souls of others trapped in the Abyss. Some of them were still unsure of how they felt about the Oracle of the Abyss as a whole, although she seemed friendly enough once you got past her creepy exterior. Fortunately, her little group had taken quite a liking to her, it made healing them that much easier.

Idle chatter took the Paladins as Tyra prepared them dinner. No matter where she was, the Untamed always managed to find game for them to eat and while salty roasted meats were perhaps not the nicest of foods, food was food after a long battle and none of them were in a hurry to refuse it. Fernando tried his luck flirting with his team of ladies over the dinner, but a threat of a new haircut from Maeve saw him stopping that. If there was one thing that Maeve of Blades did not do, it was idle threats about cutting things and Fernando quite liked his long, sexy hairstyle. He still complained about Seris to the bump on his head from where Ash had crashed it into Drogoz, and the lizard was still conveniently missing in action.

Seris rolled her eyes behind her blindfold as Fernando complained not that it hurt but that it ruined his good looks. “Time will heal your wounds, Fernando. I can do no more and I care not for your looks.” She told him. It was a useful thing that most of the Paladins had mistaken the blindfold for her being unable to see, where in reality she saw everything so clearly she had no need of eyesight anymore. In fact, it detracted from her gift.

“Stop complaining about your precious looks, pig. You haven’t got any anyway.” Ash laughed. It was a deliberate provocation and Fernando just sat back with a small, offended pout. After all, he was the hottest one on the team, right? Right? He tried to act all confident but even the Self Appointed Knight felt insecure sometimes, although he did his best to mask it quickly, putting on a smile.

“You are just jealous, amigo. After all, we all know that I am the sexiest member of this team.” Fernando boasted.

“We all know that you are the most big headed member of the team, ‘amigo’.” Maeve answered back, harmlessly teasing. He was begging for it.

It started a small debate on who was truly the sexiest person on the team. At some point, without them noticing, their camp grew by two unexpected Dragonborn guests.

“I think you’ll find that I’m the sexiest person on this team.” Sariel interrupted soon enough with a somewhat amused expression. She would admit that she’d never had two ‘guns’, a flamethrower and two daggers pointed at her so fast in all her life. Then again, she’d never had a combination like that pointed at her in all her life. The only one that didn’t become aggressive was Seris.

“Hello wanderers, Sariel and Seris. We weren’t expecting guests.” Seris greeted them. Almost before she had finished talking though, Fernando had dropped his lance and grabbed the two Dragonborns with both arms, squishing himself between them.

“My, damsels, you look even more beautiful out here than in that place of hell! Do tell my friends how I heroically rescued you from the clutches of the evil monsters, while Ash and Drogoz were kept busy.” Fernando grinned.

“That, or you can let us go and we won’t tell what REALLY happened.” Seris wasted little time answering, feeling already the urge to singe his hair with her magic. Fernando got the hint quickly enough, dropping them and sitting down. “Is he always like that?”

“Only around ladies.” Ash replied, taking a toothpick and chewing the end lightly. “How the hell did you find your way here?”

“No offence, but you guys are stupidly easy to find. Just ask at any town about Paladins they’ll point you in the right direction.” Sariel snorted. “You could at least TRY and cover your tracks if you don’t want to be found.”

“Try to tell the rest of them that.” Seris muttered, before introducing herself. Tyra and Maeve soon did the same, the Untamed dropping two chunks of meat on plates for their new guests while the Paladin of Blades fascinated herself inspecting Sariel’s greatsword. “Sharp weapons are somewhat of a specialty of Maeve’s.” Seris gave by way of explanation.

“So, you here for our showdown?” Ash asked after the introductions, snapping her toothpick. She was trying to be intimidating, bless her.

Dragonborns were immune to intimidation.

“You’ve had a busy day. We can fight in the morning, to give you a chance of lasting even just a few seconds longer.” Seris replied with a small shrug, earning a laugh from Ash.

“Fine, I’ll take that, but I could beat you both now. You’re just dragging out the inevitable.” Ash smirked, even as she turned over into her bedroll for the much needed sleep. Bemused, the rest of the Paladins followed suit, although one later than the others.

Maeve learned the hard way that night why Sariel always kept a dagger in her boot and her admiration of the Dragonborn went up massively in those few seconds she found the dagger plunged into her hand.

Morning found the Paladins in a primarily messy heap. It had gotten cold over the night, leading to them all unknowingly huddling closer to their Front Liners - Fernando might have been a smug bastard, but he was also extremely warm to cuddle against. And a messy sleeper. It took longer than it should just for the five to disentangle themselves from the awkward ways they’d ended up asleep and figure out who’s bedroll was who’s. Seris at some point slipped into the Shadow Realm to avoid the morning mess, and was making some soup for breakfast.

Sariel was sunbathing - In full armour - on the docks while the other Seris meditated, gathering her magicka and the strength of her Voice for the upcoming fight. She’d tried to recommend the same to the Bosmer, but Sariel had just laughed and said that meditation was beyond her at this point and she just wanted to enjoy the sun and climates closer to Valenwood before they returned to the cold, harsh landscape of Skyrim. Seris did not argue that.

“Ready for our throwdown? I’m good to beat you to the dirt any time.” Ash taunted, coming up behind the Dragonborns. She planned on scaring them slightly but apparently elf ears were good at hearing loud, clunky footsteps. The two got up, Sariel stretching and cracking her back while Seris designated yesterday’s capture point as a good place for the battle, since it was even on both sides.

“Do not worry, I’m prepared for the outcome.” The Paladin Seris reassured the two Dragonborns. Sariel went to take her place on one side of the point while Seris hung back slightly.

“You already know who will win, don’t you?” The Dunmer asked, head tilting slightly.

“I know things that are, things that were, and things that have not yet come to pass.” Seris non-answered, earning a laugh from the Dragonborn Seris.

“I like you.” She grinned, giving the Paladin Seris a light punch on the arm, teasing, and running to the battlefield.

“Two Vs One duel, pitting the Dragonborns Sariel and Seris against the Paladin, Ash, known more widely by her title The War Machine. The rules are that you fight using your own abilities with no external aid. The winner is declared either when the other concedes defeat or if the fight cannot continue.” Tyra announced from the sort of impromptu observation platform in the tower.

They started facing opposite ways, Ash to the newly captured base and the Dragonborns to the launching point of yesterday, readying their spells and weapons. A grenade from Tyra’s ‘Nade Launcher served as their queue to begin the fight.

Ash spun around right away, readying her cannon to blast. She expected one of the Dragonborns to charge forward. Instead they both stayed put momentarily, facing towards her and Shouting. “Why are you yelling? I haven’t even started to pound you yet!” Ash taunted.

She didn’t know what ‘FUS RO DAH’ meant, but she knew it could send her flying over the walls uncontrollably into the middle of their camp. Paladin Seris got this slight grin on her face at seeing Ash at a disadvantage. The War Machine didn’t even notice, too busy she was getting angry and charging back into the control point. She dropped down her Siege Shield to temporarily protect herself from the barrage of spells Dragonborn Seris sent her way, the distance covered by the shield enough for her to give the Dunmer a blast to the face with the Burst Cannon.

Dragonborn Seris didn’t even flinch.

The Paladins watched as Ash spent a few minutes being the ball in a round of what appeared more like Dragonborn Ping Pong, being blasted and Shouted across the map, set on fire, frozen, zapped by lightning and slashed at with the greatsword. They - Well, Fernando, Maeve and Tyra - wondered why Ash didn’t just throw in the towel after the first two minutes, but they soon realised why when Ash leaped into the air, yelling “C’MON! LET’S FIGHT!” and slamming her banner into the ground.

For those few seconds, she was immortal. Nothing could even touch her, and she used that to take down the less armoured Dragonborn Seris with an onslaught from her Burst Cannon. Explosives to the face weren’t her strong point and the Dunmer, dripping her own blood everywhere, was forced to withdraw momentarily to use some healing spells. It wasn’t against the rules. Dragonborn Seris didn’t even have to step into the battlefield again.

Ash’s invulnerability wore off after the few seconds and she turned to face Sariel, aiming a blast straight at the remaining Dragonborn. She wasn’t certain what the words ‘WULD NAH KEST’ meant either, but the Shout sent Sariel behind her with such speed she might as well have teleported - maybe she even did - and gave Sariel the time to cast her own invincibility power.

Today she had witnessed the Dragonborns breathing fire, frost, freezing her in place, sending her flying around, becoming ghosts to avoid damage, teleporting, and other things that made her think she was imagining this whole fight. But the sight of Sariel, charging at her with greatsword raised, every shot from the Burst Cannon having exactly no effect, made Ash realise what a stupid idea this fight may actually have been. 

SHE was about to be the one pounded into the dirt.

Sariel had used a higher power to gain half a minute of invulnerability and she planned to use it well. Her greatsword slashed and swung at Ash while the War Machine could only try to back up and dodge, but she ended up taking most of the blows to the face, unable to do anything to deter the Dragonborn. Soon enough she was forced onto her knees, admitting defeat only seconds before she would have had her head parted from her shoulders. HOW Sariel had managed to stop that swing in time, Ash didn’t know, but she was grateful of it. A trip to respawn was not in the list of things she wanted that day if she could avoid it.

“You are both worthy adversaries. Ha! Few could best me in combat like that.” Ash laughed, giving them a warrior’s salute while Paladin Seris jumped into the square to give the War Machine some much needed medical attention.

“You have proven yourself to be an honourable opponent as well.” Sariel acknowledged, saluting back.

“Perhaps one day we could have a rematch of this right. It would be interesting to see, if things might change.” Dragonborn Seris mused, giving a small bow. “Know that you are a welcome warrior in my plane of Mundus, if ever you might drop by for a visit.”

“As you are in mine. May you die with honour and a sword in your hand.” Sariel nodded. Ash laughed at the blessing, but she didn’t argue. She’d ‘die’ with her cannon in hand, every time.

They parted ways as respectful friends, and Fernando gained two new crushes that day.

[todokori-kun]

I APOLOGIZE, QUEEN LUNA. PLEASE ALLOW ME TO BEG FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS-

(tbh the reason I don’t play them is because I don’t really play any kind of game XD I’ve played a few free things on the internet but other than that, not much)

OMG thanks for the link! I might try it out soon :D (And wow, Rumpel. Just, wow.)

WAIT, IS THAT LADY A DATEABLE CHARACTER

Urie/Saiko is so freaking adorable :3 and it’s the worst thing ever that it does have some canon evidence but Ishida keeps teasing us like: *gives some nice, cute Urie/Saiko material*

Fandom: AWWW is it gonna be canon? Are they actually gonna be happy for a while???

Ishida: *gives Mutsurie scene with Urie clearly pining over Mutsuki while Mutsuki’s just talking about Kaneki*

Fandom: …of course.

TYSM <333 I’ll get it to you as soon as I can :D

HxH is definitely a lot of fun! I’d like to recommend Hisoka’s character song (‘Kyousou requiem’) to you because W O W

I got to the part where Father’s ‘creating’ humans. That was freaky. Tbh though my favorite parts of this volume might have been Pride’s defeat and Kimblee’s farewell…that was perfect. I actually sorta like Kimblee now. Of course, I’d never want to meet him irl and he’s still a terrible person, but at least he never betrays his own beliefs.

(I know that Roy will get his eyesight back next volume so that’s good, but Greed’s…gonna die, isn’t he? Uuugh)

I have come to conquer you puny humans with the power of feels. Fear me.

Wait, does that mean you relate to Al or that you think I’m like Al? Sorry, got a bit confused there ^^;;

I’m Hohenheim minus his awesome moments. The bad social skills, the awkwardness, the way he honestly TRIES to be a nice, normal person even if it hardly ever works out…the more I see of him the more I feel like I’ve never related this much to a fictional character (except maybe Kaneki).

You really do remind me of Riza and Winry. The strength, the resolve, the wit and caring=100% Queen Luna.

Ed is frankly a little creeped out that the Colonel even thought that HE, Edward Elric, barely a teenager, could or would steal his girlfriend.

(I headcanon that Ed and Queen Luna are actually BFFs and team up to prank Roy.

Roy always feels so betrayed because whenever he’s doing something totally, not at all stupid, his girlfriend always sides with Fullmetal. “Luna, what did I do. Did I forget to do the dishes again. Was it the extremely cheesy and badly written explicit romance book I bought you on Valentines day. That was a joke, please forgive me”

Also he is extremely salty when he realizes you chose Water Alchemy as your specialty. He had enough of the constant rain jokes from Edward and Riza’s comments about him being useless on rainy days, and now this. The world is too cruel.

(But no matter how grumpy and passive-aggressive he gets when you beat him, of course he’s the proudest when you make good use of your skills. Like when you destroy an enemy in combat- especially if the enemy was underestimating you “That’s MY girlfriend, and she is amazing”))

Yeah, Air Alchemy could actually be one of the most dangerous types if you knew how to use it…Medicinal Alchemy/Alkahestry is still my thing though ^^

(‘peaceful’ do you know how I look when I play the piano and nobody’s around. Dude. That’s when I go rage mode and start playing the loudest, wildest songs ever like He’s a Pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean LOL)

That’s still adorable though omg ;-; the sad thing though is that it would be easy for him to not realize that I have anxiety and assume that I just didn’t like him, because like I said, I’d probably be ok with Mei and Yoki would be easy enough for me to talk to as well (people like Yoki either make me laugh or frustrate me and in the end I’d probably end up snapping at him). Then Queen Luna would come along and I’d suddenly become super talkative.

And when he walked into the room I’d either automatically shut up or give Queen Luna a look like “please take me out of here I don’t want to embarrass myself”.

(Would Queen Luna help me, though?)

Mei’s view of Ed is the ultimate Expectation vs. Reality.

Yep, I really want to know OC’s real name ;-; (I think I’d probably slip up and keep calling him Ciel for a while tho lol). And yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens the next chapter…all this chapter really gave me was hints of insecurity from OC?

IT’S THE STAR SPANGLED MAN WITH A PLAN

Looking forward to your reaction :) (probably a lot of tears)

OMG that sounds so cool! Like, natural, 'ginger’ red or bright red? Either way I bet you’re gonna look amazing, Queen Luna <3

(P.S: You know I mentioned a piano recital? It’s not happening. There was an incident with the teachers at the place where I was learning piano so I don’t go there anymore.

Basically, my mom was already sort of frustrated, because they also teach violin there and my litle sister used to learn violin- the teacher told us we’d have to come way earlier for lessons because she was busy with other lessons too, so we did, but she was like literally never on time? We came early but my little sister had to have piano lessons first because the violin teacher didn’t show up until later. So there was that.

And then there was the thing where they just didn’t let us decide the lesson times at all? Like, always “we’re too busy at that time, that’s too early, too many children at that time…” and they were kinda rude about it too (also once I went there at a later time and there actually weren’t that many kids? Wth)

Then they sent my mom a message. You know how usually you have to study with music theory books too when you learn how to use an instrument? My little sister’s only five (turning six this August) and she was often tired out from soccer lessons by the time she went to piano, so my mom asked the teachers if she could just not do music theory when she was too tired. they agreed.

But the message was basically 'she keeps saying she doesn’t want to do music theory and when we let her rest she keeps wandering around and bothering other people/interrupting other people’s lessons’. Like, ok, if she’d been doing stuff like that since the beginning we could understand that, but I had piano lessons at around the same time as her and she literally just sat and read books when her lessons are over and she’s not doing music theory? Also, until that message all the teachers just kept telling us what a wonderful, intelligent student she was and there was literally no mention of her bothering anyone so it was like??? what is this???

And when my mom called the teacher and asked her about the message she was like “I don’t see how that’s rude, please stop being so pushy/bossy, also I was always on time for the violin lessons what are you talking about?” Just. Wow.

When we went to pick up our music books after mom said we weren’t going to take lessons there anymore, one of the teachers came out and kept gushing about how 'Evans and her sister were SUCH amazing students, we’ll be so sad to see them go’ and she hugged me? tbh it felt really awkward and I was screaming internally through the whole thing because WOW I hate being touched by people I’m not close with lol)

*ahem* before anything: If I ever hear you say another word about your art being bad, I swear I’ll throw myself out of the window. Because it’s actually adorable?? I cry?? Touka’s hair truly looks fluffy and I LOVE the way you drew her lips. So, please, have faith in yourself, your art is absolutely gorgeous! 

Well, Otome games aren’t for everyone, tbh. I have a friend who gets easily embarrassed and she honestly can’t play them because… well, gets embarrassed at them. You should’ve seen her face when I first showed her the games, especially when the flirting began XD

I have finished the whole game. (No, you can’t date her T_T) All the endings, good and bad. 10 of them. My heart is in pieces. I wanna cry.  OKAY SMOL BRIEFING ON THE REMAINING CHARACTERS!

This is Fritz! He’s MC’s personal knight and a professional cinnamon roll. His route honestly made me so emotional (;﹏;) Not as emotional as the last one, though. He’s my 3rd favourite of the 5! His bad end was the worst of them all, though. I actually started crying. It was 1am when I did it. I wonder what my mom would’ve said if she’d seen me, at 1am, crying over a fictional character.

And last but (definitely) not least, my fave <3

Waltz- he has the Neverland curse, which means he remains as a boy until it’s broken.

This is after he breaks it. Damn. Other than the fact that his story is a trope I really love, he’s also a generally nice person, with a personality better than most of the dateable character. Also, his route is considered to be the ‘True’ route, the one you’re supposed to play last, because it has most spoilers.  I cry.

Okok, enough with ‘Luna reviews Otome Games’

And then you realise they meant it in the ‘conceal yourself’ way, not HIdeyoshi.Fuck.

Well, the Urie/Saiko was cute? BUT THAT’S IT?? Where’s the dramatic reveal? The confession =3= ((Luna is forgetting that this isn’t a romance manga))

Ishida is giving us mixed signals. 

Yeah, Kimblee’s farewell does make you wanna respect him. At least he didn’t try to be someone else. Pride was cute, tho. He was a demon who’d kill without a second thought, but he was a cute demon.

Yep, Roy does see again. …. Aha. I cry. But at least he dies heroically? 

I’m gonna get a stronger flask. That way you’ll never be able to escape muhahahahahhahaha

You’re like Al! Absolutely adorable!

Yet, badass at the same time!

Well, at least you’re not as insane as Kaneki? You definitely have more mental stability than him.

Honestly, if I was at the age where it’s socially acceptable to date Mustang, then I’m definitely not at the age when it’s socially acceptable to date Ed, and vice-versa. It’s ridiculous how he feels threatened by a kid XD On the other hand, there is a Xingese prince, now emperor ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Honestly, we’d prank him so much XD I’m pretty sure it’d mostly involve water. And rainy days.  Maybe his umbrella would conveniently disappear during those days. Or his hair would accidentally turn pink. Whoops.  Who knows, maybe I partly chose Water Alchemy to spite him XD

I think Medicinal Alchemy would be very, very appreciated in Amestris, especially considering there is none of it there. You’d be able to make mad money hahah But you’d also help a lot of people, so that’s admirable as well ^^

… Let’s pretend you were inspired to play a song that was peaceful for once and you’re feeling the peace. So you surprise him some other night by playing something he definitely didn’t expect

That’s why I’m there to help you! To show him that you just need a bit of time to warm up to people and maybe whisper a few hints to how to get you to warm up into his ear! So he realises you’re only a bit intimidated, and tries to lessen that effect.  I’d also ask Mei to help you. Probably offering something related to Al in return XD

Yeah, he’s definitely insecure. I mean, he didn’t say a single thing back and he calls himself a spare. That’s depressing. I just want him to be happy. After all the suffering he went through, he deserves it.

Is... is it cap?

I’m scared. But then again, I’m always scared when you recommend me something.

I think it’s supposed to be flame red? But since I have naturally darker hair, it’s possible that it’ll be more ginger-ish, because the dye won’t be so visible. Who knows, we’ll see ^^

Whaa?? That all seems really, really uncomfortable, especially the hugging. I mean, why. They really seem two-faced. But, maybe it’s for the best. At least now you don’t have to worry about freezing up during the recital? Will you continue playing the piano, though? It’d be a shame if you let the skills go to waste. You can always practice with anime music/songs you like if Bach and Mozart get boring :P

[dlamp-dictator]

Allen Rambles about Ashen Wolves

To my followers, sorry for posting this a second time, but I need to test something. If it helps, I edited out some of the grammar issues.

I finished up the Ashen Wolves DLC for Fire Emblem Three Houses about a week ago and man, do I have some feelings about it.

There was honestly more I disliked about it than liked, but at the same time I don’t think it was a complete waste of my time either. The fact that you can only get this DLC if you had the season pass is also something I don’t like, even if I got the pass months ago. I don’t think I could recommend this DLC save for the bonus features and extra classes in the pack, but… Well, let me break down my thoughts a bit here.

The New Classes

Let’s start with something easy like the classes. Overall I think the new classes have their utility, but are in general pretty niche. Mind you, I say this as a casual player just looking at basic utility unit and effort it takes to get them, so it’s possible the more hardcore players will say that War Monk Raphael is the new meta, but to break things down a little…

War Monk

I’m glad we finally have a female-brawling class, or at least class for females to get into, but it comes at a cost. You need a a decent rank in brawling and white magic to use this class, and very few characters have the stats for the that. This has that Mortal Savant problem of a physical or magical character grinding in stat they’re weak in to become a middling hybrid class. Granted, unlike Mortal Savant you can get these classes at level 20, but would anyone really power-level your healer in brawling just to punch things? Or spam characters like Petra or Ingrid in Faith just to have weak heals? I mean, there’s meme-ing and New Game +, but realistically this class feels pointless. Balthus’s heals were pathetic in the DLC and didn’t sell me on this being a hybrid class, or at least not a good one. You’d either get a healer with weak punches, or a fighter with weak heals. (Edit: I’ve just made Lysithea a War Cleric and it’s absolutely hilarious how busted she is with Aura Knuckles. However, that’s one New Game+ so my point still stands.) And while I’ll admit Holy Knight Ferdinand’s weak heals honestly saved me a few times on my Crimson Flower campaign, statistically it’s kind of pointless.

Trickster

Trickster is actually pretty good since it’s a mid-game class that most magic and physical classes can reach, as most magic users also have a decent to high ability in swords as well for some odd reason. Manuela finally has a class to naturally spec into around mid-game that works for her default weapon line, you could also sneak Marianne and Lysithea in there too if you wanted, but overall this class is pretty good. It’s not too niche, it can be worked into during the early and mid game, and while you do have at least unlock thief, that’s not a difficult class to spec into at all. The only real downside is wasting a intermediate certificate to unlock the thief class, and that’s not much of an issue save for time. Overall a good class.

Valkyrie and Dark Flier

Valkyrie and Dark Flyer are female-only classes in a game where I’ve already complained about gender-locked classes. That said, they’re okay. Nice to have a mid-game caster that has more than four movement, but this is still gender-locked, so I can’t have Lindhart flying around spamming warp, canto, and the like. Valkyrie also gives Lysithea something that compliments her dark magic use, but nothing else I can say aside from that. They’re glass canons. Powerful, but can’t take much of a hit. Their canto abilities make keeping them safe a lot easier than most casters.

The Ashen Wolves themselves, as units in the DLC, were a little underwhelming outside of their utility. Like I said, Bathus has weak heals, but his self-healing made him a tank… but that’s a skill most brawlers can get naturally. Yuri was the most useful thanks to his Canto Ring and Foul Play, but Constance and Hapi just felt like more mobile Lysethias, and while Lysethia is great, these maps didn’t really let them one-shot anything like their class functions want them to.

But moving on.

Story

So… a story about the secret fourth house in Fire Emblem Three Houses…

Okay, to make it short, the story is bad.

It’s not terrible, it’s not Fire Emblem Conquest levels of dumb plotholes, but it’s still bad. This game jumped some hoops make the Ashen Wolves work into the lore and story, only to stumble and fall. But before I tackle all that, let’s at least open with something nice, so…

The Good

I’m doing the good in list form because, frankly, there isn’t a lot of good to begin with, but I do want to acknowledge the good that’s in here.

Having a side story involving all 3 house leaders is a good idea. The lack of interaction between them in the main game made it hard to believe the three were friends.

The designs and personalities of the Ashen Wolves themselves are great. Everyone feels unique and don’t bleed into another character, an amazing feat given the size of the cast.

I surprisingly like Yuri quite a bit as a character, if a little annoyed by his blatant secret-keeping and obvious heel-turn later throughout the story.

Abyss in general is an idea I can get behind. Garreg Mach already had secret underground tombs and sanctuaries, so I can buy it having a secret society of undesirables underneath too, as well as protectors in the form of the Wolves.

The final boss was actually pretty fun, both in terms of challenge and mechanics… not a story detail, but it’s also something good.

The Bad

Okay… where to begin?

The actual plot stuff… dear lord. 

For context, Cindered Shadows revolves around three things: the Rite of Rising, a botched resurrection ritual during the early days of Garreg Mach. The Four Apostles, four mystics with special crests that conducted the Rite of Rising and were exiled after failing to resurrect Sothis. And Byleth’s mother Sitri, a nun of the church that died soon after having Byleth who also had a secret admirer in the form of Abyss’s benefactor. All three of these points feel tacked on for the sole purpose of having a fourth house exist. The descendants of the four apostles just happening to be in the same place? Byleth’s mom just happening to have a random admirer as the main villain? The fact that a second type of resurrection ritual existing that just happened to never to be mentioned? Now, I’ve only finished Crimson Flower, the route that did the least amount of world-building and setting explanation, but even I recognize that some hoops are being jumped here. It feels like there’s a lot of world-building either being ignored or retconned so that the Four Apostles make sense within the lore. Especially since all four Ashen Wolves just happen to be descendants of the them. That’s just poor writing to me.

Yuri pulling that double heel and face-turn at the end was also dumb. Yuri being a rouge and scoundrel with secret motives is fine, that’s basically his character at a glance. However, that makes the heel-turn obvious, especially when it happens within the last three chapters of the side story. Again, it just feels like bad writing to have the obvious rouge character turn on you at the last minute. Yes, there were some hints that he was playing both sides, but still. The shady guy being shady isn’t really much of a plot twist, and while that isn’t bad in itself the fact that the writers try to frame it as clever, or at least as an honest surprise just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall, it feels like what was going to be a simple story about Abyss and the people there turned into something more complicated for the sake of giving it more importance, and that irritates me.

And the gameplay? The maps themselves? Let’s talk about that next.

The Maps and Gameplay

There’s a video by a Bismix that summarizes my feelings perfectly:

“So how was Cindered Shadows?”

“Foul Play was cool.”

And you know what? Foul Play was cool. A special movement skill that swaps places with a unit at decent range. Combined with the Canto ring it was a damn handy tool to move around Edelgard and Lindhart. But aside from that, I have a question for the Old Guard of Fire Emblem. The folks that have been playing this since that old GBA title that featured Eliwood.

Do you like getting kicked in the dick? Repeatedly?

Because that’s what these levels felt like. A map full of Assassins with high Avoid, magic users with high damage, and every unit having Silver Weapons. Is there a reason for this aside from challenge? Is there a reason to be this disadvantaged after chapter 3? And the reinforcement, don’t even get me started on the reinforcements. Chapter 2, 3, and 4 were complete bullshit because of them. Three waves of reinforcements and the Death Knight? A 1-in-3 chance of summoning reinforcements with a stats debuff for pulling the wrong lever? An escape map that features an entire army of reinforcements at the very last section? There’s challenge, and then there’s this.

I’ll ask again Old Guard, do you like getting kicked in the dick repeatedly?

Because whenever I see nonsense like that I remember the complaints about current Fire Emblem games being too easy. And while I’ll admit to not being a hardcore fan of this series, I doubt that the game was meant to induce so many unfair advantages and rage-inducing moments toward the enemy for the sake of challenge. I had to set this game down at least five times while playing through this DLC. I don’t find it a challenge to face a mountain of enemies that only four characters on my team can realistically fight, and only 3 of them actual able to hit said enemies. I don’t see feeding half the map to Byleth, Dimitri, and Balthus because they’re the few units that can take the hits and get kills to be skillful. I don’t get how spamming reinforcements after a long and difficult map is adding challenge. 

The only map that had an interesting gimmick was the final boss. Their map-wide attack displaced your entire army and summoned two phantoms that would be sacrificed to heal the boss at the end of your next turn if you didn’t kill them in time. However, the phantoms could be killed by most of your party in one or two rounds, and they dropped heal potions for your party to share and use to prep for the next phase. That map was a matter of prioritizing which units to tank the phantoms damage, trade blows, heal with the potions obtained, and get into position to do major damage to the boss when it was on cooldown. It was fun once I learned the pattern and a challenge as you couldn’t just spam the same units to take out the phantoms due to the party displacement. It was fun, interesting, and required on-the-fly strategy, the only map to really do so.

This… is leading me down something off-topic, so I’ll simply say that adding challenge in a turn-based RPG should always be based on gimmicks and special rules to keep the gameplay interesting, rarely should raising numbers be the main way of adding challenge.

With that out the way I’ll get to my last point, which is…

Small Nitpicks that Only Bug Allen

I’d usually state this portion first, but this DLC had so many bigger issues that I feel it’d be best to use my nitpicks as a cooldown rather than a warm-up. Thankfully my nitpicks are more so my preferences than actual nitpicks, as most small issues I have with this DLC are issues that came from the original. That said:

I feel like Ashe and Hilda should had been switched out for Mercedes and Raphael. We really needed at least one more decent healer in that group, and as I said before, Bathus and Yuri’s heals are pathetically weak. Either that or Lindhart should have had the Warp spell. Raph would had another decent tank that wasn’t as much of a glass canon as Hilda. Yes, we had Edelgard, but I would had preferred Raph do the tanking.

Jeralt and Sothis should had been involved in this DLC. I don’t care that they were trying to keep the canon point ambiguous, it should had happened. If Byleth wasn’t going to react to their mother’s dead corpse then I sure as hell would had liked to see either Sothis or Jeralt do so. Again, I don’t like Byleth, but that lack of emotion on their part really kills moments like this.

I would had liked it if they didn’t lock skills. Chapter 3 and 4 wouldn’t had been so suffering if Lindhart could warp Edelgard a few times. Again, getting kicked in the dick isn’t my idea of fun or challenging.

So, with all that out of the way I think I can move on to my last point, which is:

In the Future

Like I usually say, I find it pointless to try and “fix” a story that’s already been told, but I see nothing wrong with make suggestions for the future.

That said I’d like to see the next story DLC focus more on the culture and world of Fodlan. We only know about these places by name and their students, not much else. A DLC that covers the five-year gap would be nice, something that doesn’t have Byleth in it would be nice too. Fire Emblem Fates had a few Corrin-less DLC maps, and Fire Emblem Echoes had some side stories without Alm and Celica. I think it could work. A story DLC on the church and specifically Sothis would be great too. A story map that showed how Dimitri lost his eye. A prologue map showing all the houses meeting up before Byleth came into the picture. A playable map of the Battle of Red Cliffs, things like that.

If we get more classes in future DLC then please no more gender-locked classes is all I have to say. Anyway, that’s all I got for now. Maybe now I’ll actually finish the Gacha Rambling…

Or maybe I’ll do a thesis on Granbelm, which ever comes first.