#Aubin & Wills

[siren-brainrot-boogaloo]

Hello new hyperfixation!

[babblish]

A Year in Writing; 2023 — A Retrospective

This year really fucking sucked for me, and thanks to most people deciding they don't care about covid and virus prevention any more, I spent a not insignificant amount of 2023 sick from entirely preventable diseases and chasing medical care. Still I wrote when I could, and what I lacked in quantity I made up for in persistence.

Behind the scenes I split Untitled Camelot fic into smaller, more manageable wips that I can slowly begin to publish when I'm ready. And god I came SO CLOSE to finishing Under the Wave, but it just wasn't to be with the luck I've had.

The Heart of Janus, Published:

June 17 - Honey and Lemon Returned from Hiatus (E) August 12 - Under the Wave Returned with 5 Chapters (M) November 11 - The Grave of the Felled Forest Launched (T) December 2 - Honey and Lemon Returned from Hiatus (E)

The Heart of Janus, Wips:

Camelot Fic; The Green Knight

Under the Sun — Part Two: The Daughters of Magic

Under the Sun — Part Three: The Pursuit of Stone

Arcadian Witch (aka Witch!Lenora Fic)

The Homework Squad (Multiple PoV; Coach Lawrence, Uhl, Janeth, Strickler)

Dungeons and Dragons, Published:

July 5-August 5 - Web of Starlight Returned from Hiatus with 4 more chapters

Dungeons and Dragons, Wips:

Web of Starlight

Doctor Robin Antimony

Doctor Beauregard Aubin Marceau Thibault-Babineaux

Stats

Overall Word Count: 112096

Highest Word Count in a Day: 3364 (August 29)

Average Word Count on a Writing Day: 849

Priority Project: 33692 (Heart of Janus)

Other Projects: 78404 (Web of Starlight, Robin, & a Secret Third Thing)

What I Learnt as a Writer in 2023:

Disabilities are disabling especially when it's inconvenient to you personally.

You cannot force words when you're unable.

It's fine to hold off on publishing something until you have the spoons to go back and polish it to a level you're satisfied with sharing.

How to publish anonymously on Ao3 using the anonymous collective.

Writing Goals for 2024:

Finish Under the Wave (I'm onto the final arc) and move onto Publishing The Green Knight.

Experiment with Drabbles.

Split up non-ToA notes and prose in the future.

Health willing, schedule time to read and art also.

Enjoy life

[2020 Retrospective] [2021 Retrospective] [2022 Retrospective]

[bejustlikethem]

Taylor Swift

Aubin & Wills Portland Jumper

[cmweller]

Challenge #04208-K190: Sacrifice of the Willing

I really don’t want to explain the minute details of localizing my existence, but the broad strokes of it are, it takes a vast amount of energy to anchor myself to this point. The energy that is used and the corresponding residuals is not safe for this plane of existence. Using your particular soul will act as both as a fuel source and Coordinates, but don’t worry at most you’ll only lose about two days or a week maximum of your lifespan.

As long nothing serious hinders my task... -- Anon Guest

There is a very fine line between devotion to an ideal and eldritch horror. Where one draws that line is, alas, a matter of perspective.

Aubine was an excellent healer. Some said the hallowed light of Lenus shone through her skin. She automatically repelled those who sided with corruption and hate. Which did not include any Unwelcome people just trying to get me through the day.

It was when the Adventurers followed her into the caverns of Kraskya, that the trouble began. That was where the objective of her quest lay. She could not delay. It was the will of Lenus to recover something lost and forsaken down there. Something very important. Something stolen.

[Check the source for the rest of the story]

[taylorswiftstylequestions]

what's the best outfit Taylor wore while papped with Harry? I myself am partial to the iconic fox sweater (they are hunters, we are the foxes, AND WE RUN). i was too young for Haylor in 2012 but I've been looking at photos of them and they were adorable.

It’s a tie between the Aubin & Wills fox sweater and the Erin Fetherston LBD she also wore to the NYC Secret Session 🥰

[mwezina]

The Hanged Man & FE3H

The Hanged Man is an archetype that represents sacrifices in the pursuit of a greater goal. Some say The Hanged Man is meant to be Odin, when he spent nine days hanging upside down from the branches of Yggdrasil in order to receive knowledge and wisdom of the world after he killed himself (yeah, the Norse gods are a mood too). While others see The Hanged Man being punished for a crime, since traitorous criminals in Italy were hung upside down as a punishment. Ultimately, The Hanged Man represents a transformation of some sort. From not knowing to knowing. Guilty to repentant. 

The crest associated with this archetype is the Crest of Aubin. Aubin is a masculine French given name meaning “white” or “bright”. It is also possibly a misspelling of Saint Albinus of Angers, a patron saint of protection against pirate attacks. 

The dragon associated with this crest is the Ice Dragon. Ice is a symbol of power and aristocracy in Japan due to the expense of being able to have ice yearlong. It can also be a symbol of frigidity, since ice is cold and unbending, unlike water which is flowing and malleable. 

I like to think that the Ice Dragon is one who is covered in ice. Perhaps it had a cold personality, and lived all alone, parsing knowledge and observing the world from its cool throne in the mountains. 

The character I connect to all these things is Yuri LeClerc. He is willing to sacrifice many parts of himself for the sake of others. He sacrificed his scholarship at Garreg Mach in order to save a member of his crew. He sacrificed his own dignity in order to become adopted. And he sacrificed others’ view of him in Cindered Shadows in order to stop Alferic. He also appears to be a traitor, and has been summarily punished for it (most of it appearing to be self-imposed). 

I have a hard time connecting him to the name of Aubin, but… he has a white cape? He does also protect others from unscrupulous thieving bands, which can sort of be like pirates. 

Finally, Yuri has an interesting connection with ice as he rubbed shoulders with aristocrats as a commodity himself. He is the “ice” that nobles would like to have as a show of power and money. Just like ice, Yuri is chilly to those around him in an attempt to keep his dignity and sense of safety. 

Overall, Yuri is well-integrated with the out of game connections to his crest and dragon name. My question still remains… How come Constance just makes no sense while the other Cindered Shadows characters are doing just fine? What do you guys think? Is Yuri well-integrated, or is he just as messy as Constance?

Previous: Justice

Next: Death

[ulircursed]

♡ !

from here!

name: ancha (as both sides of her parentage have names tied to constellations, she is also named after a star! this one is in the aquarius constellation, and is designated theta aquarii)

gender: female (she/they)

class: trickster (swords + magic)

major crest of aubin, minor ullr blood

the mix of holy blood and major crest causes some stress on her body; less so than the canon surgeries, but her body is living under constant strain. physiologically, her hair has a 'washed-out' coloring that can just barely pass as natural, and her lifespan has likely been affected, though no one knows to what extent

born and raised in the abyss, it is the only home she has ever known and she is very loyal and protective to its denizens as a result. aware of her noble lineage on andrei's side, but knows that it is a thing of the past, and fully embraces her status as an abyssian. andrei is resigned but accepting of this attitude, as his mind is cemented into a similar view when paired with yuri

between both parents, she has access to all the weapon types of a master knight except axes, and has dabbled in all available areas. however, she prefers to play a supporting role in battle rather than a damage-dealing one. frequent user of foul play

a shy and somewhat timid child, having inherited little of either parent's ability with words in a public setting. her good looks get her far, but she is unable to persuade people of much that they aren't already willing to do. a bad liar. likes having a routine and is unwilling to stray too far from status quo

[anitabyars]

Book description

From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling authors Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St. Aubin, comes their latest Romcom featuring a quirky cast of characters who represent the hilarious absurdity of life while making you fall head-over-heels in love. This steamy, laugh out loud, opposites-attract small town romance reminds us that we don't have to be perfect to deserve our own happily ever after!

Gemini "Gemma" McKendrick knows just about everything about everybody in Townsend Harbor. When she's not serving on one of the many civic positions or leaping headlong into another hobby, she's hosting the Sunday Stitch 'N Bitch at her yarn and craft shop, Bazaar Girls. With her quirky boutique in big financial trouble, she makes a snap decision to rent out the basement of her cozy craftsman to Townsend Harbor newcomer Gabe Kelly. A man with a past as colorful as his tattoo sleeves, who has become an urban legend since he blew into town. And who better than Gemma, Townsend Harbor's own gossip guru, to answer the rumor mill's most pressing questions? Like whether the silver-tongued mechanic is as good with his hands as he is with a socket wrench.

Gabriel "Gabe" Kelly wasn't born into a family so much as a criminal enterprise. Taught to lift, chop, and rebuild cars since before he could tie his own shoes, he's obliged to pay his debt to society before deserting South Boston for Townsend Harbor, Washington. Surely he can stay out of trouble here, right? He immediately finds the only position an ex-con with prison muscles and neck tattoos could easily find in a town like this, and buys the vintage car mechanic shop from it's retiring owner . Moonlighting as the only tow truck in a thirty-mile radius, he rescues the absent-minded hottie who runs the local yarn shop. But he quickly discovers that a toy-sized car with a dashboard lit up by Christmas isn't the only thing in Gemma McKendrick's life desperately in need of maintenance. Gabe, who is uniquely qualified to diagnose and fix complicated mechanisms, finds his sexy landlord is impossible to figure out. Looks like he'll have to take a peek at her undercarriage to find out what makes her purr before he hits the road again.

Because women of her caliber don't take home guys with his make and model...

But he knows she wants a test drive.

Order link: https://amzn.to/47rIQSV

My Review

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the most entertaining series I’ve read in a long time! So many laugh out loud moments, sexual innuendo, secrets and with a great group of strong-willed, independent, women, who all have their own unique problems. These women have bonded together to support each other, any way they can, as they find their way through life…and love! Townsend Harbor seems to be the perfect place with its quaintness and quirkiness for all these characters to blend and live in. This is Gemma and Gabe’s story and I never saw this sizzling relationship coming!!!! And it is an eye opener! Just saying Gemma really surprised me in this opposites-attract romance!

Gemma McKendrick lives in a constant state of clutter and disorganization due to her inability to stay on task for any length of time. Thanks all to her ADHD’s delightful bonus, of body betrayals but also because she constantly overextended herself in Townsend Harbor. But when her father and sister start questioning her, regarding her quirky boutique and its profit margin, she suddenly decides to rent out the basement of her house to Gabe Kelly. The same Gabe Kelly that happened to be the most soul-crushingly beautiful man Gemma had ever met. But when her identical twin Lyra and her fiancé Harrison shows up unexpectedly, and catches her in a rather awkward position, what will her family think of her attraction to the hot bad boy? Her family surely wouldn’t approve of him, if she brought him home for Sunday dinner. But she wants so much more out of life and she was willing to finally reach out and take it.

"If experience is what you want, I'd be more than willing to help you with that. Anything you want to know, anything you want to try, anything you want do. No strings attached."

Gabe "The Babe" Kelly was an old friend of Darby's from Boston, who had made his Townsend Harbor debut in a duet on aerial silks that left neither eyes nor panties dry. A man with a past as colorful as his sleeves of tattoos. Born into a family of criminals, he’d learned at an early age to lift, chop, and rebuild cars. Gabe was full of a past filled with darkness and danger, Southie trash with a rap sheet to prove it. As an ex-con he decides to buys a vintage car mechanic shop from it retiring owner in hopes of staying out of trouble in Townsend Harbour. But when Gemma McKendrick offers him her basement to rent out, he knew he was in deep trouble. Because he hadn't been able to get the image of her out of his head, since the night of Darby's benefit. Which was exactly why he couldn't get tangled up with her. Gemma was sweetness and light, the girl next door with a heart of gold. Until she needed him!

"I'm attracted to you," she said, her voice barely audible above the waves. "Like, a lot. Like, so much that it's basically an obsession”

These two are so…HOT! Sexy, charming and totally head over heels in…lust with each other. Their relationship is so sweet and captivating, I loved watching these two opposites come together and be exactly what the other needed. With Gemma, Gabe was starting to imagine a real future together. But when trouble shows up again, will Gemma and Gabe get their HEA? Or will family cause the end of their future together? You will want to read this one to get all the spicy and sexy details!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

[sevarix-blogs]

hi friend i am having thoughts about yuri

okok so in his ending with m!byleth in non-CF routes, it’s said that he and byleth live with unnatural longevity and their youth lasts the entire time. this makes sense for byleth, with him being part nabatean and merged with the goddess herself. but why would yuri have the same longevity, when it isn’t said that byleth gave his blood or anything like that?

well, i believe we can likely trace that back to his crest. the crest of aubin.

how would he have gotten this crest, exactly? and how would it have gone undetected, with all of fódlan but specifically the kingdom being as reliant on crests as it is? constance and balthus both came from noble backgrounds, and hapi both came from a remote, isolated, forgotten village and was experimented on by cornelia. but yuri was a street rat; no money to his name, no items to protect, just him and his mom in a humble, bordering desperate lifestyle.

well. i think i have an explanation for that.

yuri speaks of this elder during his supports with byleth. he says that this elder taught him to read and to write, and that he cured him of a plague that wiped out the majority of yuri’s village. that’s not something any old elder would be able to do, and it’s not something any old elder would be willing to do.

but keep in mind, aubin himself - of the four apostles - would have been able to read and write, as he worked directly under the archbishop. and aubin himself would have been able to heal, implied by the research done for the chalice of beginnings and the fact that many of those affiliated with the church do know faith magic.

now, this theory might be a bit outlandish, or maybe it’s one people have had before, but what if this elder was aubin? this would explain the longevity, because the elder would have been hundreds of old at that point.

idk. these are just my thoughts after a math test. i hope you enjoy them :>

you are correct friend! the Elder Yuri mentions is indeed Aubin. i know hopes isn't canon in houses but it is revealed in hopes in Yuri's support with Seteth that it was actually Aubin. Seteth has a moment where he's like 'aubin my dear friend... you saved that child's life' or something like that.

now, the confusing part is whether the apostles were full blooded nabateans or only like, partially nabatean. that's the part i'm still not sure about 🤔

[internutter]

Challenge #04208-K190: Sacrifice of the Willing

I really don’t want to explain the minute details of localizing my existence, but the broad strokes of it are, it takes a vast amount of energy to anchor myself to this point. The energy that is used and the corresponding residuals is not safe for this plane of existence. Using your particular soul will act as both as a fuel source and Coordinates, but don’t worry at most you’ll only lose about two days or a week maximum of your lifespan.

As long nothing serious hinders my task... -- Anon Guest

There is a very fine line between devotion to an ideal and eldritch horror. Where one draws that line is, alas, a matter of perspective.

Aubine was an excellent healer. Some said the hallowed light of Lenus shone through her skin. She automatically repelled those who sided with corruption and hate. Which did not include any Unwelcome people just trying to get me through the day.

It was when the Adventurers followed her into the caverns of Kraskya, that the trouble began. That was where the objective of her quest lay. She could not delay. It was the will of Lenus to recover something lost and forsaken down there. Something very important. Something stolen.

[Check the source for the rest of the story]

[ngardgni]

Re-watched "First Kill" and have some thoughts:

1.Juliette being super into Cal never grows old.

But also, like, any relationship that starts with a biting and staking probably won't end well? Just a thought.

2. We'd watch clips of Sarah Catherine Hook being dorky Juliette all day long. In fact, Sarah Catherine Hook can read from the phonebook all day and we'd still watch it. In fact, can we have more Sarah Catherine Hook shows, pls? Thank you.

3. We can't watch that intimate scene in the woods without laughing. It's hot, sure, and who hasn't tried public sex at least once? But also, what's up with the fruits aggressively falling from the tree and what does that symbolize?!? We're still confused.

*edit* Runner-up: that Garden of Eve scene. Can't get through it without laughing. It's hilarious. Dunno why. LOL

4. Everyone saying they don't get how these two could've fallen in love in such a short time clearly skipped that phase when they were young. LOL If we had a nickel for everytime we took a look at a hot girl, fell in love and declared we'd die for them after only having known them for less than 3 days, we'd be rich by now. So, yeah, it tracks. And is very gay. Haha

5. We weren't paying attention the first time, but seeing the Elinor-Juliette dynamic and the Burns' family dynamic this time around makes what happened after hit us harder.

6. Juliette finally seeing Elinor for what she truly is - a psychopathic serial killer - and making the decision to betray her, strangely, accurately depicts the kind of intense love-hate relationship sisters have. Note that Cal doesn't have this kind of relationship with the brothers.

7. Like we said, we weren't paying attention the first time and hadn't realized Juliette had turned Theo. Juliette has had a lot happening the back half of the season: realizing her sister isn't perfect, accidentally turning Theo into a vampire, breaking up with Cal. This is heartbreaking.

8. Turning the spotlight on the Burns family, and seeing how each one responds to Theo turning into a vampire, and how each one has to contend with what it means - really upped the drama, intrigue and interest for us. It humanized them. Which is strange because they're the humans in this monster vs. humans story. In fact, the vampires here seem more human than they are. But a family of monster hunters now having to confront that one of their own is now a monster? Not entirely new territory, but powerful still. The family now has to take sides and it's just an effing punch in the gut. Props to Aubin Wise. She shines as the mom who still aggressively loves her (step)son and is willing to save him even though he's now a vampire. Watching Aubin Wise act the hell out of those scenes made us realize why she was cast and why she is perfect for this role. She elevates the material. The writing may be uneven at times, but she makes it shine.

9. That break-up scene though. It's probably every intense queer relationship everyone's ever had. There's always been something intense about queer relationships. Especially ones you've had when you were young. Cal and Juliette breaking up is so hard to watch, particularly because you see their relationship progress from the meet-cute, to the hot make-outs, the giddiness, the exhilaration, then you see them have to confront each other and break up? A sucker punch to the guts. Sarah Catherine Hook and Imani Lewis really sell the scene. It works even without that ridiculously obvious Romeo and Juliette reference - you can see how heartbroken they are.

And so, now we're really so into it and want a season 2.

This is surprisingly re-watcheable.

[cosmiclovestyle]

in the middle of the night ♡ by embrxce featuring framed wall art

[aurheatum]

tulip :   how does your muse view people in general ?  

so this is going to be long and full of headcanons! spoilers for rheas whole thing and the kusakihara's 10000.... year history crumbs for any who care

Okay so pretty obviously people come in two types to Rhea 1. Humans and 2. Nabateans

Humans first

For context, I tend to assume Rhea was born around the midpoint of humanity/agartha’s war against Sothis.

General timeline would be Sothis decides to have one (1) more mitosis baby > She puts the Torment in the Valley of Torment > Eventually humanity exhausts its nukes/agarthans retreat and Sothis gives up the last of her strength to heal Fódlan’s land

Strictly speaking we don’t know what Fódlan’s technology was like post Sothis going to sleep but I think we can assume it is about where 3H proper is just based on the particular technologies Rhea bans (no oil or electricity for u). I think that speaks volumes to how little Rhea trusts humanity and how foolish a collective she thinks them.

But then there’s Wilhelm.

“He saved me. Supported me. Gave his all to the cause of defeating Nemesis.”

Even after all these years Rhea still speaks of him like she owes him a debt. Fitting, since she would have met Wilhelm shortly after seeing the entirety of Zanado slaughtered by humans (sans nukes this time!) – and it was only with his help she was able to reclaim her mother’s bones.

(I think this was probably the most hopeful time for her: she would never have predicted that once her enemies were defeated the goddess simply wouldn’t return.)

And he’s certainly not the last in a line of humans she continues to trust. There’s Jeralt who would have basically been her son-in-law had Sitri survived, and Catherine who’s the sole person she relies on in the Crimson Flower route.

Two out of three of those humans first encounter Rhea-as-Rhea when she plays nursemaid to them. That, and the fact, in every route besides CF Rhea is willing to sacrifice herself just to prevent Garreg Mach from becoming another Zanado makes me think while Rhea certainly doesn’t entirely trust humans, she’s never been able to entirely hate them either.

Part of her putting her life on the line is absolutely because she thinks it’s what Sothis would do in her place, duty rather than sentiment. Largely she does sees the humans of Fodlan as her flock but the little details we get about her relationships with Jeralt and Catherine, and the simple fact she admits being archbishop is lonely in her teatime talk, makes it pretty clear that as foolish and ignorant as she thinks humans are she also cannot help but want to find companionship in them.

Rhea’s a fool too, after all.

And lonely! More on that in the next bit.

Nabateans

So the only surviving family members we know Rhea has are:

-Indech (currently chilling in a lake #respect)

-Macuil (got the hell out of Fódlan and became an angry desert hermit)

-Flayn (up until the last decade has been in dragon cryostasis)

and Seteth.

(The four apostles were also probably nabateans/their descendants based on Yuri’s backstory. Important to point out that Aubin would have been wandering Fódlan for some time before coming to save little kid Yuri and then peacefully dying.)

What do they all sans Seteth/Flayn duo have in common?

Oh, right. They all left her!

I imagine since Rhea is on her twelfth attempt to make a Sothis soul jar just twenty years prior to the game that this has been going on for… awhile. We know the apostles were involved in the founding of Garreg Mach, and I would assume the same of at least Indech if not Macuil. But bit by bit the years wore on them as did Rhea’s stubbornness and they went to go make the best of their long lives.

I think it’s important to note Seteth’s profile mentions he’s only come back to Garreg Mach recently ( I just double checked and it's legit the year after Jeralt sets a fire. Seteth is just the community pizza man gif.).** From a writing standpoint this is done to explain how and when Flayn awoke, and to give Seteth a reason for having no idea what or who Byleth is in the game proper until Rhea outright tells him.

But like. That’s the thirteenth vessel Rhea’s (albeit unintentionally) made. You really think that Seteth never knew about any of the others? I doubt it. He clearly disagrees with Rhea’s fixation on Sothis but continues to support her all the same.

Family means a lot to the both of them. Rhea especially.

I think she resents Seteth’s brothers for leaving, but I do think she’d welcome them back all the same, as for Seteth and Flayn: she may not say it but they mean more to her than anyone else, particularly in Seteth’s case because he always came back.

explains inoues banger performance here

**ok fire was 1159. Seteth comes back 1162. I still think Seteth pizza guy is funny and also a tldr of his relationship w rhea

[amitieos]

no guts no glory! (team ten bronze round)

Elincia remembers the projectionist and her tricks all too well from last time. An expectation to fight their way out of this conundrum? The connection, the reasoning is unclear to her. What will battling hordes of illusory enemies do to fix the projectionists prior mistakes do? She finds herself uneasy and distracted, wondering what the strange woman’s goal truly is?

“I guess we have no choice but to fight,” Elincia addresses her teammates. They’ll have to work strategically and in sync to end this with as few injuries as possible. Yuri, she recognises and offers them a quiet little smile. They’re talented, reliable and willing to do whatever it takes to win. Farina too has proven her strength on many occasion, although they’ve yet to speak personally. She introduces herself to Hinoka before carrying on, “we shall give them no quarter. Let’s do our best.”

She leads the charge, something she has grown accustomed to over countless battles. The commoner looks timid and unsure of themselves. Perfect prey, ripe for the taking. Her hand tightens around the hilt of her Steel Sword; she has been trained well in swordplay but it does not sit as comfortably in her hands as Amiti does. Clutching it, she dashes towards the recruit and strikes.

Roll d20! 7! Hit! Elincia deals 1.5 damage to Commoner A Roll d20-2! 20-2=18! Critical hit! Commoner A deals 2 damage to Elincia.

Elincia’s HP: 8/10 Commoner A’s HP: 6.5/8

What a foolish mistake she had made. Underestimating her enemy like that. Her cheeks burn with shame as she retreats back to her allies. At least she might serve as a prime example of what not do.

@aubins @making-dough & @theblueskywarrior

[if-tomorrow-never-comes]

[agent-cupcake]

i believe i am legally and morally obligated to ask how the wolves fit into this mobster AU 👀

~As thieves, of course! Have I ever mentioned my love of heist plots? For a while I toyed with the idea of an Ocean’s Eleven style rework of the Cindered Shadows DLC which was basically the prototype for this gangverse AU. There are ideas from that story that I think are great (Sexy powerful casino owner Rhea, Edelgard playing banker for the operation, Claude taking on the role of some super rich foreigner needing to secure his briefcase in the vault before dramatically feigning a catastrophic illness) but that is a tale lost to time.

~In our actual alternate universe, Yuri is the smooth as silk, multitalented and criminally inclined conman leader of the specialized group. Unlike the other house leaders, he’ll take his schemes to wherever the money is... but his true home is Fódlan City. 

~He grew up in the southeast area of Faerghus officially known as Cathedral Street and unofficially, and quite aptly, called Abyss. It was, at one point, a government funded housing project that promised affordable living and better jobs. But, due in part to the dysfunctional bureaucratic relationship between Faerghus and the city government during the recession, Cathedral Street became a trap, keeping the poor locked into dead-end jobs and unfair rental contracts. It became a place for misfits and criminals, pretty much disconnected from the rest of the borough and city for all that anybody cared about the abandoned project.

~The internationally famous thief known only as Aubin has a suspicious number of similarities with the old man who taught Yuri all the tricks of the trade in his youth. 

~For all of the shared quirks between the two, some people joke that the Mockingbird is Aubin himself.

~Although his one true passion is con jobs and heists, Yuri is willing to engage in all sorts of shady endeavors... Assuming there’s enough money involved. This includes, but is not limited to, brokering extortion, buying and selling information, fencing, arranging sales, and fixing any sort of “problems” powerful people might find themselves having. Yuri’s skillset doesn’t necessarily make him qualified for all jobs, but he has a special talent for finding the right people and organizing them together. 

~He’s got fantastic aim and an impressive collection of guns. Yuri’s not one for very much hand-to-hand but he’s always got knives and such hidden on his person. You know, just in case. He also has an impressive knowledge of first aid.

~Yuri is an enthusiastic supporter of both Dimitri and Claude and their efforts to knock down the corrupt elite and “clean up”... especially Claude weeding out the business of human trafficking. Very sportingly, Yuri swore to never steal from Claude’s casinos. He's nice like that.

~Yuri doesn’t see things in terms of conflict of interest because, professionally, the Mockingbird has no interest in politics. Personally, he just enjoys the satisfaction of seeing abusive scummy people getting thrown from their ivory towers. Especially when they come begging to him for help and can’t cough up enough money for his services.

~Physical objects don’t have much value to Yuri, even money doesn’t mean much to him to an extent. He knows how easily it can all be taken away, knows that in his line of work nothing is truly permanent, and he knows how to survive without any of it. 

~That said, he loves shopping. Especially at high end places. Clothes are a special weakness of his. Plus, he loooooves spoiling his mom with fancy nice things. The first thing he did when he began making money was give her the money to buy a nice house and car in her own name, assets that belong solely to her to both live comfortably and have as a security net. 

~He picked up the other three Wolves kind of by accident. For the most part, his job never involved any consistent cast of people. He had people he trusted and would hire for jobs, but they didn’t work specifically for/with him. But then Aelfric hired him to steal something and he wound up working with Balthus, Constance, and Hapi. Unlike most people, they weren’t bound to any group or organization. They were skilled, but underutilized. None of them would ever admit it, but they were all missing something.

~Also, Aelfric’s job ended up being a trick. He hired a skilled but inexperienced team so he could have useful idiots to throw under the bus after he got what he wanted. Unfortunately, it did not work out so hot for him. Fortunately, it brought together four useful idiots who formed an incredibly sought after criminal organization. 

~Before Balthus met Yuri, he was a disinherited alcoholic one binge away from being completely homeless as opposed to the almost-homelessness of working random jobs and couch surfing. He got picked up because he was good at punching and familiar with both the elite world and the criminal underbelly.

~He’s a terrible liar, but he is fantastic at intimidation and beating people up. He acts as a bodyguard and Yuri’s right hand man. Having something worthwhile to dedicate himself to actually helped him straighten out a lot. 

~Although he’s not the one who comes up with schemes or anything, his straightforward approach to problems often helps Yuri from thinking himself into a corner. Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to take it as it is, Yuri likes to overcomplicate everything.

~Constance is the demolitions expert who gets an uncomfortable amount of joy from her job. There is, as she says, an artistry to what she does. She is not a vulgar street thug with a molotov, she is an expert of the architectural and structural, a master manipulator of destruction and dismantlement. 

~The Nuvelle family was of decently high standing when she was young. Her father was on the local board working his way up. While he was in office, the topic of the “Brigid Deal” was hot. It had to do with government interaction with international businesses and corruption. When the Adrestian board had to start answering for this, they made Mr. Nuvelle their fall guy and called it case closed. There was rampant speculation about the accident that befell her family after the fact, especially when it was rumored that he had evidence of deeper corruption, but nothing ever came of it. The ensuing media circus and ruin deeply impacted Constance. She got a scholarship to go to school, but many people noted that despite her intellect, she was erratic and rather antisocial. There might be some deeper psychological reason for her love of demolition of structure and trauma inflicted by a corrupt system, but who knows.

~Hapi is pretty much the straight man to the rest of them. She doesn’t get carried away with the details, hyped up on violence, or frenzied by the idea of blowing something up. Sometimes it seems almost like she’s along for the ride, but she’s the only reason the Wolves don’t implode through their sheer quirkiness. 

~She was a teenage runaway who wound up in Abyss and fell into the criminal world kind of by accident. Even more than Yuri, Hapi harbors a deep resentment for the negligence of the government. 

~She’s a very skilled jewel thief, Hapi especially goes for ones obtained and profitable through unethical means. She’s also a decent pickpocket and knows how to run and/or spot a lot of typical scams. Despite her proficiency with guns, Hapi’s not really keen on the violence part and will always advocate for alternative methods to solving problems if it’s possible.