#I think that fits the character personality’s the most

[travellerlostintranslation]

I genuinely had to give myself a day to put my thoughts together before replying and I'm still... confused, I suppose. Uncertain maybe fits better. On the one hand - I agree. Mocking those in power, especially those who are pure evil like Muskrat, is important. It's both psychologically and sociologically important. It ties in to our ability to face adversity, both on a personal level - nowadays presented largely by "dark tourism" - and societal one - our willingness and ability, as a group, to stand up against the darkness in the world and give each other hope. Dia de los muertos or the Qingming Festival probably fit best as examples here - holdays centred around death, but specifically designed to give hope to the living. A way to face the unstoppable with dignity and hope. Though I digress.

On the other hand I think there's a time, a place and a position for that mockery (to return to the original topic). Before Hitler's death those who mocked him were, in a way, universal - both the general populace and those in power mocked him. It was, at its core, a propaganda/military tactic. And that, I feel, is the most important distinction to now.

Our world, like it or not (mostly not), is vastly different from the world of the 1930s. Back then those mockeries were wildly visible and usually only a one-way communication. Nowadays it's not as cut and dry. For every journalist and politician who takes the piss out of the Poor Little Rich Boy (and I accept that this is my way of doing the same thing) there's another who will defend him and, and this is the worst part, point to the mocker and accuse them of hate speech or some such.

Back in the 1930s mockery of Hitler was a way to move the masses, as it were. It was a tool used to discredit his socio-political actions. It was also a mainstream effort. There were very few, if any, echo-chambers. The mockery was universal and came from both power and from the citizens.

That is not the case now, unfortunately. The mockery of Melon Tusk isn't coming from power. Yes, it sometimes comes from journalists and politicians, but they also almost immediately see reprisals of one form or another. But mostly it comes from us - the ones at the bottom who see the evil for what it is... And as a coping strategy. We mock him not because it's a successful method to oust his malevolence, but because it's a coping tactic. Much like the aforementioned holidays - we have no way to make actual, tangible change (not in a societally acceptable way at least), and so we mock him to keep our sanity in place. Because the alternative is despair.

What I'm getting at, despite the rant-like talk, is we need the correct tool for the correct task. And right now mockery isn't it. Right now we need to, collectively, acknowledge the evil first. We need to find a way to stand together against one of (if not the) most powerful man on the planet and one and all say - you are evil. You are not a godling. You do not deserve to be where you are and your behaviour and character are not acceptable in a decent (not even good) world.

I'll stop here. I had like two more paragraphs but it's just an anti-capitalist rant at this point, and this isn't about that.

As Elon Musk cements his place in history as a fascist tech overlord and the rest of the world looks at us in horror, I really do want to reiterate what I feel will be lost to the history books

Nearly everyone in america has thought and continues to think that Elon is very cringe.

[11queensupreme11]

I need to know how people are gonna react to finding out about Percy’s mortal spot 🫠

im ngl, i genuinely believed putting the mortal spot on THE BACK is probably THEEEEE DUMBEST fucking thing ever 😭 ur back is literally your most vulnerable spot and now she just made it 100000x more vulnerable 😭 i'm almost certain rick wrote it that way for poetic reasons cuz percy's fatal flaw is loyalty, mortal spot on the back, hence "the only way you can kill percy jackson is to stab her in the back" 💀 yes yes, very poetic, but i don't think the ror characters will appreciate it 😭

(gonna try and fit as many reactions here as i can, excluding beel and loki since they already know)

cú chulainn: this dude is a trained warrior. he knows everything about weaknesses and blindspots. and the back????? IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST BLIND SPOT THERE IS. he'll be screaming and ripping out his own hair in pure horror and disbelief when he finds out his dumbass lover put HER ONE MORTAL SPOT on her fucking BACK of all the goddamn places 😭

apollo: he's gonna throw up when he finds out and then he's gonna throw up even more when he learns that the LAST PERSON to have the curse of achilles was killed by HIS COUNTERPART. he prays to every deity and the fates that they won't be cruel enough to repeat that with them because he CANNOT lose percy 😭😭😭😭

poseidon: his jaw drops. he looks like a complete idiot all gobsmacked like this, but nobody even blames him because they're also just as shocked. he has half a mind to spank his daughter for her terrible idea, not just for the placement of the mortal spot, but for getting that damn curse in the first place. at first, he liked it because it made her 99.99% invulnerable but that fucking mortal spot just ruined it 💀💀💀

hades: buries his face in his hands and lets out the heaviest sigh ever. he loves his niece, he really does, but he has to admit... she's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. he loves her so much though so he won't be TOO disappointed 💖

anubis: "BABY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he's screeching in horror when he witnesses the scene. welp, now he knows how she got the curse, but holy SHIT this is probably the worst curse ever (it's really not). he's literally gonna be begging her to stop when it comes up on the screen, but it's already too late

ra: USUALLY he would be busy restraining anubis from doing something stupid, but he's too busy gawking. percy was literally told that her fatal flaw was LOYALTY.... and then she goes and picks HER BACK as her one mortal spot???? "omfg the poseidon in that universe taught that child NOTHING"

rhea: "WE 👹 MUST 👹 GET 👹 HER 👹 OUT 👹 OF 👹 THAT 👹 UNIVERSE 👹 BEFORE SHE GETS HERSELF KILLED" no seriously, grandma rhea is WORRIED. if she were a human, she'd have 1000 heart attacks and her hair would've turned grey already. this baby is stressing her the FUCK out 😭

prometheus: would literally cry 😭😭😭 like "percy... my dear baby cousin, your back??????? WHY?????" 😭😭😭😭 he's usually very supportive of her ideas, even the most craziest ones, but..... the back???????????

izanagi: "oh bless her heart, she's trying her best 🥺💔"

sun wukong: does a very slow facepalm as he sinks into his throne because oh my gods this girl is FUCKED. he has never seen a more doomed person before in all his years of living 😭

aphrodite: "wait does this make sex harder??? should i have her try other positions instead? 🤔" (she's asking the real questions here)

lugh: gently grasps cú chulainn's shoulders and say solemnly, "son, i think the universe really hates you 😔💔" because this is the SECOND PERSON that cú chulainn cares about to have some sort of near-invulnerability. the first died thx to him, and now percy might follow 😭

odin: a little concerned at how similar she is to his baldur. pure-hearted and kind, a genuinely good person, with a near invulnerability. he hopes, for loki's sanity, that percy doesn't die too because the crashout would be catastrophic fr 💀

adam: absolutely HORRIFIED because she picked literally the worst spot on her body to be her mortal spot 😭

leonidas: "how tf is this kid alive right now 💀"

tesla: so it turns out it's not just math and science that he needs to teach her, but basic self-preservation as well! alrighty then, he's already getting the lesson plans ready as well as a VERY long lecture about poor decision-making skills 😭

basically, every ror character's reaction to percy getting the curse of achilles and choosing her back as her one mortal spot:

EVERYONE is horrified 💀

percy literally has so much stacked against her. everyone and everything in that universe is out to get her. she's the product of a broken vow. she's a demigod, so naturally monsters hunt her down on the daily. she has a cursed fucking sword that's cursed to fail her when she needs it most. her fatal flaw is loyalty. and then she goes and puts her mortal spot on her BACK 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 not only that, but the fates of that universe love love LOVE greek tragedy and percy is a walking greek tragedy waiting to for the curtain call 😭

[toa-archive]

Nari Design Path

We're now on the final of the trio and we're finishing up with Nari! Part of the reason she's last is there is So Much and given smacked straight into the image limit it was the right call. Think she is also a great reminder that there is no "central hub" for finding information scattered across multiple artists with some being lost over time. The only place that is anything like that is the Dreamworks vault, all this is by one dedicated person who despite doing their best can still miss things.

As ever with these it is far from impossible something else will belatedly turn up. Should this occur, wherever it is added will have a [/edit xx/xx/xxxx] which includes a date marker. Just makes it easier to find the “new” thing :)

Much like with Skrael opening with these guys again if for flow reasons this time round. Francisco Ruiz Velasco had his own stab at a bunch of wizards which are nigh impossible to pin down if it was for any of the Arcane Trio specifically or not. This one will very understandably appear in all three as there could well be a Nari potential here for all we know.

Source goes to Linkedin so may require an account.

Next up is Yingjue Chen's initial forest wizard concepts which you may recognise from the Bellroc thread. We've even got some deer ankles going!

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Her next iteration is Nari as we know her for the most part if more "adult" in appearance, longer hair, possible deer ankles and lots of veils.

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The "adult" Nari has popped up one other time namely through Francisco Ruiz Velasco doing his own exploration of the nature wizard and funky magic vines.

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After this it was decided to make Nari "younger" and more childlike in stature though at this point still keeping everything else about her design. Fandom has generally fallen into two camps as either seeing her as a literal child sharing a weird spot with Skrael there or as a small adult. This is in part why the quotation marks are being used. Next to her here is the nature wizard design recast as Bellroc before they went off to a different artist. This is Yingjue Chen again!

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For some reason have the left image entirely on its own and not entirely sure why. Anyway.

On the right is more veil tests that were tried out until it was decided it would be cost prohibitive, a common reason for cape loss in animation. Her hair was shrunk into the snazzy braid for the same reason. Her design would have further tweaks before settling, notably in the legs and how the leaf plates fit together if you compare the above and the below.

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After this we have Nari's paint over a Leo Sanchez Studios model complete with callouts! Thinks ended up being tweaked a little bit more which really shows how iterative the process of concept to final design can be. Bonus is good reference particularly for that braid.

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This is the point where you will see some creative work arounds for the image limit. Prior to his website being changed, Ivan Gozali had a bunch of sketches, some Bellroc sketches and a Jilaire beatboard. The Nari ones are still accessible through instagram if small. These are a smidge bigger though have been grouped into twos because of aforementioned limit.

He does mention a very interesting tidbit however:

Some character studies of Nari. Early in production we didn’t have much to go on. There were several design iterations, we even had several name changes. I was never much of a “concept” artist so please excuse with these off-proportion drawings. I always find joy exploring character behaviours and attitude.

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In addition there was this little animation which is on both instagram and on his tumblr. There he says:

Nari character from Wizards, inspired by a ‘feral boy’ character from Road Warrior, which was a good jumping point, but I’m mostly inspired by @glenkeaneprd Tarzan test.

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Also by one of the storyboarders we have this series of art by Bianca Siercke. Completely non-canon these were part of figuring out her character and no doubt helped the boarders figure her out best for drawing as well.

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This can of course also mean rock fists. Specifically in this case to quote:

"Nari playful personality was especially fun because of how it might effect her fighting style". "This was one of the explorations I did to figure out what kind of magic she might use".

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"This was an exploration of how Nari's magic might change depending on her mood".

Given she can use plants like a telephone according to Aaron, murder hands seem fair even if they were just part of figuring her out.

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"These were explorations trying to find Nari's personality and magic ideas. They're non canon".

This is the last one! Ironically enough the seeds did come back in a sense in the form of her potted plant in Rise of the Titans.

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Decided to add a trio of bonuses just for fun. You might have noticed the Order pops up in the Wizards credits sequence though unlike Trollhunters and 3Below, it is not Headless Studios. They were drawn in a similar way though! They are by Alison Donato.

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Now firmly onto RotT related artwork, these various disguises for Nari are by Betsy Bauer painted over Yingjue Chen's original! Should you so desire you can have chav Nari in your works and point to this as to why.

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Thanks to Andy Murray we have a paint and orthographic turnaround of the chosen Nari in a giant beanie. Gives a good look at the t-posing model as well should you need it.

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This is also a great excuse to yet again break out Francisco Ruiz Velasco's Order band poster again! Some imagery shenaniganry was done purely to ensure this got in here again.

Source goes to Linkedin so may require an account.

Returning to Yingjue Chen a moment, Nari's staff! This and Alison Donato's credits paintings are the only currently known artwork of it. It might not have been used much but she does very much have a stick just like the others.

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In the previous two design paths this is about when the Art of Wizards panel gets pointed to with the really tiny screenshot. In a unique twist to Nari and as a boon when smacked into the image limit, we have the full-sized versions of the very art shown there!

Next to the very tiny Nari is the left most vine.

And beside it is both the "flame" and the beam that will be used to bass boost the Heart of Avalon specifically. The below was originally on Betsy Bauer's website though is no longer available. Why things are saved off :)

Do you recall the green butterflies/moths Nari seemingly produced out of nowhere while at Hex Tech? Well thanks to Isaac Orloff we have their orthographic and their glowy effects!

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Moving onto the RotT spell front, when Betsy Bauer revamped her website it came with some brand new art we hadn't seen previously. Not only does it show her potted plant unfurling and name it as a passion flower, there's an additional view of Nari in her "Fish fear me" hat.

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We have that same flower exploding into a massive vine. Even has a callout specifically to Betsy Bauer's spell effects which is neat! This one is by Sean Wang.

Returning to Andy Murray a moment, we have the glow up eye effect for Nari. While not shown here for image limit reasons, the mind swap between Douxie and Nari effects plus the ripping him outta there is on the same sheet. The one below, which is purely Titan related has been cropped for fitting this post reasons only.

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This is the Arcane Circle for Nari which is shown on the Earth Titan. The Genesis Seal marker is on the same row as Bellroc so is not shown here. As above it has been cropped for fitting this post reasons only. This time they are once again by Sean Wang.

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Sean Wang also has this on her website showing additional effects and the rune usage on Nari specifically. The artwork on the left is from one of Alfonso Blaas' colour keys which shows the Genesis Seals being opened.

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Nearly there now! While mentioned earlier and to fit with the format of the other two posts, one of Nari's in development names was Ilnara which we found out thanks to Bianca Siercke.

To close up on a fun note, Yingjue Chen has a headcanon of "adult" Nari having Excalibur which Schildwand went and cosplayed!

Source

With the trio now complete, all the link hops between now work! When this is uploaded please allow chance for the links to Nari to be updated on the other posts.

Bellroc - Nari - Skrael

[aylacavebear]

Bloodlines & Fate Chapter 3

Being Touched should have been a blessing—a mark of honor in your lineage, celebrated by your pack since childhood. But to you, it's always made you feel like an outsider, never really fitting in anywhere. Yeah, you had your best friend Jess, but for you, something always felt like it was missing. The land your pack runs on during the full moons brings you a sense of peace you don't fully understand, at first.

Paring: Alpha!Dean x Omega!Reader/You

Word Count: 3305

Warning: Angst, longing. Not much that I can think of.

A/N: Professor Robert Zimmerman is based off of The Doctor from Star Trek Voyager, as I absolutely love that character.

A/N: It's my first attempt with an A/B/O fic, be gentle please. I hope you like it. Not sure how many chapters this will be yet.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 3

Graduating just before summer wasn’t anything like a traditional school ceremony, but your pack made sure it felt special. Professors Zimmerman and Saltzman were there, standing alongside nearly half the pack. Your parents even got you a gown, ensuring you had at least a small taste of normalcy you’d never quite had.

Afterward, the celebration stretched long into the evening—music thrummed through the trees, laughter, and dancing filled the clearing, and the scent of roasted meat and sweet pastries lingered in the air. The adults passed around bottles of beer and whiskey, and, to your surprise, your parents allowed you one drink. You savored the cold bitterness, rolling the taste over your tongue like it was some kind of milestone. It felt like one.

Since that night in the forest—the last time you’d heard him—you hadn’t returned to the place that called to you beneath the full moon. Instead, you lingered closer to the cabins, never straying too far. You never sang. That song belonged to you and him alone, a quiet secret in the night, and you weren’t ready to share it with anyone else.

Two other families lived on the land, and over the months, you grew closer to them. The elders of both families took care of the pups during full moons, wrangling them when instincts ran high and patience ran thin. Beverly, one of the omegas, took you under her wing, teaching you how to bake everything from crusty bread to delicate pastries. Jess was usually right there beside you, covered in flour and grinning as she stole bites of dough when Beverly wasn’t looking. Then there was Melody, the other omega, whose expertise lay not in baking, but in handling the chaotic energy of young wolves. She had a quiet authority that pups seemed to respect, and she passed on tricks—how to redirect a tantrum, how to settle an anxious shift, how to recognize when a pup was playing versus picking a fight.

Despite your scent making most of them wary, a handful of the more rambunctious boys ignored the instinct to keep their distance. They sought you out, eager for rough-and-tumble games, drawn to the fact that you didn’t mind a little dirt or a few scrapes. They tackled, they wrestled, and you fought back just as fiercely, earring bruises that you wore with pride.

Jess thought you crazy for putting up with them, but you could see the admiration in their young eyes. You weren’t delicate. You weren’t something they had to tiptoe around. And in their own way, they made you feel like you belonged.

When Jess presented as omega after turning sixteen, she was overjoyed—and for this celebration, you didn’t hesitate to join in. She wasn’t just your best friend; she was your sister in every way that mattered, the one person who understood you in ways your pack never fully could.

But beneath your excitement for her, there was a quiet sadness you kept locked away, hidden deep enough that it wouldn��t taint your scent. Because this changed things. No more late-night games, no more laughing over ridiculous jokes, no more movie marathons where you both fell asleep on the couch before the credits rolled. And she wouldn’t be tending the pups with you anymore, either.

Still, today wasn’t about you. It was about Jess. And you refused to let your own feelings dampen the joy of her moment.

When you finally managed to steal her away from the crowd, pulling her outside and into the cooler night air, you didn’t waste time getting to the one thing that had been nagging at you for hours.

“What’s your weird thing?” you asked, eyes glinting with curiosity.

Jess blinked at you, confused, until realization dawned. “Oh, that? Umm…” she hesitated, chewing her lip in thought. “Honestly… I don’t know. I haven’t noticed anything weird.”

Your shoulders slumped in disappointment, lips pulling into a slight pout. “Well, when you figure it out, you totally have to tell me.” Jess grinned. “You’ll be the second to know.”

That was just how it worked between you two. She’d be the first to know, of course. And you’d always be the second. Just like she was for you.

But then, something changed. It was subtle—a flicker of something different in her expression, a shift in the way the porch light caught her face. You leaned in, brow furrowed, trying to see better, but the shadows weren’t cooperating. Without hesitation, you grabbed her hand and all but dragged her toward the porch, stepping into the pool of warm yellow light.

Your breath caught. “Oh my god,” you murmured, staring at her. “One of your eyes, it’s a different color.”

“What?” Jess fumbled for her phone, pulling it from her back pocket with frantic hands. She flipped to the front camera, zooming in. “Holy shit…” she breathed, eyes wide as she stared at the screen. Leaning against the porch post, you crossed your arms, lips curving into a knowing smirk. “So, who do you know with hazel eyes?”

At first, she didn’t even register your words, too caught up in examining the reflection staring back at her. “I don’t know anyone with hazel eyes,” she muttered absentmindedly.

You snorted, rolling your eyes. “Yeah, ya do. You just don’t know his name because you never talked to him.”

That got her attention. She finally looked up, only to let out a resigned sigh. “He graduated before summer,” she mumbled, slipping her phone into her back pocket.

Without a word, you pulled her into a hug, letting her press into your shoulder. Most people found your scent unpleasant, but not Jess. To her, it was comfort. Familiarity. Home. 

“You’re a Winter,” you reminded her softly. “We always find our soulmates.”

Jess exhaled, the weight of longing settling between you both. “I just wish I’d at least gotten his name,” she admitted.

You pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, offering the reassuring smile you knew she needed. “Hey, when it’s time, you’ll see him again.” Then, nudging her playfully, you added, “Now, let’s go back inside and celebrate. Tonight’s your night.”

And just like that, her grin returned, bright and full of promise.

—------------------------------------

The number of alphas still coming to meet you had dwindled. Even with the elders covering the travel expenses for those who couldn’t afford the journey, none had been your soulmate. And with your twentieth birthday rapidly approaching, a thought kept creeping into your mind—was it time to venture back into the forest to find the wolf who had answered your song all those years ago?

Your pack didn’t voice their concern outright, but you felt it in the way they moved around you, in the way conversations quieted when you entered a room. You didn’t need to scent their unease—it lingered in every glance, every hesitant touch. Even meals with your parents had become tense, their smiles just a little too forced. Then, two nights before your birthday, they finally dropped the news over dinner.

“After the next full moon, we’re moving back to town,” your mother said carefully. “To our old house.”

You barely had time to process that before your father added. “It’ll be easier to do more research from there. There might be other alphas that didn’t see any of the stories that were published. We promise, we won’t give up until we’ve found him.” His tone was firm, reassuring, but the worry in his eyes betrayed him.

Jess and her family weren’t moving, at least. That was one thing you didn’t have to mourn. You forced a small smile, trying to ease the tension in the room. “It’ll be weird not having you guys around, but… maybe some space wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

That seemed to settle your parents some, but the unease in your gut didn’t fade.

For nearly four years, you had pushed the alpha from your thoughts, resisting the pull to step into the woods on the full moon. But now, with your parents’ news and Jess talking more about her plans for college, it felt like the right time—maybe the only time—to see if that wolf was still out there.

You only told Jess about your plan. She immediately offered to go with you, but you both knew how dangerous that would be for an unclaimed omega during the full moon. Even if the chance was rare, sometimes soulmates found each other under the moon’s light—and when that happened, the pull was unstoppable. The mating was inevitable.

It took some convincing, but you finally reassured her that you’d be fine. If it came down to it, you’d climb a tree and wait for morning.

The two weeks leading up to the full moon passed in a blur of packing boxes and sorting through old memories as your birthday quietly came and went. It didn’t feel like much of a milestone—just another day, another number. Your mind was elsewhere, fixed on what was coming, on the unknown waiting for you beneath the full moon’s glow.

—-------------------------

Like all the full moons before, the three groups disappeared into the forest at dusk, vanishing into the trees in their respective directions. Jess had hugged you tightly before she left, her excitement outweighing the cautious optimism in her eyes. Normally, you’d spend the night helping Beverly and Melody tend to the pups, but tonight, you had other plans. You’d apologized to them earlier, and though they had accepted the lie you’d given, you could still feel their lingering concern.

Standing at the cabin door, you exhaled a shaky breath before stepping out into the night. The earth was soft beneath your bare feet, cool and damp with the memory of the sun. You curled your toes against it, grounding yourself, before taking another breath—deep, steadying. Tonight, you would find him. The wolf who had always answered your song. The further you walked from the cabin, the harder your heart pounded. You weren’t one to struggle with anxiety, but tonight, it coiled around your chest like a vice, making each breath feel shallow. The forest was alive with sound—owls hooting in the distance, small creatures rustling in the underbrush, darting away from unseen predators. But none of it mattered. Your focus was on the path ahead, on the place where the trees thinned before growing thick again—the furthest you had ever dared to go. Until now.

When you reached the familiar cluster of trees, their dense canopy blocked most of the moonlight, leaving only fractured silver beams to guide you. The scent of pine and damp earth surrounded you, grounding yet intoxicating. Your pulse roared in your ears as you stepped deeper, weaving through the darkness.

Then, ahead, a glimmer of moonlight—an opening in the woods no more than ten feet across. A clearing. The moment you stepped into it,  you felt the tension in your chest ease. You tilted your head back, gazing at the moon’s glow, and finally—finally—you could breathe. The familiar stirring deep within you made your skin hum with awareness, and before you could second-guess yourself, you closed your eyes and sang.

The melody left your lips like a whispered secret, a longing confession carried into the night. And God, you hadn’t realized just how much you had missed this until now.

As your song faded into the stillness, something inside you unraveled, the weight you hadn’t even realized you were carrying lifting from your shoulders. I needed that more than I thought. It was the closeness of the answer howl that brought goosebumps to your skin. A sound so familiar yet somehow more visceral this time. He’s close. 

Taking a shaky breath, your gaze shifted to the left, toward the darkness beyond the small clearing. He’s that way. At first, your feet refused to move as literally every emotion mixed together and held you in place. I need to do this. I have to know.

Shaking your head, pushing the emotions away, you forced yourself to move. One step. Then another. Each movement felt like wading through deep water, your legs heavy, sluggish. Slowly, though, it became easier, determination pushing you onward. A gentle breeze kissed your skin, bringing with it the scent of an alpha. He’s close…

The forest thickened around you, towering old-growth trees standing like sentinels beside younger saplings nestled among ferns, lush grass, flowers, and bushes. Another breeze came, but this time from behind, like it was trying to guide you further. 

Then—a sound. A quiet, broken whimper, and you froze.

The sharp pang of anxiety tightened your chest, stealing your breath. Your lips parted, but no sound escaped. Time felt like it stood still, moments stretching into hours, unable to move or make a sound. When you heard his whimper again, it seemed to snap you out of it. The sound was raw, aching.

Drawing in a steady breath, you forced your body to move, slipping between the trees, careful to keep yourself concealed. The bark was rough against your fingertips as you inched forward, using the cover to say unseen. And then, at the clearing’s edge, you stopped.

The sight in front of you was both beautiful and somewhat confusing. A towering, half-rotted tree stump stood a few feet away, remnants of its ancient form stretching nearly three times your height. Around it, tufts of grass, ferns, and delicate flowers blanketed the forest floor. But it was what was beyond that sent a prickle of unease down your spine. The chainlink fence.

Nearly ten feet tall, it stretched in either direction, marking the boundary between your pack’s land and another’s. The elders had forged an unspoken rule—during the full moon, no wolves were to come near the borders, out of respect for the neighboring pack. Just standing here, you were breaking a sacred tradition.

But none of that mattered. It was what lay beyond the fence.

Deep, emerald green eyes—so intense they seemed to pierce into your soul. Even though you remained partially hidden behind the tree, you knew—he saw you. But if that was the case, why hadn’t he shifted back to human form?

“I’m sorry, wolf. I’ll go. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful,” you murmured apologetically, taking a step back. The last thing you wanted was to cause tension between his pack and yours.

A whimper stopped you.

He moved closer, his massive form barely making a sound, his gaze locked onto yours. You hesitated, tilting your head as you studied him. He didn’t seem upset that you were here.

“I won’t get close. My scent bothers others,” you offered softly.

But he shook his head. 

Your brows knitted together in confusion. Then, with a small yip, he tried to get your attention, his tail giving the barest flick. The unexpected sound made you giggle. “My scent doesn’t bother you?” you asked, the words slipping out before you could stop them. You tried not to get your hopes up, but the warmth of a smile tugged at your lips.

The wolf practically grinned, his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth before he stepped closer to the fence. Tentatively, you mirrored his movements, stepping fully into the moonlight. 

His expression shifted—pure awe, even in wolf form. The intensity of it sent heat creeping up your neck, making you blush.

You felt almost giddy, like a schoolgirl, but tried to keep focused, now only a few feet from the fence, as was the wolf. “Will you shift back, so I can see who you are?” The moment the question left your lips, realization struck. “I—I can look away,” you added quickly, not wanting to put him in an uncomfortable position.

But he didn’t move. Instead, he whined, lowering his head as he sat back on his haunches.

Understanding dawned. “You can’t shift back to human form while the moon is up, can you?”

Slowly, he shook his head.

Your chest tightened in sympathy. “I can’t shift at all,” you admitted, offering a small, understanding smile. “So, I understand.”

Now that he was in the full light, you could truly see him. His coat was a stunning mix of deep brown and golden highlights, streaked with darker shades that gave him an almost untamed beauty. Strong. Wild. And those eyes—piercing, swirling with emotions you could almost name. He was beautiful.

For a long moment, you simply sat there, watching him. Then, with a small smile, you broke the silence. “I guess I could talk, and you could listen if you want.” The wolf’s tongue lolled out of what looked suspiciously like a grin, his tail giving a wag. The sound made you giggle. He tilted his head, intrigued, which only made you laugh again. That sound—your laughter—seemed to excite him. He bounced onto all fours, his tail wagging wildly, letting out a series of happy yips. 

Your laughter mixed with his playful sounds, echoing into the quiet forest.

That night, you sat there, talking to him for hours. You told him about your pack, your family, and what it was like growing up different. He was attentive, animated even, reacting to your words in small but unmistakable ways. And yet, you noticed something—he never crossed the invisible line between you. He stayed the same distance from the fence that you did. That detail lingered in your mind. 

After a while, you glanced up at the sky and sighed. “It’s late. I need to go home, wolf.”

The wolf whined, the sound tugging at something deep inside you.

You hesitated, offering him a small, reassuring smile. “I’ll come back tomorrow. I promise,” you told him sincerely, and he wagged his tail. “Then, until tomorrow night, wolf.”

That strange, almost-smile appeared on his face again, making warmth bloom in your chest.

You waved to him as you walked back into the forest, feeling happier than you had in a while. The events of the last few hours replayed in your mind. You hadn’t exchanged names. You hadn’t even spoken in the same way. But, whoever he was, he was your soulmate. It was more than just a feeling—it was certainty. And the proof? Your scent didn’t bother him at all. More than that, though, you felt safe with him.

—----------------------------------

The next morning, you told Jess everything. Predictably, she nearly vibrated out of her seat with excitement.

“Oh my God, you found him!” She grabbed your hands, squeezing them. “Okay, you need to take someone with you. Maybe they can scent him and figure out his name!” You groaned, scrubbing a hand over your face. “I can’t, Jess. I was at the fence. That’s like the one rule no one is allowed to break. Ever. I don’t even know what the punishment would be, and I don’t want to find out.”

Jess sighed dramatically, taking a slow sip of her coffee as she mulled it over. “So, let me get this straight. You found your soulmate, but you don’t even know his name.”

You let out a dry chuckle, leaning back in your chair. “Tell me about it. The fates have a twisted sense of humor.” You exhaled, shaking your head. “But it makes sense. I can’t shift during the full moon, and neither can he. It’s just… the opposite.”

Jess scrunched up her nose. “Yeah, that is pretty twisted.”

Over the next two nights, you returned to that spot, knowing full well you were breaking the rules. But you couldn’t stay away. 

Both nights, he was already there, waiting for you. The moment he saw you, his eyes lit up, tail wagging as he let out that happy yip. 

And yet, despite all that warmth, all that connection, you still had no idea how to figure out his name. Or how to find him. But you weren’t giving up. Not now. Not ever.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 4 - coming soon

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[theresattrpgforthat]

Sci-fi games with minimal crunch - ideally that can be played solo, or at least converted into solo play!

THEME: Solo Sci-Fi

Hello there! I definitely have a bunch of solo sci-fi games, so I tried to mix it up a little bit - there's some games with space and aliens, but others that focus on other elements of sci-fi, like androids, the digital world, and time travel! I hope there's something here that works for you.

Tranquility Outpost, by KingDunnad.

Tranquillity Outpost. Humanity’s singular moon colony, located in the Sea of Tranquillity. Last week, you stopped receiving messages from Earth. From what you can tell, it doesn’t look good down there. Help who you can and we’ll all thrive here.

This is a tarot-based solo journaling game where you will take on the role of a moon outpost’s administrator while grappling with emotions of your own. It explores themes of grief, loneliness, hope, altruism, and the ways we can raise each other up.

This game uses the Major Arcana to represent each visitor, representing the kind of archetype they represent.These archetypes might be relational (the Father, the Child, The Leader) or they might be more related to societal roles (The Priest, The Patient, The Addict). The Minor Arcana are separated into four different piles, representing your character's current emotional state.

When you meet a visitor, you draw a card that represents how you're feeling when they visit. The Minor Arcana card that you draw will flesh out the themes of the visitor's request, but much of the suggestions are rather broad, which I think is very fitting for a tarot-based game.

Altogether, Tranquility is a highly interpretive game, so if you want to take the over-arching themes given to you and make a personalized story, you might like this game.

The Vacant Lot, by Invisible Cuts.

In this small solo game, you are a Vacant Lot, an android left to wait out in a tower after the end of the world slowly becoming sentient.

As you define who you are by your acts of violence, in relation to what you've learned of 'people' on 'the net', you will create a unique encounter to be used in your Corp Borg or Cy-borg game.

The Vacant Lot is combat-focused as well as descriptive: your stats are ambition, base programming and self-awareness, which feel very narrative, but you also have Rage and Energy, which can build or be depleted as you strive to avoid failure. The game requires three different-colored d6s; you place these dice on a wheel that represents your personality, and ink it in as you play.

The pattern by which you ink your wheel will connect to various advancements, such as extra damage, control over other machines, or an increase in motivation.

This game can be paired with a multiplayer game by turning the Vacant Lot into an encounter in either a Corp Borg or Cy_Borg game. I really love games like this, that can be paired with a group game down the road, although I don't think that you necessarily have to do that for this game to be fruitful in itself.

Net Divers, by Reyes Makes Games.

The digital landscape runs far and deep, some say there is a piece of all of us hiding somewhere. It is your job to collect those pieces, no matter how deeply buried they are. And this new job has perhaps the most obscure information yet. Its location is fragmented across the Net, and it is up to you to track down these pieces and the final hiding place. Do you work alone? Is this a favour or a task bestowed by something greater than you?

Net Divers is a solo tabletop journaling game about scouring the web for a secret. It can be used solo as is or adjusted for use with other game systems requiring research or Net Running. It is inspired by games like Hypnospace Outlaw and Welcome to the Game.

Net Divers is great for folks who like their polyhedral dice; it uses a good number of different sizes to roll for various stats and tables. You have three tracks: Stress, Peril, & Net Instability, which will all affect how well you're able to navigate the netscape and recover the fragments that you need to find.

When it comes to narrative and randomness, Net Divers has a nice mix. Your mission, the websites you visit, and the number of fragments you need to find are all randomly generated, but your user's personal details, like their name and their wallpaper, are all under your control.

Thematically, I think Net Divers is both an homage and a lament for the early internet, when it was interconnected, free and full of creativity.

Project Benthos, by Meghan Cross.

You are a member of the Biological Team for the Exploration and Examination of the Natural Terraquan Habitats of Obscure Subnautical Species, more colloquially known as Project BENTHOS, an elite research team devoted to uncovering the mysteries held at the bottom of the ocean. You and the other four members of Project: BENTHOS are stationed at The Forge - a first-of-its-kind ocean floor research station, equipped with everything needed to support life on the ocean floor for a four month deployment.

Earlier today, one of your colleagues left The Forge on a routine sea walk. It is now several hours past the time they were supposed to have returned and a tremor of anxiety is beginning to shake the station. There is only enough equipment for one person to go out in search of them, and it has been determined that you will be the one to go. You have four hours of oxygen, a finicky GPS unit, and a vague idea of where they were heading, and that is going to have to be enough. As you step into the airlock, you make a promise to them and to yourself - you will bring them back to The Forge, or die trying.

Project Benthos uses a deck of cards; you toss them around your room to replicate the sea floor, which feels like a very dynamic way of inviting play! It feels like there is the potential for horror, although the game is not categorized as such. I suppose that it might be a horror game if you want it to be. Since this is a journaling game, I suspect that most of game play has to do with drawing prompts from the floor and figuring out what they mean for you.

Stellanati: First Contact, by Drone Garden Studios.

Not much happens in the sleepy town of Annabell, Texas. Which made the bright light and thundering crash on your property in the middle of the night all the more surprising. You discovered a wrecked machine and an injured creature. Being the kind-hearted soul you are, you take in the creature and try to nurse it back to health. It shares with you visions of its home-world, which is desperate to return to.

But how can you get it home if you don't even know how to heal it?

Stellanati: First Contact is a game based on the The Wretched, which has been popularized as the Wretched & Alone game engine. Most of these kinds of games are expected to end in horror or tragedy, so don't expect a happy ending for you or Stellanati.

For this game, you need a deck of cards, a d6, a bunch of tokens, and (optionally) a tumbling block tower. Each house of cards represents a different kind of theme surrounding the care of an alien being. You technically have a chance to succeed, but in order to do so, you need to avoid drawing all 4 kings and having the tumbling block tower fall down on you before you can get Stellanati to full health.

If you want the experience of interacting with something alien from yourself and you like giving your characters a terrible time, perhaps consider Stellanati: First Contact.

Maintenance Log, by Damn Golem.

Maintenance Log is a solo rpg. You are a maintenance engineer on a decrepit colony ship.

This is a game with a lot packed onto two pages, revolving mostly around ticking tracks and trying to manage a number of problems all at once. Fill the wrong track too quickly, and you could alter the ending of the game, which inevitably comes once you've borrowed enough energy from the cold sleep pods.

One thing that gives me Traveller vibes about this game is the fact that your age determines your expertise: the younger you are, the more time you have to do maintenance on the ship, but the less equipped you are to deal with problems. You can only work until you hit your 70's, which limits the time you have to keep the ship running.

Maintenance Log doesn't have to be a journalling game, but it can be if you want it to be. If you want a game about managing resources as best as you can in the loneliness of space, then you might like this game.

Close the Loop On Your Way Out, by the_spongmonkey

Use a mysterious time device to travel in time and grab random items in your vicinity. Uh oh, now strange and dangerous things are trying to kill you as a result of your temporal meddling! Use those items in inventive ways to prevent your untimely demise. If you make it out alive, just make sure to return those to when/where you found them. That's right, CLOSE THE LOOP ON YOUR WAY OUT!

Close the Loop On Your Way Out feels like a lighthearted game, even though you're racing against the consequences of your actions. There are three stages to this game: the initial romp of finding random items, the consequences of meddling with time, and then your mad dash to try and put everything to rights.

The bulk of the game is focused on dice-rolling, but I think that if you want to add to it, you can journal all of your attempts to put things back together before the timeline falls apart.

Some More Thoughts..

If you want some more solo sci-fi offerings, here are some runners-up I was considering!

UFOs over Varginha, by Nekyia TTRPG.

Escape Velocity, by Euan.

Countdown, by buttersmooth.

Redshift Blueshift Generations, by Dallas J. Haugh

Digital Nightmares, by Uncharted.

If you like what I do, you can always leave a token of appreciation at my Ko-Fi!

[the-lonelyshepherd]

also if youre still taking oc asks i would like to hear about emiliano and rafa. just everything about them their dynamic is so interesting to me

ALWAYS TAKING OC ASKS!!!

ok this is gonna be a reworked rant i wrote somewhere else -> the beginning part is explaining the setup of this plot version (that im 99% keeping) bc it’s important to rafa/emil

right!!! so so so the idea for the separation thing is to have like. sometime early on in the first threshold the og five (cat shay rafa emiliano sebas) get separated (there is kind of a scene for this but monster design is killing me so) . this leaves cat (probably injured atp) and shay together on one side with just the horses they were on, and rafa emiliano and sebas on the other with their horses + whatever other stock they had with them.

this puts cat (most untrusting bitch ever) in a situation w. shay (random ass lwk useless girl rafa invited along with them). alas she is also injured and has like . morals. so she won't (can't ) just leave her. she also has none of her family and tbh if she's thinking the worst like. they're dead. lols

shay is kind of like. well ok then. shay is shay😭😭

she is lost confused and still somehow like yay yippee (??? she’s stupid ??) bc really all girl wanted was to LEAVE her stupid ass house. she’s a weee bit frightened bc like. well the only person here is kind of angry at me a lot. and the one person i knew (for like. two days longer than the others Imao) is probably dead along with everyone else we were with and sorry what the fuck was that thing also .. so!!! but she will take this as an opportunity to get validation somehow trust

on the other side ok emiliano and sebas are kind of non characters to me in this moment. like they’re characters but they’re not at the point where they’re like PEOPLE to me and i’m working on that i just got distracted .

for emil - i changed him a lot recently still waiting to really GET him but um key points

type of guy to take engineering

Iwk pathetic sadman but like. smart

hes like rafas more consistent less flashy less charismatic friend

he does like. consider him and rafa to be friends. he doesnt like secretly hate him (well. well ok not really but later on its kind of. ill get there)

likes maps. hes like. a technical drawey guy. he fits w cat like he is kind of everything cat thinks she should want . sigh.

most important in this current situation is rafa

• because i like him the most. currently. 

thats ok thats not why but its like kiiind of why. bc that results in him being more developed (bc lets face it scs is far from finished i fear..) than the other guys in this situation. so!

rafa is like oh shit!! oh shit! be things just got a little. like real. or very real i guess. and ok - rafa is like. he isnt lazy really he isnt untalented hes just kind of. he started being seen as like the charismatic laid back guy and thats like. he was like ok thats what i am!! that is me. he is good at what he does but he rarely fully applies himself but its also like. partially out of fear that he wouldnt be enough if he really really really tried. so its like might as well be silly about it and still pretty good and not really. reach. um. but now hes in a situation where like they have all this shit to do and cat isnt here and its like ok he has his best friend and like. a child. and a bunch of horses/cows (still deciding what theyre moving in the beginning). what does he DO now.

he kind of tries to step up a little bit but tbh., even if he didnt WANT to (bc he genuinely cares about cat a lot and it upsets him how much she puts on herself) hes kind of painfully realizing now that he did still put a LOT on cat. like he did rely on her to be like get your ass up and move. idiot. and now she is not here and its like welllill. i should be kind of in charge but how.. and in that hesitation its emiliano who really kind of. shines. like ok map boy go off. go crazy. whatever. but he does kind of pull their ass through and get them organized and rafa is like. oh maybe i dhould appreciate him for like. his skills and not just like . #my friend who backs me up. but he is also a little like. quiet angry at himself mostly like .oh so i was right !! i really couldnt do it. hm.

feel the need 2 clarify here. rafa did like. he genuinely was like this is emiliano he is my best friend :)) we are best friends. :)) he didnt ever like brush him off or not pay full attention to be MEAN he was just kind of. rafa. like thats just him thats how he is esp when someone isn’t at like . the same energy level? and like ok maybe deep down he was like wow im kind of carrying emiliano. and now hes realizing like oh ..maybe i wasnt. maybe im the problem a little bit. and he is not having a great time about that. 

oh also !! before this (group getting separated) he was lwk beefing with emil about like. him kind of not caring as much about rafa as he did in favor of spending more time w cat. like hey youre supposed to be my best friend.

he kind of starts to reconcile with it and like. i will apreesh him more.... like yayy friends. but he does this in standard rafa way and it is just like. hey can you. we are in a Situation here. stop fucking around PLEASE. and before any type of meaning ful change in their dynamic can happen they run into kasias whole little situation and like. it all finally really dramatically flips here

rafa/emil/sebas have like. a bunch of animals and supplies with them so kasias group is like ok awesome. we dont really feel like killing some like. barely adults and a child (not everyone sucks awfulbad ok. or at least theyll give people a chance to be useful +they need meat. just realized how that sounds. not like cannibalisms well waitttt maybeeee i can use that hmm. ok note that ) anwyaysy !! they dont kill them or leave them so they are like hey. you can come w us if you give us your stuff and we will take care of you and such. and the three of them who have been like. experieing the horrors are like yeah ok. well. rafa is actually a little suspicious for fucking once but its msotly bc hes been angry in the head and not for any real reasons. but emil is like. ok we have no other options really sure. and then they do that!

when theyre w kasia it like. completely flips bc rafa is back to his like. he is trying to be Himself but nobody really appreciates that here. they like emiliano, who fucking mans up and does shit and learns. even sebas is like doing little things and rafa is kind of stewing in his upsetness a little bit. emil is getting more and more distant and getting more and more important jobs and rafa is like. he can Talk!! he is Fine. but he doesnt really appply himself enough!! like at the end of the day he doesnt be hes scared and hes angry and he feels like the person he thought actually relied on him actually did not. at all. and that maybe  this is the “real world" his parents would always tell him about and he guesses they were fucking right and nobody fucking needs him!! fucking whatevver. he will mope and be angry about this.

for emil its like. he watches he listens he

ADAPTS and people. they LIKE rafa. but they RESPECT emiliano. and emil is thriving on this respect hes like. holy shit this is what its like. like wow. hes not quiet like uncertain anymore hes quiet like hes calculating. hes looking at other people where he would have always looked at rafa. hes not backing rafa up, hes not like. laughing at his jokes as much., and he does kind of get busy and distance from rafa and rafa is like fine what fucking ever youre growing up and away i guess that just happens!! and hes kind of coming to terms with it in his like. own way but then. like we arent kids anymore i guess. but then!!

when cat and shay pull up after a while (in AWFUL form btw . giggles) its like. ok so emiliano didnt REALLY like. he wasnt changing as a person. he was just growing out of rafa. because why is it that as soon as cat is back he fucking clicks righttt back into place with HER? and its like oh. so she was the one you were waiting for ? after years of us? because what because you fucking LIKE her or whatever? since what . june of last year . like when we were eight you twisted your ankle when we were fucking around and jumping off of the barn roof and i carried you all the way back to my house but none of that matters now i guess .  

like atp rafa is like oh so you never needed me. like hes on it is not pretty for him he is so so happy cat is back but he also hates himself for how stupidly MAD about it he is. about this whole fucking situaiton he was always so like. confident!! he knew who he was even if it wasnt always the best he knew!! but like. did he. was reducing himself to that even worth it. lol.

and its at this point hes like. fuck it. and he starts to like reallyyyy lean into the group. show what he can really fucking do like. his competetive streak wakes up again but in like. fueled by him being very upset. nobody in this stupid ass story can live without validation. excet kasia i guess but whatever kasia has going on is far worse. but yeah that’s what kind of starts rafas whole like . big flip in character that will probably eventually be the reason he dies. a little . uh oh

[charkoal]

Hi! I've read some of your Arcane posts and I was curious to ask what do you think/how do you interpret Vi rejoining the enforcers after the breakup? I haven't read anyone doing an actual analysis on it, most people complain that she's "washed" or that the writers hate her, which doesn't feel like doing a deep dive into her character at all. Thank! Have a lovely day.

Hi! I'll preface by saying I'm not a league player so while I know general lore, most of this will be my personal take and headcanons to fit what I know of where Vi and Caitlyn up in the game.

Vi as a character has always been driven by her loved ones and her need to protect. It's both her greatest strength and her fatal flaw. And I think initially this may be what causes her to re-enter a system she has always stood against. Caitlyn doesn't ask Vi to put the badge on again, would never ask that of her. In fact, I don't think Caitlyn herself wants to go back to the enforcers at first, what with all the guilt from her time as the Commander. She doesn't trust herself to hold that power, and even if she did, she would make sure Vi is okay with her joining before doing anything. And she wouldn't ask Vi in the first place because she'd never want to put Vi in that position, so she would never go back even if she wanted to. I think it's imperative that Vi approaches Caitlyn about it, decides for herself that this is something she wants to do. That's the only way either of them goes back.

Caitlyn is probably talking about some document or other that's made its way onto her desk amongst the numerous piles of papers, detailing how the council is trying to decide what to do with the enforcers. She isn't in the council, but she is still heavily involved in the relief efforts for both Piltover and Zaun. She mentions reading the council's proposed reforms, how she's weary to trust anyone to execute the overhaul properly, and how she thinks they might be better off abolishing the enforcers as a whole and rebuilding from the ground up.

And Vi just knows. Knows that whoever the council picks will never measure up. Knows that she can't stand to watch another generation of kids grow up in fear of those who are supposed to protect them. Knows that she doesn't trust anyone else with this but Caitlyn.

Caitlyn, and maybe herself.

She tells Caitlyn as much. And Caitlyn hesitates, says she shouldn't hold that kind of power again. Refuses to cause any more hurt than she already has, wonders how Vi can still place her trust in her after everything, especially with this.

And Vi just takes Caitlyn's face in her hands and tells her she trusts her because she knows her. Promises she won't do it alone this time, promises "together" and—

And well, Caitlyn has never been able to say no to Vi.

Neither of them are naive enough to think it will be a quick or easy process. Caitlyn is there to make the enforcers better. Vi is there to keep them from getting worse.

Caitlyn creates new policies, roots out corruption, sets the example as sheriff. Vi ensures that that example is followed. She's boots on the ground, leading the enforcers with an iron fist and greeting Zaunites with a gentle heart. Setting her own example even if she doesn't realize it.

Vi couldn't care less about the enforcers. She cares about Caitlyn and she cares about Zaun. Wearing the badge lets her keep other enforcers in check without being framed as an instigator and arrested immediately. She can keep a watchful eye, ensure that at least while she's around, the enforcers won't abuse their power in the name of the law. It might seem small or trivial, one person against dozens, but I don't think Vi has ever been an aerial view kind of person. She can't just trust that the enforcers are getting better, even if there are less incident reports and less arrests being made. She has to witness the change herself, has to look into the face of each and every person she encounters while wearing the badge and see to it that they are not mistreated. She needs them to see a friendly face. And even if some call her a traitor, a deserter, she takes it all in stride. If the price she pays for keeping an enforcer's baton from striking innocent flesh is petty names and the mocking lilt of "lapdog," then she'll shoulder that title gladly.

She wants better for the children of Zaun, better than what she had. That's always been the core of her character, to give to others what she never got. It's even vocalized by her in the first act of season one. She doesn't want kids to grow up without parents, taken by the very people who are supposed to protect. She doesn't want them to feel like they have no one to turn to, no one on their side. She doesn't want them to feel lesser. She wants them to see her and know that as long as she's there, no one will hurt them. And maybe, in the future, it won't just be her and Caitlyn they can go to. Maybe the number of friendly faces can grow.

With Caitlyn spearheading change at the top level, I think Vi believes one day they can achieve that. But it takes a long time for water to trickle from a river to the ocean, and so while they wait for that day to come, Vi will be there to make sure the well doesn't dry up.

That's at least my take on it, I hope you enjoyed my thoughts. Have a good one!

[poemtoken]

these tags are very important to me holy shit.

“conform or die and that’s what he lived his entire life” oh MY GOD YOU’RE RIGHT I CANT DO TJIS. I’ll be upset if they kill him off partially because I feel like it’s a waste of a storyline and an antagonistic force that would work so well in the present timeline but also for his character’s sake it’s like… he got on the plane despite his better judgement because he did care about the girls even if he saw the animosity that they had for each other and he wanted to see them succeed. He also pushed himself toward what felt safest because he was afraid.

What waited for him on the other side of that was a life that he could’ve chosen which would’ve made him an infinitely more fulfilled person but he left it behind in favor of safety only to end up the farthest from safety and comfort that he’d ever been. Out of everyone in the wilderness who had their own reason for why they shouldn’t have been on that plane I think it’s interesting and fitting that we see the most in depth exploration of that concept with Ben. Safety has become a huge theme in his narrative and the historical implications of his identity and reluctance to come out given the time period means he spent his entire life hiding, in more ways than one. I want him to live, if for no other reason, because the thought of him never getting to experience true safety in his life and in himself just fucking crushes me.

I'm sorry, but you've already seen me. I can't just let you go back to the others.

[your-unfriendlyghost]

I dunno when you're gonna see this but take your time. I just wanted to know your opinion on the musical and if you had to pick a favorite NEW character, who would it be?

Ohhh lord. I’m preemptively sorry for all this. 

  So I haven’t seen the musical, and honestly I don’t plan to. I’m not much of a musical person in general. There’s definitely a place for them, but yk, I’m just not that into theatrical, over the top, song-filled ways of tellin stories…I may be in the school play now, but I’m a movie guy not a theater kid 🥲

  Aside from that (probably small-minded) preference, according to what I’ve picked up from y’all, the musical apparently has done a lotta things with the plot/characters that I’m just not into. I guess I just am not a big fan of the musical’s changes. I understand that it's a different medium, and lets be real I know nothing about musicals, so I’m sure the changes make sense in context, but I dunno…it just feels so different to me, enough so that I’m just not interested in it. Plus I’ve tried listening to the music n I just don’t vibe w/ most of it. 

  >>BUT I did hear the Little Brother song (Daryl Tofa cover I think) tho and that one went pretty damn hard ngl. I do not like the Johnny/Dally lil brother thing, but BOY that song was AMAZING. Really dug it. Very emotional, in a way where I could really feel it. That doesn’t happen to me very often lol.

  Idk tho aside from that I tend to refrain from commenting on the musical because I don’t have a lotta good to say about it, and I just don’t feel like it’s necessary for me to talk about something a bunch of folks like if I’m just gonna be bitchy lol. (Which is why I’m gonna tag this post very minimally lol 😭) Gah idk. Steve Randle and Randy Adderson deserved better. 

More bitchin under the cut, because I have some very silly nitpicks that I know aren’t a big deal, but I keep seeing these things around and they irritate me personally. For stupid personal reasons. It’s totally ok to dig these things/characters I’m just a hater at heart lol. So yk don’t hit the read more if ya don’t wanna see me bein a whiny, petty jerk abt things ya probably like 😭😭

  BEFORE that tho, some things I do like about the musical:

-Marcia looks perfect, no notes. Musical Marcia rocks

-Musical Cherry is also cool, n I dig her fit

-Daryl Tofa seems awesome. I like his Two-Bit, I like his Dally, I like him. I know next to nothing about him, but he was a fantastic casting choice imo. Two-Bit is still Emilio Estevez to me, but Daryl Tofa’s Two-Bit is pretty much perfect too

-Johnny’s fit is cool

-I like that the cast seems to like Marbit :)) 

-The way the cast posts things/interacts w/ the fandom is very endearing :)) I may not give a damn abt any of them really, but it’s fun seein’ y’all freak out abt it. Feels like watching a party from the sidelines in a good way- like I may not understand, but it’s charming and fun to see y’all happy ‘bout it 

-Soda’s actor quoted the “People who stay and people who leave” thing, so I don’t even care much that he’s not how I picture Soda- like he clearly gets Soda n that’s pretty cool

Ok time for the whining

-“Chet” is the name my folks used to say they were naming me before I was born, because they thought it was an awful name and they thought it was funny seeing folks’ reactions. So I’m pretty primed to dislike him by name alone.

-Chet/Soda annoys me, Soda has Steve he doesn’t need some Soc jerk. Y’all have Parry for ur homoerotic Soc x greaser stuff, don’t kill Stevepop man

-Cherrycola is just Marbit but blander 😭

-I also am not fond of cutting Randy?? Like why tf did they cut Randy Adderson?? I liked him a lot in the book/movie, and he really added a lot to the plot in my opinion…But idk, whatever…

-“Trip”- shut up, just LET HIM BE RANDY, HOLY HELL! he could be played COMPLETELY THE SAME just CALL HIM RANDY and I’ll stop being mad about it :,)

-the Dally/Johnny little brother thing…it’s a take, but it’s the most boring take for their characters ever, and I just despise that view of Johnny. Idk if I were him I’d be so pissed, having a friend who’s just a year older than me callin’ me “little brother”. But that’s just me! I definitely see why folks dig it, it’s just not my thing.

-I am probably also personally resentful towards the musical because I couldn’t afford to see it this summer, which just felt very ironic considering the themes about class divide and all. Like great, y’all have fun spending a crap ton of money on a musical about greasers. I’ll spend mine on gas for my car. And food. Whatever. I was in NY this summer too, so Broadway Outsiders straight up haunted me. There were brochures for it in the hotel. We walked past the Jacobs Theater a bunch on the way to restaurants and stuff. The ad for it is in the background of all my selfies in Times Square… Aughhhh I’m bein such a bitch about it ik ik it’s so unfair and so stupidly petty for me to be so irritated about it. I know. I can’t help it. Sue me, I’m not a logical man.

-I do NOT care about Paul. But there’s more like…tension w/ Paul in the musical, so obviously everyone’s latched onto him + Darry. Fine. I just really really don’t care about him, and seeing something I don’t care about constantly is turning neutrality into disdain…which is again such a me problem n I needa just get over it lol. I won’t though. I wish I could.

-Not into the way Dally dies in the musical. It is cool, don’t get me wrong, I love me a good train, but something about the way he died in the book/movie felt more like Dally to me. Idk. There was more plausible deniability or something, like Dally could convince himself he was going down fighting instead of “giving up”. (Kinda crass ik but…so is Dally, man)

-The Socs annoy me. That is so hypocritical since one of my favorite characters is Steve Randle. I know it. I swear I do. But ughhhh I just don’t like hearing about them…I’m so sorry

-Soda shouldn’t be that buff man he really shouldn’t. Also feel like he should be prettier. Jason’s good looking, but not in a very “sensitive” way…TO ME! And that is ridiculously unfair of me lol. Idk Rob Lowe’s Soda is irreplaceable to me I think (I can’t help it he’s my gay awakening) (/J/J/J ISTG)

-I miss Steve’s vest man, it was so tuff. The way it’s cropped in the movie to meet the waistband of his jeans?? The way the collar’s popped?? The fit w/ the tank top underneath?? Genuinely the height of coolness to me. I had a denim vest before watching Outsiders, but after watching it I bought one in the same brand as Steve’s because the fit was so fire man (n it does fit better than my old one lol. IDK what it is abt Lee’s denim, but their jacket makes my shoulders + waist look so much better than my old jacket it’s great) tl;dr I miss Steve’s vest it was my fav Outsiders character

-I don’t r e a l l y care much about Ace…I mean she’s ok, and she does look very cool, but I just wish we were clearer on her…role in the gang, I guess? I dunno (maybe if she was Two’s lil sister it wouldn’t bug me? Like cos he canonically has a little sister?? Or if she was like…Sylvia or smth… but nah she occupies an entirely different role so idk how to feel abt that)

-I don’t like that Steve “travelled here w/ Dally”. Steve is SODA’S BEST FRIEND! THAT’S HIS WHOLE ROLE!

-They shoulda casted me. Look I may not like musicals but I can sing GREAT and it’s frankly appalling that there’s a modern Outsiders adaptation and I don’t get to be part of it. Smh. I’d be a great Steve. I coulda been Steve. Plus I’m Asian so yk. Diversity. (I’m a minor they could not and would not cast me lol this one’s a joke)

-I don’t love the Pony n Johnny as best friends take. I think they became close because of Windrixville, which is just another thing that adds to the tragedy of Johnny dying. That’s a nitpick tho again. It’s not that big a deal :,)

Augh so ik I needa just cope with all of this but y’know…you asked… :,)

Sorry again for all this lol 😭

[sunnydayaoe]

For the character ask game

Fresh, 2, 5 and 10 :D

referring to this. hard questions actually!

yapping for just sooooo long under cut woof

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

I can't really pick X[. I genuinely just like all his canon material, the reason I've been obsessed with him for years. I like how much of an asshole he is, seeing himself as genuinely better than those around him and deserving of Better things, I like how his wild oscillations on his self image, his extremely fraught relationship to positive emotions and those who are able to let him feel them. there really isn't something about him I would say I didn't like, even a little. He has a lot of things that just make him very relatable as well, in his canon personality, that I usually don't see in characters. His aroaceness of course, but I also like sillier things about him. He likes kissing people a lot, he's very grabby most of the time, he's colorful! His put on character he plays "the 90's freak" is cute as heck. I just enjoy whatever he does. I like his canon so much I erm. dislike most non-canon complaint hcs or interpretations [that aren't surface level design changes] being honest HAHA. obsessed with canon fresh.

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

I don't know X[[[ even harder qeustion... I don't erm. listen to music...? not a music person unfortunately. I guess. "The Main Character" by Will Wood. Doesn't fit fully to me, but I do enjoy the framing oneself as both a character and one that you Like. It also has a lot of his entitlement and the way he sees himself as Deserving of better than the vast majority of people. Also the quite part is very him to me... nervous and convincing, "I must be good enough!! you have to like me!! I can't die!!!!" its verryyyy him to me. Again, not fully him [Fresh wouldn't see himself as the main character] but a tertiary one who has a dedicated fanbase, but I do like it.

10. Could you be best friends with this character?

He's kinda half terrified half pissed the fuck off at the creators; I really don't think he'd Want to be friends. or it would be way to unbalanced for it to be true friendship, he'd always be on guard and want to impress me/want me to like him, and intern slowly grow more and more resentful of the power I have over him. On my end, would I actually enjoy being friends with him... he activates a lot of chemicals my irl Real best friends and partner do, because of erm. mental illness. Horrible little freak has crawled into [chosen person] zone and its genuinely a little embarrassing. So I'd definitely try my hardest to do literally anything to get him to like me, like uh, I do with the rest of my chp haha. It would just freak him out though, even if I was in universe and not a creator, the idea of someone not being... self-serving? If I was too giving with him, it would make him start second guessing things. He doesn't just assume people are being selfless. What am I gaining from this? what do I want from him? it can't JUST be that I like him, there needs to be more. I don't think I'm selfless enough to pull off the like... type of people Fresh actually Believed to be fully selfless. SO yepp the distrust would go harddddd [like it would be selfish, because I would probably be obsessed with him in the same way I am of a very select few people, but like. it doesn't Read as selfish on an outside perspective, which is what he would have.]

[Extra for 5, I have like. fifty cb and fresh songs... "Feel Better" by Penelope Scott, "Cosmos" by Yabadum and "Love Like You" by Rebecca suger all make me feel INSNAEEE [non-romantic interpretations of the songs]]

[dustorange]

This is a critical & discerning point you are making! Nightwing #100, and other Rebirth-era comics (and also that earlier Injustice comic where Dick is Deadman), but mostly this specific panel from TT’s run, was exactly what the original post was kinda subtweeting. It’s just such a departure from preboot and even N52 Bruce&Dick relationship, where everything felt so much richer and topsy-turvy. Part of the enamoring part of the relationship was the possessive, jealous, urgent, strained, almost articulated but not quite exactly articulated parameters of it. Every label fit sort of wrong: Every label sort of fails for the depth of the relationship. So it’s as much metatextual as it is like intratextual and diegetic for Dick, and to a lesser extent Bruce: What ARE THEY????? Dick has other parents, and Dick has other (though lesser) teachers and mentors, and Dick has other quasi-brothers, and Dick most certainly has other best friends—so where does that leave his sort of totally sui generis relationship with Bruce, which precedes much of that, is in many ways more important than all of that? I think Dad-Son got settled on as How To Define The Relationship because it’s a straightforward way to “Respect” Bruce’s primacy in the DC world (alpha-male, patriarch, authority figure). Of course it is also their relationship! They are like a father and son—and not just “like,” they are a father and son. But they’re also not exactly that at all. And they’re also so many other things. The Batman & Robin dynamic, for every different matchup of characters, is a totally one-of-a-kind relationship. And Dick and Bruce especially lean toward the best friend/brother side of the spectrum really hard, such that they’re pretty much equals.

Part of the reason the Dad-Sonism didn’t get leaned into before was probably the hesitancy to lean thematically into Family for Batman, lest he look Old, but like having those guardrails, those You Cannot Say Thises, like made the relationship so much like more innovative and special and rare and rich and deep and interesting. Such that TT delivering on the explicit “Dad”—MUCH LESS EMBEDDING THAT “DAD” INSIDE ANOTHER HERETOFORE RARELY AND ONLY VERY PRECIOUS AND PRECARIOUSLY SAID THING, “I LOVE YOU”—feels too easy and flat and like disappointing. It makes it feel much less big and one-of-a-kind. And frankly it rubs away a lot of the patina that made the Bruce-Dick relationship so compelling. Not that an I Love You Dad from Dick to Bruce couldn’t ever be done. But also specifically in there context of a run from someone, TT, who obviously sincerely personally and deeply loves Nightwing and who received A LOT OF WILD AND UNWARRANTED CRUELTY but who also didn’t stick the landing, frankly, on the depths and catches and snags of Dick’s character, it feels like a clumsy, sort of unbright unrich and unchallenging presentation of something madly cool, tormented, and complex. Thats sort of aside from another point which is that stating something so flatly as this snaps closed the cool narrativological inside-the-text YEARNING for the relationship to be exactly that way because it’s like well, now they have it. It’s so tough because they DO LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH and they ARE A SON AND A DAD. So it’s all true, and yet: That can’t be how it works. So the line is like cheap and not very touching or captivating, the way it’s intended to be. And it feels like just sort of the latest branch we’re hitting on the fall down from the top of the tree in terms of DG’s recent characterization free fall from someone genuinely organically respected as a leader to someone sort of plasticky and comic-reliefy and told-not-shown as a leader such that it feels like a lot of the Magic and History and like functional storytelling emotional Core is gone from what he is now, when compared with preboot and even pre-Rebirth stuff

Something critical is that probably the real dick grayson would absolutely never ever casually call BW Dad to his face, and truthfully even post-adoption in GK#17 the father-son thing is only like 49% of the Bruce & Dick rs although dick absolutely does lasso bruce into conversations as in “oh my dad does the same thing!” when hes having conversations w total strangers faraway from anywhere on the eastern seaboard where word could never get back and associations could not be made BUT WITH ALL OF IT SAID THAT DICK WOULD NEVER CALL BRUCE DAD TO HIS FACE, in Bruce’s like deepest, most potent fantasies, like daydreams and nightdreams and also canonically that issue where bruce is in that feartoxin dreamscape world in Batman/superman #65 where his parents are alive and bruce is romantically stable and dick is his son, Dick absolutely, and invariably, calls him Dad. But that element absolutely isnt on the table in the real world at all. It isnt even that Bruce Wants That—he doesn’t want a change to the very precarious working current order, not even a very small one bc its very precious & risk aversion reasons—but it’s also like a satisfying recognition of some real under-the-surface order in the world that bruce perceives but which just isnt in play in the real world. But it is something explicit and certain in Bruce’s head and something that Bruce is aware of. And sometimes he like closes his eyes and thinks of it or something.

[itsmelloww]

MacTavish

This is so unnec istg i reach at every opportunity, but i loooove names/surnames etc so just been googling stuff ok

Got really into Soap randomly over the past week, which led to a manic obsession with OG Soap, Cap MacTavish (MAN.) so i've been deep diving into him.

Of course i had to google his surname (feel free to correct me btw im just having fun here)

So MacTavish means 'Son of Thomas' , which in Gaelic is 'MacTamhais' which comes from the Gaelic personal name 'Tamhus', which is pronounced as Tavis, hence, MacTAVISH. (Mac means 'son of' in case that wasnt clear)

So the MacTavish were actually a pretty prominent Clan in Scotland, and due to their history, the surname can signify or allude to the below:

People of courage and resilience

rich heritage of bravery and familial loyalty

association with wisdom and maturity

---

I can imagine most Soap fans have gone through the journal, but i strongly recommend really digging into it cause Captain is just... such a perfect description of the above traits. Reading that made me think if it was intentional, using that surname. Captain MacTavish was genuinely nothing but a hardcore, handworking guy, super brave, super resilient and you could tell he genuinely cared for others - his strong feelings about loyalty (whole page in his journal), and how he writes and feels about Roach and Price. It's very evident where he stands and he comes off as such a clean person, his mind not fogged, he knows where he stands and whats important to him.

He also comes off as very mature overall, trying to always stay in shape, pushing out distractions, staying focused , while he naturally has to be intelligent to be where he is, and his intelligence really comes off in his planning, how meticulous his notes are, etc etc.

UGH I love Captain MacTavish so much , i genuinely think he's fascinating.

Like i said, lowkey reaching cause ofc im going to relate him now to these few points i pulled from online (its like the zodiac lol), but i really think its fitting!! COD has many fascinating characters but Soap actually blew me away, that journal was such an amazing addition i swear it added so much colour to him

And i keep talking about Captain Mactavish, and he feels quite different to me when compared to Soap (the Sergeant) , but Soap himself also feels like he fits that description perfectly. Guts of steel, and he's loyal too as hell too.

Ugh, getting emotional really. 10/10 characters. love.

[lottiesnotebook]

Dragon Age Protagonist Swap Game!

Someone has probably made an ask game like this before, but I haven't seen it and I want to hear about everyone's alternate universes for their Dragon Age OCs (and yak about my own) so, send me an ask with a Dragon Age Protagonist (Warden/Hawke/Inquisitor/Rook), a game they are not the main character of (Origins, 2, Inquisition, or Veilguard) and a question number (or numbers) below, and I'll tell you a bit about them if they were The Protagonist at a different point in time in Thedas.

Please put your OC names in the tags if you want to play too so I know which games to ask you about!

Backstory - Does your character fit into one of the potential backstories for the game they are now in? If not, how do they end up in the situation? Do they bring any key characters with them?

Friendship - Who is their closest friend among the companions of the game they are now in?

Rivalry - Do they have any rivals within the party? Among their new game's antagonists, do they have a personal nemesis?

Romance - Do you think they would find love among their new companions? If not, why not?

Choice - What in-game decision would have the most impact on your character? What would be the most dramatic change they would bring to the worldstate?

Endings - Where do you think your character would end up at the end of their reassigned adventures?

[pinayelf]

not yucking anyone's yum this is my opinion lol

one of the reasons I can't get into most romantasy (besides a myriad of other things), even tho it's something on paper that I'd love is that the male LIs who are supposed to be ~manly man warriors only ever wear stuff like this

nothings wrong w it lol, it's fine rogue/assassin armor, but every single male LI wears a variation of this, probably bc it's form-fitting and skin tight which I guess is appealing to some and maybe bc the writers think a full-er, bulkier plate isn't as sexy or whatever

HOWEVER AS A PERSON WITH A KNIGHT KINK. PUT THAT MAN IN FULL PLATE. NOTHING MAKES ME CRAZY LIKE A MALE KNIGHT CHARACTER IN FULL PLATE LIKE I START RATTLING IN MY CAGE

[elamimax]

Hey! If you like science fiction and you like reading books, you're in luck! I just released a new book bundle on itch featuring 6 books (and one short story)!

Included in the bundle are:

NEXUS ALPHA

An exploration of the meaning of consent under capitalism through some of the sexiest and most violent Mecha Smut you've ever read.

It truly has everything, from copious lesbians to armored core references. It even has a sequel, also included in this bundle!

TEETH

Teeth is a bit heavier on the action (and trauma) and lighter on the explicit sex. It's about a woman who has repressed who she is for most of her life and largely considers who she is horrible and unlovable, and she hates herself. Then, through random chance, she is forced to confront and become the version of herself she's always been denied, including the parts she's been terrified of, the parts she's been raised to see as monstrous.

Except that it's also about becoming a werewolf and eating people

Not So Different

Not So Different is one of my oldest novels. It's a nonlinear cyberpunk action romance with 3 pov characters and they're all in love with each other. It's cute and it's poly and it's deeply bisexual and it's a setting so fun I spun it off into a ttrpg setting (and system).

Among Brighter Stars

Among Brighter Stars is what happened when I decided to write my version of Star Trek. Think of it as a 2-part pilot and 2 episodes, rolled into a single novel, starring the crew of the ISS Solipsis as they make their maiden voyage - and first contact.

It was really fun to try and create a new starship captain who felt both fit for the role and like a brand new character, so she's a little Janeway, a little Sisko, a little Picard and a dash of Kirk, but very much her own person.

And finally, Principles of Non-Euclidean Romance

It's a fun sci Fi romantic comedy in the style of Terry Pratchett, complete with little asides in the footnotes. It stars an eldritch abomination that comes to earth to listen to the Vengaboys but then learns about gender, has a crisis, falls in love and starts a time loop to cope.

If any of these catch your fancy, consider picking up the bundle and letting me know what you think :)

[zuzu-draws]

Rest Easy, He's in a good mood right now.