#Keen Sword-21 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

aphidclan-clangen · 4 months ago

Note

Gym Leaders

Oleander

Grass type

Alder+Pigeon+Titania

Psychic type

Lilacpaw

Fire type

Spiderglade

Bug type

Paradiseskies

Flying type

Goldshine

Dark type

Gravel

Ground type

Firebeetle

Fairy type

Elite 4

Stormwhisper

Steel type

Shadebreak

Poison type

Icesheep

Ice type

Sparkspeckle

Electric type

Champion

Pearlstar

Teams

Oleander(Grass)

Fomantis (lvl 15)

Razor leaf

Fury cutter

Protect

Sunny day

Ability : Leaf guard

Morelull (lvl 15)

Mega drain

Confuse ray

Astonish

Poison powder

Ability : Effect spore

Deerling (lvl 16)

Leech seed

Double kick

Sand attack

Trailblaze

Ability : Sap sipper

Alder+Pigeon+Titania(Psychic)

Solosis (lvl 21)

Psybeam

Confusion

Charm

Encore

Ability : Regenerator

Ralts (lvl 21)

Draining kiss

Confusion

Psybeam

Double team

Ability : Synchronize

Espurr (lvl 21)

Disarming voice

Covet

Psyshock

Scratch

Ability : Keen eye

Lilacpaw(Fire)

Fletchinder (lvl 27

Ember

Acrobatics

Agility

Fire spin

Ability : Flame body

Houndoom (lvl 27)

Incinerate

Thunder fang

Snarl

Bite

Ability : Early bird

Torkoal (lvl 28)

Lava plume

Clear smoke

Smokescreen

Rapid spin

Ability : White smoke

Ninetales (lvl 28)

Flamethrower

Charm

Fake tears

Rest

Ability : Drought

Spiderglade(Bug)

Anorith (lvl 33)

Bug bite

Brine

Ancient power

Slash

Ability : Battle armor

Centiskorch (lvl 33)

Inferno

Bite

Skitter smack

Slam

Abilty : Flame body

Leavanny (lvl 34)

Fell stinger

Razor leaf

String shot

Seed bomb

Ability : Chlorophyll

Heracross (lvl 35)

Horn attack

Brick break

Struggle bug

Seismic toss

Ability : Guts

Paradiseskies(Flying)

Altaria (lvl 40)

Dragon breath

Feather dance

Disarming voice

Hurricane

Ability : Natural cure

Staraptor (lvl 40)

Aerial ace

Theif

Close combat

Air slash

Ability : Intimidate

Togekiss (lvl 40)

Sky attack

Fairy wind

Water pulse

Extreme speed

Ability : Super luck

Archeops (lvl 41)

Dragon claw

Rock throw

Wing attack

Crunch

Ability : Defeatist

Goldshine(Dark)

Pangoro (lvl 46)

Bullet punch

Crunch

Low sweep

Night slash

Ability : Iron fist

Sableye (lvl 46)

Night shade

Zen headbutt

Knock off

Confuse ray

Ability : Prankster

Zoroark (lvl 47)

Night daze

U-turn

Extrasensory

Shadow ball

Ability : Illusion

Zoroark (lvl 47)

Night daze

Brick break

Sludge bomb

Hex

Ability : Illusion

Umbreon (lvl 48)

Dark pulse

Moonlight

Bodyslam

Confuse ray

Ability : Inner focus

Gravel(Ground)

Garchomp (lvl 53)

Dragon claw

Bulldoze

Crunch

Slash

Ability : Rough skin

Mamoswine (lvl 53)

Ancient power

Earthquake

Ice fang

Snowscape

Ability : Snow cloak

Sandslash (lvl 54)

Bulldoze

Stone edge

Gyro ball

Poison jab

Ability : Sand rush

Nidoqueen (lvl 54)

Sludge wave

Crunch

Earth power

Sandstorm

Ability : Poison point

Mudsdale (lvl 55)

High horsepower

Heavy slam

Superpower

Double edge

Ability : Stamina

Firebeetle(Fairy)

Clefable (lvl 60)

Moonblast

Moonlight

Meteor mash

Ice beam

Ability : Magic guard

Florges (lvl 60)

Moonblast

Solar beam

Magical leaf

Sunny day

Ability : Flower veil

Gardevoir (lvl 60)

Dream eater

Dazzling gleam

Shadow sneak

Destiny bond

Ability : Trace

Grimmsnarl (lvl 61)

Foul play

Play rough

Nasty plot

Draining kiss

Ability : Prankster

Alolan Ninetales (lvl 62)

Blizzard

Aurora beam

Extrasensory

Dazzling gleam

Ability : Snow warning

Stormwhisper(Steel)

Metagross (lvl 70)

Meteor mash

Zen headbutt

Hammer arm

Iron defense

Ability : Clear body

Lucario (lvl 70)

Close combat

Dragon pulse

Steel beam

Quick guard

Ability : Inner focus

Genesect (lvl 70)

Metal claw

Bug buzz

Zap cannon

Shadow claw

Ability : Download

Corviknight (lvl 70)

Brave bird

Thief

Steel wing

Roost

Ability : Pressure

Aggron (lvl 70)

Metal burst

Iron tail

Rock slide

Dragon rush

Ability : Sturdy

Shadebreak(Poison)

Seviper (lvl 70)

Belch

Crunch

X-scissor

Iron head

Ability : Shed skin

Drapion (lvl 70)

X-scissor

Cross poison

Toxic spikes

Ice fang

Ability : Battle armor

Toxicroak (lvl 70)

Gunk shot

Bullet punch

Sucker punch

Swords dance

Ability : Dry skin

Toxtricity (lvl 70)

Boomburst

Shock wave

Gunk shot

Hex

Ability : Punk rock

Dragalge (lvl 70)

Outrage

Poison tail

Hydro pump

Play rough

Ability : Poison point

Icesheep(Ice)

Alolan Sandslash (lvl 70)

Icicle crash

Metal claw

Blizzard

Leech life

Ability : Snow cloak

Glaceon (lvl 70)

Blizzard

Ice fang

Bite

Shadow ball

Ability : Ice body

Weavile (lvl 70)

Dark pulse

Icy wind

Metal claw

Screech

Ability : Pressure

Lapras (lvl 70)

Brine

Freeze dry

Hydro pump

Charm

Ability : Hydration

Walrein (lvl 70)

Hail

Aurora beam

Waterfall

Avalanche

Ability : Ice body

Sparkspeckle(Electric)

Zebstrika (lvl 70)

Wild charge

Trash

Eerie impulse

Overheat

Ability : Lightning rod)

Luxray (lvl 70)

Wild charge

Take down

Crunch

Thunder fang

Ability : Intimidate

Boltund (lvl 70)

Electric terrain

Thunder

Snarl

Play rough

Ability : Strong jaw

Ampharos (lvl 70)

Dragon pulse

Zap cannon

Power gem

Bulldoze

Ability : Static

Raichu (lvl 70)

Thunder

Draining kiss

Iron tail

Focus blast

Ability : Static

Pearlstar

Galarian Rapidash (lvl 75)

Smart strike

Psycho cut

Charm

Dazzling gleam

Ability :Pastel veil

Mismagius (lvl 75)

Phantom force

Power gem

Dark pulse

Night shade

Ability : Levitate

Steelix (lvl 75)

Ice fang

Double edge

Iron tail

Dark pulse

Ability : Sheer force

Bewear (lvl 75)

Superpower

Thrash

Brutal swing

Dragon claw

Abilty : Fluffy

Goodra (lvl 75)

Power whip

Muddy water

Poison tail

Ice beam

Ability : Sap sipper

Absol (lvl 75)

Future sight

Sucker punch

Hex

Swords dance

Ability : Pressure

ENJOYYYY :3

okay. this is fucking awesome. and it’s always interesting to hear your guys’s headcanons/perspectives on the characters.

but “giving non-Pokemon OCs Pokemon teams and imagining their role/jobs in the Pokemon universe” is a very specific hyperfixation of mine. i have been doing this with my OCs for years. and you bet your doggone dollar that i have fuckin OPINIONS on what teams my characters would have and what their roles would best fit. and you know what that means.

THE APHIDCLAN POKÉMON AU

(Obviously in this au, they’d all be humans, but I do not have the capacity to make up human designs on the spot for 16 different characters right now, so this is all you’re getting) As always, you play as the player character in a non-descript undecided generation that takes place either in or after Gen 8. You are the newest student of Professor Pearlstar, who is both a man of science studying new Pokemon and the champion of the region. He is regarded as the expert on all things Pokemon and is excellent at taming and raising the creatures (hence why he’s so powerful, and your mentor). He encourages you to go out and explore the region to discover new Pokemon for your Pokédex, and encourages you to do the league challenge while you’re at it. (“but sir, won’t that mean that if i get to the end of the challenge…I’ll be challenging you?” “Yup! Good luck! ^w^”)

Your companion is Lilacpaw. She’s this rebellious preteen brat that you meet on the road, you battle her on occasion but for the most part she’s here to help you out when you need it and continuously check on you as your brand new best friend.

Your rival is Oleander. In my mind, Oleander is too baby to be a gym leader (same with lilac, who in this universe is younger than him. she’s like, 10-13, and he’s 15-16ish), so he’s your rival instead. He bares a resemblance to Gladion in Sun and Moon. He’s a member of the local “evil team,” The Saint Tines, a cult-like organization that keeps stealing and trying to “sacrifice” other people’s Pokemon. You continuously catch fern in the act of participating in crimes that you have to stop by battling him. However, they become your friend over time, slowly realizing how bad news their organization is and leaving it to help you defeat the evil final boss, The Reverend, at the end of the game. The Reverend would be the Giovanni/Cyrus/Lysander/etc character in the game. Oleander and Lilacpaw are siblings that bicker all the damn time

The first gym you face is the Normal type gym, run by gym leader Pigeon.

For ease sake I’m gonna say all gym leaders have 4 pokemon. Pigeon owns a Stoutland (his prize Pokemon), Tauros, Ursaring, and Diggersby. His Pokemon are early lvl 20s. I wanted to give his team a farm theme, since he lives on a farm. He’s the farmhand countryboy man,,,

Next, the Dark type gym, led by Goldshine.

Goldshine owns a Mimikyu, Sableye, Absol, and an Umbreon. His Pokemon are mid lvl 20s. I wanted to give him the most emo misunderstood team possible

The fourth gym would be the fairy type gym, run by Titania.

Titania would have a Togepi, Milotic, Blissey, and a Wigglytuff. She has a very cute and beautiful team, all around late lvl 20s. Shes married to Pigeon and Alder and can frequently be seen hanging around Pigeon’s gym and vice versa. Alder’s role in the game would be closer to a “nurse joy” figure, he continuously pops up around the region throughout your journey, where he heals your pokemon and can sell you various berries and healing supplies. Hes a sweet, traveling old man following the league trail to make sure all those kiddos take care of themselves <3

Next, the Bug type gym, ran by Spiderglade.

Spiderglade owns an Ariados, Parasect, Scyther, and a Dustox. His Pokemon are early lvl 30s. I wanted a strong poison type secondary theme for him, his gym would be heavily centered around poison, toxicity, and pollution. Parasect for mind control symbolism. He’s very much in touch with his little brother, Blisswhistle, though he hasn’t sent his parents letters in a while… also how the hell would he not have at least one spider pokemon

Next, the electric type gym, ran by Sparkspeckle.

Sparkspeckle uses a Flaaffy, Toxtricity, Electabuzz, and a Dedenne. Her team are all mid lvl 30s, her gym probably has a stage built-in with a band playing all the time, and it’s all very crazy electric punk (with a touch of cutesy).

Next, the water type gym, run by Stormwhisper.

Stormwhisper would own a Lapras, Azumarill, Lanturn, Carracosta, all late lvl 30s. He would be a very nice and merciful gym leader, especially in comparison to his siblings. He gives you free healing items before you battle <3

Next, the ice gym, ran by Icesheep.

Icesheep would own a Snom, Aurorus, Beartic, and an Alolan Ninetales. His team is all early lvl 40s, and he’s very friendly as a gym leader! He does warn you about his sibling, however…

The explosive and intimidating poison type gym leader, Shadebreak.

Shadebreak would own a Liepard, Toxtricity, Crobat, and a Gengar. All their Pokemon are mid lvl 40s, and they are merciless. They are the final gym leader. ((Spark likes to talk about how they’re “twinning” with the Toxtricity and similar gym themes, but Shade absolutely hates it and makes a grumpy face every time Spark talks about how they’re so totally twins))

Once you’ve defeated all eight gym leaders, you move on to the…

ELITE FOUR

Gonna be honest, the only two I had actual solid typing in mind with was Gravel w/ Steel Type and Paradiseskies with Flying Type. But Blisswhistle and Firebeetle I had little to NO clue what to do with, so for the most part I decided the elite four’s teams with varied typing in mind for all of them. Gravel is based around dark/steel typing, Paradiseskies is flying/water/fairy based, Blisswhistle is ice/normal/fairy based, and Firebeetle I divided between fire, water, and fairy types because I couldn’t pick between the three.

Blisswhistle, the first Elite Four member you face and the weakest, uses an Aurorus, Cinccino, Frosmoth, Lapras, and a Togekiss. Shes very sweet and loves her gym leader husband very much. ((there really needs to be more rainbow pokemon……))

Firebeetle, the second member you face, owns a Walrein, Primarina, Volcarona, Granbull, and a Centiskorch. He’s happily married to his wife, Gravel.

Paradiseskies, the third and second-strongest elite four member, uses a Florges, Hatterene, Togekiss, Altaria, and a Gardevoir. She’s very happy to work alongside her husband and children.

Gravel the Brutal lives up to their title. A former member of the Saint Tines, she would appear frequently in your continuous efforts to stop the organization, aiding your efforts in taking them down. They use an Obstagoon, a Pangoro, a Steelix, a Garchomp, and a Metagross. All four members are mid lvl 50s to early lvl 60s.

THE CHAMPION AND RIVAL BATTLE

Pearlstar is very proud of you and your progress! You’ve come a long way since you first started your apprenticeship under his wing. But now it’s time for the final test, and stars not holding back. Let’s see if you can handle Pearlstar at his best, hm?

Pearlstar uses a Clefairy, Gallade, Bewear, Galarian Rapidash, Kengaskhan, and a Starmie. They’re all mid lvl 70s. After you beat him, he happily retires the position and tells you how extremely proud he is of your growth as a trainer.

Then Oleander challenges you. All his Pokemon are early lvl 50s (the phantump probably would’ve evolved into a Trevenant by the end of the game, but for the most part it stays a phantump). He uses an Alolan Muk, a Weezing, a Phantump, a Mimikyu, a Vileplume, and a Decidueye (regardless of which starter you chose). By this point, you’d have gone through quite a lot together, and now this battle is more a triumphant rival-to-rival fight for old times sake. He loses, and takes his defeat in stride, thanking you for everything you’ve done for him and all the wonderful times you’ve had together. He hopes to keep in touch.

And I think that’s everything <3

#aphidasks #long post #clangen #wc clangen #pokemon au

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uchu-no-bashira · 6 months ago

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Uchū no Bashira | Small Masterlist

Name: Kiana Aboiye

Age: 25 years old

Gender: Female

Appearance: Kiana is a young woman with a radiant copper-brown complexion, she possesses captivating doe-shaped eyes that were impossible in their color: a galaxy-purple with white flecks, resembling stars in a dazzling constellation. Her hair, cascading down to her mid-back, was a gorgeous blend of deep obsidian black at the roots and a lighter indigo shade at the tips, adorned with enchanting coils. Kiana has bow-shaped and pouty set of lips, irresistibly soft, complemented by a perfect set of wizard-white teeth that formed a dazzling smile. Her playful and warm eyes sparkled vibrantly, and she harbored a cute button nose

Height: 5'0

Build: Fit, Curvaceous. Toned muscle - not rippling.

Hair Color and Style: Deep obsidian black at the roots and a lighter indigo shade at the tips,

Eye Color: Galactic purple with white flecks, resembling stars in a dazzling constellation.

Distinctive Features: Eyes, hair, hoarse voice and rich brown skin.

Background: Born to her father Aadan and Her Mother Ayame, Kiana was the first of nine children. Due to her disposition in life, Kiana was disliked by her own mother - as opposed to her other siblings - and took to clinging to her father in her youth. He loved her deeply, leaving the young child no room to question it.

Place of Birth: Japan (Late Meiji-era)

Family: Kiana is the eldest of nine. She has seven brothers and one little sister. Their names are Ichiro (24), Sizwe(23), Hatsuharu (22), Omari (21), Hiroshi (21), Yasu(20), Tefari (19) and Ai (18).

Backstory: At a young age, Kiana followed dutifully in her fathers footsteps to be a swordsman. Aadan taught Kiana everything that she knew about fighting and the use of their odd - but shared - breathing style. He also taught her the importance of grace whilst hunting demons and to show compassion to those that she had killed. At the age of 15 Kiana took part in Final Selection with her brothers Ichiro and Sizwe, facing many trials and many tribulations. At the end of the long, nerve-pulling, seven days, Kiana was shocked that she made it out alive. After her father's death when she turned 18, Kiana had killed her 50th demon and earned the 'Universe Hashira' title. She also took to her siblings as if they were her own children and fulfilled her duties as a demon slayer as well. Through this, she was constantly ridiculed by her mother, who claimed that Kiana was the reason for her father's death; leading her to have low self-esteem in herself and abilities despite her title.

Personality:

Traits: Brave, Kind, Compassionate, Stern, Maternal, Fierce, Playful, Empathetic.

Strengths: Perseverance, Keen intellect, Quick reflexes, Strength, Speed, Combat Abilities, Adaptability.

Weaknesses: Breathing Technique.

Role: Demon Slayer

Rank: Hashira

Weapon:

Type: Dual Nichirin Akrafena

Appearance: The sword has three parts: a blade, usually made of some metal such as iron; in this case, Nichirin. The hilt is carved metal - solid gold in appearance; and the sheath, usually made of animal hide like leopard, leather and electric eel skin. Kiana's is made of leather. The blade of the weapon, after being presented to her, turned into a stardust pattern with a faint purple hue.

Breathing Style:

Name: Universe Breathing.

Techniques:

Galactic Vortex Strike (Offense) - "Uchū no Kokyū, Ichi no Kata: Ginga Uzu Kōgeki"

Kiana wields two Solar Flare Akrafenas with unparalleled precision. With each swing, she channels the swirling energy of galaxies into her strikes. The blades move in vortex-like patterns, creating a whirlwind of motion that slices through defenses with the force of cosmic rotation. This technique delivers powerful impacts, disrupting the demon's defenses and preventing regeneration upon contact.

2. Stellar Fusion Thrust (Offense): "Uchū no Kokyū, Ni no Kata: Kōsei Yūgō Totsugeki"

Drawing upon the brilliance of countless stars, Kiana focuses intense stellar energy into her dual blades. With swift, precise thrusts, she unleashes this concentrated energy in a synchronized assault. The blades move with the brilliance and intensity of stars colliding, delivering devastating thrusts that pierce through even the toughest defenses.

3. Nebula Veil (Defense): "Uchū no Kokyū, San no Kata: Seiun Bēru"

Enveloped in a nebula-like energy shroud, Kiana enhances her agility and reflexes while wielding dual blades. The swirling patterns of the nebula veil create illusions and afterimages that confuse and disorient her opponents. She uses this defensive advantage to evade attacks and maneuver strategically, setting up precise counterstrikes with her dual blades.

4. Singularity Blade (Defense): "Uchū no Kokyū, Yon no Kata: Tokuiten Ken"

The Universe Breather summons the power of a meteor storm, imbuing both blades with the intense destructive energy of falling stars. With a rapid series of strikes, the Breather unleashes a barrage of attacks that mimic the impact of meteors crashing down from the sky. Each pair of strikes releases a burst of explosive energy upon impact, creating a chain reaction of devastating blows that may overwhelm the demon's defenses. The onslaught is relentless, with the dual blades striking in perfect harmony, leaving the demon little time to recover or regenerate, ultimately reducing them to nothing but dust.

5. Black Hole Rend (Both): "Uchū no Kokyū, Go no Kata: Burakku Hōru Rekku"

Kiana channels the relentless pull and crushing force of a black hole into her dual-wielding style. With each movement, she creates a zone around her that draws enemies in, mirroring the inescapable gravitational pull of a black hole.

As she maneuvers within this zone, her strikes are swift and precise, exploiting the disorientation of her opponents. The dual blades move in synchronized arcs, creating an overwhelming force that compacts and tears through defenses. Her movements are fluid and calculated, ensuring that she remains just out of reach of counterattacks while relentlessly pressing her own.

Enemies caught in the Event Horizon find it difficult to evade or counterattack, as the relentless pressure of Kiana's strikes prevents them from regaining their footing. This technique combines offense and defense seamlessly, making it nearly impossible for her opponents to recover or escape the crushing force of her dual blades.

6: Celestial Ascendance (Hidden form) - "Uchū no Kokyū, Hi no Kata: Tentai Shōka"

When Kiana's Demon Slayer Mark activates, she taps into an ethereal power that grants her the grace and might of a goddess of the universe for five minutes. Her presence radiates an otherworldly aura, and her movements become imbued with celestial energy.

During this brief window, Kiana's dual blades are enveloped in a shimmering, star-like glow. She moves with transcendent speed and precision, her strikes resonating with the power of the cosmos. Each swing of her Akrafena leaves trails of ethereal light, and her attacks become almost impossible to predict or evade.

In this heightened state, Kiana executes a devastating combination of offense and defense. Her attacks are so swift and powerful that they cut through demons with ease, leaving behind wounds that shimmer with celestial energy, preventing regeneration. Her defensive maneuvers are equally enhanced, allowing her to deflect and parry with supernatural grace.

The climax of the Celestial Ascendance Technique is a final, powerful slash that channels the full extent of her temporary divine power. This strike releases a radiant burst of energy that resembles a miniature supernova, obliterating any demon caught in its path while leaving the surrounding environment untouched.

Relationships: How Kiana feels about the other Hashira:

"I was afraid she’d kill me in my sleep and after telling her that, we laughed about it and I found out that she’s actually very kind and intellectual." - Insect Hashira

"He is definitely a God of some sort. How could you look good, be tall and considerate? There’s no way. He’s very skilled, I envy his stealth. It staggers me when I remember that he’s two years younger than me." - Sound Hashira

"She's a slice of Castella cake. She’s a wonderful eating partner!! I adore our chats." - Love Hashira

"He’s terrifying, but very thoughtful despite how he speaks. He’s hurting in a way I can’t understand, but I admire his dedication." - Wind Hashira

"Very quiet. I haven’t sat and talked with him, but I feel he prefers isolation" - Water Hashira

"He fired me up. It pained me to know that he had died in battle. I mourned tremendously." - Flame Hashira

"He is a skilled young boy, very mature and does what needs to be done." - Mist Hashira

"He's a serious one. His katana is amazing. I’ve never seen one like it before" - Serpent Hashira

“He is incredibly tall. He’s strong beyond belief. Very cute. I enjoy spending time with him.” - Stone Hashira

Trivia:

The surface of Kiana's skin is well above 104 degrees due to her Breathing style. She has never had a fever or been sick in her entire 25 years of life.

When she was sixteen, Kiana's father - Aadan - once looked at Gyomei Himejima as a suitor for his daughter. Kiana refused the offer from her father multiple times because she had no idea who the man was and she had other responsibilities to worry about.

Kiana's eyes look like the center of a universe swirl and each star is linked to an ancestor and their abilities. She needs to keep a high spiritual balance in order to keep her abilities in tact.

Kiana speaks multiple languages: Japanese, Yoruba, ASL/JSL and English.

(Art done by @kingdimitrx)

#kny oc #OC!Kiana #black!oc #aave #kny #kny rp blog #oc rp blog #oc art

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everlastingdreams · 11 months ago

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The Weeping Monk x Reader : Born In The Dawn Chapter 21

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Story Summary: Locked inside a dark room in a dungeon, kept alive only for your power, you believed you’d never see the daylight again. That is until the Weeping Monk finds his way down and steals you from your captors. It is the beginning of a journey that leads you through hardship and newfound hope, but nothing is assured in a world that is changing for the Fey. The magic that runs in your veins is drawing out the worst the world has to offer, does it include the man who pulled you from the dark?

Chapter Title: The Court Of Dawn

Notes: Gonna play the crinch this year I guess?

Warnings: Grief. Violence. Torture. Sexual Assault. Rape Threat. Gore. Enemies To Lovers. Pining. Trauma. Flagellation. Manipulation. Strong Language. Blood. Gore?. Misogyny. PTSD. Spicy and smut parts. Slight redemption arc.

Other warnings: Jealousy. Forbidden Love. Romance. Slow-burn…

Word count of this fic: +190K

Chapter: 21/ It’s a secret.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The path to climb the hill came to an end. First you brought the horses to the stables that were located outside the curtain walls that surrounded the fort, then walked up to the large gate.

Those on the curtain walls, who watched over the grounds surrounding it, must have recognized you. A familiar voice was calling out your name in pure joy moments alter.

Your cousin darted under the raised portcullis to run to you, he must have seen you approach from his window.

You ran up to meet him half-way. “Ciro!”

Ciro crashed into your arms as you dropped down to your knees, overwhelmed by the reunion.

“You’re back!” He had his arms tightly around you.

You leaned back to look at him. “I’ve missed you! Gods, you’ve grown so much!”

Matthew was right, Ciro was almost as tall as Squirrel.

And the first thing Ciro noticed next was Squirrel.

You got up from the ground and introduced your cousin to the others while gesturing to them. “Ciro, this is Lancelot and Squirrel.”

Politely Ciro offered a hand to Squirrel to shake.

Squirrel blurted out, “You’re short.”

Lancelot nudged the boy’s arm to scold him for it. “Be polite.”

Squirrel gave an apologetic look at Ciro and did shake his hand.

Ciro was quite interested in Squirrel, “Is that your knife?”

He pointed at the knife Squirrel had gotten from you and Squirrel nodded.

“Whoa.” Ciro sounded impressed.

The children began a full conversation on knives, bows and swords.

And you decided to let them continue while you all headed to the fort. Passing the courtyard, you noticed men in armor that you didn’t recognize.

Matthew stopped right outside the door of the fort that would lead into the entrance hall. “I would love to walk with you further, but you know your father isn’t very keen on me and I don’t want to make it worse.”

It was better if there weren’t many around when your father got into a foul mood, “It’s fine. I know how he is. Maybe I’ll see you later?

The Sky Man liked that prospect. “I would love that.”

You almost couldn’t believe how different he looked at you now, in a way he had not done before you had left home.

Before he walked away, he took hold of your hand and kissed your knuckles.

You were flabbergasted while watching him walk away.

“He kissed me…”

Lancelot corrected it, sounding a bit irritated. “He kissed your hand.”

Ciro whispered something to Squirrel and it caused them both to giggle.

You glared a little at the Ash Man. “Well, he’s never done it before.”

“Not with you.” It slipped from him.

Regret followed instantly when he realized how it could come across.

Ouch…

“Thank you, for rubbing that in.” You quietly hissed and bumped into his arm while heading to the door.

Squirrel shook his head, disappointed once again at the Ash Man’s poor communication skills when it came to you.

It was true, Matthew was the flirtatious kind and until now, you had not been on the receiving end of it.

Still, Lancelot knew it was a sensitive thing for you and then responded like this…

As you walked into the building and through the entrance hall, Squirrel said something to Lancelot that you couldn’t hear.

You got halfway through the hall when your wrist was caught by the Ash Man.

“What?” You almost snapped it at him.

The otherwise brave man’s courage fled away, “I was discourteous. Forgive me.”

You barely managed to hide how upsetting it was to be reminded that Matthew had ignored you for so long until now.

The Ash Man could tell that you were more hurt than angry, he lowered his voice so the boys would not hear. “I do not want you to be hurt by someone, who had so long to see the person that you are, and was still foolish enough to reject you. I only question his motives for his flattery now.”

Was that it? Was he just looking out for you?

It also sounded like he was complimenting your character and it made you feel better, “You can be quite sweet if you’re not being a boor, you know that?”

He did not even hear the insult after seeing that small smile grow on your lips.

Squirrel’s eyes darted between you and the Ash Man a couple of times.

Ciro took an audible breath, a habit of his when nervous, and it made you look around to see what had caused it.

There, at the end of the hall stood your mother Mirena. It was like time had stopped, she had not aged a day.

“Mother…” Your voice had no strength in it.

Her heels hit the tiles and grew louder in your ears the closer she got.

Your whole body felt like it had frozen solid as a rock.

“Y/n…” A tear began to roll down her cheek when she was only a few steps away.

Mirena wrapped her arms around you in a loving embrace.

“I thought I had lost you forever.” She was crying tears of joy.

The embrace wrung your own tears out, it had been so long…

“I’m sorry.” You tried to muffle your own sobs into her shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

She leaned back and cradled your face in her hands. “All that matters is that you’re home with us again.”

Your heart hurt to hear it. “He said I would never be welcomed back-”

Mirena would not hear of it. “Your father can be a boor sometimes, but your absence broke his heart even if he won’t admit to it.”

“But…” You began.

She interrupted your doubts. “He only said it because he was so afraid of losing you that he had used the threat to try and get the idea of leaving out off your head. He never thought you would be as stubborn as he was, none of us did.”

Mirena kept brushing your cheeks with her hands, as if you were an apparition, “Where did you go, my Little Moon?”

You did not want to tell her off your imprisonment, it would only hurt her.

“I helped our people. Like the Hidden asked of me.” You felt some pride over following what your heart believed was right.

She shared that pride in here eyes, then glanced over at the ones you had brought, “I believe introductions are in order. Who did you bring along?”

She let go off you and you introduced them to her.

“This is Lancelot and Squirrel.” You whispered to her. “Squirrel’s real name is Percival, but he likes to be called ‘Squirrel’.”

Mirena went up to the boy first and lovingly put a finger under his chin, “You are precious. Are you Sky Folk?”

Squirrel’s cheeks turned pink at the compliment. “Yes.”

Then her eyes went to Lancelot, “Are you Fey, Lancelot?”

Lancelot was polite. “I am.”

“What kind?” She inquired.

His eyes went to yours, clearly asking what would be best to say.

“Ash Folk.” You answered for him.

Her eyes went wide and she looked at you incredulous. “The Ash Folk have been gone for centuries.”

You found it quite amusing to hear how she wanted to scold you for telling the truth. “Mother, he is.”

She stared at him a little and kindly asked, “Is that why you wear the veil?”

He slowly nodded. “The mark of my people, I have tainted it with my actions. Therefore I must hide them.”

Mirena was never afraid to chase the truth and she lifted her hands up to touch the veil, “May I?”

You held your breath but gave a little nod when Lancelot looked your way.

He reached up and removed the veil for her.

Mirena had taken a few steps back and took hold of your arm to move you behind her. “Ciro, come here!”

Even when a sword was at your side, she still put herself between you and what she assumed was ‘danger’.

Ciro stayed at Squirrels side, not understanding what was happening.

You put a hand on Mirena’s arm. “Mother, please. I know what you think, but Lancelot will not hurt us.”

“That’s the Weeping Monk!” She said with fear struck eyes.

You could see the Ash Man’s sorrowful response to the title. “He was. And then he saved me and Squirrel. He fought for us, mother. We’d be dead without him.”

She repeated in disbelief, “He fought for you?”

You left out the part where he had been the one to capture you in the first place, it would not help you now. “Squirrel and I were held captive by paladins. Lancelot fought and killed Trinity Guards to save us, he helped me when I got bitten by a wolf.”

Her fear for him vanished when she heard it, “You got bitten by a wolf?!”

Of course that would distracted her.

You pleaded with her to be open minded towards the Ash Man. “On our way here, yes. Please, mother, Lancelot is a good man. Father Carden stole a Fey child from our people and forced him to become what we so feared. Don’t let the Church win, the Ash Folk is not a legend, they are real. He is real, he is here, with us and for us.”

Mirena narrowed her eyes at him, “Why did you bring him here?”

You told her the truth. “He wanted to know for certain that this place is safe for Squirrel and I.”

She seemed surprised that he cared for such a thing. “Helio will not be happy with his presence.”

That was something you both agreed on. “Father will have to bring it up with the Hidden then. The old gods refused to let me leave him to die and as it turns out, I believe he is the summoner of the Ash Folk.”

Mirena looked Lancelot in the eye, “You hear the Hidden?”

“Sadly.” He deadpanned, then quickly said. “I do.”

Her expression changed. “Gods, he is as happy with it as you are.”

Well, she wasn’t wrong about that. Neither of you were stoked to be chosen as summoners.

Mirena looked at him for a moment longer, “Are you certain you wish for your father to find out who you’ve brought here?”

You went to stand beside the Ash Man. “Lancelot insists on meeting you both. We’d like for Squirrel to have a safe place to stay.”

“I’ll get to live in a castle?” Squirrel asked excitedly.

Ciro seemed rather excited with the possibility too, “Can he, aunt Mirena?”

Mirena answered honestly. “We will have to see what your uncle says about this, Ciro.”

She sighed a little, then beckoned for you to walk with her. “Things have changed since you left, Little Moon. Your father has been knighting others in who he sees potential.”

That wasn’t something you had expected. “But he has forsaken knighthood.”

Mirena explained what had caused the change. “He changed when you left. Your strong will and determination to help the Fey must have inspired him to do the same in his own way.”

“Why is he knighting others?” You questioned his motivation behind it.

She opened a door for you. “We need knights if we want to keep the growing population under control. More and more Fey find their way here, there has to be rules and order or we risk chaos.”

You concluded. “A kingdom without a king.”

She spoke of it a little lighthearted. “But with a Knight Commander who rules as one.” She stopped at the door that led into what had once been the great hall of the Dawn court. “He’s in here, talking to some of the knights. Let me talk to him first?”

Ah, yes. Mirena had often offered to talk to your father first to take on the first wave of his angry responses. It had been so since childhood when you misbehaved.

“Thank you.” You smiled when she touched your arm, and held your breath when she walked into the room alone.

Ciro shared a grimace, knowing how his uncle could respond to news such as this, “Do you think he’ll be very angry?”

It was to be expected, considering this time you did not bring a wild animal home, but the former Weeping Monk…

And just like with those wild animals you brought home as a child, you also would prefer to keep the Ash Man around, even if you were too proud to admit it to him yet.

A voice like thunder came from past the door, followed by multiple other ones who did not sound happy.

Ciro tugged at your arm, “Will aunt Mirena be alright?”

Your father wasn’t an easy man, but he’d never put a hand on your mother, and she was perfectly capable to face the storm that was his mood.

“She’s alright, Ciro. Nothing my father says can send her running.” You reassured him.

Squirrel had planted his ear and hands against the door to listen in, but there were too many voices inside to eavesdrop.

Lancelot seemed as concerned as Ciro was upon hearing the anger in your father’s voice.

You reassured him as well. “You once called me a combative woman.”

The Ash Man bit his tongue, recalling that he had indeed called you such.

“Guess were I inherited that from…” You smirked.

Squirrel heard the soft voice of Mirena in the thunder of voices, never once did she raise hers, and it was still strong enough to silence the storm for a moment each time. When the boy heard her heels getting closer to the door, he quickly went to stand behind Lancelot with Ciro.

Mirena opened the door for you to enter. “I told him you are here, and who is with you.”

The sympathetic look she send Lancelot said it all.

She took you by the arm and guided you inside, Lancelot took hold of Squirrel’s shoulder to keep him near.

Your father, Helio, was conversing with a group of Feys, the whole room fell silent when you entered.

Mirena held onto your arm a little longer, sensing the tenseness in it. “Don’t be afraid. Go to him.”

You could only nodded and forced your feet to walk forward.

All of them were armed with a suit and wearing armor, as if it was back in the days of the Dawn king. They must be the knights Mirena had spoken off, and all were watching Lancelot like a hawk, all but Helio.

“Father.” You greeted him and felt your courage threaten to leave you.

He was his usual stern self. “We hear nothing of you for months, and now you return like nothing has happened.”

You had left without their knowledge that day, it had been cowardly but it was the only way to ensure he would not have prevented it.

And yet you were still to prideful to admit it had been so. “You told me not to return if I left.”

The knights looked at him, curious to see how their Knight Commander would react to it.

Helio came closer. “Of course I told you that! I thought it would get the idea out of your head!”

His thundering voice made your eyes snap to the floor.

You still stood behind your motivation for leaving. “It didn’t! I wasn’t going to stay here while I could be out there saving people! The Hidden was telling me to save them and they haunted my dreams until I left! Wasn’t that what you wanted? For me to serve the Hidden?!”

The rant ignited his anger. “I wanted my daughter home and safe! To hell with what the old gods want with you!”

The room fell eerily silent.

Before you had left, they had wanted you to accepted the Hidden’s offer as summoner. But now it seemed like your father had not expected that it would mean losing his child to it.

It confused you. “But you were so angry and disappointed when I refused to become a summoner.”

He stopped right in front of you. “I thought becoming a summoner would give you the power to always be safe. Tell me, now that you have followed their will, were you safe?”

You wanted to take a step back as you felt your eyes start to sting.

All you could do was shake your head slightly, giving him his answer.

Even he knew that if you refused to speak, it must have been something terrible. “I have put too much pressure on you…”

He finally realized the mistake he had made back then, the one your mother had tried to warn him for a thousand times.

“I survived.” You brought out.

Helio put a hand to your shoulder. “Surviving is not living. I want my daughter to live, whether she is a summoner or not.”

Mirena stepped forward. “Dear, tell her she is welcome here.”

He gave a nod and looked at you. “Always.”

A weight fell from your shoulders now that you were welcomed home again.

Helio looked over your shoulder. “I cannot say the same for one of the guests you have brought along.”

You didn’t have to think long to know who he was talking about.

He moved past you and approached Squirrel first, considering he and Ciro stood close-by next to Mirena now, while Lancelot stayed at a safe distance.

Helio came close to Squirrel, “What is your name, young one?”

The young Fey knight held his head high. “Squirrel.”

It caused a frown on your father’s face, “Is that the name you were given?”

Squirrel was visibly thinking for a second, then said. “My real name is Percival.”

It was a rare occurrence for the boy to be open about his real name, perhaps he had grown to like it after it being used by Lancelot.

Helio looked at the knife that sat across Squirrel’s chest, “Where are your parents, Percival?”

It took the boy a moment to reply. “Dead.”

Helio shared a look with Mirena.

You told him why you had brought the boy here. “Lancelot and I wanted to find a place where Squirrel can be safe.”

Your father looked towards Lancelot for a second, it was not a nice look…

Mirena went to stand behind Squirrel and held his shoulders, “He is welcome here, is he not, Helio?”

He agreed on the statement. “The boy may stay.”

The joy in you was short lived, because your father approached Lancelot and drew his sword.

The knights in the room discreetly put their hands near their swords as well.

Surprisingly, Lancelot kept his hand away from his sword, often he would rest it there but now he must have known that it was a bad idea to do so.

You feared what your father would do and hurried to Lancelot’s side before your father got close.

Helio sure did not like to see how quick you were to run to his aid, he addressed him directly. “You… I should kill you were you stand!”

Mirena kept the children at a distance in case it got out off control.

You stepped in front of the Ash Man like a shield when your father took a threatening step closer, and felt the Ash Man put a hand on your waist.

He was ready to pull you out of harm’s way if needed be.

The Dawn Man’s eyes spewed fire in his direction, much like yours once had.

“Kill him and you will never see me again!” You meant every word of the threat.

Helio saw the hand of the enemy on his daughter and his eyes darkened. “Just because you are Ash Folk, does not mean you are one of us! The village below would love to get their hands on the one responsible for having to flee their homes!”

He had expected the ill-response and yet it still cut into him far worse than a blade ever could.

“Father, he saved Squirrel and I! He killed Trinity Guards-” You tried to reason.

Helio was furious. “You are protecting the Weeping Monk!”

You stood your ground. “The Hidden forced me to save him! They want him to live!”

He would not hear of it. “He is as bad as the Reaper is!”

You snapped back at him. “He is nothing like the Reaper! I met the Reaper and Lancelot risked his neck to keep me out of the Reaper’s hands!”

Silence fell so sudden that it felt uncomfortable.

“What did you say?” Helio asked in disbelief.

Your mother looked close to tears.

Maybe it was time to explain what had happened. “I was kept at a paladin camp that was under the command of Father Carden, the paladins did not even know that Lancelot was Fey. Only Father Carden knew because he stole Lancelot from the Fey as a child to raise him into a weapon against our kind. One day, the Reaper came and used a knife to cut my skin to see if I was Dawn Folk. Lancelot stepped between us.”

“The Reaper knows of your existence…” Helio took a step back. “He’ll hunt you.”

Mirena held the children closer while processing the news.

You hated to think of it. “Lancelot is nothing like him.”

Helio thought for a moment, then came to the harsh conclusion. “We cannot trust him. If he goes back to the Church… he knows too much.”

He gave the sudden command to the knights. “Seize him!”

“What? NO!” You refused to step aside when they got closer. “Father, please!”

Two of the knights pulled you away while the others surrounded Lancelot.

He wasn’t even fighting them… as if he accepted his fate.

Helio told the Ash Man of his judgment. “You will live out your days in darkness down in the dungeon. Where you will not be able to harm another soul ever again.”

“Father!” You snapped and tried to elbow a knight in the chest.

Helio would hear no excuses. “Be glad I do not give him to the village!”

You were ready to object again.

Lancelot stopped you from doing so and presented himself as willing to obey the chosen punishment, “It is alright, y/n. You and Percival are safe, that is all that matters.”

Squirrel broke free from Mirena and ran over to Lancelot, too fast for the knights to stop him, the boy flung his arms around the Ash Man’s waist.

Only then, when a knight wanted to grab the boy and pull him away, Lancelot drew his sword to keep the knight at a distance.

Helio held up his hand and prevented the other knights from attacking.

Lancelot did appreciate the chance he was given, he pried the arms of the boy from around him and knelt down, holding the boy by the shoulders. “Do not fear, Percival. Look after y/n, look after yourself.”

Squirrel had tears in his eyes whilst nodding.

The knights confiscated his swords and weapons before taking the Ash Man to the dungeons.

You were still pleading with your stern father when they walked past you with him.

This wasn’t how it was meant to go, he was supposed to have his freedom as you had yours, not damned to the same fate you had once been trapped in.

He could so easily fight them off, none here had the same level of skill. Why wasn’t he? Why was he agreeing to this?!

“Lancelot…” You didn’t know what to say anymore.

His eyes met yours, it was as if he just knew how distressed you were and therefore kept calm himself.

Once they had escorted him out of the great hall, the knights finally released you.

You didn’t know what to do anymore. “He doesn’t deserve this!”

Helio’s mind was set, and Mirena knew that this was the only way to prevent the Ash Man from being killed.

Squirrel stayed close to Ciro, clearly shaken by the situation.

Mirena came closer to touch your arm. “Little Moon-”

“No!” You walked away from your parents and out of the room.

You hated how the two knights still followed you out, probably correctly assuming that you would try to help Lancelot.

Some other Feys that lived in the castle walked by and were clearly curious to see what was going on.

Mirena walked out of the room and into the hallways as well, she approached you when seeing how distraught you were.

She tried to offer comfort.“I know you are angry, Little Moon. But in the dungeons he will be safe from those who seek vengeance.”

You could tell there was more to it. “You don’t trust him either. You and father, you think he will go back to the Church.”

Mirena tried to reason. “We cannot take risks, you must understand this.”

You turned to face away from her.

“Give it time.” She gently said.

At least your father had not killed him…

Mirena sighed softly. “Your old room is still as it was, go and have some rest. And don’t worry about young Squirrel, I shall let him share a room with Ciro, your cousin seems to like him already.”

You nodded and walked away from her, heading down the familiars paths that led to the room where you had spend many a night.

Upon entering, you saw that nothing about it had changed. The bed was made and all was still in place. Books were stacked on the nightstand, your clothes were still in the closet.

Even the doll your mother had made you once was still sitting on the pillows, but not quite where you had left it. Had she held it in her hands when she thought you would never return?

And you weren’t going to return, not until after you learned that Squirrel needed a safe place to call home.

You sat down on your bed and held the doll in your hands, it was exactly how the Fey made their toys.

Old branches for arms and legs, straw for hair and a cloth body filled with tiny pieces of straw.

A knock on your door pulled you from your thoughts. “Yes?”

Mirena walked into your room, holding a book in her hands that she offered to you. “I thought you might want to read this.”

You plucked the book from her hands and put it down next to you without looking at it.

She sighed, then gestured to the doll in your hands. “You loved that one more than all the others.”

You put the doll down next, still too angry to hold a conversation.

Another sigh fell from her and she decided it was better to leave you alone for a while.

After you took off your satchel and placed it on the ground beside your feet, you did pick up the book your mother had given you.

Disinterested, you skimmed through the pages until some words pulled you into the story it had to offer.

Fey Fire… Ash Folk…

It told of the Feys who were killed first when the war began, murdered because they were born with the ability to create and bring forth Fey Fire at will.

With the extinguishing of the Ash Folk, the Fey fire disappeared from the lands and took most of the magic along with it.

Father Carden had not chosen Lancelot just for his ability to smell out his own kind, but because he must have known of the power the Ash Folk held within. How many books held this legendary tale? Had the priest been in the possession of one?

There were things Lancelot had not told you, or perhaps he was not aware of it himself.

One thing was certain, you would not let the Ash Man wither in the dungeons for the rest of his days, even if it meant that your father would never forgive you for what you were about to do.

~~~♡~~~♡~~~◇~~~♡~~~♡~~~

You waited until after midnight and refused all invitations to have a meal. Your mother had made one more attempt before evening to better the situation by informing you that Squirrel now shared a room with Ciro. It was good that the boys got along well, Ciro was always quick to be impressed by others and Squirrel’s fearless attitude surely helped.

Squirrel was safe, but there was someone else who needed help now.

Your old hairpins were still in the drawer with the comb, you took them with you when leaving the room.

One knight had fallen asleep against the wall at the end of the hallway, and most others in the castle were asleep as well.

You were raised here, this fort held no secrets for you and it wasn’t hard to get to the dungeons without being noticed by the knights.

They weren’t as experienced yet, and one of their mistakes was leaving the door to the dungeon locked but unguarded.

A smartly folded hairpin made quick work of the lock on the door.

The narrow steps down to the dungeon reminded you of the one you had escaped from.

You pushed the thought away and continued your way down.

The darkness in the dungeon was suffocating and filled you with the same dread you had experienced back then. The thought that your father was putting Lancelot through the same torment was horrible.

You went back up the steps and took a torch off of the wall to light the way.

This dungeon had no rooms, only cells with iron bars.

You were still searching for him when you heard your name be called.

“Y/n?”

Following the direction from which it came, you found the Ash Man in the very last cell.

Your scent had filled the air and alerted him to your presence long before he had heard your footsteps.

You put the torch in the holder beside the cell he was in, it still offered very little light in the heavy darkness.

He was standing near the iron bars that kept him prisoner. “I would have thought that you would prefer to avoid a place such as this.”

He wasn’t wrong about that…

You took hold of a bar and gave it a pull to test it’s strength, it did not budge at all.

It confused you still why he had just surrendered to this.“Why didn’t you fight your way out?”

His hand curled around the iron bar just above your own. “This is your home. And if I were to fight my way out of this place, it would only prove that I cannot solve a problem without bloodshed.”

You tried to ignore how close his hand was to yours and that he had deliberately placed it there. “Don’t get holy on me now, Ash Man. You don’t fool me into believing that you suddenly are against using a sword.”

His smirk now was timid as he offered the other reason for not acting against the punishment he was receiving. “Here you can always find me.”

Your grip on the bar tightened, and you found yourself unable to look him in the eyes whilst he so clearly wished for it.

You got the hairpin from the waistband of your trousers where you had hidden it and put your attention on the padlock of the cell door.

He did not move, “What are you doing?”

“Getting you out of here.” You began to pry into the lock with the lockpick.

There was no time for him to talk the idea out of your head, you proved to be quite skilled in lock picking and popped it open without a problem.

You pulled the cell door open and made a small arrogant bow whilst gesturing for him to step out.

And he did step out, sly smirk playing on his lips as he tsked. “What will your father say about this?”

You shrugged your shoulders. “Well, he wouldn’t be surprised.”

He almost seemed proud of your misbehavior, “Where are my swords?”

That was a good question. “I think they might have locked them in one of these cells too. I doubt they want to use weapons that carry the symbols of the Church.”

He hummed pensively.

“Sorry…” You said upon realizing how it might have come across.

“No need.” He said, then plucked the torch from the wall again and took hold of your arm to keep you near and in the light with him.

The closer you got to the stairs, the quieter you got. You found the swords in the very first cell and began to pick the lock.

This padlock wasn’t as easy as the other one, it had a little rust to make things worse.

Lancelot held the torch close so you could see better, he whispered to you, “I can leave this place on my own, you do not have to stay and help, it will only bring you trouble. Leave the hairpin with me and if I were to be caught, I will take the blame. They do not have to know you were here.”

You frowned and turned your head a little, noticing how close he was to you, “Are you planning on getting caught?”

That stern tone made him frown too. “No, I-”

You ignored the chance he was giving you. “Good… be quiet then.”

A scoff fell from him, still he could not hide that smile in the darkness. “As you wish.”

At this point you had gotten nervous and fumbled with the lock, him standing by and

watching it happen wasn’t helping at all.

When it finally opened, it almost fell to the ground and he caught it before the metal hitting the tiles could wake the whole fort up.

He put the padlock on the ground and went into the cell to fetch his swords, then hurried out again after sheathing them in their scabbards.

“My horse?” He asked hopeful.

“Goliath should still be in the stables.” You gestured for him to follow.

Together you made your way up the steps and he put the torch back where it had came from, it would only draw unwanted attention now.

Sneaking through the fort was actually easier with him, his heightened sense of smell alerted him to the presences of others far quicker.

Climbing out a window was the safest way to leave the building, he went first and helped you down the small height from it as well.

At the stables, he held onto Goliath’s reins.

“Percival?” He quietly inquired.

You understood he was worried. “He’s now sharing a room with my cousin.”

Lancelot gave a slow nod, his eyes suddenly distant. “He’s safe…”

It sounded more like he was convincing himself of it. The Ash Man had grown attached to the boy, as you had.

“He is.” You gently touched his arm. “I’ll stay home for a while, to make sure he doesn’t get himself into too much trouble.”

Something told him that you were staying home because your heart had missed it.

After giving his arm a squeeze, you let go. “Come. I will walk with you and get you past the village.”

He took a few steps, then stopped. “Veil…”

You helped search for the sheet he had ruined to make the previous one and cut another long piece from it.

He held out his hand for it, believing you would hand it to him.

Instead you stepped closer and bravely put the veil on his face yourself.

You adjusted it until it sat right, your voice broke a little. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

It felt too much to say, especially when seeing his expression change.

You turned and slowly walked out of the stables, waiting for him to follow.

It had halted him for a moment.

Finally he led Goliath out of the stables with him and stopped by your side.

By now you had gotten more control over your emotions and even jested, “Maybe in time, we could have been friends. If you weren’t so insufferable.”

He was quick to return the jest. “Likewise.”

You rolled your eyes at him when seeing how pleased he looked with himself now.

“Could have been?” Lancelot asked almost timidly.

It was the hope in his eyes that helped you admit to it. “I think I should tell you that I do have begun to see you as a friend.”

That confession must have taken quite something.

Lancelot glanced at the few small spots of light still coming from the village down below. “Ah, getting me out of that cell was not just pity.”

“Oaf.” You sighed with a smile. “Come on, let’s get you away from here before my father tosses us both in the dungeon.”

You began to walk away and bit back a smile at how fast he was to join your side again to walk beside you.

The village down below was mostly asleep, some candlelight still illuminated the houses inside, it was quite a charming sight to see at night.

And it felt a lot safer to guide the former monk through the village now. He even put his cloak over his swords more to hide them from sight.

“Are you… going to be alright?” You worried for his future. “I uhm… I wanted to give you these.”

You rummaged through the pocket of your vest and handed him the coins you still had after stealing them from that lord.

He was looking at the coins in his hand, taking a bit long to reply. “Thank you for them. And I will have to find my way. I thought you would be relieved to be rid of me now.”

Ugh, it was so obvious that he was fishing for you to stroke his ego and tell him that you couldn’t live without him, it was written all over his face.

You kept a neutral face, “Who says I’m not?”

It had sounded so monotone and genuine that it made him look at your face to see if it was true.

It took a few seconds of silent alarm before he narrowed his eyes at you.

He said it half between his teeth, voicing his annoyance over your wit, “I wish I did not care for you, then you would not be able to pull these tricks on me.”

A smile curved your lips, then fell away slightly.

There was a pleasant tingling going up your neck that was caused by his words.

“I feel no relief.” You scrambled together the courage to admit it. “And I don’t want our last moments together to be sad ones.”

His fingers fidgeted with reins. “Neither do I.”

It was an answer to both of your admissions.

He stopped walking and mounted Goliath without a warning.

You blinked up at him confused. “What-”

The Ash Man, with a lopsided grin, reached his hand down for you to take. “Come here.”

It took another second for your feet to move and your hand to take hold of his.

He had you planted safely in front of him on the horse a moment later. “Do you trust me?”

You didn’t dare to look behind you. “Sometimes.”

A scoff and chuckle fell, light as air. “If you do, close your eyes.”

For a second, you did not know where to place your hands and then rested them in your lap to hide your fidgeting. “Why?”

Always so stubborn…

He was grinning ear to ear, “Unless you are frightened?”

Your head whipped around to glare at him, with a mighty eye roll you turned again and shut your eyes. “Fine.”

You felt him move, first the cool breeze of wind touched the back of your neck, the difference with his warm breath then closing in was indescribable.

Never did you think he would spur Goliath on to gallop.

The sudden change of pace had your back falling into his chest and a curse flying out of your mouth.

Goliath could fool one into believing he was not one for speed, but gods this horse could run faster than the wind and you were holding on for dear life.

It must not have been longer than a few minutes and by the time he slowed down, you were out of the village and past the guarding Feys in the trees. Like a whirlwind had picked you up and placed the three of you in that forest.

You sat frozen for a moment while your heart tried to find it’s normal rhythm again that it left behind back at the village.

He was clearly waiting for a reaction, you just knew it.

Your thoughts collected itself and reminded you of the way you were seated against him, instantly you sat upright.

“We were going to reach this place before dawn, you know?” You broke the silence.

“Not at the pace you were walking.” The smug oaf said.

“I’m getting down from this horse.” You told him and put it into action right after.

Not even his hand on your arm could stop you from doing so.

You looked up at him and saw the smirk, “You do realize I will have to walk back home now after you took me further away from it than necessary?”

That slightly bitter tone was amusing.

“Already?” The smirk faltered.

It saddened you to see it vanish. “I should let you go before anyone finds out you’re missing.”

He got down from the horse and stepped closer to you. “I do not want this to be the last time I see you or the boy.”

You gave it a moment of thought. “On the second day of winter, we could meet here. I would bring Squirrel.”

Winter felt so far off now…

The small smile did not reach his eyes. “I shall be here.”

You held out your hand and saw him frown in confusion.

He hesitated, not once but twice, before taking your hand in his.

You shook it amicably and actually let out a silly laugh because of how awkward it felt to say goodbye like this. “Sorry… I don’t do farewells…”

His grip got a bit firmer. “This is no farewell.” He gave your hand a small squeeze. “Until we meet again.”

He let go off your hand and visibly struggled to step away.

You could not blame him, as you felt the same struggle.

It was an idea that got into your head right there on the spot to step closer and put your hands on his arms, using them to keep your balance while putting your lips to his cheek.

Quick and light, like the wings of a butterfly touching his skin.

Without looking back, or at his face to see his response, you walked past him and back to the fort you called home.

After a few minutes of slowly walking, your heavy heart made it difficult for your legs to carry on home.

Why was it so hard to part with the Ash Man? It had been the plan all along.

A plan made when you couldn’t stand him…

Looking back, he was long since out of your sight, swallowed by the forest and the night.

The sound of a branch snapping echoed through the forest.

The dense forest made it impossible to see if someone was hiding among the trees. It was The Hidden that began to sound restless in your ears that alarmed you.

With a hand on your sword, you continued your path.

You were being followed, you just felt it.

It was the first time in your life where you had been frightened in this forest so close to home.

Another sound made you turn on your heels, heart beating violently in your ears.

All you felt next was being struck by something against the side of your head, after that all was dark.

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#the weeping monk #lancelot #weeping monk #cursed netflix #weeping monk x reader #cursed #lancelot x reader #weeping monk x you #cursed lancelot #the weeping monk x reader #daniel sharman character #Daniel Sharman

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dragoneyes618 · 15 days ago

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The Dreyfus Affair became a metaphor for antisemitism and, in one of the most unlikely and ironic sequence of events in Jewish history, Dreyfus (1859-1935), a wholly assimilated Jew, played a critical, if unintended, role in the rebirth of the State of Israel.

After French Intelligence had intercepted the “Bordereau,” a secret military document sent to the German military attaché (1894), Eduard Drumont, founder of the antisemitic daily La Libre Parole, published a report accusing Dreyfus, the only Jewish member of the French General Staff, of spying for Germany. Major Joseph Henry forged documents implicating Dreyfus and, after a secret trial, Dreyfus was convicted of treason (December 21, 1894) and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island. He was paraded through the streets of Paris to mob jeers of “Death to the Jews” and was stripped of his sword in a humiliating public ceremony. Intelligence later seized a letter written by Major Ferdinand Esterhazy which clearly established that Esterhazy, not Dreyfus, was the German agent, but the French government quashed this evidence and Esterhazy was acquitted.

On January 13, 1898, Emile Zola (1840-1902), perhaps most famous 19th century French author, published the most legendary open letter in history, his famous J’Accuse!, in which he accused the government and the military with conspiracy and malicious libel against Dreyfus. (Zola escaped to England after being convicted of libel for writing J’Accuse!) Antisemitic riots broke out throughout France and the Dreyfus Affair became a major public issue. In 1898, the case was reopened and Henry’s forgeries were detected; nevertheless, Dreyfus was again found guilty (September 9, 1899) and was sentenced to five years in prison. This second miscarriage of justice evoked international condemnation and, finally, Dreyfus was pardoned by President Emile Lubet (1906).

The Dreyfus Affair made a powerful impact on the outlook of world Jewry. In particular, Herzl’s confidence in liberalism, badly shaken when he personally witnessed Dreyfus’s disgrace, led him to the Zionist Idea. Jews everywhere realized that if such hatred of Jews could occur in France, the so-called “homeland of liberty,” against a wholly assimilated Jew, then Jews couldn’t be safe anywhere and assimilation was no defense against antisemitism.

Drumont financed La Libre Parole from the proceeds of the publication of his magnum opus, La France Juive (“Jewish France,”1886), which provided his readers with a unified synthesis of antisemitic history. A Voltairean who later became a devout Catholic, he was uniquely able to draw on both Church tradition and the secular Enlightenment in expounding on the “Jewish plot” to dominate France; in promoting the blood libel and the Jewish poisoning of wells; in justifying the Spanish Inquisition as Christianity’s right to protect itself against Jewish treason; and in characterizing the French Emancipation of 1791 as a grievous error and arguing for the exclusion of Jews from society. La France Juive became one of the greatest commercial successes of the 19th century, selling over 100,000 copies in its first year, an almost unimaginable triumph at the time and evidencing his keen understanding of the tenor of the time. Drumont attracted many supporters, and he was one of the primary sources of antisemitic ideas that would later be embraced by Nazism.

Drumont paper token: Verso: Long live Drumont, down with the Jews.”

In this classically antisemitic May 22, 1897 correspondence, Drumont writes from Paris:

What would you like me to write in the album? One date: May 22, 1897… when this album will be studied in a few years, public opinion will undoubtedly change as the result of the work of my colleagues and myself. They will know then, too late I am afraid, that we acted out of affection for our country. We tried to protect our forefathers’ faith, in the land of our forefathers, the purity of the racial line of our forefathers against the Semites [i.e., the Jews] – the invaders and greedy money-chasing people who sought only to harm an innocent and too confident nation that accepted as brothers its merciless enemies.

Drumont’s downfall began when he made the Rothschilds and their banking family a frequent target of his antisemitic diatribes. He was sued by a vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, who had libelously alleged that the VP had taken a bribe from Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild to enact particular legislation favored by Rothschild; unable to provide any evidence to support his allegations, Drumont was incarcerated for three months, fined, and ordered to publish a retraction. Thereafter, his fortunes declined, and he died in obscurity and penury.

Ferdinand Esterhazy (1847-1923), a French traitor who served as a spy for Germany, was the perpetrator of the crime for which Dreyfus had been wrongly accused and convicted. Born in Paris, he was orphaned at an early age after some schooling at the Lycée Bonaparte. After unaccountably disappearing from public notice (1865), he was later found engaged in the Roman legion in the service of the Pope (1869) and, upon entering the French Foreign Legion as an ensign (1870), he began calling himself “Count Esterhazy.” There being a dearth of officers after the French catastrophe in the Sudan, Esterhazy’s military advancement was unusually rapid: lieutenant (1874); captain (1880); decorated officer (1882) – as a member of the Intelligence Department, he inserted in the official records a citation of his grand “exploits in war,” which were later discovered to be false – and major (1892). After the war with Germany, he was employed as a German translator at the Intelligence Office.

Back in Paris, an irresponsible Esterhazy squandered his small fortune and was desperate after having failed to retrieve his fortune in gambling houses and on the stock exchange. In 1892, when the Libre Parole published a series of articles regarding the “preponderance of the Jewish element” in the French army, Captain Crémieu-Foa, a Jewish officer in the French cavalry, challenged Drumont, to a duel and inflicted a slight wound upon him. Esterhazy, who had served as Crémieu-Foa’s second in the duel, pretended that this “chivalrous” role had earned him the enmity of his family and supporters and thus obtained – through, ironically, Zadoc Kahn, the chief rabbi of France – financial assistance from the Rothschilds. Nonetheless, he continued as an ardent supporter of the editors of La Libre Parole.

Notwithstanding a successful military career, he nevertheless considered himself wronged, and he spoke against the entire French army, and even against France herself, for which he predicted and hoped for new disasters. Such a man, lacking even the slightest spark of patriotism, was destined to become the prey of treason and, indeed, he became a paid German spy. Initially, pretending that he received information from Major Henry (who had been his comrade in the French military counter-intelligence section), Esterhazy furnished some interesting information about the artillery, but his information was such that he must have had other informants (who were not necessarily his accomplices.)

Nonetheless, Esterhazy’s information soon became of little importance to the Germans, and the difficulties he endured in getting information were very apparent from the very text of the Bordereau, which was used to incriminate Dreyfus. After Esterhazy was exposed by Colonel Picquart as the true author of the Bordereau, he was forced to undergo a trial behind closed doors by French Military Justice (January 10-11, 1898), where he was unexpectedly acquitted. He fled to the relative safety of Great Britain (September 1898), where he remained for the rest of his life.

Esterhazy’s July 2, 1898 correspondence.

In this July 2, 1898 correspondence, Esterhazy, in deep financial straits, writes:

My dear Emmanuel, In the middle of the painful ordeals I have been enduring for almost nine months and in which, I think, I have plumbed the depths of human cowardice, I have not forgotten your friendship from the first day and the debt I owe to you. You probably know about the separation with my wife, which caused me great pain and great troubles. My wife [ ] with her houses, and the court ruling returned her property and its management back to her, but I am waiting and, yes, I beg you, very confidentially, because I have hidden it from everyone, I am waiting for the end of the Zola trials on the 18th of this month in Versailles… I will reimburse you… You can count on it…

Esterhazy was a compulsive gambler, habitual liar, and a crook who women found entrancing. He liked to pick them up in first-class compartments in trains, and it was on a fateful passage from Le Havre to Paris that he met and won Marguerite Pays, the paramour who helped him forge documents in the Dreyfus Affair. Esterhazy’s wife – whom he described as a “spendthrift” and “ninny” – divorced him in 1899. She had stood bravely by him, but he repaid her with neglect, abuse, and flagrant unfaithfulness. Matters reached a crisis when Esterhazy sought to introduce his young daughter to Marguerite, a gratuitous insult which stung Madame to the point where she decided to air her grievances in court, which led to the odious airing in Paris of their notorious domestic relations, as the divorce action brought as much ignominy upon the Commandant as the Dreyfus Affair itself.

The tribunal in the divorce case assigned temporary custody of the children to their mother and ordered Esterhazy to pay 600 francs a month in alimony for the duration of the lawsuit. Esterhazy’s poverty was so dire that, in a letter to his divorced wife, he wrote that he had had nothing to eat for two days. One of the key charges in the Zola trial was that Zola had defamed Esterhazy by claiming that his court-martial (in which he was fully exonerated of any wrongdoing) was fixed and, as we see from our letter, Esterhazy hoped that the damages he would be awarded in that case would relieve his of his economic duress and permit repayment of the loan he was seeking. In fact, Zola was fined 3,000 francs but, with his appeal pending, he escaped France for England.

When, through the Bordereau, French military intelligence became aware in September 1894 of a spy within the army, Armand du Paty de Clam (1853-1916), a devout antisemitic Catholic loyalist and a major with the French General Staff, became deeply involved in the investigation to identify the traitor, due principally to his alleged “expertise” in handwriting analysis, although he was only – at best – an amateur. A brief three-week investigation identified approximately six suspects, but the pompous and patrician du Paty de Clam decided that the Jew Dreyfus was the criminal.

On October 15, 1894, du Paty de Clam effected an ambush of Dreyfus by summoning him to a meeting also attended by two civilian police detectives and a French military intelligence officer, during which he faked an injury to his writing hand, asked a bewildered Dreyfus to take dictation, and proceeded to dictate the precise words written in the Bordereau. After comparing Dreyfus’s writing through the lens of unadulterated antisemitic animus, he ignored warnings from professional handwriting experts – including a conclusion from Alfred Gobert, a leading expert and graphologist for the Bank of France, that “there were numerous and important disparities that had to be taken into account” – and announced that Dreyfus had written the Bordereau. He charged the Jewish officer with high treason and offered him the “honorable” way out: he gave him a revolver with a single bullet in the chamber. When Dreyfus proclaimed his innocence and refused to take his own life, he was transferred to Major Henry who, according to plan, had been waiting in an adjacent room.

The focus of the miscarriage of justice against Dreyfus has always been upon the fraudulently-obtained Dreyfus handwriting sample, but it may have been du Paty de Clam’s bogus telegram that was outcome determinative in Dreyfus’s conviction by the tribunal. In any event, du Paty de Clam was later promoted to lieutenant-colonel for his “excellent work” in the Dreyfus prosecution and conviction.

In this June 2, 1909 correspondence on his infantry letterhead – notwithstanding the fact that he had been earlier discharged from the military – du Paty de Clam writes regarding a letter he had submitted to Le Siecle, a French newspaper published from 1836-1932.

I would be grateful if you could have a search made to find out if the “Siecle” has published a letter from me in one of the issues after last May 27. Receive, sir, my sincere greetings…

Auguste Mercier (1833-1921), the French Minister of War, was one of the great villains of the Dreyfus Affair; in his famous J’Accuse, Zola accused him of “having made himself an accomplice in one of the greatest crimes in history, probably because of a weak mind.” Mercier was the first public Dreyfus accuser (November 28, 1894); he arrested Dreyfus and coordinated the anti-Dreyfusards throughout the entire Affair; he masterminded the creation of the sham secret dossier handed furtively to the judges in the first Dreyfus court-martial to influence their decision; and even after he was no longer Minister (as of January 24, 1895), he directed the witnesses for the prosecution at the Rennes trial. He gave virulent and perjured testimony against Dreyfus at every trial in the matter and, though he was only a witness, he sought to act as prosecutor by introducing evidence on his own; he (unsuccessfully) attempted to blackmail Dreyfus’s lawyer, Labori, by alleging that he has a letter from Esterhazy compromising Labori’s daughter; and he remained an implacable foe of Dreyfus, even after the Jewish officer was pardoned.

When the Dreyfus mater first came to Mercier’s attention, he initially felt that all the evidence had been concocted, and he knew that Dreyfus could not have masterminded such a deception. However, he was under significant pressure from the press and the army, which now stood to redeem the honor it lost in the miserable defeat by convicting the spy responsible for it. The day before he was to decide if the evidence against Dreyfus warranted a trial, Mercier re-examined the evidence and, once again, had his doubts; however, the next day, there appeared in one of the leading papers in Paris that Mercier was in the pay of the Jews and therefore would not order the trial. To exonerate himself from that accusation, he threw Dreyfus to the wolves and ordered the trial; declared that the evidence against Dreyfus was beyond doubt and that his guilt was certain; and publicly and vociferously alleged that Dreyfus had committed “treason.”

Dreyfus’s conviction based only upon the secret file set up another problem: Mercier was the one who had approved submission of the file, which meant that the army had approved it; were there to be a second trial where Dreyfus would be acquitted, the army would stand exposed for its perfidy and French pride would be devastated. Indeed, Dreyfus would be tried a second time, and there would be other trials against Dreyfus supporters until as late as 1906; however, in none of these trials was the “secret file” allowed to be seen by the defendants and their attorneys, as the French authorities claimed that the honor of France was at stake.

Testifying in 1904 before the Court of Cassation (French for “the Court of Abrogation,” the highest court of criminal and civil appeals in France with the power to quash decision of the lower courts), Mercier again perjured himself by denying the existence of a document written by a foreign sovereign implicating Dreyfus. However, in 1906, speaking of the secret dossier given to the court martial, public prosecutor Baudoin evoked a “monstrous violation of the inalienable rights of the defense” and emphasized Mercier’s responsibility in preventing the disclosure of the dossier. Nonetheless, Mercier remained the hero of the anti-Dreyfusards and he kept his seat in the Senate until January 1920.

Mercier’s 1906 correspondence.

In this November 2, 1906 correspondence on his Senate letterhead, Mercier writes:

I thank you for your kind words, which gladdened me. I will come to your house today between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. In the event that I do not find you there, I will leave this there tomorrow at the same time, unless you advise otherwise. As far as the Henry subscription, I think it is appropriate to put Mrs. Henry in possession of what remains of the money as soon as possible. We could therefore, if you agree, convene the Commission “La Libre Parole” on Wednesday afternoon (both the Senate and the House in session) next week at the time that will suit you. Please accept, Sir, the expression of my most sympathetic feelings.

Henry, the forger of the Bordereau that launched the entire Dreyfus Affair, was found dead in his cell on the morning of August 31, 1898 and, although no razor was found, his death was declared a suicide. Our correspondence refers to Drumont’s La Libre Parole’s sponsor of a public subscription for Henry’s widow, in which the donors were invited to vent all their anger against Jews.

#history #jewish history #french history #jumblr #alfred dreyfus #dreyfus affair #antisemitism

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dballzposting · 2 years ago

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I do believe that Pan needs to be the next Mr Satan.

It goes like this: Pan sort of floats around for a while and doesn’t know where to put down her roots.

She feels bad about it, and wasn’t expecting this of herself - she was an opinionated and willful child, and she can’t believe that she’s lost now that she has the volition to go far.

Her parents are settled and set. Her uncle and Trunks seem settled - Goten had told her, as to soothe her, that “hey, I was a floater for a while too. I knew I wanted a family but I didn’t know what I’d do for work - and then Trunks approached me with the sword-fighting dojo idea, and now I’m here. He was a wandering soul himself, even. It took him a while to find the sword thing. So don’t sweat it. You’ll figure it out.”

But Pan is not mollified by this at all because it does not help her now. She’s lost NOW - and doesn’t know how to get to the supposed future where she isn’t.

Gohan, who has seen horrors unimaginable, cannot understand her attitude. There is peace. She can do anything she wants.

“But WHAT do I do?”

“Anything.”

“But WHAT?”

“Anything! There’s potential for anything! Don’t you see how that’s wonderful?”

But Pan almost wishes for another apocalypse so that her life journey would be clear.

Videl has always wanted to give Pan many options for conducting her life, and she’s affronted like Gohan when that is now somehow to Pan’s detriment.

She encourages Pan to try teaching at her martial arts school, and Gohan encourages her to be a tutor at his university - and neither feel right to Pan.

Meanwhile, Bura’s path has always been clear. She’s thrived in the environment of Capsule Corp. She has enough training by her father to hold her own against any Earth-borne foes, and she’s free to be a fashionable and intelligent powerhouse, even more intense than her mother. A career somewhere in the structure of Capsule Corp was imminent, and when Trunks finally abdicated the President’s chair, Bura knew precisely where she was to go. She became the second youngest Capsule Corp president at 21, and she’s on course to being the CEO after her mother.

Meanwhile, Marron has never had issues with feeling lost. Maybe it’s because she was always in an environment of ease at home, where lounging about at Kame House was a preferable and regular activity. She moves on to do something sweet and docile with her time, like becoming a dance teacher, or doing something with flowers, and she lives calmly and peacefully away from the spotlight and off of the radar.

Oh, but Son Pan just cannot find her roots! She snubs the footsteps of her parents, which feel right for THEM, but their place is not her place. She abhors the drama and show of her Grandfather Satan, which is dire to him, and something that he thrives in, but is only FRIVOLOUS to her. She needs something REAL. Her other grandfather, good lord - she could never compare if she wants to have hobbies other than fighting. Besides, fighting is only fulfilling when there is someone bad to fight - and how often will that come up? Is she meant to spend her life training and waiting?

Lastly, her grandmother is a commendable woman, but after her children grew and flew away, she had nothing much to do. Pan sees her own youthful lack of direction mirrored in her grandmother’s late age, and she is not keen on living a life where she is doomed to repeat that era again. Even if she is already pretty good at keeping a house structured and clean.

So ... what does she do?

With Goten away at the dojo, Pan is eventually encouraged to step in on the Son family farm. Her father especially encourages it, as he thinks that it will benefit her to get in touch with the reality of wild nature. Furthermore, if she is trying to find roots, then Mt. Paozu is the place to find generations of them.

So for a while, Pan lives like her father, uncle, grandfather, and grandmother have; with the elements, organic and true. In this time, she helps to take care of her grandmother, works alongside her, and spends a lot of time with her. Chichi teaches her recipes, she tells her true tales of the epic adventures of years past, she teaches her how to haggle at the marketplace; she teaches her the value of a dollar, and Pan learns how much it pales compared to a drop of rain.

Pan vacillates in her opinion of the farm. She finds it useless, she finds it endless, she finds it secretly wise, she finds it mysterious, worthwhile, important, temporary, stifling, healing, not for her, the greatest gift, or just boring.

Her grandpa Goku, always warm yet ever absent, stands as a paragon of answers to her still. He’s a wise man to her, and she wonders more and more if she shouldn’t train with him for a maintained period of time. Then she hears his stories from Chichi, and she realizes that Goku had many wise old teachers in his day: from Korin to King Kai, he was always enabled by another. Goku himself is not a contained pinnacle of greatness, but the product of many teachers and warriors coming together and contributing their wisdom.

Pan is not prone to placing any one person on a pedestal anyway - and this is a Son family virtue in of itself - but the realization that the journey made the man and not the man the journey sinks in like new to her. Without realizing it, and without intending to follow any particular footsteps, Pan does set out on a journey like the one that Goku has in the original dragon ball. She packs a bag, and with no real agenda but to travel and see, she leaves Mt Paozu and starts walking in one direction.

She ends up being a bonafide wanderer for a few years. Trudging about with a walking stick. Swimming across rivers. Eating what she catches. And most importantly, solving problems from town to town.

It’s a big world outside of her big city. Every town has its own customs, traditions, beliefs, realities, and it doesn’t take long for her to forget all about the small world of global fame and space-traveling that she’s come from.

And it really is a fucked up world out there. Demons. Creatures. Pirate coves and booby traps. Man-eating gourds. Bullies and con-artists alike. Pan finds herself in some real situations, much like when she was in space, and exactly like the ones that the young Son Goku found right here on Earth - just some fucked up shit that takes some creative and quick thinking to get out of. Pan learns to love and admire and venerate the Earth based on the suffering and discomfort that it forces her to persevere through.

It’s a big world out there, and every anthill is rich and every fossil a book. Every town has its own mysteries and she does what she can to remedy their woes when applicable.

As she gets more and more capable at hunting, she comes to refuse all monetary payment. She expects nothing in return, but is more than grateful to accept clothes, tools, good food, good company, a warm place to sleep, good advice, and good conversation.

Son Pan becomes the Wandering Hero. She strengthens her moral center and finds only fulfillment in navigating - and sometimes failing hard at - the difficult ethical questions and circumstances that arise. It’s nothing that she could have accomplished reading her father’s philosophy books or listening to her mother preach passionately about justice - these are lessons that she can only learn herself, in action. Her mistakes cut deep and vindicate her reality; her regrets never leave and always steer her straight; and her successes are defined by the harmony of due comeuppance that sings in all parties.

In this time, she learns of what honor and justice are really, and she comes to dedicate herself to the virtue of balance in all contexts. This is something natural to her blood, but not something that she was to come into on blood alone. She becomes more a martial artist in this time, in head and spirit, then she ever would have training in the city.

She travels the globe and finds the definition of beauty in every corner. All the actions of her predecessors in the fantastic stories she’s heard make perfect sense to her now, and she realizes not that she comes from a group of rational or well-opinionated beings, but that she comes from a group who is astute and perceptive enough to read the overt truth: that there is no choice, there is no room for opinion - the Earth NEEDS to be protected at all costs. She comes from a group who’s been courageous enough to face that.

When she reflects back on why she had first embarked, she feels silly. A quest to find her place - it’s shallow. Her place? She’s alive on the planet Earth, isn’t that enough?

In this way, however, she does come to find herself. In searching the coves and corners of the Earth, she finds herself in all of it, and realizes her consummate place to be a denizen of it.

After this, she is inflamed with the necessity to strive to protect the Earth. Whereas before, waiting to defend it seemed dull, now she sees that the point isn’t in the success, but in the time spent preparing. To spend time not working in favor of the Earth is to waste time. She does train with Goku - and all of the rest who are willing. She spends a year with Roshi, even, running milk and plowing fields, and she leaves only because she becomes self-realized and noble enough to deign it fit to strike him HARD for his lecherous attempts at her.

She dares to train with Vegeta for a moment. At first he wouldn't have her, but she proves her determination and pride enough that he allows her to disappoint him properly. She spends a time with King Kai, and she has tea with the Kaioshins, and suddenly it’s looking like her space-traveling days again.

She eventually returns home, which is the point of it all, and her Grandpa Satan is getting old. He would like to spend the rest of his golden years watching the Golden Girls, and the stress of operating as the soothe-sayer and rallier for the world has begun to weigh on him. During these late years, Uub has begun to shoulder some of the responsibility, and he fights for Mr Satan as one of his pupils in the tournaments. Mr Satan still maintains the World Champion title, though at this point it is mostly honorary, because it is Uub who actually makes an appearance on the ring.

Uub is wicked strong, he brings fame fortune and honor to the human name, he has fought alongside Goku and Vegeta and I think at this point has even made a trip to Beerus’s world once - but he is a shy lad all the same, and he doesn’t necessary want world fame as much as he wants good friends. He’s happy to lead if he must, and will find great responsibility and satisfaction in the role, but, yknow, he likes eating and laughing with Goku, and training with Vegeta, and watching The Golden Girls with Mr Satan. He gets nervous on camera. And he’s not a good yarn-spinner. He’s a sensitive, genuine, and honest kind of person; he is nothing if he can’t find a place in and serve well his community, but there are other things he is more fit to do than be World Champion.

Pan and Uub have no doubt trained together. And TBH they’re not that far apart in age I feel like they could be gal pals. They could definitely talk. Oh they could definitely call each other on the phone and chat it up. Oh they would just understand each other so WELL. They’ve both spent time away from family and have a reserve of pain dedicated to that. At the same time, they’ve made the whole world their family. They are both dedicated to protecting it and serving it well. They have both humbled themselves before the endeavor of self-improvement.

They are both honored to be of service, but they get to talking, and Uub, in the name of paying comeuppance for the grief he’s caused himself, must lay bare his nature: he doesn’t know if he can be the World Champion after Mr Satan. He absolutely will if he must, but he scares himself when he thinks of how he’ll go about it. He can’t help but to think that he won’t inspire much confidence, that his character isn’t luxurious enough to rally an audience, that maybe it’s an ostentatious position that ought to fade from existence, that maybe the Earth doesn’t need talkers but walkers. He’s struggling at differentiating between when doubt is harmful vs when it’s a saving grace. He relents that - if his journey is to be perilous and perplexing and strenuously difficult, he will accept it with grace and graititude and stumble along. If he is to be handed the torch, the honor bestowed upon him by that action will carry him through, and he will become built for it out of necessity. He makes clear that he will be beyond humbled and will know the highest enjoyment if the Earth is to trust him with its delicacy and he is to take it in his hands, and he will conduct himself with valor, and he will believe in himself if the world does, because he would never forsake its opinion.

He’s made all the world a teacher, and he will never stop improving himself by it.

But. Well. It’s just that. He can’t help but to think. Well - he wants well for the world. And wouldn’t the world be better off with with a leader who was already fit for the job? So that it wouldn’t have to sit through a learning curve? No one can replace the King Lion that was Mr Satan, but, like, it’s just that, well Uub has been getting really into realty TV these days, and he would like to have the downtime to watch that, and also he hasn’t seen his mom in a while, and he starts sweating when you point a camera on him, and if he had to wear that hot and heavy World Champion cape he may just faint, and, like - all the world’s a teacher, and he feels that there is harmony in that, and if he has to go up on stage and rally a crowd for no good discernible reason, just to maintain a title, well, what’s the point of that?

When Pan was young, she made clear that she did not want to be the next Mr Satan. Then she moved farther from her parents’s paths, and now in a circuitous way, she’s arrived closer to all of them than where she’s started. In the interest of finding a role, in placing roots, is there anyplace more pertinent than the life of her grandfather, whose life work has been to unify and heal the hearts and minds of the people on Earth? In studying tight niches to find herself in all of it, in traveling far to find herself in the blood she’s always carried with her - the role of her grandfather Satan is the one role of her kin that she hasn’t yet indirectly and inexorably pursued.

It’s the role to tie it all together. At a few key points, Earth would not have persevered, or navigated with much health or success, through dire circumstances without the spokesman unifying all of Earth’s various, small, beautiful corners. When the Earth at large is at stake, all the forces therein need to join their efforts together to protect what they love, and there is a necessary catalyst for that, a unifying voice that all can sing to.

The Earth has warriors looking out for it, training far in space in order to maintain Earth’s place in the broader order. There are warriors training within the Earth to enable a good cause, in swordfighting dojos and schools that bear a family name and significance. There are business leaders, presidents and CEOs, doing what they were born to do and wearing what they love to wear. There are farmers and mothers, there are scholars, there are people adding to destiny by doing what they enjoy.

And there’s a symbol for all of this, one individual who can stand at the top with solid feet and a confidence that reflects not just inner strength but the strength that comes from serving, and being loved by, others.

It’s in her blood. It’s in her roots. She’s when the unstoppable house of Goku meets the dazzling house of Satan, where the soul is of pure passion, where humility embraces confidence, where love and and devotion is multiplied beyond count.

She couldn’t have become the next World Champion when she was young. Though she was photogenic and flamed with showmanship when inspired, that was all the merit she saw in the job, and that was not enough for her; ibso facto, she was not enough for it, all the symbolic meaning being lost on her.

Now, she can do it, and may be the only one who can. It all comes together. Everything that she’s learned, seen, heard - all the values that have been endowed upon her since the cradle - can come into play.

She loves her Grandpa Satan anyway. She would be so happy and honored to take the torch, and to make him happy.

And she loves the Earth, and she loves the people on it. There’s power and hope and potential in every soul, no matter how small of a corner one hails from, and Pan would find actualization in harmonizing them all into one consolidated force. This is the Earth loving itself. Consider this her Saiyaman phase.

As World Champion, she would be very different from the lion Mr Satan was. Mr Satan had his beginnings in a genuine passion for the martial arts, but he is also grandiose and self-important by nature, and so he took to fame as fate expressly bid it. He is sustained by the veneration and adoration of others, and this served him well as he always sought to communicate to the public a version of a story that was both believable and that inspired confidence, comfort, and excitement. Despite it all, Mr Satan is still the most in-touch with the average human out of all of the Z fighters, and this has made him an effective leader. He is also a very gifted yarn-spinner. As in big fat liar. And that’s fine. It all worked out perfectly in the end. But.

That’s not how Pan is gonna be World Champion. She has no interest in lying, or gloating, or extolling, or embellishing, or fabricating. The job does require some small ... re-identifying of certain events, and Son Pan will not be too good to lie by omission. But she’s not here to make up tales. That was her grandpa’s job. Her job is to walk, not talk.

Her presence on stage is much less for the benefit of the audience. Rather than giving them what they want to hear, SHE tells THEM what they want to hear - she steps out on stage in heavy boots, heavy belt, heavy cape and says “Alright, listen up-” and tells them what they need to hear and what she needs them to understand.

This presence of course commands so much respect, and it still runs well on camera. This is an aesthetic and presentation that the magazines can run fine with.

If Mr Satan was the King Lion, she is The Sergeant - all the command of her grandmother, all the competence of her paternal grandfather, all the conviction of her mother, and all the commitment of her father.

Despite this look, she is not into the cigars like her grandfather and mother are. She prefers to not compromise herself with substances, and when she does, it is with sweets and treats and ice cream delights.

She doesn’t humor dumb questions at interviews, and she is incredibly perceptive, knowing what’s being asked better than the interviewer - she will ascertain what REALLY wants to be known, and she won’t hold back when delivering.

She is succinct, effective, and at times laconic. She’s stoic when she needs to be, but she’s also comfortable on camera, and she knows when and how to have a little fun. As a fighter in the tournaments, she likes to prolong the battle for a while, and teach as much as she can in that time.

As a leader, she inspires obedience and confidence, and all the world can feel that she loves them more than they know. May they never know, and never have to see her fall for them.

But hey. It’s just the family business, right? Everything will always return to this, because nothing else has ever actually mattered.

And she still has Girl’s Night with Uub and Bura and Marron and you know she’s buying. After all, a dollar’s value pales when compared to a drop of rain, and its best use is when buying for friends.

#dballz posting #a certified MustRead for all the Pan-heads out there ..#ROSHI FOR BLACKLIST

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worstvideogamesong-poll · 1 year ago

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Worst Video Game Song Tournament Masterpost

The tournament has begun! We are currently in round 4, and each poll will be open for a week. I will also be reblogging each poll 12 hours after it is posted so that people in different time zones are able to see them more easily. If you don't want to see these reblogs, block the tag #12th hour reblog. There will be a total of 8 polls in this round. 4 polls will be posted a day for a total of 2 days.

When you vote, I would recommend listening to as much as you can of each song before voting, but how you choose is up to you. Remember to be civil in the tags and replies! Some posts will have propaganda included with the songs, but feel free to add more propaganda in the tags and replies, or send it to me in the ask box and I'll try to share it as soon as I can!

View the bracket, make predictions and more on Challonge here

View the spreadsheet of submissions here

View the original introduction post here

Read the FAQ here

Listen to the full playlist on YouTube here

Full list of polls under the cut:

Round 1

Match 1 - Lavender Town (Pokémon Red/Blue) vs. Vs. Odd Yo-Kai (Yo-Kai Watch)

Match 2 - K.K. Synth (Animal Crossing New Leaf) vs. Bad Feeling (Mad Rat Dead)

Match 3 - This is Where You Are Caucasian Destination Boy (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku) vs. Morpho Knight (Kirby and the Forgotten Land)

Match 4 - Track 6 (The Ring: Terror's Realm) vs. Fallen Down (Undertale)

Match 5 - Rodeo Time! (Yo-Kai Watch 3) vs. The Fade (Dragon Age Origins)

Match 6 - Rivers in the Desert (mito Remix) (Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight) vs. Birthday Cake (Jet Set Radio Future)

Match 7 - Let's Start the Killing Game (Danganronpa v3: Killing Harmony) vs. You've Got to Eat Your Vegetables! (Commander Keen 4)

Match 8 - Venus (Doom Troopers Sega Genesis) vs. GB Hunter Theme (GB Hunter)

Match 9 - Know What I Mean? (Mario Party 2) vs. Boss Theme 1 (Sonic Superstars)

Match 10 - Area 4, 8, & 13 (Santa Claus Saves the Earth GBA) vs. The Yoshi Clan (Yoshi's New Island)

Match 11 - Bomb Rush Blush (Remix) - Splatoon 2 vs. Mansion Basement (Resident Evil Director's Cut)

Match 12 - Monkeys (Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships) vs. Vacation Music 1 (The Sims 1)

Match 13 - Hazy Lane (Yo-Kai Watch 3) vs. Central City (Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood)

Match 14 - Mumble Blues (Armed and Delirious (Dementia)) vs. Crazy Bus Title Screen (Crazy Bus)

Match 15 - Striptease (Persona 4) vs. Professor Birch's Laboratory (Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire)

Match 16 - Oppression (Cave Story) vs. Spookwave (Undertale)

Match 17 - Nocturne (Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood) vs. Ancient Chozo Ruins (Metroid II: Return of Samus)

Match 18 - Diggity Dog (WWF No Mercy N64) vs. YZAP (Yo-Kai Watch 3)

Match 19 - Versus (Sonic Eraser) vs. Neo-Opportunist (Mad Rat Dead)

Match 20 - 50m (Donkey Kong '94) vs. Black Tar (Xenoblade Chronicles X)

Match 21 - Shadow World (DE DE MOUSE Remix) (Persona 4 Dancing All Night) vs. Mushroom Road (Tales of the Abyss)

Match 22 - Fest Zest (Splatoon 2) vs. Survival Instincts Kicking In (Bravely Default II)

Match 23 - Drawbridge Dilemma (WarioWare: Get it Together!) vs. Fight Theme 1 (Omikron: The Nomad Soul)

Match 24 - Thrifty Megamart (Pokémon Sun/Moon) vs. Metal Gear MS DOS Soundtrack (Metal Gear MS DOS)

Match 25 - NLA (Night) (Xenoblade Chronicles X) vs. Spooktune (Undertale)

Match 26 - Namco Arcade 80's Retro Medley (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U) vs. I Love Beijing Tiananmen (Hong Kong 97)

Match 27 - Stage Theme (1942) vs Red-Green-Yellow-Yellow (Mother 3)

Match 28 - Din's Power (Harp) (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword) vs. Wildfire (Honkai: Star Rail)

Match 29 - Midna's Lament (Remix) (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) vs. Tired of Life (Lady of Beestmeel Bro)

Match 30 - Holy Orders? (Guilty Gear XX) vs. Burning Men's Soul (Persona Trinity Soul)

Match 31 - Built to Scale (Rhythm Heaven Fever) vs. Main Theme (Beverly Hills Cop)

Match 32 - Just Leave Me Alone (OMORI) vs. Denegul (Lagoon)

Match 33 - Now or Never! (Remix) (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) vs. Crown Dungeon (The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages)

Match 34 - Heart and Soul (Cutscene) (Sonic Frontiers) vs. Dungeon Man (EarthBound)

Match 35 - Resetti's Theme (Animal Crossing: Wild World) vs. Rise & Shine, Ursine! (Danganronpa v3: Killing Harmony)

Match 36 - Belly Flop (Splatoon 3) vs. Lemon Jelly (The Sims 2)

Match 37 - mmm yess put the tree on my pizza (Pizza Tower) vs. The Moving Gigantic Ship (Tales of Xillia)

Match 38 - Comin' at ya, My girl (Yakuza 5) vs. Track 7 (Frozen Fruits)

Match 39 - Battle (Field) (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) vs. Title Theme (The Adventures of Rad Gravity)

Match 40 - Emphasis on Scat (BattleBlock Theater) vs. Shipwreckin' (Splatoon 2)

Match 41 - Tem Shop (Undertale) vs. Character Select (Marvel vs. Capcom 2)

Match 42 - Title Screen (Tagin' Dragon) vs. Path of Pain (Hollow Knight)

Match 43 - What's Your Name? (San Fransisco Rush) vs. Pathetic House (Undertale)

Match 44 - Mine: Zew (The Void/Tension) vs. Chocobo Theme (Final Fantasy 2)

Match 45 - Versus Giegue (EarthBound Beginnings) vs. Dragon's Den (Pokémon Gold/Silver)

Match 46 - Great Bay Temple (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask) vs. Sagat's Theme (Street Fighter 1)

Match 47 - Chocobo Theme (Final Fantasy X-2) vs. Honeylune Ridge (Super Mario Odyssey)

Match 48 - Close in the Distance (Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker) vs. Shrimp Shuffle (Rhythm Heaven Fever)

Match 49 - Desert (Super Mario Bros.) (Super Mario Maker 2) vs. National Anthem (Double Dribble Arcade)

Match 50 - Dubble Bath (DIY Remix) (Splatoon 2) vs. Fun House (Spider-Man the Animated Series)

Match 51 - Options (Sonic Spinball) vs. Welcome to Mario Cars 2 (Mario Cars 2)

Match 52 - Twilit Battle (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess) vs. Confusion (Digimon World 3)

Match 53 - 25m (Donkey Kong) vs. Buying Goods at Palmira (Evergrace)

Match 54 - Crazy Shuffle Theme (Action 52) vs. Joke's End (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga)

Match 55 - Treasure Caves (Wild Woody) vs. Long Elevator (Undertale)

Match 56 - Conspiracy (わるだくみ) (Muv Luv) vs. Opening (Sonic Blast 3D 5)

Match 57 - Digital Roots (Deltarune Chapter 2) vs. Lying in the Darkness (Tales of Graces)

Match 58 - Victory Road (Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver) vs. Title Music (Manic Miner)

Match 59 - Donut Plains (Super Mario Kart) vs. Nightclub (Sabotaged) (Payday 3)

Match 60 - Credtrap (Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill) vs. Cole Train Rap (Gears of War)

Match 61 - Tragic Prince (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) vs. Theme of Stardust (Yakuza 2)

Match 62 - Vital (Fornite) vs. Title Screen (Ballz 3D)

Match 63 - Emblem Engage! (Fire Emblem: Engage) vs. Sub-Tree Area (Kirby Super Star)

Match 64 - Maximum Power (After Burner (Amiga)) vs. Imp's Song (DOOM)

Round 2

Match 1 - Lavender Town (Pokémon Red/Blue) vs. K.K. Synth (Animal Crossing: New Leaf)

Match 2 - This is Where You Are Caucasian Destination Boy (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku) vs. Track 6 (The Ring: Terror's Realm)

Match 3 - The Fade (Dragon Age: Origins) vs. Birthday Cake (Jet Set Radio Future)

Match 4 - You've Got to Eat Your Vegetables! (Commander Keen 4) vs. GB Hunter Theme (GB Hunter)

Match 5 - Know What I Mean? (Mario Party 2) vs. The Yoshi Clan (Yoshi's New Island)

Match 6 - Mansion Basement (Resident Evil Director's Cut) vs. Vacation Music 1 (The Sims 1)

Match 7 - Central City (Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood) vs. Title Screen (Crazy Bus)

Match 8 - Striptease (Persona 4) vs. Spookwave (Undertale)

Match 9 - Nocturne (Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood) vs. Diggity Dog (WWF No Mercy (N64))

Match 10 - Versus (Sonic Eraser) vs. 50m (Donkey Kong)

Match 11 - Shadow World (DE DE MOUSE Remix) (Persona 4 Dancing All Night) vs. Survival Instincts Kicking In (Bravely Default II)

Match 12 - Fight Theme 1 (Omikron: The Nomad Soul) vs. Metal Gear MS DOS Soundtrack (Metal Gear MS DOS)

Match 13 - NLA (Night) (Xenoblade Chronicles X) vs. I Love Beijing Tiananmen (Hong Kong 97)

Match 14 - Stage Theme (1942) vs. Din's Power (Harp) (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)

Match 15 - Tired of Life (Lady of Beestmeel Bro) vs. Holy Orders? (Guilty Gear XX)

Match 16 - Main Theme (Beverly Hills Cop (PC)) vs. Denegul (Lagoon(SNES))

Match 17 - Crown Dungeon (The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages) vs. Dungeon Man (EarthBound)

Match 18 - Resetti's Theme (Animal Crossing: Wild World) vs. Belly Flop (Splatoon 3)

Match 19 - The Moving Gigantic Ship (Tales of Xillia) vs. Track 7 (Frozen Fruits)

Match 20 - Title Theme (The Adventures of Rad Gravity) vs. Emphasis on Scat (BattleBlock Theater)

Match 21 - Character Select (Marvel vs. Capcom 2) vs. Title Screen (Tagin' Dragon (NES))

Match 22 - What's Your Name? (San Fransisco Rush) vs. Mine: Zew (The Void/Tension)

Match 23 - Versus Giegue (EarthBound Beginnings) vs. Sagat's Theme (Street Fighter 1)

Match 24 - Chocobo Theme (Final Fantasy X-2) vs. Shrimp Shuffle (Rhythm Heaven Fever)

Match 25 - National Anthem (Double Dribble Arcade) vs. Fun House (Spider-Man: The Animated Series)

Match 26 - Welcome to Mario Cars 2 (Mario Cars 2) vs. Confusion (Digimon World 3)

Match 27 - Buying Goods at Palmira (Evergrace) vs. Crazy Shuffle Theme (Action 52)

Match 28 - Treasure Caves (Wild Woody) vs. Opening (Sonic 3D Blast 5)

Match 29 - Lying in the Darkness (Tales of Graces) vs. Title Music (Manic Miner)

Match 30 - Nightclub (Sabotaged) (Payday 3) vs. Credtrap (Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill)

Match 31 - Theme of Stardust (Yakuza 2) vs. Title Screen (Ballz 3D(SNES))

Match 32 - Emblem Engage! (Fire Emblem: Engage) vs. Imp's Song (DOOM)

Round 3

#if you think i should add anything more to this post let me know and i'll think about it!#my posts #worst video game song tournament #not a poll #music poll #music #video games #tournament poll #poll tournament #poll bracket #tumblr poll #tumblr polls #tumblr tournament #tumblr tourney

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ajdupontmoreau · 6 months ago

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Name: Aiden Jax du Pont-Moreau

Nickname: Aj

Age: 28

Birthday: April 15, 1995 (☼ aries, ☽ libra, ↗ pisces )

Gender/Pronouns: cis man; he/him

Sexuality: Doesn't like labels but is bisexual

Hometown: Long Island, New York

Length of Time in Cape May: On and off for 28 years.

Occupation: Billionaire (he does stuff just this is a simple umbrella)

Faceclaim: Nicholas Galitzine

trigger(s): mentions of rehab, drug use,

Background:

Aj was born into a very wealthy (which is still an understatement) family. His father Declan du Pont is one of the heirs to the du Pont dynasty and the current CEO of Tournay du Pont co. His mother is Cadieux CEO and famed fashion designer, Nadine du Pont-Moreau. He was born in Monaco during one of his parents' many trips there and partially raised in his father's hometown of Long Island, New York for the better part of his life when he wasn't off jet-setting to different parts of the world for any number of reasons.

He definitely grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth but has spent a great deal of time learning that he has privilege and he should listen before commenting on things he doesn’t understand.

AJ's rebellious streak growing up was not for the faint of heart. He spent a great deal of time flirting with and even sleeping with the wives (WANTED CONNECTION) of other rich men in their social circle, going to parties he had no business being at, doing drugs he shouldn't have been doing and streaking through Vegas (there's a tabloid story somewhere) all before he was even 21.

This rebellious 'phase' resulted in a short stint in rehab that his parents practically forced on him. He also had what he called an adult baby sitter assigned to him - even though it didn't stop him from going back to the same scene. A few more trips and he got the hint to get his shit together. While he's not fully sober, he's California Sober. He attends meetings if he feels he needs it and overall, hears his own body out.

AJ didn't take the traditional ivy league school option when he finished high school. He instead opted to go and see more of the world. He had all the money he needed at his disposal and what more could he learn in a classroom than in the actual world. He had travelled to parts of Africa, Asia, and South America in an effort to learn about different cultures and customs and then jetted off to North America, Australia and parts of Europe before finally settling back in France.

While he should've been cleaning up his act, the travelling, primarily the latter continents involved more partying and scandalous headlines that his parents didn't like - including a photo of their son passed out at the foot of the Cristo Redentor (Chris the Redeemer) Statue.

While it made Aj and his buddies laugh, his parents felt differently and told him he had responsibilities and he couldn't take over Tournay du Pont co & Cadieux if he was going to be reckless. They'd always told him it would inevitably be his to lead. He chose to enrol into a university and get his business degree like the good little rich boy they expected him to be - not without his fair share of frat parties of course.

The thing with AJ is he doesn't want to live up to the family name and live this boring stuffy life that keeps him so busy he can't live it. The double edged sword is that he's very good at it. He has a keen eye for both the fashion industry and the tech industry. He enjoys the work but he wonders if it's all he's worth. No one takes him seriously enough to do the job but they all expect him to do it regardless.

He's feeling lost in trying to figure out his next steps and what he wants in life but he's also trying to distract himself from adulting by having meaningless hookups and avoiding forming connections because he feels he'll get too caught up in his 'birth right' jobs and not be able to commit to people the way they should be.

anything to do with the du pont-moreau lore can be found here.

personality:

Aj is very charming - whether that's something the money and confidence provides or just his natural essence, it is undeniable and can be quite frustrating at times.

He can be quick to anger when dealing with incompetence or certain levels of frustration but it's been a long while since someone has made him angry to a point that he expresses it.

He can be quite the nerd when in his natural element and thanks to the vast amounts of money afforded to him, he owns an expansive comic book collection.

He is very business savy and it shows from the types of investments he makes and the care he puts into those investments. There may be on reckless investment in the form of a race track at his home in Monaco.

Aj can be quite impulsive and either make a stupid mistake or say something stupid which tends to get him slapped or laid, sometimes both. See above about race track for impulsive decision making.

The one thing he chooses to keep to himself is that he is very generous. He takes a special interest in the foundations run by his family - his favourite elements of the 'businesses' he's inheriting. He actively attends the meetings and tries to make meaningful contributions which often get shut down because no one takes him serious but there are moments where his Uncle Pierre will support him.

He's got a decent relationship with both his parents despite their respective affairs and he has a good relationship with his sisters. It's ironic he's the black sheep despite being the only one who doesn't have issues with the others.

Inspired by: Prince Harry from The Royal Family, Logan Huntzberger from Gilmore Girls, Nate Archibald from Gossip Girl, Sebastian Kydd/Mr.Big from Carrie Diaries/Sex and the City and Seth Cohen (rich nerd) from the OC. also Paris Hilton.

wanted connections:

wife of someone in his social circle: this would be a woman that is significantly older than aj. she can be a friend of his parents' or a wife of a business partner of some sort but this could be an intricate plot

rival: someone aj doesn't get along with or has a poor history with. maybe aj slept with their mom or they are members of competing businesses (in any sector). Or maybe Aj was a douchebag when they crossed paths, he tends to have multiple personalities.

someone who's business he invests in: as stated above, aj has an expansive investment profile and this includes a few businesses. He's intelligent enough to know money doesn't last without having multiple streams of income in different sectors so this doesn't even have to be a topic aj would know about. It would be interesting to see where this plot could lead.

hookups: like i said, aj is trying to have some fun and distract himself and he's been doing that. this could Segway into other types of connections but putting it out there.

anything and everything under the sun is up for grabs.

#cape.intro #tw rehab mention #tw drug use mention

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satoshi-mochida · 1 year ago

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Fate/Samurai Remnant third trailer, screenshots

Gematsu Source

Publisher Koei Tecmo and developer Omega Force have released the third official trailer and new screenshots for Fate/Samurai Remnant.

Get the latest details below.

Throughout the Fate franchise, pairs of Masters and heroic spirits—also known as Servants—have been fighting across history in a series of Holy Grail Wars, with the winning duo receiving an ancient artifact that grants wishes. Fate/Samurai Remnant continues the series’ epic Holy Grail War in Edo Period Japan as players control young samurai Miyamoto Iori alongside his Servant Saber. Here, a battle between seven pairs of Masters and Servants is about to begin as the “Waxing Moon Ritual” unfolds in the shadows. Playing as Iori, players will explore the town of Edo and experience a variety of activities, such as wandering the streets in the company of various Servants, shopping at the mysterious store “Babyloni-ya,” or visiting famous places scattered throughout Edo. Accompanied by Saber, who is particularly keen to discover life in Edo, Iori will be able to complete a variety of side quests to earn money and much-needed materials. He will even be called upon to arbitrate fights! As Edo is divided into several districts, players can move from one to another using the world map, which will show them where to go to progress through the story of the Waxing Moon Ritual. Saber will also mark places of interest on the map. Some Rogue Servants may suggest sub-quests called “Digressions.” As they progress through the different Digressions, players will bond with Rogue Servants who will accompany Iori. By taking part in the Ritual, Iori will have to prepare himself to face powerful opponents in fearsome battles with the help of Saber and other Rogue Servants. To maximize their chances, players can upgrade not only Iori’s skill tree, but also those of Saber and other Rogue Servants, unlocking various skills and abilities that they can equip. In addition to his skill tree, Iori can use materials with his sword mountings to strengthen its abilities and replace the skills attached to it. Players will also be able to fill in Saber’s “Memento Ring” as they strengthen the bond between Servant and Master by exploring the town of Edo and progressing through the story. Once they reach a certain level on the “Memento Ring,” players can increase their chances of using Link Strikes in battle or unlock new skills in Saber’s tree. In Fate/Samurai Remnant‘s combat, players have three different gauges to watch out for if they want to triumph over even the most formidable opponents: the “Affinity Gauge,” the “Substitution Gauge,” and the “Hidden Sword Gauge.” The first gauge is required to use the powerful “Affinity Technique” action and order their Servant to perform a specific attack. This gauge fills up during combat in response to Iori’s attacks, but can also fill up during exploration when players carry out various activities such as interacting with Saber’s points of interest. By consuming the second gauge, the “Substitution Gauge,” players can temporarily and directly control the Servant accompanying Iori. Finally, the last gauge tells players when they can unleash Iori’s special technique, which changes according to the number of swords used in combat.

The company also announced that it will host a special live stream for Fate/Samurai Remnant at Tokyo Game Show 2023 on September 21 at 6:00 a.m. PT / 9:00 a.m. ET / 22:00 JST. It will feature more information about the game, as well as gameplay using characters that have never been shown off before. Special guests include voice actors Kengo Kawanishi (Iori Miyamoto), Hibiku Yamamura (Saber), and Tomoaki Maeno (Zheng Chenggong). You will be able to watch it on YouTube.

Fate/Samurai Remnant is due out for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam on September 28 in Japan and September 29 worldwide. Read more about the game here and here.

Watch the trailer below. View the screenshots at the gallery.

Trailer #3

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Japanese

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#Fate Samurai Remnant #Fate Series #Type Moon #Koei Tecmo #Omega Force #Action RPG #Gematsu #Youtube

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mordecaibenyisrael · 1 year ago

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We are the point of the sword against all their gates, to melt the heart and the overthrown be many. Ah! We are made like lightning, keen for slaughter. Ezekiel 21:15

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the-suns-beloved · 1 year ago

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11, 21, 30, and 32 please!

11) I think that the class/es Perseus is likeliest to get funneled into, assassin-type or sword wielding classes, are where he'd probably be most comfortable, given his experiences. He doesn't envy being, say, a magic-only class; in his youth he's practiced enough reason to make him sick. If things were different, though? If he hadn't left Adrestia? He wonders. Maybe he would've liked to be a pegasus knight, or something.

21) Frown lines, likely. Percie's a lot happier at the academy, but he still worries an awful lot.

30) Perseus has a very keen sense of internal direction, maybe more out of necessity than anything. When he first left home to go to Faerghus, it was definitely an ambling path to get there, but he never lost sight of where he was going. In terms of time, though, Perseus is definitely known to lose track of it when he's preoccupied.

32) He has a fondness for little baubles of all kinds, even those whose only value is to look pretty. He has an eye for craftsmanship, having picked up a few different trades, and so it's easy for him to get caught up at markets and bazaars and come home with a little pouchful of treasures. (One of his lost items is a particularly sentimental trinket from one of these ventures.) Aside from that, good pens are also a vice of his.

#thanks for asking!! you asked most of the questions I was itching to answer for percie lol #percieposting

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soulcost · 1 year ago

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character summaries.

WARNING. major spoilers for act 3/the end of the game for baldur's gate 3 below the cut. do NOT read unless you are okay with major story spoilers in relation to the dream guardian/the emperor and orpheus.

baldur's gate 3.

astele "nine-fingers" keene, 29. astele keene, more commonly known as "nine-fingers", is the leader of the guild, a criminal organization operating within baldur's gate. she is a calculated individual and a mastermind when it comes to planning and scheming, taking as much time and resources necessary to enact and execute a plan. she is an excellent judge of character and can rapidly assess a person's motives within moments of meeting them.

the emperor, 900+. a rogue mindflayer that has maintained an independent mind free of the elder brain's influence, the emperor is masterful at manipulating those around him and pushing them toward actions and decisions that will directly benefit him. before he was known as the emperor, he was balduran, the namesake of baldur's gate; the reputation of his previous identity and his influence over the minds of others enabled him to operate the knights of the shield within the city until being captured by enver gortash for the purposes of executing the absolute's plan by capturing civilians and implanting them with magic-infused mindflayer tadpoles.

lae'zel, 21. a formidable githyanki warrior, lae'zel is a devout follower of vlaakith, much like all gith, and is a ruthless opponent in battle. when she is implanted with a mindflayer parasite, she buries her fear of becoming that which she fears most by seeking out allies facing the same troubles as she does and seeks a cure. when it becomes apparent that her entire belief system is built on lies, she grapples with a crisis of faith while devoting herself to a cause that will free her people from vlaakith's chains.

larkin bashar, 40. a human oath of the crown paladin and member of the flaming fist. larkin has always been devoted to doing what is right, even if it's not necessarily the best option or most reasonable, which has caused him to butt heads with his little sister, liana, more often than not. while he loves liana unconditionally, it hasn't been enough to stop the two from having a falling out after an explosive fight. he goes years without hearing a word from her, until she shows up in baldur's gate with a ticking time bomb in her skull and an impossible challenge ahead of her.

liana bashar, 33. a jack of all trades, master of none. liana is a human college of lore bard hailing from whitekeep; following a nasty breakup, she leaves baldur's gate to travel around the sword coast and see what the world around her has to offer, playing at taverns and parties alike and sustaining herself on tips and the odd small quest here and there. she returns to baldur's gate to settling back in, only to be captured by the nautiloud shortly thereafter and implanted with a mindflayer tadpole.

penelope dusek, 678. an elf skilled in the art of necromancy, penelope is the brains behind the penelope dusek finishing school for the undead and the outcast, an academy in baldur's gate geared toward rehabilitating creatures deemed monstrous and educating them in the ways of polite society so that they may coexist with the people of faerun.

orpheus, 2,000+. son of gith, prince of the comet, the true heir, vlaakith's no. 1 enemy. orpheus has been trapped inside the astral prism for centuries and as of the events of baldur's gate 3, is the psychic defensive force that protects the party from falling to the elder brain's influence. his story is banned from being told and shared among the githyanki people, punishable by death, for he is the only threat to vlaakith's reign over the githyanki people.

vaira, 29. a githyanki monk, skilled at the art of deception where her motives are concerned. from an outsider's perspective, vaira is much like any of her kin, devoted to upholding vlaakith's will. in actuality, vaira has been one of a handful of githyanki devoted to the prince of the comet and seek his freedom. she is on a mission to meet with githerazi and speak to her side of the cause when she is captured by the nautiloid and implanted with a tadpole.

voss, 1,500+. a githyanki knight, vlaakith's right hand. while voss is the picture of a devoted githyanki and holds the highest honor a gith can reach, he has been plotting for centuries a way to free orpheus and liberate the githyanki people of vlaakith's rule. the key to that liberation is the astral prism, and a group of adventurers doomed to become illithid. he will do whatever he has to in order to see this mission through.

life is strange.

chloe price, 18 - 25. stubborn, mischievous and rebellious, chloe has a lot of walls built up from years of being beat down by life. her father died when she was 12 years old and the same week, her best friend max caulfield moved to seattle and steadily stopped reaching out. she has a deep fear of abandonment and tends to push people away before they can leave her, but underneath that hardened exterior, she can be a very loyal friend.

max caulfield, 18 - 25. quiet, awkward, but ever-observant, max is an aspiring photographer who discovers she can rewind time and stop disastrous events from happening when she sees her best friend, chloe, get shot in the school bathroom and rewinds time to stop it. the next week of her life is a rollercoaster of events that put her newfound powers, and everything she thinks she knows about arcadia bay and blackwell academy, to the test. she's a very kind-hearted person and is always prone to doing the right thing, even if it sometimes bites her in the ass.

steph gingrich, 18 - 25. super gay, super hot, super nerdy; steph can be hailed as "queen of the nerds" for good reason; she knows more about dnd than you, she listens to better music than you, and she can play the drums. with all of the above being said, she's got a wicked sense of humor and while she can be a lot to take in at first, she goes to bat for her friends every time and will happily tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. it's because she loves you, I'm sure.

resident evil.

ada wong, 24 - 50. not much is known about ada wong - which is more than fitting for an elite spy-for-hire. her contracts often involve tracking down samples of viruses and parasites alike that can bring about world-ending epidemics and hand deliver them to her employer at the time, regardless of their intentions. up until the raccoon city outbreak, she was fine utilizing any means necessary at her disposal to get the job done, no matter who suffered in the process. a certain rookie cop changed her philosophy on things, just enough.

albert wesker, 35 - 55. a genius in his own right, and a ruthlessly ambitious one at that. wesker is many things - cold, calculated, cunning, et cetera. his biggest ambition is to accelerate human evolution to the next step forward through the uroboros virus, wiping out the inferior specimens of humanity and elevating those that survive to a heightened existence.

ashley graham, 20 - 40. aka baby eagle, aka the president's daughter. after surviving the events in spain that nearly resulted in her being a puppet for the los illuminados that would usher in the cult's rule over the world, ashley has devoted herself to a career in occult investigation, hoping to prevent situations and experiences like her own from ever happening again.

jill valentine, 24 - 50. a former member of the raccoon city police department's special tactics and rescue services. jill valentine got thrown into the world of bioterrorism in a ploy meant to kill her and the remaining members of the S.T.A.R.S. team, but thanks to her calm nature in a crisis and quick thinking, she survived. following the raccoon city outbreak and the fall of umbrella, jill has devoted her life to fighting bioterrorism, becoming a founding member of the bioterrorism security assessment alliance (BSAA) and working to eradicate bioterrorism and the organizations that create it wherever she can.

miscellaneous.

kim possible, 16 - 20s, disney's kim possible. cheerleader by day, freelance crime fighter by night. kim is a very type-a person, she's kind, she's a little judgmental, she can be socially awkward, but she always does the right thing. she also doesn't bother with a secret identity and her parents are fine with her extracurricular hobbies, just so long as she's home by curfew.

lula mae henson, 32, project zomboid oc. a farmer based out of west point, kentucky. lula mae is just getting into the rhythm of running the family farm after the passing of her grandparents when all hell breaks loose in knox county; in less than a week, a virus causing those infected to become zombies and spread this disease ravages knox county and begins spreading through kentucky, the midwest, and eventually, the country. lula mae is one of the few who have managed to survive, her skills with growing and preserving plants a vital one as food supplies and sources begin to dwindle. but the undead are getting smarter and more resilient by the day, and there's no telling how long she'll be able to hold out.

tree gelbman, 21+, happy death day. the world's bitchiest sorority girl gets murdered on her birthday, only to reset the day and do it all over again. what she thinks is a bad dream quickly becomes an endless and repetitive cycle; as she works to find out who her killer is, she learns to be a better person.

#character summaries.#muse list.

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